Tol-in-Gaurhoth revisited (aka Werewolf 2)

[The Barrow-Wight]

The mason emptied his umpteenth mug and mumbled blearily, “It is late, and there is no way I will be up early enough to cast a last-minute vote, so I will vote now. Please do not use me as an example of leadership. My vote, like all others here tonight, is completely uneducated and ultimately random in nature.”

He slammed his mug down onto the dirty table. “ Well, not totally random. My vote is actually based almost entirely upon my dislike of long expositions built upon shoddy evidence. It is additionally affected by my desire to avoid reading long passages of convoluted accusations.”

He raised his ale and shouted, “++ the phantom seems pretty sneaky to me! Somebody prove me wrong!”

[Holbytlass]

I'm sorry, but he who casts the first stone....
++FORDIM

[Ainaserkewen]

++FORDIM

[the phantom]

Well, it seems that Fordy's demise is inevitable now. I hope we are right, though if we are wrong I don't lament my vote one tiny bit seeing as I literally had no choice (the other option was me).

If he turns out to be a werewolf, think better of me.

I suppose I would if he does turn out to be a wolf.

If not, then you move to the top of my suspect list.

++ Fordim Hedgethistle

[Anguirel]

Another loud anvil whack interrupts precedings...

Now, I ken many o' ye are turning on the shepherd lad, Fordim. I ken that if'n I defend him and I gang wrong, ye'll be wailing for string me up, and little guid will it dae ye.

But to my mind, there be some what are using their tongues more slyly to urge us to the gibbet. Alas that such a dark day has dawned, and a crimson night is to fall. But if ye recall, twas the farmer's wifie that said:

"The avenging has to start somewhere and I fear for you, Fordim because of your boldness and vote, The Phantom and you are on the chopping block. Each of us has to decide where to place our vote.
As you have pointed out, no one else is really going to come forward with compelling evidence to put a third person (or themselves) on the block."

Well, I have it in mind to break that wifie's mould. Those who direct the flow of anger and wrath can be as dangerous as those who provoke it. Mistress Holbytlass jumps on a cause and tries to cloud our eyes from other culprits. Though Fordim has acted foolishly, and his fate is almost certainly sealed, I cast my vote for ++ Holbytlass. And part of me dreads lest I be right, and she come for my flesh in the small hours. Though if'n she does...I'll be ready for her.

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

I haven't said almost anything during this deadful day and for a reason. I was afraid that my vote should lead to the death of an innocent for neither my heart nor brain could tell me, who was speaking the truth. But now I see that the decision has been made without me. Alas, my vote has no value in it (or maybe it's a good thing) but I have no reason to start to argue against the majority. With that I must cast my vote for ++ Fordim Hedgethistle.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I go inside for a few hours to inspect my new purchase (Gondorian robes, since you ask) and find that you lot have already voted to lynch our good Fordim? What is this madness?

Nothing to go on? O I beg to differ. Fordim was an easy target for the rushed and the naive. Yes, he put his neck out and was willing to take the spotlight in order to coax those devilish wolves. However, this seems like very lame evidence. And realise please that I am not for one minute accusing the phantom at this time. I just see this as one of the silliest lynchings ever (although there was this one time in Rhun, o my....I'll tell you about it sometime).

Remember that the phantom and Fea have the perfect pretext for a defence. I'm not accusing either of the two, I'm just saying that this marriage is not really an adequate counter. Of course anyone would blindly defend a partner, but we cannot look too deeply into it.

I have a couple of suspects, but Fordim is not among them. If we find out that he is a werewolf then I take a bow to you all, and thank the stars above for helping our village. But I warn you of this: you have decided to lynch a man and I cannot understand why.

Because I still fear the wolves greatly, if I am to go tonite, please remember my thoughts on Fordim.

Now let us see, and hope that you have chosen wisely.

[The Saucepan Man]

The village was decided. The sheep-shearer would die. After all, the killings had started with sheep and cattle and his hut was nearest to the fields. And sheap-shearing was similar to chicken plucking, wasn’t it? Well, near enough as to make no difference. He had to be one of them. Didn’t he?

Fordim Hedgethistle faced the angry mob, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. As they advanced on him, he drew forth his great shears and brandished them at all who dared approach.

“I am no Werewolf!” he cried. “I am an innocent man!”

“What about Oddwen?” shouted one of the Villagers, “Why don’t you tell her about it?”

“Yes, we’ve suspected you for the longest time,” said another.

“Aye. We didn’t start the fire. You did!” added a third.

“Er - yes - I never liked him. Ever since he - um - married that uptown girl,” muttered a fourth, weakly.

“Enough Joel-ity,” cried the first. “Let’s lynch him!”

As the mob flew at Fordim, he swung his shears about wildly. Several villagers were injured in the ensuing tussle, but their numbers were too great for the suspected Werewolf. Eventually, he was overwhelmed and subdued. Caught up in the frenzy and angered by the wounds inflicted by Fordim, it did not occur to the Villagers that, were he a Werewolf, he might have transformed into a beast the better to defend himself.

In no time, the tall sheep-shearer was bound and led to the sturdy gallows built by the sturdy stonemason. Calm once more, he stared at the crowd impassively.

“Soon my innocence will be proved,” he said. “And you will see that I acted only with the Village’s best interests at heart.”

The noose was placed around his neck and the lever pulled. The Villagers crowded forward, eager to have their suspicions proved right. But there was only a brief struggle and a dreadful crack as Fordim’s neck snapped.

It seemed that Fordim Hedgethistle was nothing more than an innocent Villager after all …

Living:
Anguirel
Feanor of the Peredhil
Holbytlas
Eomer of the Rohirrim
The Barrow-Wight
the phantom
Encaitare
Ainaserkewen
dancing spawn of ungoliant
Son of Númenor
Nimrodel_9

Dead:
Oddwen (Villager) - slaughtered, plucked and trussed like a chicken on Night 1
Fordim Hedgethistle (Villager) – lynched and hung in a flurry of bad Billy Joel puns on Day 1

Score:
Werewolves: 3
Villagers: 8

NIGHT 2 has now started. It will end in 24 hours’ time (10.30AM GMT tomorrow), or earlier if all night-time notifications are received by me before then.

[Holbytlass]

Thank you, Eomer, for seeing this as it is, a set-up.
Anguirel suspected me because he thought I was 'directing the flow of anger and wrath. he used my own words against me

Originally Posted by Anguirel

But if ye recall, twas the farmer's wifie that said:

"The avenging has to start somewhere and I fear for you, Fordim because of your boldness and vote, The Phantom and you are on the chopping block. Each of us has to decide where to place our vote.
As you have pointed out, no one else is really going to come forward with compelling evidence to put a third person (or themselves) on the block."

(post56)
But what he left out was "And I am scared of the possibilty of both being innocent".(post20)
So why did I say that in the first place? It was in response to Fordim's question of why we should wait (post19). I suggested waiting because Fordim was so quick to accuse and vote for Phantom and wanted all of us to do the same. I wanted to here from everyone first(post14).
I know this will be hard to believe, but I didn't suspect Ang as being a werewolf trying to come after me even before his death proved his innocence. This is why...
He only heard part of what I said, AND he was mistaken about what Phantom said about the mason, Barrow-wight (post17,18,21). What I suspected was that he might have tinnitus. Lay-men's term it is called 'ringing in the ears'. That is an occupational hazard for a black-smith. The healer, Feanor, might be able to back me up on this, but maybe not on account of patient/healer confidentiality.
All I ask is for every one to read in full all I said, before putting my head through the noose.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Wow... Quite frankly, I wasn't sure if Fordim was guilty or not, but given the "evidence" that was available when I was compelled to leave, I had to vote for him. It was either him or the phantom, who I saw no compelling evidence at all against.

Now Anguirel is gone, and I'm relieved that he was no wolf, but I'm quite afraid now that we've no guardian.

The one, much as it swashbuckles me to say, that I currently suspect most, is Eomer of the Rohirrim. Also, Aina and dancing spawn have my eye on them. It's quite a lucky chance that I've three eyes, to keep tabs on these villagers.

I'm not saying they are guilty, no, not by any means, but I'm certainly saying that they bear watching. As do we all, quite frankly, but Aina's hasty vote (with no corresponding comments), Eomer's suspicious lack of enthusiastic posting, and dancing spawn's voting once a clear majority had been reached tweak my nerve.