Sc.1: The Bloody Bridge
A stroll across the platforms, balconies, and sky bridges of Sharn on a stormy evening leads to a disturbing discovery.
Plot points/Scenes
Curtains of water fall from the sky as you traverse the labyrinthine walkways of Sharn. The stone and wooden paths wind around and between the towers and spires high above the ground, forming a complex latticework that can be very confusing on evenings such as this. A lovely evening out to take in a show at the Stargazer Theater in the University District didn't go quite as planned. The rain falls hard, running off higher walkways and balconies in drenching waves, making it difficult to see much more than a few feet ahead of you. The distant glow of everbright lanterns, barely visible in the soaking gloom, does little to light the paths on this warm, wet evening.
Notice check: When the adventurers reach the spot marked “A” on the map, have them make Notice checks (-1). Characters who fail the check don’t immediately notice the body lying on the skybridge ahead or the cloaked figure slipping into the nearby shadows. Success: If the characters succeed on the Notice check read the passage below.
Success with a raise: The characters will also see the form of a body going down to the ground. IE they have just witness the murder of Bonal Geldem by Cutter . Any characters that succeed on the check notice the cloaked figure. Read:
Success: You spot a figure in a dark cloak moving quietly through the rain on the skybridge ahead. It seems to be avoiding the dim pools of light cast by the everbright lanterns, preferring to stay to the shadows.
Success with a raise: Lightning flashes, and you see a shape on the stone floor of the bridge in the brief illumination. The dark cloaked figure quickly reaches the railing of the skybridge, then slips over the barrier and disappears into the darkness and the rain.
When the adventurers get within 60 feet of the body, or if those who spotted the cloaked figure move toward the bridge to investigate, read:
The skybridge ahead spans the distance between platforms attached to the sides of two different towers—Dalannan Tower and the Kelsa Spire. A body lies on the floor of the bridge, and you can see a mixture of rain and blood pooling around it. A leather satchel, still clutched tightly in the body’s hand, lies in the expanding puddle of water and gore.
The Body:
Background: The body is that of Bonal Geldem, an elderly human scholar from Morgrave University who had an unfortunate encounter with a cloaked figure on the rainswept skybridge just moments before the adventurers arrived. He is dead when the adventurers reach him, having succumbed to wounds made by the cloaked figure’s bladed weapon. The PCs can’t make a thorough examination of the body or the satchel until after they deal with the cloaked figure.Relations
Neutrals/Bystanders
Backdrops
Locations
Threats
The heavy rain muffles sound and limits vision.
Encounters
Adventure beginning, Investigation
Plot type
Murder Investigation
Parent Plot
Related Characters
Related Locations
Bonal Geldem
Just deceased elderly human scholar
Gear:
Gear:
- Identification papers in the dead body’s shirt pocket provide the victim’s name (Bonal Geldem), his position at the university (provost), and his affiliation (School of Pre-Galifar Studies at Morgrave University)
- A small pouch hanging on the body’s belt contains 10 silver sovereigns and 2 gold galifars.
- The satchel, obviously well made and stylish, contains quills and inks, six blank sheets of fine Karrnathi paper, a wrapped apple, and Bonal’s journal .
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments