[DF] General Adventure Workshop Thread

[ajardoor]

6. Gainful Employment
As the next day begins, the tensions of the riots slowly diminish and the clean-up begins. If the party stopped their riot, the mess is minimal and peace quickly returns.
The innkeeper speaks to any character hired by the Gapu, telling them of Journo leaving them a message about a job. The message explains that they are to go to the wharf and meet with the captain of a boat, "The Seventh Trace", and collect a package to be delivered. The message also warns that danger is to be expected and to be on guard.
Characters hired by the secret society get contacted as well, this time via a note passed on the streets. It instructs the reciever to meet with a contact in front of a wine shop at the corner of Duncan Street and Invicto Lane, tonight at nine. Bring weapons.
Characters meeting at The Seventh Trace will find themselves talking to the captain. He explains that a member of the Gapu family, Fresco, is to be escorted to the mansion of a Mister Irvine Barrows. Joining the escort is group of mercenaries (stats as per standard combat agent). Fresco wishes to meet with the other factions this way and negotiate a truce with them.
Characters meeting with the secret society find the wine shop attended to by a large fat man called Rey. He pretends to be just another merchant, before 10 secret society thugs (all hooded, five at each end of the street) show up and confirm that the PCs are their hired help. Then Rey hands them a hood each to disguise themselves with.
Once disguised, the characters are then lead to a dark alleyway and inform them that they plan to ambush Fresco and his men. They also warn the characters that they have joined the secret society, for life and at the risk of death - so they'd better behave and work hard.
The ambush point will be a relatively straight section, with several alcoves leading off it, providing the secret society thugs a place to hide. Let each PC choose his position, whetever marching with Fresco and his bodyguards or ambushing with the secret society. If PCs are on opposing sides, they should not be allowed to know info on the other side unless they have an in-game reason to.
The leader of the ambush, an evil cleric, will give the signal to attack the escort when it has passed the first group of hidden thugs. The priority of the attack is Fresco, who is to be captured or killed. This may count as Partial Surprise for the escort, unless their group Observation beat the thugs' group Stealth in a quick contest.
If the PCs capture the ambush leader, they will find he is a red headed man named Oswald. Oswald at first pretends to break down and "confess" to the murder of Reina, saying the Gapu hired to kill her and control the secret society. An successful contest against the PC's Detect Lies versus his Acting reveals this to be a lie. Examining his body and making a roll against Diagnosis or First Aid will show he has no other wounds than what he took in the fight - thus he couldn't be Reina's murderer, as both of them took dagger wounds in the process. Note that Oswald has no details on the actual murder, he knows nothing on how Reina was killed or why. Oswald does not know the identity of the murderers, or where the lair is.
If Fresco survives, he makes it to the Barrows house and rewards each PC on his side with $5000 in coins.
If Fresco is killed, the secret society later pays each PC on their side $2000 through private meetings at the inn, and will be told to watch out for future job offers.

Denouement for Gainful Employment
The point of this part of the adventure is decide a turning point - if Fresco lives and makes peace, the city of Port Vith could be spared a lot of grief. Also note that getting the ambush leader could provide at least one vital clue - feel free to allow more clues to be obtained from his interrogation. Also keep in mind that this whole section could be skipped if the PCs are not employed by either side.

Holes in Gainful Employment
Again, there is a chance the party could be killed or captured at this point. Making friends with either side at this point may just decide the course of the adventure. If the ambush is foiled by skipping it (i.e. the PCs teleport Fresco to the Barrows house), they may miss a chance to collect info on the secret society. If Oswald manages to successfully decieve the party, that will help the Quipper's plot to succeed, and possibly kick start a civil war between the merchant families.