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death and disappearance, which further strengthened his resolve to see the archmage dead. Through the use of an educated guess and another clairvoyance spell, he found Romdril in the magical library examining the contents of a small iron box. He cast a knock spell on the doors leading to the magical area and entered the alchemical laboratory after using invisibility on himself. Becoming more irrational by the second, he then decided to cast delayed blast fireball on the magical library, setting the “timer” on the blast to go off in two minutes. By means of a potion of clairaudience and a ventriloquism spell, he contacted Romdril and demanded to know everything about the potion of longevity. Romdril, startled by the intrusion on his concentration, closed the box of gems as he replied that he had no such knowledge. Alambar began to go on a rampage in the alchemical laboratory, haphazardly searching for the nonexistent potion. Romdril was in the process of trying to persuade Alambar to calm down when the fireball went off. Alambar had enough presence of mind to pull out the bottle of pills he used for his respiratory disorder and swallowed one to ward off the possible effects of smoke, but then he dropped the bottle, which shattered on the floor unbeknownst to him. He vacated the area shortly after the blast, exiting through the double doors and closing them before any appreciable amount of smoke could get through the opening. Romdril managed to crawl to the door of the library and push it open before he died, still reflexively clutching the remains of Flaloch’s note. Raleigh, on his earlymorning rounds intending to tidy up the library, discovered the smoke and Romdril’s body some three hours later. He panicked, and inhaled a lot of smoke while vainly trying to revive his master. Dazed and gasping, he bolted from the area, instinctively closed the doors behind him, and ran up the stairs to the breakfast hall at precisely 8:00. THE EVIDENCE The following is a list of all the relevant evidence to be found in the mansion. Romdril’s bedroom: scroll of geas supports Fleatis’s story; flecks of powder on candle point to attempt to murder Romdril; portrait of Liana reveals that Romdril suspects his wife was murdered; diary entries show that Alambar wants potion of longevity, that Alambar arranged the presence of the servants/assassins, that Flaloch committed some crime against Romdril and Liana (“her spirit”) which LeMeurtrier was involved in, and that Romdril anticipated an attempt on his life. Mok’s bedroom: Crossbow missing after 9:10 directs suspicion away from Mok. Fleatis’s bedroom: Blank spell book suggests that Fleatis is here to obtain a spell for the book. Alambar’s bedroom: Shards of glass outside room and in hem of robe point to Alambar’s visit to alchemical lab; torn robe 60 JULY 1986 indicates he visited maid’s room; unused bed suggests that Alambar was awake (and probably occupied) for most or all of the night; bag of holding containing platinum pieces points to his hiring of assassins. LeMeurtrier’s bedroom: Damaged window suggests that LeMeurtrier left the mansion secretly. Upper gallery: Text of will removes motive from Fleatis; ledger points to Flaloch’s and LeMeurtrier’s involvement in Liana’s death. Raleigh’s bedroom: List of guests confirms that LeMeurtrier was not invited; also gives combination to safe (which Romdril had ordered Raleigh to change the day before). Maid’s bedroom: Dagger indicates she is an assassin; powder suggests that she worked for Alambar (who provided it to her). Servants’ entrance: Poison “recipe” on back of map indicates that servants from Jonholm were assassins, and their connection with Jonholm suggests that they were hired by Alambar. Kitchen: Powders and liquids point to Alambar’s hiring of assassins; cook’s shoulder wound points to LeMeurtrier’s murder of cook (obviously a poisoned bolt, since the wound itself would not be fatal); crossbow part in embers points to LeMeurtrier’s (not Mok’s) attack on cook. Magical corridor: Note in Romdril’s hand points to Flaloch’s involvement in Liana’s death. Magical library: Box of gems suggests Flaloch’s involvement in Liana’s death. Alchemical laboratory: State of disrepair and broken bottle of pills point to Alambar’s murder of Romdril. Outside: Trail leading from Le- Meurtrier’s window indicates his murder of assassins, as do blue fletchings. THE END At noon the door chimes will sound, signaling the arrival of Flaloch’s and Alambar’s carriages. Raleigh will awaken and immediately seek out any PC(s) he can find to see if the police have solved the mystery. Flaloch and Alambar will go outside and prepare to leave with their carriage drivers. Fleatis (and Mok, if he is still alive) will join them outside and trade angry looks with them for a couple of minutes. Raleigh will suggest that the PCs go outside too (if they haven’t already done so), but if no officer attempts to detain them, Alambar and Flaloch will leave no later than 12:10. If, on the other hand, the PCs confront the NPCs, what happens thereafter will be solely dependent on the player characters’ actions. Flaloch will say that he has pressing business back in Kelburn, but may be persuaded to stay a while longer if the characters strongly suggest that they have a solution to the mystery. (The mayor, after all, has not committed any crimes in the last few hours and presumably has no reason to suspect that the PCs may have implicated him in Liana’s death.) But if it seems to Flaloch that the PCs are grasping at straws, he will make another of his comments about police incompetence, promising to instigate sweeping changes in the police department, and will attempt to leave. Alambar is also in a hurry to leave, claiming that he must return to Jonholm to monitor some ongoing experiments, but he may succumb to pressure from Flaloch if it seems to the mayor that the characters are going to present a legitimate solution. (Alambar is worried that he may appear to be the guilty party if he insists on leaving while Flaloch is willing to stay and listen.) Sandar Fleatis is not inclined to leave hastily; he wants to get to the bottom of this affair, and he will spout off angrily at anyone who attempts to leave before matters are resolved. If the PCs directly accuse Alambar of Romdril’s murder and present a case that is similar to what is outlined in “The solution,” the alchemist will panic and begin coughing and gasping. He will instinctively reach for his bottle of pills, which of course are not on his person. He will then attempt to cast a spell, but his coughing fit will prevent him from completing it. Then, if he is not physically restrained, he will pull out and drink what he thinks is a potion of extra healing, but which is in fact his vial of oil of acid resistance. This action will only increase his respiratory problems and render him virtually helpless. In this state, Alambar should be able to be easily apprehended, perhaps with the aid of Fleatis (and Mok) and possibly also with the help of Flaloch, if the mayor has not been accused of any crime. If the PCs have thought to pick up the white pills from the laboratory, and if Alambar is offered one of them to alleviate his coughing, he will regain all of his capabilities and will do everything in his power to escape. If the PCs directly accuse Flaloch of Romdril’s murder, the mayor will demand to see their evidence and, if it is lacking in substance (as it surely will be) he will leave the mansion. If the PCs charge him with participation in the murder of Liana Romdril, and if they have the ledger to prove this accusation, Flaloch will lose his rough demeanor and begin stammering in a futile attempt to cover his tracks. If he is skillfully confronted and interrogated at this point, he will volunteer a full confession. If instead the mayor is physically threatened, he will attempt to resist this kind of treatment, but Sandar, Mok, and Alambar (if the latter has not been accused of any crime) will assist the police in restraining him. If the PCs directly accuse Fleatis of any crime, he will go pale and quietly deny involvement in any wrongdoing in a manner that makes it almost seem as though he does not believe his own words. This feeling will pass within moments, however, and Fleatis will regain his composure and selfassurance. He will vocally and physically resist any attempt to arrest him. Flaloch and Alambar will support the PCs if they
persist in attempting to apprehend Fleatis, and then both will leave confidently. If the PCs directly accuse Mok of any crime, his eyes will widen and he will look to Raleigh for help. The manservant and Fleatis will both come to his defense, assuring the PCs that they have made a mistake. If the PCs persist, Flaloch and Alambar will leave. If the PCs directly accuse Raleigh of any crime, he will become visibly upset and begin to cough again. Fleatis and Mok will come to his aid, the former spewing insults at the PCs for their obvious error and assuring them that they will never hold a job in Kelburn again. Flaloch and Alambar will leave after “congratulating” the officers for their “obvious skill.” If the PCs are unable to legitimately charge anyone with a crime, Raleigh will again succumb to his respiratory damage and Mok, looking disappointed and hurt, will carry him inside. Fleatis will storm off into the woods muttering to himself, outraged that the police are letting Romdril’s murderer go free. Flaloch will board his carriage and return to Kelburn, where he will serve out only part of the remainder of his term before suffering a mysterious fatal heart attack. Alambar will abruptly vanish from his carriage before it returns to Jonholm, having teleported far across the continent, never to be seen again. Tournament scoring system If the Dungeon Master desires, he can rate the players characters according to the following point scale (all points are cumulative): + 100 for chagring Alambar with Romdril’s murder + 50 for charging Flaloch with ordering Liana’s assassination + 50 for charging Alambar with Le- Meurtrier’s murder + 25 for attributing the servants’ deaths to LeMeurtrier 0 for letting all the NPCs go free - 25 for charging Alambar with the servants’ deaths - 25 for each major breach of Kelburn’s laws - 50 for charging Flaloch with the servants’ deaths - 60 for charging Flaloch with Romdril’s murder - 60 for charging Fleatis with Le- Meurtrier’s murder - 75 for charging Fleatis with any murder except LeMeurtrier’s - 75 for attributing Romdril’s murder to LeMeurtrier - 80 for charging Mok with the servants’ deaths - 100 for charging Mok with Romdril’s murder - 100 for each murder attributed to Raleigh Bonus points may be awarded for finesse (or deducted for lack of same). This category includes, but is not limited to, observing standard mystery conventions, such as being exceptionally quick to search in the kitchen cupboard, promptly considering the existence of a wall safe, and revealing the murderer(s) in a “mystery style,” such as the way events are described in “The solution.” In a multi-group tournament situation, the DM should not award more than 10 points for finesse, nor subtract more than that amount for lack of same. DRAGON 61
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D RAGON 1
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Dust does the job Dear Dragon, I ha
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Let me congratulate you on your exc
Page 12 and 13: ut PC magic-users cannot generally
Page 14 and 15: would add another considerable adva
Page 16 and 17: Welcome to Malachi Visit a city whe
Page 18 and 19: advertisers, poets, storytellers, h
Page 20 and 21: DUNGEON Adventures What readers and
Page 22: your co-designers or friends, and l
Page 26 and 27: fighter with 18/00 strength, 70 hp,
Page 28 and 29: around them, sparing only the perso
Page 30: Peridinium FREQUENCY: Common NO. AP
Page 34: an intended victim. The threads are
Page 37 and 38: The role of books Fiction with a fl
Page 40: uncomfortably close resemblance to
Page 43 and 44: Death of an Arch-Mage Can the polic
Page 45 and 46: occasionally supported and assisted
Page 47 and 48: 9:50 Fleatis, Flaloch, and Alambar
Page 49 and 50: itself. (There are footprints visib
Page 53: Tournament player characters Lt. Ma
Page 60 and 61: alignment chaotic neutral, age 85,
Page 64 and 65: NEW PRODUCTS FOR AUGUST 1986 DL13 D
Page 66 and 67: JEFF GRUBB “I’m just your Frien
Page 68: Pull the pin and throw Grenades get
Page 72 and 73: Weapon PWV PB* S M L WS Rate Ammo c
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Page 76 and 77: eposed on end, propped up by a barr
Page 78: eathed, “It can’t be.” She lo
Page 81 and 82: power and Class 1000 range, and cou
Page 83 and 84: and other organizations, and by Cyc
Page 85 and 86: Despite the precautions, a virulent
Page 87 and 88: Was Supergirl the most powerful fem
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Page 92 and 93: ©1986 by George Mac Donald All her
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Page 96 and 97: 94 JULY 1986
Page 98 and 99: NYCLONE, July 11-13 This convention
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