Chapter 5: An offer declined. Now what?

[Nullpunkt]

So my group

Skeletons of Scarwall spoiler:

rejected Sial and Laori's offer at the beginning of the chapter and in the book (hardcover edition) it says that the two will retreat for now and don't play a role until later in the adventure. Unfortunately,
I cannot find any reference to what happens if their offer is rejected anywhere in the rest of the chapter. The only other mention is when the party meets the nightwing but that encounter does not really work as written if the two are not with the party already.

Did I miss anything?

[Olmac]

The only reference I can find is this.

Offer Rejected:

The Brotherhood isn’t interested in a fight at this time. If the PCs spurn the offer for an alliance and attack them, Laori and Sial retreat as quickly as possible, cursing the PCs and promising reprisals. Not long after they retreat, the two fall into a bitter argument and split up themselves, each seeking to infiltrate Scarwall separately. At this point, the PCs may encounter either of them inside the castle, as detailed later in the adventure. (page 262 of the hard cover)

The only other references I can find is in their write ups in the NPC section of the appendix.

[Nullpunkt]

Yeah, that's what I thought. There is really nothing said about where they show up if you decline the offer.

I guess, it would make some sense to have the party happen to pop into a lively debate between the two in G7 about who gets to have the "honors" about accepting the offer extended there.

But I think that what would happen then is

Spoiler:

that my good-aligned group is going to listen to their story and just back out of the room. Two evil NPCs arguing about who gets to kill themselves to become trapped in the tower? Let them figure it out! There is no real reason for them to get involved.

[rkotitan]

This is how I would handle it

spoiler:

Wait until an encounter where the party is having a bit of trouble or it even looks like one of the characters is going to go down and have Laori jump in and help the group (carefully ignoring the fact that they would have likely noticed her tailing them).

Laori reveals that she split with Sial who seemed resolute about trying to tail the party until they found what the Kuthites needed and then kill them.

Hopefully her attempt to save them, and her resolute opposition to trying to double cross them, will be enough for them to invite her to help (maybe not).

Even if not they would encounter Sial at G7 on the cusp of accepting the position as the tower's new guardian. If they allow him to I would have them face the original occupant plus Sial with maybe... a mythic hierophant tier.

[Nullpunkt]

I like it. Maybe I get a chance to drop signs of the duo's passage when the PCs backtrack a bit. Maybe they even get a chance to pick up on the fact that they split up.

[NobodysHome]

So...

Question:

How did they get into donjon and Star Tower without Laori or Sial?

The point of having them come along is that there are parts of Scarwall that are very difficult to get into without them.

[Nullpunkt]

Can you elaborate? I don't remember any limitations like that.

My group

Spoiler:

came under fire in the courtyard by the baykoks and fled into the donjon by breaking down the door. One of the PCs wields an admantine greatsword, it took one blow.

[Olmac]

Nullpunkt wrote:

Can you elaborate? I don't remember any limitations like that.

My group ** spoiler omitted **

Donjon and

Getting in:

The donjon is protected by two forbiddance spells. They require will saves to enter or leave the donjon. Having Laori or Sial with them makes it much simpler, but not impossible to get in. See page 319 of the hardcover.

[NobodysHome]

Pretty much exactly as Olmac says, there are two difficulties:

Restricted Areas:

The donjon is protected by a Forbiddance with a linked Repulsion, so it's not just, "Fail your save and take the damage", it's, "Fail your save, take the damage, and you can't get in." Our party's fighter nearly died trying to get in, and the group had to give up and try something different, finally figuring out to have Laori go first.
- Original p.48
- Hardcover p.319

The main entrance to the Star Tower is keyed solely to clerics of Zon Kuthon, so unless they have a high-perception rogue (Perception DC 40, Disable Device DC 40 to find the secret door, or DC 35 Use Magic Device to use the main entrance), they cannot get into the Star Tower at all without the Brotherhood of Bones.
- Original p. 49, 52
- Hardcover p. 325

[Nullpunkt]

Oh, bother, I totally missed that. And now my players already just wandered in.

Ah well, that is how it is now. It probably would have made the dungeon crawl a little more interesting but I don't think it'll ruin anything if I just skip over those details and NPCs.

[NobodysHome]

Nullpunkt wrote:

Oh, bother, I totally missed that. And now my players already just wandered in.

Ah well, that is how it is now. It probably would have made the dungeon crawl a little more interesting but I don't think it'll ruin anything if I just skip over those details and NPCs.

Yep. The cat's out of the bag. It makes the conversation with Ildervok pretty much just another fight, but otherwise you're fine. No long-term effects and all that...

[Olmac]

Nullpunkt wrote:

Oh, bother, I totally missed that. And now my players already just wandered in.

Ah well, that is how it is now. It probably would have made the dungeon crawl a little more interesting but I don't think it'll ruin anything if I just skip over those details and NPCs.

If they have not entered the Star Tower you can still use the forbiddance there. If they have, oh well, roll with it. As Nobody said, no long-term effects.

[Nullpunkt]

Great, thanks, folks!