COD 1: Session 19: Murder Mystery 2

Pre-scene Notes

Had a computer problem so had taken a pause in the midst of the murder mystery cave dive amongst all things. But now back to the original programming. 

Scene setup/conflict: 

Party’s Day1 evening investigative session to question the purser, Hudri.

Interrupted scene: Ambiguous event: Struggle Military. 

Again an interrupted scene but I’ll very quickly address and move onto Hudri questioning. This proves it was a good move I’d randomly generated all suspects’ info ahead of time, which means I have a lot more potential information/clues than investigation sessions that I can divulge with these curve balls with Mythic (or as a GM if your player throws you them). 

Scene:

The party asked around and Hudri was seen going to the guard house to talk to the Captain. The party went into the break area but no one was there. They heard voices in the Captain’s quarters and approached, hearing some of their conversation. Zar put up a hand to ask Kevolo and others to wait, and they eavesdropped. 

The two seemed to be just reminiscing old times. Hudri was a soldier himself previously, but lost an eye on the battlefield and therefore switch to becoming a purser within the army. He found the God of Arcane after his injury, and after having transferred to the outpost, convinced the Captain to convert as well. They commented on the bad luck they were having here with the murder, but Hudri said the money was almost there for the alter. It sounded like Captain Wychfrost wanted to build an alter to Asu at the graveyard site at the back of the outpost to keep the outpost blessed. To do so, they needed money of course, and Hudri had been saving money from their military allowance to do so. This explained why he had been cutting expenses for the camp, including food and drink budget from Malfie. It was also revealed that Malfie, being discontent with his budget cut, had found out about the two’s would-be unpopular plans to build the alter and streamed out funds. 

I wasn’t sure if I should’ve asked that last question to supply that as free info, a yes came from Mythic. Now both of them have motives. Considering the party isn’t good at stealth, I figured this was more than enough to end the Interrupt Scene.

At this point the Captain heard something outside and discovered the party. The party excused themselves for eavesdropping but pointed out they knew now the two in question had motives in Malfie’s murder. The Captain agreed that it was possible someone who turned into a werewolf could subconsciously seek out and kill per the person’s waking motives, and asked if they had found anything on the werewolf yet, as the last thing he would want is another murder. (Filli only rolled a 13 Investigation.) Filli said they certainly did not find any other signs at Malfie’s tent, but considering the purser was spotted going in after the body was found, they were here to question him. 

Here I rolled whether the Captain knew Hudri went into Malfie’s tent, and it was an Exceptional Yes. This meant he sent him. Weird Elf rolled an 18 in Perception, so let’s say it’s been spotted. I guess because of this, maybe I’ll make it into a double interrogation. 

Captain Wychfrost glanced at the worried Hudri, and it was caught right under Yankovic’s watch, clearly the Captain knew. Yankovic suggested questioning the two in separation. The Captain said in the earnest spirit of having the independent travellers investigating this case, he would gladly comply. However, he also commented he was glad paranoia of anyone being a suspect was kept within the travellers instead of spreading through the whole camp. Hudri quickly congratulated the Captain’s foresight. Yankovic led Hudri to be questioned outside while the others stayed with the Captain. 

Questions for Hudri:

• Q: Did the Captain send Hudri to Malfie’s tent after the body was found.
• A: Exceptional Yes (Near Sure Thing). Kind of just confirming before, and Hudri would explain it’s certainly the first place to look for anyone after finding Malfie’s body.
• Q: Was the tent trashed when you arrived?
• A: (50/50) Yes. I rolled this via Mythic, but this can by all means be a lie. I may do a collective Insight check with Yankovic later to see if Hudri had indeed been lying.
• Q: Did you find anything useful to the case in the tent?
• A: (50/50) Exceptional No. At this point, I’m certain Hudri is just hiding something.

Yankovic was dubious he would get anything from Hudri, but with the answers of his first round of questioning, he was more than sure Hudri was hiding information. Churches were powerful organisations in the Empire, with exorcists, information networks, internal punishers and the likes. He had sat through a few heretics interrogations himself as a spectator. He sighed, not wanting to do this, but pinned the one-eyed man down onto a chair. He started using his Medicine proficiency to describe and exaggerate the heretic interrogators’ ‘methods’ to make suspects talk. 

As a GM, as Yankovic didn’t have charisma based ability bonuses, I would count his as a player’s initiative to use other proficiencies to solve the problem and allow it. The Medicine check came back as a 19. 

Hudri broke out in cold sweat at the horrifying descriptions of how a man would live without eyelids and yielded, saying he would tell Yankovic everything. 

• Q: Did the Captain send you to Malfie’s tent after the body was found.
• A: No (50/50). Considering Hudri was the chief investigator of this case before the party arrived, whether the Captain sent him was inconsequential, but the fact that the ‘truth’ is no might give the Captain innocence. The victim’s residence was a common place to start investigations after all.
• Q: Was the tent trashed when Hudri arrived?
• A: (50/50) No. 
• Q: Did Hudri trash the tent?
• A: (50/50) Yes.
• Q: Did Hudri find anything useful to the case in the tent?
• A: (50/50) Exceptional Yes! ...
• Q: Was what Hudri found something that would reveal to the military they’ve been siphoning funds?
• A: (Likely) Yes
• Q: As you shared a bedroom with Alorin, who was at the tower, do you have any time alibi?
• A: (Unlikely) Yes
• Q: Were you with the Captain at the presumed time of murder?
• A: (50/50) No. Random Event Dispute Dreams.
• Q: Were you with Alorin? 
• A: (Likley) Yes.
• Q: Did you lose a button on a shirt?
• A: (50/50) No.

Combining the random event that came with a roll, interpreting it to mean one of the soldier’s career, and the surprise that Hudri said he has an alibi, I’d came to a conclusion to tie things up.

Hudri spilled the beans on everything. Although the Captain did not tell Hudri to do so, he had placed Hudri as the prime investigator to retrieve any evidence that reveal their dodgy bookkeeping. Hudri went into Malfie’s tent after the murder, thrashed it to make it look like the fight broke out  in there instead, and found the letter Malfie was writing to the military superiors that reported on the Captain and Hudri. He stopped short on confessing to murdering Malfie though, saying at the time of the murder, he had asked Alorin in to see him. He knew about Alorin’s drinking problems and that he would get Alorin transferred to the front lines if he did not support the Asu conversion. After Alorin agreed, the old purser gave him a carrot and said he could just sleep off this shift in their room, as no dangers really happened this far back from the front lines anyway. He had no way of knowing that would be the night Malfie got killed. It made sense how Alorin was covering for himself, and to a degree Hudri, not telling the truth about his alibi earlier. 

On the Captain’s interrogation, it may be pretty quick as I can’t just go over old ground asking the same questions, as it can just mean he’s lying. Considering the high roll for the second interrogation with Hudri, I can only think Hudri’s testimonies are mostly true.

Inside the Captain’s room, the Captain honestly stated he knew Hudri went to search the tent, like any other murders, the victim’s home being a prime location to search for clues.  Filli and Zar started their own questioning.

• Q: Did Hudri actually find any evidence of the murderer ? 
• A: (Very unlikley) Yes. This is a curve ball, but may open up another avenue. 
• Q: Did it relate to a werewolf?
• A: (50/50) Yes
• Q: Did Hudri/Captain still have that evidence?
• A: (50/50) Yes. Not knowing what evidence there can be that haven’t got a werewolf presence, I random rolled for some loot and got a a book titled "Philosophy of the Wolf"…
• Q: Were you asleep in your room alone at the time of murder?
• A: (Likely) Yes.
• Q: Is this your button?
• A: (50/50) No.

Filli asked what was it that made the Captain so sure it was a werewolf murderer anyway, and the Captain went to his cupboard and took out a book. He gave it to Filli, who flipped through it to find that it was all about werewolves. In this world, they are cursed creatures, from a bite, spell, or item. Only those that are born as a werewolf could control their shapes, therefore if a werewolf committed the murder, this secret was kept for a long time. If not, then the werewolf transformation must be unusual. Filli knew enough about the Arcane to know anything was possible.

While Fillie read, Zar asked the usual questions he would of other suspects, but still no hard evidence apart from a motive and a lack of proven alibi. Yankovic came in at this point and the party realised it was dinner time. The party left with the book, escorted by Kevolo. 

From this afternoon, the Skornos had asked them to join them for dinner, and therefore the party went back out to their tent. The Skornos husband and son were already there when they came over. They were able to corroborate on Malbe’s testimony this morning as they had dinner together, although their teenage son seemed to be playing with a puzzle contraption throughout.

It was very unlikely Malbe would lie before and say the party could ask her family. Not to mention the party had no more sessions today to do a full interview, so I just rolled once on Mythic to see if the husband/son corroborated. 

Kevolo said the youth had that puzzle on him all the time, and Filli asked what it was. Brant Skorno said he liked puzzles ever since he was a kid, and this was just a rubik's cube his mother had made for him. Yankovic noticed Brant could not even get through the sentence without coughing and offered to cast a healing spell on him. Brant said thanks, but he explained he had a bad throat ever since he was young and it just could not be cured. He then took out some herbs and started chewing on them, saying these alleviated some symptoms for a bit. He had no other physical symptoms otherwise, and was fit as an ox for moving things or helping the party in any way with case. He had always loved puzzles, therefore this case was one of them. 

I’d thought I would just let the party know what the random NPC generator gave on Brant in case they connected dots later.

The party said they obviously had to remain independent, and could not talk about details of the case with the Skornos. This was also not a strict interview with the Skorno men, and they would interview them individually if the clues pointed them that way. 

After dinner, the party returned to their tent at the back of the outpost. Kevolo left them and  they combined the evidence they had together, deriving a list of clues and hypothesis for the end of their first day of investigations. 

This is what my spreadsheet looks like at the moment for clues (upper) and hypothesis (lower)

The party was a bit dismayed that apart many motives, there were no hard evidence tying anyone to the case. Yankovic commiserated the party, saying at least they had an idea of who everyone were and the interactions around the camp. It was just the first day after all, and hoped there would actually be no more murders at all and the Captain’s hunch was wrong.

Rolled Mythic for whether a murder happen at Impossible. It’s a No. I’ll raise the likelihood tomorrow, and the heroes have five more days left before the supply escorts arrive on the morning of Day 7. 

The party figured the best direction of the investigation was to get some concrete evidence. At this point, all they had were the book on werewolves from Malfie’s tent and the button. They knew the button was from a foot soldier’s uniform, and thought the best way is to investigate other footmen tomorrow. 

#

The next morning, Kevolo took the party for breakfast, and then found Nirya at the graveyard. He was finishing the burial of the urn for Malfie’s body. After a werewolf’s body was burnt, the curse should have ended, but just to be safe and to Asu’s traditions, he was instructed to bury it. 

• Q: Is your alibi the night of the murder sleeping in the bedroom shared with Kevolo?
• A: (50/50) Exceptional No. This is very surprising so I rolled the location table and got the pantry below the kitchen. 
• Q: Was Malfie there?
• A: (50/50) Yes. 
• Q: Did you arrange to meet him there?
• A: (50/50) Yes. Considering he is the most smitten of the guards for Zimala, I asked next.
• Q: Is it about Zimala?
• A: (Somewhat likely) Yes. 
• Q: Was Zimala there as well?
• A: (Unlikely) No. And I’m going to assume no one else was there
• Q: Is this your button?
• A: (Somewhat likely) Exceptional Yes. I think this is the furthest we’ll get to without an ability check. Obviously Nirya won’t admit this without some PC ingenuity. 

Just as the party started questioning his whereabouts of the night, Nirya starting apologising profusely about not having came to them sooner. He knew it would not look good and therefore had just stayed quiet. On the night of the murder, after Malfie’s campfire session with the Skornos and in the little hours of the morning to avoid others, Nirya actually called the orc out to talk. Nirya just chose the pantry as it was relatively sound isolated, especially compared to the open air outside. Nirya said he had actually wanted to propose to Zimala himself and asked Malfie for advice, knowing the two had been ‘friends’. Nirya did not know at that point Malfie had been proposed to by the same woman already of course. Malfie, not wanting to overly hurt the young man, did not tell Nirya either and instead just told him it would not work without giving a reason. Because of this, Nirya’s tempers flared and they got into a struggle, in which the orc quickly won. Just because there was a tussle though, Nirya said Malfie left him complete fine, it was Nirya who had been punched in the nose to swiftly stop the fight. He returned to the room he shared with Kevolo after his nose bleed stopped, but reiterated Malfie was still alive when he had left. 

Filli noticed Nirya’s uniform was missing a button, which most likely was the one in Malfie’s hand. He figured this also explained the blood on the flap to Malfie’s tent being Nirya’s, after Malfie returned to the tent after their meeting. Filli just to tie things up confirmed with Kevolo, who said during his sleep he did remember waking up a bit when Nirya came back in. (Mythic rolled Yes)

Having proved redundant one of the few material evidences they possessed, Zar tried his luck to see if his Divine Sense picked up anything here at Malfie’s grave site, him needing the practice anyway. He sensed nothing as expected. (Mythic rolled No)

Filli rolled a 13 in Investigation and Yankovic an 11 on Insight. Without further leads, there were very little the party could pursue here.

As a last ditch attempt, Yankovic tried to trick Nirya to test whether he was lying by asking if he had seen Alorin at the guard tower that night. Nirya said he had no clue as he was not outside.  (Mythic rolled No)

Before the party left, Zar thought it might be worth a try and asked if he knew about the werewolf book. Nirya surprisingly said yes (Mythic rolled Yes) and the party asked more questions about it.

• Q: Was this Malfie’s book? 
• A: (50/50) Yes
• Q: Do you know why he had this book?
• A: (50/50) Yes. Then I rolled random event for ideas with Mythic. Got Move towards a thread; Starting Riches. 
• Q: Does Nirya know more?
• A: (50/50) No
• Q: Would anyone else know more?
• A: (50/50) Exceptional Yes, and as much as it can roll at a 1. So basically everyone knew about it. I rolled NPC anyway and got Ladueth Skorno. I’d thought that family had no motives… Well as it’s the very extreme of an exceptional yes, I’ll ask another question.
• Q: Was Ladueth actually the one who had use of the book and not Malfie?
• A: (Somewhat likely) Yes

Nirya confirmed that it was a book Malfie had talked about, saying he had came upon it a long time ago and just kept it as a souvenir. However, he said Ladueth had approached him and wanted to buy it off him. Considering Malfie seemed like an all round good guy up till now, Malfie actually turned Ladueth’s money down and said he can borrow and read it whenever he wanted as long as he returned it to his tent. It was a while ago but people knew about it, Ladueth saying it was for his entertainment when fishing.

The party all sighed collectively. Somehow, it seemed like even this last physical piece of evidence was a dead end. They decided to search the actual scene of crime next, even though it had been two days and it was unlikely there would be further evidence, it was worth a shot.

#

The party searched for a very long afternoon and could not find even slightly anything of use. Just before they gave up, Zar decided to use Divine Sense again and much to their surprise, led them into the wild bushes by the tree near the guard tower. Zar was able to locate a green jade stone, which of course had been almost impossible to spot due to its colour amongst the wilds. 

Mythic rolled a a Yes on 50/50 after Divine Sense. Then I used a Loot Generator to get a vesuvianite, which was far too long a word to type so I’d just went with jade as another sort of gemstone. I actually rolled a random event as well, but got Introduce a new NPC: Change Expectations. I was not going to increase the NPC roster so instead, determined this may not be a werewolf thing at all? As Divine Sense can tell whether it was an undead, fiend, or celestial. As the last one was the most opposite…

Instead of a noxious odour from when they were in front of Malfie’s tent, Zar picked up the piece of jade as if he could hear harps strumming from it. It definitely had nothing to do with werewolves, and instead, were likely blessed in some way by a celestial or a cleric. He handed it to Yankovic and asked if he knew anything. 

• Yankovic rolled 17 Religion.
• Q: Does it have to do with werewolves?
• A: Exceptional Yes. Random Event, NPC action, Guide Rumour. 
• Q: Did it have to do with Lambert?
• A: Yes. I chose Lambert because as a GM, I know Malbe is a spy, but I’ll link it to Xanthia somehow as that’s why Yankovic would know. I doubt it’s Asu just because the Captain/Purser seems more suspicious for now.
• Q: Did the jade repel fiends?
• A: Yes

Yankovic was taken aback at first, then examined it several times over. The shape, the rune inscriptions, it all matched with what he had heard in lores. It was one of the Jade of Silver that was involved in a fable between Xanthia and Lambert. The God of War had asked the God of Technology to craft his army an artefact that helped him slay a tribe of werewolves that were terrorising a part of his domain many eras ago. 

Considering along with Mr Skorno’s request for a werewolf book and Mrs Skorno being a follower of Lambert, it was time for another round of questioning. 

Scene close-out:

• Chaos factor remains at 6 as no conflicts really happened.

Post-scene Notes

Weird there are actually no thread changes at all despite a lot going on, but considering the length of the post and suspected length of the next investigative session, I will leave the rest for the next session.