| thomasmalthus |
I made some alterations and am running this scenario as a prelude to Wrath of the Righteous (WotR). I have a group that's pretty into roleplaying and figured this RP heavy scenario would give a nice opportunity to establish why the party members were together, find their personalities and develop a group dynamic.
Instead of occurring after the fall of Kenabres, I set the scenario in the weeks preceding Armasse and WotR. Ekira's mentor housed some Pathfinder friends who were arriving in advance of the Sky Citadel expedition. Her mentor was murdered and she was unable to accept it as a random act of violence, blaming the Pathfinders.
Two members of my party were Crusaders, an inquisitor and a paladin, and I had them assigned to be escorts for the upcoming Pathfinder expedition. When news of the events in Dawnton arrived, the Pathfinders requested that the Crusaders send some people to investigate, fearing that sending more Pathfinders would antagonize the townsfolk. The third party member was in Dawnton on his way to join the Crusade when the other two arrived just as was being accused as an accomplice in the murders by a townsperson looking for a reward from Mayriff Luin and Ekira.
I really wanted to play up the suspicions and distrust that the townsfolk have of strangers and tie them to fears of demon sympathizers an traitors a la the Third Crusade witch hunts. I altered a piece of the evidence against the Pathfinders to include a planting of a symbol of Baphomet on Dakota Spire at the same time as the weapon used in the second murder was taken. This repeats for the framing of the PCs.
I'm going to give Dalton Krunne a tattoo or brand of Shax's unholy symbol and a collection of trophies from his victims well concealed on his person (either locks of hair or finger nails) so that the PCs may discover hints of the carnage Krunne spread in the surrounding area and of the demonic influence present in Mendev despite the wardstones.
I haven't yet decided whether to leave Ekira's mentor's death as a random act of violence or to tie it in with either the Blackfire Adepts or Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth (Cult of Baphomet) and their secret presence in Kenabres.