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Grug
2009-04-14, 09:32 PM
I'm feeling bored and lonely, so I'll write up a campaign plot that I wrote on a long car trip.

Escalation

Level 1: The adventurers live in the small-ish frontier town of Galfry, where Targak, the dwarf owner of the Blue Beetle, hires them for a job. The basement of his Inn has been infested by [Gasp!] Giant Rats! So the part ventures forth, helped along by Kitty, the attractive barmaid. They find a secret door in an empty beercask that leads to a complex of caves. After several rooms of rats. they finally reach the true threat: a Goblin! [Gasp!] After a hard battle involving At Will powers, the Goblin is defeated! Yay! Or is it?

When the players entered, the goblin proclaimed that he and his minions would rescue his "friend". And who is that friend? Why, the Ogre that smashes through the Wall! As the ogre flails after the (level 1) party, they must do whatever they can do defeat their gigantic foe! But what's this? Beyond the smashed wall, they discover an underground structure and a very un-happy half-elf, who starts tossing magic at the adventurers that messed up his work! While the ogre was fighting, the players could see green wisps of ectoplasm flowing into the creature, emerging from the Sorcerer!

The Sorcerer is named Andrys Smid, but he prefers the name Adrelion. He was born with the unique power to possess and puppet living creatures. He was excavating the ruins when the goblin's death prompted the Ogre to break control and fight for it's "rescuer", something that had never happened before. Adrelion was attatched to the ogre as it died, and was severely weakened. Although the players manage to make him retreat this time, he promises revenge!

And revenge he Does! Later that night, Adrelion ventures to the Blue Beetle and attacks the sleeping players. Only Targak's sacrifice stalls the sorcerer long enough for the players to get ready to fight. Again, Adrelion runs away. That seems to be the last of him...


Level 2. Oh no! Kobolds have stolen some treasure! "Go get it back" says a merchant. A simple side adventure to distract from the true threat.

That would be Adrelion. He works for a shadowy council of arcane spell casters and is seeking some kind of great power hidden in the area. After visiting the council's citadel, he returns with a Necromancer named Pingas. The two of them, along with Pingas' skeletal minions, manage to penetrate deeper into the ruins. There, they set up a camp and continue to research. But Adrelion is far from done.

Level 3+4: After enough time has passed, Adrelion feels strong enough to flex his power. He returns to Galfry and issues a challenge to the players. By obliterating the Inn with his magic. As the players delve into the ruins, they finally realize just how old these ruins are. None of the original traps or guardians exist. Not even immortals or elementals. They will only find broken traps, and the shaking bones of once animated undead. Of a more real threat is Pingas. He had been setting up his own traps and guardians among the remains of the old, old temple. Finally, the Party penetrates into the sorcerer's chamber. He has discovered another mural, this time with ancient writings. After copying them down onto a scroll, he fights briefly with the players before using a teleport circle to escape, destroying the exit. Once the players defeat Pingas, they are left wondering what will happen next.

Grug
2009-04-14, 10:27 PM
Level 5:
If the players are smart enough to copy the writing for themselves, they need to find someone to translate. Luckily Kitty, the Barmaid, happens to have an uncle in nearby Horn Mount, a big town. They journey there to converse with Habel, the sage. After a few days, Habel finally has the translation. Some artifact is buried right under Galfry. Hmmm.

Oh no! By the time the players get back, the town is already under attack! After Adrelion brought the information to his superiors, they pooled their resources and managed to recruit a regiment of hobgoblins. They are pillaging Galfry, and worse, Adrelion is nearly back to full power. The best the players can do is try to rescue citizens while Habel draws a teleport circle. If the hobgoblins won't make the players run, than Adrelion's magic will.

After fleeing to Horn Mount, Habel reveals he knows Adrelion. Or rather, he knew Andrys Smid. Andrys was a former pupil of Habel's, but the half-elf had no patience for dusty tomes, preferring the more practical and destructive side of Magic. He had run off years before, but he had returned as Adrelion.

Level 6: Habel asks the players to escort him to the city of Lenderborn to ask the Duke for help reclaiming Galfry and stopping Adrelion. Along the way, they are attacked by Shifters! Habel is kidnapped! The players must pursue into their lair. While inside, they find that Habel is going to be sacrificed to Asmodeus, but the players save him!

Level 7:
The players reach Lenderborn with Habel and appeal to Duke Harding. Unfortunately he is mostly indifferent, saying that it was a tragedy that Galfry was lost, but it was not worth re-taking the town, since the populace could find refuge in Horn Mount. Still, he does send some troops to defend against further attacks. Habel decides to stay in Lenderborn and conduct research.

A few days after their return to Horn Mount, Hobgoblins attack the town, with Adrelion conspicuously absent. Narrowly, and with help from the players, they manage to repel the attack. Everything seems quiet for a while. The players are even free to pursue a side dungeon.

Level 8: Habel contacts the players. All is not well in Lenderborn. Several prominent clerics have been attacked, and one killed. The players are asked to find out what is happening. A mystery ensues. While the players are searching for the culprits, a group of Dragonborn suddenly appear to protect the cleric of Pelor for an unexplained reason. Eventually, the players are led to a cult of Asmodeus, which is then flushed out. However, the attacks continue, and the populace is worried. Habel begins to issue advice on the subject and how the populace can identify fiendish magic, and he becomes quite popular. Too popular. When the players arrive in time to prevent an assassination of the cleric of Kord, they realize that Habel would be the next target. Members of the cult had manipulated Habel and the citizens, who now believe him to be a holy-man of Melora. And sure enough, the players arrive just in time to see a warlock killing Habel. The warlock reveals himself to be named Weegee, and as his minions take Habel's body away, he reveals he is working for Adrelion. The players defeat him, but the sinister purpose behind Habel's abduction remains unknown.

Grug
2009-04-14, 10:52 PM
Level 9:
But the meaning becomes clear soon, because Horn Mount is attacked again. The siege seems to be going well for the heroes, until Adrelion shows up with the artifact. What is the artifact? A GIANT COLOSSUS. He had unearthed the giant stone man, but to possess it and move it, the construct needed a Brain. But not just any brain. The brain of a religious leader, unwittingly provided by Habel. While Adrelion rides in its chest, the colossus lays waste to Horn Mount. Again, the players must flee to Lenderborn.

While at Lenderborn, the players are approached by the Dragonborn from before. They identify themselves as the Platinum Fangs, a group that had been warring against the Arcane Council. They warn the players that with the Colossuss, Adrelion could easily take Lenderborn, and then use it as a stronghold to conquer other settlements. Only the players could stop him. But they needed a special power. They are given a map to Temple Fortress of Longevity, wherein lies the Burning Shrine of Bahamut. If they could reach the shrine and receive Bahamut's blessing, they may be able to defeat Adrelion.

While the players are traveling, Adrelion is gathering power. Even though he had a colossus, he needed an army. Hobgoblins and orcs from the surrounding area come to Horn Mount to join the warpath.

Inside the Temple Fortress, they find many undead and elemental guardians. Finally reaching the shrine, they are given Bahamuts blessing. All are instantly brought to level 11, the paragon tier, and receive a dragon's hoard of treasure, including special "dragon wings" cloaks. Unfortunately, another adventuring party had followed them in to seize the treasure for themselves. What follows is a fight between two adventuring parties, where strategy is essential. Finally the players are victorious, and the Cleric agrees to teleport them to Lenderborn.


Level 11:
After finally returning to the city, it is already under attack! While they were gone, the Platinum Fangs had been organizing the city for siege. Although the soldiers are containing the walls, the Colossus is rampaging through the interior. The players use their newfound "dragon wings" to attack the colossus. As Adrelion swats at the players and tries to crush them, they break through the shield protecting Adrelion's body. He quickly breaks the link and flies out, causing the Colossus to stop and kneel. Atop the Colossus's back and while a battle rages around, the players and Adrelion have their battle. Adrelion is losing both the battle and the war, and teleports away to the Citadel.

The Platinum Fangs urge the players to follow. They had dealt quite a blow to the Arcane Council, and needed to go and stop Adrelion once and for all. The players enter the citadel and fight through all sorts of magical beings and creatures in a vast enchanted structure. Finally, Finally, the players have Adrelion cornered in his chambers. He is found pleading with the higher council through his scrying mirror, but he is rejected. In fact, as the players enter, the council casts a spell to prevent teleporting from the room, as well as sealing the exit. They watch as the players kill Adrelion, And then are left to rot in the sealed structure.

And thus the story ends, leaving room for more adventure as well.

ABCDEFG, Tell me what you think of me!

ChaosDefender24
2009-04-14, 11:24 PM
Lol'd hard at all the name references.

Story seems good, but it seems too easy to derail at crucial moments. Like if the PC's deduced that Habel would be under attack, before they rushed off to save the Kord guy and got the hint there. How would Andralion pilot the mechwarrior without Habel's head? You could have him kill some *other* religious leader that the PC's don't know about, but then it's basically "oh he has a robot."

Also, how do the PC's know that the BBEG teleported to his citadel at the end?

Shadowbane
2009-04-14, 11:44 PM
Loved the name references. I agree with the above poster, seems easy to derail. Careful about that.

Grug
2009-04-15, 04:26 PM
Yeah, the references were fun. I also planned Shoopda the blasty warlock from the Jungle, and Lowtax the control wizard.

Grug
2009-04-15, 04:28 PM
Yeah, the references were fun. I also planned Shoopda the blasty warlock from the Jungle, and Lowtax the control wizard. Just so we're clear, the only one I included specifically were Weegee and Pingas. Are there others?

Actually, Habel IS the back-up plan. I won't be giving the players any hints. If they figure it out on their own, good for them.

KillianHawkeye
2009-04-15, 04:39 PM
I thought all the long-range teleportation effects were Rituals in 4E? That's not the kind of thing your BBEG can pull off to save his butt mid-combat.