LPM Test Drive

[letsplayamod]

The Inaugural Let's Play A Murder Test Drive



Greetings, mortals.

I thank you for accepting my plea. From across universes, I have summoned you to aid me in bringing light back to this land. Here, though, in this small pocket, we are free to relax for the moment. Steel yourself, and meet with me soon.

There is much to discuss.

Welcome to the official test drive for Let's Play A Murder, an experimental murdergame! Characters will work together to unravel an oncoming threat that strikes each week with something new to tear them apart. For now, tag around with potential picks for the upcoming game and get a feel for that sweet sweet murder CR! If you have any questions, please DM lightdrizzel

Threads from this TDM (and others if you so choose) will count towards the RP sample of the applications.

1 - I hardly think I'm qualified
Wherever you were, whatever you were doing... you're not there anymore. Instead, you've awoken on an unfamiliar but very soft bed. The room is sparsely decorated, ornate carvings of heroic figures intermingle on the walls with hairline cracks. This place has seen better days, but, possibly, so have you.

There is a nightstand beside your bed, as naked as anything save for an envelope sealed in wax. Inside is a letter written in a careful hand, welcoming you to this place; a safe area, free of those that would cause harm. Your host had to step away briefly, but she will return. In the meanwhile, she expects everyone to obey the rules of this place.

Included in the envelope was a small bronze key - to your room, no doubt. And luck - it unlocks your door. You're free to venture out into a semicircle of these homes you've found yourself in. And you're not alone, either.

Perhaps you should say hello to your new neighbors.

2 - To come across all sanctified
You've all become acquainted with each other, and met with your gracious benefactor. She had to dip out again, but has left you all with a veritable island paradise to explore. In the center pantheon, large profiles of each of you have been cast in the stone walls, details of your life chiseled beneath them in perhaps too much detail. Along with a set of rules cast on a bronze plaque. Seems straightforward enough.

Beyond that, it seems whatever information you'll gain will only be found by your own hand. You have the free time now, and it's a beautiful day outside. There's plenty to explore among the towering obelisks and half-standing temples. Just avoid trying to leave the edge of the island - a golden barrier will very rudely smack you in the face.

Feel free to make up locations for this. The island is anachronistic with all the amnesties of a modern home.


3 - I just don't cut it with the cherubim
Purple clown? What? None of that here. But once you've found out where to leave those tribute coins you've 'earned' there's a small pile of items waiting outside your door. Some of which you might even recognize from home.

Or perhaps you've been given twenty wooden cut-outs of... who the heck is this guy.


4 - There again they're on their knees
Training exercises! In order to discern your godly nature, what better way to start than a good, very old-fashioned obstacle course.

Balance across the beams, avoid getting beaned in the head by a swinging bat. Swing from a rope. Or, if you're really feeling up to a challenge, pick up a sword and meet someone's steel with steel.

Or you can sit back and prepare medical supplies. Someone's definitely going to get hurt.


5 - Being worshiped is a breeze
The sky darkens. Lightning overtakes the calm summers day. It's not long before the whole area is under attack.

From the very earth itself, monsters crawl from the ground; undead hands clutching rusted swords and shields. Digging themselves from their graves so that they can put you in yours. Somewhere, distantly, your mentor yells to take up arms, and is already lost in her own fray.

It's up to you to defend yourself, or to defend others. There's no honor in running away, but if you need to survive, it's not like anyone would blame you.


6 - Which rather suits us in the interim
Congrats! You've survived the onslaught. But even as the sky clears, an ultimatum has been passed down from on high; if one of your group isn't slain by the end of the week, then the world you belong to will be destroyed.

Surely, nothing would actually be able to accomplish that, but that faint hope doesn't remove the tension from the air.


7 - Oh my god
Seems that someone didn't want to take the chance.

One of your fellows has met with a gruesome end, and if up to you and everyone else to play detective and figure out just who did it. The hourglass is running out. Just try not to trip over any evidence.


8 - It's tough to be a god
Investigation’s done, it’s time for a trial! Perhaps you nailed it and someone's already confessing to their crimes. Perhaps you've been running around in circles, looking for anything that could move the trial forward. Maybe you all just decided to strip down, even if it wasn't necessary. Whatever the case, tensions are still high. Not just because you have to point out a culprit... but you have to lay down punishment for them too.

Majority vote decides, of course. This is a democracy, after all, but you can still waste time dithering on what to do next.

Comments

[pariunt]

I've no idea how it works in other realms out there, now that I know of their existence, but the Planes aren't easily accessible. I did spend a brief moment in Avernus, but I was incapacitated for that and can't tell you much about it, beyond what is common knowledge.

Avernus isn't a place anyone should want to go, anyway. Not that it's usually so simple to get there.

[literarybehemoth]

I would say there is no way I would ever be able to visit such a place, but then again, I never thought that I would be able to visit a place like this either. So perhaps I will have that misfortune at some point, if it is as bad as you say.

[pariunt]

With any luck, you'll never be so unfortunate.

[He wouldn't wish Avernus on anyone, let alone a cat.]

What is your world like?

[literarybehemoth]

Hmm... I suppose it is hard to describe, only having it for reference. There are more kinds of animals than me and bats, I suppose. All beasts with a spine are capable of speech and reason--as can a few without, though they are a select variety.

[pariunt]

Yes, I suppose it is a difficult question to answer. So I'll ask a different one.

[He points in the direction of the kitchen.]

What do you make of the strange cold box in the kitchen? It has foodstuffs inside of it. I've never seen anything like it.

[literarybehemoth]

Oh, that is just an icebox, I think. It does seem a little extravagant given all the gems that would be needed to get it to work uniformly, but eh, maybe it is fine.

[pariunt]

An icebox?

[He tries to wrack his brain and remember if he's ever heard of one before, but after 200 years of not eating food, he comes up blank.]

What sort of gems do you think it would need?

[literarybehemoth]

Hmmm... probably blue sapphire. Probably some lesser gems to recharge it when it runs out of energy, with appropriate wiring between them. They could have discovered some more efficient minerals for it, though.

[pariunt]

[None of that rings a bell to him, but he brings a hand to his mouth in thought anyway.]

Magic doesn't work like that in my world, but I would love to hear more about how this works. Where do these gems come from, how does one know what each individual rock does?

[literarybehemoth]

Well, they are mined, of course, and whenever someone discovers a new mineral they are extensively tested to see how they interact with already known minerals and on their own.

[pariunt]

Yes, of course. But are they found in different locations than others, or can any old hunk of mineral contain magic properties?

[Inquiring minds must know!]

[literarybehemoth]

It is all inherent. Of course, many common minerals are generally more useful as power sources to keep rarer ones from disintegrating, and you do need to inscribe symbols upon them to get them to do what you wish.

[pariunt]

Fascinating. It all sounds very useful.

Nothing of the sort exists in Faerûn. Though I have learned people using machinery powered by oil. It seems quite damaging, to me. It ruins everything it touches.

[literarybehemoth]

Hm... oil, huh? I guess we have that too, but it just seems too messy when we already have gems that work well. There are people who want to experiment with it, of course, and mining does cause problems... you get drainage and the like, and the freshwater people get angry that you're polluting their homes and killing all their prawns.

That's just progress, I suppose.