Hoid Slayer

Kéamen sighed, then once again strolled out into the large plaza. Scenes from the last week flashed in his head. Arriving in Blackkeep, fresh and naive, eager to complete the job sent for him. Not so long ago. Stepping into the square, similarly to now, to make his address regarding peacefulness. Inaggression that had since been thrown out the window. Scrawling on these floors at night, hoping his voice would be heard. A voice that seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Now, he claimed the space for what could be the final time. Wishing he had done more. Kéamen took the stage, spread his arms wide, and spoke. “I would call some of you friends.” He nodded to Keldorn. “Others…” he looked to Var. “I would watch with doughtful eyes, yet not quite call enemies. Yet there are most certainly enemies among us. ”They nearly outnumber us. And let me tell you this; they will strike. As late as they can afford, they will likely launch a group vote, and doom is all. As members of the village, we must choose a shared target. We must unite.” Kéamen felt something of a grin creeping on his face. ”I find it somewhat funny that I first stood before you to advocate against the very thing I now defend, against the very man I now condemn. But the times have changed. ”I sincerely believe Var is our enemy. Josha,” he nodded to the man, “raised a valid point about good men being executed for controlling the conversation. And yet, the question I raise is not whether we should attack these men. It is why the Spiked haven’t already. ”Why haven’t they attacked our most vocal leads, when without them, we might fall apart?” Kéamen’s heart pounded in his chest. “One of Keldorn and Var is an enemy. Perhaps I am foolish, but I trust the former. So Var must die.” He let the silence reign for a moment. “Madiane states she and Var are both Smokers. Keldorn seems to corroborate the latter, and I am willing to believe it. But to those of you who wield these powers, I ask: how have you used them? “I hear the concerns that my attack on Var, supported by Madiane, seems like a defensive tactic. But have I not suspected Var from the beginning? “The Spiked will strike tonight. Maybe Var is not among them. But I see no one here more suspicious. So please, I beg you. Citizens of Blackkeep. Foreigners. The fate of this town is in our hands. Will you unite to protect it?” Kéamen lowered his arms, exhausted. He had pulled the string of fate. He would let the threads unravel.

Kéamen stood awkwardly, not sure how to feel about the fact that various private conversations had taken place without his knowing. Perhaps that was the price to pay for not being there.

Kéamen turned to him, glad someone else had showed up. ”Oh, it’s just that I considered leaving my vote for Var in case someone with more information than me decided to flip it, but figured there was nothing I could do. I also feel as if I should’ve been more active, rather than simply watching.” Kéamen turned to her. ”What do you mean Var claimed Soother? Is there anyone you have Soothed that can testify to your ability? Three Soothers seems… odd. As for Var… care to explain?” Kéamen worried about this position of hers. It didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to him, and seemed a little like she was trying to piggyback on an easy vote. It unsettled him.

When Kéamen finally walked back into the square, it was far past noon. He still felt a string of guilt from not responding earlier, yet he remained shaken from his conversation with Hoid. It was a little late, he knew, but the square had been fairly inactive. And he had a promise to keep. First, Kéamen analyzed the votes: C1: Lijal (4): Var, Madiane, Fox, Mil Astrid (3): Keldorn, Kéamen, Jox Jox (1): Copper Stopper Fox (1): Lijal Antari (1): John Derrick No vote: Josha, Lipitor, Teal, Astrid, Antari C2: John Derrick/AraRaash (5): Jox, Josha, Keldorn, Fox, Var Var (2): Mil, Teal, Kéamen No vote: John Derrick, Astrid, Antari, Madiane, Lipitor C3: Fox (3): Madiane, Var, Jox Mil (2): Keldorn, Fox Jox (1): Mil Var (1): Antari No vote: Josha, Kéamen, Antari ... There. That done, Kéamen analyzed. It was difficult (for him, at least) to determine much from these votes, particularly as no Spiked had yet been revealed. However, he could compare certain actions. There was one name Kéamen had consistently found suspicious: Var. At first, Kéamen's attention had been drawn by Var's bloodlust, supported by odd accusations. Additionally, Keldorn had previously raised a matter Kéamen found interesting. So far, Keldorn and Var had dominated the discussion around the search for the Spiked. From the perspective of the Spiked, it made no sense to go after inactive players like Lipitor when there were far more experienced voices dominating the discussion. Spiked always wanted to be in control of the narrative. Kéamen saw too possibilities for why the Spiked might allow the current situation: 1. The voices dominating the discussion were going down the entire wrong path, and it benefitted the Spike for them to continue pushing that narrative. That possibility worried Kéamen, but wouldn't hold enough wait for him to permit them to continue living if he was the Spiked. 2. At least one of the two was a Spiked, and so was using the other one to hide. Kéamen thought this possibility the most likely. Personally, Keldorn had earned his trust after putting in mass amounts of effort, particularly near the start, that he didn't have to. And so Var was the top suspect for the Spiked. There was also the matter of Jox. As far as Kéamen could remember off the top of his head, the main thing he, at least, had suspected Jox for were his early actions reaching out to as many people as possible and establishing a place in their thoughts - a ploy Kéamen himself had fallen into with a relative of Lipitor's. In the second day, Fox had raised suspicions of Jox acting oddly related to his relatives. In his notes last night, Keldorn had mentioned Jox and Var stumbling over each other in the evening of the second day, and Kéamen had gone back and reviewed that time, and didn't really understand what Keldorn had meant. What he did find interesting was Jox joining a train on Var, the train seeming to almost succeed, and then Jox quickly switching to a train on Derrick as soon as he was specifically pressured from Var. That switch from a leading train on Var onto Derrick as a whole caught Kéamen's attention. Those who had changed their votes were Var, Keldorn, and Jox under Var's influence. In a world where Var was Spiked, Kéamen saw it entirely possible that Jox was Spiked with him. Another reason for the Spiked to keep Jox around, when perhaps Keldorn could have sufficed as cover for Var. Continuing in a world where Var was Spiked, Kéamen analyzed the situations of the others. Mil Keldorn was suspicious of Mil because he seemed more concerned with his appearance than with actually seeking the culprits. Kéamen could relate a little to this; he did, every now and then, worry that anything he said could make him look Spiked. It was an internal voice that was impossible to silence. But at the same time, Kéamen found this note interesting. Votes wise, Mil and Var had voted together for Lijal on the first day. On the second, Mil had interestingly joined the train on Var, and stayed on it, despite the logic used for his vote beind disproved. Looking back at those events, it seemed to Kéamen that Mil had honestly believed in his accusation against Var, but perhaps it was just a method for clearing himself. On day three, Mil voted Jox. Nothing would be suspicious there, if not for Mil saying - and Kéamen quoted - "I vote for Jox, if only to prove that it isn't me." What? @KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren, some explanation here would be nice. If the Spiked were (Var, Jox, Mil), then this could be a weird form of justification for Mil weakly distancing himself from Jox. For now, Kéamen found Mil suspicious, but not extremely. Josha Kéamen didn't know what to think about Josha. Keldorn had said Josha had insisted early in the game on Jox engagement, but that seemed light to Kéamen, and Josha hadn't been super active. Votes wise, Josha had oddly refrained from votes on the first and third days. On the second day, he accused Derrick in a sensible way. Nothing really suspicious other than potential inactivity. Antari Antari was... not doing much. The only notable thing he had done, per Keldorn's notes, was claim that Fox was a villager and vanish. Kéamen agreed there were two main explanations for this: 1. Antari had seeked Fox, but in that case, why was he only saying something now? 2. Antari wanted to claim credit for getting Fox's alignment right? This was just weird. @ThatOneWorldhopper, explanation please. Votes wise, Antari had literally done nothing. Which was a little suspicious. Madiane Kéamen didn't know what to think about Madiane. Keldorn had noted that Madiane had been the decisive vote on the Fox train in the third day, over the Mil train. Kéamen still felt guilty about not acting up there. Madiane had claimed her vote was to seek information, but it was unclear what information she was looking for, and that seemed weak justification for a vote on what many had believed a decisive moment. @Biplet, care to explain? Madiane had joined Var and Mil in voting Lijal the first day, and refrained from voting the third. ... Overall, Kéamen's main suspicions for the Spiked were: 1. Var, Jox, and maybe Mil, Josha or Antari? 2. Var, Mil, and Madiane Kéamen didn't think Mil and Antari would be Spiked together, as then Antari's surge to save Fox would make no sense To address some things in his analysis: Yes, Kéamen was relying heavily on Keldorn's info. Yes, Kéamen was putting a lot on the assumption that Keldorn was village. Keldorn was just doing far too much for Kéamen to see him differently, and he was the only one who had responded when Kéamen asked for a summary the previous night. Likewise, Kéamen was relying on Var being Spiked. Var was his heaviest e!read, and the only one Kéamen felt confident executing today. The votes, as they stood, where: Var (2): Antari, Kéamen Kéamen (1): Var Josha (1): Jox Madiane (1): Josha Antari (1): Keldorn The spread out votes worried Kéamen. It left the village susceptible to Spiked teaming. They had to unify, urgently. @A Jo in the Bush@TwinStorm@Kasimir@StrikerEZ ... One last thing. Aral had repeatedly said that a failure of the village to take steps towards solving issues such as the water poisoning and infrastructure worried him. Was Aral trying to imply the villagers could actively do something about that? @Araris Valerian

That… was a lot of information. Kéamen would have to go through it tomorrow; however, he did want to make a comment about his activity. Kéamen couldn’t explain exactly why he had revealed himself as a Tineye; maybe it was him just stressing out, not having the time to put together an analysis, and hoping it would be useful to someone somehow. Perhaps, Kéamen had to admit, it had to do with an ingrained sense of self-preservation, although he should have thought of the impact on the village. Kéamen’s call wasn’t just performative; he did intend to take a greater role in the future, and wanted to be caught up on the state of things. Kéamen sighed, finally stepping into the room where he had arranged the meeting with his mentor. There was so much for him to sort through, and he worried about every move. He probably should have felt tense in this moment; but he couldn’t bring himself to muster an emotion other than exhaustion. So it was with exhaustion that he met the man already standing in the room. White haired, slim, facing off into the distance. Waiting. “Hello, Hoid.”

And that was that. Kéamen shut his eyes as he heard the news, gripping the paper in his hand. Another innocent gone, and Kéamen couldn't shake a sense of guilt. He had considered voting for Mil, just in case, but decided against it. Perhaps, if he had payed more attention, he could've done something. He had always wanted to change the world. Now, when his chance was here he fumbled. NO. No, he couldn't afford to think like that. Not everything was his fault. He had barely slept in over a week; there was nothing he could've done. But now... as he walked to meet his mentor, Kéamen felt an odd sense of assurance. Now, many of his others concerns were done. He had a report to turn in, and after whatever happened tonight, he could finally devote more attention to the mystery in the coming days. Perhaps it was too late. But it was time for Kéamen to be there, instead of pondering on the past. Inside, an inner voice scoffed at that. Bold of him to defend his actions now, when he was on his way to face judgement. But Kéamen stayed strong. There was no point in guilt. He called the others, all of them, to help. @A Jo in the Bush@KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren@TwinStorm@KelsierApologist@Kasimir@ThatOneWorldhopper@StrikerEZ@Biplet There was still a Lurcher, a Thug among them. He called them to help Kéamen create a profile of each participant, track their votes in the past, analyze the game. It was time for Kéamen to step forward, and regain his role in the twisted game of elimination.

*squeeze*

Kéamen was utterly confused. His life by this point was a muddled mess as he put together the politics at play in Blackkeep, and he wasn’t able to follow the discussion and analysis taking place between the other members of the village. His mentor was arriving tonight, and yet Kéamen wasn’t ready in the slightest. Kéamen was aware of how late it was to be commenting, and wanted to make a clarification for any who had doubts: he wasn’t taking a backseat presence willingly. Rather, there was simply so much other stuff going on in his life he couldn’t devote time to the mystery right now. However, Kéamen had been pressured to vote, and as by now he realized the precarious solution the village would be in if they didn’t eliminate a Spiked, he would comply. He don’t have the time nor the will to go through his own analysis of possibilities, so he chose to trust Keldorn, who seemed experienced. Keldorn proposed a Spiked between Jox, Fox, and Kéamen. As Kéamen naturally cleared himself, that left him to choose between Jox and Fox. The current votes were as follows: Mil: 1 (Fox) Jox: 1 (Mil) Fox: 3 (Var, Madiane, Jox) Var: 1 (Antari) Kéamen: 1 (Keldorn) With that data, it seemed clear to Kéamen that Fox was dying today; one way or another, the fate of Blackkeep would be decided here. Honestly, Kéamen had no good read on Fox. He didn’t trust himself at all anymore, with his inability to focus.

Kéamen was tired. He didn’t have the time, nor the effort to be nearly as active in the investigation of the crimes as he would have liked. He hadn’t been up to date with the accusations, and so he struggled to understand the logic employed by others such as Jox and Keldorn. So he would refrain from a vote today, as he did not feel himself capable of judging well. He would, however, impart some information for those who were active to hopefully get to the bottom of this. First: he wanted to acknowledge that while not all the Spiked were active, at least one of them almost certainly was, and his instincts pointed to Var. Of the inactive, Lipitor was also suspicious - although they all were, to an extent. Additionally, with the arrival of Kéamen’s mentor to Blackkeep on the horizon, he might as well throw every card he had. It was time to dispense with the secrets that had dominated Kéamen’s world for the last year. He could bear them no longer. Was he weak for feeling that way? Perhaps. But as an ember simmered in Kéamen’s heart, he found hus anger not directed at himself, but towards his mentor. An ember he would have to deal with urgently, yet not instantly. Ever since his first night in Blackkeep, something… odd had happened to Kéamen. At first, it had frightened him. He could hear rats in the walls, feel every grain of dust on the floor. It hadn’t taken him long to realize they were the abilities of a Tineye. That second night (the first after the murders) Kéamen had scrawled a message on the floor of the market square in the shadows of the night, hoping his voice, anonymous, would carry weight. He had tried to do the same tonight, but some invisible force had stopped him. Finally, after hours questioning, he had realized what it was. A Soothing.

I finished the book yesterday, and personally, for me, the most emotional moments were, in no particular order: - Kaladin dancing with Syl - One of Szeth’s first flashbacks, when he kills the soldier who killed Molli - Odium “destroying” Karbranth - didn’t like the retcon - Jasnah’s debate with Odium. I know a lot of people are complaining about things Jasnah should’ve said, but I don’t think the heart of the scene was about who had the better arguments. It was about Odium breaking Jasnah - Adolin’s “last stand” on the front lines as the enemy breaks out of the dome and takes Azimir - Adolin realizing the difference between an oath and a promise / beating up Abidi - Dalinar faces the Blackthorn in the Spiritual Realm - All of Tanavast’s arc - And, of course, Dalinar’s final gambit

Kéamen sighed. “I understand. I’ve had my sense of time messed up, and was merely trying to justify my vote from earlier.”

Kéamen had been too busy, and too tired, to give a response during the day. Now, finally, as night consumed Blackkeep, he was finally able to make his statement. Kéamen stressed, worried he had failed to do enough this day. Other events had consumed much of his time, and so he had not been following the mystery completely. Indeed, he couldn't help but feel he was missing important events. Kéamen found this response from Var slightly aggressive. In Kéamen's interpretation, Derrick hadn't pushed Var for making that specific choice; he had just been curious in Var's process to make it - a process Var hadn't really elaborated upon, even now. Kéamen was thankful for the clarification from Keldorn, yet at the same time silently ashamed that he hadn't figured that out himself. He really was an amateur. Kéamen wasn't implying anything, at least not purposefully. He was genuinely seeking help in deciphering Antari's message. All Antari had said was that he was held captive and needed to be freed. Lipitor behaved much in the way he had in public so far - drunk, and disinterested in the case. Feigning ignorance could be a sign of suspiciousness from him. Kéamen was still confused about the attacks against Astrid. From what he understood, the others attacked Astrid because she observed events go by without interfering. But Kéamen could think of many situations were one might be too busy or unavailable to respond. He was genuinely confused here. Was there something else he was missing? Kéamen had to admit that he might have rushed to form connections in the morning, his brain stressed, and hadn't analyzed the entire situation as best as he could have. Indeed, Fox's backup against Madiane could just have been a test to see her reaction. Josha's stance here was interesting; he came in, accused Teal, Mil, and Lipitor of inactivity (when Josha was equally suspect), and then joined a train against Derrick started by Var - possibly an easy exe for a Spiked? Perhaps, however, these were Josha's genuine thoughts. Kéamen had learned that not all support was not originally devised. Kéamen recognized Keldorn's arguments here. They weren't unbased, that was for sure. Kéamen had had that same thought when making his call for Seekers - he didn't have the answer to that problem. Kéamen was genuine in his urge to ellicit reactions from his targets; he often found himself, however, without the time or scope to really go through and analyze everything going on. Such as now, late in the evening, when Kéamen was honestly just going through rote motions before retiring to his rooms. Indeed, it was with a heavy heart that Kéamen had to admit his activity was only going to decrease in the future. Other things were going on in his life, and while he would do his best to stay active, the other villagers should not expect his presence to take a big role going forward. Finally, he had supposed he had to make a vote... reviewing the current state of things, the choice seemed to be between Var and Derrick. Lipitor getting executed was pretty much out of the question for this round. Kéamen had learned his lesson from yesterday about the success of trying to get nobody executed, and he did have to admit that the village had to act back sooner or later. So in the end, his vote fell on Var. He didn't quite understand what others had seen suspicious in Derrick, and he remembered finding something odd about Var in the previous day, even if he had no time to review it. He could only hope his choice was right. Sighing, Kéamen began to trudge back to his quarters... ... and then this happened. Well. He would leave the others to deal with that. When Kéamen finally stumbled into his quarters, he found an odd slip of paper lying on his bed. He hadn't left it there, and had done his best to proof the rooms. Cautious, Kéamen walked up and grabbed the slip, raising it to his level and reading the writing on it in the dim light. As he processed the writing, a chill ran down Kéamen's back. Dear friend, Your missive reaches me in a time of great stress. As I'm sure you know, my time is almost wholly consumed elsewhere, where I am most needed. However, I find your reports indicative of much larger goings-on in Blackkeep than I had expected. And, as I must lament, frankly, I find your treatment of the situation... disappointing. You can do better, Kéamen. Perhaps it is not your fault. Perhaps I should have prepared you better. Regardless, I will be abandoning my current duties to pay a visit to Blackkeep, and inspect the situation for myself. Expect me as soon as possible. Sincerely, Hoid

After a long night, Kéamen finally stepped back into the market square as the morning drew long. Primarily watching the others interact, Kéamen began to sort his own thoughts at Copper's fall. There were two ways for one to die other than public execution; a kill by the Spiked, or murder by a Coinshot. Theoretically, these were two different things, and so two deaths should have occurred. And yet, only one did. Kéamen was more inclined to think the Spiked were active, meaning there were no active coinshots in the game - or they had chosen to save their powers (although, then again, perhaps someone found themselves saved by a Lurcher). Kéamen found the train against Madiane confusing; perhaps it was because he was still new to this trade, and distracted by other events, but he did not fully understand the reasoning behind it. While he was ready to believe Keldorn's attack had been a poke (it seemed in character) Fox's backup could be seen as odd. In reviewing the actions of the previous day, Kéamen trusted his initial instincts; Jox's unprompted attack on Astrid in particular stood out - while it was possible Astrid had heard Jox and still remained silent, Kéamen empathized that there were many reasons why one could be too busy to respond, and Keldorn's follow-up to that vote was weak. Mil, on a review, didn't actually stand out as particularly suspicious, if one were to excuse his random vote. Even Var's behavior could be excused. To tell the truth, Kéamen was puzzled. Everyone could be suspicious for something; and the stress of awaiting a response from his mentor wore on him. Kéamen also didn't want to discount those who had not yet spoken. He had tried to reach out to those inactive in the first day. Of those, he had received a response from Lipitor (who, Kéamen had to note, was being conveniently ignorant) and Antari, who had mentioned something about... being taken captive? And begging for someone to let him out? Frankly, Kéamen had no idea what to make of that, and hoped maybe someone else did. Perhaps it was related to allomancy? On the topic of allomantic powers... Kéamen hoped that any Seeker in the group would share their findings to the public. If a Spiked was found, that information was vital. Finally, Kéamen kept eyes on Keldorn and Fox. There was something odd about the way they constantly supported each other.

*hugs* Of course That makes a lot of sense, actually Just... don't stress too much over these guys Your feelings are yours; no one else can tell you how you're supposed to feel. Don't force yourself to act a certain way for some guys

Kéamen acknowledged this stance. He did not, however, realistically expect every figure in the town to think in as many layers as Keldorn.

Alright I be here Oh, Hawks *squeeze* I don’t think you’re annoying I get the strangers over parents thing. My parents… I don’t feel like they get me either. But I know they try, the best they can I want to hear your long story, if you’re willing to share it *hugs* That’s real deep, … Stormcursed? Do you have a nickname? You should It hurts, but it’s beautiful Ahhh this is insane!!!!!!!! I would give you advice, but I’ve never been in a relationship You got this! You will most DEFINITELY be warm again … I can’t sing for the life of me But I would like to hear your songs if you ever record them *hugs tight* I might be a little late to this But you got this, Haly I believe in you Sometimes things don’t move the way we want them to. That’s okay. Let things get out of hand for a second. Focus on yourself.

Kéamen collapsed into his bed, groaning. He had warned them of the risks, and yet they had still taken a life. Now, he would have to face the consequences of his own rash behavior with his mentor. He had already sent the report; now all he could do was wait for the response. He reviewed the facts. Going over the notes Keldorn had graciously made publicly available (Kéamen had decided to trust the man for now, if only for the clear effort he was putting into this), Kéamen had to admit he did not understand all of it. He was still relatively new to this game. But still, he stayed up at night, poring over the information. Of those that had been active (Keldorn, Jox, Copper, Mil, Josha, Lijal, Derrick, Fox, Var, and himself) those with the most suspicion from Kéamen were Jox, Mil, and Var (Jox and Var seemed unstable with their votes, Jox had established contact with everyone quickly - although that wasn’t necessarily incriminating - and Mil voted for Linal seemingly randomly). In all honesty, Kéamen didn’t understand well the trains on either Lijal or Astrid. Astrid hadn’t even posted - sure, maybe she hadn’t answered, but she could just be busy, and Lijal had been clear with her motivations. Perhaps it was worth looking into the origins of those trains. Derrick’s attack on Antari did not draw suspicion from Kéamen. It made sense to try to pressure an inactive figure, even when there were more substantial debates taking place. Frankly, Kéamen couldn’t shake the feeling that many people here - even those he didn’t consider particularly suspicious - weren’t carrying their weight in finding the culprit. And those who stood around, voting without providing their own reasoning - Mil, Madiane, even Fox - were also of suspicion. Finally, those who were active yet didn’t vote - only Josha, for now - also held suspicion. Main suspects: Jox, Mil, Var Votes without sufficient reasoning: Mil, Madiane, Fox Active but no vote: Josha He would appreciate it if Keldorn, or any of the others, compiled similar lists, listing culprits of each behavior they found suspicious. Finally, after a long time spent scrawling notes, Kéamen finally out down his notebook. Exhausted, he looked out his window at the mists. He should probably sleep. Sweat collected on his brow, and he was overwhelmed fully by his situation. But he could not fail even more. And so, straining, Kéamen forced himself out of his bed, put on his shoes, and slinked out of his room. Slinked out of the inn, into the mists. He had a job to complete. Kéamen was going to go look for the inactives.

I don’t have time to go through all this right now. I need to sleep. But I love you guys. *sends free hugs to all who need them*

Thanks

Kéamen watched the events escalate, silent. Waiting in the shadows. He knew not how he had ended up known by the people of Blackkeep. His job here was supposed to be secretive. Watch. Listen. And report. That was all. And yet, Kéamen’s body itched to take action. Here, finally, was his chance. A way to pull the strings of fate. So, knowing of the retaliation he would face from his mentor, Kéamen stepped out of the shadows. And spoke. ”No! We CANNOT afford to escalate this situation! This man speaks lies!” Kéamen spread his arms, spinning to address a growing audience. He watched their faces. Worried. Confused. In his chest, his heart pounded. He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath, and continued. “I URGE peace. Let us not be drawn to violence, for that is what our enemies seek! Let us not play into their hands! I know that if our accusations - our votes - are tied, no innocent blood need be shed today. We can wait.” Kéamen couldn’t explain to the others exactly how he knew that an exe was not needed. But it still resounded in him. Almost like information from a higher power. It was true that in the past he had not held this stance. And yet, recently, he had witnessed firsthand the dangers of brash action. The memories of that experience still lingered with him, the Obliteration. Area X. He was practically pleading at this point. Any inhibitions were gone. Kéamen lived in the moment. “DO NOT strike yet against foes that may or may not be foes at all!” This man -“ he faced Var. “ I do not know him. I will not pretend my accusations against him hold weight, for I acknowledge I may be flawed. But to my eyes, to my vision, he is instigating violence where there need be none. I beg you,” he turned back to the audience. “Balance your votes. Choose peace tonight.” Kéamen took a deep breath, and his mind finally caught up to him. But it was too late to turn back now. The votes tallied as follows: Lijal (3) - Fox, Mil, Var (although Keldorn seemed to think there were four, so perhaps Kéamen was missing something) Astrid (2) - Jox, Keldorn Fox (1) - Lijal Antari (1) - Derrick In the end, Kéamen’s vote fell on Astrid. (OOC: My phones acting weird and won’t let me make the text red, but I am voting Astrid here). Not because he sincerely believed her guilty - rather, the ones who drew the greatest suspicion from him at the moment were Jox and Var - but because he hoped to tie the scores, and prevent bloodshed for now. Finally, all eyes on him, Kéamen’s ducked his head and hurried from the crowd, making his way to his quarters were he would draft a letter to his mentor/employer, updating him on the situation in Blackkeep. He hoped the others made the right choice. @A Jo in the Bush @The Unknown Order @KaladinsSenseOfHumorSpren @TwinStorm @IcedOutPenguin @KelsierApologist @BigBadBagsworth @Lord Spirit @Kasimir @|TJ| @ThatOneWorldhopper @StrikerEZ @Biplet As he stepped out of the square, something occurred to Kéamen. Had the others realize show many had yet to speak? How low the chances of a spiked being the person they chose to execute were? If the execution went through, Kéamen could only hope that the others would realize the flaws in their ways. Hoped his speech had meant something.

As the sun began to descend in the sky, Kéamen finally returned to the bustling market square. After his conversation with Keldorn, he had spent the rest of the day lurking, discovering as much about the town as he could, and he was finally ready to try his hand once more with the people. He had gotten access to the list circulating Metal Mob, and was silently thankful to Copper Stopper for compiling it. So far, he found most interesting the behavior of Jox, the baker's apprentice. Most recently, Jox had attacked Astrid for seemingly no reason. Kéamen was also keeping an eye on Keldorn, who had made various accusations without much evidence. Of course, Keldorn was experienced; his approach was likely similar to Kéamen's: throwing around light accusations, applying pressure to gauge reactions. His attack on Astrid was curious, however. It could be a sign of him following Jox. Then there was the matter of Lijal. Quiet at first, but then openly admitting she was attacking Fox because he had attacked her. It just didn't make sense. If she was a spiked, why would she admit that? If she wasn't a spiked, it certainly didn't improve her look. It seemed like conflict for the sake of conflict. As the day waned, Kéamen expected to see accusations far more evidence-backed. He also forced himself to take a break from the puzzle. He knew that anyone, if looked into closely, would prove suspicious for one reason or another, and was wary of making incorrect choices. It was not accusations that dwelled heaviest on Kéamen's mind. He had come to a realization. While much of the town seemed eager to punish someone this very day, Kéamen was sure that such a punishment was not compulsary. They could go a day or two before actually exeing anyone. That way, they could hopefully avoid convicting anyone innocent, and helping the spiked. The spiked. They worried Kéamen; he would have to ask his mentor about their nature. Another secret being kept from him. As Kéamen made his return, he had one primary goal in mind; to attempt to establish contact with those that had been quiet insofar, and receive their input.

Ver watched them fondly, and felt a longing inside him. Sadly, he couldn’t pay attention to them for too long.

Alright I’m still sitting this one out