If she's reassured that the characters aren't trying to
make the militia look bad.Jute gives a frank account of
her discovery ofjarrne in the area of the Alchemists'
Quarter known as Hemlock Pit. She remembers that
Jarme was cooperative when apprehended, which was
surprising considering the state of his mutilated victim.
If the characters win Jute's f ult confidence, either
through roleplaying or with a successful DC 15 Cha-
r isma (Persuasion) check, she admits that she doesn't
bel ieveJarme was the sole killer-if he was the killer at
all. She is aware of the murder that took place the morn-
ing after Jarme's execution, and of how quickly its inves-
tigation was dispensed with.Jute doesn't know why her
superiors are acting the way they are, but she suspects
that powerful interests must be involved.
Though she's reluctant to name names, a little prod-
ding inspires Jute to disclose that one of the councillors,
Mr. Dory, has had numerous closed-door meetings with
militia commanders recently. These visits did not occur
during the day whenJarme was executed.Jute can also
tell the characters that Mr. Dory can be found in the
warehouse that is his home and business (area 7).SCENE OF THE CRIME
Constable jute can show the characters where she
caughtjarme, but there are no further clues there. The
same isn't true of the scene of the murder that took
place the day after jarme's execution.Jute can escort the
characters to that site, or they can find it in a few hours
by asking around the Styes.
This latest murder was committed on Mr. Dory's or-
ders by one of his skum minions (sec appendix C). Dory
wants to maintain the momentum of fear in the Styes
while he searches for a replacement for Jarme.
The deed took place in an alley in the northern end
of the Alchemists' Quarter. The body's immediate cre-
mation was ordered by Mr. Dory, but the site holds one
important clue. No effort was made to clean up the area,
with the expectation that local rats and gulls would
take care of any remains. But a careful inspection of the
site is sufficient to locate unfamiliar, webbed footprints
nearly obscured by the tracks of the m ii itia and gawkers.
A character who has proficiency in Survival can at-
tempt a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a success,
the character determines that the odd tracks were made
by at least three separate creatures. Anyone can try
to follow the tracks by making a DC 17 Wisdom (Sur-
vival) check. On a failed check. the trail is lost after a
few dozen yards. On a success, the trail leads through
muddy, reeking alleys to Dory's warehouse (area 7).Part 3: Hemlock Pit
Although Jarme's murderous actions were controlled by
the Whisperer, no clues yet point toward the aboleth. Jf
the characters don't learn about Mr. Dory's seemingly
suspicious activities from Constable Jute or from the
physician Emil Trantor. and if they missed the trail lead-
ing from the latest murder. they might need to resort to
divination or commune spells or similar magic. Use the
cryptic results from such magic to steer the characters
toward an investigation of Mr. Dory, his warehouse. and
his residence.
(J111·rnR11 111rsn1~
SKUM ONE, SKUM ALL
Sgothgah has a number of minions called skum, humans
that are warped by an aboleth's magic and become faithful
servants of their master. As part of his arrangement with
Mr. Dory, Sgothgah pledged several of the creatures to
Dory's service. Skum wear long robes and heavy overcoats
to hide their true nature. Only in a city as wretched as the
Styes could they move about unnoticed. Although the
skum are loyal minions, they can spend only a short time
away from water before their skin starts to slough away. If
necessary, they can endure that pain for the time it takes to
complete a particularly important task.
Mr. Dory gained a variety of powers from Sgothgah's
patronage, though he was too clever to allow his mind to
become compromised. The transformation came with a
price. Similar to the skum, Dory's body is now dependent
on a hot, wet environment, such that his body begins to
decompose if he spends more than an hour away from
his chambers. When he appears in public, he wears heavy
perfume and thick clothing soaked in water to forestall
the effect, then rushes back to his lair as soon as he can
to recover.Dory's unique home is in the center of the Alchemists'
Quarter, perched at the edge of a large swath of mud
known as Hemlock Pit. His ruthless business practices
are well known, inspiring in the townsfolk a mix of
respect, fear, and mockery. People know that his ware-
house is well guarded, and protected at night by "vicious
guard dogs" (a trio of manticores whose snarling can be
heard from the street). Getting that information out of
any local requires a bribe of at least 10 gp.
Bribes and questions on the streets around Hemlock
Pit also inform the characters that lwo figures in the
Styes have strong dealings with Mr. Dory and are good
potential sources of information: Master Loquid, a local
perfumer, and Grotten LongAint, a gnome burglar.STRANGE HOUSEKEEPING
The perfumer Loquid (N male human commoner)
supplies Dory with large quantities of perfume from his
shop in the Merchants' Quarter. He loves to talk about
himself and his well-off clients. and he responds well
to simple flattery and chatting up. Tn conversation, he
cheerfully describes Dory as seeming to carry an un-
pleasant, mildewy odor.
During several of Loquid's long talks with Dory, the
councillor has enigmatically mentioned his ''beauties
in the pool" {the creature's skum and golem servants)
more than once. Loquid also knows that for inexplicable
reasons, Dory Hoods the inside of his home with water,
and keeps stoves burning day and night to maintain the
place at a stiflingly hot temperature.WAREHOUSE SECRETS
Grotten Longflint (NE female gnome spy) describes
herself as an adventurer, but her current trade is burglar
and pickpocket. She is understandably circumspect
about her business, and discusses nothing without re-
ceiving a "consulting fee'' of 100 gp up front. A characterwho succeeds on a DC (^15) Charisma (Persuasion) check
can get her down to (^50) gp, but no lower.