Battle of the Books

[Valerian]

Ever wonder what goes on in the library when no one's around to see it?  Here's your chance to find out!  (Maybe we can even figure out why that girl in the picture below has an umbrella open inside.  Is it raining books?)

The Characters:

That Girl Analise
FoamWeber
Remiel
Marguerite
Ryven
Moirae
Leorobin
Kyrsa
Imogen
Kendra
Aiden
Falanor
Josietta
Beguile's



The Rules:

Votes may be changed at any time before the voting is declared closed and the final tally is posted.  (Try not to make anyone dizzy, though.)

The first vote will be for the Librarian.  In case of a tie in the lynch vote, this person will have the tie-breaking vote.  Should the Librarian perish in the line of duty (it's a dangerous job, but someone has to do it), then another Librarian will be elected.

Do not vote to lynch yourself.

If at any point, the Antagonists outnumber the Protagonists, the Antagonists will be declared the victors.  Ditto for the reverse.

If one of the Star-Crossed Lovers is an Antagonist and the other a Protagonist, the win condition for them changes.  They must try to be the only two people left standing at the end of the game.  When the Wise Matchmaker chooses the Lovers (during the first night phase), the role of each Lover will be revealed to the other.  From that point on, they may trust each other completely, regardless of their prior alliances.  The Matchmaker may choose to make themselves one of the Lovers.



The Roles:

Protagonists (7): Where would any story be without one?  Through the power of your votes during the day phase and the use of your wits, your goal is to try to ferret out and destroy the Antagonists who will try to thwart you.

Antagonists (3): Likewise, if everything always went the Protagonist's way, stories would be pretty dull.  Each night phase, you may choose another player to attack.  If that person is protected by the Brave Soldier, nothing happens and the attack is wasted.  Otherwise, that person is killed.  If one of the Star-Crossed Lovers dies in this way, the other Lover dies of grief.

Brave Soldier (1): Each night phase, you may choose one player to protect by sending the name of that player to the Author (Val).  If that player is the target of the Antagonists that night, their attack is stopped and no one will be eliminated that night.  Go, you!

Mysterious Killer (1): Sometimes it's the character you don't really notice at first that's the most dangerous.  Once during the course of the game, during a night phase, this player may choose one person to target for elimination, by some mysterious means.  If that person is protected by the Brave Soldier, then the attack will fail and the ability cannot be used again.

Forthright Detective (1): There are always clues out there, if you know where to find them.  Each night phase, this player may choose one person to investigate by sending that person's name to the Author (Val).  Knowledge is power.

Wise Matchmaker (1): During the night phase after the first lynch vote, the Matchmaker will choose two players to make into the Star-Crossed Lovers.  The Matchmaker may choose to be one of the Lovers.  This ability may only be used once.  Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match.

Star-Crossed Lovers (2):  Just like Romeo and Juliet, only hopefully with a better ending.  Once the Lovers are matched by the Wise Matchmaker, they may trust each other completely.  If one Lover is eliminated, either by the Antagonists or by lynching, the other Lover will also die.  If one Lover is an Antagonist, and the other an Innocent, their win condition changes.  Their goal is then to be the only two players left standing at the end.  Otherwise, the usual win condition still applies.

Librarian (1): Special.  The holder of this elected position has the power to break any ties that might occur in the lynch voting.  Knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System preferred.

[Valerian]

It was a dark and stormy night.  One bright cold day in April, as the clocks were striking thirteen, something strange happened in the library.  No one quite knew how it had happened, but suddenly characters had escaped from their pages and were running loose, exploring every nook and cranny of the vast old library.

Then, one day, Hamlet was found mysteriously dead, killed by a poisoned blade just as in his play, and the characters knew that something was rotten in the state of Denmark...



Welcome!  This first vote will be for the tiebreaking role of Librarian.  As always, if you have any questions, ask in the OOC thread or via PM.

All players should now have a PM containing their role and the character they have chosen.  If not, please contact me as soon as possible.

Feel free to chat as much as you like.  If you wish to reveal your character you may do so, but consider playing out your character and seeing if the other players can guess who you are.  And remember, the chosen character does not relate to any of the game roles listed above, which are assigned randomly by me.

Enjoy!

[That Girl Analise]

Analise walks in, her long hair tied half up, wearing her radish earrings and has a seat. She was the first to arrive, it seemed, and she wondered what was holding the others up. Today was the day they chose a new librarian.

[Ryven]

He walked in, his body covered by a long trench coat.  His face looked that of a man a few years older though he was not an elder by any means.  Ryven picked a spot at a particularly cozy looking nook nearby where he could rest his body and mind as he began to look out for others who might have found their way out of their own world such as himself.

[Marguerite]

Marguerite walked in paint covering her ass and the dress, though the dress would be rid of once her sculpture was complete. "Where is everyone?," she asked, Analise, her eyes humming a tune beneath her breath all the way throwing her hood over her head. Her art studio was chilly but it boasted her privacy from anyone trying to steal her pictures or interrupt her when she got into the mode.

[Remiel]

Remiel sprawled in the Adventure section, snoring.  Once or twice he rolled over, smacking his lips and murmuring incoherently.  After some time, he awoke with a great snort, and yawned, yellow teeth gaping wide.  A hand shot out, feeling along the floor; beringéd fingers scuttled across the carpet like a plump pink spider.  When they closed around a book instead of a bottle, Remiel's eyes shot open.  He stared straight upward; his pupils then danced left, then right.

He sat up quickly, his gaze still darting around himself, flitting here and there.  "It would appear I'm in a library," he muttered to himself.  "Interesting.  Quite interesting indeed."

[Falanor]

Falanor stumbled out of the stacks, brushing the trail dust from his duster, absently flicking a rose petal from his collar and looked around at the room from under the brim of his hat.  “Well, this is interesting…” he said in a rough tone.  The spurs on his boots jingled as he stepped, taking in his surroundings.  Now where am I? he thought.  Ducking his head down under the sign that read ‘Suspense’ he heard the murmurs of others.

[Josietta]

Shifting up and down the aisles, the chiffon skirts of a white gown swished back and forth with her movements. Upon reaching an opening to view the area, she stopped and stood upright in the front of the "Fiction" section. She watched as the others woke and stirred or settled into their places in the library. She had been here before or rather herself in another life. As there were so many ways of portrayal one could hardly figure out just where they were going, how they got there, or when they would move again.

Her right hand smoothed the back a pale golden lock from her creamy snow white skin and remained half upright at shoulder height. It rested there giving her some extra support as she leaned into the shelf relaxing slightly. A hint of pink highlighted her cheeks and soft pale blue eyes peered out at those around her. This was interesting. Enough to make one almost curious to see who was next to show themselves.

[Kendra]

Kendra carefully adjusted the books upon the shelves, not particularly liking how they were organised. It seemed like such deplorable sloppy work and felt that it was a good job that there was a vote for a new librarian. It was quite clear to her keen mind that 'order and method' were required in this particular place. With hands behind his back he moved with a casual purpose through the rows of shelves to where the voting would commence.


[edit reason: incorrect gender]

[Beguile's Mistress]

Stepping delicately between the scattered books that littered the floor Beguile came around the end of a stack of shelves and stood quietly for a moment staring at the motley assortment of characters before her.  Long and slender fingers, the nails buffed to a high sheen, brushed absently at dust that clung to the long, sheer sleeve of her white silk organza afternoon gown.  A wide-brimmed hat constructed of the finest straw, painted white and decorated with a sky blue silk ribbon to match the sash of her dress was held between the thumb and fingers of her other hand. 

"Is there any one about who could furnish us with a pot of tea?" she asked with a long-suffering sigh.  "I'm quite parched after my walk up from the beach house.  And what is this nonsense about electing a Librarian?  Why don't you place an advertisement in the news and hire one?"  One elegantly arched brow beneath her upswept blond waves was raised to emphasize her question and provided excellent punctuation for her aristocratic features.

[Imogen]

One of the attractions of hitching a ride from a complete stranger was that you could never be sure where you'd end up. Imogen didn't mind. It was part of the attraction of travelling without a plan. As long as there was a cafe at the end of the rainbow, Imogen could ignore the driver's chatter and watch the scenery roll by. Only this time, he couldn't remember the driver, which was far from usual. He also didn't remember entering the library, which was even more unusual. There was a tall cup of coffee on the table before him, which on the other hand, was quite common. He stretched his legs and leaned back, raising the cup to his lips.

[Aiden]

Aiden came around a corner fixing his shirt with one hand as the opposite arm held a brown coat folded over on his forearm. His fingers made sure the collar on his starch shirt was perfect before running his fingers down the suspenders that kept up his black slacks up that ended in a pair of shined black leather shoes.
"Am I the only one who missed the palpable irony back there?."
He said as his threaded his arms into his coat before working the buttons up.
"How about you "Bemi" Beguile's Mistress."
The man voted for as he turned around and looked for something he had misplaced.

[FoamWeber]

Miss Weber shuffled slowly into the library. "I hear we're electing a librarian?" the elderly woman quietly asked the woman standing next to her, as she squinted around the room. She loved books; her vision wasn't as great as it used to be, though, so she couldn't read as much as she would have liked. There seemed to be a growing number of people in the room; was it really that much of an event to get a new librarian in the library? Wasn't the murder more of a priority?

[Valerian]

Vote ~ Librarian

Kendra (2) - Josietta, Imogen
Beguile's Mistress (1) - Aiden
Leorobin (1) - Remiel
Marguerite (1) - Ryven
Aiden (0)
Falanor (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Imogen (0)
Josietta (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
Remiel (0)
Ryven (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, Falanor, FoamWeber, Kendra, Kyrsa, Leorobin, Marguerite, Moirae, That Girl Analise

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Josietta]

Josietta rose a brow at Aiden's choice and gave a simple shake of her head. She didn't speak up or try to talk over any noise there might be, no matter how little since it was a library. Her tone was actually pleasant but soft.

"I believe Kendra would rather get their hands dirty and seems to already be doing the job."

[Zelric Miras]

Leorobin walked up to the gathering, he dusted his shirt with a hand while adjusting his rifle on his back. He would rather be enjoting the solitude he cherished, yet Hamlet's death was in his mind. He had a slight limp from a wound, but he managed to move about with making it too aparent or making himself uncomfortable. He stood a few steps away of the rest and glanced with a cautios eye. "Some tea would be nice indeed." He spoke with a light accent on his words. "A librarian? Perhaps I will cast my vote when I see whom are up for the role."

[That Girl Analise]

"A library is a curious thing to run," Analise said, looking at those gathered. "I'm not sure who yet to vote for, though. I can't say I know any of you yet."

[Remiel]

"Not I," muttered Remiel, who was by now leaning against the Reference section and making a show of inspecting his nails.  "To be the librarian of this lot, a man--or woman--would have to be brave indeed, and I am nothing if not craven."  He flashed a yellow grin, then shrugged.  "Nivver saw wot's wrong with being a coward, though.  Perfectly legitimate character flaw.  Plenty of men would be cowards, if only they were but brave enough."

"Anyway, Leorobin seems like a perfectly decent bloke," he went on.  "But I shall endeavour not to hold it against him."

[Imogen]

Imogen sat back, leaning his back against the wall. Occasionally he brought the styrofoam cup to his lips and sipped his coffee. He didn't seem to pay much attention to those around him, but when Josietta mentioned Kendra he looked over at the one rearranging the books. He said nothing but downed his coffee and got to his feet. Standing six and a half ft tall, he towered over most of the others as he crossed towards the aisle where Kendra had been working. Shoving his hands into the pockets of an ugly dark blue but warm looking jacket he looked at the now clean-looking shelves and nodded.

[Ryven]

Leaning up against one of the shelves in the science fiction section, Ryven hid both hands in the deep pockets of his coat.  His eyes looked from one of his fellow comrades to the other.  It would be so easy to just use his private eye to find out who would be the best for the role of Librarian, but as he didn't want to attract any unwanted attention to himself as was always the case in such matters, he decided to go with his gut feeling instead.

"Marguerite..." he stated confidently.

[Kendra]

Kendra smiled graciously for the recommendations and puffed up like a peacock, taking it as a natural order of things that he should have been voted by some of these people. His short yet dextrous fingers curled his perfectly trimmed moustache as he removed his hat and coat. There had been a murder here and that to him was infinitely more important than the organisation of books.

"I do thank you my dear, a well ordered mind tends to lead to a well ordered life. A place for everything and everything in it's place" he smiled at the Josietta kindly as a very tall man approached the shelves he had straightened only moments before. He watched the man's actions without seeming to do so as he continued to speak.

"We will need to find a suitable librarian indeed so that we can all get back inside our books but I would hate for my keen intellect to be put to such monotonous use" he had no shame in how he spoke of himself, others might have termed him pompous and egotistical. He simply knew he was a clever man.

[Valerian]

Vote ~ Librarian

Beguile's Mistress (2) - Aiden, Falanor
Josietta (2) -  Kendra, Kyrsa
Kendra (2) - Josietta, Imogen
Leorobin (1) - Remiel
Marguerite (1) - Ryven
Remiel (1) - Leorobin
Aiden (0)
Falanor (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Imogen (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
Ryven (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, FoamWeber, Marguerite, Moirae, That Girl Analise

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Kye]

Kyrsa woke in a pile of books, curled up in a corner where no one could see her.  She could hear voices however and soon enough she made her way out of the Fantasy section and looked up at everyone with curiosity written plainly in her eyes.  She didn’t speak at first, but simply settled down on a convenient stack of books and dusted off her breeches as she watched and listened to the debate about who should be Librarian.

“I think that Josietta would be a good Librarian,” she said, her nose wrinkling in amusement at the sound of the woman’s dress rustling as she moved.

[Falanor]

Falanor, keen of eye, looked over the gathered folk in the room of books carefully.  What purpose are we here for? he pondered as his thumb traced over the sandlewood grips of his guns as he listened to them.  Looking over at the one that reminded him of another.  "I think Beguile would do fine, do ya ken it?"

[Zelric Miras]

"I believe Remiel has a good eye." Leorobin sat on a couch to free hsi leg from his weight and waited, the votes were a bit tied and he'd rather not take a side that could win yet. He would wait and see which was fit for him, besides, he was the type to stay around at night so he would have his opportunities to study the others. Still he couldn't hide a degree of pleasure at being voted for, yet his modest side led him to say nothing about it.

[desert ashes]

What trickery was this?  Thoughts danced across her mind as Moirae arrived a bit delayed, surveyed the scene before them, slim brows raising as she pondered one notion, another, and then dismissed them both.  Lifting her head, a thick mass of long, pale gold curls that cascaded from the moonlit silver circle atop her head and clung to the curve of her back, Moirae rose the hem of her dress just to her ankles and carried her way through the scattered books, shoulders held back and chin just slightly elevated.  The dress was of a purest white, woven with threads of silver with a sheer filigree encasing the wildflower hemmed bodice; a thin, pure gold thread held each flower to the thin bodice, and ran along high above the waist where the frothy skirt fluttered down to sweep the floor, bare toes peeking out from beneath with each step. 

The others were come upon with a small sense of relief, though it did not flicker across her features.  Instead, soft lips merely parted with a slight intake of breath, the curve of her back straightening with a slight haughtiness.  At the thought of having to vote for one of them, her gaze danced over each of them, pausing only a couple of times.  Who seemed best suited for work, rather than love and leisure?  Lightly quirking her lips, her eyes swept to the left.  "Leorobin seems like a fine choice."

[Valerian]

Vote ~ Librarian

Beguile's Mistress (2) - Aiden, Falanor
Josietta (2) -  Kendra, Kyrsa
Kendra (2) - Josietta, Imogen
Leorobin (2) - Remiel, Moirae
Marguerite (1) - Ryven
Remiel (1) - Leorobin
Aiden (0)
Falanor (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Imogen (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
Ryven (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, FoamWeber, Marguerite, That Girl Analise

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Marguerite]

I am going to put my vote in for Ryven.

[That Girl Analise]

Picking by a method that seemed to have no purpose whatsoever, Analise picked Kendra.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Beguile paused as her name was suggested for the post of Librarian.  How sweet, she thought, that her natural abilities and intelligence were so obvious.  Past experience had taught her that while it was pleasant to have two men vying for her attention it was not desirable to favor one over the other.  Men were such wonderful creatures when you treated them right and so as she smiled sweetly at them both and went from one to the other in turn to brush finger tips first against her lips and then theirs with a whispered thank you she named Leorobin as her choice for Librarian.

[Valerian]

Vote ~ Librarian

Kendra (3) - Josietta, Imogen, That Girl Analise
Leorobin (3) - Remiel, Moirae, Beguile's Mistress
Beguile's Mistress (2) - Aiden, Falanor
Josietta (2) -  Kendra, Kyrsa
Marguerite (1) - Ryven
Remiel (1) - Leorobin
Ryven (1) - Marguerite
Aiden (0)
Falanor (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Imogen (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: FoamWeber

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Aiden]

"I change my vote for Kendra, let's get this Librarian vote over with shall we?"

[Valerian]

Vote ~ Librarian

Kendra (4) - Josietta, Imogen, That Girl Analise, Aiden
Leorobin (3) - Remiel, Moirae, Beguile's Mistress
Josietta (2) -  Kendra, Kyrsa
Beguile's Mistress (1) - Falanor
Marguerite (1) - Ryven
Remiel (1) - Leorobin
Ryven (1) - Marguerite
Aiden (0)
Falanor (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Imogen (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: FoamWeber

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[FoamWeber]

"Kendra seems like a good choice for librarian," Miss Weber said, after carefully watching the others collected in the library.

[Valerian]

Final Vote ~ Librarian

*Kendra (5) - Josietta, Imogen, That Girl Analise, Aiden, FoamWeber
Leorobin (3) - Remiel, Moirae, Beguile's Mistress
Josietta (2) -  Kendra, Kyrsa
Beguile's Mistress (1) - Falanor
Marguerite (1) - Ryven
Remiel (1) - Leorobin
Ryven (1) - Marguerite
Aiden (0)
Falanor (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Imogen (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

With that task finished, there was now less pleasant business at hand.  Hamlet, that melancholy Dane, was still dead, killed in the night by some mysterious hand, and until that was solved, none of them would be able to rest safely between the covers.

Would their new Librarian help them find a happy ending?  Or would their tale become a tragedy?

It is now time for the first lynch vote.  Cookies for the person brave enough to vote first!  Remember, all the innocents are equally confused on this vote, so speed =/= guilt.

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Remiel]

With the Librarian decided, it was time to accuse someone of Hamlet's foul murder.  With any luck, his ghost would appear in the night and decry who'd done the deed.  Until then, they were forced to rely on simple deductive reasoning.

Unfortunately, what did they have to go on?  Remiel fished in his trouser pockets and produced a mouldy, sea-stained compass. It had never worked, but Remiel tapped it anyway.  Round and round the little arrow spun, quivering jerkily, until, eventually, it stopped to point in Marguerite's direction. 

"One guess is as good as another," he shrugged, snapping the compass casing closed and tucking it back into his trousers.

[Imogen]

Votes had been cast in many directions with Kendra being the most popular choice. With that behind them, it was beyond time to look to other matters. The choice of weapon bothered him; he rather faced a group using only his fists than one man with a knife but he had no doubt he could deal this one when the time came. First, they had to find him.

He watched as the one called Remiel used a compass to descry the guilty one. Not even the owner seemed to have much confidence in its abilities and Imogen shrugged. He prefered other methods. Investigation. Logic. His gaze turned towards Foamweber who had not voted for the librarian. He ambled over. "You didn't vote." He said quietly. "I wonder why?"

[FoamWeber]

"Vote for what?" Miss Weber asked. "A librarian? Of course I voted for one- I just took my time to observe everyone first."

[That Girl Analise]

Analise looked over at Imogen "Foam voted for Kendra," she said. "Why so quick to find a reason to accuse her?"

[Valerian]

Lynch Vote

Imogen (2) - That Girl Analise, FoamWeber
Marguerite (2) - Remiel, Aiden
FoamWeber (1) - Imogen
Leorobin (1) - Josietta
Remiel (1) - Ryven
Aiden (0)
Beguile's Mistress (0)
Falanor (0)
Josietta (0)
*Kendra (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
Ryven (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, Falanor, Kendra, Kyrsa, Leorobin, Marguerite, Moirae

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Josietta]

Keeping her place, she watched each of them speak in turn. The well dressed lady looked to each of them for some clue as to who to trust and who to question. It was something of interest to be sure. Her pale colored eyes followed Remiel and then Imogen before she stopped to watch Leorobin.

"What is this limp? Were you injured in a fight? or perhaps a childhood malady?"

Her words weren't accusing, per say, but they did hold question.

[Zelric Miras]

"It was in a fight indeed. But not with another human being." Leorobin spoke when inquired, motioning for Josietta to take a seat with him. He had also wondered who of this might be suspicious, he'd rather wait for a few moments to watch each of their antiques. His accent was ever present when he restarted his tale. "I'm not good with stories, so I'd rather make it short. In one of my trips I had an encounter with a lion, a large and powerful beast, yet magnificent in it's own right. It prepared to jump at me and I aimed as a caution and when it jumped I shot. I bullet took him down, but his teeth dug in my thigh, so deep that I felt them scrape the bone."

Leorobin made a pause to let the story sink in, he leaned back and watched at Josietta. "I had to tie it with a handkerchief and a stick to prevent death and then travel some miles to get some proper treatment. Well it's just a hunter's yarn." Leorobin smiled discreetly and looked at Josietta. "More interesting than a childhood malady..." He mused more to himself than to Josietta.

[FoamWeber]

Miss Weber stared at Imogen. "Perhaps flawed logic is a sign of guilt," she said.

[Aiden]

"I'm with Remiel on this, it is all guess work at this point. Marguerite"

[Ryven]

"Something just doesn't seem right about Remiel."

[Zelric Miras]

Leorobin eyed Falanor and his jingling spurs, he wondered why would he carry those inside the library.

[Marguerite]

Marguerite glanced up from her painting having been too into the female portrait to put her vote in but at her name the attention was broken. "Remiel, I do believe you have a broken compass. Bring it downstairs where I can fix it but be careful of the light art fixtures I placed near the door. Perhaps you will see I have been painting and concur with Aiden  and his own foolishness. I think there is something amiss to point fingers at the artists."

[desert ashes]

Moirae's eyes slowly swept over to Imogen, twinges of boredom and thrilling fear battling for the expression in her eyes.  "Perhaps common, but they're quite right.  Why would you so eagerly falsely accuse someone unless you had something to hide?" 

[Kye]

Kyrsa listened to the accusations fly and found herself unable to decide who the culprit could be.  Instead she decided to choose someone randomly.  "Marguerite  stands out the most to me... though I am not sure why that would be."

[Falanor]

Falanor watched as people began pointing their fingers, unsure why Imogen was so readily to accuse someone.  "Seems someone might have a guilty conscience, do ye ken?"

[Josietta]

The lady in white looked back to Leo and gave a polite smile. Moving further about to see just who was being accused, she held up her skirts in one hand as the other brushed back a stray lock of pale gold. Letting her gaze move over Imogen she did wonder just why everyone was so against her when she had made a simple mistake in naming someone. It could have been anyone named really, or anyone to do the blaming. In these sorts of situations there always had to be a scapegoat, it was unfortunate and utterly terrible that Imogen would not be able to prove herself. Maybe even she would have her guilt proven as her head went rolling, but one could never tell. She would only watch Leorobin for now, her vote would not change as changing it could only lead to frenzy amongst the masses. After all, he could be making up a very detailed and touching story, okay  maybe not touching, but compelling none the less and one that could be riddled with lies and deception. He was after all the only one with a real apparent malady amongst them all. A limp which could likely have occurred in the heat of battle with the one whose death they had recently learned of. She moved over toward a seat in the library near the young adult fiction and settled into the cushioned seat. Her ankles crossed as she smoothed out her skirts and sat up straight backed, her posture perfect as she waited to see just who the blame would lie with at the end of that day.

[Kendra]

It seemed of course the best choice by far that they could have made, at least in Kendra's eyes. Glancing in turn with a slight nod of his head at each as if thanking even those who had voted for someone else, he pushed up his pince nez and was about to speak when accusations began to whizz by. Taking a moment he listened carefully, it was indeed a task to deduce just who could have killed the prince but blaming without proof always left a bad taste afterwards. He wished himself that he had more to go on, more to base his own opinions as worthy as they were but for now his belief that Ryven had a hand in the deed could not be shaken.

[Valerian]

Lynch Vote

Imogen (4) - That Girl Analise, FoamWeber, Moirae, Falanor
Marguerite (3) - Remiel, Aiden, Kyrsa
Remiel (2) - Ryven, Marguerite
Falanor (1) - Leorobin
FoamWeber (1) - Imogen
Leorobin (1) - Josietta
Ryven (1) - Kendra
Aiden (0)
Beguile's Mistress (0)
Josietta (0)
*Kendra (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress

There are 7 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Beguile's leaned back in her chair studying the gathered characters with a bored expression.  She really could use a martini and some music to liven things up she thought.

"Well, it's hard to decide when there isn't much to go on but Marguerite does look suspicious to me."

[Imogen]

Imogen pinched the bridge of his nose with thumb and index finger. Strange, he could have sworn he'd seen Foamweber's name as a not votee. Must have been a lack of coffee. He went to refill his mug and ambled back, inhaling the lifebringing vapors. "Yeah. I was wrong about Foamweber's voting. She voted for Kendra as well, albeit late." He thought the current voting over, sipping his coffee. The murderer had to be found but he had to survive this day to get to the killers. He didn't want to vote for an innocent simply to save his own life. That equaled murder in his book. But looking at the votes so far, it seemed as if Ryven and Marguerite had come to an understanding. It was thin, he had to admit that but without options he grudgingly switched the vote to Marguerite

[Valerian]

Lynch Vote (Final)

Marguerite (5) - Remiel, Aiden, Kyrsa, Beguile's Mistress, Imogen
Imogen (4) - That Girl Analise, FoamWeber, Moirae, Falanor
Remiel (2) - Ryven, Marguerite
Falanor (1) - Leorobin
Leorobin (1) - Josietta
Ryven (1) - Kendra
Aiden (0)
Beguile's Mistress (0)
FoamWeber (0)
Josietta (0)
*Kendra (0)
Kyrsa (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

And so it was that Marguerite stood accused and convicted by her fellow characters, sentenced to pay the ultimate price.  As had happened in the pages of her book, the Phantom died quietly, of a broken heart.  But alas, this sacrifice was in vain, for Marguerite had been an innocent Protagonist, and the murderers were still at large.

There are 6 Protagonists, 3 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.



Wise Matchmaker, please send me your choices for the Lovers; all other night roles, please give me your choices as well.  The game is afoot!

[Valerian]

The next morning, the characters awake to discover that several odd and amazing things have happened.

First, there are signs of a love potion having been brewed.  A small cauldron is still warm, though empty, and rose thorns, moonstone and bits of peppermint are scattered nearby.

Second, FoamWeber, an innocent Protagonist lies dead.  It seems that the clever, redoubtable Miss Marple finally encountered a villain she could not defeat.

But also, strangely, there has been another, even more mysterious death.  Kyrsa is dead as well, her spirit banished back to the pages of her books, where no doubt Arya Stark has added the names of the rest of the group to her list of people she wishes dead. 

But even more oddly, rather like the Phantom before her, Kyrsa, an Antagonist, seems to have died of grief at the loss of a love.

There are 5 Protagonists, 2 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.




Aiden
Beguile's Mistress
Falanor
FoamWeber - Protagonist (Miss Marple); killed by Antagonists, Night 1
Imogen
Josietta
Kendra*
Kyrsa - Antagonist (Arya Stark); died Night 1
Leorobin
Marguerite - Protagonist (Phantom); lynched, Day 1
Moirae
Remiel
Ryven
That Girl Analise

[That Girl Analise]

"I can't help but still suspecting Imogen. Foam was among those who had voted against him, and Kyrsa had voted with him. I realize it is not much to go on, but it is all I have for now," Analise said. She had seen death before, so this was not new to her, but she would be lying to say that it was not upsetting.

[Imogen]

Imogen nodded wrily at Analise. "This looks bad. I'm about to vote for myself right now"

"I'm being set up and they're doing a damn good job at it. All I can is that I wouldn't have been gone after Foamweber if I'd had it out for any of you. I'd have tried an alliance and then pick you guys off one by one, not something stupid like this. I don't know why Kyrsa voted me, I guess it didn't matter to her - one innocent or another." He kneeled by Foamweber's corpse and gently closed the old lady's eyes. "Now they're getting two for the price of one."

"I don't know who did it, but I know this: they're hiding in the shadows." He straightened and then looked back at Analise. "Look for those who vote late. The killers won't want to draw attention to themselves."

He'd have prefered to offer some conclusive wisdom and point at a killer with unerring aim, but the murderers had been smart in killing Foamweber. All clues led to him. Who among them was vicious enough to think of such a scheme? He let his gaze roam over those present... considering each of them. Analise was clever enough, and she was quick to hang him but she'd voted fast and quick, even if it had been at himself.

Remiel was a clever fox, but wits alone didn't make a killer. Who had done this? Aiden, the usual suspect? Falanor, the quiet one?

[Valerian]

Lynch Vote (Current)

Imogen (2) - That Girl Analise, Falanor
Aiden (1) -  Josietta
Falanor (1) - Imogen
Josietta (1) - Aiden
Remiel (1) - Ryven
Beguile's Mistress (0)
*Kendra (0)
Leorobin (0)
Moirae (0)
Ryven (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, Kendra, Leorobin, Moirae, Remiel

There are 5 Protagonists, 2 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Josietta]

Josi was surprised at the night before's events. It was not one but two deaths and she was left wondering why the antagonist, Kyrsa, would attack her own love. Miss Marple must have been dear to her as a mother or grandmother and she sighed. Maybe Miss Marple brought out the guilt in Kyrsa. Who else would attack them? Imogen seemed true enough. Kendra was their dear librarian. They trusted her enough and Kendra had chosen Ryven before. Maybe she was correct in her choosing. Then again Aiden and Remiel were the first to voted against Miss Mar who was innocent, and Kyrsa had chosen to vote the same way and was later found to be an Antagonist. Josi sighed some at all the choices and looks to her black nail polish idly. Until such a time she could be persuaded otherwise she put in her vote to lynch, Aiden. Maybe they would finally have to find a champion to slay these beasts that stalked at night, until then, this would do. Such was life, ah well.

[Aiden]

"Are you serious? You think I did that?"
Aiden scoffed in disbelief, annoyed at Josi. "I think you are hiding a secret Josietta." He growled, swearing never to share his bed with her ever again!

[Josietta]

She rose a pale brow and brushed back a few platinum locks with a sigh. Leave it for him to be so dramatic about a simple nudge of direction. And to think, he'd deny -her- his bed. She shook her head as her fat loose curls tumbled about.

"My darling.. you would not deny me. Besides, what other reasoning is there for your voting? And why so angry, lover? Did I touch a sore spot?"

[Ryven]

He looked at them all one by one.  Such odd occurrences in the night, but from his point of view, nothing was so odd.  He'd seen enough in the hellish streets he called home to not even cock a brow at the death of the two lovers.  A murder in cold blood with guilt to finish up when Kyrsa had started.  He couldn't really put his finger on why it had happened that way, but the truth was it really didn't matter right now.  Someone had to pay for yet another body cold and dead.

"Remiel."

[Falanor]

Falanor looked upon the scene with a grim determination to his faded blue eyes.  “Not in some time have I witnessed such bloody work.”  Straightening the brim of his Stetson as he stood to his full height, “Quiet?  Sounds more like someone has a guilty consciences, after all, Kyrsa voted on Margurite and not you, Imogen.”

Stepping back from the scene, his sandalwood revolvers loose in their holster, “These two did me no wrong and their death is not on my hands, for I have not forgotten the face of my father.”

[desert ashes]

With a soft sigh Moirae glanced between all of them, slowly fanned herself.  Oh, where was her darling?  He could make all of this end, he could.  Him or his fellows.  All she knew was that he better not be off chasing skirts while she was here dealing with assured madness.  "Remiel does appear to posses a suspicious nature."

[Kendra]

Kendra sighed wearily at the intensity with how everyone was now voting without rhyme or reason, certain that it was a great ploy to keep the finger pointing away from the murderer. Listening avidly to all, he noticed how extremely like Roland Deschain the man Falanor was and knowing that particular character to be somewhat of a peacekeeper and a diplomat, no matter that he was also a gunslinger, Kendra decided for now to vote in accordance with him.
"I have nothing against you personally my dear but sometimes Imogen no reasons are necessary for laying the blame until there are more facts."

[Remiel]

With a soft sigh Moirae glanced between all of them, slowly fanned herself.  Oh, where was her darling?  He could make all of this end, he could.  Him or his fellows.  All she knew was that he better not be off chasing skirts while she was here dealing with assured madness.  "Remiel does appear to posses a suspicious nature."

"When a man goes to sleep each night not knowing if the following sunrise brings with it a new horizon, or his demise at the end of six feet of rope," Remiel slurred, wobbling slightly where he stood, "his only rational recourse is to be suspicious."  He paused, and took a long swallow from the contents of a green bottle that had somehow found its way into his hand, before wiping his mouth with his arm.  "But I solemnly swear by my ship that I have killed no one."  He frowned, blinked, and then added, "at least, not lately.  And certainly no-one who didn't deserve it." 

He fished in his tunic for the apparently broken compass, and flipped it open with his thumb. He frowned at it for a few moments, shrugged, and snapped it closed again.  "There are liars among us, luv, and no one should know that better than an accomplished liar.  Ah, but which are the liars, and which are the truth tellers?  Who knows? Not I."  He took another swig, swallowed--and added, "...yet."

"We've still to hear from Beguile's Mistress and Leorobin.  I would hear what they have to say, before casting my vote."

[Valerian]

Lynch Vote (Current)

Imogen (3) - That Girl Analise, Falanor, Kendra
Remiel (2) - Ryven, Moirae
Aiden (1) -  Josietta
Falanor (1) - Imogen
Josietta (1) - Aiden
Ryven (1) -  Leorobin
Beguile's Mistress (0)
*Kendra (0)
Leorobin (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, Remiel

There are 5 Protagonists, 2 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Zelric Miras]

((I'm sorry for not posting before...being a bit tied up))

"From my experience women are always cause of troubles in any dangerous situation..." Leorobin mused while considring the deaths from last night he finally settled his sight on Ryven. "Being short of words usually hides something that the silent one wishes to hide."

[Beguile's Mistress]

Beguile's looked 'round at all those casting votes and knew she could wait no longer.

"Falanor, though a handsome gentleman, has not earned my trust."  Flicking a bit of lint from her sleeve she went back to pondering what to wear for dinner.

[Remiel]

Remiel scratched his nose.  "Well, that doesn't make things any easier," he complained.  He was, if anything, more confused than ever.   At least he didn't have to vote for Imogen in order to save his own skin.   He slumped back against a pillar, sliding down against it until he sat flat on the ground.  He stared at the ceiling for awhile, his mouth agape.  "Kendra, Kyrsa, Josietta," he muttered under his breath. "Josietta, Kyrsa, Kendra. Falanor or Imogen? Imogen or Falanor.  Beguile's Mistress--yea or nay? Or have I gone completely daft?"

He sighed.  "Bugger it--Josietta it is. Time for a nap."  He tilted his floppy, tricorner hat down over his eyes, and before long was snoring loudly.

[Valerian]

Lynch Vote (Final)

Imogen (3) - That Girl Analise, Falanor, Kendra
Falanor (2) - Imogen, Beguile's Mistress
Josietta (2) - Aiden, Remiel
Remiel (2) - Ryven, Moirae
Aiden (1) -  Josietta
Ryven (1) -  Leorobin
Beguile's Mistress (0)
*Kendra (0)
Leorobin (0)
Moirae (0)
That Girl Analise (0)

By the narrowest of margins, and with some understandable confusion, it was finally decided that Imogen must go.  This was no easy task, however, for Imogen, it seemed, was unwilling to go quietly.  With a hail of gunfire that lured out such other notable characters as James Bond and Jason Bourne to join in the fray, it was some moments before anyone in the little group was quite certain what had happened.

When the dust settled and the wounded had retreated back to their books, it was discovered that Imogen had in fact been an Antagonist, one Jack Reacher, who had once more proven the old adage that he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.

Aiden
Beguile's Mistress
Falanor
FoamWeber - Protagonist (Miss Marple), killed Night 1
Imogen - Antagonist (Jack Reacher), lynched Day 2
Josietta
*Kendra
Kyrsa - Antagonist (Arya Stark), died Night 1
Leorobin
Marguerite - Protagonist (The Phantom), lynched Day 1
Moirae
Remiel
Ryven
That Girl Analise

There are 5 Protagonists, 1 Antagonist, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.

[Valerian]

That night, the leaves of the books stirred restlessly.  What would happen next?  After the events of the last night, everyone seemed afraid to sleep too deeply.

Well into the night, a faint footstep was heard as a lovely young woman, dressed in a gown of finest lace, walked cautiously across the floor.  Her course brought her through the shadows to the spot where a man sat in a chair balanced on its two back legs.  The man's booted feet rested on the table in front of him, his hands were behind his head, and his piratical hat was pushed down over his face.  Despite his awkward position, he managed to look supremely comfortable, and seemed to be quite soundly asleep, a faint snore echoing now and then.

The woman paused, listened, and smiled, a beautiful smile that yet, somehow, chilled the blood, for it seemed utterly without mercy.  As if to confirm this impression, the young lady raised her arm, revealing a silver stiletto -- small, looking almost frail, but gleaming and wickedly sharp in the moonlight.


She moved to strike, the blade flashing in the faint, bluish rays of the waxing moon.  At that same moment, her target, the Guardian, sprang to life, his rest having been but a sham.  With a triumphant "Ah ha!" he raised the dagger that had been hidden in his sleeve, preparing to ward off the stiletto, while the legs of his chair thumped roughly to the floor.


The woman froze, seeming at first to be stunned by this turn of events.  In the next moment, however, her eyes rolled back into her head and the last Antagonist crumpled to the floor, dark blood slowly spreading over the pale fabric of her gown.

As she fell, she revealed the figure behind her -- a regal, queenly figure that held more than a hint of the otherworldly  -- a Mysterious Killer indeed.  The gun in the figure's hand, however, was another story.  That was entirely earthly, and had clearly just been put to its intended deadly purpose, for a wisp of smoke drifted up from its silenced muzzle.

Then the pirate was able to catch a few softly murmured words.  "Ill met by moonlight, indeed.  Brief as the lightning in the collied night."  Then, with a perfect curtsy to the stunned pirate, the figure vanished into the shadows with startling ease, leaving the man alone -- save for the corpse at his feet.


Aiden
Beguile's Mistress - Antagonist (Rebecca DeWinter), assassinated Night 2
Falanor
FoamWeber - Protagonist (Miss Marple), killed Night 1
Imogen - Antagonist (Jack Reacher), lynched Day 2
Josietta
*Kendra
Kyrsa - Antagonist (Arya Stark), died Night 1
Leorobin
Marguerite - Protagonist (The Phantom), lynched Day 1
Moirae
Remiel
Ryven
That Girl Analise

There are 5 Protagonists, 0 Antagonists, 1 Brave Soldier, 1 Mysterious Killer, 1 Forthright Detective, and 1 Wise Matchmaker.