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re: Mystery Solved - Pie Thief Revealed!
 by Kiralynn of Rohan on 2013/01/22 11:08 am
Dozens of guests gathered at Windy Acres Ranch on Saturday the 19th to participate in a special roleplaying event. The Ranch hosted "Mrs. Potts Missing Patries or the Perturbing Paradox of the Purloined Pecan Pies", a game similar to a murder mystery party. The hostess, five suspects and a chief investigator told an intriguing tale of cheating and revenge. Guests took the role of investigators - bounders, sheriffs, constables and rangers.
The investigators were given one hour to find clues, interview suspects, sift through gossip and solve the crime. In order to win the game, they would have to correctly deduce who was responsible and why the crime was committed.
Chief Investigator Mianda welcomed the investigators to the scene of the crime:
| Quote: | "Greetings, investigators! A crime has occurred here at Windy Acres Ranch and we need your assistance. The victim is Mrs. Potts, a hobbit baker from Woodhall. Kiralynn, was preparing to host a food festival with a substantial monetary prize when Mrs. Potts' pecan pies went missing. Worse than that, her Buckland Bake-Off trophy was brutally smashed!
The scene of the crime is the festival tent in the center of the yard. Poor Mrs. Potts is terribly distraught, so she has retired to a friend’s home. She isn't fit to be interviewed at the moment. However, there were five individuals here that could be responsible. I ask that you interview them, look at the evidence, and determine what took place. Who is responsible for this catastrophe and why did they do it?
Our suspects are Yahr, Morrdraug, Horazio, Naethril and Sigfrothr. They are forbidden to leave the faire until their names are cleared and the responsible person has been found. You can find them at different locations inside the ranch and out in the yard. Interview the suspects and examine the suspicious items I have uncovered at each location.
Please speak to the host, Kiralynn, in private when you are finished with your investigation. Tell her who commit the crime and why it was done. If you need help gathering clues, I will be here to assist you. The food festival cannot continue until the mystery is solved!" |
Participants traveled around the ranch asking pertinent questions and taking notes.
Investigators found Sigfrothr waiting at the windmill to be interviewed. There were pecan pie crumbs on his shirt. The missing pies were found sitting on a workbench inside the windmill, except for one that had been eaten. Sigfrothr had made repairs to the windmill earlier in the day.
Horatio was waiting upstairs in the ranch. On the fireplace mantle was a clue - Mrs. Potts' handbag containing a comb, handkerchief, coins, a hair tie, and a purchase receipt for "baked goods" from Holly Hornblower. In the fireplace, someone had tossed an open glass vial. The remaining contents, if any, had long since burned away.
Naethril waited by the bonfire in the front yard until it was her turn to answer questions. She appeared frustrated and angry. Her behavior was quite agitated. Morrdraug had left a tip jar sitting on one of the logs. He had planned to beg for tips while playing music during the faire.
Investigators spoke with Yahr at the main fireplace. He was holding a map of the Wildbury neighborhood with one house circled and Mrs. Potts' name written next to it. He also had an affectionate letter from his girlfriend Kelly, sent from a house in Wildbury. Kelly expressed her growing frustration with their long-distance relationship. Nearby, investigators found two mugs of ale - one had been drugged with Valora root extract.
Morrdraug strummed his lute and spoke to investigators at the scene of the crime, Mrs. Potts' large tent. A wooden mallet lie on the ground beneath the tent - the same mallet used by Sigfrothr to pitch the tent and repair the windmill. Several of the tent pegs were loose. The smashed Buckland Bake-Off trophy sat forlornly nearby.
After an hour, the host and Chief Investigator called everyone together in the ranch to reveal the mystery.
| Quote: | "Investigators, it is time to gather together and announce our findings! Here before you are the five suspects. Based on your research, I have been able to reconstruct the events that transpired. We shall soon see who is responsible for this crime and what drove them to such a disreputable act. The guilty party must make amends to the satisfaction of Mrs. Potts and the other suspects. If not, they will be sent to the Bree-town jail. Let the truth be known!
Morrdraug was sorry to see Mrs. Potts arrive at the food festival and wanted her to lose the competition. He is nearly broke from paying off a number of gambling debts. Emboldened by too much ale and goaded by Mrs. Pott’s bragging, Morrdraug bet that she wouldn’t win the food festival for a third year. He doesn’t have enough coin to pay the wager if he loses the bet. Although his drinking songs were intended to bias us toward Sigfrothr’s ale, he had no part in the crime. Morrdraug is innocent.
Sigfrothr hoped to see Mrs. Potts embarrassed and brought low. In fact, he laid plans to see it happen! Several tent pegs are loose and could pull free at any time. Sigfrothr hoped that the tent would fall during the competition, frightening and embarrassing Mrs. Potts. Considering how badly she pestered Sigfrothr, let’s try to forgive this attempted prank. While repairing the windmill, Sigfrothr found one of her pies and ate it, but he didn’t steal it. Sigfrothr is innocent." |
| Quote: | "Yahr shamefully plotted against Mrs. Potts but his nefarious plan was never brought to fruition. Yahr has a love interest named Kelly who lives in Wildbury, quite a long distance from his home. Kelly recently sent him a letter saying that she is growing weary of their long-distance relationship. Mrs. Potts has a vacation home in Wildbury which she has not used in years. Yahr has been trying for months to buy it but she refused to sell.
Determined relocate to Wildbury before Kelly gives up, Yahr poured Mrs. Potts a mug of ale and laced it with Valora root extract. The extract is a drug that would make her much easier to convince. Yahr hoped to leave the festival with a signed contract of sale. Fortunately, the theft and vandalism created quite a stir, so Mrs. Potts went home without so much as a sip of ale. We’ll need to keep a close eye on Yahr, but he didn’t steal the pies!
Horazio was repeatedly provoked by Mrs. Potts' taunts and jibes. In addition, Horazio needs to win the competition more than anyone. He plans to open a café soon and wants the food festival trophy to boost his reputation. Horazio learned from Sigfrothr that Mrs. Potts met with Holly Hornblower just before she left Woodhall to come to the faire. As most of you know, Holly is an accomplished pie chef from Hobbiton.
Horazio examined Mrs. Potts’ pies while the table was unattended and discovered something suspicious. The pies were baked in fancy tins that Horazio had given to Holly as a Yule gift. Holly must have baked the pies that Mrs. Potts claimed were her own. Horazio didn’t think the evidence was convincing enough to report. He was concerned that we would think she was making a spiteful accusation.
Horazio had to watch silently while Mrs. Potts got away with cheating. He had many reasons to eliminate Mrs. Potts from the competition. What did he do about it? Absolutely nothing. Horazio is innocent." |
| Quote: | "Naethril had the least reason to seek revenge against Mrs. Potts, or so you might think. Mrs. Potts has spread a rumor that she steals vegetables from her neighbors gardens because she can’t grow one of his own. She watched Mrs. Potts brag and gossip her way through the faire. She knew that Mrs. Potts had taken advantage of Sigfrothr’s kindness and generosity.
The last straw fell into place when Horazio confided in her. She learned that Mrs. Potts planned to win the cooking competition by cheating. Morrdraug would pay her coins that she didn’t earn, coins that he can ill afford. Mrs. Potts would take home the trophy that Horazio needs to open the café. Perhaps the Buckland Bake-off was also won by cheating!
When she couldn’t convince Horazio to come forward, Naethril sought revenge on behalf of everyone that Mrs. Potts wronged. She fetched Sigfrothr’s mallet, smashed the trophy, and hid the pies in the windmill. It is often easy to read the guilt on someone’s face, but Naethril probably felt justified in her actions.
Naethril was provoked and overall she has done little real harm. I suggest we deal with him leniently. She may not participate in this year’s cooking competition. She must apologize to Mrs. Potts. In addition, she will be subject to public ridicule.
I would like to thank all of our investigators for bringing this case to a successful conclusion. Please stay and enjoy the hospitality of Windy Acres Ranch. Food, ale and pipe-weed are available in abundance. Let the festival begin!" |
Naethril was thoroughly chastised by the crowd and pelted with rotten fruit. Four people had successfully solved the mystery. First place was awarded to Elanthiel, second to Cuthrek, and third to Kaleigh. Daeleg received an honorable mention. The food festival resumed. There was music, pipe-weed and ale for everyone.
Many thanks to the six actors who took on the roles of the NPCs in our story: Trignee as Mianda the Chief Investigator, Byrcha as Yahr the "suitor", Tuiliel as Morrdraug the "rake", Lennidhren as Horazio the "chef", Mornawen as Sigfrothr the "brewer", and Naethril playing herself. Their hard work and roleplaying skill made this event a great success.
We hope to host more roleplaying parties at Windy Acres Ranch. If you are interested in participating, please reply and let us know. Your feedback and suggestions are also welcome. Thank you for joining us and we'll see you at the races!
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