This is a skill challenge designed to be used with my Skill Challenge rules!
The Canary’s Song
Moderate skill challenge
Theme. A murder cloaked in song and shadow hides a deeper truth beneath velvet and stone.
Goal. Decipher Laska the Canary’s cryptic performance to reveal the location of a hidden chamber tied to the Violet Grange murder.
Structure. 3 successes before 2 failures. Each attempt uses a different skill. Repeat uses incur disadvantage unless strongly justified.
Setting. The Violet Grange is a luxurious manor turned performance hall in Longspears Crescent Ward district. The murder of a noble courier has rattled the salon. Whispers drift through the garden paths, and veiled accusations hang in the air. Laska the Canary, half-oracle, half-balladeer, sings a strange poem during the aftermath. Decoding its meaning may uncover evidence before it vanishes.
Complication. After the first failure, a magical custodian animates within the walls of the Grange—a discreet arcane presence tasked with protecting its patrons. It begins observing the party’s actions and may interfere, warn staff, or subtly alter the environment if it senses misconduct.
NARRATIVE COMPONENTS
Laska’s Song
“At moon’s third hour, no bell shall ring,
A cup turned sweet will silence sing.
Where copper lines and bricks mislay,
A whisper waits, where dead men stay.”
Her voice cuts through the hush of the aftermath, smooth and pointed. The crowd listens—but few understand. Each line of the verse references elements of the Grange’s architecture and forgotten past. The final stanza is thought to refer to the Silenced Room—an ancient courier chamber long sealed and erased from public memory.
The Violet Grange
A former diplomatic manor now home to curated performances and salons of culture and discretion. It is as much a stage as a sanctuary. Beneath its refinished corridors lie older stones, sealed rooms, and copper lines tracing long-forgotten messages.
SUGGESTED SKILLS
Insight (DC 13) Success: You sense the intent behind Laska’s tone and body language. The song is a warning, not a threat—directed at those who know the Grange’s secret layout. Failure: You misjudge the performance, interpreting it as an accusation against Madame Velistra. Your access to guests and servants is restricted until you clear the confusion.
Investigation (DC 15) Success: The clues lead you to a small, overlooked corner where mismatched copper pipe meets older brickwork. A hollow space lies just beyond. Failure: You dislodge a decorative panel, triggering a security response. The garden hall is briefly sealed. Your next check suffers disadvantage.
History (DC 14) Success: You recall that the Grange once incorporated a courier station during the Eddric conflicts. Its lower chamber was condemned and hidden, explaining the song’s final line. Failure: You conflate two locations in Longspear, pursuing a false trail and losing precious time.
Arcana (DC 15)
Success: Traces of warding and masking magic cling to a portion of the Grange’s southern wing. The spellwork matches concealment enchantments used by spies of the Sea Princes.
Failure: You mistake fading traces of illusion for active threat. A security glyph flares and alerts a magical custodian to your presence.
Performance (DC 13)
Success: By mimicking Laska’s cadence and gesture, you identify emphasis on specific syllables tied to the layout of the Grange. A lyrical map emerges. Failure: Onlookers misread your reenactment as gallows humor. You are barred from the salon’s inner corridor for impropriety.
OUTCOME
Success (3 successes before 2 failures):
The party follows the song’s trail to a sealed panel in a forgotten corner of the Grange. Behind it lies a hidden cache: a burnt Sea Princes contract, a glyph-scorched cipher key, and a marked map of Longspear sewer junctions. These lead to the Silenced Room. Madame Velistra thanks the party discreetly, and their standing with the Thieves Guild quietly improves.
Failure (2 failures before 3 successes):
By the time the song is unraveled, the cache is gone—cleared by another agent. The trail ends in cold brick and suspicion. The staff mark the party as potential disruptors. Future efforts in Longspear elite circles suffer social and magical scrutiny, and access to the Violet Grange is formally curtailed.
You can also find this on homebrewery!
Yvan Boily 