Long Game 9: The Empty Throne Part 1: The Barrow Barons

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Well, you are right that there is nothing that I can do. Also, nobody is going to die tonight, so you guys should be able to pull this out anyways.

[Alvron he/him]

Mailliw is having issues with the site and has asked me to post this:

 

Well, well, well. Altermind thought. It was almost over. It was just time for him to decide who he would take out with him. His flamethrower could kill one of these unlucky slontzes before he died. Unless, of course, they decided to let him live. Aidan. "Gamma, you're a reasonable fellow. Stop the suffering now. Let me live and give in to my rule. If you continue to attempt to have me killed, I will take one of you with me. You will burn as I do. My flamethrower can kill one of you just as I leave this world. Make the smart choice."

Edited November 15, 2014 by Alvron

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

Friend stood there and look on bemused as the so-called 'Altermind' ranted on about his impending death and then offered him an alliance in the very next sentence. Before threatening him with death again. "Maybe his mind really is altered..." he muttered a little bit too loudly, drawing a few nearby laughs.

He pulled an unopened package of playing cards out of his pocket, opening it up and beginning to shuffle it rapidly, with quick, dexterous movements. "What we have here, lady and gentlemen, is a...." he trailed off, lifting the top card off of the deck, revealing it to be the Joker. But the face had been replaced with Milton's.

"As a practiced Street Performer, sleight of hand and illusions are my specialty, after all." He grinned, and flourished, making the Joker disappear, and then in a quick flurry began whipping cards off of the top of the deck with a quick flips of the wrist, sending them flying like projectiles into the corners of the room. They hit tiny little, almost hidden mechanical devices that were jutting out of hidden compartments in the solid steel wall, drawing everybody's attention to them.

 

"Riot discouragement tactics, you see," Friend explained, pointing to the little turret like machines. "Illusions can't affect your mind, only your perception. Those there are high pitch frequency sonic blasters, to emit painful bursts of ringing noises on the borders of our audible receptivity. Quite effective at neutralizing large crowds. And those bigger guys, swiveling around are high-end spectrum infrared laser guns. Short bursts of those on a low enough setting could cause quite the sensation of pain for an instant, if aimed properly. Say via remote control."

"But the flashes were all you, I reckon, not anything like flashbang grenades or whatever. Illusions can affect what we see, I did say," he hastily added to appease the irate looking Milton.

Friend smiled as he winked at his friends nearby. Funny to think of them as 'friends', he thought curiously,  one of them did try to shoot me in the head, after all.

"And how do I know that 'flamethrower' just isn't a leaf-blower with a propane tank duct-taped to it?"

Heh, same question as Friend about this alleged flame-thrower. Does it give a day kill or something, oh High Lord Epic GM, or is Milton bluffing about that as well?

 

Edited November 15, 2014 by Gamma Fiend

[Alvron he/him]

Heh, same question as Friend about this alleged flame-thrower. Does it give a day kill or something, oh High Lord Epic GM, or is Milton bluffing about that as well?

How the flamethrower works depends on the fuel used, so unless Milton wants to tell everyone what is in the gas tank I can't fully answer your question.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

It appears that you all are willing to bet your lives on my willingness to watch you burn. You lost. The flames are burning, the flames will consume you. My associate will end you all. Your world will burn and I will watch it crumble. Farewell for now, for I will see you all in whatever hell Calamity has made. 

[Mailliw73 he/him]

"You didn't take my deal. Wrong choice. Prepare to die, all of you. You will lose this city. The Barons will rule Newcago and will restore it back to its proper order. If you delegate one of yourselves to be killed by me, only necessary deaths will happen."

[Alvron he/him]

The following was written by Mailliw73.  Any upvotes for it should go to him.

Altermind had spent his last day dodging the others in the building. He created hallucinations as often as possible, scents of blood, sounds of screams, feelings of pain. Altermind couldn't keep it up anymore. He knew he had been dodging death for too long now. He was one of few Epics with strong powers who didn't also have an invincibility power. He could be killed as any other mortal man. This week in Enforcement Headquarters, he had tried to lay low, never even using his powers, only searching the room he was in and making the occasional kill. In the end, it hadn't mattered. They had caught him. Doc's death had sealed his fate. 

Altermind decided to have one last battle before he gave in. The few remaining rooms left open were his to manipulate. He created hallucinations of all types of fears in the rooms. Insects, snakes, creatures darker than night, poison, black holes. All nightmares were his to control. The rooms blasted artificial noises of screams of children, the anguished cries of a dying beast, and other horrific sounds. All these illusions left Altermind exhausted. He took out his empty flamethrower and threw it at Aidan. The imbecile dodged it with ease. Altermind tried as hard as he could to create a white screen in Aidan's vision, but he was weak, and he managed only to create a transparent white. Aidan marched over and, saving his last bullet, bashed the gun's hilt into Altermind's face. Over and over. As he died, Altermind felt relief that here there were no hounds of night, at least here no doctors of fun or professors of hell. Here, he could die without nightmares. Altermind released the hallucinations and knew he was done. He gave up and stopped breathing. Altermind had grown up in Portland, but he died in Newcago.


Milton was lynched.  He was a Illusionist Barrow Baron with a broken Gauss Gun.

Night 5 has begun and will last 24 hours.

Vote Tally:
Milton (4) Aidan Forsyth, Friend, Kenna, Spark O'toole
Friend (1) Milton

Those in the hallway are: (Araris Valerian) Spark O'toole and (killersquirrel59) Kelsey Skirl

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Altermind sneered with his last breath, falling still. Farewell.

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

Friend watched on and whistled an old tune as Aidan made quick work of the Baron, who had overspent himself on his illusions and scare tactics.

"And thus an end to the Epic know as Altered - er, mean Alter - mind." Friend spoke up, only slipping up a little bit. Still, the guy had been great fun. Almost whimsical.

He nodded to his companions and withdrew to the designated room, ready for one last night to finish it once and for all. They passed Kelsey out in the hallway, still fast asleep, her cot somehow having become a luxurious bed sometime over the last few nights without Friend somehow noticing. He just shrugged and turned in for the night, putting on a pair of headphones and began juggling.

 

He started off with play, test balls, but eventually moved onto pins and then flaming torches. They spun and twirled through the air, in a dizzying, magnificent display. He added one more, and then another, and they all became hard to even keep track of, instead all just appearing as tiny pinwheels of flame.

As a Street Performer, he did still have to live off of tips from performances.

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Spark decided that there was one last thing he could do. Walking up to the intercom he had found before this whole mess had started, he began to speak, hoping that at least one person among those who wanted him dead would pay enough attention to get the gist of his message. "Hey, I know all of you folks think I'm a Baron. And yesterday, you said that one of you can kill me. If you are really so sure that I would team up with a lunatic like that Alteredmind fellow then just get rid of me tonight. I'll go fall asleep right next to Kelsey, just so you know where to find me. If, after I'm dead, you still aren't free from the oppression of Epics, then at least you will be a couple steps closer to finding out who the real killer is amongst us. Good Night."

[Alvron he/him]

Spark O'toole was tired.  All day and most of the night he had tried to tell the others that he was not a Baron.  But of course they didn't listen.  Instead they followed him, watching his every move.  For the first time in his life Spark knew what those he followed had felt.  The eyes drilling into the back of his head, shadows lurking just around the corner.  Never seen but always watching.

It was maddening.  How do people stand this. he thought.  Try as he might, he just couldn't escape from those prying eyes.

It was exhaustion that finally drove him to his cot in the hallway.  Not long after he fell into a restless sleep did a shadow loom above him.

"I won't miss this time."  the figure whispered.

Placing their hand gun against Sparks temple the shade pulled the trigger and sent Spark O'toole to his final resting place.


Spark O'toole is dead.  He was the Scout refugee. In his pocket is a Walkie Talkie.  Sadly it has run out of power.
Day 6 has started and will last 48 hours.
The Barracks has been removed from the game.

Rooms:
Armoury

 

Players:

(Mailliw73) Milton Illusionist

(Lightsworn Panda) Jain Doctor

(Tulir) Trial Serial Killer

(Little Wilson) Kenna

(Pir2h) Aya Precognition

(Steel) Loipin Kien Matter Disrupter

(The Only Joe) Doc Oleny Invisibilty

(killersquirrel59) Kelsey Skirl

(AonarFaileas) Aidan Forsyth

(Jasnah Damodred) Damon Shan Neutralizer

(Gamma Fiend) Friend

(Theorymaker) Stanley Flamebody

(Ashiok) Ash Sniper

(Renegade) Raid Arms Dealer

(Araris Valerian) Spark O'toole Scout

 

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

Friend stared, speechless, as it was discovered that Spark was innocent all along. "Sparks, what a mess!" He cried out, tossing the other, now useless, walkie-talkie into the wall, smashing it. He had always thought Spark was trying to trick and deceive him with the walkie, somehow. Trying to earn his confidences. But calamity. The guy was just fishing for friends....

"Well, we should probably do this before she wakes up. Where's Kelsey?"

Yikes. >.< Sorry, Araris. I thought you were just trying to be stubborn and survive as long as possible to make us second guess ourselves. I guess the Kelsey really has been an inactive Baron the whole time. XD

 

Edit: Retracted vote due to betrayal.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Gamma Fiend

[Aonar he/him]

Really? It actually was Kelsey? Come on. Completely ruined my fantastic (and imaginary) victory speech, right there. (I'm assuming it's not Gamma/Wilson, seeing how they could've killed me and won the game right there.) 

 

Would it be possible to call for an compression (anti-extension? I don't know) on this cycle? There are only four players left, and only three who are active.

Edited November 18, 2014 by AonarFaileas

[Alvron he/him]

Sorry.  Can't do that.  Kelsey Skirl might rejoin and it would be unfair not to give him full time to catch up.

[little wilson she/her]

Kenna walked out of the armory, stretching after her long night. She didn’t regret not killing Aidan. That Street Performer made her task difficult, especially with his paranoia. Sure, he said he wanted friends--he even called himself Friend--but he wasn’t actually willing to trust anyone. So she’d hesitated. But that was okay. The job was almost done, and they couldn’t stop her from completing it.

 

“I’m afraid you’re both wrong about Kelsey. She’s thoroughly out of it. Has been all along. And you just killed your last chance of winning this.” She chuckled darkly. “Not that you really had much of a chance as it was.”

 

The two of them stared at her, and she could tell they felt betrayed. For a brief moment, she felt bad about how much she’d manipulated them into doing nearly exactly what she wanted. But only for a moment. “Friend, I’m afraid you won’t live through the day. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” Two of her clones jumped behind Friend, holding him. “In fact, you’ll even be helping me kill you.” She grinned, and then turned to Aidan. “And thank you, Aidan. I couldn’t have done this without you. There was a rough patch there, where I thought you’d caught me, but you turned right back around and gave me the best defense a girl could ask for. I really hate to repay that with death, so if you want, you can help me string up Friend here and join me in my cause. I could use an Enforcer with your skill. Think about it, and let me know.”

 

She started back toward the armory and then stopped, digging into her pocket. She pulled out a dead mouse and tossed it to Friend. “There you go. You finally have a friend now.” She laughed at him and then continued to her cot in the armory. Time to relax before the action really started.

 

I doubt you’ll choose to join me, Aonar, and even if you do, I don’t know if I can actually choose not to kill you, but we can have Alv make that ruling should you want that (but I really doubt you will. And I can't blame you). And really, I am genuinely sorry for the manipulation. Especially after you tried saving my life in the other game….

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

 I was starting to have a feeling that it had to have been one of you two, but knew that it was basically a game over if there were the case. Goes to show that's what I get for barely paying attention to the game and ruling out Mitosis as not being a possible Baron Role, on account of it being quite powerful for them in this game, as this vote clearly shows. XD Good game, Wilson.

The Long Con. Friend couldn't help but give kudos to such an excellently executed grift. As a Performer, he could appreciate the craft of The Talent. He was still holding the dead mouse in his one hand, but with a quick flourish he managed to dip the hand into his pocket and switch it out with a live mouse, which he tried to throw at the devious Kenna, but one of her Clones just made it be tossed at Aidan.

"I'm sorry buddy. Apparently I can only trick people at Night time, which is a weird restriction for a talent that can be used during the day as well. But don't give in to her evil offer! Fight to your last breath!" Friend was hoping he'd have one last friend, still. It was the least that could be hoped for.

 

Edit: Epic High Lord GM, does Mitosis' Strong Arm power work if I don't have a vote placed? (Fishing for a way around this ) Because if there's no vote there, it can't be changed.... (eh? eh? )

Edited November 17, 2014 by Gamma Fiend
Retracted Vote. Going Fishing

[Alvron he/him]

Yes the Strong Arm can force you to vote for who they wish even if you don't have a vote placed.

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

Friend watched on with rising panic as his hour of fate drew nearer. He struggled all he could against the grip of the various Kenna's holding him down, but he knew his efforts were in vain. The mouse he had tossed at Aidan earlier had crawled back over to him and had begun gnawing on his sneakers, already almost through the fabric and to his toes. Friend grimly wondered if it'd keep going once it got a taste of his blood.

He glared at Aidan who watched on, looking apologetic and helpless. Friend knew from the look on the Enforcer's fate that this was not a battle he was choosing not to fight.

 

It turns out I don't have any friends, after all, he laughed bitterly. He let out one last scream, hoping Kelsey would wake up from her catatonic state, but knew the attempt would be futile.

He gave one last effort and ripped one arm free from one of the clones. "I curse your name, Doomsday!" He yelled with venom, ripping free his sacred, steel silver necklace. His symbol of being one of The Faithful, who had hope for Epics that would be their saviors. He now knew where that faith got him. "Never again will I trust!" He tossed it at Doomsday's feet.

He began to hum and sing a sad, lamenting song. Time for one final performance.

[Aonar he/him]

...What the heck. Why not. I never said Aidan was particularly moral.

 

Aidan listened numbly to Kenna's proposal, shocked by what he was hearing. If only she knew how long I'd stood in the armoury, contemplating my decision... He sighed and stared at his feet, before shrugging, the simple movement hinting at the depths of defeat and humiliated resignation he was feeling.

 

"I've always considered myself an eminently practical man, Kenna. You had to be, to survive as one of Steelheart's Enforcers." Aidan paused, and inclined his head in respect. "You've won. I know that, and I won't try and stop you." He chuckled softly. "It's not as if it would do any good, anyways. Sparks, I'll even take you up on your offer. It's not as if you can be as worse leader than Steelheart, after all." 

 

His head came up, and Aidan looked the Epic in the eyes, his voice regaining some strength. "But I won't help you here. Friend's death won't weigh on my conscience. And if you truly want my loyalty, you'll spare his life."

 

"I won't follow someone who discards human life without a thought. Not again, anyways." The last Aidan added quietly, speaking almost to himself. "If you can't promise me that much, then strike me down here and now." He squared his shoulders and stood up straight, darning Kenna to act.

 

Never mind. I started writing, and well... I'll remove the vote on Kelsey, and officially concede the game to Wilson and the Barons, if it makes any difference.

Edited November 18, 2014 by AonarFaileas

[little wilson she/her]

Well, gosh. I'm having a moral dilemma now. And this is how we know that I'm not truly an Epic...

I've got an idea, but I want to RP it (you can probably guess what it is though). However, I don't have time right now, so I'll post it here in a couple hours.

[little wilson she/her]

Kenna had been known as Doomsday since before Steelheart had taken over Chicago. She hadn’t been that old--barely 17--when Calamity rose, but she’d mastered the skills she’d been blessed with and she’d never looked back at her life before. She was Doomsday. Kenna was no more. Or so she’d thought when she’d entered the Enforcer’s HQ almost a week ago. She’d been intent on reclaiming what had once been hers before Steelheart’s rise, but listening to the former Enforcer Chief, she was almost starting to feel bad about her actions.

 

It was a new feeling for her, one she hadn’t felt in over 10 years. “I won’t follow someone who discards human life without a thought,” he’d said. And as she considered his words, she realized he was right. She hadn’t cared. All the people she’d helped kill, she felt no remorse over their deaths. She never had. Yet no one had ever called her out on it before, which wasn’t surprising because really--who confronted an Epic like that? And yet, here Aidan was, putting his life on the line, ready to sacrifice himself for what he believed was right.

 

Doomsday wondered what that would be like, what that felt like. She leaned against the doorframe into the armoury, and kicked something on the floor. She looked down. It was Friend’s necklace. He’d believed in the Epics, once. He’d had faith that they would do the right thing, that they would save mankind. She stared at the necklace for a minute before looking back up, and studying Aidan and Friend. An idea started to form, but she needed to flesh out all the details before saying anything to the two of them. Instead, she hitched herself off the doorframe and said, “Perhaps Kelsey then.”

 

As she turned back into the armory, her clones let Friend go, but she didn’t stay to watch his shocked expression. She had planning to do.

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

Friend was dropped to the ground, on the verge of breaking down into hysterics as the relentless arms of the clones of Doomsdays forcing his hand holding the knife closer and closer to his chest suddenly let go and the copies of Kenna disappeared back into her host. He had been to.... er- distracted, to catch what she said, but her solemn retreating figure left him even more confused. He was panting on all fours, head drooped close to the ground. A glimmer caught his eye as he saw his Faithful necklace bathed in a patch of sunlight streaming through the window.

 

He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

 

"What.... in.... the.... sparks..... is.... going.. on." He panted in between heavy breaths, fighting back sobs. This was no perfomance. There were no cards on the table. The show was over, the chips were stacked and cashed out, and the fat lady had sung hours ago and was enjoying a philly cheesesteak somewhere in Calamity knows-where before bed.

Was there a chance for the madness to end without anymore bloodshed. Is this even possible?, he desperately hoped, in vain.

OOC Text says it all. You totally basically won this game with your long con well-deservedly. I hope the guilt trip didn't really get to you, as that was just totally the RP aspect. I totally forgot about Friend's Faithfulness until that moment. >.< I applaud your Eliminator Skills. Well played game, indeed.

[Alvron he/him]

Doomsday climbed into her MEC suit.  It hadn’t taken long for her clones to strip the armoury bare and find enough power cells to fuel the fifteen foot machine.  They had even mounted the flamethrower onto its left arm.

Clanking her way back out into the hallway, she trained the MECs rotary guns on Aidan and Friend. “It seems that you two have a choice to make.  Either you join me or you join Kelsey.”

Glancing over at Friend, Aidan shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve worked for Epics before and the three of us do make a good team.”

“Works for me.” Friend spoke. “At least I will have people to talk to.”

Lowering the MECs arms, Kenna smiled.  “Excellent.  I much prefer working in a team.  Now all we need to do is clean this place up and open up the other rooms.  My clones should be finished ransacking them.”

Upon seeing the surprised looks on Friend and Aidans faces Kenna laughed.  “You didn’t really think I would let those rooms be destroyed did you?  My clones rigged a door each morning.  What else would explain the rooms being blocked off in the order they were.  I must admit that the molten metal Milton projected into everyones minds was a stroke of genius on his part.”

“We never stood a chance did we?”  Aidan whispered to Friend.

“Doesn’t look like it.”  Friend replied.  “What do we do with Kelsey?”  he asked raising his voice.

“Do?”  Kenna answered as she ripped open the door leading to the Officers Lounge.  “We throw her out with the other bodies.  Kelsey died a couple of nights ago.”

Tossing the buckled metal door aside, Kenna stepped aside as a couple of her clones emerged carrying a small fridge.

“Wonderful.  The mini bar has been recovered.” Grabbing one of the small bottles Kenna looked over to where Aidan and Friend were stacking the bodies for removal later.  “When we finish here the three of us will be taking a trip to Oregon.  There is an old acquaintance I want to look up.”


Friend and Aidan have chosen to join Kenna/Doomsday.

The game is over and the Barrow Barons have won.  Congratulations.  
The Barons will be one of the final groups fighting for control of Newcago.  

Stay tuned for The Empty Throne Part 2: The Catacombs.

Aidan Forsyth is the Enforcer Chief and has a (now) empty gun.
Friend is the Street Performer with a Dead Mouse and a broken Walkie Talkie.
Kenna is Doomsday, the Mitosis Epic with a MEC and Flamethrower.
Kelsey Skirl was the silent Smoothtalker.
 

Players:
(Mailliw73) Milton Illusionist
(Lightsworn Panda) Jain Doctor
(Tulir) Trial Serial Killer
(Little Wilson) Kenna Mitosis
(Pir2h) Aya Precognition
(Steel) Loipin Kien Matter Disrupter
(The Only Joe) Doc Oleny Invisibilty
(killersquirrel59) Kelsey Skirl Smoothtalker
(AonarFaileas) Aidan Forsyth Enforcer Chief
(Jasnah Damodred) Damon Shan Neutralizer
(Gamma Fiend) Friend Street Performer
(Theorymaker) Stanley Flamebody
(Ashiok) Ash Sniper
(Renegade) Raid Arms Dealer
(Araris Valerian) Spark O'toole Scout

 

Docs:
Spectators Lounge
Purgatory
Barrow Baron Network
Overlords Notes
Mindgames PM

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Oregon? Does that mean what I think it means?

Thanks Alv for GMing this game! I had an awesome time! I thought it quite funny that I never once used my Illusionist powers or the items I found.

Good job to everyone else, especially Wilson and Jasnah.

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Yes! Thank you a lot for running this game; that was the most tense last couple of cycles we really could have had.