Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 erickova May 10, 2011 0:22:29	Hello, in the process of creating the next session for my campaign (4E) I have found myself running low on creative juices, and throught a little inspiration would go a long way.  So the current scenario is: The players are exploring an underground catacomb that runs along a certain part of the city that they currently reside in.  They found this catacomb's access through an abandoned well in a part of the city that drifters and vagrants take residence in through a certain rumor going around.  Through exploration, they discovered that the end of the catacombs connects to the grounds of the current ruler of the city, and it appears that this passage is used frequently. More interesting and shocking was the discovery of a chamber in the catacombs that was well-guarded by various constructs and natural barriers.  In this chamber (also covered with crystal created from the stasis shell ritual) was what appeared to be a woman sealed in plaster and then again with the crystal from the ritual.  This woman told the players through a telepathic link that her husband (the current ruler) sealed her here years ago when she discovered that he used this ritual to practice darker rituals and hold contraband for the local underground market; he sealed her to indefinatly protect his secrets.  Believing her, the players are now setting out to find a distant lover of hers from the local academy to help with her goal:  to kill her husband and unseal her. My current situation is that I want things on the end of the woman to not be what they seem and that she was sealed there for a reason.  I am looking for suggestions on a potential dark secret etc. on why she is sealed away that the players could enjoy some intrigue with, and perhaps create a recurring antagonist if she is unsealed.  Thank you for suggestions!
#2 Dark_c May 10, 2011 0:44:28	hopefully this will help, it's a resource that i use in this situations as a way to think outside the box. You dont need bad guys or good guys not even mention misterious dudes ;) We are all good and the characters not-knowingly take a side and become the bad guys from the movie i.e. you play the scenarios of damisel in distress and at some point reveal that the "husband" was the great great grandfather of the current ruler, stasis messed-up sense of time or the reverse scenario she was tricked by a member of the royalty she never married the "king" so this guy helps the character only because he wants to destroy the rulers reputation and take over so in the end characters de-throne (is that correctly spelled?) a good king well from there keep on twisting ;) sorry for the mistakes but english is not my native languaje - hope this helps the creativity flow, muses will come man
#3 morandir62 May 10, 2011 3:45:17	I too get the idea that some time has passed.  The location of the place might allow her to actually be the queen (being a “city’ I’d like to know the ruling title) and a skilled Arcanist worshipping Vecna or Orcus.  Just when she was finishing a ritual to change her into a vampire or lich, after her duplicity was discovered by her husband - a ranking priest of Bahamut or Pelor, and she was trapped here,. She could be an assassin or avenger of Zehir killed with out fulfilling her oath; trapped in the stasis she eventually died, though her spirit is trapped on the mortal plane until she fulfills her oath.  If freed she may be a powerful undead. She could be the trapped form of a steel dragon (in human form) who was trapped her by her “evil husband” for her hoard.  While trapped the city grew and her captors descendants rule.  It matters not to her she will take her revenge and after becoming ruler will demand ever increasing tribute or raze the city. The dark arts are linked to the Far Realms; she has gained powerful psionic abilities and fully understands the ritual used by the Kaorti to open a portal; a portal she will not hesitate to open, that will forever change the face of this city even if it is stopped.  She could be a starlock/battlemind (or either an ardent or psion).
#4 pruano May 10, 2011 10:58:24	The ideas above are good, just to flesh a plot end: - the lover could be the current high cleric/sorcerer of her nearly defunct order, which have been trying to find the body for all that time. When he finds out it has been discovered he may play along, while doing everything in his power to get to her; at that point you may add another twist, making the lover covet the power she possesses and not wanting to restore her to power after all.
#5 calm May 10, 2011 15:25:26	Have her be a trapped succubus and the lover she summons is a cultist worshipper who will be able to free her by killing the ruler, who was also a cultist who summoned her originally. Then she becomes a free agent to wreak havoc upon the town for a few levels.