Elbereth

The writeup with, you know, a writeup. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention last night that all credit goes to Drought for Jay's death. I'm working on the other writeups, but would like to edit them all in at once, so I'll post when that has been done.

LG33: Term 6, Month 2 - Healing Noremac Quwester. A quaint name, that. Very newfangled. He’d have to find a new one now. No, wait. Master Noremac Quwester, of course. The Skindancer smiled slowly. Becoming Master Physicker had been quite the stroke of luck. Not that it had been difficult to impress the past Physicker with his medical knowledge, naturally. He was quite... intimately... aware of the internal mechanics of the human body. But remaining in the University long enough to manage such a feat had been difficult, certainly. It walked towards the door to Dele Fajro’s room, stepping softly down the hallway. The payoff had been well worth it. The meaning of life, almost, it snickered to itself. To heal the world, just like the former Master Physicker had always dreamed. It agreed, wholeheartedly: to heal the world of the cancer of humanity. Jay didn’t want to be a mercenary. Sure it was better than being an assassin, killing people indiscriminately, all for a few coins, but it still wasn’t a nice job. It was long hours, and he wasn’t able to see his family so long as he was working, Jay reached into his vest pocket, directly over his heart, and pulled out a picture that he had been given by his son. It was a nice, if crudely drawn, picture of his family, all holding hands. The picture was what kept Jay going all of this time. He hand been away from his family for quite a few months now, and was the only reminder had really had of them. A loud crash sounded from just out of the room, and Jay ran over to investigate, tucking the picture back into his pocket. Jay readied his sword, and thought about his family. He would not let his wife become a widow, he would not let his kids loose their father, he would not die. The door came down with a crash, and Jay dashed towards the assailant. His sword struck out at where the assailant should have been, but he met only air. Before Jay knew it, a knife suddenly penetrated his lungs. Jay dropped to the ground, blood pouring out of the wound. He knew he was going to die. Jay reached his hand into his pocket, and struggled to pull out this picture of his family, wanting it to be the last thing that he saw on this earth. The picture finally came free, but it was covered with blood. Jay quickly unfolded it, hoping that some part of the picture would not be covered with blood. And that is where Jay died, staring at a piece of paper, the only color visible on it was the strong crimson of blood. Jay’s death hadn’t stopped “Noremac”, but it had slowed him enough that Dele was awake by the time he entered her room. “What do you want?” she asked, frightened. “Hello, little girl,” it said. “Well, you see, you’re just an expelled student. No one cares for you anymore, do they? It doesn’t matter if you go insane. You’ll just stay up here, forgotten, until you die.” “How... pleasant.” Dele said flatly, slowly reaching under her pillow. The Skindancer grew tired of exchanging pleasantries. Ha! Get it? Pleasant, pleasantries, it’s a pun! Apparently the little bit of the real Noremac’s memories that were still left still liked that irritating humour. It rolled its eyes and lunged. Dele brought out a dagger from underneath her pillow, plunging it into the Skindancer’s chest. It burned. Fire, pain, darkness consuming its vision, poison spreading down its veins panic burning freezing ice hot pain like a thousand nettles hatred pain anger pain disbelief pain Dele watched the Skindancer slide to the ground, still stuck on her iron dagger. “Ow,” it whimpered. pain pain p a i n Then she was left with two corpses and a whole lot of mess. Burnt was attacked, but protected! HH was killed! He was a Skindancer Master Physicker! Credit goes to Drought for Jay's writeup. Term 6, Month 2 has begun. You have 42 hours to send in actions. Clarifications: Brightness Radiant was attacked by the eliminators last turn. I should’ve shown that more clearly as a sabotage, and didn’t. Counter to the rules, anyone in Imre can take University actions (bar item creation). [unnecessary clarification that was right the first time] 1. Queensteph - Vintish Noblewoman 2. Randuir (Telar Pike) - Yllish Commoner Student 3. Hemalurgic Headshot (Noremac Quwester) - Aturan Nobleman Skindancer Master Phyiscker 4. Aonar (Aodhan Breacadh) - Edema Ruh Skindancer in Naming 5. Wilson (Sloan Walker) - Cealdish Commoner Student 6. Straw (Medicus Novis) - Yllish Commoner 7. Paranoid King (William Opuscule) - Yllish Commoner 8. Ornstein (John Springer) - Aturan Nobleman Student in Physicking 9. Jondesu (Vell) - Yllish Commoner Insane 10. Drake Marshall (Greyson) - Cealdish Commoner Student in Physicking 11. Assassin in Burgundy (Jurdaan Longfell) - Yllish Commoner Student 12. Burnt Spaghetti (Dele Fajro) - Vintish Noblewoman 13. Orlok (Locke Alveron) - Cealdish Commoner Insane 14. Magestar (Magestar) - Vintish Nobleman Insane 15. Alvron (Stryker Nox) - Cealdish Commoner Insane 16. Arinian (Darian) - Aturan Nobleman 17. Stick (Stick) - Aturan NobleStick 18. Darkness Ascendant (Balthazar Myrrh) - Yllish Commoner Student 19. Cluny the Scourge (Cluny) - Aturan Nobleman 20. Silverblade (Ryth) - Cealdish Commoner 21. Amanuensis (Esuan) - Yllish Commoner 22. BrightnessRadiant (Amelia) - Aturan Noblewoman 23. Eolhondras (Eolah) - Yllish Commoner 24. STINK - Yllish Commoner Skindancer in Linguistics 25. Hael (Glavion) - Edema Ruh Insane 26. Sart (Titud) - Edema Ruh Insane 27. Joe (Chalks) - Yllish Commoner Insane

Term 6, Month 1 is over. Do not post or PM.

LG33: Term 6, Month 1 - Sticks and Embroidery “I am a stick,” said the stick. It sighed, thinking of the futility of its existence. It was only a simple stick, after all. How could it ever hope to compete against the wonders that were human beings? It quivered for a moment, sensing danger. “I am a stick?” “You are a stick,” a soft, dangerous voice agreed. A dagger embedded itself into the stick. “...I am a stick,” said the stick, undamaged except for a slight nick in its midsection. “...um. I’ll be back later?” the assassin said, and the Stick heard footsteps retreating.. It sighed, and would have rolled its eyes if it had them. “I am a stick.” Amelia shivered. The last weeks had changed her, once she’d been expelled. Being alone in the world was frightening, and she didn’t know what she was supposed to do without her studies. She sat in her room, shivering in the night air. She should close the window at some point, she mused, but she didn’t feel like getting up just then. She stared down at the embroidery in her hands, something she’d tried to take up to keep herself occupied. It was intended to be a field of flowers, but with the sympathy lamp distorting the colours and the state of the embroidery, it looked more like an array of droplets of orange and crimson. A particularly cold breeze blew across the back of her neck, and she turned to get up. The dagger aimed for her neck caught on the embroidery still in her hands, barely stopping it from nicking her. “What in Tehlu’s name...” Amelia gasped. The assassin groaned. “Not again.” He - or maybe she, Amelia couldn’t tell - turned and ran for the window. Amelia was left thoroughly confused with a horrible piece of embroidery and a dagger stuck through it. Varda looked down, mostly in confusion. “Who, exactly, thought that it would be a good idea to allow an inanimate object to attend the university?” No one answered, though several Masters looked away. “...very well. You are henceforth expelled and banned from the grounds of this University. I... suppose.” She paused. “Would someone mind throwing that across the River?” Stick was attacked, but survived, and was expelled! Brightness Radiant was attacked, but survived! Term 6 has begun. You have 42 hours to send in actions. Player List 1. Queensteph - Vintish Noblewoman 2. Randuir (Telar Pike) - Yllish Commoner Student 3. Hemalurgic Headshot (Noremac Quwester) - Aturan Nobleman 4. Aonar (Aodhan Breacadh) - Edema Ruh Skindancer in Naming 5. Wilson (Sloan Walker) - Cealdish Commoner Student 6. Straw (Medicus Novis) - Yllish Commoner 7. Paranoid King (William Opuscule) - Yllish Commoner 8. Ornstein (John Springer) - Aturan Nobleman Student in Physicking 9. Jondesu (Vell) - Yllish Commoner Insane 10. Drake Marshall (Greyson) - Cealdish Commoner Student in Physicking 11. Assassin in Burgundy (Jurdaan Longfell) - Yllish Commoner Student 12. Burnt Spaghetti (Dele Fajro) - Vintish Noblewoman 13. Orlok (Locke Alveron) - Cealdish Commoner Insane 14. Magestar (Magestar) - Vintish Nobleman Insane 15. Alvron (Stryker Nox) - Cealdish Commoner Insane 16. Arinian (Darian) - Aturan Nobleman 17. Stick (Stick) - Aturan NobleStick 18. Darkness Ascendant (Balthazar Myrrh) - Yllish Commoner Student 19. Cluny the Scourge (Cluny) - Aturan Nobleman 20. Silverblade (Ryth) - Cealdish Commoner 21. Amanuensis (Esuan) - Yllish Commoner 22. BrightnessRadiant (Amelia) - Aturan Noblewoman 23. Eolhondras (Eolah) - Yllish Commoner 24. STINK - Yllish Commoner Skindancer in Linguistics 25. Hael (Glavion) - Edema Ruh Insane 26. Sart (Titud) - Edema Ruh Insane 27. Joe (Chalks) - Yllish Commoner Insane

Mm. If you look closer, my posts aren't actually helpful. This is something I did in LG22, too, though I wasn't evil that game. I was travelling, so I wrote posts in a notebook during the day and transcribed them at night, about conversions and D1 lynches and other such advice. This was good advice, certainly, but it applied to every game. It wasn't alignment-indicative at all, and yet it garnered me enormous amounts of trust. (From the new players. Older players distrusted me for it, because they saw exactly what I was actually doing.) So I gave lots of good advice. But the number of opinions I put forward is a handful at best. Which are far more actually helpful to the village, generally. It's just that no one thinks about that. (This isn't to say that I do this particular tactic less as a villager. I'm quite fond of it from both alignments. Tends to help keep me alive. >>)

Correct. Well... if you'd done the ploy a bit earlier, I might have realised eventually that you'd trip one and kill the other, and put in the kill myself as well. Which would've basically left it up to Joe to decide the game, because he stated at the beginning that if there were multiple kills he'd basically accept whichever amused him more. I already told you. Entertainment. I wasn't expecting Orlok to be the convert either, really: I expected my team would be against that, but everyone just didn't have an opinion so it ended up being the case. I'm kind of sad that it happened and then he couldn't play, though. Elim/village decision is usually done by RNG but not always - not enough that the GMs are predictable about it, but enough that they can be trolls. That mistake was a little irritating to me. >> Without it, we might've had a perfect game. Hah. Thank you, though I don't think I played terribly well. I was at the end of school, so I didn't quite have the time I'd have liked. I might have married Rand, for instance, had I actually noticed that PM. (Which would've been great, though sad that I couldn't marry Orlok.) And several things I said were debatably logical, particularly that not-voting is likely to generate more discussion. I did tell the truth, though, and put forth my true opinions outside the game, pretty consistently. And I had fun. Particularly being an outed eliminator. Haven't done that in ages.

Term 5 is over. Term 6 will be posted in 6 hours. Do not post or PM.

Well, two things. If Orlok had actually been awake at the time you revealed that (he'd gone to sleep literally twenty minutes before that), I would probably have had him send in the kill, because you couldn't knightkill him and trip him at the same time. (I might have realised at a later point that tripping one suspect and killing the other made more sense, but I didn't at the time - probably would've had both of us put in the kill, and left it up to fate and Joe. ) What I did realise was that if you were more suspicious of Ornstein, you would be knightkilling him. I was assuming you'd be knightkilling Orlok and tripping me, and so there was nothing I could do to win. But if you killed Ornstein, so long as the elim kill went through, we had won. For entertainment.

Will likely post more thoughts later when not dealing with rollover, but - 1. Joe that was an excellent writeup 2. Yitzi, I wasn't actually thinking about making you honorary elim at the time (that particular one was very carefully phrased, as was the me-converting one (people need to be better at technicalities >>)), but you revealing you were more suspicious of Ornstein than Orlok is what won me the game. So thanks! Well played, all. This was the best game I can remember in quite a while, and I loved the last couple cycles particularly. Logic and strategising against everyone else like that was so much fun. And thanks, Joe! Wonderful game, as always.

LG33: Term 5, Month 2 - Happiness and Laughter Vell giggled, in her room with the few bits of a lab that she could have, playing with the semisolid fluid she’d just created. Poking her finger in slowly, she shivered at the coldness of the solution. Then, out of curiosity, she hit it hard with the other hand, solidifying it, and jumping as a shockwave hit the finger still in the fluid. “Interesting,” she mused, pulling the finger out. She’d consider the implications of that later. For now, though, she was just having- “Having fun, are you?” said a voice from the doorway that she couldn’t describe. She nearly couldn’t think, the words twisting themselves into her brain. “I am, yes,” she forced out. She smiled for a moment, then. “You’re probably here to kill me, aren’t you?” She returned to playing with the fluid, this time bringing a candle near it, watching the fluid slowly browning. “Pity, that.” “I don’t need to kill you,” the... malevolent, that was a word that could fit, voice said. “Just keep talking, until... you...” She held the candle still, knowing what was coming next, and hoping it wouldn’t work. “Crack.” “No,” Vell said, standing and turning, brandishing the candle. “I was having fun, Tehlu take you. I was having one of the few moments of true enjoyment in my life, alone doing what I wished to do. That’s what life is, those little quiet moments of happiness. How dare you try to take that away from me.” The Skindancer smiled. “Because you needed to go insane, dear.” It put out a hand and stroked down the side of her face. “Goodbye, Vell.” She fell. Swirls, color, wind, apples, lightning, blueberry pie, the roughness of burlap rubbing wood and the scent of grey. Stryker Nox stood silently, in the deepest corner of the darkest shadow of the university. Darkness gathered around him, shadows flitting like wings to surround him and enclose him, until nothing could be felt but the slightest hint of a presence: and even that was because he wished to be felt. The stroke of midnight rang out. Bong... Something shivered in the air. Bong... Shifting, turning, a presence changed. Bong... In the River, the water quivered for a moment, ripples with no source. Bong... The Leaves in the House of Wind swirled. Bong... The stars blinked. Bong... The shadows fluttered in butterfly flits. Bong... For a moment, the University was completely still. Bong... Not a single sound was heard, silence singing in whispers. Bong... The shadows fell away. Bong... The cobblestones grew cold and the fires dimmed. Bong... Nothing moved. Bong... A sound was heard. Specifically, the sound of laughter, drifting high on the wind, coating the university and making students shiver in their beds. This was the madness of Stryker Nox. This was his laughter. Varda blinked at the next name on her list. But wasn’t he... “Call William Opuscule, please,” she said uncertainly. She was right. It was the same boy who’d been sent to the crockery not even a year ago. And she knew nothing of his being released. “You are charged with disturbances to other students and use of Sympathy without supervision,” she said slowly. “You are also charged with escaping from the Crockery.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been out for a while, Chancellor.” “And I hadn’t known. So you admit to breaking out of the Crockery and attending without permission.” “How else would I be standing here?” “And are you sane, now?” He hesitated. “Sane enough.” “Student Opuscule. Clarify.” “I... have spells, sometimes, of madness. That’s why I got this complaint at all. Someone must’ve been inconvenienced or something. I don’t really remember what happens during most of them. Friends have learned just to leave me alone until I calm down.” That was all Varda needed to hear. “Then I’m sorry, but you have a choice. You can go back into the Crockery until your mind is fully functional, or you can leave this campus and never return. It is not safe to have you here.” He opened his mouth angrily, but didn’t speak. After a moment of thought, he calmly said, “I will gladly be expelled if it means I never have to go back there again.” “Very well. Then you are henceforth expelled from the University, and may never set foot on its grounds again.” He bowed, rigidly, and left without another word. Jondesu went insane! Alvron went insane! PK was expelled! Steph was elevated! Term 5, Month 2 has begun. You have 42 hours to send in actions. Do not forget your lodging orders. Player List 1. Queensteph - Vintish Noblewoman 2. Randuir (Telar Pike) - Yllish Commoner Student 3. Hemalurgic Headshot (Noremac Quwester) - Aturan Nobleman 4. Aonar (Aodhan Breacadh) - Edema Ruh Skindancer in Naming 5. Wilson (Sloan Walker) - Cealdish Commoner Student 6. Straw (Medicus Novis) - Yllish Commoner 7. Paranoid King (William Opuscule) - Yllish Commoner 8. Ornstein (John Springer) - Aturan Nobleman Student in Physicking 9. Jondesu (Vell) - Yllish Commoner Insane 10. Drake Marshall (Greyson) - Cealdish Commoner Student in Physicking 11. Assassin in Burgundy (Jurdaan Longfell) - Yllish Commoner Student 12. Burnt Spaghetti (Dele Fajro) - Vintish Noblewoman 13. Orlok (Locke Alveron) - Cealdish Commoner Insane 14. Magestar (Magestar) - Vintish Nobleman Insane 15. Alvron (Stryker Nox) - Cealdish Commoner Insane 16. Arinian (Darian) - Aturan Nobleman 17. Stick (Stick) - Aturan NobleStick 18. Darkness Ascendant (Balthazar Myrrh) - Yllish Commoner Student 19. Cluny the Scourge (Cluny) - Aturan Nobleman 20. Silverblade (Ryth) - Cealdish Commoner 21. Amanuensis (Esuan) - Yllish Commoner 22. BrightnessRadiant (Amelia) - Aturan Noblewoman 23. Eolhondras (Eolah) - Yllish Commoner 24. STINK - Yllish Commoner Skindancer in Linguistics 25. Hael (Glavion) - Edema Ruh Insane 26. Sart (Titud) - Edema Ruh Insane 27. Joe (Chalks) - Yllish Commoner Insane

You, because the idea of a tiny girl eating an enormous dinosaur is absurdly hilarious.

Ella would probably be soft and fleshy? Enjoy, Hero. Definitely Ornstein. (Nah. Actually Lopen and Randuir, probably. Both of those are pretty good at it.)

...you know, I was going to give that a PAFO when Yitzi asked, just for the sake of paranoia, but that question is just too excellent. And clever. You even said player so I couldn't include Sabaneta in the tally. I mean, I could define 'remaining in the game' from a timestamp of my choosing, but that's probably a bit much. Fine. You'd have eaten three.

Ah, I was curious why there were two of you. Interesting. Hah. I, actually, was the last to sign up for the evil team. You're making the assumption that there are five of us, though. No comment.

Term 5, Month 1 is over. Come back for Month 2, only six hours away! Just don't PM or post during that time, and you could win a grand prize!! (Specifically, the prize of not having my wrath directed down upon you. )

Well, I could say that I considered giving you the title of Honorary Eliminator in the dead doc? But you've unfortunately done a bit too much to our detriment to think about that, even at this point. How about the origin of your name? (No reason for this one except pure curiosity.)

Clarify? Promises can be broken. There's no rule stopping that. If you're an elim and promise to protect a villager, it's considered fine to break that promise and let that person die. That said, breaking your promise as a villager, or as an outed eliminator, is not considered good form. And I try not to lie as an eliminator, anyway. Every viewpoint I've put forth in this game is the truth, as far as I remember. As of this moment, I do not possess the talent Bad at Math. Also, I have a question. What's your favourite colour?

No. That should be slightly obvious by this point? I've done some fun things as an elim, but even QF15 playing Hael wasn't on the scale of shenanigans that would be required for you to be a Hushlander.

Seriously. I won't lie. I already promised that. And what gain, exactly, do I get from asking you questions? I have no need to know. I cannot win regardless, and there's not really anything I don't know currently. Also, that's not a question. Try again.

You can, in theory. I... think it's happened. Rae in LG21, maybe? I think there has to be a better example, though... More practically, you can try? Should be entertaining. IKYKs are such fun. How's this: I promise that I will answer every question you have truthfully. I will not answer every question (do I get to use PAFO cards even though I'm not a GM? :D), but every question I do answer I'll do truthfully. Care to play?

At the time, no one realised that you had to be sending in orders to be Tripped.

Right. Duh. >> That drawing attention worked pretty well, I'd say. It is a major reason Rand trusted him for so long, after all. Anyway. Very well. I'm a bit screwed at this point, obviously. I was mostly curious whether trying to defend myself might actually work. Bored of that now. So, since I'm gonna die this cycle and strategy isn't really important anymore, I'll do something I've been wanting to do all game: Ella played with the dagger in her hand, tossing it up and down and catching it perfectly each time. She'd had practice, of course. She loved this dagger. It had killed so many people she hadn't liked, and now there was one more death: the most important one. But before that... She tucked the dagger away and skipped over to Orlok, all eyes in the room watching her. "Hey," she said, poking him. He didn't respond. He'd been pointedly ignoring everyone since the start of this whole bout of ridiculousness and killings. She poked him again, harder, and finally snatched the book out of his hands - something about unicorns? and put it to the side. (Carefully, of course. Just because she wanted his attention doesn't mean the book had to get hurt for it.) "What?" he finally said, irritated. "Yay!" she said brightly. "Will you marry me?" "What?" he said, in a completely different tone of voice. She rolled her eyes and got down on one knee theatrically. "Forgive the lack of a ring. Orlok. Will you marry me?" "......ummm."

I posted at the end because I had not been on the Shard until about half an hour before turnover, as far as I remember. (Could put that in blue text if you like - it's not a lie - but I don't really like using blue text unless absolutely necessary). The whole reason I voted wrong is that I was rushed for time because I realised it was :58 and I hadn't voted yet. Lopen being on to take advantage of it is bad timing for us and a good call by him. >> ....Uh. There are a number of problems there. 1. Thinking someone is good does not make you soft-cleared when they die and turn out to be good. At all. Like, that is part of the reason I called out Drought. Because he thought Ecth was innocent. Part of the reason... um, someone. I don't know who. Someone was called out this game for seeming too certain about an alignment before it came up, though. 2. I should note that Steph married Drought. Assuming she is a Tripper (which we've seen no evidence of, but is pretty likely), that seems like decent evidence for her being evil. 3. Tripping Lopen early isn't evidence of her being good? At all? I am very confused about this logic, and would be calling you out were you not cleared. Tripping a fellow elim is an excellent excuse for what you did when you're putting in the kill that cycle.

...um. Oops? Gah. I had one minute to post and typed Hero instead of Jedal for some reason, seeing Jedal's vote just above mine. >> No idea why I conflated the two. Sorry, all. Well done to the knights for taking out Lopen, though. So now we're down to seven alive, six who will stay that way. One to two elims left. Which is certainly better odds than in past turns, but doesn't mean we can relax. If Orlok's village, that makes it worst case 3-2. (And one of those three could be Ornstein. Which would be even less helpful.) As I understand it... wait, Joe, why isn't Jedal marked as dead in the player list? So six alive, five who'll stay that way. If Orlok is village, it's 2-2, and if Ornstein is village, we're not in good shape. @Yitzi2 who are the knights, now, since Rand and Lopen both just died? And Yitzi and Hero are both cleared, obviously. So the elim (since I'm discounting myself) is 1-2 of Ornstein, Steph, and Orlok. Orlok is less of a priority at moment, since we'll realise that it's him if there isn't a kill this cycle, and if there are two elims the more active one is the necessity. Out of Ornstein or Steph, I'm leaning slightly towards Ornstein, since Steph is a Tripper and giving the only one of those to the elims seems a little off. (But also, her logic has been off this game a great deal, particularly last cycle, which makes me more wary. Anyone else have thoughts on the matter?)

This. That's what I was trying to say lsat cycle. It just seemed too obvious for an elim to actually say aloud. >> Implying it or acting like it is one thing, but that's remarkably blatant. Though.... No, Drought's been evil before. In which case, Drought, you really need to be a bit more careful as an elim. Rand already pointed this out, but yeah. No. Definitely not. Mayors are no fun for anyone but the mayor. Better to let people play in their own wya. Because being lynched for refusing to give up your role is not fun at all. Try your best to stay active as well this time? >> Just a note that I disagree with the bolded point - it's a one-time kill. It'd be difficult to balance, and I'd probably expect the village to have more than one Tripper, but the role itself isn't totally broken and could never be given to the elims. Hmm, so it's myself (nope), Lopen, Jedal, or Steph? I trust that Rand, Hero, and Yitzi are cleared. Steph... I'm less certain about than Yitzi is, personally. It's within the realm of plausibility that the elims would kill Rand anywya, since he's dangerous enough for that. Jedal has barely said anything. Lopen... I don't know. I feel like I trust him, but that's also standard for me. >> Hey, Looen, the problem you used to have with me is finally reversed. Hmm. Hero.