u/Strict_DM_62

EDIT: Thanks folks! I think I was overthinking it a little bit, and now I have some much better ideas of what I should do next; mostly let em go with the flow!

BLUF: After confronting the Duergar in Caer Konig (but before getting to the Outpost) my players don't consider the Duergar conspiracy to be a threat, and are choosing to pursue other things. What should the consequences of their actions be? Or should I just steer them back onto it?

Ok, so, context first, question afterwards:

In my game (inspired strongly by the Eventyr's version) pretty much everything has gone as expected, they spent time in Bremen, Lonelywood, Termalaine, and Kelvin's Cairn. I used Sephek as lure for them to follow, and also made him a Duergar instead of a human. So the players followed Sephek over to Caer Konig after Kelvin's Cairn, where they confronted and killed Sephek in the Duergar hideout, but one of the Duergar escaped and fled; they decided NOT to pursue (choice No.1) because at this point, they still consider the whole thing to "just be thefts". Now, up until this point, i have both directly, and indirectly hinted and disclosed the relationship between the druids, Sephek, and collecting the chardalyn. After they let the Duergar escape, they directly learn a couple other things:

1. that the duergar operation is far larger than just the thieves in this town
2. that chardalyn is a magical stone that can be molded into magical devices, items, and things
3. that the Duergar are collecting lots of the stuff, and are building something big to use against the dale

Now, they did choose to follow the breadcrumbs out to the Outpost in the morning, so the Duergar would have either been expecting them or buggered off altogether (the runner would have warned them). But, along the way, I rolled the Berzerkers random event in the Tundra, and the players inevitably tried on the ring and were teleported to Cave of the Berzerker. Fast forward to being done the cave, they're discussing what to do next, and in their discussions make no mention of the duergar plot whatsoever. None. They want to go back to Bryn Shander and turn in the Cold Killers quest and get payment from the Speaker, they want to go to Easthaven to speak with Vellyne and turn in the Chwinga quest. They want to track down Ravasin the Frost druid (i'm using her as an Antagonist through Act 1+2). But no mention of the Duergar.
4. because they didn't make it to the Outpost, they did NOT receive notification about the operation in Easthaven.

There is obviously an opportunity in Easthaven with the ferry to again present them with the information that the Duergar are a threat, if not THE threat; but I'm also partially incline to let them ignore it and suffer the consequences...

What should the consequences be in the short and long term of ignoring the Duergar? Or should I just keep angling them back to it until they get the idea?

The obvious one is that (eventually) the dragon get's released on the Dale while they're not expecting it, but I don't know that's fair.

Just dropping this modification in here because I found it has worked really well in my game, and might work well for others.

Context:

1. I'm using significant modifications from Eventyr's suggestions
2. In my case, the wizards of Ythryn used a bound arch-devil (Of Levistus) to power their city, and do research on. When the city came down, the jail held, but was weaked.
3. Part of Auril's motivation for casting the Rime is actually to prevent this Arch-Devil from escaping
4. In my game, The Arch-Devil and Levistus exerts some will on the world by forcing spikes of chardalyn to appear across the dale, and those who collect it become corrupted, allowing Levistus to whisper to them, and guide them to free his trapped Arch-Devil.
5. My players put on the ring while making their way to the Duergar Outpost as part of The Unseen quest.

Which brings us to the Berzerker Cave.

In my version, I've changed the cave to a former Shrine of Auril. It made more sense to me as a reason why the Ring found on the Berzerker (Berzerkers Random Tundra event, Act 2) would teleport them to that particular place; it was summoning a follower home to the shrine. At the (now) shrine itself the players find that the cave itself is in a way, under attack, there are black spikes of chardalyn (Levistus's powers) piercing the floor and walls, while spikes of ice (Auril's powers) jut down from the ceiling. It's literally a slow motion fight between two gods happening in this space; Auril defending her home, and Levistus invading; and the Berzerkers in the cave, formerly Reghed Tribesmen and legitimate worshipers of Auril, are caught in the middle (like the people of the dale), between Auril, and being driven mad by the presence of the corrupting influence of the Chardalyn and Levistus.

This has really allowed me to foreshadow much, much larger problems in the Dale without giving too much away. My players LOVED it. They were weirded out by the corrupted imagery of auril, and all the fiendish energies.

Thought I'd share.

Pretty simple question! I've seen in some videos people will strategically start, then cancel working on a law, What does this accomplish? When would I want to do that?