Murder in the airship express

[Sarellion]

I am looking for some interesting NPCs with some dark secrets to populate an air ship the party is on to interact with.

My party is currently on a long voyage through a magically advanced and decadent empire. The empire was very expansionist earlier but has fallen on hard times. Corruption runs rampant, intrigues and conspiracies are found everywhere and the emperor is a wimp. There are noble houses who are now on the rise and scheming against each other.
There are passenger airships available for the wealthy and powerful and they will probably use up a favor and take one to get out of this place.

In the mddle of the journey some friends will send them a message that there is an assassin on board who is charged to kill the exiled sister of the emperor (who seems to be a better alternative to the current one). The PCs are asked to take a closer look at the passengers. Now I need some ideas to flesh out some of them.

There are about 15 to 20 passengers with their retinue on ship. So far I thought about:
1. An older widow with a young lover.
2. An high ranking official who is even more corrupt than the rest. He is wealthy because he diverted money for the military into his own pockets.
3.The assassin of course
4. A man who likes his retainer´s kids a little bit too much.
5. Some bored noble who likes to beat up his servants regularly
6. Someone who earned his money the honest way as a change
7. Someone who will kill one of the above mentioned guys for vengeance

Do you have any further ideas for other NPCs or some ideas for the NPCs mentioned? Give me your most corrupt officials, most despisable villains and scheming nobles.

 

[thullgrim]

8. Leader of a fledgling rebellion
9. Wanted/hunted person who knows some sinister dark secret relating to the sister (like maybe she is a twin, or really the rightful emporer)
10.Religous leader fleeing persecution
11.Courier from empire or faction seeking outside aid.
12-15.Small group of nobles/military leader/religous figure in league with a dark cult plotting to conquer the world.
16.Passenger with delusions of granduer: I am the rightful emporer.
17.Fallen Paladin seeking atonement
18.Wizard on vacation

 

[Ashrum the Black]

Allow me to introduce Qual’Pachim. An elven noble of rarified upbringing, he has managed to make his way in the world as a soldier for his country. He has achieved some small renown in fighting against bandits and such. His actions garnering him a knight in the Order of St. Methos.

He is always well tailored and well groomed. All of his garments bear the red griffon on the Order on the right breast. His sword, Angelus Vitae, is always on his hip. It is a long sword with a golden guard, the grip wrapped in red leather and an angel on the pommel. His hand always drifts to the blade as he talks and moves.

Qual’Pachim is the height of the gentle man’s warrior. Or at least that’s what he’d like people to think. He is a cold blooded killer of the worst sort. His actions against the bandits involved him riding through the towns near where the bandits struck and rounding up any men that he saw. His reasoning being that the locals must know where the bandits were hiding, and by not reporting this to the officials they were as guilty as the bandits. He then marched these men to the province capitol and made a public spectacle of hanging them all as an example. He was reported to cry during the hanging of the 60 prisoners, because he regretted the punishments the law sometimes required.

When the noble that the peasants owed allegiance to protested this treatment and summary punishment of his people, Qual marched his army down to the man’s estates and told him that if he wasn’t happy with the job he had been doing protecting the man’s lands then he would have to take more drastic measures. He would personally attend to bandits with his most trusted men. Leaving the bulk of his army to “Protect” and “Guard” the nobles estates, and especially his young daughters. The noble got the point and quickly recanted his protest. With a few more dropped hints he sent a glowing report to the capitol over flowing with praise for the work Qual had done.

He is cold and calculating in all that he does. He will threaten a mans home as he smokes an after dinner pipe and drinks a rare wine. He has absolutely no remorse. He has his own warped sense of honor that means he will not go back on his word once given, but he most definitely will twist the spirit of his word to his own advantage.

He is on the airship traveling to his new post on the borders, protecting the kingdom from the barbarians at the gate. He has also decided that it is time for him to marry. And a bride that can bring a large dowry would be the only acceptable choice for a man of his upbringing. He has decided to court the honest merchant/nobles young, pretty daughter on the airship. The merchant/noble of course has heard stories of this man and want his daughter to avoid this loathsome man at all cost. The girl for her part is rather smitten by Qual’s good looks and apparent charm. She is willing to disregard he fathers will and continue the illicit relationship.

Will the characters run a foul of Qual’s temper and be challenged to a duel? Will they stumble across the daughter and Qual and have to help show her who he truly is? Will a desperate father attempt something foolish and end up challenged to a duel, or killed? Will the characters want to stand in this dangerous mans way?

 

[dreaded_beast]

20. A magically disguised succubus seeking "playthings" among the passengers.
21. A "cat" that is actually a polymorphed displacer beast, owned by one of the airship crew.
22. A druid of the air, seeking for everyone to become "one" with the sky by sabotaging the airship to explode.
23. A stowaway within the cargo hold, who steals from the passengers and food from the kitchen.

 

[dreaded_beast]

24. the airship captain going by the name of Cid, a master of the longspear with an every present cigar in his mouth.
25. the lounge singer, an accomplished bard who performs in the airship lounge
26-30. the casino owner and his minions, actually a band of thieves who operate the airship casino and rig the games to fail
31. the minstrel, a man in black who always carries his minstrel case with him, which is actually full of various wands and weapons

 

[dreaded_beast]

32-40. Madam Belle and her minions, the ships madame, who offers "nightly" pleasures for the passengers of the airship and crew
41. The man with the "football", an everpresent case that never leaves his sight and is chained to his wrist.
42. The Shield Guardian of the travelling wizard
43. The Frenzied Berserker noble, known for his bloodlust. His family has sent him on vacation in hopes of him "lightening up".

 

[Hand of Evil]

The Detective - On the hunt of a famous villian (who may or may not be on the ship)

The Mad Bomber - One day in a crowd he will use it.

The Lost Noble - Shamed and broke now travelling to a new future

The Greatest Swordman ever know - Everyone says so, so handsome, so dashing, so entertaining, the ladies love him

The Kid - Porter, ship go-getter, if you want to know something or findout something he is who you see

The Courtesan - Beautiful, witty, charming, men flock to her

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

A witchunter of a Lawful church. He kills witches and seizes their possesions for the church. Except he isn't too fussy about the 'witch' part. Anyone with decent 'stuff' is a good candidate. He will, of course, be diligently seeking the murderer... who's almost certainly a disciple of demons (or PC).

I think there could also be a need for some people who look like they have dark secrets, but don't... red herrings, if you will. Also possibly some people with secrets that are terrible to them... the rest of the world might not judge them so harshly:

A cleric who took a vow of chastity and broke it, with his (unhappily married) childhood sweetheart. He is so torn up with guilt that he has fled.

A former military officer. His company was killed due to no fault of his, but he blames himself. He feels crushing guilt over the whole affair and is steadily drinking himself to death? When sober he's a reasonable guy, however the drink makes him sullen and vicious.


The last murder mystery I played, the assasin had no idea that he'd commited the crime. He magically gave himself amnesia of his crime. Had set it up to look like someone had mind controlled him. Confusing.

Edit: Can't type.

 

[Sarellion]

Wow, really good ideas. Tanks folks.
I think that the assassin will keep to herself and the rest of these "nobles" wil muddy the waters with another murder. Will see if my PCs try to solve it and lose track oftheir primary interest.

A ship with some demon worshippers, Qual´Pachim, a lovely courtesan/succubus, a mysteriuos cat and other weird people. I think t´hat the bomber/druid idea is a good one but I change it to an officer of the empire. The ship is bigger than military vessels, built with resources that should better have gone to warships. I still have to think about some clues for all the stuff going on. The party will love it. perhaps they even blow it up themselves, world will be a better place without the passengers.

Someone has an idea for the servants and crew? The ship is huge. I assume that it has 10 suites, 15 other rooms for first class passengers and room for 75 servants/slaves in cabins for three people. The crew quarters are more like submarine quarters with several men for one bed.

The ship is built by storm giants (the hull and main propulsion system) with magically advanced ship building techniques and will stop at the giant shipyards for maintenance and shoping. The giants are famous for their magical craftsmanship, artifacts and their desire to be left alone. This will stop outside intervention as they don´t care about events on a visiting ship.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Someone has an idea for the servants and crew? The ship is huge. I assume that it has 10 suites, 15 other rooms for first class passengers and room for 75 servants/slaves in cabins for three people. The crew quarters are more like submarine quarters with several men for one bed.

The Engineer - you know who to model him after.

The Conductor - This is your meet and greet kind of guy, nice, polite.

The Cabin Stewarts - The butlers of the ship, they care for the needs of the weathly - you could have one per high class and then one per deck level for the lesser classes.

The Cook -

The Activity Director - You have to keep people from getting bored.