Plot Hooks for rebuilding Scardale Town

[Rhocian Xothara]

So those who have seen my previous post about a Pan-Faerunian Adventure (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?627845-Starting-an-epic-Pan-Faerunian-Adventure-campaign-Where-should-I-start&p=24949842#post24949842) will know I asked where to start this adventure. A lot of people recommended The Dalelands, and so I am starting there.

I have decided to start specifically at Chandlerscross. A former Capital City of Scardale, the Governor of Scardale - Khelvos Dermmen - controls Chandlerscross; Scardeep and Scardale Town, with Chandlerscross being his 'seat of power' as it were. The title of Capital City, however, was given to Scardale Town.

That being said, by all accounts the town seems to be a Capital in name only. It is rebuilding after centuries of wartime occupation; plagues; sackings by brigands and whatever else, and was left in a much worse state than its neighbouring cities. Chandlerscross is rather proud of its government being filled exclusively with Scardalemen and Khelvos is keen to scrub the remnants of garrisons and occupation by outside factions from Scardale Town, and restore the town to its former glory, as a trading port for the local grains, ales and produce that the Scardale region was so famous for.

He is hiring the party to help in this endeavour, and are sending them to Scardale Town to help restore it.

Only trouble is... I'm not 100% sure how to go about that.

I figure the key is rooted in Scardale's three traditional exports: Grain, Ale and Produce. Problem is since Scardale's last occupation, they haven't actually been exporting any of it. The town (and indeed the region) needs money coming into it if Scardale Town is to recover properly.

I have half-baked ideas floating around about how the party might go about addressing these issues, like the Ale is on hold because they can't get the grain, and the grain is on hold because of a crop issue, and the produce keeps getting taken by Zhents for "protection", etc.

Buuut, I know this forum is a fantastic hivemind. Help me put some meat on these bare-bones ideas!

[Unoriginal]

So those who have seen my previous post about a Pan-Faerunian Adventure (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?627845-Starting-an-epic-Pan-Faerunian-Adventure-campaign-Where-should-I-start&p=24949842#post24949842) will know I asked where to start this adventure. A lot of people recommended The Dalelands, and so I am starting there.

I have decided to start specifically at Chandlerscross. A former Capital City of Scardale, the Governor of Scardale - Khelvos Dermmen - controls Chandlerscross; Scardeep and Scardale Town, with Chandlerscross being his 'seat of power' as it were. The title of Capital City, however, was given to Scardale Town.

That being said, by all accounts the town seems to be a Capital in name only. It is rebuilding after centuries of wartime occupation; plagues; sackings by brigands and whatever else, and was left in a much worse state than its neighbouring cities. Chandlerscross is rather proud of its government being filled exclusively with Scardalemen and Khelvos is keen to scrub the remnants of garrisons and occupation by outside factions from Scardale Town, and restore the town to its former glory, as a trading port for the local grains, ales and produce that the Scardale region was so famous for.

He is hiring the party to help in this endeavour, and are sending them to Scardale Town to help restore it.

Only trouble is... I'm not 100% sure how to go about that.

I figure the key is rooted in Scardale's three traditional exports: Grain, Ale and Produce. Problem is since Scardale's last occupation, they haven't actually been exporting any of it. The town (and indeed the region) needs money coming into it if Scardale Town is to recover properly.

I have half-baked ideas floating around about how the party might go about addressing these issues, like the Ale is on hold because they can't get the grain, and the grain is on hold because of a crop issue, and the produce keeps getting taken by Zhents for "protection", etc.

Buuut, I know this forum is a fantastic hivemind. Help me put some meat on these bare-bones ideas!

How about the PCs having the possibility to quest for and find a powerful being like a minor local god, an Archfey or a Kirin to make the crops row miraculously fast?

Or maybe a master entity who would love to have a rising nation indebted to them.

[Amnestic]

Years of crumbling and uncared for infrastructure/tools is going to be a problem just as much as the raw materials.

There's some craftsmen on hand, of course, but they're not exactly experts or masters - they've had precious little opportunity to practice their craft as of late. But there is a guild of master artisans who might be able to assist, to move Scardale from producing ale of the everyman to drinks that nobility and monarchy are desperate to savour. Only problem is that the head artisan is a bit of a stickler for who they'll let hire them, only works with people who he trusts, and he just so happens to have this convenient side quest to [fetch object/kill monster/save person/other]...

Maybe the party is competing against another group (or groups) for the artisan's contract. Get some rival frienemy adventuring parties in the mix.

Party doesn't have to do it of course, they could just help out the existing crafters (or leave them to it, they might manage on their own), but if they want to help Scardale not only rebuild but prosper, well, they may want to consider it.

[Rhocian Xothara]

How about the PCs having the possibility to quest for and find a powerful being like a minor local god, an Archfey or a Kirin to make the crops row miraculously fast?

Or maybe a master entity who would love to have a rising nation indebted to them.

Funny you should suggest that!
One of the PCs is a Dragonborn Sorcerer, and part of the point of this campaign setting is to pull the party away to different parts of Faerun. One of the plot hooks I have revolves around the ongoing conflict between the Tymanther/Unther regions. It's also fascinating that the lore regarding Unther and its God-King Gilgeam explains that a second 'Gilgeam' has resurfaced since losing his fight to Tiamat, and has reclaimed his throne as the God-King of Unther.

However, there are several key differences. He now refers to himself as "The Son of Victory" instead of "The Father of Victory" as before, and his general behaviour is different. So it's not clear if this Gilgeam is:

The original Gilgeam, albeit with an attitude adjustment
A second incarnation and/or a different Deity entirely
An imposter


My plot hook? At Scardale Port the party will find a host escorting a rather imposing Black Dragonborn Noble; one "Lady Attima", who is preparing a voyage back to Tymanther. She will at some point task the party with investigating the nature of this God-King Gilgeam, whose reappearance at this time is merely conjecture and hearsay at the moment.

Furthermore, one of the PCs is a Dragonborn Sorcerer, and in his backstory he is a 'newly discovered' Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer and doesn't feel like he is in control of his powers just yet. He's still learning. He is seeking someone who can teach him to control these powers. Lady Attima will offer him control, tuition and indeed even more power in exchange for this investigation as well as his sworn allegiance to Her.

If he accepts, i'm torn between gifting a level of Warlock (Celestial) or Paladin (Devotion). If you're wondering why, take a closer look at Lady Attima's name...

[Unoriginal]

Funny you should suggest that!
One of the PCs is a Dragonborn Sorcerer, and part of the point of this campaign setting is to pull the party away to different parts of Faerun. One of the plot hooks I have revolves around the ongoing conflict between the Tymanther/Unther regions. It's also fascinating that the lore regarding Unther and its God-King Gilgeam explains that a second 'Gilgeam' has resurfaced since losing his fight to Tiamat, and has reclaimed his throne as the God-King of Unther.

However, there are several key differences. He now refers to himself as "The Son of Victory" instead of "The Father of Victory" as before, and his general behaviour is different. So it's not clear if this Gilgeam is:

The original Gilgeam, albeit with an attitude adjustment
A second incarnation and/or a different Deity entirely
An imposter


My plot hook? At Scardale Port the party will find a host escorting a rather imposing Black Dragonborn Noble; one "Lady Attima", who is preparing a voyage back to Tymanther. She will at some point task the party with investigating the nature of this God-King Gilgeam, whose reappearance at this time is merely conjecture and hearsay at the moment.

Furthermore, one of the PCs is a Dragonborn Sorcerer, and in his backstory he is a 'newly discovered' Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer and doesn't feel like he is in control of his powers just yet. He's still learning. He is seeking someone who can teach him to control these powers. Lady Attima will offer him control, tuition and indeed even more power in exchange for this investigation as well as his sworn allegiance to Her.

If he accepts, i'm torn between gifting a level of Warlock (Celestial) or Paladin (Devotion). If you're wondering why, take a closer look at Lady Attima's name...

So she did manage to get herself out of Avernus, in your version of the setting?

[Rhocian Xothara]

So she did manage to get herself out of Avernus, in your version of the setting?

Yes. Different regions have lore pertaining to different eras of D&D based on when they featured in module books and so on, so during the zero session I explained that the areas will either be in their most current version of the region or the most stable version. Partly for simplicity's sake but also helps kerb metagaming.

So for example, Elturel hasn't been dragged into the Hells. Also because of the map I'm using, Chult is still part of the peninsula.