Damocles
★★★
You come across a frightened man in the streets of Stokbon. Trying to understand why he was so scared, you investigate using the UI and find something terrible indeed. A blade hangs above the man on a rope that leads into the sky, one that follows his every step to hang above his neck.
As soon as you notice it, the blade jolts. The man's panic rises. You weren't supposed to find out that he was cursed, for that had begun a terrible timer with a man's life at stake. An invisible hand slowly falls, and soon he who withholds what the hand wished to withhold shall be silenced forever. Until the curse is lifted, he cannot speak of the evil secret hidden away.
The only way to save him now is to find the man who cursed him and get him to undo it before time runs out. The curse was only laid today - he was surely still within the city.
You have investigated and now hold a list of suspects that could possibly create such a curse. Ten names are held within:
- 'Curio,' representative and overseer of Adventurer's Guild requests in Stokbon, who was the last person to make contact with the man,
- Elma Skye, a successful merchant of the 'Endra's Favor' merchant's guild who displays a knack for cantrips,
- Josephine Exotic, beast-seller near the edge of Stokbon who is accused of possessing druidic arts,
- Rickard (who is without family name), a dockside manager known to give 'blessings' of Endra to those sailing out of King's Bay,
- Hailstorm, a player who is known to have undertaken a sidequest from the man,
- Destro the Measured, a Knight of the Four Winds who is said to wield a cursed sword,
- Brichard Cane, an old and cranky magician-hermit who lives in his little hobbit hole,
- Soffit Down, a lesser court magician of the Falderen's royal host,
- Father Seldom, a priest of the Cathedral of Light who is known to have battled cursed foes,
- And the store known as Last Stop, a tea-and-games store known to house magicians at a discounted price.
Due to your search to find these leads, it is now 12:00 PM (Noon). By the time of sun's rise at 7:00 AM tomorrow, the blade will fall and silence the man forever.
When posting, move the clock one hour forwards in time and make a Expertise Quality check to investigate the suspects around the town. Before you investigate, roll a d10 to select the suspect being investigated. Should your Quality check reach Average (A roll of 50-99) or above, cross the person you investigate off the list. From then on, reroll the d10 whenever it lands on that suspect.
After you do this, refer again to your Quality roll. If the roll resulted in a result of Average (a roll of 50-99) or below, a complication (if any for the suspect) will occur even if you did not roll high enough to cross the suspect off your list.
Below is a list of complications.
Elma might have information, but is not willing to divulge it without the right price. Make a Presence SoF check against a DC of 50. Failure will result in the woman giving you a false lead. The next person to post will advance the clock's time by an additional hour.
Success will result in the man giving you a real lead. The next person to post will not advance the clock by an hour for investigating.
Success will result in the man giving you a real lead. The next person to post will not advance the clock by an hour for investigating.
You are caught within the ramblings of the old man, though his unhelpful words carry an accidental lead within. Add two more hours to the clock's time, but the next person to post may investigate twice.
The bitter and unhelpful player casts doubt upon what you know. Un-cross one crossed-out suspect from the list.
You find a mark of the Aristocratica within the knight's home. From this point on, no matter your rolls, Destro the Measured can never again be crossed out of the list via investigation.
You are held up in bureaucratic delays as you attempt to enter the castle to speak with Soffit. Roll a Presence SoF check against a DC of 50. Should you fail, you will advance the clock by three more hours' time. Should this wait occur, Soffit will be crossed out of the list regardless of if your investigation check was high enough.
You stop to relax and enjoy the tea. Advance the clock by another hour's time. The next Quality roll that each player makes will have a +10 bonus to it as you investigate with clear minds.
When one remains left upon the list, the answer will be clear to you. In this case, however you wish to convince the culprit, the curse will be lifted and the day saved. But should the clock reach 7am before this time, all will be over before the lead began. The cursemaster shall go scot free, unfound for the rest of days.
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