I've got a bit of a pickle on my hands with There Is No Honor. My players managed to take care of the Blue Nixie encounter fairly easily, and even managed to take out most of the thugs without killing them all.
My problem comes from advancing the timeline - to keep the pressure on my players I had it set up so they ended up making the attack as Vark and his thugs were preparing to make sail to sell the cargo. They interrogated Vark, and now they want to use the remaining thugs to crew the ship and make the sale. I'm trying to figure out a way to discourage this or even make it impossible without railroading - or at least giving the impression that I'm not railroading. I know that the module says if the characters try this tactic the Scarlet Brotherhood hears about the attack and they don't show. I feel like my pushing the timeline has made that tactic a bit illogical.
The players realize this is going off the written adventure, and I really don't have a problem with it (though if they pull it off they will have "extra" loot).
One thought I had is the Rhagodessa is dead. Obviously that was an important part of the cargo. Perhaps Vark suggests it's best to not arrive for the sale without that particular beast.
Did anyone else have a similar issue in their campaign?
|
The Scarlett Brotherhood has a lot of agents in the city of Sasserine. Chances are, despite not having a ship in place, they had a small boat within sight of the Blue Nixie.
While they may not know the details, chances are your party didn't get the job done quietly (at the very least, there was smoke and fire from the attempt to burn the critters). The Scarletts, being very nervous about their position in the city these days, just don't show up.
I wouldn't completely discourage your players, but as the night goes on and nothing happens, they're going to realize the folks just aren't coming. Vark doesn't even have to squeal - the Scarlet Brotherhood are organized enough on their own.
|
I would let them do it and have the SB show up. This could get messy depending on how you want the meeting to go. Most of the animals are just not worth that much, the Raga. was the cash cow. The PC's don't make much.
The SB could be suspicious of the PCs motives and try to kill them to keep them quiet, use something the PCs value to leverage silence from them, or just take the cargo in exchange for the PCs lives with a threat that if they "opens der stinkin' mouts, deys gonna wind up feedin' da eels.".
Your party is still very low level and would probably get massacred if they tangled with the SB too early. These guys ain't the Lotus Dragons, they are a hardcore organized band of cutthroats that are feared for 100s if not 1000s of miles. Let your PCs know where they tread if they want to walk this path.
FH
I agree with this option. If the PCs have the guts to go out and meet the Scarlett Brotherhood let them. Make the ship they meet filled with some pretty scary dudes and a couple of nasty monks/brotherhood agents that make them quake in their boots. They are probably from out of town and may not know what Vrak would look like, but they will want to know what happened to the Rhagodessa, and maybe suspicious of the characters.
Perhaps the Rhagodessa was to be shipped to an important parton back in the homeland, and the leader knows that the patron won't be happy if he doesn't come back with it. He might demmand that PCs turn over all the merchandise for free to make up for it or that one of them come back with him to explain why the prized creature is dead. The party should have to tread very carefully if they don't want these guys to turn on them, and if that happens it should be a no win fight that will force them to dive overboard or die.
I think that if they are stupid enough to get involved with the scarlett brotherhood at such a low level they need to be taught a lesson.
I would let them do it and have the SB show up. This could get messy depending on how you want the meeting to go. Most of the animals are just not worth that much, the Raga. was the cash cow. The PC's don't make much.
The SB could be suspicious of the PCs motives and try to kill them to keep them quiet, use something the PCs value to leverage silence from them, or just take the cargo in exchange for the PCs lives with a threat that if they "opens der stinkin' mouts, deys gonna wind up feedin' da eels.".
Your party is still very low level and would probably get massacred if they tangled with the SB too early. These guys ain't the Lotus Dragons, they are a hardcore organized band of cutthroats that are feared for 100s if not 1000s of miles. Let your PCs know where they tread if they want to walk this path.FH
My impression was that Vark was a small-time smuggler and was finally making it to the "big leagues" with the rhagodessa and dealing with the Scarlet Brotherhood. He was still scared out of his mind of the SB (which is why he wouldn't reveal the buyer unless "magically compelled") but in his mind this deal would advance his earning potential greatly.
Following along these lines, Vark attempted his usual course of smuggling by hiring on average thugs, not suspecting that the deal was going to go bad anyway. The Scarlet Brotherhood had no intention of actually paying for the rhagodessa and other animals, but rather planned to intimidate / use superior force to take Vark's prize. The remainder of the small animals would be left for Vark if he behaved well in the "transaction".
If your PCs managed to find out about the Scarlet Brotherhood buyer and decide to try to complete Vark's deal, I'd reward them with an encounter. Have the SB show, run through the deal until the rhagodessa is loaded aboard, then intimidate through skill and might to have the SB leave without paying. Should the PCs make a fuss or there is no rhagodessa to be loaded, a gang of brothers (3 - level 2-3 monk/rogues) punishes the supposed Vark and crew by killing the character most important to the one posing as Vark (as they see it) and subduing the rest as necessary. That'll teach 'em not to mess with the Scarlet Brotherhood!
If the players somehow managed to prevent the rhagodessa from trashing the cargo, and are determined to go ahead and sell it, then let them. Just emphasise that it'll still be profitable to them to return the Blue Nixie and the signet ring to Lavinia.
All very good advice. I've got some homework to do between now and my next session. :-)