The staff room of Central High, Jacob turned up to work late, missing the first class he was due to teach, spending his first half an hour throwing up in the senior toilets. This scene takes place a few hours later, during school lunch break.
The Players
I'll play Jacob. The Principal, Ms. Lockheart, is present and unamused, and I figured @Nocren might want this role, seeing as he introduced the obstacle. Other staff would be present, so anyone is free to jump in
Jacob helps himself to his third cup of coffee, slumped in the corner of the staffroom. With a slight groan, he turns his head to the side, trying to avoid eye contact with all other members of staff.
His shirt is wrinkled, his tie is loose, and his collar is undone. A cold sweat falls from his brow as he wallows in his own self-pity.
The Brayster on
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
Noah Finley, the choir instructor, has just pulled a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge in the staff room. He watches Jacob, and there this giant mask of pity on his face - not obscured in the least, like he can't cover it up or refuses to cover up. He's been looking at Jacob since he came into the staffroom, watching him, and looking back and forth between what he is doing and Jacob's slumped form.
Noah walks over to the corner where Jacob slumps, but doesn't look directly at him this time. Instead, Noah is staring at the corkboard with all of its calendars and sign-up sheets and schedules for the coming weeks. Noah is looking at roommate request form left by one of the newer teachers trying to make rent, but he's talking to Jacob:
...I covered for you again, Jacob. You doing okay?
Jacob takes great pain in looking up to Noah as he stands over him. The words that come out are less common speech and more like pained sighs.
"Not good, man, not...good. The bitch I once called my loving wife just took away my visitation rights. My son..."
Jacob begins sobbing into his hands.
Steam: TheBrayster
PSN: TheBrayster_92
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Victoria Lockheart stand near the doorway of the staff room. Her eyes clearly focused on Jacob.
"Mr. Finley, when Mr. Anderson composes himself, tell him to see me in my office."
Back in her office, Victoria looks at the remarks left by other faculty members and even some students. Comments about Jacob's behavior, more so than the usual student complaints. Some about his smell, how he reeked of alcohol at times during first period, when he was actually teaching first period. The man's saving grace was the discipline he instilled in the school band and the trophies and prestige they brought home. But even that had started slacking now. She knew she had to make a hard decision soon with the centennial coming up. One the board was probably not going to like.
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
"Uh, Yes, ma'am."
Noah has his head craned back over his shoulder, looking toward the disappearing shape of Lockheart - then he frowns and looks over at the sobbing Jacob.
"Jacob, hey, come on. It's okay. Its gonna be okay. Just, uh... Get yourself together, okay? I'm sure if you just explain yourself, Victoria will understand. It's been hard for you. She's gotta understand that."
With a great deal of commotion and effort, Jacob lifts himself from his chair and makes the slow shamble towards Ms. Lockhearts office.
Tasking a seat, he looks up at his boss with a pained, sheepish look in his eyes.
Steam: TheBrayster
PSN: TheBrayster_92
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
Lockheart looks at the mess of a man seated in front of her. He hadn't shaved yet and his eyes were red, but she couldn't tell if it was from stress, alcohol, or crying. She turns her back to him, staring out the window onto the campus.
"Mr. Henderson, Jacob, you're slipping. Half the board wants me to fire you right now, union be damned. You did good work once."
Lockheart turns from the window and sits back down at her desk.
"I'll make you a deal and I don't need a verbal answer, your actions will tell me enough. I'm going to give you something to focus on and help take your mind off whatever is troubling you at home. The school's cenntinal celebration is coming up. Give me a show to put on. When you head back to the band hall, take a look at those trophies and accolades in the hallway. Not all of them are for basketball or football, YOU put up quiet a few as well.
Give me good show for the celebration and I'll put you on admin leave till next year with reduced pay. That'll give you some time to get your head straight and you won't be fired either.
Does that sound fair Jacob?"
[OOC]I like this so far but I kinda wish we could get audience reactions without breaking the flow of the thread.[/OOC]
Jacob wipes his eyes and tried his best to compose himself. Rising from his chair, his facial tone seems to rapidly shift from self-pity to something resembling determination.
"I... I can do that. Thank you for the chance, Ms Lockheart, I will not let you or the board down!"
Well, I guess that's a tipping point if there was one. A good shove in the right direction might be what it takes to remove the obstacle of Alcoholism.
Geth roll 1d6 for Removing Alcoholism
Sweet, I guess that makes it @Nocren 's turn to make a scene
Removing Alcoholism:
1d65 [1d6=5]
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
Oh my god, it is so damn painful having Jacob swearing not to let them down... And then the dice spitting out a failure. Ugh, right in my heart, @The Brayster! Right in the heart!
Cool, bring us on home @Nocren and when that's done, then we get into the second phase of gameplay - Investigators!
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
The Obstacle
Janet Hall was Sara’s sophomore roommate in college and the one that got her acclimated to life in the city. @The Brayster can play this since it was his suggestion. Janet’s condition is terminal but it’s coming to a head soon and the doctor’s give her 2 years at most to live. She also knows about Sara’s job and possibly losing it to her ex. Janet currently lives in a one bedroom apartment by herself.
With them at Janet’s Sara’s friend Michael Belschez or “Mikey 13” (the 13 is stylized into a . Mikey’s been teaching her how to incorporate some more technology into her routine and step away from vinyl. Anyone can take that one.
Janet’s apartment is nice, full of good memories with lots of pictures from her past surrounded by people. Sara grabs one of the two of them in the old campus quad, smiling. Sara brushes her blue-streaked hair away from her face and places it back on the end table. Up on the wall is another of Janet with her family.
“I never realized you had such a large family Janet. Mine was smaller, only my parents and Sam. And since dad only wanted boys and mom was busy, I kinda grew up alone.
How you feeling these days? I know it’s been awhile since we spent any meaningful time together.”
Looking around the room is a lot of memorabilia, some from high school, others from college. There’s a picture of the two of them at a football game, Sara’s only one, but both of them in full team colors with some facepaint. Another of Sara’s first gig, smiling behind a turntable and holding up a record. For the first time, Sara noticed that there’s not a lot of just Janet with a guy, or any solo pictures of her at any exotic location. She swore Janet took a trip at some point…
Nocren on
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
I think because I edited my @ it didn't work, so....
Janet looks over Saras shoulder at the picture she's holding.
"It's... I've been fine"
Janet gives a couple of coughs into her fist, doing her best to mask them.
"Haven't really been spending much time inside. I've been reading a lot, there are some fascinating medical journals online..."
Janet fades a bit, before catching herself in the act.
"So how about you, anything new?"
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
"Mike here's been getting me to learn some new tools for DJing. Says I need to get away from the wax and go digital.
Plus he's hooked me up with another gig where some big names are known to frequent. So hopefully...."
Sara holds up her hands and crosses her fingers while closes her eyes tight and openly smiling before regaining her composure.
"Janet, why don't we go upstate this autumn? I heard there's a great little festival up there. Not a lot of people... Or if I get picked up, take you with me as my entourage. Maybe find you a nice guy...
Not like Bass-shit... Asshole's taking over my regular spot at U93. Anyway, I'm worried. Ever since I started getting regular gigs and working nights I've seen less and less of you. I'm surprised you actually had the day off today."
(Throwing out that U93 is the fairly popular underground club that Sara and Sam work at. Are we allowed to develop kind of "landmark" locations like this?)
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
There's nothing in the rules that says developing locations is forbidden; I think it makes plenty of sense. No worries.
"Yeah.. I...uh... they didn't need the staff today, pretty quiet I guess"
A slight pause separates Janets words as she picks up a photo of her attending a festival with Sara.
"Look, maybe me travelling isn't the best idea right now. I...uh... I have a lot going on right now"
Steam: TheBrayster
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
"But that just means it's the perfect time to get away! I can tell the stress is getting to you. How about this then?
Mike's got a line on a Spring Break festival next year in Florida. We'll be hitting a few different places while there. You should totally come with! You'll be on the staff, so catered meals, no lines, back stage, hunky security guys. Plus it's going to have a lot of different DJs there, maybe I can get some recognition finally.
It'll be perfect for you to get away!"
Sara notes that Janet doesn't look like her old self and as much as she tries to hind it, she notices the coughing.
"Jan, what's wrong? You pushed me to get out and do things when I got here. No you're the one that's holed up? You can tell me."
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
Guess we can leave it there then.
Geth roll 1D6 for Emotionally Supportive
Guess he's too busy chucking potatoes at everyone.
Nocren on
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
Mind if I try and help with that?
Geth roll 1d6 for Emotionally Supportive
And on an Odd roll, you do not overcome the obstacle. Take it away, @Nocren
Emotionally Supportive:
1d63 [1d6=3]
AlfredR on
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
We can actually end it there if you want. Sara basically thinks this upcoming festival is too important to miss so ignores Janet.
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
Track 6: Hey, so super cool, we've ran through our first round of civilian scenes. We now have a bit of an idea of what our Civilians are like in-practice, we have can see what's going on in their lives - Dennis thinking he knows best and pushing himself, Alice finally agreeing to singing lessons, Jacob's hollow promise to do better, and Sara's obliviousness to the suffering around her. We can see where their stories are kind of heading.
And now our Killer begins their horrific spree. A dead body is found, and the elite Serial Homicide Unit gets the case.
In addition to our chosen Civilians, we will each also select a member of the SHU to portray. During the Investigation Phase, we portray our Investigators in the midst of a meeting discussing the clues they've found in the course of their work. I think the general idea here is that the meetings are actual meetings - in a board room with a white board and the like - but I think in Bones (for example) we see meetings taking place in different locales all the time; on the slab, in Angela's studio, on the road via phone call, and the like. I think we can inject that kind of living, breathing element into our meetings without driving the game off course, as long as we remember that our Investigators aren't really the stars of this story.
So, there are six Investigators employed with the SHU, and they're all up for grabs. Additionally, there is a seventh and undetailed character called the Chief Investigator - who portrays the CI changes from round to round. To start, I'll run the Chief to show off some of the game dynamics.
Our six Investigators are below - you can sub in whatever names you want without breaking anything, but this is who comes with the game.
Detective Santos, the Homicide Detective - responsible for interviewing witnesses
Sergeant Harris, the Crime Scene Technician - responsible for minute crime scene details
Doctor Lee, the Forensic Pathologist - responsible for the victim's body
Officer Davis, the Crime Scene Photographer - responsible for big picture crime scene details
Consultant Reid, the Psychic Investigator - responsible for details no one else could ever know
Lieutenant Bryant, the Psychological Profiler - responsible for understanding the killer
So, @The Brayster, @Grunt's Ghosts, @Nocren go ahead and make your choice from our Investigators. I will hold off and pick someone later, since it really doesn't matter who I pick right now. When you pick, I'll PM you some details about your role... they're not really secret, I just don't want to post more of this game all over the internet than I have to.
Hey, while you're choosing, spit out an adjective or description you think our Chief Investigator might have. I'm brainstorming what they may be like.
Also here are the notes on the current state of the game.
AlfredR on
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Most of the people on Bones aren't cops so of course they'd do things differently
Guess I'll take...either Harris or Bryant.
And think the Chief should be stoic. Like he's see so much stuff that he's not easily flappable.
Geth roll 1D6 for Character Choice.
Even Harris, Odd Bryant
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
I think for the bot to recognize the command, you can't capitalize the D. I may be wrong, but I think that's one hang up?
Geth roll 1d6
1d64 [1d6=4]
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
Ok. I'll keep that in mind. Guess I better brush up on the Albert episodes of Twin Peaks.
I'll take Bryant, the Psychological Profiler ( I have a degree in Psychology in real life, wheeeeeeeeee)
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
Excellent. So, here we go - this is a big procedures dump, so I'm going to stuff it inside a spoiler bracket and then move on. Give it a read, and I'll walk us through the steps as we actually play the scene out.
Track 7: So, @The Brayster is Lieutenant Bryant the Psychological Profiler, @Grunt's Ghosts is Doctor Lee the Forensic Pathologist, and @Nocren is Sergeant Harris the Crime Scene Technician. I think I will go ahead and take Detective Santos the Homicide Detective, who will not be present this round because I will instead be portraying the Chief Investigator.
Now, I won't be disclosing any clues this round - the CI doesn't do that! Instead, the CI runs the meeting, and decides on the order that the rest of the investigators follow in relaying information. The CI's job is to take the individual clues and to shape the theory that we're running with. If the Investigators say there's some flame retardant fibers and signs of a struggle, the CI might put forward a theory about the attacker having access to those fibers and thats how they made it on the scene. Things like that.
Generally CI goes to whoever wants it, but I figure we can run through our list of players in order - and people can jump ahead if they really desperately have a great idea and want to get it out, so we can keep the game moving rather than waiting and languishing.
So the actual procedures...
First, the CI opens up the meeting by announcing that a dead body has been found. The first time, the first body, is a Jane or John Doe. Every other time? Start off your turn by asking Geth to roll an appropriate die to choose which Civilian has been targeted.
Second, the CI rolls five dice for each Investigator (we do this because it's important the CI knows who they can call on for Clues. See below. We can change this later on if we feel like it, though, but for now this is how we'll handle it). EVENS are worth 1 clue. A clue is "a single detail of the murder which addresses the classic investigative questions: who/what/where/when/why/how?" Altogether, these clues are our evidence for finding the Killer. If you don't roll any Evens, then you just wait until the very end.
Third, the CI asks the Investigators to report in. Generally, the order ought to be: psychics and photographers first since they tend to offer big picture, preliminary info - then doctors and crime scene technicians - and finally profilers and detectives since they tend to be producing clues that key off of, or synthesize other information. NOTE(the CI doesn't need to ask for all clues from a particular Investigator all at once. After one clue is given, the Chief is free to bounce around and get other clues before coming back around to the first player. There's a reason for this below...)
So, you're playing your Investigator and you report in about your clue - you describe some detail of the crime as if your investigator had discovered it. You're making these clues up! The game says: "Take inspiration from crime-themed movies, police-centered television shows, or murder mystery novels. Is there a blood smear on the ceiling? Does the shape of a bruise on the body indicate that the killer was wearing a specific ring? Does the hotel clerk's face twitch every time the victim's name is mentioned? Can you give us more detail about a clue that we've already discovered?" I sent each of you the game's suggestions for the sorts of clues you ought to be finding, so keep those in mind when it's your turn to provide a clue. When writing out your post, do me a favor and call out the specific clue - the relevant word or short phrase - in Killer Clue Red.
Fourth, the CI's responsibility beyond prompting the Investigators is to link the clues into the main mechanic of the game: Chains of Evidence. A chain consists of between 1 and 5 clues that relate to each other in some way. One Investigator might find the serrated edge of a knife on a bone - another might match the serrated edge to a particular Ukrainian model of knife - another might find the one specialty importer in The City who sells that knife. Chain of Evidence! I'm going to make a document for the Chain of Evidence, or I may just do my best to attach an image to any given CI post I make. We'll figure this out as we go. NOTE(The CI can organize the Chains however they want to. Chains can be all about the why something was done, the how, the opportunity to get it done - or just focus on crime scenes, the cause of death, witnesses, or other commonalities between the crimes. The CI, however, must explain why a particular clue goes with a particular Chain. Basically, as long as the connection makes sense, then you're in the clear, the end)
I mentioned above that the CI can bounce around, and can/should ask for only one Clue at a time. Here's why: whenever the CI gets a Clue, they must either: 1) add it to an existing Chain of Evidence, or 2) start a new Chain of Evidence. What this means is that the CI cannot hold onto Clues, waiting to see what else is coming down the pipe. The only other limit is that no single Chain can have more than 5 Clues, but we can have plenty of Chains. Investigators are of course absolutely welcome to suggest interpretations of their evidence (ie, which Chain the Clue belongs to). NOTE(The CI has to balance the Chains of Evidence. If you've got lots of Chains but only a couple Clues in each, we won't be able to get an Indictment and catch the Killer - it represents having a thin and circumstantial case. If our Chains are long and detailed, but few in number, Indicting is likewise challenging - it represents our case not offering a comprehensive picture of events. And, of course, every Chain is limited to 5 clues max.)
If you didn't roll any Evens - and therefore have no Clues to contribute - you wait until everyone else has gone. Then, you get the chance to reinterpret existing clues. After all the Clues for the round have been placed, you may move one or more Clues from a single Chain to a different Chain - or even into a completely new Chain of Evidence. Explain to everyone why these revised Chains make more sense when interpreted in a new way.
Investigators - Scene 5 Chief Investigator Donnelly struggled with the kitchenette provided for Conference Room A, annoyance flowing off of him and filling the air of the oblong glass room. It was like an aquarium, clear line of sight in all directions, smack-dab in between the major departments of this SHU branch office. In theory, so you could get your people's attention whenever you needed them to dig up a lead, or so the Investigators were easy to find when new evidence came up... in practice, though, those kind of breakthroughs just never exhibited that kind of 'dramatically appropriate timing', and the Conference Room was just an awkward exercise in exhibition.
CI Donnelly turned his back on the small cupboard, coffee maker, and hotplate that made up the room's lackluster provisions and dropped his (tragically) empty, heavy-bottomed mug on his end of the long, black table. He was older, had been with the SHU for literal decades, and he leaned on the edge of the table - knuckles down, gold cuff-links threaded through crisply-pressed sleeves - presenting himself like a man who believed: if I have to spend every day sifting through the garbage of humanity, I'm going to look like a million bucks while I do it. He refused to succumb to the grouchy, cigar-chomping, angry stereotype of the man leading an investigation. It had earned him an unfortunate reputation, one that crops up from time to time, that he doesn't care or doesn't take his investigations seriously.
Francis Donnelly didn't have much interest in investing time or energy into dispelling those rumors - after all, he *did* have murders to solve: "Bryant, what do you think it says about the fiber of police bureaucracy when they let the conference rooms run out of coffee? Signs of some deeper problem, I'd say - s'just wrong is what it is. Take a seat, everyone."
Donnely picked up a remote and depressed a button - the lights dimmed and a projector hummed, clicking on and throwing up the logo of the SHU on a whiteboard at the opposite end of the room. He pressed another button, and the slide changed to a map of the metropolitan area with a little red 'pin' dropped over some borough. "We've got a John Doe, today.
"Doctor Lee, you've had our John Doe for -" Donnelly opens up a file folder in front of him and reads to himself quietly. "- 6 hours now? Have you gotten anything from the body yet? If you can give me cause of death, there might be a hot pair of vacation days in it for you."
Here we go:
Geth roll 5d6 for Sergeant Harris
Geth roll 5d6 for Doctor Lee
Geth roll 5d6 for Lieutenant Bryant
So when it says I can give only one clue but I can't hold on to clues, yet I have two clues. So do I use both of them to create two chains?
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
Sorry for lack of clarity on my part! Its the Chief Investigator (the person leading the Investigation round - in this case: me!) who isn't allowed to "hold" Clues. That just means I have to immediately assign Clues that you guys make to Chains - I can't wait until after I've heard all the Clues! I have to do something with them immediately.
Similarly: the Chief Investigator is responsible for making Chains - for now, you don't have to worry about Chains or any of that; you just have to play your character, expend your Even dice to make up whatever Clues you like when prompted, and suggest ideas for chains if you'd like to.
I worry about the chains; you just make up the Clues for now, one at a time.
Doctor Lee adjusted her glasses. "Cause of death is poisoning. I believe it's Rodenticide, rat poison. But I'm unsure of how the poison entered the body. There wasn't any poison found within the victim's stomach, nor were there any needle marks found on the body, which is the normal ways the poison enters a person. My personal guess, but seems unlikely due the mass amounts it would take, is that the person absorbed it with their skin. But again, that would require someone to soak in a tub of rodenticide. I'm still waiting on the lab results on the exact type of poison, which will take a few days to determine. The other method would be slow poisoning over time, but until we identify the victim and see his medical records, it's hard to say."
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
"Rodenticide? A massive amount... Let me know as soon as soon as we get something back on that poison, Lee - if we're dealing with a distinctive or industrial mix, that will go a long way to nailing our killer. Fingers crossed its not something 'over-the-counter'..."
Donnelly turned over a piece of paper in his folder, stared at it for a moment before returning his eyes to the conference room, smiling.
"All right, Harris. I've got a note here in my report, says you managed to pull something interesting from the scene. Any chance what you've got supports Dr. Lee's - unlikely but highly compelling - 'poison bath' scenario?"
Also I'm posting from my phone right now, so I'll make a tidy Chain of Evidence thing later; for now know that I'm putting A lot of Rodenticide in Chain 1 and labeling it "Murder Weapon"
AlfredR on
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
"It was hard to tell where the scene started and what was part of the background. I've seen episodes of Horders where the person was more organized."
Harris tosses a small evidence bag onto table. "That was the only thing that could be considered out of place." Inside the bag was what looked like a hypodermic needle, minus the needle.
"Newest thing for distributing vaccines for people that don't like needles. Shove that up a nostril and push the plunger down, all the effects and none of the pain or blood. Friend in Narco said that they're starting to see them on the streets as another method of use. Easier to intake, refillable and premeasured. That's probably why you didn't find anything in her stomach."
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
"...well, you were right, Sergeant. That is interesting. So..."
Donnelly crosses the room to the white board, all lit up by the projector showing pictures of the victim's body and their unkempt living situation. He's pointing at the pictures.
"...who did the plunger belong to, that's my question. Was it our victim's or the killer's?" The CI trails off for a minute, then snaps his attention to Harris.
"Harris, give that thing a second pass. If you can pull anything in the way of serial numbers - something that will map to a list of what physicians, hospitals, or clinics in the area using or prescribing these things - I want you to pull what you can."
"...maybe trick the victim, they shoot themselves full of poison before they know any better... or the killer thinks they're smart and actively uses it as a weapon: fills it up, goes after the victim, forcing it up his nose... I don't know about that... Lee, that plunger suggests we're not dealing with slow poisoning overtime. Let's assume - for now - that's the case. What else did your examination get you? Evidence of struggle? Anything that gives us a picture of events immediately before the death?"
Lee placed an evidence bag on the table. "This ring was found inside the victim's stomach. He swallowed it about two to three hours before he's death. It's a male wedding band, but the victim's fingers show no signs of him wearing a wedding ring recently."
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
Picking up the bag and looking at the ring closely, Donnelly moves on.
"Nice find, Lee. It's not the victim's, or if it is the victim had no reason to be wearing it for a long time. Killer put it there? Victim wanted to hide it? It's a link between the two, I feel that much. Let's pull a size, see if its a custom-make, and hope whoever this ring belonged to was sentimental enough to leave an engraving... and that maybe we can recover it after its little acid wash."
"What's all this look like to you, Bryant? Death by poison, a unique delivery system meant for medicine, and a swallowed wedding band - give me the math on that; how's that add up?"
Tagging in @The Brayster to drop some Psychology on us and close out the first Investigative Scene! Here's the current state of the Chains of Evidence
Bryant stands for a while, stroking his beard gently as the group discusses the evidence placed before them. When attention is turned his way, he seems almost startled by the sudden focus on him.
"The wedding band? Could be any number of things. Could be the victims, could belong to their spouse. Perhaps the victim is the spouse of the killer! There is no where near enough data in one ring to draw up any kind of hypothesis".
Bryant scratches the back of his neck as he turns his attention to the syringe.
"Now, that on the other hand, may tell us something. With a growing number of people on the streets nasally ingesting drugs with these things, it would not be all that difficult to spike the doses with external contagions.
We don't know is this guys M.O . What we DO know, or can at least have a confident guess at, is that this is a guy that has access to a narcotic distribution network, for him or her to have access to this type of method and the confidence to carry it out so cleanly. I would not be surprised if more bodies turned up like this one"
The Brayster on
Steam: TheBrayster
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
"All right, I'll place a call to Metro PD, see if we can get a peek at Narcotics' list of repeat offenders - if our killer has a network like you say, Bryant, those resources have a trail of people and money and I want a look at it. I doubt any of them are going to be our killer, but it gives us a place to start and find our bearings."
Donnelly flips his folder shut and pressed a button on the remote in his hand - the lights intensify back to their original level as the projector spins down into silence as the power is cut.
"We've got our leads: now lets wrap this up, people - if there is any way at all we can find our killer on what we've got here, I want it to happen."
"The only reason I want to open this folder back up is to slide in a copy of the indictment."
And that's the end of our investigative scene and our first round! Second round starts now with @Grunt's Ghosts setting up a new Civilian scene about Alice Green, and then it will be @The Brayster, @Nocren, and then me. Just like round 1, you'll be picking an Obstacle to confront - setting the stage for it - selecting people to play the supporting cast - and then playing hard and fast to get to a tipping point before rolling a die. Once we all do that... then one of our Civilians will be targeted by our Killer.
Hope everyone is enjoying themselves. Whenever you're ready, take it away!
Alice's Obstacle is that a big exam in one of her nursing courses is coming up the morning after an important gig where a recruiter will be watching. She's going to be getting ready for the gig when her mom calls. @AlfredR can play her mother.
The voice lessons were going great. She was hitting those high notes better and smoother than before. Sure she had to work double shifts just to afford them, but the pay was worth it. Tonight a record label big shot was going to be in the club. Sammy the bartender had heard it from his boyfriend, who hear it from some girl at the cafe where he worked, who was the one who handled Mr. Bigtyme's schedule, so you know it's a sure deal. Between the dresses, tops, shoes, and makeup bags, however, was Alice's nursing book, opened to the the current chapter on elderly care. Alice had been quizzing herself between outfit for the exam coming up, but with the possibility of only 4 hours of sleep before exam... Alice was thinking of calling sick. They let you make up exams if you are sick, yes?
At that point Alice's phone rang. Alice had to wave through her clothes to find and and answered without even looking to was calling. "Hello?"
Posts
I'll try to get something up this evening!
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Jacobs Alcoholism
The Scene
The staff room of Central High, Jacob turned up to work late, missing the first class he was due to teach, spending his first half an hour throwing up in the senior toilets. This scene takes place a few hours later, during school lunch break.
The Players
I'll play Jacob. The Principal, Ms. Lockheart, is present and unamused, and I figured @Nocren might want this role, seeing as he introduced the obstacle. Other staff would be present, so anyone is free to jump in
Jacob helps himself to his third cup of coffee, slumped in the corner of the staffroom. With a slight groan, he turns his head to the side, trying to avoid eye contact with all other members of staff.
His shirt is wrinkled, his tie is loose, and his collar is undone. A cold sweat falls from his brow as he wallows in his own self-pity.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Noah walks over to the corner where Jacob slumps, but doesn't look directly at him this time. Instead, Noah is staring at the corkboard with all of its calendars and sign-up sheets and schedules for the coming weeks. Noah is looking at roommate request form left by one of the newer teachers trying to make rent, but he's talking to Jacob:
...I covered for you again, Jacob. You doing okay?
"Not good, man, not...good. The bitch I once called my loving wife just took away my visitation rights. My son..."
Jacob begins sobbing into his hands.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
"Mr. Finley, when Mr. Anderson composes himself, tell him to see me in my office."
Back in her office, Victoria looks at the remarks left by other faculty members and even some students. Comments about Jacob's behavior, more so than the usual student complaints. Some about his smell, how he reeked of alcohol at times during first period, when he was actually teaching first period. The man's saving grace was the discipline he instilled in the school band and the trophies and prestige they brought home. But even that had started slacking now. She knew she had to make a hard decision soon with the centennial coming up. One the board was probably not going to like.
Noah has his head craned back over his shoulder, looking toward the disappearing shape of Lockheart - then he frowns and looks over at the sobbing Jacob.
"Jacob, hey, come on. It's okay. Its gonna be okay. Just, uh... Get yourself together, okay? I'm sure if you just explain yourself, Victoria will understand. It's been hard for you. She's gotta understand that."
"The guys and I, we've still got your back..."
With a great deal of commotion and effort, Jacob lifts himself from his chair and makes the slow shamble towards Ms. Lockhearts office.
Tasking a seat, he looks up at his boss with a pained, sheepish look in his eyes.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
"Mr. Henderson, Jacob, you're slipping. Half the board wants me to fire you right now, union be damned. You did good work once."
Lockheart turns from the window and sits back down at her desk.
"I'll make you a deal and I don't need a verbal answer, your actions will tell me enough. I'm going to give you something to focus on and help take your mind off whatever is troubling you at home. The school's cenntinal celebration is coming up. Give me a show to put on. When you head back to the band hall, take a look at those trophies and accolades in the hallway. Not all of them are for basketball or football, YOU put up quiet a few as well.
Give me good show for the celebration and I'll put you on admin leave till next year with reduced pay. That'll give you some time to get your head straight and you won't be fired either.
Does that sound fair Jacob?"
[OOC]I like this so far but I kinda wish we could get audience reactions without breaking the flow of the thread.[/OOC]
Jacob wipes his eyes and tried his best to compose himself. Rising from his chair, his facial tone seems to rapidly shift from self-pity to something resembling determination.
"I... I can do that. Thank you for the chance, Ms Lockheart, I will not let you or the board down!"
Geth roll 1d6 for Removing Alcoholism
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Cool, bring us on home @Nocren and when that's done, then we get into the second phase of gameplay - Investigators!
Janet Hall was Sara’s sophomore roommate in college and the one that got her acclimated to life in the city. @The Brayster can play this since it was his suggestion. Janet’s condition is terminal but it’s coming to a head soon and the doctor’s give her 2 years at most to live. She also knows about Sara’s job and possibly losing it to her ex. Janet currently lives in a one bedroom apartment by herself.
With them at Janet’s Sara’s friend Michael Belschez or “Mikey 13” (the 13 is stylized into a
Janet’s apartment is nice, full of good memories with lots of pictures from her past surrounded by people. Sara grabs one of the two of them in the old campus quad, smiling. Sara brushes her blue-streaked hair away from her face and places it back on the end table. Up on the wall is another of Janet with her family.
“I never realized you had such a large family Janet. Mine was smaller, only my parents and Sam. And since dad only wanted boys and mom was busy, I kinda grew up alone.
How you feeling these days? I know it’s been awhile since we spent any meaningful time together.”
Looking around the room is a lot of memorabilia, some from high school, others from college. There’s a picture of the two of them at a football game, Sara’s only one, but both of them in full team colors with some facepaint. Another of Sara’s first gig, smiling behind a turntable and holding up a record. For the first time, Sara noticed that there’s not a lot of just Janet with a guy, or any solo pictures of her at any exotic location. She swore Janet took a trip at some point…
@The Brayster
"It's... I've been fine"
Janet gives a couple of coughs into her fist, doing her best to mask them.
"Haven't really been spending much time inside. I've been reading a lot, there are some fascinating medical journals online..."
Janet fades a bit, before catching herself in the act.
"So how about you, anything new?"
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Plus he's hooked me up with another gig where some big names are known to frequent. So hopefully...."
Sara holds up her hands and crosses her fingers while closes her eyes tight and openly smiling before regaining her composure.
"Janet, why don't we go upstate this autumn? I heard there's a great little festival up there. Not a lot of people... Or if I get picked up, take you with me as my entourage. Maybe find you a nice guy...
Not like Bass-shit... Asshole's taking over my regular spot at U93. Anyway, I'm worried. Ever since I started getting regular gigs and working nights I've seen less and less of you. I'm surprised you actually had the day off today."
"Yeah.. I...uh... they didn't need the staff today, pretty quiet I guess"
A slight pause separates Janets words as she picks up a photo of her attending a festival with Sara.
"Look, maybe me travelling isn't the best idea right now. I...uh... I have a lot going on right now"
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Mike's got a line on a Spring Break festival next year in Florida. We'll be hitting a few different places while there. You should totally come with! You'll be on the staff, so catered meals, no lines, back stage, hunky security guys. Plus it's going to have a lot of different DJs there, maybe I can get some recognition finally.
It'll be perfect for you to get away!"
Sara notes that Janet doesn't look like her old self and as much as she tries to hind it, she notices the coughing.
"Jan, what's wrong? You pushed me to get out and do things when I got here. No you're the one that's holed up? You can tell me."
Geth roll 1D6 for Emotionally Supportive
Guess he's too busy chucking potatoes at everyone.
Geth roll 1d6 for Emotionally Supportive
And on an Odd roll, you do not overcome the obstacle. Take it away, @Nocren
And now our Killer begins their horrific spree. A dead body is found, and the elite Serial Homicide Unit gets the case.
In addition to our chosen Civilians, we will each also select a member of the SHU to portray. During the Investigation Phase, we portray our Investigators in the midst of a meeting discussing the clues they've found in the course of their work. I think the general idea here is that the meetings are actual meetings - in a board room with a white board and the like - but I think in Bones (for example) we see meetings taking place in different locales all the time; on the slab, in Angela's studio, on the road via phone call, and the like. I think we can inject that kind of living, breathing element into our meetings without driving the game off course, as long as we remember that our Investigators aren't really the stars of this story.
So, there are six Investigators employed with the SHU, and they're all up for grabs. Additionally, there is a seventh and undetailed character called the Chief Investigator - who portrays the CI changes from round to round. To start, I'll run the Chief to show off some of the game dynamics.
Our six Investigators are below - you can sub in whatever names you want without breaking anything, but this is who comes with the game.
So, @The Brayster, @Grunt's Ghosts, @Nocren go ahead and make your choice from our Investigators. I will hold off and pick someone later, since it really doesn't matter who I pick right now. When you pick, I'll PM you some details about your role... they're not really secret, I just don't want to post more of this game all over the internet than I have to.
Hey, while you're choosing, spit out an adjective or description you think our Chief Investigator might have. I'm brainstorming what they may be like.
Also here are the notes on the current state of the game.
Guess I'll take...either Harris or Bryant.
And think the Chief should be stoic. Like he's see so much stuff that he's not easily flappable.
Geth roll 1D6 for Character Choice.
Even Harris, Odd Bryant
Geth roll 1d6
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Now, I won't be disclosing any clues this round - the CI doesn't do that! Instead, the CI runs the meeting, and decides on the order that the rest of the investigators follow in relaying information. The CI's job is to take the individual clues and to shape the theory that we're running with. If the Investigators say there's some flame retardant fibers and signs of a struggle, the CI might put forward a theory about the attacker having access to those fibers and thats how they made it on the scene. Things like that.
Generally CI goes to whoever wants it, but I figure we can run through our list of players in order - and people can jump ahead if they really desperately have a great idea and want to get it out, so we can keep the game moving rather than waiting and languishing.
So the actual procedures...
NOTE(the CI doesn't need to ask for all clues from a particular Investigator all at once. After one clue is given, the Chief is free to bounce around and get other clues before coming back around to the first player. There's a reason for this below...)
NOTE(The CI can organize the Chains however they want to. Chains can be all about the why something was done, the how, the opportunity to get it done - or just focus on crime scenes, the cause of death, witnesses, or other commonalities between the crimes. The CI, however, must explain why a particular clue goes with a particular Chain. Basically, as long as the connection makes sense, then you're in the clear, the end)
NOTE(The CI has to balance the Chains of Evidence. If you've got lots of Chains but only a couple Clues in each, we won't be able to get an Indictment and catch the Killer - it represents having a thin and circumstantial case. If our Chains are long and detailed, but few in number, Indicting is likewise challenging - it represents our case not offering a comprehensive picture of events. And, of course, every Chain is limited to 5 clues max.)
Investigators - Scene 5
Chief Investigator Donnelly struggled with the kitchenette provided for Conference Room A, annoyance flowing off of him and filling the air of the oblong glass room. It was like an aquarium, clear line of sight in all directions, smack-dab in between the major departments of this SHU branch office. In theory, so you could get your people's attention whenever you needed them to dig up a lead, or so the Investigators were easy to find when new evidence came up... in practice, though, those kind of breakthroughs just never exhibited that kind of 'dramatically appropriate timing', and the Conference Room was just an awkward exercise in exhibition.
CI Donnelly turned his back on the small cupboard, coffee maker, and hotplate that made up the room's lackluster provisions and dropped his (tragically) empty, heavy-bottomed mug on his end of the long, black table. He was older, had been with the SHU for literal decades, and he leaned on the edge of the table - knuckles down, gold cuff-links threaded through crisply-pressed sleeves - presenting himself like a man who believed: if I have to spend every day sifting through the garbage of humanity, I'm going to look like a million bucks while I do it. He refused to succumb to the grouchy, cigar-chomping, angry stereotype of the man leading an investigation. It had earned him an unfortunate reputation, one that crops up from time to time, that he doesn't care or doesn't take his investigations seriously.
Francis Donnelly didn't have much interest in investing time or energy into dispelling those rumors - after all, he *did* have murders to solve: "Bryant, what do you think it says about the fiber of police bureaucracy when they let the conference rooms run out of coffee? Signs of some deeper problem, I'd say - s'just wrong is what it is. Take a seat, everyone."
Donnely picked up a remote and depressed a button - the lights dimmed and a projector hummed, clicking on and throwing up the logo of the SHU on a whiteboard at the opposite end of the room. He pressed another button, and the slide changed to a map of the metropolitan area with a little red 'pin' dropped over some borough. "We've got a John Doe, today.
"Doctor Lee, you've had our John Doe for -" Donnelly opens up a file folder in front of him and reads to himself quietly. "- 6 hours now? Have you gotten anything from the body yet? If you can give me cause of death, there might be a hot pair of vacation days in it for you."
Geth roll 5d6 for Sergeant Harris
Geth roll 5d6 for Doctor Lee
Geth roll 5d6 for Lieutenant Bryant
All right, @Nocren has 1 Clue to give, @Grunt's Ghosts has 2 Clues to give, and @The Brayster has 1 Clue to give.
Similarly: the Chief Investigator is responsible for making Chains - for now, you don't have to worry about Chains or any of that; you just have to play your character, expend your Even dice to make up whatever Clues you like when prompted, and suggest ideas for chains if you'd like to.
I worry about the chains; you just make up the Clues for now, one at a time.
Donnelly turned over a piece of paper in his folder, stared at it for a moment before returning his eyes to the conference room, smiling.
"All right, Harris. I've got a note here in my report, says you managed to pull something interesting from the scene. Any chance what you've got supports Dr. Lee's - unlikely but highly compelling - 'poison bath' scenario?"
Also I'm posting from my phone right now, so I'll make a tidy Chain of Evidence thing later; for now know that I'm putting A lot of Rodenticide in Chain 1 and labeling it "Murder Weapon"
Harris tosses a small evidence bag onto table. "That was the only thing that could be considered out of place." Inside the bag was what looked like a hypodermic needle, minus the needle.
"Newest thing for distributing vaccines for people that don't like needles. Shove that up a nostril and push the plunger down, all the effects and none of the pain or blood. Friend in Narco said that they're starting to see them on the streets as another method of use. Easier to intake, refillable and premeasured. That's probably why you didn't find anything in her stomach."
Donnelly crosses the room to the white board, all lit up by the projector showing pictures of the victim's body and their unkempt living situation. He's pointing at the pictures.
"...who did the plunger belong to, that's my question. Was it our victim's or the killer's?" The CI trails off for a minute, then snaps his attention to Harris.
"Harris, give that thing a second pass. If you can pull anything in the way of serial numbers - something that will map to a list of what physicians, hospitals, or clinics in the area using or prescribing these things - I want you to pull what you can."
"...maybe trick the victim, they shoot themselves full of poison before they know any better... or the killer thinks they're smart and actively uses it as a weapon: fills it up, goes after the victim, forcing it up his nose... I don't know about that... Lee, that plunger suggests we're not dealing with slow poisoning overtime. Let's assume - for now - that's the case. What else did your examination get you? Evidence of struggle? Anything that gives us a picture of events immediately before the death?"
"Nice find, Lee. It's not the victim's, or if it is the victim had no reason to be wearing it for a long time. Killer put it there? Victim wanted to hide it? It's a link between the two, I feel that much. Let's pull a size, see if its a custom-make, and hope whoever this ring belonged to was sentimental enough to leave an engraving... and that maybe we can recover it after its little acid wash."
"What's all this look like to you, Bryant? Death by poison, a unique delivery system meant for medicine, and a swallowed wedding band - give me the math on that; how's that add up?"
"The wedding band? Could be any number of things. Could be the victims, could belong to their spouse. Perhaps the victim is the spouse of the killer! There is no where near enough data in one ring to draw up any kind of hypothesis".
Bryant scratches the back of his neck as he turns his attention to the syringe.
"Now, that on the other hand, may tell us something. With a growing number of people on the streets nasally ingesting drugs with these things, it would not be all that difficult to spike the doses with external contagions.
We don't know is this guys M.O . What we DO know, or can at least have a confident guess at, is that this is a guy that has access to a narcotic distribution network, for him or her to have access to this type of method and the confidence to carry it out so cleanly. I would not be surprised if more bodies turned up like this one"
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Donnelly flips his folder shut and pressed a button on the remote in his hand - the lights intensify back to their original level as the projector spins down into silence as the power is cut.
"We've got our leads: now lets wrap this up, people - if there is any way at all we can find our killer on what we've got here, I want it to happen."
"The only reason I want to open this folder back up is to slide in a copy of the indictment."
Hope everyone is enjoying themselves. Whenever you're ready, take it away!
The voice lessons were going great. She was hitting those high notes better and smoother than before. Sure she had to work double shifts just to afford them, but the pay was worth it. Tonight a record label big shot was going to be in the club. Sammy the bartender had heard it from his boyfriend, who hear it from some girl at the cafe where he worked, who was the one who handled Mr. Bigtyme's schedule, so you know it's a sure deal. Between the dresses, tops, shoes, and makeup bags, however, was Alice's nursing book, opened to the the current chapter on elderly care. Alice had been quizzing herself between outfit for the exam coming up, but with the possibility of only 4 hours of sleep before exam... Alice was thinking of calling sick. They let you make up exams if you are sick, yes?
At that point Alice's phone rang. Alice had to wave through her clothes to find and and answered without even looking to was calling. "Hello?"