Steampunk Mafia: Day Two

[Dragonator]

Shanalon, save the jumping for the bedroom, sheesh.

Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick)

[CMP]

Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick) Let's hope this pays off. If not, we'll lynch Shanalon for you. But right now, we coudl come out of today with a confirmed investigator, we can't afford not to follow that lead.

[Fugazi]

It would be foolish not to test Shanalon's claim. It will hopefully let us start collaborating in a more useful way.

Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick)

[Rick]

Just as an update, to this point no one has contacted me claiming to be either blocker or protector.

I know it was my idea to explore alternatives, simply because I know the result you have on me is incorrect. An alternative presents itself, namely that I was protected and that's why the Assassin's kill did not go through, and you are quick to dismiss it. What you don't seem to want to dismiss is the truth that your result was somehow twisted. I understand you want to follow up on your lead, but please don't deny that you're very quick to dismiss alternatives. Pushing for my lynch is going to lead you to lynch two Royals: me today and you tomorrow. Or do you already have your "Ooops, don't shoot the messenger" story prepared?

What's really starting to worry me is that ever since you shared your result on me you've been very keen on stressing that it's pointless to attempt to kill you, because your role passes on to someone else (how convenient). Yet, you also subtly ask for protection, whereas, if you truly are Royal, the noble thing to do would be to ask for protection of someone who cannot be so easily replaced as you. If the protector chooses to protect you, they'll know they're not protecting a member of the Royal Family. So, protecting you actually increases the Assassins' chances of coming one step closer to achieving their win condition tonight.

Given the risk I've taken, I'm inclined to believe that the person who contacted you may have been attempting some form of trickery. Why would they choose to contact you prior to any results being presented, yet not contact me when I clearly have nothing to gain by lying?

I see no reason either, which actually leads me to believe the protector claim. People believe your claim because no Assassin would lie about an investigation result, especially not so early on. By the same logic, I see no reason why an Assassin would lie about protecting me, so I have a hard time believing it's some sort of 'trickery'. What do the Assassins stand to gain?

I understand you're all going to test Shanana's investigator claim by lynching me and I'd do the exact same. But, as a Royal, I also feel it's my duty to point out Shanana's fixation on me and her quick dismissal of alternatives. In the meantime, I have given some more thought to this situation we're in. I'm starting to doubt that the sole reason we all have alter egos is to protect the Royal Family. The Royal Family could have simply been disguised as guards, jesters, or whatever. Why does that require all of us to assume alter egos? Notice that the Assassins' objective is to kill three Royal Family members. Our objective is to kill three Assassins. What about the other two groups of three? Now also note there is explicit mention of the possibility of third-parties being involved, followed by an ominous "...". I just ask you to consider the possibility that Shanana has her own agenda here. Could it be that she has to kill all members from one of the groups? Or could it be that she has to survive and kill one member from each group: one Royal Family member, one member of the Royal Court, one member of the Royal Guard, and one of the Assassins? This would require her to work with both the Royals and the Assassins. Looking at her behaviour today, I don't think that idea is far-fetched at all.

I honestly think this is the major drawback to this situation. On the one hand, it's a little more secure for the investigator, but on the other it's complicated to explain. Obviously, the investigator could be killed at any time and I'm sure they could be blocked if targeted randomly (or found through some kind of scum investigation), so it has many of the same risks as a normal investigation, it's just a little easier to report results. And even that comes at the risk of my life, so all of the nonsense about it being overpowered is just that, nonsense.

You don't seem to be having a hard time explaining it. It's a lot like a normal investigator, with the same chances of them being killed or blocked, but it's a lot more secure and the messenger role even passes on. These are major upsides to the role and I refuse to believe there's no apparent downside to it. Yet, even though your action conveniently passes on should you be killed, you still seem overly concerned about your own life. Not very noble behaviour if you ask me.

[Shadows]

you still seem overly concerned about your own life. Not very noble behaviour if you ask me.

Do I? I value my life, naturally, what kind of fool doesn't? Maybe the whole concept doesn't make sense to an assassin like you, but every member of the Royal party needs to live so that we can do our duty, another concept you may not understand. Whatever the case, I gave your suggestion a try and it led nowhere, not much I can do about that.

Do you have any other ideas? The rest of the party seems to.

[Rick]

Do I? I value my life, naturally, what kind of fool doesn't? Maybe the whole concept doesn't make sense to an assassin like you, but every member of the Royal party needs to live so that we can do our duty, another concept you may not understand.

It's likely we're not going to be as lucky as we were last night and one of the Royals is going to be killed the coming night. You're not going to honestly argue that it's irrelevant who that person is, are you? The Assassins need to specifically kill the Royal Family and anything that increases the chances of that happening, like you asking for protection (instead of having the protector try to protect a member of the Royal Family), is going to bring them closer to their goal. Besides, in your initial accusation of me, you said you're replaced when you die, so I fail to see why - if you're truly acting in the interest of the Royals - you should be afraid to be killed or even targeted.

[Shadows]

like you asking for protection (instead of having the protector try to protect a member of the Royal Family)

That would be wonderful if we knew the identity of one of the Royal Family or the investigator, but we don't. If they randomly guess, they could end up protecting an assassin. As it stands, if I live, there won't be any question about who to trust tomorrow, your scummy alignment will insure that the truth is known. If I die, someone new will have to step forward to relay the investigator's results, and I have no doubt that you've already helped your team plan ahead for that situation in an attempt to mislead the Royal party. So yeah, I think it would be good if I lived at this point.

I think it's hilariously transparent that you don't want me protected since it screws up your scummy plans so much.

[Bob]

Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick)

It's really a no-brainer. I've looked over everything but this seems to be the most logical thing to do.

[Rick]

I think it's hilariously transparent that you don't want me protected since it screws up your scummy plans so much.

You're right, there's the chance that the protector randomly protects an Assassin, but at least there is an equal chance of protecting someone from the Royal Family. If you're protected, that certainly won't be the case. More importantly, I don't see why the Assassins would want to target you because, should you die, there will be someone to take your place. I assume we'll be far from an endgame situation tomorrow, so the Assassins would be foolish to claim your role and a counterclaim would surely follow. So, as an Assassin I would be hoping the protector wastes his action on you tonight.

[Hinckley]

vote tally

Ruben Castleton (Rick): 8 votes (Zepher, Cecilie, CorneliusMurdock, Shadows, Dragonator, CallMePieOrDie, Fugazi, Bob)

A majority has been reached. If you have no intention of changing your vote, please start thinking about your Night Action. Send them in early if you can. You will have time to change them. Barring any drastic changes, the day will end at the 48 hour mark. The next day can go up at that time if I get the Night Actions in before then.

[Shadows]

You're right, there's the chance that the protector randomly protects an Assassin, but at least there is an equal chance of protecting someone from the Royal Family. If you're protected, that certainly won't be the case. More importantly, I don't see why the Assassins would want to target you because, should you die, there will be someone to take your place. I assume we'll be far from an endgame situation tomorrow, so the Assassins would be foolish to claim your role and a counterclaim would surely follow. So, as an Assassin I would be hoping the protector wastes his action on you tonight.

Still the same obvious lies hoping to get me killed so your scummy allies can try to salvage this situation, either through trickery or hoping that my replacement would be afraid to step forward and meet the same fate I would.

Lame. Obvious. Desperate.

Goodbye.

[Rick]

Still the same obvious lies hoping to get me killed so your scummy allies can try to salvage this situation, either through trickery or hoping that my replacement would be afraid to step forward and meet the same fate I would.

No one should have any reason to be afraid to step forward in your situation. I'm just saying you shouldn't be so focused on your own survival. In our common interest, you should happily take the bullet for the sake of the Royal Family. As I said before, it's unlikely we're going to be as lucky as last night and some member of the Royal Court is probably going to die tonight. With you protected, the chances of the victim being a member of the Royal Court are going to be bigger than with protection on someone else. There's no denying that and frankly that's all I'm trying to say. But I'm sure the protector doesn't need me to spell this out for them.

Goodbye.

Ta ta. See you tomorrow.

[Shadows]

No one should have any reason to be afraid to step forward in your situation. I'm just saying you shouldn't be so focused on your own survival. In our common interest, you should happily take the bullet for the sake of the Royal Family.

And if/when I do die, we lose the results of that night and are open to potential misdirection from the scum. Then you say that someone wouldn't have any reason to fear stepping forward after watching my death, when it could have been prevented? Does that really give them any hope for their own life? It is kind of important that as many people stay alive as possible or your allies won't have any difficulty at all killing the Royal Family.

Seriously, you make no sense at all, but I do understand your situation and how little you can do now.

But I'm sure the protector doesn't need me to spell this out for them.

No, I'm sure they don't need your repeated attempt to manipulate them, yet you keep offering it, which just makes the whole thing more and more obvious.

So in summation, you wanted a random kill on day 1, you wanted a random kill today but instead you had the truth revealed about your motives. Since you can't fool/manipulate your way out of it, you want to try to make sure I'm available to be killed so that your scummy allies have a weaker opponent to deal with next time, or just hope that person will be afraid to be killed like I was.

Oh, and there is one more twist. I may or may not be a member of the Royal Family, so protecting me may be a double positive. Or it may not, I'm certainly not telling you. Just because you want to learn every possible thing that can be used against us, doesn't mean you're going to get it.

I trust in our protector and I know that they will protect the only person they can be sure of right now, especially after your obvious attempt to convince them otherwise.

Failure after failure. Well done.

[MetroiD]

Under these circumstances, I really can do little other than to

Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick)

I sincerely hope we're not making a wrong move here; which is why I've been considering whether or not to vote all day long. Having seen how Ruben has done his best to valiantly defend himself and to underline that the protection of the Royal Family comes first, I'm still not 100% convinced that we'll be lucky tonight. However, that could very well have been an Assassin saying things that he knows are true anyway...

If Shanalon has indeed supplied us true information, then I think tomorrow will be a very different day.

[Pandora]

Shanalon has brought forth a scum investigation result on Ruben, and Ruben has made some interesting points in reply. As I said earlier today, we need to test the investigation, and that in turn will also allow us to appraise Ruben's comments better.

Thus I Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick)

Ruben, if you really are a member of the Royal Court, now is the time to tell somebody you trust anything you know that can help us.

[Rick]

Oh, and there is one more twist. I may or may not be a member of the Royal Family, so protecting me may be a double positive. Or it may not, I'm certainly not telling you. Just because you want to learn every possible thing that can be used against us, doesn't mean you're going to get it.

Fair enough. I didn't consider it likely that your role would be combined with Royal Family membership, but I guess everything is possible. I definitely agree that we shouldn't be helping the Assassins by making claims about our role in this.

[JimBee]

Vote: Ruben Castleton (Rick)

I'm sorry it had to end this way, cap'n! One last time in the cap'n's cabin, for old time's sake?

[Hinckley]

vote tally

Ruben Castleton (Rick): 11 votes (Zepher, Cecilie, CorneliusMurdock, Shadows, Dragonator, CallMePieOrDie, Fugazi, Bob, MetroiD, Pandora, JimButcher)

Non-voters: 1 (Rick)

[Shadows]

And as the day draws to a close, I'd like to thank all of you who legitimately supported the Royal Family today, curse those of you who are assassins and disguised yourselves in with the pack, and hope that this is the beginning of our victory over the scum.

Hope to see you all tomorrow.

[Hinckley]

vote tally

Ruben Castleton (Rick): 11 votes (Zepher, Cecilie, CorneliusMurdock, Shadows, Dragonator, CallMePieOrDie, Fugazi, Bob, MetroiD, Pandora, JimButcher)

Non-voters: 1 (Rick)

With 11 votes, Ruben Castleton (Rick) will be lynched.

After one more sloppy, double-goggled kiss, Ruben Castleton bids farewell to Jane Phoebe Barnell. A sad and horny Phoebe wipes a tear from her eye. Ruben addresses the other passengers of the HMS Brutal to deliver his final words before being dumped overboard.

"I am prepared to do my duty for the Royal Family," Ruben tells them, "The result of the investigation is wrong, though. Don't allow this trickery to continue to deceive..."

"OK, Scumbo, that's more than enough out of you," Shanalon Dairne interrupts, "Lame. Pathetic. Desperate. Scum. Onto the plank."

"Hello everyone," Shanalon addressed the passengers, "As the day draws to a close, I'd like to thank everyone for supporting the Royal Family today. But I shake my fist at you Scummy Assassins! Watch out for me! I'm the Towniest of Town! Well, the Shippiest of Ship, in this case."

"Oh geez," Somebody grumbles.

"Well, Hinckley's not playing so somebody has to be the ego," another passenger says.

"This isn't a ship, it's the Royal Barge," someone observes, "Maybe she's the bargiest."

"First he steals our concept, now he's stealing our jokes," yet another passenger grumbles under their breath.

It's early, so the sun has not yet begun to set, but the plank is at the ready. Ruben Castleton steps onto it, and as he does, his true identity is revealed...

____________________

Thanks to everyone for getting Night Actions in early. I will get Day Three up within the next 12 hours. Again, great work, Steampunk Mafia players!