Lictor Octavio Sabinus is dead...

[John Stout]

How shall that affect the later books (that I've yet to pick up)?

Basically, the party (which is slightly larger at 6-7 members) rolled the rumour for the prison and decided to free everyone. What follows is a lengthy session where they slaughter every prison guard, Sabo and the kyton.

Result: a heap of notoriety and the resultant dottari ambush outside the Shrine of Saint Senex. Two characters killed (one being reincarnated, the other remaining dead), one character being arrested (for public excruciation), two survive and one wasn't present. However, what ensues is that the dottari search the shrine, find the tunnel and arrest the seers when they refuse to open up. They get the key, open up and head down to find the Lictor. Combat begins and the Lictor loses (double crit, ouch, and it was looking good for him to begin with).

So what affect shall this have for the furthering campaign?

[Davia D]

It doesn't actually *stop* anything, but it does mean they'll have to do other stuff to get the big Thune's attention at the end of the part, and does means... hm, you've got a judgement call on what the Order of the Torrent decides to do.

Obviously, their boss is dead, but their members were freed, right? So you've got some individual member support, but none of the PR that Octavio offers.

Aside from getting B's attention at the end of the adventure (as one of several big PR moves that will get the Silver Ravens publicly recognized), nothing really says "Lictor Octavio does this...," but there are a number where having allies tag along helps (the end of part 3 for example), so they'll be down an ally, and they'll be down Octavio's specific ally bonuses.

I could see possibly introducing another member of the Order, next in line (and less powerful), who comes to town to hold the PC's accountable, and have them explain their actions to this new Lictor, if you want to fill the void.

In short: Nothing derailing, but your group will be down an ally that you may or may not wish to replace.

[CorvusMask]

So wait, why did they decide to kill boss of pretty much only LG Hellknight order? .-.

[Eliandra Giltessan]

Davia D said wrote:

I could see possibly introducing another member of the Order, next in line (and less powerful), who comes to town to hold the PC's accountable, and have them explain their actions to this new Lictor, if you want to fill the void.

This is what I was thinking. There are other Order of the Torrent Hellknights. They're just out of town. Perhaps the replacement is a little less Good.

[John Stout]

Corvus, they didn't. The dottari did. Two crits in one round dropped him.

[CorvusMask]

Oh okay.

..Couldn't they just buy raise dead scroll for him? <_< Unless body is already lost. Or guy doesn't want to return.

[Axial]

Were these the level four Dottari presented in this volume? Because I could see how two halbred crits would mess someone up.

[Davia D]

CorvusMask wrote:

Oh okay.

..Couldn't they just buy raise dead scroll for him? <_< Unless body is already lost. Or guy doesn't want to return.

Hm, I kinda assumed the baddies had possession of the body.

"Do a snatch-and-grab mission to get his body so it can be resurrected before it's cremated or otherwise beyond reach," is another possibility.

[PJH]

A few possible options :

a) The second in command returns from his/her mission outside the city upon hearing word of Octavio's death, the players now have a more committed (but more aggressive) personality to deal with who probably wants revenge against the Dottari and Thrune.

b) One of the churches or a similar powerful ally of Sabinus wants him brought back, and they have the resources to do so, but they need the body returned, setting up a recovery/exhumation mission for the players.

c) Same as (b), but without a powerful external ally, the other members of the rebellion drop hints about the loss of Sabinus, and how bringing him back would add the Order of the Torrent as a powerful ally, hopefully pushing the players towards attempting the recovery and raise dead plan themselves.

Hope that helps. Good luck!