When is the best time to introduce Ironbriar?

[Hythlodeus]

I want to introduce him earlier, sometime during Burnt Offering for a bigger impact. Any ideas when would be the best time in the book fo him to show up in Sandpoint (in case Tsuto doesn't survive the Glassworks encounter)? Should he arrive when Hemlock returns from Magnimar?

[tonyz]

Sure. Have him come in to try any captives the PCs take...

[Story Archer]

Hythlodeus wrote:

I want to introduce him earlier, sometime during Burnt Offering for a bigger impact. Any ideas when would be the best time in the book fo him to show up in Sandpoint (in case Tsuto doesn't survive the Glassworks encounter)? Should he arrive when Hemlock returns from Magnimar?

I'm running a Shattered Star-Rise of the Runelords mash-up and I wanted to introduce both Shiela Heidmarch and Justice Ironbriar sooner and in a way that wouldn't necessarily announce them as THE NEXT IMPORTANT NPC'S!!! So, this is what I did:

Brodert Quink had an associate in Magnimar named Torabor Gustavos whom was known as a collector of Thassilonian antiquities and an amateur scholar of the period. He contacted him regarding the potential purchase of the golden helmet found beneath Thistletop and Torabor came to Sandpoint to inspect it and ultimate buy it from the PC's as the centerpiece of his collection. It also reignited and old argument he and Brodert have been having about the role supposed 'Rune Giants' had in the collapse/overthrow of ancient Thassilon. At any rate, Torabor mentioned his new wife (which Brodert found 'preposterous') and insisted that the PC's join them in Magnimar for a dinner party where he intended to unveil the helmet and he hoped they could share the story of its recovery with his guests.

Two weeks later the invitation came and the PC's (and Brodert of course) made the trip to Magnimar's dinner party. Also attending were Canayven Hiedmarch, a fellow Usher and compatriot of Torabor's, his wife Sheila who had an active interest in ancient Thassilon, particularly Sihedron lore, Mors Cavanaugh a Stone Seer, Wyatt of Wartle a traveling minstrel who often stopped in Magnimar and of course, the surprise attendance of the stoic Justice Ironbriar. Lots of good NPC interaction took place, and the PC's ultimately earned an invitation to the Heidmarch's the following day where Sheila spoke with them at length and eventually offered them membership in the fledgling Pathfinder Lodge she had established in Varisia. That would serve to set up their search for the Sihedron fragments, one of which they had already unwittingly recovered (Nualia was in possession of the Shard of Wrath, given to her by Elyrium).

Of more immediate importance, one of the party members happened to witness what appeared to be a romantic exchange between Ironbriar and Torabor's young wife where he expressed his desire for her and she teasingly forestalled him for now... Seraphina Torabor was - you guessed it - Xanesha. She was using Torabor's connections to various Thassilonian expeditions, his position in the Council of Ushers and even his home as a personal base of operations, though it would be quite some time before the PC's discovered that.

Anyway, its worked out well thus far - I hope it inspires some ideas for your campaign.

If you're looking for more, this is the Wiki we're using for our campaign. It gets updated almost daily with stuff.

Have fun and good luck!

[gustavo iglesias]

I'm starting the AP tomorrow, with a mashup with Shattered Star (The Shattered Chains of the Runelords, as it's going to be an Unchained version :P). He's going to be there in Shallowtail Festival, in day one. Also Sheila Heidmarch, Natalya Vancarskerkin,Lamatar, from the Black Arrows, and some cleric from Windsong Abbey.
Probably will be there to judge Tsuto, and/or Nualia if she is captured alive.

[Askren]

You can read my massively overhauled and re-written version of Rise of the Runelords, specifically the Skinsaw Murders, wherein Ironbriar is a much more prominent figure leading up to his eventual betrayal and defeat by the party.

His first mention was an off-hand namedrop when the players captured Lyrie alive, and Hemlock had her shipped off to Magnimar for trial.

I really wouldn't do more than that, not initially. A simple name the players hear and discard immediately.

The important part, and one the AP doesn't doesn't mention at all, is that Ironbriar needs to initially be somewhat friendly. The party needs to at the very least, understand that he is on their side. He IS a villain, and he WILL betray them, but if they don't believe he's on their side first, then his actual betrayal will not have any real impact.

Don't have him show up in Sandpoint. He's a powerful man in Magnimar, he has a major position of authority and commands a lot of people. He has no reason to visit Sandpoint.

The way I personally did it, was I used Dawn of the Scarlet Sun as a go-between from Book 1 to Book 2, and the NPC Kassadei, a Guard captain, visited Sandpoint immediately after the murders, and it was her who encouraged the PCs to go to Magnimar and seek the audience of Justice Ironbriar, who spends time using the PCs as tools for his own bidding, all to build up to his betrayal.

[Phntm888]

For my game, I had him come up to Sandpoint to try Tsuto and Lyrie, along with a low-level priest of Abadar to act as a public defender. This allowed the players to see him as a justice, and have a little courtroom scene. Tsuto was sentenced to death, and Lyrie was given 5 years in the Hells. During the trip back to Magnimar, however, Ironbriar made arrangements to have Lyrie "vanish" upon her arrival at the Hells, in exchange for serving the Skinsaw Cult.

When my players got to Magnimar in book 2, they immediately went to Ironbriar to try and get a warrant of some variety to enter and search the Foxglove townhouse. I then had him "disappear", and made it look to all appearances he had been kidnapped. Lyrie then ambushed the party on their way back to their inn, along with three Skinsaw cultists. While a couple of my players got suspicious of him, when he was revealed as the head of the Skinsaw Cult (prior to discovering Xanesha), most of them were caught completely off-guard. It made for a good reveal.

[Hythlodeus]

Askren wrote:

the NPC Kassadei, a Guard captain, visited Sandpoint immediately after the murders, and it was her who encouraged the PCs to go to Magnimar and seek the audience of Justice Ironbriar

sadly not an option with my group. if I introduce him shortly after the murders start he will become a prime suspect to them and they will go after evidence against him immediatly, no matter his attitude towards the pcs

[the Lorax]

I introduced, at least the concept of Ironbriar, during the Festival.

He had been sent down to watch over the proceedings and the grand opening of the new Cathedral and Memorial to those lost in the fire and to Chopper.

He was unexpectedly called to return to Magnimar before the festival, at least one of the players got to see him from a distance.

[gustavo iglesias]

Hythlodeus wrote:

Askren wrote:

the NPC Kassadei, a Guard captain, visited Sandpoint immediately after the murders, and it was her who encouraged the PCs to go to Magnimar and seek the audience of Justice Ironbriar

sadly not an option with my group. if I introduce him shortly after the murders start he will become a prime suspect to them and they will go after evidence against him immediatly, no matter his attitude towards the pcs

Then introduce someone else first. A complete red herring, such as Magnimar's mayor

[Misroi]

Let's start here, Hythlodeus - where are you at in the AP? Once we know that, we can suggest some places where Ironbriar can show up assisting the PCs to ensure the betrayal is meaningful.

[Hythlodeus]

chapter 2. the group had the graveyard encounter and noticed the missing bones, had social encounters with foxglove and ameiko and additional roleplay opportunities with other sandpoint citizens last session. next session will be the boar hunt and shalelu's introduction.

[Misroi]

Oh, excellent - you're still early yet. There is plenty of time to introduce Ironbriar. I think the most natural place to put him is in the space between Books 1 and 2. They may have some prisoners after they come out of Thistletop, and you can have Belor state that he needs to take them to Magnimar for trial. In my game, I impressed upon them that 90% of the trial process in Magnimar revolves around how corrupt your Justice is, and he was visibly relieved when he found out that Ironbriar would be presiding. I made him stern, but interested in finding the truth of the situation. None of them even suspected he might be involved with anything nefarious.

[Hythlodeus]

Misroi wrote:

In my game, I impressed upon them that 90% of the trial process in Magnimar revolves around how corrupt your Justice is, and he was visibly relieved when he found out that Ironbriar would be presiding.

oh, that's a good angle, I'll use that.

and yes, I'm early in the game, but I usually like to plan two or three sessions in advance, just in case my group uses their time more effective than I thought.

[Hythlodeus]

On a slightly related note, has anyone a list of all of the half-elfs in Sandpoint? I can't access my pdf right now, so any help would be much appreciated
Edit: nvmnd. found one online