Causoban
Part Two

Section 3:
The Lesser of Two Evils

by Kevin Jones
Illustrations by FASA

Introduction

The Lesser of Two Evils is a long stog for your Earthdawn campaign. We've provided alternate entry points for the campaign, so it doesn't matter where your players start, they'll all end up in Causoban, one way or another. The campaign can be used with the Ligks, Camera, Action section above, padding out the outline provided here, and chere are suggescions on how and when to use each one.

The plot revolves around the Assassins of Vestrial and their Master, D'thn Slom. Slom intends to dethrone the two men who overtly control the city: Thoren Tugel and Uthar Duldred. He intends to do this by drawing them into conflict with each other, and the if your party gets in the way, well that's just too bad for them.

Part One: Thieves In The Temple

The party can be drawn into the plots of the Assassins of Vestrial in many ways. The first and most obvious way is through "An Offer You Can't Refuse" which can be found in Section Two. Another way to get them involved is by getting a favorite NPC sold into slavery, thus bringing them to Causoban and drawn into the Assassin's plots. Yet another way is to have the PCs get sold into slavery. Have them on a ship, get them attacked by pirates, have the pirates overrun their ship and bang! there they are in Causoban, serving Thoren Tugel as indentured bodyguards.

Once they're in Causoban, have one of the bosses approach them about being bodyguards. Both Thoren and Uthar are rather nervous because there's been a great deal of dastardly dealings going on, and both have lost many men due to attrition. Despite his best efforts, Uthar is going to lose the party to Thoren. Thoren simply has more resources at his disposal. Their boss will be D'thn Slom, a tall elf who never reveals his face to anyone. He is wrapped in black clothing and his features are hidden by an elaborate iron mask. He constantly puts his life in danger to protect Thoren Tugel, an act which will definitely raise some eyebrows in the party. If they ask him why he risks his life for a scumbag like Thoren, he will answer with a soft laugh and say "If you have to ask, you will never understand."

In this part of the campaign, send some small fry assassins against the party. Each of the assassins will provide little clues, pointing to Duldred. Once Thoren has been shown the clues, he will begin to consider open war on the Guildboss, but Slorn will suggest something much more subtle. "Why not blackmail?" he'll suggest. After all, if the other guildmasters discover that their Grandmaster is lowering himself to hiring assassins, he would lose respect in their eyes, thus threatening his position. Tugel will agree to this plan and send the party as messengers.

When they arrive at Ulthar's place, they will discover that he has also killed assassins in his home, and these fine folks have left evidence incriminating Thoren as the client. He will tell the PCs that he doesn't care for blackmailers, but understands that they are only doing their job.

Then, he will offer them the opportunity to become spies for his operation. He will offer a mighty reward and amnesty should the Slave Master discover their treachery. He makes the offer nearly impossible to refuse (that shouldn't be too hard considering they were forced into the deal in the first place) and sends them back to Thoren with the information he has given them. If they refuse, he smiles and says that he understands and doesn't even mind if they tell Thoren of his offer. But he reminds them that the offer is always open: a high reward and freedom from indenture is a tough bargain to pass up.

Part Two: The Deep City

There are many ways to continue this story to its conclusion, but any way you take it, the Assassins' game plan remains the same. They want to bring the two bosses to the brink of war. Once they start fighting each other, the Assassins will have no problem picking them off. Each of the Lights, Camera, Action bits in Section Two can be incorporated into the plot to drive it to its conclusion. Each time the PCs get into some kind of trouble, they'll have to answer to D'thn Slom and Thoren Tugel. Slom will always make cryptic suggestions to influence their perceptions of the situation and Thoren will become more and more suspicious of anyone who gets close to him. Of course, the plot will take a real violent turn when Slom uncovers the Deep City.

One way or another, Slom will discover the hidden tunnels Syn and his partners are using through the expansion of his own. When this occurs, he will find another excuse for the two bosses to go for the thtoat. After all, isn't Syn a member of the Brewers' Guild and doesn't that affiliate him with the Master of All Guilds? Obviously, Uthar is using Syn to smuggle slaves out of the city, thus striking at the heart of Thoren's status and resources. Once Thoren discovers this, he will be outraged, declaring all-out war on Uthar and Syn.

Part Three: The Broken Mirror

By this time, Thoren is convinced Uthar is out for blood. He will dedicate all of his resources to destroy the Master of All Guilds. This, of course, includes the party. If the party becomes so much of a fly in Slorn's ointment, he will show his trump card: he's known all along that they've been spies for Uthar. Once Thoren discovers this little fact, there will be little chance for them to survive in Causoban. They will have to go to Uthar for sanctuary (or to the Deep City, if it still survives). The party will have to pull off some serious magic to keep the city from falling apart... but who is to say it shouldn't? After all, if Uthar and Thoren destroy themselves in a war that neither of them can win, who is to say that they shouldn't? The fact of the matter is, they have a choice. They can allow two evils to destroy themselves to serve a third, or they can thwart Slom's plans and reveal everything they leam to the two bosses. It isn't an easy choice, but it is theirs to make.

Conclusion

Causoban is only a skeleton of a city. It still requires many details to fill in, but these details are yours. Things have been left vague so you can make Causoban truly yours. Have fun with it. Good luck and may you and your players find fun and fortune in the mighty city of Causoban!

Appendix: The Very Optional Assassin Discipline

The Assassin Discipline should not be made available to PC's. It has been included for the purpose of introducing the Cult of Vestrial in this article and has not been balanced with the other Disciplines. While there may be those who have escaped the clutches of the Cult (as Litani has), these are the exception and not the rule. The Masters of the Subtle Arts are not only master assassins, but master manipulators as well. All those that enter the Cult (voluntary and otherwise) are controlled through mind-altering drugs and sorceries to keep them in line.

Important Attributes: Dexterity, Perceprion & Charisma

Racial Restrictions: None

Karma Ritual: To perform a Karma ritual, an Assassin must sit in a place of complete shadow and meditate on emptiness. This focuses his Karma on becoming one with the stuff of shadow.

Common Artisan Skills: Acting, Runic Carving, Juggling (sleight of hand)

TALENTS

Circle One: Melee Weapons, Climbing, Karmic Ritual, Read and Write Language, Silent Walk, Avoid Blow

Circle Two: Durability, Speak Language, Empathic Command

Circle Three: Spellcasting, Acrobatic Strike

Circle Four: Karma: The Assassin my spend a Karma Point on any action using Dexterity only. Thread Weaving (Shadow Weaving), False Sight

Circle Five: Spell Defense: The Assassin's Spell Defense increases by one. Anticipate Blow, Disarm Mechanical Trap

Circle Six Karma: The Assassin Tmay spend a karma point to raise the damage of any melee weapon Disarm Magical Trap, Steely Stare

Circle Seven Social Defense: The Assassin's Social Defense raises by one Melee Weapons, Second Attack

Circle Eight Spell Defense: The Assassin's Spell Defense raises by one. Poison Resistance, Cobra Strike

Circle Nine Shadow Cloak: Same as the Tenth Circle Thief ability, but use Shadow Weaving instead. Surprise Strike, Conceal Weapon, Second Weapon

Circle Ten Physical Defense: Raise the Assassin's Physical Defense by 2. Slough Blame, Whirlwind

Circle Eleven Blood Weapon: Same as Blademaster Thirteenth Circle Keen Blade ability. Weapon Breaker, Defense

Circle Twelve Shadow Kiss: For the cost of 2 wounds, the Assassin may use blood magic to strike at an opponent from a hidden location while still remaining hdden. No bonuses are gained for those who search for him, it was if the blow came from nowhere. The Assassin must be using Shadowcloak to use this ability. Chameleon, Wound Transfer

Circle Thirteen Recovery Test: Assassins at the Thirteenth Circle may make an additional Recovery Test a day. Show Armor Flaw, Body Blade

Circle Fourteen Initiative: The Assassin's initiative raises by 1. Evidence Analysis, Multi-Strike

Circle Fifteen Spell Defense: Raise the Assassin's Spell Defense by 1. Social Defense: Raise the Assassin's Spell Defense by 1. Second Chance, Soul Shatter

While the asssassin may at first appear to be a whirlwind of death, he in fact is not. The Assassin is a master of the "First strike," allowing him to get in a good debilitating blow and then run for his life.

The training of Vestrial Assassins begins very early. Homeless children are often the perfect recruits for the Questors of Vestrial. Young minds are easily filled with the lies Vestrial has prepared for them.

The training continues through adolescence as the youth becomes more and more adept at the subtle arts. The youth learns acting, disguise, languages, anything that allows him to gain the confidence of a victim. For it is not the way of an Assassin to strike at an unknown stranger, but to get as close as they can to their victim, to gain their complete trust, and then to put a poisoned blade in their side. That is the Way of the Subtle Art.

More Causoban

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