WWXXXV: Werewolves among the Wolf-men

[Isabellkya]

As Izzy stirred the contents in the pot, her thoughts stewed inside her head as well.
The flames of the fire flickered off Izzy's face as she thought about Beleg and Turin, and the mysterious shadow which had followed Beleg and thus taken his bow. Were Beleg and Turin protectors, only wanting to hide their identities from the wolves. Or were their intentions slightly more sinister, and thus wanting to hide from everyone?

She recalled the discussion the previous day in regards to the quiet outlaws. She agreed that if there were outlaws amongst them who did not want to contribute, they should be left behind. Izzy smiled to herself as she thought about the group of outlaws which they made; outlaws tended to be a bit rebellious by nature; and like herself preferred to live solitary lives. She thought that maybe a drink of ale would loosen the tongues of the quiet ones.

[xyzzy]

To much fanfare, Xyzzy awakens. With a yawn, he jumps up off of the small patch of ground where he had previously been. "So, what did I miss, guys? Did we lynch a wolf?"

A voice from the crowd speaks up: "How did you know there were Werewolves about? You were asleep all yesterday!"

"Well," says Xyzzy, "It was... uh... third person omniscient, specifically... the third-person omniscient voice of... uh, you know."

"Way to break the fourth wall, Xyzzy," says another highly annoyed voice. "Wouldn't want to break the whole roleplaying element by... oh, I've messed it up too, haven't I?"

"I'm a bit suspicious of Guy, simply because my inability to be woken from day one slumber having absolutely nothing to do with my alignment; After all, everyone has schedules which occasionally don't include fighting for their survival; I don't see how that relates to the possibility of me being an evil force.

"Secondly, I'm suspicious of Mith. It's mostly a personal reason, but I'd love to see what Mith has to say about it. It seems another very not good (if that's a good use of the English language, which I must admit is doubtful) person has been masquerading the world by the name Mith, and I want to know if perhaps there's a connection... and by connection, I mean an evil connection."

The mysterious voice speaks up: "Reasons why what you said was stupid: One, it used bad logic, two, it used bad grammar, and three... wel, okay, there is no third reason, but it was stupid, like you are."

Xyzzy walks over to a corner to cry since no one likes him. No one cares.

[Lhunardawen]

A rustling came from the corner Lhuna had called her own. She had stirred at the sound of a man's crying, and scowled. Such an attitude must not be displayed by an outlaw. She walked over to another corner and nudged the huddled man strongly with her foot.

"Stop that noise, xyzzy, or I'll stop it for you. Dare not forget that yesterDay you were useless, and though we understand your reasons for keeping to bed, you have a duty to protect this house and its inhabitants; and the least you can do to carry it out is offer your opinions on the wolves we seek. Learn from Shasta: do not be idle, or some here might think it better to have you killed. The same goes for you, Izzy," she shouted over to the woman at the pot, who jumped in surprise.

Lhuna took a deep breath, and said in a much lighter tone, "There is a lot to be gleaned from yesterDay's events, as well as yesterNight's. The last-minute scramble before Shasta's death, for one, could reveal a few things. And Nogrod does a good thing in trying to analyse Beleg's successful protection of one of our comrades.

"I need some time alone to think, but for now I leave you with this. Gil-galad," he looked towards the man, and just as she suspected he was fast asleep, "as he gave the first vote for Shasta, said this: 'rest in peace my lad, though for the first couple of days, many innocents will probably be lost.' Was this a slip that he knew he was innocent? I could have misunderstood him, but that's my interpretation of it."

No BDers were intended to be offended personally by this post.

[Rikae]

Rikae reclaimed her walking-stick, shaking her head and muttering about impudent young people, and slowly made her way around the room, looking at each person in turn.

"Isabellkya, I don't think I care for the way you imply that the gifteds are against us, or your emphasis on your "vegetarianism" (vegetarian by day, at least, hmmm?). Such things from someone else would point to innocence, but your grandmother was prone to slipping wolf-hints into her speech, if I recall correctly... "

"Lhuna, you also have said something that doesn't sit right with me. Your claim that Gil-Galad knew Shasta was innocent just doesn't seem supported by the quote - it seems quite clear to me that he's saying, as I did, that the chances are high of lynching an innocent. It looks a bit like an attempt, on your part, to focus attention on an easy target who was suspected yesterday - and your sudden change of tone to an aggressive one is also somewhat suspicious. Why change?"

"Gil-Galad did indeed seem a bit 'off' yesterday; but he isn't here to defend himself, and I would like to hear more from him before passing judgement, if possible".

"Xyzzy's words actually seem innocent enough, and I'm inclined to trust Macalaure, Nogrod and Guy for the time being; although Nogrod's comment about the wolves being "desperate" doesn't really make sense to me, since going for those who seem innocent is pretty much standard wolf strategy, as far as I know, and Mac and Guy are, after all, still asleep."

"Mithalwen has not said enough to judge, yet, and as for Brinn - I think lynching him on this day in particular would not be right."

Rikae sank back to the ground, clutching her staff more tightly than before and casting a sharp glance in Nogrod's direction.

[Isabellkya]

Izzy turned her face away from the pot she had been keeping watch over at the grumblings of the woman with the walking stick and others.

'I don't particularly care for or mind your assumptions about my vegetarianism; we outlaws live how we choose to. I particularly don't see the need to injest meat to survive in this land. Our Ancestors' actions from the past bare no weight here. I do not see them here in this cave, trapped in this predicament. Leave the past in the past.

Are Beleg and Turin our chosen protectors/gifteds? Those who creep in the night and keep to the shadows, are usually up to no good.'

Izzy turned her gaze over the others, some still remained in the world of slumber. Her gaze fell upon Nogrod; she reflected how quickly he was to defend his last minute vote change yesterDay.

'By nature, we outlaws are all about self-preservation; however I don't trust Nogrod. Those who have something to hide, are usually quick to the defense. In our current situation, we need to be thinking about the betterment of the group and discussing as such. Rather than looking out solely for ourselves.'

Izzy turned back to the pot and deemed the stew as almost ready. She continued ministrations and let her thoughts swirl once more.



(ooc, I am a vegetarian and my roleplaying will follow thusly.)

Edit: big spaces between paragraphs.

[Brinniel]

Midday was nearing, and Brinn sat on the ground playing with a stick in the dirt as he listened curiously to the others' words. He glanced over in the direction of Isabellkya and xyzzy relieved to see that they had finally awoken and had caught up on the most recent happenings. xyzzy was currently sniffling, which highly annoyed Brinn. As a pause arose in the ongoing discussion, Brinn took the opportunity to sit up straight and speak:

"Well, so far we know xyzzy is nothing but a big baby among toughened outlaws, Isabellkya is a vegetarian, and Gil-Galad is away for the Day. Last Night we were lucky to have no lives lost, but it does little in helping us figure out who the wolves are, except that they are being careful and playing it safe.

"Anyways, to help make sense out of everything, I've drawn up a record of how yesterDay's voting went."

Brinn pointed at where he had drawn in the dirt:

tgwbs: ++xyzzy (xyzzy: 1)
Gil-Galad: ++Shasta (xyzzy: 1, Shasta: 1)
Lhuna: ++Macalaure (xyzzy: 1, Shasta:1, Macalaure: 1)
Rikae: ++Shasta (xyzzy: 1, Shasta: 2, Macalaure: 1)
Nogrod: ++xyzzy (xyzzy: 2, Shasta: 2, Macalaure: 1)
Brinn: ++tgwbs (xyzzy: 2, Shasta: 2, Macalaure: 1, tgwbs: 1)
Macalaure: ++Shasta (xyzzy: 2, Shasta: 3, Macalaure: 1, tgwbs: 1)
Nogrod: --xyzzy (xyzzy: 1, Shasta: 3, Macalaure: 1, tgwbs: 1)
Nogrod: ++tgwbs (xyzzy: 1, Shasta: 3, Macalaure: 1, tgwbs: 2)

"I'm not sure whether to include Shasta's late vote, but it doesn't really matter anyways.

Of these voters, I find the xyzzy voters to be the most suspicious. tgwbs was so quick to vote him with little reason except that he was silent for the first half of the Day, which is not a good reason to me. tgwbs makes me uneasy and I certainly hope he finds something to say soon, for if he remains silent much longer, then he is nothing more than a hypocrite."

Brinn glared at tgwbs, who seemed to be nodding off.

"Now, as for Nogrod, he wanted to lynch the silent as well, trying to persuade everyone else to do the same. And when his persuasion failed, he voted for tgwbs when it was already quite obvious that Shasta would be the one lynched.

"Alright, I must give this more thought before I say anything else."

Brinn pulled his hood tighter around his head and rocked back and forth on the ground, brooding.

[Lhunardawen]

"I claimed nothing, Rikae," Lhuna said with a glance at the old woman. "Wasn't it apparent from my tone that I was merely asking - suggesting, if you will? I do not quickly make claims, not in these times of doubt and confusion.

"It is normal, I guess, that we understand the same statement differently, for we are two different people. For my part, I sensed an offhandedness in Gil's manner of speaking that I found unsettling. Each to her own. But I will not pay much heed to it for now, for there could be a lot more revealing words from Gil - or anyone, for that matter - later. I would that he consider our situation more seriously toDay."

Lhuna kept momentarily silent, then cleared her throat.

"About those moments leading to the end of the yesterDay - thank you, Brinn, for the summary - Shasta was brought up to the lead with 2 votes by Rikae. And then Nogrod voted for xyzzy, making him tied with Shasta. Rikae chose Shasta with a bit of doubt, but found him most suspicious of those who have spoken. She said she might vote for xyzzy if the sleepers sleep on until the Day ends. Nogrod was adamant nearly the whole time to lynch those who were silent, thus his vote. Why xyzzy, I wonder? What made him chose xyzzy over Izzy, who was another sleeper? Was it because tgwbs had already voted for the former, and Nogrod didn't want to spread the votes too thin?

With Mac's vote Shasta's doom was pronounced, and after this Nogrod changed his vote to tgwbs. It achieved nothing, so far as yesterDay's lynching is concerned. In doing this, I think, he was trying to make it a point that he found tgwbs suspicious. But if he really did, why did he not vote for him at the first, when some argument against tgwbs could still have ensured his lynching? Why wait until it no longer mattered that he voted for him?

"And that's not the only thing: one of Nogrod's primary reasons for suspecting tgwbs, if I understand him right, was that he found the short guy overfriendly. But reminiscing on yesterDay's discussions brings no such thing to mind. The closest I found to an attempt of tgwbs to be friendly with Nogrod was that the former shared a glance with the latter - who had his eyes closed. Where's the "trying to gain a feel-good factor" with himself that Nogrod was saying? And the weirder thing is that right after tgwbs cast his vote, Nogrod expressed his appreciation of it. He even questioned me for disagreeing with tgwbs's vote. That's one big flip-flop, as the move will be called six ages of Arda from now."

A knowing twinkle came into Lhuna's eyes, and it seemed a ghost of a smile came across her lips. But before anyone who saw could dwell on it, it was replaced by a worried frown.

"It's a one-sided 'relationship,' this between Nogrod and the short guy, but all the same it makes me think if there's more to it than meets the eye. There are a few possibilities. One, they are Turin and Beleg, and this is their way of evading the wolves at Night, for their act casts perilous attention on them during the Day. Two, they are the wolves, and Nogrod seeks to have his comrade lynched, as though by sheer chance or cunning, so he can win us over into believing his innocence, or he can prove his worth. Or three, I am, which I am likely to do, reading too much into this."

[the guy who be short]

Guy awoke at his name being uttered. "Forgive me," he said. "I fear that our little group shall be destroyed by sleepiness unless we all make an effort to stay awake. Surely there is an unwholesome curse here..."

He looked at Brinn and said, "You criticise my early vote for xyzzy. I am afraid that there was nothing I could do about its earliness, and today once again I must vote far before the deadline. For this sleeping charm seems to work more strongly upon me, such that I cannot stay awake until the end of Day, but must sleep far earlier. There is nothing I may do to stop this."

"Let me explain my vote for xyzzy in more transparent terms. I held, at such an early time, no suspicion of any person without our group. I feared also lest xyzzy, through sleeping the Day away, should be a wolf seeking to avoid all suspicion. The ever-silent are dangerous folk."

"However, I knew not that, when two days of silence were passed, the sleeper would be killed by a curse upon this place. Now that I know this, verily do I regret my vote: for, at the time, I did think that xyzzy would not appear at all for days, but I knew now that, were this the case, he would be killed automatically. Thus I wished to lynch him."

"And yet," he continued, "I find it interesting that only toDay, when he realises that death awaits the silent, does he choose to speak."

He bowed to Brinn before turning to Nogrod.

"And you, sir, I can no longer trust, for your words make little sense to me. Firstly, may I say that, yesterday, when I talked to you, I did so only because you were the only person awake at that time.

"You wished, Nogrod, to lynch xyzzy, for if he were silent, he would die automatically. While you claim this could aid our numbers, this is not a logical way of looking at things. For we would have wasted a chance to lynch a potential wolf in killing somebody, wolf or no, who would have died anyway. It is foolish to wish to minimize lynching so as to boost innocent numbers, for in this wise would no wolves be killed."

"You say also that you changed vote in an effort to 'keep alive for another Day.' This makes little sense to me, for you were not in danger of lynching that day. I am troubled by you, old man.

EDIT: Crossed with Lhuny