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As the title of this thread suggests, I'm interested in hearing how your PCs handled Trinia once they were set on her trail. Did they turn her in to Kroft? Did they let her go free? If she was due to be executed, did they try to save her without Blackjack's interference?
I'll start with a story from my tabletop game before it ended...
The whole Trinia affair ran as expected in the book. The PCs (an amoral LE noble rogue, an LN Shoanti fighter with more muscles than brains, an NG ranger/Sable Company aspirant, a CG cleric of Desna, a CG aasimar bard and an N dhampir magus) turned Trinia in to Kroft, and when the time for Trinia's execution came around, Kroft (as expected) was royally pissed off that Ileosa had the artist transferred from Citadel Volshyenek to Castle Korvosa's dungeons to await execution.
Now, I tried to portray Vencarlo as a dashing sort of roguish gentleman who flirted a bit with the rogue. She... didn't take it well (and the subsequent burglary of his home left her even MORE bitter towards him), and I was honestly not too fond of the man myself. The group had also demonstrated an eager willingness to go off-book and spin story hooks for themselves (which came to a head when they took Carowyn Manor for themselves during Seven Days to the Grave). I decided to just have them come up with a plan to rescue Trinia from the execution themselves.
It led to one of the funniest moments I've ever experienced at the table.
Before the execution, the fighter went and got himself a big cloak that he subsequently had covered in runoff from a nearby butcher's shop. He also acquired, for his own use, a cowbell. I kept questioning him on it, not understanding what he had planned...
When the execution began, it started as it was supposed to in the book--Ileosa trotted out Trinia to the execution block with Sabina in tow. Once Trinia's neck was on the block and the executioner started meaningfully sharpening his big ol' honkin' axe, she started her speech.
"Fellow Korvosans--"
That was the farthest I ever got before the fighter uttered the following words that let me know everything was about to go batshit insane.
Out of the crowd of nobles strode the fighter, covered in the big cloak that stank of pig guts and rendered fat. He rang a cowbell as he went, drawing attention to his massive, reeking frame. The crowd parted and Ileosa's speech died on her lips.
What follows is a paraphrasing of the exchange the Queen had with our Shoanti (mainly because this happened a long time ago and my memory of the specifics is rather fuzzy).
"...what?"
"I'm unclean. I'm a leper--I have to let everyone know. It's against the law to be a leper and keep it to yourself. UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!"
At this point, I collapsed in my chair, laughing.
Ileosa directed some of her Grey Maidens to go and chase the fighter off, and that's when the party struck. The rogue stabbed the executioner in the back and got Trinia off the execution block. The fighter crashed the heads of the two Grey Maidens sent to him together, grabbed Trinia and started running through the crowd. The ranger (who was hiding in a building opposite the execution block) fired warning shots at the queen to dissuade pursuit. The cleric, bard and magus (in the crowd) basically ran interference through the whole thing, culminating in the magus inciting a panic with a casting of burning hands into the air and a good Intimidate roll and the cleric throwing down an obscuring mist to cover the party's escape.
So, how'd the rest of you deal with Trinia? I'm curious! :)
Nothing that exciting, unfortunately. My players never turned her in to Kroft, instead disguising her and smuggling her off to Magnimar on a ship. Two of the characters had connections in the docks (Inquisitor of Gozreh and a Ranger who renovated the Old Fishery), and rolled well enough to secure her passage on a shady trading vessel. She has stayed in contact with them somewhat, sending them coded letters and sketches of Magnimarian landmarks. The blood veil has kind of made that impossible for the moment, though.
I'm curious, how did your players survive that, afterwards? Wouldn't that lead to all of them being wanted for treason? I imagine that would make the AP pretty different from there on. I tried to make it clear (through Kroft) that trying to bust Trinia out from right under the queen's nose would have been royally bad idea.
Mostly by virtue of the rogue and the fighter being disguised as they caused the whole ruckus, the ranger sniping from a building so her face wouldn't be seen, and me laughing too hard to do much else. The magus became a wanted man after that (I forget the specifics of how I handled that).
Also, it was my second time GMing and I still had a lot of kinks to work out. My Crimson Throne group on the boards here did a better job of dealing with Trinia, I felt.
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Despite the fighter having "more muscles than brains," it sounds like he came up with a pretty imaginative (if potentially hare-brained) scheme that got Trinia out with all the PCs more or less unscathed. Maybe "more muscles than sense" might be a better more accurate phrase? Sounds like a great session regardless, and thanks for sharing.
Yeah, it does. And you're welcome. :)
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In my campaign, Trinia wasn't in her own house, because then the guards would just have arrested her themselves. She picked up the rumors that she was going to be arrested for the king's murder and disappeared immediately. The PCs tracked her to the apartment of a friend, a tiefling stripper, as you can read in my journal. They chased her down across the shingles and convinced her to give herself up, claiming that she would only be safe if she could prove her innocence publicly.
Trinia agreed, but her trial did not go as expected, and she was convicted to die by beheading. The PCs were present at the execution - and even though the bard was itching to interfere - they did not free her, but then witnessed the caped crusader swoop in and save the girl.
Later the PCs were contacted by their friend Vencarlo to see the girl to safety at a friend's place in Harse. This part of the story is where my PCs - who up until this point have been working for the government (and the queen) to restore order in Korvosa - are starting to doubt Ileosa's sincerity. Since they are officially heroes of the city, they try to remain "loyal" to her majesty, at least openly. But in secret their alliances are slowly changing. Trinia is the first step down this important road.
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My group refused to turn Trinia over to Kroft, for the very good reasons described. Instead, they sent her off to Harse. However, they then received word of an execution planned anyway, an execution of a feebleminded and hair-dyed woman. This was where Blackjack intervened, and this girl too was sent to Harse. So, when the party finally make their way to Harse themselves, they meet not only Trinia, but the other woman. Since a 6th level spell is needed to remove feeblemind, and it has a permanent duration, the people there have not been able to remove it, instead they have fed her and cared for her. With no name given, they affectionately call her Drooley or Drooley girl. *scratches her head* Ah well, I suppose I need to make her sort of important somehow.
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My group refused to turn Trinia over to Kroft, for the very good reasons described. Instead, they sent her off to Harse. However, they then received word of an execution planned anyway, an execution of a feebleminded and hair-dyed woman. This was where Blackjack intervened, and this girl too was sent to Harse. So, when the party finally make their way to Harse themselves, they meet not only Trinia, but the other woman. Since a 6th level spell is needed to remove feeblemind, and it has a permanent duration, the people there have not been able to remove it, instead they have fed her and cared for her. With no name given, they affectionately call her Drooley or Drooley girl. *scratches her head* Ah well, I suppose I need to make her sort of important somehow.
I don't know at what time you introduced the Gray Maidens into your campaign, but if you did that before Trinia's trial, the girl could possibly be someone who volunteered to become a soldier in the queen's guard, but who 'failed' her training, maybe because she wasn't strong enough, or maybe because she was too headstrong to be brainwashed, so they decided to erase her mind altogether with feeblemind instead. In reality the girl could be just about anyone's daughter or (girl)friend. She could also be a former member of the Korvosan Guard, or even a Sable Marine who was ordered to infiltrate the Gray Maiden training.
Thanks for sharing your stories! :)
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My party barely captured Trinia, she was a double move away from freedom when she failed her will save against a Command spell and hit the roof.
They turned her over to Kroft without any fuss or ever really considering setting her free. The Party still LIKES Queen Ileosa and while I've been dropping subtle hints, it's either gone over their heads or they've rationalized it as a naive young queen getting bad advice from scheming nobles.
I may have laid it on a bit thick in the second session with the whole "Oh heroes, I am just a weak and innocent queen, please help me save my city" bit. Everyone liked her and the Bard is openly planning to seduce her.
No regrets on my part though, they'll find out soon enough what they're dealing with. I love seeing that "we totally should have seen this coming" look on their faces, and I'm looking forward to seeing it when the OFF WITH HER HEAD moment arrives.
Anyway, the Party is off to the Dead Warrens next Friday, where they'll face what sure looks like by far the toughest fights in the module. Which is fine, they need a challenge. They've been blasting through content so far and have hardly broken a sweat.
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The Party still LIKES Queen Ileosa and while I've been dropping subtle hints, it's either gone over their heads or they've rationalized it as a naive young queen getting bad advice from scheming nobles.
I may have laid it on a bit thick in the second session with the whole "Oh heroes, I am just a weak and innocent queen, please help me save my city" bit. Everyone liked her and the Bard is openly planning to seduce her.
You gotta love that! The queen should be a master manipulator, so having the PCs deceived by her is an excellent story-element.
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The queen should be a master manipulator, so having the PCs deceived by her is an excellent story-element.
Well now they've stepped in it. We've had a few weeks where people couldn't make it, and the Bard sent the queen a letter offering her a sympathetic ear if she's lonely:
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"Ileosa, (specifically not your highness, or queen, or any other title, just the name)
I am sure you tire of nobles pushing for favors, and countless attempts of courting. I assure you, this is neither. I merely offer empathy for your difficult time. You seemed so happy with such a simple thing as returning your stolen brooch, as if it were hard to believe good in people.
I make no assumption that you lack for friendship, but if ever you need something as simple as a chat without obligation or intention, as discretely as you wish, I would be delighted."
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I think it's sweet and probably deserves a response of some kind. Poor guy is going to be genuinely hurt when he realizes that she cares for nothing besides her own power, but until then I'm trying to figure out how to milk this.
The Party heads to the Dead Warrens tonight, and if they tear through that as quickly as they've been tearing up the rest of the content, they could finish that in a few hours and experience "the final scene". If she does respond, it won't be until after that (when I know how the PCs responded to the Execution).
After that there's a few weeks of game time between the end of book 1 and the start of book 2. Plenty of time for some good old fashioned DM mind-f*ckery.
Any suggestions?
(The bard in question is the second son of a low-end Korvosan noble family, whose name he disgraces by performing in the theater. By now he's a well-known actor (under a stage name but everyone knows who he is)).
Looking more for entertainment value than letting any real harm come of this. My default if I can't think of anything fun will be either no response, or a curt note from Sabinia (who handles the Queen's mail) telling him not to waste the queen's time.
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The Party has finished book one so I can actually add an appropriate response to this thread.
I sprung the Execution on them quickly, because I wanted to finish the book. It's definitely too short as a standalone session, and there's no way I was going to tack that on to the start of book two. So the party emerges from the Dead Warrens, battered and bruised and almost completely out of spells. They expect to drop off Gaekhen and collect their reward and go home - instead, Kroft asks them to attend the execution, at sunset that very night.
And they came up with a plan. Not a bad plan either, as far as PC plans go. It had a pretty decent chance of succeeding on its own even without any outside efforts. If you guys are reading this, (hopefully way after the fact, otherwise STOP there be spoilers), I'm kinda proud of you guys.
Anyway, the party looks through their lists to figure out what spells they still have. Not much. Cantrips, some scrolls, a few odd situational spells which are unlikely to be helpful.
The party decides to attend the execution and wait until Trinia is on the block. The wizard casts Invisibility from a scroll and delivers it through his familiar, turning Trinia invisible. At the same time, they ask Zellara to cast a major image of Trinia right where she was. Invisible Trinia runs (The bard knew Message and would warn her), Illusion Trinia gets executed, problem solved.
Of course, as soon as the headsman raises his axe, Blackjack shows up. The exact opposite of subtlety. He plays it by the book, calling out the Queen, freeing Trinia.
Then Trinia disappears. Familiar had his instructions. Zellara is as shocked as anybody else, but she gets her illusion up pretty quickly. Blackjack looks surprised, but he makes his saving throw and figures it out. He makes his escape with Illusion Trinia, and hilariously, the PCs have no idea whether Invisible Trinia went with him or not. But she hasn't been seen since (although they'll run into her again soon) and neither has Blackjack.
Blackjack's the talk of the town now, of course, and gets all the credit for Trinia's escape. The party were reasonably subtle about what they were doing and kept a low profile. Queen Ileosa is a laughingstock, she's retreated to the castle to (we all know what she's up to).
I'm not sure how they feel about the Queen now. They've been rationalizing away some of the subtle hints, but "Off with her Head" was kind of hard to ignore.
Does your party still believe that the queen is "in the right"? Or have their opinions on Trinia and Blackjack vs. Ileosa been reversed after further plot developments?
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They still believed that Queen Ileosa was the victim of some bad advice and scheming nobles throughout book 2. And I tried to always have some kind of excuse or explanation ready. Queen's Physicians? Why, Doctor Davaulus must be taking advantage of a naive and inexperienced queen! Merciless Way Massacre? Why, the Gray Maidens are just zealous about protecting the city from the horrible Blood Veil threat!
But the opening of Book 3 was pretty hard to ignore. And on a personal level, that was probably the best and most satisfying scene I've run as a DM. Just the look on my players' faces made it worth it. It went from "meh, more bad news" to "uh-oh" to "Oh Crap it can't get worse" to "nope, it's worse!"
We just ran the Queen's Scapegoat last night. My players figured out immediately that the Queen was using Trinia, and that she was not the real assassin. They've actually assumed from the introduction of the AP that the Queen was responsible for the King's death. So they captured her on the shingles, and took her to Zellara's house (they've been using Zellara's as a HQ while maintaining separate living places around the city). They reported to Kroft that they have her, but didn't turn her in. She's in a 'safe-house' they reported (they kept Zellara's residence a secret). Next, they decided they need to find out who the king's real assassins are (i.e. whom did the Queen hire?). They heard rumors of the Red Mantis, but that they do not do regicide.
We just ran the Queen's Scapegoat last night. My players figured out immediately that the Queen was using Trinia, and that she was not the real assassin. They've actually assumed from the introduction of the AP that the Queen was responsible for the King's death. So they captured her on the shingles, and took her to Zellara's house (they've been using Zellara's as a HQ while maintaining separate living places around the city). They reported to Kroft that they have her, but didn't turn her in. She's in a 'safe-house' they reported (they kept Zellara's residence a secret). Next, they decided they need to find out who the king's real assassins are (i.e. whom did the Queen hire?). They heard rumors of the Red Mantis, but that they do not do regicide.
Just make sure your players don't focus too much on who the 'assassin' was, because normally they won't find out until book 6 of the AP. If the PCs do not hand in Trinia, the adventure will tell you what to do, so I suppose you're going that way now, are you?
Just make sure your players don't focus too much on who the 'assassin' was, because normally they won't find out until book 6 of the AP. If the PCs do not hand in Trinia, the adventure will tell you what to do, so I suppose you're going that way now, are you?
Well, I saw some threads that said other players took Trinia to Harse on their own (without Vencarlo or Kroft's advice). Since next they're going on the Thousand Bones quest, and then returning to Trinia's execution and escape, I really don't know what my players will do at this point. But what I am really trying to figure out if how Kroft and the Queen should react. Kroft knows the PC's have Trinia, and Kroft wants to question her before turning her over to the Queen. Kroft has to tell the Queen something in regard to Trinia's capture, but what, especially if the Queen demands Trinia's transfer to the castle?
And in the meantime, how do they keep Trinia on the down-low? They'll have to feed her and such, but not let her out much.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
You have several options on how to proceed:
- Kroft wants to do her duty. Since she knows the PCs have Trinia, she has them followed to find out where they are hiding the girl. When the PCs are absent, she has the girl extracted.
- Kroft plays along with the PCs, but Ileosa 'mind controls' her into telling the truth and has her own people locate and extract Trinia.
- Kroft plays along with the PCs and Ileosa remains in the dark. In this case the queen introduces a lookalike of Trinia, to have that girl be executed.
- Trinia has trouble laying low and gets herself arrested when she gets out of the hideout.
- I've left another suggestion in your Devargo post.
You have several options on how to proceed:
- Kroft wants to do her duty. Since she knows the PCs have Trinia, she has them followed to find out where they are hiding the girl. When the PCs are absent, she has the girl extracted.
- Kroft plays along with the PCs, but Ileosa 'mind controls' her into telling the truth and has her own people locate and extract Trinia.
- Kroft plays along with the PCs and Ileosa remains in the dark. In this case the queen introduces a lookalike of Trinia, to have that girl be executed.
- Trinia has trouble laying low and gets herself arrested when she gets out of the hideout.
- I've left another suggestion in your Devargo post.
I saw the Devargo suggestion, thank you. The third Kroft option above is straight from the book. The first option seems more likely as Kroft wants to maintain goodwill with the PC's but must do her duty. I am going to role-play this out and see where my players want to go with this. They'll have to give Kroft a good reason not to turn Trinia over.
So in our session yesterday, I asked the players what they were telling Kroft about keeping Trinia hidden. They responded that they suspect that Trinia is not the real assassin, and they want to find the real one. Kroft asked them what is she supposed to tell the Queen, and they tell her to tell the truth. That she (Kroft) doesn't have her (Trinia) and she is still looking. So Kroft is going along with this, so now the Queen will go with the look-a-like.
Just make sure your players don't focus too much on who the 'assassin' was, because normally they won't find out until book 6 of the AP. If the PCs do not hand in Trinia, the adventure will tell you what to do, so I suppose you're going that way now, are you?
Well, I asked them last session what exactly are they telling Kroft, and they told her of their suspicions and that it would be better to keep Trinia hidden even from her. When she asked what she was supposed to tell the Queen, they responded "The Truth. That you don't have her and are still looking." So yes, I'll be going with the Trinia-double for the execution.
As far as the 'assassin', they are definitely trying to go in that direction already. They asked Trinia about who was in the castle, something I figured Kroft could also tell them, and something not unreasonably that Trinia may know. So I gave them Togomor's name (since he replaces Neolandus) and I did drop the King's brother's name. I figured The king may have mentioned his name during painting sessions (but TRinia never saw him). She also mentioned there are rumors of the queen dealing with the Red Mantis, but that they won't commit regicide. The harm is not in their knowing so early, it's keeping them interested in the plot. But after speaking with a friend who is not in my gaming group, I think I am going to play up the Queen is under the control of an int evil artifact and needs to be rescued. Since they figured it out so early, I need a plot twist to surprise them with at the end.
So today we finished up the Dead Warrens. I started to run the Execution of Trinia as written, as a cut scene, but after reading multiple DM's advice (especially MrVergee's) on how to handle this AP, I started with the announcement of the 'capture of Trinia Sabador' (the PC's had found and hidden the real Trinia) and 1 week till the execution, the PC's started to investigate.
First they got Kroft to get them access to Castle Korvosa's dungeon, where they found the 'fake Trinia' unresponsive and under two different spells (but they couldn't figure out what). Then they decided to figure out when the 'trial' was and who presided over it. For that, they went to Ambassador Amprei; Figuring he owed them one after recovering his letters. He inquired on their behalf and discovered only the Queen, her body guard and the new Seneschal presided over the 'trial'. They are putting so much effort into rescuing the 'fake Trinia' at this point I decided to pick up next week, and run it as part of the adventure instead of a cut scene as described in the AP! Instead of a scroll of Identify from Dead Warrens, I gave them a Scroll of Dimension Door. It's higher level than their spellcasters can cast right now, but it may be worth the risk for them when they rescue 'fake Trinia'. I will update next week!
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My party were highly suspicious of Trinia and her super ninja skills.
They failed to capture her.
When Blackjack rescued her they tried to kill him and her.
As one of the party members in question (only just seen this now we have finished the AP)
This was one of my favourite parts of the whole AP.
Our logic was as follows
- She was well equipped with magic items
- She was trivially able to succeed at every single one of what seemed ridiculous skill DCs to do the chase - even our most acrobatic character had little chance to keep up
- She was so fast against DCs that seemed to require you to be a 'super ninja' even when we used magic like swift fly, dimension door and similar to catch up she kept getting ahead
- No ordinary painter or bard could have that level of acrobatics
- The queen is lovely (and very hot) so surely innocent
=> Trinia is the high level agent of a foreign power and assassinated the poor old king
Hence when Blackjack showed up to rescue her some of us went all out to stop him and ensure the evil wench went to headsman's axe like she deserved. Even to the point of grappling him and hanging on as he tries to climb back out over the castle wall.
Sadly he was way higher level than us so still pulled off the rescue. Latter on he beat us over the head with things like 'evidence' and 'reasonable arguments' so we had to grudgingly accept her innocence.
TLDR: The DCs of the chase mechanics made her guilt self-evident
Well, this thread really took off while I was away. :)
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My character (a catfolk rogue) was built perfectly for the chase scene and kept running ahead of her, talking to her as she ran by, then doing it again. Eventually she just stopped running to talk to me. It seemed obvious to me that she didn't really kill the King (she certainly had nothing to gain from it) and she was cute, so he hid her away himself (with the Lamm's Lambs he'd adopted) and told the others she got away.
Eventually got leadership she became his cohort and lover and they had 6 adorable nekojins at the end of the AP. One of whom would be my character in the Harrow Deck module.
Aww. :)
My group turned Trinia in, watched her execution, did not help in her rescue, but also did not hinder it.
Did this group still believe in the queen's non-existant "good intentions" at the time? Or were they simply unwilling to stick their necks out?
My GM introduced Trinia earlier in the game so we got to know her better, as he didn't want us to be passive at the point of her execution.
I was playing a NE ninja who actually disliked Trinia. A lot. She saw her as loud, irresponsible and a nuisance. Still, she KNEW that she was innocent. She just couldn't be so good at faking innocence, and she didn't fit the profile of an assasin (my character knew because she did).
My character was also some kind of death cultist and religious fanatic, who believed that the right lives have to be taken, but life itself is holy and must be revered.
Trinia was,the wrong life to be taken. So she had to save her no matter how.
My character dressed as Black Jack and did a great job impersonating him (as a ninja it was easy).
The rest of the group made a distraction and I rescued her, it was kinda easy. Then we helped her out of the.town, only to bring her back later in the story. In the end, my character has started to like her, even though she cannot fully understand her.
The funny part is that the real Black Jack saw everything and wanted to make my character the next Black Jack, thinking that my motivations were good.
It was funny playing such a character who kept doing the right things for the wrong reasons and have many people thinking that she did actually have a heart.
So most of the party was convinced she was guilty and so turned her in.
During the execution, there was a fight in which the party severely damaged itself while Vencarlo got away with Trinia.
We spent HOURS of the party arguing about the bloody thing.
In order to progress the plot I literally had to drop a scroll of effing commune in their laps to convince them that Trinia was not-guilty. When they asked about Ileosa's involvement, the only answer they got was a hazy mental image of a blue dragon attacking the one using the commune (foreshadowing!)
In a case like that, just make Trinia guilty -- Ileosa suggested that she drop the poison into the cup or something. Sometimes, you have to go with what the party thinks happened, if it would make a better game.
My party was convinced by Kroft to get Trinia so she could have a 'fair' trial instead of mob justice. But when they turned Trinia over to the Guard, they insulted Cressida by implying that they couldn't trust her custody. Cressida threw the party out of the Citadel and took Trinia to the Longacre building. Which meant that Ileosa got access and used her suggestion and dominate to foil Abadar's Truthtellers and force Trinia to confess to killing the king.
The party was in disbelief and went back to Trinia's house to search for evidence. They were interrupted by news of the execution that they hurried to catch. There was talk of trying to convince the Queen that they needed more time (they knew something dodgy was going on, but not that it was the Queen herself behind it at this point), but they were blocked from getting to her by the new Grey Maidens. Then Blackjack appeared and the party got behind his rescue attempt and shouted helpful warnings.
Over all it worked out for everyone involved. Except the Queen I suppose.