01 : The Chest

This encounter should be able to be had anywhere – the encounter can be made to happen where the PCs are, rather than the PCs having to go to a specific location to trigger the event. It’s method of play is that the PCs choose what they do – there isn’t a guiding force as to what the PCs aught to do.

As the PC’s round a corner they notice a treasure chest lying on the road. It is resting inside a set of two poles that attach to it, so it could be carried by a pair of men, but there is nobody near it now. There are the signs of a fight happening here and there are several unconscious or slain town guards. Looks like they were escorting the chest. There also look a few rough types on the ground as well, again either dead or unconscious. One of the rough types even seems incapacitated. In the distance it looks like the remainder guards are chasing off an enemy and have left the chest completely alone in the confusion.

Well, that chest could just be carried off right now! You could disappear with it – but while the town guards would know, that brigand on the ground over there can’t do much, but he is watching! He’ll report to his boss latter and the leader of them might well send someone after you if…that witness remains alive. I mean, they are unarmed, unable to fight – it’ll be easy! Indeed, there’s a low chance another brigand is watching even if you killed them first! But it’s just a chance – you might get away scot free!

Or you could stay with the chest, guard it and there might be a small helpers fee from the guards. Or there may be no fee, but an offer of work now you’ve proven you’re trustworthiness. But then again, small fees or no reward at all except the offer to work for coin? Surely you deserve better?

Not to mention, you haven’t even looked inside the chest. Perhaps just a quick look – what’s the harm of picking the lock, having a look then locking it again? Can’t hurt to know what’s in there, right?

02 : The Test or the Trick

There is some pomp and splendour ahead, with a small well dressed crowd around a stage set up here.

It turns out around here the young of nobles need to go through tests. Here the young noble had a choice between two staged rooms, guessing from clues which of them hid a special ceremonial artifact behind their furnishings. It seems the young noble has chosen already.

That’s when one of the nobilities retainers approaches the party and parlays. Perhaps they know of the parties exploits and have earnt some trust, perhaps the party seems a little…flexible, in their outlook and there’s no one else to turn to.

The thing is, the retainer whispers, the young noble has chosen wrong! And the next step of this test involves burning the staged room that the noble didn’t choose! But that has the ceremonial artifact hidden at the back!

It would be most upsetting and decorous should this mistake be seen in front of the crowd! If the party would be so kind as to sneak around or have their sneaky member slip around the back of the stage and remove the ceremonial item and move it to the other room, there would be gold in it for all of them for this act of diplomacy! The retainer will hold off the burning for as long as he can and he has no one else to do this deed for him.

However, the party can talk with the young noble as they approach. Do they want to talk with him? If they do, they can sense from his demeanour he is the type who wants to face up to his mistakes. Indeed, perhaps this would be a healthy trait in ruling loyalty, when he grows up and takes power in latter years?

But then again the retainer isn’t going to pay you a few gold coins unless you move the ceremonial artifact!

The actual sneaking, if done, should not be so hard – a chance of being caught, a need to talk your way out of it with a convincing lie. And if that fails, perhaps despite the urge to trick, you fail and…the young noble learns the truth?

Also even if the PCs decline to do the deed, the retainer still gives a small fee, 10% of what he’d otherwise have given each of them, for the PCs to remain quiet about all this. More diplomacy money.

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