GM Challenge - What’s in the village?

[Pauly]

I’m running the setup in a Flashing Blades campaign in an alternate history.

In my history the Roman Empires never fell. Rome was split into West (France, Austria, Italy) East (Balkans, Greece, Anatolia) and South (Iberia to Egypt). The Empires retreated to their defensible borders and modern nation states such as England, Sweden, Poland etc. evolved in the bits they didn’t control.
Each of the 3 empires want to keep the other 2 in a goldilocks condition, not too strong to be a threat, but not so weak as to fall.
The Roman Empires have built a network of canals using extensive aquaducts and tunnels to facilitate teade.

The party is in the Western Roman Empire and is involved in the usual action/intrigue of a Musketeers setting. The 3 main factions are
- Emperor. Tactically brilliant, but not forward thinking. Is interested in how he solves problems now, not what the future implications may be.
- Empress. A Livia/Theodora type. Is interested in the peaceful succession of power to her children and grandchildren. Will do anything to prevent any internal power rivaling or threatening her succession plans. Preferred tools are poison, “accidents” and usurping the potential usurpers.
- The Cardinal. A Richelieu type. Is concerned about external threats to the Empire. Wants strong institutions so the Empire can respond effectively to external threats. Deals with problems by cultivating the enemies of his enemies.
There are minor factions representing foreign powers, local lords, guilds and so on, but the minor factions adhere to one of the main factions. If their loyalty to a main faction is broken they will transfer to a different main faction.

The setup.
The party is sent on a fugitive hunt to the region with the village. Basic investigation will quickly eliminate all other possible places for the fugitive to be.

The village.
Can be entered through one of several hidden passageways.
The village is a spy school for the Southern Roman Empire, from which they send spies throughout the Western Roman Empire. The aquaduct from which the village can be seen from was built by their engineers to avoid unwanted construction teams coming into their valley.
The peculiarities of the village are
- Early crops - explained by a particularly sunny microclimate in the mountain valley
- Every villager having brown hair - explained by the villagers being spies selected for being non-descript.

Depending on which faction the party has chosen to support the village can be hostile or a potential ally.

The peculiarities and mystery of the village are played up because my players a genre savvy and I want them to consider possible supernatural explanations. In the setting belief in the supernatural is real, and the rules allow the possibility of the supernatural.