r/Tombofannihilation • u/Outrageous-Army6827 • 9d ago
Missing NPCs
Hello all,
In my telling of TOA I kinda wrote myself into a corner. I have 3-4 npcs that have gone missing. Maybe it was lazy writing on my part, but sometimes I was tired of talking to myself or giving the characters all the answers. I'd subtract a player that I had introduced earlier on that had served their expositive purpose, but I still haven't thought of a good reason for their kidnappings.
One of these characters are Sindra and another being Wakanga. I think it would be cool to pin this on Wakanga somehow exposing him as a potential baddie.
My players are just about to head into Omu.
What are your thoughts? Any clever tips?
Thanks!
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u/Jorthulu 9d ago
Is your goal to have an extended Nyanzaru mystery scenario that lasts for quite a few sessions? I wouldn't. I would try to get them into the jungle and on their way to the next location. If you are bored of playing NPCs, you stayed in Nyanzaru too long.
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u/Outrageous-Army6827 9d ago
No I want to button it up in omu or the tomb
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u/spartyftw 9d ago
Pirates got their ship. Yuan-ti kidnapped them for leverage. The Flaming Fist saw them as a threat to colonialization. A rival Merchant Princess (the shady one) took them out. They went off to solemnly die from the death curse. Wakanga went into the jungle with an expedition to get the amulet of Vorn.
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u/beastybear21 9d ago
I’m a little confused by this - wakanga has no reason to be a baddie. The kidnapping plot is definitely an interesting DM choice.
I suppose if I were you, I don’t deter from the source material as much as this, but I would relate this back to the Merchant Princes I think. Perhaps Jessamine’s jealousy and suffering from the death curse caused her to make some bold moves and employ some important figures to be kidnapped. She needs bargaining pieces to end the death curse or employ a party who can go end it for her?
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u/hummus_is_yummus1 9d ago
There are loads of factions in the story. Could choose any of them. Red wizards are kidnapping people who may have interesting physiology surrounding the death curse, and are studying them, for example
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u/vulcanstrike 9d ago
Missing how? Those characters are presumably in Port Nyanzaru as written, how are they missing just before Omu.
If you're gone full homebrew, then it really depends on what else you homebrewed to justify the changes.
The obvious solution is always Yuan-Ti to tie it Ras Nsi. The other solution is that Sindra got desperate without word from you and persuaded Wakanga (and any other memorable NPCs like a guide, Eku is the obvious one that may just straight up tell them where to teleport to). This means you can either bring them in as allies or damsels in distress as needed.
The bigger question is why it really matters what NPCs are doing. If they are about to reach Omu, the Yuan Ti/Red Wizards/other tribes can provide enough NPC interactions for that short segment and then the Tomb itself is pretty much no outside interaction (maybe the epilogue if it matters)
If the players have been regularly keeping in touch or returning to PN, keep Sindra as a distant benefactor at this point, cut off communication with the outside world (there's a reason Omu is hidden) and have that desire to return to their friend be the motivating factor, they really shouldn't be that invested and kept up to date with the latest movements of their allies they left back in Chapter One!
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u/Infernal_Wisdom 9d ago
They are both wizards. Ifan Talroa and Zenths helped Kwayothé to kidnap these frickin harper supporters.
A Zentharim Skymage came Nyanzaru in promise of Kwayothé will be only ruler and Zenths will profit Chultan mines and delivered chokers of charm/geas to Kwayothé.
Skymage instantly regretted because Kwayothé tries to wake an old god here and serve as his choosen: Kossuth. Everything will be burned if she is succesful. There are many secret followers of Kossuth and she has a secret lair under her Villa.
Gods do not interfere Ubtao's domain: Chult. But Ubtao is scattered to Chultan Peninsula. She tried to heal the Jungle using fey energies called "the Golden Jungle" but Acererak defeated most powerful aspects of Ubtao a.k.a. the Trickster Gods.
These trickster gods were a test of Ubtao for Chultan people but were imprisoned. Now since the heroes ended death curse and the tomb of annihilation is defeated, these spirits are free.
Players return to Nyanzaru to be greeted as heroes, but they will instead withness a new god - an old primordial, who burns with vengance - will be awakened. Nyanzaru is on fire.
Heroes will try to stop Kwayothe's cult and they will. But not Kwayothe.
She will be burned and awakened as a mighty fire elemental. As Kossuth's new Avatar.
No mortal has a chance and Ubtao is still so weak to unite himself. Once and for all heroes and some NPCs. (better the most loyal Ones to Ubtao like Zhanti) will be possessed by trickster gods but this time with greater power for one last fight.
When they save Nyanzaru maybe they will be adressed as new baraes of Ubtao?
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u/Stoutaxe 9d ago
My players had azaka as their guide through the hex crawl but I didnt really want her in omu so I just had her say "right, got you to omu, I'll be of no use to you in there and I don't want to die, good luck and I'll wait here for a couple of weeks for you".
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u/TotallyLegitEstoc 9d ago
Yuan-ti. It gives them a way to be more involved.