I need to kill someone. Quite slowly.

Mr Flibble · Sep 5, 2010

In c800 Scandinavia.

Basically I want my Bad Dude to have been poisoning his father (probably via his food) for a while, so it looks like failing health due to age or illness etc rather than poisoning.

Any ideas?

I had thought of Lily of the Valley, but I'm not sure if that would do the trick. If he'd given his father a dose every day for sometime, it would not do him any favours, but I'm not sure it would kill him. Anyone know? Would digitalis or deadly nightshade work better? Something else?

The plan, btw, is to poison him slowly for a while (so it looks like he's ill), then arrange for a big fatal dose while Bad Dude isn't around, so no suspicion falls on him.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Sep 5, 2010

Google 'Ancient Poisons'... lots of juicy hits.

Mr Flibble · Sep 5, 2010

Thanks OFG, I did try a similar search and got lots of stuff, but not much really suitable.

Mistletoe would be nice and symbolic, given the culture...

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Sep 5, 2010

Here's a good discussion and lead on a book with just what you're needing... it's from Nanowrimo.

Paul · Sep 5, 2010

Was gonna suggest forced watchin of Sex and The City, but c800...

Unless there was a similar play or pageant...

joyce · Sep 5, 2010

How about some good old oleander leaves, flowers or sap. Southern slaves used it all the time to slowly kill their masters. Just bake or cook it right in the food.

Linda Adams · Sep 5, 2010

What about heavy metals? It seems like most of those take a while to kill someone and cause a whole lot of problems along the way. It seems like there was a case of a woman being poisoned with arsenic by her husband--he just put a little bit in her food every day, and she started having neurological problems. It's not commonly tested for, so it was very hard to find. Wikipedia has some famous victims that go back to the early 1800s, so it's been around a while.

Mr Flibble · Sep 6, 2010

What about heavy metals? It seems like most of those take a while to kill someone and cause a whole lot of problems along the way. It seems like there was a case of a woman being poisoned with arsenic by her husband

Thing is, I'm not sure how available arsenic would be to your average guy in a 9th century Scandanavian village. (a quick check reveals it wasn't documented till 1250 anyway

) Other heavy metals seem like they'd have similar problems.

Here's a good discussion and lead on a book with just what you're needing... it's from Nanowrimo.

Ooooh thanks!

Priene · Sep 6, 2010

joyce said:
How about some good old oleander leaves, flowers or sap. Southern slaves used it all the time to slowly kill their masters. Just bake or cook it right in the food.

Oleander is a Mediterranean shrub and wouldn't have been available so far north. Steely Dan made this mistake in My Old School:

Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they're gonna be in bloom up in Annandale

not unless they're growing in a greenhouse, they wouldn't.

I'd personally use mushrooms or toadstools. There must have been plenty of poisonous ones available in northern forests.

JimmyB27 · Sep 6, 2010

IdiotsRUs said:
I had thought of Lily of the Valley, but I'm not sure if that would do the trick. If he'd given his father a dose every day for sometime, it would not do him any favours, but I'm not sure it would kill him.

He could use this for the 'make him look ill' stage, and then switch over to something deadlier.

Mr Flibble · Sep 6, 2010

JimmyB27 said:
He could use this for the 'make him look ill' stage, and then switch over to something deadlier.

I like the way your mind is working. Could be Priene's mushrooms then for the fatal dose

Cyia · Sep 6, 2010

Wormwood.

Unless I'm wrong, there are some Scandinavian liquors made with it, so it should be available. It could go a long way toward making someone seem like they were not only losing their health, but their mind as well.

waylander · Sep 6, 2010

Amanita Virosa for the final dose. Occurs in Scandinavia

Priene · Sep 6, 2010

waylander said:
Amanita Virosa for the final dose. Occurs in Scandinavia

A prolonged dose of Ace of Bass would probably do it, as well.

RJK · Sep 6, 2010

Spicing his food with Iron sulfate over a period of time would gradually build up in the victim's system until he reached the OD stage, then he'd go fairly quickly.

Mr Flibble · Sep 6, 2010

waylander said:
Amanita Virosa for the final dose. Occurs in

Scandinavia

Looks nasty. I like it!

Maybe not as drawn out a death as prologued exposure to Ace of Bass...

dgrintalis · Sep 6, 2010

You should read The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum. It's fantastic! I'm sure it will help you find something wonderful and deadly.

Mr Flibble · Sep 7, 2010

dgrintalis said:
You should read The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum. It's fantastic! I'm sure it will help you find something wonderful and deadly.

Oh excellent!

To derail my own thread, does anyone have any idea of the amount a 9th century Viking and a Saxon from North East England would understand each other? (I'm talking about the early part of the century before the raids became more numerous and settlement started). From what I can gather they'd probably understand some words, but not lots? Enough to need an interpreter?

I need to kill someone. Quite slowly.

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Ol' Fashioned Girl

Hand? What hand?

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Ol' Fashioned Girl

Hand? What hand?

Paul

joyce

I'm really shy...

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Priene

Out to lunch

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Priene

Out to lunch

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

dgrintalis

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble