You could try a counter proposal thats more reasonable. I think your PCs are overestimating law and order in this, hole in the ground, town. The whole place is a corrupt hell hole. The garrison is here to make sure that ore flows to the Free City. Its absolutely not their job to enforce the law if enforcement means disrupting the flow of ore.
Thats why everyone wants out of this hell hole. Its well known that there is no justice in this town. So the garrison commander is going to really hesitate before sticking his nose into a major mine owners business. He's going to have to be convinced that Smenk represents a real and present danger to the interests of the powers that be in the Free City itself. The fact that Smenk might have some unsavory habits like working with Necromancers or committing the odd murder just is not going to cut it.
If the PCs are being to unreasonable Smenk should see what it takes to bribe the captain of the garrison instead. I figure Smenk can probably spring Filge for 300-400 gp 'donation' to the garrison.
Now if the PCs have clear proof of whats going on with the cultists in the mines things are more problematic for Smenk. Some of the things down there really do pose a threat to the continued mining operations in the area. Now thats a no-no. By the time Three Faces of Evil is finished Smenk is in way over his head.
Whatever he does, Smenk is not the man who will give into the blackmail and cough up the money. The PCs are trying to play a game at which smenk is much better than they are.
His first option is of course to send out some goons to take care of the PCs. If Kullen and his gnag are still alive, they come to mind, althought the PCs will probably beat them, so that won't get Smenk out of the sticky situation.
Another option is to destroy the evidence. This might imply killing Filge (or freeing him) and stealing the letter. Then Smenk might use the information he has on the PCs to report them to the authorities: infiltrating the old observatory and fighting a necromancer and his undead minions without alerting the proper authorities is very shady to say the least. And who knows which other pieces of shady information Smenk can gather about the PCs.
I think something along the lines of the second option is more up Smenk's alley.
I think I would have Smenk agree to meet them. He would then explain to them that the Garrison commander would have no choice but to turn over the evidence and Filge to the town as the Garrison does not have jurisdiction (and this does not directly threaten the Free City's interest as described by the above poster). Smenk will continue to inform them that the likely outcome of this would be that he would simply pay Filge's bail for the crime of grave robbing and would then have the players arrested for breaking and entering and attempting to murder Filge.
After letting that sink in he would then make them the offer that starts Three Faces of Evil. Should be a bitter pill for them, but a no brainer. They get to set aside a smaller evil to face a greater evil. I am sure they will tell him, "This isn't over!" but will likely go along.
I suppose he would also have enough muscle along to make the party foolish to attack him... or just do this all in a very open and highly populated (mostly with miners and people loyal to him) like one of the bars.
Anyway... that is what I would do.
Sean Mahoney
Thinking about it, you should try to use this as a lead for the next adventure in the path. After all, Smenk hasn't really done anything illegal here. Dourstone is the one who is housing cultists in his mine, Smenk was only trying to figure out what exactly those cultists were doing with the green worm; that's why he hired a wizard. Smenk can not be held responsible for the wizard creating some undead (if the authorities have a problem with that, which I doubt the sheriff will).
So Smenk can use the situation to his advantage and tell the PCs there is a much bigger fish to fry: Dourstone and the cultists in his mine. So have Smenk propose a deal to the PCs, based on the following arguments:
- I did nothing illegal; so the wizard created some undead without me knowing, have the wizard arrested then, for all I care;
- I only hired the wizard to investigate something that might really be illegal: the cultists in Dourstone's mine (although so far they haben't done anything illegal yet, but Smenk doesn't say that);
- I'm willing to work with you and share all the information I have on Dourstone and his mine, if you agree not to cause me trouble and cut me in on the profits (he might even send Kullen along as an NPC watchdog).
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm definitely going to have Smenk try and take out Filge (and the party, if necessary), but it occurred to me that the heroes fell into the same trap they're trying to snare Smenk with -- they wrote their blackmail offer in a letter, which he now possesses. That, coupled with some easily identifiable items in lieu of the money they've demanded should set them up for blackmail charges if they still insist on trying to make trouble. You're all right that it's cheaper for Smenk to bribe the constabulary than to pay off the heroes.
I hope the heroes wise up and don't push the issue...I'd hate for them to get themselves killed because of greed. But then again, that's why most heroes die...
I think you are on the right path with the counter blackmail.
Personally what I did was have Sheriff Cubbin and his boys deliver Smenk's ultimatum. After he marched 12 deputies into firing positions around the mine shack with oil and torchs lit and ready to burn the place to the ground. "Uncover and kill the cultists under Dourstone mine, or Cubbin will arrest the lot of them and there may be some 'accidents' while in custody."When my group emerged from the Dourstone mine, after alerting the Garrison by way of their ally Melinde, Smenk portrayed himself as the town hero for coercing the PCs into taking out the Ebon Triad. What a paragon! The PCs tried to mount accusations against Smenk, but their most sophisticated orators had been killed by Morlocks so 'no dice', plus Mayor Neff knows upon which side his bread is buttered. Heroes will come and go, but corrupt allies last a long, long time.
In my campaign the PCs dropped Filge off at the garrison. I decided to have one of the officers (Lt. Skunt) actually be a cult member undercover in the garrison. The PCs had given Lt. Venderin all the evidence they found at the observatory, and she was going to go to the Captain. Before she could get there, Skunt killed her, stole the evidence, took Filge prisoner, and staged the prison cell to look like Filge killed Lt. Venderin while escaping.
The PCs were scared that Filge was after them from that point! Since the evidence was gone, the Captain had no grounds to go into the mines (which are technically within the town limits, so the sheriff's jurisdiction) so he asked the PCs to sneak in to the mines and find evidence so he could go to Mayor Neff.
When the PCs were investigating the temple of Erythnul, they found Filge bound and gagged in the chieftan's cave with his eyes gouged out (and sewn into Grallak Kur's eye sockets instead of beholder eyes). The PCs were really creeped out by that when they met Kur!
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In my campaign, the characters killed Filge and then confronted Smenk. Smenk laughed at their threat to turn him in to the authorities; stressing to them the point that he "owned this town." He then pointed out that they broke into a building that was his property and murdered his friend.
He told them that if they didn't want to end up dangling from the gallows, they need to help him take care of a little problem - namely the cultists. It lead into the scond module perfectly.
It also made them REALLY hate Smenk, which has made it very easy to make him a recurring villain. He has shown up three or four times since (they are about to start GATHERING OF WINDS)and they really REALLY want to kill him.
In my campaign the PCs now have a very special bond with Smenk. One of the PCs is of empoverished nobility. His late father used to be the lord of Diamond Lake (actually Leilon IMC).
The noble PC was educated in the Free City (Waterdeep) and basically (without realizing it) lived up all of the family's fortune, while his mother and sister were living in relative poverty back in Diamond Lake.
Anyway, Three Faces of Evil saw the untimely death of this PC. Smenk approached the PC's mother with an offer: he would finance the resurrection in exchange for the PC's sister's hand (which would also give him control over some unexplored mining lands). So now Smenk is the PC's brother-in-law, and has conveniently found his way into the classes of nobility.
I had Smenk grovel, plead and wheedle then hire the Pc's to infiltrate the Dourstone mine, remove the cultists with a promise of 500 Gold each if they managed it.
Placing the Cultists presence squarely upon Ragnolin Dourstones shoulders.
Whilst they were exploring and fighting the Cult menace I used the opportunity to eliminate Smenk. During the fight, 2 new people arrived claiming to work for Smenk and that they were owed money but Smenk had disappeared.
They were casualties of the Kenku fight though.
When the PC's found Smenk's dismembered body hanging in the Faceless ones room, and the letter stating that Smenk is "becoming a problem and needed eliminating" they didn't even blink. Except when they realised that they wouldn't get paid.
Nicely tied up, no loose ends and when they emerged and found the area around Smenks mansion cordoned off, and a column of smoke rising into the air, they couldn't even loot his mansion.
The Garrison informed them that it had burned to the ground during the night!
My group apprehended Filge, after killing his undead, and were going to loot his house when the local militia showed up to investigate the soudns and flashing of combative magic going on on top of the labs roof...
The militia immediatly put Filge under arrest and 'quarantined' Filge's house (pissing off the exploring rogue)...
The party eventually approached Smenk asking him the usual questions and threatening to reveal all...Smenk laughed it off saying they have no evidence...He then uncovered a tray that held the heads of Filge and Khullen..I mean he couldnt continue to trust 2 people that so easily gave up info on him...What the party didnt know is that the militia leader is Smenk cousin and a lot of the guards sub into Smenk gang business..
Smenk then brow beat them into 'fixing' his mess in the Dourstone mines...Or else he goes to the authorities with his information on them..I am sure they would get a 'fair' trial, if a trial at all..
muahahaha
In my campaign, Smenk appeared to have the upper hand because while they were finishing of the Whispering Cairn, he started a smear campaign against the PCs accusing them of Breaking and Entering, Kidnapping and Attempted Murder. With Sheriff Cubbin in his pocket, even their claims of graverobbing and experimental necromancy didn't seem to hold much weight.
Smenk had Filge killed for spilling the beans anyway, and the PCs were investigating the Dourstone mines under the uncomfortable employment of Smenk. All in exchange for dropping the charges against the PCs.
Remember, busting into the Observatory, beating and taking Filge in is not their duty as PCs and could be construed as quite illegal.
So, Christopher, let us know how it went in your campaign.