[OOC] The Observers' Box [OOC]

[TheChuck]

Originally Posted by Aeternis

I just noticed, why is there a spot check in my OOC thread?

Thunder Speech was looking for the Dice Thread?

[Thunder Speech]

Originally Posted by Aeternis

I just noticed, why is there a spot check in my OOC thread?

Whoops... my bad, yeah I must have hit the wrong tab or something

[TheChuck]

Hey Thunder Speech. What do you think about this mystery we find ourselves involved in? What are your suspicions?

[TheChuck]

So here's a question. Why, if the knife that matches that fancy sheath was found in Karra's chest, was the sheath itself found in her bedroom? Who carries a bare knife around to get stabbed with? Unless someone stabbed her and then took the sheath and put it in her room beneath a pile of clothes.

That seems odd...

[Aeternis]

Originally Posted by TheChuck

Why, if the knife that matches that fancy sheath was found in Karra's chest, was the sheath itself found in her bedroom?

Good question.

[Thunder Speech]

@Chuck: So it seems to me that Karra's stabbing is definitely not a violent crime by chance. I also think that she knew her assailant personally instead of a random mugging, etc. This leaves us with a small list of suspects, but here is my list:

 

1.) Karra's mother (Nysen?)... Now I know that seems a little crazy but look at the way she acted towards us in the past. She was hostile to the fact that Gysen hired us, and has been of no help to us throughout the entire quest. That would also explain the sheath in Karra's bedroom. Now if I were a mother I would be struck with immense grief at the fact of my daughter going missing (and probably dead), yet she was hostile towards outside help and showed no signs of being grief stricken (Did you see any post where she was crying or even sad). Also it seems that she is perfectly fine with Lyrane being a scape goat to keep us on a wild goose chase. Only problem with this theory is the motive... I believe it would take an immense amount of anger/loathing to attempt to kill your own daughter...

2.) Ryli, she is less likely in my opinion because she was so willing to help... though that could have been a decoy move to throw us off the trail. She did have resentment towards Lyrane and Karra's friendship (i.e. leaving her out of things, creating distance), and that resentment could have gotten out of hand after she learned about Lyrane/Karra's plot to seek an adventuring career. How she got the knife... who knows, but she could have stabbed Karra out of rage and emotional pain at the fact that she was left out of the scheming once again. Also leaving Karra stabbed and in an alley could have been panic at what she had done.

3.) Of course, Lyrane, now this is exceedingly unlikely at this point since she could have finished her off at any time when Karra was in her care. Although maybe she wanted to sacrifice her best friend to a nefarious deity? Who knows what Aeternis has in store for us, but this example has a very little chance of being true.

These are my opinions on possible suspects unless we find "A cloaked figure watching our every move and being suspicious" in the next "scene?" who has not been in the story thus far. My bet goes to someone in town if not the three women above being the perpetrator.

Anyway what do you think Chuck?

[Thunder Speech]

Sorry for the double post but quick question Aeternis: Any chance you can sketch us a map of the town, it could help our decisions to know the layout in a little more detail. If you don't have a scanner or the time then I totally understand.

[Aeternis]

Naya is the name of Karra's mother. I don't have a scanner and am terrible at drawing, but I can describe it a bit, it's the most I've got at the moment.

The largest street, the one that goes all the way through the town, is where most of the places of interest are - for instance, The Deer's Head tavern and the shop, the town's two grocers, and the small chapel (whose proprietor is not, unfortunately, a caster) are on it. Some of the nicest and oldest houses front this street as well, and old Layton's house, while not being overly nice, is at least as old as he is. There are a number of smaller streets threading their way off of this at more or less arbitrary, unplanned angles, and most of what's off the main road is either someone's house or someone's place of employment - there are a lot of trappers working out of the town, so a lot of that is tanners and the like. As a village of perhaps 200-300 people, that's about all there is: about eighty houses, and at most 40 other buildings, including the ones mentioned.

The Deer's Head tavern is near the side of the village that faces the main road (the southeast side), and the shop is closer to the opposite side, with Layton's house being almost exactly at the town's middle. There's a formal meeting hall near his house, but most village goings-on happen at the tavern, where there's alcohol, as it's rare more than 30 people are needed for anything. Thus, the meeting hall is used perhaps a few times a year. There's a clear spot outside the meeting hall that might in a larger village be used for a pillory or gallows, but at the moment it's just weeds and grass.

[TheChuck]

I don't believe that Lyrane is the killer anymore. For a time I did but then when I reread the thread my mind was changed. I don't think it's Ryli either, but it's not impossible. Karra's mother or father are possible suspects, as is Vayaness. Though if it was her mother or father it would explain the sheath getting back to her room. Maybe one of them encountered Karra on her way out of town and she accidentally got stabbed. Mommy/Daddy panics and runs home without realizing that they still have the sheath in hand, then hide it in Karra's room without thinking it through, not really expecting anyone else to ever come looking for it. Hmm...I might have just convinced myself that it could be mommy or daddy.

I also keep going back to the water diviner guy that comes into town on occasion. Dargne maybe? I think if we can find out who gave Karra the knife then that might give us another clue. As Dargne is apparently the only person who regularly travels far from Burchas and back he would be the most likely source of a particularly nice knife.

I think we're missing something very obvious.

Let's take the portion of bag to Vaya's shop and see if she can help us any, then go back to Layton's place and ask Karra and Lyrane some more questions.

[Thunder Speech]

@Aeternis: It's all good, no real need for a map after your explanation since I was just needing a little more to go on. Now that's done Chuck and I can make a more informative decision.

@Chuck: Yeah I definitely don't think that Gysen (Karra's father) is the perpetrator since he was the one to hire us, and he was also weeping/drinking his sorrows at the Deer's Head for at least a month (amount of time Karra went missing). Dargne is not on my suspects list because he seems like just an aloof prospector with a little magical ability, but he could have sold the knife to someone in town... Vayaness has a chance of being the culprit, but we don't know enough about her for any possible motive. When we questioned her last I made several sense motive checks and other then hiding her true nature (being Elven descent), she seemed to be a once outlandish and now stable shopkeeper. Anyhow I agree that we should take the bag to her, see if she can lead us in the right direction... or give herself away somehow.

[TheChuck]

Ok sounds like a plan. Aeternis, you want one of us to post that in game, or will you just move us to Vaya's shop?

[Aeternis]

If you don't post anything in a few hours I'll assume Therme and Velios walked to the shop and update to that effect. If you've any special requests (routes, stops on the way, anything to look for, etc). Let me know IC or OOC.

[Thunder Speech]

Sorry to hear that you've been working to the bone Aeternis, and sorry that I have been late on my response as well. The delay is due to both my laptops being in-operable... my main one has a de-funked hard drive (which I will be purchasing a replacement on my next pay check), and the other laptop has a broken battery charger (which I just ordered minutes ago). I would post right now but I'm on borrowed time so it will have to wait for another few days. I'll update when my charger is in my possession, thanks guys!

[Aeternis]

No problem, it's not like currently-slow-posting me is going to complain about a few days. Hope your tech problems are quickly resolved.

[Thunder Speech]

Just to give you guys an update my battery charger was supposed to be here more than a week ago, and the post office doesn't even know where it is, but they are sure it is somewhere in Oregon... *SCREAMS LOUDLY IN FRUSTRATION!!!* So basically it could turn up, or it won't, 50/50 on that one. My hard drive just flew into New York via China, and should be here later this week or early next week.... or it will be "somewhere in Oregon"... Luckily I live in Oregon so at least the post office has the right region... Anyway once again I would like to post but I'm once again on borrowed time. Thanks for your patience and for letting me vent!