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An Inquiry at Pinnokberg

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An Inquiry at Pinnokberg …

By Mike Carniello

… In which the Players are asked to solve the mystery of a Burning Man …

A top-level overview:

This adventure takes place over the course of one day, and is an ideal wedge between

more complex campaigns.

It begins with the Player Characters (PCs), having just finished some certainly perilous

adventure, making their way back home. Along the road, they enter the fair village of

Pinnokberg, and decide to attend the annual “Turning of the Rose” Festival. This

celebration honors harvest’s end, and features local food and ale, a traveling circus

troupe, and, of course, political speeches.

After some merry-making, the PCs encounter a “bad boy,” young but claiming to be of

the ancient Garpanian Cult. He provides some trouble but it is easily handled.

And then the pastoral scene is shaken; the festive event is marred by the truly odd

spontaneous combustion of the Lord Mayor!

Various sets of locals accuse each other for the murder; this finger-pointing soon turns

into full-fledged fighting. Civilization in Pinnokberg is breaking down fast. The local

constabulary find themselves overwhelmed and contact the PCs for aid in solving the

mystery of this Burning Man.

The PCs are granted full access to commercial sites they’ve encountered; they meet some

resistance but most folk seem content to answer the tough investigators. The locals

apparently even answer truthfully!

Several leads are more interesting than others. The PCs discover three separate but

vaguely connected facts. These are:

- the Garpanian Cult had wanted payback or some sort of retribution from the Lord

Mayor, as he had used their vile ways to attain his position

- the Hatterfeld family had a long-time blood feud with the mayor, and could not tolerate

him in charge of the Village

- the Vice Mayor was not interested in talking to any investigators

After battling both the Cult, as well as members of the Hatterfeld clan … it turns out that

the Vice Mayor was indeed the culprit. The PCs find that all necessary components of the

crime were in place: means, motive and opportunity.

An Inquiry at Pinnokberg

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The Vice Mayor is accused by the PCs. The villain comes clean and admits that he had

supplied the potions necessary for the fires … at the mayor’s request!

It seems that the Lord Mayor himself had been dabbling in Black Arts. He believed that

he could be resurrected as something more than human - if the right potions were used, if

the right spells were in place. The Vice Mayor was his accomplice in the unholy task. To

the horror of the PCs, they find this out just a tad too late, and the Vice Mayor manages

to finish the resurrection process.

The Lord Mayor is reborn as a Daemon and turns angry to the Players (being a Daemon,

and all). His humanity shed, the monster vows to rule with an absolute authority and

grow his power to take over the whole countryside.

The PCs can choose to battle the Daemon and be the Village heroes, or run away to and

fight some other day. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor.

The remainder of this adventure is divided into a Prologue, five Acts, and an Epilogue. A

Dramatis Personae appendix details the individual attributes of key NPCs.

The GM has a lot of flexibility in this adventure to fill in details of the “Turning of the

Rose” Festival and the town of Pinnokberg. These provide a background to this adventure

but frankly aren’t crucial to the central mystery.

Prologue

The winds off Mount Pinnok have changed direction and grown cooler, and the trees

reflect golden brown leaves. The seasons are changing throughout the land, and this

annual event is celebrated this year, as it is every year, by the fine residents of the fair

village of Pinnokberg.

The “Turning of the Rose” Festival is in many ways the center of the village’s year. It’s a

time when farmers can come in from their fields to share their efforts, merchants can

trade their wares, and the townsfolk can come together for one last time before winter’s

onset.

The village of Pinnokberg has seen its share of bad times, and good times. Fortunately for

the locals, these times bode well. The harvest has been bountiful, keeping both the food

preservers and those businesses which support them (the glass blowers, the smithies, etc.)

busy. Busy, yes, and rich, it may not be necessary to add.

An Inquiry at Pinnokberg

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Indeed, Pinnokberg is a fine place, a happy place, where bad things Just Don’t Happen.

Until this year …

Act I

The Players are traveling back “home” (wherever that may be).

Along the road, they hear the excited shouts of children, the braying of merchants and the

general hubbub of excited folk. They smell enticing foods which they’ve not enjoyed for

a long while.

Entering the village, the Players find themselves drawn to GreenCenter, the aptly named

park in the middle of town. There, the natives are enjoying the full bloom of the “Turning

of the Rose” Festival.

As they are thirsty and hungry, the Players can choose among many food vendors, among

them:

Susula Overbrip, who some say is the best pie-maker in this whole countryside. Her

specialties include apple and pear pies, as well as small tarts which combine local fruits

and dairy in a most exquisite manner.

Bobor Feyonner, who is known for his way with grilled meats. The tantalizing smells

from his stall is one thing that led the Players to this Festival in the first place!

Horatio Rippon, a brewer who made the leap from home-based brewing for friends and

family to a commercial enterprise. His easygoing manner and wide, open face make him

well-liked amongst the villagers, and as such, he’s the source of many secrets.

If equipment is needed to be replaced or repaired, Mister Wilkon and his aide Gioboldi

are among the finest in Pinnokberg.

Everyone who the Players meet so far has been warm and open, kind and generous.

Which makes it all the more jarring to encounter Jopps Kuggleman, a young man who is

spending his afternoon following around those who “enjoy the party” too much.

Kuggleman operates his thuggery by taking advantage of drunken mistake – this results

in a loss of coin, or blood spilled … or worse.

Kuggleman is a Garpanian Cult member, who decides to take on the Players in an

overmatched street fight. It is expected that the PCs are more than happy to enjoin the

young fellow in a street fight.

An Inquiry at Pinnokberg

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At this point, the PCs can decide to leave the village, but the GM should persuade them

to stay and explore. It’s also up to the GM to “guide” them over to the Speech Stand,

where various politician types are behaving, well – like politicians.

The PCs catch the Lord Mayor Farleen in the middle of his speech:

“And so I say to you, my fellow Pinnoks, do you not want peace with honor? Do you not

want a good life, a rich life, for you and all of your descendants? We are not blessed to be

on this place, in this Empire, for too many years.”

“Let me help you during our short time together. Let me aid you on your journey

throughout your lives. I can do things for you that you dare not even dream!”

And then: Farleen stops speaking, and looks frantically around, an odd look on his face as

he seems to search the crowd for someone familiar.

Most unexpectedly, he bursts into flames.

Act II

The GM must convey the ensuing mayhem to the Players; the crowd is stunned and many

things happen at once. Some start to scream, the weaker members start to flee, and the

really weak just plain faint!

This is a decision point for the PCs; they can choose to stick around and find out what

that was all about – or they can give a virtual shrug of the shoulders and move along to

their next adventure. Again, the GM should nudge them along, as necessary, to stay.

The local constable, Petros Skoldink, races to the Speech Stand and tries to calm the

crowd: “Remain calm! All is well! I am in control now!”

“Do not fear, this is not the work of Chaos! Surely, there must be some clear

explanation…please, everyone, remain calm! All is well!”

And so the constable insists, evidence to the contrary.

If a perception test is passed, the PCs note that a black-cloaked figure idles quietly to the

Stand and peers at the burnt body intently. Although not known to the PCs who that is,

the GM is aware that Vice Mayor Boohus is the unknown person.

Several townsfolk encircle the Speech Stand, with shouts of “He deserved it!” and “It

couldn’t have happened to a nicer fellow” and similar sentiments.

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An easy perception test by the Players reveals that these fellows look very much alike,

as if they could be brothers. Which they are – several members of the Hatterfeld family.

This group is joined by another set of men; another successful perception test indicates

that their clothes are identical to Jopps. The GM should be aware that these men are

fellow Cult members.

The two groups don’t seem to like each other, and while constable Skoldink is still trying

to calm the crowd, the men break out into a fight.

The PCs can engage the fighters, but it is hoped this won’t happen.

Skoldink notices the Players and recognizes them as adventurers who might be able to

help him out.

He speaks to them: “Fine adventurers, please, wait. I fear that I alone cannot resolve this

situation. I need your help. I implore you!”

“The Pinnokberg treasury is rather … flush, shall we say, at the moment. I need you to

solve this mystery – I need you to find out how and more importantly ‘why’ our dear

Lord Mayor has, uh, suffered this unexpected misfortune. Your efforts will not be in vain.

A reasonable explanation can calm this village. Please help me. I can offer a reward on

behalf on the village … some coin: 5000 gold pieces.”

The PCs are expected to agree to help, the promise of a reward is sufficient. However,

they can choose to move along, which unfortunately ends the adventure pretty much right

there.

The Players start their investigation. There are no suspects at this point, and it is expected

that they’ll start by interviewing the townspeople that they’ve already met.

Act III

The PCs will interview several Pinnokberg residents in this Act. These events are laid out

below in no particular order; the GM can guide the Players along as needed.

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