Cold Case

[whitesword]

How long before we can move about the city without having to deal with big snow delays?

Brevis, what can you tell us about our base of operations?

The storm blows for five more days, dropping over 10 feet of snow on the city. After the storm ends the wind continues, blowing from the north and northwest without a break.  Drifts leave alleyways completely blocked. The temperature does not rise above freezing.

[Asinjin]

Is there a consensus among the locals that this was a natural or unnatural storm?

From my experience living in Icefia, how does this storm rank among those I've seen?

[whitesword]

The storm is the most severe you have seen for this part of the country. The coast is usually spared this amount of precipitation. However, given the sheer size of the storm there seems no way it could have been magical. Some are saying it's Frostine reasserting his control after the unusual summer and fall.

[Asinjin]

Has anyone come out with a long term forecast?  Farmers' almanac style.  Do they think its going to be a long cold winter?  Is it going to get warm enough to melt some of this before the sub freezing winter takes hold?

[whitesword]

Only the abrupt change from unseasonably warm to bitter cold gives anyone pause and no one is making predictions (except the occasional Frostine worshipper). As for the temperature no it stays cold and nothing melts.

[Asinjin]

Asking so I know how easy it is for people to get out of the city; what is the number of ships that come and go from port in the winter?  Not exact, just comparatively to other seasons.

[Zunder]

Has anyone come out with a long term forecast?  Farmers' almanac style.  Do they think its going to be a long cold winter?  Is it going to get warm enough to melt some of this before the sub freezing winter takes hold?

Visili hisses that someone is wasting time worrying about the weather, when we have a case to solve....it's not our job...

[whitesword]

More from the file:

Having no disinterested witnesses to interview I proceeded to investigate the Stormmoon business. The family business is run by three of the decedent's children: Jacob, Emelda and Sharon. As noted above all are very distraught over their father's murder and were entirely cooperative. They know of know of no business rival who would desire their father's death. More importantly there would seem to be no profit in it; the decedent stepped down from active control of the enterprise nearly 15 years ago. Nevertheless a thorough review of the company's business dealings was conducted and no anomalies were found. All three children confirmed that their father had suffered from a deep melancholy after their mother's passing and had recovered from it a few months before the murder. They offered a variety of possible reasons for the recovery such as an increased interest in his council work, additional time with his grand children or possibly a new hobby. I found this last intriguing.  Could it be related to his greater expenditures? No obvious answer presents itself as he did not keep a journal. Perhaps the household staff will have an idea.

[Voodoo]

Ramsey reads through the case documents and any available public records searching for a few specific bits of information:

-Where are the three Stormmoon children that do not live within the city?

-What happened to the currently deceased Stormmoon child?

-Who replaced Stormmoon on the Council?

[whitesword]

Ramsey reads through the case documents and any available public records searching for a few specific bits of information:

-Where are the three Stormmoon children that do not live within the city?

-What happened to the currently deceased Stormmoon child?

-Who replaced Stormmoon on the Council?

First- Note that I corrected the date of the murder to Coustus not Wavery 783.

The answers to all three questions are contained in the file:  The three living Children are Michael, Gideon and Katrina.  Michael and Katrina are members of the Kingdom's military, Michael is a Kaelan (major) assigned to the army's elite Guardian Brigade.  Katrina is a  Thelan (Captain) in the Navy.  Gideon is estranged from the family.  He has forsaken the faiths of Stasis and Habastly and joined the Cult of Drunbarr.  His whereabouts are presently unknown.

Immediately after the murder all three children returned home from the funeral.  Michael was given leave from the army and was unanimously chosen to serve his father's term on the council.  However in early 784 he was recalled to active duty.  Katrina was then given leave to return as the Navy has had little difficulty with the Elves and she was not aboard a combat vessel in any case.  She was unanimously selected to finish the term, which is due to end at the end of 784.

The deceased child was Loriella.  She died as an infant.

[Asinjin]

Is it explicitly stated anywhere that Stormmoon was a devout follow of Stasis?

[whitesword]

There is no reference to the level of his devotion.

[Asinjin]

Are there any indications in the report that magic was used in the murder?  Either in body's transport, the killing, etc.

[whitesword]

The File:

The investigation of the Stormmoon household proved fruitless.  First, given the size of the mansion and the wealth of the family, the staff was very small; only four comprised of a groundskeeper, chef, cleaner and secretary.  Second, the decedent dismissed the staff during his period of seclusion and had not yet hired them back at the time of the murder.  Fortunately the staff members were easy to locate as the Stormmoon children had hired them to their own homes while they attempted to convince their father to rehire them.

The staff confirmed what was already well known: Abram Stormmoon was crushed by his wife's death, withdrew from his family and friends, becoming increasingly distant and isolated until late 782 when he appeared to make a recovery.  By all accounts he had always been an independent man, hence the small staff, and was dedicated to his family, his city and the Kingdom.
I don't believe his family played any part in this murder.  This was an assassination; his work on the Council, his business or some other interest is the motive for this crime. 

[Asinjin]

Did the children or staff note that anything has been removed from the house that they expected to be there when they went in after his death?