Help, I have improvised myself into a corner!

[pirateshow]

Right, so I'm running a 4e campaign that is vaguely based on Keep On The Shadowfell... sort of. But the characters keep running off and exploring stuff in a crypt that I fudged for a session with only two players... and I keep saying 'yes, and' like a good little improviser. And now I'm in a corner. Help!

Spoiler

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I decided that the magic juice fueling Ninaran's zombie fiesta would need one extra ingredient: the coffin dust of one dead at least four hundred years. And when two of my first-level PCs needed a session all to themselves, I led them to an ad-hoc excavation under the biggest crypt in the Winterhaven graveyard, where a tiefling no-goodnik (who would be the wayward Orcus-worshipping brother of the tiefling paladin PC) had been playing necromancer after finding Ninaran's coffin dust and trying to replicate the recipe. The PCs found the tiefling and his goons, summarily dispatched him (and with him some lovingly-crafted plot hooks, sigh), and got outta Dodge. On the map I was drawing for this sub-crypt, I left a couple of open-ended hallways, because I just can't help myself sometimes. Argh.

Two sessions later, two other PCs (the aforementioned tiefling paladin of Ioun and the dragonborn warlord who is captain of the inept Winterhaven Regulars) decide to go down there just to tank around and make sure all the dead stuff stayed dead. They took a wander down one of the open hallways, which I described as suddenly changing from ancient rough caves to cleverly-wrought stonework extending several hundred feet. Every so often a pair of columns lined the hall, each pair topped with busts of a different god depicted as humans. Okay, sure. The players are intrigued. I keep merrily making crap up.

At the end of the hallway is a small library full of apparently blank vellum scrolls. There are some low-level traps that kick them around a bit, and they find a riddle in a magic mouth-type device. The answer is 'darkness' (this was the only bit that I had in mind going into this mess), but nothing happens when they answer out loud. They bury their sunrods in a cloak, and in the darkness the scrolls reveal faintly glowing white text. In Elven script, because it was the first language that jumped to mind that neither of them spoke or read. They try to take a scroll out or the room, and it disintegrates and re-appears in its spot. Fair enough, it's a mystery for another day, and they'll bring the party's Eladrin wizard next time.

Except that, when I drew the room (off the top of my head, natch) I placed entryways on all four sides. They check the other three before heading back to the surface, and this is where I get myself into trouble. The first hall was the one they entered from. The second has all the same gods, good and evil, in the same order, but depicted as dwarves. The third, same deal, but they're all elves- I'm enjoying the idea that at some point, each race had envisioned the gods in their own image. The fourth corridor would have been halfings if I hadn't been feeling malicious, but the players were into it and I wanted to give them a scare to end the session: the last hallway also contained each god, but with furrowed brow and a mess of tentacles where a mouth should be. In that last hallway, the gods were depicted as (by?) illithids.

The players are level 2. Obviously the players know what an illithid is, though I've told them that *if* they've heard of mind flayers, it's likely as a ghost story and not in any kind of factual context. I had planned on having a big illithid territory under semi-nearby mountains, with most of the world's remaining dragonborn enslaved as the thralls, but I didn't plan on telling the players about it until near paragon tier. I'm hoping that the more immediate threat of Shadowfell Keep and the soon-to-be-opened rift keeps them occupied for at least a few sessions to come, but I still feel like I'm going to have to solve this mess before the players are ready to take on mind flayers.

The best solution I've got right now is to let the players find out (through an Arcana check at which neither the paladin nor warlord would have succeeded) that that entire library and its four hallways are extradimensional, each hallway leading to a location that was important to the relevant race at the time it was built. When they leave the rough-hewn cave beneath the Winterhaven graveyard, they're actually stepping through a fairly well-concealed portal: possibly a space where a treaty was negotiated (or attempted) long ago. This approach would save my butt because the other three portals don't necessarily still function. Figuring out why the human portal works and replicating that could be fun and interesting. Any thoughts?

And this still leaves the question: what do the scrolls say? I'm thinking that they might appear to be any language that the reader doesn't speak, until some sort of catalyst is introduced... which could be good quest bait, but I like puzzles with a bit more solveability than 'have the right object and it works'.

Any ideas are welcome. I'm in too deep! I like all the pieces I've come up with on the fly, but it's all for nought if I can't fit them together...

[Occasional Sage]

Obviously, while the elven script is used the language is not elven. You can yank them around for quite a while, especially if 4.0 doesn't have a Comprehend Languages analogue (or you can somehow prevent its use). All kinds of languages can use the same alphabet, after all. Heck, it might not even BE Elvish at all; if they don't speak Elvish, why would they recognize one or two characters that make it something else entirely? Somebody who only knows English on sight would never realize that what they're seeing is instead Spanish from the ~s...

The scrolls themselves are the works of various philosophers, spanning a variety of races and times, on the nature of gods. This can be used to hook into any number of other plots:

• why are the characters here, and if they have a patron does he secretly want these for some reason?
• by simply entering, have the characters drawn the attention of a the vault's guardians, who can't destroy the scrolls but can't allow their blasphemy to be rediscoved?
• does something within the scrolls give them leverage with a troublesome priestly NPC?
• can the necromancer-wannabe, with enough work (ie levels), make some use of the philosophical ramblings to harness the spirits of dead gods?

So. Some short term, so long term, none particularly brilliant but certainly solid enough to riff from.

Good luck!

[KKL]

especially if 4.0 doesn't have a Comprehend Languages analogue (or you can somehow prevent its use).

There's a Comprehend Language Ritual.

[Harp]

My guess would be that many many years ago, four races came together in order to preserve the world as they knew it. Politics between humans, elves, and dwarves can sometimes be challenging, but throwing mind-flayers into the mix means the **** was really hitting the fan.

Some quick ideas-

• Tarrasque
• Evil Proto-Diety
• Insane Epic Druid Who Wanted to Remake the World
• Pun-Pun

Basically, any really high end villian can work, and dating can show that Mr. BigNUgly's about to rear his head again. If you don't want to go that route, these things could be getting ready to happen again as well...

• Undead Apocalypse
• Widespread Plague
• Planar Invasion

All you really need is a desperate alliance scenario where humans, elves, and dwarves decided to put their necks out for one another, a scenario so devastating and that even the Mind-Flayers knew it was time to step up and save the food supply.

I do not believe the language of the records really matters... elven is possibly a bit presumptious given the diversity of the meeting, so it would seem Draconic would be the first choice for knowledge meant to transcend down through the ages. I kind of like the idea of having the alphabet of one language but the phonetics actually sounding out a different one, but that's difficult with four races and besides, why would they want to make the knowledge more difficult to interpret? That the books couldn't leave the room is part of the ancient magics meant to protect the knowledge, so that one race would later decide to make off with it or stupid adventurers wouldn't just loot it.

Now then, I assume your players haven't walked down the other hallways, and in most cases, I don't suspect they can see further than 60 ft., which means they have no idea what's down there besides a couple busts. You can collapse tunnels, introduce the portal idea but have failing magic as well (to restore the portals being a quest in and of itself), or have the other portals running off some ancient contingency spells counting down to time briefly before the cataclysmic event.

Anywho, I like the basis so far. Keep us posted on what you intend.

[trehek]

If you want to delay them figuring out what the scrolls say, you can just make them coded. They might be written in a common language but scrambled, so comprehend language won't tell the players anything. They'll have to find a decyphering sheet somewhere.

[Ryavis]

I do not believe the language of the records really matters... elven is possibly a bit presumptious given the diversity of the meeting, so it would seem Draconic would be the first choice for knowledge meant to transcend down through the ages. I kind of like the idea of having the alphabet of one language but the phonetics actually sounding out a different one, but that's difficult with four races and besides, why would they want to make the knowledge more difficult to interpret? That the books couldn't leave the room is part of the ancient magics meant to protect the knowledge, so that one race would later decide to make off with it or stupid adventurers wouldn't just loot it.

Considering these scrolls are already pretty magic-enhanced, perhaps there was once some system which would automatically translate them to whatever language the reader wanted which is now inactive, or which the players didn't find when searching the room. And the last person to use said system was an elf, so all of the scrolls are stuck in elven at the moment.

If you want to delay them reading the scrolls, maybe instead the system is broken and automatically translates the scrolls into a language the reader doesn't want. And if the players figure this out and are clever enough they could try to psych themselves into not wanting the scrolls to be written in common or something, or maybe they could manually copy what is written in the scrolls so that someone who does read that language can translate- hand-made copies would leave the room just fine, of course.

[Raum]

Right, so I'm running a 4e campaign that is vaguely based on Keep On The Shadowfell... sort of. But the characters keep running off and exploring stuff in a crypt that I fudged for a session with only two players... and I keep saying 'yes, and' like a good little improviser. And now I'm in a corner. Help!

Sounds like fun!

This approach would save my butt because the other three portals don't necessarily still function. Figuring out why the human portal works and replicating that could be fun and interesting. Any thoughts?

Alternatively, each may function only for the race depicted. It may even be the Human portal which is broken and simply functions as a normal hallway now. (Assuming nonhuman PCs got in through that door.) That does have the disadvantage of potentially splitting the party though.

Another option - some or all of the portals were closed by the race / area using it simply because they didn't trust the others. After all, you don't want the illithids walking in to your home once the crisis which forced an uneasy alliance is past.

And this still leaves the question: what do the scrolls say? I'm thinking that they might appear to be any language that the reader doesn't speak, until some sort of catalyst is introduced... which could be good quest bait, but I like puzzles with a bit more solveability than 'have the right object and it works'.

Have the scrolls change languages based on time (phases of the moon perhaps), that will give you more time and limit the number they can decipher at any one time. As for what they say, most will probably be detailed diplomatic agreements between the races for dealing with some crisis. They'll leave clues to the crisis but won't spell it out (it was common knowledge at the time, no need to do so). Others will be administrative documents covering the logistics of fighting the mysterious opponent. A few may be specific spells / tactical documents for fighting this threat.

Clues regarding what the threat is may be scattered throughout - a name (racial, individual, or object) in the diplomatic agreements, troop and supply movements (what did it take to fight, how high were casualties) in the logistics docs, and targeted spells showing a potential weakness in the tactical docs.

Whatever you choose, it sounds like fun!

[KillianHawkeye]

Another option - some or all of the portals were closed by the race / area using it simply because they didn't trust the others. After all, you don't want the illithids walking in to your home once the crisis which forced an uneasy alliance is past.

I like this idea, and it makes a lot of sense. The other three portals were closed from the other side and can't be opened from where your players are. Instead of a cave, they only find a stone wall covered in (unhelpful) runes. Interesting things might happen later if one of the three races returns. As usual, the careless humans left their portal open and it should come back to bite them.

As for the scrolls, definitely go with the vague and incomplete historical texts predating the last human empire, maybe with some brief refence to the Mind Flayers' "Dragonborn warriors". There could also be some scroll containing a semi-useful ritual, such as Discern Lies, which a member of each delegation would have used before each negotiation began (due to high levels of distrust).

Use this as an opportunity to lay some small hint of things to come, or just to flesh out the setting a bit. In any case, don't draw ANY more of this place! The PCs have found every room and hall. Period. At least, until you wanna open up one of those portals later on.

Great job on the improvising, btw!

[pirateshow]

Wow, thanks! There is much here that I will use. Here, I think, is what I'll go with:

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Hundreds of years ago, Vecna grew bored and attempted to create a plague of undead in Nerath, using a series of rituals plucked from the minds of former owners of the Eye Of Vecna. A forward-thinking human noble, Lord Balthazar Padraig, had a series of missives sent out suggesting an alliance to fortify against the rising tide of undead. The dwarves got the message intended for them, as did the elves. The messenger to the Dragonborn enclave in the mountains came back weeks late, without his steed, and with glassy eyes . Padraig, optimistic if confused by the Dragonborn's answer, set his mages to work on the creation of a neutral space in which negotiations could be conducted.

Each of the three allying races was given a True Portal ritual that would open a gate to the extradimensional negotiation space, and the space itself was enchanted so that each entry hall would manifest the appropriate symbols of divinity to make each race's representatives feel welcome. Lord Balthazar and his entourage of wizards and negotiators made their entrance through the caverns below the Padraig family crypt at the arranged time, and were pleased to see similar teams of Elf and Dwarf negotiators already waiting. Several armoured Dragonborn strode in, followed by a pair of figures cloaked and hooded in black. All present were surprised to hear the newcomers greet them not out loud, but with the echo of voices in their minds. The illithid negotiators were willing to help, even if the rest were unsettled.

Through use of ritual magic and strategic wisdom, careful military operations and appeals to the gods, the tide of walking dead was largely pre-empted. Lord Padraig had his wizards cast much magic on the negotiation room, protecting the many secrets and rituals within from accidental use. His family tomb was sealed over the entrance, and promises were given by the other delegations to enact similar measures. The threat had been quelled- or at least supressed- with much of the population never finding out.

Hooks:
-The scrolls are full of all manner of candy, but Ryavis' system of a broken auto-translator is in effect. They will have to repair it either by puzzle-solving (which my players love), or by bringing together the four bits of an artifact that resets the whole system (each chunk of which resides with one of the 4 races in question). Rituals, history, tactical documents... once the players are of a higher level, it'll become a well-earned and handy home base.
-Balthazar Padraig sent messengers to the Dragonborn very shortly after the Illithids enslaved them, and none of the other delegations worried about it much in the face of the incoming huge threat. My Dragonborn PC- one of the few free Dragonborn in the world, though he doesn't know that yet- will love cracking that nut.
-Balthazar Padraig is, of course, the ancestor of Ernst Padraig, hereditary lord of Winterhaven. Ernst is a clueless douche, but several of his family trinkets will be clues to unlocking this whole mess, possibly including Balthazar's diary.
-Each of the races will have implemented a different crazy security system on 'their' hallway. The humans sealed a crypt over their portal. The dwarves will have caved in the hallway on their end. The elves, I'm thinking, may have opened their portal into a particularly treacherous and unnavigable bit of the Feywild. And the illithids will simply have it well-guarded, either by Dragonborn thrall guards or by a handful of huge aberrant monsters that are too big to fit through the small hallway in the portal. This gives me three very different adventures that should last well into the paragon levels.
-This will all tie into the Orcus/Vecna Rising overarching story that I'm very interested in. This library, containing details of how the undead plague was averted, will also contain some hints as to how it was implemented. The PCs will have to keep it a secret or defend it from the campaign's Big Bads, who will be striving to trigger another undead apocalypse.

Thanks for all the help, everyone. I think this is going to be a highly memorable campaign.

[vicente408]

Wow! What started as merely hasty improvisation on your part seems to have evolved into an awesome, awesome story potential! Please, please, please keep us all updated on the events that unfold!

[Revlid]

Sounds epic! It's amazing what good improvisation (which yours was) can do when combined with good fleshing out (which this is).

[pirateshow]

Heh, I will surely be back for more of this, because I'm surely going to do more wacky improvisation when my players bork this to high heaven. I am a professional actor, specialising in stage combat and improvisation, which I think is what makes me a good DM. Unfortunately, most of my players are also colleagues from that field, so their capacity to gang up and out-create me on the fly is the foundation of our group dynamic. I will let you all know how this pans out!