Epic moment in Skinsaw Murders, now what? (spoilers)

[Oserath]

So my friend and I are running RotRL and we switched off GMing after the 1st module. My PC told the rest of the crew that he was going home to Magnimar.

Spoiler:

The PCs went to visit his family when they got to Magnimar. he wasn't home, but they met his mother and older brother at their home in grand arch. As she was preparing dinner, the mother found the older son's body with the sihedron ritual having been performed. That's when the older brother (a faceless stalker) leapt from the window, beginning a chase through Magnimar.

The chase ended up running them out onto the Irespan for an ambush. However, the PCs managed to kill the runner in the first combat round, before his friend could climb up onto the bridge. His companion screamed out in anguish, prompting the PCs to look over the edge, and witness him drink a potion of feather fall and begin falling down to the Underbridge.

That's when our Paladin decided to jump after him...

After much debate, I let him score a hit on the enemy as he fell by. He still took a pile of falling damage, though not enough to kill a 7th level character. (Fun fact, max falling damage averages 70 damage.) The Half-Orc Oracle (who just took his first level in Paladin) followed him down about 2 rounds later.

Spoiler:

They finished off the second stalker. Now I have a pair of PCs who just fell like comets into the seedy part of town. They can probably heal up to full in a few rounds. I have to think Xanesha must have noticed what happened. I don't want to punish my PCs for being awesome, but doesn't it make sense that she might send out the Scarecrow to try to finish them off? Whatever happens, the murder investigation should be a great opportunity to introduce Ironbriar as an upstanding member of the Magnimar Justice system.

[Tangent101]

X may be out and about in the town at the moment. She doesn't spend all her time "at home" as it were!

[mcbobbo]

Don't be afraid to let your PCs actions trivialize the section. There's a LOT more yet ahead.

[RedEric]

Let your players relax and get back on the investigation after dealing with the fall-out. They don't need another ambush after the one they just had.

For one, Underbridge is a large area. Perception check should be required to notice the figures falling.

For two, I doubt X spends all her time waiting for people to jump off the bridge so she can swoop down and attack them. She's presumably busy with scouting out for proper victims.

Fall-out. :)

[darkwarriorkarg]

No, not really.... how the heck would she know exactly what was happening? Crystal ball?

[Thanis Kartaleon]

Spoiler:

X's tower is located almost squarely in the middle of Underbridge. Even if she happened to be inside, looking out at the right location at that moment, I doubt she would even register what happened there.

And as far as a murder investigation goes - I'm assuming you're having the stalker continue to be in assumed form after death? Even if that is the case, its internal anatomy (which does not change) will easily prove to investigators that the body is something abnormal. Also, I doubt murder investigations happen in Underbridge often…

[Oserath]

Spoiler:

The murder investigation will be for the body in the townhouse that got sihedron'd. It will give me an opportunity to introduce Ironbriar and make him seem legit. The PCs won't be in trouble for hunting down and killing a pair of aberrations. They will have to answer for firing off arrows in the nice part of town, and for smashing down the fence of the Lord-Mayor's Menagerie.

I don't think anyone in Underbridge is gonna mess with two big paladins who just plummeted from the sky and stood up. Though this does give them a great chance to pick up a bard as a cohort, since they both just grabbed Leadership. Looks like I need to write up a couple of bards.