WW CVI: Tol-in-Westeros Game Thread

[Volo]

Last minute votes will be revealing.

[Volo]

Well, Mac didn't do a last minute reveal, so we didn't go too wrong - or right, I guess.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Volo

Well, Mac didn't do a last minute reveal, so we didn't go too wrong - or right, I guess.

We'll find out soon enough.

[Macalaure]

Is it too late to choose trial by battle?

[Aganzir]

Deadline. Shush.

Mac and Inzil both got 6 votes, but because Mac reached his first, he will swing. He was a were-Lannister.

Expect a narration.

[Kath]

"I demand trial by combat!" Mac shouted, leaping to his feet and facing the room.

A silence faced him.

Nobody was willing to step forward. Only a crazed Lannister would make such a request. He was dead already by the rules of the inn. Who would be mad enough to take him on?

There was a quiet cough. Everybody turned to look at Volo.

"Erm," he said, "I am willing to fight for you, Mac, even if I fear it is too late!"

“I, too, am willing to fight!” Inzil cried, spurred on by Volo.

“Oh thank the gods, any of them.” Volo exclaimed with relief. “You go ahead, Inzil. I really didn’t want to face this madman. He has the bearing of a knight and would probably cut me in two!”

Inzil, wrong-footed and frankly horrified at this turn of events, hesitantly stepped forwards.

"Well then, sir," said Mac stiffly, "I have no chance but to accept your challenge. May the gods decide which of us is true at heart, although I am personally sure they will find your loyalty to your house lacking."

"Funny, sir, I could have said the same of you," said Inzil.

"Traitor," coughed Mac under his breath.

"Lannister," Inzil coughed back, taking down the sword that had been hanging over the bar.

Mac was now the one to look worried. He had no weapon, and it didn’t look like anyone in the inn was about to give him one. Even if they had, he could hardly wield it with his greyscale-infected hand. Inzil took up a fighting stance and began to advance on Mac. Looking around wildly, Mac realised he had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. This was it. With a vicious snarl, he leaped at Inzil, transforming into a huge, auburn lion as he did so.

"Sir, that is ungentlemanly of you!" Inzil cried and leaped aside.

"CHEATING!" echoed in the Inn.

Inzil and what had been Mac Connington circled each other, Inzil brandishing his sword. Mac growled and snarled but couldn't touch Inzil, who swung the sword aggressively every time Mac tried to advance. The lion’s advances became sloppy as his anger grew, and in a final desperate attempt to claw Inzil’s face off, he overreached himself and left himself open to Inzil’s blade. With a whispering slide of metal through skin, the sword found its home in Mac’s fur covered chest.

"Behold! The gods have judged and found Mac guilty!" Inzil cried, brandishing the bloody sword.

"Hear, hear!" yelled the crowd.

Light-hearted, the patrons retreated to their beds.

~ ~ ~

Dead:
Agan, moddess - slaughtered by lions on Night 1
Kath, moddess - mauled by bear on Night 1
skip spence, ordo - tasted the axe on Day 1
wilwarin538, Three-Eyed Raven - eaten by bear on Night 2
Galadriel55, ordo - murdered by lions on Night 2
Macalaure - Lannister lion - stabbed through on Day 2

Alive:
Eönwë - house Royce
Inziladun - house Tully
Kitanna - illiterate peasant
Encaitare - random peasant
Thinlómien - house (Stannis) Baratheon
Boromir88 - house Bolton
Loslote - illiterate Tyrell cousin
Nerwen - house Martell
A Little Green - house Reed
WythDryden/Lote22 - house Martell
Eomer of the Rohirrim - house Stark
Rikae - house Tarth
Coppermirror - crazy Northern hermit x
Nogrod - house Swann
Colin "Volo" Mute - house (Euron) Greyjoy
Gil-Galad - First Baker of Braavos
satansaloser2005 - random peasant

~ ~ ~

Night has begun!

Nightly creatures may begin their activities.

[Kath]

Nerwen’s sleep, made peaceful after the successful identification of a lion, was suddenly disturbed when her bed was jolted part way across the floor of her bedroom. Sitting up in shock, she gathered the bedclothes around her, as if they would offer protection against what was coming. In the dark, a shadow loomed.

“”Well, Bear?” Nerwen challenged, unwilling to go down without a fight. “Why have you chosen me to die?”

“Me Bear.” Came the reply from the dark. “You meat. You work it out.”

“What, no deep political motivations? No deep seated and long held hatred of my house? No personal investment in my death?” Nerwen asked, irritated. “I must say, that’s rather insulting! To be eaten is bad enough but for you not to even have a – ”

With a roll of its eyes that was all but audible, the bear interrupted Nerwen’s ranting. A giant paw ripped off her mouth in one massive swipe, and with a grunt of satisfaction the bear quickly set to gobbling up what was left of the representative of House Martell.

**

Golden sunlight flickered gently through the windows of the inn, lighting soft fur. This morning, though, the lions were not sleeping. During the Night they had mourned the death of their fellow and had decided the best way to comfort each other was to wallow in the blood of an innocent customer.

“Who will give us the most pleasure to murder?” The silver-white lioness asked her partner. “This needs to taste like revenge.”

“What about a Greyjoy?” Replied the golden lioness. “Their blood should taste of tears – salt and pain.”

“That Volo? Yes. He was ready to take a sword to our darling Mac as well, he definitely deserves to die.”

Stalking through the inn, the lions found Volo’s room and wasted no time in taking their silent but deadly vengeance.

The rest of the patrons found his mutilated body the next morning. Parts of it were still in his room, parts scattered down the stairs, parts flung around the bar, and one part, his eye-less and tongue-less head, stood upon the counter, a grim reminder of what was in store for them if they did not succeed.

Dead:
Agan, moddess - slaughtered by lions on Night 1
Kath, moddess - mauled by bear on Night 1
skip spence, ordo - tasted the axe on Day 1
wilwarin538, Three-Eyed Raven - eaten by bear on Night 2
Galadriel55, ordo - murdered by lions on Night 2
Macalaure - Lannister lion - stabbed through on Day 2
Nerwen – ordo – interrupted by bear on Night 3
Volo – ordo – ripped apart by lions on Night 3

Alive:
Eönwë - house Royce
Inziladun - house Tully
Kitanna - illiterate peasant
Encaitare - random peasant
Thinlómien - house (Stannis) Baratheon
Boromir88 - house Bolton
Loslote - illiterate Tyrell cousin
A Little Green - house Reed
WythDryden/Lote22 - house Martell
Eomer of the Rohirrim - house Stark
Rikae - house Tarth
Coppermirror - crazy Northern hermit x
Nogrod - house Swann
Gil-Galad - First Baker of Braavos
satansaloser2005 - random peasant

~ ~ ~

Day has now begun.

[Inziladun]

So now I know what giving Mac the benefit of the doubt gets me.

That's one Lion down, anyway. Interesting kills from the Bear and Lions. I would expect at this point the Bear would be focused on taking out Lions. Did Nerwen look that bad? As for Volo, I don't remember seeing anything in particular that might have made him an inviting target.

[Encaitare]

Just wanted to pop in to say that my posting will be limited for most of toDay, as I am at a family gathering for the weekend. I will be reading and following along as much as I can, but my posts will be brief, if they happen at all.

[WythDryden]

Now this is an interesting point. Volo is the last to vote/votes for Inzil at 2 minutes before the deadline, and says this one minute before the deadline:

Originally Posted by Volo

Last minute votes will be revealing.

His vote didn't change the outcome, but did bring it to an even number of votes between the two. It's possible he voted the way he did to leave a clue, and his post certainly makes it sound that way. However, it could also be framing by the lions. Must investigate further.

[Nogrod]

Sure. Interesting kills. Especially picking up Volo by the lions.

Both merit a closer look to begin with.


Also, it has been a long time we've had such a big game and the dynamics really look different from a basic 15-player (or smaller) village. I kind of haven't given that a real thought yet, but I think we should all consider that as well.

[Nogrod]

Before going any further with Volo's posts the first one (#36) actually gives me an idea worth mentioning.

So he posts a link with a name "mild spoiler" - and there is a meme of Jaqen H'gar (to those not familiar with the SOIAF characters, he's a kind of "shapechanger" - and one who delivered kills in secret) saying "A man walks into a bar"...

Did the lions think he made an irresponsible but fun hint about him being the bear aka. someone who changes shape and kills in the dark?

It might be Volo was toying with that kind of false revelation / hint-thingy - or how else to interpret that kind of post - but it is also true the lions picked him to kill last Night...

So what does that tell of our lions that they take that kind of hinting seriously enough to act on them? Or that they might be after the Bear in the first place? Or do they only try to make us think they're that desperate?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

It might be Volo was toying with that kind of false revelation / hint-thingy - or how else to interpret that kind of post - but it is also true the lions picked him to kill last Night...

So what does that tell of our lions that they take that kind of hinting seriously enough to act on them? Or that they might be after the Bear in the first place? Or do they only try to make us think they're that desperate?

Hm. One wouldn't think the Bear would give any sort of clue. It's counterproductive. Would the Lions have thought the real Bear that careless?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by WythDryden

His vote didn't change the outcome, but did bring it to an even number of votes between the two. It's possible he voted the way he did to leave a clue, and his post certainly makes it sound that way. However, it could also be framing by the lions. Must investigate further.

I'm not sure what sort of clue might have been there. He obviously didn't have any special knowledge of the situation.

Originally Posted by Nogrod

Also, it has been a long time we've had such a big game and the dynamics really look different from a basic 15-player (or smaller) village. I kind of haven't given that a real thought yet, but I think we should all consider that as well.

Logically, it's easier to lie low with more players, letting the loud ones get attention.

x'd with Nog

[Gil-Galad]

Yesterday was a fairly quiet day, but man I was glad that in the vote-war Mac was a lion. It was a close vote, even with Mac assuming he was in the clear. I would look more closely at the Zil voters, seeing as they might be Lions.

I was hoping that the night kills would bag us a lion, instead it was two rather surprising kills in the sense that Volo and Nerwen weren't really aggressive in their posts and not that involved.

x,d since zill

[WythDryden]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I'm not sure what sort of clue might have been there. He obviously didn't have any special knowledge of the situation.

Good point. I got ahead of myself and forgot that it'd be made clear if they were a gifted of some sort, and I looked back at the post to see that he is labelled ordo.

Originally Posted by Kitanna

I took his "last minute votes will be revealing" to mean something along the lines of "who is going to try to save Mac?" He made that post and Mac was in the lead. Though Volo voted Zil, tying them at 6 each, so I don't know if that can even be assumed of the statement.

That's a good angle I hadn't considered. Though, with only one minute to spare and most of the people who had been active yesterDay had already voted at that point, there wasn't much time left for someone jump in to save him necessarily. Also, if they had it's pretty flashy and puts them in a position to be suspected. The same could've possibly been made for Volo himself if hadn't been killed in the night revealing his identity.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by WythDryden

Good point. I got ahead of myself and forgot that it'd be made clear if they were a gifted of some sort, and I looked back at the post to see that he is labelled ordo.

And as our Seer is dead and gone (and our ranger hasn't saved anyone), so there is none with any special knoweldge about anymore the lions could have gone after trying to read hints from the posting on D1 & D2 - well the lovers to be sure, but yeah... that's the stinger - did they think him the Bear or not?

As I said - and Inzil agreed - it would be quite reckless from a Bear to go on doing that kind of hinting... but why kill him then?

Did the lions think him the hunter who tried to lure them into attacking him at Night and though they'd better take their chances with the hunter now than later when the hunter might become a more formidable threat?

Anyway. Volo talked about the lovers (and the bear especially) a lot and insisted we should forge an alliance with them. He even said: “I'll count the Bear as a kind of friendly neighborhood Assassin to begin with”.

Late yesterDay he argued though, that Mac is the Bear and said we should not lynch the Bear, and added also that Mac had contributed (so it's not anymore a reason to not lynch a Bear but not lynch Mac) - then he also tried to avoid the lynching of Mac in practise by his vote - and added these:

Originally Posted by Volo's two last posts

Last minute votes will be revealing.

Well, Mac didn't do a last minute reveal, so we didn't go too wrong - or right, I guess.

So the lions killed the one who tried to save one of them?

There is something fishy in here, but I can't say what.

What is it I have forgotten?

[Rikae]

Well, that was lucky - I say lucky, because I, and I think most, thought Mac was "just" a bear. I'm kind of sad to see him go, though - he seemed so happy to be playing again (I thought it might have been in part because of a special role).

I imagine the race between Mac and Inzil will be revealing, either with lion-on-lion or some desperate jumping on the Inzil-wagon, and I want to take a close look at it later tonight or tomorrow; right now I don't have much time. I still don't think Gal was a suspected seer, since others went after Mac more than she did. Volo might have been - or the meme might have made him look like a bear or hunter. I'm not sure why the lions would be going after hunter-hints, especially when this hunter is less dangerous to them than most with a 50% chance to do nothing, but maybe they have nothing better to go on.

Nerwen was somewhat suspected, as was Wilwa. Perhaps the bear is trying to kill lions after all, but we can't be sure of that. The lovers may just be going for kills they think will throw the village off their trail in some way. I'll have to give this more thought.

[Boromir88]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I'm not sure what sort of clue might have been there. He obviously didn't have any special knowledge of the situation.
B

*A familiar voice re-emerges out of the shadows and speaks as if his absence was never noticed. But in truth was he ever absent?*

But the lions who killed him wouldn't have known he was an ordo when they killed him last night. Obviously they wouldn't fear he had any special knowledge with the seer gone, but either they killed him to set you up as a lynch candidate today or you're hoping no one starts suspecting some lion-on-lion voting. Set up an early kinslaying to make one of you look better? Convenient the seer isn't in the way anymore to check. Also even more convenient it was the bear that got wilwa.

Even I must admit I laughed at Wyth's observation about my disappearance yesterday.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Kitanna

The best theories I can come up with on why the lovers went after Nerwen are
1) Mac fell under suspicion D1, so maybe the lovers thought Nerwen was a lion throwing her teammate under the bus in an attempt to look good and helpful to the village.
2) The lovers have chosen an alliance and it isn't in favor of the village.

The first is the more likely. The numbers favor the village, and the Lovers are going to ally themselves with the side the most likely to win.

Originally Posted by Kitanna

Maybe they thought he was ranger or hunter. That last statement was too odd to have gone unnoticed, and if Volo was alive I would be wondering myself if he wasn't playing a gifted role.

It's possible. But as Nog pointed out, Volo might have come in for some suspicion toDay for potentially trying to save Mac, so if your scenario is true, there must have been some pretty strong Gifted vibes around him.

Originally Posted by Boromir88

[I]But the lions who killed him wouldn't have known he was an ordo when they killed him last night. Obviously they wouldn't fear he had any special knowledge with the seer gone, but either they killed him to set you up as a lynch candidate today or you're hoping no one starts suspecting some lion-on-lion voting.

Wyth was trying to say that Volo's "clue" might have some meaning for us toDay. You're misunderstanding, or deliberately misrepresenting.

[Loslote]

What are the lions (and bear) trying to gain from their kills at this point in the game? There is no seer to try to find. Rangers are difficult to catch until after they've revealed, so the lions could only have tried to spot general "gifted vibes" which might have also pointed to a hunter (who they probably don't want to kill at this point) or a lover (who they also probably don't want to kill, since they've been benefiting from the second Night-kill thus far. So would they try to kill people who are giving off gifted vibes? I don't know that the risks are worth the reward of killing the Ranger, especially not with the second Night-kill lessening the impact of a successful Ranger-save.

The lions are also not killing people who are suspecting them. That would be a giant neon sign pointing directly at them. So what are their options at this point? They could either try to frame someone - kill someone who heavily suspected another innocent and try to get that innocent lynched because of it - or they could be killing people who have not said much about them and are about as much of a no-trace kill as you can get at this point in the game. This would be an especially helpful strategy if they had not fallen under suspicion yet, and wanted to keep their heads down and wait for the village to trim itself down further. I would suspect that that's what happened with Volo and Nerwen, which would mean that Zil is probably not a lion or a lover after all and that Lommy, Kit, and Rikae are also not lovers.

Of course, that's assuming the lions (and bear) are trying to keep their heads down, which might be a completely wrong guess. But if Volo was killed in an attempt to kill the suspicion against Zil, there were plenty of other people who had been more vocal in their distrust of him and who would have served that purpose better. As for the people Nerwen suspected, only Kit had really been suspected by anyone else, and in Kit's case, Nog or Lommy both suspected her more vocally than [b]Nerwen[b] had, so that doesn't really work either. I would guess that Volo did not suspect any lions and that Nerwen did not suspect the bear or his lover.

EDIT: xed since Boro

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Loslote

What are the lions (and bear) trying to gain from their kills at this point in the game? There is no seer to try to find. Rangers are difficult to catch until after they've revealed, so the lions could only have tried to spot general "gifted vibes" which might have also pointed to a hunter (who they probably don't want to kill at this point) or a lover (who they also probably don't want to kill, since they've been benefiting from the second Night-kill thus far. So would they try to kill people who are giving off gifted vibes? I don't know that the risks are worth the reward of killing the Ranger, especially not with the second Night-kill lessening the impact of a successful Ranger-save.

It's tricky. The Lions are served by the double-kills, yet they're also potential victims. The question is whether they think the pros of the Bear outweigh the risk.
At any rate I can't see that being what brought them to Volo last Night.