Solistair, The Art of Murder
General Summary
Plot:
A serial killer known only as Memento is terrorizing Solistair, leaving behind cryptic and disturbing clues at each crime scene—intricate paintings of their victims, painted in an unsettling, surreal style. Each painting seems to capture the last moments of the victim's life. The victims all share a common connection: they were powerful, influential figures, but all had dark secrets. The players are hired by Solistair’s elite to track down Memento before they strike again. As they investigate, they uncover that the killer's obsession with art is more than just a thrill—it is a ritual, one that involves creating "perfect" death scenes, each more grotesque and elaborate than the last.
Session 1 (11/17/24)
The session began with everyone in a bar named Tiff’s, owned by a Butch Crown. Eve, a drow rogue, stole a bottle from Butch’s collection while he was distracted by Buck, a Wood-Elf druid. Buck and Eve negotiated for a room while Flora, a Half-Elf artificer, injected herself with a strange green liquid. During this commotion, Muzlo, a Skivet Tinkerer, scoured through trash as he dumped it into his bag of holding. Butch led everyone to the room, which only had three beds. After leading them to the room, Butch decided to check up on a patron in their room since they had been quiet for a while. Butch unlocked the door and was horrified to see the body of Lady Janath, a noble lady who frequented his bar for years. Butch began to investigate as the rest of the party entered the room. After investigating, the party concluded that Lady Janath had been strangled with her own pearl necklace, with the pearls scattered around the floor. Suddenly, Butch, Buck, and Flora felt their bodies stiffen as their eyes began to drift towards the corner of the room. A canvas revealed itself, with Lady Janath’s murder being painted on it. A masked assailant with long black hair with purple highlights appeared to be choking Lady Janath with her pearl necklace in the painting. The paint appeared to be dry on the painting, meaning it had to have been painted before the murder. The murder seemed premeditated, but it was uncertain why the killer would use Lady Janath’s necklace instead of their own weapon if it was. Butch demanded the party to exit the room while he investigated his friend’s murder, to which they went back to their purchased room. Investigating the room, Butch noticed a chest which was not originally present. The chest appeared clean and as if it simply appeared there, no signs of it being dragged. Deciding to kick the chest to see if anything was inside, Butch’ s leg was assimilated into the chest as it pulled him in, causing him to crash onto the floor. Hearing the commotion, the party rushed to see what happened. Butch was being eaten alive by a mimic, as the party tried to help. After a few well placed spells and blows from the party, the mimic appeared defeated. But due to the noise and damage the party caused, the town guard, known as the Dawnwatch, appeared in the tavern. The commander, a knight in shining gold armor, asked what happened as Butch began to recount his history with Lady Janath and the murder that had taken place. Seeing the painting in the corner of the room, the guard confirmed the murder appeared connected with other murders that had taken place. This murder marked the sixth one in the victims the serial killer claimed, and it appeared each one represented one of the seven deadly sins. This murder represented greed, due to the pearl necklace. The seventh victim would have to represent wrath. When asked for who is hated the most in Solistair, the commander mentioned that The Lord of Cinder, the unofficial leader of Nighthaven, is widely hated by Solistair citizens. The Dawnwatch commander asked for the party to venture into the undercity, Nighthaven, to find the serial killer. Due to the undercity’s hatred for the Dawnwatch, they can’t venture there themselves. The Dawnwatch offered a large sum of gold if they managed to apprehend the killer, and the party accepted. Deciding to find The Lord of Cinder to get a lead on the serial killer, the party ventured into the undercity. Butch decided to head to an old back-alley clinic he trusted to get his wounds healed. Butch was successfully operated on while the party bought a few items of note. Flora offered a large favor in exchange for a syringe of adrenaline, and Buck bought a green pearl that when consumed enhances magic prowess. Deciding to gear up for the fight against the Serial Killer, Butch led the party to a general store managed by a Skivet. Butch purchased a pair of brass knuckles and Buck purchased a shortbow. Muzlo rummaged around for trash as he managed to find a part for his old revolver. With equipment secured, the party decided to meet up with a mutual contact, Doug the Drow. Heading to a brothel where he was last seen, the party met with Doug as they filled him in. Doug mentioned that the party can’t simply find The Lord of Cinder, he has to find them. The party decided to make a commotion by blowing up a statue of the undercity’s former leader. The person who blew up the statue would then get attacked and taken to the Lord of Cinder to answer for their crimes, and the party would follow them. Doug offered to let himself be the one to get attacked due to his history with the Cinder Syndicate. Doug then left to gather smokepowder for the bombs the party would need to blow up the statue. Eve then went to the Madam of the brothel, asking for her to gather people that would be able to witness what occurs to the statue. Muzlo gave the Madam the pearls from the necklace as she began to gather some people to meet at the statue.
Session 2 (12/1/24)
The session began with the party’s plan set into motion. Doug led the party to a wagon containing the smoke powder barrels required to blow up the statue. Muzlo, Butch, and Flora set up in the midst of a gathering crowd while Buck and Eve waited nearby on the rooftops. Doug revealed his stash of smokepowder in the cart before lighting it after the signal was given. The statue blew up as Doug was beaten unconscious by nearby guards who emerged from the crowd. Following close behind the guards, Buck found where he was being taken. Informing the group, Buck led them to the old abandoned inn that was being heavily guarded by Cinder Syndicate guards. Flora and Muzlo decided to disguise themselves as guards while they took Butch in as a fake prisoner, and Buck decided to sneak in wildshaped as a rat to not attract suspicion. Inside, Buck was able to find a heavily guarded room where people were constantly entering and exiting. Realizing this must be the Cinder Lord’s office, they reported back to Eve. At the same time, Flora and Muzlo lied their way inside, as a guard helped them escort Butch inside. Entering the office of the Cinder Lord, he was able to see through Flora’s disguise. He approached the party as he reached from behind him. Taking this as a threat, Butch attacked the Cinder Lord but the Cinder Lord nimbly dodged out of the way. Readying for a battle, Butch raised his fists as the Cinder Lord told his men to stand down. Emerging from behind the Cinder Lord, a bag of gold found its way into Flora’s hands. The Cinder Lord thanked them for bringing him Doug, and he promised more gold if they managed to kill the serial killer, Memento, who had been terrorizing both the topside and undercity. The Cinder Lord took Doug as collateral should they betray him, and the party accepted all his terms. A guard of the Cinder Syndicate guided the party towards the Artists’ studio, where they saw candle-lit stairs leading into a basement. Heading down the stairs, the party emerged in a ritual room where Memento stood in the middle. Memento greeted them as the party looked all around, noticing their own portraits lining his walls. With combat starting, the battle was hard-fought, with the party just barely surviving the initial onslaught. Memento was able to fire bullets in quick succession, nearly one per second. However, after landing his sixth shot, Memento turned his seven-shot revolver on himself as he pulled the trigger, unleashing six demons of deadly sins out onto the battlefield. A well placed fireball from Muzlo was able to take most of the demons out before they could do much of note, but a few managed to withstand. Namely the doppelganger, succubus, and mimic. The mimic proved to be a large issue, with it nearly claiming Buck’s life. However, the one that would claim Buck’s life proved to be Muzlo, after his untimely death. Showing poor little Muzlo an act of mercy by sparing him from the sinful world, Memento shot him six times. Muzlo died thinking of his new friends, and his favorite bag. Vowing to avenge him, the party showed their wrath towards Memento, barely clutching “victory” from the jaws of defeat. However, they played straight into Memento’s hands. By killing him, the ritual claimed its final victim. Memento turned into a large wrath demon as all hell broke loose in Solistair.
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