Mouse

Mouse is one of the participants in the Zodiac Trial and is the protagonist of the game. She is in her early twenties and is a law student. Shortly before the events of the game, she was kidnapped. This led to her being forced to participate in the Zodiac Race.

## Plot

*The following section is structured by route and is based on the choices which lead to the 'ending' of said route. The subsection 'Start of the trial' describes the events that happen at the start of every route.*

*Warning: this section contains major spoilers for every route in the game. It is highly recommended to first play the game before reading this. If you are struggling to find or finish certain routes, visit Stuck?.*

### Background

Mouse studied law in order to become a defense attorney like her father. Her father was the defence attorney of Aaron Morris in the murder case of Amadeus Bowen. Little is known about the details of her daily life, but she did visit a therapist, namely Monkey.

### Start of the trial

Mouse woke up in a classroom with a mask on her face and a device around her neck. In the classroom was a man she did not recognize, Ox. The two briefly talked and decided to use the Zodiac animals as inspiration for codenames, though as Mouse preferred being called 'Mouse' over 'Rat', she would be called 'Mouse'. When discussing the reason for being brought to the school, Mouse struggled to think of a reason, while Ox could think of plenty of people who would have something against him. Ox suggested that the situation they were in might be life-threatening, which greatly upset Mouse. After some thinking about the current situation and verifying they could not escape through the window, the two are spoken to by the Jade Emperor. They instruct them to visit the cafeteria to participate in some race. There they meet the other participants. Mouse introduces herself to everyone else and suggests to use the animal names as codenames. She fails to recognize anyone, except her therapist Monkey. She can briefly talk with several other participants.

When the Jade Emperor begins his announcement, all participants put on their animal masks as instructed and listen to the rules of the Zodiac Race. An image was shown on a TV in the cafeteria displaying a grid with 12 animals all on a vertical line. The goal was to move the animal to the end of the grid, moving 24 spaces. Each participant could move their animal by choosing one of several actions:

* Run: allows the character to move one space
* Ability: uses a unique ability of the animal
* Confess: once per game, the participant can confess to the Jade Emperor and is moved 0-5 spaces depending on how well the confession was judged.
* Item: uses an item. Items are can be minor or major trinkets. Minor trinkets move the user equal to total the number of minor trinkets used that round. Major trinkets have some unique effect. There exist twelve minor and twelve major trinkets and they can be used by inputting the correct password.

Each participant had to make a move by inputting their move on their respective animal. The animals would move sequentially during a round, following a fixed order. Allowing someone else to use your tablet, not inputting a move during a round, or inputting a move while someone else was in the room would result in an execution. After someone has reached the finish line, all participants who reached it would be free, while all others would be executed.

Throughout this explanation, the tone of the Jade Emperor is taunting. They also claim this race is justified as the participants are all involved in the unjustified hanging of an innocent person. Several participants react appalled to this tone, these claims and the rules. The final part of the announcement claimed that the slowest third of the participants would end up dead.

After having learned the rules of the game, Mouse steels herself. She urged everyone to calm down. They decide to check on their abilities, which are as follows:

* Mouse: Sneaky Ride - Allows Mouse to without her movement until someone else has moved. Mouse will move the same number of spaces as that person
* Ox: Stampede - Allows Ox to move one space behind the animal currently in lead
* Tiger: Dive - Allows Tiger to instantly move to the nearest 'river'
* Bunny: Luck Bounce - Allows Bunny to move 1-3 spaces at random
* Dragon: Dragon's Breath - Allows Dragon to target a lane. Anyone on that lane is unable to move for 3 turns
* Snake chose to hide his ability, saying it was specific and could be useful in dire situations.
* Horse: Steady Gallop - Allows Horse to move 3 spaces
* Sheep: Sweet Sleep - Allows Sheep to do nothing the current turn, but take two actions next turn
* Monkey: Monkey See, Monkey Do -Allows Monkey to use one of the abilities used last turn
* Rooster: Encouraging Crow - Allows Rooster to move someone else four spaces
* Dog: Rabid Leap - Allows Dog to leap over the closest person ahead of him and move ahead equal to the number of spaces they were ahead of Dog
* Pig: Loser's Desperation - Allows Pig to move one tile for every person ahead of her

When Monkey suggested the Jade Emperor might be Brian Morris, Mouse remembered a case of her father. He had been a lawyer who defended Aaron Morris who was accused of killing Amadeus Bowen. She recalls how the evidence was incriminating, but her father had remained convinced of the innocence of his client. Mouse became angry at the Jade Emperor for holding her responsible for the actions of her father.

During the first round Mouse chose to 'run'. When everyone else had done so too, she agreed with Horse's plan to find the minor trinkets.

### Ace

Mouse decides to investigate with Horse and Sheep. She tells Sheep to be wary of the other contestants. When the purpose of the 'weak' and '' personalities are announced, Mouse figures out a way to bypass the restrictions of these personalities, by using the found major trinket as well as Sheep's special ability. With the threat of the harmful personalities dealt with, the group remains hopeful and attempts to find the other minor trinkets.

During the search for more trinkets, Mouse discovers several computers where she can input a username and a password. A hint tells her which people's name are usernames and the clue lists which roles can be attributed to these people as passwords. If she successfully remembers the names of Ox, Tiger and Bunny, she will solve the puzzle. Later on, she will also be able to discover a hidden trinket based on a clue found by Ox. With this and the results of the search of the participants, the group will have gathered enough trinkets for everyone to be able to escape.

However, around the final round of the trial, Mouse overhears Snake and Dragon arguing. If Mouse does not interfere, she will input her final move as normal, before being taunted by the Jade Emperor through a live message only for her. The Jade Emperor will disclose their location to Mouse and invites her to come visit them. After this and seeing how both Snake and Dragon were executed during the final route, Mouse decides to take the Jade Emperor up on their invitation and visits a nearby building. Upon reaching the building, an explosion occurs, killing Mouse.

### Two

Mouse decides to investigate with Ox. She finds a computer with Ox noticing and inputs the correct code. This reveals incriminating information about Ox, causing Mouse to be distrustful of him and the other participants in the trial. She does not reveal what she found and the two head back to the cafeteria. There the Jade Emperor announces the 'clever' and 'dumb' personalities, along with their function. Mouse having the 'clever' personality, becomes shocked, though attempts to not show this. Mouse decides to hide her personality to the group, deciding to turn against them. When no one confesses to having the 'clever' or 'dumb' personality, Pig suggests the people with these personalities might have forgotten it. Mouse agrees and suggests everyone split up to see what their respective personality is. Doing so, she notices her personality has changed colour. When everyone is returned to the cafeteria, she uses this to her advantage, asking if no one noticed anything different, such as their personality being changed colour. Again, no one confesses to having one of these personalities, and thus the group decides they are unable to deal with these personalities and they continue searching for the minor trinkets.

Mouse purposefully decides to search alone, hoping the participant with the 'dumb' personality will find her. This does happen, as Rooster finds Mouse and they confess their personalities to each other. Relieved to have an ally, Mouse decides to come up with a plan. The two decide the safest way to win the race is to kill as many of the other participants as possible. Mouse comes up with a plot to kill two people without either of them being suspicious. They decide to make their first target the first person they come across, which happens to be Sheep. Rooster kills her with a small statue from the art room. Mouse feels bad for Sheep, but attempts to desensitize from the situation. Next, the two lure Snake to the gymnasium. While he is distracted, Rooster stabs him to death, causing some blood to fall on Mouse's pants.

Mouse comes up with a plan to cover up the murders, involving a way to hide the blood on her pants, hiding pieces of evidence and potentially securing a testimony of a third party. Once this plan has been executed, Ox, Bunny and Pig meet with Rooster and Mouse and will discuss the murders. With Mouse's successful coverup, the suspicion will not fall on Rooster or her, but instead on Bunny. The group decides to tie him up in the cafeteria.

Shortly after, Ox and Pig will continue their searches. Rooster and Mouse are quite excited that their plan went successfully. They decide to kill Bunny as well and hide his corpse. They move to a different room and discuss what the murders they have committed so far. However, Pig walks in the room and overhears them. Rooster quickly kills her, but Mouse hears voices outside the door. Mouse talks to them and explains how she has not seen Pig. Mouse keeps talking to distract her from her stress. Due to the floor layout, Pig would have to be in one of three rooms at the end of the corridor. Much to their surprise, Pig is nowhere to be found. Dog apologizes to Mouse and they leave her alone. Rooster later reveals that he had moved Pig's body using a small platform and remote controlled cars. He had incorrectly assumed Mouse's talking was intentional to hide the sound and to give hints as to which places would be safe to hide the body.

Next, Mouse and Rooster decide to kill Tiger, who has entered the hallway. Mouse instructs Rooster to hide in some closet, while she suggests Tiger should input her vote in the same room. Not knowing the room is not empty, Tiger inputs her vote, but is executed for breaking the rules. Rooster discovers a gun on her body. This route has different endings based on who keeps the gun. Regardless of who kept the gun, Mouse returns to the gymnasium with Ox. Ox manages to find a hidden message from Snake, who had grabbed two markers indicating the colours corresponding to his killers. Right as Ox deduces Mouse is involved, Mouse stabs Ox. She is greatly upset by this, as this is the first time she killed someone, but Ox wishes for her to make it out safely.

If Mouse kept the gun, Horse will storm in the room. Due to the stress of the killings, he snapped and went on a killing spree himself., leaving only himself and Mouse alive. He charges Mouse, but Mouse manages to kill him with the gun she kept. With this, Mouse is the only remaining participant and she manages to win the race by herself. Being greatly disturbed by the events of the race, she suffers a mental breakdown and starts laughing.

If Mouse gave the gun to Rooster, he will enter the room when Ox has been killed. He will explain how every other participant has died, most of them having been killed by Horse. Mouse and Rooster will then uneventfully finish the race together.

### Three

Mouse will decide to continue searching with Ox. In the next round, she will search with Bunny and Dog. After this round, the Jade Emperor announces the function of the 'defeatist' and 'victorious' personalities. When no one admits to having these personalities, Mouse will continue searching with Ox and Dragon. Some bickering occurs, mostly between Ox and Dragon. However, this is interrupted when Ox notices a major trinket has been used on him. He receives a message informing him he will die unless he drinks the blood of his 'poisoner'. The Jade Emperor also gives him a live message, tauntingly calling him a tool. Ox decides to attempt to save his own life by trying to find who 'poisoned' him.

Dragon and Mouse will aid Ox by trying to find both the 'poisoner' and the reason why the Jade Emperor called Ox a tool. In no specific order, they talk to Dog, Tiger and Bunny. They ask Dog about corruption in the police force, as Dog used to work as a police officer. Dog only tells them about this after Mouse wins a gambling game against him. After doing so, Dog explains there were some suspicious circumstances relating to the investigation of Aaron Morris' death. Mouse and Dragon also interrogate Tiger about the case. She also reveals some information about the brother of the victim and the police chief investigating the case Oliver Bowen. Finally, they talk to Bunny who is accompanied by Pig. Dragon and Mouse ask about their success in finding any trinkets which Pig and Bunny deny to be the case. Dragon and Mouse find a safe in the room Bunny and Pig claim to have investigated.

A group is gathered consisting of Dog, Tiger, Dragon, Mouse, Pig and Bunny. Ox reveals a gun he managed to find during his search. Along with help from Mouse, he discovers he was likely used by Oliver Bowen to hastily prosecute Aaron Morris. They figure out that this is the reason the Jade Emperor called him a tool. Next, Mouse deduces that it must have been Bunny who found the poison, as the safe Bunny claims to have searched was not well hidden and must have contained the trinket to 'poison' Ox. Bunny admits to having the 'victorious' personality, but claims Pig used the trinket instead of him. Meanwhile, Dog is also outed as having the 'defeatist' personality. Bunny argues that there is no reason for him to lie about Pig using the trinket. Ox believes him, and kills Pig for 'poisoning' him as well as Bunny and Dog for having the traitorous personalities. He drinks Pig's blood and is saved from the 'poison'. The remaining group uneventfully manages to finish the game.

### Four

Mouse decides to search for minor trinkets with Ox. In the following round, she joins Tiger and Dragon to search the gymnasium for minor trinkets. The trio ends up finding a room filled with several weapons, including pistols, a sniper rifle, a taser and grenades. When returning to the gymnasium, the Jade Emperor reveals information about the personalities. After no one admits having on of these personalities, Dragon, Mouse and Tiger share what they found and discuss what to do about the weapons. The group decides someone should guard the weapons. They hold a vote which results in Tiger being chosen for the job. They move the weapons to an office and leave Tiger there.

Mouse continues her search for minor trinkets for some time and stumbles upon Ox. The two hear a gunshot and decide to check on Tiger. Upon arriving in the hallway leading to the office, they see Dragon on the ground, deceased, and Tiger unconscious. Bunny and Snake also appear on the scene.