TAU Play Thread

[Azahul]

Azahul paused.
"Although you may have a point Cromenon, it is not necessarily enough for me to believe that Darkreaver is a loyalist. Too many times has he stood in the way of a united vote, or thrown out random accusations with little evidence in the apparent hope that someone else may prove similarly irrational. I hardly see him voting for you as conclusive evidence for his innocence. After all, he has voted for many others, perhaps more than any other single person in this room, despite his late entrance. However, even if he is the traitor, the fact remains that we now know that there are two, and therefore either myself, Batholis, Boorelius or Damek must be an accomplice. Damek, as I have already said, does not appear to be a traitor. Nor, for that matter, do I believe that I am one. This leaves Boorelius and Batholis. Of the two, Batholis appears far more likely to be the traitor in my eyes, and so I will cast my vote against him. There is too little evidence, in my opinion, to properly accuse either myself or Boorelius. In my case, it appears that my crime has simply been to follow the majority, similar to what Damek has done, and yet no one has accused him. In regards to Boorelius, his only crime seems to be falling subject to Darkreaver's erratic nature. Admittedly, I am neither sure nor certain in either Damek's or Boorelius's case, however they seem less likely to be traitors than the other pair. Therefore, my suspects for the two traitors are Batholis and Darkreaver. Since voting for Darkreaver will apparently see me cast as a traitor, a fact that he is no doubt pleased about, I shall cast my vote for Batholis. In this, I admit, I do not follow the majority, but I hope that you will change your stance Cromenon and cast your vote with me. We must not kill another one of our number, nor may we remain locked in a stalemate as happened last night. Therefore I urge you to vote for those that are truly implicated by their actions, rather than follow the lead of a madman and, I believe, a traitor."
Azahul paused for a moment, before finally adding, "As an aside, this speech was not intended to defend Boorelius, in case Darkreaver seeks to incriminate me for defending another. I simply do not see Boo as likely to be a traitor as Batholis or Darkreaver. He ranks above Damek in my suspicions, but below those others."

Vote: Batholis (cripple)

 

[Cromenon]

"Hmm... What do you, brother Batholis, have to say about this?"
Cromenon glanced at Boorelius:
"And you, brother Boorelius? What do you have to say about this, you who have voted against Darkreaver (against my warnings, I might add)?"

"My, my... We cannot let pass another night without coming to a decision. I see your points, but may I remind you brother Batholis has yet to cast his vote (against you I forsee) and Boorelius has yet to reconsider his position to simply not be the #1 "traitor"?"

"..."


"Traitors work in group. And as such, regarding your moves, now you, brother Azahul and you" Cromenon pointed at Boorelius "brother Boorelius, are candidates."

"Why? Because you, Azahul, make sure to vote against a possible innocent among you three and Boorelius makes sure to invalidate his vote by casting it against one of who I declared innocents. (Traitors don't vote against their friends, remember?) So, if Darkreaver, Damek and me vote alongside you, Azahul, we kill Batholis, and it seems we cannot now do any other thing, until Batholis casts his vote. If his vote is against one of you (Boorelius and yourself) and Boorelius doesn't change his mind, we will have discovered you"

 

[Get of W'soran]

"Last time I cast my vote I had two choices...both of whom had already been put forward"
Damek looked at Cromenon and then Darkweaver

"And both had been cast by two I see as probable innocents"

"Last time I voted for Batholis even though I wished to vote for Boorelius" he admitted with a faint smile

"Whilst both seem to be equal of some suspision I chose Batholis because the only one I saw as a definite loyalist was Cromenon and this was hios vote...yes I admit I waited to see how others voted before I made my choice."
"As such I cast my vote against Boorelius, however I am quite happy to change this vote in the late nights we have entered if I hear an argument that sways me." at this he looked for a moment at Boorelius
Sighing the vampire shook his head
"Also I have not changed my mind that I think Batholis may be the traitor but its numbers that matter in the current voting and that has swayed me"

 

[Cromenon]

"You vote against Boorelius then, brother Damek?"

Cromenon nodded, and said in a low tone to everyone:
"Brothers Batholis and Boorelius have yet to speak to the light of these new events, but remember what I said, for what they say and against who they vote, we will find the truth. It is now or never."

 

[cripple]

"After much deliberation, I have decided."

"Who did it seem would not be the traitor? Not one above suspicion, per-se, but one who never undertook actions taht could be interpreted as such.'

"And so."

"therefore, dear Darkreaver, I name you a traitor."

((vote: darkreaver))

 

[Fodderboy]

"'Too many times he has stood in the way of a united vote...' say you, Azahul. Of all of the times that my voting has been against the majority, how many times has the majority been proven right?"

"In a word - none."

"'...thrown out random accusations with little evidence...' you say as well. I have given my evidence for my previous votes, along with my reasoning. Even when I decided that I was wrong, I still had reason and deduction to base my decision on. Can you say the same?"

The light seems to draw away from Darkreaver, the shadows growing denser, even impenetrable to the enhanced senses of those in the room.

"Bait me. Antagonize me. Make a fool of yourself if you wish. I may very well qualify for, if not define, the term 'madman', but again that does not prove me wrong."

The dimness withdraws, seeming to flow and settle onto the surface of Darkreaver's robes, his laughter like crushed leaves.

"In fact I believe that the cattle from whom we are drawn would find the grasp on sanity of any one of us tenuous at best."

"You offer wonderful rhetoric, but little in the way of substative argument. I still maintain that Boorelius, in his efforts to stall, delay, and postpone any decisions, is a traitor waiting for the sweet but verboten rays of day to come and filter into each of our coffins."

"Mayhap I shall be proven wrong, but there is only one way to find out."

Vote maintained: Boorelius

 

[Cromenon]

"Batholis, didn't you hear anything I said?" Cromenon spat with a slightly angry tone. "Didn't you?"

"This is insane, you're doing exactly what I told you not to! Batholis, you are aware that if you don't change your vote at the end of the night you'll be the one executed, right? And I don't care if you are a pompous prick, but I do care if we execute another loyalist! So think carefully against who you vote!"

"And you, Boorelius, speak!"

 

[Boo]

Boorelius smirked and nodded towards Cromenon.

"Have you not heard anything I have said up to this point, or simply ignored it? I don't really understand your reasoning? You are actually threathening our councilmembers into voting as you wish, simply because you are "proven" loyal."

Boorelilus puts his hands behind his head and tilts his chair backwards.

"But the funny thing here is, that it's not really you who are calling the shots. It's Darkreaver, like a puppetmaster, he has ensnared both you and Damek. Or perhaps only you? Damek, you betray your Von Carstein blood. You're acting like a pawn on the board chessed around by Darkreaver. You say that you go with the majority, but it's only a majority because of you. Now you are tipping the balance, now you arraive late to vote, and still I hear no accusaitons thrown your way."

He sighs and looks at Damek.

"You say that numbers matter, brother Damek. That the "majority" has swayed you. But as you see, there is a majority pointing the other way too. Towards the real traitor in our ranks. And still you skipp along, happy to oblige him. I urge you to reconsider your current vote."

Putting his hands back on his knees and twisting his neck to the left, so that a loud snap can be heard Boorelius turns towards Cromenon.

"You think that just because you are "proven" loyal, just because you survived, that you are right. And now you have no argument, except that you say, "You should vote like I say otherwise you are a traitor", and when Batholis votes on his own whim you threathen him and say that he did not do as you said. But who are you to tell anyone what to do? In this counsil we are all equal."

"And you Darkreaver, still clinging to that one little piece of argument that you have found under some godforsaken rock. I'm not postponing anything. I'm seeing things different. I've never postponed a vote, but that's something that you have done. The only delay I have done was last night when I wanted to hear what people had to say, many have asked for this and yet, you have singled me out and decided that I am the one to be your next victim. These evidence that you put forth had not only been confronted by me, but also Cromenon. Whom seemed very confused by why you placed it on me in the first place. I have however figured it out. You are the traitor. You saw your oppertunity when we were divided the last night, and hoped that someone would follow you on it. But it's strange that Cromenon, despite having argumentet against Darkreavers accusations you now follow it. I would like to know why. Because both you and I know that his arguments are as thin as air."

Boorelius chuckles.

"But this is what I have been thinking about for this time I've been sitting quiet. I have realize some things, as why Cromenon follows Darkreaver so eagerly. It's not some misguided attempt to get an majority on a vote. It's something else."

He turns towards Cromenon.

"Night after night, our brothers in this counsil have been murdered. And by day, the traitors have been guiding our hands by placing blame on innocents. And we, blind in our rage have rushed headlong into their trap. What amuses me is that one night, the assasins failed. After all these murders, they failed to kill you Brother Cromenon."

He pauses for a brief moment.

"So it seems that the only reason for you to survive is for you to appear to be innocent. The traitors are wise and cunning, so we have seen so far. But this as it seem, is their most cunning move yet. There are no proof of you being innocent."

Boorelius closes his eyes to open them again, this time looking at Darkreaver.

"What is even more amusing is that you are so certain on your hunches that everyone that vote against either you or Damek or Darkreaver are traitors. This argument falls flat on it's own ass because just as easily one of us could say the same thing. If you vote against me, you are the traitor! But only this time, it seems like at least one of you are a traitor."

"I will maintain my vote on Darkreaver and I hope that you Damek will come to your senses and stop following this, as he describe himself, madmans whims."

He shakes his head.

"I hold by my vote on you Darkreaver."

OOC: Sorry, no spelling aid at work!

 

[Cromenon]

"Interesting points, Boorelius." *Cromenon claps slowly* "Such a practised speech..."

But... tell me, brother Boorelius. If I survived the traitor's attack, that makes me one of them? Conspiration theory, eh?. May I remind you that the traitor escaped from my hands aided by another? And if there are only two as the signs show us, how could I be the traitor?"

"Tell me, brother Boorelius. If Darkreaver and me are traitors as you hint, why would've I been the first one ever nominated by Darkreaver? I can assure you I don't approve his haste at voting, certainly makes him look like a traitor, however by now I trust him more than I can trust you, for example. Why? simply because he entered late our little party and didn't -couldn't- take part in the first voting process and, obviously, in the first kills commited by the traitors. This excludes him, aswell as Damek."

"Tell me, brother Boorelius. Why do you put forward ridiculous arguments, wrapped in a beautiful paper, full of -apparently- logic and sense?. I've explained my points, once and again, yet you sistematically put your ones, hearing nothing." Cromenon shook his head slowly. "Your actions, your words, are the ones typical of the man, the culprit fighting for his life, knowing that he doesn't deserve it."

"I'm tired of this. If this night we don't reach a majority, the traitors will win. Simply. I am struggling to achieve that majority. The loyalists out there: do what you consider honourable. I'm not inciting you to follow me. I hope this is the best evidence that proves I'm no traitor."

Cromeon sat in his armchair, downhearted. He looked at Alion, the one who didn't say anything. If he voted alongside him, that majority will be reached. If not, the traitors would win, before or after.

 

[Boo]

"You may interpret that the way you want, Brother Cromenon."

He pauses.

"But, facts stands."

Boorelilus turns to Darkreaver.
"He did enter late in this council, as the same with Damek. But Damek is no traitor, that is clear now. What I meant is that, even thought you survived this attack they took advantage of it, to use your new found "proven" loyalty to guide you down a false path and make you rally as many of the others as you can to make their work easier."

He chuckles.

"Just because he entered late does not exclude him, or Damek for that matter, from the latest killings mind you. Because the night you were attacked, how many were the attackers? Two you say. All along we have believed it to only be one traitor. But that events changed our believes. We now know that there are at least two traitors. I'm telling you that Darkreaver is one of them."

Boorelius pauses for a brief moment.

"And when you, brother Cromenon, put up your seemingly logical argument, there is a major flaw. You do not know enough about neither one here to say what you are saying. But you are being led, do you realize that? By the very same person that you say is hasty. And it makes him look like traitor you say."

He shakes his head.
"You seem to listen to what we say, but do you listen to yourself? You have done the exact opposite to what you are saying. Can't you see the error in your way?"

Boorelius walks up to Cromenon.
"So if you were in my shoes, brother. Tell me, when you have three out of four votes hanging over your head. When you know that one persons name on a slip of paper could seal your doom, wouldn't you be fighting for you life? The way I see it, I rather live than die, and I bet that every last one in this room would do the same thing."

He turns around and walks back to his chair.

"If I recall, the very same thing have been done by those being vote against all these nights. That argument of yours is useless."

"I'm also tired, Cromenon. I'm also fighting for a majority. We are in the exact same place, but you are the one on the wrong side of the river. Following the flow down towards the waterfall. I am fighting upwards, towards the well, the source of all this. I am urging you all to follow me in this struggle, and not to float like dead fish with the current towards your doom."

He twists his neck to the left so that a loud snap can be heard, and sits down again.

 

[Cromenon]

"But brother Boorelius, you too contradict yourself! Last night you voted against Damek, why on earth now you see him as "loyal, no doubt"?"

"Seriously, Boorelius. Darkreaver doesn't act like a traitor. He acts like a *Cromenon bowed slightly his head to Darkreaver* madman. Not carefully, not wisely. Do you remember brother Gildus? Darkreaver reminds me of him. And he was found to be loyalist after his... er... fall."

"Is this the flaw you say? Probably. Pride? Possibly. Grief for fallen brothers? Probably."

"But I'm on no wrong side of the river."

OOC: Boo, you should go to a chiropractic. Your neck sounds very bad...

 

[Boo]

"Well, brother Cromenon. Once again, you seek out one little sentence and try to twist it around on it self. I do not believe Damek to be the traitor, because his actions speak against it, so far. Although, his recent mind change to just follow the flow of the river is disturbing, but not that suspicious, yet. I don't see him as loyal, no doubt, he is just a bit further down my list of suspects."

He paused and stretched his arms upwards.

"You say that he acts like Gildus. Well that does not make him Gildus does it? For all we know, he could just as easily be mimicking Gildus behaviour. To sway you in to false belief, which it seems he has done. You say that he doesn't act like a traitor, he acts like Giluds. Well, wouldn't that be a good way to act if you were a traitor, because Gildus was innocent?"

"You are coming closer to fall as we speak dear brother, the river is relentless and unforgiving. Pretty much like this council."

 

[Fodderboy]

"Come now, Boorelius. Do you really believe that I am such a masterful puppeteer? If so, then why is it that my most vocal 'puppet', as you've deemed Cromenon, has not voted as I have?"

Darkreaver's hand, covered in grimed wrappings, lifts from the sleeve of his robe and waves about, adding sarcastic points to his speach.

"Of course, if I were to say that if you were to vote for our companion Batholis, you'd almost certainly be saving your own skin, as his ending would only be held off by a single vote, unlike the three needed to emperil yourself, it would only be further evidence of what an increadible mastermind I am."

"Not only that, but I have managed to garner the votes of yourself and Batholis. Truly I am cunning!"

"Boorelius, who would you have me vote for?"

The shrouded head turns to Batholis and dry laughter again creaks across the room.

"'Who did it seem would not be the traitor? Not one above suspicion, per-se, but one who never undertook actions taht could be interpreted as such.'"

"Such a marvellous statement. Oh, I do applaud you! I am puzzled at how my lack of 'suspicious' actions would incriminate me, but I'm sure you'd put the cattle's Prince Machiavelli to shame if you could work that out."

"After all, if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and walks like a duck, it's obviously a dwarf.

"Please, elaborate on this. Please tell me what suspicious activity has exempted the others from guilt, while my lack of such has so obviously doomed me."

"I had no idea I was so cunning. The cattle never stood a chance, did they?"

 

[Boo]

"Now here is something interesting. You do sound like Gildus. Masterful, truly masterful. If it looks innocent, and speak like an innocent, then it probably is innocent. Right?" He chuckles.
"Then as I see it. You are guilty. And you seem to have not noticed that brother Cromenon has indeed voted your way."

He clears his throat before continuing.

"Darkreaver, I would have you vote against yourself, but sadly that is not possible. To elaborate, I'm just playing the game by the same rules as you. Your so called "lack" of suspicious behaviour I find very suspicious. And how do you define suspicious behavior? Are you trying not to be suspicious, is that what you say?"

Boorelius chuckles.

"You try to sound "oblivious" of your "cunning" ways. This is strange, are you now saying that you are merely guessing at random. And so, wouldn't this make all your arguments, let me say, useless?"

 

[Fodderboy]

OOC: I'd lost track of where the votes stopped. Boo, you're right, Comenon has voted for you.

"My poor addled mind. The effort of controlling Cromenon's every twitch has caused me to mistake yesterday's votes for todays."

The sarcasm drops from Darkreaver's voice.

"I am not oblivious of my cunning. It is a tool I have honed quite sharply so that I may drive the cattle to do as I wish."

"And again you try to muddy my words. I have repeatedly offered my reasoning, for every vote cast. If my 'lack of suspicious behavior' is truly what you find suspicious, then I can only suspect that you are truly blessed by whatever gods loom o'er this land, as I can conceive of no other reason for such ignorance to have survived."

"The dwarf shall end his quacking now."

 

[Boo]

"And that is exactly what I'm talking about. This sarcasm, do you really think that I believe that you are mind controlling him? No, he is just falling for his own ideals. Maintaining his precious unity."

He shakes his head.
"Your reasoning has been confronted and beaten back into the very mind that spawned them."

"Let's go over those reasons again."

Mimicking Darkreaver voice: "I still maintain that Boorelius, in his efforts to stall, delay, and postpone any decisions, is a traitor waiting for the sweet but verboten rays of day to come and filter into each of our coffins."

Boorelius coughs, his throat now dry. He pauses for a few seconds.

"Once again, these are futile attempts at arguments, that have been confronted, not only by me but also by Cromenon."

Boorelius points his finger at Darkreaver.

"The only reason he votes with you is because he want be united. But now there is also a majority pointing your way. And I do believe we would all benefit if he would change his mind about on which way the unity shall point. Well, all expect you that is."

He chuckles and holds his tongue.

 

[Cromenon]

Cromenon had his eyes fixed on the floor, thinking. He spoke quietly, just in a whisper, his arms crossed, as if he was realizing something.

"There is... not... a majority against Darkreaver, Boorelius. Just... you and Batholis. And Batholis has yet to explain convincingly his reasons..."

He didn't higher his gaze.

 

[Boo]

"You fail to realize that there is only one vote that is the difference. If you would reconsider you current voting. It would be a majority, but you stubbornly refuse. Why?"

Boorelius fixed his gaze upon Cromenon.

 

[Cromenon]

"I've already told you my reasons and I don't waste time twice."

"It seems that your strategy of trying to hurt my Blood Dragon pride, telling me that I was being manipulated has failed, since you try now to change tactics, brother Boorelius. You may say that 'that's what everyone does when you have three out of four votes hanging over your head' but if I recall correctly Gildus didn't do that, nor Q'Sor. They didn't give such 'show', brother Boorelius. I do not blame you, however, for doing that, but really disgusts me. However that's a subjective opinion and doesn't take into account on my logic."

Cromenon then stood up, his eyes gleaming.
"But let's go back two nights ago, when I was attacked. You and Christophe were the first ones to enter the council room; but what impresses me most was that you didn't even blamed me for not killing the traitor. Why, brother Boorelius?" Cromenon regained his sarcastic look, and smiled (sarcastically, of course!).

He sat down again and crossed his legs, his voice, his attitude; all sarcastic:
"May I play the same game of yours?" He addressed Batholis "Brother Batholis, do you really see this madman *pointing at Darkreaver* as the traitor, who could perfectly be confused with a zealot or a flagellant? Or this one *pointing at Boorelius* who puts up apparently perfect arguments, hollow inside but wrapped in a beautiful paper, and changes tactics whenever he see fit?"

 

[Boo]

"Well, I see a change in your "tactics", Brother Cromenon. Now you're just bashing away on worthless personal taste, which has no relevance at all on this matter. I've said from the beginning, as I told Damek, that only one vote was the difference. But the question I asked you was not why you would vote on me, only why you would not change it. Are you afraid that you'll be calling yourself a traitor then, huh? Is that it? Or is it perhaps that this "madman" has fooled you."

Boorelius stood up.

"Do you really think he is mad? Do you? Why can't you remove your blindfold and see the truth. You compare him to a zealot, or a flagellant, but I assure you that neither of them would be able to participate in any council. If you really think that, then you have really are blind."

He shakes his head.

"Yes, let's go back two nights ago. If your memory cant recall things then let me shed some light on it. No one blamed you for not killing the traitors. No one. If you recall. But your mind may becoming stressed Cromenon? Is it so? Because that seems to be the only "logical" explanation for such an ridiculus accusation."

Boorelius sits down again and sighs.

"Please, it's too much. All this sarcasm, instead of a worthwhile accusation, you put on a show. That is truly disgusting."

 

[Get of W'soran]

"There is little evidence of any kind, indeed if there wasn't for the fact that we are being preyed on every night then I would withdraw my advice and demand that we all take more time for these discussions"
Damek stood up slowly and looked at all the other vampire
"But we can not"

Turning the Von Carstein looked at Boorelius
"If it was not for Cromenon's almost-immunity to accussation then I would be quite stirred by your accussations."

Taking a few steps Damek moved closer to Boorelius his eyes turning a faint red
"And you say I betray my blood? Do you seek to use my aristrocratic pride...perhaps arrogance...against me?" hissed the vampire laying a hand on one of his swords.

Then with a, rather forced, grin he chuckled and stepped away from the other vampire
"Of course if I let my Pride get the best of me then I will have been beat by this...Blood Dragon..." joked the vampire glancing at Cromenon.

Moving to stand beside his chair he leant on its back and smirked faintly.
"Boorelius...you may have decided to pass judgement on many here so let me have a go. You have recently...under pressure perhaps...seemed to turn rather manipulative. Of course I would also like to add that I think Darkweaver is slightly...eccentric myself but not traitorous."

"It seems that most have chosen their path and stand steadfast in their decisions"

 

[Cromenon]

Cromenon was still sit with his legs crossed, relaxed in appearance:
"Master von Carstein, please, don't anger brother Boorelius!"

"Although you have hit the nail: "You have recently...seemed to turn rather manipulative..." you don't want to turn him against you, do you? Ha, ha! First Darkreaver, then myself..."

Cromenon wasn't smiling. His face was dead serious.
"Brother Boorelius. You are showing your cards. And I hope brothers Azahul or Batholis see it, because it is now evident you are not what you seem to be."

 

[Fodderboy]

Darkreaver turns to Azahul. "I understand the desire to remove a traitor, Azahul. Unfortunately your chosen vote may very well prevent that from happening. You may be convinced that Batholis is tainted, but the way the votes stand, he will not be removed this night."

"As both Boorelius and myself are on your list of suspects, I suggest you vote for one of us instead. I suggest Damek do the same. "

"The worst case scenario for all of us is then that you pick a loyalist, of course. "
"Second worst is a tie that we have to wake Alion to resolve. Alion seems so bored with our company he may refuse to do so."
"The best case is that a traitor is removed."

Darkreaver shifts his attention to Damek. "Damek, tonight's action, if there is to be any, requires that you and Azahul jointly decide who to remove. I suggest you two confer."

Darkreaver then speaks to both Damek and Azahul.

"Otherwise there is a 1/5 chance for each of you that you will meet the assassins this night. Delay will not improve the odds for either of you, unless one of you is a traitor, of course."

 

[Get of W'soran]

Leaning lazily against the back of his chair Damek smiled
"Silly Darkreaver I have already cast my vote...perhaps you really are senile!"
Chuckling the vampire shook his head
"Honestly though with all this talking taking place its easy to see how one would become confused"
"So I'll make this clear...I had voted for...and I continue to vote for...Boorelius to be executed under suspicion of treason."

Walking around his seat he sat down slowly and crossed his legs with a faint smirk

vote: Boorelius

 

[Fodderboy]

OOC: Didn't see the vote, Get, because it was buried in the text. Bad me. Bad bad bad.

No wonder I come across as senile.