English Murder Mystery
Power, Plots and Pistols (A4+ box)
This game is for 8-10 players and contains:
Instructions, 10 Character Booklets, 10 Invitations (with character descriptions and colour portraits to assist with costume selection), Secret Clues, Table Place Names, 10 Envelopes, Narrative CD. There is no difference in the game contents or script between the A4 and A5 box versions.
What
I nside this great game, you'll find a cavalier murder mystery, for 8-10 round heads!
Invite your fellow Lords, Ladies and not-so-gentle-men,
on a riotous return to seventeenth century England,
to a period of trouble 'n strife, where the plotting is rife,
and you'd better hang on to...
your money and your life!
Prepare to lose your head in a night of thrills, spills and laughter!
Featuring some familiar English faces...
Where
S et in the English county of Buckinghamshire, our story revolves around the horrific murder of Lord Henry Blacksnake, whose body has been found lying next to his severed head, on the floor of the Great Hall of Buckingham Castle.
As confusion reigns in the darkness, the Night Watch immediately seals off all castle exits and ensures that no one leaves. A fretful night of fear ensues, but fortunately, dawn sees the coincidental arrival of self appointed 'Witchfinder General', Matthew Hopkins, who immediately assumes control of the situation, and, suspecting foul play, calls for an Inquisition of those characters found within the castle walls.
For those involved, the stakes could not be higher, as Hopkins decrees that the person selected by the others as being the likely murderer, will be immediately taken to the castle dungeons for a period of relentless torture at the master inquisitor's hands, until they are ready to admit their guilt. Hopkins is confident the guilty party will be found, as his tried and tested methods have yet to fail!
Who
The Eight Murder suspects: (hover over each one to learn more...)
Dick Turpin:
He is 'The Dandy Highwayman' - who they're too scared to mention! He spends his time robbing the rich to feed....errm....himself, and to finance his extravagent lifestyle.
Black Bess:
The most daring highwaywoman in England. A poor orphan from an unknown background, she is known as 'The People's Champion', as she gives most of her takings to the county's peasants.
Edmund Blacksnake:
Son and heir to the Blacksnake Lordship and Manor. He has a well-earned reputation for sadism, due to his fondness for the torture and murder of peasants.
Lady Blacksnake:
Lord Henry's third and current wife. A devout Catholic; she is increasingly concerned at the growing popularity of religious persecution.
Oliver Cromley:
The thoroughly devious Sheriff of Buckingham. He works for Lord Blacksnake, but seems to spend more time scheming with his deputies than actually solving any crimes.
Old Mother Shipton:
Almost nothing is known about her! No one knows who she is or where she's come from, as they've never seen her before - or so they think! She should take care; in this day and age she could be mistaken for a witch!
Claude Duval:
'The Gallant Highwayman'. His courteous manner, avoidance of violence and fashionable attire, have earned him a reputation as a true 'gentleman of the road'.
Maid Mary-Anne:
Lady-in-waiting to Lady Blacksnake. She has lived in Buckingham Castle since being orphaned at birth and taken in by Lord and Lady Blacksnake.
plus two optional characters
Samuel Pepys:
A leading socialite and famous diarist. His entertaining accounts of the intrigues of C17th Court have made him a much sought after dinner guest.
Nell Gwyne:
The most popular and famous actress in England. She started out selling oranges in Covent Garden, but her quick wit, beauty and talent, soon ensured she was successfully 'treading the boards' at the local theatre house.
When
T he year is 1649 and we find ourselves in King Charles I's England, a country torn apart by years of civil war and religious persecution.
One place the Grim Reaper is hard at work is the Manor of Buckingham, in the county of Buckinghamshire, where an unhealthy dose of the plague, and a spate of highway robberies, have seen the county become ever more isolated and close to ungovernable. Increasingly frail, Lord Henry Blacksnake's grip on power is slowly ebbing away, and the vultures are beginning to circle.
Struck down with a moderate case of the 'Black Death', Lord Henry has confined himself to his bedchamber, and now sees only his immediate family and personal servants, all of whom believe, with varying degrees of sadness, that the end must soon be near.
It is with complete shock then, that his freshly severed head and body are found in the darkness of the Great Hall of Buckingham Castle. The alarm is raised and the Night Watch immediately seals off all exits to the castle.
Dawn sees the coincidental arrival of 'Witchfinder General', Matthew Hopkins, who immediately assumes control and calls for a formal inquisition of all those found within the castle walls, some of whom we would expect to be there, and some of whom, we would not.
Why
The Motives for Murder:
I n amongst the political plotting, passion and power struggles that surrounded Lord Henry Blacksnake, we find a non too surprising array of motives for murder amongst the assembled 'guests'.
All eventually rear their ugly heads in a night most will wish had never happened. Each guest should try to unravel the tangled threads running through the evening's rich tapestry, until they finally arrive at the killer's door!