Long Game 96: KKC in the Modern Age

[STINK]

Kas can your RP stop having warning tags cheers

Glad JNV has come out with some reads though why is everyone reading like the same 3 people

The gut thing was a joke but also we need reads on more people don't fall for the spotlight on the minimal few ok that's not a good way in my opinion to conduct these endeavours

Tell us more about the people not constantly being checked are they all good and ignored?

[Kasimir]

[TAG: RP, 405 words]

39 minutes ago, STINK said:

Kas can your RP stop having warning tags cheers

[OOC: Sadly nope. You have El and Wilson to blame for this, though apparently Devo says she's blaming it on Volatile's sleep deprivation. The longer answer is I was given an absurdity by the GMs among multiple absurdities and I'm committed to resolving it. This means the main solution has been to put Kevan through a significant downward trajectory to explain certain character decisions made later thanks to the GMs, who I think are laughing at my suffering/commitment to resolving their absurdities. Don't like it, don't read it man, I certainly don't expect anyone to read my RP. Tehlu knows the GMs don't.]

39 minutes ago, STINK said:

The gut thing was a joke but also we need reads on more people don't fall for the spotlight on the minimal few ok that's not a good way in my opinion to conduct these endeavours

[OOC: So why don't you be the change you want to see? What are your reads? Are you a vampire do u need an invitation if so consider this ur invitation but also I have garlic and a flamethrower and the WHEEL OF TEHLU smhhh]

lvi. cracks

Kevan reported to his shift at the Medica. Didn’t have rounds until the end of the span, so that was something at least. The Re’lar, too, took the bulk of the shift work, and he was too newly-elevated to be placed on call, which felt like some sort of blessing.

He wasn’t sure he trusted himself on call. Wasn’t sure how he would force himself to confront another failure. 

Strange how the day passed in flashes, interspersed by moments of emptiness, in which time seemed to flow like cool honey. 

The sterile scent of the Medica, the harsh sensation of the unscented soap they used. Cold water against his skin, as numbly, he cleaned up, watching the fall of water, corkscrewing down the drain.

A few routine cases that Kevan handled automatically; somehow remembering what needed to be done. Setting a broken arm. Treating someone who’d gotten knifed in the alley, and for a precarious moment, his mind went numb and blank as he applied pressure to the wound with a thick cloth pad.

One of the E’lir reminded him—Kevan didn’t remember her name, probably knew it at some point but the names weren’t sticking in his head, not right now—and he let her apply the pressure, set to preparing the needle and fine cotton thread for stitches. The needle had to be sterilised, and the patient had been given something for the pain, which meant they at least didn’t need to tick that box on the checklist.

Laid down the stitches in a neat, quick line once the bleeding had slowed down, leaning on training that persisted even if the mind wasn’t…quite there. Wasn’t quite in the present.

Nothing felt quite real. It was as though he was looking at the world through glass.

Someone caught him by the shoulder. Idris, who’d made El’the just recently, said, “Are you alright?” and there was an emotion in her voice, written on her features, in her frown, and he was too damned tired to process exactly what it was.

“Yeah,” Kevan said. “I’m fine.”

The first story of Aethe’s stories, in Ademic thought, states that the Lethani cannot be captured by words. (If the Way can be expressed, it is not the transcendent way. Experience, reality, whichever you like: the shadow on the walls, or the thing-in-itself outruns experience and the words we use to describe it only point to the shadow, the echo, the ghost.)

Edited August 5, 2023 by Kasimir

[The Unknown Ajah]

Hmmm.

I think I'm going to choose to believe Mat is an elim. Might not be, but one of him/Araris is methinks. 

Let's return to Sart, Sart.

[Mat]

11 minutes ago, The Known Novel said:

Hmmm.

I think I'm going to choose to believe Mat is an elim. Might not be, but one of him/Araris is methinks. 

Let's return to Sart, Sart.

How on earth do you come to that conclusion and still double vote Sart lol

[Elbereth]

11 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Edit: wait a second @little wilson @Elbereth why am I voting on myself? My votes were Sart/TKN

I can confirm the vote count is correct as it stands. 

[Kasimir]

[TAG: RP, 1007 words, DISCUSSION, 215 words]

6 minutes ago, Matrim's Dice said:

How on earth do you come to that conclusion and still double vote Sart lol

[OOC: Agree that it'd be pretty kayana for you and Sart to be E/E. (I guess there's a paranoid layer where you did spread your votes, so potential distancing. Muddled quite a bit by the doubly probabilistic nature of the exe, though I'd say that risking you as the more vulnerable Ruh SD would've been really rough on you and IDK if that's the move to go for, so kind of lean against it anyway. Doesn't feel like a layer I wanna open rn. Need to recheck how willing Sart was to vote for you besides the M1.) But I think I can see an Araris/Sart E/E world, due to Araris's protectiveness of Sart. (But I admit I wasn't unconvinced by his argument, either.)

Lol seriously part of me just wants to think all of you are V and I literally saw this damn dynamic play out in my LG where due to no flip it's in the interests of the voted out Elims to act pretty Village to confuse the kraem out of everyone anyway, and in LG95 where TKN literally yelled at me over trying to pull off Elan over tonal reads but wonderful, I'm lost. Genuine appreciative 'gj guys' if any of you are Evil or Village I suppose.]

25 minutes ago, Elbereth said:

I can confirm the vote count is correct as it stands. 

[OOC: Huh. That's...odd?]

lvii. embers

Kevan stared at the thick stack of papers, all of them copied via the sympathy press, and tried to feel any sense of excitement about going through it. 

Some of the El’the had talked about it: how you seemed to lose momentum as an El’the because there was so much you had to go through, and progress felt glacial, as though he were chipping away at a mountain with a sculptor’s chisel, a little at a time. The path from El’the to graduating with your own guilder was long and arduous, and he wondered if their words had carried a hint of implication, of resentment.

After all, he and Issal had both stormed through the ranks to El’the. It was only fair they spent their own share of time waiting, assessing, and trying to make progress with their research projects. He wondered how Issal’s own studies were proceeding. So much had happened in the University, and yet he felt disconnected from it all. 

Resterford and Jenali were both discharged from the Crockery. (Some whispers said they’d broken loose, that they were the second coming of Tarbolin the Great or Kvothe the Arcane, that the ground before the Crockery had split asunder, allowing them to pass. Kevan didn’t believe any of it. He knew what they’d said about Issal. He knew what they said about him. The reality in all likelihood lay somewhere between the whispers of discharge and the more fanciful rumours about Tarbolin-type sorcery.)

The truth is always greater than the words we use to describe it.

He was so bloody tired. The truth was, historical work was painstaking. Sometimes, too painstaking. He felt his focus wandering, and not for the first time, wondered if he had the aptitude for it after all. Or at least, the heart for it.

He knew, objectively, that it was a good research topic to have embarked on, though perhaps Master Alys would’ve been a better sponsor than Master Bob in this regard. His training in historiography was not as complete as he’d like, and Master Alys had remarked as much when he enrolled in a history of medicine class she was teaching, figuring it’d offer him valuable context on his research project.

“It’s a pleasure to have you in my class, Kevan,” she’d said, but then, with a directness that didn’t particularly surprise him, “Though I was a bit surprised. You’re really more of a philosopher by inclination than a historian.”

He smiled, wryly. Strange how you could do so by reflex; treading water. “Master Alys, I think your history of technology class taught me quite a bit about methodology and historiography.” 

He remembered asking her about the assignment for the midterms. “Master Alys? I have a question,” he’d said, then, uncertain. At her nod, he’d gone on. “I'm a little worried that the way it's framed and we're approaching it, all our attempts to answer it are basically going to boil down to whether or not we have a commitment to historical and technological determinism. We could argue that it was possible the invention of the sympathy press didn't happen, but our arguments for that might rely on an understanding of contingency that is unfair to the proponents of its inevitability, and they really wouldn't buy it.”

She’d blinked owlishly at him, then, and then sighed. “E’lir Kevan,” she’d said, running a hand through her tied-back hair in exasperation. “I’m not asking for the moon. I just meant you should look at the existing technologies and examine if the emergence of the sympathy press was organic: was it a natural step forward, from the printing press? From scribes? If Master Artificer Huren hadn’t been obsessed with the need to transmit knowledge efficiently, could the project to develop a functional sympathy press have succeeded? What about the confluence of factors: a supportive Master Archivist, a series of talented El’the who specialised in machining parts and applying the needed sygaldry, and the patronage of the Aturan Duke?”

He’d gotten that, really. But it wasn’t what he was asking. “Master Alys, I get that, I do. So my question is: can it be an issue with the way people do history as well, though? If it seems that the emergence of the sympathy press was not an organic development, or at least that it was powerfully driven by the strong personality of Master Artificer Huren, then we'd almost have to ask if the primary role Master Huren plays in the given readings is a matter of the historian applying that lens after the event, shaping the narrative.”

“E’lir Kevan, this is a class for E’lir. I’m not going to discuss historiography or methodological questions in tutorial right now.” But then she unbent enough to add, “Come by during office hours. I think I have some readings for you.”

Now though, it was an old chestnut, trotted out time and again. He was fascinated by the epistemology of it all, and the way contingency and necessity was woven into each other, into the stories the historian chose to tell, and where narrative met evidence. 

Where the historical reality was much more complex than anyone was willing to believe. Unless you were a historian, he supposed.

He liked the history, liked the process of discovery, feeling as though you’d uncovered something that had been lost to the world, whether it was a tiny fragment, or something significant. He just could not seem to make himself forge on with the research project.

He didn’t know what he was going to say in his progress report to Master Bob. What Master Bob would say.

Didn’t want to disappoint the Master Physicker, really. But that was what was going to happen, wasn’t it? (He wished he was less of a disappointment, just wished he didn’t feel so inadequate to the task.)

Didn’t know if it was better than that feeling of numbness, the soft blanket of snow wrapping his mind.

[STINK]

2 hours ago, Kasimir said:

[OOC: So why don't you be the change you want to see? What are your reads? Are you a vampire do u need an invitation if so consider this ur invitation but also I have garlic and a flamethrower and the WHEEL OF TEHLU smhhh]

Are you being like intentionally obtuse after my two votes last cycle on people not in the conversation whatsoever 

[Kasimir]

[TAG: ANALYSIS, 665 words]

11 minutes ago, STINK said:

Are you being like intentionally obtuse after my two votes last cycle on people not in the conversation whatsoever 

[OOC: I could ask the same of you. Do you expect to keep reads static all the time? Has anything changed your opinion? I think it's worth looking for whether there are organic, fog-of-war reflective shifts/evolutions in your thoughts, or whether they're low commitment parked votes that could be more indicative of Elim complacency.]

[OOC: It's seriously interesting to me that not a single person here seems to be remotely interested in the fact there is no sabotage. This is something extremely big mechwise and should be investigated because the most probable outcome is that this implies that the SDs, for whatever reason, were prevented from sabotaging in the first place. If it's because of a roleblock target, then that's functionally soft evidence we've found a SD.

Let's be clear about what we know:

• If the sabotage had been prevented by a protect (whether item or protective action), it would've been reflected in the write-up. This seems to indicate the sabotage failed altogether.
   
• This pretty much indicates that one of the following had to happen: <Physicking detain, Medica Emergency, nahlrout roleblock, tenaculum, sympathy, Ankers.> Which is big pool in some respects, not so big in the sense of others.
   
• Ankers is unlikely and points largely to Mat as there are no other Ruh left. It's possible that one or two of the more frequently complained-about players had difficulty meeting tuition, but given the chance of actions failure, it's unlikely SDs would willingly choose Ankers unless they had pressing financial issues. (There are other implications there: if Mat is putting in the kill, it suggests something weird about the other Elims - what were they doing that they needed the action slot? I assign low weight for now because this almost requires a Steel* team and that's a bit ???)
   
• I am weakly inclined to think that a player putting in a roleblock should just claim, whether in thread or in a PM to say, Wonko or JNV, who can take the claim to the thread for them. Preferably JNV unless Wonko shows up, as I'm concerned he's busy at his conference. I accept there's a possible risk of Linguistics 3 interception - if that's the case, unless I've missed an elevation count, the only culprits are within <TJ, STINK>, as neither Ash nor I have the requisite Linguistics elevations. And for what it's worth, if either of them have it, I'd consider them more likely to be Evil.
   
• I think the likelihood of it being the Medica Emergency is pretty low, due to the limitations of the ability at anything below El'the level. 
   
• I'll note that I had a longer section here analysing the likelihood of H&F targeting but have been told by the GMs that despite the text of the H&F saying there's a 50% chance of kills and sabotage failing, it counts as a protect rather than as some kind of action failure. In other words, it'd have been reflected in the write-up too.
   
• tldr; I think we have a decent Elim shot here and it's worth looking at it. If you roleblocked someone, please do consider claiming in thread, or if not, to JNV. I think someone very likely found an Elim here, or Mat is Evil. (And if he is, again, it's quite indicative of who his team might be. Potentially includes a teammate who got lashed and could not put in an action.)
   
• If none of the above, then something very weird happened in the Elims lives last Turn, such that no one put in an action. It do be that way.

*Steel team doesn't feel too viable IMO - Steel has a habit of going inactive in games; more so as Village as he tends to be dgaf as a Villager and performatively present as an Elim. Functionally, I'd say that if he doesn't have an exciting role, or something he considers exciting, he's more prone to peace out, so the chances he's a Villager are much higher here.

[Sart]

While I do want to touch on why no one went insane, I first want to figure out why Mat voted on himself. Unless I'm missing something, there's only two ways to accomplish that. Either some one is level 3 in Rhetoric, or someone used a Name on Mat. Considering that Kasimir was surprised by this development, there's only one other person who was Level 3 at the time of the manipulation. I'll press the issue here. Ashbringer Ashbringer have you been delving deep into Rhetoric?

[The Unknown Ajah]

51 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

•  
• I am weakly inclined to think that a player putting in a roleblock should just claim, whether in thread or in a PM to say, Wonko or JNV, who can take the claim to the thread for them. Preferably JNV unless Wonko shows up, as I'm concerned he's busy at his conference. I accept there's a possible risk of Linguistics 3 interception - if that's the case, unless I've missed an elevation count, the only culprits are within <TJ, STINK>, as neither Ash nor I have the requisite Linguistics elevations. And for what it's worth, if either of them have it, I'd consider them more likely to be Evil.

This is the main reason I haven't explored this further (well, I'm also super busy this weekend, but I can kinda work through that). If a player really somehow roleblocked an elim, I think they would have either claimed in thread or to JNV. The fact that they haven't yet suggests one of the more esoteric methods.

Edit: Ooh, actually, that's a good point Sart.

Edited August 5, 2023 by The Known Novel

[Mat]

5 minutes ago, Sart said:

While I do want to touch on why no one went insane, I first want to figure out why Mat voted on himself. Unless I'm missing something, there's only two ways to accomplish that. Either some one is level 3 in Rhetoric, or someone used a Name on Mat. Considering that Kasimir was surprised by this development, there's only one other person who was Level 3 at the time of the manipulation. I'll press the issue here. Ashbringer Ashbringer have you been delving deep into Rhetoric?

Can you explain better why you think it’s worth it to double vote someone who might have manipped, when vote manip should be NAI in a flipless game? Additionally, the manip was against me, and you suspected me. So you should be happy about the manip, not trying to kill whoever did it.

This weird double agenda kind of thing from both Sart and TKN where they say I’m evil but vote in a way that suggests they don’t think I’m evil is seriously wigging me out >>

[Kasimir]

[TAG: DISCUSSION, 439 words]

23 minutes ago, Sart said:

Considering that Kasimir was surprised by this development, there's only one other person who was Level 3 at the time of the manipulation. I'll press the issue here. Ashbringer Ashbringer have you been delving deep into Rhetoric?

[OOC: Why should this be surprising? It's obviously me - I literally told y'all in thread I was sus of Mat and went to bed. I don't remotely understand what you think to achieve by pressuring Ash for this, and the fact you're deliberately ignoring a lead on a SD is weird. You're erratic enough I'm starting to seriously consider voting you just so I don't have to keep thinking about you or dealing with you making seriously insane moves.]

23 minutes ago, The Known Novel said:

This is the main reason I haven't explored this further (well, I'm also super busy this weekend, but I can kinda work through that). If a player really somehow roleblocked an elim, I think they would have either claimed in thread or to JNV. The fact that they haven't yet suggests one of the more esoteric methods.

[OOC: The way to frame it is that if the write-up doesn't mention a sabotage, then they either targeted someone untargetable, or they were roleblocked. The one loophole I can see that I forgot about is if they targeted someone in <you, Szeth, Archer.> But I'd argue Szeth isn't really target material, due to him basically being inert, you were attracting negative attention and had zero elevations, and Archer is a possibility, but hitting a noble has two risks: H&F-related risks, and recall-related risks, so I am doubtful that Archer was targeted.

In the absence of claims, I do think this points to an Ankers roleblock, which raises the odds that Mat is Evil, but also almost seems to indicate that STINK is a very likely accomplice (was lashed, therefore could not take any actions last Turn.) TJ and Sart are also Ankers candidates IMO, but probably less likely. If there's a player I forgot about who fits this description, feel free to add them to the list.]

15 minutes ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Can you explain better why you think it’s worth it to double vote someone who might have manipped, when vote manip should be NAI in a flipless game? Additionally, the manip was against me, and you suspected me. So you should be happy about the manip, not trying to kill whoever did it.

This weird double agenda kind of thing from both Sart and TKN where they say I’m evil but vote in a way that suggests they don’t think I’m evil is seriously wigging me out >>

[OOC: Tfw I think Mat is Evil and I actually agree with him.]

Edited to add:

I suppose there's also a world where the Elims have a Noble and got the Noble to put in the sabotage and then the Noble was recalled. I have positive reason to V!read Archer which I'm standing by, so if so, that's a <TKN, Szeth> pool.

Edited to add 2:

I'd almost argue STINK being an accomplice seems to be pretty likely even in an E!Noble world - due to the risk of recall, I struggle to see the Elims getting their Noble to put in a kill unless there's something else they'd rather be doing with their actions (???) and given team size, still seems to be pretty indicative here.

@Szeth_Pancakes Were you recalled? Yes or no?

Edited August 5, 2023 by Kasimir

[Ashbringer]

18 minutes ago, Sart said:

While I do want to touch on why no one went insane, I first want to figure out why Mat voted on himself. Unless I'm missing something, there's only two ways to accomplish that. Either some one is level 3 in Rhetoric, or someone used a Name on Mat. Considering that Kasimir was surprised by this development, there's only one other person who was Level 3 at the time of the manipulation. I'll press the issue here. Ashbringer Ashbringer have you been delving deep into Rhetoric?

One, no it wasn’t me. Kas already claimed it but I’m RPing an Alchemist.

And two… even if it was me, why is that suspicious to you? I didn’t vote on Mat, sure, but I wasn’t exactly defending him. I just didn’t have time to go review all the meta arguments. Unless you think I was trying to protect Stink or something?

 

Part of me wants to vote TKN on the slight possibility they were so scared I correctly identified them in NKA that they decided not to put in a kill  but also continuing the bookmark. Have a family event today and so I can’t pay too much attention but should be around tomorrow.

[Kasimir]

4 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

And two… even if it was me, why is that suspicious to you? I didn’t vote on Mat, sure, but I wasn’t exactly defending him. I just didn’t have time to go review all the meta arguments. Unless you think I was trying to protect Stink or something?

[OOC: Ngl everytime Sart is this erratic pretty fecking insane, I both think V!Sart, and bite back the temptation to slap all four of my votes on him just to not have to deal with that erraticness anymore.]

6 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

Part of me wants to vote TKN on the slight possibility they were so scared I correctly identified them in NKA that they decided not to put in a kill  but also continuing the bookmark. Have a family event today and so I can’t pay too much attention but should be around tomorrow.

[OOC: Uh, isn't the logical answer there just getting his teammates to put in a kill? Meta-washing is still possible, here. Not saying I am fully convinced of V!TKN, but I don't understand this line of reasoning either.]

[The Unknown Ajah]

9 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

Part of me wants to vote TKN on the slight possibility they were so scared I correctly identified them in NKA that they decided not to put in a kill  but also continuing the bookmark. Have a family event today and so I can’t pay too much attention but should be around tomorrow.

It's worth noting, while I do have a history of harsh control kills (which JNV doesn't fit and Wonko barely fits), I also tend to let others choose my kills fairly often when I feel I've been dictating too much. Which is pretty common.

[Kasimir]

[TAG: DISCUSSION, 256 words]

2 minutes ago, The Known Novel said:

It's worth noting, while I do have a history of harsh control kills (which JNV doesn't fit and Wonko barely fits), I also tend to let others choose my kills fairly often when I feel I've been dictating too much. Which is pretty common.

[OOC: Can you do me a favour? It's been a while and I don't want to dig in LG95 to find it. Can you link me to an E game you feel you played well in? I kind of think there's something you did in this game that doesn't feel very consistent with your E play as I recall it. Part of this has to do with the fact that I'm not sure I can rule out that you were the DK and then got recalled. Being more willing to rule you out would help me in making sense of the situation.

I'd also appreciate if you could clarify if you got recalled - since recall chances are independent of each Turn and it's known you're a Noble, I don't think too much hinges on it. @Archer, same for you.

Yeah yeah sorry guys and this is where I can kind of get what Sart's doing because I know I'm supposed to write and I have 44k right now but I'm also excited enough to go ham as I feel this is usable information and pretty helpful at that >>

I will say prima facie that this points me back to STINK in general as I feel that it'd be kind of weird for an Elim team to give the kill to Mat or E!you/E!Szeth/E!Archer unless something very weird has happened/they're short of good options. But I need to run more analysis on this and I'd like to hit 50k somewhere along the way as well.]

[The Unknown Ajah]

11 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

OOC: Can you do me a favour? It's been a while and I don't want to dig in LG95 to find it. Can you link me to an E game you feel you played well in? I kind of think there's something you did in this game that doesn't feel very consistent with your E play as I recall it. Part of this has to do with the fact that I'm not sure I can rule out that you were the DK and then got recalled. Being more willing to rule you out would help me in making sense of the situation.

I guess QF64:

 

I can't think of any other great ones off of the top of my head. I think I generally tend to play pretty good as elim regardless, so most will probably work. Steel's Manywar might also be a good example. 

[Kasimir]

Just now, The Known Novel said:

I guess QF64:

 

I can't think of any other great ones off of the top of my head. I think I generally tend to play pretty good as elim regardless, so most will probably work. Steel's Manywar might also be a good example. 

[OOC: Thank you!

 @Szeth_Pancakes, repeating the flag, just to have all of this in one place. (Borked now that I'm replying to TKN, but oh well! My apologies. Were you recalled back as a noble?]

15 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

At least I saw it coming, and at least I don't really have to worry about money anymore :P. At least as far as tuition goes. The other good news is that I'm actually still at Ankers because the GMs forgot about Ruh half price tuition, so I didn't get kicked from the Mews onto the streets.

I forgot that Mat said this. This shifts things IMO: I think it's reasonable to get a teammate to make the kill, thinking they were in the Mews, and then having it fail because Mat was actually at Ankers after all, and that lodging was taken into account. This might have implications for the plausibility of STINK being on that team. I'm going to need to think this one through. (One read for instance is that then Mat is the logical candidate to send in the kill it isn't as 'incriminating'.)

It's equally possible then that the Mat explanation is incorrect, which means we are looking either at a Noble or someone likely to be at Ankers. In that branch, I do think STINK shows up as a candidate.]

[Ashbringer]

56 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

[OOC: Uh, isn't the logical answer there just getting his teammates to put in a kill? Meta-washing is still possible, here. Not saying I am fully convinced of V!TKN, but I don't understand this line of reasoning either.]

This line of reasoning is mostly a joke 

Mostly.

I think looking at who couldn’t put in a kill is a good place to go. My NKA is more about who makes the decision to put in the kill, which isn’t necessarily the same thing. And it takes a special kind of player to actively decide not to put in a kill. Is TKN that kind of player, not sure, but I don’t know that he’s not. But, there are simpler explanations.

[Mat]

1 hour ago, Kasimir said:

I think it's reasonable to get a teammate to make the kill, thinking they were in the Mews, and then having it fail because Mat was actually at Ankers after all, and that lodging was taken into account.

Dunno why you think I’d open this turn by explaining that if it’s what happened, but okay  

I think I just repeat on TKN, Sart here, which is lazy, but I think it makes sense. I feel like the elims will definitely want to push e!me and try to build off that, and these two look like they’re trying to do that without limiting any options and it looked kinda clunky. Plus other older points and all that.

[JNV]

I have great news everyone excellent news Ive received a communication from someone who wishes to remain anonymous that Novel was blocked last month by an action taken by the anonymous person so yeah Novel Novel 

[The Unknown Ajah]

3 hours ago, JNV said:

I have great news everyone excellent news Ive received a communication from someone who wishes to remain anonymous that Novel was blocked last month by an action taken by the anonymous person so yeah Novel Novel 

I wasn't informed of being blocked. No idea if I would be as I haven't taken an action yet this game. 

Could I know how they supposedly roleblocked me?

Edit: Also, I should have a way to get Alignment scanned by next turn, so I would advise waiting on voting me until then.

Edit 2: VC? I find it a little disturbing that no-one else has acknowledged this despite several people viewing the thread since JNV’s post.

Edited August 6, 2023 by The Known Novel

[Mat]

Well, I already am voting you and mine doesn’t count anyway, so I didn’t feel the need to comment. It seems legit, though, and would certainly be a viable explanation for the lack of sabotage.

In my opinion, letting the accused live a little longer because they say they can prove themselves is a bad idea. How that is taken depends on how my opinion is valued.

[Ashbringer]

5 hours ago, The Known Novel said:

Edit: Also, I should have a way to get Alignment scanned by next turn, so I would advise waiting on voting me until then.

... how? Got an Archivist on call?

5 hours ago, The Known Novel said:

Edit 2: VC? I find it a little disturbing that no-one else has acknowledged this despite several people viewing the thread since JNV’s post.

As I said, busy. TKN (the second).

Alternate explanations exist (especially from an anonymous tip) but, that post already seems odd to me.

[Kasimir]

[TAG: RP, 471 words, ANALYSIS, 760 words]

13 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Dunno why you think I’d open this turn by explaining that if it’s what happened, but okay  

[OOC: Fair - mostly in the paucity of a claim, pretty much has to be an Ankers world I suppose. Or a Noble world. But TKN becomes the most likely candidate in a Noble world next to Szeth.]

6 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Well, I already am voting you and mine doesn’t count anyway, so I didn’t feel the need to comment. It seems legit, though, and would certainly be a viable explanation for the lack of sabotage.

[OOC: I think the claim has prima facie plausibility. TKN's a pretty good candidate for the DK, given general inability to elevate. That being said, expelled players keep their abilities, so I do feel it's probably crucial to 

I can see a world in which this is a SD play - we expel TKN, SDs kill JNV, and this info is lost, since expulsions already satisfy the SD wincon and are flipless. I've asked JNV to talk to the claimant about also claiming to Wonko. This way, we guarantee someone survives no matter what and can hold the claimant accountable if there's anything that's genuinely weird about this situation.

That being said, there are probably three scenarios here:

[ROLEBLOCK] TKN puts in the kill, and gets roleblocked. I'd still question a set-up/team that has TKN putting in the kill - minimally, I think it'd imply the teammates having preferable actions and/or having been lashed. I am not fully sure that STINK is Evil in this world though - the TKN/STINK interaction didn't really read E/E due to TKN's very quick walkdown, but we can litigate that a bit later. I do think there's some analysis that needs to be done on STINK's dual TKN/Szeth vote, but again - can be litigated later. It's possible they felt it was safe as no one expected Ash to late vote for TKN. 

[GAMBIT] TKN is Village. A SD claims anonymously to JNV. They intend to kill JNV this Turn, we expel TKN, and get two Villagers for the price of one. I am not sure [GAMBIT] is fully satisfactory but it'd probably point to the <Mat, Araris, Archer> set in terms of capabilities. Maybe TJ, not sure. Prima facie, the gambit world has a lot to offer it: expelling TKN won't flip him, TKN is just suspicious enough to people you could get away with it, and with JNV also dead, the roleblocker doesn't need to reveal. But no, I kind of lean against this variant - they'd want to cultivate Village cred with JNV, I think. So probably no to the JNV kill. Either way, it's worth taking precautions, and I think Wonko is a safe backup in the event we discover evidence this is [GAMBIT.]

[KRAEM HAPPENS] TKN is Village. The roleblocker is also Village. The Elims actually just missed an action and kept quiet about it. In this world, a player in Ankers (Mat? TJ? Sart? So helpful smh) put in the kill, or Szeth did. (V!Archer credences, plus we stipulated that TKN is Village.) 

In my view, [ROLEBLOCK] is still the most likely world. This is the primary possibility we need to investigate.

I have a mixed view of [GAMBIT.] I think de facto fliplessness makes [GAMBIT] a much more viable world than we might think, prima facie, compared to a normal SE game. At the same time, I always believe we need to go for the simplest explanation, then interrogate the more paranoid ones. To be very clear, my view is that we should take precautions against [GAMBIT] but this should not be the primary world we play for.

I don't think [KRAEM HAPPENS] is impossible. But I do think it's unlikely. In terms of priority, it's still the last option anyone should be reaching for.

6 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

In my opinion, letting the accused live a little longer because they say they can prove themselves is a bad idea. How that is taken depends on how my opinion is valued.

[OOC: Tfw I agree with Mat :eyes: E!Aman says hi from Threnody.]

5 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

As I said, busy. TKN (the second).

[OOC: Good RP takes time, y'all, smh >> And it's my gaming weekend with Wyrm and Wyrmbro >>> you guys.]

[OOC: I'm satisfied with this response to the Mystery of the Missing Sabotage, and it feeds my V!Ash credences. I may now rejoice and go back to RPing to hit 50k.]

TKN delenda est
TKN delenda est
TKN delenda est
TKN delenda est

(Just to be clear, I'm in Imre, hoping to pick up a cartload of nahlrout, so I can go hogwild roleblocking people. I can't actually do this. But by Tehlu, I've wanted to.)

With regard to TKN - he spent multiple Turns not elevating, so potentially may have a decent chunk of EP in other fields. This would allow him to be able to offset any DP Masters put on him. To this end, I'd strongly recommend we get a solid bloc of votes on him to ensure lashing minimum, expulsion preferable: @Sart @Szeth_Pancakes @Wonko the Sane @Archer @|TJ| @STINK @Steeldancer

Roleblocker, IDK if you can do this, but if you can, would recommend you put another roleblock on TKN this Turn.

5 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

... how? Got an Archivist on call?

[OOC: Yes, actually. He'd offered to get scanned at about the start of this Turn, which probably feeds into the kill block.]

lviii. leaves

The leaves were falling from the old oak tree in the courtyard, one by one, fluttering down to join the pile of dry leaves among the cobblestones.

“Someone has to be cleaning the courtyard,” Soren mused, looking up from his book. “Raking the leaves, and getting rid of them. There isn’t always a pile when we’re here.” His hand was bandaged—Kevan hadn’t been on shift when Soren’d come through the Medica, having injured himself in the Fishery—and Kevan fought back the urge to ask for his hand, to check the bandages. No doubt whoever it was had done a perfectly fine job there; Fishery accidents at least were fairly routine. If they weren’t, half the University heard about them.

“Cut myself while preparing the lathe,” Soren’d explained, earlier that afternoon. “Don’t worry, nothing major. I was just careless. Wanted to rush the installation, and then well, you know. I guess I’ll be the next statistic in Merin’s safety lecture next term.”

Kevan shook his head. “After the number of times she picked on me? C’mon, you deserve some of her attention too. Now she’ll devote at least a couple minutes to lathe safety, though it’s too lathe to save you—ouch!”

Valerra’d flicked the cork stopper of her bottle right at him, and it rebounded off his head. 

“That was awful,” she informed him, sternly. “And you deserved it.”

“I don’t think the solution is to give me a concussion,” Kevan muttered, rubbing at his head, where the cork stopper had struck.

“Someone like you?” Soren laughed. “Please, will you even notice?”

“Probably not,” Kevan said. “Dizziness, maybe, but concussion can result in an altered state of consciousness that’s more difficult to detect on your own part: it’s normally the responder who has to monitor for—”

“I surrender,” Soren said, flicking his hands up in the air. The book thumped back into his lap. “Shouldn’t have tried to argue with the Medica student.”

“Where did it get to?” Valerra said aloud, casting about for where the cork had gotten off to.

“I’m not helping,” Kevan informed her, lazily. “You lost it, you go find it yourself.”

“Well, then,” said Valerra, giving up after a few fruitless minutes. “Guess I’ll just have to finish the wine myself.”

“Come on, you were going to anyway, you’d breached it, a cork wouldn’t—”

“Hush,” Soren said. “No one needs any sense right now.” He made a ‘give’ motion towards Valerra. “Share.”

There were simple pleasures in life, Kevan thought. Things you had to hold on to, in the middle of leaden grey skies.  Reading books, studying together. Sharing strawberry wine with friends, in a courtyard. The cool breeze. Valerra finding her lost bit of cork, too late to be of any use. Soren laughing, the crinkled brown leaf falling into the palm of his outstretched hand.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Kasimir
bolded important parts