Paths of the Damned, Pt. 2: Rats in the Walls

[Wilphe]

Winifred will look around, see how high the window is off the ground, look for any traces of climbing. See if it is a busy street, look at the layout of the other buildings and try and work out if the Father was shot from the window after the thief had climbed up or if he was shot from another building and then the assasin climbed up.

She'd also like to interview the staff at the temple, find out who knew he had the artefact, clarify when he was found dead (and how found him) and so on.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Winifred: The window is a first-floor window overlooking an alleyway, although it should be noted that the temple's first floor is above street level — it's about seven feet off the ground. You see no traces of climbing, but your best guess would be that the assassin did climb up to the window to make the shot. There's really no other way it could have been done.

Your questioning of the temple staff reveals that, first off, no one knew about the icon, and, secondly, the murder was discovered within a half-hour to forty-five minutes of your leaving the temple. He was found in exactly the same state your party has seen him in: slumped over his desk, papers scattered on the floor, window open.

 

[Wilphe]

OOC: No further questions your honour

 

[Lot]

Ottokar, upon hearing this information, throws up his hands in frustration.

"So what now? The only leads we have are...unusual possibilities. And even if one were to believe in...the things we were talking about, we have no way of tracking something like that."

The young initiate runs his hand over his head, rubbing his hand over the stubble as he does habitually. The darker of his two blue eyes seems a bit smokier than usual.

"Maybe we could find someone to speak to who is an expert on these...exotic matters?"

 

[Insight]

"Looks like the trail's dead," Ragnar adroitly points out. "Might as well head back to Schutzmann. He won't be happy. But never is anyhow."

 

[Wilphe]

"Given that you've yet to convince me that your unusual possibilites are anything more than that, you will have difficulty convincing anyone else about it. Can we stick to the known facts when we talk to the good captain please? I don't need wild speculation when my head is still halfway into a noose thank you very much."

 

[Old Fezziwig]

[sblock=Assumption]The party returns to Schutzmann.[/sblock][sblock=OOC]Please note, my Internet connection is still wicked flighty. If I disappear, that's why.[/sblock]When you return to the tower, you find Schutzmann talking to a clerk at a desk in the ground level of the tower. He gestures for the party to follow him into a small room off the main hall, a sort of waiting room, with utilitarian furniture and a sturdy door. "So, you've returned. What have you found out?"

 

[Torillan]

When you return to the tower, you find Schutzmann talking to a clerk at a desk in the ground level of the tower. He gestures for the party to follow him into a small room off the main hall, a sort of waiting room, with utilitarian furniture and a sturdy door. "So, you've returned. What have you found out?"

"Not much, Captain. I think we can all agree it wasn't an amatuer endeavor, and some of us, myself included, believe that the murderer wasn't human. I found scratches that may have been made by some creature on the windowsill of the room, but I won't bore you with what I think made them." He catches Lady Winifred out of the corner of his eye, and he winks knowingly.

 

[Torillan]

When you return to the tower, you find Schutzmann talking to a clerk at a desk in the ground level of the tower. He gestures for the party to follow him into a small room off the main hall, a sort of waiting room, with utilitarian furniture and a sturdy door. "So, you've returned. What have you found out?"

"Not much, Captain. I think we can all agree it wasn't an amatuer endeavor, and some of us, myself included, believe that the murderer wasn't human. I found scratches that may have been made by some creature on the windowsill of the room, but I won't bore you with what I think made them." He catches Lady Winifred out of the corner of his eye, and he winks knowingly.

 

[Wilphe]

"Nothing good milord, Father Morten was killed by a poisoned dart in the back of his neck. We believe the killer climbed up to the window, shot him with a blowpipe and then entered the room. No inventory has yet been taken, but it is believed the relic is the only thing missing. Certainly there was no sign of any locks being broken, so if anything was missing the killer would have had access to the key or been able to pick them

There were some stratch marks on the window sill, I would suggest they were made by whatever tool the villain used to gain entry, or possibly as a deliberate attempt at misdirection.

No one at the Temple says they knew anything about the icon, but one of them fetched the money when we were gifted for returning it, so they would have been aware that we had brought or done something he valued. His body was discovered within one half to three quarters of an hour after we left."

That is the limit of what we have been able to find. The Father was killed by a professional, this might have been for the relic or it might simply have been for some other reason and that theft was opportunistic. It might even have been left by the killer and then stolen by the initate who found the body.

As to where we go from here?
Perhaps an apotechary or physcian would be able to ascertain the poison used? That would help us some.

This required a killer of some skill, presumably there are very few such in the city, and I am sure at least some of them must be known to the autorities if only by reputation?

You will know better than I if the late Father has any enemies or rivals within the city. Someone who wished him ill perhaps?

If the relic was stolen, it will either have to be fenced or it was stolen to the latter. I guess there are not too many fencers or collectors of such items in the city?"