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Long Game 47: Shadow In The South


Jondesu

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"Thranduil, you must listen to me! The danger is dire, and the shadow will soon spread through all the world, reaching even here in Eryn Galen! Our response to the threat must be swift!"

"Mithrandir, your warnings are grim news to the Southrons, but what care we for them?  Greenwood is safe from all, and the kingdoms of men are of no concern to us." Thranduil waved a dismissive hand. "Begone with your babbling, old wizard.  We have no need of your ilk here."

Gandalf drew up, becoming… deeper, yet brighter. His voice lowered.

"King Thranduil, if you do not respond, the threat within your own woods will only grow stronger.  You know of the shadow within Dol Gulder. It feeds off the despair of all races, and men and elves alike will suffer if we do not swiftly respond. I have not thus ventured into Dol Gulder, as whatever resides there may be beyond my skill to handle, yet we must travel to the south now to defeat the evil arising." He paused.

"I believe it may be a demon of power, a Valarauko. A Balrog of Angband, so long hidden among the caverns of Ennor."

Thranduil snorted, a hilariously derisive sound from one who should have been regal and kingly. "I will not say it again, Gandalf the Grey. Begone from my kingdom, and take these lesser beings away with you.  I have spared their lives only because of your presence, but my patience with them will not last."

Gandalf sagged slightly. "I would not wish upon the most base man the suffering I fear will come unto your people, King of Greenwood. I will take my leave, but I pray you will yet heed my warnings." He turned to leave, the dwarves and men who traveled with him being led by the guards of the Elven kingdom.

——

"Uncle.."

"How dare you speak to me so familiarly with such treasonous words, young one!" Thranduil scowled at Legolas, Prince of Greenwood. "You seek to leave our protection for the likes of these?"

"My King, the warnings of Mithrandir should not be dismissed lightly. He is right to insist on our aid."

King Thranduil scowled deeper still. "If you are to leave, flee quickly, 'fore I give the order to have you bound so as to keep you from this foolishness."

Legolas bowed and slipped away on silent feet. As he did, a handmaiden approached, pulling him up short just out of sight of the mad king.

"Prince Greenleaf, a word. My mistress also feels your compassion and haste. She would aid in your undertaking, but she also sends a word of warning.  There may be those amongst the companions of the Maiar who would wish you harm, and a journey such as this leaves you unguarded. Seek protection in anonymity, and hide yourself among them.  Perhaps we may even route those who sympathize with the enemy and save the companions from harm. I myself will accompany you, similar unknown to the rest of the travelers." 

Legolas nodded at the wisdom, and they began their preparations.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Welcome, all, to The Shadow In The South, Long Game 47, set in the Third Age of Middle-Earth, approximately 50 years prior to the events of The Hobbit. Mirkwood still stands strong, though Thranduil and his people have been driven ever further from Dol Gulder and into the northern heart of the forest. Gandalf has presented his warning, and travelers may choose to join him.

This game is relatively simple, yet deceptively tricky. The rules are below, and it should also be noticed that I am strongly encouraging role-play, and will attempt to provide extensive story and prompts for role-playing opportunities, though not nearly to the extent of Amanuensis's games. I have not, however, specifically included any incentives in the rules, in order to remain welcoming to those who do not wish to role-play or are unable to commit the time.

The Game:

General Rules:

  • PMs will be open during all cycles.  There are no restrictions on PMs, except that I and any other GMs must be included in all PMs.  Group PMs are permitted.

  • All actions must be submitted via your role PM during the appropriate cycles.  If you will be unavailable during a cycle and wish to submit your action early, let me know, and that will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

  • The alignment and role of players who are lynched or killed will be revealed at the beginning of the following cycle.

  • Every player must post in the thread at least once per full cycle (combined Night and Day cycles), starting from Day 3.  Anyone who does not will he left behind when breaking camp the following day cycle. Players who have been left behind may be replaced by pinch hitters if available, or will be considered dead otherwise. Sending in actions or participating in PMs will not protect you.

 

Roles:

Spoiler
  • There will be three main factions in this game, with possible individual win conditions as well.

  • The Companions goal is to eliminate the threats to the success of their mission, both from the Agents of Mordor and from the Gondor Spies. They win when both other factions are eliminated.

  • The Agents of Mordor are secretly searching for the disguised wizard Gandalf, as well as the Prince of Greenwood and the Elven Handmaiden. They win if all three are eliminated.

  • The Gondor Spies wish to divert the mission to Gondor. To do so, they must eliminate the trustworthy guides and all those who would follow them. They win if they outnumber the other two factions, or if they completely eliminate the Companions as well as the Hand of Sauron.

 

Special Roles:

  • Gandalf the Grey

    • Gandalf has taken up a disguise in order to seek out the Agents of Mordor. Each night cycle, he may scan a player’s alignment to see if they intend harm to the Companions.

    • Gandalf’s win condition is the same as the Companions.

  • The Hand of Sauron

    • The Hand of Sauron is Mordor’s lead Agent.

    • Each night cycle, they may place a drought in a single player’s waterskin, rendering them ill and unable to take any actions.

    • During each day cycle, they may lure a player away from the gathering, nullifying that player’s vote.

  • Mordor Assassin

    • Each Agent of Mordor will have access to the Assassin role, except The Hand of Sauron.

    • Each night, they may kill a player in his or her sleep, sent via their personal role PM. Only one assassin may work each night, to avoid discovery. If multiple assassination orders are sent via the player’s individual role PMs, they will be alerted to another player active in the camp and will abandon their mission that night to avoid discovery, so none of the kills will be successful.

  • The Prince of Greenwood

    • Legolas Greenleaf has likewise taken up the guise of another traveler. His keen eyes and unerring aim will prove essential.

    • Each night cycle, he may spy from a distance to identify the items held by another player.

  • The Elven Handmaiden

    • Arwen Evenstar has sent her personal servant to provide secret guidance and aid.

    • Each day cycle, she may secretly provide a player with an invigorating draught that gives them an extra action to take that night. The player who is chosen will be notified via PM, but no notification will be provided in the main thread.

  • Eavesdropper

    • This overly nosy individual has a habit of listening in on private conversations. Each cycle they may choose two players and get a copy of any private messages sent between those players. They will not be told who else either player communicated with, nor the contents of those messages. They will receive all PMs for the full cycle, both day and night, at the start of the following day cycle.

    • The Eavesdropper may be a Companion or an Agent of Mordor.

Items:

Spoiler
  • Poison vial

    • Some players will be chosen by RNG at the beginning of the game to carry a poison vial with them. During any night cycle, they may administer the vial to the waterskin of another player. The poison takes a full day to take effect, meaning that player will die the following night if an antidote is not administered.

    • Players may also administer half the vial to a player, keeping half to use as a different action, in which case the player who is poisoned will be rendered ill and unable to speak or take actions.  They may still respond to questions in the thread via a single smile or frown emoji only.

  • Antidote

    • Every player will begin the game with an antidote, which can be used in one of two ways.

    • They may take the full dose on any day cycle, which will completely counteract any poison administered the previous night cycle. It does not protect the player in advance, so it must be taken the cycle after they are poisoned, during the day cycle to avoid their death that night.

    • Instead, a player may also choose to take only a half dose, which allows them to use it twice within the game. If a player takes a half dose, the poisons effects will take longer to manifest. They will gain an extra day cycle to live, but will be unable to take any actions beginning during the night cycle in which they would have died. They may still vote the following day cycle, however.

  • Items will have an 80% chance to pass to a new player if the playing holding them dies.  The player who receives the item will be chosen by RNG.

  • Items may also be passed during a day or night cycle, and may be used on the cycle in which they are passed (see order of actions).

Actions and restrictions:

Spoiler
  • Each player will have two actions per full cycle (i.e. they may take two day actions, one day and one night action, or two night actions, excluding assassinations).

  • Creating and sending PMs, as well as voting, are not considered actions. Possible actions include any aforementioned role abilities, using an item, or passing an item to another player. Items passed to another player will be made available to them at the beginning of the following day or night cycle, depending on when it is passed.

 

Order of actions:

    Day:

  1. Pass Items

  2. Hand of Sauron/Elven Handmaiden

  3. Take antidote

    Night:

  1. Hand of Sauron

  2. Legolas

  3. Gandalf

  4. Pass Items

  5. Poison

  6. Assassin

  7. Eavesdropper

[Reserved for rule clarifications]

Player List:

Spoiler
  1. Thalin (Fifth Scholar)

  2. Elandera (Elandera)

  3. Eleyrn (Devotary of Spontaneity)

  4. Itiah IV (I think I am here.)

  5. wyndlenquardra (Ornstein)

  6. Rathm (Rathmaskal)

  7. Zunn the Mad (Alvron)

  8. Bob the Hobbit (Snipexe)

  9. Caddor (Cadmium Compounder)

  10. Legless, the alcoholic Elf (Bort)

  11. Kadgar (Dalinar Kholin)

  12. Fade (Araris Valerian)

  13. Suomynona (xinoehp512)

  14. Glieven, a Ranger of the North (Mafia)

  15. Dorder (Walin)

  16. Halve (GreenRover)

Sign-ups begin now, and will last for 2 weeks unless we need to shorten or extend it for any reason.  Timer is below.

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Woohoo! I’m very ready to RP in a Tolkien setting. Sign me up as Thalin, a grumpy red-bearded dwarf who isn’t really familiar with all these Silvans but has formed an unlikely friendship with Rossiel, another elf in the company. His personal philosophy regarding his enemies is to indiscriminately chip away at them, and though his willpower occasionally falters, he remains constantly committed to any quest to which he is assigned. 

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I can be Eleyrn, a human fisherman who insists on calling his homeland Anfalas. His grandmother had always told stories of the years she had travelled with elves, and Eleryn doesn't want to miss his chance to meet some elves for himself. 

To confirm, the Gondor spies have no roles, and no kill abilities other than potentially possessing poison phials.

Are players informed if they are poisoned? Do half doses of poison also take a full day to take effect? Will players poisoned with a half dose die of inactivity within a cycle of showing symptoms if they aren't asked any questions? Can these players be cured with a full antidote after they show symptoms?

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1 hour ago, Devotary of Spontaneity said:

To confirm, the Gondor spies have no roles, and no kill abilities other than potentially possessing poison phials.

Are players informed if they are poisoned? Do half doses of poison also take a full day to take effect? Will players poisoned with a half dose die of inactivity within a cycle of showing symptoms if they aren't asked any questions? Can these players be cured with a full antidote after they show symptoms?

Correct. 

Players who have been poisoned will not be informed. Half doses take effect in the same timeframe as a full dose, and will not kill the player they are administered to under any circumstances. A half or full antidote will cure a half dose of poison, but only if administered prior to showing symptoms.

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Sign me up as Itiah IV, a regular human who has found himself in the squabbles of the land. He constantly lived in the shadow of his highly accomplished father for decades, never being to match his success. Finally, Itiah IV took off, abandoning his father and venturing out to explore. He dislikes any mention of his family, yet still carries the family heirloom, a thick, leatherbound book.

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OOOOOOOH! Me thinks i will join this Quest!

I will Be wyndlenquardra, a human who is willing to protect all in need. but in his noble heart is a seed of greed...

 

Also, the Eavesdropper, can they select you, jondesu,  as one the two players?

 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Drake Marshall said:

What happens if two different people administer half doses to the same target?

Hmm.  In that case, I would rule them having received a full dose, I believe, and the same thing would happen as if they'd been given a full dose by a single player.

3 hours ago, Ornstein said:

Also, the Eavesdropper, can they select you, jondesu,  as one the two players?

They can…but no promises as to whether it would have any effect, positive or negative. :ph34r:

Edited by Jondesu
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2 minutes ago, Rathmaskal said:

Sign me up as Rathm.  A guy with a sword.

Not sure if I missed it, but are you announcing when someone is poisoned?  Or is it just via PM?

No one will know that someone has been poisoned, until the person dies, unless they are only given a half dose, in which case they will be informed via PM of their condition.

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"BUTTONS!"

The sudden voice coming from nowhere jerks several heads around as the gathered companions search for the owner of the voice.  A man covered in a dusty travelers cloak emerges from a shadowed alcove.

"The stars have aligned.  The mist whispers to me. A little piece of ginger glass!"

Zunn the Mad has returned and is joining the group!

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On 7/1/2018 at 11:47 AM, Jondesu said:

Each night cycle, they may place a drought in a single player’s waterskin, rendering them ill and unable to take any actions.

Wait! There are multiple of me's? And I make people ill?

Really wish I could play this game, but, for now, I'll just sign up for a spec doc.

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3 hours ago, Droughtbringer said:

Wait! There are multiple of me's? And I make people ill?

Really wish I could play this game, but, for now, I'll just sign up for a spec doc.

Aww, I guess I'll allow it. You've got time to change your mind, though.

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This looks interesting!

Sign me up as Glieven, a Ranger of the North, one of the Dunedain- blessed with long life. He's a youthful, lively lad filled with ecstatic energy. And his mischief tends to get him in trouble often-times.

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