The Man Who Laughs
In the wake of the Great Dwarf War, the victorious nations formed a Dwarven League to prevent further mass-wars from engulfing the continent. But the Dwarven League’s existence was almost entirely symbolic. The Mujikans are rapidly mobilizing forces for another war and Txahal- once against Mujika- is now expanding into an empire with Mujikan support. In the Elven Lands of Si, the Richu Empire has began a full-scale invasion of the mainland.
In between the continents on Turtle Island, the Fur Dwarf nation of Larrunana has enjoyed relative peace in their isolation from world events. A rapid increase of crime as a result of a massive economic depression has led to a rise in vigilantism as masked heroes have begin fighting crime in major cities. In an attempt to stem the tide of the oncoming war, and to investigate rumors of a demonic puppeteer; five of these masked heroes have sent out a call for all masked vigilantes to meet to establish a union of heroes tasked with saving the world from the oncoming world war.
In the Summer of 3939, the newly formed "League" founded by the Black Knight, the White Knight, Princess Keremet, Neshir the Half-Demon, and Prince Rowai sent out a call for vigilantes across the realm to join their organization to help combat the growing presence of evil in world. In the Autumn of 3939, the Black Knight sent out a call for help in dealing with a mass murderer in Nuevo Eborekon who had been leaving a trademark on his victims; a permanent grin on their frozen faces.
Three vigilantes took up the call and joined with the Black Knight in response to the terror left in the murder's wake. The Black Knight took the heroes to the most recent crime scene- a small tavern in which a dozen corpses were discovered with the serial killer's trademark scar. The party scavenged the scene for clues and discovered the residue left behind on a playing card by an arcane gas likely used as the murder weapon. While the Black Knight remained to look for more clues, the heroes left for a casino from where they discovered the origin of the card. The party attempted to bluff their way through an encounter with mobsters, but ended up embarrassing themselves under pressure and instead learned about a former debtor to the mob who went missing before paying off his debts. The group returned to the Black Knight with their new information and the Black Knight replied with more clues from the crime scene.
The party next visited a musical theatre to follow up on a clue left behind in the form of a piece of rare sheet music. After performing a successful impromptu comedy act, the the party negotiated their way into speaking with the theatre technicians. They explained one of their former comedians went missing about a year before and was never seen again. The party then followed up on another clue- a ticket to the circus. After watching an acrobatic performance by the Amazing Grays, one of the vigilantes bluffed their way into the residential tents and spoke with the carnies about a clown who recently went missing.
After returning to the Black Knight with their new information, the Black Knight believed he could track down the murderer to an abandoned arcane gas factory in the docks district. He took the party there and the group began searching the area. Inside, the Black Knight left to look for the killer while the rest of the group searched for possible hostages- or more victims- in the hidden passages of the factory.
The party found a group of hostages in a torture room along with one victim encased in an Iron Maiden. While the group set to work freeing the hostages and getting them to safety, the Black Knight discovered the Man Who Laughs in the factory. The two began brawling on the third floor as the Black Knight attempted to capture the killer alive. The vigilantes below got the hostages out of the building as the auxiliary arrived at the scene. The Black Knight and the Man Who Laughs broke through a window on the third floor of the factory and crashed onto the ground outside. The Black Knight picked himself up and dragged the serial killer to the auxiliary to take away to prison.
At the Black Knight's underground Headquarters, the group debriefed and discussed a recent news headline. The Richu Empire- a nation of Hill Elves from the Eastern Isles of Si who had slowly been expanding their empire in the wake of the Great Dwarf War- recently raided a Larrunanan territorial port. The surprise raid crippled the Larrunanan navy and acted as a declaration of war, sending Larrunana into the Second Great Dwarf War- a conflict the Turtle Island nation was actively avoiding. In the wake of the attack, the Steward of Larrunana called for the interment of any Richu Elves residing in Larrunana to desert camps in the Mountains of Stone where they could be observed for possible involvement in espionage.