( TRIAL - WEEK 1 )

[abhoth]

At exactly 11:30 am, all residents who are still asleep will be jolted awake by a sharp, burning pain that spreads across their whole body. A simple look will reveal no visible injuries, oddly enough, and the pain will fade away as soon as they're properly awake. Those early birds who are already up and about will feel nothing — except maybe a strange, mysterious sense of relief as they go on about their business. Lucky them. Moments later, an announcement will come through the static-filled PA system: "This is Craftly speaking. My apologies for the rude awakening [not really], but your presence is required in the Dining Hall. Our first trial is about to begin. Please do try to be there before noon. My staff members have simply too many duties to tend to, to be escorting each and every one of you out of your quarters. Good day." And true to his words, anyone who doesn't make their way to the Dining Hall before noon will be dragged kicking and screaming regardless of where they've sequestered themselves. Sucks to be you, huh? Upon arriving there, however, residents will be given the menu, one copy of the rulebook, one pencil, one notepad, and a cheque folder. Lunch and dinner will be served at the appropriate times, and appetizers, desserts and beverages (of the non-alcoholic variety) will be available throughout the trial. All you have to do is ask one of the faceless men, and your food will be delivered to you in ten minutes or less depending on what it is. The Dining Room itself looks about the same as it does any other day — save for the fact that the lights have been dimmed. Why this, you ask? Because the projector is now in use. Transparencies containing each resident's profile will be displayed on the pull-down screen, with one of the staff members rotating through the images every minute. The profiles of the deceased are included, and if current discussion deems it necessary to focus on one particular resident, anyone is free to ask the faceless man to pause on the appropriate profile for a while. A small area has been sectioned off with a transparent, plastic curtain right next to the pull-down screen. Its use will become rapidly apparent once the victim's corpse has been wheeled in. Anyone who wishes to step into this area will be asked to wash their hands in the kitchen, and they will be given a pair of latex-free gloves and a hairnet by a staff member who is stationed nearby. Residents are required to dispose of both items before returning to the dinner table; a trash bin is available outside of the curtains for this purpose. Evidence found during the investigation, on the other hand, will be displayed in the back of the room. Two, long tables have been taken out of storage for this occasion, and any items found by the residents on Friday will be displayed here for further examination. Finally — a clock above the pull-down screen displays the current hour. Please do remember you have until 9:00 PM to figure out whodunit and cast your vote. ( victim ) Welcome to our first trial! Characters will be given nine (9) hours to discuss everything related to the investigation to hopefully solve the mystery behind this week's murder. No one will be allowed to leave the Dining Hall without explicit permission from the Innkeeper (and only then to take a tinkle), and all characters must cast their vote before 9PM EST. You may do so on this week's voting page. If you have any questions or doubts, shoot us a PM or a PP over at yuggoth. ( quick navigation ) voting | profiles | menu | locations | ic rulebook

Comments

[blacktailed]

Because it was already Friday, and they panicked. Jason was there, and it was Friday. They had to do something, or there wouldn't be a body today to work with.

[godly]

So you're saying it was merely an issue of poor planning?

[blacktailed]

You saw how everyone reacted when they saw the rules on killing. Most people here probably haven't murdered before. They wouldn't know how to really set such a thing up. There's too much here that seems off to be really, really solid. Some of it seems almost to be fake.

[godly]

I'll agree with you that a lot of this seems convenient. But at the same time, maybe it's so obvious because it's just what happened.

But let's consider your point instead: Jason was the one possessed, and instead was the one who tried to commit a crime. This may change the narrative somewhat, but it doesn't change the fact that he's still the one dead. Someone still used what's most likely a piano wire to strangulate him, it just flips the motivate around to self-defense.

It would explain why some people here are hesitant to label her a murderer. They don't believe she has the disposition for it. But I think I would be correct in assuming that nearly everyone here has the disposition to defend themselves if need be. Regardless, the outcome would be the same.

[blacktailed]

Maybe it was one of those soulless beasts that killed him instead.

[she says it flippantly, finally sitting up straight before beckoning over a faceless man to ask for tea.]

And I realized a hole in my own thinking. How did Jason get in their room, if Jason's room was the one lockpicked?

[godly]

I would think there would be some kind of sign of struggle. "Beast" denotes something vicious, even though that's still just speculation on my part.

[A beat.]

There's that, too. He'd need a key, that or he has access to the Skeleton Key. Which we know isn't true, since he was the Ballerina.

[blacktailed]

My thought is that someone let him in. Why? I don't know.

[when the tea comes, she looks over at Light, raising a brow.]

What does "ballerina" even mean?

[godly]

Implying that he was killed in their room?

[He raises a brow, but mentally waves away the question of "you don't know what a ballerina is?", because it's redundant.]

Someone who practices ballet, which is a type of performative dancing.

[blacktailed]

[a dancer, then. okay, she'll nod at that info. up there with kraft dinner in the list of foreign things.]

There was no dragging on the body, so if someone wanted him in there, he either died there or was dumped there. What does that tell you?

[godly]

It tells me someone was strong enough to carry him into the room without much of a fuss, or-- alternately, there's a theory that the role item in his possession may have made him appear there after death.

Or, like you said, he died in the room.

[blacktailed]

Not impossible magic, but tricky. But unlikely.

[she picks up her cup of tea, sipping from it before making a face. this is what people made so much fuss about? it's not what she expected.]

Someone carrying him would be easier, if they could manage without their roommates waking up.

[godly]

They would still need a key to access the room -- unless, like you said, they were let in. A group effort, of sorts.

[Questioning them would be prudent, but it seems like someone else is already on that, so!

Also...] Something wrong with the tea?

[blacktailed]

It doesn't taste good.

[it's instant tea, so it's not great.]

If he knocked, would someone get up to let him in?

[godly]

Well, it's not exactly the expensive stuff.

[He almost shrugs.]

Depends. If I heard a knock at my door in the middle of curfew, I'd be suspicious. But if it was someone I was expecting, then that's another story altogether.

[blacktailed]

[she wants to try expensive tea now? thanks.]

You think that someone called Jason over.

[godly]

[Light's more of a coffee guy, but he appreciates Decent Tea, too.]

I think it's a possibility. One that we have absolutely no way of proving, since we're relying only on testimony at this point. All three of them claimed to have woken up to the body, and said nothing about allowing him in.