xinoehp512

8. Pieces may not move unless a rule explicitly allows them to do so. 9. Pieces on columns (d) or (e) may move to any other space on those columns in order to capture, assuming there are no pieces in the way. You can certainly try.

Jaster squinted through the rain. Could it be..? He rushed back over to the telescope. Yes: there was no mistake; the Stardragon was approaching. Unable to contain his excitement, he stuck his head out the window and began shouting enthusiastically into the storm. "Here! I'm right here!"

Jaster dashed over to the copper tubes on the other side of the tower. Hands trembling, he extracted a paper tube from the cabinet below and loaded it carefully into a tube. He pulled a dash of powder from the pouch at his side and snapped. A spark flew from his fingers and landed on the paper tube. With a hiss, it shot into the air, smoke trailing behind it. "Please work please work please work," he muttered as his eyes tracked its path. "Please-" Abruptly it exploded in a shower of blue and silver sparks. He let out a sigh of relief. The firework had worked.

Jaster squinted up at the sky. No... Surely it couldn't be. He ran inside, sprinting past scattered piles of paper and haphazardly strewn flasks to the wooden door at the other side of the study. He threw it open and dashed up the stairs behind it, taking them three at a time. At the top was an enormous telescope pointed upwards into the sky. He grabbed a nearby crank and began to turn, rotating the device to point in the direction he was interested in. He dashed over to the scope and peered through. "At last," he breathed. A Stardragon.

7. Pieces may not move more than 2 spaces in a turn unless they are making a capture.

That is, in fact, an illegal move, as g8 to g5 is a red move and colors cannot move twice in a row.

"Gaovaris claims to have obtained permission to search Geoff's belongings from the captain." Krow gestured at the man. "Given recent events, it's hard to doubt Geoff's loyalty, so it shouldn't shock anyone to hear he didn't find anything." He sighed. "Not very useful information to have, but I suppose we can't help that." Hopefully Right and Left would be found guilty; then they would only be one step away from the end of this nightmare. He was certain, now, that the spies were three in number. Any fewer than that, and they would have stood no chance at all of escaping alive. Any more, and they would have been able to overwhelm the remaining soldiers and escape. That was good news; it meant that this could all be over after the next hour had passed. But if they had caught the second traitor, that meant that the third traitor would be on their highest guard. Kezin had informed him that the traitors were suspected of having access to MaiPon black magic capable of distorting the truth, but nothing so far suggested that they had used it. Perhaps the rumours were false... or maybe, just maybe, they were saving it for the final hours of the night, when everything would hang in the balance. Hours that were growing ever closer as the water continued to flow.

The hour was beginning to draw to a close. But only just beginning- somehow, this hour had seemed nearly twice as long as all the others. People huddled in groups, whispering among themselves, waiting for something, anything to happen. He was sure by now they'd all spoken to the captain in private and expressed their suspicions. Even now, the captain must be mulling it over, deciding which one of them he would execute next. Such was the blood price that Discovery demanded. How does he decide?, Krow wondered. Was it simply majority vote? Maybe if he told himself it was the soldiers deciding who would die, it lessened some of the horror. Took away some of the guilt. Krow felt a sudden surge of gratitude that Kezin was in no danger of dying this night. Even the possibility that he might be asked to heft the executioner's blade... well. He had no idea what he'd do. Once again, his mind flashed back to the former lieutenant's dying words. Wuzhin probably didn't know either, he pondered. He couldn't say he was too upset by the idea. After the events of this night, a promotion seemed much less appealing than it had before. And the water flowed on.

You think that your powers of hilarious lulz and dubiously minted prequel meme NFTs will carry you to victory? Think again! The market's volatility will ultimately bring about your downfall! The 17th Shard Rebirth movement will inevitably triumph over the 18th Shard Memers! It may be worth giving Hoid's Fuse ability the alternative capability of re-assembling a Shattered Shard. That way as long as Hoid is alive, there's always the possibility of AC achieving their unique wincon, which is symmetric with SoU.

Krow listened to the others chat without speaking a word, letting the conversation flow over him. Right was arguing for their innocence in a manner that could only be described as evasive. Left was nowhere to be seen, but he doubted she was far away. Maybe she was trying to sneak into her room, destroy evidence that could condemn her, though hopefully she'd have a tough time of that- he'd posted guards at the door to her room and in the two adjacent rooms. Even so, he still worried she'd manage to find a way to sneak in. If it were up to him, he'd have searched the room already, but he dared not do that without the approval of the captain. Somehow, he felt that wouldn't be required. Public opinion had turned against the duo, and he knew the captain need to produce something before the hour was up. He'd been so confident of Right and Left's guilt before- he wished he could conjure up that confidence now. Nothing was certain anymore. Not since he'd heard the words Jiang Zhangrong had spoken in their final moments. He'd heard rumours, of course- Left and Right had accused him, earlier, based on his past connection to General Yuen - but he hadn't really believed until now that the traitors had really been acting in Yuen's name. But the fervor in Jiang's eyes- there had been no mistaking that. How quick he'd been to condemn the traitors when he could write them off as selfish maniacs. Now... how could he, when their passions were so painfully similar to his own? Could it possible that Discovery was right to distrust him, knowing his past? If things had gone differently... could he have ended up on the floor, his knife in the throat of a former friend, his dying breath screaming out defiance? The water flowed, and no answers came.

Krow stood quietly outside the compound, staring into the distance. It was really dark outside now. Far above, the stars watched silently. A sound tickled the back of his ear. Was someone calling his name? He wondered if they were really far-away suns like some of the scientists said. If they were, did they watch, observing and passing their own judgements on the people of the Empire? "Krow!" the voice called. "Are you there?" If they did, surely they would all be damned. Damned by a thousand splendid suns. "LIEUTENANT!" shouted the voice, even louder this time, and Krow's head jerked up. The lieutenant was a traitor- he had to watch out- maybe he would slip up- Wait. No. Jiang Zhangrong had been executed. He'd seen it with his own eyes, how they'd turned on their friends, cursing the Empire with their dying breath. Even though he'd known that Geoff had no reason to lie about the evidence he'd found, known that the lieutenant was surely guilty, it had still shocked him to see the betrayal made flesh. If he had been quicker, could he have saved the old man? He shook his head. He couldn't dwell on that now. Not when it was his responsibility to find the traitors. Lieutenant Nelcaf. After all this time- Wait. Hadn't someone been calling for the Lieutenant? "Yes," he replied to the voice, which he belatedly recognized as the duck wrangler. "What is it?" "Right and Left?" replied Krow, blinking. Right... he'd suspected her and her compatriot, hadn't he? And there was what Georg had said, that he'd seen the lieutenant - the former lieutenant - shoot her a glance earlier, when everyone had been asking them questions. "Yes... I suppose. It would be worth investigating them." (Devo)

I like that! It's similar to being roleblocked, but distinctly different. It's also in line with Odium thematically, given how much that particular Shard is into corrupting other Investiture. If someone was using their last Charge of Investiture when they were targeted, would their action fail or would they die? Splintered Shards can't be passed, though, so Khriss has to win the minimum 1/4 chance to grab it out of containment in order to be able to Invest it. It's also worth considering that in the original game, there were only 11 shards- now there are sixteen. That also means that the unique win conditions of both SoU and AC will take longer to fulfill. It's also interesting to note that if Cultivation is ever Shattered, AC's unique wincon becomes impossible to fulfil- so if a 17th member grabs Odium, they can pop Cultivation in confinement and end that possibility right there.

In a normal conversion game you'd only have one target, whereas here you have two + Bavadin. I don't really want to be killing a lot either, but if there are enough convert actions, the math could very well work out in the village favor. We should probably save debates on optimal strategy until the game actually starts though. Either way, if there are kills available there will be shots fired. Even if only four people get charges, that's still enough to take out 20% of players (assuming a 20 player game) and they could all potentially happen in one cycle.

I mean, aside from the vig kill, Odium's ability to Shatter Shards makes it significantly more likely the 17th can meet their sudden-death wincons and significantly less likely AC or SoU can meet theirs. But the kill is a powerful tool too, especially in a conversion game. The sooner the village can take out the enemy leaders, the less they have to worry about.

I see how it is... I feel like the root cause of the issue is that Odious Charges are just so much more potent then every other Charge of Investiture. Really, it isn't really that difficult to gain a charge of any type of Investiture, in any stage of the game. Sel exists, for one. With Odium, Whimsy's Investment ability essentially becomes a kill, and Invention's Shardic is a third per-cycle kill if they get their hands on an Odious Charge. I feel like having Braize exist satisfies the need for endgame kills; Odious Investiture will be practically guaranteed to shorten the game if it keeps its power as-is, which makes everything significantly more volatile. If it was changed to roleblock, matching Ruin, or something else, that problem would be much assuaged. Honestly, I don't even think it would need to be a deliberate strat to cause problems. The fact is, pretty much every faction has a reason to want Odium, especially the 17th Shard, so a lot of people will go for it. That leaves a lot of kills floating around. Personally, if that change is implemented, I would rather that change not be implemented for other shards- I like the idea of knowing what I'm going to get!

First of all, I would like to announce to all players that I am founding the 17th Shard Rebirth movement, committed to actually using the power we have contained for the good of the Cosmere! Now accepting applications. @ me for details. Secondly, @Ashbringer I'm just gonna ask a few questions. I will note that your rules are really good at covering all the bases; a lot of questions that I had I was able to answer myself through closer inspection of the rules. To confirm: players on Silverlight can target other players as if they were on the same Shardworld? Is Vessel Shield once per player, once per Shard, or something else? How does Preservation factor into this? If Ambition turns a living player into a Shade, does that kill them? The rules text for Shade says that you retain Charges of Investiture you held up death- If Ambition targets a dead player, do they regain the Charges they had while alive? Could a Vessel gain a Charge of Investiture on both the Day and Night turns? Do I understand correctly that Sel allows you to convert Charges from one form into another? Thirdly, I am very concerned by the possibility that a large number of people will grab Odious Investiture N0 and use it N1 to drastically reduce the player count. It seems like a very accessible and very powerful means of murder. How much of a concern do you think this is?

Krow watched the blood fall without flinching. He'd seen it before, too many times to count. Too many times to care anymore. And yet he couldn't help but stare at the Imperial lidan card peeking out of the pocket of the now-perished Randen. Had it really been only an hour since Mallard and that young fool had sat down to play cards? They'd seemed so calm, so carefree, in the face of death. He had been so young. So much life to live. And now he would never get the chance. Krow bowed slightly, respectfully, and turned away. With nothing to go on, the captain had been forced to grasp at straws- to execute a soldier for playing cards, of all things. It showed how desperate Discovery had become, that they were ready to spill blood for such a small infraction as that. Krow couldn't say he was surprised, exactly, but it was a sobering reminder. If they could not find the traitors, how many more would die unjustly? So he didn't find anything, Krow thought to himself. It made sense. Obviously if he'd found damning evidence, he would have said so immediately. Searching and finding nothing didn't prove as much- it was far more likely that the spies had been able to hide evidence even from the lieutenant's prying eyes than that an innocent person would have falsely incriminating evidence. Still, it was good information to know- perhaps it could help save another innocent from being executed. He'd have to speak to the Lieutenant privately.

Krow narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked.

Krow glanced to the sides to make sure that no one was watching, folded the note he'd written and slid it under the door. Rambleton would find it soon enough. The note read: Careful. Discovery does not reply kindly to perspectives that contradict the official report. Men have died for writing or speaking words such as your poem. Yuen was a great man, and his death a great tragedy- this empire has suffered greatly for his absence - but what has been done has been done. Calling for justice will not get you anywhere. He left the note unsigned and continued down the corridor as though he were simply strolling through. Krow walked into the open in time to hear his own name whispered in a small crowd. He frowned. "What is this?" One of the whisperers jerked up at the sound of his voice, and the guilty expression on his face told Krow all he needed to know. They had been discussing the possibility of him being a traitor. Him, who had served Discovery longer than any of them (with the possible exception of Georg- Krow could never tell how old that man was). He gave a huff of irritation and turned away. Let them say what they wanted; the captain would never agree with their baseless accusations. He had to focus his attentions on finding the traitors.

Krow gave a quick, derisive snort. "I very much doubt that." Hadn't been a day gone by in the past ten years he hadn't had to worry about something or other. Especially what with all the secrets and lies that seemed to have spread through Discovery like a growth. At this point, he was so used to worry he almost didn't even notice it anymore. Like his worry about Right. He glanced back at the woman, who had turned to involve herself in a different conversation. There was something about that woman and her partner that didn't sit well with him. They were hiding something, he could feel it. Krow lifted the poem from the wall, peering intently through his fading eyes at the words. A lament for General Yuen, it seemed. Innocuous enough- nothing in it overtly traitorous- but still, a dangerous thing to be writing. Especially in an atmosphere as charged as this one, where any word out of place might mean death. He glanced down at where the author's name was written- Rambleton. He stored that information away for later, folding the poem and tucking it into a pocket of his uniform. He'd have to talk to Rambleton later- he agreed with the sentiment of the poem, of course, but the last thing he wanted was to see someone hanged for it. "Rest well, Lieutenant?" enquired Krow.

Krow sniffed. "How is fighting amongst ourselves ever going to lead anywhere? I've seen firsthand how that kind of thing only leads to the death of good, honest people. We have enough on our hands as it is." He relaxed his posture. "But to answer your question- I doubt the traitors will be killing based on petty anger. No one here is important enough to have earned the wrath of whomever it is they take orders from. Not unless they know something they shouldn't." "I've made my suspicions known to the captain." Krow didn't add that the man hadn't looked too convinced - had almost dismissed him outright, in fact - which had shocked him. It was true that Left and Right being deserters didn't necessarily make them traitors, but surely it at least warranted a closer inspection? Perhaps if he was able to convince other people, he could sway the captain's opinion. Krow just barely managed to keep from flinching at the woman's voice from behind him. How long had Right been listening in? Lights, was she creepy sometimes. He turned to face Right, keeping his expression neutral. "What actions?" he prodded. "You haven't caught a traitor already, have you? It hasn't even been an hour."

Krow's eyebrow lifted imperceptibly as he watched the lieutenant begin his second circuit. No one else was even moving, and here was the lieutenant already circling the building twice? He resolved to speak to the man if he began a third circuit. Perhaps the man needed to delegate a little better. General Yuen would never have let his men go idle if there were things that needed to be done. Krow frowned. "What kind of question is that? Surely you do not think that any traitors in our midst would tell the truth, do you?" He took a step closer, shifting his stance to leave his sword visible in its sheath on his hip. "And if we are innocent, what use would it be to know who we bear grudges against? All I can see that leading to is discord and conflict." "Surely a spy would remain silent?" Krow tilted his head. "Every word out of their mouth is a liability, certainly. At any moment, they could slip up, and then-" he made a cutting motion with his hand. "Better to be silent and out of notice than in the spotlight." "If you ask me," Krow said in a quiet voice, "I think we should take a closer look at Left and Right. [Devotary]. They've already betrayed one faction. Who's to say they won't betray another?"

Sign me up.

"Secrets and lies?" Krow shook his head. That was exactly the problem that plagued the government these days. If they could all just be honest, surely so much more could be done. "If we don't work together, the traitors will eat us alive." "The traitors will be as numerous as they can manage. Any hand they can slip inside our guard is another hand to watch each other's backs." Krow sniffed. Flowery nonsense. All these poets, thinking their fancy words made them somehow better than a man who put in an honest day's work. "Ridiculous," he said. "Death comes silently and without warning, be it soldier or king." Whether you fell in battle or were strangled by the side of the river, he thought, but did not say. Friends of his had been branded traitors for such words. Krow nodded respectfully to the lieutenant as he passed. A capable man, Lieutenant Zhangrong. He had every confidence he would be able to lead them through this crisis. Unless... No. There was simply no way the Lieutenant was a traitor. Not after all his years of loyal service to Discovery. "Well said," remarked Krow. To be honest, he hadn't understood half of what had come out of Kudyard's mouth, but if it was anything like what Randen had insinuated, he disagreed wholeheartedly. "Wait too long, though, and you may miss your chance to strike, hmm?" Krow shook his head, staring into the distance. "Too many people these days think too much. Thought without action is dead."

The pair fell to the surface of the planet. As far as worlds go, it was a pretty barren one. The air was breathable, and the temperature was just right to support liquid water, but there was nothing alive anywhere. Just an endless expanse of rock in one direction and an endless expanse of water in the other.