Death of a Mountebank
The Introduction
Karlow Fassbender, a sometime petty thief and fulltime wannabe catburglar, was found floating face down in the River Wutjörn, in Craysilt's Southdock Slums neighborhood. Having been a small time crook, in the eyes of the law, The Craysilt Garda will not pay for a more thorough investigation into his death.
Karlow's funeral and burial were paid for by an anonymous donor, saving the bard's body from a pauper's burial in a common grave. Soon after the funeral, a poster went up on the job boards in Craysilt: "Wanted: investigators for a sensitive job in Southdock Slums. Good money, good perks. Meet Greer at the Gilded Goose Terndæ night. Ask for me at the bar." It is signed by Greer Barron.
A character with a criminal contact, or a contact in The Craysilt Garda, would be able to discern that Greer is a Lieutenant in the Garda with 1d4 hours of research. A DC15 Insight check will also reveal his ties to the local police, although he is not deliberately trying to hide it, and will answer honestly if asked. He is simply off duty, although he still carries the longsword and dagger of his position, and will have his badge on his person.
Themes
Structure
Exposition
The Gilded Goose
The characters will converge on The Gilded Goose already knowing one another. How they met and decided to work together is up to them, but the group has already formed into a party by the time they approach Greer.
The Job
The Gilded Goose! This is where the notice on the job board said to meet the contact. "Good money, good perks". That's what the job sign said. "Good perks." You aren't entirely sure what that means, but it sounds good!
This tavern is an interesting place. It smells of pipe smoke, fresh beer, and fresh wood shavings, and is decked out in an entirely nautical theme. There is a massive ship's wheel mounted over the bar, monogrammed on the brass hub plate with the initials "G.S." The rafters and beams are all fitted expertly together, much like a ships would be. Architects would call the construction "post and beam".
The bartender and owner, Igle, is a large man with a loud laugh. He is big enough to wrestle a grizzly bear, and jovially pointed you to this booth in the corner when you asked for Greer.
Now here you sit, in a surprisingly comfortable leather booth, looking across the table at a clean-cut, earnest looking young man. You make him out to be around twenty one years of age. He is very polite, has piercing blue eyes, and is amiably making small talk while you wait for your beverages to arrive.
In mere moments the server appears with your drinks, followed closely by a pair of teenaged boys lugging an enormous clay tureen of borscht. They clunk it on to the table before you, and in a flash the board is set with glazed white bowls, soup spoons, napkins, and bibs.
You may want to pause here and ask the players what their characters are drinking, and explain how borscht is considered an art form in Pax. There are treasured family borscht recipes, and beet carnivals are very popular. The most prevalent of these festivals is the famous Beet Jam, celebrated each harvest season all throughout Pax.
Greer takes a few polite spoonfuls of soup before he begins speaking. Clearing his throat, he begins, "It has been a pleasure to meet you, but let's get to business. I am hiring for this job because, frankly the Garda have closed the investigation as 'unsolvable'." Greer pauses, and takes a sip of his beer, wiping the foam from his lips before continuing. "This was a very popular man, a bard. The truth is, he was something of a womanizer, and there are so many husbands that had a motive to kill him that the Garda just threw up its hands and quit." Greer barely masks a look of disgust as he says this.
"Anyway, his name was Karlow Fassbender. He was found face down in the river, in Southdock, near the slums." Greer pauses again, obviously sad, then says, "He had his faults, but Karlow was beloved by many. The urchins. I would start with the urchins. He used to help the urchins quite a lot..."
"The job pays one hundred ounces of gold. That equals out to around three hundred coins, give or take a couple due to market value. I will also pay room and board for you while you are here, at the Gilded Goose. I have a deal worked out with the owner." He looks around fondly. "This is a good tavern. It's a great place to gather intel; people come here from all over. They say it's the best inn everywhere! Now, what are your questions for me?"
What Greer Knows
- The body was found face down in the river, just outside the wall, in Southdock Slums.
- Karlow was strangled from behind.
- Karlow had a lute; a very special instrument. It is missing. It was carved and painted to resemble Yggdrasil, the world tree.
- Karlow was a generous benefactor to the Wharf Rats. In fact, he was known to give up to half his earnings to the waifs.
- Karlow had been carrying on with a married woman named Petunia; but she was only the most recent in a long string of lonely married women.
- Petunia works at Gallagher's in Southbay. She's been questioned, and cleared by, the Garda.
- Petunia's husband, Fodorn, is a 'person of interest' in the case, but so far his story checks out.
- Karlow's last gig was at Gallagher's. He was found the next morning, floating in the river.
- Karlow was very popular, and played gigs for some very important people; up to and including the High King's court. He was in high demand for noble's garden parties, and came into contact with a lot of high class people.
- Greer believes the Wharf Rats know what happened to Karlow; they seem to know everything that goes on in Craysilt.
We are going to carry on, here, under the assumption that the party has accepted the job. If they do not, perhaps they could take up something more stable than adventuring. Haberdashery, for instance.
The Investigation
Where the characters want to start their investigation is entirely up to them, but if they ask around the Gilded Goose, they will be advised to start with Petunia. Greer also agrees that starting with her could be a good move, as she was the last person, other than the killer, to have seen Karlow alive. Other options could be the Wharf Rats, various taverns Karlow habitually played music at, or the investigating officers of the Garda. Investigations that involve querying the criminal underworld in any way will be repeatedly stonewalled; the only available intelligence is that no one will talk about it for fear of their own life.
Petunia
You cross the bridges to Southbay; a poorer, seedier section of the city than even Southdock Slums. Here, the buildings are shacks; one room domiciles with no toilets or running water, shared by entire extended families who cram themselves into the tiny homes. The roads are a mess of foul horse and donkey leavings that were never cleaned up, then rained upon, and then trampled into the resultant mud. Very few of these houses have cook stoves, and some do not even have chimneys, making you wonder how they keep warm during the winter.
You spot a couple of homes that are using upside-down boats as a roofs.
Ale houses are denoted by a broomstick placed outside an alewife's door, and soup kitchens serve up thin but nourishing meals to the destitute. You get strange looks as you pass, for you are far healthier than the denizens of your surroundings. These are the unlucky people who have been crushed by poverty. But soon, you get closer to the docks, and fortunes begin to change. You walk by warehouses, and employee housing blocks, and finally reach the back of Gallagher's tavern. The front of the establishment is dockside, around the other end of the building, but soon you find yourself in a bar room that any sailor would feel immediately at home in. Sawdust and pine shavings cover the packed-dirt floor of the main room, which sports square tables and a fifteen-foot-long bar in the northeast corner. A huge fireplace along the right hand wall lends a persistent warmth to the room, which smells like aged rum and old vanilla. The bartender is a gruff looking man, who scowls at you as you enter. "Welcome to Gallagher's," he says coldly. You don't feel at all welcome.
All conversation has stopped, and every eye in the taproom is turned towards you. A pretty woman, deftly one-handing a tray laden with tankards, gracefully spins around from the bar. She has soft brown hair, and a beautiful smile that goes all the way up to her large, hazel eyes. The woman is wearing a thick leather corset and apron, and you realize she has armored herself against unwanted hands. Despite the silence from her patrons, she smiles over at you and yells, "You folks have a seat anywhere you'd like! I'll be with you in just a minute!" You find an empty table near the back and have a seat.
Petunia bustles through the room efficiently, laying down ale left and right, a general low murmer of conversation resuming throughout the bar as she does so. In just a few minutes, the serving woman has dispensed of her drinks, tucked her much-used tray under her arm, and approached your table with a smile as bright as the morning sun.
"How're you folks doing today? What can I get for you?" Petunia is effortlessly dazzling as she waits politely for you to order.
Petunia works at Gallagher's, a sailor's bar with sawdust on the floor and the acrid fumes of old rum clearing out the sinuses. She is one of the night waitresses, and is beloved by the staff and clientele. She's sassy, brassy, and seems like an independent soul; but really her marriage is a sham, and she has been woefully treated by jealous women and despicable men her entire life.
What Petunia Knows
- Fodorn did not care about her "cheating". He used to sell her on the streets when she was younger.
- Petunia suspects Fodorn is a gangster with The Slumlords, but he will not talk about his work.
- Karlow told Petunia he had found out something big, but did not know what to do with the information. All he told her was that "being a minstrel at nobles' parties is much more interesting than one would think".
- Petunia thinks Fodorn is planning on fleeing the city. She thinks it is because of his job
- Karlow left Gallagher's at closing the night he died; two o'clock a.m. He had been planning on meeting up with Petunia later, but when he never showed up she went to sleep, thinking he got distracted again.
- She knows that Karlow had to go meet someone else before the two of them could reconvene and get on with their evening. He said it was a big payout, and had been in a great mood.
- Fodorn's boss, a man called Canker, would know more.
As soon as the characters leave Gallaghers, they will be assaulted by a group of 2d8 Slumlords Thugs trying to warn them off the investigation. Should more than half of them fall, the rest will flee.
Finding Fodorn
Once the players decide to search for Fodorn, the following quest kicks off;
The Wharf Rats
As you are out and about in the city, you are approached by a waif with big, expressive eyes. "Phillie Phil says he knows you've been looking to talk to us Wharf Rats. Well, he wants you to meet him at the Gilded Goose; says he'll answer all your questions. He's waiting for you, there." The urchin hands you a stiff card that simply reads "Phillie Phil", with the words "Gilded Goose" hand-written below the name.
The Wharf Rat will front for a group of three urchins, who will try to pick one of the party members' pockets. The pocket-picking Wharf Rat gets advantage on the sleight of hand check, has an 18 Dexterity, and has expertise in the skill. If they succeed, they will take one character's money pouch, and a random item out of their backpack, before melting away into the city. If they are caught, they will run immediately away, laughing like it was all a big joke.
The child is dressed in oft-repaired clothing, and is wearing shoes; albeit somebody's cast offs. He has donned a sloped hat of a type the lads are calling a "bonnet", but you have heard it more rightly called a "tam-o-shanter" in the street. The Wharf Rat grins brashly, and darts off in the direction of the docks, disappearing in an instant down a sewer drain. You have no idea how he fit through the grate, it just seemed to slide aside for him, as if another urchin had been waiting there just to clear the way for him.
What the Wharf Rats Know
- Three of the waifs-named Nacious, Petey, and Handsome Murray-witnessed the murder; a shadowy figure used a spell to paralyze Karlow, then Fodorn strangled the bard from behind. A nearby hobo named Garth Wynette managed to steal Karlow's Lute during the melee.
- Fodorn was not alone in the carriage as he transported Karlow's body. A person dressed in a black robe, with a dark brown hood, sat next to him in the wagon, wordlessly gesturing directions.
- Two wharf rats-Freddie and Carla-stopped Fodorn's carriage as he and Fel transported the body from Northbay to Southdock in a small carriage, by running out in front of the vehicle and pretending to get hit by it. Carla picked the stranger's pocket and found a Midnight Sun challenge coin. Freddie nicked Fodorn's pouch. It was full, as if he had just been paid, and had a picture of Karlow neatly folded up in it.
- Carla heard Fodorn call the dark stranger "Fel".
- Freddie has seen Fel entering and leaving Gallagher's tavern in Southbay.
- Three children-Rosie, Sugar, and Billy Ray-watched as Fodorn, and a masked stranger dressed all in black and brown, drove a wagon up to the boat launch in Southdock and threw the body into the river with a splash. It was Rosie who alerted the authorities.
- The Wharf Rats all know where the cart is; near the boat launch in Southdock Slums.
- One of Karlow's brass buttons is still in the back of the cart.
- The Wharf Rats know Beorn's Winery is a Midnight Sun front.
- The Wharf Rats know that Fodorn has a safe house in Southdock Slums. There is something 'off' about the place, although they have no clear idea of what.
Phillie Phil is as cool as the proverbial cucumber, acting and speaking much more like a person in his thirties than a purported twelve year old child.
Once the characters are done speaking with Phillie Phil, they will be beset by 2d8 Slumlords thugs trying to threaten them off of the investigation. They know better than to mess with Phil, and will wait until the fixer leaves before confronting the party. If more than half of them fall, the rest will flee.
The Garda
Walking through the city in this direction, you have noticed that the quality of the construction and building materials has improved quite a bit, and within a quarter of an hour you are pacing through an upscale neighborhood. You take a right onto Mountebanke Street, and then a left at the corner of the courthouse. The building is large and imposing, made of stone and dark, polished hardwood. There is a statue of Tyr, god of justice, centered within the entrance room, and an office on either side. A pleasant young man in an impeccably tailored uniform approaches you, and bows respectfully. "How may I help you?" he asks politely. The officer has wavy, light brown hair, an aquiline nose, and his eyes are wide set and expressive. He has a square jaw line, and wears his hair short. Unsurprisingly, he is in fantastic physical condition, and obviously quite earnest about doing his job to the best of his ability. His eyes shift between you, an amiable smile playing across his face as he waits for your answer.
The Craysilt Garda are, by and large, true to their mission statement of "To Protect and Serve". The ancient law enforcement idiom honestly applies to these staunch armored defenders, who try to lead personal lives as upstanding as the Garda's reputation.
That being said, there are certain truths to the Garda that must be acknowledged, and one of those is the city's finite budget. The investigators of the city's fine detective division are quick to relegate cases as "unsolvable", and move on to the next one. Their philosophy is that, whoever perpetrated that crime is going to get caught for perpetrating another. The more cases they resolve, the more chance there is of a specific criminal being caught. And, once that criminal is caught, the investigation continues until they root out all of that criminal's crimes, using means both magical and mundane. It has proven to be an incredibly effective strategy; and petty crime, while not unheard of, is rare in the city of Craysilt.
What the Garda Knows
- Karlow was strangled; he did not drown in the river.
- Karlow's lute is missing.
- Karlow was supposed to meet a man who called himself "The Broker". As far as they can tell, this was an alias.
- They believe Karlow was lured to a predetermined ambush location, and murdered.
- Karlow had a hit out on him, but they were never able to identify who took it out, or why.
- The Garda believes Canker, leader of The Slumlords, was forced to enforce the hit by Midnight Sun, but they have no proof.
- Karlow was not killed in Southdock Slums.
- Fodorn Felgar is the primary person of interest in the case. He is the husband of Karlow's paramour, Petunia Felgar.
- Fodorn Felgar is a gangster with The Slumlords.
- Petunia has an alibi. She was witnessed returning to her home by one of the Garda's agents, who are watching Gallagher's night and day for criminal activity.
- The Garda believes Karlow slept with the wrong nobleman's wife, and was killed for his transgressions.
- Karlow was no gangster. He had been caught stealing once when he was young, and played at a lot of shady bars, but that was the extent of his criminality.
- The Garda has been unable to find Fodorn, meaning he is either dead, being sheltered in a secure location somewhere, or has fled the city.
- Greer could not be assigned to the case because he is Karlow's brother.
- Fodorn has a safe house in Southdock Slums, but he has not been there.
- There is a hit out on a man name Fel Kylie in connection with the murder.
After they have spoken to the Garda, they will be approached by a man in a trenchcoat, who offers the party a bribe of one thousand gold coins to stay away from this case. It is Fel Kylie in a Hat of Disguise, and he will teleport promptly away if they refuse his offer. He is afraid the party will uncover his location, and that then The Moorehead Brothers will find him. If they decide to catch and fight him, the party has its work cut out for it, but the end result is what matters: what do they do with Fel? Do they turn him in? Kill him? Rough him up and let him go? If it is anything but turning him in, and the Garda finds out, the cops are going to want a word with the characters. If they breake the law, they are subject to trial at the courthouse, and possible fines or incarceration. Fines range from twenty five to five thousand pieces of gold, depending on the severity of the crime, with fines of more than one thousand five hundred gold pieces being accompanied by jail time, which can range from three days to a year. Capital crimes are punished by imprisonment for anywhere from five to fifty years. This is, of course, only a guideline; you should play this entire scenario according to the severity of the crime that has been committed. Consult the Codex Legalis, and Codexis Criminalis, for guidance.
Clues
Karlow's Lute
- Stolen by Garth Wynett during Karlow's murder
- Garth sold it to Greenbaum's Trinketry
- Greenbaum's almost immediately sold it to a Moorehead Brothers Fixer
- Currently in the possession of Nubganz Bucklesmith, who is planning on bringing it home to his King as an "extraordinary item".
Midnight Sun Challenge Coin
- Stolen by Carla the Wharf Rat Rat from Fel Kylie
- These coins are specifically made to be hard to counterfeit, and being caught with a fake one is a good way to end up in the river
- Proves Fel is a Midnight Sun fixer
- The Midnight Sun's boss is Posh Gentry, an old rival of Canker's
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