Thread: Circus: Mafia - Over by Christmas Board: Limbo / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Continuing the tradition of historically-themed Mafia games, it's time I ran one.

For those who haven't played before, the rules for the last game can be found in this post. The rules for this game will be substantially similar - although the roles in play will be different and will be decided when I know how many people are playing.

Mafia - Over by Christmas

Hotel Des Ramparts
Ypres
Belgium

April 1917

Spring in Flanders, and once again the Allied High Command plans the next major offensive which will win the war. This time, the focus is on the fiercely contested Belgian town of Ypres.

After three years of conflict, not even the dullest and most hide-bound of Field Marshalls can imagine that victory will come easily, and therefore the distinguished British officer, General Sir Herbert Zurcon, has been sent to Flanders to prepare a definitive report on the sector, and submit his proposed plan for the forthcoming battle. Sir Herbert has set about his work with characteristic ability and enthusiasm, but unfortunately for the Allies, a group of conspirators has learned of his mission and is determined to see that neither he, nor anyone in whom he may have confided, should live to deliver his recommendations.


The player characters are the soldiers and civilians attending meetings with General Zurcon in the Hotel Des Ramparts close to the frontline at Ypres, or who are otherwise hanging around in the area for reasons best known to themselves. They can come from any of the belligerent powers (which at this point includes much of the world) or be volunteers or interlopers from any non-belligerent. Military and civilian characters are both encouraged - General Zurcon wants to have as wide a range of experience and opinion as possible before crafting his scheme to end the war.


Please sign up here - I'll allow at least a week for players to register, and then define and assign everyone's roles. I'm intending to have a few more, but much weaker, specials than we have previously, which I'll sort out when I know how many players we have.

I would prefer players to decide character names and backgrounds only after they know their role, but the SoF-Mafia convention of choosing these on sign-up is too firmly established for me to overturn. You may therefore either define your character now, or simply sign in and introduce yourself later, at your discretion.

The game title, is, of course, hopelessly optimistic. We will be taking a break for the Christmas period when we get to that stage.

[ 03. May 2011, 13:37: Message edited by: Chorister ]
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
The Red Cat Goddess is back in the fray as a normal player
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Hooray! Mafia!

I'm definitely in. I've never understood about deciding public persona only after knowing role: wouldn't you worry that you might give away something about your role in your persona?

All the same, I don't know who I want to be yet.
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
I've never understood about deciding public persona only after knowing role: wouldn't you worry that you might give away something about your role in your persona?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eliab:
Everything IC on the thread should be a potential clue.

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Sorry to be dense, but what does IC mean? Is it a simple homophone?

And I'm in for the game.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
IC = In Character

OOC = Out Of Character
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
I'm in for another game and happy to wait until I know my role to pick a character. Though, you'll all have to work out whether I'm odd-bluffing or even-bluffing...
 

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Posted by CuppaT (# 10523) on :
 
Me, too.
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Imaginary Friend:

quote:

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Originally posted by Eliab:
Everything IC on the thread should be a potential clue.

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Sorry to be dense, but what does IC mean? Is it a simple homophone?

And I'm in for the game.

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Wot AR sed... though it's also true that everything icky should be a potential clue. No superfluous ick, please.
 

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Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
Ah, thanks. I like the idea too, so I shall wait until I know who I am before I decide who I am (if you see what I mean!)
 

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Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
I'd like to join, too.
Will I get killed immediately if I take a German character?
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
I'm in.
 

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Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
If people with less than 50 posts (but some lurking experience) are allowed to join, I'm in. I have some experience of Mafia and followed the previous thread intensely.
 

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Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
JFH (and anyone else lurking), you are very welcome! The more the merrier.
 

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Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
I'd like to join too
 

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Posted by Pax Romana (# 4653) on :
 
I want to play, too.

Pax Romana
 

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Posted by Antisocial Alto (# 13810) on :
 
May I play? (I'm a total n00b at this.)
 

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Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :
 
I'll not join in this time, but will watch
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
More holiday fun? Yay!

All I will say is that this time I bags running the local bar; but I'll wait to decide whether my character is military or civilian, male or female.
Cheers!
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Bar? Is that competition for the Smudgeson Tea Room?
 

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Posted by leonato (# 5124) on :
 
Great another game!

Count me in.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Hm . . . you know, I would almost play Lt. Madoc's (presumably future) superior officer—but we all know he survives this little run-in with the assassins.

I'm in.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Bar? Is that competition for the Smudgeson Tea Room?

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I know, I was also planning to open the Red Cat Café. Guess I'll have to think of something else now (sulks)
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Hmm...the Folies Bergere Belgique perhaps? Or the Red Windmill of Wipers might keep the troops a bit happier...
 

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Posted by Hennah (# 9541) on :
 
Can I play? I've followed the other games with amusement but never actually joined in.

Hen
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Awesome, we're up to 15 players. Come on in; the more, the merrier!
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
I said I'd give it a week, but we have enough players signed up for a game now, and no one new joined yesterday. So I'll start assigning roles soon.

Anyone lurking - this is your final recruitment call. Join up, your country needs you.
 

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Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
Go on then. I've been trying to decide how much time I have, but since I was just lynched in the other game I was playing (and was a simple villager, damnit!), I guess I should be OK

Amorya
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Ooh, a role! A bright shiny new role! Three cheers! Is it here yet?

(Bounces up and down excitedly.)
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Ooh, a role! A bright shiny new role! Three cheers! Is it here yet?

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quote:

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From: Eliab
Your role is: First To Die.
Sorry; either you get lynched on the first day, or you get taken out as soon as it's dark. Sucks to be you!

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
OK, I've cleared a chunk of space in my PM box for gaming business (so anyone out there who was expecting a reply from me to one, well, you aren't going to get one now) and we're good to go. PMs with roles will follow as flood control permits.


The Rules

The structure will work like this:

1. Morning. The public results of any night actions, and the roles of any newly deceased characters, are revealed.



2. Prosecution. All players have 24 hours to nominate someone they think guilty. A player may nominate one character only. There is no limit to the number of players who may nominate. Nominations cannot be retracted.



3. Defence. After nominations close, there will be an opportunity for the accused to answer. I will close the defence phase if (a) all the accused have explicitly rested their cases; (b) discussion seems to me to be at an end; (c) I judge sufficient time to have elapsed. Assume a minimum of 24 hours. No new nominations are allowed in this phase.



4. Voting. Voting is compulsory and an absolute majority is required to lynch a character. Further discussion is permitted during voting, but votes once cast are irrevocable.



5. Lynching. One unlucky character may be lynched. That player may post a death scene.



6. Evening. The roles of any characters who have died since morning are revealed.



7. Night. All characters with night actions should PM me – a character may take only one night action even if they have multiple roles. Discussion is allowed during the night, but if you receive a PM from me telling you that you are dead, then please stop talking. You may post a death scene if you wish.



8. Dead characters: as soon as you are dead you may no longer communicate in any way about any information you may have in any post or speculate about the role of any other character (unless explicitly permitted to do so).



9. Discussions. You should only discuss matter by PM or e-mail (or otherwise than on this thread) if your role explicitly allows this.
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
The Roles

The following main roles are in play:

Conspirator The conspirators oppose the Allied scheme for yet another summer offensive in Flanders. This (it may surprise you to learn) makes them the bad guys. Between them they can murder one person each night as the killer's night action. The first PM to reach me from the conspirators will be acted upon, and the sender of it will be the killer. Conspirators may discuss the game privately amongst themselves if they wish. The conspirators win as soon as they form a majority of survivors and no possible special role activity could change that.

Traitor The traitor would be a conspirator if only he could find one of them to join up with. The traitor may investigate one person each night – if the person investigated is a conspirator, the traitor becomes one too. Until then, he counts as an ally, but cannot score an allied win. The traitor only wins if he manages to defect AND the conspirators win.

Allied soldier/civilian Everyone else is loyal to the Allied war effort - or at least will pretend to be in preference to being murdered. The allies win as soon as all the conspirators are dead.

Nurse The nurse is an allied soldier or civilian who is especially skilled in treating battlefield casualties. So you’re thinking that she can save the life of someone who is murdered, right? Wrong. This is Passchendaele. People die like flies here. What the nurse can do is target up to two other characters for treatment as a night action, and if either is killed, will make their last hours sufficiently bearable that he gets to participate in the next prosecution phase, and can freely reveal anything they know or suspect. A victim will have seen something of his killer so will always have some useful information. Then he dies, and it’s on to the next patient.

Fanatic The fanatic is an allied soldier or civilian who is a believer in some cause that is unpopular but not automatically treasonous – it could be that she’s a Bolshevik, or a pacifist, or possibly just an awkward sod. This makes her good at noticing when other people are up to no good. The fanatic can investigate one person each night and will learn whether they are a conspirator.


In addition to those, there may be any or all of the following supporting roles – each represents some field of military expertise (the expert is not required to be a military character – there are plenty of civilian armchair experts after three years of war). These supporting roles will be assigned amongst all players regardless of their other allegiances or abilities. Therefore knowing that someone is (for example) an artillery expert tells you absolutely nothing about their loyalty. They could have any of the main roles as well.

Expert: Artillery Years of proximity to very big guns has made the artillery expert a little deaf. It is impossible to have a surreptitious conversation with her. Whatever her real allegiance, she appears innocent to the fanatic and the traitor. She can identify the fanatic and the traitor if they approach her, but cannot distinguish between them.

Expert: Aviation The dashing young men of the various flying corps never go down without a fight. When the aviation expert is killed he wounds his killer (if lynched, he may choose any other player). A wounded character misses their next two night actions.

Expert: Sapper The sapper has a bomb. As a night action he may set it to explode near another character. When he is killed, it will detonate, killing the target. The sapper may move the bomb to a new target once per night (this counts as targeting both the old and the new recipient). If the sapper is killed while planting or moving the bomb, it will not explode.

Expert: Special Brigade An expert in chemical warfare – she may once in the game make a gas attack as a night action. The target is gassed. Anyone else who performs an action targeting someone who is gassed will be gassed as well. Gassed characters are killed. The nurse may treat gas casualties without danger.

Expert: Infantry The infantryman has been around long enough to develop a strong sixth sense. He will not be killed by bomb or gas attacks.

Expert: Military Police The military policeman would like to be a detective. Unfortunately, by 1917, everyone is now wise to his tricks, and will instinctively act innocent as soon whenever he’s around. As a night action he may investigate one character. He won’t find anything out, but will prevent them from taking any action of their own.
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
You should now all have your roles. Feel free to introduce yourselves.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Nurse Rhoda Autenrieth trudged down the muddy street, wondering where everyone was. The weak spring sun struggled to be seen through streaks of clouds. She wasn't the head nurse, able to keep even the most badly wounded soldiers alive for an extra day of life. No, she was just an average civilian who had joined the Red Cross hoping to be of more use than sitting at home rolling bandages.

She set her cap more firmly on her head and twitched her blue cape around her against the gusting wind. Wasn't there a teashop, or maybe a bar, in this town?
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Battista Lalonde pushed back his white hair, picked up the wheelbarrow that was full of his stock in trade, and scooted it down the road to his newest place of trade. As he bumped the barrow down into the crypt of the bombed out church, he wondered how long he would be in business this time; before everything was blown to buggery once again.

He stowed the dirty bottles behind the 'bar' - a stone sarcophagus with a polished marble top on it - and then picked up the rough sign he'd made to take it outside. The front was now two or three miles down the road, though that wouldn't stop the artillery and air raids from falling regularly behind the lines. But the survival of his family meant he needed to be here. He shrugged his gallic shoulders and hung the old board with it's burnt lettering from a rusty nail in the broken wall. Batty's Bar was back in business.
 

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Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
Lord Jarvis Fastolfe of Harrisford cast a look around. He was here for two reasons. First of all, he was to visit his third son, Algernon, who was supposed to be here, and secondly he was here for the chocolate, that marvellous elixir of life, that joy to be relished, that relic of the gods, and of course the one good reason to ever leave England.

Incidentally, his son was not stationed in Belgium as he had first thought, but by some strange misconceivement of his aristocratic mind he had managed to misinterpret his son's placement at the office of the military attaché in Bern for a placement as an officer at the military attached to Belgium. Might have had something to do with chocolate. Ah well, two places without history - none worse than the other, really.
The chocolate, on the other hand, was marvellous.
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Lieutenant Hart looked around around his new station. It was good, full of all the tools he'd need to do a good job... make that a spectacular job. It wasn't quite as good as the kitchen he'd ran at the Grand Hotel before the War, but compared with three years of kp in the trenches, it was state of the art. It did strike him as typical military insularity to insist that the kitchen at these meetings had to be run by a soldier, but he wasn't going to complain if it was his ticket out the trenches. Finally, he'd be able to stuff cherry tomatoes without having to use his entrenching tool!
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
Lt Dai Lycatell was invalided out (apart from one of his feet which was still somewhere near the German lines). He looked out the window. Another cloudy day. No luck for the fellows still in the Trenches. He left the hospital and limped down the cobbled street to the cafe. Bombed out again. However, a local seemed to be setting up a bar in the ruined church. Ah well. Dai sat down and started to compose a poem.

This war is bad.
It makes me sad.
Our generals are raving mad.

It needed work, he thought.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Second officer Lavinia Hodge, WRNS, is at her post in the telegraph room. She’s rather surprised that she was allowed to join up after her escapades in the suffragettes, but she supposes they can’t have investigated her past too thoroughly. She rather hopes by proving her worth out here on the front line, she shall advance the cause of women once all this unpleasantness is over.

It’s been a bit slow today. She thinks about tapping out VOTES FOR WOMEN on her telegraph machine just for fun, but decides against it.
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Lt. Hearte realized that in all the excitement, he managed to mis-spell in his name in his introductory remarks. Hearte by name, Hearte food served by nature.
 

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Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
Corporal (Jacob) Marley was disappointed that his first posting was not to the front. All his friends would be coming back from Berlin, as Heroes.
Would he be able to charm the ladies back in Blighty with his tale of standing outside a mansionette by a hedge shouting who goes there? Even the local French whores (and various apparently respectable people, typical Frogs), only wanted him to let them through to their commissioned assignations. He sulked and continued his smoke.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Palm Sunday, and a bar was open. April Fool's Day, too. She had thought the bar sign might be a joke, but no, when she descended the broken steps the crypt was already half full of men, and completely full of cigarette smoke. She walked up to the barcophagus. "What have you got?"
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Battista looked up with a broad grin and sized up his new customer. Several of the tommies were already on their feet and elbowing each other and two of the diggers had instantly appeared on each side of the nurse. "Geez, it's a sheila!" said one of them. "On her own!" said the other.

Batty sometimes wondered at the intelligence level of these Australians. "Mademoiselle," he whispered. "Do not be alarmed. They are like leetle puppies and will not 'arm you. Per'aps you would like some wine?"

He pulled out a dusty bottle and one of his five unbroken wine glasses. The troops all knew to bring their own pannikins with them for a drink; but he did have a few decent drinking receptacles left. He also had a few special bottles put aside, in hope of being able to celebrate the end of this bloody war. But he was the only one who knew where they were stashed. He ran his hand gently along the stone slab. "Unless, of course you would care for some of the local cider, Mam'selle?"
 

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Posted by leonato (# 5124) on :
 
Conte Leo di Leonato, a Major in the Italian tank corps was disappointed to be in Belgium. Italy had already changed sides once in the war and he couldn't really understand why they were now in Belgium where the weather was terrible and the food even worse.

But at least he had little tank, which could go very fast, in reverse, when it wasn't broken down, and if things went well the war could be over soon.

Trying to look on the bright side, he hums an aria from Aida to cheer himself up.
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Eliab:
The fanatic can investigate one person each night and will learn whether they are a conspirator.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dafyd:
a) if the fanatic investigates the traitor after the traitor has defected, does the fanatic identify him or her as a conspirator?

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quote:

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b) if the fanatic investigates the traitor before the traitor has defected, does the fanatic identify him or her as a conspirator?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Hennah:
. Now... she was growing even more concerned about her prospects. Maybe she should go down to one of the few establishments still in business and see if old Battista remembered her grandmother well enough to offer her a job behind the bar.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
[OOC] I don't think it matters if we actually lynch someone or not, yet.
However it's only if there's the possibility of a lynching that the Mafia's will struggle to emulate a normal citizen.
With that in mind and to get the ball rolling I'll nominate Ariston, as it will give an opportunity to find out more about his character and he played last time.
OOC coz Jacob despite his many vices wouldn't offer a sacrificial lamb on no grounds.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eliab:
“Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée (Sylvander), French (Belgian?)”.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eliab:
Anyone around here who looks like they might have brains in their heads,

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, not fair!

Le colonel thought that the British had shown some reason after all. Everything would be a lot less messy if instead of sending them to the trenches the British shot a few thousand of their own men each day themselves. A general seemed not a bad start for this new strategy.

At this stage, with no information available all nominations are naturally guesswork.

What we need is people talking so that their reasonings allow analysis, if necessary later. Quiet players are suspicious. Even if they are citizens they are not useful.

Le colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée has been nominated. So true to my word I ought to talk.

1. Nominating someone on day 1 is not usually a favourite pastime of conspirators (of course that is not certain - cf. the last game with all conspirators unexpectedly (but accidentally!) voting en bloc on day 1). This would indicate to me at this stage that Lt Alice Adler is more likely innocent than not - but then this might be precisely the (wrong) conclusion intended.
[by the way: thx for this interesting link "Hello Girls".]
I still hate you for nominating me, though.

2. There is no excuse for keeping quiet. Even the fanatic (detective) can post freely at this early stage (when s/he cannot yet have investigated anyone). S/he can even throw around accusations or declarations of trust without misleading us in case of his later death. After the first night however he should leave clear messages that cannot be misinterpreted after his death. So whomever s/he expressed suspicion or trust of in inconspicuous words that everybody uses s/he should only do so sparingly, i.e. regarding people whom s/he already investigated. After his/her death any expression of suspicion or trust they made after the first night must be readable as a 100 percent reliable piece of information.
The citizens also need to talk to help the detective to hide such revelatory remarks.

Can I reasonably suspect anyone at this stage? No. But I can encourage someone to talk (in defence) by nominating them.
I nominate Amorya
a) She is quiet, has not even taken a role - I want her to talk
b) As a new player she is blank space, so I want her to talk
c) Another nominee makes my lynching less likely.
 

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Posted by leonato (# 5124) on :
 
Leo was disturbed by the news of the General's death. He was used to assassinations, they happened all the time in Napoli but he thought the English were usually more careful.

For the time being he did not particularly suspect anyone, but he was concerned about the three mysterious people hovering about the hotel who had yet to introduce themselves.

He wanders off to the bar to see if they have some grappa to calm his nerves, and, who knows, maybe there is someone around who knows how to cook spaghetti.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Father Didier, O.C.S.O. pushed his spectacles back onto the bridge of his nose. Things had been extremely busy at the Abbey of Saint Sixtus; between his own monastic duties to God, his continued studies of the Blessed John Duns Scotus (nothing quite like it to keep the mind sharp, even if reading his passages on God's knowledge of possible things seemed to count as both contemplation and penance simultaneously), the need to minister to the Allied soldiers and refugees who had encamped in the fields around the abbey, and the necessity of labor to support the monastery even in times of war . . .

It seemed as if his work would never be at an end.

"Brother Thelonius, could you please tend to the kettle this morning? It seems that I have been summoned by the General's commission to account for myself. Oh, and it would be a great favor to me if you could ensure that the yeast we pitched the other day has taken; I'm afraid that malt is something far too dear these days for even a single batch to go to waste, especially if, through prudence and prayer, we might prevent it."

Br. Thelonius smiled and bowed before silently returning to work. There was something very contemplative about the quiet, humble work of the brewery; from humble grain scorned by the proud and weeds that the once thought hardly fit for the fire, a new and living gift of joy for the world springs. Even in these hard times, the monks practiced their craft with the care befitting those who would seek to imitate the Creator in their every deed.

Leaving the abbey was always hard for Fr. Didier; he had joined the Order as a young man—his graduation from Louvain and the beginning of his novitiate may as well have been simultanious—and was extremely attached to the community in which he lived. The vow of stability was no longer something imposed, but rather a habitus, an intermediate "second nature" that had become part of him, an addition to his very self. With his head bowed, he passed through the abbey gates and into the secular world; a passing cart gave him a ride as far as Poperinge, from which it was only too easy to travel to Ypres.

Father entered the hotel, finding the Council of War already assembled. He straightened his scapular as he entered, and began his apologia, calmly preaching to the assembled congregation:

"I'm not precisely certain why I, of all people, should stand accused of political intrigue, much less of murder. Though I realize that one can never be too certain of things these days—we live in uncertain times, and the reality of war is not something any of us could have ever been aware of before we all became far too aware of what is only all too real—I can assure you that I have no desire to see any child of God die by the hand of their brother or sister, to say nothing of my own. Though, like all men and women of good will, I sincerely wish for justice to be done and for each to receive what is proper, I do not believe this purpose will be accomplished by killing at random; if anything, our current ignorance makes acting for the sake of justice by bringing about punishment impossible, for, as the Subtle Doctor says, "before anything can be willed for the sake of an end, it must first be known." Thus, I would be in favor of learning more before we take any rash action that might result in yet another unnecessary death.
"Therefore, in the interest of being a light unto the darkness, I would like to give Lavina Hodge an opportunity to defend her innocence."
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
Dai Laicattell (unfortunately he misspelt his name the first time) sighed. He didn't have a rhyme for Zurcon (lurk on?) or murdered.
The best he could come up with on the spur of the moment was:

The general was shot,
Which usually happens - not.

How was he supposed to write immortal verse under these conditions?
Dai was forming theories about what he thought the murderers would do over the course of the day. But if he said what he thought the murderers might go and do the opposite (assuming they paid attention to him, which to be fair they probably wouldn't).
He absently scratched the place where his foot had been.
 

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Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
Harry woke with a musty head and that vague feeling that something was the matter. He ran through his mental check list: limbs, weapon, helmet, boots, pack; all seemed in order. His eyes gradually faded into focus and he could see that it was light already. Shit! I've overslept again. The commotion outside was not subsiding. What are those fuckers up to? Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Harry stood and, once he had made sure that up was staying upwards, went to the door. The hallway was abuzz with people running everywhere.
"What the fuck's the matter with everyone?" he rasped at the first private who came near him.
"General Zurcon's been shot!"
The private scampered down the hallway before Harry's brain could frame a reply, but slowly it dawned on Harry that this was likely to be a very bad thing. Who the hell would shoot a general? The Ordnance Corps had been working overtime the last week preparing all the munitions needed for what could only be a big push at the German line. Not that anyone had said that this was going to happen, but it was obvious to a soldier of Harry's experience that you don't send shells to guns unless you intend on firing them soon. So was this a conspiracy? Aristocratic fucker probably shot himself by mistake, stupid bugger. Where's breakfast?.

The mess had shut already, so Harry was left to fend for himself as far as food was concerned. He noticed a crowd gathering at the bar, and wandered over in the hope that there was something edible to be found. He was disappointed, but the fact that a lynch mob was forming was pleasing entertainment for a while so he stayed to watch. After hearing a couple of people speak and nominate (or perhaps not) some of the others, it became clear that nobody else thought the General stupid enough to have been the author of his own death. That much being clear, the natural authoritarian in him forced him to his feet:
"I'm all for giving someone a fucking good kicking over this, but let's get one thing straight: We can't know right now which one of us wankers offed the General. We're all guessing so let's not take anything too far or too personally. That said, quiet people give me the fucking creeps so if you want to avoid my suspicion then talk. That goes for everyone, officers, civilians, foreigners, pricks, the lot. Trust me, I've seen some shit on the line and a bullet through the head of a few people in the name of King and Country is nothing to me so I will follow through.
"Another person who's being far too quiet is that Pax Romana so I nominate them for a lead breakfast. My only reason is their silence: Like I said, we're all guessing."
 

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Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
Lord Fastolfe entered the bar, ordered a cup of hot chocolate (made carefully, using only real cocoa and the finest milk Belgium had to offer - but of course he trusted the native owner), and then realized that this populace needed guidance. They needed leadership. At once he let his voice spring with the deepest of tones, mightier than ever a bishop's, graver than the no man's land a couple of miles away...
"My dear fellow people, and critters of others' possession, let's not be hasty. We must remember that in these serious matters there is a day tomorrow, and a day after that, and so on and so forth. The General is dead, and I'd be surprised if anyone is weeping over a poor upstart who most likely only got what was coming to him. I could even have done it myself, come to think of it, had he only not been married to the cousin of my sister's best friend's husband. Anyhow, I would like to offer whoever's responsible for this a drink of the best chocolate this house holds, or if he or she should hold an inferior taste, just any drink he should wish for!"
No one said a word. Fastolfe's wise plan had failed, but he didn't lose his ground for a second. At least not a minute.
"All right then, it would seem our perpetrator, who also obviously happens to be just a regular traitor, would prefer to remain anonymous. Now it is imperative that even if we would like to get rid of anyone in the group - I'm talking about the Welshman, Dai Laicattell - let's remember that everyone is innocent until proven Irish, just as always. However, I am of the opinion that we need to discuss things, and nothing procures conversations as much as rumours and accusations, so please do keep filling in on what you are all thinking and what you are deciding upon, and why, of course. That's all, folks! Let the gossip continue, dear subjects!"
Lord Jarvis Fastolfe of Harrisford sat down, pleased with the stirring effect his words had had. Nothing he hadn't intended upon, and precisely what he had intended upon. Naturally. He was almost certain. He thought.


ETA: It was not in an aristocrat's manner to accuse anyone outright. He thought he had been clear in his nomination of the petty Welshman, and there could be no doubt that the others understood what he meant, were they civilized people - which should apply to most of them, save possibly the Italian.

[ 10. December 2010, 10:44: Message edited by: JFH ]
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
That's interesting. Everyone knows that a young lady like me who has acquired all kinds of useful life and analytical skills furthering the cause of VOTES FOR WOMEN! is going to be most useful ally to have around if things starting getting messy. After all, when that nasty Mr Eliab tried to infiltrate the suffragettes it was me that found him out.

Father Didier knows this as well as anyone, so I wonder why he would be trying to get me out of the way so soon when there's no evidence whatsoever to link me to the crime. I assure you that I was in the telegraph room wiring the family of that poor unfortunate ANZAC.

Anyway I am deeply suspicious of someone who's first action is to nominate a person who ought to be a potential asset. Either Fr Didier is nominating me at random for reasons best known to himself in which case I invite him to explain himself more fully, or he's decided from the start that I need to be eliminated, on the basis of zero evidence. I shall be watching him closely (or alternatively if I buy the farm I advise the rest of you to watch him closely. My legendary detecting skills make me a potential target and suggest that someone needs to be looking out for me ).

NB I am not (yet) saying for certain that I think he's guilty. Just that my suspicions have been invoked.
 

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Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
Lord Fastolfe was rather baffled by this brave suffragette. It did indeed seem rather bold, not to say foolish, to proclaim so openly that one is a fanatic given that the nurse cannot heal wounds - only make them bearable for a single day... It would be a great shame to lose the lovely young woman though - she almost seemed worthy of a vote. Not that votes should ever have anything to do with major decisions, but at least he decided to send the lovely woman some of his finest chocolate some day...
 

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Posted by Hennah (# 9541) on :
 
Agnés was feeling slightly better about things. While not being blessed with beauty or particular brains, she was, however, a sensible girl and a very hard worker. Battista had been so sweet to her and she was pleased to be working with animals again. The downside, however, was spending more time around the bar, where there had been several commotions; the most recent being a series of speeches by a man who looked far too pleased with himself for his own good. One to keep an eye on, she thought, and to keep one's derriére away from pinching fingers.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Oh I'm not claiming to be a fanatic. Just a very, very good mafia player

Fr Didier knows this.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Rhoda's head was swimming what with all the nominations, and the is-a-fanatic / isn't-a-fanatic intrigue surrounding Lavinia Hodge.

She waited to hear what the nominees has to sat for themselves.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
To expand on my earlier reasonings - there are a couple of possibilities here:

Option n° 1) I am guilty.

If this is the case, then I am most likely a very devious and evil Machiavellian criminal mastermind and you are all in big trouble . My Italian cousin Sylvia carried out a highly successful murderous rampage after all. If this is the case it's a good idea to get onto me early before I wipe you all out and Fr Didier is quite right to accuse me (and make me start talking, so more likely to tie myself up in knots later on) immediately.

HOWEVER, there is so far no reason to suspect me or anyone else. I would guess that there are probably four conspirators at most, so if Fr Didier's nomination is made at random then it only stands a one in four chance of being right. So it strikes me as a big risk to nominate someone so potentially useful (and yes I know this is arrogant, so sue me ) as me. Why nominate me and not someone else?

Option n° 2) I am innocent.

If the conspirators are feeling bold, they have decided to start taking their enemies down from the start. Their main enemies are (a)the fanatic, (b) the nurse and (c) the clever and analytical. At this juncture there are few clues to the identity of (a) and (b) so they might as well go after (c). I didn't think that Mr Eliab's infiltration of the suffragettes had made it as far as the Belgian press (not to mention that little stint on the London stage as the Red Cat Goddess), but if someone here has heard about it, they might decide that I am a good candidate for (c). Add to this that the hero of the suffragettes is likely to be protected by the nurse so trying to get me overnight could be a bit difficult until the murderers have a better idea who the nurse and fanatic are. That means being bolder and taking me down in broad daylight.

I don't see why someone who genuinely has no idea who the killers are would want to be endangering someone who, if innocent, needs to be kept alive for as long as possible. The benefits of keeping me alive and reasoning (3/4 chance that I am innocent) seem to outweigh the disadvantages of lynching me (1/4 chance that I am guilty), AFAICT.

So, once again, I would like to hear Fr Didier's reasons for nominating me.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
She waited to hear what the nominees has to sat for themselves.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:

So, once again, I would like to hear Fr Didier's reasons for nominating me.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by Eliab:

quote:

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...mangled accusation...

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It is unclear to me whether you intend this to be a nomination, or merely an OOC suggestion/statement of intent. At the moment, ...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sylvander:
Can I reasonably suspect anyone at this stage? No. But I can encourage someone to talk (in defence) by nominating them.
I nominate Amorya
a) She is quiet, has not even taken a role - I want her to talk
b) As a new player she is blank space, so I want her to talk
c) Another nominee makes my lynching less likely.

---

Eliza hadn't been in the town very long at all when she sensed Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée was paying her quite a bit of attention. At first she was flattered by his interest: perhaps her decision not to disguise herself as a boy had had some advantages? But then she remembered what she'd heard about a conspiracy. This scrutiny was perhaps suspicion by a loyal officer who was trying to find conspirators. Or maybe, perish the thought, he was a conspirator trying to find someone to recruit? No, it was no use thinking that: such paranoia would get nowhere. He was probably just doing his job.

Still, she felt she had better explain herself to him, as it wouldn't do to get off to a bad start with anyone involved in the war effort. As she set off to find him, she heard from a passer-by that he had in fact named her as suspicious! She'd better go and clear up any misunderstandings with haste!
 

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Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
The Lord spake:
"I must say, miss Hodge, that you intrigue me. You obviously possess a sound self-confidence. Would you like to share with us some more of your wisdom? How would you go forth in all this? Are you in favour or not in favour of the traditional lynch break at noon? And how come?"
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Hearte's knife made a satisfying thud as it cut through flesh and hit the wood of the chopping board on which he was filleting the joint. A funeral feast fit for a General! He'd be damned if he had a clue about military strategy, but that he could do.

In fact, Hearte was so good at funeral feasts, that he really wanted to do another one soon (it's so much less work to do several all at once). A lynching is more likely to get a conspirator than one of the really useful people, so he was in favor of one. Unfortunately, there were six to pick from, and he didn't really have any ideas about who to go for. If nothing else arises, he'll just vote for the whoever's the quietest at this stage.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
My thoughts exactly, my dear Hearte. I'm taking heed of the letters home from my sister Rose who unaccountably vanished in the Egyptian desert recently, where she detailed how the baddies in Camp Sarastro were completely undistinguishable from the goodies. So I'm trying not to leap to conclusions. At least not this early.
 

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Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
With a taste of Battista's brandy in his belly, Harry's head was a little clearer and thinking became something of a possibility.
"We've got a right old shit-pile here" he observed, "a fucked-up pigsty of a situation, in fact. How the hell are we supposed to work out who topped the General when there's six bloody fuckers to choose from?
"I notice our Pax still hasn't had anything to say, but I wonder if that doesn't smack of innocence. Now that everybody's got all verbose the traitors will be trying to blend in by talking just as loud as the rest of us wankers. Perhaps this Pax is just shitfaced, ill, dead, whoring, or fuck-knows what."
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Prosecution phase ends. Nominations are now closed.

If any of the accused (being:

Fr. Didier;

Cnl. Sylvain;

Amorya;

2Of. Hodge;

Pax Romana; and

Lt. Laicatell)

wish to defend themselves, they have until 'whenever-I-can-get-to-a-computer' on Monday. Then we'll open the vote.

If all six defendants explicitly close their defences before then, we can start sooner. Conversely, if any of them needs an extension of time beyond, say, midday Monday (GMT), for RL reasons, then please ask.
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Amorya is, of course, now Eliza Bradshaw.
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
Dai noticed that Lord Fastolfe had been casting aspersions upon him. Typical: he was probably an upper-class idiot by the looks of it, the kind of person who thought Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori was a jolly spiffing thing to tell the troops.
(For a moment, Dai wondered if there was a poem in that, but then sanity prevailed. No competent poet would do something as ridiculous as put a line of Latin in a poem.)
Anyway, Lord Fastolfe is just stabbing in the dark here, and missing. Dai is not a conspirator or a traitor, but an honest ex-soldier.

(Obtranslation: It is a sweet and fitting thing to die for the land of one's fathers.)
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
OoC: I can't find any mafia games earlier than Camp Sarastro on the Ship. Can someone find a link for me please?
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
There's one on Limbo. CuppaT linked to it from the Camp Sarastro thread. I'll see if I can find it.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Here it is.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Father Didier was distinctly unhappy with the current arrangements. True, it was necessary to submit to the civil authorities when their dictates were just, but solemn vows were solemn vows—and really, who would shoot a monk returning to his abbey?

The good news, as he soon found out when attempting to simply walk casually through the checkpoints at the edge of town, was that nobody would. The bad news, however, was that a bespecticled monk in a white-and-brown habit is not the most inconspicuous being God could have possibly created; every MP in the district had been told to keep him from leaving the city. Shooting was unnecessary when simply pointing and drawing up a platoon for escort duty sufficed. There was no way he would be able to return to Westveleteren and St. Sixtus any time soon.

True, he did have his own room in town—or at least an old broom cupboard that had just enough room for a camp bed and a few shelves. That, at least, he was grateful for—certainly when there were so many who lacked even a leaking tarp to keep away the nighttime rains. Even so, it still wasn't his cell in the monastery, nor was the parish church his own chapel, where even the stones seemed to keep their own never-ending contemplative silence. His books would soon be on their way, and Brother Thelonius would be capable of minding the brewery in his absence, but this unforseen interruption . . .

The alarm clock he had been given began to ring. It was a poor substitute for the usual churchbells, but Didier was determined to observe some semblance of his strict observance. Time at last for Vespers, and perhaps a moment or two of sleep before Lauds . . .
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Hmmmmmm… the priest says he nominated me just because my name was at the top of the transcript. This prompts a supplementary question – why make a nomination at all?

By time Fr Didier made his nomination, there were already three on the board. One was for himself, it’s true, but there were two non-clerical nominations as well. So I’m not sure I'm quite I’m convinced by his answer.

Now of course I could be completely wrong, and all of this could just be hurt feelings on my part for being accused of a crime I didn’t commit, but nonetheless, with evidence very thin on the ground it seems to me that at this point in time there is more reason to suspect Fr Didier than anyone else. It's a sliver of a suspicion, but that's more than I have on any other suspect (apart from knowing that I myself am a perfectly innocent telegraph operator, obviously). So I intend to vote for him unless I get a good reason why someone else would be a better bet. At the very least if I keep questioning him I make him talk, which is a good thing, whether he’s innocent or guilty.

I bet he’s an opponent of women’s emancipation* anyway.

*Shouldn’t that be “ewomancipation”?

[Dai, there are two previous games (which I won –once on each side of the fence ) linked in my earlier post]
 

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Posted by CuppaT (# 10523) on :
 
Burt is surprised at a whining monk. The ones he knows would be at peace anywhere. A place to sleep anywhere would be fine, a Bible would be nice, maybe a prayer book, and there's always the sun for the approximate time. Hmmm. A pretense at saintliness is just exactly what a mafia guy might do.

I guess we'll see about the other people in this town as time goes by. Everyone sounds so innocent. But some are not. Life is scary in wartime.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
I am afraid, Miss Hodge, that I may not possess either the keenness of sense nor the sharpness of mind of young people like you. So, if you would, please indulge an elder, and I beg for your gentle correction where I have erred in understanding your reasoning. If I understand you correctly:

1. I nominated you essentially at random, even though there were already two other people accused. Even though there are fifteen possible suspects, as well as three nominations that were made after I spoke up, obviously only a conspirator would desire more information, much less give a random person he had chosen at random a chance to show her innocence. Therefore, I am guilty.

2. The fact that I continued to talk and justify myself only means that I must be especially guilty, as Miss Hodge refuses to believe the obvious explanation; because I could not be an innocent wishing to know my new fellows better, I must therefore be a wolf in sheep's clothing, seeking to act inconspicuous while having my fellow citizens kill each other off. Is this correct, miss?

3. Finally, the fact that I am Of A Certain Age and very much set in my habits, and these habits set in me, means that I must be doing something as extraordinary as murdering generals. That I am a homesick monk who finds the routine of Trappist life conducive to his charism of contemplation is obviously impossible—for who could possibly want to return to the peace and silence that has been his life for these many years? That would be far too obvious of an explanation, now wouldn't it? Far easier to believe that I'm a killer.

I believe this to be a fair summery of the charges against me, no?
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
What Second Officer Hodge says about the suspiciousness of Father Didier makes sense. On the other hand, I have it on good authority that Father Didier's cousin (who looks exactly like him) did a very similar thing--nominated first round--in Camp Sarastro. Would Father Didier be so predictable as to play the same strategy this time around? Or is that additional evidence against him: that he's playing the same way?

I'm firmly torn as to what to think.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Here, madame, is what you should think: I am a simple Trappist monk who has no desire but to return home to my abbey.

Please.

I miss it already; I fear that I shall not see my true home ever again.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Rhoda, I wonder about that too. I believe Lt Hearte has some copies of a pamphlet on Odd and Even Parity Bluffing hanging around the kitchen
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
I'm interested in hearing more from the people who nominated late. I'm firmly behind the first-day-blind-lynch strategy, although I understand that there are enough people who aren't that we can't really make any judgments based on that. Once we already had three people up, why nominate anyone else? The only reason I can think of is to split the vote in order to avoid lynching someone already nominated.

The relevant late nominators are Fr. Didier, Sgt. Harry and Lord Harvis. The early nominated are Fr. Didier, Sylvander and Lt. Alice. Fr. Didier's nomination makes some sense as he could have just been trying to protect himself. But, this does make me a little suspicious of all the rest of the people I just listed. Of course, most of them are probably innocent, and they might all be. If Sgt. Harry and Lord Harvis could explain themselves, I'd sleep happier tonight.
 

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Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
As for a defence, I don't think I have much to say. I was nominated for my silence, which is easily explainable by my having just got off the boat and settling into my new quarters. Now that I'm speaking and contributing more, is there really a case against me?

The first day's lynching is never easy. Nobody has really had time to do anything particularly suspicious, so it's hard to know who to choose. The tactic of nominating someone (i.e. myself) to encourage them to speak is a good one, so I don't blame Sylvain de la Botte Trouée for that. There's nothing inherently suspicious about him as of yet.

quote:

---

b) As a new player she is blank space, so I want her to talk

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
What Second Officer Hodge says about the suspiciousness of Father Didier makes sense.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
[The radio operator-cum-suffragette was on my team twice, once as a baddie, and I never noticed any particular skills, nor did anyone else in our team comment to that effect].

---

That’s not what you said at the time

Possibly I am over-estimating my own abilities. However I’ve hardly been ‘adamant’. I said I had a ‘sliver of a suspicion’. I thought that was rather hesitant.

I’m quite open to the possibility that I’m completely wrong. I was just following what looks to me like the only viable (albeit very slim) lead in a sea of no information. However if I do turn out to be right about Fr Didier, I shall note your taking sides with him against me.

Yes I’m being talkative at present. But I have nothing to hide and I frankly don’t expect to survive all that long out here in Paschendaele (whether by assassination or orchestrated lynching) so I might as well talk while I still have the chance.
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
The most important thing is that we do have a lynching today. No lynching only favours the conspirators, by essentially giving them a free shot.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dafyd:
1) If either the traitor or the fanatic investigate an artillerist, will they know that they came across an artillerist? Or are they just told that the person they've investigated is innocent?

---

quote:

---

2) Voting is compulsory; but is voting for no lynching an option?

---

Yes, 'no lynching' is a valid vote.
 

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Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
For defense, Colonel de la Botte Trouée thought of no further, seeing he was accused because of the murder weapon. With a First World War being on, committing murder by shooting is rather not so outlandish.

IF he was lynched he'll have it however be known that he'll take the matter up with the European Court of Human Rights (in due course, i.e. after its installation in 80 years). Seeing he's French a lynching would constitute a xenophobic act and he'd be entitled to compensation.

He then considered who to vote for.
With six nominations a lynching is unlikely in any case, I'm afraid. This, received wisdom has it, suits Mafia fine and this would make those nominating late look suspicious. But so many factors intervene (time zones, RL…) that over-interpretation lurks everywhere (I think I nominated when they were already two nominees). And is no-lynching on day one really so much better for Mafia? The advantage may be small. E.g. earlier in the game the innocents are less likely to hit conspirators by luck anyway. But depending on role distribution we're just as likely to kill some useful villager before he can ever have been useful. So no-lynching will not just mean a “wasted shot” but also that we do not risk losing possible information gained overnight. (On the other hand, all such info is notoriously unreliable these days with switchers and people appearing what they are not …). I would still draw conclusions from someone outright voting “no-lynching”, however
 

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Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
Harry had been in a stupor all weekend. His work only required him be at his desk during the week unless there was some emergency and some other poor bugger had to deal with it.
They want to know why nominated this shadow-lurking Pax as a suspect. Well, it's bleeding obvious, isn't it?! He or she is the only person who's yet to open their mouth and say anything.
Harry continued to mull over the logic though.
But like I said before, I'm now wondering if that wasn't the right way to think. That fucking Suffragette doesn't half get on my tits though, constantly yapping about how damn clever she is. She'll set women's rights back a bloody decade if she doesn't show a bit more class about herself. Women voting, I ask you!
Happy that he had his thoughts in some semblance of order, Sgt Bournemouth set off towards the bar to find a whet and to let everyone know his thoughts...
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Monday in Holy Week, and Jesus is throwing the moneychangers out of the temple. Would that we had equal clarity for whom to cast out!
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Pax Romana informs me that Real Life has prevented her from choosing any identity and getting involved, and is likely to continue to be hectic next week.

Since she's not posted in character, I'm going to try to recruit a substitute player to take the role. If that works we'll play on as usual. Otherwise, Pax Romana can either enter the game when life is less vexing, or not, and her character will be one of the many anonymous victims of the War.

In the meantime, the character is still a valid target for nomination, voting and nocturnal activity. If I find a substitute player before voting closes (or PR cares to cast a vote) then she can vote - if not, that character's presence will not count for determining a majority.
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Major Daute, still in a quandary over the vexed question of whether the death of General Zurcon is likely to help or hinder his own promotion prospects, is further bewildered by the plethora of accusations that have appeared on his desk. He reads the list carefully:

Fr. Didier has been accused by Cpl. Marley,

Cnl. Sylvain by Lt. Adler

Amorya by Cnl. Sylvain

2Of. Hodge by Fr. Didier

Pax Romana by Sgt. Bournemouth, and

Lt. Laicatell by Lord Fastolfe.

Which is guilty? Or perhaps they are all innocent?

The trouble is, the Major can see no evidence so solid that he would stake his reputation on the outcome of exonerating any one of the sixteen suspects, nor of convening a Court Martial. Not in these precarious times. No, whatever happens now, the one important thing is that a certain Major Daute should not be seen to have taken any step that is proven wrong.

Let them sort it out amongst themselves, then. The odds have got to be good that when the dust settles and the bodies are carried out, General Zurcon's killer will be amongst the dead, and the few survivors can be exonerated with a clear conscience. Hell, the Major will even decorate them for their sterling work against villainous German agents. But first, let's have some bodies to carry out.


Voting commences and is compulsory. An absolute majority of votes is required to lynch a suspect.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Battista looked around the bar. There seemed to be a variety of moods: resigned; defiant; aggressive; maudlin; eager and arrogant. He didn't mind, as long as people wanted to drink while they talked.
From experience he knew that even if one voted for no lynching it would be seen as suspicious.

It had puzzled him how eagerly Corporal Marley and Lt. Alice had been to nominate others, and then amazed him how quickly this had escalated to six.

From his own point of view, there was only one option which made any sense, and that was to vote for Pax Romana; because she was the only one who hadn't brought his bar any business at all - so far.

He shrugged and beckoned to Agnes. "Mon cherie, please to take these eggs down to the hotel to Lt.Hearte, and ask him if he knows how to make spaghetti? I like to look after my customers, you know."
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
What was that she asked for? Getty-Spah... wasn't that some speech some Yankee gave once? History was Hearte's strong suit, but eggs were just what he needed for toad-in-the-hole... coming up!

Before he could get to battering sausages, he had a little contribution to make to the great democratic project. While he could see the appeal of voting for someone silent, he was more taken with the idea that that many votes is a way for someone to protect someone who had been nominated early inconspicuously. Fr. Didier was a red herring, as he was protecting himself, so Hearte decided to vote for the next nominated: Cln. Sylvain de la Botte (Sylvander).
 

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Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
We have a replacement player.

Voting is on hold until at least 5pm today, to allow the substitute to read the thread, introduce the new character and (if so advised) make a defence.

Discussions may continue as usual.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Father took a deep breath, then returned to clearing away some of the rubble in the ruined church he had found. It seemed to be such a shame to let a house of God go unused, just because, like so many others, its roof had a bit of a leak and it happened to be a tad drafty . . .
He assumed that the Germans had not politely asked that the sanctuary be deconsecrated before they shelled it to bits; the altar was still entirely intact, as was much of the eastern wall of the church, even if the windows were long gone. Of course the tabernacle was locked, but that was only a small problem for one used to old and stubborn locks; Fr. Didier soon opened it, to find the Body still in good condition, despite war, strife and neglect. He hastily closed the door, genuflecting deeply. One should not leave a church abandoned; surely, somewhere in this mass of humanity, there must be some proper wheat bread and a bottle or two of wine . . .
 

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Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Fr. Didier was a red herring, as he was protecting himself, so Hearte decided to vote for the next nominated: Cln. Sylvain de la Botte (Sylvander).

---

Who incidentally had also just been protecting himself, if I may remind you. Really just an 'accidental oversight' on your part? Ts, ts, how negligent!
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
"Just like the pissing army: nothing but delays and hold-ups."
 

---

Posted by The Great Gumby (# 10989) on :
 
Captain Arthur Malmesbury Slackbladder emerged blearily from his trench, squinting from the unaccustomed daylight, rubbed his eyes and headed for the meeting. He knew he was late - very late - but he was still furious at being woken up by the inconsiderate shelling from both sides, which had woken him from a most diverting dream in which he had been a woman. Oh, the things he'd wanted to try! Just another hour or two of sleep, and he could have died happy, which was just as well, as he had a feeling his life expectancy had suddenly somehow even managed to drop below the norm for the trenches.

He strode into the room. "Ah, so good of you to wait for me - and to nominate me for a lynching, as well, how considerate! Naturally, I'm as keen as any of you to get out of here, but I had rather hoped to manage it," he added sarcastically, "with a pulse.

"As it seems that there's been a nasty outbreak of Looney Fever while I was asleep, I suppose I now have to give you reasons not to kill me. Well, as far as I can tell, the only reason anyone's come up with for suspecting me was that I was a bit quiet. It might have escaped your notice, but this is one of the recognised side-effects of sleep, especially at a range of a couple of miles, and it's usually considered a bit odd to expect much of a contribution from someone who isn't there. Should there be any doubt, Major Daute can vouch for my whereabouts, but anything else he tells you is an outrageous lie.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, maybe we can get on with the voting. If we do it quickly, I might be able to get back to my dream."
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Fr. Didier was a red herring, as he was protecting himself, so Hearte decided to vote for the next nominated: Cln. Sylvain de la Botte (Sylvander).

---

Who incidentally had also just been protecting himself, if I may remind you. Really just an 'accidental oversight' on your part? Ts, ts, how negligent!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
[QUOTE] everything icky should be a potential clue. No superfluous
ick, please.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
From his own point of view, there was only one option which made any sense, and that was to vote for Pax Romana; because she was the only one who hadn't brought his bar any business at all - so far.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
Eliza Bradshaw (Amorya) spoke up after I prompted her and I'll let that pass.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dafyd:
In previous lives, people looking much like Sgt Harry Bournemouth have a history of voting for no lynching in the first round. When his proxy was lynched last time, he protested against the aggressive tactics being used, and he was quite right. I think Bournemouth's conversion to more aggressive tactics - not only voting for a lynching, but nominating someone to begin with - is pretty suspicious.

---

"Then I'll remind you what the final result was in that previous incarnation and then perhaps you'll see why I've changed my bloody mind."
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Le colonel was a trifle uneasy when everybody stared at him with marked disapproval. Some shouted: "Lynch him! Lynch him!" As if that wasn't bad enough the others frowned: "He peed in the ballot box and threw his vote in the loo."
He really had spent some time thinking about the post and the vote . He now hoped that folk would attribute the episode to some cunning trick rather than the true reasons ... he hadn't exactly jumped the queue back then when the brains were handed out. Had proved handy for an army career but not here apparently.
As things were down to a race between him and the papist he hastily fished his ballot out of the ditch behind the officers' mess and scribbled Fr Didier on it - mainly out of self-interest (but then he was going to watch him anyway for quietness).
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Imaginary Friend:
So I'm going to vote for Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouee

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:

(By the way, if you find me suspicious, the fanatic is welcome to investigate me. I have nothing to hide.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
That's assuming that our confused friend de la Botte Trouée still has a vote coming, to replace his illicit vote for the un-nominated Lieutenant Alice Adler.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:
A pro forma vote from Corporal Marley (Jay-Emm) is still required, but it cannot affect the outcome. Fr. Didier is lynched, and can post a death-scene now. As soon as I have the last vote (or decide I've waited long enough for it) I'll reveal his role.


Start thinking about your night actions now. It would help if all PMs could be sent to me as replies from the PM initially asigning your role - that way I get one PM thread per player and don't have to delete any game-related messages for reasons of space until we're done. I'll try to reply promptly with an acknowledgement so that you always have a PM to reply to.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Thinking a little more, I'll admit that I'm not the fanatic, but I have a suggestion for whoever is: investigate Sylvan. If Sylvan is guilty, you clear four of us.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
Maybe you ought to explain this, please? Which four?

---

quote:

---

things moving at night

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:

Stage 3: No-one else executable, but Didier savable

Alice (Antisocial Alto)


[/QB]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
[QUOTE]casts his ballet for dibler

---

What does "dibler" mean? The word seems to be in none of my dictionaries, nor is it a player. And it seems the vote isn't even listed further down.
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Jay-Emm! Behave! Cross posters will be summarily shot! (And explain "dibler" to me, pls).
 

---

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
Misspelling Didier?
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
And I thought it was the artillery specialist who was supposed to be deaf!

Agnes, I was voting purely in the best interests of your place of employment remaining open. This is a war; and no-one is to be trusted, even seemingly innocent little girls. Perhaps especially seemingly innocent little girls, looking at some of the votes which proved decisive.

All I wanted was Father Didier to be detained by the authorities. I did not believe he wound be rounded up and summarily executed.

But am I surprised? Non. Who of us has not witnessed such barbarity before? And may I remind you it was Corporal Marley who so eagerly accused the Father as the first nomination and Lt.Alice who was quick to follow by nominating Sylvain second. If they are working together, then perhaps they did not mind which one was taken out. Lt.Alice cast the deciding vote, and Corporal Marley the last one. Perhaps this too is significant. What do you think?
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
The sheer number of nominations makes me suspect that the conspirators are hiding in there among the nominators. I'm not sure if we should more suspect the early nominators or the late nominators. The early nominators would be making a preemptive strike: nominating the innocent before one of their guilty conspiratorial selves is nominated. The late nominators would be trying for a hung vote or else trying to deflect attention from an early-nominated conspirator. So maybe we should be looking among all the nominators, plus, say, the first three nominees.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
DAY 2 – “The six-inch tolls the knell of parting day”

The field artillery officer wades through the liquid mud of the communication trench as he heads to the howitzer pit overlooking the salient. The daylight is just beginning to show, and sentries stand to at their posts, wary of a dawn attack. As the officer arrives at his destination, the gunners make a show of saluting, but are wise enough not to spring to attention and show their heads above the sandbags.

“Sergeant Tork?”

“Sir!”

“I’m right in thinking that you’re a Lutheran, aren’t I, Dietrich? Not a Roman Catholic?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Very Good. Then I have a target for you. The Trappist place. One of our snipers believes that the British are using the bell tower for observation. There’s a man stationed there, at first light every day. Can you hit the tower?”

Sgt Dietrich Tork peers at the distant abbey in the pale light. Compared to the rest of Ypres, the war has been relatively kind to the sparse collection of outlying buildings. They were thought to have no strategic importance at all. But the range and bearing are marked - just as all the salient's landmarks are - in his field manual. He glances back at the officer, and places his hand possessively on the breech of his beloved Krupp 15cm sFH13.

“It’s a long shot sir. Almost out of range, but the height should help. Not if there’s a wind, I shouldn’t think, but on a calm morning like today, well, there’s a chance, sir. That’s all.”

“Three shells. Second and third as quick as you can make them. I want the observer dead, so make the first count, if you can.”

“Yes sir.”


Over four miles away, Brother Thelonius stands at the small window in the bell tower of the monastery of Saint Sixtus. He has heard of Father Didier’s death, and has prayed all night for vengeance and for forgiveness. “Is there any faith” he wonders “strong enough to accept this insanity?”

But the new day brings hope. As it always does. Whatever the horrors and sins of the past, each dawn is a theophany. The monk stares east towards the sun rising over the German lines, as he does every morning, and lets the light of God’s promises into his heart.

The first shell strikes the bell-tower squarely, blasting tha ancient stones apart and destroying everything inside. The second falls short, the mud smothering the blast. Sergeant Tork does not fire the third. The collapse of the tower makes it unnecessary, and there is no sense in provoking British counter-battery fire.


Brother Thelonius is not the only casualty of the night. The same morning, soldier-poet Lt. Dai Laicattell is found murdered.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
I should say expressly that the prosecution phase begins and nominations are now open (and will remain open for the next 30 hours or so).
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
We lynched the wrong priest and now lost the Welshman (or is that a perk?).
These conspirators are bad! Murdering an invalid, cowards! And a poet (sort of) to boot (can one say this for an amputee?).
I can't find much conspicuous in the few things he was saying before his death, can anyone? Are we any the wiser? I promise not to vote for someone not nominated this time.

Meanwhile Sylvain de la Botte Trouée tried his hand at poetry in the crude tongue of Shakespeare:

In memoriam

Lieutenant Dai is gone
He was ever so much fun.
He will be sorely missed
So let's all go get pissed
off

Could be improved upon but would have to do for now.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
I ought to have said explicitly that Dai Laicattell was an Allied Soldier.
 

---

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
Lt Laicatell put on his artificial leg. It felt funny. He took it off only to find that it had been smeared with fast-acting contact poison. What sick minds would come up with such a method of killing he wondered? Why was he chosen? He could only presume that his killers were moved by envy at his poetic gifts.
He had enough time to compose his epitaph:

I am dead.
'Nuff is said.
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
And, as Dai voted TESS, we learn nothing from this assassination. (Well... nothing except the fact that I can stop making that foul Welsh Rarebit he insisted on eating).
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Whatever TESS was supposed to mean... It's all dibler to me.
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
TESS = This Execution Should Stop, a.k.a. No Lynching.

May Lieutenant Dai Laicatell rest in peace and rise in glory. What's going to happen to the level of culture now that we are bereft of his poetry?

Help, help, can someone help me clear these stones away? Maybe Brother Thelonius, has survived this terrible shelling.

[ 17. December 2010, 13:52: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
So maybe we should be looking among all the nominators, plus, say, the first three nominees.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
So maybe we should be looking among all the nominators, plus, say, the first three nominees.

---

Or perhaps the first four nominees. The third to be nominated last time was Miss Bradshaw, and the fourth was Miss Hodge.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Great Gumby:
"You're assuming a logical, rational strategy on the part of the conspirators - which, given the way this war's going, isn't even something I'd expect from our generals.

---

quote:

---

More than that, though, you and Lt Hearte are missing something crucial, in that you're both assuming, based on slightly less evidence than a homeopathic remedy for being blown to bits, that someone in the nomination phase will have been a conspirator.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
Dread. Rhymes with dead. She'll have to tell that Welsh poet that one.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
...
Nurse Rhoda Autenrieth, who nominated Didier (an innocent), said she nominated first to get the ball rolling and because the nominee played in the last game (which is a reasonable thing to do if going for random accusations, I guess). She's been vocal enough on the forums so I'm not suspicious of her silence, but I've no idea what to think otherwise.
...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
It did make me wonder about the importance of your role when those running this show decided a substitute must be got for Private Romana. This might not have been so very necessary if you were just an allied soldier or civilian, and therefore more easily expendable.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Ahem, it was most definitely Corporal Marley and not me who got the ball rolling. I was making beds and rolling bandages when the nominations started.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
Then of course there's Col Sylvain. He was the second choice of last round. I didn't vote for him partly because I didn't want it to seem like tit-for-tat just because he nominated me (since his reasons there were sound),

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
but I have no other reason to be confident in his innocence. He had a bit of a back-and-forth regarding Hodge, and he seemed quite unimpressed by her suspicion of Didier.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
He said early on that he didn't think conspirators nominated early on Day 1,

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
so thought Alice Adler was innocent — but then he tried to vote for her anyway in the lynching. Confused much? Again, though, this doesn't tell us anything concrete.

---

As I said I think that analysis is guesswork until we hit a mafioso or detective. So when (if) I said conspirators often do not nominate early experience bears this out to a point. But all such statements based on past experience are most uncertain (Last time round all three mafiosi voted for the first person to be lynched - and Eliab's entire reasoning later was based on the wrong assumption they would never do this.)
My personal favourite speculation is the quietness-is-suspicious rule - but it is only relatively "safe" compared to the other ones available. None should ever be treated as a continuous base (hence my gut-feeling suspicion of Lavinia).

Quietness is why I tried voting for Alice.
Admittedly I find Lavinia (despite her speaking much until recently) very suspicious, too. But for the reasons specified I'll nominate Alice Adler. Actually I thought about not nominating at all this day, but seeing I have been nominated...

PS: I would not greatly mind being lynched: as I am no special citizen I would not be a big loss for my team (compared to others). But make sure that when you found out about my innocence you know good conclusions to draw from my death
 

---

Posted by leonato (# 5124) on :
 
Conte Leo suddenly realises that sitting in a bar drinking gallons of piss-poor Belgian wine means that you both miss out on what is going on, and get a terrible hangover.

He still believes that at least one of the enemy nominated last time round and that most, if not, all of them would have voted to lynch poor old Fr Didier.

Given these two things the most likely suspects are Sylvian and Alice Adler. Now they have nominated each other things are certainly interesting. Let us hope one of them is guilty (but which?).
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
I nominate Sylvain

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
nominate Lt.Alice

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CuppaT:

He leaned over to the next table to Conte Leo and said, "They didn't really nominate each other, you know. Harte nominated Sylvain. And Batty and Sylvain nominated Lt. Alice at about the same time."

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
"Mon ami, I think you will find that the second nomination was Lt.Adler (Antisocial Alto) nominating Col Sylvain (Sylvander); and the third nomination was Col.Sylvain nominating Miss Bradshaw (Amorya).

---

You're right. Sorry, all these years of reading idiot waiters' handwriting has made my own almost as bad... "Ao" for "Antisocial alto" and "Aa" for Amorya look kind of similar in my notes in this light.
 

---

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Lavinia returns from hours of practising Mozart on the cello (there may be a war on but it doesn’t do to lose one’s culture altogether) listening to the Tchaikovsky concert in Paris on the radio and dragging the Christmas tree (it may be Easter but Lavinia wants to make sure she’s prepared ) back to the barracks in the snow all the while cursing her leaky footwear that got her feet soaking wet, to learn about the latest assassinations. Finally she has managed to get near a telegraph machine. She finds herself accused of the crime, which is to be expected, I suppose, taken the way things turned out yesterday.

I DIDNT DO IT STOP

It goes without saying that I am innocent. Obviously I was profoundly and humiliatingly wrong last time, but if I really was a murderer, I would have kept quieter. It helps the innocent if we talk,* but it’s hard to tell this time round if the innocent have been talking or not. I suspect at least one of the conspirators is being rather talkative, actually. (Admittedly this doesn’t get me off the hook, but such is life.)

While I made the nomination of the priest (and I remind you that I didn’t say I was certain I was right, only that it looked to me like the best shot in a bad situation) I was far from the only one to vote that way. So my mistake was to the clear advantage of the mob, who I think probably offered less reasoning than me in the hopes of getting me to carry the can on the pretext that they were just following the crowd in order to ensure a lynching.

Anyway, me being dead helps no one except the conspiracy.

*Note to everyone – verbosity helps the innocent. It may bore the pants off the hosts, but that’s why we send them chocolate later
 

---

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Imaginary Friend:
The only other thing needing whetting now was his palette, so he headed swiftly towards the bar.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
*Note to everyone – verbosity helps the innocent. It may bore the pants off the hosts, but that’s why we send them chocolate later

---

This at least is true

The problem at the moment, of course, is that I doubt many people have much of a clue what's going on. So innocent people end up being quiet because they have nothing much to say, and guilty people can then be quiet and not stand out too much. I'm not saying I've been great at copious talking myself, but I have at least tried to post a few possibilities and reasons (which did make me look a bit of an ass when I misattributed one, but oh well).

As for this round of voting, I'm inclined to vote for Lt Alice if she doesn't reply soon. I'm not voting for her just yet, but if the votes all start getting cast then a lack of reply could be a cause for concern. (I won't, of course, do anything stupid like force a tie, since I still believe lynching people needs to happen for the town to win.)

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I DIDNT DO IT STOP

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
...Regarding Hodge's protestations, the logic [in her post] seems sound at face value, but there is still something that doesn't quite ring true to me....and Hodge hasn't been nominated this round anyway.[/QB]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Had I realized that I was cross-posting with Hearte, I would have definitely altered my nomination to being for Miss Hodge.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Antisocial Alto:
Both of them had thrown accusations wildly; the Colonel seemed to have switched allegiances several times.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Antisocial Alto:
She thought his constant babbling might be a smokescreen.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
The Colonel voted for Alice last time round (despite her name not actually being on the ballot). I'm not sure what this means, but I'm sure it means something...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
It may bore the pants off the hosts, but that’s why we send them chocolate later

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
The problem at the moment, of course, is that I doubt many people have much of a clue what's going on. So innocent people end up being quiet because they have nothing much to say,

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
(which did make me look a bit of an ass ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
Eliza Bradshaw

---

Shipmates who impersonate a lady but really are men are of course inherently a bit suspicious! Why, you might fool me into proposing to you! And what a nasty shock that would be.
 

---

Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
Intoxicated by the sweet, sweet chocolaty blessings of Belgium, for a brief moment Lord Fastolfe decides to speak in the manner and lingo of these local thugs and theorists (the theologist is dead), expressed in a short snippet of words, supposedly filled with some truth.

It seems Lavinia Hodge does not want to see Lt Adler lynched, or maybe she just wants to see Le Colonel in a noose. I'm sure that counts for something.
 

---

Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
Eliza Bradshaw

---

Shipmates who impersonate a lady but really are men are of course inherently a bit suspicious! Why, you might fool me into proposing to you! And what a nasty shock that would be.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by JFH:
It seems Lavinia Hodge does not want to see Lt Adler lynched, or maybe she just wants to see Le Colonel in a noose. I'm sure that counts for something.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
Eliza Bradshaw

---

Shipmates who impersonate a lady but really are men are of course inherently a bit suspicious! Why, you might fool me into proposing to you! And what a nasty shock that would be.

---

[OOC note: I thought this might come up. I'm transgendered. So in real life I am now in fact a girl,

---

[tangent]
Apologies, Ms Eliza. I was not aware of this. I had only seen your remark on the shipmate's picture gallery at the start of this Mafia game. I assumed you were posting a picture of yourself as a child for some playful confusion. No revelations, let alone offense intended by me.
But don't you think this apology will stop me from accusing you should I find you looking louche ! Or proposing to you, should you dare to show up on the LO thread. Will you? [/tangent]
 

---

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
Please respect Amorya's wish to receive a PM if you wish to discuss the tangent further, rather than posting on this thread.
Thank you. Chorister, Host.
 

---

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by JFH:
. . . (the theologist is dead), . . .

---

quote:

---

Lord Fastolfe felt a comforting presence nearby, and caught a whiff of something . . . well, divine. Something like a combination of the purest dark chocolate imaginable, the essence of every Central American plantation refined into one infinitesimal quintessence, with just a hint of something . . . citrussy? Herbal? Earthy? Hops??? Who would ever think of combining hops and chocolate—or that it would ever smell this good! For a moment, he forgot his troubles and cares, lost in the etherial bliss of some unearthly comfort.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée, what are you hiding?

---

Viens et visite ma tente

This war is a bloody feminist conspiracy. Bad enough about the trenches - but even back here we only see men dying so far! So: Lt Alice Adler
 

---

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
This is tricky. TBH, I have a feeling that they are both innocent. I'm not sure that voting no lynching helps either tho....

For the reasons I described earlier, I think it's very unlikely that they are both in it together. If either of them is a conspirator, I think there can only be one. For now I'm leaning towards giving the benefit of the doubt to the Colonel, who I think is probably a loose cannon rather than a murderer. Which I suppose means that I vote for Alice Adler.

I'm not at all sure I'm doing the right thing, though
 

---

Posted by The Great Gumby (# 10989) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
This is tricky. TBH, I have a feeling that they are both innocent. I'm not sure that voting no lynching helps either tho....

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
Viens et visite ma tente

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
Lt Hearte, as Miss Rhoda said, we note that you seem to have tried to hang the vote...

Apart from this le colonel mutters dreamishly in the face of fiendish Hearte's vote: "Death, where is thy sting, now that nurse R. has made my bed!"

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
Lt Hearte, as Miss Rhoda said, we note that you seem to have tried to hang the vote...

Apart from this le colonel mutters dreamishly in the face of fiendish Hearte's vote: "Death, where is thy sting, now that nurse R. has made my bed!"

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
It's hard to think straight with so many people talking at once: xpost with Amorya

---

I find it hard to think at any time. But how would I know what I mean if I don't hear what I think?
Regarding facts le colonel, chewing on his impressive moustache grudgingly admits that the fould-mouthed beefeater is right about the x-post.
 

---

Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
The suspense! How much longer must we wait?
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Only Lt. Adler still to vote, and though she might well object to the result, she can't change it. She is duly lynched and may now post a death scene.


Unfortuntely for (most of) the rest of you, she was an Allied Soldier whose work with the front line troops had made an Infantry Expert.
 

---

Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
Uh oh…
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Merde! #&*@##....

Battista swore in all the languages he knew and in several dialects too. He was used to the patrons of his bar having a secret life about which it was best for him to know nothing. But the fact that the milk drinker WAS actually an innocent little girl who drank milk shook him to the core.

How typical of this brutal war that the dastardly and evil seemed to thrive while the innocent went quickly to the slaughter.

He sighed. "Agnes, please feed the cow, and make sure there is enough milk for everyone here to have a glass in memory of Lt.Alice."
 

---

Posted by Antisocial Alto (# 13810) on :
 
Blindfolded, Alice shivered in the raw spring wind. Shots rang out. She was cold, so cold... but for a moment, she seemed to sense the rustling of corn stalks and the sunshine of an Illinois summer day.

[OOC note: I found a more informative article about the Hello Girls (telephone operators who connected the trenches with HQ, sometimes under combat conditions). Unfortunately I didn't see it till after I had already created my character. It turns out that my rank should have been Operator First Class, not Lieutenant.]
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
And with that night falls...


The end of a bad day for Wales, incidentally. Not only was the remarkable war poet Dai Laicattell found murdered, Welsh rugby union international Bryn Lewis was killed in Ypres today when a German shell fell onto an officer's mess.

Those of you with night actions please take them now.

My plan is to treat the period from the start of Christmas eve to midnight on 28 December as not counting towards any deadline. Anyone may post on this thread over that time, and may take any valid game action, but I won't call the end of any phase until 24 hours of ordinary time has passed.

So we might kick off the prosecution phase before Christmas, but (unless 'night' is resolved incredibly quickly, and we get onto Defence before Christmas eve) you'll get at least some time on Wednesday of next week to nominate your victim-of-choice.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
"Fuckity fuck."
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Rhoda was woken from a deep sleep by the sound of shots to find herself curled up, Ruth-like, at the Colonel's Boaz feet. Hmmmmm. At least he wasn't snoring, wriggling, or kicking. Now how to get out of the tent without being seen by the gossip-hungry camp? She scooped up the dirty linens and piled them loosely in her arms so they hid most of her face. Then slipped out the tent-flap. She dropped them at the laundry tent and continued to the bar.

Right, what do we know? Aside from the fact that we are having tremendously bad luck at catching conspirators?

We know that Corporal Jacob Marley, Lord Jarvis Fastolfe of Harrisford, and our talented bartender Battista Lalonde (she raised her glass of milk towards the barcophagus) have nominated innocents (Father Didier, Lieutenant Dai Laicatell, and Lieutenant Alice Adler). We know that an innocent (Father Didier) nominated Second Officer Lavinia Hodge.

On the other hand, as Nurse Bradshaw has pointed out, we don't want to necessarily penalize people for making nominations. So I don't know if the above information makes any of the named people more suspicious than anyone else.

I don't know what to conclude from the voting patterns except to note that an early imbalance of votes towards one nominee tends to quickly snowball into a lynching.
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Bloody hell!

Still, at least for me - who now knows that in this round we only had two innocent nominees (you can verify by lynching me and as this is a team game if this helps to spread certitude among the honest I'd even almost be all for it) but meanwhile let us speculate at leisure - this death might indicate a few things. (This is what lynching is all about).

Let us see. What would you consider doing if you were Mafia?

For instance:
Mafia were the only ones who knew that there were only two innocents on the line.

In this situation Mafia have no significant reason to prefer the one over the other. A no-lynching is highly unlikely but it is the only option they want to avoid. So they wish to delay at least one of their votes (with only two nominees one is enough) until late to make sure that there is no hung vote. Therefore: Look for at least one conspirator among those voting anytime after the outcome was decided. (Once the outcome was clear there was no need to wait any longer).
If I were Mafia I would not be the first to vote - rather wait for the first two or so votes to see which way the wind is blowing and then throw your weight behind it.
A Mafioso is unlikely to be someone who levels the vote early on. CuppaT leveled the score to 2 - 2 (after a 2-0 for Alice) this round. I'd venture the conjecture that she is not Mafia (or it is clever bluffing).

Someone (I think Hearte) avoided the fatal blow to Alice (as both AR and I quickly pointed out), making a hung vote slightly(!) more likely. Can one read something into this, i.e. would it prove Hearte innocent (as Mafia would precisely want to avoid a hung vote)? It could mean something, if only his action had been deliberate - but it was not, as it was due to a crosspost.
But even if it was premeditated it might be a bluff - a Mafioso voting in direction of a hung vote, but on the relatively safe assumption that one of the remaining four or five players would pull the trigger anyway since there is a dominant mood (me included) that lynchings are necessary to disclose information.
Question: how likely do we think such a bluff is? I think it unlikely: If it had been meant as a bluff, Lt Hearte would not have himself pointed out the simple (and apparently truthful)solution "crosspost". Therefore I assume "no bluff", i.e. Hearte more likely innocent than not. Plus CuppaT (casting the 2-2 vote).

This is what I conclude from today's outcome. Not much - but others may add more reflection or quesiton this one.

I'd include speculation about what conclusions we could draw from today's result if I was guilty - but that would be an even longer post and it does not come as intuitively to me as the above did (as I would have to put myself outside my actual knowledge). Maybe someone else have a go.

I could add reflection of why you could judge my innocence likelier than my innocence.

PS: Someone posted a funny post this day which sounded like they had picked up on the suggestion (whose) to investigate me and found me innocent. I think it might be wise if the nurse protected this poster of the funny post tonight

Obviously the above may prove futile tomorrow morning. But I have to post it now in case I do not live to see the morning :-)
 

---

Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
I'm not sure how accurately you can gauge things from voting time — I voted the first time I logged on whilst the voting was open, for example. I suppose if I were a conspirator I might spend more time getting it right, but it could well just be people posting when they get a chance to check the thread.

Still, in the absence of other leads…
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:
The end of a bad day for Wales, incidentally. Not only was the remarkable war poet Dai Laicattell found murdered, Welsh rugby union international Bryn Lewis was killed in Ypres today when a German shell fell onto an officer's mess.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Does that help?

---

It's an improvement that you've remembered my existence, certainly. I think it may be useful to list the votes like this, but wouldn't be surprised if the conspirators voted early this time round, for either nominee. They'll know that suspicion always falls on those who cast votes at the sharp end, whatever they do, the chances of a hung vote were slim, and they would probably (my initial tentative suspicion of the Colonel aside) have been happy with either being lynched. The first 6 votes (i.e. before mine) were cast by Lord Fastolfe, Battista Lalonde, Nurse Rhoda, Lt Burt, Col Sylvain and Officer Hodge. Of course, it may be that these were just the first people to get to a computer.

One thing that's been nagging at me is that Dai Lycatell was murdered last night, having been the only person to vote for no lynching. It may be coincidence, or it may be that the conspirators bumped him off for precisely that reason. Imagine that all the nominees on day 1 were innocent (I know we've been here before, but bear with me) - it would make sense, in the absence of any other considerations, to eliminate the one person who wasn't chasing shadows. Or maybe that's what we're meant to think, and we're back onto bluffing parities.

I don't claim that I'm definitely right about any of this, but it's a hypothesis.
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
TGG: You are of course right re all speculation might fall prey to bluffing. But that cannot be avoided unless leaving all speculation aside - and where is the fun in that? The problem is that in such an online game and with no RL knowledge of the people involved bluffes are virtually impossible to detect.

It is easier to delay one's vote than to vote early deliberately (unless one is at the computer 24/7).
In past games hung votes were likelier - because there were far more no-lynching votes (we only had Lt Dai's on day one - the first time that happened and the first lynching in this game on day one was the result) and lynchings require an absolute majority. (Incidentally for future games: this is an argument for no lynching votes - the way things worked out this time Mafia needed not to worry too much about a no-lynching outcome. With only two nominees and IF they presumed we'd mostly vote again like we did on day one (i.e. few or no abstentions) only the unlikely 7-7 outcome would have thwarted their intentions. So the absence of no-lynching votes on day one somewhat facilitated their task! (I never had thought of that before).

But would they work on the presupposition that we'd all continue as before, i.e not vote "no-lynching"? I do not know. But if they did, then indeed the order of voting is not very indicative, so long as they kept one late vote.

But let us assume they were not so certain that the avoidance of no-lynch votes would continue, then they might want to wait a bit with voting and follow the flow. So the first vote (JFH) imho is a little more likely innocent than guilty.
So personally (based on my exclusive knowledge about two innocent nominees this time round) and as explained in my previous effusion I'd regard

1. JFH (first voter)

2. CuppaT (vote leveling the score to 2-2)

3. Hart (Lt Hearte ) (a conspicuous late move towards a hung vote - if not a bluff. And if not simply a move to avoid casting the decisive killer vote - but I never read much into that anyway, someone has to do it and avoiding it would more easily be achieved by delaying than voting for the other candidate)

as slightly less likely conspirators than not.

Hearte was also the first nominator in this round (nominating me - see, we French may be vindictive over Alsace-Lorraine but against those who want to lynch us we bear no grudge ). This would be slightly untypical behaviour for Mafia - unless they felt safe since they saw me as a natural target for suspicion in everybody's eyes. Still - for me it hints to innocence rather than guilt.

I may look an ass if later proven wrong but there you are. All this is guesswork based on little obviously.

A last idea:
I think there are only two conspirators.
Why?

a) A traitor is definitely there (rules).

b)If there were three conspiratots plus a potential fourth and with only sixteen players the balance would be far too tilted in the conspirators' favour. (Especially taking into consideration the absence of a doctor and a string of relatively useless extra citizens' roles further weaking the side). So we are chasing two people.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
'Mon Dieu, but this war makes strange bedfellows', thought Battista, as he listened to the bar gossip. 'Here is Nurse Rhoda voting twice against le colonel, and now she appears to be in bed with him?' He shrugged philosophically. 'If I were a younger man, then I would probably do the same...'

"More rum and milk, my dear?"
 

---

Posted by The Great Gumby (# 10989) on :
 
Some interesting food for thought there, Colonel, and I like the way you're thinking.

[OOC, I'm likely to be AFK until the new year after today, so if the game starts up again before then, I'm not lurking, just otherwise detained.]
 

---

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
The ghost of Lt Laicatell believes that a game of football is traditional at this time of year.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 

quote:

---

[OOC, I'm likely to be AFK until the new year after today, so if the game starts up again before then, I'm not lurking, just otherwise detained.] [/QB]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by JFH:

However, I am most suspicious of Lavinia Hodge, whose silence is speaking another language. However, I just realized that just as I say this, Major Daute, the self-ordained voice of God, has run off with the list of accused people, and thus my suspicions will have to wait for another day or so, which might be just as well, since I have no proof apart from her odd appearance, running on and off in talking, and going on and on about her importance.
I believe she is a traitor, but I am not sure - I want to hear more from her, though.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by JFH:
Intoxicated by the sweet, sweet chocolaty blessings of Belgium, for a brief moment Lord Fastolfe decides to speak in the manner and lingo of these local thugs and theorists (the theologist is dead), expressed in a short snippet of words, supposedly filled with some truth.

It seems Lavinia Hodge does not want to see Lt Adler lynched, or maybe she just wants to see Le Colonel in a noose. I'm sure that counts for something.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
Pity! We are short a detective now. And he was not protected, it seems. What the heck was the nurse doing?
Hibernating after the big Christmas dinner is my guess. So I blame it on the goose.

---

Maybe she was *ahem, Colonel*
otherwise occupied....

So we have 12 of us left; at least two conspirators I would think, with the possibility that the traitor may now have investigated a conspirator and therefore become one of them as well.

Of the remaining nine we have five who may have special roles: the nurse, the aviation expert, the sapper, the special brigader and the MP. We know that night actions have been taken by the conspirators, but we have no evidence of any other night actions having been effective as yet.

Of the eight mentioned who voted for both Fr Didier and Alice Adler to be sent to the firing squad, one, (Lord JFH) is now dead and one nominated (Miss Hodge). I would like to hear from Corporal Marley especially as to why he should not be nominated; but also from Operator Bradshaw, Agnes and Conte Leo.
 

---

Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
Me? I'm just an ordinary girl who's somewhat out of her depth amidst this sea of corruption and conspiracy. I've no information to work with beyond what you see here, so I've been voting in a way that I hope is logical and transparent, but sadly seems to have been misguided so far.

On day 1, at the time of my vote it was between Didier and Sylvain. (I could have voted for someone else, but without hard evidence then that'd look a bit suspicious, as if I was trying to force no execution.) Didier had been fairly elusive in his postings (a lot of background story but not much about his actual suspicions, save for of Hodge) whereas Sylvain had seemed more transparent in his deductions to me.

On day 2 it was between Lt Adler and Sylvain. I voted for the former because she hadn't posted much, and thus hadn't swayed me that she wasn't a conspirator, compared with Sylvain who I still had a gut feeling was innocent. Not the best logic, but nobody was standing up offering any more concrete evidence than that.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
Well fuck me if this time we don't have something more solid to go on thought Harry when he heard the news. "The investigator's suspicion is good enough for me, at this miserable juncture" he said, "but if any fucker can make a good argument against anyone else then I'll at least listen."
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
I did find it interesting that our fanatic was suspicious of Hodge for being a traitor rather than a conspirator. That's not something the fanatic can use their power to ascertain, as far as I know.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Simply because he was the first to nominate Fr Didier and the last to vote; also because he has remained fairly quiet.

It is the quiet ones we have to watch, non?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:
What the heck was the nurse doing?

---

Maybe she was *ahem, Colonel*
otherwise occupied....

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
It is the quiet ones we have to watch, non?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
at the last minute changed my mind on the basis of the absence of any obvious fanatic like comments (which had he been guilty and investigated seemed likely)

---

This strikes me as odd. I found this post as crystal-clear as the mud in No-Man's-Land. In case anyone missed it - I am sure Mafia never would anyway - I then had specifically pointed towards that post. I find it hard to believe you missed both these hints.

Anybody (not you Jay-Emm ) wishes to think up a sensible reason why a conspirator might want to pretend he had not noticed? Guilty conscience perhaps? Pretending to be a bit thick? I venture to conject that
a) nobody but me had publicly acknowledged they had noticed JFH’s hint
b) the conspirators obviously had picked it up
So
c) pretending one never noticed (like JFH) would not draw public attention to the fact that one had noticed what Mafia had.
On the other hand: It was apparently possible to miss it in good faith – after all the nurse did.
***
Generally: I take it that we all share almost the same knowledge now: we had two innocent nominees last round. This is a rare and precious piece of
certified information in this game. I penned down at usual length my feeble conclusions from that above. Anybody else care to contribute more conclusions?

Of course I am aware that you all – this incl. Mafia unless the defection already happened - have a slight uncertainty which I do not share, i.e. as far as you all know I could still be the defector (a 1 in 11 chance for each of you who knows his own innocence – if you are Mafia you have no reason to target the defector). The chance to hit a Mafioso is 1 in 5,5 (assuming two Mafiosi). So even if anybody were still suspicious of me - you'd be mathematically far better off killing others.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
I would like to hear from Corporal Marley especially as to why he should not be nominated; but also from Operator Bradshaw, Agnes and Conte Leo.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
We are still waiting to hear from...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sylvander:


So he re-read Lt Hearte’s posts. Almost all just talk IC – no substance. And a lot of either not-paying attention or being stupid. Like mentioning a “sizeable hint from someone who can find these things out”?? What sizeable hint? As I only just wrote, the deceased fanatic had only one night to investigate (me) – hence there are no more sizeable hints from him.

Why does Lt Hearte talk so weirdly then? Maybe he is neither not paying attention, nor stupid but intentionally mudding the waters?

No, I’ll hold my vote a wee while longer.

---

Are you talking about me or Harry? It sounds like you're getting the two of us confused. While many of my posts have "IC drivel," all except my IC opener have substance as well. This part sounds much more like a description of Harry than me. Similarly, the "sizable hint" quote is a quote from Harry, not me.

On the other hand, it's true that I've made a couple of slip-ups reading my own notes (12/14, not noticing that Sylvan was protecting himself with his nomination; 12/18, again misreading my notes on the first round of nominations) and I've been the victim of a cross-post. Mistakes during a busy time of year. I'm sorry for them, but I hope they won't get my hung. Any regards, I'm not up this time. In my defense: not many other people are posting data summaries. I may have made a few mistakes, but at least I'm trying.
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
[cross-posted with our good Cookie. Tripe Flakes for breakfast, now that was inspired.]

Excuse me, Colonel, the relief of being declared innocent has gone to your head. It's Sergeant Bournemouth, not Lieutenant Hearte you're expostulating against.

I agree that the "sizable hint" from poor departed Lord Jarvis was not based on being "in a position to know" about Officer Hodge. But it was based on what seems to me to be good logic.

On the other hand, I hear what you're saying about the suspiciousness of Sergeant Bournemouth.

I am quite concerned about you, though. Surely we should always keep the Nativity of Our Dear Lord and Saviour in mind, but it's not Christmas; it's Wednesday in Holy Week. Perhaps if I washed your feet with nard and dried them with my hair that would calm you?

[ 30. December 2010, 17:49: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Battista smiled. The weather was even bleaker than yesterday, so the bar was full early on. The mood of several groups of Australian tunnellers and a crew of Canadian railway workers was bouyant - the bitter wind didn't seem to bother them much. Everyone was talking about the German retreat, and that in a day or two it could all be over, when the allies finally hammered through the Hindenburg Line.

It was all good for business, and Battista was doing a roaring trade in all manner of bottles, cases and casks. He was particularly pleased that two members of the Black Watch, who had secured a good supply of their favourite whiskey through their RAF contacts at Inverness were keen to barter. Alcohol might be well rationed in Britain, but there was no shortage of it in Ypres.

Occasionally, above the din, the raucous sound of a Strombus horn could be heard from far away, and he would send someone up the stairs to check that the door was padded round against the invasion of any stray gas canisters.

But after a while, the air would be so thick that the need for ventilation would override all caution, and the door to Batty's Bar would be thrown open again. He did notice that Sgt Harry Bournemouth would flinch noticeably every time the alarum sounded, but then, Harry knew first hand what it was like to have a permanent headache from chlorine gas. No wonder he was always so bad tempered.

"Drink up, my friends," smiled Battista. "Eat and be merry, for tomorrow it will all be over - at least for some of us."
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Nurse Rhoda's head was aching after going through the infirmary and wiping all the patients' feet with her hair. She wasn't so sure about this enactment of the events of Holy Week, but she thought maybe Father Didier would have approved.

She returned to her cubbyhole and typed out the following on her iTypewriter:

******************
Here is how the votes fell out in our last round.  I'm not sure what it tells us.  Perhaps someone else could offer some conjectures?

While the outcome was still in doubt:

for Alice Adler: Lord Jarvis, Battista Lalonde, Colonel de la Botte Trouée, Officer Hodge, Captain Slackbladder, Sergeant Bournemouth

for Colonel de la Botte Trouée: Nurse Autenrieth, Lieutenant Burt

Cast the deciding vote for Lt Adler:
Nurse Bradshaw

Thought it was still possible to lynch the Colonel, but cross-posted and the Colonel was already safe despite Hearte voting for him:
Lieutenant Hearte

Voted for Lt Adler after the outcome was already determined:
Captain Marley, Mademoiselle Machant, Conte di Leonato

Lieutenant Adler didn't vote.
******************

Rhoda pushed aside her iTypewriter and headed down to Batty's.  A nice whiskey and milk would be just the thing, at least in the absence of a proper English tea.
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Awww! C'me awwwn! No hair splitting, please!
Hart or Harry. "Westward! Westward!" or "Eastward! Eastward!". Christmas or Holy Week - what's in it? Is a man can no longer allowed to make little mistakes? We need to concentrate on the bigger picture, not get lost in petty detail like whom to lynch or whether we need to go East or West in order to conquer Germany!

Hmm. No. Not quite...

Ok, folks. I'm sorry. Less haste, more speed. I was not paying real attention and after we watched "Bienvenue chez les Scht'is" with an old Burgundy last night I found myself in a somewhat exuberant Francophile mode when posting .
Thanks for your patient and kind reminders - but then you knew what to expect when you let me join in. At least I haven't proposed to the nurse(s) so far.
Come to think of it ... maybe I should concentrate on that and let the others do the thinking.

Better.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
Major Daute casts a wearied eye over the morning's accusations:

Second Officer Lavinia Hodge, accused by Lt. Hearte; and

Sgt. Harry Bournemouth, accused by Officer Hodge.

He considers the possibility that both accusations are wrong and, if so, whether either nominee is so important as to be worth taking action to save. Almost instantly, he breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought - Good God, no! To risk shielding a German agent could jeopardise his entire career. No, the suspects would just have to sort it out between themselves.


Voting commences. There are twelve of you left, so seven votes are required to convict.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
"I do suspect that the Frenchman has been in his cups" chortled Harry as he listened to the debate flow onwards, "and it seems that he can't bloody handle his liquor, neither! But seriously, the accusation against me is completely bloody spurious. Consider the following evidence: My voting record isn't suspicious, I've been pretty consistent in my way of approaching the game (which is to say that I try to keep my big fucking mouth shut unless I'm fairly sure of what I'm saying. I think this is an approach that some of you other fuckers could learn from, on occasion!) This is so as to not muddy the waters any more than they already are. There's nothing about any of that which should mark me out for suspicion, actually quite the opposite because I've not lead anyone up the garden path.

"But, most importantly, even the person who accused me acknowledged that there's not good reason for it: It was a blind stab in the dark born out of desperation rather than any fucking certainty.

"On the other hand, everyone that Hodge has fingered has come back innocent. She's clearly not a fanatic because she'd've had more of a fucking clue what she was doing if she bloody was. So there's no harm in lynching her on the reasonable chance that she is a conspirator because the worst that happens is that we lose a normal innocent.

"And lastly, I have skills. I'm a deadly fucking machine when I want to be, and trust me, you want me on your fucking side."

So, long story fucking short, I vote for Lavinia Hodge."
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
I find her bombast suspicious, so I vote to lynch Second Officer Lavinia Hodge. Heaven knows what we'll do for telegraphs though.
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Oops. With Major Daute's reminder that there are twelve of us left, I've gone back and checked my analysis of the Adler vote. I think it was actually Corporal Marley, not Nurse Bradshaw, who cast the deciding vote. And Colonel de la Botte Trouée was still lynchable when Lieutenant Hearte voted.

More whisky and milk, please, Monsieur Lalonde.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
More whisky and milk, please, Monsieur Lalonde.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Imaginary Friend:
"And lastly, I have skills. I'm a deadly fucking machine when I want to be, and trust me, you want me on your fucking side."

---

Don't forget that's the sort of rhetoric that lead a few people to be suspicious of Hodge in the first place

Eliza
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Battista sighed. Yes, it was entirely possible that two innocents have been nominated again. So should he vote for no lynching?

As his new gold Omega wristwatch ticked steadily on towards Maundy Thursday, he found himself pouring a choco scotch and wondering what Harry or Miss Hodge would do in his place.

He shrugged at no-one in particular. "But of course they would vote for someone. Therefore I will go with my first suspicion, that some of these leetle girls are definitely NOT the innocent leetle girls they appear to be. I will tell Major Daute I am voting for

Lavinia Hodge "
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Lavinia Hodge
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
I'll end her. Hodge.
 

---

Posted by CuppaT (# 10523) on :
 
Skip a couple hours and what do you get? Missing all the fun of it, but I'll go with Hodge, too.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
A decision may have been reached, but we still have three voters (Conte Leo di Leonato,
Agnés Machant, Cpt. Slackbladder) who need to express their approval or disapproval of that decision before the victim's role is revealed.

Once we have those votes, Lavinia can post a death scene.
 

---

Posted by leonato (# 5124) on :
 
The Conte has been away celebrating the feast of St Eric (a very obscure saint, but with a really lavish festival in his home village) and has had no time to consider the current nominations. With nothing to go on he suggests no lynching even though he realises it will do no good.

[That is, I haven't had any internet access over the new year, sorry]
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
It was a long night, with the temperature steadily dropping. Down in the bar, the Canadians were talking about the latest orders from General Byng, who seemed to be amassing troops around Vimy to the south. The Belgians were wondering when the Greeks would join up. And the Australians were toasting their capture and death of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia and singing ever more bawdy verses of Hinky Dinky Parlez Vous.

Finally Battista called time and shooed them out the door. Maundy Thursday, Ypres, 1917 was heralded in by several drunken diggers weaving their way across the frozen ground of the main street and singing:

We're shelled on the left and we're shelled on the right,
We're bombed all the day and we're bombed all the night,
And if something don't happen and that pretty soon
There'll be nobody left in the bloody platoon
Dinky di Dinky di
There'll be nobody left in the bloody platoon

Battista yawned, poured himself a strong nightcap, and hoped that he wouldn't get woken up anytime soon by close bombardment.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
It was a long night...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
"the breeze vertical"?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Nurse Rhoda Autenrieth [...] wasn't the head nurse, able to keep even the most badly wounded soldiers alive for an extra day of life. No, she was just an average civilian who had joined the Red Cross

---

No, just a nurse, not The Nurse.

I can't believe it. I was so sure she was the Traitor. That's what comes of getting convinced by something. Back to doubtful mode.

And on the same day we've lost General Erin Etheredge.

[eta: adding prayers to tears.]

[ 04. January 2011, 14:04: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
"Mon Dieu! But this investigation is going from bad to worse!" exclaimed Battista. "And where has Agnes got to? I do hope she has not run away, because the chickens will miss her."

So, Miss Hodge was secretly in the Red Cross. This is very sad for those of us left. I think a little medicinal brandy is called for while we contemplate who might be making this war an even more unhealthy place to be than necessary.

It is interesting to me that both Cookie Hearte and Nurse Rhoda have voted the same way throughout; twice for Colonel Sylvain and now for Miss Hodge, with Hearte making the decisive vote. Then again it is equally interesting that Corporal Marley and Miss Bradshaw have voted for all three innocents. And is there anything to be concerned about when Conte Leo and Miss Agnes always seem to hang around until last to vote?

Battista poured himself another brandy and decided it was all too hard. Night had fallen, and it was time for bed.
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
LOL. We have an uncanny ability to lynch the wrong people .
Nurse, huh? Maybe that's why she was so over-confident on day one, taking one wee drappie from the chloroforme bottle too many.
Let's have another guess tomorrow. Night, night, don't let the mafia bite!
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
I've been asked about the time limits for night actions. I want to balance the objective of giving all players time for thought, debate and opportunity to post, with the objective of keeping things moving, so this is the rule:

You have at least 24 hours of week-day time to submit orders. I won't call ‘morning' before then unless I have everyone's orders.

If you have a main role (nurse, fanatic, traitor or conspirator) and I don't have your orders within that time, you get a indeterminate grace period, because I don't want to time out actions which are a crucial part of the game. But you don't get forever - if the night is dragging on, I have everyone else's orders, and you've had 24-hours-plus, then don't complain if I call time. I might post a deadline warning on the thread, but don't count on it.

If you have a supporting role with a night action, then you get the 24 hours. After that, I'll assume an order of "no action" unless I hear from you before morning is called, whenever that happens to be.

Anyone who needs more time at any point in the game, for real life issues, or to think about their actions, or to carry on discusions, should PM me. I don't mind holding a phase up if there's a reason to do so.

Orders for night actions are irrevocable. I might need to PM another player as a result of your orders, so once I get an instruction I will treat it as definite.
 

---

Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
Umm it's not good (yet anothe specialist).
Going back to the initial theory (after the voting)
That is the mafia being noisy in response to a threat.

The first was of an innocent (Didier) (by me)

The second we presume (via detective) was not part of the mafia group* (Sylvain) (by Adller)

The third (Amoya) was nominated by the same.

The fourth is a known innocent/innocent pairing

The fith (Slackbladder by Bournemouth) is the last by an unknown person (and so the only coverup)

The sixth (Laicatell) by a known innocent (the dead detective)

So in the coverup hypothesis that leaves Amorya & Bournemouth as the sole contenders. It re-opens the possibility we were on the opposite track
I.e (from your point of view) Marley and Adler

Or the possibility of the wider field (I'll look at the other 7 after H/G)

*I was wondering about the possibility of traitorism but he himself brought it up very promptly.
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Colonel de la Botte Trouée as the Traitor? Interesting idea. I was so convinced it was Officer Hodge (forgive me, Lavinia), that others had never occurred to me.
 

---

Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
So here are the facts as I understand them.
I've deleted my speculation as it wasn't going anywhere.

[Out of the game]
Lord Jarvis Fastolfe of Harrisford (JFH),
Detective Victim

Lt. Dai Lycatell (Dafyd)
Innocent Victim

Second Officer Lavinia Hodge
Innocent Expert Lynched (Nominated by Innoncent)

Lt. Alice Adler (Antisocial Alto)
Innocent Expert Lynched (Nominated by Battista)

Didier (AristonAstuanax)
Innocent Expert, Lynched (Nominated by me)

[Accusers of innocents]
Corporal Jacob Marley (Jay-Emm)
Accused an Innocent, voted for all innocents

Battista Lalonde (Banner Lady)
Accused an Innocent, voted for all innocents

Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée (Sylvander),
Probably investigated, accused innocent, Nominated by innocent, then nominated by Hart

Lt. Hearte (Hart) Accused the investigated and innocent, voted for investigated

[Other accusers/accused]

Eliza (Amorya) Accused by Investigated, voted for all innocents

Sgt. Harry Bournemouth (Imaginary Friend), Nominated Pax, swinging voter (NTTPA)

Slack Bladder (Pax/Great Gumby)
Nominated by Bournemouth swinging voter (NTTPA)

[No actions]

Major Conte Leo di Leonato (leonato)
Voted for all innocents

Lt. Burt (CuppaT)
Swinging Voter (not that this proves anything)

Agnés Machant (Hennah)
Voted for all innocents

Nurse Rhoda Autenrieth (Autenrieth Road),
Voted for investigated
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
DAY 4: “Are You a Victim to Optimism?”

As the sun rises, Archie Blackhouse, is already 12,000 feet in the air, passing north over the Messines Ridge, as his pilot veers right to cross the salient. Fuck, but it’s cold. Archie hates the ramshackle FE2b almost as much as he hates photo-reconnaissance. Even a month ago, he wouldn’t have said that, he’d just have been glad he wasn’t stuck on a Quirk or Harry Tate, but with more and more of those new Albatrosses in the air, the old FEs were looking clumsier by the day. Unless some new scout machines can make a difference the other way, it’s going to be a bloody April. Archie smiles in spite of the cold – there were rumours of the new Bristol Fighter reaching the front very soon, and a good chance that the squadron will be re-fitted with what is supposed to be the best two-seater to date.

There is a sudden flash of movement between two bands of cloud above, and Blackhouse curses at the unmistakeable flared tailplane of an Albatross moving up for an attack – and just what the hell is a Hun doing up here this early? Lt Hamilton turns to meet the opponent – the only sensible thing he can do in an FE. Blackhouse takes carefully aim as the dark shape turns, dips slightly, and dives straight at them. There is a brief rattle from the Lewis, and then nothing. Jammed! Archie beats frantically at the breech, trying to clear the blockage – but the EA has already gone past. The FE’s crew know the drill, they cannot hope to beat a modern tractor-engine scout in a turning fight, so Hamilton slams the machine into a steep dive, as Blackhouse twists in his seat and grabs the rear-mounted Lewis. As the German completes his turn, the two seater levels out, and it’s the job of Blackhouse (as P.B.O.) to stand up, his feet on the nacelle, point the gun over the top wing, over the pilot’s head, and, with his grip on the gun handles the only thing keeping him attached to the aircraft, shoot at the attacker. The Albatross dives, twin guns blazing, and Archie takes a deep breath and returns fire.

The FE2b shudders as bullets smack into the rear engine housing and jolt the broad pusher propeller, but the Albatross is already spewing black smoke and turning wing over wing as it falls. “And that’s eight!” Archie exclaims to himself. Eight victories in six months. Not bloody bad for an observer.

Then he looks down at Lt Hamilton. The pilot’s head is lolling foolishly to one side, and his flying goggles are full of blood. There is a sudden jerk as the control stick shakes manically, and the FE2’s nose goes straight down, almost flinging Blackhouse from his precarious position.

The reconnaissance machine takes four minutes to reach the ground. Fortunately for Archie, the first three minutes are fully occupied with the struggle to get into the pilot’s cockpit and discover that the controls have been completely shot away. He spends less than sixty seconds in truly hopeless terror.

The dawn reveals two other victims of the war: Lt Hearte and Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée have been killed in the night. Lt Hearte was no more than he appeared to be – an Allied Soldier. Colonel Sylvain, for all that his pompous name suggests the equestrian class, had clearly spent at least some of his service getting his hands dirty “sent out in front with a fuse and a mine”, because in addition to being an Allied Soldier he was an Expert Sapper.
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 
And nominations are now open.
 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Sylvani had gone to bed with misgivings. Now that everybody knew he was innocent he had become a rare piece of solid knowledge, i.e. an asset rather than a nuisance. That bode badly for the coming night.
Restless from the fear and the wine he made his way out from his room to stagger towards the latrine. Not even a spacious ditch – just a couple of pails behind the last standing stable wall. One of the most disgusting things about war (apart from the fact he was afraid of explosives which is not conducive to being an allied expert sapper) were the general sanitary conditions. He expected his British colleagues didn't mind so much, what with having one bath a month at home. But he had higher standards. For centuries his family had been customers of Monsieur Malodoré Oignon & Fils whose perfumes and powders far surpassed all soap and water.
Therefore it was a gracious fate the nevre knew that just as he had found the place he wanted a large piece of shrapnel clean cut him off at the chest. Falling backward into the mud Le Colonel Sylvain de la Botte Trouée (or rather his lower end) kicked the bucket.
It would have been a consolation had he known that as a result when he was found a wee while later all five toes on his right boot were sticking out, just like in the family crest.
Mort pour la patrie his snow white grave stone would say – not a word of fear, latrines and his missing upper half.

Finis

[ 06. January 2011, 11:23: Message edited by: Sylvander ]
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Hearte went to bed to dream of the high quality London tripe he had been so deprived of since this bloody war began. During the night, he began to feel queezy. He smelt gas, and not the kind those stupid beans the Americans insisted on him cooking caused, and promptly passed out and died.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
TWO more innocents dead? Battista groaned. It looks like one of us left on the list murdered Colonel Sylvain. The Colonel, being secretly the sapper, had targeted Hearte, so when he was killed the gas cannister exploded taking out the cook.

What a bloody, malodorous mess. So there are nine of us left. Two are probably conspirators, one a traitor, one an MP, one an aviation expert, one is in the special brigade and three of us left are simple souls trying to get on with our work.

Battista sighed as he opened the bar for the day. Everyone in this war was capable of murder, and he did not mind serving them in the least, provided they paid well. What he didn't like was having to do this without decent help. What had happened to Agnes?

As the first barflies tumbled down the steps, he uncorked some wine.

"We will toast le Colonel with French champagne, and Lt. Hearte with the sherry he so often liked to cook with (although I suspect not much of it went into the pot). I suggest you don't mix them, my friends, or your headaches will be worse than they are already. Now what will it be?"
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
TWO more innocents dead? Battista groaned. It looks like one of us left on the list murdered Colonel Sylvain. The Colonel, being secretly the sapper, had targeted Hearte, so when he was killed the gas cannister exploded taking out the cook.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Does the victim of either the Sapper or the Special Brigadier know what killed them?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
3 Mafia, 3 Specialists, 3 Soldiers.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
No it won't.
a) No correlation to loyalty
b) Misunderstood gasman.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
No it won't.
a) No correlation to loyalty
b) Misunderstood gasman.

---

Corporal Marley, could you be a little less cryptic? I don't understand a word of this.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
If cuppaT is lying this should be clear soon, if Eliab has been sneaky, c'est la vie.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
if Eliab has been sneaky

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Imaginary Friend:
"I've already said all I can to defend myself, so don't damn well hold things up on my account."

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
if Eliab has been sneaky

---

On this point, no....

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
if Eliab has been sneaky

---

On this point, no....

---

Sorry I didn't mean to impugn you, and definitely not to force you to reveal game mechanics (especially as you had made the key facts quite clear earlier).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
[In fact assuming Agnes isn't suicidal this means CuppaT has the casting vote]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
If I'm allowed to then I'm carrying on with my plan of voting for Whoever CuppaT votes for.

---

quote:

---

If this is unacceptable then given how the votes lie Harry

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Great Gumby:
[Rules check - does that mean that the conspirator group can't make a hit at all, or just that the particular person who carried out the hit can't?]

---

Whoever it was whose night action killed Lt. Burt will have been wounded. That person cannot take any action for the next two nights.

If there are more than one conspirators, one of them being wounded doesn't affect any of the others. All it means is that one of them is out of commission. I won't process any orders that that one might have wanted to submit. Everyone else, on either side, is free to act as normal.

Being wounded doesn't stop the character from talking, nominating, defending themselves, voting, and conspiring with their accomplices (if permitted to do so). They can put on a brave enough face that no injury is apparent during the day. The only thing that they can't do is carry out night actions for two full turns.
 

---

Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
(In voting order)
Harry was the other accused
Battista nominated the guilty

Aurenrieth Rd and the Gt Gumby voted for the guilty.

Amoya, Leonato and Jay-Emm voted for Harry.

We again likely have room for one mistake:
(assuming 2 mafia, 5 innocents)
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Battista put his feet up on a handy keg, and shut his eyes. He was enjoying the day off. As a sign of his deep religious convictions he was fasting from food, which made the ouzo he was sipping even more satisfying.

"Yes, yes, it is the leetle girls we still have to watch. I nominate you, Miss Eliza Bradshaw. I do not think you are at all what you seem."

He took another sip of ouzo, said a barman's prayer for Burt, and sincerely hoped the Greek entry into the war would bring more ouzo his way soon.
 

---

Posted by Amorya (# 2652) on :
 
Sorry all, having an attack of real life. I'll hopefully post a spirited defence later.

For now I'll say: I can see why you're suspicious of me, I would be as well. I'm merely an innocent who has no freaking clue what's going on.

As you were
 

---

Posted by Eliab (# 9153) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amorya:
having an attack of real life

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
"Yes, thank you, Captain Slackbladder. I too am of the opinion that the tank commander could be the head of the traitorous opposition. If so, however, he should be unable to attack anyone for the next two nights owing to a slight mishap in picking off Lt.Burt.

If Miss Bradshaw is a turncoat, then actually she is the dangerous one right now, for she may still kill one of us. This was why I nominated her. It is, of course, most important that the remaining citizens vote together.

And no. The bar is still closed. I will however sell you a leetle something to take away with you to tide you over until tomorrow."

Battista smiled. " Of course, it will be a trifle more expensive than usual, but then, who else could you come to on Good Friday?"

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
If Miss Bradshaw is a turncoat, then actually she is the dangerous one right now, for she may still kill one of us. This was why I nominated her. It is, of course, most important that the remaining citizens vote together.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
"Yes, thank you, Captain Slackbladder. I too am of the opinion that the tank commander could be the head of the traitorous opposition. If so, however, he should be unable to attack anyone for the next two nights owing to a slight mishap in picking off Lt.Burt.

If Miss Bradshaw is a turncoat, then actually she is the dangerous one right now, for she may still kill one of us. This was why I nominated her. It is, of course, most important that the remaining citizens vote together.

And no. The bar is still closed. I will however sell you a leetle something to take away with you to tide you over until tomorrow."

Battista smiled. " Of course, it will be a trifle more expensive than usual, but then, who else could you come to on Good Friday?"

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Great Gumby:
Well, this is curious. Voting has been open for about 20 hours, and so far, the only post is by someone abdicating responsibility for the decision. I know we're down to 7 of us, but I find that odd.

Anyway, I'm going to stick with my gut instinct and vote for leonato.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:
It's morning. Trench raids, shelling, accident, disease, machine-guns and sniper fire, have all claimed victims in the night, but the good news is, none of you were amongst them. You are all still gloriously alive!

But as your last lynching victim was innocent, there's obviously at least one killer still out there. And so the Prosecution phase begins...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Holy Saturday, it is today. Holy Mess over at the tunnelling. Let's hope it's not a Holy Mess here today too. There's some hope in that none of us were killed last night, which gives us (I figure it) a few more chances at lynching the apparently single remaining Conspirator (agreeing with Captain Slackbladder's reasoning).

Corporal Marley, what are your three sets of disjoint pairs? And who do you mean by "the odd member"?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
If there are 3 mafia then they're just playing with us, so we may as well enjoy it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Battista opened the door of the bar quietly. His head hurt rather badly. Who to suspect? Captain Slackbladder, who led the push to lynch the Italian?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Great Gumby:
can the Conspirators elect not to kill on a given night?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay-Emm:
**In this case it is to be assumed that he [/b][the traitor][b]'ll go for the mafia win, although he could probably help us win.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
If it is the quiet ones we have to watch, then may I suggest ladies and gentlemen, some of you need to begin to venture an opinion.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Great Gumby:
*sigh* Let's take the plunge, then.

Eliza Bradshaw

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:

If there is anyone whose night action will not be influenced by learning the newly-deceased's role, then they can submit orders now to save time.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Battista awoke to the sound of snow falling and a priest chanting 'Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum. Alleluia!'

He shook his head and listened hard again. It sounded for all the world like Father Didier, but surely that was impossible.

'Well,' he muttered, 'forgive me father, but I have got it wrong again. The conspirator is still among us and now we are down to five. A little divine inspiration would not go amiss right now.'

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
AR, I only suspected you ONCE during the entire game, and that was after Agnes had been lynched and you put in a friendly little comment directly to her.

---

I did? Where?
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Sorry, that was Cuppa T after the lynching of Agnes, but you were the one who suggested she was probably having an attack of Real Life; and it did make me wonder, albeit momentarily, if you and Cuppa T were the two we wanted.

After all, the female is usually the deadly one in most species...right?
 

---

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Father looked down from above; all secrets had been revealed, no mysteries remained hidden.
This wasn't how it should have ended, but, as he also knew, things weren't over yet. From the viewpoint of eternity, a momentary triumph of evil and deceit was of no consequence; in the end, justice would be done, and the right order of things would be restored. Perhaps another day, in another place, the righteous would show their strength and the wicked would, even in this changeable and fallen world, perish.

It's a different experience following the game from Above, rather than wondering if you're going to get knocked off during the night; suddenly, all the strategy and dialogue you'd half-thought up has to go Out The Window. Still, the whole "mystery novel" quality really comes out when you're the first to go—it's one of many reasons why I have more fun playing with characterization than much of anything else in this game.

Alright. We've had two games in a row now; much as I'd like to host the next one, I'm willing to give it a rest for a spell. If not, though . . . well, I have a couple ideas—and this time, you can't kill me!
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
I'm happy to be contradicted by the Circus hosts, but I don't necessarily see a need for a rest. The sign-up period gives a week or two's rest anyway and most of us have been resting in our graves for quite a while.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Yes, I agree. A number of shippies seem to enjoy reading the unfolding skull-duggery, and by the end would be keen to join a new game.

It is always fascinating to see what mix of writers, analysts, statisticians, amateur sleuths and egomaniacs we get.

Besides, the one running it can always bump off one of us serial Mafia addicts first, rather than an imaginary character, if they want .

And Eliab:

[ 04. February 2011, 05:50: Message edited by: Banner Lady ]
 

---

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Well then!
Once the analysis of this round is over, it may be time to set off for distant lands again.
Very distant lands, though . . .

 

---

Posted by Sylvander (# 12857) on :
 
Yet another win for the baddies!

I never had a clue or suspicion while alive and even less later, when I was reading with less attention admittedly. One could probably find out a lot by re-reading and analysing past Mafia threads with benefit of hindsight. But who'd have the time?

Thanks a lot to you, Eliab for your work and dedication as host. And congrats to Nurse Rhoda for hiding so well. Game must be hard for the traitor who has to avoid so many potentially fateful mistakes. Handshake to TGG, too.
 

---

Posted by The Great Gumby (# 10989) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
I had sent in my murder request for last night before I saw Slackbladder's post. And even when I did see it, I didn't suss out what it might mean until after I found out from Eliab that Slackbladder was the traitor and we had won.

---

quote:

---

I considered, as we headed into the final night, declaring myself to be the Conspirator and appealing for the Traitor to identify himself. But I decided against that, because it was possible that an Innocent would claim to be the Traitor, hoping that I would then kill the Traitor by accident.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Gumby on the other hand, I did not trust right from the beginning, but he rarely seemed to come up for nomination....obviously slackness is a greatly underestimated survival skill in this game!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Great Gumby:
I was a little surprised that you didn't elect not to kill, seeing that the allies had lost their majority. From that point, the only realistic scenario that resulted in an allied win was you bumping me off by accident.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:
On the strategic side, I spotted only one mistake by the conspirators: Rhoda said at one point that she hadn't considered whether Cnl. Sylvain could be a traitor, but she had in fact, expressly done just that on the previous page.

---

quote:

---

But shortly afterwards, she was so effective in lynching Agnes (persuading Harry that 'no lynching' would have been a mistake) that if I'd been playing it would have removed all suspicion from my mind.

---

I think that just about everything I said was true, in terms of being reasonable analysis. (Even if sometimes I knew it was also just plain wrong, e.g. suggesting that the early nominators/nominees, or the voters to spare Agnes, concealed Conspirators.) Of course there was a great deal I didn't say: any reasoning that could cast suspicions on my own activities, had to be ruthlessly surpressed.

quote:

---

I wasn't convinced by the decision to kill Lt. Burt - but I can't really knock it because it worked.

---

I didn't want to get to the end game with anyone who could plausibly declare innocence. I know that the secondary role could have been held by a Conspirator, but the way Burt announced his role had (to me at least) a patent air of innocence. That also meant lynching Burt was unlikely to succeed, so I'd have to bite the bullet at some point and kill him at night.

Does anyone know where Hennah is? She has not been in touch since a few game-nights before she was lynched. I've been concerned.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Yes, and I hope Amorya is okay too.

Joining in one of these games IS a huge commitment, but I thought the pace Eliab ran it at worked okay. Each day took a week in real time, and gave most of us a chance to keep up with it.

Even with a house full of people over January, I was able to say 'Scuse me, just need to check if I'm still alive!' They all got quite interested vicariously via my Mafia game reporting to them.

And it did amaze me how long Battista lasted. I think we could hand out awards at the end of each game.

Most amusing character award: Imaginary Friend's potty mouthed Harry often made me laugh.

Sneakiest villain award: definitely AR.

Fallen star award: Sylvander's love lorn Colonel Sylvain advancing and retreating (just like the French!)

Late bloomer award: Ariston 's Father Didier, who was hard to believe in the first few posts, but I really came to enjoy his ghostly observations as the game went on.

Best fictional character award: Eliab, for Major Daute, who I actually came to believe was really there with us all. I now have a picture of him enjoying the Veuve Clicquot in the staff car on the way to his last fatal meeting. It was good writing, Eliab, so he deserved a good vintage.


Feel free to add your own awards.
 

---

Posted by JFH (# 14794) on :
 
It was my first game, and I'd say lack of experience is what got me at the end of the day; that, and some plain stupidity at least. First off, I acted too much in character in nominating Dafyd. I didn't even think of being seen as a splitter, since there was already five nominees - what good would a sixth one do? Then, I took Sylvander for a better player than he is and followed his advice and left a clear and simple message on who I had investigated (no real doubt about that one, right?). Of course it wasn't worth risking discovery at the time just for saving an innocent for one more night or so. Third, I didn't come out in the open after Sylvander disclosed me - something the nurse missed out on. Of course, coming out wouldn't have done much good at that time, why should the nurse trust me? Still, it might have gotten me just a little protection for the night.

I played poorly, and I'm sorry to my team for it.
But La Vie En Rouge, I'm curious: how come you even risked suspicion of coming out as a fanatic so early in the game? It made me extremely suspicious of you as trying to reveal possible "true fanatics". Again, might be due to lack of experience on my side. I just got very suspicious of everyone, and I probably do lack a bit of strategic training in what strategies are most commonly used in this game.

Great hosting, Eliab.

In case you don't mind a somewhat unexperienced and proven rather weak player, I'd be glad to play another round.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eliab:
Am I right in thinking that Harry was planning to hold the gas attack for the end-game, where the odds would have been better? If so, having been accused, and strongly hinted at having an offensive innocent role, I can see that he must have feared murder, and that gassing Hearte was a sensible "use it or lose it" employment of a one-shot special.

---

That was exactly my thinking, yes.

I have a question regarding another game. I felt that this time I was not able to really give it my full attention, and therefore could not keep up with all the twists and turns and I didn't have much to contribute when it came to sorting out who to vote for. So my question is whether it's worth me playing another game, or if it makes the quality better not to have part-timers like myself clogging things up?
 

---

Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
I am most impressed by and grateful for Eliab's extraordinarily creative (and educational) moderation. Wow.

Thanks as always to the Circus Hosts for reading all of our machinations.

Imaginary Friend, I always feel that the more, the merrier.

JFH, I'm not sure there is any one strategy or set of strategies people play. The baddies in the last game played very differently from the baddies in this game ( ). The innocents mostly seem to try to analyze how they think a baddie might act, perhaps allowing for bluffing of odd or even parity, and then mostly miss the mark.

I do think it's fatal to drop hints that one is the Fanatic. At least when I'm Mafia, that is a pretty quick death sentence for the Fanatic. It seems it's better for the Fanatic to leave a trail of only speaking in support of people they've cleared (or against people they have discovered to be Mafia), but to justify it in terms of the person's postings. This will give at least one voice in favour of correct (or at least, not obviously incorrect) votes. And, if/when the Fanatic is bumped off, the survivors can reread what the Fanatic has said and re-interpret it as being fact, not merely suspicion. I could also see that the Fanatic in the later part of the game might reveal him/herself: sometimes it might be better to reveal oneself, and convince everyone of the status of the several investigated people, even at the cost of being murdered almost immediately.

[ 04. February 2011, 19:48: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I had one major problem - I was the only person absolutely certain to die if hit. I was hoping to look a little bit suspiscious, so that the mob would let me live longer. In my position, it seemed to me the only way to operate was by being talkative. Unfortunately I ended up looking very suspiscious and cut my life expectancy short anyway (although as I said, I was having a nasty attack of real life at the time so it was probably no bad thing that I was removed from play).

I am ticked at myself, tho, for not airing my suspicions about why AR had made herself a nurse (I had thought about making my own character a nurse as a double bluff then got there and found the role taken). Oh well.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
No nefarious intent in my nurse-ness. I had decided to be Nurse Rhoda Autenrieth from the very start, before we got our assignments. It was only after Eliab laid out the roles that I realized there was a potential for confusion with the role Nurse. I tried to address that in my post introducing myself. Wasn't thinking clearly enough to think of simply taking a different persona.

I didn't think of it as a bluff at all. And, we could certainly have had several persona nurses, none of whom made ant claim to be The Nurse. Miss Eliza Bradshaw, fir example, also took on the title of nurse, without laying any claim to being The Nurse.

[ 04. February 2011, 22:33: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
"any" and "for", not "ant" and "fir".

Preview Post is my friend, but my eyes, apparently, are not.
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by The Great Gumby:

Ariston, I was thinking of running a game of Cluedo at some point to do something a bit different, but if you have everything ready for a new run of Mafia, be my guest.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Hart:

quote:

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Originally posted by The Great Gumby:

Ariston, I was thinking of running a game of Cluedo at some point to do something a bit different, but if you have everything ready for a new run of Mafia, be my guest.

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That would also be interesting. A kind of break without really taking much of a break, kind of thing (if you see what I mean).

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quote:

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Originally posted by Banner Lady:
I also found it difficult to grasp what practical use came via some of the extra role functions. But perhaps that is because they were new to us and players were unsure of how to go about exercising those functions. I was grateful mine was a simple role.

When I first saw the role outlines I thought they might make for a few more switchbacks in the game. I'm not sure that happened, though.

Eliab, do you think players did justice to the possibilities you gave them?

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