Elandera Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) Journal of Thankful Dolittle Geology Graduate at Miskatonic University Forest Expedition Day 37 Never before have I witnessed something so grand and majestic as the mountain at which we arrived two afternoons ago. The snow blanketing its bare peak reflects enough light that it is nearly blinding to look upon for long in the brightness of midday. I have been so utterly consumed by my explorations and research that I have not had the time to write about what we’ve found. This whole place instills in me a sense of wonder and appreciation for the God Beyond. That feeling, though, never lasts long. Not when there are shades constantly haunting our journey through the forests. A homesteader brought along on the expedition, Silence as she’s called, admonishes any of us from the University when we call the forests hell, but that does not stop us. What else can this place be but a hell in this world? And what god would allow such creatures to exist still, stuck in a limbo between death and what waits beyond? At least in the days since we left Last Port, we have been kept safe from the creatures. No one has broken one of the Simple Rules, though thoughts of the shades coming for me haunt my dreams each night. All I see are eyes. Bright green and crimson. The colors of withering and death. Still, I have to think only of the mountain and what we discovered to help ease my fears and return that sense of wonder. For today we found the ruins of an ancient civilization. One that thrived and fell long before the first Forescouts ventured from the Homeland and away from the Evil there. Thinking of what we can discover about the ancient dwellers of these forests may help us learn more about how we can tame this land. I believe shades existed back then as well, for we found an abundance of silver among the exposed ruins. Unless, of course, silver was simply the easiest and most prevalent metal found in this mountain. If that is the case, this discovery will be a boon for Last Port and the other forts. With this much silver, civilization will be able to expand and tame the forests and its shades. There is a problem, though. Another reason for my appreciation for the God Beyond to wane. I have heard whispers among some few of the other members of this expedition that the ruins we discovered may not be entirely unoccupied. Talk of the Evil that consumed the Homeland has swelled as they postulate that the Evil first came from here, these ruins and this fallen city we discovered. That cannot be true, but there has been a change among some of my companions. They are darker. The shades at night grow more restless. Blood is on the horizon. Welcome to Long Game 76: At the Forests of Madness! I will be your GM. @The Unknown Order will co-GM, and @Devotary of Spontaneity will be the IM. This is a rerun of LG60, though this is a mash-up of Sanderson’s Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell and HP Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. Premise: You have been invited to join a geologic expedition to delve further into the Forest of Hell. Led by Professor William Dyer of Miskatonic University, the hope is to discover more about the forests and their potential resources for the growing fortress cities. You have found a snow-covered mountain that shows signs of an ancient civilization. The more you discover, the more you realize the civilization might not be entirely extinct. On top of the consistent danger from the shades, there is an evil lurking just beyond the view. An evil that drives men into madness with whispers in the night. An evil that tempts the hearts of men. An evil that ends only in death. Rules Here is a link to the full ruleset, though you can find it below as well. Spoiler Alignments: Spoiler Expeditioners - Despite the dangers, you were willing to go on this expedition because you knew it would benefit the people of Threnody. You never expected, though, that you would encounter an ancient civilization of Elder Things. Nor did you expect your own companions would turn against you. You must escape the mountain and root out those who have come to worship the Elder Things. Elder Things Worshippers - When you encountered evidence of the Elder Things during the expedition, you were not driven to inane madness. Instead, you realized they were destined to rule over the earth. You will do anything to help that, including killing your expedition companions. You must overpower the rest of the expeditioners before they can return and warn the University of the Elder Things. Before they can stop the rise of the great civilization. Once per night, one worshipper can send an action to sacrifice a player to the Elder Things. Worshippers share a document to conspire and make plans. Roles: Spoiler Professor William Dyer - You are the leader and organizer of the expedition and have a great influence among the group. As a result, you may choose to give your vote extra weight. Through your GM PM, you may request to double your vote. This is not passive. Danforth - Though you are only a graduate student, the other worshippers consider you blessed for having been the first to gaze upon the Elder Things. Before your encounter, you proved yourself among the expedition as a persuasive leader. However, you are now consistently on the border of insanity. Once a day, you can convince a player to change their vote. You cannot become fully insane, but any of your actions have a 20% chance of failing. Silence Montane - While you are not a typical member of the expedition, you are invaluable. Professor Dyer of Miskatonic University approached you at your homestead in the forest to request you join them as a guide through the dangerous wilderness because you know the terrain and the risk. Once every Night Turn, you can select one person to protect from attack, including attacks from shades. Surveyor - The leadership at the University knew you were the best at finding valuable resources within the earth. You’ve been asked along to find and report on what would be useful at the University and forts. That also, usually, leads to you discovering unusual objects as you dig for water or minerals. Once every Day Turn, you can go on a resource dig, with a 33% chance to find one of the following items (25% chance for each item if successful): Forbidden Idol: This object causes you to go temporarily insane. Your vote will change to a random player. A no-vote can become a vote if this happens. Hidden Transcript: A magical scroll that reveals what seems to be conversations of your companions. This is a one-time use item to gain access to a random PM from that turn. Pallid Mask: This item can be used to obscure the wearer’s identity. This passive item will cause scans to return with “no action taken” or “no PMs.” The mask is destroyed after successfully hiding the user’s identity once. Elder Sign Pendant: This pendant, carved with an unusual star, seems to have magical properties. It can protect a player from a single attack from the Elder Things Worshippers. Scribe - You were invited along to document the expedition and its findings. Your curiosity helps in that mission, but also drives you to find out what everyone is hiding. If you take the Discover the Hidden action, it only has a 10% chance of failure. Once per turn, you can send an anonymous note to be published in the write-up. Shade Expert - You have dedicated your entire research career at the Miskatonic University to discovering more about the shades that roam the Forests of Hell. It is your job to keep the expedition’s silver defenses in place. Once per Night Turn, you can protect someone from an attack from the shades. You inherently have Silver Bones. Abilities: Spoiler Iron Will - Players with an iron will are resilient to the horrors of Innsmouth. They cannot become insane by Unforgettable Horrors. They can become insane if they take actions that have an insanity consequence, but their chances are reduced by half. Silver Bones - Players with silver bones won’t go out without a fight. They will survive one sacrifice, shade attack, or execution. Getting attacked will not trigger broken survivors. Actions: Spoiler Discover the Hidden - Darkness hides many things. Players can take this action during the Night Turn to spy on another player’s action. Using this has a 20% chance of causing insanity starting on the next turn. Listen at the Door - Tent walls are not very thick. Players can choose this action during a Day Turn to hear the PMs between two players of their choice. Voice in the Crowd - It is easier than you would have thought to vote without being known. Once per day turn, any player can choose to cast their vote anonymously in their GM PM. Vote redirects will apply to this action and any vote cast by that player in the thread will be ignored (even if it fails). However, it is also easy for your voice to be drowned out. There is a 20% chance your vote will not be counted. Use Item - Item in a player’s inventory can be used during either the Day or Night turn. Item Pass - Once per night, a player may use their action to pass an item to any other player. Items: Spoiler Spellbook - This ancient book, located amongst the rubble of the ruins, has a single spell that can be deciphered. During either the Day or Night turn, a player may use the book to cast Mists of Releh. The spell obscures the vision of the target, causing their action to be redirected randomly to a different player, including themselves. The book disintegrates in a flash of fire upon use, and the caster has a 20% chance of going insane the next turn. Crossbow - It is not a good idea to use to draw blood in the forests, but sometimes there is no other option. Once per game during a Night Turn, you can use this item to kill another player. Silver Dust - The only true defense against the shades, except the Simple Rules, is silver. One-time use item that passively protects the holder against Wrath of Shades. The holder of silver can use it on another player as a preventative action to keep from enraging the Shades. Fenweed Poison - A native plant of the Forests, fenweed also has great uses for those with nefarious purposes. One-time use item that can be used during a Day Turn to nullify a target player’s actions that Night Turn. Pallid Mask - (see Surveyor section) Elder Sign Pendant - (see Surveyor section) Hidden Transcript - (see Surveyor section) Other Rules: Spoiler Insanity - Players rendered insane will be unable to vote or take action for one turn. After a player goes insane, they cannot go insane again for two cycles unless they take an action that directly causes insanity. Unforgettable Horrors - The whispers haunt at night. Visions of unearthly seep into the dreams of the entire expedition. At the end of every Night Turn, each player has a 5% chance of going insane. Broken Survivors - Players who are attacked and survive will be insane for one turn. Wrath of Shades - Those who draw blood have a 5% chance of their precautions failing, thus they will be attacked by the shades and killed. This does not include the execution. Every time blood is drawn the chances of enraging the Shades increases by 5%. Once someone dies to the Shades, the percentage resets. Miscellaneous PMs are open (no group PMs) Players can take one action during each Day and Night turn Day turns will be approximately 48 hours long, Night turns will be 24 hours long There is a two-vote minimum for the exe Tied votes will be decided at random If a player is removed by execution, their items will be distributed among their voters If a player is killed, their items will be destroyed Order of Actions: Spoiler Day Turns Mists of Releh Dyer/Danforth vote manipulation Vote in the Crowd Execution Whisper to the Wind, Surveyor, Listen at Doors Fenweed Poisoning Night Turns Mists of Releh Discover the Hidden, Shade Expert Kills Silver Dust Wrath of Shades Unforgettable Horrors, Insanity consequences Item pass Sign-ups will end Tuesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. PDT. Day One will be posted hopefully within an hour after that. Players/Spectators/Pinch-hitters Spoiler Players @Matrim's Dice - Philico @Gears - Roko the Basilisk @Azmine_king - Someone @Illwei - No Name Sam @Archer - Sally 'Snoops' Starlingo @Quintessential @Random BystanderBystander @Szeth_Pancakes @Dannex - Prof. Lenn @Jondesu - Quintus @Ashbringer - Faleast + AraRaash @Araris Valerian - Fade @vonnegut - Vonne @PizzaPower55 - Marth @Flyingbooks Pinch-hitters @xinoehp512 - N. P. Trichite @Tani Spectators StrikerEZ Lotus Rule Clarifications Spoiler Kills by the elims, crossbow, or shades will not be differentiated in the writeup. Crossbows break after a successful use, thus cannot be passed to another player for them to use. There will be an inactivity filter. Players must post at least once every two turns or be replaced by a pinch-hitter. Exceptions will be made for pre-arranged absences. Shades will attack only those who take the action to kill, either by the elim kill or crossbow. Group PMs are not allowed. If Discover the Hidden causes the player to go insane, the action will fail. Quick Links Spoiler Day One: Thing That Should Not Be Night One: A Monstrous Response Day Two: Aeon-long Death Night Two: Warning May Be In Vain Day Three: A Voice From Other Epochs Night Three: Human Curiosity is Undying Day Four: A Graveyard of Other Epochs Night Four: Age-Long Pursuit of the Unknown Day Five: Some Accursed Ultimate Abyss Night Five: Memory Reinspires All the Original Horror Day Six: Before Our Minds Were Burned Night Six: Harnessed the Shadows Day Seven: What Persistence Aftermath: Poor Old Ones! Edited July 26, 2021 by Elandera 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I'll join as Philico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xinoehp512 Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I will pinch hit as N. P. Trichite. Rich Hipnett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lotus Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 Ugh I really wish I could play but I really shouldn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gears Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I shall play as Roko the Basilisk. Sidenote: A good number of my exams fall during the early days of the game, though I shouldn't miss more than a cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azmine_king Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I'll join, put me as someone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
--- Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) Um. I'm in. no name. EDIT: i have a name. my name is sam. Edited April 21, 2021 by Illwei 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 Signing up as Sally 'Snoops' Starlingo, gossip columnist for Trendy Threnody Magazine. Are group PMs allowed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrikerEZ Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I will be taking a spec doc, considering my game with DeTess will be starting soon-ish too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridge-Four Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 Count me in! No RP this time from my side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbringer Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I'll.... rrrgh. I really like the look of this game but I've also got finals. I'll pinch hit for now, but tag me if you really need more player-players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 How do the Shades work? Does the attacker just have a 5% (and then increasing) chance of death when they kill someone? Or does everyone have a 5% (and then increasing) change of death when anyone is killed? Or something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elandera Posted April 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Archer said: Are group PMs allowed? No, sorry. 2 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said: How do the Shades work? Does the attacker just have a 5% (and then increasing) chance of death when they kill someone? Or does everyone have a 5% (and then increasing) change of death when anyone is killed? Or something else? Only the attacker will be killed by shades if that event is triggered. Thematically, they take their victim away from camp before murdering them, so the shades are enraged away from everyone else. Announcements There will be an inactivity filter. Players must post at least once every two turns or be replaced by a pinch-hitter. Exceptions will be made for pre-arranged absences. And everyone welcome @The Unknown Order! They will be the co-GM for the game. Edited April 21, 2021 by Elandera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridge-Four Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 Hey change in plan, I will be Jax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ookla of Colors Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I'll play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintessential Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I'll play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Bystander Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I'll join. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elandera Posted April 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 The write-up has been edited in! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Szeth_Pancakes Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) I'll join! I may miss one or two cycles due to going camping. Is that okay, or should I just pinch hit instead? @Elandera Edited April 21, 2021 by Szeth_Pancakes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elandera Posted April 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 3 hours ago, Szeth_Pancakes said: I'll join! I may miss one or two cycles due to going camping. Is that okay, or should I just pinch hit instead? @Elandera That should be fine. Just let me know before you go. Announcement In that vein, for planned absences only I will allow action submissions for those turns people will be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Szeth_Pancakes Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 Great! I’m in then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridge-Four Posted April 22, 2021 Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 Hi, I would not be able to play. For the reasoning please check my status update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danex Posted April 22, 2021 Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 DANG this ruleset looks awesome! Sign me up! Let’s attempt this whole RP thing again, I’ll play as Prof. Lenn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elandera Posted April 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 3 hours ago, Bridge-Four said: Hi, I would not be able to play. For the reasoning please check my status update I completely understand! Good luck in your schooling endeavors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ookla of Colors Posted April 22, 2021 Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 Actually I'll pinch-hit. If you need more players I might be willing to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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