My last session ended abruptly after my players witness a high-profile thief abscond with a legendary item from a fancy auction. They immediately lost the trail. What is a good way to run the next session as a mystery?
For context, the thief is known as ‘The Kestrel.’ He is a Robin Hood-esque figure, targeting corrupt and affluent individuals. Secretly though, he is the princess of the high king (they are currently in the capitol).
She stole a ring of water elemental command, and either wants to use it, sell it, or destroy it because of its enslavement connotations.
Help me come up with a cool mystery so my players can track her down.
Ask yourself what happens if she takes any of the three actions. If she sells it, does a water elemental suddenly attack somewhere in the city? If she destroys it, what happens? What about if she inexpertly destroys it? If she uses it, your PCs have a huge “U R Here” sign to follow.
What assumptions will your PCs make about the thief’s intentions? If they assume the thief is going to sell it, would they know where to find the black market for such a sale? Or a direputable merchant who would pawn it? If they assume use (assuming the auction house and/or the PCs knew what the ring did) then they’ll be on the lookout for a water elemental. If they assume destroy then they should start looking for someone who would know how to destroy such an artifact because that will either lead then to whomever the thief is going to contact or the thief themself.
They could get accused of being conspirators, because they took off from the auction when the action was going down. Hauled in front of the Mayor/Lord of the city, with the King in attendance to witness some justice. They need some good RP and persuasion checks to convince the law that they were trying to stop them, not help them. Come to an agreement that they will apprehend the thief in X amount of time. They may have to leave something/someone as surety (which is always perfect if one of your players can't make a session).
City guard are a bit standoffish/unhelpful because they've brought in outside help.
You could involve the King in a minor way to really stir the pot. The daughter could be in attendance as well. Learning how to govern and all that.
Then SHE could initiate contact and basically tell them that they have no business being there, and if they know whats good for them, they'll get on the first carriage out of the capitol. She may even agree to help them spring their buddy who is being held as surety. Maybe they side with her. Become co-conspirators. Overthrow the government. Depends how the interaction goes. She sets them a test. And then they double cross her and WHAM, into the dungeons with her! Only to be pardoned by the King, because you know, kids do the darndest things....
More context, the players have already gained high standing in the city due to a successful rescue mission of a few dozen slaves from a dao. And I’m hoping to make the Kestrel an ally of sorts. She will have already ripped off several large figures and/or their businesses, and is discretely divulging the wealth with the impoverished.
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Hail and well met!
My last session ended abruptly after my players witness a high-profile thief abscond with a legendary item from a fancy auction. They immediately lost the trail. What is a good way to run the next session as a mystery?
For context, the thief is known as ‘The Kestrel.’ He is a Robin Hood-esque figure, targeting corrupt and affluent individuals. Secretly though, he is the princess of the high king (they are currently in the capitol).
She stole a ring of water elemental command, and either wants to use it, sell it, or destroy it because of its enslavement connotations.
Help me come up with a cool mystery so my players can track her down.
Ask yourself what happens if she takes any of the three actions. If she sells it, does a water elemental suddenly attack somewhere in the city? If she destroys it, what happens? What about if she inexpertly destroys it? If she uses it, your PCs have a huge “U R Here” sign to follow.
What assumptions will your PCs make about the thief’s intentions? If they assume the thief is going to sell it, would they know where to find the black market for such a sale? Or a direputable merchant who would pawn it? If they assume use (assuming the auction house and/or the PCs knew what the ring did) then they’ll be on the lookout for a water elemental. If they assume destroy then they should start looking for someone who would know how to destroy such an artifact because that will either lead then to whomever the thief is going to contact or the thief themself.
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They could get accused of being conspirators, because they took off from the auction when the action was going down. Hauled in front of the Mayor/Lord of the city, with the King in attendance to witness some justice. They need some good RP and persuasion checks to convince the law that they were trying to stop them, not help them. Come to an agreement that they will apprehend the thief in X amount of time. They may have to leave something/someone as surety (which is always perfect if one of your players can't make a session).
City guard are a bit standoffish/unhelpful because they've brought in outside help.
You could involve the King in a minor way to really stir the pot. The daughter could be in attendance as well. Learning how to govern and all that.
Then SHE could initiate contact and basically tell them that they have no business being there, and if they know whats good for them, they'll get on the first carriage out of the capitol. She may even agree to help them spring their buddy who is being held as surety. Maybe they side with her. Become co-conspirators. Overthrow the government. Depends how the interaction goes. She sets them a test. And then they double cross her and WHAM, into the dungeons with her! Only to be pardoned by the King, because you know, kids do the darndest things....
More context, the players have already gained high standing in the city due to a successful rescue mission of a few dozen slaves from a dao. And I’m hoping to make the Kestrel an ally of sorts. She will have already ripped off several large figures and/or their businesses, and is discretely divulging the wealth with the impoverished.