Long Game 14: To Shatter a Shard

[Seonid]

You're fine, Dow. I've got a thin skin this game, I guess.

As for your analysis, it's not bad, although it doesn't take into account either my roleblock or protection abilities, or potential shardic shenanigans that could be pulled. If it were cultivation that were evil, they wouldn't have to reveal themselves with the vote. Neither would I, honestly, because u have a secret vote too. Preservation could use the UP ability to seal a vote in before everyone had gotten on. Kipper mentioned that shards are being passed around to keep them safe, too, so if endowment got into the hands of the OC, they'd get the Odium kill back.

And if I were evil, the OC's would still have a kill ability too. Of course, y'all would have protection too, so it'd be more of a crapshoot, but it would be better than letting folks get lynched until it was 1 to 3. But your right, it's not quite so clear-cut as I made it out to be.

But back to the real world, where I'm not on Team Evil; based on your comment about scanning sink and getting guaranteed good, I suspect that raven is the last OC.

I still don't get why y'all think karlin is the last one, though. I don't see any way he could have made the Wilson kill without getting on the shard. If he'd put it in via email/PM, it would have been activity, and he wouldn't have lost the shard.

Edited October 10, 2015 by Seonid

[dowanx]

There are ways to prevent most of the shenanigans, but I won't go into depth on the forum here for the obvious reasons.  

 

Karlin might just be an innocent.  Wilson's death is an interesting puzzle.  Raven very well could be the last OC, but I know for certain it is not myself or Stink and Kipper has proven himself over the course of the game.  If you didn't have the team switching capability I would include you in that list, but unfortunately we just don't know.

[Seonid]

Here's a way to know for sure. You have dominion available, as well as endowment. Get dominion to endowment, and have them pick a cycle to force mail to invest in me. Don't let me know which cycle it is. I'll announce in thread when I get invested in. If I don't, you'll know that mail's picked a side and can't invest. If I do, you know that both of us are neutral and that there's still an ox out there.

[Mailliw73]

An ox? I sure hope there isn't an ox, Joe said no secret roles.

[Seonid]

I begin to feel about my Autocorrect the same way Jain felt about the color...

[A Joe in the Bush]

Time.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Day 13: Poor Communication Kills

 

Karlin no longer loved his dreams. They had changed again, the skies blackening, the paradise fading. Only Loathing remained. Something was wrong with him, but he knew not what it was. Something was trying it’s best to corrupt his honour. He resisted as best he could, but his dreamworld was still breaking apart.

 

Hatred’s Poison wasn’t the only problem. Something else was affecting it as well. Something was happening to his Physical body. But he didn’t know what it could be. A sickness perhaps?

 

He fought against both foes in his mind, fighting to keep his Sleeping Paradise alive, but under attack from both Physical and Cognitive aspects of himself, his Spiritual Self couldn’t survive. The harder he fought, the more the dream cracked and vanished. He could no longer remember parts of it. He didn’t even know how much of it he had already forgotten.

 

The Dreamscape changed again, as his body suddenly stopped affecting it. Karlin was relieved at first, until he realized his Physical aspect was completely cut off from his Cognitive and Spiritual functions. Something had killed his body.

 

The Hatred of the dream faded away, as his Cognitive Aspect moved on, leaving the soul of the dreamer to wither away in nothingness.

 

Karlin was Odium! and a Thug!

 

[Mailliw73]

So, a good Odium. That means the OC is still alive. 

[STINK]

Is it day or night?  Can we kill Seonid yet? Also I'm glad that Wilson is mad, it makes you think about wanting to die doesn't it?

Edited October 10, 2015 by IrulelikeSTINK

[Kipper]

Storm it, I can't figure out who the baddie is. I look forward to seeing Wilson's rants about how easy it should be...

Fortunately, if we lynch Seonid today, we can't lose, on the off chance that Seonid is indeed an OC. Unfortunately, if Seonid is an OC and Presevation is as well, Preservation will have Invested him, and we still win, but it's a little more tricksy.

Seonid, any ideas how to figure out dowanx or Raven?

[A Joe in the Bush]

Is it day or night?  Can we kill Seonid yet? Also I'm glad that Wilson is mad, it makes you think about wanting to die doesn't it?

 

 

Day 13: Poor Communication Kills

[STINK]

So might as well do Seonid. And if this is wrong then it's fine.

[Seonid]

Storm it, I can't figure out who the baddie is. I look forward to seeing Wilson's rants about how easy it should be...

Fortunately, if we lynch Seonid today, we can't lose, on the off chance that Seonid is indeed an OC. Unfortunately, if Seonid is an OC and Presevation is as well, Preservation will have Invested him, and we still win, but it's a little more tricksy.

Seonid, any ideas how to figure out dowanx or Raven?

Eliminators are always easier to identify in hindsight...

As far as picking between raven and Dow, I'm leaving towards raven. Inactivity is probably the best strategy for an eliminator at this stage of the game. They need to get three or four players dead (mail doesn't count towards their win con, and when I'm neutral, neither do I).

Without a kill role, the best bet for the eliminator is to try to avoid attention (and try to get mail or I to join them). Raven has been doing that.

It's not a lot to go on, but it tips the scales slightly. In addition, Dow has strongly argued for clearing stink, which doesn't benefit the eliminators. If someone is conclusively cleared like that, then that makes a person that the eliminators can't manipulate us into lynching. That's another point in favor of Dow being good, which points towards raven being not.

[Kipper]

Seonid. I'm sorry about this if you're good. If you are good, no matter, we still win. If you are neutral, well, you can pin your hopes on whoever, provided Mailliw isn't a jerk by Investing you.

I believe you have to die to accomplish a certain win, because there is a possibility that you are bad.

If we could get a couple more votes on Seonid to ensure a kill, that would be fantastic.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Kipper

[Mailliw73]

I haven't invested in Seonid in a while, so he should be able to pick a side.

[Seonid]

Honestly, at this point it's tough to care. You're wrong about one thing, lynching me isn't the only way to a certain win. There's a thing called "trusting people," especially when they've done things to be trustworthy.

But that apparently has never been an option, so I guess we'll just go like this: Seonid

There's another extra vote for you

[Kipper]

I'm sorry about this if you are good, but there's just enough feels to the contrary that I can't get over the idea that you have a high likelihood of being bad. Even that vote on yourself could easily just be a tug on my sympathy. I realize I'm being paranoid, but...sorry, I'm not the only one who suspect/ed you.

[Seonid]

Since at this point, the lynch is pretty much set, I'm just going to leave a lists of points as to why you should be able to tell that I'm not evil.

First off: My lashing protected Wilson from death at least once, and would have done so a second time if I hadn't been directly instructed to protect someone else - and Wilson was the most dangerous player the village had. That is, in fact, why she trusted me.

The first time mail invested me, making me neutral, I immediately revealed it to you, Kipper, in the PM we had with Wilson. If you remember, Wilson had asked mail to invest in me to see what I'd do. I acted in good faith there.

In addition, I've lashed who you've asked me to lash and roleblocked who I've been asked to roleblock up until the point when you stopped asking me to lash and roleblock anymore.

I've voted for every Odium's Champion except, I think, for Antillar, which was during my brief phase of inactivity while I was trying to get the MR fixed.

During last day cycle, I lynched Clanky, despite him being the only other person who could reliably take suspicion off of me. If I were evil, I'd have to have been incredibly stupid to kill him.

Mail has invested in me once since Wilson died, which should prove that there is one more OC. Because even if I am evil right now, when mail invested in me, that would have ended the game. (Since I was already neutral that cycle, and was investing in Kipper, it didn't change my alignment, but that is forget proof of my point).

I publicly cleared Kipper after investing in him. If I were evil, clearing anyone like that would be counterproductive, since the lynch is the only kill the OC's have, and a cleared person isn't one they could get us to mislynch on.

Finally, I offered a foolproof way to tell if I'm evil: use dominion+ endowment to force mail to invest in me. Or, if you trust mail, have him invest me. Don't tell me when. This also serves to clear mail. If I don't tell you the message he sent while investing, then mail's picked a side. If I do, you know for sure that I'm not evil that round.

Since I offered that last cycle, and nobody said anything (even to criticize it if it's not foolproof), I'm having a hard time believing that any of you actually care whether or not I'm actually evil.

I thought about staying neutral instead of investing in you, Kipper. That way I could publicly threaten to join team Odium if you lynched me. I chose not too, because I started on Team Village and wanted to end on Team Village. I suppose I'll let this stand as my epitaph.

[Seonid]

Ninja'ed by Kipper. Your paranoia is excusable. And my vote on myself was a tug on your sympathies. But not because I'm evil. Just because I'm good and I'd like not to die this game. I'd rather not have this character (who, truth be told, I'm rather attached to) survive only because I've asked the GM to have him survive in the write up for 2 games in a row.

But since I realize that, even if I survive this cycle, you're just going to lynch me next cycle, I give up.

Right now, my secret vote is on raven, and my vote manipulation is moving stink to raven as well. That will tie the vote. But I'm going to cancel those orders, so I don't have to deal with another cycle of this. I'm not up to it anymore, and I'm tired of defending myself when it should be obvious.

By the way, and I mean this in ask seriousness, Kipper. Thank you for at least feeling sorry about it. I'll try not to take it personally.

EDIT: Autocorrect

Edited October 11, 2015 by Seonid

[A Joe in the Bush]

Time.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Night 13: Unforgiven

 

Please don't upvote this post. Go upvote one of Seonid's. He wanted to write his own 'death' and I let him, since it was highly amusing. As such, there aren't any hints in this one.

 

Mist curled and twisted in the air as Sheon Idris finished his final preparations. The Shards' intentions had been telegraphed clearly for some time now. As frustrating as it was, it did at least give one time to get ones final affairs in order.

 

As he finished the last few words of his letter, he heard them coming. The same voices as before, the same bickering, the same accusations as they drew near Scadrial. Well, if he couldn't convince them, then there was only one thing to do. He threw some dust in the air, speaking a few words softly, and then disappeared, leaving a circle of frost behind.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The Stick stopped outside of the cave where the Shards had detected the traitor. The day was fine, without a cloud in the sky. That disgruntled him, their business was serious, and the weather seemed to have no sense of dramatic propriety.

 

Gathering the assembled shards together - Endowment and Survival, the only ones that he could convince to come with him - he warned them in hushed tones. "We have to act quickly. You saw what he did to Clink. Destroy him before he has a chance to talk - that voice is too dangerous."

 

He stopped as they saw motion in the cave. A figure, walking out to meet them. He wore a crown, but Hoid had always been fond of his little ostentations. Some insignificant sign from an insignificant kingdom, where nothing noteworthy had ever happened, probably.  He whispered the signal to his compatriots, and felt their power building.

 

The figure stopped a few feet away, and called out a greeting. "Hello friends! Now why have you come here on such a fi- "

 

His speech was cut off by a rushing of wind and a noise of thunder. Howling like a highstorm, the raging might of the combined Shards came crashing down on their enemy. Lightning cracked, fire streamed down from the heavens. The earth heaved and tossed, the ground breaking open to spill its molten blood. The brightness forced even the Shards to shield their eyes or turn away.

 

Finally, it was over. A light wind rose, blowing away the wisps of smoke that still hung over the scene. Sheon was gone. Could it be true? Could their enemy finally be gone - could such a blow have finally felled him? He had, after all, survived a far more powerful assault before. But it seemed to be so. Finally, the traitor was dead.

 

In the center of the scorched pocket of land lay the crown, seemingly unharmed. The Stick walked over and picked it up, turning it over and over again in his hand. It was as cool as if it had been lying there for years. The single word, written on the inside of the headband, caught his eye. Unforgiven.

 

With a quizzical laugh, he tossed it aside, not even sparing a glance as it rolled down the hill to vanish in the tall grass. He walked into the cave that had been the late worldhopper's final hiding place. It was sparsely furnished - clearly the man had been desperate, futilely spending his last remaining power to hide himself from the just vengeance of the Coalition.

 

Only a simple desk and a few rude shelves adorned the place, crockery broken and scattered on the ground from the earthquake. Some sand, dazzlingly white, lay amid the shattered fragments of a glass vial, while metal flakes in some liquid solution oozed towards the doorway from another. Colored dust and gemstones mixed together in a corner, lying on top of a stained scarf, still vibrant red.

 

On the desk lay a letter. Stick picked it up and read.

 

My dear assembled Shards,

 

What a successful Coalition you have put forward this time around! I am continually amazed at your prodigious abilities. I would love nothing more than to bandy words with you, spreading a few more insults around - you have given me such good opportunity I could scarcely resist! - but time, alas, waits for neither man nor Shard.

 

By the time you read this, I will be far gone from this place, and far out of reach of your power. I leave the war against Odium in your manifestly capable hands. (Did I say hands? I'm sorry, Stick, I must learn to be more sensitive to diversity. I'm sure if you had hands, they would be mightily capable. Of what, I am not sure, but - there I go again. You must forgive me. If time permitted, I would give you all the wit your position so richly deserves. I must leave you without insults, though. I hope this is a pardonable offense.) I feel certain that this Coalition will be among the most effective yet at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

You shall not see me again, I fear. Have a good funeral for me. Raise a glass or two. Have Tanavast buy me another drink. I'm sure I'll get it where I've gone. I apologize, but my business is far too pressing for me to show up to something as minor as my own funeral. I'm sure you'll think of something appropriate to say.

 

On second thought, if my business is resolved in a satisfactory way, you may see me one last time. I'm not sure that you will be pleased to see me then, as the reconstitution of Adonalsium does not bode well for your own dominion. But that is neither here nor there.

 

You may imagine, if you like, that this closing paragraph is filled with all of the witty insults you have come to expect from me. I simply lack the time to do them justice. I do hope you let my simulacrum finish its speech before destroying it, though. It would have filled the lack of wit that this letter cannot. If not, well, such is the lot of a Shard.

 

Until our next meeting, or the lack thereof,

 

Your humble servant,

 

Hoid

 

As the Shards looked up from where they had crowded around the letter, they could almost hear the echoes of a mocking laughter. After a moment, the Stick spoke a word, turning the letter to ashes. Then he turned to his fellows. "Well, we are done here. Let's get on with our work."

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

If anyone had been there, hours later, they would have seen a crown - worked in gold and steel - roll slowly up the hill to rest in the cave. After a moment, a fleeting shadow flew across it, and then it, too, was gone.

 

Votes: 

Seonid(4): Seonid, Kipper, STINK, Mailliw

Seonid was Hoid!

 

Player List:

1. (IrulelikeSTINK) Leyton

2. (Mailliw73) Maw

3. (RavenRadiant7) Nyra

4. (Kipper) Stick

5. (Dowanx) Dow

 

1. (Winter Cloud) Ruin

2. (OrlokTsubodai) Devotion

3. (Phattemer) Poisoner

4. (Araris Valerian) WorldHopper

5. (Alvom Halbin) Lifeless Operator

6. (OstrichofEvil) Worldhopper

7. (Alvron) Dominion

8. (Eolhondras) Champion

9. (Macen) Dominion

10. (Quiver) Endowment

11. (Antillar Maximus) Awakener, Ruin

12. (Haelbarde) Odium

13. (Paranoid Emperor) Lifeless Operator

14. (The Honey Badger) Bloodsealer

15. (TheMightyLopen) Lifeless Operator

16. (Nicocoberru) Thug

17. (Phattemer) Poisoner, Odium

18. (Shallan) Honour

19. (Clanky) Awakener

20. (LittleWilson) Worldhopper.

21. (Surgebound Rainspren) Thug

22. (Seonid) Hoid

Edited October 12, 2015 by The Only Joe

[Mailliw73]

Seonid, I raise my glass. I just needed chaos to serve me and oh, how it has. My apologies, Master Hoid, I have the utmost respect for your abilities.

[Kipper]

I feel like a jerk ending the game like that, but since there was a possibility that Seonid was evil, there was really no other choice in my mind. Sorry.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Time.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Day 14: Time Passes.

 

Life in the Cosmere is generally energetic and active, due to Sixteen gods and numerous meddlers running about. Hardly a year goes by without some disaster or another happening. Ruin destroying towns, Hoid Slaughtering the Seventeenth Shard, Abuse sending plagues across the world, Odium driving the Highprinces to war, and many other such events happen with astonishing regularity.

 

And yet, the Cosmere survives, because in the days between those events, the Universe learns what peace is. There are always days where nothing happens. Where Shardholders sleep in, or simply play games rather than manipulating the fate of Worlds. Days when Hoid is busy with another project and Endowment decides to merely read a book.

 

The Cosmere accepts the days of strife and disaster because they always lead to days of peace. But at the same time, it must be understood that days of peace lead to weakness, loss of power, and yet more disasters. A neverending cycle of Freedom and Slavery. Love and Hatred. Honour and Abuse. Preservation and Ruin.

 

Yesterday, Preservation held sway, but Ruin is itching to let loose. Who can tell what this dawn will bring? (Not mailliw apparently)

 

Day 14 has begun!

How many people would be averse to me shortening the days to 24 hours rather than 48?

Edited October 13, 2015 by The Only Joe