The 4 Horsemen (3.5)

[TheDoblerEffect]

For the game I DM, I am going to introduce the 4 Hoursemen: Conquest (instead of Pestilence), War, Famine, and Death. I decided on Conquest because it works better with the way I was thinking on introducing him.

I'm going to let the party discover a tome or artifact that can summon a lesser god of conquest (unknown to the party that it is THE Conquest) in a time of need to defeat an enemy. After Conquest has served his purpose he will ride away on a white horse.

Eventually the other horsemen will start appearing and start causing a ruckus, and the party will have to handle it.

Any thoughts or suggestions on ways to improve or flesh out this idea?

[Westhart]

Well, (assuming high level) are they going to have to kill them to get rid of them, or are they going to use a different ritual/artifact/whatever to just get rid of them?
If so, you could have some interesting equipment (Breastplate of the Warlord, eta eta)
Also for pestilence there is a PrC that I think is called master of swarms/vermin. In Book of vile deeds, but I am afb atm so not sure... oh, there is also the cancer mage.
EDIT: Do you use Deities and Demigods?

[TheDoblerEffect]

I'm not exactly sure yet how they will get rid of them but they will think of something and then I'll tell them that was the plan all along.

And I haven't integrated many deities and demigods but I'd like to flesh that or a bit more.

[Westhart]

alright, I will help where I can...
General portfolios: evil, malice, strife
Conquest's portfolio: War, Victory, Conquest, evil, malice, strife
Pestilence: Disease, evil, malice, strife
War: War, massacres, slaughter, tyranny (if lawful), evil, malice, strife
Death: Death, evil, malice, strife,
Although conquest and war seem to overlap... madness might be fun
Possible domains:
Conquests: War,
Pestilence: Decay²
War: War, Destruction
Death: Darkness¹, Death,

¹Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
²Ebberon Campaign Setting

Think I can post this: http://chet.kindredcircle.org/ Has a complete lists of domains.

[TheDoblerEffect]

I'm looking for more story or theme based ideas, not so much build for the horsemen.

Like would conquest want to summon his brethren to start the Apocalypse? If I wanted to trick the party into summoning them how should I go about it to make it seem like a good idea at the time?

[Westhart]

Oh
Alright then, here is my guesses:

Conquest would seem LE, so he would probably set out to rule the world. I think he would get his brothers, starting with pestilence. That way he can have him spread diseases and have kingdoms worried, trying to deal with that. Then he would probably have death target heads of state, diplomats, eta eta. War would probably be more of a CE 'destroyer' type, so if you have any tribes of barbarians he would probably try to get them enraged and attack any nearby nations... need to know a bit more about your campaign...
Or if you do not want conquest ruling do the same but instead of taking over just making it easier for him to kill...

As far as getting others summoned, have them think they can get war to oppose conquest, not sure how to get pestilence or death in though... maybe misinformed about what it actually does?

You could also make them find a ritual to do it but something in the text is wrong, or they mess up a protective ward (etc etc) and it gets out...

woops, forgot you took out pestilence

Famine replaces pestilence's role, starving the common man and turning them on the nobility resulting in anarchy of sorts

Famine would be distant, eager to get away from the PC's, kind of sneaky.
Conquest would be the face, he would be the charming gentleman that tries to conceal the plans and possibly use the PC's
Death would be distant, answering things vaguely, general 'get lost' attitude
war... eager to fight the pc's melee characcter if they have one, brash etc

Hope that helps...