TIG XCIII - Betrayal at Henneth Annûn (Game thread)

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

It seems this particular Ranger is a popular choice. Not that it would do you any good to lynch me, as you're like to find out if you do.

Gal, what are you?

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

He does indeed, in every possible sense of the word. Kidding aside, I think I said so in the Admin thread - makes it easier to count votes for my old short-sighted eyes.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

Gal, what are you?

Galadriel55, Galadriel, Gal, Gal55, Galadriwolf, Galwolfriel, Wolf55, Nilpadriel, Galwurstiel, the lad lass, you there with a 55, probably something else as well...

[Pitchwife]

DL. Silentium.

[Pitchwife]

The way this first Day of the Rangers’ trial began, Faramir’s stern words might as well have been spoken to the wind. Loslote seemed to think the nomenclature of fruit more important than finding the enemies hidden among them. Shasta showed off his strength by breaking a chain. Boromir chid Galadriel for her excessive use of emoticons*, then proceeded to recount his impressions of a story told in moving pictures (such as the Eldar are said to conjure up by their enchanting art) which he claimed to have seen and which purportedly told of the adventures of a crimson headdress. The cavern of Henneth Annûn seemed to have turned into a madhouse.

“What has happened to you?” barked grumpy old Nogrod, a veteran of many raids. “Have the evil servants made a spell and turned everyone into toddlers in a sandbox?” Disgusted by the indignity that had taken possession of the Rangers, he turned away and wasn’t heard again for a long time.

Thus called to order, the Rangers pulled themselves together, and the trial began in earnest. Boromir accused Aganzir of using a classic trick of Black Númenóreans, which led to some controversial discussion but no result.

“Galadriel seems jumpy,” observed Loslote. “It makes me think she has something to hide.”

“I haven’t,” said Galadriel, “and I’m not jumpy!”

“Yes you are,” said Aganzir, “and I said that first, by the way.” She took a spear and pricked Galadriel, who cried “Ouch!” and made a startled little jump.

“See?” said Pomegranate. “You’re jumpy!”

“Only because she pricked me!”

“Now you’re being overly defensive”, said Loslote. “A clear sign of guilt.” She picked up another spear and pricked Galadriel again.

“Stop doing that!” cried Galadriel. "It hurts!"

“She’s trying to stop us discussing her,” said Shasta. “I’d do that myself if I was a Black Númenórean.” He took up a third spear and joined the pricking.

“But none of this is very incriminating,” Rune objected. “What about Bom over there? He hasn’t done anything helpful all day.”

“Attacking me for lack of content?” said Bom. “That’s odd. Maybe you’re a spy yourself?”

Greenie agreed with Rune that Gal didn’t look like a servant of Sauron and said she wouldn’t mind executing Loslote instead. But when the hour of judgment came, the majority held Galadriel guilty.

“Pithwivion’s ghost demands blood!” exclaimed Shasta and drove the first spear into her, followed by Loslote a split second later.

“It won’t do you any good to lynch me,” protested Galadriel, blood bubbling on her lips from her pierced lungs, “as you’re likely to find out.” But she had hardly finished when Aganzir stabbed her with the third spear.

“I want to live!” cried Galadriel, her breath failing. “You want to live too!”

It was too late. Inziladun thrust the fourth and final spear into her heart, and she collapsed on the floor.

Holding their breath, the Rangers waited for the change that would reveal Galadriel’s true face. But nothing happened. Neither did they find any sign on her body when they examined the corpse. They searched her belongings, hoping for something else that would confirm her guilt, but only found a fine longsword of the best Dwarven steel which Galadriel had kept wrapped in a spare cloak.

"So that's what she was hiding!" somebody said. “Why didn’t she wear it on her? She might have used it to defend herself!”

“That blade was to protect you, not to hurt you,” said a ghostly voice that sounded like their dead comrade Pithwivion’s.

One after another, the Rangers’ faces turned pale as ashes as they realized they had slain their Night Guardian. Nobody would stand between them and Sauron’s assassins now.
______________________________________

*Quenya emóticon, correct plural emoticonti: technical term for a special class of tehtar used in some of the arcaner tengwar modes.

__________________________________________________ _____________

IT IS NOW NIGHT 2. Black Númenoreans, choose your kill. Faramir, choose your dream. Mablung and Damrod, you may talk. Everybody else, good night.

DEAD
Pitch (Mod) - pushed over the edge Night 1
Gal55 (Anborn) – pricked to death Day 1

ALIVE
Agan
Greenie
Bom
Boro
Glirdan
Inzil
Lottie
Nog
Nate
Rune
sally
Shasta

[Pitchwife]

Deep in the Night, when the other Rangers had finally managed to find some slumber, three figures rose stealthily and looked around them.

“The sleeping spell I have cast holds them firmly,” said one of them. “Nothing will wake them until Daylight.”

“It has gone well for us so far,” said another. “Better even than we could have expected.”

“Yes,” said the third, “the Great Eye will look fondly on us.”

It was then that they noticed that one of the cots was empty.

“Ah, him,” said the first Black Númenórean. “Up and about, is he? I think our choice for toNight has just been made for us.”

The second nodded. “Yes, he needs to be taken care of anyway. He is one of the few who might talk some sense into these pathetic Rangers.”

“But where can he have gone?” wondered the third.

“I think I know,” said the first. “Come!”

* * *

Nogrod had gone outside to smoke a pipe of sweet galenas, as was his wont. They found him sitting on a rock near the waterfall, puffing smoke rings and looking at the moon. When he heard their footsteps approaching, he turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“I did not expect you to come for me so early,” he said calmly. “I have barely said a word yesterDay.”

“And we have come to make sure it stays this way,” said the leader of the Black Númenóreans. At a gesture from him, his two accomplices seized Nogrod and held him so fast he could not move when their leader picked the pipe from his mouth.

“This weed is bad for you”, said the sorcerer, sniffing with a wrinkled nose. “No true servant of Annatar would consume it. Besides, you can die from it, did you know? As you will find out now.”

* * *

When the cavern lit up with Daylight, the Rangers awoke from dreams of blood and guilt. They soon discovered that Nogrod’s cot had not been slept in.

They didn’t have to search very long, but soon found him just outside the cavern, near the waterfall, lying dead on a slab of rock, his mouth gaping. When they examined the corpse, they found that his tongue was missing, and his pipe had been jammed down his throat.

“Is that supposed to be a pun?” said sally. “Wind-pipe? Abominable.”

It took them longer to find Nogrod’s tongue, which was nowhere on or near his body. But suddenly Greenie cried out in shock.

“What is it?” asked the others. “What have you found?”

She showed them Nogrod’s tobacco pouch. “It must have fallen out of his pocket when we moved the corpse,” she explained. “Look what’s inside.”
__________________________________________________ _____________

DAY 2 HAS BEGUN. Stop all PMing and let the trial continue.

DEAD
Pitch (Mod) - pushed over the edge Night 1
Gal55 (Anborn) – pricked to death Day 1
Nog (ordo) - silenced with a pipe down his windpipe on Night 2

ALIVE
Agan
Greenie
Bom
Boro
Glirdan
Inzil
Lottie
Nate
Rune
sally
Shasta

[Pomegranate]

Touching, this is, the loss of Nogrod. Peace to his soul.

Now, we need to continue searching for the merciless killers. To be honest, because I was so ashamed after all the praises I got of being a good first-timer and then missing the deadline of the voting, I felt the need to concentrate and build up something. So I've got a list, which has the who-votes-for-who and other observations.

A Little Green votes for Lottie because of her sudden jump when she (supposedly) realised she was following Agan’s lead. Stays on this point rather a long while. Believes Agan and Boro innocent. Believes also Bom and G55 innocent. Comments on Rune’s opportunism, but doesn’t take that any further. Doesn’t want to vote for Agan or G55 because they are easy first day lynches.

Rune Son of Bjarne voted for Bom because of unconstructiveness. Does not believe in Boro’s theory about Aganzir, not enough anyway to vote for her, and actually says they both seem innocent. Does suspect G55 but not enough to vote for her, either. Goes after the unconstructive. I noticed Rune has a lot of allies (people he has a good feeling about, and this is mutual), most striking of which is Lottie, of whom he says “What she says seems reasonable” “she voices some concerns that I share” (see Lottie as well). Similar, though less obvious, mutual trust with Shasta and Inzil. Begs for constructiveness but actually himself mainly comments what others have found out by declaring it not suspicious enough, without new ideas, and giving his vote based on unconstructiveness, leaving doors open as Greenie said.

satansaloser2005 voted for Bom because of his ‘revenge vote’ for Rune, after asking from everyone the opinion whether she should vote for G55 or Bom. Sally has actually said nothing beneficial, nothing in any way actually related to suspicions (except her comment on the revenge vote, which was that one sentence and then led to a vote). In her vote she went with the two popular suspects (or I guess Bom wasn’t that much of a suspect than just questioned for his lack of contribution). Hard to believe this is because of the lack of time, because her total number of posts is big – they just don’t have any points in them.

Bom Tombadillo voted for Rune because of his vote. Is, as was mentioned, unconstructive, though defends it in his first post by saying he has not enough time to follow. Suspects vaguely Shasta, though mostly feeling-based, and doesn’t comment that any further.

Loslote votes for G55 because of her jumpiness and her being around and giving the impression of contributing. Actually comes up with own points about G55. On Rune: “I like what Rune says. His reasoning is clear and makes sense - plus I agree with a lot of it.” (see Rune)

Shastanis Althreduin votes for G55 for her habit of trying to move the conversation away from herself. This is the only observation she makes. Says she won’t vote for Rune, saying she agrees with what he said without further defining why.

Inziladun votes for G55 because she seems more suspicious than Lottie. Against Lottie she didn’t actually say anything until that point. Doesn’t suspect Boro or Agan. Makes a list, with not a lot of observations, mainly commenting on Bom’s and Sally’s unconstructiveness and the innocent or unclear feeling about anyone else. Comments there, though, the suspiciousness of G55. Trusts Rune, though only in an overall pretty trusting list.

Glirdan doesn’t vote, and doesn’t contribute. In his case this does seem like lack of time, so it’s hard to see him as either innocent or BN. Doesn’t suspect Boro or Agan. Hoping he becomes more active, so there’s something to say about him.

And then there is Aganzir, who voted for G55 because of the same reasons as everyone else, and
Boromir88, who didn’t vote because of a medical emergency (even if not his own, hope Max is all right). To be honest, I don’t feel like I have a lot of new things to add to the analysis of their conversation, which lasted the whole of the last day. Agan made a list, putting in things people actually said, Boro used it as a bait to get reactions, it worked. From what it seems, these both are pretty typical ways of acting to these players.

Gee, that was a lot of bolding. So I guess my personal main observations from that list are Rune and his allies and his pretty non-substantial and pretty objective posting (though far from sally and Bom, but they have been mentioned before and at least they don't accuse others for their own sins). Also it feels like Greenie accuses Rune of being an opportunist in kiiping the doors open, then realises that she's doing the same, picks up her so far pretty non-pressed argument against Lottie and sticks to it for quite a while.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

We seem to have different ideas about what is constructive in a game of werewolf. I would never demand of people that they produce highly original and substantial posts on day1, but I do expect a minimum of effort and seriousness.

Anyways, I think you produced a nice post to get this day going.