How to Create a Setting? Mystery

Mysteries are Enticing.
They’re both a Demonstration & a Story.
And they look complicated to craft.
Though, all you need is People acting in a simple Time frame.

Summary – 5 steps to Mystery

Define the Location where the Crime is perpetrated.
Define a Time Frame.
Establish the Relationships :
- Victim
- Suspects
- Investigator
- Perpetrator
Display how the Crime affects the Characters.
Dispatch the Clues.

Mysteries should answer 3 Questions :
1. Who did it?
2. How did they do it?
3. Why did they do it?

If you want a full list of the Questions needed to write a Mystery.

Location

Where is the Building situated?
Most often crimes will be committed in closed spaces.
If the Setting is not a Building it still has some spatial Limitations.
At the latest, the space where the Crime was committed should be define immediately after the Crime.
All potential Escapes should be identifiable.
- Even if they are only revealed later.
The space should be relatively Isolated, if only to perform the Interrogation.
Isolation may be an advantage for the Investigator as well as for the perpetrator.
The Sources of Energy necessary to aliment the Building should be defined early.
As well as the Resources available.
If a Resource is lacking, the Investigation is likely to be slowed or Interrupted.
Also indicates if there are other Threats in the vicinity of the Building.

What are its Specificities?
The Architecture of the Building defines how the Crime was committed.
A Map of the Building should be available.
Both the Public & the Characters benefit from a simple representation of the Setting.
The Structure of the Building should be known by all Characters after the Crime was committed.
The Structure of the Building indicates how was the Crime perpetrated.
By its Limitations & the Tools available indoors.
All Important Rooms should be situated early.
Important Rooms include :
- The room where the Victim was found.
- The room where the Crime was committed.
- The room where the Weapon was found.
- Rooms where Clues were found.

Where were you?
The Location of each suspect within the Building should be known as soon as the Crime is committed.
The Location of the suspects reveal their Implication in the Victim’s condition.
The Room in which is suspect is found define fundamental Information.
Fundamental Information include :
- If one of the Suspect was Alone.
- If they were in direct contact with the Victim before the crime.
- What they intended to do Before & After the crime.

If you want to know more about creating a Location.

Investigation

Time Frame
The Investigation needs a specific Time Frame.
Its Resolution should be Constrained by Time in a consistent fashion.
Pressure is put on the Investigator.
Pressure put on her by the Suspects, who wish to quit the place of the Crime.
Pressure put on her by the Victim’s Relatives, who wish to know the Perpetrator’s identity.
And potentially pressure from the legitimate Authority if the Investigator is a 3rd party.
Finally, the Investigator must prevent the Perpetrator’s Escape or Retaliation.
Pacing is key.
Prioritize the fastest option.
And offer the Public & the Characters a clean Time Frame.
3 types of Elements should be Time-framed rigorously :
- The Location of each Individual
- The Beginning & End of each Event
- The Discovery of each Clue

Perspective Shift
As the Clue appear the Investigator must shift her perspective.
The Investigator’s Perspective will be defined by her preconceptions of the Crime.
The Clues should Refine it.
The Perpetrator’s Perspective is defined by her will to acquire the object of her Want & flee unscathed.
The Investigator should shift between her perspective & the Perpetrator’s as each new Clue appears.
Empathy is key to establish a proper Coherence.
Empathy is essential to establish the Perpetrator’s profile.
A Perpetrator is not an Individual, it is an avatar.
A representation of the one commiting the crime.
The Perpetrator’s profile is established through 3 main Factors :
- Her Needs
- Her Process
- Her Motives

Investigators
The Solver is the most likely to Solve the Mystery.
Her role is to find the Process used by the Perpetrator.
The Enticer is a player & a facilitator.
She accelerate the pace by bringing new elements of suggestions.
The Builder acts as an Expert on the Structure of Location, the Weapon or another Accessory.
She may validate or invalidate theories based on physical likeliness.
Advisors question the Solver & Enticer’s deductions.
They main role is not to offer alternatives.
- They could.
They should defy deductions & display the Solver & Enticer’s inconsistencies.

If you want to know more about Investigation.

Relationships

Perpetrator & Victim
They both share Specific Interests.
They may share a passion or an intimate relationship.
The Proximity between the 2 should be established early.
- Even if it is only suggested.
In the early stage you’ll establish the Perpetrator’s Profile :
- Her Motives,
- Her Skills & Knowledge,
- Her Interests.
The Perpetrator should be seen as an Entity not an Individual.
Until her identity is confirmed.

Victim & Suspects
The Suspects are linked to the Victim by an Object.
The Suspects Want something from the Victim.
The Object they Sought is likely to entice them to commit the Crime.
The Object may be wanted by multiple persons.
Hence multiple Suspects.
The Object may be desired for different reasons.
And reaching it require to go through a common Obstacle: the Victim.
There may be other participants not wanting to harm the Victim.
They do must have a Common Interests with the Victim.
Any other Suspect can be used as a Scapegoat by the Perpetrator.

Showdown
Once the mystery is solved the Perpetrator should be Confronted.
This Confrontation can take place at any moment, if the Perpetrator chose to reveal herself.
If the Victim is still alive, she can choose to attack the Perpetrator.
The Perpetrator may flee.
There, the story turns into a Chase, where the Investigators go after the Perpetrator.
The Perpetrator may choose to silence the Characters about to reveal her Identity.
There the Hunt, where the Perpetrator tracks the Investigator & other potential Suspects/Accomplices.

If you want to know more about Relationships.

Affect & Characters’ Mind state

Fear & Anxiety
The Suspect are likely to become Unstable.
They will be Anxious.
Of being suspected.
They try to Escape.
They’ll throw Accusations at each other out of pure panic.
Fear will also accumulate.
Depending on their implication they are likely to be attacked by the Perpetrator.

Anger & Frustration
The Suspect are likely to become Aggressive.
They may Attack the Investigator.
Either physically or by hurting her reputation & credibility.
As their Anger grows the Suspects will antagonize each other :
- Through Arguments,
- Fictitious Debates,
- And more Accusations.
Nonetheless, any of these phrases can be used to hint at the Perpetrator.
Therefore, the Perpetrator may want to silence Suspects.
The Investigator is less likely to be afraid of the Perpetrator than the Suspects.
However her Frustration grows just as much.
Not being able to solve the mystery is a major cause.
But the Investigator can also get frustrated because the Perpetrator is attacking one of her relatives.

How to control the suspects?
At some point the Suspects should become more Aggressive.
The Investigator disposes of 4 major ways to influence them.
She can Threaten them.
She can make use of Malice.
And either lie to them by promising them a quick outcome.
Or even Accuse a Aggressive Suspect.
She can ask for their individual Cooperation.
If she has the support of the Legitimate Authority, she can make use of it.

If you want to know more about displaying Character’s Moods.

Clues

4 Types of Clues
Clues can reveal 4 types of Information :
- The Identity of the Perpetrator,
- Her Goal,
- Her Procedure,
- Her Mistakes.

Clues revealing the Identity
Clues should allow to identify the Perpetrator.
They narrow the Suspect’s list.
By providing the best match.
They can be Accessories, Clothes or even Direct Messages.
Correspondences between the Victim & the Suspects are incriminating.
Identity based Clues determinate the age, the body type, the physical capabilities & Intentions of the Perpetrator.

Clues revealing the Goal
These are the most Obvious Clues.
They should point at the Object Wanted.
There can be some misleading clues.
Clues pointing at multiple Suspects simultaneously.
They should be the Easiest to find as the Goal is the most important information.

Clues revealing the Process
The Perpetrator’s Intrusion in the Location is an Abundant source of Clues.
If the Perpetrator was Invited she still had to break into a specific room.
The Intrusion in this Room is specific to the room’s structure.
It indicates the Perpetrator’s Means of execution.
And the execution of the Crime itself.
The Perpetrator’s Skills.
As well as the Knowledge needed.

Clues revealing the Perpetrator’s Mistakes
Leaving Clues may be considered as a Mistake on its own.
It is not.
Certain Clues are left deliberately.
Which could ironically cause even more mistakes to happen.
Precipitation.
Lack of Focus.
Emergency.
And the presence of External Threats.
All of these are potential sources of mistake for the Perpetrator.

If you want to know more about Clues & Puzzles.