So the last thing the players saw between sessions was the Scornbul Observer article about the death of the Cardinal and Sebastian being framed for it. I had commented that this was part of Reme's plan, but looking back over my game notes this wasn't the case....
Unfortunately for the Republic Reme learned of the collapse of his plans (he was elsewhere in the caves, and planned to meet with his pirates after the PCs arrived - with his invisibility & expeditious retreat he gathered information and escaped before the rumors were able to circulate) and has initiated a new stratagem. In disguise as Sebastian he infiltrated the water temple, stabbed the venerable Cardinal of the West with a dagger laced with Bloodbee Poison then slowly killed the paralyzed man, making sure to be in sight, trusting that the Cardinals would try to speak with his spirit. He then fled, again making sure he was seen to exit.
After he performs the killing he will use his hag's eye to contact the Coven and let them know. Reme then waits for his chance to kill those who could identify him in court (the pirate and Johann the gnome cook). He might still have destroyed Sebastian's reputation, and certainly murdered one of the Cardinals of the church. His attempts to murder the pirate will doubtless be successful, but the PCs have a chance of saving Johann if they keep him close.
The Coven, once they hear, will not be thrilled with the change of plans. The Sea Hag, Signora Huera, will take steps to try to remove Sebastian from the others pirate hunters so that the deception might continue (killing a dolphin in view of the priest, so that he has to isolate and ritually cleanse himself).
Reme isn't thinking as clearly as he might: this outrage will weaken the church, yes, but it will also rouse the sleeping giant that is the Paladins against the pirates who make up the cannon fodder for the Red Tide and the Coven. In doing so he will be disrupting one of the Coven's plans in the swamps - the slaughter of the keepers at the Seawall Lighthouse and the creation of a false light to cause ships to founder - and perhaps even lead to the destruction of the covey's second member, the powerful Annis.
So this is the advantage of keeping tabs on the villains broad goals and personalities in this sort of sandbox play. The PCs moved to disrupt the villains, the immediate villains change plans, this wrong foots other villains, and so on. This is the conversation Melas was overhearing between the Coven members at the end of Scornbul by Midnight. The outcomes would have been completely different if the PCs had skipped the library, or moved immediately afterwards.
As I commented about last session, having the idea of what was happening let me move immediately to them doing things I had considered for this session, so I found my notes were all full of attacking the pirates on the dock, which was already done.
The timetable after that was the complaint that several ships coming from the west have gone missing over the last couple of weeks - including the one that Johann the gnome was on - which makes the governors suspect that the pirates are lurking to the west. Sebastian and several paladins led ships out that way just that morning, but with these new events the governors want to send forces through the swamps do a visual check for pirates there and to check on the family that tends the lighthouse at Seawall. Ships have reported that the lighthouse is operational and they have seen the wife in the distance, but it never hurts to be sure. Honesto requests that the PCs be one of these groups. (This is the thing the Coven was worried about, above.)
My intent was that the PCs voyage to the swamps, encountering a handful of animal, and then have the choice of heading south (where they'll encounter pirates) or north to the lighthouse (where they'll encounter the Annis and some ogres polymorphed to look like the murdered family). Either encounter is overwhelming, but the PCs have some advantages: with the Pirates they can pick the opposition off, lure it away, confuse it or what have you; with the Annis they will have an avenue of escape or, if they can maintain their cover, can buff the Annis into thinking they don't know what's going on; in both, their foes would rather keep them alive for torture and questioning so there's time for the other group to mount a rescue attempt. I have faith in their ability to survive it.
Once that's over we'll definitely have to have a few days pass to keep this whirlwind of activity from dominating the game. The PCs will have skipped up levels rapidly (now hovering around 3-4) and are now readily able to handle themselves. Plus, I'm hoping that some of the city stuff will work nicely for a few sessions. I'm hoping the swamp time will only take up a couple of hours, but I know that it will be longer than that. Ah well.
Things Players Said They Wanted to Do
- Hang around the library.
- Visit the Cardinals of the Endless Ocean over the remains, and about the impersonation of Sebastian.
- Explore the city as gawking rube;
- Visit the Legerdemain.
- Revisit the gnomish swordsmith about getting a masterwork rapier blade for the training rapier hilt.
- Meet with Aslan Nightshade?
- Locate the men who went into Hightower Tor?
Things I Want to Move Forward
- Get invited by the paladins to follow up on the Pirates the in the Swamp connection.
- Bear witness in a Republican Court to the plot concerning Sebastian d'Ferrantino.
- Battle with the Hag or the Pirates
- Have Cybele get isolated and braced by her halfling mobsters.
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