Kathkallan Investigation

The Kathkallan Investigation was a series of games between November 2008 and February 2009 based around the investigation of a merchant dispute and kidnapping in Wydmoor Free City.

Timeline

Day 1

• Edrell Odenthorpe tells the PCs that a Peteran merchant named Kathkallan is having significant problems in Wydmoor
• The PCs travel to the Merchant District, and find Kathkallan caught in an ambush
• Kathkallan explains his dilemma
  • On a prior visit, Kathkallan established trade agreements with Jazasan Arrasti (J.A.) and The Golden Galleon (G.G.)
  • Both are refusing to acknowledge their respective agreements
  • Kathkallan's assistant Galliad, who had the original copies of these agreements, is missing

• PCs spend the morning collecting information
  • G.G. has a road out, strangling the flow of iron into the city, and cannot meet their trade obligations, with Red Iron at a premium, would take significant losses if they honored the contract.
  • J.A. is the mayor's man, and is rumored to be aggressively liquidating assets

• PCs investigate both establisments
  • G.G. employees first denied meeting Galliad, but after pressing questioning admits he visited with a porter and was going to visit the Platinum Quill (P.Q.)
  • Arrasti employees deny ever meeting Galliad (?)

• In the evening, the PCs investigate the Silent Siren, where Galliad stayed and where the thugs were hired
  • Waitress saw Galliad with an upscale prostitute the evening he visited the two merchants
  • PCs attacked by poisoners, and capture one of them

• LE "questions" the poisoner, and learns he works for a wizard named Mantatlus, who lives on the Road of Chimes

Day 2

• Germain meets with Edrell, who is convinced J.A. is probably the main culprit, but knows little about The P.Q. or Mantatlus
• Another morning of information gathering
  • P.Q. provides insurance and guards for merchants and their products
  • Rats at J.A.'s say there is nothing there to eat

• Meet with a close friend of the prostitute (Zinni)
  • Zinni has been missing since the evening she met with Galliad
  • Was told, by one of the poisoners (Gil), to "come to the Garden of Delights for a sweet surprise"

• PCs launch an assault on Mantatlus in the early evening
  • Garden of exotic (and deadly plants) in the entrance assumed to be the Garden of Delights
  • Zombies buried in shallow graves in the garden, two of which may have been Galliad and Zinni (although we can't be sure since Al destroyed all the evidence... grr)
  • Captured the second poisoner (Gil), but Mantatlus escapes
  • Recover trade agreements for both J.A. and G.G., as well as evidence of a long-term financial relationship b/t Mantatlus and the P.Q.

Day 3

• Report to Edrell and return contracts
  • Edrell takes the contracts to aid in the investigation
  • Germain remains in Wydmoor to finish the investigation
  • The rest of the party heads to Iros Forge to aid in road repairs, beginning a new adventure chain

• Make a fruitless attempt to convince the poisoner Holm to cooperate

• Late morning to early afternoon performed information gathering in the Waft targeting perfume merchants re: J.A.
  • Seen recently moving much of his equipment out of his facility
  • Perfumes have been watered down and overpriced of late

• In the afternoon, "persuaded" the poisoner Gil to provide information
  • Mantatlus is primarily a "problem solver" (assassin) for the Thieves' Guild
  • The P.Q. was paid to steer Galliad towards the tavern where Zinni could approach him
  • Confirmed that Galliad and Zinni were killed
  • Knows more about the Guild, but would rather take his chances with us than rat on them

• Evening discussion with the captain of the merchant district Fenn Lynrick
  • Quick to seek favor with Edrell
  • Takes over the Mantatlus estate because it is a "gold mine"
  • Cagey regarding main players like Mantatlus and P.Q., but demeanor suggest a familiarity with them

• Late-night report to Edrell
  • Decide to force J.A. to honor the contract, thus putting him in financial peril
  • Germain gets promoted! YAY!

Day 4

• Morning investigation of pawn shops, revealing J.A. has liquidated all of his equipment

• Noon report to Edrell
  • Received new tabard
  • Reassigned to the Iros Forge project--to leave the next morning

• Brief conversation with P.Q. (playing dumb)
  • Surprised that Germain approached them even though he works for Lynrick--what does it mean?
  • Claim to have no knowledge of Mantatlus other than a client--likely a lie, and possibly an implicating one.

Major Players

• Golden Galleon
  • They were (relatively) honest with us regarding their interactions with Galliad
  • Motivations are transparent--they can't really afford to honor contracts because of the washed out road
  • Vital resource for virtually every government organization

• Jazasan Arrasti
  • Lied to us regarding their interactions with Galliad
  • Liquidated virtually all production assets for an unknown purpose
  • Mayor's man, which means de facto enemy of the sheriff

• Mantatlus
  • Hired thugs to attack Kathkallan
  • Arranged the disappearance of Galliad and stole the contracts
  • Tried to poison the party
  • Long-term but unknown financial relationship with the Platinum Quill
  • Assassin for the Thieves' Guild

• Platinum Quill
  • Guardian and insurance services for merchants
  • Mentioned (by G.G.) as part of Galliad's itinerary the day he disappeared
  • Long term relationship with Mantatlus setting up marks

Outstanding Questions

• Why is Arrasti liquidating his assets?
  • Buildup for some large project... perhaps part of the conflict between the mayor and the sheriff?
  • In financial trouble?