Umineko/Worm Quest: The Golden Witch

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Spoiler

This quest may has minor spoilers for Umineko. If you haven't read it, give it a try. It is available on steam.

Taylor Hebert cursed. One who knew of her situation would not be surprised. She had been bullied by her best friend for deciding to follow her to a shining example of everything wrong with the American education system. There were cliques, there were gangs, there was incompetence, in short there was everything except compassion, funding or adequacy. She had debated whether or not it would be worthwhile to burn the school down, since so many gangs recruited members from that location.

"Sophia Hess, Emma Barnes, and Madison Clements should be imprisoned for what they have done," Taylor said. She felt something about her words. Like they had the weight of truth. If anyone else was there to observe her, they would also have been able to perceive the words she spoke of as truth. However, no one was here, so the fact went unobserved.

She cursed. Even though she knew they were guilty, but without evidence she knew she would be up a creek without a paddle. She cried. What did she have to do to get something done? Taylor did not think the trio would stop until she was dead. Lazily, she turned on the television, since they did not appear to have any books laying about for her to read. She was not paying much attention to it, but overheard the announcement.

"Our top story today, Shadow Stalker and two young girls appear to be pinned by a red stake. The PRT has yet to comment other than to say that they take all attacks on Wards seriously and will bring the perpetrator to justice," the broadcaster stated into the camera having a prize winning smile.

"That is Emma Barnes and Madison Clements. What would shadow stalker have to do with any of them, unless...," she thought slowly coming to a realization. "If Shadow Stalker is Sophia Hess, what I felt suddenly makes sense. What I said in red apparently had an effect on the real world, for reasons presently unknown to me. But I felt something different when I said something in blue. This is confusing," Taylor thought aloud. Thinking to herself, she tried to think something in red. Something she knew was true. '1+1 is two' she thought, but could not get that feeling of truthfulness to come forth.

"Shadow Stalker being Sophia Hess would explain a number of incidents, like how they kept getting into my locker after changing the locks multiple times. If the school got money for hosting a Ward, it would also explain why nothing ever came of my reports," she said. Again, she could feel though it was not as weighty as what she said in red, there was something to that blue she spoke.

For some reason, she had an urge to confront the three. Not as herself, but as as buxom blonde who had a side of crazy. She somehow felt that if she did confront them, that she could be free of the trio but she did not know how. She did not know why. She just felt something inside of her, forcing her to change into a blonde woman. She did not even know how she knew to apply makeup, find a wig, as well as some cheap plastic face coverings to alter her face's appearance. She completed the ensemble with a Victorian era dress emblazoned with a one-winged eagle on it. Suddenly, she had a horrible and completely functional plan to carry out.

Noting the general location of the trio, she then proceeded to buy a few things as well as apply her costume. Though she knew she had sometime with the Trio being pinned, she could not wait indefinitely. A visit to a costume shop, a make up outlet, and an electronics store netted her everything she needed. Putting on her costume, she proceeded to make Beatrice's debut. It took her sometime, but she eventually made it to the boardwalk where they were.

When she came upon the trio, she realized that her red stake was still pinning them in one place. Somehow, she knew that they would not be able to move until either she or them won their game. Even though enough time had passed that the PRT was out in full force, they still let her through, when she claimed she could remove the red stake.

"AHAHA!" she greeted.

"Haven't you noticed it yet?" Beatrice asked her tormentors/future victims.

"The PRT cannot help you. If they could, they would have removed those stakes by now. I can help you, but I find myself disinclined to do so. While I did place the stakes there, it was not intentional. All that said, if you want me to remove the stakes, we have to play a game," Beatrice grinned.

"Why would we play a game with you? You are clearly crazy!" Madison exclaimed. Shadow Stalker was already contacting someone stating something about colored text and a new thinker/shaker combo.

"Because you tried to do a closed-room murder, but failed spectacularly." Beatrice explained.

"What do you mean by that? And how are you talking in colors?" Emma asked.

"Statements in red are true. I am not sure what the blue statements are yet, but I feel they mean something. That said, there is only one way for you to escape that stake pinning you, and that is to prove you did not make an attempted murder attempt on Taylor Hebert." Beatrice cackled.

"Why do you care about Taylor Hebert? What did that weakling do for you?" Sophia asked.

"I don't. But I am the queen of closed room murders. I am so happy to have proteges. But you failed on so many counts," Beatrice cackled maniacally.

"Wait what? We don't even know you, why would we be your proteges?" Emma said, clearly confused, even more confused at how she managed to speak in red.

"Oh great, a trump. Ug, where is Armsmaster when you need him," Sophia complained, sick of having this stake stuck in her as well as whatever bureaucratic nonsense the Wards seem hellbent on putting her through.

"I still think you are Taylor Hebert though," Madison started, "and now I am speaking in blue, why?"

"Why don't you just call her? I recall seeing her at the hospital. She is probably still there," Beatrice sighed, clearly exasperated with this line of questioning.

Emma then proceeded to dial the hospital.

"Mr. Hebert? Is Taylor there?" she asked. Beatrice could not hear the phone, but that did not matter for long.

"Could you put her on speaker?" Emma spoke into the phone.

"Emma, I am tired and don't want to talk right now. Is this important?" Taylor's voice could be heard over the radio.

"Yes, actually," She started.

"YAWN- sorry medicine. Im gonna go nite-nite," Taylor cut her off.

"Emma, shes out cold. I'll call you when shes coherent," Danny said, and hung up the phone.

"With that out of the way, let's play the game. First though, I should tell you the rules and the rewards. I am Beatrice the Golden Witch. If you can defeat me, I will grant you a stockpile of gold. My goal is to prove you three attempted a closed room murder. Your goal is to prove you did not do it. I still haven't quite figured out how the blue text works, but if I do figure it out I will let you know," Beatrice said.

"So what happens to the loser?" Shadow Stalker asked.

"The loser gets eaten alive by goats with razorsharp teeth is the traditional penalty. Unless you have some reason to want a different one, but I feel like we should stick with the classics. What's life without a little risk? AHAHA"

"WAIT WHAT! CONSOLE GET SOMEONE HERE NOW! ALSO, EVAC REQUESTED!" Shadow Stalker yelled.

"If you think that will help sure, but I am confident that you will be stuck here until one of us wins the game," Beatrice replied.

A large revving sound could be heard.

"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR ASSAULT WITH A PARAHUMAN POWER" Armsmaster declared.

"Oh my, a new player. I do like men with big brains and bigger...halberds. I do not mind a new player, but you did not attempt a closed room murder nor are you trying to solve one. Your penalty, rewards and ante should be different." Beatrice cackled.

"Console, this is Armsmaster, we are in some kind of shaker-field. Shadow Stalker and two civilians appear to be pinned by a red stake. An unmasked parahuman, going by" the bearded hero radioed in.

"Beatrice, the Golden Witch" Beatrice helpfully supplied.

"Beatrice. She apparently has some thinker-shaker combination," Armsmaster reported to somebody.

"The players are set. If you want Shadow Stalker, Emma Barnes, and Madison Clements to move from this spot you need to play the game,"

"Ordinarily I would be happily to de-escalate with another parahuman by simply playing a game, but it's been on record that you intend to kill them with Goats if they lose." Armsmaster replied. "Console, also not a minor trump affect as well," he reported in noting he was somehow speaking in colors.

"You don't get eaten by goats? It happens all the time where I'm from." Beatrice asked, clearly perplexed.

"People die when they are digested," Armsmaster replied, wondering how on earth he got dragged into this conversation.

"Fuck it. If I have to listen to this insanity much longer I'll be crazier than a cuckoo. We're survivors! We've got this! We accept your challenge Beatrice!" Emma yelled.

"Excellent!" Beatrice smiled.

Suddenly, they were encased in a cubical light blue force-field. Despite frantic efforts by the PRT, Armsmaster and other heroes, it was completely unaffected by anything they attempted to do to it. For better or worse, Emma, Madison, Shadow Stalker and Beatrice were about to play the game.

"Ordinarily, the witches side is the one with answers, but because of circumstances,the witches form the accuser in this game. Emma Barnes, Sophia Hess, and Madison Clements attempted to kill Taylor Hebert by placing used feminine products in her locker and then stuffing her in there. This was made possible by the fact that Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker who has used her position as a Ward to shield herself, Emma Barnes, and Madison Clements from disciplinary action from the school." Beatrice noticed that there was additional blue stake pinning each member of the trio. Shadow Stalker had another large stake in her labelled 'Sophia Hess' as well.

"What is happening?" Madison cried.

"Fight back, and you will survive through this," Shadow Stalker yelled.

"First, we never wanted to kill Taylor, but make her stronger." Emma said. Suddenly, the three new stakes that had appeared were burst by the red truth declared by Taylor's former best friend.

"Impressive use of the red truth. That will not save you for long however. Even if you did not mean to hurt her, leaving a girl in a locker full of used tampons cannot end well. This is not a court of American law, mens rea does not apply. By placing her in the locker, you attempted murder but failed due to someone letting her out and providing medical treatment."

Suddenly those blue stakes were back. This time the three girls looked much more concerned.

"Seriously, this prank is regarded as attempted murder? How weak was your former best friend?" Shadow Stalker asked.

"You admit to doing it?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes. We were trying to make Taylor stronger," Emma confirmed.

Suddenly, the blue stakes became much darker, changing into a shade of red.

"Well, this round goes to me. Enjoy the goats ladies," Beatrice cackled.

"Wait, there was no way we could have known that just putting Taylor in a locker would cause this to happen," Madison exclaimed.

"I have yet to see a world where witches play fair. AHAHA!"

Suddenly, a veritable army of goats in well dressed butler outfits descended on the trio. Bones, vitae, and gore were spread about as the Trio tried to escape but were systematically trampled, chewed, and stomped on. Shadow Stalker would have tried to hide in her shadow form, but the goat bit her neck before she could do anything.

The blue force field surrounding the four females suddenly disappeared, and Beatrice was carried off by a few of the goats at a fast clip escaping before anyone could get a word in edgewise. The remains of Emma Barnes, Shadow Stalker, and Madison Clements lay at the PRT's feet. Armsmaster looked disgusted at the scene and the newer PRT recruits were vomiting. It was not a pretty scene by any means. Armsmaster cursed. There was going to be hell to pay.

The prologue is over. Quest Mechanics have not been completely worked out yet, but the general progress of this quest will be someone (or Beatrice) committing a closed-room murder, and Beatrice either solving the murder (or not). Note that a solve does not have to be correct, just logical. The loser gets eaten alive by goats, so this may be a short quest. With the public murder of a ward and 2 others, Beatrice has gained a large amount of infamy incredibly quickly. You have one reward to have as Beatrice. Choose wisely.

[] Gain Golden Butterflies as a transportation method
[] Have a tea party
[] Improve anti-magic toxin resistance

How will Taylor act at Emma's funeral?
[Write In].

Quest Vote Will there be shipping:

[Y] Yes, it will be decided by dice and dart boards though (IE Random)
[N] Only the post office ships in this quest.

Voting closes in 7 calendar days, or until a clear favorite is chosen then. Upcoming PHO interlude.

Spoiler

Notes: It has been a long time since I've read worm or Umineko. That said, I remember the major points of them both, but with this starting near cannon, a number of events may be cannon shafted for the sake of the quest.

Meanwhile, rolls (1D100) for other factions:
Empire 88: 55
ABB: 83
Coil: 71/11 (takes advantage of 71)
Merchants: 75
Dock Workers: 52
Protectorate/PRT: 27
City of Brockton Bay: 74
GM''s Conclusion: ABB make minor headway against the Empire 88. The merchants make minor headway against the Dockworkers, claiming some territory. Meanwhile, the city appears to be having an increase in tax revenue this year despite the deteriorating economy. Coil has further embarrassed the PRT by having his mercenaries publicly steal crates of con foam. Note that the city mechanic may be discontinued if it becomes too much of a pain to deal with.

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

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♦ Topic: A New Cape
In: Boards ► Brocktan Bay/Cape Sightings
Antigone (Original Poster)
Posted On Jan 24th 2011:
Hi all. I walked by the boardwalk today, and I saw Shadow Stalker and two girls being pinned by a red stake.

(Showing page 1 of 252)

►XxVoid_CowboyxX (Banned)
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
Holy crap. I know those two girls. If my guess is correct Shadow Stalker is.

Tin Mother (Moderator): No Cowboy. Consider yourself banned before anyone can read this.

►Answer Key
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
1 Post in and cowboy gets banned? That has to be a record. Has he ever been banned for his own topic? I feel like that should be a record of some kind.

►AverageAlexandros (Cape Husband)
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
@Answer_Key don't worry about Void, he's on my permanent ignore list. I just know what he says because so many others call him an idiot.

►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
Alright people, I feel that first I should point out that you should try to avoid exotic cape affects, especially if you do not know what they are doing. Anyways, the PRT is on the case and eventually we will get our researchers and tinkers to analyze the cause and effect. Please give the first responders appropriate room. I know cape tourism is a thing, but those stakes are pinning those girls in place and we have no idea why or how. As soon as I have more information from my sources, I will post it.

►Ekul
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
Guys, does anyone know whats happening? The unmasked cape, two girls and shadow stalker seem to be in a semi-translucent force field.

(Showing page 100 of 252)

►Chaosfaith
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
Wow. I can see red and blue truths being parried back in forth. This is like watching a high-tech laser match. Here, check out this video: LINK.

►AverageAlexandros (Cape Husband)
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
That's some impressive video. Those stakes look painful. Where are you?

►Chaosfaith
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
I'm near the boardwalk close to the old Bay Museum. This is an incredibly visually impressive display. Come here if you can.

(Showing page 252 of 252)

►Chaosfaith
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:
Oh my god. I wish I had never seen that. RIP Shadow Stalker. You will be missed.

►Armsmaster (Verified Cape) (PRT ENE)
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:

I am sad to say that Shadow Stalker and the other two girls she was with have passed away. The PRT is offering a reward to anyone who has information leading to an arrest of Beatrice.

►Tin Mother (Moderator)
Replied On Jan 24th 2011:

This thread will be closed now. Our condolences go out to Shadow Stalker's friends and family and those two poor girls who were with her. Requiescat in pace.

■

♦ Topic: Kill On Sight Order for Beatrice
In: Boards ► PRT Announcements/Bounties
Rebecca Costa-Brown (Original Poster) (PRT Director)
Posted On Jan 30th 2011:

In accordance with the Maxwell-Shelby Heinous Parahuman Crimes Act, the parahuman known as Beatrice has been tried in absentitia in the fifth circuit court of appeals in Maryland. See related court documents (Link1, Link2, Link3,.., Link50). As the judges have found her guilty due to the "clear and overwhelming" evidence, a kill-on-sight order has been placed for the murder of Shadow Stalker and two others.

Any information about her immediate whereabouts, please contact the Brockon Bay PRT as 555-PARAHMN, extension 683 and ask to speak to the Dept. of Collections and Bounties. A bounty of $1,000,000 US dollars will be given with proof of death or capture. Information leading to an arrest will also be granted a reward of up to a maximum of $50,000 dependent upon the usability of the information provided. Please be advised that knowingly or unknowingly making false reports is a felony, and punishable of a fine up to the bounty listed per the Saxeman-Hernandez Act. Any villains wishing to collect the bounty may approach PRT officials under a temporary non-aggression agreement, pursuant to policy AB45-1321. To anyone attempting this task, we wish you good luck.

Good Hunting,

Rebecca Costa-Brown
Director, PRT

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Spoiler

Winning Votes: 1) Gain Golden Butterflies as a transportation method. 2) "Will try to pretend to be sad and not show how incredibly relieved she is that the bitch is gone " 3) Only the post office ships in this quest

Across the cemetery, there were a number of people crying. Alan and Zoe Barnes, and her sister were dressed in black along with a number of other people. There was a man of the cloth reading from the bible, and her father had a grim expression upon his face.

"I was supposed to go before you," Alan cried, sobbing into his wife. This caused his wife to start crying too, and then their other daughter as well. Inwardly, Taylor was conflicted. She and Emma had spent the better part of their lives together. 8 rotations of the Earth around the sun, and Emma just decided one day to trash it for reasons still unknown to her. She did not know what happened to cause Emma's change, but funerals had the uncanny ability to force introspection on the most heated rivals and most bitter enemies. Seeing other people react to her death though made her pause. 'I get that some of these people are sad, but does no one care about what I went through?' she thought to herself. 'Yet for all my anger, we all wind up in the same place' Taylor thought to herself.

If one were to observe Taylor right now, she would have that look that said she was on autopilot. Whether it was coming to the fact that her tormentor was dead, whether the fact that her best friend was finally out of reach or whether it was the fact that she killed her, she unintentionally did a fairly good job of impersonating a teenager in shock. She was just standing there in the rain, appearing to go through the motions for all the world to see.

As the pastor read from Psalms, Romans, Isiah and a few other verses and books from the bible, the funeral went on. At some point people were asked to share. Zoe started by sharing a story about how Emma would spend hours with her getting make up just right, and how she was so proud of being a model. Alan shared about the time he bribed her with ice cream to tattle on her sister. Her sister shared a story about how much she appreciated one of the gifts Emma gave her. Eventually it was Taylor's turn to share.

"There are many things I could say about Emma. Though we drifted apart once high school started, there were a number of things I could say about her. But rather than wax poetic about the times we argued over silly toys, talked about boys, or other stories I would just like to say thank you. Thank you for the good times. I really don't know what else to say," Taylor said.

Danny put his hand on her back, and gently escorted her off the podium. It was a somber affair. There was a wake at the Barnes house to which the Heberts were invited but neither of them felt like going.

Once Taylor and her father arrived home, he asked, "Are you alright?". This was the first time to connect to her father in years. A month ago, she would have clung to this like a life-line. Unfortunately for her, powers changed people. That side of crazy in Beatrice was beginning to envelop Taylor. If that was the only problem, she could just ignore it but "I am bored for some reason,".

"That's a unique response. Want to talk about it?" Danny questioned, slightly concern. "It's like if I do not do something to entertain myself I will go crazy. I know I should feel different. She was my best friend for years, and yet I am more angry than sad, and more bored than angry," Taylor replied, having nothing better to do.

"Well, I kind of feared this would happen. I don't know much about powers, but I do know they want to be used. Though you literally used them about a week ago. If that is what it takes for you to stay sane though. I don't suppose their is anyway for you to perform a closed room murder on paperwork?" Danny joked.

"I don't know. I also don't want either of us to be eaten by goats. I feel that my alter ego and I are distinct, but somehow she is bleeding into my normal life and vice versa. I also have this insane urge to prove magic is real," Taylor said.

"What I think I am hearing, is that you need a hobby. I am unsure how much your power is affecting you though," Danny replied. Taylor thought to herself for a few minutes and decided to (See Vote section below). Outwardly, she declared that "I am going out as Beatrice for a bit. I want to clear my head," and headed to her room. She took a backpack with an appropriate clothes and other materials for her disguise before walking a couple of miles away from her house. Finding a sufficiently discrete and unobserved location, Beatrice emerged from her hiding spot.

She did some wandering for a bit, with no real destination in mind until she found someone warding her off.

"Beatrice, you are under arrest for the murder of Shadow Stalker, Emma Barnes, and Madison Clements," Vista declared, the grim expression on her face contrasting with the sheer amount of cuteness coming from the preteen.

"Little ward, why are you by yourself? Though now that I think of it, this is the second time I've seen a ward without another hero. I am willing to bet your superiors do not know of it. Also, the PRT has already tried me in absentitia. Why on earth would I commit myself to the PRT's lack of mercies?" Beatrice grinned, wondering what exactly Vista wanted to achieve here.

"Think of it. A prison is the perfect place to commit closed room murders. If you pulled it off, no one would doubt the power of the golden witch," Vista tried to cajole the witch.

"Why little ward, that sounds like you are challenging me to a game. You have yet to commit a closed room murder, nor are you trying to solve one. The game is not yet afoot. I am the challenged here, so since you chose the locale, I choose three conditions. My first condition is: you and I are the only players. Second, is you are the one committing the murder, and I am the one solving it. Third, the terms of your loss is servitude to me and only me. Do we have an accord?" Beatrice asked.

"Are you out of your mind! There is no way I am murdering someone just because some witch asks me to!"

"Little ward," Beatrice started.

"STOP CALLING ME LITTLE!" Vista interjected.

"Smallest ward, if you want to catch me, all you have to do is win a game. Otherwise, I'm out of here," Beatrice said, and began to turn into a kaleidoscope of golden butterflies.

"Wait!" Vista yelled.

"Smallest ward, get to the point," Beatrice huffed, clearly aggravated slowly transforming from the kaleidoscope back into a witch.

"According to the reports, you accused Shadow Stalker of a closed room murder. Would you elaborate on that at all?" Vista asked.

"All I will say is this. Shadow Stalker tried to perform a murder and not suffer consequences. She failed in both tasks. That game is over, so I have nothing more to say on the subject." Beatrice calmly walked off, not even bothering to change into a golden butterfly. The hero just stood there, stunned at the revelation.

*****

Across town, records were strewn across Hannah's desk. Collin would have much preferred a more systemic or electronic method of going through reports, but Hannah preferred the organized chaos of a desk with the 'nothing is out of place so as long as I know where it is(TM)' filing system. While said filing system was popular in the private and public sector, it made little sense to those not in charge of it. This was it's greatest advantage and drawback.

Hannah looked at Collin. She had the distinct feeling they came to the same conclusion, but figured it worth asking first.

"So, the three girls with a record of Bullying Taylor Hebert happen to be the first victims of Beatrice? Do you think she found out Stalker's civ-id?" Hannah asked.

"It would explain much, but this leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Our ward used corruption in our system to cause a poor girl to trigger. Now the girl has a kill order even though she tried to report multiple incidents. While acting against Ms. Hebert doesn't flagrantly violate the unwritten rules, it comes close. Also , the PR backlash from this would be pretty bad if people realize what Shadow Stalker did. The paperwork generated authorizing the assassination or capture of a minor would set off all sorts of red flags. I also wonder how useful she would be against an Endbringer. Time did pass while those red and blue truths were going back and forth. I'm not sure I would want to test it against an Endbringer, but everything in a PRT swat van had no affect, I'm not sure what else would." Collin commented.

"Next time we can try your more lethal armaments since the kill order has been authorized. In the meantime, let's see if we can't work out some way to transfer her to Arcadia and have our wards keep an eye on her. I will also authorize unmarked vans to follow her around in the meantime," Hannah stated, and then the two began to process the paperwork.

Spoiler

Rolls: Does Beatrice find anyone out on patrol?: 1D2 (2): Yes
Rolls: Faction: 1D5 (PRT, New Wave, E88, ABB, Merchants): 1 - PRT
Who: 1D11 (Armsmaster, M. Militia. Assault, Battery, Dauntless, Triumph, Aegis, Clockblocker, Browbeat Gallant, Vista) 11- Vista.
Opposed Roll Vista Persuade vs Beatrice Crazy: 48 v 52 (Bare success to Beatrice)
Beatrice (Hard persuade roll): 92, 6 (takes disadvantage of 6).
Vista (save vs trolling, deals with Clockblocker advantage) 1, 47 takes advantage of 47
Vista (save vs emotional shock (disadvantage, did not expect red truth) 100, 16, takes disadvantage of 16.
PRT Investigation Roll (1D100): 88. They have a fairly clear idea of what happened in the locker and what caused it. Taylor's civ ID is known to the PRT even though they cannot prove it at this point. The other factions will find this out once it leaks. Taylor can try to do something about this, but her civilian ID is probably going to become known barring some outstanding rolls. Right now though, she still thinks her Civ ID is safe.
What do they decide to do 1D6 (Kill Taylor, Arrest & Birdcage Taylor, Force Beatrice into Wards with rebranding, Try to directly recruit Taylor with a hard sell, kick the problem upstairs, put more eyes on Taylor) 6 - Well, this quest almost ended fast.
Taylor Perception Check (23) does not notice anything amiss.
Danny Perception Check (65, 56) takes advantage due to concern about Taylor. Notices something is off, but unsure as to what.
Not enough time has passed for another general faction roll.

Voting:

Taylor needs a hobby:
[] she needed a boyfriend (disallowed by shipping vote) [] she needs to solve a closed room murder [] she needs to commit a closed room murder

How does Beatrice plan to convince people that magic is real?
[] Take an apprentice (Will be decided by random chance).
[] Do something that can only be done by magic/Write in (subject to QM veto)
[] Begin proselytizing

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Spoiler

Winning Vote: [x] Take an apprentice (Will be decided by random chance) [x] she needs to solve a closed room murder

Taylor was flummoxed. She needed to have people believe in magic. Not powers, not some pseudo-scientific explanation of powers, but actual magic. Unfortunately for her, tinkers, thinkers, philosophers and scientists continued to believe that a rational explanation for powers existed that humanity had yet to find. She knew she had real magic. She just did not know how to go about spreading the belief. She had watched the fantasia once before, and wondered if she could have an apprentice. As if in response to her thoughts, she suddenly knew she could teach and she somehow knew where her future apprentice resided. She felt something calling her to the north and west. She knew this would be essential to her. Something more essential to witches than the ebb and flow of magic. It was as if the aurora borealis had sent her a sign asking her to head there. Her apprentice was waitng for her in the frozen tundra, someone who would hopefully one day join her amongst the ranks of witches and sorcerers.

As she muddled on her thoughts of magic, she wondered how she was going to get there. She did not have a surfeit of funds nor did she have means readily avaiable for transcontinental travel. As she continued to approach the boardwalk, she heard someone scream. The person had drawn a lot of attention but she saw what everyone was looking at. There was an elevator with a corpse inside. There was no one else in the elevator, and Taylor noticed a receipt with a time stamp showing that the victim bought something at 10:25 AM, and it was not yet 10:30. Taylor could guess the corpse was still warm, and rigor mortis had not yet set in.

"Quick, someone call 911. Also, someone get a priest. I have the distinct feeling this young man is beyond Panacea's help,"some bystander said, trying to prevent a panic from happening. Taylor smiled. The game was afoot. 'Someone was about to get eaten and trampled by goats!' Inwardly, Taylor wondered how much she had changed if that though made her excited , but figured normalcy had passed her by somewhere in high school. She began to turn into a golden butterfly. She knew this one was interesting, but she needed to figure out the best way to crack this case. Turning into a golden butterfly, she figured she should investigate the crime scene before too much was disturbed. She could already see that people were in a hurry to get out of the place and the cops were slowly beginning to file in.

Inside the elevator, a kaleidoscope of golden butterflies observed the corpse. There appeared to be puncture wounds, as if someone had a rapier or thin knife. There was blood spilling out of the body, and the corpse was face down. Whether it was moved to that position before or after the stabbing, Taylor could not readily say. She briefly touched the body, and noticed that the extremities were still warm. She strongly suspected the killer was nearby, but had no real way to prove this at the moment. An elevator would have been too risky to set up a trap in, and it was unlikely anyone could hide in such a place for long.

Realizing that she cannot stay at the murder scene forever though, she realized she needed to make decisions fast. She knew she could either investigate the scene further or go get her apprentice. With all of that in mind, she decided to:

Spoiler

Worm Wiki Random Page: Jed Tylor Jed Tylor

Voting choice:
Choose a mystery difficulty on a scale of Scooby-Doo to Sherlock Holmes:
[] Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo (very easy)
[] Gertrude Warner's Box Car Children (easy)
[] Frank Dixon's Hardy Boys (Medium)
[] Agatha Christie's And then there were none (hard)
[] Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (Very hard)

Taylor has decided to
[] Learn about the victim
[] Try to see if she cannot spot someone suspicious nearby
[] Look at the other areas around the elevator (other floors, etc)
[] Seek her apprentice (time will pass, ???)

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Spoiler

Winning Votes: Difficulty is Medium. Learn more about the victim.

Taylor felt that finding the victim would be the first step to finding out who killed him. She also knew she could not stay in the elevator for long. Floating down into a fold in his wallet, she got the name of Aspen M Hunter, who she would decided to look into at the library later. She saw and heard sirens, but had yet to physically see any emergency vehicles. She decided to exit stage right before anyone could relate the kaliedoscope to either of her identities.

She debated whether or not it would be worthwhile to see if she could not catch someone suspicious nearby or look around the floors but figured that this place would be swarming with first responders sooner rather than later. As such, she decided to head to a public library, to see if she could not find something out about the victim.

She learned that Aspen Hunter was married several years ago, but recently widowed due to a gang related crime that killed his wife several months prior. He was listed as a contact in a local non-profit which tried to provide food for hungry people. Judging by his work email, he worked at Medhall but Taylor doubted she could learn much more about that aspect of his life without significant planning or further searching. Taylor knew that there was probably more here, but she did not want to burn the fake ID she was using to access public computers just yet.

Taylor was about to call it a day when she heard something that perked her senses. "Boss, I heard you wanted me to look into the Hunter murder in the newsr. I cannot examine it closely with all the fuzz, press, and paparazzi present, but as near as I can tell someone was waiting for Mister Hunter inside the elevator. I did not see or expect any tinker tech, and it looked like it was done by perfectly mundane means. I doubt any capes are involved, but I cannot say for sure. We can discuss this later if you wish, but we need to discuss other matters however," a blonde said. Taylor was really tempted to follow her but did not know how to do so without alerting her. Also, someone that perceptive would undoubtedly ferret out her secrets fairly quickly, and Taylor did not want to risk that.

Still, that blonde gave her pause. She had no idea how she was able to deduce that quickly, but she could make a powerful asset or a major PITA. Still, Beatrice enjoyed a challenge, and that was beginning to leak over to Taylor. Taylor had a few moves to make, and she had several options to consider. Eventually, she decided that looking around the scene of the crime would help her solve the crime the most.

Before she could act on that however, she needed to head home. When she got home, she noticed her dad was smiling. She had no idea what the cause of the change in his tempermanet was, but he ran up and hugged Taylor.

"Hi dad.um...what's the occaision?" she asked. It was one of the few times that her dad looked life hadn't beaten the stuffing out of him.

"News of your friends death caused a few sympathetic people to look back over your application to Arcadia. With your reason for attending Winslow gone, I politely asked the administrators if they would let you in. You will have to take some placement tests, but they appeared to be happy to have you," Danny explained.

Taylor thought for a moment, and replied...

Voting:
What does Taylor decide to investigate next?
{] Write in.
How does she reply to Danny?
[] Joyfully
[] Calmly
[] Apathetically
[] Other/write-in. Must have IC justification.

Spoiler

Rolls:
What does Taylor find out via the public library? 68
Is anyone else investigating? 87
Is Taylors civilian ID leaked (this will start at a 1D100, and slowly go down. Rolling a 10 or below means it has been leaked. Next time will be 1D80. 18. Taylor's civ ID is safe for this turn.)

 

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Spoiler

Winning Votes: Investigate the other areas around the elevator. Calmly.

Taylor was skeptic. The entire reason she went to Winslow was Emma. The reason she wanted to leave Winslow was Emma. While it was ironic that Emma dying solved most of her problems at Winslow, she wondered if the PRT had a hand in this. "The reason I went to Winslow and the reason I wanted to leave are both no longer there. Does this strike you suspicious at all? I've been complaining about them for months, but when I no longer need to do anything suddenly an opportunity opens up?" Taylor asked her dad.

Danny frowned, but replied honestly anyways, "Getting something too late to be of any use is a depressingly common facet of lie. As far as your suspicions, I thought I just sold the acting but you do have a point. It is a well known fact that the Wards go to Arcadia. Shadow Stalker was probably the exception, but we know the Dallon sisters attend there for sure. Even with that being the case, I am not sure we can afford to let this opportunity slip by," Danny said, clearly having though about the implications.

"True, but even if I am careful there is a difference between being careful for a short time and being careful for years. I think we should take the transfer to Arcadia, but maybe have an exit plan," Taylor said.

"Do you have something in mind?" Danny's curiosity got the better of him.

"Well, it is a bit of a risk, but you can falsify documents coming into the port?" Taylor asked.

"I am not liking where this is headed, but given your alter ego's exploits I'm not sure I have the grounds to say no," Danny commented.

"I am the Golden Witch. It will take some time, but I know for a fact that eventually I can generate gold with a one-winged eagle emblem on it. Maybe I just try to finish out the semester there, and then you can have a paper trail ready so I can go to Clarendon next semester? Or better yet, maybe not go to school-" Taylor started.

"Taylor. If anything could resurrect your mother and cause her to haunt us, you dropping out of school would be it. Get your grades up, and I'll see what I can do about some manifests that are conveniently edited," Danny folded his arms, ending the subject.

"Fine, I have enough to do anyhow," Taylor said, and left to her room. As she went into her room and changed into Beatrice and headed back towards the scene of the crime.

***

It took her some time to arrive. The place was too populated not to be cleared quickly, but there was still yellow police tape up. She did not want to look at the scene of the crime directly, but she went around a ways, and then up one floor to investigate. She did not find anything on the second floor, but repeated it for the third floor. She found a couple of scuff marks near the entrance of the elevator, like something heavy or large that could not easily fit in the elevator. While this gave her more physical evidence to work with, she needed more suspects, more evidence, and a murder weapon. In short, there was a lot to find out, a lot to do, and a lot to solve. She decided to...

Votes:
What does Taylor do next?
[] Write-In.

Spoiler

Rolls:
Is Taylor suspicious of the offer (untrustful of authority advantage): 52, 85
Is Danny suspicious of the offer: 25 - negated by Taylors high roll.
Does Taylor's criminal persuasion work: Auto-success for ???
Does Taylor's academic persuasion work: Auto-fail for ???
Taylor's first investigation roll: 12
Taylor's second investigation roll: 75