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

[Nerwen]

Sorry, wolves – I was trying to get a balance between making the game winnable for the Acolyte, without making it impossible for whatever side she *didn't* choose, but I think I erred on the side of the first. I just never expected Lommy would get the whole village on side so easily once she came out.

[A Little Green]

You're kidding me. Pitch? Honestly? You were the one I was quite positive wasn't a wolf. Anyway, kudos to you 4, you did an amazing job! As well as kudos to our two Seers who more or less swung the game for us - I don't think we'd have stood a chance against a wolf pack of Nog-Boro-Shasta-Pitch!

[Nerwen]

"This is nothing but a great opportunity for the village, " said Inziladun, when it was found that Lommy had, by some mysterious agency, survived the night. "Now, if only we had some idea of who the spies might be..."

"Here. Let me help you out." Guard-lieutenant Shastanis Althreduin, his face grim and set, stepped forward. "I am a spy! There is no way, I see, for us to win– so let us die with glory!"

"Seize him!" the others cried, rushing forward. "Tear him limb from limb! Throw him to the serpents! Skin him alive!"

"Nay," said Shasta, glaring at them with such pride and fierceness that they fell back in dismay. "Ye shall not slay me, dogs of Southrons! For Gondor!"

And he threw himself on his sword.

"Shasta!" gasped he who had called himself Captain Pitchwife of Umbar, running to the dying man's side. "My last comrade shall not die alone!" He turned the gaze of a cornered wolf on the assembled Haradrim. "Do your worst, minions of Mordor!"

But when the others finally gathered up the courage to lay hands on the false Corsair, he neither spoke nor moved, merely gazed straight ahead with fixed eyes that even now were lightening to uncanny Númenórean grey. Lommy examined him and declared that he was dead on his feet.

"If's almost as if he just...willed himself to die..." she said in wonder, making the protective sign of the Serpent.

This fearful portent (as many took it to be) cast a momentary shadow over the company, but this was lifted as they beheld the longed-for sight of the last two spies transforming in death into their true, hateful shapes, and realised the struggle was over.

"Finally," Sally proclaimed, "She Who Now Walks Among the Gods has been avenged! All Hail Acolyte Thinlómien, Saviour of the South!"

Great was the rejoicing that day, greater still the next when all the populace flocked to see the triumphal parade. Trumpets played, guards in jewelled armoured marched, sorcerers performed dazzling displays of magical pyrotechnics and Pomegranate and A Little Green led troops of slave-girls in a succession of graceful and intricate dances, while Lommy herself rode down the Imperial Avenue in a gilded howdah mounted on the back of a white mûmak. Even Lottie was allowed to give a public demonstration of her magical skills, and, for once, nobody was more than mildly singed. (The only frown to be seen was on the face of Treasurer Inziladun, who had to keep an eye on expenses.)

Magnificent as the celebrations were, they were eclipsed altogether by those held shortly afterward when Thinlómien the Glorious, Saviour of the South, mounted the Serpent Throne as the newly-crowned Empress of Harad!

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

Living
Sally –Messenger girl.
Pomegranate –Entertainer.
A Little Green –The Empress's favourite snake-charmer.
Lottie –Accident-prone sorcerer's apprentice.
Inziladun –Minister of the Treasury.
Lommy! –Court physician.


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.
Legate of Amon Lanc –Legate of Khand. Ordo. –crushed to death by an enormous waggon.
Steve –Court Jester (from Umbar). Envoy of Morder. –sliced up by the spies on Night Four.
Boromir88 –Wealthy mûmak breeder. Spy. Trampled by own mûmakil.
Shasta –Particularly attentive guard-lieutenant. Spy. Threw himself on his sword.
Pitchwife –Captain in the "Provisional Royal Númenórean Navy" and emissary of Angamaitë IX, Lord of Umbar. Spy. Chose death by the grace granted of old to the Men of Westernesse.

Village wins! Acolyte wins!

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Sorry, wolves – I was trying to get a balance between making the game winnable for the Acolyte, without making it impossible for whatever side she *didn't* choose, but I think I erred on the side of the first. I just never expected Lommy would get the whole village on side so easily once she came out.

Like Boro said, she was so specific about the details that it was highly unlikely she made all that up. Maybe we could have tried to use the fact that she was still alive on Day 5 to discredit her, if the narration hadn't made it clear that we'd tried to kill her and failed... or maybe the village would have seen through it.

Anyway, it still was an interesting game. Initially, the adding of a mysterious secret role was a gift of god to us wolves, and Eruhen's unexplained death another; in the end, it was our downfall, but who knows - if Eönwë hadn't dreamed Lommy in his last Night, or hadn't cleared Zil, who knows how things might have gone? With experimental roles and rules, it's next to impossible to foresee every situation that may arise, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to try them out.

Also, the setting was a nice idea, and I loved your narrations (especially when you quoted verbatim from our kill PMs, but the rest as well). Thanks for modding!

Originally Posted by A Little Green

You're kidding me. Pitch? Honestly? You were the one I was quite positive wasn't a wolf.

It's been a pleasure to reciprocate for the many times you fooled me in the past.

Originally Posted by A Little Green

As well as kudos to our two Seers who more or less swung the game for us - I don't think we'd have stood a chance against a wolf pack of Nog-Boro-Shasta-Pitch!

I must admit we were almost a little sorry for the village on Night 1, but the Gods punished our hubris.
I echo the kudos to the Seers (Eönwë, was that your first time seering? If
so, fine debut!), but the rest of the village shouldn't sell themselves short either. Good game, everyone!

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Btw Zil, my friend, you are a major pain in the neck when you're on the other side. (In other words, well played.)

Thanks! That's always my goal when I'm innocent, but it doesn't always work out that way.

For the wolves, you lot were a most fearful pack. What a combination! If Steve hadn't gotten Nog in a dream, I think the outcome could have been substantially different. I'm just glad we didn't lynch our Seer. T'was a near thing.

And thanks for the game, Nerwen. Amazing narrations.

[Galadriel55]

Good game, everyone!

Nerwen, I loved your narrations! Thanks!

Wolves - well done! Still! After that fatal Night with no kill I was kinda hoping you'd win regardless of the no-kill, as unpatriotic as that sounds.

Seers - I second/third/whatever the kudos! *applauds*


On D2 I was most annoyed with myself, because on N2 I was debating whether to protect Rikae and Greenie, and chose Greenie.


So what happened to Eruhen? Nerwen foresaw the debate about the alcolyte's involvement in the narration:

This was generally held to be a most touching act of loyalty, though there were those who, claiming to have seen a shadow moving on the curtain behind him, firmly believed he had been pushed.

There was one thing Shasta said that made me laugh, because of it's double meaning (and that was way before the wolf-reveal):

Originally Posted by Shastanis Althreduin

Well, that makes me feel a little better about myself.

Identity crisis?


Edit: xed with Zil

For the wolves, you lot were a most fearful pack.

Seconded!

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

So what happened to Eruhen? Nerwen foresaw the debate about the alcolyte's involvement in the narration:

Eruhen was modfired by request. I asked him to keep quiet about it.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Pitch

Anyway, it still was an interesting game. Initially, the adding of a mysterious secret role was a gift of god to us wolves, and Eruhen's unexplained death another; in the end, it was our downfall, but who knows - if Eönwë hadn't dreamed Lommy in his last Night, or hadn't cleared Zil, who knows how things might have gone? With experimental roles and rules, it's next to impossible to foresee every situation that may arise, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to try them out.

And if Lommy herself hadn't dreamed Boro– or if she'd lost the toss last Night, or if you and Shasta had hung on a bit, and she'd chosen your side– you never know, she might have taken pity on you...

Still, as I said, the way things played out, it ended being quite weighted against your side at the end, and I regret that.

[Eruhen]

Indeed, I did ask to be modfired. As I stated several times on Day 1, real life kept getting in the way. I would have loved to stay around, though, and great game to everyone.

I about died laughing on Day 2 watching you guys scramble around because of the narration of She Who Walks Among the Stars. Great job, Nerwen!

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Eruhen

Indeed, I did ask to be modfired. As I stated several times on Day 1, real life kept getting in the way. I would have loved to stay around, though, and great game to everyone.

I about died laughing on Day 2 watching you guys scramble around because of the narration of She Who Walks Among the Stars. Great job, Nerwen!

Hmph. And I had to spend all the next Day repeating that I wasn't responsible.

[Boromir88]

No worries, Nerwen, as Pitch said, we can't foresee how experimental roles play out...it really swung the balance against us in the end, but I hardly played my best as a wolf and at the start of the game, if anything the wolves had an advantage.

After Lommy wasn't killed, I was rather sad, because it pretty much ruined my only reason for rolling over quickly, and I thought then I probably should have fought Lommy harder. When I said I was out of it/exhausted on Day 1, I meant it . And after becoming so focused on Legate (who I told the rest of the pack I shouldn't have given him that lead on me last time I was a wolf, because he can spot me right off the bat now), I wasn't at all prepared to fight Lommy. And after basically the majority of innocents were declaring "I'm inclined to believe Lommy, because there's no reason she would be a wolf and do this," I wasn't going to argue...sorry dear. I figured dying would make Shasta and Pitch look good, and if I fought it would have exposed them, so why do it when they can just kill Lommy at night?

Anyways, once Lommy declared the acolyte for the village, it was a rather impossible situation. But that might not have ever happened, and it's not like we wolves, as brilliantly as we worked on the kills to get rid of gifteds, couldn't have played better during the day phase. I certainly could have played better. It wasn't the acolyte or game mechanics, it was simply a really tough group of villagers who made finding suspicions against them difficult. At the start, we were keeping Legate and Inzil alive for as long as possible since having the attention on them was working for us...but then Eonwe had to reveal Inzil innocent, and that forced us to lynch Legate. That night we really struggled figuring out who we could make look suspicious, because, we had to kill Eonwe and so couldn't make anyone look bad from the night kill, and everyone else was looking oooohhh sooo innocent.

And a couple more things to point out...

I didn't notice this at first, but it's hilarious in how ironic it is, because I'm responding to Pitch about Lommy's "90% innocent comment"

She means Shasta looks innocent, not me.

Silly Lommy, should have let me keep yapping away, I probably could have handed to you my spy-mates. But now. I'm staying zip.

What do you know about me? I have no problem bussing packmates. I was fully prepared to do it to Shasta that day (but you of course thought I was lynching an innocent Shasta)...but once you revealed about me, no way was I going to help in wolf-lynching. And funny to me (completely unintented, just a reactionary comment) how I respond to Pitch, and in talking about Shasta say "I could have handed to you my spy-mates" haha

I don't have the pms anymore, but the first night we had a kill choice...no joke. I clarified Rikae's hint about the coyote/wabbit and how I thought she was the hunter, so now would probably be the best chance to get rid of the hunter if we didn't think we could find the seer. With our pack make-up, finding the seer was our priority...well Shasta, in his brilliant psychicness pointed out there was something unusual (as in the "possible gifted" sense) about Eonwe and G55. And he wouldn't be surprised if they were the seer and ranger. haha, And there, had we gone with Eonwe, instead of Rikae, things might have turned out differently.

Pom, don't hate me...well ok, it's acceptable to hate me within the context of WW, because it's completely silly to trust me so quickly and easily. But outside of WW, please don't hate me, a person can not help when they are told "be furry."

[Boromir88]

A thing I just noticed.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

On D2 I was most annoyed with myself, because on N2 I was debating whether to protect Rikae and Greenie, and chose Greenie.

Funny too, because Greenie was the other person we seriously considered killing on N2. But I said "she's most likely to be a ranger protection early...at least if I was the ranger, I would probably be protecting her tonight."

And then after Eonwe revealed, we figured he would get the ranger protection, but were of course debated on if there was a bluff. The only way to be sure Eonwe wasn't being protected, was to go for him N3...but then again, we also really wanted that kill. I believe it was Pitch who noticed your comment about the ranger would be stupid to not protect the revealed seer, which is true, but we didn't think an ordo-G55 would call out the ranger in that manner. Then we put it together...Shasta really is psychic.

[Eönwë]

Wow, what a game! It's good to be back, and it's quite interesting being the seer. I was originally hoping to go for some elaborate clue thing with my fool posts, but it seemed that in character stuff just didn't happen.

I have more things to say, but I need to go now, and I was just wondering: Nog, was I right about your positive painting of Boro with the coyote thing?

And this definitely means that I should my initial instincts, i.e. Legate=good, Pitch=bad.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

I believe it was Pitch who noticed your comment about the ranger would be stupid to not protect the revealed seer, which is true, but we didn't think an ordo-G55 would call out the ranger in that manner.

When I was writing that comment I intentded to make it a bluff. I had a feeling you won't go for a revealed gifted when there are so many others around. But, on the other hand, I've seen wolves do that a couple times (going for a revealed gifted who'll most likely be protected), and I decided I'm not taking the risks.

Then we put it together...Shasta really is psychic.

Oh that Shasta and his psychicness...

[Rikae]

Shouldn't have tried that bluff so soon.... guess I'm rusty. Well, that and I can never resist hinting.

Good game, though, folks. Very well played by the wolves: obviously a very challenging game from the evil side. That's always a chance you take with new roles, and it was an intriguing setup and loads of fun (to watch, for me)!

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

Haha. There you go.

There's no denying that man is a psychic (before that quoted part he agrees with us others who wished to kill Rikae for being the hunter)...

Really, I couldn't believe the village never caught on. They only had to look at my treasure's sig...

Oh, and I'm only just now getting around to repping people. Haven't had much spare time this last fortnight.