Intrigue and investigation scenario problem. Help needed!

[Arkhios]

Campaign premise:

"There is no more wretched hive of corruption, criminals, and debauchery than the City of Labyrinths. Once, long ago, the city was bustling and well organized trade city at the crossroads of the known world, but now rivaling and equally corruptible factions seek to vest control over the city.
The City of Labyrinth wasn’t always known by that name, but the original one has been long forgotten, hidden under the coiling layers of new buildings and streets, very much like the Old City itself. Layer upon layer built on top of each other, their filth and refuse streaming through the Old City – or cities – which are largely uninhabitable, serving now as the sewage system for the upper layers. Those unfortunate who can’t afford to live under the skies often end up swallowed by the Shadows of the Labyrinth."

In the campaign the player characters are part of an Adventurers Union, a guild which is given various contracts by clients from all walks of life in the City of Labyrinths. The guild does not incriminate the contract details as long as the payment is good. It falls to the guild members to choose any given task, provided they are up for it. Should anything go wrong, the guild denies any connections, but the guild's contracts are a reliable source of income for those who dare to take the risk.

Anyway, last time the group was given a mission to recover a certain locket from somewhere inside the noble district. The group beat their way to it, but it turned out that someone was "One Step Ahead" as a scribbled mocking note inside a forged locket was brazenly hinting.

now, I'm facing a inspirational dead end. Any ideas are welcome. I was thinking that the two characters would investigate the leads to who might have taken their previous McGuffin from under their noses. It's not relevant if the person responsible was found this time, but clues to his or her motives and whereabouts would be perfect.

I'm running this scenario for a group of two this time (the group size may change every time we play) and I'd like to fit it into a time-window of maximum of 4 hours. Given that they are only two, I'd prefer the scenario involve more stealthy and infiltrative approach rather than guns blazing mass murdering.

[MBControl]

What if it was a narrowly escaped trap. Two other adventurers, stole the information for your contract, and beat the party to the prize, mocking the party the whole way. Your party soon finds the pair of thieves, dead, and the trinket still on their bodies. After a bit of figuring out the situation, these thieves look an awful lot like your party. They can conclude that the whole contract was a trap to kill them, but the two thieves unwittingly set off instead of the party.

Taking the locket, the can have it researched to find it has no real value, and now they need to find who set this trap. Who wants them dead.

[Arkhios]

What if it was a narrowly escaped trap. Two other adventurers, stole the information for your contract, and beat the party to the prize, mocking the party the whole way. Your party soon finds the pair of thieves, dead, and the trinket still on their bodies. After a bit of figuring out the situation, these thieves look an awful lot like your party. They can conclude that the whole contract was a trap to kill them, but the two thieves unwittingly set off instead of the party.

Taking the locket, the can have it researched to find it has no real value, and now they need to find who set this trap. Who wants them dead.

There's some good ideas there. However, they've already returned to their guild master who in turn has already reported to their contractor of the misfortunate circumstances.

Maybe their contractor will approach the group personally this time, though still remaining as mysterious as before, keeping his or her identity a closely-guarded secret.
Maybe the contractor has learned of this little coup, orchestrated by his or her rivals, and sends the party to investigate the leads, which reveal the suggested scene.

The locket was originally meant to be more than a mere trinket, but I figured that maybe the real object of importance was held within, and remains seems to be missing while the locket itself is found.

A bit more information regarding the guild:

The players are not the only members, there are numerous other parties of varying ranks within the guild. The party had four members when they were on their first mission, but now, for reasons yet unclear, only two (or three) can attend the gig.

[gfishfunk]

Have you answered the question of WHY the locket was important? That could be a good focal point for the story - especially if the locket was not important at all.

Suppose the locket were a mere trinket, but the guild leader (or the requester) knew where the real locket was and feared corruption in the guild. So, he first put in the request while knowing that another party might be interested in obtaining the locket, so it was for a substitute. The real locket is important enough to put good money on this - and the locket he sent folks after was previously stolen in an unrelated crime.

That would lead to the following next steps:
1. a quest to determine who took the locket
2. a quest to determine where the information leak in the guild is
3. a quest to eliminate (even if ultimately unsuccessful) the rival party or rival patron
4. a quest to obtain the real locket

[Vogonjeltz]

Anyway, last time the group was given a mission to recover a certain locket from somewhere inside the noble district. The group beat their way to it, but it turned out that someone was "One Step Ahead" as a scribbled mocking note inside a forged locket was brazenly hinting.

now, I'm facing a inspirational dead end. Any ideas are welcome. I was thinking that the two characters would investigate the leads to who might have taken their previous McGuffin from under their noses. It's not relevant if the person responsible was found this time, but clues to his or her motives and whereabouts would be perfect.

I'm running this scenario for a group of two this time (the group size may change every time we play) and I'd like to fit it into a time-window of maximum of 4 hours. Given that they are only two, I'd prefer the scenario involve more stealthy and infiltrative approach rather than guns blazing mass murdering.

First things:

Is the note for the PCs or for the person who ultimately hired them? i.e. Who is the antagonist in question to the players and to the NPCs?

What leads do the players actually have to go on?

Some suggestions:

Start with a Maltese Falcon plot - The players have been caught up in an intrigue under false pretenses. The entire purpose of the job was not for them to acquire the locket, but to break into the location they did, enabling a crime for reasons currently unknown. The locket was always a fake and was deliberately planted there by the very client who hired the Adventurer's Union in order to allay any later suspicions once the true crime comes to light. The note merely clever misdirection to make the adventurer's think there is a 3rd party, where none exists.

In truth, the entire scheme was to cover up a murder most foul. The authorities when investigating are meant to be pointed in the direction of the players themselves, for they were at the scene of the crime! The murder in question needs to be an important one (Duke, Mayor, or someone in the ruling council. The purpose of the murder was political advancement by the perpetrator).

Thus the stage is set, the players aligned, their mission is to evade the authorities and clear their names.

Act 1:
Sometime after the failed mission, the players receive a summons from guild leadership to meet at the HQ. Just before arriving the players are stopped by a trusted ally who tells them that a detective and constables from the local guard came to the Adventurer's Union HQ seeking the identities of those who entered the location the mission indicated. This is brewing to be a major political fallout because of the victim's identity, and so the authorities are going to crack down very hard on the guild if they weren't forthcoming. There were even intimations that if the guild failed to cooperate, they might be...purged.

With that incentive in mind, the leaders of the guild have chosen to give the players up as scapegoats. Fortunately for them, the friend provides a tip off so they don't walk into the trap.

But, this provides the opportunity to stage a daring chase/escape scenario.

Act 2:
The players presumably have evaded the authorities, if they are capture start by having them figure out a way to break out of their imprisonment/confinement or convince the leadership that they had nothing to do with the heinous crime committed. Provided they convince the captain of the guard, or whomever, you can start with his mandating that they find evidence as to the identity of the true killer.

The rest of Act 2 is all about them searching for clues to the crime, talking to folks for more news about what happened, inquiring at the library or whatever to determine the fallout from succession, perhaps culminating with their going back to the scene to find some tell-tale hints that were missed by the guards. (Determine method of killing and means, have something unique to a location or the perpetrator that the players can seek out, maybe a pin or cufflink (the pin could be a house sigil or the cufflink has a match but the killer isn't aware it's missing) or button that popped off a shirt.

Act 3:
The players should have a location to go to (maybe the murderer was merely in the employ of the Client), it could be the docks, a graveyard or mortuary, a particular shop (tanners, butchers, smith, a specific tavern) based on the clues located from the scene of the crime. They confront the murderer who fights or flights. If the killer is killed, they find a note on his person or effects with the seal of prominent leader who has directly benefited from the death of the victim. It turns out...that person is the client who hired them in the first place! It could be that they go to the guild and break in to check records, or tap a trusted friend to acquire the records for the players. Either way, the players should now know that the client and the villain are the same person.

They have two options: Bring the circumstantial evidence they have to the guards and hope that is enough, or break into the manor of the noble themselves and acquire a confession/evidence/deal with the brigand themselves.

Thus concludes the adventure.

[Arkhios]

Have you answered the question of WHY the locket was important? That could be a good focal point for the story - especially if the locket was not important at all.

Is the note for the PCs or for the person who ultimately hired them? i.e. Who is the antagonist in question to the players and to the NPCs?

What leads do the players actually have to go on?

Originally I had intended that the note was directed to either the guild leader or the Client, but the note left this part vague for the party (and for myself, as I left it so on purpose, hoping that I might come up with something at a later point)

The locket was held under a disreputable noble's manor, within a much older burial vault, where they confronted thugs, lesser fiends (a few lemures and an imp), and half a dozen skeletons guarding a grave where the locket should've been. Unfortunately, the inhabitant of the grave had been risen as a ghoul and had in its person the fake locket with the mocking note inside.

The party was led to believe that the locket once belonged to the client's family and it had sentimental value, but the noble house was that of his or her rivals. At these circumstances it should be obvious that at least some of these details were lies. This would suggest that their client would have at least connections to the upper class if he or she wasn't a member of it, and that the locket was much more important - or the thing hidden inside at the very least.

The leads that one might find here are that the miscreant supposedly has dabbled in dark magics, such as conjuring fiends and raising undead, and dealt with criminal organizations, given that the manor was basically guarded by low-ranking members of a local mafia.


Some suggestions:

Start with a Maltese Falcon plot - The players have been caught up in an intrigue under false pretenses. The entire purpose of the job was not for them to acquire the locket, but to break into the location they did, enabling a crime for reasons currently unknown. The locket was always a fake and was deliberately planted there by the very client who hired the Adventurer's Union in order to allay any later suspicions once the true crime comes to light. The note merely clever misdirection to make the adventurer's think there is a 3rd party, where none exists.

In truth, the entire scheme was to cover up a murder most foul. The authorities when investigating are meant to be pointed in the direction of the players themselves, for they were at the scene of the crime! The murder in question needs to be an important one (Duke, Mayor, or someone in the ruling council. The purpose of the murder was political advancement by the perpetrator).

Thus the stage is set, the players aligned, their mission is to evade the authorities and clear their names.

Act 1:
Sometime after the failed mission, the players receive a summons from guild leadership to meet at the HQ. Just before arriving the players are stopped by a trusted ally who tells them that a detective and constables from the local guard came to the Adventurer's Union HQ seeking the identities of those who entered the location the mission indicated. This is brewing to be a major political fallout because of the victim's identity, and so the authorities are going to crack down very hard on the guild if they weren't forthcoming. There were even intimations that if the guild failed to cooperate, they might be...purged.

With that incentive in mind, the leaders of the guild have chosen to give the players up as scapegoats. Fortunately for them, the friend provides a tip off so they don't walk into the trap.

But, this provides the opportunity to stage a daring chase/escape scenario.

Act 2:
The players presumably have evaded the authorities, if they are capture start by having them figure out a way to break out of their imprisonment/confinement or convince the leadership that they had nothing to do with the heinous crime committed. Provided they convince the captain of the guard, or whomever, you can start with his mandating that they find evidence as to the identity of the true killer.

The rest of Act 2 is all about them searching for clues to the crime, talking to folks for more news about what happened, inquiring at the library or whatever to determine the fallout from succession, perhaps culminating with their going back to the scene to find some tell-tale hints that were missed by the guards. (Determine method of killing and means, have something unique to a location or the perpetrator that the players can seek out, maybe a pin or cufflink (the pin could be a house sigil or the cufflink has a match but the killer isn't aware it's missing) or button that popped off a shirt.

Act 3:
The players should have a location to go to (maybe the murderer was merely in the employ of the Client), it could be the docks, a graveyard or mortuary, a particular shop (tanners, butchers, smith, a specific tavern) based on the clues located from the scene of the crime. They confront the murderer who fights or flights. If the killer is killed, they find a note on his person or effects with the seal of prominent leader who has directly benefited from the death of the victim. It turns out...that person is the client who hired them in the first place! It could be that they go to the guild and break in to check records, or tap a trusted friend to acquire the records for the players. Either way, the players should now know that the client and the villain are the same person.

They have two options: Bring the circumstantial evidence they have to the guards and hope that is enough, or break into the manor of the noble themselves and acquire a confession/evidence/deal with the brigand themselves.

Thus concludes the adventure.

[Vogonjeltz]

Originally I had intended that the note was directed to either the guild leader or the Client, but the note left this part vague for the party (and for myself, as I left it so on purpose, hoping that I might come up with something at a later point)

The locket was held under a disreputable noble's manor, within a much older burial vault, where they confronted thugs, lesser fiends (a few lemures and an imp), and half a dozen skeletons guarding a grave where the locket should've been. Unfortunately, the inhabitant of the grave had been risen as a ghoul and had in its person the fake locket with the mocking note inside.

The party was led to believe that the locket once belonged to the client's family and it had sentimental value, but the noble house was that of his or her rivals. At these circumstances it should be obvious that at least some of these details were lies. This would suggest that their client would have at least connections to the upper class if he or she wasn't a member of it, and that the locket was much more important - or the thing hidden inside at the very least.

The leads that one might find here are that the miscreant supposedly has dabbled in dark magics, such as conjuring fiends and raising undead, and dealt with criminal organizations, given that the manor was basically guarded by low-ranking members of a local mafia.




Ah glad to help, good luck!