If there is a spoiler and it has a specific character's name on it, then that spoiler is for said player to view only. I mean, you can look at it as well, but it'll ruin the fun (and the purpose of those spoilers in the first place).
Background:
World: Sobino
City, Country: Esperal, Abri
Date: The third day of the sixth month of the year. (Also known by the world-goers as Floris 3, 3325 GD)
Location: Esperal Cemetary
The carnival has come to town! Everyone’s overjoyed to see the ‘Cirque de Lune’ come to the small, rural town of Esperal. The town has put up lights around the square to commemorate the occasion, the smell of cotton candy lingers indefinitely in the air, and the low hum of voices that once backdropped the market has now risen to an excited buzz. All is well until this little countryside town falls prey to a string of frightening murders. The mayor has enlisted your help---the party---to find out who is behind the homicides and to put a stop to it. Murders aren’t good for proceeds, after all!
Now you find yourselves attending a funeral. Whether through personal intrigue, out of spite, through a favor, or hired, you can consider yourselves officially on the case. The objective: find out who’s behind the murders, and put a stop to them, hopefully before more are killed.
Are you a local?
Here's a list of NPCs and establishments in town. If you think there are NPCs your character would know well, or if there's an NPC that looks interesting to you, let me know in a private chat and I'll tell you more about them!
The list will probably grow as the campaign moves forward. I'll let you know when I make any changes!
The residents of Esperal are mostly farmers, with a few well-known residents that run the inn, tradepost, library, etc. Additionally, most of the residents are either immigrants/refugees from other countries (there's a big war going on outside of Abri, so a lot of people recently have come into the country looking for asylum), or were born to parents who were immigrants/refugees from other countries. It's your choice whether or not your character also falls in with the majority or not as well!
NPCs:
Maggie and Alisa---A pair of sisters, a half-orc and a half-elf (respectively). They run the local inn, The Lazy Peacock, together. Maggie is more outgoing, whereas Alisa is more reserved.
Kidra---The local "cryptid," if you will. A small kobold farmer, but she's not known for that. Very standoffish towards everyone but a few of the more eccentric locals. She can often be seen running around her corn field at night, sometimes in dead silence, other times while screaming bloody murder. She also has a knack for hanging upside down from tree branches and staring off into space for hours on end, and retreating to the back of the inn and staring at the ceiling without a word. She calls it her "quiet time."
Mayor Lagash---the mayor of Esperal. A very educated Orc individual, and he's normally very polite. He's also particularly loud and excited. Knows nothing about crime, only politics. He's been mayor for a long time.
Elibyn Ambershadow---a young tiefling woman that runs the Black Owl. Kind and easygoing, people generally trusts her with a lot of things. She's known as one of the best secret keepers in town. She's also the one you go to when you need any kind of favor; pet-sitting, house upkeep if you're on vacation, loans, etc. Though she's normally found at work, she's been absent the past few days feeling really sick, cooped up at home while her wife, Jezean.
Jezean Ambershadow---a brass dragonborn, who works as a traveling nurse. Whenever she's not working outside of Esperal, she's seen helping out Elibyn at the tradepost.
Faith---The priestess. She's a tiefling only known as Faith, which suits her profession as an "inter-disciplinary" religious authority. She has the ability to run services from all sorts of religions. If the people attending the service doesn't like interdisciplinary religious authority, she has connections all across the world to people who can run those services.
Establishments:
The Lazy Peacock---the local inn and bar. The only place to get a decent drink in town.
Black Owl---the tradepost/general store. Run by Elibyn Ambershadow, a young tiefling. You can find most anything there, even if they don't have it. Notorious for being a good place to find connections all over the country of Abri, whether it be for finding jobs, supplies, or information on something.
Library---It's not huge, and mostly holds newspaper archives and weather/agriculture reports. Occasionally they'll get a shipment of hand-me down fiction books, but the residents that read normally get their fix of books from the tradepost.
Cemetery---where you start the adventure!
Fitting for the occasion, the day is coming to a close as fog rolls in with the arrival of twilight. Walking through the cemetery, there are hundreds of graves, each marked with an assortment of live flowers, greenery, and---in some cases---crops growing from each mound of dirt. Willow trees and cypress bushes border the rows of graves. The greenery around you seems to cry as their branches heave with the light breeze and as dew condenses on their leaves. The gravesite is dimly lit, the only light available is coming from the quickly-setting sun and the illuminated lamp posts lining the cobblestone-paved walkway a few graves away from the service body.
Hushed murmurs and stifled sobs move over the large crowd as you arrive at the ceremony, one at a time. It looks like the whole town of Esperal has come to attend the burial of the latest victim of a series of strange deaths. The lot of you stand out like sore thumbs in the sea of black-clad funeral-goers, which in turn garner some strange looks from those in the front. The priestess, a stout tiefling dressed in a long purple robe, is leading the procession in a call-and-response funeral hymn.
Alongside your group stands Mayor Lagash, with a large black leather bag that looks stuffed with files and papers. Lagash is a large Orc, dressed in well-fitted black dress pants and a white button down shirt. A black tie has been laid carefully around his neck, and a long, black overcoat hangs off his arm. His reddish-brown eyes are carefully watching the loosely wrapped body currently being lowered into the grave in front of you under furrowed, bushy brows. In a fashion that is opposite to what one would expect in an event announcing the arrival of death, the body is wrapped in the most beautifully and brightly colored cotton fabric and sheep’s wool. You all watch in silence as the last of the fabric disappears from view.
A few minutes more, and the priestess steps down from the head of the grave, and a few of the guests in the service begin shoveling dirt into it. Everyone stays dead silent while they watch, and eventually the grave is filled. The priestess comes back out, holding a small ceramic container. She opens it and begins spreading the contents over the topsoil, whispering what sounds like a prayer. Once she is done, the crowd disperses, each heading their own separate ways. The Mayor, however, stays with you. “I’m so sorry for the wait, y’all.” His voice, though solemn, is loud and solid. “I appreciate y’all comin’ over here, even just to catch the end of the service.” He drops his coat on the ground, to take off the bag slung across his torso. “I have papers that I think might aid y’all in your investigation. Autopsy reports, and such. If you’d like to talk more, we can head on over to the tavern. Being here any longer’s gonna start giving me the creeps.”
After seeing the autopsy in the Mayor’s hands, Lucky proceeds to walk over and grab the report to examine it.
The Tabaxi doesn’t seem dressed for the funeral and it looks like he’s wearing his normal attire. He wears loose dark purple robes as top. They seem to have been cut around the waist. He has common pants with what seems to be a small holster for a handaxe.
“Is this all we have to work with?” He asks the mayor. His voice seems tired and gravelly.
(ooc: As a cleric, would Krix know the funeral rite performed by the priestess, including what she sprinkled over the grave?)
Krix listens to Lucky question the mayor for a moment but turns to exchange glances with Diaelle (and Hemlock if they're still in the party). He comments to his companions, "I think I heard the word tavern, how about you?"
Like his plate armor, Krix is well-kept albeit a bit scuffed from many years of military action. He carries himself in a respectful manner. This is not his first funeral, and he lets decorum guide his actions, keeping his voice low and his face solemn.
An old gnomes joins the gathering crowd by the mayor, he turns his head to the tabaxi and speaks in a calm and matter of fact tone, "Every piece of information is a clue, no matter how small or insignificant they seem. You got a name?"He straightens a tan, wide brimmed hat that sits atop a head of silver hair with one hand and pushes his small, round silver spectacles up his nose with the other. "I'm Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry, the Fourth but just call me Fizz, everyone else does."
He walks forward and extends a hand toward the mayor, "Glad you called Mayor Lagash but I am not sure why you are involving these amateurs. I assure you, I can get to the bottom of this mystery before too long. If you'd rather brief me at the tavern let's head there, tell me everything and spare no detail, you never know what is important."
Fizz is thin and an average height for a gnome though he is bent a bit forward by time. Despite his age he is immaculately dressed and groomed. In addition to the hat, coat and glasses he wears a sharp grey three piece suit with a bright red bow tie. His silver hair is perfectly cut and a full silver beard is trimmed to a square that just touches his chest.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM -- The Candlekeep Mysteries 1 & 2Discord PCs -- Christian Dembele Forum PCs -- Edryd Breckon, Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry the Fourth
Lucky turns his attention to the Gnome with his seemingly blank expression, the same face he’s been making ever since his arrival. He gestures a hand to himself and says, “Hi. My name’s Lucky. I’d also like to gather some more information from you Mayor, Lagash was it? Either way, I can meet you at the tavern after I read through this autopsy.” Lucky would then take a few steps back from Fizz and the Mayor, and begin to examine the autopsy.
While not particularly bothered by the ceremony itself, Hemlock shifts a little uncomfortably where he stands, having shown up in his ruffled coat and embroidered blouse to such a somber event. The tiefling is fairly tall, with grey-blue skin and a pair of horns growing from the back of his head. His long black hair is tied back neatly and he wears a curious ‘bag’ in the form of an intricate birdcage, which holds a single aged notebook within.
His voice is gentle, and it wavers a little when he speaks up. “…This occurrence is most unfortunate. Pleased to meet you all, I agree, we should probably talk elsewhere. Oh, excuse me, I am Hemlock, I… hope to assist with uncovering the mystery.”
Echo hovers next to the Mayor, her only acquaintance in this new town. Despite her simple clothes, the woman is obviously out of place. Her simple cotton dress is white, not black, her dark hair pulled away from her face in a simple low ponytail, not swept up in the typical braids of the town girls. The true give away, however, is her face. The woman radiates an almost unnatural beauty, every single feature unquestionably perfect in a hauntingly alluring way. It is not clear to most onlookers what race she is exactly. Humanoid, obviously, though the blueish tint to her hair and colourless eyes make it obvious she is not simply human. Perhaps some exotic type of elf?
Having never been to a funeral before, - at least, not one she can remember - Echo cannot help but feel nervous. She tries her best not to show it, but any who observe her closely would notice her clenched fists and the constant darting of her pale eyes, both dead giveaways of her anxiety. As Mayor Lagash makes his speech to the others she stands off to the side awkwardly, unsure what to do with herself. It takes a few moments before she works up the courage to speak, timidly stepping forward as she approaches the group discussing the investigation. "Um.. my name is Echo, and I would also like to help. Im afraid I’m not very experienced in such matters, but I'm sure there is some way in which I can provide aid."
A tall kind of scruffy looking half-elf, who until up to that moment was a little bit apart of the crowd, approaches the group around the mayor.
"Ah Mayor I do see that you are taking this really seriously "he bows slightly towards Fizz, touching the tip of a hat he wears. In contrast to the gnome, the half elf appearance seems a little bit... scruffy. His coat has clearly seen better days and his trousers have spots of mud here and there. The feeling is that he could be properly dressed but he had left his home in a hurry or just doesn't care. "It would be a pleasure to work with you on this one Fizz" he says with a smile and turns towards the others " And with the rest of you too of course. Please " he says looking at Lucky "Try not to mess that It could have some information that could prove useful."he then turns again towards the Mayor " A pity you haven't called me earlier I would have like to examine the body myself... anyway too late for that, at least for the moment. Have you suggested to go to the tavern? I do think that would be more appropriate to talk about this case and examine the evidence together... shall we?"
she'lok has been watching the crowd looking who has attended and who hasn't. I do not know if I have to roll for anything.
Fizz sighs as Shek'lok addresses him, "Yes, Shek'lok, it will be an interesting experiencing for both of us, I am sure. If you can, please try not to get any dirt on the evidence."With his left hand Fizz reaches into his overcoat and produces a small leather bound notebook. He flips the cover open as he waves his right hand in the air and snaps his fingers. A delicate, mechanical looking fountain pen pops into existence. "Now then, if we assume there is a murderer on the loose... and need to be careful with our early assumptions... we should look for similarities and connections between the victims and the manner of their demise. There is no time to lose let us talk while we walk. What do we know of the victims."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM -- The Candlekeep Mysteries 1 & 2Discord PCs -- Christian Dembele Forum PCs -- Edryd Breckon, Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry the Fourth
Diaelle smiles at Krix’s mention of a tavern. “I think I did as well. Sounds like a good plan to me…” Diaelle looks around at the strange gathering that has formed around the mayor. She looks down at her hands, suddenly conscious of how they aren’t her own. Diaelle appears to be an average human male. His hair is cut short and brown, his eyes remain the natural red of her true form. He wears a simple, slightly torn shirt and a pair of trousers. He pulls his coat tighter around him, shivering. Diaelle feels the eyes of a couple of civilians on the strange group. “Dhasfa?” She quietly whispers to herself. She is uncomfortable with the attention and seeks comfort from her patron and friend.
"Well, sir, only one of the three dead actually allowed us to perform an autopsy. The rest didn't want 'em, and we gotta respect their wishes. And we just started the actual investigation today, right after Elibyn there," he points at the freshly-filled grave, "bless her soul, passed away this morning." With that, you easily pluck the bag right out of Lagash's hands, Lucky, and pull out a file called "Autopsy Summary Copies." It feels light in your hands, which makes sense because you open it to reveal a single piece of paper inside it.
Lucky:
Here's what you read on the single sheet of paper that makes up Thaymoor Shadowdancer's autopsy report.
Description of gross lesions:
External Examination
The body is that of a 56 year old, well-developed, dehydrated male Tabaxi. There are no major scars, or visible traumatic injuries.
Clinicopathologic correlation
The patient died shortly after falling asleep and experiencing severe blood and fluid loss, excitation in the PAG and CNS, and seizures.
The most significant finding on autopsy was the evidence of an overactive PAG (peripheral autonomic ganglia) and fluid loss---mainly in the gastrointestinal system and mouth. There is also evidence of underactive salivary glands.
In summary, the patient died of a combination of blood and fluid loss, dehydration, and seizures, the underlying cause of which is currently undetermined. A definitive diagnosis may be ascertained with the proper toxicology tests.
(ooc: I know it's a lot of medical jargon [all of which I'm kind of confident is right... you know that though I'm pretty intense with research I'm not a doctor so take all of this with a grain of salt lol], so let me know if you'd like clarification on anything Miles.)
Slightly startled by the bluntness of your actions, he stammers a little as he addresses the group as a whole. "Well, well It's mighty nice to meet y'all. I mean, I hope y'all understand that I have no experience with this..." he waves a hand around, looking for the right word, "crime and investigative science stuff, like some of y'all, so I opened it up to whoever wanted to try their hand at solving this. 'The more the merrier,' as they say; I hope y'all understand. I'll go on ahead and tell you as much as I know over at the Lazy Peacock." He looks around quickly, and clears his throat nervously. "Yes, Shel'lok, we should go over now. I don't s'pose any of you new faces know the way to the inn from here, unless you're staying there overnight."
Krix:
You recognize the prayers as a common tiefling practice around Abri, to a goddess called Mitra. She's the main goddess in Abri's religious pantheon, and is strongly connected to those in the working class.
While you've never seen anyone use these at a funeral, you infer that the stuff put on the graves are seeds; mainly based on the fact all of the other graves have something growing out of them.
(all of this is homebrew!)
Diaelle:
In the back of your head, you hear the well-known voice of your patron, Dhasfa. "Diaelle? I'm here. What do you need?" You can feel him poking about your brain, trying to figure out if there is anything wrong. You can hear a small chuckle coming from the genie; he finds your self-consciousness a little amusing. Eccentric in the same way a peacock is, he doesn't understand how most mortals are so preoccupied with 'fitting in,' and tries to get you to become more confident in yourself... in varying degrees of effectiveness. "Don't worry about them. We're here to do a good thing, you don't stand out any more than you need to. I always try to tell you that standing out isn't exactly a bad thing, if you've got it, flaunt it. I sure do. But do you listen? No. You should, but you don't. Now do you want to solve these murders, or no?" he says excitedly, trying to hype you up in an all-too-familiar way.
(ooc: I imagine Dhasfa to be kind of like the Genie in Aladdin, but 150% more supportive and insanely frivolous. Is that ok? I'll change it if it's not!)
To walk to the tavern from the cemetery, you have to cross through the town. Mayor Lagash leads the way through the small town, and into its even smaller center. A single cobblestone-lined street marks the center square, where an inn, tradepost, small bank, blacksmith, carpenter, and tailor sit in two neat little rows across the street from each other. It’s now dark, and the only buildings with their lights on are the inn and the tradepost. You can’t quite see the names of the establishments, but as you get closer to the inn, you see the blue and green colored wooden sign mounted on the door with the words “The Lazy Peacock” carved into it in yellow cursive. Stepping inside, there are a few well-dressed customers that you recognize from the funeral, as well as a half-orc woman dressed in black behind the bar. There is evidence of the inn being a common shared space for celebration and good times, as it is decorated with tasteful shades of blue, purple, green and gold and there are feather patterns everywhere, but everything is worn in. The shiny varnish on the wooden seats and barstools have been rubbed off, and the tables are smooth to the touch---an obvious sign of regular usage, only made more obvious by the dents made in them. However, today the atmosphere is so dense and gloomy that you could cut it. The woman behind the bar is conversing with a few of the people sitting at the length of the bar and serving drinks, and there are a few other groups of two or three people seated around the establishment at the tables. The loudest sounds are the sounds of a grill being worked behind the wall behind the bar, and the somber, droning sound of many light conversations being made around the room.
Lagash sits down at a large table in the corner of the room, taking the bag back from Lucky and spreading out the rest of its contents on the table. Other than the file titled “Autopsy Summary Copies” that Lucky's looking through, he pulls out another two files titled “Evidence Summary Copies”, and “Contacts”, all labeled with neat black ink. “Now, here’s the facts. Three of our locals have died in their sleep---quite violently. We didn’t suspect murder until the third death, but only cause of how strange the deaths are.” As he talks, he starts sifting through some of the papers in the “Contacts'' file. “The three victims are Calda Tengrove, a young halfling, Thaymoor Shadowdancer, a middle-aged Tabaxi, and the most recent is Elibyn Ambershadow, a young tiefling.” His speech is slow, tired, and drawn out, but still loud. "They were all born here, but descendants of immigrant families, like most of us in Esperal. I… wouldn’t want to go into the details of their deaths myself, as they’re pretty gruesome. For dying in their sleep, at least. It all happened within the past week. I’m working with local Law Enforcement on this case, but the lot are a couple of buffoons. All foam and no ale, if ya know what I mean, so most of what’s in this bag is just filler and fluff. Nothing concrete.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jack, a Changeling Artificer/Bard/Cleric/Fighter/Rogue---RynnElocin'sFrom Dusk to Dawn Amon, a Fairy Arcane Trickster---ShieldHero_'s Fractum
Lucky would place the report on the table and say, “I’m no professional when it comes to stuff like this, but I think they may have died from poisoning.” His eyes would then start darting around the room, taking quick glances at everyone in the tavern. He seems paranoid. After taking a quick survey of the environment, he’d sit down at the table and start looking at the “Evidence Summary Copies,“ trying to distract himself and focus on the task at hand.
Hemlock sticks close to Diaelle and Krix. Upon arriving, he places the birdcage on his lap and sits neatly at one of the seats. He slips the notebook out, placing the little thing on the table, unhooks a small embellished quill from it and is poised ready to take notes. Waiting for a moment of quiet, he leans forward a little and asks, “Mayor Lagash, and everyone from town, do you know if the murders coincided with any new happenings? I heard it in the wind, that a carnival was in town,” noticing how that sounds, he quickly adds, “not that I believe they caused it of course, it’s such a joyful event… It’s just, rumours has its roots, it can be a clue, and as you can see, we’re not from around here. Any local information would be helpful.”
While the eclectic group walks throught the city the half-elf introduces himself to those who doesn't know him. Moving to the side of each one of them to proper do it.
"Shek'lol Sholms at your service"he says to them with a slightly bow and a smile.
Shek'lok just take one copy of each of the documents and puts them in front of him but do not look at them, focused on the major and what he as to say.
Once he has answered Hemlock's question he asks himself another one:
"You say that they all come from immigrant families. Any idea of when their families came to town? Could have been at the same time? "
"Poisoning, you say? Well, that does make sense," Mayor Lagash mutters, tapping his chin with a finger. "And Hemlock, there is indeed a carnival in town. Cirque de la Lune, they call it? Y'all should head on down soon, I myself went a few days ago. It was marvelous. They call it a 'nocturnal circus' and it only performs at night. Crazy stuff. They keep the carnival games running all through the day, too, if nighttime's not your cupa tea. But Calda, may she rest in peace, died just about a week ago. The carnival's been here for only a few days or so. I doubt they've got anything to do with it." He sighs as you ask your questions, Shel'lok, and you can see his face scrunch up. He seems to be thinking really hard. "Now, I don't exactly know, I didn't know the Shadowdancers too well, or the Tengroves, I just know that the Tengroves had moved here recently but the Shadowdancers didn't." He pauses again, brows furrowed. "Don't know when or where Elibyn's folks showed up from. However, I do know that Elibyn's old parents, the Ambershadow folk, were tragically gunned down years ago." He scratches his head and continues. "I'm sure that if you ask my secretary, Jacquelyn, the same questions, she'll be able to pull up the paperwork and get y'all your answers."
(If any of you guys want to go ahead and take a copy and read it, here are the papers Lagash put in front of you:)
Autopsy Summary Copy:
Here's what you read on the single sheet of paper that makes up Thaymoor's autopsy report.
Description of gross lesions:
External Examination The body is that of a 56 year old, well-developed, dehydrated male Tabaxi. There are no major scars, or visible traumatic injuries.
Clinicopathologic correlation The patient died shortly after falling asleep and experiencing severe blood and fluid loss, excitation in the PAG and CNS, and seizures. The most significant finding on autopsy was the evidence of an overactive PAG (peripheral autonomic ganglia) and fluid loss---mainly in the gastrointestinal system and mouth. There is also evidence of underactive salivary glands. In summary, the patient died of a combination of blood and fluid loss, dehydration, and seizures, the underlying cause of which is currently undetermined. A definitive diagnosis may be ascertained with the proper toxicology tests.
(ooc: I know it's a lot of medical jargon [all of which I'm kind of confident is right... I'm not a doctor so take all of this with a grain of salt lol], so let me know if you'd like clarification on anything.)
Evidence Summary Copies:
Evidence Summary Copies:
Calda Tengrove. 19. Female halfling. Died in her sleep.
Born to Belalyn Tengrove and Noros Tengrove [deceased].
Had a ticket to the Cirque de la Lune.
Was sleeping across the room from her roommate, Nym Yllalamin, at the time of death.
Bed was found in complete disarray at time of death, was said to be “[T]ossing and turning, and occasionally sleep-talking and screaming for about two days straight,” according to Nym.
Blood, vomit, and tear stains were found in excess on bedsheets.
Thaymoor Shadowdancer. 56.Male Tabaxi. Died in his sleep.
Born to Brave Plume [deceased] and Dust on the Road [deceased]
Had a ticket to the Cirque de la Lune.
Was sleeping in the same bed as his wife, Tare Onshaneo-Shadowdancer, at the time of death.
Bed was found in complete disarray at time of death.
Blood, vomit, and tear stains were found on bedsheets. Bedsheets were also slightly torn, with claw marks across them.
Elibyn Ambershadow. 23. Female Tiefling. Died in her sleep.
Born to [unknown]. Undocumented immigrants.
Had a ticket to Cirque de la Lune.
Contacts:
Contacts:
Here’s a summarized version of the people that are available for you to contact:
Diaelle turns her focus to the papers in front of her. She takes a minute to thoroughly examine each page. Satisfied, she stacks the pages she was looking through. “Would it be possible to do more extensive toxicology tests? If we can find out if it’s poison or what type that could help.” Diaelle pauses, pondering the new information. She awaits a response before nodding, and leaning back into the chair to listen to the others.
"At this moment, and apart from the cause of death, I see only two things in common in our victims. They all were inmigrant descendant are they all had acquired a ticket to the Crique de la Lune. Were they able to attend such festivity? " Shel'lok asks
Lucky examines each document and then takes a few moments to think. After a few moments of thought, he looks at the list of contacts, then eyes the mayor and says, "I think it is best to go and see your secretary to gather more information about the families, or to do the toxicology test. Like you said," he briefly points to Shel'lok and then continues, "there seems to be some sort of common thread with the murders regarding the victim's history, and this circus. However," looks towards Diaelle, "knowing how they died would be especially useful since we may already know." He pauses for a few moments, then his gaze traces to the mayor as he says, "I don't think anyone should be ruled out until we know they are 100% innocent. That includes this odd circus." After finishing his statement, Lucky would recline back into his seat and turn his gaze back towards the papers.
Hemlock sifts through the documents silently, writing down his own questions in his notebook. As Lagash mentions his secretary, he raises his head, "do you happen to know where Miss Jacquelyn is at this moment? Would she be able to contact Doctor Andaren Rogers? It seems that the victims were quite tormented moments before their deaths... They might be able to give us some insight into what they were experiencing, whether it was just poison or something else." To everyone around the table: "if we visit the carnival, would it be better if we kept it lowkey and pretended to be mere sightseers?"
"Law Enforcement's working with some toxicology specialists in Pisor, up in the capital, as we speak. They say it might take a little time, but I'll get y'all the results as soon as I get them in." The Mayor shifts in his seat and exhales sharply, his cheeks puffing up. "Well I know that Thaymoor and Calda wouldn't have gotten the chance. Elibyn, though, I'm not too sure. And Jacquelyn should be home by now, but she'll be in the office at the town hall tomorrow morning. I could tell her y'all are looking for something and to be ready for whenever you can come. You can ask her all your questions about paperwork, files, and whatnot. I'll also tell her to let y'all use the town's telephone line to call whoever you needs to for the investigation. How's that sound?"
Welcome to the Cirque de la Lune campaign thread! Hope y'all have fun. Without further ado, mystery awaits in the land of Esperal!
My Posting Key:
OOC -> (ooc:)
Descriptions -> In normal text.
NPC Dialogue -> "Hello, I'm NPC #1." "Hello, I'm NPC #2."
NPC Thoughts -> The carnival’s in town! Yay!
Character Names -> Lucky
If there is a spoiler and it has a specific character's name on it, then that spoiler is for said player to view only. I mean, you can look at it as well, but it'll ruin the fun (and the purpose of those spoilers in the first place).
Background:
World: Sobino
City, Country: Esperal, Abri
Date: The third day of the sixth month of the year. (Also known by the world-goers as Floris 3, 3325 GD)
Location: Esperal Cemetary
The carnival has come to town! Everyone’s overjoyed to see the ‘Cirque de Lune’ come to the small, rural town of Esperal. The town has put up lights around the square to commemorate the occasion, the smell of cotton candy lingers indefinitely in the air, and the low hum of voices that once backdropped the market has now risen to an excited buzz. All is well until this little countryside town falls prey to a string of frightening murders. The mayor has enlisted your help---the party---to find out who is behind the homicides and to put a stop to it. Murders aren’t good for proceeds, after all!
Now you find yourselves attending a funeral. Whether through personal intrigue, out of spite, through a favor, or hired, you can consider yourselves officially on the case. The objective: find out who’s behind the murders, and put a stop to them, hopefully before more are killed.
Are you a local?
Here's a list of NPCs and establishments in town. If you think there are NPCs your character would know well, or if there's an NPC that looks interesting to you, let me know in a private chat and I'll tell you more about them!
The list will probably grow as the campaign moves forward. I'll let you know when I make any changes!
The residents of Esperal are mostly farmers, with a few well-known residents that run the inn, tradepost, library, etc. Additionally, most of the residents are either immigrants/refugees from other countries (there's a big war going on outside of Abri, so a lot of people recently have come into the country looking for asylum), or were born to parents who were immigrants/refugees from other countries. It's your choice whether or not your character also falls in with the majority or not as well!
NPCs:
Establishments:
Fitting for the occasion, the day is coming to a close as fog rolls in with the arrival of twilight. Walking through the cemetery, there are hundreds of graves, each marked with an assortment of live flowers, greenery, and---in some cases---crops growing from each mound of dirt. Willow trees and cypress bushes border the rows of graves. The greenery around you seems to cry as their branches heave with the light breeze and as dew condenses on their leaves. The gravesite is dimly lit, the only light available is coming from the quickly-setting sun and the illuminated lamp posts lining the cobblestone-paved walkway a few graves away from the service body.
Hushed murmurs and stifled sobs move over the large crowd as you arrive at the ceremony, one at a time. It looks like the whole town of Esperal has come to attend the burial of the latest victim of a series of strange deaths. The lot of you stand out like sore thumbs in the sea of black-clad funeral-goers, which in turn garner some strange looks from those in the front. The priestess, a stout tiefling dressed in a long purple robe, is leading the procession in a call-and-response funeral hymn.
Alongside your group stands Mayor Lagash, with a large black leather bag that looks stuffed with files and papers. Lagash is a large Orc, dressed in well-fitted black dress pants and a white button down shirt. A black tie has been laid carefully around his neck, and a long, black overcoat hangs off his arm. His reddish-brown eyes are carefully watching the loosely wrapped body currently being lowered into the grave in front of you under furrowed, bushy brows. In a fashion that is opposite to what one would expect in an event announcing the arrival of death, the body is wrapped in the most beautifully and brightly colored cotton fabric and sheep’s wool. You all watch in silence as the last of the fabric disappears from view.
A few minutes more, and the priestess steps down from the head of the grave, and a few of the guests in the service begin shoveling dirt into it. Everyone stays dead silent while they watch, and eventually the grave is filled. The priestess comes back out, holding a small ceramic container. She opens it and begins spreading the contents over the topsoil, whispering what sounds like a prayer. Once she is done, the crowd disperses, each heading their own separate ways. The Mayor, however, stays with you. “I’m so sorry for the wait, y’all.” His voice, though solemn, is loud and solid. “I appreciate y’all comin’ over here, even just to catch the end of the service.” He drops his coat on the ground, to take off the bag slung across his torso. “I have papers that I think might aid y’all in your investigation. Autopsy reports, and such. If you’d like to talk more, we can head on over to the tavern. Being here any longer’s gonna start giving me the creeps.”
Jack, a Changeling Artificer/Bard/Cleric/Fighter/Rogue---RynnElocin's From Dusk to Dawn
Amon, a Fairy Arcane Trickster---ShieldHero_'s Fractum
I'M BACK
PFP credit goes to Mo Willems
After seeing the autopsy in the Mayor’s hands, Lucky proceeds to walk over and grab the report to examine it.
The Tabaxi doesn’t seem dressed for the funeral and it looks like he’s wearing his normal attire. He wears loose dark purple robes as top. They seem to have been cut around the waist. He has common pants with what seems to be a small holster for a handaxe.
“Is this all we have to work with?” He asks the mayor. His voice seems tired and gravelly.
So...
You like music?
(ooc: As a cleric, would Krix know the funeral rite performed by the priestess, including what she sprinkled over the grave?)
Krix listens to Lucky question the mayor for a moment but turns to exchange glances with Diaelle (and Hemlock if they're still in the party). He comments to his companions, "I think I heard the word tavern, how about you?"
Like his plate armor, Krix is well-kept albeit a bit scuffed from many years of military action. He carries himself in a respectful manner. This is not his first funeral, and he lets decorum guide his actions, keeping his voice low and his face solemn.
Nell: Call of the Netherdeep
An old gnomes joins the gathering crowd by the mayor, he turns his head to the tabaxi and speaks in a calm and matter of fact tone, "Every piece of information is a clue, no matter how small or insignificant they seem. You got a name?" He straightens a tan, wide brimmed hat that sits atop a head of silver hair with one hand and pushes his small, round silver spectacles up his nose with the other. "I'm Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry, the Fourth but just call me Fizz, everyone else does."
He walks forward and extends a hand toward the mayor, "Glad you called Mayor Lagash but I am not sure why you are involving these amateurs. I assure you, I can get to the bottom of this mystery before too long. If you'd rather brief me at the tavern let's head there, tell me everything and spare no detail, you never know what is important."
Fizz is thin and an average height for a gnome though he is bent a bit forward by time. Despite his age he is immaculately dressed and groomed. In addition to the hat, coat and glasses he wears a sharp grey three piece suit with a bright red bow tie. His silver hair is perfectly cut and a full silver beard is trimmed to a square that just touches his chest.
DM -- The Candlekeep Mysteries 1 & 2 Discord PCs -- Christian Dembele Forum PCs -- Edryd Breckon, Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry the Fourth
Lucky turns his attention to the Gnome with his seemingly blank expression, the same face he’s been making ever since his arrival. He gestures a hand to himself and says, “Hi. My name’s Lucky. I’d also like to gather some more information from you Mayor, Lagash was it? Either way, I can meet you at the tavern after I read through this autopsy.” Lucky would then take a few steps back from Fizz and the Mayor, and begin to examine the autopsy.
So...
You like music?
While not particularly bothered by the ceremony itself, Hemlock shifts a little uncomfortably where he stands, having shown up in his ruffled coat and embroidered blouse to such a somber event. The tiefling is fairly tall, with grey-blue skin and a pair of horns growing from the back of his head. His long black hair is tied back neatly and he wears a curious ‘bag’ in the form of an intricate birdcage, which holds a single aged notebook within.
His voice is gentle, and it wavers a little when he speaks up. “…This occurrence is most unfortunate. Pleased to meet you all, I agree, we should probably talk elsewhere. Oh, excuse me, I am Hemlock, I… hope to assist with uncovering the mystery.”
Echo hovers next to the Mayor, her only acquaintance in this new town. Despite her simple clothes, the woman is obviously out of place. Her simple cotton dress is white, not black, her dark hair pulled away from her face in a simple low ponytail, not swept up in the typical braids of the town girls. The true give away, however, is her face. The woman radiates an almost unnatural beauty, every single feature unquestionably perfect in a hauntingly alluring way. It is not clear to most onlookers what race she is exactly. Humanoid, obviously, though the blueish tint to her hair and colourless eyes make it obvious she is not simply human. Perhaps some exotic type of elf?
Having never been to a funeral before, - at least, not one she can remember - Echo cannot help but feel nervous. She tries her best not to show it, but any who observe her closely would notice her clenched fists and the constant darting of her pale eyes, both dead giveaways of her anxiety. As Mayor Lagash makes his speech to the others she stands off to the side awkwardly, unsure what to do with herself. It takes a few moments before she works up the courage to speak, timidly stepping forward as she approaches the group discussing the investigation. "Um.. my name is Echo, and I would also like to help. Im afraid I’m not very experienced in such matters, but I'm sure there is some way in which I can provide aid."
A tall kind of scruffy looking half-elf, who until up to that moment was a little bit apart of the crowd, approaches the group around the mayor.
"Ah Mayor I do see that you are taking this really seriously " he bows slightly towards Fizz, touching the tip of a hat he wears. In contrast to the gnome, the half elf appearance seems a little bit... scruffy. His coat has clearly seen better days and his trousers have spots of mud here and there. The feeling is that he could be properly dressed but he had left his home in a hurry or just doesn't care. "It would be a pleasure to work with you on this one Fizz" he says with a smile and turns towards the others " And with the rest of you too of course. Please " he says looking at Lucky "Try not to mess that It could have some information that could prove useful." he then turns again towards the Mayor " A pity you haven't called me earlier I would have like to examine the body myself... anyway too late for that, at least for the moment. Have you suggested to go to the tavern? I do think that would be more appropriate to talk about this case and examine the evidence together... shall we?"
she'lok has been watching the crowd looking who has attended and who hasn't. I do not know if I have to roll for anything.
PbP Character: A few ;)
Fizz sighs as Shek'lok addresses him, "Yes, Shek'lok, it will be an interesting experiencing for both of us, I am sure. If you can, please try not to get any dirt on the evidence." With his left hand Fizz reaches into his overcoat and produces a small leather bound notebook. He flips the cover open as he waves his right hand in the air and snaps his fingers. A delicate, mechanical looking fountain pen pops into existence. "Now then, if we assume there is a murderer on the loose... and need to be careful with our early assumptions... we should look for similarities and connections between the victims and the manner of their demise. There is no time to lose let us talk while we walk. What do we know of the victims."
DM -- The Candlekeep Mysteries 1 & 2 Discord PCs -- Christian Dembele Forum PCs -- Edryd Breckon, Fizzlebit Forton Thornberry the Fourth
Diaelle smiles at Krix’s mention of a tavern. “I think I did as well. Sounds like a good plan to me…” Diaelle looks around at the strange gathering that has formed around the mayor. She looks down at her hands, suddenly conscious of how they aren’t her own. Diaelle appears to be an average human male. His hair is cut short and brown, his eyes remain the natural red of her true form. He wears a simple, slightly torn shirt and a pair of trousers. He pulls his coat tighter around him, shivering. Diaelle feels the eyes of a couple of civilians on the strange group. “Dhasfa?” She quietly whispers to herself. She is uncomfortable with the attention and seeks comfort from her patron and friend.
"Well, sir, only one of the three dead actually allowed us to perform an autopsy. The rest didn't want 'em, and we gotta respect their wishes. And we just started the actual investigation today, right after Elibyn there," he points at the freshly-filled grave, "bless her soul, passed away this morning." With that, you easily pluck the bag right out of Lagash's hands, Lucky, and pull out a file called "Autopsy Summary Copies." It feels light in your hands, which makes sense because you open it to reveal a single piece of paper inside it.
Lucky:
Here's what you read on the single sheet of paper that makes up Thaymoor Shadowdancer's autopsy report.
Description of gross lesions:
External Examination
The body is that of a 56 year old, well-developed, dehydrated male Tabaxi. There are no major scars, or visible traumatic injuries.
Clinicopathologic correlation
The patient died shortly after falling asleep and experiencing severe blood and fluid loss, excitation in the PAG and CNS, and seizures.
The most significant finding on autopsy was the evidence of an overactive PAG (peripheral autonomic ganglia) and fluid loss---mainly in the gastrointestinal system and mouth. There is also evidence of underactive salivary glands.
In summary, the patient died of a combination of blood and fluid loss, dehydration, and seizures, the underlying cause of which is currently undetermined. A definitive diagnosis may be ascertained with the proper toxicology tests.
(ooc: I know it's a lot of medical jargon [all of which I'm kind of confident is right... you know that though I'm pretty intense with research I'm not a doctor so take all of this with a grain of salt lol], so let me know if you'd like clarification on anything Miles.)
Slightly startled by the bluntness of your actions, he stammers a little as he addresses the group as a whole. "Well, well It's mighty nice to meet y'all. I mean, I hope y'all understand that I have no experience with this..." he waves a hand around, looking for the right word, "crime and investigative science stuff, like some of y'all, so I opened it up to whoever wanted to try their hand at solving this. 'The more the merrier,' as they say; I hope y'all understand. I'll go on ahead and tell you as much as I know over at the Lazy Peacock." He looks around quickly, and clears his throat nervously. "Yes, Shel'lok, we should go over now. I don't s'pose any of you new faces know the way to the inn from here, unless you're staying there overnight."
Krix:
You recognize the prayers as a common tiefling practice around Abri, to a goddess called Mitra. She's the main goddess in Abri's religious pantheon, and is strongly connected to those in the working class.
While you've never seen anyone use these at a funeral, you infer that the stuff put on the graves are seeds; mainly based on the fact all of the other graves have something growing out of them.
(all of this is homebrew!)
Diaelle:
In the back of your head, you hear the well-known voice of your patron, Dhasfa. "Diaelle? I'm here. What do you need?" You can feel him poking about your brain, trying to figure out if there is anything wrong. You can hear a small chuckle coming from the genie; he finds your self-consciousness a little amusing. Eccentric in the same way a peacock is, he doesn't understand how most mortals are so preoccupied with 'fitting in,' and tries to get you to become more confident in yourself... in varying degrees of effectiveness. "Don't worry about them. We're here to do a good thing, you don't stand out any more than you need to. I always try to tell you that standing out isn't exactly a bad thing, if you've got it, flaunt it. I sure do. But do you listen? No. You should, but you don't. Now do you want to solve these murders, or no?" he says excitedly, trying to hype you up in an all-too-familiar way.
(ooc: I imagine Dhasfa to be kind of like the Genie in Aladdin, but 150% more supportive and insanely frivolous. Is that ok? I'll change it if it's not!)
To walk to the tavern from the cemetery, you have to cross through the town. Mayor Lagash leads the way through the small town, and into its even smaller center. A single cobblestone-lined street marks the center square, where an inn, tradepost, small bank, blacksmith, carpenter, and tailor sit in two neat little rows across the street from each other. It’s now dark, and the only buildings with their lights on are the inn and the tradepost. You can’t quite see the names of the establishments, but as you get closer to the inn, you see the blue and green colored wooden sign mounted on the door with the words “The Lazy Peacock” carved into it in yellow cursive. Stepping inside, there are a few well-dressed customers that you recognize from the funeral, as well as a half-orc woman dressed in black behind the bar. There is evidence of the inn being a common shared space for celebration and good times, as it is decorated with tasteful shades of blue, purple, green and gold and there are feather patterns everywhere, but everything is worn in. The shiny varnish on the wooden seats and barstools have been rubbed off, and the tables are smooth to the touch---an obvious sign of regular usage, only made more obvious by the dents made in them. However, today the atmosphere is so dense and gloomy that you could cut it. The woman behind the bar is conversing with a few of the people sitting at the length of the bar and serving drinks, and there are a few other groups of two or three people seated around the establishment at the tables. The loudest sounds are the sounds of a grill being worked behind the wall behind the bar, and the somber, droning sound of many light conversations being made around the room.
Lagash sits down at a large table in the corner of the room, taking the bag back from Lucky and spreading out the rest of its contents on the table. Other than the file titled “Autopsy Summary Copies” that Lucky's looking through, he pulls out another two files titled “Evidence Summary Copies”, and “Contacts”, all labeled with neat black ink. “Now, here’s the facts. Three of our locals have died in their sleep---quite violently. We didn’t suspect murder until the third death, but only cause of how strange the deaths are.” As he talks, he starts sifting through some of the papers in the “Contacts'' file. “The three victims are Calda Tengrove, a young halfling, Thaymoor Shadowdancer, a middle-aged Tabaxi, and the most recent is Elibyn Ambershadow, a young tiefling.” His speech is slow, tired, and drawn out, but still loud. "They were all born here, but descendants of immigrant families, like most of us in Esperal. I… wouldn’t want to go into the details of their deaths myself, as they’re pretty gruesome. For dying in their sleep, at least. It all happened within the past week. I’m working with local Law Enforcement on this case, but the lot are a couple of buffoons. All foam and no ale, if ya know what I mean, so most of what’s in this bag is just filler and fluff. Nothing concrete.”
Jack, a Changeling Artificer/Bard/Cleric/Fighter/Rogue---RynnElocin's From Dusk to Dawn
Amon, a Fairy Arcane Trickster---ShieldHero_'s Fractum
I'M BACK
PFP credit goes to Mo Willems
Lucky would place the report on the table and say, “I’m no professional when it comes to stuff like this, but I think they may have died from poisoning.” His eyes would then start darting around the room, taking quick glances at everyone in the tavern. He seems paranoid. After taking a quick survey of the environment, he’d sit down at the table and start looking at the “Evidence Summary Copies,“ trying to distract himself and focus on the task at hand.
So...
You like music?
Hemlock sticks close to Diaelle and Krix. Upon arriving, he places the birdcage on his lap and sits neatly at one of the seats. He slips the notebook out, placing the little thing on the table, unhooks a small embellished quill from it and is poised ready to take notes. Waiting for a moment of quiet, he leans forward a little and asks, “Mayor Lagash, and everyone from town, do you know if the murders coincided with any new happenings? I heard it in the wind, that a carnival was in town,” noticing how that sounds, he quickly adds, “not that I believe they caused it of course, it’s such a joyful event… It’s just, rumours has its roots, it can be a clue, and as you can see, we’re not from around here. Any local information would be helpful.”
While the eclectic group walks throught the city the half-elf introduces himself to those who doesn't know him. Moving to the side of each one of them to proper do it.
"Shek'lol Sholms at your service" he says to them with a slightly bow and a smile.
Shek'lok just take one copy of each of the documents and puts them in front of him but do not look at them, focused on the major and what he as to say.
Once he has answered Hemlock's question he asks himself another one:
"You say that they all come from immigrant families. Any idea of when their families came to town? Could have been at the same time? "
PbP Character: A few ;)
"Poisoning, you say? Well, that does make sense," Mayor Lagash mutters, tapping his chin with a finger. "And Hemlock, there is indeed a carnival in town. Cirque de la Lune, they call it? Y'all should head on down soon, I myself went a few days ago. It was marvelous. They call it a 'nocturnal circus' and it only performs at night. Crazy stuff. They keep the carnival games running all through the day, too, if nighttime's not your cupa tea. But Calda, may she rest in peace, died just about a week ago. The carnival's been here for only a few days or so. I doubt they've got anything to do with it." He sighs as you ask your questions, Shel'lok, and you can see his face scrunch up. He seems to be thinking really hard. "Now, I don't exactly know, I didn't know the Shadowdancers too well, or the Tengroves, I just know that the Tengroves had moved here recently but the Shadowdancers didn't." He pauses again, brows furrowed. "Don't know when or where Elibyn's folks showed up from. However, I do know that Elibyn's old parents, the Ambershadow folk, were tragically gunned down years ago." He scratches his head and continues. "I'm sure that if you ask my secretary, Jacquelyn, the same questions, she'll be able to pull up the paperwork and get y'all your answers."
(If any of you guys want to go ahead and take a copy and read it, here are the papers Lagash put in front of you:)
Autopsy Summary Copy:
Description of gross lesions:
The body is that of a 56 year old, well-developed, dehydrated male Tabaxi. There are no major scars, or visible traumatic injuries.
The patient died shortly after falling asleep and experiencing severe blood and fluid loss, excitation in the PAG and CNS, and seizures.
The most significant finding on autopsy was the evidence of an overactive PAG (peripheral autonomic ganglia) and fluid loss---mainly in the gastrointestinal system and mouth. There is also evidence of underactive salivary glands.
In summary, the patient died of a combination of blood and fluid loss, dehydration, and seizures, the underlying cause of which is currently undetermined. A definitive diagnosis may be ascertained with the proper toxicology tests.
Evidence Summary Copies:
Evidence Summary Copies:
Calda Tengrove. 19. Female halfling. Died in her sleep.
Born to Belalyn Tengrove and Noros Tengrove [deceased].
Had a ticket to the Cirque de la Lune.
Was sleeping across the room from her roommate, Nym Yllalamin, at the time of death.
Bed was found in complete disarray at time of death, was said to be “[T]ossing and turning, and occasionally sleep-talking and screaming for about two days straight,” according to Nym.
Blood, vomit, and tear stains were found in excess on bedsheets.
Thaymoor Shadowdancer. 56.Male Tabaxi. Died in his sleep.
Born to Brave Plume [deceased] and Dust on the Road [deceased]
Had a ticket to the Cirque de la Lune.
Was sleeping in the same bed as his wife, Tare Onshaneo-Shadowdancer, at the time of death.
Bed was found in complete disarray at time of death.
Blood, vomit, and tear stains were found on bedsheets. Bedsheets were also slightly torn, with claw marks across them.
Elibyn Ambershadow. 23. Female Tiefling. Died in her sleep.
Born to [unknown]. Undocumented immigrants.
Had a ticket to Cirque de la Lune.
Contacts:
Contacts:
Here’s a summarized version of the people that are available for you to contact:
EPD (Esperal Police Dept.)
Jacquelyn (Lagash's Secretary)
Belalyn Tengrove (Calda’s Mother)
Nym Yllalamin (Calda’s Roommate)
Tare Onshaneo-Shadowdancer (Thaymoor’s Wife)
Andaren Rogers (Thaymoor’s Therapist, out-of-town)
Kidra (Elibyn’s Neighbor)
Jack, a Changeling Artificer/Bard/Cleric/Fighter/Rogue---RynnElocin's From Dusk to Dawn
Amon, a Fairy Arcane Trickster---ShieldHero_'s Fractum
I'M BACK
PFP credit goes to Mo Willems
Diaelle turns her focus to the papers in front of her. She takes a minute to thoroughly examine each page. Satisfied, she stacks the pages she was looking through. “Would it be possible to do more extensive toxicology tests? If we can find out if it’s poison or what type that could help.” Diaelle pauses, pondering the new information. She awaits a response before nodding, and leaning back into the chair to listen to the others.
"At this moment, and apart from the cause of death, I see only two things in common in our victims. They all were inmigrant descendant are they all had acquired a ticket to the Crique de la Lune. Were they able to attend such festivity? " Shel'lok asks
PbP Character: A few ;)
Lucky examines each document and then takes a few moments to think. After a few moments of thought, he looks at the list of contacts, then eyes the mayor and says, "I think it is best to go and see your secretary to gather more information about the families, or to do the toxicology test. Like you said," he briefly points to Shel'lok and then continues, "there seems to be some sort of common thread with the murders regarding the victim's history, and this circus. However," looks towards Diaelle, "knowing how they died would be especially useful since we may already know." He pauses for a few moments, then his gaze traces to the mayor as he says, "I don't think anyone should be ruled out until we know they are 100% innocent. That includes this odd circus." After finishing his statement, Lucky would recline back into his seat and turn his gaze back towards the papers.
So...
You like music?
Hemlock sifts through the documents silently, writing down his own questions in his notebook. As Lagash mentions his secretary, he raises his head, "do you happen to know where Miss Jacquelyn is at this moment? Would she be able to contact Doctor Andaren Rogers? It seems that the victims were quite tormented moments before their deaths... They might be able to give us some insight into what they were experiencing, whether it was just poison or something else." To everyone around the table: "if we visit the carnival, would it be better if we kept it lowkey and pretended to be mere sightseers?"
"Law Enforcement's working with some toxicology specialists in Pisor, up in the capital, as we speak. They say it might take a little time, but I'll get y'all the results as soon as I get them in." The Mayor shifts in his seat and exhales sharply, his cheeks puffing up. "Well I know that Thaymoor and Calda wouldn't have gotten the chance. Elibyn, though, I'm not too sure. And Jacquelyn should be home by now, but she'll be in the office at the town hall tomorrow morning. I could tell her y'all are looking for something and to be ready for whenever you can come. You can ask her all your questions about paperwork, files, and whatnot. I'll also tell her to let y'all use the town's telephone line to call whoever you needs to for the investigation. How's that sound?"
Jack, a Changeling Artificer/Bard/Cleric/Fighter/Rogue---RynnElocin's From Dusk to Dawn
Amon, a Fairy Arcane Trickster---ShieldHero_'s Fractum
I'M BACK
PFP credit goes to Mo Willems