Azure Amaranthe Rules

[The City [EclipseZwolf]]

Azure Amaranth Rules and Mechanics

Welcome to the rules for Season Azure Amaranthe! Here the regular mechanics of the game and how to play will be explained. Without further ado, let us dive in.

BASIC RULES
Movement
Movement will be handled the same way as it is in Regular Murder Mystery Games. Please check the Murder Mystery How to Play for specifics about this system.

Actions
Actions will be handled in the same way as in Regular Murder Mystery Games. Please check the Murder Mystery How to Play for specifics about this system.

Examination
Actions will be handled in the same way as in Regular Murder Mystery Games. Please check the Murder Mystery How to Play for specifics about this system.


AZURE MECHANICS
Phases of Azure
Opening Act
The opening act will likely consist of the entire first session of play in Azure Amaranth. The rules of the opening act are that all actions except those that involve attacking other players are allowed. This phase is essentially a short period of respite for people to enter the map and uncover the starting mechanics and relevant information. Murder is forbidden in all shapes and forms. This phase ends when the Azure Mastermind provides the motive to kill each other. It shifts to Standard Phase when the Opening Act ends.

Standard Phase
This phase will be the standard phase during Azure. This phase has no inhibitors on actions and players may do what they want. Day and Night may shift back and forth during this phase. This phase ends after a body has been discovered. Body discovery announcements are different than normal, but fairly similar. The announcement will trigger either when 4 people discover the body with their own eyes, murderer included. Why 4? You guys will have to figure that one out. 

Investigation Phase
This phase is triggered when a body discovery announcement has been made. During this phase all murderous acts will be forbidden and combat in general is forbidden. If you need to attack someone you must provide me with the in character motive for doing so. Based on your motive you may or may not be allowed to attack. This is in place so that people cannot hide items on their person and have them be un-find-able. During the investigation phase you will receive information relating to the murder as you investigate. The information discovered in this phase will be used via blue and red truths in trial. This phase ends after a set amount of time has passed or all investigation has ceased. Then the Trial Phase will occur.

Trial Phase
The trial phase begins upon the ending of the investigation phase. In this phase all players will be summoned to the trial room. The only excuse for not being in person at a trial is to be dead, as such hiding during trials is impossible. During this phase all players will be forced to discuss the murder(s) that occurred and the who, how, and why of the crime. This will be done in a specific thread created for the trial. The goal during the trial phase is to construct theories as to the culprit’s entire plan and what they did. A theory requires the following and must be entirely Blue and/or Red Truth:

1. A Culprit: The person behind the entire murder. This is the person who masterminded the murder. Even if they did not perform the final stabbing as long as they were the one who planned it they are the culprit and the target to be executed.
2. The Victim(s): Who was killed by this person, this must be specified if there are multiple murders just in case the murders have differing culprits.
3. The Murder Weapon(s): This section must include ALL the weapons that were used to inflict the injuries on the victim’s corpse. This includes the killing blow and any extraneous injuries such as bruises or light cuts. ALL of the damage to the corpse must have a weapon that dealt the damage.
4. The Murder Route: This Section states the path the culprit took during the setup of the murder, the enactment of the murder, and the clean-up of the murder. This section must be included in order to decide how the culprit got the necessary items for murder as well as how they got away and hid the evidence without getting discovered.
5. The Closing Argument: This section puts together the above four items by walking through the entire murder in the culprit’s shoes, stating every step they took and every swing of the weapon they made. This explains everything.

Once a set amount of time passes as decided by the mastermind the trial will close and a vote will open. The vote will only include players who have been made the culprit of a theory in the above format and the theory was not denied with Red Truth or Verbal Bullet evidence. If no successful theories are made then the Culprit instantly wins and there will be no vote. The vote will be closed after a set amount of time passes. The person who possessed the highest vote count at the end of that period will be executed, EVEN IF THEY WERE INNOCENT. The results of the trial will be posted, but whether you voted correctly or not may or may not be revealed by the mastermind. Upon conclusion of the vote the game will return to standard phase.


The Blue and Red Truth/Verbal Bullets Systems
Azure uses the Blue and Red Truth System as well as the Verbal Bullet System for use in trial.

RED AND BLUE TRUTH
Blue and Red truths are a way of coloring text in your posts to propose theories and present facts. Words spoken in RED are undeniable facts and must be accepted. Red truths are not given away, players must find information and then color red what they believe is undeniable. Incorrect usage of Red truth will result in the Mastermind assaulting the player. A player will die if assaulted 3 times by the mastermind in a single trial. Blue theories are less strict than the red truth and no punishment will be given if blue theories are false. Blue theories are used to construct situations that may have happened. If a blue theory is not refuted by red truth, it will be considered true. At the end of trials the blue truth theory which has not been denied will be the final choice of the players on who is the culprit.

VERBAL BULLETS
The verbal bullet system is to assist in solving the mystery and shooting down bogus theories created by the competition. During the investigation phase when you examine critical pieces of evidence the mastermind will give you a verbal bullet.
Example: Verbal Bullet #6: Missing Kitchen Knife
A verbal bullet is an undeniable piece of evidence, arguing that the bullet itself is false is only going to make you look foolish, so don’t. Verbal Bullets are forbidden to share. You may not post the bullets you find in the trial, skype chats, or private messages with anyone but the mastermind. You are only allowed to post a verbal bullet in trial when you are countering a theory someone has forged. If the bullet proves their theory false the theory will be considered faulty and the person considered the culprit removed from the vote until another theory with them as the culprit is created. Bullets may be used an indefinite number of times to deny any number of theories. You must explain why the bullet counters a theory though in your counter post, if your logic is faulty, as determined by the mastermind the theory may not be countered and the other players may laugh at you. Bullets may be provided due to some people special abilities as well.

Revival
You don't know why or how, but people seem to come back to life when they die in the game. Weird.

ECLIPSE TIME
Read up on the Eclipse Time Mechanics Here!

One Player, One Life
One of the players will not revive upon death. Unlike the others, this person must care for their livelihood and do everything in their power to survive. The player WILL NOT be informed of them being the player with one life.

One Player, One Hunt
One of the players has only one goal, to slay the player with one life. This player will disregard anything and everything just to bring down the one. The player WILL NOT be informed of them being the player on the hunt.

Life’s Injuries
Before the events of the game, all players suffered major injuries and were rushed to a hospital. These injuries have an effect in game and will also be a part of the punishment for Death, since Death itself is no longer permanent. This section will be filled out once the game has begun.

The Azure Amaranthine
This mechanic is a secret mechanic that ties in with the game's plot. Uncovering this will be large step towards solving the mystery.


Inspiration Power System
Azure will be using a new power system known as the Inspiration System. All characters, in addition to receiving a power, receive a behavior set that fits their applied personality. By acting in manners that meet this condition the character will earn Inspiration. Inspiration is a consumable resource that fuels your unique SHSL power. As you earn inspiration you will unlock a tiered set of Passive abilities as well as the ability to use your "Inspiration ACTIVATE!" which is a powerful active. Acting against your set personality won't detriment you, but you will not gain inspiration and thus not be able to use your abilities to their fullest.


Victory Conditions and Titles

Victory Condition #1

Sunrise: Solve the mystery, escape the corruption, and live to tell the tale

Victory Condition #2

Sunset: Solve the mystery, overcome the corruption, and live to tell the tale

Victory Condition #3

Life’s Last Legs: As the One life player, survive against all odds.

Victory Condition #4

Shattered Mind: As the one hunter, slay the player with one life and defy fate.

Victory Condition #5

He/She who ? ? ?: Secret Victory Condition!



Beginning of the Plot
All the players live their own lives. They only similarity is that while they pass near a strange little town they are involved in accidents and are grievously injured. They are rushed to a small hospital surrounded by rumors to be treated. The players awaken in a strange fort, but not everything is as it seems. Reality seems to bend and break around them as they begin to explore and try to find where they are. A strange playful being seems to be their guide in this strange place, but what they really are is unknown as its form changes based the mood swings it seems to suffer. Questions rush through the player's minds, where are we? How did we get here? How do I get out?...Can I get out...?

Season AA centers around the players' mysterious confinement in what appears to be a fort. The entire goal of the game is to escape the fort and not end up dead.




P.S.
Why should I slaughter, maim, and do painful things to the other players?

The mastermind will explain to you the benefits of committing murder in detail once the game starts but I will list things that might influence murder decisions.

-Chance to "strike gold" and take the most difficult step in achieving objective Shattered Mind.

-The plot will advance, new areas will open and *certain* things may change.

-The mastermind is fickle and may start doing things to people to pass the time. This can include killing people and bringing them back. This makes all objectives significantly harder! The longer the game drags on the less likely you will be able to emerge victorious with ANY objective.

-Because revival is in play: You can continue playing after death in most circumstances. This means murderers can feel a little less guilty and can try new ways of murder to see how they work.

-Because I told you too.