Choose your path to greatness, obscurity or death. A multiple choice LP

[Bloodshifter]

4-1 Let the merchants go but make a excuse to keep the Official occupied (Ex. have him attend a "sercet meeting" in the murder scene which we attempt to frame the sec. not really but to put him off so its gotta be convincing. make sure he doesn't leave.)

Leave him alone but still keeping him near us we can't let him go yet.

4-1 after the meeting have the guards leave the office to "arrest" the sec. on "murder" but taking up positions outside the office and building covering the exits. Tell the Official about the trapdoor (pretending we found it during the meeting) and making a show of trying to open it.

IF he "finds" the key thank him and then summon the guards that are outside to arrest him and get some more to explore the trapdoor.

IF he can't "find" the key tell him to continue searching while you get "help" telling the guards outside to call everyone off and to search the Official's house and office. Then to comeback to continue the "search" for a hour or two awaiting a third guard who happens to "pass" by to tell us to give up the search and for us to go to the Jail for we are being summoned by the Captain to wrap up the case. Offer to have the Official be walked home by the guards for it is dangerous at night and make sure they both take up vigil outside his house. While we receive the reports of anything the guards found (hopefully) in their search.


this relies on us to receive the help of the Captain and his guards as well as the permission to search the house and the office (with our men as proxies if they agree to it) and being able to "lean" on the Official to keep him with us.

so lots of If's and conditions but its the best Choice I think so far If anyone can come up with a better option Please post it I seriously hate our choices

 

[oscar]

3
Restrained
A

 

[Baltika9]

3
Have him restrained, BUT give him some decent, hot food and some wine. we need him to be at least somewhat calm and functioning, since we'll need him later probably.
C

 

[Random Word]

I second Bloodshifters plan, but I voted 3 when I reached the decision so I ought to abide by that.

3
Do not arrest
4-1

 

[Stygian Lurker]

3
Restrained
A

 

[Smashing Axe]

2, restrain, A

 

[TOME]

3
Restrained
A

 

[Smashing Axe]

I'm only voting to restrain him since I voted 2 for the first option, you guys who are voting 3 should definitely consider keeping him free and following him to see what he does.

 

[Kashmir Slippers]

3 restrain A

 

[Arpad]

2, restrain, A

This.

 

[Vernydar]

Thanks to all who voted, it's nice to see people are still interested.
First choice, overwhelming victory for 3) . Second choice, overwhelming victory for restraining him. Last choice, overwhelming victory for A)
Let's see how this turns out

39 – Poison and blood

You decided to let the merchants go in the first place, but to have the nervous senior official followed by a trusted man of the lord. At that moment you thought it likely that he might know something more, and so you hoped he could maybe give you some clues. Lord Tilash agreed, and he made sure his man understood that discretion was the most important thing in this task.

Right now you're very happy you suggested this. It really seems that the senior merchant is somewhat implied in this murder and maybe you will be able to get some more information. After all knowing of this trapdoor is a rather heavy clue against him, if you can believe the secretary of course. And so you and lord Tilash agree that it's time for the men to be restrained, so that he cannot flee and that you can question him and maybe search his house as well.

Lord Tilash dispatches a few of his men with strict orders. They are to capture the senior merchant and bring him here so he can be kept in a room and questioned if needed. Also, they are to take him alive, and possibly uninjured. After all it's not definite that he's guilty and besides, you need answers, not bodies. Also, the lord insists that they be careful should they find insects, just in case the man really is the murderer. He does not want to lose any of his men, and so he tells them to be very wary of that.

As the detachment leaves, a couple of soldiers armed with mauls and axes are called in. The lord orders to break down the trapdoor, but to be careful about it if possible. A too forceful action might damage useful clues. As such, the two men gets to work in earnest, hitting the trapdoor repeatedly, but not too violently, trying to avoid breaking down the entire floor. This will take a while...

After about thirty minutes the detachment is back, along with the man who was following the suspect. They are carrying the restrained, bruised merchant between them. You notice that one soldier is missing. The soldiers proceed to recount what transpired.

"My lord, I was following this man as you ordered, and made sure he did not see me. It was not hard, he was very focused on reaching his home as fast as possible, and he was walking so fast he might as well be running. After he arrived home, he went inside and I could hear loud noises inside. I went to the window and peeked in. He seemed to be packing up as if he had to flee immediately. As the hours passed I was starting to think he might decide to leave right away even though it was night. I was wondering whether I should come back and tell you or try to restrain him myself, when the others arrived"

A lieutenant who was in charge of the other soldiers continues the tale "After we arrived we were told what was happening and immediately broke through the door. It was easy, this man had not even locked his door in his haste. We surrounded him and demanded that he surrender, but it didn't seem like he would. So, we lunged for him. While we were struggling, before he was immobilized, he thrust his hand in a pocket and threw some glass container in the face of poor Tom. Tom just gave a small yelp, saying something had stung him. Then he fell as a rock. I got close and noticed a small, black insect in the dim light of the room. It was leaving Tom's face and it was heading straight for my leg! My lord, I am sorry but... I was scared and I just stomped it. It was a long, slender, black insect my lord. But I do not know of what kind. There was nothing to do for poor Tom, I immediately flipped him over but he was already dead, with half his face yellow and purple, my lord"

And so, it appears that the poisonous insect has been found. Lord Tilash is fuming because another good man lost his life, and orders the merchant to be kept in a room, tied and watched all the time until he can be questioned. His face promises terrible retribution. It does seem though that you found the murderer, or at least one of them. You just wish you had captured the insect too...

Just as you are about to ask a question, a crash comes from Herzil's study, followed by a horrified cry. You all dash to the room and see the soldiers watching downward with terrified faces. The trapdoor has been broken down and they seem to have seen something horrible. Lord Tilash strides in purposefully, snatches a torch and kneels besides the trapdoor to look down. You quickly reach him and peek inside.

In the small room beneath you there's a body. It is a man, and he's facing upward. His face has a stupefied expression and it's covered by yellow and purple blotches. But that's not what makes your stomach lurch so violently that you think you might throw up right here.

The entire chest of the man has been torn asunder. You can see his spine and the ribs, but the bowels, lungs and heart are missing. It's as if he was devoured by savage beasts. In a closed, stone room inside a building. One of the soldiers makes for the ladder but the lord stops him. It might be dangerous below...

As all these horrible events spin within your head, you wonder what you should suggest. You promised Lord Tilash that you would help. You want to keep your word. But...

What do you suggest should be done? Choose up to three options, in the order they should be done!

1. The room below should be inspected first. Anything could be inside, and maybe it could even get out of that room! Send in a group of soldiers, well armed and armored.
2. The senior merchant should be questioned first. Lord Tilash obviously has no mercy for him in his heart. He will be made to talk.
3. The merchant cannot be the sole responsible. You should question all other merchants again first, maybe the secretary too once again.
4. Maybe a throughout investigation of the houses of the merchant and the secretary are in order. Clues could be found.
5. The first thing to do is to know more about the insect. Go to the merchant's house, call the old healer, try to find out what it is.
6. Other. Make a suggestion, put a number on it

I hope the multiple choices work out with you picking the order they should be done. I will try to pick the most voted option that makes sense. If not I will work something out, consider this something like an open update. I do not want to make six updates to cover just these choices

 

[ScubaV]

5,2,1

It seems like more insects did in the man below, likely the one who cut Herzil's throat. We should try to find out more about the insects via 5 & 2 before putting more men at risk.

 

[m4davis]

251

 

[Baltika9]

152.

Honestly, we should first secure the basement. Seriously, I think the hatchery for those insects is inside, hence the body. And we don't want anything getting out of there, and we sure don't want to be the first one going in if we can help it. Vote for 1 to be first, bros, it's the smart thing to do.

 

[Monty]

2 4 1

 

[Kz3r0]

152.

 

[Stygian Lurker]

5 - first we need to know more about the insects, in case there are more of them in the room below
1 - when we find out about them, we must send soldiers downstairs to kill all the insects if there are any
2 - after that we need to question the senior merchant because he is obviously involved in this

 

[oscar]

152. Wouldn't do to get bitten by one of those things.

 

[Smashing Axe]

512

 

[Bloodshifter]

512

 

[Kashmir Slippers]

521

 

[CappenVarra]

251

 

[Zwist]

I am actually very interested in who that man in the trapdoor is. ....Let us ask the secretary (and others, lets look if someone is the dead mans likeness. This is a very good way to dispose a body, and if whoever did it took over the identity...).
But that would be included in 3.

I do not think we are in a hurry to go down the trapdoor. We might find a tunnel dug by a giant centipede, but what do we win by finding the centipede or whatever beast awaits?
Likely the merchant is not going to run anywhere(lets hope he does not have a hollow tooth, however, he would have used that already, wouldn't he?)

So:

5 4 3

The reasoning here is to have information before interrogating. 5 is the first as I am prone to suspecting more "surprises" in the merchants house. Better to know what to expect.

2 and 1 can be done at a later date.

Glad to see this continuing

 

[Gondolin]

Don't send a group of soldiers into a small room whose only apparent exit is a ladder. Just sayin'.

 

[Arpad]

5,4,3