Im currently running a campaign set during the Last War (will move to current time after a few adventures via modified Mark of Prophecy) and am working on an intrigue driven plotline based on my party discovering, unravelling and thwarting an assassination plot.
The party is part of a Cyran military company, and its exploit thus far have been primarily in battlefield applications. My thought is that they will be rotated out of combat duty for a short time, during which they uncover a plot and go above and beyond their pay grades and investigate.
I have an outline but am hoping to get some twists from fellow Eberron minded folks (thats you!).
Ideally, they will discover some type of descrepancy in shipping/caravan good or somesuch which they will find can be made into some type of poison. they track said poison to a government or palace official whos been subverted/blackmailed/etc. Said person does not yet know who his handler is out to kill.
The party uncovers and tracks down the puppetmaster and quite probably kills him and his cronies, only to discover that he has already put alternate plans in motion. The party must then track these additional assassins and stop them. Que the seedy underworld investigations and harrowing chases along the rooftops.
Im planning on setting this assassination plot during a major meeting of foreign ambassadors in Metrol, so anyone is a possible target/conspirator. What Id love to hear are some intriguing plotlines about possible conspirators/assassins/targets. Im leaning toward the targets not being Cyran nobility, but guests of the Cyran crown, killed (hopefully not) to discredit Cyre and further motivate other nations against Cyre.
When the adventure is "over" Im staging a massive final attempt to slaughter as many of these people as possible, perhaps during a ball/ceremony in the characters honor, wherein they have to defend Queen and country against an unrelenting swarm of enemies. The enemy has abandoned all pretense of subtlety and is determined to squeeze some gain out of his/her/their thwarted schemes.
The goal of course, is to attach the characters more to Cyre before the inevitable Mourning.
What you have so far is a solid outline. However, what is the motivation for undermining the Cyrean crown? Is it the Aurum, who want the war to go on to make more money? The Lords of Dust or the Chamber, to make some sort of prophecy fall into place? Or is it just one of the enemies of Cyre, in order to weaken it? (Bonus: Or one of its CURRENT ALLIES, in order to gain cassus beli?)
I was thinking of a red herring that the Queen or another Cyran heavy hitter is the target, before unveiling the true threat. I was considering an enemy looking to ruin peace talks with another nation, or even a supposed ally as you describe, but I hadnt considered the Aurum or a more mercantile motivation...
Perhaps both? (Dr Evil laugh facsimile)
Edit:
What of the PC's company are sent on some mission along with a group of Valaes Tairn mercenaries reinforcement. Initially everything goes according to plan and the elves are a big help, but at some point (maybe as the PCs are questioning a captive or if they decide to inspect a caravan's cargo) the elves mercenaries turn and attack them with no apparent reason.
Next they are getting called back to Metrol to be questioned by Cyre's spymaster on the incident with the elves - where they get a hint that this is more then an isolated case of rogue mercenaries.
Im currently entertaining the idea of a sort of multi-headed conspiracy, using multpile catspaws to orchestrate the various assassins. Im very much liking the Aurum/mercantile consortium angle. Im planning to introduce the Lord Major from Mark of Prophecy as one of the potential targets visiting Metrol on a diplomatic mission. That would give the events in MoP an additional impact, as well as giving him a little more strength as a post mourning benefactor.
Im thinking the initial sort of bumbling would be assassin is a blackmailed wine steward.
I want a crossbow of somesuch sniper to catch in a parade type setting, or possibly a chance to catch him in a madcap rooftop chase.
A bomb (alchemical/artifice?) of some kind planted in a place to do the most harm, maybe an diplomatic party aboard an airship over Lake Cyre?
A poison gas attack that deals poison damage while inflicting temporary madness on those who breath it, while assassins disguised as waiters attack during a banquet?
My current adventure is themed around the undead, so Im trying to avoid that angle as a final desperate gambit by the "puppetmaster". Im envisioning a desperate battle where the heroes have to face an enormous number of minions and a crack team of elite troops (an enemy counterpart of themselves) while simultaneously protecting high profile noble, ambassadors, and the Queen herself. Crack soldiers and maybe a construct or three backed by a veritable horde of smuggled in warforged minions?
I think that for an Aurum sponsored assassination you could clue the PCs by emphasizing the deep pockets behind the assassination, for example:
- The assassin-sniper uses a special expansive magic-punk bolt: like a miniature airship it's made from soarwood propelled from a great distance by a tiny bound elemental.
- Prior to the assassination attempt, the assassin spent the night at the most expansive hotel in Metrol all expanses paid.
- If the assassin is arrested: a high paid Sivis lawyer attempt to get the charges dropped.
- The assassin/s job is made easy by the fact that guards/official are bribed to keep his path clear.