Signup Reminder & Community Challenge Info

[pumpkinkingmod]

One more day to sign up for Trick or Treat! Signups will close September 18 at 7:59 PM EDT/23:59 UTC.

After that, I'll contact any unmatchable creators about adjusting offers or dropping out. Assignments will go out a few days later, or sooner depending on how quickly everyone gets back to me.

Community Challenge: Murder Mystery

I have good news and bad news, direct from Trick or Treat Manor. Several notable inhabitants of Halloweenland were gathered for a pre-Trick or Treat dinner party, only to discover they've been treated to the most dastardly trick of all.

Bad news: The Spirit of Halloween has been murdered.

Good news: Detective Pumpkin is on the case, and if she solves the mystery, she can complete the resurrection ritual to revive our lost Spirit of Halloween.

But she can't do it alone.

This case is of dire importance. Without the Spirit of Halloween, October 31 will merely be the last day of October. Dressing up will bring no joy, and candy will taste like ash in our mouths.

To save Halloweenland — and everywhere else that celebrates this most spooky holiday — Detective Pumpkin needs your help.

Solving the case requires three pieces of information:
- The location of the crime scene
- The murder weapon
- The identity of the murderer

Detective Pumpkin will do the preliminary investigation, leaving you with a set of three leads to investigate further. The clues will be found in order -- you will need to find the crime scene before unlocking leads about the murder weapon, and you will need to find the murder weapon before unlocking leads about the murderer.

You will investigate by creating works for the 2024 Trick or Treat collection, tagged with the correct tag for the lead you're investigating. Once you (collectively) post a certain number works for a lead, Detective Pumpkin will review your investigation and report whether it's a real Clue or a Red Herring. Once you find the real clue, the next set of leads will unlock.

-----------------------

EXAMPLE YULETIDE INVESTIGATION:
*this is a fictional example. To my knowledge, the Spirit of Yuletide has not been murdered.

Detective Snowflake has narrowed down the crime scene to three possible locations in Dancing Hippo Tower.

The Snowy Forest
- Post 20 works tagged "Forest" to investigate

The Cozy Kitchen
- Post 20 works tagged "Cooking" to investigate

The Yule Mods' Secret Ritual Cavern
- Post 20 works tagged "Darkness" to investigate.

Participants reach 20 works tagged Darkness first. Detective Snowflake reviews the evidence and determines The Yule Mods' Secret Ritual Cavern is a Red Herring, so the investigation continues.

Participants next reach 20 works tagged "Forest," and Detective Snowflake reports that's the correct Clue. The crime scene has been found, so participants don't have to finish the third crime scene lead.

Detective Snowflake then reveals the next set of leads, to figure out the murder weapon, and the case continues along the same pattern.

-----------------------

Detective Pumpkin will have the first set of leads ready on October 1. In the meantime, please ask any questions on this post, so we can clarify any procedural confusion in advance!

Comments

Query

[(Anonymous)]

This is such a cute idea!! Could you theoretically post a work that contributed to multiple leads (ie tag a work both Darkness and Cooking), or should we focus on one lead per work so as not to confuse Detective Pumpkin?

Re: Query

[pumpkinkingmod]

If the work meaningfully represents both tags, that's fine! I'll be spot-checking evidence for accurate labeling on the detective's behalf.

[bluerosekatie]

Oooh this will be fun (and probably help me figure out what I'm writing based on these + the requesters' notes)

Investigation Tag Questions

[(Anonymous)]

Could similar, but not the exact required tag count for the investigation? For example if we're investigating a "gun", would the "gunplay" or "gunkink" tags count or would you need the "gun" tag specifically?

Re: Investigation Tag Questions

[pumpkinkingmod]

Thanks for checking! I would need the specifically named tag, since I'll be clicking on that tag in the collection and seeing how many works are there.

[kameikophoenix]

Oh! This sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, this sounds fun! Are treats to the collection allowed, or must works be for a specific recipient?

[pumpkinkingmod]

Treats to the collection are allowed!

[cat2000]

Just to confirm, whatever tag we use has to feature in the work? So darkness involves the dark somehow?

[pumpkinkingmod]

Thanks for checking -- yes! I'll be spot-checking works to make sure the tag features in the work.

More than the community challenge, the recipient experience is important. You don't want to tag a gift with something that isn't in the gift, because you could disappoint or confuse the recipient.

[(Anonymous)]

If we tag a work for the community challenge, is it alright if we remove the tag after author reveals? For those of us who don't typically use freeform tags at all or are extremely minimal taggers.

[pumpkinkingmod]

Yes, that's fine!