MKM- Murders at Karlov Manor Story and Worldbuilding

[Mookie]

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I find it amusing that Massacre Girl is responsible for a hit on Proft... and then immediately gets brainwashed to go after Aurelia. Seems like her skills are in very high demand. Where does she even find the time?

Otherwise, yeah, Selesnya seems suspicious... but I could also see the Golgari being responsible (and we haven't heard anything from them yet). Spores = fungus = Golgari? I didn't follow the last set's plot, so no idea if The Mycotyrant is relevant.[/quote]

[CommanderMaster999]

One thing I'm minorly worried about is the story ends on the 18th (2 days after previews start) do I have be concerned we will learn the bad guy is before the last episode? (I'm assuming we don't get any story tomorrow and the day after.)

[5colorsrainbow]

One thing I'm minorly worried about is the story ends on the 18th (2 days after previews start) do I have be concerned we will learn the bad guy is before the last episode? (I'm assuming we don't get any story tomorrow and the day after.)

They said something to the tune of "the 16th we get card spoilers but you all will be getting some story still" so I think its planned. Would be cute if they put the cards that shows whodunnit in the last chapter.

[void_nothing]

I could see the reveal of the main villain happening with the story on the 16th, with the final episodes being the chase, resolution, and hopefully some setup for the Outlaws of Thunder Junction story.

[duducrash]

Massacre Girl has a name?

[CommanderMaster999]

Hmmm something occurred to me

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Someone mentioned this in the story when the fungus was found there was a mention of white fur near by/ingrediant in this fungus.

Could it have been from Voja? Thus making Tolsimir likely the culprit?

[void_nothing]

Part 7!

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The gun above the fireplace has gone off and Anzrag is free. He's the Gruul harvest god (or at least the one for certain clans) and in parallel with Ilharg, the Raze-Boar, his full name and title is Anzrag, the Rampage-Mole.

Izoni, definitely an expert on biological poisons, says that the pollen/spore substance that someone tried to use on Etrata and that seems to have been used to control the minds of others is from another plane.

Judith is near the center of the conspiracy! She's trying to pin the murders on Rakdos himself so that the other guilds will come together to permanently bind the demon-parun, leaving her the true guildmaster. It doesn't seem like she's working alone.

Someone (Ashiok?) has appeared to Alquist in a dream after he was KOed and stolen some of his books/papers (memories, actually?) from his mind.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

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Well well well, who could THAT be rummaging around in Proft's mind palace? Jace Beleren.

Story basically confirms what we suspected; Rakdos (the parun) is being framed.

But the chapter throws quite a bit of wrench into my theory of Selesnya being the culprit because Izoni does not recognize the powder as anything from Ravnica.

And supposedly we now have all the clues to deduct who the culprit is, since Proft declared he's going going to reveal it later. This is our last chance to guess.

[void_nothing]

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I'm afraid the frame job is ultimately going to be successful and as far as the public knows Rakdos will have to take the blame in order to keep the peace, which is why he's going to wind up on Thunder Junction (I realize that's probably not a plane name, but instead the name of a city on whatever the next plane is). Thing is, if Judith becomes guildmaster she gets away with it, and if Judith is exposed, who can actually keep the Rakdos under control? Do they install Juri? Ravnica's going to unfortunately face a lot of hard choices.

[void_nothing]

As we draw to a close of the story and with it, the reveal of who is behind the murders, I want to thank everybody for making this thread one of the most active on the forums!

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Let's see, what do we have?

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1-Powder is not from Ravnica. Next to useless, since with the omenpaths anybody can get it. However, this ironically rules out the Golgari, since I'm pretty sure they'd use something home-brewn.

2-Agents sent to deal with Kaya/Kellan transform into moss after gulping down a sprout. Usually moss screams Golgari, but tuft of white fur suggests Selesnya. Agents themselves might also be brainwashed.

3-Kylox was working on something for someone. Never leaves Izzet territory.

4-There was an attempt on Krenko. Krenko, of all people. Why?

5-Judith is eager for her parun to be implicated, but she's likely not the orchestrator.

6-Victims were Zegana, former guild leader (Simic), Teysa, guild leader (Orzhov), Aurelia, guild leader (Boros), Kylox (possible Izzet?) plus the attempt on Krenko (R). Etrata (Dimir) and Massacre Girl (Rakdos) were intended to take the fall. One representative of each guild? Was Kylox was the real target, with Krenko just being a cover?

WILD THEORY:

Culprit is Niv-Mizzet.

As Living Guildpact, he's bound by its precepts. He is unable to act freely. He can't get rid of Rakdos (both guild and parun) because the Guildpact itself ensures Rakdos' existence.

But if it can be proven that Rakdos broke the contract, then the demon and his guild are no longer protected by law.

Niv-Mizzet has immense magic and psychic powers at his disposal, but he can't act against Rakdos directly. So he needs intermediaries, agents not affiliated with any guilds that can act freely at his behest. Perhaps one of those agent is an off-plane visitor.

Kylox might have been working on a way to excise Rakdos from the Guildpact.

Murders of a representative of each guild may be part of a ritual to excise Rakdos, or setting the conditions for invoking a certain clause in the Guildpact. Perhaps Kylox was the real target, with Krenko just being a cover?

Selesnya and Azorius may be working with Niv-Mizzet in this regard?

[void_nothing]

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Interesting idea, but what's Niv's motive? He's effectively been written out of the Izzet guild and is theoretically above guild politics now.

[CommanderMaster999]

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Its hard to tell if judith is the culprit or not now because clearly shes taking advantage of this to frame her boss so she can become the guild leader

just checking but i notice a symbol on the book the hoodd figure is holding. could that be Jace?

oh and the Deduce story spotlight happned right when kaya mentioned the hooded figures that attack them on episode 6 and they disapeared into fungus and fur.... are you guys sure Tolsimir Wolfblood is not the culrpit? that fur could have easily came from Voja.

[void_nothing]

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Now that you mention it the hooded person looks a lot like Jace - but I think it's a lot more complicated than just Tolsimir being behind the killings. If he's part of it, it's because of something nefarious higher up in the Selesnya... not that they actually need to try hard to be sinister.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Starting my read right now with chapter 1 - a bit late to the party, but looking forward to binging a few chapters.

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I'm parallel listening to the audio and it really emphasizes that the text lacks some descriptors to define the mood. The narrator chose a factitious cheerfulness that I read as resigned. I realize the authors have to be economical with their words.

I hope the text gets to be a little more detailed than the obviously rushed most recent Phyrexian story-line. It had the unmistakable air of a story that could have filled twice as many chapters, two novels even, but had to cut short character moments that sorely needed covering.

I hope the "Murder Mystery"-story gets to spend some time on weaving an actually somewhat enjoyable mystery.

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Picking up on clues for chapter 1: We explicitly get told Teysa has trouble with stairs and find her beating Kaya and Kella to the buffet. I'm smelling shapeshifter. Probably at the buffet. I also note the text helpfully points out details like this.

[CommanderMaster999]

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Actually you know what the more I think about it, maybe tolsimir fungus (if his) is the same technquie he uses to control Voja to obey his commands.

Oh the reason I think the hooded figure could be Jace is not necessary the figure it's that book it's holding. Look at the symbol and compare it to the art of Jace, the Perfected Mind leg area

[Mookie]

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re: Teysa having a note written in Phyrexian - during the war, she was able to supply information from an unrevealed source. Could that contact have been Urabrask or another Phyrexian traitor? Hmmm...

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Looking through dramatis personae...

Investigators: Kaya, Proft, Ezrim, Kellan, Agrus Kos. Presumably innocent.

Victims:

• Teysa - murdered. Maybe working with Phyrexians?
• Zegana - murdered. Holding a black iris when she died.
• Aurelia - attempted assassination by Massacre Girl.
• Kylox - murdered. Working on something secret. Willing to talk to Ezrim.

Killers:

• Etrata - mind controlled into assassinating Zegana.
• Massacre Girl - hired to kill Proft 'as a warning to stay out of guild business' - by who? Mind controlled into an attempted assassination on Aurelia.
• Teysa's killer - no name, unaffiliated with any guild, mind controlled.
• Kaya's attempted killers - defeated, then swallowed some plant that turned them to moss. Had some white fur.
• Kylox's killer - mind controlled, unaffiliated. Was intending to visit a florist.

Other:

• Judith - looking to frame Rakdos. Imprisoned Agrus Kos.
• Rakdos - asleep, presumably innocent.
• Tolsimir - has Voja (white wolf).
• Trostani - acting weird. Harmony went down a rank, Life went up a rank.
• Izoni - dealing with fallout from the war. Spying on people with spiders.
• Krenko - concerned he was going to be killed.
• Anzrag - mole god. Someone let it loose.
• Proft's assailant - knocked him out and rummaged through his head. Identity unknown.

Signs are definitely pointing to Selesnya - three of the murders (Zegana, Kylox, and the attempt on Kaya) involve mind control and some type of plant. Massacre Girl's attempt on Aurelia arguably also is related, if she was exposed to the spores that controlled Etrata during her attempt on Proft. Selesnya has also been described as a 'brainwashing cult' in the past. Trostani is currently led by the Life dryad, which favors building Selesnya's strength over cooperation with other guilds. That seems to make sense, given how damaged Vitu-Ghazi is, although the motivation for why to kill the other guild leaders isn't clear.

The main mysteries that currently stand out to me are:

• Who wanted Massacre Girl to kill Proft?
• What was Kylox working on?
• Who was Teysa working with?

I guess the latter two could be connected if Kylox was doing something for Teysa, and maybe Judith ordered the hit on Proft? There's probably also a red herring somewhere I missed, to say nothing of the unidentified Proft assailant that is probably a plant for the next set.

edit: I'll call out that the people that tried to kill Kaya had a different MO from the other brainwashed assassins - instead of random people that snap out of the brainwashing, they instead commit suicide to avoid questioning. Feels like they're Golgari assassins, but not sure.

[5colorsrainbow]

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My guess atm is Oko. Oko whole is is disliking and breaking a part what he deems authoritarian governments and even at thier best the guilds are still a dystopian governments nightmare. At this moment the guilds are at their weakness post-mending post-phyrexia invasion. To me it reads as if the murderer is trying to frame things so the guild will go to war with each other. Zegana's death puts the simic vs the dimir, Teysa's death makes the orzohv look like they might have been phyrexian allies (with agreeing a lot with the idea somehow compleated Jace was helping her as the twist to this mystery) and Aurelia's attempted death has the Boros and the Rakdos about to go to war. And as noted above there are hints that maybe there is a shape shifter afoot which Oko is and if he still has his spark that could also be how he could move around undetected.

At the very least I feel like todays story showed the murderer is a planeswalker and/or Omenpath user.

The two big hitches to this for me are the moss agents, fur and Krenko. With Krenko I could maybe see that he saw Oko/two Teysa or was allied with Oko which is why Oko send someone to kill him off. The moss agents I'm iffy on unless thats part of Okos abilities to shape-shift others and no idea about the fur.

Judith I think is a red herring, trying to frame Rakdos so the other guilds will get rid of him and she will take over.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

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Oh my...

Kylox's killer - mind controlled, unaffiliated. Was intending to visit a florist.

He DID visit a florist!

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Interesting idea, but what's Niv's motive? He's effectively been written out of the Izzet guild and is theoretically above guild politics now.

He still has his ego and vanity, I have no doubt he would want to reshape the whole of Ravnica in his image as he did the Izzet, and the Rakdos guild simply doesn't fit. He might have simply come to the conclusion that the Rakdos are not necessary to the functioning of Ravnica, and the concession to give Rakdos his guild is no longer needed if he is simply neutralized. I suspect Gruul would be his next target.

[Mookie]

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Looking through dramatis personae...

Investigators: Kaya, Proft, Ezrim, Kellan, Agrus Kos. Presumably innocent.

Victims:

• Teysa - murdered. Maybe working with Phyrexians?
• Zegana - murdered. Holding a black iris when she died.
• Aurelia - attempted assassination by Massacre Girl.
• Kylox - murdered. Working on something secret. Willing to talk to Ezrim.

Killers:

• Etrata - mind controlled into assassinating Zegana.
• Massacre Girl - hired to kill Proft 'as a warning to stay out of guild business' - by who? Mind controlled into an attempted assassination on Aurelia.
• Teysa's killer - no name, unaffiliated with any guild, mind controlled.
• Kaya's attempted killers - defeated, then swallowed some plant that turned them to moss. Had some white fur.
• Kylox's killer - mind controlled, unaffiliated. Was intending to visit a florist.

Other:

• Judith - looking to frame Rakdos. Imprisoned Agrus Kos.
• Rakdos - asleep, presumably innocent.
• Tolsimir - has Voja (white wolf).
• Trostani - acting weird. Harmony went down a rank, Life went up a rank.
• Izoni - dealing with fallout from the war. Spying on people with spiders.
• Krenko - concerned he was going to be killed.
• Anzrag - mole god. Someone let it loose.
• Proft's assailant - knocked him out and rummaged through his head. Identity unknown.

Signs are definitely pointing to Selesnya - three of the murders (Zegana, Kylox, and the attempt on Kaya) involve mind control and some type of plant. Massacre Girl's attempt on Aurelia arguably also is related, if she was exposed to the spores that controlled Etrata during her attempt on Proft. Selesnya has also been described as a 'brainwashing cult' in the past. Trostani is currently led by the Life dryad, which favors building Selesnya's strength over cooperation with other guilds. That seems to make sense, given how damaged Vitu-Ghazi is, although the motivation for why to kill the other guild leaders isn't clear.

The main mysteries that currently stand out to me are:

• Who wanted Massacre Girl to kill Proft?
• What was Kylox working on?
• Who was Teysa working with?

I guess the latter two could be connected if Kylox was doing something for Teysa, and maybe Judith ordered the hit on Proft? There's probably also a red herring somewhere I missed, to say nothing of the unidentified Proft assailant that is probably a plant for the next set.

edit: I'll call out that the people that tried to kill Kaya had a different MO from the other brainwashed assassins - instead of random people that snap out of the brainwashing, they instead commit suicide to avoid questioning. Feels like they're Golgari assassins, but not sure.

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Three additional clues/observations I'll call out:

• the people that tried to kill Kaya had a different MO from the other brainwashed assassins - instead of random people that snap out of the brainwashing, they instead commit suicide to avoid questioning. Feels like they're Golgari assassins, but not sure.
• Krenko specifically owes the Karlovs for something - maybe he's also involved in the Teysa / Phyrexian stuff, and that is why he is afraid he will be targeted?
• Etrata was wearing Selesnya clothing at the party. If security was tight (and she was drugged), maybe the Selesnyan group helped smuggle her through security?

[SecretInfiltrator]

Continuing with chapter 2 I'm happy the story turns to the case over

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-i get a strong sense the murder might be guildless. It fits the theme of guildless investigators vs. "The guilds are Ravnica"-Aurelia.

I cannot be the only one oing back to the image to check for all ten signets. : )

[CommanderMaster999]

Alright time for final guess's on the culprit because around a hour and 35 minutes we should get episode 8 with the likely unmasking of who the mastermind is.

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Episodes 9 and 10 should be the battle against the bad guy(s) and aftermath and how Rakdos goes to thunder junction and likely seeing the next member of kellan's version of the avengers Amailia was the first member. Ps kellan said Amailia is in the Gruul area so maybe she saw who released anzrag.

[void_nothing]

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50% odds: Oko is the mastermind.
20% odds: Some combination of Mat'Selesnya and Svogthir is ultimately behind the plot.
30% odds: Someone else is responsible.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Continuing with chapter 3.

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Teysa killed just as I pondered her as a possible suspect. My first thought was someone snuck into the party disguised as her and hence her moving around so quickly, but a second option was her sneaking in a Shapeshifter to have an alibi. I'm not putting it beyond her to make her own murder part of a plot - given that she can continue existing even after being muredered, but she's not a top suspect anymore.

I'm not certain I trust verity circles. Even though it was obvious that Etrata was telling the truth... they seem ´too neat a tool. While I think, Etrata is telling the truth, she insists she can't *remember* doing it. Might not even be mind control, just a spell to make herself forget any involvement in the murder.

The idea of a guildless killer going after guilds becomes more likely with both targets so far being guild leaders. The Phyrexian connection exists for both Simic and Orzhov as the story establishes, so maybe someone going after (perceived) collaborators?

I'm happy that they apparently use the Phyrexian invasion as more than a background event. It might be tied directly into the murders.

[CommanderMaster999]

Any signs of chapter 8 yet?

KILLER UNMASKED IN THE STREAM!!!!!

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It was Oba aka.... one of three of...Trostani, Selesnya's Voice