At the Tain Gala (Eberron)

[shilsen]

Short introduction: The group of PCs in my campaign, called the Blades of Arakhain (they're ex-military who served there), have been making some waves in and around Sharn and gathered some notoriety. Recently, they did a favor for Baron Merrix d'Cannith and have been invited to accompany him to the Tain Gala.

I'm looking for ideas for (a) describing the Tain Gala itself, and (b) interesting things to happen there. I'm specifically not looking for anything combat-oriented. One thing I already have in mind is that the group, which includes two dragonmarked characters who don't work for their respective houses (Phiarlan and Medani) and are being wooed to do so, will find themselves being introduced loudly at the Gala as accompanying their "patron Baron Merrix", which should lead to more than a little consternation on the PCs' parts and feelings ranging from confusion to irritation to anger on certain NPCs.

Any ideas, folks? Thanks in advance.


Some more info about the PCs, if needed:

Amaris Medani - Half-elf female Ftr2/Clr6 of Dol Dorn (
Augur - Human male Rgr8 (just joined; player totally new to gaming & I'm looking to get him more into the game)
Charlotte - Halfling female Rog8
Fett - Changeling male Rog8 (former PC, now NPC; the players wanted him to continue with the group)
Krunch - Warforged Ftr5/Warforged Juggernaut3
Thaylar Phiarlan - Elf male Sor8

 

[Kurotowa]

Been a little while since I read the Sharn book, but going from memory....

Since it's mostly rich noble types there, I can see four major catagories. 1) Those who aren't interested in the PCs, and so don't matter. 2) Those who seek to score points by upstaging and mocking the rude and clumsy adventurers, good for minor flavor antagonists. 3) Those who seek to score points by being friendly with the exciting adventurers so they can pick up new anecdotes, good for minor flavor allies. 4) Those who see this as an opportunity to advance their goals.

You can use 2 & 3 to put together minor social encounters. How does a PC handle someone who tries to twist everything they say into a put down? How does a PC handle someone who wants to drag them around and introduce them to everyone, monopolizing their time? Or pull out the classics, like the couple on the outs where one of the two starts flirting with a PC to make the other jellous.

It's the ones with the goals that are the real ticket, they'll let you dangle potential plots in front of your players. If the PC's are getting attention, maybe someone with a new Skyway eatary tries to offer them a free meal (cause they'd be a publicity getter). You've got a warforged juggernaut, with all those social penalties, who makes an easy target for anyone who wants to make a public example to prove their dislike of warforged. Since they've been announced as Merrix's allies, his other allies are going to want to know who they are, his hangers on are going to want to know who the competition is, and his enemies are going to want to mark who their new targets are. What's the halfling's background, are people going to assume that she's connected to the Boromar Clan? Is the Boromar Clan going to start trying to make connections?

That's what I can think of now. If you sketch out a little more about the PC's background and interestes, it'd be easier to tailor suggestions.

 

[Timeboxer]

How about a run-in with another group of adventurers who have also ended up at the Tain Gala, and are just as bewildered as the PCs are?

Or, some member of the nobility would like some dirt on Merrix d'Cannith, and would like to maneuver the PCs over to his side.

Or, having just read Races of Eberron, perhaps an Inspired or disguised dragon is there, unbeknownst to everyone else...

 

[Hand of Evil]

It is a gala, a party but it is a chance to rub elbows with those houses and people you would not meet anywhere else, this is one reason to have parties, you have to go and it allows you to pass information to someone else without rumors, it is a social loophole, one everyone knows of... The gala becomes a chess game, people move from one person to another to confuse and hide actions in plain site. Create about ten plots and the relationships of the groups at the gala.

The players have been ask to be there to make a statement, just being there is a message but then the players can be used as a go between to pass/collect an object. This keeps the host from being a target, making the party the target.

 

[Timeboxer]

The players have been ask to be there to make a statement, just being there is a message but then the players can be used as a go between to pass/collect an object.

...someone uses Sleight of Hand to plant a certain object on the PCs, which someone else pickpockets off of them, so that the two are never seen together and the PCs are unwitting couriers...

 

[shilsen]

Been a little while since I read the Sharn book, but going from memory....

Since it's mostly rich noble types there, I can see four major catagories. 1) Those who aren't interested in the PCs, and so don't matter. 2) Those who seek to score points by upstaging and mocking the rude and clumsy adventurers, good for minor flavor antagonists. 3) Those who seek to score points by being friendly with the exciting adventurers so they can pick up new anecdotes, good for minor flavor allies. 4) Those who see this as an opportunity to advance their goals.

You can use 2 & 3 to put together minor social encounters. How does a PC handle someone who tries to twist everything they say into a put down? How does a PC handle someone who wants to drag them around and introduce them to everyone, monopolizing their time? Or pull out the classics, like the couple on the outs where one of the two starts flirting with a PC to make the other jellous.

Nice suggestions. I'm planning a variation on the couple on the outs. Since the PCs will be travelling with Merrix to the Gala, they'll meet his niece Celia and her fiance Alexis. At the Gala, Celia is going to end up asking the PC ranger to dance. Midway through the dance, Taren d'Phiarlan (who Celia is actually in love with) cuts in, completely enraging Alexis, the Canniths and the Phiarlans, and setting poor Augur up, since some people will think he's helping Celia & Taren. Things might get worse in the future when Alexis and Celia are about to get married and she disappears the day before the wedding (I got this idea from the Korranberg Chronicle site). With a Phiarlan in the group, there's even more scope for people being suspicious about the PCs' involvement.

It is a gala, a party but it is a chance to rub elbows with those houses and people you would not meet anywhere else, this is one reason to have parties, you have to go and it allows you to pass information to someone else without rumors, it is a social loophole, one everyone knows of... The gala becomes a chess game, people move from one person to another to confuse and hide actions in plain site. Create about ten plots and the relationships of the groups at the gala.

I've made a loooong list of people whose names I'll throw at the poor players till their heads spin. One way I was planning to describe the movements of the people at the Gala is that it's like a dance. People move, meet and disperse, incredibly fluidly and without ever stopping completely. There's a rhythm and a formula to it, but you're darned if you can work it out. And a certain number of the people seem to be circling you. Constantly. Or maybe you're just imagining things

How about a run-in with another group of adventurers who have also ended up at the Tain Gala, and are just as bewildered as the PCs are?

Hmm - that's a good idea. Esp. since the PCs haven't really tried to build relationships with other adventurers in Sharn.

Or, some member of the nobility would like some dirt on Merrix d'Cannith, and would like to maneuver the PCs over to his side.

I'm planning to use a couple of the city councillors to that end.

Also, the PCs have access to some important info about the Lord of Blades and have been explicitly 'asked' by a couple of members of the Brelish parliament to not reveal it. I'm planning to have Hass ir'Tain at the Gala, with access to the info and planning to use the PCs to his own end, esp. to embarrass Boranel and the Brelish royal family. Merrix too is interested in what they know (though he doesn't have the details), and that might tie him into it too.