[Adventure] Desperate Housewives of Uphill East

[Super Squirrel]

The Desperate Housewives of Uphill East

Setting: This adventure is set in Uphill East in Elweir of Valdorian Age. It should be easily to adapt to any campaign setting with a large sized city.

 

Difficulty: The adventure is more leg work and investigation than combat. It should be possible for any power level though the GM may want to add more points to Testran Echena to fit his need.

 

The Adventure

The Situation:

In the afternoon yesterday, Hetina Nerizoo was murdered in her own home. Her neighbor, Tisai Latomeir discovered the body when she went to confront Hetina regarding the relationship of her son with Hetina's daughter.

 

The official report given to the Magistrate indicates the front door unlocked and that Hetina was stabbed by her own knife in the kitchen. They believe that the killer knew Hetina as there was no sign of a struggle in the kitchen.

 

Full List of Suspects:

The Magistrate has the following list of subjects:

Rue Lanano

Captain Pindutaut

Ehatin Brookweir

Tisai Latomeir

Latan Latomeir

Eluiss Nerizoo

 

The Desperate Housewives:

Rue Lanano

Having an Elicit Affair with Captain Pindutaut. Both her husband and Captain Pindutaut's wife are unaware of the affair.

 

Rue suspects that Tisai was the killer. If confronted about the affair, Rue says that has nothing to do with it and ask that the affair be kept quiet. She will denies Hetina knew anything of the affair. She doesn't think that Ehatin would have killed Hetina but notes that she saw someone in Ehatin's home last week when Ehatin was out shopping.

 

Ehatin Brookweir

Distant relative of a Fifty Family. Normally very social and public, lately she has been very secluded. She lives alone but neighbors report that someone has been active in her home when she is out.

 

Ehatin's theory for the murder is that either Tisai's son or perhaps Captain Pindutaut himself committed the murder. She will deny any claim of someone being in her home. If anyone mentions the name, Testran Echena, she will show signs of nervousness. If she is confronted with the fact that it is known that Testran was staying in her home, she will state that Testran threatened to rape and kill her if she went to the guard.

 

Tisai Latomeir

Problematic Son who had a relationship with Hetina Nerizoo's daughter.

 

Tisai has no theories. She admits she hated Hetina and wouldn't past Hetina's own daughter to do it. She denies commiting the murder and her cold approach to the matter only manages to make her look all that more suspect.

 

Hetina Nerizoo - Murder Victim

Has a son, Tarik, and daughter, Eluiss, and had a rocky relationship with her. Eluiss was seeing Tisai Latomeir's son against Hetina's consent. The son has had a couple of brushes with the local Magistrate due to vandalism.

 

Notable Others:

Captain Pindutaut

Captain Pindutaut takes vessels down the Serpentine River. Because he has a reliable source of trade, he gives his crew a week of leave every time the return to Elweir. At the time of the murder, the Captain was with Rue. He will not admit this for any sort of official statement unless threatened that his affair will be revealed to his wife. He will, however, admit this "off the record". Captain Pindutaut is scheduled to head out again in three days time.

 

Testran Echena

Testran is, in fact the real killer. Testran had tried to kill Laim Garlbam last week after his brother lost his right hand for a theft he didn't make. Testran knows this for it was he who stole the money, not his brother. He considers himself honor bound to redeem his brother's honor by killing the magistrate. Testran has been, and still is hiding in the Brookweir residence. He is waiting until his wounds have fully healed before he attempts to kill Laim Garlbam a second time. If he feels like his luck is about to run out, he will try again before he has healed.

 

Possible Plot Hooks:

Idea 1:

One of the party is friends with someone in the neighborhood. On the day Hetina was murdered, they happened to be passing through the area. As the guards are always suspicious of strangers. The partymember is called in for questioning before the magistrate. The story checks out but instead of releasing the partymember, the beg them for their aid in the investigation as the other investigators are too close to the families to cast sound judgement.

 

Idea 2:

A supernatural being communicates with a sorcerer in the party. As a Major Task, the being asks the sorcerer to find Hetima's killer and see that the killer is brought to justice.

 

Idea 3:

Hetina Nerizoo happened to be a cousin of one of the party members. Upon learning of her death, he will not rest until the killer is found.

 

The truth behind the murder:

Ehatin Brookweir ran into her cousin's best friend while shopping two weeks ago. The man was badly injured and trying to hide in Uphill East. She approached him and he begged her to hide him. Since Brookweir has been all but forgotten by her family, she agreed. She hoped that by doing so, she might earn favor from her cousin to get her moved to Gold's Reside.

 

As it turns out, the man had attacked a magistrate and was being haunted by the guard. She has been hiding him in her home ever since until he has recovered enough from his wounds to leave. However, one day Hetina Nerizoo came over to borrow some salt and discovered by accident the man.

 

Afraid that he would be turned over to the guard, he chocked Hetina, snuck her back to her home and stabbed her body with a cooking knife to make it look like the murder had taken place in her home.

 

Possible Clues:

A necromancer may be able to learn from Hetina's spirit that it was a man who killed her. She does not know this man's name. If pressed on speaking a name, all she will say is Brookweir but not the context. In this case, she is refering to the Brookweir Estate, not the Ehatin Brookweir.

 

Research into the families turns up something interesting about Ehatin Brookweir. The Brookweir underwent a spot of infimy a hundred years ago. Their family was caught smuggling illegal goods. They hid them in a secret tunnel in their Uphill East estate until they could later be picked up. It just so happens that Ehatin Brookweir now lives in that residence.

 

The only rumors outside of the Hatina murder is the attempted assassination of Laim Garlbam just over the border in Lowtown. The person behind the attempted murder is Testran Echena. Testran is reputed to be excellent at disappearing. Deep search into Testran Echena may reveal that he is friends with, among many others, Jarris Brookweir.

 

Confrontation:

Testran Echena keeps himself about the Brookweir Estate. If someone comes to visit Ehatin, he will hide in the secret tunnel located in the library of the estate. If caught off guard and seen, he will dash to the tunnel and lock it from the inside. The tunnel has an escape hatch to the side of the home that can only be opened from the inside. If Testran's hiding spot has been revealed, he will try to escape and make it to the nearest sewer grate entrance. Once back in lowtown he will try to secure a crossbow and attempt to assassinate Liam even at the risk of his own death.

 

Write-up for Testran Echena to be posted later.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: [Adventure] Desperate Housewives of Uphill East

 

Testran Echena

12 STR

15 DEX

12 CON

10 BODY

15 INT

8 EGO

12 PRE

8 COM

4 PD

3 ED

2 SPD

6 REC

25 END

22 STUN

 

Abilities: +3 with Dirks, Bows and Crossbows; AK: Eastern Elweir Sewer System, CK: Lowtown, WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Wepaons, Contacts: Various Lowlives with Weapons 11-

 

75+ Disadvantages: Psychological Limitation: Desires to Kill Laim Garlbam; Hunted: Laim Garlbam

 

Equipment:

Dirk

[John Desmarais]

Re: [Adventure] Desperate Housewives of Uphill East

 

 

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