FIRST TRIAL

[umbralant]

Trial I

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The opera house doesn't seem to have gotten any changes. There are no lights on the windows, the lobby is dark. Only when everyone is gathered there something does happen: Rembrandt appears, opening the main stage doors, the large and heavy doors creaking when they open.

Rembrandt herds everything together, guiding them down the halls of the seating area. You better not stray from the hallway -- there's a very palpable sensation that something's deeply wrong about this place. You may perhaps see the form of something moving, blending with the darkness. Wait...it's several forms. A few pairs of intensely blue eyes, eyes that so far only Ango may have seen before, gaze at everybody. You really shouldn't try to approach. At least they don't try to come closer, cowed by Rembrandt's presence.

The main stage is the objective here. It's lit rather brightly, with the spotlights the Lady had used for her introduction a few days ago, illuminating the stage. In what's a rather ominous touch, the backdrop depicts hellfire. There aren't any props around, other than a few seats that seem to be spares for seats in one of the minor auditoriums, not even enough seats for everyone. Rembrandt blends into the darkness.

"Welcome!"

That's the Lady's voice, coming from high up. Looking up, you'll find a balcony to a side, large and with two seats. There's the Lady, wearing her dress, visible even in the darkness. She's standing up right now and leaning on the railing, shouting at them.

"Let's try to make this short and sweet. We figured it'd be fun if you all got to discuss who killed dear annoying Elliot. Give us a name, and we'll execute that person. Nice and simple, don't you think?"

"So, culprit who saved so many people from us...now you have to struggle for your own life. Oh, we never told you about this before? Don't feel bad, there's a lot we don't tell you all about. She sits down, adjusting her dress.

"I'm not going to pretend I care about you all catching the right person. Just give us a name and let the culprit go free, for all I care. Get started, we don't have all day to do this! You only have seven hours! Get moving!"

Here you are, all the actors in this impromptu play about justice, and the audience is...well there certainly is an audience larger than you were expecting. Everyone will hear the noises of those things moving around in the seating area, from time to time directing their eyes at the group, but they still make no attempt to approach. Looks like the audience that really matters is up there, in the balcony.

Let the trial for the death of Elliot Schafer begin.

[OOC NOTE: From the halfway point of the trial and onwards, you'll have the option to ask the masterminds for the chance to get a hint! Be warned, though: the price will involve some body horror for your character. Keep that in mind when deciding to use this option!]

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Comments

[pr159]

It's not impossible, since the impact was to the very top of the head, but it did strike me as rather improbable, especially when taking the hand injuries into account. One would seem to imply that he fell straight onto his head and simply fell over , while the other would indicate a much rougher landing, if the wounds hadn't been acquired prior to falling.

[ortion]

Going off of that last bit then, do you suppose the fall could be the result of a struggle up in the clock tower?

[pr159]

It could have been.

[raventhaw]

I checked for blood up in the clock tower for any signs of a struggle.

There was nothing. However... [ she looks over at the spells list. ] If anyone were to have Sanguis, they could have manipulated the crime scene so there was no blood left.

So yes, it's possible.

[pr159]

On that note, I'm a little curious about that "Gravitas" one as well, since we're talking about falling. There wasn't extensive damage to the stone near the body, though.

[ so probably not relevant? but putting it out there anyway ]

[raventhaw]

Interesting.

[ hmmm. ]

And what do you think Gravitas might have been used for?

[pr159]

For increasing the impact of a fall, maybe? Or making it more difficult to climb back up.

[raventhaw]

Perhaps, but I'd imagine that if that were the case, his skull and his body would've been far more shattered.

[pr159]

Agreed... the latter part seemed more likely, but it sounds like that isn't really how it works anyway.

[galrarm]

Gravitas is my power. I haven't used it much aside from getting a feel for it, but there are aftereffects. Objects I made lighter were crushed--objects made heavier looked like they "burst."

[raventhaw]

[ she gives shiro a Look, then: ]

Then it doesn't sound Gravitas was at play, here. At least not in regards to the fall itself.

...Unless he had Gravitas, tried to make himself lighter, and wound up crushing his body as a result.

[galrarm]

[ raises his eyebrows at that look!! ]

I'm not sure he did. Using it on yourself doesn't result in the penalties, at least.

[wishuponazoi]

Would either of those effects account for what happened to Elliot's head, do you think?

[galrarm]

I don't think so.

[pr159]

Interesting... Then I'll assume that probably wasn't relevant here. The explanation is appreciated.

[galrarm]

No problem.

[noellemadic]

What if the power doesn't affect the foam statue that much? It's foam.

[Noelle frowns]

Not that I can think why you'd want to make that thing be lighter or heavier.

[galrarm]

I didn't try it out on anything foam, so I couldn't say.

[drydrown]

Does anyone know what ability Elliot was given?

[Just through curiosity.]

[baitless]

Most of the serious injuries were internal aside from the head wound, though, weren't they? Though... that is indeed the most egregious one.

[raventhaw]

Sure, but I was considering the possibility that Elliot and his assailant got into a struggle before he was pushed. If there was blood left behind it would have supported that theory and it could explain some of the injuries on his hands, but alas.

[baitless]

Oh, no, that is what I mean. We're not entirely sure if all the bones were broken by the fall, even if it seems likely many of them were... but at the same time, the biggest inconsistency is the head wound itself.

[raventhaw]

I see. Thank you for clearing that up.

[ she sounds sincere about that, too. ]

The head wound is puzzling and still doesn't explain how the rest of his face was left relatively unscathed.

[baitless]

If you kill someone from behind, it will not leave much of a mark on their face.

[he says that with a distressing amount of certainty.

...hMMMMMM]

I really am wondering if someone struck Elliot from behind and it knocked him off the tower, really. I feel as though that would account for the setup we see here.

[raventhaw]

Sure, but I'm more concerned with the lack of distortion from the fall itself. I'd imagine that if he landed that hard, there would've been some broken bones in his face.

...Unless he landed directly on that spot on his head.