So across the internet, I've seen a lot of posts asking the same general question, "what do I do after LMoP?" This thread will, hopefully, compile a list of ideas for DMs who don't want their campaign to just end, but are unsure of where to start/look. I will start this off, and update as new ideas come to me. For anyone who reads this post, please add. What I would like to do is provide citations for people to read and develop on their own. The Old Owl Well *Netheril: Empire of Magic (p.8) & The Old Owl Well Side Quest: One of the side quests, found in Chapter 3 of the LMoP Module is the Old Owl Well Side Quest. "Recently, prospectors in the area have noted that someone has set up a campsite at Old Owl Well, and that undead guardians have been posted to keep intruders out." and "The ruins are currently occupied by a mage who is busy exploring the site in the hope of gleaning arcane lore left behind by its builders." Looking to Netheril Empire of Magic (p.8), we learn: "Netheril’s archwizards began to feel a bit cramped. As more and more cities rose into the air, they feared their numbers would grow until their presence blotted out the sun. They felt expansion was in order. They expanded their sphere of divination to the east and to the west, but found the land to the west more to their liking. The east was home to nations that were rising in power, although not really following the magical paths set down by Netheril. A few archwizards, however, debated whether to subjugate the eastern nations under their rule. All plans to infiltrate the eastern cultures were laid to rest when the western lands, controlled loosely by barbaric tribesmen who were “sired by the consummation of the Earthmother (an aspect of Jannath) and a wolf,” were deemed an easier target. The Terraseer, a mysterious oracle, was probably the main reason Netheril didn’t expand to the east. He and a company of powerful arcanists headed an expedition into the Frontier to investigate the land for strip mining and general exploitation. After 22 months of travel, he returned with reports that amazed the Netherese. “To allow this land to be dominated by mindless savages unable to understand the simple concept of collective imagecraft (powerful surrealisms or illusions manipulated by the subconscious minds of three or more mentalists that could become reality with a simple thought) would be a crime against progress and enrichment,” cried the Terraseer. The Terraseer urged Netheril to immediately establish outposts in this new frontier. In 1491, the Terraseer found an ideal location for an outpost that could provide water for caravans and scouts heading into the mineral-rich mountains, but they had to remove creatures that called the land home: owlbears. In what was soon to be known as the Caravan War, Netherese scouts and outriders destroyed the 3,000 owl bears, creatures given existence by the Creator Races thousands of years ago. Once safety was provided by the warriors, the arcanists came into the town and set up one of the most elaborate piping systems available. Drilling over five miles into the crust of Toril, the arcanists provided the Old Owl Well outpost with an everlasting water supply." With this handy bit of information, it is entirely possible to say Hamun Kost is researching Netheril, and looking for a way back (I have personally taken this a little too far and created an entire group of wizards who found the portals back to Netheril's time in the hopes of changing the past to their benefit. Their backstory is roughly based on the Man with the Yellow Card is Kings 11/22/63 novel). At any rate, this could create any number of plot lines. On Page 14, we learn: "There are time gates on Faerûn, but their locations remain a mystery. Ancient texts of Mystryl’s faith talk of three gates that were created either through accident or great fortune. While the time gates don’t require the material components, they otherwise work exactly like the time conduit spell, permitting time travel to any point in Faerûn’s past. Discovering the location of even one of these portals is an adventure in itself; adventurers have looked so hard, for so long, and with nothing to show for it, that no one even tries anymore. The last recorded expedition is believed to have been in 404 DR. The first passage that reveals a hint to a time gate’s location states that it “...lies hidden upon the back of the mountains, where the ice and rocks touch the summer sky of Amaunator’s belt.” This is actually a reference to an ancient constellation of Amaunator that appeared in the summer months over the Spine of the World. An adventuring party could still spend many months in the frozen wasteland of the Spine searching for the deep cave that holds the gate, however. The time gate also happens to be the home of an ancient white dragon (who’s greedy enough to allow adventurers to use the gate so long as they pay her something). The second time gate is “...north of Novularond, shining bright upon Misken’s Peak at Highsummer.” While the Novularond range has been searched repeatedly, adventurers have failed to find the time gate because Misken’s Peak was sheared off by the Great Glacier many centuries ago. The magical portal still exists, but it’s buried beneath hundreds of feet of ice as it’s slowly carried along within the glacier The final gateway is listed as existing at “..Andrio’s Peak near the garden of Eldath.” A scribe actually misspelled the original place name, which was Andrus, and the garden is a hint to the city of Cedarsproke in the Gulthmere forest of the Vilhon Reach. The time gate has survived inside Mt. Andrus despite several volcanic eruptions, shielded from the intense heat by Mystryl’s magic." Wyvern Tor Side Quest In Chapter 3 of LMoP, there is the Wyvern Tor Side Quest. In this side-quest, you are required to clear out a group of orcs, orcs of the Many Arrows Tribe. In the North: Guide to Savage Frontier (p. 10-11), we learn that the Many Arrow tribe once had control over Citadel Felbarr to the northeast (though they called it the Citadel of Many Arrows). "In the waning summer months of 1367, an immense orc
horde descended from the Spine of the World, intent on
winding its way south into the trade lands of the North. This
force of orcs, led by King Greneire, surged its way south between
the Moonwood and the Cold Wood, stopping just outside
the Citadel of Many Arrows.
King Obould, orc ruler of the Citadel of Many Arrows,
was terrified at the prospect of another orc horde, despite the
fact that he knew they should be working together against
the humans of the North and the spawn of Hellgate Keep.
His tribal shamans, however, had been predicting a treacherous
fall of the citadeland theyd told the king that hed be
disposed by other orcs.
Thus, it was a dark day when King Greneire and his horde of
150,000 orcs appeared on the plains outside the Citadel of Many
Arrows. King Obould announced to his followers that this horde
had been sent to dislodge them from their home and send them
out to be scavengers among the plains. He vowed that, as Gruumsh
as his witness, the Citadel of Many Arrows would slaughter
these treacherous orcs like elves during a festival.
For four months, the 40,000 orcs within the citadel held their
ground. Assault after assault was mounted against the high walls
of the garrison, but the attacking orcs were losing far more than
the defenders. Still, the living conditions within the walls
never too good to begin with created losses of their own.
The battle for the Citadel of Many Arrows culminated during
the first week of Uktar. As another light blanket of snow
sought to bury the gathered orcs, King Greneire threw his entire
remaining army at the citadel, bursting its gates and pitting
orc against orc in a flurry of swords. As the two orc kings sought
one another out along the ramparts, the citadel began to burn.
The orcs that survive the battle still speak of the superhuman
prowess of the two kings as they battled one another before
their troops. Finally, however, King Obould ran Greneire
through with his long sword, but Obould was severely
wounded by the time Greneire had breathed his last breath.
The orcs erupted into battle once again, and no one is quite
certain what became of King Obould.
It was through the smoke and snow that the victors of the
conflict emerged: the dwarves of Clan Warcrown along with
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a contingent of troops from Silverymoon. Charging in
through the shattered gates, these new attackers quickly
routed the exhausted orcs of the citadel, sending them scurrying
off into the wilderness.
King Emerus Warcrown now rules the Citadel of Many Arrows,
though the dwarves now call the city by its old name of
Felbarr. Most in the North still tend to refer to the city as the
Citadel, however, waiting to see if it can withstand the next
orc horde. King Warcrown has put out a call for all dwarves to
help defend the citadel, and news of a new vein of gold and silver
is spreading rapidly through dwarven communities." Thus, it wouldn't be completely absurd to place some kind of handout insinuating that there was some larger plan in effect to retake the Citadel of Many Arrows from the Dwarves of Clan Warcrown. That's all I've got for now, but I hope it is helpful. (Note that the first module in Tales from the Yawning Portal is suggested to take place North of Thundertree, which is also a Side-Trek location, but there's not a lot to delve into on that).
