Murder on the Throaty Mermaid

Game Master Azodian

"That seems likely but maybe we should wait before throwing out any accusations," Tsamara whispers to Aurora and the others. As Thanzeril conveniently makes his reappearance and comes over to see what's going on, Tsamara coughs politely to get his attention.

"Ah, as you can see, things here have taken a turn for the murderous. The ship was attacked and boarded by strange elves - we took care of the elves, but in the meantime someone unfortunately took care of Sephriel. We'd really like to figure out what happened, for a number of reasons. Did you see anything? Is there a reason you stepped away from your post?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Data checks the lock on the door to see if it’s been tampered with…

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Aurora pouts as she appraises the so-called bodyguard. He's the obvious suspect. But he could have been enchanted in some way, compelled to leave his post.

sense motive, Thanzeril: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Thanzeriel:
"Could we do this away from curious ears, if only to spare me from further shame?"

He makes his way into the First mate's cabin and covers his former ward with a bedsheet. He seems utterly defeated.

"My personal weakness lead me to be seduced away from my post by one of the crew, a half-elven woman named Azuretta. i am happy to answer an questions you have."

Tsamara blinks.

"So...you abandoned your post for a roll in the hay, so to speak? You really couldn't have waited until you were off-duty or something??"

As she speaks, an angry edge creeps into her tone...but then she sighs and shakes her head. "Never mind, getting angry now won't help anything. Will you...tell us about Azuretta, please? I guess she knew you were supposed to be on watch here, right?"

Data arches an eyebrow and his facial circuitry lights up at Tsamara’s words. Roll in the hay? His circuitry blinks on and off rapidly before seemingly turning a blushing color as it finishes processing his query…

”Oh,” the android unconsciously murmurs aloud…

"You surface dwellers do it in hay?" Aurora fails to disguise her astonishment. "Doesn't it get in - no, never mind. Forget I asked."

"So. Azuretta, yes. She likes hay?" And I though it was for horses.

"Can you tell us anything else that might be of importance about your employer and who could have a motive to kill him? Do you know anything about the aquatic elves that attacked? Anything you can tell us?" Djahan aks.

Thanzeril:
"Not much to say about Azuretta. She's been propositioning me since I .. we came aboard. I don't know where she's gone now. Maybe ask the captain? As for others aboard the ship who might have wished me or my master ill, there's Anera. She has repeatedly challenged me to a game she called 'knivesies' and been directing racial slurs at the both of us since we came aboard. Now, if there is nothing else, I will spend the rest of this voyage contemplating my end, be it literal or metaphorical."

"Does Tsamara smell that as well?" Onye asks, his nose wrinkling under his mask. "Does Thanzeril smell that way or was it in the room before? Spice, flowers, and berries."

The smell of blood was too strong to pick up any traces before, but Thanzeril is covered in it.

What would you like to do next?

"We have to interview Azuretta as well! Where is she?" he asks the captain.

You travel up to the captain's cabin to ask about your newest lead.

The relatively nicely furnished captain’s cabin is where Captain Veane can be found when not on deck giving orders. The Captain is busy at work at his desk, writing in a thick, leather–bound logbook. Veane is not alone; a young half-elven woman lazes on his bed, reading an illustrated chapbook.

Captain Veane doesn't even look up from his work, merely hiking his thumb over his shoulder at the woman.

Djahan is not amused but he stays kind.

"Captain, can you please tell us the whereabouts of a woman called Azuretta?" he asks cordially.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Data follows along but knowing he sucks at diplomacy and other people skills, he keeps appropriately silent…

"Oof, yeah...that is some strong perfume," Tsamara agrees, wrinkling her nose at the powerful blend of scents. "Very distinctive, though. I'd guess it belongs to Azuretta."

When the group heads to the captain's quarters, it takes her a moment to realize that the woman lounging on the bed reading must be Azuretta herself. "Oh! Hello there. Azuretta, right? Would you talk with us for a few minutes?"

Diplomacy (Aid): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

"Yes. We hear that you like hay."

These surface-dwellers are crazy.

"Onye suspects a sterner tactic may be necessary," he suggests to the other amurrun.

She looks up from her book to address you.

Azuretta:
"I've got time to talk. How can I help you? Would it be safe to assume your not here for the usual reasons? If it is the usual reason, I'd be happy to give you as group rate."

Aurora raises an eyebrow. "Is it usual for a ship of this sort to carry a courtesan?" she asks of nobody in particular.

Data’s facial circuitry blinks a deep red before it turns dark completely and he drops his eyes to stare at the floor…

Djahan does not scold the woman.

"Please tell us everything you know about the murder. The bodyguard of the victim said that you seduced him so he could not guard his ward! Is that correct!?? Answer!" he asks with a forceful voice.

intimidate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Onye Dawon appraises the tiefling. "Very stern."

"Hopefully not *too* stern, though..." Tsamara murmurs, unsure of how Azuretta will react to her and Djahan's impromptu 'good cop/bad cop' routine.

Auretta:
"The tone is unnecessary. To answer your question, I'd been trying to crack that nut since he came aboard. The fact that it happened last night is just a coincidence. I'm happy to provide him an alibi, but no details further than that. It's rude to kiss and tell."

She winks at you.

“Well, the question is if you were somehow hired to confuse and seduce the guard so that he could not fulfill his duties!? Maybe you are part of the hidden agenda to kill the victim?“

Azuretta:
The woman looks at you with condescending bemusement,
"No, and no. Any other questions?"

Can someone roll sense motive?

sense motive : 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3

Djahan nods as if he’s satisfied.

sense motive : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

She seems to be telling the truth. Where/who would you like to investigate next?

“Then we will visit the kitchen next!“ the Tiefling says.

The apparition next to him floats along silently but clearly giggles.

"Oh! The kitchen! Yes, I'm absolutely starved!" Aurora exclaims, smacking her lips. "What's for breakfast?"

"Does the Captain know where Anera might be found?" Onye asks.

"Yes, we should probably speak to Anera next...and if she happens to be in whatever passes for the kitchen or mess hall, then I suppose that would be even better," Tsamara agrees. She then glances at her companions and asks, in a low whisper, "Why would we need to see the kitchen, anyway?"

Captain Veane:
"Check the fore deck if you're looking for Anera, or the main hold for the closest thing we have to a kitchen."

Two votes for Anera and two votes for the galley. Can we get a tie breaker?

"Why would we need to see the kitchen, anyway?"

Data’s lights blink for a moment before he whispers back, "Perhaps he is hungry?"

"Well...I suppose that's what a galley is for," Tsamara admits.

Thinking perhaps some breakfast is in order, you make your way down to the galley.

This large hold acts as temporary storage and the Throaty Mermaid’s galley. At present, it contains a number of strange pipes that were brought on board at Magnimar but seem to belong to a larger system of plumbing, mining ventilation or other technical purpose. A set of wooden stairs leads up to the main deck in the aft starboard corner of the hold, and a wooden door to the first mate’s cabin (most recently used by the late Sephriel) stands in the aft port corner. A door in the fore port corner leads to a stairwell down into the cargo hold. The fore bulkhead contains a thin wooden door to the crew’s quarters. The fore starboard corner of the hold is filled with various crates and barrels of foodstores, a modest washbasin, and a strange alchemical apparatus apparently used for heating food.

Here you find the ship's cook, a surly dwarf you were introduced to as Shira Acidaxe, has apparently had quite a rough an tumble life. She wears a tattered eye patch, sports a mouth of silvered teeth, bears a nasty scar on her cheek, and is missing half of her left ear.

"What's for breakfast?" Aurora asks cheerfully. "Have you got bacon? And black pudding - not the predatory sort. Or maybe actually yes the predatory sort, I have yet to try it. And sausage of course. Hash browns. Onions. Potatoes. By the Goddess I'm famished!"

"Oh and there's been a murder. But first breakfast!"

Djahan looks at the merfolk with a raised eyebrow.

He talks to the dwarf the.

“Greetings. We must speak with you about a dire situation that has arisen on this ship. As you may be aware, our mission to escort the dignitary Sephriel to the Mordant Spire has been fraught with unexpected challenges. And now, to our great dismay, Sephriel has been murdered, and we find ourselves embroiled in a most heinous crime. It is imperative that we uncover the truth behind this murder, not only to bring justice to the victim, but also to clear our own names and preserve the reputation of the Pathfinder Society. And in this endeavor, we require the assistance of all those who may have information pertaining to the crime!“ he says.

“As the ship's cook, you are in a unique position to have knowledge that could aid us in our investigation. I implore you to share with us any information you may have, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may be. Rest assured that any information you provide will be kept confidential and used only for the purposes of solving this crime. We are all in this together, and I believe that with your help, we can bring the perpetrator of this heinous act to justice and ensure that no such tragedy occurs again in the future!“ he says with a pleading look on his face.

Diplomacy : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

"Not to mention the quicker we figure out who the murderer is, the quicker we can let everyone get on with their work," Tsamara adds, opting for a more direct and less eloquent approach - but with just as much sincerity.

Diplomacy (Aid Another): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

”Yeah…and…uh…your eggs are good,” Data adds…

Aid Another (Diplomacy): 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (8) - 3 = 5

…with all the grace of folk unskilled in social interaction…

"Oh, I know!" Aurora exclaims "We can all sit down and compare notes - over breakfast! Did someone say eggs? With ham and Galtanaise sauce, yes?"

diplomacy (aid): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 if only to make the hungry mermaid and verbose tiefling leave the poor chef along :)

Shira:
"I been washing dishes all night, getting a head start on
the morning meal. Breakfast'll be sausages and hardtack, same as yesterday."

The dwarf flashes you the most venomous false smile you've ever seen.

perception : 1d20 ⇒ 16

Djahan suddenly looks around.

“I have to admit that I don’t know if I want to eat anything that you prepare! Look around! The stack of dirty pots and pans in the washbasin is so caked with filth that the items within must have been there since the ship left Absalom. Possibly before that!“ he says.

Perception: 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Data nods at Djahan’s remark, his circuitry lighting up. He leans towards Tsamara, whispering,”Why would a ‘chef’ need all those empty vials and an alchemical formula book for?”

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

"Oh, that's an interesting recipe book" Aurora declares, pointing out the formula book. "What was in this one?" she adds as she picks up an empty vial. "Apple sauce?"

craft (alchemy) untrained: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Craft: Alchemy (Untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Tsamara blinks in surprise when the other comment on the sorry state of the dishes and utensils - she hadn't noticed a thing.

"So is dwarven cleaning done in...reverse?" she asks, looking around. Aurora and Demm point out what seems to be some sort of formula book but it's all illegible to her.

Maybe it's formulae to make the food taste better...or something.

Shira:
"Yup, it's a recipe book and nothing else. And I don't se how it's any of your business how I rum my kitchen."