|
In Sasserine, the Brotherhood has one open ambassador, whose hands are kept relatively clean, and another secret agent who does the dirty work. In my previous campaigns I've had the Bros employ dopplegangers, bred and trained on the island of Lof Bosok. What if after the attack, the Bros send an open emissary - and murder someone in Farshore and replace them with a doppleganger?
Like all plots, this is fun only when the PCs learn about it. In keeping with the theme of Demogorgon's self-destructive duality, I'd have there be a rash of killings in town, which the PCs investigate & eventually learn that the first disappearance was the doppleganger, now turned renegade, and the others were either victims of its identity theft or people the open ambassador killed in trying to strike at the out-of-control hidden agent.
If you do decide to employ the Brotherhood, you could have them arrive in the midst of the battle. They could indiscrimately fireball all ships in the harbor, burning them to the waterline, leaving the colony at their mercy. Also, I don't think they would be too concerned if a few colonists were lost in the fray. Adjust victory point to total to survival, but the Brotherhood would demand any booty from the battle. They could even rig the election in favor of one of their own, or have Maravanchi replaced with a doppleganger (mentioned above) who is sympathetic to the brotherhood.
If you're not feeling nasty, you could just make them sweat the thing out thinking the Brotherhood will arrive, but they never show. Later they could find evidence of shipwerecks from a Brotherhood aramada that was on its way. Maybe they will send another expedition? This could be a haunting spectre for the PCs.
Just thought of something else. Later in the AP the party will have to make deals with unsavory characters, Orcus, etc. to have a good chance of defeating Demogorgon. If you come down too harshly on them, they may not want to play ball later. In some way their decision to take lesser of two evils should be encouraged. Brotherhood ships could arrive and wait to see how the battle is going before getting involved. If the battle is a sure victory for the PCs, the ships could sail off, underestimating the power of the colony. If the Pcs are losing, they would help and secure a survival victory. In this case Lavinia, could reassure them saying if they didn't come then all would have been lost.
If you have the time and means, I'd recommend reading the old 2E product The Scarlet Brotherhood, which details the nation and its interests about the Flanaess.
That said, militarily, the Brotherhood armies are composed of Human subcitizens, with humanoid shock troops of Orc, Goblin and Hobgoblin stock. Also, the leader of the SB, the Father of Obedience, is aware that the distance of the Amedio Jungle and the Olman Islands from the SB homeland is sufficient to make a too strong presence dangerous for their efforts closer to home.
Another way would be for the Brotherhood to hit the invading pirates with overwhelming force (demonstrating their capability ) say, like a "Greater Whirlwind" (comDiv), "Prismatic Deluge" (SC) or "Iceberg (Frostburn) striking one or more of the invading ships... faking a summoned "Elemental Monolith" is fun as well (just use a smaller version and overlay it with the illusion of the monstrous one...
then holding back, having demonstrated what they are capable of. They key is using someting powerful and extremly visible - hard to miss and obviously way beyond the abilities of the player. You could always employ trickery in this as well - three wizards of ninth level casting with coordination, one doing "fireball", the second a "shrieking blast" and the third hiding the two other spells in the illusion of a Cometfall or iceberg... or aid a prodigious summoned entity (who is actually a major illusion over a lesser being )
Then let the rest of the invasion proceed as planned - perhaps even stalthily aided by the Brotherhood... blowing away barricades or demolishing buildings with long range spells.
Or having rogues or other infiltrating types ravage the rear lines of the defenders, perhaps picking off key personalities.
Just make it that the defenders win, if very narrowly. In an emergency, have the Brotherhood agents "aid" again, just turning the tide in the character's favour at the brink of defeat.
Now the characters and leadership of Farshore should be very publicly indebted to them - or dead. And the Brotherhood starts asking for painful concessions... and builds from there, probably eliminating Lavinia, the elder Meravanchi etc. to clear the way for their agents.
Might be an entire adventure in and of itself to get rid of the Brotherhood in Farshore... and even more difficult to keep it away permenently !
The Brotherhood is huge, but monolithic. The brothers currently on the Isle of Dread could probably not offer much in the way of open help. The could petition their mother organization, and if this goes through in time they could do any of the things others have suggested. Or they could help discreetly and indirectly, for example by sabotaging on e of the ships, splitting and delaying the pirate force. But that has the disadvantage that it does not leave the colony in their debt.
What I'd have them do is offer a minor but very high-profile piece of aid. For example give the players a powerful scroll or have one enemy assassinated during the battle (the Yuan-Ti sorcerer comes to mind). If the colonists win, they can claim credit and influence; if the colonists lose, it didn't cost them all that much. It also doesn't spoil the limelight for the players.
Remember, that if the players are known to cooperate with the Brotherhood, at least some of their allies would balk; the Meriavanchis and some of the Olman, possibly even Lavinia, would get harder to deal with.
If they don't comply a piece of the Blue Nixie with Amelia's head mounted on top will arrive to Farshore the next day. (The Blue Nixie was sent out a week earlier to bring goods to Sassarine.) These are not real created with the Fabrication spell and from the observation of the wizards familiars.
Small hint "fabricate will only produce raw goods and articles ... like a pile of timber, but no cupboards, chairs or tools.
These can be made by a "craft"skill check.... and I really doubt, anyone in the SB has the skill Craft - "cloned NPC heads", so I guess a replica of Amella's head if off-limits, or rrather, impossible.With a highly skilled "Polymorph Anything" in combination with some craft or artisan skill like drawing (for exact imagery) , perhaps, but that is an eigth level arcane spell, not fifth.
And btw, how are these guys spying on the "Blue Nixie" and Amella if these have sailed days before ? One needs a scrying sensor or personal meeting (check the modifiers in the PHB) to get any reasonable chance to even scry the ship. I somehow doubt that the SB wizards have met the Nixie's crew and Amella before... While this is "behind the curtain" magic performed by the GM and possibly never glanced by the players, try to play fair....
And one "sending" (only a fourth level divine or 5th level arcane spell ) on part of the group and the jig is up...
There might also be a fair chance, that the characters will note their "changed" Olman ally, before he gets to strike.
As for illusions, check the spatial limits for major image etc. , since these would not reasonably be enough to conjure up a ship-sized object, even less a magic battle raging around it.... 13 x10' cubes of illusory effects ( at ninth level, the level of the mages you planned to employ ) .. with a normal carrack about 70-90' in length, 20'-25' across and about 70'+ up from the waterline....
That's far more volume than is available. And this is only ONE ship. Also, since they have to work within "long range" (760' at ninth level), the naval battle will have to occur rather close to shore, and the casting ages will be well in range for viewing their magic (and some spellcraft-checks as to what they are doing precisely....).
Keep tweaking that plan some
Yeah I was reading over the spells and had to change my plan some. As far as the fabricate goes I will have to ditch that and have them use major creation to create destroyed pieces of the sea wyvern and Amelia's hat I know there is a time limit on that so that can't be viewed personally by the players so it might ruin the effect. I don't want to go any direct assassinations against Lavania because she is needed to progress the story and my players could care less about the Meravanchis. The wizards though have been observing Farshore for weeks with their familiars (no one notices a hawk or toad) so they know the key persons and how they look fairly well. Looking at the spell list available I'll think I'll have one of the brotherhoods many slaves/test subjects killed and use their head as Amelia's via Polymorph and permanency. I'll do secret wisdom rolls DC:20 to see if the players notice a small change like the scar lacking from the face. Also the parties only spell caster is a druid and they don't have the greatest divination spells, and I haven't seem him use dispel magic once. And detect magic can be covered with a nystul's magical aura.
As far as the fake battle I'm not worried about. The fake ships will be pirate launches and I can fit alot of those in two 10 13ft squares. And the SB will be on a ship outside the harbor so they will have a good distance from the PCs. I'll give a description how close the boats seem but that will be the only hint to the illusion.
The attack in the jungle will not have the assassin with them earlier he will attack from invisibility while under the disguise of an Olman friend (like a Totem slayer). A quick death attack along with a Ki smite and then he is invisble again and out of there repeat as necessary.
well, good luck... Just hope they don't call the bluff and verify the situation via scry or sending (of the top of my hat ).
If you go with the illusion gambit, let the SBs bring some oil, flotsam and debris so "something" from the illusionary ships can later be found, adding some physical credence. The oil (if ignited) will also provide a nifty smokescreen that might help with the illusions.
It may be problematic though if the players decide to pay a visit to the sunken ship/launches in order to secure any "booty" from them
The SB could fake an attack outside the harbor with lots of noise and lights (even the night before the attack). By time anyone got far enough out to see they could lay lots of flotsom (manufacture) or even fake it (illusion).
Seems to me that a deception that the PCs could never see thru is as not-fun as a dungeon room that the PCs could never find a way into. So I think your plan is a good one precisely because it's fallible!
well, there are dozens of possible ways to foil any illusionary plan... ask the surviving pirates just how many ships attacked, go investigate the battle - even if only to pick up stragglers or check it out with a flying familliar/wild-shaped druid etc etc.
I just think that an organisation like the SB, which has all sort of practise at this sort of thing and power-grabbing, with a group of operatives including two advanced mages (with far above average IQ...) and a ninja/assassin (presumably half-way decent at arranging deceptions ) would not leave too many obvious clues to its pranks... like a naval battle with no survivors, no corpses, no wreckage and exterior lingering effects, like smoke, stink, stains on the water ... and also operating in plain view of the guys to be befuddled.... Unless you want to depict the Brotherhood as bumbling fools and clowns, that is
The characters invited the Scarlet Brotherhood to the dance, on their own free volition... worse, they even tried to hoodwink them first and got caught at it.... well, let them face the music !
And of course, the payment will always exceed the aid. In return, the SB might expect Farshore to act like an 'ally' (i.e. conduct missions for them, and/or pay fealty to the SB).
that would seem pretty lenient for the SB.... I mean, after saving "Everyone's Life " ? I never felt the SB to be especially restrained, humanitarian or considerate in their demands for recompense for "services rendered"....