Mr Wordsworth Primfield
(Wordy) Player DA murder gone cold
Mr Wordsworth Primfield
(Wordy) Player D
You are the Agent and Overseer
of Seasonal Workers for the Ploughstead Estate owned by Sir Benjamin Coulter
(Player C). In theory you take orders from the Estate Manager John Gammon but he
is 71 and leaves you to your own devices. Until last November you operated under
the Honourable Jasper Coulter Sir Benjamin’s brother. He was murdered short of
midnight on the 26th In the Darbeyfield Barn. Now you really take
your orders from Oliver Lynn a bank manager of Broad’s Bank in Norwich. The
estate has several crops which require the help of seasonal workers who are
housed in the accommodation huts. The crops needing help are daffodils,
strawberries, barley, wheat, potatoes and osiers (for basket making). Your
sister Miss Agate Primfield is the Female Overseer. She went to a strict girl’s
boarding school where she became head prefect. Your parents owned the ‘Farriers
Rest’ Inn in Norwich. This was a reasonably prosperous concern whose character
changed more profitably when you became manager and Agate kept the books. Your
nickname Wordy comes from your ability to persuade people and others call you a
confidence trickster! The Inn became nicknamed the Smithies because of the large
number of Mr and Mrs Smith who stayed there. When you married the adventurous
and glamorous Bryony Fail, your shocked parents retired to Hove. After you
leaned on some debtors for him, Oliver Lynn lent you money to invest in some
exotic improvements to the Inn. Bryony had many friends of suspect morals and
probity. Due purely to malicious gossip you were charged with coercion and
living off immoral earnings. In a travesty of justice you were sentenced to
eighteen months in prison. Oliver Lynn rented the Inn to another couple who
retained Agate’s services. Bryony became the Landlady of the ‘Jolly Jack’ Inn in
Great Yarmouth. Business there was so good that she never found time to visit
you in prison as Agate did. When you came out Oliver Lynn obtained these jobs
for you and Agate. This was with his old friend Jasper Coulter four years ago.
Mr Jasper being a Casanova and the gentility being pretty strait laced around
here, he got quite a few girls thrown out of their homes. When the seasonal
workers were in residence he had a field day! The local midwife Gamma Magda had
quite a trade in illegal abortions! On the other hand Jasper was strict on
poachers and petty thieves, so some of them had to flee to Norwich as well as
the silly girls. There Oliver Lynn’s contacts generally took them over setting
them up in illegal businesses. Mostly as harlots, abstracters (thieves) or
enforcers (thugs). Lynn would pay Jasper a commission and he would pass on a
percentage your way. Things were going well until someone murdered Mr Jasper! At
six o’clock old Zebedee Hanger went to check the potato pit at the Darbeyfield
barn. It was the morning after the Osier stripping dance, when the Seasonal
workers would be leaving Ploughstead. There had been cases before where they
stole potatoes and other crops away with them. He noticed that the tarpaulin was
not as he had left it and lifting it found the turves underneath disturbed as
well. Yet there seemed to be more potatoes than before? Digging in he found the
body of Jasper covered with sacks. Fortunately he reported it to Agate before
the village constable. She told me, saying that unless the police could find who
did it quickly, there was likely to be all sorts of awkward questions being
asked. I reported the finding to Sir Benjamin and he too expressed a worry that
‘his brother’s romantic disposition’ could be blown up into a scandal. Who had
killed him we did not know but Agate had the perfect fall girl in mind. Fay
Strangeholm was an outsider who had come as a seasonal worker from Norwich. She
had an affair with Jasper and instead of staying in Norwich she came back to
make rush strawberry baskets, at which she was proficient. Of course Jasper had
lost interest in her long since but she stayed on in a rented cottage. Since she
had no friends or relatives to speak for her, the villagers generally despised
her. So it was that she did not go to the dance that night. Agate told Constable
Lymington that she had seen Fay coming from the Darbeyfield barn before midnight
when she helped one of the seasonal women to find an umbrella. The other
immediate suspect was Rowena Cowl who had had an assignation with Jasper, but
had only left the dance for five minutes. She said that an older man had stopped
her, warning her that she would wind up on the Streets of Great Yarmouth like
his daughter! So when the Norwich police came to investigate, they arrested Fay
Strangeholm. They said that she had brained him and stabbed him four times with
a potato fork. Then she dragged him on a sack to the potato pit to bury him in
it. Had Zebedee not checked it, it could have been weeks before the body was
discovered. As it was there were still enough seasonal workers left to establish
with you, that they had all been at the dance whilst Fay had not. The constable
had been patrolling around the Ploughstead Barn where the dance was held,
Ploughstead House and the accommodation huts that night. You were ‘guarding the
seasonal workers huts’ (playing cards) with two cronies Edward Chalk the postman
and Mellow Calmer. Agate said that Fay had disputed the price Jasper had paid
her for some of her baskets. Through the influence of Sir Benjamin and Oliver
Lynn, the trial got little coverage in the Norwich Clarion when Fay was found
guilty. She was hung in March. You regretted the loss of Jasper which would
affect your profits but were glad a more thorough investigation had not been
made. Then that idiot Constable Lymington started having doubts about Fay’s
guilt and started prying into matters. When you told Sir Benjamin about this he
wrote to the Chief Constable, so Lymington has just been posted to another
village far away. However there are now a bunch of Londoners come to Ploughstead,
wanting to know what they can find out about the ‘Darbeyfield Barn Murder’! Sir
Benjamin has said he does not want them ‘to wash the village’s dirty linen in
public’ and expects you to enforce this. He thinks that the Londoners are only
here to create lurid newspaper stories about his brother. He has suggested that
it be made plain by all that they are unwelcome. Mr Lynn has ordered you to
further that ambition, silencing anyone too talkative if necessary. He
has sent two of his thugs Jack Tarr and Colin Hollin to assist you (and report
back to him!). You know them well and have accommodated them in Fay
Strangeholm’s empty house 1 Toft Row. Agate has suggested that with your gift of
the gab and a few pounds you could rouse a mob to attack these outsiders. She
could pass the word around calling likely persons to a crisis meeting. After all
these Londoners are trying to blacken the honourable Coulter name of one, whom
cannot now defend himself! It is an option but to work effectively you need to
let the Londoners upset a few locals first. They are staying at the Nelson Inn
which is where many of the locals congregate in the evenings.
Evening would be the best time to get hold of people. (You will dice for
numbers according to times) Outside in the square would be the best place
provided the constable can be sent elsewhere! The Inn Keeper Josiah Leamington
and his wife Carla are parochial locals looking after their own interests.
However the two barmaids Dora and Lena will tell you anything you want to know.
According to them the Londoners comprise four men and two women booked to
stay at the Inn a week! A Mr Swithin Easy came especially to make the
arrangements yesterday. Sir Benjamin has sent Arthur Nown his boot boy to show
them the Barn and keep an eye on them.
Wednesday 10th April 1892. It is 1330
and the weather is dry and fair. You are with Jack and Colin in 1 Toft Row.
Agate is in the Ploughstead House ready to answer the door. Sir Benjamin has
sent the boot boy Arthur Nown to ‘help’ the Londoners visit the Barn. He is told
to dissuade them from annoying the locals but little reliance can be placed on
this. The peasantry are unfortunately too likely to gab to any gentleman who
might tip them a few pence. They will however obey orders from you or your
sister, because you control who gets hired to help with the harvests. Most of
your potential mob members live in Toft Row. Ten minutes ago you have seen Nown
lead four men and two women towards the Darbeyfield barn. Now a carriage has
just dropped off two more strange men at the Nelson Inn and departed.
‘Wordy’ Primfield
Lea, Activist, Mo
6”, Fa 3/4/4, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +2 cudgel Bst –2
Class IV Dubious, Charm M +2, F +2,
Coercion +2, MC 8 – 3 – 1d
Bulls eye lantern, watch, notepad. You are an eloquent speaker who can rouse a
mob &
Mesmerise a Person 3” D6
+ 2 (MP) +F – Class as a number. Fs,
others present -1, nearby
movement or loud noise -1, nearby fighting -3, Previously Mesmerized +2
= 8+
Mesmerized will obey immediate reasonable orders, 10+ Mesmerized plus will carry
out a specific order when awakened if prompt given for one day,
n -11 = gives
days will respond to prompt.
Agate Primfield
Vle Activist, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th -1, Me -1, Hands Bst -3,
Class IV Charm M 0, F 0 Coercion +2 cords
gags
Dubious
MC £3 -4s -1d
Jack Tarr
WA, Mo 6”, Fa
3/4/4, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +2 cutlass Pst 0
Class III Dubious, Charm M +2, F +2,
Coercion +2, MC 0 – 4 – 1d
Colin Hollin WA,
Mo 6”, Fa 3/4/4, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +2 cudgel Bst –2
Class IV Dubious, Charm M +2, F +2,
Coercion +2, MC 0 – 3 – 2d
Frenzied Mob Rules
A mob is a gathering of at least five people infused with mob frenzy (MF) against something or someone. Mob Frenzy is whipped up by an Orator who is a Leading Activist. He or she does this to a gathering where the audience is composed of Bystanders and Inactives who may well be receptive of the message. They will be given Pre-Dispositions (PDs) of +2 to -2. D10 + PD +Factors each move
Fs: Bystanders +1, Women -1, if there is an opposing speaker -2.
Any opposed Activist may speak D6 moves, Willing Assistants can speak once.
= 8+ infected with Mob Frenzy, 2+ Stay Observing, 1- Move Away.
When the Orator has enough (at least six) infected he will call for a set action. Those still observing then have a final D10 + PD = 7+ Infected 6- move away. Numbers include the Orator and Willing Assistants.
Frenzied Mobs have Fright Values according to size, 5 = FV2, 11 = FV 3, 18 = FV 4, 24 = FV 5, 35 = FV 6
The Frenzied Mob will proceed to assail the objective which can be either property or people.
Mob members actions (MMA) on arrival D6 +PD for each
= 7 Attack physically, 6 Fire missiles if available, 5Throw stones if available,
3+ Chant slogans or collect stones, 1+ Dither, 0- Lose interest and leave