Planning: Travel out of Nuln (part 1)

Choices, choices...

The start of Enemy in Shadows is hundreds of miles from where the Vagabonds find themselves right now. The reason for this? Well I'd like to establish some NPCs, let the players get to grips with their  PCs and play though a few classics before they get stuck in.  

But there is another reason. The enemy within, especially, Enemy in Shadows, pretty linear. 

I'd like to increase the level of agency in the campaign as a whole, and a good starting point is to give them choice about the routes they take. Sure, they will end up walking though the mud, on the road from Delbren towards altdorf...but how they get there will be there will be a series of meaningful choices.

The first step is getting them out of Nuln, destined either for Altdorf or Ubersreik.

I have four routes prepped in lose form; four offers of work that will pay their way.    


The Second Oldenhaller Constract

Having served the interests of Albrect Oldenhaller in a somewhat scandelous manner, Oldenhaller decides he wants them out of Nuln so that word of the gem cannot spread. In an ideal world, he'd like the Vagabonds dead where no one knows of their connection to him.

So, Albrect promises the Vagabonds a small purse of coin to deliver a letter to his agent' in Ubersreik, with a further payment on delivery. 

Of course. The letter contains instructions to dispose of the Vagabonds.

This will put the Vagabonds on an overland stage coach journey to Ubersreik.

The song bird's escape 

Fearing that people might start putting together her role in the thefts and kidnapping, Maria della Miragliano turns to the Vagabonds and offers them a seriously good purse of coin for transport to Ubersreik, where she hopes to find work at the Theatre Variete. 
 
This will put the Vagabonds on an overland stage coach journey to Ubersreik.

On and on the riverflows

If all else fails, Josef will offer them food, transport, and a penny a day down river, if they are willing to work their passage.

And then there is...


If Herr Verschwender doesn't have the Vagabond's breaking into this thing expecting to find Frau Oppenheimer in grave soil, I will have failed with this NPC.

Herr Verschwender's closet 

Frau Oppenheimer asks that the Vagabonds to speak Johanna Verschwender, who she refers to as "My Maan" with her think sylvanian accent, because he is in need of some help. 

Johanna Verschwender turns out to be a weaselly little man and a bundle of nerves (played with the energy of Tom Waits portrayal of Renfield) who needs help transporting a closet to Delbren. Johanna is very protective of the closet, will not let it be openned and generally makes everyone suspecious of him and of Frau Oppenheimer.

He has booked passage with Josef Quartjin, and wants the vagabonds service as manual labour and protection on the trip...and he will not accept stevedores moving the closet (which belongs to his "mistress"), which of course will cause brawls with members of stevedore guilds. 


Next prep session...mapping both journeys and making some encounters to have along the way.


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