Episode 166 - On the Trail of a Magical Murderer

Jett frames Bucky with drugs, how cool Jett is comes into question and Bachmann becomes very defensive, and it turns out that Jett is afraid of heights. There's also the matter of a second crime scene and the trail of the murderer of Balder Oakback that leads down into the Underdark.

## **Story**

In King Titus Harper's chambers, the Harper and the others shed their finery and start equipping themselves for whatever may come. It makes the most sense to follow up on the crime scene to find a way to clear Jaela's name and learn the truth to help prevent the impending dwarven civil war. But first they decide to go check in on Bucky. He was already targeted once before and Aludra needs to know he's safe. When they get to Bucky's room, he tells them he's safe and the only people he's seen are the guards checking in on him. Then he congratulates Jett Razor for ruining another event and tells the group about Jett's reputation. He tells them that's the only reason he wanted Jett Razor to come and that he doesn't even like his music and that his second album is overwrought. Jett proceeds to pretend to slip Bucky a drug in a friendly manner, only to use it as planted evidence to expose the fact that he uses drugs to his mother, Aludra the Dwarf. He also plants some jewelry in Bucky's pockets and Aludra is shocked and disappointed in Bucky. Bucky couldn't resist immediately taking the drug and as the effects take hold, Aludra does what she can for him, making him as comfortable as possible and providing some water within easy reach, but she updates the guards on Bucky's current situation and asks them to keep watch on him. Bucky is safe, so the party has more pressing matters to address.

Aludra decides to track down her cool aunt Ulin Wyrmsbane and try to get information from her regarding the murder and probe her about possible ways to get out of the keep while it's on lockdown, without killing any of the Wyrmsbane guards. Ulin is happy to see Aludra and a big fan of Jett Razor, however she is thoroughly convinced it had to be Jaela because of the Erathis carving in Baldur Oakback's chest. It's not widely known that the former adherent of Erathis now worships The Raven Queen. She does inform them that keep is likely safe, because a second body that has been horribly aged has been found in the mining district.

With this second body as likely safer crime scene to investigate, the party decides that they'll have to get there, even if it includes knocking out a few guards. At the back exit, Aludra spots two guards she recognizes, Carl and Magus. Jett Razor *Polymorph's* one into a squirrel, and then Nyx punches out Magnus' teeth and knocks him unconscious. The party makes their way across the hanging pathways with bottomless pits below, while they can see a large mob gathering in front of Wyrmsbane Keep. The party finds a bridge that they cannot cross without alerting more guards, so Harper casts *Fly* on everyone but Jett, and Harper, Aludra, Jaela, and Nyx each grab hold of one of Jett's limbs and they fly as stealthily as they can above the city all the while Jett tries to contain his fear of heights.

They spot the crime scene and Nyx walks up pretending to have been sent by Aludra's father, Lord Alloryn, to coordinate between this crime scene and that of Baldur Oakback. She learns that the victim was a guard, who likely had spotted the murderer trying to flee towards the lower tunnels. The only wound they could find on the now hundreds of years old body is a single stab wound. With the three trams up to the surface heavily guarded, they still believe Jaela is the murderer and was working alone and that she was fleeing to the lower tunnels because that is the entrance to the Underdark.

## **Trivia**

* Jett isn't sure what Harper means when asked if Ulin is a bird.
* Magus asked Aludra to go to a recital together in grade 7. It was special for him because he was from such a lower class than her. She remembers his perfect teeth as Nyx punches them out.
* Jett is afraid of heights.
* Jett says the flying experience isn't really what it's like being a bird.
* Images for this episode (Officially of Harper in the Underdark) and the next episode (Officially image of Deephome) have been swapped. It is assumed that the images were accidentally attached to the wrong posts of this dual episode recording session.

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Mike Bachmann - Jett Razor
* Nika Howard - Jaela
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra the Dwarf / Nyx
* Tim Lanning - King Titus Harper

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Bucky
* Carl
* Magnus
* Ulin Wyrmsbane

### **Locations**

* Deephome
	+ Wyrmsbane Keep

### **Inventory Updates**

* -1 drug
* +1 gold dragon scale mail

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Prevent the impending dwarven civil war
	+ [Active] - Clear Jaela's name
	+ [Active] - Find Baldur's murderer
		- ~~[Option A] - Find known associates of Tipsy-Two Fingers~~
		- ~~[Option B] - Investigate the crime scene~~
		- ~~[Option C] [Active] - Go to a tavern~~
		- [Complete] [Option D] - Investigate the second crime scene
* [Active] - What are birds?

### **Quotes**

**"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. The guard.. when we came in... to the town. To the mountain town. Wanted my autograph, for his son. Kids think I'm cool! Fuck off!"** ~ *Mike Bachmann*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Tim - 18
	+ Jennifer - 10
	+ Bachmann - 3
	+ Nika - 2

* Jett - **Sleight of Hand** to frame Bucky
	+ Nat20 - Success - A prominent piece of Aludra's jewelry is in Bucky's pocket

* Harper - **Persuasion Check** to convince Ulin Wyrmsbane to share information about the murder
	+ 19 - A lot of people who wouldn't want to see the wedding fail. She did hear that they should be safe in the keep. There was another horrifically aged body found. Over in the mining district.

* Jaela - **Arcana Check** to see if she herself knows anything about what could age bodies in the manner of the recent deaths.
	+ 14-2 - Success - Nothing is familiar.

* Harper - **Arcana Check** for the same.
	+ 16 - Some undead can age people... but nothing like this.

* Harper - **Deception Check** to convince Ulin Wyrmsbane that they're going to go back to Harper's chambers
	+ 17 - She tells them to be careful.

* Jett vs Guard pre-combat
	+ *Polymorph* with a 17 Spell Save DC vs Carl
		- (?) - He turns into a squirrel

*Combat Begins*

* **Initiative** vs Magnus
	+ Nyx - 23
	+ Aludra - 18
	+ Harper - 13
	+ Jaela - 10
	+ Jett

*Round 1*

* **Nyx** vs Magus
	+ Melee Attack - 14 & 25
		- Miss & Hit - 7+5 damage
			* Two more attacks? 24 & 1
				+ Hit & Miss - 9 damage - Teeth go everywhere as Nyx punches his face in.

*Combat Ends*

* Harper
	+ *Fly* (at 6th level) on everyone but Jett

* Jett - **Secret Saving Throw** vs 14 DC while above a bottomless pit
	+ 14 - Success? - (unknown effect)

* **Stealth Check** to fly in Deephome without being spotted.
	+ Haper - 22
	+ Jaela - 20
	+ Aludra - 20
	+ Nyx - 6+5
	+ Jett - 7
		- Party did well as a whole so they did okay.

* Nyx - **Deception Check** vs guard
	+ Nat20 - The guard doesn't want to screw things up and have a civil war, and so lets Nyx through.