Aporeu chronicles Issue 39: It's just a party, right?
Stories from the adventurers
This week
A murder mystery that ended badly and could have ended a lot worse.
It's just a party, right? by Jane
Our group gathered to prepare for a visit to a party on the world called Lauzea. As formal wear had been specified, and female adventurers were particularly invited to join I had elected to change into my female persona, Jane Fiddlewick, and had prepared by purchasing a very fancy dress for the night. The rest of our group existed of Quenvayas, doctor Vasilievski, a new adventurer from another world named Eniser and Orla, a priest, smith and fellow changeling. We were told we would be attending a party by Duke James Hardington. And what a party it was, very different from what we had expected to find! We were met at the guild by a young Halfling in purple robes with a sun symbol on them, named Efran. He escorted us to the gate and through the world of Lauzea. We first arrived on a raised platform, seeing a temple of Apollo, with people in the same purple robes with the sun symbol milling about. We were welcomed to Lauzea and given a brief tour of the teleportation system on this world, allowing travel like the gate, across the world. Amazing! Oh if only Brindlo could see this world! I hope he may yet get the chance. Soon we were off to the city of Harding, where Duke Hardington duked. We traveled through the teleportation system from a small platform with a circle with a hammer and anvil on it to a decent sized courtyard near a temple with a dark red banner with the same hammer and anvil on it, the temple of Hephaestus, the God of Craftsmen and smiths. It was wicked cold when we arrived, and we hurried towards a waiting black carriage. Efran stayed behind and the driver of the carriage, named Fince, drove us through paved roads and past stone buildings to a huge manor house outside of the city surrounded by a large garden. As we emerged from the carriage the wind swept around us, although the grounds seemed to be protected from the winds. We were greeted by a charming lady, miss Middlestone, the housekeeper of the duke. She escorted us inside where our coats were taken by a young boy, Henry. We went in to the party, to meet the assembled guests of duke Hardington. I do not just say ‘the duke’ as he was not the only duke present. So many high placed people, my dad would have loved to see that! We were led into the drawing room, where we proceeded to mingle with the assembled guests. We seemed to be quite the attraction, as we had expected already, it felt like we were guests, but also part of the entertainment. I spent quite some time chatting with lady Mara of Amistis, who was very interested in my adventures.
After spending some time mingling and talking with people a door opened with a loud bang, and in walked a very well dressed man, handsome in his own way, with a little grey in his hair. We continued mingling for a while until there was a brief knocking, and we were invited to come for dinner. At dinner we were spread out along the table, so each of us had two local guests next to them.
Suddenly there was a lightning strike outside and the room was covered in pitch black darkness! When the light returned, one of the guests, a dwarven envoy named Arvik Silverforge turned out to have died. We as experienced adventurers started investigating this occurrence and soon, between spells who forced people to tell the truth, a creature who could sniff out poison and questioning we slowly worked through the list of suspects. Quen found a coin which was apparently used to cast a darkness spell, solving that mystery.
Eventually lady Arela of Amistis confessed to killing Arvik, however her story did not ring true to me, so we continued our investigation. Doctor Vasilievski suggested that either Orla or I try to distract duke Hardington, and where I was reluctant Orla was willing to do so. Oh how I wish I had been stronger and volunteered, dear reader!
While Orla was away with duke James Hardington we continued our investigation. A servant named Vira seemed very upset, and admitted to be the one taking the vial of poison used to kill the dwarf and discarding it in a potted plant where we had found it.
Eventually we narrowed our search and went to accuse duke James Hardington of the killing of the dwarf. We found Orla in his bedroom, in good being or so we thought at the time. A fight ensued, with the duke turning invisible but succumbing to our might eventually. Using my words, laced with magic I managed to acquire his admission of guilt to the murder of the dwarven envoy, however meanwhile Orla was whispering to doctor Vasilievski and the doctor flew into a murderous rage, eventually having four snakes that had erupted from his staff kill the duke right there, on the floor, just after I tied him up.
The doctor then told us what Orla had found: The duke had a ‘little black book’ chronicling his ‘conquests’, lists of names, some of them encircled in red. Among the names present were Phaedra, the doctor’s wife, lady Arela and miss Middlestone. The name of Phaedra had a circle around it.
We told the other guests what had happened, and who the murderer was. We were told very firmly that we had to leave, and that the events of the evening would have consequences. As we were leaving, just before I could get into the carriage, the housekeeper came running up, giving me a big bag. Considering what was in there, it seems that we did make several people happy with our actions.
When we were returning home, Orla did not want to return to her own home. Hardington had abused his power, and forced her to do…. Stuff… I… wish it were different, but I am glad he was killed.
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