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So the party apparently spent 3 days collectively healing after 2 expeditions into the Sanctum of the Erudite Eye. The first attempt was halted by the Graven Guardian at the crypt which forced them to flee. The second attempt they barely got by and had to retreat after killing the skeleton champion.
I've been having the Aghash Div clean up the floor destroying tracks as his mere passing stirs up the dust in the central chamber, and after not encountering him at the central hall, he's wandered since and destroyed all other traces other than the hallway that leads to the crypt.
I've already had The Scorched Hand return to the tomb, but to have them return a 3rd/4th time (after the first incursion, they rested a full day including the partial day they retreated) Seems a bit much.
At this point should they even been in the sanctum anymore? I'm debating wither or not to have them make out with a few of the treasures the player would have collected. Adding side quests to restore the lost wealth as well as keep the Scorched hand around for the events that transpire in book2.
Did the PCs already encounter the Scorched Hand? Do the players even know about them?
If not, just alter the Scorched Hand timeline entirely, so they're only now making their first (or second) expedition. Maybe they didn't learn anyone was exploring it at first, or maybe they were followed by a group of suspicious Pharasmins and couldn't get there without being caught for a few days. They might even have run afoul of something dangerous that did ability damage while on their way, and had to retreat for an amount of time similar to the PCs'.
Unfortunately, if the PCs (or the players) know the Scorched Hand were there, then you really can't do this. If the PCs discover the Ahkhat's controlling stone, you might allow them to talk to the Ahkhat (maybe they can find a scroll of Comprehend Languages if they don't have someone that can communicate in Ancient Osiriani; or maybe you could allow the Ahkhat to communicate to one of them telepathically, showing images of the people who came before and looted the place). That could give them descriptions of the Scorched Hand - and from there, the PCs might come up with some way to go after the NPCs.
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They entered a total of 2 times:
Day 1: retreat due to the Graven
Day 2: recuperation
Day 3: retreat after the skeletal champion (defeated the Graven)
Day 4: Present
Days 1,2,3 the Scorched hand are present and they found their returning tracks on Day 3 as well as their initial tracks on Day 1. In my time line the scorched hand wanted to clear the area as soon as possible. Due to the events of Day 1, uppon leaving the lower levels they found the mugs they hired have been defeated, as well as spotted the retreating party, they're aware that they're there.
To say they skipped on day 2 is counter to their character and personalities.
As for the PCs knowing about the scorched hand, they botched the RP encounter and never engaged with the group despite overhearing Velriana and her claims. They pretty much glossed over that encounter and none remember her shout outs as they were mixed with shout outs by other groups as well. (marns, desert daughters, sand scorpions, etc) They actually ignored all those groups. I'm not sure if the goal is to go after the scorched hand, the way the AP is structured, they're merely turf hopping their claim which would cause some legal mishaps, but the church of Nethys will back them as they don't really agree with the Sanctum of the Erudite eye falling to a random group of adventurers. Otherwise, Velriana would know that she'd be arrested directly after her excursion. Either she planned to leave for Absalom as soon as possible or seek shelter with the Nethyrian priests.
They could chase her down, and like you said, I could put more clues; though the party knows 'someone' is turf hopping them, and the lower levels still have tracks since the Div stays on the ground floor.
I'm not sure Velriana will care much of the PCs, she seems more dismissive, "it's my right" for her justification, the onus will be on the PCs to be aggressive where as in the tomb, her team is aggressive. Killing for self-defense is different than killing for jealousy or rivalry. I could turn it into a RP encounter.
It's more should the party even encounter the scorched hand at this point due to them taking too long.
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I am in the same boat. Day one they cleared the first level, then tread down to level 2 and camped in front of the graven guardian. Next morning they went into his room and it dropped the paladin and forced a retreat.
The party snuck in, healed the stabilized paladin and fled back to town. They plotted how to kill the guardian and tried to lift a curse from the paladin. The attempt failed so they waited for the next day to try it again for free. So now, its day 3, and they went in and used tactics to kill the guardian.
I figure the scorched hand likely did similar tricks. Retreat, sell something, return to another claim briefly, research something, ect. Unfortunately, the party left the bushwack thugs bodies in the broken streets, so perhaps I should have the hand hire 2-3 more and post guards throughout the 2nd level for the day 3 exploration.
Hmmm...I can see two possibilities here:
a) The scorched Hand is out of the game and the encounter just dosnt happen. Its not essential to the AD.
b) Velriana has decided to reactivate the Temple and the Scorched hand is starting to clean it up and make it inhabitable again.
The only think is that I would make it a bit more obvious that something was stolen and that the Hand dosnt have it.
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I figure the scorched hand likely did similar tricks. Retreat, sell something, return to another claim briefly, research something, ect. Unfortunately, the party left the bushwack thugs bodies in the broken streets, so perhaps I should have the hand hire 2-3 more and post guards throughout the 2nd level for the day 3 exploration.
Thing is, Idorii most likely found their tracks so she knows some other party is in the temple as well, and got as far as the crypt, perhaps even seeing the bloodshed as they never needed to fight the Graven due to them being worshipers of Nethys (Idorii has a wooden symbol so she technically doesn't need to sneak by it). The thugs are one thing, but my party didn't make the connection, thinking they were just ambushed.