Rubicon [Concluded]

[Jolt]

I would like to point this out as well.



It's entirely possible that they were townies who considered navarro to be a better lynch. Ichigo implies as much.

Indeed, it appears as much that Cato and Cicero have their own townie network, of which Ichigo appears to be the "Public Relations". As to why they don't reveal themselves, who knows? My bet would be fear of the Mafia.

[TinCow]

Night IV is over. This write-up is... complex. Please be patient, it may take a while.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Good, does that mean I got one of them?

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

I have this deep feeling in my gut I am dead..... not sure how to explain it

[Askthepizzaguy]

I have this deep feeling in my gut I am dead..... not sure how to explain it

Maybe it's because I killed you? I used my Brutus powers to betray you and stab you with a knife? Yes, yes, relish the sweet pain...

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

Maybe it's because I killed you? I used my Brutus powers to betray you and stab you with a knife? Yes, yes, relish the sweet pain...

a confession? naahhh, . but I really do have this feeling, its weird.....
though I may just be really hungry..... I haven't eaten in awhile..... Think I am going to go get a sandwich

[Askthepizzaguy]

Don't worry, with this much WIFOM Andres and Sasaki will both have me nailed to the cross very soon, no matter which faction they are in.

Hi fellas!

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

what do you know I was just hungry..... I feel stupid now....

[TinCow]

“There is always more spirit in attack than in defense.”
- Titus Livius

The crowd of men walked in a dispersed pattern through the back streets of Rome. There were too many of them to risk being seen as a group. Even in dangerous times like these, a mob of men of this size would attract attention if seen wandering the streets in the middle of the night. Instead, they remained separated into four separate groups, paralleling each other along the darkened alleys of the city. A few men were farther ahead, keeping an eye on their quarry as the target moved through the city. More than one of the men wondered why the target was out so late, but the thought of their own task kept them from voicing the ironic question. The target had to reach their destination at some point, and when that happened, they would strike.

…

GeneralHankerchief was no fool. During the accusations of the previous day, he had unwittingly been caught in the crossfire. Arguments between friends were rarely beneficial in good times; in times of crisis, they could be disastrous. GeneralHankerchief knew that the day’s disputes had made him a target, and so he had prepared well.

Immediately after the Senate adjourned, he went directly home, keeping a watchful eye on the streets as he passed by. Once there, he ordered all of his guards to be put on duty and for all doors and windows to be locked and barred. Any servant whose loyalty was even remotely in doubt was dismissed from duties for the night, and the rest were armed with pugii. GeneralHankerchief himself moved a sleeping mat into a storage room in the center of his villa, the most secure location in the house, and had one of his many guards remain with him at all times. As a final precaution, he kept a blade of his own within arm’s reach at all times.

A few hours into his slumber, GeneralHankerchief was nudged awake by the guard who was watching over him. The man put a finger over his lips, and another to his ear, indicating that his master should keep quiet and listen. He did so, and through the walls he heard the sound of running footsteps. Both men drew their weapons, looking intensely at the only door to the room. There was a pause, then a knock followed by the voice of a loyal servant.

“Sir, there is a… guest… at the main gate.”

GeneralHankerchief could barely contain himself. He had been disturbed on a night like this because of a guest?! “I ordered that NO ONE be permitted entry to this villa tonight,” GeneralHankerchief screamed, “what part of that order was unclear?”

A few moments passed, but the steps did not go away. “I… I know, sir,” the servant stammered, “but… but it is a most unusual guest. I… I do not think you would be pleased if we turned her away before informing you of her presence.”

Her? Well, that was indeed a different situation. He had heard rumors that the exotic woman was in the city, but no one had talked of her visits openly. There was no way he would pass up the opportunity to see her for himself and find out what was really going on. After all, what harm could a single woman cause in a villa as heavily guarded as his?

…

The laughter was unsettling. The Republic was in crisis, the city under siege by assassins, and the Senate was now regularly proscripting the most prominent men in Rome. No one should be laughing at a time like this, especially not in the manner coming from the villa before them. The men looked at each other warily, wondering what their masters had gotten them into, but orders were orders. They had a mission, and they would attempt to carry it out no matter how strange it was.

They knocked on the gate for several minutes before a small hatch was opened and an angry face appeared inside. “The master is not receiving any guests, go away!”

The men gulped, but they were not easily deterred. “Please, sir, we must deliver a message to Chaotix! You must admit us, it is a matter of life and death!”

The angry face squinted at them for a moment, then disappeared. A few moments later, it returned. “You will be admitted, but only after you are searched for weapons.”

The men exchanged pained looks and then one responded, “That is fine, good sir, we are unarmed anyway.” And with that, the portal opened and the light and laughter poured over them. There were guards everywhere, and they were searched one at a time, very thoroughly, until the guards were satisfied that they were indeed unarmed. With that, they were shown into the main courtyard.

Glasses of wine, speckled eggs, sweetmeats, and other fine delicacies were scattered everywhere. It looked like a massive party had been underway for hours, but there were only two people in the room. Chaotix look over at them and smiled, “Ah, the men who are here for me. Welcome! Would you care for a drink.” Chaotix laughed pleasantly and took a sip from a wine goblet.

For several seconds, none of the men spoke. Eventually, one drummed up the confidence to say what they had come to say. “Apologies, but we must inform you that you life is in terrible danger! Men are coming to kill you tonight, you must flee!”

Chaotix laughed and smiled. “Well, it was brave of you to inform me of this. Surely men as brave as you would be willing to defend someone as helpless as me?”

In answer, several faces flushed simultaneously. “We… uh… that was indeed our intention. However…” one man trailed off. Another picked up where his partner was unable, “However, another group of men was supposed to meet us. They… they failed to arrive.” He shrugged, “those men had all the weapons.”

Chaotix raised an eyebrow at this news. “Well, then thank you for at least warning me. You might as well run along home. As you can see,” Chaotix gestured towards the guards at the main gate, “I am perfectly safe here.”

With sidelong looks at the scene before them, the men turned and headed back out into the night. As they passed through the gate, they heard it slam shut behind them. There was the sound of a heavy bar being lowered and a few guards snickering, then the sounds of Rome at night overtook the men and they disappeared back into the city.

…

“Sir, there are armed men outside the main gate!” The servant was wide-eyed and sweating when he finally reached GeneralHankerchief. The increased commotion from the main gate had been growing for some time, but he had tried to ignore it. Despite all his suspicions and all his precautions, after the woman arrived he had truly begun to believe this would be a pleasant evening. She was not beautiful, per se, but there was something incredibly charming and sexy about her. She was not shy, that was for sure. GeneralHankerchief was still (relatively) sober, but it was apparent he would not remain that way for much longer. He kept making a mental note to pace himself, lest the ability fade, even while the desire grew.

A loud shout broke his increasingly inebriated thoughts; something really was going on at the main gate. He looked at the servant. “WELL? In the name of Juno, what is it man?!”

The servant swallowed, “They stand in the night with torches blazing, not attempting to hide from us. They have been there for some minutes now, and have not uttered a single word, even though we’ve asked their business several times and ordered them to disperse.” His eyes strayed over to the woman before springing back to look at GeneralHankerchief. “They are all holding gladii, sir.”

GeneralHankerchief looked over at the woman for a moment, and heaved a heavy sigh. He put down his wine goblet and stood, strapping on the blade that he had wisely kept nearby, even after she had arrived. “Tell the men to stay on guard, do not leave the villa, and do not unlock any door or window. No one is to enter this house until sunrise, no matter who it is!” The servant spun on his heels and ran off to report to the rest of the guards holding the front gate.

GeneralHankerchief turned and looked at his guest. “I apologize, but this is not a matter I can ignore, even for one such as you. Please,” he gestured to a servant at the back of the courtyard, “he will show you to the side door, you may leave from there. It is no longer safe for you here.”

…

Chaotix was in the back of the villa, near the culina, when the pounding started. At first, it sounded like a slave pounding out grain, but the sound of splintering wood quickly told the difference. A servant bolted out into the hallway, wide-eyed, and shouted at Chaotix. “Run! They’re breaking in! They’re breaking in!” The man fled, making a tremendous racket in the process.

Chaotix looked around frantically. Where were all the guards? Why weren’t any back here? The culina door shattered into splinters, making the question moot. A large group of men began to pour into the villa. There were too many to count, but every man was holding a pugio. Heads swiveled quickly to look at Chaotix, and then four separate voices cried out, “There! Attack!”

There was nowhere to run. In his haste, the fleeing servant had knocked over a table that now blocked the doorway back to the rest of the villa. Chaotix could easily climb over it, but not before being pierced by several daggers. The men had just turned, sensing the easy kill, when a few voices in the rear were raised in alarm. A flailing body flew through the door, colliding with several of the men inside. They fell on top of each other in a wailing tangle.

The body was followed by a large group of muscled men wielding fierce weapons. The first few engaged the closest men, while several other broke off and started to push their way towards Chaotix. One man, clearly the leader, gestured frantically. “Over here! Quickly! We cannot hold them for long!” Chaotix did not hesitate. Regardless of the intentions of these new men, they couldn’t possibly be worse than death. Chaotix ran forward, reaching the safety of the nearest muscled man just as the pugio-wielders closed in behind. The men surrounded Chaotix and began retreating back out the culina door, the first few moving backwards, fending off the attackers as they went.

The cool night air swept over Chaotix as the exodus from the villa continued. The rearguard did a magnificent job of delaying the attackers inside the villa, and soon the sounds of battle faded behind them. Chaotix was shaken, but still drew breath. In the end, that was enough.

…

They had locked themselves inside the secured storeroom, comfortable letting the guards deal with the men at the main gate. GeneralHankerchief was irked, but not incredibly worried. He was in a secure, heavily guarded villa, locked in the most secure room, and he had an armed guard at his side. Together, they sat in silence, listening to the cries of battle coming from outside.

Suddenly, the guard slapped his hand to his eye and began to rub furiously. The man’s tunic was spattered with dust. GeneralHankerchief looked up and saw a trail of fine debris falling from the ceiling. He opened his mouth to give a warning, but there was no need. The sound of breaking roofing tiles was loud enough for all to hear. The guard was still struggling to regain his vision when several men jumped through the holes, each of them clutching a gladius. The first one down drove his deep into the guard’s neck, nearly severing his head. The others moved on GeneralHankerchief.

An increase in noise from outside the room told GeneralHankerchief that the front was now being assaulted as well. His guards were distracted, they would not reach him in time. He swung his blade at the nearest foes and cursed them all as loud as he could, but there were too many men, and they were between him and the door. There was no escape. GeneralHankerchief screamed a curse and the men and charged. He died fighting.

…

The sounds of the night’s violence had pervaded throughout the city, and by morning all of Rome knew of what had occurred. As the Senators moved through the city to the Curia, they found businesses closed and doors shut. The populous had clearly decided that Rome was no longer safe, even in the day. The Senators glanced warily at one another, whispering in groups in corners, well away from one another. No one even bothered looking at the empty seat in the Populares section, they knew what had happened before they even arrived. As they had come to expect, two notes were nailed to the Curia doors.

Hello my good friends, if you have not noticed I am in a good mood! A Populare senator Lynched and A Praetor killed in one day! I could have asked for more. so I have to send my thanks to Sasaki Kojiro and AggonyDuck, I couldn’t have done it without you! but now for something completely different, I am not so angry you all have failed to follow my orders, like I said I am in a good mood, so I think I wont have to kill all of you yet. This is good news, again! You all seem to assume the role switchers are my men, and that makes me feel hurt, what have I said: you may all be wondering why we switched the votes off of pevergreen. well keep wondering, that was not me or my men I don't like Repeating myself! Look elsewhere my friends. You all probably wonder what demands I am going to make today, well stop being so pushy we are getting there. I am not so stupid as to think I can get any of you to defect this early in the game so let me put it like this, I want you to keep doing what your doing. Which means lynching Populares, Caesar is still out there, and I want him dead! Come now all of you, you must have investigated people early in the games, and I am sure some of them came out as Populares, well don't just sit back with that information! You should all know each other’s faction. Its only fair right? You should probably stop listening to Caeser, I must say it was quite hilarious watching today's session! Let me let you in on a little secret, Tyrant to senator, we do not have some super special awesome investigation skill to find someone’s guilt, all we have are you little rich senators skill, though it’s not a one trick pony. So just have fun everyone, ohh and Ignoramus I am so wounded you would ever even think of betraying us, your on thin ice mister, so you might want to be careful.

Ignoramus
Askthepizzaguy
woad&fangs
Caius
Chaotix

Cheers, have fun.

and please "Stop quoting laws, we carry weapons!”

Senator Caecillius Metellus Scipio could have been sentenced to a year in jail after allegedly punching another Senator in the face during a bar fight if it weren't for his friend and son-in-law, Pompey the Great.

The Senator is said to have charged at a fellow drinker following a dispute about the famous Flora at the "Gladius Tavern", in Rome, last week.

Scipio is believed to have hit a man known as "Ichigo" in the face after he reportedly insulted Scipio (also known as "AggonyDuck" according to our contacts in the Roman nightlife scene) by calling him "Scipio with the little willy".

The man known as Ichigo told us: "Little Willy got offended by that, and he started pushing my other friends around. He lost control when another patron added that Flora had spread the rumour."

The bartender added: "It was a verbal argument that escalated to pushing and shoving and then a bar brawl."

Senator Scipio could have been sentenced to up to a year if it weren't for the influence of the corrupt Pompey the Great.

Alive (28):
Beefy187
Andres
Greyblades
LittleGrizzly
Sasaki Kojiro
everyone
johnhughthom
AggonyDuck
Shinseikhaan
spL1tp3r50naL1ty
Chaotix
Khazaar
Ichigo
Jolt
Cultured Drizzt fan
Gaius Scribonius Curio
Marshal Murat
Iskander 3.1
Captain Blackadder
atheotes
Tratorix
YLC
woad&fangs
Askthepizzaguy
Ignoramus
TheFlax
Cronos Impera
Caius

Killed (7):
White_eyes:D
mini
Beskar
Yaropolk
pevergreen
Glenn
GeneralHankerchief

Proscripted (2):
navarro951
Tiberius of the Drake

WoG/Suicide (0):

It is now Day IV. You may begin voting. This day phase will end on Thursday, May 21st at 10:00pm EST.

[seireikhaan]

I'm bored to tears, and they keep prolonging it?

Vote: Navarro

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Hmm

Vote:Chaotix

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

Out of interest has anybody had a serious look at the 'messages' sent by Pompeius and Caesar? Does anybody have any current theory about the origination of this propanganda? I would suggest perhaps that these documents may have been altered prior to our viewing of them (the bolding).

I've no strong opinions as of yet, but I would suggest that Nero's revelation has Pompeius worried.

[Chaotix]

Hmm

Vote:Chaotix

I can't imagine why.

First you try to kill me, and now, failing at that, you want to get me lynched instead. Well, that doesn't sound particularly scummy at all. But the oddest part is that I don't think you are mafia; but merely misguided.

Vote: Andres, for the general scumminess he seemed to show yesterday.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

hmm, it seems one of the mafia groups used a girl to get around the protection GH had. Or perhaps both groups attacked him, because there is only one mafia kill for tonight.

The questions I have are:

Why was chaotix out at night?

More than one of the men wondered why the target was out so late, but the thought of their own task kept them from voicing the ironic question. The target had to reach their destination at some point, and when that happened, they would strike.

And who saved him?

The body was followed by a large group of muscled men wielding fierce weapons. The first few engaged the closest men, while several other broke off and started to push their way towards Chaotix. One man, clearly the leader, gestured frantically. “Over here! Quickly! We cannot hold them for long!”

Something fishy for sure...

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I can't imagine why.

First you try to kill me, and now, failing at that, you want to get me lynched instead. Well, that doesn't sound particularly scummy at all. But the oddest part is that I don't think you are mafia; but merely misguided.

I am not mafia, however you could say that I am not town, either. My only goal is really to survive- I don't have to kill anyone, I just have to make sure that I'm living by the end of the game.

I don't think there's a real reason for me to send you my role pm- I would prefer not to do it at all during the game, actually. That's a last resort for me if I come under suspicion. You aren't yet cleared of being mafia, and I'm not going to place my life in someone's control like that.

[Askthepizzaguy]

My vote is up for grabs. Convince me to vote for someone.

[Splitpersonality]

Hmm.. interesting turn of events last night.

Vote: Abstain for now.

[Chaotix]

Why would I bother, Sasaki, to reveal to you like that, if I was working with the mafia?

It may not have been a particularly intelligent idea in the first place, but am I really stupid enough as a mafia to just tell someone that I am and believe he won't vote me for it?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

"Special Roles (Number Secret): Names Secret - Abilities Secret - Victory Conditions Secret"

No role pm = guilty as far as I know

[Chaotix]

If I ever revealed my role pm, the town, not the mafia, would be greatly hindered in its efforts by it.

I am not a mafia role, and I'm not out to kill you all. I haven't even tried, and if I did, it would have to be with a vigilante group like anyone else. If I start killing people, it will probably be obvious enough that you'll realize it right away. Then you can kill me for it. Right now, I'm only working to help the town.

[Askthepizzaguy]

That must be one heck of a role PM.

vote: Chaotix

It's so awesome, that if we look directly into it, we will die or turn into a pillar of salt. I've never been damaged by a role PM before.

[Chaotix]

No, actually, the reason I won't show you my role pm is for the same reason that Sasaki didn't quote the whole pm that I sent him.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

No, actually, the reason I won't show you my role pm is for the same reason that Sasaki didn't quote the whole pm that I sent him.

Your role pm is irrelevant?

[woad&fangs]

vote: sasaki

He appears to have way too many behind the scenes contacts in a game where it is easy for him to switch to an anti-town alignment. Sorry mate, but your reputation precedes you

[Chaotix]

Your role pm is irrelevant?

No, it contains information that would inadvertantly hurt the town, much like the rest of that pm.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

There isn't anything in those pm's that could hurt the town. Not that I can see.

[ULC]

Vote: Andres

[Sasaki Kojiro]

One of the people voting andres should look back at the bit where he "accidentally" revealed GH...I never saw it myself. or was it duck?

[ULC]

One of the people voting andres should look back at the bit where he "accidentally" revealed GH...I never saw it myself. or was it duck?

Actually, it was both of them that did it, so I'd be happy with either getting a nail in the coffin.

I want Andres though, he's a Vet, so it would be like him to be that devious, and after saying investigations were useless, he went and did them anyway.

[Chaotix]

Both are vets, if I recall correctly. I think AggonyDuck played a loooooooooong time ago and has only recently returned.

And, I know this is an all-too-convenient place for me to dissappear, but I've got stuff to do tomorrow and have to sleep. It's 12 AM where I am. I will be back tomorrow.