Long Game 98: A Tale of Mists and Metals

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

"There are a lot of things vile about that one," Lord Pending muttered under his breath.

[TheRavenHasLanded he/him]

Just now, DrakeMarshall said:

"There are a lot of things vile about that one," Lord Pending muttered under his breath.

"whats that? say it again, i couldnt hear ya, ya stuck up baby."

[Ravenclawjedi42]

Dasenk wakes up terrified. He had just had a vivid nightmare in which he was a Spiked. He had been evil.

Evil.

Just a dream, just a dream, Dasenk reminds himself. He gets out of his bed and walks into the town square. “Has anybody seen Rilla?” he asks.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

10 minutes ago, TheRavenHasLanded said:

"whats that? say it again, i couldnt hear ya, ya stuck up baby."

Lord Pending's eyes bulged.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Gadabout! Irreverent hoodlum!"

He puffed up his chest indignantly.

"I am much too noble to continue this squabbling."

[Archer he/him]

1 hour ago, Araris Valerian said:

Pending scoffed, "I'll wager you sat in the back of the crowd, listening to my ideas. Can't be much of a mayor, can you?"

"I'll take any wager!" 

Rem pushed their way to the front of the crowd, bag of coins jingling in his hand. "What's the action?" 

56 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

There. An absence, at the very least. "But where is Rem? Do dice hold more of interest than the death that stalks this village in the mist?"

"Yes, magic man. I love playing with Dice. Shame they're not around." "Not to worry, I brought me own."

Rem produced a nine sided die from their pocket and gave it a roll. "Sololuminescense has my vote. Wouldn't mind never having to say their name again anyway." 

[Aeoryi she/her]

43 minutes ago, Archer said:

"I'll take any wager!" 

Rem pushed their way to the front of the crowd, bag of coins jingling in his hand. "What's the action?" 

"Yes, magic man. I love playing with Dice. Shame they're not around." "Not to worry, I brought me own."

Rem produced a nine sided die from their pocket and gave it a roll. "Sololuminescense has my vote. Wouldn't mind never having to say their name again anyway." 

"The longer one spends trying to spell my name, the more time one spends thinking." Solo said, shrugging. It appears Revir has my vote.

(Also, I'm pretty sure it was Sonoluminescence not Sololuminescence considering one of them is a thing and the other isn't)

Edited November 25, 2023 by Aeoryi

[Kasimir he/him]

2 hours ago, TheRavenHasLanded said:

"oh, nice vial. whats in this?" revir holds it up. 

"Pea soup from the last exorcism I conducted," Onon said. "Some believe that it tastes delicious when you float a meat pie in it. In combination with the sacred slips and peachwood pointer, enough maurauding spirits of the Sixth Trigram are disgusted by it and are compelled to leave the victim alone."

Edited to add:

1 hour ago, Archer said:

Rem produced a nine sided die from their pocket and gave it a roll. "Sololuminescense has my vote. Wouldn't mind never having to say their name again anyway." 

Onon watched as Rem pulled a nine-sided die out of his pocket and rolled for the one he would accuse. Sometimes, criminals in Kordel made a great show of their seeming indifference to death. The point was to act as if you weren't afraid, as if nothing could ever hurt you. There were men, of course, who feared nothing, who willingly left all to the vicissitudes of chance. Life was best lived on the edge of a dice roll, went a saying in the docks quarter of Kordel.

Was it a show? Or was it genuine?

All the same, Onon would watch this. No reasonable man would've gainsaid Rem had he used an eight-sided die instead.

Edited to add 2:

Onon scrawled down the accusations he'd heard so far. It helped him keep his memory sharp. He figured the mayor might thank him for it too - Arwhin had seemed on edge tracking accusations lately.

Quote

Vote Tally
Pending (1): Revir
Onon (1): Pending
Rem (1): Onon
Sololuminescense (1): Rem
Revir (1): Sololuminescense
Rilla (1): Dasenk

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Kasimir

[TheRavenHasLanded he/him]

2 hours ago, Aeoryi said:

"The longer one spends trying to spell my name, the more time one spends thinking." Solo said, shrugging. It appears Revir has my vote.

(Also, I'm pretty sure it was Sonoluminescence not Sololuminescence considering one of them is a thing and the other isn't)

"rude"

2 hours ago, DrakeMarshall said:

Lord Pending's eyes bulged.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Gadabout! Irreverent hoodlum!"

He puffed up his chest indignantly.

"I am much too noble to continue this squabbling."

"ya, and im much too stupid to hang with the likes of you, BUT HERE WE ARE"

[Aeoryi she/her]

44 minutes ago, TheRavenHasLanded said:

"rude"

"ya, and im much too stupid to hang with the likes of you, BUT HERE WE ARE"

"And what is your opinion on that strange dream the mayor had that some people seemed to have too? The one where Sirta and Dasenk where Spiked?"

[Araris Valerian he/him]

3 hours ago, Aeoryi said:

Also, I'm pretty sure it was Sonoluminescence not Sololuminescence considering one of them is a thing and the other isn't)

My bad, I've fixed that.

[Kasimir he/him]

5 minutes ago, Araris Valerian said:

My bad, I've fixed that.

Onon was certain that a mistake had to be pretty bad if it caused Mayor Arwhin to break character temporarily.

He was going to watch the damned Mayor too. Things were going on in Copper's Bend: wheels within wheels, irons within fires, upon irons. He was stepping cautiously since he'd agreed to conduct a ritual to summon the spirit of the lamentably deceased Kash into the world to ostensibly ask about who'd killed him.

Thing was, with the mists this thick, he figured there was a decent chance that even if Onon had been really a ritual master (he wasn't), Kash would've just admitted he'd never seen his killer.

Dasenk was hanging back. Early yet, but Onon made a note of it. The architect was asking the thief a question. He made a note of that as well, and filed that away. Shifts in demeanour were usually revelatory. The trick was figuring out what they meant, and then leveraging them to formulate something the spirits'd said that would hit the mark.

He went to call on the village gravedigger, figuring he should get a look at Kash's body to try to see what hints he could glean

[TheRavenHasLanded he/him]

35 minutes ago, Aeoryi said:

"And what is your opinion on that strange dream the mayor had that some people seemed to have too? The one where Sirta and Dasenk where Spiked?"

"its just a dream. nothing more. we can say stuff, but a dream isnt reality."

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

3 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Vote Tally
Pending (1): Revir
Onon (1): Pending
Rem (1): Onon
Sololuminescense (1): Rem
Revir (1): Sololuminescense
Rilla (1): Dasenk

"Well, that won't do now, will it," Lord Pending declared abruptly. "I've just about had my fill of wiffle-waffling for the day."

"What kind of consensus is it if we can't agree on anything? More importantly, why would the spiked feel the need to lift a finger under these circumstances?"

Lord Pending pouted.

"It's no fun if things go on like this. Let's get cracking in earnest."

"Sonoluminescence," Lord Pending beams proudly at having said the name correctly.

"I'm dreadfully sorry about all this, but you stand accused of--" checks notes "--being alive on Day 1."

The same could be said for absolutely everyone, of course, but regrettably, there was just the one gallows.

"I suppose this might not be the wisest decision," Lord Pending says thoughtfully. "Well! If you don't like it then exercise your Duis-given right to vote and change the consensus. And with that I bid you good day."

[Archer he/him]

28 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

Dasenk was hanging back. 

After smoking something cheap, Rem had had a vision of Dasenk being evil. They'd acted differently that time, which definitely meant they were a villager this time around. "Or," they pondered. "Should I vote them to bring them outta the shadows." 

They flipped a coin. "Guess not. Hope they come around anyway."

1 hour ago, Aeoryi said:

"And what is your opinion on that strange dream the mayor had that some people seemed to have too? The one where Sirta and Dasenk where Spiked?"

"What kinda question is this? I know dreams are fascinating, yeehaw, but I've no idea why you'd ask this instead of talking about more recent behaviour of theirs." 

[Kasimir he/him]

Just now, Archer said:

After smoking something cheap, Rem had had a vision of Dasenk being evil. They'd acted differently that time, which definitely meant they were a villager this time around. "Or," they pondered. "Should I vote them to bring them outta the shadows." 

Onon caught a glimpse of Rem's lips. Difficult to tell, but it seemed like Rem was pondering Dasenk.

Hard to make a real judgement. Onon never liked it when people were hanging back—it implied a lack of commitment, a desire to let the mark fill in the details—but in truth, it felt too early to say. In some of his early inquiries, most of Copper's Bend had admitted to dreams of some sort or other, in which the Spiked had been discovered to be Sirta and Dasenk. 

In the dream, Dasenk had accused Revir early on.

The main difference emerged from Dasenk subsequently pushing more allegations against Revir, following up what was ostensibly simple accusation with something that ran deeper; even true suspicion. It was true that Dasenk hadn't done anything of that sort yet, but the day was young and many villagers of Copper's Bend seemed busy enough with some task or other than Onon was interested in how Rem seemed to believe the strength of their own conclusion.

7 minutes ago, Archer said:

"What kinda question is this? I know dreams are fascinating, yeehaw, but I've no idea why you'd ask this instead of talking about more recent behaviour of theirs." 

The question, however, interested Onon. He wondered if Rem truly understood its significance.

[Aeoryi she/her]

22 minutes ago, DrakeMarshall said:

"Well, that won't do now, will it," Lord Pending declared abruptly. "I've just about had my fill of wiffle-waffling for the day."

"What kind of consensus is it if we can't agree on anything? More importantly, why would the spiked feel the need to lift a finger under these circumstances?"

Lord Pending pouted.

"It's no fun if things go on like this. Let's get cracking in earnest."

"Sonoluminescence," Lord Pending beams proudly at having said the name correctly.

"I'm dreadfully sorry about all this, but you stand accused of--" checks notes "--being alive on Day 1."

The same could be said for absolutely everyone, of course, but regrettably, there was just the one gallows.

"I suppose this might not be the wisest decision," Lord Pending says thoughtfully. "Well! If you don't like it then exercise your Duis-given right to vote and change the consensus. And with that I bid you good day."

"It's all about the drive with you, isn't it?" Sono sighed. "I absolutely have been alive on the day 1. But you, my good sir, have not been the most transparent in your vision for the entirety of Copper's bend. Perhaps more clarity could help."

17 minutes ago, Archer said:

After smoking something cheap, Rem had had a vision of Dasenk being evil. They'd acted differently that time, which definitely meant they were a villager this time around. "Or," they pondered. "Should I vote them to bring them outta the shadows." 

They flipped a coin. "Guess not. Hope they come around anyway."

"What kinda question is this? I know dreams are fascinating, yeehaw, but I've no idea why you'd ask this instead of talking about more recent behaviour of theirs." 

"This, my friend, seems strange. Defending a person that doesn't need defending seems like a move a paranoid spiked might do." This was mostly true, but it all relied on Dasenk being evil too. "But my question was not to look for evidence in a dream, no, we have not the time for that. It was intended to provoke discussion to root out the spiked for once and for all!"

[Kasimir he/him]

Sonoluminescence

[Aeoryi she/her]

7 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

Sonoluminescence

Onon

Sono quickly checked the current tally

Quote

Pending (1): Revir

Sonoluminescence (3): Onon, Lord Pending, Rem

Rilla (1): Dasenk

Onon (1): Sonoluminescence 

Grim indeed. Thank goodness that the day was still young.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

25 minutes ago, Aeoryi said:

"It's all about the drive with you, isn't it?" Sono sighed. "I absolutely have been alive on the day 1. But you, my good sir, have not been the most transparent in your vision for the entirety of Copper's bend. Perhaps more clarity could help."

"I'm glad you asked!"

"Once Copper's Bend is rid of Spiked, we will be free to work on solving the day mists, of course."

"We merely need to find a reasonable stop-gap measure. Alendi will save us," Lord Pending says fervently.

[Ravenclawjedi42]

Dasenk goes over to a restaurant, trying to avoid thinking about the killer. Many people hadn’t come out yet, making it hard to truly suspect anybody, in Dasenk’s mind. They had overheard @Archer saying something about Dasenk’s innocence on what seemed to be a poor argument, but Dasenk would appreciate the support no matter where it came from. Dasenk didn’t trust Pending—voting a very vocal person simply for being alive—but would continue to vote Rilla until they spoke.

[TheRavenHasLanded he/him]

revir steals a paper from pending, reads it, and puts it back.

[Archer he/him]

11 hours ago, Aeoryi said:

"This, my friend, seems strange. Defending a person that doesn't need defending seems like a move a paranoid spiked might do." This was mostly true, but it all relied on Dasenk being evil too. "But my question was not to look for evidence in a dream, no, we have not the time for that. It was intended to provoke discussion to root out the spiked for once and for all!"

"Why not ask them about their vote, then? I'm mostly confused why you think asking about the dreams would be useful."

Rem had an uncanny desire to rent a horse. He felt it would be a better way to express his character. "Anyone wanna bet their horse that Solo is evil?"

3 hours ago, Ravenclawjedi42 said:

Dasenk goes over to a restaurant, trying to avoid thinking about the killer. Many people hadn’t come out yet, making it hard to truly suspect anybody, in Dasenk’s mind. They had overheard @Archer saying something about Dasenk’s innocence on what seemed to be a poor argument, but Dasenk would appreciate the support no matter where it came from. Dasenk didn’t trust Pending—voting a very vocal person simply for being alive—but would continue to vote Rilla until they spoke.

Truly Sirta's protégée. Perhaps the dreams had relevance after all. 

Rem pondered Dasenk's activity. He felt like the evil dream one of them would have been a more useful contributor at the moment, minus the bad faith. "Give me more of that guy!" 

People turned to look at Rem, confused. "I was doing an internal monologue, carry on your business. Yeehaw."

[TheRavenHasLanded he/him]

22 minutes ago, Archer said:

"Why not ask them about their vote, then? I'm mostly confused why you think asking about the dreams would be useful."

Rem had an uncanny desire to rent a horse. He felt it would be a better way to express his character. "Anyone wanna bet their horse that Solo is evil?"

Truly Sirta's protégée. Perhaps the dreams had relevance after all. 

Rem pondered Dasenk's activity. He felt like the evil dream one of them would have been a more useful contributor at the moment, minus the bad faith. "Give me more of that guy!" 

People turned to look at Rem, confused. "I was doing an internal monologue, carry on your business. Yeehaw."

"id bet pendings."

[Aeoryi she/her]

21 minutes ago, Archer said:

"Why not ask them about their vote, then? I'm mostly confused why you think asking about the dreams would be useful."

Rem had an uncanny desire to rent a horse. He felt it would be a better way to express his character. "Anyone wanna bet their horse that Solo is evil?"

Truly Sirta's protégée. Perhaps the dreams had relevance after all. 

Rem pondered Dasenk's activity. He felt like the evil dream one of them would have been a more useful contributor at the moment, minus the bad faith. "Give me more of that guy!" 

People turned to look at Rem, confused. "I was doing an internal monologue, carry on your business. Yeehaw."

"Perhaps it is time to claim..." Sonoluminescence shook his head. "Rem, you're going to lose a horse with that bet."

Just now, TheRavenHasLanded said:

"id bet pendings."

"If You've received a letter from Pending Before, you might learn he is actually quite a nice guy."

[TheRavenHasLanded he/him]

Just now, Aeoryi said:

"Perhaps it is time to claim..." Sonoluminescence shook his head. "Rem, you're going to lose a horse with that bet."

"If You've received a letter from Pending Before, you might learn he is actually quite a nice guy."

"he panders"