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View Full Version : DM Help Need help with plot hook and story ideas



MonkeySage
2020-05-14, 01:40 PM
My two players are set to tackle a new storyline tomorrow night, and up until recently I've been far too busy to do any writing. This morning, pretty much the moment I woke up I had an idea.

Both players are members of the adventurer's guild, which sends mercenary parties to solve problems all over the Kingdom.

My idea is that an emissary from a small neighboring kingdom has arrived with her own problem: Two very important young people have gone missing just 14 days before their coming of age ceremony. She doesn't specify why they are important, but insists that they must be rescued within the tenday. They're twins, a boy and a girl, who were born to nobility and have been raised like royalty their entire lives.

The emissary doesn't let on the fact that the two have been raised specifically to be sacrificed to a powerful fey, or that the pair fled of their own accord at the girl's insistence. She tells the players that the pair are being held captive by bandits (which is actually true- the two are being held for an absurd ransom).

Composer99
2020-05-19, 07:24 PM
I like the setup and the twist. Maybe I overlooked it somehow, but what did you want help with?

MonkeySage
2020-05-19, 08:07 PM
It's very bare, and I'm still not sure how I should set this up. I'm asking how you would handle this scenario- maybe I can get ideas. :) I'm not asking for a whole bunch of details, just what your thoughts are.

The sacrifice is a secret tradition within the Grand Duchy(Surrounding kingdoms frown on human sacrifice, naturally)- once a generation, a boy and a girl from nobility are sacrificed to this fey patron, and up to that time (their coming of age ceremony) they are raised in total comfort. I've not decided yet if they're raised knowing what their ultimate fate is, though clearly the sister knows and she's not happy with it.

Stattick
2020-05-21, 07:52 AM
What happens when the pair aren't sacrificed on the solstice (or whatever), at the standing stones, by the druid of (kingdom) when they're supposed to be sacrificed?

I see two options. Pick one:
1) The rest of the royal house of (kingdom) instantly become vampires.
2) Half the nobles of (kingdom) disappear, stolen away by the Fey, never to be seen again.

It's all part of a monstrous pact made by the ruling ancestors of (kingdom). Those human ancestors made the pact to gain the upper hand in a brutal war against the tribe of neighboring humans.


If they pair aren't found, another pair of kids will have to be sacrificed.

If the sacrifice isn't made, or it's interrupted, or something happens to the druid so he can't perform the ceremony, then the consequence (above) happens.

As to the ceremony, a doorway opens to the Feywild. About a half an hour later, the Archfey steps through. Then the ceremony is performed in its presences. Afterward, the Archfey departs, and the doorway closes back up. Perhaps enterprising individuals could go into the Feywild before the ceremony is to take place, and talk the Archfey into sparing the sacrifice victims?


If the PCs decide to protect the twins, they'll eventually be discovered, and have to face the wrath of the Green Knights from the other country, trying to get their sacrifices back.

If the PCs instead, decide to turn to their superiors, then things turn political. See, there are some factions that would be all for weakening the foreign power, while other factions would be for protecting them as their noble houses are allied or related to some of the noble houses in the other nation. If too many people find out about all of this, the PCs are going to make enemies one way or the other.

MonkeySage
2020-05-29, 03:31 PM
I had an idea which coincides with one of my players possibly returning to the game soon: The player is a warlock, who in exchange for power betrothed himself to the daughter of a Count in the Feywild. When he dies, his soul will be taken to the Feywild and he'll be reborn as fey to seal the deal. For the past couple months he's been on the bench because of real life stuff, but there's a possibility he's coming back soon. My idea is that he met with his betrothed and for the past hour she's been giving him an assignment to teach one of her father's vassals a lesson in humility.