I'm curious to see if anyone took the adventure path down this road after the battle with Diamondback in "The Bullywug Gambit." At this point at least two of my PCs want revenge on the Kellanis for the murder attempt, and why not? I think it's pretty weak that the Kellanis just fade into the background, wreathed in shame after the Diamondback attack.
I've left the option open to my group to launch a nighttime raid on the Kellani estate if they wish. What do you think they should encounter?
As a former adventurer and present day intriguer the Kellani matron probably is ready for people to spy on her and possibly raid her. I'd suggest that she has a few mercenaries as guards as well as certain areas that are trapped unless you know the right signal or device to use. Maybe in a rear courtyard there are a pair of dire apes that are only friendly to members of the household.
However don't forget that unless evidence to bring charges against a city noble family could be brought, this may be an outrage to the leaders in Sasserine, and could have unpleasant consequences.
Well, so far only half the party wants to raid the estate for revenge, so this may not happen after all.
I would honestly warn the characters off. The Kellani's are a major family at the height of their power, and their home estate likely has decent or better defenses, traps and henchmen/-thing guarding it.
My players felt the same urge and did a quick reconnaisance, blanched when they spotted a couple of magical wards (after all, glyphs etc. don't go bad ) and heard some "rumours" about a retainer or two of the clan. They even contacted a local thief who's pals had been battered to piece by something "unseen" (a bound invisible stalker patrolling the grounds at night ) when they tried to burgle the place the previous winter. That had a sobering effect. nd to be honest - if you had the money and lived in a dangerous world, wouldn't you invest in serious, scary security ? Like, say, the statue of some "petrfied" guy in your courtyard.... hinting at a certain something at your disposal ?
The group opted for some circumspect delay for their revenge, and decided to hit them once they came back from the Isle. Right, SoS over now, and they seem to have forgotten about it entirely.
Overall, starting a war with the Kellanis at this particular point of the campaign would be both distractive (since everyone might be loath to leave before the dust settles , making SWW hard to start ) and possibly ruinous, as the Kellanis are major players with a lot of influence, real, bought and/or perceived in Sasserine and if played to the hilt, should wipe the floor with a group of rash, revenge-oriented players. Low level heroes should know better the pushing local nobility.
A friend's group still went for it and got to the Kellanis in a social way - meeting them on "neutral" ground at the mayor's ball.
After a few well placed informal and double-speak threats and very pointed commentary about the "cruel fate" of surviving one's children, as well as aptly demonstrating just how easily they could just there and then have poisoned the Patriach and Matriach, they suggested a "truce" and the Kellani's might have to pay a price to high to contemplate if they persisted.
Seriously high diplomacy and intimidation checks reinforced this "option". Both sides disengaged and kept a wary distacne thereafter.
Just another way this might be resolved
|
There's some in-game evidence to suggest that it's not that tough to assassinate a first-rank aristocrat in Sasserine, much less a second-tier wannabe like Heldrath Kellani. The Lotus Dragons were able to assassinate Keltar Islaran: the PCs were able to wipe the floor with the Lotus Dragons: ergo the PCs should be able to do anything the LDs could do.
I don't see a problem with letting the party have their revenge. A raid on the mansion wouldn't have to take up more than one session, and the need to get out of town afterwards might make a trip to the Isle of Dread more appealing.
There's some in-game evidence to suggest that it's not that tough to assassinate a first-rank aristocrat in Sasserine, much less a second-tier wannabe like Heldrath Kellani. The Lotus Dragons were able to assassinate Keltar Islaran: the PCs were able to wipe the floor with the Lotus Dragons: ergo the PCs should be able to do anything the LDs could do.
It's easier if you have someone of sufficient social rank to be "above suspicion" when approaching the target, like Rowyn Kellani (who to everyone's perception (but the characters) is a slightly spoiled, but well-heeled noble daughter.
They also might have been just lucky, or Keltar might have been very careless - the LD having killed one noble does not really prove any capability in and of itself.And just because I can kill or best someone in combat does not mean I can do what he/she can do - shooting a famous mountain climber will not enable me to climb Mt.Everest, right ?
As for the feud - if a GM thinks that the STAP is furthered in some way by having a bloodfeud against the Kellani clan played out in detail (with all possible bloody consequences), then please why not ? But, in my experience, the only thing that will accomplish is making the characters wanted criminals (for murder, most likely ) in Sasserine, ill-reputed and notorious (destroying their connection to Lavinia ), probably partly dead as there will be victims unless the Kellanis are total pushovers and possibly players not even willing to leave Sasserine anytime soon to continue the main plot.
Sorry, but to me that entire "lets wipe them from the face of the Earth/Greyhawk/Faerun"-approach is pretty much KoDT immaturity.... YMMV
