Long Game 14: To Shatter a Shard

[Guest]

Hoid can hold one full Shard but not two.

[Seonid he/him]

Raven. Clanky.

 

I'll take your analysis, Kipper. I have reason to trust you, even if you don't trust me. You'll find I'm innocent, and when we lynch Clanky, we win. In fact, why not do it today? If you're so sure that it has to be one of us, I don't see how it matters whether you get rid of my second life before or after killing Clanky.

[Seonid he/him]

New information - Joe just confirmed to me that my ability to invest cannot be roleblocked. I feel like an idiot for not noticing this earlier (no investment can ever be roleblocked). So Ruin is not lying, and Mail may not be as well. Joe also added that investment can be redirected.

 

Stink, did you or did you not redirect my actions last night? And if so, did you redirect to Mailliw? If Raven has given up Dominion to Stink, then that changes what happened last night.

[STINK he/him]

I ain't done anything now, you listen here and I'll tell you a story about a little fella by tha name o' STINK.

 

It started out on Nalthis, where he was asked about any power he mighta had, but STINK replied " Get outta here! I ain't got nothing!" 

 

Course, later on it all changed, when some poor fella felt tha STINK needed a lil pick me up, and STINK got Endowment, not that he knew what to do with it. 

 

He found the lil wilson, and awaited orders like a good fella, did this an' that until Day 11, where erryone was askin "What do we do!" so STINK said "I dunno, Kipper?" 

 

Now erryone was lookin at STINK, going " What did you do?" so STINK replied, in the simplest way possible as he has all game, " I did nothing, tell me what to do!"

[Seonid he/him]

RP time:

Sheon Idris found himself in a cavern on First of the Sun, listening as the sound of the angry mob of shards approached. In his hands, he held a crown, magnificently wrought of good and steel, with traceries of cold vines and flowers. He had had it commissioned personally in Arelon. No other ruler had ever worn it. None other ever would.

On the inside of the ring of metal was etched a single word. Unforgiven. He traced his left palm with his fingers, feeling the matching brand burned into his skin. A permanent reminder of his failure in Arelon. A permanent reminder of his blood-debt to the family if his predecessor.

He could hear the mob closing in, could hear the foul labels being thrown at him. "Traitor!" "Leech!" "Warmonger!"

He shook his head wearily, tears tracing their way down his cheek. How could they think him capable of such things? How could they think it possible that he would betray the house of Kiireon?

He had failed them in Arelon, had fallen asleep on watch and the queen had died for it, fallen to the hands of cultists. He had failed again today, watching as her scion expired, dead at the hands of Odium. No matter that Wilkin had wanted to die. No matter that he had been directly ordered to protect another. The failure still lay squarely on his shoulders. Unforgiven

With a flick of his hand and a pinch of dust, he formed the regal face of the one-time queen of Arelon. Gee whistled a low note, grateful for his perfect pitch. A bird responded almost instantly, chirping inquisitively.

Interesting creatures, these, native to only this one small island on First of the Sun. They seemed to pop in and out of existence at the most inopportune times. But when he has realized that they traveled back and forth between this island and the Spiritual Realm, well, he had certainly seem their usefulness. And made certain that nobody but himself would ever find them.

He put out his wrist, which the little grey bird landed on, and whispered low in its ear. "To Kiireon: Wilkin is dead. Died well, to the Lord of Hate. Debt remains. Faithful to the end. Sheon." With a nod of understanding, the bird took off, disappearing as suddenly as it had come.

The bickering shards were closer now, almost to the mouth of the cave. He could hear the nasal tenor of endowment, the gruff bass of cultivation, and even the booming voice of Odium himself. Echoing slightly through the caves was the mocking voice of survival. But over them all cut the suave voice of the one who had once held preservation.

Placing the burdensome crown on his head, he whispered softly to his sword, feeling investiture drain from him. "Protect me," he said, and walked out to meet his false accusers.

They stood in a semicircle just outside the mouth of the cave, The Stick at their front. "Hoid, you stand hereby accused of treason against the Coalition of Shards. How do you plead?"

Bitter laughter escaped him then, but he did, looking at his accusers, his eyes defiant in his tear-stained face. "So is this what my service comes to? Is this what all my pain and sweat and tears on your behalf has come to?" His voice shook with gathering rage.

Turning to the stick, he added "And our collaboration? Does that mean nothing to you? Is that ask I have been to you? A tool to be discarded when I have outlived my usefulness? And I thought we were friends.

But I see you clearly now. The Shards of Adonalsium care nothing for any but themselves. It is all about power with them. If you have to little, you are crushed against them, too much and you earn their fear, and they move to tear you down. Nothing else matters." The wind began to rise as his words grew louder, investiture shining from his skin in the light of the Sun as it dropped below the clouds.

"I have not ever, nor will I, side with the Lord of Hate. The blood debt I bear weighs too heavy on me. But your insolence shows you certainly know how to jump on the scales."

The wind howled as he continued, shouting now. "How dare you? How dare you! Do what you will now, but I will be your toy no longer. There will come a day, and you will mark my words, when Odium stands at your own door to knock it down. And at that day, you will look for me and my aid. You will look for it and you will remember this day, how you did his own work for him. You will look for me, but I will not be there. You will search for me, but Kiireon as my witness, I. Will. Not. Come!" The last words came out in a booming crash as lightning struck the top of the mountain. The storm broke, rain starting to come down in torrents. And Hoid was gone in a flash of light, leaving the gathered Shards alone.

On another world, in another place, Sheon/Hoid knelt in a circle of frost, tears streaming unchecked down his face. "I'm sorry Kiireon," he whispered. "I've sworn falsely in your name. I said I wouldn't cone to them, but I have a blood debt for Wilkin. And Odium will pay it. Even if it means working with those sorry excuses for shards, who are not worthy of a fraction of the power they hold. Odium will perish. I swear it. By Wilkin's grave and your own tomb in Arelon, I swear it."

[Guest]

I wish Wilson were still here so she could tell me if my plan will work. I'm terrified that something will go wrong, to be honest.

[Clanky he/him]

I'm just not sure exactly how you narrowed it down to either me or Seonid. Why is everybody else definitely innocent?

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Time.

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Night Eleven: Dreams of Power

 

Karlin Dreamed.

 

In his dream, he was a Mighty Warrior, vanquishing foe after foe, saving world after world.

 

In his Dream, he was a Wise Sage, solving problem after Problem, creating solution after solution.

 

In his Dream, he was a Powerful God, creating planet after planet, destroying life after life.

 

The dream changed.

 

Everything darkened.

 

The sky blackened.

 

The people’s smiles turned to leers.

 

Life changed from Beautiful to Terrible.

 

Hatred called for him to use it.

 

The dream changed again.

 

The darkness left him, fled him, abandoned him.

 

Karlin dreamed, no longer tainted by Hatred.

 

 

They wove a mighty Power, pouring Investiture from all their Shards into the crafting. A Power that would destroy Sheon Idris. They may not be able to find him, but they could still kill him.

 

Preservation poured Power in. The power to stop him, preserve him as he was, make it so that he couldn’t resist their blow.

 

Cultivation poured Power in. The power to strengthen, increase her bretheren’s power, make it so that he could not stop them.

 

Endowment poured Power in. The power to find him, search him out, make it so that he could not hide form them.

 

Dominion poured Power in. The power to control, direct the Power, make it so that it would target him.

 

Ruin Took the power, it Strengthened him, showed him where Sheon hid, directed him to his Target. He released the power in one mighty surge of Destruction.

 

The shards watched as their combined power flew through the realms, hunting down their assumed foe. It struck like a serpent. All of them felt it hit, expending itself against the power of Sheon Idris.

 

All of them felt it falter, and fail. All of them felt doubt worm into their minds. How could Sheon have survived such a blow?

 

And what would he do in retaliation?

 

Votes:

Seonid(4) Kipper, Clanky, Dow, STINK

Clanky(1): Seonid

 

Surgebound Rainspren has been declared Inactive! His shard has been given to Endowment.  He is still alive.

Seonid Survived!

I really have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote this. Not sure how I feel about it.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Okay. Not entirely sure what's up.

[STINK he/him]

Anyone got a new shard?

[Guest]

What the <censored>?

Okay, so Karlin was Odium. I could have sworn that Joe implied Karlin was not an Eliminator. Clearly I misread that. Anyway, Endowment now has Odium, and we lynch Karlin on the morrow...If the game doesn't end, either Seonid or Mailliw is bad.

[STINK he/him]

Joe revealed all our roles in the write up! Oh noes!

[Guest]

Crap. Didn't realize that. Odium pretty much gets to choose his pick tonight.

[Seonid he/him]

Except that if endowment really has Odium, then the only reason to worry about a kill is if Odium invested, which if he had done he wouldn't have lost the shard. So I strongly suspect that there won't be any kills tonight unless endowment makes one. I don't have a kill ability (and feel free to roleblock any potential kills I have if you don't trust me).

[Guest]

I know. That was sarcasm.

I'm not Ruin anymore (we pass the Shards around every cycle), but rest assured, one of your actions will be roleblocked. Maybe not your kill, though. After all, if Ruin roleblocks your kill, you can just roleblock Ruin's roleblock, and the kill goes on...truthfully though, if Karlin had the Shard, I doubt you do have a kill. That does not address your alignment, though.

Unless the game ends, the only way to end this is by a lynch on you and/or Mailliw. Of course, if Mailliw hasn't picked a side, he could somply Invest in you again, and the game would be over. But someone lied yesterday about that whole "I'm Neutral, and I got roleblocked" thing.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Guest

[Clanky he/him]

Can't endowment just give Odium back to Karlin and then kill Karlin with Odiums kill the same way that Ruin was used earlier?

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Some clarifications:

The Inactivity period for Shards is 72 hours. if you go three days without posting/investing or taking an action, I will remove your shard from you.

If dominion attempts to redirect a nonexistent power to someone, He will instead redirect a random action.

 

 

I could have sworn that Joe implied Karlin was not an Eliminator. Clearly I misread that. 

I have not implied anything about Karlin's alignment.

 

Joe revealed all our roles in the write up! Oh noes!

Nah. That was just a bunch of shards. I was tempted to include Odium in there as well.

 

Can't endowment just give Odium back to Karlin and then kill Karlin with Odiums kill the same way that Ruin was used earlier?

That is possible.

[Seonid he/him]

Since Joe hasn't called time yet, I'm going to post my thoughts, because they might be my last.

 

When we lynched phattemer, the cycle that Shallan died, Odium passed to the most recent investee. Then, that Night, Odium killed Wilson. They would have had to have been active for that. So Karlin couldn't have done it. They must have passed it to Karlin after, but why, I don't know. Unless they knew that they could get it back somehow. If they knew they were going to get Endowment the next cycle, due to Shard passing, that might do it. I don't know for sure.

 

The other option is that someone other than Alvron sent in orders for the inactive. Joe only said that Alvron was no longer allowed to do so, not that none of his team did.

 

I don't know where the answer is. But this is what I've got. If I survive until the morning, I'll have more to say.

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Alv has been the only player to send in orders for inactives all game.

 

Apologies for the late writeup, Blames the NSA. (It's not their fault, but they're easy to blame for random things.)

 

Writeup will be in ten minutes. EDIT: Or right now.

Edited October 7, 2015 by The Only Joe

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

<Writeup to be added in when I'm awake> and not pissed off.>

 

Karlin is a Thug! His alignment will be revealed upon his death.

 

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Oh, Odium... You should've left him alive to get him lynched today and save yourself from one more lynch. Dang. Let's see how this goes.

[STINK he/him]

So we lynch Clanky?

[Guest]

Gah. No, I'm pretty sure that Karlin was the last regular OC. I would be extremely surprised if there were seven originally. We could lynch Seonid, just for kicks and giggles, but on the off chance that he isn't bad, I don't want to kill him.

[Clanky he/him]

Then we could lynch Maill. He still has some extra lives left and if he happens to have changed sides we might as well get a head start on killing him. If he hasn't changed sides then the game will be over after Karlins death and no harm done.

 

EDIT: Vote colour 

Edited October 7, 2015 by Clanky