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Before starting to run "Seven Days to the Grave," I noticed that the events leading up to the outbreak seemed random and awkwardly spaced (maybe to allow time for the plague to spread). Here is the order of events as printed, with my best guess as to chronology:
Night 1: Direption sunk, coffers float ashore (PCs can't do anything)
Day 2: Brienna Soldado finds coffer, gets sick (PCs are oblivious)
Night 2: Brienna gets sicker (PCs still sitting on their thumbs)
Day 3: Grau asks PCs to help cure Brienna
Night 3: Tayce treats PCs to a feast; Harrow reading
Day 4: Venclaro asks PCs to smuggle Trinia out of city
Day 5: Outbreak begins; Ishani summons PCs to Bank of Abadar
I knew my PCs would spent the first few days either trying to explore the Direption's wreck (since it was the only story point they'd been given), or possibly hunting for Trinia (because of the bounty on her head). So I rearranged things a bit, and added a few details:
Day 1: Taxfest! In this version of events, the tainted silver has already been placed in the Vault of Abadar, so it's already being actively circulated to Korvosa's poor (ie. those who get returns on their taxes). This celebration also gives the PCs a reason to lay low (since their recent good fortunes have bumped them into a new tax bracket).
Night 1: Direption sunk
Day 2: Before the PCs can investigate, Venclaro contacts them for help with Trinia. Putting this event earlier ties this chapter more directly to the events in "Anarchy." Also, I had Trinia's horseman waiting at Trail's End, so as soon as they finished this task...
...Grau spots PCs, asks for their help. Brienna is just starting to show signs of infection (less than 1 day, I know, but at this point the mechanics of the plague aren't going to matter to the PCs).
The PCs sent for Ishani, and paid him to cure Brienna. They also found out what infected her, and I had them go on a side quest to recover the death's head coffer, which the children had buried in the woods (I tossed in a wyrmling green dragon, because there won't be any good fights for awhile).
Tayce feted the heroes for two nights, so by the time they headed back to Korvosa, it was Day 4, and the outbreak had begun. The PCs headed straight for the Bank of Abadar (to see if the Archbanker could remove the curse on the coffer), so I didn't even need to have Ishani seek them out upon arrival.
As a result, I think the events felt much more streamlined and logical. Any thoughts? Are there any upcoming segments that others have rearranged like this?
...Day 1: Taxfest! In this version of events, the tainted silver has already been placed in the Vault of Abadar, so it's already being actively circulated to Korvosa's poor... (
Keep in mind that this IS actually part of the story as written. Not the taxfest part, but half the tainted silver already WAS in the vault and starting circulation before the ship ever sailed into port. Brienna wasn't really patient zero, just the the first "face" of the plague for the PCs.
I changed some of the events as well, but mainly to make things more personal for the PCs. It was familiar places and people who got sick, got looted, etc.
I put the scene with Trinia near the start as well, but mainly because one of my players needed the closure. She got so wrapped up in the story during Edge of Anarchy that she actually left the table in tears during the "execution" scene before I could get to the part about Blackjack's intervention. One of the other players had to tell her what happened. She blames it on the quad starbuck's she'd just drank, but I know better. Anyway, it was important to me for her to be able to have that interaction with Trinia as closure from the previous storyline early on.
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I actually feel that the timing is too rushed, but my players are very focused and driven. I've been very very challenged to try to keep them delayed so that matters could develop at what feels like a reasonable pace.
The Direption sinking was mentioned during book 1 actually, as I felt that mentioning it at the start of book 2 would highlight it as a plot device relevant to the plague. It kinda worked a little.
The issue with Trinia and Brienna went about as planned, with the party paying Ishani to return on the following day to use his remove disease on the girl. The party sorcerer also made judicious use of his mending spell to help fix up the house, which was a very nice touch imo.
The group got focused on the Direption at this point, and I expected that the party of 4th level characters was outclassed by what waited there. A devilfish chased them off the first time, and I slipped in the Perfumery event to drag things out more.
I wasn't able to realistically delay them further, so they've gone to the Direption but got chased off by Yvicca (see Obituaries) and subsequently directed towards other events. I hope to be able to squeeze in Eries and Racker's Alley, maximizing their potential before they slide back onto the story tracks.
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I also felt the events of this module needed a bit of rearranging and spacing out to give more realism. I also felt after Edge of Anarchy that they needed a bit of downtime/celebration before moving right into the next disaster. So I had "Market's Door" come inbetween the modules and turned it into a two week long festival with a variety of seasonal day and night markets around the city. These made a nice backdrop for a lot of the panic and disruption to occur in later.
The events of the book as I rearranged them:
Day 1 Market's Door begins. That night Direption Sunk
Day 2 Escorting Trinia Out of the City
Day 3 Visiting and healing Brienna
Day 4 More Market. Notice the Plague Worsening.
Day 5 Meet with Ishani. Meet Dr. Davalaus and Grey Maidens.
Day 6 Begin coordinating plague relief efforts.
Day 7 The Color of Death
Day 8 The Hungry Dead
Day 9 Ghouls in the Graveyard
Day 10 Merciless Way Massacre
Day 11 The Vanishing Virtuoso
Day 12 Plague Rats
Day 13 The Wreck of the Direption
Day 14 The Hospice of the Blessed Maiden / Temple of Urgathoa
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I put the scene with Trinia near the start as well, but mainly because one of my players needed the closure. She got so wrapped up in the story during Edge of Anarchy that she actually left the table in tears during the "execution" scene before I could get to the part about Blackjack's intervention. One of the other players had to tell her what happened. She blames it on the quad starbuck's she'd just drank, but I know better. Anyway, it was important to me for her to be able to have that interaction with Trinia as closure from the previous storyline early on.
Wow. I'm sorry your player got so upset, but at least you're lucky that your players get emotionally involved in your games. :)
I wish I could say the same. :)