The next (and almost final) step is to fill in the blanks. The map from last post is decent as a starting point, but to build a more complex module we need to fill it in a bit more.
For each entity, I tried to add so there's at least 3 arrows to or from each entity (if possible), and to make sure that there are no "unconnected" groups in the map. In this step, I also try to add some more drama and interesting connections. In this case, I decided that Joanna (someone I added without knowing her purpose when I put her name down) was in love with the guardsman, and that gave her a weakness that the wizard might exploit. Another question to answer was WHY the wizard wants to cast the ritual. Revenge is always a nice motivator, so let's add that. Let's say that the guardsman stopped the wizard before.
So, I for each entity I added some more relations, adding more depth and drama to the story.
Looking at the diagram when I feel ready, I see the following situation.
Many years ago, Helvith the Tall thwarted the plans of the wizard Thuluman the Red. Thuluman went away, but didn't forget. Years later, he slowly returned, armed with the knowledge of a powerful ritual. He needed a very rare metall, secretium, for the ritual. This metal can be found in the crown of the dwarven clan. Therefore he exploited the weakness of a dwarf of the clan, Naug Grim, and put him into a gambling debt. Naug Grim then stole the crown, intending to hand it over to Thuluman.
The ritual also needed a sacrifice of someone who is emotionally attached to the victim. Joanna is a young woman who is in love with Helvith the Tall, and Thuluman used that to lure her into believing that the ritual will make Helvith fall in love with her.
There's still some things to fill in, but we now have a fairly solid framework with greed, revenge and romance from which to improvise an adventure together with the players.
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