Long Game 48: The Terris Synod

[Stick. she/her]

o hey a vote on me 

14 hours ago, Coop772 said:

Idk, I'm not sure they're clear yet. Rathmaskal, not because I trust you, but because WfY. Also, nobody noticed pray trell?

imo it seemed more like a newbie mistake so I'm not sure if it warrants a vote. Waiting for your explanation tho 

13 hours ago, Worldhopper From Yolen said:

Personally, I think you wouldn't put that if you were Spiked. Or you could be reverse-psychologying me. But drawing attention to it makes it seem like you want us to vote for you.

I wouldn't clear him for it for what it's worth. All sorts of elims exist 

Also did i ever talk about how much i hate Day Ones because of the dilemma they put me in regarding the vote 

[phattemer]

A long, long, LONG, time ago, in a game known only as LG12, a very wise man said this.

Ok. I know I said 'can u not' but I think this has to be done. I apologise especially to Hero who has to see this all over again.
 
I think we have to distinguish between three things:
1. Lynch discussion [i.e. the discussion that goes on as we decide who is suspicious and who should be lynched, etc.]
2. Lynch kill [i.e. the actual information gleaned from someone being killed off and Hreo telling us about their role.]
3. Lynch discussion with the explicit intention to kill.
 
Let me explain why these are separate things. Let's say we kill [a random player]. We find out he's a given role. That's all the information we get from the lynch kill. (2.) Now, we may get more information from the lynch discussion: e.g. who was pushing hard for their death? Who defended them? Who abstained? Who is advocating what? Notice that this information may not even be related to them or about them. So, the information obtained from a lynch discussion (1.) is separate from the information obtained from 2. but it may complement it. It is also clearly more expansive, and in a sense, less definite.
 
Well, what about 3.? I separate this because we can simply sit here right now and agree we will kill no one today and then discuss. Or we can sit here and discuss with the intention to discover a candidate who will be lynched. I think it is important to note I say, 'with the intention'. Why? Because our discussion can be oriented around/guided by an intention that ultimately gets overruled. There is nothing that stops us from deciding at the end of Day 1 that we don't really want to lynch anyone today after all.
 
But.
 
A. If we start out saying that we shan't lynch anyone today, the lynch discussion becomes toothless because the stakes are virtually nothing. No one has any reason to comply or to participate in the discussion. 
B. Beginning with a commitment to lynching does not mean this commitment is not or should not be defeasible.
C. This is an LG. I, at least, tend to be less uptight about lynching off the bat during an LG. If it were a QF, I would not at all stress the defeasibility of an intention to lynch and would rather we lynch right away.
D. ...Mislynches happen. I don't mean to be gung-ho about lynching. My point is that if they haven't stopped us in most previous games, I find it somewhat difficult to see why they should stop us now. [unless, of course, the suggestion is we wait a day or two and then lynch. But once again, I am a supporter of 3. I think this is a decision that must emerge from discussion rather than both pre-empting and precluding it.]
 

With that in mind, I'll vote for Araris since he's one of the few people here I have any chance at reading.

And keep in mind that someone is guaranteed to die by the lynch each cycle per the rules. Another detail some may have missed- I know I did- was that only the number of votes on each player will be reported- NOT the names of those who ultimately wind up voting for them.

As a few others mentioned, if you're a villager with nothing else to do, please consider putting in a kill order. There's no way the Spiked will let the opportunity to thin us down twice as fast slide, and since only one can go through each night it's impossible to actually harm the village through it since you at least have the possibility to hit a Spiked.

[Sart he/him]

"Well, erm, I might as well post a vote count:"

Worldhopper from Yolen (1): Sart, Coop772
Steeldancer (1): Araris Valerian
Kidpen (1): Alvron
Rathmaskal (0): Coop772
Stick (1): Worldhopper from Yolen
xineoph512 (0): Elandera
Coop772 (1): randuir
Araris Valerian (1): phattemer
I think I am here (1): Sart

"So um, like that's not good. Cuz like, I don't really suspect Tarin (Worldhopper from Yolen). They seem friendly, which is, like, super important for new guys. But, um, I haven't seen Kardik @Ark1002 yet. And like, that's not good, cause they're new and all. Please come on by. But um, like, that's leaving it to chance, y'know. And that's not good. Like, I mean, we're mostly good, right? So, luck isn't a good idea. But, um, the person I think is guilty hasn't been voted on yet, so like, it would still be tied. Erm, well, I'll do it anyway."

"So, um, Itiah VI @I think I am here. There's a couple things off. He says not to be suspicious of people talking in docs, cuz of the Synod, but like, the Synod's anonymous. And also, he said to not put in kill actions, which like, means the Elims get to do them. And also, he said to make lynches, like, total bandwagons, which makes it easy for bad guys to control it. And he's also, like not voting, which is super lame. And he's not even Terris, so why is he even here? Like, it's all super weird. It's not, um, concrete, or anything, but it's enough for me, y'know?"

Edited August 12, 2018 by Sart
Like, forgot to include my new vote, y'know?

[DeTess she/her]

Day 1 Vote tally
Steeldancer(0): Araris
WfY(1): Sart, Coop
Kidpen(1): Alvron
Rath(0): Coop
Stick(1): WfY
Xinoeph(0): Elandera 
Coop(1): Rand
araris(1): phattemer
ITIAH(1): Sart
 

We've currently got a new player in the lead. On is because he hand't posted yet ( @Sart), but now he has. And the other is because of reasons that have apparently nothing to do with his alignment. I see no reason to retract my vote from Coop right now, nor do I see any reason for not voting on him again tomorrow if he survives this lynch.

Furthermore, I'd like to call on everyone to get a vote in. Even if you aren't particularly convinced of anyone's guilt, voting will do two things:

1.  It will give the village something to analyze about you. Even if you just follow the main wagon, it'll say something about the way you're approaching this game.
2. It will allow those with important roles that require storing to not immediately stand out. Right now, people storing tin or copper or something else that requires a vote will stand out like a sore thumb if they're the only ones voting. I realize there is a similar issue with those storing pewter if everyone tries to vote, but at this time less than half of the people have voted, which is far too little.

edit: ninja'd by Sart, vote tally edited to reflict this. Also, this'll probably be my last post today, unless something happens within the enxt 30 minutes or so.

Edited August 12, 2018 by randuir

[Araris Valerian he/him]

I think I mentioned already, but I’m on vacation until Wednesday and have limited internet. That being said, I am also a little suspicious of Itiah. I’ve refrained from voting for a while because they’ve been active, but we are nearing the end of the cycle and have lots of single votes. Mostly my suspicion comes from what Itiah said about trusting the Synod doc.

[Elandera she/her]

Itiah. I haven't developed any real suspicion yet, so this is almost purely based on other people's reasoning. It's also motivated by not wanting to lynch the new person on the first day for something that's pretty neutral.

[Coop772]

I wish I could explain, but I can't rn. If someone were to create a PM with me, I may discuss in more detail. WfY, (mostly to save my own skin), and that's all for now

[Stick. she/her]

Was just about to place a vote on itiah after reading Sart's post and reviewing itiah's posts when the next two votes came in quick succession and now I'm sceptical. Seems like the choo choo train has arrived. I know what you're thinking: twtbaw quick votes like this amirite. 

I either hop on or I don't 

Itiah

Anyway

3 hours ago, phattemer said:

And keep in mind that someone is guaranteed to die by the lynch each cycle per the rules.

Not quite. A minimum of two votes is still required.

5 minutes ago, Coop772 said:

I wish I could explain, but I can't rn. If someone were to create a PM with me, I may discuss in more detail. WfY, (mostly to save my own skin), and that's all for now

Huh. Is this because you haven't got time irl or in-game things?

[Coop772]

In game things

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

I know it's a bandwagon, but I've got no other ideas. Itiah.

[Snipexe he/him]

Snip opened the door in a rush. Storms he was late. “Hello! Sorry I’m late!” He sat down in a rush. “So, we have a hemalurgy problem”

 

Hey All! I should have posted earlier, but I was lazy, and now I’m not! I’ve been browsing the thread, and I don’t really have a ton of conclusions. The ones I do have are these:

1. As has been said by many, I don’t think WFY had an elim slip, but was instead a slip up.

2. I agree with the bandwagon, but I’m instead voting for coop. The way they’re explaining they’re vote on WFY just seems weird. If they provide a better reason, then I’ll happily remove my vote, but it just bothers me.

Edited August 12, 2018 by Snipexe
Grammar

[Worldhopper From Yolen]

Stick, since I was just guessing randomly earlier. It's between @Coop772 and ITIAH, so I'll just go Coop772.

[Coop772]

This is bad. I am useful, I promise, and I am village. I am hesitant to roleclaim in the thread, but will if it is the only way I survive. I am begging for my life at this point, but I'm afraid of revealing too much b/c if I do the elims will probably be after me. Ah, forget it. I voted the way I did because I know for a fact that that will not be my vote at the end of the day. I am crucial to the village, but I don't know what else to say. 

[I think I am here. he/him]

Woah. Not two hours from rollover, and I’m being bandwagoned. Though I can sort of understand the frustration of being bandwagoned overnight, never thought it’d happen with me!

Anyway, you guys should probably note why I was thinking the way I was about the Synod. One of my previous games (space scadrial one) had something similar to this, but it had the purpose of being a village-only doc. I was under the impression the Syond was like this, a mechanic with similar advantages and drawbacks.

For one, a village only doc could help the village, but it could also open up suspicions about those village people if people think they’re using a doc. So yeah, this was how I was originally thinking about the Synod.

It also should be noted when it was brung up that the Synod could have an elim, I agreed, I just didn’t think having one elim member would do any good Synod-voting wise.

Also, my topic on bandwagons. Did you even read the post preceding it? Context would help here.

One of Rand’s bigger beginning posts said that the possibility of lots of vote-manip meant that we needed to choose a lynch target and stick with it. I was simply saying I agree, and was rephrasing it. And now that I say it, doesn’t it make sense? If the possibility for vote-manip is so high, wouldn’t you want decisive lynches?

Also, Itiah VI is an explorer. This is explained in his first post

But yeah, other than that, it seems everyone else has joined solely because of bandwagoning, which seems kinda unfair, and I hope what I’ve said is enough.

Coop772 I know this goes against what I said about close lynches, but come on, he hasn’t even explained his reasons yet. He removed his own vote solely to save his own skin, and he admitted it. And now, even though he has far less votes than me, acts like he’s going to die, which seems like an overreaction. If your vote wouldn’t be on WfY at the end of the day, why vote on WfY anyway? This heavily suggests to me that Coop here is softly claiming to be the Copper Ferring, but that’s all it is, a last minute claim. Besides, Rand’s explanation of why people should vote has convinced me.

Edited August 12, 2018 by I think I am here.

[Kidpen he/him]

Well, I'm very torn between Coop and Itiah. But if I'm being honest, I feel like Coop is being too vague about his role, while also seemingly trying to hint at being the copper ferring? I just think that if he's going to hint anyways, he wouldn't need to be so secretive. Not super sure, but it's a D1 lynch, so I'm not sure about anything.

Edit: Oh, and sorry about voting an hour and a half from cycle end.

Edited August 12, 2018 by Kidpen

[Alvron he/him]

Vote Tally:
Kidpen (1): Alv
Coop (5): Rand, Snip, WfY, Itiah, Kidpen
Araris (1): Phatt
Itiah (5): Sart, Araris, Elan, Stick, Xino

Currently a tie vote.  But with metalminds being filled, it's anyone guess how the votes really fall.
__________

They were still talking but at least it seemed like something was going to happen before the sun set.  Izzy thought to herself.  And I will be a part of it!  If we are going to take a life then we should all take part.  After all, no one's hands will be clean by the time this is over.

[Steeldancer he/him]

Oh stink the days almost over I apologize church and family stuff preparing for my trip has taken precedence.

Ok, I just finished taking a look at what's happening. I'm not going to double post, there's still enough time for people to see my vote, but I think I would rather go with Coop . I'm really not thrilled about either lynch, but neither do I like leaving this up to random chance or up to individual roles. But of the two, I think Coops evasiveness is more suspicious, although I also worry that he could be a legitimately valuable role, and that just rings of the game I just ran and then I'm getting paranoid. But still, I find him a marginally better target than Itiah, so unless something comes up in the next 45 minutes, I'll probably leave my vote here. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Steeldancer

[Alvron he/him]

Izzy strode up to the groups that were arguing who was the most likely to be Spiked and would be killed.

"If a life must be taken, then I won't hide behind others while it happens.  Their blood is on all our hands and not just those that held the rope."

Kidpen, Itiah.

[Steeldancer he/him]

Curse you and your cult of the gods of luck and chance! 

[phattemer]

Well, I'd prefer not to leave it up to RNGesus. Araris, Itiah

[Steeldancer he/him]

Not sure how I feel about this bandwagon at the last minute. I doubt the elims would do something like this just to save a teammate, because it'll totally bring suspicion down on these last minute voters, so I'm thinking Itiah will probably end up being village and we'll end up with no net information. As per usual. Fan-freaking-tastic. 

[Fifth Scholar he/him]

Day turn closed! Night will be up in about an hour.

[Fifth Scholar he/him]

After an entire day of arguing, the villagers had not been able to reach a decision. The Synod hadn’t stepped in, instead retreating into the shadows and conspiring amongst themselves. Initial accusations had been made against Itiah VI. He was a stranger, a pacifist unwilling to commit to rooting out the spiked. As the sun began to set and the villagers were tired of arguing, a new target emerged. Why had Irion, a newcomer, been allowed to be a member of the Synod? Surely the Spiked had not been hiding amongst them for very long, and a new member rising so quickly to a position of prominence was inherently suspicious. Rumors swirled around the camp that Irion had gained his position based on pure Feruchemical talent, rather than a history of leadership. A powerful recluse, privy to the most well-guarded secrets of the Terris? A logical suspect indeed. They waited impatiently for the man to emerge from the doors of the Synod.

---

Marne gazed around the table, where the darkened forms of the members of the Synod sat around him, their faces shrouded by the shadow of a setting sun. Olaf sat beside him, his skinny form casting a presence at the table, setting everyone on edge. Not that such a thing was necessary—with the official announcement closing down Tathingdwen, panic had spread like wildfire throughout the Synod. After a spurt of initial accusations against Itiah VI, whose family had been long-standing members of the congregation, Marne found it prudent to step in personally. Tensions had slightly cooled, but the underlying currents of paranoia had not been diffused, and members of the congregation were calling for two people.

One sat in front of him.

Irion was not the most well-liked member of the Synod. Difficult to rival in Feruchemical strength, his power had combined with his shy nature to make him seem reclusive to the other villagers. Now, they called for his head. Marne sympathised with the young one, who had not asked for any of this to come upon him. However, the Synod needed to come to a swift conclusion; the sun had nearly set. Rising, Marne addressed the shadowed forms.

“Gentlemen (and ladies) of the Synod, it is my regret that tensions have run high enough that one of our very own number, Irion, is being accused by our congregation. I may have been overly hasty in giving an official denunciation of the Spiked—I seemed only to have fueled the paranoia and resentment underlying the Terris people.”

One of the older members of the Synod, Leidene, a cripple, raised her hand for a pause. “It was the correct choice, Marne,” she stated. “Your call to action did not condone violence, and while it has spread, that can hardly be attributed to you.”

“Thank you, Leidene,” Marne replied. “However, my point still stands. We must figure out a way to defuse these tensions surrounding you, Irion. This state of affairs cannot continue.”

Irion looked up. “I will go to them.”

Marne snapped his head up. “What?” Beside him, Olaf raised a solitary eyebrow, but said nothing.

Irion pressed on, resolute. “I will go down to them, and talk them out of their madness. If they hear who I really am, and what I can actually do, they may be less inclined to demand my blood.”

Olaf raised his head. “I will accompany him, though it be foolish. The boy has a right to try to show his innocence. We will go together, lad.” Flashing one of his rare genuine smiles at the startled Irion, Olaf started towards the door to the congregation, Irion trotting hastily after him. Marne bowed his head in resignation. “So be it,” he whispered. Gathering himself, he turned and addressed the remaining members of the Synod, most of whom looked shocked. “Meeting adjourned.” Only his sense of dignity kept Marne from sprinting towards the door to catch up to Olaf. He was losing his grip on the Synod, and control would need to be maintained if any were to survive the coming days. But first, he would have to see how this fresh disaster ended.

Despite the rumblings, the villagers were tired of discussion after so long a day, and only a few joined the call for Irion’s death. By nightfall, no decision could be reached on whether to execute Irion or Itiah VI. The pair were presented before Count Olaf, in the desperate hope that a memory would resurface upon glimpsing a Spiked. The emaciated man merely shrugged helplessly; he did not remember, and no amount of copper could bring back a memory that had been forgotten. The accused pair were brought to the center of the village stripped of their metalminds and bound tightly with rope.

“It was never my intention to have any suspects executed,” announced Marne. “As you have been unable to make a conclusive judgement, both accused will be submitted for questioning.”

He turned his back to the crowd, intending to have the captives brought to the Synod for interrogation. From somewhere behind him, a voice cried out, “How can we expect the Synod to impartially adjudicate when one of the accused sits in your meetings? Justice must be meted out publicly, or not at all.” Marne whirled around to identify the one who had spoken, but they were lost in the mob of Terris loudly reaffirming the sentiment.

“Untie me, and I will submit myself to the village peacefully,” offered Irion. Itiah VI chimed in, giving the same offer. Marne saw that the mob could not be suppressed nonviolently, and reluctantly allowed the two Feruchemists to meet their accusers. Below, a woman with bright blue eyes was muttering, fervently invoking the Gods of Luck and Chance to decide the fates of the accused. Startled, Marne saw a small fire being lit, and pieces of grain being thrown in as offerings. He frowned. Didn’t the Terris know better than to worship anyone but their true god?

Meanwhile, the mob gleefully searched the pair for hidden spikes. Nobody saw where the first blow came from, but suddenly Irion was streaming blood. The glint of metal issuing from the wound enraged the mob, and they tore the poor man apart only to find the offending object was a stilleto, not an implanted spike. Horrified by what they had done, the crowd dispersed, leaving Irion dead and Itiah VI lying on the ground, gasping for breath.

---

The Gods of Luck and Chance have condemned Coop772! He was a Village Copper Ferring (Archivist) and a Synod member!

Vote Tally:

I think I am here. (4)

Coop772 (4)

Night 1 has begun! It will end in about 24 hours, at 9 PM EDT on Monday, August 13.

Many thanks to @Devotary of Spontaneity for helping with the writeup. We actually did it jointly, which was her idea, and was a rather good one (twice the length in half the time). If you appreciated today’s writeup, be sure to send upvotes her way. She’s also been great with handling PMs.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Fifth Scholar

[Alvron he/him]

Interesting.  While I'm pleased the Gods of Luck and Chance made a guest appearance, I was hoping they picked Itiah.  I hope you join us for more games Coop.  You seem to be active and a thinker and we would love to see more of you.

[Sart he/him]

"Well, um, it's probably important, to, um, know who posted where, y'know?"

Vote Count for Cycle 1:
Worldhopper from Yolen (0): Sart, Coop772
Steeldancer (0): Araris Valerian
Kidpen (0): Alvron
Rathmaskal (0): Coop772
Stick (0): Worldhopper from Yolen
xineoph512 (0): Elandera
Araris Valerian (0): phattemer
Coop772 (6): randuir, Snipexe, Worldhopper from Yolen, I think I am here, Kidpen, Steeldancer
I think I am here (7): Sart, Araris Valerian, Elandera, Stick, xineoph512, Alvron, phattemer

"So, like, um, that was super bad, y'know? Cuz like, an Archivist would have been super good. So, like, maybe we should kill Itiah tonight? So, like, If you're submitting an action to kill someone tonight, just like, put it in the thread. That way it's like a lynch, except, y'know, random. Cuz that would be super helpful, for tracking. But, like don't vote if you're not gonna kill. I mean, obviously people need stuff in their metal minds, right?"