HOW TO PLAY
participants:
→ introduce your character below ('introduction' envelopes contain a few lines of easily available, public info about your character. these are not roles; as maxim is himself the 'victim,' your characters are themselves the 'suspects.' you can elaborate on the info in the envelope and/or lie, but obvious lies may make your character seem even more suspicious)
→ reveal 'secrets' through scenes, ic or ooc comments (icly, the 'secrets' are made up; oocly, you can come up with whatever you like, be as outrageous or as banal as you wish)
→ interrogate other participants in scenes or ic subthreads
→ if your character is the culprit, you can confess at the end by using whatever combination of secrets and clues you like (you do not have to use all the clues)
all characters:
→ tell us what your character is wearing, if they're having fun, if they brought a date, etc.
→ channel Sherlock Holmes by observing participants, examining clues, and solving the murder
→ when you're ready to accuse one of the participants, comment here
other info:
→ oocly, the event will run until tuesday 16, but feel free to continue rping after that!
→ icly, clues are gradually revealed throughout the dinner. oocly, you can find them below
→ the culprit will be one of the participants and will be announced on wednesday 17
clues or red herrings
→ an article from the Alvechurch Chronicle dated six months ago, found on heliot's desk. The headline reads: Body Found in the Woods Identified. The article describes a stalled investigation into the death of a Scarlet Oak housekeeper, not local to the area.
→ an empty vial of holy water
→ a scuffed red stilletto
→ three typed letters addressed to Maxim, making excuses about an unpaid debt, with the name and signature smudged
→ a sheet of notebook paper with scrawled handwriting containing four bank account numbers and PINs, and three blank checks stapled to the back of the page. there are also drops of blood staining the paper
A LITTLE MORE INFOwhat? A Murder Mystery Dinner Party - an RSVP-only event open to all Alvechurch denizens. when? Saturday, 02/13 8PM where? The Scarlet Oak Hotel duration? 2-3 hours event, all night party attire? Formal, 1920s costumes encouraged
Welcome to the Roaring Twenties! For one night only, the main dining room at the Scarlet Oak Hotel has been transformed into a 1920s extravaganza. Chefs have prepared a lavish seven-course meal, champagne flows, cocktails are plentiful, the live band serenades guests with a variety of notorious and lesser known jazz classics, and...
Maxim Heliot, owner of the Scarlet Oak Hotel has just been murdered in his office. A card was found on his body, bearing a single, typed word. Police are releasing no further information. All guests are required to remain where they are while investigations continue.
Guests who have elected to participate in the murder mystery event will be handed an envelope marked 'introductions,' and another marked 'secrets.' They will be instructed to make use of the information in the first envelope to introduce themselves but keep the information in the second envelope secret for as long as possible. Nevertheless, all information must come out by the end of the dinner.
Over the course of the evening, a series of 'clues' will be revealed. Participants are encouraged to examine these clues, interrogate each other to uncover secrets, and identify which of them is the murderer. Participants can be evasive with their answers. Both they and the guests who have elected to attend as observers will receive cards on which they can mark down who they believe did it, how, and why.
During the final course, the participants will reveal a code from their 'secrets' envelope. The code word that matches the card found on Heliot's body indicates the culprit, who is then invited to confess how and why they killed him.
The guests whose cards reflect a close interpretation of the outcome are declared sleuths and sent home with a complimentary bottle of champagne. All are invited to end the evening with cocktails and dancing.