Gears

And it will be crushed beneath the words of the weak and weary.

No expectations. What you produce can be garbage so long as it exists.

I sometimes put things of great effort here, just so they'll exist but be forgotten, buried beneath the weight of cheap and fleeting victory, lost amongst all the trash that might have been treasure if only someone had taken the time to look. It makes me feel better in some unperceivable way.

Thou art not worth the effort it would take to deposit insults upon your head.

I feel tempted to insult you.

Naisturokara poretikai

Why seek victory? The joy is not in winning but in snatching the crown from the heads of others.

If we pretend the game is not a game, we give it more weight than it deserves.

I disagree with this, but I don't have any evidence or reasoning for why. According to a quick Google search, there are 900 genes on the X chromosome and 55 on the Y chromosome, which doesn't sound right, but it was what I found. A person going from X to Y would lose 845 genes. That would lose a lot of data, and I don't know how the body could rectify this. Going from Y to X would probably be fine because the DNA could just code for recessive genes.

My question is this: How can the individual's DNA remain the same when the chromosome switches? The X chromosome is 3 times larger than the Y chromosome, and carries many, many more genes. I expect that this is magical handwavy-ness. Perhaps the healing changes the DNA to match the standard phenotype, sans any changes that the person wishes to heal. Concerning the "healing" of someone to a different ethnicity, I cannot think of a reason that this would be impossible, save for the fact that a person of an ethnicity may lack knowledge of what it means to be that other ethnicity or be unable to perceive themselves as a different ethnicity. Perhaps a person adopted into an ethnicity could do so. Concerning the "healing" of someone to a different race, see ethnicity but with a bit more confusion. The singer transformation might work if the individual healed themself to have the mechanism to grow a gemheart. Even if the Radiants can't make a gemstone, the method by which they are grown is still a biological process that could be mimicked in healing. I am uncertain as to whether a healing from one species to a species with innate Investiture [like Nalthians] would work, since it is a retroactive application, but theoretically, biology should match. Perhaps the person would simply become a Drab. The first and only barrier is whether the person perceives themself to be the thing they are trying to become. It might be difficult for a human to believe themself to be a Dysian Aimian. Concerning the spiritual aspect bit: I thought healing was returning the Physical aspect to be aligned with the Spiritual, so people would already have this Spiritual aspect but their bodies wouldn't match. Trans men are men, trans women are women, and non-binary people are non-binary even before they transition. If a person considered themself to be another gender/race/ethnicity/species, they are that gender/race/ethnicity/species in the Spiritual Realm.

Didn't the Sibling say that there were originally only two pure tones of Roshar, and then something changed, which may or may not have been caused by Odium becoming a pure tone of Roshar? I don't have the book on me, so I can't quote directly, but I remember a dialogue along those lines. My pet theory is that Voidlight manifests as an inversion of Odium. Odium is pain, but it also takes pain. Gold is the taking of Passion. The metal captures souls. Kaladin's eyes glow golden red when he loses himself and his pain. Violet is the giving of Passion. When Vyre breathes it in, he regains Passion. Odium manifests as the violet flame in Dalinar's vision. I came up with this because purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, and then I remembered that this is Light, not colours, so my theory's origins are flawed. Theoretically, the opposite of yellow is blue in light mode.

"I accept that there will be people who refuse protection." [This one isn't phrased that well. See my third guess for the explanation.] "I accept that I deserve protection." [I like this one, but I don't think this is likely. The progression follows a more worldly perspective.] "I accept that other people make their own choices." [I didn't know how to phrase this in the context of protection, but it is basically the spirit of my first guess. People have autonomy and freedom to choose what they will, and it is not our place to decide if they are right. They chose, and we chose, and if we do not respect their choices, then we invalidate them, make them lesser in some fundamental way. They become not a person but an object, a trophy to be kept. It is not our place to do such a thing.] "I accept that protection is not the only way." [Also poorly phrased. Protection is not the end-all be-all, and there are other ways that could be better and could be worse. We choose to protect, and others choose not to, and none of us are wrong and none of us are right. Life is not the end that we all meet but the choices we made to reach it, and we cannot judge another's journey when we ourselves are drenched in blood from all the choices that we made and all the choices that we didn't and all the right and all the wrong we did not do. We each chose a path, and we follow it to the end, wandering the maze of decisions we all meander through, stumbling blindly towards the same goal, hoping beyond hope that we will find the best way. There is no best way. There is simply the path, and the people we leave behind.]

Kaladin: Survives, Fifth Oath [my pet theory is "I will accept that I deserve protection"], starts a happy life away from war, possibly as a therapist. Alternatively, he dies in a self-sacrificing manner after swearing the Fifth Oath [which will be different from my pet theory in this case]. Shallan: Survives with Adolin, becoming a worldhopping duo ready to take on the cosmere. Radiant's reintegration is a tossup, though I'm leaning towards it happening because of Veil [though I mildly dislike the reintegration arc because it supports the narrative that people with DID have to reintegrate to be "fixed" and that people who choose not to reintegrate are settling for the "bad" option]. Dalinar: Loses the contest, becomes a Fused, begins the eternal conquest. Alternatively, Taravangian finds a loophole, the contest is invalidated, and Dalinar is left scrabbling at the barren stone, hoping for salvation when none will come. Either way, he will end Book 5 on a very low note, and Book 6 will open with a very sad Dalinar, if it features him at all. Adolin: Survives, worldhopping duo, has an inverted bond with Mayalaran [where he gives her strength because she is the broken one and he remains whole]. Navani: Survives, masters fabrial science [even as she slows production of fabrials], swears another Oath, ends up chilling with the Sibling in Urithiru for 15 years, being an awesome queen [I know Jasnah's the queen, it's metaphorical]. Szeth: Survives, but with Dalinar's death/turning, he realises that obeying things, be they people or laws, is not the best way. He does not swear the Fifth Oath, but it sets him up for it after he cleanses Shinovar [which is where he goes off to for 15 years]. Venli: Survives, rebuilds her people, swears another Oath. Jasnah: Survives, with Dalinar's death/turning writes a bittersweet undertext, goes on the warpath to overturn the social hierarchy and systematically eliminates the dahn/nahn system, rank based on eye colour, gender roles, and more. This occupies her for the 15 years we see, and the back half opens up with her struggling to keep her key supporters loyal even as the people love her. Renarin: Survives, founds a new variant of Knights Radiant with Sja-anat's Corrupted/Enlightened spren, becomes a bit more confident, maybe starts dating Rlain by back five. Leshwi: Dies in battle against the Fused after finding out the fate of Riah and talking to Kaladin about Honor, Oaths, and the nature of morality. Vyre: Either killed out of mercy or survives as an empty shell out of mercy. [Isn't it strange how mercy can be used to justify the most heinous of acts, if only you mean well?] Taravangian: Survives. Depending on the result of the contest, he'll either be free to wreak havoc or just destroy Roshar. Hoid: You and I both know that this one won't die for a long while.

Good game. QFs are hectic and too fast and voting seems mandatory even though it isn't, but this was fun. Thank you @Straw for running this. It was quite enjoyable. @Ooklil' the Wei, I played differently because in my first elim game, I had been caught from the beginning. Quinn should have gotten me lynched right away. All logic and analysis pointed to killing me. Therefore, I had to appeal to emotion. This game, I had very little suspicion on me, so analysis could point to other people safely. @Ookla the Paradoxical, you did wonderfully. I dare say you were the driving cause of our victory. All hail, and please return for future games. @Ookla the Grammatical, you were right. It doesn't mean much, in the end, but you were right.

Sorry for not posting for hours, I was at robotics then sleeping. So, we are at LyLo [8 players, 5-3, they doused one last cycle, they'll douse on this cycle and ignite, we lynch one, we're at 2-3, we lose]. I don't understand the Condensation lynch. Maybe I've just been a bit absent-minded and not paying attention, but I don't get it. Maybe a post analysis will help. [This is future Gears, I understand the Condensation lynch now. Huzzah!] Last cycle's posts: Archer: Votes Vapor for their C3 vote. Liranil: Vaguely confused Archer: Concerned about reaching LyLo without a lynch target. Liranil: Very unsure. Gears: Post analysis, votes Elandera for voting based on gut. Elandera: Reads, votes Condensation for panic and lack of commitment Condensation: Exists, voted once, quite busy. [Notes that 3 things taken collectively could imply elim!Condensation, doesn't really have great explanations.] Araris: Will vote later. Danex: Votes Elandera for null reads but on Condensation Condensation: Agrees, but doesn't vote Elandera [which emphasizes that "lack of commitment" thing Elandera pointed out]. Elandera: Mislynches aren't evidence since elims wouldn't be on mislynches. No evidence against anyone but Connie. Liranil: Thinks Elandera and Archer are elims together, votes Elandera. Archer: Votes Condensation since they are more suspicious than Elandera Araris: Votes Condensation because Elandera has contributed more Condensation: Vote count? Game Master: Vote count. Condensation: Votes Elandera for self-preservation. Liranil: Votes have reasoning, what do you mean, Condensation? Condensation: Archer doesn't have much reasoning. Archer: RP. Okay, the Condensation lynch has limited merit. However, I don't feel confident about it. Of the seven people who are not me, 3 are elims. There are 4 votes on Condensation. This is LyLo. The village has been relatively split this whole time. I don't trust this. However, I don't suspect Archer, the only other vote candidate at this time that has a chance of reaching 4 votes. I also don't want a tie, since that is extremely vulnerable to an elim hammer. Therefore, I must vote Condensation despite my reservations because they are the only lynch target with any evidence against them and to prevent a tie and hammer.

I would have to disagree with the fairytale line of thought. We consider fairytales whimsical and fanciful because they don't exist. Whimsy is, at its heart, avoiding boredom. It is discontent in its purest form. It is disturbing the status quo. If something is constant, it will get boring. How long does it take you to get bored with your toys? Hours? Days? Years? Now think of how long time is to a Shard. Whimsy is an entity that will change everything between heartbeats. The idyllic fairytale may come into being at one point, but it will be changed when Whimsy gets bored. Whimsy is innocent and naive, but that does not preclude it from being terrible. Everything is fun and games until Whimsy wonders what humans would look like inside out.

I'm really sorry for not paying attention to this. Finals are coming up next week, I have a robotics and CS competition on Saturday, life is hectic, and I'm thinking of dropping out [Ash, respond to my eloquent PM] I am only vaguely aware of what is going on right now. Pailiah's Blade was held by Experience. This implies that Experience was the one who protected Matrim, since PMs are still up and running. However, if PMs die next turn, that somewhat shows that Vedel was the one who protected, since they shouldn't be out of Stormlight until the turn after, and Chanarach was the one who opened PMs first. The Matrim WGG even less likely, since I don't think elims would want to keep PMs open. So, as has been discussed, there were two instances of vote removal. The only Surge that can remove votes is Adhesion, so both Ishar and Kaladin acted. Concerning the vote off Quinn, it could have been someone submitting an early action because Adhesion cancels a person's vote, not removes a vote from a person. Quinn's voters: Experience, STINK. To start, Experience was voting Araris and STINK was voting Quinn. Then Experience voted Quinn. This was a matter of proof, not saving people. If you got Ishar to "prove" themself via Adhesion, that just might be Kaladin. Be wary.

Last cycle's posts: Illwei: Votes Elandera Danex: Exists Experience: Votes Archer because later Somebody votes are sus and Archer voted out of self-pres when they were going to live. [I mean, not realising you'll survive is a possibility.] Vapor: They confess to bandwagoning. Illwei: You think you are sus? Vapor: Would look sus to outsiders. Archer: Votes Experience for shallow reasoning. Experience: Sus of Archer for gut, defensiveness, deflecting attention. Condensation: No way of knowing if elims are inactive Illwei: Questions Game Master: Answers Illwei: Alas, foolishness abounds. Vapor: Thought Somebody vote was sus. Why is Archer voting Experience? Danex: Votes Condensation for self-referential third person usage Condensation: Yes. Illwei: ? Condensation: Yes Archer: Explains vote for Experience. Gears: Last cycle's posts. Votes Illwei for lynch on Somebody, pocketing Archer. [I still don't understand why they wanted Archer alive. Why would a villager have that flavor of certainty? I stand by my reasons, even though they lead me to an erroneous conclusion.] Illwei: Shall return Condensation: Gets games mixed up. Danex: ? Illwei: Analysis [which was quite good, actually] Gears: Distancing? [They did alter their opinion. I stand by this as well. I suppose that I should have expected this from the player that tends to be erratic.] Elandera: Responses. [They use skimming the thread as a justification. This could be an excuse in post to excuse a failed attempt to muster suspicion against people, or it could be a genuine explanation.] TJ Shade: Trusts Experience and Elandera. Votes Araris for shifting from Experience to Somebody and emphasizing an Experience lynch. Liranil: Suspicious of Illwei, Elandera, Archer. Votes Illwei because Quinn may have been right first round. [Remember, as says a random forgotten person's signature, "Confirmed good does not mean confirmed right."] Araris: Votes Archer because their flip will be useful. Archer: Analysis [which is quite good, but too long to really quote]. Suspects Vapor for vote switching, Illwei for being involved in lynches, Condensation and Gears for talking without voting. Illwei: ISO = isolation Araris: Too used to LGs. Switches to Vapor. Elandera: Votes Illwei for gut. Archer: Votes Vapor. Condensation: Ah. Illwei: Archer is solving the game. Votes Vapor for self-preservation, which evidently didn't go too well. Could someone remind me why people suspect Vapor? As far as I recall, it is only because of their late vote on Somebody, yes? Elandera feels off for some reason. They voted based on gut this late in the game despite numerous other candidates with legitimate reasoning behind it [specifically stating gut and not reiterating any reasoning]. This is a bad reason, but I don't really have any great suspects right now. Illwei was suspicious, and now they're dead. Maybe the confirmed good confirmed right fallacy has sunk into my mind. I would be alright with an Experience lynch, if only because I can't remember what they've done. I can also understand the Vapor lynch, assuming that the reasoning is the Somebody vote.

Sheborakai natorobagora

@Ooklil' the Wei, I'm not quoting your post because I'm more responding to everything and that would be a bit long and annoying. Your points concerning Elandera are good, and I can see why you voted on them. However, my reasons for voting you persist. You defended Archer, saying that you wished to keep them alive "even if they are an Elim", and now that I pointed that out, you seem to be distancing yourself from them. Before, you were saying that you wanted to keep Archer alive no matter what. illweiSuspicion++; I would be amenable to an Elandera lynch, if the tie persists and no Illwei lynch traction spontaneously generates in the few hours we have left. Illwei, please provide reasoning for your defense of Archer and subsequent reversal of that opinion.

Rekanabasoreka? Sorenikoratibe chorinaita baliuto.

Last cycle's posts Illwei: Confusion, Quinn died? Araris: Votes Experience because of their thoughts on Gears Elandera: Votes Illwei out of a misunderstanding Illwei: Misunderstanding! Elandera: Misunderstanding. Archer: Talking without voting is suspicious. Thought there were plots, not anymore. Pokes Windrunner Somebody: Disagrees. Illwei cleared. Votes Vapor for inactivity. Condensation: Vapor is alive. Illwei: Votes Somebody for clearing them and using proper grammar. [I understand this, but you have been noted.] Elandera: Illwei cleared? Votes Somebody for logical leaps. [As the second vote on the lynch, this is inherently more suspicious. The reasoning alone seems a bit odd. Noted] Condensation: Somebody usually has bad grammar. Illwei: Exactly. Elandera acting strange. Condensation: Grammar++; Illwei: And that's abnormal. Condensation: Correct. Somebody: Illwei mostly cleared since acting normal. [Strange, but in hindsight, alright]. Will get killed if don't vote. Grammar improves. Illwei: Okay. Argument based on E/E interaction. Votes Elandera. Elandera: Argument not dependent on that. Experience: Votes Araris in retaliation. Condensation: Is talking and not voting without getting voted on. Experience: True. Illwei: Voting only works to promote discussion. Condensation: Voting is discussion Experience: Last minute votes? Archer: Non voters suspicious. Uncontroversial people suspicious. [This is a good way to say things without talking.] Game Master: Don't use out of game things for the game. Condensation: Voting is -ish. Illwei: Not voting isn't necessarily AI. No information allows elims to hide votes. Condensation: Doesn't like voting Liranil: Votes Elandera for last round and attacking Illwei Illwei: Archer is bad at math Gears: Had a brilliant post, was foiled by the sands of time. Votes Elandera on a false premise. Illwei: Why? Vapor: RP Elandera: False premise. Gears: Alas, I am a fool. Condensation: RP Vapor: RP Experience: RP confusion Condensation: Okay. Joe: Votes Archer for promoting a wide spread. Seems like they're covering for Illwei Illwei: Doesn't like Illwei-Archer connections Silber: Exists TJ Shade: Votes Archer for avoiding responsibility Liranil: Suspicious of Joe for trying to get them to switch. Confused. Condensation: No reads. TJ Shade: Talk more. Archer: Vote count. Retaliatory voting is strange. Gears hasn't voted. [Speaking of, I didn't vote last cycle either, but I would like to say that rollover takes place during one of my classes where you actually have to pay attention to the teacher, and I completely lost track of this game. Maybe I shouldn't play QFs. They move too fast for me.] Analysis without votes is suspicious. [And then you don't vote, you hypocrite.] TJ Shade: Vote hopping = sus. Condensation: Ultimatum. Archer: Observations of the two options. Condensation: Okay. Archer: Doesn't suspect Elandera. Somebody: Votes Archer for vote hopping. Condensation: Lynch chains. Elandera: Careful, Icarus. Condensation: Aye aye, captain. Liranil: Shoot the dark. Elandera: Amenable. Illwei: Likes Archer. Doesn't want to "kill Archer even if they are an Elim" Game Master: Vote Count Illwei; Votes Somebody to protect Archer. [Illwei obviously began the counterlynch train to protect Archer. As such, my suspicion of Illwei has increased. A villager has less incentive to keep a player alive. An elim could be protecting a fellow elim or trying to pocket a villager. Since Archer expressed willingness to trust Illwei earlier, it could be either.] Araris: Votes Somebody because they don't like the Archer lynch [which is notable as well] and for Somebody's hasty Illwei clear. Illwei: "huh". Araris: Willing to lynch Experience. Illwei: Nah. Vapor: Votes Somebody for voting them. Illwei: Doesn't like the bandwagoning. Experience: Votes Vapor for bandwagoning. Archer: Votes Somebody for 'self-preservation', though they were safe by then. They might not have realised it though. Illwei started the counterlynch on Somebody. They seem to be trying to pocket Archer [or save them, depending on whether or not Archer's an elim]. Also, I don't understand exactly why they suspect Elandera. @Ooklil' the Wei, could you explain this? I do agree that Experience's votes have been a bit flimsy, but these are the early days, so all votes are a bit flimsy.

I could have sworn I had posted this cycle. Oh well. My activity is going be sporadic for a bit because finals are soon, and studying takes time. Matrim was protected by the Surge of Progression. There are two blades that could have done this: Vedel and Pailiah. I do not think Matrim was protected by an elim. If it was Vedel, then that person is completely out of Stormlight and opened PMs for one night only. An elim would either not want PMs or want to maximise PMs. In addition, they probably wouldn't want to waste resources and burn all/most of their Light C1. If it was Pailiah, then that person could have used Illumination and prevented the kill from being roleblocked or just saved Stormlight. Because of this, I suspect that the protector was village. Therefore, I think Matrim is village, because the elims wouldn't kill one of their own without a protect. Of course, this could be what they want me to think, but for now, I think that the WGG did not happen. However, this is based off of my mindset of saving resources, and I am quite possibly underestimating the value of a semi-cleared elim. People I noted in my votes analysis post N1: Books [for repeating reasoning], Eternum [for disliking vote switches], Somebody [for no reasoning], Illwei [for disliking vote switches], Devotary [for disliking vote switches]. Out of these, I suspect... none of them. I don't like Somebody's bandwagoning, but that seems to be their playstyle. Books was an early voter. Disliking vote switches is perfectly valid. I have to reanalyse things, but I would be willing to vote Somebody, if only because of the bandwagoning.

Korekinatike? Sorietarano cheronatika tsoba.

Sochuritinaya byerkator