Long Game 7: The Annealing of Luthadel

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Just an hour and ten minutes to go! Any votes or actions made after that time limit will not be counted, so get them in now!

Edited July 24, 2014 by Wyrmhero

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Jae (1): Aonar

Ash (2): Fien, Jain

Tonul (1): Meta

Meta (1): Shiv

Jain (1): Hadrian

Newan (2): Kaldin

Fien (1): Racine

Hadrian (2): Kas, Maili

This is the last time I'll be able to get on until after the writeup. There's a new vote tally. I don't have much else to add, except that Hadrian, I feel bad if you get lynched, since it is your first game, but your strategies are just too helpful to the skaa. Sorry.

[Araris Valerian he/him]

I am fine getting lynched as long as you guys feel that it will give us the most information. With that in mind,

Green: Jain

Red: Meta

Now there is a 4-way tie so we stand to get some info from whoever the soothers and rioters choose to lynch.

[Ashiok]

4 says less than 3 because the less choices, the more we know about what they don't choose. Also, non skaa vote changers? Don't do vote changes, that way we learn more about the skaa. Truthfully, to do this properly, we need three votes on three different people. I'd be willing to volunteer as one of the three.

GM? Can I post something after rollover but before the write up?

[Wyrmhero he/him]

GM? Can I post something after rollover but before the write up?

 

I'm afraid not. This thread should technically be locked on the hour. If you want to say something, say it before the final results are definitely known, even if there are some hidden factors that won't be revealed until the writeup (i.e, voting manipulation).

[Araris Valerian he/him]

If you think it's best, we could do 3 people with 2 votes, since I doubt enough people will change votes at this time to get 3 with 3.

Green: Meta

[Tulir he/him]

Umm, now we have 2 people with 2 votes, Mailu miscounted on Wandrian.

[Araris Valerian he/him]

That's frustrating

So I'll still vote Red: Meta and now I look really sneaky and suspicious. We have 3 with 2 votes and whoever doesn't get killed is probably gonna get lynched because the skaa didn't want them dead.

[Ashiok]

Three votes on three prevents a single riot from changing everything

[Araris Valerian he/him]

But don't we want that? If the skaa have a rioter we'll know, and if they just have a soother then nobody dies.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Araris Valerian

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Voting is now closed! You may no longer send in votes or actions!

 

There will be a brief interlude while I finish the writeup. Please do not post after this.

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Overall, Lord Heron was rather pleased with everyone's enthusiasm to kill each other. He doubted it was out of any love his House, or because they were worried about Skaa infiltrators, but even if they were just trying to kill off the competition, it was good that they all took part. It almost made him doubt his own proclamation.

 

And then Mesist walked forward and patted him on the back, in the most insulting of all manners. Did the A'lees heir not realise just how bad a position his House was in? He'd heard the rumours, and was almost tempted to cut the family off even before this, and now it seemed like a little cutting him lose was definitely still a possibility even if he did help. Did  his father really tolerate people like this? Well, there was no need for him to do anything immediately. The assembled Houses might take care of the less agreeable here on their own.

 

“Don't touch me, horse-breeder,” he muttered, battling A'lees' hand away from him with irritation plainly written across his face. “I don't know where you've been.”

 

Of course, he shouldn't be quite so surprised that A'lees and Urbain were at each others' throats already. Really, Urbain was a walking target, wearing that horrible outfit. He'd have to remember to send an anonymous gift to Fien's Terrisman for selecting a shirt like that deliberately – Even Urbain's fashion sense wasn't bad enough that he'd pick it himself, and a Terrisman should know better to do that accidentally. Still, even if Heron didn't like it himself, he did find that it was rather amusing to see the other nobles' reactions to the monstrosity.

 

It was this cross-accusation that opened the floodgates. Most of the nobles stood up immediately, pointing fingers and naming names. But then, almost as quickly, the ballroom erupted with a few gasps, and even Heron himself had difficulty processing what he had just heard. “Did I just hear...” He looked at the Phantomhive lad. “Did I just hear you suggest that I was a Skaa?”

 

The room became icy cold as Heron just stared at Jain. The boy fidgeted a little. “It was only a joke,” he eventually mumbled.

 

Heron sighed and leafed through the documents he had with him. The boy was young. He'd learn, one way or another, he thought as he scrunched up the latest Phantomhive contract and tossed it behind him into the magnificent roaring fire behind him. He'd see how amusing Jain found losing the potentially lucrative Urteau contract. Maybe Venture would respect it a little more, considering it was their home city. He proceeded to ignore the boy, but he couldn't help raising a small smirk at the look on Jain's face as his House's futures partly went up in red flames.

 

He resisted an urge to just toss the rest of the documents into the fire and leave when Cett decided to vote for herself. Why was she here again? Was she even on the list? Oh yes, he remembered now; her brother was the one originally invited, but she came in his stead.

 

Some of the nobles seemed to be for building alliances, though whether that was a general thing or to deal with this crisis, he didn't know. Nor did he really care, for that matter. Garde and Seeris, Penrod and Kassel, then Seeris and Tormander. He'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't last the week. There was simply no reason for it to. All that making 'friends' like that would do would be to hide their animosity towards each other.

 

Finally, Penrod started to speak out. He spoke about targets to lynch, it seemed. He had an analytical head on him, but it seemed that he didn't quite get the human aspect of things. Well, he was new to Luthadel. He probably didn't really understand how things were done here. Most nobles trying to break into the capital had that problem. Then again, it was probably just as much as the residents of the place not liking being told what to do by an outsider.

 

There were a few people advocating for Ashette Cett's death as well, though at least she was no longer amongst them. It seemed as though the girl wasn't quite right in the head, not if she proclaimed herself to be a Skaa like that. It could be an act – in fact, it probably was, considering no Noble would ever outwardly appear that weak deliberately – but even so, there was always the chance...

 

A Terrisman walked over to him and whispered something in his ear quietly. Heron held a hand up and walked closer to the fire, so the crackling would cover their conversation from eavesdropping Tineyes. Heron nodded a few times in the conversation, and the Terrisman left.

 

Once more, he walked forwards and raised his voice to the assembled crowd. “Have you anything to say to me then?”

 

As one, Mailu and Kassel pointed at Hadrian Penrod and proclaimed his guilt. The young man just looked at them blankly, disbelief written across his face. Heron waved the sword he was still carrying in the direction of the other nobles.

 

“Does anyone contest this?” A few hands were raised. Heron nodded. “Very well. Who would you accuse?”

 

“Ashette!” Fien shouted. “The damned girl's a nuisance.”

 

“...I remind you were are not meant to be pruning our family trees,” Heron said, though he personally had no idea whether or not they were related. They probably were – They were only so many nobles in Luthadel, after all. And with the Balance and everything, eventually every noble in The Final Empire would be related somehow.

 

“Well, what about Mesist A'lees?” Raisaal asked, looking at him a little. “He is a most disagreeable man. Though I would not be against removing Lord Urbain from this room either.”

 

Lord Heron sighed. They weren't even taking it seriously, it seemed. Maybe a night with this sword hanging over them would make them change their minds. Maybe he could hire that Drax fellow that was always near Kassel to scare them a little into action. Probably not to kill any of them, but just to wound their prides. For irony's sake, he'd have to start with House Erikell, of course.

 

For now though, he was getting rather sick of the sight of them, and the room stank of dried blood. He looked over to his family's so-called allies. “The next ball is scheduled for House Raisaal,” he declared, in a tone that suggested that the evening's frivolities were coming to an end. “I will see you all then. I hope, for your sakes, that you have new information for me.” And without another word, he turned, and left the ballroom.

 

No-one was lynched!

 

Hadrian Penrod (2): Mailliw73, Kasimir

Mesist A'lees (2): Shivertongue, Araris Valerian

Ashette Cett (2): Fien Urbain, Jain Phantomhive

Jae Kastner (1): Alden Izenry

Tonul Venture (1): Mesist A'lees

Wandrin Nuvidas (1): Kaldin Fathvell

Fien Urbain (0): Racine Morinthe

 

Non-Voters (11): Tonul Venture, Asyr Tuy, Hyrun Tormander, Ashette Cett, Finch Fain, Quitania Elariel, Wandrin Nuvidas, Sylinia Seeris, Ren Garde, Jae Kastner, Cat Lekal

 

Night 1 begins! It will end at 9PM BST (GMT+1) on Friday Saturday. An extension may be requested each Night Turn, and if at least 3 of the players do so, another 24 hours will be added. The extension for this Turn has been granted.

 

Note, with the above write-up, any characters mentioned are used because of either their personality, at random, due to events during the cycle, or because of connections with the book.

 

Small clarification before I get inundated with Informant things: Remember, the information for Truths must be relevant and useful. You cannot give information that is relatively easy to guess by probability, such as not being a Lurcher, or not being a member of House X.

 

Tineyes may send me the message that they would like to pass on to another player. Please label it as 'Player X to player Y' so I can see at a glance where the post is going.

 

Also, if Shivertongue and possibly his House would like to give me a brief description of House Raisaal and its ballroom for the next Day Turn, that would be a great help

Edited July 25, 2014 by Wyrmhero

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Shouldn't the cycle end on Saturday?

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Oops

Edited July 24, 2014 by Araris Valerian

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Well, I wasn't expecting to survive the night, but here I am.

Based on the lynch votes there are 3 scenarios;

1) No skaa rioter

2) All 3 of us are skaa

3) Skaa are just waiting to get a free kill without revealing their powers

How do you guys think that we can make the best use of the informants? The skaa will want to learn the identities of the people in the uninfiltrated Houses, and it will benefit us best to know the makeup of all the houses.

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Shouldn't the cycle end on Saturday?

 

I was planning on running 24 hour Night Cycles, since in previous games, almost all the actions were in within those 24 hours. However, I am willing to use extensions if at least 3 people ask for it (or a 1/6th of the players still in the game later on) during the Night Cycle.

 

Edit: Forgot a vote. It's been added.

 

Tineyes may send me the message that they would like to pass on to another player. Please label it as 'Player X to player Y' so I can see at a glance where the post is going.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Wyrmhero

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Oh okay. Good to know. I don't object to that.

[Metacognition he/him]

Sufficient to say, I don't think the Skaa have control over a Rioter or else I'd likely be dead. They also could have just not been online from when Hadrian switched his vote, but I think it's the former. 

 

It also looks like they're trying to point a finger at Fien. Whether that's them trying to get us so suspect him or if they know that we'd think that and soothed the vote on one of their own, I don't have a clue yet. Either way, works though. If we can proved him innocent, then he'd be a great help to the Nobles and if he isn't, then we have our first Skaa. By singling him out, they just gave us a good starting point.

 

As far as tonight goes, the Skaa are likely to try to make the informants as muddled as possible. They already know who all their targets are, so the information they gain by being honest is less useful to them. They're more likely to lie when going to the informants and I wouldn't be surprised if they lie about other people.  As such, I suggest that anyone other than the Skaa that decides to go to the Informants tonight be truthful. Not only will this net us more information, but we'll be better prepared to catch which clues are lies. 

 

These are just my observations, so feel free to disregard them, but we stand a better chance of winning if we're all on the same page. 

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Mailu left Keep Heron feeling on edge, but relieved. The speed with which all the nobility had turned on each other was astonishing. Everyone had left the ball with their head intact, which gladdened him. He was queasy at the sight of blood. He didn't like seeing people die. Not sure what would happen this night, Mailu took a carriage to his manor.

 

A skaa servant came to open his door when they arrived. He tripped and fell next to the carriage. Really, these dumb creatures were rebelling? Mailu, angry, opened his own door and jumped out. Picking up the servant, he yelled," Idiot skaa. Next time, walk more carefully." Exasperated, he dropped the skaa and headed inside for the night.

 

Sufficient to say, I don't think the Skaa have control over a Rioter or else I'd likely be dead. They also could have just not been online from when Hadrian switched his vote, but I think it's the former. 

 

It also looks like they're trying to point a finger at Fien. Whether that's them trying to get us so suspect him or if they know that we'd think that and soothed the vote on one of their own, I don't have a clue yet. Either way, works though. If we can proved him innocent, then he'd be a great help to the Nobles and if he isn't, then we have our first Skaa. By singling him out, they just gave us a good starting point.

 

As far as tonight goes, the Skaa are likely to try to make the informants as muddled as possible. They already know who all their targets are, so the information they gain by being honest is less useful to them. They're more likely to lie when going to the informants and I wouldn't be surprised if they lie about other people.  As such, I suggest that anyone other than the Skaa that decides to go to the Informants tonight be truthful. Not only will this net us more information, but we'll be better prepared to catch which clues are lies. 

 

These are just my observations, so feel free to disregard them, but we stand a better chance of winning if we're all on the same page. 

I agree with Meta on this. Telling the truth to gain two bits of info is worth any small info the skaa might get.

[Lightsworn Panda he/him]

Just a quick heads up that I won't be active for the next week, since I'm on camp in an EXTREMELY wet area, so I can't bring my laptop or phone. I don't want to miss out on this game, so I'm handing the reins temporarily over to my brother. Hopefully, he won't die within a day.

That okay with everyone?   

[Ashiok]

Fine by me

Edit: yeah... I just remembered. Where is the panda?

Edited July 25, 2014 by Ashiok

[Left he/him]

Is he a red panda?

[Lightsworn Panda he/him]

Rainbow, actually. In fact, he's a unicorn.   

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Hadrian wondered to himself if the High Lords had bribed some of the other noblemen to protect their assets. Surely even those in such powerful positions were not above his suspicions, regardless of the Lords' potential usefulness. The others didn't see that I the skaa killed on of the Lords and inherited his power, then that skaa could claim that the previous lord had destroyed his House's resources and hide his own deception. However, he now knew that this particular group of noblemen did not want to give any indication that they were being forced to work together, and would not push them quite as hard in the future. Now that the stress of the night was over, he decided that the week to come wouldn't be a total waste. "Ho, Ashboy! Come here for a minute. If you can fill all of these bags with a plentiful amount of ash tonight and hand them to me tomorrow on my way out, I'll let you have a clip for your work." Hadrian handed the boy several fist sized pouches and went to his room. These Luthadel nobility were far to subtle in their politicking, so maybe he could do something about that.

[Kasimir he/him]

Or alternatively: that they had a Rioter, but the Rioter hit a Smoker. Speaking of which, the Smokers should probably start Smoking people tonight. The more people we have under Copperclouds, the less likely it is that Emotional Allomancy can play merry Braize with our votes.

Kassel paused before his study and sighed. This, he thought, was why he didn't like balls. All that talking and assessing people, of all things. It was tiring, and it'd been fairly inconclusive apart from learning that half the nobility on Luthadel didn't have their heads nailed on right. And that he'd already known, even before the ball.
 
The night was still young, and he had work to do. He should've been going through the specifics of that Renoux contract, trying to sift through the logistics and ensure that everything fell into place. The contact from House Renoux was, in that regard, disorganised and unhelpful. He pushed open the door, stifling a yawn.
 
Drax sat on the old chair before the lit fireplace, flipping through a book. His mistcloak was gone; Kassel briefly wondered where he'd stashed it. Perhaps he was burning tin; he glanced up as soon as Kassel entered, although he'd been quiet. "Lord Hadrian Penrod?" Drax asked, an eyebrow raised. "Really?"
 
Kassel sighed. "Word of the ball should be everywhere by now, then. Wouldn't be surprised to see everyone looking for a decent informant later tonight." He shed his suit jacket with relief, tossing it over the back of another empty chair. The skaa servant must've come in when word came that he'd returned; there was a cup of warm tea on the table. He picked it up, sipped from it and made a face at its bitter, ashy taste. He didn't know why he still drank tea. Nasty drink.
 
He rubbed at the earring in his left ear; nothing more than a small bronze loop. "There's going to be another purge, then," Drax continued.
 
Kassel nodded. "Yes."
 
As in two-value logics, there were only two answers this time, he thought. You were either skaa or a noble. Nothing, or something. Sometimes, though, there were multi-value logics. An newer piece by Erns Ratsthiel had been interesting in that regard. He found himself stifling another yawn, and frowned, tapping bronze.
 
Tonight, he thought, was going to be a long night.
 
Just could not resist making a joking reference to finally being a Ferring. Semi-appropriate for this game!