I just started the AP (had one session) and we stopped right as the characters found the secret door in Keygan's shop.
One thing that took my by surprise was that one of the player's noted a connection between the painted faces of the thugs in the first scene with the symbol of Olidammara (sp?). I'm assuming this is not a coincidence.
And while no one actually saw Jil, I planted a seed that they were being watched. They also didn't question Patch but I described him as being "simple" and made some subtle comments that he seemed to be listening to their conversations with the other people in the orphanage. Regardless, they didn't see him as a threat.
They players definitely have a vibe that they are being followed though and I would like to expand on that. They haven't encountered the Striders yet but I was thinking about doing the following:
Next session, they will enter Jzadirune. I'm assuming that after a while, they will leave and head back to the temple for healing and rest, etc. I'm thinking that after they leave Keygan's shop, they will be attacked (and outnumbered) by members of the Last Laugh. The Striders will emerge from the shadows and help.
After the battle, the Striders will introduce themselves but not reveal their affiliation with Meerthan. They will tell the PC's about the Last Laugh guild and perhaps they are "trying" to determine why the Last Laugh does not want the children found. They will tell the PC's that they will help them so their investigation goes unchallenged.
I figure they can get some info about the Last Laugh and meet the Striders at the same time. Should the Striders tell the PC's about the Strider group or keep that from them (at least at first)?
After Life's Bazaar is finished (and the prisoners are rescued), I'll probably have Meerthan contact the PC's. I'll also have the Last Laugh become more aggressive towards them as well and maybe have some side quests to deal with them.
Any thoughts or comments on this?
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For the striders, unless one of the pc's is a cleric of fahrlangn(?),they most likely keep their associetions a secret until later (the chance of outsiders being captured and tortured for secrets especially if the enemy has a nercomancer to speak with the corpses is too great to even consider revealing the truth.)
The last laugh however are a different matter. They will not interfere with the pc's unless their own interests (as well as those of the cagewrights) are threatened. They don't want create martyrs now do they?
"They will not interfere with the pc's unless their own interests (as well as those of the cagewrights) are threatened"
Well isn't the fact that the PC's investigating the missing children interference enough?
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Unless the last laugh were "on the take" with the slave ring (that's taking bribes for those who don't know theives' cant).
The fact that one of the children kidnapped was one of the shackleborn might want to make the last laugh wash thier hands of the affair.(they don't want to bear the wrath of the cagewrights if they found out that the guild and the beholder(cant spell the name rihgt now) were in part responsible for almost losing the child in the first place.
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I've just read a stoy hour, that identified one of the heads of the Last Laugh guild and guess what, it is the fool of the Lord Mayor... Velior Thazo is his name.
By the way. It is a story hour in German by EN Worlds Berandor and highly entertaining... (my suggestion was to have Terseon Skellerang as one of the leaders of the Last Laugh, or his brother, running a tavern hoghly frequented by the watch)
Unless the last laugh were "on the take" with the slave ring (that's taking bribes for those who don't know theives' cant).
The fact that one of the children kidnapped was one of the shackleborn might want to make the last laugh wash thier hands of the affair.(they don't want to bear the wrath of the cagewrights if they found out that the guild and the beholder(cant spell the name rihgt now) were in part responsible for almost losing the child in the first place.
Well I'm just trying to think of a good way to introduce the Last Laugh a bit as my players made some references on their own about trying to learn more about the painted faces. I also made some "hints" that they were being followed and they definitely picked up on it. Maybe I'll hold off for a bit and see what my players do. I'm also waiting for some of the earlier issues to read so I'm sure those will give me some more ideas.
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Well I'm just trying to think of a good way to introduce the Last Laugh a bit as my players made some references on their own about trying to learn more about the painted faces. I also made some "hints" that they were being followed and they definitely picked up on it. Maybe I'll hold off for a bit and see what my players do. I'm also waiting for some of the earlier issues to read so I'm sure those will give me some more ideas.
Next thing would be to let them stumble onto some Jester minted gold coins in a seedy tavern.
In my game ( we just finished Life's Bazaar), the PC's have decided that the Last Laugh, and the Temple of Wee Jas are cooperating, and they realize that most likley Terrem (the shackleborn child in LB) is a focal point for some prophecy of doom. The PC's are at a bit of a loss on what to do next, because they've been asking sages and towns people questions about such things and have come up blank. They want to explore the Temple of Wee Jas next, to see what's going on there. I decided that I am going to introduce the Striders, and use Meerthan to guide the PC's in there investigation.
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Well, there has to be a(nother) reason, why Alek Tercival acts this way in "Demonskar"... also my players have already met Skylar Krewis and his Steadfast patrol... two of the patrol during the first session at the Rolling Barrel and Skylar Krewis with the three guys just last session. They will be rising in the hierarchy of the watch until a certain point, where someone will try to get rid of them (don't know who yet... Last Laugh or Mr Villain)
I just completed my AP collection and I noticed that the Last Laugh comes into play later on. Would it be a mistake to develop them further now?
I was basically just thinking of having them harass the PC's a bit and then have the Striders help the PC's chase them away. I basically just want the PC's to know that there is some guide of thieves' guild in town that is up to no good.
The Last Laugh is there to harass the PCs early on, I have been using Jil to stalk the PCs and they occasionally see a group of last laugh thugs. I actually was about to have them get ambushed by a group of last laugh members.