Anniversary Game: In the Re-Wake of the Koloss

[WeiryWriter he/him]

Wyrm, I intended my vote for Macen to be a poke vote.  I wanted to try and spur him into actually posting something, and maybe find out why he was included in the tineye's list of suspects.  I did not think anyone else would actually vote for him so I thought there was little chance of him actually being lynched, it was also at the beginning of the cycle so I knew I had plenty of time to change my vote to something real.

 

I thought there was an opportunity to learn some information so I went for it.  Personally I thought it was a better option then just killing the inactives willy-nilly with a coinshot like you proposed.

 

As for it being a "classic eliminator strategy", I didn't know. This is the first real game I've been able to participate in.

 

Sorry if this comes across as a little brusque, just got back from the dentist and I'm not in the best mood.

 

Ash, sorry but things really aren't looking good for you.

[Newan he/him]

Just popping in to say hi.  Also, I would vote for Ash right now if his death wasn't already sure.  (extra votes would just make information gained from vote manipulation less decipherable).  The reason I would vote for him is that it kind of bothers me when people try to use pity to escape a lynch rather than a sound argument.  

[Peng the Just he/him]

Because there's some pretty powerful voting manipulation potential here, and we need to stack each lynch as much as possible.

Voting manipation isn't entirely bad. It gives us information. Also, the spokesmen spiked arent the only ones manipulating the votes. We should have our own rioters Nnd soothers

Edit: autocorrect

Edited January 14, 2015 by jasonpenguin

[Unodus he/him]

I've been mostly keeping my votes to myself- but I think now's the time to pick a side, since not voting can only cast suspicion on myself.

Don't take this personally, but I'm going to vote for you- Wilson, sorry about this- but you're the only one.

 

You are clearly, one of the more experienced players here- and all your responses are incredibly in depth, considering even the slightest thing. From what I can tell, you also have a reputation for being manipulative.

 

Despite all your analysis, we still haven't found any spikes. This is partially because we lack a lot of information. You however, have a comfortable position in the center of a large connection of PM groups (at least, that's how it seems)- and have had access to a lot of secrets. While you have revealed many through your debates- I'm concerned that you haven't shared with us everything.  By feeding us the right information, you could control our responses easily, and get the people you want lynched. The large amount of detail you go into to incriminate someone, I also consider to be a bit suspicious. Presenting the facts is one thing, but we've had only faulty lynching, mislead coinshots and Emotimancers- someone is blatantly toying with us. In fairness, this is only my first game- so I don't know what to expect, however- you openly admit to maintaining secret links with multiple people. Someone has set us up, and the only person I can think of that has revealed to have that amount of power and dedication to do so is you.

 

If you are a spiked, that's a possibility we simply can't ignore. While I may not have much in the way of evidence to support my claim- you have way too much influence to the village as a whole. We can't leave the possibility of a spiked controlling the whole game right in front of us. If there's even a sliver of doubt- we have to pursue it, because it may be the only hint we'll get.

 

For this reason, I am going to be particularly stubborn with my vote. You have enough experience to weave out of any argument I can present, I assume- which is why I won't make this a debate. I've watched closely from the corners, and I've thought carefully about this. My vote will not change, although I will still consider your arguments- purely because I can't trust my own thoughts after going into an argument with someone clearly more advanced than myself- I can prevent myself from being manipulated by choosing now, instead of then. I hope you understand.

 

While it would usually be my primary objective to side with no one, I can't follow that path any more because the amount of emotimancers mean that anyone who doesn't vote is to be regarded with suspicion. In the hope that my opinion will not drastically alter the result of the lynch- I vote for you, because I trust my instincts. If I'm wrong, smarter people will disagree with me and you won't get lynched. If I'm right, smarter people will side with me and we'll finally be down a spiked. Sounds like a win-win to me. Considering the circumstances, that's the best I can do...

 

Sorry, I guess- even though I'm voting against you, I still don't want anyone to "die" :S

Edited January 13, 2015 by Unodus

[Herowannabe he/him]

@Unodus: Just a reminder, you need to put Wilson's name in red if you want the vote to count.

 

@Peng: I still don't find your explanations very satisfying, so I'm leaving my vote there for now.

[little wilson she/her]

I'm just going to make a couple comments in response to Unodus. Nothing in-depth since I've got things going on in real life that are compromising my thoughts and emotions and I don't want any chance of that spilling out here.

 

1. I wasn't expecting that analysis to find a spiked so soon after posting. While it would've nice and I was hoping it would, it was never a guarantee. There are few guarantees in this game. However, give it a cycle or two more, and couple those 2 analyses with the analyses of Seonid and anyone else, and--as Pifferdoo already noted--patterns will start to emerge and all that collectively will help find the Spiked.

 

2. I've already given the vast majority of my information to certain players, should I die. They're players that I trust implicitly and believe are not Spiked just as much as I believed Eol wasn't Spiked when I defended him. They know I've been straight with them and they are aware of the one piece of information I'm withholding from them. They also know exactly why I'm withholding it. I cannot be more honest and straight that I am currently being, but I don't expect you to take my word on that. 

 

3. It's true that if I were Spiked, it would be important to take me out. The reverse should also be considered. If I am not Spiked, I currently hold a very key position in terms of gaining information and uncovering the Spiked. If I die, that position is lost, even if my current information has been passed off to others. If you're willing to lose that position, go for it. Obviously, it won't happen today, but tomorrow. I will tell you, though, that because of my Lurcher contact, the Spiked can only kill me through the lynch, unless they do in fact have a Mistborn and can double tap me during the night. Personally, I'm not particularly worried about my death. If it's at the hands of the village, I'll be interested to see what you all have to say when you learn who and what I am. I have a feeling you won't be happy with yourselves, particularly if PMs are still running. But we'll see after it happens.

 

That is all. I am now done trying to convince people of my alignment. Should anyone else accuse me henceforth, I will not defend myself as everything that I can say has already been said. If the villagers aren't willing to add things up to their logical conclusion, nothing I say will convince them otherwise, as Unodus has so noted by saying he will not change his vote. I'll continue helping as much as I can until I am lynched or double-tapped. I just won't try changing people's minds if they'd prefer me dead.

 

Real life calls now. I won't be back until tomorrow sometime.

Edited January 14, 2015 by little wilson
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[Lord Pifferdoo he/him]

Quick RP details that I won't be able to get into writing because SLEEP:

Baron Von Piffertiff has become even more closed-off to the outside world. However, he did remove his banners from outside and is trying his best to keep the servants under control, though several have run off.

He has been having a harder and harder time focusing on his book, and it has gone through many revisions. Stu the Steward is growing worrisome, as he hasn't requested tea in nearly three days, drinking only brandy and eating only bread and the last of the cheese.

[Metacognition he/him]

Night 5: Superior Differences

 

The Lady Ashette had survived the House War in Luthadel. She had personally killed one of the Skaa traitors! Now she was in some backwards little town to, “learn refinement” or so her father said. He just wanted her out of the way while he built up her reputation to save their House. She knew this and she still hated it.

 

She hated a lot about Tyrian Falls. The ash, the people, the lack of anything to do, her Aunt Rae. Her aunt reminded her of Lord A’Lees except with even less class and her style was closer to that of Lord Urbain. There were no balls or dancing; no pretty gowns or theatrics.

 

In other words, this was the most boring, despicable place on earth for Lady Ashette. When most people say they are “roughing it,” they mean they’re camping in the woods with only a tent and a knife. When Ashette said it, she meant living in Tyrian Falls.

 

Even with the added intrigue of some Spiked trying to sabotage and kill them all and Koloss coming to destroy the town, it couldn’t compare to the machinations of Luthadel. The people here would’ve drowned themselves in the tides of politics of her home town well before they even finished their first sentence and they were supposed to find some secret organization hidden amongst them?

 

Secretly, she was cheering for the Koloss, if for no other reason than to make sure that no one else ever had to even spend a night in this dreadful town!

 

So when the villagers came for her, she wasn’t surprised. She had already figured out who was behind the killings, but she wasn’t about to tell these people that! Most of them were skaa anyways, so she wouldn’t shed a tear for their deaths anyway. She’d take her secrets to her grave and show them how things were done by their betters.

 

She met them at the doors of her Aunt Rae’s house (it wasn’t even large enough to be properly called a manor!), standing calmly and cooly in the afternoon light and gazing off into the distance. The rays of the sun angled directly upon her, making her jewelry sparkle and cast glares of light into the eyes of the waiting crowd. Even in death, she still knew how to dazzle an audience.

 

“It has to be you!” Someone shouted from the crowd.

 

She finally turned her head to face them and smiled down at them.

 

“Is that so? That is where your vaunted reasoning has led you? Of course it has. Where else would it go?” She laughed mockingly while shaking her head. “I’d be surprised if the Koloss will have to attack at all or if they will wander into this cursed graveyard of a town and wonder why ghosts would build such a settlement.”

 

The villagers murmured their disagreement. Some of them didn’t even know what she meant, but it didn’t sound very flattering.

 

“Shall we get this over with? My eyes weep at the strain of having to bear you and all of your filth in my gaze.”

 

They moved towards her with rope to bind her and a noose. Ashette looked at them like a mother about to scold a child and her eyes filled with rage, though almost none of it showed in her features.

 

“You truly are savages, aren’t you? I will not be hung like some skaa. You will fetch the headsman and I will die with the dignity I deserve!”

 

The crowd paused. They hadn’t prepared for her to come willingly. What was a headsman? Baron von Piffertiff whispered to someone near the back of the crowd and they slipped off while the rest of the village stood around awkwardly.

 

When they returned, the Baron had Wyra in tow and she was carrying an axe. The village parted before them until they reached the front. There, they sat down a huge block of tree stump and Wyra stood off to one side.

 

Ashette smiled.

 

“There now, that wasn’t so hard, now was it.”

 

She glanced at the sky for a moment before nodding to herself and she stepped down to the block and knelt. She pulled her hair out of the way before finally resting her head on block. If she had timed it right and she thought she had….

 

The axe came down and just as it cut through her neck, the final sliver of the setting sun disappeared behind the horizon.

 

Ashette had figured that the imagery would probably be lost on the crowd, but she wasn’t going to go out without a show.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Day 4 ends! Night 5 will last 24 hours.

 

Ashette was a Regular Villager!

 

Votes

(10) Ashette- Baron von Piffertiff, Joe, Maill, Melend, Wilson, Jain, Ashette, Clancy, Wyrm, Reiw

(1) Jain- Peng

(1) Peng- Herwynbe

(1) Wyrm- Reeco

 

(8) No Vote- Dom, Cleo, Senn, Newan, Ament, Damon, Odustren, Larry

Updated Player List

[Unodus he/him]

Great, the one time I actually vote- and I'm soothed >.>

[Seonid he/him]

Sorry about not posting again last cycle. I had enough time to get back on and catch up with the thread, but I had some unexpected things come up at work, so I couldn't post on my lunch break like I had intended to.

 

My first thoughts are that we need to stop lynching villagers. Unfortunately, that's easier said then done.

 

My second thoughts are that I'm not satisfied with Hero's consistent voting for undisclosed reasons. If I'd been able to post before the cycle ended, I might have put a vote on him for it.

 

So, Hero. You've said before that you do not share your reasoning with us because you don't want the Spiked to know where to defend themselves. You seem to be forgetting that it is precisely in their defense that we can find them. If the rest of us don't know your charges, we can't catch them in their lies.

 

And, this is assuming that Peng is spiked, which is far from clear (at least to me).

 

Finally, and on a separate tangent, Unodus, your vote wasn't Soothed. You didn't put Wilson's name in red, so it didn't get counted as an official vote. Hero actually commented to that effect in the post immediately after yours.

[Unodus he/him]

wait... seriously? I could have sworn I put it in red in the editor... 

Well, that's annoying x.x

sorry everyone :/

[Wyrmhero he/him]

...Didn't quite realise there were ten votes on him. We probably got a little carried away there, in hindsight. My apologies, Ash. We were right to worry about manipulation, certainly, but probably should have stopped a little shy of that. Let's hope that it at least leads us to a Spiked player in the long run.

 

In general terms, back to the drawing board, I guess. I'm not sure where my suspicions lie now. I've spent most of the last few days thinking about things through the lens of Ashiok's guilt, but that kind of just falls apart now. I'm still wary of a few players, but no-one (no, not even Wilson, after this) seems to me to be overly suspicious to me. That won't stop me voting or anything, but I will need to re-evaluate things quite a bit, when I have the time.

 

I think it will be most interesting to see where people go during the vote tomorrow, after this.

[Mckeedee123 he/him]

Okay. Surely someone has seeked Wilson by now. Could they just have someone from their network state what they found? I'd like some closure on this issue.

Edited January 14, 2015 by mckeedee123

[Unodus he/him]

By the way, was anyone emotimanced this round...?

[Herowannabe he/him]

Okay. Surely someone has seeked Wilson by now. Could they just have someone from their network state what they found? I'd like some closure on this issue.

Remember we've lost a seeker and a mistborn. It's possible that we have another one, but it's not looking likely, unless you count the Spiked Seeker.

[Mckeedee123 he/him]

Remember we've lost a seeker and a mistborn. It's possible that we have another one, but it's not looking likely, unless you count the Spiked Seeker.

 

But surely they'd contacted some people they'd checked out. And they'd probably have seeked Wilson at some point.

[ostrichofevil he/him]

Oooooh...  I'm a ghost...   8 replies?  Talk more, and find the Spiked!  Avenge my death before the Koloss arrive!  Oh, and don't break my glass.  I'm watching...

Edited January 15, 2015 by ostrichofevil

[Ashiok]

I am a ghost. Do I win the popularity contest? Ten votes in a cycle. If you need me, I'll just be up in Damnation, cackling at y'all.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Gamma Fiend
Color

[Mckeedee123 he/him]

You want talk? I'll RP. How about that? I've been meaning to do it for some time.

_____________________________________

 

Melend gasped! There was a ghost! In his hotel room!

 

"...talk more, and find the Spiked!" The ghost continued. "Avenge my death before the Koloss arrive!  Oh, and don't break my glass.  I'm watching..."

 

Melend gaped as the spirit ascended to the heavens in all its glory.

 

Whu... Talk more? But it was the middle of the night!

 

Melend added ghosts to his running list of things he hated. Mist-cursed things don't make any sense. Ghosts still couldn't hold a candle to skaa allomancers, of course. Always running around, killing random people. It was a disgrace!

 

Things had been heating up since the incident in the tavern. There were multiple messaging networks going about town, and so much blue text that you could've painted Melend's entire mansion with it. And that was saying something. The skaa were surprisingly efficient. That didn't imply competence, however, as they still hadn't found any saboteurs. Melend was beginning to suspect that the entire thing was simply skaa foolishness. What kind of mist-cursed idiot would want a Koloss invasion anyway? (Oh, right, they're skaa. Who knows with them.)

 

Ashette's death had been sobering. She had been a decent person. Humble (by noble standards), brave (by noble standards), and kind (by noble standards). Her situation paralleled his own, in a way. Melend, of course, was even humbler, braver, and kinder than anyone he knew. He was smart, too, so there was no way he'd get hacked to death by savages in this Lord-Ruler-forsaken town just to be some martyr.

 

Melend checked his pocketwatch. Almost morning. Let's see who those fools killed this time...

Edited January 15, 2015 by mckeedee123

[Metacognition he/him]

Day 5: Scavenger Hunt

 

Being Joe’s apprentice did have its perks. For one, Cleo had access to all the copper she would ever need and she knew that it was properly balanced! Those perks didn’t include surviving a scared and violent town that had Koloss marching on it.

 

Joe had left her in charge of cleaning everything up for the night, as he typically did. While they typically weren’t very busy even during the best of times, the deaths of so many people had cut into their business even more. It wouldn’t take her long to organize everything for tomorrow, but Cleo took her time. No need to rush, since there wouldn’t be any more customers for the night.

 

She shaved slivers and flakes off of larger bars of metal and refilled the jars and bowls of shavings. She molded tiny pellets of various metals as well, since some Allomancers prefered their metals in larger quantities. She was just finishing up collecting all the finer particles, which would be sold as metal dust to be mixed into drinks when the front door slammed open.

 

A silhouetted figure stood in the doorway and before Cleo could do more than gape at them, the bowl of copper dust in her hands came alive and scattered the dust everywhere, concealing everything. She was literally within a coppercloud.

 

If she had more time, the thought would’ve likely amused her, but less than a second afterwards, something far larger and far more solid shot through the crowd and hit her in the chest, driving deep enough into her body to hit her heart and she crumpled to the floor.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

The letter had been waiting for her when she arrived home from the Lady Ashette’s death. It wasn’t sitting in the “messages to be delivered” box that Wilson kept for everyone to drop off whatever letter, notes, missives, etc. they needed carried. No, this one had been sitting on her table and it was addressed to her.

 

She had spent the rest of the day debating whether she should open it. Someone had broken into her home, left her a note, and disappeared without a trace. She didn’t have any secret admirers that she knew of, so there was likely only one source for it.

 

She tried to lay down and leave it till morning, but she couldn’t sleep. Curiosity ate at her until finally she rolled out of bed, got dressed, and ripped open the note.

 

As the first day began to fade away into night, two lights stood out against the darkness. The flames of Edgar’s forge suddenly vanished, extinguished as if a life had ended.  All the while, the second light flared brighter against the night sky, a signal of destruction yet to come. Alv’s cousin slept in the fourth bed on the left.

 

Yep, quite unlikely a secret admirer, unless they had a taste for the macabre. It was a riddle or a hint that they obviously wanted her to follow. She knew that she obviously shouldn’t do it- it was likely a trap, but she also could just let this opportunity pass. So many villagers had already died and if she could outsmart them, then maybe she could figure out who was behind the killings! She knew she should go for help, but the trail was already growing cold. What if they left before she solved their puzzle? She had wasted most of the evening and into the night already!

 

Her mind racing, she tried to figure out the riddle. Flames, A second light, destruction…. Of course!

 

She grabbed her cloak hanging by the door and dashed out into the night.

 

*

 

The barracks were a charred blackened rubble. With the threat of death looming over them, no one had had the chance to clear it away. This meant that it was also incredibly unstable and the sections that were still standing could come tumbling down at the slightest provocation. If someone wanted to kill her, this would be the easiest place for it.

 

Wilson carefully picked her way way through the wreckage.She had been to the barracks often, as many of the men there were from surrounding farms and so they constantly received messages from any family member that could actually write. She found where the fourth bed on the left would’ve been if it hadn’t been burned to the ground.

 

The problem with not being able to clear the rubble was that they couldn’t get to all the bodies. It was mostly buried under the collapsed ceiling, but it still held a pristine white note in its burned hand. Wilson almost retched right then and there, but took the note and quickly fled out of the burnt out shell of the barracks.

 

*

 

Clean air had never tasted so good and she took a few deep breaths before opening the second note.

 

Another puzzle. Wilson almost threw down the note in disgust. They were playing with her! She almost stomped off home and forgot the whole thing, but then she thought of all the people who had already died and all the people who were still alive. She couldn’t give up now, so she set her mind to figuring out the riddle.

 

As night turned to day for the second time, a fool flew high in the mists. Falling in his ignorance, he sought an escape; only to find what he fled. He escaped, finally, showing those who followed after where to tread. His path started above the barracks, seventh stone on the right.

 

Above the barracks?!? But the barracks were burnt to the ground! This made no sense at all… unless…. Wilson groaned as she walked across town to the gates on the east side of the village. They were the only way to get up on top of the wall since the western gates had been destroyed.

 

*

 

When she finally made it back around to the barracks, she crept forward slowly. Anything could be hiding in the mists and unless they were just sending her on a wild goose chase, each time she went wherever the notes told her to go very well could be the last.

 

When she neared the spot near where they had found Karnad’s body, she carefully looked around. Jutting out between two stones was another note. She snatched it and quickly retreated, just in case it was a trap. She waited until after she was off the wall to open it.

 

How funny it is, that imagination must flee

From our first years of youth, to almost eternity.

A koloss horde

He saw not, bored.

And didn’t believe the realities we see.

Which is worse: a fabricated illusion

Or the illusion of reality?

But a severed head,

And now he’s dead,

Upon a porch of mysteries.

Then, as if the very act of reading the note had attracted his specter, a final line materialized right before her very eyes.

That’s great and all, but Aralis disagrees

 

At least the ghost had given her a hint and it gave her hope that she was on the right track and that she would actually be able to help save Tyrian Falls. She set off toward’s Aralis’ home.

 

*

 

By the time she got there, the very first hints of dawn were on the horizon. It wasn’t even light per se, just a faint greying of the darkened sky. She could already see the white envelope sitting on Aralis’ rocking chair, so she strode forward confidently.

 

Just as she was reaching down to pick up the note, a shadow fell over her. She didn’t even have time to straighten up before it felt like something exploded against the back of her head and she fell unconscious.

 

*

 

“Hold her up and keep her steady! We only get one chance at this!” whispered one of the Spiked.

 

Two other Spiked were struggling to keep an unconscious Wilson steady between them and were having some difficulty. She was out cold, so her body was limp.

 

No one knew what had been used to kill Eoladdin except the Spiked. While it had seemed odd to them to use a spike (it reeked of unoriginality), Ruin had commanded them and so they had. Now they were supposed to use the same spike on Wilson. On top of that, they were supposed to not kill her! Who ever heard of Ruin actually saving someone?!?

 

But they knew what they were supposed to do and they would carry out Ruin’s orders.

 

The one holding the spiked aimed for just below Wilson’s heart. They drew back, readying their strike.

 

As the Spiked with the spike lunged forward, driving the stake home, the one on the left slipped and dropped Wilson.

 

The spike went through her neck instead and killed her instantly.

 

They stood around looking at each other agast right up until the first rays of actual day touched the mist and it started melting away. Then, without a word, they ran in opposite directions, disappearing before anyone could see them.

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

When the villagers went to Wilson’s home to search for clues, they found another note, except this one was in her “messages to be delivered” box. It was written differently than the other ones they had found.

 

ʎǝ sɔnɹʌʎ poƃs¡

ʎnɐʌ ʇsnɯ бүх ʌ ɯǝuʇıɹɐs ɹǝʌǝןɐʇɐ¿

 

ɐɯɐuƃɐ qɐuı ʞnuʎɐ uıǝʞɐs˙

ʞǝs болып табылады ןǝżąɔʎ¿

Kill the spiked!

 

______________________________________________________________________

Day 5 begins and will last 48 hours! Special thanks to the Dead Doc, specifically Araris, Ren, and Aonar for their help with the Spiked messages! I couldn’t have gotten this done without you guys!

 

Cleo was a Village Smoker!

Wilson was a Village Lurcher!

 

Updated Player List

Edited January 15, 2015 by Metacognition

[Lord Pifferdoo he/him]

Crudbuckets.

[Peng the Just he/him]

Crudbuckets.

I'd just like to echo this.

I'm gonna provoke vote for winter cloud I missed her death. My bad. Let's try joe

Edited January 15, 2015 by jasonpenguin

[A Joe in the Bush]

I had an Apprentice?

 

And Winter cloud is dead. She was cleo.

[Lord Pifferdoo he/him]

I had an Apprentice?

 

Surprise! Now you kind of know how Jasnah felt!

 

In all seriousness, now that Wilson is dead, we've lost probably one of our best shots at survival. I suggest a full evacuation of the town at once. 

[Seonid he/him]

I...don't know what to say. RIP Wilson. And Winter Cloud.

 

There's not a lot of analysis I can squeeze out of that night. Wilson's been a high-profile target for a while now. I guess she finally lost the game of I Know You Know I Know with the Spiked. I don't know why Winter Cloud died. The write-up indicates the Village Coinshot, but I hadn't noticed any suspicion in the thread of her. Was there any in any of the PM's?

 

Oh, and it also looks like Wilson was the Lurcher she claimed to be in contact with. That stinks that we're down that role. I don't have a high hope that we have another one.

 

But I doubt that there's a lot of fruit down that line of reasoning. I think that all I've got right now is to formalize my worries from last night. Hero, you have been doing a lot of accusations without posting your reasons lately. You claim that it is so that the Spiked don't know what charges to defend themselves from, but the fact of the matter is that we learn more from the defense than we do from baseless accusations. Either make your suspicions public, or my vote stays on you this cycle.