Heroica RPG- Quest #83: Four's Company

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche gazes around in horror. He says to himself, "It seems as if the three guards were given a sleeping agent and then finished off quickly while in their sleep. Besides, I thought that one of the men was burned to death?" Still perplexed, he checks the food on the table and then sniffs it, hoping to find traces of the sleeping agent in the meal.

Edited October 6, 2013 by Dragonfire

[Kintobor]

"That would make sense. However, there's not enough evidence to support that theory yet. As for one of the victims being burnt to death, the captain was obviously less in the loop. St. Germain was strangled to death then lit on fire afterwards."

Falner shudders at the thought then returns to his drink. Paolo can still be heard outside heaving up his breakfast.

Avalanche steps over the bodies and sniffs the plate, finding no traces of a sleeping agent. The dinner consisted of bread rolls and chicken drumsticks. A few flies buzz around the plate.

Charisan Dinner- complete with chicken drumsticks and bread rolls. This was most likely the guards last meal.

Edited October 6, 2013 by Kintobor

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche shudders at the thought. He sniffs the food and checks it again.

[Kintobor]

Avalanche sniffs the meal one last time for good measure, smelling no sleeping agent. If it wasn't in the food, where was it?

[Cutcobra]

Heckz approached Marcus Sassina and investigated the sword thrusted into him, then he compared the sword to the other guard's swords, he got a little distracted and checked his hair with one of the sword's reflection. The mage got close to the table and checked the bottle for any signs of a sleeping agent.

[Kintobor]

Heckz approached Marcus Sassina and investigated the sword thrusted into him, then he compared the sword to the other guard's swords, he got a little distracted and checked his hair with one of the sword's reflection. The mage got close to the table and checked the bottle for any signs of a sleeping agent.

Heckz kneels down to the body of Sassina, trying not to get blood on his fabulous cape. The sword was actually a concealable dagger, and a sharp one at that. With the blood that spilt out of Sassina's back a purple liquid also seems to be mixed in: deadly poison. The dagger doesn't appear to be standard for Hinckwell soldiers. He then examined the bottle of wine, sniffing it and swishing it about while trying to avoid Avalanche's potential parasites. Swishing the bottle around, Heckz can't tell if there's a sleeping agent inside, but the wine smells funny. Was it the sleeping agent?

Knife in Sassina's back- A dagger found in the back of Marcus Sassina. It was found laced with deadly poison.

Bottle of Falana Wine- A bottle of Charisian wine. The cork has been taken off. It smells funny...

Edited October 6, 2013 by Kintobor

[Kadabra]

Arasmyth checks the window on the off chance that it was open, unlocked or broken. He then peers into the back room. May as well see everything before we start leaping to conclusions. But it sounds like either St. Germaine wasn't thirsty, so he put up a fight, or else he was in on it and got backstabbed. If he let in the murderer he could easily have locked the door behind them before things got ugly.

[Cutcobra]

"Guys this knife was laced with deadly venom, and this wine smells kind of funny." Heckz hands the wine to Avalanche "Don't worry, I have a remedy on me." Heckz holds a remedy in front of him, then he checks what's inside the chest and the closed barrel.

[Kadabra]

Good find, er, Heckz, was it? I wonder how strong that dagger'd be in battle... ( ) If you don't feel like taking a swig, Furry, I'll do as long as you've got a Remedy on you.

[Kintobor]

Arasmyth checks the window on the off chance that it was open, unlocked or broken. He then peers into the back room. May as well see everything before we start leaping to conclusions. But it sounds like either St. Germaine wasn't thirsty, so he put up a fight, or else he was in on it and got backstabbed. If he let in the murderer he could easily have locked the door behind them before things got ugly.

Arasmyth checks the window, examining it thoroughly. The window don't appear to open at all, and there's no cracks in it. It's only imperfection is the small patches of dust and a small spiders web in the corner. Arasmyth then opens the door to the back room, only to stop momentarily as the stench of burnt flesh hits his nose.

Alan St. Germain's burnt corpse lays next to a crate. It appears the room was used as an armoury. The floor looks more torn up, most likely due to age and neglect of the building.

"Guys this knife was laced with deadly venom, and this wine smells kind of funny." Heckz hands the wine to Avalanche "Don't worry, I have a remedy on me." Heckz holds a remedy in front of him, then he checks what's inside the chest and the closed barrel.

Heckz looks through the chest and the closed barrel. Inside the chest lay a few discarded pieces of dirty garments with the Hinckwell insignia on it. The barrel holds a bunch of apples, many of which look good enough to eat.

Barrel (Produce)- A lone barrel storing apples as well as Pewd's worst enemies.

Chest- This chest holds various dirty clothes in it, each with the Hinckwell insignia.

Good find, er, Heckz, was it? I wonder how strong that dagger'd be in battle... ( ) If you don't feel like taking a swig, Furry, I'll do as long as you've got a Remedy on you.

After checking Avalance over for a potential zipper, Arasmyth examines the dagger to see if it was worth stealing from the scene of a crime. Due to being in the back of a dead guy though, Arasmyth couldn't tell how effective the dagger was. Falner waddle over to the body and examines it with Arasmyth.

"Anything of interest, laddie?"

OOC: I couldn't resist, I'm sorry! I'm going to Furry hell for this!

Edited October 7, 2013 by Kintobor

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl covers her nose with her handkerchief while she inspects the basket beside the chest, the shovel and broom in the barrel located in the front room. "Single bludgeoning blow... who could have the strength to knock Connor out?" wonders Purpearl. "Any ideas who could be trained to wield daggers?"

Edited October 7, 2013 by Purpearljellyblob

[Kadabra]

Arasmyth opens the chest and crate in the storeroom and investigates their contents, followed by examination of the weapons racks and armor. He removes the armor from St. Germaine (checking it for special properties) and then examines the crisped corpse. He also yoinks the dagger. See anything else back here you want to investigate, boys and lady? I think I covered the basics.

Purpearl covers her nose with her handkerchief while she inspects the basket beside the chest, the shovel and broom in the barrel located in the front room. "Single bludgeoning blow... who could have the strength to knock Connor out?" wonders Purpearl. "Any ideas who could be trained to wield daggers?"

I'm thinking Germaine was involved in some funny business and the girl is a red herring. He definitely could have KOed Connor, and since his accomplice was strong enough to strangle him it's likely that he also could've had the strength to do the deed.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Kadabra

[Kintobor]

Purpearl covers her nose with her handkerchief while she inspects the basket beside the chest, the shovel and broom in the barrel located in the front room. "Single bludgeoning blow... who could have the strength to knock Connor out?" wonders Purpearl. "Any ideas who could be trained to wield daggers?"

Purpearl investigates the basket beside the chest. Looking inside, she notices a few crumbs lying about inside. However one thing seems out of place. Purpearl picks up a small, yet peculiar black round object, no bigger than a mouse's eye. It swirls about inside, it's murky qualities making it attractive to the eye.

Woven Basket- An intricately woven basket, in which the food was most likely stored.

Murky Pearl- A Murky Pearl bead.

Arasmyth opens the chest and crate in the storeroom and investigates their contents, followed by examination of the weapons racks and armor. He removes the armor from St. Germaine (checking it for special properties) and then examines the crisped corpse. He also yoinks the dagger. See anything else back here you want to investigate, boys and lady? I think I covered the basics.

I'm thinking Germaine was involved in some funny business and the girl is a red herring. He definitely could have KOed Connor, and since his accomplice was strong enough to strangle him it's likely that he also could've had the strength to do the deed.

Arasmyth pilfers through the storeroom, looking for anything that could be considered evidence. Inside the crate sits a few shields with the Hinckwell insignia on it. The armour is in pristine condition, almost polished to the point Arasmyth can see his own reflection in it. Looking about the weapons rack, Arsamyth finds nothing out of place, no blood on the weapons, and none missing. Inside the chest lay a stack of papers, all bundled together with a piece of string. As Arasmyth finishes up, he looks over St. Germain's charred corpse. Removing the armour, Arasmyth notices nothing special about, it's just a plain old breastplate. Examining the corpse, Arasmyth finds a rope wrapped around his neck into a quick and dirty noose.

Crate- A sturdy wooden crate found in the storeroom. Inside are shields with the Hinckwell insignia.

Weapon's Rack (Swords)- A rack holding a few swords.

Weapon's Rack (Spears)- A rack holding a row of spears.

Documents- Papers, all neatly tied together by a piece of string

Rope around Alan's neck- A piece of rope that was tied around Alan's neck. The rope appears to be snapped off at the end.

Sutis of Armour- Two glistening pairs of armour. Both have the Hinckwell insignia on their breastplates.

Arasmyth yoinks the dagger out of Sassina's back, effectively removing it as evidence.

Murderer's Dagger- WP: 4, dagger.

Lt. Paolo emerges behind Arasmyth, wiping his face with a napkin.

"Hmm... sounds like a thesis. Care to explain how you think the deed was done?"

NOTE: If an item is removed from evidence, it cannot be used to prove the reliability of an accusation.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Kintobor

[Kadabra]

I think Germaine was involved with someone shady, possibly the Wolfgang, or else he was just offered a substantial bribe. He dosed his fellow guard' swine with a sleeping agent and opened the door to let in an assassin - one who uses poison, so not the honorable Red Assassins with all their contracts. Probably Blue or independent. The assassin took out the three drugged guards. They then went into the back room, probably to discuss payment, when the assassin took Germaine by surprise and KOed him, then hung him. Burning probably out of spite. Then the assassin ditched and locked the door behind him, presumably with a key he took off one of the four dead Hinckwells - notice how we haven't found a single key yet.[/thesis]

[Kintobor]

I think Germaine was involved with someone shady, possibly the Wolfgang, or else he was just offered a substantial bribe. He dosed his fellow guard' swine with a sleeping agent and opened the door to let in an assassin - one who uses poison, so not the honorable Red Assassins with all their contracts. Probably Blue or independent. The assassin took out the three drugged guards. They then went into the back room, probably to discuss payment, when the assassin took Germaine by surprise and KOed him, then hung him. Burning probably out of spite. Then the assassin ditched and locked the door behind him, presumably with a key he took off one of the four dead Hinckwells - notice how we haven't found a single key yet.[/thesis]

Paolo listens intently, shaking his head in affirmation.

"A reliable, and sound thesis, I wouldn't call it out of the realm of possibility. However, it relies on a few things, some of which don't add up. The door for one, would need to be locked with a key. Second, if St. Germain was ignited after being hanged, he'd have to have been hanged in the first place."

Looking up, the rafters appear to have no fire damage, and the door leading into the gatehouse is locked with two separate locks, a deadbolt and a chain.

"See where I'm getting at?"

Edited November 8, 2013 by Kintobor

[Kadabra]

Garrote then, not hanging. Since the brining was presumably due to fire magic (those torches would have ignited more than the body if they were used), I wouldn't put phasing or teleportation beyond the assassin, if Germaine chained and bolted the door to prevent the escape of the other guards.

[Kintobor]

Garrote then, not hanging. Since the brining was presumably due to fire magic (those torches would have ignited more than the body if they were used), I wouldn't put phasing or teleportation beyond the assassin, if Germaine chained and bolted the door to prevent the escape of the other guards.

"A garrote? Hmm... it's an interesting idea, nonetheless... you're presuming magic was involve. In that case, we have a homicidal magic user on the loose, and that's the last thing I want to inform Lilith. It's a sound thesis, if not a little outlandish. I'd look into ways the body could have ignited, personally."

Edited November 8, 2013 by Kintobor

[Kadabra]

Arasmyth nods, and checks the torches to see if they've been moved recently (prints, less dusty than the surroundings, broken cobwebs, etc) and checks the body for pitch or oil that might indicate non-magical combustion.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Kadabra

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl looks at the Murky Pearl and wonders what it does. Purpearl also wonders if the party could speak to the group of patrols that discovered the crime scene. "Coroner Falner, could you ascertain the time of deaths of the 4 guards?

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche lifted the table in the front room up and looked underneath it. He then investigated Rick Richards' corpse and peered into the chest behind the dead body.

OOC: I'm English, so it's 7 am for me right now. That's why I haven't been active in the last few hours!

Edited October 7, 2013 by Dragonfire

[Kintobor]

Arasmyth nods, and checks the torches to see if they've been moved recently (prints, less dusty than the surroundings, broken cobwebs, etc) and checks the body for pitch or oil that might indicate non-magical combustion.

Arasmyth examines the torches on the wall, being careful not to disturb them. It appears as if they haven't been touched recently, as a few cobwebs connect between the torch and the wall. Checking over the body again, Arasmyth notices some sort of substances hardened onto St. Germain's charred skeleton, a silvery black with red glistens, although not tar. It gives of a distinct odor.

Substance on St. Germain's Skeleton- A hardened, silvery black substance with the occasional hint of red found on St. Germain's corpse.

Purpearl looks at the Murky Pearl and wonders what it does. Purpearl also wonders if the party could speak to the group of patrols that discovered the crime scene. "Coroner Falner, could you ascertain the time of deaths of the 4 guards?

Looking over the pearl, Purpearl notices a small hole drilled into it.

"Ah, no, they lot of them have been allowed to leave. We quickly ruled them as suspects, since they found the bodies that morning, and their alibis match up. They claimed to have smelt St. Germain's corpse, and then forcibly bust the door in when they received no response.

As for time of death, somewhere between nine thirty, and ten thirty, which makes sense if your train of thought is that the kitchen girl, Abigail, is the killer, since she left the villa at ten."

Murky Pearl- A Murky Pearl bead. There's a hole drilled into it.

Avalanche lifted the table in the front room up and looked underneath it. He then investigated Rick Richards' corpse and peered into the chest behind the dead body.

OOC: I'm English, so it's 7 am for me right now. That's why I haven't been active in the last few hours!

OOC: No problem. So long as you do update you'll be fine.

Lifting the table up, avalanche finds a cork, most likely from the bottle of Falana Wine. It had a very distinct smell similar to the wine, but the sour odor that emitted from the bottle didn't seem to be on the cork.

Putting the table back down, Avalanche investigates Rick's body. A violent gash spreads across his neck, seeming done hastily. In his right hand, the goblet he drank the wine out of lays limply in his palm, some of the wine having spilt on the floor. What Avalanche thought was a chest was actually a small bench, crafted out of quality wood. However, sifting around Rick's body, Avalanche finds a small black bead with a murky substance inside. A small hole is drilled into it.

Cork- The Cork that came off of the bottle of Falana Wine. Unlike the wine though, there's no funny smell coming from the cork.

Murky Pearl x2- A Murky Pearl bead. There's a hole drilled into it. Two have been found in the front room.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Kintobor

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche peers at the cork. Hmm...seems like the sleeping drug was applied to the cups themselves rather than the original bottle of wine. Avalanche shifts Conner Strong's limp corpse and checks the body and the area around it.

OOC: Can you keep Murky Pearls and add them to your inventory? If so, what use are they?

[Cutcobra]

"Hey, this wine smells funny my tongue will not taste it, so who wants it?" Heckz grabs the bottle and gives it to Avalanche "Drink's on me." .

[Kadabra]

Avalanche peers at the cork. Hmm...seems like the sleeping drug was applied to the cups themselves rather than the original bottle of wine. Avalanche shifts Conner Strong's limp corpse and checks the body and the area around it.

OOC: Can you keep Murky Pearls and add them to your inventory? If so, what use are they?

The drug was in the bottle, someone just added it later after unsealing it - which supports my theory that Germaine did it, since he'd have been in here and able to open the bottle. This substance on him seems to be self combusting. Is it possible Germaine was a suicide? Kills his friends, kills himself, and then there were none.

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche replied to Arasmyth, "I had that idea at the beginning, but it seems unlikely that he'd burn and then hang himself. It could be that he had an accomplice- a sorcerer- who killed him to leave no witnesses after they had drugged and then finished off the others." He then heard Heckz's comment. "The stuff is full of darned sleeping drugs!" he yelled furiously. "I'm not drinking that!" He forgot that Heckz had a Remedy.

Edited October 8, 2013 by Dragonfire