Epics Contest #7 ~ Murder Mystery, The 5W's and the H Options

[Takuta-Nui]

Sort of on the line, there... I would recommend changing the idea so that it is actually the scroll itself, like the paper or the ingredients used to create the scroll, something like that. A gem that was wrapped up in the scroll doesn't quite cut it, I'd think.

I concur with that. Now, if the scroll was created with pieces of gem intertwined, or some other substance or material, then you could get away with it. We didn't specify exactly what the scroll was made of, remember.

Ooh, I like the picture. Diamond-encrusted paper. XD

Question: I noticed you said "one story per member." Does that mean you can't work with someone, even if you do the actual writing? I suppose that would be hard to prove, though.

Um... er...

Irma!

Can the murder weapon still be considered the scroll if it's encased inside some sort of metallic tube? I had trouble figuring out a way that paper could kill someone , so I just said the metal casing of the scroll was what killed the victim. Finding the symbols left by indentations of said scroll casing is a vital clue for my investigator, but is it okay or should I change it?

-Optimar

Well, I essentially did that in my epic, but Irma never actually said anything about it. The way I see it, if the tube is actually part of the scroll - in that it is attached and is required as a supporting device for reading the scroll. For instance, the tube opens by splitting lengthwise and flipping back so that they become handholds to be gripped and pulled apart to unroll the scroll... I would think that's acceptable. But the scroll being a separate object slipped into a metal casing just doesn't fly with me. It's not the scroll that's being used to kill the person, it's the separate and optional casing.

Essentially, make it so the casing is actually an integral part of the scroll, and it should be okay.

[Takuta-Nui]

1)

this scroll, which allegedly contains either administrative plans, weapons blueprints, even a treasure map, was the

Question on that. Is it okay if this is simply the BoM's cover story? I'm going to have the word-for-word prompt be given as a news announcement on Metru Nui's screens, with the source for this part being the Brotherhood itself (and the reliable sources mentioned later being someone else). This is a plausible cover story for my take on the scroll, but it actually contains none of those three things.

(I could easily modify it to have those on it too but IMO it'll be cooler without. )

Interesting. Well, this is supposed to be the Brotherhood of the main Universe, so they would have been like they have been all along in the storyline. They certainly could have lied, so this is simply an additional layer to the prompt.

2) Also, I too have some doubts about this part:

News from Destral: The Brotherhood of Makuta announced two days ago that the highly important and (formerly) secret Dedh-see Scroll was missing

I'm not sure it's plausible that they would actually announce this to Metru Nui, or really anyone else other than fellow Brotherhood members. Yet it's worded as if it was announced to someone outside the Brotherhood, otherwise I'd think it would be worded more that Destral announced it, as in to the rest of the Brotherhood, in the process of calling together the emergency meeting.

It's technically no problem for me to just say they did announce this to somebody that Metru Nui got as a source somehow against the Brotherhood's wishes. I just wanted to say for the record that I don't really think it's plausible no matter how I slice it, so if we can't work around it, I'll blame the prompt for that plot hole.

The way I would want to bend it is say that they announce it with the murder, which they can't keep under wraps (for a reason I've already worked out). If I can't, oh well.

Good point about the plausibility. I can't answer this though - Irma made up the prompt and I didn't see it before it was posted, so wait for him to answer your concerns.

Also:

Don't think so, sorry. That prompt establishes a timing that forces the writer to adhere to and work around - it's supposed to test the writer's creativity and flexibility and innovation, so please don't change it to suit yourself.

For the record, I think this would be a plausibility problem for everybody entering the contest, if they're trying to keep the logic of the story realistic. Of course, that means it won't technically be a problem for anybody more than anybody else, but still.

Are you talking about the timing, or more about what you brought up just before this?

3) BTW, it's okay if other things were involved in setting the stage for the scroll to be the murder weapon, yes? I have a device and a few other classified things that are used to set that stage, but it will be very clear that the device and those other things would have been 100% harmless if the scroll hadn't been used, and also that the scroll could have done this if such a stage had randomly happened to be set, it's just that these other things artificially set the stage, so only the scroll could be considered the murder weapon. If that makes it clear at all...

As long as the scroll does the direct, actual killing, I'd think that's fine. Sounds interesting!

4) Also, there will be more than one murder -- right now, only the first murder fits the prompt as stated in question #3. The second murder will involve what could be considered a second murder weapon, maybe about 20% of what was needed for that murder (the other 90% being the scroll again). Since any additional murders aren't mentioned in the prompt, I'm assuming this is okay, yes?

Let's have a look at the sentence concerning that:

Now, it has become apparent that this scroll, which allegedly contains either administrative plans, weapons blueprints, even a treasure map, was the murder weapon in a recent killing.

"A recent killing." To me, that leaves it nice and open since there could have been other killings that could have been related to this one. However, this means there'd be two sets of the 5 W's and 1 H to define, and that might not be permissible. I always saw the purpose of this contest to be to define the parameters for one murder. Unless the second murder that falls outside the literal prompt is not going to be explained, but will be more of a "consequence" like a casualty of war?

I would wait for Irma's word on this.

Sort of on the line, there... I would recommend changing the idea so that it is actually the scroll itself, like the paper or the ingredients used to create the scroll, something like that. A gem that was wrapped up in the scroll doesn't quite cut it, I'd think.

I concur with that. Now, if the scroll was created with pieces of gem intertwined, or some other substance or material, then you could get away with it. We didn't specify exactly what the scroll was made of, remember.

Let me explain a little more. When I say a gem is within the scroll, I am saying it like within fabric of the scroll, thusly not visible to the normal eye. Now notably I am not saying the gem kills the being in the murder mystery, I am saying it help the scroll along the way to kill the creature.

Let's say I attack someone from behind and place this scroll in front of their head to help cut off the air to stopped them from breathing, while I do this; the gem within the scroll acts as a sort of chloroform to sedated the victim to not try to fight the killer off. Would this be alright?

Chloroform can kill by accident... But that seems perfectly fine.

[bonesiii]

Are you talking about the timing, or more about what you brought up just before this?

Sorta the timing I guess -- but that was part of question #2. What I'm saying is, it's a little doubtful to me the Brotherhood would have announced, two days earlier, the disappearance of this scroll to just about anybody outside the Brotherhood itself. Yet it seems worded to say that that's what it is -- that they announced it to somebody outside the Brotherhood, and probably just to the outside in general.

A murder, yes, and once that murder happened, I can see them saying "two days ago we discovered this was missing" as they announce that. Just not sure there actually would have been an announcement about the apparent robbery.

I've gone ahead and written it the way the prompt has it anyways, but yeah.

Interesting. Well, this is supposed to be the Brotherhood of the main Universe, so they would have been like they have been all along in the storyline. They certainly could have lied, so this is simply an additional layer to the prompt.

BTW, I've now changed my mind and it will contain one of those things after all. Looks like it will be a cover story of a cover story -- to the rest of the brotherhood, the scroll is said to contain nothing, to the outside world, it's said to contain one of those three things, and the maker of it and one other Makuta knew that it actually did contain one of those things in addition to its primary purpose, but that thing was made difficult to decipher, so to the casual observer would think it was just a background pattern or the like.

Don't wanna say how I'm doing that, but it's actually pretty simple.

"A recent killing." To me, that leaves it nice and open since there could have been other killings that could have been related to this one. However, this means there'd be two sets of the 5 W's and 1 H to define, and that might not be permissible. I always saw the purpose of this contest to be to define the parameters for one murder. Unless the second murder that falls outside the literal prompt is not going to be explained, but will be more of a "consequence" like a casualty of war?

It's going to be clear by the second murder that the perpetrator is planning a whole series of murders and the first was the most important, but always planned to be just the first. All will be done with the scroll in one way or another. The who will be the same, the why will be the same. The whens and where will be obvious as they happen. The how will be a little changed but will be totally addressed as there will only be variations on it in the murders after the first one. And what will be the same -- someone killed by a scroll. All of those will be addressed.

Also, the point of solving the mystery will still be tied more to the first murder than the others (for a reason that will also be very clear). So even as the other murders happen, the mystery will mostly be about the first one, because that's the key to figuring out why all of them are happening (and trying to stop it before more are killed, for another reason that will be made clear, heh).




BTW, since this will take place during 2006, I'll have to keep some details of the side-issues of the plot secret. Just wrote a scene where I had to walk a proverbial tightrope between implying what was most likely going on with something Makuta Icarax is doing without directly stating it, as to do so would be spoilers from the end of my current epic #3. As said already, part of that will include some details of the "who". Part will also be related to why the scroll was stolen in the first place, though that will be 90% clear by the end. Just no way I can reveal some of those things without giving away the key mysteries of other Paracosmos stories. Hopefully that will be okay.

Not really a question per se, just wanted to say that for the record in case it might be an issue.

This post has been edited by bonesiii: Jun 11 2008, 08:33 PM

[Tolkien]

Epic Title & Link: Unknowledge
Author: Tolkien (Eh...now I'm uncomfortable using the username... ><)
Review Topic

Alright...we'll see how this goes.

JRRT

[xccj]

Epic Title & Link: Mystery on Keli-Nui
Author: xccj
Review Topic



This post has been edited by xccj: Jun 25 2008, 02:17 AM

[Master Reidak]

Is it possible to have the deadline extended? Say, even from 10AM to 10PM? It's just that I'm very busy until Saturday afternoon, and most likely won't be able to complete my epic. Most inconvenient . I'm sure some more people would appreciate the extra time. Up to you, though.

[Lehu - the Jedi ...]

If the epic isn't finished by the deadline (and it looks like mine won't be), can we still continue it, just not as a part of the contest?

- Darth

[Kovian The Reape...]

^^^ Same here. I just don't have the time to finish it in that extremely short amount of time.
I might finish it later on, since the protagonist has to due with something in another story... W/E; talking to myself.