Thalra in the Bedroom with a Knife?? Report

General Summary

With a shriek, the night's party flings into confusion and suspicion! Thalra, a clan leader of drow from Shadowdale, has been found murdered in her bed, her bodyguard Tebryn missing. With a quick cry from Arabella to summon the Sheriff Kingsley, the party is locked down before anything else can be done. However, along with Tebryn, both Coranzen and Leaf are also missing, but for an unknown amount of time. Once Kingsley arrives, he brings the party upstairs, saying he's willing to put anyone in cuffs that he needs to in order to get the night taken care of, while actively stealing belongings from Thalra's room. The party, unsure of why the Sheriff is so eager, decides to go along with him.   After a quick series of investigation checks and a well placed Detect Poison and Disease, the following is determined:

• Thalra was poisoned with manticore venom from a blade inscribed with Undercommon runes.
• The blade used had a one time deployment of the Silence spell.
• Thalra's killer was not expecting her to fight back.
• Thalra was stabbed in the side first, then in the chest after being knocked back. The knife was left in her still bleeding body as the poison set in.

The party goes downstairs, and continues to monitor the situation, asking everyone to stay on the main floor. Not many people are ruled out, as the only ones to really go up to the second floor during the party were Lillith, Tebryn and Thalra. Lillith immediately sequesters herself, seeming to not like where this is going, but was cooperative in deciphering the Undercommon runes on the blade used to kill Thalra.   Further checks determine (with a little bit of elbow grease and some well placed flour and a detect magic spell):

• Leaf saw what happened, or had been noticed. Tebryn was also aware of what happened.
• The killer took them both to the rear balcony after incapacitating them and dropped them off the ledge.
• There are two magical portals - one in the basement, and one in a suspiciously small servants' quarters. Both reek of conjuration magic, leading to the same place, but the one in the basement has slightly different runes altogether. Lillith is useful in reading the runes but does not know where they go.

Lillith, while the party investigates the servants' quarters, seems to disappear while their backs are turned.   The party goes and enters the portal, but Kingsley stays behind, garnering the attention of Tarieyle Biirdir. They follow Kingsley upstairs for a private talk, in which Tarieyle discusses that they're here to 'watch what happens', and that it would be interesting to see if Kingsley gets involved. The culprit is more like Kingsley than they know. If they continue to help in the investigation, Tarieyle will gift them some sort of boon.   Kingsley obliges.   At this point, all the party has made it, one way or another, to a magically darkened location that begins to light up once the room is finally activated. A couple of crystals begin to float as magical energy fills a ritualistic circle in the middle. A phase spider and several wolf spiders begin to go after the players, but it isn't until the statues animate, becoming Web-Stricken, that the players begin to have difficulty.   However, with all the crystals broken and the bodyguards freed from their cocoons, the party is soon able to return to the mansion.   Lillith is still missing however, but the remaining guests are in the dining room and main ball room.   After beginning to argue about who is and who isn't guilty, Tarielye decides that the bickering is getting on their nerves, and in a strange display of power, all local magical and divine influences are cancelled out.    Equally intimidated or confused, the party reconvenes.    The verdict:    Coranzen (fidgeting at this point) is responsible for the murder of Thalra, while Phrowenia is responsible for the plotting of her murder (considering she had a couple portals to a place filled with spiders).    The Sheriff smiles and thanks the party for their help, then turns on his heel and leaves, his form shifting to that of a regular civilian (only visible to the party at that moment) as he escapes back into the night.