Killer in a Party

As I was playing one of my video games today (Oblivion), I came upon a mission for an assassin's guild where I was to enter a large mansion. In this mansion, a party of sorts was being held, including five other people besides me, and we were told that somewhere in the mansion a chest of gold was hidden, and only until someone found it would we be released from the residence. What the others didn't know was that I am an assassin hired to kill them all secretly, one by one.

A fun and interesting mission, not just because I'm going in and slaughtering everything I see, but in the fact that I have to do it intelligently. I am able to talk to the other guests, gain their trust through conversation, and suggest secluded places they should look. Of the guests, one is a retired soldier, another is a drunkard who lost his daughter to a raid of bandits, two are nobles (one young man and one elderly woman), and the last is a young girl with questionable ambitions. Not only do they have these titles, but they also have personalities that shine through as well.

So here's the most interesting part. As I go about assassinating each guest, I thought of all the psychology behind this "experiment." I find it fascinating to think about how these guests react to each murder, and especially to each other as minor dispositions become uncontrolled generalizations and fury. You might say that, as they become increasingly threatened, they revert to more animalistic instincts, ready to take their gut feelings into action rather than maintain a civilized decorum. The ambitious girl and the young noble have a sort of crush on each other, and the drunkard and retired soldier have bitter dispositions toward each other. The older noble is sweet, and approached me to create an alliance. She was the first victim, as I mentioned she should search in the basement. When she went done, we were alone, and the first assassination was a success. Now I must wait until the others calm down a bit, and let down their guard long enough until I can get to the next victim in a secluded room.

This scenario also reminded me of the movie Saw II, where the serial killer brings together a group of people, connected in some way, and traps them in a house. He tells them that they have been breathing in a toxic gas, and in 2 hours, they would die. However, throughout the entrapped house lie antidotes in harmful and hazardous traps. Paranoia and fear, as well as delusion and bewilderment, filled the members as time progressed, and each person reacted differently. A great movie with an even better plot, I recommend it to anyone, even if just to see the psychology behind it.