The Assassination of the Duchess

Scenario to be used for the Blades in the Dark role-playing game. Set in the default fictional universe of the game.

The players' crew of assassins is approached by a darkly but finely cloaked man. He says he is the messenger of two important nobles in the city. One, his master, a wealthy Count, desires for his daughter to marry into power. The other, a Duke, has become jealous of his wife, the Duchess, and her frivolous affairs. Together they've agreed that the Duchess must be killed so the Duke can remarry the daughter of the Count. But neither are particular skilled in murder, and will not want to get their hands (too) dirty, to decrease the cost and probability of potential bribes to The Magistrates of Law.

And so, the messenger found you, the crew, to do the job for them. He tells you that the assassination must not lead back to either of the two nobles, and that the payment will be 4 coin, 2 coin extra if it looks like an accident. Note: 1 coin is the common parlance of a heavy sum of money in Doskvol.

Upon asking for further details, the messenger will tell you that, the Duke lives in an estate in Whitecrown, the richest and most opulent of districts in the city. The estate has a terrace, and should he find it appropriate, the messenger will tell an anecdote of the Duchess riding around on a white mule in the terrace on her birthday, and how she was showered with other amazing gifts, amongst them cherries. These signs of luxury will be obvious to anyone living in Doskvol, as horses and mules are expensive compared to the more common large Akorosian draft goat, and cherries are hard to grow beneath the sunless sky. However, the messenger, who was with the hardhearted Count as guest, could see the Duke's jealousy grow as he saw the Duchess thanking the men for their fine gifts. When the messenger questioned his master, the Count told him that the Duke considered his ancient name to be of larger worth than any of these gifts, and that the Duchess have cheated him out of her thanks.

The messenger will further tell you about Frà Pandolf, a painter originally from the Silkshore district, later moved into the richer Brightstone district, renowned for his artistic ability. The messenger will identify him as a slide of a man. Charismatic, handsome, and of sleazy character to anyone not moved by him. The messenger will tell you that, if you can find evidence that he and the Duchess had had an affair, the price on his head will be a further 2 coin.