FIRST TRIAL

[keyofimagination]

[As the living guests finish investigations, they will hear a small click from the library. The door in the back of the room is now open, and true to The Narrator’s words, it leads to the boiler room and in the back there’s an elevator, already open for the guests. However this elevator doesn’t look anything like a normal elevator.

The elevator doesn’t start until everyone is seated and buckled in, and when it does, instead is starts moving backwards for a few moments before going up. As it moves, your host’s calm voice is heard inside the elevator.]

Friday the 13th. It’s often considered the most unlucky day of the year, and for young Vanellope von Schweetz, she has encounter the greatest misfortune of all. Young Vanellope, who at the end of the day just wanted someone who loved her, instead found herself with nothing but pure hatred. And now Vanellope will have a new game to call home, a game only referred to as… The Twilight Zone.

[As he finishes, the elevator halts with an ominous creak. There is a long stretch of silence before The Narrator speaks again.]

You are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension. Beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination… in the Tower of Terror.

[And then, suddenly, the elevator drops. Hard. None of the guests will have a clear enough mind as they are suddenly being plunged to the ground to notice this, but somehow, the elevator is moving faster than gravity would normally work. But just before they would reach the ground, the elevator suddenly moves back upwards, and then drops again.

This repeats for what seems for an eternity, until the elevator quickly climbs to the very top and stops suddenly. There is a cheerful ding and the elevator doors finally open.

The doors open up to a 30’s-style night club. It’s impossibly clean for a hotel that’s been out of commission for decades, as, unlike the rest of the hotel, it was never closed. There is a grouping of 12 tables sitting in front of a stage, with a placecard, notepad and pen sitting on each one. Boarding the walls there are also 24 pictures, each one representing a guest. While everyone else’s picture is in full color, Vanellope’s is in grayscale.

Light music fills the room, and will continue to play for the rest of your time here.On the stage, The Narrator is already here, straddling one of the chairs and smoking a cigarette.]

Welcome to the Tip Top Club. I hope your trip here was uneventful.

[Judging by his knowing smile, he seems to know exactly that something went down in the elevator.

Each of you has assigned seating arrangements, though you are free to move about the club as you please. You will find that there are several amenities here, however, your main goal here will be solving the mystery that had been put forward.

Feel free to discuss this amongst yourselves, and once you feel you have an idea of who committed the crime, write their name down in your notepad. Majority rules, and participation in this activity is mandatory.

There will be no set time limit for this trial. I trust that you have found enough evidence to properly figure out who the culprit is.

[But on the bright side of all of this, there’s an open bar for those who already want to forget today.]

Comments

[pavlovsdad]

So she says. But is it the truth.

[greatwidesomewhere]

If you'd like to accuse me, I invite you to find a shred of evidence against me!

[pavlovsdad]

If you're as smart as you claim, maybe you were the one playing board games with her. Everyone seems to be singing its difficulty praises.

[greatwidesomewhere]

I haven't played that game, actually. And I only spoke to Vanellope just the once, the first day.

[pavlovsdad]

So she claims.

[sentree]

You keep saying that and it's getting us nowhere, stop attacking everyone.

[pavlovsdad]

I'm the one being attacked here. None of you are listening to the simple facts.

[sentree]

What facts? What simple facts are we not listening to?

[pavlovsdad]

The part where we choose the killer.

[sentree]

That's what we're trying to do!

[greatwidesomewhere]

Don't talk about me like I'm not here!

[It's so rude???]

cw: vague sexism

[pavlovsdad]

Look at her. Angry. Hysterical. Clearly not in control of her emotions. Strong enough to overpower a child. I think she's a pretty likely candidate.

[darthfanboy]

I will throttle you again, and this time, I will ensure that rodent doesn't save you.

[very. very. pointed. glare.]

[pavlovsdad]

And then there's this man. A regular strangler and violent maniac, probably on welfare. He seems just as clear a target, yet we've barely touched on him.

1/?

[darthfanboy]

[...]

[nocasetoobig]

I'll make an exception this time.

[fairlypushy]

Okay, I vote that he has to go sit at the bar and shut up because he's an [several words Uncle Walt is probably scandalized by.]

[audentiae]

[ Calmly, flatly: ]

Mister Northwest, as an educated man, I'm sure you speak latin, right?

[coulombslaw]

You really need to shut up. Stop and focus on the trial.

cw: vague racism i'm so sorry

[pavlovsdad]

Don't talk back to me, boy.

[coulombslaw]

[There's no way to miss all the condescension Preston has towards him]

You--

[Okay, no. Calm down, Virgil. He takes a deep breath, getting in a fight in middle of the trial isn't going to be of any help]

[sentree]

[ Thalia stands. She starts hissing out some words that- gosh, you can probably catch suagroi and koprophage ...She- for anyone who understands Ancient Greek she's insinuating something about him and pigs having a romantic encounter. And him eating rotting corpses. ]

Shut your mouth.

[pavlovsdad]

Oh goodie, and someone who speaks in tongues. That seems worth investigating as well, don't you?

[greatwidesomewhere]

[She's just. Clenching her jaw. She knows all too well that arguing is only going to prove his point, much as she'd like to tear him a new one.]

[pavlovsdad]

And now look! She won't even offer a word of defense!

[No winning with this guy]