week 1 - trial

[productions]

week one trial



[At 9 AM precisely, the old grandfather clock chimes once again, and the doors to the drawing room are opened. They will remain open until everyone has come inside, after which they will shut behind them. It is not possible to leave on your own, although perhaps if you have a specific purpose the hostess will allow you to go. The room is set up comfortably, with several tables by the fireplace set out to assist with the trial. The Hostess will also remain in a seat near the fireplace, next to the scales on the mantle. At lunch, the doors will open to bring in a large meal on an automatically rolling buffet, and at 3 PM, tea and finger sandwiches will be served. You'll be able to enjoy the trial in comfort, of course, but the information cards set out on tables will not allow you to forget your true purpose here.]

victim



suspects



Character Statuses
Setting
Manor Rules
Voting

Comments

Topaz Wing Room 1: Susan Sto Helit

[inthebones]

[The door unlocks easily enough and Stiles and Kanaya are free to enter the room and explore to their heart's content.

Notice the two very specific people mentioned in the narration because you bet your boots Susan will know. There is the sense as you enter the room that the stern schoolteacher stands over your shoulder watching your every move.]

[humanic]

[He steps into the room and immediately shudders.]

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in Chem class and totally forgot to do my homework again?

[NO STILES BE BRAVE. He'll head to her desk drawer and unlock it while trying not to get anything dirty.]

[inthebones]

[As he walks through, he may notice a fireplace poker propped against the wall in the corner of the room for some reason. Otherwise, her bed is precisely made without even a single wrinkle, and the rest of the room appears almost to be entirely unused.

On top of the desk is the book Susan referred to in her alibi. There are no other books nearby - most likely, she replaces them when she is finished, as she has been spending the majority of her time reading.

When he unlocks the desk drawer, he will discover the chloroform, handkerchief, pocket knife, and letter opener all lying untouched. Perhaps of more interest are the stack of papers with several pages' worth of observations written in a steady hand. There are notes about the layout of the house, some attempt at a map, notes about the peculiarities of each room, and of course, notes about the other guests.

Given that Lydia is marked as deceased, she likely updated them most recently on Wednesday night.]

[humanic]

[He takes out the chloroform bottle and inspects the level in it carefully. He then writes the name 'SUSAN' onto one of the notecards he'd taken out of the trial room and wraps it around the bottle before tucking it into his right pocket.

Afterwards, he starts investigating the rest of the room, taking note of the poker as something that wasn't in his own. He stops when he sees the papers, flipping through them and letting out a low whistle.]

...you know, I'm really hoping she wasn't the murderer and we don't wind up executing her. Based on these, she's going to be one hell of a valuable ally.

--oh hey, look! She called me charming!

[speakveryclearly]

What on Earth is a black ribboner and why does she wish I were one...

[She shakes her head and leaves Stiles to the notes.]

I'm searching her closet. [Here she goes to open the doors!]

[inthebones]

[Kanaya will find nothing more than the clothes that were provided for Susan upon arrival. If the keepers of the game have judged Susan's tastes correctly at all, her preferred style is monochrome and severe. Not a single one of the offerings has even a splash of color.

Closer investigation will show that, strangely, a few of the simple designs on the clothing seem to resemble skulls.

There isn't much else in the closet of interest.]