The Shadow Fort [Concluded]

**Crazed Rabbit** · 02-26-2010, 20:56

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The sun rose slowly over the mountains.

The old fortress seemed to linger in the pre dawn darkness longer than the ground around it, as though the cold of the winter night gripped tightly to the red stonewalls. Centuries ago, it had been said that the sun was drawn to it, and that it shone like a beacon. It had been built as testament to the engineering skill of the king’s army, to dominate a strategic valley.

Now the importance of its location was as outdated as the walls. No armies marshaled around it as they once had; it served as a waypoint for travelers and a minor outpost.

There was a great enemy to the south, undefeated in open battle. But the border was many miles away, and if that empire managed to march this far, it would roll over this fort. The few cannons on the battlements were no deterrent; they would crumble under the assault of newer, larger artillery.

Or perhaps the enemy would simply ignore it. Only a handful of soldiers garrisoned it, and they would be unable to hold the fort or strike at a passing army.

Only one resource was guarded by the fort; information. What had been roads and lands of strategic importance now held information that had traveled from many parts of Europe. The soldiers of the fortress kept track of all the information that passed through on the tongues of the many travelers.

This had not gone unnoticed by the enemy though. Unable to force armies deep into the lands of his opponent, he instead sent a small team of skilled infiltrators to gain control over the fort.

Hidden among the many travelers who passed through, they easily snuck inside. And on this dawn, they looked to the north and saw great storm clouds moving south. Many sets of eyes saw this. Some smiled under gleaming eyes.

Snow was coming to the fort, snow that would bury the entire earth in a mantle of white. The spies knew that everyone at this fort would awaken to a new world tomorrow, one that was transformed as though God himself changed the nature of the land.

One that no one could escape until the snow melted.
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Greetings and welcome!

This game was born of my desire for a mafia game with multiple factions. I was inspired by the most recent Capo game, where the FBI and CIA were supposed to root out communists, unconnected from the town.

Alas, they joined up with the town and I was one of those on the sharp end of that stick. This game, therefore, has the main townsperson – mafia battle, along with sub factions striving amongst themselves, and not naturally inclined by way of their characters to join one side or the other.

I also wanted to stop the town from deducing their enemies based on detective results and night actions. So if a townsperson and a Mafioso have killed someone, the detective’s results will be the same.

In the tradition of Capo, this game will feature possible night actions by all players. Starting characters can become new characters after a series of successful night actions.

Finally, what is going on in this game will be deliberately ambiguous in terms of the factions battling each other at night and during the day in terms of lynching.

Basic Mafia Game Guidelines: