Orlok Tsubodai

In response to @maxal’s post and more generally, we’ve responded to the dialogue between R’Shara and Anagram through PMs in a way which I think satisfies both sides. I think it important that this thread is focused on overall moderation improvements an how to improve character discussion, rather than discussing particular members. I and the rest of the staff are very happy to discuss this or any other concerns of any related nature through PMs.

You know, Livinglegend, I think that would be boring. It helps none of you to kill me, and I think I can help everyone have fun. For now, Stick. I've had two of your team members corroborate that your faction was working to eliminate all the others, and I understand that you're now trying to lead the faction forward in the same direction. Peoples of Luthadel, Cousins, friends. Let us lay aside war, and strife, and come together with me to free us all from the threat of Heron tyranny.

The voting is based on activity this game.

AG4/AN1 - Aftermath: Ashes The sun rose red the following morning, bloody pools of sunlight spilling through a cloud of ash. Houses gutted by fire creaked and groaned a lament to the dead of Rennan. The village, a lone dark stain on the hillside, was still, the mountain as if holding a wake to the dead. A torn flag fluttered defiantly on a broken flagpole before being torn away, snatched by an angry wind, and lost. Embers died with the passing of the sun, and a new dawn broke over Rennan. Rain fell, and rivulets of water, dark with ash and blood, ran through the streets, the motion all that would separate the scene from a painting. Rennan remained a tomb and a monument to the dead, a macabre tableau of the last moments of life. Storms came, with time, but Rennan’s buildings stood guard, unaware that their charges lay sundered, strewn through them as discarded ragdolls, torn and broken. Seasons passed, and the quiet watch continued, the sentinels of the dead unmoving. Crem fell, and gathered, testimony to the solitude of the guardsmen. Unknown, unloved, now unnamed, they stood. The tomb on the mountain was to be eternal. Storms came, and seasons passed. It was a quiet day, with no rain or wind disturbing the silence, when the first one broke. The stillness, unwary, complacent, was shattered without a chance to retreat. It collapsed with the building, splintering, tearing, and twisting. Almost as if shocked, or broken in spirit, the rest fell over the coming months, beating a solemn rhythm to the passing of an age. AG4/AN1 is over. Fuchsia Ostrich was killed, and Odium’s Sympathisers have won. I very much hope you all enjoyed playing. I certainly enjoyed watching the impact of anonymity, but would love to hear about how it was for players. I’ll give my full thoughts on the game after voting for awards has concluded, both to give me time to formulate them, and to allow me to speak without concern. Voting: There are three Non-Sanderson game passes available to the winners of the vote. Both players and spectators are eligible to vote, and may list as many people as they’d like (but at least five) in order of preference for receiving an award. The STV voting method will be used to decide the three winners. Please use the PM you used to sign up for the game to vote. Voting will remain open for a week, or until every player has voted. Anonymity: Please do not give any indication of which Anonymous Account you were using until the results of the activity voting have been announced. This rule will be waived for those players on the evil team, allowing them to speak about the game from their perspective, and because I’m not going to trawl through 157 pages of evil doc to remove their references to their identities. Anonymous Accounts: Anonymous Account passwords have been changed, and you no longer have access to your accounts. Before the next Anonymous Game, all accounts will have had their PMs cleared, and so will not share personal information with future holders of the account. I’d like to thank Stink for helping with the game, and his excellent writeups in the initial cycles. Mint Heron deserves a great deal of credit for stepping in to help with writeups towards the end of the game. I wouldn’t have managed without them. I'd like to thank Wilson for helping with the balance calls we had to make at points in the game, and for her excellent judgement. Most of all, though, Elbereth deserves recognition for the massive investment she’s put into helping. Anonymous games take a great deal of effort to run, but her writeups and fantastic spreadsheet took a huge amount of stress out of GMing. Doc Links Servants of Odium The Watchers and the Weary Master Spreadsheet Final Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion - Villager-turned-Bondsmith 2. Azure Mouse - Sympathiser Worldhopper 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich - Villager 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross - Sympathiser Windrunner 13. Mauve Crocodile - Sympathiser Bondsmith 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron - Kharsis - Villager 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon - Village Elsecaller 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra - Villager 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo - Sympathiser Elsecaller 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager Voting will close in seven days time, at 10pm GMT on the 1st March.

That’s quite the twisting of events, Devotary. I used a factionmate as bait to see what Heron would do, and placed the first vote of the cycle. Calling it a unilateral defence seems to me to be an attempt to change the narrative from House Heron working in concert to eliminate the rest of us, to multiple houses working in concert. I’d question why you’re trying to manipulate the discussion so.

@_Stick_, I asked both Mafia and Devotary to vote on Drought. I did this as a test. Neither of them should have done so, as I didn’t have alliances or agreements with either, yet they acted to protect Mage. What this illustrates, I believe, is that I was entirely correct about House Heron having an alliance, and seeking to protect each other. I think this corroborates what I’ve heard about them working together and seeking to wipe out all other factions in their entirety. Further to this, but your last post strikes me as entirely off, and feeds into my sense of unease about your house. It looks to me like you’re asking to create a spectacle, not to understand their reasons. You have a house doc with them in which to ask. Why did you ask here, if not to set up a prearranged response from them in public?

AG4/AN1 - Night 12: Smoke The Man in Sage Clothing sat happily, balanced on the tippity top of the gallows. He was whistling, whittling, whistling as he whittled a piece of wood. He had evaded the villagers the previous night, and though they had made valiant attempts to keep him under house arrest, no house could contain him. Odium had granted him powers beyond their wildest dreams. He had been sad to see Kharsis die; It had been his intent to keep him alive as long as possible. He was fun, he played the game, not like all the others. But, what Odium commanded, the Man carried out. And so, Kharsis had gone up in flames. He was a little annoying, anyway. “Well, looks like we’re out of options.” Crocodile said, looking around nervously. “We’ve just gotta kill that guy over there, now.” “I think we should kill him too.” The Zebra muttered. “Just look at him, up there, smiling, whistling. We know he’s evil. And he’s giving me the creeps.” “He is the last one left.” the Chameleon noted, speaking up for once. “Lets get him!” The Man in Sage Clothing shook his head, giggling softly. No noose could catch him. No blades could touch him. The few villagers remaining could never hope to overpower him. But still they rushed at him, holding assorted weapons and other such cutlery. Foolish villagers. One of them took out a spear, and threw it at The Man in Sage Clothing. Laughing, he raised a finger, shaking it at them. Light flowed from the pack on his back, caressing him, flowing around him, filling him. He inhaled Light, drinking deeply of its power. His eyes glowed with it, the Light, a fiery strength. He grinned. He pointed his finger. Light snapped out from his hand, striking the spear mid-flight, and it turned to smoke in the air. More spears flew, but met the same fate as the first, each dissolving into smoke before they ever touched the Man in Sage. The air quickly grew thick, the villagers coughing, the air reminiscent of how it had been the night before. The Man in Sage was cackling now, laughing madly, his eyes brighter than ever. Light surrounded him. The villagers stood back, frightened by the man, befuddled by the smoke, unsure what to do next. “This is true power!” The Man screamed at them, watching them flinch backwards as he stepped fowards. “This is the power of Hatred! This is the Light of Odium!” Smoke curled up from the ground around the Man, as he let his powers loose, laughing bloodcurdlingly, mad with power, eyes dilated, lips pulled back across his teeth in a mad snarl, teeth bared in a wild grin. His eyes were wide with a psychotic blaze, and Light poured out from them. Slowly, the light faded, drawing back into the pack, dissipating into the air, leaving the man who had been holding it. The smoke ceased to pour from the earth, instead hanging heavy in the air, tainting it, painting the landscape a darker shade. The Man stood, his laughter slowly dying, fading away. “You failed. You can’t kill me.” He shook his head, his mad grin still stretched across his face, his eyes still wild. “You could try again another day,” He said, chuckling, “If you make it through the night.” All credit to Sage Kangaroo for the writeup. Sage Kangaroo was lynched. He was a Elsecaller. Vote Count Fuchsia Ostrich (1): Mauve Crocodile Sage Kangaroo (1): Fuchsia Ostrich, Pearl Chameleon Night 12 has begun. It will end in 24 hours, on the 21st February at 10pm GMT. Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion - Villager-turned-Bondsmith 2. Azure Mouse - Sympathiser Worldhopper 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross - Sympathiser Windrunner 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron - Kharsis - Villager 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo - Elsecaller 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

Magestar presents a threat to us all, as far as I understand it. I’ve been told that he’s organised his house into an alliance, and is pursuing an “alternate win condition”. That sounds potentially dangerous, but perhaps more importantly, generates order in a game built for chaos. I’m quite enjoying the chaos, and suggest that we restore our houses to their natural state.

AG4/AN1 - Day 12: Fire Late that night, long after its inhabitants had stumbled off to bed, the house was quiet. There was no sound, except for the soothing sound of wind blowing through the leaves. The three moons shone watchfully from above, bathing the world in soft hues of blue, green, and red. One hand reached for a piece of kueh as the other dropped a torch. The front door caught fire. - Kharsis woke to the acrid tang of smoke on his tongue. Almighty above! “Fire!” he bellowed. He dashed to the door. “Elion!” “Here,” Elion yelled back. “Out in the backyard!” Smoke poured in from all directions, making Kharsis’s eyes water painfully. He turned to the window, with sturdy shutters meant to keep the rain from coming in. He pounded on it with his fists. “Storming open already,” he muttered. Finally the wood cracked under his fingers, giving him enough of an opening to haul himself through. He fell onto the stone floor of the backyard. Almighty above, what had happened? Kharsis watched in fascinated horror as flames leapt to the roof, red and orange and violet all mixing together. “Kharsis, thank the Stormfather, are you alright?” Elion approached, holding Adani. Beside him stood Helina, cradling her arm and cursing. Blisters rose from angry red skin. “Yeah,” he said, breathing heavily. “Where’s Larsah?” The realisation broke over them all at once. “Storm it,” said Helina. Elion said nothing, his face white. Adani broke into a piteous wail. Kharsis ran towards the house. “Larsah!” he called. “LARSAH!” He scrambled back through the window, into the hallway. Flames danced around him in frenzied glee. Something fell from the roof and he threw himself out of the way, losing precious seconds as he did so. “Larsah,” he said. “U -- uncle?” Kharsis could barely hear Larsah’s voice over the crackling hiss of the flames. “Where are you?” “I -- dining room. Something -- I’m trapped --” Kharsis ran as fast as he could, crouching low to avoid the smoke. He jumped over a patch of fire that might have once been a chair. The further in he got, the more blazing white flames consumed his vision. “I’m coming,” he said, the words devolving into a fit of coughing. Finally he saw her, under what looked like a fallen beam of roof truss. Larsah’s leg lay twisted under it. Broken, probably. Kharsis strained to lift the beam. “Can you walk?” “Don’t know, I --” “Go!” She stood up, winced, and ran. Kharsis grabbed her hand, pulling her faster. Something creaked above them. To the side, a patch of roof fell in. The house groaned around them. Storm it! It wasn’t going to hold for much longer. His eyes blinked furiously, streaming tears from the smoke. “Come on,” he rasped. Almost there. They were almost at the guest room. Something cracked above them. Kharsis looked up. “GO!” he yelled, shoving Larsah forward. The crossbeam came crashing down. A sharp pain in his back. Then, nothing. All credit once again goes to Mint Heron. Mint Heron was a Villager. Day 12 has begun. It will end in 46 hours, at 10pm GMT on the 20th February. Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion - Villager-turned-Bondsmith 2. Azure Mouse - Sympathiser Worldhopper 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross - Sympathiser Windrunner 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron - Kharsis - Villager 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

There’s not much point me voting here, but I’d question the reason for No Lynch votes. It doesn’t really help any of the people voting for a No Lynch, and slows the progression of the game.

AG4/AN1 - Night 11: Snap Hermux Tantamoq smiled as he strolled down the streets of Rennan, tossing and catching a round pocketwatch. Today’s such a wonderful day, he thought. The sun is shining, the sky in blue, and the forces of Odium are just steamrolling everything. Someone passed by. Sherrah, the village storyteller. “Hello,” Hermux said. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” Her face went pale and she shrank away, averting her eyes. "Oh come on,” Hermux said. “I’m not so bad, am I?” Sherrah looked up at him, and then back at the floor, then back at him, then back at the floor. Finally, her head jerked in a weak shake. “Talk with me, will you?” Hermux asked. “It’s been so hard to find good conversational partners lately. One of the worst downsides of being a servant of Odium.” “I --” Sherrah started. “I have something I need to do…” “Sure,” Hermux said. “I’ll walk with you. Not like I have much to do anyways.” He never would have thought this, but was so lonely these days, being known as one of Odium’s Sympathisers. All his village friends had abandoned him, leaving him alone in a pit of isolation. They passed by Vanna’s house. Despite her death, it looked like nothing had changed -- on the outside, at least. The exterior was still cheery as ever, painted by Vanna’s own hand. And yet there was something missing, some vitality of spirit that had fled the after Vanna sighed her last breath. “She was a true artist to the end,” Hermux mused. “Who?” Sherrah asked. “Vanna,” Hermux said. “I always wondered why she was a Windrunner rather than a Lightweaver. It confused us all when we found out.” He glanced at Sherrah. “Her final painting was the truest she ever made. Odium wins. His forces take everything.” “You’re projecting,” Sherrah said sharply. “No,” Hermux said. “A final drop of red wiping out her last hope. It’s obvious what it means, even without being able to see into the future.” They continued in silence for a while. Finally, Sherrah spoke up again. “Why do you...why would you serve Odium?” she asked. “I know you, or...I thought I did. Why would you serve the God of Hate?” “You wouldn’t understand,” Hermux said, suddenly distant. “Odium is much more than hate, anyways. So much more. He wants this village burned to the ground. I know my role.” The corners of his mouth tilted upwards in a wry smile. “Besides, it’s fun.” He nodded respectfully at Sherrah. “Looks like we’re at the inn. I’ll be leaving you here, if you don’t mind.” He paused, then added, “It was nice talking to someone other than my fellow Sympathisers.” He walked into the courtyard of the Thoughtful Skyeel, that last bastion of the village, and leaned against the walls. He checked his pocketwatch. 7 o’clock sharp, not a minute sooner or later. It was empty, for now. He tossed his pocketwatch and waited for the villagers to arrive. - The village, for some reason, seemed to go ballistic whenever Hermux or Sage interjected into their conversations. That was, of course, exactly why they did it: because it was just so fun watching their faces screw up and try to decipher what villainous intent lay behind those words. And if it helped him feel less adrift in aching loneliness, well, that was an added benefit. So when Fuschia Ostrich made that particular suggestion, it was all Hermux could do to hold in a chuckle. Then he released it, anyways, because why wouldn’t he have a good laugh at Fuschia’s expense? Life was meant to be enjoyed, after all. Even if it was a life serving Odium. “I’m sorry,” Hermux said, “I love the assumptions you just made. And there’s some good ideas in there, although misguided. It’s just too funny…” He wasn’t too surprised when they lynched him, after that. He knew his role. He was the bad guy, the evil one, and they were the scrappy good guys, doing anything they could to survive. And when they kicked the box out from under his feet, his last thought before his neck snapped was that perhaps the Cognitive Realm would have more company for him to talk to. All credit to Mint Heron for the writeup. Azure Mouse was lynched. He was a Sympathiser Worldhopper. Vote Count Azure Mouse (3): Fuchsia Ostrich, Mint Heron, Quartz Zebra Mint Heron (2): Azure Mouse, Sage Kangaroo PMs are now closed. Clarification: If there is only one player on each side at the end of the game, the two vote minimum does not apply. Night 11 has begun. It will end in 24 hours, on the 18th February at 10pm GMT. Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion - Villager-turned-Bondsmith 2. Azure Mouse - Sympathiser Worldhopper 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross - Sympathiser Windrunner 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

AG4/AN1 - Day 11: Almost Whole “Life before death.” Amethyst Scorpion inhaled, and stormlight flowed through him. He felt alive, energetic, better than he ever had. “Strength before weakness.” The spheres in the room all went dun as he started glowing. He stared in wonder at his hands. After all this time, he’d never expected - Well. He certainly hadn’t expected the Shardblade in his back. But then, he wasn’t exactly supposed to. “Can’t have someone developing powers now,” murmured a voice in the darkness. Amethyst Scorpion, near-Bondsmith, was left on his bedroom floor with burnt eyes and wisps of stormlight floating up around him. The threads of the tapestry were nearly woven. Hope sprang still, technically, but the tapestry was dark, now. It would take a miracle to save Rennan. Sherrah stared out at the fires, as she did every night. “Almighty, have mercy,” she whispered, imagining the prayer being whisked away by the wind. The fires drew closer. Amethyst Scorpion was killed. They were a Villager temporarily granted Bondsmith powers due to a mistake. Day 11 has begun. It will end in 42 hours, at 10pm GMT on the 16th February. PMs are open. Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion - Villager-turned-Bondsmith 2. Azure Mouse 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross - Sympathiser Windrunner 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

AG4/AN1 - Night 10: The Gallows The gallows loomed over them all, its frame a dark shadow against the stormy sky. “Let’s get this over with,” Fuschia said tiredly. “If we can take out Sage today, that’s another day of life bought for us all.” Around him, the townspeople nodded wearily. They crowded around Sage, the ever jovial, jesting Sympathiser of Odium. Like yesterday, a distance hung between them all, a yawning chasm that they could not communicate across. Their newfound knowledge of mortality -- their own and other’s -- had changed them all. “Wait a moment,” Kharsis said. “We already know Sage is a murderer, so we can watch him and put him under house arrest. We have to go after the less obvious murderers hiding amongst us.” He continued on, listing the benefits of temporarily leaving the known Sympathisers alone. Then, he pointed at Magenta Albatross. “I think that man is one of the murderers,” he said. “He doesn’t act like someone who wants to get rid of the Sympathisers.” Without further comment, the townspeople shuffled around Magenta, boxing him in. He yelped and scooted away, only to collide into someone staring blankly into his eyes. Did they even know what they were doing? Magenta turned to make a desperate break for it, but again found someone in his path. The crowd tightened around him, boxing him in. “I’m innocent!” protested Magenta. “I promise I am. It’s Kharsis that’s evil here, not me!” He begged, he pled, he wailed, he cried, he implored them to listen, but to no avail. The townspeople stared at him with dead eyes, eerily silent, keeping him locked up in a cage of human bodies. Perhaps one of them might have said something, if not for the oppressive blanket of despair that pushed down from above. “Please! You’ve known me for all of my life,” Magenta said, his voice reaching higher and higher in his desperation. “That man who accused me is a stranger. An outsider! He’s not one of us. You can’t trust him!” “I was born here, y’know,” Kharsis grumbled. “Come on, everybody, let’s get him to the noose.” Someone prodded Magenta forwards with a pitchfork. The press of metal, combined with the pressure of five people, forced him to stagger towards the gallows, yelling out memories of fond interactions with friends, family, and neighbors. The people were unmoved. Perhaps they couldn’t hear Magenta’s words, or perhaps they couldn’t care. None of his words soaked through to the numb core of them, the parts that might actually listen, the parts that might understand and feel pity. The events of the past few days had locked their real selves up in hard, unfeeling, unthinking shells. “Don’t kill me, please! It’s all a trick! You’re listening to a Sympathiser and you’re all going to die…” A noose slipped around Magenta’s neck. Kharsis watched from the back uncomfortably. The story of Magenta’s yearly dinner with his entire extended family made him squirm uncomfortably, seeding pangs of doubt in his gut. Did he really want to do this? Magenta looked so young, maybe only a few years older than Larsah… He glanced at Fuschia, who glanced worriedly back at him. “Wait!” Kharsis called. “Stop!” The box under Magenta was kicked, and his body jerked downwards, his neck breaking instantly. The gallows loomed over them all. All credit to Mint Heron, once again, for the write up. Magenta Albatross was lynched. They were a Sympathiser Windrunner. Vote Count Magenta Albatross (5): Amethyst Scorpion, Fuchsia Ostrich, Mint Heron, Pearl Chameleon, Quartz Zebra Sage Kangaroo (2): Azure Mouse, Mauve Crocodile Mint Heron (0): Magenta Albatross Night 10 has begun. It will end in 21 hours, at 10pm GMT on the 14th February. Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion 2. Azure Mouse 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross - Sympathiser Windrunner 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

AG4/AN1 - Day 10: I Will Protect Vanna stared at the painting in front of her. The border was a red-and-black stormcloud, with flashes of dark lightning scattered throughout it. But the centre, where she had hoped for light… A void had sprung into being there, against her will. She felt like she were looking into an endless abyss of night. A single spot of whiteness remained in the centre. Vanna did not want to fill it in, but… She lifted her charcoal, hesitantly. “You’ve lost,” said a voice from behind her. She sighed. “Tonight, then. I had been wondering.” “You should’ve flown away when you had the chance, little Windrunner,” said the voice, coming closer. “You had plenty of chances.” “You’re right,” Vanna agreed, still staring down at the painting in defeat. “But I didn’t.” She smiled defiantly. “And I won’t.” Quickly, she bent over the painting, finishing the centre at least. It wasn’t complete darkness, and she didn’t care what her instincts had to say in the matter. At the very bottom of the abyss she’d drawn was left the tiniest bit of pure light. She spun to face her attackers. “I swore an oath to protect. I will not run when my home is in danger, no matter the cost.” She inhaled Stormlight, making the cottage go entirely dark except for her glowing body. “Life before death!” she cried, and attacked. Three arrows took her in the back. Her Stormlight vanished. The painting, had anyone been able to see it, was unblemished but for a tiny spot of Vanna’s blood covering the white at its centre. Sunburst Toucan was killed. They were a Village Windrunner. Day 10 has begun. It will end in 48 hours, at 10pm GMT on the 13th February. Player List Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion 2. Azure Mouse 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna - Village Windrunner 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

I’ll sign up as Locke.

AG4/AN1 - Night 9: A Dance of Life and Death Sapphire Elephant stood before the village, smiling grimly. “A dance it is, then,” he said, bowing with a flourish. “The dance of death for me, and the desperate dance to save your lives for the rest of you. You have a chance, you know. Getting slimmer by the day, but if you can kill us first, you might survive. If you can clean the wellwater and escape the encroaching flames. I wish you luck.” The village growled, but seemed frozen, almost afraid to approach him. He raised an eyebrow. “Or leave me alive. I suppose that if you wish to die, that can be obliged…” They forced him up the gallows. No one really wanted to touch him, so he was sort of corralled up, and someone finally placed the noose around his neck. “Odium shall rule!” cried Sapphire Elephant. Crack. One dead. So many more to go… Sapphire Elephant was lynched. They were a Sympathiser Skybreaker. Vote Count Sapphire Elephant (8): Amethyst Scorpion, Fuchsia Ostrich, Magenta Albatross, Mauve Crocodile, Mint Heron, Pearl Chameleon, Quartz Zebra, Sunburst Toucan Fuchsia Ostrich (1): Sapphire Elephant Mint Heron (1): Sage Kangaroo Night 9 has begun. It will end in 19.5 hours, at 10pm GMT on the 11th February. Player List Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion 2. Azure Mouse 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant - Sympathiser Skybreaker 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

On sick leave, I'm afraid...

Kynedath. I’m not a villager, so I’m not going to pretend to have reasons for this, other than wanting to see what happens.

Let’s make this day a little more interesting and productive. I’m going to shoot BR tonight, so there’s no point lynching her and wasting the discussion.

@Caesura, my reasoning at the moment is that I have a reasonable read on Brightness from PMs. She’s reacted as I’d expect a villager to to phishing, and claims that she’d have claimed to me were she evil, as she felt bad about the eliminators not PMing the neutrals in LG36, in a way that seemed genuine. Elenion and I have been talking almost continuously in our PM for the last 2 hours, and he’s made suggestions, and given information that seems very typical of being a villager.

I, too, will move my vote to Budgie. I’m getting a pretty reasonable village read from Elenion in my PM with him. I’m not clearing him, but no longer think his lynch will give us information about BR and Budgie.

This cycle will be extended for 24 hours, for reasons that will be publicised soon.

It's showing for me with a "Report Entry" button. Did that not appear for you?

AG4/AN1 - Day 9: Uniter Divided; Dividers Unite Not long ago... Nolan traced his hands over the inscription at the front of his book. “Life before death,” he murmured softly. “Strength before weakness, journey before destination...” His thoughts meandered into meanings and contexts, and for a few minutes he entirely failed to notice that the sphere he was holding to illuminate his work had gone dun. He stared at it. The highstorm hadn’t been so long ago that it should be dun already. “How...?” He pulled another sphere from his pocket, but it was dun, too. And all the others in his pocket. Um... This was in the book. Nolan knew what was happening, it just... couldn’t be. He went to check his pouch, which was hanging by the door. Still bright. Almost fearfully, he drew out a sphere and closed his eyes. What had the book said. Breathe. Nolan breathed, and he became alive. He laughed for hours and hours, later, interspersed with furious rereading. After all this time, he was a Knight Radiant! The very people he had been trying to study, and he could have firsthand experience with them. What’s it called when you’re the source of your own scholarship? he wondered idly. Is it a primary source or a.. zeroth... source? He had so many experiments to do. He heard cries from outside. Another kill discovered. Perhaps he could even use his power to help, to find these storming murderers and rid the village of them once and for all. Tonight... Nolan stood warily across from the murderers, who had chased him down and separated him from the group. He inhaled Stormlight, hoping it would help, somehow. I’m a scholar, not a soldier! he thought. How am I supposed to defeat trained, blooded warriors? Why did the Almighty ever put me into this? I just want to study... But it seemed that the Almighty had a different fate in mind for him. He had been made a Bondsmith, and told to unite. He had failed. Nolan closed his eyes for a brief moment, prayed, and charged. He wished his battle cry could have been something noble - “Life before death,” or “All praise the Almighty,” or even “Scholarship!” Instead, it was a sort of buzzing, wavery “AAAaaaAAAaargh!” Two weeks of studying Stormlight couldn’t do much against murderers with weapons and the training to use them. Nolan was chopped into at least five separate pieces before he touched a single one of them. The glow surrounding him winked out, and only darkness remained. Ivory Dragonfly was killed. They were a Village Bondsmith. Day 9 has begun. It will end in 42 hours, at 10pm GMT on the 9th February. Player List 1. Amethyst Scorpion 2. Azure Mouse 3. Amber Vulture - Villager 4. Charcoal Hyena - Cannoc - Villager 5. Chartreuse Penguin - Villager 6. Coral Swan - Elyle - Village Lightweaver 7. Cream Tuatara - Villager 8. Emerald Falcon - Aldrick - Villager 9. Fuschia Ostrich 10. Indigo Weasel - Village Elsecaller 11. Ivory Dragonfly - Nolan - Village Bondsmith 12. Magenta Albatross 13. Mauve Crocodile 14. Melon Dingo - Quentisan - Village Edgedancer 15. Mint Heron 16. Onyx Flamingo - Squawk - Village Lightweaver 17. Opal Lion - Villager 18. Oxblood Beagle - Jai - Village Willshaper 19. Pearl Chameleon 20. Plum Rhinoceros - Villager 21. Quartz Zebra 22. Saffron Iguana - Emalia - Village Lightweaver 23. Sage Kangaroo 24. Salmon Meerkat - Village Bondsmith 25. Sapphire Elephant 26. Scarlet Octopus - Village Edgedancer 27. Sunburst Toucan - Vanna 28. Taupe Gecko - Villager 29. Turquoise Gorilla - Village Dustbringer 30. Violet Axolotl - Villager

Right. The eliminators seemed confident in their message, so I'll confirm that Eternum did indeed contact me at the beginning of C2, asking for me to help the village, and promising me a bribe if I did. I also trust MonsterMetroid, both from their posts, and our PM conversation. His reaction to something I claimed seemed far to genuine, and too quick, to be faked. As such, only BR or Budgie can have made the kill. Elenion is, I think, suspicious in his own right, his lynch will be of someone outside the group, and if he's evil, lynching him gives us a second eliminator, too.