Talk:Circumlocution: Difference between revisions
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The people of the mountain village of Shangri La huddled into the town hall. They filed into the ramshackle building swiftly, clutching their meager cloaks about them to stave off the biting late autumn wind. No one knew why Golstaff, Sorcerer of Light, had decided to call the meeting, but they had their suspicions. The harvest had been poor after a dry summer, and the winds were stripping away the once-fertile soil as no grasses remained to retain it. Making matters worse, a wave of cholic had stricken the sheep, killing them by the scores. |
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All were worried about how the winter… that is, all but two [b]werewolves[/b], living among the people in secrecy. They knew that they had only to devour their neighbors to survive. But only one man in the town had any idea that such a menace was lying in wait, and he was on death’s door. |
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Golstaff entered the building last, accompanied by [b]Perrin[/b], who supported the frail old man. The Sorcerer took his steps slowly, with a resolute look on his face which denied the pain in his joints. [b]MediCane[/b] stepped forward to clear a path for the village elder. “Out of the way! Make room! Mind your manners, now—and show some respect!” |
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The village was small, but so was the hall. A total of 13 people were in the town, and there was scarcely room for even this small group. Some sat on real chairs, but most stood or sat on the floor. [b]Molly Malone[/b] leaned against a wall, and it groaned, as though it might not support her. Dodging amused looks from the crowd, she stepped forward to evict [b]Shanster[/b] from one of the few descent chairs in the room. “Up off your lazy ass! Can’t you see that our Sorcerer needs this chair more than you?” |
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Yanking the chair away, she sat it at the head of the room. “Here you are, Golstaff. Have a seat.” |
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“Thank ye, Goody Molly,” says the Sorcerer. He took a seat and gazed across the crowd. |
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[b]Macphisto[/b] shuddered against the cold. “What’s the word, Golstaff?” |
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“What are we going to do about food?” asked [b]Teragen[/b]. |
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“What’s going on with the sheep?” queried [b]circumlocution[/b]. |
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“Patience, patience. One at a time.” Golstaff sighed, looking as if he’d been carrying a tremendous burden. “There are more important matters than these at hand, things you must know.” |
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A silence fell across the crowd. Even [b]yposhelley[/b], who’d been distracted with trying to balance broken bits of wood into a makeshift seat halted, looking up at the Sorcerer. The wood fell to the floor with a clatter, but no one turned to look. |
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“There is more than just one moon. The moon you see is the moon of light and of life. Then there are the Seven Dark Moons of Kunga del Rey. These moons are the bridge between this world and the underworld. And these moons hold a powerful sway over the hearts of men. There are some who can be driven to great evil by these moons.” Golstaff struggled to find breath to continue. A sickly rattle sounded deep in his chest. “For years, I have cast Mordenkainen’s Magical Watch Dog to keep those who’ve run afoul of the devil, and made deals—drawn up terrible, evil contracts, signed in their own blood—to do the bidding of Satan here on earth. These people… have become werewolves. And two of them are in our midst.” |
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The crowd gasped. Villagers cast nervous and puzzled glances at each other. |
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“I have hoped to keep the demons at bay until such time as I could cure them, but I need magical components to cast my spells. Those which I need to dispel the demons have been scarce. With the material components I’ve gathered, I could only cast as a Level 2 Magic User, and the monsters have far too many hit dice for such a spell to work.” |
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He visibly sank in his chair. Everyone leaned nearer, briefly worried that he had passed away already. As [b]vhawk01[/b] stepped forward to check the old man’s pulse, he spoke again, greatly subdued. “I had wanted to save their lives!” He looked up, and tears were clearly streaking down his checks. “I swear, I wanted to! But I don’t think we have that option anymore!” He sobbed, and the rattle turned briefly into a cough that wracked his whole body. |
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As his coughing grew more severe, the crowd became noticeably concerned. “Are you okay, old-timer?” asked [b]Kimka83[/b]. As she stepped forward, his coughing ceased. |
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“I’m all right, I’m all right,” he insisted. With great effort, he rose to his feet, his legs shaking as they tried to support him. Bringing himself fully erect, he faced the crowd with a determined look on his withered face. “The two werewolves,” he began, “are…” He began to raise an arm, index finger extended. His arm shook madly. “…are… aaaaa…….” |
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His resolve broke, and his legs gave way beneath him. As he crashed to the floor, his last breathwas slammed out of his body. |
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“Oh my God!” cried [b]Miss Muffet[/b]. “Is there a doctor, or perhaps a doctor-in-training in the house?” |
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Everyone raised their hands. As some began to argue the merits of their credentials as a health professional, others stepped forward to examine the old man on the floor. Eventually, all 12 people had given their professional opinions, and there was a consensus, in the group. The man was dead. |
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“Damn,” said [b]BlazerMed[/b]. “Is that just the sh!ttiest timing you’ve ever seen, or what? It’s, like, fate, or something. Like something out of a crappy horror novel.” |
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It is Night One. |
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Werewolves, PM me your victims. |
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Seer, PM me your inquiry. |
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Priest, PM me your staging point. |
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Hunter, PM me your hiding place. |
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Hobo, PM me your sleeping place. |
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Whore, PM me the object of your affections. |
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Dealer, PM me your client. |
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Witch, PM me your spell and target. |
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There are 12 players, but there are 15 roles. I do not intend to tell anyone what roles are and are not filled at this time, apart from the fact that there are two werewolves and two masons. I have done away with the lovers, because that noise was way too complicated. |
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That also means that anyone who still wants to play can enter the game in one of the unfilled roles. PM me if you’re interested. Anyone who manages to recruit a new player gets one free piece of intelligence. |
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