MAY MURDER MYSTERY PARTY

[stgermaine]

MAY MURDER MYSTERY PARTY

Starting at 7:00 PM, a room in the rec center is opened to the guests. Isaiah's done his best to evoke something like a nice, 60's sitting room, completely with dramatic lighting. Maddox has been provided with a bar cart and bottles of liquor so he can mix drinks for the guests. There are also snacks available, which look a bit like rearranged cafeteria charcuterie boards. Candles have been lit, and the atmosphere isn't too bad for Isaiahls first attempt at hosting a themed party.

There's a table as well as arm chairs for seating, and the music is largely jazz instrumentals. Isaiah won't fuss too much if people want to take over the playlist as long as they don't kill the mood. Only Jack is allowed to get murdered tonight.

HOW THIS WORKS

✎ The party begins at 7:00 PM, the murder is scheduled for 8:00 PM, and the investigation will last until 10:00 PM where everyone will need to state their case.
✎ Phones and other internet-connected devices are collected at the door and kept in a little box. They can be accessed if there's an emergency, but not to help them win the game.
✎ To accuse someone, you must provide a name, murder weapon, motivation, and opportunity. Whoever gets the most right win. (OOC: I will largely be using RNG and observing your characters for this, because we as players will know who the killer is. I might attempt something more ambitious next month, but for now it's just a roleplaying opportunity!)
✎ The winner gets to choose who next month's murder victim is.
✎ Feel free to make up details and just have fun in the space. This isn't supposed to be too serious! The assigned roles are just prompts!
✎ Characters may use their powers, but only if they disclose exactly what they can do to the entire group before the game begins.

ROLES

Right before Jack is found with his head splattered across the walls of the back room, everyone is handed an envelope containing their role, general information about the case, and their unique clue. They're asked to open them after the murder is revealed.

Jack is welcome to mill about with the guests as a "ghost" if he'd like, but he can also just take a nap in the back room.

GENERAL INFORMATION:You all know one another from an elite club you were part of in university, where you would try to solve cold cases. You even found brief fame when you solved a cold case together as a group. However, it's been many years since you've last seen one another, and old scandals and secrets may come to light now that you're together again.

When Jack Jung, a movie star, is found murdered in the middle of a the reunion, the armchair detectives have to suspect one another. A snowstorm rages outside, ensuring that no one can leave or call for help until morning.

ISAIAH, MADDOX, JACK

These three characters are playing special roles, and do not get any envelopes.

✎ Isaiah is the host, and is running the game. He can only be asked questions about technicalities and rules.
✎ Maddox has recused himself from participating because of his powers, but he's mixing drinks and can socialize at his leisure.
✎ Jack is the murder victim, and although he knows who killed him, he can't share anything he knows with the players because he's a corpse.

SUSPECTS

✎ Raine - Artist - When Jack arrived, he warned you to be careful around Enoch. You think he knew a terrible secret about Enoch. You discovered the body first, and now you have blood on you.
✎ Vidalia - Doctor - With your medical training you have a lot of insight into how Jack died, and can tell his head exploded unnaturally. You’re close friends with Jack’s wife, who is also Minty’s cousin.
✎ Minty - Butcher - You heard gossip that Jack was never actually going to leave your cousin for his mystery mistress, and was just leading her on. You also know he recently inherited a lot of money. [MINTY IS THE MURDERER]
✎ Eden - Author - This scenario is playing out exactly like a novel you wrote two years ago, and in your book the killer got away with it. You know Annie and Jack were having an affair.
✎ Crysta - Florist - The flowers, orange lilies, left on Jack’s body symbolize pride, hatred and humiliation. They’re the exact same as the ones you brought to the party. You were accused of killing your late husband after he cheated on you.
✎ Annie - Singer/songwriter - Before Jack left the party, he played an obscure song foreshadowing his death. You were having an affair with him, he said he’d leave his wife for you.
✎ Wren - Accountant - Jack contacted you out of the blue three months ago about how he just inherited a great deal of money, and you helped him invest it in a way that also benefited you.
✎ Enoch - Politician - You’ve read Eden’s book, where someone dies in an eerily similar way. Jack was once your best friend, until you had a well-known falling out.
✎ Taby - Actor - Lost the leading role in a critically acclaimed film to none other than Jack, and hasn't found much work since then. You've heard rumors Jack also had an affair with his costar.
✎ Lenz - Museum Curator - Jack was your first love during university, but it didn't last. However, while doing research for his upcoming role as Napoleon Bonaparte, Jack contacted you. It required a lot of late nights and long phone conversations.
✎ Noah - Hollywood Agent - You've been representing Jack for the past several years, but he's become a difficult client and it's impacting your reputation. If Jack does actually leave his wife for that singer, it'd be a disaster.

SCHEDULE

» VIBE CHECK: What's your character feeling as they join the party? What are they wearing? How are they behaving and who are they hanging out with? (optional)

» 7 PM - COCKTAIL HOUR: Before the murder is revealed, there's time to socialize and enjoy some drinks mixed up by Maddox. Near the end of cocktail hour, everyone is handed an envelope containing their role and clues.

» 8 PM - A MURDER!: The host, Isaiah, announces that one of the guests has been murdered. Gasp! No one saw this coming! Jack has been brutally dispatched via an exploded head. (Enoch's illusions assist with the visuals. There is a short, semi-ironic photoshoot.)

» 8-10 PM - INVESTIGATION: Now that everyone has their roles, their clues, and the murder scene, the investigation may begin.

» PERFORMANCES: Please fill out and post the following form under this header so I can get an idea of how your character performed at their assigned role. I'll be using this information as well as their activities during the event to RNG who solved the murder! (The winner will be announced on Monday or Tuesday so everyone has a chance to participate.)

<B>Name</b>: <B>Detective Skills</b>: 1-10, describe and rate how good they are at interpreting the clues and avoiding suspicion. <B>Commitment</b>: 1-10, how hard are they committing to the bit? <B>Effort</b>: 1-10, are they invested in winning? <B>Allies</b>: Do they team up with anyone? <B>Anything else?</b>:

(CODE)

Comments

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[imaginist]

Enoch has a list of dates and times that he and Raine were in the same room and didn't exchange a single word. He stopped updating it two weeks before the blip, because it was irrational to expect answers from such an unstructured data set, but the list is on his mind anyway whenever he sees Raine. Will this evening be another data point? Ah, he thinks as Raine greets him. An outlier.

"The act of a truly sick individual," Enoch says cheerfully. He sips from a Satan's Whisker as he scans Raine from head to toe, taking in his blood-splattered clothes. "That's a good look on you."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[rainbowfish]

During the course of their short relationship, Raine had managed to convince himself that Enoch's tendency towards careful examination was something closer to admiration. The force of habit comes back to bite him now as he shifts uncomfortably under this scrutiny.

"Yeah, thanks," he says, assuming (or maybe just hoping) the blood is part of Enoch's dramatic death illusion. He'd be more annoyed to lose a blazer to fake blood than he would be at a petty creative decision. But, anyway, the murder investigation: "Jack said you called him a libertine."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[imaginist]

Straight to business, as usual. Unfortunately, Enoch has always enjoyed Raine's bluntness, and is more than happy to fill in dead air with his own voice.

"Isn't he? Or past tense, rather." Enoch would make a terrible politician. "A certain amount of sins is requisite for movie stars. But I did warn Jack that it would come back to bite him if he kept treating people that way. I believe this—" He gestures to the blood covering Raine's clothes. "—is what they call karma."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[rainbowfish]

“You don’t sound that torn up about it,” Raine says. He’s following the script; this is what he’s supposed to say, and he already knows how the scene is supposed to end. He can make it through a few more lines of dialogue. But then, ignoring that it’s a wholly impolite thing to say, he adds: “Not that I’d expect you to be.”

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[imaginist]

"Oh?" Enoch raises his eyebrows. He's unruffled by rudeness, both in character and in real life (usually), although it's not quite clear to him which side of the stage Raine is on right now. Raine pretending to be whoever he's pretending to be just sounds like Raine. "I'm a public figure with a lot of enemies. Whatever you've heard about me, it's likely worse than the truth."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[rainbowfish]

"Yeah, but a spurned best friend's going to know the real truth and might not care who he tells," Raine counters. They both know why he's here, so he doesn't feel any particular need to be coy about his accusation. "It's probably better for you that he's dead, in the long run."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[imaginist]

Enoch mentally flicks through the different role-appropriate responses he could give right now, before deciding he's tired of playing this game. "Let's be logical." He sets his drink down and pushes himself out of his armchair. "This is the first run, and Isaiah would never trust me with such a pivotal role. It's far more entertaining for him to do... whatever this is."

He reaches out, brushing two fingers against the collar of Raine's blazer. The bloodstains on his clothes disappear.

"My clues point to Eden," Enoch says impassively. "But I suspect that's also a red herring."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[rainbowfish]

Raine shifts away from Enoch's touch impulsively, although he lets out relieved little huff of a sigh when he sees the blood disappear from his clothing. Then he laughs, partially at himself for flinching and partially at Enoch for dropping the charade neither of them really wanted to be participating in anyway.

"I think Eden's a little more trouble than she lets on," Raine admits. "But you're right. And I'm bad at lying, so you know it's not me. Who is a suspect?"

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[imaginist]

Enoch studies Raine carefully for his reaction. It would probably be easier for everyone if he could just ignore Raine, but he's never been good at indifference when it comes to the people who enter his orbit, good or bad. A flinch and a laugh. Enoch deems this interaction a net neutral.

"A known quantity." He smiles, always pleased to be given the chance to deliver a speech. "Our host is too neurotic to hinge the evening's results on someone he doesn't have the measure of. You and I have eliminated ourselves from the list, which leaves... Annie, Lenz, Minty, Noah."

8:45ish PM - Raine & Enoch

[rainbowfish]

Raine is coming to terms with the fact that he's not very good at leaving Enoch alone, either, even though he's the one trying to put some distance between them. He could easily leave the conversation now; instead he lowers his voice to a conspiratorial tone.

"Should we divide and conquer?" He turns to lean against the wall so they're side-by-side instead of facing one another. Better for people watching. Better that they don't have to look at each other. "I feel like you could trick Annie into slipping up."