East Ideas#
Notes made while sketching out the last chapters of the campaign.
None of this is canon.
Motivation#
Irae wants to turn the world into a continent of undeath. Imperialist in the name of minimising suffering (death). Has demon lords unleashed to wreck havoc (can be uncovered by luskan grey cloaks investigating a certain ex-noble she was in contact with), although with the portal gone, they don't see a way for her to immediately control them. "With the energies summoned at the spine, sure, there would be ways to direct even these divine avatars of the abyss, but with the spine down, it would take something of commensurate energy.."
They know of Kiaransalee were raising anything as undead with the help of her clergy.
No one knows that there's a proper undead society now with the bodies raised.
All of Luskan is there as undead.
Celerom rules the city as compassion for the dead. Swayed by the arguments.
Intro#
Mordecai + artemis back?
TODO: epic level renown talk-up. 1 Month passed.
The trail towards Irae has been pretty dark. Scrying has continually failed, despite having some familiarity with her. The names and locations of the last battle of Kiaransalee does not seem to match anything actual in nature. All you found was a desert.
However, after several weeks of teleporting with the mages, you have been back in Waterdeep, honing your skills. Preparing for the inevitable.
TODO: A cryptic message from Felgolos arrived; ???
Demon lords h
And it does not take long. Sending from Baldur's Gate reveal they have forces sent out to protect from undead coming from the east, and that they have set up a camp by the abandoned city of Nekrina.
Give them some time to prep, talk to the people involved.
TODO: Give them a fortress or a retainer?
GW: You noticed a thing about your kavaki sense. Alignment.
Faey: Titania sends an emissary to you asking for some sketches for your domain (paste images, paste name suggestions)
Mordai; You've been studying under the mages guild in Waterdeep, and have picked up wizard skills from first principles. You have also been tracking the demon lords (who are still in the wild), but they have not attacked any more cities since you closed the spine. Scrying does indeed confirm they are still out in the wild. But the only one kind of close to the coast is Baphomet, and it appears to be wrecking havoc in the underdark along with Yeenoghu. You have at the very least bought yourself time.
Goals#
Dial down battle focus.
Allow more RP in battle..
Non-combat solutions.
Allow yourself
Make a situation/ecosystem that is so vibrant/multifaceted, so that even you as the DM has the capacity to be surprised by what the players will do.
Not like a puzzle (with a correct solution), but like a playground. Lava, rickety bridges, summonable monster. Make things intuitive, at birds eye level.
Airship battle over a volcano is dangerous, but let them do it.
NB: No way to teleport east, no fast fliers. Can rent hippogriffs or something. But it'll be a bit of a slog. Environmental hazards?
SIDES#
Can side with the undead societies (as orchestrated by irae) as they have a pretty solid understannding of ethics and run a good society, not all societies are actively trying to harm (BoneCity), and just sustainably re-use the souls of the dead and prohibit them entering hell/heaven.
Could also improve sustainability of existing undead societies (Bone City) to make this more palatable.
Can side with the devils, prolonging the cycle of suffering/shackling to divinity, but giving everyone the choice. But it would require actually killing the undead (cant revive them all).
Can unify vampires, devils against the liches, and seal the Egg to keep those societies sustainable (condition of no-expansion by devils).
Can side against the liches, summoning Kiransalee(?), or killing Irae and destroying her staff with influence. Can use Felgolos's secret plan.
Can side with Eilistraee(?) against Kiaransalee.
Sunwuko's lost temple?#
https://www.reddit.com/r/dndmaps/comments/b28btz/free_lost_temple_of_the_monkey_king_temple_maps/
https://old.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/i6vimu/rope_dart_new_nonmagical_weapon/
Empire exploration#
Depressive Music; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QifCYaJgDVM
Eilistraee#
Can be used to subvert the dark seldarine. Celerom can know about it. As can other power players. If they can find her.
Blade Dancer cleric of eilistraee; Martial caster. Sword Coaster Adventurers Gate.
Whelm ideas#
Find contract for Mordai Well
With Koth?
Need Chuuls in his lair.
Cultists#
How to deal with the Crones of Thanatos
Old lady wine club
needs belieavable discourse, something on the state of politics
Lich fight#
https://www.critrolestats.com/blog/2017/6/15/monster-analysis-delilah-briarwood-and-the-remnants
https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/3fj8oi/i_want_to_hear_your_time_stop_shenanigans/
forcecage + fireshield + mirror image + incendiary cloud
irae frustrated and calls the players nerds
CAN HAVE AN INTRO FIGHT WITH HER WIELDING THE AMULET
Conflicts with Lolth#
Vengeful ties to Lolth. Irae rebelled and took one of their cities (maerimydra)
Conflicts with Eilistraee#
E wants more independence. Racially superios, but doesn't make domination points out of it.
Dark seldarine conflicts with peacefulness due to their imperialism.
Mad people from destruction#
blaming god
"this is our fault for sinning against X"
Rival for Goatweaver#
make him jealous of being kavaki's original favourite? Akkhan?
or maybe he's a better mauler? he can maul higher?
high hitter maul.
TRIED AND FAILED
Impromptu boss#
https://old.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/j6akdx/nameless_legendary_sword_to_use_as_a_campaign/
Can have a sword that makes him "nameless"
Could be a death knight or something.
nuclear waste warning#
Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture. This place is not a place of honor.. no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here.. nothing valued is here. What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us.
This message is a warning about danger. The danger is in a particular location... it increases towards a center... the center of danger is here... of a particular size and shape, and below us. The danger is still present in your time, as it was in ours. The danger is to the body, and it can kill. The form of the danger is an emanation of energy. The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically.
This place is best left shunned and uninhabited.
Douchebag Genie#
Mini-genie providing limited wishes.
Inspiration: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9kfmtz/youve_been_granted_one_wish_by_the_douchebag/
undead relations#
halloween undead city
https://old.reddit.com/r/comics/comments/j1navv/the_wolfman_prepares_for_october_oc/
werewolves / weaker vampires (children?) / mummies spooking cities
city feeding them surplus chicken
undead provide protection from the undead horde (telling them there's no-one there)
the undead city provides healing herbs (that party can use to make healing potions with - Mordai)
undead sentience#
some undead have lingering brain power and can act in self-interest
- cemetery self-transport to bone city
- low level crone working the graveyard shift
undead library#
librarian pyramidhead: https://old.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/j1au5n/the_librarian_low_cr_mythical_monster_prithee/
ghoul market#
brain market - druid crafted banana leaf
turn undead#
protected cleric
undead mafia#
police state with people resisting#
Prismatic Wall + Reverse Gravity#
Prismatic wall in sphere form over enemies, then reverse gravity within.
Weather conversions#
https://old.reddit.com/r/dndmaps/comments/j3xui1/nomadic_tribe_on_the_move/
Horsemen#
Prosperity: A "white horseman" who is a figurehead for the prevailing religion, and essentially arrives to foretell the coming apocalypse, but also represents the apparent strength of the societies that will come to ruin.
Turmoil: A "white horseman" who is the figurehead for the "opposing force" of whatever the prevailing religion is, essentially representing the immediate confusion and uncertainty that follows the first sign of the apocalypse.
Conquest: A "white horseman" who represents the War that ensues between the prosperous society and their invasion by their religious opposition.
Pestilence: A "white horseman" who represents the spread of disease in the aftermath of the following conflict.
Division: A "red horseman" who represents the separation of existing factions, largely due to the segregation that follows the infectious disease represented by pestilence.
Strife: A "red horseman" who represents the ensuing civil war that comes from these segregated groups turning on each other.
War: A "red horseman" who represents the combined forces of violence that are coming from both from inside and outside.
Oppression: A "black horseman" who represents the forces of government wringing their populace dry in attempts to weaken the rebel fighters while bolstering their own military forces who are fighting a battle on two fronts.
Famine: A "black horseman" who represents the collective loss of resources. The few non-combatant locals are being heavily exploited, many of the farms cannot be tended and cannot provide for the military, especially as the invaders either overtake or burn the farms they encounter.
Death: The "Pale Horseman" who comes to represent the end. The conflict eventually dies down as death arrives. The collective weight of every previous horsemen having completely beaten down every aspect of society. It's almost a peaceful end, as many pass away in their sleep from injury, disease or starvation, and that which used to be society is reclaimed by nature, and it's wild beasts.