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Justin Pappas
Feb, 2008
Group quest design for DDO

The Good Lady of Resurrection

~The quest begins when a key drops from an undead zombie during another quest. Upon examining the key, the player will discover that it has a symbol on it. The symbol is of a winged skull rising from a red, mist draped puddle. The player is prompted to ask around town about the key. Very few recognize the key.

Dialogue:

1. ‘Tis but an ordinary key, there are many keys in this world much like to it. Off with you!
2. An evil key, I know nothing of it, but I would cast it into the waves were I you.
3. Never seen such a symbol, but what craftsmanship is displayed on this key!

           
~ The player wanders into a graveyard to discover someone weeping over a grave. This person, Nilrayes, recognizes the key.

Dialogue:

1. Nilrayes: Oh, no! NO! (She falls into deeper weeping) a symbol of false hope this is! Why do you bring this before me? You must not have known. My poor Serek, oh Serek! She promised she could bring him back from the dead, but she didn’t tell me that he would be so changed! I couldn’t bear it…it wasn’t him! I sent him back to the abyss… his thickened blood still stains my hands! (she falls back into weeping)
2. Player: I’m sorry for your loss. Who promised you? Do go on!
3. Nilrayes: The good lady of resurrection, but she is no more good than a diseased dog. Bring this key to her, I am sure she will reward you with one of the many priceless treasures bestowed upon her in tribute from one of her many followers. She lives in a cleft to the north-west near Three Barrel Cove. Beware, for her darkness is veiled in kind words! Please, go now, leave me to my misery.

Here you have the option of accepting or denying the quest.
            ~I will take this to the good lady and see for myself what kind of treasure she can offer me. I can’t be sure of what I’m getting into, I should take friends.
            ~I don’t want to get mixed up in this. Hopefully I can sell this key.

~ The player ventures to and enters “The Good Ladies Cleft.”

~ On the floor of the long and tall canyon there are many ramshackle houses and shacks constructed from junk and refuse. At the end of the row there is a taller wooden cabin, with smoke rising from its slim chimney up and out of the canyon. Making your way up to the cabin, you can see that many people mill about, walking in and out of their shacks, cooking food, or just wandering the streets between.  Many have pictures or idols of dearly departed with them. You can talk to many of these destitute people.

Dialogue:

1. She’ll bring him back, she said she would!
2. I wait, I wait, how long will I wait here?
3. I gave her all I had! She will bring her back! She knows how much she means to me!    
4. Ask the good lady for help! She can give you what you most desire!
5. Soon I too will pass away, but the good lady stands ready to return me to this plane!

~ As the player approaches the gate to the good lady’s cabin he can see that many dim witted folk mindlessly wander about her yard. Inside, the good lady’s house is cluttered with many magical items.  A large fire burns in a pit in the center of the cabin. The good lady sits hunched over a desk. The player speaks to her.

Dialogue:

1. Good Lady: Why, hello! Goodness you startled me! Have a seat! Would you like some soup, I believe it’s just about ready!
2. Player: I’ve heard much about you. Who are you, and why are these people here?
3. Good Lady: Oh, goodness me, I don’t know ANY of them! They think I can give them something. I came here alone and once the rest of  Xen’drik caught wind of a mage camped near the circling door, they came by the hundreds, heaping treasures at my feet in exchange for something I cannot give!
4. Player: The circling door?
5. Good Lady: Yes. There is a gate behind my cabin. It is the entrance to the circling stair. It is said that deep inside at the bottom of the stair there is an imprisoned creature, that when awakened revives the souls of the dead. The appearance of so many undead in Xen’drik has led me to believe that the creature is stirring. Trouble is, people think that I have the power to revive their dead loved ones…
6. Player: Do you not?
7. Good Lady: In fact, I do, but not in the way that people would like. Oh the mistakes I have made, the crimes I have committed. I can re-animate the flesh but not the soul. Many hate me for what I have done, but many still have faith in me! If only I could get through the circling door perhaps I could learn something from the creature within to help me to bring greater good to this world! Alas the three keys to the gate have long been lost.
8. Player: I think I may have one of your keys.
9. Good Lady: OH! Fires be praised this is INDEED the one key I thought I would never find, I know where the two others can be found, but this, the third key has long passed out of memory! Will you locate and return to me these other two keys? They should be in the north and east quadrants of the many broken islands to the east! If you return these keys to me I will make it well worth your while, for you can take your pick from my pile of treasures.

~ Now the player must venture out to the many small islands to the east of Three Barrel Cove in search of the two remaining keys. ( The quest could be extended here into a campaign, simply by adding detailed quests and dungeons to the process of obtaining each key ) one key is in the north quadrant of the islands and one key is to the south east. Each key is guarded by a zombie.

~ The player returns with all three keys to the good lady at “The Good Lady’s Cleft” upon entering The Good Lady’s Cleft, the player discovers that the ramshackle town is under attack by an undead army.

~ The player must fight off the undead army.

~ After defeating the undead army, NPC’s in the town have some dialogue if spoken to by the player.

Dialogue:

1. Fires be praised, they’re gone!
2. I felt no fear. The Good Lady would tend to us after the battle, were we to fall.
3. Thank you for helping us. Now I must gather together the dead.
4. Where is the good lady? Is she unharmed?

~ The player enters the good lady’s cabin. The good lady crouches in a corner, ready for battle with sword and shield drawn.

Dialogue:

1. Good Lady: It’s only you! I thought for certain my time had come. You bring the keys! The creature is stirring, there is no doubt. His undead armies will grow and grow by the day if something is not done. Go, Now! Take your party, descend the circling stair, break the prison of the creature and destroy him! If you do not do this thing pain and misery will quickly spread like disease across Xen’drik!
2. Player: I and my party will do this!

~ The good lady offers to reward you with a Resurrection Spell if you carry out her will.

~ The player must now go behind the good lady’s house and use all three keys to open the circling door. The player must enter and descend the circling stair. The stair goes down in a wide spiral, in the middle there is a long open area with a circular courtyard at the bottom (much like the Guggenheim museum. http://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog_images/121506_guggenheim_II_520c.jpg ) at the center of the courtyard lies an abomination of flesh, a twisted creature that shakes and moans with great anguish. He is trapped in a cylindrical cell with no ceiling, like within the walled bull’s-eye of a dart board. Every few feet away from the cell there is another cylindrical wall, like raised walls along the rings of a bull’s-eye. As the player descends the circling stair they come across rooms with switches. Pulling each switch causes the innermost wall of the creature’s cell to fall away, thereby expanding the enclosure of the creature. The creature wanders around and explores its enclosure as it has grown with each pull of the switches.

~ As the player reaches the bottom of the circling stair, they flip the final switch, closing off their path back up the stair and opening the final ring, revealing the creature. The player notices that there are many small holes in the ground. The creature trembles and roars as undead rise up around it and attack.

~ The player must fight the creature and it’s undead protectors.

~ When the creature is at 40% health there is an EVENT

~ The ground shakes and the grinding of large wooden gears can be heard as the floor begins to descend, down like a platform elevator. The voice of the good lady can be heard from a cage that descends along with you attached to the side of the platform.

Dialogue:

1. Good Lady: And the blood of the (insert number of party members here) pure of spirit will mix with the blood of the darkest intention and forth will rise the (insert number of party members here) horsemen, and heralds of thine undead army! Many thanks to you heroes, for when the platform reaches the ground and the spikes come through the many holes, then you and this creature will both know death, and events will be set in motion to make me Good Lady, Necromancer Slave Lord of Xen’drik! Oh how I played on you like the strings of a harp, my foolish heroes.

~ The player must now find a way to disable the trap. The trap cannot be disabled without a gear that the creature has.

~ The player (with the help of their party) must slay the creature and take the gear.

~ The gear must be used to stop the descent of the platform. If the platform is not stopped in time then spikes come through the floor and wipe the party.

~ After defeating the creature, the Good Lady’s cage splits open and she jumps down onto the platform. She raises her staff and screams. At this very moment the townsfolk burst in through the circling door and come to the edge of the platform, raising their idols above their heads and calling out the names of their lost loved ones.

Dialogue:

1. Good Lady: Your blood will mix with my first born son’s if I have to kill you all myself! RISE, my slaves! My indestructible minions!

~ The good lady strikes her staff against the ground and many undead rise to join in the fight. The player must defend themselves against the undead (which are invincible) all the while combating the good lady.

~ When the good lady reaches 10% HP the gates crash down and the townsfolk pour in. They descend quickly upon the good lady in a great pile and crush the life out of her.

Dialogue:

1. Good Lady: What? But why?! I was going to help you! To help you all!

~ As the good lady falls, a white shock wave issues forth from her staff, smiting all undead in the vicinity.

~ The player and their companions can choose form an array of equipment enchanted with spells that defend against attacks from the undead.

~ As the players recall out of the dungeon they can look around and see the townsfolk kneeling and weeping by the bodies of the undead. The townsfolk say various things at this moment.

Dialogue:

1. What a fool I was.
2. I’m so sorry, why did I think she could really bring you back?
3. I know now the light of your love will never shine on me again in this life.
4. Goodbye my friend.
5. Finally I can let you go.
6. Sleep now, sleep, my daughter.

The Quest Ends Here.

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