3 Vanthampur Investigations
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- Official Chapter https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/bgdia/a-tale-of-two-cities#DungeonoftheDeadThree
- Alexandrian Remix https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/44377/roleplaying-games/remixing-avernus-part-3c-the-vanthampur-revelations
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- Amrik Vanthampur has set himself up as a black market resource for smuggling refugees into Baldur’s Gate. His agents circulate through the refugee camps outside of the city and he holds court at the Low Lantern, fleecing refugees who want to bring their loved ones inside the city. This will be described in Trafficking Amrik.
- This puts Amrik in a position to identify and track refugees of the desired bloodlines.
- Duke Vanthampur, with the aid of Thavius Kreeg and Gargauth, has cut a deal with the Dead Three Cultists to actually carry out the murders.
- The operation is overseen by Mortlock and the Dead Three cult leaders at the Dungeon of the Dead Three. Once Amrik has identified a target, he sends word to Mortlock, who instructs the Dead Three cultists to put the target under surveillance.
- The actual murders are carried out by Dead Three cultists operating out of the Poisoned Poseidon. Once a target’s location and identity have been confirmed, the surveillance teams will report that information to the Poisoned Poseidon.
- A Poisoned Poseidon strike team will then kidnap the victim, bring them back to the slaughterhouse, kill them, and dump the body in Insight Park.
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Clues leading to each location. Each of these can be found in the relevant sections. They are copied here so we can see all the clues in one place.
- Tarina’s Lead. (2 Elfsong Tavern) Tarina tells the PCs to go check out the Poisoned Poseidon.
- Tanner’s Fluid (Investigating the Murders). One of the victims has an alkaline solution of wood ash and lime staining her clothes, an alchymical used to rotten and loosen the hair of hides. (The nearest tannery is the Poisoned Poseidon.)
- Staking Out the Murder Scene (Investigating the Murders). When the next corpse is dumped, the PCs can follow the murderers back to the Poisoned Poseidon or question them.
- Amrik’s Paperwork (Trafficking Amrik). Correspondence from Poisoned Poseidon and notations on the genealogical reports. Amrik can also be questioned to this effect.
- Refugee Papers (Investigating the Murders). Forged refugee paperwork found at the murder scene and on bodies in the morgue can be traced back to Trafficking Amrik.
- Canvassing Victims (Investigating the Murders). Those who knew the victims can report that they’d been smuggled into the city by Trafficking Amrik.
- Questioning Mortlock Dungeon of the Dead Three. In exchange for sparing his life, Mortlock will betray Trafficking Amrik and tell the adventurers that Amrik was giving the Cult of the Dead Three the names of who to target.
- Assassin’s Orders (Dungeon of the Dead Three). The assassin targeting Mortlock carries a note with instructions from Trafficking Amrik. The assassin could also be questioned to similar effect.
- Questioning Killers (Investigating the Murders). If the PCs stakeout Insight Park, they can question the cultists dumping the bodies who tell them they work out of the Dungeon of the Dead Three.
- Poseidon Correspondence (Poisoned Poseidon). Reports from the Dead Three leadership mention the bathhouse leading to the Dungeon of the Dead Three.
- Poseidon Cultists (Poisoned Poseidon). Following or questioning Poseidon cultists can lead to the bathhouse and the Dungeon of the Dead Three.
- Amrik’s Paperwork (Trafficking Amrik). Amrik is sending reports and receiving instructions from the Dead Three leadership. He can be questioned to similar effect leading to the Dungeon of the Dead Three.
- Vanthampur Boys (Trafficking Amrik/Dungeon of the Dead Three). Knowing that one or more Vanthampur heirs are involved can be enough to trigger an investigation of Vanthampur Manor all by itself.
- Amrik’s Paperwork (Trafficking Amrik). Amrik has correspondence from his brother Thurstwell leading to Vanthampur Manor.
- Mortlock’s Correspondence (Dungeon of the Dead Three). A letter from his mother detailing how to access the dungeons beneath the bathhouse. Mortlock can be questioned to similar effect leading to Vanthampur Manor.
- Missives of the Hidden Lord (Dungeon of the Dead Three). Correspondence from Thavius Kreeg, passing on instructions from Gargauth to the Dead Three leaders (and inadvertently revealing its presence in Vanthampur Manor).
- Amrik’s Paperwork (Trafficking Amrik). Amrik’s correspondence with his brother Thurstwell mentions the Infernal Puzzlebox. (Thurstwell has removed it from the family’s vaults where it had been secured because he was fascinated by it).
- Missives of the Hidden Lord (Dungeon of the Dead Three). The missives also mention the Infernal Puzzlebox.
- Questioning Mortlock (Dungeon of the Dead Three). Mortlock knows that a powerful cult leader escaped from Elturel just before its fall and that his mother is protecting him in the basement of Vanthampur Manor. The cult leader brought two powerful artifacts with him, one of which was locked in a box (or maybe the box is the artifact? Mortlock isn’t sure), the Infernal Puzzlebox.
- Finding the Box (Vanthampur Manor). Oh. Hey! There it is! The Infernal Puzzlebox!