Cry Havoc is a medieval murder mystery Matrix Game, in which the players will discover who committed a most heinous crime and bring the cur to justice! Or they may chose to protect the criminal (complicity with the crime!) and seek to misdirect the investigation with false clues and misleading statements. As in all Matrix Games each turn the players submit arguments about what happens next in the game. These are submitted via email to matrixgamer@hotmail.com Arguments are to be no longer than three lines. Longer arguments will be kicked out, so keep you actions short and to the point. The referee will adjudicate the turn and send the results to you by email. They will also be posted on a web pages that has yet to be set up. I aim to turn one turn around each week. Mystery games require players to make up clues. As soon as there are enough clues to show that a person had the means, motive and opportunity to do the crime, he can be arrested. Players may make arguments that have nothing to do with the mystery if they wish, doing so could be interesting. I have seen it happen before – "Oh, who cares about the crime? I'm more interested in courting a wife!" THE SCENE The year is 1260 AD. The place is the town of Oxford in England. Roger Bacon, the semi-clerical scholar, has been in near retirement from life for several years now. His work on empirical observation has found little favor in academia. So he spends his days tending his garden and helping his neighbors out solving the daily problems of life. But not for much longer! Peter, the miller's son, comes running into Master Bacon's cottage in a breathless run. "Come quickly!" He eventually sputters. "Father has found a body in the mill pond. It's Lady Agatha!" Master Bacon rushes to the mill and finds a group of men at arms standing by the pool. Sir Ralph Dexter looks down on his dead sister. She did not drowned. There is blood on her dress. It is murder. A Norman has died! "Master Bacon" Sir Ralph says. "I am at a loss. Please, you are a man of reason. Solve this crime for us." THE CAST OF CHARACTERS ROGER BACON: Oh yes! I am a man of reason. And now I will be able to show you what that means! Hummm? Where to begin? Examine the body, yes. Find out her where abouts, yes. Find out who saw her last, yes. Find out who might have had a reason to do this, yes. Pay a courtesy on the coroner, yes probably should do that so I'm not arrested myself! LADY AGATHA SINISTER: The victim. Sister of Sir Ralph Dexter. Wife of Sir Hugh Sinister – presently away in the Holy Land on crusade. She appears to have been stabbed and somehow came to be in the mill pond. SIR HUGH SINISTER: Agatha's lord, a knight presently away on crusade in the Holy Land. He has been gone over a year. He is known to be a brutish fellow who seldom baths. In other words a typical knight. ALDERMAN SMYTH – THE CORONER: It is your job to investigate the deaths in the county of Oxfordshire so that the King is given his due in taxes and penalties. Murderers forfeit their estates to the crown! But you are a lax investigator. You would rather tend your political career in town than look at corpses. Let the priests do that! PETER: The millers son. A good lad. Not too smart mind you, but a good lad none the less. ROBERT MILLER: The miller, Peter's father. A solid freeman, on good terms with his neighbors. PATRICK: An Irish servant in the Sinister home. Reputed to be a drunk and a brut. They say he steals and indeed he never seems to work. I wonder why they retain him? SIR ALAN DESPENCER: A young attractive knight who only recently moved to the district after coming into his uncle's estate. He is unmarried and seems to be in no hurry to change that. FRIAR ROBIN: This "poor" mendicant in fact lives better than the knights. Oh, he makes a great show of poverty when preaching. But watch him later – in the tavern. It's best brandy for him and a chicken in every pot! Well that's what comes of selling indulgences. I wonder who has bought his way out of hell recently!?! OLD WIDOW HARLOW: Tis devils what's done it! Devils, I tells ye! I sees em I does! Creepin around in the bushes, pretending they's cats! I knows em though. I got good eyes. Not to mention the second sight! MAGGIE: A serving girl at the Sinister house. Pretty little thing, really. The boys will be after her soon. Mark my words. M ASTER WALLACE: Sir Sinister's steward. A north country man by birth. Educated at Durham Cathedral, and well versed in running a manor. He is competent, and he keeps good records. Master Bacon is not certain but he thinks that he saw Wallace at one of his lectures – listening and taking notes. OTHER CHARACTERS MAY BE ADDED WHEN PLAYERS CREATE THEM. A MAP OF THE AREA Bacon's Cottage Sinister Manor The Mill Dexter Manor Despencer Manor Oxford THE STORY SO FAR Lady Agatha is dead. She was found in the mill pond stabbed. Sir Ralph has asked Roger Bacon to look into the mater. A CALL TO PLAYERS Anyone interested in playing this game may do so. To play just send an argument to matrixgamer@hotmail.com I will put you on the email list and let you know where the web page is that will post the results of each turn. Back to Table of Contents -- Matrix Gamer #2 To Matrix Gamer List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Chris Engle. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com