Quality Time With Ironbriar (Rise of the Runelords spoilers)

[lucky7]

So my party has caught the Skinsaw Man, and are taking Nualia to trial (alongside claiming bounty for the dead bandit chief). I'm hoping to use the time between Sandpoint and Magnimar as a way to flesh out both Nualia and Justice Ironbriar, to give their upcoming villainy more impact.

My current ideas:
-Set up Ironbriar as a sympathetic character, if distant to the PCs (He's not, obviously). In an attempt to bamboozle them, he'll claim to "Have had tea with the Foxgloves just this last Fireday!" when they reveal his identity as The Skinsaw Men.

-Have Ironbriar ask them questions, about them (to figure out what the heck they're doing) as well as the son he abandoned twenty years ago "I never learned his name, but his mother was one Atsuii Kaijitsu. I failed as a father, and have come to make reparations." Our Warpriest killed Tsuto, so it'll be interesting to see how they react.

Ironbriar obviously knows Nualia, so his plan is to spring her as soon as they get to Magnimar, having the PCs split to the townhouse.

At the Sawmill, I won't show them the picture, instead focusing on "A tall man in a mask of spiraling flesh". When they take it off and see Ironbriar, I'm hoping for a "What a twist!" moment.

Has anyone else done something along these lines/have these sort of ideas, and if so, what did you do?

[lucky7]

Bump.

[Nathan Monson]

I tried that, unfortunately my players threatened him, so he threw them all in prison and that was it for them liking him.
What my plan was, was that when my players arrived in Magnamar, they would get jumped by some local criminals, and then get rescued by Kasedi from Dawn of the scarlet son. they then get brought back to the station where Ironbirer would meet with them and offer them a reward.

[HellFire442]

Ironbriar as Tsuto's father is brilliant!! My party left Tsuto alive and Ironbriar sentenced him to the the Pits in Magnimar. My plan was to have Tsuto waiting for the party in the Foxglove Manor.... He is totally using the "My father" line at some point. He will probably have a note from his father on him telling him to finish the threat that the PCs represent to the Brotherhood on him.

As for your problem... here are my two cents.

Your party is getting powerful enough to where they can take out Ironbriar if they figure him out. A PC with a high sense motive could see through his lies. I would make sure of a couple things.

1. Whenever the PCs encounter Ironbriar he has a retinue of guards nearby so the party cannot kill him and spoil the main plot.

2. I would probably set it up to where Ironbriar uses a collection of tunnels under the Justice building in Magnimar to travel the city unsuspected. This would also account for how the murderers have not been caught yet.

3. Ironbriar does not spend his nights at his Manor. Instead he spends them at the lumbermill or the shadowclock tower if his mistress sends for him.

[lucky7]

A new player is coming in, and I was thinking of having her work for Ironbriar (not as a murderous cult leader, but as a judge), to lend him some credence. Like "He's always been ruthless in his judgings, but he has always been on the side of justice."

[Aurelio 90]

lucky7 wrote:

My current ideas:

-Set up Ironbriar as a sympathetic character, if distant to the PCs (He's not, obviously). In an attempt to bamboozle them, he'll claim to "Have had tea with the Foxgloves just this last Fireday!" when they reveal his identity as The Skinsaw Men.

(...)

Man, this is a great idea! In my RotR Ironbriar should look like a stern but hardworking and honest Judge. Obviously, this is nothing but a hoax, and when the PCs meet him they are deceived. The my Ironbriar will use this deceit not only to push the PCs in a trap, but also to confuse and sidetrack their investigations

[lucky7]

That's the idea for the QT. It'll also help develop Nualia (as she was arrested) and set HER up as one of Mokmurian/Karzoug's future lieutenants.