[Forum Game] The Failed Gunpowder Plot
You've received disturbing news: one of your island settlers is planning to blow up the Mayor's House this November 5th! Their identity remains unknown, but your guards intercepted a letter which all but confirms the plot is real: an anonymous shipment for barrels of gunpowder to be deposited in a warehouse near the intended target. You can use this information to apprehend the culprit, but you must wait until the last minute to catch them red-handed and prove their guilt. How will it go down? You decide!
For this forum game, we'd like you to fill in the blanks and finish the story:
- How do you apprehend the culprit and prevent the plot?
- Who are they? (you can use an existing NPC, or invent a new one!)
- What were their motives for this rebellious act?
We're looking for a minimum of 100 words. Bonus points will go to those who can come up with creative, original and humorous stories - let your imagination go wild! We'll also reward the best contributions with some salvaged loot!
The deadline for entries will be 23:59 GMT on November 5th!
If you have any questions, send me a private message and I will answer them; adding any that I feel pertinent to this main post.
Happy writing!
Case File #1.1 - Dodgy Dealings in Da Bush by PC Gonemad
I was proceeding in a Westerley direction after responding to a disturbance from the local tavern. Three woodcutters (known locally as tree fellas) were complaining about odd noises coming from the base of a spooky tree.
On interviewing the complainants, it became evident that the brew in said local tavern was stronger than it should have been - it was way above Kegi-7.
However the landlord backed up their story, saying he too had heard shuffling sounds emanating from under the spooky tree. I decided then I should head over and do a reconnaissance on the alarming arbour. Upon my arrival, I was astounded to also hear shifty shufflings from under the shrubbery!
I poked about and found the leaves were part of a huge camoflague net concealing a series of steps leading under the spooky tree's trunk. There were hundreds of aisles leading off into various directions. To my utter amazement I spotted Elliot and a barrel of what appeared to be gunpowder.
"Oi Elliot, what are Yew doing"? I asked Plane-ly (I could have gone on and on with this branch of questioning , but decided to leaf it alone :p :)
He turned to face me stating, "Im going to blow up everyone's Mayor's House and deplete the stock of unwanted barrells. This time next year, I'll be a millionaire when they need them for their Werewolf Howl buffs, mwahahaha..."
Sadly for Elliot, once I explained that we could probably recoup most of the barrels needed for this task in a week, his head exploded and we had a clean up on aisle 4.
The good news is that Elliot is recuperating in a field hospital and is expected to return next year...
Report of the investigation arround the 5th November
In the second year of the Phoenix under the reign of our Lord and King Damien I, may he live long and prosper, I was tasked by his Royal Grand Vizier BB_Saqui to investigate troubling news.
An unknown settler was said to have amassed a shipload of barrels full of gunpowder in the nearest warehouse to the Mayor's House. This along with the date of the 5th November were my only clues. Thus I began my investigation.
I first inspected the warehouse, whose owner willingly agreed to leave the barrels so as to catch the miscreant. He however only had communicated with said settler via letters and thus was unable to give me a description. The letters in his possession did give us a name though: Guy Fawkes. From my travels abroad I knew this name to be of a man long dead, but could guess on the intent – to blow up the Mayor's House!
My next clue came from Lord Drinian the captain of the Dawn Treader, an honest man and of good repute, additionally to the 3 scores of gunpowder barrels he had delivered different metal salts. Consulting one of our scientists I was rather bewildered as some were somewhat dangerous and all of them used in different scientific experiments. Alas, a very puzzling clue.
Knowing of the so-called Gunpowder Plot of the original Guy Fawkes, I ordered the basement of the Mayor's House searched without finding anything and then doubled the guards.
The next day the warehouse owner came to me terrified, one of his workers had helped loading most of the barrels with gunpowder onto a cart which then went off to an unknown destination. The worker had been off work the previous days and had not been instructed to hold the barrels. The owner seemed to fear imprisonment, however I could calm him down. (Let it be known that guards with loose tongues are not fit for important guard duty.)
With a description of the cart I met with my informants, street urchins and children see more than one would think. Soon I was on my way out of the city into the 9th district, the farthest and most secluded one of them all. I came to a well guarded compound, warning about fire and to wear protection. I had found the evildoers lair.
Upon nearing the gate I was apprehended by the guards and in no friendly words told to leave and not return. I did leave, but I also returned – with the Royal Guard no less! The area was quickly cordoned off and the guards silently taken out and held to be interrogated later. Inside the walls we found a large laboratory and a small villa, I divided the troops to surround the lab and search the villa first. The guards came out with a frightened cook and two maids, who told us their master and his son were in the laboratory. They also spoke of coloured lights at night, which I thought to be Aurelia Borealis this far north.
Knowing the two men to be in the laboratory we had surrounded, I called for them to come out, hands high. And so they did, two flustered men one barely of age, the other dishevelled and with a slightly burned beard. I had them arrested for treason, and sent them off to be interrogated.
Alas, the interrogation showed my to be on the wrong, for these scientific men had heard of the fine art of fireworks and experimented to make a grand display for the 5th November, which all of us had forgotten to be the Coronation Day of our Lord and King Damien I!
I offered my profound apologies to them and advised them not store explosives near the Mayor's House without notification. On a side note we also found the fathers name to be Guy Faulkner, but his scribble was to illegible.
Gamia, loyal servant of our beloved King