WEEK 3 - TRIAL

[productions]

week three 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, as long as you are accompanied by a partner.

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.

At 7 PM, the trial will adjourn for the day. Players will be escorted by the Hostess to the ballroom, where dinner and wine will be served until 10 PM, at which point players will be required to return to their wings in groups with their wingmates and will be locked in their bedrooms until 8:30 AM the following morning.]

victim



suspects



Character Statuses
Setting
Manor Rules
Cheat Sheet
Voting

Comments

Autopsy

[productions]

The following document will be laid out on a table in the drawing room:

Autopsy Report - Dave Strider

Cause of Death - Unknown. Most likely either from stab wounds or from trauma after a high fall.

Location of Body - Inside the elevator shaft.

Time of Death - Unknown. Body was already cold when found at approximately 10:50 AM.

Condition of Body - Multiple stab wounds consistent with marks left from a blade on front of torso. Front of arms, chest, and legs covered in dark bruising. The bones of both arms, the right leg and the ribcage are broken; left knee is shattered. Broken bones and bruising on front appear to be in line with trauma from a high fall.

Condition of Scene - Body found lying face-down in the elevator shaft. Immediate check for a pulse revealed it was already cold. Body was in a pool of blood that was still slightly sticky to the touch. A katana was found lying next to it. Because the dim lighting in the shaft was not enough for a thorough examination, the corpse was removed and placed in the dining room.

There is room at the bottom of the page for others to add notes. Dave's information card is laid out next to it.

Suspects

[productions]

On another table, the information cards of the suspects are laid out. There is a blank sheet of paper below each card, labeled:

Whereabouts - Tuesday-Wednesday, Week 3

Findings

[productions]

Finally, one table is nearly empty. There are 10 boxes labeled Exhibit A through Exhibit J, as well as paper and pens for writing. The boxes are empty.

Theories

[productions]

This week, there is now a very large board in the center of the room, with pins to attach sheets of paper to. Particular theories about how a certain part of the crime could have been accomplished, a certain person's alibi, motives, or any other aspect of the crime you believe your character can explain should be written up and posted here.

(Please do not thread in this subheading; you can link to threads for discussion and we encourage you to do so. This is just to provide a handy trial recap for players who are jumping in.)

Trial so far

[productions]

DAY 1

Once again, the contestants are ushered into the drawing room at 9AM Thursday morning. This trial, they will be investigating the death of Dave Strider.

Upon everyone's arrival in the drawing room, the doors are shut and the week's suspects are revealed. This week, the suspects will be Beat, Michael Altman, Spain, Reiko Aya, and Belarus.

Yuzu starts the trial off by wondering which other tool the killer picked besides the katana. After examining Dave's body, Lithuania finds a skeleton key, answering that question. With both tools nearby the victim, May wonders whether Dave had intended to murder one of the deadweights and been killed in self-defense. Further discussion of this topic reveals various holes in this theory, such as why the body had been stabbed from the front when he'd fallen on it and why there was no sign of a struggle near the elevator on the second or third floors in that case.

Meanwhile, Rapture wonders if Dave could have fallen from somewhere other than the elevator. She and Susan investigate the rooftop but find nothing unusual up there. They find Dave's key tossed in some laundry in his room. Along the way, they test the skeleton key and figure out it can open any room door. They also inspect the kitchen and find tape stuck to the bottom of a table in there.

Kaoru and Yuzu go to investigate suspect rooms. It doesn't seem like they find anything that stands out, but they take the chloroform bottles just in case. Kaoru also examines Dave's body in more detail and determines that the wounds are blade-shaped and that Dave likely didn't struggle while being stabbed, as well as finding a swollen gash on the back of his head. She and Yuzu then go to search the elevator shaft with a flashlight.

Beat is mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. After some clarification on his rooftop habits and sniping about last week's trial, the conversation eventually turns to the blood found on Dave's desk. He, Susan, and other people begin to discuss the idea that Dave had been knocked out in his room before being dragged to the elevator shaft and stabbed. Kaoru also brings up the fact that even though the body had been cold, the blood had still been somewhat sticky, and suggest the possibility of one of the culprits having the power to manipulate the body's temperature. Stiles wonders where the blood is and how the killer got out of the shaft.

Michael Altman, Siren, and Belarus all offer to take questions and clarify things if necessary. Siren demonstrates her ability in front of Susan and also questions the motives the killer may have had with this week's incentive. Spain brings up the idea that the murder could have taken place in any of the empty rooms from those who've died, as the killer had a skeleton key. Latvia and Clyde go off to investigate this.

Hostess

[productions]

[Once everyone has been ushered into the drawing room, the doors shut and lock behind them, and the smoking room doors open. The Hostess emerges out of them, wearing a pleated red flappers dress with a white pearl necklace. As always, a dark veil obscures her face.]

How lovely to see you all again, darlings! Isn't it a fine morning for a trial? I believe you all know the routine by now - the autopsy has been provided for you as always for your perusal, and it would be ever so wonderful if the suspects could fill us in on their whereabouts while the crime may have been taking place.

And of course, let us all take a moment of silence to remember the life of Dave Strider, who will never enlighten the world with his artistic genius again. Perhaps one of you was simply too jealous of his level of skill, hmm?

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Now, let's begin!

Exhibit A

[coca_cola]

[ In Exhibit A, Clyde places a true work of art. The note he writes to go with it reads: ]

Drawing in his room. Blood on corner. Bloodstain on the corner of the desk where I found it.

[vytis]

We should probably bring the body in. [#murderhouseroutines] Would anyone like to go with me to get it?

[terriblesister]

Um... since this was a... Deadweight murder [she still hates calling it that] that sword must have come from the list... here:

[she opens one of her notebooks to a page with a copy of the tools list]

Problem is, because Mr Strider was deadweight... there must be a second item. Any ideas?

[mostlymarried]

[oh fucking great, she knew she was going to get on that list eventually...]

...I suppose I am not allowed?

[vytis]

It would probably be a bad idea to have someone on the list bring in potential evidence.

[throe]

[ There is no opening performance from Rapture, but she is a big smug about going three weeks without being made a suspect. She would go on some explanation about how she has been granted good fortune from her ancestors, but with people's usual reactions... she doesn't think it's worth it.

At the moment, that is. ]

So if he didn't fall from the elevator, then where did he fall from?

[coca_cola]

Well, might've been the skeleton key. I found blood in his room and on the... uh, drawing. It wasn't much, but the killer might've tried to corner him, but the kid managed to run away with only a small cut.

[ He shrugs ]

That's what comes to mind first, anyways, but I don't think it's right. You'd think he would've made enough noise runnin' away for at least one of us to hear it.

[mostlymarried]

...Dy.

Be careful with it.

[terriblesister]

Ah... because killing him in his room would leave more of a mess, right?

[she really hates talking about this]

....You don't suppose chloroform was involved? But then why bother with the sword...

Spain

[pasodoble]

Tuesday

10:30AM to 11:45AM, woke up and got ready for the day
Noon, foyer lunch with everyone
1PM to 2PM, parlor, met Kanaya
2PM to 5PM Library, took a siesta. Woke up around 4 and spoke with Sr. Altman
5PM to 7PM, went for a walk, visited the chapel
7PM to 8PM, dinner with everyone
8PM to 9:30PM, drawing room
9:30PM to 10:30PM, shower, changed clothes
10:30PM to midnight, at the bar. Touko joined after I did
Midnight, went to bed

Wednesday

10AM-10:40AM, woke up and got ready for the day
10:45-11AM, went downstairs, found out Dave was missing, went back up to check the drawing room. Ran into Beat.
11AM-noon, searched the second floor. Stayed with Siren Aluminum Reiko Aya. Ran into Touko.

( after this thread, Spain writes down the things he would change if he could. The handwriting gets smaller as he begins to run out of room. ) .

1. Armada
2. Fall of empire
3. Spanish War for Independence
4. Civil War
5. I need better friends
6. Bankruptcy
7. Second bankruptcy
8. Third bankruptcy
9. Inquisition
10. Abolish English
11. Gibraltar

[pasodoble]

( When Spain sees his card, he stares at it for a moment and then laughs some, )

Hahaha! ( Though in good spirits, when he begins to fill out information on his schedule, he does look serious at some times as he tries to recall information. Once he's finished, crack his knuckles and turn to face the others ) I would say it wasn't me but…

( A careless shrug, knowing how little that really means. )

Good luck, everyone.

( He's also pretty hungry since he missed his breakfast because of all of this but now would be a pretty bad time to ask for a lunch break, huh. )

[pasodoble]

The stairs?

[mostlymarried]

There's always going to be two of us on these cursed lists isn't there.

[throe]

Depending on the time, the culprit could have used that area and nobody would have heard it, but... would it be possible for the body to end up like that from a fall down the stairs? Wouldn't there need to be a lot of momentum for something like that to happen the way it did to the victim?

[pasodoble]

Well, where else could a person fall from here? If it wasn't down the elevator and it wasn't down the stairs... the roof top? A tree outside?

If he fell somewhere outside, surely there would be dirt or something on him, right?

[pasodoble]

Well, it would be lonely if it was just one of us.

( How Spain can flirt or tease at a time like this is a mystery because he doesn't even realize he's doing it ok. )

Belarus

[mostlymarried]

[with a lot of muttered cursing, Belarus tries to write out her schedule in English... then just sort of gives up and writes it again in Belarusian. Hope someone can read Cyrillic.]

[ENGLISH]

Tuesday / late
8 - Bar.
9 - Room. Sleep.

Wednesday
6 - Wake
6 half - Walk.
7 - Chapel. Pray.
8 - Breakfast. Big room. Others.
9 half - Chapel. Repairs. Altman.
11? - Barrow. Strider lost. Return to house. Find Latvia. Search.

English written is poor please talk.

[BELARUSIAN]
[for those who can read it, there's a far more... literate account of events...]

Tuesday Evening
8 - Bar
9 - Retired to sleep.

Wednesday
6am - Woke up.
6.30am - Went for a walk.
7am - Visited the Chapel to pray and check graves.
8am - Breakfast in the ballroom with everyone else.
9.30am - Attempted to make repairs to the Chapel. Altman was also present.
11am (abouts) - Met Mr. Barrow looking for Mr. Strider in the Chapel. Returned to the manor in time to hear the clock. Found Latvia and began investigation.

[mostlymarried]

[sadly, it is Belarus. Which is to say it flies over her head; who flirts at times like this...]

It just means we're the expendable scapegoats; same as before!

[throe]

Unless the culprit has the skill of being weirdly meticulous in a short amount of time, you're probably right. We could always get people in the Ruby Wing to confirm when they were in their rooms for the night and work out a time from there, I guess. The culprit would need a time frame where no one could hear someone falling.

The only possibilities would be the stairs or— [ She holds her palms outward. ] Bare hands. I'm not a doctor though, so I can't really say anything about the broken bones themselves. Just that it seems plausible that they pushed him first, then stabbed him just to make sure he was really dead.