Hello Sir, err… Hello Madam, err… Hi everyone! Wow they sure did send a lot of detectives. So are you all working together on this case? Ok I guess I’ll leave it up to you all to work that out…

Anyway my name is Damien Skimo, your loyal and hardworking assistant, I got in at 9 this morning. I’ve already had a look around and taken the body out to the morgue next door.

The weird thing is, the roads were closed for work last night, so nobody could get in or out. So that means the killer was already in the hotel. I’ve already gone through the skeletal staff and all four of them have rock solid alibis. So we have to face the reality that this crime was done by a guest that stayed here last night.

A list of the guests? Why the rooms were full last night, all ten of them.

Room 1 had a tourist from Australia, Sandy Striker, I believe she was in England to see family. She hasn’t been seen at all today.

Next door in room 2 there is a young businessman from London, Clyde Snow is his name. He’s in the lobby right now, complaining about the wifi.

Room 3? Well, that’s a double room, and it has the hotel’s most popular guests. A couple of backpackers from Sweden, very bubbly girls. Their names are Elsa Axelsson and Olivia Lind.

Now further down the hall in room 4 is Edward Duster. He’s up here hunting; quail I believe is the common game. Why yes sir, I have made sure his guns are all accounted for, they have been tested against the bullet and don’t fit.

Room 5 has the American Hank Jordan. I actually bumped in to him this morning, he was quite upset at not being able to leave today and see the countryside, first time in England he said.

Room 6 has a lovely husband and wife. Margaret and Steven Oldenfold are their names. Just wonderful people, they have been exploring the English countryside for a week already I believe. Enjoying retirement.

On the other side of the hall in room 7 is a very quiet guest, Claire Twigley. She’s a librarian and keeps to herself for the most part. Looks the part too, with those glasses.

Room 8 is a double room too, with those Korean lads, Park Seo-Jun and Park Do-Hyun. Still in university, apparently they had been saving for this trip for a long time, their first time in Europe.

And then there is room 9… which had the unfortunate Jason Stevens. Such a tragedy, he was only in his late twenties I believe.

Room 10 has quite a strange character to be honest. John Solo is his name. He dresses all in black, and rarely takes off his dark sunglasses.

Well from here I am at your disposal I guess. Send me on any task you would like and I will report back. What can I do for you? Well, there are a few things….

I’d be happy to investigate any area you would like. Which areas? Why all the rooms, as well as the rooms inside the hotel; the dining room, the kitchen, the bar, the lobby, and of course the study where the body was found. Outside the hotel? Well sure, I can go to the body in the morgue, and of course I can check anywhere around the grounds and the woods.

I can also ask any question of any guest you would like. In addition to all the guests staying here I can also ask the staff; the cook, the bartender, the front of house, and the waitress.

One question a day though please, as there are so many of you.

Also I’ll try to work this out by process of elimination, I think I can clear one person each day. Really we only want the elite, so anybody that had a cleared person as their top suspect can go home, we really only want the best of you to solve this.

*END FLAVOUR*

So, we have a murder mystery set up. The basic backstory of each character and the specifics of what they did on the night of the murder, as well as clues that are left, are SET IN STONE. It’s up to you to work out what happened by asking the right questions. Obviously I will embellish on answers as I go.

THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A GAME AGAINST EACH OTHER. You are welcome to work together, and post anything you want in the thread. It’s also not a game against me. I will be fair in my answers, and I really do want to see this get solved.

ONE DAY WILL NOT EQUAL ONE GAME DAY. You are expected to get all your questions in within the first 24 hours of day being called though. I will get around to answering the questions as I go, it might take 3 or 4 days, depending on sign ups. Night will fall when I have responded to every question, OR whenever I have responded to every received question and 24 hours have passed since day was called.

At nightfall or earlier, in addition to sending me a question, you will also have to submit via pm your top suspect. From Day 2 onwards, if you are on the person I reveal as innocent (this will be a pre-determined order), you will be eliminated. When we get to the final 4 suspects, anyone on the murderer wins, anybody on any of the other people loses.

Suspect List (The murderer is 100% one of these people):

Sandy Striker
Clyde Snow
Elsa Axelson
Olivia Lind
Edward Duster
Hank Jordan
Margaret Oldenfold
Steven Oldenfold
Claire Twigley
Park Seo-Jun
Park Do-Hyun
John Solo

On Questions:

A little more clarification:

Detectives:

Bloodbird
Fnord_Too
The_Moocher
J.D.
Hurp Durpington
Vixticator
KruZe
thediceman
Duckburg
Zayana/Gambit
Kukraprout
DiggertheDog
lilrascal
marknfw
Kaze13

It is DAY.

Oh, all inthread communication allowed, all outside communication allowed.

So we know body found in the study
definitely shot (since there is a bullet) but that does not mean the bullet was the cause of death
I think we need to start establishing time lines and basic facts first, like when was the body found, who found it, where was everyone at in the hours before the body was found, did anyone hear the shot, etc.

soulread: Clyde Snow did it

things i want to ask:
- what was everyone doing the night of the murder?
- what do we know about the victim? (i guess it's a question for the hotel staff)

We got to do the tic toc - thats detective 101.

Find out the timeline - knockout those that physically cannot be the killer by being elsewhere at TOD.

Is there a limit on questions per day?

Did that question count towards the limit (if one exists)?

Yes - we should be asking our assistant to check the body for forms of Identification.

We should also be asking the staff - if the person was a guest/member of staff.
If they are we should be asking if the Hotel has a safes for each room - to determine if there is anything of note/value there.



Summary

Establish Time of Death
Establish Cause of Death
Establish Identity of Victim

Each person gets one question each gameday. That question needs to have a bolded heading to count.

Questions about the format of the game etc are not included in this question limit.

Anybody who wants to do it collaboratively then - maybe they could look at doing a spreadsheet so we have a resource to look at all accumulated answers?

Mechanically: we have to establish how the moderator will deal with open-ended questions.
If he is expansive we throw them into the mix.

If not - we need to be precise in our questions and make sure that very similar or exact questions are made to each of the possible suspects.

hey

yeah

We need to ask these questions first

stfu vix

Request

Please thoroughly search the room of the deceased (room 9) and report back with your findings, leave no stone unturned.

hi guys checking in. will get to it when i have time but looking forward to this game

An open-ended question will be answered by the person it's being asked to in the way that person would answer it based on their character and history.

Remember though that regardless of how or what question is asked, I aim to provide a similar amount of information. A more open question isn't going to yield 4 paragraphs, and a specific question is more likely to get you a clearer answer. Sometimes, of course. Its a balancing act. =)

Yes sir, I've taken a quick look around upstairs at his room. The most confusing thing about his room is that it's a double room, which makes little sense given he stayed here alone last night. One bed is made and appears unused. There is a full suitcase lying open next to his bed, with enough clothes for several nights at least. His desk chair is facing away from the desk, in to the room and towards his bed. His phone appears to have been thrown haphazardly on to his bed. Nothing else seemed unusual to me.

Request

Examine the body please and let us know what you find

I want to know if Elsa and Olivia are, you know, experimental...

Request

Please check out the cell phone and find out who the last 3 texts and last 3 calls were to or from and at what time they were made.

(so, we can make as many requests per day as we want, but can only ask other guests one question per day?)

what is the front of the house?

Request

Ask the bartender if any of the suspects (or the victim) had been seen in the bar on the night in question.