"Falcon, Theodric says you and Brycen have been poisoned! What's going on and how can we assist?"
Biter's first instinct is to check out the prisoners.
"Sarenrae has not blessed me with any divine magic that can help with poison, but I do have considerable skills in the mundane forms of healing"
upon reaching Byron and Falcon I will attempt to tell if they have indeed been poisoned or is it disease or some other illness.
Heal check for Byron
Heal
Heal check for Falcon
Heal
and since I wont be around much today (busy day at work)
Heal checks to assist them (they can take my roll instead of their saving throw for the secondary effects).
Heal Byron
Heal Falcon
Falcon is lying in his bed, his face pale and covered in sweat. "Good, you're here. I'm afraid that we got careless, so far from Avistan and Cheliax. Don't know how the bugger knew we weren't going to be checking for poison anymore...maybe he just got lucky. It's Black Tortoise Tears...do you know of it? No, didn't think you would. It's a nasty one, rare, specialty of certain Chelish assassins, very hard to resist and very deadly, though it takes a lot longer than standard poisons. Gives us some time, but not much. As for what you can do...I don't suppose any of you know neutralize poison? Yeah, I figured you didn't. Banker Camder doesn't know it either, and doesn't have delay prepared. Black Tortoise Tears are nasty, but they do have one weakness: a specialized form of anti-toxin, looks like a white-milky liquid. Our best chance is that our poisoner brought some of the antidote with him in case of accidental exposure. Find our murderer, and you may find the means by which we may be saved."
"Falcon, I can detect poison, but as we both know even a thin sheet of lead can block detection. Did you and Brycen take trips to any other vessels or receive any guests or gifts recently? A shared bottle of wine that no one else but you shared, anything that could narrow the search?"
While waiting on his reply, Alexis scans the room, one 5' cube per round (i.e. one square per 2 rounds) to see if the contaminated vessel(s) are still present. While searching, she says, "This may very well be a task that can be accomplished only by subterfuge. Assuming that none of the prisoners would have had the opportunity or means to pull this off, I wonder if they might have any insights into how to proceed with such shady matters — if only from personal experience. Falcon, I've never had an aptitude for enchantments, but do either you or Brycen happen to have charm person in your spellbooks? This might be the time to give them a try..."
I assume thaat Black Tortoise Tears is an ingested poison?
What about your food? Did you just eat? Who prepared it? Maybe we should start there and find out if anyone was wondering around the kitchen?
Yes subterfuge is needed, if the poisoner finds out we are looking for the cure and knows they are already poisoned, he might try to get rid of it.
Biter leans in close and sniffs Gray's arm and pokes him twice, "Biter notting to know how to fix Hunt-Master." He looks back over at the group, "But Biter is'ing happy to help out with any good ideas."
Alexis detects poison in the wine and remains of Falcon's meal, as well as in Falcon Gray himself.
Falcon Gray points to his notebook, lying open next to his bunk. "While we were waiting for you, Sir Kheiron started questioning some people. This is a list of the names he came up with who may have had access to the food before his Lordship and I partook of our meals."
Alexis reads a list of names:
Timmus, the sailor who brought the food.
Captain Theodric, who might have had a chance while Timmus was laying out the tray for him.
Kuras who was nosing around the galley during one of his free walk-abouts.
Fara Tweedlebottom who was also nosing around, sniffing the pots.
Jerrys Puthor, whom Timmus remembered as just hanging around that part of the deck by himself.
Lieutenant Andrells, who was nearby conversing with a pair of soldiers transferred from the Desert Rose.
Soldier Tatrill and Soldier Prathus, the two soldiers from the Desert Rose.
"Please, I know you'll do your best, but hurry. I estimate the way the poison is running its course, that Lord Brycen may have but a few hours left, and I maybe even less."
Alexis looks down the list...
"Timmus would be too obvious, but if he's nervous he might grasp at straws and implicate someone else anyway way. Jerry is a loner anyway so that's not saying much."
"Captain Theodric could have easily delayed reaching out to us until it was too late, and he took great pains to interrogate me for Brycen's benefit so I doubt it was him."
"Kuras isn't exactly stealthy. Someone else would have had to supply him with poison regardless. Although the prisoner's last minute transfer still remains suspect, of course."
"Fara's parents have both been the victims of assassination so they can already be considered pawns in The Game at the least. Who knows what sort of farmers the were if their employer was important enough to get killed."
"Andrells I don't know well enough to say, but I'm certainly suspicious of the two transferred from the Desert Rose after having met their mistress."
"Hmm..." she muses. "Starting an investigation without being sly about it will only alert the suspect to dispose of any evidence. But if we could stake out the suspects, then make a to-do and trail them, they might lead us to what we're looking for. Any ideas on how we go about accomplishing this? Gregor, would any of the animals you are capable of summoning be able to help us sniff-out any clues?"
"Also, the wine and food were both poisoned so it would have been most efficient for a poisoner to taint them at the same time instead of making two separate attempts. I know the officers frequently keep spirits in their quarters, so was there any one point in time when drink and food were kept in distinct locations rather than the same?"
"Perhaps we should grab all these hm likely suspects at once. Search them first. Question, second." It's clear Rath thinks the list of possibles is not comprehensive enough but they have to work with what they have. "Doubt it is Desert Rose people. How would they know that poison sniffing security had waned? More likely poisoner waited til obvious suspects came on board."
"That is a good point actually, although how long ago were those men transferred? It's been over a week since the crews were rebalanced to accommodate the addition of a fourth ship, correct?"
"That is a good point actually, although how long ago were those men transferred? It's been over a week since the crews were rebalanced to accommodate the addition of a fourth ship, correct?"
"Each of the Lady Iona's desk is largely open to view with no walls or partitions. Before we call everyone up to deck, I would say that we need to have people posted at each end of the decks to watch for suspicious behavior or for anyone who does not vacate that deck once there is a call for everyone to assemble on the main deck."
"Gregor is the most observant of us followed Rath and then Pete. Meanwhile Biter and then Elorin are the most stealthy. I would say that Rath, Gram, and Biter should stake-out the lower hold if only to backup the guards who watch the prisoners. The fact that the guards allow Hogginside to cast spells means some of them could be compromised."
"Pete, Elorin, and Abbas could similarly stake out the upper hold. In each case, I would say that those who can act stealthily should do so if only to perhaps surprise someone caught in-the-act."
"Gregor I would like to see keeping a watch on the crowd from the prow. I'll wait by his side ready to dive over and intercept anything thrown overboard with my mage hand or to provide crowd suppression with color spray. The purpose of such a plan would be to frighten anyone with a guilty conscience into showing their hand and trying to dump an antidote over the rails. Also, Gregor seems to have a way with 'reading' people while I can scan those same people with both detect magic and detect poison. As people are being rounded up, he and I shall begin interrogating those people under the greatest suspicion first until we have made our way thru Kheiron's list."
"If anyone else has another idea for how we might go about this then now's the time to present it. Falcon, you or Brycen wouldn't happen to have any scrolls or potions that might aid us would you? Invisibility, that sort of thing?"
I see nothing and believe that everyone is telling me the truth...
Gram's Rolls:
Alexis' Rolls:
Once the observers are settled into their positions, three soldiers that Sir Kheiron claims could not possibly be involved due to their long ties to Lord Brycen and himself are sent down below to start rounding people up. The colonists, for the most part, seem to be concerned and a little afraid, but none present any trouble. The prisoners grumble audibly about always being the first suspected of any wrong doing.
The prisoners do start moving out, however, when out of nowhere, Jerrys Puthor begins screaming in fright and bolts for the ladders leading up!
Rath will be looking at everyone near Jerrys. His base assumption, is that the assassin did something to get Jerrys to react to make good his escape or something like that - i.e. he's a diversion.
If she has time, Alexis will cast message to ask Rath, "What's happening down there?"
Rath's reply:"Jerrys is screaming in fear and heading up the stairs near me. Looking for cause."
Initiative:
Pete Init:
Gram Init:
Would anybody like to play Gram or Pete for this encounter? I thought we had a player for Pete, but it never seemed to materialize.
Rath:
Pete Init: 1d20+3
Gram Init: 1d20+1Would anybody like to play Gram or Pete for this encounter? I thought we had a player for Pete, but it never seemed to materialize.
Nazard
email address: e_swan9@yahoo.com
"Guards," Alexis shouts, "prepare to restrain Jerrys when he emerges from the hold. Everyone else, give them some space."
Rath yells, "I HEARD CHANTING! THERE IS SPELLCASTER ON THIS DECK! ANYONE LOOKING LIKE THEY ARE CASTING, ATTACK THEM IMMEDIATELY! EVERYONE GET FLAT ON DECK - NOW!"
Alexis winces at the loudness of the reply she just heard thru the message response.
On her turn, she will cast mage armor.
Once in range to attack such an individual...
Pete
Nazard, I am not sure where Pete is on the boat, but he would try to capture Jerry Puthor, before he can flee the ship. If necessary he would grapple/bull rush him to stop him from getting away.
Acrobatics roll (untrained)
Bull rush/grapple check, CMB +1
If he can get into melee range then, he would take his throwing axe and strike with the flat of the blade, . Throwing Axe , damage non lethal, plus sneak attack damage if applicable.
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