First Trial

[stagemanagers]

[As the investigation ends, you'll hear Hester's voice inviting you to the auditorium. As this happens, the twin doors on either side of the concession stand, across from the gym, will click open. You can enter on either side; both go to the same place.

When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name, save for Mumble's, which is draped in black crepe and has a framed monochrome photo of him - Elijah Wood him - on top.

When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. It's time to meet the Wizard.

The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]

Welcome to your first trial, everyone. I am the Wizard. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Mumble. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.

Comments

MODS

[barberic]

[Sorry, girls...]

...Accident or not, the person may have been responsible, nonetheless.

You there! [The wizard. He's not going to call him that.] What would happen if the standards of a murder charge aren't met? That is, in a true accident, what becomes of the perpetrator?

[stagemanagers]

Like you said, they'd still be responsible.

[voicerights]

[You're welcome, Pegerine.]

[comeandfindme]

[ Fuck OFF. ]

[mcfife]

And they will die regardless.

[He hopes that it was a true murder, so they wouldn't send an innocent person to their death.]

[stagemanagers]

[He inclines his head.]

[mcfife]

You simply want blood, do you? You will find any excuse for more death, whether someone committed murder or not.

[stagemanagers]

Those are the rules. Some things shouldn't be messed with.

[disharmonizes]

At least when I set up my games, I make the rules clear from the start.

[.....like he still super tricks people and he's a liar but like, at least there's THAT.]

[stagemanagers]

The people who matter knew the rules from the start.

[brokeforgood]

[She's pursing her lips and looking up at the box where Hester is.

Hey, sis? Your man is seeming less and less cool.]

[sugarlumps]

...I don't think you've actually been, like, to law school or anything.

[stagemanagers]

No, of course not! That sounds awful.

[sugarlumps]

If you're gonna makes us have a trial then we need, like, an actual lawyer! That's the lumping law, or soemthing.

[stagemanagers]

This isn't a legal drama.

[sugarlumps]

Yeah it is.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

But that's not justice! You just want people to die!

[stagemanagers]

There is no justice. There's just what has to be done.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

That's not how it should work! People don't deserve this just because it's what you want.

[voicerights]

[And the SQUIP actually sounds...vaguely annoyed]

There is no point in arguing whether or not this is deserved. Humans obey the one in power, and the Wizard is the one currently in power. Unless you have enough to destroy him, you have no choice.

[sugarlumps]

Isn't Bob, like, a sponge or something though, that's not human.

[voicerights]

We appear to be in a place of human jurisdiction.

[barberic]

Then intent and motive are meaningless, in the end.

You sniveling coward. Have you no mercy, in your cold, pathetic heart?

[stagemanagers]

Ha, that's rich, coming from you.

[sugarlumps]

Hey, he made me cocoa, shut your lumping mouth.