Mid-Range Game 20: With Ruin Beside Us

[Magestar]

1 hour ago, Alvron said:

Lopen claims to have gotten an item when he killed Con.

1 hour ago, _Stick_ said:

*whispers 'the hat'

Well, I'm dumb.  And here I was thinking I was paying attention.  

[TheMightyLopen]

6 hours ago, _Stick_ said:

When Daniyah was killed, her items were listed down weren't they? I wonder why the same wasn't done for Conquestor...

@Seonid Please don't.

@A Joe in the Bush, Con's item(s) aren't in the write-up. Is that intentional?

8 hours ago, Seonid said:

I'm trying very hard to resist the temptation to vote for stick, and then Riot it to try and save myself. I'm not especially useful to the village atm, and the most useful thing I could do right now is get lynched and reveal my alignment.

BTW, Lopen, whoever has the colorful stone is almost certainly evil. Because it was them that killed Dani. You'll be able to verify that when I'm dead.

If you're village, yeah. No idea how we're supposed to find who's got it though. Or why you mentioned me...

And hey, if you're actually village and you think Stick might be an elim, you could make a tie. Then you'd both die. But if you're both village that might give us less time.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Apologies, yes, Con had a Lucky Hat

[A Joe in the Bush]

Cycle 6: Failure to act as One

Sheon examined the Spear again. The weapon that had been used to kill both The Survivor and the Lord Ruler. He was carrying History in his hands. A history of Bloodshed and Slaughter. Of Revolution and Restoration. He idly wondered if the weapon was cursed. Avrao had told him that the spear had been used to kill her mother, and Avrao had died less than an hour after lending the thing to him.

It had taken him considerable effort to survive having the spear, and so far, it had not been worth it.

As soon as he had borrowed it from Avrao, he had set about trying to unlock it. He knew what it was, a siphon. He knew it could transfer power, but he didn’t know how. He just needed a bit more time, but the mob had almost caught him. He didn’t have the time. All he could do was hide the spear where it could be used for some good at least.

--

Glow leaned against the wall, gasping in and out. He shivered, despite the warm air. He was running out of time. “Kayana Ire, sending me here without any reserves. How did they expect me to finish the shekking mission without the Dor?” He raised his hands, and began to sketch with the Dor. He drew the basic Aon of Scadrial, the five dots for the ashmounts, the ovals for the two perpendicularlities, and the outline of the continent itself. Then he hesitates, seeing how pale the light was.

He had enough power for two spells, maybe three if they were small. What could he do with those? He had not gathered enough spikes to complete the connection to Ruin, so he could try to kill two more of Ruin’s servants, but he had no leads, no ideas. Or, he could break a rule.

He was using energy gathered in Elantris, from Sel. He couldn’t gather energy from here, but, he could at least teach someone else who could how to do it. Teach someone what he was doing, and how to replicate it. Pass his mission on to someone with similar ideals.

His course decided, he finished the Scadrian Aon, adding lines for the major canals, and a series of widening dashes to convey exactly where he was moving to. There was a flash of light, and the Alley was empty.

--

He wept at the blood on his hands. He wept that he was not strong enough to add his own to it. He wept for the city he was destroying. He wept for his inability to just, tip forward, and fall from the roof where he knelt. He wept for Rin.

The other stood behind him, arms folded, voices silent. They reveled in their destruction, their power. They danced through the bloodstains, sung as they sawed through the sinews, and laughed and the pleas of mercy.

One stood between the Weaper and the Revelers. He paced back and forth, growling and snarling, aching to be released, to rend and destroy once again. Growler kicked Weaper in the back. “Shut up. If he hears you, he won’t go inside, and you won’t be able to kill him.

Weaper sniffled. “That’s preferable, i think. I don’t want to kill him.”

Growler grabbed his face, and wrenched it towards him, making direct eye contact. “Do you see that window there? The room next to Rin’s? Do you know who is in that room?” Weaper shook, either from fear or in reply to Growlers answer. “A little family of four. The father only has one arm, and the mother is starving herself. Both of them are doing their best to keep their children fed and happy. That window?” He pointed to the other window neighboring Rin’s house. “An artist, and master craftsman. He makes beautiful furniture, and toys for the children. The window above hi is a newly married couple, one of whom was a veteran in Kelsier’s rebellion.”

Growler leaned forward, mashing his nose against Weaper’s. “Do you remember what I did to Avrao? What i did to her family, her friends, and the random skaa who lived in the same building? Do you remember their screams? Their agony? Some of them took hours to die. You’re going to go in there, and kill Rin, or I am going to go in there, and wipe out every living thing in the building. I will peel them open, and let them ripen before i finally snap their necks.”

Weaper didn’t remember Avrao, other than the smell. He had closed his eyes, and covered his ears, muting out the worst. But the smell had filled his noses, until he stuffed them full of ash in desperation. “Alright. Survivor save me, I’ll kill him.”

“Good, because he’s walking into the building right now.”

--

Sheon kicked the door open, and walked in, spear out before him. The Room’s occupant scrambled to their feet, sending papers flying in surprise. “Sheon?”

He leveled the spear and the person's neck, and hardened his eyes. “Do you know what this is?”

“Uh, that’s Avrao’s Spear.”

“No, it’s art, and history, and Connection. It’s an aretefact of power. In the right hands, it serves to balance the odds. In the wrong hands, it’s a curse.” He flipped the spear, turning it so that the butt was pointed towards him. “My hands were the wrong ones apparently. Keep it safe, use it only when necessary. And for your own sake, don’t tell anyone you have it. They’ll kill you for it once they learn what it does.”

The occupant didn’t reach out to take the spear, so Sheon simply dropped it, turned, and left. He walked out of the building, and into the growing mist. It wasn’t long before he felt a familiar presence beside him. He didn’t bother to look to confirm that the Mist Spirit was keeping step with him. He could tell by the feeling that was sufficing him. The feeling that he had done the right thing. “He’ll abuse the power you know. Take it for his own.” The spirit disagreed, in its empathetic way. “What do you know about him that i don’t? Why are you so certain he’s the right choice?” The answer was not what he expected. It was an oppressive feeling of sadness. Of Loss, and Despair.

It sickened him, as he realized what it meant. He hadn’t given the spear to the right hands, just the necessary ones, the best available. “He’s not going to die is he? The spiked aren’t going to come for him, that’s why you had me give him the spear?”

The Spirit didn’t answer, and when Sheon finally turned to look, there was nothing there. But off in the distance he could see torches. The Mob had finally found him.

--

The room was kept dark. The windows and doors covered, no light could get in or out. Which meant that every last scrap of light in the room, was coming from the man who had simply appeared there. The Glowing man was regarding him, looking him up and down. He looked strained, as if carrying a boulder on his shoulders. He sighed, raised his hands, and began to draw on the air.

“I always saw this power as a Blessing. I could shape the world, protect the weak, destroy the corrupt. I could create works of art, produce food, heal wounds, and move great distances. But it also put a great deal of scrutiny on me. What was i using the power for? Was i doing the right thing? Was I abusing my power?”

The picture almost blocked the glowing man from view now. It was an immensely detailed map of scadrial, centered around Luthadel.

“I imagine you’ll see it as a curse. Power comes with responsibilities, not privileges. But, you will be able to use it to finish hunting the Spiked I hope. Please, use it wisely. You will not have it long.”

He finished the picture. It exploded with light, and suddenly, knowledge filled everything. The man, now drained of light, sighed. “Good Luck.”


Seonid was lynched! They were a Citizen! (He had no items when he died)
Doc12 was killed!
A Player was attacked!

Votes:
Seonid (3): Lopen, Bugsy, Alvron
Stick (2): Ecthelion

Time until Cycle <7

Player List:

 

Magestar

Assassin in Burgundy:

Alvron

Bartimaeus

Seonid Lynced Cycle 5

Phattemer:

_stick_

Elenion Lynched Cycle 4

Darkness Ascendant Lynched Cycle 3, Killed Cycle 3, Killed Cycle 3

Arinian Killed Cycle 2

Daniyah: Killed on Cycle 1

Straw: Killed on Cycle 4

Bugsy: Survived a Lynch, Cycle 1

Ecthelion III Survived an attack, cycle 2

Doc12 Killed Cycle 5[/b]

Lopen   

Silverblade Killed Cycle 3

Sart

Conquestor: Killed on Cycle 4

Droughtbringer  

Jondesu Lynched Cycle 2

Edited February 28, 2017 by Alvron

[Stick.]

Told y'all Seonid wasn't evil >>

I'm rather suspicious of Bugsy at this point. Might be because of how he has contributed to most of the village lynches (namely Jondesu, DA). Not to mention how he survived the C1 lynch. 

[Ecthelion III]

I'm still Stickspicious.

You've been more active than usual, and I have no idea what part of being a Thug makes someone more likely to be an eliminator.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Ecthelion III

[Stick.]

1 hour ago, Ecthelion III said:

I'm still Stickspicious.

You've been more active than usual, and I have no idea what part of being a Thug makes someone more likely to be an eliminator.

Oops, sorry. I meant that the elims might have rioted a vote on him back in C1, causing him to lose his thug life (are we using this? :-P ), and kinda soft-clearing him

[Ecthelion III]

1 hour ago, _Stick_ said:

causing him to lose his thug life (are we using this? :-P )

Yes. Yes we are.

[Magestar]

I'm also kind of suspicious of Bugsy. I'm also a little suspicious of Phattemer.  He's gone kind of quiet, I'd like to hear more from him, but I don't have as much of a reason to be suspicious of him as I do of Bugsy.  Phattemer has jumped around a bit with his votes, without a lot of evidence IMO, and he's done things that make me have a bad gut read on him.  But Bugsy lead the lynch against Jondesu, a confirmed villager, and tried to get him lynched a few times.  He also has participated in other village lynches, and hasn't really done anything to make me not suspicious of him.  Plus, if he does end up being good, I'll have more evidence to put into my suspicion of Phattemer.  But both of them ended up trying to lead a lynch on Jondesu, if I remember correctly.

I'm really not sure what to think.  But I'll probably end up voting for either Phattemer, or Bugsy.  I'm not super suspicious of Stick, and I'm not sure why you are, Ecth?  Care to explain a little more?  Is it just because she's been more active than usual?

I'd also love if we could get some more conversation.  I know it's getting to the late game, and there are fewer people now, but we still have some players who are usually pretty active.  Conversation = good.

[Ecthelion III]

Let's get some villagers in the thread. It's been up for 15 hours and a grand total of 2 other people have posted.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Ecthelion III

[Alvron]

4 minutes ago, Ecthelion III said:

Let's get some villagers in the thread. It's been up for 15 hours and a grand total of 2 other people have posted.

Assuming they are villagers.  If you are evil then feel free not to post.  As for me, I'm voting for Drought.  Nothing concrete but I've been watching him for a while now and something looks off.

[Ecthelion III]

I could get behind Drought. A lot more suspicious of him than Bugsy. (Stick)

[Bugsy]

10 hours ago, _Stick_ said:

I'll redirect you to my post here. I maintain that an extra life is significantly more valuable than a marginal clearance. Being kinda-sorta soft cleared on such a flimsy basis is unlikely to ever change someone's mind regarding suspicion against me, but an extra life could help significantly. It would, for example, protect me from a stray coinshot or random lynch, and could also serve to let me pull a WGG, which would "clear" me much more strongly than what happened. If you look at my posts, you'll see I never used what happened to me as a defense or argument for my innocence. I did use it to argue the guilt of another player, but that wouldn't have helped elim!Me because that player would have been lynched C1 anyways. All I would have hypothetically accomplished with this is leading a lynch on someone who would ultimately be innocent, implicating only myself. I see no reason to do that

7 hours ago, Magestar said:

I'm also kind of suspicious of Bugsy... Bugsy lead the lynch against Jondesu, a confirmed villager, and tried to get him lynched a few times.  He also has participated in other village lynches, and hasn't really done anything to make me not suspicious of him.  Plus, if he does end up being good, I'll have more evidence to put into my suspicion of Phattemer.  But both of them ended up trying to lead a lynch on Jondesu, if I remember correctly.

The first time I "tried to get him lynched", I simply broke the tie. He would have died anyways, but I would have as well. I fail to see how that sort of self preservation is in any way suspicious. The second time, I did actively try to get him lynched, because there were 3 vote manipulations in his favor. To me, that was more than a little suspicious. You can see my reasoning for all of the other lynches I've participated in through my posts. Note that while you accuse me of being suspicious for participating in a lynch on a villager, we haven't lynched an elim yet. In fact, by the logic you use to implicate me, the plurality of voters every round so far is automatically subject of suspicion their participation in the lynch. Voting patterns are important, true, but what you accuse me of is nothing others have not done. 

Edit: Not sure what happened to that quote. Also not sure fixing it is worth it on mobile. Here's the link to the post: http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/58241-mr20-c6-failure-to-act-as-one/?do=findComment&comment=539997

Edited February 27, 2017 by Bugsy6912

[Magestar]

7 hours ago, Bugsy6912 said:

The first time I "tried to get him lynched", I simply broke the tie. He would have died anyways, but I would have as well. I fail to see how that sort of self preservation is in any way suspicious. The second time, I did actively try to get him lynched, because there were 3 vote manipulations in his favor. To me, that was more than a little suspicious. You can see my reasoning for all of the other lynches I've participated in through my posts. Note that while you accuse me of being suspicious for participating in a lynch on a villager, we haven't lynched an elim yet. In fact, by the logic you use to implicate me, the plurality of voters every round so far is automatically subject of suspicion their participation in the lynch. Voting patterns are important, true, but what you accuse me of is nothing others have not done. 

...

Important part bolded.  This is what's tripping me up a little.  Because we haven't managed to lynch an Elim, I can only work on how other people have interacted with known villagers/people I trust.   I have to work with what I see, which is why it feels like there's no concrete evidence.

Anyway.  You've managed to convince me not to lynch you.  I probably won't be able to post again today, so I'm going to put a vote on Phattemer.  He's honestly my greatest suspicion at this point;  It's still nothing really strong, but it's a gut read with at least some backing, so it's the best I've got.

Another thing that's slightly frustrating is that the Elim's can, at this stage in the game, basically just say;  I've fallen behind a bit, don't really know what's happening, throw down a random vote.  Especially with so many people saying that there's not a lot to go on, or I don't really have a solid read.

I'm ignoring the fact that my post could be interpreted that way because A;  I obviously am not an Elim.  B;  I put some evidence forwards for Phat, and C;  I'm bringing it up.  

Edited February 27, 2017 by Magestar

[Bartimaeus]

I think it's bugsy simply because I have no idea what is going on.

[Ecthelion III]

^ Does that not seem like a less active eliminator trying to come up with an excuse to get on the Bugsy wagon?

[TheMightyLopen]

11 hours ago, Magestar said:

...

Important part bolded.  This is what's tripping me up a little.  Because we haven't managed to lynch an Elim, I can only work on how other people have interacted with known villagers/people I trust.   I have to work with what I see, which is why it feels like there's no concrete evidence.

Anyway.  You've managed to convince me not to lynch you.  I probably won't be able to post again today, so I'm going to put a vote on Phattemer.  He's honestly my greatest suspicion at this point;  It's still nothing really strong, but it's a gut read with at least some backing, so it's the best I've got.

Another thing that's slightly frustrating is that the Elim's can, at this stage in the game, basically just say;  I've fallen behind a bit, don't really know what's happening, throw down a random vote.  Especially with so many people saying that there's not a lot to go on, or I don't really have a solid read.

I'm ignoring the fact that my post could be interpreted that way because A;  I obviously am not an Elim.  B;  I put some evidence forwards for Phat, and C;  I'm bringing it up.  

 

5 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

I think it's bugsy simply because I have no idea what is going on.

 

Just now, Ecthelion III said:

^ Does that not seem like a less active eliminator trying to come up with an excuse to get on the Bugsy wagon?

Well it is almost exactly what Mage said the elims could do. XD

I'll add my vote to Drought based on gut and he's got votes. Plus if Bart is evil, he might be trying to save Drought with that vote. I think we'll need one more vote to avoid any vote manipulation/hammer by the elims. Two would be nice. Because it's possible they've got a Rioter.

[Bugsy]

8 minutes ago, TheMightyLopen said:

I'll add my vote to Drought based on gut and he's got votes. Plus if Bart is evil, he might be trying to save Drought with that vote. I think we'll need one more vote to avoid any vote manipulation/hammer by the elims. Two would be nice. Because it's possible they've got a Rioter.

I don't really see the basis for the Drought lynch, but I hesitate to risk vote manipulation after C1. If another target presents itself, I'll vote there, but for now I'd rather keep the lynch strong and targeted.

[Droughtbringer]

Hmm...I am slightly confused as to where this lynch is coming from, but it would be my first time lynched in an SE game so all is well.  I guess that, thanks to a competition of interests, and and want of being able to not die I will have to put my vote onto Bugsy, sorry, I don't want you to die, but I am also concerned of the sudden amount of 'gut votes' placed upon me. no one seems to have much reasoning...and you guys have played a lot of games and have heard people to try to get out of a lynch before. I am incapable of bringing up any information that you haven't heard before, no plea, no excuses, no anything as to why I shouldn't be lynched (especially considering you don't have any reasons for lynching me) 

If this turns south on you, I am sorry @Bugsy6912

[A Joe in the Bush]

Cycle 7: Leads to Unity in Death

“Sticks and stones may break their bones, but with Grass, I can break their skulls as well!” The self styled Ruin cackled to himself as he beheld the items he had gathered through the past week. Pile of stones, bushels of grass, and, whatever the word for a group of sticks was, were carefully laid out on his workshop floor. He had already made a Primitive sling from some of them, but he was certain that he could make a suit of Primitive Power armor as well, to be worn by that Koloss that kept following him.

The Koloss in question crouched next to Ruin, following along as he tied sticks to each other with strands of Grass. The Koloss had appeared behind him several nights back, and while at first he had been terrified, he gradually began to realize that the koloss was just watching him, no doubt realizing that he was ruin, master of all Koloss, Kandra and Inquisitors, all of which were definitely present in Luthadel, he was certain. He just needed to find them.

“Sticks?” Questioned the Koloss. “Weapon or food?”

“Weapon” Ruin assured the simpleton. According to his calculations, he just needed three more of each of Rocks, sticks, and grass, and the Armor would be complete. With that, and the Koloss, he could conquer Luthadel!

The Koloss abruptly stood, moving quickly, and with determination, both of which were different than it’s previous behavior. Ruin scrambled to his feet, knocking some of the sticks askew, and followed as the Koloss exited the house, it’s head breaking through the short doorframe. “Koloss?” It didn’t react to his words, continuing to walk down the street, as if on a mission. Ruin continued to follow, but began to attract a crowd as he did so.

His eyes flickered from side to side, as he hurried after the longer legs of the Koloss. People we’re whispering, perhaps assuming that he was controlling the beast. And he was! He was pretty certain of that. Why else would it just follow him about? No one was having it follow him, right?

Right? Heh, of course not. . .

“Is that, uh, ‘Ruin’? Where did he get the koloss?” Ruin’s teeth gritted as he heard the air quotes around his name. He was Ruin, himself darn it!

“Maybe he’s one of those spiked who are manipulating the King?” Another suggested.

“We should totally kill Seixa, i mean, Ruin.” A third agreed.

The Koloss began to pick up it’s pace. Before Ruin could do likewise, it bent its knees, and leapt, easily clearing a nearby roof. It landed on the roof, shaking the entire house, then leapt again, vanishing deeper into the city. Ruin, suddenly devoid of protection, froze. The citizens who had been muttering looked around at each other warily, as if hoping someone else would make the first move.

Ruin did it for them. He turned and tried to dash for an alleyway, but was stopped by Vladek kneeing him in the gut. Rovan and Ayden grabbed him before he could recover, and slammed him against the wall. “We caught ourselves a spiked boys!”

The hungry crowd cheered, and began to throw objects at the trapped Ruin. He howled, as rocks and stone bruised and battered him. Ayden and Rovan held him up for as long as they could, but eventually dropped him, cursing at the baddly aimed stones that occasionally hit them.

Once the crowd had settled down, Luckless Gibbs approached, and set about cutting the clothes off the corpse, looking for the spikes that had to be on his body. After five tense minutes, he sighed, and shook his head.


Drought was Lynched! He was a Citizen with Items: Primitive Sling, Rocks (20), Grass (20) and Sticks (20) and a Korathi Pendant!
Drought was killed!

A player was attacked!

Votes:
Bugsy (4): _stick_, Bartimaeus, Drought
Drought (6): Alvron, Ecthellion III, Lopen, Bugsy, Mage

Cycle 8 begins in:

Player List:

 

Magestar
Assassin in Burgundy:
Alvron
Bartimaeus
Seonid Lynced Cycle 5
Phattemer:
_stick_
Elenion Lynched Cycle 4
Darkness Ascendant Lynched Cycle 3, Killed Cycle 3, Killed Cycle 3
Arinian Killed Cycle 2
Daniyah: Killed on Cycle 1
Straw: Killed on Cycle 4
Bugsy: Survived a Lynch, Cycle 1
Ecthelion III Survived an attack, cycle 2
Doc12 Killed Cycle 5
Lopen   
Silverblade Killed Cycle 3
Sart
Conquestor: Killed on Cycle 4
Droughtbringer Lynched Cycle 6, Killed Cycle 6
Jondesu Lynched Cycle 2

Edited March 2, 2017 by Alvron

[Stick.]

Sigh. 

A vote on Bugsy was rioted ^

wonder why the Elims would do that

[Ecthelion III]

Gibbs was, to put it simply, unlucky.

He was unlucky that the village he was in seemed to be plagued with a Ruinous infestation of Spiked.

He was unlucky that corpses were dropping all around him, none of them with the telltale spikes of the enemy.

He was unlucky that he had been attacked in the middle of the night--not this night, but a one previous.

He was done with being unlucky. He shouldered his metal briefcase and went to check the timetables to see when he could get a carriage to leave the village.

Instead he found a ripped-up mess of paper and a body at the carriage station.

That was definitely unlucky.

-

Gibbs and I are still suspicious of Stick. Perhaps it has something to do with the way Ruin's spikes look like sticks, or perhaps it's the fact that he never, ever trusts anyone who says in thread "wonder why the elims would..." but something about Stick definitely seems off to him and me.

[TheMightyLopen]

Woo! Glad I saved my protect. I was the player who was attacked.

I'll vote later.

[Alvron]

I'm starting to think that there aren't any eliminators and this is Joe's version of Hunger Games.

[Ecthelion III]

I wouldn't put it past him. Maybe we can only win by not lynching anyone???

If nobody else votes, I'll retract mine in a day.