letsplayamurder | LPM Test Drive

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Handling and--

[...]

You mean, carrying it over here.

Not just carrying it over here! [he looks a bit huffy] I also ensured the merchandise was new, clean, and of marketable quality, cleared it of any hazards, and stocked it in a way to make it available for purchase. Not to mention determining a fair price! That's what handling and processing means, after all.

[wow. it's almost convincing.

almost, but hey.]

...Do you even know who this guy is?

Certainly a well-respected, visionary of his time! A true scholar! Quite loved and revered where he's from.

Edited 2025-06-21 15:11 (UTC)

His name is Kirei Kotomine.

He killed a lot of friends of mine.

[Well. The real her.

It's important to note that she delivers this factoid in the same quiet deadpan she's been using all conversation long.]

Edited 2025-06-21 15:20 (UTC)

[...frinx.]

As I was saying, an absolutely barbaric, heinous brute of a hyu-mon! You can see it in his face! [Quark looks absolutely afronted as he looks at the standee, shaking his head. He slaps the wooden Kotomine's chest with the flat of his palm.]

Fortunately, these statues are great for target practice. Whether it's throwing some rotton tomatoes or drawing all over it, these statues are perfect for the catharsis of getting out all those negative feelings!

[let it never be said that Quark's not quick to pivot]

[dang. persistent, isn't he? she's almost impressed.]

...Nice pivot. That was almost slick.

Almost?

[Quark's mouth widens into a pleased, rakish grin.]

And here I thought it was as smooth as a Targerian Sea Grub on a hot day.

[He's teasing and friendly, maybe even a little flirty, about it, as if this a joke they're both in on.]

Edited 2025-06-21 15:54 (UTC)

[she's got no clue what that is, but she's guessing "something that's pretty damn smooth" and, more specifically, "definitely smoother than that pivot was".]

Hm. Four stars, maybe...?

But you were pretty unlucky, so I guess it's impressive. I'm probably the only person here who even knows who that is, after all.

Four out of four-and-a-half stars and you're impressed! I'd call that pretty lucky, if you ask me.

[obviously not exactly what she meant, but he's not about to turn off the charm now that he's turned it on]

Anyway, I'd never call a chance to talk with a lovely woman such as yourself unlucky. Serendipitous, maybe, but not unlucky.

[is this--

ah. she hadn't anticipated being flirted with today. or any day. she knows it's happened in the past, but it's more of a... knowledge, not really a vivid memory of her own. as it is.

...

she has no clue what you're supposed to do in a situation like this.]

...You really want to get rid of these things, huh?

[persistent sales tactics. clearly.]

[Quark blinks at that, before he looks amused] Well, sure I do. Why would I be selling them, otherwise?

Boredom, maybe? We don't really have an economy right now...

Then it's the perfect time to start one! [his smile widens again, leaning back towards salesman] I'd be a fool of a Ferengi if I didn't capitalize on the chance to start a brand new economy. It's the chance of a lifetime!

[........but why tho,]

There's still only like twenty of us... Even if you get this off the ground, that's not much.

Twenty potential customers! That's still an opportunity for profit, no matter how small.

And anyway, there's only twenty of us for now. Who knows what'll happen once the whole god thing shakes out. If this world's gonna be rebuilt, it'll need an economy to get it off the ground!

...Huh. I guess so.

[she stops and actually considers that. not to be supporting capitalism here, but she hasn't really considered what comes next for this world. a lack of ambition on her part, she supposes.]

I guess it's a little like Raniment...

Raniment? [Quark perks up a little at that, clearly interested]

What's that?

Mm, well. Back home... the reasons are a little complicated, but basically we didn't really have much need or access to regular currency. So we ended up using Raniment, instead. It's a resource sort of like energy.

[she could go into specifics beyond that.

but like.

eh.]

...I guess there weren't exactly a ton of us there, either. [so maybe it's not that weird...? she's not one to judge, anyway.]

Aha! [it's a pleased, triumphant outburst] See, there, it's just as number eleven of the Rules of Acquisition says: if there's a resource to be spent and traded, an economy can be created!

[he grins, obviously satisfied with having proved his point]

Is that from some kind of economics textbook...?

Economics textbook? [Quark scoffs.] As if a simple textbook could measure up to the knowledge contained within the Rules of Acquisition! [his almost ever-present smile widens, clearly warming up to his topic]

They're the rules that govern all Ferengi. It's our culture! Our heritage! Our very way of life! No Ferengi would ever make a profit without the Rules of Acquisition to guide him.