Mafia III - The Maltese Falcon [It's Over!]

[Joosbawx]

The Maltese Falcon (a.k.a. Mafia III)

Game Began: April 9th



This game is mostly born out of Joosbawx' love of Film Noir, hard-boiled detective stories, and the genre films and novels like The Maltese Falcon exemplify. The rules are close to Classic Werewolf, but I've decided to put in a bit of a twist, so please familiarize yourself with the following and come back as often as you need for reference sake.The object of the game, beyond simple survival, is to obtain the Maltese Falcon for yourself or benefit of your faction. Therefore, there are multiple ways to win the game, depending upon which faction the player belongs.


Gameplay Notes
------------------
Since the individual object of the game is to obtain the Maltese Falcon, this means that one Citizen cannot implicitly trust another Citizen as s/he may have an ulterior motive in targeting another individual with a lynching vote. At the beginning of the game the Maltese Falcon is randomly given to one player. If and when that player is killed, the Maltese Falcon moves to the individual or group responsible for that players death.

Example 1: 'Player A', a Citizen, has the Maltese Falcon. S/he is killed by the Shadow Agents or Templar Knights during the night. The Maltese Falcon is then randomly assigned to one of the members of the faction responsible for that death. There will usually be some evidence left behind that would indicate that the deceased was in possession of the Maltese Falcon at time of their demise.
Example 2: 'Player A', belonging to any faction, has the Maltese Falcon. S/he is voted against and lynched by 'popular vote'. At time of death, the Maltese Falcon will be obtained by the player that started the bandwagon against 'Player A'.Day game play consists of finding out who was killed, the District Attorney protecting someone from lynching, and finger pointing by the general population for a 'lynching'.

Night game play consists of the District Attorney protecting someone from death, kills by both the Templar Knights and the Shadow Agents, scries or recruitment attempts by the Templar Knights and the Shadow Agents, the scry or kill by The Shadow, the Mole using their ability to hide the true role of one player, the Private "Eye" and the Patsy.

Anytime the person holding the Maltese Falcon is killed the Maltese Falcon is transferred to the person or group responsible for their death. Killing the player holding the Maltese Falcon is the only way to transfer ownership.

Recruitment - When one of the two factions with recruiting ability attempts to recruit a player, that player is sent a PM from the narrator and given the choice to join or refuse the organizations offer. If the player accepts the offer they join the Knights Templar or Shadow Agents as a 'Neonate/Recruit' for the remainder of the game. A player may only be recruited once per game. If a player refuses a recruitment offer by either faction they can still accept an offer made at a later date; however, the faction attempting the recruitment loses the ability to scry that night in lieu of their recruitment attempt, just as if they had recruited successfully.
Characters Exempt from Recruitment: The Shadow, any member of Templar Knights, any member of Shadow Agents, the Private "Eye", and The Patsy. If one of these characters is approached for recruitment the faction making the attempt will simply be informed the player refused, and the player will be informed they were approached with a recruitment offer.


Knights Templar
The "Cult" returns, this time wearing the vestments of the Knights Templar. The Holy Order of Knights...or Un-Holy, depending on whom you believe...are not extinct. Their goal is to increase their numbers, and, most importantly, recover the gift they intended for the King of Spain before it disappears again...The Maltese Falcon. They are led and recruited bythe Templar Marshall who is identified (at death) by the signet ring s/he wears. Templar Knights carry nothing to betray their faction when killed. Templar Neonates, or those recruited during the course of the game by Templars, are not as indoctrinated as the older members and may reveal the name of one other Templar when threatened with death...so be careful whom you recruit. The Knights are aided in their quest by the Templar Oracle who has the ability (75% chance) to divine the role of anyone else; however, due to the extensive indoctrination rituals, the Oracle cannot scry on any night the Knights indoctrinate a Neonate.The tenets of the Order of the Knights Templar strictly prohibit anyone from intentionally revealing their membership upon penalty of death.
Winning the game: The Knight Templar win if they successfully eliminate the entire Shadow Agency and obtain the Maltese Falcon, or if their numbers equal the number of non-Templar Knights players.
Templar Marshall - "Master/Alpha Mason". Gives Templars ability to recruit Neonates. Scries as: Templar - Evil.
Templar Oracle - "Mason Seer". Able to scry and discern role of anyone each night, except on night when Templar Knights recruit Neonate. Can see if target currently holds Maltese Falcon. Scries as: Oracle - Evil.

Templar Knight - "Mason". Scries as: Templar - Evil.
Templar Neonate - "Mason Recruit". May reveal name of one other Templar if put to death. Scries as: Templar - Evil.




Shadow Agents
This extensive network of Agents hold allegiance to no one but themselves and their leader, known only as The Fat Man. Each member of the Shadow Agents is hand-picked by The Fat Man, who has the ability to bring in Shadow Recruits; however, like the Templar Neonates, they are not as seasoned as their Agent counterparts and may fold under pressure if threatened with death. The Brain works hand-in-hand with The Fat Man and has the ability (75% chance) to perceive the role of anyone else; however, due to the extensive background checks that must be performed on any Recruit, The Brain cannot scry on any night the Shadow Agents recruit. All Shadow Agents are under strict orders to eliminate any member that intentionally reveals their true allegiance to anyone outside the organization, upon penalty of death.

Winning the Game: The Shadow Agents win if they successfully eliminate the entire Order of the Knights Templar and obtain the Maltese Falcon, or if their numbers equal the number of non-Shadow Agent players.
The Fat Man - "Mafia Don/Alpha". Gives Shadow Agents ability to obtain new Recruits. Scries as: Agent - Evil.
The Brain - "Mafia Seer". Able to scry and discern role of anyone each night, except on night when Agents recruit. Can see if target currently holds the Maltese Falcon. Scries as: The Brain - Evil.
Shadow Agent - "Mafia". Scries as: Agent - Evil.
Shadow Recruit - "Mafia Recruit". May reveal name of one other Agent if put to death. Scries as: Agent - Evil.



The CitizensThese are the everyday members of society. They usually play by the rules and follow the law; however, that isn't to say that when an opportunity comes along to get a leg up they wouldn't take advantage. The goal of the Citizenry is to get rid of the Shadow Agents and Knights Templar...if, you know, you actually believe in that sort of myth and legend. The Citizens are the pool of potential members the Shadow Agents and Knights Templar may recruit...unless, of course, the Templars or Agents accidentally try to recruit each other. The citizens are really in the game for themselves to survive, and score the Maltese Falcon for themselves if possible, or align themselves with an underground faction if they are approached and choose to join.

Winning the Game: The Citizens win if they successfully eliminate both the Knights Templar and the Shadow Agency. Additionally, a citizen can score a personal win (and a cool signature award!!!) if survive holding the Maltese Falcon at the end of the game.
The Private "Eye" - "Seer". Has completely accurate ability to discern the role of anyone in the game. Scries as: Private "Eye" - Good. Cannot be recruited.
The Patsy - "Fool". Has 25% chance of accurately discerning the role of anyone in the game. Scries as: Private "Eye" - Good. Cannot be recruited.
District Attorney - "Baner". Has ability to us her/his influence to protect any player each day and night from lynching or attack. This role has to send in a PM for Joosbawx for each game day and game night. This role can be recruited by the Templars or Agents. Scries as: District Attorney - Good/Evil (if recruited successfully).
The Mole - "Illusionist/Witch". Has the ability to alter the perceived role of any player when investigated by the Oracle, The Brian, The Patsy, or the Private "Eye". If target is scried, the role defined by The Mole will be the role perceived. Scries as: The Mole - Good/Evil (if recruited successfully).
Citizen - "Villager". Scries as: Citizen - Good.
Sam Spade & Effie - "The Lovers". The Lovers play together and win if they survive the game. If either lover is lynched or attacked, the other Lover is killed also, regardless of faction membership. Lovers are recruited independently, but still remain Lovers. Scries as: Lover - Good.


The ShadowWho knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows. This role is special, and stands for Truth, Justice, and the Citizen Way. In this character's eyes anyone can be corrupted...except The Shadow. Therefore, nobody is to be trusted...except The Shadow. Nobody can bring the wrongdoers to justice...except The Shadow. This character acts outside the law in order to destroy all Evil. As a result, he is wanted by both sides of the law and cannot reveal his identity under pain of death to anyone. This character cannot be recruited. The Shadow has three special abilities, and may choose to use either one on any night s/he chooses.

Six times during the game The Shadow may use her/his super-sleuth ability with 100% accuracy to determine any player's alignment...Good or Evil. Secondly, The Shadow has six bullets with which to dispense Justice to those s/he deems as Evil. Thirdly, The Shadow has the ability to protect someone from from attack during the night...much the same as the District Attorney. The Shadow may choose to investigate, kill, protect, or do nothing, and must send PM to Joosbawx each game night.

Alternatively, The Fan Boy believe s/he is The Shadow and has all the same abilities, but simply isn't and doesn't. The Fan Boy acts as though s/he is The Shadow, but, due to the lack of super-sleuth ability and training of any (real) kind, The Fan Boy has only a nominal chance of doing any real good at all...except for helping to hide the real Shadow, perhaps. Due to the obsessive nature of this character, s/he, when scried, shows as The Shadow, also.

Winning the Game: The Shadow wins if s/he survives the game and both the Templar Knights and Shadow Agency are eliminated.
The Shadow - "?????". Scries as: The Shadow.
FanBoy - "anti-?????". Scries as: The Shadow.



Current List of Players (11)
- Updated: Thursday, April 26th -

Castaras
Cult_of_the_Raven
Goblin Music
Hyramgraff
Janusnori

Kyrian
Lord Magtok
Meynolds
pingcode20
Selrahc

Strategos



The Deceased (26)
- Updated: thursday, April 26th -

Day/Night One
Joosbawx - The Narrator
- Killed Night Zero

Inky13112 - Citizen
- lynched Day One

Atreyu, the Masked LLama - Citizen
- killed Night One

Xylric - Citizen
- killed Night One

Day/Night Two
Ink - Citizen (Lover)
- lynched Day Two

Bus Bomb Casualties
Malmagor Andrigal - Citizen (Lover)
* AKA_Bait
* Ellimist
* Krursk
* Miatog
* TimeOut
* Vespe Ratavo

Evnafets - Citizen
- killed Night Two

DarkLightDragon - The Shadow
- killed Night Two

Day/Night Three
Raldor - Templar Knight
- lynched Day Three

Alarra - The Fat Man
- killed Night Three

Akaziel - Citizen
- killed Night Three

The 8th Sin
- killed Night Three

Psychoduck14 - Shadow Agent
- killed Night Three

Day/Night Four
Raistlin1040 - Citizen
- accidental death Night Three

Captain van der Decken - Templar Oracle
- lynched Day Four

Eldritch Knight - Templar Neonate
- killed for revealing membership

Nobody
- killed Night Four


Day/Night Five
Helgraf - Shadow Recruit
- lynched Day Five

Zar Peter - Shadow Agent
- killed for revealig membership

S.Hadow - Shadow Recruit
- killed Night Five

Day/Night Six
Gnome Barbarian - The Templar Marshall
- lynched Day Six

[inky13112]

Heh one of the cult groups could take control of the other cult group by recruiting their leader. That would be interesting :smallamused:

[Alarra]

*prays to be a cult group leader for purely this scenario*

[Shadow]

I rock!
I rock hard!

I'm invincible!
ShadowWho knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Shadow knows and stands for Truth, Justice, and the Citizen Way. Anyone can be corrupted...except Shadow. Therefore, nobody is to be trusted...except Shadow. Nobody can bring the wrongdoers to justice...except Shadow. He acts outside the law in order to destroy all Evil. As a result, he is wanted by both sides of the law and cannot reveal his identity under pain of death to anyone. He cannot be recruited. Shadow has two special abilities, and may choose to use either one on any night he chooses.

[The Valiant Turtle]

So does anybody kill at night other than the optional Shadow kill?

How does the Maltese Falcon move about?

What is airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

[Goblin Music]

Do you sell cheese?
Lemon curry?
*slaps Raldor with trout*

[Selrahc]

Is the Shadow based on the comic of the same name?

[Joosbawx]

Rule above have been updated to answer questions posted here. Player list updated as well. Currently there are 35 players signed up, and the more the merrier, especially in a game with a lot of role such as this one.

If there are still questions, let me know and I'll answer them. Sorry about the confusion and what I'd inadvertently omitted.

Selrahc...kind of, yes. The name is pulled from that Character, however the abilities don't necessarily fit with that character perfectly. The radio show was set in the correct era, and so I grabbed the name for the sake of the Noir setting.

Lastly, updated The Shadow a little bit.

[The 8th Sin]

How much research on The Maltese Falcon should I do?

[Joosbawx]

None, though I recommend the book, and only to a slightly lesser degree, the film (1941, starring Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre among others).

There will be clues and hints given throughout the flavor text of the game; however, nothing that would require that you'd have read the book or seen the film. There is a plot synopsis available online in several places. You may want to take about 2 minutes to read that.

[Alarra]

Aww sad, I was so looking forward to getting to recruit members from the other group.

But yay! Now there's a reward for starting a bandwagon! I knew people's tendency to follow me when I point would end up being useful sooner or later =P

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

MMMMMMM I love it

new win method, new role, what an interesting game. I'm wagging on the inside at playing this one. Should I hold a "choose the llamatar" contest?"

[Joosbawx]

Yes, yes...have a llamatar poll by all means!

However, and I wanted to mention this again and now seems appropriat since it just came to mind and is kind of fitting and I should really take a breath here before I turn blue and

*thunk*

FISH! Huh? Wha...oh, Wuce, I through you were a marlin! What was I...oh yes...remember that the theme is steeped in Noir and I will be postin gas such again. Pay attention to the flavor text as it might not just be flavor text. Also, those choosing to participate in the Noir style, like last game which I really really enjoyed reading, may find themselves on the end of a pinch of extra information from time to time.

For the rest of you, if you're going out be sure to wear a sweater because there's bacon outside.

[Shadow]

I hope everyone joins in the Noir fun this time around.
The last one was my absolute favorite thread to read on tese boards at the time.

Now, who to play?......

[HyramGraff]

I'm going to have to do a bit of reading to get the style right but I do believe that Tracer Bullet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin%27s_alter_egos_%28Calvin_and_Hobbes%29#Trac er_Bullet) will be making an appearance.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

anyone who posts is allowed to vote for a particular llamatar. I have included 2 with the mask so Shadow will have a choice.

1
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/wolfshonor/llamas/pimp.gif


2

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/wolfshonor/llamas/fedora.gif


3
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/wolfshonor/llamas/shadow.gif


4
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/wolfshonor/llamas/llamadore3.gif

[Alarra]

I loved reading this thread too. I was really glad so many people got into the noir style. I admittedly didn't do it well, but I tried...=P And erm....I'd kinda like to have an actual character of sorts to try to play....Anyone got any suggestions?

and #2

[Joosbawx]

#2 for me, too.

And Tracer Bullet!!! Man, I miss Calvin & Hobbes. Nice reference. Gave me a nice bright spot in the day. =)

[Castaras]

Numba #1 !

[Goblin Music]

#3 #3 cmon 3!

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

Unless Joos is planning on using it in the future, we could have **** Tracy. Alarra could be "Breathless Mahoney." I'd love to be Mumbles.

[Joosbawx]

I'd thought about **** Tracy, but thought again because you can't say **** Tracy on the forums, and Richard Tracy doesn't have quite the same ring.

[HyramGraff]

I keep my office dark. It wasn't my first choice but the chronies from the electric company convinced me to warm up to it. The life of a PI has only two bright spots, a payday and the flash of sunlight against steel. Right now I was experiencing the second.

The thug who's hand the steel was in led me down an alley and we stopped behind a fassion store. I asked him what his business was and he told me that he needed my help choosing an outfit for the lama. The questions flying around my head regarding why someone would dress a lama left as soon as the sound of the hammer being cocked entered.

I was in a tight spot and needed to act fast. I thought of my friends and I quickly had the answer. "Outfit number two," I said. The thug replied, "'Aight," as he clubed me over the head knocking me out.

When I came to I was in my office wishing they had knocked on my door instead of knocking on me. It was evening now and I reached for the friend in pocket with thoughts of getting myself as loaded as my friend sitting on my hip. But before I took a swig, I thanked them both for saving my life yet again.

((I could use some help getting the text color right. If anyone has any thoughts, please let me know.))

[Gnome Barbarian]

ill vote for number 2

[inky13112]

I liked number one. Has a nice mobster feel to it :smallcool:

P.S. Oh my god I actually got to use that smily for once! Poor guy gets no love :smalltongue:

[Helgraf]

I'll vote for #2, Sham...

[Lucky]

I'd thought about **** Tracy, but thought again because you can't say **** Tracy on the forums, and Richard Tracy doesn't have quite the same ring.
Try **** Tracy. It should come out as **** Tracy.

[Helgraf]

Test One: colour change that changes no colour.
Hrm **** Tracy

Test Two: Noparse
**** Tracy

Welll ... noparse does not defeat the censor, but nocolour colour apparently does. Since you break up the word and all.

Hmmm.

Test Three: Meaningless italics insert
**** Tracy

Hmmm, apparently a switch isn't enough.

Wonder why it can sense through italics switches but not a color code switch...

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

I think it works if you add something to the end of the word, like this..
****' tracy.
edit: guess not.

[Joosbawx]

Erm...wow. Okay, so because of the above, which I only heard about just now from this thread, it seems I need a co-narrator for WW III. I could do it by myself, and honestly would prefer to do it that way if truth be told.

Does anyone have objections to no co-narrator for Mafia III? Or would you all prefer that I have a co-narrator? Please let me know.

Thoughts? Comments? I'd prefer not to lose a player to become a co-narrator. I believe I can handle it, but I'll leave it up to those playing to decide.

[Castaras]

Thoughts? Comments? I'd prefer not to lose a player to become a co-narrator. I believe I can handle it, but I'll leave it up to those playing to decide.

If you like I'll co-narrate. But if someone else wants to then they can. If you need someone of course.

[Alarra]

I think you've shown that you're a pretty responsible narrator, and if it doesn't seem to be working, you can always grab someone that dies early to help out.

[Joosbawx]

Well...I'll be online for the rest of the day in a bit, but will check the forum tomorrow to get the final tally on the player list. For now, I believe that I'll go with Alarra's suggestion, with absolutely no offense intended to Castaras at all, and go solo for now. I believe I can handle this without any major issues.

So, last 40 hours or so to join the game...get your friends and their friends and lets have a huge game of this. I'm looking forward to running this. =)

[Goblin Music]

*Waits for game to start*

[Shadow]

(I got on for a moment!)

HAPPY EASTER! You know. If that's your thing....

LLama, the hats cover his eyes. It's kinda like a mask. I vote #2.

[The 8th Sin]

I was sitting in my office smoking and thinking up some clever metaphors, when I lost my train of thought. It was rather annoying, but my mind had been jumping from topic to topic for the last few hours. I was probably drunk, and not in that light pleasant way you always hear about in books. It was that “Black-out-and-wake-up-in-a-dumpster-with-your-wallet-missing” way. I stood up and swayed a little bit. I stumbled toward the door in the stereotyped walk of a man in a humorous narrative. After banging my shin, I stopped for a moment to curse whoever put alcoholism into my character archetype. I had work to do; something about a llamatar and trying out the long-winded detective-esque drawl. I raised my finger and slowly pointed slowly not only because I was not quite sure whether it was my choice, and also because I was having trouble making my finger point in precisely the right direction.
LLama #2

[Xylric]

Little last minute, but Hey, I'll give it a run.

[Joosbawx]

Registration is closed. The player list is finalized with 37 players, who will all receive a PM about their role for Mafia III from Joosbawx. once I have determined the role and sent the PMs, I will brush up the opening sequence and post it. Game will begin today. I will update this post to let you know how close we are to kick-off.

Checklist:
(X) Update player list
(X) Add FanBoy descript
(X) Determine roles
(X) Send PMs
(X) Post opening sequence

[Joosbawx]

The Falcon Take Flight...


The sound of my own heartbeat was deafening. Pressed up against the slimy bricks of the alleyway wall I tried desperately to control my own panting and force myself to calm in order to listen above the desperate sounds of my anxiously thundering blood and breath. Slick with rain water, and slicker still from the cold sweat of terror I willed myself to listen...to hear...and what I heard was as comforting as a bear hug from a longshoreman. Mingled between the staccato plinks of the cold rain that soaked and weighted by overcoat down as much as the leaden package I carried beneath it was a steadier rhythm, barely perceptible over my quickened pulse...footsteps. Not just any footsteps, either; these footsteps had all the steadiness my own body refused to adopt...even...patient...unrelenting. The footsteps of a predator stalking its prey.

Cursing beneath my breath, it was gut-check time. Fight or flight. Glancing down at the raindrop speckled face of my watch I cursed again...no time. Never any time. I bolted like a Central Park pigeon from the onslaught of rampaging schoolchildren...too late. Caught by the collar of my rain soaked coat my feet continued to run even though my shoulders were held firmly in place by strong hands and waterlogged fabric and I ended up ass over teakettle kissing the grimy pavement with a burst of color and start that made me wish I was going twelve rounds with Graziano. I fought off the shadows closing in on my consciousness, using the pain to keep things bright and clear like a torch in a cave full of demons. Pulling myself upright, only to be shoved against the alley wall, I tasted the metal of my own blood as my nose erupted against the greasy bricks. More pain...both bad and good...but at least I wasn't losing it now, so I turn around, prepared to let loose a haymaker of my own. If I was going down, at least I'll go down fighting. Grimacing, I turned and swung, connecting with nothing but raindrops and causing me to lose my footing as a dark shape dropped heavily onto the goon roughing me up. It moved with a terrible grace that was both mesmerizing and primal...duck punch turn kick pivot grab twist crack grunt slump stand...amorphous and fluid, like a living shadow with a will for vengeance. And eyes...eyes that pinned me against the wall more firmly than one of those butterflies the Fat Man collected were pinned to the white cardboard behind glass...and then, he was gone. Without thinking twice, I beat feet and left the way I'd come into the alley, thankful I was still in one piece and able to make it to the drop. I'd be late, but not so much to get me into serious trouble. Plus I had the nose as proof. maybe it'd be worth a couple extra notes from the Fat Man...yeah, I'd press that giant lake of flesh for at least five-cees more.

That's when I saw them...brighter than the eyes of whatever it was that dropped off the roof onto that mug that was about to play the anvil chorus on my ribcage but not quite as horrifying...but just as deadly. Headlight. I had just enough time to relax, knowing it was truly all over...and even though, for the second time in five minutes, I was going head over heels, I relaxed. I was over, and even though it was really over, at least I didn't have to be afraid anymore.

Pavement...just as hard as before and still slick with oil and rain and grime...seemed like I'd spent my entire life rolling around in this stuff, so it was poetic it'd end here, too. More footsteps, but this time I sw them coming in the streaked glow of the taillight reflection across the puddle of water and self pity in which I was wallowing. Rough hands pulling at my coat again...I knew what they were after and it didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was the face in the taillights...and I groan out of heartache as much as the fading pain I was feeling in my chest, arms, and legs. Betrayed...why didn't I expect it? Wouldn't I have done the same? Hadn't I tried to do exactly that? Questions like those are not comforting when you're hanging onto the very last thread of a tattered and burning rope hanging you out over eternity are far less than comforting, and I swallowed hard as I watched him check the good by the glow of a street lamp...a weight off my chest that I could only see as a blacker silhouette in the flickering light of the lamplight. Glad to be free of it, in a way, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep which didn't take long. I didn't even hear the car leave me there in the road...just another statistic in another back road alley bleeding his last breath in regret...

Joosbawx, the Narrator, was killed. The Maltese Falcon is in the wind.



...The Game is Afoot.

Day One Begins...find the Falcon...cast your votes. Day One ends: Wednesday, April 11th @ Noon Central (US).

If you are playing and did not receive a PM from Joosbawx, contact me immediately!

[janusnori]

[Fantastic opening sequence Joosbawx!]

[Kyrian]

OMG....THEY FOUND THE NARRATOR FIRST??? OH THE HUMANITY!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!

And now Kyrian waits patiently for evidence to present itself.

[Castaras]

A normal morning. Woke up. Stupid owners put me in basket again. I don't like the basket. Doesn't make me feel hard done by enough. Shook out the sleep from my fur and eyes, and caught a stray mouse. Walked out of the garden, proud and tail high. Another mouse falls to the great hunter!

But there...on the street. A human bean has fallen asleep. I trotted over and dropped the mouse beside the human. It didn't move. I nudged it, nervous. Then I realised - the human bean had the same stench of death as the mouse I had just caught. Human beans killing each other. Thought it would never happen around here.

Nothing I could do for the moment. Might as well tuck in. I started to munch on my lovely, tasty mouse. Once the more important business of being fed is done, I'll turn my attention to the human beans. Maybe one will pet me. Maybe.

[Goblin Music]

a man walks out of his home he sees the dead man and walks over to him then kneels next to the dead body Ni! he starts to inspect the dead man Nu! hum... he pets the cat interesting, very interesting he continues to inspect the body

[Castaras]

Something brushed my head. A bean was patting me on the head. How dare they disturb my eating?! I glared up at the human bean, before turning back to the important task of eating.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(Sorry to everyone who voted, but due to circumstances, I have to use avatar #3)
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/wolfshonor/llamas/shadow.gif
I stared down from the rooftop at the dead body in the alley. Grimacing in frustration and concern for the poor sap in the alley and because the plates on the car had been forged. "NOTACLU" someone's idea of a sick joke and I wasn't laughing. Hooves clattered on metal as I descended the fire escape. I wasn't as stealthy as my predecessor, but just because I didn't have the right form, didn't mean I could shirk the responsibilities of being The Shadow.

*I stayed on the ledge of the fire escape, watching the humans down below. Hiding in my namesake, I scanned the crowd for clues*

[Goblin Music]

(yes w00t) the man walks over to his home retrieves something then continues to inspect the body

[The 8th Sin]

(You said there are clues in your posts Joosbawx; are we allowed to use them as evidence even if there is no reason we would have read them?)

[The 8th Sin]

Standing in the shadows, I smoke a cigarette and try to be ambiguous (I should have practiced a bit more.)
I'm no Tracer Bullet. Heck, I'm probably not as sharp as Slade Blogtite, and that's quite an accomplishment. Nonetheless, I had a realization; people don't get hit by cars by themselves. Practically by definition, there had to be a driver. That ruled me out, because although I did black-out from drinking last night (I could have done anything), I got my licence taken away years ago. The only question now is: Who?

[Joosbawx]

(( You can use whatever you like as 'evidence'. If asked directly, I will comment upon the validity of something. However, I won't interfere if something is taken out of context or misinterpreted as that is the nature of the game. ))

[Eldritch Knight]

Being a mere Citizen, I feel it best if I call on the full breadth of my knowledge. There are those who would seek to claim the Falcon for themselves. For me, my interest is survival. For that matter, I've got a list of people who have a motive to do me in.

Alarra - Betrayed Ally
Shadow - Used his work and twisted it to my own means
Inky - Revenge
Kyrian - Revenge
Van der Decken - Revenge
Xylric - Gemini Complex

I do not suspect any of these people of being behind poor Joosbawx's death, however for the sake of my own safety, I'm staying as far away from them as possible.

[Zar Peter]

Zar Peter standing at the window of his flat and looks through his telescope, surveying the street. Suddenly he stops.

Ohh cute, a cat. What does it eat.... wait a moment... damned rain... A HUMAN BODY!!!!! Someone has to call a doctor, there's lying a man on the street.

Quick he is running to the telephone.

[inky13112]

Wait... Atreyu did you just admit to being the shadow? :smallconfused: Or are you just being cryptic with your role playing?

I'll get in character eventually...

[Alarra]

(fantastic opening joos....way to get me in the mood =P)

The headlights danced a jolting maze across the exposed brick in my small one room apartment. It was rare to go a night in this neighborhood without hearing the screech of tires, loud voices arguing, even the distant gun shot, but tonight, the sounds outside my window called to me with an uncharacteristic urgency. The lamp was already dimmed, so that when I glanced down into the alley, to watch the car speed into the night, to see the body illuminated by the street lamp, I had no fear that I could be seen. "Poor sap. I wonder what they killed him for..."

I had seen deaths before, more gruesome than this, certainly. One doesn't grow up on the streets without growing inured to violence. That this one had me pausing, had held my consideration, even for a moment, tugged at the back of my mind long after I'd pulled the curtains closed and returned to my reading. I'd come so far from my childhood, yet watching scenes like this occur right outside my window only served to remind me of how very far I had yet to go.

I turned the page. I continued to read, to study, glancing over the material, page by page. Eyes drinking in the words, only to have them dissipate before penetrating my consciousness. My mind remained fixated on the image of the man, lying broken on the concrete below...Who was he? Why had he died? Finally...disgusted with myself for being unable to let this go, I closed my book. I checked the locks for what must have been the fifth time that night, not being paranoid, no....realistically cautious. And turned to go to bed, cursing myself for being unable to walk past the window without pulling the curtain aside one last time.

[The 8th Sin]

Unless I was very much mistaken, a four legged friend of mine had commited suicide. Suicide is not alway caused by falls from cliffs or ODing, it is done quite often. People who walk at night are attempting suicide; people who leave their doors unlocked at night are attempting suicide; anyone anywhere near New York is attempting suicide. But never before had I seen anyone attempting suicide as blatantly as my llama friend. A lot of good Justice will do us if Justice is dead. I light a smoke and wonder whether the first day is ending tonight or tommorow night.

[Lord Magtok]

There I was, at AMEN HQ, one moment dodging face-hugging koalas, then suddenly standing in NY. It was raining hard, almost as hard as the cracked cement with the shape of the metal half of my face smashed into it. Whoever had the nerve to rip me across space and time also had the nerve to drop me off in the air, upside down. Bastard...

A man was lying dead, and as the others examined the corpse which lay before us, my only question was: Why?

Why was I suddenly brought here? Why was this man killed? Why should I care? Why did I care? Why does heavy rain always seem to improve the drama? Why was I hearing the voices of countless people (and a pair of animals) narrating in film-noir style in my head?

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*With the sickening sound of a thousand metal camels grinding to a halt, the fire escape gave out. The metal beneath me disappeared like a pint of Guiness at Lucky's pub. I started plummeting to the ground. Twisting in air, I landed on my side, slamming to the ground. My tongue flopped out and splashed into a puddle of water that tasted like a mix between sweat sock and turpentine. It also flopped in such a way that it pointed at Eldritch Knight

(Why Eldritch Knight? Because he won last game, so if a bandwagon sticks, he won't have been killed early two games in a row. Poor Gnome Barbarian)

[Goblin Music]

((the best way to cure a sheep is turpentine and some good cussing)) the man looks up at the falling llama what happened here and why is there a falling llama? oh well this mystery won't solve itself

[Lord Magtok]

For a moment, I considered laughing at the poor, falling llama. I then realized that if I was here, there might be other AMENites who came as well. Maybe even the efl/drow who'd messily kill me if I laughed...

So I kept my big mouth shut. I looked around, spotted a guy with a telecope watching us from the rooftops with the help of my robotic eye, and I *pointed my finger* at the infamous Zar Peter.

Why? He was the same man with the telescope who worked with EVIL. He could've done this, and he could be admiring his work from the safety of his apartment. Of course, the rain could be messing up my vision and he could be someone else...but my aching head blocked out any thought, other than finding a way to make some poor sap pay for my predicament.

If that sap is a criminal, good for the people of NY. If he's an innocent, then I'm killing off the remnants of EVIL, and I'm furthering my own causes. Either way, I still win.

[Goblin Music]

seeing a fellow AMENite GM looks at him but stays hidden under that infamous hood grinning his face hidden.

[Alarra]

The phone rings. I wasn't asleep. The image in my mind had kept me awake well into the night. It wasn't yet dawn, couldn't have been more than a couple of hours since I'd gone to bed. Who could be calling at this time?

I answered of course, as one does when a phone rings by their head. The caller was short and to the point. Detailing a list, a list of people that would have motives for killing someone. Not the bloke in the street, no, that would be too useful, but someone all the same. And of course, who's name was on the top of that list?.....mine. Now, I knew I had no designs on killing anyone. So who was this fellow coming in and trying to claim that I did?

I found myself at the window again. I still couldn't seem to stay away. I looked out, up and down the street, searching for this Eldritch Knight fellow, who seemed to think that other games affected this one. I couldn't see him, but I pointed into the darkness in a direction I hoped he might be anyway. That one, that one's suspicious.

*Alarra points at Eldritch Knight

[Lord Magtok]

Getting the feeling I was being watched, (Yeah, I'm real paranoid. Sue me.) They'll probably assume it was to keep my head from getting wet, and not to hide my metal face.

I quickly switched avvies, and hoped nobody saw me long enough to assume I was some kind of evil cyborg megalomaniac (which I am).

[pingcode20]

It was a dreary day in the office, and I had just gotten back from the local coffee shop, clutching a steaming cup of double-mocha cappuccino, when the phone rang. It was head office - there had been a murder. I slipped my notebook into my pocket and left, taking a sip of my coffee.

When I arrived, people had already gathered around the body. It was Joosbawx, one of the people in my apartment block. I set to work, interviewing everyone. By the time I left, suspicions had turned clearly in one direction.

I returned to the office and set to work on the headline. "Joosbawx murdered, suspicions point to Eldtrich Knight"

[Akaziel]

From my small apartment, I was awoken by the sudden sensation of hot coffee pouring on my right hand. I screamed, and woke up the neighbors. "Keep it down!," they said, as I put on my clothes and walked to the scene.

I took a glance at the body sprawled on the wet pavement, writing details in my notepad. Joosbawx, dead as of... ten hours ago. Reason for his death... I stopped writing for a moment, and began to think. ...Not found as of today. I put away my notepad for now. I began to wonder. What could be worth killing him for? Was it out of revenge? Out of necessity? Or even to feel what it would be like to kill an innocent person? Hell if I know, let's just see..

I walked back to my apartment, sipped up what was left of my coffee, and threw the cup on the floor. It shattered with a crash, and I had a sudden burst of inspiration. "The question is not 'why' but 'who'. And the people around the body are also suspects... But wait, if I suspect them, will they suspect me? Doesn't matter. Anything goes when solving a murder!!" With that sudden rave, the neighbors complained again. "Alright you, we warned you once, don't make us come up there!" I sighed. And decided to go down to the scene, and witness events as they unfold.

It seems that everyone began to suspect each other. I thought, might as well join in... It seems that people are suspecting this...Eldritch Knight. A knight in these times? Very unlikely. Must be an alias or something. Then, it happened. Before I knew it, my finger was pointed at Eldritch Knight. Perhaps it's a grudge between them... or Joosbawx didn't pay off his debt... I had no idea. I just pointed.

[Lord Magtok]

Their thoughts continued to pour against my head like the annoying rain. All thoughts seemed to point to this knight guy (Another victim of the time and space anomaly that warped me here?), and since I felt it best that I just blended in to the crowd, I *pointed at that Eldritch guy* too.

[Goblin Music]

then it hit me in order to catch the killer i had to think like him to so i pointed at EK wondering how this would turn out

[Eldritch Knight]

Memories of better times haunted me on this lonely walk. I am only a shadow of the man I once was. I had come to the city to get away from my past, to escape the biases of my family. One nut taints the whole tree. It didn't help that my wife had been murdered by someone I had trusted. It certainly didn't help that I had been framed for the crime. My only chance would be to find the real killers before they found me, but judging by the suspicious glances cast in my direction, it was not going to be easy......


So, let me get this straight, I say that I suspect that some people would want to go after me, and then people start pointing at me.

Alarra, sure, I've made mention to the previous game, but what hard evidence in this one do you have against me? I'm an innocent man. What suspicions are there against me? I did not point against anyone, and yet people have started to bandwagon against me? Let me ask you this, why would I have been among the first to post after Joosbawx's death if I was of the group that killed them? I assure you, that I am not a member of any organization, and that I am trustworthy. I realize that I am not likely going to be able to convince any of you as my innocence, but I ask that those of you who have accused me present the hard evidence against me.

Llama, let me get this straight. You're pointing at me because I won the last game, correct? Why would you want to eliminate a competent player from the game? Those who have been teamed with me know that I am quite capable of discerning things which others have over looked and missed. Are you pointing at me perhaps, because you see me as a threat to your bid for the Falcon?

[HyramGraff]

The paper that was waiting for me when I woke up at my desk had a boring headline, "Man killed in car accident" What came next caught my attention like a bad metaphor. "The Malteese Falcon is missing," were words that I was suddenly hopping would bring me some much needed dough. Looking deeper I found that I had met the stiff once before, when he had explained that in order to get the Falcon I would have to be the first to point at the person who had it.

Not being sure who had the Falcon led me to think the rest of the day, and when I say think I mean drink. Finally at the end of the day my finger pointed toward [roll0] Xylric because that's the direction I was pointing when I passed out.

[DarkLightDragon]

((Hm... I've read a parody of The Maltese Falcon... but that's not the same... obviously...

...Yeah... I'm back...))

I watch from the sidelines. I see that a man has been murdered. Could this be something about the Maltese Falcon I hear so much of? I need clues if I am to learn of this killer's identity. Must be careful. Not the only one who wants it. There are many suspects. Many who would stop at nothing to obtain it. That fellow, over there. The one with the hooded cloak. I believe his name is Lord Magtok. I don't like the looks of him. Lord Magtok must go.

[Castaras]

Something was happening among the humans. People were pointing at each other. I wondered, who had the best arguement? Who looked the most suspicious?

Prowling round, I tried to piece together my thoughts. Wait. I got a whiff of something strange. I looked up. A strange cloaked person, with a single red glowing eye. He didn't smell human. He smelt weird...almost like a machine...

Nothing else for it. Might as well raise my paw at Lord Magtok.

[Helgraf]

Morning came like the caress of a 20 lb. sledge wielded by a union joe three hours in; sloppy but overpowering, killing with power and little finesse. I'd been following the trail of a museum piece for some time now and the trail had led me to this city. It was a typical American mausoleum sort, the name didn't much matter, they were all too much alike, stark, with a smell like a two dollar hussy badly in need of a doc and some pills and all the compassion of a shark, which is to say none.

I was supposed to meet up with a fella with the unlikely name of Joosbawx, I reminded myself as I pulled myself from the forlorn mattress and sad excuse for a pillow thrown together and called a bed. I could only be thankful laundry got done regular-like at this place, otherwise I'm sure the smell of sour old sweat and worse things would be lingering. As it is, booze and bilge still hung in the room, coming from the little brick-a-dee shower unit.

I headed out toward where I was supposed to meet him; naturally as luck would have it, I'd been preceded. Someone had killed the mug, with a low-slung vehicle, if the impact points were any judge. The body looked like it'd been roughed over beforehand, and something about the alleyway felt all wrong to my instincts.

No, there was a whole lot of story not being explained here. It was time to go see the dame. There was only one dame, of course, and she was a real class act. It's a wonder she'd even let a mug like me in the door, to tell you truth. So I headed down to the corner bar, a roughshod establishment apparently called Lucky's, and looked for a phone.

I placed the call ... seconds passed with only the wind and the ringing in my ear, then there was the distinct sound of the connection being made and there was the voice. It was a little slice of heaven to my ears, though I'd never told her that. There wasn't anything a guy like me could offer her, anyway, and we both knew it, I think.

The conversation was brief, but informative, and when the call was ended I stood there for several seconds, listening to the echoing thrum of the line before hanging up.

The bar itself was a solidly built ediface, the kind that had no doubt seen more 'n a few brawls and was built solid so as to reduce the expense of stuff constantly breaking. I walked over, gruffed my hellos, and ordered a double malt.

While I waited, I considered what to do about the recent events. I had a bad feeling that the other major players in the game had gotten wind of the news I had, only a bit sooner. Now I had to try and figure out which one of them had copped the prize.

The malt went down smooth, and cut away the hollow ache in my guts, replacing it with a happy warmth. I put a tenner on the bar, told the 'tender to keep 'em coming as they went, then stepped outside to place a few more calls. If the old orders were on the trail, that meant that whackjob vigilante would probably hit town any hour now - if he hadn't arrived already. Seriously, what kind of idiot calls himself the Shadow, like some sort of campy radio serial character, anyway?

Returning to my drink and the company of the bartender, I took out a piece of paper, scribbling a list of names. I circled a few, but couldn't strike any out as of yet.

Finally, I closed my eyes and brought the tip of my pencil down. My lip curled at the selection, but there was no real guess to be had yet.

(* Helgraf points at Eldritch Knight *)

[Captain van der Decken]

A man was dead, and the famed Maltese Falcon missing. I watched as a mob gathered, eager to find a scapegoat. They had chosen a man, with some crazy excuse, to be lynched. I moved to step in, when I realised it was none other than that fiend, Eldritch Knight! I decided I'd leave this be for a while, and see what comes of it.

In the corner of my eye, I suddenly spotted a man covering his face with a hood.

"You there!" I called to the man, Lord Magtok by name, and pointed at him.

[Akaziel]

Listening to the arguments around the body, I have heard several people say something about some 'Falcon'. Sounds to me like some exotic pet of some sort, but the question kept nagging me. What is this 'Falcon'? But then it hit me. I once saw this falcon in the history books. "In 1539, the Knights Templar of Malta paid tribute to Charles V of Spain by sending him a Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to claw with rarest jewels -- but pirates seized the galley carrying this priceless token and the fate of the Maltese Falcon remains a mystery to this day." That's what the books said, anyway. I'm not much of a historian. But could the person I'm looking at -this Eldritch Knight- be a part of this Knights Templar? I took out my notepad, and scribbled 'possible motive: the Falcon.' But my eyes filled with greed as I realized that everyone else wanted it, so why not I? Worth some coin, anyway.

[Castaras]

Seemed that something was happening. People wanted this "falcon" thing. When would I ever understand human greed? Stupid human beans. Just a falcon, nothing special. Having seen all I wanted to see for the moment, I moved away from the body and the crowd to go chew some grass. That human corpse was making me feel sick.

[Eldritch Knight]

At last, I had something to go on. Others had followed with the same suspicion as I. This fellow, Lord Magtok, had already garnered the suspicion of others. It fit. He was a relatively new player to the field. He didn't have as much of a reputation as some of the others, so he was in an ideal position to evade suspicion.

Eldritch Knight points at Lord Magtok

[Kyrian]

((Hey Joos, what's the policy on the autolynching for this game?))

[Joosbawx]

(( two days without a vote will get you autolynched...and I plan to give everyone that doesn't vote a pm to let them know they NEED to vote or get lynched. Also...those in organizations that plan to recruit, please PM me before the end of the in game day so the PMs may fly back and forth in time to not delay the game.

Lastly, thanks for getting into the mood of the game. Helgraf! Nicely done. Alarra, too. All of you, I'm enjoying reading this. ))

[Strategos]

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u163/The_Great_Strategos/Noir_FoxFinished.png

When I went to sleep, the world was full of vibrant colours; now it was morning and the world had changed to a black and white spectrum. This was rather odd, so I decided to head down to the local diner for berakfast. I hadn't walked more than a block when I stumbled across a crowd surrounding a dead body. Suddenly it all started to come together. The two-tone colour scheme, the dead body, my incessent internal monologue. All that was missing was the similes and metaphors flying so fast they'd break the sound barrier. Oh wait, that was one. I had entered the world of noir, a place where murder and betrayal were the business of the day.

I looked around at the crowd, for some reason I seemed sure of two things. Firstly, that some of the people around me had been involved in this murder. And secondly an anthromorphic fox with a gun didn't quite stand out in this crowd as much as I thought it would.

After hearing various people raise their voices a suspicion crept up and hit me like a back alley thug. "Those who voice their opinions early in these mattersr are often innocent, but if this Eldritch Knight character was as experienced as some of you claim, then he would surely know this. And what better place for a killer to hide than in plain sight, a place where they could also put up quite a convincing argument to prove their innocence." I said as I Pointed my Finger at Eldritch Knight. I then stood back and tried to figure out just how that action was somehow coloured in red.

[DarkLightDragon]

I watch as the air of suspicion begins to shift from the Eldritch Knight to the Lord Magtok. Funny how people seem to act based on when they get into certain situations. I wonder what happens next. I'm always wondering.

[Zeb The Troll]

((Wow you guys. Make it tough for a guy to keep on par, why don't ya? I'm going to make an attempt to stay in mood, but I won't guarantee that I have the skills you all are showing here.))

Damn the rain. Why'd I have to ride tonight? Weatherman should have warned me about this.

In a hurry to get home and out of the rain, I take the last corner a little faster than I should on my motorbike and nearly crash into a crowd of people gathered around something in the street. Grabbing the brakes and the clutch in a panic, I turn the handlebars a bit too sharply trying not to hit anyone. Thankfully I've got that sidecar that somehow keeps the whole assembly upright as I skitter to a halt, narrowly averting disaster.

What's all this? I say as I kill the motor and get off the bike. I'm eager to find out why people are standing around in the street. I push my way through the crowd to see Joosbawx's body lying in there. I can tell by the unnatural way he's sprawled out that he won't be getting up.
What - what's going on here? Has anyone called the authorities? I survey the area, taking note of the people around in case anyone starts asking questions. I especially keep my eyes open for anyone that seems to know more about what's going on here than they're letting on.

People seem to be giving an ugly eye of suspicion to Eldritch Knight and Lord Magtok. Those two look like they're hiding something, I'll admit, but maybe it's just the rain.

I try to be nonchalant about listening in to what other people are saying. I'm not sure I'm very good at it. Pop always said I had a terrible poker face. Seems like someone thinks this guy was carrying some sort of artifact. Where was he going with it? What was he planning on doing with it? Where is it now? Time will tell, I'm sure.

[Eldritch Knight]

"Those who voice their opinions early in these mattersr are often innocent, but if this Eldritch Knight character was as experienced as some of you claim, then he would surely know this. And what better place for a killer to hide than in plain sight, a place where they could also put up quite a convincing argument to prove their innocence."


Let me get this straight, you're pointing at me because of my experience? Because you think I am a killer hiding in plain sight? There is no effective way for me to prove my innocence at this time, because this mystery has only just begun and not all the players have arrived. You would seek to remove me, a capable mind, before I can put my talents to the task before us? You would doom us all in doing this.

[Goblin Music]

when the two suspects arouse i wondered *who? who was more suspicious magtoc, or EK?so i waited to see the outcome...

[Joosbawx]

(( The following is published by the newspaper. You may find points of interest within. ))




Alleyway Body Raises Questions About Missing Artifact.


Early this morning the Police responded to an anonymous phone call that led them to the discovery of the body of a man in an alleyway near the docks. While no eye witnesses have come forward, after canvasing the surrounding area, Police have gathered what they say is helpful information in tracking down the responsible parties. Evidence found at the scene include a signet ring bearing a cross and crown emblem and Latin inscription in the alleyway intersecting with the road the body was found upon. Police investigators say this points toward the often implicated but never proven involvement of the Templar Knights, a secret organization around which many conspiracy theories revolve; however, the location of said ring, while it does match several of the bruises left on the body, does not match with the Coroner's reported cause of death: vehicular manslaughter.

Also found in the same alleyway was a small earwig and small collection of burned cigarettes and wooden matches, suggesting the alleyway was under surveillance at the time of the murder. The earwig, or covert communications or listening device that fits almost invisibly in the ear, police say, is intricate and expensive and of a similar design known to have been used by another organization known only as The Shadow Agents. This secret society is also commonly attributed involvement in many unexplained robberies and attacks internationally, but little more is known of this organization than the Templar Knights.

Police investigators released teh name of the victim, one Joos Bawx, and say he is a known fence that has fallen under suspicion several times but never been convicted. Police believe the fence was en route to meet with someone on the city docks, according to a small notebook the deceased carried on his person. The victim was most likely intercepted before arriving as said meeting, and the Coroner's report suggests that he was most likely fleeing a pursuer when struck by the car. Little is known about the car; however, police state that tire skids indicate that the accident may have been intentional. Dark, inky smudges found on the victims coat and clothing suggest the victim was searched after being run down by vehicle. This is corroborated by rain soaked brown paper with the same blotchy marks; however, due to the rain, no fingerprint are reportedly found.

However, this reporter feels that the suspected involvement of these two secret organizations, combined with the small amount of physical evidence found on the body, link this criminal on criminal crime to the recent appearance of a long missing artifact called 'The Maltese Falcon'. This relic of legend was supposedly created by the Templar Knights to honor the King of Spain, but never reached the monarch and was reportedly stolen, surfacing from time to time throughout its 300+ year history in the hands of private collectors or museums before going to ground or reportedly stolen. Investigators refused to comment on the possible involvement of the vigilante known as The Shadow; however, several citizens reported seeing a fleeing figure across the rooftops just before the sound of the impact of car and victim.

[Strategos]

Let me get this straight, you're pointing at me because of my experience? Because you think I am a killer hiding in plain sight? There is no effective way for me to prove my innocence at this time, because this mystery has only just begun and not all the players have arrived. You would seek to remove me, a capable mind, before I can put my talents to the task before us? You would doom us all in doing this.

As I listened to him speak in his defence, I realised he had a point. It is often said that 'haste makes waste,' and I prerfer to recycle."Fair enough. I may have been a bit hasty in making my vote, I'm afraid I let my mouth outrun my mind." I said, nibbling my lip as I did so. "I think that it's fair to let you have a day or two to test your theory before I start accusing you." This said I un-ponted at the Eldritch Knight and turned my attention into solving the mystery of the coloured point/un-point.

[Goblin Music]

my those people they turned so easily on one hooded man when there were more than one, myself for example, i was wearing a hood that day and a fine hood it was to. good sir your innocence can not be proven logically i stated for logic was one of my strong points

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

I was perched on a rooftop, half-asleep when it happened. nobody notices a small black bird in these parts, so I was in a position to watch. However, I saw nothing. the plates were forged, the men were hooded. I stayed there for several hours, watching the first onlookers, and then the police investigation. Eventually, I flew down to the site. there were already fingers being pointed. I was loathe to give up my cover, but it seemed that I needed to submit my information. I decided that the most likely candidate was Lord Magtok. I pointed my beak at the half-robot. He just didn't fit in here, and it was hard to watch him, with his clones and his metal. he needed to go, and i was willing to blow my cover to make it that way.

[Zeb The Troll]

Flipping through the paper while quaffing my coffee at the diner on the corner, only one thought comes to mind, and it doesn't help much.

Ah, another crook versus scofflaw caper. Spy versus Spy. They versus Them.

That didn't narrow down my suspect list at all.

[Gnome Barbarian]

Sitting there reading my newspaper I can't help but feel bad for this Joos Bawx fellow. He probably just got caught up in the wrong crowd as a kid and hasn't had a chance to come back to the rightside of the law. I look at my watch and see that I am running late for work. I grab my coat, head downstairs and start my half hour walk to my meeting.

I think back to the newspaper and realize I will be passing the docks this morning. A few minutes late won't kill me if I take a small detour to see what is going on near the docks. As I make my way there and notice many citizens of this city argueing and pointing. I think to myself, self isn't it the job of the Police to figure out who has commited this crime.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I always liked a good mystery.

[Kyrian]

(( two days without a vote will get you autolynched...and I plan to give everyone that doesn't vote a pm to let them know they NEED to vote or get lynched. Also...those in organizations that plan to recruit, please PM me before the end of the in game day so the PMs may fly back and forth in time to not delay the game.

Lastly, thanks for getting into the mood of the game. Helgraf! Nicely done. Alarra, too. All of you, I'm enjoying reading this. ))

((Thanks, but sorry I wasn't a bit more specific. What about the DLD shuffle? Where I pointed then withdrew, does that still count as action, or do I have to hold a vote once every two days?))

[Joosbawx]

(( My mistake...If you vote, but then retract, you've still voted. What happened to DLD in the last Mafia game was not my interpretation of the rules. As long as you show activity, you're participating, you won't be auto-lynched. ))

[Kyrian]

((Ok, thanks. And I'm sorry everyone...but I don't think I can commit enough to make as amazing posts as you all are doing. I'll still play though.))

[Shadow]

((I'm back, baby!

... and I see that you've stolen my newspaper idea....

Now to catch up and figure out who to play...))

[janusnori]

The storm clouds overhead loom like vengeful gods; I walk along the street considering the crowd that was gathered around the body. I figure, one of the culprits was bound to have returned to the scene of the crime to make sure the police didn't find any clues. Sometimes, the most curious have ulterior motives for their questions.

I tuck my jacket tighter, the rain has started again and I didn't bring my umbrella. I never have it when I need it, but luckily the cold steel strapped to my side is always there. A watchful dog, if one of those agents that the paper was talking about descend, its bite will be there to protect me.

Agents. I consider the suspects. What would the killer's lackeys do?

[Graklok]

((WOW - I'm am enjoying the posts. Amazing flow and style for everybody! Almost makes me wish I joined this game, but then again what would a Graklok style film noir sound like.

Graklok woke with a start. Graklok knew the day would be like any other day, full of misfortune and sorrow. The rain on the window told Graklok this. Graklok began his morning like any other, with a daily run through the threads. Graklok often screamed AUUUGH on his runs, as Graklok like the attention and Graklok usually felt the need to break the tension. Today was no exception. As Graklok ran down the street, Graklok found a crowd surrounding the body of a man. Graklok looked things over, and decided the crowd was far too somber. Graklok screamed AUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!. The crowd focused on him, and as they began to point their fingers at Graklok, Graklok dissappeared, as Graklok was not in this game.

Yeah, film noir and re-using my char name instead of the me, myself and I just doesn't work too well. Have fun, and keep up the fantastic work!!

Oh yeah, Joosbawx - you rule.))

[Castaras]

(( @Graklok - You're making my family look at me oddly again...:smalltongue: ))

[Zeb The Troll]

((I suddenly have the urge to go streaking through other threads. :smallcool:))

[The Valiant Turtle]

((Incredible posts folks, I'm humbled. I'll do my best to follow suit))

A cab turns wildly onto the crowded road, jumping the curb and narrowly missing a fire hydrant, several onlookers, a baby carraige, and sends the Holy Grail that the Eldritch Knight fellow was looking for flying off into the darkness.

Shrevie the cabbie is conversing pleasantly with his passengers...

And this is a little shortcut known only to the most seasoned of cabbies if I do say so myself. (swerve) Over there to your left is one of my favorite city parks. It's got a wonderful merry-go-round. Do you indulge much in merry-go-rounds (swerve) Mr. Morris?

(incoherent mumbling from the passenger)

No, Oh you really should give them a try! (swerve)

Suddenly one of his passengers screams and covers her eyes. Shrevie slams on the brakes, stopping just short of the crowd and dead body ((nevermind it's already been taken for autopsy)).

Don't worry Mrs. Morris, I keep the brakes on this baby in top condition.

Shrevie hangs his head out the window to see what's happening.

Another dead body in the road? That's the third one this month. Oh, that first one was bad, my passenger didn't have as good a eyes as you have Mrs. Morris, I ran the poor bloke over, launched the cab into the air and everything. You should have seen Commisioner Weston's face, he was furious! Thankfully the coroner reported he was dead before we hit him.

The funny thing is the Comish didn't seem to remember it that well last time I spoke with 'im. From what I hear, he's normally got a real sharp mind too. Maybe that Mr. Cranston I drive around occasionally put in a good word for me or sumpthin, he's real close to the Comish. That Mr. Cranston, he's still trying to track down this Shadow fella the papers are always talkin 'bout. He'll find him too, that Mr. Cranstons a sharp fella.

I've been hypothosizing, which is the same as to say I've been thinking. What if this Shadow fellow was a llama? Would he only be able to cloud the minds of llama's and be invisible to them?

Shrevie puts the cab in park and looks around. He see's a suspiscious looking guy in a dark cloak and gets suspiscious.

You there with the red glowin eye, you look suspikous to me.
Shrevie points at Magtok

[Joosbawx]

(( thanks Graklok. Reading that made me laugh so hard my stomach hurts! I wish you had joined with that character, hehehe. Also, to point out the obvious, the newspaper article wasn't so much 'stolen' as 'necessary'. Remember that bit out clues...? yeah... ))

[Shadow]

The return of Silas Hadow

I woke up in a white room with all kinds of tubes and hoses coming out of me like some sort of experiment in biology class.
I couldn't speak.
Then I realized that I couldn't speak because of the giant tube down my throat. Ripping it out, I hit the call button next to the bed.
The dame that showed up was in a little white one piece. The kind that you see in low grade flicks. Just my kind of gal.

The look on her face told me all that I needed to know.
She never expected me to wake up, and the doc that showed up shortly after even told me as much. "If they have just waited two more hours, the cement would have solidified and your body probably would have never been found. We barely brought you back in time as it is. The Chief thought it best to go on and let everyone think that you were dead. Less trouble from your friends at the paper that way. Since we never actually expected you to wake up from the coma we didn't argue."
So I get my things and they send me home a few days later.

Home.

Yeah, right. That place got rented out to some shmuck two years ago is what the landlord says. All my stuff's gone to the Goodwill, too. Some zit faced punk now has my Pulitzer in the bottom of his closet, probably.
I snatch a paper from the lobby on my way out, wondering which incompetent fool has my regular gig now. I gotta head to the office and see if my editor will give me my job back.
They hired some barely literate kid from Pokano by the name of Pingcode to do it after my "untimely death."

Thanks for that.

It's funny. The last thing I remember from before was getting thunked on the noodle after a nice night at Lucky's Malt Shop, my favorite gin joint, just before it got blown up. I thought that was a bad day.
So now I'm homeless, jobless, pennyless and friendless. I can't even score a gimlet. I've been forgotten and left behind. If that day was bad, now I'm in hell.

The sawbuck that I lifted from the drunk on the corner'll get me a nice juniper wine.
Back to the gin and the paper. If I can't write for 'em anymore, least I can keep up to date. What to do now? Gotta find a place to crash. Gotta find a new line of work. Gotta earn another sawbuck so I can grab another London Dry. My experience from investigating for the paper's as good as anywhere to start. Maybe I can start my own business. Be a P.I.
It's an idea.

After reading the article I head out to nowhere in particular in a bit of a sluggish stumble. The fella I spotted on Fourth Street was smoking the same Dunhills as the one from the photo in the paper. Or maybe it was just my new innebriated idea to be a private ****. Or maybe it was just the juice. Either way, I raise a finger at The 8th Sin and ask him where he was last night.

If I can find the Falcon I can open up a real office and get this P.I. thing going with a cute little secretary and everything.

((Joos... Run with the paper. It's a great tool, huh?))

[Helgraf]

Memories of better times haunted me on this lonely walk. I am only a shadow of the man I once was. I had come to the city to get away from my past, to escape the biases of my family. One nut taints the whole tree. It didn't help that my wife had been murdered by someone I had trusted. It certainly didn't help that I had been framed for the crime. My only chance would be to find the real killers before they found me, but judging by the suspicious glances cast in my direction, it was not going to be easy......


So, let me get this straight, I say that I suspect that some people would want to go after me, and then people start pointing at me.

Alarra, sure, I've made mention to the previous game, but what hard evidence in this one do you have against me? I'm an innocent man. What suspicions are there against me? I did not point against anyone, and yet people have started to bandwagon against me? Let me ask you this, why would I have been among the first to post after Joosbawx's death if I was of the group that killed them? I assure you, that I am not a member of any organization, and that I am trustworthy. I realize that I am not likely going to be able to convince any of you as my innocence, but I ask that those of you who have accused me present the hard evidence against me.

Llama, let me get this straight. You're pointing at me because I won the last game, correct? Why would you want to eliminate a competent player from the game? Those who have been teamed with me know that I am quite capable of discerning things which others have over looked and missed. Are you pointing at me perhaps, because you see me as a threat to your bid for the Falcon?

Note: This post is patently not A) In Character or B) In Game Style

It occurs to me that it doesn't really matter what their reasons are. And when because you post a list of people you expect to target you and one of them thereafter does, you shouldn't be at all surprised. You practically dared them to, and if you expected them not to vote for you specifically because you called them out on it, well, that's a pretty twisted form of defense you're practicing.

As for the llama, I'd say he's pointing at you because you had a full run last game, therefore if you are lynched, you haven't been shafted early two iterations in a row - which is exactly what he said.

It also hasn't helped your case that just about every game where you've claimed you wouldn't be given a special role (since the fracas that we've been ordered to forget), you've actually had one, so that bit of nonsense clearly doesn't hold any water. You're just as likely as anyone else to have been given a special role or to be a wolf / pirate / mafia / alien / bandito / whatever of the enemy, so can the innocent handwaving.

Hell, I got gutted in two games in one night, but you don't see me screaming for their blood or demanding that people come up with evidence for their pointing ON DAY 1. Day 1 lynches are just about always not logic based, but they have to be done, and frankly they're going to gather momentum to the detrement of whichever poor schmoe gets the target painted on them. It's the inherent unfairness of a game based on mob mentality. All you can really do is hope another target gets enough momentum to shoot by you. Doing something like posting a list of names on Day 1, frankly, is like painting a big bullseye on your chest - but then expecting nobody to fire at that target is just ridiculous.

[Joosbawx]

(( I interject here only to state that I have injected a few clues into the posts that started the game, and the newspaper article, should you all care to dig for them. They're not glaringly obvious, but they are there, or at least enough to base a first day point on, at the very least.

That being said, lets try to leave previous games out of it, and play this one without bias. Now, i know me saying that is like...well...forget the simile and I'll just say hypocritical to say the least; however, learn from that tag under my avatar and don't earn one of your own. They dont' go away, apparently.

Now, all that being said, I'm not trying to influence the game one way or the other, but just wanted to say that nobody's role, including EK, had any bearing on what they were in any other WW style game or iteration. They were all randomly assigned. So any accusations, or defense based upon that arguments are erroneous. That is all. ))

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

1) If i wanted to lynch a competent player, I'd be after that shocking hippo who killed me in W.W. VI. EK was chosen because he'd had a good run last time and I try to make my first point based off who
A) Has had some good runs in recent games.
B) hasn't died recently in other games.
C) is an experienced player so the new guys get a chance to play.

2)The article did mention INKY smudges on the body, but I'm not going to actually point at the poor squirrel because he was just killed in the first round in Pirates. These are the sort of clues that the keen eyes of The Shadow can detect.

[Kyrian]

Kyrian points at Shadow, for stealing the name Silas.

[Shadow]

((Sorry. Didn't realize you had "dibs" on it. I used it last game as well.))

[Kyrian]

((Nah it's ok. I wasn't going to point today, and my only use of Silas is in the Town. Just gave me a nice funny reason to point :P ))

[Zeb The Troll]

I must have had too much gin and not enough tonic last night. I'd swear a camel just told me to point at inky. Maybe it's the smokes talking to me.

[Shadow]

Recruitment - When one of the two factions with recruiting ability attempts to recruit a player, that player is sent a PM from the narrator and given the choice to join or refuse the organizations offer. If the player accepts the offer they join the Knights Templar or Shadow Agents as a 'Neonate/Recruit' for the remainder of the game. A player may only be recruited once per game. If a player refuses a recruitment offer by either faction they can still accept an offer made at a later date; however, the faction attempting the recruitment loses the ability to scry that night in lieu of their recruitment attempt, just as if they had recruited successfully.
......
Characters Exempt from Recruitment: The Shadow, any member of Templar Knights, any member of Shadow Agents, the Private "Eye", and The Patsy. If one of these characters is approached for recruitment the faction making the attempt will simply be informed the player refused, and the player will be informed they were approached with a recruitment offer.
......
Templar Neonates, or those recruited during the course of the game by Templars, are not as indoctrinated as the older members and may reveal the name of one other Templar when threatened with death...so be careful whom you recruit. The Knights are aided in their quest by the Templar Oracle who has the ability (75% chance) to divine the role of anyone else; however, due to the extensive indoctrination rituals, the Oracle cannot scry on any night the Knights indoctrinate a Neonate.The tenets of the Order of the Knights Templar strictly prohibit anyone from intentionally revealing their membership upon penalty of death.

An explanation please, while it's still Day one and no one thinks that I've been recruited because of this....
How exactly would the Noenates and Recruits thing work?

Are you saying that a Neonate or Recruit can, if threatened with lynching, reveal the Name of ONE member ONCE per game and avoid lynching by havins said member lynched instead? Or something different?

[Eldritch Knight]

1) If i wanted to lynch a competent player, I'd be after that shocking hippo who killed me in W.W. VI. EK was chosen because he'd had a good run last time and I try to make my first point based off who
A) Has had some good runs in recent games.
B) hasn't died recently in other games.
C) is an experienced player so the new guys get a chance to play.

2)The article did mention INKY smudges on the body, but I'm not going to actually point at the poor squirrel because he was just killed in the first round in Pirates. These are the sort of clues that the keen eyes of The Shadow can detect.

To answer your statments:

A) I got LUCKY.
B) I got LUCKY.
C) So, let me get this straight, we kill an experienced player, to let the new guys play. If we did that, that would be tilting the balance of the game into the favour of the nasties, as they'd likely be recruiting the experienced players. I am experienced, yes, but because I am experienced does not give a logical IC reason to have me killed.

My list was for flavour, paranoia text.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

To answer your statments:

C) So, let me get this straight, we kill an experienced player, to let the new guys play. If we did that, that would be tilting the balance of the game into the favour of the nasties, as they'd likely be recruiting the experienced players. I am experienced, yes, but because I am experienced does not give a logical IC reason to have me killed.



(Yeah, that's my logic. Its amazing that people follow me at all. *shrugs* )
(hey wait, if I'm killing off the experienced players, how does that tilt the balance in favour of the nasties because they'll be recruiting the experienced players?) (I've discovered that he mispoke. He must be an Agent of the Knights Templar. Get him X-Men!)

[Joosbawx]

Are you saying that a Neonate or Recruit can, if threatened with lynching, reveal the Name of ONE member ONCE per game and avoid lynching by havins said member lynched instead? Or something different?
(( Thanks for pointing out this is unclear. No, I'm not saying that a Shadow Recruit or Templar Neonate can avoid lynching by having said member lynched instead, but, rather, that if a Neonate/Recruit is lynched there is a chance they will bring another member of their faction down with them. There is a percentage chance, that I won't quantify at this time, that when a Recruit/Neonate is killed, the party responsible for the kill (publicly stated, if lynched, -or- revealed to the secret society, if killed in teh night) will receive mention of another member of their secret society.

Is that more clear? ))

[Eldritch Knight]

(Yeah, that's my logic. Its amazing that people follow me at all. *shrugs* )
(hey wait, if I'm killing off the experienced players, how does that tilt the balance in favour of the nasties because they'll be recruiting the experienced players?) (I've discovered that he mispoke. He must be an Agent of the Knights Templar. Get him X-Men!)

Atreyu, your sarcasm is overwhelming. Let me put it another way. There are some experienced players who are generally overlooked until either the last minute, or until they and there allys are in a position of advantage. Instead of having me, and experienced player lynched, would it not be better to allow me to apply my talents to the task before us? I am trustworthy, you have my word on that. If I wasn't trustworthy, my word would be worthless, but if given a chance to prove myself, then everyone benefits.

I know what I am, and I have no reason to lie. I'm just an average citizen, trying to make an honest living without getting my head blown off. I don't want the falcon, I just want to live my life, and not make trouble for anyone.

[Ink]

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i244/Ink_avatars/trenchcoattrias.gif

It was with a start that I awoke to the bleary grey morning. The woodpeckers in my head were relentless. As the dull recollections of last night's events at Sal's Tavern swirled through my mind, I became aware of another pounding - someone was hammering on my front door.

"Sir, there's been a murder! The Maltese Falcon has gone missing!"

Ned. The new kid, retired commissioner Jenkins' son. Bright lad; green, but full of potential. The Chief took him on board two months ago, something about bringing some fresh new blood into the department. Now he stood on my doorstep, exclaiming all too loudly and waving the early edition paper in his hand. "The Maltese Falcon, sir!"

The Falcon. Upright, law-abiding citizens would stab their best friend in the eye to get their hands on the Maltese Falcon. So it has resurfaced, as have the Shadow Agency and the Templar Knights. As much as we liked to assure the citizenry that these shady organisations did not exist, there was no doubt now that they were involved in the murder of that poor chap Joos somehow. And apparently our friend the Shadow vigilante has made a guest appearance as well.

The rain did not help my mood as I trudged the sidewalk in my old worn coat. A cab screeched past on my right and swerved around the bend. Damn crazy cabbies; I'd have to have a good talk with some of them sometime. But right now there were more important things to do. We had to get to the bottom of this fast, and I already had my finger on someone. Strategos. His name was a reccurring theme in various investigations of murder, assault, and theft in the city. No hard evidence was ever found against him. One thing was for sure, I would be keeping a close eye on him from now on.

* Ink points at Strategos

[Lord Magtok]

You there with the red glowin eye, you look suspikous to me.

Shrevie points at Magtok

Before I knew it, fingers were flying wildly at me. "Blame the guy with the metal face and dark cloak! He's Eeevil!"

My mid was racing fast, trying to come up with something that would prove me innocent. I considered telling them that if it was me, so I'd seem insane, but I heard aout a guy on a boat once who did that and he got himself tossed overboard. I decided to grab myself a newspaper, might as well see what the boys in blue had to say about this incident which I was being framed for.


Dark, inky smudges found on the victims coat and clothing suggest the victim was searched after being run down by vehicle. This is corroborated by rain soaked brown paper with the same blotchy marks; however, due to the rain, no fingerprint are reportedly found.

((Sounds to me like a certain inky person was involved. I suspect inky and Ink, but inky somehow seems more likely to do this. *Points at inky.*))

[Gnome Barbarian]

While looking at all the information that is present I feel as though I should join in on the pointing. But who should I point at. This isn't a choice that is made easily because as everyone knows a mob would just as likely kill the culprit than hand him over to the athorities and someones life is in the balance. However the Eldritch Knight fellow seems to be speaking truth.

*Gnome Barbarian points at Lord Magtok

This Magtok fella' seems to be more suspicious.

[The 8th Sin]

It was worrying that the llama was pointing at the knight, and apparently everyone believed the llama without question. What was even more worrying was that the llama was talking, and that wasn't normal as far as I remembered. I saw no reason to disbelieve the knight, so the llama was my prime suspect. That or some random goddess who jumped on a bandwagon before it became a fad. Still, that llama is just a bit too hasty.
Point to Llama

[The 8th Sin]

I noticed that someone was pointing at me, which was wierd since only cops can arrest someone for loitering. I realized after a moment that they were accusing me of the murder on the grounds that I smoked.

"Kid, don't you watch movies? In this type of movie, everyone smokes.

I didn't really need to though; everyone knows that accusations made on the first day are all hack work with no real logic behind them.

[Selrahc]

*Points at Inky*

Um... I would do some in character stuff, but I'm not getting any inspiration. Suffice to say scant clues, the admission by the narator that he had left hints, and the fact that its the first day, and sketchy reasons are all I need to go on, are enough to warrant a point.

EDIT:


1) If i wanted to lynch a competent player, I'd be after that shocking hippo who killed me in W.W. VI.

:smallbiggrin:

[janusnori]

A good detective always takes good notes. A lot of suspicions running around here, and I made sure that I jotted them all down in my little pad of paper held in my right breast pocket. So far there seems to be the following evidence and suspicions:

Eldrich Knight
Atreyu the masked llama
Alarra
Pingcode20
Akaziel
Goblin Music
Helgraf
Strategos


Lord Magtok
DarkLightDragon
Castaras
Captin van der Decken
Eldritch Knight
Cult_of_the_Raven
Shrevie
Gnome Barbarian

Inky13112
Zeb The Troll
Lord Magtok
Selrahc


(bold indicates first person to point)

It seemed as though each of the two main suspects were pointing at each other at first in order to cause that person to be arrested instead of themselves. Lord Magtok suspecting EK of being in the Knights Templar and LM clearly suspected of Shadow Agent involvement. Perhaps both are true, but witnesses did indicate that they heard slow, steady, purposeful footsteps: perhaps those of a metal clone. With the vote 7 to 7, it is clear that votes at this stage carry extra weight.

I duck into the nearby cafe and buy myself coffee and a slice of apple pie. This is clearly going to take some more thought, inky stains... Such a clue could be too obviously pointing towards Ink or Inky...

I bring out the notebook again and review the facts: the fatman's butterfly collection, ink spots, footsteps, knights, agents, shadows. The cream swirls in my dark brown brew in front of me. More thought, and another cup. That always seems to help me figure out the solution when I'm doing the daily crossword.

[Zar Peter]

Sitting in my armchair and reading the paper. This guy below my window seemed to be in realy bad troubles. Maltese Falcon, maltese knights, shadow agents, The shadow. What a bunch of maniacs.
And... this guy with the red eye... I'm feeling his stare on me like a bullet in my chest... he could see me through the rain, that's strange, very strange.

Think I need another sip of Johnny. Mr Walker is one of my best friends these days, but, after another thought I need a clear head for this. I want to find a clue.
Who wanted to kill this poor guy, this Joose Bawx? Why the Maltese knights and the Shadow agents are behind him and who are they? Where is the falcon? Did anyone see the Shadow?
Think I have to spend some hours more looking through my telescope. Maybe someone down there acts suspicious, like this Eldritch Knight guy, with the bullseye on his chest.

Let's see, who was one of the first at the place, looked innocent but commited two murders? The CAT!

Zar Peter points at Castaras.

((Sorry, best writing I can do, I think))

[Lord Magtok]

Perhaps both are true, but witnesses did indicate that they heard slow, steady, purposeful footsteps: perhaps those of a metal clone.

((Anyone can walk slowly and steadily. Only two can claim to have INKY smudges. Ink, and Inky))

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

My suspicion for EK was growing larger than Dr. Wily's scrap metal collection at the end of Megaman 3. He claimed he didn't even want the Falcon? Even I wanted the falcon. I was torn, in ages past when our spirits had mingled in a village beseiged by wolves, he had quite adamently proclaimed his innocence on a similar scale only to be discovered as a wolf. Of couse, I was his packmate back then, but on the other hand, if I was on the chopping block, I'd go to all lengths to save my arse. Well, it looked like the cloaked guy was going down, but perhaps EK would be a good person to watch at night and see what happened after sun down.

[Xylric]

I'm fairly certain that EK is safe, but I'm not sure about you, Llama.

*Points at Atreyu*

[Alarra]

The ringing, shrill and loud, startled me out of sleep for the second time that morning. I shouldn't have been still asleep, the sun was creeping well into the sky, but my sleep patterns had grown more and more nocturnal of late. Call it preoccupation of a restless mind, and last evening's events had done little to help my insomnia.

The voice on the line brought a smile to my face. I didn't want it to, and of course, I kept my tone cold and brief in response. As he relayed what information he had, the coldness became more and more genuine. "The falcon? Are you sure? ...... How could you be so stupid?!"

When I replaced the receiver it was all I could do not to sink to the floor, the world a load of bricks piled upon my shoulders. The falcon.....right outside my window....so close I could almost have reached out and touched it. At least now I knew why the death had caught my attention so. All these years of searching, studying, it'd be a surprise if I weren't at least slightly attuned to its presence.

A glance back at the telephone and I felt my heart sinking a little. Perhaps I'd been too harsh on him. I wouldn't want to burn all my bridges after all. And we had made a good team....once. Why did Templars and Shadow Agency have to be getting involved? Things were so much easier without them.

I sighed and realized there was nothing else to do but head down to Lucky's and see if any more information had turned up. I'd never liked that dive, but sometimes circumstances necessitate. I snagged a bottle off the counter, single malt of course, and poured two fingers into a lowball glass. If I was heading to lowtown, I'd need the fortification. And I'd never liked drinking there.

The street was still bustling with people, although the body'd been moved long before. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was glad for the crowd on a day like today, even if I did find myself eying each of them with suspicion. I still didn't know who'd done the killing, and people were pointing every which way. In spite of myself, I found myself caught up in the excitement and pointing at Silas Hadow. Couldn't quite say why....just something about him.

I slipped into Lucky's quietly, thinking I ramble on too much, but glad to see a familiar face.

[Goblin Music]

i started to the nerest paper and looked at it interesting, very interesting. i said folding the parchment and storing it in a pocket this will be fun.

[Lord Magtok]

As much as I regretted to admit it, I was going to have to *point at Eldritch Knight again.* Unless people start voting for someone other than me, I'd have to forget my suspicions towards inky for a while to save my own skin.

[Eldritch Knight]

So, Lord Magtok, why do you seek my demise?

[Lord Magtok]

Nothing personal, really. I merely seek to prevent my own demise. My real suspicions lie with that inky guy.

[Meynolds]

Hmm... I do suspect Lord Magtok, but the suspicion may be unfounded. Eh, let's make this interesting with a tied vote. Too early to get any good evidence anyways.

*Points at Inky*

V: I'll take your word on that, I don't feel like reading the thread today.

[Lord Magtok]

Eldritch, I'm willing to point at inky again if you'll support me in eliminating him. The others will hopefully follow, and listen to my simple logic about the ink smear clue.

Summary: Eldritch, people who voted for him and people who voted for me should instead vote for inky.

*Points at inky.*

[The Valiant Turtle]

Shrevie the cabbie stands and scratches his head. He reads the paper, looks back to where he thought the corpse was...

Wow, that coroner is really efficient.

Maybe I accused you a little to soon strange metallic one, perhaps someone who looks more small and innocent has framed you. I suppose I shall give you the benefit of the doubt this time.

Shrevie points towards inky

Shrevie starts back towards his cab and realizes his passengers had earlier fled the scene.

Eh, anybody need a ride anywhere?

((I think this is the first time I've changed my vote on day 1, and I tend to change my votes a lot!))

[Eldritch Knight]

A break in the case!

Die, you scumbag!

EK points at Inky

[pingcode20]

Suspicions had rapidly changed. I smeared the last of my white out over the headline and rolled back the typewriter. It now read 'Suspicions point to Inky.

[Lord Magtok]

So the current total is now Me-5, Eld- 5, Inky-7. We may live through the first day, Eldritch.

[Eldritch Knight]

Woo-hoo! We live... Temporarily, of course.

[Shadow]

I feel sick.
Sick of the lowlifes on the streets.
Sick of the underground organizations building around me.
Sick of this whole damn town.

You know that feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach when you just realized that it was your sister you kissed in the closet at the party?

Well that's how I'm feelin' about this whole Magtok-Eldritch thing.
Those two are bad news, through and through.



((@v: Awww, come on. Have some fun with this already....))

[Eldritch Knight]

I feel sick.
Sick of the lowlifes on the streets.
Sick of the underground organizations building around me.
Sick of this whole damn town.

You know that feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach when you just realized that it was your sister you kissed in the closet at the party?

Well that's how I'm feelin' about this whole Magtok-Eldritch thing.
Those two are bad news, through and through.

Bad news, Shadow? I may be a suspect, but even I realize that there's a bigger issue at stake. Who's pulling the strings? It may be best if we follow the clues.

[Lord Magtok]

Well that's how I'm feelin' about this whole Magtok-Eldritch thing.
Those two are bad news, through and through.

Because we resorted to diplomacy to save our own lives and target someone genuinely suspicious? What's wrong with that?

If you remember correctly, the votes were capable of tipping in either direction, and neither of us wanted to die, so we decided to go with a truce that would guarantee our individual selves safety for a day. I don't know if he has a role or can be trusted, I simply know that not dying is a priority for me.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

I'm fairly certain that EK is safe, but I'm not sure about you, Llama.

*Points at Atreyu*

while you are right to be suspicous of me, after all, I am doing nothing different from WW VI or Rebellion.

Also, I think you're all big meanies for lynching Inky with such little evidence so soon after he was lynched in Pirates. Its not like he's killed someone who wasn't a narrator yet.

[Lord Magtok]

Sorry Llama, but there was no bandwagon on Ink, and I didn't want to take any chances with my own life.

[janusnori]

Seems that the Knight and the Shadow Agent, were making a devil's pact to get rid of Inky. Who knows whether this evidence pointed to Ink or Inky, perhaps we can tell soon. The knight and Lord Magtok remain on my suspicion list, but the evidence does seem to point to Inky, although we have yet to hear a defense. So as of now, I call in an anonymous tip to the police against Inky, if his defense seems logical, perhaps I'll move down the list to the other.

[Akaziel]

Now the situation has changed drastically. In light of new evidence, seems that this Magtok character's formed a new bandwagon against some guy nicknamed 'inky'. What game are you playing, Magtok? Can I trust you? Or are you the murderer? I guess I can trust you... for now. I ran off to the coffee shop, and got myself an espresso. I sipped it all in one gulp, and my caffeine-addled finger pointed at inky. If this guy wasn't a templar or a Shadow Agent, I didn't think I'd be able to forgive myself.

[Goblin Music]

switches point to Inky mag you are probably right i stated switching to my usual manner of speech

[Raistlin1040]

*points at Goblin Music.*

[The 8th Sin]

I needed to find some time to think this out; I would have also enjoyed having the brains required to do this aforementioned thinking. There were a number of problems now. The first problem is that word has quickly spread that the famous (and infamous) Maltese Falcon is somehow involved. This could mean some very bad things coming this way, because if anyone anywhere near me has that thing, and I can't steal it myself, packing my bags is probably the safest thing to do. The second problem is that suspicion has fallen on the knight and the anachronistic cyborg, although they will probably survive the day. I'm not big on cyborgs especially clearly evil ones, but even though he has probably slaughtered countless millions, there's no evidence that he commited this particular murder. Last and most important, I've run out of space in my moldy old department because of all the whiskey bottles cluttered in there. I would sleep outside, but that's suicide even if the Maltese Falcon wasn't around. Luckily, I seemed to recall that there was one corner near the door that was considerably less covered in broken glass than the others; I would sleep there tonight.

[Helgraf]

Day wore on into a haze-filled afternoon that befouled all it touched; even the sunlight was worn down, turned into an orange-yellow patina that stroked the sidewalks but no longer had the power to cleanse them.

I nursed my drink as I sat, and it nursed me in turn, though the slow lateral tilt it induced in my innards told me that I should probably cut back. Gossip and slander was all over town, and occasionally the subject of the murdered messenger who'd held the bird even came up amidst the talk of racketeering, unionism, protection schemes, strikes and other assorted unpleasantness. The murder was making waves ... the sort that crest up over your head and threaten to drown you if you don't swim with them - or through them. The crowd's two prime suspects had apparently entered into some sort of allegiance based on mutual self-preservation. It would be interesting in the next few days to see which one would hit the dirt first; these sorts of alliances always fell apart eventually. I rattled the rocks in my glass, and the bartender obligingly took it from me for a refill. Looking at what passed for the menu, I pointed at the onion rings - what seemed the least offensive fare on the bill. Besides, I'd need some food to keep the malt from making me completely useless.

The dame had been upset, as I knew she would. We'd been tracking the falcon - together once, but apart for the longest time now after that night in the Windy City. My mind started to dredge up the memories, but I pushed them back down with the help of the double malt. I didn't need that pain distracting me now, what with the crows circling and the trail getting cold.

The rings came up ... and were surprisingly crisp. I'd full well expected a sort of sodden, grease-soaked mess that would bundle up on itself and soak into everything around it, a sort of queasy film like you get on your tongue after the end of a three day breaker.

The tinny bell rang as the door opened, and I turned to look out of habit, and nearly dropped my drink. What the hell was she doing here? my liquor-soaked mind spat out. This was not the kind of place she came to if she could avoid it. Not anymore, anyway. But unless I was experiencing the D.T.s, there was no explaining away her presence. She was dressed down from what I remember, but there wasn't a disguise she could put out that would fool these eyes, no matter how bloodshot they got. I looked over to the bartender, put up a finger for a single and added another tenner to the tab on the bar. Never let 'em say I was anything less than respectful to the dames, after all.

I waited on her - if she wanted to speak, she would; it was just as likely she'd take one look at my crinkled mug, the onion rings and scotch and turn right around and walk out. I didn't fool myself into believing the old flower might still have some bloom left in it.

[inky13112]

It was a dreary day, the rain coming down harder than that stack of encyclopedia's I'd dropped on my foot 2 days ago. It was bad for business, but at least the rain gave me a chance to take a chunk out of that stack of books bigger than my Aunt Mary. I grabbed the one on the top and curled up next to the window, the rain playing the soft pitter patter that did wonders for my nerves.

I woke with a start as I heard the shrill ring of the phone. The book was sprawled open on my chest, still life testament to the apparent nap i must have taken. The phone rang again, snapping me out of my reverie. I softly stepped over to the thrice damned thing and picked up the receiver, uttering a short "Hello?" "Hey have you seen the newspaper?" The voice on the other end was only a passing acquaintance of mine, seemed thats all I had nowadays. "Yeah" Who hadn't? It was the talk of the city. "Why?" "Well apparently some people seem to suspect you did it, they say that some dark blotches on a bag incriminate you. Guess running that bookstore's gonna come back to bite ya." "'K thanks man, if you here anything else, tell me." "There is one more thing. Some guy by the Name of Lord Magtok says he was warped through time and space here, seems like a pretty lame alibi if ya ask me. Personally my suspicions would have to be with him. And he's one of the one's pointin' at ya too."

The click of his phone hitting its cradle brought me back to the real world Apparently this murder would mean alot more to me than i thought it would. My friend had been right about this Magtok fellow, he did seem pretty suspicious. I decided to confront him face to face, so I donned my coat and went out door, setting up the closed sign in the door as I left. It wasn't like it mattered, no one ever came here anyway. I splattered through the pouring rain over to my car. It wasn't a particularly great car, a blue sedan with enough miles on it to take me across the States a few times over, but she got my around, and that was all I really needed from her. I slowly climbed in and tried to start her for a minutes before I finally heard the engine car come to life. She was purring like a kitten on life support, but she got moving, and I managed to make it down to where the rumors said the crime occurred. There was a crowd there and it seemed my friend had underestimated things. I hadn't planned on saying much, but it looked like some more was in order. But first, I needed to look at the evidence.

I looked over the police tape at the bag with the allegedly incriminating evidence that I had done this crime. A couple dark splotches. I then looked at all those pointing at me, saying I had done this crime. Anger rose in me faster than that toilet overflowing in the run down Bar by the docks. I quickly squashed it though. Anger and yelling wouldn't do anything for me in this situation. "So you all think I did this. Why? Is it because of a couple dark splotches? Looks more like Oil to me. There's two things I can think of that could cause oil here. A car, or that machine over there." As I said this I swung my hand around to point at Lord Magtok. "Take a look at his alibi for one thing. Warped here through time and space? Sounds like an excuse to claim he couldn't have killed Mr. Bawx here. And then theres the fact that hes willing to kill anyone just to save his own hide. Sounds like the exact sort of person who would be willing to kill someone for this Falcon thing. I then stood there, rain pouring down, awaiting there responses.

[DarkLightDragon]

((pun not intended...))

This Magtok fellow? Surprisingly, he makes a good point.

[Ink]

((Freaky. Last night I actually had a dream about a dead body being found and the dead person's name was Joosbawx. I'm not kidding, it really was.))

[janusnori]

This Inky fellow made an interesting argument for his innocence. Being new to the detective scene, I decided to go back over my notes and take a walk around the block. It seems that nearly everyone who had been voting for EK, decided to change their vote to Inky, most of them after Lord Magtok decided to change votes to Inky and it seemed possible that Inky could be arrested. This, of course, strikes me as suspicious on the part of those that changed their vote, but even more suspicious of my original suspect: Lord Magtok. I decided to call the police again, perhaps Inky was a member of these secret groups, or perhaps it was Ink. It was clear however that Lord Magtok, was in league with some of those that were changing their votes. I made another phone call, Lord Magtok would hopefully be serving time by the end of the week.

[Akaziel]

It seems that this is a more difficult case than it originally seemed. The Falcon has made us all suspects, all pawns in the Fat Man's game. I took back my vote against inky, and pointed at Magtok. Turns out that I couldn't trust this 'time and space traveler'. I only hoped that I made the right choice.

[pingcode20]

I returned to the scene, fresh cup of coffee in hand, to find that the wave had turned once again. The argument of the day now was that Magtok was the culprit, on account of oil being an inky-black substance. However, one example stuck out in my mind.

"You mentioned that the oil could have come from a car - is it not conceivable that any carowner could have left behind the stains?"

I did not change my vote - I was already out of white-out, and I had little reason to disbelieve the cyborg's alibi.

[Castaras]

It seemed strange. The weird guy just smelled different. Yet people pointed at him. I didn't want any more human deaths. So I decided to put down my paw. This "Inky" fellow seemed like a good idea. But what was Inky? An Ink blot?

Mentally shrugging, I looked up at the hooded figure. No. He just smelled slightly different. Not something to kill someone on. But that Inky fellow...these humans changed their votes just for him...

I raised my paw and nervously pointed at Inky. I wasn't certain. But it could be.

[Strategos]

As I stood there in the rain trying to solve the mystery of the coloured point/un-point it seemed that a consensus regarding the murder of Mr. Bawx had formed faster than acne on a teenagers face. And while it seemed a little odd that two suspects had managed to form a bandwagon against another so quickly, I've seen stranger things happened. And besides, I promised the Eldritch Knight person I'd see how his suspicions played out. And I'm a man of my word. So I pointed at Inky, no longer surprised at the arrival of the colour when I did so.

[Madmal]

((Wednesdays are a bit complicated for me to post, (still no pc *grumbles*) so i'm pointing to avoid auto -Lynch))

*Malmagor points at Xylric

((Why i haven't posted yet? i'm still trying to figure out how to type in that style...))

[Joosbawx]

Final Tally - Day one


{table]#|Eldritch Knight|Xylric|Lord Magtok|the 8th Sin|S.Hadow|Inky13112|Strategos|LLama|Castaras

1|LLama|HyramGraff|DarkLightDragon|S.Hadow|Kyrian| Zeb the Troll|Ink|the 8th Sin|Zar Peter

2|Helgraf|Malmagor Andrigal|Captain ven der Decken||Alarra|Selrahc||Xylric
3|||Cult of the Raven|||Lord Magtok
4|||Gnome Barbarian|||Maynolds
5|||Inky13112|||Eldritch Knight
6|||janusnori|||pingcode20
7|||Akaziel|||Goblin Music
8||||||Raistlin1040
9||||||Castaras
10||||||Strategos
[/table]


Remember:
25% majority (9 votes) needed for successful lynch.
50% majority (18 votes) for lynch to happen early.
Please post all points in red text, and un-points with strike through




Votes Outstanding: 8 --:|:-- '*' Indicates Did Not Vote Previous Day
AKA_Bait
Ellimist
Evnafets
Krursk
Miatog
Psychoduck14
TimeOut
Vespe Ratavo

[Goblin Music]

((Wednesdays are a bit complicated for me to post, (still no pc *grumbles*) so i'm pointing to avoid auto -Lynch))

*Malmagor points at Xylric

((Why i haven't posted yet? i'm still trying to figure out how to type in that style...))

as if you aer looking at your self from the future, and narrating your self. italics are impotent to

[inky13112]

I looked on in horror as the crowd finally came to a consensus. I had spoken to almost all of my accusers, begging them to not put me to death, but it had been for not, the crowds always want blood when a tragedy happens, and it looked like I was their scapegoat. With a sigh I gave up. Proving innocence was always harder than proving guilt, and the only thing I could really offer in my defense was a sincere statement that I was just another citizen, trying to make my way in the world. But it hadn’t worked and the people were closing in, just a few more minutes and I knew the deadline would be up. I turned away from the deluded crowd and got in my car. For once she actually came to life on the first try, as if she too understood what was happening, and I drove back to my house.

I opened the cabinet where I always kept that one bottle of scotch and slowly poured myself a glass. I had always hoped I would use it to celebrate something, but it looked like that would never happen, and I drank the glass down, awaiting my own demise.

[Joosbawx]

Day One Ends...


The scene outside the bookstore was a level of chaotic I had never seen before, like a thousand teeming rats in the cargo hold that’s sat three weeks too long on the docks. ‘Eat, or be eaten’ was the creed of the day, and the sharks circling outside Inky & Blott’s Bookstore smelled blood in the water. The police, of course, ‘did what they could’ to hold the crowds back, but there was plenty of debris raining down on the handcuffed ‘suspect’ to go along with the hurled insults and gestures as the boys in blue trudged Inky from the store to the waiting paddy wagon.

Down at the station the Detectives sweat Inky for days…no water, tied to a chair, bright lamps, fisticuffs and phonebooks…the whole nine yards. Twelve yards, if you asked me…’cause when they were through with the guy, I know I’d have signed or said anything just to get ‘em to stop. Poor mug, these bulldogs had sunk I their teeth, and they weren’t about to let go, no matter if it had been an accident or not. Unfortunately, there was enough circumstantial evidence, backed up with the popular vote from the Press and average citizen, to convict Inky, even though they never got a confession from the guy.

So Inky became inmate 13112. Sent up State, never to return. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and the fact the scapegoat was found murdered in his cell the first morning might cause a few people to lose some sleep at night, but I’m not betting on that number being too high. Greed and terror, the two best weapons these shady organizations had against us, were both in fine form. Upon searching Inky & Blott’s after his arrest, it was immediately obvious that someone had already been through the place with a fine tooth comb. Book strewn everywhere, every drawer emptied of its contents, and even every piece of fine stuffed furniture had suffered a grisly stabbing death and spilling their stuffed guts all over carpeted floors. The thoroughness of the search implied that whoever was there either found what they were looking for or went away angry and empty handed.

Someone had it in for Inky, and they certainly succeeded. All I can hope is that, wherever he is, Inky got the last laugh.


Summary: Inky13112, a Citizen, was 'lynched'.


...Night One Begins.


Everyone that has a night move to make must have their PMs in no later than Thursday, April 12th @ Noon (Central US)...that's 24 hours from time of this post.

If anyone is planning on recruiting, I suggest you act very quickly and PM your target to Joosbawx so the target has a chance to consider and reply by end of the Night.

[Goblin Music]

i walked home with the paper and scanned it in to my computer, keeping my handguns close and the door locked (in case some one tried to kill me), and started to decode the "evidence" my home was full of clicking and tapping as i worked throughout the night.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(Shock it all! The one game where I don't want you to listen to me and you all do. gah! Look, revealing certain roles will cause auto death, but if you read the new rules and take a look at my character, you'll see that I can take care of people I suspect by myself.)

*A shadowy figure slinks around the rooftops, looking to avenge poor Inky and trying to find the missing statue.*

[janusnori]

"I knew it" I whispered to myself before folding the paper under my arm and ducking back out into the street. Apparently, the police didn't listen to me, they never listen to the little guy.

Getting back to my apartment, I bolted the door. With a handgun under my pillow, I went to bed. I knew there would be a lot of detective work to do tomorrow, especially considering all the shenanigans that the agents of evil did during the day they were bound to do much worse at night.

[Joosbawx]

The following still need to send in their night moves:


Yeah...nice try.



http://www.thetechgap.com/images/gunpoint.jpg

Shame on you
for peeking

[Castaras]

The following still need to send in their night moves:


Yeah...nice try.



http://www.thetechgap.com/images/gunpoint.jpg

Shame on you
for peeking







:smalltongue:

Good 'un, Joos! :smallbiggrin:

[Shadow]

Sitting in Lucky's I hear the news. That hairy little bugger went and got himself lynched for no good reason.

"Stupid kids with their crazy names. That's all anyone needs these days I guess.

Lucky. Another Gimlet, huh? Just put it on my tab.

Whad'a'ya mean I gotta pay my tab first? It's never been a problem before."

Humph! Lotta good it does being a local celebrtity.
A washed-out-has-been-no-good-local-celebrity with no job, no home and no scratch to get a gimlet with.
On the way out the door I lift a few limes and oranges from the tray and add 'em to the pocket full'a pretzels I grabbed earlier.
At least I'll eat a bit tonight. Not good food, but food anyway.

Man I need a shower.
And I need to check out the scene at the station. See if I can find something to go on with this little "case" I've got.

Who am I kidding? I'm not getting paid. It's not a case.
No one's gonna hire me until I at least get a shower.....

[Eldritch Knight]

Well, That really sucks. How were we supposed to know he was a citizen? What are we supposed to do now?

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

after the day was finished and the deed done, i felt sorry for the little inky guy. There was no reason for him to have been killed, just circumstancial and misinterpreted evidence. I sighed, and took off, looking for somewhere to grab my supper. Lucky's was full tonight, so I headed out there and waited around the trash can. While I waited, I read the Newspaper and thought about the day. Those kids who switched their votes around left a bad taste in my mouth. Were they just unsure about who to point at? Or were they taking orders from a crime boss? nobody really knew but the kids themselves, so I disregarded them. I latched onto the two other most suspicious figures - this Magtok guy who says he comes from another world, with his metal face and evil eye, and this guy called Eldritch Knight, who was once a mob boss but is now supposedly 'clean'. I thought that the metal man needed to be questioned by the cops, but apparently nobody else did.
As I pondered the evidence, looking for any clue or connection, some guy came out of Luckys and tossed out a half-finished hot dog. pondering would have to wait, because I'd just scored a great meal. nothing beats lucky's hot dogs. I figured i'd hole up for the night after i'd finished it. There was nothing else I could do tonight, so I might as well wait for the morning.

[Gnome Barbarian]

After my day at work I make it home. Its just another night. Hopfully Inky was really the killer but I had a feeling in my stomache that, he wasn't. Tomorrow is a new day. I lay down in my bed for the night. My heart heavy Inky's bookstore was a good place and now Blott would have to keep it running all on his own.

[psychoduck14]

lol i didnt know i was supposed to vote...anyway ill go for #2

[Goblin Music]

((what are you talking about Psyco?))

[psychoduck14]

(um this my first game like this and im not real shure what to do i was told to vote and i had to go right then so i read the first page and voted...i guess thats not what i was supposed to do...)

[Ink]

((Eh? Were you by any chance voting for llamas? That's nothing to do with the game.. Just ignore the llama and all llama-like creatures.))

[Joosbawx]

(um this my first game like this and im not real shure what to do i was told to vote and i had to go right then so i read the first page and voted...i guess thats not what i was supposed to do...)

(( Hey, Psychoduck14, thought I'd jump in here and give you a hand. The game is a 'mafia' style game where everyone is assigned a role and then plays that role over the course of a series of 'rounds' that consist of 'day' and 'night'. During the daytime hours everyone votes for a player/character they believe is one of the 'bad guys' and the player/character with the most votes against him/her is 'killed' or 'lynched'.

Additionally, everyone has a secret role in the game...look in your private messages folder and you should see the role assigned to you for this game since everyone received a PM with their role. That is the part you play for this game and vote accordingly, trying to further the goals of the assigned role and help your side 'win' the game.

The game is based on secrecy, so don't reveal your role to anyone unless you're certain they're on your side of the game...meaning don't post it publicly in the game thread.

Whew...that's the game in very broad strokes. If you have further questions, you can find a lot of answers by clicking here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36074) and reading up on the information Lucky has gathered. ))

[psychoduck14]

(okeedok thanks i think i got it now)

[Joosbawx]

(( good deal. please PM me if you have any questions at all. ))

[Ink]

The night was deep, meshed with the steady beating rain, creating an inky rhythmic blackness outside the window pane. Sitting there at my desk my mind drifted back to the prisoner and the day's events. Inky had been adamantly ignorant till the moment of his death. Whether he was innocent or whether he feared something else more than the law I didn't know. If so, it seemed his fears were not unfounded. I mulled over the multiple anonymous calls and tips we had received today. And what of the Falcon? Where was it now? I lit up a smoke and as I watched the embers burn down I knew it was going to be a long night at the station house.

[Alarra]

His expression was priceless, a cross between that of a heavyweight champion being knocked down for the count and a little boy opening a Christmas present. I didn't smile. I wanted to, enjoyed that I was keeping him on his toes. I knew I shouldn't be here, but I'd seen where sitting back and keeping to the sidelines had gotten me, and it wasn't far.

I perched on the stool next to him and went through the words in my head. There were a hundred things I could think to say, but in the end I accepted the drink wordlessly and glanced over his appearance. He hadn't changed. Not enough to make a difference anyway. He'd clearly been drinking the better part of the day, and there was nothing new there. But there was still a spark and curiosity that drew one into his eyes. I trained my own gaze to the counter top and my glass. No use going down that road again.

The crowd was loud around us, talking of the poor bookseller who'd been arrested on little more than circumstantial evidence and suspicions of both organizations being still at large. I knew I'd come to the right place, if I was going to scrounge for information, here would be the place to find it.

I eventually turned to him, "So....." The word sounded fragile and wispy in the oppressive heat and noise and I hated myself for sounding so hesitant, so unsure.

[Zar Peter]

Get up, turn out the light and walk to my telescope.
This poor shopkeeper, what did he do to make them suspicious. Sometimes I don’t understand the minds of the people out there.
I liked to buy my books there, he always were friendly and showed a little smile.
Who wanted to get him killed? The answer has to be down there, somewhere in the streets and I stuck here with my telescope.
But I were able to spot a part of the license plate, maybe I can encourage someone from the police… yes this guy who betrayed his wife.. he owes me something. Lets give him a call.
And afterwards I survey the street. Wondering why there are so many people at Luckys today…

[pingcode20]

I decided to spend a long night in Enrico's, my local coffee shop, going over the day's events. I always worked better there - it was the only place to make real espresso in New York. I took a copy of the day's evening newspaper from the rack and read the headlines from yesterday, switching off my mono-

-"Very Interesting..." I mused, finishing the article and switching my monologue back on. Apparently there were two groups trying to get at the Maltese Falcon, and so was everybody else - I myself had received a call from head office, promising me a hefty bonus and a promotion if I brought it back to be placed into a museum. The publicity alone would be worth billions!

[The 8th Sin]

I thought I was the crazy one. My head was spinning, and the cigarettes I was smoking were nothing but pure, wholesome tobbaco, although the other kind might calm me down. Everything that happens seems like a conspiracy, and once again, I'm only using regular smokes. Who pulling the strings? Could it be the knight and the cyborg working together with an elaborate trick to lynch a citizen. It didn't seem likely even to my drug-addled mind. Right after a crisis like this, it isn't difficult to make people turn against each other. Perhaps it was just one of them. If that was true, the cyborg was the more suspicious one because he suggested the "solution." My suspicions still remain with that llama who started it all. He seems to have implicated someone of murder, and then faded into the background like some sort of evil, scheming, chamelion llama. My brain was too tired, so I gave up and went to sleep in the corner with the least glass shards. My mind dwelled on the Maltese Falcon for my last few seconds of consiousness, and my dreams dwelled on it deep into the night.

[Helgraf]

The dame was class, there were no two ways about it. Even in a dive like this, she made the old ticker sit up and take notice. I set aside my glass for now; my belly was feeling full and my mind didn't need any more distractions.

"So, yeah. I'd say we have a devil's advocate out there. I've got a few leads, but they're getting real tight with the information, especially after the little job our fine law enforcement put on inky." I paused, swallowed even though I hadn't anything to drink at the moment. Gods, she could wear sackcloth and ashes and ... ahh better shut that line down. That book was closed between us now. "But like Montana used to say, back in Chicago," I winced a moment; Chicago hadn't been a good scene for either of us, and Montana had punched his check there. I don't know if she still blamed me for it, but I wouldn't be upset with her if she did. Troubled waters past. Nothing for it to barrel on and hope. "When you're looking for a bird, follow the breadcrumbs. And today a lotta crumbs got dropped, including one as oughtn't. There's at least two fellas with a penchant for ink crawling around this burg, and I get the feeling the Shadow boys are going to cut the other one open tonight and try to find a prize inside. Provided the Templars don't put him to the question first, of course."

He gave her a long, searching gaze; it must have been the liquor, but for a moment he thought he'd seen something in those eyes like the old days. Before Chicago. Naw ... had to be the booze stirring up old ... dangerous memories. Best to stick to the pursuit of their remaining mutual interest.

The air between us was silent for a long time. I knew she was thinking, calculating, considering how to move ahead; maybe even considering whether it was worth keeping me as a pawn or tossing me aside. She was a dame of class, and, well, class and me, we went together like oil and water.

I looked at the shabby old clock on the one wall - it looked like something stolen from an old Catholic school classroom, stark white with black markings and hands that spoke of no art, no soul, just ceaseless turning function; and shook my head. The setting sun cast long black shadows into the diner that were only partially offset by the dull yellow illumination of the hanglights. "Youse want I should get you a cab," I offered quietly. I'd never offer to walk her home; she'd take it as some sort of insult to her own skills - and even if not, I expect the blueboys would make trouble seeing a lout like me walking with a dame like her in the night, and she deserved better'n that; but the cab she might take.

[Alarra]

Of course I knew he would have more information than I did, but it still rankled a bit to have to hear it from someone else. This was a state I ought be used to, given everything we'd been through. There were some places I simply couldn't go, people I didn't feel safe associating with...and for those instances, you need someone like him. But I didn't like to need anyone.

I nodded, silently, thinking....It was full night now, and there'd be little I could do now before morning. Try as I could to analyze the situation there were still too many variables, too many suspects, too many possibilities, and every thought lent itself to comparison with other nights, other wild goose chases. How long had we been on the trail and it still eluded us? It was almost enough to make one give up. I had once....but somehow always ended up being dragged back in.

"Youse want I should get you a cab," His voice was quiet, considerate and I stared at him for a long time before I answered. I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. It'd been a long time, and it was hard to find out that there was something still there, lurking beneath the surface to catch at the inside of your stomach when you least wanted it to. I knew I'd dropped the mask, and part of me wanted to think it didn't matter. "That would be nice. Thank you."

I didn't look at him again, "And in the morning, when you have more information, you'll call me?" It was more order than request and meant to sound that way. He nodded and I folded myself into the cab. As it sped down the few blocks to my apartment, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell I was doing.

[Joosbawx]

Night One Ends...


Day break in the City. The cool morning air stirred with the first caress of the gentle orange, blushing pink and velvety gold light spilling over the horizon, accentuated by the sheen of yesterdays rain, and illuminating the City in a soft glow that brings the poet out in even the most unsavory of citizens…

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea…

Chasing the dawn, carried by the twittering laughter of morning birds like children playing tag, was the bluest of skies, shooing away the darkness of night with the promise of all that is good and whole…as though trying to scrub away the nastiness of the previous days Karma and tipping the scales of nature back into balance. But, that, my friends, is exactly what is wrong with mornings…they’re broken the moment they arrive, and Karma had more catching up, after the darkness of night, than anyone could fathom from inside the momentary halo of sunrise.

The body was found by a newsie, one of the street urchins that hawk papers on street corners. Pearl eyes staring at the perfect, clear morning, the body lay splayed Vitruvian and still as the monolithic stone and mortar that kept him in shadow. He wore a costume…two perhaps…until close inspection revealed that the wooly covering was actually part of the deceased true appearance, though the dark cape and mask brought to mind the images painted by cheap novels or radio dramas. The neck of the…man...had clearly been broken, either by fall or from a severe wrenching, and lay as a grotesque angle that pressed the jaw to an angle that made him seem to be grinning. Once reported, the Police acted quickly, sweeping the neighborhood and keeping their mouths shut this time, apparently eager to past the last political fiasco of an investigation they’d handled. Though, of course, especially when you have a professional town crier find the body, news travels fast, and the news was that The Shadow was dead. Before long, the Commissioner was saying he’d be making a statement to the Press, but before time care around they found the second body…

…And all should cry, Beweare ! Beware !
His flashing eyes, his floating hair !
Weave a circle round him thrice…

The second corpse was at the complete opposite end of the spectrum as the masked figure in the alleyway; found in his downtown penthouse, facing the window in an overstuffed, and quite expensive, leather chair. The maid said she thought he was sleeping, as he often did, in the comfortable chair while reading and enjoying a glass of brandy or cognac; however, when she went to wake him, she noticed the silken black scarf around his neck and staring, open eyes and immediately called the Police. Within a fifteen minutes…response time is much better in this part of town…there was a pair of Detectives and a handful of uniforms on the scene and canvassing this neighborhood, as much for show to help the upper crust feel safe as for any hope of gathering anything useful. Pushed into the rigored hand of the deceased was a typewritten note reading “Sorry for your inconveniences.”, which police could not match to any device in the household. That, combined with the marks of the garotte marked concealed by the silken scarf made the highly astute detectives doubt they were dealing with a suicide. Clever fellows. If they spent as much time actually investigating the scene as they did taking ‘forensic samples’ of the brandy, they might have actually done some good.

…And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.


Summary: Atreyu, the Masked Llama and Xylric, both Citizens, were killed.


...Day Two Begins.


Poem exerts from Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (http://etext.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/Kubla_Khan.html).

Don't forget to send your PMs to Joosbawx for those of you with Daytime moves to make. Day Two ends Saturday, April 14th @ Noon CDT (US).

For those that may be planning to recruit, starting the process during the daytime is perfectly acceptable, and preferred, to ensure the process is complete by the end of the Night deadline.

[Selrahc]

Summary: Atreyu, the Masked Llama and Xylric, both Citizens, were killed.

((So llama wasn't the Shadow? Or... he was the shadow? Or I'm not supposed to know?))

[Joosbawx]

(( LLama was a Citizen; therefor, not The Shadow. You are meant to know. ))

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(*grins*) I win!

[Eldritch Knight]

My..... brother, dead? Not.... my brother. My... my..... my.......

DAMN THEM! THEY WILL PAY FOR THIS! THEY WILL ALL PAY! BY ALL THE GODS IN THE HEAVENS, AND ALL THE LORDS OF HELL, THEY WILL PAY! I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE. I COME FOR YOU!

[The 8th Sin]

My theory was out the window just like the brandy bottle that was right now lying broken in the street. Llama was innocent, and I was stupid. Now, the knight was a serious suspect; after all, if knight was a member of that shadowy organization, he would want to remove the llama who was shamelessly biased against him by the events that apparently occured in an alternate universe. That cyborg fellow is also good to watch, because his actions could easily be a vicious plan to remove a citizen. I allowed myself a moment to brood. This was all wrong; people were dying! If these organizations had their way, honest and dependable people like myself would...um...would...what was I saying again? I pondered upon the situation then decided that it would be way more fun if I just went through with my suspicions without thinking about it. *I point at that knight guy*

[Eldritch Knight]

8th sin,

You would accuse me of murdering my own twin? Murdering the one person closest to me? Murdering the one person who kept me in balance after the loss of my wife? Murdering him would be like murdering myself. It is beyond me why you would believe me responsible for this.

As to the death of the Llama, I bore him no ill will, for I was proven to be in error about my assumptions of him. Why would I murder him when it would obviously lead to fingers being pointed at me. I had nothing to do with either of these murders, and I am insulted that you would think so.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

*stares, open mouthed*
Joosbawx, I worship your writing skills.
Please accept my soul as sacrifice.

[Joosbawx]

(( Also, thank you, Raven. :smallredface: Though I don't normally dabble soul trade. ))

[Castaras]

It was a cold morning. And there was much blood. Wandering the dark alleyways, I glanced round the place. Something seemed amiss. Something kept going through my mind...something about a river. I was uncertain. But there may be some kind of mouse there. I didn't know places outside the slums that well...maybe I should go exploring. Brotherly rivalry was common among cats, therefore it may be true among humans. I raised my paw to point at Eldritch Knight before exploring the town, searching for a river.

[Eldritch Knight]

So let me get this straight. Because it was Xylric who was killed, you suspect it was me who killed him because of sibling rivalry? Would you be accusing him if it was me who had been killed? Yes, he and I had some issues left unresolved between us, and I mourn the loss of an equal. I did not kill him, no matter what any of you might say. None of you have ever experienced a relationship such as what I lost, so none of you understand how important it is for me to find my brothers killer. I am innocent. I am just as innocent as my brother was. He could have vouched for me, but now I am left to face condemnation simply because of my blood relation. How is this justice? I am a citizen of this city. I came to escape my past, and now I find it rearing it's head again. The same people who killed my wife have now killed my brother, and it is high time they paid the price for the wrongs they have commited.

I know my brother. His security system was state of the art, and even I didn't know how to get around it. The only way someone could have gotten into that room to kill him was if he let them in himself. That was his preferred room for conversation, so I would imagine that there would still be clues there. The scarf may not be the clue we need to find his killer, but I am sure that there are other clues. I suspect that it was the Shadow Organization that killed him, and the Knights who killed the Llama. I have no ties to either of these orders. The order I serve is over 2000 years old, far older and widespread then either of these two. I serve the Order of The Way, and it is my duty and task to protect this city from those who would do it ill.

[Shadow]

I leave the shelter as soon as I get up in the godawful morning.
After I get a shower, that is.
I abhor the shelter an it's derelicts, but the word on the street travels through there quickly. The word is that the real vigilante Shadow was a tiny bit miffed that an imposter was carousing around town trying to look like him, and put a stop to it. With that information, I ignore the Llama's murder and head staright for Xylric's penthouse.

Must be nice to be able to afford this kinda pad.

The flatfoot at the door blocks my entry, something about credentials. It's pretty obvious that he's on the sauce. A couple'a quick sips from the trusty flask I keep in my jacket is all it takes to get in.
Inside's like a reunion. All the old boys that I used to do this with years ago when I was with the paper. Yesterday they pretended that I wasn't even there at the scene. Today the juice gets 'em blabbin'.
Unfortunately there isn't much to say.

So I'm back to square one.
Maybe this whole private **** thing's not for me.
Maybe I need something a little more "in yer face" to get a little bit of my old self back.

Outside I call one of my old contacts.
"Anything on what we talked about last night?"

......

"Not yet, huh? Well make sure to let me know.

......

"Yeah, thanks. I'll be in touch"

At least he'll give me the time of day ater all these years.
I hope.

So I'm thinking about this whole Magtok/Eldritch Knight thing and I'm not so sure yet. They both still sit uneasily with me, like a glass of sour milk, but my old reporter's instincts are coming around again and they're telling me that I might be wrong.

That's something new.

[Lord Magtok]

This Magtok/Eldritch thing? It was just something to save my own skin for one day. I don't trust him anymore than anyone else. In fact, I'm considering pointing at him, but I'll wait until more evidence is used against him other than "Magtok and him tried to not die!" and "His name/appearance reminds me of (insert name of group)!"


“Sorry for your inconveniences.”

Hmmm...is there a hitchhiker in our midst?

[psychoduck14]

(im new at this so this aint much)

I sit back in my chair at some pizza place thinkin about what happened tryin to make since out of it all, anyway the closest to a conclusion i can think of is that fishy knight guy...points at Eldritch Knight

[Shadow]

((Joos must be bored today....))

[Joosbawx]

(( Very slow at work today, yes. *knocking on wood* ))

[Zar Peter]

I awake sitting in this uncomfortably chair at my telescope. Fell asleep around 2 o' clock.
Nothing. The night weren't dark, the city light's turned all into a bluish light but I couldn't see anything wich was worth mentioning.

Must get the newsletter, maybe there’s something interesting in.

So, what do we have here… TWO MURDERS? This night? Damned, a crazy masked Llama which was disguised as the shadow. And some of the snobs there in downtown. Wonder who would like to kill them. I think the Llama could leaned himself too wide out of the window. Maybe he wanted to impress the real shadow and thougt he get protected this night.
But Xylric? Did they think he had the Maltese Falcon? Just a shoot in the dark?

I have to think about this!

[Ink]

((Quick question Joos, do all the roles other than the fool show up accurately upon death? In the first post it says that the Templars and Shadow guys don't carry anything to identify themselves. Does this mean their roles don't show?))

[The 8th Sin]

The knight was proclaiming his innocence in a very compelling way. He invoked the "you can't say I did that because if I did everyone would suspect me" excuse. Unfortunatly, that doesn't work because if you can just say "I wouldn't have done it because it would be suspicious," then you can allieviate all suspicion. My narrative began to twist and turn, and I lost track of what I was saying.

"Look kid, It's not that you are guilty beyond a doubt, but you are suspicious enough to accuse."

And if by any chance you aren't playing a twisted game, then I'm sorry for the loss of your brother. But if you are; if you were the one who killed your brother, then you are the scum of this world.

[The 8th Sin]

It's time for me to dismiss the foolish notions I have that I'm actually role-playing and say something that needs saying: being a cyborg does not mean you're part of an organization; having a glowy red eye does not mean you're part of an organization; being evil does not mean you're part of an organization. Thank you for your time.

[Eldritch Knight]

Alright, I'm not really following why I'm seen as suspicious. Is it because I claim to be a knight? I've already explained that I belong to a different Order. Let me tell you, these Knights are not friends to us. I am on the side of this city. Please don't jump to conclusions about me. I refuse to point at anyone at this time because I am still gathering evidence. Once I find enough evidence, I will make it all public.

[Joosbawx]

((Quick question Joos, do all the roles other than the fool show up accurately upon death? In the first post it says that the Templars and Shadow guys don't carry anything to identify themselves. Does this mean their roles don't show?))

(( You will know when a member of the Templar Knights and Shadow Agents dies; however, you won't know specifically which role they had (Oracle, Fat Man, etc), except for Recruits/Neonates if they give up a name when they die. ))

[evnafets]

A new town. A new job. A new apartment.
The same noises, same coffee, same muggings hapenning every day, and now every night.
The same mob mentality, focusing on one victim then another.
The same dark figures pulling the strings behind the scenes, watching us dance to their tune, while keeping to the shadows.

Coffee managed to get me moving in the morning. However I was still too tired to think. And had too much to do.

I was going to steer clear of the obvious suspects from yesterday, and those who were pointing at them.
Instead I directed my attention to those on the sidelines:
evnafets points at Ink

[Shadow]

I've seen this before.
Always turns out the same.
Last time, before I got whacked in the noodle and dropped into the depths of the river, it was the same scene. Everybody joining in the bloodhunt immediately after the Mafia showed up. The first people to escape suspicion are always the second ones to die.
Doesn't make any sense to this old reporter.
I mean this old private ****.
I mean this old worthless pile of dung.

Maybe my skills could be utilized better behind a desk, doing research.
So I head to the Law Firm and ask if they need a clerk or something.
I's better than what I've got right now, which is nothing.

So now I work for the DA. Somebody different than before when I was on the story. He's never in the office, so I don't know who the hell he is, but there's a loft above the office that they're going to rent to to me for cheap.
Take the dough right out'a my check.
Fine by me.

The dame answering the phone keeps giving me that look I remember.
I'll have to show her the place later on.

She's talking to someone on the other end of the line like she's never had a conversation before, repeating everything for me to take in.

"Ink, really?"

.......

"Well sure, but I don't know about those other two. Maybe after the--"

.......

"Yes, sir. Sounds like he's gonna need it. I'll call the partners right now and tell "em all about it."

.......

"Yeah.... Got it.... I'll send him right away."

She hangs up the phone and looks at me with longing lashes. She looks disappointed that I've gotta go.

"Mr. Hanson wants you should head across the street and have at that Ink guy. He says an informant of his tipped him off on something, but he didn't say what that somethin' was."

I head to the window. *Pointing at Ink* I says to her

"You mean that guy? I'm on my way."

[Lord Magtok]

People are accepting my advice about the Ink person now? Or is there something else I don't know about?

Either way, I think I should *Point at Ink.*

[Gnome Barbarian]

Like any other day I head to my morning appointment. I don't know why but it seems I am going by all these murders on my way to work. What is going on with this town? Now our freindly Llama is gone. dressed up like the shadow...vigilantes...who needs them anyways. Personally I believe that vigilantes like them bring more crime to the city. Looking at those who are pointing, I can't help but think that someone has to do something about these crimes and the histaria that comes from it. So I join in hoping to root out the true killers of Joos Bawx, Llama and Xylric.

*Gnome Barbarian points at ink

[Eldritch Knight]

I need more evidence before I can commit to any course of action...

[Akaziel]

I got up from my bed in the apartment. Seemed like the same day... waking up to a murder... no, two murders. Xylric... and the Llama. I left the building after taking a much-needed shower, and joined the others gathered at the scene. No new evidence has been found yet, so suspecting someone now would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But it doesn't matter. I like those odds. I raised my finger and pointed at Ink.

[Helgraf]

It'd been a long night's walk to the flophouse that pretended to be a hotel. The visit had been troubling, not the least because it kept on hashing up old memories. Better times, some might say. Not me though. Things were just as difficult then, it just seemed easier. Maybe it was having a partner you could trust. I don't know that I could fool myself into thinking it was something warm and soft, the way poets describe love. No ... it may have been warm once or twice, but it was definitely hard and scrabbling, the sort of chase that left you gasping for breath and wondering if you had enough time to get to cover before the next hail of bullets came. But there was that look at the end of the night. I'm sure it wasn't the drink; but if it was genuine, then there was a whole new heap of trouble just opened and poured itself into the coffee grinds of my life.

I slept like a rock, but the harsh buzz of the early morning wake-call cut like a buzzsaw through my subconscious musings; eyes peeled open slowly, and my hand, feeling heavy and graceless like someone had attached a 10 pound ham to the end of my wrist, came slamming down on the receiver, catapulting it into the air until it reached the length of the cord and snapped back, landing with a muffled thud on the bed. I groped after it a while longer; thumbed it to my ear, grumbling something that came out sounding more like German interpreted by a gorilla than anything else, then hung up.

I'd begun pounding the pavement, making the no-sees and no-speaks point and tell. A lot of speculation; but enough for me to take out my list, erase a few marks, and add a couple of circles. I found a dog vendor at an early corner, probably taking advantage of the bus traffic for all the suits not important enough to come in late; the grunts putting in the eleven hour days and looking for any way up and out. The dog was greasy, but the mustard was strong and it covered the taste long enough to get it down my throat.

I learned about the murders soon enough; my next stop would be the police station. Jimmy was a Captain now, I heard, and I really wanted to get a close look at the note in the dead rich man's hand. I had a few hunches that could only be proven or disproven with a good close investigation of the note. Typewriters were very distinctive machines - for that matter so were printing presses. You could learn a lot by the strikes on the paper, the shapes of the letters and similiar characteristics. It was something else Montana had taught me ... years ago, back when we'd first set out. I owed the dame a phone call - 'as soon as I learned something' - and she'd get one, soon. I'd likely change my tune if my examination of the note met my suspicions, but for now..

* Helgraf points at Ink *

[Goblin Music]

Points at ink (my my some one went to see the creators massage ay?)

[DarkLightDragon]

*point at Ink*

[Alarra]

The sun slanted harsh, bright razors through my windows, indicating that the day was growing late again. I peeled my eyes open as best I could, feeling like a herd of elephants was stampeding inside my skull. Why couldn't today have been overcast?

I dragged myself out of bed and spied the bottle on the floor as I shuffled to the shower. It'd seemed the best course of action at the time, drowning the memories that refused to stay buried. Unfortunately, it'd been a short-lived and painful solution.

I wasn't going to sit by the phone and wait all day. I wasn't that girl. When I stepped out onto the street, I winced at the noise and bustle of the crowd. The oversize dark glasses cut the daggers pouring off the sun a little, but not enough to make a difference. At least they were hiding my bloodshot eyes well enough.

There were a few suspects being tossed around for the new murders that had turned up. The organizations were being more cavalier than usual. One doesn't expect a new crop of bodies each morning. But the falcon was priceless, so I suppose these things weren't unheard of. The rich man was apparently the brother of Eldritch Knight....damning implications, clearly. And Lord Magtok was still being bantered about as a possible offender. But the majority seemed to think that following the ink was the way to go.

My head ached too much for a deeper analysis, and I trusted my instincts and sources, so *pointed at Ink

[Kyrian]

Hmm...still not used to this style of writing, but consensus seems to be agreeing for the most part. Ink, I choose you....to die!

[Zeb The Troll]

Well, that was a rough night. I spent the next morning revisiting the clues I had. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to get worse before it gets better. Whatever that thing is, someone wants it bad. I pick up the day's paper off the stoop and there it is, right on the front page. Two more murders last night. This is gettin' out of hand.

I mount up and head to check out each of the sites. At least it's not raining today, but I've got a slicker in the sidecar this time, just in case. On the ride, I try to sort through my mind what the next step should be. Should I try to glean something from the boys in blue or should I head over to see what the public defenders are gossiping? We'll see when we get there, I suppose. -

- Man, the Llama's gone. Guess that'll teach a guy to take matters into his own hands. The layout of the body, though. Vitruvian. Man, that screams of the Templars. The conspiracy theorists will have you believe that Da Vinci himself was a Templar, or at least associated with them.

What's that cat doing here? Wasn't it at the scene yesterday? Seems a bit far for a cat to wander. But then, what's normal these days. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that cat was just as curious as I am what's going on. I think I'll offer it a ride and see what happens.

Zeb reaches down and picks up Castaras, placing her in the sidecar.

If she's still there after I get done tooling around town, we may pal around a bit. If not? Well, that's that I suppose. -

- Xylric too. Damn. Black scarf? Garrote? Yep, this one's got Shadow Agents written all over it. But why? The cops haven't got anything to add. At least not that they're sharing. Time to head to the DA's office and see what the scuttlebutt there is. I wonder who's running that office know. I gotta make a mental note to find out.

Once I walk in, I overhear a conversation between the receptionist and this S. Hadow character. They're talking about Ink being suspect now. I follow the fingers pointing at Ink and shuffle along behind while they go ask him a few questions. Maybe I'll overhear something useful.

[The 8th Sin]

There was a lot of commotion all around the city. Accusations had been directed at this "Ink" on the grounds that he was inky, and therefore connected to the scene of our original Joos Bawx death. I looked him up and down. So far as I could tell, there was no ink on him at all! He was the shining example of a angel covered in chains. My suspicion at this one-sidedness inceasingly grows. My hands begin shaking again.

"Damn it; why won't they stop."

This morning I had been unable to find any undrunken alchohol, and already, my head was starting to pound.

[pingcode20]

((For easy totalling, Point at Ink)

People were beginning to wonder where the District Attorney was. I resolved to get to the bottom of this, quickly scribbling a note which I left on my desk to add to my next article that Ink was the current prime suspect, before pulling on my coat to go investigate the DA's office.

When I arrived at the offices, I talked a key out of the district attorney's secretary, who handed it to me with a giggle. Letting myself in, I set about searching for clues to his identity. His tenant had no clue who he was, and his secretary was staying mum.

Papers were everywhere. It looked as if the mysterious missing DA was over his head in this case, with folders about Atreyu and Xylric lying open on the desk. I sat down at the desk and began thumbing through them, looking for some clue as to the identities of the killers, but nothing. Suddenly, I heard footsteps, and realised I wouldn't be greeted with a warm welcome if the DA came back and found me ransacking his office. I made myself scarce, climbing out the window and escaping via the fire escape stairwell before the DA could find me.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

Last night was a long one. I couldn't get to sleep, with all the suspicions running through my head. I thought about this poor inky fellow who died, and how his bookstore was left after they searched it. I couldn't think why the whole city was pointing at this guy now, just because his name was ink. I decided to wait the day out and not accuse another innnocent man until I had enough evidence. I pondered pointing at that wretched machine, but decided against it. I would keep my head down today, and try not to be noticed by either of the organizations that were so brutally murdering people. I flew out of the town square, and perched on top of a payphone, hoping to hear some dirt.

[Madmal]

This is defiantely madness....
Why Ink? he hasn't proved to be suspicious at all, besides his actions...it won't do any good to have him murdered i tell you...

EK doesn't convince me either, as i firmly believe that we're beign tricked and misquided, and that he's only moved by the death of a loved one.

i'll point at Evnafets, you started a senseless bandwagon against a known innocent. you started this tragedy. you deserve to die, as well as Ink deserves to be protected.

*Mal points at Evnafets

[Eldritch Knight]

Ek points at evnafets

[Castaras]

Malmagor, that human, had a point. Maybe I would do well to stop my searching and come back. Hmm...Evnafets. Seemed a better option than Eldritch Knight. I lowered my paw from EK and moved to point at Evnafets.

[Joosbawx]

(( The following is published by the newspaper. You may find points of interest within. ))




Commissioner Press Conference Sheds
New Light on Building Violence


Under the noonday sun, the Police Commissioner held a press conference to inform the public about the status of his departments investigation into the escalating violence centered around the recent reappearance of the Maltese Falcon. He began by apologizing to the general public for the wrongful death of their previous suspect, Inky (inmate 13112), and stated there was an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Office of the District Attorney. While refusing to give details, he did state the District Attorney was beginning an investigation into the two organizations they believed were responsible for the this mornings murders and the resurgence of interest in the artifact known as, The Maltese Falcon.

The Commissioner then gave details the department had prepared concerning the murders. The body found in the alleyway and rumored to have been the killed by the vigilante known as The Shadow if believed to be the victim the Templar Knights. Based upon the positioning of the body and method of murder the Police, while still wanting The Shadow to answer for other crimes, are not prepared to implicate him in the death of the Llama. The following note found on the body and confirmed to have been written by the deceased corroborates their findings:

"Did you really think it would be that easy to find "The Shadow?" I'm happy to distract you, so he may continue undetected. See you on the other side, suckers."

Sincerely, The fuzzy decoy

Moving on to the second body from this morning, the Commissioner confirmed they suspected the Shadow Agents. They also confirmed the note left with that body was not prepared on any machine in the home of the victim and was being sent to the FBI in Washington, D.C. for further analysis and comparison in an attempt to confirm the involvement of the Shadow Agents. While they had an extensive list of suspects, the Police spokesman stated they had been able to clear several individuals from suspicion, including: Xylric's maid, The Shadow, and the other victim, LLama.

Lastly the Commissioner touched once again on the continued investigation of Inky; specifically the subsequent breaking and entering of Inky & Blott's. Police investigators, in conjunction with forensics experts and the cooperation of Mr. Samuel Blott, have been able to determine that everything listed in any of their extensive inventories can be accounted for. While Police say they have few leads to follow concerning the identity of the responsible party for the break-in, whoever broke performed an extensive search but took nothing for which the owner or Police can account.

[The Valiant Turtle]

Shrevie's cab speeds by, causing a few heart palpitations in various bystanders as he nearly runs them over. As he drives by he sees the crowd pointing at somebody and gets a glimpse of Ink.

That guy is a terrible tipper...

Shrevie (Raldor) points at Ink

[Madmal]

*disgrunted sigh*
i tell you!! Ink is innocent!!! all o fyou must be misguiding...or attempting to misguide...
seriously, when have i lied to you?

[Zeb The Troll]

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea…

…And all should cry, Beweare ! Beware !

His flashing eyes, his floating hair !
Weave a circle round him thrice…


…And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.


Poem exerts from Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (http://etext.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/Kubla_Khan.html).

I reviewed the events of the morning hoping for clues. One thing stood out to me that I couldn't explain. The interlude of the poem. Kubla Khan, I think it was. I'm not sure. Not the whole thing though. It just kind of hovered in the background, just out of full notice. What did it mean?


Two things jump out at me, but they don't make any sense. First, the water references. This could be an oblique reference to the Captain or to someone else. I don't know. Then there's the reference to flashing eyes. That sounds like Lord Magtok to me.


But it's not jiving together. I've got to think on this for awhile. One thing's for sure. I'm not getting any hint of Ink out of this one. I stop pointing at Ink and contemplate what this could all mean.

[Captain van der Decken]

Two more people were dead, and none of the crooks had been caught. This looked like trouble.

After yesterday's fiasco, people were still hunting for a scapegoat. And they chose Ink. Why? Because there was ink at the original crimescene? That smells worse than a week old fish left out in the sun. Who knows, though? They could be right. I try to keep an open mind.

Someone was playing this behind the scenes. Someone crafty. Most people think it's evnafets. But, it seems more like Malmagor. Maybe evnafets is behind this. Like I said, open mind. But Malmagor is scapegoating him for Inky's death. Why him? And almost desperately defending Ink. Of all the evidence I can see, as weak as it is, this is the most damning.


Mulling this over, I headed down to local, for a drink.

[Zar Peter]

After several phonecalls my head aches. That makes no sense. The rumour on the street goes that Ink should be suspicious, but why? Because the newspaper mentioned Inky prints?
And from the music of the morning radio program we can read that Lord Magtok is suspicous because of the glowing eyes?
I need some whiskey, I can't take it any more.
I have no suspects, I don't know who is in charge wherever, but I say that I confirm with Malmagor that evnafets did no good job in following the Inky trail. Also I must say that Malmagor himself seems to be a little suspicous because of defending Ink in such a strong way.
So, for me, I will point at evnafets, because that's the stronger evidence than Ink.

[janusnori]

My head swirled with all of the facts and finger-pointing becoming associated with this case. It was definitely getting hard to keep it all straight, and I had only been on the case for 2 days. There seemed to be two major suspects for the current murders, of course that would make sense considering that the police ruled that the murders were unconnected: Ink and Evnafets.

My notes on Ink indicated that he had been keeping a low profile lately and that while the Inky splotches found might have been from him, the terrible success that evidence had given the police during the last arrest made me loathsome to use it again.

Rather, it seemed interesting as to who was pointing at the poor fellow. While tips to the police were supposed to be anonymous, I called one of my buddies over at the station. After some chitchat about his wife, I managed to get him to give me a list of the tipsters. Some of the names seemed suspicious particularly because of their involvement in the previous arrest of Inky, and their constant point-switching.

I definitely needed a cigarette. Out on the stoop, I watched the cars drive past and the clouds march by. This Evanfets person hadn't even made a tip to the police the previous day, so I wasn't so sure, despite my suspicions of him, whether I should point at him just yet.

I thought of the other possibilities and one definitely stood out as suspicious: Akaziel. He had changed his mind so many times yesterday that by the end I wasn't even sure if he knew who he was voting for. Always jumping on the bandwagon of someone that looked to be the most popular at the moment, he had done it again today according to my friend on the force. I snuffed out my cigarette, went inside, and made the call.

((point at Akaziel))

[HyramGraff]

I woke up from with a hangover when the paper came flying into my office. Two more people (well one person and one llama) had been killed the following night.

I decided to hit the town looking for a clue. As fate would have it, none of the joints I visited had this board game which left me at the same place I started in the morning. Taking one more look at all the other interested parties around I noticed one fellow who seemed to be a rather shifty character. And so, having nothing else to go on I pointed at Eldritch Knight.

[Ink]

All day long as I walked the street I felt a strange sensation; an invisible bullseye, a target painted in striking red and white on my back. Unseen eyes peered from shadowy corners and dank alleyways, watching, waiting to pounce. I can't say I was entirely surprised. Fifteen years on the job had earned me a great number of enemies. With chaos and paranoia rampant in the city, the underground organisations that wanted me dead would certainly capitalise on the intrigue to get their wish. They wouldn't be so good at being underground organisations if they didn't.

The article in the paper sprang to my mind. A lot had been said in the piece, but only the inky smudges found on the late Mr. Joos Bawx had garnered any attention at all. It had resulted in the death of an honest book merchant, and I really didn't want to be its second victim. What other clues were hidden there? What evidence had we neglected to see? And what of the suicide note that wasn't? So many questions tossing through my mind as I crossed the street on 47th Avenue, narrowly avoiding being run over by the same deranged cabbie as yesterday. I barely noticed him this time. Someone was very keen to set the lynch mob loose on me, very quick to fly the accusations with only vague, minimal, and not to mention cryptic evidence. I knew I had to investigate this evnafets fellow, and fast. I pushed open the main door of the precinct house and ran up the two flights of stairs to my office.

* Ink points at evnafets

[Meynolds]

((I won't be online tommorrow until after the cutoff date, so I shall use the handy d34! [roll0]))

Please don't take this the wrong way, Zar Peter. Points at Zar Peter

[Alarra]

I considered the rumors and words flying around carefully. Was I sure that Ink was involved? No. The pounding in my head had subsided to a dull ache and I watched the crowd dispassionately from an empty bench.

Malmagor was certainly insistent about Ink's innocence. That could mean a lot of things, and I mulled over the possibilities.

I stopped pointing at Ink while I considered who else could have been involved.

[evnafets]

Events were moving too quickly. You'd think with the end of a week, things would loosen up, and more time would be available to just stop and think. But alas it seems not. The landlord was knocking at the door, and unprepared as I was, I had to pay the rent already.
So I suggested Ink. Not so much out of certainty, but more to keep myself alive long enough to try and make some sense out of this tangled mess. And see what if any reactions there would be.
I was shocked to see how people jumped on the slightest hint. Maybe it is my strings that are being pulled by those puppetteers. They take my initial proposal, and rather than debate it, trumpet it to the skies as the truth.
And then people accuse ME of being against him, when all I wanted in the first place was a little time to gather my thoughts.
Sigh. Life doesn't change much.

One of the supporters of Ink, Malmagor seemed convinced of his innocence. But how can anyone be certain at this point? I wish I had his faith in people, but more and more I see everyone as a potential enemy. If someone could give me a reason why Ink might be innocent, I would surely listen. If someone can provide some reason for guilt in another party, I would also listen. But for now all I see is wild pointing and little discussion.

Ink, I'm sorry if you don't deserve this, but rather you than me.

[Akaziel]

((janusnori: I only changed my vote because I was contacted by inky.))

((EDIT: And that I felt bad about him being the first to be lynched in Pirates..))

[Goblin Music]

(i believe we all were)

[Joosbawx]

Final Tally - Day Two

{table]#|Eldritch Knight|Ink|evnafets|Malmagor Andrigal|Azaziel|Zar Peter
1|the 8th Sin|evnafets|Malmagor Andrigal|Cap'n v.d. Decken|janusnori|Meynolds
2|psychoduck14|S.Hadow|Eldritch Knight
3|HyramGraff|Lord Magtok|Castaras|
4||Gnome Barbarian|Zar Peter
5||Akaziel|Ink
6||Helgraf
7||Goblin Music
8||DarkLightDragon
9||Kyrian
10||pingcode20
11||Raldor
[/table]

Remember:

25% majority (9 votes) needed for successful lynch.

50% majority (17 votes) for lynch to happen early.
Please post all points in red text, and un-points with strike through



Votes Outstanding: 13 --:|:-- '*' Indicates Did Not Vote Previous Day


*AKA_Bait
Alarra
Cult_of_the_Raven
* Ellimist
* Krursk
* Miatog
Raistlin1040
Selrahc
Strategos
The 8th Sin
* TimeOut
* Vespe Ratavo
Zeb the Troll

[Castaras]

(( What was Ink then? ))

[Lord Magtok]

((I really hope I chose correctly this time...))

[The 8th Sin]

I walked home that night with my mind in termoil. What fools! Fools!!! Maybe I was just irritable because I hadn't had anything to drink since last night. My cigarettes were also growing conspicuously low. I needed something to drink, but during the daylight hours, I couldn't let myself miss even a minute of the intrigue and during the night, I wouldn't be caught dead at night (although this is exactly what I feared.)

It was the first time I had really noticed myself in over ten years. Trust the gods of irony to only let people who seemed poised on the brink of doom to appreciate what they have. What was wrong with me?

I reached the door of my appartment and tried unsuccessfully for 10 seconds to open it, but finally I managed to grip the doorknob. What was wrong with me?

I looked into my apartment with new eyes. Suddenly, it was not a home for me. When had all these bottles got here, and why were they on the ground? What was wrong with me?

I curled up in my corner and wondered. Why was the world suddenly darker? What was wrong?

[Joosbawx]

(( Update forthcoming. Sorry about delay, but I had a bit of an emergency that consumed the whole of my weekend. The message will self destruct as soon as I get the flavor text posted. ))

[Joosbawx]

Day Two (finally) Ends...


The problem with a Democracy is that all the important decision are left to the people; and when you leave decisions of life and death in the hands of the people unfortunate things happen due to fear, greed, mob mentality, or any combination of which you can think. The City was turning into a surreal version of itself...a malevolent face in a dirty mirror, with features you recognize as your own but seem foreign and disconnected somehow.

The Police, following several leads provided by seemingly honest citizens arrested Ink, and that started everything off on the wrong foot.

The radio and evening editions touted the latest arrest, and everyone seemed satisfied for the moment, confident that the Police and their team of investigators couldn't possibly make the same mistake twice...especially with the backing of the general populace. While the City waited with baited breath for the results of Ink's interrogation and trial they were blindsided like a one-eyed prize fighter. Interrupting the steady stream of news and analysis of Ink's arrest came the bulletin that someone had hijacked a city bus downtown and was threatening to blow it up unless Ink was released. There was a deadline, and Police were scrambling to meet it. Negotiators were in place, and progress was seemingly being made, right up to the point where the deadline was crossed and a terribly beautiful flower of fire and death bloomed from a dozen stems of dynamite.

Among the victims the Coroner was immediately able to identify were AKA_Bait, Ellemist, Krursk, Miatog, TimeOut, Vespe Ratavo and Malmagor Andrigal. Once the dust cleared and the forensics team was able to seft through the debris, several interesting items were found that shed a newlight on the tragic attack: an earbud commonly used by the Shadow Agents, a half melted gold ring with the Templar Knights insignia on a chain, a small leather notebook with a half destroyed membership to the "Young Detective's Club" commonly found in a box of Cracker Jack. Questions were raised...was this the work of the Shadow Agents or the Templar Knights?...had their turf war over the Maltese Falcon spilled over from nighttime shadow to downtown daylight?...or was this simply what it appeared to be, a fanatic attempt to free Ink and prove his innocence due to faith lost in the system of justice in place?

The official word was that Malmagor Andrigal had left behind his intentions in his diary, which Police found when attempting to notify the next of kin at his home address. Several personal effects belonging to Ink were found at the apartment of the deceased, but nothing to tie Malmagor to either of the sinister societies waging their war. In the days following, Ink was convicted and sent to prison. Fortunately for the Police he survived his first night in prison. Unfortunately for Ink, he didn't survive his second day and was officially cited as the victim of a 'machine shop accident'.

Summary: Ink and Malmagor Andrigan, Sam Spade & Effie, were killed. AKA_Bait, Ellimist, Krursk, Miatog, TimeOut, and Vespe Ratavo were 'auto lynched'. Among the auto-lynched were three citizens, one Shadow Agent, one Templar Knight, and the Patsy.



...Night Two Begins.

Due to circumstances, and the fact that all night moves have almost been accounted for, I am shortening the night to end Today @ 3pm Central (US)...or whenever the last of the night moves is provided...whichever is first.

Again, I apologize for the delay cause by a minor personal emergency this past weekend.

[Eldritch Knight]

Wow... 8 dead in one day. Really not good for all of us.... Not good at all.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

except that there were several bad guys in that bus. that's pretty good.

[janusnori]

And hey, the private eye now knows that he's not the fool!

[Madmal]

*grumbles about beign collateral damage*

[Joosbawx]

(( Malmagor, don't complain...you were the one who blew up the bus...or were you? ))

[Madmal]

((Dun dun DUN!!!!))

((I know the truth, you don't, shame for you :smalltongue: ))

((wait...was i Effie or Sam? i never got to make a clear character....and, does it really matter? :smallwink: ))

[Captain van der Decken]

((Do we get to know who was who?))

[Joosbawx]

(( When the cast list is posted at the end, you certainly do...or, perhaps, there will be clues forthcoming in the newspaper article for Day Three. ))

[Joosbawx]

Night Two Ends...


More bodies. The things were stacking up at the Coroners office like cords of wood in North Dakota before a record winter. I didn't envy the man in the slightest, though it wasn't everyday that a local celebrity passes through your doors; however, we'll leave that one for last today.

Another clear day in the City That Never Sleeps...or at least the seedy underbelly they don't advertise in glossy brochures in places like Kansas City or Tulsa wasn't sleeping. If there is no rest for the wicked, these fellas must be dead on their feet. The first body was found in Central Park by a pair of sailors taking a drunken, stumbling shortcut back to their motel. Once again splayed out in the Vitruvian fashion, the corpse was found naked and bruised; however, unlike its penthouse counterpart, there was no typewritten note left with the victim. Fairly above reproach, Evnafets had hardly an enemy that anyone could finger...let alone an enemy the likes of the Templar Knights. The Police were taking no chances and closed the Park down completely. They had enough on their hands and hanging over their heads already with the Inky and Ink fiascoes.

The second body caused quite a stir. Not only because of who it turned out to be, but because of where it was found. The kill was elegant in its simplicity; a thin double-edged stiletto blade tucked neatly between the third and fourth ribs on the left side. A single crimson seam in the flesh no larger than the blade a fitting postmark to a subtle and unassuming life led by one of the City's greatest villans...or heroines...depending on whom you asked. An anonymous phonecall alerted Police to the home of Ms. DarkLightDragon, a charismatic debutante liked as much for her wit as her stunning beauty. Upon arriving, the front door fo the home was found ajar and the Police searched the home. Only after stumbling upon a secret passage the home owner's study did the responding units realize what...or who...they'd actually found. After a through search of the secret areas of the home, it is confirmed that Ms. DarkLightDragon, who's body was found murdered sitting behind the mahogany desk of her Lair, was The Shadow.

Today, the City wakes to excitement and triumph of those that walk the straight and narrow juxtaposed with the sorrow and resentment of those that saw value in the services The Shadow rendered for this gilded metropolis from the shadows it's bright lights bred. The Police Commissioner scheduled another press conference for later today where he promised further information into the recent death toll facing the City in the mad scramble for the Maltese Falcon.

Summary: Evnafets, a Citizen, was killed. DarkLightDragon, The Shadow, was killed.


...Day Three Begins.


Night Three will begin Wednesday, April 18th @ 1pm Central (US).
Those of you with daytime moves to make please do not neglect them.

[Lord Magtok]

((Holy boop! I'm still alive!))