The Salt-Bitten Ledgers
A forensic investigator is summoned to the close quarters of a 20th-century maritime vessel following a death in the owner's family. The inquiry must untangle a closed circle of crew and passengers, each harboring personal secrets and lies that have contaminated the initial timeline and evidence.
Initial Crime Scene
The heavy brass door handle is cold and slick under your palm. As you step across the threshold, the sharp, antiseptic smell of carbolic acid cuts through the air, mixed with the damp scent of old paper. Your boot heel clicks on a deck planking where fine, white salt crystals glitter in the wood grain. A single, rhythmic ticking emanates from a glass-cased chronometer on the wall. The still air carries the faint, metallic odor of iron from a tarnished lock.
Crime Scene Environment
The vessel's interior is defined by a dim, artificial lamplight that throws long, wavering shadows, creating a perpetual dusk. The humidity is high, leaving surfaces cold and slick with a layer of condensation. Acoustic density is low, dominated by the constant, deep groan of the ship's timber under strain and the distant, muffled rhythm of the sea against the hull.
Investigation Constraints
Early 20th Century Maritime Era: No electronics, no radio. Communication is via signal flags, written logs (ink on paper), and physical telegrams at port. Locks are heavy brass mechanical. Weapons are revolvers, harpoons, and whalebone clubs. Tools include sextants, chronometers, barometers, and handwritten ledgers.
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