*Before an(d)yone starts overthinking: the mirror reference here was a stylistic choice for the sake of consistency in the storytelling. It's not a hidden clue or required to be shown in the crime scene.

Anyways... Welcome back everyone!

Now that the training has wrapped up, it's time to dive into the first official round of our competition — the round that will take us deep into the heart of the mystery: the crime scene.

As our participants step into this chilling phase, attention to detail is key. This task aims to shed light on the events that unfolded at Crowford Manor by exploring the crime scene through the lens of each character's narrative.

Each suspect holds unique clues and insights that will shape the investigation, leading our detectives closer to the truth — or deeper into the shadows. Which clues you get to work with depends on what character you and your partner in crime have chosen to toy around with.

Will you be able to piece together the puzzle or will the crime scene lead you astray?

⤹ ## THE CLUES

## The Cane:
During the crime scene investigation, detectives uncover fragments of wood and splinters that match the unique design and material of a cane believed to belong to Mr. Crowford. These wooden remnants, yet missing the distinctive head, are found near the victim's body, suggesting the weapon used in the fatal assault. The presence of these specific parts of the cane, bearing blood or tissue evidence consistent with the victim's wounds, implicates Mr. Crowford in orchestrating the murder through a calculated and deliberate act involving the cane as a weapon.

➜ ..if you or your partner have chosen Mr. Crowford AND if you or your partner are a Pathologist, this is your clue! 
*Side note: If your team consists of a crime scene investigator and Mr. Crowford, your team can choose between the two clues related to Mr. Crowford — either the cane or the hunting rifle option. Ultimately you both have to work with the same clue.

## The Hunting Rifle:
Alternatively, forensic analysis uncovers ballistic evidence and gunshot wounds on the victim, indicating the use of a firearm as the cause of death. Traces of gunpowder residue and bullet fragments at the crime scene point towards a hunting rifle, a prized possession in Mr. Crowford's collection, as the lethal weapon. The precise and fatal nature of the injuries, coupled with Mr. Crowford's known possession of firearms, strongly implicate him in orchestrating the murder through a calculated and deadly act of shooting.

➜ ..if you or your partner have chosen Mr. Crowford AND if you or your partner are a Ballistic Expert, this is your clue!
*Side note: If your team consists of a crime scene investigator and Mr. Crowford, your team can choose between the two clues related to Mr. Crowford — either the cane or the hunting rifle option. Ultimately you both have to work with the same clue.

## Poisoning:
The victim, a staff member at Crowford Manor, is discovered lifeless in one of the rooms, with a toxic substance detected in their system during the autopsy. The presence of a small vial or remnants of a lethal compound near the victim's belongings points towards a deliberate act of poisoning. Given Ms. Ravenwood's medical background and access to such substances, she emerges as a prime suspect in orchestrating the lethal poisoning to silence the victim.

➜ ..if you or your partner have chosen Ms. Ravenwood, this is your clue!

## A Gardening Utensil:
During the investigation at Crowford Manor, investigators discover traces of soil and plant debris on the victim's body and clothing, suggesting a connection to the estate's gardens. The nature of the victim's wounds, characterized by puncture marks or lacerations consistent with a sharp and pointed object, points towards a gardening utensil as the likely weapon used in the assault. Mr. Doe's expertise in gardening and access to tools within the manor make him a viable suspect in wielding such an implement to inflict fatal injuries on the victim. The presence of dirt at the crime scene further implicates Mr. Doe in the violent act, linking him to the tragic outcome.

➜ ..if you or your partner have chosen Mr. Doe, this is your clue!

⤹ ## TASK GUIDE

As you embark on this creative investigation, follow these essential guidelines to ensure your artistic case is airtight:

## DISCLAIMER
While participants are encouraged to depict necessary details related to the crime scene and evidence, please remember to keep designs as appropriate as possible. Any overly/unnecessarily gruesome or disturbing content will not be permitted.

## Deadline
The deadline to submit your entries for this round has been extended until October 12, 2024, at 11:59 PM (GMT +2). After that, I won't be able to offer any additional extensions, so please make the most of this time. I'll drop a link below and in the comments to a site that can help you navigate time zones and keep track of how much time you have left.

Timestamp ➜ https://time.is/GMT+2

## Canvas Details
Make sure your work fits within a canvas size that adheres to a ratio of 3:2. Generally, the larger the canvas, the better the quality — so a size of about 1500x1000 pixels will give you a clearer image than 150x100 pixels, for example.

## Editing Style
Whether you prefer simplified vector work, complex illustrations, realistic photo manipulation, creative blends and collages or even a combination of multiple techniques — the choice is all yours. Just be sure to stay within the approaches mentioned. However, this task centers around specific clues, so no matter how big or small these may be, make them the focal point of your work.

## Creative Choices
Colors, atmosphere and similar creative choices are your personal playground! Feel free to make it as vibrant or moody as it best suits your narrative. Just remember to keep things "mundane" and grounded in reality. While there's no specific time period established by me (e.g. the 1950s or early 2010s), some of you have set your own* in the training round. Stick to those, as they may influence what your crime scene looks like — if you set your character in the 1900's, the crime scene can't be suddenly placed in 2024. However, if your last round's setup was modern, you can very much still include antique furniture and other such details, if you want to. But overall the setting should remain "realistic" — so please steer clear of cyberpunk, sci-fi or overly fantastical/magical elements.

*To not make it too complicated: only the time period you've set yourself is important, not the one from your partner's character.

## Text Elements
You can include text for quotes or other informative material directly on your design, but you don't have to. Just remember to add your watermark/logo or credit and "hosted by eggyeuls". If you have the space, you're also welcome to incorporate the phrase "a Murder of Crows".

## Editing Approaches
It's entirely up to you whether you want to create a realistic scenery through photo manipulation, work with a more collage-like evidence board full of photos and notes from the crime scene or maybe even a completely different approach. Just be sure to clearly introduce and communicate the crime scene: what seems to have happened and what is your main clue?

**Refer to "## Inspirational Examples" for more details.

## Models and Characters
If it better helps your vision and ideas, you're free to somehow include your character again in this task, but you don't have to, since they shouldn't pose the main focus or distract from the actual task. As for the victim of the crime: you can choose a specific model or keep it vague, depict their entire frame or just any important individual (body/clothing) parts of them — they won't appear again, so there's no need to worry about consistency. Tho, as mentioned in some of the story telling and clues, the victim was a staff member at Crowford Manor. However, age, gender, appearance and such are free for you to specify.

## Clue Details
Please carefully read through the introductions of your respective clues and what specifications were mentioned. For example, if it's stated that wooden splinters or smaller parts of a cane were found, but the head of the cane is missing, then it's missing — don't start depicting a fully intact cane. Or another example, if it's stated that there's leftover soil and wounds hinting at garden utensils, but no specific weapons are mentioned to be found at the crime scene, then it's only dirt and wounds — don't start adding shovels and chainsaws. I know this sounds meticulous, but it's very important, as we (SPOILER!!) will touch on specific murder weapons in an upcoming round. So please don't dig your own graves here. Further, if it helps adding more complexity and depth to your concept, by any means feel free to include other details — such as blood stains, broken glass or damaged furniture indicating a fight etc. — but don't loose focus from your main clue.

## Submission Process
Submit all visual and text entries via the Google Form linked below in this chapter and in the comment section. This form also contains all the nitty-gritty details about what needs to be submitted and how to package it neatly. Besides being able to hand in any watermarked designs or GIF versions for the showcase, please only submit one entry for the actual judging and make it clear which one it is.

Google Form ➜ https://forms.gle/s6E7nLY9LcUycgQQ8

## Inspirational Examples
Looking for some examples? Check out the Pinterest board (the newly added folder is named after this round, "the bigger picture") mentioned in the previous promo for inspiration, but don't feel limited to it!

Pinterest ➜ https://pin.it/Ch2XTpahZ

Now, with your creative toolkit in hand, let your imagination take flight and bring your characters to life!

And remember, if you have any questions, concerns or run into any hiccups along the way, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help you crack the case.. or cover it up for that matter!

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© eggyeuls, 2024