Format: Sandbox
Theme: A mystery
Author: Player 5
Available from: coming soon to this website, in our Homemade Adventures
Adventure Master: Player 5 ("Dad"), leading his 17th mission
Player Characters:
Starflower the Lion Warrior (with Regulus the Lion) (22nd mission).
Edward the Knight of the Way (21st mission).
William the Bear Knight (with Bill the Bear) (24th mission).
Philip the Overlord’s Guard (23rd mission), riding his horse, Johny.
Session #1
Date in Real Life: Sunday, 21 August, 2022
In Game Day: Khamesh, the 2nd of Sawol (early summer)
The team was dispatched to the town of Hoyde, on the edge of the Black Moor, to deliver some lung disease medicine. They were to meet Dadodadoslade, a Salt Warrior working at the medical clinic in Hoyde.
The team got ready for the routine mission and made their way to Hoyde. They exited the hollow tree at the southwest corner of a forest. They continued out of the forest, where they met up with a road that led south to a city. They could see the city was on the banks of a river, and there were mountains on the other side of the river.
The city gates were open, and they met a guard named SubSubTraction who seemed nervous and young. He commented that the main army was out of town fighting orcs. They asked for directions to the medical clinic, and the guard gave them a set of complicated sounding instructions. “Go down this main boulevard here, until the shale changes from a darker grey to a lighter grey, then turn right, continue two or three more blocks until you come to a picket fence that has some pickets leaning over. There’s usually a dog around there. Turn left at the street after the fallen pickets, continue until you get to several large buildings. Go to the one with the red roof, well, they all have red roofs, but there’s a sign, can’t miss it!”
The team made their way down the boulevard. The road was red cobblestone, not grey shale. They met a baker selling his wares on the street. They tried asking for information, and learned there was a dragon in the mountains across the river. They baker repeated the directions to the clinic, and the directions were similar, except he gave them the number of streets (5 streets down) before the first turn. He thought the clinic had a green roof.
They turned on the correct street and found houses with picket fences. They spotted a wood thrush in the tree, and Starflower conversed with the bird, who told them to continue one more block, turn left, and it was a building with a purple roof.
They continued and found a broken picket fence. A dog was lazing in the yard. They attempted to talk to the dog, but the dog only knew about the vet across town.
They made their way down to the taller buildings and found one with a red roof, one with a green roof, and one with a purple roof. They all had signs. They tried the red roof building with a sign that looked like a steak. Inside was a restaurant. A man introduced himself as MarioMarioLuigi and offered them an early lunch. They asked about Dadodadoslade, and MarioMarioLuigi knew him as one of his regular customers. He worked right across the road.
They thanked the owner and made their way across the road to the purple roof building. The sign had what looked like a table on it. Inside was a medical receptionist that confirmed they were in the right place, and that Dadodadoslade could be found on the second floor.
They went upstairs and found the Salt Warrior. They delivered the medicine and the Keledan thanked them and prayed for them. They made their way downstairs and out into the street.
They started to retrace their steps out of the town. As they walked, they became aware of some sort of commotion. A town crier was summoning everyone to the town square. They noticed the town gates were closed.
“Hear ye, hear ye! Princess Lalaleia has been murdered last night!”
Several townsfolk gasped in surprise (“Murdered? How can this be?”)
“There will be a burial service tomorrow evening at sunset! All citizens are required to stay in their homes and be available for questioning. The city gates have been locked.”
People were crying. Some people were whispering with each other.
A guard comes up to the LightRaiders. “You, adventurers! Please come with me.” The Lightraiders recognize the guard as SubSubTraction, whom they met at the gate.
The team was ushered into the presence of the King of Hoyde. The King of Hoyde received the team in his private office. A large, well crafted table filled the room. There were matching chairs. The walls had woven tapestries. There was another officer here. The guard who brought them in stood post at the door.
“I am King DackyDackyDuke. We’re in a delicate situation. Most of my army is in the valley fighting off an incursion of orcs. We are short staffed. This is Captain WallaWallaWash, who has been left in charge. We don’t get many visitors, so I fear this was an inside job. I’d appreciate your outside, neutral perspective, and ask for your help with the investigation.”
The team enthusiastically accepted the mission.
“I don’t really know what to do,” the captain admits, “If I was a clever officer, I’d be with the main army in the battle.”
“How are you even an officer?” Edward asks.
“I’m nobility!” the captain says, puffing out his chest. “37th in line for the throne!”
“Of course,” Starflower quipped.
In the ensuing conversation, the team learned that the body was discovered in the palace garden this morning. Captain WallaWallaWash tells them that the body has since been moved to the guard tower. The captain suggests they could talk to some of the people in the crowd, visit the crime scene, or examine the body.
The team chooses to visit the crime scene. They look around. Edward discovers boot prints in the mud. They start at a bush, proceed to where the body was found, and then leave onto the cobblestone. Furthermore, the boot prints appear to change size. Bill the Bear found some bread crumbs. Starflower found an empty flask with some strange rune markings on it. SubSubTraction shrugs and suggests asking the Scholar in the library about the runes.
The team continues to the guard tower to examine the body. They can see that the body has clearly been slashed with wounds that are consistent with granog claws. They find a letter from the Earl of Wocowocoshire- expressing concern about the Earl of Cremcremcare and possible jealousy.
The team decides to go to the library to ask the Scholar about the rune markings. Captain WallaWallaWash says he has other business to attend to and stays at the guard tower. SubSubTraction stays with the team as a guide while in town.
They make their way to the library. The librarian forces the animals to stay outside, and insists that everyone stay quiet. They ask about the Scholar, and the librarian gives them a complicated set of directions through the maze of book shelves. They find the scholar reading a scroll. He is old and wrinkled, wearing long robes, and has a monocle. They show him the jar and he reads the markings as saying “metamorph potion.” It is the first he’s heard of it. He claims to have been in the library all morning, and was not aware of the princess’ death.
The team decides to visit the Earl of CremCremCare. SubSubTraction takes them back to the royal residences.
A maid named SuseSuseMarger opens the door and brings them inside. The Earl of CremCremCare is dressed in fine clothing with silk. He greets them politely. They ask about his whereabouts, and he claims to have been with Prince Lutantan all morning. He compliments them on their good work, and asks if they want jobs on the town’s police force. They decline and depart.
The team decided to visit Prince Lutantan next. They found his rooms empty. They took a moment to look around and found papers about various economic topics, as well as a book on magic. Upon examining the book, they found it was encyclopedic in nature, and the pages regarding Dark Creatures and granogs in particular were more worn.
The Prince came in. They asked him about his whereabouts. He claimed to be in the library that morning. They asked if the Earl of CremCremCare was with him, and the Prince said he wasn’t. Philip pointed out that someone must be lying. The Prince admitted he would be a natural suspect, since the princess’ death meant he was now heir to the throne. But he denied any involvement in the princess’ death. The team mentioned granogs, and the Prince asked them more closely about granogs. The prince had noticed something amiss with the economics of the city, and had recently learned about granogs, and was starting to suspect one was influencing the city. The team assured him granogs were real. The prince offered to let them into the princess’ chambers.
The team investigated the princess’ room. They found a diary and a library book on Dark Creatures, with a bookmark on the chapter about granogs. In the diary they learned about the Earl of CremCremCare being an ex-suitor of the princess, and the current romantic interest with the Earl of WocoWocoShire.
As the team was leaving, a noblewoman came rushing down the corridor, upset. It was the Countess CaliCaliCala, best friend of dead Princess Lalaleia. The team assured her they were helping with the investigation. The Countess suggested it was JoJoJack the baker.
The team visited the Earl of WocoWocoShire. As they entered the rooms, the earl was obviously hiding something in the room. He also answered vaguely to their questions, saying he was “in town,” “talking to citizens.” As the team continued to pry, spotting a book hidden under the Earl’s cushion, the Earl asked SubSubTraction to leave the room. The earl then showed them the book he was hiding. It was about The Overlord’s Guards, and he said it was considered contraband. He had been discretely asking around town about Keledan, trying to learn more. The team admitted they were Keledan and shared the Great Rescue with him, which he accepted. They stayed for lunch, telling the Earl of the things of the Overlord, answering question after question about the Sacred Scrolls, prayer, and many other things.
Session #2
Date in Real Life: Sunday, 4 September, 2022
In Game Day: Khamesh, the 2nd of Sawol (early summer)
After lunch with the Earl of WocoWocoShire, the team continued their investigation.
They met the Jester, HardyHarHar, but did not learn much from him.
They found the gardener (AntAntWin) and asked him about when he found the body. They did not learn anything new.
They went to the library and the librarian verified that the Prince had been there that morning, but that the Earl of CremCremCare had not.
They visited the baker in town. They talked to one of the workers (MarMarHary), who told them that in the last week or so, the baker had been acting strangely, raising prices while lowering quality. MarMarHary said she and JoJoJack the baker had been in the bakery all night and all morning, getting stuff ready. A new guy (AdwinAdwinAdwiny) had made the deliveries to the palace that morning. She checked their employment records, and the new guy had been with them for three weeks. The team concluded that JoJoJack was under a greedo sin enchantment, and the “new guy” had nothing to do with it.
They visited the town market. They encountered several merchants who were charging too high of prices. Talking to the townsfolk, they learned that prices started going up about a week ago.
They visited the court scribe (ScribbleScribbleScratch), and learned that the Earl of CremCremCare had arrived about a week ago, which is about the same time the greedo enchantments started showing up in town.
The team took their findings to the king, saying the Earl of CremCremCare was suspicious, and asked for a warrant to search his chambers to find evidence. The king granted permission and issued them an appropriate letter from the king.
The team went to the Earl’s chambers. The Earl was not home, but the maid let them in. They searched high and low. Edward found suspicious marks on the window ledge. It appeared that something had been climbing out the window, and the markings were consistent with granog claws. Philip found a locked cabinet. William cracked it open, and they found 13 flasks of polymorph potion. Starflower spoke with the maid. They showed her a picture of a granog. The maid was surprised to see that the creature had wings, and told them she had heard wings early that morning. She had been walking near the garden before coming to work, and thought she had heard an enormous bat. Perhaps it had been a granog. She also confirmed that the Earl had visited Hoyde many times, but this time, he had been acting quite strangely.
The team took the evidence to the king. The king issued an order for the Earl’s arrest. The team searched high and low, and eventually spotted the earl. They chased him through the streets of the town, at last surrounding him. Before their eyes, the earl transformed into a granog, and flew to the top of a building. The granog attempted a sin enchantment, and William was enchanted. The granog “hired” William to shoot Edward. Edward defended the attack. By this time, Regulus and Philip had climbed their way up (Regulus via the stairs, and Philip via the outside wall). As they approached, the greedo took off into the air again. This was a mistake, as he was immediately attacked by the slingers on the ground. Starflower fired an arrow, and Philip threw his axe, bringing the greedo down, dead.
They brought the body back to the king. The king thanked them for their aide, and rewarded them with treasure: a double claw each, along with a ceremonial dagger. They ate a late supper, and attended the princess’ funeral.
They then said their goodbyes, and made their way back to the hollow tree, and back to Ras Telesar.
They catalogued their adventures for the scribes, debriefed with Simeon, and deposited the Double Claws with the Overlord’s Treasury.
A few days later, Simeon called them into his office.
“Yes, Master?” Philip asked.
“The other masters and I have some questions regarding your last mission in Hoyde.”
“Okay,” Edward said, encouraging him to continue.
“Did you say the Earl of CremCremCare was a granog pretending to be human, or a human turning into a granog?”
“Human turning into a granog,” Starflower said.
“No, granog turning human,” Edward said, looking at Starflower.
“What? No, I was sure... the flask by the bushes! The earl would have drunk it, turned into a granog, killed the princess, then walked away.”
Edward shook his head. “But the changed boot prints were after the body, moving away. Flasks can move. Boot prints can’t. A granog drank the potion after the murder to look human. Not to mention the claw marks on the earl's window ledge and the maid hearing wings. He arrived in the garden as a granog and left as a human.”
“But the motive was jealousy!” Starflower protested.
“Apparently not,” William pointed out.
“You mean we never figured out the motive?” Philip asked.
Simeon waved his hand. “That’s what I thought. There was that inconsistency in your stories. At least the Overlord still guided you to the culprit. Tell me, what would cause the transformation?”
“The potion, of course,” Philip said.
“And you saw the change?”
William nodded. “He changed from human to granog before our eyes when we were chasing him.”
“Did he drink potion to do that?”
There was a pause. “Uh, no, I guess he didn’t,” Philip said.
“Perhaps it was because it was a granog, and a potion that made it appear human was wearing off,” Simeon pointed out.
“I guess that makes sense,” Starflower admitted.
Simeon sighed. “This idea of a potion that can make a dark creature appear human is unsettling. We’ve never heard of this before. It must be a new dragon concoction.”
Philip jumped to his feet, “They must be jealous of us Overlord’s Guards!”
Simeon nodded, slowly. “Quite possibly. A dragon counterfeit of your abilities. We need to know more. We need to know where this potion is coming from. How widespread is it? How long does it last? Does it have the same effects for all Dark Creatures? So many questions.”
“We need to go back,” Starflower realized.
“Yes. There are some other unanswered questions as well.”
“What other questions?” William asked.
“Where is the real Earl of CremCremCare?” Simeon asked.
“I thought we killed the real earl,” Starflower said, glumly. “But that’s because I was assuming we killed a human who was turning into a dark creature. Don’t get me wrong, I’m relieved. We’re not supposed to kill Aladoth, so it was confusing.”
“But,” Edward said, “If we killed a granog who was pretending to be the earl...”
“...and the maid said the earl had visited many times, but was only acting strangely the last time...” Starflower remembered.
“An imposter,” Philip said.
“So,” Simeon spoke again, “What happened to the real Earl of CremCremCare?”
“Another reason to go back,” William said.
“There’s one more,” Simeon said. “That ceremonial dagger.”
Edward nodded. “I have it here,” he said. “Just picked it up from the scribes in the library before coming here.” He drew it out and laid it on the table. The blue gem glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window.
“They say it has the markings of the Elder Folk on it,” Simeon said.
“Yes,” Starflower nodded. “I recognized the writing was similar to some of the old markings we saw in the Sanna Valley.”
“Like that legendary Hero Spear,” Philip said.
“And that ancient tunnel in the Silver Mine,” Starflower agreed.
“But this dagger is new,” Simeon said.
“New?” Philip echoed. “What does that mean?”
“It means the Elder Folk are not extinct. We want to know where this came from. Where did the King of Hoyde get it?”
“A third reason to go back,” William stated.
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