Tol-in-Gaurhoth LXIII: The Cottage of Lost Play

[Mnemosyne]

The envelope had no return address. It was written in a simple, elegant hand: black ink on ivory paper. And Feanor of the Peredhil had no idea how it had gotten to her.

For one thing, it was addressed to her Barrow-Downs name, a product of an adolescent mind who thought that “grandiose” meant adding “of the _________” to everything. And while she knew it wasn’t terribly difficult for people to find her on Facebook, it was still kind of creepy getting an unsolicited letter from someone on the internet. Hoping that whatever was inside would give some clue as to who sent it, she opened the envelope

* * *

and found an invitation. At first Eönwë thought it was to a Downer wedding and was inordinately pleased that he had received one (even though he almost certainly wouldn’t be able to attend it), but there weren’t any names he recognized.

It read,

* * *

You are cordially invited to a formal dinner at the Cottage of Lost Play. As a member of one of the foremost Tolkien discussion boards on the internet, it is hoped that you will have a particular appreciation for this one fan’s homage to the world he created. All expenses will be paid for; should you choose to accept, a private jet will be awaiting you at the nearest airport on Saturday 18 July. Guests will be accommodated overnight.

Attire is to be formal.

I hope that you are able to attend.

Very sincerely yours,
M.
How very James Bond, thought Pitchwife as he folded up the note. It looked too good to be true. Going over to his computer (one of the few things unpacked in this mess) he did a quick search on this “cottage of lost play.” But the only things that came up were to be expected: A few Tolkien wiki articles, something from SecondLife, generic fandom. Nothing that pointed to a specific location.

He couldn’t quite shake the odd feeling in his gut, but it wouldn’t hurt

* * *


to see if anything came of the invitation. After all, what was the chance of a private jet just for him showing up in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma? If whoever was doing this thing thought that Shastanis Althreduin would drive all the way to somewhere with an actual airport, they’d have to be out of their mind. And dress up for something no one had ever heard of. It was probably some stupid scam.

* * *

“Or,” said Nessa Telrunya, “it could be the chance of a lifetime! Why would a scammer spend that much money on a plane? And I’ve been itching to wear that dress…”

“All right,” said her father. “But don’t say we didn’t warn you. And keep your phone on and let us know what’s going on.”

* * *

“Of course,” said autume98. “You’re probably just jealous you didn’t get invited yourself.”

“Mnemo would say it’s because I haven’t read the books,” said sally, sticking out her tongue. “But you just joined! How would they know anything like that?”

“I dunno, but a free flight to somewhere weird

* * *


might be just what I need,” said Nogrod. “This house has been getting rather boring of late. And if other people are taking up the invitation, well, maybe I’ll get to see some members I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing before. I wonder where this Cottage place is, for it’s certainly not going to be

* * *

in the Midwest,” Boromir88 grumbled. “About the only good thing Tolkien we have here is some of the manuscripts. And that is not Ohio. Now, what to wear?”

* * *

“Black,” declared McCaber, in a rather unoriginal move. After all, black went with everything. Everything black, that is. He pulled a few more articles of clothing into his suitcase, threw on his overcoat and wide-brimmed hat, and loaded everything into his car. It was time to see if this invitation was good on its promise of a free flight.

* * *


Nerwen was impressed. Not only was the small plane well-apportioned; she didn’t even have to go through security. Which meant that there were no problems with camera film being x-rayed, no lithium batteries to be restricted to different parts of the plane, and no one giving her funny looks as if professional equipment equaled nefarious intent. Not that anyone would even be interested in a place like this…

She tried her best to make herself comfortable in her seat. It was sure to be a long flight. She pulled out a book and began

* * *

to pour herself a glass of red. It wasn’t the cheap airplane kind, either. Whoever was behind this, Lalaith mused, had a considerable amount of money.

And considerable taste, too, she decided after a sip. Perhaps this would be an enjoyable

* * *


flight after all, thought Inziladun as he drifted into sleep.

When he awoke the plane was already descending. He checked his watch; the flight must have been about six hours long. When it touched down there was a towncar waiting for him. The airport was small, in a place that must have taken some considerable landscaping to level out among the hills. But other than that he could not say where it was. The driver of the cab did not speak. And as they drove off the farms nearby grew

* * *


less and less, until the car drew to a stop and the driver opened the door for her. Rikae looked out—it seemed to be midmorning, but she was tired as if it were the dead of night. A glossy carriage pulled up, drawn by four black horses. The door opened and a white-gloved hand reached down to her. Since she seemed to have no other choice she took hold of it, and stepped inside. They turned up a winding cobblestone road and rode for a good ten or fifteen minutes. The stones gave way to dirt, and trees began to crop up until she got the impression that they were driving through a forest, ancient and mighty.

In a burst of sunlight they crested a hill, and the trees ended abruptly. A footman came to open the door and help her down. Peering out the window, Rikae saw before her



The Cottage of Lost Play




being an interactive tale of a macabre nature, consisting of eight acts encompassing eight days, featuring

Nessa Telrunya
Inziladun
Shastanis Athreduin
Pitchwife
McCaber
Nogrod
autume98
Boromir88
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Feanor of the Peredhil
Eönwë

and the narrative and modly talents of Mnemosyne and satansaloser2005,

with love and respect for
J.R.R. Tolkien
Ray Bradbury
Patrick McGoohan
and
The Barrow-Wight Himself,
without any of whom this would be quite impossible.

NIGHT ONE begins at 19:00 GMT, Sunday 19 July 2009.



Ignorance is fatal.

[Mnemosyne]

Inziladun was fairly certain it was not scientifically possible. But there the cottage had stood, right out of a younger Tolkien’s imagination, perfectly hobbit-sized (but for the lack of hobbits in the mythos at the time) until you stepped inside, at which point either it grew or you shrank. It was rather confusing.

But inside—ah, it already felt like being within a tale, and somehow that made up for the physical impossibilities. There was a small entryway for coats and such things, but then that opened up into a vast hall with a fire burning merrily in the hearth at the center. Whoever had made this had obviously put a lot of thought; any elf could be content here, to tell tales and sing songs until time’s gloaming.

“It is roughly based,” said his host, “on the Hall of Fire at Imladris, of course.” He was a rather short fellow with curly hair, but Inziladun was not quite ready to say he was a hobbit—the hardened, weathered look on his face was something he could never imagine a hobbit wearing, not to mention the shoes on his feet. “You should see some of the other rooms later; they are quite delightful.”

“Maybe when a few of the others show up,” said Inziladun. He smiled and nibbled at the refreshment that had been laid out at the sideboard. “I take it you stole the pantry from Bag End?”

“Both of them, sir,” said the—he realized with a sigh that he was already beginning to refer to the fellow as a hobbit. “And the cellar. Though I imagine they’re better stocked than the Shire could ever have been, what with modern refrigeration and all.”

“Tell, me, exactly—whose idea was this, and why?”

“Beg pardon?”

“This whole place? I’ve never heard of it before; no one as far as I know has heard of it, or if they have they’ve kept it secret from the internet. It must have taken a lot of time and dedication.”

“Believe me,” said the hobbit, “it did.” He nodded sagaciously. “But as for your other questions—well, they’ll have to wait until—”

Just then there came a knock on the door.

“Let me get that,” said the hobbit. “That may be—” he consulted a slip of paper. “Yes, I do believe that is Rikae at the door just now!”

* * *

“Hello?” said autume98 as she entered what very clearly appeared to be the common room of the Prancing Pony. “I’m new here; joined the board and got an invitation. Er… I know sally in real life…”

“Really?” A rather sturdy-looking man rose from one of the tables and extended his arm. “I’m Nogrod,” he said, in slightly accented English. “You must say hello to her for me when all this is done! Welcome! Strange place, isn’t it?”

“Strange indeed,” said a figure whom autume had not noticed before. He was lurking in the corner, his boots resting upon a table.

autume’s eyes widened.

“Sorry,” said the stranger, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” He swung his feet off the table and got up. “McCaber at your service. And what is your name?”

* * *

The walk inside did not feel very inside-y, thought Boromir88. It almost reminded him of what he’d always thought heading into Narnia felt like, starting out indoors and ending up outside. And once the corridor of trees ended he could see why.

It was like stepping into ancientry. There were stars overhead, even though it was only noon outside, and timeless waters lapped at a sandy bank nearby. On the grass next the water there were trestle tables laden with food, for hundreds upon hundreds of guests—but he only saw three other people in the clearing.

“Hi!” said one of them, a young woman with auburn hair. “I’m Fea. And you are…”

“Boro,” said Boromir88.

“Huh. You look younger than I thought.”

There was an awkward pause.

“I’m kidding,” said Fea.

“And I,” said the other woman in the group, who had risen much more sedately, “am Lalaith. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance after all this time.”

“And who’s the final person?” said Boromir, looking at the blond-haired stranger in nautical garb.

“Oh, him?” said Fea. “He was there to greet me. He won’t tell us his name.”

* * *

“Wonderful,” said Nessa as she sat back on one of the chairs, sated. “This is eating.”

“I’d feel a lot better if this thing were working,” said Nerwen. She was prodding at her camera, but for some strange reason it wouldn’t even switch on. “I don’t understand.”

“Technology doesn’t always work the same here,” said the hobbit.

“I’ll say,” said Inziladun. His cell phone was switched on just fine, but he couldn’t get any signal.

“Well,” said Eönwë, coming from a nearby alcove, “I can tell you that the modern plumbing works. Even the toilets are themed!”

“I’m ready if everyone else is,” said Rikae. “I think our host said something about a tour?”

* * *

“Beautiful,” said Shasta as the strange elf led them through the marble hallway. “Is this supposed to be Minas Tirith?”

“No,” said McCaber. “It’s too golden.”

“Quite correct,” said the elf. “This is modeled after the palace at Armenelos. And through the alcove on the left is a stairwell leading to the inside of the pillar of Umbar and the great globe that was set up there in commemoration of the humiliation of Sauron.”

“I’m climbing it,” said Nogrod. And he began to do so, and the others had little choice but to follow suit.

The crystal ball at the top was distorting, but laid about around it was such a wide variety of lands that Nogrod knew it was impossible for them to really be inside the same cottage that his carriage had pulled up to.

“It is marvelous, is it not?” said the elf. “This is an excellent way to see all that we have under this roof. Where would you like to go next?”

* * *

“I hope there’s a set path here, and one that doesn’t involve death,” said Pitchwife. “I understand the appreciation for Tolkien’s use of horror, but really—”

There was a gasp from a few feet back. “There are dead things—dead faces—in the water!”

“Well, yeah,” said Fea, “it’s called the Dead Marshes for a reason.”

“No, look,” said Lalaith. “The faces themselves…”

Pitchwife traced a few precarious steps back. “Is that… Peter Jackson?”

“A joke,” said their guide from far ahead. “You’ll also find Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh a few graves over, as well as just about every WETA geek who worked on the films.”

“It’s a very realistic joke,” muttered Pitchwife. “And creepy.”

“So,” said Fea, “how much do I have to pay you to get you to keel over face-first into the water, Boro?”

“A lot,” said Boromir.

* * *

“That,” said Inziladun, “is impressively obscure.” The hut had no identifying marks except for the stone lying nearby with smoke marks on its base.

“I’m also quite fond of the Mewlips,” said the hobbit. “Best not to go down there alone; last person who went exploring down there never came back.” He shook his head sorrowfully. “Poor Mr. Sibley.”

“Wait, what?” said Eönwë.

The hobbit merely smiled.

* * *

“And this,” said the elf, “is Niggle’s Parish.”

“The tree!” cried Nogrod.

“Something’s wrong with it,” said autume. “I mean, unless Tolkien liked huge trees…”

“Sir, this isn’t Hirilorn, is it?” said McCaber.

“No,” said the elf. “It’s the Tree of Tales.”

Shasta nodded. But it did not look like a healthy tree. Up, it stretched, up into the sky, until everything growing was masked by the grey clouds that covered the area.

Nogrod picked up a few leaves from the ground—the only leaves from the tree that could be seen. They were brown, dry, and dead; and while they gave off a pleasant enough odor and crackled quite nicely in his hands, they were still dead and no living ones could be found.

* * *

“It is getting late,” said the mariner. “Let me show you your rooms so that you can prepare yourselves for the dinner.” And with that he led them down a pathway that turned into a hallway with thirteen doors set on one side. “If you continue down this hallway, a stairwell will lead you to the dining room. A bell will ring ten minutes before dinner is to be served.

“Your room will be here, Pitchwife.” He motioned to a room more or less in the middle of the cluster. “Your luggage should be inside.”

Pitchwife opened the door, expecting to see something very like a well-apportioned hotel room.

Instead what greeted his eyes was a jumble of boxes and odd parts of furniture, so familiar to him that it was striking.

It was his room from back home.

Pitchwife took two steps back. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said.

[Mnemosyne]

Rikae was still not sure what to make of having a room that looked almost exactly like her own. Even creepier was the fact that, when going through the large dresser up against the wall, she found clothing not only to her style and taste, but that also fit her perfectly.

The dinner bell sounded. Checking her outfit in the mirror above her dresser one last time, she stepped out of the room and into the hallway of the Cottage of Lost Play.

At almost the same time the door next to hers opened, and a young man, about university age, stepped out. Even though he was in a suit, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he would have done very well on the high seas around Umbar. The hoop in his ear probably didn’t help.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Rikae.”

“Rikae? Wonderful! I’m Shasta.” Shasta took a look at his appearance. “Hey—we match!” It was true, to an extent: the grey in his suit matched her silver skirt, and they were both wearing turquoise—though hers was bright and shiny and his was more of a teal.

Rikae smiled. “Shall we head down together?”

* * *

The dining room looked so grand that Lalaith almost expected there to be someone announcing her name as she swept down the staircase. It was unnecessarily long, and hugged the walls of the oval-shaped room as it descended from one side to the other. White marble laced with black and gold paved the floor, and the long, black table already had a few occupants.

When she reached the table she saw that placecards had been set forth, all with Downers’ names written on them. Only the head of the table was left unknown. There were fourteen chairs.

Looking around her, she saw some familiar faces as well as a few unknowns. Fea had changed into a silky black halter dress that looked as if it should have been lounging over a roulette table, and Boro had opted out of the classic suit in favor of a black sweater vest.

There was also a blondish man in a white dinner jacket, and a young woman in a dusky rose dress. Upon introducing herself she found that they were Inziladun and Nessa Telrunya. And turning around to the top of the stairway she saw Shasta and Rikae descending.

Lalaith shrugged out of her fur stole and sat down at her place. One by one the Downers made their way to the dining room, and awaited.

* * *

Ten minutes passed, and servers came out from side doors to begin pouring water and wine. The seat at the head of the table was unoccupied. Unsure of what to do, people began to talk about their various experiences on the way over, and about the unsettling nature of this place.

Nerwen began pontificating on the mysterious nature of the scar on her chest that was somewhat hidden by the pendant she wore. Eönwë, for some reason, had to explain to autume98 that his name was not actually “Steve.”

More time passed. Soup was served, then the main course. Given the creepy way these people seemed to know everything about them, Fea was not terribly surprised at this juncture that she was served fish rather than the beef filet everyone else was given. But if anyone cared about how long the steaks were grilled, the cook had not. By the time everyone was finished their plates were swirled with red juices. There was still no sign of their host.

An awkward silence had descended by the time the dessert course was finished. No one was willing to get up. The waiters cleared away the goblets that had held their raspberry sorbet.

A gong sounded.

At the top of the stairs appeared a lady in black. Slowly she descended them, and then smoothly moved to take her place at the head of the table. She pulled off her hat to reveal dark brown hair tightly pulled into a bun, and eyes that burned with a darker fire. Red-gloved fingers rested on an untouched plate.

“I’m sure,” she said, “you’re wondering why you’ve all been called here.”

Silence.

“There are a number of reasons. First of all, I’ve spent a lot of time and effort into this place and I thought it should be seen by those with the capacity to appreciate it.

“Second, I have a… quest, if you will—to perform.

“And third, I find that I like a little conflict in life. An interesting means to perform my quest. And, as such—tonight some of you will find yourselves in a very interesting situation.

“Tomorrow, all of you will. This entire house will be locked until you complete your task, whichever side wins.”

“Whichever side wins?” said Pitchwife. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Three of you will find yourselves filled with an insatiable bloodlust. You may recall the island Sauron ruled in the First Age, filled with, I believe, werewolves? The food you’ve just eaten contains a spell to make you one of them. Quite simple really.”

“But… this is scientifically impossible!” said McCaber. “All of this is!”

“You will find,” said the lady in black, “that many things that are scientifically impossible exist here.

“As I said, three of you will find yourselves becoming werewolves. You cannot survive the night without killing someone; it’s a simple fact of your nature.

“One of you will find yourself having unusually vivid dreams. If you so choose, you can focus them on one person and learn if he or she is one of the werewolves that will be killing you.”

“Killing?” said Nessa.

“Of course. It is everybody else’s role to kill the werewolves during the day, before they kill you. Whoever survives can escape the cottage alive.”

“This is sick!” said autume.

“I know; isn’t it lovely?” said the lady in black. “If you make the deaths entertaining enough, I may let some of you go free early. Oh, and if you don't kill anyone during the day, you all die. Have a pleasant night.”

“She’s joking, right?” said Eönwë.




IT IS NOW NIGHT ONE.

[Mnemosyne]

Lalaith woke up almost thinking she was back at home. The sun was shining in from under the curtains in her windows, and the dark shapes of the plush chairs in her room were quite comforting. But when she pushed the curtains open, the sight of the landscapes of Arda all cobbled together with little reason quickly reminded her of where she was.

Sighing, she walked over to her closet and pulled out a dress to wear. It was time to see what the day brought.

The room downstairs had a light breakfast set out on it. About half the guests were already seated and eating. Things were strangely silent. No one wanted to learn whether what the lady said was true or not.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when the last guest, Boromir88, sat down at the table. No one had died.

The meal was finished, but there was no sign of the lady in black, nor of anyone who had anything to do with the actual mansion.

“Well,” said Shasta, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I wouldn’t mind leaving this place. It gives me the creeps.”

“Yeah, but is anyone going to know the way out of here?” said McCaber.

“We can try,” said Nogrod. “This seems to be one of the more livable parts of the house. Maybe the exit’s nearby.”

Quietly the group walked out the main door to the dining room. A hallway led out from it, and as they walked along it things seemed to get lighter.

“The air smells better here,” said Nerwen.

At last they saw at the end of the hallway a door, with sunlight streaming in through a grille.

Pitchwife ran towards it. “Aha!” He pulled on the door. It was locked. He muttered an oath under his breath, then stepped back and looked away.

The door was covered in scratch marks. Some of them were red.

“Look!” cried autume from behind. To the side lay the lady in black on the floor with a large gash across her chest, her hair spilled out on the floor and matted in her own blood. There was a hole where her heart used to be, and her neck had clearly been crushed.

“I guess she wasn’t joking,” said Eönwë, “though I doubt she had this end in mind. Now what do we do?”

IT IS NOW DAY ONE.

The Living:
Nessa Telrunya
Inziladun
Shastanis Athreduin
Pitchwife
McCaber
Nogrod
autume98
Boromir88
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Feanor of the Peredhil
Eönwë

[Boromir88]

*looking down at the bloody mess, Boro decides to break the shock*

'So...How do you suppose she died?' (How do you suppose she died? Really, that's the best you can come up with!)

[Pitchwife]

Well, to quote Sam Gamgee: A nice pickle we've landed ourselves in, my dear fellow-Downers! I came here to admire the sub-subcreative efforts of our host, meet some Downers in real life for a change, and have some nice bookish discussions with you, like about immortality and the sons of Elrond or the question whether Orcs can be redeemed - in any case, not to play a weird game with our dear real lives at stake.
As it turns out, our late host - may Eru, or whoever, have more mercy on her black soul than I would - had other plans.
There may be another way to explain this mess, but I'm afraid we'll have to assume that what she told us last night was the truth. In this case, and unless the key to this door can be found on her corpse (has anybody searched?), we're going to need Sam's stubborn courage, Gandalf's wisdom and the discerning intellect of *insert fitting character who escapes me at the moment* to get out of this alive - or at least, get as many of us out of here alive as we possibly can.
*long sigh*
So much for rhetorics. Now, how do we go about this? Hate to admit it, but I'm lost - as most of you, I suppose, since we've been standing here for an hour without anybody saying anything. Any suggestions?

EDIT: x-ed with Boro

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Glancing around, I notice you all staring fixedly at your feet, at the walls, at the bloody scratches on the doorway, at thin air... Nobody will meet anybody else's eyes, and though you snatch hesitant glances toward the body, there is an incredibly awkward silence.

I can no longer take it. Knowing I'll have nightmares from this later, knowing I should probably be in therapy already, knowing I never should have went along with a crackpot Facebook invitation to an internet stranger's abode (my parents spent how many years warning me about this?), I feel myself slip into a state of almost zen-like calm, as I always do at times like this.

"It's too late to call a doctor. And we're trapped, so she said." I watch you all look up, seeing varying states of fear, nausea, and helplessness in your eyes. "We need volunteers to search the house for exits. Nobody should go anywhere alone. She said we would be safe during the Day... it should be okay to look around together. Also... We need volunteers to put the body in the freezer. I know you're not supposed to touch a crime scene, but I don't know how long we're going to be here, and in this case, it might be more important to preserve the body than to leave it to rot and bloat on the floor. Then..." I look around at the incredulous faces. "I need somebody to help me clean up the blood. It's a biohazard."

I know that the secret to leadership is to behave like it's natural for everyone to listen to you, so instead of waiting for responses, or begging for acquiescence, I begin to walk to where I think the kitchens are, hoping to find ammonia and towels, hoping someone will help me with the grisly mess on the floor, resigned to the fact that I might well be the only person in the room who can see something traumatizing and be sensible instead of melodramatic about it.

[Inziladun]

This rather reminds me of the movie Clue. Except we aren't being blackmailed. And Tim Curry isn't here.
How she met her end is, I think, immaterial at this point. We must now take thought for ourselves. It seems we must take her words as truth: we cannot leave this place until we succeed in destroying those among us who have been cursed by her.

x/d with Pitchwife and Fea

[Boromir88]

Well, I must say I'm not a fan of blood, unless it be my own blood. Grey's Anatomy, ER, none of those doctor shows...ugh...as soon as they start poking around in a person's body, I cover up and squeam around. If someone would care to get the blood, I could bring myself to move the body...stiff bodies are a bit more tolerable than bodies covered in blood. Though by the looks of most people's faces, I can't tell who's dead or alive at this point.

So...Inzil, If only Tim Curry were here, he'd sort this entire thing out. Speaking of which, who was the murderer in the movie? Wasn't Mr. Green a detective? Whoever the detective was, that is me, this will be solved in no time.

[Pitchwife]

No, Fea, you're not alone, and I'll be with you cleaning up in a moment (good point about the fridge, by the way!)
Inzil, the question how she died is not quite so immaterial as you make it. There's still a vague possibility she kept a toothed and clawed pet which turned on her - I mean, one that was here prior to our arrival. The only other explanation is that she did tell the truth, which is a quite...er... disturbing thought.
As for those of us who have been cursed by her (assuming she told the truth), have you no pity for them? They didn't ask for it, did they? It might have been you or me. For all I know, you might be one of them.
*heads off to help Fea, but turns back on second thought*
By the way, looking for exits may be futile. From what we've seen so far, our host was thorough and meticulous in the execution of her plans. I don't think she left us any easy way out of this. And if her mind worked the way I think it did, she's probably left a Middle-earth equivalent for big white balloons patrolling outside.
*leaves*

[Inziladun]

As for those of us who have been cursed by her (assuming she told the truth), have you no pity for them? They didn't ask for it, did they? It might have been you or me. For all I know, you might be one of them.

Pity, yes. Mercy, no. Seeing that there is a disturbing corpse in front of us, I think I have to assume she was indeed truthful. Or are you suggesting we should simply wait and see what happens?

[autume98]

This is the LAST thing on my mind on what to expect when I accepted the invitation to come. My mind is reeling with what this all means. Not to mention the gruesome site before me is starting to make me feel a little queasy. I decide to follow Fea's lead and help look for some cleaning materials.

[Pitchwife]

*comes back laden with towels and begins to mop up the blood*
Glad you're willing to help, autume! I don't like leaving Fea alone over there. Kitchen's that way. *indicates*
If anybody else wants to be useful, it would be great to find a working telephone in this place! I found a computer in my room - the only thing unpacked, just like in real life:o - , but without internet access; I tried last night.
*looks up at Inzil*
No, I don't suggest we just sit and wait what happens. We'll have to find out who of us was cursed - assuming anybody truly was - and how to deal with them. A time for merciless decisions may yet come - but now is not that time. All I'm saying is, let's not be hasty.
By the way, I haven't seen that movie you and Boro are talking about, but if the situation we've been put in doesn't qualify as being blackmailed by your book, I don't know what would.
Now, I wonder whether this corpse is going to fit into the freezer in one piece... *gulp*

[Lalaith]

Not so hasty, good people. Where is Nerwen and her camera?
I don't feel right about moving the body, but I accept that under the circumstances we can't leave it here...however, before we move it, or clean up, we should photograph the body and the crime scene carefully.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

I feel bad for her, but... to be quite honest, she brought this end upon herself. Yes, she apparently created this... Land of Tolkien, for lack of a better, term, and yes, she was kind enough to invite us all here... but she did turn three of us into slavering beasts and she did trap us here with them, all on the pretext of some "quest". Am I going to be glad it was her and not me? You bet.

Thank you for volunteering to clean this up, ladies. Some of the men want to volunteer for gravedigger detail? No, wait - we can't get out of this house, can we? I don't suppose there's a cellar or something... I'd volunteer myself, but... I have an idea...

-vanishes upstairs-

[Lalaith]

Thank you for volunteering to clean this up, ladies

*looks up after the vanishing Shasta and contemplates getting seriously Betty Friedan on his wotsit*
Maybe not - we have more important things to do right now. The education can wait.

[Eönwë]

People, people, calm down!

It's only the first morning and already you're turning on each other. Of course its important how she died, and by the looks of it, unless we find any large, blood-hungry clawed creatures around then I assume we must trust what she said.
And also, what if she didn't mention something on purpose? Maybe there were more things put in the food that she didn't tell us about. Well, she's dead now so there's no point expecting an answer.

And also, Pitchwife, I think If you cut here *points* and here *points* , then she will fit in. But what are we going to do if we don't manage to sort out the problem and they kill more of us toMorrow? We have no more space.

And why are we all so quiet? We've all had a good Night's sleep (except the werewolf-morphers), so let's get something done toDay.

[Pitchwife]

Thank you for volunteering to clean this up, ladies.

*shouts after Shasta*
I know my nick is misleading, but thanks for not including me!:mad:

[Inziladun]

Hang on, Pitchwife. Not the freezer just yet. We don't want to contaminate the food! Shasta just dashed out saying he had an idea.

[Eönwë]

Hang on, Pitchwife. Not the freezer just yet. We don't want to contaminate the food! Shasta just dashed out saying he had an idea.

Maybe he's running away because he's afraid of the blood. Or maybe he's afraid of getting caught. Or maybe he's trying to cover up his Night bloodlust with the feigned fear of blood. Either way, he seemed in a hurry to go, wouldn't you say? Mighty suspicious if you ask me.

[Lalaith]

he seemed in a hurry to go
Well yes... and then there's the folk who are in such a mortal hurry to start sawing up corpses.
Can't we just calm down and recollect our nerves over a stiff drink before we start with the Chainsaw Massacre reenactments, darlings?

[Inziladun]

Maybe he's running away because he's afraid of the blood. Or maybe he's afraid of getting caught. Or maybe he's trying to cover up his Night bloodlust with the feigned fear of blood. Either way, he seemed in a hurry to go, wouldn't you say? Mighty suspicious if you ask me.

I'd say either of the above could be correct. A wolf faking a fear of blood would be a cunning tactic this early on.

[Boromir88]

People, people, calm down!

It's only the first morning and already you're turning on each other.~Eonwe
Well based on your last statement you seem to be the more jumpy one in need of calming.

Although, out of anyone, Pitchy (hope you don't mind that now imposed nickname) you've been the most zealous in cleaning up. Make your own mess and feel you have to clean it up? Because personally I only feel the need to clean up after myself, or clean myself off if someone's made a mess on me. Oh and I do tend to clean up after a certain doggy's rampaging, but that's so he doesn't get in trouble, and I doubt he'd make a mess like this...that is ripping out a person's heart, but after that steak last night who knows who's been turned into a blood-thirsty mongrel?

[Eönwë]

Well based on your last statement you seem to be the more jumpy one in need of calming.
Maybe a little. But aren't we all? I think you are forgetting the obvious: WE ARE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE HOUSE AND SOMEONE'S GOT KILLED! Isn't that enough to make anyone nervous? Or has killing someone in the Night nullified your senses towards death?

And at least I used a bit of reasoning. The people I was talking about all knew that we need to do something about the situation toDay, yet not be too hasty, but they were still arguing over it.



But now to more pressing matters...

[Pitchwife]

*wipes his brow, un-selfconsciously smearing himself with blood, and draws a deep breath*
Not the freezer yet, I agree. Sorry, I got a little bit carried away. I'm as little used to things like this as any of you, but I'm afraid being married to a nurse in palliative care working in a hospice has made my attitude to death a little bit... well, let's say, more matter-of-fact. (The deaths she deals with in her job are somewhat less bloody, though.)
Besides, it just occurred to me that if we ever get out of this alive, we'll probably have to explain this mess to the police. From an outsider's perspective, all of us probably look rather suspicious at the moment, don't you think so? Taking photos might be a good idea.
Eönwe, point taken - we shouldn't be turning on each other so early in the day; and you'd do well to follow your own advice!

(x-ed with everybody since Eönwe's #20)

[Eönwë]

Eönwe, point taken - we shouldn't be turning on each other so early in the day; and you'd do well to follow your own advice!

(x-ed with everybody since Eönwe's #20)
Easier said than done. It could be anyone...



Anyway, I'm going to have a nap... sleep still hasn't caught up with me since the aeroplane journey and I'm not thinking straight...

Maybe something will come to me in my sleep.



edit: x-ed since last post.

[Boromir88]

Hmm...not sure about that Master Pitch, someone wants me dead I'm not going to play along. The nice-ities are done. Sure I may have been a pleasant dinner with some of you *gaze turns to Lalaith, and Boro begins to go deep in thought.* Why is she so familiar, it feels like I should know her from before arriving here, but where? and why?

'Curious' Boro thought out-loud 'very curious.'

'What is?' asked an unknown voice

'Is anyone else finding it difficult to remember anything you did before coming to this place? hmm...'

Well maybe I'll have a go at my computer game and free my mind a bit. There may be no net connection here, but I still better be able to play my game, let me tell you! Very interesting, Disgaea it is, maybe someone else has played it? There's these penguin doods with bombs...created one for my army by the name of Lommy, but I'm not sure where I got the idea of naming it that. :rolleyes:

[Pitchwife]

So while everybody seems to agree we should calm down and not jump to conclusions, everybody happily throws around his/her suspicions. Great.

Indeed, Lalaith, a stiff drinks sounds like exactly what I need at the moment; and a short nap afterwards, too. I wish our hostess hadn't copied my room at home so precisely, or I had taken the time to piece my bed together before coming here; I didn't get much sleep last night, and I'm dead tired. Hope there's a comfy couch somewhere in this Cottage of Lost Nightmares.

Boro, I mind the nickname less than your implied accusation, but I'll answer that when I'm feeling a bit fresher.

And Eönwe -
Maybe something will come to me in my sleep.
*frowns*
Why would you say a thing like that at a time like this??

*yawns*
Anyway, see you all later.
*retires in search of a couch*

EDIT: x-ed with Boro's last

[Shastanis Althreduin]

-comes back down the stairs dejectedly-

Well... I had hoped that perhaps the werewolves had been caught in transformiata in their bedrooms, with the doors shut... and since presumably werewolves have claws, not hands, I figured it would be rather hard to open said doors... but no dice. I didn't find any evidence of forced exit on the bedroom doors.

[Nogrod]

"Okay, I've given this some thought."

Nogrod had found a pipe and some tobacco from the hall when they had left the breakfast and had been puffing his pipe since then, sitting in the bench quite unnoticed when all the row had taken place.

"We need some thinking here... and I'll give you my first two cents to begin with."

He took a few steps closer to the body and looked at it a while and then turned around taking the pipe from his mouth.

"Now either our lady in black was a suicidal person, a fool in in the midst of all this ingeniousness - or then something here just isn't what we think it is... Now why introduce this kind of cruel game on us and give lycanthropic powers to some of us while being our jailor and the cause for all this - and not being able to protect herself?

Sure she should have foreseen herself to be the first target? So a suicidal - or a thoughtless person? Somehow I can't make either description fit her easily... She was too intense, too gorgeous, too self-assured to be either. I could be wrong though, but for now I'd go for the third option: this could be faked, or she could have powers, goals, methods we just don't understand. Maybe she's not dead at all..."

Nogrod glanced around and took a deep inhale from his pipe. Puffing out a small ring of smoke he continued.

"But what I do wonder is what she said to us as her last words... Do you recall them? “Oh, and if you don't kill anyone during the day, you all Have a pleasant night.”Now what might that mean? You Eönwë thought she was just joking yesterDay evening and now you think she didn't have this end in mind. Now I do agree, those very same thoughts have come to me as well but why do we think this way, and are we sure we're not being fooled here; do we actually have a slightest reason to believe what we collectively seem to think is true and not a part of some grandiose and vicious plan? This setting looks to me grandiose enough to give me shivers just thinking about what a mind capable of putting all this up could do on a psyhological level..."

Nogrod fell quite for a moment as in deep thought and then lifted his face once more.

"Well, I say we'd need to discuss this - and especially that sentence she made as her last one... If we are going to try a Day without killing to check whether we'd be saved from any Nightly atrocities it should be toDay. Later we may be unable to prevent ourselves from these inhumane acts no one I hope is willing to take toDay... You know, pressure, death and gore all around, getting used to it... read any book on war and you know it - that's what can happen to a pacifist as well.

So what do you think people, should we take her words for real and try this Day without killing anyone to see if we will have a "pleasant Night" or not? The only problem I see with that kind of proposition is the way she pronounced very highlightingly "you all", which should mean also those she had turned into evil... Who knows this devilry here but at least we should discuss our views about it first before going at each other's necks for real..."

[McCaber]

Wait, there's a troop of bloodthirsty killers among us, and people are urging to wait and see what happens? The only thing I can foresee with that happening is more bloody deaths before someone decides that we just might have to consider taking action.

Ah well. I would propose we move away from this mess and discuss things like civilized people in the dining chambers.

[Nogrod]

I see this place is more haunted I thought in the beginning - so let's forget my last idea... Someone has changed the reality. Just a moment before what was yesterDay evening's reality the lady in black said:
“Oh, and if you don't kill anyone during the day, you all Have a pleasant night.”But it seems the yesterDay has been changed... "Oh, and if you don't kill anyone during the day, you all die. Have a pleasant night.”

[Nogrod]

Ah well. I would propose we move away from this mess and discuss things like civilized people in the dining chambers.Fully agreed. We've already past the second breakfast but could just make it for a late eleventies or an early supper... :)

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Please, no. Dining rooms make for stilted conversation and they tend to be quite uncomfortable otherwise. May I suggest the parlor?

-suits actions to words, striding into the parlor and poking up the fire to drive off an unnatural chill-

[Inziladun]

So what do you think people, should we take her words for real and try this Day without killing anyone to see if we will have a "pleasant Night" or not? The only problem I see with that kind of proposition is the way she pronounced very highlightingly "you all", which should mean also those she had turned into evil... Who knows this devilry here but at least we should discuss our views about it first before going at each other's necks for real..."

As you noted sir, the option of taking no action is certainly off the table now. Our hostess seems to have taken great pains to arrange all this, and I've become more and more doubtful that her own apparent death was unexpected to her.
Our difficult task now it to try and get enough of a clear head to think things through, and eliminate the evil among us while sparing the innocent. Seems obvious enough, but the deed itself will likely prove much harder in practice.

Please, no. Dining rooms make for stilted conversation and they tend to be quite uncomfortable otherwise. May I suggest the parlor?
-suits actions to words, striding into the parlor and poking up the fire to drive off an unnatural chill-

I hadn't noticed any chill, but I find a good fire is often helpful when one is in need of good thinking.

[Nogrod]

Nogrod was sitting at the dining chambers waiting for the eleventies in vain. No one did anything - except Shasta who went to the parlor helping the fire.

Nogrod was getting frustrated while his eyelids felt heavy for the time-difference. Darn it, no one talks... Phwwt... Don't they see the mess we're in? That altered reality and all... yes, yes, everyone's in shock and it's hard to focus one's mind with nothing to focus it with... but some effort, please... He was almost napping at the table when he suddenly woke up. I need to go to sleep... my head is dizzy. But someone has to start something... Blah, someone has to...

Nogrod stood up and walked back to the others, well midway between those who still lingered at the "black lady's" corpse and those that had followed Shasta to the parlor - some of the 'Downers were missing, probably under the same jet-lag Nogrod felt himself to be under... or was it just the stress... well, whatever.

"Okay, I need to get a good nap to clear my head, sorry about that. But it really looks like we actually do have to kill someone of us with the risk of getting us all killed if we fail that. That altered yesterDay made me confident with it. So let's not make it a lottery... and I don't think the lady in Black is really dead. There is more magic or illusions here.

But to avoid the lottery let's everyone speak and let us others know what they think. And even if this sounds cruel I do suggest we start this hideous killing with those who decide to stay silent or try to be especially careful. It's easy to hide and if everyone hides we can but guess. There's ample time though, so I'd not blame anyone especially right now; but when the evening draws on and the Day grows old, and if there still are people who hide away from discussion, they should be the first one's to go.

What I think so far then... well there is little to go on, but I'm afraid of Fea already. Her nice little act of being at the same time so terrified and/or traumatized with blood and looking so helpful was a bit too fitting to be honest. Like she had to especially prove to us she was innocent from the very first time she opened her mouth.

Also I'm a bit worried with Shasta running up and down looking like doing a lot from the early morning up to now but in the end just telling us he's doing things - okay, I do appreciate the fire, but anyway. The way McCaber just says that we should discuss without giving even a slightest thought of his own to be shared looks bad as well. It's easy to show a considerate face saying "let's discuss this", but it is quite nasty to then fall silent without contributing anything to the discussion one calls for.

Of others I tend to like what Pitch, Eönwë and Inzil are doing thus far. Not that I trust anyone of them more than you others, but the way they talk looks like they are getting involved - be that good or bad involvement.

Boro also looks promising in the sense meant above, even if I kind of disliked his happy jump to Fea's "dislike of blood" -thingy which he apparently dropped as soon as Inzy made a remark of the problematics with it... Well, early hours, early hours and not lot to say.

I hope you others have given even one cent's worth of opinions when I wake up again. Now sorry but I'm off to my room."

[Nogrod]

Walking up the stairs Inzy's words still echoed in Nogrod's head and he stopped suddenly turning around.

Our difficult task now it to try and get enough of a clear head to think things through, and eliminate the evil among us while sparing the innocent. Seems obvious enough, but the deed itself will likely prove much harder in practice."Don't you think that a bit obvious thing to say Inzy? How about actually trying to do something and not just repeating that truism?"

He flashed a :rolleyes: and turned again to go to his room.

[Inziladun]

Walking up the stairs Inzy's words still echoed in Nogrod's head and he stopped suddenly turning around.
"Don't you think that a bit obvious thing to say Inzy? How about actually trying to do something and not just repeating that truism?"

Well, I noted myself that it was obvious. Simply trying to get everyone involved with what needs to be done.

[Nogrod]

Simply trying to get everyone involved with what needs to be done."Without getting yourself involved or actually doing anything but just saying something should be done?" :confused:

Nogrod shook his head from the top of the stairs and vanished from sight.

[Inziladun]

"Without getting yourself involved or actually doing anything but just saying something should be done?" :confused:

Nogrod shook his head from the top of the stairs and vanished from sight.

It's rather hard to 'get involved' when others won't.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

"Hard to get involved," I return with a mop and jug of bleach, "when nobody's got anything to go on."

After making sure plenty of crime scene photos are taken, I liberally pour the bleach over the blood and start scrubbing at it, hands gloved, taking care not to step in the sticky evidence.

"But it's an old argument. I'd make a terrible criminal investigator. Too many gut reactions, too little listening. All that stuff Nog said? I somehow managed to retain none of it."

I scrub away, a macabre Cinderella cleaning up the house, trying not to whistle or hum as I work. It's a built in mechanism: I tend to hum during tedious work, like cutting hair or organizing things. The rhythm of the mop, push, pull, scrub smush, slap into the water bucket, slosh push pull push simply demands that I whistle a happy working song.

I quash the idea, feeling that it's far too twisted to play Disney princess just now: I shan't hum, I tell myself. I will not!

Yet I find myself humming as I mop, morbidly fascinated with the parts of our moddess that leaked when they dismembered her for better storage.

"There's no proof," I repeat, squishing reddish water out of the mop and into the soapy bucket. I need a new bucket, I realize, since the mop is now just spreading around dirty water instead of cleaning. I pour the rest of the jug of bleach onto the stained and sopping floor, just to be sure, and set up a bright yellow sign cautioning 'Cuidado!' before heading back in search of refreshed supplies.

[Inziladun]

If anyone's listening, I'll offer a few preliminary thoughts about the situation.
Our hostess brought us all here for what we believed to be a fun, innocent gathering where we could all discuss one of our favourite subjects in a comfortable atmosphere. She then revealed a more sinister motive for it all, claimed to have made three of us into killers, and was apparently killed herself in an unpleasant manner. I say 'apparently' because she obviously intended to sit back and watch the mayhem she'd created. With the amount of planning she'd put into this, I find it most difficult to believe that her 'death' is as it appears. But what is really going on?
Fea and Pitchwife immediately got to work on cleaning the crime scene. Did anyone look for any clues? autume98 said she would help, but did not follow up. Lalaith suggested taking photos, and Fea says she did.
Boro mentioned an aversion to the blood of others, but not his own.
Shasta disappeared and explained himself by saying he went upstairs in the hope of catching one of the wolves in the midst of transformation. I found that statement rather odd.
Eönwë was giving suggestions of body disposal, and said Shasta could be afraid of the blood when he left, or was pretending to be.
McCaber has said only that we must discuss the matter. I agree, but no one seems inclined to do so at the moment.
Nogrod has been offering some quiet, carefully considered remarks while smoking a pipe. Interesting tobacco blend. Had a bit of a Turkish aroma.
It would be nice to have some more information before we have to make our decision. Perhaps some others will speak up soon.

[Inziladun]

Sleep is beginning to overpower me. As someone said in one of my favourite books, 'If I yawn anymore, I shall split at the ears'.
I'm going to retire to my room for a while. Perhaps a bit of sleep will help.

[autume98]

I was looking for some cleaning supplies. By the time I get back Fea is almost done with the cleaning.

This is definitely most interesting. Very interesting points have been made. I'm going to take a little nap and think digest all this information in.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Shasta disappeared and explained himself by saying he went upstairs in the hope of catching one of the wolves in the midst of transformation. I found that statement rather odd.

I came back in time to hear this statement. Inzil, I find this rather... strange. I rather clearly stated that I went upstairs to see if I could find any evidence on bedroom doors - scratches, hairs, and the like - that would point to the wolves having had to get out of their rooms to attack our hostess, so either you misheard, or you're deliberately twisting what I said.

[McCaber]

Shasta, if it helps I was about to accuse you of rushing off by yourself when you came back with a good reason for your departure.

And now to business. Some people are beginning to take the initiative with first forays towards, how shall I put it, "execution" of one of us. As amusing as it would be to test our dearly departed host, I would counsel against it. So let me gather my thoughts and I will talk about my opinions soon.

[Boromir88]

Boro also looks promising in the sense meant above, even if I kind of disliked his happy jump to Fea's "dislike of blood" -thingy which he apparently dropped as soon as Inzy made a remark of the problematics with it... Well, early hours, early hours and not lot to say.~Nogrod
Sorry Noggers this makes absolutely no sense. What did I drop? Unless you would like to continue hearing me talk about my nausea of seeing other people's blood? I could go on more, but figured a simple statement would suffice and that would be the end...didn't think you would be interested in hearing more.

But I have figured it out (told you I was a great detective). Notice how our rooms here look exactly like our ones at home, not only the same stuff, but I mean everything is in the exact same spot. This can only mean the house we are currently occupying doesn't exist. The lady in the back dress, with no heart, is therefor Miss Zarves, who also does not exist.

Now how do we get out of a place that we see, but one that does not exist? We should be as disobedient to the rules as is possible. I say trash 'em, go rebel. I'm talking sitting on the floor with no socks, type of thing. None of this sit at the table, being gentlemanly and ladylike, having happy conversations bilge.

[Lalaith]

*returns with a crate and a smile*
Well, people, the good news is that despite our hostess being a)probably evil and b)now a dismembered corpse, she did keep an excellent cellar. I've found a great selection to keep us going - Sancerre, Mouton Rothschild, and some stronger stuff if you prefer...Nogs, you're a red wine man if I remember correctly - here you go....Pitchwife, what can I do you for? Anyone else? Boro, are you actually legal yet? It's so hard to keep track. I'm for a lively G&T, myself...
There, that's better.

Now, who's still not surfaced? Nerwen, Rikae and Nessa? Could be a perfectly innocent explanation I suppose.

As for the rest of you: I tend to be better and quicker at finding people to trust than people to suspect. From what I've seen so far, Nogrod and Inzil seem fairly wholesome. Pitchwife, McCaber...possibly ok too. Boro talks a lot... socks and movies, computer games and deja vu...Fea seems to be talking to herself rather than to the rest of us. Shasta seems rather fey and skittish, but that might mean nothing. Eonwe is being energetic, almost febrile, wanting to cut up bodies. Autume is the quietest of us so far but then she doesn't know many of us so well.
start this hideous killing with those who decide to stay silent or try to be especially careful
There's something in this, I think. And in this:
It's easy to show a considerate face saying "let's discuss this", but it is quite nasty to then fall silent without contributing anything to the discussion one calls for.

[autume98]

I'm definitely thinking that some choices are going to have to be made soon. I haven't really seen any evidence as to who the killer would be. There's been some good speculation and reasonings.

I did find this interesting though...


Now, who's still not surfaced? Nerwen, Rikae and Nessa? Could be a perfectly innocent explanation I suppose.

Autume is the quietest of us so far but then she doesn't know many of us so well.

No I don't know you all that well, and in return you don't know me all that well. I didn't even think about that until now...

There doesn't happen to be any rootbeer around here?

[Rikae]

Wait just a minute here, people. I, for one, refuse to cooperate with that woman's sick fantasy. We'll all have a pleasant night/all die, have a pleasant night? Lies, obviously. I'm not going to participate in "executing" people who, at this point, are only guilty of killing the person who cursed them! If we die, we die, but I'm not eager to become a murderer.
*helps herself to some rum*
We should be focusing our attention on getting out of here - if that's still even possible with the host dead (did any of you think of that? We play her little game, kill the cursed ones, and can never get out anyway?) If that door is, as it seems, the exit, we should be looking for ways to break it down. Perhaps the chainsaw you were just using to destroy a crime scene?
*refills her glass*
And why are you cutting up bodies, anyway? Didn't that tour tell you anything? There's the dead marshes, for one thing. Actually, I wouldn't mind being trapped in a place like this so much - since it seems to contain much of middle earth - but I have to get back to Mac & the kids.. At least they're safe....
*pours another drink*
...at least they're safe... So, who's up to trying the chainsaw on the door? If that doesn't work, then we ought to make plenty of coffee and spend the night in this room. Those who transform will be outnumbered - we can tie them up and be safe for the night. Um... perhaps they won't die without blood after all, or if they do, at least we're not directly responsible for killing them.
*pours the last of the rum*
So... whaddya say? Surely you're not....... not going to just.... go along with this? Although.....
although.... what was I saying?
....if I had to guess now.... I would say... I mean say....
Pitchwife looks nervous... and, um, whathisname... Steve? He's quick to accuse.... you know, my sixth sense is.... sixth sense is pretty good.... Shasta's too.... probably find the killers....suggest we tie them up.... put in cages.... see what happens.....
*looks at bottle*
Why is... nah, not gonna say that here.

[McCaber]

So without (much) further ado, my thoughts. Remember that this is only the first day we are here, so most of these are subject to change. And in no particular order:

I'll start with Rikae, since she just stopped by. Not too bad for her first speech of the day, so I'll give her a Neutral for now. Although, drunk already? Bad form.
Boro is looking decent here. Sound words, sensible advice, that sort of thing.
autume I don't know very well, and I haven't heard a lot from her yet. Undecided until further notice.
Fea: I don't know. Something about her throws me off. Maybe it's the attempted stab at leadership, maybe it's her black humour at the situation. It's probably nothing, but I'll take another look at her.
Lal: Not a lot of posts, but at least it's content. Some things don't please me much at all, but it's probably just a lack of other things to think.
Shasta started the day looking rather fishy to me, but he came back and not only explained himself, but had a pretty good idea. And since then
Inzil started the analysis almost by himself, and was one of the first to realize that blood must be shed here. I like it, but I can see where a lot of people wouldn't.
Pitchwife spake but little, and disappeared before I fully awoke. Ah well.
Nogrod has been consistent so far. I do like his insisting on actual hard statements, but it seemed a bit too early for me yet.
Eonwe hasn't said enough to do anything yet, and Nessa and Nerwen haven't even woken up yet.

At this rate, nothing will get done. But I suppose that's the risk we face here.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Fea seems to be talking to herself rather than to the rest of us.

I grin, eating a bowl of organic knock-off Fruit Loops instead of drinking, still a little leary after the champagne bash of Saturday night and the emotional and physical detox of Sunday.

"Don't mind me at all," I wink, "As usual, I've gone and found the smartest person in the room and concentrated all of my attention on them. Once all y'all start talking about something worth addressing, be sure I'll join in the party."

I sit back, digging into my cereal with verve, wondering if I can find any Lapsang Souchong in this place.

"The first day is a crap shoot," I add, a little sketched out by the experiment that was rice milk, "so I suggest we kill off somebody who isn't here. It's no fun at all to lose your life to a person that doesn't participate. Nessa or Nerwen are solid options."

Fea: I don't know. Something about her throws me off. Maybe it's the attempted stab at leadership, maybe it's her black humour at the situation. It's probably nothing, but I'll take another look at her.

On this note: my sole purpose in werewolf games is to entertain my mod or moddess. If she's giggling in her chair reading about my attempts at a happy working song (brownie points if people can figure out the references in my posts, by the way), I've done my job.

[Eönwë]

But it seems the yesterDay has been changed...

No, it was always like that. You must have just misheard...

It's all in your mind...



Now, where was I?

[Boromir88]

Boro, are you actually legal yet? It's so hard to keep track. I'm for a lively G&T, myself...~Lalaith
Affirmative, though for now I think I will just have my coffee fix...mmm what types of roast do we have in this joint?

Boro is looking decent here. Sound words, sensible advice, that sort of thing.~McCaber
Weird, I've been trying to sound as non-sensical a possible, although right now can't really explain why, perhaps I can do it tomorrow. McCaber's list there looks sneaky, well ok...it's really only about me. I guess it's really hard for me to not be so sensible, despite intentional attempts to not be. :p

On this note: my sole purpose in werewolf games is to entertain my mod or moddess.~Fea
Agreed. And even if your purpose be not to entertain the other guests, I assure you, you do. Though I must ask, is it not possible to do both? That is entertain and find those who had cursed-steak?

[Inziladun]

*Walks back downstairs in search of a refreshing beverage*

Lalaith, I'm not a wine drinker. I don't suppose you, or anyone, has seen a few pints of Boddington's or bottles of Grolsch lying about?

I came back in time to hear this statement. Inzil, I find this rather... strange. I rather clearly stated that I went upstairs to see if I could find any evidence on bedroom doors - scratches, hairs, and the like - that would point to the wolves having had to get out of their rooms to attack our hostess, so either you misheard, or you're deliberately twisting what I said.

I wasn't necessarily accusing you of anything. It appeared you had said you were hoping to surprise them in the act of transforming, and I failed to see the logic there.

But I have figured it out (told you I was a great detective). Notice how our rooms here look exactly like our ones at home, not only the same stuff, but I mean everything is in the exact same spot. This can only mean the house we are currently occupying doesn't exist. The lady in the back dress, with no heart, is therefor Miss Zarves, who also does not exist.
Now how do we get out of a place that we see, but one that does not exist? We should be as disobedient to the rules as is possible.

If it doesn't exist, we should be able to get out of here, shouldn't we? Is it all in our minds?

Wait just a minute here, people. I, for one, refuse to cooperate with that woman's sick fantasy. We'll all have a pleasant night/all die, have a pleasant night? Lies, obviously. I'm not going to participate in "executing" people who, at this point, are only guilty of killing the person who cursed them! If we die, we die, but I'm not eager to become a murderer.

Hmm. While I agree that the wolves were seemingly justified in taking revenge on the one who afflicted them, if a blood lust has indeed taken them, sitting quiet would seem very dangerous to the rest of us.

We should be focusing our attention on getting out of here - if that's still even possible with the host dead (did any of you think of that? We play her little game, kill the cursed ones, and can never get out anyway?) If that door is, as it seems, the exit, we should be looking for ways to break it down. Perhaps the chainsaw you were just using to destroy a crime scene?

Well, who had the chain saw?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Agreed. And even if your purpose be not to entertain the other guests, I assure you, you do. Though I must ask, is it not possible to do both? That is entertain and find those who had cursed-steak?

"Why thank you, sir," I say, somehow managing to convey - while seated eating half a peanut butter sandwich - the illusion of a deep curtsy.

I ponder Boromir88's thoughts. The trouble, I realize, is that I'm not a team player and never have been. I sit off to the side and watch, and once I think I know something, I point. There, there, there, and there, I'll point. They've been inconsistent, or they've admitted, or they've been sneakin'.

I rarely make a spectacle of my critical thought, because I find that people change their actions based on their understanding of perceptions.

So I make a target of myself, and I watch.

I always watch.

"I can try to help more," I say finally, hesitant, "but it will put me at a distinct disadvantage, since I really don't know how to be helpful to anybody but myself, because I don't know what others need to see in order to make judgment calls, whereas I know perfectly well what my best methods of learning are."

[Eönwë]

Eonwe is being energetic, almost febrile, wanting to cut up bodies.

Bodies? Pitchwife wanted to get red of it, and who can blame him? It's hard to concentrate with that... thing... there. I was just to help...:rolleyes:

But why would she do this? Maybe it's just a replica or a clone, as I'm sure she wouldn't let herself be killed. after all, I'm sure OF this game, but not IN it. And does she have wings? ;)


Also, McCaber seems a bit suspicious to me. It seems like he's trying to tick in all the boxes- A few mild suspicions thrown around and then a list. He's not really getting involved in this. He seems a bit too calculating and detached for my liking.


edit: x-ed with Inzil and Fea

[Nerwen]

I return from my room, where I have been making a futile attempt to fix my camera.

"I just don't understand it, " I say, more to myself than anyone else. "There appears to be no physical reason whatever for it not to work. And what a time for it to die on me! I mean, someone has to document this– wait, what have you done?" I exclaim as I see, or rather fail to see, the body. "You idiots! Don't you know you're not supposed to tamper with the evidence in a murder case? Who did this?"

[Eönwë]

"You idiots! Don't you know you're not supposed to tamper with the evidence in a murder case? Who did this?"
The fact is, it doesn't really matter. It's probable that none of us are going to escape before this finishes, and by then we'll either know who "killed" her or be dead ourselves in which case knowing won't help us any more, and there will be no-one to alert the police. None of us have any forensics stuff and none of us can contact the outside world, so it's useless to just leave the body there to rot.

Sorry for that, but it just had to be said...

[Boromir88]

"I can try to help more," I say finally, hesitant, "but it will put me at a distinct disadvantage, since I really don't know how to be helpful to anybody but myself, because I don't know what others need to see in order to make judgment calls, whereas I know perfectly well what my best methods of learning are."
I look, and I think...Fea offering to be more helpful. Hmm, she's already seemed more helpful than most, very dutiful in that clean up job. Could be guilt? Do werewolves feel guilt? Probably not, but doesn't mean they won't attempt to fake it. On the other hand, seeing as these are freshly transformed wolves than Fea would have had to of put on a top act.

"Don't feel obligated because I asked and don't think you already haven't been helpful. Watching and listening are good qualities. You know, I imagine you are quite competent at many things. As one of my professors once told me to pull me back to reality, after a brief moment amongst the clouds. 'Boro, the most successful people aren't simply great at what they love. They are great at doing what's asked of them. When you have to mop, be a good mopper."

"Now, as I am one to broadcast my thoughts and emotions for the entire house to hear. I feel quite good about Eonwe, he's been jumping right into it and forcing the action.
'Inzil's been chatty, but to be honest I don't remember anything except the early comments about werewolves perhaps faking they don't like blood. Interesting theory, but I took it as early jesting, for there can be no way to know whether the wolves would be openly blood loving, or fake not enjoying their gory scene. IF he was actually serious, than I am suspicious, and also of Nogrod's follow-up about Inzil's comments.
'I've had my coffee, now I think I will go read, hopefully I remembered my important books I need to get through within the next month. But anytime I go away on a trip I have a tendancy to forget, completely unintentionally of course, books to read and keep the day moving."

*Before leaving I get Fea's attention and point at Inzil hoping she picks it up.*

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

*Before leaving I get Fea's attention and point at Inzil hoping she picks it up.*

"Yessir. I'm on it."

[Pitchwife]

*still yawning and bleary-eyed*
Hi everybody, glad to see you're with us. Nerwen, the idiots were Fea and my humble self. Probably not the most well-considered thing to do, but I was sort of on autopilot this morning - acting on gut-impulses, as Fea put it, not really thinking everything through. Boro's early suspicion of me because of my zeal in cleaning up wasn't quite unearned, though a little bit sudden.
I haven't really digested the conversation of the last couple of hours yet (having nodded through most of it), and I'm reluctant to draw any conclusions from people's behaviour in the first hours of the morning, when the shock and confusion were still fresh. Here's some of what I remember, though:
Fea - one of the first to speak up; practical, but a little bit self-absorbed;
Inzil - cool and determined to search and destroy the werewolves;
autume - quiet, shocked, but eager to help;
Shasta - disappeared quickly, for what may be a good reason;
Eönwe - calm and collected, told us not to turn on each other, then suspected Shasta;
Boro - struck me as somewhat erratic, don't really know what to make of him (looks like this is mutual), but not what I would call suspicious at this stage;
Lalaith - reasonable, trying to get some sense into the rest of us;
Nogrod - the voice of reason, trying to organize us into following some meditated course of action;
McCaber - offers some contributions to discussion, not enough to help me form an image of him;
Rikae - refuses to cooperate with that woman's sick fantasy, advocates rebelling against the rules, suggests applying the chainsaw to the door (which chainsaw, by the way? there wasn't one lying around this morning, was there?);
Nerwen - late to show up, nothing substantial yet.
Nessa - no input yet.
Don't really know what to make of all this.

By the way, Fea -
On this note: my sole purpose in werewolf games is to entertain my mod or moddess.
I wish I knew what you're talking about! Sounds as if you had experience in matters like this...?;)

EDIT: x-ed since Eönwe's #59

[Inziladun]

Inzil's been chatty, but to be honest I don't remember anything except the early comments about werewolves perhaps faking they don't like blood. Interesting theory, but I took it as early jesting, for there can be no way to know whether the wolves would be openly blood loving, or fake not enjoying their gory scene.

If you'll recall, my friend, that was no theory of mine. Eönwë had brought it up, and I was responding to him.


*Before leaving I get Fea's attention and point at Inzil hoping she picks it up.*

Yes, yes. :rolleyes:

[Pitchwife]

*musing over his beer*
About the bloodlust/blood-phobia theory - I wonder what the transformation did to the wolves' former personalities. Are they still capable of rational thought while in human form? Do they abhor their new state, but feel compelled to go with it - or (horrid thought) maybe even relish it? If it were me, I imagine I'd be scared witless by realizing what I had become and done - but then, we just don't know.
I know, I know - the question is somewhat academic and doesn't really contribute to solving our problem.
As for rationality, better assume they're at least able to fake it.

[Pitchwife]

And just for the record, I didn't cut the body up this morning - I merely pondered we might have to. If I'd actually started using a conveniently found chainsaw on the corpse, I would have *said so*. Which means it's still there (the corpse, not the imaginary chainsaw).

Now, Fea, would you mind explaining what this thing between Boro and you about Inzil was supposed to mean? Or you, Inzil, since you seem to know?
I'd also like to hear some more from Eönwe. Not to mention Shasta, Nerwen and whoever is around. And what in blazes happened to Nessa? Has anybody seen her yet? Should we go look for her?

[autume98]

I sit back with my rootbeer in my hand. I feel as though I've stepped into another realm. My mind is reeling with everything that is going on. The body and mess have been taken care of. Yet I can't help thinking that one of us probably killed her.

I'm taken back to all the mysteries I've read. I can recall some plots that follow this, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. If what she said is real then one of us is a werewolf. But who?

I look around the room and take in each person. They all look human enough. I try pulling all the knowledge from my Encyclopedia Brown days hoping someone will give something that says they are the werewolf.

I don't want anyone to start throwing accusations without any hard evidence. At the same time I don't want to think of the consequences if we don't.

As I mull this all over in my mind, I think aboit the points people have made about others. Do they have merit? Is someone trying to send us on the wrong trail?

I don't come up with any answers. At this point the werewolf could be any one of us. Do we kill someone and hope it's the werewolf?

[Nessa Telrunya]

I walk into the parlor where everyone is at the moment, and take a seat.

"Well, I heard about the hostess dying, and I've spent awhile thinking, which is why I was absent. I was in no hurry to speak and get myself into more suspicion than necessary. I understand how my being upstairs could point fingers at me, but I think this entire thing is just to mess with our minds.

What's going to happen if we can't bust out? We need some sort of method to find out who the lycanthrops are. There would be nothing more regrettable than if we killed an innocent.

Those of us who are infected will try to avoid all suspicion, so this whole thing will be about what everyone wants the others to think."

I stop to rub my nose.

"Do there happen to be any non-alchoholic beverages? Giving a speech is quite tedious."

[Eönwë]

If what she said is real then one of us is a werewolf. But who?

One? I wish it was only one. There's three of them.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Now, Fea, would you mind explaining what this thing between Boro and you about Inzil was supposed to mean? Or you, Inzil, since you seem to know?

I shan't explain, since I myself said that giving too much away alters people's behavior. Surely someone here besides me has a background in social and/or abnormal psychology?

Of course I've no problem if Zil talks. He seems to have no problem with me watching him. Come now, dear: speak up. You seem to understand the little frisson that just passed between B and myself. Have at it.

If you dare?

[Pitchwife]

I don't want anyone to start throwing accusations without any hard evidence.
Same here.
At the same time I don't want to think of the consequences if we don't.
But we should. (Think, I mean)

I think aboit the points people have made about others. Do they have merit?
Some may. Problem is, we don't know which ones.
Is someone trying to send us on the wrong trail?
You bet!
Do we kill someone and hope it's the werewolf?
That's what we'll probably end up doing, if we play by the rules. Only there's not one werewolf, but three of 'em, and they're probably working together.

Nessa, good to see you at last! But do get rid of that little green ball dangling at your feet, will you? It doesn't fit the colour of your shoes!;)

EDIT: x-ed with Eonwe's and the following.

[Eönwë]

I shan't explain, since I myself said that giving too much away alters people's behavior. Surely someone here besides me has a background in social and/or abnormal psychology?

I don't, but I think I might understand. Is it one word in particular, or am I looking at the wrong thing?

[Pitchwife]

Fea, Inzil - at the moment the three of you (including Boro)make me wonder whom to distrust more.
You do like watching people, don't you, Fea? Provoke, sit back and see what happens. Very subtle. Same thing this morning, in retrospect.
This is getting very interesting.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I don't, but I think I might understand. Is it one word in particular, or am I looking at the wrong thing?

I think you're trying too hard. I'm not leaving hints, I'm just paying attention.

[Boromir88]

Fea, Inzil - at the moment the three of you (including Boro)make me wonder whom to distrust more.
You do like watching people, don't you, Fea? Provoke, sit back and see what happens. Very subtle. Same thing this morning, in retrospect.
This is getting very interesting.
My gesture was intended to get others to watch Inzil, and I picked out Fea, because she was right There. ;)

I'm confused as to why many seem to be assuming this hasn't been an active day. In a place with only 13 living residents, there's been quite a bit of chatter. It may look pretty useless, but sincerely it is not. Everyone's come forward and three have evil agendas, therefor my suggestion, was to observe Inzil, who so far has been the most vocal.

Some, like myself, have an irrational compulsion to say whatever's on their mind. At times I think it's very useful to be blunt, others...I'm assuming the lady Fea is telling the truth, like to keep things to themselves. Neither is superior, that's just the way we operate. Discretion is not necessarily a werewolf quality, sometimes I wish I had it. I could care less if my mouth gets me in trouble, but sometimes my mouth has caused others harm, others who I wish no harm to. Revealing too much is dangerous, whether werewolf or innocent.

If you'll recall, my friend, that was no theory of mine. Eönwë had brought it up, and I was responding to him.~Inzil
True. Still I think my point stands that is really the only thing I can remember about you from the top of my head and with your chatter today, I didn't think it was a good thing.

[Inziladun]

Still I think my point stands that is really the only thing I can remember about you from the top of my head and with your chatter today, I didn't think it was a good thing.

Well, what more do you want? There doesn't seem to be a great deal to work with just yet. Would it be more comfort to you if I remained silent?

[McCaber]

It would not. Evening is quickly drawing upon us, and soon we must make a decision.

[Nogrod]

The bottle of quite nice South-Gondorian red wine was empty. That was the sad truth of it. Nogrod looked around to catch Lalaith just to ask where she picked the wine from but couldn't see her anywhere at the moment. Well, thanks anyway, it was good indeed, just full-bodied and rich flavour but nice to be enjoyed on it's own... Hmm... I need to find another one of these later...

But he had been listening to the slow conversation as well and unlike the wine, the discussion didn't make him happy at all.

"I do dislike the way Fea tries to make herself somehow a priviledged outsider. We're all in a same boat now, everyone - including you Rikae... The number of actual suspcions - even slight ones - has been markedly small. I'd even suggest we lynch the next one who says: we need some discussion, let's be careful not to kill innocents and I don't like killing btw... :mad:

I mean yes, that's true all of it. Yes it is. But just playing a parrot restating it time and time again doesn't help us a bit in this mess we are in - unless we start making actual suspicions, looking at how those suspected react, who follows who, who disagrees who etc.

I know it's hard to suspect anyone - yes, this is an odd situation, a terrifying one to be honest - but I'm convinced like I said earlier that this is a true nightmare and we need to fight back, whatever it means. But if everyone just nods back to banalities we'll soon find us tossing a coin while we could have had strong opinions, suspicions, defences, counter-attacks, arguments... and who knows what we could have learned from them? More suspicions, even some with grounds to them... but also a possibility for trusting.

You know how a good detective works? He puts tough questions to catch the criminal and forcing him to paint himself into the corner - but also to see to see whether the suspcion was wrong and that he could trust thesuspect a bit more. That's what we need to do."

Nogrod had stood up from the great armchair he had been sitting and now slowly sat down again picking his pipe from his pockets.

"If you don't share some suspicions I'll do it then... Someone has to do it anyway to kick-start this thing. We have only two hours left before the Night comes."


EDIT: X'd with the three last

[McCaber]

Evening, Nogrod.
"If you don't share some suspicions I'll do it then... Someone has to do it anyway to kick-start this thing. We have only two hours left before the Night comes."
By all means, go right ahead. No one else appears to be interested.

[Boromir88]

Well, what more do you want? There doesn't seem to be a great deal to work with just yet. Would it be more comfort to you if I remained silent?

There may not be a 'great' deal, but that means there is 'some' deal right? Surely you have some suspicious feelings, even if they simply be gut feelings about someone's strangeness, instead of playing the unbiased commentator role you've been up to.

If you would like a helpful kick start to what I'm waiting to see from you Inzil...what do you think about McCaber? Werewolf? A yes or no based on first appearance reactions will suffice.

Edit: crossed with everyone since Inzil.

[Boromir88]

I mean yes, that's true all of it. Yes it is. But just playing a parrot restating it time and time again doesn't help us a bit in this mess we are in - unless we start making actual suspicions, looking at how those suspected react, who follows who, who disagrees who etc. ~Nogrod
'Want a cracker?' :p

Well I guess if you were to count what your passing statements about Fea and Rikae then that would mean you aren't being one of the parrots. But those weren't actual suspicions were they? Because you ended with sharing your suspicions if no one else would.

[Nogrod]

By all means, go right ahead. No one else appears to be interested."I will, but that doesn't mean you others shouldn't do the same... Like Mr. Boro here has been suggesting to Inzil.

What do you think yourself Boro? Or you McCaber?"

[Inziladun]

Surely you have some suspicious feelings, even if they simply be gut feelings about someone's strangeness, instead of playing the unbiased commentator role you've been up to..

I have noted something I found odd, and got a response from the other party.

If you would like a helpful kick start to what I'm waiting to see from you Inzil...what do you think about McCaber? Werewolf? A yes or no based on first appearance reactions will suffice.

As to whether or not he is definitely a wolf, I have no idea. He has been guilty of popping in and out of things with few words other than 'something must be done', and I do find that a bit unnerving.
Other than that, the only one who has really jumped out at me thus far is Shasta. He seemed a bit defensive when I made a remark that I found his behaviour odd, and gave a explanation for it that didn't agree with what I remembered of his original statement.
Fea seems a tad too eager to please, and I have a tendancy to be suspicious of such people as a rule.
Nogrod is back into things now, and it will be interesting to hear his thoughts.

[Nogrod]

'Want a cracker?' :p

Well I guess if you were to count what your passing statements about Fea and Rikae then that would mean you aren't being one of the parrots. But those weren't actual suspicions were they? Because you ended with sharing your suspicions if no one else would.Nogrod turned to Boro: "Sorry, I didn't quite catch the meaning of the last sentence...

What comes to the things you said before it... If you go back the memory lane toDay you see I have made quite a few suspicions already, probably more than any of you others... so I'm pretty confident I can say I have not only being parrotting the general anguish toDay... Yes, most definitively not. Disagree it if you will and can. What comes to Fea and Rikae there, well I have suspected Fea already earlier and do so still. With Rikae it's harder to say. I need to think about it.

But as I said I'll be back with some thoughts in a short while as I just gather them. And meanwhile I challenge you all to do the same - or giving us even one or two opinions!"

[Boromir88]

What do you think yourself Boro? Or you McCaber?"
I think I've been quite able to share my suspicions, and I have not done an unbearable amount of talking yet...I'm sure someone out there wrote down what I've said, therefor I do not feel guilty telling you to 'find it yourself' :)

This might help though, as I really can't stay until the end of this deadline to decide that's been imposed upon us...

++Inziladun

At least no random early votes, eh? I will retire now. Peace.

Edit: crossed with Nogrod and Inziladun

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

"I do dislike the way Fea tries to make herself somehow a priviledged outsider.

"Darling," I smile with the flirtatiousness I reserve for special occasions such as this, "I am privileged because of my awesomeness. If you want me to change my ways, I dare you: try to make me."

I vote

++Nessa

because when I have nothing better to go on, I revert to the ones who leave me no trail to follow later.

I now shall necessarily hold my tongue until Dusk.

[Nessa Telrunya]

I look around at the other residents of the parlor before speaking.

"I think Fea was very quick to start cleaning up the body earlier today, and she seemed quite sure of everything she said."


++Fea

[McCaber]

As for me, I'm inclined to think that Boro is innocent, simply based on thoughts and conduct.

I as well dislike Fea, because I don't have a lot of patience for saying "I'm only watching the proceedings" while denying one's own involvement. And with Nessa, Nerwen, and Rikae only giving us one statement each, perhaps they carry that same feeling. Although Fea's choice of a vote is interesting.

Shasta and Inzil I'm not sold on, but I can see them either way.

EDIT: crossed with Nessa

[Inziladun]

This might help though, as I really can't stay until the end of this deadline to decide that's been imposed upon us...

++Inziladun

I give evidence I have not acted in the way you accuse me of, prove I did not say something you attributed to me, and you still are gunning for me.
There's no pleasing some people. :rolleyes:

[Nessa Telrunya]

"I can't see either McCaber of Nogrod in a suspicious light. For one, Nogrod has conducted himself in a very open manner. And McCaber may have been a little quick to want a vote, but he hasn't been unclear in his actions and words. I would be more inclined to suspect someone who nudges others in a certain direction and then enjoys those benefits. But that's just my thoughts on the matter."

[McCaber]

Nessa's vote strikes me as a fast revenge action rather than a thought out advance. Perhaps Fea's in her top 5 or so and she suddenly separated herself from the rest of the suspects.

Now if Boro's vote crossed with Inzil's post there, then he must not have been affected by the content of that last post. Which is strange, because he was one of the ones who asked for it.

EDIT: crossed with Nessa yet again. Way to provide content.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I'm unexpectedly still listening for all that I intended to - er - nap...

And all I can say, really, is retaliatory votes amuse me. Don't vote Nessa. No wolf would do something as silly as that.

Zil, though... I shan't say anything against it if you want to vote for him.

By the by... retractions? I don't remember... If so, I need to get on that...

[McCaber]

No retractions here. Double lynches, though, are quite legal, although I would advise against that right now.

[Nessa Telrunya]

Nessa's vote strikes me as a fast revenge action rather than a thought out advance.



It's true that such an action would seem so, to many others as well. However, does it not occur that one would have thought of everyone's reactions before posting? One would have considered how those words would be recieved.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Well, Nessa's at least gone and done a pretty solid job of cementing my thoughts about her, I'll say that much.

[Nogrod]

"I went down to the cellars and something prevented me from coming back here. I tried to yell and shout but there was no voice in my call… Weird indeed.

But here I am at last. And here’s what I promised.

Fea – A bit too eager to make a show underlining her innocense and then turning into a priviledged outsider trying to make deals with certain others. Creepy.

Rikae – Very much unimpressive, “underwhelming” performance, as her husband sometimes said. Looking for an easy way out from this mess then? Surely we wouldn’t think of her if she just took a posture like that and drank herself off… Quite suspicious.

Shasta – Still seems to be more into explaining what he does when he runs in and out and not making any stance anywhere – and defending his running around with his running around. Suspicious.

McCaber – Basically says we need to do something… like just a moment ago. But to his credit he actually made a list giving us his thoughts on many of us. Suspicious, but with the list earned my confidence of not suggesting to vote for him toDay.

Pitch, Eönwë, Inzil – Talking and that’s good. Those who talk can be listened to for good or bad. Pitch and Inzil have also provided us with some preliminary thoughts of others – which is good. Maybe not toDay but later at least. Even if I suspect each and everyone of you I’d not like to vote anyone of these three toDay.

Autume – Very little to go for. Says interesting things has been said but does not elaborate which ones she thought especially interesting or why. Why? Especially her speech #66 was just ingenious in not saying anything while still talking quite a lot. I don’t like that but could understand it coming from someone not used to be in dire straits before.

Nerwen – Has been really reserved and basicaly said nothing – even if she had used her Day thus far trying to fix her camera. One would have thought she would have smething to say thus far…

Lalaith – She surely is passing under any radars right now. I have always liked her company in the ‘Downs and here in the Real I must say, for a reason – and that wine! But at the same time these lulling thoughts make me wonder if there could be a more sinister background to her gracious behaviour…

Nessa – Very bad indeed. Opening her mouth only once, saying nothing – but defending herself even if no one had actually suspected her. Very suspicious.

Boro – Well, what could I say? He sure is all around like I could have presumed. And he talks as one would wish – even if he didn’t answer my call for making his overall ideas known but only stood on a relatively small square trying more to make others involve than to involve himself. He looks like those who either is your best friend in trouble or the one who stabs you in the back during the Night.

So there. Basically anyone of you can be suspected - and I basically do just that.


Oh an sorry, as I was not able to make my voice heard I neither couldn’t hear anything as something just blocked my ability to communicate with you for a while.

Now there is the "Merchant of Venice" in my PC for some reason I see not why and I'll fall into to it. I'll check in later to vote though."

[Lalaith]

It's funny, isn't it, how speech and actions appear suspicious to some and innocent to others.
I'm feeling unsettled by this cosiness already set up between Fea and Boro...and the way McCaber has try to come between them, trusting one and not the other.
I did enjoy Rikae's characteristically feisty entrance. Welcome, my dear - I hope your loved ones get you home again, in your right mind.

Well, early days. Close to deadline, and I'm really not sure how to vote. It sticks in the craw to vote for a newbie...seems so inhospitable and against Downer tradition.
Nogs - there's plenty more red in the crate. Stick some Sancerre in the fridge for me will you...if there's room....ew.....

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I'm feeling unsettled by this cosiness already set up between Fea and Boro...

Nah, no coziness. Anybody who knows me knows that I'm only friendly so much as it suits my purposes. He hasn't struck me as evil yet, so I don't mind listening to his comments and requests. On my side, the exchange went something like

Boro: "Hey Fea, look at Zil!"

And then I jotted down something along the lines of: "B88 draws my attention to Zil. Review their interactions later."

'I'm on it' in my case rarely means 'I totally agree' but is typically more aligned with 'I'm listening, go ahead.'

[Eönwë]

I'm going with my hunch and voting

++McCaber

He seems a little bit better than before, but something still doesn't sit right with me.

[Inziladun]

Boro was either not paying attention, or was deliberately ignoring what I said, for his own reasons.
Of the two, I find the first option so unlikely I am forced to accept the second.
I am loathe to vote for him at this point, though. I hope he's simply in need of sleep and not going to murder me in mine.
And Nessa? That had the look of a knee-jerk punch back at Fea, which I could understand. Nessa denied that was her motive, though. It's odd that she didn't voice any particular suspicion of Fea before the latter's vote for her.
Nogrod has made a list with observations that appear perfectly valid. Seems a calm voice of reason, at least for now.
I think I'm leaning toward Shasta at the moment, or maybe McCaber.
Now Eönwë's gone for McCaber.
Hmm.

[Lalaith]

I agree that autume and Nessa have not said much of use, but I would not feel right about lynching them now.
Nerwen's late entrance and not terribly helpful contributions make me inclined to suspect her, or at least certainly not feel too bad about voting for her.

Of the unsettling trio I mentioned earlier, the one that currently bothers me most is actually McCaber. Maybe my imagination's going into overdrive but there seem to be shades of Iago about him, bluff and straight-talking on the surface but something going on underneath.
The skittish Shasta and energetic Eonwe are also somewhat troubling.

[McCaber]

Vote Count:
Inzil: 1
Nessa: 1
Fea: 1
McCaber: 1

9 votes left.

[autume98]

No one has really jumped out at me.

But I have to vote and want to make sure it gets in on time. So I'm going to go with my gut feeling. Not sure why I feel this way. I just went through some earlier posts and I got a feeling.

++Eowne

[McCaber]

Well, I might as well vote if no one else is.

++ Feanor of the Peredhil

EDIT: crossed with autume

[Nogrod]

Well then...

Nessa was pretty cool there and earns to live I'd say, just for that boldness were she one of them baddies.

I'd say Shasta has been one of the least helpful and the most avoiding, like Rikae and Nerwen, but he has talked many times systematically saying nothing whereas the two ladies have opened their mouths only once.

[Inziladun]

++ McCaber

Because he's been so unobtrusive and is now backing up Nessa's strange vote, for unknown reasons. A railroad begun by one wolf and continued by their fellow?

[Lalaith]

Ok, I'm going to spread the votes rather than join a bandwaggon.
I'm torn between Nerwen and Shasta, but Nogrod's last post has persuaded me.
++Shasta.

[McCaber]

So I hate to do this this early in the game, but I have no choice.

I am the Seer. For my first Night of strange dreams, I saw Fea engaged in brutal murder and lycanthropy.

I need one more vote for Fea and a ranger protection.

[Pitchwife]

The triangle Boro/Fea/Inzil needs more time to think on. So for the moment I'm hesitating between Shasta and McCaber. Hard choice, but I think it's
++Shasta
because McCaber has two votes already and I don't like bandwagoning.

EDIT: x-ed with Lalaith ff.

[Nogrod]

This will be interesting to read toMorrow indeed!

But alas! No three-way tie I'd say... Anyone out there with thoughts?

EDIT: X'd with two

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Ha.

That's funny, McCaber.

I'm amused.

[Nogrod]

Woops!

++ Fea

Let's check this one for sure!

[McCaber]

Hey, the way I see it, you're going down either way. I need one person to trust me and give me one more dream.

Unless everyone who will vote has already, in which case, I'll take you down.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Hey now, stop that!

I'm not done yet! :Merisu:

[McCaber]

Thank you, Nogrod. Now we should know one more person, and have one wolf down.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[Inziladun]

McCaber, if you're telling the truth, I apologize for pushing you to this. But if you'd come up with some reason you were voting for Fea before, I likely wouldn't have voted for you.

[Mnemosyne]

The sun was setting.

No one was certain of whom to kill, nor whether to kill at all.

As the last rays of the sun grew longer and longer still, desperate, McCaber claimed that he had had a forbidding dream of Feanor of the Peredhil the previous night. At the last minute Nogrod cast the deciding vote for her.

"You want to kill me?" said Fea. "And I was trying to be so helpful!" Then she smiled, a manic, fey sort of smile that looked almost frightening on her fair features. "Very well, then: make it entertaining." And with that, she sprang up and bounded away from the room.

"After her!" cried Nessa.

The rest of the guests hurried after her, through a hallway that gave way to a wooded path. Ahead of them they could hear distant laughter.

As they ran, Lalaith noticed one shoe lying on the pathway, then another. Flung to the side a few paces ahead were two socks.

When Rikae found a pair of jeans caught in brambles on the side, the guests began to be very, very worried. Just then an eerie, earth-splitting howl floated to their ears from ahead, followed by a wheezing, gasping, sobbing laugh.

"There!" said McCaber. "I told you! Get her!"

The path became clearer ahead, divested garments aside, for claws had ripped through the underbrush. But when it abruptly ended at a cliff overlooking a steep river, all they saw was Fea, looking perfectly human, her bare body turned red by the dying rays of the scarlet sun. She turned her head to look at them, and for a brief moment Eönwë thought he could see the glimmer of a tear in her eye. Then her lips curled up, into a majestic leer.

"O happy to be dead," she whispered, and leapt off the cliff before anyone could stop her.

The guests searched far and wide. Yet the paths they took did not lead to Fea's body, but rather to their rooms. Exhausted and numbed, they fell into slumber.

IT IS NOW NIGHT TWO.

The Living:
Nessa Telrunya
Inziladun
Shastanis Athreduin
Pitchwife
McCaber
Nogrod
autume98
Boromir88
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Eönwë

The Dead:
Feanor of the Peredhil (werewolf)

[Mnemosyne]

Boromir88 woke up with a start. Looking around him, he switched on his light and sighed with relief. Then he remembered where he was.

Without a warning, the room melted away around him and he was in a forest facing a wolf's snarl. Out of his periphery he saw another wolf. Turning his head, he had only a moment to see the bow drawn at him before a black arrow pierced his side.

"Oh, of all the screennames I could have chosen," he muttered, before the next arrow hit. He fell to the ground.

* * *

When Boromir woke up, the first thing that he noticed was that he was in pain. The second thing he noticed was that he was alive. The third thing was that he could not move.

Sunlight broke over his face. An eternity seemed to pass before he heard shouts from nearby, calling his name.

Then a face--Nessa's face--bent over him. "He's dead," she said.

And they did check to make sure--they clasped his wrist, listened to his heart. Someone even found a shield to hold to his lips to check for mist.

But at last they all, sorrowing, made the inevitable (to everyone's mind but Boro's) conclusion. "Well," said Nerwen, we do seem to have a boat and a river nearby..."

They pulled the arrows from him and combed his hair and laid him in the boat. They shut his eyes, too, and he could not open them.

"Does anyone remember the song they sang?" he heard someone say.

"I could find my copy, if you'd like..."

"No. It's too depressing."

He felt the boat being pushed into the water. "No!" he tried to say, but his lips would not move. The current pushed him along, until it settled and he simply drifted. He wondered faintly if maybe the wolves had not been able to find Parth Galen itself but some other river that opened out into a lake. Then he heard the roar of water, and a tugging at his back. He was pulled, faster and faster to the brink, until he fell...

* * *

"Well," said Nogrod, "at least we were able to send him off in a fitting fashion."

IT IS NOW DAY TWO

The Living:
Nessa Telrunya
Inziladun
Shastanis Athreduin
Pitchwife
McCaber
Nogrod
autume98
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Eönwë

The Dead:
Feanor of the Peredhil (werewolf)
Boromir88

[Inziladun]

*sighs*
Well, Boro, it seems I was wrong about you.
This completely decimates my main theory. I was pretty well convinced Boro was most likely a wolf. His behaviour earlier on Day 1 had left me with some uneasiness about him, then, when Fea turned out to be a wolf, I recalled their interactions later in the Day and became even more sure.
At least we did get one of the wolves. That bodes well for us, I hope.
Perhaps McCaber will have had another fruitful night's sleep.
I feel the need for a drink, and even wine will do for the moment.

[Nessa Telrunya]

Well, the good thing about having gotten a wolf so early is that those who voted against her couldn't be wolves. If they were, surely they would not have voted to kill one of their own.

And I agree that a drink would be quite nice, however, is there anything that does not contain alchohol?

[Inziladun]

Well, the good thing about having gotten a wolf so early is that those who voted against her couldn't be wolves. If they were, surely they would not have voted to kill one of their own.

Well, I can conceive of scenarios when they might vote for a fellow who is caught with no hope of escape, just to deflect some suspicion from themselves. But I don't think that's a concern in this case.

And I agree that a drink would be quite nice, however, is there anything that does not contain alchohol?

I am sure there is. Perhaps a search of the kitchen will yield something.

[Nessa Telrunya]

I march into the kitchen, searching through cabinets instead of the fridge. My search yields a little box labeled "Green Tea". A cup of water goes into the microwave, then out steaming as a teabag is plopped in. I take a moment to sniff it, then speak.

"There are two wolves left. Surely they left some sort of clues when they spoke."

[Eönwë]

Hmm... so it seems that the wolves wanted to get rid of the loud ones...

No we must wait to see whatMcCaber has unearthed for us.

Best case scenario: McCaber found a wolf. I don't know if that special protector-person is aloud to save the same person two Nights in a row, but if so, then they can hopefully save him again. I wish our hostess was still alive to tell us...

Worst case scenario: McCaber found someone innocent. The protector person (Shall we call them "ranger" now, to give it a Middle-Earth theme?) can't save the same person twice in a row and so he gets killed and then the innocent gets killed the next day (unless the the ranger did a bluff, and only protects McCaber toNight, in which case, he gets another dream).

So... let's see what he's got fer us lousy scurvy dogs! (erm...;))

[Nessa Telrunya]

Well, if he finds an innocent, at least we can operate under the typical process of elimination. But I do hope McCaber doesn't get killed.

[Eönwë]

Well, if he finds an innocent, at least we can operate under the typical process of elimination.

Still, it's 2/9. But I suppose that's better than nothing.

[McCaber]

Morning, gents. By this time I hope everyone believes me. I know trading one wolf for the seer is a move the wolfpack would willingly take, but on this Day (almost certainly my last) I feel rather confident.

But my scryings last night did not reveal a wolf. As of right now that's all I'm prepared to say directly on the subject.

And I heavily doubt that my ranger friend can protect the same person twice in a row. If that were true, he (or I, in this case) would become nearly invincible. What I do hope is that he was smart enough to realize that my last comment was meant to bluff the wolves out of attacking me so the ranger could protect someone else and save me tonight. I guess we'll find out soon enough whether that's the truth.

[Inziladun]

Morning, gents. By this time I hope everyone believes me. I know trading one wolf for the seer is a move the wolfpack would willingly take, but on this Day (almost certainly my last) I feel rather confident.

Certainly you are deserving of complete trust. It's good to see you still with us!
I have faith that the Ranger was wise, and you'll have another opportunity for dreaming the next Night.
Ruminations on the previous Day's conversations are in order. With luck, something interesting might be brought to light.

[Nessa Telrunya]

I believe I am not alone when saying that some light shed on your dream is eagerly awaited. At this point, there's no reason not to trust you after you pointed out the last wolf.

[Nogrod]

Nogrod went to the fridge and was taking the Sancerre Pinot Noir he had stored there yesterDay when his hand suddenly wawered... No, this calls for something different...

He hesitated a moment. Finally he spotted the familiar deep green colour and the shape of a Tangueray Gin bottle. Without hesitation he took it out from the fridge and had a long draught from it, straight from the bottle. Closing his eyes he could feel the tingling liquid going through his body energising every inch of him. "There's no sorrow this thing couldn't make a bit more bearable..." he said mostly to himself before looking around.

"Uhh... sorry about this." He said a bit embarrased... "Survival kit, you know?" He tried to make an apologetical smile but failed lousily. "Some Gin and Tonic, Gin and Bitter Lemon, anyone? I could build you a shot..."

No one seemed too interested so he made himself a drink pouring some gin and a few drops of angostura into a glass with ice and a slice of lemon and then filled the glass with tonic. Then he withdrew from the fridge and sat down to the heavy armchair setting the glass aside. Then there was a heavy sigh...

"Okay, I should feel jubilated as I was right with Fea from the get-go... and those nightmarish creatures are one down. Sure, cheers for that..." Nogrod was yet again talking merely to himself but sure those close enough could hear him and his less enthusiastic tone of voice as he pondered about things with the glass in his hand. "I do miss Boro right now... like I said yesterDay, he could be your best friend in trouble or one who stabs you in the back... well, sadly his innocence has been proved in a most brutal way. Darn I miss him right now! I'd like to hear what he'd have to say... he was such a nice guy to chat around in the 'Downs - and to make all those fancy things like Arda Cup and such. And he's dead now! I mean dead..."

Nogrod went silent for a moment trying to concentrate in loading his pipe, which took some time indeed, but was finally done. After a few puffs and sips from his glass he felt ready to think out aloud once more.

"Okay mates... Now I think..."

He blew a long puff from his pipe and hesitated finally releasing a chain of smoke from his nostrils. "Now I think we must think about this."

He sat back again. "Sorry, I just had some more food for thought... and I need to refresh my memory. I'll be airing some thoughts just shortly, just a moment."

[Pitchwife]

Well, Boro, it seems I was wrong about you.
This completely decimates my main theory. I was pretty well convinced Boro was most likely a wolf.

Me too. I suppose your main theory may have had something to do with recent studies in abnormal psychology, especially Dr Eönwe's early observations on bloodlust and/or blood-phobia in werewolves, further developed by your esteemed self? Too bad we were wrong.
But since Boro has now been proven innocent by death, how do you explain his hurry to vote for you? Just curious;).

McCaber, glad you're still with us! I, too, hope you'll have at least one more night to dream. And I heartily second Nessa's plea for some light shed on your last dream, if it can be done without compromising anybody.

[Eönwë]

Of course, McCaber may be a wolf who gave up one of his fellows in order to appear helpful. Now he can just keep on claiming proven innocents. But as it's so early, this seems very unlikely to me, and I'm sure that if McCaber doesn't die toNight or the Night after then it wouldn't really pay off, as we would (or at least I would) start to see him as suspicious.

[Inziladun]

But since Boro has now been proven innocent by death, how do you explain his hurry to vote for you? Just curious;).

I can't say what his thoughts were, of course. But he asked things of me which I complied with, then he immediately voted and left the room before hearing my response. Why? I don't know.

[Nessa Telrunya]

Well, I highly doubt that one of the wolves would sacrifice one of there own, so McCaber seems stout now. I don't expect him to survive long after revealing his role, but if he does... That's either some crafty manuevering, or something else entirely.

[Nogrod]

"I do agree with Eönwë. We should trust McCaber now. If he somehow manages to live Day after Day we should start suspecting him - and surely at some stage - not now but later - the real seer might confirm our doubts... or at least force us to make a choice which should then be kind of a decisive one - a desperate wolf might try a fake-reveal I think if they got into that bad position... But let's go with McCaber for now and I for one will congratulate him for a well-made catch!"

Nogrod sipped the rest from his glass and eyed the people around.

"Okay, then you McCaber probably should give up your dream at one point of the Day - at least if that person starts to gain votes or suspicions dangerously enough. But maybe not just yet? It's up to you of course. But you shouldn't let that person be lynched toDay. That I think should be your prime motivation toDay. Otherwise you have dreamt in vain. And then we just hold our thumbs for the ranger doing the risky but intelligent thing last Night and giving you one more chance of catching a cursed one for us toMorrow.

Yeah, revealing a "known innocent" is like giving that person a death-verdict but it's better the lycantrophes need to kill that person that we accidentally do that ourselves. Your shot, as I said."

Nogrod walked to the fridge. "Hah I need another one... but I'll think of the yesterDay while I make myself one"

Just when he was getting to the Tangueray bottle he heard Nessa speaking Well, I highly doubt that one of the wolves would sacrifice one of there own"I think they could if that would win our confidence. But probably not in this way, this early. Trying to fake for seer on the first Day would seem like quite a doomed idea as we would have our real seer around to rival that claim later. Had the situation been a lot tighter - and later - I could have suspected McCaber more, but right now I feel pretty comfortable with his revealment."

[Pitchwife]

Nice thought, Eönwe, and thanks for voicing it. (No offence, McCaber - I'm sure you'll understand we need to consider every possibility! Of course, you would do yourself a great favour in terms of credibility if you told us what you did dream last night, and why you're so reluctant to talk about it.)
And just in case McCaber isn't the Seer, would you say this might be the right time for the (hypothetical) real Seer to counter-reveal, or would you counsel against it?

EDIT: x-ed w/ Nog

[McCaber]

Well, if there no protection toNight and I'm still alive, then that would be the time for the real seer to step forward. Granted, he already has, but if I was pulling an elaborate bluff that would be the time.

[Lalaith]

Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish, I must say.
That three-way-play that was bothering me yesterday is cleared up, at least...is there any significance btw, in the fact that Boro's status has not been divulged?

Also, do we think that McCaber should share his dream? A trusted innocent might be a useful thing to have around tomorrow....

[Nessa Telrunya]

Perhaps McCaber doesn't want to reveal what he sees until it is required. I can see that being feasible, but I would like to know.

[McCaber]

Aside from a bit of sleep to dream in, I spent the night contemplating the actions of yesterDay. I think we can narrow these odds quite a bit in our favor. Having to come into the open wasn't really all that bad a move, because after I mentioned Fea a second or third time I had to think the wolves would have killed me in the night, just to make sure. Now I have some breathing room and some ranger backup.

First of all, people I don't think are wolves:
Nessa voted for Fea, and vice versa. I have a hard time thinking that the wolves would have spent two of their votes against each other as the first votes of the day.
For Nogrod, it would have been too easy for him not to vote and let me die yesterDay along with Fea. I'd say he's clean.
I would have said Boro over here, precisely because of his link to Fea. Working together like that really strikes me as more of a wolf working with an innocent to gain trust, rather than a wolf combo attack.
Pitchwife and Lal both seem decent, simply based around the voting records. I can only assume that I looked like a seer to the wolves, and that getting rid of me then or at night would have been what they were looking for.

I also believe that there probably is a wolf among those people who didn't vote. No real reason, but simply a feeling.

[Eönwë]

And just in case McCaber isn't the Seer, would you say this might be the right time for the (hypothetical) real Seer to counter-reveal, or would you counsel against it?

I don't think so. If McCaber leads us astray then we know he's guilty, and if he doesn't get killed soon then we can assume he's guilty. If he isn't the real seer, unless he "reveals" the real seer as a wolf, or a wolf (who the real seer has dreamed of) as an innocent, then there is an opportunity for the seer to lay low and dream peacefully.

But this is just hypothetical. For now I think we should assume that McCaber is the real seer. If he is not dead within two Nights, then we should start getting suspicious (or it could be an elaborate plan by the wolves to make us lynch him if he was the real seer, though I don't think it would be worth it, as there would be a chance that he could reveal one of them, and later this would be proven by his death, whichever way. Wow this is a long bracket).

[Inziladun]

For now I think we should assume that McCaber is the real seer. If he is not dead within two Nights, then we should start getting suspicious (or it could be an elaborate plan by the wolves to make us lynch him if he was the real seer, though I don't think it would be worth it, as there would be a chance that he could reveal one of them, and later this would be proven by his death, whichever way.

I can see no logical reason a Wolfcaber would have given up his fellow on the first Day. If this is a ruse devised by the wolves, it's insanely risky for them.

[Eönwë]

If this is a ruse devised by the wolves, it's insanely risky for them.

Yes, yes, that's true. But it's always best to consider all possibilities.

[Pitchwife]

A few comments on McCaber's last.
For Nogrod, it would have been too easy for him not to vote and let me die yesterDay along with Fea.
And Shasta, not to forget. Nog voted last and broke the three-way tie - for which we owe him thanks; on the other hand, this was exactly what might be expected from a person of his reputation for common sense and wisdom (I'm tempted to say, regardless of his role).
I would have said Boro over here, precisely because of his link to Fea. Working together like that really strikes me as more of a wolf working with an innocent to gain trust, rather than a wolf combo attack.
The problem with this is, the interaction, as far as I can reconstruct, was initiated by the innocent (Boro) rather than the wolf.
I can only assume that I looked like a seer to the wolves
I wonder why. You certainly didn't look like one to me prior to your reveal, but that may just be my lack of previous experience with visionary persons. Heck, I almost voted for you instead of Shasta!
I also believe that there probably is a wolf among those people who didn't vote.
Not sure about that. I'm inclined to think Nerwen failed to vote for reasons that have nothing to do with our current predicament. As for Rikae, I don't know - after her last post, she may have been too drunk to vote.

(x-ed w/ Eonwe #140 ff.

[Nogrod]

Having made himself another Royal Navy drink Nogrod was ready to scan yesterDay's voting.

"Boro voted for Inzil.

I don't know what to say about it. It was the first vote of the Day and there was very little to back it but that Inzil had been "chatty" without saying much - or that after he defended himself saying there had been not a "great deal" to work with, Boro answerwed that it meant there was then "some deal"... Uh-oh Boro, you were not too helpful there I'm afraid - unless you were right with that blind shot. And we should consider that option to be sure. I mean I tended to trust Inzil on Day1 and I'm alive and Boro didn't and is now dead. Although, that could be a set-up to be sure...

Fea voted for Nessa
Nessa voted for Fea.

Fea's given reason was voting for those who leave no trails of them. Fine and dandy - if she had been an innocent. And then Nessa retaliates? Fine and dandy if Nessa is an innocent. But there are two if's... of which we know now that Fea was making a decision on the basis of solid knowledge about the roles. Of Nessa we know not.

Now it would be quite daring for a baddie to vote a mate on the first Day, but how I know Fea from the 'Downs and what chances there were Nessa would be bitten by us others for not taking too much part in the discusions (at the point Fea was voting - and how she miraculously came back - from her "nap" - to explain her vote...), I must agree she could have made a wolf-on-wolf vote.

What she said exactly was: retaliatory votes amuse me. Don't vote Nessa. No wolf would do something as silly as that.And Fea didn't know at that moment she would herself be in real trouble later... Hmm...

Nessa's bold answer (#93) yesterDay quite impressed me and I'd not call for lynching Nessa as our first option - but we shouldn't forget that possibility either. Looking at that exchange between the two looks hairy but is it only because Fea was a wolf or if they both are?

Eönwë voted for McCaber.

Now this seems a bit worrysome-one. He said he was going with his hunches even if McCaber looked to him "better than before" (whatever that might mean - I mean has he offended Eönwë at the 'Downs on some discussions earlier or something?). Well, earlier he had said McCaber had been too calculated and detached... Good, good... but looking at Eönwë's actions so far I could say almost the same about him - and it looks reasonably believable McCaber is our seer...

Autume voted for Eönwë.

Well that sure is the most enigmatic performance of yesterDay (and hats off for that!), but really what can one say? Her reason was just "guts after reading something". All the day yesterDay she talked about there being interesting things around, the merits and wrong trails... but she produced not a single example of what she was thinking of! Now if trained by Fea during the Night - just look how she made it yesterDay - it would be no surprise... Very careful not to voice any suspicion ie. very suspicious indeed!

McCaber voted for Fea making it 2 votes.

As a seer knowing who to vote for... and already in his list at #51 he singled out Fea as only one he didn't like (being careful of course not saying it bluntly). Looks believable to me.


Bah, I need a break... - where's the toilet guys? - back soon with the rest of the votes: all four of them..."

[Lalaith]

Heck, I almost voted for you instead of Shasta
This is the problem, seers can so often seem wolfish.
Anyway, all this talk of whether McCaber is for real or not seems like time-wasting to me; common sense decrees that he is exactly what he says he is.

I think we should be looking more closely at our known wolf, Fea - what she said, who she said it to, what she didn't say, what others said and didn't say about her, and so on.

[Eönwë]

it looks reasonably believable McCaber is our seer...
Can you explain what you mean by this please, Nogrod?

[Nogrod]

"Oh, by the way. Do not think I'm supporting the lynching of all of you I have mentioned thus far... I will try to find out suspicious features also from the last voters. And you all can't be wolves. Only two of you are.

But we need to make these suspicions to see what you others think and how you take them. Sorry I didn't mention it in the beginning. Now excuse me, my bowels are working after the morning smoke..."

[Nogrod]

Can you explain what you mean by this please, Nogrod?A moment, if you please... :)

[McCaber]

I wonder why. You certainly didn't look like one to me prior to your reveal, but that may just be my lack of previous experience with visionary persons. Heck, I almost voted for you instead of Shasta!
Because you didn't know that Fea was a wolf. I was going after her, and it must have made them wonder.

[Eönwë]

This is the problem, seers can so often seem wolfish.
Yes, I would presume so, though it sounds as if you've done this sort of thing before. Please tell us...:p

In fact, the reason I found him suspicious was because he was laying low, not doing anything bold and standing out, but also posting all the things that he needed to so that you couldn't think he was deliberately being quiet or hiding his views. At the time when I first commented, he was ticking all the boxes, but no more, no less, which is exactly the sort of behaviour that I would have expected from a wolf- hiding right in front of your face. However, he improved afterwards, and seemed more involved and into the this discussion, and I'm sorry that I helped to force him out of hiding.

[Eönwë]

And Lalaith you said this about me yesterDay (Yes, I heard you...):
The skittish Shasta and energetic Eonwe are also somewhat troubling.
What's wrong with being energetic?
I care about catching these killers, and if everyone's just standing around unenthusiastically (I don't understand why when their lives are at risk), then at least I want to inject some energy into this.

[Pitchwife]

If he isn't the real seer, unless he "reveals" the real seer as a wolf, or a wolf (who the real seer has dreamed of) as an innocent, then there is an opportunity for the seer to lay low and dream peacefully.
But how would we know whom of the two to trust? The same question applies to Nog's
Trying to fake for seer on the first Day would seem like quite a doomed idea as we would have our real seer around to rival that claim later.

Good morning, Lalaith, by the way, and I'm curious for your answer to Eönwe's question.

[Eönwë]

But how would we know whom of the two to trust?
We wouldn't. But if one is found to be the real seer, then we know the other to be a wolf. And that leaves us with only 1 wolf, and, if that happened at this stage there would be (with the real seer, toMorrow's "execution" and the 2 Night kills taken away from today's total) 1 wolf out of 7 people, which means we get 3 Days to get rid of the wolf.

[autume98]

I agree that McAbre is who he claims to be. I'm going to believe that he is the seer for now. I'll give my thoughts on others after I look at things more closely.

[Eönwë]

I have waited a while, but seems that everyone wishes to remain quiet, so now I'm going to think long and deep, and digest what has happened so far...

[Lalaith]

What's wrong with being energetic?
Nothing, except that it is easy to appear busy and helpful and that can sometimes be a diversion. Also rather troubling, incidently, is your rather frantic and pre-emptive response justifying your own actions, to a mild comment I made to someone else about confusing wolves with seers.

But anyway, speaking of energy levels, we are all still on different sleep-cycles and mine is now at back-to-my-own-room time. I will see you all later.

[Nogrod]

"Looking at the last ones then...

Inzil voted for McCaber tying him with 2 votes with Fea.

Now this is an interesting one. Now let's recall what he said back then: Because he's been so unobtrusive and is now backing up Nessa's strange vote, for unknown reasons. A railroad begun by one wolf and continued by their fellow?It is indeed interesting how strongly he feels for Fea's innocence to come up with that kind of thoughts... not the least as he had just a little earlier said that Fea looked like too eager to please and that he'd suspect such persons by default.

His interpretation of Nessa denying her vote as a knee-jerk reaction ("why didn't she suspect her earlier then?") is indeed a valid POV and well caught. But then again, Nessa's "brave point" remains an enigma to me at least. Maybe Inzil is right and caught her making an error confused of her mate voting her?

But oh the bad luck (:rolleyes:) Inzil happened to pick McCaber as his target - and was factually saving Fea at that point... If he would be a wolf he would have to vote someone who could win Fea in the votes and McCaber had been suspected enough - and looking at the spread of votes that far would have been the safest choice to save Fea - if that was his agenda, that is.

Bah, I'm totally mixed up with Inzil. He seems to make fair points and have a good eye on things but then he happens to be there where the baddies most need him - and his overwhelming trust for me indeed makes me feel a bit uneasy...

Lalaith voted for Shasta. (Fea2, McCaber2)

The first thing that catches the eye here is that she didn't want to choose between Fea and McCaber - even if they were two of her "unsettling trio" (Add Boro to make a trio). Neither was she willing to put Inzil, Nessa or Eönwë up to a par with the two leaders. But she opened a new alley with Shasta - because of my "persuasion"...

Now if she is a wolf teamed up with Fea - and possibly another one of those who had gained votes already - the choice would be understandable. But then again, she could have just raised someone to compete with those mates in danger - and that kind of releases her in my eyes somewhat. I mean those were the last minutes anyway.

But why not vote for Fea or McCaber if they were so unsettling to you Lalaith?

Pitchwife voted for Shasta. (Fea2, McCaber2, Shasta2)


He's the hardest one for me to assess. It looks like he didn't know Lalaith had voted for Shasta as well (maybe he was in a different room or something). I suspected for Shasta as well yesterDay (and I do understand also Lalaith's vote from this perspective), but the very same question could be asked from Pitchwife as well: why spread the vote when there were people you thought suspicious in the lead - and if you didn't know Lalaith had voted for Shasta as well as you claim?

I mean had you known that, it would have made a lot of sense as you could have bet I might join you two with it... and thence save Fea, and thence lynch an innocent Shasta? But if you didn't know - as I need to believe - then your choice is an enigma to me. *

Interestingly McCaber's revelation falls in between Lalaith's vote and Pitchwife's vote. More interestingly, you didn't feel a need to make a comment on there in the last four minutes (the same thing applies to Lalaith as well - with six minutes to comment on the revelation).

An innocent I think would have come up with an instant reaction of awe or surprise but you two stayed silent in purpose... and this makes me look at Inzil a bit better right now again.

Nogrod votes for Fea (effectively lynching Fea).

Okay. I had suspected her from her first post onwards and was just happy to see a wolf down after McCaber's revealment. Surely that was the only decent choice I had there. Without McCaber I might have voted Shasta as well - it would have been a hard choice to me.

Now you may say that yes, a wolf-Nogrod would have done the same and I admit that it is true. But an innocent Nogrod did that too - and could not have acted otherwise either.

Bah... Now a new pipeful, a few thoughts and then I think I need to take a rest..."


EDIT: * and the same supportive argument can be seen in relation to you as well as Lalaith...

[Pitchwife]

Because you didn't know that Fea was a wolf. I was going after her, and it must have made them wonder.
You weren't the only one. Nog did as much, and was much more explicit about it.

Nessa (assuming you're still with us), I'd like to believe your vote against Fea wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction, but I'd still like you to explain the reasoning behind it.

In case somebody's about to ask the same about my own vote: Shasta popped up very briefly and disappeared again, almost immediately; later offered an explanation for his absence that sounded plausible [OOC: story-wise I mean], but didn't really satisfy me; rebuked Inzil for twisting his words (and rightly so, I think); but all in all I had the impression he just made an appearance for appearance's sake without offering anything substantial - which I thought suspicious.
Indeed, one of the reasons I suspected McCaber is that he seemed too eager to clear Shasta of suspicion without any argument that looked convincing to me. And I'm still curious to hear what Shasta has got to say now, once he wakes up.

Lalaith (if you're still listening) -
Nothing, except that it is easy to appear busy and helpful and that can sometimes be a diversion.
Very true. But the same goes for being laid back, calm, cool and collected. Glad to see you more involved now!
Also rather troubling, incidently, is your rather frantic and pre-emptive response justifying your own actions
I can't see anything justifying the adjective frantic here. Care to enlighten me?

(x-ed w/ Nogrod)

[Shastanis Althreduin]

I have a headache, and I can't find any aspirin anywhere. Typical.

In any case, there are three (four?) people I'm looking at very hard today, and I'll give my reasons a bit later - Inziladun, Nogrod, Lalaith (and possibly Pitchwife, although he's new).

And yes, I realize I'm poking at everyone who poked at me yesterday. But really, Nogrod, your usual pontification on people who hide behind "in-character content" is not going to fly this time, I won't have it.

[Nogrod]

And yes, I realize I'm poking at everyone who poked at me yesterday.A fruitful approach to be sure... Must be the best way to pick the baddies. :rolleyes:

But for an odd reason speaks good about you.

But really, Nogrod, your usual pontification on people who hide behind "in-character content" is not going to fly this time, I won't have it.This time? Like you'd been in this kind of situation before? Now where?

But seriously, you're clearly not getting what I said. If you just spend a whole Day saying "I'm going here, I'm going there, I'm doing this nice thing, I'm doing this good thing"... well surely you're not giving us a clue of what you actually think - or who would you vote - if you'd care to do that in the first place. And who would have reasons to hide their ideas? You can't claim easily you're the seer who might have reason for that as you're a bit to late for that now.

Sorry, no pontification, just notifying the fact that I suspect the way you come and go.

But I do have better candidates to suspect right now if that makes you feel any easier. I'm just sad you haven't made an effort thus far if you're an innocent.

[Pitchwife]

Nog -
Pitchwife voted for Shasta. (Fea2, McCaber2, Shasta2)
He's the hardest one for me to assess.

If my last post doesn't satisfy you, let me elaborate.
1) Look closely at my voting post, especially the EDIT. I cross-posted with Lalaith and McCaber's reveal. If I'd realized in time that Lalaith had already voted for Shasta, I would have reconsidered instead of creating a possible three-way tie.
2) I did suspect Fea, but found it hard to distinguish between suspicious behaviour and her regular style (you might say it's in character for her to behave suspiciously, regardless of her role). Same, mutatis mutandis, for the late Boro. Also, I wasn't entirely sure of Inzil - maybe the two of them were watching him for a sound reason? So I decided to give them more time and concentrate on the other two suspects.
Between McCaber and Shasta, I couldn't really make up my mind and decided to vote for the one who hadn't been voted yet. Hard to understand, maybe, but that's the way I make decisions at times - go against the current. I realized too late Lalaith had got ahead of me.
3) My lack of response to McCaber's reveal. Well, honestly, I was gobsmacked. Struck dumb by surprise. Believe it or not.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Excuse me? "Haven't made an effort"? I believe I laid out a pretty clear suspicion of Inzil yesterday (which I plan to expound on - why continue to dispute what I said when it's easy enough for anyone to go back and check?)

Maybe you should look at our dear departed hostess's secondary aim.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Annoyed (and still rubbing sleep out of his eyes), Shasta glares at Nogrod for a moment before turning on his heel and stalking into the kitchen for a pick-me-up of the caffeinated variety.

[Nogrod]

Excuse me? "Haven't made an effort"? I believe I laid out a pretty clear suspicion of Inzil yesterday (which I plan to expound on - why continue to dispute what I said when it's easy enough for anyone to go back and check?)"Maybe just because of this..." Nogrod said and stood up from his chair and followed Shasta to the kitchen.

"Now hark your own words and what were they a response into":

Shasta disappeared and explained himself by saying he went upstairs in the hope of catching one of the wolves in the midst of transformation. I found that statement rather odd.
I came back in time to hear this statement. Inzil, I find this rather... strange. I rather clearly stated that I went upstairs to see if I could find any evidence on bedroom doors - scratches, hairs, and the like - that would point to the wolves having had to get out of their rooms to attack our hostess, so either you misheard, or you're deliberately twisting what I said.Nogrod looked at Shasta quizzically. "So "laying out a clear suspicion" you call that? "An effort" you call that?" Nogrod was shaking his head.

"I think we speak a different language my friend but I just don't buy what you say. And before you claim you have said more than that let me recite all you have sais thus far (that one not included) before you started bringing this latest issue of going after those who don't trust you:
I feel bad for her, but... to be quite honest, she brought this end upon herself. Yes, she apparently created this... Land of Tolkien, for lack of a better, term, and yes, she was kind enough to invite us all here... but she did turn three of us into slavering beasts and she did trap us here with them, all on the pretext of some "quest". Am I going to be glad it was her and not me? You bet.

Thank you for volunteering to clean this up, ladies. Some of the men want to volunteer for gravedigger detail? No, wait - we can't get out of this house, can we? I don't suppose there's a cellar or something... I'd volunteer myself, but... I have an idea...

-vanishes upstairs-


-comes back down the stairs dejectedly-

Well... I had hoped that perhaps the werewolves had been caught in transformiata in their bedrooms, with the doors shut... and since presumably werewolves have claws, not hands, I figured it would be rather hard to open said doors... but no dice. I didn't find any evidence of forced exit on the bedroom doors.



Please, no. Dining rooms make for stilted conversation and they tend to be quite uncomfortable otherwise. May I suggest the parlor?

-suits actions to words, striding into the parlor and poking up the fire to drive off an unnatural chill-


"An effort? A contribution to save our lives? A helping hand to us? Well, that's a lot of help, thank you sir!"

Maybe you should look at our dear departed hostess's secondary aim.I can't see it anywhere but I remember what was told to us. But if you remember it as well, then you should see it for yourself. There are primary goals and secondary goals my friend. And primaries are primaries. And don't say I'm not working with the secondaries as well..."

With that Nogrod spat on the floor and elbowed Shasta from the fridge finally picking the Pinot Noir out from there. "Sorry mate", he murmured and went to search for the corkscrew.

"And really Shasta, I'm not liking this row at all. You're digging our mutual grave here if you're an innocent. Just concentrate, be serious, try to think and act - and be creative as well. But do contribute more than you have done, please. Try at least. That one speech about Inzil is not worth the cork I have just pulled out from this bottle. Give us something real to chew!"

Nogrood looked at Shasta for a moment - and the cup he had in hand.

"Really mate, you should drink the real stuff one day... freshly grounded dark capuccino, Café Parisien, something real..."

[Pitchwife]

PS to my last: Add that Rikae, Nerwen and (I just noticed) Shasta himself hadn't voted yet, so the outcome was still pretty much uncertain.

Shasta, I've no problem with you acting...er... let's say, according to the circumstances of our situation;) - we all did the same to some degree - , but I at least was left with the impression that you did little else. True, you poked at Inzil for twisting your words - and I've already said I think you justified in this - , but that is not quite what I would call voicing a pretty clear suspicion. If you're going to expound, I'm all ears. I'd also very much like to know why you didn't vote.
And you're cordially invited to look at me as hard as you like:).

For now, excuse me, everybody, I haven't had breakfast yet; and I'm tired of sleeping on a couch, so I'd better spend some hours getting some order into my room and clearing enough space to assemble the bed. See you all in the evening!

[Nogrod]

"'nuff said... bring that kettle on would you?" Nogrod said to Shasta now in a more comforting way and went to the mortar picking the package of dark coffee beans with him.

"You'd like a good Java? I'll grind that in a minute."

[Inziladun]

I agree that McAbre is who he claims to be. I'm going to believe that he is the seer for now. I'll give my thoughts on others after I look at things more closely.

McAbre? Are you insinuating he's gruesome, or 'produces horror'? (sorry, couldn't resist.

Inzil voted for McCaber tying him with 2 votes with Fea.

Now this is an interesting one. Now let's recall what he said back then: It is indeed interesting how strongly he feels for Fea's innocence to come up with that kind of thoughts... not the least as he had just a little earlier said that Fea looked like too eager to please and that he'd suspect such persons by default.

I did say I found her a bit unnerving, but I didn't think it enough to induce me to vote for her. I certainly never said she was innocent.

Bah, I'm totally mixed up with Inzil. He seems to make fair points and have a good eye on things but then he happens to be there where the baddies most need him - and his overwhelming trust for me indeed makes me feel a bit uneasy...

'Overwhelming trust for you'? I'm afraid not, good sir. You've been making sense, and I don't see in you anything in particular at the moment that gives me chills, but you are certainly not beyond suspicion.

Shasta popped up very briefly and disappeared again, almost immediately; later offered an explanation for his absence that sounded plausible [OOC: story-wise I mean], but didn't really satisfy me; rebuked Inzil for twisting his words (and rightly so, I think); but all in all I had the impression he just made an appearance for appearance's sake without offering anything substantial - which I thought suspicious.

Forgive me, but I still don't see how I 'twisted his words'. I didn't think his explanation made much sense and I made a comment about it. If I just missed something, fair enough, but I thought it a valid statement at the time.

x/d with many

[Nogrod]

While grinding the coffee beans Nogrod heard what Pitchwife and Inziladun were saying. He smiled and turned towards them.

"Good! Keep on at it! Answer the questions and suspicions I made concerning you! That's the way we can progress..." Suddenly he straightened himself and yelled so loud everyone could hear it.

"Now everyone do it! Answer my suspicions - or what could be even better, make your own suspicions and make others to answer them! The more suspicions, the more answers to them, the better we're off. Only those cursed ones would love silence and randomness. That's pure mathematics. So let's start some real discussion now! Only that way we can assess if we can think someone is more reliable than not."

[Rikae]

Well, I still don't trust Pitchwife. His words seem... too calculated. And why is he so quick to defend Eonwe (who I also don't trust) against Lalaith?

I also have to disagree with our esteemed, if macabre, seer: Nogrod is most certainly still a possible suspect as far as I'm concerned (in fact, he is decidedly suspicious). I've known him for quite a while on the 'downs, and he certainly has the sense it takes to jump in and help lynch a doomed packmate, making himself look innocent. He's just the type to do exactly that, even, and lately - ah, I'll probably have to mull over his words to figure out exactly why, but he doesn't look honest.

[Inziladun]

Well, it's good to see Rikae around. More, please.
I'd also like to hear more from autume98, Lalaith, and definitely Nerwen.
And Shasta, I'm eagerly awaiting your case against me. But not so much that I can hang around here indefinitely. Indeed, the time has come for me to retire to my quarters for a bit for some relaxation and slumber.
As some reputedly great man or other once said, 'I shall return'.

[Nerwen]

Nerwen spoke up from the corner where she had been sitting quietly, watching the others.

"Well, what did I say? She was trying to dispose of the evidence!

'...Now, I notice that Nessa Telrunya was rather eager to point out that the people who voted Fea were unlikely to be wolves. I'm not so sure. Nessa and Fea's voting each other is something that could have been staged, I think. After all, Nessa's vote was only the first cast on Fea, and it seems to me that the wolves might vote each other, to throw us off the track.

'Then McCaber– who claims to be the Seer– cast the second vote on Fea. I don't see any reason to doubt him. But then we have Nogrod sealing Fea's fate by giving her the third vote... and I don't think we can say whether that's innocent or not– given that the Seer had just denounced her, I think it's possible that a Nogwolf would decide to throw her under the bus.

'I don't, mind you, see any particular reason to suspect Nogrod. He doesn't strike me as behaving in a guilty manner or anything. I'm just saying, it could be a mistake to treat him and Nessa as confirmed innocents– particularlyNessa. Her relations with Fea yesterday looked a little, I don't know, artificial."

[autume98]

McAbre? Are you insinuating he's gruesome, or 'produces horror'? (sorry, couldn't resist.

Funny Inzil! :p

I'd like to address me being quiet. I'm just a quiet person by nature. I tend to take things in. However I see that I'm going to have to speak up more and let my thoughts be known. I appreciate what you have to say Nogrod. Your thoughts help me out quite a bit.

I also had some doubts about Inzil for the reasons you listed Nogrod, however I'm not sure where I stand with him now.

I really haven't heard enough from some to know enough about them.

I'm looking forward to read what Shasta has to say about Inzil, Nogrod, Lalaith, and Pitchwife.

I'm not sure where I stand with Nessa. Was the vote a knee-jerk reaction?

[Lalaith]

Well, this has been an interesting morning so far, but before I talk about my impressions of my fellow houseguests, I will share my day's work with you all, for I have done is to look more closely at our known wolf, Fea. Of course, we all know from the Downs that this is a lady of quicksilver wit and high intelligence, and it is not likely that she would leave clumsy clues. But still...

The interaction with Boro, and McCaber's intervention - well that was fascinating in retrospect. I saw something was going on, but I was looking at it from the wrong angle, and suspected McCaber. Classic murder mystery stuff..but of little practical use to us now, as we know the status of all concerned in that triangle.

The other interesting interaction was with Nessa. She votes for her, having already said that she will vote for either Nessa and Nerwen. Then, when Nessa immediately retaliates with a vote, she responds by telling the rest of us that Nessa is clearly not a wolf.
Now, at this point, of course, Fea-wolf does not know she has been scried. Why does she make this defence of Nessa? My first thought was that such a comment was primarily intended to make her (Fea) look good...proclaiming someone else's innocence like that is not a wolfish thing to do. Could Fea also be defending a fellow-wolf? It is certainly a high-risk strategy for two wolves to vote for each other like this on the first day...but not inconceivable, particularly when followed up by Fea's comment, which could have been expert damage limitation.
Well, that's my Fea analysis. More soon.

[Rikae]

Well, I think we'd benefit from recalling yesterday's votes. I'm surprised no one has done so yet.


Boro (known innocent) voted for Inzil, apparently because of his response to Eonwe's (very silly, in my opinion) talk of werewolves pretending to dislike blood, and for lack of participation.
Fea (known wolf) voted for Nessa, “because when I have nothing better to go on, I revert to the ones who leave me no trail to follow later.” An easy vote, but of the sort an innocent might make – however, it is not one that others would tend to follow, and for that reason, could be wolf-on-wolf. Fea hasn't made any argument why Nessa should be lynched, just justified her own vote.
Nessa for Fea "I think Fea was very quick to start cleaning up the body earlier today, and she seemed quite sure of everything she said." Fea later said: “And all I can say, really, is retaliatory votes amuse me. Don't vote Nessa. No wolf would do something as silly as that.”
Eonwe voted for McCaber, based on a “hunch”.
Autume voted for Eonwe, based on “gut feeling”.
McCaber votes for Fea.
Inzil voted for McCaber “Because he's been so unobtrusive and is now backing up Nessa's strange vote, for unknown reasons. A railroad begun by one wolf and continued by their fellow?” Others have called this suspicious, but it seems to me something an innocent could come up with, observing that voting.
Lalaith for Shasta “Ok, I'm going to spread the votes rather than join a bandwaggon.
I'm torn between Nerwen and Shasta, but Nogrod's last post has persuaded me” This seems a little odd, and I don't really see why Nogrod's ranting about lack of participation should be so persuasive – maybe I'm missing something, though.
Pitchwife voted for Shasta, crossing with Lalaith's vote and McCaber's reveal. Doesn't give any reasons in the posts, and, thinking back, the only things I can recall him saying about Shasta are that he would like to hear more from him and that he “disappeared quickly, for what may be a good reason;”
Nogrod voted for Fea, which is about the only thing he could do at this point, whatever his role.
Nerwen and I, and, it seems, Shasta, didn't vote. I don't find any of our non-votes particularly suspicious. ;)The people who come out of yesterday's voting looking most dubious are, in my opinion, Eonwe, Pitchwife, Lalaith and Nessa.

[Nessa Telrunya]

"Well, up to now, I don't have clear views on everybody, but can assess based on what's happened.

Inziladun I'm not sure about. He seemed to be there where Fea needed it when he tied her vote for McCaber But it doesn't really seem to me that he's dodging everyone, so I don't know.

Shasta I have my suspicions about, but I don't think it's anything that would require me to vote for him just yet.

Pitchwife I have a feeling about. Sure he clearly states his thoughts about everyone, but something just doesn't sit right. He voted for Shasta, who didn't have anything clear against him, because he said he didn't like bandwagoning. That's hardly a reason.

McCaber we've already dissected. Now, we can assume he's the seer. If he lives for long, he probably isn't, since the wolves would go for him. I have to watch him.

Nogrod seems fairly stout for the moment. He gives you his views flat out, but no one is truly safe from all suspicion, so I can't count him out just yet.

autume98, frankly, I can't see as a wolf. She isn't trying to outmanuever anyone enough for that, and she reasoned her vote for Eonwe as a gut feeling.

Lalaith hasn't given much to go on. She just seems to be giving her ideas without really throwing herself out there.

Nerwen I'm still not sure. Her situation is about the same as Lalaith.

Rikae didn't vote. There could be an innocent explanation, but no one is counted as a sure innocent yet.

Eonwe seems wholesome. Nothing she's said or done so far looks off to me.

But those are just my views. I could be totally wrong.

[Lalaith]

So, here's my impression of my fellow houseguests.

Nessa Well, I have already discussed her as part of my Fea analysis. Her comments today are disingenuous – particularly that people voting for wolves can’t be wolves, and this of course includes her.
Pitchwife/Eonwe
I will analyse these two together as today they seem to be twins.. First, the two of them have (to me at least) fairly protracted and pointless conversation about McCaber possibly not being the seer – particularly as Eonwe eventually answers his own question (that a false seer claim actually gives us two wolves).
Then there is their mutual defence system. I make a sympathetic comment to Pitchwife about his error over McCaber, and Eonwe answers with a defence of his own actions, even though no-one (as far as I can make out) has questioned them. Then Pitchwife steps in to question my comments about Eonwe. I answer them, and he defends Eonwe once again. This is all really suspicious, to my mind.
Rikae – participating more, and her analysis just now was good. She has also picked up on the Pitchwife/Eonwe bond. I am inclined to trust her for now.
Inziladun – active, raising good points – dismissing the ‘McCaber is a fake’ argument briskly - so again, inclined to trust for now.
Shastanis Athreduin – spent yesterday being very ‘busy’, but not, to my mind, helpful, which is why I voted for him. This busy unhelpfulness is further underlined by his failure to vote. Has been arguing with Nogrod today – although this is at least more ‘substantial’ behaviour it is also overly defensive so I am still feeling anxious about him.
McCaber- Known innocent so has no agenda – we need to remember this.
Nogrod – I trust him for now as he appears to be working hard using evidence and analysis to get solutions; only flaw is that he does not always take the differing personalities of others into account. Actually, my chief worry about you, my friend, is that this strange house has played such tricks on your mind that you are claiming Sancerre as a pinot noir. ;)
autume98 – we’ve had very little but uncertainty from her. Understandable, perhaps, but still, clouds of confusion are useful things to hide in.
Nerwen – I agree with what little she’s said so far, but I am getting impatient with her lack of participation.

[McCaber]

All right, I'm back functioning again. Probably around until the end of the day.

So far I think what has been said so far toDay is helpful. Now we need people to talk about each other's analyses and what they think about them. (Taking a cue from Nogrod's book here, because that's at the core of finding suspects.)

[Nessa Telrunya]

So what is everyone else thinking around now? We need to be ready to discuss before we vote, and the deadline isn't that far off. I'm interested in the thoughts of those of us who haven't spoken much.

[McCaber]

Well, I know one person I can trust for sure. There are a few who still frighten me a bit, and a few who have gotten more onto my good side. And then come those who have not said enough to show me much of them at all. Nerwen, guess which one you're in right now.

What? Can't a seer make fun of people too? This is a high-stress job we're talking about.

[Lalaith]

I need to vote now (as stated elsewhere). I appear to have four main suspects and clearly they can't all be wolves. So my process of elimination involves asking myself - could there be an innocent explanation?

First off, Nessa. I have speculated on wolf-on-wolf voting, but the alternative is that Nessa simply found Fea guilty-like. And after all, she was right - Fea was guilty. Then her comment today about wolves not voting for each other may also have been based on a genuine belief. So, benefit of the doubt for her.

Shasta - his explanation for yesterday is that he was trying to fulfill the hostess' edict - and he did, I have now noted, explain his failure to vote elsewhere. I am never impressed by defensiveness but some perfectly innocent people do get prickly when prodded. So, benefit of the doubt for him too.

Then, Eonwe and Pitchwife. I may be being dense, but I can't really think of a likely innocent explanation for their double-act. It is however possible that one of them is an unwitting stooge. Which? Actually I think it is more likely to be Eonwe - he is being defensive, and Pitchwife might be taking advantage of this and fostering him as an ally. So, my conclusion is...
++Pitchwife

[Eönwë]

Nothing she's said or done so far looks off to me.
She?

[Nerwen]

Nerwen – I agree with what little she’s said so far, but I am getting impatient with her lack of participation.

"All right, all right, I'm participating!" said Nerwen hurriedly.

"One thing I had forgotten was that everyone in a tie gets double-lynched (for now). That makes it a good deal less likely that Nogrod is a wolf, unless Shasta is too– for would a wolf be able to resist letting the Seer and an innocent die, just by "forgetting" to vote?

'Now Shasta I think is indeed rather suspicious– he persists treating our horrifying predicament as though it's just... oh... I don't know," she frowned, "some kind of game.

'But then Nogrod has been going after him for this, which looks pretty innocent." Nerwen shrugged. "I don't know... I suppose it could be a wolf trying to drop a hint to his packmate.

'The more actually suspicious votes were from Inzi– tying McCaber with Fea– and Pitchwife– creating the three-way tie. However, I believe Pitchwife says he missed Lal's vote.

'I think we should remember, also, that the total number of votes cast was small, so ties were almost bound to happen at some point."

EDIT: X'd since Lalaith at #176. (I was called away, came back and posted without refreshing. Silly of me.)

[Eönwë]

First, the two of them have (to me at least) fairly protracted and pointless conversation about McCaber possibly not being the seer – particularly as Eonwe eventually answers his own question (that a false seer claim actually gives us two wolves).

So, to you does three posts constitute a conversation? And what question would this be? (the one which you said that I answered)

[Nogrod]

Well, I think we'd benefit from recalling yesterday's votes. I'm surprised no one has done so yet."It's always nice to see how one is listened to - and how one's efforts are appreciated. :rolleyes:

But if you Rikae - or anyone else - think you might learn something from a quite thorough reading & analysis of yesterDay's voting you might wish to check back #144 and #157 (previous page). It took me two hours to make them...

But yes, it was good you Rikae took the time to make a few comments on those votes as well. Different accounts of the same events tend to give one a bit larger view."

Nogrod Thought for a moment and then poured himself one more glass of wine.

"Okay, by yesterDay's voting I'd say I'd tend to trust the following eg. not wishing to see any of them lynched:

McCaber of course. No reason to doubt him right now.

Lalaith: If she was a wolf she could have easily voted for McCaber to save Fea - or give a second vote to Inzil, Nessa or Eönwë. So giving Shasta a first vote at that point would have been totally leaving her mate alone when she could have helped her quite discreetly as well.

The same goes for Pitchwife if he really didn't know what had happened two minutes before his vote. And on these things I guess we just have to trust.

Inziladun: Has been very considerate and reasonable all the time - making some very good points every now and then.

Nerwen and Rikae should take part more. You two are intelligent people and could help. I do hope your wish is to aid us and not those cursed werewolves..."

With that Nogrod left the room with the glass in his hand.

"Back soon, soonish..."

[autume98]

As people have been making their cases, I'm taking it all in. I've been quietly sipping my coffee and enjoying my muffin. I put my coffee mug on the table and decide to throw in my two cents worth.
Nessa voted for Fea. Could be a wolf on wolf vote. If that were the case it would be pretty risky. So for now I'm going to go with a knee jerk reaction. The vote also did help us get rid of one werewolf.
Inzil voted for McCaber when Fea needed it. Nessa brought this point up. Does seem a little suspicous. I'm keeping it in mind.
Shasta didn't vote on yesterDay.
Not sure what to think of Pitchwife at the moment. It seems that people are finding Pitchwife suspicious.
Nogrod seems ok so far. Great insight and good commentary. However no one is beyond suspicion. Could be good cover. At this time though I'm good with Nogrod.
Lalaith voted for Shasta. However there's not much to go on with Lalaith at the moment. I did find her findings about Pitchwife and Eonwe interesting.
Nerwen makes a good point that Inzil did vote for McCaber which tied the votes withFea.
I don't know enough about Rikae.
I'm not sure what to make of Eonwe. Eonwe voted for McCaber however at the time McCaber was coming across as suspicious. So could be genuine. At this time I'm ok with Eonwe.
I pick up my coffee once again and observe what is going around me.

[McCaber]

Vote Count:

Pitchwife: 1 (Lalaith)

You know, just in case anyone was wondering.

[Eönwë]

But if you Rikae - or anyone else - think you might learn something from a quite thorough reading & analysis of yesterDay's voting you might wish to check back #144 and #157 (previous page). It took me two hours to make them...

Hmmm... what is this "page" you speak of? It's almost as if this whole thing was one big book...

[Nessa Telrunya]

She?

Ah, I'm so sorry! Everyone's nicks are so confusing! I also would've called Pitchwife 'she' by accident, only his name has already been adressed.

[Nerwen]

"By the way, Lalaith," said Nerwen, recalling something the other woman had said earlier,

Then, Eonwe and Pitchwife. I may be being dense, but I can't really think of a likely innocent explanation for their double-act. It is however possible that one of them is an unwitting stooge. Which? Actually I think it is more likely to be Eonwe - he is being defensive, and Pitchwife might be taking advantage of this and fostering him as an ally.

"Is it really likely that a relative newcomer to the Downs like Pitchwife would be able to manipulate Eönwë so successfully? I don't say it's impossible– he seems to have a good handle on things– but to me their conversations look much more as if Pitchwife is getting tips from Eönwë."

Edit:X'd since McCaber.

[McCaber]

Once again night is nearly here. I give it about two hours before the worst of it hits.

And it's strange, but I myself am unsure of who to vote. I was actually hoping for more discussion, but I suppose that two hours is a long time in this scenario.

Well, there's no way I like Eonwe, or perhaps even Lal or Pitchwife. I'll give this another pondering and see if anything strikes me.

[Nerwen]

Hmmm... what is this "page" you speak of? It's almost as if this whole thing was one big book...

Well, you know, us literary types...

EDIT:X'd with McCaber.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

You people really are going to have to make up your minds. If I don't say anything, I'm "unhelpful". If I do, I'm "defensive". You can't have it both ways. So which is it?

[Eönwë]

OK, I'm sorry. I was mistaken. It appears that it was I spoke to Pitchwife 3 times on the matter of the seer.

Also, some of the stuff that's been said about me has ridiculous. "Giving tips to Pitchwife"...:rolleyes: If you're going to accuse me, at least come up with a good reason.

[McCaber]

So it looks like we have another last-minute voting rush. Can people at least say who you're planning on and why, so as to avoid another debacle like the last Day? Anything that limits confusion and maximizes effectiveness, especially in clearing out relations between people.

EDIT: crossed with Eonwe

[Nogrod]

If I don't say anything, I'm "unhelpful". If I do, I'm "defensive". You can't have it both ways. So which is it?Heh. Not quite. The first part is right though - if you don't talk you are unhelpful. But there are a host of things to do when talking. It's not anyone elses fault you have decided to take a retaliatry defence mode. No one forces you to it. How about making some suspicions yourself? Try it, you'll like it - and we'll like it. :)

And McCaber is right, we should pull our act together. I'm going to give a thought on that in a moment.

[Pitchwife]

Now look at this! I leave you people alone for a couple of hours, and whoops! here's the first vote for me - with more to come, the way it looks. I guess it had to come, in a game where everybody suspects everybody. Just makes me wonder how wrong I may have been myself in my suspicions of some other people.
Like McCaber, for example - and possibly Shasta, too.
Indeed, I like the way Shasta defended himself against Nogrod toDay. Maybe in his case, too, what looks like suspicious behaviour is just personal style? And the whole thing between Shasta and Inzil needs to be inspected closer.
Inzil did indeed misrepresent Shasta's explanation of his doings upstairs, whether on purpose or not. That is no big matter in itself, but his constant denying of what is on record for everybody to check I find puzzling. He also was very quick to pick up Eönwe's early (very early!) suspicion of Shasta, with very little to base such a suspicion on at the time. This is where Shasta's career as a suspect actually began, before Nogrod came in.
I'm also very worried by the fact that Boro, who clearly suspected Inzil and voted for him, was conveniently killed before he could explain himself. Had he realized that Shasta had been set up as a diversion?

I'm not going to reiterate everything I've already said about my cross-posting last evening. Believe it or not, it's true.
Since the main other reason I'm being suspected is my interaction with Eönwe, a few words about that are required, I think. Lalaith, just because I thought and said that your attack on Eönwe was unwarranted at the time doesn't mean I'm in league with him and trust him more than I do anybody else. I'm very curious about him and would very much like to know which side he's on. (If you want to know why, look closely at our interaction in the early yesterDay morning hours.) My best way to form an opinion about him is talking to him.
I also have the impression that Eönwe and Inzil were playing very smoothly into each other's hands last morning (the Shasta suspicion, the blood-phobia theory), but at the moment I find Inzil more suspicious. Indeed, Inzil is my prime suspect as of this.

EDIT: typos corrected

[Shastanis Althreduin]

"Retaliatory defense"? Hm, yes, I suppose you could call it that, because you're using the same complaint you use every game in order to suspect me after other people already have.

Oooh, look! I'm following the moddess's request! How suspicious!

++Nogrod

[Nogrod]

Looking back at my earlier thoughts on whom I'd be more hesitant to vote toDay leaves me with four people. Namely: Nessa, Shasta, autume and Eönwë. Sadly I'm not too enthusiastic of lynching these people either. But let me see.

Nessa then. As people have said already, voting wolf-on-wolf early is a possible idea but sounds a bit dangerous. Also Fea's comment of Nessa not being a wolf looks more like she tried to make herself look good being considerate and such by calling a retaliation not a probable wolvish action at that point. The only thing that actually bothers me there is Nessa's point on not being just retaliating... So was there a communication breakdown of sorts there? Props for Inzil for noticing it.

Shasta's behaviour kind of irritates me a bit. After that morning rant - when he promised to make cases - he's just disappeared and now pops up only to say that he's unhappy with how some of us look at him because of what he does or does not do. Anyway, Would he act like that if he was a wolf? That then is the question.

Autume I think might need a bit more time to adjust in and I might be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt at least toDay.

Eönwë has somehow slipped my radar completely - or almost. I need to check what you others have been saying about him and what he has done himself...


EDIT: X'd with Pitch and... Shasta... okay then...

[Inziladun]

*strides into the room*

Well, decision time again. Thanks to McCaber, we did well yesterDay.
Rather than say what I think of everyone, I'll keep it at things that I find striking, as time is short.

Well, the good thing about having gotten a wolf so early is that those who voted against her couldn't be wolves. If they were, surely they would not have voted to kill one of their own.

I don't know Nessa well, as she hasn't been a part of our Downs community terribly long. However, such an adamant statement, that the Fea voters could not be wolves, and Fea saying no one should vote for Nessa makes me uneasy. Again, my suspicion of her (and McCaber in turn) the previous Day was based upon the fact that she voted for Fea immediately after Fea voted for her, and, after it was posited that Nessa's was a revenge vote, she denied it. Her 'explanation' of the vote never rang true to me. Couple that with her urging McCaber to reveal his dream after he's already said he wished to keep it to himself for the moment, and Nessa is highly suspect to me.

Nice thought, Eönwe, and thanks for voicing it. (No offence, McCaber - I'm sure you'll understand we need to consider every possibility! Of course, you would do yourself a great favour in terms of credibility if you told us what you did dream last night, and why you're so reluctant to talk about it.)

Another one wanting McCaber to divulge information about his dream. And for credibility? He gave us the name of a wolf on the First Day! What more do you need?

But this is just hypothetical. For now I think we should assume that McCaber is the real seer.

Definitely. But after Nog says:

it looks reasonably believable McCaber is our seer...

Eönwë asks Nog for clarification. :confused:

Shasta I still don't trust. He seems to have pretty well continued his previous pattern of popping in and out without saying anything to help our cause.
I have yet to see his case against four of us, of which one was me.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Nogrod - what I've said, combined with the fact that he jumped on (and, really, attempted to lynch) me after Inzil started his word-twisting campaign.

Lalaith - blindly followed Nogrod, which I found suspicious.

Inziladun - Pitchwife has already made the point - Zil repeatedly says "he must have misunderstood", but it would have taken all of five seconds to go and look back and what I actually did say; yet, he continues to insist that I said something different.

[autume98]

At this point in time I'm looking at Eowne.* YesterDay she voted for McCaber which caused there to be a tie between McCaber and Fea.* Seems a little suspicious to me.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Also, I trust Pitchwife more now, after his stance on Inziladun, even though he seems to have flipped Lommy-like regarding me from yesterday.

[Eönwë]

Eönwë asks Nog for clarification. :confused:
Yes. That was a bad quotation by me. Look at Noggie's post from where I quoted that and you'll see why I asked:
Well, earlier he had said McCaber had been too calculated and detached... Good, good... but looking at Eönwë's actions so far I could say almost the same about him - and it looks reasonably believable McCaber is our seer...

So I didn't understand what he was trying to say...

[Nerwen]

At this point in time I'm looking at Eowne

Eowne? Not known at this address, my friend.

Edit: X'd with Steve.

[Eönwë]

At this point in time I'm looking at Eowne.* YesterDay she voted for McCaber which caused there to be a tie between McCaber and Fea.* Seems a little suspicious to me.
First of all, I'm a he. (and called Eowne?)

Secondly, how is that suspicious?

edit: x-ed

[McCaber]

Vote Count:

Pitchwife: 1 (Lalaith)
Nogrod: 1 (Shasta)

[Pitchwife]

Inzil -
He gave us the name of a wolf on the First Day! What more do you need?
A wolf can name another wolf. For the moment, I'm content to trust McCaber. I'll trust him utterly once the wolves show any sign of interest in silencing him (unsuccessfully, I hope).
And sorry, but just so I don't miss anything important again -
++Inziladun

[autume98]

Eowne? Not known at this address, my friend.

Edit: X'd with Steve.

I mean Eonwe.

[Nessa Telrunya]

"Hmmm...Right about now, I have to go with what I said earlier. Pitchwife's vote for Shasta yesterDay just didn't sit right, since his only reasoning had to do with bandwagoning. And the whole game, the way he's phrased things just seemed so strange, like he were trying to drop hints. I've just got this feeling about him...

Geez, I can't believe I'm doing a last minute vote, either!"

++Pitchwife

[Shastanis Althreduin]

By the way, for the record - before McCaber's reveal of Fea, I was planning on voting Zil.

[McCaber]

I'm still waiting to vote, to make sure that an innocent doesn't get lynched against my wishes.

Don't worry, I'm good for it.

[Nogrod]

Let's not lynch Pitchwife. If he is a wolf he really let Fea down yesterDay when he had ample chances to save her discreetly. I think her believing he gave Shasta his first vote when Fea was in trouble speaks good of him.

[Nogrod]

Inzil I have the least "evidence" to speak for - and he did save - well could be seen as trying to save - Fea yesterDay. I have just liked her compactness and well thought ideas. Well, wolves may make good points as well...

[Inziladun]

By the way, for the record - before McCaber's reveal of Fea, I was planning on voting Zil.

What a coincidence! I was going to vote for you!

In fact I'll do so now.

++ Shasta

[Nogrod]

Hey, what? Where?

[Nerwen]

Let's not lynch Pitchwife. If he is a wolf he really let Fea down yesterDay when he had ample chances to save her discreetly. I think her believing he gave Shasta his first vote when Fea was in trouble speaks good of him.

Okay, but... Dammit, I was thinking of voting Zil, but I don't like Pitchwife's vote on him, or rather the reasons he gave.

EDIT: X'd since Nogrod at 212.

[Nogrod]

Darn it...

++ Shasta

[Nerwen]

Nah, I'll stick with him–

++Zil.

EDIT: X'd with Nogrod.

[Mnemosyne]

Once again the village was flustered as the day drew to an end. Accusations were flying everywhere and three guests were neck in neck for the chopping block. At the last minute, though, Eönwë cast the deciding vote for Inziladun.

But unlike Fea, Inziladun was not willing to make his death easy. He stood stone-still before the others. "Kill me," he said, "if you have the heart for it."

The guests looked uneasily at one another. "Eönwë was the last one to cast the vote," said Rikae. "Let him do it." They led Inziladun to a nearby cave which seemed to double as a weapons storeroom. McCaber handed him a throwing dagger, while Pitchwife and Lalaith turned Inziladun around. "Aim for the back of the neck."

For a full two minutes Eönwë stood there with the dagger in his hand. "Really," he said, "I don't think--"

Just then Inziladun exploded in a mass of fur. The werewolf reached for Lalaith's throat. Suddenly in a blaze of light Pitchwife opened up his flannel jacket, and reached inside his pocket to draw out a glowing crystal. The wolf turned to eye it, and dazzled by its beauty, did the only logical thing he could in this situation:

He bit Pitchwife's hand off.

Immediately Inziladun yelped in pain as the holy light of the gem seared in his stomach. There was something worryingly human in his cries of agony. In his throes he snapped at Shasta's stomach and tore it out.

Pitchwife stared in shocked fascination at the bloody stump where his hand used to be. "Holy smokes!" said autume. "Where'd you get that?"

He turned to her and smiled. "The Silmarils sear the flesh of those unworthy to touch it. Could only find one, but I thought it'd be good to have on hand... You know, just in case."

"Now what?" said Nerwen. Inziladun was proceeding to claw at some of the rocks at the edge of the cave, bloodying his paws.

Pitchwife looked at his arm again. "I think I know how this story ends," he said. "Might as well finish the job I've started. Shame I couldn't have protected you all longer."

With that, he drew out a knife and lunged at the mad wolf.

As Inziladun lay panting, the knife wounds to his chest innumerable, he turned back into his human form. Tears were streaming down his face, mingling with the blood. "Hurts... so bad..." he said before he went still.

Pitchwife, meanwhile, backed away and leaned against the wall of the cave, bleeding from all the scratches. "I only wish I could see my own Lúthien again," he said. McCaber reached inside Inziladun's stomach to place the Silmaril in Pitchwife's hand before he died.

Those guests who remained stared in shock at the tableau laid out before them. Then they looked down at themselves. Almost all of them were covered in blood.

"We'd better wash up," said Rikae. "Is there any way of walling this cave in?" Just then a rain started from outside the cave. As one the guests walked out into it and only wished it could wash the stain from their hearts. In a loud bang lightning struck above the cave, and stones rained down before its mouth.

They returned to the guest wing in near silence.

Just when they were about to go inside their rooms, Nogrod turned to Eönwë, a black look in his eye. "Pity you didn't kill him when you had the chance," he said.

IT IS NOW NIGHT THREE

The Living:
Nessa Telrunya
McCaber
Nogrod
autume98
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Eönwë

The Dead:
Feanor of the Peredhil (werewolf)
Boromir88
Shastanis Althreduin
Inziladun (werewolf)
Pitchwife (ranger)

[Mnemosyne]

McCaber tossed and turned in his sleep. He was a light sleeper normally, but tonight it was even worse. He could feel death closing in on him. Sighing, he tried to focus his mind on one of the company, just in case...

He pulled his blankets about him closer. It was so cold in his room, and so wet--

So wet.

His eyes opened with a start. He was on a grassy floor still slick from the evening's rain. From far off, he heard a long, keening hoooooooooooooooowwwwwwl. Staggering to his feet, he ran.

The howl came again, but this time there was a thread of excitement in the cry. He shuddered. The wolf was having fun with him!

The glade he was in narrowed into a pathway surrounded by rocky walls. He cursed as he saw that the only way forward led into a tunnel that was blacker than black.

The darkness was so heavy that he almost turned back, but he knew that if he did he would die, whereas if he could just get through--

He was stuck--not by one of those spiritual-type barriers, but by an actual, sticky, physical one. A small part of his mind remarked how it was hardly surprising, given that he was in a tunnel that was blacker than black, but the rest of him merely reacted, flailing about and getting more of the cords wrapped around him. He was trapped like a fly in a web. And there was no Sting to help him. Well, he thought, if I get stung I suppose I won't die just yet...

Just then he felt the wolf's paws creep up behind him, and its foul, rank breath hit his nose and neck. The wolf placed its arms around him, and squeezed him until his bones snapped and his eyes popped out.

* * *

In the morning the guests' corridor led directly to the tunnel itself. They found McCaber's broken body lying wrapped in spider silk. And the guests mourned the loss of their seer.

IT IS NOW DAY THREE.

The Living:
Nessa Telrunya
Nogrod
autume98
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Eönwë

The Dead:
Feanor of the Peredhil (werewolf)
Boromir88
Shastanis Althreduin
Inziladun (werewolf)
Pitchwife (ranger)
McCaber (seer)

[Nogrod]

I'm still waiting to vote, to make sure that an innocent doesn't get lynched against my wishes.

Don't worry, I'm good for it."Oh the irony of this..." Nogrod said quietly when he rose up from beside the webbed body of McCaber.

"But we were the ones to blame of what happened yesterDay. Had we just made a little effort to share our views before the last minute we could have avoided that tragedy. Let's see that doesn't happen again, shall we?"

Nogrod looked at the corpse shaking his head.

"Oh you poor bastard, you could have left us with a name of one innocent anyway but did you? Let's check that from our memories asap. But I'm afraid you didn't... Let's see and cross fingers you had some nice thing there to help us out that much."

Starting to walk back to the resident areas Nogrod turned his head back while walking: "Okay, there's lot to look for so let's get on with it."

[Eönwë]

Eönwë got out of his room and met the others, his eyes glazed over from lack of sleep.

Someone looked at him quizzically and Eönwë replied "It's been haunting me all night. I couldn't sleep. It was my fault that the ranger was killed. And because of that the seer as well. I don't know why I didn't kill him when I had the chance. I thought that you had already chosen who to kill, and that I was late... and then I realised that my vote could have counted, but it was too late. You saw what happened yesterday when Inziladun attacked Lalaith. And then Pitchwife too. Maybe you should just kill me. It would probably help the village more," he said.

Eönwë looked like he was about to cry, but instead collapsed, and fell face-first onto the cold, hard, stone floor.

[Nessa Telrunya]

Nessa sadly followed Nogrod away from the body.

"Out of seven people, there's now only one wolf left. The odds are in our favor, but how do you suggest we go about uprooting the one baddie?"

[Nogrod]

Okay, I think I have everything McCaber said about his dreams or anyone of us by name yesterDay. I think it's easier if I just recite them here so everyone needs not to run back the memory lane. Sadly there's not much there...

But my scryings last night did not reveal a wolf. As of right now that's all I'm prepared to say directly on the subject.

First of all, people I don't think are wolves:
Nessa voted for Fea, and vice versa. I have a hard time thinking that the wolves would have spent two of their votes against each other as the first votes of the day.
For Nogrod, it would have been too easy for him not to vote and let me die yesterDay along with Fea. I'd say he's clean.
I would have said Boro over here, precisely because of his link to Fea. Working together like that really strikes me as more of a wolf working with an innocent to gain trust, rather than a wolf combo attack.
Pitchwife and Lal both seem decent, simply based around the voting records. I can only assume that I looked like a seer to the wolves, and that getting rid of me then or at night would have been what they were looking for.

I also believe that there probably is a wolf among those people who didn't vote. No real reason, but simply a feeling.

So far I think what has been said so far toDay is helpful. Now we need people to talk about each other's analyses and what they think about them. (Taking a cue from Nogrod's book here, because that's at the core of finding suspects.)


Well, I know one person I can trust for sure. There are a few who still frighten me a bit, and a few who have gotten more onto my good side. And then come those who have not said enough to show me much of them at all. Nerwen, guess which one you're in right now.

What? Can't a seer make fun of people too? This is a high-stress job we're talking about.


And it's strange, but I myself am unsure of who to vote. I was actually hoping for more discussion, but I suppose that two hours is a long time in this scenario.

Well, there's no way I like Eonwe, or perhaps even Lal or Pitchwife. I'll give this another pondering and see if anything strikes me.

[Nogrod]

"Hey there Eönwë!"

Nogrod had seen him falling down and ran to help him up. "Hey someone, help me with him... he needs a shot to be sure." Looking down at Eönwë he said to him: "Cheer up mate, we need you to talk, not to faint... We all make mistakes... Now c'mon!"

[Eönwë]

Eönwë was being dragged across the floor, and forced into a chair in the dining area. Some drink was poured down his throat. At first he thought it was some alcoholic beverage, but as the liquid entered his body, energy coursed through his veins- he was ready to take the day as it came.

"This must be Miruvor!" he shouted. The people opposite looked at him strangely, and he hadn't realised he had made such a sudden loud outburst, and thought that they were doubtful about the nature of the drink, and said "Well, it is a Middle-Earth themed house..."

Then he sat up straight, and said "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go"

[Lalaith]

Well, I found that bottle, but I didn't realise it was Miruvor....looks like Eonwe has finished it. Poor boy, I don't begrudge him a drop.
Still, I think the rest of us could do with just the conventional liquid sustenance, after that carnage. Here - Nogrod...Tanqueray for us....Nessa, there's some non-alcoholic tonic which I believe is more to your tastes.
Last night, I was elsewhere in this house of sorcery but yet I could, strangely, hear everything of the turmoil and frenzy of those final minutes...and then of course I was almost a victim in the horror of the aftermath. *shudder* I shall never forget it.

Alas, poor McCaber. Gone, gone, and never spoke to save us from confusion.

I need to go over yesterday's events again in my mind. I am sure that some order will come out of the confusion.

[Nogrod]

"Cheers mate. Welcome back." Nogrod said and turned back to his own cup of strong java puffing at the hot drink.

"Now, Ill continue looking backwards at what happened yesterDay. It would be good if we all went back the memory lane that much... with the knowledge we have now."

[Nogrod]

"Uh, right Lalaith... thanks... I'll just finish this coffee first..." :rolleyes:

[Lalaith]

Well...the first thing that struck me is how guilty the innocent can sometimes look.
When I heard this my jaw dropped...
By the way, for the record - before McCaber's reveal of Fea, I was planning on voting Zil.
But Shasta didn't vote at all that day...even though he just admitted that he heard McCaber reveal! By Elbereth, we have him....we have caught our wolf, I thought to myself...and then poor Shasta died, and he was innocent after all. And Inzil, who I never suspected, was the guilty one.

So, I think, based on yesterday's voting, that we can trust Nerwen?
What about poor Eonwe? IHe felt so suspicious yesterday, and yet, he did attempt to send the wolf to his doom, and the late vote, even if feigned, would surely have been placed elsewhere...wouldn't it?
So that leaves, as voters, Nogrod (Shasta) myself (Pitchwife) and Nessa (also Pitchwife).
Rikae and autume did not vote. What do we think of that?

[Nogrod]

Well at the moment I'd say we should not lynch Nerwen (that would have been a suicidal act from a fellow wolf) or Lalaith (as I have argued already yesterDay based on her voting when Fea was in trouble).

These I think valid deductions / points right now.

Of the others I'm not so sure... there seem to be points for and against. So this requires some thinking - and I'm on it.

Btw. Lalaith, did you see I got some of that Sauvignon Blanc there in the cold you were so much looking after yesterDay? But they produce pretty nice Pinot Noirs at Sancerre region as well, you should try once...

[Lalaith]

*giggle, sip*
Ah well. It's good to be able to laugh at a time like this....

[Rikae]

I would say "if only I would have had the presence of mind to vote, all this unnecessary bloodshed could have been averted" but since I would have probably voted for Pitchwife, it's a good thing I didn't. Still, I'm tempted to vote right now just to avoid missing another deadline, but that would be completely unhelpful. I'll try to recall how everyone here interacted with the dead wolves as soon as I possibly can, and perhaps I can redeem myself.

[Nogrod]

Voting Day2


Lalaith for Pitchwife
Going with her Eönwë – Pitchwife –theory (them questioning McCaber’s believability and defending mutually as she says), choosing Pitchwife; after giving a reasonable sounding benefit of doubt to Nessa and Shasta.

Shasta for Nogrod
Annoyed to say the least, retaliating for my questioning of him? Who knows… no actual reason given though. (He said later I had jumped on him, really trying to lynch him on Day1 - which a) is not true and b) looks more like guilty defence seeing attacks all around; sorry Shasta)

.52 Pitchwife for Inziladun
Because of his denying of twisting Shasta’s words, following Eönwë on Shasta, Boro’s sudden death, Eönwë & Inzil buddying up.

.54 Nessa for Pitchwife (2 votes and the lead)
His vote for Shasta on Day1 was not sitting right with her and he seemed to phrase things strangely like trying to drop hints.

.59 Inzil for Shasta
Disliking Shasta’s way of popping in and out and not helping “our cause”… :rolleyes:

.00 Nogrod for Shasta (2 votes and a shared lead)
Not willing to see Pitchwife lynched – and thinking McCaber at least to be around as he promised – so choosing Shasta for Inzil because the latter would be playing.

.00 Nerwen for Inzil (2 votes and a shared lead)
Well there actually wasn’t any clearly stated reason (but choosing between him and Pitchwife). She pointed to Inzil’s suspicious vote on Day1 earlier though.

(.01 Eönwë for Inzil – a tie-breaker, deleted
I think he just said something like “I’ll vote then too” or something in that.)

[Lalaith]

*passes over bottle of Captain Morgan* Look, the rum hasn't gone!

As for yourself, Ms Rikae, to say your lack of voting is unhelpful is understating things.
But counter-intuitively, it may speak for your innocence. From what I know of you on the Downs, I believe a wolfish Rikae would surely be more hands-on. But *shrugs* maybe I'm wrong. I've been wrong about a lot of things since I got here.

[Nogrod]

Okay, we're seven left and one of us is a cursed one.

Nessa Telrunya
Nogrod
autume98
Lalaith
Nerwen
Rikae
Eönwë

Of these I'd suggest - as I've done - we pull out for the time being both Nerwen and Lalaith because of their voting at crucial moments (if this continues for a few Days and they're alive I might change my mind with them but for now sure it woud be stupid to lynch either of them). Also knowing myself to be an innocent I'll drop myself from the list as well. That leaves me with the following list:

Nessa Telrunya
autume98
Rikae
Eönwë

I would bet quite a lot that our last wolf is to be found from that list. But who could it be?

I really would like to hear more from Rikae - and as a person I know well from the 'Downs I know she can make a difference in a tight spot. So I'd discourage lynching her as well - at least toDay - wishing to see what she could bring to our discussion if she finally got into it toDay.

Which would leave me Nessa (points for and against), Autume (basically nothing) and Eönwë (points for and against).

So that's what I'm going to look for toDay - unless the Day presents some other developements that look like more promising...

*Glances at Lalaith: Maybe some Mojitos' now, just to refresh our minds, any Havana Club there in the fridge?*

[Lalaith]

Hmmm...well the mint is quite dry and the limes not quite fresh, but hey, even if it wouldn't pass muster at Asia de Cuba, I'm sure we can rustle something up that's reasonably respectable...

I too am concerned about both Nessa and Autume...I can't find enough to exonerate them. But Eonwe, after his performance yesterday...could a wolf really behave like this?

I also am somewhat worried that I have been too complacent about you, friend Nogrod. But I am unlikely to vote for you today - it's when you stay alive too long that I will start to really worry, because an innocent Nogrod would soon be wolf-food, I fear.

And, as I have stated elsewhere, I must make up my mind soon.

[Nessa Telrunya]

Well, so far, here is what I gather on everyone.

Nogrod voted for Fea on Day 1. Of course, that wasn't really much because that was just about the only thing he could do, since McCaber had revealed himself as the seer and exposed Fea. On Day 2 he voted for Shasta. I don't recall him giving a reason at that exact time, but earlier, he expressed disapproval with Shasta's lack of producing information. I don't find him particularly suspicious, but he's not without moments.

autume98 has been very quiet. She gives her opinions, yes, but somehow manages to do so without really being conspicuous. Day 1, she voted for Eonwe, and if I recall she did not vote yesterDay. She had voiced a suspicion of Eonwe once again, though.

Lalaith did not vote on Day 1, if I'm correct. Unless there was no way for her to be able to voice her thoughts, that's rather going against her, especially after McCaber had claimed Fea to be a wolf. Day 2, she voted for Pitchwife, but didn't seem particularly unreasonable when she justified it.

Nerwen seems to pop up when she feels like it. She didn't vote on Day 1, whih sort of put her on the line. But yesterDay she effectively helped to get rid of a wolf, so I find it hard to speak against her.

Rikae has a wolfish feel to her. She was a non-voter on Day 1, and I've already stated how that looks to me. She didn't vote on Day 2 either, so I'm a little dubious about that. All she's really done so far is give opinions.

Eonwe doesn't look too good right now. On day one, he tied up the vote for Fea by voting McCaber. If he were a wolf, that would be a reasonable move, saving one of his fellows. YesterDay his vote came after the deadline, but he was going to vote for Inzil. If he were innocent, easy enough to interpret, but if he weren't, could voting right at the deadline be a ruse? I can't remember if his post were particularly long or not.

[Lalaith]

Lalaith did not vote on Day 1, if I'm correct.
I did, I voted quite early (before McCaber's reveal) and I voted for poor Shasta.

[Nogrod]

Sitting down in the familiar armchair Nogrod felt the impact of the extreme events and a few too many early drinks making him feel stunned... Maybe I just need a little nap...

But before falling into sleep he was awaken by a noise he wasn't aware where it came from. But anyway he was awake.

"Eönwë's "almost vote" for Inzil yesterDay is an enigma to me I admit. Now if he were his packmate - the last of them - would he have put himself into the spotlight like that? And why all this show toDay? I mean I'm tending to believe him more innocent than guilty right now, but for the show of it. My reason tells me that he should have not voted his mate in the last instance and then back off from it. He could have tens of nicer ways to go about that situation. Okay, something bothers me with it but I'd tend to think him right now more innocent than guilty.

Nessa's row with Fea on Day1 was an interesting one and a possible wolf-on-wolf - but also something an innocent might have done. Looking back it was the wolf-Inzil who pointed out Nessa's insistence that it was not a retaliation vote - which none of us had noticed. Maybe we should check that whether it was one of Inzil's schemings or whether it was for real (and he knew how they had fumbled with it). But anyway, yesterDay Nessa nicely "helped" Inzil giving Pitchwife a second vote after Inzil had gotten one putting him to a lead - and eventually to his death.

Autume I can't say anything about right now. I have thought she should be given the benefit of doubt here but we need to lok at her closer now...

EDIT: X'd again... how come we post in bursts like this all the time...

[Lalaith]

I've just gone and checked and it seems I misremembered, it wasn't quite early, it was only six minutes before deadline that I voted. Sorry about that.

[Nogrod]

Now don't make me suspect you Lalaith. I've already argued why you are an innocent... :confused:

You should remember when you voted. Even if it was I think as you said it was before McCaber's revealment - but just at the same minute or something...

[Lalaith]

Oh, don't worry, it was definitely before McCaber's reveal - I just got muddled between yesterday (when I did vote early) and the day before.

[Nogrod]

Too many Martinis? ;)

[Lalaith]

Probably....but I thought these were Mojitos? I know, the mint really is not what it could be...

But anyway, there seems little to go on as yet today and between those of us who are here, I think we have said it all...I will go up the stairs to my room now - as steadily as I can :smokin: - to rest as best I can. Strange that somewhere so familiar should also feel so sinister. I am haunted by the memories of our departed friends, blending into shades of Nienor, of Beren, of Carcaroth...*shudder*....still, I will have to make my decision quickly when I emerge, and then, as stated elsewhere, I will not be amongst you until after the final die is cast.

[Nogrod]

Nogrod tried to answer Lalaith pointing towards the earlier Days with the Martinis but felt too dizzy to do that in the end... too many Mojitos today... with bad mint. But he was aware of everything that went by... or should we say: aware of nothing that happened. It was silent. Too silent for him to stay awake.

He tried to stay alert but sleep was crawling up on him. He fought against it but finally it did overcome him.

"Nessa's suspicion of Rikae seems like an easy one, fishing for a case others might bite into that is...? I'd give Rikae a Day at least to really prove her qualities..." Nogrod mumbled just before falling asleep.

[Rikae]

Hm, yes, to be honest this is probably the only way anyone who knew me could be quite sure of my innocence. I would be ashamed to be such a lazy wolf, and even more so to use it as a strategy. It probably makes it unfairly easy for those who know me at all to tell what my role is (but perhaps by saying all this in the open, I've complicated things a bit).

I feel very uncertain about any judgments I might try to make, though, because so many of our companions here aren't familiar to me from the 'downs at all. Well, to go back over what I remember...

[Rikae]

autume: refers to following Fea's lead in cleaning up. Yes, this is meaningless, but everything else she said was (no offense, it's to be expected to some extent from a newbie) Captain Obvious commentary.
Lalaith: Has been serving alcohol and acting pleasant – which is in itself suspicious.
Eonwe: was actually the one who said this about Shasta: “Maybe he's running away because he's afraid of the blood. Or maybe he's afraid of getting caught. Or maybe he's trying to cover up his Night bloodlust with the feigned fear of blood. Either way, he seemed in a hurry to go, wouldn't you say? Mighty suspicious if you ask me.” to which Inzil replied “I'd say either of the above could be correct. A wolf faking a fear of blood would be a cunning tactic this early on.”


Such utter silliness on both their parts I was tempted to ignore it, but they both seem to take it quite seriously. Not that Inzil's taking Eonwe's silly accusation seriously makes them co-conspirators automatically, but the easier (and more reasonable looking) thing for wolf-Inzil to do with an innocent Eonwe's weird comment would be to turn it against Eonwe, not agree with it.


Eonwe also made the faux-seer comment “Maybe something will come to me in my sleep.”. Not that this could not have been done innocently, too (I did something similar myself, figuring it might get the wolves off the trail, before McCaber's reveal), but this is also part of a post where Eonwe doges Pitchwife's criticism and, basically, excuses himself from the discussion – the sort of thing a wolf under pressure might be quite tempted to do.
Eonwe's attempts to understand Fea's supposed “hint” about Inzil look genuine and innocent,though.


Nogrod: Did quite a bit of rambling-and-ranting-without-offering-real-suspicions on Day 1. Then again, that does suit what I know of his personality. Did some arguing with Inzil on Day 1 (and vice versa), but nothing very intense, could well be wolf-on-wolf. On Day one, called Fea creepy and lumped Inzil with Eonwe and Pitchwife as “talking, and that's good”


Nessa and Nerwen were suggested by Fea as “solid options” for lynching on Day 1, but I doubt she would have thought, were one of them a wolf, that she was putting them in any serious danger with it. Quite the contrary, actually – really mentioned in passing.
Nessa, like Autume, has done quite a bit of stating the obvious, and Nerwen (like yours truly) has been largely MIA. If one of them is a wolf, there is really nothing to go on – it's a shot in the dark (which isn't really a fair way to win, if such a wolf does). Nessa and Fea's votes for each other on Day 1 – well, I've discussed it before, really, it could be anything.


...back with thoughts on Day 2...

[Rikae]

After thinking it over a bit, I find myself agreeing with Nog on the choices for toDay's vote (excepting myself, believe it or not) - meh, this just sounds like I'm going along for the ride, but others have at least partial alibis of some kind by now - Nessa, Eonwe and Autume. I have my doubts regarding Eonwe's hesitation to kill Inzil looking innocentish. Autume, at one point, referred to "the wolf" when there were three, and I don't know her well enough to judge whether she's feign ignorance like that... must think some more...

[Rikae]

I am the secret cobbler. That is to say, I ate the cursed apple cobbler for dessert, and I am supposed to help the wolves to win, for the amusement of our hostess - who is, incidentally, undead.

Lynch me. Please.