4E Need input and questions on storyarc

[Sipex]

So my adventure has taken a unique turn as they often do and my party has travelled to the Fey. It's to take a break from the main story (somewhat) and give one of the PCs a bit of time to indulge the rest of the party in their character's life.

Now, I don't have much info on the Fey so I pretty much created it from scratch based on what hints the base books give and then customised it to fit my world, so some questions may be answered with "My version of the Fey doesn't work that way, here's how it works in regards to your question:"

This particular scenario our Eladrin fighter, Caelynna, was whisked away to the Fey by her Father who is the Ghaele (sp?) of her Fey Cluster (I can explain if you'd like). In my game Ghaele are a sort of arch mage who supports and develops the cluster but doesn't govern it. Kind of like a Systems Administrator in an office if that makes any sense. Lots of power but there are still some authority figures above him.

He's brought her back to enforce her arranged marriage to Lord Mindartis of the Light House (a sort of grand magic research facility) for the cluster. I haven't figured out what his role in the government is yet (but nothing so powerful that he can just order something and have it done). It's also very apparent to Caelynna that her father is acting...very off. This is because he's been dominated by Mindartis who has aid of a powerful magic artifact, I was thinking an orb of some sort.

Mindartis was taken over by a Lamia (the Lamia actually killed him and transferred to his body) about two months ago (he went missing for a couple weeks then re-appeared later claiming to have no memory of what happened). This Lamia wants desperately to get out of the Fey because it's being called by it's god (the current BBEG for my campaign unless the party does something drastic, they don't know this yet). He has decent arcane power inherited from his host but he's not quite powerful enough to have a unique Fey...teleportation...band thingy. What's worse (for him) is that Caelynna's father, knowing something was up managed to suppoena orders to stricken the security out of the Fey before he was dominated, pretty much dashing this things hopes to get out that route. This is why it took over Mindartis, while Mindartis cannot get out of the Fey while taken over by the Lamia (as security would have a way to check this) he is engaged to Caelynna (by arrangement only). The Lamia knew it has no chance at ever defeating Caelynnas father but if it can get Caelynna alone (which is pretty easy if you're married to the person), kill her and overtake her body it will be able to get access to her father's teleportation band thing which will work on her as well.

Caelynna has met Mindartis now and he's taken to tricking her into thinking he's a good guy (and a Lamia has +16 to bluff so it's going to be tough for the party to ensure this guy is up to something with pure insight checks). He's explained that he thinks her father is dominated and that he doesn't know by who or what reason. He's suggested that they go along with her father's plans while he looks into the matter and has invited her to his tower (with hopes to get her alone and not have to go through the marriage at all). Unfortunately for him, right after the conversation they had, the rest of the party shows up having tracked Caelynna into the Fey to rescue her. His current plan is to keep them all thinking he's a good guy and go through with the wedding to get alone time (or take the first secure alone moment and kill her).

Now, my plans as a DM is if everything goes according to plan (which isn't rare but will be rocky), this is what should happen:
- He will take the party to the Light House while they make marriage preparations
- Someone(s) in the party will start to notice something is up...not sure how I'll do this yet but any input is welcome
- They'll probably look for (or be given) incriminating evidence which I'll try to hold off until just before the wedding. He'll either seal them off, force them to flee or something so they can't warn the rest of the party.
- Wedding starts and hopefully gets crashed by knowledgeable party members
- Mindartis plays the fool and fights the party as his mage form (trying not to hurt them too much and trying to stay on Caelynna's good side), getting help from guards (of course) and Caelynna's controlled father. Maybe a short chase through the tower?
- Some key event causes Caelynna's father to break the control over him, I'm thinking something with Caelynna in danger, either that OR find some way for the PCs to destroy the orb which the lamia uses to control him. Once he breaks the control if the Lamia hasn't revealed itself he will have it reveal itself by identifying it as the Lamia he has been tracking and explain that it had been dominating him the whole time.
- The Lamia will, in rage, attack Caelynna as a last ditch attempt assuming she hasn't gotten too far from it.
- The party, only being Level 5 will have no hope of defeating it so her father will intervene and aid them, maybe by weakening it or buffing the party nicely.
- The Lamia will pull some sort of last ditch attempt and mortally wound her father just in time for more guards to show up at which point it flees knowing it has no chance (and it can alter it's form to squeeze through pretty small spaces so escaping will be easy.
- Caelynna's father will either a) Die or b) Live with party intervention (this is very likely)
- Depending on what happens the story bit wraps up and Caelynna is given her special character item (each PC gets something like this to make them special, usually these items break a few rules, for instance the Rogue got his father's sword which is a heavy blade and just a bit overpowered...but it makes the game fun for them, I can compensate and the PCs feel like they have something that is theirs). In this case it'll be a war horse which she can telepathically speak to, if her father dies it will be a manifestation of his spirit...if not...well, I have to figure it out then. Maybe some bonuses for staying near the horse in battle or something too? I don't know.

Now, a note: There are only three ways into and out of the Fey that I've created (and please, let me know if there are others which will pop up in rulebooks so I can account for them).
1) Through a teleportation circle connected to the natural world using a ritual which must be performed by someone with Fey blood. This cluster only has one and it's under heavy guard.
2) Through a magical item which can be attuned to someones bloodline and once it's attuned it can't be modified. These are very rare, usually only owned by the most powerful arcane users. This is how our fighter's father was able to teleport out of the fey and then drag her back in.
3) A chance rift between the Fey and the natural world. Usually this is how creatures from the Fey make their way into the natural world and vice-versa. Completely unpredictable.

Now for business.
What I need from you guys are many things, input, ideas but most importantly...questions. I need you guys to ask questions about details I haven't explained or thought about so when my players ask I have everything ready for them. Yes, I could just say 'a wizard did it' or whatnot but a game tends to feel more complete if there are real answers for everything

Thanks for reading!

[Sipex]

Just a bump since this thing got pushed down with only 1 view.

[FoE]

1) If the Lamia was in control of Caelynna's father, why not just force him to give the Lamia the portal-thingie?

That's the only real issue I see.

Here's my thought: Lord Mindartis/the Lamia doesn't want Caelynna's fellow adventurers to interfere, so he sends them to investigate a possible lead on why Caelynna's father is acting strangely. Of course, it's an ambush involving some evil fey cohorts (for example, quicklings). This tells the party (should they survive) that ZOMG! Mindartis isn't what he seems. Caelynna could even be along for the trip; the killers could have orders to capture her.

And please, for the sake of my sanity, start calling it the Feywild at least in this thread. It got really confusing when you're calling everyone "Fey" and the world "Fey". :smalltongue:

[Sipex]

To answer your question: He cannot do that because the bracelet is attuned to the father's bloodline. So the bracelet wouldn't work on Mindartis.

That quest is a great idea though, allows for the lamia to expand on it's "I'm a good guy, ok?" plan but also his "Kill off the meddlers." and and and the whole "Raise suspicion" thing.

Also, sorry, I didn't realise it's formal name was the Feywild. I had seen the term but I thought it went by both names.

[Lycan 01]

Lamia are the big swarms of beatles that can assume human form, right?


As evidence, they could find dead beatles laying around the Light House or something. Or maybe a secret room in Mindartis' place which has some skeletons or something stuffed in it, where the Lamia has been hiding the bodies of new employees recently signed on at the Light House after it eats them to keep itself sustained and not wear out Mindartis' body. Lamia eventually wear out the form if they use it too much, don't they? :smallconfused:

[Sipex]

Yeah, they're swarms of beetles who take over bodies. As for wearing down...4e doesn't specify but I would imagine so. Makes sense though, and 'rumours of missing people' is always a nice hook.

[FoE]

The Monster Manual says that lamias add new beetles to their bodies every time they slay someone. Eventually, the lamia seeks out a powerful fey or human and slays her (or him, in this case). The swarm then splits and a new lamia is formed. Essentially, the lamia is simply a skeleton covered in beetles that can take on a humanlike form.

So the scenario of finding dead bodies in a secret room is viable; it's just that, if you go by the MM, the lamia is simply killing to increase its mass. Also, for pleasure, since lamias are inherently evil creatures.