Quick Fix Game 54: The Smoking Mirror

[Ashbringer]

4 hours ago, Archer said:

I can't help but notice you're no longer voting for anyone! Might suggest Steel, who hates cats? Or perhaps Ashbringer who had only RPed?

Hey Ashbringer, it appears you too haven't voted. I hear Szeth has it out for you, have you anything to say about it? :P. 

 

4 hours ago, Szeth_Pancakes said:

Yeah, Ash. Anything to say about it? @Ashbringer

How about ”I had work from 3:30 to 11:00 and didn’t get on until now and really only had time for one post”? With the possible supplement of “I like to RP every game and especially in Kas games and simple ones particularly where I’m not shunted with PM responsibilities, so I made my first post RP”? And “I don’t like making a D1 vote when I’ve been inactive in general particularly when doing so in the last QF nearly got me killed and nearly ended the game D1”?

Don’t really like playing follow-the-arrows either, but it’s D1 so eh.

Might vote come the morrow, probably won’t.

[Kasimir]

4 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

especially in Kas games

Aww, if I come out of retirement for one of your games, remind me to RP in them  

[Devotary of Spontaneity]

Liranil(2): Steel, Araris
Archer(1): Matrim
Striker(1): Aureole
Steel(1): Devotary
Ash1): Szeth

Steel opening up the game with a vote on a teammate made as much sense as anything, which is why I voted on him. Now that it seems like Liranil will die for real, that seems less likely even though there's still two hours to go and a lot of votes will probably happen in that time frame, easily enough to get someone else killed if Liranil is evil. She, Striker, and Danex are the only ones not to have posted so far, which does mean that it would be a little odd to move a vote off her without actual suspicion for another player. Danex also hasn't been voted on, which appears contrary to Szeth's claim of there being nobody left to poke.

I won't be around to make another post, but I think I'm going to stick with Steel and see whether support for exing Liranil continues..

[Kasimir]

Reminder: Slightly over fifty minutes left. You have decided. Haven't you? 

[Mat]

12 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

Reminder: Slightly over fifty minutes left. You have decided. Haven't you? 

Not really tbh

[Kasimir]

Cycle's closed! Please stop your posting and PMing, thank you!

[Kasimir]

QF54: Day Two - The Belly of the Beast

Just as the mountain passes have protected Idris, forming a daunting natural barrier in the way of invading forces, the jungles of the Hallendren lowlands are not impassable. But they have swallowed up expeditions: adventurers and soldiers alike. Fever, venom, predation, parasites, toxins, hunger…

There are many ways to die in the Hallendren jungle. Idrian war games have considered the possibility of operating in the Hallendren jungle and dismissed it. The jungle is hostile to both Hallendren Lifeless and Idrian soldiers alike, but the Hallendren do have one distinct advantage: their corpses can’t die again.

The jungle was there, even in the days of old, before Hanald. Before the Chedesh came, before Vo and the Five Visions sent from Austre. In those days, it was a cluster of Pahn Kahl fishing villages and jungle encampments, and the Pahn Kahl had their own reckoning with the jungle.

Today, the Pahn Kahl are Hallendren, but the jungle remains.

Hacking my way through the undergrowth, where only a little light, only faint patches of blue sky can be seen, I can’t help but feel as though we have passed from the clean clear mountain air and meadows into the brooding, wet maw of some fearsome beast, into the heart of some terrible darkness.

 

 

In the end, the expedition painstakingly traced their way back to the last cluster of signs to set up camp. There was, as Kalsin had said, a clearing a while back, with access to running water.

Whispers had gone around the squad at the sight of the slain scout.

Kalsin supposed it was only normal. Wilsa’s death made the possibility of a knife in the dark only too real. It was too grim to bear, entirely. It was one thing knowing that they might have to die for Idris. It was another thing looking at the results of Hallendren tradecraft and knowing that they might be next.

That, or the jungle would do them in.

Two of the squad had fallen out, complaining of illness, stomach cramps. Kalsin didn’t know if it was sickness, or poison. He thought he saw the same suspicions in Wryn’s eyes but the captain merely said they’d need a sick train. Another had been bitten by a snake as she dug the latrines.

There was the thought too: did they stay to care for the casualties, or did they press on? A cruel choice, but Kalsin was used to the harsh realities of duty. Yet it was not his decision to make, and part of Kalsin was grateful. It went against the grain: Austre said they were to sacrifice, that they could not set themselves above others. It was the mission that demanded Wryn weigh and spend the lives of the squad as coin, and yet something about that choice set Kalsin ill at ease.

The squad were already beginning to bicker. They were on edge from the scout’s death, and someone—Kalsin didn’t know who, but they were dead when he caught them—was openly spreading rumours of Hallendren poison.

“Your concern isn’t Hallendren spies, soldier,” he said, firmly, when he came across the soldier they’d called Pancakes. Why, Kalsin didn’t know, but he knew that Wryn likely did, and that there was almost always a story behind these names. Good field cook, but a little too prone to gossip, and Pancakes started when Kalsin stopped by their fire. He thought he recognised the other two men sitting with Pancakes—Steel, decent, solid soldier, and Derrick, who seemed on edge, but was enough of an enigma to Kalsin. 

“But Lieutenant, sir, if Hallendren spies really are here, and trying to stop us…” Pancakes trailed off into silence as Kalsin stared him down.

“Leave the Hallendren spies to the officers, Pancakes,” Kalsin said. He tried to sound calm and in control. Didn’t know if he’d succeeded. “Your only concern is staying alive and seeing to the success of the mission.”

“Right, the mission. The mission,” Pancakes said. “Burn the fields.”

If they found them, Kalsin thought. But he did not say that aloud. They had to. They had to.

Idris depended on it.

 

 

“What’s the mood like?” Wryn asked.

Kalsin scowled at him from across the crackling flames of the fire but it was Gatemaker who spoke. Kalsin, at least, was grateful for the presence of someone from Idrian intelligence. Better  to have someone versed in these matters than officers accustomed to some irregular duties.

“Troubled,” Gatemaker said, folding her arms across her chest. “Whispers of Hallendren spies got out, and with the three soldiers down, everyone’s looking for someone else to blame.” She flung a bundle on the floor, and Kalsin blinked.

“Lifeless squirrel,” Gatemaker said, her tone steady. It was transfixed with an arrow; she’d shot it. Part of Kalsin wondered what it would be like, watching Gatemaker shoot against Wryn. Wryn, too, favoured the bow: he was no swordsman.

“Austre, God of Colours,” Kalsin breathed, as he stared at the grey-hued monstrosity. Hallendren Awakeners, then. 

“You know the appropriate countermeasures,” Gatemaker continued. “But I imagine a quick search of their packs would resolve the issue.”

“Why?” Wryn asked, beating Kalsin to the punch.

“Lifeless must be prepared,” Gatemaker explained. “We have to be wary of Awakened constructs, but I imagine the Lifeless animal was a failsafe. One they’ve burned now, though I’d still search their packs for anything Lifeless that was smuggled onto the mission.”

Wryn frowned. “Idrian intelligence was supposed to have vouched for the integrity of the mission,” he said, wryly. “Strange that we find ourselves doing so again.”

“You know how it is,” replied Gatemaker. She didn’t rise to the implied slight. “Vigilance is the name of the game.”

Wryn sighed. “I suppose so.” He studied the map—carefully copied, in Wryn’s own hand—spread out on the flat stone. The firelight cast unsteady shadows on the map, but there was enough light to see. “By my reckoning, we should’ve reached the last of the markers anyway—here,” he pointed to the map. “Scouts were supposed to put us on the trail, and then we follow Hallendren signs for the next few days to the pool and the dye fields.”

“Did they, though?”

“That’s your question to answer,” Wryn said, his voice sharp. “Did they, or did they not, Lieutenant?”

Kalsin swallowed. “Possibly,” he said, grudgingly. “With Wilsa dead, and no sign of the other scouts, I think we’re on our own. Some of the signs were tampered with, I’m fairly certain, so we’ll need our own source of truth. So it all comes back to this map—see that river here?” he pointed to it, marked out by Hallendren colours. “We passed it a few days ago. Then there was the cleft tree, which we also passed yesterday, though not after some backtracking. The ravine was there, which was a detour we weren’t supposed to take.” He pointed to each of the map positions in turn. Hours of study in the palace, trying to visualise places he’d never seen.

He knew a little better now.

“Won’t say it won’t be rough going, but I think we can do it.”

“You sure, Kal?” Wryn wanted to know. Kalsin wondered at the multitude of questions lurking there: are you sure? Can you do it? Should we turn back? Should we find another way, or try to locate the other Idrian scouts?

Did they have a choice though?

“No. Yes. Ry, I think we have to, one way or another. We’ve crossed that river, and there’s no going back now. I’ll have to do it.”

Wryn raised an eyebrow. “So be it, then. Get me the quartermaster. I’m going to take Gatemaker’s suggestion to search their packs and see what we turn up.”

 

 

Variel, the quartermaster, turned out to be very dead.

“Variel?” Kalsin called out, striding over to where the man usually was. Likely minding the supplies carried by their remaining horses. He saw a shape slumped by a tree and frowned. Something wasn’t right.

A hand to his sword-hilt, Kalsin stepped closer, mindful of his surroundings.

They’d served in Wryn’s company together, before this. Variel was infamous among the men for the standards to which he held equipment maintenance. Everything had to be cleaned, scrubbed and scoured of dirt. It seemed someone had surprised Variel even as he was cleaning the bright blade of his sword, and now the sword would never be clean again.

“Austre watch over you,” Kalsin whispered, as he gently closed the quartermaster’s staring eyes. They’d run him through from behind. A thrust through the throat, and then pulled the blade free. Risky, that. Could notch the blade if they struck bone.

Wryn was not going to like this. Neither were the rest of the squad.

 

 

As it turned out, the rest of the squad were already bickering, already accusing each other of being Hallendren spies. At least Jacques Noir had the sense to stay out of it, though Kalsin thought the man was still fanning the flames, even if he declined to accuse anyone in particular.

Steel and a scarred veteran by the name of Fadrian had both decided that a quiet tracker by the name of Liranil was responsible for leading them all astray, and in an effort to cool tempers, Kalsin ordered them all on separate watches, electing to leave Wryn out of it.

By the time daylight was shining through the canopy of leaves overhead, Kalsin was about to run someone through with his own sword. That turned out to be Gatemaker, when she reported that Liranil had gone missing.

“Show me,” Kalsin said, scrubbing wearily at his eyes with the back of his hand. He’d taken the first watch himself, and at least it was uneventful. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to being dragged roughly from sleep, at least when it came.

Wryn always gave him hell for that.

“There was a lot of blood,” Gatemaker reported, clinically.

“So she’s dead, then.” Obvious conclusion, Kalsin knew, but all the same. It ruled out the option where Liranil had decided enough was enough and gone missing. He sighed. “Let’s get Wryn, and let’s go look.”

The others were already gathering and whispering when Kalsin arrived. He saw what Gatemaker had mentioned: the blood, but also scuff marks, as though she’d been dragged. No sign of a fight.

“Well?” Wryn demanded, aloud. His face was composed, but he did not order the squad away. Kalsin supposed he understood why. It wasn’t something that could be resolved by telling them to go back to packing up and preparing to move out.

“Big cat,” Kalsin said. “She didn’t put up a fight. And look—”

Gatemaker had seen the fragments, like as not. She’d probably elected not to point it out, and Kalsin gave her points for tact, even though he thought he heard someone about to lose whatever remained of last night’s dinner. “Most cats kill with a bite to the throat or neck. Seen enough of that in the mountains. This one though? It went right for the back of her skull. I’d hate to get into a fight with a cat with that kind of bite.”

He drew in a deep breath. “I’d suggest we double the watch, the following nights. And probably clear out of the area, as fast as we can. We have a mission to complete, and I don’t really want to fight that thing if it comes back for more.”

 

 

“This painting. I…”

“Your Grace, if you like it, I will have it requisitioned for your personal collection.”

“There’s something about it. One man, standing alone, in the heart of a murky darkness. Indistinct outline of thick trees, water, fog. It seems almost...sad. Lonely, maybe. And brooding.”

 

 

Liranil was executed! She was an Idrian Soldier!

Striker was killed! He was an Idrian Soldier!

Quote

Liranil (2): Steel, Araris
Archer (1): Mat
Ash (1): Szeth
Steel (1): Devo
Striker (1): Aureole

The cycle has begun! It will end at 2300hrs SGT (GMT+8) on the 18th July!

Edited to add: @Danex is on an inactivity warning and will be filter-killed or replaced at the end of this cycle.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Kasimir

[Kasimir]

Rule Clarifications:

Spoiler

Really?

Player List:

Spoiler

1. @Matrim's Dice as Taidon, a humble farmer
2. @The Unknown Order as Vincer, duralumin compounder
3. StrikerEZ as TBC - Idrian Soldier
4. @Ashbringer as Faleast and AraRaash
5. @Steeldancer as Steel
6. Liranil as TBC - Idrian Soldier
7. @Archer as Jacques Noir
8. @Szeth_Pancakes as Pancakes
9. @Danex as Dexan, an expedition packhorse
10. @Devotary of Spontaneity as Gatemaker, an Idrian agent with a mysterious past
11. @Araris Valerian as Fadrian
12. @Aureole as Auri, aspiring artist, emphasis aspiring

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Kasimir

[Mat]

That was a dumb cycle…

Sort of feeling Aureole for the reason of the kill and VC, but I’d still probably do Archer. I want to reread last turn to hopefully find something better than that.

Please talk more, everyone  

[Szeth_Pancakes]

Oops 

Sorry about that, Ash. I'm on Pacific time, and I saw that the rollover was at 11:00 EST, and I thought I'd have time to make an actual, non-joke vote. Ah well.

[Ashbringer]

Eh. I’m going to have to work around work anyway. Yesterday was just more so than usual.

[The Unknown Ajah]

What am I supposed to talk about? The incredibly complicated rules? I don't think any elims voted for Liranil, but there of possibly been one.

[Archer]

Interesting. Kas managed to write a novel based on the deaths of two people who hadn't even RPed. Well done, GM :D.

Maybe it’s the summer slowdown, but that round felt less talkative than usual. In approximate order of suspiciousness, I have questions for you all:

-Araris: Why’d you stay on Liranil, who by virtue of being inactive, gave us no information from their flip and wasn’t really suspicious?

-Steeldancer: Same question. And why do you hate cats? :P.

-Szeth, why’d you switch so easily onto Ashbringer? Was it just a joke poke or was there anything to it?

-Mat, why don’t you like my fabulous plan to pretend to be elims

-Auri, why'd you pick Striker over the other people you evaluated? And are they playing… knife tennis

-TUO, do you have any reads?

-Dannex, where you at?  

-Ashbringer, how was work?

-Devo, you voted for Steel when you could have put Ash, Striker, or myself into a tie with Liranil. Was that an implicit trust read of those three? Or were you hoping someone would follow you onto Steel

1 hour ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Sort of feeling Aureole for the reason of the kill and VC, but I’d still probably do Archer. I want to reread last turn to hopefully find something better than that.

Can you explain your reasons for voting Auri a little more? I'm confused by what you mean. You could frame it as Auri is scared of Striker so tried to exe them and when that didn't work they used the NK. But why would they have it out for Striker so much?

1 minute ago, The Unknown Order said:

What am I supposed to talk about? The incredibly complicated rules? I don't think any elims voted for Liranil, but there of possibly been one.

Why don't you think any elims voted for Liranil? They needed a mix somehow, parking on Liranil seems like a good way to get it

[The Unknown Ajah]

4 minutes ago, Archer said:

-TUO, do you have any reads?

Why don't you think any elims voted for Liranil? They needed a mix somehow, parking on Liranil seems like a good way to get it

No, not really, I've been getting better at it, but a page or so of junk isn't really enough for me yet although me thinking there was at most one elim on Liranil means that Steel - Araris = not e/e.

Two votes isn't enough steam for most elims to consider hopping on, though one might leave a poke there, hence the at most one elim.

[Araris Valerian]

13 minutes ago, Archer said:

-Araris: Why’d you stay on Liranil, who by virtue of being inactive, gave us no information from their flip and wasn’t really suspicious?

I was asleep for the back half of the cycle. Not much to say here, except that everyone is suspicious D1. And I'm rather suspicious of Devotary and Mat for being around near the end of the cycle and not doing anything. In my opinion, an elim would have less of a reason to rock the boat than a villager, knowing the outcome and all.

[Szeth_Pancakes]

ya know what time it is?

It's read list time!

Note: all reads are pretty mild, since this is just C2.

Mild Elim:

Araris - He just seems vaguely suspicious. Not sure why. This may just be my imagination, but I thought it was worth noting.

Steel - This is mostly a tone thing. He seems a bit more abrasive than usual this game.

Null:

TUO - None of his few posts have seemed very AI to me.

Aureole - Since they're new, I don't know their playstyle, and there's no hard evidence for or against them yet.

Danex - Has not posted.

Devotary - Again, none of his posts have been very AI.

Mild Vil:

Archer - His posts seem pretty analysis-y, which is usually an indicator of him being village.

Vil:

Mat - This is entirely tone-based. His tone is much more abrasive when he's elim. This indicator hasn't led me astray in any of the games I've used it.

[Mat]

1 hour ago, Archer said:

Mat, why don’t you like my fabulous plan to pretend to be elims

Because it pretty obviously wouldn’t work (though also I have to be fair and say that it took me a minute or two to actually see the holes) and I would think that a smart person such as yourself would have noticed them  You also are poking people (not in the vote kind of way) more than usual, stirring up things more. Which isn’t necessarily bad, just different.

1 hour ago, Archer said:

Can you explain your reasons for voting Auri a little more? I'm confused by what you mean. You could frame it as Auri is scared of Striker so tried to exe them and when that didn't work they used the NK. But why would they have it out for Striker so much?

I think it’s possible that the elims gambitted by killing someone their teammate voted on, because it doesn’t make much sense for an elim to kill their suspicion. This is a bad vote because that is literally the only basis.

51 minutes ago, Araris Valerian said:

And I'm rather suspicious of Devotary and Mat for being around near the end of the cycle and not doing anything. In my opinion, an elim would have less of a reason to rock the boat than a villager, knowing the outcome and all.

What was I supposed to do? I was happy voting Archer, there was no reason for me to change to another train because I didn’t want to be on another train.

38 minutes ago, Szeth_Pancakes said:

Mat - This is entirely tone-based. His tone is much more abrasive when he's elim. This indicator hasn't led me astray in any of the games I've used it.

I know I’ve said this before  but I’ll say it again: My abrasiveish tone comes through when I’m being suspected, regardless of alignment. You’re probably right in that it’s stronger when I’m elim, but as no one asked me anything last turn there was nothing to be abrasive about, so if you’re vil reading me this isn’t the best reason for it.

I still appreciate it though  

[Aureole]

3 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Sort of feeling Aureole for the reason of the kill and VC, but I’d still probably do Archer. I want to reread last turn to hopefully find something better than that.

Understandable but also only functional in a mind game situation. Seems less substantial than other lines of reasoning. I would like your Archer thoughts.

1 hour ago, Archer said:

Auri, why'd you pick Striker over the other people you evaluated? And are they playing… knife tennis

Striker was a random vote from earlier. The others were thoughts. Also, it was late and I had somewhat forgotten how to color text.

Concerning Szeth_Pancakes's reads: Tone based reads never sit well with me.l, particularly since there was no verification of deviation from the norm. I also note that analysis is not a town-only trait. I would be amenable to a vote here, but this is a different site, so I will ponder retaliation first.

A painting hidden beneath a bunk bed.

Spoiler

 

[Szeth_Pancakes]

56 minutes ago, Matrim's Dice said:

I know I’ve said this before  but I’ll say it again: My abrasiveish tone comes through when I’m being suspected, regardless of alignment. You’re probably right in that it’s stronger when I’m elim, but as no one asked me anything last turn there was nothing to be abrasive about, so if you’re vil reading me this isn’t the best reason for it.

I still appreciate it though  

Two things:

1. It is stronger when you're elim, and you do come across as abrasive during your elim games, regardless of whether you're being suspected.

2. This denying of a village read makes you seem even more village.

2 minutes ago, Aureole said:

Concerning Szeth_Pancakes's reads: Tone based reads never sit well with me.l, particularly since there was no verification of deviation from the norm. I also note that analysis is not a town-only trait. I would be amenable to a vote here, but this is a different site, so I will ponder retaliation first.

All of my reads are extremely mild, except for my read on Mat, and I have never once been wrong about Mat.

[Aureole]

10 minutes ago, Szeth_Pancakes said:

All of my reads are extremely mild, except for my read on Mat, and I have never once been wrong about Mat.

Exactly. Mild implication is somewhat suspicious to me. It implies an unwillingness to commit to an opinion while also laying the groundwork for a case against someone on the basis of previous suspicion. Tone reads in particular are noted because it renders you unable to offer reasoning and thus releases you from the responsibility while still being escapable with great ease. They are also rife with bias and incomprehensibility. Your reads seem designed to appear to have opinions while easily abandoning the opinions. This tends to invoke trust for very little cost. Actually, I just realized that my strong stance on this makes my previous absence of a vote hypocritical. As such, Szeth_Pancakes

[Szeth_Pancakes]

45 minutes ago, Aureole said:

Exactly. Mild implication is somewhat suspicious to me. It implies an unwillingness to commit to an opinion while also laying the groundwork for a case against someone on the basis of previous suspicion. Tone reads in particular are noted because it renders you unable to offer reasoning and thus releases you from the responsibility while still being escapable with great ease. They are also rife with bias and incomprehensibility. Your reads seem designed to appear to have opinions while easily abandoning the opinions. This tends to invoke trust for very little cost. Actually, I just realized that my strong stance on this makes my previous absence of a vote hypocritical. As such, Szeth_Pancakes

I would like to point out that I was just trying to ignite some discussion in the thread. Since there wasn’t really much to go on, and I wanted to have more than one or two reads, I scoured the thread for anything that mildly tipped me off, resulting in my mild Araris and Steel reads. They don’t mean too much - I just wanted to put some new discussion out there.

[Mat]

Yeah I can see Archer/Aureole but idk. I know my vote on Aureole is super weak.

[Archer]

Right now I'm theorizing a Szeth-Mat team. Besides the obvious village reading each other, Mat's vote on Auri has seemed pretty sticky, which I'm reading as an attempt at pushing back on Auri pressuring Szeth. And then there's Mat suggesting I'm suspicious for PM reasons without actually explaining the context to the wider group, which makes me think they wanted to cast a vote but didn't want to be the one to lead a successful wagon. Which has the added benefit of they can come back to it later. I don't think it was a well reasoned vote to begin with, but hey, if you're gonna go for it, you might as well fully commit. 

4 hours ago, The Unknown Order said:

No, not really, I've been getting better at it, but a page or so of junk isn't really enough for me yet although me thinking there was at most one elim on Liranil means that Steel - Araris = not e/e.

Two votes isn't enough steam for most elims to consider hopping on, though one might leave a poke there, hence the at most one elim.

Good analysis, but I can't help but notice it didn't lead to a vote. Are you suspicious enough of one of those two to vote on them, or are you leaning towards clearing them both and picking a different target? 

[Mat]

26 minutes ago, Archer said:

Right now I'm theorizing a Szeth-Mat team. Besides the obvious village reading each other

Smh when have I ever said I village read Szeth. Never. I don’t elim read him either but that’s not the same thing.

26 minutes ago, Archer said:

Mat's vote on Auri has seemed pretty sticky, which I'm reading as an attempt at pushing back on Auri pressuring Szeth

Didn’t I vote Auri like way before they did anything against Szeth? I stayed because I wanted to see if anyone would join me, plus I’ve only had a few sparing chances to actually check the shard today so there wasn’t much chance for me to switch off in the first place.

26 minutes ago, Archer said:

And then there's Mat suggesting I'm suspicious for PM reasons without actually explaining the context to the wider group, which makes me think they wanted to cast a vote but didn't want to be the one to lead a successful wagon.

I mean. I kind of did explain the context, but no one asked me to elaborate. And I dunno what ‘successful wagon’ means but I have no qualms voting you.

26 minutes ago, Archer said:

you might as well fully commit. 

Archer. ‘Fully committing’ was what I was doing, up until now, with Auri.

27 minutes ago, Archer said:

but I can't help but notice it didn't lead to a vote.

I’m totally sending this right back at you  

[Devotary of Spontaneity]

7 hours ago, Archer said:

-Devo, you voted for Steel when you could have put Ash, Striker, or myself into a tie with Liranil. Was that an implicit trust read of those three? Or were you hoping someone would follow you onto Steel

I did expect someone else to vote, yes, if not necessarily on Steel. The votes on Ash, Striker, and you didn't seem to be based on anything, and I thought there was a decent chance that either Steel was evil or that someone would attempt to save Liranil.