OLOS Mystery: Discovering the Clues

[Arson Anthem]

((This thread is open to anyone in the forum. But keep in mind: THIS THREAD IS IN-CHARACTER ONLY. That means all the standard rules apply - you can't be in two places at once, write like you've passed middle school English (please tell me you've all at least passed middle school English), cooperate with your fellow players, etc.

The events in this thread will progress according to the posts written on this thread: killjoytransmissions.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=missions&action=display&thread=353

That's "In the Beginning," written on behalf of the group laying out the clues to be solved. As of the creation of this thread, they've given their first clue, and that clue is about to be found by Incendiary Aftermath, Volume Virus, and Alexander Ludovico. Anyone else is welcome to get involved. When the group gives their next clue, anyone who interacts with it (and anything subsequent) should come here to write about it. If you have any questions, message me or ask them on the OOC ("out of character") thread that I'll be creating shortly ( "OLOS Mystery: OOC Discussion")

Have fun, zone runners!))

[Alexander Ludovico]

(Copied over from "If this is the frontline..." pg 182)

*I watch the town as the first buildings come into view. The houses are modest but not run down; this close to the city, the living isn't too rough. The roads are pretty well-kept, and though no one can spare water for lawns or flowers, the residents haven't let the wilderness get much of a foothold. I just barely open my door, waiting for Volume to stop before pushing it wide and stepping out.* Main street, *I narrate for Aftermath, pointing out each area.* That way are the shops, the city walls are barely visible back over there, and the first responders found the victims in the middle of the third intersection straight that way. I'll follow your lead.

[Incendiary Aftermath]

*I take my cane and exit the car. I step out and start walking along main street. Something I notice right away is that the town is quiet. Empty. It's eerie. I reach the intersection and examine the crime scene. Everything seems surreal. I talk into my radio.* I don't see anything strange here at the crime scene. BLI cleaned up pretty good. but... Vico, you didn't tell me the town had been evacuated.

[Alexander Ludovico]

*I frown, hitting the transmit button on my own radio* Evacuated? What do you mean? There was a population drop after the hit, when people got scared. But there are still at least three dozen families in permanent residence. *I glance at Volume, who's still sitting in the car, then down the empty street*

[Incendiary Aftermath]

Well, there's no one here, Vico. I mean no one. *I grab a rock and toss it at the nearest window. It shatters and not another sound is heard. Not even a dog barking.* It's a ghost town, Vico. Literally. Are you sure we're at the right place?

[Alexander Ludovico]

*I start down the street after him, seeing the proof of his words in every empty house I pass. But I don't get it... I'd have heard of a village-wide immigration to the city. Hell, I'd probably have been called in to help with the flood of paperwork. And yet there's no one here.*

*I join Aftermath a minute or two later, looking around the deserted intersection.* Yeah, we're in the right place. *I nod towards a bookstore named after the town.* But then where... *I trail off, my eye caught by motion off to one side. I cross the street and move a short ways down a side street, trying to get a clear view of the low hills visible between the buildings on the far side of town.* Aftermath, does that look like an unusually large number of crows?

[Incendiary Aftermath]

Well, do you mean the bird or... *I get to where Vico is and gaze over the hills at a giant mass of black birds.* Holy shit, that's a ton of birds. What are they doing...? *I take my cane and fire a shot into the air. The birds become startled and begin to fly away.* Oh... I think we found the residents...

[Alexander Ludovico]

*I start down the street without replying, wrapping the cord around my fingers as I go. Not that I'll need to defend myself against any of those poor bastards...*

*The closer we get, the worse it looks ((see "In the Beginning" reply #7)). And if the heaped pile of corpses isn't bad enough, there are five figures tied up like macabre scarecrows. I stay about a dozen yards away, one arm raised to cover my nose and mouth. They don't look like they've been here long, but when the weather hits 110, things go bad pretty quickly*

This isn't the same M.O., *I say to Aftermath, my voice muffled through my sleeve. I've seen my share of bodies, but I can't help feeling a bit queasy.* Whatever this is, it's new.

[Incendiary Aftermath]

*I turn to Vico* Really? You mean this wasn't here before? How strange! *I roll my eyes and examine the bodies. The stench is... morbid, to say the least. The bodies aren't spread randomly, they're organized. Set up.* Vico, this isn't just random. There's a pattern.

[Alexander Ludovico]

*I wave him off* I meant it wasn't done by the same group, O intelligent one. And what do you mean, it's a pattern? It's a massacre, that's all, with some ill-conceived landmarks. *I nod towards the five standing bodies.* Though the ghost hood on that one is odd. I mean, they're all dead. Why's that one got to be obvious?

[Incendiary Aftermath]

*I walk closer and inspect the bodies. I'm able to get passed the smell and look closer at the bodies. The ones on the ground are all shot clean through the skull twice. The exit wound is on the front, however.* This isn't a massacre. Massacres are random. Messy. This is orchestrated. *I walk up to the one with a ghost hood on. A song becomes stuck in my head.* Vico, did you listen to any rock before the war?

[Alexander Ludovico]

Not particularly. I never went out of my way to find anything other than what might be on the radio at the time. Why? *I follow him in a wide circle, looking at the scene from all sides as I pass. I have to admit he's right, though; there's something clearly deliberate about the setup.*

[Incendiary Aftermath]

Something stuck in my head, right now. An old song. The crime scene reminds me of a song from when I was younger. Told the story of someone that needed to save his love from the devil, but the only way to do that was to gather the bodies of one thousand evil men. *I move one of the bodies aside and then gaze at the one wearing the mask.* And this one... A phantom to lead them in the summer...

[Alexander Ludovico]

So, what? The killers are using murder to call to mind golden oldies? I have to say, so far as boosting record sales goes, that's a pretty lousy marketing strategy. Besides, there's certainly not a thousand bodies here. Either they're underachievers or they just can't count. *I'm running on longer than I should be, I know, and this is nothing to be taken lightly, but I can't seem to stop myself. Every time I think I'm getting used to it, some new grisly detail jumps out at me.*

[Incendiary Aftermath]

There's a hundred. The population of the town wasn't anywhere near that number. This was planned, and coordinated. The number is too exact. They're trying to do something. Trying to show someone something. Directing us. *I take notice of where the corpse is pointing.* What's the significance of where he's pointing? Is there anything in that direction, Vico?