Chapter 7 Coin and Dagger

7.1 Overview

• The PCs on the trail of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank and its connection to the Church of Andromalion.

• If they are already allies with Benoit, they can make contact with his brother Gregor and get involved with investigating a string of grisly murders.

• Who at the Helsundburg Merchant Bank could have directed Mencius? Benoit knows that a Special Envoy could have only been sent by a Director. There are five directors, one of which is the Director-General. The current Director-General has passed away (in truth, poisoned by Mencius). The nine members of the Board of Governors are about to select a new Director-General among the four remaining directors. The Church of Andromalion is attempting to control the votes via blackmail and murder. The blackmail is organized via the House of the Red Door.

• PCs can investigate all four remaining directors.

• A series of murders seems to be tied to some of the directors.PCs can/have to investigate. The presumed murderer has been sent to a prison island to await his execution. PCs need to break into the prison and question the murderer to learn the identity of the mysterious figure behind the murders.

• During the PC’s visit to the prison island, the Klausman Torfburg is elected as Director-General of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank.

• PCs confront Klausman in his private sanctum in the House of the Red Door.

7.2 The City of Helsundburg–Pearl of the North

Figure 7.1: The City of Helsundburg. Source: Watabou

• Population: around 25,000. Consisting mostly of humans and halflings.

• Largest city of the Kingdom of Helsund. The King psends of of his time in his summer and winter residences, but royal business is handled in Helsundburg through his Privy Council.

• Key Quarters:

  • 1 Eyes of the Gods: Government and Temple District. Houses the Royal High Court, the Royal Treasury, major Temples, the Grand Archive of Helsundburg, the Sword of Justice’s Fortress, Bastion of the Order of the Crimson Heart.

  • 2 Trade Quarter: Large central neighborhood for all things trade. Merchant houses, artisans, clerks, and lawyers have their offices. The parts that abut the Bay of Helsund serve has main docks. The headquarters of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank can be found here.

  • 3 King’s Ward: The King’s Castle, the King’s Green and the Queen’s Green.

  • 4 Queen’s Orchard: A small farming community right outside the Eastern Gate. A prior Queen endowed the orchard’s to feed the city’s poor.

  • 5 Billstedt: Well-to-do neighborhood for artists, scholars, clerks, legal services. The Queen’s College of Music, the Royal Helsund University and other institutes of learning are found here.

  • 6 Billbrook: Worker’s quarter. Run-down. Floods often. Lots of small canals.

  • 7 Sleeper’s Gate: Main gate for outside traders. Two big market squares right outside the gate.

  • 8 Glassfields: Slightly better-off neighborhood for workers and artisans.

  • 9 Pearlbrook: Residential area for the upper crust.

7.3 General Investigation of the Glass Shards, the Occult Symbol, and the Church

• The PCs may want to engage in some archival research about the glass shards or the mysterious occult symbol from the burned letter. The best location for this kind of work is the Grand Archive in Helsundburg.

• 3 PCs get to use their skills for the research activity.

• First, PCs have to make a persuasion skill check to get access resources from the local library: $<$10: 1 day, 10-15:5 days, 15-20: 10 days, 20-25: 15 days. After that, PCs can pay a bribe of 50 GP per 5 days

• Five areas: Nature, History, Arcana, Performance, and Religion.

• PCs decide what to research and how many days to invest. For each 2 days they get a +1 on their skill check. No help action, no guidance.

• Results in each category:

• Performance/Musical instrument:

  • 15–18: A somewhat obscure bard, Wendell Ulthador, left that symbol on some of his compositions (for the harp).

  • 18–20: 20 years later, there was a suicide at the College of Music in Helsundburg. A young, talented bardic student had chosen Wendell’s music as their object of study.

  • $>$20: That student was a member of a small religious sect, and you locate their Book of Hymns—an old text, written in a Common dialect, details ten hymns of the Church of Andromalion. Hymn texts are all about joy, happiness, and change towards beauty. The hymns suggest Andromalion is an angel or deity of sorts. Some of the sheet music is odd, not all written in standard notation, mostly for harps, some passages seem quite melodic and beautiful, some passages shouldn’t be playable and have weird dissonant notes.

• History:

  • 15–18: Find a diary from 250 years ago of a young religious merchant son that joined the Church of Andromalion on his travels. He describes his initial elation, but his family seems reserved about his convictions. The diary describes his slow withdrawal from his family. He seems to become obsessed with his cleft palate and changing it. Notes that singing hymns in Church makes him happy. Eventually declines into madness.

  • 18–20: Records reveal all seven members of the merchant family died at the same time. The grave can be found in the Helsundburg Graveyard.

  • $>$20: Find notes of the Watchmaster: The young man murdered his family and then danced naked on the streets until his death from exhaustion. Autopsy notes make no mention of the cleft palate.

• Nature:

  • 15–18: Find the reports of a group of rangers that were commissioned by the Sword of Justice of Helsundburg to investigate some disappearances in a town nearby about 230 years ago. On arrival, the find that the mayor is missing as well. Report mentions the symbol being etched into the missing mayor’s desk.

  • 18–20: Second report describes how they find a hideous aberration in the nearby forest and kill hit. Turns out the aberration was the mayor, just terribly transformed.

  • $>$20: A third report details how they find a lair with three Doppelgangers, more of the symbol etched into the walls, Doppelgangers were growing some kind of fungus.

• Religion:

  • 15–18: Andromalion is not a known greater or lesser deity–but could be a different avatar of an established deity.

  • 18–20: From the few records you find, he seems to be associated with ecstatic happiness, music, and change towards beauty.

  • $>$20: You find scattered records of the Church of Andromalion. Worship seems to pop up infrequently throughout time. Always geographically concentrated. Very small religious group, but always attached to important local families.

• Arcana:

  • 15–18: Find no association to the symbol or the name Andromalion. Sometimes other beings, like devils, demons, or entities from the far realm pose as angels or deities to prey on mortals.

  • $>$18: Based on the spells he used and likely abilities, Mencius seems to be a wizard or warlock.

Once they learn about the Church of Andromalion, they can specifically research it.

• Benoit’s family records reveal that the CoA was active in Helsundburg about 230 years ago. They had an important relic: the Ilioprisma or Sunharp–a sun catcher wind chime made from glass shards that can create music and swirling lights. It was central to the Church, used during their religious service. When the stars are aligned, the high priest can supposedly use them to play the Song of Bliss and help mortals achieve union with Andromalion, promising a path to beauty and eternal happiness. Whatever the true purpose of the Sunharp, Mencius clearly is working hard to collect all five shards.

More in-depth research can reveal the The Legend of the Lost City of Tzz’a:

• The City of Tzz’a was an ancient city state in the desert of the Southern Reach, populated by serpentfolk.

  • The city was embroiled in some religious schism between the main cult of Sseth and some new sect, which your research indicates to be an earlier incarnation of the Church of Andromalion (the use of music and art, the theme of change and beauty).

  • Historical sources suggest that the First Sorcerer-Priest of Tzz’a had developed a plan of destroying Andromalion with the help of a devil: Paimoraxxas. Paimoraxxas may know more. Maybe there is a way of contacting him with a summoning ritual. The PCs can proceed to Into the Desert with this information.

  • They city was destroyed by some unknown disease and lost to history–nobody knows its actual location anymore (somewhere in the Souther Reach desert). Treasure hunters have been after it, but nobody has found it.

7.4 Investigating the Helsundburg Merchant Bank

• The PCs will want to take a closer look at the Helsundburg Merchant Bank, specifically who there is an ally of Mencius.

• The Helsundburg Merchant Bank is an old money-lending operation with deep roots in the city. Founded over 300 years ago by wealthy merchant families, it currenlty is the premier financial institution of the Kingdum of Helsund. Its shareholders are wealthy merchants as well as several nobel families.

• From the letter fragment they recovered in Bracken, they can determine that Mencius had the title of Special Envoy for the Bank–which can only be conferred at the direction of one of the five Directors of the Bank.

• The PCs can quickly find some preliminary information on the directors:

  • Alois Waldhof, human, aged 73 (recently deceased), Director-General of the Bank. Hails from the founding family of the Bank and was its accomplished leaders for the last thirty years.

  • Klausman Torfburg, halfling, auburn hair, 53 years old, started as a mail clerk in the Bank, has worked his way up. Portfolio: trade financing, human resources. Secretly a Pillar of the Church of Andromalion and Mencius’ contact in the bank. Outwardly friendly, curious, and exacting.

    • Valeria Alvandorian, female, white-haired Elf, 300 years old, has worked for the Bank a long time, over 65 years, also a wizard. Portfolio: internal accounting, royal accounts.

    • Kimora Iomander, dark-skinned human female, 61 years old, switched from a different bank, raised in a wealth merchant family. Portfolio: wealth management in Helsundburg, diplomatic relations.

    • Marcus Lord Strongsilver, white human male, 41 years old, member of a noble family, part of the Bank for 5 years. Portfolio: Security.

• Anything beyond simple inquiries will quickly draw the attention of the Bnak and Gregor Silversword, First Sword of Justice of Helsundburg. As the primary law enforcement officer, he is keeping tabs on any outsiders trying to unsettle the balance of power in the city. He has no particular loyalty to the Bank, even disdaisn them for there mundane exploits, but will try to minimize any potential scandals. He will act as gatekeeper to any serious investigation of powerful individuals in Helsundburg, i.e. the directors, unless the PCs gain his trust.

• A superficial investigation of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank reveals two odd things: the current Director-General recently passed away and the remaining four Directors are now jockeying for the top job. Also, a well-known minority shareholder as recently murdered (see A Bloddy Trail]) and a mysterious symbol was carved on the body–the symbol was printed on a news leaflet and looks like the Occult symbol from the letter found in Mencius’ Bracken office. The PCs might be suspicious whatever is going on with the Director-General election and the murders is tied to Mencius.

• If the PCs are already allied with Benoit, he will send a letter of introduction with the PCs to give them access to Gregor. If the PCs have not yet met Benoit they can try to win Gregor’s trust by helping with the murder investigation. Alternatively, the PCs can try to remain unnoticed and investigate the Bank and the murders on their own.

7.5 Meeting Gregor Silversword

• Gregor Silversword is the leader of the House Silversword, an influential family in Helsundburg. He is also the First Sword of Justice (chief of police) in Helsundburg–a responsibility he takes very seriously.

• Benoit can give the PCs a letter of introduction to gain access to Gregor. Although Benoit and Gregor have not spoken with each other in years, Gregor is open to the idea of Benoit returning into the family fold.

• With Benoit’s introduction, the PCs can get an audience with Gregor in the Silversword’s beautiful mansion.

• Gregor is older than Benoit, gruff, formal, and strict. He has not forgiven his brother for running away but still loves him. He is not very interested in the PC’s messing with the Helsundburg Merchant Bank, because he does not fully trust them. He offers a deal: help him investigate a string of grisly murders and he will make some discreet inquiries about the Directors of the Bank.

• If the PCs have not yet met Benoit or are not allied with him, there are still ways of getting involved in the murder investigation:

  • Gregor, nominally responsible for the murder investigation, has put pressure on Captain Hemlock to solve this problem. Hemlock is far out of his depth and can be easily convinced/conned to have the PCs take on the role of investigators.

  • One of the victims (Rufus Tarrenhouse) was an active member of a regular church congregation and the local head priest is looking for adventurers to apprehend the murdered. The priest is critical of the city watch and does not trust them. He can put pressure on Captain Hemlock to give the PCs access to the investigation.

7.6 A Bloody Trail

• PCs can meet with Captain Hemlock, nominally in charge of the murder investigation. Hemlock, a 50 year-old human paladin, is comfortable with war and fighting ruffians, but does not seem up to dealing with murders like these. He says as much. He is open to the help of the PCs but also a bit suspicious.

Overview:

• The murders are all tied to the Director-General Election and the House of the Red Door.

• The Murders are performed by the Klausman’s henchman Balthazar. He has the help of the Canal Rats, a local crime gang that controls the canalization. They control the underground tunnels via a series of locked gates. It is not easy to pass without their help. While Balthazar acts under the direction of Klausman, he adds his own flourishes. Being a devoted follower of Andromalion, he sees the murders as a form of worship and a way of transforming himself.

• Major clues about the killer:

  • Skilled with a blade, medical skills.

  • Left-handed, tall and strong.

  • Uses dream dust.

  • Has help from the Canal Rats.

  • Victims were tied to the House of the Red Door.

• After the murders are complete, Klausman gets a patsy to confess to the murders and gives the patsy some real knowledge only the murderer would have to make their statement more credible. He gets sent to Skral prison island.

• The PCs know/suspect he is not the real murderer and that the Canal Rats have helped. The leader of the Canal Rats resided on Skral island as well.

• PCs have to infiltrate prison island, win an audience with the Rat King, and win a fighting tournament for him to get information form him and talk to the patsy.

7.6.1 Murder Victim 1

• Killed 7 days ago.

• A wealthy merchant woman, Valeria Tallwater, 61 years old. Widow, 2 adult children. Daughter (Mary) married off to another wealth family, son (Connal) works in the family business.

• Family Business: Clove trade.

• She is also a minority shareholder in the Helsundburg Merchant Bank. She has a seat on the Board of Governors and was set to vote on the new Director-General.

• Crime scene: Business cantor of the family trading business. The room has been left as it was. Large desk, full of papers, half eaten biscuits, a cup of cold tea. Quite a lot of blood spread around. Give the following information without any need for a skill check: She was killed on the desk itself, single murderer (footprints in the blood), not many signs of a struggle, some fine powder residue around her chair. Additional information:

  • DC-12 Investigation check check reveals she was sprayed with some powder.

  • Nature DC-12: looks like dream dust.

  • Survival DC-17: bloody footprints lead out of the room, into the hallway, but then vanish (stepped on a thick carpet).

• Witness 1: Carlos, clerk, 56 years old, has worked all his life for the family. He saw her last. Brought her a stack of documents, some tea and biscuits around 9 pm, then went home. She was working late, as she often does. Persuasion DC-18: the lady had an argument recently with her son about the future of the business. She is a woman of her own mind, everyone in the city knows that.

• General rumor check in the merchant community: Persuasion DC-15 reveals that she was rumored to have had different opinions on the upcoming Director-General election compared to her son.

• Rumor check on Connal: partyboy but also a shrewd businessman, his mother and him disagreed a lot but both had good ideas. He is known to let loose in town, in all kinds of high-end establishments reserved for the upper crust (House of the Red Door). If, for whatever reason, they confront Connal, he possesses a red card and used to gain entrance to the House.

• Investigating the body: players can visit the local morgue, clerics of Kelemvor have preserved the body with spells. DC-12 Investigation check: plump, old woman, sharp features, several deep stab wounds, symbol of Andromalion carved into her chest, her eyes look truly terrified. ** DC-14 Medicine check**: she may have been paralyzed, no defense wounds, death by blood loss, her liver was cut out, cuts were precise, workmanlike (not a surgeon), left-handed.

• True reason for the murder: she was about to vote on a different Director, instead her son will take that position and vote for Klausman. He is in the thrall of the Church of Andromalion due to his time in the House of the Red Door.

7.6.2 Murder Victim 2

• Killed 3 days ago.

• Rufus Tarrenhouse, advocatus. 46 years old, human, unmarried. Had a thriving law practice. Small office in the merchant quarter, 2 clerks worked for him. No children.

• Crime scene: Murdered in his apartment, not too far from the office. Found by the housekeeper. His cats were already feasting on him. Murdered in his bed. Obvious clues: blood all over the bed, ropes on the bedframe, dream dust residue. Building has a very secure front door and a doorman. Apartment is on the 4th floor.

• If the players visit the office: they can talk with the clerks and take a look at the office. Learn about the important case he was arguing in front of the royal court. It was about a dispute over a land inheritance. He was representing a distant relation of a deceased lord, fighting one of the richest land-owning families in Helsund, House Corwin. Persuasion/Intimidation DC-20: clerk reveals that he was worried. Rufus may have found evidence that one of the judges was favoring the Corwin’s. The country is run by a small group of noble families and wealthy merchants. It’s on old buys club, they grow up together, go to school together, are part of the same hunting clubs, secret societies, they frequent the same gentlemen’s establishments–they all stick together and protect each other, very corrupt! When pushed: the clerk can share a rumor about the House of the Red Door—anything goes there, a Djinn or devil runs it, fulfills any wish, the clerk says Rufus thought members of House Corwin have been seen there.

• Witness: the housekeeper. Found him in the morning, windows were closed and locked. Had seen him the morning before, he had been stressed recently due to an important case.

• The body: DC-12 Medicine check: body has been preserved by clerics, symbol etched into the body, heart removed, chest opened, more stab and slashing wounds, this time more haphazard, victim was alive during the stabbing.

• Real reason for the murder: Rufus was preparing an argument at the Royal Court of Justice against the claim on a land and title for a board member (House Corwin). Klausman offered to make the suit go away in exchange for a supportive vote.

7.6.3 Murder Victim 3

• Happens on day 2 of the PC’s investigation.

• Guard walks them over to the place the body was found.

• If allied with Gregor, he will join them in the walk to the murder scene. He is very unhappy, because this makes him look bad. They run into a detachment of knights of the Order of the Crimson Heart and their Local Commander, Vraxa Redstar (a secret Pillar of the Church of Andromalion). She wants to use this as a opportunity to look good—Gregor points out that she is very ambitious.

• A body spilled out of a canalization tunnel in the poorer part of town. The body got caught in an iron grid of one of the adjacent open canals. Guard fished the body out. Currently she is lying on a nearby embankment.

• Obvious clues: It is the bodt of a very beautiful, blonde young woman. A lot of stab and slash wounds, extra mutilation, bite marks (kind of human looking), victim was alive during the stabbing (probably paralyzed again), eyes cut out, symbol etched into the body. She has a distinctive tattoo on her left leg (roses with thorns).

• Determining the identity of the victim: Can start asking around the neighborhood. Ask the PCs where they want to ask (pubs, markets, temples, house-to-house, stores, rich/poor, etc.). This should take 1-4 days. If they ask around in poor pubs, temples in poor areas and pass a Persuasion DC-15 check, they hear the name Rose McMurry. Equipped with that name and a successful Persuasion DC-17 check, they can learn that she was a young woman from a poor neighborhood, maybe 20 years old, has a slightly older brother, Eamon. She worked as a barmaid, temple assistant of Ilmater, but not for a while. Her brother is very protective of her, is affiliated with the Golden Triangle. He is a captain of the gang and well-connected.

• Golden Triangle: a local criminal gang, most important next to the Canal Rats. They are into gambling, protection, sex trafficking, smuggling. Canal Rats do similar things but also more into thieving, murder for hire, smuggling. One of their known hang-outs is the Drowning Flagon–a tavern close to the harbor.

• Drowning Flagon: PCs can visit. This is a gang affiliated hang-out. Patrons are gang members, wannabes, friends etc. Tavern has three levels. Present: several commoners, 5 bandits, 1 bandit captain, 3 berserkers, 4 thugs, 2 veterans. They are hostile to the PCs. Easy to start a fight–not to death per se but could escalate. If the PCs start asking questions about Rose or Eamon, they will get in their face. Will challenge one of the PCs to a drunk fist fight with a berserker in a part of the tavern with a painted rectangle (passive perception DC-16 reveals the trapdoor). PC has to chug a big glass of liquor (Constitution Saving Throw DC-14 or be poisoned). Then unarmed fighting. If the fight goes badly for the berserker, he steps aside and the trap door is triggered. Under the trapdoor is a drop of 5 ft, down into a pool of water. Water also contains 4 crocodiles. Thugs give allies the option of throwing the PC an axe, longsword, dagger, a spear. If the PC kills 2+ crocodiles, the gang is sufficiently impressed. Alternatively, a huge brawl breaks out and the players need to put down a number of the gang to make them stand down. They are ready to talk afterwards.

Figure 7.2: Drowning Flagon. Source: Homemade

• Eamon will return in 2 days from a mission, they can meet him at the docks, his ship is the Bearclaw. PCs will have to succeed on some Persuasion DC-16 rolls to make Eamon believe their sincerity, he wants to see his sisters body. He is clearly distraught. He reveals that Rose has always received a lot of attention from men, she had been working as a companion for wealthy individuals off an on–he never liked it an they often fought about it. More recently, through a friend, she got the opportunity to work at a special establishment: The House of the Red Door. He doesn’t really know much about it, only that this kind of place has existed in Helsundburg for decades, maybe hundreds of years, often in different incarnations. It is a drug den for the upper crust. Run by people several steps above the street-level crime syndicates like the Golden Triangle or the Canal Rats. People with real power, connected to the guard and the royal court. He asks the PCs to avenge her death.

• Real reason for the murder: Rose, early in her tenure at the House of the Red Door, saw a Board Member kill another employee in a drug-induced rage. She was killed by Blessed Balthasar and dumped in the canalization somewhere and washed up outside.

• If the PCs attempt Speak with Dead: Her friend Aubrey asked her to come along to the House of the Red Door–to work as a hostess, lots of money to be earned. They were brought there with hoods on, given some dust, everything was like a dream. They were spending the evening with an old nobleman who was there to consume some odd purple dust. During his drug haze, he attacked Aubrey and strangled her. Rose witnessed all of this and panicked. She started running through corridors of a big house, down some stairs, out into an alley. A large man was pursuing her. The last thing she remembers is a shadow closing in her her and large hands grasping her.

7.6.4 Murder Victim 4

• 3 days later, another victim is discovered. Young Half-Elf, Halimath Liadon. Lived in a boarding house with five other men.

• Crime scene: basement of the boarding house. Blood everywhere. Body is totally hacked apart. DC-12 Investigation check: hacked apart with a dagger, symbol carved in the body, dream dust residue on the face, bite marks, chunks eaten, cut out the lungs–they are missing. Very careless in comparison. Blood trail leads to a sewer grate.

• Witness 1: House matron: Halimath was a good guest, charming, worked as a bard–had a wealthy patron. Lady Uttermark, wife to Lord Uttermark, a wealthy nobleman, sits on the Board of Directors of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank.

• Other witnesses: 2 house guests only recently moved in, didn’t know him well–he seemed polite. Didn’t hear anything during the night–all the guest rooms are on the second and third floor. One house guest knew him a bit better but their schedules didn’t overlap. He works as a temple cleric and has to get up early. He heard a noise in the middle of the night, like something falling to the ground. One older house guest is on a voyage, gone for 2 weeks already. Final witness is friends with Halimath, a gnome clockmaker apprentice. Persuasion DC-19 reveals that Halimath had an affair with Lady Uttermark.

• If the PCs want to question/investigate Lady Uttermark: they can easily find out that Lord Uttermark has a seat on the Board of Governors. PCs will not be allowed into the manor, the Lady is `sick’ (Lord Uttermark will have her removed).

• Following the bloody trail: leads into the sewers. PCs will find out:

  • Sewers are controlled by the Canal Rats. E.g., patrols, monsters, and locked grates that they have the keys to. Canal Rat’s symbol is all over the sewers.

  • PC realize the sewers are a great way of getting around the city.

  • Local Canal Rat leader can confirm they were asked to help a man last night, opening gates for him, order came from the King–the Rat King.

  • Find a homeless person (Burin) that got a quick look. Description: Very large man, muscular, wearing dark leather, long overcoat, had a mean looking knife in his hand. Open sores on the face, silver nose, tiny eyes, set deep into his skull

Figure 7.3: The Sewers. Source:

• Encounters in the sewers:

  • S1: Basement of the boarding house. The murder scene.

  • S2: Secondary part of the basement. Abandoned storage area. Wet foot tracks can be spotted on the ground. Exit in the Sotuhwest is barred by an iron grate. Requires brute force or a thieves’ tools DC-20 check.

  • S3: Vile stench coming from the pool of sewer refuse. 4 Troglodytes, 1-2 venom trolls are hiding under the surface. The

  • S4: The eastern exit from S3 is blocked by a locked grate, DC-14 to open. Graffiti by the Canal Rats can be seen next to the grate.

  • S5: 3 crossbow traps.

  • S6: The refuge of Burin, a homeless dwarf monk and key witness. Currently not here. Obvious clues: clear signs that someone lives here.

  • S7: Basement from another building, DC-20 doors, valuables worth 100 GP can be found here but belong to someone.

  • S8: Ladder leads to another residence. Metal trapdoor opens to a lower level of the sewers with a strong current of water.

  • S9: The room is trapped with a crossbow trap.

  • S10: Private catacambs of a merchant family. Nothing scary here, except for some bones and valuables worth 13 GP.

  • S11: 3 black puddings come through some floor grates when PCs linger in the area.

  • S12: A necromancer’s hide-out. Opening the door requires a thieves’ tools DC-17 check. Inside, 1 Enchanter (Krauzor the Abominable!), 2 Ghasts, 3 Ghouls, 5 skeletons. Krauzor does not like visitors but can be bargained with (he always needs fresh bodies). Loot: 2 potions of greater healing, 1 potion of resistance.

  • S13. Northern Entrance to the Canal Rat Hide-out. Blocked by an iron grate (DC-19), then traps S18: spiked, hidden pit trap (after the visible pit), rolling sphere trap (drops from ceiling), then another door at S17 DC-19 to go West.

  • S14: DC-16 door to the room. Hidden spiked pit trap in the corner of the hallway.

  • S15/S16: Main rooms of the Canal Rat Hide-out. At S15 a hidden spiked pit trap under the red carpet. Enemies: 5 wererats, 1 bugbear chief, and 2 bugbears.

  • S19/20: Canal Rat lieutenant quarters. 5 wererats and 2 swashbucklers at the dining table.S20 1 master thief. The Master thief can reveal that the Canal Rats were ordered by their leader, the Rat King, to help the murderer navigate the canalization. He also knows the man’s name: Blessed Balthasar.

  • S20: Falling portcullis trap that splits the party in the hallway. PCs trapped in the hallway will attract the Canal Rats.

  • S21: Exit to a town square, barred by an iron grate (DC-16).

  • S22: Burin’s current location. He is being attacked by a swarm of rats. He is hiding on top of the metal piping. If the PCs save him, he will first check on his 4 turtles and share some flatbread with them. He can tell them he saw the large man with a dagger, silver nose, and that he had the help of the Canal Rats–they have a hide-out to the West. He also knows the necromancer hiding in the West–he killed some of Burin’s friends.

  • S23: The sarcophagos contains jewels worth 1000 GP and random major magic item, but also a Death Knight. Inscription reads: Here lies Aaron the Just, Knight of the Crimson Heart and Protector of Helsundburg. If disturbed, the Death Knight will rise and kill anyone who stole from his grave.

  • S24: Boat dock. Access is blocked by a gate, DC-18. Corpse of a man that seemed to have lived here, murdered. Evidence suggests the murderer left the canalization here.

• Researching the large man/Master thief information:

  • Old members of the Golden Triangle or old members of the guard will know the name `Bloody’ Balthasar. A murderer for hire, old-school, before the gangs were established. He killed for sport and liked it. Was sent to Skral Island years ago though. Also: left-handed.

By now, the PCs should know that the murders are not simply the work of a demented serial killer, but are somehow connected to the election of the new Director-General of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank. If they have collected all clues, they should know the following:

• There are 11 seats on the Board.

• Valeria Tallwater’s son will assume one seat on the Board of Governors.

• House Corwin controls three votes.

• Nobleman, Lord Victor Orenfell, that murdered the Aubrey in the House of the Red Door provides 1 vote (1 vote)

• Lord Uttermark provides 1 vote.

• That means the person behind Blessed Balthazar controls six of 11 votes.

7.7 Prison Break

• As the PCs are getting a break in the case wrt to Blessed Balthasar and the House of the Red Door, they hear from Captain Hemlock that there is news.

• Either Gregor or Captain hemlock informs the PCs that the killer got apprehended by the Order of the Crimson Heart. A witness saw a sketchy half-orc skulking about the merchant quarter. Informed a group of 3 Knights of the Order in the vicinity. The Knights apprehended the perpetrator as he was about to cut a woman. He is being held in a cell and has already confessed to the murders.

• This news angers Gregor, because it made him look incompetent and elevated the prestige of the Order of the Crimson Heart.

• The murderer is on the way to Skral Island. He can give them a quick summary of what the Knights determined. The perpetrator is a young Half-Orc dockworker, named Varg. Scrawny, looks a bit unhealthy. Knew details of each murder. If PCs ask: Not left-handed, no particular skill with bladed weapons.

• Whatever the PCs are saying, Gregor is finds this development too convenient. Varg is being moved to Skral Island until his execution.

• Vote on the new Director-General of the Merchant Bank is imminent.

• PCs need to go to Skral Island to talk with Varg and the Rat King to learn the truth.

• Skral Island is off the coast of Helsundburg, not technically part of the country. An extra-legal space with a Helsundian Garrison there. Many convicts are shipped there for prison labor. Usually, prisoners can be released after 20–40 years of work. Some are brought there for life. It is unusual to be brought there temporarily, before a trial has begun, but the Order of the Crimson Heart thought it prudent, given the threat posed by the murderer.

• The PCs will have to go to prison island under cover. Gregor can help them. The guards will let them in and out, but can’t help on the inside.

• PCs have to leave behind their gear, except for one non-weapon or armor item, e.g., spellcasting focus. A prison ship will take them.

Figure 7.4: Skral Island. Source: Homemade

On Skral Island:

• Objectives: learn about Bloody Balthasar, talk to Varg, talk to the Rat King.

• General description:

  • North: Garrison and the Big Gatel.

  • South: Canal Rat area

  • West: Golden Triangle Area

  • Northeast: Free Legion

  • Central: Fish Market + the Weeping Arena.

• The prison South of the Big Gate is an open area. The prisoners have organized themselves into self-governed communities. They grow most of their own food, get some deliveries from the garrison, and have to deliver quotas of mined ore and foodstuffs. The Weeping Arena is run by one of the prison gangs. It is a privilege tolerated by the guards, because it keeps riots and violence against guards down. There is also a lot of betting going on that benefits the guards.

• The sea around the island is infested with monsters and dangerous currents. Helsundburg has somehow made this worse with magic. The waters are full of hunter sharks, giant octopi. The air is patrolled by Air Elementals.

Available quests on the island:

• Arrival in prison: PCs arrive by boat with other convicts, 3 guys, one of which seems excited. They get a welcome speech from the Warden. Are then walked over to the Big Gate. Once you are on the other side, you are on your own. They walk through the gate with a cart full of supplies. When PCs reach a central square in the Fish Market Area, they see large groups of prisoners congregating–that’s when newbies get assessed by all the gangs. A prisoner will try to intimidate one of the PCs and threaten them physically. He wants one of the PCs personal items + he wants them to become slaves for his group–the Skeleton Crew (am assortment of bullies). PCs need to handle that threat. Gangs will approach them to join.

• If they don’t join a major gang, they can settle in in the Fish Market area. Local housing units organize work crews and sleeping arrangements. An old veteran offers them to join the Blue Fish House–one of the nicer groups. They can start working in the fields–which is backbreaking work. The houses cook communally.

• Finding Varg:

  • In the Fish Market area, they can start asking questions about Varg. Persuasion/Intimidation DC-15 they learn that Varg has been put on work duty in a fish farm.

  • Once they get to the fish farm, they see Varg on the docks, but are attacked by a group of Free Legionnaires. Their main goal is to kill Varg: 2 Bandit captains, 5 berserkers.

  • Talking with Varg: Klausman used modify memory to implant a memory of the murders. Can’t be detected by Detect Magic, remove curse or greater restoration can remove it. Arcana DC-19 gives the knowledge of the spells existence. Varg is confused. He has the memories of the murders, but doesn’t know why.

Figure 7.5: Fish Farm. Source: Homemade

• Acquiring weapons: clubs and daggers are fairly easy to come by. Anything else is highly restricted. They could trade healing/ goodberries.

• Asking about Bloody Balthasar: arena fighters and old prisoners will know about him. He ruled the Arena for 15 years, got his face burned off by acid in a fight with several Ankheg. Died about 5 years ago from some disease.

• Getting an audience with the Rat King: Gate guardian of the Canal Rats is Vasili (very tall, broad shoulders, top knot, shaved head, handlebar mustache, bare-chested). He has heard of the PCs (after the fight to protect Varg). He says they can’t just walk up to the Rat King. Need to earn the trust of the Canal Rats. Have to steal some supplies from the Free Legion compound. Have to sneak over the wall or get invited in. Beyond the wall, Free Legion members wear green arm bands. Supplies are in a guarded house (1 patrol, 2 guards on watch). It’s two sacks of tobacco.

  • 2nd mission to show their trustworthiness: In the fish market, there is a healer, Ferghus Smallhand. We want him gone. Bring us his head. Background: Ferghus was a healer in a hospice, he had a penchant for poisoning innocent people. He is supplying the Free Legion with healing potions, toxins, and anti-toxin. If PCs object to cold-blooded murder, allow them to find a creative solution (e.g., maybe abducting him and stealing his stash). The Rat King will find their moral backbone interesting.

  • Talking with the Rat King: They are being escorted from the gate into the community. Brought to a squat building, looks like a warehouse, escorted to the basement (filled with provisions). PCs need to leave their weapons and spell foci behind. They count a dozen guards in the building. Doubledoors lead to another level. He is a fat, blind wererat, lounging on a throne, dressed in silk robes. The room is full of lush carpets, art, a table with a lot of food. The room is dark, the PCs can make out the eyes of many rats, lurking in the dark (hundreds). The Rat King is willing to listen to the PCs, pays particular attention if PCs were affected by the were curse when fighting the wererats in the Sewer Hide-out. The Rat King has a rivaling gang that runs the Weeping Arena (Golden Triangle). He wants the players to win the Weeping Tournament and he will tell them the truth about Balthasar.

Figure 7.6: The Rat King’s Throne Room. Source: Dyson Logos

• Information that can be gathered about the tournament:

  • 7 rounds

  • Golden triangle is in charge, only rule: survival

  • Enemies are prisoners and beasts.

  • Reigning champs are a set of half-brothers: Bashir and Tariq Saddiqqi–The Monster and the Claw.

  • Golden Triangle has supposedly smuggled in a new beast–nobody has seen it.

• The Weeping Tournament:

  • Available equipment: leather armor, daggers, clubs.

  • For awesome kills they get thrown healing potions by the audience or better weapons.

  • Round 1: 6 Wolves. New stuff: 2 shields, shortbow, 25 arrows, 2 handaxes, 1 spear, 1 shortsword, 1 greatclub, 1 whip, 1 net.

  • Round 2: 1 Berserker, 1 spy, 8 bandits.

  • Round 3: 1 Brown Bear, 1 giant scorpion, 1 giant boar, 1 giant hyena. Spikes are mounted on the whole arena wall.

  • After Round 3, a short rest allowed. Give items: studded leather, healing potions, 2nd level spell scroll that fits.

  • Round 4: They span a canopy across the arena to provide shade. 15 kobolds, 4 kobold inventors, 2 scale sorcerors, 4 dragonshields. The Kobolds come out of trap doors under the sand. Some trap doors open to become half cover, others close again and the ranged attackers can retreat into full cover. Additional spiked pit traps in the sand.

  • Round 5: 1 Minotaur, 1 Manticore, 1 displacer beast.

  • After Round 5, a short rest allowed. Give items: chain mail, appropriate weapons, healing potions, special potions (hill giant strength, potion of heroism), 2nd level spell scroll that fits.

  • Round 6: A huge fire splits the arena. 5d8 fire damage on a failed DEX save to jump through, Beefed-up martial arts adept on one side, Gladiator (with indomitable, 2/per day, re-roll saving throws) on the other.

  • Optional after Round 6: healing potions

  • Round 7: T-Rex. Let the PCs take position in the arena. The crowd gets real quiet. They feel the ground shake as something large is approaching (play the Jurassic Park theme music. Use stats of a modified Spinosaurus (Tome of Beasts) with 2 Legendary Resistances, 150 HP, +10 to hit, slightly weaker damage (claw is 3d6+6, bite is 3d12+6), 3 Legendary actions: as in book + modified Tail Swipe (20 ft radius, DC-16 DEX ST, 1d8+8 or half, prone) or headbutt (+13 to hit, 3d6+6 bludgeoning and 15ft pushed back), charge (dash and bite attack), bite and throw (bite attack, thrown 30 ft, 4d6 bludgeoning damage, costs 2 actions).

Figure 7.7: Weeping Arena. Source: 2-Minute Tabletop

If the PCs are successful and win the Weeping Tournament, the Rat King will hold up his end of the bargain. If the PCs fail, they need to acquire the information from the Rat King some other way (he keeps a journal in his throne room).

• The Rat King’s information: He was approached by a powerful banker–Klausman Torfburg–10 years ago. He knew about Balthazar and arranged his “death” and extraction from the island. He approached him again last month about getting help from the Canal Rats–he offered a lot of money. The Rat King knows the location of the House of the Red Door–a former private residence in the merchant quarter. The house belonged to the Gustwind family–they fell on hard times and now the house is owned by the Helsundburg Merchant Bank, sitting empty.

• The PCs can get off the island by using the pre-arranged key-word with the guards at the Big Gate. If you think it’s fun, let this option fail and the PCs need to find their own way off the island.

• If the PCs are allied with Benoit, he will approach them on their return. He watched the arena fights and bet on their victory. He shares his winnings with them: 3000 GP.

7.8 The House of the Red Door

The House of the Red Door is Klausman Torfburg’s headquarters. It is a secret drug den and Gentlemen’s Club for the upper crust of Helsundburg. Klausman uses it to gain leverage over important people in town, especially with regard to furthering his goal of gaining complete control of the Helsundburg Merchant Bank.

General notes:

• All Guards and regular staff have their tongues cut out.

• All humanoid enemies in the House have additional Cultist abilities: Spore Kissed (poison damage in 10ft radius upon death equal to its hit dice, 2d8, immune to frightened and charmed), some can cast Ray of sickness, plant growth.

• To get the necessary evidence and confront Klausman, the PCs need to gain access to the second basement floor. The door to the lowest level is hidden in the wall and locked with Arcane Lock (hidden with Nystul’s Magic Aura). The Lady of the House has a magical key to access the basement.

Floor 1:

• The building is located in the Merchant’s Quarter. It is an old building, made from brick.

• From the outside, the building has no signage that reveals its purpose.

• The main door has a peephole that let’s the guards check for guests. All members have a red card that can show to be let in. Non-members are only allowed in the presence of a regular member. The entrance door has DC-20 for lock picking.

• R1.1: Entrance area and welcome guest. 1 Veteran and 2 Archers (with crossbows) on guard duty to welcome guests.

• R1.2: Restroom. Has a possible access to the canalization through the plumbed toilets.

• R1.3: Kitchen. 4 staff working on serving food and drink for the guests (Commoner stats). Spiral staircase to the basement has an iron gate with DC-20. The way to Floor 2 is open.

• R1.4: Main Lounge. 8 noblemen guests (Commoner stats) sitting at the tables, drinking and gambling. 1 Cult Fanatic, 2 Veterans as guards, positioned in the corners of the room. Stairs in the South lead to the Basement (closed door with DC-20). Western stairs lead to Floor 2 and are accessible.

• R1.5: Smoking room with 3 noblemen guests.

Figure 7.8: Red Door Level 1. Source: Homemade

Floor 2:

• This floor has several rooms the guests can use to consume drugs with sufficient privacy. Dream Dust is the current drug of choice.
  

• All workers on this floor that have been drugged with low doses of dream dust to make them compliant.

• R2.1: Hallway.

• R2.2: 1 staff cleaning the room. Prior guest left a mess.

• R2.3: Office for private business meetings. 1 High-priority guest (Harold Corwin) and his bodyguards (2 Knights, 1 Swashbuckler) and a merchant (Darrak Burrowfound).

• R2.4: Empty.

• R2.5: Serving area. 1 Staff present preparing drinks for the guests in the office.

• R2.6: Bathroom.

• R2.7: Bathroom. 2-6 chance a guest is present.

• R2.8: 1 Commoner guest consuming Dream Dust. 1 staff attending. 1 Veteran guard outside.

• R2.9: Empty.

• R2.10: Cullen Tallwater lounging on the bed, drugged. Two attendants present (dwarf and human woman). He can tell the PCs he is supposed to vote for Klausman and tell them about rumors about the basement. 1 Veteran guard outside.

• R2.11: Empty.

• R2.12: Empty.

Figure 7.9: Red Door Level 2. Source: Homemade

Floor 3:

• Stairs end in a door that is locked with DC-20.

• Large, open room. Used for large gatherings and occult ceremonies, and shows to entertain the guests.

• Currently present: Lady of the House (Succubus, no flight), 2 shadow demons, 3 hell hounds (with poison breath). Succubus will flee if low on HP. The Lady of the House is one of Klausman’s lieutenants, in charge of the day-to-day business of the House. She has a key to the second basement level.

Figure 7.10: Red Door Level 3. Source: Homemade

Basement Level 1:

• All doors are locked with DC-20 but can be opened with the Lady of the House’s key.

• RB1.1: Hallway. Generally empty. Steps echoes through the basement.

• RB1.2: Stone room. Dark. Eerily quiet. A metal trap door is in the middle of the room. Can be opened only from the topside. Reveals a 10 ft drop into a small, dark hole. Smells of desperation and death. Someone was kept in there for a long time…

• RB1.3: The stench of penned up animals. Four large pigs feasting on a dead human body.

• RB1.4: Four demonic statues. A single, wooden coffin on an elevated platform. The coffin has small holes on all sides, dried blood on the holes. Coffin has metal locks in it (currently unlocked). Inside the coffin, many scratch marks. Someone scratched a plea to the gods into the wood. A fingernail is still stuck in the carvings. On the wall, a rack with metal tongs and sharp metal needles.

• RB1.5: A torture room with an assortment of devilish tools. 1 Noble (Commoner stats) with a shortbow, 1 Veteran guard, one prisoner, bound to an archery target.

• RB1.6: Empty cell.

• RB1.7: Empty cell.

• RB1.8: Empty cell. **Carrion Crawler* hanging on the wall.

• RB1.9: Empty cell.

• RB1.10: Basement storage. Access to the kitchen on Floor 1. Ale and wine barrels are stored down here.

• RB1.11: Cell with 1 prisoner.

• RB1.12: Cell with 1 prisoner.

• RB1.13: Cell with 1 prisoner.

• RB1.14: Cell with five dead bodies and 2 ghouls feasting on them.

• RB1.15: Empty cell.

• RB1.16: Door to the stairs to level 2 is hidden. Perception DC-20 to reveal door and hidden key hole. Door is magically sealed with Arcane Lock (Level 5). Needs key of the Lady of the House (or the Knock spell). 2 Gladiators guard access to the 2nd basement level.

Figure 7.11: Red Door Basement Level 1. Source: Homemade

Basement Level 2:

• RB2.1: Entrance area. Empty. You can hear harp music coming from the room to the North.

• RB2.2: Klausman’s Inner Sanctum. This is were Klausman worships Andromalion and offers sacrifices. Klausman and Balthazar are currently preparing a human sacrifice (central altar). Walls have extensive fungal growths on them.

• Blessed Balthasar: enlarged, elongated right arm, bulbous, new eyes (with Darkvision), Corrupted Ogre Chieftain stats with 3 Attacks, BA to move its speed. Grappler feat: Uses right arm to grapple with ADV, then has ADV on attack rolls, left arm to strike with the large knife (2d6+5, Vicious weapon, on crit an extra 2d6 DMG), 10 HP regeneration at the end of its turn (but not at 0 HP), 2 Legendary Resistances. Legendary Action: Move and Grapple or Poison Breath (15 ft cone, 4d6 poison damage, CON ST DC-15 poisoned condition).

• Klausman: stats of a Warlock of the Great Old One with a flying speed of 40ft, longer ranger but single target focus on the dissonant ability (in the form of music). He is an old halfing male with small glasses and butterfly wings (a gift from Andromalion).

• The two large harps in the room are actually demonic beings. They animate and attack any enemies of Klausman’s. Use stats of a Wind’s Harp.

• Additional monsters: Waves of 1 Maw Demon with 2 Manes throughout the fight as needed. They climb out of the fungal growths on the walls.

Figure 7.12: Red Door Basement Level 2. Source: Homemade

• The PCs can find Klausman’s notebook in this room:

  • Notes on his correspondence with Mencius during his visit to Bracken.

  • Personal notes on scheming the murders to attain the position of Director-General.

  • Notes on his and Balthazar’s transformation–receiving Andromalion’s gift.

  • Note about a large sum of money, embezzled from the bank, transferred to “The Matron” in Flowerdale. He notes how excited he is to support the Matron’s efforts to prepare a splendid offering to Andromalion during Midsommer.

  • General allusions to putting things in place in Helsundburg for Midsommer.

• Loot: roll for random treasure.

• Balthazar’s Vicious Shortsword. It is also secretly Rinno’naggamon, the Soulrender, The Iron Duke’s Claw, forged by the Dark Blacksmith himself, Rin is a devil made flesh. The sword consumes the souls of every sentient creature killed with it. After 10 souls, it gains a +1 to attack and damage. At 30 souls it grants Misty Step once per day and adds 1d6 necrotic damage. At 200 kills, it can rend the fabric of reality (offers planeshift once per day), at 300 kills a +2 to hit and damage. At 1000 souls, it will grant 1 Wish. Any PC that attunes the weapon has to succeed on a DC-22 Will ST to put it down after attunement.

• A set of paintings on the walls:

  • One for each cult member (stylized, shows them in what they want to be, titled with their codenames) and one of Andromalion (classic depiction). Same artist painted all paintings. Clue to the leader.

  • Painting 1: The Herald (Mencius), individual preaching to a large group of people using the sun harp

  • Painting 2: The Matron (the Lady Linnea), a women taking care of children

  • Painting 3: The Guardian (Vraxa Redstar), a warrior protecting the flock against evil men

  • Painting 4: The Stewart (Klausman), a man overseeing fields and workers, artisans

  • All paintings show generic humanoids, very beautiful but with the same exact face and an ecstatic facial expression

  • Main Painting: Obscured figure, painted under layers of greys and blues. Paintings 1-4 are arranged next to each other, Andromalion in the middle. Whoever looks at the painting for a while starts to see a clearer and clearer picture of Andromalion’s form, everybody sees a slightly different version, automatic paralyzation for 5 minutes and on a D20 even: frightened condition, odd: ecstatic/charmed condition. The other paintings also have effects, but only on the subjects of the paitings.They were a tool to draw each of them in.

  • Artist’s name: Willard Tirebottom–Mencius’ real name.

• The PCs can investigate the name Willard Tirebottom and learn of Mencius’ past: They can learn he was a Bard student the Queen’s Academy 30+ years ago. Can find an old teacher. She remembers Mencius’ looks, his name back then was Willard Tirebottom. No talent, tried to be a painter, but very unimaginative, no great technical skills. Got kicked out of the college. She heard he changed his name a few years later and found a wealthy patron, actually a whole group of admirers.

• If Klausman is stopped, Marcus Lord Huntsilver becomes Director-General of the Merchant Bank. Balthazar is revealed as the murderer, but the scandal with Klausman is covered up by Gregor.