My party know that a high lord of a city is working with a devil. They found a cambion outside of the city with a prepared contract from Zariel, who they intercepted and the contract naming him. It burst into flames destroying the evidence.
This is set in Scornubel, a city led by Lady Rhessajan, and below her is a council of 3 high lords, each formally merchants forming the council. One of them has quickly risen to title of High Lord due to his success in merchant trading amid a refugee crisis, and is putting the other 2 high lords to shame. His overall goal is to overthrow Lady Rhessajan and become the leader of the city, thus fulfilling his bargain with Zariel and allow her to take the city down to Avernus. (FYI, yes we started descent into avernus, then got bored of it so now we are unscripted campaign, Elturel is foreshadowing the fate of other cities that Zariel can infiltrate).
My main question though, the players will need to prove the high lord is working with a devil through investigation or other means, so that they can get the Red Shields (security/militia of the city), the other high lords, or even Lady Rhessajan herself to believe them. As this high lord is well liked and well respected, simply assassinating him isn't going to go down well, but that is a resolution to the problem I suppose. My players are all good aligned, cleric, paladin etc, so peaceful and just means would likely be their approach to this. What clues and encounters could I lay out for the players to eventually get the proof they need?
For example, they follow him one night and see him speaking with a cloaked figure in an alleyway, following the cloaked figure could lead them to one of Zariels minions who is keeping tabs on the progress.
They could break into his house and find X item, which partially implicates him, however they would need to prove it belonged to the high lord.
Sorry I'm late, but you could have the party set up an intricate illusion or machinations which proves that he is working for an archdevil. (Illusion of zariel so he admits it while the public watches but the lord doesn't know it, or a building of an angel to terrify him Into confessing, though you can have any solution you want, I'm just giving suggestions)
Are you aware that this is almost literally the first chapter of Baldur's Gate Descent Into Avernus, just set in a smaller city, right down to the refugee crisis? If you have access to it, read through it. Basically the resolution climaxed in a raid producing explicit evidence of the Patriar's (what you call a High Lord) involvement with Zariel.
My party know that a high lord of a city is working with a devil. They found a cambion outside of the city with a prepared contract from Zariel, who they intercepted and the contract naming him. It burst into flames destroying the evidence.
This is set in Scornubel, a city led by Lady Rhessajan, and below her is a council of 3 high lords, each formally merchants forming the council. One of them has quickly risen to title of High Lord due to his success in merchant trading amid a refugee crisis, and is putting the other 2 high lords to shame. His overall goal is to overthrow Lady Rhessajan and become the leader of the city, thus fulfilling his bargain with Zariel and allow her to take the city down to Avernus. (FYI, yes we started descent into avernus, then got bored of it so now we are unscripted campaign, Elturel is foreshadowing the fate of other cities that Zariel can infiltrate).
My main question though, the players will need to prove the high lord is working with a devil through investigation or other means, so that they can get the Red Shields (security/militia of the city), the other high lords, or even Lady Rhessajan herself to believe them. As this high lord is well liked and well respected, simply assassinating him isn't going to go down well, but that is a resolution to the problem I suppose. My players are all good aligned, cleric, paladin etc, so peaceful and just means would likely be their approach to this. What clues and encounters could I lay out for the players to eventually get the proof they need?
For example, they follow him one night and see him speaking with a cloaked figure in an alleyway, following the cloaked figure could lead them to one of Zariels minions who is keeping tabs on the progress.
They could break into his house and find X item, which partially implicates him, however they would need to prove it belonged to the high lord.
Sorry I'm late, but you could have the party set up an intricate illusion or machinations which proves that he is working for an archdevil. (Illusion of zariel so he admits it while the public watches but the lord doesn't know it, or a building of an angel to terrify him Into confessing, though you can have any solution you want, I'm just giving suggestions)
Are you aware that this is almost literally the first chapter of Baldur's Gate Descent Into Avernus, just set in a smaller city, right down to the refugee crisis? If you have access to it, read through it. Basically the resolution climaxed in a raid producing explicit evidence of the Patriar's (what you call a High Lord) involvement with Zariel.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.