The build up of mercenaries and cut-throats in and around Qualinost has drawn away the degenerates from all over Ansalon due to rumors. Some of great plunder, perhaps power, a new force facing the world, no one knows for certain. It has even drawn away some of the crews from pirate captains. Some of those captains are hardened to their way of life, an so in some cases have found a way to have a crew in order to continue in their ill-gotten gains. Crew "gathered" from taverns and inns late at night, and forced into work aboard the ships. This is how the party finds themselves. They can work of their own free will, doing what they are told, or perhaps there is a wizard aboard that will persuade them with the help of a charm person spell. After a few days at sail, the group finds their ship amidst a fight. A ship manned by the good minotaurs happened upon the pirates, and the pirates sought to take them unawares, until they realized too late that they bit off more than they could chew by taking on the minotaurs. The minotaurs offer the party safe harbor, and offer to drop them off on shore, but not near any major cities as rumors are spreading of minotaur invasion, and they of course don't want to sail into port with that perception working against them. The party can then work their way towards the nearest town. Through these events, they learn of the mercenary build up in Qualinost, and will either be drawn there to prevent similar instances of what happend to them, or they might proceed toward Silvanost and see what is going on with the minotaurs their saviors spoke of. That is the hook. From there, I find out what will motivate the group more, and plan accordingly.
I'm leaning more towards the Qualinost rising, as the group could conceivably head towards a major city and try to learn more about the mercenary actions. This could introduce thieves guilds, and what not. Once in the Qualinost region, I figure there are plenty of goblins, gibberlings, etc to give a group a run for their money, and they could face off against a low level fighter who holds himself in high regard and would probably admit to being someone who is in charge of things. If the group kills him, they may leave, confident that they did a great thing, without messing with what is really going on in the region (which has yet been unrevealed) Perhaps the non-canon Jiathuli (spider queen and daughter of Takhisis) has found a way free of her inprisonment, and is now working as an underground organization trying to establish a seat of power before revealing her true ambitions. So many options.
Originally posted by pddisc
What were the good minotaurs doing in the region, as they are doing no form of trade, since they don't want to go into any ports? Why offer the PCs aid, if they've been on a ship that attacked them?
They are in the region monitoring troop movements of the minotaur invasion force, trying to figure out what is going on. They would offer the PCs aid provided the PCs decide to rebel against their pirate captors (they would be more than motivated to do so after a few days of forced slave labor) and assist the minotaurs. They would then be given the opportunity to plead their case to the minotaur captain who would then offer them safe haven until the closest landfall of their choosing. If the PCs decide to aid their captors for whatever reason, and succeed in killing and plundering the minotaurs, maybe they hang on for a while longer and are able to break free of the pirates as the pirates will have to come to land at some point for supplies, trade of loot, etc. Then again, killing off good minotaurs sailing under the flag of Kiri Jolith will hopefully disuade them from killing the minotaurs, but you never know. Just have to roll with whatever the group decides to do.
The other way of looking at it, the party could run into some elves on the run, and assist them in making some commando style attacks against the minotaur contingency, if nothing other than harrassing them, or at least learning of their fortifications for future plans. However, while the elves and party work to hinder the minotaurs, the ogres from the north could be hunting them, gathering elves to initiate their transformation into Titans. Then the group will be split on whether to fight the Minotaurs, or worry about the more immediate problem of elves mysteriously disappearing. Ahh, the plot thickens. *channels Mr Burns* "Excellent!