Reduced to a caged animal. Again and again he tried to open the sealed coffin. The marks were glowing, as the caged being tried to free itself. Rage, hate and... hunger. The need to feed. Unbearable.
Alim and Nikolaos looked at each other.
Alim's face expressed fear. "We should have killed him, Nikolaos. We're making a terrible mistake. He's too strong."
Nikolaos didn't say a word. With a grim expression, he kept working on the last magical seal.
A blue glowing light and a soft, tinkling sound, indicated that the last seal was in place. The marks on the coffin stopped glowing. The roaring sounds stopped. It was... silent.
"There's only one punishment for what he did: eternal suffering. Those are our laws, Alim. We are the elder. This is what we need to do."
"I disagree, Nikolaos."
Nikolaos shrugged. "We still need to seal the cave entrance." Without waiting for Alims' answer, Nikolaos turned around and went outside.
Alim followed and together they placed the seven seals; obfuscating the cave entrance, making it disappear and invisible for the human eye.
"As long as he's alive, it'll never be over," Alim said, after the work was done.
"The seals have never been opened. We're using this procedure for over 5000 years now, nobody has ever managed to break the seals, not on purpose, not on accident. He'll suffer for eternity, as he deserves."
Alim stared at the sky. "We need to hurry, it'll be dawn soon."
They mounted their horses and disappeared at the horizon.
The combined forces of Aragon and Castille would arrive at Granada very soon.
He sighed and looked around. Another milestone in the history of men.
Many centuries ago, he had stopped caring about humans and their empires. Nonetheless, he felt sad about the nearing end of the last moorish bastion in his beloved Al-Andalus.
He gathered his belongings. Before leaving the patio of what had been his home for two centuries, he looked at Elvyra's body for the last time. She had served him well.
He grabbed his cloak and went outside. He had a long journey ahead of him and he wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Accepting his fate, he shrugged.
As he was walking down the alley, he heard a strange, soft noise. Instinctively, he ducked. The silver dagger planted itself in the wooden doorpost right behind where his head was half a second ago. Without paying attention to the trembling weapon, Alim jumped forward and started to run.
Tonight, he was not the hunter, but the prey. He should have known better. Running through the narrow streets of Albaicin, he feverishly started to think about a place to hide. An arrow barely missed him and he kept running. Wondering how they did find him, wouldn't help. It was too late. He had to disappear. And quickly. His senses told him that the Alhambra was behind him, so he had to go left, then right, then straight ahead and then he had to climb up the little house with the grey...
When he entered the alley, he realised his mistake. There would be no where to run. Disappearing was no longer an option.
He turned around and saw three dark figures coming near. They were breathing heavily, much to Alims' relief. Maybe, he, who hadn't breathed for ages, would still have a chance.
He jumped two meters in the air, avoiding the silver dagger thrown at him. Even before he came down, two metallic objects floated through the air. One of the dark figures fell down, the throwing knife in his throat ending his life. Another one fell on his knees.
"You won't bother me anymore, dagger," Alim said, grinning, "that knife is poisoned."
The vampire turned his gaze at the last figure.
"Now it's just you and me."
His opponent kept silent as he unsheeted his silver blade.
With his arms crossed, Alim calmly waited.
The last remaining dagger froze. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move.
"I already fed tonight," Alim said, unsheeting his 300 year old, razor sharp scimitar.
The dagger kept staring at him as Alim came closer, moving in for the kill.
Alim struck, but his blade didn't meet flesh and bones. In the momentum of his movement, he fell on the ground.
The dagger stood behind him.
"Your magic won't work on me, Alim."
Alim turned around and looked up, his face expressing agony.
"This cannot be..."
"Apparently, you're wrong," the undead said, smiling.
Lifting up his sword, he said to Alim: "I won't make the same mistake as you."
He was late. Looking at his watch, he kept walking, almost running. A few tourists on the road gave him a strange look. Who in his sane mind would be running up these steep streets, wearing a dark cloack and a black hat in this climate? Who was this guy? Sandeman?
The man in the weird outfit didn't care about the odd looks. He was in a hurry. Entering a narrow, steep alley, he looked around him, to see if there was noone in the vicinity. Assured that nobody had followed him, he quickly disappeared.
The cave was not very big, but there was enough room for the 35 or so dark figures, all dressed similar.
One of them looked up.
"You're late."
"Thanks for the newsflash."
The man sat down and waited. Surely, this was something big. All known daggers were gathered into this room. This was only the third time in the existence of their brotherhood of vampire hunters that a meeting this size had been called. The last time, their brotherhood had been destroyed if it wouldn't have been for a very unusual alliance with two of their preys, during the time of the Crusades.
One of those preys had been killed in this very same city, many centuries ago. None of the daggers who had caught Alim had survived the hunt, but that price had been well worth it.
A soft tinkling sound confirmed that the door had been sealed.
One of their brothers stood up.
"It's awake. And it's here, among us."
The daggers stared at their brother in shock. They all knew what this meant. The ancient evil that had been buried in 1100 had escaped its' prison. To make things worse, it had managed to infiltrate their brotherhood.
"But Nikolaos assured us that this was impossible," a sister managed to murmure.
"We made a mistake by trusting that creature."
Thanks to their excellent training, most daggers calmed down quickly. They all knew what needed to be done first now.
***
Welcome to my latest mafia game...
~~ Daggers in the Night ~~,
a game about vampires and vampire hunters set in present day Granada (Spain). In this game, you'll be part of a dramatic episode in the eternal struggle between the Silver Daggers (a brotherhood of vampire hunters, rumoured to be on the origin of the well known hashashins) and the cursed ones, nowadays known as vampires.
***
Rules:
I. Basic mafia rules
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
There are two sides in this game, each with their own goal.
Basic mafia rules apply. For those new to mafia, I'll repeat them here, for your convenience:
The daggers are the "townies" in this game.
The "townies" are the innocent people and they have to lynch the mafiosi (in this game: the Ancient Vampire and his slaves) during the day. The mafiosi have to kill a set number of townies each night. When all mafiosi are lynched, the town wins. When all townies are dead, the mafia wins.
Each day or night phase will last approximately 24 hours. This may be extended or shortened due to real life circumstances of the host (that's me).
The townies have to decide during the day by voting who will get lynched. The person with the most votes, will be lynched.
Votes have to be made like this:
Vote : Andres
When you want to switch your vote, you have to do it like this:
Unvote : Andres ; Vote : TosaInu
Please remember to BOLD YOUR VOTES! UNBOLDED VOTES WILL NOT BE COUNTED! No exceptions will be made. Also, REMEMBER TO UNVOTE BEFORE SWITCHING YOUR VOTE; if you forget to unvote, your vote switch will be ignored.
Notes:
* In this game, voting "No Lynch" will be counted as an abstain vote.
* When a tie is reached at the end of the day, the naib (more on this role later) will decide to either a) lynch nobody; b) lynch one of those in the tie.
* regardless of your role, you are supposed to be active in the thread. Severe inactivity (no strict rule, but you can take not posting during 3 or 4 days as a basic rule) will be dealt with by WoG ("Wrath of God") which basically means that you'll be written out of the game by the host.
* breaking of any rule will also be dealt with by WoG and a handicap for your team.
II. Roles
Naib
The game will start with a day phase in which you cannot vote to lynch. During this first day, however, you'll have to elect the Naib.
The Naib will be your chosen leader. As long as he remains Naib, he'll have the following powers:
a) The Naib will direct the lynching effort. He will pm me how the lynch will happen (only requirement is that it needs to fit into the theme of the game (so no sharks with frickin' lasers), apart from that, anything goes) and he will also carry out the lynch (or order some other players to do the actual execution). In the event of a tie vote, the Naib will have to be pm me a) wich one (and only one) of the players tied for the most votes will be executed OR, if that is his choice, b) that nobody will be executed.
b) The Naib cannot be lynched.
c) The Naib cannot be night killed .
d) Each night, the Naib has to pm me the name of one player and his/her orders for the night. The Naib will inject this player with a secret serum and he/she will carry out one of the following orders given by the Naib: a) protect one player; b) kill one player. The kill order can only be given twice during the entire game. Note: if Naib 1 gives two kill orders and is replaced later on in the game, then the new Naib will no longer be able to give a kill order. The player injected with the serum will not know that he has been chosen. However, the injection will not prevent him from doing other night actions (e.g. if one of the slaves of the Ancient (see further about these roles) gets injected, then this will not prevent him from carrying out his other night action first). The Naib is not allowed to reveal the information about his night orders in private. Revealing this information has to be done in public.
e) The Naib will keep his function for the next 3 lynchings after his election. At the end of his mandate, new Naib elections will be held. So, Naib 1, elected day 1, will direct lynchings on day 2, 3 and 4; on day 4 there's a new election; Naib 2 (can be the same player as Naib 1) is elected on day 4, will direct lynchings on day 5, 6 and 7. As for his night abilities: Naib 1 elected at day 1, will give night orders for N1, 2, 3; Naib 2 elected at day 4, will give night orders N4, 5, 6 (so he starts giving night orders the night immediately after his election).
f) The Naib cannot vote.
g) The Naib is elected in the thread by an election. This has to happen into the following format:
Elect : Andres.
If you change your mind, you have to unelect first and then elect another player:
Unelect: Andres; Elect: TosaInu
These votes have also to be bolded. Unbolded will not count. If you forget to unelect, you're new election will not count.
The Ancient Vampire
Rumoured to be the first one receiving the curse in 4000 BC and to be imprisoned in the Sahara desert by Nikolaos and Alim, two of the so called Elder, at 1100 AD.
Before his imprisonement, The Ancient was the leader of all Vampires. After his removal of power, Alim and Nikolaos ruled the vampire society, until the dead of Alim, after which an era of Chaos started, which lasted until today. It is rumoured that "the Ancient" has taken control over the society of the cursed ones.
"The Ancient" is the equivalent of the "Godfather" (see: The Godfather I, II and III; a nod to Silver Rusher and GeneralHankerchief :bow:).
At the start of the game, instead of selecting the mafia at random, I will select the Ancient Vampire (who is nameless to you, but he'll receive a nice role pm and his secret name), whose job is to PM me with the names of two other players. They will become his slaves. As long as his slaves are alive, the Ancient will not kill.
Each slave will be capable of killing one townie. When both slaves are dead (and only then), the "Ancient" will be able to kill one townie a night.
Once the slaves have been selected, day 1 with the election of the Naib will start.
The "Ancient" may or may not have other night actions or secret powers.
(one and only one) Secret Role
It's secret...
III. Specific rules.
* The dead are allowed to talk in public and in private.
* The Naib is not allowed to do a post mortem reveal of night actions.
* The most important rule of all:
Have Fun!
IV. Special announcement.
My "career" as a mafia player started somewhere at the beginning of 2007, with Capo I, a game I joined somewhere midgame due to special circumstances :laugh4:
Ever since, the Gameroom has been my most favourite part of the .Org and I have many good memories about this place. Most people I would call friends here at the .Org, I got to know in this Gameroom.
Very much to my surprise, I was asked to moderate the Gameroom in August 2007. I accepted the request. It was an honour and a priviledge to moderate this place, but above all, it was a pleasure and a very fun experience.
Now, before y'all start thinking that I'm getting old and senile with all this rambling about the past, there is something I want to make public here at the .Org and allthough the Frontroom is the most appropriate place to do this, he Gameroom has always had a special place in my heart, so I'm doing it here.
Daggers in the Night will probably be the last large mafia game I'll host at the .Org for a (very) long while.
There's no need to worry, as the reason for this is a wonderful one. If all goes well (and keep your fingers crossed for me), I'll become a father at the end of September or the first days of Oktober. This will be the start of a wonderful and exciting new life, but also a period with not much .Org time for me and certainly not enough time to host a large mafia game. I'll still be around and posting, but my activity will inevitably drop.
Consider "Daggers in the Night" my tribute to the Gameroom and my goodbye (note: not farewell) to one of the finest and greatest places of the entire internet!
Reserve/replacements:
Death is yonder
Choxorn
civplayah
Thermal Mercury
ACIN
DiamondEyes
03-08-2010, 20:44
Subotan
Re: Daggers in the Night
Desert Vampire Mafia? Coooool.
03-09-2010, 12:03
Beefy187
Re: Daggers in the Night
Andres is hosting. Its bound to be excellent.
03-09-2010, 19:20
Methos
Re: Daggers in the Night
This definitely sounds interesting.
03-10-2010, 22:16
Andres
Re: Daggers in the Night
Updated the story.
Keep checking this thread for more updates.
04-11-2010, 21:31
Andres
Re: Daggers in the Night
Updated.
Rules are completed and game is ready to go.
04-12-2010, 02:26
Askthepizzaguy
Re: Daggers in the Night
I will be in, and it is my great hope that I could snare you for one of my upcoming games before you disappear for a while, Andres. :cry:
04-12-2010, 02:52
Sasaki Kojiro
Re: Daggers in the Night
Sounds awesome, I love the godfather format and like the sound of the twist.
04-12-2010, 14:16
Renata
Re: Daggers in the Night
Congratulations, Andres. :)
04-12-2010, 18:56
GeneralHankerchief
Re: Daggers in the Night
Ooh ooh, I wanna be in Andres's signature too!
In all seriousness though, it sounds awesome, and I fully expect you to go out with a bang, my friend. :bow:
04-12-2010, 18:56
Methos
Re: Daggers in the Night
I'm in.
04-12-2010, 22:17
Secura
Re: Daggers in the Night
Great mafia player, as a good a host? I'll have to be in to find out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Askthepizzaguy
before you disappear for a while, Andres. :cry:
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeneralHankerchief
I fully expect you to go out with a bang, my friend. :bow:
What's happening to Andres? :<
04-12-2010, 22:30
Andres
Re: Daggers in the Night
Quote:
Originally Posted by Secura
What's happening to Andres? :<
Somebody didn't read the entire OP :wink:
Good to see your account is fixed :2thumbsup:
04-12-2010, 23:13
Diana Abnoba
Re: Daggers in the Night
I'm in!! I have to Andres, you were one of my partners in my first game here, so I have to play in your last hosted game here (at least for a while). :bow:
That is great news, congrats to you, you will make a great Father! :baby: ~:cheers: I am so happy for you!! ~:grouphug: :kiss:
04-12-2010, 23:53
Secura
Re: Daggers in the Night
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andres
Somebody didn't read the entire OP :wink:
Well, I read the story, which I loved, but I skipped onwards after that, thought I'd digest the rules closer to the game being open for signups.
Having read the end though, congratulations on impending parenthood; I'm sure the baby's demonic contact lenses and charcoal robes are set aside for the big day, right?
Quote:
Good to see your account is fixed :2thumbsup:
Thank you! It was a simple activation problem! :laugh4:
04-13-2010, 01:36
Beskar
Re: Daggers in the Night
I wish I could have Andres' babies - Beskar
04-13-2010, 01:39
Askthepizzaguy
Re: Daggers in the Night
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beskar
I wish I could have Andres' babies - Beskar
Here, this is the lunch I ate today. You can have it.
04-13-2010, 09:13
Diana Abnoba
Re: Daggers in the Night
Really...okay...strange...
04-14-2010, 03:22
atheotes
Re: Daggers in the Night
Congratulations Andres! ~:cheers:
My first mafia game was 'Swords in the moon' hosted by you and have been playing since... i will be sure not to miss this game.
If you are considering pre-signups consider me IN.
04-14-2010, 10:34
johnhughthom
Re: Daggers in the Night
I wish I could think of something cool to say to get in Andres' sig.
04-14-2010, 10:37
Andres
Re: Daggers in the Night
A one liner in which you worship the game and/or the host will probably do :grin:
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnhughthom
I wish I could think of something cool to say to get in Andres' sig.
I'll put this in my sig for eternity after the game has ended :laugh4:
04-14-2010, 10:41
johnhughthom
Re: Daggers in the Night
Gah, I was trying to be clever there, hoping you'd put that in.
Ok, here goes.
This will be the greatest game since Jesus beat Mohammed at hopscotch.
04-14-2010, 21:29
TheFlax
Re: Daggers in the Night
Andres brought me to the Gameroom with his excellent Scourge of Ephesus, I wouldn't miss this for the world.
04-15-2010, 00:13
Thermal
Re: Daggers in the Night
I am to lowly to comment on such an epic game, it would be an insult for any mortal to even attempt it.
04-21-2010, 22:10
Csargo
Re: Daggers in the Night
If I say good things about this game, will I get in your sig?
04-21-2010, 22:35
Andres
Re: Daggers in the Night
Quote:
Originally Posted by Csargo
If I say good things about this game, will I get in your sig?
I have the maximum lines in my signature, but if you're comment is nicer than Sasaki's... :wink:
04-22-2010, 01:11
Csargo
Re: Daggers in the Night
I can already hear the pitter-patter of little mafia feet ~;) This will be the bestest, greatest, most awesomest game in the history of awesomest, bestest, greatest games OF ALL TIME. Sounds like it will be awesome.
04-22-2010, 01:24
Sasaki Kojiro
Re: Daggers in the Night
I agree with Csargo. Although in addition to saying that this game sounds like it will be awesome and will be the bestest, greatest, most awesomest game in the history of awesomest, bestest, greatest games OF ALL TIME, I would like to say that Andres is also awesome.