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

Astarion | Baldur's Gate 3

[pariunt]

I
[Again?

That’s the first thought to cross Astarion’s mind when he wakes up in a place he has no recollection of. But, he thinks. It’s a different situation, isn’t it? He’s in a bed, for once. But that might just be the only upside.

After a quick exploration, he’s quick to leave, accosting the first person he sees.]

You. What do you know about this situation?

[He flashes a rather threatening smile, though he doesn’t seem entirely conscious of the fact that it shows off enormous fangs.]

You must know something.



III
[He’s gotten nothing useful whatsoever. Just a huge pile of wooden cutouts of an ugly human.

He deliberately knocks one over.]

This could be useful for kindling. Not much use for anything else. It’s too thin to use as target practice.



VII
Who the hell did this?
[It might be a surprise, given his general mannerisms and sarcasm, but the murder actually bothers him a great deal. Astarion actually looks angry, as he stoops down to look at the state of Usagi Tsukino. The poor girl didn’t deserve this. It’s with great effort that he doesn’t breathe in the sheer amount of blood on her.

It’s cold and congealed now, so it’d be no good even if this wasn’t someone he’d grown fond of.]

She bled out. Whoever did this to her left her after they attacked.

I

[sweetsynergy]

[Vanity pauses, giving Astarion a quick up and down appraisal before returning a blithe smile. If she's unbothered maybe it's because she hasn't noticed Astarion's fangs, or maybe it's because a few of her own teeth are sharp in ways that suggest a divergence from base humanity.]

I'm not the one who brought us here, if that's what you're really asking. Beyond that- are you offering to trade? Say a question for a question.

[pariunt]

[Ahh, isn't that interesting? He looks quite intrigued, but refrains from asking more questions. He may as well play along; there's no reason not to.]

Certainly. That's more than fair. What's your question?

[sweetsynergy]

[There will be time for bloodshed later! For now, with powers off, the smart move is playing nice. Or at least polite.]

What do you remember right before waking up here? Or before being asleep in that bed, to be accurate.

[pariunt]

Nothing out of the ordinary, truthfully. Or, what passes for "ordinary" in my life. I was at camp, I...

[What had he been doing, exactly?

It was a rather unimportant conversation with Gale to pass the time. Nothing that would cause him to be knocked out without anyone else noticing, surely?]

I'm not sure how nobody else noticed that I was spirited away.

iii

[markofnobility]

I wonder why this man specifically. He certainly has an... intimidating aura though, doesn't he?

[pariunt]

Does he?

[Astarion looks over another one of them curiously.]

Whoever made these certainly wants him to look intimidating, at least. For all we know, he was in a bad mood when he posed for these.

[Oops, he knocked another one over!]

[markofnobility]

Hm. He reminds me of some of my tutors as a child. The kind that would smack your hand if you did not do your letters correctly.

[pariunt]

I suppose he does have that look.

[Though the man doesn't give Astarion Cazador vibes from looks alone. He'd need to actually meet the guy, whoever he is.]

I suppose our illustrious host is a fan of his.

VII

[catsgothistongue]

A bastard, that's who.

[Sentiment's being shared by Ranma. He actually really liked Usagi. She was super nice to talk to and always brightened the room with her presence. And yet, someone had the nerve to murder her out of everyone here.]

They're not gonna get away with this.

[Spitting that out, he kneels to the opposite side of the body to help check for wounds.]

[pariunt]

No. She deserves better. She deserved better. We'll find who did this.

[He'd kill them himself if he wasn't convinced something awful would happen.

As for the state of the poor girl, it looks like Usagi died as a result of a blow to the back of the head. It probably wasn't enough to be immediately fatal, but it likely did knock her out.]

[catsgothistongue]

[Mmm, yep, that's bad. That explains all the blood. Ranma stifles back a grimace as he pushes aside the matted hair to examine the wound closely. He's no coroner or anything, but being a martial artist, he should have a good idea what could've caused this damage. In other words, does it look like someone brained her with their bare hand or a blunt tool.]

They must've snuck up behind her. [A tssk with a glare to the ground beside Usagi.] Coward couldn't be bothered to go after someone who'd fight back.

[Normally, Ranma tries to steer clear of trying to/wanting to off someone. Code of honor and all that. Were he not worried about whatever dire consequence awaits them when the killer's brought to light, he'd knock them upside the head himself.]

[pariunt]

[It looks like it was a single blow with a blunt object. It's not possible to tell what did it, precisely, but this wasn't a punch to the back of the head.]

They must have.

[His fist clench.]

She told me she'd seen her fair share of fighting. To be caught completely unawares...

i

[necromants]

Hmm~

[The man in question (no tentacles visible at the moment; he can hide them at will) is six feet even, with mismatched red eyes and tiny pointed ears - not to mention small fangs of his own, visible with his bright, unaffected smile. He wears form-fitting dark clothes beneath a baggy labcoat. If he's even noticed Astarion's fangs, he hasn't had any sort of reaction to them.]

I'm afraid I know absolutely nothing about the current situation we find ourselves in, friend! I was going to ask you the same thing, though perhaps a bit less ominously.

[pariunt]

[Astarion stands just slightly shorter at 5'11". He'd think the stranger a vampire, but the black sclera is what gives him pause. Huh. He's not sure what to make of that, really.]

You're not the first person to say that.

[And unfortunately, Astarion believes him. He lets out a sigh.]

[necromants]

It would seem our fellows here are clueless captives just as we are! A bit of an odd situation - I trust you don't remember anything that could have led to this?

[He still sounds remarkably upbeat and cheerful despite the situation...]

[pariunt]

No. I was having a conversation about nothing of importance. Though... [a dramatic pause] I am surprised nothing was done about it. My absence as surely been noted by now.

You don't sound so bothered by our predicament.

[Neither does Astarion, but he carries himself with a distinct aura of "pretending not to care".]

iii

[brokenhabit]

[ ...oh that's. Mm. Yeah she knows that kind of garb and vibe anywhere even if it's more... sleek? Casual? Is this what counts as "modern" to some of the others?

...

Don't commit a sacrilege don't commit a sacrilege don't commit a sacrilege-- oh screw it. ]

You sure about that? Maybe he has a big bald spot on the back like a bullseye~? Most ugly priests do.

[pariunt]

Do they?

[Not any priests he's heard of, though then again balding is an unfortunate thing...]

This wood's too thin. It couldn't hold up to a few arrow or bolts at all. It would splinter all over.

[brokenhabit]

All the ones I know, anyway.

[ Not that she actually met that many besides Father Hans and the few who decided to visit him from other towns. She can still remember Elise getting the both of them in trouble for whispering to her something about whether or not it was a requirement for clergymen to all be old geezers who just Look Like That.

...Maybe it's better she didn't remember that, actually.

She stares at the pile, the moment of playful rebellion (mostly) passing. (For now) ]

Even with that many? Surely they're thicker once stacked and bundled together.

[pariunt]

I suppose you'd have more experience than me.

[He tends to stay away from anything to do with the gods, as it is.

But as for her suggestion, he considers this, tapping at his chin for a moment before he starts to stack several of the cut-outs together.]

We'd need something to secure them together, but it should work in theory.

[Of course, it'll still splinter all over the place. But he doesn't plan on cleaning it up, so who cares.]

vii

[tripartites]

[ usagi had been kind. genuinely so, with seemingly no malice hidden or reserved. that was something in rare supply, in their situation. hell, it was in rare supply in general, wasn't it?

sloppy, some part of her mutters. another crows: is this the best they can do? hiihihiihihi! ]

... Tsukino-san didn't deserve this. [ sayo says it suddenly, kneeling by the body and examining usagi's arm. it's just as much in agreement with astarion as to silence her own thoughts. ]

[pariunt]

We must find her killer.

[Astarion would make a show of it. Make this person think they've gotten away, until he thoroughly dashes all of their hopes all at once. The bastard.]

She wouldn't care for revenge, but it's what we'll done.

[tripartites]

[ well. some part of her would certainly like the way astarion thinks, on that score. ]

Oh, I couldn't agree more. [ a very quiet, grimly amused laugh. ] There's no sense in offering mercy to someone without any, is there?

[pariunt]

No. I would hope nobody here would be so foolish as to offer it.

[They sealed their fate the moment they went after Usagi.]