A
Abracadabra
Guest
Original poster
A SHADOW IN OUR MIDST
-modern thriller RP-
-modern thriller RP-
Welcome to Crossbow, Oregon! This is a small town on the outskirts of a large forest. It's autumn, and the beautiful fall leaves are just starting to turn yellow and red. But in this pretty setting, a murderer lurks … and he has struck this Tuesday, September 2nd, 2004. The victim's friends and family, the witnesses and detectives, jury members and total strangers, are shocked and grieved by the terrible news they find in the paper the following day. All except one – and in this RP, you could be the killer – or the next victim. Will you play the game for the chance of uncovering the murderer and freeing Crossbow of its demons?
1/8
places taken
places taken
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WEDNESDAY, SEP. 3, 2004 – CROSSBOW DAILY
Carol Kope was found dead in the woods this morning. She had been stabbed to death. The 22-year-old student of Marborough University was last seen leaving the AllNightLong Disco in downtown Crossbow at 11:30 PM. She drove her father's car to a hunting clearing in the woods where she and another person left the car. Ten meters further, Carol was stabbed four times across the chest and once in the right arm, the third of which fatally punctured the heart. Police are frantically hunting for evidence. So far, the perpetrator and motive remain obscure. An official funeral open to classmates, coworkers, friends and family will be held on Saturday, Sep. 11, at the Goodman Church in Crossbow, but the Kope family will also hold a private ceremony sometime this week. Police urge citizens of Crossbow to stay indoors in dark hours and avoid interaction with strangers until the case is resolved. Any evidence or hints as to the identity of the killer or any tips the local law enforcement could use to seize the perpetrator should be immediately reported and will be rewarded with the sum of US $3000.
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IMPORTANT
How the killer will be chosen from the existing pool of up to 8 roleplayers
1) Any accepted characters interested in roleplaying the killer should PM me applications.
2) I will choose the top 3 applicants and assign each a raffle number.
3) I will PM the users of these top 3 characters and inform them of their raffle number.
4) I will send the three anonymous raffle numbers to another uninvolved user, who shall soon be named.
5) This user will conduct a raffle with given raffle numbers and post the chosen raffle number in the OOC thread (this thread).
6) I will also post this raffle number in this post so everyone can see and you don't have to hunt for it.
7) This way, the owner of the raffle number will recognize their number and know they are the killer, but no one else will know who is the killer.
8) If the killer does not PM me recognition of their position as killer within 3 days of posting of the raffle number, another killer will be randomly chosen from the next top 3.
9) The killer, when posting from the killer's point of view, will write in the third person and refer to him/herself as "it". No indication of gender, ethnicity, physical appearance or age should be given, lest it give others inordinately useful clues on who is the killer.
10) THE KILLER WILL NOT POST DIRECTLY when posting from the killer's point of view. The killer will PM me their posts and I will post them so that the user who writes the posts remains anonymous until the killer is discovered.
11) The killer will also (and mostly) post from the character's point of view, which the user will post him/herself. This way, no one is certain who among their friends and foes is the murderer.
Character Applications
If you want your character to be the killer, you do not need to include their true personality or even real appearance or name in the CS. Instead, write what the killer shows to others. These should be posted on this thread.
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Class: see Class list
Details: regarding Class, i.e. your relationship with the victim
Appearance:
Personality Strengths:
Personality Weaknesses:
Background: tell us where you come from / grew up, what your life is like, your job, et cetera
Killer Applications
You must PM me these applications to be considered.
Character:
Real Name: only if the name in your official CS is false
Real Appearance: only if the appearance in your official CS is false
Real Personality: only if the personality in your official CS is false
Real Background: only if the background in your official CS is false; see History
Motive: why you killed Carol
Method: how you killed Carol; how you got her to trust you; your relationship with her, etc
Deception Strengths: ways in which you are effective as a killer
Deception Weaknesses: weaknesses in your method (such as evidence left behind) or yourself as a killer (such as a desire to confess)
History: tell us about anything in your past that made you a killer, such as childhood abuse
Sample: give me at least 100 words of how you'd RP the killer in an official post; if I can't find an example of your other RP work in your Roleplayer Resumé, might want to add that additionally
Class List
Classes are the different relationships characters had with the victim. When choosing a class, combine a letter classification with a number classification (such as 1A or 3G). In red are possible examples of the types of people who fall under this category.
1: Relative (Family)
Relatives are related to Carol, however distantly. They are invited to both the official funeral and the private ceremony. They will be constantly hounded by the police for information on Carol. Even if they don't live in Crossbow, they will be ethically obligated to temporarily move here to mourn, comfort Carol's other relatives, and help the investigation. In-laws count as relatives. Press will also try to get confidential information about the murder out of them, which the police highly discourage since it encourages copycat killers and makes it harder for them to isolate the murderer.
Prohibited Letters: D, F
2: Close Friend (Best Friend, Confidante)
Close friends knew Carol intimately and may even have been with her the night of the murder. They understand her personality and are familiar with her private life. They are invited to both the official funeral and the private ceremony. Police will incessantly bother them with questions about Carol. They must have lived in Crossbow for several years to get to know Carol this closely, or they may have been childhood friends who moved back because of the murder. Press will also try to get confidential information about the murder out of them, which the police highly discourage since it encourages copycat killers and makes it harder for them to isolate the murderer.
Prohibited Letters: C, D, F, G
3: Peer (Classmate, Coworker, Casual Friend, Ex)
Peers may have been with Carol the night of the murder. They came into contact with her several times a week, but generally in business or academic environments. They will most likely know very little about Carol's private life, though they may have a good idea of what kind of a person she was. Peers must have lived in Crossbow for several years to interact regularly with Carol. Press will try to get confidential information about the murder out of them, which the police highly discourage since it encourages copycat killers and makes it harder for them to isolate the murderer. An "Ex" is someone who may have been a close friend or lover of Carol's at some point, but no longer is.
Prohibited Letters: D
4: Witness (Impostor, Testifier)
Witnesses must have either come into contact with Carol the night of the murder, or discovered her body the day after. Some may not actually be witnesses, but posing as such. These are impostors, and they generally don't really care about resolving the murder – they just enjoy attention from the media, the police and their friends. Witnesses are frequent leaks to the press about confidential information concerning the murder, but since they are usually not well informed, they may feed nonsense to the news. Unless it can be proven that a witness is an impostor or has leaked to the press, the witness will be expected to testify in court, though he/she may refuse, or may for other practical reasons not be chosen by the court to do so. Witnesses who testify will be held under police protection.
Prohibited Letters: none
5: Stranger (Citizen, Press Agent)
Strangers might have come across Carol once or twice, but they never established a relationship with her and probably forgot her last name. They know next to nothing about Carol or her family. Neither police nor press will pay much attention to strangers unless they become witnesses. Strangers may come to watch the court proceedings, or cover the case in the news. Those working for the media are press agents, and they are by job required to publish as much information about the case as possible. However, some confidential information may be unethical to publish since it encourages copycat killers and makes it harder for the police to isolate the murderer. Still, depending on the press agent's morals, the pressure from their job they receive, and how much they care about the victim and how much the case affects them personally, a press agent may reveal way too little or way too much to the general public.
Prohibited Letters: A, B, E
6: Law Enforcement (Detective, Police)
Detectives and police are there to protect the victim's family, close friends and witnesses, while gathering evidence to find and convict her killer. Law enforcement in this case is local or from nearby towns. The law enforcement usually has horrible fights with the press about what is ethical to publish without encouraging copycat killers and impeding the investigation's success. Most are wary about becoming too personally involved, but even for them, the case may bleed into their private lives and cause discomfort or conflict there. Crossbow does not suffer from corruption and has a very low crime rate, so most law enforcement are effective and well-meaning, if a tad inexperienced.
Prohibited Letters: none
7: Court Officer (Jury Member, Lawyer)
Court officers are involved in legal proceedings and cooperate with the law enforcement to convict the killer and collect evidence. They depend on witnesses and evidence to make a case. Jury members must not know the victim personally; this would result in their expulsion from the jury, since they are supposed to be neutral. Lawyers can afford a more intimate connection with the victim, but too intimate is rarely tolerated by the court.
Prohibited Letters for Lawyers: A
Prohibited Letters for Jury Members: A, B, C, G
A: Loved
Loved ones were in love with Carol, either romantically or familiarly.
B: Intimate
Intimate friends of Carol were extremely close to her, but not passionately so.
C: Acquainted
Acquaintances have met Carol and may know her as a vague friend, but they know little about her private life or what she's really like.
D: Unknown
These people have never met Carol before. They are probably unfamiliar with her family and friends, too.
E: Involved
These people may not know Carol at all personally, but they are somehow involved in the legal proceedings, investigation or media coverage of the murder.
F: Impartial
These people may have known Carol, but they do not care much about her or that she was murdered. The investigation matters little to them and they may well be leaks or strangers.
G: Disliked
These are foes of Carol – people who disliked her, or people she disliked. From the creepy grandmother to the hated ex, these are not Carol's friends, though they may have felt affection for her.
Accepted Characters (2)
ABRACADABRA
Name: Carol Kope
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Class: None – Victim
Details: Carol was murdered Tuesday night, 2nd September 2004. She was stabbed to death ten meters away from her car, which she had left with one other person in the woods outside her town after exiting a disco. Her body was found the next day.
Appearance: Carol had bushy, unkempt red hair and dark brown eyes. She had a beautiful voice and loved to sing. Carol was tall, almost gawkily so, and her friends say she had a wonderful smile.
Personality Strengths: Carol was a gentle woman who studied hard and respected her teachers and peers. She had a bubbly personality and loved to talk, boasting a wide circle of friends. She was always there for her friends and family, providing a shoulder to lean on wherever needed. Carol believed in honesty and straightforwardness, inviting the best in people and enjoying companionship.
Personality Weaknesses: Carol was sometimes naïve and could be ignorant of the effect others
had on her. She was opinionated and didn't always say the appropriate things in an awkward situation, occasionally breaking friendships that way. Some complained her sensitivity made it difficult to kid around with her, and she could be judgmental of others, to the point of hypocrisy.
Background: Carol has lived in Crossbow all her life, rarely leaving unless for short vacations with her family. She was a student at Marborough University and worked as a pizza delivery girl or waitress at the pizzeria three nights a week to earn money to save for a car or textbooks, etc. She lived in a rented apartment downtown.
SAKURA
Name: Bei Hua "Bella" Xiao
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Class: 3C
Details: Bei Hua is a sophomore studying Criminal Law at Marborough University; she had a couple of classes with Carol over the years. She commonly holds meetings at the pizza shop for her Mock Trial team.
Appearance: Bei Hua is small-figured and athletic, with dyed mahogany brown hair and dark gray eyes. She often wears contemporary colors and feminine clothes. Her signature look is her red lip gloss and artist's cap, something she calls her "detective look".
Personality Strengths: A kind, cheerful young woman, Bei Hua is always looking out for others, but somehow remaining a mystery herself. Reliable and helpful, she always takes the backstage pass in every school event or classroom platform. She's an enigma, but she observes more than you'd know.
Personality Weaknesses: She does not allow herself to become intimate with anyone and remains distant. As a result, people have many speculations about her background and personality and rumors often circulate if she is seen with certain people.
Background: An international student from Shanghai, Bei Hua still has much to become accustomed to in America. A competent, hard-working student, she wishes to make friends, but doesn't really know how. She lives in an apartment downtown with three roommates, two boys and another girl. Aside from them and the Mock Trial team, she's rarely seen with any other people. Most of the Criminal Law majors are white-collar white students, and Bei Hua honestly feels as if she does not belong. She has lived in Crossbow with her roommates since she arrived two years ago.
