Manor Mystery
Welcome again to Masters and Minions, where I strive to give you interesting NPCs and encounters that can be placed easily into your game. Since this week is Mystery Week, I thought I would take a crack at making a good old murder mystery for this week’s encounter.
Several months ago, a young human noble by the name of Marcus Wayland ruined a business transaction between his father and Horis Blackthorn, owner of the Blackthorn Trade Company, by insisting that his father invest in a different trade company. Unknown to both Marcus and his father, Horis is actually a doppelganger named Volix Ultimis, and ever since Marcus’ father passed away one month ago Volix has been plotting ways to get back at Marcus. Volix’s plan is to frame Marcus for murder during the annual masquerade held by the Wayland family.
Since the PCs helped out one of Marcus’ business associates, he has invited them to this year’s masquerade at his family manor. Unknown to Marcus, Volix is attending the masquerade as Madeline, a friend of the Wayland family and Marcus’ lover, whom Volix murdered and replaced just a few days ago. Volix killed her with a deadly poison. Volix preserved Madeline’s body using two scrolls of gentle repose in order to frame Marcus for Madeline’s murder. In order to transport her body, Volix used a scroll of shrink item to make her small enough to carry in his pocket.
During the party, Volix (while disguised as Madeline) lures Marcus away from the party guests and then knocks him out with a blow to the head.
Volix then hides Marcus’ unconscious body in one of the manor’s closets before heading to Marcus’ bedroom. Volix sets up the scene of the murder by unshrinking Madeline’s body, dispelling the gentle repose effect from her body, transforming into Marcus, and then slitting Madeline’s throat with a knife from the manor’s kitchen. Then, using human blood Volix collected from some street beggars, he stages the blood stains to be indicative of having one’s throat slit from behind. After setting up the scene, Volix transforms back into Madeline and fakes a scream for help, and then he retakes Marcus’ form and flees from the scene of the crime. After cleaning the knife with one of Marcus’ handkerchiefs, he hides the knife and handkerchief in Marcus’ study before taking the form of one of the Wayland family’s servants (this servant was murdered and disposed of earlier that day while Volix obtained the knife from the kitchen) and then returns to wake up Marcus and inform him of Madeline’s murder.
PCs that carefully check Madeline’s body can learn (with a DC 25 Heal check or a DC 30 Perception check) that the wound to her neck was made after she was already dead. Additionally, PCs can determine with a DC 30 Perception check that the murder scene looks staged and that Madeline was probably murdered somewhere else.
Mimicry (Ex): Volix Ultimis is proficient in all weapons, armor, and shields. In addition, he can use any spell trigger or spell completion item as if the spells were on his spell list. His caster level is equal to his racial Hit Dice.
True Copy (Su): When Volix Ultimis uses change shape, he can assume the appearance of specific individuals and additionally registers as having the same alignment and aura as the specific individual he is copying.