This is the official game thread for CYS Mafia! Feel free to get in character, scrutinise your fellow players’ every move and do what it takes to WIN the game.
Location: The Lounge Time: 8 PM (Evening) A feast has been prepared in the middle of the dining table. As you take your seat, others begin to arrive, filling up the room. “Welcome, guests!” A voice booms from a loudspeaker above. “Today, you will take part in an experiment that will test your skills of deduction, persuasion, and strategy.” Leaning back in your seat, you take the opportunity to examine your surroundings. A battling cage sits in the far corner with two sets of steel swords and armor. By the south-east door, a warhammer leans against the wall, stained with dried blood, marked with the word ‘BAN’. Yet, most frightening of all are the noises—from the window of a fogged-up room, where a solitary light bulb flickers, you hear terrible screeches of cries and moaning. “The voices of the SHAMED,” someone behind you explains. But when you turn to see who it was, the person has mysteriously disappeared. Before you can say anything, the voice from the speaker continues on. “We have assigned three mods to overlook this experiment. They will assess your performance and report back to us. They are—” A gunshot. The voice on the other end goes silent. Frantic whispers fill the room; panicked glances are exchanged. You scrutinize the other CYStians, but when you search their faces for any sign of familiarity, you realize you’re unable to tell friend from foe. The lights turn red. From the speaker, a new voice speaks. “We are the trolls. Leave the CYS forums now, or face the attacks of three of our strongest members!” Curiously, it sounds like a kid attempting to pitch his voice deeper, but you know the threat is real. There are three trolls among you. And who knows what they would do if— Another gunshot. This time, you hear laughter on the other side, and the original voice speaks again. “Remember, kids, you can’t outsmart a mod! The troll has been banned, and I would come over to finish up the others, but I have other things to do, being a busy mod and all. So until then, I’ll leave it to you to discover the three remaining trolls! Good luck.” Well, this dinner is about to get awkward. Evening 1: Introductions @Anthraxus @enterpride @Yummyfood @spicyXnoodle @MadHattersDaughter @MiltonManThing @UnscapeableDeath @Blister1 @Gryphon @Clayfinger @Shadowdrake27 Come and introduce yourself as a reply to this post! You have about 48 hours to do so before everyone chooses their rooms and performs any actions they can in the night. Feel free to pull someone aside for a private conversation, start an argument, or rant about how much you like Ogre; basically, do anything that normally happens in the lounge.
Hi everyone! My name's SpicyXnoodle, but you can call me Spicy if you'd prefer something shorter. I'm really excited to be part of this social test, and I'm sure some of you are feeling the same. Feel free to PM me about anything, and good luck. May the best skilled user win!
PS: I like Ogre! If you don't, you're probably going to get killed in the first round by some Ogre-fanatic troll or mod :D
Please feast on my noodles too Liminal... wait.... why does it say Clayfinger... DID YOU KILL LIMINAL BEFORE THE COMPETITION STARTED AND TOOK HIS PROFILE PICTURE?!?!
If that's the case it's alright :)
Sorry for assuming that you killed Liminal
Hello everyone! I'm UnscapeableDeath, or Scape for short. I'm here to sit back and laugh as it all devolves into chaos. Don't bother me, and I won't bother you. Feel free to ask any questions you have, and I'll answer them honestly.
Chef Jeff has the official badge for not being poisonous, our one and only goal is to satisfy our costumers with tasty noodles!
I don't know, that sticker wasn't there a little bit ago.
Because Chef Jeff forgot to put it on him! I can assure you that its not poisonous. If it was, people who ate it would have died already :D You can't blame someone for being hospitable can you?
I'm not sure about the tea...
"I am the 27th in a long and industrious line of shadow dragons that—is that tea for me?" Shadowdrake27 starts before a tea cup is randomly handed to him in his seat at the table. He takes a bite of noodles and steals three other cups of tea from around the table before realizing that his cup is topped off.
"Sorry, I lost my place... If only Ogre were here!" Shadowdrake27 continues. "He would know just what to do. I remember the first day I met him. Back then, we still went into the bank—which was a building where they kept your hard earned money in a vault that could not be accessed electronically. Yes—I know I'm old; anyways, the bank was getting robbed on this particular day—as it did back then."
Stopping to munch on a few noodles--and completely ignoring the suggestions that anything could be poisoned—Shadowdrake27 continues, "No less than 4 masked men—yes back then we assigned masculine genders to masked robbers—with guns forced everyone on the ground. Everyone, except ogre. They opened fired, but he still beat them all with a mace. He even helped the bank teller back behind the counter to help service everyone."
Chugging his tea, Shadowdrake27 frowns when it is suddenly refilled by MHD. He chugs it again—three more times—as if challenging to see if the tea really is endless. “Anyway, once I got my money I went to buy ice cream from a near by ice cream truck at a park. This was—of course—before the food truck craze. As I went to buy my ice cream, who was behind the counter other than Ogre himself. With no less than 12 bullet holes in his shirt, he recognized that I had a rough morning at the bank and gave me my ice cream for free: I like ogre.”
Shadowdrake looks around the room and sighs, “Oh, yes, yes. Call me Shadow for short. I don’t care much about trolls or mods, but if you play games know that I play to win.”
Glancing at the Ban Hammer and shuddering, shadow scoots his chair slightly farther away. Settling in place, he scans each other member of the dinner party, taking notes as they talk and muttering incoherently about their grammar.
Hello! I am Yummyfood. I like Ogre
A man in a pinstripe suit and wide moustache enters the dining room. Ignoring the tea, he looks around the room at the other dinner guests. He doesn't speak for a long time.
After listening to the others, eventually he says, "I am MiltonManThing, Editor-in-Chief of the CYS Monthly Gazette. I also like Ogre." He then remains as silent as he was before.
That reminds me! I pull out my noodle-creator-robot from the dark background behind my profile picture and start handing out steaming hot noodles to everyone ( with any choice of spices they want added to it )!
His name is Chef Jeff :)
''everyone sitting at the feast table'': LETS GOOO, FREE NOODLES AND TEA FOR EVERYONE!!!
I immediately start eating a giant bowl of noodles.
"10/10, thanks a lot, Chef Jeff!"
I would say either the lounge, newbie central, OR the writing workshop :)
Night 1: Room Selection Outside the barred windows, night darkens the skies. A solitary clock shows the time: two hours to midnight. Perhaps the long journey to the CYS Forums has taken its toil, for some of our prisoners guests have already begun descending into madness—speaking to themselves, overdosing on tea, or adding uncertified stickers to their noodles to deflect poison allegations. But most importantly, there have been several accusations of murderous intent! Whether through venemous acts of generosity, or shape-shifting and form-stealing, numerous theories surface, each more implausible than the next. The presence of the trolls weighs heavily on the minds of our members. As a sudden fatigue slumps over our guests, they decide to split up, in search of a room to sleep in (or perhaps, a room in which to carry out more sinister activities). Reply to this post with which room you would like to spend the night in. Rooms: Newbie Central (1/7): Blister Parlor Room (1/5): MHD Advanced Editor (3/3): Mousecore, Enter and Milton Writing Workshop (1/5): Gryphon Creative Corner (1/3): Shadow Reading Corner (2/4): Clayfinger and Spicy (If anyone does not reply within 24 hours, they would be sent to Newbie Central by default).
"All this caffeine has made me exhausted," Shadow yawns. "I'm too tired to critique any stories or work on my own... I'll just head to the Creative Corner to work on some poetry." He furiously packs up several pages of notes into a plain black folder.
Standing up, shadow stretches and adds, "Wake me up if someone dies: Otherwise, do not disturb my slumber!" He walks to the door to the Creative Creative Corner and stops. "On second thought, don't wake me up at all."
''It's best to read rather than sit around doing nothing at night,'' I murmur to myself as I make my way toward the Reading Corner, my belly full of tasty noodles.
Considering for a moment and flipping a coin in his head, MiltonManThing goes to the Advanced Editor Room, curious about the mice.
The cheeseburger remains in the corner in newbie central
Night 1: Secret Actions (Message RK about your actions privately and do not post them on this thread). One by one, the guests disperse across the building, searching for a room to spend the night. Soon, only a few are left. The inviting presence of the Newbie Central draws them in—and just in time, too, for the doors slam shut. Everyone is locked in their chosen room for the night. Is this another troll attack? Or a protective measure by the CYS overlords? Either way, cloaked by the darkness of the night, three figures meet to hatch a sinister plan! Trolls, please discuss among yourselves and decide on someone to eliminate. Hacker Troll, choose someone's alignment to change (they would appear to be on the other team if the Investigator Mod examines them tonight). Triggered Troll, you may choose to activate your ability to kill someone in your room and yourself, but you can only use it once in the whole game. Note: the Spammer Troll's ability would be reserved for mornings, i.e. during meetings. Despite not knowing one another's identities, the Mods continue to work hard through the night, doing their best to maintain order amidst the chaos. Troll purging comes naturally to them, but the possibility of banning a CYStian—or worse, one of their own—requires them to exercise more caution than normal. Mods, if you have a relevant ability, you may choose to use it. Investigator Mod, choose a person to investigate (and since it came up as a question, there's no need to be in the same room as that person). Contest Mod, you may throw someone in the Pit of Shame (this bars them from carrying out their role, if they have one, and they cannot be killed or vote the next morning). Chaos Mod, you may ban an entire room of users (but bear in mind it can only be used once per game). As for the CYStians, they are...well, doing whatever CYStians usually do. We know that one of them is keeping productive in some way, refining their skill, preparing for a potential writing match in the future. Another one ignores everything in a display of classic apathy. The third is typing away at their laptop, searching for any way to protect those whose online presence leaves them vulnerable. And the final ones, filled with dread and worry, search desperately for the aid of a mod, but today they find none. CYStians with abilities, you may exercise them. Coder CYStian, select a room to protect (or if you do not wish to protect any room at the risk of your own detriment, you can just say so or select an empty room). Other clarifications: if the Chaos Mod bans the room that you protect or the Triggered Troll uses their ability in that room, you are eliminated instead. Productive CYStian, you may challenge someone else to a Thunderdome match (it can only be used once per game, so if you prefer to wait until there is more information, let us know). Note: the Apathetic CYStian would be notified if one of their two lives have been used up and the Noob CYStian would only gain information about one of the mods if they survive until the second day. This process would last for 24 or 48 hours more, depending on the speed of replies. For now, I guess you can talk with the person in your room or attempt to influence other players to use their abilities in a way you believe would be beneficial to you.
Thanks! Canva makes it really easy though, it can be done with the click of a button.
In the Creative Corner with Shadowdrake, Anthraxus makes himself comfortable on one of the seats. He glances around the room, taking in the scraps of writing prompts and random character details that littered the walls in seemingly random patches, separated by an extremely diverse collection of art. At least a few peices in MHD and Peng's recognizable styles immediately jump out to the viewer. A large trash can full of obviously AI text and images sulks in the corner near a small coffee/tea station and a minifridge full of sodas and energy drinks.
Anthraxus looked to his companion and asked, "So Shadowdrake, or is Shadow ok? I can't say I am terribly familiar with you. What do you tend to do here? Feel free to whisper, I have a feeling the walls are thin and the echoes are long around here."
Shadowdrake looks up from the paper in front of him as the door opens, quickly covering the poem he was editing with a MHD drawing of an angry Mizal, as if she were offended by the poetry itself. He studies Anthraxus as he adjusts in his seat, narrowing his eyes as the seat cushion squeaks slightly. On edge, he waits for the newcomer to speak first; fortunately, that wait isn't long.
"So Shadowdrake, or is Shadow ok? I can't say I'm terribly familiar with you. What do you tend to do here? Feel free to whisper, I have a feeling the walls are thin and the echoes are long around here," Anthraxus asks.
Thinking for a moment and looking down, Shadowdrake flips the picture of Mizal upside down before responding, "Shadow is fine: I’m all for making things easier here. I’m sure the walls have ears, but I have nothing to hide at this point...”
Shadow leans forward and continues a bit quieter, “I’ve been ‘around’ for a while now; however, I took a long hiatus for a few years for… personal reasons. I’m a long time reader on this site and dabbled in my own stories a few years back, although none were particularly noteworthy. I do also like to participate the forums, review stories, be involved in the community, swap ideas with other authors and join contests.”
“I’m currently here after coming back for the summer reading contest, which is where we met, I believe. As for this experiment, I was personally invited by RK—for reasons that I wish to keep private,” Shadowdrake glances around the room with his eyes narrowing at a particularly strange drawing hanging on the wall with eyes that seem to move. “I’m sure you understand… but what do you tend to do here?”
"I'm mostly a writer," Anthraxus said with a smile, "As you could probably tell from my performance in the the review contest. I've also offered to help with some code updates, although that depends on greater forces that have not taken action as yet. You can say I have some influence, but it is pretty limited."
Anthraxus gets a root beer from the minifridge and takes a drink before saying, "You did pretty well in the review contest. Did you have a particular favorite you read?"
Shadowdrake shifted in his chair, noting the shift in tense immediately. Staring at the root beer until his face lit up, he stood to get his own. Sadly, the mini fridge only contained orange crush. Begrudgingly grabbing one, Shadowdrake sighed, "My favorite story in the summer was Of Gallantry and Sorrow, I believe. However, I've been known to mess up titles from memory. It was a good game--and I left a hefty review--which is what I might be best known for around here."
Stopping to chug the soda, shadow put the can down, closed his eyes, and waved his hands back and forth as if flipping pages in a book. Suddenly, he stopped and glared at Anthraxus, "I don't believe I've read any of your games. You can tell a lot about someone by their writing style... perhaps I'll have to fix this..."
Pulling a notebook out of his pocket, Shadow scribbled furiously for a few moments. "Did you have a favorite story from the review contest? And what's your favorite story that you have written? Perhaps I can leave a review in between helping RK with... stuff... here?" he asked, watching his roommate's response with narrowed eyes.
Liminal and I settle into the Reading Corner for the night. Before long, his thunderous snores break my focus on How to Win Any Competition. Scowling, I slam the book shut and scan the shelves for something more suited to my predicament. My eyes lock on How to Silence a Snoring Person. Amazed that this library has everything you need, I snatch it up, suddenly far more determined to put an end to those snores than to win anything.
Oh wait, my bad. I confused you and Clayfinger since both of you have the same profile picture :D
And now I can't edit it.....
Sorry man of clay, and yes, weak clay at that. I can tell you this much: the doors are locked for the night. Did you forget with your muddy mind? But go ahead, I'd really love to see you try to leave. And seriously, tone down the snoring, everyone can hear, my ears are about to burst. But why are you annoyed? What's got you so foul? Maybe you're some troll that needs to be dealt with.
Upon entering, MiltonManThing sees the "people" he now shares a room with, a trio of mice and whatever the other thing is. Sitting down at one of the available computers, he begins to click away at the keys.
'This is taking a while, he ponders to himself. 'Why did I think I could finish this properly in a Prompt Contest of all things? The scope of this project is way too much for a guy trying to run a newspaper and a full-time job at the same time! Still, you have to commit to finish what you've started.'
Click clack go the keys. For a moment, he distracts himself through an internet rabbit-hole before going back to typing.
'I wonder what Anthraxus is doing here,' he thinks. 'He better not be slacking off. Not that he usually does; he must be here for a reason.'
Minutes go by before Milton peers over his shoulder to look at the other occupants of the room.
Day 1: Announcements Sunlight filters through the windows. It's the next morning, and our guests find that the doors have mysteriously been unlocked! This time, an English breakfast spread is set out in the News & Updates room, where everyone gathers to read the morning news. It appears that even the trolls' invasion could not stop the publication of the newest edition of the CYS Gazette: (Clickable picture, because it wouldn't be a Gazette edition—or a forgery of one—without it). Within seconds, Jerry and the three mice appear, carrying the first victim of the trolls' attack into the room. @MiltonManThing is moved to the Feature Wishing Well where he can say his last words (one message) to either impart information to the group or convince them to resurrect him. However, as the group gathers around the well, they soon realize there are only eleven of them. Yes, this includes the almost-dead person who has been disposed of in the well. A quick search of the premises reveals that Gryphon has been locked up in the Pit of Shame! As such, they cannot participate in any form of voting until the next day, but can communicate with the group by shouting over the voices of the other shamed individuals. Discussion Time! Cast accusations, exchange any information you learned, and most importantly, decide on two important factors:
Anyway. I'm voting out Blister.
It's a shame we won't get any more Gazette but I would hate to use our only revive so early in the game.
Shadowdrake yawns and stretches as he stumbles out of the creative corner in the same clothes that he was wearing the day before. Mumbling to himself, he loads a plate with food and sits at the table munching on fried eggs. Eventually, he notices everyone gathered about talking and his eyes widen.
“Wait, what happened?” he asks, pulling out his notebook to sketch a few notes as he is filled in on the details of the morning.
Scratching his head, he stretches again and sighs, “Our one revive gets harder to use the later in the game we go. It requires a majority vote… and the more that die the larger percentage of the vote the trolls control. With that in mind, I also vote to revive MiltonManThing. One might want to hear his last words before deciding; however, I doubt CYS trolls are smart enough to kill one of their own anticipating an instant revival. I think MiltonManThing is the only person we can be sure is not a troll currently.”
Shadowdrake swallows a sausage whole before continuing, “As much as I love seeing those in Newbie central killed at random… I also don’t know if we have enough information to randomly kill Blister. I’ll vote no on killing him… this time. Killing a neutral member or civilian would be dire indeed... although Blister's self defense argument is starting to change my mind. Any compelling arguement in favor of killing him would sway me.”
“I’ve also noticed that Anthraxus hasn't appeared this morning… I fell asleep on a can of orange crush waiting for him to respond last night,” Shadow states. “Where did he go off to?”
The voice of the dead echoes from the well.
“Hello everyone, it’s rather unfortunate, but someone had to die first. If you bring me back, know that I’ll contribute well to the common good. Otherwise, you can save the Wishing Well power for another time. Bear in mind though that the longer it takes for you all to use the Wishing Well, the more likely the Trolls will have more sway in the vote, since there will be less innocents alive. It’s up to you all of course. I would however, if I were in your shoes, cast suspicion on those who don’t want to bring me back.
Choose wisely.”
"Milton is dead?" I ask blankly once the others in the room have caught me up. I suppose it makes sense. The journalist would be the one most capable of sniffing out the truth. "I'd also like to hear Milton's last words before deciding whether to revive him but for now, I am against it. We only get one revive and I'd rather be sure that we are using it either on someone with a good ability or someone who has information they were unable to share before their untimely death." "As for who to vote out... Honestly, we have too little information to make a decision that isn't just a shot in the dark. Any choice we make at this point is 'outrageous' as Blister put it. Certain questions need answering. Who would choose Milton to be their first kill? (At the very least, I don't think Anthraxus would kill his colleague in cold blood... unless the working conditions at the Gazette are worse than I thought. Since Blister's name came up, I will say that Milton has appeared prominently in a lot of recent posts. I'm sure even our newer entrants to the site know well what he is capable of.) Who would throw Gryphon in the pit of shame? (Yes, he is in the pit of shame. I heard a familiar voice from there on my way here and took the time to try and identify him.) What was Milton's role? (His last words could prove to be most illuminating. Remember the cogite refugee can take over the roles of the dead. Reviving him is not the only way to ensure that his powers remain in play.) Since I'm a bit inexperienced with this sort of thing, I'm down to vote along with everyone else as long as it is NOT anthraxus. If the choice is Blister then so be it."
Anthraxus enters just in time to catch Clayfinger's statement. "Thanks Clayfinger and apologies for drifting off on you Shadow," he says, "I am saddened by my friend Milton's murder and certainly would not have picked him first if I were a troll. I fully vote to revive him. I think the argument that the Trolls are unlikely to have sacrificed one of themselves so early carries a lot of weight."
He moved to stand closer to Clayfinger and continued, "As for who to vote for, I will say that I am open to vote for anyone except Clayfinger."
Hearing his name, Shadow's ears perk up. After Blister finishes speaking, he slams a fist on the table and glares at Blister with narrowed eyes. "I don't recall accusing you of anything," Shadow hisses.
Picking up his notebook, Shadowdrake flips through the pages so quickly the words on contained within seem to dance. He stops flipping and shows the incoherent scribbles proudly. "I was the first person not to vote for you, but sowing confusion and spreading lies is the literal point of the trolls in this game!" Shadow stands up and leans over his last fried egg as it giggles. "Also, I have it on good authority that the witches in Salem have whispered your guilt to one of our own! I change my vote: Blister is who I wish to cast off first."
"Ahem," Shadowdrake clears his throat and relaxes back into his chair. "Good morning, Anthraxus, all is forgiven. I think I was asleep for most of that conversation anyway."
(Note--I did not realize that we had to vote for someone and apologize for breaking the rules there.)
The trolls have the ability to kill through locked doors. This gives them a HUGE advantage because the one who killed Milton can be a few rooms away, but in the end I umm... vote out... I'm really sorry man... Blister1. Also, reviving Milton seems like a good idea. Milton must know information that could potentially cause the fall of the trolls.
Anyone wondering what the rule was, it's this one mystic mentioned:
Unless stated otherwise, most abilities are not room-dependent. That means the Trolls can kill those in a different room from them, the Contest Mod can shame someone in a different room, Productive CYStian can challenge someone in another room, etc. (The only exception is that the Triggered Troll attack would affect someone in the same room and the Productive CYStian has to issue a Thunderdome challenge from one of the specified locations)
I look up from my English muffin breakfast sandwiches and pause.
"Milton's dead? Huh. The trolls must be awfully confident in themselves. I vote to revive him and vote out Blister. I would rather vote out no one, but since I have to choose, he has the most incriminating evidence."
I go back to eating my breakfast.
Oh my bad lol. Blister
Might as well go with the crowd on this one too so why not
Night 2: Room Selection Voting Results The guests gather around the Feature Wishing Well, and they submit their one and only request: to bring Milton back. Dark smoke rises from the well. Through the necromantic powers imbued in the well, a shadowy figure rises, wispy and incorporeal, slowly transforming into a familiar form. Milton has been revived! The efforts of the trolls have been thwarted...but for how long? Tonight, however, one life has been traded for another. Blister has been sacrificed to the well. He's bound up by the guests, struggling and writhing to no avail, and thrown into the frothing waters. Since the power of the well has been used up, there is no chance for him to ever return. Blister, your time at the CYS Forums has come to an end. Room Selection There is no time to mourn the dead, nor is there time to celebrate the living. Fatigue settles over our guests as the moon rises in the skies. Just in time, too, for if the previous night was any indication, doors would be locked after a certain hour. Reply to this post with which room you would like to spend the night in. As usual, if anyone does not reply within 24 hours, they would be sent to Newbie Central by default.
Rooms:
Newbie Central (0/7) Parlor Room (2/5): Mousecore and Clayfinger Advanced Editor (2/3): Anthraxus and Milton Writing Workshop (2/5): Shadowdrake and Spicy Creative Corner (2/3): Enter and MHD Reading Corner (1/4): Unscapable and Gryphon
I head over to the reading corner, pull out a hefty book, and settle in for the night.
"Well, since it does not seem to matter which room we are in very much, I'll head to the writing workshop," Shadowdrake sighs. "Rooms only matter if we bunch up for the suicidal troll... although they are probably best just killing us off slowly, since we have no way to detect them."
Rising up from the well, Milton heads back to the scene of his murder, the Advanced Editor Room.
I should mention that Gryphon is now free from the Pit of Shame and can choose a room to join.
I head toward the Writing Workshop, pull out a pen and notebook, and start sketching a plan to win.
Night 2: Secret Actions (Message RK about your actions privately and do not post them on this thread). Death. Revival. Sleep. There is lots to think about as our guests head towards their respective rooms, splitting off into five pairs and leaving poor Yummyfood to head to Newbie Central alone. Though perhaps in this game, where shady characters abound, solitude may be a strategic play. Trolls, please discuss among yourselves and decide on someone to eliminate. The Hacker Troll may choose someone's alignment to change. The Triggered Troll may activate their one-time ability if they wish to. Mods, if you have a relevant ability, you may choose to use it. Investigator Mod, choose a person to investigate. Contest Mod, you may throw someone in the Pit of Shame. Chaos Mod, you may ban an entire room of users, but it is a one-off ability. CYStians with abilities, you may use them. Coder CYStian, select a room to protect at the cost of your own life. Productive CYStian, you may challenge someone else to a Thunderdome match, again as a one-time ability. Cogite Refugee, since Blister has passed on, if you succesfully guess whether he is a Mod, CYStian or Troll, you take on his role. Once again, I'll give you all up to 48 hours for this choice and feel free to converse with one another, whether to your strategic advantage or just to pass time.
Yay! :D
Day 2: Announcements The fire alarm is blaring. Our guests stand around a dying dragon, in a writing room that is much too bright, as a corpse languishes outside in the doorway. How exactly did we get here? Well thankfully, the newest edition of the Gazette has arrived to answer all your questions! The Lounge has now been decorated in shades of black and grey, in preparation for the many funerals that are to come, and the guests work together to move Shadow there, away from the glaring lights. Silence finally settles over the room as the fire alarm is turned off. It is time for @Shadowdrake27 to say his last few words. Yet, as he glances around at his company for the past few days, he notices one of them is missing: the previous victim of the trolls, Milton. Someone is sent to look for him and it's quickly revealed that he has spent the night in the Pit of Shame. While it is no one's first choice of accommodation, could this have been done for his protection? The locks on the cells are said to be troll-proof, after all. Yet this bars Milton from participating in today's vote. Discussion Time! Time to hold a funeral and talk about the events of the last two days. There have been four deaths, three lives taken, two assassination attempts, and one revival. Lots to discuss! Don't forget to cast a vote, too.
"Beware of MHD! Also, you misused that comma... proofread before you post!" Shadowdrake's voice calls out from the grave as the darkness fades from his eyes.
This puts a major target on my back but I have an inkling you SHEEPLE will vote me out regardless. But I am the investigator mod and Shadow knew that. Of course he would frame me in his last words.
In fact, Blister was suspicious of me too. I wonder if they were working together?
Milton shouts, "I call for a vote against MHD! She is deceiving you about her role, which is unfortunate for her because she chose to lie about MY role. Vote for her! I can't do it myself! Cast suspicion on those who do not vote against MHD!"
"Guys!" Milton shouts. "If you all have confidence that I am at least not a Troll, then you can be convinced that I am at least more likely to be truthful than the other person we know nothing about. I would be reluctant to say what my role is except for a situation like this one. If the Investigator reveals himself, he puts himself at great risk of attack. I'm revealing it because I know that MHD is lying. Anyone who argues against this idea is shooting themselves in the foot, or is in league with the Trolls."
Just realized I should have added a time limit. You have 24 hours to cast a vote or it counts as if you are abstaining. This is not the same as choosing not to vote anyone out, because if 2 people vote someone out, 1 chooses not to vote and the rest abstain, the two people will get someone voted out. Edit: I also updated my clarification post since the last time.
I don't think there is enough information against MHD, and no one else seems suspicious at the moment, so I'll pass on voting anyone out.
I abstain my vote for now
Edit: Right now, the majority has abstained or not made a decision (which is different from the one person who voted for a 'no vote'). Unless someone else casts a vote or withdraw a vote, in a few hours it looks like there'll be a revote to resolve the three way tie.
Night 3: Room Selection Voting Results Well, what a twist of events! Milton has certainly gone through everything in this game, having been killed, revived, locked in the Pit of Shame, and now voted out. He may—for the second time in this game—deliver his last words. It was quite an eventful day. Accusations were cast; allegations flung around. There was nearly a three way tie at the end between him, MHD and Clayfinger, but in the last few hours, our very own Gazette editor has been eliminated from the Forums by a single vote. Was he a troll betrayed by his own teammates, an investigator mod misaccused, or some other role entirely? Only time can tell. Room Selection It's clear that at least one person had been lying about their role. Conversations break out among our CYStians, but as daylight slips away, they split away into smaller groups. The doors would be locked again and each person can only hope the one beside them isn't a troll. It's time to choose your rooms! As usual, if anyone does not reply within 24 hours, they would be sent to Newbie Central by default. Rooms: Newbie Central (0/7) Parlor Room (1/5): Unscapable Advanced Editor (1/3): Anthraxus Writing Workshop (1/5): Yummyfood Creative Corner (1/3): Enter Reading Corner (0/4)
Nvm update thread was just not edited
Apparently I did a bad job of tracking what the vote count was when I voted then, as I don't remember having seen your or Enter's votes before I made mine. But even so, when I voted, my vote bolstered your current position.
You made a demand I agree was a reasonable request. We had two people both claiming the same role, and the only way to resolve that without just guessing would be for them to offer some kind of proof of how they had used that role. Over the course of this discussion, only one of those two people actually responded to that request, albeit a bit later than he should have.
It is apparent that you are genuinely pushing for a tied vote. Your efforts to do that so strongly, allowed MHD to pivot her vote to actually get out the one person that had offered up any kind of proof of actually being the investigator.
I still think that your earlier arguments for suspecting MHD hold water, and that is what swayed my vote. MHD has done nothing since starting the voting with you to alleviate that suspicion. That is actually the only thing making me doubt that you are the third troll in the set of MHD, Enter and ?. Yet, the fact that the three of you were the only votes for Milton, who is the only person to offer any kind of proof of their role when demanded, weighs strongly against that.
I guess we will see after this evening, as you and I have both leveled accusations at the most likely troll in the game. As the first two people to vote, it would have been easy for two trolls to plan to cover themselves in such a way and use the argument for pushing for a tie as cover for a plan to eliminate the next person voted for, or for the third troll to offer up a specific target, particularly a contentious one, like Milton.
I will head to the Palor Room to relax after all the commotion.
"I am in disbelief at how this group has voted against me. Of course, there are three trolls, so that would explain some of the votes at least. I tried to argue coherently to you, but you would not listen.
"Listen now: Anthraxus is most likely innocent. I chose to investigate him on the first night. I was murdered that same night too, which makes this whole situation very strange considering you all trusted me enough to bring me back. I thought you would have trusted me to when I said who I was. Would it make sense for me to immediately reveal who I was and let myself get targeted again so quickly? If it would have convinced you, maybe I should have.
"I hope voting me out will be the only mistake you all make this game and that it won't cost us victory against the trolls."
Milton then pixelates out of existence.
A cheeseburger is rumored to have been seen rolling from newbie central to the writing workshop
Night 3: Secret Actions (Message RK about your actions privately and do not post them on this thread). After yet another eventful day, complete with two potential candidates for Investigator Mod, a flurry of last minute votes, and lots of heated conversations in the corridor, it is time for our guests to get some rest for the night. Their numbers have dwindled from twelve to a mere eight and they have used up their one-time ability to revive a member. Whatever happens tonight has the potential to make or break the game. Trolls, please discuss among yourselves and decide on someone to eliminate. The Hacker Troll may choose someone's alignment to change. The Triggered Troll may activate their one-time ability if they wish to. Mods, if you have a relevant ability, you may choose to use it. Investigator Mod, choose a person to investigate. Contest Mod, you may throw someone in the Pit of Shame. Chaos Mod, you may ban an entire room of users, but it is a one-off ability. CYStians with abilities, you may use them. Coder CYStian, select a room to protect at the cost of your own life. Productive CYStian, you may challenge someone else to a Thunderdome match, again as a one-time ability. Cogite Refugee, since three members have passed on, if you succesfully guess whether one of them is a Mod, CYStian or Troll, you take on their role. There will be 48 hours to use your ability (if you have one). As normal, continue to have strategic discussions and since it happened in the other game, I suppose you could yell through walls if you really wanted to. Sidenote - I'm trying out a new image hosting site because imgur is blocked in the UK (using a VPN lets me view images but I still can't access Imgur itself). I'm not sure if the images taking a long time to load is just something that happens on my browser or it's the same for everyone else. If it's the latter, please recommend any alternative image hosting sites you know of.
Day 4: Announcements It is said that any successful social experiment would test the limits of its subjects in new and profound ways. Like the prison experiment, would a CYStian, upon being given the powers of a mod, use this to purge the very people they're meant to protect? Or if forced to embody the enemy, how would an ordinarily law-abiding CYStian go about pretending to be a troll? All these are hypotheticals, of course, but perhaps they may not be for much longer. Our long-suffering guests gather in News & Updates as another Gazette article has been published: Twelve guests entered the forums. Now, only six remain. @Mousecore, @Gryphon and @Yummyfood, you may each say your last words. Also, as the only one to discover the interdimensional portal in the news articles, Malk has secured a one-way trip to join this forums! But this is a cloned version of him (so he remains in the other game as well). Voting Time!
Who will you execute tonight? The choice is yours! But remember: CYS is where your decisions have consequences.
I stop shoveling popcorn into my mouth and mumble a single word around the food.
"Why?"
I set the popcorn bucket down, stand up, and stretch.
"I did warn you that I would retaliate if provoked. Not like I can do much anyways. However, I hope that you will join me in trying to use reason to figure out whether or not this is a wise choice. First off, I do not understand why you wish to vote me out whenever there is, in my opinion, no evidence that incriminates me. I will go ahead and tell you that I am not a troll, but a citizen. If you wish to vote me out and waste a valuable member who could help you against the trolls, then by all means, go ahead! Secondly... I need some root beer. And a good sandwich. Feel free to poke me again if you want to; I'll be over in the kitchen.
This place does have a kitchen, right?"
I walk away muttering to myself something about how difficult it is to make a good sandwich.
"I can understand the unfunny part, and slightly the name, but I believe that, as much as a hunch can lead you in the right direction at times, you still need to provide solid evidence to back it up! You claim that you are a mod, someone dedicated to reasoning and doing what is right without rushing headlong into things, and yet you seem to be avoiding giving a good reason as to why people should vote me out, other than " 'cause I have a feeling." You also appear to be slightly erratic, with strange voices following you around everywhere you go, and quick to go with the flow. So please, do give an extensive report as to why I should be voted out!"
"Well, I tried. Feel free to vote out the coder! (Y'know, the one who can prevent people from dying) And because of these allegations against me, I'm going to vote against Enterpride. If, however, you choose to vote someone other than me out, I would like to automatically change my vote to a pass unless otherwise stated."
(I proceed to make a sandwich while listening to It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).)
(I also want to point out that you immediately shifted the focus of trying to figure out who's a troll to someone else when confronted. And based on Griffon's final message, he might be the jailer mod, and not you. Just some final things to consider.)
(In a slightly sing-songy voice as I slowly fade out of existence temporarily):
"He's trying to deflect again!"
"Screw that vote, I'm changing it to Clayfinger now. I'm the coder (not like I can provide any solid evidence, sigh), and so he is almost definitely a troll. Y'all are going to be sorry if I die and can't protect you all. I would also like to say that I would have died due to protecting the explosion in Newbie Central, but I had forgotten to send the message to RK, lol. Anyway, if you all don't kill me today, then I'm sure the trolls will do the job for you tonight. And I'll be protecting whatever room has the most people in it if I'm here when night rolls around, so trolls: feel free to target that place instead of whoever you wanted to previously. Or just kill me directly, I don't care too much."
If the game will still be running at that point, then I am content with that arrangement.
🤝
Buddy, I am running on 6 or fewer hours of sleep and am sneaking these posts in between doing the mountain that is my homework. I am currently prioritizing remembering to turn in an assignment on time over remembering to protect a fictional room with slightly fictional characters in a fictional social game with strangers on the internet. Add that onto the fact that Mystic is the one who has to make these announcements and is having to keep track of two different games going on at the same time, I'm glad that they can keep this thing running as smoothly as they are. My last-minute message during what amounts to the middle of the night was unlikely to be noticed in the first place, let alone processed and factored into the chaos that they are having to sift through here.
TL;DR: I am tired as hell and have way too much schoolwork to do, and the mods have enough to deal with that I am grateful they are still keeping this running amid the chaos here, let alone processing a late-night message.
Oh, and I'm also trying to make three different stories at once while also dealing with everything I just mentioned, plus having to try and prepare for a game night that is going to run until 10 PM, and also having to deal with the political minefield that is homecoming. And probably a few other things that I'm forgetting. I'm surprised I haven't had a nervous breakdown yet.
With all that said, the amount of fun I'm having with all of these projects (other than school) is worth the effort for me. I just don't have enough brainpower to multitask this many things and not have a few things slip through the cracks
Thank you for attending my TED Talk
That's probably a good idea; I don't exactly have the best self-control rn. Although I am in a slightly better state of mind after eating a snack. I will admit that you do have some good arguments though. I just wish I could find a better argument against it than "I'm tired af and can't remeber what i had for brekfast," as I don't often get to debate with someone. And yes, the misspelling in that quote is intentional; Grammarly is probably screaming in agony at all the mistakes it's been having to fix lately, lol
"Bonjour, cocksuckeurs... I am the dark mirror of Louisiana Malk. I am French Malk," says French Malk. A tiny moustache hangs from the end of his snout. Beneath the moustache, a cigarette. Behind the cigarette, a sneer of contempt. Behind the sneer of contempt, such sophisticated Francophone thoughts that they would bedevil and beguile any American who attempted to understand them.
The burger whispers it's final words. "I... wasn't productive enough... Damn"
I'm just trying to figure out who the third troll is. Apparently I was wrong of the game would be over. We won't have to wait long though, even as it is one more vote or night for the trolls wins the game.
I'm going to pretend that is somehow a compliment.
