Long Game 14: To Shatter a Shard

[Macen he/him]

You bring up a valid point stink, but I don't think that quite meets what the fear of a coalition means. In any game there are going to be those without as much information (My last two games before this one I had very little information), but at least WIlson is explaining her reasoning on why she wants certain things, or why she doesn't. The Coalition that is so feared is one who dictates and doesn't explain. Giving no information for the players lacking to analyze and in general just making the game boring.

Personally, this is one of the reasons I find games with out PM's more fun, I just wish we could figure out a good way to balance it with the Eliminiators ability to communicate via doc.

All in all, this game has been played a bit more behind the scenes than some games, but I also think that has to do a lot with people not voting. Each voting cycle has been won with very few votes, which seems a bit silly to me.

[Quiver he/him]

The two crept towards the bundle huddling at the end of the alley. Each man had a pallor to them, their skin blotched with disease... and each held a small club.

They had seen the stranger arrive earlier that day through the front gate, clutching her green cloak about her. The gangs had given her an uncommonly wide berth -her uncommon height, and lack of food most likely why.

Of course now it was night, the stranger was sleeping, and no amount of height would help you from a club in the dark.

The man in front reached out, ready to bat the sleeping woman, when an arrow streaked through the air, and into his foot.

Idiot, Queenmaker thought from the rooftop. The man opened his mouth to shout ,perhaps scream, and her cloak sprung to life. It coiled around the man, clamping its damp cloth over his mouth.

The liquid she had doused it in had been difficult to acquire, but imminently useful. Even from the roof, the Returned could see drowsiness seep into the mans body.

His partner saw it too. He dropped his weapon, turned, ran. Queenmaker followed him.

'A fair shot, she mused for a moment, before letting him go. There had been no hatred in his eyes; just desperation.

His partner, on the other hand...

She clambered down the building, and dropped beside him. She waved a hand in front of his face. Out cold; it was only the grip of her awakened cloak that kept him upright.

"How disgusting," she muttered. Elantris was supposed to have been beautiful once, as were it's people. Thus far, it's crumbling buildings and lecehrously-skinned inhabitants had left her unimpressed.

Suppressing her Divine Breath was too much of a chore to waste on these people.

She took the breath back from her cloak, and the man collapsed to the floor. She wrapped the green hood around herself, grabbed his leg, and started to drag him towards the building she had set up as a base.

When the drugs wore off, he would see what a real goddess looked like. And he would tell her everything she wanted to know about Odium.

[Haelbarde he/him]

Were I truly Lord of Hate, I think I'd be upset that no one deemed me worthy of placing any votes on me...

From here on out, I think I'm just gonna RP Odium, because I imagine most of you believe I am anyway. So I guess I might as well have some fun with my predicament.

I'll start with voting for myself to make Odium feel better.

Wilson, if you wanted to reply to the last letter I sent, I'll follow that with an Odium one if you want.

[STINK he/him]

LEYTON IS CONFUSED, WHY IS HAEL RP'ING ODIUM?

 

I'm not quite sure, maybe he is feeling lonely.

 

WHY WOULD HE BE LONELY? DOESN'T EVERYONE HAVE A VOICE IN THEIR HEAD?

 

Not quite, Leyton. In fact, I suspect that it might just be you and me.

 

WELL THAT IS JUST HORRIBLE. I'M STUCK WITH YOU?

 

I appreciate the sentiment.

[Quiver he/him]

"I don't get it! I'm literally Hatred personified! Why doesn't anyone not like me!?"

"Awww...hey, c'mon buddy! I still think you're loathsome!"

"*sniff*Thanks Hoid..."

[Mailliw73 he/him]

You think Hatred is your ally. You merely adopted Hatred. I was born in it, molded by it.

Poser.

[Haelbarde he/him]

*sniffs* But what good am I if I can't make people Hate me enough to kill me. :'( Edited September 11, 2015 by Haelbarde

[Quiver he/him]

You think Hatred is your ally. You merely adopted Hatred. I was born in it, molded by it.

Poser.

This is scarilly accurate to how people think Intents work.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

I was the original Odium. The true Odium. Then it was passed to my follower, the Panda. Now this fake Heatherlocke person thinks they are Odium. Ha.

[Haelbarde he/him]

I was the original Odium. The true Odium. Then it was passed to my follower, the Panda. Now this fake Heatherlocke person thinks they are Odium. Ha.

You hate no longer, so I call you weak, unworthy, and pitiful. You don't deserve the title of Lord Odium. Edited September 11, 2015 by Haelbarde

[Alvron he/him]

I am Dominion and I work with Odium.  With that out of the way I feel the need to address a couple of things.

{lots of snips}

 

I would hope that the eliminators wouldn't advocate for Odium just giving the Shard up if he gets locked down. That mechanic is in there to cope with inactive Shards, not to be abused by Shards that just don't want to play the game. If we want to do things that way, why don't I just give up Cultivation right now before Odium can Shatter me? Then we don't lose PMs, Endowment can give it to someone unknown and the OC's are back to square one.

 

That's no fun. In fact, I'd kind of view it as cheating, even if it's really just exploiting a loophole. It's still not within the spirit of the game.

 

{more snips}

The rule about Shards giving up their Shard was put in place in part so Odium can get out of being locked down.  Last time the game was run Odium (Maill) was forced to kill himself because of a bloodsealer stopping him.  That made it unfun for Team Odium and caused some dissatisfaction.  The Shard Coalition also greatly contributed to this but for the Eliminators being locked out of a kill made it so they were almost ready to just give up playing.  So no, Odium giving up his shard is not a loophole.  It is using the rule as it was intended to be used.

 

Also, you consider using a loophole like that to be all but cheating?  Then explain why you are doing the exact thing by exploiting Ruin?  Joe even said it was a loophole and you have no problem exploiting that one yet complain at the idea of someone else using one.

 

Also as a sidenote, Wilson, I wasn't on at my normal time as I pulled a double shift, which I do far too often.  I almost never plan my posts before I write them up.  Except for RP ones, all my arguments, thoughts, plans and votes are typed up on the spot.  Also I have been voting more as I wanted to be more active which you knew full well.  And while it is sad that I die for the 11th time in a row, sorry Maill, I think I shall continue to be more active in voting in future games.  I shall also probably be doing more RP.  Sorry Stink.  It seems I won't get to immortalize you as you wished.  Maybe next game.

[STINK he/him]

IMMORTALIZATION SOUNDS FUN

 

I thought you didn't want to be with me?

 

........

 

Ha! I win again! 

[Haelbarde he/him]

"I don't get it! I'm literally Hatred personified! Why doesn't anyone not like me!?"

"Awww...hey, c'mon buddy! I still think you're loathsome!"

"*sniff*Thanks Hoid..."

Why don't you prove your hate. Words are empty, meaningless, hollow, without comfort.

[Alvron he/him]

I was the original Odium. The true Odium. Then it was passed to my follower, the Panda. Now this fake Heatherlocke person thinks they are Odium. Ha.

You were the holder of Odium.  Once the Panda got it, it was given to me.  In the form of a Odium-infused, Mashadar-possessed stuffed panda.  Something that I am hoping to use in RP in a later game.  You want it back, bring me Haels head.

[little wilson she/her]

To Hal Heatherlocke,

 

I admit, I’m not surprised to hear that your abilities don’t encompass that of protecting or healing, since from what I experienced of them last night, I’d say it was quite the opposite. Pain and suffering. Nearly death.

 

I agree that it hurts to be called a liar when one is telling the truth, but you say that you’ve not spoken an untruth to me, and yet I seem to recall you saying that carried the Shard of Survival. Survival doesn’t kill. Survival…..well….Survives. My godmother is truly grateful to your family for that title. This is why it will pain her so much to learn that a Heatherlocke has played so false with one of her own kin. This is why I warned you. I, too, wish that we could’ve been friends, but the Fates have chosen otherwise.

 

I shall send her your words, though I think I shall say they are from you as opposed to the rest of your clan so she won’t mistake your own kin as straying so far from the Bright Path. I’m sorry it had to be this way but we all must do what we all must do.

 

Stay Odious,

Wilkin

 

 

You want it back, bring me Haels head.

 

 Making another request for your back-order?

[Haelbarde he/him]

In case this game ever gets run again, what are people's thoughts about Odium having an ability to make people vote on him? His Intent is to 'Hate' or 'To Cause to Hate'. And what better target for Hate than the Lord of Hate himself?

[Haelbarde he/him]

To little Wilkin,

 

You will find that you are again incorrect. I do have the power to protect, just not in a way that would benefit you. I have the power to protect the cosmere from the likes of you, who while seeking order, only bring chaos through the meddling in the affairs of the living, or by having hand in their creation. I seek to remove conflict and chaos. Is that so wrong?

 

Again, you call my liar, and in doing so, declare yourself to be one instead. I never made the claim of bearing the shard of Survival. You chose to believe as such, and I let you. That does not make me a liar. Thus you give me cause to hate, for the slander you brought against me and my name. And so, you act as a servant of Hate. Maybe there is hope for you yet.

 

Ah... the 'Brightness Ascendant'. Do you know of your legacy? Have you heard the stories? Or has she hidden her past from you. Do you know the name she bore before? Wilson was (and as you may yet see to still be) the Bloodthirsty Goddess, the Harbinger of Betrayal. The blood of hundreds left in her wake. She's been waiting, hidden behind a false name, preparing to strike against those who have slightly her in some small way. In this, she shows herself to be a true servant of chaos and Hate. I would gladly surrender to her my shard, and call her Queen, were she to rise again. 

 

That is your legacy, and you already walk the path. Give in to your Hate, strike me down, and it will be yours.

 

My Hate and Devotion,

Odium

Edited September 11, 2015 by Haelbarde

[little wilson she/her]

The rule about Shards giving up their Shard was put in place in part so Odium can get out of being locked down.  Last time the game was run Odium (Maill) was forced to kill himself because of a bloodsealer stopping him.  That made it unfun for Team Odium and caused some dissatisfaction.  The Shard Coalition also greatly contributed to this but for the Eliminators being locked out of a kill made it so they were almost ready to just give up playing.  So no, Odium giving up his shard is not a loophole.  It is using the rule as it was intended to be used.

 I'm aware of what happened in the first game. I never expected the lockdown of Odium to last very long in this one either, not because Hael would have to kill himself, but because we'd eventually kill him or the OC's would gain access to an ability that would make it far more complicated for us to roleblock him.

 

I want to quote this though: 

 

If a player with a Shard goes inactive, the player will lose their shard, and Endowment gets to choose a new Shardholder. This shard is not shattered, and can still invest. This rule is to prevent inactives from wasting shards.

 

I can see why Joe expanded that to living Shards in general, but it started out as a way to cope with inactives, and I wasn't actually aware until the game started that active Shards could decide to give up their Shard. Maybe that's because I wasn't paying attention to all of the clarifications; I don't know.

 

Personally, I think this is perfectly good as an inactive filter, but the only living Shard it should apply to is Odium. Or maybe Odium should have something else specific for that role that allows him to escape a lockdown. But it's not something that should apply to any other Shard, except for him.

 

My current beef with that is that with the way it currently is, it feels like an escape for anyone. Not just Odium. It's any Shard. And I don't think it's right to allow active, good Shards the ability to give up their Shard if the OC's get a little too close to them and they don't want to be Shattered. That's one of the risks of being a Shard. That's one of the risks of being any role. That you could die. 

 

 

Also, you consider using a loophole like that to be all but cheating?  Then explain why you are doing the exact thing by exploiting Ruin?  Joe even said it was a loophole and you have no problem exploiting that one yet complain at the idea of someone else using one.

 

We weren't really aware that that was a loophole per se when we asked. We were looking at the rules for Hoid since we knew Endowment was going to pass Ruin to Hoid to invest him and we were going to have Hoid pass Ruin on, but we were curious and asked Joe if Endowment would be able to make an additional kill if he ended up with Ruin again, and then the natural question after that was what would happen if Hoid passed Ruin back to him. I didn't really expect Joe to approve that, and it took him a long time to decide the answer to it. From what I've heard it was only because the spec doc noticed a major imbalance in the game, so Joe allowed it to offset that imbalance. I don't know anything more about it than that though.

 

So, yes, we ran with it. It wasn't something we had to convince Joe to let us do, though, which is usually how loopholes work. We asked and he answered (albeit over a day later). That was it.

 

---

And Hael, I'll respond later, after the rollover. I've got to go to a party right now and hope that I don't fall asleep while driving* thanks to my stupidity this morning. I just had to write that response at 3:30 AM and it just had to take me 2 hours to write so I couldn't go back to sleep..... *sigh* >> 

 

*I'm not actually going to fall asleep while driving. That's not a sincere worry, since blasting music always keeps me awake, but I am rather tired and truly regretting my choices this morning.

[Haelbarde he/him]

I'm going to be mighty disappointed in you all if I don't have at least 3 votes on me by the end of the cycle. 

[Guest]

I'll join with the vote on Alvron.

[Antillar Maximus he/him]

Wilson(In red but I'm on my phone)

 

Why would you vote on Wilson Stink?  She obviously isn't an OC.

[Haelbarde he/him]

I'll join with the vote on Alvron.

Shouldn't that be against your Intent?

[Alvron he/him]

I'm going to be mighty disappointed in you all if I don't have at least 3 votes on me by the end of the cycle. 

What do you expect.  Of course I Dominate the votes.  It is my will that it be so.

[Haelbarde he/him]

What do you expect.  Of course I Dominate the votes.  It is my will that it be so.

But I should be the most Hated!

[Guest]

My Intent is to Wake. To do that I need to sleep. Good night.