Strife:Stab-otage (Dark Brotherhood)

To the GM's page

Be prepared, similar to Loose Ends this quest requires heavy GM improvisation dependant on player character personality and actions to follow. With NPCs, the only things described are introductions, personalities, and how they die.

Overview
A not-so run down house in the middle of nowhere...
 * Quest Giver: Movis Darys.
 * Location(s): Ascadian Isles.
 * Prerequisite Quest: Odd Request.
 * Next Quest: Related in Death.
 * Reward: A Dwemer Steam Rifle, promotion to Executioner rank.
 * Optional Bonus: Possible 1800G, one more Daedric Dart.

Quest start
The party must use the Recall spell to get back to the house. Here is a layout of the house.

This is a Morag Tong murder house; NPCs (except one agent) believe they’re in a competition to win an artefact and the key to the house to leave, while there is none that exists (yet).

Wherever the party placed the mark in the house, they are sent to the storage room.

NPCs
Planned interaction is limited with these NPCs, as the players determine what the GM improvises in this quest. Everyone dies in one hit except from Adanla. Pre-set NPCs cannot be looted and are as follows (note: you may create your own):

Adanla
Female Doppelganger, 150HP, 250FP, 40MP. Is the Morag Tong agent; has common clothes on and uses a Steel Saber with a 3-7 fire damage enchantment. They are disguised as a Nord lady.

Upon entering the house, she is in the second on the right bedroom, sorting out her bed alone in the room. If the party find her here, her introduction line is as follows: ''"Oh, you startled me!" She shakes her head and smiles "Sorry, I'm Adanla."''

They are very timid, but this is a front. The one thing they cannot hide is their meticulous, organising, neurotic nature. Their story is that they are a schoolteacher from Whiterun; want the reward because they don’t like being a teacher in secret and want to start a store. If caught, their story stays the same and they say they disguise as a Nord to fit in, and just got used to it. When confronted with evidence they admit to being an agent, but during combat they actively seek to kill NPC targets in the same room. In combat they use their Doppelganger power but can stay disguised as a Nord. She is a very heavy sleeper and likes her chosen bed. Likes everyone except Kandmo, she finds him frightening and unpredictable.

Chagba Badbog
Orsimer Female, wearing full exquisite clothing and a Colovian fur helm. Seemingly high on something when you talk to them, but they just have a “stoner” disposition. They love to play music with their lute in their hands and some bongos on the floor using their feet at the same time.

Upon entering the house, she is in the parlour, jamming out on her lute and bongos, even singing too. Misty and Naja are also there, vibing along. While Misty and Naja introduce themselves, she keeps singing, nods to the party, and after introductions are done she says: "Ah, I love that song, sorry once I start going I do not stop!..." She pauses, theres an awkward silence as she stops talking, not even telling the party her name. This is the end of her introduction unless the party ask her her name: "Oh, that's right! I'm Chagba. Hehehe... Sorry my name sounds kinda funny."

They don’t like confrontation at all, and their motivation is to play music for people. Their weapon is hitting someone with their lute, which does a d10 damage. She sleeps in the closest room on the right. Likes everyone, especially Kandmo. At one point may be inspired by Kandmo’s ‘free spiritness’ and takes off her clothing too to reveal full iron armour underneath.

Kandmo Camal
Male Shivering Isles resident Altmer. They use a Wooden Staff with a notably sharp end, and wear nothing but a loin cloth and his wooden staves’ sheath. Everyone else thinks he’s gross for being near-naked, but he’s oblivious, as is striken with Mania and Dementia from being from the Shivering Isles.

Upon entering the house, he is already in the storage room the party teleport into. He jumps at them teleporting in, but thinks nothing of it: "More guests! I love it in here. Wow so many people, will we have enough beds? Who knows! I'm Kandmo... I think. Court of me uncle or whatever... Who, who are you?"

Very bubbly personality, with a bad memory, and each time he talks about his staff he loves the staff’s name changes. His motivation is because he’s always wanted to be let inside a house, though he chooses to sleep in the storage room. Likes everyone.

Misty
Female Aureal, wearing exquisite robes. Poses as an Altmer but reveals to the party they’re an Aureal very soon if one member of the party is also a Daedra.

On entering the house they are in the parlour, with Chagba and Naja. "Whe hey! New people. I'm Misty, I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I have so far! I don't really have much need for money so I'm just here to have a good 'ol time an' help others! That there's Naja..." Naja then continues.

They’re a great investigator, and can provide some small help, but nothing at all substantial or obvious. They don't get in the way like Xrona, but can rarely give some false leads by accident. She sleeps on the far room on the right. They wield a Steel Battle Axe, and is nice to everyone but very inquisitive and suspicious of everyone upon the first death.

Naja
Female Alfiq-raht, wearing ornamental garb fit for an Alfiq. They are seen constantly with their Flame Atronach that follows them everywhere and doesn’t speak, which is also how Naja fights. Naja is always drunk and refers to herself a lot in the third person, but also the second and first person by accident sometimes.

Upon entering the house they are in the parlour with Misty and Chagba, lying on a chair in the background listening. They continue from Misty's introduction: ''"...yes yes, I'm Naja. Don't stop me finding the gold or they'll blow you up, now let me sleeeeep..." She nods at her Flame Atronach.''

They are a talented sorcerer as is natural with Alfiq and is generally indifferent to other people and death/their risk of possible death. Notably she sleeps like a rock in the downstairs master bedroom, her Flame Atronach watching over her. She does not care that people have to walk through to get to the other bedrooms.

Peyel and Ray Llenmo
Counting as two people, a Dunmer male and female, wearing a mix of extravagant and common clothes. These two are always arguing passive aggressively and are married. You can’t speak to one without the other coming into the room.

Upon entering the house they are arguing in the courtyard, they must be interrupted to notice the party. On that, Peyel spins round to the party, saying ''"OH, new people! I'm Peyel and that's Ray! We're a couple. Who are you?" Ray waves.''

Ray’s motivation is to win, to provide for him and his wife, he’s been doing competitions like this a lot, because he’s unemployed and sees this as easy money (but he doesn’t immediately reveal his motivation when asked). Peyel’s motivation is that she knows Ray is unemployed and wants to come with him to make sure he’s not committing crimes or cheating on her to get his money (this is immediately revealed, she likes to gossip). Ray and Peyel wield a Silver dagger and Iron Claymore respectively. They have their own bedroom, the far one on the left, of which they've pushed the beds together to make a triple one. They both are critical of everyone.

Taibow
Male Redguard, wearing full steel armour. Acts tough and is adamant the first death is an accident up until the 2nd death, where this starts to deteriorate over the 3-4th death and he starts panicking heavily, dropping the act.

Upon entering the house he is duelling with Xrona in the combat room; he knocks him down: "Come on, do better than that big guy, you're twice my size and I'm runnin' laps round ya!" The party must interrupt the duelling pair to be able to talk to them. ''"I'm Taibow, nice to meet ya'. I'm 'ere for a couple things, to beat people's ass... And then secondly the gold!" He laughs, and Xrona then introduces himself.''

He wields a Steel Katana. He sleeps in the closest room on the left. They seem to like everyone but drop sly complaints and digs at people (party included) sometimes to the party.

Valros
Dunmer Male, wearing chitin armour except the helmet. Very suspicious man, swears a lot, kind of the Morag Tong agent bait. He doesn’t like to talk, but is confident, and will try to leave the room if questioned.

Upon entering the house, he is rummaging through the master bedroom drawers. " Well, spit it out S'wit guars! Who're you, I'm tryna fin' the damn treasure."

In reality he’s stealing from the manor, and has a stash under his bed, but isn’t the agent. He uses a Chitin War Axe. His motivation is stealing and maybe the reward if he can, but he thinks he can make more money off stealing from the manor. The desire for the reward is what he tells the party. He sleeps in the closest room on the left. Critical of everyone.

Xrona-Kuuda
Kota-Vimleel Argonian Male, wearing apparent leather armour. He’s one of the only recent Kota that wasn’t born under The Shadow sign by a matter of hours late, thus not a Shadowscale, instead born under The Steed. They are huge too, at about 7 foot, but only wielding Steel Shortsword as to try and fit in with the Shadowscales, which notably looks like a dagger on him.

Upon entering the house, he is duelling with Taibow in the combat room. As the party walks in he is knocked on his ass. The party must interrupt the duelling pair to be able to talk to them. ''"People just call me Xrona but... yeah how are you? I mean who- what's your name?" He says with a smile when he gets the words out.''

His name literally translates to “Big-Idiot”, which he knows. He is no idiot, only prejudiced against by his own tribe for being large, and not a Shadowscale. His motivation to get the money is to make an enchanted item to mimic The Shadow sign’s effects to fit in with his tribe that has outcast him. He sleeps on the closest room on the right. Likes everyone but thinks Kandmo is a tiny bit strange. Notably he is very concerned by the murders, and makes a great attempt to try and stop them; though he mostly gets in the way on accident.

Time progression and major events
In the house, time passes four times as fast. Time is measured by 4 portions: Morning (8AM), Midday (2pm), Evening (8pm), and Night (12am). As time passes four times as fast, Morning to Midday and Midday to Evening is 1.5hrs real time, while Evening to Night is 1 hour real time. Players are encouraged to wait/rest and have unlimited time. Events and place changes happen on the first three (Morning, Midday, and Evening), while everyone retires to bed at Night. Night will pass instantly like resting.

During any murder except Chagba (as she was killed with the hammer), if players use detect magic they can see fire enchantment damage on bodies, which can be traced back to Adanla. Other than this, magic is blocked by the walls of this building, and players can not recall or use intervention (yet), there is something blocking the use of this.

Note that all the murders are done assuming the murderer (Adanla) has not been caught and killed. If Adanla is killed at any time, the murders stop and people instead disperse around random rooms until the party has left.

Day 1
The first day is the arrival day; the party arrive whatever time they teleported in. If they teleport in in the night, everyone is asleep and they MUST sleep to start the first day. The first day is eventless, and it just introductions.

Day 2 Morning
Everyone awakes and most go to the dining room. Exceptions to this are Adanla who is still asleep, and wakes up while everyone is eating, and Chagba and Kandmo who are cooking in the kitchen. Kandmo is making more of a mess while Chagba is exasperated, both cooking and cleaning it up.

Chagba, Xrona, and Adanla start talking very friendly during this time. Ray and Peyel are talking to Taibow. Kandmo is annoying Valros who is trying to have a quiet meal. Naja being talked at by Misty. Notably everyone is eating normally except for Naja who is being held by her Atronach, Adanla who is sorting her plate neatly and eating things one by one, and Chagba who is doing the opposite eating viciously with her hands.

Day 2 Midday (Chagba death)
Chagba stays in the kitchen to make lunch, while Kandmo gets bored and starts running around the courtyard not paying much attention to anyone. Ray and Peyel go to the games room alongside Taibow to check it out; Ray playing ring toss with himself and Peyel and Taibow betting large amounts of money on the clay pillar game over and over. Naja goes to the parlour to nap off breakfast and Misty follows her. Xrona goes to the storage room to look for some food for Chagba to cook, and Valros goes to check out the workshop. Notably if the party comes to check on Valros prior to Chagba's death, he cuts his hand, spilling blood on the work bench. Adanla goes to the chapel to pray to Shor.

Chagba is murdered in the workshop, at some point during the Midday, she had made her way over to the workshop, leaving the things on the stove to boil. She unfortunately died by blunt force, found by Valros in the workshop with a hammer next to her lute; notably the hammers handle is broken, and a hammer is not used to work on a lute. Everyone is saddened at this, especially Adanla who had become quite close with her.

Kandmo is indifferent, saying: "Eh, people always die... Do they here? They do on the Isles but it's only 'cos I notice it. I think?" Ray is looking worried, while for some reason Peyel is looking unbothered, smug even. If questioned, Peyel cries. This is just how she copes and looks while trying to not cry; Ray comforts her. Taibow acts cool, agreeing with Kandmo. Naja is indifferent and doesn't want to get involved. Distressed, Adanla starts to try and convince people but moreso herself that this was all an accident. Misty and Xrona start by disagreeing with her, suggesting things that may have happened, and asking where everyone was. Notably, no-one heard anything, not even that she was working on her lute.

Day 2 Evening
After actually eating the late-Chagba's prepared lunch, Kandmo goes to the combat room with Taibow, with Taibow being absolutely outsmarted at each turn, making excuses along the way. Ray is watching, but if the party walk in and talk to him Peyel also interrupts, coming into the room from praying in the chapel with Misty. If the pair in the chapel are talked to, Peyel doesn't want to be interrupted, while Misty reveals they have no idea what is happening in a whisper, as to not disrupt Peyel. Adanla goes for her nap, Naja is alone in the games room, and Valros buries Chagba in the courtyard; as he is burying her he accidentally gets blood on the used shovel. After putting the shovel in the storage (not workshop), he goes back into the workshop to work on his weapon this time.

Nothing interesting happens until it is the time to go to sleep.

Day 3 Morning (Kandmo death)
Upon morning, the party is awoke by shouting by Taibow who is absent from his bed. Naja is also absent and they are both found over Kandmo's dead body, face down in the storage room where he sleeps. Taibow found him there as he was going to get supplies for breakfast. Kandmo's wound is a straight down stab wound through the spine. Once again, Adanla starts to suggest an accident, but this is obviously not the case. Xrona and Misty once again start to investigate, Ray agreeing and acting practically while staying close to the 'smug' looking Peyel. Valros is the last to arrive, a couple minutes late. he was getting dressed, and by this time Naja and Taibow have started to gather breakfast supplies.

Valros (like the first time) starts to bury the body in the courtyard, retreating back to the workshop for breakfast to craft; he eats it late. Everyone else goes to eat breakfast in the dining room.

Day 3 Midday
Ray and Peyel move to the parlour. Taibow, Naja, and Misty are all in the games room. Xrona and Adanla are playing catch with a ball they found in the courtyard; they are concentrating extremely hard as to not drop the ball. Valros is in the stairway to the upstairs bedrooms, reading from a bookshelf; he's also found a pack of Saint's Cards.

Nothing interesting happens until it is the evening.

Day 3 Evening (Misty death)
Everyone comes for dinner, Misty and Xrona had cooked from what they can find and cleaned up during the late Midday. Everyone is at the dining room table talking, everyone is notably more comfortable with each other now (except Valros), with Naja acting strangely lively. Adanla even joins in when she wakes up from a nap midway through dinner. Things take a slight turn for the worse though, when they try to talk about the murders since they're all here. Misty mentions she has no accusations for now, but says with a day or two she might be able to figure it out. Everyone looks around, suspiciously.

Nothing interesting happens until it is the night, but instead of sleeping well, they are awoken by Adanla screaming at 1am. She has discovered Misty dead in her bed. Shaken, she no longer makes excuses for accidents, and it notably frozen. Misty is dead by a complete decapitation, with the heart removed and taken. Adanla says she was away in the storage room for a while, getting something to eat as she had a nap earlier and was hungry. Misty was like this when she came back. By now everyone has arrived to the murder sight. Everyone is somewhat solemn and quiet now, with Misty not there to take the investigative lead. The only two exceptions are Adanla who is crying, and Taibow who is adding fuel to the 'Adanla fire' by now losing his cool and panicking, stating everyone is going to die and theres nothing we can do. Valros for one, quietly manoeuvres the body down the stairs, unfortunately spreading blood down the stairs and through Naja's bedroom, to which she is unimpressed.

The players can go back to sleep until morning.

Day 4 Morning (Naja death)
Upon awaking, Adanla and Xrona are already downstairs in the dining room. While walking through the downstairs master bedroom, the party sees that the Fire Atronach is eerily not beside Naja, and is nowhere at all; the room is dark. Upon further investigation, they find Naja dead under the bedsheets, like Kandmo she had been pierced with a blade, though this one is notably wider, with her face mashed up. Upon further investigation the party can also find a piece of paper, half dissolved. They can make out the words: "-FTLY AND WISELY"

After the party find this, the first to arrive is Adanla and Xrona. Adanla starts tearing up, but both are more in shock. They relay that the Atronach was still there when they came down, Adanla even walking past the room on their own to go to the storage room regularly to get things for cooking. Sure enough Xrona was cooking before he was here, and all the ingredients are neatly sorted on the table; they are more shaken that they were so close to the murder. Ray, Taibow, and Peyel arrive, and Valros not soon after. Taibow is panicking very hard, to which Ray is telling him to get a grip and stop freaking his (smug) wife and everyone else out. Valros prepares burial, and everyone goes to eat.

Day 4 Midday
Everyone is starting to stay together now. People have brung the chairs from the parlour into the games room, and are now watching people and participating various games, making the most of the dire situation. Taibow is notably not participating much, and still freaked out.

Nothing interesting happens until it is the evening.

Day 4 Evening
Everyone goes to eat in the dining room, and are discussing various things. Everyone has given up mainly on finding the murderer, finding the treasure is now more important so they can escape. They go round room by room trying to find it, but it is futile.

Later in the night they discuss sleeping plans. Ray and Peyel insist they are going to stay where they are, while Adanla moves into Xrona's room, the closest on the right.

The players can go back to sleep until morning.

Day 5 Morning (Ray death)
Upon waking up and going downstairs, everyone is up except Ray and Taibow. All of a sudden the players hear shouting, as they get closer they hear it's arguing:

Taibow: "-u know it's not her!? It could be any of you! I-I don't know you-"

Ray: "Look, calm down, we just find the treasure and get out of here, there's no need to fight amongst each-other."

Taibow: ''"T-that's what a k-... Are y-you?" At this point the party is at the bottom of the stairs looking up at the arguing pair, they see Taibow look at Ray's dagger. "The victims... They were s-stabbed right?"''

Ray: "Yes?... Look, let's calm down and get something to eat, okay?"

Taibow closes his eyes, screams, and pushes Ray. Ray hits his head on the wall and falls just barely over the lip of the stairs, tumbling down to his death. Taibow falls to his knees, almost stunned by himself, and looks at the party. "H-he was the killer, right?". Taibow is not thinking clearly, he thinks the killer would just want people to not think about catching them, and more escaping. As everyone else arrives, no-one is keen on talking much anymore, morale is at an all time lull. Peyel sees the scene before her and charges up the stairs.

If the party does not stop her, she kills Taibow with one swoop of her axe, like an execution on a guilty man. If the party stops her, she stays downstairs.

Either way, she starts to cry and falls to her knees. Everyone walks together to the dining room (even the shaky Taibow if still alive), except Peyel and Valros who stay behind with Ray.

Nothing interesting happens until it is the Midday.

Day 5 Midday and Evening
Valros and Peyel stick together in the workshop and bury Ray. Taibow (if alive) stays in the dining room. Xrona and Adanla are in the parlour; they bought 2 of the 3 chairs back and have gotten the fire going. Xrona seems to have his normal disposition but Adanla is somewhat irritated, saying that she's unhopeful they'll catch the murderer and suggesting the murderer had even already found the treasure.

When evening starts, Valros and Peyel come to the parlour, but sit on the floor. They are comfortable there. Taibow (if alive) is alone in the games room, taking his mind off of things; he doesn't want to be disturbed.

Peyel moves into Xrona and Adanla's room; the players can go back to sleep until morning.

Day 6 Morning (Taibow death (if alive still))
The players awake to finding Taibow in the games room. He is lying back in the chair which is still in the room, with a large gash on his leg's inside; he had bled out overnight. Near him is the battle-axe of Peyel. His steel katana is stuck deep in the clay pillar unable to be pulled out, with gashes throughout it also looking as if it had been wildly swung at.

Xrona is trying to figure it out as always, but ultimately rules it a suicide. Adanla is half in tears and half angry, Peyel in shock, and Valros looking to bury the body, as always. Notably, Peyel picks her weapon back up and washes it off in the pond of the courtyard.

Nothing interesting happens until it is the Midday.

Day 6 Midday and Evening
Losing morale, breakfast does not come. Nobody feels motivated enough to cook, so, people scrounge for raw foods in the storage room. After this, Peyel goes back to bed, Xrona and Adanla decide to stay in the corridor of the upstairs bedrooms as to make sure no-one gets to the distressed Peyel; they are both suspicious of Valros who is unbothered at this point, retreating to the Workshop.

This formation stays until the end of the Evening, where most go to bed early.

The players can go back to sleep until morning.

Day 7 Morning (Peyel death)
Upon coming downstairs in the morning, Peyel is found in the pond outside in the courtyard; she had drowned. Eerily upon investigation she showed no sign of resisting, with no scrapes and digs in the mud; she did not even have her axe with her. If the players examine her they can find strangulation marks on her neck. Upon further investigation of these marks, they do not have claws.

Adanla is whispering to Xrona while the quiet Valros goes to bury the body.

Day 7 Midday (Valros, Xrona, and Adanla death)
In the dining room, Xrona and Adanla are somewhat depressed still, but seem much better; they had cooked lunch. Xrona's finger is bandaged from where he'd been unfortunately cut during cooking. They have served nothing for Valros. As Adanla starts to eat, Xrona starts talking as Valros enters:

Xrona: "You're probably wondering why you have not a plate. We know you are the murderer. Peyel was strong, theres no way Adanla could have overpowered her and there was no claw marks."

Valros: ''Sits down, thinks for a minute. "She didn't need overpowering, her love just died, there was no struggle. How do you know it was not her." He points to Adanla''

Xrona: Throws a plate at Valros "Fuck you, bastard, you know what you've done. Let's go look in the workshop, shall we?"

Valros: "Sure, and you'll see I'm nothing to worry about..."

Xrona: Walks past Valros' chair and stops.

Valros: ''"...but let me tell you this, Xrona, how could I have stabbed people wi-"

But Valros is interrupted. With lightning speed Xrona turns around, launching his Shortsword in the air and straight through Valros' back. Valros slumps in his chair. Adanla, mortified, screams and runs away to hide upstairs in the combat room. Xrona storms to the workshop to find nothing more than grave markers he had worked on to honour the dead. Xrona collapses to the ground, perhaps shocked, perhaps trying to convince himself what he'd done was the right thing. The party may execute him.

If the party does not execute him, they walk out of the workshop with him. After they walk past the chapel, Adanla stabs him from behind, and starts to run for the exit.

If the party does execute him they hear a click after the execution of the front door opening loudly.

Upon going to her at the front door, she shouts at the party that: "I do not know who you are or why you are in this house but I do not care, I have won and I am leaving!"

She runs outside to leave and makes it out, but the party can catch up to her. She will say: ''"Those bastards made quite the fuck up with my ordering, leaving me furious... In the fight she will charm the Guar in the animal garden to fight for her, but ultimately is killed by the party.

Finishing the quest
Upon killing Adanla, wherever the party found out, the party can plant the Varla Stone and key for the guests to find and leave in their own time, if there is any remaining.

Coming back to Ald Sotha, the party