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**Spoiler Warning for Sixfold Trial.**
I had Sian decide to attack the party while they rested in the Asmodian Knot. Unfortunately for her the PCs had prepared well for just such an attack, and her ambush quickly turned against her. Soon the party monk had managed to grapple her and pin her to the ground. With the rest of the party quickly surrounding her and telling her to surrender or else, she decided discretion was the better part of valor, and surrendered to the party.
The party then proceeded to interrogate her while using some enchantments and intimidation, and managed to get plenty of important information out of her. Telling them what she was doing up in the Asmodian Knot and who had hired her. She said she attacked them because she had been told to kill anyone who interfered with her mission (somewhat of a lie), and did not mention her contact in Aberian’s Folly.
The group then decided to let her go (minus her equipment), and really surprising me, they offered Sian the opportunity to join the Children of Westcrown. They then let her out of the Asmodian Knot without further harm.
So I’ve been thrown for a bit of a loop. What shall I do with Sian now? I would like to ask everyone if I should go for her trying to go for revenge against the PCs for humiliating her, or perhaps actually have a story of redemption for Sian?
The book does not exactly give much on her background or motivations. This makes deciding her next move in this unusual situation a bit difficult for me. It says that normally she would go back to the Council of Thieves given she achieved her primary objective. I would think she would not mention the less successful parts of her mission in this case (doing so would certainly not be to her best health). She does have an alignment of LE, but that could always change especially if I go for her changing her ways.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I agree with Jim. It's a great double agent opportunity.
The only caveat is that you've got to give the PCs a pretty fair chance to detect her duplicity. For one thing, if you don't you'll never be able to the players to trust an NPC in the future! ;)
But more importantly, a double agent could seriously spoil the PC's chances of success if played properly. An ideal situation would be for the PC's to detect the infiltration and be smart enough to turn it against the Council by providing false information at a critical time.
I don't see a change of heart being likely. But she could become a constant thorn in the PCs side if you see her lawful alignment being indicative of a personal ethos that would oppose being a double agent.
Hey,
very intersting turn on Sian's fate.
Regarding the "Children of Westcrown": It wouldn't be unlikely to get her invited to the CoW because it should be an option for any player to get a new character introduced to the CoW if the old one "bit the dust".
But Arael doesn't like tieflings. Maybe you can go for an invitation and play Arael's hesitant inclination towards tieflings against Sian, letting the other CoW discuss the matter and rejecting Sian's attempt of (possible) redemption, just to strengthen her prejudices. You can let her go angrily and later let her reappear to hunt the party with invigorated "hatred" against the "soft" PCs and their "ilk kin". Or you can let her go, angry at first, than let her "come to her senses" and pleadifor redemption, convinced to try a new career as a lawful neutral member of the CoW.
As a GM, you can show off your "neutrality" towards Sian's attempt of association with the CoW, giving your players the feeling of "better try than not". So it's not their "fault" that the attempt didn't go as intended by them. And furthermore, you can steer the PCs towards a closer relationship with those of the CoW that voted for Sian's association attempt...
Best regards
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Thanks for the advice thus far everyone.
What I am thinking is that Sian can ask for a meeting with the CoW. And I will let the party’s reaction during the meeting and from that point onward determine which way goes. Either a spy for the Council of Thieves or someone who really changes and wishes to join the CoW. How the PCs deal with Arael’s barely veiled racism. Naturally he should have a couple of perfectly good questions (“You want us to trust a tiefling who is a member of the Council of Thieves And tried to kill you a few days ago?). Depending on if they stick to their guns, and what arguments they use with Arael and anyone else that happens to be there should help determine Sian’s attitude towards the PCs and CoW. Then how they treat her in the future can further decide what her attitude will be.
I figure this is a bit more dynamic, and helps the let the PCs reap what they sew. The PCs words and actions will help determine how Sian will turn out, and either lead to her helping or hurting later on.
How does that sound?
Thanks for the advice thus far everyone.
I might take it in a slightly different direction.
Go through and do the roleplaying with the PCs trying to convince the CoW to accept Sian as a redeemed member. Whether she is accepted or not, the CoT sends an assassin after her shortly thereafter and snuffs her out. The PCs can feel good about trying to do the right thing, it further reinforces the ruthlessness of the CoT, and keeps things simple.