TIG XCIV– WHere the Stars Are Strange (Game thread)

[Shastanis Althreduin]

However, I didn't even consider a double-lynch idea. That would solve the conundrum quite nicely. Who's left to vote? Can we pull it off?

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Well, I encourage everyone to think about it quite hard. I'm going to bed - I can't keep my eyes open. Given my aberrant schedule, though, I may be back awake again before DL. We'll see.

Good luck in any case!

[Thinlómien]

Ugh. My lecture starts in 50min an I'm still at Nog's so I can't write any novels and I Ion't be back before DL most likely (my lecture ends 15min before it).

So:

I believe Steve, I see no reason for him to lie, although I was concerned about false reveals when I first thought of the acolyte. In the unlikely case he's bluffing, we lynch him toMorrow and either way we get a wolf either toDay or toMorrow.

++Nogrod

Steve being the seer kind of explains his attack on him nicely, and lately monsieur Nog has not been making much sense. Hats off to fooling me very nicely, though, Noggie!

Btw having had the same suspicious of Eönwë, not suspicious of Nog attitude as Legate I can relate with his initial disbelief of the seer reveal, but that he actually sticked to it after a few seconds of thinking is weird. I don't see why a wolf would not side with the seer though, arguing like this looks really foolhardy. Then again Legate was totally weird with his insistence about revealing the dreams etc... Brain hurts.

Also when/if Nog turns out to be a wolf, Boro and Gal will look a lot better. Assuming I'm alive toMorrow means I will need to do a lot of rethinking. Until then!

[Thinlómien]

Okay one more thing I forgot:

Why do so many people think Zil's the acolyte? Did I miss something?

Also, Shasta, I very much doubt the acolyte can kill every Night, it would make this into very unbalanced game.

ToMorrow I will need to think about Shasta's crazy double-lynch plan and what it makes him, but now I don't have the time, I should be leaving in 15min. Bye, folks!

[Pitchwife]

Oops, that changes things quite a bit. I'm trusting Eönwë's dream - in part because it explains the single-minded, aggressive way he's gone after Nog toDay, but mostly because it would be suicide for him if Nog turned out innocent, and I know he's too clever for that.

That said, I don't see Legate's initial reluctance to fall out of his chair trusting Eönwë as suspicious, but rather a point in his favour. Has everybody forgotten that for all we know, the Acolyte may get dreams as well and, whether xe works with the wolves or on their own, is by all evidence not on our side?

That's not saying Eönwë can't be our genuine seer, of course, but the possibility that he's something else should at least be considered - unless of course you know he's not the Acolyte; which makes me have worrisome thoughts about Zil's eagerness to accept his reveal.

But whatever Eönwë is, it doesn't change the fact that he'd be mad to claim a false dream. Therefore, for toDay:

++Nog


(EDIT: x-ed with two Legates)

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Oops, that changes things quite a bit. I'm trusting Eönwë's dream - in part because it explains the single-minded, aggressive way he's gone after Nog toDay, but mostly because it would be suicide for him if Nog turned out innocent, and I know he's too clever for that.

Indeed. That determinedness was basically (see above) what made me reconsider him. Obviously, it's an awkward thing, but he really had been very strongly going after Nog - and a Wolf wouldn't be as consistent, I believe.

Has everybody forgotten that for all we know, the Acolyte may get dreams as well and, whether xe works with the wolves or on their own, is by all evidence not on our side?

Very good point. In fact, I haven't even thought about that (the initial impression was simply that it is a fake - and very badly made - revelation to save own skin and lull the Seer out), but certainly the point about not trusting everything I see immediately as face value is also there.

With the Acolyte, we are, it seems to me, operating also under the paranoid notion (supported by the mysterious Night narration) that Acolyte is something sinister and evil; maybe it is, but we can't know for sure. We might toDay also get the narration like "...and the Acolyte prevented a Wolf-lynch" or something (okay, this example in particular is unlikely, but might be e.g. the Acolyte can kill a person one Night, dream a person another Night, based on what allegiance he chooses or whatnot, and then do something with it... etc etc etc etc...) Or, what would be really brilliant role (but rather horrible) would be something like "Each Night, you dream of a person, you don't learn anything, you don't even assume its role in the strict sense, but the Mod determines randomly what you do based on the role of the person - e.g. you dream of Ranger, you randomly protect a person and it will be reflected in the narration. You dream of a Wolf, you push a random person - e.g. Eruhen - out of the window... now try to figure out for yourself how this system works and do about it what you will."

Okay, that's sort of strange... but you at least probably get the general idea. It's just an idea, anyway.

That said, I still don't believe the Acolyte kills every Night. (If at all, anyway.)

Might also be that Acolyte has some special abilities and then has something like "By Day 3, you need to pick your allegiance - until then you can do whatever you wish, but after that, you cannot change it." (If that were so, I'd strongly urge the Acolyte to be a nice guy/girl and join the village.)

[Nogrod]

You servants of evil: die!

For Gondor!



Well,it was fun as long as it lasted...

[Nerwen]

Much of the talk that day was of Rikae, and of how the spies could have managed to get the better of one so formidable, but after that the discussion turned to the strange death of Eruhen. Overnight many had been wondering if the eunuch's self-immolation had really been what it seemed, and by midday the "murder" school of thought definitely prevailed. The culprit, it was decided, had to be the mysterious Acolyte. However, no one had any idea what to do about this new threat, nor yet any clear idea who the spies might be. A sense of weary hopelessness settled over the gathering.

At first everyone cheered up when the Fool capered in, singing and waving his fantastical clown-head staff, but soon it became apparent that his humour was of an all-too-topical kind.

"I say, I say! When is a camel-merchant not a camel-merchant? When he's really a spy a disguise!"

"I don't get it," said Treasurer Inziladun, frowning and tugging at his long grey beard. "Comedy has certainly changed since I was a lad! There's something vague and unsettling about it."

"This Fool," said the Legate from the East, narrowing his eyes, "is making a camel out of a midget, as we say in Khand. If anything, that sounds like an attempt to frame up a person."

A Little Green nodded. "The Legate more or less said what I meant to say. I think it's time my serpents took a nibble of Eönwë."

"It's a pity we're not back home," said Pitchwife wistfully, "so he could be made to walk the plank."

"YesterDay," said Lommy, the Royal Physician, "I didn't see where all the suspicion against him was coming from. ToDay, I can quite see it. What, by all the gods, was that attack against Nogrod?"

"Abracadabra!" yelled Lottie, producing a small shower of green sparks and a much larger cloud of smoke that set everyone to coughing. "Yes, my divining spell proves it. Eeeeeeeeeeeevil!"

"All right, that's it!" The jester threw down his staff and flung his cap to the floor in a jingle of tiny bells. "I was a fool indeed to try and help you barbarians, and I'll be a fool no more!" He stripped off his gaily-coloured motley. Beneath, he was garbed entirely in black– except for the crimson Eye on his chest. "Yes! I am the Envoy of Mordor! My Master has granted me the ability to see into the hearts of Men– and I tell you Nogrod is a wolf, a northern spy, a vile plotter!"

"He's bluffing!" Nogrod protested. "He's a spy himself! Kill him!"

But of the company only the Legate of Khand supported him, saying that Eönwë's story was full of gaps and holes, and that he didn't trust any Northerner, or anyone who would trust one, for that matter. (Here he directed a stern look at Inziladun, who had been the first to support the alleged Envoy.)

Nogrod continued to argue even as he was bound for execution. "Look, even if– just for the sake of argument– I was, in fact, a spy– ha! ha!– it's more important to get rid of the Acolyte before he murders us all in our sleep. And by the Acolyte I mean Zil! Zil the Acolyte! He killed Eruhen!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Zil. "Still, I'd rather you lynch me than the Envoy, if the worst comes to the worst."

"You see? Only the Acolyte would say that, you Acolyte!"

"Whatever Nogrod may be, he's right about the Acolyte." Guard-lieutenant Shasta, who had been silent for most of the day, suddenly spoke up. "We could lynch them both, just to be on the safe side, and let the gods sort it out."

Legate of Khand was struck by the idea, but the rest of the company thought it too risky, and were more interested in dreaming up a suitable means of executing Nogrod. Finally they decided to force-feed him vast amounts of his own (very inferior) coffee, a punishment they deemed harsh enough even for one of the wolf-hearted Northerners.

As the massive dose of caffeine took effect, Nogrod's whole body trembled and he went into convulsions so violent that some among the onlookers thought the ropes would snap under the strain

A wild laugh broke from his lips. "You servants of evil: die! For Gondor!"

He lay still a moment, sucking in harsh, desperate breaths of air, then whispered, "Well, it was fun as long as it lasted..."

With a final spasm, Nogrod died.

The spirit had barely fled from his body when that body itself began to change, features blurring and shifting, skin becoming pale as milk. Even the blank dead eyes turned from brown to the same eerie grey as the Envoy's. It was no Haradian merchant who lay dead before them, but one of the hated Men of Gondor!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Living
Boromir88 –Wealthy mûmak breeder.
Sally –Messenger girl.
Galadriel55 –Professional assassin.
Shasta –Particularly attentive guard-lieutenant.
Steve –Court Jester (from Umbar).
Pomegranate –Entertainer.
A Little Green –The Empress's favourite snake-charmer.
Pitchwife –Captain in the "Provisional Royal Númenórean Navy" and emissary of Angamaitë IX, Lord of Umbar.
Lottie –Accident-prone sorcerer's apprentice.
Inziladun –Minister of the Treasury.
Lommy! –Court physician.
Legate of Amon Lanc –Legate of Khand.

Dead
The Empress of Harad. Mod. –assassinated in her sleep.
Bom Tombadillo –Greatly afflicted beggar. Ordo. –multiple stab wounds.
Eruhen –Court eunuch. Ordo. –burned to death on the Empress's funeral pyre.
Rikae –Empress's handmaiden. Royal Executioner. –garotted with own wire.
Nogrod –Camel and coffee trader. Spy. –poisoned with own merchandise.

It is now Night Three.

[Nerwen]

Dark was the mood of the three spies that night as they climbed the staircase that led to the Envoy's quarters.

"I care not what happens to us now," one muttered, speaking for them all, "as long as I see the blood of that accursed sorcerer!"

As they neared the landing that was their goal, they were most encouraged to see that the Envoy's door was unguarded.

"Odd, this. Magician or not, I'd say he's too confident for his own good–"

"The Envoy," said a voice behind them, "is defended better than you think." Galadriel55, the assassin, stepped into the pool of flickering light cast by one of the torches that lined the stairwell. "Shall I slay you now, Northern devils? Or will your craven souls, lusting after a few more hours of life, tempt you to surrender, that you may be led to execution tomorrow?" The light flashed on the long, sharp blade of her dagger. "Which is it to be?"

"Neither. It is you we shall slay, barbarian!" they said, drawing their own weapons.

"By Elbereth!" said one. "Is it to be only women we kill, though? Doesn't seem right..."

"A woman? Say rather, a fiend. You saw what she did to those slaves, didn't you? And she played full part in poor Nogrod's killing," replied another grimly. "Tonight the assassin shall be assassinated! For Gondor!"

"For the Empress!" shrieked Galadriel55.

Like Rikae before her, Galadriel fought with the savagery of a true fanatic. Her blade did the work of three, flashing and whirling in a deadly dance of steel. Outnumbered though she was, it seemed she might yet prove more than a match for the three spies. Then one of them managed to lunge past her guard, gashing her across the shoulder. It was not, in itself, a mortal wound, but the shock of it sent the blade spinning from her hand. Worse, it made her lose her precarious footing on the edge of the step.

The assassin teetered for a moment, arms flailing, then with a scream fell backwards and crashed down the stairs, to lie sprawled and motionless at the bottom.

The three made their way down gingerly, half-afraid she was merely shamming, but they need not have worried. Galadriel's broken neck was bent almost at right angles to her body, though she was so newly dead that the blood still ran from her wound.

"Wait, that's funny," said one of the spies, bending for a closer look.

The rip in the black cloth of the assassin's robe revealed another layer of clothing beneath– this one a brilliant scarlet, embroidered on the shoulder with a design in gold thread.

Bloody though it was, they had no difficulty in recognising the triple serpent insignia of the Captain of the Guard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Living
Boromir88 –Wealthy mûmak breeder.
Sally –Messenger girl.
Shasta –Particularly attentive guard-lieutenant.
Steve –Court Jester (from Umbar).
Pomegranate –Entertainer.
A Little Green –The Empress's favourite snake-charmer.
Pitchwife –Captain in the "Provisional Royal Númenórean Navy" and emissary of Angamaitë IX, Lord of Umbar.
Lottie –Accident-prone sorcerer's apprentice.
Inziladun –Minister of the Treasury.
Lommy! –Court physician.
Legate of Amon Lanc –Legate of Khand.

Dead
The Empress of Harad. Mod. –assassinated in her sleep.
Bom Tombadillo –Greatly afflicted beggar. Ordo. –multiple stab wounds.
Eruhen –Court eunuch. Ordo. –burned to death on the Empress's funeral pyre.
Rikae –Empress's handmaiden. Royal Executioner. –garotted with own wire.
Nogrod –Camel and coffee trader. Spy. –poisoned with own merchandise.
Galadriel55 –Professional assassin. Captain of the Guard. –neck broken in stairwell fight.

Day Three has begun.

[A Little Green]

A dead wolf is gloating next to me. I find that disturbing.