Dreadlords A Knife For the Ribs

Threads open to all members of the Dreadlords group
Murder was certainly outlawed between the Initiates, but what were the consequences when one was useless to the influence?

All day something did not sit right within her. Vittoria had felt overwhelming need to put an end to someone's life, to watch as they took their last breath, but despite the destruction she was capable of, she never put her classmates in harm's way that it may invite Death.

They had all heard the news hours after a scream broke out near the dormitories that woke them before dawn. Initiate Hidesport's body had been ripped apart. Her limbs thrown about the courtyard between the dorms, her insides littered about the still functioning fountain. All that was missing was her head.

The only thing to identify the body was the ring around one finger, a signet with the initials of the noble girl's family below the House crest.

Classes had been halted.

Vittoria had been summoned to meet the authorities, and a rage coiled inside her to battle the uneasy feeling. Insulted that she was the first suspect, that the Vigilite that had arrived later that day had even thought as to waste their time by summoning her for questioning. She rounded the corner of the hallway that lead to the empty classroom the investigation was being conducted in, but Vittoria came to a stop.

Lined up outside the door were three other Initiates of her class. She stared at them, her mind already working to find the missing pieces to this puzzle.


"Well..." It was rather difficult for Vittoria to admit this, but it made the most sense. "You three had your Assassins cards taken by Hidesport?"




An Innocent Game That Led to Murder!

Context for this thread is that the 4.0 class participated in a game of Assassins, where they all start with their name written on parchment and had to be worn visible upon their person.

  • The game was live for four days, and on the fifth morning, Hidesport's body was found.
  • During these four days, your character would have had a run in with Hidesport and in which resulted in you 'dying' in the game once she took your cards.
  • To kill another player, you take their name card and add it to your collection. It is up to you how many they collected before Hidesport stole them all.
  • There is no magic throughout this game! Nullifying measures have been undertaken to ensure all Initiates adhere to the rules and learn how to operate without their magic for a long period of time, expected to be able to last the week set aside to this game.
  • The game of Assassins is paused for the day while the investigation is ongoing, but the magic nullifiers are still activated.
 
"...Yep," Blake answered flatly, glancing towards Larrainth. She would have groaned at the sight of her, but there was nothing more upsetting to the stomach than the sight of a freshly exploded girl, so Vittoria's presence barely bothered Blake today.

Sans magic, Blake really thought this little game was going to be a no-brainer for her. With all her athletic and acrobatic skill it felt like she'd be untouchable in a world where only physical skill and wit were permitted. Unfortunately, for all the former Blake had, she was outmatched in the latter.

"Never expected her to hide in the storage cupboard in the bathroom. Got me with my pants down...literally."

Blake yawned and slouched, bored in her confidence that she would not be found responsible. In fact, if Larrainth were among the suspects it really wouldn't have surprised Blake if they just pinned it on her and called it a day.
"Wonder what happened? Didn't think it was likely for a girl that smart to get, well...ripped apart like that..."
 
"Unfortunately."

When Takoda was first called for questioning, he originally believed it was simply for him to be reprimanded for his performance at the event. Imagine his surprise when he was told the reason for his failure had ended up dead.

It seemed that when life and death were on the line, Hidesport was not as skilled as she had demonstrated in class. Then again, the grotesque murder had showcased not a lack of skill, but an overall lack of power to be dismantled so thoroughly. He could only feel pity for the deceased initiate.

He was not going to be explaining to this party of suspects how Hidesport had managed to take his card as it was rather embarrassing. Every day Koda liked to spend at least an hour training on the obstacle course to better train his balance and tactical awareness. Sadly, it seemed one part of tactical awareness he had not yet mastered was noticing when things slipped from his pocket. The girl had already been watching him in wait and literally just ran up and plucked the card from the ground.

He had been enraged by his sloppy carelessness when he realized what had happened.
 
A fair distance from the other two, Colt was smoking a cigar. Colt had in fact participated in the 'Assassin' game, but made his own game of it. Instead of surprising folks and ripping names off their person he instead challenged others to a winner-take-all game of cards. Hidesport was his seventh game, and he was certain Hidesport had cheated. Namely because he was cheating himself. The way his last game went however, he couldn't reveal Hidesport's duplicity without also revealing his own. Rather than alert the other six he'd bested Colt kept had decided to accept defeat.

"Smartest girl in the world is just a girl to the claws of a beast, the ax of a brigand, or the fire of a mage." Colt responded to Blake . He notably didn't answer Vittoria Larrainth 's question. She wasn't a Proctor, or an investigator, but a classmate. Why would he?

"The game presents a simple thread to pull, but no one here operates like that. This is a waste of our time." Colt pulled the cigar to his lips. At least he could enjoy a good smoke.
 
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