Long Game 98: A Tale of Mists and Metals

[DrakeMarshall]

1 hour ago, Ookla thePresentParticiple said:

“Do you think you’d like some water?” asked Dasenk, concerned for his health. “And I was quite exhausted at the time, I believe, and not thinking too much.

"Yesh, water'd be good." Lord Pending grabbed a jug of water and started chugging. "On the other hand 'm thinkin and drinkin too much," he proclaimed proudly.

Lord Pending smacked his lips loudly and set down the water jug.

"Ah, that's much better. I feel much more myself again. Thank you kindly."

1 hour ago, Ookla the Paradigm said:

Rem had considered just plowing ahead with making a case for all of the Thug candidates being evil, or even trying to figure out possible teammates for them. He couldn't bring himself to do it though. "The infuriating thing is that I know who is evil. With 100% certainty I can name a Spiked. Except I don't and I can't."

"Not even going to try and guess? Not going to take a gamble?"

Lord Pending looked skeptical.

"Sorta doesn't sound like you want it that much."

"Anyways, at the risk of placing too much confidence in the dead psychic, I'd be surprised if he didn't tell someone who these Thugs actually were. If whoever he told doesn't think it's worth bringing it up, then they probably think there's a valid reason to keep mum about it. And we just have to make do. Sure, you can say you don't like it, I'm not sure I do either, but that's the situation."

Lord Pending sighed.

"And on some level, I'm kind of over hanging people based on dubious analysis of misty powers when multiple people could have lied somewhere down the line. I'm voting based on my suspicion. That'll have to do."

EDIT:

Lord Pending walked up to the gallows and started whacking it with his cane repeatedly to make a ruckus and get everyone's attention.

"Rise and shine, folks!"

@Sart @Ookla the Paradigm @JNV @Quirksliver

Vote Tally
Rem (2) - Pending, Dasenk
Nobody (4) - Rem, Sirta, Jorrick, Rilla

"If there's any day to perform civic duty, it's today," Lord Pending said lightly. "If you want to live, at least."

"I won't tell you how to vote or how to think, but these three things I can say with certitude:"

"1: If we don't cast enough votes to actually outnumber the spiked, we're probably doomed."
"2: If we split the vote too much, we're probably doomed."
"3: If we hang the wrong guy, we're probably doomed."

"In summary, we're probably thoroughly doomed!" He said in an obnoxiously cheerful voice.
"According to the teachings of the Astalsi, that means things can only improve from this point."

And if they didn't... Well, then they would all die. If all that "past lives" mysticism was to be believed in, maybe it wasn't the end of the world, and they'd have more chances to live another life. I'd rather survive, though, if it's all the same, Pending thought.

ED2T:

"Look from my point of view, the process of elimination isn't very complicated."

"My pool of potential spiked consists of Rem, Dasenk, and Rilla."

"Assuming my trusts of Sirta and Jorrick are accurate, and assuming that there are two spiked, this necessitates that 2/3 of Rem, Dasenk, and Rilla are spiked."

"I'm not going to tell you what to think, but unless you want to get rid of me, I figure this should more or less be your conclusion as well."

"You can throw in various reasons to read a person one way or another into the mix and you can throw in analysis of what powers they have if you're feeling spicy, and that might tilt the metaphorical needle one way or another, but probably the biggest single factor is just that process of elimination."

Edited December 2, 2023 by DrakeMarshall

[Sart]

Sirta was reasonably sure the town was doomed. If no one besides the Spiked were voting, that would be the end of them all. He lodged a vote at Pending .

"Congratulations sir, you've effectively managed to kill any vocal players."

[DrakeMarshall]

"Well, guess we'll all die then."

Lord Pending poured a glass of hooch, then poured the bottle out on the ground.

"To Copper's Bend. And may it not be in vain when the Hero of Ages sets things right."

9 minutes ago, Sart said:

Sirta was reasonably sure the town was doomed. If no one besides the Spiked were voting, that would be the end of them all. He lodged a vote at Pending .

"Congratulations sir, you've effectively managed to kill any vocal players."

"If I was spiked, I would have just quietly killed you. You can only be angry over the fact that I revealed your powers if you think I'm innocent, because if I was spiked, then the spiked obviously already knew about them."

"If I was spiked, I wouldn't be trying this hard to get it right today."

"If I was spiked, you're correct that you're doomed, because nobody's voted for me yet. But if I'm not spiked, if I have a point about Rem, then we aren't necessarily doomed yet, but voting for me means we are basically doomed."

"If Rem wasn't spiked, he'd have shown at least some investment in actually coming up with a suspect today. He knows its do-or-die right now, he's been talking plenty, and hasn't felt any need to make a concerted push."

"Think about it. Or don't. I've stated my case. I believe all the information we need is there."

[Araris Valerian]

Just under 2 hours left in the day! I've also added Onon's death writeup.

Vote Tally
Rem (2): Dasenk, Pending
Pending (1): Sirta

[JNV]

Jorrick stepped forward. They were hesitant and deeply uncertain, and they hadn't even had time to review the minutes. Life was abruptly turning against them, it seemed, and they likely would not have chance to return before the sun set. "I vote Rem. If this dooms us, then so be it." 

[Archer]

"Pending."

[Quivil]

Rilla sat on the floor of the room she'd been hiding in all day, rocking back and forth, head in her hands, muttering to herself. "I don't know anything useful. I don't even know what's happening anymore. Onon was right, I misjudged Sirta. I just... I didn't know that was how it was supposed to work. Now what? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? I have to think things through as well as I can before sunset. Onon... Onon's dead! The ghosts have taken him away! They were supposed to help him! They liked him. Is that why they took him? Think. Think! I don't know what to think." She reached for her notes, but they dissolved in her hands. "No. No! Now what? Am I useless? Just like that? No, I have to find some way to help. Rem. Rem? I don't think it's Rem. But if Rem's a Thug, not a Lurcher, shouldn't someone have said something about maybe not killing Sono based on Rem's claim? Why didn't Onon say something? He knew. Rem couldn't say something without giving the Spiked a clear opportunity, could he? No. The Spiked attacked him on the first day. They would have killed him if they knew they could for sure. Pending. Pending says he wasn't blessed by the mists, right? Yes, that's right. But so much can hide behind such a claim. What if he was blessed, and he claimed not to be so he could hide, invisible among us? I don't know anything, do I. Sirta. I think I trust Sirta. Onon trusted him, and he's trying.

"Pending. I'm sorry. I just - don't know what else to do."

[Archer]

"Are you actually kidding me " 

[Araris Valerian]

The Day is over!

The game is over, I'll post the aftermath either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.

[Araris Valerian]

As another day drew to a close, it seemed that Rem would be killed. Arwhin, looking put-out that nobody had taken up his and Sirta's call for Pending's death, raised his hand to call the day when Rem and Rilla dashed up to announce that they supported the execution of Pending as well. The townsfolk retreated to their homes once again, and none of them noticed the triumphant smiles upon Rem and Rilla's faces.

Well into the night, three figures scurried across town, and in their wake an orange glow slowly enveloped the town, starting with the now-abandoned homes of those who had been mysteriously killed in the recent weeks. Someone ran out of a house, screaming, "Fire!", but one of the arsonists came upon them from behind with a dagger, cutting off the shouts. The blaze continued to grow, pushing back the mists and reflecting off the river it's namesake color.

Near the north end of Copper's Bend, a group of villagers had clumped together in the street, staring aghast at the inferno where their homes had once been. Pending immediately took charge of the crowd.

"Dasenk, you can use Pewter, yes? Grab some buckets and form a brigade. We can still save some of the buildings near the river. Jorrick and Sirta, you two follow him. I'll see if I can spot those responsible for this."

Those three ran off toward the river as Pending turned back to the center of town and burned Tin. Immediately the heat and the light of the fire nearly overwhelmed his senses, and he had to fight against the urge to extinguish his metal. Squinting against the sensations, Pending managed to focus on two of the figures dashing through the streets, making out Rilla and...

"Arwhin!" Pending called out to the mayor, "What is the meaning of this?"

The mayor took in the unfolding destruction as he approached Pending, an angry expression twisting his face. "This is your fault. Twice the votes were tied because of you. And even if the town had somehow managed to be saved, you'd have tried to take over. No, better to let things run their course. As Ruin says, everything must come to an end, eventually." 

A flicker of shock passed Pending's face as he took in Arwhin's meaning. "You... are a spiked? You're a selfish, conceited old man, but I never thought you'd stoop so low to be rid of me. So be it. This corner of Copper's Bend still stands, and now everyone will see who deserves to be its leader." And Pending brandished a dueling cane as the two Spiked rushed him.

Toward the river came a crunching sound, followed by a great splashing of water. Rem had struck at the makeshift firefighters, smashing the Dasenk's two massive buckets with apparently enhanced strength before jumping on the other man, bearing him to the ground. Those nearby tried to help but were thrown aside by the pewter enhanced blows of the two fighters.

Between the blaze and the brawling, there seemed little chance for even the little bit of the Bend to remain unscathed, until a great tremor struck the earth, throwing everyone present to the ground, stunned. In the relative silence, a blinding white light flashed through the misty skies, and someone yelled, "Alendi! The Hero has reached the Well of Ascension!"

As if in response to the cry, the earth began to reshape itself, a mound rising from beneath the Copperneck River as the nearby buildings fell. With a mighty roar the river burst from it's bed and surged towards the fallen Spiked and their victims. Folk grabbed for something to cling to as the water swept across the town, shattering the burned homes and leaving scarcely a trace of the town that had once been known as Copper's Bend.

The Spiked have won! Congratulations to Archer and Quirksliver for the destruction of Copper's Bend. I'd like to thank @Devotary of Spontaneity for IMing the game, and everyone for excellent RP that made this game a lot of fun to run. I'd love to hear what y'all though about it and whether it's worth running a similar game in the future. 

Note: I called the game before parity because the village had basically no agency left, and the elims would win unless they attacked Dasenk before Rem got voted for. Apologies to anyone who thinks this was the wrong call, in retrospect I should have consulted a few people prior to making that decision. As a consolation, all the living villagers can decide their own fates.

Doc Links:

Spoiler

Master Spreadsheet
Dead Doc A
Dead Doc B
Elim Doc A
Elim Doc B

Player List:

Spoiler

1. @Ravenclawjedi42 as Dasenk, a suspicious historian Village Thug
2. @Sart as Sirta, a boisterous gentleman with a hankering for drink Village Coinshot
3. @Aeoryi as Sonoluminescence, an architect that enjoys not working Village Lurcher
4. @Kasimir as Onon Khentii, conman and ostensible psychic who speaks with the dead Vanilla Villager
5. @DrakeMarshall as "Lord" Pending, a presumptuous nobleman of somewhat dubious origin Village Tineye
6. @Archer as Rem, a high-stakes gambler Spiked Thug
7. @JNV as Jorrick, a methodical carpenter Vanilla Villager
8. @TheRavenHasLanded as Revir, a compulsive thief Vanilla Villager
9. @Quirksliver as Rilla, an insane "matchmaker" Spiked Lurcher

 

[Aeoryi]

Ha so it appears that Sono was not the only lurcher, and that one of them was indeed spiked.

I should've caught onto the TMI earlier 

Kids, this is why we don't claim D1

[DrakeMarshall]

"All noblemen are liars," Lord Pending said philosophically.

He was sitting in the dirt with his back to the gallows, breathing heavily, suit marred with soot and worse. Copper’s Bend was burning around him. The very earth was shaking. The was sounds of fighting nearby.

"Some of them are descended from a long line of nobles. Some of them have the mandate of an even greater noble that gives them legitimacy, perhaps an emperor or empress. Some of them only pretend to have these things, like myself."

“But all are equally liars. The lie they tell is that they’re anything different from the rest of people. That they’re somehow rightfully in charge, and nobody else is.”

Lord Pending shrugged.

“And, sure, it may even sometimes be a helpful lie. Something has to be in charge, on some level. Decisions have to get made.” Lord Pending shook his head in disdain, recalling the tied votes and what that particular indecision had cost. “But who? Why? How do you justify it? That’s where all the lying starts.”

“Some of those nobles with particularly noble credentials might even believe in the lie they’re telling. If they don’t think about it much. But it’s pretty obvious that somewhere down the line, one of their ancestors had to have convinced some folks to treat them special, when there wasn’t any real reason to. Somewhere down the line, one of the ruler’s ancestors hadn’t been a ruler of anything. Somewhere down the line, somebody had to have made it up. They’re just perpetuating a lie that somebody else started.”

“So when you think about it, why can’t I be a nobleman if I want to?”

“Why can’t I have what they have?”

“I’m every bit as real as they are.”

Lord Pending waved his cane around at empty space, as if pointing to a group of imaginary nobles.

“It’s all just an act, see? The only thing that makes a person noble is if they act noble.”

Pending smiled grimly.

“Anyways, not that it matters so much anymore, but I wonder what a lord would’ve done in this situation.”

He pulled himself to his feet and trudged back towards the sounds of the fighting.

[JNV]

Jorrick watched as their home and livelihood was first burned then drowned into nothing. Some very nice tools were in that shop. Truly unfortunate. Still, they were alive, and they had created every tool in that shop. Nothing that was gone could not be remade. There would be more towns and more people. At least they had made the right choice in the end, even if it had come to nothing.

 

Ok so Im happy I was right about Archer over Drake even if it didnt do anything anyway this was fun Im honestly kinda just happy I managed to stay at usual engagement with the RP requirement um the rave PM was great and murderpuppies deserve all the trust forever definitely 

[Archer]

Me: "I think Pending or meat pie man had the best RP"

Dead Doc Devo: "Hold my beer"

Their son: "And my beer"

Their other son: "And mine!"

*

I'm a little sad I didn't get to have the reveal that the WGG survival was from Quirk Lurching me, not me burning a Thug life, but I respect not wanting to spend the next two weeks getting to a predictable outcome. Pleasure being evil with you, Quirk!

I was hesitant going into an RP heavy game, but I think it grew on me as the game went on. I appreciate everyone buying in and making it a fun game. 

Thanks for running this, Devo, Araris! 

[Devotary of Spontaneity]

10 minutes ago, Ookla the Paradigm said:

Their son: "And my beer"

Their other son: "And mine!"

I respect not wanting to spend the next two weeks getting to a predictable outcome. Pleasure being evil with you, Quirk!

It's just the one child, from Sorwyl's late husband. Lavern is ideologically opposed to having children of her own and Sorwyl is not willing to kill Eevat for the gold spike to have more children.

We'd have probably switched it to combined 24 hour cycles, but that still would have been incredibly boring and you were pretty confident of Dasenk, and would have been sure since the game was initially called, indicating your plan to leave them for last was a guaranteed win.

[Ravenclawjedi42]

Dasenk arrives somewhere else. Somewhere new. A man stands, looking incredibly wise. Slightly crazy, yet smart as well. “Who are you?” the man asks coldly. 

“Dasenk, sir,” Dasenk says. “Historian and lover of tea. You?”

”You need not refer to me by name. If you truly must then call me Ruler. Lord Ruler.”

“Yes, Lord Ruler.” Dasenk hoped that they’d like this new Lord more than old Lord Panders from Copper Bend. It had turned out that Panders wasn’t actually Spiked, something that still surprised Dasenk. “If I may ask, what are you Ruler of?”

“Here. There. And Everywhere. I will be lord of this entire planet soon. I already have gained enough power. I’m just waiting until the time is right to destroy Khlennium. For Khlennium must be destroyed.” The Lord Ruler spoke in a Terris accent, though he seemed almost to be trying to disguise that.

“I’m not sure that we should be destroying nations, sir.”

“Who are you to say ‘we’? I had not met you until a minute ago. And I can assure that I can rightfully destroy that nation after what they did to me. After what he did to me.” The Lord Ruler mutters something about something called a Lendi. “Besides, you perhaps will be useful. A historian…you must have some nice memories for my inquisitors. Come out, children. Kill this man with Copper.”

Two assassins with metal in their eyes jump out and attack Dasenk. They swallow a piece of pewter that they keep on them and easily fight them off.

“You are Metal-Blessed?” The Lord Ruler asked. 

Dasenk nodded, afraid.

“Then perhaps you would like to join me, Dasenk. Children!” The assassins come out from where they hid after the attacks, behind a bush. “Children, you have a new sibling. Meet Dasenk. Historian.

“Inquisitor.”

 

 

This game was really fun to play! I loved the RP focus, and would definitely join another SE game like this in the future.

[Kasimir]

Thanks Araris! 

Enjoyed the concept, but my RPing petered off quite a bit with the wrist injury and trying to write half-hearted RP explaining I was typing in significant pain at points just didn't feel fun. I'd be down for another run with this sort of game concept in future, hopefully with a healed wrist  

[TheRavenHasLanded]

revir was amusing.

[DrakeMarshall]

in my opinion, we could stand to have more rp-only games

[Aeoryi]

9 hours ago, DrakeMarshall said:

in my opinion, we could stand to have more rp-only games

I agree. The RP-only aspect was great.

[Araris Valerian]

21 hours ago, DrakeMarshall said:

in my opinion, we could stand to have more rp-only games

11 hours ago, Ookla the Resolute said:

I agree. The RP-only aspect was great.

Glad to hear it! Hopefully some folks that read the game will be a bit less intimidated by it in a rerun.

[Elandera]

Another great elim victory for the Spiked by Archer and Quirksilver. Thank you to Araris for running such an RP-driven game.

As always, if anyone would like to try their hand at running a game, please get ahold of Wilson, Devotary of Spontaneity, Elbereth, Araris Valerian, Elandera, or StrikerEZ, or post in the GM Signups & Discussion Thread. Not only will we get you added to the list, but we'd also be more than willing to help out in any way we can. 

You can also ask questions and get some hints and feedback from everyone in our Art of Game Creation thread. With all the games that we've run so far, we have plenty of experienced GMs that can help you refine any game you're thinking about. If you would rather keep some detail secret, or are self-conscious about posting in thread (there's really no need to be; while we do slaughter each other, we are very polite about it), then I'm sure one of our fantastic committee members (Amanuensis, STINK, Sart, Fifth Scholar, Straw, Archer, and Kasimir) would be more than willing to help you out in private.

Thanks again to everyone that played, and we look forward to killing seeing you in future games!