Zodiac Mafia: A 12 player basic game
Moderated by: TheFooFish
Reviewed by: Pale Mage
Sign Ups As you approach the theater, the only sounds you notice are the splashing of your shoes against the wet sidewalk, and the faint pattering of drizzle upon your umbrella. Despite the unpleasant weather, you find these gentle, repetitive noises soothing, though you still aren't sure why you feel anxious to begin with. Once under the protection of the large, red awning, you slowly lower both your umbrella and your head, and gently shake them both. “Why did I drag myself here? -Especially in this storm?” is all you can think as you push the door open and enter the refreshingly warm and dry lobby.
You've always held a passing interest in the topic being presented here tonight by Dr. Artemis, though you've never really believed in it. At least, that's what you've told yourself every morning while reading the paper, faithfully checking the predictions laid out for you, while never truly expecting to gain any useful insight from the daily process. And despite all the amazing things you've heard about tonight's presenter, you still maintain that same level of skepticism.
-Right?
You unfold the brightly colored, and now slightly damp, flier from your back pocket. Glancing over it again, you can't help but laugh at yourself, “Of course I don't believe in any of this.” To put stock in any of these outrageous claims would be insane. The simple directions on it easily lead you to the large double doors of the auditorium. You hesitate at the entrance, briefly wrestling with your thoughts as you consider just turning around and going home. You quickly assure yourself that you aren't hoping for anything here, it's just something to do on what would otherwise be a quiet, uneventful night.
You're surprised by the murmur of the audience as you enter. There are far more in attendance than you would have guessed, even considering that tonight is Dr. Artemis' first public appearance. You decide to settle into a seat in a relatively empty section near the back. After all, who knows what sort of people come to these things? Your eyes slowly assess the room while you wait for the presentation to begin. Aside from a women draped in a heap of crystals, most of the others here don't look half crazy. This immediately comforts you.
The room is large, and dimly lit, it's design old and beautiful, though these seats look almost new. The wide stage, with it's curtains already open, is lightly decorated in shades of purple and gold, with several large stars and star sign symbols hanging at the back and along either side. A gentle amber light suddenly illuminates a large spot at the center. Then, as if a mute button had been pressed, the room drops into an instant silence.
The anticipation in the room quickly mounts to a tangible level, but doesn't last, as the microphone at the center of the stage is soon approached by a balding, white haired man in a gray suit and thick spectacles. “Welcome, everyone” he begins his introduction to an excited crowd, soon followed by an outline of the evening, interspersed with frequent compliments of Dr. Artemis. As soon as it becomes apparent that this man is not the doctor, the anticipation leaps back to and above it's previous levels. Eventually, he concludes his speech, “and now, I have the great pleasure of presenting to you, the great Dr. Artemis.” A hand gesture to his left, is met with thunderous applause while he exits to his right.
The audience once again drops into a sudden quiet, but you suspect that this time it is caused mostly by surprise. The very young, and attractive, dark haired women in the long violet gown is nothing like you had been imagining. As she stands there, looking out over those in attendance, a low whisper slowly begins to build. As soon as she begins speaking, however, the silence swiftly returns, as her gentle, but firm voice commands an immediate respect. If she was at all nervous about her first exhibition, it wasn't showing.
Most of the evening is filled with a vague description of her work, how she came to her findings, the amazing accuracy of the software she developed, and how it can be used to benefit everyone. As time passes, the audience slowly grows restless as it becomes increasingly obvious that she isn't planning to go into many details tonight. Strangely, this upsets you as well. You realize that, in spite of yourself, you are now hoping that she actually has somehow unlocked the predictive powers of the night sky, and some small part of you even believes that is truly what she has done.
The rest of the audience joins you in letting out a groan of disappointment as she begins to dismiss everyone. Soon after, however, you all feel refilled with fresh excitement as she announces, “I will be selecting a handful of those in attendance tonight to come back soon for a special, private, more detailed demonstration of my work.” You, along with almost everyone else here, begin hurriedly lining up for the sign-up sheet near the door...
Pregame It's now been weeks since you went to that Astrology show. Your hopes of learning more have slowly faded, and been replaced by a much more familiar feeling of doubt. You remind yourself that you shouldn't be disappointed about not being selected to return, it was probably a bunch of nonsense anyway. You arrive at your front door, prepared to head in for just another boring night, but are intrigued as you find a simple index card taped to your door. As you read it's gracefully penned words, you are flooded with joy and excitement.
Quote from Index Card »
Congratulations! You have been selected to attend a private demonstration of my work. Once you discover it's true potential, we can begin building a better future for the world, together. Join me at Chaldean's Book Store at 8PM. The stars predict you don't have plans for tonight any way.
-Dr. Artemis
This is such an amazing surprise. Out of all the people who attended that show, you never thought you would actually be one of the lucky chosen few. You forget your doubts and suddenly can't wait to go. And the card is right, you didn't have other plans anyway. Spooky. You rush to prepare and eat dinner as fast as you can before hurrying out.
You soon make it across town, and have no trouble finding the location. The large wooden sign declaring it Chaldean's Books is marked generously with stars. There is already a small group outside, waiting, though it's only 7:30. You spend the next half hour in light conversation, getting to know the others a bit, and sharing your excitement for this honor, as others slowly arrive. Despite a pleasant atmosphere, the suspense makes time drag agonizingly slowly towards 8.
Finally, the door swings open, and the lovely Dr. Artemis steps out onto the sidewalk. She quickly goes around the group and greets everyone, before inviting you all in. She leads you past rows of shelves filled with books on divination, herbalism, and communication with spirits, books on dream interpretation, Wiccan spirituality, spell casting, and, of course, astrology. “So, it's some kind of Occult book store?” you bleakly think. Instantly, you're again plagued with doubts. This is all just a bit weirder than you had bargained for.
You must not be the only one with a suddenly uneasy expression on your face, because Dr. Artemis slows to a stop to address everyone, “Before you all get nervous, this was my grandfather's store. And while I own and operate it, I don't necessarily endorse everything we sell. -Though, it was the weekends I spent here as a young girl that first got me interested in the stars.”
As the now slightly more relaxed group resumes it's journey through the shop, you enter a back area displaying other merchandise. There are pendants and amulets, adorned with moons, and stars, and interlocking circular patterns. A large crystal ball is laid out on a pillow, in the middle of a round red table surrounded by candles. There are tables with fancy knives, small cloth bags, bottles of oils, and a variety of bowls, some filled with strange herbs. You catch a glimpse of your still hesitant expression in an ornate, silver framed mirror hanging from a wall above a beautiful collection of gems and crystals of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Your attention is drawn by a jingling noise, as Dr. Artemis gently thumbs through a collection of keys hanging from a long chain around her neck. Before long, she finds what she's looking for, and unlocks the large metal door at the rear of the store. As the group begins to gather in this new, dark room, she turns on a light.
You find yourself standing on a thin upstairs area, with only a few feet between the wall and a short railing overlooking a larger room below. Next to you, up here, the wall is lined with small, gray filing cabinets. She quickly takes the group down the narrow steps into what appears to be a storage area. The room has a stale odor, and is filled with stacks of large crates, probably containing stock.
She walks slowly forward, with the group following close behind, down a long hallway. Several large wires and cables run down the right wall and a series of doors appear on the left side. The very last door is slightly ajar, and you immediately identify it as a bathroom. Finally, you enter a large, cool room at the end of the hall, with tables gathered near the front and large bookshelves extending out from the back wall. The tables are dominated by the three large, expensive and powerful looking computers. Around them are piles of paper work and star charts, highlighted with varying shades of marker.
The shelves down here are different from the ones upstairs in the shop. These do contain astrology books, but also books on astronomy, advanced mathematics, and computers. She offers you seats in comfortable looking chairs pressed along the front walls of the room, and down both sides. You all take seats as she dives into what you've been waiting for: a detailed look at her work.
She explains in great depth the new process she uses to analyze the stars. She demonstrates some of the math employed, illustrates the differences between her methods and traditional astrology, and finally reveals how her computers take sky information collected daily from telescopes around the world and runs that data through her algorithms to generate incredibly accurate predictions.
She turns and reaches for the table, gathers something up from next to a glass of water, and then dramatically reveals a fanned out handful of marked envelopes. “This afternoon, I took all of our birthdays and input them into the computers. Yes, even mine. These are the sample horoscopes it has created for us. I'll leave yours right here on this table so you can come up and get them. Please let me know when you have all found your envelopes, so we can discuss the results together. Aren't you all excited to see it in action? -I know I am!”
And you, too, are excited. What will it predict? How accurate will it be? Is this all nonsense, or could there really be something to it? You drift towards the table, your head in a swirl of possibilities, to retrieve your horoscope...
Starting Player List
Trusted Wave
Wessel
George W. Bush replacing George W. Bush
Mephit
la3
Audinho
InventTheUniverse
MzztrTetris/tezzeret12 replacing tordeck
pinkfloyd
Prophylaxis
TheVoid958
Archmage Eternal
Culmination
Trusted Wave
Wessel
Dr. Artemis
In Retrograde
Dr. Artemis, Virgo (Vanilla Town) - Poisoned and slowly dying Night 0
la3, Ophiuchus (Vanilla Town) - Lynched Day 1
George W. Bush, Leo (Vanilla Town) - Head punctured Night 1
Prophylaxis, Aries (Vanilla Town) - Lynched Day 2
pinkfloyd, Taurus (Town Tracker) - Smothered Night 2
Void, Scorpius (Town) - Lynched Day 3
InventTheUniverse, Capricornus (Town) - Stabbed Night 3
MzztrTetris replacing tordeck, Cancer (Mafia Role Cop) - Lynched Day 4
Audinho, Gemini (Town Double Voter) - Crushed Night 4
Archmage Eternal, Libra (Vanilla Town) - Decapitated End Game
Mephit, Aquarius (Town Bullet Proof) - Fell down stairs End Game
Night 0 Scene It takes a few minutes of shuffling envelopes around on the table, but eventually everyone finds there own and returns to their seats. There is still an excited chatter pulsing through the group as Dr. Artemis takes position at the center of the room. “Attention every...” she begins hoarsely, before clearing her throat. She reaches over to grab the glass of water from the table and takes a sip, making a face and eying it curiously afterward while slowly setting it back down.
She starts again, more clearly now, “Attention everyone! It looks as though we've all got our envelopes. Is anyone missing theirs? -No? Okay, good. Let's open them up!” The last word comes out in a cough, followed by two more quickly. She lightly taps her fist against her chest, clears her throat again, and begins removing the small sheet from the envelope.
She reads her horoscope carefully, with a confused and curious expression. Suddenly, she erupts in stronger coughing, then reaches her hand up to her neck as she begins gasping for air. A look of understanding washes over her face, followed by panic and terror. Gasping frantically, she wildly looks around the room, searching desperately for something before her eyes settle on the table.
She clumsily stumbles forward, and with her last burst of strength, lunges towards the table. While falling, she flails her arm to violently send the glass flying off the table to shatter at the back of the room, sending a spray of water and glass shards across the floor.
Everyone gathers around her as she lay trembling on the floor, gasping and choking, with her hands clutching her throat. She mumbles and coughs out, “P...P... P...” just as her eyes close, and her body rests quiet and motionless on the floor.
“Someone call for help!” a voice screams. You pull out your cell phone, but unsurprisingly there's no service down here. A small group quickly heads into the hall and towards the stairs. At the top of the steps, the group bursts into a confused panic when they find that the door to the store has been chained and locked securely shut. The crowd slowly quiets as the horrifying realization settles in: someone did this.
Everyone gathers back in the main room to discuss the situation. Dr. Artemis lies unconscious on the floor. Someone checks and finds her heartbeat is light and slow, her breathing very faint. It's unclear what happened to her or if she'll survive. Her crumbled horoscope is then retrieved from the floor and passed around:
Quote from Dr. Artemis »
Virgo (Town)
Your Horoscope: While your warmth, caring, and love are great strengths, it's important to remember that not everyone in this world shares your beliefs and morals. Expect to run into trouble soon from those who which to abuse the beautiful things you've worked towards. For your friends, a powerful thirst for knowledge will be crucial if they hope to attain a positive outcome to this confrontation. For you, on the other hand, your thirst just may be your down fall.
Win Condition: You win when all members of the Mafia are Eliminated.
Abilities: None.
Suddenly, the pieces all make sense. -Her symptoms and condition, the face she made while drinking the water, how her final act was smashing the glass. P...P...P...poison. And she'll likely need an antidote soon, if she is to be saved. Some are then sent to look for other ways out, another door, a window, anything. Others try futilely to get through the thick chains. Some just go to scream and bang on the door, hoping someone, anyone will hear. Eventually, the computers are looked to for help, but that's no use either, as even the internet cables were cut. After the long night, with hope slowly dimming with each passing moment and failed escape plan, the real discussion finally starts.
“We need to accept that we're all trapped in here. And whoever is responsible, is still in here with us. -If we want out, we'll need to find and punish them ourselves.”
General Rules
1) TheFooFish is the Moderator for this game. Follow any and all rules and instructions I give. If two or more of my posts contradict, the one posted later takes precedence. Likewise, any communication you receive from me outside of the game (such as by Private Message) takes precedence over anything posted here.
2) Try to have fun. Contact me immediately if you are not.
3) Be respectful of the other players. Attacking someone's play, reasoning, or opinions is acceptable; attacking someone with personal insults is not.
4) Do not discuss this game outside of this thread without explicit permission from me beforehand. This continues to apply even if you die.
5) If, at any time, you no longer wish, or are no longer able to participate in this game for any reason, contact me. Do NOT force me to modkill you.
6) If you are going to be unable to participate for more than 72 hours, try to let me know first. Failure to do so will likely result in prods, replacement, or a modkill.
Posting Rules
1) Do not post the contents of your role PM. Do not copy any portion of your role PM, no matter how small. A loose paraphrasing of the role PM is usually acceptable, but you are advised to get permission from me by Private Message before posting it to be sure.
2) Do not edit your posts for any reason. If you ever feel you have a pressing need to edit a post, contact me first by Private Message so I may stop you.
3) Double posting should be avoided when possible, but is allowed if, and only if, the second post contains game relevant content. Double posting to make a joke or correct a minor typo is not acceptable. Triple posting is never allowed, for any reason, unless you get permission from me by Private Message beforehand.
4) When you are dead, you are no longer allowed to post. I'll permit a single, short “bah” post, provided it contains no game content.
5) Other than "bah" posts, all posts are expected to contain some content at least slightly related to this game. Please do not spam the game thread.
6) You are expected to maintain a healthy posting rate. An average of at least 1 post per 48 hours is ideal.
7) If you need my attention in thread for any reason, please post it in bold. It should look like this: Mod: Vote Count please?
Voting Rules
1) Votes and Unvotes are to be posted in bold, if you want them to count. They should look like this: Vote TheFooFish
2) Before voting, any previous Vote should be unvoted, if you want it to count.
3) When unvoting, please include the name of the player from whom you are removing your Vote. It should look like this: Unvote TheFooFish
4) When a player receives a simple majority of the Votes, that player is Lynched. You cannot unvote a player once a Lynch is reached.
5) You may vote for a “No Lynch” to end the Day phase without a Lynch.
6) If a Day deadline is ever reached, the Day will end with a No Lynch.
Night Phase Rules
1) Do not post at Night. If you need something during the Night, contact me by Private Message.
2) A deadline will be given at the start of each Night Phase. Night will never end before the deadline.
3) Day will begin when I post that it is Day. Only then may you resume posting.
4) If you have a Night Ability, it must be submitted to me by Private Message before the deadline or it will be not be used. If you choose to not use an Ability, I would appreciate a PM letting me know that as well.
Set-Up Information
1. The game will start with Day.
2. A variety of roles are possible in this game. None will be very complicated.
3. Roles were distributed at random, role names were also chosen basically at random and separate from roles.
4. The role names (Town) and (Vanilla Town) are completely interchangeable, and either or both could be used to denote a Town aligned player with no Abilities.
5. The Town team wins when all members of the Mafia are Eliminated.
6. The Mafia team wins when the Mafia controls at least half of the Votes.
7. Other win conditions are possible on an individual basis.
To kick off analysing this game:
To new players, I'd like to point out that the most standard townsided powerroles are doctor (saves ppl from potential nightkills) and cop/investigator (discovers someones alignment as a night action). These may or may not be included in this setup. I'm sure y'all allready know this, just making sure.
With a 12-player closed setup I think we can expect the standard 3-mafia team, unless powerroles/composition is tweaked alot. Beware of taking this for granted though. We also allready have reasonable knowledge of eachothers previous experience, which will be useful imo.
In the intro text, I was sure the "P... P... P..." part hinted heavily toward Pisces as a badguy until I realized it hinted to the old Prodigy-song:p
To kick off analysing this game:
To new players, I'd like to point out that the most standard townsided powerroles are doctor (saves ppl from potential nightkills) and cop/investigator (discovers someones alignment as a night action). These may or may not be included in this setup. I'm sure y'all allready know this, just making sure.
With a 12-player closed setup I think we can expect the standard 3-mafia team, unless powerroles/composition is tweaked alot. Beware of taking this for granted though. We also allready have reasonable knowledge of eachothers previous experience, which will be useful imo.
In the intro text, I was sure the "P... P... P..." part hinted heavily toward Pisces as a badguy until I realized it hinted to the old Prodigy-song
1. The PR could be anything from the basic game list, which is large. Docs aren't THAT frequent here in fact I'd say vig or tracker is more common.
And 2. There will be 3 scum only.
Are you surrious? Lurking scum is lurking scum. This statement is way to thick for the beginning of a game. IMO, RVS ended with his post and he is scum. Hence my vote and how serious I believe his statement to be.
Who cares how many scum there are. The town will win and that is that.
I can't believe i'm saying the first part of this post can be deemed suspicious. I mean is sounds like by saying who care how many x there is, that we shouldn't be looking for y.
Also why would you gurantee a town victory so early anyway
The fact that you two are questioning a town victory is strange. If the two of you were town, you would agree with the statement I made.
Someone made an incorrect statement about the basic game and I corrected it, to where you made a forced comment about being town.
Its like me saying: YEAH GUYS, LUCKY YOU HAVE ME ON YOUR TEAM AS TOWN OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE IN FOR SOME TROUBLE FROM THOSE SCUM PLAYERS! (who aren't me btw) SO YEAH DEFFS DON'T VOTE ME.
To kick off analysing this game:
To new players, I'd like to point out that the most standard townsided powerroles are doctor (saves ppl from potential nightkills) and cop/investigator (discovers someones alignment as a night action). These may or may not be included in this setup. I'm sure y'all allready know this, just making sure.
With a 12-player closed setup I think we can expect the standard 3-mafia team, unless powerroles/composition is tweaked alot. Beware of taking this for granted though. We also allready have reasonable knowledge of eachothers previous experience, which will be useful imo.
In the intro text, I was sure the "P... P... P..." part hinted heavily toward Pisces as a badguy until I realized it hinted to the old Prodigy-song:p
1. The PR could be anything from the basic game list, which is large. Docs aren't THAT frequent here in fact I'd say vig or tracker is more common.
And 2. There will be 3 scum only.
Who cares how many scum there are. The town will win and that is that.
@Archmage Enternal
Are you surrious? Lurking scum is lurking scum. This statement is way to thick for the beginning of a game. IMO, RVS ended with his post and he is scum. Hence my vote and how serious I believe his statement to be.
I can't believe i'm saying the first part of this post can be deemed suspicious. I mean is sounds like by saying who care how many x there is, that we shouldn't be looking for y.
Also why would you gurantee a town victory so early anyway
Someone made an incorrect statement about the basic game and I corrected it, to where you made a forced comment about being town.
Its like me saying: YEAH GUYS, LUCKY YOU HAVE ME ON YOUR TEAM AS TOWN OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE IN FOR SOME TROUBLE FROM THOSE SCUM PLAYERS! (who aren't me btw) SO YEAH DEFFS DON'T VOTE ME.
hahaha OMGUS for all, YAAAY!
Also, why aren't you voting one of us then?
Capitalist Points for you! Fiflthy Hippies will even be swayed by the great America. Unvote, Vote:Thevoid
@George W. Bush:
If he were joking around, then he wouldn't have put it like so. I mean seriously who posts "Lurking scum is lurking scum" on a mafia game that has just begun. As pointed out, it was only one day.
Now your trying to create a case against me for leaning towards a town victory early on. One person says I am playing to hard, but yet ignores the previous statement made by Archmage Enternal, which has no reference to being joke, but yet is assumed by you that it is a joke... Who made the scum move here?
@pinkfloyd:
I didn't vote for either one of you because my vote is on Archmage Enternal for calling me scum for lurking early on. How is this any less surious then what I posted. It is a bold statement early on as well and assumed to be a joke as previously stated.
If I had known that statement would bring the opposite reaction of what I was looking for, I would have never made it. That's two votes for me. Let's see how many more posts it takes for me to get lynched in record time... Pathetic
While it may be obvious to you, it isn't necessarily for everyone. Post-RVS the thread became silent for too long and I merely wanted to get it off again (success).
@pinkfloyd:
I didn't vote for either one of you because my vote is on Archmage Enternal for calling me scum for lurking early on. How is this any less surious then what I posted. It is a bold statement early on as well and assumed to be a joke as previously stated.
If I had known that statement would bring the opposite reaction of what I was looking for, I would have never made it. That's two votes for me. Let's see how many more posts it takes for me to get lynched in record time... Pathetic
So the reason for AE was OMGUS as well?
I realize that and I called it out. Too late now, this is mafia. You slip up people are going to notice.
Also, calling players who are scum hunting and mentioning the scummy things "pathetic" isn't helping your cause.
Called me out on what? The only thing you called me on was
Quote from TheVoid958 »
Who cares how many scum there are. The town will win and that is that.
You didn't call me on anything else. I defended myself and then are acting President over there jumpedon it as well and voted for me. Then you come back vote for me as well. Why did it take Bush voting for you to vote? Bandwagon or to ******* scared to act on your own?
As far as Archmage Enternal is concerned, it started as an OMGUS vote until I realized that I was not the only one who thought he was serious. I should have clearified that, but oh well.
As far as the "Pathetic" comment goes. That is directed at the case against me. Not at anyone in particular. If it worsened my already bad case against me... well then I am just up **** creek aren't I?
Called me out on what? The only thing you called me on was
Sometimes all it takes is one comment.
As far as Archmage Enternal is concerned, it started as an OMGUS vote until I realized that I was not the only one who thought he was serious. I should have clearified that, but oh well.
As far as the "Pathetic" comment goes. That is directed at the case against me. Not at anyone in particular. If it worsened my already bad case against me... well then I am just up **** creek aren't I?
You didn't call me on anything else. I defended myself and then are acting President over there jumpedon it as well and voted for me. Then you come back vote for me as well. Why did it take Bush voting for you to vote? Bandwagon or to ******* scared to act on your own?
I was just reading over and making sure that you are scum. I always think before I vote.
And having support for a wagon isn't scummy either.
Not voting for thevoid as of yet, but i will say i'll keep tabs on what he says. I stand by what i said after i quoted his statement in my post before this one.
Who cares how many scum there are. The town will win and that is that.
Don't have a problem with this.
Are you surrious? Lurking scum is lurking scum. This statement is way to thick for the beginning of a game. IMO, RVS ended with his post and he is scum. Hence my vote and how serious I believe his statement to be.
Why is it to thick for the beginning of the game? I say thats a good way to gage reactions.
@George W. Bush:
If he were joking around, then he wouldn't have put it like so. I mean seriously who posts "Lurking scum is lurking scum" on a mafia game that has just begun. As pointed out, it was only one day.
Someone that knows its the random stage.
If I had known that statement would bring the opposite reaction of what I was looking for, I would have never made it. That's two votes for me. Let's see how many more posts it takes for me to get lynched in record time... Pathetic
Don't shy away from making statements regardless of how they come across. Its a good way to get reactions and find opportunistic scum.
As far as Archmage Enternal is concerned, it started as an OMGUS vote until I realized that I was not the only one who thought he was serious. I should have clearified that, but oh well.
This post is so terrible that Void cannot be scum. unvote vote pinkfloyd
I like how you waited to see the support on Void before you voted. You take stock in what Void says but nothing about what la3 says.
@George W. Bush:
If he were joking around, then he wouldn't have put it like so. I mean seriously who posts "Lurking scum is lurking scum" on a mafia game that has just begun. As pointed out, it was only one day.
Now your trying to create a case against me for leaning towards a town victory early on. One person says I am playing to hard, but yet ignores the previous statement made by Archmage Enternal, which has no reference to being joke, but yet is assumed by you that it is a joke... Who made the scum move here?
Looks like you're new! It's called RVS Up and Coming Politician! Too bad for you Gerrymandering will take you out of the Race!
Zodiac Mafia: A 12 player basic game
Moderated by: TheFooFish
Reviewed by: Pale Mage
Sign Ups
As you approach the theater, the only sounds you notice are the splashing of your shoes against the wet sidewalk, and the faint pattering of drizzle upon your umbrella. Despite the unpleasant weather, you find these gentle, repetitive noises soothing, though you still aren't sure why you feel anxious to begin with. Once under the protection of the large, red awning, you slowly lower both your umbrella and your head, and gently shake them both. “Why did I drag myself here? -Especially in this storm?” is all you can think as you push the door open and enter the refreshingly warm and dry lobby.
You've always held a passing interest in the topic being presented here tonight by Dr. Artemis, though you've never really believed in it. At least, that's what you've told yourself every morning while reading the paper, faithfully checking the predictions laid out for you, while never truly expecting to gain any useful insight from the daily process. And despite all the amazing things you've heard about tonight's presenter, you still maintain that same level of skepticism.
-Right?
You unfold the brightly colored, and now slightly damp, flier from your back pocket. Glancing over it again, you can't help but laugh at yourself, “Of course I don't believe in any of this.” To put stock in any of these outrageous claims would be insane. The simple directions on it easily lead you to the large double doors of the auditorium. You hesitate at the entrance, briefly wrestling with your thoughts as you consider just turning around and going home. You quickly assure yourself that you aren't hoping for anything here, it's just something to do on what would otherwise be a quiet, uneventful night.
You're surprised by the murmur of the audience as you enter. There are far more in attendance than you would have guessed, even considering that tonight is Dr. Artemis' first public appearance. You decide to settle into a seat in a relatively empty section near the back. After all, who knows what sort of people come to these things? Your eyes slowly assess the room while you wait for the presentation to begin. Aside from a women draped in a heap of crystals, most of the others here don't look half crazy. This immediately comforts you.
The room is large, and dimly lit, it's design old and beautiful, though these seats look almost new. The wide stage, with it's curtains already open, is lightly decorated in shades of purple and gold, with several large stars and star sign symbols hanging at the back and along either side. A gentle amber light suddenly illuminates a large spot at the center. Then, as if a mute button had been pressed, the room drops into an instant silence.
The anticipation in the room quickly mounts to a tangible level, but doesn't last, as the microphone at the center of the stage is soon approached by a balding, white haired man in a gray suit and thick spectacles. “Welcome, everyone” he begins his introduction to an excited crowd, soon followed by an outline of the evening, interspersed with frequent compliments of Dr. Artemis. As soon as it becomes apparent that this man is not the doctor, the anticipation leaps back to and above it's previous levels. Eventually, he concludes his speech, “and now, I have the great pleasure of presenting to you, the great Dr. Artemis.” A hand gesture to his left, is met with thunderous applause while he exits to his right.
The audience once again drops into a sudden quiet, but you suspect that this time it is caused mostly by surprise. The very young, and attractive, dark haired women in the long violet gown is nothing like you had been imagining. As she stands there, looking out over those in attendance, a low whisper slowly begins to build. As soon as she begins speaking, however, the silence swiftly returns, as her gentle, but firm voice commands an immediate respect. If she was at all nervous about her first exhibition, it wasn't showing.
Most of the evening is filled with a vague description of her work, how she came to her findings, the amazing accuracy of the software she developed, and how it can be used to benefit everyone. As time passes, the audience slowly grows restless as it becomes increasingly obvious that she isn't planning to go into many details tonight. Strangely, this upsets you as well. You realize that, in spite of yourself, you are now hoping that she actually has somehow unlocked the predictive powers of the night sky, and some small part of you even believes that is truly what she has done.
The rest of the audience joins you in letting out a groan of disappointment as she begins to dismiss everyone. Soon after, however, you all feel refilled with fresh excitement as she announces, “I will be selecting a handful of those in attendance tonight to come back soon for a special, private, more detailed demonstration of my work.” You, along with almost everyone else here, begin hurriedly lining up for the sign-up sheet near the door...
Pregame
It's now been weeks since you went to that Astrology show. Your hopes of learning more have slowly faded, and been replaced by a much more familiar feeling of doubt. You remind yourself that you shouldn't be disappointed about not being selected to return, it was probably a bunch of nonsense anyway. You arrive at your front door, prepared to head in for just another boring night, but are intrigued as you find a simple index card taped to your door. As you read it's gracefully penned words, you are flooded with joy and excitement.
This is such an amazing surprise. Out of all the people who attended that show, you never thought you would actually be one of the lucky chosen few. You forget your doubts and suddenly can't wait to go. And the card is right, you didn't have other plans anyway. Spooky. You rush to prepare and eat dinner as fast as you can before hurrying out.
You soon make it across town, and have no trouble finding the location. The large wooden sign declaring it Chaldean's Books is marked generously with stars. There is already a small group outside, waiting, though it's only 7:30. You spend the next half hour in light conversation, getting to know the others a bit, and sharing your excitement for this honor, as others slowly arrive. Despite a pleasant atmosphere, the suspense makes time drag agonizingly slowly towards 8.
Finally, the door swings open, and the lovely Dr. Artemis steps out onto the sidewalk. She quickly goes around the group and greets everyone, before inviting you all in. She leads you past rows of shelves filled with books on divination, herbalism, and communication with spirits, books on dream interpretation, Wiccan spirituality, spell casting, and, of course, astrology. “So, it's some kind of Occult book store?” you bleakly think. Instantly, you're again plagued with doubts. This is all just a bit weirder than you had bargained for.
You must not be the only one with a suddenly uneasy expression on your face, because Dr. Artemis slows to a stop to address everyone, “Before you all get nervous, this was my grandfather's store. And while I own and operate it, I don't necessarily endorse everything we sell. -Though, it was the weekends I spent here as a young girl that first got me interested in the stars.”
As the now slightly more relaxed group resumes it's journey through the shop, you enter a back area displaying other merchandise. There are pendants and amulets, adorned with moons, and stars, and interlocking circular patterns. A large crystal ball is laid out on a pillow, in the middle of a round red table surrounded by candles. There are tables with fancy knives, small cloth bags, bottles of oils, and a variety of bowls, some filled with strange herbs. You catch a glimpse of your still hesitant expression in an ornate, silver framed mirror hanging from a wall above a beautiful collection of gems and crystals of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Your attention is drawn by a jingling noise, as Dr. Artemis gently thumbs through a collection of keys hanging from a long chain around her neck. Before long, she finds what she's looking for, and unlocks the large metal door at the rear of the store. As the group begins to gather in this new, dark room, she turns on a light.
You find yourself standing on a thin upstairs area, with only a few feet between the wall and a short railing overlooking a larger room below. Next to you, up here, the wall is lined with small, gray filing cabinets. She quickly takes the group down the narrow steps into what appears to be a storage area. The room has a stale odor, and is filled with stacks of large crates, probably containing stock.
She walks slowly forward, with the group following close behind, down a long hallway. Several large wires and cables run down the right wall and a series of doors appear on the left side. The very last door is slightly ajar, and you immediately identify it as a bathroom. Finally, you enter a large, cool room at the end of the hall, with tables gathered near the front and large bookshelves extending out from the back wall. The tables are dominated by the three large, expensive and powerful looking computers. Around them are piles of paper work and star charts, highlighted with varying shades of marker.
The shelves down here are different from the ones upstairs in the shop. These do contain astrology books, but also books on astronomy, advanced mathematics, and computers. She offers you seats in comfortable looking chairs pressed along the front walls of the room, and down both sides. You all take seats as she dives into what you've been waiting for: a detailed look at her work.
She explains in great depth the new process she uses to analyze the stars. She demonstrates some of the math employed, illustrates the differences between her methods and traditional astrology, and finally reveals how her computers take sky information collected daily from telescopes around the world and runs that data through her algorithms to generate incredibly accurate predictions.
She turns and reaches for the table, gathers something up from next to a glass of water, and then dramatically reveals a fanned out handful of marked envelopes. “This afternoon, I took all of our birthdays and input them into the computers. Yes, even mine. These are the sample horoscopes it has created for us. I'll leave yours right here on this table so you can come up and get them. Please let me know when you have all found your envelopes, so we can discuss the results together. Aren't you all excited to see it in action? -I know I am!”
And you, too, are excited. What will it predict? How accurate will it be? Is this all nonsense, or could there really be something to it? You drift towards the table, your head in a swirl of possibilities, to retrieve your horoscope...
Starting Player List
Trusted Wave
Wessel
George W. Bush
replacing George W. BushMephit
la3
Audinho
InventTheUniverse
MzztrTetris/tezzeret12
replacing tordeckpinkfloyd
Prophylaxis
TheVoid958
Archmage Eternal
Trusted Wave
Wessel
Dr. Artemis
In Retrograde
Dr. Artemis, Virgo (Vanilla Town) - Poisoned and slowly dying Night 0
la3, Ophiuchus (Vanilla Town) - Lynched Day 1
George W. Bush, Leo (Vanilla Town) - Head punctured Night 1
Prophylaxis, Aries (Vanilla Town) - Lynched Day 2
pinkfloyd, Taurus (Town Tracker) - Smothered Night 2
Void, Scorpius (Town) - Lynched Day 3
InventTheUniverse, Capricornus (Town) - Stabbed Night 3
MzztrTetris
replacing tordeck, Cancer (Mafia Role Cop) - Lynched Day 4Audinho, Gemini (Town Double Voter) - Crushed Night 4
Archmage Eternal, Libra (Vanilla Town) - Decapitated End Game
Mephit, Aquarius (Town Bullet Proof) - Fell down stairs End Game
It takes a few minutes of shuffling envelopes around on the table, but eventually everyone finds there own and returns to their seats. There is still an excited chatter pulsing through the group as Dr. Artemis takes position at the center of the room. “Attention every...” she begins hoarsely, before clearing her throat. She reaches over to grab the glass of water from the table and takes a sip, making a face and eying it curiously afterward while slowly setting it back down.
She starts again, more clearly now, “Attention everyone! It looks as though we've all got our envelopes. Is anyone missing theirs? -No? Okay, good. Let's open them up!” The last word comes out in a cough, followed by two more quickly. She lightly taps her fist against her chest, clears her throat again, and begins removing the small sheet from the envelope.
She reads her horoscope carefully, with a confused and curious expression. Suddenly, she erupts in stronger coughing, then reaches her hand up to her neck as she begins gasping for air. A look of understanding washes over her face, followed by panic and terror. Gasping frantically, she wildly looks around the room, searching desperately for something before her eyes settle on the table.
She clumsily stumbles forward, and with her last burst of strength, lunges towards the table. While falling, she flails her arm to violently send the glass flying off the table to shatter at the back of the room, sending a spray of water and glass shards across the floor.
Everyone gathers around her as she lay trembling on the floor, gasping and choking, with her hands clutching her throat. She mumbles and coughs out, “P...P... P...” just as her eyes close, and her body rests quiet and motionless on the floor.
“Someone call for help!” a voice screams. You pull out your cell phone, but unsurprisingly there's no service down here. A small group quickly heads into the hall and towards the stairs. At the top of the steps, the group bursts into a confused panic when they find that the door to the store has been chained and locked securely shut. The crowd slowly quiets as the horrifying realization settles in: someone did this.
Everyone gathers back in the main room to discuss the situation. Dr. Artemis lies unconscious on the floor. Someone checks and finds her heartbeat is light and slow, her breathing very faint. It's unclear what happened to her or if she'll survive. Her crumbled horoscope is then retrieved from the floor and passed around:
Suddenly, the pieces all make sense. -Her symptoms and condition, the face she made while drinking the water, how her final act was smashing the glass. P...P...P...poison. And she'll likely need an antidote soon, if she is to be saved. Some are then sent to look for other ways out, another door, a window, anything. Others try futilely to get through the thick chains. Some just go to scream and bang on the door, hoping someone, anyone will hear. Eventually, the computers are looked to for help, but that's no use either, as even the internet cables were cut. After the long night, with hope slowly dimming with each passing moment and failed escape plan, the real discussion finally starts.
“We need to accept that we're all trapped in here. And whoever is responsible, is still in here with us. -If we want out, we'll need to find and punish them ourselves.”
1) TheFooFish is the Moderator for this game. Follow any and all rules and instructions I give. If two or more of my posts contradict, the one posted later takes precedence. Likewise, any communication you receive from me outside of the game (such as by Private Message) takes precedence over anything posted here.
2) Try to have fun. Contact me immediately if you are not.
3) Be respectful of the other players. Attacking someone's play, reasoning, or opinions is acceptable; attacking someone with personal insults is not.
4) Do not discuss this game outside of this thread without explicit permission from me beforehand. This continues to apply even if you die.
5) If, at any time, you no longer wish, or are no longer able to participate in this game for any reason, contact me. Do NOT force me to modkill you.
6) If you are going to be unable to participate for more than 72 hours, try to let me know first. Failure to do so will likely result in prods, replacement, or a modkill.
Posting Rules
1) Do not post the contents of your role PM. Do not copy any portion of your role PM, no matter how small. A loose paraphrasing of the role PM is usually acceptable, but you are advised to get permission from me by Private Message before posting it to be sure.
2) Do not edit your posts for any reason. If you ever feel you have a pressing need to edit a post, contact me first by Private Message so I may stop you.
3) Double posting should be avoided when possible, but is allowed if, and only if, the second post contains game relevant content. Double posting to make a joke or correct a minor typo is not acceptable. Triple posting is never allowed, for any reason, unless you get permission from me by Private Message beforehand.
4) When you are dead, you are no longer allowed to post. I'll permit a single, short “bah” post, provided it contains no game content.
5) Other than "bah" posts, all posts are expected to contain some content at least slightly related to this game. Please do not spam the game thread.
6) You are expected to maintain a healthy posting rate. An average of at least 1 post per 48 hours is ideal.
7) If you need my attention in thread for any reason, please post it in bold. It should look like this: Mod: Vote Count please?
Voting Rules
1) Votes and Unvotes are to be posted in bold, if you want them to count. They should look like this: Vote TheFooFish
2) Before voting, any previous Vote should be unvoted, if you want it to count.
3) When unvoting, please include the name of the player from whom you are removing your Vote. It should look like this: Unvote TheFooFish
4) When a player receives a simple majority of the Votes, that player is Lynched. You cannot unvote a player once a Lynch is reached.
5) You may vote for a “No Lynch” to end the Day phase without a Lynch.
6) If a Day deadline is ever reached, the Day will end with a No Lynch.
Night Phase Rules
1) Do not post at Night. If you need something during the Night, contact me by Private Message.
2) A deadline will be given at the start of each Night Phase. Night will never end before the deadline.
3) Day will begin when I post that it is Day. Only then may you resume posting.
4) If you have a Night Ability, it must be submitted to me by Private Message before the deadline or it will be not be used. If you choose to not use an Ability, I would appreciate a PM letting me know that as well.
Set-Up Information
1. The game will start with Day.
2. A variety of roles are possible in this game. None will be very complicated.
3. Roles were distributed at random, role names were also chosen basically at random and separate from roles.
4. The role names (Town) and (Vanilla Town) are completely interchangeable, and either or both could be used to denote a Town aligned player with no Abilities.
5. The Town team wins when all members of the Mafia are Eliminated.
6. The Mafia team wins when the Mafia controls at least half of the Votes.
7. Other win conditions are possible on an individual basis.
In that case...
Vote: Audinho
For not being this:
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
vote:Pink Floyd
Vote Dubya
The Family
Vote la3 for that horrendous game we last played together
LOL
Also, OMGUS
[b]vote Trusted Wave[]
Damnation studios!
Zodiac - Doublevoter - Loss
Starcraft - VT - Loss
The Office - Mafia Rolecop - Win
1984 - VT - Vigged - Loss
Quantum - Lynched D1 Alpha Mafia - Win
Mean Girls - Town Masonizer Replaced into lynch - Loss
Startrek Voyager - Backup JOAT - Loss
Boardgame - VT- Loss
Ghost Story - VT - (replaced in)
Smalltown Animaniacs - Delay Doc - Loss
Kill Bill - One-shot Vig - Loss
Magical Girls -
Mr Potato Head -
Work hard, play casually
That didn't come out right. I guess it wasn't meant to be.
unvote, vote Mephit
...for not beeing voted on
Damnation studios!
Zodiac - Doublevoter - Loss
Starcraft - VT - Loss
The Office - Mafia Rolecop - Win
1984 - VT - Vigged - Loss
Quantum - Lynched D1 Alpha Mafia - Win
Mean Girls - Town Masonizer Replaced into lynch - Loss
Startrek Voyager - Backup JOAT - Loss
Boardgame - VT- Loss
Ghost Story - VT - (replaced in)
Smalltown Animaniacs - Delay Doc - Loss
Kill Bill - One-shot Vig - Loss
Magical Girls -
Mr Potato Head -
Work hard, play casually
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
They hate us cause they ain't us.
Also, because of reading My Pet Goat.
Decks: M12 UW Preconstructed -- Drafted GW
Skill level: Low
Money to buy new cards: Nonexistent
[dice]20[/dice]
LOL
Because prophylactic medicine is so politically correct and thus suspicious.
Wolf Gang!
LOL
I'll stick with it the way it is.
Vote: Pinkfloyd
Only because we were in the same game before
Trusted Wave
WesselGeorge W. BushMephit
la3
AudinhoInventTheUniverse
tordeck
pinkfloyd
ProphylaxisTheVoid958
Archmage Eternal
vote TheVoid958
Lurking scum is lurking scum.
They hate us cause they ain't us.
Are you trying to start a war?
I'll invade you faster than Germany did.
Predicition: You're a communist.
It appears you can't bold good.
I'll have the CIA check you out.
It must die.
God invented the Universe
Country
only Jesus can cure.
Bush Gang!
Don't listen to the hippies.
Howdy fellow Texan.
I...wha...what?
...Really? It's only been a day...
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
(3) George W. Bush - tordeck, Wessel, Prophylaxis
(2) la3 - pinkfloyd, InventTheUniverse
(2) pinkfloyd - George W. Bush, la3
(1) Audinho - Trusted Wave
(1) Mephit - Audinho
(1) TheVoid958 - Archmage Eternal
George W. Bush is replacing George W. Bush
Ooh, we have George W. Bush replacing George H.W. Bush? You forgot the "Herbert".
Umm, what am I looking at? o_0
Decks: M12 UW Preconstructed -- Drafted GW
Skill level: Low
Money to buy new cards: Nonexistent
[dice]20[/dice]
Hmm... must be sir mu!
Really? LOL
Is that legit or??
LOL
Give a man a break. Was on vacation when this game started.
OMGUS Archmage Eternal
To new players, I'd like to point out that the most standard townsided powerroles are doctor (saves ppl from potential nightkills) and cop/investigator (discovers someones alignment as a night action). These may or may not be included in this setup. I'm sure y'all allready know this, just making sure.
With a 12-player closed setup I think we can expect the standard 3-mafia team, unless powerroles/composition is tweaked alot. Beware of taking this for granted though. We also allready have reasonable knowledge of eachothers previous experience, which will be useful imo.
In the intro text, I was sure the "P... P... P..." part hinted heavily toward Pisces as a badguy until I realized it hinted to the old Prodigy-song:p
1. The PR could be anything from the basic game list, which is large. Docs aren't THAT frequent here in fact I'd say vig or tracker is more common.
And 2. There will be 3 scum only.
LOL
@Archmage Enternal
Are you surrious? Lurking scum is lurking scum. This statement is way to thick for the beginning of a game. IMO, RVS ended with his post and he is scum. Hence my vote and how serious I believe his statement to be.
Holy **** that sounded fake and forced
LOL
I can't believe i'm saying the first part of this post can be deemed suspicious. I mean is sounds like by saying who care how many x there is, that we shouldn't be looking for y.
Also why would you gurantee a town victory so early anyway
FoS:pinkfloyd
FoS: la3
FoS: pinkfloyd
Someone made an incorrect statement about the basic game and I corrected it, to where you made a forced comment about being town.
Its like me saying: YEAH GUYS, LUCKY YOU HAVE ME ON YOUR TEAM AS TOWN OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE IN FOR SOME TROUBLE FROM THOSE SCUM PLAYERS! (who aren't me btw) SO YEAH DEFFS DON'T VOTE ME.
hahaha OMGUS for all, YAAAY!
Also, why aren't you voting one of us then?
LOL
Herbet is dead.
Non bible books shall burn.
A votecount.
Is our children learning?
Communist!
My daddy told me to pull out.
Terrorist #1! Blatant Fishing.
Stop helping the enemy spies gain information!
Obvious joking is obvious! Terrorist 2!
Correct! Capitalist Points for you!
Capitalist Points for you!
Terrorist Points for you!
More Terrorist points for you!
Capitalist Points for you!
Capitalist Points for you! Fiflthy Hippies will even be swayed by the great America.
Unvote, Vote:Thevoid
I laughed.
And I'm happy to Vote The void
LOL
@George W. Bush:
If he were joking around, then he wouldn't have put it like so. I mean seriously who posts "Lurking scum is lurking scum" on a mafia game that has just begun. As pointed out, it was only one day.
Now your trying to create a case against me for leaning towards a town victory early on. One person says I am playing to hard, but yet ignores the previous statement made by Archmage Enternal, which has no reference to being joke, but yet is assumed by you that it is a joke... Who made the scum move here?
@pinkfloyd:
I didn't vote for either one of you because my vote is on Archmage Enternal for calling me scum for lurking early on. How is this any less surious then what I posted. It is a bold statement early on as well and assumed to be a joke as previously stated.
If I had known that statement would bring the opposite reaction of what I was looking for, I would have never made it. That's two votes for me. Let's see how many more posts it takes for me to get lynched in record time... Pathetic
While it may be obvious to you, it isn't necessarily for everyone. Post-RVS the thread became silent for too long and I merely wanted to get it off again (success).
So the reason for AE was OMGUS as well?
I realize that and I called it out. Too late now, this is mafia. You slip up people are going to notice.
Also, calling players who are scum hunting and mentioning the scummy things "pathetic" isn't helping your cause.
LOL
You didn't call me on anything else. I defended myself and then are acting President over there jumpedon it as well and voted for me. Then you come back vote for me as well. Why did it take Bush voting for you to vote? Bandwagon or to ******* scared to act on your own?
As far as Archmage Enternal is concerned, it started as an OMGUS vote until I realized that I was not the only one who thought he was serious. I should have clearified that, but oh well.
As far as the "Pathetic" comment goes. That is directed at the case against me. Not at anyone in particular. If it worsened my already bad case against me... well then I am just up **** creek aren't I?
Sometimes all it takes is one comment.
I was just reading over and making sure that you are scum. I always think before I vote.
And having support for a wagon isn't scummy either.
LOL
Not voting for thevoid as of yet, but i will say i'll keep tabs on what he says. I stand by what i said after i quoted his statement in my post before this one.
unvote dubya
The Family
Don't care much for this.
No
Don't have a problem with this.
Why is it to thick for the beginning of the game? I say thats a good way to gage reactions.
But no vote?
Someone that knows its the random stage.
Don't shy away from making statements regardless of how they come across. Its a good way to get reactions and find opportunistic scum.
This post is so terrible that Void cannot be scum.
unvote vote pinkfloyd
I like how you waited to see the support on Void before you voted. You take stock in what Void says but nothing about what la3 says.
They hate us cause they ain't us.
Laugh enough and you'll turn into a Republican!
Looks like you're new! It's called RVS Up and Coming Politician! Too bad for you Gerrymandering will take you out of the Race!
Capatilist Points for you!
If you think the void is scum you should vote for him instead of voting for the Hippie Pink Floyd!
What part of this quote do you not understand?
I'm not interested in the newb townie thats flailing around. I'm more concerned with the opportunistic scum.
They hate us cause they ain't us.
I can't read good!
How is the void noob town in your eyes?
@ pinkfloyd: Why did you not vote TheVoid in this post, but two posts later instead?
@ tordeck:Why?
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR