Romeo & Juliet - Montagues Win!

Started by Autumn Sativus, February 14, 2014, 08:54:13 PM

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Martee

This is most distressing - Kerri, an innocent revealed and poor Blythe slain. As much as I mourn their loss, I believe the hidden Capulet has made a grievous error.  The Friar claims to be a loyal Montague, and so I fear the murderer must be Denivar.

Status as of March 5th: In like a lion - only one response outstanding

Remiel

James Moriarty, while I have greatly enjoyed our game of cat and mouse, the time for games, I'm afraid, has finally come to an end.  I advised you to pick me for your nightly victim, and warned you that if you did not, I would be forced to side with the remaining Montagues, for that is where my ultimate loyalty lies: as a Montague. 

I have nothing but admiration for the way that you so artfully pulled the wool over all of our eyes, but you have made a tactical error, I'm afraid, in eliminating Blythe instead of myself. 

I am 100% sure now that you are the culprit (and if you are not, I will eat my hat).   

James Moriarty

I do apologize for the delay in posting -- affairs outside our fair city have kept me away.  And this has given me at least the chance to think on our situation, which I can see upon my return has grown yet more dire and black than ever before.  Blythe was a dear friend, and I cannot begin to express my regret over our loss of Kerri, as well.

My dear sir, I know how you suspect me so, but I beg of you nonetheless to please not consume such fine headwear when you learn of my innocence.  I fear that it is this same jaunty hat that has been pulled over your eyes, sir, leaving you blinded to the truth.

Something Martee said, combined with something you yourself said earlier finally clicked in my addled brain.  You had mentioned how unlikely it was that Josietta would include another Capulet in her alliance.  Aye, this is so.  Yet you fail then to note that in fact Denivar was not in that alliance until after Josietta's death.  I had not known this until a casual remark in private communication got me thinking.  And now I am as convinced as one can be in a game like this.

Your PM to me was indeed a brilliant work -- artful and convincing.  Yet you did not offer as penetrating a consideration of Denivar as you did of others.

I implore you to consider: who stood the most to gain by Blythe's death?  He and I, in open group communication, had repeatedly noted our belief that the other was innocent.  No: there is someone who stood to gain by his death -- it was, however, not I.

Remiel

"My defense of Denivar is simple -- his voting record.   Like myself, he voted for ThatRPGuy the night first, and did not even try to defend him.    SunshineSparkle has a similar record.  I know that they both must be innocent.  I now believe that Elina is innocent as well--unless she is a far better liar than I have given her credit for.  That leaves only yourself and your dear Martee as the possible villains.

"Really, my dear James, your skills of obfuscation and deception are exemplary, but you are simply running out of convenient scapegoats.  No doubt you would be even now casting aspersions upon me if I was not luckily on record as voting for both RPGuy and Beguile's Mistress, and had admitted to being Benevolio.   What I admitted to you was truth; I had saved Blythe the first night he was targeted, and was forced to save myself when Ryven mistakenly tried to assassinate me.   The only lie I have ever told in this game was the second time I urged your group to vote for Elina.  By that time, I realized that she was innocent.  I was indeed impressed by your art and wiles, and did truthfully want you to carry the day.   I was hoping that you would eliminate me, and thus Elina would become the next suspect. 

"However, I am a loyal Montague above all, and I am forced to vote as a Montague.   I believe with all my heart that you are the last Capulet.  I am confident that my hat, as fine as it is, will remain unmasticated."

SunshineSparkle

The further I keep analyzing the less I grow sure of who is the last Capulet left, I will go for Denivar.





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Elina


Denivar

I shall stand with the good Friar and vote for James Moriarty even as it seems my fate is sealed and will go to my doom. I am, like our good friar, certain of the guilt of James Moriarty yet it seems none will stand with us.

I only hope that after my innocence has been proven by my demise, and our good friend James thins our number this eve, the remaining Montagues will finally see the wisdom of putting an end to his reign of terror. When you vote next round, consider carefully that Kerri, lisar, and Denivar, all known Montagues insisted on JM's guilt.
"If you go to see the woman, do not forget the whip." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

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Elina

I've been contemplating my vote and am changing it to james moriarty.
Since I haven't a clue who it is, I know someone is manipulating the hell out of everyone.  If it is JM, then the Montagues will win.  If he goes out and it isn't him, the remaining players can regroup and focus on figuring out who the Capulet really is instead of vilifying one player to the degree that they cannot concentrate on any other.  Sorry, JM.  I cannot see a down side to voting this way.  You've become too divisive these last rounds.

Autumn Sativus

#208
Votes
(4)JM - Remi, Deni, Elina, Martee
(2)Deni -, JM, Sunshine

I will leave this in the hands of our good Friar, if there's no last minute changes.
Us against the world
Just a couple sinners making fun of hell


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Martee

If James Moriarty turns out to be innocent,  then I think wet all know where the guilty party is hiding...

Status as of March 5th: In like a lion - only one response outstanding

James Moriarty

The last known words of Paris, son of Prince Escalus of Verona.  The missive to which this is a reply has not been recovered.

Quote
19 luglio 1303
Verona, Italia

Caro Benvolio:

I write this immediately after your own message, though I fear it may take some meaningful time for it to make its passage through the city.  In fact, I may already have departed this world for another more pleasant by the time this reaches you.  Let me speak honestly.

Your reasoning is at once cogent, astute and accurate -- I am Paris, not a Capulet but allied with them due to my courtship of the fair Juliet.

The remark that I "broke the game" pains me as I feel that I was forced into making most of the moves I did by a very blunt and, to my mind, overly bold strategic play on the part of Juliet and Romeo.  When our brother Lord Capulet was gone the very first round, it was a blow, but not overly concerning, particularly when we were lucky enough to find Prince Escalus so early (though this would later work against me, as you can imagine).  However, when the very next round, everyone went for Lady Capulet's head without so much as a word from Juliet in our private communications, the message was clear.  Juliet had a sizable alliance and was happy to take out her Capulet brethren immediately and boldly in order to sail off with her Romeo.  As Juliet's secret suitor, I could simply not let that happen, both for reasons of the heart and because it would simply have ended the game.  We would have been forced to wage war with each other, Juliet and I, immediately after, and either we'd both have lost, or something very much like the actual game would have transpired anyway.  In my judgment, my hand was forced in this -- I did even try to convince Juliet in private talks to avert this disaster and regroup with her fellow kinsmen, but she felt that it was preferable to lay waste to her entire family, and me with it, commenting that she had prepared my grave beside her own.

There will be those who suggest that I should have simply tried to ally myself with Juliet, hoping to whittle down the opposition.  But again, that seems to be an obviously failing move: her alliance was immense, and even with Lady Capulet still in play, I could barely muster a tie; without Lady Capulet's vote, I would have lost any subsequent round in which Juliet chose to remove me.  No, my hand was forced, and I did the only thing I could do for victory.

I do not enjoy being in that position, or in the position I have had to take these last rounds, with no one to befriend except under the guise of a lie.  With my allies and my Juliet dead, all that has been left to me is survival -- and for better or worse, I do know how to survive.

It was thin luck that got me through the last several rounds, and I know that my time draws near -- and this is a righteous end for this toil, as it is the Capulets who are to blame for the sad state of affairs that are left rotting in our fair city.

I am delighted to know that you took an active role in the way things played out -- it was a pleasure in so many ways.  My memory seems to tell me that you did not have as full an opportunity to enjoy your time in the sun in the last few outings -- and in a dream of the future, I seem to have a hazy vision in which I was more ally than foe, but again by happenstance, placed unfairly in your path.  Somehow from that dream, I know that I will always be regretful for what it depicted.

I would make one small correction: Lady Martee is categorically opposed to anything more than alliances of circumstance in games like these; though she has at times shared in my goals, we have never made any formal arrangement between us, but instead only tried to convince each other of what we believed to be right.  It is certain that had the roles been reversed, I would have been equally blinded to her culpability in the affairs as they unfolded.

Lord Leorobin and Lady MistressEvelyn were necessary diversions to my way of thinking.  One reason for the subterfuge at first was that I was not certain that Benvolio had used both of his charges -- I felt it necessary to nibble at the edges rather than going for someone critical.  Similarly, Lord Blythe.  Also, I felt that an unlikely target or two would simply make it look like a less clever Capulet was on the loose, and that suited me just fine.

However, it's also the case that there are simply those whose faces I am happy to see in our fair city, whether they be, by family name, friend or foe.  I am loathe to even consider their demise, let alone plan it when it is not absolutely necessary.

Why did I not attempt to take your life when I could?  Trust me when I say that it was not hubris that moved me -- I know all too well when I am overmatched, and do not lightly guide the pieces across the chessboard with cat-and-mouse games in mind.  No, it is merely because I could not imagine our fair city without you and I felt that for my own sanity, as well as for my own survival at moments before, having you remain was simply the only choice.  Many times I wondered whether it would be wise to take your life, my good Benvolio, but on many of those occasions, it would have simply painted me the villain earlier than any other action I could have taken.

I would also add that whether I live or die, I do not for one instant regret that decision, though other choices I have made have at times nagged at me.  And too, I would never be convinced, regardless the outcome, to consider the choice an error.

I must admit that I cannot even now be sure that I can bring my hand to remove you from the board -- it may be the wisest play, but then, perhaps death is preferable.  The one thought that I admit could move me still is to make our fair Goddess of the Game pleased that it is being played as well as possible from all sides.  I do, I feel, owe Her that.

I thank you most profusely for your note.  And I leave you with the assurance that the pleasure, sir, was mine.

Con i migliori auguri,
Paris

Martee

Well.

It seems we can dispense with the formality of the headsman this round.

I believe I shall conduct the execution of our guilty party with my own hands...

>:(

Status as of March 5th: In like a lion - only one response outstanding

Autumn Sativus

* Saffron gets the popcorn and throws her feet up.

Go for it. >:)
Us against the world
Just a couple sinners making fun of hell


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Denivar

Ahhh this game finally has to come to an end, and I shall miss it. James Moriarty was such a worthy and cunning opponent, so surely his demise comes with some measure of regret. And thank you to Elina and Martee for leaving us in nail biting suspense until the very last moment. :)
"If you go to see the woman, do not forget the whip." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Ons and Offs -- Roleplay Ideas -- Apologies, Absences, Excuses, that sort of thing

Remiel

Indeed.  James was quite the worthy opponent, and I have to admit that part of me wanted him to win...

James Moriarty

It was wonderful fun!  I hope Saffron is planning another soon!

Elina

I too enjoyed this a lot.  Thank you, Lady Macbeth or Saffron or Shakespeare,.whoever you are.

Good job, JM, for making it so far.  I was defending you because you and Martee seemed too strong a voting block for you to be on separate teams.  I hadn't read any of the PMs I got yesterday until now,.so I'd decided to change my vote before I knew what they said, but I can see that Remiel and Denivar were pretty persuasive.  But they already had been.  I would have voted for you instead of kerri when I almost was voted out if the option hadn't been presented to me as an ultimatum.  Good game! 

Autumn Sativus

I think I'm Kathryn, if anyone. :P

Quote from: Elina on March 14, 2014, 03:11:28 PM
Good job, JM, for making it so far.  I was defending you because you and Martee seemed too strong a voting block for you to be on separate teams.
And yet he was about to kill her. >:)
Us against the world
Just a couple sinners making fun of hell


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Bruja

Quote from: Martee on March 14, 2014, 11:07:45 AM
Well.

It seems we can dispense with the formality of the headsman this round.

I believe I shall conduct the execution of our guilty party with my own hands...

>:(


I really wanted the visual on this one..... ;D

Martee

Quote from: Saffron on March 14, 2014, 04:55:40 PM
And yet he was about to kill her. >:)

WHAT?!?   :o

Well isn't that another interesting turn of events.  Oh yes, James Moriarty was such a worthy opponent.  So very clever in his subterfuge and deception, and all the while proclaiming the innocence of his name with the fervor of a true pedant.  In the end, however, I think the true hero of this story is Elina - it was clear that by tying the vote, Remiel would have voted out JM - he had no other choice.  And that would have been a fatal error, I thought, for then the Capulet in hiding would have been free to murder another innocent in the night, and with so few remaining in the morning, would be in the clear to win the game.

I thought for sure that by sacrificing JM and showing him to be an innocent, as he held himself out to be, that would finally sway enough minds to reveal the true enemy in our midst.  In my error, I turned out to be correct.

Of course, in the end, all is as it should be.  House Montague stands weaker, but it still stands, and all the villains have been revealed.  And further - I do owe JM one small debt of gratitude for 'showing me the ropes' of how such a game is played. 

And it is with that rope I shall gleefully end the Capulet's reign of terror.


Status as of March 5th: In like a lion - only one response outstanding

Denivar

Quote from: Saffron on March 14, 2014, 04:55:40 PM
And yet he was about to kill her. >:)

Really? JM was going to kill Martee next?

I will say that his kill choices were very very interesting ... I didn't feel like he went for those most opposed to him, presumably because that would make others more suspicious. Instead he killed off people in the 'middle ground' and then tried to manipulate votes. I found that very very interesting and masterfully done. :)
"If you go to see the woman, do not forget the whip." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Ons and Offs -- Roleplay Ideas -- Apologies, Absences, Excuses, that sort of thing