Looking for story linchpin idea

[Sir_BeerBaron]

The setup - a post Phandalin 5e adventure.

(Yup, this is lengthy, but interesting; I promise. I am in need of a story linchpin to pull all this together.)

I have created an underground cavern with an immense lake attached to Wave Echo Cave. There are two tribes, one Kuo-Toa and the other Bullywugs, between their two independent islands is a third with a temple to an ancient primordial god (Bazim-Gorag the Firebringer) in which they both worship. I planned on having the Kuo-Toa in power with a priest at the helm. The Bullywugs have evolved their culture, from the prompting of a Druid (I will get to this in a bit), to farm and grow... whatever. This helps to maintain relations with the Kuo-Toa tribe who would otherwise enslave or wipe the Bullywugs out. So between the two tribes there is a bit of a symbiotic relationship, although unstable.

Kuo-Toa have enslaved several Locathah (currently abandoned monster from previous edition) to help with a fish farm, catching more fish in the larger lake, etc. There is also a rebel faction of Locathah that are holed up in a 'very difficult to find' location. They sometimes may work with the druid or independently to cause havoc between the two tribes. A minor inconvenience at best, but adds colour and could be a safe haven for PCs.

The druid resides on an island that remains safe, as the druid has terrified the Kuo-Toa and Bullywugs through fanciful superstitious stories about the Kraken's Teeth island. The two tribes avoid this place by a very wide margin.

There is also an ancient dwarven mine at the end of the watery 'river' that extends from Wave Echo Cave. Beyond the mine is the immense underground lake and home to the two tribes, et al. For the most part, the mine is largely inaccessible and serves only as a guard station for the Bullywugs. I am flushing out the mine in hopes the party will open it up. It is also quite large and has potential to include a few different objectives (ie. magical teleport that can transfer mined ore back to Wave Echo Cave - of course it is only one way, can't make this too easy).

I am positioning the dopplegangers from the Phandalin adventure to operate as emissaries from the Kuo-Toa tribe. Currently, the first one escaped capture/death, the 2nd that was operating with the Black Spider (or the master villain in the Phandalin adventure if you are not familiar) has been captured by the party. Next game session I will reveal this connection with the underworld and how dopplegangers were in cahoots with the Black Spider to setup some sort of trade operation with the underground tribes. I am thinking the party may want to continue with this possible business venture.

Other small items of note - an early wizard antagonist has also escaped capture/death from the party (Glasstaff, for anyone that knows). The Black Spider is dead. There is a passage deeper in to the underdark from the cavern that is known to the local inhabitants and has been a source of trade/invasion/curious explorers in the past. I can build just about anything into the dwarven mine, but do have some plans already. There are a series of (dry) caverns (Crystal Caves) that I have marked elsewhere on the map, but have not fleshed out in anyway. There is a large river exiting the main cavern which may include a series of passageways that will eventually lead to the shores of the Sword Coast. Further downstream, along this exiting river, I have also positioned a tribe of Morphi (Tomb of Beasts/Kobold Press) who are in negotiations to one degree or another with the Kuo-Toa.

I have added other things to the campaign that are not worth mentioning here, but this is where I am stuck- Why would the party get involved with the two tribes beyond a simple business venture? I need something much grander to pull all this together. Glasstaff should be a key, but how and why? Of consideration is the entrances and exits to the domain as well as the current denizens that come and go. Recall that this place is widely unknown to the greater world and the inhabitants like it that way.

FYI - this will be going in to FG and I will see about making it available once I sort it all out.

[Atua]

Any number of things could take the party there:
Must collect an item that is located there, maybe in a race against Glassstaff who also wants the item,
A long lost map is found with directions to there,
One of the party is having visions from Bazim-Gorag the Firebringer,
A bunch of dwarves want the old mine examined and cleared out because they will be using it again,
The captured doppelganger spills the beans on its associate's location in trade for its life.

[Sir_BeerBaron]

Thanks Atua.

Getting the party there isn't really the issue, its keeping them there. I need ...something that rationalizes why they need to stay and deal with all of the different factions. I simple 'find this or that quest' is pretty easy to manage and will definitely come into play - but I am looking for a story with depth. Consider Tyranny of Dragons or any full length campaign settings - there is always a larger story behind all of the quests that have been knitted together.

- At this stage, the party has completely forgotten Glasstaff exists. They will recall when I mention his name, but I think from their perspective he is long gone. Surprise!
- There will be a map that will reveal a part of the dwarven mine - it will be a clue to help them find the magical teleport and realize there is more to discover behind the caved in corridors. And they have taken a stake in a local business that will benefit from this, but it is a shallow goal.
- I like the vision idea - I may steal that for something... and I do have a crazed war priest in the party. This is getting closer to what I want, but I still need the prize. Bazim-Gorag is possibly manipulating the tribes for his own purposes... the vision is from the priests own deity to sort the problem out... but what's the problem?!?!?
- exactly as you said for the doppelganger, more or less. Already have that bit worked out as I have to run it this Friday.

Two more days to get the general outline done... gah! This will allow me to wrap up Lost Mine of Phandelver and set them on to their next big quest. Then two weeks to fill in the details before the next session.

[Atua]

Ok, I think I am getting a better understanding of what you are after.

Well, from what I have read so far, that primordial God would want to stretch out from just the cave and its current inhabitants. He might be using Glassstaff as a lacky to get things done, but the appearance if the party presents an opportunity too good to miss.

Through some sort of proxy, the God could convince the party to help via money, power, etc. Or even prevent the party from leaving via some magical means.

You can also look to your character's backgrounds for hooks to keep them there.

Maybe they arrived via a one way teleport and need the locals help to leave.

If you want an overarching story, you need one or two groups with mutually exclusive needs and higher ups pulling strings.

[Sir_BeerBaron]

Most of the PC backgrounds can work for a few small hooks however, one is a wizard infatuated with the gain of knowledge to replenish a store of books he destroyed as a young kid. Best background I have seen written by a player, hands down. It took me 10 minutes to read through - it was fascinating. I do need to write some of his background in to the story, more as repayment for the effort he put in to it. I am really looking forward to his next character...

In any event, the characters do have a reason to go there and a means. I can think of a few in fact.

So let's try this-

- doppelganger gives up that he is an emissary sent to arrange a trade deal.
- in turn, the party ventures forth to seek an in person audience with the Kuo-Toa tribe to see if they can come to some terms.
- they will discover the mine on the way there. there will be some minor quests to be had immediately or they can come back to them if they so wish. There are parts of the mine that will simply be an old fashioned hack 'n' slash romp as well. I have a section of the mine that has been put aside for a new villain - just not sure who or what yet. The mine itself has unlimited potential.
- depending on timing and what they have done in regards to quests, at some point they will run in to the Locothah rebels and hopefully make an ally.
- the druid should also become an ally at some point.
- wizard player will become focused at the potential knowledge that might be gained from this underground temple. I can drop some obscure legend about a certain book or some such thing.
- I like your idea of the deity wanting more power - a bigger reach. Maybe he is trying to come to the material plain. I may have to change the deity to something else though - this one in particular has quite the history and is not really lacking in strength or reach. Could be an underling of this deity trying to gain power... that might work.
- the druid knows the potential for disaster and implores the party to help resolve the impending catastrophe. This seems kind of 'been there, done that', but it works.
- possible secondary outcomes - rebel group with the help of the party frees the slaves and returns to the waters of the sword coast. Another hook for a future adventure of course.
- still having a brain fart with the temple and the deity and how all that functions, but I think I may have some of this already wrapped up with the two tribes and their relation with each other.
- Glasstaff is an odd duck, but I really want to bring him in to this somehow. Maybe he is the intended vessel for this deity and is at the short end of this no matter what the outcome ...and that he is, as you say, a lacky, but is being manipulated into thinking he will gain great power.
- party saves the slaves, causes mayhem in the mine, torments as yet unknown villain, chases down Glasstaff, makes some friends along the way and gets to beat on a deity's avatar to wrap things up. This could work. The last bit might simply be to stop the deity coming through, as I don't believe the players are of such a level to meet something like that head on anytime soon. They may have lost the trade deal though... If they manage to save the trade deal, they all get an inspiration point.
- additional side quests - a foray into the true underdark (for some reason), duergar maybe; critter eating Locathah rebels somewhere in the lake; etc.

I just needed that little push. Thanks Atua.

[Atua]

No worries, glad I could help