Flaming Taverns Plot

Arriving at the Crimescene

The party arrives at a burnt down house Inside the city.

The towns guards investigate the place and a man in a coat arrives commands them to stop, because this is a crime scene.

A man is standing in the Ashes, arguing with the guards and pointing at stuff.

Talk to the man in the coat

The man in the coat introduces himself as Tren Brattingham, a town investigator. The burned down House was a Tavern named The burning Goose.

It was said to be in Rivalry with The flaming Chicken outside the castle walls that also burned down a week ago.

While describing Tren, describe he smells after burned soot, but don't further mention that this conflicts with him first appearing on the crime scene.

Tren tells the player to let him do the investigation, and asking them not to speak to his "client".

Secret

The real arsonist is Tren himself. He burned down the house, to make the town more interested in his work, so he could get more money.

Tren set the fire to the flaming Chicken first, but didn't get to plant enougth evidence to get one of the tavern keepers arrested.

Gandmühler Murder

Tren was also the investigator that was Hired to investigate the Gandmühler Murder. There, he quickly judged Tarwin Althammer guilty and rallied up the people, to get a quick buck, overlooking the clues of the crimescene. If the party knows that, they can confront him with it.

Tren will dismiss the party that it was a rouge dad that wanted to move on with his life. If the party reads his memory for more clues on the murder, they find that the Tarwin was devestated and see Trenn knowingly accusing Tarwin of the Murder. If they dig deeper, they find that Tren met Tarwin a month later in Edschmied. There Tarwin tells Tren that he also lost his wife and he knows he was framed. But he is ok with it, he will bring his loved one back, with all other casulties of the cruelties of this basin. He just has to draw enougth soul energy into the titan forge below Edschmied.

Talk to the man pointing

The man is called Theodor Goose and he is the owner of the in "The burning Goose". He claims that Berta, the Owner of the flaming Chicken burned down his house because of envy.

In his eyes, first Berta burned down her own tavern, since it was not paying for itself and then going after his.

Investigating the burned down House

The party can investigate the burned down house and find:

• The fire was set from the outside
• Two guards are talking about Berta the Owner of the Flaming Chicken. They are saying that Tren thinks she did it.

Talk to the people in the city

The people in the city all say that they didn't see anything and that they were all in bed at the time of the fire.

Talk to Berta

Berta says that she didn't burn down the tavern and that he has an ironclad alibi. She was reconnecting with her ex-husband called Brastal.

She also offers the party one Platinum for finding out who did it, she will take even more money form the real arsonist.

Rivalry between the two taverns

The two taverns were in Rivalship for a long time. It all started when Brastal, Berta's ex-husband, left her for another woman. Berta then opened the tavern to get back at him. Theodor soon after opening his Tavern hired Brastal as a head Chef and since then they have been in Rivalship with each other.

Go back to Tren

Tren is at the scene of the crime, poking around in the ashes. He says that he hasn't found anything yet, but he's going to keep looking.

Investigate the burned down burning Goose

• The players finds a burnt piece of paper in the ashes. It has a list of names on it, with the word "Chicken" crossed out and "Goose" written next to it.

Show the evidence to Tren

Tren takes the paper and takes a hostile stance towads the players and tells them not to investigate further. While talking he holds a paper in his hands. When the players mention the list, he tucks it away, saying it is a privat matter he was at before. If the players get to read the list somehow, they see that the paper with the list is a invitation to a party that Brastal is hosting in his new tavern "The Phoenix". The party is ongoing.

Go to the party

The party is being held at a new tavern called "The rising phoenix". It is a much nicer place than either of the burned down taverns. At the party, the players find Brastal and starts talking to him. He says that he didn't burn down the taverns and he has an alibi. He was at the party the whole time. When talking about his ex-wife He says that he has been trying to get her to sell the tavern for years, but she always refused. He thinks that she finally agreed to sell, but someone burned it down before the deal could be finalized. A Barmaid overhears the conversation and sais she saw a hooded figure running away from the crimescene.

The rising phoenix

At the party, the players can investigate the rising phoenix.

• They find a letter in Brastal's office, that proves he was trying to buy the tavern. He wanted to get together with his wife but wanted it to be a supprise for her.

Hints

If the players have trouble to identify Tren as a suspect he leaves some hints.

• A guard makes the notice he usually doesn't wear gloves
• On interacting with something he pulls the hand away in pain, hinting to his burned hand.
• He also has a key to the Phoenix, that he "found" at the scene of the crime.

Conclusion

If the players put two and two together they realize that Tren is the arsonist. They can go to him and talk to him about it or they can go to the guards and tell them what they know.

• If they go to Tren, he tries to bribe them or threatens them into silence.
• If they go to the guards, he is arrested and brought to justice.