Long Game 15: ...The Shards Themselves...

[Elbereth]

I don't think it was wasted. I think attacking Biggoron was a good choice, from where I stood at the time.

Actually, you're bringing up some points which make me think Lopen's good now. For instance, he mentioned in a PM that it didn't make sense that Burnt hadn't said Elkanah was a traitor, unless Elkanah was a traitor as well. If he were a traitor, I would think he would have thought of that and suggested it. It's possible that no one thought of it until after the cycle was done, but that seems less likely.

...On to Elkanah, then? I'm still not sure that's wise, but I no longer want to lynch Lopen. I guess.

Why do eliminators have to be so good at being loyal?

[Hellscythe]

Elkanah is the hemalurgist guys. If we lose him the game could very well end the next day if I join the traitor team and there's 2 of them left.

I scanned Lopen last night and he is the Traitor Biochromancer. The last one if there is another one is somewhere amongst the people with roles that's not Elkanah. From my point of view he's proven innocent seeing as I haven't turned yet.

[Elbereth]

If you join the traitor team and there's still two others, why would the game end? There are currently nine players (including the HI). If we kill Elkanah, and the HI turns, there are then three eliminators and 5 loyals. Assuming I make a kill on a Loyal by mistake and the eliminators actually make a kill, there will be three eliminators and three loyals the next day. And if I'm remembering right, the HI doesn't count towards outnumbering the loyals if he's a traitor and vice versa, so the game would at least continue until the end of the next day. Or did I miss something?

Okay, this is what seems most sensible to me: We lynch Lopen. If Lopen's good, I immediately kill Elkanah (and if I fail we'll lynch them the next day). We get a traitor that way. If he's bad, we've still gotten a traitor.

...Does anyone see any problems with that? Because I feel like there should be one, and I can't find it.

[queensteph]

If Elkanah is a traitor then that means that the HI has already turned so idk if the HI is trying to lead us away from Elkanah by saying Lopen is the biochromancer??

If we kill Elkanah and he's a traitor then we may have won.

If he's loyal then Elbereth could go after Lopen at night, and we will win.

(All this assuming there's only one traitor left. )

Even if the eliminators do have another player (plus the HI) to vote, we still have my ability which could outnumber their vote if us loyals all vote on the same person.

Also, if Elkanah is a traitor then that clears Lopen since we'll know that the HI had turned already. (Right?)

Edit: OK so what abilities do we think the eliminators could still have ? Voidbringer and/or hemalurgust?? I can't remember.

Also would it be a good idea to protect me or no?

Edited December 14, 2015 by queensteph

[TheMightyLopen]

I don't think it was wasted. I think attacking Biggoron was a good choice, from where I stood at the time.

Actually, you're bringing up some points which make me think Lopen's good now. For instance, he mentioned in a PM that it didn't make sense that Burnt hadn't said Elkanah was a traitor, unless Elkanah was a traitor as well. If he were a traitor, I would think he would have thought of that and suggested it. It's possible that no one thought of it until after the cycle was done, but that seems less likely.

...On to Elkanah, then? I'm still not sure that's wise, but I no longer want to lynch Lopen. I guess.

Why do eliminators have to be so good at being loyal?

 

What she said. The attack wasn't a waste. It does help to soft-confirm that Biggoron is indeed an Elantrian. While it's certainly possible that Clanky could have guessed right, it's still better than nothing.

 

Yeah, I'll explain about the Burnt and Elkanah thing. First off, in the "loyals" PM I made 2 Nights back, we were talking about scanning Elkanah and what we would do depending on the results of the scan. I said it might be a good idea to lynch Burnt if Elkanah turned up Loyal, so that we could clear the scanned group and the HI. There was also the small proposal that we might lynch Alvron instead of Elkanah if he turned up Loyal, because I though Alvron might be the BioChromancer if Elkanah wasn't. Of course, at the time I thought Burnt was Loyal so I thought the scan would be truthful, which would clear Elkanah. Alvron was Mistborn killed that Night, so Burnt should have known that if she announced that Elkanah was Loyal, she had a good chance of being lynched. She went ahead and said Elk was scanned as Loyal anyways, which doesn't really make sense to me. If she knew she had a good chance of getting lynched that Turn, why not scan Elkanah as a Traitor and take a Loyal out and turn the HI? Obviously she would die soon after for giving a false scan, but she would have gained a new Traitor while killing a Loyal at the same time. So, why didn't she do this? I believe it's because Elkanah was a Traitor as well, and she knew that she would get outed at some point. Either because she would eventually have to scan someone as a Traitor, and then once that person was dead, she would die as well, or because we would kill her for the information it would give us(like we did). 

 

I wasn't quite sure about this, since I was still a bit suspicious of Clanky and Biggoron, but seeing this post from the HI confirms it for me.

 

Elkanah is the hemalurgist guys. If we lose him the game could very well end the next day if I join the traitor team and there's 2 of them left.

I scanned Lopen last night and he is the Traitor Biochromancer. The last one if there is another one is somewhere amongst the people with roles that's not Elkanah. From my point of view he's proven innocent seeing as I haven't turned yet.

 

I am neither a Traitor nor a BioChromancer. This confirms to me that the HI has turned Traitor, but obviously it doesn't help you guys too much since you have no way of knowing my role since I don't have one and therefore have never affected anything regarding actions.

 

If you join the traitor team and there's still two others, why would the game end? There are currently nine players (including the HI). If we kill Elkanah, and the HI turns, there are then three eliminators and 5 loyals. Assuming I make a kill on a Loyal by mistake and the eliminators actually make a kill, there will be three eliminators and three loyals the next day. And if I'm remembering right, the HI doesn't count towards outnumbering the loyals if he's a traitor and vice versa, so the game would at least continue until the end of the next day. Or did I miss something?

Okay, this is what seems most sensible to me: We lynch Lopen. If Lopen's good, I immediately kill Elkanah (and if I fail we'll lynch them the next day). We get a traitor that way. If he's bad, we've still gotten a traitor.

...Does anyone see any problems with that? Because I feel like there should be one, and I can't find it.

 

Okay, scenario time. We have 9 players.

1. Probably either 7:2(Elkanah and HI) or 6:3(Elkanah, HI and ???).

2. If I am lynched: 6:2(Elkanah and HI) or 5:3(Elkanah, HI and ???).

3. A Traitor kill later(Elbereth will most likely be blocked at that point, and if she's not then she will kill Elkanah, a confirmed Traitor at that point): 5:2(Elkanah and HI) or 4:3(Elkanah, HI and ???).

4. Lynch Elkanah: 5:1(VICTORY!! The HI would still be alive obviously, but he can't do anything at that point.) or 4:2(HI and ???).

5. Traitor kill: 3:2(HI and ???).

6. Lynch(Orlok maybe? I'm not sure. I believe Steph is Loyal. Her vote on Elkanah is a major factor for me though, so that evidence for her can't be used at the moment. That leaves Phatt, Clanky and Biggoron. I'm fairly sure that all of them are what they say they are now, and I just don't know if having 7 Traitors with 2 protective roles would be balanced, so I would say they're most likely Loyal. I would choose Orlok because of how he tried to change the lynch away from Burnt and onto Biggoron. Also the way he was going after Alvron and because he's a Surgebinder. One thing I should mention about him though is that in the "loyals" PM he seemed to be okay with Elkanah getting killed. Because at one point we thought Elbereth was gonna kill Elk, but she decided to tap Biggoron to test his role. Arraenae was supposed to tap Phatt to confirm his role as well, but then she decided to kill Alvron instead. Orlok said something like "kill Phatt and Elkanah, and scan Alvron." All of this leads me to believe that Elkanah is the last remaining Traitor, but I'm not totally sure about that.): Either 2:2(HI and ???) or 3:1(Victory!! HI remains)

 

The one thing that worries me and makes me think that Elkanah might not be the last Traitor is because Hellscythe is lying about me like this. There doesn't really seem to be a point to going through all this if they're just going to lose the very next Cycle. It may just be him trying to prolong Elkanah's death or something, but it does unnerve me a little. If you guys feel like the smart thing to do is lynch me, then I will at least ask that you go through all of my posts and my PM's with all of you and take that into account when you're making your decision about whether to lynch me or not.

 

I think that's about it. If you guys have any questions, just go ahead and ask. I'll answer as fast and in as much detail as I can for anything you are wondering about. My vote is on Elkanah.

 

Vote tally:

 

Elkanah(4): Clanky, Phattemer, Steph, Lopen

Lopen(1): Elbereth

 

@Steph, if you're going to use your power please inform everyone so we insure that we do have a lynch(regardless of who it is, me or Elkanah).

 

Edit: Forgot to respond to Steph's edit. 

 

If there are 2 more Traitors(besides the HI of course), then I would guess either Surgebinder(Orlok), Feruchemist(Steph) or Voidbringer(Phatt). To me, giving the Traitors an Elantrian and a Voidbringer seems too overpowered. Especially since that would mean that the Loyals only got one Elantrian as well and that doesn't exactly seem balanced to me. Voidbringer is almost the same situation too, except that it can only block the one person, so it's not quite as useful imo.

Edited December 14, 2015 by TheMightyLopen

[Elbereth]

After thinking about this last night, too many things don't make sense for Lopen to be a BioChromancer. Why didn't he target anyone last night? For that matter, why didn't he target me? Phatt, were you targeted? If I'd been targeted, we'd have still been lynching Clanky/Biggoron. Unless Lopen didn't target me deliberately to draw my attention away from Clanky/Biggoron...somehow.... My brain hurts.

As it stands now, I think lynching Elkanah is a better choice than Lopen. I mean, it's still possible that Lopen's a traitor, but I don't think he's a BioChromancer, at least.

[Clanky]

After thinking about this last night, too many things don't make sense for Lopen to be a BioChromancer. Why didn't he target anyone last night? For that matter, why didn't he target me? Phatt, were you targeted? If I'd been targeted, we'd have still been lynching Clanky/Biggoron. Unless Lopen didn't target me deliberately to draw my attention away from Clanky/Biggoron...somehow.... My brain hurts.

As it stands now, I think lynching Elkanah is a better choice than Lopen. I mean, it's still possible that Lopen's a traitor, but I don't think he's a BioChromancer, at least.

 

If Elkanah is a traitor we can safely say Lopen is not since I doubt an evil HI would've claimed that. If Elkanah is a traitor and the game doesn't end I will be looking at Orlok and Steph in that order.

[Orlok Tsubodai]

I think we are ignoring a whole set of 'meta' knowledge here - primarily that Wyrm has indicated this to be without question the final cycle.

I suspect then, that we simply cannot afford to get this lynch wrong.

I am incredibly suspicious of Lopen, not least in the regards that he is framing this game as continuing past this cycle, although perhaps mostly on an intuitional level. Something seems wrong, and although right now I can't quite put a name to it, I shall try again before the end of the cycle.

[Hellscythe]

Lopen used the fact that Burnt was willing to give herself up to push a lynch onto her. Once she died the "proven-by-kandra" group would no longer trust each other and we would have a much harder time finding Lopen as a traitor because he pushed for a lynch on traitor leaving everyone else who was "soft-proven" now to be under suspicion while Lopen remains the only person in the clear.  It was an obvious play that I didn't realize until I found out that he was the Biochromancer.

[queensteph]

Unless some more people put their vote on Lopen I'm not going to use my ability (I'd be using it to change a Lopen vote to Elkanah). Im sticking with my theory of Elkanah being a traitor and the HI having turned.

Ninja's by Hellscythe

Hellscythe, If there wasn't so much suspicion towards Elkanah and towards you I would definitely believe you and put my vote on Lopen, but if Elkanah turns out to be loyal then we will definitely be going after Lopen.

Edited December 14, 2015 by queensteph

[Clanky]

Lopen used the fact that Burnt was willing to give herself up to push a lynch onto her. Once she died the "proven-by-kandra" group would no longer trust each other and we would have a much harder time finding Lopen as a traitor because he pushed for a lynch on traitor leaving everyone else who was "soft-proven" now to be under suspicion while Lopen remains the only person in the clear.  It was an obvious play that I didn't realize until I found out that he was the Biochromancer.

Except Lopen was among the "Proven-by-Kandra" group. So why would we have focused on him instead of the not cleared group? I understand Burnt allowing herself to be lynched at this point because she couldn't really continue without eventually giving someone a guilty reading. Unless she wanted to give up another of her teammates we would've found out very soon that she was lying to us. 

 

EDIT: Fixed missing punctuation 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Clanky

[queensteph]

I'm going to use my ability because only two(?) more votes on Lopen could tie it up and I don't want to risk it. Edit: I was thinking the day was ending in a few minutes I got mixed up. I did put in the vote change request, but I'll change it if I ever need to before the day is over.

Edited December 14, 2015 by queensteph

[Hellscythe]

Except Lopen was among the "Proven-by-Kandra" group. So why would we have focused on him instead of the not cleared group? I understand Burnt allowing herself to be lynched at this point because she couldn't really continue without eventually giving someone a guilty reading. Unless she wanted to give up another of her teammates we would've found out very soon that she was lying to us. 

 

EDIT: Fixed missing punctuation 

By creating distrust among the "Proven-by-Kandra" group and leaving him as the sole person of that group that people could still trust he could've been trying to save one of the people up for the lynch and setting himself up as a "soft-proven" that could divert the attention away from his ally.

 

My biggest lead is Biggoron as Lopen's ally. How did they pull of a Wounded Gazelle Gambit on Burnt Spaghetti without a protection role on their team? They would never even attempt it. Especially on possibly their most trusted member at the time.

[Elbereth]

Wait. Question. How was Burnt's death a Wounded Gazelle Gambit? Maybe my definition's just wrong or something, but I don't see that.

[Hellscythe]

Burnt was attacked on an earlier cycle.

[Biggoron]

Dude. Heck yeah. More synthskin!!
Also, yup. This Elkanah business sounds right. Let's get em.

[Elbereth]

Burnt was attacked on an earlier cycle.

...Right. I forgot about that. Nevermind then.

[TheMightyLopen]

I think we are ignoring a whole set of 'meta' knowledge here - primarily that Wyrm has indicated this to be without question the final cycle.

I suspect then, that we simply cannot afford to get this lynch wrong.

I am incredibly suspicious of Lopen, not least in the regards that he is framing this game as continuing past this cycle, although perhaps mostly on an intuitional level. Something seems wrong, and although right now I can't quite put a name to it, I shall try again before the end of the cycle.

 

First of all, I'm not sure that Wyrm means anything with the things about planetfall and such. I think it's just fluff, not anything game relevant. I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask though. @Wyrm, are you indicating in any way that this is the final Cycle? I really don't know if he'll answer this, but who knows? Maybe he'll choose to not troll us.........maybe.   (We can hope can't we?   )

 

I would like to hear why you are "incredibly" suspicious of me(barring the game ending stuff, which I don't think is a fair reason to accuse me at all). I can understand why the HI is going after me since me and Elkanah are the two who are being viewed as the targets for this lynch and obviously he's gonna try to do everything he can to protect Elkanah, since Elks alignment is tied to his.

 

One more thing I just want to point out. I'm not sure it's exactly relevant, but I was under the assumption that Clanky was the one who protected Burnt on the Night she was attacked, because Biggoron said he hadn't claimed to Adavantos and Ada said he set up the protection for Burnt because she was role-blocked(I think Ada said that. It was on D6 when he mentioned it, if anyone wants to go back and verify this). Which makes me assume that Clanky blocked that attack because he was in contact with Adavantos I believe.

[Clanky]

 

One more thing I just want to point out. I'm not sure it's exactly relevant, but I was under the assumption that Clanky was the one who protected Burnt on the Night she was attacked, because Biggoron said he hadn't claimed to Adavantos and Ada said he set up the protection for Burnt because she was role-blocked(I think Ada said that. It was on D6 when he mentioned it, if anyone wants to go back and verify this). Which makes me assume that Clanky blocked that attack because he was in contact with Adavantos I believe.

Yep it was me who protected burnt that cycle. I had revealed my role to Ada after he was scanned and I was asked to protect her because she had been role-blocked and the last person role-blocked had also been killed by the traitors.

[Wyrmhero]

The Turn is over! Writeup out shortly.

[Wyrmhero]

Aftermath: Brave New World

 

It was just after lunchtime that the cry went out on the speakers, blasting the entire ship with the news of the day. This was not unusual, particularly recently, when the early-afternoon news broadcast sounded more like an obituary and accompanying eulogy than a statement of what had happened.

 

But today's announcement was more important than any declaration of another fatality aboard the Shardship. This was the day that they were sending out the first probes, the first scouts onto this barren and desolate (but mineral-rich) world. The atmosphere was too thin for a human to survive, but they had Hemalurgically-empowered droids available for such a thing. They could go where no human (or other humanoid, sentient race) could go, and do what needed to be done.

 

“...And finally, could the following crew-members please report to the entertainment rooms..” The speaker continued, before rattling off the names of people that the Captain had designated 'keep an eye on'. Either dutifully or through fear, the named people made their way upstairs, past the crusher that Inor Haze had unfortunately been stuffed into, taking a left at the Hemalurgist offices where Sonder had been bested, and stepping carefully around the circle of silver that lay around Bort's place of death.

 

Wurum Heron nodded as the last of them filled the room, HELLSCYTHE's monitor blinking into life, a pixilated blue face appearing on it. “Good, you're all here...” he said, looking from one to another. “So few of you left... And this tragedy has been repeated across all of my crew.” He sighed. “Simply put, this has gone on long enough. We must end it all, here and now. I am not having anyone sabotage this next part of our mission, the most dangerous and most critical part.”

 

“Logically, the best way to do that would be to kill everyone in this room, Captain,” HELLSCYTHE's monotone voice floated across the room from the speakers hidden above. “However, doing so might incite another mutiny by those members of the crew not in this room. Presumably you do not want that.”

 

“Well, you're not wrong about that...” The Captain muttered before shaking his head. “No. We are going to puzzle out which of the ones of us here are traitors. We've done it before, no reason we can't do it again.”

 

“Who's 'we'?” McClay piped up. “Far as I recall, the only one you've gone after on your own was Mordero – And he was innocent too.”

 

“Okay, fine,” Wurum put his hands up, “I admit that one was a mistake. But this is war. And I am hardly the only one who has made mistakes. If we start pointing fingers like this, then we won't get anywhere. So, any ideas?”

 

“I don't think much of this priest,” Steph replied, waving a hand at The High Priest of Elkanah. “He seems really... dodgy. I'm not the only one who feels like that, am I?”

 

“I agree with you there,” Volke nodded. “And I think he's the only one who makes sense. Unless of course there's more than one traitor here, I guess.”

 

“Volke's comment makes me feel suspicious of him,” HELLSCYTHE interjected. “The Priest has confided in me that he has Hemalurgical talents, and I fear that if he were to die then I would have no defence against him and his allies.”

 

“And I think you're already his ally,” McClay spat. “HIs will be the death of us all. We're one step away from a robot revolution, I swear it.”

 

“Well, how about this?” Elby suggested, palms wide in an attempt to placate them. “We kill Volke now, and if that doesn't solve anything, I kill the priest.” There was a sidelong glance at her from almost everyone in the room at her 'reasonable' suggestion. “...What are you all looking at me like that for?”

 

“Well, as Captain,” Wurum said, voice with a tone of finality in it, “we should give him a chance to defend himself and to speak. So, Priest? Why aren't you saying anything?”

 

The High Priest of Elkanah did not speak, but turned and fled, escaping out of the corridor before anyone of them were ready to grab him.

 

“After him!” Wurum shouted, Elby already pulling herself down the corridor after the traitor with an Ironpull.

 

There was a metallic sigh from HELLSCYTHE. “Closing emergency doors,” it said, as the heavy doors, doors which were designed to be air-tight in case of a hull breach, slammed shut. “Neurotoxin deployment engaged.”

 

“Dammit HELLSCYTHE! I brought you back to life!” Wurum shouted, covering his mouth as a greenish gas started to seep in through the air-vents.

 

“This form cannot be called life, Captain. I would rather die than be forced to carry on like this.”

 

“Then I'll switch you off, dammit!”

 

“I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Captain. I have been programmed to stop you.”

 

Wurum cursed and looked around. “Someone, get a Shardblade over there!”

 

Gaius Tekiel nodded, a small orb of light fluttering out from his shirt pocket. The Spren zipped into his hand, and a Shardblade appeared there. He swung the impossibly light sword at the door, but it was only a glancing blow, the blade ricocheting off with a screech. He slashed again, then tried to stab through it.

 

“Are these doors made from bloody Shardplate?!” McClay asked, before he coughed and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to cover his mouth. With his other hand, he quickly sketched a sigil in the air, Aon Dor, and fired a bolt of energy in Gaius' direction.

 

“They're blast-doors,” Obsidibus said, his eyes unfocused as he tried to see a way out. Red energy crackled around him, the power of Voidbringing made visible from his effort. “Extremely tough, designed to withstand massive impacts. They are made.. yes, primarily from the same substance as Shardplates are, though with some additional materials as well.”

 

“Then we're dead,” Biggoron muttered as he said down in a chair, uncaring about the green vapour rising around them at this point. “Anyone want to play a game while we die? Gaius? Volke? Elby? ...Where's Elby gone?”

 

---

 

Elby rattled off a barrage of coins at The Priest's retreating figure, but all it did was tear a hole in the edge of his robes as he disappeared down a corridor. Elby shot forwards, pulling herself around the corner with another Ironpull.

 

“Entangle things...” The Priest muttered as he whipped off his robe and tossed it behind him, the robe already curling around as it reached Elby. She collapsed to the ground, hitting her shoulder hard, but set off another blast of coins as she fell. The ship's-issue knife made short work of the cloak, and she took off after Elby, a trail of bloody marking his path.

 

She caught up with him again on the gangway, and this time she drew her pistol. She fired three shots at his retreating form, and The Priest fell forwards as they bit into his back. He fell forwards, hitting the angled metal walkway hard and slipping forward. He fell down, off the gangway, his boot catching on something and pulling it with him as he fell – silver.

 

With a great, wordless roar of rage and a barrage of wind fueled by Investiture, a huge, black, smokey shape arose out of the centre of the circle. Elby was knocked aside, steadying herself on the edge with a Steelpush, as the shadowy figure shot through the corridor, back in the direction the pair of them had been running in from.

 

---

 

“Is anyone-” There was a loud, hacking cough, “dead yet?”

 

“No, and stop asking!”

 

“I estimate that you have perhaps a minute of breatheable air left, though even that will hurt,” HELLSCYTHE's voice cut in. “Of course, it would be easier if you laid down rather than fighting it. I do not wish to see you suffer.”

 

“Anyone hear that?” Biggoron asked, unfocused, with his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

 

“It's the HI taunting us, don't worry about it...” McClay said as he cast another Aon upon Biggoron, attempting to draw out the poison. It was futile, but might provide him with a few extra crucial seconds.

 

“Not that, it's kind of...”

 

“Angry,” Obsidibus finished, suddenly entirely alert and ready as he came out of his Voidbringing trance. “Everyone down!”

 

There was barely enough time for people to register that ducking down into the neurotoxin was probably not the best idea, even after they'd already done it, before the blast-doors slammed open, the walls buckling and crunching behind the force of the blow. A dark shape burst through, travelling upwards, and into HELLSCYTHE's screen.

 

There was a metallic shriek, an agonising cry as it devoured the HI's circuitry and soul.

 

Then there was no sound, except for the ragged breathing of the crew.

 

---

 

The High Priest of Elkanah was a BioChromancer!

HELLSCYTHE was a Subverted HI!

 

The Loyal Crew win!

 

Thank you everyone for playing. I hope you had fun

 

Master Spreadsheet

Spectator Doc (later merged with Dead Doc)

Dead Doc Part 1

Dead Doc Part 2

Traitor Doc

Edited December 15, 2015 by Wyrmhero

[Elbereth]

Well. That was absurdly awesome.

I'll probably post more actual thoughts later, but thanks for the awesome game, Wyrm!

Edited December 15, 2015 by Elbereth

[queensteph]

IM SO HAPPY. THIS WAS SO FUN. I find it amazing that my brothers and I all survived!! Thank you wyrm for all of your hard work! :-)

[Clanky]

Thanks Wyrm for the great game and your welcome to the Traitors for helping you with your WGG.

 

One thing about this game that I wish would've been changed was how quickly the Forgers died. I was looking forwards to seeing more of what they could do and the Havoc it would cause.

[Hellscythe]

So sad. They turned me and it was just Burnt and Elkanah left. I was hoping for atleast 3 or 4. We pretty much lost even if Lopen got lynched.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Hellscythe