WWLVIII: Escape From Angband (or Behavioral Modification)

[Mnemosyne]

Heh, Nog, wondered if the avatar was in reaction to anything...

And by the way, the baking pies had nothing to do with waxing ducks*. Cobblers are a modified form of a fruit pie.


*Waxing as in increasing, not as in polishing their feathers to a sheen or even removing them. And also, "Waxing Ducks" would be a really good name for a rock band

[Durelin]

About killing Izzy -

Well, we wanted a safe kill, first of all. And obviously we didn't know how the assassin worked. And there was no indication how Kath died, so we didn't even know there was an assassin who could just...kill. We wondered if Gwath was actually able to take Kath down with him.

I thought we might be able to get Lari to go after Nog, and Nog to go after Fea. It didn't seem like anyone was interested in lynching Izzy at any point, so *shrug*.

We were afraid we couldn't kill Mith at all, and otherwise feared killing any hunter/assassin type might take one of us down.

There were too many known innocents, so I pulled my stunt. But obviously that barely decreased the known innocents. I felt like giving up from Day 2 on but didn't actually want to go down without a fight.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Nog

When Lari made the point on the last Day I was almost sure she was the last duck (besides Dury) because of bringing it up

Well, I'd say that's why we didn't bring it up in game, eh?

[Nerwen]

See, we thought that if Dury turned up dead, the "multiplication" thing would be revealed as a fraud, and I'd then get lynched by elimination... we never considered that people might think her evil and believe her about the ducks...

I was annoyed to die, though– we had some lovely schemes cooked up. If we survived another Night Dury was going to claim that there were only two ducks now, and I would say I had been stripped of my duck-status on the Night... and reveal who my "fellows" were. That would have been so much fun...

*sigh*

Ah, well...

By the way, my made-up role, in case I had to reveal, was going to be very similar to Nogrod's actual one.

[Gwathagor]

In case anyone is curious, the reason I revealed when I did, despite the fact that I knew I would get killed by the ducks is two-fold: First, I was largely considered innocent and thus was likely to get killed by the Ducks anyway. Second, I wasn't going to be able to vote the next day anyway and thus as good as dead anyway. So I decided to pass on what information I could while I was still alive. I'm sorry I wasn't more help.

I used a lot of quotes from "Lawrence of Arabia" one day just for the heck of it, and because everyone else seemed to be quoting things. It was fun, but I think Nerwen was the only one that noticed.

[Shastanis Althreduin]

The most I did during this game was hint (a lot) to Mira that I was Hamlet: e.g. saying she was "floaty and suicidal" in that list I made, and talking Hamlet with Nienna.

I'm glad someone picked up my attempted kill on Wilwa.

[Gwathagor]

Hey Shasta, your death was epic.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Perhaps I should reveal my Nightly work?

Given the fact that I could only actually kill ducks, by the end of the game I had a list of known Not-Ducks. Problem was, half were dead.

First Night: Brinn. Always a safe bet. Either she died, or I had a reliable ally. She didn't die. I proclaimed my faith in her to the world.

Second Night: Nogrod. It is traditional for me to try to kill him. Same reasoning as for Brinn: I needed to know who I could rely on later.

Third Night: Rikae. If she was a duck, the village would be done with her. If not, well, whatever.

Fourth Night: This Night I was rewarded for being so well-behaved: I kept my post count below forty, I think it was, and consequently got two kill choices. First choice was Kath. So long, ducky. Second choice was Izzy. I simply wasn't sure. Consequently, the next day I had another known innocent.

Of course by that point Gwath had revealed and cleared Nog and Brinn, and Rikae was dead, so my ish-seer skills weren't immediately needed. What was I going to do, say "Yeah! I agree! I know the same stuff about them he does!" So I hushed like a good little wallflower and made sure y'all didn't go and kill Izzy on me.

With Durelin suggesting that roles had changed prior to Kath's death, Izzy was the only player I could claim certainty of. I needed her alive as my known innocent.

Of course then she died.

However, Fifth Night: I bagged Nerwen-duck, which was quite lovely. After all of my 'known innocents' being rendered useless either by death or by Durelin, it felt good to at least have nailed ducks two nights running.

And then.

Well, if Durelin was telling the truth and people had changed, I had no information to rely on. Izzy was dead, Cobbler-Rikae was gone, Brinn was long gone. I still had Nog around to trust, and Gwath had said Mith and Mac were okay, but if Durelin was telling the truth about multiplying ducks, I had no way of knowing who to attack in the Night.

She had to die. The only way I could attack a duck with any legitimate hope of success was to know her role.

Hence, "Durelin must die."

If she hadn't been lynched, I was going to kill her in the Night.

I now humbly depart to do more research.

Also, I concur: Shasta's death was amazing.

Good game everybody.

Thanks, Sally and Mistress Modduckess.

And of course Phantom.

[wilwarin538]

k, I'm still confused. How exactly did I end up dead in the middle of a Day??? I know the phantom claimed responsibility (see my sig), but was it actually him or someone else I wasn't worshiping enough

[Durelin]

It was Mith. The whole "blinded by the light" thing/seeing her uncloaked.

Apparently she got her list right and knew everyone's roles...as I thought (the knowing everyone's roles part, heh).

Edit: Wow. I just noticed that Lommy actually was supposed to get herself lynched.

[satansaloser2005]

Originally Posted by Durelin

It was Mith. The whole "blinded by the light" thing/seeing her uncloaked.

Apparently she got her list right and knew everyone's roles...as I thought (the knowing everyone's roles part, heh).

Edit: Wow. I just noticed that Lommy actually was supposed to get herself lynched.

Correct. When she got her list completed she got one free kill, and chose Wilwa.


To your edit: Hehe. Well, she needed to leave early so I figured why not.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Durelin

Wow. I just noticed that Lommy actually was supposed to get herself lynched.

And we just thought she was playing badly!

[Brinniel]

Ooh, this was such a fun game. I enjoyed not feeling like I had to make these long posts and the insanity of everyone was awesome. I was sad to be killed off semi-early.

Well, I may have not exactly been a great ranger, but I'm rather proud about how unusually accurate I was. After I died and found out everyone's roles, I looked back at my posts and saw this from my last Day:

Who worries me most:
wilwa
Durelin
Kath
Nienna

I could also add Rikae to that list for her weird vote for Mith.

The only one I missed was Nerwen who I was convinced was innocent (especially after Nienna's death...I didn't think two ducks would vote her and if there was one, it'd be Dury). The only way I probably would've figured her out had I stayed alive would be simply due to process of elimination. I was also pretty convinced Lari was innocent. I'm glad I was actually right this time. And I'm so relieved Kath was a duck since I kept reassuring Gwath that she's almost definitely one...how horrible I would feel if I were wrong.

Hmm...I think in future games I will stop over-analysing everything because it seems I'm more accurate when I don't. In fact, on my final Night when I did a long analysis for Gwath I think I became less accurate than I was before the analysis...

I spent a long time trying to figure out why I was killed (as I was rather surprised). Was it because you guys thought I was the seer? It didn't even occur to me that I might look seerish; I seriously thought Gwath would be the obvious kill.

I had fun watching even post-mortem, even though I nearly had a heart attack after Dury came up with that brilliant fake reveal. While it looked fairly believable, I was rather shocked how quickly some of you accepted it, no questions asked. I think at one point I was yelling at the computer screen, "No, Mac and Nogrod! By turning on each other you're doing exactly what she wants..." Heh. Hard to say how I would've really reacted to that reveal since I already knew her role. I probably would've been a bit skeptical since I often am, plus I would have trouble imagining Sally to be so mean as to change the alignments of those already dreamt of. Well...maybe she would. Izzy's I felt like was a bit more believable simply because of all the clues she left behind...smart move. But I must say that on the final Day I was cheering when you guys figured Dury out.

Anyway, good game to all. Everyone did a great job with their various roles. It was very entertaining.

Originally Posted by Sally

VILLAGE WINS
WERE-DUCKS LOSE
LOVERS LOSE

Do the lovers' really lose when they're technically on the village's side? Just curious...

[satansaloser2005]

Heh. Specifically Mira and Shasta lose, because their goal was to survive. You and Gwath were gifteds first and companions second, so you still win.


Incidentally I was really rather cross when I got the Mira kill the first Night. They had so much potential to be entertaining, and then....*drags finger across throat*

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Brinniel

I spent a long time trying to figure out why I was killed (as I was rather surprised). Was it because you guys thought I was the seer? It didn't even occur to me that I might look seerish; I seriously thought Gwath would be the obvious kill.

We guessed you were either the Seer or another gifted in communication with the real one. And yes, Gwath's name came up as the possible real Seer.

Originally Posted by Brinniel

It didn't even occur to me that I might look seerish

Ironically enough, we thought you looked too Seerish to be real– we were afraid it was a trap and you were actually the Hunter.

[Mithalwen]

Well bit of a relief that is over... being TP is very tiring! Clever Sally to set up a scenario where I had to play more like him..

I spent hours trying to work the list out - I had a notebook and handwritten charts but then had to redo everything on Excel due to a mistake .... I nearly went frantic on Day 3? because Brinn was dead and Sally had told me I wasn't immortal anymore (I would have been a lot more subtle if I had known that that was going to happen!) and I was scared that I would be killed before I got my kill. And it was at that point I knew I had gone wrong somewhere on my chart.

I finally got my list right literally minutes before the cybercafe shut and after Sally sulked at me wanting to get rid of her slave I just picked Wilwa as on the raw post count being the least active duck being theoretically the hardest to spot. And it was quite a close thing on getting lynched. Nearest I have ever been as a non-wolf.

Of course I was regretting not getting Durelin for a while but having highlighted explicitly every duck but Nerwen (and Wilwa who I killed), and seen the villagers
lynch cobblers instead, I really was seriously considering changing sides. If Nerwen had survived I would have done but then I realised Durie was doomed - and Fea had played so restrainedly.

I chose her as the Werebear immediately and only moved her around my list as a check. Fea takes the game most seriously when she has a special role and I doubted she would have accepted the moddess's contstraints as an ordo or even as one duck of 6.

Annoyingly Shasta was one of my first good spots and I knew Nogrod was a seer early as I tried to show in an early post when I answered him "Nogrod, you see I am not quite myself....."

While I enjoyed the puzzle in an obsessive way once I solved it I lost my power really. I had to be so careful in what I said. Then by accident or design there was never anyone around when I was online.

[Macalaure]

We won! ...I think.

As one of the few persons without any knowledge - may I ask what exactly happened when and who knew what at which time? It was interesting to learn what roles there were, but I'm still confused.

Coming up with conspiracy theories wasn't always easy, especially since I was told to be paranoid. How do you act paranoid if nobody suspects you? I was quite pleased with the impact of the Fibonacci-nonsense, though.

Then, once people did suspect me, I was dead. I suspected both Nerwen and Nogrod after believing Durelin. Why, why, didn't I go with Nerwen...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

I suspected both Nerwen and Nogrod after believing Durelin. Why, why, didn't I go with Nerwen...

No worries, Bubbles, hunny, I went with Nerwen.

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

No worries, Bubbles, hunny, I went with Nerwen.

That's not what I meant. If had picked Nerwen, Nogrod wouldn't have gone on a retaliation frenzy and I would have survived.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

If Nerwen had survived I would have done but then I realised Durie was doomed - and Fea had played so restrainedly.

I chose her as the Werebear immediately and only moved her around my list as a check. Fea takes the game most seriously when she has a special role and I doubted she would have accepted the moddess's contstraints as an ordo or even as one duck of 6.

I might have tried for restraint even with some other role: it intrigued me to see if I could pull off a game where my orders were to be as inconspicuous and quiet as possible.

You'll note that I slipped a few times on the first Day until I asked Sally if I could just up and emulate Watchmen's Rorschach already.

"He's a wallflower," I argued, "particularly when he's in 'the end of the world is nigh' mode, and he writes/speaks in very clipped fragments; and then at Night, he goes out and kills bad guys mercilessly!"

And she let me.

And then I slipped into the role a bit more easily.

That joke? After Lommy asked if something I'd done was a joke? With Pagliacci? Lifted straight from the text of the book, just paraphrased a little.

I wasn't allowed to drop any hints, so I had to do so quietly enough that Sally wouldn't notice.

Of course they didn't work...

But still, it pleased me to subvert authority just a little.

Rikae's allusions to the game duck hunt, for instance. Yeah, dogs are great. I love dogs. Very loyal. They work best when they know where a duck is, because then they go get it for you. Yeah. Wink wink.

Of course it's difficult to leave a hint when nobody knows your role even exists. Particularly because I didn't bag a kill until so late, it was easy for people to wonder if there even was a werebear around.

Anyway, perhaps I shall play evermore in such a restrained style. It saves a lot of effort, let me tell you, and forced me to figure out exactly what it was important for me to be saying/not saying at any given time.

No scandals... Now that was the hardest part.

[satansaloser2005]

Night Zero (pre-game)
Gwath: Fea
Izzy: Noggie
Rikae: Legate
Lari: Fea

Day One
Legate is lynched
Mira finds Shasta (dang it!)
Mith submits lists

Night One
Gwath: Noggie
Izzy: Shasta
Rikae: Fea
Noggie is sent information about Fea's activities to account for lack of Night Zero dream
Noggie: Rikae
Lari: Fea (no change)
Brinn: Izzy
Fea: Brinn
Wolf Kill: Mira (sent in by Durie)

Day Two
Shasta (Mira's lover) tries to revenge kill Willa, fails
Shasta dies from the Night's activities
Shasta gives his 'voice' to Gwath for the Day
Lommie is lynched
Mith submits lists

Night Two
Gwath: Mac
Izzy: Rikae
Izzy guesses Mith as seer
Rikae: Durie
Noggie is sent information about Mith's near-death
Lari: Fea (no change)
Brinn: Gwath
Fea: Noggie
Wolf Kill: Mith (sent in by Nerwen)

Day Three
Lari changes her hunter pick to Durie
Mith submits a complete list, chooses to kill Willa
Nienna is lynched

Night Three
Gwath: Mith
Izzy: Lari
Izzy guesses Gwath as seer and gains access to his dreams
Rikae: Lari and Fea (extra dream permitted as a reward for fulfilling special challenge)
Noggie: Mac (also seeks clarification on Rikae and is shown their semi-lover connection)
Lari: Durie
Brinn: Gwath
Fea: Rikae
Wolf Kill: Brinn (sent in by Durie)
Kath is sent the role of Lari as a reward for completing the previous Day's challenge
Durie is told of the existence of another lover pair as a reward for the flock's performance

Day Four
Kath-lynch is vetoed due to Kath's continued lack of access to the Downs
Single lynch rule is suspended for the Day
Chaos ensues
The moddess has a nervous breakdown
Rikae is lynched

Night Four
Gwath: Kath and Nilp (extra dream permitted as a reward for his and Brinn's performance)
Izzy receives information as well
Noggie: Izzy
Lari: Fea
Fea: Kath and Izzy (extra kill permitted as a reward for performance)
Wolf Kill: Gwath (sent in by Durie)

Day Five
Mac is lynched

Night Five
Noggie is denied a dream due to breaking his 'curfew'
Lari: Fea (no change)
Fea: Nerwen
Wolf Kill: Izzy (sent in by Durie)

Day Six
Nilp is mod-killed for self-voting
Durie is lynched


GAME OVER


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

The Random Kills (and complete lack thereof):
Willa kill, part one, was basically an attempt to give Shasta something to do. When he and Mira were killed so early I was rather cross (not really, but I'd put a lot of effort into their roles and didn't want them dead so early) so I told Shasta he could stick around for a bit, have some fun, and then be killed. Then he begged me for a revenge kill, and I eventually gave in. I'm a bit of a pushover, I'm not gonna lie. Anyway, I told him he could pick a person but I got to decide their fate via coin flip, which is in fact in his death narration, by the way. I did 2/3 and Willa survived.
Mith was under the impression that she was invincable, so she stuck out her neck to protect the seer. Her immortality was revoked, however, because she was being too obvious about how much she knew. Well, that and I'd never specified in the first place, so it was more of a case of "erm, you DO know you can die now, right?" Anyway, she didn't die that Night because of her shiny powers and stuff.
Then Wilwa's actual death. Part of Mith's role was that, once she guessed everyone's roles, she was able to pick one person in the game and kill them. She could use her kill whenever she wanted, but decided to use it immediately. Wilwa was notified that she could no longer post, and soon after she was completely deaded.
Nilp was killed because he had one instruction and one only: don't vote yourself.



And since I mentioned some special challenges and other stuff:
Rikae was given a list of 20 random words (I made her my personal word a day calendar more or less) and told her if she could work all of them in she got an extra pick.
As for Kath, I wanted her to post more so I said "20 posts toDay, pick someone's role" or something like that. Time didn't permit her to make 20 posts, so in the end it was changed to "10 posts, I'll pick someone and give you their role". She wasn't allowed to tlel her packmates of this information though.
The entire flock was doing so well that when I had Durie on IM (I believe that's when it was anyway) I told her "Hey, tell the girls there's another lover pair out there, sort of." Which is true in the case of Brinn and Gwath, since they were modified lovers.
Gwath and Brinn had been doing so fabulously I wanted to give them a reward. I planned to give Brinn an extra ranger save but then the flock killed her, so I decided to just hand Gwath an extra dream.
Fea's thing was basically I decided "if she's got less than 40 posts, she gets an extra kill choice" so I looked at the post count. She had 39. Hehe.
Nog's curfew thing was real both times. I called Mnemo to catch me up on the thread while I was away and she mentioned that Noggie had said he was tired. My more or less exact words were "Tell him to go to bed in like ten minutes or I kill him." It was originally supposed to be given to him in a PM but I didn't specify so it went on the thread. When Nerwen convinced him it was a joke and he continued posting, I received a text from Mnemo asking me whether she should kill him. I called back, we reviewed the thread, and I decided that he was a bit provoked (and the whole thing was botched a bit to begin with) so he lived, but lost his right to dream.

[Thinlómien]

It has been ages since this game was and there was a flood of posts, so my apologies for not reading what happened after my death and not repping people. I just have to pop in to say that I loved trying to get myself lynched and that it was a very entertaining game, thanks everybody!