Werewolf XXXII: The Lost Age

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Mac

Allow me to delay my apology until your innocence is written green on black.

I'm looking forward to it ...

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Sauce

This is doing my head in but, unless either Nogrod or Gil is a Vampire, there were four votes cast for Rikae on Day 1.

What if Gil really is the remaining vamp? That'd make sense about the Day1 votes.

Originally Posted by Sauce

Btw - any other thoughts on how safe it is to assume that Glirdy never voted?

I think it's quite safe. I can't imagine him just pming or e-mailing a vote and saying nothing here on this thread. That is not his style. If he had participated in the game at all, I think he would have said something along the lines of "hi i'm here i'm terribly busy... sorry folks, i voted x btw" on this thread.

I think Aganzir is innocent. I mean someone else than me and Roa had to vote Cel, and the simplest solution is that it was Aga.

I have no idea who the final vamp is and I'm very confused because the voting records give contradictory evidence... I need to think.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Lomiella

What if Gil really is the remaining vamp? That'd make sense about the Day1 votes.

True, but it would not explian the discrepencies in the Day 2 and Day 3 votes.

Well, here's all the raw data we have, as far as I am aware:

Day 1

Di: Legate (Legate 1)
Celuien: Kitanna (Kitanna 1, Legate 1)
Menel: Rikae (Kitanna 1, Rikae 1, Legate 1)
Sixth: Gil (Kitanna 1, Rikae 1, Gil 1, Legate 1)
Gil: Rikae (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Legate 1)
Legate: Sixth (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Legate 1)
Rune: Menel (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 1, Legate 1)
Rikae: Menel (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 1)
Boro: Legate (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 2)
Lomiella: Celuien (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 2, Celuien 1)
Eomer: Celuien (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 2, Celuien 2)
Roa: Celuien (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 2, Celuien 3)
Aganzir: Celuien (Kitanna 1, Rikae 2, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 2, Celuien 4)
Brinniel: Rikae (Kitanna 1, Rikae 3, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 2, Celuien 4)
Nogrod: Legate (Kitanna 1, Rikae 3, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 3, Celuien 4)
Esspiem: Kitanna (Kitanna 2, Rikae 3, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 3, Celuien 4)
Mac: Legate (Kitanna 2, Rikae 3, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 4, Celuien 4)
Sleepy: Rune (Kitanna 2, Rikae 3, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 4, Celuien 4, Rune 1)
Xyzzy: Lomiella (Kitanna 2, Rikae 3, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 4, Celuien 4, Rune 1, Lomiella 1)
Nogrod: Rikae not Legate (Kitanna 2, Rikae 4, Gil 1, Sixth 1, Menel 2, Legate 3, Celuien 4, Rune 1, Lomiella 1)

No vote: Durelin, Shasta, Kitanna
No vote stated: Glirdy

Celuien is lynched – Eomer (Lynch Seer) reports 5 votes for Celuien

Day 2

Di: Nogrod (Nogrod 1)
Gil: Shasta (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1)
Shasta: Gil (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1)
Kitanna: Rikae (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 1)
Sixth: Rikae (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2)
Rikae: Legate (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 1)
Menel: Boro (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 1, Boro 1)
Rune: Menel (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 1, Boro 1, Menel 1)
Boro: Legate (Nogrod 1, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 1, Menel 1)
Roa: Nogrod (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 1, Menel 1)
Durelin: Boro (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 1)
Lommiella: Menel (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 2)
Aganzir: Menel (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 3)
Mac: Menel (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 4)
Esspiem: Menel (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 5)
Legate: Menel (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 6)
Nogrod: Menel (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 7)
Xyzzy: Rune (Nogrod 2, Shasta 1, Gil 1, Rikae 2, Legate 2, Boro 2, Menel 7, Rune 1)

No vote stated: Eomer, Sleepy, Glirdy

Menel is lynched - Nogrod (Lynch Seer) reports 5 votes for Menel


Day 3

Di: Glirdy (Glirdy 1)
Xyzzy: Nogrod (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1)
Gil: Shasta (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1)
Sixth: Durelin (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1)
Esspiem: Legate (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 1)
Rikae: Esspiem (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 1, Esspiem 1)
Shasta: Legate (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 2, Esspiem 1)
Boro: Esspiem (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 2, Esspiem 2)
Lomiella: Esspiem (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 2, Esspiem 3)
Kitanna: Eomer (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 2, Esspiem 3, Eomer 1)
Rune: Legate (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 3, Esspiem 3, Eomer 1)
Aganzir: Esspiem (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 3, Esspiem 4, Eomer 1)
Durelin: Legate (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 4, Esspiem 4, Eomer 1)
Mac: Esspiem (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 4, Esspiem 5, Eomer 1)
Nogrod: Esspiem (Nogrod 1, Glirdy 1, Shasta 1, Durelin 1, Legate 4, Esspiem 6, Eomer 1)

No vote stated: Eomer, Legate, Glirdy

Legate is lynched - Boro (Lynch Seer) reports 5 votes for Legate

Known Vampires in bold.
Known innocents underlined.
Shade underlined and itallicised.

Votes where timing unclear itallicised.

I'm in rather a hurry, so if anyone spots any msitakes, let me know and I'll re-post.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

You're overlooking the most basic thing ever; I can't believe you haven't won the game yet.

Innocent, by the way. It almost certainly won't matter but ignoring all codes and such, innocent.

3 innocents and nothing else.

Treacherous scoundrel, Kitanna. After all we've been through, as well.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Gil-Galad: Guilty. Brash and showy.

The Saucepan Man: Guilty. A magician to escape such certain deaths. Too lucky by far.

Rikae: Guilty. Liar extraordinaire.

Boromir88: Guilty. Part of that horrid 'innocent' scam. Too charming to be good.

Nogrod: Guilty. Underhanded, underdog politician.

Eomer of the Rohirrim: Innocent. A noble character, struggling to survive against the tyranny of the world.

Thinlómien: Guilty. But actually quite a sweet girl. Led astray by father.

Brinniel: Guilty. Lucky to be swept away, kindly, from this tragedy early on.

Legate of Amon Lanc: Innocent. A charming, special, and above all polite fellow, clinging to his freedom.

Aganzir: Guilty. Cunning and evil, no doubt. Will assume control of the new village.

Meneltarmacil: Guilty. Stirrer of trouble and disaster.

Xyzzy: Guilty. Sneaky, callous and cruel.

Roa_Aoife: Guilty. Bellicose, violent and bloodthirsty.

Macalaure: Guilty. Again, of the 'innocent' parade. Tricksy and devilish.

Diamond18: Guilty. It will be my turn next, you fiend! ( )

Shastanis Althreduin: Guilty. A trickster, and a rogue.

Celuien: Guilty. Deseved death. Though her blood is on the hands of the election officials.

Kitanna: Guilty. Traitor, traitor, traitor! To sacrifice your own life for the lives of an arbitrary group. Bah!

Sleepy Ranger: Guilty. A phantom devised by the village to terrify the remaining vampires.

Durelin: Guilty. Though I suspect she would prefer to be on the other side. She is not safe for anyone to be around.

Glirdan: Guilty. More tactics of terror, and another phantom.

Rune Son of Bjarne: Guilty. Lives for wine and parties and naught else, but eager to save his own skin.

The Sixth Wizard: Guilty. Another sneaky, tricksy, black-hearted vagabond.

[Rikae]

Originally Posted by Eomer

Rikae: Guilty. Liar extraordinaire.

Why thank you! *blushes*

[Nogrod]

Nice Eomer!

Sad that you forgot to give us the third innocent though...


Okay I'll make this a go one more time.

Spm is quite right with his concern on Day1 votes. If Eomer and Aganzir were vampires two of the four Rikae-voters should have forgotten / mismanaged sending their votes. That sounds a bit improbable and makes Aganzir look innocent.

That might point towards Gil being the last vampire. If he has no vote then Rikae would have had only three votes and gaining them later than Celuien, Cel died with three votes as well. On Day2 and Day3 Gil has voted quite monomaniacilly for Shasta which I think is a pretty safe bet for a vampire not to be counted in any further tallies.

But there's a further problem still with Day2. As Menel got 7 declared votes but only 5 actual ones then even counting Legate out of the equation there's still one vote discrepancy. Someone forgot to send the actual vote then? That would be the easiest solution. Otherwise there is a liar in the group Rune, Aganzir, Spm.

On Day3 we miss a vote. Only four declared votes for Legate and there's five of them. That would make Spm, Shasta Rune, Durelin look innocent as their votes are needed to lynch Legate as there most probably was at least five votes on Spm - and there were six declared ones.... And if no-one has forgotten to vote then Aganzir is the only one whom we don't know. But we just saw her looking innocentish on Day1.

Cross-examining Days 2 and 3 we might clear Spm and Rune (oh my!). That would leave Aganzir again! Checking at Day1 tends to clear her but still she is the answer to both problems in Day2 and 3...

So anyone wishing to admit forgetting to make the actual vote? It would require the least problem-solving if there just is something very fishy in Day1 voting and Aganzir is our vampire... But if these problems on Day2 and 3 can be explained away, then I might consider looking at Gil really carefully toMorrow.

Originally Posted by Mac

Nogrod, if you hunt Aganzir tonight, it will only make you a marvellous aim for the vampire if Aganzir is innocent.

That's the reason why I ended my last post with these words:

Originally Posted by me

But as a hunter I will not say anything and reserve my right to hunt whoever I see fit for the next Night.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Eomer

You're overlooking the most basic thing ever; I can't believe you haven't won the game yet.

Much as one should exercise caution when taking advice from an enemy, there is something that occurred to me.

The rules state that the specific role of the Vampire will be told at death (although we did not get that information for Legate), but, as far as I can see, they do not state that the specific role of an innocent (if any) will be told at death.

What if one of the innocents who died was a Gifted and we have not been told?

Then we have what Kitanna said about Night 3:

Originally Posted by Kitanna

Also I'd like to say I did NOT attack Rikae on Night 3. In fact I tried to kill Eomer in the night, but it appeared he had been protected from my attack. As you may have guessed I protected Rikae last night.

On Night 3, according to the narrative, someone (who was not a Vampire) attacked someone who was protected. Yet, if Kitanna is to be believed, the attack was not hers.

So, call me a fruity loopy fruit cake if you like (or even daft as a bat ), but what if Roa was the good Hunter and, because the Vampires attacked her on Night 3, was able to hunt before she died? If the Vampire Seer had spotted her previously (and she would have been a logical Vampire Seer dream on, say, Night 2), this would have enabled Vampire Nogrod to assume her identity the next Day, on seeing that her role had not been revealed.

There is a massive problem with this theory, though. Given that the Ranger was almost certainly protecting Rikea on Night 3, it means that Roa chose to hunt Rikae. Unlikely in the extreme, given that Rikae had revealed on Day 2 and Roa’s reaction was to trust her (#303).

However, if Nogrod is a Vampire, it would explain all the voting discrepancies, save for one vote for Legate last Night unaccounted for. It would also make sense of some of his behaviour ...

[Thinlómien]

I just voted
++Eomer.

Now I could go home and leave ww be, but that'd feel stupid - as someone already said, we should try to track the last wolf toDay not just be comfortable because Eomer has been revealed. But I have no idea where to start with it: the voting records just baffle me.

I think we should maybe forget the missing votes and concentrate on those people who are not exonerated by any vote (Gil, xyzzy, Sixth, Diamond) instead. Of these I'd be inclined to believe Gil most guilty, since Di and Sixth seem sincere and I have absolutely no idea about xyzzy.

edit: xed with Flying Saucer

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

However, if Nogrod is a Vampire, it would explain all the voting discrepancies, save for one vote for Legate last Night unaccounted for. It would also make sense of some of his behaviour ...

i see i'm receiving some of the brunt now... but i must vouch my innocent, i did vote rikae first day, and i do urge that with the missing vote, it must surely be Nogrod, then with my last day being here, the vampires are already cornered

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I just voted
++Eomer.



I think we should maybe forget the missing votes and concentrate on those people who are not exonerated by any vote (Gil, xyzzy, Sixth, Diamond) instead. Of these I'd be inclined to believe Gil most guilty, since Di and Sixth seem sincere and I have absolutely no idea about xyzzy.

edit: xed with Flying Saucer

I'm not sincere? you hurt me deep Lommy...

[Gil-Galad]

i keep forgetting that Nogrod has proclaimed himself the hunter... but with al lattention to me as the next vampire, there goes my hopes of surviving another vampire game... all very confusing indeed...

[Nogrod]

Fascinating theory Spm! And then people say I'm the one who makes the over-thought cases...

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

It would also make sense of some of his behaviour ...

[Thinlómien]

Gil doesn't manage to convince me... The post right after mine is all too fishy...

Ouch, fruity loopy fruit cake, you're making my head hurt. (That might be a good thing though. ) Anyway, I see no reason for the mods not to tell us if a dead person is gifted. I mean, that's how it usually works and surely Volo would have mentioned if this game was an exception?)

From what Kitanna said I thought she attacked Eomer on Night3 and maybe the vampire ranger protected him...?

edit: xed with Noodles

[Aganzir]

Votes for Eomer toDay:
Diamond (I don't know if you have already voted, but I think I can include you to my list, as you clearly said you would do so.)
Shasta
Rikae
Gil
Sixth
Kitanna
Xyzzy
Rune
Lommy

Have not yet voted:
Spm
Boro
Nogrod
Aganzir
Mac
Durelin (let me assume you didn't actually email Volo your vote for yourself)
(Eomer)

No one should have a reason not to vote for Eomer. What if I wouldn't vote at all toDay (for my vote would go for Eomer anyway)? Let's see if he gets as many votes as told here - or who, besides me, didn't vote for him or accidentally forgot to email his/her vote. This is the best idea I can come up with to prove my innocence (except for asking Rikae or Kitanna to dream of me next Night).
If you think this is a bad idea, please tell it quickly, for I must leave about an hour before the deadline, and if I am going to vote, I must do it soon.

I probably shouldn't say this now that I seem to be one of the main suspects, but has anyone considered the possibility of Eomer being the V. Hunter? Obviously, Legate wasn't, since nobody died with him (I would also like to hear Legate's specific role), and now there's 50/50 chance that Eomer is.
And if he is the Vampire Hunter, he will probably take one gifted with him, and we are taking a risk by lynching him. This is not to say lynching him is a bad idea, but I wondered if anyone has thought about this yet...

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

I probably shouldn't say this now that I seem to be one of the main suspects, but has anyone considered the possibility of Eomer being the V. Hunter? - - This is not to say lynching him is a bad idea, but I wondered if anyone has thought about this yet...

I'm afraid that's the risk we must take...

[Kitanna]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

I probably shouldn't say this now that I seem to be one of the main suspects, but has anyone considered the possibility of Eomer being the V. Hunter? Obviously, Legate wasn't, since nobody died with him (I would also like to hear Legate's specific role), and now there's 50/50 chance that Eomer is.
And if he is the Vampire Hunter, he will probably take one gifted with him, and we are taking a risk by lynching him. This is not to say lynching him is a bad idea, but I wondered if anyone has thought about this yet...

Mmmm, didn't cross my mind, but a valid point is made. However to win the village would have to take down the Vampire Hunter sooner or later and with that hunter an innocent as well.
Also since Day is drawing near an end I'm wondering where I should put my gift tonight. I have an idea of who to go after, who may well be the final vampire. I won't say just incase the Ranger Vampire is still alive and able to protect (assuming my choice is a vampire), but the name does come off this list:
Gil
Aganzir
Xyzzy
Diamond
The Sixth
The list Boro created of the most likely vampires and the one used by Rune for the lynch plan.

[Nogrod]

I do agree with your reasoning here Aganzir. I'm also in a hurry and don't have time to think for all the possible loopholes there might be in there. But we don't lose anything if we try it that way. Eomer gets lynched without your vote as well. And as you said there seems to be no reason not to vote Eomer toDay...

And yes. Eomer might be the vamp-hunter. But he needs to be lynched anyhow for us to win the game. So the sooner the better.

++ Eomer

EDIT: made the vote as a quote...

[Volo]

Ah, curses... well, you know who you are. >: (

As I had posted in the rules, I'll tell you the role of Legate though just because I was made to do it...

He was the VRanger.

[Thinlómien]

I'm not sure, Aganzir, but whatever you do, state it clearly before you leave...

[Thinlómien]

I must go now, but in case he (and I) are alive, I'll take a good look at Gil toMorrow.

I wish Sixth, Di and xyzzy would speak more, so I could form a clearer picture of them...

[Aganzir]

And that means I'm leaving, too.

I won't vote for anyone toDay.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by me

The rules state that the specific role of the Vampire will be told at death ...

I see that rule has hastily been changed. Yet still no indication regarding Good Gifted roles being revealed on death.

But wait! What if the Hunter was Menel?

Originally Posted by rules

Hunter: May at any time at all post a name to the mod.

But, if Menel was the Hunter, his victim would have been his target at the end of the Day, as he was lynched. Perhaps he had previously selected Rikae as his target (he voted for her on Day 1), but did not get an opportunity to change his nominated target after she revealed and before he died.

Still, for now:

++Eomer

Edit: Crossed with Volo (and others) - the rule has changed again ...

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

I won't vote for anyone toDay.

Hold up. Doesn't this give Aganzir a loophole, rather than pointing towards her innocence?

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by me

Hold up. Doesn't this give Aganzir a loophole, rather than pointing towards her innocence?

Scrub that. I get the idea. It requires all the remaining innocents to vote for Eomer, though.

Yet to vote, I think:

Boro
Mac
Durelin

[The Saucepan Man]

I checked and Mac already voted for Eomer. So, yet to vote:

Boro
Durelin

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

++saucepan Man

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

++saucepan Man

well that was a desperate post... at least he is dying with what little dignity he has

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Desperate?

[Boromir88]

For formality:

++Eomer

I'm sorry pal, what rotten luck you have.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Gil

... at least he is dying with what little dignity he has

Nah, it would have been more dignified simply to remain silent.

To pick up some points from earlier:

Originally Posted by Lomiella

Anyway, I see no reason for the mods not to tell us if a dead person is gifted. I mean, that's how it usually works and surely Volo would have mentioned if this game was an exception?)

But can we rely on that? I guess that it's not possible for Volo to clarify the point now, just in case Noggie is a Vampire.

From what Kitanna said I thought she attacked Eomer on Night3 and maybe the vampire ranger protected him...?

No. The three vampires were watching the attack from the tower and responded to it by noting that we were protected.

[The Saucepan Man]

To clarify, when I said "no", I didn't mean that Kitanna did not say that she attacked Eomer and that he was protected (she did say that, and I believe her). I meant that this can't be the attack described.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Ha! I will die as loudly and as annoyingly as possible.

May the vampires resist this brutal genocide!

[Volo]

Night 5

Stop talking.

[Macalaure]

”Good friend of one unlucky Elf. Once visited the town without too many worries or cares.”

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Nogrod

[Volo]

Lossenatar was dead... He died because of his loyalty. And now it was too late not to follow his path. The age of Vampires was indeed at an end...

Firithhyando sat on the edge of the tower and thought about the countless things that passed during his lifetime. It was painful, but in a way it took off the pain of losing Lossenatar. Lives started and stopped, but everything stayed in Firithhyando’s memory. And through that he saw the future. Not much, but enough to know that things would continue going worse and hope would be false. Numundo or Lossenatar didn’t understand him, they didn’t have a prodigious memory, this was alone Firithhyando’s suffering.

Numundo hadn’t said anything since last period and Firithhyando didn’t blame his friend.

Firithhyando closed his eyes and jumped down. The end was near!

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Aganzir couldn’t have peace in her room. Not only was the situation unpleasant, but the room was nothing she liked. It had all those shelves and furniture that was nearly rotten of age. She cursed loudly as she threw a chair out of the window. It hit the ground with a big crash and the bearded woman laughed.

What to throw next? The shelf maybe?

She was both extremely happy and extremely angry. The Vampires would probably be killed in a night or two and Aganzir could start exploring this cave properly. But she herself had been suspected pretty badly last half-a-period. Did the fools really think that she was hammering innocents into pieces while others were sleeping. She laughed and threw the shelf out too.

Crash.

The short woman sat down, wiped her brow and laughed again.

Aganzir closed her eyes and lay down. Though she didn’t know it, she would soon be thrown out too. The bed on which Aganzir lay was lifted into the air and slowly moved towards the wall with the little window.

The woman opened one eye with a frown and a little laugh that ended very abruptly.

Darkness was all around Aganzir, not the darkness she had been used to but darkness more sinister than that. She sat up on the bed with a start and looked around.

Nothing. Just black.

She rubbed her eyes, but it was still all black.

And then the bed went straight through the wall and with a big crash met the ground and squashed poor Aganzir underneath it.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Kitanna had shown her true form.

The Shade had been trapped under the mountain when Arda was formed and since then she had been the true owner of Kaimoir, a Maia of Vala Námo. Until Yulnagar came. The Lord of the Vampires had defeated her and sent to a deep sleep into the very depth of the cave. Long ages passed and Kitanna slept. The reign of Vampires grew and withered. One day, the gate to the upper world was opened once again, Kitanna woke from her sleep feeling the time for escape coming closer. Yulnagar was weak and she had regained the strength she had had when Eä was created. But then this incident with the Men and Yulnagar’s bloody plans accured and Kitanna was trapped once again.

Now she was feeling free. Her mighty formless body that looked like a big black cloud was releaced from the uncomfortable human shape.

Ah. But she had to return back to her body, for this wasn’t over yet. She still had things to deal with before freedom was true. Cursing, the cloud turned into a woman.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Firithhyando crept to the window of the house Kitanna occupied.

Once an old storyteller lived in the same house. In his childhood Firithhyando had spent nearly all of his time running after the old Vampire asking for more stories. The storyteller was long gone and Firithhyando now wondered which stories very true and which just legends.

The Vampire smiled at the memory, but then remembered his task and the smile faded into a grim expression.

Firithhyado began chanting a spell of possession. He wouldn’t do the mistake Lossenatar did, he’d stay hidden.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Kitanna sat on her bed and waited for the clock to strike. She had waited long and this wait was nothing compared to the ages she lived in the cave, but these few hours were too long.

The woman stood up nervously and walked to the window. For some reason wanted to jump out of the house, from the third floor. Without knowing why, Kitanna climbed on the window sill and prepared to fall...

Bang!

The door flew open and a cloaked figure rang into the room.

Kitanna slipped from suprise and was about to fall onto the pavement below.

The person in the cloak rushed to Kitanna and grabbed her arm, pulling the possessed woman up into her room.

”This is to repay yestarday”, said the cloaked figure and took off her hood.

It was Diamond!

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

The Vampire cursed again and again as he flew towards the tower. How could this happen, again!?

When Firithhyando landed on the tower, Numundo was standing and looking down at the great pyre as if for searching something intensively. Numundo noticed Firithhyando and ran up to him.

”Fir! Somthing strange has accured! Your human name was shouted loud by that man, Mac!”

”What?”

”It means that Yulnagar will kill you when the clock strikes!”

Firithhyando’s face twisted with agony.

”Calm down! Calm down... You still have time. Act now”.

The lynched Vampire looked at Numundo and agreed. He calmed down.

”Yes, I’ll go. Now”.

Firithhyando turned to jump down again, but Numundo caught him and put his hand on Firithhyando’s shoulder, ”Fir, why not curse Yulnagar and flee? Look what Loss did and what happened to him. Curse the ancient fiend, let him play with the Men and just go”.

”No, Num. We don’t have a choice... Not only would he kill us if we ran, but if not, the memory of such a deed would tear me. I must go”. Firithhyando turned to leave again, but Numundo only tightened his grip. Firithhyando looked at his friend and sighed, ”You’ll survive”.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Nogrod couldn’t sleep. He walked around his room trying to think of an answer to the mystery. Who are the Vampires? What are the Vampires? Why are they killing us? And what is this ”oracle”?

He sat down and took out the piece of paper with the all the names. He crossed a few out and put the list back into his pocket.

Frowning he opened the door and went outside. He didn’t like walking in the darkness and hearing only silence and the crackling of wood. But he had to do it, so he did it. Nogrod had laid traps at each house during the first night, now he would go and place one new trap.

The Hunter walked to the house that was occupied by Legate, the bloody Vampire. The trap was still there, hidden well. Nogrod took out a knife and cut the rope that kept the trap set. That trap wasn’t needed anymore, the Vampire had already died.

Nogrod turned around lifted his head and gasped. He was grabbed from behind and two white fangs cut his neck. The man fell to the ground blood flowing down his back. But the Hunter wouldn’t go down so easily. Nogrod drew out a curved dagger a stabbed the Vampire, which dodged and ran behind the house.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

The pain was getting stronger, but the Hunter didn’t let it overtake him. Slowly he stood up leaning at Legate’s house. He didn’t know who attacked him, but had a pretty good idea. Nogrod took out a flask from his sleeve and took a big gulp of the booze he had for exactly such situations. That cleared his mind a bit. Nogrod began going through his possibilities.

A Vampire had attacked him, but then hid. He himself was deadly wounded and would be able to fight the beast. There was no time to put up a trap. Hm...

Nogrod gathered courage and started his slow walk to the house on the other side of the square.

He stumbled a few times and even fainted once, but he held firm with his his decision and always stood up and continued his way. Shapes weren’t clear, he could barely see and oh, the pain. The Hunter would fall any minute and that, he feared, would be his last fall.

But he didn’t collapse, instead his hand reached the knob of a door. Nogrod opened his eyes and saw that he had been right with the direction, this was the right house. Weakly, but as strong as he could, he knocked on the door.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Two women had been sitting quietly on the floor when a faint tapping was heared from downstairs. Diamond and Kitanna lept to their feet and ran down warily. Kitanna pushed the door open and looked down at the man leaning against the wall beside the door.

Diamond looked and saw the same. The man was all covered in blood. She gasped and hurried to see if he was alive...

”Well?” asked Kitanna.

”No... He’s dead”.

Kitanna looked into the pyre, ”Curse you Vampires! I’ll kill you!”

”Wait. There’s something in his hand!

”Huh?”

Diamond gave the note to Kitanna, ”It’s a list of names... Of everybody here. All except one are crossed out”.

”Do you think it’s the...”

”Probably”.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

”The Hunter’s dead by now”.

”What about the Shade?”

”I couldn’t kill her, something broke my spell and I had to run”.

”Aargh! Well, you did your best”.

”Maybe, maybe no”.

”I’ll go and do it”.

”No, Num! Don’t”.

”That’s what I told you, but did you listen to me?”

”Hey, I’m serious!”

”And so am I. We need to get the Shade out of our way, now. You’re fine, and I’ll also be fine. Trust me”.

”You’re too stubborn, Num...”

”I know. See you”.

Numundo leaped down the tower. This time in his true form: Gigantic black wings sprouting from his human-like body. A scythe in his arm. Eyes like the adyss. And a black cape reflecting darkness.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Esspiem had made his choice. He would go to see the Shade. Altough, or maybe exactly because of that, he was afraid of the Shade, he wanted to do a deal with it. Not because the thief had any great ideas of who the Vampires were, but because making an alliance with somebody as powerful as the Shade would give you better chances to survive yourself.

He put on his hood and sneaked out of his house that was already filled with all kind of precious objects he had ”borrowed” from other houses. He was thinking of going to see the graveyard next, but Esspiem didn’t really like looting graves, as he was somewhat superstitious.

The thief ran through the square, stopping often and looking around. Excitment took over and he didn’t stop while looking left and right. And that was when bumped into somebody.

”Sorry, sorry... Ah!” Esspiem looked up and saw the great monster looking at him. Otherwise the creature looked like Esspiem, but it had two giant wings and a scythe.

”Oh, it’s you”, said the demon and with a swing of his scythe, beheaded the poor thief.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Numundo walked over the two bodies in front of Kitanna’s house and entered. Or tried to. A wave of pain went through him and he stumbled back.

The Vampire stood up and looked into the house he wasn’t allowed to enter. He felt something behind him and turned.

Two women walked towards him calmly.

”I know who you are”, said the brown haired one.

Numundo grunted and grinned, ”Oh, do you really?”

”We do indeed, dear Gil-Galad”, said the other woman.

”Gil-Galad? Well... Yes! That was me, but I’m more than that!”

Numundo roared and ran at the brown haired woman. He lifted his scythe and struck.

Cling!

Diamond held her sword shakingly but firm.

The Vampire leaped back and prepared for a new attack.

Then Kitanna raised her hand and Numundo was no more.

Where the Vampire stood a moment ago, a statue of black marble stood. The beauty of it was unmatched.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

When the clock struck, everybody was already there, except for five.

Signs of a battle were obvious. Aganzir’s house was broken and so was her corpse. The bodies of Nogrod and Esspiem were lying beside Kitanna’s house. And a demonic statue with some resemblance to Gil-Galad stood in the middle of the square.

Enohl sat on his usual place smoking his pipe.

Everybody waited, the tension grew but nobody dared to break it.

At last, the young possessed Vampire threw away his pipe and stood up.

”Come, for you know who you are”.

Nobody answered and nobody moved.

”Ah. You don’t want to come, do you? Then I’ll come for you”, a smile came on Enohl’s face and then all of a sudden his body became limp and fell to the ground.

People began shouting.

The fire turned black for a moment, as the dark figure of the Oracle walked out of it.

People stopped shouting.

”Now where is the coward. I’ll go and destroy you anyway, so come here and don’t trouble me”.

No answer.

”Oh, really? Well, if you don’t come now, Enhilion will die instead”.

A small figure of a bat came into the view of Xyzzy, he opened his mouth, but couldn’t shout anything. The bat flew straight at the Oracle. It was nearly there when the Oracle turned and said commandingly, ”Stop”.

The bat fell to the ground and turned into Eomer. He was on his knees and trembled badly.

”Yulnagar! Why are you doing all this?”

”Isn’t this what you wanted? I’ll turn these Men into Vampires. It’s you who should be asked what you are doing”, said the Oracle and looked at the clock.

”You killed Lossenatar and Numundo!”

”Yes, I killed Lossenatar, according to his own plan. Numundo I didn’t even touch”.

”Why? There is an easier way!”

”Firithhyando, you have been chosen to die”.

”Oh, throw away that rubbish talk and listen to some sense!”

The Oracle didn’t answer Eomer but only lifted his hand at Eomer’s direction.

Eomer struggled with the pain and stood up. He turned to face the people gathered around. ”Please... Help! He lied to us... And he lied to you”.

Many hesitated, but Rune jumped forwards and shouted, ”We have seen what this ”oracle” can do! How can you still trust it? I say, fight or run!” He looked around and not knowing what to do, rushed to Eomer’s help.

”Fool!” The Oracle lifted its hand once again and pointed at Rune. Luckily for Rune, Shasta threw a dagger at the Oracle and that way probably saved the recless man’s life, as the Oracle turned towards the flying object and disappeared.

Eomer stagger to his feet with the help of Rune and shouted, ”We don’t have much time! Grab your weapons and run!” He turned and asked for help, ”Rune. Please, help Enhillion. I’ll manage and if not, I wouldn’t have managed with your help either”.

Rune felt confused but obeyed Eomer as far as he knew. He took Enhol’s limp body and moved after the rest of the crowd. Towards the tallest tower.

Morgan lead the way. At the foot of the tower he looked back to see that Eomer wasn’t managing too well. ”Hey! Somebody, help the Vampire!”

Durelin was closest, but he didn’t seem to notice the request. Boromir shouted about that.

”Do you think I’m your servant or something? Go help him yourselves! I don’t trust him anyway”, yelled Durelin and continued walking to the tower.

At the very moment the Oracle appeared beside Eomer and put his hand on the Vampires head, ”Die, traitor”.

Eomer fell on the ground and then continued falling through the ground. Soon all of him disappeared and he was never seen again.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

The living:

Rikae
Boromir88 (Boro)
Thinlómien (Lomiella/Lommy)
Xyzzy
Macalaure (Mac)
Diamond18 (Di)
Shastanis Althreduin (Shasta)
Kitanna
Durelin
Rune Son of Bjarne (Rune)
The Sixth Wizard (Morgan/Sixth)

The dead:

Celuien (Cel) – Turned into a chair by the Oracle after being voted out on Day 1. Innocent.

Brinniel – Possessed by the Vampires to write poetry with her own blood on Night 2. Innocent.

Menel – Turned into a pipe by the Oracle after being voted out on Day 2. Innocent.

Roa – Possessed by the Vampires to torch herself on Night 3. Innocent.

Sleepy – Committed suicide by jumping off the highest tower on Night 3. Innocent.

Legate of Amon Lanc (Legate) – Aged to death in seconds after being voted out on Day 3. Vampire Ranger.

Glirdan (Glirdy) – Died of sickness in his own bed on Night 4. Innocent.

Aganzir - Thrown out from the third floor by the Shade on Night 5. Innocent.

Nogrod - Bit by Vampire-to-be-lynched on Night 5. The Hunter.

The Saucepan Man (Esspiem/SPM) - Beheaded by Vampire Hunter on Night 5. Innocent.

Gil-Galad (Gil) - Turned into a beautiful statue by the Shade after being revealed by the Hunter. Vampire Hunter.

Eomer of the Rohirrim (Eomer) - Swallowed into the earth by the Oracle after being voted out on Day 4. Vampire Seer.

[Volo]

Yulnagar advanced at the crowd running to the tower. ”Do you think you’ll be able to escape? The tower is locked from inside”.

He didn’t need to say that as Morgan found it out for himself. Slowly the crowed stopped. The situation didn’t look promissing. On one side was the insane Oracle, on the other a locked door to possible freedom.

Desperately Boromir, Diamond and Durelin took out their swords and shouted commands to the rest. Three totally different sets of orders were given and confusion only grew.

Lomiella screamed something about the Shade being among them. The people who heared this agreed with her and Kitanna was soon tossed among the fighters.

And then came the long silence as nobody dared to move. The Oracle said to them, ”Unlike you, I can wait all eternity. So I’d be pleased if you returned to your houses and told me your votes like you have done before.

”No? Blame yourselves”. Yulnagar lifted his hands and the pyre that burned in the middle of the city began moving towards them. Flames and timber flew through the air and then set themselves above Yulnagar’s head in a great sphere.

The survivors didn’t have a hope if were right with the intentions of the Oracle.

They were both right and wrong.

A big burning log launched itself at the crowd. Panic broke out and everybody ran in different directions. Another log followed. And another, and another...

They had to act, or else sooner or later somebody would have been hit.

Shasta trew a well-aimed knife at where the Oracle’s head was supposed to be. It would have hit the head too, if not for the sudden change in its flying path. The knife curved upward and flew into the burning sphere. Shasta cursed and tried to try again, but at the moment a log nearly hit him and he fell over. Xyzzy noticed this and rushed to help Shasta. Unfortunately a splinter hit Xyzzy’s leg and he tripped.

Rune was still carrying Enhol’s body when all of thes happened. He had managed to hide behind the tower’s corner, but when he saw that the others weren’t managing at all, he laid Enhol down, drew his sword and ran to Boromir’s help.

While Boromir and Diamond had been distracting Yulnagar and having most of the missiles sent at them, Durelin had taken a straight approach and rushed at the Oracle reclessly dodging the logs as they came. Kitanna on the other hand was more cunning and slowly advanced from the left side of the battle.

Durelin’s strategy would have worked if not for the fact that it’s usually wisest to hit the person nearest to you, and Yulnagar was no fool. With a barrage of fire Durelin’s path was blocked. He cursed and yelled and at last decided to retreat for a while. It wasn’t as easily done as said. When Durelin turned his back to the Oralce, a log brushed the recless warrior’s head. Durelin staggered and after a few steps fell unconscious.

It was extremely lucky for Durelin, that his show was noticed by Rikae who grabber Mac’s sleeve and pointed at the fallen man. Mac considered the situation for a moment and nodded. Together they creapt to where Durelin lay. Yulnagar was quicker, a log came flying straight at Durelin and that would have been the end of him if Kitanna hadn’t revealed herself at last.

A black cloud mixed with the flames flying and moved to float between Durelin and Yulnagar. Rikae and Mac hesitated for a moment and continued their way through the fire. Kitanna was like a barrier, the logs bounced off the clound and fell to the side.

”You. Didn’t you fall once? Why are you challenging me again?” Yulnagar changes his action, instead of flinging the logs at single targets he made them all fly up, above the crowd. That truly was a rain of fire.

The act worked well, as it immediatly turned all Kitanna’s attention to saving her friends. But not knowing Yulnagar spelled his own end. While he had possessed Enhillion’s body earlier, it was now free.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

His head hurt. As if he had woken from a long unpleasant dream. He opened his eyes and looked. He saw a house. He sat up and gasped. His head hurt a lot. Then his hearing began coming back. It came a bit too fast. Many loud sounds could be heard, heavy objects falling, yelling and screaming. He tried to connect these sounds to something. For a while he sat there thinking. Ouch. He rubbed the back of his head and found that it helped.

A battle!

Enhillion jumped to his feet. There was a battle going on! The last thing he remembered was Yulnagar, his Lord, cursing him and fighting over his body. Enhillion had lost the fight.

He looked at himself: Alive, no blood, no weapons. Alive, that’d do.

Behind the corner of the great tower he saw the chaos. Ten Men running and shouting. A black cloud in a storm of fire deflecting burning logs and splinters. And there at the back, Yulnagar!

Enhillion didn’t hurry, he walked up to a girl who was shouting advice to a man called Mac, who was presumably trying to save somebody from the fiery rain.

”Umm... Sorry...”

”What?” said the girl rudely and then looked up at Enhillion who stood beside her feeling confused. Her eyes went wide open and she let out a shrill scream of suprise. The Vampire stared at his feet. The girl then gave him an angry glance, ”Who are you and what do you want?”

”I... I’m Enhillion”, he gave a quick nervous smile, ”What is happening there?”

”Can’t you see! That mad ”oracle” is trying to kill Mac!”

”Umm, yes... Why?”

”How would I- Mac, look out!”

”Where is the rest of you? I can see only a few left of the big group”. Where is Loss, Num and Fir? Enhillion frowned as the situation drawned.

”Huh? Oh, they’re dead. Killed by your friends by the way, and now they’re dead too”.

Enhillion gulped.

”Well don’t just stand there. Try being helpful for a while!” The girl looked at him sceptically and continued yelling to Mac.

The Vampire let her be and walked towards the fire avoiding occationally passing splinters. Only now he saw the complete situation. Many of the Men were either dead or soon would be. Yulnagar had no sympathy what so ever. And his friends were dead too. He speeded up and was soon running at full speed shouting to Yulnagar. While passing a body of thin man, Enhillion grabbed the man’s sword.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

”Yulnagar! Why this madness? Why are you killing them? They can’t be of any harm to us!”

”Hmph. So the brat came back to sense. I don’t think there is any of ”us” left. You are a traitor like you pathetic friends”.

”What are you talking about? They would never betray you! Where is the wise king of old?”

The dark cloaked form made one of its invisible smiles again and let out a laugh colder than ice. ”Enhillion. You are now one of them and that means that I’ll have to kill you”.

Enhillion gritted his teeth and raised the sword he found.

”You are being stupid. You won’t be able to defeat me”. Yulnagar said with the intimidating calmness.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

The inferno ended.

Kitanna descended to the ground and took her human form. She looked around. It looked bad. Among the splinters and ashes lay five figures. They didn’t move. Five other figures were regaining their senses and looked around as confused as Kitanna. Then she remembered Yulnagar and quickly turned to see the cursed Oracle. And the young Vampire who had been possessed by the Oracle. The two figures gazed at each other rather calmly. The Vampire lad had a sword in his hand.

The sword, it was Durelin’s!

The Shade looked back again and saw Durelin lying under several logs. With horror Kitanna ran to the poor man. Durelin. Durelin, was alive! His breathing was rasp and blood covered his cheeck, but he was alive. And very lucky! The two long on top of him managed to stay there without crushing Durelin. Kitanna grabbed Durelin and dragged him out of the death trap. ”Ouch! Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

Not only was Durelin alive, he was alive pretty well and sat up. ”Kitanna? Don’t you see I’m hurt? You think I need your help with? If you do, you’re wrong! Just leave me alone”, shouted the angry man and wiped the blood from his cheek.

”As you wish...” said Kitanna with a crooked smile and raised brow.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Enhillion took the fighter’s stance he was taught by Numund a long time ago and moved a few steps towards Yulnagar, who laughed at that.

Yulnagar raised his arm and chanted something.

Enhillion heard a loud crash from above. He looked up. And with all his strength leapt to the side.

A gigantic sword struck where Enhillion stood just a moment ago.

Yulnagar disappeared and appeared again, by the sword. He lifted it out of the ground. It had a black wide blade with many runes engraved into it. And the dark shape moved towards Enhillion slowly.

The Vampire didn’t want to wait for the next trick, he sprang at his King, bluffed a thrust and tried to strike from below. The attack was easily parried and the black sword pushed Enhillion back with force. Yulnagar didn’t care much about bluffs, he struck hard and fast. Barely managing to evade the hit, Enhillion stubled. It wasn’t a fair fight.

Standing up Enhillion tried again, with even less success. He didn’t give up and the battle would be long if Yulnagar wouldn’t change the fighting style.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Kitanna sighed, nobody was dead, but a few were badly hurt. Morgan’s arm had broken from a flying log, Xyzzy had a wide cut on his leg and Rune got many wounds from flying splinters while defending Diamond, who apparently passed out from the heat.

Somehow they managad to calm each other down. The little band of unfortunate people gathered at the door to the tower and was now licking its wounds. Lomiella was suprisingly found good at tending wounds, the spoled girl got much more confident during the horror she had to face.

And than Morgan pointed out the completely obvious, ”Kitanna, you arn’t a human really, right? The black cloud shape is your true form, right? Couldn’t you just go through the wall and open the door to the tower”.

The Shade looked at Morgan, blinked, and said, ”Yes”.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

[Volo]

The door to possible freedom was opened.

The survivors creapt up the long staircase. Hope woke in them. At the top was a big square platform, and that was all. As far as they could see it was just a flat platform. In the little light, as they had only one torch with them, no way of getting anywhere was to be seen. The hope they had didn’t last for long.

Most of them sat down tiredly and hurt. Some walked to the edge of the tower to look down. A few logs still burned and the view would have been beautiful from up high if the situation had been different.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Still the fight continued. Enhillion was bruised all over. He couldn’t manage to hit Yulnagar a single time, but continued evading desperately.

And then the battle suddenly ended. Yulnagar swung the mighty black blade, Enhillion countered it nimbly with his sword that shattered in the impact.

At last the lad lost hope of winning. Enhillion turned and started running to the tower. Yulnagar stood for a moment and then disappeared.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

A light appeared! Real light. A ray of the sun. It wasn’t much, but for the eyes of the prisoners is was blindingly bright. After their eyes got used to it they looked for the source. The ray was coming from the roof of the cavern, nearly straight above their heads. Only a shallow gap could be seen from that angle.

They all smiled sadly, even Durelin. They were both relieved to see a light after long imprisonment in the dark and pained by the truth, the endless walls of the cave formed a dome that would be impossible to climb.

Madness gripped Boromir. Seeing no other alternative he ran to the edge and prepared to jump to his death. This was too much for him, he’d rather die fast and be over with the horrors. Luckily before Boromir jumped off, he tripped on a rope nobody noticed before. The rope’s one end was attached to an iron hoop by the edge, the other end seemed to go up into the darkness. ”Torch! Quickly!”

Shasta ran up to Boromir holding their only torch, ”What? What happened?”.

”See this?” The rope was indeed attached to the ceiling, not far from the gap where sunlight entered the cave, but not close enough. ”Come here! I think I found our savior!”

Boromir was congratulated with many laughs and smiles.

Diamond tugged at the rope and found it steady. ”Should we try?”

”I don’t think I’ll be able... And I’m not the only one wounded here”, sighed Morgan, who’s arm was bandaged over a broken body.

”He’s right. I might be able to get there, but can’t leave anybody down here”, Rune confirmed their problem, ”The rope is much too long and nobody knows what is to be found on the other end”.

Durelin, who got quickly bored with the talk, walked a small way to the side and found another rope, a whole coil of it. Other items also lay there, a few clay jars and kettle, but they were of no significance to Durelin. He took the rope and walked back to the gang. ”Found this. Wanna try find out how to use it?”

Everybody looked at him and then turned away their eyes. Boromir sighed and explained, ”Thank you, but this won’t be of any help. First, we can’t get the rope to the other side and don’t know if it is long enough. Secondly, two ropes wouldn’t be of any help, especially to cross such a wide chasm”.

”Yeah, yeah. But couldn’t that Kitanna just help us to get to the other side? Huh?” This time Durelin pointed out the obvious.

Or it would have been obvious if Kitanna had been anywhere in sight. She wasn’t.

They shouted her name and when no answer came, cursed it. The Shade had flown off to her freedom as soon as she saw the light coming from the roof, if you had been imprisoned in the cave from the beginning of the world, you wouldn’t have blamed her.

”That’s how they usually do, when you start trusting them, they aren’t there...” Durelin enforced his logic.

Hope left a few, and a few decided that soon it would be time to care about only your own life and try the rope as it was.

Nobody waited for the genious idea that came from Xyzzy, ”You know, that’s quite a lot of rope you have there. If we cut three bits from it and wind them around yourselves and the rope that leads to freedom, you’ll be able to get to the other side without fear of falling. The angle of the rope isn’t that steep. I think that it wouldn’t need much effort to pull yourself up that using this technique”.

The idea was brilliant indeed, though not everybody understood it. Xyzzy took the rope and explained again. ”If you tie the rope in a circle like this around the rope leading to the opposite side and climb into the circle, you won’t be able to fall... Unless either of the ropes snaps. To make things even easier, you could tie several circles around you. One under your shoulders, one at your belt and one under your knees”.

People started nodding and soon agreement was complete.

Of course, a problem arose. ”And how do you get the ropes back down here. Sure one person can use them, but I doubt they’ll slid here by themselves”, said Rikae with great concern.

”Oh, that too! We’ll just have to hope that the rope Durelin brought will be enough for the circles and to attach them together and to somewhere here that somebody can pull the circles back when needed”, Xyzzy shouted excitedly.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

It seemed to work. Xyzzy was chosen to go first, as it was his idea, and he was so certain about it working. The knots tied to keep the ropes together seemed to hold, Xyzzy knew what he was doing. The hard part was climbing in and out of the contraption. After practising several times, Xyzzy set off. He pulled at the rope above him and worked with his body to keep the contraption move steadily up and not down. He was suprised of how hard it was, though his only fear was that the ropes would snap.

Xyzzy got to the other side and found out that the rope actually went over onto a ledge and was attached to a similar iron hoop on the wall. The pleased engineer climbed out of the contraption and smiled even wider when he saw that the rope that was attached to the contraption was long enough to reach to the tower. Xyzzy gave the rope a tug that told Boromir to pull the contraption back down.

Grudgenly and successfully Durelin went up next. Then Shasta. Morgan had great problems getting into the contraption, as he felt weak and his arm pained him very badly, but he too managed.

The rest went up without any nasty suprises. Only Mac and Rikae were still on the tower.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Enhillion climbed the staircase up the tower, he was hurt and exhausted. He really hoped that Yulnagar would really leave him alone now.

False hope.

”Stop”, said Yulnagar and walked down at Enhillion.

Enhillion didn’t see a choice, he stopped.

”You fought well. And for that I am willing to make a deal with you”.

”Making a deal with you? I’d rather chose death”.

”Really?”

The Vampire looked up at the King, and then down again.

”Even if the death is not only yours?”

This put Enhillion off guard. Indeed, he was now responcible for the life of the Men. He winced at the thought. Biting his lip, he said, ”I’ll hear what you have to say”.

Yulnagar would have smiled, ”Good. Now listen...”

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Rikae was chosen to go last. She waited nervously while Mac climbed into the contraption over the chasm.

Lomiella watched from the other side and as soon as she saw Mac. When he was in the middle of the rope, she shouted, ”Oh Mac, come quickly, because I could sooner bear to see you fall down into the chasm than in the arms of Rikae”.

Mac turned his head and looked at Lomiella, ”But could you bear to see me fall down the chasm?”

Before Lomiella though of an answer, Rikae interrupted with a shout, ”You! What do you want of Mac?

”Mac, tell that woman to stop talking to me like that!”

Mac didn’t feel very comfortable, hanging over darkness on a few ropes.

”How dare you speak to me like that! Come now, Mac. Let’s leave that crazy woman down there”.

”What?” Rikae grabbed the rope which led to the contraption and pulled at it.

The contraption swayed and Mac shouted in alarm, ”Stop stop stop! Rikae dear, please, don’t make me fall to my death”.

”That you would deserve! But not from her hands!” Lomiella began jumping in annoyance.

Rikae only laughed, ”Hpmh! If you want him, come and claim him!

”Now come down here Mac, and I’ll go first to make sure that that spoled brat won’t touch you”.

Grasping the rope with both arms and legs, Mac was indeed in distress, ”I’m not sure I want to be touched by you either, Rikae dear. Oh, please calm down.

”And you, Lomiella dear, calm down”, Mac said trying to crawl up.

”No you don’t!” yelled Rikae and pulled on the rope harder.

”Enough! I’ll cut the rope and you’ll stay down there if you don’t let me free immediately”, shouted Mac to Rikae and took out the knife he had hidden in his boot.

Rikae gasped, ”You wouldn’t!”

”I will. If you don’t let go of the rope. Now”.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

”What are you doing? Hurry! Yulnagar is coming!”

Startled, Rikae jumped around to see who stood behind her. It was Enhillion. ”Don’t ever come up to me like that. And can’t you see that we’re rather busy here”.

”No, I don’t. Hurry up, hurry up”, Enhillion said while flailing his hands around.

Rikae gave him a nasty glance, and the same to Mac. Then she let the rope free.

Mac thanked his luck and quickly scrambled up to the platform.

The angry Seer followed hurriedly and soon she was shouting with Lomiella. Mac had sneaked off while the women were cursing.

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

At the hoop on the wall Boromir had found a piece of parchment. It was attached to the wall with a dagger that was driven into a crack. Nobody remembered to bring a torch from below, so they couldn’t see what was written on the parchment.

From the platform led a narrow path to the gap from where sunlight entered the cave. Walking it was a longer and harder task than they expected, but they managed.

Light struck their eyes. Real light from the sun. They had survived. Grass flowed all over the mountain they stood on. A forest could be seen not so far away. The sun shone and a few small clouds passed over them. Further lay a small lake. It was beautiful.

Boromir lifted up the parchment:

I congratulate you, human. When I first saw you, I had no fear of failing, but it seems that you are made of stronger stuff than we Vampires. This is my little parting gift, I’m dead now, as you know, killed by my own Lord. The choice was yours and you chose right.
I could have left you to die in this cave. But why? What would I get for it? It was never my intention to kill you. The reason of this madness for me was only the continuation of the Vampire race, nothing else. And now that we failed, no more Vampires are to be seen, ever. We cannot use you anymore and so you are free. I thank you for your friendship. From here you’ll be able to walk out, on the other side of this note there is a map Ossiriand showing this location.

-Firithhyando

-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-

Enhillion sat on a stump of a tree. The night was calm, calmer than the endless silent times underground. He watched as the moon moved through the silky clouds. It had rained a moment ago. Everything was so green, nature thrived. He looked sadly at the ripples moving slowly across the lake. Nature thrived. But the Vampires were gone.

During the time when he last sat on the beach, years had past. Everybody he knew had died. Lossenatar. Numundo. Firithhyando. And he lived. He had to live, that the Men would live. The mission Yulnagar had gived him. He had to do it. Anymore there was no choice.

The moon shone bright.

[Volo]

The Innocents win!

The Vampires lose!

The Shade wins!

The Lovers win!
(Especially the Innocent Lover)


Congratulations to all!
I'll come back to discussing the game and writing the narration, but now I have to have a break.


You may now talk openly in this thread!