The most politically important wedding of the decade is about to go catastrophically wrong. The bride is a doppelganger, the cake is a mimic, and the best man is an assassin. The party has been hired as last-minute security — keep the wedding on track or watch two noble houses go to war.
Story Arcs
Til Death Do Us Part
House Thornwall and House Crestmere have been feuding for generations. This wedding is supposed to end it — Lady Vivienne Thornwall marrying Lord Caspian Crestmere. But someone doesn't want peace. The real Vivienne has been replaced by a doppelganger, the wedding cake has been swapped with a mimic, the best man is a hired killer, and the flower arrangements are laced with sleep poison. The party must identify and neutralize each threat without causing a panic that would restart the war.
Session Outlines
These outlines are for planning reference only. Actual sessions are not created by the template.
The Wedding Crashers
BRIEFING (15 min): The party is hired by Dowager Thornwall, the bride's grandmother, who has a "bad feeling." She can't explain it but she's survived three assassination attempts and trusts her instincts. She gives the party servant disguises and a seating chart. They must protect the wedding without anyone knowing there's security — any visible threat will cause both houses to blame the other and restart the feud. CEREMONY PREP (45 min): Pre-ceremony investigations. Clues are everywhere if the party looks: the "bride" doesn't recognize childhood details (a doppelganger replaced her last night), the cake smells faintly of adhesive (it's a mimic), the best man (Ser Aldric) keeps checking a vial in his pocket (poison for the toast), and the flower arrangements give off a faint alchemical scent (sleep poison, timed to go off during the vows). Each threat can be discovered through Investigation, Perception, Insight, or Arcana checks. Let players split up to cover more ground. THE CEREMONY (45 min): The wedding begins. Players must neutralize threats in real-time as the ceremony progresses. The flower poison activates during the vows (15 minutes in). The doppelganger must say "I do" or the ruse fails. Ser Aldric makes his move during the toast. The mimic-cake activates when someone tries to cut it. If ANY threat goes off publicly, both families draw swords and the party must prevent a bloodbath. RESOLUTION (30 min): Aftermath depends on how many threats were neutralized quietly. Best case: all threats stopped, the real Vivienne is rescued from a closet, and the wedding proceeds with no one the wiser. Medium case: some chaos but the party keeps the peace through quick thinking. Worst case: all-out brawl between noble houses, which the party must quell before anyone dies. The mastermind behind it all: Lord Crestmere's jealous younger brother, who stands to inherit if the wedding fails.
NPCs
Dowager Elspeth Thornwall
Human · Bride's Grandmother
A sharp-eyed, iron-spined woman of eighty who has survived longer than anyone expected in a family known for political murders. She hired the party because she trusts no one from either house. She provides servant disguises, the seating chart, and one piece of critical advice: "If anything goes wrong, both houses will blame the other. Your job is to make sure nothing goes wrong." She will be in the front row and is the only person the party can signal for help.
The False Vivienne
Doppelganger · Impersonating the Bride
A professional doppelganger hired to replace Lady Vivienne and sabotage the wedding. She's good — she studied Vivienne for weeks — but she can't replicate memories she doesn't know about. Childhood nicknames, the name of a pet, the color of her first pony — details only family would ask about. She becomes nervous if pressed on specifics and may slip out of Vivienne's mannerisms under stress. The real Vivienne is bound and gagged in a supply closet in the east wing.
Lord Caspian Crestmere
Human · The Groom
Genuinely in love with Vivienne and completely unaware of any plot. He's nervous, earnest, and trying very hard to impress his bride's terrifying grandmother. If the party earns his trust, he's a powerful ally — he knows his family's secrets and can help identify the mastermind. He will be devastated if he learns the woman at the altar isn't really Vivienne.
Ser Aldric Vane
Human · Best Man and Assassin
Caspian's childhood friend and the best man. In truth, he was recruited six months ago by the mastermind. He carries a vial of slow-acting poison to slip into the wedding toast — enough to kill Caspian slowly over a week, making it look like illness. He is conflicted: he genuinely cares about Caspian but owes a debt he can't escape. If confronted privately, he might break down and confess. If confronted publicly, he panics and draws his sword.
Lord Harlan Crestmere
Human · Groom's Younger Brother
The mastermind. Harlan stands to inherit the Crestmere fortune and title if Caspian dies without an heir. He orchestrated every element of the sabotage: hiring the doppelganger, recruiting Aldric, arranging the mimic cake, and poisoning the flowers. He'll be in the second row, smiling warmly, playing the supportive brother. He is cold, calculating, and has contingency plans. If exposed, he denies everything and demands proof.
Lady Vivienne Thornwall
Human · The Real Bride
Bound and gagged in a supply closet in the east wing, guarded by a hired thug. She was ambushed the night before by the doppelganger. She is furious, resourceful, and has been working on her bonds since she woke up. If rescued, she can identify the doppelganger on sight and will want to confront Harlan personally.
Locations
The Grand Chapel of Lathander
A magnificent chapel of white marble and stained glass commissioned specifically for this wedding. Rose petals line the aisle, golden sunlight streams through the windows, and two hundred guests fill the pews — half Thornwall (left side, green sashes), half Crestmere (right side, blue sashes). Both sides have concealed weapons. The tension is palpable beneath the smiles.
The Reception Hall
An adjoining hall set for the feast. A towering seven-tier wedding cake sits on a reinforced table at the center — the mimic is the bottom three tiers, carefully frosted to match. Banquet tables groan with food and wine. The head table has place cards for the wedding party, including a conspicuously large goblet for the groom's toast.
The East Wing
A service area behind the chapel with preparation rooms, a kitchen, and supply closets. The real Vivienne is locked in the furthest closet, guarded by a bored thug who thinks he's just watching "a witness" for a client. The area is lightly trafficked by servants carrying flower arrangements and food.
The Garden Terrace
An outdoor space between the chapel and reception hall where guests mingle during transitions. Topiary hedges provide cover for private conversations — and for anyone trying to slip away unnoticed. The flower arrangements here contain the sleep poison, enchanted to release it on a timed fuse.
Quests
Protect the Wedding
Four threats must be neutralized before or during the ceremony: a doppelganger bride, a poisoned toast, a mimic cake, and sleep-poison flowers. Each can be discovered through investigation and stopped quietly — or explode into chaos if missed. Discretion is as important as detection.
Find the Real Vivienne
The real Lady Vivienne is imprisoned somewhere in the east wing, guarded by a hired thug. Find her before the ceremony concludes or the doppelganger will complete the ruse and disappear into Vivienne's life permanently.
Unmask the Mastermind
Someone orchestrated all four threats in concert. The hired doppelganger, the recruited best man, the mimic cake, and the poisoned flowers point to someone with intimate knowledge of both families, access to the venue, and a motive to prevent the union. Follow the threads to Lord Harlan Crestmere.
Encounters
The Doppelganger Exposed
If the false Vivienne is confronted or caught in a lie, she drops the disguise and fights to escape. She's a professional — her priority is fleeing, not fighting. She'll take a hostage if cornered. If this happens in public, both noble houses draw weapons and the party has 2 rounds to prevent a massacre.
The Mimic Cake
When someone tries to cut the cake, the bottom three tiers reveal a massive maw of teeth and frosting. The mimic attacks the nearest person and causes immediate panic in the reception hall. It's covered in fondant and buttercream, making it slippery and absurd.
Ser Aldric's Choice
Confronting the best man can go many ways. Privately: he may confess and surrender. Publicly: he draws his sword in panic. During the toast: the party has seconds to stop the poisoned goblet from reaching Caspian's lips. Aldric fights like a cornered animal but can be talked down with a DC 18 Persuasion check appealing to his friendship with Caspian.
Noble House Brawl
If any threat detonates publicly, both families blame the other and two hundred guests with concealed daggers turn the chapel into a battlefield. The party must use crowd control, diplomacy, and strategic positioning to separate the factions before anyone dies. Non-lethal damage and Calm Emotions are the heroes here.
Factions
House Thornwall
Lawful Neutral
The bride's family. Old money, political connections, and a reputation for surviving anything. They came to this wedding armed because they always come armed. If they believe the Crestmeres betrayed the peace, they will fight without hesitation. Dowager Elspeth is the only one who might listen to reason.
House Crestmere
Lawful Neutral
The groom's family. Military tradition, honor codes, and a simmering resentment about being the ones who "lost" the feud. They want this peace to work — most of them. Harlan is the exception, and if exposed, the family will turn on him to preserve the alliance.
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