Making Arcanum D20 Adventure for friends, need plot advice

[Kogorn]

I'm trying to create an Arcanum D20 Campaign for a group of friends, and was wondering if anyone can provide advice for a good plot setting. The game will take place approximately 30-40 years after the events of the original Arcanum game, assuming a "good" character that killed Kerghan alongside Arronax, Raven, Franklin Payne, Magnus, Virgil and Chukka.

Right now, I'm thinking of building some "villain revenge plot" stemming from the Half-Ogre Island breeding conspiracy. I'm thinking of having (and this is very bare bones so far, so please be kind with criticism) one of the surviving half ogres, blessed with great intellect and cunning, start a terrorist group, bent on getting revenge for his brethren's exploitation, mistreatment, etc. at the hands of the gnomish oligarchy in Tarant. The campaign would begin with the assassination of three of the gnomish members (I'm assuming the oligarchy evolved since the beginning of the arcanum game, though it's still mostly gnomish).
I'm having a hard time figuring out how to hook the players into this setting, so any suggestiosn are appreciated. In addition, if you have any advice about other plots I could use, I welcome it

In the meantime, here is some "epilogue" stuff I have created to be current in my setting of 40 years after the events of vanilla Arcanum:

Tarant: Wound up convincing Caladon to join the Unified Kingdoms. Continued to grow technilogically, though not as fast as it would like due to the reemergence of Vendigroth. Overtime, the gnomes allowed members of the human and half-elven races to join the oligarchy, with one half-orc "honorary member" (the union leader from Arcanum, though I forget his name).

Caladon: Joined the Unified Kingdoms. Had a sharp economic boom shortly afterward. Major industrial trading port.

Dernholm: Maximillian's return to city as the "true heir" led to a new glorious age for Dernholm. The city grew into a major metropolis welcoming those both skilled in the technological and magical arts.

Tulla: still a reclusive, very secretive magic town, although they now have an embassy with Dernholm (despite its distance) due to their efforts to equally favor magic and technology.

Vendigroth: Now a growing technological metropolis rivaling Tarant, controlled by a mixed-race senate.

CHARACTERS:

Arronax: Went on to help rebuild Vendigroth to atone for his crimes, then disappeared.

Franklin Payne-Still living in Black Root, though retired. Throws lavish parties where he shares stories of his adventures with "The Living One."

Magnus: After his adventure, he returned to the Iron Clan to help rebuild it. The Wheel Clan, led by the restored King Loghaire, has allowed some members of his clan to leave and help the Iron Clan grow.

Raven: Returned to her mother in Qintarra

Virgil: Wrote a book about his adventures with "The Living One." Has donated royalty funds to the Panarii Temple, though he is no longer an acolyte.

Chukka: Soon after he returned from his adventures, Gilbert Bates died. He left the saddened Chukka a surprisingly decent sum of gold (given the prejudice against half-ogres). Chukka left Tarant for Ashbury shortly afterward. Bates' mansion is now a historical landmark.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Geoffrey Tallarond-Ashe: After recovering a powerful necromantic artifact, has gone into seclusion. Current activities unknown.

Vollinger: Reluctantly killed by "The Livng One" and his companions after his betrayal.

Tollo Underhill: Runs a powerful thieves guild in Dernholm

Sebastian: Continued working in a mercenary capacity

Torian Kel: Disappeared. Last seen with Geoffrey Tallaron-Ashe


That's all I've thought of so far. Other things to consider.

1. What happened to Gorgoth, Kraka-Tur and the Bane of Kree after the death of Kerghan? Did they somehow manage to escape the void with the "Living One"

2. Were the surviving members of the BMC sufficient to rebuild their empire or did they rejoin an existing clan of dwarves?

3. What happened to some other major characters?


Any input is welcome, though please be kind with criticism since I'm a rookie with this

 

[Lord Rocket]

1) Point characters at dungeon.
2) Go.

More seriously, what are you actually asking us? Are you worried about 'canon' or something? Or do you just want some plot ideas?

Just remember, you're the GM. If your players don't know the setting too well, that's licence to do whatever the hell you want. You don't need our advice. If the players do know the setting, then you can do whatever the hell you want anyway, just make it a bit more in keeping with the plotline of the game.
Plot wise, you don't actually have to come up with anything if your characters are low level; the players will be more worried about covering their own arses at first, and generally toughening their avatars up. Just provide them with a few good NPC connections, and then you can ease them into whatever plot you decide on through their new friends when the time comes.

 

[JarlFrank]

Re: Making Arcanum D20 Adventure for friends, need plot advi

with one half-orc "honorary member" (the union leader from Arcanum, though I forget his name).

Donn Throgg

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I would focus more on industrial espionage and patent theft/copying if I were you. Alexander Bell and god knows how many others were heavily involved in that type of stuff.

 

[Dire Roach]

If none of your players ever got a chance to play Arcanum, then it's <s>perfectly cheap</s> a great idea to begin the campaign by putting the PCs on a blimp/ship/train which somehow ends up crashed/sunk/sabotaged and they end up stranded in the middle of nowhere.