The premise of the adventure is that the characters must solve the murder before they get to Fairhaven or the killer might escape, and they might be blamed by the Fairhaven guard. Also, the possibility that one of them did it is always there.
The adventure begins just two days after the Lightning Rail has departed. After dinner, drinks were served, and the players know where their archetype was by midnight.
The game is intrigue heavy with only a single built in fight. However, since one of you may be the murderer, PvP will be the main cause behind any extra fights.
Lore
The most important lore for your players to understand is that the continent of Khorvaire has just emerged from a war that lasted a hundred years. Very few people remember life before the war and two years of peace is not much time to readjust your world view.
The Last War; a civil war that ripped the kingdom of Galifar apart, ended just two years ago with the Treaty of Thronehold which recognized twelve nations. One of the only constants from before the war, during it, and now is the power of the dragonmarked families and their Houses. These Houses operate like neutral, independent entities across all the countries and hold tight monopolies over certain industries and fields. Their power stems from the dynastic arcane sigils that appear on the skin of certain family members, granting them particular magical skills. House Orien, for example, holds the Mark of Passage which, among other powers, allows them to control the lightning rail, where this story takes place.
The Murder
Egan Bakker is a foundling from House Cannith, one of Khorvaire’s powerful Dragonmarked Houses, trying to make his way into their good graces. Bakker is an artificer on his way from Sharn to Fairhaven with his family and a suspicious collection of others. On the final day of travel,
Bakker is shot and killed with a newly invented firearm.
Characters
There are eight ‘character archetypes’. Whatever roles go unfilled are the NPCs that populate the train. You will be given information, motivation and questions that you have to answer related to your given archetype. Moreover, should be the murderer, you will also be given information as to how the murder would happen.
| Archetype |
Description |
| The Scholar |
You knew the victim socially of course, but not well. You are privileged, well-educated, soft-spoken and a little snobbish. Egan Bakker once humiliated you in public and you have never forgotten. |
| The Former Business Partner |
You worked together, sure, and no it didn’t end well, what of it? Just what are they trying to imply? You helped Bakker when one else trusted him, and he stiffed you. Now you’re stuck on a train for days with him and his loudmouth habits… |
| The Secretive Lover |
You’re sexy and you know it. You don’t tell people where you’re from or your history, because half the fun is the mystery right? You’re sleeping with someone on this train (maybe a few of them) but what did you really think of Egan Bakker? |
| The Spouse |
You’ve been estranged from Egan for some time. Perhaps you never truly loved each other, perhaps you were once very in love. Either way, recently Egan’s attention has been elsewhere. Was it an affair like you suspected? Or did he know something terrible was going to happen? |
| The Lost Heir |
You never knew your father until letters that your mother had kept led you to Egan Bakker with proof. You confronted him, but he did not believe you. Then a few days later, out of the blue, he asks you to come with him to Fairhaven. Now that he’s dead, are you heartbroken not to have gotten that chance or did you secretly hate the father who was absent from your life? You certainly stand to profit now.
(Note: This character MUST be human)
|
| The Veteran Conductor |
Readjusting after the war has not been easy. Getting this job on the lighting rail was the best thing that could have happened to you. But Egan Bakker knows things about your past and is using them to get favors. You let him sneak that stupid new invention of his onto the train because of it. |
| The Ice Queen |
A cold personality, and no apparent connection to anyone there, but maybe you knew Egan Bakker a long time ago before he made his money. Maybe you have a debt to collect |
| The Loyal Retainer |
Whether a personal servant, sidekick or mild-mannered friend of the victim, you’ve been by Egan’s side for years. You seem to grieve for him the most, but you also knew all his secrets and had to clean up after all his messes all these years… Was he ever even grateful? |
Character Creation Restrictions:
No Warforged (due to story)
No mechanical benefits / flaws.
Secrets
There will be many points at which you may have to confer with me or vice versa. We will solve this via
secret notes. If you have a question, there will be paper given for you to write notes and pass them on to me.
Questions can be:
Can I hide an action / move stealthily
Lore related questions that you think your character should know
Endgame
Murderer Win. A murderer that successfully escapes from the train at this point without anyone pursuing for a full round is said to have successfully escaped.
All Lose. If no murderer is identified by the party by the time the guards arrive, they will all be taken into custody and investigated.
Innocent Win. If the party have secured the murderer by this point, they hand them over the guard and receive a free lightning rail journey from House Orien as thanks for preventing a scandal.
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