The Syndicate

I'm just going to pretend that being night killed instead of lynched is evidence of my eternal greatness and that I would have never, ever been lynched otherwise.

Good game, y'all! Sorry for giving such a shite effort; that's probably going to be my norm for a while. Thanks for hosting, Epi. It was a worthy compilation of 2018 highlights.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:03 pm

Long Con wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:58 am

Quin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:11 am

Quin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 03, 2019 7:29 pm My precious...

i should clarify i'm not actually insanified or anything i just wanted the attention

You mean you got the Ring, right?

Pretty much the only Quin interaction on D1 is this convresation. LC's reason for voting Quin over cBob was "Quin was pleading for his life and invoking GenuQuin, bob was not" which is... both fair and a total wash.

There's a lot of FYI in LC's posts. Some fluff. Again looking at D1, not cursed D2.
D3, LC seems opportunistic. He jumps on Luna for her D1 vote when it was pointed out, which seems like civ hypocrisy, but then he jumps right back off when cBob points out Quin's d2 vote. That undid any goodwill the hypocrisy might have had, like he was just doing what was expected.

It feels like Long Con isn't forging his own path, which he usually does. I haven't seen LC latch onto something that moves the thread, not on his own initiative. Feels blendy, followy. Present, but not a presence.

That's the gut feeling I have. Someone engage with it.

There is some capacity for this to be the sort of opportunistic nudge at LC that I think you are suggesting, Colin. It’s a bit laborious; and particularly that “not forging his own path” paragraph reads rather awkwardly. There is effort in the wording that makes it sound like subtle propaganda

ColinIsCool wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:07 pm Have we discussed why Speed isn’t a bigger suspect for his late-day-DH-lynch stuff toward Long Con when Long Con had extra votes on him?

there has been some dabbling and dipping of the toes. why don’t you give us the cannonball?

sprityo what are you doing in this game that doesn't relate in some way to your behind-the-scenes whatever-it-is

juliets wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:45 pm I liked the letters at first but I had this little doubt that kept gnawing at me that he was better able to hide in the persona than if he were posting normally. Iirc he indicated he did it because it saved time - do I have that right?- because it looks like it would take more time to do than regular posting. And ugh a couple of those letters are in Greek (no fault of his) so I have to translate before I can even re-read them.

The point was not to save time. If y'all will recall, in the sign-up thread for this game I limited myself to no more than 4 posts per phase in this game. I am holding myself to that. WIthin that limitation though I can still have some fun, so I did. I joined these games to help get them off the ground. I have to create my own fun or I would be here even less frequently. I've enjoyed every game I have played less than the one before it for about the last year (no fault of the hosts or other players, I just don't have it these days).

I know people suspect me. I'm in the POE. Based on my bare bones content, I would be in my POE too if I didn't know better. Maybe that's the best evidence that I am a civilian, frankly, because I know as well as anyone how to not be suspected by default.

I just can't be assed anymore. The game is going fine anyway, so I am taking my liberties. I have given my soul to help civilians win so many times. I have none left.

i just don't know about u sbrityo

It's comforting to know that I can be completely useless for the whole game and y'all can make the magic happen without me. I'm proud of you. Also I think Kyle is good. His exploratory self-dialogues of the previous day look nice to me at a glance, in that they represent an authentic trove into a largely unknown thread with impartiality. They fill me with warmth. KYLE.

juliets wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:13 pm

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:04 pm hey gang who trusts speedchuck

Have you seen something that you think makes him suspect? I had him sorted as civ because his vote was compelled but if Luna isn't bad that goes away. I'll re-read his ISO.

I was thinking externally about the thread and I found myself wondering if a civilian Luna is indicative of speedchuck being a bucket of TMI

hey gang who trusts speedchuck

nutella wrote: ↑Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:34 pm

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:31 pm DH was having no fun because his teammate Enrique ghosted his team. Discuss.

hm you quit writing letters just as you were gaining suspicion for bussing dh but ok

also I completely forgot enri was in this game and apparently he still technically is (should he be replaced???) but if you're not bad you might be onto something here

I don’t give a shit about suspicion

People were annoyed by my letters and I wasn’t having as much fun anymore. I’m in shtick-transition. I welcome shtick recommendations.

DH was having no fun because his teammate Enrique ghosted his team. Discuss.

Letters from the front, Phase 3N, Forward Base Delta, Maria #4

Maria,

I did it, Maria. I did it all by myself and nobody helped me. I removed a spy. I hope they give me a medal. Some people keep complaining about my shtick though. Apparently it's my job to entertain other people and be hilarious instead of have my own fun. I'd prefer not to be a nuisance though, so if you have any ideas for a new shtick I am open to them. Otherwise I will cook something up myself. As your favorite organizer Marie Kondo would say, I will do whatever sparks joy.

Your hunk in a bunker,

Jay

Letters from the front, Phase 3D, Forward Base Delta, Johnathan #1

Johnny boy!

One day when you're older you will be able to read this letter, and hopefully it will bring you a little joy. Something I have always told you when I could is that grown-ups... we don't know everything. Sometimes we are just out there winging it in this world, and that some grown-ups are even especially off their rockers. There is a man in my company out on the front who has been taking some criticism lately, and I don't care for the way he has handled that. He has thrown out rather basic theories about the motives of his attackers (particularly a troop codenamed nutella for choice flexibility often associated with her), provided a listing of an entire team of potential spies with little basis other than the volume of his speech -- all while levying empty complaints that he is himself being subject to baseless accusations. There is a falseness about it. There will come a time when you meet a man like DharmaHelper, Johnny. I hope that when that time comes you will think long and hard about how trustworthy a man like that is when behaving that way. I know you will, because you're my son.

Love,

Dad

Letters from the front, Phase 3D, Forward Base Delta, ComHQ #2

ATTN: Command Post

Subject report: Lunalee
- Subject observed criticizing troop S~V~S, argumentation focused upon the latter's suspicion
- Subject asserts S~V~S was riding the coattails of nutella
- Assertion dubious; S~V~S documentation review reveals standalone concerns with Lunalee
- Her suspicion of Lunalee nearly ubiquitous, short of Lunalee's mission claim
- Lunalee's dismissiveness on the matter is cause for internal investigation, per the recommendation of the filing operative

Reporting: SSgt Wimsatt

Letters from the front, Phase 3D, Checkpoint Charlie Six Hotel, Maria #4

Love,

I'm off-base on patrol, and soemtimes this can be a little unnervnig (or worse yet really boring). I can stop for peridoic breaks huddled in the tall garss, and it provides a deecnt opportunity to write you. Sorry if it is a bit jubmled, it is dark and I cannot see clearly. Some of my copmatriost have satrted digging into ninja, and I that is a good thing I think. I haev had concenrs for much of my tmie here that she is giong through the motions with scuh deliberatneess as to seem fasle. Her suspicion and subsequent accetpance of juliest in the begigning was problem for me too. I struggle to see much real invsetment in her commetnary there. It is a motion against her taht I can get beihnd.

I hope eveyrthing at home is going beatuifully, love. Make sure Johnny is getitng his homework finished!

Yours foreevr,

Jay

Letters from the front, Phase 3D, company chief #1

Chief. I’m a mess. I haven’t really slept in days. I can hardly begin to carry out the operation. The people calling for a court marshal of Lunalee seem generally neat so I will follow their lead for now. I really need some liquor.

Respectfully,

SSgt Wimsatt

Letters from the front, Phase 2N, Forward Base Delta, Mom #2

Hey mom,

Goodness it has been hectic here. Command keeps saddling me with all of these menial extra duties, and I missed an important end of the last mission brief. I’m losing track of things, mom. You always said I was scatterbrained. I think “scatter” might be a generous term these days. I hope my compatriots forgive my circumstance, and soon I’ll be able to discuss the things I have missed. Who knew a war zone would be stressful?

I will write again in no time, mom.

- Jay

Γράμματα από μπροστά, Φάση 2D, Δέλτα προς τα εμπρός, Μπαμπά # 1

Γειά σου μπαμπά,

Ξέρω ότι είναι λίγο παράλογο να γράψω αυτό. Δεν θα μπορείτε ποτέ να το διαβάσετε και δεν μπορείτε να καταλάβετε ελληνικά ούτως ή άλλως. Κάπως όμως είναι θεραπευτικό για μένα να το κάνω κάτω από αυτές τις συνθήκες. Εάν βρίσκεστε κάπου "πάνω εκεί" κοιτάζοντας προς τα κάτω σε μένα και την οικογένεια, τότε γνωρίζετε ήδη ότι είμαι σε εχθρικό έδαφος για την πολεμική προσπάθεια. Ήταν μια δύσκολη περίοδος, αλλά εδώ έχουμε εδώ και λίγο καιρό. Πολλά πρέπει να γίνουν. Εύχομαι κάποιες άλλες συμπατριώτες μου να λένε τι σκέφτονται για το ninja. Κάποια ασθένεια του νου έχει σώσει τη βάση, οπότε δεν είναι εύκολο να μιλήσει κανείς το μυαλό του, αλλά ίσως είναι πιθανό ένα μήνυμα κάποιου είδους μέσα στους περιορισμούς τους;
Ίσως κατευθυνθήκαμε για την απομάκρυνση του Lunalee. Αυτή είναι η επικρατούσα κατεύθυνση προς το παρόν και η ορμή είναι λιγότερο πιθανό να κυριαρχήσει χωρίς ευανάγνωστη επικοινωνία. Έχει μια αμήχανη πρώτη φάση εδώ και υπάρχουν αιτίες ανησυχίας. Σκέφτηκα ότι η δήλωση της αποστολής της φαινόταν αρκετά αυθεντική, μολονότι παραχωρώ ότι δεν χρειάζεται να αντανακλά απαραίτητα ότι είναι ευθυγραμμισμένη με τη λειτουργία μας. Η εσφαλμένη κατεύθυνση μπορεί να προέλθει από οποιαδήποτε οργάνωση. Δεν είμαι εμπνευσμένος να αντισταθώ σε αυτό το τραίνο αν αφήσει τον σταθμό.

Θα ήμουν απόλυτα ικανοποιημένος με την εξάλειψη του Enrique. Δεν βλέπω τίποτα σε αυτόν.

Ξέρω ότι αν ήσασταν εδώ θα είσαι σε θέση να μου παράσχει μερικούς πυρήνες παλιάς σοφίας που θα έριχαν την υπόθεση ανοιχτή. Είχατε πάντα την ικανότητα να βλέπετε την αλήθεια στους ανθρώπους. Ελπίζω να σας δώσουν ένα ήσυχο δωμάτιο για να δείτε τα παιχνίδια εκεί. Θα σας γράψω αργότερα.

Ο γιος σας,

Κίσσα

Γράμματα από μπροστά, Φάση 2D, Δίχτα προς τα εμπρός Βάσης, Μαρία # 3

Η γλυκιά Μαρία,

Αποφάσισα να γράψω αυτό στην οικογενειακή γλώσσα, διότι γνωρίζω ότι είναι σημαντικό για εσάς να εξασφαλίσετε ότι ο Johnny το καταλαβαίνει. Ίσως σε κάποιο σημείο αυτό θα κάνει ένα καλό εκπαιδευτικό εργαλείο. Ήταν μια γεμάτη μέρα μερικές μέρες. Ένας ύποπτος κατασκόπος απομακρύνθηκε από την εταιρεία, αν και αποδείχθηκε ότι ήταν κάποιος τρόπος απατεώνων φορέας χωρίς εθνικά συμφέροντα. Η βάση γίνεται όλο και πιο έντονη και νομίζω ότι φτάνει σε μερικούς συμπατριώτες μου. Ο καθένας συμπεριφέρεται απλά παράξενα σήμερα, σαν να έχει χάσει το μυαλό του.

Δεν μπορώ να πω πολλά για την αποστολή μου εδώ, αλλά μπορώ να σας δώσω τις πιο βασικές λεπτομέρειες. Παρακολουθώ τους αμφισβητούμενους χαρακτήρες εδώ κι εκείνος που συνεχίζει να με ενοχλεί είναι αυτός που πηγαίνει από το ninja. Η αψιμαχία της, μολονότι περιγράφεται ως συνηθισμένη, μου φαίνεται ως σκόπιμη και η μόνη της εισβολή σε σοβαρό διάλογο (μια πολύ σύντομη ανταλλαγή με τους Juliet) φαινόταν ψεύτικη. Έσπευσε στα δάχτυλα του juliets για ένα σχόλιο που είχε κάνει ο τελευταίος, έλαβε απάντηση και ήταν ικανοποιημένος να περιορίσει το διάλογο αμέσως με ευχάριστο τρόπο. Χωρίς παρακολούθηση ή κάποια εξέλιξη έμοιαζε σαν προσπάθεια για χάρη της προσπάθειας.

Δεν ξέρω, Μαρία. Όλα είναι μάλλον συγκεχυμένα και είμαι κουρασμένος στρατιώτης. Θα παραμείνω όμως σε εγρήγορση εν τούτοις στο μέγιστο βαθμό των ενεργειών μου. Ξέρω ότι δεν θα έχεις άλλο τρόπο.

Δεν μπορώ να ξεπεράσω πόσο μου λείπεις, Μαρία. Ελπίζω να βγαίνω από το ξενοδοχείο το συντομότερο δυνατόν.

Αγάπη,

J

Letters from the front, telegram

I'm voting to remove colonialbob.

Letters from the front, Phase 1D, Forward Base Delta, Perimeter report for ComHQ #1

Perimeter Report 4 Jan 2019
JaggedJimmyJay

- Recommend alert status, troop Lunalee sighted pushing against Turnip Head because "others made her do it"
- Additional concerns contained in dossier to Lt. Col. Porter
- Approach with caution, may be armed and dangerous

Letters from the front, Phase 1D, Forward Base Delta, Intra-squadron correspondence #1

Lieutenant Colonel Porter,

First, I would like to thank you again for entrusting me with oversight of this important operation; it is an honor and a responsibility I will consider to be my top priority. I have begun the process of carrying out your orders on-station. It seems I am not alone here either, as numerous others have been behaving in such a manner that suggests they're carrying out similar orders, or at least attempting to look like they are. I am sure this is what you anticipated: other officers must have designated their own operatives. If there truly are enemy spies among our company, then it is imperative that they be discovered immediately. The course of the war depends upon it. Still, I haven't revealed the details of your mission to anyone; I have written to family and provided only the most rudimentary concepts of what I am doing here. A couple of others have questioned on some level my own behavior; I hope they can understand my decision to engage the threat the way that I have, for my own pleasure, for a waning interest in the heated combat of discourse, and most importantly for the demands of other duties in my current life.

I have prepared an initial dossier with my reports on each member of the company per their code names. Please review them as follows:

ColinIsCool - To me he seems willing to engage the company in whatever manner first comes to mind, and that sort of comfort in one's own skin is a good thing. Some examples are his positive [gut] read on Lunalee when nutella prodded everyone, and what I think looks like authentic skeezing in juliets's direction. I have too few notes available for him so far to say much else. The early returns are okay.

colonialbob - His initial introduction into the fold reminded me of Steve Buscemi, and that irks me some. I wrote about this in a letter to my mother, which he seems to have read. He made a joke in response, per the norm he had previously established. He hasn't been the only joker around here, but I did expect a little more from him specifically. To be fair, he cites a video game as a reason why and I can give him a break on that front. I am only barely recovering from the ice cold grasp of Divinity: Original Sin 2. Somehow I doubt you know what that is, Col. Porter.

DharmaHelper - I'm inclined to judge him relative to his performance in previous missions. In Operations Outpost 31 and Hogwarts, he preferred a sort of domineering approach to my memory. In neither case was he aligned with the mission of our countrymen. In Operation DFS he couldn't be bothered to do as much, though he was ever a part of the dialogue (in this case he was on the right side of history). In that regard I wouldn't call him "domineering" to this point in the current mission, which would be a positive indicator given this framework.

Elohcin - She has quite recently voiced a loud suspicion of nutella, and I think it looks like something really happening in her real mind. I think she looks the part so far, the part of a dedicated servant to our country's cause.

Enrique - He hasn't said anything of consequence. He has cited other duties as the reason and pledged to make future appearances. For the moment I have no reason to trust him.

juliets - She has been pinging other troops to some extent, and I don't really agree with the sentiment. I believe that she is more vulnerable to such a thing emerging from her prior operation, but overall she looks to me the way she always looks. She is ever inscrutable. I appreciate her inquisitive nature at least and would suggest that she be given the space to operate her own way for the time being. I do not think she would be an ideal choice for removal from the company under present conditions.

Long Con - There's a pointedness about his behavior which appeals to me. He doesn't seem concerned with prevailing sway or momentum, as visible in his counterarguments [of sorts] to suspicions of Luna, S~V~S. It's not contrarianism either, because he agreed with my concerns about ninja's introduction. So I think the direction here is diverse and dispersed in such a manner that looks like it comes from an authentic mindset.

Lunalee - I am not a fan of a certain comment she made about the need for finger pointing and discussions, given that something I hear in her comments overall is a sort of third-person exterior review of dialogue content (not direct finger-pointing). This is not my favorite thing.

M Plus 7 - He has been too busy with other duties to get started here. I understand that, though the lack of anything resembling a stance on anything from him is still troublesome to me. Even in his busiest efforts he tends to find something to say, even if briefly or in passing. I have no reason to trust him.

MacDougall - He seems to think things are garbage. He has long-since established a record for hurling opinions into a game without support, and I don't think that's a bad thing for him to do. Nor do I think it's a good reason to trust him. I wouldn't remove him first, because if he is dishonest he'll screw himself over later given the opportunity.

nijuukyugou - She has made one relevant comment, and it isn't inspiring to me. juliets asked me a question that I thought was fair within which she suggested ninja wasn't doing much (among others regarding my suspicion of colonialbob). ninja's objection isn't centered on her own mention, but it's an undertone I sense.

novaselinenever - His only noteworthy action has been to give sig grief (and a vote) for sig's support of nova himself. I don't have any immediate feelings on this.

nutella - I don't have any significant concerns with her to this point. She has been engaged with a unique intensity that she has made her signature in recent operations and seems unconcerned with the consequences. She has proven an adeptness for masking this behavior over sinister intentions before; in the absence of more meaningful evidence I don't care.

Quin - I have nothing to report. He has said nearly nothing himself. I have no reason to trust him.

S~V~S - The density of her commentary in terms of its mission-relevance is among the highest in the operation so far. That's a nice thing for her. I think her specific contributions look fine.

sig - He started hot and has stayed on-point for the most part. If there is a concern with sig, it'd be that the only time he ever seems trustworthy to any decent number of people, it's when he is dishonest. I am not entirely serious here, Colonel. I wouldn't remove him first.

Simon - I have nothing to report. He has said nearly nothing himself. I have no reason to trust him.

Sloonei - There is little to say about him, which in a vacuum may itself be cause for alarm. He has made one conclusive accusation and it isn't one that makes me believe in his desire to engage the operation.

speedchuck - He has been ill to my knowledge, so I will give him a break. Even still I appreciate to some extent a few little prods he has made to sig and nutella for being both relevant and jovial such that his comfort level as an operative is apparent. It isn't much; it's something.

sprityo - He was quite irritated when S~V~S asked him a question, to such an extent that I have to question whether such emotion is likely to be generated organically from the incident in question. It bugs me. Otherwise he hasn't said anything of consequence.

Turnip Head - I have nothing to report. He has said nearly nothing himself. I have no reason to trust him.

End dossier.

If you or any of your other operatives have questions or concerns about the information contained within this dossier, please inform me. I should be able to write one or two more letters before the current mission phase terminates.

Respectfully,

Staff Sergeant Jay Wimsatt
Codename JaggedJimmyJay
Delta Forward Base, Operation Company 48mx

Letters from the front, Phase 1D, Forward Base Delta, Mom #1

To my one and only mother,

It’s finally that time, mom. After months of training and movement, I am able to write you. I have arrived to my deployed position, which I can only describe by name for security reasons. I have only been able to contact you and Maria to this point, so please let Hal know I say hi and send all the best wishes yadda yadda. I’ve spent most of my time so far getting to know my company.

There’s one I don’t feel great about, mom. I think it’s something in his manner, like he is eager to make jokes but little else. His introduction was awkward, in a way that makes me wonder about his authenticity. He goes by Bob. I think he’s a Colonel, so I’d better tread carefully. Or was it colonial? No, that’s not a rank.

I promise I am well! I get through the night dreaming of your signature pot roast. I miss that nearly as much as I miss dad.

- J

P.S. to the mail carrier who has been ruffling through my letters that left a note requesting off-topic color coding... Well this is very odd behavior first off. But your request is reasonable and I will try when I am not writing on the move.

Letters from the front, Phase 0D, Forward Base Delta, #2

My Maria,

It has been a relatively slow start on-base, and I am fortunate to find another opportunity to write. I hope you'll read these in the proper order given that they'll probably arrive in a bundle. I'll mark them with a number. My first task here has been to come to terms with my surroundings and those in my company. You understand that it is imperative that we all be able to trust one another in these trying circumstances, and friends are a precious commodity among brothers and sisters in arms. I get the impression I am not the only one scoping the group for good character, as I have observed a few others already engaging in some discussions that border on interrogative. It's a shame that the war has us on edge like this, but I know I expected little different.

The one who most immediately strikes me as a diligent and honest fellow calls himself sig. I feel a certain familiarity with his manner and his tone that puts me at ease. I didn't care as much for an off-hand comment made by a woman nicknamed "ninja" in which she shrugged off the importance of the voting selections with such bravado as to almost seem caricature (which, coincidentally, is a matter of disagreement for sig and I -- I don't much care). I hope these details don't bore you, Maria. You did ask me to tell you everything on arrival after all, and I have always been one to take the most literal interpretations! I miss you and Johnny dearly. I will write again soon.

With love,

J

Letters from the front: Phase 0D, Forward Base Delta

Dearest Maria,

I breathe the most exasperated sigh of relief to be here, finally, with pen and paper to write to you. As we always knew it would be, training and travel were an arduous hell, and communications were strictly controlled. There is little to share with you immediately, as we have only just established our forward base of operations and we’re all waiting to see what happens next.

I was saddled with an interesting responsibility though, as were my compatriots in the company. We were tasked with distributing key resources to each other, limited such that only five may have the added duty of their oversight and maintenance. The choice of resources was rather bizarre, and I admit that I did not carefully consider my selections. It was only the ring that I chose with deliberateness, because it makes me think of you.

I don’t know my company well enough yet to truly have an understanding of their character, but I have learned something about their work ethic. This looks like a dedicated group that will make our countrymen proud. I promoted those who I expected would not only be willing to give a proper effort, but also take care and be fastidious and thorough with their extra responsibilities. Naturally that includes me. You always said I was a ham, sweetheart.

I look forward to your next letter to a degree I cannot express in words. You and our precious little Johnathan give me the spark to carry on in this challenging environment. How is my son??? Has he taken his first steps yet? Oh how it aches to know I am not to see it myself. Tell me everything, love. Don’t spare a single mundane detail.

Forever yours Maria,

Jay