[Mkguild] The PAWNED master plan

[Michael Bard]

I have a full, and proofed, first draft of the intro story on Shifti at
http://www.shifti.org/User:Michael_Bard/Pawned .  It even has a title now-- 
:)

Okay, here is the master plan for the story arc:

1. PAWNED: Character gets hired/trapped by one of the lesser Daedra (this
was in the original planning) to get the "Sword of Songs".  he gets zapped
by the curse, and by the Daedra, into a female unicorn.  A female unicorn is
foretold to be the one to close the gate.
- The Sword of Songs is not a magical weapon perse, but a key in the form of
a sword.  The gate for one of the Titans is open, the sword removed, and now
the cultists are just waiting for the right time to bring their lord though.
Given the non-Euclidean nature of the keep's geometry, there HAS to be a
reason for it hidden away somewhere!
- Whether the Sword was taken out and hidden, or recovered and was being
brought back when the cultists got the bearer, or the bearer managed to
sneak and hide as he/she died, or the lesser Daedra magicked it to where
needed, really doesn't matter.  Take your pick.
- The barkeep recognizes "The One" when she sees her in full light, and
arranges to send her to a cultist to be dealt with.
- The symbol the cultists use is an "Elder Sign".  Any ideas for a better
symbol?
- The lesser Daedra provides a few cryptic clues.  The unicorn is the one to
deal with the problem.  She has until "darkness eve" (the winter solstice)
to deal with the problem.
- The cult sets up the bath house for the watch to find the horrid murder.
All the gold is gone but a few silvers, and the secret passage is sealed.
The head is back near the body, the horn from the alicorn obvious.
- The cult was lured into damnation by whispered promises of their curse
being removed.  If anybody can do it, a Titan can...

2: ? : Yvarra goes to the fair of the Fall Festival disguised as a jester.
The Sword of Songs is peace bound, and her alicorn is peace bound with an
apple, either as a joke, or by some prick of a guard at the gate.  She picks
some pockets, mingles, ENCOUNTERS CHARACTERS WHO WISH TO BE ENCOUNTERED, and
then sneaks off to the keep to visit the library and try and get the symbol
(an elder sign) identified.
- The idea of the story arc is that Yvarra deals with it, not all the
hyperpowerful superwarriors of the keep proper. Nobody believes what is
really happening.
- This is to be a bit of a fun story, nothing more.
- Fox Cutter's character is in the library and finds some information
(Yvarra can't read) but doesn't believe it.  It is legends, tales, long
dealt with.

2a: If some time needs to be killed, and/or there is a local "Thieve's
Guild"  that isn't run by major existing characters, she tries to make
contact.  Turns out the guild IS the cult and they go after her.  She gets
away with a trail of bodies.  The cult sets up the watch to start going
after her seriously as a mass murderer.  To the keep at large, this is a
minor thing, maybe a topic of talk, but not of major importance compared to
the threat of the Lutins and the evil archmage.

3+ Running fight with the cult in the town as time passes and she tries to
find out where to go.  Are there catacombs underneath where they lair that
she can begin to explore?  Ancient tombs under the old town from ages ago?
The watch gets more involved, Yvarra goes into hiding.  Gets black dye,
something else from an alchemist to hide?  (Character alchemist maybe -- 
there is one in the town as I recall).  Likely more than one story here as
it gets written.
- MAYBE some of the big characters get involved in the hunt for the mad
unicorness.  But they don't find her (after all, they would win given their
power level -- but a powerdripping frontal attack on the cult stronghold
won't work)

4 Finale: Winter Solstice.  Yvarra sneaks her way through the catacombs as
the chants echo.  Goes deep.  Finds the Deep Ones that Raven mentioned?
Maybe being pursued by some big character from the keep out for her head,
hacking his/her way through what she's snuck back.  Reaches the summoning
chamber, lots of horrible stuff, she shoves the sword into the hole and
seals the gate, big fight.  Either she gets away, the cultists are eaten by
their cursing lord, they are killed by whoever is prusing her, she loses her
alicorn as she seals the gate, lots of possiblities.  She gets her payment
and is freed from her task.

So...

Thoughts?  Comments?  Is there a thieve's guild?  Anybody want to meet the
thieving unicorn and lose a free coins?  Any other ideas?  Is this master
plan workable?

Michael Bard