Venus Muufo was murdered! I asked the citizens of Ur to visit my tower and crack the case. Thanks to your help, we now know exactly what happened that night...
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Gwendolyn killed Venus in the study with the fancy pick. Earlier that day Venus called Gwendolyn to brag about her latest treasure, a Nyanite necklace that Gwendolyn herself had her heart set on. Venus knew this was Gwendolyn's goal and flaunted the possession anyway, which was the last straw for Gwen.
Gwendolyn was tired of Venus taking everything from her so easily because of her inherited fortune. Gwen planned her revenge for the night of the party.
During dinner, Venus bragged about her necklace and Gwen became even more furious. Helga and the Rube were flirting, angering Friendly. His anger left a residue of Friendly acid in his chair. The Rook, seated between the Rube and Helga, was extremely annoyed and on the verge of attack.
After dinner, Helga summoned the Rube (with rubeweed essence) for a rendezvous on the terrace. The magic rock was bored and watched the fish in the lounge. The rook stayed in the dining room, trying not to attack. Friendly, Gwendolyn, Smuggler, and Venus had drinks in the ballroom. While Venus and Smuggler flirted, Gwendolyn grilled Friendly about the family vault and Venus, looking for something she could use.
When Venus left for the bathroom and Friendly went down to the lounge, drunk, Gwendolyn used the opportunity to get something from Smuggler. She drugged him with laughing gas and Amorous Philtre, luring him into Venus' dark bedroom, pretending to be her. She asked him for the mirror piece and he said he didn't have it, which was true. It was upstairs, waiting to be presented as a gift. Gwen had no time, the potion was going to wear off and she left in a fury, tearing a pillow with her fancy pick.
Gwen went to the observatory, where she found the gift, and began to look further for clues. She found the vault behind the loveseat and cracked it with her pick, but the necklace was not inside. She knew she had to get it from Venus herself, so she decided to swap Venus' drink for one with plums in it. She whipped up a cosma-politan in the observatory, stashing the scraper she used to get the ice behind the chair.
She asked Venus to show her the necklace, and as they walked down to the study venus was unknowingly drinking plum juice. When venus showed her the necklace, Gwen grabbed it, causing Venus to shout. But her throat and lips were starting to swell, and she was soon unable to speak. There was a struggle, which was heard by the meal vendor downstairs. He only heard one pair of footsteps because Gwen is a ghost.
Gwen ended the fight with her fancy pick, hitting Venus in the head, causing her swollen lips to fall to the floor. Her blood seeped through the creaky floorboards to the kitchen below. The necklace broke as well.
Gwen rushed downstairs and began to bury Venus to hide the evidence, but couldn't finish before the Greeterbot returned. She abandoned the scene and rushed back upstairs to feign innocence.
Now, Venus is a ghost, too. Look out, Gwen!
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Everyone had great guesses! The creativity was incredible. Some of my favorite incorrect guesses:
-I was the murderer, organizing this whole contest to point the blame at someone else
-Hell's Bartender killed Venus, because he's secretly her father and wants to be together again
-The Rube killed Venus, offering her a trade of her life for the Necklace
-The Rube and Helga threw Venus off of the Terrace to get her inheritance
-Venus was killed with the Pleasing Amber, the missing gem from her collection
-Venus committed suicide
-The rook attacked because Venus forgot to get rook balm
-Friendly put plums in Venus' cosmo to prevent her from revealing the Helga/Rube affair, accidentally kiling her.
-Venus was crushed by the statue in the hall, causing the hole in the ground.
-Strangled with the necklace by the rube
I know I'm forgetting some great ones...so feel free to post your theories in here if I missed yours!
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There were quite a few correct guesses too, but the biggest prizes are going to those who were also able to figure out some of the other events leading up to the murder. There were two in particular that really stood out, and it was a tough decision.
That said, I'd like to congratulate Neixik as the grand prize winner, for not only getting the 3 essential elements correct (who, where, how), but getting most of the back story as well. Well done! I've sent your funpickle via mail.
The runner-up is Dark Daphne, who also had a correct guess with most of the other events, only missing the part about Gwen drugging the smuggler. I've sent you the Nyanite necklace that Gwendolyn and Venus were fighting over. Keep it safe and watch out for vengeful ghosts!
Second runner-up is bayBi, for another correct guess with some of the other events. I am sending you a rook cubimal.
I didn't anticipate so many winners! Great job everyone!
Thanks so much to every who played and made this worthwhile. I really setting this up and interacting with you as it went on. It was fun to occasionally pop in and see a group of your sleuthing together. I enjoyed reading your theories and giving you my most valuable items! Now let's go enjoy our last week in Glitch! :) I will miss this!
-Peacock
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COMPLETE LIST OF CLUES
Hall:
-Behind first pillar: Greeterbot interview (reveals that he found venus in the hole with no blood)
-Shovel and hole, implies that it was dug, not created by falling Venus or statue
-Family history (creates motives for several guests, reveals reason for venus' wealth)
-Gnome and Steve O'Lantern interviews (useless)
Lounge:
-Uncle Friendly interview: Reveals someone was asking about Venus' favorite drink and where the vault is. Killer's motive could be her collection.
-Magic Rock interview: Reveals Gwen was upset by Venus' bragging during dinner.
-Spindle: Red herring. Unrelated.
Kitchen:
-Interview with meal vendor hidden behind flowers: reveals there was a fight upstairs, he heard one voice (Venus couldn't speak) and one pair of footsteps (Gwen is a ghost). The floorboards are old, so the sound (and blood) came through.
-Blood dripping from ceiling
Study:
-On top shelf behind fish: Note: if only fish could talk. Ambiguous clue...but they are the only witnesses to the murder.
-To-do list on computer: reveals a lot of Venus' plans for the day and what she got done.
-Nyanite necklace is broken and has moved. There was a fight.
-Fancy pick and lips. Venus was attacked in the mouth.
-Interview with Rube: He came here to saw goodbye
Dining room:
-Rook interview: Reveals Helga/Rube affair
-Friendly acid: Friendly was mad.
-Diary page in fire: Reveals that Venus knows Gwen is jealous.
-Seating arrangement (behind pink chair)
Bedroom:
-Photos in camera: Reveal that laughing gas and amorous philtre were not there before party, necklace has moved. Venus is an narcissistic egomaniac.
-Laughing gas and amorous philtre: used to subdue the smuggler
-Fiber: pillow was torn by Gwen when she left.
-Brush, flower: Belong to Venus, were at her vanity in the photo.
-Interview with smuggler: He is delirious.
-Interview with pink bear: Witnessed Gwen trying to trick smuggler
Ballroom:
-Party staff: list under lava lamp
-Interview with Sloth: He was playing loud music when everyone but Friendly had left the room. Made it hard to hear what was going on nearby.
-Interview with Hell's Bartender: Reveals he didn't make the cosmo, it's not on the menu. He worked this party as a favor to Venus. (I love the theory that he was her dad, so let's just say it's true ok? haha)
Observatory:
-Cosma-politan ingredients (fruity juice has plums)
-Unwrapped gift from smuggler to Venus
-Empty vault behind loveseat
-Focusing orb: Irrelevant. Maybe Gwen used it to get in the zone.
-Interview with Gwen (behind ghost) - A hint of jealous in her testimony about Venus
-Scraper behind chair, from ice for cosmo
Terrace:
-Plate of beans, high class hoe: irrelevant. Unless you want to see a metaphor.
-Helga interview: She was up here with a friend (her lover, the Rube, as summoned with the essence on the table)