---NIGHT 1 BEGINS---A lot of searching was actually done at the City Hall, so I'll just spare you the details from what I remember:
The primary resource there was food. There was a lot of food. There are twenty four residents living in this city, and somehow the Mayor knew to stock at least enough emergency rations to feed 24 living people for at least a week.
'And so, what happens to the food once bodies start turning up?' I bite my lip.
'We redistribute?'There were twenty four of us running around the entire City Hall trying to scavenge as much information as possible, but it was brutal. There were four floors, not counting the basement, and the halls branched out as far as we could see. So we had to make sure to break into four groups of six to make sure that there was always a member of Town around searching for the information we needed, and we still couldn't find all of it.
There were a few pieces of information we were able to get out of the vaults, though.
We had a rough idea of what resources the Town had at their disposal, which ones the Mafia did, and what kind of abilities we could expect to see out of those aligned with neither. Once broken down, the Town had sixteen unique residents it classfies, the Mafia had eight, and there were ten other classes of roles that were considered aligned to neither faction.'
In some other rooms, we found twenty five classified documents that we were able to combine after enough sorting:
Fourteen of the folders were green folders. Two were symbolized by a magnifying glass, two had a First Aid symbol, one had a gun symbol, two had an exclaimation mark. Three had question marks, two were blank. What made it interesting was the final two folders, marked by a Sun. Inside one of these folders was our now dead Mayor.
'This is clearly trying to warn us that the Mayor deduces that 14 of the 25 are necessarily trying to keep everyone alive; now that the Mayor is dead, we are down to thirteen, and we have no good idea of figuring who is who. For now.'Five folders were red folders. Two had the city insignia, marked in red. One had an exclaimation mark, and the other two were left as question marks. The Mayor was warning us that at least five of us know who their allies are, and they are the enemy.
This left six folders, and this is where it got concerning. There was one white folder, two grey ones, and three black ones, One of the black folders was marked by a radioactive symbol with an exclaimation mark. It was the only empty folder of the 25.
'Six unknown roles to the Town and Mafia. Their color... recognizes their likihood of helping us out, I guess? But if that was true, then what gives with that very last folder?'I wasn't the only one who had that concern. The others laid out all the folders for us to see, each telling us what each catagory of the folders meant for the abilities of the Town and Mafia. A few faces had gone white at the final black folder.
"So..." the boy from House 5 started. "Does that mean that there's an extremely dangerous person out there?"
"I don't think so." Player 1 stood at the window, watching the falling sun. "I think it means there's a fourth neutral class here."
Player 20 was looking over the Resources section of the folders. "I think the Mayor did a good job mostly explaining what each different person here is capable of doing. I recognize these abilities from games of Mafia I've played before..."
"Really?" The girl from House 14 looked at him. "I don't think I've ever heard of a Lawyer before, or a Phantom..."
"I have." Player 22 piped up. "It was in this one message boards called BlankMediaGames. Our mods ended up inventing those roles."
I snapped into focus.
'Yes... I invented both of those roles...'"Oh, fantastic." 14's voice dripped into sarcasm. "Glad to see we're playing on an equal level field. Some privelged here know how this all works better than the rest of us regular Mafia players."
"It's not like that." 20 got up. "I don't think any of us did anything here on purpose, and we're not immediately enemies for trying to info-share with you either. We're all just trying to keep everyone alive here."
"Hmph. So you say. I just see a slightly more informed player than the rest of us." Some bickering came out.
'Hmm.' I continue reading from the folders.
'Maybe it's best if I pretend I have no idea what they're talking about. For now.'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once the last hour of daylight was done, we agreed to retreat to our homes, not disturbing anyone until the next day rose.
"Yeah. Right." I mutter at my desk at home. "After all the hell I went through today? Tough shit."
I start at my desk, trying to compile all the information I had so far. I know that while this city is most likely a virtual world (after all, I saw my own house created before my very eyes), I can tell that my surroundings are real. After all, Darren's watch followed me into this world and carries deep sentimental value along with me, and I can cut and bleed and feel pain as I would normally in the real world. That suggests that any real injury I suffer that results in death would carry over back into the world we all came from.
'Speaking of, we all seem to come from that world.' I study the ceiling.
'I lost 25 minutes of memory after losing contact with Darren. Meanwhile, I've seemed to gain memories that aren't mine. I somehow remember events where I truly was an Investigator helping out our Mayor in the past, even though I retain my memories of inventing the role cards this world quotes as source. Somehow, BlankMediaGames got involved...?'Then there's the fact that there are people from all over the world. Everywhere, across all the continents. Some know of these message boards, but not everyone does. And for crying out loud- if it ends up happening that people fixate on me either for being Rick, or for just being associated with those boards, I cannot afford to paint a target on my back so soon. I did not come all this way to plan on dying.
'So that means subtle cloak-and-dagger Investigator tactics are going to have to come from my end.' I focus on the list I'm working on.
'I can't let on too strongly that I'm a power role. I've got to ploy as Citizen and take some risks during the day- but not so many risks that people here recognize that I'm that all-too-familiar Town leader from the forums. The longer I go giving everyone the impression that I'm someone different, the better my chances.'I stop writing for a second.
'Oh, crap. WHAT'S MY NAME?!'An extremely good point. I can't just be Rick from Winnipeg anymore. I need an entirely new identity, an entirely new persona. I need to make excuses for how I'm not possibly the same person I was so that I can fire off cover responses if I'm ever asked to reveal who I really am.
...
...
...
I sigh.
'Nothing. I just have to go wing it if it ever comes up.' I bury my face into my hands.
An extremely dangerous tactic that I normally hate ever trying to deploy. Unfortunately, Night is shorter from what I'm used to. It should be over within the next 12 hours at the latest- four times shorter than Night phase back on the forums. That means with every minute I try to relax and take information in, the more minutes I burn of my sanity by not actually using my tools as an Investigator, or by even getting enough sleep.
I put the pen down.
'I've got to stop staring at this. This is as much as I'm getting, and this isn't necessarily bad.'(Rick's Idea of what we're up against) wrote:2 Town Glass
2 Town Hospital
1 Town Gun
2 Town !!!
2 Town Sun
3 Town ???
2 Town BLANKS
2 Mafia Crests
1 Mafia !!!
2 Mafia ???
1 White Neutral
2 Grey Neutrals
2 Black Neutrals
1 Biohazardous Neutral
*CRUMPLE! Ffft-!*'Okay. I have officially lost my mind.' I sigh, and think a little harder.
'I know that these people, whoever these sick bastards are, ripped an entire page out of our books at the FM department of BlankMediaGames. That should have been obvious once I saw groups like Lawyer and Phantom appearing exactly as written, so I can safely assume that I'm familiar with just about everything that appears from the abilities of both sides. The question becomes, well, what can I deduce from what I've been given?''Glass- magnifying glass. It was the same question I rose to myself when I opened that cabinet. That has to mean Investigative. Green folder- investigative role. The First Aid sign is clearly that of a Protective role, and as there are 16 different Town files, Marshal must have been included into that consideration into the last minute, so that means that whoever is doing this is closely reading that forum still today. The gun? Killing. Moving on. The exclaimation mark and the Sun get trickier, but I think of the Mayor being in the Sun catagory, and that tells me that we still have a truly powerful Town leader out there among us. Then the exclamation marks must mean something in the folders- the remaining roles we would see in the Town. The blanks are those with no abilities, and the question marks are those we have no clue.''With the Mafia, it's trickier. We can tell that they're indicated by the red folders, but the symbols are less clear as there are multiple abilties within the Mafia that cannot be as easily classified as what the Town roles do. The Mayor's clues make that clear to us. But I guess he's trying to tell us to be careful about there being at least one particularly powerful member within the Mafia?'Then there's the grey-scale folders.
'They have to mean the neutrals.' I nod.
'If the fact that this person is a fan of BlankMedia, it most likely means that White- the lightest member- is the ONLY most likely neutral to have Town-friendly goals than the darker members. So there's one possible town ally from the Neutrals. Then there's two darker members- trying to tell us that while Town will get hurt trying to help these people, it is theoretically possible to strike deals for us to join forces? Then the darkest two members means that cooperation is likely impossible. The biohazardous.... uh...'Seriously, what the
hell was the Mayor on by drawing up THAT symbol?
I strike my pen through that one folder and just leave the slot blank. I'm sure that if we don't have that answer now, we'll know it soon.
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I check Darren's watch. 10:40 PM. It's totally dark out there now.
I step out the front door, and retreat myself to one of the benches I have at my porch. Outside, I see a few other people gazing out at their surroundings, if perhaps a tad too paranoid to get some sleep just yet.
'I think every waking minute I spend with these people, knowing I'm just as scared as they are, keeps me sane.' I smile a little.
Off in the distance, I see a very tall silhouette just to the left of the massive City Hall. I frown.
"I can clearly see the details of the other houses here, and the hall..." I mutter. "But I don't remember getting a good look at that?"
With a determined gulp, I eventually gather the courage to step beyond my house. I leave my porch, and I start toward the general public area beyond all the houses. With each step I take, I can just feel everyone stopping dead to see what I'm up to.
I'm getting closer to the silhouette, and shortly I realize where I'm standing relative to the Town now.
I am directly in front of the lynching platform."What, this...?" I look up at the contraption. "Why do we need something so tall...?"
I pull out my map and compare its size to the rest of the structures in the Town. It's true. The Lynch Platform is a lot smaller in width compared to the Water plant and especially the City Hall, but there appears to be a stone tower right where the stage is.
"HEY! YOU!"I jolt back to my senses and panick as I see someone starting toward me.
Frantically I look around. No- there's too many people here. Behind me- the left part of Town, there's not as many people on their porches, but there isn't that many people outside at all compared to me...
'
Oh for shit's sake- what if they're ALL Mafia?!?!?" I grit my teeth, terrified, wishing I were more careful.
The person approaching me stops a good ten yards from me, and I'm about backed completely up against the Lynch Tower.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" It's the boy from House 4. "This time of night- it's not safe for innocent folk to be this far from their homes!"
'
Oh- thank GOD.' My heart rate drops about 50 beats per minute. "Didn't you notice this?" I ask him. "I didn't realize just how bad a look I got at the way we're lynching people this time around. No gallows, no lighting rod- just a tower? There's no entry into it either."
"I'm not coming any closer for you to verify that." He seethes at me. "I just wanted to remind you that you're not safe out here."
"No one is safe anymore." I counter. "I don't care if it's Day or Night, 4. If us dying in this world is real, I will not approach this game as I've done every other Mafia game I've ever had. I will unlock every secret in this city with my dying breath."
I take a few steps back, facing him, and then start trying to get a better view of the tower.
"You are seriously only out here for what we're going to do tomorrow?" He raised a brow at me.
"Are you going to tell me how this tower works?" I quipped back. He fell silent.
'Damn straight. Didn't think so.'"Do me a favor, then." I spat one more time. "I trust you well enough not to kill me right here, and you can tell I'm unarmed. I will scream if you come at me. But otherwise, I need you to watch people behind me closely."
The boy is caught off guard by the offer, but doesn't turn around. "Fine."
I see a lever on the interior of the Tower. I carefully circle the entire stage, and it's the only apparent mechanism on the contraption. I sigh.
"I have no idea what's going to happen after I do this, so I'd take a step back if I were you." I warn 4.
After he does, I take one more deep breath, and then find the courage to pull the switch.
*CLICK!*I brace for impact. Nothing. I open my eyes, and step away from the tower.
"Hey!" 4 shouted at me. "A switch just clicked up in front of me here from the ground!"
'What...?' I frown at him. "Give it a pull! I think I'm about as far as you!"
I turn around toward the left houses, and I'm seeing that we're attracting a crowd now.
*SNAP!* ERRRRRRR*
WHAM!!!!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screaming. Lots and lots of screaming.
'What... the heck... just happened.' I roll up from the ground. I look at the tower- I'm facing it from the direction of the Water plant.
A crowd has gathered around the Tower, the hollow cavity of the entire tower is filled by nothing but a giant boulder covering the ground. I see the Town grouped; 4 is calling out for me, trying to find any sign that I'm either okay, or that there's a body.
'There's no time for this!' I get up, and disappear into the trees beyond the plant and make my way to a house in secret.
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*THUD THUD THUD!*Sounds of a knocking person at a door wakes me up. I frantically check Darren's watch. 5:00 AM in the morning.
'Oh god. Oh my god. They're here.'Last night I broke into 14's house in the middle of all the chaos. I was able to have virtually all the time in the world I needed in her living room to sneak around and get an idea of who she really was. Not that it helped any. She's definitely a Citizen.
'There wasn't any time to write it down- I can't let the killers hide my information away!!!'I jump out of my bed and hurry to my security box. I stash all my tools and information in there, and frantically hide it all underneath my bed.
'For christ's sak- WHY NOW?! WHY do they have to kill anyone?! We don't have to fight each other!'I rush back onto my bed after hiding everything of value. Everything I have is safe. If there's a house search tomorrow, they'll find what I need them to.
'Please... I'm so freaking sorry, Darren...'I take his watch off my wrist, and I start sobbing.
All of a sudden, a man starts screaming at the top of his lungs across the city. I begin sobbing uncontrollably with fear.
And then a female's shrill voice, next door, started screaming as loud as she could. I scream, startled by the sudden piercing cry.
*BANG! -thud*I'm still crying, but her screams end with the gunshot.
I clutch Darren's watch to my chest, and continue sobbing until the sun begins rising.
They are letting me live. For now.END OF NIGHT 1