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Okay, I think this game is honestly going way over my head. It's so hard to think about any specific thing in this game since there's so much going on at once. So many rules, so many players, so many posts. And honestly, I think a large part of that has been the fact that we've all been encouraged to simply vote on people in a way that spreads out the consequences rather than look for reasons to actually vote for someone. Straw has been amplifying this, but I'm not going to vote on him in case he is a villager since he already has three votes. I think I'll vote on Xino since he encouraged all of this to happen this cycle again, which greatly benefits the elims. 

As for those who were elevated, I think it would be best for you guys to keep the field that you were elevated in secret. It would be all to easy for the elims to decide to take out someone who was elevated in a field the find threatening. Or, if you announce which field you were elevated in and it's not one they would find threatening, then they know not to go after you.

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14 hours ago, Young Bard said:

"I guess I was wondering if - I mean, if you're interested - in working and experimenting together. I've heard you have a skill with Alchemy, and perhaps we could learn from each other."

"Next month then? Once the midterms are over?" 

Three votes counts the same as two votes for disciplinary purposes, making the odds that either Straw or Lopen get brought On The Horns still relatively high, but keeping the odds of actual non-monetary consequences fairly low. Even the worst reasonable consequence is a roleblock, which mostly just prevents elevation and wouldn't be a serious impediment to a Skindancer since there's sure to be multiple other Skindancers around to submit sabotages. University roles do benefit students more in that Skindancers start with more abilities, but the difference starts to go down once field action periods start to come into play. One elevation for everybody should be a net positive for the student team. Expulsion is a useful punishment for solid suspicions, since an expulsion on a Skindancer actively progresses the student win condition while expelling a student requires a separate sabotage/kill action on the Skindancer's part. Actually expelling someone requires a much thinner voting pool. Next turn, after a second round of elevations, that could be something worth looking into. This turn, I don't think it is. 

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13 minutes ago, DeTess said:

This is not actually true. The lynch doesn't cause an alignment flip, but that doesn't change the fact that most elims won't want to be lynched, and have the support network in place to try and discourage a lynch. Whereas a villager can only rely on themselves to diffuse a building lynch. So, despite not resulting in a flip, analysis of votes when people are actually voting can still reveal patterns.

To give an example. Let's assume this cycle a noble hired an assassin to kill Lopen, and Lopen flips as a skindancer. With the way the votes have currently been going, the reveal of Lopen as a skindancer would be interesting, but there'd be next to nothing that could be used to tie Lopen's alignment to other people. But if we start voting for effect, and a skindancer gets revealed, then their votes and arguments for and against certain lynches can be analyzed.

I was meaning that it doesn't give us any direct information. I know perfectly well that it causes discussion.

In my opinion, the lynch seems to mechanically harm us, but helps us see connections between players. I'm curious if you can think of any ways to get discussion and see connections without actually having a lynch.

I'd still like people to spread out votes if possible today, and we can always talk about actually lynching tomorrow.

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45 minutes ago, Straw said:

In my opinion, the lynch seems to mechanically harm us, but helps us see connections between players. I'm curious if you can think of any ways to get discussion and see connections without actually having a lynch.

There are some ways, once a lot of people start getting powers, but that's several cycles away yet, and require a lot of discussion and suggestions around the use of powers. Once there are a couple of people with reliable ways to kill, connections can be made based on the results of those kills and the discussion of suspicions that lead to that. But I don't think we should just wait until that happens, because that will give the skindancers a large headstart.

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By the end of the third month at the University, I have memorized all my uncle's notes, and understood the basics and complicateds (sic) of the Skinwalker attacks these past few decades, Knighter thought. He figured that with his notes and the combined arcane might of the university, they could avoid what happened the last time skinwalkers were at the school. However, not if people expelled Knighter or fellow students out of pettiness. He decided to lodge a complain against Karnage to, which hopefully would remind him to not look for the easy targets, such as Knighter (as the last person to be with Sagaer, he knew it looked suspicious. But he doubted the whispers came from people who knew Knighter admired Sagaer--even if he was a skinwalker, he wouldn't take him out. Well, Knighter guessed he didn't know that, because he had never been a sadistic skinwalker on an insanity rampage. Hm. His reasoning skills could use some improvement.), but instead to look deeper, at the motivations of the skinwalker and what they would want from the university. Then find those who suspiciously act on line with the agenda of the skinwalkers. The complaint lodged, Knighter returned to his studies, sucking on the mint he had joyously found at his doorstep earlier. He didn't really like peppermint, but it kept his mind focused, so it was a net positive.

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More book opinions from Straw Altiora:

"Striking Easily" - Straw tried some of the advice in this book on martial arts, which promised almost instantaneous results and a massive increase in combat ability. However, it turned out that martial arts were not appreciated in the Archives, and he was forced to stop trying to learn from the book. It'd be bad if this book happened to get into the wrong hands.

"Devoted to Spontaneity" - This book was a biography of someone who had simply devoted their entire life to being as spontaneous as possible. While it may have been enjoyable for them, it did not end up working out well. They apparently had great difficulty finding any kind of long term employment due to their chaotic nature and habit of suddenly quitting their job. They also had difficulty with money, as they would spontaneously spend it on things. Overall, their lifestyle was quite interesting to study, but Straw had no desire to go down the same path. It sounded like quite a bother.

"A Greater Power" - This book was simply filled with prayers and religious lessons. It didn't really have anything special inside it, and was a very normal book. In fact, it was so normal that it was almost abnormal, if that was even possible.

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16 hours ago, Burnt Spaghetti said:

Ooh if you're in the Imre, are you able to tell us if theres anything interesting there? What items are available, if theres any weird contracts or anything?
Also, its not super relevant currently, but when people start being expelled, i'd recommend not advertising that you were in the imre. If we expell people we suspect, remember they can only target people who've left the uni to go to the imre. Its not relevant now because no one's expelled, but just for future you's sake, keep that in mind :P

All items are available right now at the apothecary. The contracts are fun but mostly flavor. Interestingly to me someone is offering a contract for anyone who votes for an Edema Ruh. I'm kind of tempted to take it. I'm not sure if someone placed that last cycle or if the GM's are trying to tell us something.

4 hours ago, Araris Valerian said:

I'm going to put a double complaint onto Straw Straw. I no longer think it is in our interest to spread the complaints around. At this point (and also probably sooner in the game, if we had wanted), we should really think of the complaints as a lynch. I was happy to go along for a bit since this game has a bunch of fun mechanics and knocking people out during the first cycle seemed a bit rude. We learn absolutely nothing by spreading the complaints, and I'd rather start learning something. Unfortunately it's a bit late in the cycle, but I wanted to wait and see who would suggest that we continue spreading votes out.

I agree that the information we are missing out on is important and I will join with the throng of others in voting to expel starting next turn.

2 hours ago, Straw said:

Could people vote on the following people to spread the votes out: DeTess, Experience, Xino, and Coda

Hmm, the people who are left are the ones I would not consider voting for. I am trusting DeTess and Araris more after their suggestion of expelling people and I already had a village read on Xino. Experience and Coda have already been on the horns, so I'm cool with them not getting voted for either. I'll hold off placing a second vote on people who I might be more suspicious of, but I'm also not going to spread the votes out any further.

1 hour ago, Araris Valerian said:

I'm thinking that the eliminators will actively want to avoid being put on the horns (and definitely avoid being expelled). Thus, by having pressure from the complaint votes, we force the elims to take action, which we can be on the lookout for.

This.

 

That was a good topic. What shall we debate next? It feels like we have been taking a page and a half to debate each idea and we have about reached that. 

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16 minutes ago, Elkanah said:

Hmm, the people who are left are the ones I would not consider voting for. I am trusting DeTess and Araris more after their suggestion of expelling people and I already had a village read on Xino. Experience and Coda have already been on the horns, so I'm cool with them not getting voted for either. I'll hold off placing a second vote on people who I might be more suspicious of, but I'm also not going to spread the votes out any further.

Trusting them just because they want to expell isn't completely logical as it doesn't necessarily do village more good than elims. Skindancers could want to expell as many people as possible to increase their chances of being elevated and achieving their secondary win-con. 

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I'm sorry everyone for not being very active this cycle. I think I will finally have more time now, so I should be more active in the future. Fingers crossed. I'm not going to vote on anyone, because those who don't have votes are people whom slightly don't feel suspicious about, or who have already gone on the horns, so I'll hold off on voting even though it could give me some coin. 

~~

Shard stood in front of a large group of students and gulped. He glanced down to the note card in his hand and looked up again. He had been given the card just before he came before the students, and had been told to read it. There hadn't been anytime to refuse. Shard to a breath, then read:

"I feel inclined to apologize for a number of actions of which I am guilty. Releasing pigs in multiple professors quarters, playing music inside the library, and ..."Shard rolled his eyes, "talking to nobles. I hereby declare that I will never again allow animals into the university, make sound in libraries or talk to those of which have a higher class then myself." 

There were some nobles in the group, and they nodded their head in approval and walked away. There were also some commoners who seemed to be there just for the fun of it.

"I will make sure to never again do anything in a manner like unto that which has been stated in the future, and If I do I will risk expulsion."

Shard saw he was finished with what was on the card, so turned around and stalked towards the professor who had given it to him. 

"I will never do that again."

"We shall see," the man said with a smile.

Shard turned away in disgust walked away. 

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2 hours ago, Furamirionind said:

Oh, you're right...

Well in that case, there still is a bit of an issue where few people are discussing game-related material, and votes have had no point the past 2 turns, so there is very little info. That being said, I did reread Sart/HH's posts to try to figure out why they were killed. HH seems to have been a low information kill. He was also a noble, so that was also probably another thing to his detriment. At the end of T1.1, he had only made 2 RP posts. Sart on the other hand was encouraging focus on the elims, and playing this game more or less like a normal elim game. 
The elims this game are/have probably been quick to try to make this feel like a FFA game, which it sort of does feel like, as we are all competing against each other for abilities.

I also felt like an elim would want to distract from the fact that Sart's death was premeditated. DeTess started saying things like this, but then did acknowledge that Sart was attempting to progress the game. Lopen also said something similar, where he Acknowledged that Sart had made these votes yet thought the kill was random none-the-less. Bard just said he thought the kill was random.

Of these 3 people, I'm inclined to think that DeTess is village at the moment. Leaving Bard and Lopen.

Bard has made 2 game related posts. Both of which are predominately NAI.

Lopen has made quite a few posts. I believe he originated the idea of spreading out votes, which primarily benefits the elims. The main issue I have with voting him on this though, is that no one wants to die in this game. So playing this game as if it is not an elim game, is not necessarily something a villager wouldn't do. Lopen also was discussing the very strange idea of the HH kill being a WGG... Something which would make more sense for an elim going into Naming to do in my opinion. Again, I'm conflicted on saying this is AI at all though because the ruleset of this game encourages talking regardless of the topic... So it would make sense for someone to jump on a topic and draw it out, regardless to what that would normally mean about the player.
Lastly, Lopen keeps putting off voting, each time they make a game related post. Again, this isn't necessarily AI as there is very little content spread out between 25 players and lots of RP, making it very difficult for a villager to make a good vote. However, this is also traditionally a sign of an elim.

These things all being said, my conclusion is game analysis isn't fun... Lol

Why Not?

Lumgol
Lopen Lopen

Edit: This is normally the point in a game where I'd PM Lopen before posting to try and get more info, but with only 2/3 posts in thread, I can't guarantee I could PM like normal either.

Hm. Do you think the eliminators sabotaged Sart for his approach for how we should play? That seems like a reach to me, considering his votes were basically poke votes. It didn't seem like he was going to be actively going after either one of his votes at that point, at least to me, so that's why I said it seemed random.

I don't think I originated the idea of spreading out votes. I've certainly gone with it up to this point, but I'm all for using the lynch to pressure players. I've always preferred to use the lynch to gather information rather than relying on abilities, because it makes the thread much more active and it's usually the only reliable way for the village to catch eliminators. You're not wrong that I've put off voting, but that's because I simply haven't had the time to do much analysis lately. I had a vote on me though, and not a lot of others had votes on them at the time, so I voted for Rath and Burnt because I'd rather not get randomly brought on the Horns. I should absolutely have more time this next Month to put some solid player analysis down. I've looked over the first Month already, but would like to look over everything else before I try to draw any conclusions. Definitely hold me to it though!

All in all, I do appreciate that you took the time to put your votes somewhere with meaning, but I obviously don't agree with how you interpreted my posts. :P 

What makes you think DeTess is village? I do like how much they've posted, but can't say I've seen anything that popped out to me as especially village. I'll admit that I've found them difficult to read in previous games, so I'm curious what made you lean that way.

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Straw stood in the crowd and watched Shard apologize for his actions. In Straw's opinion, they sounded quite funny. Those corrupt professors definitely deserved to have to deal with some pigs. Straw hadn't heard any music when he was reading books with Bryn, but they'd been pretty deep in the archives. Straw had never really had a good ear either, so it'd make sense that he hadn't heard it. As for talking to Nobles, the Nobles deserved every bit of backtalk. It didn't matter whether they were from Vint or Atur, they were scum either way. Earlier that day, some noble, Arael Solon, had complained about him for absolutely no reason. Straw hoped that Arael ended up getting in trouble for something. It'd serve him right.

After Shard had stalked off, Straw sat for a bit and watched the people walking around the university. However, it started looking stormy, so Straw stood up and went back into the Archives to study. Maybe he'd run into Bryn again. Studying with her had been very enjoyable, particularly with how she seemed to dislike the nobles as well, what with her occasionally pretending to be one. Life in the university continued, but soon enough, tragedy was likely to strike again. Straw just hoped he wasn't involved.

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Lin was studying when he learned about it. Not only had he received a candy, but so had everyone else. It was good to know how much goodwill was going around. Well, now that he thought of it, it was probably just one student that had done it.

Lin was eating lunch when he learned about it. Another student had been driven insane, this time Sagaer. It was rather disconcerting news, as Lin had thought that there weren't so many skindancers as to be so brazen. The first time seemed like an isolated attack, a reminder of "we are here"--but not a full-on assault. It was time to step up, then. Lin Wa would do his part, taking his interests in liguistics (and his studies in the non-Linguistic Arcane classes) and other talents to do his duty. After all, if the Skindancers were going to drive students insane, they would probably do the same to professors--and then how would they go to class?? Only one thing could be done. The students had to band together.

Now that Lin Wa thought about it, they probably already had. Feeling sheepish, he walked over to the nearest group of students to see how he could help.

------

Sorry for my relative inactivity; I hope to get more active in the coming turns.

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Term 2 Month 2 - One Short Day

The residents of the Windy Tower woke to song: a haunting, wistful melody that none of them had ever heard. It floated through the air like a gentle wind, and even students across the University caught snatches of it here and there. 

The singing continued erratically through most of the morning, falling silent and picking up again apparently at random. Students passing by the building smiled at its beauty, but shivered a little too, even if they couldn’t have said why. 

Those students also noticed something else: hanging from one of the windows were a few long strings with what looked like paper birds tied to them. They were all different colors, bright and beautifully crafted. When the wind picked up, it almost seemed like a flock of birds flitting about - but when the wind died again the birds fell like stones to hang in a misshapen lump against the wall. 

No one knew anything more than that until just after noon, when Caia Iren finally ran out of string. She emerged into the common room of the inn, still singing, with a basket of paper birds on her arm. Only the innkeeper was there at that time of day, an old matronly woman, who saw a girl still clad in her nightgown, barefoot, face alight with a distant joy. 

“Lass, are you alright?” the innkeeper asked. 

And she danced about the faerie-ring with flowers in her crown,” Caia sang, and presented a paper bird to the innkeeper. 

She took it with a bemused smile, and Caia curtsied, still singing. “But faeries are not friendly folk, be careful lest you drown...

And before the innkeeper knew it, Caia stepped out into the street. 

There was almost a dance to her steps, a light grace that made her seem as if she were floating as high as the birds she carried. The streets were still covered with a light layer of snow, but she seemed not to even notice the cold on her bare feet. 

So Caia danced towards the University, giving birds to anyone she saw. Sometimes she walked in silence, with an absent smile on her face. Other times she sang a high lilting tune that shivered in the air. “The ribbon of moonlight circles the sky, with rainbow wreath and wandering beam...

Her classmates couldn’t recall when last they’d seen her, and she didn’t seem to recognize them. The Master Physicker shrugged and said she seemed in fine health, and he could do nothing for her. 

She was brought to the Crockery later that day. 


Caia Irèn (Lumgol) went insane!

Vol (Devotary) went on the Horns and was found guilty of Undignified Mischief!
Amila Tays (Zillah) went on the Horns and was found guilty of Reckless Use of Sympathy!

The following students were elevated: Bryn Aria (Burnt Spaghetti), Evelyn Bryen (DeTess), Kendel (Elkanah), Straw Altiora (Straw), Lord Silberfarben, Shard (Experience), Ugfal the Three-Handed (Stink), Lin Wa (Walin), Nethwyl Nox (Bard)!

Remember to get your lodging in. You will end up on the Streets otherwise. 

The term will end at 4pm PDT on May 7. Have fun! 

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Shoot! So sorry that I missed an entire turn! I wasn't even too too busy, I just straight up forgot. I'll try my best to do better this turn.


"Amila! Oh goodness, you were brought on the horns? Oh that's terrible! I extend my deepest sympathies your way despite the irony of you having been found guilty of reckless use of sympathy!"

Traelynn was lugging around a new carton of beets from her trip back home the previous month. She had been called back by her family because of a weavil outbreak at the farm. She had taken the opportunity to restock on a new strain of beets. However she didn't intend on missing more school. She had been away for a whole month dealing with weavils so she had missed a whole heck of a lot of work.

She had ffound that while she had been away, Amila, her closest confidant, had been brought on the horns. It had taken a while to find her but when Traelynn had spotted the girl she immediately went about trying to console her. Not her strongest suit, she mostly just offered some of her beet wine to Amila as she lacked the experience to truly help in an emotional situation such as this. @Zillah

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26 minutes ago, Zillah said:

Alright, I have been confused the entire game and I have conceded to asking. @Elandera @xinoehp512 @Devotary of Spontaneity @Karnage and @Experience, why are all of your icons all of a sudden becoming green? It is confusing the heck out of me.

Green is the color of National Mental Health Awareness month. :)

It does appear the elims are choosing the low-information players for insanity. I don't have much time (still trying to build a website...) but I'll try to be more involved than last turn.

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14 minutes ago, Zillah said:

Alright, I have been confused the entire game and I have conceded to asking. @Elandera @xinoehp512 @Devotary of Spontaneity @Karnage and @Experience, why are all of your icons all of a sudden becoming green? It is confusing the heck out of me.

Oh, I forgot it was May already. It's been a thing on the Shard (and the internet more broadly, though I've mainly seen it here), to tint your profile pic green in May as part of Mental Health Awareness, so I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

3 minutes ago, Lord_Silberfarben said:

And Caia went insane...

It is probably a bit too early in the game to think of unassisted insanity...

we will know soon I guess.

Since Lum was the only person to go insane this turn, I think we can safely say that this was due to the Skindancers. I'm surprised they didn't go for someone elevated, though.

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Well, I noticed at least one person has already been raised to Re'lar, and as the information is public, and everyone is going to do this anyways, I'm now just going to start a list of what ranks people are:

E’lir (Rank 1)
Seoras (Haelbarde), Maern (Xino), Leo (Lopen), Kendel (Elkanah), Straw Altiora (Straw), Ugfal the Three-Handed (Stink),

Re’lar (Rank 2)
Bryn Aria (Burnt Spaghetti),Evelyn Bryen (DeTess), Nethwyl Nox (Bard), Lin Wa (Walin), Shard (Experience), Lord Silberfarben

El’the (Rank 3)
No one

There are a surprising number of people already at rank 2. And this primarily gives information to those who have been elevated. Those that have been elevated twice, are likely in less contested fields, and those people will know what fields they are. The people Elevated to E'lir in the second batch probably get the most information as to what fields other's are going into, as you will know one of the people elevated to E'lir in the first batch, and are still E'lir, are in your field.

Based on previous games and what people have said in-thread (Thanks Straw!), it's also probably not a bad assumption to make that Archives, Arithmetics, and Naming all got different people elevated. Though who knows. =)

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Wow... Again! I haven't been elevated! I guess that is not as bad as going insane or being brought onto the horns.

@Zillah Our icons went green in support of mental awareness month. And it looks like I just got ninja'd.:D

@Haelbarde, okay, I will release to baby into your hands through RP.
---

Lasko couldn't think anymore. None. Nada. None. Nada. None. Nada. He was going insane. He was not up to being the primary caregiver for this child. He just couldn't handle it. No wonder Sagaer went insane, part of it was taking care of his child. He felt proud of himself for taking care of the child when nobody else would, he he just could not handle it. He would have to find someone else to take care of this baby. 

----

The next morning Lasko woke up early, he left the baby sleeping on the couch. He would go to the Archive and write flyers that he would post around the University and Village. Perhaps soemone would answer the clal can take the baby from him and be a able primary caregiver as Sagaer is healed in the crockery. The flyer went like this.

Primary Caregiver Wanted

Sagaer Murtoy left a baby behind, in his horrifying lapse of mind. He was sent to the Crockery due to going insane. I Lasko Vietch am not able to take care of this baby anymore, she is a young baby and no family is known yet. If  you would contact me please …(PM me, we can arrange an RP post). The new caregiver must be able to financially support this baby, feed this baby, pay attention needed to this baby. If you are not able to do any of these things please do not contact me to become the primary caregiver.

Edited by Karnage
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Amila gratefully accepted the beet wine and winced as she sat down on one of the beet crates Traelynn had just set down, her injuries from the lashing hurt like nothing she had ever experienced. She glanced at her friend, and saw the worry in her eyes, she could tell that Traelynn didn't know what to say or do. However Amila was just glad she was back, she had really missed Traelynn whilst she was back at her farm, a feeling Amila was definitely not used to. 
"Thank you, this is really delicious, is it new?" Traelynn lit up like a christmas tree, man did she ever love her beets. Amila had to admit that she had grown incredibly fond of them as well. "By the way," she added, before Traelynn could go off on a beet tangent, "I missed you." And it was true, she had deeply missed her companion, many times she had just found herself staring into space wishing she was with Traelynn. Within a week she had run out of the beets Traelynn had left her. "Oh, and here you go" she said handing her a small package "I finished the project we talked about before you left."

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Bryn burst out into laughter as soon as she left the room. She'd been elevated again. What was happening! She wasn't trying to get elevated! she still didn't even know what she truly wanted to dedicate herself to. Maybe the masters just liked her? She had been turning up the charisma and had been very conversational with all the masters she came in contact with. It helped distract them from the truth of her actually not being that good of a student, and the times she was caught for cheating, they had believed her work to be the original. It really did pay to be charismatic and a good actor. Except now she once again felt obliged to maybe pay some attention to what happens in this class. She'd originally chosen it out of curiosity but had written it off after struggling through one month of it. There were many subjects far more interesting. But no. This was what she got elevated in.

She was starting to wonder if no one had stuck around in it after the first term. It was entirely possible that whoever had been first recognized in this field had burnt out a little and needed to wait another month or two before pushing themselves in the field again. Well, she wasn't one to complain. Running her hand through her hair, shaking her head slightly, still baffled by what just happened, she made her way towards the archives. She had some researching to do.



o_O
Apparently scattershotting your ep everywhere is the way to go if you're not fussed where you end up? Imma just assume the two areas i've been raised in aren't super populated. That this cycles one is one that someone went previously, lost all their ep from being elevated in it, and left it open. Kinda feel bad getting elevated twice when theres so many who haven't been elevated at all. I just got elevated in something I put 1 EP into the first cycle and nothing into it since.

The choice of target for the sabotage is interesting. Still a noble. But not an elevated player. Curious. I feel like they're perhaps trying to avoid the potential to run into protection but still, its curious.

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