Mini 1397: War is Hell (Game Over)

[Mr. Flay]

HELL.

It's not all brimstone and screaming... but then, neither is it harps and clouds

(for that matter, neither is Heaven, for those whose memories of the original descent may be somewhat lacking)

. Strife and conflict are commonplace, but there

is

heirarchy even amongst the Fallen, and there

is

order amidst the turmoil. Many times over the Epochs have your numbers swelled, and once the very fabric of the Universe trembled at the battle between the loyal Angelic Host and the Fallen Angels, who have become Demons upon their arrival in this place of exile. But exile is not a death sentence for an Angel; it can also mean a freedom to become whatever your corrupted heart can envision. Some cast off wings and grew the tails of serpents; others discarded voice and music in favor of the roar and bellow of great cats and apes. Still others plucked out their uncounted eyes and meditated upon the inferno itself, until they could move or sense as well in pitch blackness as the heart of a sun.

[/header]

Vis Vires

Pessum Ire

Sasnagiel ( Kinetic ), a Seraphim of Heaven , recovered the Metatron and won! Ambriel ( Albert B. Rampage Quilford ), an Erelim of Heaven , recovered the Metatron and won!

Duke Astaroth (NPC), Fallen Seraph and Loyal Demon , was destroyed at the beginning of Epoch I. Duke Berith ( PeregrineV ), Fallen Arel and Loyal Demon , was slain at the end of Epoch I. Count Bifrons ( scooby Fate ), Fallen Cherub and Loyal Demon , was killed at the conclusion of Epoch II. Prince Sitri ( kdowns Voidedmafia ), Fallen Cherub and Loyal Demon , was slain at the conclusion of Epoch II. Count Halphas ( Yosarian2 ), Fallen Arel and Loyal Demon , was destroyed in Epoch III. Camael ( Lady Lambdadelta ), an Ophanim of Heaven , was killed in Epoch IV. (but won posthumously) Duke Focalor ( quadz08 ), Fallen Cherub and Loyal Demon , brought about the end of Epoch V with his death. Duke Vapula ( MattP ), Fallen Cherub and Loyal Demon , was killed in Epoch VI. Marquis Naberius ( charter Xalxe ), Fallen Cherub and Loyal Demon , was murdered in Epoch VII. King Viné ( kanyeknowsbest ), Fallen Ophan and Loyal Demon , was destroyed in Epoch VII. King Paimon ( Zdenek ), Fallen Seraph and Loyal Demon , was killed in Epoch VII. Marquisse Phenex ( Tierce ), Fallen Cherub and Loyal Demon , was destroyed in Epoch VIII.

[Mr. Flay]

This is a Semi-Open setup, with Split Roles/Motives. While the roles are structured similarly to previous Angel Nightless games, the flavor is very different. What follows is merely an example of a loyal (Town) Demon's Role PM:

Duke Astaroth

Role:

You are

Duke Astaroth

, once a Fallen Seraphim and now one of the strongest Demons in all of Hell. Your Breath is noisome, your Form hurtful and strong. You have the Ability to discern Hidden Things, and make the Visible hidden. You ride a powerful Serpent with a Dragon's teeth and claws.

Win Condition:

You stand in solidarity with Satan and all of Hell. You win if the Angels are destroyed or cast out, and at least one Loyal Demon survives.

Powers:

• You begin the game with 11 HP. You may be healed to 12 HP total
  (one more than you start with)
  .
  
• You may either
  Hurt
  or
  Heal
  players in thread, as can all other roles. The
  HURT:
  and
  HEAL:
  tags are preferred, or you can just bold them. Hurting or Healing begins a 24h countdown timer before you can act again.
  • Note that in this particular game, Healing someone will subtract a HP from you which will be replenished 1:1 when you next gain Rage in the standard way!
  
  
• As a Demon, you also begin the game with 1 Rage Point (RP). You will gain further Rage as the game progresses, up to a maximum of 5.
  • To use Rage, PM me the name of the player you wish to focus it on, and how many RP you wish to use.
    
  • Using Rage will also start a 24h timer before you may Hurt or Heal, but you may Rage while already in cooldown.
    
  • Rage accrues with the death of others, and at other intervals according to Hell's whimsy. You will receive a PM when your total Rage changes.
  
  
• You may also use
  HURT WITH A BLADE:
  when you attack, and get 2 damage instead of just one. Using this action will cause you to recharge after 36 hours instead of the usual 24.

[Mr. Flay]

Rules

1. Ethical:
   
   
2. Do not discuss the game
   by any means
   outside of this thread unless your role PM explicitly says that you may.
   
3. Don't quote any PMs/private communication directly in thread. Likewise, once you are cast out,
   stop talking
   ; you can say your piece once the game is over. I will set up a Green Room for dead players.
   
4. Don't edit/delete your posts, even if you have the privileges to do so. It violates the integrity of the game and can screw up the game thread. I will take care of duplicate posts or formatting errors upon request.
   
5. Treat this game as a commitment, to me and your fellow players. If you're going to be gone more than about 48 hours on a non-weekend, let us know.
   Doing so without warning will earn you a Prod
   , and multiple Prods may result in your replacement.
   
6. Lying is a sin
   (lying to Satan is akin to a deathwish); pretending to break a rule
   (quoting a fake role PM, for example)
   will result in the same punishment as actually breaking that rule. If you have to think about whether or not you're breaking the rules when you're about to do something,
   ask me via PM
   !
   
7. Robust cryptography and steganography are not allowed in my games.
   
8. Remember, it's a game. It's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be interactive. Do your part.

1. Mechanical:
   
   
2. Thy Mod is like unto a God, but with a shorter temper and worse language. There are some unusual features in this game; most are public between this thread and previous Angel Nightless games, but not all are, of course. Feel free to PM me or ask in thread if something is confusing; I reserve the right to ignore the question or give misleading answers if it would compromise the game.
   
3. There are no 'lynches' or 'voting' in this game for thematic reasons. Instead, you may either HURT: player or HEAL: player, once every 24 hours, to move them closer/further from being 'cast out' of the game. These actions must be in bold, and must use exactly that verb (there are also tags now,
   [hurt]/[heal]/[hurt2]
   ). Feel free to describe your attack or defence in more detail, though!
   
4. The Rage mechanic is now available to all Demons; PM me who you wish to attack and how many RP to utilize. Your maximum Rage will be reflected in your Role PM.
   Note: Rage no longer accumulates on an exactly-timed basis, though you will still get a PM when it accrues, either from someone's death or due to Hell's malevolence.
   
   
5. I will not provide damage tallies more often than every 8-12 hours, but will try to provide them approximately every 24 hours if changes in health have occurred.
   
6. Once someone reaches 0 HP, they will be destroyed (no Healing will help at that point) as soon as I return to the thread; after that, they may no longer interact with the game thread or players in any way not specified by their role PM. Regardless of how quickly I return to the thread, actions will be processed sequentially, so others may still Heal/Hurt during Twilight, for example.
   
7. Healing may not take someone more than 1 point above their original total HP. You may not Heal (or Hurt) yourself. In this game, Healing will 'steal' a HP from you until the next time you gain Rage.
   
8. Damage levels are preserved even after someone is cast out! A sample tally will look like:
   

   First Damage Tally of the First Æon:

   
   Some Pansy Angel has taken 3 damage.
   A Winged Fool has taken 2 damage.
   Astaroth and Shax have both taken 1 damage each.
   
   

   Dantalion, Andromalius, and Gäap are all undamaged.

   
   
9. This is a Nightless game, and should need no deadlines. If you anger your Mod through excessive sloth, I will very...
   upset
   (this includes someone deliberately standing aside from the conflict). I reserve the right to decide what to do about sloth at the time, not that I fear it will happen in this game...
   
10. Any questions about player damage tallies (like vote counts), overall game mechanics, or prods/replacements for players, mention it in thread. You may preface them with
    Mod:
    or
    Great Lord:
    to catch my eye, if that helps.

Spoiler: FAQ

FAQ

Why didn't you count my vote?

This game uses the Hurt/Heal mechanic, not voting like a regular Mafia game. Each player has a certain amount of Hit Points, and may Hurt players they find scummy/Heal players they find helpful once every 24 hours. If you reach 0 HP, you're dead. You can be raised exactly 1 HP above your 'maximum' HP, to avoid wasting simultaneous shots.

My role says I can do extra damage. How does that work with the new [hurt] tag?

Use the

[hurt2]

tag which will clearly show that it is a double shot. Note that doubleshots take 36 hours to recharge, not 24.

If all Demons have Rage, can't Town just hurt each other round-robin and prove who cannot Rage?

How פהזגטברּ stupid do you think I

am

?

Can I use my <secret ability redacted> and still Hurt someone in the same 24 hour period?

Your role PM will spell this out, but in general, no. Special abilities, including Rage, will usually delay your ability to Hurt/Heal.

I'm going to be gone over the weekend; can I presubmit two Hurts for Saturday and Sunday on ScummerX?

No; you must be present and post in thread to use Hurt/Heal.

I'm going to be gone over the weekend; can I presubmit my secret ability for Sunday afternoon on ScummerX, after my recharge timer expires?

Your role PM should be clear about this, but in general, yes (within a reasonable time frame, usually less than 24 hours).

Can I ask for an immediate Vote Count to confirm my ability/lack of ability?

I will do one Damage Count every 12 hours if the game is moving fast, every 24 hours otherwise.

Do replacements still lose HP when they enter the game?

No.

Can I Hurt/Heal myself?

No.

Can I use Rage on myself?

Yes, if you really want to...

If I use Heal more than once before Rage replenishes, will it all come back at once?

No; it will come back 1:1 alongside your new Rage Points

(this corrects an original phrasing in the Town Role PM)

.

I noticed not all of the roles in previous Angel Nightless games were spelled out in the pregame posts. Are there secret roles in this game?

Stop asking stupid questions and get to killing. Speaking of which...

[Mr. Flay]

But while Heaven still reels from the ongoing defection in its ranks, an unusual tumult has been raised in this corner of Hell.

Duke Astaroth

has been discovered, disfigured and decapitated. That in itself would ordinarily occasion no great alarm; Hell's heirarchy is not sacrosanct, frozen in place like the מטּזרּזבןמב structure of Heaven, and assassinations do occur. But not in the memory of any Demon has such an assault been accompanied by the wretched ץרטּגהמשּ of

angelic grace

. His sigil smokes on the ground beneath his corpse, but an iridescent stench clings to it, and a miasma of harmonies vibrates through the air above the body.

Duke Astaroth, Archdemon of Hell (NPC),
has been destroyed utterly.

Astaroth's powers, among others, encompassed the ability to mask his form and change his shape at will. From the evidence you can find, his killers may very well have absorbed that ability; no trace of angelic infestation drizzles off conveniently into the distance like a snail's ללמ. The Duke's killers cannot have gone far, and may have further mischief on their minds. But why now? Why here, when Heaven itself can seem to do little to stem the tide flowing out from its shining פהזרםבּ walls? That is the mystery, and the task with which Satan has constrained your corner of Hell to perform.

"

גבטרּ

OFF, DEMONS. TAKE CARE OF IT YOURSELVES, I'M BUSY!"

Well, then.

Time to unlimber swords and unsheath claws, and get down to the dirty business of digging out the putrid goodness that infests Hell.

GAME ON!

(no confirmations needed)

[Mr. Flay]

Do all HP-lost-to-Healing points get restored upon Rage accumulation? That is, if Player A Healed three times between accumulation, does Player A gain three HP at accumulation time, or just one?

In general, just one.

Do we know whether Accumulation happens at the same time for everyone?

You do not.

[Mr. Flay]

Lord, can we call to use a rage point from in-thread?

If you mean can you actually utilize Rage in-thread, no. You can 'call' for whatever you like...

Almighty, does this game contain similar roles as the last ones (seraphim / ophanim / erelim / cherubim)? Or did you choose to leave roles private this time around?

Broadly speaking the roles are of the same type, just reflavored. As it says in the FAQ though, the sample roles are not guaranteed to be exhaustive.

[Mr. Flay]

Obviously I will be a little lenient with prods/activity during the Thanksgiving holiday.

First Damage Tally of Epoch I:

• PeregrineV
  has taken 1 HP damage.
  
  
• Lady Lambdadelta
  is at 1 HP above normal maximum.
  
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  Kinetic
  ,
  quadz08
  and
  Tierce
  are all at their default HP total after getting and giving Heals.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• Yosarian2
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  scooby
  ,
  charter
  ,
  kdowns
  , and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all undamaged.

[Mr. Flay]

Obviously I will be a little lenient with prods/activity during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Second Damage Tally of Epoch I:

• PeregrineV
  ,
  kdowns
  , and
  Yosarian2
  have taken 1 HP damage.
  
  
• Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  charter
  , and
  Zdenek
  are at 1 HP above normal maximum.
  
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  Kinetic
  ,
  quadz08
  and
  Tierce
  are all at their default HP total after getting and giving Heals.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• scooby
  , and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are undamaged.

[Mr. Flay]

Mr. Flay, can the hit point we gain at rage accumulation take us over our original health?

Yes, subject to the +1 rule.

Courtesy prods have gone out; I will post another Damage Count closer to the end of the weekend, since activity is so low right now.

[Mr. Flay]

Third Damage Tally of Epoch I:

• PeregrineV
  and
  kdowns
  have taken 1 HP damage.
  
  
• Lady Lambdadelta
  and
  charter
  are at 1 HP above normal maximum.
  
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  Kinetic
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  , and
  Yosarian2
  are all at their default HP total after getting and giving Heals.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are undamaged.

Regular activity requirements will be engaged tomorrow. Get to it, demons!

[Mr. Flay]

charter mutters

"ѣʊɠɠɚ ɽ͡ψ..."

and is enveloped briefly in a swath of violet flame; when it clears, he looks a lot more like Xalxe instead.

[Mr. Flay]

Fourth Damage Tally of Epoch I:

• PeregrineV
  has taken 1 HP damage.
  
  
• Lady Lambdadelta
  is at 1 HP above normal maximum.
  
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  Kinetic
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  charter
  Xalxe
  , and
  kdowns
  are all at their default HP total after getting and giving Heals.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are undamaged.

[Mr. Flay]

kdowns shudders briefly; his outline reforms into that of Voidedmafia. "ᵴђᵻǂ, that sucked..." he mutters, then looks around before joining the fray.

Fifth Damage Tally of Epoch I:

• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  Kinetic
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  kdowns
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  PeregrineV
  , and
  Lady Lambdadelta
  are all at their default HP total after getting and giving Heals.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are undamaged.

[Mr. Flay]

It has come to my attention that there is a small error/ambiguity in the Town Role PM. Where it says something like:

Duke Astaroth

Note that in this particular game, Healing someone will subtract a HP from you until the next time you gain Rage!

it should say:

Note that in this particular game, Healing someone will subtract a HP from you which will be replenished 1:1 when you next gain Rage in the standard way.

(this also incorporates the earlier question about whether ALL Heal damage is replaced at once)

[Mr. Flay]

Sixth Damage Tally of Epoch I:

• PeregrineV
  has taken 8 damage.
  
• Kinetic
  has taken 1 damage.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at their default HP total after getting and giving Heals.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• No one is undamaged.

[Mr. Flay]

PeregrineV snarls and spits defiance, reeling with the blows but throwing back spite and venom in equal amounts to any of you. The problem is, he is outnumbered, knows it, and is impotent against his hate of the fact. His swipe at Kinetic breezes past without effect. When Tierce's next blow lands, he stumbles and utters "¢ҩ¢ʎᴤʉ¢ʎξԓ!" with a low and clear voice, then collapses to the ground in a bubbling, oily heap which bursts briefly into Stygian fire. The flames gutter low, and when the ooze burns away, only his sigil remains.

Duke Berith, Great Demon of Hell, has been slain.

---

First Damage Tally of Epoch II:

• Kinetic
  has taken 1 damage.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at their default HP after giving and receiving 1 Heal apiece.

Kinetic and Yosarian's actions are unspent.

[Mr. Flay]

Hell spasms and groans around you, growing darker and then brighter after a moment. When the Hellquake settles, everyone feels stronger.

Second Damage Tally of Epoch II:

• Xalxe
  is at default HP after giving another Heal.
  
• Kinetic
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

[Mr. Flay]

MODTHING: Can you do something about Scooby?

ʯʘʉʼᴦɚ ɰөʆ¢ᴓӎз.

[Mr. Flay]

Third Damage Tally of Epoch II:

• Xalxe
  is at default HP after giving another Heal.
  
• Kinetic
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

[Mr. Flay]

Fourth Damage Tally of Epoch II:

• Xalxe
  and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at default HP after giving out Heals.
  
• Kinetic
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

[Mr. Flay]

Fifth Damage Tally of Epoch II:

• Xalxe
  and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at default HP after giving out Heals.
  
• Kinetic
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

Prods have gone out as needed.

[Mr. Flay]

Rhythmic chanting builds stronger and stronger, seeming to echo from every corner of Hell. The basso voices and shrill cries are almost drowned out at times by the piercing wails of the damned souls. When the racket suddenly crashes to a stop, you feel energized.

Sixth Damage Tally of Epoch II:

• Kinetic
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Voidedmafia
  ,
  Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  scooby
  ,
  Xalxe
  , and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

scooby will be replaced, unless you're just going to kill him...

[Mr. Flay]

scooby

groans and turns a funny purplish-black color for a moment, then puffs out a belch of black smoke and stands up straighter. He now looks a great deal like

Fate

.

[Mr. Flay]

HUEHEUEHEUEHEUHEUEHEUEHUEHEUEHUEHEUE

Congratulations, you have earned yourself a permanent ban from my games. Go away.

[Mr. Flay]

Suddenly a vast cacophony of traded blows rings out, and half of the participants disappear briefly in a swirl of flame that springs up from the depths. The groans and screams this time threaten to shatter your eardrums (or eyestalks, depending on how you personally sense the realm), as they are fueled not by souls but by dying demons. When everything clears and the survivors gasp for breath, not one but two bodies lie melting into puddles of ichor at your feet:

Fate

and

Voidedmafia

.

Count Bifrons, Demon of Hell, has been slain.

Prince Sitri, Demon of Hell, has been slain.

---

First Damage Tally of Epoch III:

• Lady Lambdadelta
  is at her normal HP limit after Healing again.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  Kinetic
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

quadz and Zdenek's actions are unspent.

[Mr. Flay]

Actinic blue lightning flashes on the horizon, racing around you like the whirling edge of a hurricane. It draws closer and closer, making your hair, fur, and/or cilliae stand on end. Just before it reaches you, though, it fades into indigo, then an inky purplish-black, then nothing. You shake your head to clear it from the Hellstorm, and feel stronger.

Second Damage Tally of Epoch III:

• Lady Lambdadelta
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Yosarian2
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  Kinetic
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

[Mr. Flay]

Traditionally, Flay has announced whether or not the hurts or heals used in the thread have been spent or not.

Traditionally, Town has not had access to Rage, either.

I have spoilered Fate's Ghostposts. At this point there's no sense in deleting them, but I do ask you disregard them as much as feasible.

[Mr. Flay]

Caustic spittle flecks the air as words of invective are traded like blows. A few solid hits land, but for one, Yosarian2 seems to be hit much harder than he should be.

Third Damage Tally of Epoch III:

• Yosarian2
  has taken 7 damage.
  
• MattP
  and
  Lady Lambdadelta
  are at their normal HP total.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  Kinetic
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

[Mr. Flay]

...what?

@Mr. Sleddy Claws: When you say 7 damage, do you mean 7 below the initial HP value (8 total damage), or 7 from where he was (1 above normal, making it 7 total damage)?

When damage is taken, for most of you it is starting from a position of -1 damage. So -1 minus 8 equals 7.

[Mr. Flay]

Locking for death and gamestate. Opening in a few.

[Mr. Flay]

Yosarian grins fiendishly as the battle is joined ever more vigorously, turning from side to side as hidden attackers buffet him. However eventually even the great armored demon is brought low by the toll, and he flies apart in a scatter of chittering vermin.

As his sigil dissolves slowly into the stone, etching a brief reminder of his time here, Hell quakes and rumbles, and a new mountain range raises up in what you might call the "east". As you watch it pierce the glowering clouds, you feel stronger despite the loss of your compatriot.

Count Halphas, Great Demon of Hell, has been slain.

---

First Damage Tally of Epoch IV:

• Lady Lambdadelta
  has taken 6 HP in damage.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Xalxe
  ,
  Kinetic
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  are all at 1 HP above normal.

[Mr. Flay]

ABR

falls down in something very like a seizure, or what you guess a seizure would look like with that many spinal columns. When he clambers back to his feet, he much more closely looks like

Quilford

(though still with too many limbs).

[Mr. Flay]

Lady LambdaDelta

seems to be humming to herself as the tide turns against her, and a goofy grin crosses her face when it's not wracked with agony. You wonder what she's on (or whether her mind has simply snapped like a toothpick), when she falls to the ground suddenly, arching in pain. A sigil pours forth and burns along the ground, revealing Orobas' telltale markings.

"

Another

פהזגטברּ demon, you think?? But..."

And then the sigil shimmers and fades much too quickly, revealing the רטּɨלמﬗטּרםתשּ stench of an ANGEL in your midst.

Camael, Ophanim, has been driven out of Hell.

---

First Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  and
  Albert B. Rampage
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

The sonorous gonging of a bell vibrates down to your bones, cartilage, and adamantine skeletons... Hell trembles with the elemental force of the burst of energy as it washes over the stunned battlefield, leaving you all feeling refreshed and somewhat stronger.

Second Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

It was there in 1635 too, you just missed it

(and I missed it for a second this time, stupid spreadsheet)

.

[Mr. Flay]

Hellfire erupts in orange and yellow gouts around you, a pyrotechnic display destined to inspire an entire genre of concert music at some later date... when your eyes adjust and your skin stops boiling, you feel stronger for the experience.

Third Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

Not yet...

[Mr. Flay]

I'll prod again tomorrow after the holiday, but I'm not replacing anyone over the holidays except by (their) request.

[Mr. Flay]

Hell's baseline heat suddenly surges and thrums against your skin, making you pulse and dance with energy. When the wave of warmth passes, some of you feel stronger.

Fourth Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

Prods on Quilford and Zdnek please, ModDevil?

Aye.

[Mr. Flay]

Alright you ץצמן ѣᶏʃǂɒᴦδᴤ, time to get back to the war!

Fifth Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

Prods have gone out where needed. Both players are active on the site so I am hopeful that no replacements will be needed.

Sixth Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

Seventh Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  and
  quadz08
  are at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

Hell's terrain groans and thrashes, throwing up a new mountain range around your small battlefield. Crimson magma explodes from some of the peaks, bathing you in heat and energy. When the hellquake clears, you feel stronger and energized.

Eighth Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• quadz08
  is at his normal maximum.
  
• MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at 1 HP above normal maximum.

[Mr. Flay]

Mr Flay, can you prod KKB

I have done so. I am giving him another 36 hours or so to feel better and return, otherwise I will have to pull in a replacement. Since there's no rule about majorities, I'm willing to be a bit forgiving if it looks like someone will return.

[Mr. Flay]

The skies darken and pulse with black energy. You hear Satan's voice reverberate in your bones and liquefy your muscles as his rage washes over the field of confrontation.

Endless פהזגטברּ Night, do I have to do everything myself around here? I thought there was a War on, not a ɧξᴌɭɖɒɱԓөɗ Debate Session!

When full consciousness returns to you, you feel burned by the whole experience...

literally

.

---

Ninth Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• Xalxe
  is at 3 HP below normal maximum.
  
• quadz08
  ,
  MattP
  ,
  kanyeknowsbest
  ,
  Tierce
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Quilford
  are all at their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Tenth Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• MattP
  has taken 6 damage.
  
• Xalxe
  has taken 3 damage.
  
• Quilford
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• quadz08
  ,
  Tierce
  and
  Kinetic
  are all at their normal maximum HP.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  and
  Zdenek
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Eleventh Damage Tally of Epoch V:

• MattP
  and
  quadz08
  have each taken 5 damage.
  
• Xalxe
  has taken 3 damage.
  
• Quilford
  is at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• Tierce
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  Zdenek
  are all at their normal maximum HP.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  is at 1 HP above his normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

The long struggle wears at the combatants like the sluggish waves of the River Cocytus.

quadz08

grows weary and snaps at the others, voice rising like a tempest. Shaking free of their lethargy, many blows are traded before quadz finally lies slain on the ground. His form burns slowly around in pulsing pustules of heat, before fading away.

Duke Focalor, Demon of Hell, has been slain.

---

First Damage Tally of Epoch VI:

• MattP
  has taken 5 damage.
  
• Xalxe
  has taken 3 damage.
  
• Quilford
  and
  Zdenek
  are at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• Tierce
  and
  Kinetic
  are all at their normal maximum HP.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  is at 1 HP above his normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Seeing his companion's form bleeding away on the ground before him,

MattP

knows innately that his own death will be soon in coming. Indeed, a massive attack soon cleaves his body in twain. Despite the halves of his corpse falling some distance away from each other, a symmetrical and connected sigil etches itself into the stone upon his death.

Duke Vapula, Demon of Hell, has been slain.

---

First Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Xalxe
  has taken 3 damage.
  
• Quilford
  and
  Zdenek
  are at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• Tierce
  and
  Kinetic
  are all at their normal maximum HP.
  
• kanyeknowsbest
  is at 1 HP above his normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

A wave of raw energy washes over all of you, leaving you feeling refreshed and somewhat stronger.

Second Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Xalxe
  and
  Quilford
  are at 1 HP below normal maximum.
  
• Zdenek
  is at his normal maximum HP.
  
• Tierce
  ,
  Kinetic
  , and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Flay is officially a meaniehead.

Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of all the WHINING.

[Mr. Flay]

Hell groans and writhes around you, a lake of fire blooming to the west and a blood-red diamond the size of a mountain piercing the ground to the north. When the material beneath your feet stops shaking, you feel stronger and refreshed.

Third Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Xalxe
  has taken 1 damage.
  
• Quilford
  is at his normal maximum HP.
  
• Tierce
  ,
  Kinetic
  ,
  Zdenek
  , and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

Mod: could someone of one class of loyal demons, have powers not possessed by other members of the same class?

A particular type of Demon/Fallen/Angel will have the same root powers, but not necessarily the same form, rank, etc. That's all I'll say about that.

[Mr. Flay]

Fourth Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Quilford
  ,
  Xalxe
  , and
  Tierce
  are at their normal maximum HP.
  
• Kinetic
  ,
  Zdenek
  , and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Noxious vapors pour forth from the ground, rising to swirl around your tentacle-leg-pincer-lower-attachments. Rather than making you sick, however, they remind you of your true purpose here on this battlefield, and you feel stronger for the experience.

Fifth Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Quilford
  and
  Xalxe
  are at their normal maximum HP.
  
• Kinetic
  ,
  Zdenek
  ,
  Tierce
  , and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Blows traded, seen and unseen, restart the battle proper as time wears on...

Sixth Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Xalxe
  has taken 6 damage.
  
• Zdenek
  has taken 3 damage.
  
• Quilford
  and
  Tierce
  are at their normal maximum HP.
  
• Kinetic
  and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

Seventh Damage Tally of Epoch VII:

• Xalxe
  and
  Zdenek
  have each taken 7 damage.
  
• Quilford
  and
  Tierce
  are at their normal maximum HP.
  
• Kinetic
  and
  kanyeknowsbest
  are at 1 HP above their normal maximum HP.

[Mr. Flay]

The War is NOT over! Hurt/Heal does not have an automatic endgame, you must either concede or duke it out.

I will update Epoch VII's end when I get home in one hour.

[Mr. Flay]

They are indeed all dead; locking for death scenes.

[Mr. Flay]

The guises of the Marquises Andras and Sabnach fall to the ground, broken and dripping with ichor as the painful light of Angelic bodies bursts forth from within them.

Kinetic

and

Quilford

step into the fray clad in their own raiment at last, free to act in this weakened corner of ruin and despair.

"There is something we want, and you ɖɒɱԓөɗ ᴤþᵻᴦזɨל are going to give it to us!"

Unsurprised by the presence of Angels in their midst, the Demons are nonetheless taken aback by the idea that they could

want

anything here. The Angels waste no time utilizing the distraction to strike several blows, piercing

Xalxe

through the abdomen and ripping upwards viciously. The Demon's last words die on his lips as he falls, but appear to be something akin to, "

פהזגטברּ ɮᶏʃᵵɒ ɽ͡ɖς

". His body disintegrates rapidly into tiny circuits coursing with red energy.

Marquis Naberius, Loyal Demon, has been destroyed.

Kinetic smiles with horrific pleasure as Xalxe falls, and the light from his eyes just before they close glows crystalline white. He leaps into the smoking air, unfurling dozens of wings as he focuses a burst of Grace directly at

kanyeknowsbest

, which meets one coming the other way from his partner. kanye's frail and twisted corpse nearly disintegrates under the onslaught, but a swirl of glowing motes sizzles on the ground briefly before scattering on the winds.

King Viné, Loyal Demon, has been annihilated.

Spinning with the momentum of the assault, he flicks hand out and casually finishes off the weakened and wounded Zdenek, who groans and collapses, his dying curse unheard.

King Paimon, Loyal Demon, has been killed.

Alone and surrounded, Tierce flashes out her own flaming wings briefly, then slowly backs away as the two close on her. "I know nothing of what you ɒʃᵴђҩʆзᴤ are after!" she snarls, but her fate is inevitable, as the two massive and unwounded Angels start to carve pieces off. Their interrogations make less and less sense as she weakens, but she dies knowing that she did not help them with their esoteric and unknown quest.

Marquisse Phenex, Loyal Demon, has been slain.

[Mr. Flay]

Their enemies routed and the battlefield quiet for the moment, the two Angels turn to each other impatiently. "If it's not here...wait! What is that sound?"

The merest whisper of words, nearly lost among the ambient clatter of Hell, emerges from somewhere to the south. The two pace slowly south, closing their wings again and sheathing swords so as not to draw attention, if possible. A few moments later, their search is rewarded as a scrap of a soul is plucked from a promontory of rock.

"Is...is that really him?" Quilford asks, blinking at the trembling remnant of a once-great member of the Angelic Host.

"Indeed," Kinetic replies, folding the scrap reverently and placing it inside his breastplate, close to the rapidly beating heart. "Come. It is time to bring the Metatron back to Heaven."

And with that, the two of them release wings and bolt directly upward, leaving their ashen and stinking surroundings for better company and soothing climate.

Ambriel, Arel of Heaven, has ascended in Victory!

Sasnagiel, Seraph of Heaven, has ascended in Victory!

Camael, Ophan of Heaven, has the posthumous satisfaction of Victory!

[Mr. Flay]

Also I thought I was an Arel, not a Cherub?

You are, that was a typo.

Also, yes my notes are full of WTFBBQ at your un-Gracing. At that moment you could have killed ANYBODY with Grace, even Zdenek (who was wounded), your biggest threat HP-wise.

[Mr. Flay]

One question: is the background on Camael's sigil a solidified flow of lava? It looks like it.

Yes I believe so. Everyone's sigil background comes somewhat from their Demonic characteristics in the Ars Goetia, though tailored for the game, of course. The Angels of course don't have an equivalent book...

[Mr. Flay]

Yeah, actually, I think we ended up not doing it because we thought we wouldn't win... Flay, do you think otherwise?

No, I suspect you could have eked out a win at that point, but it was no sure thing. The big problem you had with leaving kanye alive is he was aimed at watching YOU for much of the lategame. If he'd seen you like he saw LLD, it would have been Game Over. For the record that's the most useful an Ophanim has ever been, lurking aside (it's a very lurk-inducing role, which is part of the balance for it).

I cannot BELIEVE Kinetic lived through earlygame. He was scummy as

hell

balls and kept changing his reads all over the place. But there was

just

enough confusion over mechanics and enough distracting Town-on-Town arguments that he got through midgame, and by then he had enough cred to go up against Zed successfully.

[Mr. Flay]

Yeah, fog of war and skill helped, but you should have been on a shortlist of "if still alive when X people are dead, nuke him". Nightless games are a problem for the skilled in rhetoric.

At the same time, the Angels WASTED an incredible amount of Grace that they couldn't earn through not using the points they had. They merely lucked out that if the Demons wanted to use it at all, it largely got aimed at their own teammates. Still, I think this game came closer to balance than any of the previous Angel Nightless. WIH2 was good at endgame, but it had the 3rd-party ringer.

[Mr. Flay]

We couldn't use it thanks to the huge hole of, if we rage, it leaves open an exact list of who must have raged.

You also figured out the workaround for that; Hurt or Heal right before you Rage. Town-you would have stuck with the limited-pool-Hurt plan.

[Mr. Flay]

Was there a green room, Flay?

Yup: http://www.quicktopic.com/48/H/A2hBf8eZvCT

[Mr. Flay]

Rage/Grace worked differently in this game of course, to account for the balance and weirdness of giving it to Town.

As in previous games, Rage/Grace accrued when someone died,

x

hours later (

x

being that Demon's order in the Ars Goetia list). The delay was supposed to help people have a chance to use maxed-out Rage/Grace before accruing more. In practice, most people hoarded it.

It also accrued for the

other

team if someone got replaced. Obviously this accrual didn't get announced in thread, and mostly it benefited Scum due to the pattern of replacements. This was a change from previous games, when the replacee lost a Max HP. That seemed cruel in a game this size.

Finally it accrued 'regularly' if the Epoch did not change for

n

days,

n

being the number of players left alive at the time. If you went another

n

days, as happened around the holidays, different things happened; first you lost Rage, then you regained the lost point, then you lost Hit Points, etc. This was designed to speed up endgame somewhat by replenishing used Rage/Grace, and give people incentive to spend and earn points rather than a drawn-out endgame.

[Mr. Flay]

He was in cooldown. Check his ISO.

[Mr. Flay]

Ah, had to look back at my game summary: he was on cooldown from Rage, not Hurt.

• 12/2/2012 3:37:00 Peregrine uses his RP on himself (that'll be confusing)
  
• 12/2/2012 3:58:00 608 Peregrine tries to hurt Kinetic too soon

If he'd done them in reverse order they'd have both gone through.

[Mr. Flay]

I don't think he did it intentionally to confuse; I think he was ragequitting.

[Mr. Flay]

I'm just saying, he probably wasn't "thinking" at all. Also, that early in the game, some people hadn't caught on to the Hurt-then-Rage 'trick'. Mechanics of Angel Nightless always confuse the early game a bit (not helped by the constant tweaks between games).

Not sure if I'll run another of these, honestly. There's more story, certainly, but short of running another huge game like the destroyed WiH3, there may not be much appeal... thoughts?

[Mr. Flay]

The worst parts of this for me:
-Nightless. I didn't realize how important that 3-day break is for me to take a break from the game.

I agree with this, and not just in this game. Nightless is more scum-sided than you'd expect, not just from the lack of Night actions that might point toward alignments, but also because it doesn't let Town have a breather.

My theory about it is that games snowball without the Night break. There are several Nightless games on record in which people just don't stop. At all. Day upon Day upon Day, sometimes within a span of hours. While this is something other sites have no issues with, it's not how most MS games are run, and many players are not prepared for the kind of on-the-spot thinking it requires. They don't review the game, they don't bother forming deeper reads, etc. It's a nightmare for Town more often than it is a blessing.

That 48-72h break allows people to wind down from the game, occasionally reread it, and come back to it on the next Day with fresher eyes. That helps Town.

(On a somewhat related point, I believe that Nights that are too long (96h+) are more scum-sided, because at that point Town players stop caring about the game. Who benefits from apathy? Scum.)


Another thing that Angel Nightless needs is deadlines. Rage/Grace/what-have-you accumulation is not enough to provide a 'natural' deadline. Players need to see things

happening

--people are lazy, nervous about doing the wrong move, etc. All sorts of things that make them postpone taking a final decision. With a lack of hard deadlines, as on the parenthesis above, Towns stop caring. They need incentive to lynch and do it on a timeframe; a potential kill far off in the future that scum

may

gain is not enough motivation.

Both parts of your post are correct, but they're actually very different problems that Angel Nightless has had over its run, and you're missing one.

The first two games were VERY FAST. Weeks to run, hundreds of pages. People were terrified of giving scum Rage accumulation (in those games, it was ~1 RP/week). So they speedlynched. Also nobody in those first two games really comprehended the power of Healing, so scum were able to chain kills very easily. That led to the panic you're talking about. Also Hurt/Heal functions similarly to a very slow "Day Vig" effect, where everybody gets more and more pissed off all the time, and retaliation runs rampant. Town found it very difficult to form blocks (which are an overrated concept anyway, but that's a problem in Mafia in general). That all said, people enjoyed the fuck out of them, and clamored for more Angel Nightless (my pre-ins were usually full within a week of the game ending, despite the next game being a year off).

WiH3 had very strict player-led controls on Hurting and keeping everyone at HP+1, which led to a big pseudovoting phenomenon and a LOT of frustration that "this wasn't what I signed up for". Despite that, Town obviously had a better control of the game and would have done fairly well. But the meta-frustration was high, and since I didn't anticipate that level of player-control, the game was dragging due to a lack of deadlines (I also overpowered NS's third-party role, having based it on the speed of previous games). Then of course the Great Rollback hit and I mercykilled the game.

For this game I specifically weakened Healing by the HP-drain mechanism, which worked better than I could have anticipated. It kept HP down somewhat and made people think about who they actually wanted to Heal. That was good. Of course since the next game won't be in Hell, I may or may not keep the Grace mechanic for the Town side. It's VERY Townsided to have it though...at the least Angels would have to gain it at a slower rate than Demons, otherwise Town ends up having 3x the 'Nightkill' power of Scum, which could be abused in certain scenarios I won't explain here in public.

Finally, the game isn't nearly as Scumsided as you'd think with the Nightless+Rage. Scum lose a major strength of team play in this setup: bussing. Even just losing their smallest member, this scumteam could NOT outright Gracekill a Seraph or Arel without some softening-up (5GP+5GP < 11 HP). Hence why Town did not have more Erelim and Seraphim, of course... that's really the worst part about balancing these. What RP total does scum have? They're probably going to lose one player over the course of the game, can a crippled team still compete?

[Mr. Flay]

Feel free to PM me, but it would have to be a pretty good sell.

[Mr. Flay]

It'll be at least fall before I run another game in this series (if at all). Summer is my busy time at work.

[Mr. Flay]

Yeah, I cannot argue with any of your points, Magua. Like I said, this format may have run its course.