Chapter 1

Chapter 1- A murder

The players start their adventure in the city of Windhelm, a bustling city situated on the edge of the Galsarian Ocean. Our players meet each other whilst sat in the “Drunken Dwarf”, a tavern where sailors and adventurers often stop off on their travels to rest and swap tales. They are sat on the same table (apart from Solisara who sits alone), each enjoying their drink of choice.

-	What are their names?

-	What do they want each other to know at this point?

-	Why are they currently in Windhelm?

Also at the table is a rather drunk man who introduces himself as Timothy Templeton. He is drinking continuously and his speech is becoming increasingly slurred. He keeps mentioning the end of the world coming, in between hiccups of course. A barmaid comes and gives the man another tanker of ale, which he gleefully downs. After a few minutes the man becomes quiet, a look of fear enters his face and he stands as if to leave. Instead, he trips on the bench and falls to the ground, convulsions wracking his body. The people nearby notice the commotion and crowd around the shaking man, blood now flowing from his eyeballs down his face. His screams stop as the paralysis spreads throughout his body. A minute later, the party are looking down at a man that is utterly and undeniably dead. The party notices the man dropped a crumpled piece of paper and his bag still remains at the table. Nathaniel, who caught the man as he fell, looks horrified. The owner of the tavern, upon joining the crowd, points a finger at the party and shouts, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM? YOU WERE THE ONES SAT WITH HIM, IT MUST BE YOU. SOMEONE GRAB THEM, I’M CALLING THE GUARDS”.

-	The party tries to run away (Dex check)

-	The party tries to pin the blame on somebody else (Bluff check)

-	The party tries to hurt the owner (encounter)

If Dex check:

Those that try to run will have to leap over the tables and crowds, requiring a Dex check. They need to get over 12 to succeed. Those that do leave the tavern and can then attempt to hide or travel further into the city, taking the note and the bag with them. Those that fail the check will lose 1d4 hit points and will be captured by the crowds and will be handed over to the guard for investigation. Go to encounter.

If Bluff check:

Any one person in the party may make the check. They must beat 15 using their own d20 and ability modifier. If they succeed, the owner will call off the guard and the party will be free to leave. If they fail the check, they will have the opportunity to carry out the other two options remaining.

If encounter (encounter 1):

Everyone rolls initiative (unless they have fled already). Initiative for the owner and 3 crowd members is rolled. They only have simple weapons available, so if they beat the player’s AC they can do 1d4 damage. The owner and crowd members have 10 hit points each. Once the owner becomes bloodied the fight is called off as the crowd members abandon him. The party can then flee with no consequences. If a crowd member is killed it will have negative repercussions and they may not entirely be cleared of their crimes.

The party flee from the tavern and under the cover of darkness try to find somewhere safe to rest. Under some circumstances, the guards may still be looking for them (flee or encounter), and so the party should be making listening checks (DC 10) often to see if the guard are near. If they hear the guard, they may make Hide checks (DC 5) to hide and wait for them to pass.

-	What happened to the man?

-	What does the note say/what does the bag contain?

Hopefully, someone may suggest that the man had been poisoned, at which point a page of alchemy notes and a page of botany notes are given out to the respective party members. They should identify the poison as Devil’s Bane, clear, odourless, and tasteless liquid usually used by assassins. As this is a small city, the poison could not have been bought here. In fact, it could only be bought off of the black markets in Veritas (the capital). The note can be translated by the player that is given the scripture book. It is a simple translation that reads “THEY’RE LYING. THE KING IS DEAD. IT IS COMING.” After searching Timothy's house, they find a secret room in the basement which contains information that Timothy was part of a secret organisation, one which intends to better the world by working on antidotes to poisons, and other various things. The party is told that this is not the only work they do, but it is what Timothy is focussed on. In fact, the work of the organisation goes a lot deeper than any of them realise.

-	Why was the man poisoned?

-	How will they get to the capital?

-	How will they find out who bought the poison?

The players may want to gather supplies before they depart. Potions and other equipment can be found at the local merchants, and it is heavily advised that they buy a few large potions before they leave. A price list is given out and the players can decide on what they might need to buy. The party also needs to be aware of the price of travelling to the capital. It would cost 3sp (10sp = 1gp) per mile (300) on a cart to take them to the capital. Windhelm is relatively far from the capital and would take around a week of travelling. Alternatively, they could join the crew of a cargo boat which is already travelling to Veritas. This would take 3 days, will cost less, and will be most likely the preferred option.

-	The party decides to hire a cart (-90gp)

-	The party decides to join a boat

If cart:

There is a 1d10 chance of an encounter every day of travel. If the score is 7 or higher then an encounter happens (go to encounter 2). If one day contains an encounter then the next two days are guaranteed to be uneventful.

If ship:

The party must either prove they will be a reliable resource on the ship (Bluff check, DC 13) or pay 2gp per day each. Those that pass the bluff check are not required to pay. Again, there is a 1d10 chance of an encounter per day of travel (go to encounter 3). Each day the party must make Dex checks (DC 15) to stay on the ship in stormy seas. If they fail the check, the player will be tossed from the boat and must make a strength check (DC 10) to hold on to the side of the boat. The party on the boat may help the player by making their own strength check, if they score 10 or above this provides a +2 bonus to the player’s strength check. A maximum of 2 players can help at one time.

Eventually you reach Veritas, a massive city overflowing with colours and banners in celebration. People swarm around the markets tasting the exotic foods that are brought in from across the oceans, bards are singing for coppers and the square is alive with music and excitement. It is here that the party find themselves after arriving. The city of Veritas seems to be celebrating, but what, they do not know.

-	What are the people celebrating?

-	Where would you buy poison here?

-	Is the king really dead?

-	Ask somebody what is going on (Gather information check)

-	Peruse the market

-	Ask somebody where to buy poison (Gather information check)

If gather information check (1):

The party may each make a gather information check (DC 2) and will be told that it’s the annual King Day, a day celebrating the King and his work ruling the kingdom. The people are given the day off and there is much feasting and beer drank! The King also makes a speech around noon, which many like to attend to show their support and appreciation.

If peruse the market:

There are a lot of exotic goods here but the price is very high for all the magical items, much higher than the party can afford. However, they pass a stall of a merchant who eagerly greets them. He thrusts a bottle into their hands and says, “Ah! New customer, yes? You come to my shop, yes, best shop in Vertias! Very good!” The bottle is labelled as an Potion of Fortitude, from Elrid’s Potion Emporium. If they befriend the merchant, he will happily tell them where to find the black market.

If gather information check (2):

The party asks somebody where they can buy poison. The DC is incredibly high (21) and failure results in the person being either confused or disgusted that you are wanting to know. They receive no answer, the person genuinely doesn’t know. If 21 or a nat 20 is achieved, they are told to go to the black market tonight and given directions.

A clock tower strikes, and as the bells toll the crowds start pushing towards the main square where the king will make his speech. You follow the crowds and enter a large courtyard surrounded by high imposing walls. This doesn’t seem to be where the King lives, but it seems safe enough for him to address the people from up high on the balcony. Sure enough, a silence settles over the people as the wooden doors above open and the King’s Guard start to file out and space themselves along the gallery above. After a moment, an old man shuffles into the sunlight, his white hair almost the same shade as his ashen, sunken face. This man does not look well. His eyes unmoving, he raises a hand to the crowd and they cheer. He nods and bows a little, before carefully shuffling back inside. A little man appears in the doorway, steps forward, and starts to address the people. “CITIZENS OF VERITAS, TODAY WE CELEBRATE ANOTHER WONDERFUL KING’S DAY IN HONOUR OF THE GREAT TAVORNIAS, LEADER, FIGHTER AND MESSENGER OF THE GODS. DUE TO THE KING’S ILL HEALTH HE CANNOT MAKE A SPEECH THIS YEAR, BUT HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK IN KEEPING VERITAS A PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS CITY. PLEASE, ENJOY YOUR DAY AND PRAY FOR THE KING’S QUICK RETURN TO HEALTH”

-	The king is alive!

-	Was the message to Timothy wrong?

-	Where do we find the poison seller?

-	Ask somebody about the King (Gather information check)

-	Explore the city

If gather information check:

The party asks a nearby stranger to tell them more about the King (DC 2). The person tells them that he’s been ruling Veritas over 60 years, but now he is too old and ill to even see his people anymore. There is an old legend that Veritas has always had a King, even back before The Fall, and that the Gods demanded it always be this way. So, before the current king dies a new King is selected and ordained, and rules beside the King until his passing. It has been prophesised that if the Kingdom should be without a King then a new era will dawn, an era that some call “The Darkening”. Without a King, evil will surely surface.

If explore the city:

A nearby merchant notices that the party seems lost and gives them his map of the city. They are able to travel to any part of it that they wish, including the merchants, the apothecary, the treasury, the blacksmiths, the stables, and the local Tavern. At one point, a shady character wearing a long deep red cloak rushes past them and down an alleyway, when they party follow they find a dead end, and the man nowhere in sight.

You reach the end of the alley and find that a large brick wall stands between you and the other side. Below you is only thick cobblestone, there’s no way someone could dig through it in mere seconds. Out of curiosity, you check the only door in the alleyway – locked. Wherever this man has gone, you’re sure it’s supposed to be kept hidden from prying eyes.

'-	Is there magic involved? (Detect magic spell)'

-	Investigate the alley (Spot check)

-	Touch the wall

If detect magic:

If score is above 2, inform the player that they do indeed feel a sense of magical radiating from the wall. If above 5, mention that the magic does not seem to be good or evil, it is neutral but will can change given the circumstances. If above 10, tell them it seems to be enchanted to allow passage through to another area, city, or even realm. If above 15, tell them that the magic doesn’t seem to transport them far, perhaps less than 50 metres, to another area of Veritas.

If investigate the alley:

Party doesn’t find anything out of the ordinary, it seems to just be a normal alleyway with the back entrances to shops lining the sides. If they check the doors, the party find that the doors have been locked from the inside, nobody seems to have opened them in a while. The wall blocking the end of the alley seems too high to climb, even the orcs in the party are dwarfed by this brick monster. Upon closer inspection, some of the bricks in the wall have been marked with a rune. Give the players a drawing of the rune. The player that knows scripture should be able to identify the rune as meaning “entrance/opening”.

If touch the wall:

The wall seems to shimmer before the party and it becomes unbearably hot to touch. The person touching the wall feels something probe his mind, like delicate wisps searching through his subconscious, for what they do not know. Ask the player to make a will save (DC 19). If he succeeds, the wall takes on a beautiful blue glow, seeming to dematerialise before them to a shining mist. It does not appear unsafe to enter. If he doesn’t succeed, the wall starts to pulse with a deep red glow. Go to encounter 4.

The remains of the creature lay before you, and before you can recover a man and several masked creatures enter through the wall. The man appraises the situation before him. “Well, well, well, seems I’m going to need a new guard.” He kicks the dead creature with one of his dragonskin boots, and you get the feeling that he is certainly somebody you don’t want to mess with. The masked creatures fan out around you, drawing short swords from out of their robes. The man looks you in the eye, he seems to be sizing you up for something. He smiles, as much as his scarred face will allow, and says “You’ll do. Come with me.”, before disappearing into the portal again. This time, it shines a clear, pure blue.

-	Don’t follow the man (strength check)

-	Follow the man through the portal

If strength check:

A player that tries to run will be caught by one of the masked creatures, and must break free from its hold (DC 24). It is assumed that the players will follow the man, but if not they will be forced through the portal. They then experience the same as described below.

If follow man:

The players in turn walk through the wall and find themselves in a vast underground cavern, filled with thousands of shops and stalls as far as the eye can see. They also notice cages filled with a variety of mystical beasts for sale, which they think must surely be illegal. From nearby, a small golden dragon watches them with interest, the shackles around its neck way too tight for a creature its size. Its eyes seem incomprehensibly sad. It singles out Nathaniel in particular, its gaze following him as the party follow the man out of sight.

The man leads you past what seems like thousands of shops, down long winding passages with twists and turns. Shops with enchanted weapons, strange smells and flying carpets seem to be drawing a big crowd. Eventually you are guided through a concealed entrance into what you assume is the man’s office. He sits himself behind a large mahogany table and gestures for you all to sit. The man make sure everyone is seated, before he begins to speak, "Hello, brave adventurers. Seems you've proven yourselves to be quite the troublemakers, you're obviously not afraid of a challenge. I have a proposition that will benefit both of us greatly, what do you say?"

- The party asks for more information

- The party tells him they're not interested

If asks for more information:

The man tells them that one of his men has been killed, someone he had great hopes for. He needs the party to find the killer of his man, and exterminate them. In return, he'll make them a member of his society, and they're receive great wealth and riches.

If not interested:

The man will still try and persuade them. If they try to leave, got to encounter.

- The party accepts

- The party declines

If accepts:

The man makes them a part of the Black Glove society, an organisation of assassins and criminals working for a more important power. This power has currently infiltrated the government and Royal guard, even going as far as to control the corpse of the King to make it appear as if he's still alive. This involves a high level of necromancy, these people are definitely not to be messed with. A member of the society killed Timothy Templeton, and they must avenge the assassin's death. In return, the man (named number 5 in the society) offers them a townhouse in Veritas to act as a base of operations, and also any object they want from the Black Market. This item is still under discussion. Also, if Nathaniel wishes to take a dragon, Number 5 would not object.

If decline:

Go to encounter.

