[Challenge of the Frog Idol] Session #13: Conspiracies over Coruvon Part II

Continuing on from their previous session, the characters come into various conclusions as to who may have wanted the Magistrate dead, as well as why and how. For some reason, they're certain one of the guests is the culprit, maybe assisted by one of Jhanos' latest visitors, so they're looking for possible motives and suspicious behaviour on their part. After the aged captain commands the burly gang leader to be taken and locked in the old barracks, his fate to be decided later on court, the party gets back to their quarters, leaving everyone free to return to their residences. An unexpected visit by the estate's keeper Andros, bringing food and drink served by the cook Bertram, alerts the characters; the bottle of brandy offered to the jailed crooks is too obvious to pass on and, upon breaking it, they find traces of the same poisonous substance they noticed on the Magistrate's body.

Right in the middle of the storm, the party makes the decision to free the two captured street gangsters and infiltrate the estate, believing that some of its employees are connected with the murder. Having no means to enter quietly, however, the characters barge in through the back door, waking Andros and Bertram, who attempt to send them away, and Kendrick, who immediately runs away to call the guards. As soon as the characters assault the two men and start interrogating them, in hopes of gaining any clues concerning the murder, the guards arrive and arrest them. The party faces several accusations (break-in and attempted murder, amongst others) but Gylain manages to get them out of jail, demands explanations and, after hearing their story, gives them a few days to investigate and come with something concrete, while the city guard imposes a bunch of sanctions on the party, such as not being able to leave town or approach the Mancoor Estate, until at least the investigation is over.

The first person the party decides to visit for help is Uthgat, the street gang leader. On their way, they come across a mysterious figure named the Oracle passing by, who suddenly turns and speaks, asking them to see her after they're done with their hassles. The gang leader is welcoming and, after a brief conversation, wishes to give the party an interesting bit of information, as a thanks for freeing him and his companion: Vonhilda, one of the guests, had recently bought a scrolls with a mystical and complicated ritual of unknown nature. This is enough for the party to pay a visit to her trading post, only to find it unlocked and the owner absent. Snooping around, they find the impression of a later referring to a secret meeting and a rite of some sort, at dusk. Intrigued by the involvement of a cult, the party plans to delve deeper into the mystery.

Characters involved:
Rolf the Bold, fighter 1
Yudel, dwarf 1
Beldar the Brave, fighter 1

With this session, the players were a bit too eager to accuse someone. A player previously recalled the board game Cluedo and brought the idea that the killer should be at least one of the guests, and the rest of the players were quick to jump in and come up with their own plots. While they weren't exactly wrong, as it will be shown at the end of the adventure, they nevertheless acted kinda brash, earning the notice (and wrath) of the estate's residents and getting arrested and accused of possible involvement in the murder of Jhanos, a setback that would have several repercussions in their later investigations.