GM Silbeg's "Murder on the Throaty Mermaid" (Inactive)

Game Master Silbeg

@ Miro Let's see how well you post when you are at 1 hp ;)

Seeing Ibid's blade cutting down the dwarf, Amaranti lowers his lance. "Maybe better keep alive. Want to talk, surely." Then the Garundi slaps Ibid on the back. "You hit good, old man! But look wounded, need healing?"

Amaranti digs up a sinister looking wand, pointing it toward the old man. "Devil's blood. Good for wounds, might feel bit strange a while"

On Ibid's permission, Amaranti casts Infernal Healing; Fast healing 1 for 10 rounds, side effects include detecting as evil for the duration...

"Amaranti, you are a ... good person." Finarin says as he awkwardly attempts to slap the Garundi on the back.

"Methinks that this dwarf will tell you little ... and less. She lied to Ibid and I about her whereabouts, and from the look of her....kitchen.... she is probably a master poisoner. I disagree with this course of action.... but if you all agree I will not ... oppose you. She needs constant supervision. I suggest we collect the .... others, and meet back in our cabin. There we can access what we have .... learned to attempt to solve this enigma.

To ensure that she stays out, Finarin will unarmed attack her if necessary. Once back in the cabin, he suggests to strip her naked so she cannot conceal any Alchemical implements.

Before they leave, "Friends, there may be other ... clues here that points to the murderer. We should thoroughly ... search this room. As I am an elderly elf and have rheumy eyes best if someone else conducts thsi search. I might not roll high enough to see the nose on my face at DC 35. At the though of touching the 'mess' the dwarf left, Finarin begins to feel nausea and cold sweats coming on.

Having arrived at the tail end of the altercation, Miro looks mildly amused. The cook's meals had been atrociously bad, but this seemed like overkill. He peers about to make sure they are alone. If they are, "Anera said she was abed during the murder yesterday, her stomach hurting from the meal we were served. Only she was the only one affected. She's also trying to hide something. And hates elves. And is an assassin."

"Miro smart man, I trust what he says. Many who would want to kill ambassador, and many with skills to do it. Best be careful now, and keep together"

In response to Finarin's request, Amaranti starts searching the room. Kaisharga, you help search!

Miro will also help with the search, his keen Halfling eyes looking specifically for things that might cause stomach aches.

If Lort gets up there in time he'll also search, but he'd love to have a chat with his friends first. Much to talk about! Most is best done in private, though.

Finarin notices a book titled Concocted Libations to Die For located among the cookbooks. He quickly grabs it, without saying why. On her body, she has a number of items, including 2 potions and a wand. She also has a dose of belladonna, a vial of soothe syrup, and a portable alchemist's lab.

On her shelves you find several empty vials. Ibid is curious about these, and he is helped by the rest of the group.

I know at least one person has manacles, which you could use on her... now that you know the above, do you wake her?

Crew Members left to talk to:

• Killik
  
• Ulamon
  
• Captain Veane
  

Lort finally finishes ascending the stairs, his grumbling clearly audible well before the bedraggled half-orc hoves into view.

"Wow!" he exclaims upon seeing the state of the kitchen, "I didn't think it possible, but I do believe you've even made more of a mess in here than before. It always looked like a figurative bomb had gone off, but now it looks like a literal one has!"

Lort listens as his friends recount the tale of what happened her, smiling broadly all the while - the half-orc clearly has different ideas of what constitutes "fun" than his comrades do. "Well done! We faced our own adversary in the hold, but it's too soon for me to talk about that without killing something at the memory." Lort looks down mournfully at his rusty armor.

The big half-orc helps Ibid clap manacles on Shira, and gathers all the wounded around. He clasps his amulet's miniature muscular arm of Kurgess in one hand and closes his eyes in prayer, channeling the positive energies of his god to bring healing to all (including Shira).

Channeling positive energy: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Position updated on the map, and see my discussion thread post for an out-of-character attempt to draw the clues together.

"Thank you, Amaranit," Ibid thankfully accepts the Garundi's healing. "Devil's blood doesn't bother me..."

If the others only knew how fitting it is," Ibid thinks to himself, looking over his companions, his eyes falling upon Cyrus last. I know he would never forgive me, if he knew the truth.

Finally drawn from his thoughts, Ibid and Lort (not too gently) slap the bonds on the dwarf.

The vials contain remnants of several ingestible poisons. In light doses they can make someone sick... in heavier doses they can kill.

"This dwarf was indeed dabbling with poisons," the old man says, raising on the vials aloft, so as to let the light better pass through its glass. "As these vials show." Ibid then follows by fully explaining what he knows about the vials and their poison.

"But I don't know what that information tells us," Ibid says. "Based on what Anera told you, Amaranti and Miro, she may have fallen victim to Shira's poisons. And Sephrial was certainly stabbed, but do we know with certainty that he was not poisoned and already dead when the dagger's blade pierced him in the back? Stabbing the poisoned corpse would certainly have been a rather ingenious and impressive way to throw off any investigation into the real cause of death"

"Either way, I do not think we have a motive for this one-eyed dwarf... yet. I think further questioning is required," the old man says, opening and closing his hand repeatedly as a strange and distantly familiar sensation creeps across his body, a remnant of the infernal healing running its course. "I like the idea of removing all weapons, armor, and gear from anyone we investigate from this point forward."

Lort pulls at his beard in thought, before responding to Ibid's summary, "Poison then dagger would indeed be ingenious, but it would not explain who the two tall male figures were down in the hold. To explain, there is a beast master downstairs. He saw two tall and likely-male figures feeding a dagger (most likely the murder weapon) to a rust monster he was keeping down there."

Don't look down at your armor, don't look down. Just one more night and you can pray to Kurgess in the dawn's light for the means to fix it. Just one more night.

"Do you think it's possible Anera was meant to murder the elven emissary, and was thwarted by the dwarf?" Miro ponders this, tapping his foot.

"We only have three left, and we should save the captain for last, me thinks, as he seems the least likely. So, Killik, or Ulamon?"

Upon discovering the carnage from the fight, Cyrus, who is already on edge, nearly loses it realizing how close his friends came to death. While Lort's reaction is light in regards to a battle won, Cyrus is much less forgiving at this point.

"Maybe we should throw her down in the cage with the rust monsters. Beasts like this need to be contained. The society is going to get a rather sour report on the state of this ship and it's crew."

She's lucky everyone survived. For as overbearing as he can be sometimes, I am getting pretty attached to these people. I don't know if I could have stopped myself from ending her life if... Cyrus shakes off the thought and focuses on the conversation at hand, sorting out the clues they have gathered so far. The distraction from what was very nearly a reality is welcome.

Assuming the party is together to search the kitchen area

Ibid thinks over the facts Lort and Miro have presented. "Indeed, Lort. This is very interesting information you bring about these two figures disposing of the dagger. Given this information, it seems more than likely that Sephrial was not poisoned prior to being stabbed. But Miro is also right, that we don't know enough to discount any scenario entirely yet. If possible, I would like to at least question the dwarf before moving on to another, in order to see why she lied about her alibi."

Ibid seems disappointed to learn Sephrial was probably not poisoned prior to being stabbed, as if the old man took a perverse satisfaction that this unknown suspect was clever enough to offer a real challenge.

Be careful old man, Ibid thinks to himself. If you show how much you are enjoying this, people may think you murdered Sephrial.

@ GM How much time remains before the storm?

FYI - Killik typically in the cabin... right next to you all!

The cause of death was confirmed through a heal check to be stabbing. Lots of stabbing. Also, while the murder weapon was disposed of, the poison vials are just part of the mess. And there are some there that were emptied a while ago.

So, do you wake up Shira, before or after binding her?

And, I have to say, I am loving reading the deductive reasoning going on here. Excellent!

@ GM How much time remains before the storm?

A: Survival: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (7) + 0 = 7
C: Survival: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
F: Survival: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15
I: Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
L: Survival: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
M: Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
K: Survival: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3

***** EDIT ********

On second thought I'll wait on that

"Agreed that we should continue to question the dwarf," Lort says immediately, "She clearly has some more questions to answer. Let me know when and if she needs a good seeing to.

"However, I think we should question Ulamon first. He's got the most motivation to kill the ambassador, and he's right next to the captain at the wheel anyway. Maybe we can question them both before the storm hits. We probably don't have enough time to talk to conduct more than one more interview."

Don't look too bored, Lort. If you show how much you prefer killing to talking, people may think you murdered Sephrial.

Lort deliberately channelled with Shira nearby in the hopes of reviving her. When it's time to question her (if 3 HP didn't bring her to positive) can we slap her awake? If not, I'll prod her with a wand until she stirs.

So, do you wake up Shira, before or after binding her?

That is wake up AFTER manacling, hog-tying, and whatever else you can add in there!

On her body, she has a number of items, including 2 potions and a wand.

Anyone able to identify these?

"Friend Lort, let us question Killik, then report all our findings to Captain Veane with Ulamon there. If Killik is innocent ...then logically that leaves Ulamon as guilty. It would be best to ... expose him with the Captain nearby. We can quickly question this .... dwarf."

"Very well, Finarin, if you insist," says Lort warily, "But the captain may be unwilling to convict her weather-controlling priest without any evidence save for 'last man standing' with a storm about to hit. Does everyone else agree with our elf?"

And absolutely won't wake her until she is manacled!

I am a completionist at heart. I hate not talking to everyone before the storm hits. If someone has a better plan I am game. Still trying to find out how to finish my faction quest. Going alone to talk with the assassin who hates elves was a bad idea that I was glad I retracted.

Checking the potions and the wands

Actually, she'll wake withe channel, but I'll say that Ibid had already manacled her by then...

"You punks. You let me go! You have no right to hold me like this!! I'll complain to the Captain!" Shira yells.

Holy Rolls - GM you can bot me for next combat!

"Gentlemen, and Lort, after a brief study it appears as if we have ... a potion of delay poison, a potion of cure light wounds, and a wand of purify food and drink. Wish we would have had this when she served her ...food."

"Throwing bombs at paying customers and YOU are going to complain? I think not, my lady. Please just answer our questions and then I am sure we can sort things out from there." He gives the dwarf the friendliest smile he can.

Diplomacy

"Ahhh, you awake madam. How ... unfortunate. I was all for ending you. I still want to. I will use small words for you to ... understand. Last time you did a ... poor job of answering our questions. This time I kindly ask that you do a ... better job. My friend Cyrus here is no doubt thinking of cruel and creative ways to ... hurt you. I, on the other hand, will just simply thrust my raiper into that vacant place where a ... heart would be. So as my other friend Ibid asked, where were you when the ambassador was ... murdered? Why did you poison Anera?"

Finarin draws his rapier in a swift motion, causing the rapier to reverberate creating a 'singing' sound. He raises it and points it toward her heart. A cruel smile appearing on his face.

Ibid paces behind Miro and Finarin, an angered scowl stretched across his face while his piercing eyes seem to burrow straight through the one-eyes dwarf.

Lort will back up his companions, but doesn't feel the need to wave his sword at a helpless dwarf. She knows he has one. She saw him sharpening it just next to her every night for over a week. She knows how big it is.

Ibid looks at Lort standing impressively behind the party, and his eyes focus on the half-orc's sizable greatsword. The old man then looks to his own longsword for a comparison.

Sure it's shorter... the old man thinks to himself. ...but look how thin mine is.

"For nearly killing you," referring to Ibid and Finarin, "with no apparent reason, I would say it wouldn't hurt my feelings to just pin the murder on the wretch and leave it at that. The captain would be relieved to know he has a guilty party to condemn so that his business isn't affected."

Turning to the dwarf he says, "Just your unwarranted attack alone is nearly enough to convince me that you are guilty and just hiding it. Why else would you attack the only people who could prove your innocence, if indeed, that is what you are?"

BAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

L:Intimidate: Aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
I:Intimidate: Aid: 1d20 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (14) - 1 + 2 = 15(you hit her HARD)
C: Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 2 = 20

Shira, tied up, manacled, with some serious wounds stops struggling, as the Wrath of Cyrus hits her.

"I... uh... I thought you were trying to... pin it on me!" she stammers. "Sure, I poisoned the crew... they are all ass-holes! But never gave 'em enough to kill them, or enough to endanger the ship. I did give Anera a healthy dose last night... I am surprised she's not walking funny after that hit her." She gives a smirk about that.

"But it wasn't me, honest. Sure, I don't keep the cleanest galley. But I'm lazy, ok? I admit it! I'm lazy, and I turned in early. Anera or Killik probably saw me... well, maybe not Anera, she wasn't doin' too good, but I am sure Killik saw me. In fact, I am pretty sure that I heard Anera askin' Killik for help, and the bastard said that if she couldn't pay him, he wouldn't cure her. Just like the ass-hole."

"Well," says Lort gravely, "You'll have the captain to answer to when he's free enough to deal with you for attacking ships' guests and poisoning his crew."

Lort lets her stew on that tee hee, and turns to his companions, "For now, though, let us go upstairs and speak with this cleric. It looks like he's our only remaining strong suspect. I don't know who was assisting him in destroying the weapon, though. It's something we'll have to ask him."

Smiling, the half-orc turns to the Kelleshite, "Don't let go of that anger when you question him, my friend. It definitely works wonders for you."

I'll have to remember to practice those intimidation techniques for our next adventure together. So effective! I bet my muscles would give me an advantage, too... if only I knew how to apply them properly.

Lort will start to head upstairs if there is no disagreement with his suggested course of action...

cleric is right behind the door on this level.

Since we are comparing swords

Finarin looks at Aramanti's lance, then Lort's huge greatsword, next old man Ibid's beat-up long sword. He then peers at his long but narrow rapier. Turning, he sees Miro's shortsword flopping precariously from his sheathe, before finally resting his eyes on Cyrus' tiny sickle. Silently he gives thanks that his isn't the smallest.

Oh dear. Also, my bad. I thought the navigator was the priest, since he "employs his mastery of wind and waves to keep the ship on course". I should have just read the names.

Lort strides to the nearby door, whipping his greatsword out. Reaching it, he bangs on the hard, smelly wood. Sorry. Ibid started it.

"Killik, got some questions for you! Get yourself out here and see what you can do about exonerating yourself." Subtlety had never been one of Lort's strong points.

Moved Shira and Cyrus to spots that make more sense, hope that's alright.

Hey now, sickles are perfectly curved for maximum effectiveness. It's not the weapon in your hand, it's how you use it! /snicker

-Posted with Wayfinder

Miro prepares himself for another interrogation. Since the others had already gone so well, he stands near the front of the group, if possible. Perhaps sweet words would produce fewer casualties. He and Amaranti had questioned two people without blood spilled, after all.

Amaranti leans onto his 10-footlong polearm, and smiles reassuringly at his companions, who are showing off their weaponry. Racial stereotypes..? nah...

The Garundi nudges Miro forwards to talk to Killik, believing their success with previous interrigations is mostly due to the halfling's skill with words.

The half-orc bangs loudly on the door, and yells for the cleric. Eventually, the Besmaran priest opens the door. "What's all the banging about? Why didn't you just come in?

"So, who needs healing? Besmara will grant the healing that you need, for an appropriate fee, of course."

"We have some questions for you regarding the murder of Zephriel," Lort begins, barging past the priest and into the room to stand before the bed (he took Killik's complaining as an invitation), noting the priest eyeing his drawn sword, Lort adds, "Sorry, the last few times we've questioned people it's ended in bloodshed. Best to be prepared."

Really at a loss for where to proceed from here, Lort looks pleadingly to Miro and Cyrus.

"Good Killik, it seems as though it is agreed you arrived on the scene, only to not attempt to heal the ambassador. Why was that? What were you doing beforehand?" Miro asks in a friendly way, as if asking for an explanation and not making a demand. If necessary, he knows his companions are more than capable of roughing the man up.

Good Killik, it seems as though it is agreed you arrived on the scene, only to not attempt to heal the ambassador. Why was that?

"Two reasons. First, because the elf was already dead... and being dead, he couldn't pay me. Simple enough."

What were you doing beforehand?

"If you are going to interrogate me, I need compensation. I am loosing 10gp per minute I speak with you, so... that's my price."

Lort looks around at all the swords that have been and are being compared.

"How about the old five blade discount?" Lort quips, "Also, your captain has given us permission to interrogate the crew. You are part of the crew, so you can perhaps explain to Veane why you're not cooperating... and then have to tell us anyway what you were doing."

"If you are going to interrogate me, I need compensation. I am loosing 10gp per minute I speak with you, so... that's my price."

Ahhh the Bernie Madoff of the Pathfinder World. "For 100 gp you can buy my new book, Increase your Bottomline by Making Friends. If you order now we will send you a free, I am a jackhole T-Shirt."

"Well met cleric, ... extortion is it? Here we are trying to prove your ... innocence in the matter of the murder, whereas your ... resistance implicates your ...culpability. Easy or hard.." Finarin glances at Lort's brandished sword, Amaranti's propped up lance, and Cyrus' glistening sickles. "As always, your choice. Just know that our time is limited also, so I ... recommend you answer our questions and we'll be on our way."

Miro laughs heartily. "10 gp per minute? What are you doing sailing the high seas with such abundance at your disposal?" He chuckles a bit more, then adds, "Seriously, we are trying to prove your innocence here, man. Just answer some questions so we can strike your name off the list and move on, ok?" Miro frowns at his companions' almost obsessive need to threaten.

Finarin shakes his head at how much of a pain the butt everyone is on this ship. Why can't they just answer simple .... questions? Unless they are all .... guilty.