Murder, part 2 is the middle part of chapter III in the plot of Return of the Obra Dinn. It reveals the fate of Hok-Seng Lau, one of the Formosan guards for the Formosan Royals.
Captain Robert Witterel announces to Lau that he has been found guilty by self-confession for the murder of passenger Nunzio Pasqua. Despite the Formosan passengers proclaiming his innocence, Captain Witterel sentences Lau to death by firing line and orders the gunner, Christian Wolff, to carry out the command. The gunmen fire, but only one of them, seaman Henry Brennan, manages to hit Lau.
The memory is also featured in the Justice at Sea sketch, and artist Edward Spratt is seen drawing it. In the sketch, Fourth Mate's Steward Davey James is not covering his ears and looking away, and Gunner's Mate Olus Wiater is standing. People close to the poop deck in the sketch are also not visible in the diorama.
When playing a new game, the pocketwatch starts shaking after viewing this diorama, allowing access to Murder, part 1.
Things of interest
Passenger Hok-Seng Lau is executed by a firing line.
- The identity of passenger Hok-Seng Lau can be deduced since the Captain addresses him by his full name when sentencing him to death.
- The game has no option to set his fate as executed. He was shot with a gun instead, but the killer is not obvious: the player needs to check which bullet trail actually hits the body. Only the one coming from seaman Henry Brennan's rifle does.
- The identity of passenger Bun-Lan Lim can be deduced since her name is mentioned and she is the only person with that last name on board. She is also the only woman in the scene and addressed as Miss.
- The identity of Gunner Christian Wolff can be deduced as the Captain addresses him by his last name and he is the one giving orders to the firing squad.
- The identity of artist Edward Spratt can be deduced since he is seen drawing the Justice at Sea sketch on the starboard side towards the bow.
- If the inspector has seen A Bitter Cold, part 1, identities of Topmen Huang Li and Li Hong can be deduced by comparing their shoes in both dioramas.
- This is one of the two dioramas where cook Thomas Sefton appears.
- The cause for Lau's confession is never stated. Li Hong, one of Nichols' co-conspirators, understands the Formosans' language as shown in The Calling, part 1. He may have offered to act as a translator for Lau and fabricated his confession.[speculation]
Where
This memory is accessed via a body hanging on the starboard side of the main deck near the main mast.
Areas
Only the middle portion of the main deck is accessible. The exit is towards the stern.
Transcript
- [Witterel] "Hok Seng Lau... ...you have been found guilty by self confession... ...of the murder of Nunzio Pasqua."
- [Lim] "慢且！伊無做毋著代誌！ | No! He has done nothing wrong!"
- [Sia] "小姐，袂赴啊。 | Miss Lim. It is too late."
- [Davies] "Quiet!"
- [Witterel] "As captain of this ship... ...and by the authority of the East India Company... ...and thus the Crown of England... ...I sentence you to death by firing line."
- [Lim] "停手！趕緊停手啊！ | Stop! Stop right now!"
- [Witterel] "Mr Wolff. When you are ready."
- [Wolff] "Right sir. Ready men. Aim. Fire!"