GSFB
2006-12-13, 02:17 AM
Hello all, thought I'd post a long and detailed story about my campaign.
If Nyree, Hadar, Tola, or Pilvi (you know who you are) happen to be reading this, GO AWAY RIGHT NOW YOU SNEAK!
This is a world meant to incorporate the 3.0 module series beginning with "Sunless Citadel" and culminating with "Bastion of Broken Souls." The story and setting use some of the important characters and themes of these modules, with my own additional twists.
Anyway, here is the long story, with a few questions at the bottom:
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Eajiro
Story line:
In the First age of Gods, the old ones awakened.
Tharizdun, the eldest of all, save the One, spread evil and chaos.
The other Gods came together and imprisoned Tharizdun in the abyss of Eajiro
Tharizdun made the abyss his own and built a world within it.
Tharizdun grew strong enough to punch through his prison into the other planes.
The gods had a war of many ages, lasting longer than the lifetimes of many worlds.
Tharizdun was eventually disabled. The other gods sealed all exits from Eajiro. Tharizdun became bound to Eajiro, and Eajiro bound to Tharizdun. Many gods had to sacrifice themselves, destroying their own souls, to save the multiverse from Tharizdun. The ultimate sacrifice was a moment of the greatest foresight. But the foresight was not absolute. The surviving gods sealed exits from Eajiro, but not entrances to it. Over eons, these gods grew weary and disappeared from our universe. Other gods came, not knowing of Tharizdun.
Tharizdun became forgotten. His worshippers died out. He slept for many ages.
Many new pantheons have since come and gone. Tharizdun is long forgotten and none know of his existence, save a tiny few of the wisest.
Tharizdun slumbers. But a handful of the faithful have kept the old ways alive. They are able to enter Eajiro but cannot leave it. Their worship begins to stir Tharizdun – but it is not enough.
Because Tharizdun has been bound to Eajiro, only those born to Eajiro can rouse him through worship. Most of Tharizdun’s cult are unable to reproduce, as a lifetime of worship of this darkest force renders the life-giving spirit from the body. Thus, they must find a new generation of worshippers.
Tharizdun’s cult gains no power from Tharizdun, because he has no power to give. Any of his cult who have divine power are channeling this power from other gods, deceiving them, because these gods cannot see into the hearts of those on Eajiro. Thus, any cleric of any other god might secretly worship Tharizdun.
If Tharizdun is freed, he is no longer bound to Eajiro. Therefore, he can draw power from any worshippers, regardless of their plane.
Meanwhile, the paths into Eajiro have captured many beings over many ages. It is a one way trip. Any can enter, none can leave. Most arrive in Eajiro due to accident: planar mishaps, spells gone wrong, etc. Some come willingly, for one reason or another, through the known cracks. But none ever leave.
Most of the newcomers have never heard of Tharizdun. They retain their own ways, and continue to worship their own gods. As such, the people of Eajiro follow multiple pantheons: worshippers of Thor and Odin live side by side with worshippers of Zeus and Apollo, etc. The many gods all know their followers are lost, and want to help, but they know not how to break their followers free – that knowledge died many lifetimes of gods ago. Plus, a handful of the eldest gods know the risk if they succeed. They do not share this knowledge, out of fear that other evil forces will learn of Tharizdun and seek to unleash him upon the multiverse.
Those on Eajiro can hear their gods, but cannot return in prayer. Divinity comes into Eajiro, but nothing on Eajiro leaves. Priests pray, but the gods can only grant what they think is needed. They can’t hear an individual prayer.
On Eajiro, there is a known continent with surrounding isles. It is upon this continent that those who fall into Eajiro typically land. There is a large civilization there. Most resources are dedicated to finding a way out… or are they? None know of Tharizdun. Well… almost none…
On the other side of Eajiro, across a great sea, is another continent, unknown to Eajiro’s new inhabitants. On this continent, Tharizdun lies in slumber. His faithful tend to him. They guard his artifacts. This continent is obscured, so travelers will not find it. Sailors will sail around it and never realize it. Same goes for flying creatures. Only the most powerful creatures will be able to find it – any who have found it will tell no one of it, for they will be wise enough to see what is there.
When Eajiro was first sealed, many evil beings aligned with Tharizdun were sealed on it with him. Most have found refuge on Tharizdun’s continent, but some were trapped on the other continent. As newcomers arrived, they battled these ancient evils and drove them to the far north of the continent, or to outlying islands, while the civilized beings settled the center through the south. Most of the center through the south has been explored and settled. Much of the far north remains relatively unknown. Expeditions to the far north are often sent out in search of a way off of Eajiro. Few return. Those who do, return report of barbarous lands, monsters, and no escape.
Because there is no escape from Eajiro, the dead do not leave. The dead roam the land, unseen to most. Their presence makes the place constantly seem cold and woeful. The wisest, who see the dead, do not tell about it, for fear of disturbing the living. But many of the living are smart enough to know something is wrong. The overwhelming presence of the dead dampens the natural ability of the living to reproduce. The priests of various temples have been instructed to perform rituals that still the dead – but they can’t do it to everyone. Those who die in the wild walk the land. However, some creatures do not have spirits separate from their physical form (outsiders). When an outsider dies on Eajiro, it is destroyed forever – or else its spirit goes to another place unknown to even the wise. Some suggest that the destruction of an outsider can therefore open a way out. Some have tried this, but have not found the path. A very few believe that if a god came willingly into Eajiro and allowed himself to be destroyed, it would destroy the bonds forever.
Some gods have considered this as a means to rescue their followers, but none have gone through with it. Even the gods fear death, though no god is known to have ever died since the first and only great sacrifice. From that moment on, no god has actually died. Gods merely slumber when they are forgotten.
Because there is no exit, the elders on Eajiro disfavor reproduction, as it would lead to overpopulation. This is especially true, as many of the inhabitants are immortal beings such as elves and dragons (the sorts of creatures who travel enough through the planes that they eventually wind up here). Also, the wise consider it wrong to bring new life into a world where it will be forever trapped. Those who reproduce are looked down upon. Their offspring are considered a mistake. However, such mistakes are rare, as reproduction is stifled by the presence of the dead. Ironically, many of those who dislike the native born wish they could have their own children, but have been unable to. There is another problem with the native born: for some reason, unknown to any, they always lack something… not anything you can see, but something you can feel. They always have a certain darkness about them – not enough to warrant their destruction, but enough that people always feel uneasy around them. Thus, it is often possible to tell if a stranger is native born. The beings of Eajiro assume it is simply from the taint of all that is unholy about the place. But there is another reason, which is explained elsewhere. For all these reasons, the people of Eajiro try not to reproduce. This leads to a general feeling of woe among the people, as it goes against nature to not reproduce.
It is also a very, very little known secret that reproduction opens a momentary exit. There is in another place, a different plane, outside the Astral plane, the Well of Souls, from which all souls come. Only the oldest and wisest gods, and their most trusted servants, know the full truth. When a creature is conceived, a soul enters its body. But for the soul to know where to go, there must be a union between the body and the Well of Souls. For one moment, there is a real connection between one plane and the other. A powerful creature, versed in planar lore, can ride the path into the Well of Souls, and from the Well to anywhere life exists. But there is little knowledge of this anywhere in the multiverse. The many gods themselves are either ignorant, or have sworn an unbreakable oath to never reveal the Well or interfere with the birth of new souls. The One, Father of all gods and Creator of all souls, has forbidden any interference with the well, for every soul must have at its entrance into the multiverse a true tabula rasa, and a pure free will. Therefore, the well remains safely hidden, even from the gods. But one being has defiled the well, even against the ban of the One. Not even Tharizdun had ever accomplished such a feat! But the One is a distant creator, and has not seen fit to undo what is done. He has only stopped others from further defiling, not healed what damage is done or acted upon the lone defiler. He leaves that task to His children, but their time has not yet come. This will ultimately be the task of the adventurers!
There is a secret cult of Tharizdun’s servants trying to covertly attract the few native born to worship Tharizdun, to free him. They feed on the general dislike of the native born by acting welcoming and supporting. They offer to help fill the emptiness each native born feels inside. They are trying to get the native born to believe that they alone hold the secret of escape from Eajiro. They tell the lie that the native born have the power within them to break free on their own, but that their elders do not want to lose their own power over the land. Thus, the elders keep the native born down. The cult wants the native born to freely worship Tharizdun in hopes that enough worship will give Tharizdun the strength to rise and escape. If the time ever comes that a majority of the native born begin to worship Tharizdun, it might work. But for now, the cult is too small and weak to act in the open. They swear all converts to secrecy.
Further, Tharizdun himself knows the secret of the Well of Souls. He has little power in his weakened state, but what power he has, he directs to his servants to help create new life on Eajiro, that perhaps a servant will discover the secret. But even Tharizdun, most vile and deceitful of all gods, is unable to break the will of the One and openly share the secret with his faithful. Fortunately, even willing reproduction is difficult on Eajiro, and his followers have had little success in breeding an army.
Tharizdun does have one power available to him even in his most weakened state: the power of nightmares. His mind is constantly reaching out, looking for souls to torment. But he is deliberate and uses his power only when he believes it will best suit him. He never reveals himself in any nightmare; he only brings pain. Those who embrace the pain are then recruited by the cult.
There are several key figures on the known continent. There is one supreme leader. He is a LG gold dragon with many PC levels. He is a monk and paladin of Bahamut. He has been on Eajiro longer than any remember. He has organized the land with the intention of keeping order and dedicating resources to freeing all people from Eajiro… or so he says. He dictates that all high level magic be dedicated to the task. He also directs that all newcomers be examined, and evil newcomers be banished to the outer islands. He also secretly knows of Tharizdun, and secretly subverts attempts to break the bonds, so that Tharizdun is not accidentally freed. He believes that he must keep the people believing they are working to get free in order to maintain the peace. He also must keep the people from killing evil creatures, because he knows they could become more powerful as ghosts. Yet he does not speak of the ghost problem because it causes too much upset among the people. He has mandated the policy against reproduction, because he knows that native born could become the slaves of Tharizdun. Perhaps he even knows of the Well of Souls? He alone of the good beings on Eajiro may have the power to ride the path out when souls enter from the Well… but if so, he would fear a mistake that would free Tharizdun from his binding. Bahamut tells him that, if necessary, the dragon god is willing to sacrifice himself to break the bonds and free the people… but only if there can be a way to keep Tharizdun bound. The gold dragon is unable to return any message to his god, however. He is always very torn and troubled because he sees no way to rule that will be fully compatible with his most lawful and most good principles.
There is a half-elf lich who has virtually everyone, even the gold dragon (although the gold dragon is suspicious, he has no real evidence yet), fooled into thinking he is a good wizard. He came to Eajiro with the elders of the cult of Tharizdun, but has spent his time within the civilized lands, as a spy. So perfect is his disguise that the good people on Eajiro have entrusted him with great responsibility. He has taken on the position of leadership regarding magical research. He seeks not to free the people, but to unleash Tharizdun. He suspects the dragon is stymieing his efforts, but does not know why. He wonders if the dragon knows what is really going on, and if the dragon is working against Tharizdun.
There is a high priest of Zeus, who serves as the leader of the united temples. He acts as the leader of the spiritual research trying to free the people of Eajiro. He secretly works against the effort to escape, because, here on Eajiro, he has power, and Zeus gives him great strength while unable to ask for anything in return. He has put his own lust for power ahead of the needs of the people. He knows nothing of Tharizdun. If he knew the truth, it would only bolster his cause, as he would want Tharizdun to remain imprisoned. He alone knows the lich is a lich. He does not tell, because he assumes the lich, being a lich, is also secretly working against the release. If he knew what the lich was really up to, he would reveal him and fight him.
There are many other lesser forces, such as thieves’ guilds, merchants, land owners, and the like, who like to maintain the status quo for their own personal reasons. These groups use what little power they have to keep things as they are. Other lesser forces – wizards, dragons, and such – work hard to find a way out so they can return to their people. These people usually work diligently under one of the “higher ups,” but some are suspicious of their leaders and work on their own in secret.
Because of the many conflicting forces, everyone outside the “power circle” has little truly useful information, only follows orders, and generally is unwilling to talk about the bigger picture among strangers.
But there is a way out. It only needs to be found…
Once, ages ago, a powerful red dragon lived in Eajiro. He was the first being caught in Eajiro by accident, although by this time the bonds were ancient and Tharizdun largely forgotten. For a time, he ruled the wasteland that would become the civilized continent, content to remain on Eajiro. As others arrived, he conquered and ruled over them, and took their treasures as his own. But in time, he grew restless and sought escape. He became a dracolich, thinking that in undeath, he would be unbound. Unlike a ghost, a lich has a phylactery that allows the body to roam where the phylactery cannot. But it did not work. He found himself still bound, body and soul, to Eajiro.
Then, he had a cunning idea. He began to use his tremendous power to summon into Eajiro a host of outsiders, ancient beings with forgotten knowledge. He used his captives to learn all he could of the old times. Eventually, he learned everything of Tharizdun and the true nature of Eajiro. He discovered an ancient ritual, of the most powerful magic, the very ritual used by the first gods to bind Tharizdun to Eajiro. He also learned of the Well of Souls. He devised a new ritual to reverse the binding. But the first binding took place when the souls of gods were destroyed. Reversing the binding would mean creating new souls: something not even the gods can do. This could be done only by the One. The plan seemed futile. But this research provided another answer. The foul beast reasoned that if souls could come into Eajiro to enter a new child, there had to be some way, some connection, allowing the souls to find their hosts. The dragon plotted to ride the connection between Eajiro and the Well of Souls to freedom.
He had to have a ritual ready to be performed at the moment a life was created. And the life had to have such great potential for power that a very mighty soul would come to it. He needed to open a path great enough to carry his own soul. So he pulled into Eajiro the mightiest male demon and the greatest female devil, and bred them. He created a terrible new monster: neither demon nor devil, born not in the lower planes but on Eajiro, this creature was an outsider, but still could receive a new soul separate from its body. The ritual involved sacrificing the mother by ripping the unborn child from her womb as the soul came to Eajiro. The father, no longer needed, was kept contained in a great magical circle, doomed to witness this unholy act.
A great druid of the elder days learned of the dracolich’s plans. Fearing that the escaping wyrm would break the bonds and free Tharizdun, she and an army set out to stop him. As the dragon began the ritual to exit, battle broke out. The dragon was mutilated, but in undeath was still able to flee, though his own non-beating heart was ripped from his flesh. And, he carried with him the unborn spawn of both Hell and Abyss. But the battle interrupted part of the ritual, and that spelled doom.
The dragon’s followers discovered the druid’s body, killed by the battle. They also found the dragon heart, torn from flesh, upon the ground. At that moment, something unexpected happened. The heart began to beat. The dragon cult took the beating heart and built a temple around it. The devil was dead and the demon nowhere to be found – but there was a second spawn: the dragon didn’t know he had created twins! The cult attempted to raise the other spawn, but as soon as it was able to survive, it fled and hid in the most remote area of Eajiro, never knowing its true nature.
The demon father was Demogorgon. As some have thought possible, a powerful enough outsider properly slain on Eajiro might be a key to escape. During the battle, Demogorgon broke free of the magic circle, but was slain by the druid’s army. They didn’t just kill him. They used the most powerful magic they could summon, and it utterly annihilated his body in an instant (and consumed the remainder of the army in one final act of sacrifice). On Demogorgon’s death, his body and spirit, being one, transcended the known planes and broke free of Eajiro. The moment he disappeared, the crack he formed sealed itself forever – there is no chance of following him out. After ages away from all known reality, Demogorgon began to reform in the Abyss. What powers allow this to happen are unknown to all but the One, for even the gods do not know how or where an outsider travels when the body and soul are destroyed as one. The journey destroyed part of Demogorgon forever, however, leaving him greatly diminished and divided into his two halves. Further, his memory of these events has been shattered. Only now, after eons of contemplation from within the Abyss, has he begun to reconstruct the events of Eajiro. His minds have now begun to reach out to Eajiro, seeking his child, and plotting a grand scheme of evil: freeing Tharizdun, destroying his captor, and healing the rift in his own minds.
The mother was a devil of great power, the wife of Asmodeus. Most believe she was killed by another devil, who has now been imprisoned by Asmodeus – but this is a false belief. Perhaps Asmodeus knows the truth and used the falsehood as an excuse to attack a rival… but that is another story… The place of her sacrifice became a place of pure evil, forever a blot upon the surface of Eajiro. Because her body was not utterly destroyed at the exact moment of her death, she never broke free of Eajiro, and (probably?) never will. But her malice lives on in the land, tormenting the dead trapped there.
Meanwhile, at the moment of escape, the dragon found himself and his creation imprisoned in the Astral plane, caught between both Eajiro and the Well of Souls. Something had gone wrong.
Because the dragon had become a lich, he bound his own soul to a phylactery on Eajiro. Part of his experimental ritual involved transferring his soul from the phylactery to the spawn. At the moment the new soul entered Eajiro from the Well of Souls, his own soul would enter the spawn, and continue on out the path – the new soul would be trapped in the phylactery, closing the channel behind him. But the ritual was interrupted, and his phylactery remained behind. Thus, while he could physically ride out on the connection to the Well of Souls, his soul was still trapped on Eajiro. He found himself torn between two existences.
Worse, he found himself no longer undead. Unable to properly use the power of his phylactery, he found himself moments from death from his mortal wound. With his last breath, he unleashed the most powerful Wish he could utter: a wish for life. But, as sages will tell you, a Wish spell, even when carefully crafted, has unforeseen side effects. The greater the Wish, the greater the effects. A Wish spell for something so powerful as life from unlife, spoken in such haste, had a devastating unwanted effect. He awoke alive again, but still trapped between planes. His wound had closed and healed, but he felt a new presence inside him. He then realized what had happened: the unborn spawn he carried with him was consumed by his own flesh. The child of Hell and Abyss had become his own new heart. The soul of his creation became his new soul, keeping his body alive. But that soul wasn’t fully his. The spawn grew within him, yearning to break free, yearning to be its own being. Over time, the spawn took more and more strength from the dragon. The dragon needed to replenish his own soul, somehow. So then he committed the ultimate act of despair: with a second Wish, he tapped into the very Well of Souls, sucking from it the energy bound for Eajiro.
Oh, he couldn’t steal an entire soul, the way he assimilated the spawn. He had his own hand in the creation of the spawn, and thus had power over it. The other souls bound for Eajiro were beyond his control. But he found he could leech some strength from them. Thus, for ages upon ages, all those born in Eajiro have been born with a trace of their soul stolen by the dragon. Only by destroying the dragon can all the souls be made whole again.
The dragon has tried Wish upon Wish to free himself from his current position, to no avail. Perhaps the Hand of the One has intervened, keeping the beast from further action to alter the Well of Souls further? But for whatever reason, the Wyrm remains, and the effect of his second Wish continues.
Tharizdun knows of the dragon, but is unable to do anything about it. However, anyone who finds the dragon’s phylactery could, with the proper ritual, open a connection between Eajiro and the dragon. The cult of Tharizdun constantly seeks the phylactery, but it is nowhere to be found. Therefore, to set things back in order, someone must find the phylactery before the cult does, reach the dragon, slay the dragon, and free the souls. Of course, at that point, the dragon will again be tied to his phylactery. If the dragon is returned to Eajiro, or if the phylactery leaves Eajiro, the Wyrm will resume his previous dracolich form. To prevent this, either the dragon and the phylactery must be divided between Eajiro and the outside, or the phylactery must be destroyed after the dragon is slain.
Furthermore, slaying the dragon will free the spawn from within. The soul of the spawn was bound to Eajiro, but never entered that world. As long as the spawn lives, it is an open channel between itself and Eajiro. Wherever the spawn goes, anyone on Eajiro capable of planar travel can reach the spawn. Therefore, all of Eajiro can escape to wherever the spawn goes. Of course, the spawn might go to a place far worse than Eajiro: but at least, from there, the escaping beings of Eajiro could access any other plane normally. Hopefully, the spawn never enters Eajiro, as that would most likely trap it and close the channel. But the adventurers should be able to follow the spawn away from Eajiro forever.
So, too, could Tharizdun and his followers… if they knew how to exploit the situation.
Thus, Tharizdun’s followers must be destroyed, leaving Tharizdun completely helpless – at least for a while. Perhaps then, other gods could reseal Eajiro, this time sealing it from both directions, with Tharizdun alone in his prison forever.
The elders of the cult are protected by the ancient magic of Tharizdun himself. They cannot be defeated by anything save the weapons of Tharizdun. Therefore, they must be slain with Tharizdun’s own artifacts. The artifacts must then either be destroyed, or secured within Eajiro before it is sealed. If an artifact of Tharizdun leaves Eajiro, then Tharizdun himself will be able to leave through it, no matter how well sealed Eajiro becomes. Under no circumstances may any artifact of Tharizdun ever be permitted to leave Eajiro!
The lich carries the sword of Tharizdun at his side at all times. He knows it is one of the only weapons in all of creation capable of destroying him. He also knows that if he ever leaves Eajiro and takes the sword with him, it can act as a channel to transport Tharizdun.
Some notes:
Planar magic either doesn’t work on Eajiro, or works differently. No extra-planar item (bag of holding, etc.) brought there will function. But items made there will function normally. Summoning spells are forbidden by the gold dragon unless there is dire emergency – the summoned cannot return home at spells end. Also, all summoning spells have a failure chance (spell level x 10%) because creatures from other planes sometimes know they will be trapped, and do not come. The higher level the spell, the greater chance the target creature will refuse to come. Gate spells always fail in the same manner: a gate opens allowing entrance into Eajiro, but no exit. A creature near the gate on the other side might enter, but will then be unable to leave. It is impossible to call a creature by name through a gate. Astral and Ethereal spells work, but creatures entering either plane cannot use them to find other planes. The only planes accessible are Astral, Ethereal, and Eajiro. Anyone entering the Ethereal on Eajiro for the first time will be utterly shocked and dismayed by the many ghosts found trapped there! Sometimes creatures from other planes will become trapped in the Astral or Ethereal surrounding Eajiro. Such creatures can come to Eajiro or remain Astral or Ethereal, but can never again return to other planes.
If a Wish spell is used in any attempt to break free, it not only fails, but backlashes in a catastrophic manner. No one can predict what the effect will be, but every Wish tried so far has brought death and destruction.
Because the gods cannot hear the prayers of their followers from Eajiro, no Miracle spell has ever had any effect.
When newcomers arrive, they tend to arrive in one of only a few known “hot spots” for planar travel. These are all located within towns (that is, towns are built around them). Newcomers are held for inspection, but are treated well. Their possessions are all catalogued, but nothing is taken. Any books, scrolls, or other forms of knowledge are inspected – any new information is copied and taken to the central archives. Evil newcomers are taken to the edge of civilization and banished. None are killed. This all takes place by orders of the gold dragon. However, sometimes orders are not obeyed.
Sometimes there is trade between civilization and the lands of the evil creatures. Kobolds serve as the primary merchant class between these two lands. Kobolds, while generally disliked by all, are tolerated in civilized lands, but only so long as they keep trade flowing and obey the laws.
Here, the adventure begins:
Low level adventurers are either new to Eajiro or born here. These adventurers will play “The Sunless Citadel” module, seeking to solve trade problems involving the kobolds. They will find a lost fortress, sunken under the ground, and first begin to learn about the dragon Ashardalon, the red dragon of old. They will learn that the druid Belak and his goblins have entered Eajiro through a crack in the planes previously unknown. This crack is in the underdark, and allows evil creatures from a hellish plane to enter Eajiro. An additional side campaign can be had to go into the underdark, find the crack, and close it somehow (merely breaking up the rock around it will close the rift, or at least damage it enough to prevent more entries).
The characters will then move through the other modules in the series, learning more about Ashardalon and the lost rituals. Side campaigns can evolve as they will.
At higher levels, the characters will learn the truth about Tharizdun. They will role play with the high level NPCs, such as the gold dragon, and discover secrets and plan strategies. Eventually, they will have to destroy the lich and other followers of Tharizdun, ensuring Tharizdun is completely powerless for the time being.
Ultimately, the characters will play “Bastion of Broken Souls,” with some modifications to make it a more epic-level encounter. Ashardalon will retain the powers of a dracolich, but without any penalties associated with the undead, as he is now technically alive again. He will have epic-level spells, at least epic-level summoning spells. The half-demon half-devil of the module will be Demogorgon’s lost second child, and sister to the Heart of Ashardalon. The Heart will be a far more powerful creature than what appears in the module, again half-demon and half-devil (plus the half-dragon template and some undead features). He has absorbed power from both the dragon and the Well of Souls (but he has not tainted any souls themselves), making him potentially far more powerful than Demogorgon.
Demogorgon, having remembered most of the events, and learning other secrets through his own mysterious means, seeks to consume his own children as part of a ritual in order to separate his own two schizophrenic halves. As one child is weaker, one of his halves will emerge weaker, allowing the stronger half to destroy the weaker half forever. The adventurers should prevent this if possible.
Once all is said and done, (hopefully) Bahamut will sacrifice himself in order to reseal Eajiro for good, trapping Tharizdun, and this time only Tharizdun, forever. At this point, the gold dragon will ascend and became the new platinum dragon. It will be revealed that the legend of Bahamut and his seven gold wyrm companions includes a missing eighth dragon. Bahamut’s symbol of a large star and seven small stars is modified to include a dark spot, the missing dragon. When Bahamut sacrifices himself, the missing gold dragon returns to the multiverse as a platinum dragon. The dark spot on the symbol will then be in honor of Bahamut.
The end. Or is it?
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so, first off, does it sound good?
next, what serious glitches can be found?
any ideas for ways to tie in the modules in the series that don't have as much to do with Ashardalon? should I even worry, or reserve them as side campaigns when the PCs are at the appropriate levels?
please disect, discuss, and generally shred as much as possible. the players have already started "Sunless Citadel" but there is plenty of time to make modifications to the big picture if needed.
If Nyree, Hadar, Tola, or Pilvi (you know who you are) happen to be reading this, GO AWAY RIGHT NOW YOU SNEAK!
This is a world meant to incorporate the 3.0 module series beginning with "Sunless Citadel" and culminating with "Bastion of Broken Souls." The story and setting use some of the important characters and themes of these modules, with my own additional twists.
Anyway, here is the long story, with a few questions at the bottom:
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Eajiro
Story line:
In the First age of Gods, the old ones awakened.
Tharizdun, the eldest of all, save the One, spread evil and chaos.
The other Gods came together and imprisoned Tharizdun in the abyss of Eajiro
Tharizdun made the abyss his own and built a world within it.
Tharizdun grew strong enough to punch through his prison into the other planes.
The gods had a war of many ages, lasting longer than the lifetimes of many worlds.
Tharizdun was eventually disabled. The other gods sealed all exits from Eajiro. Tharizdun became bound to Eajiro, and Eajiro bound to Tharizdun. Many gods had to sacrifice themselves, destroying their own souls, to save the multiverse from Tharizdun. The ultimate sacrifice was a moment of the greatest foresight. But the foresight was not absolute. The surviving gods sealed exits from Eajiro, but not entrances to it. Over eons, these gods grew weary and disappeared from our universe. Other gods came, not knowing of Tharizdun.
Tharizdun became forgotten. His worshippers died out. He slept for many ages.
Many new pantheons have since come and gone. Tharizdun is long forgotten and none know of his existence, save a tiny few of the wisest.
Tharizdun slumbers. But a handful of the faithful have kept the old ways alive. They are able to enter Eajiro but cannot leave it. Their worship begins to stir Tharizdun – but it is not enough.
Because Tharizdun has been bound to Eajiro, only those born to Eajiro can rouse him through worship. Most of Tharizdun’s cult are unable to reproduce, as a lifetime of worship of this darkest force renders the life-giving spirit from the body. Thus, they must find a new generation of worshippers.
Tharizdun’s cult gains no power from Tharizdun, because he has no power to give. Any of his cult who have divine power are channeling this power from other gods, deceiving them, because these gods cannot see into the hearts of those on Eajiro. Thus, any cleric of any other god might secretly worship Tharizdun.
If Tharizdun is freed, he is no longer bound to Eajiro. Therefore, he can draw power from any worshippers, regardless of their plane.
Meanwhile, the paths into Eajiro have captured many beings over many ages. It is a one way trip. Any can enter, none can leave. Most arrive in Eajiro due to accident: planar mishaps, spells gone wrong, etc. Some come willingly, for one reason or another, through the known cracks. But none ever leave.
Most of the newcomers have never heard of Tharizdun. They retain their own ways, and continue to worship their own gods. As such, the people of Eajiro follow multiple pantheons: worshippers of Thor and Odin live side by side with worshippers of Zeus and Apollo, etc. The many gods all know their followers are lost, and want to help, but they know not how to break their followers free – that knowledge died many lifetimes of gods ago. Plus, a handful of the eldest gods know the risk if they succeed. They do not share this knowledge, out of fear that other evil forces will learn of Tharizdun and seek to unleash him upon the multiverse.
Those on Eajiro can hear their gods, but cannot return in prayer. Divinity comes into Eajiro, but nothing on Eajiro leaves. Priests pray, but the gods can only grant what they think is needed. They can’t hear an individual prayer.
On Eajiro, there is a known continent with surrounding isles. It is upon this continent that those who fall into Eajiro typically land. There is a large civilization there. Most resources are dedicated to finding a way out… or are they? None know of Tharizdun. Well… almost none…
On the other side of Eajiro, across a great sea, is another continent, unknown to Eajiro’s new inhabitants. On this continent, Tharizdun lies in slumber. His faithful tend to him. They guard his artifacts. This continent is obscured, so travelers will not find it. Sailors will sail around it and never realize it. Same goes for flying creatures. Only the most powerful creatures will be able to find it – any who have found it will tell no one of it, for they will be wise enough to see what is there.
When Eajiro was first sealed, many evil beings aligned with Tharizdun were sealed on it with him. Most have found refuge on Tharizdun’s continent, but some were trapped on the other continent. As newcomers arrived, they battled these ancient evils and drove them to the far north of the continent, or to outlying islands, while the civilized beings settled the center through the south. Most of the center through the south has been explored and settled. Much of the far north remains relatively unknown. Expeditions to the far north are often sent out in search of a way off of Eajiro. Few return. Those who do, return report of barbarous lands, monsters, and no escape.
Because there is no escape from Eajiro, the dead do not leave. The dead roam the land, unseen to most. Their presence makes the place constantly seem cold and woeful. The wisest, who see the dead, do not tell about it, for fear of disturbing the living. But many of the living are smart enough to know something is wrong. The overwhelming presence of the dead dampens the natural ability of the living to reproduce. The priests of various temples have been instructed to perform rituals that still the dead – but they can’t do it to everyone. Those who die in the wild walk the land. However, some creatures do not have spirits separate from their physical form (outsiders). When an outsider dies on Eajiro, it is destroyed forever – or else its spirit goes to another place unknown to even the wise. Some suggest that the destruction of an outsider can therefore open a way out. Some have tried this, but have not found the path. A very few believe that if a god came willingly into Eajiro and allowed himself to be destroyed, it would destroy the bonds forever.
Some gods have considered this as a means to rescue their followers, but none have gone through with it. Even the gods fear death, though no god is known to have ever died since the first and only great sacrifice. From that moment on, no god has actually died. Gods merely slumber when they are forgotten.
Because there is no exit, the elders on Eajiro disfavor reproduction, as it would lead to overpopulation. This is especially true, as many of the inhabitants are immortal beings such as elves and dragons (the sorts of creatures who travel enough through the planes that they eventually wind up here). Also, the wise consider it wrong to bring new life into a world where it will be forever trapped. Those who reproduce are looked down upon. Their offspring are considered a mistake. However, such mistakes are rare, as reproduction is stifled by the presence of the dead. Ironically, many of those who dislike the native born wish they could have their own children, but have been unable to. There is another problem with the native born: for some reason, unknown to any, they always lack something… not anything you can see, but something you can feel. They always have a certain darkness about them – not enough to warrant their destruction, but enough that people always feel uneasy around them. Thus, it is often possible to tell if a stranger is native born. The beings of Eajiro assume it is simply from the taint of all that is unholy about the place. But there is another reason, which is explained elsewhere. For all these reasons, the people of Eajiro try not to reproduce. This leads to a general feeling of woe among the people, as it goes against nature to not reproduce.
It is also a very, very little known secret that reproduction opens a momentary exit. There is in another place, a different plane, outside the Astral plane, the Well of Souls, from which all souls come. Only the oldest and wisest gods, and their most trusted servants, know the full truth. When a creature is conceived, a soul enters its body. But for the soul to know where to go, there must be a union between the body and the Well of Souls. For one moment, there is a real connection between one plane and the other. A powerful creature, versed in planar lore, can ride the path into the Well of Souls, and from the Well to anywhere life exists. But there is little knowledge of this anywhere in the multiverse. The many gods themselves are either ignorant, or have sworn an unbreakable oath to never reveal the Well or interfere with the birth of new souls. The One, Father of all gods and Creator of all souls, has forbidden any interference with the well, for every soul must have at its entrance into the multiverse a true tabula rasa, and a pure free will. Therefore, the well remains safely hidden, even from the gods. But one being has defiled the well, even against the ban of the One. Not even Tharizdun had ever accomplished such a feat! But the One is a distant creator, and has not seen fit to undo what is done. He has only stopped others from further defiling, not healed what damage is done or acted upon the lone defiler. He leaves that task to His children, but their time has not yet come. This will ultimately be the task of the adventurers!
There is a secret cult of Tharizdun’s servants trying to covertly attract the few native born to worship Tharizdun, to free him. They feed on the general dislike of the native born by acting welcoming and supporting. They offer to help fill the emptiness each native born feels inside. They are trying to get the native born to believe that they alone hold the secret of escape from Eajiro. They tell the lie that the native born have the power within them to break free on their own, but that their elders do not want to lose their own power over the land. Thus, the elders keep the native born down. The cult wants the native born to freely worship Tharizdun in hopes that enough worship will give Tharizdun the strength to rise and escape. If the time ever comes that a majority of the native born begin to worship Tharizdun, it might work. But for now, the cult is too small and weak to act in the open. They swear all converts to secrecy.
Further, Tharizdun himself knows the secret of the Well of Souls. He has little power in his weakened state, but what power he has, he directs to his servants to help create new life on Eajiro, that perhaps a servant will discover the secret. But even Tharizdun, most vile and deceitful of all gods, is unable to break the will of the One and openly share the secret with his faithful. Fortunately, even willing reproduction is difficult on Eajiro, and his followers have had little success in breeding an army.
Tharizdun does have one power available to him even in his most weakened state: the power of nightmares. His mind is constantly reaching out, looking for souls to torment. But he is deliberate and uses his power only when he believes it will best suit him. He never reveals himself in any nightmare; he only brings pain. Those who embrace the pain are then recruited by the cult.
There are several key figures on the known continent. There is one supreme leader. He is a LG gold dragon with many PC levels. He is a monk and paladin of Bahamut. He has been on Eajiro longer than any remember. He has organized the land with the intention of keeping order and dedicating resources to freeing all people from Eajiro… or so he says. He dictates that all high level magic be dedicated to the task. He also directs that all newcomers be examined, and evil newcomers be banished to the outer islands. He also secretly knows of Tharizdun, and secretly subverts attempts to break the bonds, so that Tharizdun is not accidentally freed. He believes that he must keep the people believing they are working to get free in order to maintain the peace. He also must keep the people from killing evil creatures, because he knows they could become more powerful as ghosts. Yet he does not speak of the ghost problem because it causes too much upset among the people. He has mandated the policy against reproduction, because he knows that native born could become the slaves of Tharizdun. Perhaps he even knows of the Well of Souls? He alone of the good beings on Eajiro may have the power to ride the path out when souls enter from the Well… but if so, he would fear a mistake that would free Tharizdun from his binding. Bahamut tells him that, if necessary, the dragon god is willing to sacrifice himself to break the bonds and free the people… but only if there can be a way to keep Tharizdun bound. The gold dragon is unable to return any message to his god, however. He is always very torn and troubled because he sees no way to rule that will be fully compatible with his most lawful and most good principles.
There is a half-elf lich who has virtually everyone, even the gold dragon (although the gold dragon is suspicious, he has no real evidence yet), fooled into thinking he is a good wizard. He came to Eajiro with the elders of the cult of Tharizdun, but has spent his time within the civilized lands, as a spy. So perfect is his disguise that the good people on Eajiro have entrusted him with great responsibility. He has taken on the position of leadership regarding magical research. He seeks not to free the people, but to unleash Tharizdun. He suspects the dragon is stymieing his efforts, but does not know why. He wonders if the dragon knows what is really going on, and if the dragon is working against Tharizdun.
There is a high priest of Zeus, who serves as the leader of the united temples. He acts as the leader of the spiritual research trying to free the people of Eajiro. He secretly works against the effort to escape, because, here on Eajiro, he has power, and Zeus gives him great strength while unable to ask for anything in return. He has put his own lust for power ahead of the needs of the people. He knows nothing of Tharizdun. If he knew the truth, it would only bolster his cause, as he would want Tharizdun to remain imprisoned. He alone knows the lich is a lich. He does not tell, because he assumes the lich, being a lich, is also secretly working against the release. If he knew what the lich was really up to, he would reveal him and fight him.
There are many other lesser forces, such as thieves’ guilds, merchants, land owners, and the like, who like to maintain the status quo for their own personal reasons. These groups use what little power they have to keep things as they are. Other lesser forces – wizards, dragons, and such – work hard to find a way out so they can return to their people. These people usually work diligently under one of the “higher ups,” but some are suspicious of their leaders and work on their own in secret.
Because of the many conflicting forces, everyone outside the “power circle” has little truly useful information, only follows orders, and generally is unwilling to talk about the bigger picture among strangers.
But there is a way out. It only needs to be found…
Once, ages ago, a powerful red dragon lived in Eajiro. He was the first being caught in Eajiro by accident, although by this time the bonds were ancient and Tharizdun largely forgotten. For a time, he ruled the wasteland that would become the civilized continent, content to remain on Eajiro. As others arrived, he conquered and ruled over them, and took their treasures as his own. But in time, he grew restless and sought escape. He became a dracolich, thinking that in undeath, he would be unbound. Unlike a ghost, a lich has a phylactery that allows the body to roam where the phylactery cannot. But it did not work. He found himself still bound, body and soul, to Eajiro.
Then, he had a cunning idea. He began to use his tremendous power to summon into Eajiro a host of outsiders, ancient beings with forgotten knowledge. He used his captives to learn all he could of the old times. Eventually, he learned everything of Tharizdun and the true nature of Eajiro. He discovered an ancient ritual, of the most powerful magic, the very ritual used by the first gods to bind Tharizdun to Eajiro. He also learned of the Well of Souls. He devised a new ritual to reverse the binding. But the first binding took place when the souls of gods were destroyed. Reversing the binding would mean creating new souls: something not even the gods can do. This could be done only by the One. The plan seemed futile. But this research provided another answer. The foul beast reasoned that if souls could come into Eajiro to enter a new child, there had to be some way, some connection, allowing the souls to find their hosts. The dragon plotted to ride the connection between Eajiro and the Well of Souls to freedom.
He had to have a ritual ready to be performed at the moment a life was created. And the life had to have such great potential for power that a very mighty soul would come to it. He needed to open a path great enough to carry his own soul. So he pulled into Eajiro the mightiest male demon and the greatest female devil, and bred them. He created a terrible new monster: neither demon nor devil, born not in the lower planes but on Eajiro, this creature was an outsider, but still could receive a new soul separate from its body. The ritual involved sacrificing the mother by ripping the unborn child from her womb as the soul came to Eajiro. The father, no longer needed, was kept contained in a great magical circle, doomed to witness this unholy act.
A great druid of the elder days learned of the dracolich’s plans. Fearing that the escaping wyrm would break the bonds and free Tharizdun, she and an army set out to stop him. As the dragon began the ritual to exit, battle broke out. The dragon was mutilated, but in undeath was still able to flee, though his own non-beating heart was ripped from his flesh. And, he carried with him the unborn spawn of both Hell and Abyss. But the battle interrupted part of the ritual, and that spelled doom.
The dragon’s followers discovered the druid’s body, killed by the battle. They also found the dragon heart, torn from flesh, upon the ground. At that moment, something unexpected happened. The heart began to beat. The dragon cult took the beating heart and built a temple around it. The devil was dead and the demon nowhere to be found – but there was a second spawn: the dragon didn’t know he had created twins! The cult attempted to raise the other spawn, but as soon as it was able to survive, it fled and hid in the most remote area of Eajiro, never knowing its true nature.
The demon father was Demogorgon. As some have thought possible, a powerful enough outsider properly slain on Eajiro might be a key to escape. During the battle, Demogorgon broke free of the magic circle, but was slain by the druid’s army. They didn’t just kill him. They used the most powerful magic they could summon, and it utterly annihilated his body in an instant (and consumed the remainder of the army in one final act of sacrifice). On Demogorgon’s death, his body and spirit, being one, transcended the known planes and broke free of Eajiro. The moment he disappeared, the crack he formed sealed itself forever – there is no chance of following him out. After ages away from all known reality, Demogorgon began to reform in the Abyss. What powers allow this to happen are unknown to all but the One, for even the gods do not know how or where an outsider travels when the body and soul are destroyed as one. The journey destroyed part of Demogorgon forever, however, leaving him greatly diminished and divided into his two halves. Further, his memory of these events has been shattered. Only now, after eons of contemplation from within the Abyss, has he begun to reconstruct the events of Eajiro. His minds have now begun to reach out to Eajiro, seeking his child, and plotting a grand scheme of evil: freeing Tharizdun, destroying his captor, and healing the rift in his own minds.
The mother was a devil of great power, the wife of Asmodeus. Most believe she was killed by another devil, who has now been imprisoned by Asmodeus – but this is a false belief. Perhaps Asmodeus knows the truth and used the falsehood as an excuse to attack a rival… but that is another story… The place of her sacrifice became a place of pure evil, forever a blot upon the surface of Eajiro. Because her body was not utterly destroyed at the exact moment of her death, she never broke free of Eajiro, and (probably?) never will. But her malice lives on in the land, tormenting the dead trapped there.
Meanwhile, at the moment of escape, the dragon found himself and his creation imprisoned in the Astral plane, caught between both Eajiro and the Well of Souls. Something had gone wrong.
Because the dragon had become a lich, he bound his own soul to a phylactery on Eajiro. Part of his experimental ritual involved transferring his soul from the phylactery to the spawn. At the moment the new soul entered Eajiro from the Well of Souls, his own soul would enter the spawn, and continue on out the path – the new soul would be trapped in the phylactery, closing the channel behind him. But the ritual was interrupted, and his phylactery remained behind. Thus, while he could physically ride out on the connection to the Well of Souls, his soul was still trapped on Eajiro. He found himself torn between two existences.
Worse, he found himself no longer undead. Unable to properly use the power of his phylactery, he found himself moments from death from his mortal wound. With his last breath, he unleashed the most powerful Wish he could utter: a wish for life. But, as sages will tell you, a Wish spell, even when carefully crafted, has unforeseen side effects. The greater the Wish, the greater the effects. A Wish spell for something so powerful as life from unlife, spoken in such haste, had a devastating unwanted effect. He awoke alive again, but still trapped between planes. His wound had closed and healed, but he felt a new presence inside him. He then realized what had happened: the unborn spawn he carried with him was consumed by his own flesh. The child of Hell and Abyss had become his own new heart. The soul of his creation became his new soul, keeping his body alive. But that soul wasn’t fully his. The spawn grew within him, yearning to break free, yearning to be its own being. Over time, the spawn took more and more strength from the dragon. The dragon needed to replenish his own soul, somehow. So then he committed the ultimate act of despair: with a second Wish, he tapped into the very Well of Souls, sucking from it the energy bound for Eajiro.
Oh, he couldn’t steal an entire soul, the way he assimilated the spawn. He had his own hand in the creation of the spawn, and thus had power over it. The other souls bound for Eajiro were beyond his control. But he found he could leech some strength from them. Thus, for ages upon ages, all those born in Eajiro have been born with a trace of their soul stolen by the dragon. Only by destroying the dragon can all the souls be made whole again.
The dragon has tried Wish upon Wish to free himself from his current position, to no avail. Perhaps the Hand of the One has intervened, keeping the beast from further action to alter the Well of Souls further? But for whatever reason, the Wyrm remains, and the effect of his second Wish continues.
Tharizdun knows of the dragon, but is unable to do anything about it. However, anyone who finds the dragon’s phylactery could, with the proper ritual, open a connection between Eajiro and the dragon. The cult of Tharizdun constantly seeks the phylactery, but it is nowhere to be found. Therefore, to set things back in order, someone must find the phylactery before the cult does, reach the dragon, slay the dragon, and free the souls. Of course, at that point, the dragon will again be tied to his phylactery. If the dragon is returned to Eajiro, or if the phylactery leaves Eajiro, the Wyrm will resume his previous dracolich form. To prevent this, either the dragon and the phylactery must be divided between Eajiro and the outside, or the phylactery must be destroyed after the dragon is slain.
Furthermore, slaying the dragon will free the spawn from within. The soul of the spawn was bound to Eajiro, but never entered that world. As long as the spawn lives, it is an open channel between itself and Eajiro. Wherever the spawn goes, anyone on Eajiro capable of planar travel can reach the spawn. Therefore, all of Eajiro can escape to wherever the spawn goes. Of course, the spawn might go to a place far worse than Eajiro: but at least, from there, the escaping beings of Eajiro could access any other plane normally. Hopefully, the spawn never enters Eajiro, as that would most likely trap it and close the channel. But the adventurers should be able to follow the spawn away from Eajiro forever.
So, too, could Tharizdun and his followers… if they knew how to exploit the situation.
Thus, Tharizdun’s followers must be destroyed, leaving Tharizdun completely helpless – at least for a while. Perhaps then, other gods could reseal Eajiro, this time sealing it from both directions, with Tharizdun alone in his prison forever.
The elders of the cult are protected by the ancient magic of Tharizdun himself. They cannot be defeated by anything save the weapons of Tharizdun. Therefore, they must be slain with Tharizdun’s own artifacts. The artifacts must then either be destroyed, or secured within Eajiro before it is sealed. If an artifact of Tharizdun leaves Eajiro, then Tharizdun himself will be able to leave through it, no matter how well sealed Eajiro becomes. Under no circumstances may any artifact of Tharizdun ever be permitted to leave Eajiro!
The lich carries the sword of Tharizdun at his side at all times. He knows it is one of the only weapons in all of creation capable of destroying him. He also knows that if he ever leaves Eajiro and takes the sword with him, it can act as a channel to transport Tharizdun.
Some notes:
Planar magic either doesn’t work on Eajiro, or works differently. No extra-planar item (bag of holding, etc.) brought there will function. But items made there will function normally. Summoning spells are forbidden by the gold dragon unless there is dire emergency – the summoned cannot return home at spells end. Also, all summoning spells have a failure chance (spell level x 10%) because creatures from other planes sometimes know they will be trapped, and do not come. The higher level the spell, the greater chance the target creature will refuse to come. Gate spells always fail in the same manner: a gate opens allowing entrance into Eajiro, but no exit. A creature near the gate on the other side might enter, but will then be unable to leave. It is impossible to call a creature by name through a gate. Astral and Ethereal spells work, but creatures entering either plane cannot use them to find other planes. The only planes accessible are Astral, Ethereal, and Eajiro. Anyone entering the Ethereal on Eajiro for the first time will be utterly shocked and dismayed by the many ghosts found trapped there! Sometimes creatures from other planes will become trapped in the Astral or Ethereal surrounding Eajiro. Such creatures can come to Eajiro or remain Astral or Ethereal, but can never again return to other planes.
If a Wish spell is used in any attempt to break free, it not only fails, but backlashes in a catastrophic manner. No one can predict what the effect will be, but every Wish tried so far has brought death and destruction.
Because the gods cannot hear the prayers of their followers from Eajiro, no Miracle spell has ever had any effect.
When newcomers arrive, they tend to arrive in one of only a few known “hot spots” for planar travel. These are all located within towns (that is, towns are built around them). Newcomers are held for inspection, but are treated well. Their possessions are all catalogued, but nothing is taken. Any books, scrolls, or other forms of knowledge are inspected – any new information is copied and taken to the central archives. Evil newcomers are taken to the edge of civilization and banished. None are killed. This all takes place by orders of the gold dragon. However, sometimes orders are not obeyed.
Sometimes there is trade between civilization and the lands of the evil creatures. Kobolds serve as the primary merchant class between these two lands. Kobolds, while generally disliked by all, are tolerated in civilized lands, but only so long as they keep trade flowing and obey the laws.
Here, the adventure begins:
Low level adventurers are either new to Eajiro or born here. These adventurers will play “The Sunless Citadel” module, seeking to solve trade problems involving the kobolds. They will find a lost fortress, sunken under the ground, and first begin to learn about the dragon Ashardalon, the red dragon of old. They will learn that the druid Belak and his goblins have entered Eajiro through a crack in the planes previously unknown. This crack is in the underdark, and allows evil creatures from a hellish plane to enter Eajiro. An additional side campaign can be had to go into the underdark, find the crack, and close it somehow (merely breaking up the rock around it will close the rift, or at least damage it enough to prevent more entries).
The characters will then move through the other modules in the series, learning more about Ashardalon and the lost rituals. Side campaigns can evolve as they will.
At higher levels, the characters will learn the truth about Tharizdun. They will role play with the high level NPCs, such as the gold dragon, and discover secrets and plan strategies. Eventually, they will have to destroy the lich and other followers of Tharizdun, ensuring Tharizdun is completely powerless for the time being.
Ultimately, the characters will play “Bastion of Broken Souls,” with some modifications to make it a more epic-level encounter. Ashardalon will retain the powers of a dracolich, but without any penalties associated with the undead, as he is now technically alive again. He will have epic-level spells, at least epic-level summoning spells. The half-demon half-devil of the module will be Demogorgon’s lost second child, and sister to the Heart of Ashardalon. The Heart will be a far more powerful creature than what appears in the module, again half-demon and half-devil (plus the half-dragon template and some undead features). He has absorbed power from both the dragon and the Well of Souls (but he has not tainted any souls themselves), making him potentially far more powerful than Demogorgon.
Demogorgon, having remembered most of the events, and learning other secrets through his own mysterious means, seeks to consume his own children as part of a ritual in order to separate his own two schizophrenic halves. As one child is weaker, one of his halves will emerge weaker, allowing the stronger half to destroy the weaker half forever. The adventurers should prevent this if possible.
Once all is said and done, (hopefully) Bahamut will sacrifice himself in order to reseal Eajiro for good, trapping Tharizdun, and this time only Tharizdun, forever. At this point, the gold dragon will ascend and became the new platinum dragon. It will be revealed that the legend of Bahamut and his seven gold wyrm companions includes a missing eighth dragon. Bahamut’s symbol of a large star and seven small stars is modified to include a dark spot, the missing dragon. When Bahamut sacrifices himself, the missing gold dragon returns to the multiverse as a platinum dragon. The dark spot on the symbol will then be in honor of Bahamut.
The end. Or is it?
--
so, first off, does it sound good?
next, what serious glitches can be found?
any ideas for ways to tie in the modules in the series that don't have as much to do with Ashardalon? should I even worry, or reserve them as side campaigns when the PCs are at the appropriate levels?
please disect, discuss, and generally shred as much as possible. the players have already started "Sunless Citadel" but there is plenty of time to make modifications to the big picture if needed.