Before I get to the twist I’ll give someback round on the what has already happened to my PC’s.
They are traveling through the various city states attempting to gather allies against the city of meridian and its WMD The Hex Cannon. They’ve already gotten a few by promising more power once the Garr Empire (who the PC’s are employed by), conquers the area. Some more with the simple threat that Meridian has already used the Hex Cannon twice and the alliance is there only chance for survival.
Now the party needs as many cities in the alliance as possible the 8 (remaining) great city states that rule over the region sit ontop magical leylines that converge in Meridian. The city of Meridian uses this nexus point of leylines to power the hex cannon. They learned from a Magoracy city that it may be possible to block these leylines temporary preventing the hex cannon from powering up.
The more cites they have in the alliance the more likely and the longer they could keep the hex cannon disabled. And disabling the hex cannon is key to the invasion plan. The cities also act as staging areas for the Imperial Troops to hide until the day of the invasion. The more cities the more Imperial Troops can arrive and move about unnoticed. The maximum range of the hex cannon is still unknown so the Empire won’t risk a full frontal invasion unless they know cannon isn’t a threat to there own cities and why send your own troops if you can get someone else to do it for you.
The latest city is ruled by the traditional Tyrant Monarch who clearly displays a Temple to the God of Tyranny openly in his city. But its an evil party so thats all good. The party has planed to use a hefty bounty on the outlaw Valek (10,000gp dead or alive) To get an audience with him and gain him as an ally.
This is how its gone the past couple cites they have to find a way before or after meeting with the monarch/ruler to gain enough favor that the city agrees to sign on to the alliance.
The twist in this endeavor is two fold, Valek recently kidnapped the King Ockmar’s Daughter so they need to bring her back in unharmed. The second is the party will learn from Valek that Ockmar has already pledge his loyalty to the Queen Zeal of Meridian and will never join the alliance.
He will make a counter offer that if they help him assassinate Ockmar he will usurp the throne by marring Ockmar’s daughter and
So the evil party has a choice, if Valek is lying about Ockmar’s loyalites they may kill a potental ally. Then again they probably don’t care WHO rules that country as long as it joins the alliance. But there is no guarantee that if Valek is successful in usurping the throne he’ll keep his word. If Valek is being truthful but they kill him anyway for the 10,000gp reward plus whatever treasure he’s carrying then they fail to get Ockmar into the alliance and tip off the enemy to soon.
A final complication will be some of Ockmar’s troops will arrive during the middle of this conversation and they want to steal the reward and glory for bring in Valek and are willing to eliminate the PC’s to get it.
The ultimate goal is once enough cities are in the alliance they can use whatever the mage city came up with. (which may involve a series of adventures helping to set up the devices in each city). To deny the Hex Cannon power long enough for the army to get into position to lay siege to the city. Once that happens the Hex Cannon will power up again as the devices
Using the siege as a distraction the PC’s will have to infiltrate the hex cannon complex and disable the wondrous architecture that draws energy from the nexus point its self. With the hex cannon off line the invading army can capture the city with out the threat of the cannon tainting anyone outside the city walls or firing on there home cities. Of course if things go wrong in the disabling of the wondrous architecture the entire complex could explode followed by the city imploding into the crater.
But if all goes well the Empire will capture the cannon and with there army bring the entire region under Imperial rule.
I’ve found it to be an interesting campaign as its filled with evil vs evil vs good. They party wouldn’t even have had to admit to being in the service of the Garr Empire. (which would have made gaining allies much easer). If a party member hadn’t blurted it out to the first leader they talked to about joining the alliance.
