ROOM 7

[dramatispersonae]

[You enter a pleasant sitting room: there are nine plush comfy chairs in a semi-circle in front of a crackling fireplace, and a table set with various finger-foods and two carafes, one of water and one of wine. It'd be a very nice room ... if not for the dummy lying facedown on the floor with a giant butcher knife sticking out of its back and a little bottle by one of its hands, marked with a tiny skull and crossbones. There's a hangman's noose around its neck, though the other end looks rather frayed.

The pleasant voice of a woman -- not the persona -- begins to speak:]

Hello and welcome. I wish it could have been under better circumstances, but today has some interesting circumstances. As you can see, my good associate, Mister X, has met an unfortunate end. I've reason to believe it might be one of you! Shall we see if I'm right?

Comments

NUMBERS

[dramatispersonae]

[on the table, by the food, are seven envelopes, accordingly numbered]

((please comment here with a number 1 - 9. this is for assigning your randomized acting roles and isn't meant to take long))

Re: NUMBERS

[doubleminded]

[3?]

Re: NUMBERS

[medpacksapunch]

[oh okay 5]

Re: NUMBERS

[fraternalorders]

[...7]

Re: NUMBERS

[thankyouverymooch]

[I WANT NUMBER ONE]

Re: NUMBERS

[isfet]

[8]

ROLES AND CLUES

[dramatispersonae]

1 - the weak hero from a big family, who has worked hard to better the community
2 - the ambitious singer with more than meets the eye, determined to overcome all odds
3 - the frustrated bodyguard, irritated with the system and failed dreams
4 - the agile hunter on the run from the law, also fast-talking and free-wheeling
5 - the arrogant rascal, belligerent and ready to fight at a moment's notice
6 - the cooperative inventor that is a complete fraud, fronts well but with some anxiety
7 - the graceful, peaceful traveler, whose still waters may run very deep
8 - the enduring, calm teacher, who has seen many terrible things and stands strong
9 - the open-minded adventurer haunted by flashbacks, anxious but eager to listen and please


CLUES
* Mister X appears to have died by poisoning
* Mister X was involved in a great deal of community projects, including a number he canceled without warning
* Mister X traveled a great deal in his youth, and came into contact with all sorts of people

START

[dramatispersonae]

[when you open your envelopes, there is a short description provided. also printed under the that are three clues. but one of you has something extra ...]

((This is the murder game! Everyone is playing the detective, but one of you has been randomly assigned as the "culprit." It will be up to everyone to play detective, and for the "culprit" to do their best to remain undetected.))

Re: START

[medpacksapunch]

...Okay "apparently" died by poisoning, but I think that's just a case of what got to him first. He "apparently" died a lot of ways.

[nudges the body with her toe]

Re: START

[doubleminded]

Maybe they didn't want to leave it to chance.

Re: START

[thankyouverymooch]

[looking at the body as she does that]

Looking at things, the culprit must have had quite a grudge on him.

Re: START

[isfet]

[totally munching on some of that food.]

The knife is kind of suspicious, yeah.

Re: START

[fraternalorders]

Yes, it's excessive.

Re: START

[doubleminded]

All right, then. Who killed him?

Re: START

[isfet]

You'd have to be really bad at the game to just up and say, "hey, it was me."

Re: START

[fraternalorders]

[checking out his card...and, well, okay]

[turning his attention to Mister X now]

Re: START

[doubleminded]

Are you the killer, Stealth?

Re: START

[thankyouverymooch]

No comments to make?

Re: START

[thankyouverymooch]

Let's see if we can solve the case.

CONCLUSION

[dramatispersonae]

[a book appears where the envelopes were before, along with a pen. it opens itself and flips to a blank page. (attempts to read earlier will show that the pages are filled, but with a great deal of illegible scribbles.)]

I'd like to hear what you have to say, in order to defend yourselves.

[please give your conclusion of who the culprit is, no matter how outlandish. those who cannot read or write will be able to just narrate, and the pen will fill out your answer for you.]

Re: CONCLUSION

[doubleminded]

[written:

The murderer is Stealth. Despite his claims to not know the victim, his only defense is his own word. In addition, being able to travel would give him the means to procure poison, which is not easy to come by.

In addition, I believe the other two attempts at murder to have been carried out by Tsunami, to act out her violent impulses on a man already beyond saving. Perhaps they are united through their shared depravity.]

Re: CONCLUSION

[isfet]

Okay, here's my theory. There's stuff pointing at most of us. Lynx, for example. He's a "weak" hero, so it makes sense he'd use poison as a weapon. He's got a motive, since he's dedicated to bettering his community and Mister X keeps cancelling projects. And then you've got the arrogant rascal, who could've been sloppy enough to try hiding the rope under the table. Teir, as Mister X's bodyguard, could've easily stabbed him in the back, since Mister X would trust him. One of the clues is that Mister X was a traveler, so he might have met that other guy then. The only person who isn't easily connected to Mister X is me. So obviously I didn't do it, and everyone else decided to murder him at roughly the same time without realizing it, explaining why Mister X was stabbed, strangled, and poisoned.

For future reference, I also think this game would be easier if we had a real body to examine.

Re: CONCLUSION

[thankyouverymooch]

[writing:

I don't know his name, but the culprit is the traveler. Everyone else at least tried to put up a defense, but all he came up with is "I have a good memory". Given the fact both the victim and him used to travel, and how the clue specifically mentions Mister X came to meet many interesting people, I have a hard time believing this is a coincidence.

Everything other than the poison was used after the victim died already— in an attempt to confuse us.]

Re: CONCLUSION

[medpacksapunch]

Right, like I said to Mr. Weak but Noble Hero, it couldn't have been me-- I'm inarguably a violent bully, but I'm definitely not the stab-you-in-the-back sort. I'd just attack head on; I'm arrogant enough that I'd be sure that I could beat him without having to sneak around. I couldn't have poisoned him or hanged him either-- I'd have to go to the trouble of getting the rope and tying a noose, or finding poison somewhere and tricking him into drinking it, when I'm obviously a spur-of-the-moment kind of person.

I don't think it was Stealth, because he's not engaged enough. Why would he want to kill the guy, anyway? I guess they were both travelers, but is "I might have met you once while traveling" a good enough reason to kill someone? The Weak Hero has his alibi built right into his role and I guess he's my secret lover, so I wont suspect him either. And Teir could go either way but he seemed to want me to suspect him, and that's no fun in a game like this.

So I suspect, um, the guy digging around under the tables. Sorry, i don't know his name-- but if there were a way to look innocent, digging around for clues and earnestly trying to solve it pushes suspicion off you pretty nicely. Unless, of course, you're being suspected by somebody belligerent and rascally, who isn't easily swayed!

Re: CONCLUSION

[fraternalorders]

I believe the culprit is the hero. He's weak, which would explain his use of poison, and he has the most in common with the victim, being that they were both involved in the betterment of the community. It's likely that they traveled the same circles and the hero could have formed a grudge. The victim may have started canceling projects to avoid the hero, or perhaps the canceling of projects was a motive for the murder. Either is possible.

Moreover the hero seemed more interested in critiquing my acting and flirting with Tsunami than in putting forth any effort or attempting to ask useful, relevant questions. It distracted rather than added to the investigation, which is suspicious.