So, what do YOU guys think happened here? Let me know in the comments. :)
I know I'm in the minority in this, but I've never liked Clue - neither the board game nor the movie. I might like it more if it also came with options like "Mister Redbeard in the conservatory with a Battleaxe!"
Nah, I probably wouldn't. :)
~Rob
His rival Dr. Newridge finally snapped?
A track star broke his record in the javelin throw.
I have the dungeons and dragons version of clue that also has monsters you can fight.
It looks like someone finally successfully defended their thesis.
The Prof thought he had broken the student’s guard, but the student was able to repose and got in a lucky strike.
I am pondering the possibility that he’s not dead, just pulling a prank. Jaina not necessarily being the intended target 😉
A performance art piece, obviously.
Since Clue isn’t an option and this isn’t a train I’ll go for the next famed mystery plot and suggest that our heroes have walked into the first murder of a “10 Little Indians” scenario. ^_^
A student who he failed took exception to the fact that he then stole that student’s thesis work and published it as his own.
The white feather on the spear suggests cowardice. The handle on the cup ‘worlds greatest prof’ is facing away from Dr Oldridge, suggesting it was put down by someone else roughly in the position of someone wanting to cast a spear, and the clean desk other than that of the read documents suggest that he had finished his duties, and was revealing marks to students.
I think a student was upset at a mark, or a slight, presumed Dr Oldridge did not do his duty as a defender of the nation, and used both grounds as a reason to kill him.
Thus this graduating student would be the last passing grade recipient of his marking style. Revealing this would be foolish, and probably will not happen unless struggling with egoic matters. Murderers usually have egoic matters. I imagine this is an egoic murder.
And then their ego said, ” I have to have a drink out of that mug ” … and put it there as a clue to be found.
No idea about the brown stain about the blotting paper – Dried blood from the spear of coffee from the conversation. Also I have no idea about the lack of any musical instrumentation for a bard school. I guess he is a vocalist?
The butler did it!
You’re setting up for this world’s Horatio Crane, aren’t you?
*sigh* I’ll get the “Instant CSI” soundboard prepped.
No crime was committed. Clearly this was just an unfortunate shaving accident. I can’t say how many times I have accidentally impaled myself while shaving with a spear.
This is where the “speak with dead” cleric spell comes in handy.
Natural causes.
When you have a spear in your chest, dying is a perfectly natural thing to do, after all!
I can’t give a full analysis as Thom Thom seems to be giving (though some things may simply narrative/illustrative presentation, thus the writing on the cup facing us the audience, but they may not), but I see we follow one of the Golden Rules of mystery- only a murder is worthwhile. I’d say the fantasy translation of “No Chinamen” would be “No Drow”, but that’s just me. Maybe “No Doppelgangers or No Changelings”, at least not that their inherent ability is used in anyway.
The blood pattern is too wide for a single puncture wound with the spear still in there. The spear would act as a plug to keep a lot of blood from oozing out of the wound. Plus, there are fingerprints all over the desk, but no signs of a struggle, and Dr. Oldridge is slumped back in his chair instead of forward like he would be if he’d been trying to get out of his chair after being stabbed. There are no bloody handprints on the spear’s haft either like someone had tried to pull it out of themselves.
Therefore? My money’s on a stage-blood accident. 😛 That stuff does get EVERYWHERE if you’re not careful! He put the fake spear in place first, then started painting with the stage blood, spilling some on the desk in the process. Then after he thought he got a good pattern, he decided to practice his dead-body technique to avoid corpsing on stage. 😛
The opportunity to prank a grad student was too good when it presented itself, so he took it. :B
Maybe this is the real thesis test — to see how good the prospective bard is at getting to the bottom of a story!
Hmm… judging by the splatters of blood between the blotter and the edge of the desk, Dr. Oldridge was just out of his chair, leaning over his desk when he was stabbed to leave such a blood splatter. I’m basing this on the way his body is slumped in the chair and taking an educated guess on if the spear was perpendicular to his chest. Also, weapon spearheads were slightly wider in the medieval period, more to move the spear easier while in the body as well as additional damage when withdrawn if you can hook the right parts and give said body a good kick. So while the spear is still in his body, it won’t be much of a stopgap for blood flowing.