[Introduction] Useful Clues

[Khalil]

I'll post up information about the setting here. For others looking in from the outside. This is a Roll20 based game am running to test out speed and balance.

[Khalil]

Introduction

For the past few days, the city of Magnimar has been in the grip
of terror. A murderer stalks the city’s streets in the gloaming
pre-dawn hours, and each morning it seems a new and freshly
mutilated victim appears in an alley. There have been four bodies
discovered to date—all worshipers of the goddess of healing
and redemption, Sarenrae. The city guard desperately wants to
catch the murderer, yet he is a cagey and elusive foe. In order
to expedite the search, they have turned to you—known allies
of Magnimar and strong heroes of the people—to aid them in
stopping the culprit before he slays again.

[Khalil]

Journal Entry 1

Rumil and Maya have been contacted by a City Guard by the name of Kasadei. She has met in one of the few guards post across the city.

Kasadei has offered Investigators Inc. 3,000gp if they bring the perpetrator of some grisly murders to justice.

So far four murders have been committed, and their bodies have been stabbed multiple times by a dagger and their hearts cut out. None of the hearts have been located yet. All four were traveling worshipers of Sarenrae, but beyond that, the bodies seem to have no real connections.

All of the murders took place in the pre-dawn hours in alleys along the northwestern waterfront.

A speak with the dead spell was used on the corpses and in all four cases, the victims were taking a traditional “dawnwalk” (a religious observance during which a worshiper of Sarenrae walks and prays during the hours before and after sunrise) when they were attacked.

Some of the corpses interviewed remembered noticing a sudden cessation of sound just before they were attacked.

The most recent victim even caught a glimpse of the knife used to stab him—a dagger bearing a strange symbol of a white feather dipped in blood. Maya has identified the symbol as belonging to the deity known as Shax, the demon lord of lies and murder.

The city guards plan on conducting an ambush early tomorrow morning. The guards themselves have no real training in such things and have asked for aid.

It is early morning of the day prior and the investigators have all the extra time until tomorrow to conduct their own investigations.

Kasadei suggested some of the locals might have felt uneasy speaking to City Guards.

When asked about a Serenae temple she said there is none in the city, but that there many worshippers of the Dawnflower in Magnimar.

[Khalil]

Journal Entry 2

After their meeting with Kasadei concluded the investigators went in search for leads.

Their first act was to interrogate the locals who live near the murder sites; and while that took a few hours it did bring them some more information.

Locals have reported noticing strange things—scratching sounds on the roof, weird flapping noises, and unnatural moments of silence.

An even small numbers have reported a few unnerving accounts— sightings of a “demon” crawling around on roofs or flying in the skies late at night.

Rumil even bartered a bargain with one of the locals. 2 gold pieces for a chances to shimmy up a shoddy ladder and look at a roof. His investigation proved "insightful" as he found a shingle with a claw mark. Verifying the locals' account of things scurrying over there heads.

Afterwards the investigators staked out a priest of Sarenrae, who a good 30 minutes before questioning the devotee. Unfortunately the priest they asked only spoke of the same information the investigators already knew. That their members are growing increasingly agitated and demand the guards to catch the murderer.

Finding no luck with the priest they went back under the shadow, where they split up. Rumil again questioned the locals and got even less information than before. Maya taking on a disguise of a priestess decided to conduct a baited ambush without the backup of the guard. Luckily the murder did not strike... this time.

At night they regrouped and shared their finds and to get some rest. Tomorrow would come soon and they needed to be ready.

[Khalil]

Journal Entry 3

The next morning before dawn the investigators met up with Kasadei and her guards. They went over the details of the ambush to include a site in which they would be able to respond within 3 minutes at the sound of a signal or alarm.

Maya dressed up as follower of Sarenrae using her experience as a cleric to enhance the bait outfit.

The investigators then began their patrol through the ambush site, by having Maya walking alone while Rumil was within running distance nearby.

As the time went by, just before the rising sun, suddenly a red headed Half-Elfelven traited woman appeared in front of Maya. Silence overtook the area as a small pebble landed nearby the woman. Maya and the woman traded swings with their weapons, but lucky for the investigators the woman's attacks did not land.

Rumil who had been hanging back behind was unaware of the encounter, but as he moved into position to keep his mother within sight he could see the ensuing fight down the alley. Quickly he charged to Maya's aid!

As he got there though a darkness overtook the area and the warrior was left blind. Luckily so was the attacker! Giving Maya time to move out of the silenced area and cast a spell of her own. Her prayers answered the woman was became still as the Hold Person took.

Maya's small victory was short lived as suddenly one of the gargoyle's from above swooped down from a roof top and on top of the half-elven woman. Rumil who was no blind and unable to hear anything only felt the great wind.

Seeing their chance at an interrogation about to be flown away, Maya ran at the paralyzed woman and tried holding her down. As she did so she could already begin to feel the life returning to the limbs of the half-elven woman. Rumil again tried to grasp for something in the darkness, but only managed to grapple the darkness he was in. A great buffet of air though let him know that something was indeed still going on.

Maya who had been able to see through the darkness could see the gargoyle begin to furiously beat his wings and began to climb. Soon the investigator was out of the darkness and could even see the sun about to peek over the horizon. She yelled inquiries to the woman even as she held on to dear life. All she got in reply though was an insult and a free ticket to the ground, as the half-elven red head managed to undue her grasp. As Maya slid down she tried to grab onto anything but to no avail as what she held onto came free and down with her in her hands.

Falling she immediately called upon the powers of her bonded ring to slow her fall. Which activated just in time for her to float into Rumil's flailing grapple. The boy is perceptive though and managed to realize it was his mother he was about to pin, and let her go just in time for them to walk of the sphere of darkness and silence and see the attackers escaping into the sky heading south of their location.

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Spells Casted this session:

Maya - Hold Person
Zadendi - Silence
Scarlet Son - Darkness

Items Gained by Investigators:

Maya - Key