Encounter Summary: The group is rousted out of their beds and assembled in front of an Investigator of the Greenstone Watch. He gives them an offer they cannot refuse.
This scene assumes that the characters have ties to Greenstone, the Watch, and Investigator Prybel. It’s best if the characters owe Prybel or the Watch a favor or if they are suspected (or guilty) of some unsolved crime.
At some early hour of the morning, the characters domicile (or domiciles) rock with the pounding of a mailed fist, followed by the booming voice of a Watchman:
| “This is the Greenstone Watch, open your door! Do not try to escape or resist! Your house is surrounded! Drop all weapons and keep your hands up!” |
After a beat, the watchmen kick in the door (or doors) and flood into the house. Assume two watchmen for every character and Investigator Prybel for this portion of the encounter. If the characters resist, see the Consequences section below. After securing the house and gathering the characters in a central room, Prybel enters.
Investigator Reilly Prybel is a tall, older man. He is formidable, if a little worn down, and though he dresses stylishly, he is quite ugly. His front teeth are rotted (but present) and his skin is sallow and pocked. Prybel started his law enforcement career as a prison guard on the Greenstone (an island prison in the Bay of Greenstone – where he might have met one or more of the characters), but quickly rose through the ranks. He has been an investigator in the Merchant District for a couple of years and is within sight of Chief Investigator in the Noble District. This case, in fact, might put him over the hump.
After introducing himself to those who don’t know him, and exchanging greetings with those that do, Prybel puts his men and the characters at ease, bidding them to sit. He then makes his pitch:
| Note: The following assumes that the characters owe Prybel or the Watch a favor: |
It is good to see that you continue to prosper. It wasn’t always so, and we both know that you owe that to me. It is now the time that I call in that chit and ask something of you. Your contacts down on the Crab River are better even than mine, and my men cannot operate down there without causing a riot. Stinking shanty and their stinking beggars. That King is a thorn in all our bums. Two days ago, a single wagon bound from Scrod (a small fishing village north of Greenstone) was ambushed. Both the driver and the passenger were killed. The driver was of no consequence, but the passenger was delivering a valuable piece to the Museum of Antiquities. Professor Bell is a personal friend of mine, and I promised him that this piece would be recovered. So, as you see, I’m in a tight spot. So, what’s it going to be?
If the party agrees or asks additional questions, Prybel has this to say:
If the group refuses to help, they are immediately arrested and charges are filed with the Merchant District magistrate. Even though the charges are later dropped, the group is set to spend months in the magistrate’s holding cells awaiting a fair trial. Prybel, or a man under his command, visits daily to see if the group has reconsidered. After three days, the events of Shrine to the Deep Prince take place, and the gem disappears completely (consumed in the Ritual of the True Servant).
The group can choose to fight or run, though they should face overwhelming odds. Prybel does not reveal his true nature, and the powers granted him by Dagon, though he is competent in his own right.
Greenstone Watchmen (5 per character)
Elite Greenstone Watchmen (1 per character)
| Scene 1 - The Awakening |
| Scene 2 - Shantytown Shakedown |
| Scene 3 - O'Mosh, Oh Gosh! |
| Interlude 1 - Stuck in a Rut |
| Scene 4 - Shrine of the Deep Prince |
| Interlude 2 - The Prisoner and the Djinni |
| Scene 5 - Museum Surprise |
| Scene 6 - Showdown at the Docks |
| Further Adventures |