Meeting With Pelltar

[OGRE MAGE]

The Baron of Restonford has been Murdered!!!

You have each been secretly summoned to the meeting room of the Sorcerer Pelltar, whom all of you are acquainted with in one way or another. The meeting takes place in his private suite inside Restonford castle, not far from where the terrible murder took place, just one night ago.

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7 individuals sit around the table in front of the wizard, some are known to you, while others are not......

[OGRE MAGE]

A well dressed and well mannered wizard type sits prominently in the seat closest to Pelltar, the two associates clearly sharing some history together. He is introduced as Draxon Xazor, friend and confidant to the senior mage.

An elf and a human sit across from him, peering around at all the expensive trinkets scattered about the bookshelves. They are introduced as Lestadt and Carling, but no profession or association to the wizard is mentioned.

A dwarf is there too, dressed respectfully enough but still smelling slightly acrid from the forge. Redgrave is his name, and he is well known by any locals in the group. He and Pelltar do much business together and are well known for being generous contributors to the community.

A jittery gnome sits next to him, his eyes darting back and forth from the angry looking female half-elf at the end of the table. He is introduced as Jerynallgim Zaplefople, though most just call him Zap. (and so shall we) He was an apprentice to Pelltar years back, but little else is known about him.

The final two members present at the table are female. The first introduced as Zahra Nightglow a priestess of Celestian. From the manner in which they converse, Pelltar is clearly very fond of the attractive woman. You eventually learn through their conversations that Pelltar is Zahra's great uncle. The second woman seems out of place, her chair pulled away from the others a bit. She looks pleasant enough, but a deep dour stare never really leaves her expression. Some might call it permanent lich face. She was here when you all arrived and her name was never given, though if asked, she timidly replies that it’s Ashley.

[OGRE MAGE]

Pelltar stares down from his large seat at the head of the table, the wizened old mage speaks with a tone of suffering and loss.

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"I want to thank all of you for coming on such short notice. As I am sure you already know, I have called you together quickly and secretly so that your council would not be swayed by false information or any panicked talk heard on the streets."

"Our faithful and well respected Baron Grellus has been slain in his own bedchamber. Murdered by a professional assassin of all things, and I have concerns that this killer is not yet satisfied. This type of event could bring instability to the entire region, so I have assembled some of my closest, highly skilled allies to spearhead an investigation in hopes that we can get to the bottom of this before there is any chance of another murder."

"I have much information to share with you about this tragedy, ad I am sure you have questions of your own, so lets get this discussion started without further delay, shall we? Why don't each of you introduce yourselves to the others for starters, before we delve too far into the grisly details. If you have any specific questions before we get started, please ask only one at a time so everyone gets a chance to speak."

"Would any of you like to begin?"

The wizard sits back and nods his head slowly, ready to begin the inquiry.

[Spearmint]

Redgrave

He stands, "Gentlemen, my lady. Perhaps I may be so bold as to start these proceedings and our corporate counsel with a toast.", he reaches to one of the wine bottles on the table, uncorking it and pouring his glass. He passes the bottle to the next figure on his left indicating they should do likewise.

"I am Karloff Redgrave. Many of you will know I labour with my kinsmen among the fires of the dwarven smithing forges. We have held Baron Grellis as a man of much honour and respect and will be troubled at his passing, especially under these dire circumstances.

May we take a moment to honour his memory and pledge our aid to bring to justice the culprit or dare I say, culprits concerned.

Baron Grellus, may his God give rest to his soul".

He raises his glass, has a moment of silence and then drinks the wine before sitting down again and taking introductions from other people.

one of the reasons he does this is also to weigh the characters and motives of those assembled, seeing if people celebrate the Baron's memory with heartfelt concern or with any hints of contempt.

[Bluetongue]

'Quicksilver' Carling

"Of course. A noble toast for a noble man." the elf says, committing the Baron to the afterlife with a word of elven.

"I myself knew little of the Baron personally though I know his death weighs heavily upon Pelltar and it is to his service I am committed.

I am Carling, my business is in requisitions of rare goods and supplies. "

He is dressed in loose fitting dark canvas trousers, supple leather boots and a suede jacket over a studded tight fitting gambeson. A thin longsword with a fancy basket woven hand guard of silver is sheathed at his side.

"After introductions perhaps we can plan how to undertake our Investigations and schemes."

[tarlyn]

Zap

The little gnome stands, clearing his throat. Looking around the table, he nods at everyone. Then looking to his teacher he smiles warmly.

He keeps a wary eye on the angry half elf at the end of the table.

Big bushy black unkempt hair, not such a large nose and a nicely trimmed pinch of facial hair tween his nose and chin is how he appears.

"Thank you , Master Pelltar, for inviting me. It is an honor to be here.

He looks at each and every person gathered and adds :

" My gnomish name is too long for any of you to really address me so just call me Zap, it is

much easier. I am sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, Master. I'll do what I can to help you find the culprit."

[Quonundrum]

Lestadt

He remains seated as the wine is offered to him, instead raising a hand in a placating gesture before handing it to the next person at the table. Before then he had barely moved, sitting back in his chair, posture relaxed with the other hand stroking his chin in apparent thought.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence ...

"Oh, yes." He begins, seeming to finally notice it was his turn at introductions. "Lestadt. Consulting detective and appraiser of fine art and literature. Baron Grellus was a gentleman and well cultured. He also promptly paid for services rendered ... I shall miss that about him."

His clothing is unremarkable. A simple linen shirt with a practical leather vest. Plain cotten trousers, augmented with leather cuisse and greaves. Over all a long leather coat with wide upturned lapels. Perched on the bridge of his nose, however, is a pair of platinum framed circular spectacles. The lenses shimmer rather than reflect and refract the light. The effect is similar to the glassy sheen of a still lake.

Lestadt tilts his head to regard Pelltar directly. "I suspect there is a more significant reason for this secret conclave than a concern about gossip? Indeed, to murder the baron in his own bedchamber suggests inside assistance or familiarity. Do you believe that a traitor exists within the baron's house, Pelltar?"

[gurusql]

Draxon

"Yes, a toast to the noble Baron, while we had little direct interaction he was always a good person and hope his god is watching after him in the afterlife.

My name is Draxon Xazor, but friends call me 'X' and I hope by the time we complete this nasty work we are all friends. I have consulted with Master Pelltar many times in the past on multiple topics, which is I am sure how I got here today. I currently run a small business in Lo Reltarma as a Divinationist. In that I attempt to unravels mystical mysteries for appropriate patrons and when Master Pelltar asked for my help I could not refuse."

As the group focuses on him, you can see that he wears nice clothes with puffy sleaves. Everyone sees that when it takes the wine, that he is wearing gloves. He has an owl that sits on his left shoulder.

"Before we get to far into the facts, I would suggest that we clear the room of any persons that will not be part of the investigation, to help slow the rumor mill."

[Rex]

Zahra

When the wine passes by she takes just enough to toast with, "To the Baron, may his Soul rest in peace."

When her turn arrives Zahra stands, she wears a dress of faded black, clearly having seen use but in excellent shape none the less, accented with leather bracers and belt with a traveling pouch. Her shoulders are draped in a black woolen shawl and a black woolen cloak lays across the back of her chair. Her holy symbol of Celestian on display. Her staff leans against the wall behind her.

"I am Zahra Nightglow, Wanderer of Celestian. I know most of you at least by name some more and as some of you know I am our hosts grand niece." She looks around the table deliberately. "Uncle, do you have a theory why the Baron was murdered at this point?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Since this is only a Q&A session, and there is a lot of information to cover, I will push this along a bit without everyone’s reply. I won’t do this during combat situations etc.. Sorry for the huge posts starting out here.


Pelltar agrees with the suggestion, enjoying the toast and maybe more-so the wine that goes with it. Redgrave notices no contempt in any responses of those gathered other than what was mentioned. As more evidence of the secrecy of this private meeting, no servants are present to refill glasses or carafes. The senior mage folds his arms across his chest and nods at his guests, motioning to the female half-elf at the back of the table.

“You can join in when you feel comfortable, Ash…..er…..um…..Ashley. As I told you earlier, these are all people I trust with my life, so you can trust them too.”

The first response he offers towards Lestadt, nodding in agreement. “A traitor inside the family was my first impression as well, my friend. But three clues were discovered at the scene, implicating three different possible perpetrators. Since I seriously doubt that three people did this together, even one untrained in such matters as myself can only presume that at least some of the clues were planted in order to muddy any quick investigations. That is also why I believe this was done by a professional, and not necessarily one of those implicated. But I will leave my suspicions to myself and let you come to your own conclusions.”

He tosses three items onto the table for your perusal. The first, a small faceted red ruby (50gp) that was located near the body. The next item is a single golden lute string with remnants of blood on it that was found under the bed. The final item is a red leather button that was found clenched in the Barton’s fist when his body was discovered.

“All three of these clues point to our neighbors 18 miles to the south, a small yet prosperous town called Garrotten that, as most of you already know, carries a less than wholesome reputation as a place you might go to find the sort of people who would commit this type of crime, if you catch my meaning. I believe that’s the place this investigation needs to begin.”

Lastly, he responds to Zahra. “I do not have a valid theory as of yet to why this happened my dear, and any speculations on my part would be only that, so I shall refrain from mentioning anything but the facts at hand.”

“Now, I can see you all have more questions, so go ahead, and one at a time again, please.”

Actions?

[gurusql]

Draxon

"Master Pelltar have you already checked these items for magical emanations? And just so that we are all clear, who are the three people that this evidence would be pointing a finger at?"

[Quonundrum]

Lestadt

Lestadt picks up each object in turn and examines them closely, the shimmering in his lenses almost imperceptibly more frequent as he does so.

He smirks while studying the bloodied lute string, apparently amused at an unspoken thought. "An assassin with a lute ... I suppose he coshed the baron over the head. No, it's a rather conspicuous red herring, presumably to ensure a list of false suspects are quickly identified."

He pauses while checking the red leather button and glances at Pelltar. "You said this was found clutched in the baron's fist? Was there any sign of a struggle? How was the baron murdered, for that matter?"

Lestadt spends the most time appraising the small ruby, tilting it and examining it under different light conditions. "This must be quite specific to an individual, as otherwise such a common gem could have been in any number of suspect's possessions."

[tarlyn]

Zap

He waits to inspect the three items and as he observes them asks "Master, would we be able to inspect the scene of the crime?

A new look at it by new eyes may reveal something that may have been missed."

[Rex]

Zahra

Zahra carefully studies the 3 items. "Interesting items, do we know who they presumably belong to?"

[Quonundrum]

Lestadt

As Lestadt passes the items along for the others to examine them, he elaborates on his own analysis. "The lute string shows no indication of being cut or torn, the red substance on it, however, is definitely not blood. Paint, perhaps, but not blood."

"The button is of fine quality, but shows signs of wear, suggesting it was removed from a specific garment. If such was also the same with the lute string, the assassin likely stole these from their respective owners."

"Likewise, the ruby appears to have been set into a piece of jewelry, like a pendant. Indeed, whoever hired this assassin may have selected these three individuals as an opportunity to disgrace or outright eliminate a real or potential enemy."

[OGRE MAGE]

Another massive info dump….

Pelltar nods slowly, trying to make sure each attendee understands everything being discussed. He is surprised at Lestadt’s discovery. “Are you quite sure?”

He looks the golden lute string over carefully again. “Of course you are! And your skills prove to be invaluable again my friend. Though the Baron was indeed strangled to death, it would seem that this was likely not the murder weapon as I initially suspected.”

He looks out over the others. “Yes, we believe we have some idea about the people either involved or being set up as so.”

“An old man with long white hair and blue robes matching the description of Harper, the high priest of the church of Osprem in Garrotten, ate at the Restonford Inn last night. He wore a golden holy symbol of a small whale with red ruby eyes.”

“A man in traveling clothes appeared at a local tavern where he had a few drinks and played the lute for the people before leaving a few hours later. The lute was reported to have golden strings. We think this may have been Balmorrow, the man who runs a small theater in Garrotten.”

“We believe the third suspect is the town’s innkeeper, Abraham. A man matching his description came into town yesterday to buy barrels of beer and wine to have shipped to Garrotten. He wore a distinctive red vest with decorative leather buttons. When the wine merchant was shown this button, he identified it as resembling the same ones.”

“The guard at the South Gate remembers seeing each man enter Restonford, one after the other, about an hour apart, starting at around 7:00 PM. Not surprisingly, none of these men were seen leaving the city from either gate.”

He holds his finger out to Draxon and then Zap. “None of the 3 items detected as magical, and the castle is currently locked down, so nobody can enter or leave the room, including us.”

[Quonundrum]

Lestadt

He arches his brow in genuine surprise when Pelltar informs them that none of the men were seen leaving either gate. "When was the baron last seen alive?"

"Respectively, do we know when each suspect departed their respective establishments? The Restenford Inn, the tavern, and the wine merchant?"

He seems about to say more regarding the additional information Pelltar provided, but instead relaxes back into his chair, fingers steepled below his chin. Lestadt glances about the table, curious as to the thoughts of the other guests before further revealing his own.

[Bluetongue]

Quicksilver Carling

He takes the lute string, firming it around his fingers and into a loop which he tightens. "Cheese wire. Much more effective at constricting the Adam's Apple and cutting through the carotid arteries. Silent and from behind. Strangulation on the over hand is more brute force, two hands, thumbs in the throat and fingers on the spine. Easier to strangle a man in his bed if you are, 'ehem' ... straddling across his waist or torso."

If no one else needs, he will take the lute string. "I am not sure we can yet so hurriedly dismiss any supposed evidence or even come to any real conclusions. The three suspects could be located and chatted with, as could the guard. Just to corroborate his own testimony."

He adds a few thoughts to the opening discussions.

[Rex]

Zahra

"Agreed, best to rule nothing out at this point." She seems to think some more as she studies the items.

"We need to talk to the guard, as well as whoever found the body. Even if the individuals these clues point to were not involved, someone clearly wanted the evidence to point to them so we need to speak to them as well. Perhaps they will shed some light on why someone would want us to think it was them." She pauses for a few moments.

"It seems to me that the Assassin or their employer made a mistake by trying to frame 3 individuals, why? One would have been a better choice, 3 just makes it look less believable, why do that?"

[gurusql]

Draxon

"I agree that I not ready to dismiss any of this evidence, but Zahra while I agree with your point there really are only two reasons to frame three people. First, if you frame two people and the third is the guilty person that is just lumped in with the other two. The second, on why you would frame three people is to divide our resources to chase down useless leads. This would only be important if there was something time-wise that the criminals would need to slow down.

The fact that all three were seen by the same guard is either a huge coincidence or pointing to my second theory. Which leads me to my question, Master Pelltar is there a time pressure that we are under?"