The Thistlewood Inheritance
At Thistlewood Manor during the annual Harvest Ball, patriarch Sir Alistair Finch is found deceased. His prized antique wine cask is discovered with a discrepancy in its volume. An Independent Investigator is called to examine the scene, noting various household ledgers, sealed correspondence, and the mechanical furnishings of the estate.
Initial Crime Scene
The scent of beeswax polish and cold stone hangs heavy in the hallway air. Your gaze catches on the steady, audible click of the central clock's exposed brass escapement wheel. A handwritten entry in the guest book lies open, its ink still fresh. The gaslight sputters, casting long shadows across the mechanical time-stamp gear. The polished surface of a nearby hall table reflects the flickering light.
Crime Scene Environment
The lighting profile is gaslight illumination, casting a flickering, amber glow with sharp, moving shadows. The humidity is low, the air dry and cool, carrying the mineral tang of old stone. Acoustic density is moderate, dominated by the rhythmic, mechanical tick of the central hall clock and the faint hiss of the gaslight.
Investigation Constraints
Edwardian-era technologies only: hand-cranked telephone exchange, gaslight illumination, wax seals, handwritten ledgers, mechanical clocks, horse-drawn carriages, dumbwaiters, wind-up pocket watches, primative photographic plates. No electricity, radio, or electronic devices.
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