Ashbringer

I do think there's a lot of value in less powerful characters and solving problems without just applying the right metal, but I think the point cap could go up to allow Mistborn and higher-level Radiants with sufficient character weaknesses. For one thing, we're starting to get characters that powerful in the main books (namely Kaladin), and we also definitely ran into the problem where only a handful of characters could conceivably fight the DA's creatures without depending on plot armor instead of inherit durability/healing. (Speaking of power creep, I'm trying to create a fully-metallic-Cassie... not entirely sure how she'd score on points, but I don't have a score for Byron either so idk).

Poller should be fine on his own, but he's semi-intentionally being a guinea pig to see if anyone reacts to someone experiencing his symptoms. I'm not sure if there is that besides Aylitha's monsters (ie the somewhat large DA presence in the hospital taking notice), so I'm fine with him either sitting there for the foreseeable future or potentially getting reset / attacked / interrogated. He's tougher than he looks, especially with some of his leaked memories of some Alley War.

… I’m gonna be honest, I hyperfocused on Archer saying elims don’t like randomness and wanting broad suspicions that I completely glossed over his recommendation for two/three names with one real vote. Maybe an agreement in practice but not in intent? Idk. For some reason I feel more exhausted at 7 PM than at 1 AM so I may come back to this later.

To be less of a jokester now, I will note that I ran the previous Anon Vote QF (which did indeed let me not pay too much thread attention all the time ). There most people just stated their own vote in thread and in PM, Elims and Village alike. Which is their choice, but not the choice I'd prefer to happen here, because there's so much that can happen with anon votes. I would prefer narrower suspicions (and discussion of those positions), but there's also the inherit non-randomness that Elims knowing each other have. They can ignore that, but even that fact can tell us something... we just need to figure it out. Which might be possible, might not - that's more on the village than on me. I guess the idea is if we find out one player picked two "suspicious" people, then we later learn their alignments, we can learn a decent amount about the player based on which they actually voted for. But I wouldn't do it past C1, or C2 if no leads show up. Also, I'm widely known for getting... slightly tunnelly about villagers lying, which is why I'd like to find a way for secret votes to be explicitly secret. Hence the floating stab vote. ... idk how much sense that made but that's what I've got. That was Araris's fault not mine I can see if I can get you a present... I still need to RP and things

A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight! -Santa Claus, MR56 (paraphrased)

Cassie gave NullBlade a quick nod, then stood up to follow the nurse. It didn't... hurt. It didn't even feel wrong, it just felt stiff. The nurse didn't react, although Cassie supposed he'd seen far worse than a woman with what amounted to a strange case of muscle atrophy. She took a few steps. Same feeling. Strangely, not as heavy as she was expecting. Whatever she was turning into wasn't as dense as steel. The nurse paused a moment. "If you'd like a walking aid of some kind, I can get you one." "I'll be fine," Cassie said. "I've gotten this far, I can go a while farther. But avoiding the stairs may be preferable." The nurse nodded, continuing down a set of hallways. There weren't many stairs, which was nice - the flight to the Spiritual Ward was the only one, and it had a lift that Cassie graciously accepted the offer to use. It was slow, but that left some time. She turned to NullBlade. "Have you ever... how did you even learn about what a savant was? The only ones I knew was a long time ago, and their savantisms were... more subtle." How long had it been? Since she'd gotten the Soulcaster? Since Scadrial? It was so hard to tell.

You're welcome! ... I think.

It worked to keep people's votes in line. That just turned it into an essentially Vanilla game. The thing is Elims weren't pressured enough to need to lie about their votes, and the village just never found one.

I think what we want to avoid is when we go around C2 asking people why they voted for the Villager and get almost all responses of "it was just a random vote". Way too easy for Elims to hide that way. (Sort of what Mat said.) I'm going random and secret to start, but it'll move if I have reason to trust the person, who may or may not be Devotary, that it's on. Hmm... maybe an idea is for everyone to vote on two people in thread, and secretly pick one of the two to vote for real?

I think we need to strike a balance. The last time we played anon voting, eventually all the votes matched the thread, which basically makes the game a less quick Vanilla. So voting in secret can be useful... just need to figure out how. Same thing with random secret voting. It works to start because it's unpredictible, but it's unsustainable as a strategy because there's very little stopping Elims from also being random - we can try and figure out if they're "randomly" voting in a pool of villagers, or pool of elims, or pool of all of us, but I'd rather not try and solve a Three Gods problem variant in order to play a QF

I'm going to test something! I have placed a secret stab vote in my PM, which may or may not be on Devotary. The vote will not be removed until adequate analysis and/or RP has been made, convincing me that you should continue on to the next round! Until then... I'm in class so things should arrive in a bit.

... is he a master forger (of documents) or master Forger (of Sel Investiture)?

I think... yeah. Cassie and Byron's histories aren't changed, so they're not regaining memories. They're affected by the Alleyverse being different, but Byron's only gotten a touch of that so far and Cassie is just flat out unaware because she's been busy with Lord and the Ghostbloods. So I need a way to make her aware.

One thing: Cassie and Byron are both largely unaffected by the Forgery, on account of arriving in the Alleyverse after its creation. (Byron is somewhat affected due to spending far longer in the Alleys than he should have, but I’m sort of scrapping the idea of him getting different memories/powers as he’s strong enough on his own). Also… Cassie’s savantism has progressed. A lot. I don’t know what the endgame for a Soulcaster Savant really is, especially one more material than Kaza, but truth be told she doesn’t know either. So she’s worried. She’s wondering if she could trap her consiousness within a gemstone, and have that let her survive a complete transformation into a metal woman. I’d have to figure out how it would change her character sheet, but it shouldn’t be too different. Most likely just +stronger, -slower or something. Plus it gives her a reason to venture to the Cognitive Ward and find the plot a little more. Any thoughts? It’ll probably actually happen as the Arc/Era shifts, but it’s a decent progression.

See this is why you guys aren't getting AraRaash's backstory yet

Yeah, we can shelve Poller for now. I’m also not sure… @ZincAboutIt, do you have any idea if the DA would react to someone being hospitalized with pre-Forged-memory symptoms? Because that’s part of why I’m wondering what would happen to him. But yeah, if you want Folorian to go off on his own / with Emily then go ahead.

I am still wondering I have shown you Mercy this time, Striker

Yeah, I've had my fun of OOG DMs (mostly with Quinn), but I'm more used to being the one without information instead of the one with it. Hence why I was hesitant to actually badger you to stop analyzing and chill, because, well, I could tell how close or not close you were to being right and that was a bit too close for comfort. Plus if you're doing village analysis as a non-villager you're not just doing it for the pattern. Writers block can be an oof, and I definitely can understand the "fine, I'll do it myself" moments when it comes to doing analysis... MR56 or otherwise. Do what makes you happy so long as it lets you sleep at night! ...don't read into that. And hey, LG74 and AG8 writeups/writings were great!

"People always talk about order. That it's order that matters, and to Braize with whatever stands in the way," AraRaash said. "That once you have order, anything that changes is a threat to that order, and that needs to stop." "I'm aware you're not a fan," Faleast replied. "But the people who don't like that order usually aren't upset by the order itself, they just want to be the ones on top. They're looking for a different order. Not a lack of it. Remember the PRE? The Loyalists? They were fighting for ideals. Which order was better. They didn't understand." "That chaos is better?" "That's how I started. Not sure if I'm still there, but that's the game. It's not who wins, it's if someone wins. How long it takes, how permanent it is." "So that's what you were trying to do. And here?" "I was more concerned with... finding an old friend than who would win. I think you were too." "Sorry to interrupt, but we're still in a box," Derrick said. "Not now, Derrick. We don't need you yet," Faleast and AraRaash said. "He does have a point," Faleast said. "Well, either we'll stay in the box or we won't. They knew we were alive. Can probably hear us now. So we'll wait a little longer. And then... well that depends what they've got to say, doesn't it?" "... did you say an old friend?" Faleast said. AraRaash smiled. "Oh, you're curious? Well, perhaps you're ready for the story..." I died pretty early this game (and a Striker game too...) but I liked the game quite a bit and the items and badgering Kas and Striker with Bendalloy shenanigans Edit: I had PM fun too Kas

I think Exp was planning on taking this slot, but I'm not entirely sure. I don't have a specific game for this one - the one I've got right now is relatively simple (basically set group PMs / docs at the start of the game + some roles). Which I could run, but I've also got an Honorblade rerun due that I'd prefer to run before it starts being potentially spoiling SA 5 but I'd also prefer not to be that guy with two LG slots right next to each other, one of which is being run as a Break Tank at some point.

Cassandra Adama tried not to limp as she walked past the first secretary. She wasn't sure how much the limp was from the damage of the battle, or the Soulcasting, or just her own perception. She hadn't had it before. Or at least she hadn't noticed it before. But there were more important things to worry about. Like the contents of her shoulder bag, which may give security some pause. Aluminum lining, a few buttons and pockets cleverly hiding small razors, various coins, and a rather large amethyst. Lord had apparently been holding out on her - she'd managed to transport and hide the more unseemly loot that she'd collected, but the massive amount of amethysts and trade contacts, those were sometimes even more important. And the Soulcaster, of course. She wasn't going to leave that behind. She had checked in most of her dirks and knives, but better safe than sorry. She paused on the steps. What was she even going to say? There'd been a note that her assistant had been injured? That she was injured? She should be, but she wasn't, she'd checked. The worst thing she'd suffered was a dent in her side and arm... and the fact that such a dent could exist. But Cassie had an idea for the first and could live with the second. Well, she had an idea for the second too. Which was another task that could happen at the hospital. But she'd need to get to the Cognitive Ward, the one place she was certain that her condition would not let her go. Perhaps Poller was there, if they'd tried to treat his narcolepsy directly. Well. No way of figuring out like this. She opened the door, just in time to watch NullBlade head to the waiting room, looking... distracted? More like distraught. Strange. You don't usually get a terminal diagnosis at the front desk, so this was something... different. No matter. "I'm Cassandra Adama," she said, walking up to one of the receptionists. "I'm here for... a few reasons, actually. My assistant Poller may have came for an appointment earlier today, he left a note saying he had a potential head injury? I'd like to make sure he's alright. And...". She sighed, then waved her Soulcaster. "I've been using this for a long time. Metal soulcaster savantism... relatively advanced. I'd like to at least get an opinion on what that might mean for the future. I'm largely dependent on it for my income, and I seem to have been managing better than expected, but I'm not really sure what options I have." The receptionist paused from writing, pencil somewhat twitching in his hands. "Alright... those may have to be resolved seperately. Go ahead and find a spot in the waiting room and I'll see if I can find a spot." Cassie nodded, then followed the pathway to where NullBlade was sitting, slowly, keeping care to rest her arm. "Well, here we go," she said simply. "I hope you find what you're looking for." @mathiau

I can get my Battle rules in. Might have to chop it up a bit / just use the baselines, but it should work. Also, completely hypothetical question: there's been some games with Anon Accounts and Real Accounts, but... how hard/limited is that? I'm not really sure how anon accounts are allowed to interact with normal ones.

Revealing it at the beginning of the cycle also has the advantage of learning who has items and who doesn't - that's something that tripped me up a bit, because we learned C3 what the bids from C1 were, where the items could have already been used C2. Tracking that kind of thing is one of the few ways villagers can quickly learn things. Revealing who got which items is a bit too much though.

Wha- Hang on, if I hadn't wrote a nice poem about Lifeless Rabbits and ravens, then Xino and I would have stayed off Striker and you wouldn't be in danger anyway!