Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ORC_Paradox 09-22-05, 08:31 PM	Polling for this contest will now start. Vote for your favorite scenario! 1. Fake Fur 2. Murder at the Gala 3. Play with Fire... 4. Possessions of the Departed 5. Tyrant Games Fake Fur Location: Callestan, Lower Dura, Sharn Background: When it became known to her friends that Grace ir’Larna was heavily in debt, the Korranberg Chronicle soon published an article on the state of the noble family in its well loved Sharn Secrets column. In an effort to regain her reputation, Grace declared her friends (in hope of it being passed on to the Chronicle’s mysterious reporter, known only as Lady H) that her problems were over after an expedition to Xen’drik in which she held shares proved particularly lucrative. In actual fact, Grace sought a lone from the Droaamite criminal organisation known as Daask. When she fell behind in repayments, a Daask bailiff took her prized dragonshard amulet, an expensive family heirloom. Determined to retrieve the amulet to maintain her charade, Grace hired an ambitious changeling named Li to infiltrate the Daask clan and return the heirloom. Key Personalities: -Li (CG male changeling rogue 1), adventurer with delusions of grandeur, now deceased -Lady Grace ir’Larna (NG female human aristocrat 4), noble under the thumb of Daask, patron of Li -Tyr Jundrak (LE male dwarf warrior 2), watchman patrolling Callestan on the night of the murder, under the payroll of the Boromars -Vern (CN male half-elf commoner 3), old beggar who lives on the streets of Callestan Events: Li was killed before he could retrieve the amulet. His body was found in an alley in the inn district of Callestan, Lower Dura, by the local watchman, Tyr Jundrak. On an inspection of the murder site, guarded by Tyr, the group can find a few useful clues. Tyr explains that while he did not witness the murder, he has learnt from eye witnesses that a middle-aged man with a full beard, long dark hair and shabby clothes was seen fleeing the scene. The group also discover unusual, dog-like hair scattered in clumps about the murder scene, an important development which Tyr seems almost nervous to hear about. Tyr also reveals the murder weapon, a kitchen knife found embedded in Li’s chest. Talks with eye-witnesses will soon lead the group to Vern, a well known beggar who stalks the streets of Callestan. Vern is known for his grace and cheerfulness despite his adversity, not for criminal activity. If questioned personally, Vern will deny involvement, leaving the area after a brief run-in with a gnoll walking the streets. He notes that a lone gnoll in that area is an unusual occurrence. A search of Vern’s few belongings reveals another knife that matches the murder weapon. Further questions may reveal that Vern does not trust Tyr’s judgement, claiming that Tyr has it in for him and wants to see him behind bars. Questioning Tyr’s colleagues confirms that Tyr was humiliated by Vern after falsely accusing him of stealing several kegs of a local innkeeper’s prized ale. With a suitable pay-off, the watchmen may reveal that Tyr has been on the pay-roll of the Boromar clan for some years now. Guilt Party: Tyr killed Li. After coming across a lone gnoll, Tyr found the perfect chance to earn favour with both the Boromars and the watch by the elimination of a Daask thug. When Tyr dealt the final blow, the gnoll changed to the form of a changeling, Li. Tyr, who had read of the changeling and his goals in the Chronicle, knew that this mistake could cost him is job. In desperation, he paid off the few witnesses with the Boromar’s gold and covered his tracks as best possible. Knowing full well the beggar was near the scene, Tyr found the opportunity for the ultimate revenge on Vern. Tyr attempted to frame the beggar by stealing one of the beggar’s knives and planting it in Li’s body. --------------------------------------------- Name: Murder at the Gala Location: Aboard the airship Celyria's Fancy at the ir'Tain's monthly Gala Background: Only the cream of Sharn's cultural crop are invited to the ir'Tain's monthly gala, and this month the family's matriarch Celyria has taken the opportunity to show off her new pride and joy, an aiship designed to be a literal pleasure yacht of the skies. Shortly before the banquet is to begin the ship's designer and architect, a gnome shipwright by the name of Wrabell is found dead in her cabin and now everyone on the ship is a suspect. Key Personalities: Celyria ir'Tain, female half elf and matriarch of the ir'Tain clan; Hass ir'Tain, her eldest son; any other Sharn or Brelish nobles you wish to introduce; the entertainment, a band of elves hired from House Phiarlan notably singer Territa, female dragonmarked elf bard 7 and leader of the group, harpist Karlin, male dragonmarked elf expert 5/rogue 2 and pianist Sessla, female dragonmarked elf expert 6; the caterers, from House Ghallanda led by Millie, a portly female dragonmarked expert 3 and her staff of three male halflings Darlen (commoner 2), Mestan (expert 1), and Pieran (barbarian 2/rogue 3). Events: All parties board the ship directly from the ir'Tain manor's new airship docks. The gala begins with a period of conversation and mixing, combined with dancing on the airship's main deck. Guests are urged to retire to their cabins in order to change into their dinner clothes and freshen up. As guests convene in the dining hall, the Phiarlans are already playing and the Ghallandas begin to bring in the first course of soup. Celyria sends Hass to check on Wrabell and find out why she is absent from the banquet. Hass discovers the murder and returns to the banquet hall. The guards lock the doors and the mystery unfolds. Guilty Party: The Phiarlans, a detective's first guess for possible assassins are in this case a red herring. Wrabell has, in fact, fallen afoul of the Boromar clan. They attempted to blackmail her into providing them with the means to hijack the new airship, but she refused. As a result Halak Boromar has infiltrated the party in the guise of one of the caterers (Pieran) and taken the brief break between the dancing and the dinner as an opportunity to show the gnome that, in Sharn, you don't cross the Boromar Clan. --------------------------------------------- Name: Play with Fire... Location: Flamekeep, Thrane Background: A old philosopher by the name of Setarcos introduced a touchy subject in his class at the local academy two weeks ago: religion. In an attempt to teach skepticism and just to play the devil's advocate, Setarcos raised arguments against the Sovereign Host, the Path of Light, the Blood of Vol, the various Cults of the Dragon Below, and most importantly the Church of the Silver Flame. Word quickly spread about a heretic feeding lies to the Thrane youths in the guise of knowledge. Setarcos was shunned by most the first week after his lecture, and the second week only brought beratement as he walked the streets and death threats pinned to his door with a knife. Last night, Setarcos' door was knocked in and Setarcos was murdered by Pon, his chest caved in and his throat slit. Hesitus, an old friend of Pon, marked Setarcos' door by carving a fist-sized skull into it so that Pon could find her victim's house. Key Personalities: Setarcos (TN male elf expert 6); deceased. Eltotsira (NE female half-elf expert 4); star pupil. Jarin (LN male human adept 4); neighborhood evangelist. Hesitus (NE male dwarf artificer 6); weapon- and armorsmith. Pon (CE female changeling fighter 4); murderer. Events: At every gathering between Setarcos' lesson and death, Jarin preached the evils of the philosopher and advised all to withdraw from the academy. Near Setarcos' final days, Jarin even went so far as to calling for "necessary though hostile actions" to be taken. Hesitus, who was the only person to verbally threaten Setarcos' life in public, feels a sense of duty to the Church he fufills by crafting the weaponry and armor used by its infantry and paladins alike. The evening before Setarcos was found dead, Hesitus was seen carving something in Setarcos' door when the philosopher wasn't home. However, nobody knows what exactly was carved. The next morning, Setarcos' body is found by a guard on patrol lying face-down in a pool of blood just inside the front doorway. The door itself lies in pieces strewn about the room. Setarcos' throat is cut wide and deeply. A quick examination reveals that Setarcos was first stuck in the chest hard with a blunt, burning object as his ribs were shattered and his robe singed. Accusations fly. Hesitus and Jarin are the primary suspects, though Eltotsira was seen walking a block from Setarcos' home late during the night of the murder (she insists she was visiting Setarcos to return his lecture notes she studied). Everyone who knew Setarcos knew that his health was failing and that Eltotsira would inherent his prestigious and lucrative position once her professor passed on. As always, the Silver Torch's (FN p 134) zealous Flamers are not above such actions. The community recognizes the involvement of the Church in the murder and turns to the PCs as unbiased investigators. Guilty Party: Pon killed Setarcos. Pon used to be a soldier in the Thrane army, but was discharged for unethical tactics and depraved methods of interrogation. Fervent in her belief that the Silver Flame was meant to incinerate the unworthy, she joined up with the Silver Torches while still maintaining her friendship with her old military armorer, Hesitus. She leapt at Hesitus' idea to take advantage of the situation with Setarcos by assassinating the philosopher to both remove an opponent of the Flame and force Jarin's hand; the Torches wanted to know whether Jarin truly believed the ideals he preached in case he might be recruited. So, with a flaming warhammer, Pon found the marked door, broke in, knocked Setarcos down, and slit the old elf's throat. --------------------------------------------- Name: Possessions of the Departed Location: Library of Korranberg Background: Inspired spy Torali was devastated when she was not selected as a Quori host. And so, she was more than willing when the rakshasa K'Shurr expressed his desire to possess her. Over the last 20 years, he has found her to be the perfect, pliant host. He has used her body to gather dangerous knowledge, able to abandon her at any time should his secrecy become compromised. Torali's body is now showing signs of age and the rakshasa has started to search for another, younger host. Torali already dreads the chasm of emptiness K'Shurr leaves behind when he has occasional business elsewhere. She cannot abide the thought of him leaving her for another, empty forever. If she cannot have him, then no one can. Even if that means her own death. Key Personalities: Suicide Victim and Host with Self-Esteem Issues: Torali (LE Female Inspired Psi4) Evil Possessor, Quiet Schemer, and Lord of Dust: K'Shurr (LE Male Rakshasa Sor3 with Possession ability) Events: Torali enters a study cell in the restricted archives of the Library of Korranberg. She deposits her catalog stone and the bookshelves seal around her. She then drinks poison and carves her final words. The rakshasa suddenly finds that he has no escape to the Ethereal. He just has time to possess the dagger that his host is holding before she dies. He is trapped here until someone either touches the dagger or removes it from the library. The PCs are asked to investigate the mysterious murder of a beautiful woman. She lies within a sealed room, a dagger in her back. The library is extradimensional and so magic that accesses the Astral or Ethereal planes fails, e.g. dimension door, teleport, summon etc. (ref. MotP p.32) Furthermore, certain divinations are blocked in the restricted archives (ref. ECS p.242). Investigating the body, the scene of the crime, and leads around the city, reveals the following clues: - The victim was particularly insistent that she not be disturbed - She entered this same study cell a few days ago. Librarians remember her carrying a book inside, but departing empty-handed. - All the books concern the Lords of Dust, except for one: 'The Dreaming Dark'; it has been hollowed-out and holds a vial - Both the vial and the body contain traces of a poison - No spells were cast at the crime scene over the last day - The victim pretended to be kalashtar, but she was in fact one of the Inspired - A faint carving on the table reads, "Who owns whom? If I cannot own you, then no-one c" Meanwhile, if the PCs or a librarian unwittingly free K'Shurr, they have another possession to contend with. Guilty Party: The victim herself, Torali, is the guilty party. She commits suicide because she hopes to prevent her possessor from moving on to another host body. Dying is preferable to living on as an empty husk without her beloved. ---------------------------------------------- Name: Tyrant Games Location: Sharn Background: The changeling Jarval has been found murdered, poisoned, by a human lady of repute, the locally know inquisitor Badeith. Clues have been found. A note scrawled on the wall in Jarval's own blood - Death to the Tyrants. A food stain on Jarval's clothes when examined is a distinctive spicy curry that leads to a local eatery, the proprietor the changling Betrice, who posses as a jovial portly human chef come entrepreneur Rarl. Betrice is a well place member of the Tyrants and the eatery a local clique's center. {For a more racy alternative setting this would be a bordello, Betrice the mama-san and an amorous clue the lead}. Badeith hires or otherwise works with the players in attempting to accumulate evidence against the changling and the Tyrants and their poison smuggling operation and bring the gangster murderer to justice, a more than difficult job in Sharn, or act as vigilantes - very dangerous against the Tyrants! In the process the party has to realize the true state of affairs and strike a blow of their own. The twist - the changling Jarval is not dead and is in fact Badeith, the inquisitor one of her very successful covers. The murdered changling is one Re'al, a commoner changling that was conned and murdered by Jarval. Badeith's standing in the community is one that her identification of the supposed Jarval would not be immediately questioned and the murdered changling in all ways, including known personal items, matches the description of Jarval regardless. Key Personalities: Jarval - Female changling Rogue Level : X (X is a level to suit player party) Betrice - Male changling. Cleric Traveller Level: X. Posing as Rarl, human commoner 3. Class and level can be modified to suit appropriate player group levels. Jarval would most likely be rogue of level X, but again that is easily modified by the DM. Events: Betrice's likely tactics on discovering the player's activities are probably not directly violent. Suggested would be a counter frame against the players where suddenly they have been incriminated in a compromising position collecting evidence against Betrice further muddying the water. A clue of Betrice's either deliberately planted or found by the players the hard way, pointing to poisons hidden in the curry powder, a perfect smuggling combination, takes the players to a warehouse where they are apprehended by the watch as theives. If Jarval is able to convince the players to attack Betrice directly she will most likely betray them to the Tyrants and attempt to kill them herself, using her elimination of the players to further her own standing in the organization. Guilty Party: Jarval herself is using this as a way to remove a rival in the Tyrant organization and take over the operation without herself being directly involved and indeed to known sources actually dead, the perfect alibi in her power play.
MysticTheurge 09-23-05, 03:14 PM	:bump:
Save-vs-DM 09-23-05, 09:49 PM	Just a reminder that you only have about 24 hours to finish voting in this poll! Cheers, Save vs DM
Meds 09-24-05, 01:04 PM	:bump:
Save-vs-DM 09-25-05, 03:09 AM	Polling is now closed. Congradulations to MysticTheurge and his winning submission of Murder at the Gala! An honorable mention for best twist goes to Meds and his submission Possessions of the Departed. I'd like to thank all of the contestants. Though we could only have one winner, you've all proven that you are indeed quite adept at weaving tales of murder and mystery in Eberron. Thank you and congradulations! Save vs DM
Thramzorean 09-25-05, 06:46 AM	Heh, oh well, 4 more votes than I thought I would get... :rofl: Someone will actually have to explain to me what this Uncon thing is all about one day. It will be nice to get a bit more of a head's up than stumbling on all the threads on the last evening :) Is there a link somewhere that details what's been going on?
MysticTheurge 09-25-05, 10:30 AM	Heh, isn't it funny that my entry to the Character contest is the one I spent all week on, while this one I thought I'd just write up for fun. Thanks to everyone who thought this was a good mystery and congratulations to all the other finalists, you all write a very good mystery. Does this mean I get a CA now? I'll have to think about what I want...
Meds 09-25-05, 11:55 AM	Congratulations to all the entrants, and particularly to MysticTheurge. Thanks also to Save-vs-DM for running a great contest. Is there a link somewhere that details what's been going on? I believe that this is the UnCon nexus: http://www.wizards.com/uncon
Thramzorean 09-26-05, 01:38 AM	Ah, bingo, thanks. Gosh, it's a lot bigger than I realized. I'll add my congrats to MT :)