(G47 - KT 10/04/09)
We managed to get Kelech's corpse back to the boat ok, but when we arrived at the Sea Wyvern
it was to be greeted by more sad news. Father Feres was dead.
Myself and Nobby examined the body and came to the conclusion that he had been poisoned, so
it was not related to his Slaad infection.
It was late afternoon now and I thought I'd better row over to Lavina to tell her everything
that had happened. Unfortunately during our rather heated argument I referred to her as 'Lirith'
and that was enough to send me back to the Wyvern with a flea in my ear!
Honestly, my ardor for Lavina is beginning to wain I think. She is very high maintenance.
On my return to our ship, the captain invited me into her cabin for a few drinks and I saw
a friendlier and more accessible side to her. I got the feeling, as we talked, she has a
bit of a soft spot for Retzal.
We also discussed the likelihood that there is a killer on board.
DAY 98
In the morning Retzal told me that Shifty, during their night watch had been searching through
Davilia's bags (Davilia is the cook) for evidence that she was the poisoner - or possibly planting
it!
It was a windy and rain filled day but the ships are making good progress. Shifty and Retzal are
crew so they were kept busy.
Anyway, our search for the killer began and firstly myself and Nobby cast Detect Poison spells
in likely looking places which revealed the jug that was by Feres's beside was poisoned and that
Shifty had an empty vial in his pocket that had had poison in it. Feres's corpse also showed up
as poisoned.
We found nothing in the galley.
Then I had other matters to attend to and I left Nobby and Retzal to search all the crew and
passenger belongings.
My mission today was to fly to the coast and enter the jungle and then, with my thoughts on
the gods of nature, discover rare oils and unguents that could be used with the reincarnate spell.
I had never done this before, but I remembered the teachings of my mentors back in the High
Forest. Firstly I stuck the offering (2000gp!) down a badger or animal hole and wandered the
jungle for half an hour. After that I had no more feelings about what to do so I went back to the
hole to retrieve the gold but found instead some greasy violet fungus. I filled two specimen jars
full of the stuff and hoped that this was what the spell required.
After that I gathered some lilies and other flowers and wove them into a bouquet which I dropped
at Lavina's door as a peace offering on the way back to the Wyvern.
That whole aside took about four hours and on my return Nobby and Retzal told me that the search
had turned up nothing.
First things first though, I used the oils on the two corpses (Kelech and Feres) and cast two
reincarnation spells. It would take a while for the spells to take effect.
So, myself, Nobby (who fell asleep half way through!), Retzal and the captain set up shop in the
captain's cabin and called in everyone one at a time to be questioned.
We called in Molly twice, Shifty twice (suspect number one!), Joylin, Targy,
Eriss (who then sat in on some of the others), Zalazar, Wabenga, Solamon, Davilia (our next suspect),
Tolo and Intingy. Then Avner and his servants, Farla and Skult.
We didn't see the point in questioning Lirith, Urol or Merry as they had been at Tamoachan at the time
of the killing.
From the questions we put together some of the pieces of the puzzle.
Shifty entered the passenger cabin were Molly, Joylin and Feres were. He tells Molly to look after
Feres and leaves the room. Joylin and Molly say he then came back in again, silently, and put down
a jug of water (poisoned!) by Feres's bed.
Targy was outside the cabin heard some of this although he attention was on his tools and equipment.
Davilia says that Shifty, silently, came into the galley and made himself a sandwich. She told him
to not use too much butter, a comment that Targy overheard. Targy is also not sure, but I personally
think it is the case that Shifty went up to the deck *but did not come back down again* meaning that
the second visit to the cabin could have been someone disguised as him who had been down there all
along.
Meanwhile, on the deck, Tavy, Zalazar, Farla, Skult, Wabenga and Solamon all saw Davilia come to
Shifty before he set off and give him a sandwich. It could have been at this time she slipped the
poison bottle into his pocket. Davilia denies that she did any of this.
The questioning took hours but did build up a good picture. Shifty was our main suspect as he had
actually already threatened to kill Feres! However, Shifty threatens to kill everyone all the time
and if he does kill someone its with a knife or a crossbow bolt in the back. Poison is just not his
style.
So this left Davilia, but at the moment it is purely circumstantial. We cast a detect magic on her
but she is not magical so could not have changed herself magically into Shifty to bring in the
water although she could perhaps have a magic item.
But all through the questioning I never really doubted that she was nothing more than she appeared
to be, which was a grumpy hard-bitten all through the questioning I never really doubted
that she was nothing more than she appeared to be, which was a grumpy hard-bitten wench. Although
she did tell us that her husband was dead and that her daughter had been taken away by priests
who had thought she was an unfit mother.
Which leaves the final possibility, that we have a stowaway, and potentially a very dangerous one
who can disguise themselves at will, who at the very least fooled Joylin and Molly into thinking
they were Shifty and everyone else into thinking they were Davilia...
