Murder at the Parade
A man is found dead in warehouses the day before the great imperial parade. A simple criminal case... or a conspiracy against the Empire?
Required rules
Recommended classes
WARNING: This section contains major spoilers.
Jax Morell, a desperate unemployed man, was recruited by an anti-imperial resistance cell disguised as a "private security company." The group planned to sabotage the imperial parade with an explosive hidden in the honor tribune. But Jax had second thoughts at the last minute and wanted to withdraw. The saboteurs killed him to prevent him from talking and hid his body in the warehouses. IMPORTANT GM INFORMATION: This scenario is designed to be DIFFICULT. The players have approximately 6-8 hours in game time (2-3 real hours) before the parade. They must: 1. Understand that this is a murder linked to a conspiracy 2. Identify the fake security company 3. Locate the saboteurs or the bomb 4. Stop the attack EXPECTED OUTCOME: In most games, the players DO NOT stop the attack in time. The bomb explodes, killing several high-ranking imperial officers. This is a PARTIAL FAILURE that creates important narrative consequences: - The players can still arrest the saboteurs after the fact - This triggers imperial repression on the planet - The characters carry the weight of this failure However, if the players are efficient and perceptive, they CAN succeed. Let them have that possibility.
Scenario structure
Non-Player Characters
32-year-old man, unemployed for 8 months. Tired face, worn clothes. Found dead by strangulation in the warehouses.
29-year-old woman, employed at a cafe. Emotionally exhausted. Left Jax 1 month ago due to his depressive behavior linked to unemployment.
Local police officer (38 years old), tired and cynical. Feels the imperial occupation as a humiliation. Very uncooperative with imperial agents.
42-year-old man, former Kethara military. Cold charisma, war scars. Logistics coordinator of the resistance cell.
Former Kethara army officer (45 years old), brilliant tactician. Refuses to accept defeat. Ready to do anything to strike the Empire.
Encounters
Jax Morell's body is hidden behind crates of parade material. The players must collect clues.
Challenges:
- Perception 14: find textile fibers under the victim's fingernails
- Intelligence 15 or Medicine: determine time of death (12-18h)
- Perception 16: footprints leading toward the service exit
- Investigation 15: Jax's mobile phone (needs Hacker to unlock)
Rewards:
- Resume and cover letter for "SecurKeth Solutions"
- Phone with last call to Lyra and encrypted messages
- Photo of Lyra in his wallet
- Temporary warehouse access badge (suspicious: how did he get it?)
Lyra is devastated to learn of Jax's death. She wants to help but doesn't know much.
Success conditions:
- Charisma (Empathy) roll difficulty 13: she opens up freely
- Charisma (Persuasion) roll difficulty 15: she reveals embarrassing details
Rewards:
- Information: Jax had "found a job" a few days ago
- Information: He called her last night, seemed panicked, but she did not answer
- Information: He had become depressive due to unemployment, the couple had no future
- Solid alibi: she was at work at the time of the murder
Lieutenant Koss refuses to fully cooperate. Tension between local and imperial authority.
Success conditions:
- Charisma (Intimidation) roll difficulty 17: impose imperial authority (risk of diplomatic degradation)
- Charisma (Persuasion) roll difficulty 16: appeal to professionalism
- Show concrete proof of the conspiracy: he cooperates out of duty
On failure:
Koss blocks access to local resources, slows the investigation (-1h game time)
Rewards:
- Access to police files on Jax (confirms: no criminal record)
- Information on "SecurKeth Solutions": no registered commercial license
- List of legitimate security companies for the parade (SecurKeth is not on it)
The players have located Kael Theron. He can be interrogated, captured, or killed.
Enemies:
Total: 0 pts- 1x Kael Theron
- 2x Armed Saboteur
Tactics:
Kael attempts to flee first. His men cover his retreat. If captured alive, he can reveal the bomb's location under torture/persuasion (diff. 18).
Challenges:
- Infiltration (Stealth 16) or Frontal assault
- Kael will attempt to flee if spotted
- Combat if cornered (him + 2 armed saboteurs)
Rewards:
- Partial plans of the honor tribune
- Cell communication codes (allows locating Vess Narun)
- If successfully interrogated: bomb location (tribune, 3rd west pillar)
TIME LIMITED: The parade starts in 30 minutes (real time: 10-15 min). The players must find the bomb hidden in a massive structure.
Challenges:
- Perception 18: locate the bomb hidden in the 3rd west pillar
- Intelligence 17 or Explosives: disarm without plans
- Intelligence 15 or Explosives: disarm with Kael's plans
- Each failed roll costs 5 minutes of game time
On failure:
The bomb explodes during the parade. 12 dead including 4 imperial generals. Mission failure.
Rewards:
- If success: Attack foiled, parade secured, major imperial recognition
- Recovered bomb can be analyzed to identify the manufacturers
Commander Mira Sarros observes the tribune to remotely trigger the bomb. Combat is inevitable if the players find her.
Enemies:
Total: 0 pts- 1x Commander Mira Sarros
- 2x Resistance bodyguard
Tactics:
Mira stays back, shoots with her rifle. Her guards protect her position. If in danger, she attempts to trigger the detonator as a last resort.
Rewards:
- Mira's capture: information on the complete resistance network
- Recovered detonator: proof of the conspiracy
- Major imperial reputation if parade secured
- Kethara military equipment (tactical armor, precision rifle)
Items:
- Level 3 Imperial Security Badge (expanded access)
- Arcanotechnological weapon confiscated from saboteurs (player choice)
- Military tactical equipment (recovered from Mira)
Special reward:
Depending on the outcome: - TOTAL SUCCESS (attack foiled, saboteurs captured): +5 Reputation with the Empire, promotion, imperial medal, total trust from superiors - PARTIAL SUCCESS (attack foiled BUT saboteurs escaped): +3 Reputation, official recognition but investigation continues - PARTIAL FAILURE (attack succeeded BUT saboteurs captured after): +1 Reputation, official blame tempered by the arrest - TOTAL FAILURE (attack succeeded, saboteurs escaped): -2 Reputation, internal investigation, possible demotion, psychological trauma
Variants
For groups who enjoy in-depth investigation: - Add more false leads (innocent suspects, red herrings) - Complexify the resistance cell structure (3-4 levels) - Add cryptographic clues to decipher - Allow infiltrating the cell by posing as recruits
For groups who enjoy combat: - Reduce the investigation phase (Cipher gives shortcuts) - Multiply armed confrontations with saboteur cells - Add a vehicle chase through the streets of Kethara-City - Epic final combat on the tribune as the parade begins
For short sessions: - Lyra directly gives the name "SecurKeth Solutions" - Kael is easy to locate and talks quickly - Reduce parade time to 4 hours (1h30 real time) - Simplify the tribune search (Perception 15)