Kasimir he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 5 hours ago, Hoid Slayer said: Derrick’s attack on Antari did not draw suspicion from Kéamen. It made sense to try to pressure an inactive figure, even when there were more substantial debates taking place. This was a perspective Keldorn found strange. Derrick had accused Antari two hours and thirty five minutes to sunset, with three accusations targeting Lijal and two on Astrid. In what world did that realistically elicit a reaction from Antari or Antari's teammates? A wise man knew to apportion his response to the degree of threat. Most people didn't take a crossbow to a knife fight. Their arms were too short to box with God. Trying to turn the screws on someone at sunrise, or early into the day was one thing; trying to make their co-conspirators jump, thinking they needed to be saved was another. But it had been neither early enough to reasonably expect reaction (which to Keldorn's mind, made the Astrid accusations contextually different), nor was a solitary accusation at that juncture likely to carry much threat and thus weight given the dominance of the existing accusations. At the point of accusation, Lijal had been leading in the votes and would likely have been executed. At that juncture, it would make sense for a canny and experienced Spiked to vote elsewhere: to give the illusion of helpfulness while avoiding riling up the villagers of Blackkeep by making it seem as though a mob had formed on Lijal (although Keldorn had already been alarmed thinking four accusations had rapidly built up.)
Hoid Slayer He/Him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 1 minute ago, Kasimir said: This was a perspective Keldorn found strange. Derrick had accused Antari two hours and thirty five minutes to sunset, with three accusations targeting Lijal and two on Astrid. In what world did that realistically elicit a reaction from Antari or Antari's teammates? A wise man knew to apportion his response to the degree of threat. Most people didn't take a crossbow to a knife fight. Their arms were too short to box with God. Trying to turn the screws on someone at sunrise, or early into the day was one thing; trying to make their co-conspirators jump, thinking they needed to be saved was another. But it had been neither early enough to reasonably expect reaction (which to Keldorn's mind, made the Astrid accusations contextually different), nor was a solitary accusation at that juncture likely to carry much threat and thus weight given the dominance of the existing accusations. At the point of accusation, Lijal had been leading in the votes and would likely have been executed. At that juncture, it would make sense for a canny and experienced Spiked to vote elsewhere: to give the illusion of helpfulness while avoiding riling up the villagers of Blackkeep by making it seem as though a mob had formed on Lijal (although Keldorn had already been alarmed thinking four accusations had rapidly built up.) Kéamen acknowledged this stance. He did not, however, realistically expect every figure in the town to think in as many layers as Keldorn.
Kasimir he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Hoid Slayer said: He did not, however, realistically expect every figure in the town to think in as many layers as Keldorn. Keldorn found Kéamen's dismissiveness strange. According to his informants, at least half the figures in Blackkeep had done this for generations. This was evident in Var explicating the textbook position on Allomancy, in Derrick's strange talk of places named Fallion's Tears, in Copper's identification of the deep history of Jox's family line. They weren't babes in arms. They weren't tyros. This would be one thing, asserted of someone like Lijal. It was another statement to make of someone like John Derrick, known as a scout with five years of work in mapping out the environs of the area surrounding Blackkeep, nevermind he'd apparently fallen off a mountain. Edited to add: Fundamentally, setting aside the contextual implications of Derrick's vote, Kéamen was insisting on taking Derrick's vote at face value, despite the brute fact Derrick's vote was not going to achieve what Kéamen claimed it would. At the same time, Kéamen thought Jox's initial vote could not be taken at face value, and also felt that Jox deserved suspicion for voting Astrid. There was an asymmetry of charity here, and Keldorn found himself trying to consider what implications this had. Edited June 11, 2025 by Kasimir Miswrote Kéamen instead of Keldorn at one point. RIP me. K-names apparently are making me struggle too.
Araris Valerian he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Author Posted June 11, 2025 Just over an hour to get your orders in!
The Unknown Medallion he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 10 hours ago, Kasimir said: Notable for Copper subsequently asking Jox the bloody obvious Copper frowned at Keldorn's side eye. He thought he had made it clear that Jox had not initially made it as bloody obvious. It was only later that he rectified his actions. Quote Bolding and clarifying the final sentence And without any other indication, his words Quote Once he had the names in hand, he set off, to find and speak to each individual on the list. Could be easily mistaken as meaningless. 6 hours ago, Hoid Slayer said: He would appreciate it if Keldorn, or any of the others, compiled similar lists, listing culprits of each behavior they found suspicious. Copper also frowned at Kéamen’s slightly passive aggressive glances. He had provided such just before nightfall, though Copper did intend to provide some addendums to Tin Capone after he finished responding to others. 3 hours ago, BigBadBagsworth said: wasn’t sure who exactly he was suspicious of yet. Copper Stopper was acting far more analytical than his Rosharan ancestor had been, and his Ancestor had been a good person. Maybe he was trying too hard? Keldorn was basically the same as ever, and he had no experience with the character of Kéamen. Copper nodded to Teal, who had finally arrived. "Well met. I'm Copper Stopper, of the Metal Mob. I'm here on Tin Capone's business, who has urged me to act differently that ordinarily to develop my skills. Even if you disbelieve that, I invite you to look or ask those who know me, I don't act this way even as an infiltrator. It doesn't come naturally." Copper scribbled some thoughts for Tin Capone. Quote I dislike Keaman's tone recently. Something just seems off, and the more I think on his urging to forgo the execution, the more it sours in my mouth. I don't particularly trust my ability to read tone, not that I trust hardly any of my non-direct-fact-based abilities, but just really not liking Keaman recently. Jox was however doing better tonally. His early vote still left a bad impression, but I'm becoming more willing to forgive it. On a more factual basis, I think Astrid is a very valuable next exe. I still wish they would appear, but if they still do nothing in after what feels like five days, even if it has been only two, their alignment is more valuable than their activity. Always flip the side train. Copper stuffed the paper away to deliver to Tin Capone in the morning. He'd probably have even more by then though. Copper also dug into his underworld contacts through the Metal Mob. They knew people who could cross worlds, called themselves the Discords. They had found a way to contact Lipitor. They claimed they would arrive on the morrow. Copper could only hope. 2
Biplet she/her Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Madiane woke to twilight. Strange, weren't people supposed to wake up with the sunrise? Well, no use lazing around. She had a job to do, even if the image of that poor child's body kept flashing in her mind's eye. She couldn't let that get to her, couldn't let that stop her work. It didn't matter if she'd contributed to it, too. Of course, people in the streets were talking, as they always do. Rumors of this and that, who killed who. A whisper that she was working with Var caught her ear, and she frowned. Of course she was working with Var, they were the latrine cleaners. Strange. Before she could ask why people were talking about her coworker, the group dispersed. Damn. The realization hit her later than it should have. They thought she was the murderer. The image of the child, dead, flashed in her mind's eye again. Madiane shook her head. Townsfolk always talked. She knew that much, from wherever she was before. They always talked. 1
StrikerEZ he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Var felt guilty. When was the last time he had felt such guilt before? He had done horrible things before, all in name of self-preservation. Never had he spent time worrying over his actions on Nalthis. It had been necessary. So why now? Perhaps it was because Lijal had been but a child. Perhaps…perhaps it was because Lijal reminded him of a friend from a previous adventure. It did not help that he had half the town at his back now because of his involvement in Lijal’s demise. Var was sure of his innocence (surely the Sense would have warned him of someone attempting to spike him), but he could understand how others would view his actions. He would attempt to do better. He needed sleep, but he was already thinking about the implications of other villagers’ reactions. Tomorrow, he would come prepared with his thoughts. 1
Araris Valerian he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Author Posted June 11, 2025 Day 2: Tremors in the Criminal Underworld Criminal prospects in Blackkeep were looking up. The current crisis was an excellent opportunity to establish the Metal Mob in a new location. Unfortunately, the Mob needed a little more time to feel out the town, or Tin Al would have put himself in the running for Mayor. As things stood though, that would bring too much attention. They needed to recruit some local mistings, ideally at least one Thug and Coinshot, maybe a Tineye if one could be found. Skaa or noble, either would do, and both would appreciate the security a proper Smoker would provide. Copper Stopper woke suddenly, his dreams of the Metal Mob's plans fading to the darkness of his room. The ground was rumbling, and he put out his hands to avoid tumbling out of bed. Across the room, he met the eyes of Tin Al in lanternlight seeping through a crack in the door. Their current residence was a rough shack on the corner of town (fortunately nowhere near the docks or the sewage), and it seemed likely to give fall to pieces in the shaking. Both men stood, but between their grogginess from having just woken and the unstable ground, they fell to the ground. Copper cursed as he felt at his belt for a vial of copper. It had shattered, staining his clothes and the floor with the mix of metal flakes and alcohol. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the quake stopped. The two men slowly stood to their feet, each apparently marveling at being relatively unharmed. Outside, a shadowy figure frowned at the house as the quaking subsided. Despite it's shoddy construction, not enough critical supports had given way to collapse the roof. Frustrated, they gave a firm kick to the corner, which finally gave in with a loud *crack*, followed by a cascade of crashes and two yells of pain and surprise from within. The figure vanished into the mists, satisfied that no criminal competition was left in Blackkeep. Copper Stopper was a Village Smoker! Tin Al was a Criminal Mob Boss! From the central square in Blackkeep, two sights became visible as the mists cleared out. The first was a large split in the northern wall of the fort, evidently a result of the tremors in the night. Despite the word that the Koloss were coming from the south, the beasts would be able to circle Blackkeep in relatively short order. The newly appointed Mayor Madiane was heading in that direction, possibly intent on overseeing a repair effort. The other noticeable feature was a message scrawled across the ground of the square: Quote Blackeep is… changing. It scares me. The Koloss approach, but we fight between ourselves. Some people try to raise voices in the chaos: Keldorn, Var, Kéamen. Watch them. Watch those who seek to control. They could be the best positioned to destroy us, or the best placed to save us. I don’t know who we can trust. I am cared that our infighting will be our doom. I hope I don’t die. Day 2 has begun, and will end at 10 PM Pacific Time on Thursday, June 12th. PMs are open! Player List: Spoiler Jox - young, thoughtful, flour-covered Baker's Apprentice @A Jo in the Bush Copper Stopper/Tin Al - copper stopping Copper Stopper/stone-cold killer Mob Boss Village Smoker Mil Veriel - resourceful Wandering Scavenger @KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren Josha - well-meaning, wimpy Wizard @TwinStorm Lijal - distrustful and shy Urchin Village Vanilla Lipitor - pompous, bratty Folk Hero @KelsierApologist Teal - awesome 10-Year Old @BigBadBagsworth Astrid Lefflame - no-nonsense Watchman @Lord Spirit Kéamen Wither - a secret-seeking Skaa Spy @Hoid Slayer John Derrick/AraRaash - Scout and Cartographer/Worldhopping Kandra @Ashbringer Keldorn - cynical, lamed Soldier and Investigator @Kasimir Fox - silent Wanderer @|TJ| Antari Erlington - mysterious Mystery @ThatOneWorldhopper Var - confused but diligent Latrine Cleaner @StrikerEZ Madiane - unstable, forgetful Latrine Cleaner @Biplet 2
Kasimir he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Keldorn'd heard it from his informant network, even before he'd stepped out of his lodgings. The Spiked murderers had struck again. And Copper Stopper was dead. And Keldorn, at least, had been permitted another day. Looked like Copper might've been criminal, but at least he wasn't high on whatever the Spiked were dosing on. Cold comfort, Keldorn thought. One of Blackkeep's residents was dead, and it looked like the Spiked would keep on killing until they managed to stop them. He grunted. Was that way with some of the cases he'd taken up. Obligator who kept on accepting bribes to cover up all sorts of misdeeds. Would've probably gone on for another decade if he hadn't been found, or stopped. Way Keldorn saw it, there was probably at least one cool-headed person among those Spiked. Copper'd spoken out in the market square, but Keldorn didn't think his voice was among the loudest, and that sometimes tended to scare people if they were'd cold customers. Figured it could be a low-profile killing, perhaps. Other option was Copper cutting a little too close to the vein in some of his takes. Keldorn was pretty sure he was gonna need to run that back, see what Copper'd that he'd missed. Word was, Derrick [ @Ashbringer ] was a decent hand at figuring out the workings in a murderer's head. Maybe he'd swing in on Derrick, ask him for his thoughts on this. Keldorn was still wary of Astrid, but figured that this could wait. For the moment, he figured he'd tail Madiane, and see what she was up to.
KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Mil Veriel strolled through the halls of Blackkeep. It was easy to forget he had a surname. He was more noble than skaa by blood, yes, and he did have a noble's education, but his life even before the death of his parents was more like that of a skaa. Veriel... He contemplated the three recent deaths. Lijal, the street urchin. Copper Stopper, the Copper Stopper. Tin Al, the mob boss. Three less people who could hear him speak philosophy. "Say, if a coinshot was about to kill two people, but there is a third person you can push in front to take the coins for both people, what would you do? Would you push, sacrificing one to save two or let the two people die?"
BigBadBagsworth He/him/his Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Teal wondered where Fox was. According to what he had seen, Fox had spoken a handful of times, then retreated to who-knows where after he got the most suspicion, seemingly randomly.
OoklaApologist She/her Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Lipitor stumbled into the village square, obviously drunk, with a damp red face, like he'd been crying. He pushed aside Derrick and Keldorn, stepping into the middle of the group. He proclaimed, "I, Lipitor, hero of <hic> -- where am I again? -- hero of Blackkeep, savior of <hic> Ashford, will solve this crime, liberate you fine people to move freely throughout the dominance, and make sure those responsible face justice at the hands of our <hic> merciful city Lord Whoever." "Now -- what is the crime, again?" 1
BigBadBagsworth He/him/his Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 (edited) Teal wrinkled his nose. "You smell funny. And for someone who claims to be a savior, you've been kinda ineffective considering you haven't done anything for several days. "Also," he said to Mil, "I think the answer is simple. I'd kill the coinshot, or at least Push him away." Edited June 11, 2025 by BigBadBagsworth
|TJ| he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 Hmpph, I am not sure if I am supposed to deduce it from the daily notices of Penrod, but it'd be good to make it perfectly clear as he had promised us he would let us know about his findings - if the deaths were from a Coinshot or a Spiked. The only possible way Copper could have been killed by a Coinshot is if the Spiked did not kill anyone [Aral did not mention anything about someone being attacked but survived. Soothers/Rioters cannot affect the Spiked kill]. That would be unusual, but I've seen it before. Well, like I said, it would be good to have an official confirmation. "Aral(@Araris Valerian), did you end up finding if Copper was killed by a Coinshot or a Spiked?" ___ I think I concur with Keldorn. Quite a few possibilities among the trio of Astrid/Var/Madiane, but it begins with Madiane. I'll shadow Keldorn for now, as he tails Madiane, in case he needs any backup. I am very much interested in what both Var and Madiane have to say, with regards to their suspicions for today.
Araris Valerian he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Author Posted June 11, 2025 “I found no metal projectiles at the scene, the lack of which indicates a Coinshot was not involved.”
Kasimir he/him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 (edited) @ThatOneWorldhopper @Lord Spirit Keldorn drew in a deep breath. Diplomacy had never been his strong suit, and he rather suspected Aral Penrod was going to be mad at him. However, this needed to be said. "You chose to come into Blackkeep," he said, simply. "You made a commitment. Jox seems to have indicated Astrid was making a deliberate decision to watch but say little. Antari has been present in the area but has refused to show up at all. None of this works at all if all of us don't show up and try to find the Spiked. In a way, it cheapens the efforts of those who are there, having to work around you. I'm not asking for you to give up your day jobs, or to spend a great deal of time finding the Spiked. Indeed, I have discovered that life is a great deal more pleasant when it isn't devoted to doing nothing but finding the Spiked," he mentally inserted 'finding whichever unlucky bastard was siphoning boxings from the Canton of Finance' and 'finding whoever the hell Aral had a problem with' in place of 'the Spiked' but it had the same energy, he figured they'd just go with it. "Please, make an effort," he said at last. "Thank you." Mil, Lipitor, and Josha had not escaped his notice either, though Keldorn figured he'd at least give Lipitor some points for actually being present and for taking some time to acclimatise. Apparently being a folk hero was disorientingly hard work. He hopped off the cardboard box that had mysteriously materialised and went back to writing his second report and dreams of the squared circle. He thought he'd done rather well, all things considering. Nary a curse, and only a little frustration vented. Edited June 11, 2025 by Kasimir 2
KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him Posted June 11, 2025 Posted June 11, 2025 3 hours ago, BigBadBagsworth said: Teal wrinkled his nose. "You smell funny. And for someone who claims to be a savior, you've been kinda ineffective considering you haven't done anything for several days. "Also," he said to Mil, "I think the answer is simple. I'd kill the coinshot, or at least Push him away." "What if you weren't an Allomancer and had no means of killing the coinshot? Then what would you do?" From Jox, yesterday night: Quote "And then, weirdly, Mil rolled a die and voted for you, despite an ancestor of his believing in determinism." While dice were more random than people, they were still pretty human. Was that suspicious? Probably not. Mil didn't know what he's talking about. Mil did not believe in true determinism, he believed in soft determinism. On the macro scale, things are mostly deterministic, but when you zoom in the motions of subaxial (quantum) particles are the only source of randomness in the universe. Of course, these do eventually add up and affect the macro world, and so dice are random, as they were affected by sub axial movement from the past several billion years. Everything is random, it's just that dice give a uniform distribution and people do not. Doesn't matter anyway. Free will is an illusion. Quote Talinele is his... first cousin once removed in the opposite direction... I think? Anyways, Talinele was centuries later. MB Era 1 is before SA by 300 years. 2 hours ago, Kasimir said: @ThatOneWorldhopper @Lord Spirit Keldorn drew in a deep breath. Diplomacy had never been his strong suit, and he rather suspected Aral Penrod was going to be mad at him. However, this needed to be said. "You chose to come into Blackkeep," he said, simply. "You made a commitment. Jox seems to have indicated Astrid was making a deliberate decision to watch but say little. Antari has been present in the area but has refused to show up at all. None of this works at all if all of us don't show up and try to find the Spiked. In a way, it cheapens the efforts of those who are there, having to work around you. I'm not asking for you to give up your day jobs, or to spend a great deal of time finding the Spiked. Indeed, I have discovered that life is a great deal more pleasant when it isn't devoted to doing nothing but finding the Spiked," he mentally inserted 'finding whichever unlucky bastard was siphoning boxings from the Canton of Finance' and 'finding whoever the hell Aral had a problem with' in place of 'the Spiked' but it had the same energy, he figured they'd just go with it. "Please, make an effort," he said at last. "Thank you." Mil, Lipitor, and Josha had not escaped his notice either, though Keldorn figured he'd at least give Lipitor some points for actually being present and for taking some time to acclimatise. Apparently being a folk hero was disorientingly hard work. He hopped off the cardboard box that had mysteriously materialised and went back to writing his second report and dreams of the squared circle. He thought he'd done rather well, all things considering. Nary a curse, and only a little frustration vented. Mil nodded. Yes, if the Spiked were allowed to continue, then no one would be left to hear him. He must do something. Var seemed quite outspoken, but so did Keldron. Did this mean anything? Mil would have to think some more.
Ashbringer he/him Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 Derrick had strode into town with a new look and a new purpose. It had taken him a while to get some new clothes, a bit of a hairdo, and to properly bandage himself up instead of just looking fresh as a daisy after surviving a mountain fall. Nothing too over the top, just some bandages. Too many people had seen him wandering around yesterday, and anyway, he had somewhat of a survivor's reputation to uphold. "So, where is everyone?" he said to the crowd. "And I mean that in the most figurative sense, seeing as we're all gathered here. But where have you left the important parts of yourselves? The drive? The zeal? The urge of you all to not rusting die? We made a bad call yesterday, or perhaps just you, and now someone new in town is dead and done without a way back. Now Copper's been killed by the Spiked, if the entire council wasn't enough." "Now, I'm not free of hypocrisy on that. But I," Derrick said, holding a nearly-blank sheet of paper above his head, "had a notice. And I'm done with that now. Free! Mostly. So. We need a plan, one that doesn't rely on just picking someone." He grabbed a stick from somewhere and began scratching on the road, before realizing that the cobblestones wouldn't make a good dirt. Derrick instead grabbed his notice and began scratching. "Copper first suspected Jox, and was connected to Kéamen. He also was connected to several other unsavory types, but something tells me that's not uncommon for us all. He also gave the strange boon, in that he had a compilation of his final thoughts, in which he urged investigation primarily of..." he looked at his board. "Jox, Mil, Derrick, Fox. Interesting. They later noted Jox was looking better, but was suspicious of Kéamen and wanted Astrid to be more strongly investigated." "So," Derrick said, borrowing Keldorn's proverbial soapbox, "Who would do that, among us? The six Copper investigated would be a good start, with subtraction of myself, or perhaps not. And subtract Astrid, who I think would be too missing to set a hit on our Stopper - but is still a fair target, as far as I'm considered." "Who among that? I think Mil and Fox would benefit the most, not being as direct as Jox. But I actually want to pick another target." "Var, you had the choice between life and death, or death and death. How did you chose?"
Hoid Slayer He/Him Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 After a long night, Kéamen finally stepped back into the market square as the morning drew long. Primarily watching the others interact, Kéamen began to sort his own thoughts at Copper's fall. There were two ways for one to die other than public execution; a kill by the Spiked, or murder by a Coinshot. Theoretically, these were two different things, and so two deaths should have occurred. And yet, only one did. Kéamen was more inclined to think the Spiked were active, meaning there were no active coinshots in the game - or they had chosen to save their powers (although, then again, perhaps someone found themselves saved by a Lurcher). Kéamen found the train against Madiane confusing; perhaps it was because he was still new to this trade, and distracted by other events, but he did not fully understand the reasoning behind it. While he was ready to believe Keldorn's attack had been a poke (it seemed in character) Fox's backup could be seen as odd. In reviewing the actions of the previous day, Kéamen trusted his initial instincts; Jox's unprompted attack on Astrid in particular stood out - while it was possible Astrid had heard Jox and still remained silent, Kéamen empathized that there were many reasons why one could be too busy to respond, and Keldorn's follow-up to that vote was weak. Mil, on a review, didn't actually stand out as particularly suspicious, if one were to excuse his random vote. Even Var's behavior could be excused. To tell the truth, Kéamen was puzzled. Everyone could be suspicious for something; and the stress of awaiting a response from his mentor wore on him. Kéamen also didn't want to discount those who had not yet spoken. He had tried to reach out to those inactive in the first day. Of those, he had received a response from Lipitor (who, Kéamen had to note, was being conveniently ignorant) and Antari, who had mentioned something about... being taken captive? And begging for someone to let him out? Frankly, Kéamen had no idea what to make of that, and hoped maybe someone else did. Perhaps it was related to allomancy? On the topic of allomantic powers... Kéamen hoped that any Seeker in the group would share their findings to the public. If a Spiked was found, that information was vital. Finally, Kéamen kept eyes on Keldorn and Fox. There was something odd about the way they constantly supported each other.
Jo and the Bush all/any Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 Jox tried to leave the bakery to go to the square, but Gurvani, his father and teacher, put a hand on his shoulder. "Not yet Jox, you have to finish up your school assignments. You can go out to the square to help in," Gurvani checked a clock, "some time. A few hours before nightfall for sure." Jox wanted to fight, but he had to admit that his education was important. 1
StrikerEZ he/him Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 Var had made a promise to give his thoughts. But had gotten very carried away with his latrine duty. He may hate it, but he was committed to working as much as he could. He needed to make money. He just…got a little carried away the first half of that day. @Ashbringer When Derrick questioned him on his choice of either letting everyone live that first day or executing someone, Var paused and pondered. Why had he done that? ”Well, my fine sir,” Var said, “I did it because someone had to die. I did not feel particularly strongly about either Lijal or Astrid, and figured if given the choice Lijal made more sense as Astrid had yet to show up. We could have executed Astrid, but I imagine Aral will have some words for her if she doesn’t show herself soon. Better to execute someone we had at least some interactions from. Even if Lijal turned out to be innocent.” ”Anyway, for now I shall place a vote on Derrick. I feel as if our options thus far have all been off base. And that Derrick pushing me for something as simple as ensuring we didn’t have a no execution day is reaching. As if he’s hoping to push an easy execution.”
Kasimir he/him Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 Keldorn winced. His back and his leg were both on fire. The report was done, but having pulled an all-nighter to clear it was probably one of the worst ideas ever. He wasn't as young as he once was, and he was probably going to need the time for his body to recover from the abuse he'd stacked on it. 7 hours ago, Hoid Slayer said: (although, then again, perhaps someone found themselves saved by a Lurcher). Quote An unsuccessful attack will be announced in the writeup as "X was attacked, but didn't die!" with no differentiation between Thug and Lurcher protection. Spiked vs Coinshot attacks will be differentiated in the writeup, including if the attack is unsuccessful. "Someone stabbing you, or shooting you full of holes tends to be loud," Keldorn said, dryly. "Everyone would hear of it, whether Thug or Lurcher. The only worlds we don't are one where there isn't an active Coinshot, or they have the same attitude about death as you do, or a Soother got to them first." He counted the possibilities off on a finger each. 7 hours ago, Hoid Slayer said: Kéamen also didn't want to discount those who had not yet spoken. He had tried to reach out to those inactive in the first day. Of those, he had received a response from Lipitor (who, Kéamen had to note, was being conveniently ignorant) and Antari, who had mentioned something about... being taken captive? And begging for someone to let him out? Frankly, Kéamen had no idea what to make of that, and hoped maybe someone else did. Perhaps it was related to allomancy? "Did your interactions with Lipitor or Antari help inform reads on them?" Keldorn wanted to know. He felt as though Kéamen was implying something that Keldorn could not quite make out. 7 hours ago, Hoid Slayer said: There was something odd about the way they constantly supported each other. Keldorn wondered in what universe voting on Fox, having Jox come in and also vote Fox, being against accusing Lijal, who was Fox's preferred target of choice, having expressed wariness of Fox, and then Fox following his lead onto Madiane counted as constant support. Quote On a more factual basis, I think Astrid is a very valuable next exe. I still wish they would appear, but if they still do nothing in after what feels like five days, even if it has been only two, their alignment is more valuable than their activity. Always flip the side train. Although Keldorn continued to believe Astrid was probably Spiked, he acknowledged that since no Coinshot had chosen to resolve the situation, they were left sitting around until someone, probably a kandra, ate and replaced Astrid, at which point he supposed they would then hope that the kandra was easier to read than Astrid had been, since that passiveness was the prevailing attitude at present. (Copper was probably screaming at him from death, he thought.) It was not the first time Keldorn had made note of Kéamen's takes being a little strange. 9 hours ago, Ashbringer said: "Copper first suspected Jox, and was connected to Kéamen. He also was connected to several other unsavory types, but something tells me that's not uncommon for us all. He also gave the strange boon, in that he had a compilation of his final thoughts, in which he urged investigation primarily of..." he looked at his board. "Jox, Mil, Derrick, Fox. Interesting. They later noted Jox was looking better, but was suspicious of Kéamen and wanted Astrid to be more strongly investigated." Quote I dislike Keaman's tone recently. Something just seems off, and the more I think on his urging to forgo the execution, the more it sours in my mouth. I don't particularly trust my ability to read tone, not that I trust hardly any of my non-direct-fact-based abilities, but just really not liking Keaman recently. He acknowledged that there was at least a connection, as Derrick had noted, to Copper, who had distrusted Kéamen among others prior to death. And yet. In the world Astrid was Spiked, it was difficult to make sense of Kéamen as being Spiked as well, due to his voting Astrid to tie the votes up rather than leaving Lijal to hang, which endangered Astrid potentially. In addition, while, Keldorn was beginning to feel wariness of Kéamen's takes, which seemed both glancing and inconsistent (he acknowledged the power of accusation and pressure, but simultaneously felt any doubled accusation was problematic), he acknowledged that it seemed very loosely consistent with how his informants had suggested Kéamen had behaved previously, with a reluctance to initiate voting suggestive that Kéamen was hesitant, and a response to Stick suggestive that Kéamen often gave glancing, surface-level takes. For that reason, Keldorn briefly marked Kéamen in his head as someone he would continue to be a little wary about, but moved on. Keldorn had previously outlined his reasons for feeling positive about Jox. To briefly reiterate, he felt that Jox had in general behaved in a more attention-grabbing way than a Spiked murderer would be comfortable with, and had early vibes of comfort with the market square. He felt that was a net positive. He'd aired questions last night, but as far as Keldorn could tell, had received no answers to them. To wit: Quote [Note: Ask @A Jo in the Bush about interactions with Josha. Somehow don't confuse the damned J-names.] He'd wanted to know if Jox [ @A Jo in the Bush ] had any private interactions with Josha, and what those interactions had been like. Quote [Note: Ask @A Jo in the Bush if it is correct to take he is implying that unlike the others, Astrid was definitely at home.] He'd wanted to know if Jox had established Astrid's presence, implying that Astrid was making a calculated decision to ignore the market square, possibly to avoid heat, but was otherwise present. Quote [Note: Ask @|TJ| to acknowledge der Ringgeneral if able to explicate this further.] He'd wanted to know what Fox's [ @|TJ|] claimed wariness of Jox stemmed from. Fox had referenced a feeling, but Keldorn was hoping that Fox could explicate it a little more. Quote [Note: Ask @Ashbringer about decided reluctance to take stance on Lijal or Astrid. Potential attempt to start a side-train?] He'd wanted to know why Derrick had chosen to start a side-train at two hours and thirty-five minutes to sundown, particularly when said pressure on Antari would realistically amount to nothing. This appeared more performative than of actual use. Quote [Note: @StrikerEZ and @Biplet work together. It would be wise to ask them for their views on each other.] He'd wanted to know what Var's [ @StrikerEZ] and Madiane's [ @Biplet ] current reads on each other were, particularly given the end of the first day. Mil [ @KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren ] had made note of himself and Jox but was declining to offer a read. It was a slight improvement from the random accusation of the previous Day, but Keldorn wanted to see an actual commitment from Mil. Teal [ @BigBadBagsworth ] was a little in the same boat. He noted Teal was behaving in a somewhat more laidback fashion than his informants had indicated, with no real interest in the accusations. Perhaps Teal needed time to get going, though Keldorn worried time was in short supply. Josha [ @TwinStorm ] was interesting. Keldorn did not like Josha's behaviour - lurking indicated investment in the goings-on of the market square, but no interest in solving. However, his informants had also indicated that Josha was capable of appearing as though he was investigating when he was actually corrupt. For this reason, he'd given Keldorn's informants trouble previously. Keldorn tentatively revised his assessment of Josha slightly upwards. Lipitor [ @KelsierApologist ] existed. He was capable of better. At this point, Keldorn was of the view that Antari [ @ThatOneWorldhopper ] and Astrid [ @Lord Spirit ] were making a calculated and deliberate choice to lurk and this did not endear either of them to him. He was concerned about a world where the Spiked chose to lurk beneath the radar and allow the inhabitants of Blackkeep to kill each other. Antari had interacted with Kéamen, while Jox had reported Astrid's presence when delivering bread. This suggested they were engaging with Blackkeep but choosing to do so on a low level. Perhaps he was not being patient enough, and not giving them enough time. He didn't think shouting their names again would achieve anything. At the same time, he didn't care if it annoyed them. Keldorn had also come to slightly spicier conclusions about Madiane. However, he didn't wish to share it with all at present for certain reasons. Ask again later, he thought.
TwinStorm He/Him Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 3 hours ago, Kasimir said: Josha [ @TwinStorm ] was interesting. Keldorn did not like Josha's behaviour - lurking indicated investment in the goings-on of the market square, but no interest in solving. However, his informants had also indicated that Josha was capable of appearing as though he was investigating when he was actually corrupt. For this reason, he'd given Keldorn's informants trouble previously. Keldorn tentatively revised his assessment of Josha slightly upwards. Quote ouch bringing up Tar Valon game stuff is crazy Josha winced, sighing. He had gone to bed early last night, and had not risen till noon. Now he stood in the courtyard, observing his surroundings, after having cast an observation spell this morning. Keldorn seemed very analytical and practical, something not often found in murderers. He just wanted to solve the mystery, at least that was how it appeared to Josha. He suspected he might be villager, for right now, at least. Both Teal and Mil did not seem interested in the murders, at least not to the point of making accusations, which was troubling to Josha, who could not tell if that was the sign of a Spiked, or merely uninterested villagers. Lipitor seemed to be the type of person who wasn't paying attention, and that was a shame. 13 hours ago, Ashbringer said: "Copper first suspected Jox, and was connected to Kéamen. He also was connected to several other unsavory types, but something tells me that's not uncommon for us all. He also gave the strange boon, in that he had a compilation of his final thoughts, in which he urged investigation primarily of..." he looked at his board. "Jox, Mil, Derrick, Fox. Interesting. They later noted Jox was looking better, but was suspicious of Kéamen and wanted Astrid to be more strongly investigated." "So," Derrick said, borrowing Keldorn's proverbial soapbox, "Who would do that, among us? The six Copper investigated would be a good start, with subtraction of myself, or perhaps not. And subtract Astrid, who I think would be too missing to set a hit on our Stopper - but is still a fair target, as far as I'm considered." "Who among that? I think Mil and Fox would benefit the most, not being as direct as Jox. But I actually want to pick another target." "Var, you had the choice between life and death, or death and death. How did you chose?" Derrick trying to deflect votes onto Antari seemed suspicious, as well as taking Copper's accusations and removing several people from the list for no apparent reason, settling on Var with little explanation (that was noticeable to Josha, of course). Time was running out, and they needed to choose. @Ashbringer Josha, though, would love to hear Derrick's thoughts, and defend his choice.
StrikerEZ he/him Posted June 12, 2025 Posted June 12, 2025 @Kasimir Var thought for a moment about Keldorn’s question. What did he think of his latrine partner, Madiane? “Well,” Var said, “she seems well enough. She has been more focused on cleaning latrines and her new duty as mayor instead of helping solve the murders. One would think, based on her disposition, that she would be more involved if she was a murderer. Those types always like to gloat or toe the line. For that reason, I’m leaning towards Madiane being innocent.”
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