The Four Lands - The Great North

[Dracomeander]

Finnian sits and starts drumming on a table as he composes his thoughts and watches Vadric pace.

"So did anyone get anything useful out of the Captain's behavior?
"I noticed how he managed to avoid answering the questions about tonight's happenings, and he seemed to be stalling for time.
"What other impressions did you get? Other than the obvious that he seems to have something against Church inquisitors."

 

[Rhun]

Vadric kicks one of the chairs, his anger at the captain's behavior and lack of respect still quite evident on his features and in his gestures. "The captain knows more than he is saying for a certainty. Beyond that, I'm not sure we gleaned much of use from our little meeting at all."

 

[Canaan]

Jaroth

Jaroth remains silent for now, observing his companions, weighing their thoughts and theories.

 

[Rath Lorien]

Anniston has seemed lost in thought. But finally emerges from his silence when Vadric kicks the chair.

"My friends, I hope you do not mind that I got us out of the captain's office. Our presence there was not doing us, or the crew, any good. It seems to me that the captain is hiding something. To be precise, I think he was scared and stalling for time."

"It occures to me that if the captain is involved, he may be trying to fabricate a case against us. If that is true, then it is possible that he has conspirators planting evidence in our cabins. I must assume that my suspicions are the work of a difficult night and an overactive imagination, but I think we should check our cabins to make sure nothing has been disturbed. After we are done checking our rooms we should meet back up in Vadric's cabin."

"Next, the speaker is unconscious in Vadric's cabin. We should check on him and see if his condition has changed. I would also like to check on the beast-man in the hold. It is unlikely, but not out of the question, that this beastman is purely a victim of some spell that has forced his transformation. If the man has returned to his senses then perhaps he can shed some light on these events."

"Finally, I think we should make one more pass through the ship, particularly the hold, to see if there is any other clue that we have missed. We can search the cabin of the beastman and the cabin of the conspirators."

"The captain said that we should not question the crew, but I propose to you gentlemen that our night is not yet over."

Anniston leads the way to the passenger quarters so the party can check their cabins.

 

[Canaan]

Jaroth

Jaroth speaks up.

"Gentleman, a few facts that bear further consideration before we act. First, someone or someones on this ship commands great power in the dark arts. Second, that person or persons knows we oppose them. Third, that person or persons knows we command significant power at least when acting in concert. These facts suggest that we are significantly at risk generally, but perhaps more at risk individually. Accordingly, I suggest we not go individually to our cabins. I, for one, am in no condition to defend myself, should I need to do so."

"Fourth, from what I have been told of your battle with the Demon, it was not slain, rather it voluntarily left. Fifth, I understand that it was a Demon of significant power, perhaps beyond all of us to tackle. These facts are inconsistest with the general nature of demons, i.e. destruction and chaos. They therefore suggest that the Demon was here for some purpose. But what? A diversion? It is equally likely that this was no Demon at all, but an illusion perpetrated by a powerful arcanist."

"Sixth, consider how the Captain of the Marines could have left the ship. Flight, swimming, teleportation or being cast overboard. No land is nearby, as far as I know. That suggests he did not fly or swim. That leaves teleportation and death. Now, I am not clear on the figures or bundles that were in the hold when you faced the Demon and what happened to them. Is it possible that the Captain was in one of the bundles and that they were teleported off of the ship? If so, that would suggest that the Demon was real as it explains the Demon's behavior and purpose and a Demon has the ability to teleport. If not, the odds that the Captain of the Marines teleported off of this ship are very small. Accordingly, if the Captain of the Marines left the ship, it was likely by death and being thrown overboard. In that case, there may be evidence of a struggle or his death somewhere on this ship and we should consider finding it."

"But a final possibility lays before us: that the Captain of the Marines is still here. This is the most likely possibility, since the others are either unlikely, impossible or fantastic. If he is still here, he is either hidden or imprisoned. If imprisoned, we would find him by an investigation of the ship. If he is hidden, consider the possibility that he is hidden in plain sight. That beastman. He was not on this ship when we boarded. He is either under some spell or he is a lycanthrope. Could he be the Captain of the Marines in another form? It is something we should consider."

"Seventh, the Captain of the Ship is clearly not our friend or ally. We should expect treachery."
Jaroth pauses and considers his companion's responses.

 

[Rhun]

Vadric looks up as Jaroth speaks, a thoughtful expression upon his face. "My friends, I did not mention this earlier as it didn't strike me as an immediate concern when we originally began to investigate the murder up on deck. But when I prayed to the Light for the blessing of True Sight to aid in tracking the killer, I spotted several vessels trailing us." The warrior-priest scratches his chin as he ponders. "It is possible that the presence of those vessels nearby means little or nothing at all. However, they could also be shadowing us for a specific reason."

 

[J. Alexander]

Sailing North

As the party discusses their next move, the ship seems to be increasing speed taking advantage of a favorable wind. With the increased speed comes increased motion as the waves hit the keel. From below decks comes the sounds of people talking, some saying prayers and some arguing while yet others seem to be hysterical.......also from below decks comes the faint wiff of something rotten....

 

[Rhun]

Vadric wrinkles his nose as the smell of rot reaches him, and shakes his head wearily. "No rest for the weary it seems. We should probably investigate this...scent."

 

[Dracomeander]

"I have to agree with Jaroth that we don't split up. If you will remember,I pointed out the same thing about our being targets now to the Captain.
"And I think the smell coming from below decks has just changed what we should look into first. Hopefully, there are just some bodies below that we missed. I don't want to think about how to keep the passengers calm if that smell is coming from the ship's food stores."

 

[Scotley]

Bertrand

Glancing around to be sure he doesn't have an audience Bertand comments, "We should definitely stick together. If the Captain or anyone else is trying to set us up it will be easier if we aren't able to support one another. I would not be overheard speaking ill of the Captain regardless. Such talk could be construed as mutinous and give him the right to toss us all in irons."