So what happens to the Sable Company after they are disbanded and Endrin is (as far as his men know) slain by Ileosa? I have a hard time believing that a bunch of highly trained and patriotic Korvosans would simply turn over their hippogriffs to a Queen who originally comes from Cheliax and killed their commander. Or did Ileosa have an "Order 66" ready to go and the Gray Maidens stormed the Great Tower and kill all of them? I'm guessing that would be hard to do!
My group is starting Book 3, and has already mentioned trying to track down the marines as potential allies. Where could the Sable Company take shelter and bide their time, looking for an opportunity strike back at Ileosa? Just trying to stay one step ahead of my players!
|
So what happens to the Sable Company after they are disbanded and Endrin is (as far as his men know) slain by Ileosa? I have a hard time believing that a bunch of highly trained and patriotic Korvosans would simply turn over their hippogriffs to a Queen who originally comes from Cheliax and killed their commander. Or did Ileosa have an "Order 66" ready to go and the Gray Maidens stormed the Great Tower and kill all of them? I'm guessing that would be hard to do!
My group is starting Book 3, and has already mentioned trying to track down the marines as potential allies. Where could the Sable Company take shelter and bide their time, looking for an opportunity strike back at Ileosa? Just trying to stay one step ahead of my players!
Perhaps a stronghold or some manner of smuggler's tunnels outside the city. The point of differentiation the Sable Company has are their flying mounts. Perhaps the Queen did send the Hellknights and Grey Maidens to wipe out the Sable Company, and while the company incurred losses the survivors managed to flee the city on their flying mounts.
If the players want the Marines' help, they might need to leave the bounds of the city to find them.
So what happens to the Sable Company after they are disbanded and Endrin is (as far as his men know) slain by Ileosa? I have a hard time believing that a bunch of highly trained and patriotic Korvosans would simply turn over their hippogriffs to a Queen who originally comes from Cheliax and killed their commander. Or did Ileosa have an "Order 66" ready to go and the Gray Maidens stormed the Great Tower and kill all of them? I'm guessing that would be hard to do!
My group is starting Book 3, and has already mentioned trying to track down the marines as potential allies. Where could the Sable Company take shelter and bide their time, looking for an opportunity strike back at Ileosa? Just trying to stay one step ahead of my players!
In my campaign Ileosa did indeed order het troops to kill the Sable Company. 23 survived and fled to Janderhoff, where seneschal Kalepopolis joined them after escaping from Old Korvosa and freeing the hippogryphs from the Great Tower (obviously with the party's aid). 2 others found their way to the rebellion.
Of course, we mustn't forget the naval component of the Sable Company, which is based in Veldraine. They are not under direct threat of Ileosa's Gray Maidens or other allies, and if she sends killers after them, they will have more time to flee. So it would make sense that they (or at least most of them) survive. I had them take their ships and sail to Magnimar.
With their commander trying to assassinate the Queen, there's certainly grounds for the Queen trying to disband them -- whether that's just all pink slips in next week's pay envelopes, or a giant battle.
But that's no fun for the players. And the Queen is smart enough to know that Korvosa needs an air force. So the better GMing option is to have the Sable Company under a cloud.
Option 1: Corrupt from the Top -- the Queen finds someone who will be her loyal flunky to replace Endrin, then works on slowly bending them to her will. (It would be faster, but she has a bunch of other stuff to do as well, like create the Grey Maidens, so as long as her chosen subordinate is in charge, she lets it go.) Thus the PCs may still have contacts in the Sable Company who don't really like what's going on, and may reach out for assistance, or feed the PCs information, or something.
Option 2: Deadly Mission -- the Queen figures that trying to take the Sable Company out will be too noticeable and take too much time away from toying with the Grey Maidens, so she announces that the Sable Company is being sent out of town to "regain their honor" by doing something difficult (and possibly fatal.) Maybe they're sent to clean out Bloodsworn Vale, or maybe they're all assigned to patrol around the Sunken Queen (and show up again in book 6), or they're all sent off to Janderhof to help the Dwarves out against some kind of flying foe.
Hmmm, a number of good options here. I like the fleeing to Janderhoff idea as it gives the PCs a good reason to venture there, but the intrigue option of having Ileosa appoint her own commandant is also interesting. Thanks for the suggestions!
It's 100% worth investing some time into the Sable company; as rescuing Marcus increases the hook to root out the grey maidens/red mantis in book 4.
And in the final books rebellion having some Sable marine's loyal to Korvosa fighting in the skies is very dramatic.
This might not be the best place to post, but I thought, why not: Anyone have a feel for the total hippogriffs the Sable company has?
That's actually a pretty good question
Anyone have any thoughts on anything I missed?
I agree with your assumption, but you should also add a "dozen" at the Keep in Castle Korvosa according to "Guide to Korvosa" Pathfinder Chronicles p13.
Sable Company marines also live in and guard the keep, and they keep a hippogriff aerie in one of the towers therein."