NOTW LI: The Trial of Lilith [Suspended]

NOTW LI: The Trial of Lilith​

The city of Braduk was a bustling place once, a great metropolis and the beating heart of the Bannor Empire. The Bannor were known for their passion and their devotion to the Goddess Bhall. In her name, they struck out against all who would oppose them and brought to heel ancient civilizations and barbarian tribes alike. The Bannor were strong, but their Goddess was weak. She was led astray by the devil, Agares, seduced and corrupted by his voice. He persuaded her to give up on her people, and join him in the underworld where she would become his wife.

The fire Goddess fell to earth as a huge flaming meteor, which plummeted straight into the city of Braduk, and through it, creating a tear between the two worlds. Most of the people of Braduk was incinerated in the impact, but some few fell with her, and were sucked into the underworld. These were the last of the Bannor. For several days they travelled aimlessly across this barren land, they didn't know what else to do. They began to lose hope, and some amongst their number began to drift off alone. They succumbed to the aura of hopelessness and apathy that emanated from every rock and grain of sand in this dark domain. The Bannor never saw those people again, and they wondered what had become of them. The group quickly realised that this world was not uninhabited, but were surprised to realise that the creatures they found, though obviously demonic, were largely benign and docile. Most were indifferent to their presence, or at least seemed relatively dangerous. Hungry, they began to hunt these creatures were food and found their flesh not completely to their distaste. The Bannor could survive without food in this netherworld, but it reinvigorated them, giving them strength and determination to go on.

Their self-appointed leader was a Bannor warrior princess known as Capria. She had proved herself in battle long ago when she led the Bannor armies against the evil wizard Zerawun, and then again against barbarian tribes from the north. Here she rallied her people and inspired them. She said they would set up a new society in the underworld and continue life as best they could, they just needed to find the perfect spot to build their new village. This all changed one day when an angel appeared to her in a dream. His name was Sabathiel, and he told her of another portal just a few months travel from where they were now. If they could reach it, he would use his power to open the portal and they could return to the living world. Capria documented their journey, and everything the angel he told her in a journal. He appeared to her frequently, most nights perhaps, comforting her and instructing her in how to survive in this strange world. He told her of Bhall and Agares, and the threats they would likely face on their long journey.

They travelled for weeks, until they came across a bridge across an icy river, the water was refreshing and cool, but dark creatures lived below its rippling surface and the Bannor had to be cautious. There was a bridge across the river, which was very wide in places, and this lead to a ruinous stone tower. The structure seemed almost impossibly old, perhaps when the Gods themselves were young and happy. The Bannor crossed the bridge and set up camp at the base of the tower.

The next day, Bannor scouts identified some kind of procession in the distance, slowly moving towards them across the rocky hills to the east. Afraid it was a demon army come to dispatch them, Capria rallied her troops and they formed a defensive line to meet the approaching creatures. As they drew closer, the Bannor realised with some surprise that it was not an army marching towards them but something else entirely.

It was a mysterious, black-clad woman perched upon a truly huge throne, which was supported and being carried along by eight burly demons. Behind them for more then a mile stretched a trail of slaves, two abreast and crawling painfully on hands and knees which were bloodied and scarred from contact with the jagged rocks beneath them. As they neared, trumpets could be heard, and a voice seemingly from nowhere called out to them;

''Presenting the Duchess Lilith, Mistress of the Dark Plain, Lady of the Bridge! What is your business travellers?''

The procession came to a sudden stop just ten metres in front, and the woman identified as Lilith sat impatiently. She was a woman of incredible, unnatural beauty, and dressed in black lace which left little to the imagination, and stirred a flicker of arousal even in the most devout of the Bannor menfolk. Some recognised her from the stories they used to tell to their children, she was a succubus, a demon seductress. Capria called out in response;

''Be gone, foul demons! We want no trouble with you.''

At this. Lilith jumped down from her seat, lithe like a cat, and grabbed hold of her with supernatural strength.

''I know who you are Capria of Bannor, you are the scorned of Bhall, deserted and betrayed by your own God.'' She wispering, malevolently into her ear, ''And now you seek to cross my lands on your way to your supposed salvation, based on the testimony of an angel. Where is your angel Capria? Does he truly exist or are you just delirious I wonder? Perhaps we shall see.''

The Duchess leapt into the air upon previously folded wings, and shone with an eerie gold light, surrounded by dark shadows.

''You may pass through my lands, people of Bannor. I will even guide you to the Fane of Lessers, a place where the underworld and the living world mirror one another perfectly, and the divide between them is at its weakest. This is the one place you might succeed in escaping this plane of Agares. But first, you must pass a simple test. If you survive it, you shall have proven yourself worthy of return to the world above, and I shall hasten you on your way.''

With that, Lilith erupted into a cloud of dust-like particles the colour of gold and ash, which flickered and spiraled in the air before falling to the ground. Her demonic servants turned on their heels and began to make the slow march back across the bleak, grey landscape. The Bannor were left alone to contemplate their fate. What test could this demon possibly have in store for them? It was unlikely to be pleasant. They would soon find out.

Game Concept:​

Night of the Werewolves is a mafia-like forum game franchise begun in 2006 by the illustrious creator of Fall From Heaven, Derek ''Kael'' Paxton. Since then the game concept has expanded and evolved, and so has its player base. Night of the Werewolves: The Trial of Lilith is the 51st installment of NOTW, and the second game of this type that I have hosted.

In a game of NOTW, the players typically represent a group of villagers, but not all are quite what they seem. It is soon discovered that there are enemies lurking within the group, which begin to murder the innocent characters with the intention of eventually overpowering the survivors and killing the lot. Soon, paranoia and accusations are running wild, and a witch hunt is begun to try to root out the enemies within before it is too late. In the game of NOTW, as innocents you must collaborate with your fellow players, sharing information and piecing together leads in order to produce likely suspects for the gallows. Only once all threats have been destroyed and the killings stop can the innocents be victorious. As enemies of the town, you must do everything in your power to remain undetected while you subvert the innocent cause.

In the posts below, the rules of the game shall be revealed. Please read these carefully, and pay particular attention to the Game-Specific mechanics, many of which are new to the franchise.

Basic NOTW Rules:​

The game will be made up of day phases and night phases. The day phases will be 2 irl days long (one being considered morning and the other afternoon to evening), night phases will be one day long.

During the day phase, players may make accusations against each other. This is represented by writing their name in bold type. Players should be aware that within the roleplaying context of NOTW, these are not votes. You are not voting for someone to be executed, but merely making an accusation against them and posts should be phrased as such if possible. As this is a NOTW game, inappropriate mafia terminology is discouraged. During the day phase, there may be items available to be voted upon. These will be handed out in the evening update to whoever receives the most votes. There can be no posting in the thread during the night phase, but private communications may continue as normal.

Directly quoting messages sent to you by the GM, including your role PM, is strictly forbidden, as is using screenshots in any capacity. However, the quoting/forging of messages from characters within the game is allowed. Players are fully encouraged to engage in the use of quick topics and instant messenger to privately discuss the game, in NOTW a great deal of the game is conducted ''behind the scenes'' and using these tools is the best way to get involved in this capacity. I would very much appreciate links to all QTs, and occasionally to be sent PM chains and that kind of thing for my own amusement.

Players who have been killed may post a goodbye post if they wish, but are strictly forbidden from engaging in the game in any meaningful capacity once they are dead. Communication with living players is prohibited, but you will be provided with a link to the dead quick topic, where you can discuss the game with other dead players and the GM.

Night Actions:

Night Actions are special abilities available to the players which can be performed in the night phase of the game. Actions can be derived from items, or from innate abilities, and there are also special ''Group Actions'' which all players have access to; these are listed below. Unless specified otherwise, a player may perform only one action per night.

Actions which say they require ''physical contact with the target'', or something to that effect, mean that in order to use them you must leave your tent at night and go to the target player. Actions which specify that they do not require such contact can be conducted from the safety of your own tent.

Strength and Injuries:

Strength is typically the most important stat in a NOTW game. In this instance of NOTW, strength is important for determining the outcome of night attacks, the effectiveness of hunting parties, the likelihood of success of some actions, and in the end which team will win the game.

Players may receive injuries as part of failed attacks, player actions or game events. This is represented by temporary penalties to the player's strength. Injuries naturally heal over time, at a rate of 0.5 strength per day. Injuries do not heal on days in which the camp has insufficient food.

Victory Conditions:

Innocent players will win if they can survive until the end of the game, and eliminate the enemy team. In the event of an innocent victory, innocent players who did not survive until the end will receive 2nd Place. All players will also have their own personal goal, and players who achieve it will receive an award at the end of the game. There may also be a selection of other awards up for grabs which I will dish out at the end.

Any non-innocent factions will receive their VC in private.

Game-Specific Mechanics:​

This NOTW will feature several game-specific mechanics, most of which as far as I know have not been tried before. I hope these will give the game an original and innovative feel, and that the new additions will add a lot to the game as it progresses.

- Hope and Despair
- Stealth
- Hunting
- Group Abilities
- The Captain
- Imprisonment
- The Watchman

Hope and Despair:

In FFH, Agares is the fallen God of Hope, and now his divine sphere represents abject hopelessness, apathy, and internal despair. All sentient beings in his vault have to fight to stay focused and motivated in this environment, and in the game those who succumb to despair will be vulnerable to the influence of Lilith. The Hope/Despair rating ranges from 100 to -100 and can be altered by numerous actions and events within the game. It is very important for innocent players to try to maintain a high level of hope, because their hope acts as a modifier on the player's strength when considering the total strength of the innocent team. The stronger the innocent players' hope, the harder it will be for the forces of Lilith to overwhelm them and win the game for themselves.


Once the game has started, players will no longer be aware of their precise level of hope. Instead, they will simply be told whenever they change ''Hope Ranks'', for example from High to Medium level hope.

The murder or execution of characters has a significant effect on the hope levels of the remaining innocents. The death of a player causes a hope penalty in relation to the deceased player's hope level; a high hope level causes a larger penalty, a negative hope level will instead cause a bonus, especially if that person is an enemy.

Stealth:

All players have a stealth stat, this affects the success of thieving, spying, patrolling, hunting, and some other actions and abilities. (see below for details)

Hunting and Rations:

In order to maintain morale, the camp will need to be well-fed. This is done through hunting creatures which sometimes wander not too far from the camp. Technically these are demons, but they due to the effects of Agares' domain, they have become so apathetic and withdrawn that some have taken on the nature of largely docile herd animals.

During the morning phase, players may put themselves forward to take part in a hunting expedition. The Captain will then select as many as three to form the hunting party. This will leave in the noon update and return in the evening one with the proceeds of the hunt. There are several varieties of creature they can hunt in order to feed the camp. All huntable creatures will have a hidden strength and stealth rating, and to be killed at least one player must have a higher stealth rating, and the combined total strength of all the hunters must surpass the creature's own strength. Characters in the hunting party may occasionally find new items. Enemy players that are chosen to be part of the hunting party can choose to sabotage it, removing their stealth and strength level from the combined total of the hunting party. All rations collected will be added to a central stockpile, and each player consumes one ration in the evening phase of every day (except the minotaur which consumes three).

Hunts will vary in success according to which and how many food sources there are available. If there is not enough food to go round, all players will receive a penalty to their hope. The less food there is to go around the bigger impact it will have on the players' hope level. Players in the hunting party are not prevented from posting in the thread while hunting.

Universal Abilities:

In this variation of NOTW, there are some actions which all players can perform! These are as follows:

Perform Night Attack: Anyone in possession of an item or ability with the tag ''(Night Attack)'' may attempt to attack a player during the night. In order to determine the effects of a night attack, the players' stealth and strength stats are compared. Either player may receive injuries or death depending on their relative strengths. If two or more players attack the same target then who reaches them first is determined semi-randomly.

Spy: You may spy on another character, and you will be informed if they leave their tent at night. If they do, you will attempt to follow them and see where they go. The success of this is dependent on your relative stealth.

Stand Guard: You may choose to stand guard outside a players' tent all night in order to protect them from the enemy. Any attacker will have to get through you before they can attack their real target, and the protected player will have a chance to escape during the chaos, allowing them the possibility to survive even if the protector is killed. Standing Guard also prevents the protected player from being the target of any ability which requires physical contact between the actor and the target. A player may only be defended by one other player each night. A player who has stayed up standing guard will be unfit for hunting the next day, and so will have their stats discounted from the hunting team if they were to join it.

Steal Item: A player may attempt to sneak into the tent of another player and steal a specific, named item from them. The chance of success here is based on the relative stealth levels of the players.

Steal Rations: A player may attempt to steal extra rations from the food pit. The player may steal as many rations as they want up to their base strength level. So if they have the strength of 3, the player may steal 1, 2 or 3 rations during the night. This grants them a ''Ration'' item for every one that they stole. Rations can be consumed on any night giving them a boost to their hope, and temporarily boosting their strength by 1 for the remainder of that night. Consuming a ration does not count as an action, and so can be used in conjunction with abilities, and can be eaten the same night as it was stolen if they so choose. Each player can only consume one ration in a single night. If the camp does not have enough food to go around, then players in possession of a ration will secretly eat it in the evening phase. This will protect them from the hope penalty of going hungry, but will not have the other effects (+hope, temporary +1 strength) associated with eating the extra ration under normal conditions.

The Captain of the Bannor:

The Bannor are an autocratic race who value nothing more then a strong leader. In this variation of NOTW, the captain is a role with a significant amount of power. They not only act as a tie breaker in votes and accusations, but also appoint certain roles to players, and can even decide the fate of those who stand accused by their campmates.

1. They act as the tiebreaker in item votes and accusations.
2. They decide the fate of those who have obtained the most accusations each day, which can be either execution, or imprisonment in the tower.
3. They may order the release or execution of imprisoned players at any time.
4. They appoint a Watchman each night
5. They choose which players will form the hunting party

Every day, during the evening phase, votes and accusations are tallied. Items are distributed to whoever received the most votes for them, and whoever received the most accusations must be dealt with accordingly. Exactly how this will play out is the decision of the Captain.

The captain can stand down at any time, triggering a vote for a replacement.

The Tower:

Up to two players may be imprisoned in the ancient tower at one time. While they are there, they cannot use any items, or abilities which require physical contact with a target. They are also protected from any abilities or actions of this kind, including night kills. However, imprisoned characters can still vote and make accusations. With the permission of the Captain, players may enter the tower voluntarily if they choose. Imprisoned players lose an amount of hope every day that they remain locked up. The strength of imprisoned players is not taken into account when calculating the relative strengths of the two teams. At any time during the day, the Captain may decide to release an imprisoned character, or order their execution which will take place on the next update. This does not prevent whoever is being accused that day from also being executed. The Captain must send the GM a message detailing how they would deal with the accused BEFORE the evening update occurs. If there is more than one possible contender, then just say what you would do for each of the possible candidates. If the Captain himself is the majority accused then he is stripped of his position and sent to the tower (unless there are no free cells, in which case he is killed). The next day, a new Captain must be chosen.

The Watchman:

The captain secretly appoints a watchman to patrol the camp each night by sending a message to both the player and GM. A player who has stayed up being the watchman will be unfit for hunting the next day, and so will have their stats discounted from the hunting team if they were to join it. A player cannot be the watchman two nights in a row. The Watchman will stay up all night, silently patrolling the camp and observing any movements. In the morning update they will receive a report containing the names of every player they saw out of their tents at night. The chance that the Watchman will see a player is based on their relative stealth stats. The Watchman may use an ability or item during the night if they so wish, but this will reduce their chance of seeing players.

Example Role PM:

Description:

This will be a short paragraph of information detailing your personal background.

Statistics:

Sex:
Strength:
Stealth:
Hope/Despair:
Race:
Origin:
Victory Condition:

Abilities:

Here will be any abilities which you might have. These can be used during the night phase.

Items:

Items in your possession. Many have useful effects.

Ambition:

This is your personal goal, which you should strive to work towards during the game. Those who complete their Ambition receive an award at the end of the game.

Click to expand...

Directly quoting your role PM or taking images of it is against the rules of the game.

Players:

1. Acrobat (m): Darth Feather
2. Artist (m): Zack
3. Author (f): BSmith1068
4. Bard (m): Edse
5. Crusader (m): Sprig
6. Elven Diplomat (f): Frozen In Ice
7. Elven Warrior (m): Nintz
8. Falconer (m): Visorslash
9. Farmer (m): SouthernKing
10. Farm Boy (m): Arakhor
11. Farm Wife (f): topsecret
12. Magician (m): askthepizzaguy
13. Merchant (m): Jarrema
14. Minotaur (f): KingMorgan
15. Noble Lady (f): spryllino
16. Nurse (f): Autolycus
17. Officer (m): Backwards Logic
18. Old Lady (f): Bad Player
19. Old Man (m): Kennigit
20. Priest (m): Verade
21. Stable Boy (m): Choxorn
22. Traveller (f): Seon
23. Witch Doctor (m): Immaculate

Reserves:

1. Takhisis
2. Catharsis
3. JoanK

The Food Pit:

Currently contains: 0 Rations.

Rate of Consumption: 20 per day.

The Tower:

- Darth Feather

Game Diary​

Morning One: Capria is found dead! She was Innocent.

Night One:

Morning Two: Kennigit the Old Man is found dead! He was Innocent.

Night Two: Bad Player is executed! She was ???

Phase Resolution Order​

Order of action processing at the end of each phase:

1. Execution or Imprisonment (if applicable)
2. Item transfers (including theft)
3. Passive Abilities
4. Rations Eaten
5. Defensive/Stealth abilities (in random order)
6. Prophet abilities
7. Offensive abilities (in random order)
8. Natural Health Regeneration
9. Hope Modification

Players injured/damaged naturally heal. This healing occurs at end of Night phase after all other actions if eligible. (after a full game-day cycle.)

Adapted from NOTW L by Sprig.

Still Reserved.

Posting is now open.

I recommend that all players who have signed up post here or subscribe to this thread so they will be alerted when the game begins.

subscribed

RL will be clearing up somewhat soon, so In

Sub post

We have a thread now? Cool.

Sub post.

Could I suggest that if forwarding / posting pm's is allowed (which is reasonable since they can be forged), then time stamps are not allowed (since it would be hard to forge and therefore break the game)?

I also want to go on record that I won't use Skype (regardless of whether I am mafia or town).

Bad Player said:

Could I suggest that if forwarding / posting pm's is allowed (which is reasonable since they can be forged), then time stamps are not allowed (since it would be hard to forge and therefore break the game)?

I also want to go on record that I won't use Skype (regardless of whether I am mafia or town).

Click to expand...

You can't take screenshots, and I can't imagine why you would manually write out the timestamp.

Zack said:

You can't take screenshots, and I can't imagine why you would manually write out the timestamp.

Click to expand...

Often times a game host will cluster all the town role PMs together and send them out in sequence, and cluster all the mafia/special role PMs and send them out in another particular sequence, thus breaking the game by potentially revealing when certain folks got their role PM.

If timestamps matter, then sharing them can break the game. If they don't, town gets exactly what it deserves for such a cheap shot.

(I hope they lynch a mason pair and call them stupid at the same time. )

All players will receive their role PMs in a random order and in no particular sequence. However, the use of time stamps is just about the cheapest tactic I've ever heard and it is banned regardless.

I can play if you need more, Ekolite. May not have the time for much more than showing up and voting each day though.

Hmm okay thanks, but do try to participate as much as you can. In these games you get out what you put in. If there are no more sign ups by tonight I will begin the game. 24 players is sufficient.