The Directors (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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griefstreet2022-06-11 12:00 pm
thedirectors) wrote in griefstreet2022-06-11 12:00 pm
Entry tags:
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MANOR
Once the initial discussion begins to die down, it becomes more and more evident that you don't have the full picture. Arguments erupt, conversations become circular, and tensions continue to rise as fingers are pointed every which way. Eventually, you all decide to split up and search the rest of the manor for more evidence. Nobody leaves the estate grounds until you're able to tie the murder to someone here.
Time to investigate.
Time to investigate.
INVESTIGATION
Multiple characters can investigate the same points of interest. Additionally, your character is allowed to investigate previous points of interest that they did not personally investigate at the time. This will not count towards the two new points of interest, and you can request as much old information as you want.
The manor map is linked for reference. The available points of interest are:
- Living Room
- Vestibule
- Projector/Archive Room
- Dining Room
- Office*
- Kitchen
- Outside the Manor
* The office has two pieces of evidence, and should be investigated by at least two people.no subject
Once Michael feels a bit more in control of himself again, he heads for the office. This is where Lionheart and Damien were heard arguing, after all- he still doesn’t understand the full story there. Hopefully, he can find something of use.
He checks around outside the manor next. There’s a vague concern that’s been bubbling up in the back of his mind, every time he’s had to reiterate that he knew the exact movements of everyone going up or down the stairs throughout most of the evening. Michael figures it’s worth trying to quell it.
Once he’s done that, and its clear that everyone else is still busy investigating their own little corners of the estate, he returns to the murder scene. First, he checks the right nightstand; then the fireplace. He tries the bookcase last.
He ignores the body as best as he can, though he feels its glassy, blank eyes on him the whole time. He doesn’t like being alone with it. He’s not afraid of death, let alone a corpse- but Lionheart’s body stirs up far too many feelings that he can’t identify, that he doesn’t want to deal with in the first place.]
no subject
You decide to investigate the office in the hopes of uncovering something significant. The desk is a mess, as if someone were rifling through the contents. There doesn’t seem to be much at first glance–financial records, letters, and the like. As you peer closer, however, you realize that much of these financial records are invoices associated with extremely large, apparently mundane purchases. A couple thousand dollars for a catering company that you’re sure never came during a previous party, a few hundred for five hundred lightbulbs, so on and so forth. One might chalk it up to oddities of film production, but there are other possibilities that come to mind….
Additionally, among the papers, a letter stands out to you–it’s addressed to Moriarty, from Lionheart. According to the stamped ink on it, this letter was sent more than five years ago.
Finally, as you look around the room, it occurs to you that perhaps the will is somewhere here. You’d know where it’s located–in a secret compartment under the desk. Only the staff and those especially close to Lionheart would be aware of its location. As you look, however, you realize that the will is missing.
OUTSIDE
It’s wet and gloomy outside of the manor. You shiver as the rain soaks you through to the bone. Though the light outside is dim, you can walk around the perimeter of the house to find a heavy, three-pronged metal candelabra on the ground, just outside of Mr. Lionheart’s bedroom window. It has no candles in it–though, it doesn’t look like it had any candles to begin with. It has a significant heft to it and would make for an effective bludgeoning weapon. The right prong is dented inwards, and although the rain has cleaned most of it, there seems to be a smear of blood on it.
As you walk back towards the manor, you notice that one of the windows in the living room seems to be ajar. You approach, taking a closer look at the lock on the window, and notice scrapes and scratches along the nearby metal. You realize that the window has been jimmied open.
RIGHT NIGHTSTAND
The right nightstand has a candelabra on top of it, and a single drawer with an ornate iron handle. Upon initially searching the drawer, you don’t find anything. But as you feel along the seams of the wood, you realize that it has a false bottom. As you open it up, you see what looks to be a folder full of newspaper clippings. Jackpot! The clippings seem to be focused on a variety of random people, but as you study them, you realize that all of these articles are about Lionheart’s current or previous employees. Many of these clippings cite these individuals being arrested (or tried) for some sort of civil wrongdoing–larceny, blackmail, money laundering, so on and so forth.
Only one of the articles in this collection mentions murder. Oddly, this one does not mention anybody by name, with the author having redacted them to protect the family involved. The article is several decades old, and reports on an unnamed child who was institutionalized for murdering his older sister.
FIREPLACE
As you approach the fireplace, you notice that there isn’t any ash–just a lot of dust. Looks like this hasn’t been used in a long time, and if you poke your head into the fireplace and look up, the chimney seems to have been bricked up. A large, rectangular mirror hangs over the fireplace, reflecting the grisly scene behind you.
If you take a small step back, you’ll notice that there is a barely perceptible vertical crack that runs along the edge of the mirror to the floor. You pause, taking a moment to assess the fireplace before you. Your eyes don’t deceive you–it looks like there’s a secret doorway. But where could it lead? You know there’s a bathroom on the other side of this wall but if you wander into the bathroom, you find no hint of a hidden doorway on the other side. Not even you, a stalwart staff member of the estate, knew about this.
No matter how hard you try, you can’t pry it open. Maybe it’s stuck, or maybe something is barring you from opening it. Either way, every entrance must have an exit somewhere.
BOOKCASE
Near the entrance of the room is a small bookshelf, only about four feet tall and two feet wide. Most of the books seem to be light reading material, with a focus on adventure novels and the occasional self-help book sprinkled in.
On top of the shelf, you find what seems to be a daily journal. Most of the entries include important appointments and other events. As you flip through the pages, you notice a few things. One–Lionheart seemed to meet with Professor Moriarty quite frequently, at least twice a week. Two–there was an appointment last week pertaining to Mr. Lionheart’s will, though no name is associated with the entry. Three–next to today’s entry (which just says “birthday party”), there is a neatly folded piece of paper tucked into the journal that has the following written down in scrawled cursive:
Guest List
- J. Moriarty
- J. McGill
- U. Deadly
no subject
no subject
It’s wet and gloomy outside of the manor. You shiver as the rain soaks you through to the bone. Though the light outside is dim, you can walk around the perimeter of the house to find a heavy, three-pronged metal candelabra on the ground, just outside of Mr. Lionheart’s bedroom window. It has no candles in it–though, it doesn’t look like it had any candles to begin with. It has a significant heft to it and would make for an effective bludgeoning weapon. The right prong is dented inwards, and although the rain has cleaned most of it, there seems to be a smear of blood on it.
As you walk back towards the manor, you notice that one of the windows in the living room seems to be ajar. You approach, taking a closer look at the lock on the window, and notice scrapes and scratches along the nearby metal. You realize that the window has been jimmied open.
VESTIBULE
The vestibule is rather unremarkable, and it seems almost foolish to investigate this area for evidence. However, you notice a metal box attached to the wall that is used to tuck away important mail and bills. It’s a federal crime to go through someone’s mail, but when your own neck is on the line, surely, a bit of snooping won’t hurt.
As you dig through the envelopes, you come across a letter from Mr. Lionheart’s bank. As you skim through the contents, you realize that this letter is a confirmation that Mr. Lionheart will be closing the Lionheart Films account at the end of the year. There’s also a letter from a realtor confirming an appointment for an estate appraisal next month. What could it mean?
Re: INVESTIGATION
Then, once given the opportunity, he slips out of the room. There are a few things on his mind. Absolutely the first thing he wants to check out is the office, where the argument took place. Next, he thinks about where the poisoned pills could have come from, and thus decides to invesigate in the kitchen.
Once Moriarty's curiosity is sufficiently sated, he returns to the scene of the murder. He decides he might as well look out the window.]
no subject
Near the entrance of the room is a small bookshelf, only about four feet tall and two feet wide. Most of the books seem to be light reading material, with a focus on adventure novels and the occasional self-help book sprinkled in.
On top of the shelf, you find what seems to be a daily journal. Most of the entries include important appointments and other events. As you flip through the pages, you notice a few things. One–Lionheart seemed to meet with Professor Moriarty quite frequently, at least twice a week. Two–there was an appointment last week pertaining to Mr. Lionheart’s will, though no name is associated with the entry. Three–next to today’s entry (which just says “birthday party”), there is a neatly folded piece of paper tucked into the journal that has the following written down in scrawled cursive:
Guest List
- J. Moriarty
- J. McGill
- U. Deadly
FIREPLACE
As you approach the fireplace, you notice that there isn’t any ash–just a lot of dust. Looks like this hasn’t been used in a long time, and if you poke your head into the fireplace and look up, the chimney seems to have been bricked up. A large, rectangular mirror hangs over the fireplace, reflecting the grisly scene behind you.
If you take a small step back, you’ll notice that there is a barely perceptible vertical crack that runs along the edge of the mirror to the floor. You pause, taking a moment to assess the fireplace before you. Your eyes don’t deceive you–it looks like there’s a secret doorway. But where could it lead? You know there’s a bathroom on the other side of this wall but if you wander into the bathroom, you find no hint of a hidden doorway on the other side.
No matter how hard you try, you can’t pry it open. Maybe it’s stuck, or maybe something is barring you from opening it. Either way, every entrance must have an exit somewhere.
OFFICE
You decide to investigate the office in the hopes of uncovering something significant. The desk is a mess, as if someone were rifling through the contents. There doesn’t seem to be much at first glance–financial records, letters, and the like. As you peer closer, however, you realize that much of these financial records are invoices associated with extremely large, apparently mundane purchases. A couple thousand dollars for a catering company that you’re sure never came during a previous party, a few hundred for five hundred lightbulbs, so on and so forth. One might chalk it up to oddities of film production, but there are other possibilities that come to mind….
Additionally, among the papers, a letter stands out to you–it’s addressed to Moriarty, from Lionheart. According to the stamped ink on it, this letter was sent more than five years ago.
Finally, as you look around the room, it occurs to you that perhaps the will is somewhere here. You’d know where it’s located–in a secret compartment under the desk. Only the staff and those especially close to Lionheart would be aware of its location. As you look, however, you realize that the will is missing.
KITCHEN
You look around the kitchen for supplementary evidence. Unfortunately, there's not a lot here, but one thing does stand out--the medicine drawer. This must be where Michael Myers obtained Mr. Lionheart's heart medication. You peer into the drawer to inspect its contents. There are plenty of bandages, over-the-counter medications, and vitamins in here. Most of the medicine would be very easy to obtain, either through a pharmacy or via a bogus superscription. In fact, Mr. Lionheart's own heart medication can be seen in the drawer, the unopened bottles laid out neatly. The medication is common enough for someone of his age. If someone knew about Mr. Lionheart's condition, it would be rather simple for someone to obtain a similar medication and switch out a bottle.
WINDOWS
There are three windows lining the rounded end of the room. The one in the middle has been opened, with the surrounding curtains being billowed by the blustery wind. The storm rages outside, drenching the carpet below the window with rain.
If you bear the wind and rain to poke your head out the window, you can make out a metallic glint in the grass some distance away from the house. It’s hard to make out what it is through the darkness, but from the shape, it looks like a candelabra. You can’t get it right now, unfortunately…but maybe you should shut the window before there’s any more water damage to the floor.
no subject
[ Okay, keep it together, Jimmy. You can bounce back from this. Come back in there with words that’ll set everyone straight. If he wasn’t already sobered by the murder, the liquid confidence is starting to wear off.
He’s highkey stressed out, so before anything else, Jimmy is outside indulging a terrible tobacco habit. If you approach him during this time, he’ll probably be more amicable (and a little sleazy) if you approach him.
Afterwards, he’s heading back to the office first and foremost. The last time he was here, he left in something of a panic, so there has to be something here he missed.
When he’s done searching there, he looks for a quiet place to collect his thoughts. Maybe the projector room will be a little more tolerable without Deadly’s namesake acting stinking up the place. ]
no subject
It’s wet and gloomy outside of the manor. You shiver as the rain soaks you through to the bone. Though the light outside is dim, you can walk around the perimeter of the house to find a heavy, three-pronged metal candelabra on the ground, just outside of Mr. Lionheart’s bedroom window. It has no candles in it–though, it doesn’t look like it had any candles to begin with. It has a significant heft to it and would make for an effective bludgeoning weapon. The right prong is dented inwards, and although the rain has cleaned most of it, there seems to be a smear of blood on it.
As you walk back towards the manor, you notice that one of the windows in the living room seems to be ajar. You approach, taking a closer look at the lock on the window, and notice scrapes and scratches along the nearby metal. You realize that the window has been jimmied open.
OFFICE
On your second search of the office, you find exactly what you needed–tucked inside of a false book in one of the shelves is piles upon piles of incriminating records and other unscrupulous information. Evidence of past wrongdoings, affairs–all linking to varying actors, producers, and other individuals associated with Mr. Lionheart. In fact, there’s a record here about you–information about your past, and your unscrupulous methods of attaining the verdict you want.
Additionally, there’s blackmail here on Mr. Lionheart’s own sons–one, addressed to Ahab, details instructions on how to arrange a crime scene. The letter is typed, with no indication as to who wrote it. There’s mention of how “the man will already be taken care of when you arrive”, and that Ahab should make sure to drop something belonging to Uncle Deadly. It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to assume this is associated with Kit D. Buckett.
Finally, there’s records of a patient admitted into Smith’s Grove Sanitarium–one by the name of Michael Myers.
You’ve never seen any of this before, and Lionheart has never shown it to you. Sure, he pushed some information your way during Deadly’s trial, but you never actually bothered to check where it came from. The less you knew, the better. Someone had to be collecting all this blackmail material on his behalf, but who?
PROJECTOR ROOM
The room is dimly lit, the curtains drawn to allow the film projector to do its magic. In the center of the room is a table where the projector sits. Directly in front of it is a couch, where one can sit and enjoy a film. There is a film reel in the projector, with most of the film still wound in the original reel. Someone must have stopped it in the middle of the movie. The label on the empty canister nearby reads “PHANTOM OF THE PANDEMONIUM”.
You open the door to the archive room to search for more clues, and you’re greeted with rows upon rows of shelves hosting film reels. As you look towards the shelf along the west wall, you notice that there is a barely perceptible vertical crack that runs along the wall to the floor. You pause, then move closer to inspect it further. Your eyes don’t deceive you–it’s the outline of a secret door. With little effort, you’re able to open the door and reveal a narrow crawl space, with a stairwell leading up. Not even you knew about this. How long has this been here?
If you shimmy into the crawlspace and make your way up, you come across a barricaded exit and a large…window? No–it’s a large, two-way mirror that gives you a good view of Mr. Lionheart’s bedroom. You realize this must be the mirror above the fireplace in Mr. Lionheart’s room. A piece of wood prevents you from opening the exit from the other side, but removing it allows the fireplace to swing out and for you to enter the bedroom.
no subject
He moves to the dining room to clear his head and looking for evidence to clear his own name, before going to the living room to continue this investigation.]
no subject
The dining room is a mess. Although the table itself is neatly laid out for a dinner with seven people, the chairs have all been overturned and the decorative cabinets along the wall have been rifled through and searched. Looking through the cabinets reveals nothing except expensive silverware in the drawers and other fine dining wares. However, the chair at the end of the table has several papers poking out from underneath the cushion bearing Mr. Lionheart’s handwriting.
These papers look like an announcement. Many of them have portions scribbled out and rewritten, but the gist of it is that Mr. Lionheart was planning on announcing the closure of Lionheart Films at the end of the year, mentioning that “it’s time for this bloated empire to be laid to rest” and “to free myself of the industry that so haunts me”.
LIVING ROOM
You enter the living room. The room is cozy, with many bookshelves spanning the perimeter accompanied by plush lounge chairs and couches. You scan the bookshelves for anything important. One thing that catches your eye is a book called “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER”. It’s written in a sort of tongue-in-cheek manner, detailing varying whodunits and how realistic the murders were. One entry details the usage of strychnine–most commonly used as rat poison–and how Agatha Christie had three different stories that used this poison. Common symptoms of poisoning include convulsions, muscle spasms, hyperthermia, and asphyxiation. It notes that, unlike in some fiction, the poison is hardly instantaneous. Although it takes ten to twenty minutes to take effect, the victim dies two to three hours after exposure–something that is not always taken into account in murder mysteries.
As you inspect the rest of the room, you realize that the windows along the north wall are slightly ajar. Strange. You approach, taking a closer look at the lock on the window, and notice scrapes and scratches along the nearby metal. You realize that the window has been jimmied open. There’s dirt on the carpet, indicating that someone came from the outside into the house.
no subject