WW LXXXVIII: What Lies in the Dark (Game Thread)

[the phantom]

If Fea's faking about having different rules and instructions, then.... um... she is. But I'm just going to dismiss that possibility as frankly it just makes things entirely not fun.

I already said earlier that Phantom, Wilwa, Lottie, and Lhuna were off the table so far as I'm concerned.

So- that leaves Nerwen, Inzil, Shasta, and Nog.

A question for you, Inzil. How Phantom-centric are you in general when you play with me?

And now- a list of voting. Does it mean anything to anyone?

DAY 1 VOTING
Wilwa ++ Glirdan
Lhuna ++ Lottie
Inzil ++ Boro
Bom ++ Lhuna
Shasta ++ Nog
Boro ++ Glirdy (2)
TP ++ Glirdy (3)
Nog ++ Glirdy (4)

DAY 2 VOTING
Nerwen ++ TP
Bom ++ Lottie
Lhuna ++ Bom
Lottie ++ Zil
Fea ++ TP (2)
Boro ++ Lhuna
Inzil ++ Bom (2)
Nog ++ Bom (3)
Wilwa ++ Lhuna (2)
TP ++ Bom (4)

If Shasta is Shelob then it's unlikely he chose Lottie or Lhuna for his first sting.

If Inzil is Shelob then it's unlikely he chose Lottie for his first sting.

Other than that I can't say much. Everyone's been less active than usual (or at least it seems that way). I mean- we only have two votes to go off of and Shasta and Nerwen both missed one, so there's half of the evidence gone right there.

[Nogrod]

A short add-on to the previous speculation.

If I understand the rules correctly, Doc only knows whether someone is stinged or not, but not when it has happened. Now it might be that the one he has discovered was only stinged last Night and could still be healed by Sam. But. It is not clear Sam will hit it right, and having a chance to lynch one who is either already a spiderling (Shelob team = minus one) makes a difference as even in the other case we'd be lynching someone who could be a spiderling the next Day (Shelob team = minus one again). So this would be, I think, the best scenario we could play for.

If there is no one pushing for anyone, then of course we need to try the more traditional ways to find the baddies. (Which we should do anyway as we can't rely on that scheme to work - if for instance Doc disapproves of it, or will not attend any more toDay, or whatever reason it might backfire)

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by the phantom

A question for you, Inzil. How Phantom-centric are you in general when you play with me?

If I understand you correctly, I don't tend to all that "Phantom-centric, as a rule. It's an illness one has to battle.

I'm really out of time here. Duty calls, and all that.

++Lottie

I could certainly be wrong, but that's the best bet at the moment, I think. Since I want to trust Lhuna, this is made a little easier.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

I'm pretty good about being here the last two hours of the day (yesterDay I dealt with graduation, remember, and then Mother's Day), but honestly I don't really see how we can catch Shelob other than by trial and error - she's exactly like a werebear in that all she has to do is survive, because her spiderlings, while nice to have around, are easily expendable. We haven't even lynched a spiderling yet, which would at least tell us something. And with Boro dropping out... how do your numbers change, Phantom?

[Nogrod]

My quick thoughts, before trying to do some digging back to the thread to search for the baddies.

I'm not going to vote for...

Lhuna - Whether she was stinged on N1 or not, Sam most probably used his healing powers on her the next Day. So unless Shelob is a great risk-taker, she should be innocent now (I mean if I were Sam I would have both healed and protected Lhuna last Night to be sure I could trust her toDay).

tp - I think he is much more use to the village alive than as dead. If he is not Shelob (which I doubt she is), then he should be cunning enough to let us know if he has been stinged without revealing it outright against the rules and let Sam save him so as to nullify Shelob's efforts (sorry I said this out aloud, but I think people should think also this before they wish to lynch you).

wilwa - After some thinking and rethinking I think I trust her more than many others. And I also think there is no problem saying that aloud.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Couldn't anyone (including Lhuna) already be a spiderling, though? Unless I'm reading the days wrong? In which case.... yeah.

[satansaloser2005]

Boro was tending to business, feeling everyone for fangs or furry limbs like the rest of the group. It was unclear whether he was trying to diagnose the bitten, aid his brother or sister spiderling(s), or just using it as an excuse to touch Fea. Whatever his reasoning, he was feeling his way along the wall when suddenly he heard, plain as Day, a voice in his head. He couldn’t ignore the call. It was too strong. He had to leave, even if it meant leaving his comrade(s) to fight their battle alone.

And suddenly, without any warning, Boro vanished without a trace.


Gone
Glirdan (ordo, lynched on Day 1)
Nienna (ordo, withdrawn on Day 1-ish)
Bom Stealth Yellowboots (ordo, lynched on Day 2)
Boro (withdraw, called home on Day 3)
It could be you (lynched on Day 3)




Sorry for the delay. The narration was on my laptop and I didn't have a chance to hook up my phone until now. A little over an hour until DL.

[Nogrod]

On a positive note I realised scrolling through the thread that Sally actually informs us in the end notifications / narrations that X was an "uninfected ordo". So one could gather from that that if we lynch an incubating ordo we'd know that too.

Another thing that struck me and made me back off a bit from what I said earlier was that Sally redefined the rules of the Doc. Then I remembered that there were people saying that tp's Sam scheme was a try to oust the Doc. I don't quite recall the logic of it (needs to go back to it - but if someone remembers what it was about, please come forwards with it and save me from a full scroll of the thread). Now something bothers me here with this "coincidence", but I'm not sure which way it goes. Are those accusing tp having an evil agenda or is tp having one?


Hey Sally, that is not fair!

Do you wish to imply Boro was not an ordo? ANd I started this post saying it is a good thing you keep us up to the track...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by the phantom

If Fea's faking about having different rules and instructions, then.... um... she is. But I'm just going to dismiss that possibility as frankly it just makes things entirely not fun.

No no no, I don't have a different set of rules. I am simply behaving in a manner that doesn't require following rules. I've always said that laws were created to ensure the safety and behavior of the lowest common denominator of humanity. As I am not that, I need not follow rules. But I have no true official sanction to run my own set of rules and instructions.

It is merely that when Mistress Moddess asked me to play, I said I'd only do it if I didn't have to put forth any form of traditional effort, but could, if so inclined, cause headaches for all.

It's not a different set of instructions, it's just a very naughty child with an indulgent mama.

[the phantom]

Originally Posted by Shasta

And with Boro dropping out... how do your numbers change, Phantom?

(Shelob-Spiderlings-BeenStung-Innocent)

Without Boro, we're possibly here-
1-1-1-5
But it's also possible we're here-
1-1-0-6

Obviously we'd prefer that Boro was Been-Stung, but no guarantee. It's entirely possible that a missed lynch today leads to-
1-2-1-3
Which would put us in a situation where we would have to bandwagon perfectly for the win, and given who is left it seems to me that such a thing would be very difficult to work out.

[satansaloser2005]

Because she's Mummy's princess (and because she'd behave like that anyway).


Nog: I revealed Nienna's role immediately because she hadn't even entered the game. Boro, however, has been playing and is a different case. And I'm not implying anything about his role in the narration (which was why I mentioned him just wanting to feel up Fea).

I've decided to reveal his role at the end of the Day, because with such a small village it would be difficult to find anything out with very many variables. His role will not, however, be revealed until toNight. You have to finish out the Day without the knowledge of his role, as you would have if he was still playing,

Dropouts are strange and unfortunate. I wish everyone's lives were perfect and allowed for infinite Werewolf games.

[Loslote]

Come on, really? Half an hour until DL and it's this quiet?

I'm going to have to vote sooner than I'd like, but I don't want to get lynched, so I'd rather like to know who people are planning on voting.

[the phantom]

Yeah, as I was making that last post it really hit me where we are. Those two dropouts are absolute murder, rolling forward the final curtain one day when the purpose of the game is to lynch one single individual. That hurts.

And just assume for a minute that, for instance, Lottie and Inzil are both innocent and unlikely to trust each other tomorrow. Bang, game over, because like I said, a perfect bandwagon is needed tomorrow if we're wrong today (unless Sam works some magic again).

So yeah- not looking pretty.

As far as today's voting-
Lhuna ++ Lottie
Inzil ++ Lottie (2)

And Wilwa isn't going to be here, which means there's Nerwen, Shasta, Nog, Fea, and I left to vote.

Given my reasoning from earlier today Nerwen would seem a decent target, but as she's one of 5 remaining voters I doubt it would accomplish much, especially with Fea out there that can't be counted on to do anything productive. Shasta would be sort of a blind shot target, and again with him holding his vote it's not a good tactical target. Same with Nog.

That leaves Inzil as the easiest to hit mark given the votes we have, but he seems rather unlikely as Shelob (to me, anyway). Bleh. A game in which one must lynch one individual is hard enough, and then we aren't even allowed to rule anyone out because reveals aren't allowed and then two dropouts. This sucks.

[Nogrod]

Scrolling down the few last pages I found these...

Originally Posted by Nerwen

1. Phantom's Sam scheme.
The ostensible reason was so we could be sure ifLhuna had been Sam's cure-target. All right. What strikes me about this scheme is that it was more-or-less guaranteed to occupy the village's attention without posing much threat to the Spider(s)– as I said yesterDay, it could not even give us a known innocent. It is possible phantom believed he knew Sam's identity already, and was try to give him a cover under which he could communicate. It is also possible phantlob or phantling sought to draw Sam out.

Originally Posted by Lhuna

1. the phantom
Because of the last-minute bandwagons thing. And I can totally see him pull off trying to pull the strings by asking the Sam question, but that's just my personal prejudice. It's also that I still don't get why he attempted to make that survey, unless he was (as someone said) trying to draw the Doctor out.

Were there others like these?

I seem to have only remembered the latter one by Lhuna - and it is a most odd one to be honest. I can see the reasoning behind Nerwen's post, but not the one behind Lhuna's.

Add to that this stuff with Sally refusing to tell us who Boro was (which I understand as one who has hosted a few games myself), I'm bending to shift my thoughts a bit - and well why not say it, that Boro was the Doc (which he hinted at being, I think) and so the one I thought was the Doc before... is more probably Sam then...

And that would indeed fit nicely with Lhuna not being a goodie as then Sam would have tried to fight against us thiknig Lhuna innocent, and Lhuna's stumbling with accusing tp is a nice additional extra - she wished to play on a suspicion over tp but failed to make the claim he tried to oust Sam (which is a possible claim) and said he tried to oust the Doc (which has no sense at all).

The pieces of the puzzle fit a bit too nicely now that I'm starting to distrust it. But as Boro used to say back in the old times: if it walks like, if it talks like... then it is it... Could it be this clear? Pheww... hard to say. But it would make sense of many things.

What do you say? Are there holes in here?


EDIT: Made the boldings into the quotes in similar fashion...

[Loslote]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

What do you say? Are there holes in here?

She could, of course, have been meaning to say Sam but said the Doctor instead. I know I say the wrong word a lot. But that being said, I would not be opposed to a Lhuna lynch.

[the phantom]

Wait- what's your argument Nog?

The biggest problem with Nerwen and Lhuna claiming I was trying to draw out Sam is that it made no sense at all given that Shelob already knows who Sam is after Night 2.

Or if you wish to make the argument that Shelob didn't attack Sam Night 2, but instead was stopped by a Sam protection, the argument still makes no sense as no one at any point was suggesting Sam admit who his protection was, but rather his cure target.

But past the faulty reasoning I'm not sure what you're implicating.

(I agree with the Boro-Doc thing, of course. He was hinting like mad, which is why the first time through the hints escaped my notice, as I assumed that sort of thing was out of bounds.)

[Nogrod]

If I'm right about Sam then Sam was against us giving Lhuna a pass because he had protected her against the major feeling... That I think matters here. Okay. I might be wrong about Sam but I think Sally wouldn't approve me talking about Sam openly at this stage.

Sally: if it is okay, I would be more than happy to bring forth my theory about Sam. If I'm right it's just fine as Shelob can't sting Sam...

[Loslote]

++Zil

I've really got to go. If I die and no one looks at Zil toMorrow, I am going to be quite put out.

Edit: xed with Nog

[the phantom]

Nog- so long as your theory about Sam involves Sam being someone I've supported the entire game, I'm with you to that point. Now go on and explain the rest to me.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by the phantom

Wait- what's your argument Nog?

The biggest problem with Nerwen and Lhuna claiming I was trying to draw out Sam is that it made sense at all given that Shelob already knows who Sam is after Night 2.

Or if you wish to make the argument that Shelob didn't attack Sam Night 2, but instead was stopped by a Sam protection, the argument still makes no sense as no one at any point was suggesting Sam admit who his protection was, but rather his cure target.

But Lhuna said you were trying to draw out the Doc... not Sam. There's the discrepancy. And Sally readjusted the rules on the doc... I don't think it is a coincidence.

Also I'm a bit puzzled why you think it evident that Shelob attacked Sam on N2. I mean how do we know it either way? Actually I didn't understand your last argument... Please specify if you have time. I'd like to understand it.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Hi. Boro isn't so needlessly complicated that he'd throw out so many Doctor hints just to pretend to be the Doctor just to confuse people so that they might think maybe somebody else was or something?

So here's the shibang. He referred to both Wilwa and I as beautiful ladies, which makes me think he was busy playing doctor with us (ahem) and at the time, found nothing wrong.

With him woefully gone, that's all just about irrelevant.

That being said, it's just about killing me that Wilwa has to work late and can't vote, because I was going to do whatever she did.

As such, since I only get a free pass on not voting once (toMorrow, when I'll be traveling due to some of that Nasssssty real life imperfection that keeps mucking up the game), I have to vote anyway, even though I really have no desire to make my own decisions.

[Nogrod]

I mean Sam is not allowed to say "I protected X".

[satansaloser2005]

Nog: How specific is your theory? If you're concerned, PM it to me.


ETA: x'd

[the phantom]

Originally Posted by Nog

Also I'm a bit puzzled why you think it evident that Shelob attacked Sam on N2.

Shelob totally bought into me. Shelob saw my dedication to Wilwa and Lottie and figured she'd turn one of them and either make use of me or frame me or whatnot. So she went after one of them and she turned out to be Sam (ha ha) as I suspected already, and then that individual was kind enough to float their "theory" which confirmed what I suspected (that she was attacked and that the attack failed).

Originally Posted by Nog

I mean how do we know it either way? Actually I didn't understand your last argument... Please specify if you have time. I'd like to understand it.

My last argument was simply that even if the Shelob attack wasn't Sam (but rather someone he protected) my request for cure-picks wouldn't have outed Sam as only his protection would've been known to Shelob, so it was a pointless thing for Nerwen and Lhuna to accuse me of.

[Nogrod]

Boro referred to both wilwa and Fea as beautiful ladies. Right. SO the Doc made them clear. Okay.

Sally. Too little time to PM. Can I speculate who Sam is?

[the phantom]

Anyway, time to vote.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

++Nog

Because I don't want to create an irrevocable bandwagon, have to vote, and not sure if I can self vote. Ie: NOT because I have suspicions either way of him.

[satansaloser2005]

Technically you can speculate all you like. Just don't get the whole village involved in "If you were X, who would you pick?" and the like.

[Nogrod]

THe Frenzy...

++ Lhuna

[the phantom]

I would vote Nerwen, but I'm willing to go Inzil I suppose if necessary.

[the phantom]

++Inzil

EDIT: vote is late because of forum not allowing me to post within 30 seconds of previous post

[Nogrod]

Why do we end like this every Day? Really?

Couldn't we discuss things earlier?

[satansaloser2005]

Originally Posted by the phantom

++Inzil
EDIT: vote is late because of forum not allowing me to post within 30 seconds of previous post

I feel your pain. Silly posting delay. Don't worry about it.

[satansaloser2005]

Lottie and Dun backed away from the rest of the group, their hands joined as they tried to avoid the accusations being hurled at them.

“You did it!” someone cried. “It was her! Send her!”

“I didn’t do anything,” Lottie persisted, and squeezed Dun’s hand. “Tell them!”

Inziladun considered it for a moment, turning to see the dim figure of the woman holding his hand. Then he shook his head, tightening his grip on her and pulling her toward the voices. “It was her!” he shouted suddenly. “It was her, I heard it. She’s making bargains with that....thing.”

“No!” Lottie struggled for a moment then shoved her body into Dun’s, the unexpected force making him release her hand. She ran a few feet away then cleared her throat, making her voice as low as possible. “It was him, the one making accusations! Send him off, and our troubles will be over!”

Dun tried to silence her but he couldn’t find her, so he felt along the wall, trying to make out the position of her voice. However, the next words made him stop in his tracks.

“Let’s just send them both. Perhaps it will satiate her appetite, and she’ll not attack anyone tonight.”

“Whose bright idea was that?” a new (and strangely commanding) voice demanded.

Phantom, for once, was silent.

“Take her!” Dun shouted. “It’s not me you want! Take the girl!”

“If you try to take me I’ll sing!”

“Lies! We’ve never heard singing in here!”

Lottie huffed. “Because I didn’t have a good reason.” She felt Dun’s hand on her shoulder, gripping her arm tightly and pulling her toward the crack in the wall. “Take him,” she told the others. “We’ll be safe if he’s gone. Please,” she sobbed, “don’t take me....”

“It’s too late for you,” Dun hissed. He heard someone else shout for him to go as well, but their voice was quickly silenced by the strange one he had heard a moment ago. As they reached the entrance to Shelob’s lair there was a sharp gust of wind and they both fell back just in time to see a blue box materialize before them.

“What the-”

Out stepped Boro, the light coming from his box revealing a bow tie and spiky hair. He started toward Dun and Lottie but suddenly tripped on the large scarf hanging from his neck. “Arms, legs, neck, head, nose....I’m fine,” he assured them as he righted himself, dusting off his striped trousers. “And what’s going on here? I’m sorry I had to take off, but....duty calls, you know.”

“Take us out of here!” several of the others cried. “Help us escape!”

“Can’t,” he replied reluctantly. “I’m a part of events now. I have to leave you here.”

“Excuse me,” Lottie said softly, stepping closer to Boro and his box, “but what is....”

“Yes, go on, spit it out. I can’t stay long.”

Dun joined her at his side, his eyes wide. “What in the name of sanity have you got on your head?”

“Oh,” Boro replied simply, “that. It’s a clown mask.” He frowned. “Don’t ask. Just....don’t.”

“So why did you come back, if you’re not going to help us?”

“You were about to make a very stupid mistake. Erm....I think. You can’t send off two people at once. If you do, Shelob will overpower you even easier.”

“But one of them could be working for her!” someone shouted.

“Or both!” another joined in.

“Yes, but do you know for sure?” When no one could reply Boro snapped his fingers, the doors of his box closing and leaving them in darkness again. “No one is dying today,” he told them. “I have gone, and that’s enough for you to lose in one day. Be more careful. And besides,” he added sharply, “are you trying to fight Shelob or become like her?”

Lottie and Dun stood still for a moment, then they both slowly walked back toward the center of the tunnel, putting distance between them and Shelob’s lair.

“Goodie,” Boro said brightly. “Well, best be off. I’m late for an appointment with the quarterback of the-”

The doors to the box suddenly opened again, revealing laurab2333 standing impatiently inside. “Hurry up, will you?” she demanded. “Some of us have a rehearsal to get to.”

“All right, all right,” Boro sighed, I’m coming.” He joined laurab2333 in the box, snapped his fingers again, and as everyone stood waiting in the dark they heard a terrible wheezing, even the dim light from the box’s top dissipating.

“So,” Lottie and Dun said together, “what do we do now?”



Here
Lottie
Dun
Phantom
Wilwa
Nog
Nerwen
Shasta
Lhuna
Fea

Gone
Glirdan (ordo, lynched Day 1)
Nienna (ordo, withdrew Day 2)
Bom Tombadillo (ordo, lynched Day 2)
Boro (the Doctor, withdrew Day 3)

[satansaloser2005]

Shelob retreated further into her cavern, listening closely to the whispering of the innocents through the small opening in the wall. She settled into her corner, reveling in the fear she detected in their voices. The tension was reaching an unexpected high, especially after the fiasco yesterday with the man who called himself a doctor. But they were few now, even if they hadn’t dismissed someone into her chambers to become a snack. All she had to do was wait.

“Ssssssssssssssss....”

Shelob could make out a small shape coming toward her, its eyes reflecting the glow coming from her. It approached, its smile wide and its pearly teeth glistening maliciously.

“Psssssst,” it said again.

“Not yet,” Shelob whispered soothingly. “Go back with the others. Your time will come.”

“But....”

“Back with the others,” Shelob repeated shrilly. “Go. I have work to do.”

“But what shall I do? I’m all alone.”

“Play with the others,” Shelob replied simply. She lowered one of her pincers and stroked her child’s cheek tenderly. “You’re not alone. You know that.”

The child nodded, grasping Shelob’s pincer tightly. “I won’t disappoint you,” it promised.

“I know you won’t. Now go on,” she insisted gently. “I will soon approach again, and this time not all of them will escape so easily. Remember what I’ve taught you, and we will succeed.”

With that the child turned back, its feet scuffing the floor as it scratched absently at the still fresh sting on its neck. It crawled back through crevice, keeping quiet as it rejoined the others in the darkness. It could almost make out faces now, its eyes more attuned to the dark, but it still was unable to tell if any of the others had also been recruited into Shelob’s brood.

Perhaps, if it only looked harder, it could- what was that?

There was a sharp scream, a quick burst of light immediately blocked out as a large shape thrust itself into the small entrance of their hideaway.

They tried to escape, but it was too late. In the split second that there had been light, they saw one of their comrades impaled, his face still shrouded in darkness as his body was pierced by the sharp stinger that had penetrated their sanctuary. He let out a wordless cry, his voice also unrecognizable as he slumped to the ground, dragging his wounded body further into the dark.

Toward the back of the group, someone felt his cheeks growing as hot as the weapon at his side. He had failed to protect his friend, and it was so dark he likely would not find him in time to reverse the effects of the poison now coursing through his friend’s body.

It was going to be a long day, and for one of the group, it would be his last.




Alive
Phantom
Dun
Nog
Fea
Lottie
Lhuna
Nerwen
Shasta
Wilwa


Dead
Glirdan (ordo, lynched Day 1)
Nienna (ordo, withdrew Day 2)
Bom (ordo, lynched Day 2)
Boro (the Doctor, withdrew Day 3)

[the phantom]

So Boro was Doc, eh? Yeah... figures. I'm just hoping he was a sting victim as well.

Anyway, I hear that Nog would prefer that we wait until 20 minutes before the deadline to discuss everything, so I'm shutting up now.

*waits for today's narration*

[Inziladun]

From the narration, it looks like Frodo got it. Not good. Doesn't that mean unless a spawn of Shelob, or the fiend herself goes down toDay, it's over?

[the phantom]

Okay, first, I wonder what this is-

Originally Posted by Sally

“But what shall I do? I’m all alone.”

“Play with the others,” Shelob replied simply. She lowered one of her pincers and stroked her child’s cheek tenderly. “You’re not alone. You know that.”

So... um.... is there only one Spiderling, like the Spiderling thinks? Or is there more than one according to Shelob. HUGE difference.

And of course we'll be losing two people this cycle, as there will be a lynch plus a Frodo exit. On the bright side Shelob doesn't get another minion tomorrow night and also won't get to sting anyone tonight if Sammy chooses Frodo correctly, so let's hope for that.

Also, I just (thankfully) realized my numbers from yesterday were off by one because our dear Moddess left Wilwa off her day-opening post yesterday.
So, here's what I believe to be a corrected version of where we stand.

(Shelob-Spiderling-BeenStung-Innocent)
If Boro was NOT a sting victim, we're possibly-
1-2-0-6
If Boro was a sting victim, we're possibly-
1-1-0-7
If Boro was NOT a sting victim but Sam cured someone Day 1, then-
1-1-0-7

So first- any theories on whether there are two Spiderlings or just one?

[Loslote]

At this point, I'd be surprised if there weren't two Spiderlings already...the fact that Shelob missed one Sting was lucky enough. I think we should work with the assumption that we probably have two Spiderlings. Even if we're wrong, it'd be more harmful for people to assume we've got time than for people to assume we have to get this lynch right toDay.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Originally Posted by Loslote

At this point, I'd be surprised if there weren't two Spiderlings already...the fact that Shelob missed one Sting was lucky enough. I think we should work with the assumption that we probably have two Spiderlings. Even if we're wrong, it'd be more harmful for people to assume we've got time than for people to assume we have to get this lynch right toDay.

I agree with Lottie. It's better to assume the worst and hope for the best than the opposite.

Again, sorry for not being around yesterday. As Sally said, my internet was knocked out because of the storm. I'll vote today, promise.