The Syndicate

That's actually a really nice theory, Rahab. You forgot the last part where the baddies use that nice theory to "scapegoat" me as a baddie when the time comes.

Either you are Judas, or this game is already lost to the Civs. That's all I've got. And I don't think Lot and Bathsheba are bad, just because they are really putting in the effort to find different connections here... it would be all too easy for a baddie to sit back and let Rahab or Pilate get lynched. So it has to be you.

This early quote on Bathsheba can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Bathsheba, do you put any stock into this early suspicion given all you know now?

Bathsheba wrote:I kinda find Lot a little strange. He seemed to be defending Uzziah a bit and then ended up voting for him. It's like he was doing a little "conflicted defense" of him when he was getting considered and when Cain went ahead by some distance he threw a vote on Uzziah anyway. I could honestly see the two being teammates and that being a distancing move. However, I'm a little unsure I actually suspect Uzziah otherwise so I'm not sure I'll put a lot of stock in it yet.

linki: And Jephthah is right. I am a little wary of Cain lurking down there.

.... and now I realize that this Bathsheba isn't the same one that made these comments. Anyways, I got halfway through Bathsheba's posts and then I got too sleepy to continue. I don't think she looks like the baddie. I believe now that there is only one baddie left, because if there were two then things would be going differently in the thread right now.

I don't think I'll get much more analysis done before the lynch is up. Tomorrow is busy for me, get up, take the kids to my mom's, go to work, then pretty much from there to another job. I am seriously not the baddie, I'm not Judas, I'm a Civ role, and I swear on my life that that's the truth. I don't think this vote will be swayed to Lot or Bathsheba at this point, so if one of you are Judas, then congratulations. Make me your last kill.

Otherwise.... I'm voting Rahab now, and I believe you will do the same. Lot, your Esther-based analysis is pretty good... moreso for her Rahab stuff than the stuff about me, although the Pilate stuff is accurate - she was the one who was after me the most along the way. Much like I was after Uzziah in my own crappy way for a longer period of time. If I were bad, then it would be a big double-bussing that was planned for a while. Not too bad, but also not what happened. I would have probably tried to do better in the thread if I were part of a baddie plan of that length. Anyways, I'm rambling now, time for bed.

Deborah wrote:Why did Pilate and Lazarus just make identical posts? ??? WTF?

LOL, I forgot about this one. It was awesome, I hope Lazarus is reading this and remembering as well. I'll tell you now what happened there, not that it's relevant to the lynch. Lazarus accidentally posted as his non-sock self (sorry to have you gone, knowing who you were, Laz), and I saw... I copied it and posted it as it was being removed, and then he posted it again as Lazarus, not realizing I had gotten in there first. What fun!!

Here is where I started it, and he posts the same post soon after. His reactions to it happening are truly hilarious.

Lazarus wrote:

Deborah wrote:

Lazarus wrote:I think Pilate read my mind.

Had you meant to reply to his post?

Yeah

"Yeah", he says, knowing that it was his post originally and I totally stole it, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Anyways, I can't believe how small the poll is today. Four of us, and if Rahab isn't Judas then I guess we've lost the game. RIP Samuel.

I don't know what I can say that will convince you guys that I'm a Civ, I feel like your excellent research has said a lot toward that conclusion. Deborah does indeed swing around from mistrust to trust about me, but it must be just that she knew I wasn't bad and wanted to get cred for it? I don't know. It isn't a smoking gun, and I'm not bad.

And if Lot is Judas, then I'll be sad to lose, but happy to have been right... and if Bathsheba is Judas, then I got nothing and she really played it right.

I'd really like to hear form Rahab though.

That's a relief, great job on the Esther lynch!

I don't know if we need to kill Judas in order to win, but I'm not him. If tomorrow's lynch is between Rahab and me, then it's no secret who I'll be voting for. Let's hope everyone has their top game on tomorrow - even you, Rahab, I hope you will post eloquently and concisely in the face of possible doom.

I'm just trying to get a Civvie win here, Esther, the bast I can. I decided to believe the majority when they say Lot is Civ, despite my own gut reads.

Esther wrote:

Pilate wrote:You can count on me to vote for Rahab or Esther. I won't choose now, but I will not split the vote between those two when I do vote... just mentioning it so that someone else can be confident in casting the first vote.

This is shit. You just don't want to look bad if the person you vote for is civ. So, you are going to vote late and bandwagon.

This has nothing to do with whether or not I look bad. It's about ensuring that we don't split the vote and let the possible two baddies control it.

Oh, I thought from reading the thread that I'd see votes there already. Turns out I AM the first vote after all.

I will now vote for Esther.

That's a nice case, Rahab, but the first part just feels to me like baddie-style talk. Calling Lot a flip-flopper just because he's actually thinking and re-thinking as he goes. So, what, we have to all tunnel-vision our suspects? That just caught my eye in your post and pinged me.

You can count on me to vote for Rahab or Esther. I won't choose now, but I will not split the vote between those two when I do vote... just mentioning it so that someone else can be confident in casting the first vote.

Lot wrote:

Pilate wrote:So, Lot has no voting record to analyze. People aren't vouching for him because of a Horseman curse. Has he led the lynch on a lot of baddies?

Pilate I'd ask you, respectfully, that before you continue to go on suspecting me you actually read the thread.

The reason people are vouching for me is mostly, I think, because they know what my role is. Failing that, it's because they've actually been reading the game as it's gone along, something I'd plead with you to do before going back down the lynch lot route once again.

I wasn't going down that route. I just want to make sure people trust you for the right reasons.

So, Lot has no voting record to analyze. People aren't vouching for him because of a Horseman curse. Has he led the lynch on a lot of baddies?

Bathsheba wrote:

Pilate wrote:

Bathsheba wrote:No, I don't believe Lot is Simon. I think you've misunderstood something along the way. Lazarus would likely be dead if Lot was Simon. I don't know that I can say who simon is though. I thought everyone knew. And it's obvious why they vote for each other.

Nope, I don't know who Simon is. I haven't paid much attention to the voting records. Why do they vote for each other? I'm missing the obvious.

I think many of us speculate they are being forced to vote for each other.

I have seen that speculation. How would that happen? A Horseman secret? They have to vote each other... forever??

So Malchus was Modkilled for nonparticipation then, and used Phinehas' spear to both kill him and reveal to us that Rachel was Phinehas?

Esther wrote:Wow. I am shocked. And I agree, I wish Rebecca would have cared enough to at least defend herself. What a wasted lynch. I'm most likely to vote Pilate next, but I am sure that goes without saying.

I care enough to defend myself.

So, Rebecca was Phinehas, right? With the spear? I thought that's what the spear was referencing, but wouldn't that have prevented her death?

Bathsheba wrote:No, I don't believe Lot is Simon. I think you've misunderstood something along the way. Lazarus would likely be dead if Lot was Simon. I don't know that I can say who simon is though. I thought everyone knew. And it's obvious why they vote for each other.

Nope, I don't know who Simon is. I haven't paid much attention to the voting records. Why do they vote for each other? I'm missing the obvious.

Lot wrote:I'm not vouching for stephen out of any knowledge. Just look at his vote record.

What about my vote record? Why do you put so much faith in his and not mine?

Bathsheba wrote:And if I've misunderstood it I need to understand it. I thought it was due to some votes.

As far as I understood, it was about me going after and pushing the lynch if Uzziah, who was a Heathen.

Bathsheba wrote:Mostly because Lot vouches for Stephen.

And you believe Lot is Simon the Zealot because of his single-minded voting? And that Stephen is a Disciple that found him, or vice versa?

I'm not Judas. And my being "unimpeachable" was always just a decision you had to make for yourself based on my actions. It didn't have any game-related connotations, it was only about how you felt about me. I wasn't "unimpeachable before but not unimpeachable now", I think you are misunderstanding that whole thing.

Why is it likely that I'm bad? What makes that likely?

I will vote for 24 hours.

Stephen wrote:Wow, WTF. It must be Rahab and Pilate. I can't believe it.

Bathsheba wrote:I hear you Stephen and I agree on everything you just said. (Though I can't vouch for anyone I believe your vouches and agree on Jacob and of course me). I'm ready to stay united on whatever direction we go.

If you lynch me, you'll be lynching a Civilian. If Stephen says I have to be one of them, then perhaps he's one of them, and trying to lead the thread to a baddie victory.

Should I prove that I'm a Civ? I think that might be against the rules, I'll have to look/ask. Either way, you can lynch me tomorrow and then believe me, or you can believe me now. Why do you trust Stephen? Because he's vouching for a couple of Civs? There is no one who can vouch easier for Civs than a baddie.

I will cast my vote for Rebecca as well.

Good job guys... I'm glad this lynch seemingly gives us a some good info about where to go from here. If you lynch me, you'll be lynching a Civ, so I recommend you try out some others on your list first. You really dropped any trust you had that I'm not a Heathen based on my Lot vote. I guess you think that I was after Uzziah and voted for him with my first real case as his teammate... and that the other Heathen I voted for was also my teammate. Belshazzar, was it? I think so. And it was all a plan to initially suspect Absalom, but then to turn around and give him my trust. That's not the case though.

Lot is pretty much right about my lack of reading in-depth. I don't really know why there are several people vouching for him, but I can accept that there are very good reasons for saying so. If nothing else, I hope you're right that my vote created a place for the baddies to try and save Deborah. I hope you believe me, but if you agree with Stephen that I don't deserve to make it to a win in this game, then you can vote me for that, and it will be valid. I started out a little overwhelmed and confused by the socks and the similarity between them, and it has been hard to focus on the broader game as a result. So I've tried to do what I could in tighter gut reads.

I'm not making a "power play", that's really weird to say. I think Lot is bad, apparently that's somehow impossible, because Lot has done things that baddies absolutely cannot do. So I'm less informed than you maybe? I guess we'll see. I laid out why I find him suspicious, and I voted for him. That's how I usually play Mafia. If you would rather I play by jumping on the latest bandwagon, that's fine. That's not how Uzziah got lynched. If Lot wants to claim he just cannot be bad because *evidence*, then I'll say it too. I don't need to say it, clearly it has been said about me a lot before already. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time. But to call my vote a "power play" is ridiculous, either you're a Civvie whose paranoia has gotten the better of you, or you're a baddie who wants to defend Lot or knows he's Civ and wants to look Civ.

Stephen wrote:What a shame. RIP Absalom and Jonah.

This obviously is designed as a way to set up Samuel to look worse, killing his biggest accuser. Terrible idea. I don't buy it. Samuel is not bad.

However, I'm not really sure where to go from here. There are a lot of names which all could be wolves and they've hardly contributed to this game, Deborah, Malchus, Pilate, for example. I'm just not fully into the zone here, but nonetheless I don't believe we can catch a baddie solely on voting records, so I think we need to try to encourage discussion as much as possible today. I know I've been a fail lately on that front myself, but I have been trying to be vocal in my opinions.

Now look at Pilate's post and vote. Is this a power play by the remaining mafia or War or what the sodding hell is going on?

I will say that Esther's posts recently have been pinging me, can we talk about her?

Be back later!

I didn't fully suspect Uzziah based on any voting records. It was just how he acted, the things he said. I saw them as false, something a baddie woud do. That's why I'm voting Lot as well. I don't even know, or care too much about, his voting record. The records for each vote have been colourfully splayed across the thread every page or so, that's well known. Even the Heathens know it. They know it before they vote, and while they are voting. So, instead of voting for game advantage, they can plan their vote as a "what will look the best in the records" vote.

I'm not making a play, I'm just voting my biggest suspicion because I don't want to miss another vote. You don't have to bandwagon Lot based on my gut and my interpretation of his actions, just read what I said and decide for yourself if it is *truth* or if you feel differently. It wouldn't be good baddie behaviour if it were easy to spot.

Oh, and RIP Absalom. I think I'm entitled to say that one. I'm glad you weren't a Heathen, because then I would have been completely bamboozled - happy to have trusted you. In fact, I think I deserve more cred for being right about Absalom. I would like to upgrade my status from "unimpeachable" to "totally invulnerable".

Lot wrote:

Pilate wrote:

Lazarus wrote:Voting LOT

Agreed.

Sorry Isaac.

So, now that we know Isaac is good, you are going to lynch the person who you claimed was HIS baddie teammate...

Also the person doing the examining of potential vote trains to try to save Ruth and Mordecai while lynching Isaac...

What sense do you even think this makes on any planet?

Why are you going after me, Pilate? Because before I thought you were just someone who wasn't reading the thread, but now I'm really wondering what's going on.

I am reading, and I believe I commented before on my suspicion of you. Your posts and your "rationalizations" only make me suspect you more... for instance, you're trying to gain cred by referencing your support of Isaac. It's only the baddies who would know 100% that Isaac was not bad, and you sound like someone who expected credit for being right about him. Like it was your plan to bask in a little more trust because you knew who's a Civvie and who's a baddie.

*voting Lot*

Since you're "really wondering what's going on", that's what's going on. I am voting for you to be lynched.

Lazarus wrote:Voting LOT

Agreed.

Sorry Isaac.

Lot wrote:Well, put it this way. Ruth voted for Isaac 4th yesterday, putting him in a position where there was a genuine chance he would be lynched instead of her. Why would the heathen team risk lynching someone no-one knows is heathen instead of someone we already know is?

Samuel's view on Isaac persuades me more about Samuel's mindset than about Isaac actually being bad.

Ruth would vote that way in order to distance herself from Isaac. The genuine chance he could be lynched is what makes it smart distancing, the risk element makes it that much more convincing.

I think that Isaac and Lot are both bad. I'll vote Isaac this time.

Sorry I missed the vote, I would have voted Ruth.

Does anyone know why the Chapters have restarted? Did we start a new Book?

Absalom wrote:Wow, people in this game sure like to overthink obvious things. I plan to vote for Ruth, because it's madness to assume she's somehow good now when there is no evidence to indicate that.

It is madness. I think Lot is bad for this "let Ruth live" talk.

And "If he's good, I die, if he's bad, I live"??? That's such baddie talk.

RIP, Balaam.

Did Epig have a stroke?

Greetings, Ruth. I trust you will be a quiet little Heathen until we can get you back where you belong?

I would like to request a shortened Day tomorrow. We could lynch Ruth in four hours, no problem. Let's move this along, we don't need 48 hours to do this! That is, if there are no serious objections.

Sorry, Belsh... it's not about Absalom having godly cred, it's about the actual case against you.

It pleases me that I chose the right reads and helped to take down a baddie. Just another notch in my unimpeachable belt.

Absalom's (and Balaam's) reads on Belshazzar are very nice indeed. I feel strongly that he is a teammate of Mordecai and Uzziah, well done gentlemen!

Ninja vote time for Pilate. Sorry. I think that a Mordecai vote will give us some good information right now.

What are "push" and "pivot"?

I think it's not wise to make judgements on Isaac based on what the baddies do. That's giving the baddies all the power to shape what we think. That will usually end up bad, unless you pull some kind of 180 on the expected response.

I'm down with a Mordecai vote today, I've thought he was a little sketchy, and the vote record analysis was convincing enough.

OH, and I love the fact that I'm unimpeachable. Ha ha! Who woulda thunk, ol' Pilate would finally make good! Of course, I did give you guys your first baddie lynch, so I'm not surprised.

If the baddies wanna kill a trusted and confirmed Civ, then I'm a great choice.

Damn. Sorry, Jonathan.

Absalom wrote:Quiet today. I'm getting concerned that fewer and fewer of us are actually discussing things. Does anyone have anything to say? If not, I'm going to vote for Jonathan and hope he dies.

I'm in for a Jonathan vote. *fingers crossed*

Reading today's flurry of activity, I'm most suspicious of Jonathan, followed by Isaac. I'm going to vote Jonathan now just in case I disappear.

Great job guys, maybe Absalom is ok after all!

I know I been having a case of tunnel vision towards Absalom but I really think the guys is bad look at the Cain lynch he lead. If someone is taking heat and lurking and not saying anything there is a good chance they are silenced.

Epignosis is bigger than Jesus!

Absalom was part of Uzziah's scheme, as I laid out before. He is a Heathen teammate. That's how these schemes work. *votes Absalom*

What happened to the night? We lynched Uzziah, and went straight into another lynch?

Uzziah wrote:I find it curious that both Pilate and Absalom vote for me right after I defend them. However Stephen is acting even more sketchy so that's where my vote goes.

Curious indeed.

Go ahead and vote me, Isaac, if you wish. I'm a Civ.

Deborah wrote:@Pilate, I'm still catching up, but can you expand on your vote post? So Uzziah says he thinks you and Absalom are civvie, so you think they are bad for it? That's quite confusing, tbh.

Uzziah has no reason to think I'm Civ. How could anyone "read" me as Civ with the way I've been playing. Hardly here, and when I am here, I say sketchy things.

He knows I'm Civ because he is bad. He's planting seeds so that if I get lynched and flip Civ, he looks good... and if he gets lynched and flips bad, I look bad.

If Uzziah were lynched and flipped bad, the intention is for people to return to this post and read it with the knowledge that he's bad. So then Absalom and I look bad. I'm more likely to be lynched than Absalom, that's my opinion anyway. So then I flip Civ, and Absalom isn't an instant target anymore. Maybe even thought of as Civ for it. Could be a distancing thing between Uzziah and Absalom, both baddies. Maybe not, it's my theory.

And yeah, I forgot to vote in the poll earlier. I saw the 'suaded post, and I was like "damn, I forgot!" and went and completed the vote as I had intended to.

Uzziah wrote:

Balaam wrote:Found this during my re-read:

Uzziah wrote:

[color=#FF00FF]Job[/color] wrote:

Uzziah wrote:I admit I may have been somewjat ambiguous on purpous. I'm just zany and fun like that! The above is the root meaning though, is it not?

So are you going to share any thoughts on anyone besides myself, Paul and Cain or are you going to continue to be unhelpful and further verify that you're bad? I don't believe you used that definition of the word for even a second.

I'd rather have one of you lynched first and go from there.

You got your wish and then some. They're all dead now, so where do you propose we go now? :P

I would suggest we pick a trustworthy leader (I nominate myself) who will randomize between everyone who is not Absalom or Pilate, for it seems to me that those two are being subtly framed by the baddies.

Incidentally I'm still glad that Job is dead, as he was clearly leading us into lynching each other. He may have had a civvie role but in actuality he was no better than Paul.

You're a baddie who is trying to frame me. Absalom is your baddie teammate. You're hedging here for when you turn up bad. Then they lynch me, and I turn up Civ. Then they leave Absalom alone.

*votes Uzziah*

Rachel is right, I've been phoning it in. But I read the last few pages and this is what really caught my eye. Uzziah has no reason at all to think I'm Civ, unless he's bad.

So maybe we can try lynching Rachel tomorrow? She's a baddie, she's worse than lice in your kid's hair.

I was MIA for a bit, and Rachel was my last suspicion. If I miss another vote, then I'll probably take a Participation Score hit, so I'm playing it safe this time because I have let myself down in the past.

Has the suspicion of Rachel been disproven somehow?