Post Encounter
Post-Encounter — The Ambush Aftermath
Encounter 6.1 • The Twice-Damned Crown
📋 Aftermath Overview
The Scarred Hand ambush can end in several ways depending on the party's actions and the encounter's outcome. This document outlines four possible resolutions: Party Victory, Attacker Retreat, Party Retreat, and Party Capture. Each outcome has different rewards, consequences, and story hooks that lead into Act 2.
⚔️ Possible Outcomes
✅ Party Victory
Condition: The party defeats the Scarred Hand ambushers.
- Reward: Loot, information, and reputation.
- XP: Full encounter XP (120).
- Loot: Weapons, armor, and a sealed letter.
- Clue: The letter reveals the ambush was ordered by someone within House Thrune.
Leads to: Act 2 — The Shadow's Trail
🏃 Attacker Retreat
Condition: The attackers retreat after taking casualties or achieving their objective.
- Reward: Partial information, survivors to interrogate.
- XP: Half XP (60) + bonus for interrogation.
- Consequence: The attackers report back to their employer.
- Clue: A wounded attacker drops a note as they flee.
Leads to: Act 2 — The Shadow's Trail (with a time pressure element)
🔙 Party Retreat
Condition: The party withdraws from the ambush to regroup.
- Consequence: The attackers report back to their employer.
- Consequence: The party loses the element of surprise.
- Reward: The party survives to fight another day.
- Clue: During the retreat, the party notices a symbol on the attackers' gear.
Leads to: Act 2 — The Shadow's Trail (with increased difficulty)
⛓️ Party Capture
Condition: The party is overwhelmed and captured by the Scarred Hand.
- Consequence: The party is taken to a hidden location.
- Consequence: They are interrogated by a velstrac agent.
- Reward: The party escapes with valuable intelligence.
- Clue: The interrogation reveals the velstrac's lair location.
Leads to: Act 2 — The Shadow's Trail (with a prison break start)
💰 Rewards & Loot
📦 Loot from the Ambushers
- Weapons: 2× longswords, 1× heavy crossbow, 1× dagger, 1× staff (spellcaster).
- Armor: 2× chain shirts, 1× leather armor, 1× robes (spellcaster).
- Coins: 45 gp, 120 sp, 350 cp.
- Gems: 2× small emeralds (25 gp each).
- Consumables: 1× Healing Potion (Moderate), 1× Scroll of Fear (level 1).
- Documents: A sealed letter from the Scarred Hand's employer.
📜 The Sealed Letter
The letter is sealed with the broken crown sigil of the Scarred Hand. It reads:
"The package must be delivered to the Shadow District. The Shadow-That-Walks grows impatient. Deliver the contract fragment to the usual place, or the velstrac will find another agent. — The Hand"
Meaning: The Scarred Hand is working for the velstrac. The "contract fragment" refers to the piece of the infernal contract that Voren Kain mentioned.
📖 Information Gained
- The Scarred Hand is employed by someone within House Thrune.
- They were ordered to eliminate anyone investigating Darian Thrune's death.
- The velstrac's agent is operating in the Shadow District.
- A fragment of the infernal contract is the key to stopping the velstrac.
🌑 Act 2 Hook — The Shadow's Trail
📜 The Letter's Trail
The sealed letter found on the ambush leader (or a fleeing attacker) contains a vital clue that leads the party into Act 2.
The letter mentions:
- A delivery point in the Shadow District — a location where the contract fragment is to be handed over.
- The velstrac's agent is a contact known as The Archivist.
- The delivery is time-sensitive — if the party delays, the velstrac will move the fragment.
Next Step: The party must find The Archivist in the Shadow District and retrieve the contract fragment before the velstrac does.
🔍 Alternate Hooks
Depending on how the encounter ends, the hook into Act 2 may vary:
- Victory: The letter is found on the ambush leader. The party follows the trail to The Archivist.
- Attacker Retreat: A wounded attacker drops the letter as they flee. The party must track them to recover it.
- Party Retreat: The party notices the letter on a fallen attacker but must return to the scene to retrieve it.
- Party Capture: During interrogation, the velstrac agent reveals the location of The Archivist — the party escapes and follows the lead.
📊 XP & Progression
XP Awards
- Defeat all attackers: 120 XP
- Defeat 2+ attackers: 80 XP
- Defeat 1 attacker: 40 XP
- Successful interrogation: +20 XP
- Recover the letter: +20 XP
- Escape capture: +40 XP
Milestone Progression
- Act 1 Complete: The party has evidence linking House Thrune to the velstrac.
- Act 2 Begins: The party knows about The Archivist and the contract fragment.
- Next Level: The party should reach level 7 by the end of Act 2.