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On the cold shores of the northeastern isle, where salt and ice meet, there lies a grand castle in ruins.

Its gate is opened, fires inside are lit, and all who come there are guaranteed their safety.

Tonight's occasion is a grand masquerade, and all contestants are entered into a game.

The winner may claim the gala's modest prize, an artifact.

The Game
Each contestant will be given a target, a charge, and a rival.
- If you kill your target, you gain 3 points.
- If your charge survives the night, you gain 3 points.
- If you can convict your rival of someone else's murder, you gain 4 points.
- If you fail to kill your target by the end of the night or protect your charge, then you gain no points.

How do you kill someone? Each contestant will be given a glass bead. If someone finishes their drink and finds a bead at the bottom of their drink, they will realize they have been poisoned. They must declare that they have been poisoned. (in the event that someone drinks their bead, the would be assassin is to inform the host so that their target may be politely informed they in fact died and to expect mild gastric distress in their near future.)

If you are able to lure someone away, and you end up alone with them and one other person who is willing to "kill" them, this also qualifies. In that case, just inform the person they have been killed.

How do you convict a rival? First, you or someone else has to accuse them. If a majority of all remaining contestants agree that the accused was the murderer, then the accused is removed from the game. This counts as having them killed, as well. If however the accused is deemed innocent by the majority of remaining contestants, then the accuser is removed from the game, and counts as having been killed.

What can a dead person do for the rest of the game? Continue to enjoy the gala and commiserate with the other corpses, but informing other contestants of who killed them or how is strictly forbidden.

How do you win? By having the most points, and being alive at the end of the game. In the event of a tie, the host chooses the winner.

The Prize
The Skeleton Key
A beautified talisman crafted by Melarue, carved of bone. It conforms to the shape of any small, nonmagical lock. It can be used to see the correct shape of a key (thus allowing a copy to be made), or it can be used to close a lock, but it can only be used to open a lock once at which point the enchantment is broken - and as with all talismans, this frees the angry spirit trapped inside.