Let's Play A Murder (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
letsplayamod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
letsplayamurder2025-06-09 03:00 am
letsplayamod) wrote in letsplayamurder2025-06-09 03:00 am
Entry tags:
LPM 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
Threads from this TDM (and others if you so choose) will count towards the RP sample of the applications.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Upon coming across one of these....beings, Luna flares her wings threateningly, stamping a hoof.]
THOU! What is the meaning of this? What manner of creature art thou?
[Bro That's A Whole-Ass Horse]
ii. training
Thou'rt excellent climbers, with those hands! Come, thou canst do it!
iii. battle
Those of you who cannot fight, retreat to safety! We shall handle this!
ii
[ He is kinda half way up the wall, having rushed the start of the course and well... starting to lag from not pacing himself.]
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[She doesn't know all that much about climbing, actually. Between the wings and lack of opposable digits.]
Though I admit, this does not seem terribly related to matters of combat.
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[He finally hauls himself on top and sits up there next to her, panting a bit and trying to hide it]
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[But climbing seems quite strenuous, so! She'll shift a little to make sure there's room for him, letting one of her legs dangle over the side with no apparent concern.]
Wilt thou be jumping down?
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[He looks down. It's high, but not so high that he'd hurt himself as long as he rolled properly]
Yes, I can manage. After... a rest.
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Oh, of course! I can also lift thee down, if thou art very tired.
ARRIVALUNA!
... Did he get transported in some little girl's coloring book? Ranma wasn't quite as shocked to see a horse here, nor did her attempts to threaten him really have an affect.
Stating plainly:]
A martial artist? That's what I am.
[ranma that isn't what she meant. Though he isn't really going to clarify or elaborate, cause he's busy walking around her, taking cursory glances around the pony.]
Does... this place have a petting zoo?
[Musing that to himself, though he's got zero filter so Luna'll be able to hear him. He. Might be assuming this magical talking horse's escaped from a stable somewhere.]
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[So, at the very least, this unknown creature's priorities are poor! Luna stands still for the inspection, though the gaze she follows his movements with is rather sharp. As he passes near each of her wings and hind legs, she cocks or twitches one or the other in turn. There isn't really any easy angle to attack her from, which is really the only reason she's permitting...whatever this is.]
Art thou aware of how we came to be here?
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[What kind of violent brute do you take him for!? Ranma isn't planning on beating up a random magical horse!
At this time!
He's just slightly curious about this horse -- or is it a unicorn since it has a horn? -- and doesn't see her as much of a threat no matter how tough she's trying to make herself appear.
The gander doesn't last long before Ranma brushes it aside, seen weirder talking animals he rationalizes, and carries on the conversation like normal.]
Nuh-uh. [Shaking his head.] Last thing I remember was hitting the hay last night, and when I woke up...
[Gesturing to the whole wide world.]
Chances are, it's probably some prince or sad sap that kidnapped us. [For someone who thinks this is a kidnapping, he's way too calm and even speaks like he's talking about an average day.] ... Don't know what they'd get out of kidnappin' some horse, though.
[ranma that 'horse' is literally standing eight inches away]
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What might they gain from kidnapping some ape?
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[Without missing a beat:]
Off the top of my head, to get out of marrying another. Or for some chick. Or to kill 'em.
[Answering her rhetorical question with what probably sounds like non-sequiturs to Luna ever so blasé. He didn't really take offense to her turnaround, he's been called much worse. Next time when you're insulting him don't use his own words!
Much as he'd love to stay and continue spatting with the sparkle horse, he wants to find the jokester who brought them here more. Ranma relaxes his arms, folding them behind his head while taking a cursory glance over the area.]
We can ask them what the bright idea is later, when we find 'em.
[A nice way of saying 'grill them for the deets and fight them if they refuse.]
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[Well, now she's largely confused! But there really seems little point to continuing whatever this is. She should find the actual person responsible. She starts to walk off, though she does continue speaking as she goes.]
They may be seeking to threaten my kingdom somehow, though I do not see how thou wouldst play into that.
I apologize for this little shit in advance
It's a long story.
[Actually, not really
in the manga the og anime spent four whole episodes on that arc. Now isn't the time and place to go into all that, however. And the less he has to remember the whole Martial Arts Tea Ceremony fiasco, the better.Wooooow. Leaving already? In the middle of a conversation? She isn't getting rid of him that easily!]
Beats me. Unless they want me to beat up whatever jerk's running your kingdom, I'm just as lost as you on the why.
[People beg/rope him into dealing with their problems all the time, so it isn't a crazy thought. To him. To anyone else...
By the way, when Ranma's voice speaks up just now, it didn't come from either side of Luna. It came from above... Namely because the nocturnal pony's got a teenage boy standing weightlessly on her back. So weightless in fact that his voice might've been the only indicator he was there.]
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Woah--!!
[Welp. He bucked around and found out what happens.
Soon as Luna starts freaking out and thunder crackles overhead, Ranma took this as his cue to leap off her back, landing a few feet away. A smidge taken aback, mostly since whenever he's standing on somebody, they don't freak out this badly.]
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[Loud...! She's hovering in the air now, the better not to be so easily reached again.]
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[He winces painfully at the booming voice from above. Noisy... Ranma rubs his temple while staring up at the sky.
Huh. Good to know those wings aren't just for show. Those would be useful scoping out the place quicker... Though he probably blew his chance to hitch a ride now.]
Thee [Mockingly saying that in a similar inflection as how Luna said it] was headin' in the same direction as you, and we were talkin', so...
[Least he has some courtesy to appear sheepish.]
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[The abysmal grammar escapes comment for now!]
1/2
[dot dot dot]
2/2
So what'cha saying is, you'll let me hitch a ride if I get a wagon or something?
[That. That's really his takeaway here.
Is he willingly being this obtuse? Who knows.]
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[she is FLYING AWAY]
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Wha-- Hold on, hey!
[SPEEDWALKING AFTER HER, SHOUTING]
Gettin' a bird's [or alicorn's] eye view of the land's easier than scoping it out on foot! And two pairs of eyes are better than one!
[Fair argument tbh... should've made it before standing on her back ranma
There's a few trees he's feeling tempted by to hop on the branches of, but that's only if Luna starts getting too far away]
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[That's predator behavior!]
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[is the horse seriously calling him a wild animal]
Oh, c'mon! You're being ridiculous!
[Beat.]
It was at least a minute.
[Brilliant rebuttal.]
We both wanna find the jackass that brought us here and give 'em a piece of our mind, right? We'll have better luck looking together.
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