Ahoy oy,
Just recently kicked off a campaign of Darknening of Mirkwood. The first game went well (Though the company did wimp out and surrender Beran the Watchful to Mogdreds men... And then kicked themselves later when one of them rolled a great lore check to have recognized his name as having Necromancer connotations)
Having started them in Rhosgobel, I put in a little hook for them to go out into Mirkwood to find some herbs as one of the Woodmen ladies was in the late stages of pregnancy, and such herbs would help with the birth. The players also found out that the father of the child had been killed by Mirkwood spiders some months ago. I also thought it would be fun to have a baby born right near the start of the campaign that they could witness grow up as the years roll by... And also that if one of the characters showed an interest, could grow up to be one of their heirs.
So my intention with the campaign is to roughly run one adventure of my own devising for each written one, to pad out the game more.. And also to keep me entertained. I was reading up on the River Maidens and thought it would be cool to do something involving them, especially as I read about their involvement later in the campaign as written.
The idea I have so far, is that the baby I mentioned above is the grandson/daughter (haven't decided that part) of Sunshadow. So the child will have the river-blooded cultural virtue, again making them an interesting heir choice.. But even if not, I have a cool NPC who can speak to Herons.
Sunshadow speaks to the players when they are near the Dusky river and tells them a little bird told her (Insight/Lore test. She means that literally
) that she has had a grandchild born in Rhosgobel recently. And that she has concerns for the childs safety. Her lover two generations ago was killed by Spiders, who had told her that his father had gone missing in the woods never to be seen again.. And that her Son was also killed by spiders last year. With the murder of her son she has become convinced that Shadow magic has cursed this bloodline, this sorcery of the spiders luring each generation to their deaths.The curse stems back from the great great (great?... I need to work out how many generations it'd be) grandfather, who was a gemcutter in Dale. He escaped Dale as the Dragon Smaug razed it to the ground, fleeing through Mirkwood on the old Dwarf Road. Somewhere on this journey he encountered Tyulquin the Great Spider (The one with the shadow magic, hence the curse) who allowed him to live as he bargained with her for his life, promising to pay her tribute of (delicious) gems each year.
I figure each year, in fear of his life he did indeed pay this toll of gems.. Until he was poor and destitute and unable to pay any longer. Tyulquin killed him, and in spitefullness cursed his bloodline to be drawn to her kin to meet their deaths.
Aaaand that's what I have so far... But what Im not sure about, is
a) How do the fellowship find out about this curse, Sunshadow is not going to have all the answers.. She only suspects foul play due to the number of similar deaths.
b) How do they break it? Without simply getting Radagast or someone to just whisk it away..
c) A continuation of b really. What is the meat of the adventure? Im open to all sorts of ideas here.. Though I can't really take the players too many weeks away from Rhosgobel, as this adventure is going to be set the spring before the Folk Moot, and they need to be able to get back for that in the summer.
d) Whats a good way of involving the Spiders, and ideally Tyulquin specifically that enhances their encounters with her later in the campaign.. And doesnt spoil too many of the tricks she has up her sleeve.
