For thoose who don't know already, the campain is in Rome 90 AD, the
players are gladiators and aurigae, some of them already have bought their
freedom. There is some low powered magic following roughly the vodoo
rules.
I am in the early stages of designing the next adventure.
In one of the past adventures the wife of the flamen dialis has died,
which forced the flamen to resign from his post. Now a comitia (which as
far as i can figure out would be the senate by that time, but i am rather
shakey on that. It's not really important for the story however) has
elected 3 candidates and the pontifex maximus (who again AFAIK is the
emperor at that time) will pick one of them.
The candidates are:
Rufus Famminus Demissus, who is of the senatorial class, social
conservative and and in general is so pious that he even farts incense.
The position would fit him like a glove. Common wisdom is that he has no
chance whatsoever though, because the emperor is not particulary inclined
to do his family a favour at the moment and besides, if you pick the best
candidate, you have a hard time to argue you have done someone a favour
that ought to be repaid to begin with.
Decimis Statius Pressus, who is of eques class, also social conservative
and who tries to chum up with the senatorical class by being more
traditional then they are. He is in general not well respected by both the
senatorical class (who see him as social climber) and the eques, who
resent that he considers them not good enough. His wife Minucia Pressa is
from a senatorical class family, though there is a commonly known business
transaction, that explains why they were eager to marry her to him. While
having no powerbase himself, social conservatives consider him someone,
who would not endanger the decorum of the office and there is a movement
among eques, who like to see someone of their class get the job. He also
would very much like to get it.
Decimus Horatius Misenus , of senatoical class, is a sycophant and
playboy, who hangs out with some groups, that currently have imperial
favours. Social conservatives see him as a disgrace (and most others would
support him only to spite the conservatives) but he played the favours and
alliences game well, to get on the list. He does not actually want to
become flamen, he did it for the prestige of getting on the list and
because it proves that he is an important enough player, that his favours
are valuable.
I am still flexible about Demissus and Misenus, because while i have them
prepared for the last adventure (the pc disguised as his own double
killing the noble was part of an intrigue to secure Misenus his ticket)
but the players have not investigated that angle.
The wife of Pressus has an affair with Ingrun, a pc, which ties the pcs to
the whole affair. A few people know about the affair, a few more suspect
it, but by and large it is still secret.
Now someone (i suppose someone who wants a senatorical flamen) hires a
killer, to have Pressus killed. The killer will one night wear a whig
like Ingruns hair and clothing like Ingrun and climb over the roof of the
Pressus villa, sneak inside and stick a sword into Pressus. Then he nimbly
climbes on the roof again and runs away. All things Ingrun could do (in
fact she had picked up Minucia on that roof for a night time activity in
the past). he will be seen at least on the way out.
Ingrun will be arrested and the pcs will have to prove her innocence.
I already have one idea of a very shakey proof that it was not Ingrun. The
killer will step on parts of the roof that break and make noise, while
Ingrun has gotten directions from Minucia, where to step on the roof.
I also want something else, that a witness in the house sees, but that is
not obvious, so the pcs have to figure out the clue. I fear size does not
work well, because Ingrun is rather large and while bumping your head on
somethings proves that you are not a small person, it's much harder to
see, that someone who was running or sneaking was not crouching in any way
and still has not bumped his head.
I also want a disbelievable alibi for Ingrun. She was at home and no one
had seen her sneak out would work, but it's not terribly original.
I also play with the idea of having the conspiracy give her a second
incompatible alibi, such as having a prostitute report, that Ingrun has
spent the night with her and later killing the prostitute, so she never
confesses to have been paid for that report.
I'd also like some idea how the pcs can get at the conspiracy. Playing it
over the motive would lead to too many suspects. Solving the murder of the
prostitute could work. Who knew about Ingrun and Minucia has the problem,
that all the NPCs that the pcs know about or can easily find out about are
some i neither want as conspirator, nor where i want to give them the
image of not being able to keep a secret. And really for getting the idea
to frame Ingrun, you only need a rumour. Any other ideas?
And any good ideas how to make the murder of the prostitute solvable for
pcs, but not so obviously, that suspension of disbelieve does not clash
with the official investigators needing the help of the pcs? A murder of a
low class prostitute will not have much of an investigation in itself, but
the murder of a witness for the murder of a flamen candidate will. I also
intend to make the chief investigator competent but somewhat abentminded
(kinda Columbo or Stockinger like). Propably the pcs come to question her,
when she gets murdered and they can chase the killer. Undercover
investigators have staked out the place because she seemed fishy, so they
see the pcs come before she got murdered, but also see the killer flee.
I also think about having the pcs find a bum, with clothes like Ingrun and
a whig. The killer has to sitch them somewhere after all. But what usefull
information can the bum give the pcs, if the killer did not behave totally
incompetent (such as dumping the whig right in front of his home), that
leads to the killer. Otherwise he/she is only a witness to prove Ingruns
innocense, not a lead to the conspiracy.
Will the emperor/pontifex maximus now have to pick from the remaining 2
candidates, will a third candidate be added to the list, or will there be
a whole new list?
Option 1 will make the class issue as motive very plausible. Option 2 too,
if as i assume the comitia puts the 3 candidates, who got most votes on
the list, becasue that will likely make it an other senatorical social
conservative. Option 3 makes it all more a gamble.
I don't think what the procedures of ancient rome really were is not
readily available, so i will pick what works best for the story, but i
have not decided yet.
One mans groundfloor is an other mans earthmissle
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Johannes Trimmel
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