Mid-Range Game 8: Highborn Intrigue

[Renegade]

Night 1: Feeding Frenzy

“Highprince Kholin!”

Dalinar looked up from his drink, acknowledging the messenger who had spoken.  He was a small boy of no more than sixteen, who looked disheveled and more than a little out of breath.  The messenger looked intently, almost fearfully, at Dalinar, but gave a small nod to Adolin, who was standing on the side of the dining room.

“One of the barracks has been set on fire!” the messenger exclaimed frantically.  “Fortunately, we managed to find the culprit.”

“Who was it?” Adolin asked, before his father was able to reply.

“A brightlord Gamaris Denvar,” the messenger said.  “I believe that the others mentioned that he was only a minor brightlord, of the sixth or seventh dahn.”

“Denvar?” Dalinar said to himself.  “Very well.  You are dismissed.”

“This is Sadeas’s doing!” Adolin yelled as the messenger scampered off.  “This is exactly something he would do, the coward!  Bribe a lower-ranking--”

“Stop!” Dalinar shouted, interrupting his son.  “I do not know where you are getting these misgivings about Sadeas, but he is not an evil man.  He risked his life for Gavilar, when I, Gavilar’s own brother, did nothing about it.  I do not want to hear you say such things about Sadeas, no matter what your personal feelings about him.  Am I clear?”

“Yes,” Adolin muttered, nodding.  “But if Sadeas is not behind this sabotage, then who is?”

Dalinar considered.  “Perhaps this would be an important topic to discuss at tonight’s banquet.”

-----

“There sure are a lot of people here tonight,” Renvas Galad said, looking at the large crowd of people gathered in the king’s feasting basin.  “I wonder what could be going on?”

“Perhaps they just came for the food,” his wife, Kaleni, replied, entering the basin with him.  As usual, the basin had been flooded with water, turning it into an artificial lake, complete with five islands for the guests to sit and eat.   All five of the tables had almost been filled with guests, all (mostly) high-ranking lighteyes who wouldn’t turn down an invitation from a highprince.

“Perhaps,” Renvas replied, heading across a bridge to one of the small islands.  “Though I’m not sure…”

“There are many things I am not sure of, ” a man spoke from atop a tall stool.  The stout man was wearing all black, with a silver sword at his side, which seemed mostly for decoration than anything else.  “But one thing that I may say with absolute certainty is that you, Brightlord Galad, are a perfect example to all of these fools for how you should not dress.”

Renvas stopped and glared at the man atop the stool.  “What--”

“Honestly, I was never much into fashion myself, but you could at least try to do more than the ‘just-thrown-on’ look.”

“That’s Wit,” Kaleni explained.  “It’s usually best to just ignore him.”

“Ignore me?” Wit said, taken aback.  “Why, I take extra time to carefully cultivate my insults towards all of you.  It is certainly more interesting than eating and listening to gossip and the like.”

Renvas groaned.  “Well, I am only here to record what is to happen.  Something important is upon the horizon.”

“The sun,” Wit said.  “I know that your little brain can only comprehend so much, but I’m surprised that even you would forget about the giant, shining orb on the horizon.”

“You know what I mean,” Renvas said flatly.

“Don’t argue with Wit,” Kaleni warned, walking past the two of them and onto the islands beyond.  “You can’t win.”

Wit chuckled as Renvas followed Kaleni across the bridge.  “Finally, someone that speaks some sense around here.  And… ah, Brightlord Mallan!  I believe you took a wrong turn; the showers are that way.”

Renvas froze at one of the islands as Dalinar stood up from his seat.  Finding an open chair next to his wife, Renvas noticed Dalinar’s two sons to his left and right at the center table.  What is going on here?

Dalinar looked out at the crowd.  “There has, I am sure, been some discussion about the fire that occurred earlier this very day.  Rest assured that this is not the reason that I have called you all here.  Nevertheless, I am in need of information surrounding the motives behind this mysterious attack.  Anyone who gives me proof of relevant information related to the attack will be compensated.  Otherwise, with that out of the way, let us begin the feast!”

With Dalinar’s last sentence, a number of servants appeared, bringing out exotic foods from across Roshar.  Whatever is to be said about what happens next, Renvas considered, I am going to enjoy this feast.

---

Let the games begin!  Role PMs will be sent out shorty.

Remember: As this is the Night turn, no PMs may be started.  However, if you have a non-kill action that you would like to use tonight, respond to the PM that I will send your role in with your action and target(s).

Other than that, this turn is meant to be heavily focused on RP, so go have some fun before the real slaughter begins!

The Night will be over in about 23 hours from this post.

Player List:

 

Draela Heb (Haelbarde)
Sheon Idris (Seonid)
Brightlord Wannan (Herowannabe)
Arilir (Araris Valerian)
Seavul Karlon (TheSilverDragon)
Brightness Katara (little wilson)
Merilee Kavdar (RippleGlyf)
Kipper (Kipper)
Cleo (Winter Cloud)
Bortholemew the Blind (Bort)
Seixa (phattemer)
Leyton (IrulelikeSTINK)
Mace (Macen)
Brightlady Nivina Odict (Shallan)
Em-son-of-none (Emerald 101)
Caesarae (Adamir)
Orlok (OrlokTsubodai)
Norlav (Alvron)
Resha (RavenRadiant7)
Eradin (Paranoid King)
Vin Elendel (Venture Mistborn)
Efrihm (Alvom)
Badhab Eony (The Honey Badger)
Klanal (Clanky)
Patch (Feligon)
Mallan (Mailliw73)
Owain (TheMightyLopen)
Mortago (a smart guy)

Edited October 28, 2016 by Alvron

[Emerald101]

Ren, if I may, I would like to make a humble suggestion. In past games I've played, the GM would post a player list at the end of each write-up. In LG13, Kipper kept a player list in his signature. I would like to propose that you combine the two elements, and put the player list in your signature. That way, you don't have to go back and c/p it every turn, and us players don't have to go back to Day 1 every turn to remember who's still living.

 

That said, this is your game, and it's absolutely your prerogative to run it however you wish.

 

Additional comment:

 

I'd also live to invite speculation on Eliminator numbers. I think we're looking at 5-6 eliminators is a game w/28 players.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Emerald101

[Renegade]

Well, I was just about to put in a player list in this write-up after I sent out the PMs.  (Also, if anyone hasn't yet received a PM, let me know, since I should've sent them all out by now.)  I might do the signature thing once we start losing people, but I'll just post the player list for the first write-up or two.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Renegade

[Clanky]

The banquet was buzzing about the news about the fire. This wasn't good, Klanal didn't want people talking about the fire or someone sabotaging the highprince. None of it was important. 

 

Klanal looked around at the other guests on the island where he had been seated. There was no-one of real importance around him. After all Klanal himself was barely important enough to receive an invite even with all the strings he had pulled. As a 9th dahn lighteyes and youngest child in a penniless house he was actually probably the person of least importance in the whole banquet it would only make sense that he would be seated with the rest of the lower ranking lighteyes. 

 

That was not why he had come here. Klanal hadn't spent the last of his families money on bribes so that he could chat with mindless minor brightlords doing anything possible to impress their betters. No he had come for the truth and he wouldn't find it surrounded by these blathering idiots.  

 

Klanal stood up and excused himself from the old brightlord beside him who had been attempting to tell him about the time he had saved Dalinar himself by single-handedly killing a chasmfiend. 

 

He snuck out of the banquet hall to where he had stashed a servants robe and put it on. As he walked back into the banquet hall he spun his hat around so that the brim would hang down so that his eyes would be less noticeable and started walking directly to the main table where Dalinar sat. 

 

---

 

I think we can agree that 5-6 eliminators is what we have. There is no way to really tell which it is until we get a better feel for the role distribution.

[Kipper]

Kipper held his tablet in his two hands and stubbornly refused to do any RP. After all, RP is just distracting. I can't see the patterns when people RP. He waited for the Night to end.

[Mailliw73]

Showers? Why was I going to the shower? Mallan thought. The King's Wit was definitely smarter than him though, so Mallan thanked the man on the stool and walked in the direction he had pointed. Distracted by a rockbud, Mallan almost fell right into a pile of chull dung. That was close.

He turned and went back to the feast, forgetting why he had come this way in the first place, dragging the tip of his slightly-too-large pant leg right through the dung. Why was the smell following him? He kept checking behind him, but the pile of dung was nowhere to be found. He ignored it, and sat back down to eat. Now which hand held the fork?

[Renegade]

Less than two hours left!  If you want to use a Night action (besides a kill action), get it in soon!

 

Also, I should remind you all that there is no penalty for talking.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Renegade

[Haelbarde]

Really? Well then. So how are we go...*hurk*

[Seonid]

The past few games seem to have suffered from a lack of talking. In part, this seems to be because people sign up for games they don't really have time for (guilty here too), but there's also been a recent tendency towards lynching the most active people.

This trend is not disturbing in and of itself, but combined with the broad movement toward semi-activity, this leaves the village in a potentially precarious situation.

The smaller the pool of active players, the easier it is for the Eliminators to manipulate the conversation, the lynch, and end up pulling out the win.

I don't have any concrete suggestions right now other than this: be active. If you are not active, you are essentially playing on the Eliminator's team.

[RavenRadient7]

I've been watching this thread for most of the day, but I don't really have anything to add. Once we get to the point of voting and having data to go off of, I'll be increasing my activeness.

 

On that note, it's looking like I'll be awake during the last hours just before the end of the cycle, which will be a nice change from the last game. I'll be able to more active during the final, and possibly most important, hours of the game. I won't be very active during the beginning hours of a cycle, though - that's when I'm sleeping.

[Kipper]

See, the thing is that I like to look at what other people say during N1 and D1. I find them useless myself, for the most part, but other people say stuff that comes back to bite them later. I don't do a D1 vote. So you probably won't see me much unless someone comes up with a plan that I don't understand.

Ciao

[TheMightyLopen]

Yeah, I wanted to do some RP but I had some RL stuff today so I was pretty busy. I'll probably be pretty active tomorrow.

[Kipper]

Also, just so I can pad my activeness, I just want to say that having Alvom and Alvron in the same game is really messing with my head.

[The Honey Badger]

Hey guys, this will be my first Elimination game since starting high school, so I am still trying to balance everything (Cross country makes it difficult). I will try to post every time I get on, and I will try to stay as active (and caught up) as I possibly can. I definitely won't be as active as I am usually, so sorry in advance. 

 

Edit: Color

Edited August 21, 2015 by The Honey Badger

[Renegade]

Time's up!  Write-up coming in a minute or two.

[Renegade]

Day 1: The Sound of Silence

Renvas Galad sat silently at his table, savoring the delicious food that Dalinar had given to them.  A plethora of exotic fruits from places as far away as Shinovar, fine meats from some of the large creatures that roamed up north, near the Reshi Isles, and a number of exquisite rolls and pastries.  And that, they were told, was only the first course.

Though, despite it all, none of that could not mask the unnerving silence in the feasting basin.  Brightlord and ladies whispered nervously to each other, but almost nobody seemed to be chatting normally.  Something was certainly off about all of this.  Was it the proposal that Dalinar had put forth earlier?  Dalinar looked distraught, and periodically coughed, in an attempt to get the Brightlords to speak more.  But still, the silence reigned.

Eventually, before the second course had been brought out, Renvas had had enough of the eerie silence.  With some prodding from his wife, Renvas grabbed his wine glass and slowly rose.

“I propose a toast,” Renvas proclaimed, raising his glass into the night sky, “to Highprince Kholin, for his wonderful feast this evening!”

The other nobles looked on, some halfheartedly raising their wine glasses as well.  A chill went down Renvas’s spine as he poured the glass’s contents down his gullet.  What is going on here?  Renvas slowly sat down, his wife solemnly rubbing his back.

“It’s alright,” Kaleni said.  “At least you were brave enough to speak out, when others were not.”

Renvas nodded slowly, distinctly realizing that he was shuddering.  “I… I can’t…”  Renvas put a hand to his forehead, the thumping of his heart becoming louder, muffling everything else.  “Why… why is everything…”  Renvas fell out of his chair, banging loudly against the table.  His wine glass slipped and shattered against the ground.  Why is everything spinning so much?

Kaleni’s eyes, widened in shock, gazed down at Renvas.  She spoke something, but he couldn’t make it out.  Something about--

Poison.  As the world spun around, faster and faster, Renvas closed his eyes.  At least the food was good, he thought as he gasped for one last breath.

-----

Dalinar cautiously stood up as he watched Brightlord Galad heave one last breath.  No, not now.  Dalinar glanced to the side, seeing Renarin wipe his spectacles, as if the young man could not believe his eyes.  And, despite seeing more than his share of death and destruction, Dalinar could barely believe his eyes as well.

Twice in one day?  First the barracks, and now this?  Dalinar scowled and opened his mouth, but abruptly stopped himself.  No.  No, you must be calm with them.  Brightlord Galad was a good man.  You need to remind them of that.

“Brightlord Galad,” Dalinar spoke to the stunned crowd, “was a good man.  Only a couple of years ago, he served alongside some of my most esteemed commanders against the Parshendi.  I know that he saw much bloodshed and loss in those years, as many of us did.  He did not deserve to be killed in the cowardly manner in which he was, after surviving swords and arrows for years.  Nobody deserves such a fate.

“If an enemy to me wishes to burn down barracks and kill my men in such a dishonorable way, then he is not only an enemy to me; he is an enemy to all of us.  We will see Brightlord Galad avenged.”

Many of the nobles nodded, while Brightness Galad wept softly next to her deceased husband.  We are in a war, Dalinar thought.  Almost six years of constant combat on these Plains has begun to wear on everyone.  They have all become divided.  They need to be led again.

“A trial shall be held,” Dalinar said to the gathered nobles, “to discern who amongst us is a traitor… and a coward.  Those who have been found guilty… will be executed.”  Dalinar paused for a moment to let the statement settle in.  Even to his left, Adolin looked rather concerned at Dalinar’s ultimatum.  Perhaps he had gone too far?  No, Dalinar thought to himself.  This is a war.  We all need to start acting more like it is one.  I’ve grown too soft lately, and several opportunities to seize the Parshendi movements have slipped through my fingers.  With a peace of mind, Dalinar continued.  “I realize this may not be a favorable action, but it is what needs to be done.  Brightlord Galad was a great man, and if we do not do anything soon, more people like him will meet his fate.  Some of them possibly being you.”

The crowd of nobles began to realize the gravity of their situation.  They clearly weren’t all going to survive this ordeal.

“Highprince Kholin!” a messenger shouted, walking onto the flooded basin.  For some bizarre reason, Dalinar suddenly realized that Wit was no longer anywhere in sight.  Could he have possibly had something to do with the poisoning?

The messenger handed Dalinar a sheet of parchment paper.  “Interesting,” Dalinar said, reading over the paper.  “Well, it would appear that we have our first suspect.”  Dalinar turned to the rightmost island, where a small group of Brightladies sat.  Despite the overwhelming silence throughout the banquet, Dalinar had noticed that there had been even less talking in that area.

“Brightness Katara, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

---

Brightness Katara has received an extra vote on her today

Day 1 has begun!  The turn will be over in 24 hours.

You may now use PMs between players (but please refer to the PM rules; only 2 players in each PM, and all PMs must include me as a third member).  Good luck!

Edited October 28, 2016 by Alvron

[Haelbarde]

Umm... Wow. How could you people do that to the Brightness Ascendant? 

 

*Goes to check the rules to see if there's any rules about a certain number of votes for a lynch.*

 

Edit: Hmm... so if no one voted at all, Wilson gets lynched, but no lynch if there's a draw. 

 

So, Noble votes only go through if there's a majority. Presuming that more than one person actually voted, it would suggest at least 2 Nobles voted on Wilson.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Haelbarde

[Mailliw73]

Can't say I'm surprised Wilson got that extra vote. I quite expected that.

[RavenRadient7]

Why did you think Wilson would get the extra vote, Mailliw?

 

And does this mean that, on the off chance nobody else gets any votes, Wilson would be lynched?

Edited August 21, 2015 by RavenRadient7

[Kipper]

Wilson is a target always. As are Meta, Gamma, Alvron, Mailliw, Kasimir, Alvron, the list goes on...

Fearkills abound among this group. Because they are more experienced, they have a much higher death and attack rate than the rest of us. When you play more, you'll start to run into that. Perks of being a pro...

[Renegade]

 

And does this mean that, on the off chance nobody else gets any votes, Wilson would be lynched?

 

There's a minimum of two votes needed on a player in order for them to be lynched, so the player who receives the extra vote can't end up getting lynched by that vote alone.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Renegade

[Haelbarde]

Why did you think Wilson would get the extra vote, Mailliw?

 

And does this mean that, on the off chance nobody else gets any votes, Wilson would be lynched?

The way I understand it, Wilson already has a vote on her, due to the majority of Nobles who voted secretly voting on her. So if no one put public votes in, the only vote would be on her.

 

Also, Wilson has had games before where she's been one-shotted on the first turn, and she's usually focused on. (People find her scary for some reason. I don't see what's scary 'bout the name 'Brightness Ascendant' though.

 

And I'll restate this here, but unless only one Noble put a vote in, at least two Nobles voted on Wilson. I've got study to do now, but at some point, methinks I want to put some guesses of role distributions out there.

 

Edit: @Ren: Oh okay. That's good to know. I had missed that.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Haelbarde

[RavenRadient7]

Kipper, I kind of saw that in my last game. I think part of the reason I lasted so long was because the eliminators were targeting the more experienced players. I just didn't think it would apply here, but if we're looking at 5-6 eliminators and 7 special roles plus Brightlord and Shardplate, probably at least one of them is a regular Brightlord. So, the vote probably came in from people afraid of a stronger player as an eliminator, or the eliminators trying to manipulate the vote to help get rid of a stronger player. Maybe both.

 

Though, along those lines of thought, it also means that there is probably a couple roles that the eliminators don't have at all. From a quick look, Artifabrian looks less useful to the eliminators, and I would doubt that any of the eliminators would be given Assassin and given an extra kill each cycle, but that doesn't mean they don't have those roles.

[Kipper]

Previous GMs, how are the Eliminator roles chosen, if no safe roles?

Random, custom, or culled if too powerful?

[TheSilverDragon]

So this is only my second game, and the first was... I don't remember the name, but the first night we lynched no body. Is that normal or what in this types of games?