So my players have picked up the Marrowfall from Delvhaven and have now seen the mansion go boom. While exploring the ruins of Abarion's Folly, there was an encounter with the vampire Jerusen. He simply wants the Marrowfall from the players to give to his master. Well my players sorta, lost the Marrowfall to the vampire and he simply flew away. As is his goal.
I am looking for a way my players can get the Marrowfall back without it looking like I just gave them the Marrowfall. I want it to be a "wow you got really lucky he was still around." So far I have come up with, he is staying at the location specified in the adventure path the guardhouse, until further instructions from his master. This gives the players one more opportunity to kill him and take back the Marrowfall.
Anyone have anything better or different? I am just looking for more thoughts then my own.
Thanks in Advance.
Well, if it was daylight when they fought him, he'd have to wait for the sun to set before he could leave.
Due to poor perception checks, they did not notice till the next morning after resting.
Have the Erynies ambush the vampire after noticing him absconding with the object. She then negotiates with the PCs that they will send the Pit Fiend back to Hell in return for the Morrowfall.(Even make a contract to make everything legit.)
Ohhh I like that Andrea, very cool idea. Very in the theme of council of thieves.
Jerusen brings the Morrowfall (perhaps using a dominate dottari, because he can't touch it) to Ilnerik, who stores it somewhere in Walcourt, because he can't carry it wiht him and has to think about a way to destroy it, whithout harming the totemrix. The PCs can find it before encountering Ilnerik.
Daehsquinn has a decent idea. Ilnerik would want to keep it close, but only the human thieves of Walcourt would really want to touch it. He would probably have Jerusan store it in the treasure room or something.
Alternatively, you could have it be in the possession of Sandor the Strange, Walcourt's wizard. He might have stolen it to examine it. Or it could be in Maglin's room, and he could have stolen it because he doesn't trust the vampires/dark folk, and sees it as a potential weapon.
Depending on your parties actions, they could have an agent inside of Walcourt. The AP supplies you with a couple potential agents (Jarvis and Aberten). You could have the agent steal the Morrowfall and return it to the PCs, or have the PCs find the agent's dead body clutching it.
My group had a similar problem where the Morrowfall was stolen (by a former PC who was a double-agent for the Council). They are going to be getting the Morrowfall back by finding Sclavo (the paladin wannabe in the Children of Westcrown) with it in one of the Walcourt jail cells. He will have been horribly tortured and somewhat insane, and clutching it desperately to keep the "demons" away. I am mean to my NPCs . . .
I think if Sandor stole it, Ilnerik would proceed to do a romp and stomp on his head before making him a thrall and getting it's location. Or just bury him under Shadowbeasts.
My players are going to be spending their next sessions, doing a whole lot of locate object. They made this very clear. I am tempted to put it in walcourt that seems to make sense, but they probably wouldn't find it since that is like 4-5 miles away and locate object only does 400ish feet.
I really really like the wallcourt idea, I think it also matches. But in order to get my players minds off of this object I think I am going to go with the contract with the erynies. But if my players weren't so new at this I would probably be a little more mean to them and make them suffer for losing it.
Any other ideas I think is a good addition, based Scaevola77's comment it sounds like this is a fairly common issue. I am sure ideas could help others as well.