Murder, She Wrote

[Rae]

October 22, 1905
Dear Diary,
Master Tate has just returned from his rather long business trip. He seems out of sorts. I cannot quite place my finger on it, but I do believe something has troubled his mind quite profoundly. He locks himself in his study, ignoring his poor wife and two children altogether. I do hope he is alright. He does not even come down for his favorite meals. I wonder what worries him so.

November 14, 1905
Dear Diary,
Master Tate has fallen ill. His fever is so terribly high, and the doctors fear it may be tuberculosis. Such a wretched way to die. Mistress Tate is so nervous as it is. I can only imagine how she feels now. I do not know what she will do without him.

December 1, 1905
Dear Diary,
It is a true miracle! Master Tate is well again, and we all rejoice! Mistress Tate has not had a nervous tick in a whole six days! Such a joyous occasion, indeed! The master is once again eating his favorite meals and playing with the little ones. All is well at Tate Manor.

December 10, 1905
Dear Diary,
I do not know how to explain such a tragedy. At exactly 2:00 in the morning hours, Thomas found Master Tate dead in his study. It was not sickness nor mere accident that killed him. No, I fear he was far too stubborn a man for such a fate.
I daresay...it was murder.
And I fear it has only just begun. For with the terrible blizzard cutting off our electricity and transportation, there is no way to contact the authorities. We are all trapped here with a murderous devil. I do pray the Lord spares us more misery.

Tate Manor
Built in 1842, Tate Manor has been the epitome of luxury in England since it was first built. With nearly 25 bedrooms, about 30 bathrooms, a ballroom, and a kitchen that would make anyone jealous, many would dare to say it's much larger than it appears. Only the most qualified are given the honor to work for the Tate family, and it is a true honor indeed. Everyone knows how well the servants are treated. Truly, it is a servant's dream.

Or so one would think.

On December 10, 1905, Alexander Tate was found brutally murdered in his own study by the head butler--Thomas Williamson. With the abnormally harsh winter and most recent blizzard, electricity has long since gone out, and transportation is most certainly impossible. Mistress Tate, her two children, and the servants will have to wait for the snow and ice to melt enough for safe passage.

Until then, they all know what has yet to be said. Among them, a man (or woman) walks freely. A man or woman guilty of murder.

Major Points
1. One of our characters will be the murderer. Should your character be chosen, you must keep it a secret both IC and OOC. If you have multiple characters, your other characters are not allowed to discover the murderer--that's really just no fun for anyone.
2. You can play several different roles, which will be explained below.
3. It is ill advised to go outside due to the blizzard.
4. Certain decisions may result in your character's death. Should all your characters die, you will be allowed to create another a week later.
5. Be careful who you confide in. Should your character discover information linked to the murderer, you don't want to end up telling the murderer about it.
6. Your character can be of any sexuality or gender but do realize it's 1905. A homoromantic demisexual who prefer they/them pronouns is not realistic, as those terms weren't really anything back then.
7. PLEASE BE DETAILED. I want you to cover all the bases, and I will not accept your character until you have.

Roles
Available
Unavailable
~Mistress Tate~
Age: 35-45
~Children (2)~
Age: 8-16
BOTH ARE FEMALE
~Governess~
Age: 25-35
~Butler (Thomas Williamson)~
Age: 55-65
~Cook/Chef~
Age: 45-55
~Housekeeper~
Age: 50-60
~Head Groundskeeper~
Age: 40-50
~Lady's Maid/Valet~
Age: 20-30
Works directly with Mistress Tate
~First and Second Footman~
Age: 20-40
Work underneath Butler
~Footmen (5 available)~
Age: 20-30
Work underneath Butler and First/Second Footmen
~Undercook~
Age: 20-40
Apprentice to Cook
~Maids (13 available)~
Age: 16-35
Categories: Laundry, Scullery, House, Kitchen, Chamber, Parlour
Work underneath Housekeeper
~Groundskeepers (9 available)~
Age: 16-35
Work underneath Head Groundkeeper

Character Sheet

General
Name:
Age: ~~~
Gender:
Sexuality:
Birthday:
Role:

Appearance
REAL PICTURE PREFERRED BUT NOT REQUIRED
Height:
Weight:
Hair Color:
Hair Style:
Eye Color:
Eye Shape:
Face Shape:
Distinguishing Marks:

Personality
REQUIRED PARAGRAPH OF DESCRIPTION; ANSWER BELOW WITH ONE SENTENCE
Philosophy:
Reason for Life:
Greatest Gift:
Worst Habit:

History
REQUIRED TWO PARAGRAPHS

Miscellaneous
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Education:
Family:

Questionnaire
PM ME THIS PORTION
Are you capable of murder?:
What is your greatest fear?:
What is your darkest secret?:
What angers you the most?:
Is there anything about your position in life that you hate?:
Would you, if given the opportunity, murder someone who had wronged you?:

~~~Age requirement varies with each role.~~~

​

 

[Dark_Psycho]

@Mippu @Boss Megu @The Classy Mog @~Dark Disney~ @harleygore @Starrnico @Yang Lee @Yun Lee @kuukakulily

I love all the characters so far! Also, your questionnaire responses are making it quite difficult for me to choose a possible perp. xD My plan is to start sometime next week, though possibly later that. If you guys know of anyone that might be interested, feel free to tag them!

ALSO, please feel free to create multiple characters!

crap forgot questionnaire will work on it

 

[Hufflepug]

I could have sworn I had this on watch! I'll have my character up by the end of the night!

 

[Zora18]

Character Sheet

General
Name: Louella Forge
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Birthday: November 30, 1877
Role: House Maid

Appearance

Height: 5'7
Weight: 130 lbs
Hair Color: Black
Hair Style: Short, thick curls
Eye Color: Dark brown
Eye Shape: Thin Almond
Face Shape: Oval
Distinguishing Marks: She draws her eyebrows and wears makeup; has a scar on her right cheek that she hides with makeup.

Personality

Louella is jovial and polite to company, buts keeps to her affairs. In fact, In company, she is often boisterous with laughter and makes many jokes. She can be very fun and exciting this way. However, she is generally secretive and does not say much about herself in conversation. Sometimes, she even gives off an air of condescension. She is very meticulous about her appearance, and often comes across as conceited or vain. This meticulousness carries into her profession, and she is proud of how orderly she is and her servitude. She believes she is the best maid there and looks down on the other maids. In fact, she believes they are jealous of her. She also suspects that some of the other inhabitants resent her because of her color, and reacts with hostility when she suspects prejudiced treatment of any kind. But besides these quarrels, she generally can come across as pleasant company and an exceptionally skilled maid.

Philosophy: "Take care of you first."
Reason for Life: To supremely enjoy, work towards self-fulfillment, and be beautiful.
Greatest Gift: Her aesthetic taste
Worst Habit: Impulsive reactions when angry

History

Born to a mixed black French creole family in Louisiana, Louella comes from a family of former slaves and servants. She was raised working in the house of a wealthy French man. As she grew older, she became friends with his daughters, and then she was exposed to the finer things in life. The girls let her try their dresses, and would doll her up, and take her out on the town. All was well as long as she finished her duties at the house, and Louella meticulously did, with such fervor, out of motivation to be allowed to explore the city with the girls. She attended soirees and talked coyly with many elite jeunes hommes (young men) of New Orleans's and Baton Rouge's upper-class societies.
However, one of the jeunes hommes she most adored dismissed her because she couldn't read and he remarked on her color. This incited such fury in her, that she obsessed about it for months. The girls also refused to teach her how to read upon the request of their father, who wanted to keep her a servant from life due to her skill. When she protested against this, she was met with a violent beating from the master, and forbidden to go out with the girls anymore. This was not the first beating she had ever experienced from the master, sometimes he liked to kick her when she was bent over scrubbing, or pull her by the hair when something was not cleaned well enough. Although, none of it compared to how he punished her this time.
Much to her family's dismay who urged her to stay, she left the house in the middle of the night. Bloody and bruised, and not knowing where to go, with pain, hunger, and those glittering memories of those lost soiree nights, she embarked on a journey. Working in burlesque brothels and cleaning the houses of governesses, she eventually came across the opportunity through a contact to move to England and work in the Tate Manor. She is very tired of being a servant, angry towards men, and wants to be a queen - She will do whatever it takes in life for that, for luxury and power to finally be hers.

Miscellaneous
Strengths: Intelligent, Humorous, Adventurous, Brave, Orderly, Resilient
Weaknesses: Cannot read, Impulsive, Angry, Paranoid, Conceited, Vindictive
Education: Very little, a few grades of primary school
Family: Siblings left behind in Louisiana

 

[Hufflepug]

Character Sheet

General
Name: Clara Lyle
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Birthday: November 14th, 1878
Role: Lady's Maid/Valet

Appearance

Height:
Weight: 5'6"
Hair Color: 130 lbs
Hair Style: Kept long. Tied into a bun most of the time
Eye Color: Pale Green
Eye Shape: Oval
Face Shape: Oval
Distinguishing Marks: Dark Brown Birthmark splotch on her right thigh

Personality
Clara is a dutiful and obedient girl, one that befits her station. She is well aware of when to speak and how to act when in the presence of those she serves. When in familiar company and among the others who serve the Tate's, she is a witty and bright woman. She is not without her fair share of goals and ambition. She doesn't want to remain a lady's maid for the rest of her life and has ambitions to become a woman of great standing and influence.
Philosophy: "Silence is the ultimate weapon of power."
Reason for Life: To be powerful
Greatest Gift: Possesses the gift of prose and discretion
Worst Habit: She lies....a lot

History
Clara was born to a poor family. Her father and mother toiled away in factories and they lived in squalor in a one room flat. Clara was the only child of her parents, James and Catherine, as all her siblings after her birth did not survive to see three. Clara's mother taught her to read and write with the use of Shakespearean plays. Her parents succumbed to cholera when she was sixteen and Clara was forced to find work.

Clara found work in the Tate manor as a maid and worked her way up to be Mistress Tate's personal maid in due time. She has seen other servants come and go as she has stayed. She has heard and seen many things in the Tate manor and little surprises her, least of all murder.

Miscellaneous
Strengths: Observant, Discreet, Ambitious, Calm
Weaknesses: Fears disease and filth, ambitious, vengeful
Education: Well Read, no formal education
Family: Passed

​

 

[Boss Megu]

We have a ton of females. HAHAHA

 

[The Dapper Mog]

Ladies, ladies, ladies...wait.

 

[Banana-senpai]

Is there a problem? @Boss Megu

 

[Boss Megu]

None, just noticed. haha

 

[Rae]

I'll probably play about four characters just to add some masculinity to the mix. One of them is the housekeeper, though. xD

ALSO, I love the period pictures.

 

[The Dapper Mog]

Yay

I'm sorry, I'm really not good at playing multiple characters. I have a much easier time just getting into a single one. I feel I do much better.

 

[Zora18]

I would be willing to play a male character too. :) I just have to make him first.

 

[Rae]

Yay

I'm sorry, I'm really not good at playing multiple characters. I have a much easier time just getting into a single one. I feel I do much better.

That's no problem! Don't feel pressured at all! Thanks for letting me know, though! XD

 

[Rae]

[BCOLOR=transparent]General[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Name: Georgina Smith[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Age: 53[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Gender: female[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Sexuality: heterosexual[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Birthday: August 5, 1852[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Role: Housekeeper[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Appearance[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]

[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Height: 5'4"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Weight: 168 lbs[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Hair Color: Blonde (streaked with grey)[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Hair Style: Tight bun[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Eye Color: Grey[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Eye Shape: Down-turned Round[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Face Shape: Round[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Distinguishing Marks: Wrinkles from age, ear piercings (one in each ear)[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Personality[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Georgina Smith can only be described as a woman who expects perfection. She does not tolerate anything less, especially when it comes to her work. To her, the poor performance of her maids is a poor performance from herself. Many people know her to be severe in this sense, seeming to almost never smile. Praise is hard-fought and hard-won from the housekeeper. Although she appears this way, it is not at her true heart. In reality, she has a gentle spirit, believing everyone to have some good in them. She gives everyone a chance and is not one to turn away those who cannot perform to her standards every time. In fact, she usually only fires someone because they disrespected the Tate family or herself, tried stealing, or caused some sort of disaster.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Philosophy: "Work done poorly is not work done at all."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Reason for Life: "Showing respect through good work."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Greatest Gift: She is unfailingly loyal.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Worst Habit: Her expectations are seemingly impossible to reach.[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]History[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Born in London, Georgina Smith was neither rich nor poor, allowing her to be both fed and educated more than most. At a comfortable middle class, troubles did not befall her until adolescence. When her father left them for another woman, the young Georgina was forced to find work. The easiest work to find was either at a factory or as a maid. She figured being a maid would be easier. In some ways, it was. In others, it was not. Growing to hate her father, her life, and herself, Georgina threw herself into her work, her only motivation being to take care of her mother who was becoming old. When her mother died a somewhat early death when Georgina was only 26, her motivation transformed into a rather unhealthy one: perfection. She worked, ate, slept, worked, ate, slept, over and over and over again. At the time, she was working as a housemaid for a wealthy businessman and his family.[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]At 32, the master passed away mysteriously, and she was released from work for reasons unknown. In what could only be described as an act of God, Georgina stumbled (quite literally) into young Mistress Tate and her valet not a month after being fired. The incident resulted in soiled clothes, and Mistress Tate kindly offered to buy her new clothes. One thing led to another, and she was soon offered a maid's position at the manor. Within a decade, after the previous housekeeper's retirement, Georgina was made housekeeper. Where before the manor had been luxurious, it was now nothing less than a small palace under the care of Georgina Smith.[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Miscellaneous[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Strengths: [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]loyalty, organization, literacy, motivation, intelligence, patience[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Weaknesses: [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]emotional repression, impossible expectations, physical frailty[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Education: [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]basic mathematics, reading, writing, some science and history[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Family:[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]George Smith -- father -- status unknown[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Anna Smith -- mother -- deceased[/BCOLOR]​

 

[Rae]

[BCOLOR=transparent]General[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Name: Carlton Nelson[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Age: 29[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Gender: male[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Sexuality: heterosexual[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Birthday: February 23, 1876[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Role: Undercook[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Appearance[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]

[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Height: 6'1"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Weight: 210 lbs[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Hair Color: brown[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Hair Style: short and parted, usually wearing a hat[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Eye Color: brown[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Eye Shape: slightly hooded[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Face Shape: square[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Distinguishing Marks: calloused hands, scars on his back[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Personality[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Carlton Nelson is a man of quiet dignity, revealing nothing of his contempt for others. Despite his status, he holds himself with an air of confidence in both his work and his outside life. Many of his coworkers find him to be supremely arrogant for this, but he really isn't. Rather, he is a man to hide his insecurities, as well as about everything else. He is nothing short of a locked box, his past a mystery. Some believe he suffers from a type of mental affliction, though no one can be sure. All anyone knows is he does not smile often, he works to the best of his human ability, and he never seems to be angry with anyone or anything. It cannot be denied there is a strange sort of intelligence in his eyes, although his poor education is obvious.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Philosophy: "Life is too short to concern yourself with the affairs of others."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Reason for Life: "I wish to look towards only the future, as my past holds nothing for me."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Greatest Gift: He has the ability to let go of anger in the blink of an eye.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Worst Habit: He represses his emotions so deeply he doesn't seem to feel anything at all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]History[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Carlton Nelson was born into a destitute family with an alcoholic father and sickly mother. With three younger sisters, it was up to him to care for the family and take his father's drunken anger without complaint. From a young age, he found work where he could--often working the land for estate owners and doing various odd jobs. Though for all his hard work, it did little to improve his family's condition. It brought some food to the table, which his father would greedily steal. By the time he was 15, his mother's ailing body could no longer take the stress and starvation, resulting in her death. His youngest sister followed shortly after, being only five years of age. His father, driven by grief that he did not deserve, fell into alcohol all the more and rarely came home. One day, he disappeared altogether. Shortly after, their landlord mercilessly kicked them out onto the street, declaring that he wouldn't have abandoned children sullying the place. From there, things only got worse as Carlton lost his job at the meager estate just a year later.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]One day, good fortune finally found them. A kind old man who was working at some fine estate found them on the street, taking pity on the three and deciding to take them under his wing. He could not give them much, but it was more than they ever had. It was due to this man's kindness that Carlton began to learn the art of cooking. He had always enjoyed such things when there was food to eat, but there rarely ever was except for a scrap of bread. Eventually, the old man retired and was replaced by a middle-aged man from Ireland. It didn't take much effort for him to be brought on as an official paid apprentice, as he had learned from one of the best (at least, the old man liked to think so). Now, he is finally able to provide for his sisters and also the kind old man who gave him so much.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Miscellaneous[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Strengths: [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]patience, cooking, ability to learn, loyalty to his sisters, intelligence despite poor education[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Weaknesses: [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]poor education, depression, emotional repression, deep-seated anger towards his father[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Education: [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Reading, some writing[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Family:[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Amon Nelson -- father -- status unknown[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Constance Nelson -- mother -- deceased[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Charity Nelson -- sister -- deceased[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Jessamine Nelson -- sister -- alive[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Selina Nelson -- sister -- alive[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Luther Carter -- adoptive father (of sorts) -- alive[/BCOLOR]​

 

[Rae]

[3]

 

[Rae]

[4]

 

[The Dapper Mog]

-Flutters about and Kupos-

 

[Rae]

Apologies! I was on a mini-vacation. Once I get my characters up and finished, we should be able to start. :)

 

[Banana-senpai]

Hi. How are things? :)

 

[sivilia]

Could I take the role of the Governess please?