Amanuensis

Yes. The dataPad is the only Item that doesn't expire after use. So as long as you have Merit you can create a PM; just know that unlike other Items, this Merit will be subtracted before purchasing other Items, so you'll have to keep track of that. Because everyone starts off the game with 5 Merit that means everyone will be able to make 5 PMs on the first turn (or one PM with 5 other people, or any combination of the sort). [color=teal]cheer[/color] [color=orange]cheer[/color] That's correct. In the novels the roles are reversed. I made changes to the narrative to prevent spoilers for people who want to read the books. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Telemanus will kill an assassin at the cost of their own life, yes. The flavor text will shortly be updated to remedy that confusion. Tiberius understands that some lancers have busy social lives, so if they have to say a lot at once, rather than little over time, he will take that into account. If a lancer wishes to separate their points, either with multiple spaces between their paragraphs or page breaks, I'm sure the ArchGovernor would appreciate it. In short, players can earn a maximum of 20 Merit per Chapter either by roleplaying or contributing or both. This allows players too choose whichever they prefer whenever they do while still making a healthy impact on the game. I'm actually surprised I didn't even think about making a Barca role but yes, it's fine if you roleplay Sevro.

Actually, I'm going to modify this slightly... sign ups will now close at 8PM EST, while the game will begin at 10PM EST. @Daniyah, let me know as soon as you have a first name for your character. For now I'll just have you down as Danii

I have a bit of a justification obsession, if that's what you're referring to Happy to have you! No rush take as much time as you need to finish the book. It isn't really necessary, but it's definitely worth your time. I should probably warn people that it does have some mature language and slightly darker themes... nothing our beloved Brandon hasn't covered - such as slavery, racism, or violence - but Pierce Brown is a bit more "real" when it comes to his character's dialogue / inner monologue.

Dramatis Personae Darkness Ascendant as Brown-Piercing Daniyah as Danii Doctor12 as Spartacus Assassin in Burgundy as The Jackal Magestar as Lucius Wonko the Sane as Sanis Jondesu as Quintus AliasSheep as Nirgal I_am_a_Stick as Stick livinglegend as Rylos Bugsy6912 as Sevro The_Lady_of_Chaos as Tenebrum Elenion as Khazad The Young Bard as Gregor TheMightyLopen as Priam Burnt Spaghetti as Tia Arraenae as Nyanah Elbereth as Lumina Straw as Morsde jefrywlfersn as Jefry Questions & Answers Can I start multiple PMs with the same dataPad? Or would I need to acquire a new one for that? Yes. The dataPad is the only Item that doesn't expire after use. So as long as you have Merit you can create a PM; just know that unlike other Items, this Merit will be subtracted before purchasing other Items, so you'll have to keep track of that. Because everyone starts off the game with 5 Merit that means everyone will be able to make 5 PMs on the first turn (or one PM with 5 other people, or any combination of the sort) What is the code for the blue and orange text used for cheering and ceasing? I'm on mobile more than PC. color=teal and color=orange Will there be any hidden roles and factions? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Do members of the Telemanus family die if a person they're protecting gets killed? Yes, if they don't have a pulseShield. The merit/post method seems to disadvantage those who make wall posts. Can people use the page break to split up large posts into sections and receive a merit for each section? (Merit would be assigned at discretion of GM, of course) Tiberius understands that some lancers have busy social lives, so if they have to say a lot at once, rather than little over time, he will take that into account. If a lancer wishes to separate their points, either with multiple spaces between their paragraphs or page breaks, I'm sure the ArchGovernor would appreciate it. Table of Contents Chapter 1: A Day to Remember Chapter 2: Out with the Old Chapter 3: An Heir Abandoned Chapter 4: The Mad Hunt Chapter 5: Death Begets Death Begets Death Begets Death Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed Chapter 7: Love Lost, Faith Found Chapter 8: The Hearth's Last Light Chapter 9: The Lion's Rise

Sign ups will close on Monday, October 10th at 8PM EST and the game will begin 2 hours later! Mid-Range Game 17: Hic Sunt Leones Perched upon the highest balcony of the tallest spire in Agea, Capital of Mars, ArchGovernor Tiberius au Bellona and his Chief Politico, Pliny au Velocitor, survey the once-red planet’s vast landscape with opposite degrees of interest. Although the history books claim this world was once a barren wasteland, it's hard for any Gold to imagine Mars being anything less than rich and verdant. Even among the dusty flatlands that lay beyond that great scar an ancient people named Valles Marineris, the Society prospers. Not as well as it does here, perhaps, where giant redwood forests and countless acres of lush gardens were cultivated to farm oxygen and sustenance, but all Colors, high and low, still propser in their own preordained ways. Browns graciously bow to the whims of bureaucratic Coppers and the money-tending Silvers. Blues meticulously study to pilot colossal moonBreakers and sleek leechCrafts, while the Greens continue to innovate old designs and develop new technologies with aims of revolutionizing the Sovereign's armada. Oranges labor the days away to turn Green's dreams into a reality as the Yellows tend to those whose minds and bodies break underneath all that pressure. Even the Pinks don't so much as bat and eye when asked to please a new master... if not for the Arrogance of a few bad Golds and the ungratefulness of those rebellious Reds, all would be well with Mars. It all started with those cursed Sons of Ares. When they first surfaced, Tiberius never imagined they would cause this much chaos. At first all they did was spread propaganda. Release the occasionally hacked footage of necessary punishments to maintain order among the lowColor that they deemed cruel and unjust. Despite causing the occasional strike, this failed to inspire most lowColors to take action, and so they began enacting violence against the highColors, sending their own kin with bombs strapped to their chest to destroy Pearl Clubs and Golden Estates. Even that didn't cause as much of an uproar as they wished, and so, desperately craving anarchy, they sent agents to reveal the true nature of our world to the lowReds that toil beneath Mars' surface. The subsequent riots - and significant decrease in helium-3 procurement - were a nightmare, and every day they seemed to be getting worse. Tiberius truly was at war with his own planet, and loathe as he was to admit it, he was losing. Even worse, Tiberius' mortal enemy, Imperator Nero au Augustus, whispered to the Sovereign of his failures to quell the tide rising from the mines. Now she herself was breathing down his neck. "Take a hold of the reins once more, ArchGovernor," she told him with a sneer, stare so frigid her eyes seemed like crystallized sunlight, "or I'll find someone else to reign in your stead." It was clear to him who she meant by that, and for the first time in his life, Tiberius was unsure what to do. "My liege, can we please return inside?" Pliny asks Tiberius from his side, cautiously eyeing the larger man's back as sweat beads down his face. "We both know I'm not very fond of heights... and besides, if Augustus really does plan on overthrowing us," the ArchGovernor casts a heated glance at Pliny, prompting him to swallow, "I mean, overthrowing you, then surely you shouldn't be exposing yourself so openly." After a long moment, Tiberius sighs and his gaze wanders back to the horizon before eventually drifting to the gardens below. "Do you every wonder why I keep you so close to me, Pliny?" the ArchGovernor asks as he watches a troupe of Violets dance and sing for his wife, Talia, and his youngest daughter, Karna. From this height they were barely the size of ants, and yet Tiberius had no doubt who those shapes belonged to. "Because you trust me, my liege?" Pliny asks hopefully. Immediately Tiberius bursts out with a harsh laugh, so curt and mocking that the smaller Gold can't help but frown. The ArchGovernor makes a point to wipe a fake tear from his cheek before taking a deep, grave breath. "You've served me for a long time, Pliny, and not once have you asked me for any favors. Our relationship has been set on a one way course from the start, and yet despite being a Gold you have never once tried to ask for a moment's reprieve or lead me astray. Why is that, Pliny? Do you really expect me to believe you have no desires of your own?" "Of course I have my own desires, sir... it's just... you are a man fit to be king, my liege. How could I ever find the courage to challenge you?" "Don't you patronize me now, Pliny. I'm not some Pixie who needs their ego constantly inflated. Tell me why." "It's simple, my liege. Everything you gain, I gain too." At that, Tiberius glares at Pliny again, though this time with an eyebrow raised, as if curious. "Err- perhaps not everything, my liege, but when you win, I win as well. My reputation was non-existent before I swore myself to you. No, I may not be one of the most powerful men in the Solar System, but I am proud to be the cricket one one of their shoulders. I could never become a Peerless Scarred. When I was young the thought of attending the Institute never even crossed my mind. But in this way, in this capacity, I can still give back the Society what it deserves." When he finishes the ArchGovernor doesn't look away. His eyes bore into Pliny's, relentlessly seeking lies where there are none, making sure that his Chief Politico's resolve does not falter. Pliny's face is hot - hotter than it has any right to be in this heat - and he somehow he doesn't flinch. Deep down he knows that while he might not have the strength to throw his liege over this ledge, the same could not be said for Tiberius. "Very well. To answer your question, no, I don't trust you, Pliny. How could any Gold trust one of his own when they're so willing to bow and scrape? Golds are gods among them. Even you, despite you refusing to act the part. We are an arrogant breed, and rightfully so. I understand arrogance. I can fathom it. You, however, are a complete enigma to me. If not for your Color I would think you raised by Browns," Tiberius laughs, this time at length and in earnest. Suddenly light-heated, Pliny grabs at the rail beside him as his legs nearly give out. "Alright, Pliny," the ArchGovernor continues, "let's go inside." Turning on his heel, Tiberius leads Pliny like a loyal pup back into his shadowy chamber. "I trust all my lancers have reported to you? How much longer until the last one arri..." his voices fades as he disappears down a distant corridor. Later that evening, in the shadowed vales between the sky-piercing towers of the Aerie, ArchGovernor Bellona's private estate, a pair of Gold's meet in secret, each cloaked in darkness and wearing a fleshMask that makes them seem a lesser Color than they are. "Who goes there?" the first Gold asks, back pressed against a wall so tight that their silhouette barely registers to the other's eyes. "Hic Sunt Leones" the approach Gold responds, their voice somehow sounding faint and feeble, true to their role, despite it being modified to naturally carry across great distances. Upon hearing the phrase, the first Gold bursts from the shadows, lunging at the second. "Is that really you?" the first Gold asks rhetorically - and much too loudly, for that matter - as they attempt to hug their companion. "You've finally learned how to sneak about, eh? Too bad you lacked that skill during our time in the Academy! Do you remember that time whe-" "-Shhh," the second Gold cuts the first off by suddenly clenching a large palm over their mouth. "It's much too dangerous to be reminiscing over memories, no matter how fond," the second whispers in the first's ear. "Save it for the welcome banquet, when the rest are here to watch, and we can put on a grand show of crossing paths for the first time in years. The only reason I agreed to meet you now at all was so I could tell you to calm yourself. You've always been much to eager for my own good, and we cannot afford to get caught now. Not when what we're plotting is treason." The first Golds tries to talk, though their words come out mumbled through the massive hand pressed against their face. Rolling their eyes, the second Gold removes it, then places a single outstretched finger over the center of their lips, prompting the other to nod in agreement. "But is it truly treason when the Sovereign herse-" "-Stop!" the second Gold reaches for the first's mouth again, but this time gets swatted away. "It isn't safe here. Every day the ArchGovernor grows more paranoid, seeding a new pair of eyes and ears in only places he knows, so save that talk for the dataNet." Sighing, the second Gold rubs the back of their hand where the other hit them. "I'm going to go now. It was nice seeing you alive and in person rather than on the holos, but until next Monday let's keep it that way. If the ArchGovernor knew you were here before the rest of his lancers... it wouldn't end pretty, I can predict that much. Stick with the plan and we'll see each other again, old friend. Goodbye and goodnight." Before the first Gold can get another word in edge wise the second storms off as silently and angry as they can manage. Lingering, the first Gold eventually shrugs and saunters off in the opposite direction. Introduction Greetings friends. If you're unfamiliar with the wonderful setting established in the Red Rising trilogy, then I am ecstatic to be the first person to introduce it to you. In particular, this game is focused on elements introduced in the second book, Golden Son. While it is not a requirement to read the books in order to play this game, it is inevitable that some elements of the world's history and culture will get revealed by write-ups. Besides the fact that the trilogy is an incredibly entertaining (and often touching) tale, myself and my coGM STINK highly recommend that you read the first two books in order to get the most out of your game-play experience. Both Red Rising and Golden Son are relatively cheap (the first is 6 dollars and the second 10 as e-books), and pretty fast reads (it took me a day dedicated fully to each to finish them), so if you're keen, I've provided the links so you can purchase them now to get yourself ready. If not, no worries! Like any of our elimination games here, there's no need to know the source material. It's only particularly useful if you intend on roleplaying, which it is my intention to encourage with my introduction of the merit system and character prompts. Premise Seven hundred and thirty-six years have passed since an event known as the Conquering, where the first "Golds" succeeded in destroying the twenty factions that ruled Earth to create one united Society. Mankind now inhabit the moon, Luna, as well as Mars and a large variety of terrestrial bodies in the Outer Rim. In particular, this story is focused on Tiberius au Bellona, the ArchGovernor of Mars, as a wave of rebellion sweeps through the mines beneath his planet's surface and his greatest rival and mortal enemy, Imperator Nero au Augustus, makes plans to cast his House from the throne and claim it for himself. The crux of his plan involves a small group of the ArchGovernor's lancers, great warriors who once swore their allegiance to his House, that have since made new oaths to the power-hungry Imperator. Advised by his Chief Politico, Pliny au Velocitor, the ArchGovernor has recalled every one of his lancers back to their capital, Agea, from various missions across the universe, with hopes of mustering his power to combat a rumored coup d'etat. Only unbeknownst to him, forcing Tiberius into this position was Nero's intent all along, as it would allow his new-found allies the opportunity to destroy him. Overview Similar to most mid-ranged games, Hic Sut Leones will have a combined day/night turn (which I will refer to as "Chapters") that consist of 46 hours of game play and 2 hours for myself and STINK to work out the results and produce the write up. Everyone who signs up with play the part of one of Tiberius' lancers (only with a first name, please), who at the start of the game will be assigned a House (role) and an alignment. Supporting Tiberius in a regal shade of teal will be the Faithful, while the Forsworn bear the color of House Augustus, a dark orange not much unlike a Lion's mane. In order for the Faithful to win they must find and kill all of the Forsworn. As for the Forsworn they can only win if they outnumber Tiberius (the GM) and his Faithful lancers. While neither faction will begin the game knowing who their allies are, the Forsworn will start the game with two costless messages between each other in the form of a chain. Duels Whenever a lancer accuses another one of treason, they challenge that lancer's honor and initiate a duel. Those lancers who are not directly involved can then cheer for one of the combatants OR initiate a duel of their own. There is no limit to how many duels can be initiated at once, however, only the duel with the most cheers overall will occur. Between the two combatants the lancer with the most individual cheers will take the loser's life. In the case of a tie, Tiberius himself will determine who determine who the winner is (by flipping a coin) and the chosen man will slay the other. At any time, a lancer can apologize for their accusation, however this will not cancel the duel unless the accused lancer accepts it. Bystanders can cease supporting a combatant in favor of another whenever they please. No lancer is allowed to accuse and/or cheer more than a single lancer at a time, although an accused lancer can cheer on another duel. Kills and Comms At the start of every cycle, the Forsworn who earned the most Merit that Chapter will be smuggled a free ionBlade by a secret benefactor. If two Forsworn are tied in Merit than only one of then the secret benefactor will choose one of them to give it to (via coin flip). At the start of the game every lancer will begin with at least two Items: a whisperGem and a dataPad. At any time, lancers can encode their whisperGem with a maximum of 100-words, that will be revealed in the write-up following their death. Unlike other items, dataPads do not expire after use; instead, they allow you to create a permanent individual or group message with any lancer of the owner's voice at the cost of 1 Merit per recipient. Houses Before a Gold graduates from the Institute as a Peerless Scarred, they had been raised by a proud House with its own vivid history and deigned purpose. As such, the ArchGovernor's lancers have a wide variety of skills, each of which can be used to their advantage once every cycle. Below is a list of some Houses and their specific abilities. Thorne: Raised among many cousins of a very minor family, you possess no particularly worthwhile talents. Fabii: Raised by the most cunning of Mars' politicos, you are gifted with a silver tongue, which you can use to make another lancer cheer for anyone you choose. Rath: Raised in the image of Gold's most despicable traitors, you understand the importance of maintaining a fluid allegiance. Once and only once you are allowed to defect to the other team. Julii: Raised by the wealthiest of the interstellar merchants, you know how to make any deal seem better than it is, allowing you to trade a single Item of yours for someone else's. You must, however, specify both Items accurately or else the trade will be randomized. Telemanus: Raised by House Bellona's stalwart protectors, you've the strength and resolve to sacrifice your own life in the defense of another, killing the first person to attack them in retaliation. Lune: Raised by the Sovereign, Octavia au Lune, you have access to databases that can reveal the origins of any lancer you examine. Arcos: Raised by the former Rage Knight, Lorn au Arcos, you have mastered the Willow Way and thus are undefeatable in one-on-one combat. However, the pride he's instilled in you is the quiet sort, preventing you from making accusations, though you may still cheer on combatants. Bellona: Raised by the ArchGovernor himself, you are his most favored, and thus are allowed to earn an additional 10 Merit each Chapter. Failure, however, will not be tolerated, and thus inactivity will result in the deduction of 10 Merit instead of the usual 5. Merit When the game begins, each lancer will be with a total of 5 Merit. Every Chapter Merit can be gained or lost depending on how much a player participates. 1 Merit is earned whenever a player makes a post that includes at least 100 words of RP. 1 Merit is also earned when a player makes an on-topic contribution to the discussion (including, but not limited to, suggesting a plan, initiating a duel, cheering a combatant, or analyzing another player). Note that simply voting will not be enough; an explanation must be provided as well if you wish to earn Merit from your post. It is up to Tiberius to deem if your contribution is worthy of Merit. If a lancer believes they deserve more Merit then they are given in a turn, they can plead their case via the GM PM. A total of 20 Merit can be earned this way each Chapter. Additional Merit can be earned in three different circumstances. X Merit will be given to the victor of a duel where X = half the opponents total Merit. The same rule applies if a Forsworn is killed by a Faithful with an ionBlade, although a Forsworn earns no merit for murdering a Faithful. If a Forsworn is killed in a duel, the second half of their Merit will be divided up among those who cheered against them. Items When the game begins, some lancers may begin with a randomized Item from the list below. Each Chapter, a list of how many Items are in stock will be included, which can be purchased with Merit via their GM PM. All Items (except the dataPad) expire after a single use. One Chapter after an Items use, the shop will be restocked with a new one. In addition to paying the fixed base cost, lancers can allocate an optional amount of Merit as a bid, which will determine who receives an Item if multiple lancers attempt to purchase the same one. Lancers who lose this bid will be refunded the Item's initial fee, but not their extra allocation. Unwanted Items can be sold directly to the shop via the GM PM for half of the Item's base cost. Below is a list of each Item, proceeded by their quantity in parenthesis and followed by their base cost, as well as their relevant ability, as it will appear in every Chapter's write up. (?) holoCam(s) / holoBox(es), 10 Merit: Give your holoBox to another lancer and every action that you make or that is physically made against you will be recorded and relayed to them. (?) jamField(s), 20 Merit: Any device that is used within close proximity of you and another lancer you target is disabled (not destroyed). This can interfere with a Lunes research, but no other House ability. (?) stunFist(s), 30 Merit: Stun another lancer, preventing them from taking any further actions this Chapter. If your target is protected by a pulseShield they will not be stunned, although their pulseShield will be destroyed. (?) fleshMask(s), 40 Merit: Disguise yourself as another lancer, preventing any action that would be used against you at the cost of potentially becoming the target of an action that would target the lancer you disguise yourself as. Likewise, any further action you take will be observed as being executed by the lancer you impersonate. (?) ghostCloak(s), 40 Merit: Stealth yourself, causing any action that targets you to fail. In addition, you can stalk another lancer to discover the targets and actions they make, but you yourself are unable to take any more actions. (?) pulseShield(s), 50 Merit: Passively protects you from a single death (includes duels). (?) ionBlade(s): 60 Merit: A generic, energy-based weapon that's perfect for assassinations. Prompts Character prompts will be created and distributed randomly for each player who does not establish a persona for themselves during this pregame stage. These character prompts can take the form of specific personality quirks or relationships with other lancers. For example, you may have a deep hatred for a particular Color, or be involved in a love triangle with two other players. If you receive a character prompt note that you do not have to roleplay according to it; it is nothing more than a suggestion to help encourage roleplaying to those who normally might not do it. Anything said in these prompts are not necessarily canon; for example, if you're playing a Mistborn Worldhopper then they will be adapted accordingly. Flow There is no limit to how many different Items a lancer can use in a single Chapter; however, the same does not apply multiples of the same Item. In the case of actions / reactions, they will always occur in the following order: Rath → holoCam → Accusation → Fabii → Cheer → Duel → Julii → jamField → ghostCloak → fleshMask → stunFist → Telemanus → ionBlade → Lune → holoBox → Purchases

I definitely downvoted her large post, which she saw because Mods can see who gives each post reputation. I'll justify it as the fact I really don't think it deserved an upvote, which is the intention of the system, and the fact that I saw the downvote on my response and I instantly assumed it was her. But that second reasoning is also childish. As Darrow au Andromedus taught me, death begets death begets death. The same thing applies to any form of negativity. It was wrong of me to perpetuate it by attempting to even the scale.

I didn't say you lied, I implied I don't believe you. I would apologize for not instantly believing every single thing every person says in Sanderson Elimination, but that's kinda the point of the game. If you've got a problem with me being the type of person who only takes information they can see themselves as absolute fact... then I really don't know what to tell you. Well then you have the right to believe that. Doesn't change the fact that you're wrong. Not only is it impossible for me to send PMs during the Night, which is when you claimed to be [evil], but the fact that you claimed to be [evil] on a world with 14 other players should be explanation enough for why people might decide to attack you, especially given the fact you yourself have a win con that involves people with the [evil] tag having to die, as well as Bard and very likely some others. If I said that Silverblade was Nazh, would that be revealing his role? No, it wouldn't, because even if I think that's what he is or what a third party told me, that doesn't make it true. You confirming it like that is revealing it. As an aside, the down votes are pretty childish, and this will be my last post this game. Feel free to lynch me. If you wish to discuss this further, I'm just a PM away.

You're referring to an ability of mine called Drain Shard. It's a target local ability that if it targets a Shard it will drain 8 investiture from them, if it targets a Champion it will drain 4 investiture from their Shardlord, and if they're neither then it just informs them I attacked them with no ill-effects. Otherwise I empowered my Champion, burned Pewter, filled Tin, filled Duralumin and filled Chromium.

That's a lot of text regarding me that I'm not going to respond to because you're basing most of it off of assumptions that aren't even true. I will make the following, entirely 100% true statements, however. I look forward to when this game does end so I can show you every single PM I sent, and how not a single one of them even mentioned you, aside from Wonko telling me you're a Cognitive Being and Wax telling me you're Shasharra. (FYI, I've sent a total of... 3 PMs and received a total of 3. Yup. One to/from Wonko, one to/from Wax, one to /from Vivenna). Bard was not Spiked when he threatened you the way he did, and in that PM you even told me that you didn't blame me for his reaction and that you didn't believe I shared his same perspective. I did not bully Rae into revealing anything. She revealed that she was Bleeder and that she could be converted to our side after asking for the identity of Wax, who I know for a fact if he is attacked by Odium's Champion then I'm as good as dead. I told her that I would not trust a claimed eliminator unless they gave me a reason too, and asked she reveal only a single ally of hers and no one else because if she outed her entire team that would be incredibly unfun. She didn't have to listen. She could have easily lied. I never encouraged Rae to reveal. I was honestly surprised she even did. What do you really expect me to do in that situation? Give her a free Spike and tell her who Wax is, hoping it's not a trick? I am not prolonging this game. I am one player of what... 27 that are still alive? The majority don't want to end it yet, and I personally don't care either way. As soon as Joe suicided just to make sure I couldn't achieve my second win con I stopped caring about victory. So don't you try to pin that on me. There are only two Spiked I am aware have kill actions: Wonko and Wax. Wonko attacked Araris that same night you "claim" to be attacked twice. I haven't asked or heard of Wax attacking anyone, although I wouldn't be surprised if he's been acting on his own given the fact that he had an abnormally low amount of Investiture the other cycle despite the fact I keep empowering him, which is perfectly within his right to do as an individual, although I've yet to see proof of it. The only reason I believe you are actually Independent right now and not actually a Hater trying to make me look bad is because of how angry you are about this. If it turns out you are one of them and are using emotion to make me feel guilty so you can get away with slandering me, then touche (because I am known for appealing to emotion), though I really won't be happy about it because I absolutely consider this a personal attack on me.

*crickets*

Hello folks. I'm up to run the next MR as soon as Straw's QF finishes, so I've decided I'm going to post all of the rules here now, for people to ask questions and do some preemptive signing up, if you so desire. Disclaimer This is a game based off of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown. It is highly recommended that you read the books first (because they are awesome) but it is not a requirement in order for you to play. Participating in this game will not spoil the story, although I will attempt to provide enough context and worldbuilding so that player’s can feel comfortable roleplaying. To avoid potentially unintentional spoilers, some creative liberties have been taken with the setting, which those who have read the books will quickly notice. Premise 736 P.C.E: Tiberius au Bellona is the ArchGovernor of Mars. Despite having served the Sovereign faithfully since being appointed to the position, she is starting to grow impatient with his failures to quell the rapidly growing terrorist organization known as the Sons of Ares. Even worse, rumors of allies turning their cloaks in favor of his mortal enemy, Imperator Nero au Augustus, begin to circulate, while Tiberius' vast network of spies continuously uncover new schemes of the Lion’s, each one designed to undermine his rule and usurp his throne. Although Tiberius had never been a very paranoid man, the sensation of power slipping through his fingers, combined with testaments from rebels who claim a bloody coup will soon be underway, has forced him to recall his sworn lancers back to his palace in Agea for protection. Unbeknownst to him, a few have since given their fealty to Nero in exchange for power, wealth, and in the case of some, revenge... Overview Hic Sunt Leones is a standard mid-ranged elimination game with a combined day/night turn (one 46-hour cycle with a two hour gap for the GMs to work out the results and produce the write-up). In this game there are two factions: the Faithful and the Forsworn. The Faithful win when all of the Forsworn are dead, while the Forsworn win if they outnumber Tiberius (the GM) and his Faithful Lancers. Neither the Faithful or the Forsworn begin the game knowing who their allies are, although both factions begin the game knowing how many members of their House are in the game. In the case of the Forsworn, they also start the game knowing which Houses their fellow traitors belong to. Duels When a lancer accuses another of treason, they challenge that lancer’s honor and initiate a duel. Uninvolved lancers can then cheer for one of the available combatants. Multiple lancers can be accused in a single cycle, however, only the duel with the most cheers overall will occur. Between those two combatants, the lancer with the most cheers will be determined the victor. In the case of a tie, a coin will be flipped to determine the outcome. At any time, a lancer can retract their accusation, however this will not cancel the duel unless the accused lancer accepts the retraction. If this occurs then all relevant cheers will be automatically canceled as well. Bystanders can cease supporting a combatant in favor for another whenever they please. No lancer can accuse or cheer more than a single lancer at a time, although an accused lancer can cheer on another dual. Kills and Comms At the start of every cycle, the Forsworn who earned the most Merit that cycle will be smuggled a free ionBlade by their secret benefactor. If two Forsworn are tied in Merit gain than a coin will be flipped to determine who obtains it. Each cycle, each Forsworn is also provided a whisperGem, which allows them to draft a free anonymous message for their team to read at the start of the next cycle. All lancers are in possession of a dataPad that allows them to establish a permanent individual or group conversation at the cost of 1 Merit per recipient. Houses Before graduating the Institute as a Peerless Scarred, Tiberius’ lancers had been raised by a particular House, each with it’s own focus in the Society. As such, his lancers have a wide variety of skills, which they can use to their advantage once every cycle. Below is a list of Houses as well as their specific ability. Thorne: You were raised among many cousins from a minor family and thus possess no unique, worthwhile talents. Fabii: You were raised by Mars’ most cunning politicos, allowing you to change who a single lancer cheers for every cycle. Rath: You were raised by the descendants of history’s most despicable traitors, teaching you the importance of maintaining a fluid allegiance. Once during the course of the game you can defect to the opposite team from which you started. Julii: You were raised by the wealthiest of the interstellar merchants, making you capable of convincing anyone to exchange a single Item with you once per cycle. Unless both Items are specified and accurate the whole trade will be randomized. Telemanus: You were raised with the sole purpose of protecting the heirs of House Bellona, instilling within you the discipline needed to defend another lancer from assassins in the night, killing them at the cost of your own life. Lune: You were raised within the Sovereign’s own household, providing you the resources to discover the family name of a single lancer each cycle. Arcos: You were raised by the former Rage Knight, Lorn au Arcos, himself, making you undefeatable in one one one combat. Due to your pride you are unable to initiate a duel; you can, however, cheer another one on. Bellona: You are an heir of the ArchGovernor himself. Among his lancers you are his most favored, allowing you to earn an additional 10 Merit per cycle. However, if you do not participate in a cycle you will lose 10 Merit instead of the usual 5. Merit At the start of the game each lancer begins with 0 Merit. Each cycle, Merit can be gained or lost depending on how much a lancer participates. 1 Merit is earned whenever a lancer makes a post that includes at least 100 words of RP or an on-topic contribution to the discussion (including, but not limited to, suggesting a plan, initiating a duel, cheering a combatant, or analyzing a lancer). Note that simply voting will not be enough; an explanation must be provided alongside it. It is up to Tiberius to deem if your contribution is worthy of Merit. If a lancer believes they deserve more Merit then they were given, they can plead their case via the GM PM. A total of 20 Merit can earned this way per cycle. In the event that a lancer goes a full cycle without participating they will lose 5 Merit. However, if a lancer posts in blue text that they will be too busy to participate due to other commitments, they will not be penalized for the duration in which they specify. Additional Merit can be earned with no cap in three different circumstances. X Merit will be given to the victor of a duel where X = half the opponents total Merit. The same rule applies if a Forsworn is killed by a Faithful with an ionBlade, although a Forsworn earns no merit for murdering a Faithful. If a Forsworn is killed in a duel, the second half of their Merit will be divided up among those who cheered for the victor. Items At the start of the game some lancers will begin with a randomized Item. Each cycle, a list of how many Items are in stock will be included, which can be purchased with Merit via their GM PM. All Items expire after a single use. When used, the Item will be restocked in the shop after an additional cycle has passed. In addition to the fixed base cost, lancers can allocate an optional amount of Merit as a bid, which will determine who receives the Item if multiple lancers attempt to purchase a single Item simultaneously. Lancers who lose this bid will be refunded the Item’s initial fee, but not their extra allocation. Unwanted Items can also be sold directly to the shop via the GM PM for half of the Item’s base cost. Below is a list of each Item as it will appear in the write-ups, preceded in parenthesis by how many are currently in stock and followed by their base cost, as well as their subsequent ability. (?) HoloCam(s) / HoloBox(es), 10 Merit: Via your GM PM you can gift your holoBox to another lancer. During the same cycle, any action that you take or that is taken against you is recorded by your holoCam and relayed to the holoBox. (?) JamField(s), 20 Merit: Any device that is used within close proximity of you and another lancer you target is disabled (not destroyed) this cycle. (?) StunFist(s), 30 Merit: Select another lancer to stun, preventing all actions they take from succeeding that cycle. If your target is protected by a pulseShield they will not be stunned, although their pulseShield will be destroyed. (?) FleshMask(s), 40 Merit: Disguise yourself as another lancer for the duration of this cycle. Any action that would target you fails, however, any action that targets the lancer you are impersonating may target you instead of them. Likewise, any action you take that is observed will be seen as being done by the lancer you are disguised as. (?) GhostCloak(s), 40 Merit: Stealth yourself, causing any action that targets you to fail. In addition, you are able to stalk another lancer to discover either their targets or the actions they take. (?) PulseShield(s), 50 Merit: Passively protects you from a single death (including duels). (?) IonBlade(s): 60 Merit: A concealed weapon that allows you to attack another lancer. Flow There is no limit to how many different Items a lancer can use at once; however, the same does not apply for multiples of the same Item. In the case of active actions, they always occur in the following order: Rath → Accusation → Fabii → Cheer → Duel → Julii → jamField → whisperGem → fleshMask / ghostCloak → stunFist → Telemanus → ionBlade → Lune → holoCam / holoBox

Stink had to A: Kill God's Own Hate (normal elimination win con, difficultly based off the strength and cunning of the town versus the strength and cunning of the mafia), B: Worldhop to every planet (honestly I don't think this was true since it doesn't really make sense for Lightsong, on top of the fact that Stink claimed Independent and not CoH means he was hiding information), and C: Save someone else by sacrificing his life (for the record he didn't even achieve this, Stink just gave up and gave a player he trusted his power). So his isn't a very good example. Mine are relatively easy win cons but given the fact that my second one has permanently failed due to Joe, Kaladin and Lift all trying to kill him before I could lynch him, I think you've got less to rant about

I could give reasons, but what's the fun in that? I know little to nothing about who you are and your capabilities (I can't bring myself to trust unknowns) You started the vote on dow which really made no sense because there was no way anyone could have known Mage was a Ghostblood until Bard scanned him. Also you took a lot of things dow said in that PM out of context Something about your reaction to when I suddenly announced whether or not we should lynch Joe or Bugsy first that one night felt off to me. General bad vibes We're very rarely on the same team I like to pick on you sometimes I'm curious of Len/Burnt, someone else I know nothing about and is laying low, is on a team with you

I personally don't care about meeting my third goal at this point, I just had a talk before the game started with Nyali about her intent with my role and she said it was for me to gather information for my own deductions rather than circumvent the rules. So yeah, I'd rather follow the GMs wishes on this one, unless it becomes important for me to reveal it. As far as I'm aware there are just the three and the independents.

My three goals: Exterminate the GoH, Personally Kill Rayse (Failed), Do not reveal 2 players roles or alignments (I learn everyone's role and alignment as soon as they die). All I'm going to say was Dowanx was a waste of the lynch and I am growing continuously more suspicious of Lopen.

I'm going to propose Lopen as an alternative lynch target. I mean, as far as I can tell, he's barely playing anyway

Yeah, sorry Sheep. I already knew Legend was a Cognitive Being so as soon as he posted what he did I figured you were Kaladin. Sorry to make you reveal unnecessarily, I was just asleep and figured I'd take care of it when I woke up (now).

I would really like someone to ask if Wyrn is receiving guidance from Skai's Cognitive Shadow (or really any of the questions from this theory post of mine), but Yata makes a good point

Speaking of Roshar, did Joe drop anything?

I edited it in, but yeah

No worries for some reason it didn't post the full paragraph so there's some more there you probably didn't read. It's just a tad irksome when it seems like people are trying to make me out as something I'm not

To clear up some misconceptions, the Spiked are not a faction. Being Spiked allows me to communicate with someone privately, as Wonko explained, while also granting them an additional power. Half of the Spiked are Independent themselves while the other half are Children (I hope), and in the case of the Independents I have promised to not interfere with, and even help, them achieve their win cons in exchange for them helping me kill God's Own Hate. So overall this notion that "it's not really the village that's winning, the Spiked are the ones truly winning" is absolute nonsense. Everyone already know the village win con is to exterminate God's Own Hate. I can't claim that I caught Bugsy, that was all on Rae deciding to betray them, but it was because of my ability to gather information that I verified Joe was Rayse to begin with. Otherwise he would be running around throwing more people out of windows, which for all you know could have been you next. Be thankful. As for Bugsy, do I have any reason to keep him from dying? Well first of, if what you are trying to advocate here is true, I would just have my gang of Spiked vote to lynch him... which I'm clearly not doing, I'm going for Sheep based on a hunch. But I've also got this thing called honor. Do you remember what happened in the last MR I was evil? It became impossible for me to win so I admitted my alignment to the villagers and offered to help them find and kill the second group of eliminators, that way the maximum number of players could win. Do you know what happened in the last LG I was evil? I explicitly helped Stink (and encouraged my team to help him as well) obtain his Neutral win condition, as well as offered to same to any other Neutral who didn't contradict my own victory. At the heart of it, it's because I am a firm believer of helping more people win than less so long as I am on the winning team. Wonko himself is Independent. The only reason he is working with me is because it's a mutually beneficial relationship. He still has goals that will take him a few turns to achieve so he definitely won't be killing Bugsy so long as there's a chance he's the last Hater. I suppose I could ask Wax to kill Bugsy if I truly wanted to end this game now, but I don't, and Wax has one more win con to fulfill anyway. Also you cannot blame me for what Bard said, first of all because he's not even Spiked, and second of all because I was just as against it as Wilson was. I'm not a pupper master pulling any strings. I have forced no one to tell me or do something they didn't want to. There are no Spiked overlords and there is no sword above anyone's head but Sheep's right now. I thought you knew me better than that Bugsy. I'm assuming this is just your alignment twisting your words, but really? I lost, so I'm going to make everyone else lose now too? Cause that's totally an Aman thing to do. I'm only manipulative when I'm an eliminator, which I'm clearly not, unless people are willing to accept that Harmony is anything but a Child. Besides, you voted on yourself as soon as this turn began, and yet you're accusing me of trying to kill you to end the game with a partial win? That's hypocrisy at it's finest, good sir Can someone in the Roshar PM confirm that Sheep asked Joe there? And yeah, the reason why I voted for someone other than Bugsy is because every one of my allies still have goals to fulfill and thus there's no way I can convince them, or anyone else, to lynch him even if I do think he's lying. Same thing for why I can't have him killed at night, which I wouldn't even try to arrange anyway. Yes, Bugsy is a known eliminator. But as far as I'm concerned, Lady Sequence isn't as much as a threat as say, Eshonai, or potentially Yesteel and Weedfingers, if my theory about Team Odium having at least one member from each world is correct. Looking for enemies elsewhere is the best way to find out if there are enemies elsewhere. Not killing the last one we know for sure exists.

Doctor and Mint have both been active in PMs. I know both of their roles thanks to Tin, so I can confirm they're harmless.

Sheep. Sheep.

1 for Bugsy 2 for Bugsy 2 for Bugsy, 1 for Sheep 2 for Bugsy 2 for Bugsy (he never retracted his vote on Bugsy so this vote doesn't count) 2 for Bugsy, 1 for Sheep.