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The Mystery of the Key

the Chou mansion

The Chou mansion

Chou, Liu and Wang have always been friends. Twenty years ago, they went together to the Capital for the examinations. Now their families live in Kao Yang. Chou has a daughter, Wang a son.

Wang's son, Chao Tung,has an illicit relationship with Chou's dauger, Pure Jade. One night, he is unable to arrive at the rendez-vous at the appointed time because his mother is ill. A few nights earlier Pure Jade has given the impoverished Chao Tung a few of her jewels to sell, so he's able to buy medicine for his mother. He has sold the hairpins to a local jeweller, Lin Dawen, who also also appear in The Goddess of Mercy, who sometimes sells antiquities to the judge.

A local ruffian, Tsjoe Sjen-pa, sees the garden gate half-open and enter the garden, meaning to steal whatever he can. He finds Pure Jade and Aster in the garden pavillion and tries to rape both. Aster flees, but Pure Jade is raped and killed.

When Chao Tung finally arrives he finds Tsjoe busy killing Pure Jade. After a fight, both men flee. The next day the Judge is informed.


The Gamesmaster is of course free to add more clues, especially if the players come up with something plausible. Deleting clues because they are too easily spotted is not a good idea, however, since the players do play intelligent investigators, not clueless readers of mystery fiction.



© 1999 Boudewijn Rempt - Optimized for Lynx