Dragonator

Max starts punching the walls again, again to no effect.

Indeed, if I can manage I might even try for 2010. I could be going on a trip to Canada close to the time of the event, so we'll see how things add up closer to the time. If not then, well, definitely 2011. I feel so lonely and isolated here in little ol' New Zealand... *snivel*

John tries the two keys they had found on the body of the late Lord Chester in the lock of the bedside table draw. Neither one fits. Miss Sandy walks over to the small door in the south wall and opens it. Beyond is a small cupboard with cloths hanging to the right and left, directly ahead is another low doorway. Beyond this door is the ensuite, complete with a large porcelain bath tub, a spacious shower, a toilet seat and cistern, a sink with two cupboards underneath, and a mirror above the sink. The room is very spacious, and is tiled with white tiles on the floor and walls, with the ceiling painted a pale blue. A modern light fixture in the ceiling illuminates the bathroom. This room was certainly done up in the last 20 years or so, it does not look old. I'd say this bathroom was converted from a spare bedroom, as the house would not have had large bathrooms back in the day. Miss Sandy walks over to the toilet and opens the cistern, peering inside. There is nothing in there but water.

John decides to inspect above the draperies on the bed. There is a nice carved wooden frame that holds them all up, but nothing on top of this except dust. Max meanwhile is seen to be punching the walls, without any success, unless of course his aim was to bruise his knuckles... Michael takes a look under the mattress, but does not find anything. Peter carefully approaches the chandelier, ready to run at the slightest movement. The chandelier twitches, and Peter dives under the bed, gobbling in horror. It only takes the other detectives a few minutes to convince him that the wobble was caused by Max hitting the wall particularly hard. Feeling a little disgruntled, Peter again approaches the chandelier. It is rather small compared with those in the rest of the house, which fits the room. You cannot see anything out of the ordinary.

John decides to carry out some investigating. Tapping the floor boards does not reveal any secret compartments. However, on the floor under the table you find an opened envelope with a letter in it. You read it out loud: Chester, I have been carrying out some investigations, and I think we need to slow down our plans and move a little more carefully. I believe your "friends" may be on to you; I understand that one of their operatives is currently stationed in the area, and may be watching you. I suggest we be cautious; from what you have told me, these "friends" of yours aren't the sort to mess with. I know you don't think much of their empty threats, but we should still play it safe. There is a lot at stake here. Your true friend, ~Anthony

Peter, upon entering the room, immediately walks over to the table and picks up the book. It appears to be Lord Chester's diary. On opening it you find that it is relatively new, with entries starting a few days ago. You decide to read it out loud. 27th November 10:20am - meeting with NZ film director Peter Jackson to discuss possible commission of a film series. Should be able to convince him to post-pone current production. 1:15pm - Lunch with a lawyer, Mr. Peter Crawford, who wishes to discuss (again) the offer made by the DHPT for me to open the estate (considering cancellation) 4:30pm - Meeting with my colleague to discuss the new information he has found on the estate Notes for day: cancelled 1:15pm meeting, really a waste of time. My colleague had a lot to say, he has hired an architect to draw up some rough plans of the proposed "cover" construction for the area. 28th November Morning - photograph house and send pictures to the architect; should hopefully be able to meet someone later in the week. Talked with a lovely lady on the phone about a possible meeting with one of the company executives. 2:50pm - meeting with a Professor from Dratos University to discuss the closure of my student scholarship fund; my money can be better spent elsewhere. Will also mention a possible invitation to view the artefacts in the manor; he may be helpful in identifying one or two things for my colleague and I. Notes for day: photographs sent off without a hitch, and meeting went nicely. 29th November 9:45am - Doctor's appointment; check up on leg. Notes for day: I received two rather unfortunate emails today, I think my "friends" my suspect something. I shall leave some clues, in case of anything untoward happening in the future. 30th November 11:50 am - Meeting with my colleague 2:20pm - Another meeting with Mr. Crawford (consider cancelling) Notes for day: cancelled 2:20pm meeting. Anthony had a lot to say over Lunch, I can almost feel the wealth rolling in already. He delivered to me the suitcase to use in negotiations for the construction work. Also received a call from the lovely secretary at the construction company; it seems the CEO can met me tomorrow night. 1st December 7:00pm - ensure all servants are dismissed for the night, can't have then around. 8:45pm - meeting with CEO Notes for day: That is all that is written in the book. Max meanwhile takes a look at the fabric curtains draped over the bed. These are quite common in old beds of this style. The drapes look very expensive, and are made of quality silk. You cannot find anything of interest in them however. John decides to take a closer look at the actual bed, looking over, under, through all the sheets and even the pillow. All his efforts however turn up nothing, although he does note before his search that the bed does not look slept in, the covers and sheets are all still nice and crisp. The Chef takes a look at the bedside table. The drawer is unfortunately locked. The lamp does not reveal anything interesting. Dr. Phil, rather than going for the chandelier (causing Peter to fork out some cash to Max, in the background), instead heads for the floor-length mirror against the south wall. Inspecting this, he does not find anything of any interest... Michael takes a good look at the carpet, but does not discover anything underneath it or in the immediate area. Dr. Grimsworth decides to take a look in the chest of drawers. There two large draws in this contain large items of clothing such as folded shirts and trousers. The smaller top draws contain socks, underwear etc. You do not find any items of interest. I'm surprised nobody has rushed to use the toilet yet.

Pushing open the wooden door, the detectives enter the master bedroom, home to the late Lord Chester. The bookshelf in front of the door on the inside swings out smoothly, and you look into the room. The bookshelf and passageway door are in the west wall. The floor is again of wooden boards, and there is a large rug in the middle of the floor. The room is lit by a small crystal chandelier on the ceiling (not pictured). In the centre of the east wall is a large bed with a canopy. The canopy is hung with dark red draperies, and the pillow is also dark red, standing out against the white sheets. To the left of the bed is a small bedside table with a drawer in it and a black reading lamp on top. To the left of this, in the north-eastern corner is the door leading into the ballroom, which you remember is locked. Against the north wall is a table and chair. The table holds a red leather-bound book and a fountain pen. Looking to the other end of the room (not pictured), there is a large chest of drawers against the east wall to the right of the bed, and to the right of this, up against the south wall, there is a floor-length mirror with a gold-leaf frame. The west wall is mostly taken up by the bookshelf hiding the doorway. In the south-western corner is a small door which appears to lead to an en suite. The detectives move into the room, hoping to find something of interest... ********** Remember that to win the game you must answer the following four questions: WHO committed the crime? WHERE was the crime committed (which room)? WHAT was the murder weapon? WHY was he killed (motive)? There is also the optional challenge of piecing together the events of the previous night. Try to find out as much detail as possible. For the full list of rules, please click on the picture at the top of the page or follow this link. Participants: 1. ImperialShadows - Peter Crawford; Lawyer 2. Sandy - Susan Greenwood; Receptionist 3. WhiteFang - Dr. Phillip Marshall; General Practitioner 4. Hinckley - Max Sinclair; Actor 5. Sir Dillon - Michael Dunne; CEO of Brick Plates 6. jipay - Bernard Knightly; President of the DHPT 7. ImperialScouts - Lieutenant John Spencer; Soldier 8. Sir Nadroj - Dermot Stephens; University Student 9. Mr. Mandalorian - Dr. Gregory Grimsworth; University Professor 10. TheBrickster - Anthony Blackwater; Private Detective - Deceased; Death by Chandelier 11. Erdbeereis1 - Chef Frederick Valentine; Chef

Ah Discworld, an example of the true genius of the human mind. I would say it is definitely medieval/early industrial, that is what it is mostly based around. It includes fantasy creatures and many elements normally associated with castle, so I'd say it belongs here. Glad to see there are a few fans hanging around the boards!

Working now, although I don't think my computer can open this type of file. Looks like I need to buy the software first. Anyway, very nice job on the sizing etc, now let's see some customs!

Very neat Hinckley, these will certainly make it easier for train enthusiasts to replicate their favourite lines. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. The last two links aren't working for me, not sure if that's at my end or yours.

So I can't kill you then? Don't worry, I don't think the men can manage without you. Due to some technical issues (my Millennium Falcon was distracting me, the bastard ) the next chapter will be up tomorrow. Really sorry Sandy.

Happy birthday WhiteFang, may this be a very special day for you! Enjoy yourself, with every best wish from a fellow castle nutter. Don't go too heavy on those chandelier's though.

After a disappointing look in the attic, the detectives decide it is time to move on. Some vote to head down to the kitchen and see if one of their new keys fits the lock. "Perhaps we will find what that lever did?" suggest someone. It was a long descent from the attic to the ground floor, and when the detectives finally arrived they were met with disappointment. Neither the long thin key nor the small fat one fit the lock. The ice-cream would have to wait. The detectives decide instead then to take the second most popular option, and visit the bedroom. Walking all the way back upstairs, they re-enter the secret passageway, and push open the wooden door... End of Chapter The next chapter will be up tomorrow, if all goes to plan.

If everyone (who actually cares) is in agreement, then where would you like to go next?

Admiral M, it is great to see that you are eager to join, but please make sure you read up on where you canpost. You should not have posted in the faction summary thread, rather I think this was the thread you were looking for. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. I look forward to seeing what you have to contribute.

Happy birthday Deino, have a great day, and eat lots of meat cake!

Negative, it is just the colour of the fabric. John takes the flash-light and has another look through the door. With the added light, you can see that the room is very dusty, with a thick layer covering the floor. There are no footprints of any kind. None of the keys you have with you fit the lock. A very good question...

The detectives look at each other, wondering what it is, exactly, that Max has done. Peter runs downstairs to see if this liver has any effect on the chandelier in the library, while Max looks for a whole in the floor. He reports that he doesn't find one. Just then, Peter comes panting back up the stairs, to tell them all that the chandelier had not moved at all. While all this excitement is going on, Michael decides to take a look at the chair. It is similar to some of the ones downstairs, although the upholstery is dark red and looks older and more worn. There is nothing under the seat, and nothing else that you can see of interest.

Max pulls down on the lever. Inside the wall you can hear counter-weights shifting, followed by an ominous clang from somewhere deep in the manor. No other effect is apparent. Hmmm, I wonder what that did?

Curse you all. Peter takes a look at the various instruments of Death, er, that is, weapons, but cannot see from a glance if any of them is the murder weapon. Peter then walks over to the chest hidden in the corner. It is unlocked, and opening it you find inside a single large scroll. Unrolling this you read it aloud: To whom it may concern, If you are reading this then you are obviously somewhere you shouldn't be. I suggest quite strongly that you leave off your exploration, as it will only lead to trouble. Everything you have seen is private and confidential, and it would be in your best interests, and in the interests of the Lord of this Manor, if you left now before you do something you will regret. You have been warned. Oh, and don't pull the lever. Kindest Regards, The Guardian The scroll has a large wax seal accompanying the signature; it is one you will find familiar from earlier... John takes a look at the small dragon statue. It looks similar to those seen in the library; it must be a spare. Max finds that the baby dragon is not hungry, mainly because it is a statue. So it may appear... The Chef decides to inspect some of the storage boxes. The chest is an old wooden one with an iron lock (unlocked); you already know what it contains. The barrels are all made of various woods as well; the one to the far left contains cut wood, while the one in front of it contains various combat weapons. The barre to the right contains a sword and a lead pipe. It's a lamp. It is quite a nice lamp thank you very much! That would be a chair. The you probably can't see the legs from the doorway because of that ship's wheel. Max takes a look in the discarded helmet, but does not find anything but dust. The same goes for the other helmet, which he checked at the same time. John meanwhile decides to look at the door at the far end of the room. It is locked, however you can still look through the grill. Beyond you can see a long room stretching to the far end of the house. The room is full of a lot of boxes, crates and barrels, as well as other miscellaneous items such as stone plinths, wooden furniture, chairs, a large oak table, various styles of statues, and other such things. There is nothing else that you can see of any interest. It appears to simply be a large storage room for items of furniture that are not in use, and probably haven't been downstairs in many years. Max, along with John, now takes a look at the roof. Sloping stone rafters hold up the heavy weight of the roof above. Between these rafters you can see some wooden beams running the length of the room, which in turn support all the roof tiles. A small amount of light is let in through the gaps between some of these, however it is still very water tight. Between the second and third rafters to the right of the door you find a large metal lever protruding from the stonework. Peter takes a general look round the room, looking under all the chests and barrels, in search of blood, paper, or any other items of interest. His efforts do not bear fruit however, and he is left trying to pick up a barrel to throw at Max, also unsuccessfully. Dr. Grimsworth decides to inspect all the weaponry in the room for traces of blood, while at the same time delighting in the amazing artefacts. You do not find any traces of blood, but you do find a lot of dust.

Moving right along... The detectives, having examined the body, leave it to go see what exciting things there are to find in the attic. Mounting the stairs beyond the black gates, the group climbs up into the top of the house. At the top of the stairs, the detectives are greeted by an interesting assortment of things. The attic is dimly lit by light coming through small gaps in the roof slates. Obviously the sun must be rising; you have been in the house almost all night. In the attic you find a wonderful collection of boxes and barrels, containing all sorts of things, as well as other items of interest. At the far end of the low-ceilinged room, there is another wooden door with a grill in it. This must continue into the rest of the attic (the room you are in stretches about a quarter of the length of the house). Well, not much here really, just storage stuff, but feel free to take a look around and examine anything.

Could somebody please remind me why I invited this guy?...

Happy birthday Ras, have a great one!

John removes Lord Chester's shoes, but does not find anything in them (except his feet, of course). Max checks to see if Lord Chester is wearing a wig. He is not; he still has his own hair, although it looks a little thin. I would appreciate it if you didn't defile the corpse. Dermot looks over the body for more valuables. There are no other items of interest on the body, although the brass buckle looks expensive... Dr. Grimsworth checks the floor for drag marks. The floor is made of old stone blocks, and marks do not show up very well. However, you do note that Lord Chester's polished black shoes are rather scuffed.

Peter examines the victims hands. There is nothing clenched in them, however you do note that there a a couple of small splinters beneath the fingernails of both hands. I dare somebody to push him over on top of the body.