letsplayamurder | LPM Test Drive

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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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

1.

[This felt wrong. As he stumbles into the open air, the air seems too still. The very land seems... it's not buzzing with life. There's nothing immediately wrong--aside from the fact the buildings and carvings don't seem right to him. They weren't from any of the Duvemir settlements he recognized.

He took a deep breath, placing one hand on the bridge of his nose. The large man breathes in deep. Taking in both the strange stillness and the chaos of others waking up.

Something wasn't right--]

...Ah. There aren't any Echoes here. [The realization comes to mind quickly, a bolt of lightning from the back of his mind.]

That can't be right... a place like this should be filled with 'em, even if they're long quiet or brand new.

[The words are to himself more than to anyone else. It's probably nonsense, don't worry about it.]

4.

[He draws out a sword, glancing at it with wry smile as he lowers himself into a fighting stance.]

Well, well, let's give it a chance, eh? I'm sure you can beat an old soldier like me...

[His grin flashes canines that are a little too long for a human's. His stare a little more focused than usual.]

It'd be an honor, t'be sure. Keeps the old bones from rusting too much!

7.

[Gintaras is kneeling beside the cold body of Satsuki Minazuki. One of the training swords has been placed squarely in her back. He shakes his head sadly.]

Poor lass... too careful and trusting at the same time. [He gently moves her so the sword falls out and she's laying fully on her back.]

Let's do this quickly but carefully.

Edited 2025-06-10 01:41 (UTC)

[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.

Hm, mhm mhm.

[Sure kind of does sound like nonsense, but Cal's never been one to let that stop her. She listens politely, nodding, before looking around and examining their surroundings herself.]

Actually, lesse-

[She takes a deep breath of her own.]

HEEEEEEEEY-

[Holding up a finger to head off any immediate response, she listens carefully to the reverb, eyes turned skyward.]

...I dunno, that sounds like about the right level of echoing to me.

Edited 2025-06-10 21:26 (UTC)

[There’s a moment before the call that he feels like he should say something. He doesn’t and regrets it. Gintaras steps back, wincing a little. A quick shake of his head.]

Not—not that sort of echo!

[He shakes his head again to try to stop the ringing.]

Some call ‘em spirits or even ghosts. Old places like this should be filled to the brim.

[Nothing ever stays gone, after all.]

Oh! Gotcha.

[She nods, satisfied.]

In that case, there aren't any because ghosts don't exist.

Of course they exist. Ya speaking to one. Guess I should have said other Echoes.

[Though he does stare at her like she’s grown another head.]

Though, that ain’t funny, lass.

[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?

Edited 2025-06-11 03:26 (UTC)

[Astarion makes no secret of being a vampire. But it does come with its advantages, when it comes to things like bloody wounds. He's clearly more disgusted than hungry, though, because he's quick to speak.]

The wound's still fresh. This couldn't have happened more than an hour ago.

ii

[ All of this was quite surreal, honestly. He was pretty sure he was dead, or had been close enough that even the best Faith spells would not be able to save him. That was... scary, but not surprising. War killed men, no matter who they were. He took to the battlefield accepting that. It was worth it to bring Adrestia to her new era.

Now a mysterious mentor was saying he had a chance to become a god? Even considering it seemed rather heretical. But godliness aside he was more interested in the awful state this world seemed to be in. If his place in improving Fodlan was lost, well... it was only proper that he use his skills to help another land! Such was the duty of a true noble!

But the world is a rather big place. Even just the small area they had on offer was a lot. And it was, as expected from what the mentor told them, in a sad abandoned state. He might not be able to change anything large right now, but he could do something more local.

So you will likely find him with arms full of cleaning items and tools...going around tidying. A lot. Not just sweeping and dusting but working on all the cracks and fading paint. Polishing the beautiful statues. Hair pulled back in a tail and skin damp with sweat... yet looking delighted with his honest work. It was not so different from the tasks he would do at the Monastery, after all.]

Oh, hello! Could you hand me that cloth please?

[Watch out or he might drag you into it.]

iv

[Now this is more his speed! Ferdinand is eager and willing to jump right to proving his worth, especially in physical matters. He does the obstacle course with barely a misstep- no one could say Ferdinand von Aegir ever slept on his fitness! Of course if someone calls out to him while he's focusing on it he will happily pause to wave... and get clocked by a swinging bat. Rip.

Later at the sparing area he is... not sparing. Oh, he INTENDED to, of course. But he is almost instantly distracted by the array of weapons. At this moment he is cooing over a 7 foot long dory spear, eyes alight]

Look- you would think such a long weapon would be completely impractical for infantry. And it's weight is too light to be used on horseback. But the butt end is set with a counter weight! The range you could manage while still keeping control must be impressive-

[He's going to keep babbling about it for hours if no one stops him]

vii

[Blood has been shed.

Ferdinand is no investigator, at least not when it comes to murders. A paper trail he can sniff out like an Aegir hound, but this is beyond his abilities. So he stays back, eyes occasionally flitting to the poor young man they found this morning, the back of his head caved in.

There's sadness in his eyes, but something else too. Something he has barely showed at all their time here: anger.]

What a cowardly way to die...

[When the threat came down he was one of the many insisting they could find another way. But less commonly he suggested if death could not be avoided that it be done in open battle. For fairness' sake at least. That... was shouted down rather quickly. This killing was clearly done from behind. An act of desperation. He can't help but stew over it]

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

[Cal gives Gintaras an appraising stare for a second before gently poking his shoulder.]

You're a pretty solid ghost?

Oh, this one?

[Yeah, she'll pass it over. And kind of observe the work at hand for a moment.]

You gonna need help on this? These guys look sturdy enough I can probably handle it without breaking anything.

[She pats one of the statues- making it wobble slightly on its plinth before she steadies it, the moment of panic in her eyes mercifully brief.]

[He yelps and lifts his hands to steady it as well, even though his normal human strength would do nothing to stop it if it REALLY fell]

Whoa... Impressive! You are quite strong! As for cleaning, I certainly do not need help, but I would not turn away a work companion.

i. to come across all sanctified

[Alright, so he knew he was the god of cheer, but now he knows he's the God of Cheer! Some of the, uh, lesser quantities at The Pantheon are reluctant to accept the greatness thrust upon them; Bucky is certainly not among them. But we all knew that, right? That's he's not among them but above-- the top of the pyramid. Oh how the mighty soar, soar into their destiny!

Bucky has already designated himself as leader. Well-- at least, leader of weekly cardio. He runs a tight ship, clapping to the rhythm of a silent song as he surveys the saps that decided to show up. All they really need is his voice anyway. Everyone should know that.]

And one, two, three, four-- Come on, eyes on the prize-- two, three-- Keep moving!

ii. there again, they're on their knees

[If nothing else about this wet napkin of a man is impressive, those back handsprings are. Not only is he balancing with ease on the beams, but he's doing a standing back-full? What is this kid?

Bucky back-flips to dismount, turning to face you.]

Impressed? Yeah, I would be too. [Sighing, popping a non-existent collar.] Not every day you meet a Cheer God.

iii. being worshipped is a breeze

[There's a sudden scream at the end of the hall and a loud clatter. You barely have time to move and see what the commotion is before it's coming to you, Bucky rounding the corner, an army of undead in hot pursuit behind him.]

Zombies! [He screams, shoes squeaking against the tile as he trips over himself, sprinting for his life.] I told you-- I told you it's always Zombies!

iv. it's tough to be a god

[Well, it's true whether he wants it to be or not. Daiba Nana is dead. As an almost-Student Body President, Bucky takes it upon himself to initiate dialogue.]

Alright. I know what we're all thinking, so I'll just say it.

[He's quiet for a beat before pointing at Velvet.]

She did it.

(ooc: if your character is non-human, bucky will be Weird About It. if fantasy racism is a squick lmk and i can tone it down lol)

Edited 2025-06-11 18:36 (UTC)

[ ………………… ]

Were we all thinking that?

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!]

Yeah, you would be.

[It is technically impressive Bucky has managed to not injure himself, she supposes. More disappointing, though.]

What, you want a cookie or something?

[Surge hops up despite her comparatively short stature, landing in a single handstand on the beam and holding it for a second before flipping off the other side. For no other reason than it was in her way, clearly.]

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.

ii.

[ It's a shock three times over when she opens her eyes, waking up in this unreal and unfamiliar place and having this equally unreal story trotted out for her to try and swallow. doesn't remember falling asleep, but waking up felt just as unreal. Every breath since has carried the fog of dream logic, like this whole situation might start unraveling the second she picks at it too insistently and the most ridiculous part of all is -

Her, of all people? A god?

It's enough to make her laugh. She's got her hands plenty full trying to figure out how to be a person. That's more than enough work for one lifetime.

The sun is warm and the sky is perfect, but Ai finds herself retreating into the shade of the central pantheon anyway. It's too open out there. Too many eyes, even if no one's looking. The walls in here feel closer, more solid and she feels a little less unsafe when she takes to exploring, just to make some sense of the mess she's found herself in. She's not looking for anything in particular when she sees it. Just passing through rows of other carved faces and strange murals when all of a sudden, she stops in her tracks.

Her own face stares back at her, ten feet tall and carved into stone. It's perfect, of course, just like it always is but the accuracy of the image staring back at her is a little unnerving. The curve of her cheek, the smile that suggests she knows something you don't. The light in her eyes, somehow radiant even in stone.

Nausea wells up in her throat. Her breath curls tight in her ribs, right alongside the strange spark of - what? Pride? Horror? Awe?

She gives a breathy laugh, too bright, too sharp. ]

[ She mutters that darkly to herself. ]

[ The plaque beneath the carving doesn't inspire much more comfort. Ai crouches to read more closely, the hem of her skirt brushing against dusty tile and feels her lips pull thin as she skims it. It's too detailed - it's technically nothing secret or scandalous but knowing it's all here out in the open is just...

It's then that she senses someone behind her - another pair of footsteps beating their way through the halls, maybe - and turns slightly, flashing a picture perfect grin without missing a beat. ]

[ She angles her head towards the carved relief. ]

almost

iv.

[ She's not sure what she expected when they said "training". All this godly stuff so far has been way out of her wheelhouse so the obstacle course is a bit of a shock purely for how... familiar it is. It looks like the kind of thing they'd build for a variety show back home.

And as such, Ai takes it all in stride to a kind of surprising degree? Dainty as she might look, she's still a professional dancer and she's got stamina and agility to back that up. She ducks and weaves under swinging obstacles with apparent ease, and scrambles across narrow beams with the steady balance of someone who's done her fair share of precarious dancing in heels. Her breath is steady, her steps light, and her smile doesn't give way once, even under the hot sun.

Anyone watching would think she's having a whale of a time and they're not exactly wrong. In the midst of this massive upheavel, there's something comforting about a challenge she can see, something with rules and clear progress markers - something she can get right.

She steps nimbly off the balance beam with a hop, step and a skip and looking fit to burst with pride. ]

[ She tosses the line over her shoulder with a wink before launching herself toward the next challenge - a rope swing over a shallow gap. Nothing too dramatic. She grabs the rope with both hands, kicks off from the ledge, and - ]

[ The platform on the other side is just far enough out of reach that her legs swing past it. She tries again. Misses again. Her toes graze the edge. Close. So close. But not close enough. Now she's just dangling there, caught in a rhythm of increasingly less confident swings. ]

[ Preferably from someone who's actually tall enough for this.

She eventually gets pulled to safety (thank you, mystery helper), but the near-miss bruises her pride more than anything else. Not that you'd know it - by the time she's dusting herself off, she's laughing again. But she decides she's had enough heroic athletics for the day and retreats instead to the medical station to see about playing support. And when someone stops by for a bandage or a break, she flashes them a bright, cheeky smile. ]

[ There is no office. ]

[ And no, she does not have stickers. ]

[ One moment, the sky is a bright, innocent blue. The next, it splits open. The earth, too, heaves like it's alive. Lightning arcs in the distance and from the cracked earth, monsters begin to crawl free. Not actors in prosthetics and make up but real ones with rusted blades and empty eyes.

Ai doesn't scream. She doesn't run. She just stares, rooted to the spot with wide, shimmering eyes like a rabbit in the path of an oncoming car. The call rings out - take up arms, someone says, a sword, a shield, a staff - whatever it takes to stand and fight.

But Ai can barely process the words. Her ears are ringing. Her heart is pounding so loudly it drowns out the rest of the world. Fighting? Against those? Someone like her? The very idea of it seems unreal. She can barely hold chopsticks properly when she's nervous, how is she supposed to -

A hand, pale and rotting, bursts from the dirt beneath her and clamps cold fingers around her ankle. Her body moves before her mind does - she shrieks and kicks out, catching the thing in the face. It doesn't let go right away, but she yanks herself free with a violent twist and stumbles backward. Her heel catches on broken stone and she nearly goes down.

The battle roars around her. Screams. Steel. Blood.

It's too much. It's impossible. She can't fight - she can't even be here right now.

Ai starts to back away, panting, hands trembling at her sides. And just before she turns to flee - her gaze catches on yours for one frozen second, a long, unspoken moment. Her face twists - shame, panic, guilt, all crumpling in on each other.

And then she turns and runs. No words. No goodbye. No glance back.

For the entire battle - long after it - she's missing in action. ]

Edited 2025-06-11 20:04 (UTC)

ii.
[who thought it was a good idea to let this Literal Child become a god

Ahem. Let's try this again. To most of the first day, one of the prospective gods might seem more like a fleeting ghost- or a doll. They'll see her sitting on benches, staring out into blank space, or mechanically supping on nectar and ambrosia like it's bland porridge. Any attempt at conversation is met with flinching and casting aside her gaze.

But as night falls, Mutsumi discovers a treasure in her house, and everything changes. The sound of an electric guitar, each chord carefully measured out and applied with the precision of a machine, echoes through the dusk, leading back to the young godling's house. The door's been left open, framing Mutsumi like a portrait as she strums, something like a smile on her face.]

iii.
[Outside of Mutsumi's door is a giant pile of plushies. Wait... is something MOVING inside of them? It looks almost like it's breathing, oh god-

A hand erupts from the top of the mountain, flailing around, accompanied by a muffled,] Help...

iv.
[Mutsumi isn't a fighter. Or an athlete, particularly. But... if everyone else is trying her best, then maybe... just maybe-

oh no whoops there she goes falling FACE-FIRST off the agility course in five seconds

The cushioning of the training room does little to comfort her.]

Ow.

Edited 2025-06-11 20:22 (UTC)

Oh, I am not surprised at all! Performance takes a lot of stamina.

[It took him a bit to recognize 'idol' as the same as 'diva', but once he does it's clear why Ai is a diva. She has that level of almost supernatural charm and poise]

I. Hello Hoffman, I Want to Play a Game (cw for face injury/trauma)
[Being knocked out and awakening in unfamiliar locations wasn't anything new for the detective. Why, just before this, he was knocked out by that bitch and had his mouth torn completely open. This couldn't have been her. If Jill Tuck was the culprit, she wouldn't make the same mistake of putting him in another trap.

He immediately begins inspecting himself for any sign of whatever his kidnapper. No injection sites, no fresh wounds aside from his freshly sewn up cheek, nothing. This won't do. He doesn't have time to stick around. He needs answers, he needs a name, and he needs to find Jill Tuck.

Hoffman exits his room, spots someone walking and whistles to get their attention.]

Hold it right there. [He approaches with a cool gait, pulling out a badge (that wasn't as easy to destroy as his other IDs but it may come in handy here) to flash like he's some spiky-haired attorney. Time to play the good detective yet again.] Detective Mark Hoffman, I'm with the Metropolitan Police Department. Care to answer some questions?

[That wasn't a request btws.]

III. Pound of Flesh (cw for saw trap in the image)
[After they've all gotten the rundown of why they're here, Hoffman... wasn't thrilled, protested alongside others they didn't have time, before going off on his own. Though the prospect of him being a god did give the detective a sense jubilation, admittedly. Power at his beck and call, deciding the fates over others... it was like he received the mother of all promotions.

Come the next day, however, all that fizzles out slightly when he opens the door and finds an rusted looking torture device outside his room. Hoffman doesn't bat much of an eye or have much reaction, other than a sound of recognition. He bends over and begins inspecting the trap like a piece of fine art.]

This shouldn't be here. It should be in the precinct, how...

[He muses to himself out loud, not breaking his focus on the RBT.]

3D. Game Over
[Oh yes, sooner or later, there will be blood.

Found slump over a stack of book in the athenaeum was the lifeless body of Vanessa Shelly. Her blonde hair matted with blood with a knife stuck in the back of her skull. Being an ~~(ex)~~homicide detective meant Hoffman's on the scene, noting the rather clean crime scene. Something caught his eye, something off with the head wound.]

There isn't enough blood for this to have been the fatal blow. [He states assuredly to whoever else is around.]

VIII. hello zepp intensifies
(None of the above vibes with you, or you've got another idea for a scenario? No problem, lay it on me! I'm open to anything. Voicetesting here!)

Um, obviously we were?

[Bucky scoffs, looking around at his fellow gods for validation. Like, get a load of this guy, right?]

She's a total freak. Case closed.

[Oof. What a spectacular wipeout. Ranma breaks from his acrobatics and stretching to perch right where Mutsumi was before her spill. Clearly someone needs to be shown the ropes on how to actually be athletic. He speaks with complete blithe:]

Y'know, I think you'd be more successful if you try landin' with your feet and not your face.

[Wonderful advice Ranma...]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 25

LPM Test Drive

Astarion | Baldur's Gate 3

Gintaras Miketis | OC

I

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

7

Ferdinand von Aegir | Fire Emblem: 3 Houses

iii

no subject

ii

no subject

bucky buchanan | zombies

iv. bc I can’t resist that prompt

no subject

ii - come at me

no subject

Ai Hoshino ★ Oshi no Ko

Mutsumi "Mortis" Wakaba | Ave Mujica -The Die is Cast-

iv

Detective Mark Hoffman || SAW

no subject

IV