One Last Riddle SJ Conversion pt 10

Courses of Action:  There are a variety of ways the PCs can approach
the situation in Miel, each with its own variety of possible
occurrences.  The DM could stretch things out into an entire campaign
depending on the PCs^Ò actions, the success the DM decides the locals
and kobolds have, and what opposition they face.
        Attack!:  PCs who choose to simply charge in and attack at any time
will face significant odds.  As time goes on the slaves will weaken and
be less able to help the PCs while more guards will complete their
training (the rate of training is left to the DM to decide as well as
any further recruitment and hiring of outside mercenaries after the
first month).  The kobolds will establish more traps and will become
more confident in their position, as well as more accepted and trusted
by the local populace.  Without forming any alliances first the PCs can
only count on the aid of the slaves in any direct attack on the kobolds
or the town^Òs forces.  Some of the local rogues may be willing to
distract or hinder the town guards (or even knife one or two if things
become too bad for the thieves over time) but will only act if they can
guarantee they won^Òt be seen (it^Òs a small town, being seen means being
recognized).  Heath is another possible source of aid but since he has
to travel about in the company of fellow elves unless he^Òs been
contacted first he will also limit any intervention to out of sight
activities, possibly casting a sleep spell from the shadows.  For their
part the kobolds will withdraw from both PCs attackers and any slaves
incited to revolt and deal damage from a distance with spells, traps,
crossbows, spears, and their catapult.  If the guard is attacked they
will come to the aid of their human allies but will do so from a
distance again.  The guard, in turn, will come to help the kobolds if
they are attacked.  Both experienced members of the guard (including
all the clergy of the planar church of Nirvana) and new recruits will
do their utmost to aid the kobolds against any hostile forces.  If the
guards are attacked not only will they defend themselves and gain the
aid of the kobolds but many locals (particularly those who possess a
character class other than expert or commoner) will come to the aid of
the guard.  Not all may entirely agree with what^Òs going on but these
are their friends and neighbors those crazed strangers just attacked!
Overall this is the most dangerous course of action and the most likely
to fail without sufficient preparation.
        On the other hand, if the PCs simply land and attack either the town
guard (before the guard tries to confiscate their vessel) or the
kobolds treat this as an attack on the town itself, in which case
everyone in town will help defeat the PCs.
        Land:  Of course the PCs have to land to handle the situation but
arriving in town or at the docks (or anywhere else in sight of the
town) will immediately alert the town guard and the kobolds to the PCs
presence.  The guard will then follow the procedures of described in
the Visitors event above.  In this case also refer to Attack! for
additional notes on how to handle PC resistance.  If they are more
careful, however, and land elsewhere they can meet up with farmers
first and learn about the situation before becoming involved in it.
DMs might have them come across an emptied halfling farm first as a
warning while a generous DM will allow them to make their first contact
with civilization at an elven farm where they can quickly be introduced
to the situation, the elves^Ò debates on the subject, two potential
allies in their cause (Heath and Lilina), and not have to worry about
being exposed to the guard and kobolds by gossip (as would happen with
most human farmers though it might take a few days).  Of course where
the PCs land is also an issue in this situation but PCs who try (or get
help such as from friendly elves) can hide it in a large cleft on the
gravity plane or a small ship able to land on land could be camouflaged
next to an orchard.
        Secret Investigation:  Hopefully the PCs decide to investigate the
situation.  If they do so they have a number of ways of doing so
without problem as well as a number of potential pitfalls.  The first
possible pitfall is being discovered.  If they are discovered (unknown
faces stand out in small towns) it will be wondered where their ship is
and any story will be checked out (if too difficult to check out in any
other way, Ujar will employ divinations).  If discovered use the Open
Investigation section.  There are a number of ways to investigate
without being noticed.  Familiars, invisibility, change self, scrying,
and the like can all help the PCs gather information without anyone
realizing they are here.  Most of the locals (except other hadozee, who
aren^Òt talking until they join the guard, and elves, who aren^Òt talking
at all) can^Òt tell one hadozee from another so pretending to be a
hadozee from one of the farms will allow the PCs free access around
town.  It^Òll also let the elves know something^Òs up and cause them to
attempt to arrange a meeting in private with the newcomer.  If a
meeting attempt is rebuffed they^Òll take their story to the authorities
after that night^Òs discussion and let things fall where they may.
Similarly most locals can^Òt tell lizard men apart but all the lizard
men now work for the kobolds and the kobolds can tell them apart.  This
possibility is unlikely to achieve good results.  Pretending to be a
kobold is another way to end up in trouble as all the kobolds know each
other and none would be wandering around asking questions anyway.
Entering town as a dwarf is about as good as entering it as a hadozee
since most humans can^Òt tell dwarves apart either.  There is a larger
dwarven population, however, and the dwarves will react to a new dwarf
as the elves do to a hadozee.  If they are rebuffed when asking for a
meeting that night^Òs council will select a press gang to bring the
strange dwarf in they can find out what things are about.  Of course,
if things go poorly (like generating a brawl the guard has to react to)
they will feign innocence and turn the PC over.  PC rogues might also
trying contacting the local thieves^Ò guild.  Unfortunately there isn^Òt
one so they^Òll at best get stuck meeting a bunch of disorganized,
down-trodden rogues.  While several methods of secret investigation are
open to the PCs it is by contacting sympathetic locals that the PCs
will stand the greatest chance of success and likely learn the most.
Of course some things the locals don^Òt know, such as what^Òs going on in
the kobolds^Ò lairs, will have to be ferreted out more directly.  If the
PCs make contact with the elves dwarves, or local thieves go to the
appropriate section Elves, Dwarves, or Rogues, below.  There is also
another choice for gaining information through a local contact without
giving themselves away.  If the PCs manage to contact Mayor Natal in
secret they could have some interesting results.  In this case see the
Natal section.
        Open Investigation:  Open investigation offers possibilities of its
own as well as presenting its own problems.  The first is how the PCs
arrived.  If they have their own ship or the ship they^Òre on decides to
come to Meil (the name of the asteroid is the same as the name of the
town) their ship will be confiscated.  However if they are let off by
the ship they are on elsewhere and it continues on its way (a distinct
possibility if the PCs don^Òt own the vessel as more captains have more
pressing business than completing errands for ghosts) they may end up
in town with a good story as to how they arrived and without losing
anything.  Once experienced adventurers arrive in town the locals will
size them up.  More importantly the local officials do too.  They want
to hire the PCs as experienced spacefarers but are also concerned about
whether or not they will fit in (adventurers have a reputation for
unruliness).  If the PCs openly reveal their intentions and their
opposition to the slaving the local officials and the kobolds will both
begin watching them carefully (invisible weasel familiars are
particularly good at this) and it will be much harder for them to
operate without opposition.  They may even end up revealing their
potential allies.
        Arriving in town openly also opens up the possibility that the PCs
include one or more gnomes or halflings.  If this is the case they will
be enslaved, something that^Òs likely to cause an open battle unless the
PCs have planned for it (this is a good way to get someone into the
kobold^Òs lair and to contact the slaves so they can coordinate
efforts).  Arriving openly does mean PCs will be noticed in the
opposite way also, however.  Giff, hurwaeti, rastipedes, xixchil, and
lizard men will be approached the kobolds with offers of employment
while the town will offer any adventurer work as noted above.
        Open investigation does offer a number of benefits.  It will be
extremely easy for PCs to learn about what^Òs going on as everyone is
talking about the alliance and all the recent changes, most with
excitement (gather information DC 10 will reveal the basics with DC 15
being checked against any specific commonly known piece of info, no
secrets are leaking yet so there^Òs no chance to learn of those,
however).  Probably more importantly to PC success is that they can
easily move about town and get ^Óthe lay of the land^Ô.  As long as they
don^Òt violate curfew they can wander freely through the town and see
what buildings are where, who occupies them, and what goes on there.
Even as visitors they are required to attend militia drill (this is
done to determine their skills if they haven^Òt joined the guard,
whether or not they^Òve been offered a position) which allows them to
find out everyone who^Òs in charge (i.e., who all the guards, clergy of
the planar church of Nirvana, mayor, and recruits are) and exactly how
well coordinated, equipped, and skilled they are.  In all, the PCs
should not be impressed if they have any experience with a real
military force.  And of course, being out and about openly will allow
the local rogues, the elves, the dwarves, or even Natal to contact the
PCs for a secret meeting if the DM wishes to have them do so.  If the
PCs join the town guard, however, they will have to initiate any
contacts themselves and convince those they contact of their sincerity.
        Elves:  The elves are the easiest group to get help from but also the
most likely to get the PCs into trouble.  If the PCs attend one of the
nightly elven meetings they will be introduced to all the heads of the
elven families in town as well as a few other important elves who are
alone (like Saul), have insisted on being there (like Heath), or have
been asked to attend due to position or experience (like Lilina).  In
all, 24 adult elves attend each meeting (occasionally a head of family
sends someone in their place, such as their spouse or eldest child, so
the same faces are always present).  The elves are willing to openly
discuss the situation with the PCs and explain to them as much of what
they know is going on.  Of course, they put their own spin on it, being
worried about being enslaved, unable to do much to stop what^Òs
happening, and so on.  They are willing to discuss possible courses of
action with the PCs and even provide limited support as long as it
doesn^Òt endanger them (a safe place to sleep, healing, etc.) but are
unwilling to fight the town.  If the PCs can think of a way to drive a
wedge between the town and the kobolds the elves are all for it but
otherwise they want to wait and see and while they won^Òt stop serious
action (such as taking prisoners or killing someone) by the PCs neither
will they provide even limited aid in that event.  They are also
willing to talk as often and long as the PCs like.  They are elves,
they^Òre patient.  Heath, however, is not patient.  He is extremely
willing to help the PCs and has almost a dozen young followers who are
willing to join him (unfortunately most of these elves haven^Òt even
reached maturity) and will seek the PCs out after any unsuccessful
meeting with a bold, daring, and crazy plan that he wants them to help
with (such as attempting to burn the warehouse so the slaves have to be
set free so they^Òll survive).  PCs can easily talk him out of it and
get him to join them in their own plans (and even bring along some
help).  Heath will do most anything that won^Òt endanger the other
elves.  Like most of the other elves, he is CG and believes what^Òs
happening is wrong but even though he believes in individual action to
stop it he won^Òt risk his community.  The elves are very tight knit and
stick together.  Heath does have other resources, though the PCs will
have to bring them out as he won^Òt think about them.  His friendly,
generous nature has put him on good terms with the other thieves in
town and he knows most of them by name.  If the PCs want to contact the
town^Òs criminal element he^Òs their best bet (Saul also knows them all
but won^Òt reveal his dealings with them for fear of the law and the
other elves finding out).  Lilina is also interested in taking action
but she will only approach the PCs on her own if she is impressed by
their resolve, discretion, and competence.  Unlike Heath, she^Òs very
thoughtful in her approach and she^Òs seen enough in her brief travels
to let her know that evil and slavery cannot be tolerated under any
conditions.  Even if elves aren^Òt the victims, it^Òs her duty to help
fight it.  She is the perfect person for the DM to use to introduce his
own schemes to the PCs or to point out flaws in their schemes and keep
the PCs on track.  She wants action immediately but she is also willing
to balance time against the final goal and the safety of others (the
PCs, the elves, and even townsfolk who will suffer if their authorities
and defenders are wiped out).  Lilina will also help keep a tight rein
on Heath.  Both elves are willing to join the PCs or support them with
spells.  They might even trade useful spells with PC wizards at the
DM^Òs option and, of course, they^Òd be happy to learn any new spells the
PCs want to provide them so they can be more helpful.  If the PCs do
not have familiars that could easily move about town both Heath and
Lilina are willing to dedicate their familiars to the job and will
suggest using familiars as spies if the PCs haven^Òt thought of it.


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