An hour passes as the crew, topside and belowdecks, keeps the passengers sequestered. One-Eye made his last meal last night to be warmed today. (Somehow, even One-Eye managed to make a simple porridge taste great. His Profession: Cook +11 will be sorely missed.) Tavey is allowed to go back and forth with the porridge, biscuits, a piece of fruit, and water for each passenger.
Mr. Cohen and Ms. Venkalie bring an irascible and unhappy Avner Meravanchi down from the would-be captain's stateroom. "There's a murderer about, and you want me out of the safety of the cabin?! There will be hell to pay for this, I assure you."
Despite this, he does seem to quickly fill in with the other passengers. There is safety in numbers, after all.
As the Blue Nixie finally moves into position and drops anchor about a hundred yards out, Mr. Cohen flies out to give an update to Lady Lavinia, and then flies back. "She said that our plan seems sound, we need to handle it, and we can't transfer anyone or else the killer might then be anywhere on board either ship."
The captain unshapes his blue boot coverings. Instead, the incarnum forms a pair of transparent blue lenses that hover in front of his eyes. They are quite blue as he puts a great amount of soul energy into them. At the same time, Desiria prays for her spells.
I swapped out delay poison for owl's wisdom, and channel vigor for enthrall.
The passengers (including Hifestus, but not Desiria) are brought topside to the midships while their belongings are searched below. Hifestus will note that while he was invited to search the hold at the time, the crew is now performing the search and you are made to hang out topside with everyone else. Word is sent back that while several passengers might own this or that weapon ... frontier life is dangerous, after all, as is sea travel ... none have the smell of blood on them.
The Captain says, "Sister Desiria, Mr. Cohen, your aid in spells and sight, please."
Mr. Cohen begins his view of the passengers to look for emanations of evil, while Sister Desiria casts her spells on the captain. "We well know that unless our assassin is actually steeped into evil powers, a minor killer might well not even show. However, given the skill of our guest, I'm sure if she's in this crowd, she'll have enough blood on her hands to show."Spoiler
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The assumption was made that Desiria cast the spells since that is what was set. Also, please note how detect evil has changed. An evil character/ monster of less than 5 HD that is not a cleric/ paladin/ outsider/ undead, or other special class or creature doesn't show up on evil-dar anymore. Just because you think evil thoughts, until you've proven yourself to have a conviction of evil (such as in 6+ HD), you really haven't been truly stained.
Obviously, this has no effect on spells that affect evil persons. A paladin's smite against a 4th-level LE hobgoblin fighter still has full normal effect.
After Mr. Cohen's look, he whispers to the Captain. The captain then steps down from the poop deck to slowly move in front of a woman. She looks straight ahead, looking nervous ... but no more nervous than any of the passengers. When Darrius stands in front of her and stops, she seems to have some shortness of breath. The woman is extremely attractive, with spring green eyes and orange hair.
Desiria recognizes that after only half a minute her spell has surely dissipated.
The captain snaps his fingers and points to Mr. Kahir, who moves up behind her. Kahir produces - from nowhere - a beam of light energy, and then splits it into two, one for each hand. Each held beams is the size of a short sword, and has a sort of low whirring sound; quite intimidating.
"I'm not the killer, I'm not the killer ... please ...." she whispers in low gasping breaths of fear. "I get this all the time ... my heritage ... people always ... always trying to kill me or run me off once there's a priest around. It's just the way I was born."
Korian moves to her left, sniffing her out. "Not human. Some type of .. animal? I smell the thick dander of fur."
He listens to the woman's heart. "Very powerful heart. As strong as yours, Captain."
"Well," says Darrius, "on your knees, come to your natural form, and tell us who you are. I want the rest of the crew ready to fall on her with hammer, sword, tooth, and spell if she tries anything."
She kneels, and her form changes. As her height lengthens and her frame becomes more expansive, the orange hair on her head seems to grow across the length of her body, seeming to swallow her clothes. As the orange hair covers her, her torso becomes white. Her flanks and tail become striped with black. Her face turns into the broad face of a greater cat, which includes the base orange, the black striping (though it becomes almost nonexistent here, and a white tuft under the chin). She is still humanoid, coming in at about 6-1/2 feet tall with a powerful build (if she is still a 'she'). She has an extremely powerful-looking series of canine teeth.
The most bizarre aspect of her features, however, are her hands. The palms are upturned, with the thumbs facing away from her body. For all of the rest, this physical aspect is easily the most unsettling.
The only thing the four PCs can tell is that this is some type of tiger humanoid, but the mystery of the palms is entirely unknown to you.
"Rakshasa," says Mr. Cohen.
Captain Wavebreaker is nodding his head. "A creature of unremitting evil that travels in the realms of man, looking to gain others to serve them."
Cohen turns to his fellows. "Rakshasas come from another world, but have long since made a presence here."
"Send tha' killin' aberration into the drink!" shouts Ms. Venkalie.
"Say the word, Captain, and I'll run this bitch through her 'strong heart' and prove that it's nothing but flesh," adds Lirith.
The other passengers, who might've murmured in her behalf earilier (seems she's very well liked) now shout imprecations and their feelings of horror.
"My name is Agnipati," she says with a very rapid patter to try and get as much out before they killer her or gag her, "all I know is that I am sort of rakshasa, but I've never met another of my kind. If I have a stain of evil, it is because I have had to kill those who cornered me just for my heritage, and perhaps the stain of my heritage itself. I sought passage on this ship to start a new life far away from larger civilizations, but I need social contact ... I'm not an animal. So, I've prayed to Celestian in my stray life, and then he presented me with this opportunity. But I'm not your killer ... I need this voyage and I'm not about to sabotage it by killing anyone, let alone the guy that made that incredible potato, leek, and mahi-mahi soup. Lavinia allowed my application as a colonist because I'm a decent carpenter, but I'm very good at training animals; she figured that the colony will need someone like me who is very good at training whatever local animals there might be around Farshore. I'm particularly good with a spear, and if we meet pirates, I can prove myself."
Darrius and Lazer confer quietly, then turn around. "We can attest to the aura of one's race lingering on the person regardless of that person's action and intent. While I am more than prone to answer the call of some of my crew and the other passengers, most vocal of which is Lord Meravanchi here, my first mate has pointed out that in addition to the above, we need evidence of wrongdoing. If you have committed any crimes, they weren't under the jurisdiction of this ship.
"But, because of the danger you may represent, we shall tie you to the mizzenmast. Rest assured, it is not pleasant. You will be given some fish and some water, as I can tell just from your teeth you are at least an omnivore, if not a predator like your tiger-form suggests. Once we have an autopsy of One-Eye and find the killer, we'll think about whether we free you or make you walk the plank for own safety."
The passengers are getting frothy angry, and Lord Meravanchi doesn't help. "We already have a woman who is a devil here. Shall we stand for more evil? Captain, make us feel at ease. I say we make her walk the plank and take her chances in the sea! PLANK HER!"Spoiler
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Devil-woman?! Hifestus, Desiria? Who is this devil woman he speaks of?
[ooc]Remember, neither of you have seen Celiss in her real form. Since pulling into Ft. Blackwell, she has taken on a seemingly lesser angelic form.[/ooc]
To which the colonists shout:
PLANK HER!
PLANK HER!
PLANK HER!
PLANK HER!
It looks like things could get out of hand quickly. The crew could put the colonists down easily enough for sure, but not without some casualties. That's if they don't just make her walk the plank.
What do the PCs do?
Re: The Savage Tide [IC]
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