[MAFIA] RMN: WHEN THEY CRY (TEA PARTY)

A crowd charges up the stairs, the three siblings Demon, Gourd, and Ozzy leading the way. The door to Kenton's study, normally sealed, is thrown wide. The butler, Piano, stands to the side, face pale.

And on the floor is a charred corpse, wearing the Aremen family ring -- all that remains of the once proud Kenton A. Aremen. The maid Cap shrieks in horror. The cousins peer over their parents' shoulders. Ozzy covers Cave's eyes.

"The master," says Piano, "he didn't respond so I... And now..."

The physician, Muffle, doesn't even bother checking for a pulse. "Burned to a crisp."

"Terrible," mutters Jeroen. Yellow clenches his teeth. The adults murmur as Tungerman slams shut the study door, visibly shaking. The guest no one invited, Esby, cranes his neck and mumbles "Well look at that."

But Cave... Wide-eyed and calm, little Cave holds up a letter with the Aremen seal. "I have this to show everyone. When I met the Golden Witch in the garden today, she said I should give it to you now!"

"That can't be real!" "What tasteless person here faked that letter?" "The nerve!" "Who really handed you that envelope, Cave? You can tell Uncle Demonlord, can't you?" ...but finally the letter is read:


Welcome to the mansion, Aremens and friends. I am the Golden Witch, benefactor to House Aremen and alchemist to the late Kenton A. As you may know, I loaned a vast amount of gold to Kenton, which he has refused to return tonight, in violation of our contract. I am afraid I must invoke the collection clause of our contract and I will instead receive the arranged alternate form of payment -- the whole of House Aremen, every life, starting with that of the contractor Kenton.

Of course, were the gold to be returned to me, I would forever give up my right to the Aremen family and its wealth. Kenton was kind enough to provide the following riddle revealing the location of the gold:

You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path and seek the key.
He who lays hand upon the key shall travel under the rules below.
At the first twilight, you shall lift up as sacrifice the one chosen by the key.
At the second twilight, gouge the head and kill.
At the third twilight, gouge the chest and kill.
At the fourth twilight, gouge the belly and kill.
At the fifth twilight, gouge the knee and kill.
At the sixth twilight, the witch shall be revived and none shall be left alive.
At the seventh twilight, the the journey shall end and you should reach the village of gold.
Sleep peacefully, my most beloved Witch.

I'm praying from the bottom of my heart that tonight turns out to be an intellectual yet elegant night.
-- The Golden Witch


At this point, discussion outside the study has devolved into LockeZ and Demon accusing each other of planting the clearly faked letter, and Ozzy questioning poor Cave about the identity of the witch. At this point, none other than the uninvited dinner guest Esby makes a brilliant suggestion.

"Right, well Kenton didn't burn himself to death and whoever killed him is still here, so we better defend ourselves. I saw a rifle or two in his study, right? Why don't we pass 'em out? Who should get one?"

That's when the argument becomes a little... heated.