Mid-Range Game 1: The Stormfather and The Nightwatcher

[little wilson]

Just to be clear:  The highstorm stops all actions only while its blowing, correct?  So someone who votes during the highstorm will not be counted but those that vote before or after do, yes? Or are all actions cancalled for the whole cycle?

 

Any votes or actions sent in during the highstorm will not be recorded, and the thread will be locked, so no RPing during the highstorm either. Actions and votes sent in before or after the highstorm count.

 

Do we have to have our Death Tweet revealed the day after we died, or do we have to pre-send them?

 

After you die, you'll be part of the dead doc. The tweet is something the entire dead doc puts together for each cycle, led by the person (or, in this case, people) who died first (so Weiry and Macen have final say in the doc itself and one of them will send it to Rubix, who will give the yes or no (probably yes) on if it's good to go in the write-up). So the tweet you help with will be on the write-up the day after you died.

 

Edit: Might I confirm that we cannot ask the GMs questions--either in-thread or through a PM--during a highstorm?

 

Well, the thread will be locked, so it's impossible to ask questions on there. Through PM, though? If they're game-play related questions, you can send them to me and I'll answer them after the highstorm. But nothing will be answered during.

[Rubix]

The highstorm is here! From now until the highstorm ends, you won't be able to PM me with any role actions or votes. If you do before the highstorm ends, your PM will be invalid.

 

As you were running for shelter as the wall of rain approached, you heard the stormwarden cry that this highstorm would last six hours.

 

 

The highstorm has ended! The game is afoot!

[Renegade]

Rengar watched the highstorm outside from the small inn, rain pounding incessantly on the roof, which was leaking water at an alarming rate.  Rengar reclined in his chair, looking out the window.  The rain had put out the fires of the riots, making this highstorm seem like… any other highstorm.  The stealing, kidnapping, and murdering had stopped… for the time being.  Rengar nodded sagely.  Of course.  The only way to stop Chaos… is more Chaos.  Rengar smiled.  They think I am crazy.  But only now are they seeing the truth.  The only way to stop this riot is something bigger…  Something even more powerful than the riots themselves.  But what could be more Chaotic than a riot?  I’m no Voidbringer; I cannot just call a storm upon us forever to cease these riots.  There must be something else…  Rengar frowned, taking a swig of his ale.

Nobody is safe.

“Hey, Bould!” Rengar called, looking at the innkeeper.  “Another brew, please!”

Two deaths, soon to be many more.

The large Horneater grinned, and took Rengar’s mug.  “I am curiosity.  How is it that you, a lowlander, can drink almost as much as a Horneater?”

How can we escape from these constant killings?

Rengar shrugged.  “They say I’m crazy.  Insane, actually.  If that’s so, I guess that any amount of alcohol has little effect on me anyway.”

We came into this riot as three quarreling factions.

The Horneater nodded, not entirely understanding that answer.  Rengar heard him mumble “airsick lowlanders” before refilling the mug.  In truth, the Horneater was one of his recent converts to Chaosism.  Rengar had never expected to convert anyone in these riots, let alone a Horneater, but apparently the constant chaos had ended up making an impression on many people.  Two hundred.  Two hundred followers of Chaosism.  And that’s only in the first three days.  Imagine what will happen by the time these riots are over…

We will leave as one.  One that has reigned supreme.

Bould came back with a refilled mug, and stood across the table from him.  “Chaotic day, Rengar?” Bould asked.

But at what cost?

Rengar smiled, looking out the window.  “Very Chaotic.”

The death of many is not fitting to contribute to the success of a few.

“Then this is good.  Tomorrow, there will be almost as much Chaos.  But there will be much more death.”

The Seventeenth Shard is the force of Chaos here.

“Unfortunately.  I used to believe that death was of Chaos, that the two go hand-in-hand.  But that isn’t true.  One can use Chaos to save.  To protect.”

We will have to deal with them eventually.

“And you will do this?”

But what I propose is a better plan.

“I will do what I must.  While I will stay loyal to my own faction, I will not hesitate to protect those of the other factions.  Until I come up with a better plan, I would think it best that we form a truce with the other factions.  I realize that an alliance would not be the way of Chaos, but we have little choice.  By preventing a bit of Chaos now, we can spur on Chaos later.”

For everyone.

Bould nodded, and walked towards the main foyer.  “This idea.  He is not of Chaos.  But I think you are right.  May Chaos guide you, Founder.”

I realize that the factions cannot trust each other.

“Chaos guide you, Bould,” Rengar replied, turning his attention to the highstorm outside.  The storm was waning.  The rain lightened up from the torrential downpour of a few minutes ago, and the howling winds were far weaker than before.  And so the Chaos ends… and a more bloody Chaos begins again.  Rengar stood up, walking towards the window.  Suddenly, a stone brick smashed through the window, shattering it and nearly hitting Rengar.  Yep, it’s begun.

I mean, even the members of our own factions prove suspect.

Rengar ducked and rolled to the closest table, picking up a chair and shoving it out of the way. The attacker jumped inside the room, locking eyes with Rengar.  Rengar smiled mischievously and pulled out a pair of daggers.  I know I must protect others, but…  Rengar hesitated.  How could he possibly help to end these riots by instigating them?

But, to survive these riots, alliances will need to be formed.

In Rengar’s moment of hesitation, the assassin, a cape flapping behind him, charged towards him, pulling out a dagger.  Rengar tumbled below the table as the assassin swiped his dagger out at him, barely missing.  Rengar quickly stood up and pushed the table at the assassin, in an attempt to catch him off balance.  The assassin leapt on top of the moving table, stopping its momentum.  Rengar backed away, running to the main foyer.

There has been talk of something... someone...

“Bould!” Rengar called frantically, barreling into the room.  The Horneater must’ve already understood what was going on, as he already held a large pan as a makeshift shield and a large kitchen knife.

Who can help to bind us together.

“Usually, it is not for me to fight,” Bould stated.  “But I am of Chaos.  I fight when needed.”  With that, he roared, charging at the assailant, who had just ran into the room.  Bould slammed the pan into the assassin’s head, and followed up by stabbing him in the neck.

Not a Bondsmith, for he is no Surgebinder, I assure you.

“No!” gasped the assassin, collapsing to the ground in pain.  “No!  This cannot be!  I was to be the savior!  I was to be the one who… stopped… the…”  The man, laying in a pool of his own blood, was silenced.

Rather, I am talking about... the Broken Spanreed.

Rengar and Bould stared grimly at the sight.  Who says that couldn’t have been me?  You kill a man, you’re called a murderer.  You kill a murderer, you’re called a savior.  Death and death.  Does it really matter?  Rengar looked down, the man’s blood trickling to his boots.  No.  I can’t let this happen again.  I will not stop these riots through the death of otherss, no matter Chaos’s will.  Rengar glanced at Bould, who was staring at the bloodied knife in terror, mumbling to himself.  But there are other ways…

His words seem to make no sense, to have no reason.  But look closely, for the fate of the three factions will rest upon your shoulders, my friend.

Alliances, threats, and meddling Seventeenth Sharders.  This game is full of surprises.

[little wilson]

Question time!

Can color be used in the ghost tweet?

The tweet will be copied and pasted from what Macen sends Rubix. More information past that will be available upon your passing.

Does the Shamed Guard rabble rouse a specific person, or is the rabble rouse the second-highest person voted for the lynch?

The Shamed Guard rabble rouses a specific person.

If a person with multiple lives is double-targeted in a day, will that person die?

Assuming the ardent isn't guarding them or martyring themselves for them, yes. Double targeting either the Freed Bridgeman or an unspooked Sharder will kill them.

[Lightsworn Panda]

Jain smiled and sipped his tea. The toy panda was placed next to him. Both were facing outside the room, watching the Highstorm through tightly closed shutters. It was amazing how much destruction a Highstorm could cause. From the glint in the toy's eyes, it was probably thinking the same thing. 

 

A boulder flew past his building, blown this far from the plains it came from by the winds of the Highstorm. Fortunately, it wasn't a particularly large rock. The natural windblades of Kholinar also created a good windbreak, lessening the force of the storm.

 

Jain finished his tea. It was always sad how quickly a cup of tea could disappear when he was drinking it. Why couldn't the cup-makers make their cups larger? Like, bucket sized? It would probably be unhealthy, but who cares? At least he could savor the taste of tea for longer, without having to refill.

[Sir Jerric]

Jerrek smiled as the faint light of the lantern played across his face. "Good evening, Farrah." He hefted a bulging sack. "Got a few things for you."

 

The old ardent limped back to hold hold the door open for him. Jerrek hadn't taken two steps before a shadow-shrouded child careened into him. "Uncle Jerrek!"

 

The cover slid off a small bowl of spheres, throwing a brilliant shimmer of rippling lights across the ceiling. Jerrek lifted an eyebrow to Alaral as he scooped up little Kharles with his free hand. Alaral rolled her eyes and waved to Uried and Surtos as they scampered toward him.

 

Jerrek danced about with the children, steering their play until he could set the sack up on the table. Hands freed, he allowed the clinging youths to drag him to the floor, the better to play-act crawling away in desperation. Alaral, not yet past her thirteenth Weeping but serious enough for thrice that, stood back by the water-filled sphere lamp with Renov and Trus. Jerrek crept carefully forward and caught Trus by one ankle, imploring the lad for help. The two boys looked at each other, and their mock grimaces slid into broad grins. Laughing, they joined the fray.

 

* * *

 

Farrah tottered over to his usual seat, smiling at the children's simple pleasures. The city might have dissolved into chaos, but these few children kept a measure of their innocence still. He turned his attention to the sack of supplies Jerrek had brought in. Alaral stepped around the laughing melee to assist him, and he was pleased to see the trace of a smile warming her face.

[Wyrmhero]

The Highstorm was over. That was good, since it meant that Heron could make his way back from the shelter to his home and get back to hiding away from the rest of the city.

 

Unfortunately, his second-greatest fear had been realised. The door had been broken down by looters who were either brave enough or foolish enough to go out into the storm, and the floor was soaked through because of it. He stepped over the broken boards and splashed into the rest of his small home.

 

Yes, the thieves had at least seen no value in his books. They'd stolen his money, it seemed, but that was it. Common looters wouldn't know the value of a decent book, even if they kept up to date on the prices of parchment. Unfortunately, that didn't stop them from throwing down the shelves to the wet floor to see if they were hiding anything lucrative behind them.

 

He quickly grabbed a few of the books from the floor, flicking through them in a panic. His hard-earned and hoarded tomes were soaked through, the ink staining the whole page. These thieves might not have robbed him blind, but through their carelessness and selfishness they'd managed to wreck his entire life's work without even realising it. He remained in shock for a few seconds, then let out a heartbroken scream of pain and frustration. What else could he do?

[Alvron]

As soon as the highstorm passed, Rolav was back in the streets heading to the green roofed house, hoping to get there before the scholar left.

 

He reached the street just as a group of people left the building.  Blending into the shadows he carefully observed the group noting with annoyance that the one he sought wasn't in sight.

 

Storm it.  She must've left just before the storm arrived. Now I've got to search this entire blasted city for one light-cursed woman.

 

Taking care not to be seen, Rolav left the street behind to start his long search.

 

The hunt is on.

[twelfthrootoftwo]

Twei was soaked. The nook she had curled up in had shielded her from most of the wind - and most of the rain with it - but in a highstorm, there was a lot of rain to go around. Even after being protected by her thick travelling cloak, her freehand was a mass of wrinkles. She suspected the rest of her was similar. She almost regretted refusing the offer of shelter from that man in the long grey coat.

 

Almost.

 

Well, the winds had let up somewhat, and she was shivering violently. One of her allies was reasonably close. She couldn't bring herself to care about potentially putting her trust in a spy; she just wanted a warm, dry fire.

[Tulir]

What?! The highstorm is over! And looks like it has been, for a while! Trahar stepped out of his shelter and started running.  He still had people to see and requests to make, none of which would be easy seeing as he was much later than planned.  The Riots start, and you are too busy worrying about the highstorm and miss chances to end them, he chided themselves as he maneuvered his way through the streets.

[Aonar]

Ah, well, I really should get around to posting in here, shouldn't I? I don't imagine getting caught in a Highstorm is really all that fun. Unless you're a Radiant, of course.

 

I had meant to write up some RP, but I've suddenly found I have to get going somewhere, and mostly likely won't get back until later today. So this post is largely to make sure I don't die in the Highstorm.

[Claincy]

Clanal slipped through the back alleys, carefully checking corners for rioters. The highstorm had washed away the blood and corpses, but the images remained fresh in his mind and it could only be a matter of time before the streets were again filled with blood. Clanal had no intention of participating in the gruesome decoration and he hurried on, hoping to reach his destination without meeting anyone.

 

Yeah I'm still around. Barely because of exams and major projects, but still here.

[luckat]

Lucy scanned the streets, trying to find the safest route to take. A reminder of the highstorm that had come through earlier that day remained in the air–a reminder that no matter how much everyone in this city fought and murdered, their mortal machinations did not matter to the Stormfather. The storms still came, and even the worst of the rioters bowed beneath their power.

The highstorm had done quite a bit to wash the streets. However, a few short hours later death had again filled the streets, the highstorm and the power of the Almighty forgotten to most. It didn’t seem that the violence would stop until everyone was dead and their bodies and blood were washed away by another highstorm, leaving an empty shell behind. Maybe then someone would find this city and make it great, as it once was. The Almighty knew, there was no hope for the people left.

[jaelre]

Sorry, don't have time to write a full role play. Just checking in.

[Sart]

Bold letters are annoying

 

"Well, at least that wasn't the worst high storm I've seen" Sarmas smiled. Asphodel's hospitality had been useful, to say the least. Still, it was time for him to leave. "I appreciate your friendship, but staying with each other for this long attracts unwanted attention. I'm going now, although I'd love to see you around. See you, later." With that Sarmas left the kitchen, and headed out into the streets. Who knows what treasure had been tossed by the storm? It was time to go exploring.

[Kasimir]

Kasimar stared down at the steaming cup he held. His head hurt. He breathed the fragrance of the tea, trying to enjoy it. It was far too costly, he thought, but everything seemed to be more costly given the state of Kholinar. The highstorm had passed, leaving devastation and an odd silence in its wake. Rain still dripped steadily from the grey skies outside the small, beat-down store.

"You look like the wrong end of a highstorm hit you," said the darkeyed owner.

"I think it did," Kasimar replied, quietly.

Tea cupped in his hands, he sipped at it patiently and waited to die.

Goodbye blue sky.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Kasimir

[Alvron]

Quietly moving through the building, Rolav made his way towards his target.  It had taken him the rest of the day to track her down, but now that he had, he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.  Unwinding the length of wire he kept coiled around his upper arm, Rolav slowly crept up behind his target.

 

The height and build are right.  Must be the scholar.

 

Quickly slipping the wire around her throat, Rolav quietly garrotted her.

 

Once the body finished thrashing around he lowered it to the floor.  Turning the body over and taking a look at her face Rolav then proceeded to search the room.

 

Don't know who died yet so can't tell who it was I killed.

[Rubix]

DAY FOUR: The Dead Lay in Streets, Not in Graves

Xeneth was tired of tripping over corpses. He loved his hat so very much, but he hated to see all his friends die like this. He knew they couldn't possibly deserve it, but his hat meant so much to him. Maybe more than Kasimar, perhaps, but no one liked that guy. He continued on, tripping over Mon, and fell face first into a pile of corpses that included Peng, Nixi, and Mailam.

Xeneth was entirely fed up with this day, and decided that it may be safest to go hide at home. As he was headed home, he heard a crier shout, "Murderer! You have no Honor, leaving my children orphans, I curse you and your faction -- Ace had only one target, Weiriah had a selection."

Spooked, Xeneth quickened his pace towards home.

Stormwarden's Warning: No Highstorm today.

• (WeiryWriter) Weiriah
• (Lightsworn Panda) Jain
• (Gamma Fiend) Magam
• (Tulir) Trahar
• (FeatherWriter) Lyla
• (Ashiok) Asphodel
• (Renegade) Rengar
• (Mailliw73) Mailam
• (Binnut) Binnt
• (Macen) Ace
• (AonarFaileas) Aonar
• (jasonpenguin) Peng
• (twelfthrootoftwo) Twei
• (a smart guy) Sarmas
• (Adolin_Dustbringer) Jim Bob Dirt
• (GreyPilgrim) Greyeh Pilgras
• (Alvron) Rolav
• (firstRainbowRose) Hinah
• (lord Claincy Ffnord) Clanal
• (Wyrmhero) Heron
• (Sphinx) Nixi
• (dants) Atrus
• (Sir Jerric) Jerrek
• (jaelre) Khiriq
• (luckat) Lucy
• (Awesomeness Summoned) Mon
• (Kasimir) Kasimar

A heads up for everyone: An element has entered the game that has the ability to insta-kill two life roles (or delayed death) in one hit. It can still not target the steward as it was a nightwatcher boon.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Alvron
I may or may not have had someone in red who shouldn't have been. My bad! *Hangs head low in GM shame*

[Alvron]

After thoroughly searching the building and unable to find any documents, Rolav silently cursed himself.

Sorry Nixi. Like Ace, I didn't kill you but am going to claim your death for my rp posts.

Blast.  I would've sworn it was her.  Now I have to find that scholar all over again.

[Renegade]

Rengar closed his eyes.  Not watching.  Not looking.  He couldn’t stand the deaths anymore.  This should not be Chaos’s way.  There is something interfering.  Something is causing Chaos to be a bit more… malicious than it should be.  Rengar walked along the street, the stench of rotting people was unbearable.  You’d think that they’d have enough sense to do something about it.  Put them in a grave or something.  But no.  The streets were in Chaos, like everything else.  Rengar suddenly looked forward, his eyes snapping open.  The Seventeenth Shard, Rengar thought.  The Seventeenth Shard!  They’re the ones behind this vile Chaos!  If we can stop them, we will be saved!  But, how will we deal with them.  Rengar breathed in deeply, the stench of the hundreds of bodies causing him to wrinkle his nose in protest.  I’m not going to live much longer, am I?  Storm you, Chaos!  Why have you let me down?  Rengar exhaled.  If I’m going to die, I’ll need to do one last thing.  One final act of ultimate Chaos.  With that, he ran back the way he came from, in search of a large audience that he would heed his final warning.

Don't trust anyone.

Well, this is just great.  Nobles, Darkeyes, Merchants: I believe that we have underestimated the Seventeenth Shard.  The way I see it, they’re not going for their faction goal; rather, they want the Seventeenth Shard to be the last ones remaining.  Why?  Because, in order to win with their “loyal” faction, the Sharders will have to have people kill the other factions’ Sharders off, which is very convoluted and difficult, since they can’t betray them.  Moreover, by working together, the Sharders can come up with a team plan, without worrying about having to stab each other in the back later.  Now, who do you think received that death weapon this cycle?  Which faction has practically no way to kill people, and is too small to have a great influence on voting?  The Seventeenth Shard, of course.  They have no abilities, and little use for voting, other than to tip the balance a little, so what do you think they do each day?  I am almost certain that they go to they go to the Nightwatcher each day to pray and ask for Items of Mass Destruction.  The Seventeenth Sharders are playing us for fools, friends.  Do not trust any of them, even those you’ve checked as loyal to your faction.  Their information will be used against you.  I hope that you see my wisdom here, and come up with some plans to deal with them.  Otherwise, they will kill us all, with their Nightwatcher weapons of death and discrete vote-unbalancing.  What I propose is an audacious plan (one that might get me killed, but the one that I believe is the best hope for all of our factions): we temporarily ally with each other and, one by one, share the names of the players from our teams.  Then, we cross-reference the lists, and discover which players have access to more than one doc.  (Also, I’d check to see if anyone has been booted from your doc.  This would mean that they are a Spooked Sharder.)  I’m not trying to trick anyone here.  I am really worried about the Seventeenth Shard’s power (or, at the very least, potential for power) here.  Even if you think my plan is a bad idea, I suggest we come up with something to quickly discern and kill the Sharders.  We can all go about killing each other again after the Sharders have been dealt with.

 

EDIT: Nevermind, that plan's not allowed now.  Anyone else have any ideas?

Edited June 7, 2014 by Renegade

[Rubix]

For purposes of the flavor of this game, exchanging lists of who is allied with your faction in the thread is forbidden.

[Renegade]

Rengar blinked.  Apparently, the crowd hadn't taken to his plan well.

I'm still worried about the Seventeenth Shard, however.

Okay.  There goes that idea.  Storm you, flavor!

[FeatherWriter]

Lyla woke with a start, gasping for breath. She sat up, trying to get her bearings as her heart raced. She was in her room, the door still locked, everything as it should be. She could barely remember the nightmare, but it left her with cold chills that even her blankets couldn't dispel. Absently she rubbed her neck, but she wasn't entirely sure why. It felt like this city was closing a noose around her, and she was afraid she might not have long before the floor dropped out from under her.

 

The morning sun was just beginning to rise outside her shuttered window but she could already hear the shouts and screams from the riots below. A part of her said she should run, try to save herself, get out of this terrible death trap, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Someone has to stay. Someone has to remember what happens here. 

 

She looked over at her desk, seeing the blinking light there. One of her spanreeds was flashing. She sighed, it was the reed from Kharbranth, of course. Wearily she walked across the room and set the reed up, turning the gem to indicate she was ready. She watched as the message began to write itself:

 

Lyla, the documents you sent last night were exquisite and we have an ardent here ready to monitor the spanreed if you are ready to send more. How much information on Kholinar do you have?

 

As the pen returned to its place, she picked it up, carefully writing back:

 

I have a meeting with some that I hope are my allies in about an hour, and I don't think I have time to start sending the rest of the information right now. Not to mention, my hand is somewhat cramped after copying over the first half of the document last night. I have the final five glyphs and their commentary, as well as my own descriptions of the building. I can try to get back in the hall to do some sketches today, but it might be too dangerous. I think the guards who caught me might have told someone I was in there. 

 

Aside from the copy of Pai's work, I've also got my personal accounts of the information in the events in the city, including major powers and the rise of these factions that are competing for dominance. I'm not sure how good my information is, but I've made it as accurate as possible. There's nearly thirty pages of writing and around ten pages of sketches there since the last time I sent information.

 

She set the pen back and carefully massaged her hand. All through the highstorm last night, she had meticulously copied her copy of Pai's work, at least, the first five glyphs of it. She'd thought copying it accurately from the floor had been difficult, but attempting to make a copy with a spanreed had cramped her hand excessively. She'd been so excruciating with the details, knowing that no matter how accurate she was, the copy in Kharbranth wouldn't be perfect. It was all she could do right now though.

 

If you can send any more of your documents after this meeting of yours, the Palanaeum will preserve them with the highest of care. If the second half of this denunciation by Sister Pai is as well crafted as the first, it is an incredible work of merit. The branch of the Devotary of Denial here in Kharbranth are very grateful that you have gotten even this much out of the city. The scholars who have inspected the work praise its craftsmanship. Sending the second half would be very much appreciated. We would love to see and possibly make copies of your original documents as well, if you can get to us. The spanreed's inaccuracy is unfortunate. 

 

I know, but my work isn't done here yet. The riots are still in full force, and I do not know if there is anyone else recording them. Hopefully I will be able to send the rest of the denunciation later this afternoon, and then perhaps begin sending my personal accounts as well. I pray the Almighty will allow me to survive this city and get my originals somewhere safe, but until such time as my work here is done, this must suffice.

 

Almighty protect you.

 

And you as well.

 

As the light blinked off, Lyla sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the task she had set for herself seem to settle upon her shoulders. She had spanreeds to other libraries in other major cities, and her best case scenario would have her be able to make a copy for each library, but for right now, Kharbranth was the priority. The Palaneum was one of the safest places for documents like these, and there were almost always scholars or ardents around to monitor the spanreed when she was ready. 

 

All she could do was take things one step at a time. For now, she had a meeting to get to. Stretching as she walked across the room, she grabbed her cloak and threw it across her shoulders. One step at a time.

[Lightsworn Panda]

Jain opened his eyes. He was still alive. Surprising really. He had though he would be killed. Getting off his bed - the previous owner of the room he was in had been trampled to death in the riot - he looked out the window. The Highstorm had passed, leaving behind mini-floods and new lakes in Kholinar. Normally, the city council would have had workers clearing out the water and debris. Normally. If there was a city council. Another reason why Jain stuck to the rooftops.

 

Looking at the shelf above him, Jain saw the toy panda looking down at him. Jain frowned. He was quite sure he had positioned it facing the wall.

[dants]

Atrus hid in his house, all the doors locked, waiting and hoping for the Riots to end. He was scared. "I don't want to go out. I think I'll die if I do," he thought. "Maybe I'll get some breakfast."