A shriek in the night, a lightning strike and loss of sight, a guest here wakes up in the bed, and somewhere, somebody, is dead.
The fifty tenants gradually wake to panic and disorder at the Black Estate – they gather round in the dining room, where Delilah Black has met his doom.
Hushed whispers, faces turned, a rumbling suspicion – natural death or a deadly deposition?
Whose hand enacted Black's final fate? Who forced the living to abdicate? Was it the widow – are those tears of joy? Or a disgruntled maid in Black's employ?
'The jealous friend!' one supplies.
'The reckless teen!' the voices rise.
'No, the man who sought fortune and fame! He's the one –'
'Enough! She's the one to blame for Black's demise!'
The doctor sighs, and rises with a dark display. 'The man has died from foul play. Fifty guests and one attack – we must decide who killed Delilah Black.'
The fifty guests of the Black Estate wake up to find their host, dead, in the dining room. After the shock subsided, a heated argument ensued – stinging accusations were flung like weapons, natural distrust and fear built up. The doctor said the man was murdered.
Each had something to gain from Black's death, but only one had enacted it. It is your duty to determine who the killer is.
Preliminary:
Inspired by the Murder Club thread on the witch-hunts contest (Thanks DavidLikesBigRobots for ruining my notifications), this is a massive contest that I've been planning. The contest will run in three phases over the course of three weeks – the entirety of August. There will be free-write prompts during these weeks as well.
If you want to participate in this massive community project, make sure that you can dedicate yourself to participating each week. Every participant plays a critical role in helping to solve the mystery, and you will be required to interact with other entrants.
The goal of this contest is to generate communal support. Support the other entrants and interact with them, share information privately, but suspiciously and sparingly. The Murderer will get their own set of rules and goals, and if they achieve them, they get away and everybody fails.
Each phase will detail the instruction for that week, and it's important to follow it. I will not detail them all now, for fear of ruining the game.
As a warning, administration from my side might be difficult, and you will have to be patient with me sometimes. I work two jobs, I have (some semblance) of a social life, and I do various projects in addition to these contests. I might not always respond immediately, but I try to make a point of it to be on WattPad at least once a day. To help with this, please tag me TimberWoolf when you have questions or comments, so that WattPad notifies me.
I've made fifty characters. I expect we won't have so many entrants. I would be amazed if you supported this contest and we built up over 50 participants, and I wouldn't mind generating extra characters during this first week.
As an additional note to this, we really should aim for as many entrants as possible. I have spent a lot of time building this contest, and it would be a shame if we can't solve the mystery because there wasn't enough information sharing.
I've built a program to randomly assign clues, determine the murderer and provide contextual circumstances to the story, so I don't know who the murder is either. Don't ask me.
IMPORTANT: I would highly encourage each entrant to write in a new book dedicated to this specific contest. I would like to add them all to a reading list to make navigation a lot easier for all entrants without any additional, unrelated chapters in the way.
I would recommend that all entrants follow me TimberWoolf for the announcements I'll make throughout the contest. They will act as obscure clues, red herrings, and insights into the narrative. I wouldn't mind if you unfollow me afterwards – I can get annoying.
And with that, I present to you with the first part of our most ambitious project yet:
PHASE ONE:
In this phase we'll pick out characters and write our establishing scenes.
From the supplied guest list, choose your character. A character will only be assigned to one entrant. If multiple entrants claim the same character, the first to claim it in the order of the comments will get it assigned.
If you see another entrant already claimed a character, but the character hasn't been assigned, it's safe to assume that they will get it and I just haven't gotten around to it.
To claim a character, inline comment on their NAME (not their description) and say you want them. Any comments you'd like to make about the character bios, please do so on their supporting text in order to keep admin neat and organised.
Once you've selected your character, I will notify you of your success and send you a private message with circumstances and clues that you have to incorporate into your story.
Your story should not exceed 4000 words, but must be more than 2000. The style of the writing is completely up to you, but note that poetry is inappropriate for this contest.
Entrants can freely embellish their stories, but any entry with information presented as essential clues that were not provided by me will be disqualified. We're trying to work together here, and if you actively work against us, then you must be the killer and we're sending you to Contests jail.
IMPORTANT: Once you've finished your story, message me privately on the chat where I've sent you the details, and notify me so that I can add your entry to the reading list.
Establishing Circumstances:
It had been a gloomy day on Delilah Black's birthday. The weather was sordid, and all the guests – friends whom Delilah had made throughout his life – were cooped up inside the manor on the Black Estate.
In lieu of the festivities out by the lake, an in the cramped dining hall, Delilah's mood grew sour and tensions ran high. The old man was senile, that everybody knew. They all attended the celebration because none of them expected him to live much longer – how right they were.
But, the day turned to evening, and the rain turned to a deluge. In the dining hall, dinner was served, but all were mostly quiet. The light was sombre, the meal was dry, and the emotional strain of the day was tiring.
Over the course of the evening, the guests returned to their rooms, with the promise that they would celebrate the next day when the weather was expected to clear.
Nobody recalled who had last been with Delilah Black, but even if they did, they would probably be incorrect. The last person to see Delilah Black alive had killed him at midnight, on the final chime of his final hour on his final day.
The scream had awoken the first guest, and the panic which ensued had awoken them all.
As the doctor rose and announced the man had been murdered, they all stood there in the morbid gloom of midnight, fifty strange acquaintances all brought together by peculiar circumstances and Delilah Black:
0. Denise Kim – The Doctor [Claimed by TimberWoolf]
Denise Kim is a thoughtful investigator and your guide through this narrative. She's working very hard to collect the clues from the scene of the crime and bring light upon the shrouded events.
1. Lilith 'Lily' Cox – The Insane
In her early thirties, she loves purple dresses and pleasant conversation. That is, if she's making sense, which she rarely does. None of her behaviour is explainable, but, in a moment of clarity, once, she admitted that she has overpowering compulsions to do things. Many consider her Delilah's closest friend.
2. Ashton Jones – The Accused
In his mid-twenties, Ashton has been accused and found innocent of three homicide cases. Unfortunate man, or very good at killing? We don't know, but best not bring it up. He's rather sensitive and tries to be a very good boy.
3. Leon Moore – The Greedy
Leon is in his early twenties, and is commonly regarded as 'having his eyes on the prize', which, usually, is dame's jewelled necklace. He's a good talker, but he's not that interested in relationships.
4. Hope Hill – The Bereaved
Almost twenty years old, Hope Hill has seen more death than most. After losing her brother, mother and father in quick succession, Hope has formed a dark philosophy on life. She's not very optimistic on anything, but she's positive that everybody gets consumed by maggots eventually.
5. Maria Simmons – The Paranoid
The forty-two year old woman has lived with bouts of extreme paranoia since she was a child. The medication helps, but only to an extent. She's naturally distrustful of others and has a constant fear that somebody is out to get her. Who knows what she might do if her fears were proven to be true?
6. Lena Morris – The Dame
Lena Morris is a social benefactor of high regard, having contributed exceptionally to the betterment of society. While the world regards her as an angel in disguise, those who know her suspect that her intentions may not be so pure.
7. Alistair Alvarez – The Addicted
This young man is an enigma to most. His behaviour is bizarre and, often, violent, and just as frequently he is placid and pleasant. Ironically enough, he's much more frightening without the drugs.
8. Monika Morrison – The Silent
The woman hasn't spoken to many people. She could count the number of conversations she's participated in during her entire life on one hand, if she was inclined to care. While her voice is unheard of, her body is very expressive, and she has difficulty hiding her mood and intent.
9. Mina Palmer – The Inquisitive
Mina is a journalist – a fitting trade for somebody who always needs to get to bottom of a story. More often than not, she goes beyond what most would be willing to do in order to get to the truth, and it's common knowledge that's she's broken many laws in her career. Some say that someday she'll go messin' where she shouldn't and it'll be her demise.
10. Bay Blue – The Distant
Bay Blue – that's what they call him, but nobody really knows his name – might almost be a handsome young man if his cheeks weren't so sunken, or his eyes so dark, or his hair so thin. He's often found staring off into the distance, often forgetting himself in the wild fantasies in his mind.
11. Laila Croon – The Mischievous
Laila loves a good bout of fun. She's not particularly bothered by principles of ethics, and has often gotten into trouble for her rebellious streak. The teen has a promising future as biomedical engineer. That is, if she doesn't end up in jail for the rest of her life.
12. Emma Denver – The Theorist
Vampires, ghosts, aliens, fairies, mermaids, eldritch gods – Emma knows them all by heart. She never actually declared that she thinks they're real, but she likes to muse on the possibilities. And, sometimes, she makes very chilling, convincing arguments for them.
13. Thalia Smythe – The Musician
She might not be good at arm wrestling, but her practiced fingers will beat you in any thumb war. Thalia isn't a graceful creature, but she has an ear for music, and a talent for making it. Delilah was her greatest benefactor, and she was his greatest siren.
14. Doncaster Jones – The Admired
To see a man so handsome, one must recreate Adonis. Doncaster Jones is the ladies' man, the charmer, the lover and the hero – and the gay. Very gay. His relationship with Delilah has never been romantic, however. It's often remarked that Delilah treated Doncaster as a son, and Doncaster treated him like a father.
15. Edward Livingstone – The Desperate
Edward had haunted the Black Estate frequently back when his name was still in good repute. When some of his darker secrets became public knowledge, however, he had fallen from his plinth and estranged himself from Delilah Black. Only recently had they reconnected, but their relationship proceeded on a strained note and the tension was sometimes evident.
16. Julia Banning – The Morose
By most accounts, Julia Banning is not a people person. She loathes them in general, but sometimes it seems like she gets a particular thrill from hurting them. Everybody knew why she and Delilah got along – she played into Delilah's darker side.
17. Alex Gena – The Militant
Long ago, Alex had been Delilah's personal bodyguard. After years of service, he dismissed her and took her in as a friend. She's a stern woman, no doubt, but she's known Delilah almost as long as she's been alive, and she might have done some less-than-ethical things to protect him in the past.
18. Sylvia Clay – The Painter
Sylvia has a strange way of looking at the world. Her eyes are always sharp, and she barely smiles. She's very observant, and many joke that she can look into the human soul. They joke about, but even then, the laughter is almost always nervous. It's not too difficult to believe that she can.
19. Daniel Close – The Gentle
Daniel Close seems to move with unerring care. His touch is always warm and comforting, his words always soft and soothing, but his behaviour might not always be reflective of his mood. One might be put well at ease by his presence, even as he threatens to harm them.
20. Nikita Rose – The Psychic
Though she never claimed to be a psychic, many believe that she is. She often comments about events that have yet to happen, seems to respond to questions before they're asked, and pre-emptively move things before they're knocked over. Not that she does it consciously, of course. She just seems to live a little bit ahead in time, is all.
21. Anthony Harold – The Sceptic
Never quick to come to a conclusion, Anthony is an analytical man that must interrogate every aspect of something in order to determine his opinions. It's often infuriating to those around him, but he's hardly ever wrong. At least, most believe so. Others might say he manipulates information.
22. France Curtis – The Booklover
If anybody wants to have a trivia team-mate, France is their man. He loves to read regardless of contents. Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Medical Journals, Historical Texts – if it contains information, he will consume it. France knows everything about everything – a fact that might be endearing if he didn't seem to know the contents of every diary on earth.
23. Belinda Frey – The Model
Who can climb so high like the most manipulative model there is? Nothing will stop the young Belinda Frey from getting what she wants. Lose weight? Tomorrow she weighs half that. Learn a martial art? Three hours and she spars with the best of them. Is it frightening that she can do almost anything?
24. Lars Chapman – The Educated
Lars has always been considered a genius. He is exceptionally aware of human behaviour and sometimes seems to know what people are thinking. He's not magic though, he likes to assure them. He's just very observant and analytical, and he knows how people work.
25. Sandra Thunder – The Generous
Rich, beautiful, giving. Sandra is has no regard for wealth, and gives freely – though not necessarily always with generous intent. And not always necessarily with money either. She trades in information like it's the stock market.
26. Lesley Griffin – The Athlete
Lesley Griffin once had promise. Fastest runner in all the world, some would say admiringly. Then, Delilah Black's grey Porsche put him in a wheelchair. Strangely enough, Delilah's good side shone through. Lesley and Delilah became quick friends after Delilah attempted to make amends, but there's always been something dark in Lesley's eyes whenever Delilah was around.
27. Edith Greene – The Author
The loud and fun Edith Greene had been tasked to put Delilah's Legacy in writing – his biography from childhood and his life during adulthood. She's often jokingly reminded him that he should die a tragic death to become a bestseller, but she never really meant that.
28. Clifford Price – The Respectable
A respectable man of respectable repute, Clifford Price is one to revere: charity, volunteer work and chairman of a multi-national non-profit organisation, there are few who could consider Clifford Price a bad guy. But those who do know that he's just very good at keeping up appearances in public.
29. Kieran Ray – The Tired
The young man is chronically plagued by insomnia. Without the rest that he requires, his mind unhinges occasionally, and perhaps that subtle departure from reality allows him insight into things that the rested mind doesn't comprehend. If nothing else, those long, dark nights spent awake are a good time for thinking things through.
30. Moira Quinn – The Detective
Moira's profession is more accurately described as 'stalking' than 'investigating'. As a private investigator, Moira has excellent cause to know things about other people – what they do, where they go, and who they associate with. It's her job to find the dirty, dark secrets of the world.
31. Levi Greene – The Unpredictable
Levi is in their late twenties, and an enigma to most. They've a reputation for being a spectacular strategist, always seeming to be one step ahead of everybody else, and any behaviour one might expect from them certainly won't be forthcoming.
32. Kennedy Holmes – The Severe
Quick to anger and harsh to judge, Kennedy is known for his strict and ruthless manner when left in charge. Moreso on himself than anybody else. He's a perfectionist by choice, and anything less is despicable.
33. Lucille Jordan – The Housewife
Cynical, alcoholic Lucille loves her two children and nothing else. Fighting back the general anxiety of having to keep up good appearances, be a good mother, and be a good wife takes its toll on a person, and most would understand, considering the circumstances of her husband's disappearance.
34. Pegasus Murkwood – The Cook
High-class culinary arts is a stressful position to fill, but Pegasus seems to take it in stride. She's resilient, determined, and blunt about what needs to be done. It's easy enough to know what she's thinking – she's very forward about it – and it's hardly a secret that the has no time to entertain complicated personal relationships.
35. Margaret Sam – The Daredevil
Adrenaline junkie and motorbike enthusiast, this rally-racer has inhuman amounts of energy, loves a good challenge, and is always up for a dare. There is nothing she wouldn't do for a good story or the thrill of the fight.
36. Carson Stone – The Whirlwind
Carson Stone is the worst kind of drunk – constant and unpredictable. He ranges from deadly violence to complete complacency, and every time he takes a drink, people must wonder which Carson will appear.
37. Arren Vivaldi – The Ambitious
Big dreams, big motivation, big hopes. Arren almost always has an ulterior motive for everything he does, but these motives are not always evident. In fact, a lot about his relationship with Delilah is obscure, and nobody's really sure how Arren fits in the picture at all.
38. Tanith Brink – The Protector
Tanith has dedicated her entire life to helping the weak. As a lawyer, she provides legal defence for people who cannot afford high-class lawyers. She's been known to make deadly sharp points, often besieging the elite few, in order to protect the many.
39. Genesis Dunne – The Angel
Are all angels innocent? Are all angels kind? Are all angels good and sweet to know? If Genesis Dunne is any representation of real angels, then yes. For lack of any other angels to study, it is difficult to know more about the nature of Genesis Dunne.
40. Matthew Lee – The Uncaring
It's not so much that the man doesn't care as it is that he might not necessarily always be aware of anything to care about. He's often remiss in noting important circumstances, and often quite surprised by evident things. One has to wonder where his mind is at most of the time.
41. Sarah Anne Dower – The Apprentice
Delilah Black had his darker side, and that fact is often associated with Sarah Anne Dower. After they met, the strange girl has introduced Delilah to frightening concepts of the occult, and his strange fascination with it had them spend long, terrifying hours alone in the libraries at night. Whether you know her or not, there's just something very every about the way she smiles – like she's baring her teeth instead of expressing emotions.
42. Ezra Keep – The Adventurer
World traveller and seer of things, Ezra has many tales for the world to tell. He's easy to talk to, and he speaks many languages. He laughs loudly, drinks deeply, and asserts that he's here for a good time, not a long one.
43. Oliver Brooke – The Stranger
Only those who know Oliver intimately can recall his existence at any given moment, but it always seems as if his face departs from memory as he departs from the room, at least until you see him again. Very few know anything about him, but there are some who are determined to find out. The consequences of finding out, however, are as unknown as he is.
44. Grace Knight – The Sincere
There are no hidden meanings in her words, she has no penchant for poetry. Grace Knight states things expressly, succinctly – a quality much admired by the late Delilah. In fact, some believe it is physically impossible for her to lie, but that's only theory. She doesn't speak much to begin with.
45. Joy Lukas – The Mother
Joy plays mother hen to every creature younger than her thirty-year old self. She likes to take care of them, coddle them, make sure they're okay. Constant caretaker to Delilah's orphaned and troubled niece, Gray Bennet, Joy is considered a member of the family.
46. Tracy Collins – The Creature
Tracy is more animal-like than she is human. She loves to spend time rolling around in moss and mulch, she sniffs people, and she has no concern for table manners. The girl, always covered in dirt, is a strange addition to the group by way of being one of Gray Bennet's only two friends.
47. Madelein Ortega – The Pessimist
To always assume the worst leaves no place for disappointment, but Madelein somehow always seems disappointed nonetheless. She's quick to point out potential flaws, opportunities for chaos, and always assumes the worst in others.
48. Gray Bennet – The Haunted
From her early childhood, after the death of both her parents, Delilah Black's niece has been haunted visions of the dead who like to follow her around. They like to tell her things too, things she shouldn't have any business knowing, but Gray's learned to stop listening a long time ago. To listen would be to invite terror into her mind.
49. Murray Zain – The Odd
Murray has a strange fascination with numbers, and always seems to be surprised by 'how many'. One of Gray Bennet's only two friends, he finds little opportunity to study how many eyes other humans have. And, of course, 'only two!' is always a revelation to him.
50. Dextrous Williams – The Maid
The only person officially in Delilah Black's employ, Dextrous Williams is an interesting woman. Somehow, she always seems to be in control of everything in the estate. She always seems to know what's going on everywhere in the manor, as if the walls whisper to her.
Closing Note and Admin Stuff:
I think we'll all have to be patient with me throughout this contest. It's a lot for me to handle all by my lonesome, and I do have real life things to deal with too.
In contrast, however, I'm absolutely very excited to see how this goes. There are many possibilities, and speculation makes me feel like I'm high. This could usher in a new era of community projects for the weekly contests, or, this could a miserable crash-burn-boom and we'll resume with normal programming. Who knows?
As an additional note, I'd like to ask you to help support this contest by letting your friends know about it. While the contest does reach an exceptional number of people, participation has it's fluxes, moreso by contest content than publicity, but this August Contest is a testament to how I'm trying to grow us, and your assistance might really make a difference.
I know we're all eagerly awaiting results from our witch-hunt contest, and, soon, our self-portrait contest. I admit, I should have had them by now, but I don't. I promise to deliver them with the next chapter of this contest.
I'm not very certain about it yet, but I've done a lot of research into the writing theory for the 'whodunit' story and I'm willing to accompany these chapters with educational ones, if there's enough interest. While I would love to work very much for any individual, I don't absolutely have the time to spend hours collating research for a select few. So, lemme know if you want.
I'd very much like to hear your initial thoughts on this August contest, and I'll ask for feedback on the following chapters. Feel free to provide me with your opinions, suggestions, and let me know what you liked or disliked. Maybe if things go well, we can look at doing another big community project in October.
Finally, I don't particularly like all of these characters. I love some, and I hate others, but it's difficult to make so many interesting characters at once. If you claim a character, I'm more than willing to allow you to redefine some aspects of their personality or their manner. You'd just have to run it by me so that I can know if it would impact the mystery in way, and that I can provide appropriate details if another character is closely associated with yours.
I want to promise that I'll be super involved with this contest, comment on entries and make jokes and observations and everything, but, again, I might not always be able to.
I feel very stand-offish, to be honest, and I don't mean to come across that way. I'm certainly not complaining about running the contests – I love it. When I lament about having to juggle the contest along with my jobs or life, I only do that in a way to provide mitigating circumstances for myself. I want you all to understand that I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, and I'm not better than anybody here. We all have things, and I've been blessed to let the contests be my thing. I think we have a good community, and your support and contribution to that is more important than mine.
Ew, I'm sounding emotional. I better stop now.
Well, anyway, I look forward to this!
Bye!