Café de Nuit

In my campaign (how many times more will I begin a post with these words), I had Strahd comission the PCs to find information about a group of rebels that were attacking a certain city and return with a report. The PCs accepted the task in exchange for money and equipment paid in advance (I did it on purpose at the time).

Meanwhile, the PCs have gone to the terrain, been at the site, found that part of the rebels had been killed by the Effigy of Ivan Szimin, met the remaining part of that command group and... the important thing, chose not to attack them nor to try to bring them to justice. Openly among them, they said they did not like the idea of going against the rebellion (along the path, I gave them several views to the Gundarakite side) and that they had accepted only because of the payment.

I had expected this, and had thought that Strahd would harass them with zombies and skeletons when they deviated from the path, but now I had another idea. The Golem seems to be too strong for them (I hope) and so I was thinking of making Ardonk appear perhaps alone to fight alongside them and kill the Golem, in a kind of penitence for having created the beast (he understood it easily). Tired of seeing so many deaths from his side because of his act, he decided to help alone and not sacrifice anyone else.

Let's say the PCs kill it (I want it to happen). They have seen flocks of bats in the sky and wil keep seeing them over the next nights. This is a hint Strahd is aware. So, when they are finally celebrating their victory, he appears from his carriage and congratulates the PCs for either getting Ardonk killed or drawing him out into the open, also explaining that his gifts don't come free. They may not have done what they thought he was expecting from them, but they did exactly what he wanted them to.


Then he will enter into a 1 to 1 fight with him, out of pride, and to put "the miserable rat in its place", probably calling wolves or soemthing to keep the PCs at bay. He will make full use of his magic to justify some of his apparent powers.
Either way, I expect Ardonk to get killed, but the key issues are:

1) would Ardonk act as described, getting himself into danger?
2) would Strahd do this, or rely on his minions?
3) what would be the PCs reaction, and would they get mad at me?

Thanks all

Ail

Your PCs are struck in a odd (but fun) gridlock

Ail wrote:1) would Ardonk act as described, getting himself into danger?

IMC, I had Ardonk side with the PCs against the golem. Ardonk knew where the golem came from, and saw the PCs as capable of destroying this horror.

But he wasn't reckless, or very heroic...

Ail wrote:2) would Strahd do this, or rely on his minions?

If he finds Ardonk, and identify him as the rebellion leader, indeed I think he will act himself.

However, my concern in this is how does Strahd know all of this, and be there at the moment the golem is killed? Seems a little over the top for me. This part has to be played with care, since Strahd doesn't know everything as it happens.

Ail wrote:3) what would be the PCs reaction, and would they get mad at me?

Out of sympathy, they can attack Strahd and end the campaign. It is what my PC would probably do, fignting injustice, even if they knew the odds were against them.

I suppose Ardonk doesn't know the PCs are on a mission after him?

Why not send a minion then (which could be defeated, with or without the PCs' help), or have Ardonk escape Strahd's wrath?

Joël

Then, let's see what I can do.....

Joël of the Fraternity wrote:

Ail wrote:1) would Ardonk act as described, getting himself into danger?

IMC, I had Ardonk side with the PCs against the golem. Ardonk knew where the golem came from, and saw the PCs as capable of destroying this horror.

But he wasn't reckless, or very heroic...

I can play that. He goes and fights along them, perhaps taking 1 or 2 friends with him. But he's lvl 10, so he's the best fighter in the group (I'm probably going to tone him down, though).

Joël of the Fraternity wrote:

Ail wrote:2) would Strahd do this, or rely on his minions?

If he finds Ardonk, and identify him as the rebellion leader, indeed I think he will act himself.

However, my concern in this is how does Strahd know all of this, and be there at the moment the golem is killed? Seems a little over the top for me. This part has to be played with care, since Strahd doesn't know everything as it happens.

Right, that's the tricky part. Possible ammendments: the bats are at least visual spies, so he can track the Golem and the group. He can teleport to the place at any time and simply lie in waiting. The heroes got help from the Ravenkin / Keepers of the Black Feather, but Strahd didn't see this. He knows the name Ardonk Szerieza, but does not know his name. How does he find Ardonk has joined the group? He can 'see' someone new. Perhaps he can send other spies who can 'hear' too. But I have a nastier solution. Irina, an NPC member of the party who is genuinely good and trying to help, is the one who killed her father with the Ba'al Verzi dagger under Strahd's own domination. Although I didn't specify that at the time, she may have been bitten by Strahd in her sleep, for it is Strahd who leads the other girl he had abducted to Irina's hiding place (she fled after killing her father). There is an opportunity window for that here. Unknowingly, Irina may be under a sort of latent domination by Strahd, either because she was previously dominated or because of that and the biting. As such, during her sleep, Strahd may get information from her (sort of what Mina did in Dracula, although she was a bride, and not merely a victim). This is insidious, I know, because the PCs would have a good and unwilling spy in the party, and it would sure bring a very difficult dillemma to them. Let's say, though, that breaking the link to Strahd were merely an easy blessing task or so, to not make it desperate.

Joël of the Fraternity wrote:

Ail wrote:3) what would be the PCs reaction, and would they get mad at me?

Out of sympathy, they can attack Strahd and end the campaign. It is what my PC would probably do, fignting injustice, even if they knew the odds were against them.

I suppose Ardonk doesn't know the PCs are on a mission after him?

Actually, neither do they. Their mission was to find and if possible destroy the rebel small group attacking the city. This does not include the whole rebellion with Ardonk at the top.

Joël of the Fraternity wrote: Why not send a minion then (which could be defeated, with or without the PCs' help), or have Ardonk escape Strahd's wrath?

Joël

Well, I didn't want Strahd to get hostile to them. As long as he gets along with his goal, it is of no consequence that the PCs were not exactly executing the mission. But if they get to terms, Strahd would have no chance but to punish them, and the least he would do would be closing the borders, which is just what I do not want him to do. The PCs have to be able to go to other lands and return later to Barovia.

To have Strahd not displeases, I'd like to have Ardonk dead, or at least a way to know his whereabouts, face, something that provides a good clue. As such, Ardonk may flee, but the PCs will be punished nonetheless.... I saw the suggestion in another thread about Valcon Forest. That's one of the articles I had shortlisted years ago for my campaign, but had never really considered using.... now might be the time.

A lot of thanks.

Ail

What is Strahd turned Ardonk into a vampire and sent him back to the rebels?

Not only would they have to deal with the creature, it could lead to further adventures with Gabrielle Aderre as she realises what her false lover has become.

This could put Lucretia in danger and Gabby wouldn't want that.

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:What is Strahd turned Ardonk into a vampire and sent him back to the rebels?

Not only would they have to deal with the creature, it could lead to further adventures with Gabrielle Aderre as she realises what her false lover has become.

This could put Lucretia in danger and Gabby wouldn't want that.

I miss the picture completely there. I haven't studied Invidia yet. So, is Ardonk Gabby's new affair? And who's Lucretia?

Ail

Ail wrote:

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:What is Strahd turned Ardonk into a vampire and sent him back to the rebels?

Not only would they have to deal with the creature, it could lead to further adventures with Gabrielle Aderre as she realises what her false lover has become.

This could put Lucretia in danger and Gabby wouldn't want that.

I miss the picture completely there. I haven't studied Invidia yet. So, is Ardonk Gabby's new affair? And who's Lucretia?

Ail

In a nutshell:

Lucretia is Gabrielle's now 5 year old daughter. She doesn't know if the baby is Matton Blanchard's or Ardonk's.

Gabrielle seduced Ardonk so she could userp control of the Gundarakite rebels and retake Invidia. Her base of operations is Castle Hunadora, Duke Gundar's old throne. She uses Ardonk to control the rebels and to convince them to carry out her plans.

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:

Ail wrote:

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:What
In a nutshell:

Lucretia is Gabrielle's now 5 year old daughter. She doesn't know if the baby is Matton Blanchard's or Ardonk's.

Gabrielle seduced Ardonk so she could userp control of the Gundarakite rebels and retake Invidia. Her base of operations is Castle Hunadora, Duke Gundar's old throne. She uses Ardonk to control the rebels and to convince them to carry out her plans.

Ok. And what year is "Now" ?

Ail

Ail wrote: Ok. And what year is "Now" ?

Ail

759, I think.

Actually, we just entered 760

Joël

You sure you got the name of Gabby's daughter right? I don't think it was Lucretia... I'm away from home so I can't check. It's similar, but I don't think that's quite it.

gonzoron wrote:You sure you got the name of Gabby's daughter right? I don't think it was Lucretia... I'm away from home so I can't check. It's similar, but I don't think that's quite it.

You're right, it's Lucita, noy Lucretia.