Diyem was staring down at Astrid, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I have no idea who you are." And then, without so much as another word or a hint of recognition, he turned his attention to everyone else as more chains formed around those who were being marked by votes.
"There seems to be a few things that are uncertain," Diyem said, looking over his notes. "Some of these things, you are better off asking me telepathically so nobody else can hear you. There are restrictions on my actions that bar me from stating things publicly, as it will confirm your powers if I did so. However, unless I missed something said on the information sheet, your powers should operate as they are listed there." Diyem looked over a seemingly blank piece of paper, like he was reviewing notes.
"There is one thing I wasn't aware of," he said. "Apparently, 'informed' is a role one can get, or a modifier. I hadn't disclosed that on the original letter. Thankfully, I had also left an opening to state that additional roles may be added depending on how many spirits I gathered. So I suppose I didn't
truly lie. But by now, it seems quite clear, so I can safely confirm that, yes, vanilla town and mafia all gained a single 'informed' piece of information. Since both mafia and vanilla alike gained this, and it is relatively easy to fabricate such information, I doubt it will be of much use one way or the other for proving innocence.
"To add to that..."
Diyem paced, reading through the notes again. "For the guardian spirits that are floating above you, this is meant to be a teaching exercise as well as a proper ritual. Therefore, I am obligated now and then by contract..." He paused, like he was bracing himself.
He wasn't going to enjoy this. He waved his hand beside himself, and from the darkness formed... a chalkboard. White. In Diyem's hand was a piece of charcoal. Then, several more pieces of charcoal floated in front of him, all writing simultaneously.
Mafia Tutorial, Part 1: Basics and Strategies
"By now, it is clear that we have a wide variety of spirits with us for this ritual," Diyem said, starting to write out various notes that corresponded with what he was saying. "Some are more skilled than others, while some are completely new to how these rituals operate. It is therefore my duty to inform the less experienced of common strategies found in mafia, one way or another.
"As everyone knows, in simple mafia games such as these, the win conditions are simple. Let your side be the last one standing, or otherwise make it so that is the only thing possible. For example, if the mafia hold a majority and there is no way to stop them from voting everyone else off... they win, because they will inevitably become the last ones standing. If the mafia and a serial killer, if there is one, are all eliminated, and only town remains, then they, too, win, as there is nobody left standing. That is the endgame for mafia.
"And, of course, not all players are created equal. Different ones will have different roles and powers. Otherwise, the mafia amy as well just pick randomly and be done with it. Generally speaking, the mafia seeks to eliminate all roles that are dangerous to them, or would impede their progress. Cops, and other roles such as role cops, are known as 'Investigative' roles. These are, generally, the most directly dangerous roles for the mafia, and they often want to eliminate them first. Doctors are trickier; they are classified as 'Protective' roles, for obvious reasons. Because they themselves can protect, they impede mafia progress, and are also something that the mafia would want to get rid of. Neither of these roles are less valuable than a basic villager.
"This is where some gambits come into play. While I will not speak for how this has gone for roles in
this ritual, it is common practice for a villager to make a
gambit to falsely claim one role in an effort to attract mafia attention away from the
actual role. This comes with the risk of drawing ire from mafia and town alike, possibly being voted off instantly and not having the chance to draw mafia ire whatsoever.
"Alternatively, mafia can utilize a goon if they feel they are disposable enough to make a false claim, and draw out the real one by doing so so they have a target at night. This is another gambit, but on the mafia's side. Ultimately, the advantage mafia holds over town is information; the more information town has, the stronger they become against mafia. Therefore, it is always in the mafia's best interest to remove the roles that grant more information, and it is in the town's best interest to keep them hidden or protected for as long as possible.
"But, of course, in a game such as this, there are rarely certainties and there are always exceptions. Social deception games inherently mask the truth; to town, rarely is anything fully confirmed. It is a luxury to have 'incontrovertible' information that you yourself are not directly told privately.
"In the end... perhaps you can trust nobody."
Diyem snapped his claws and a copy of his information was distributed to the others. He turned around and returned to the edge of the caverns. "In any case, we are in the middle of the day. Here are how things currently stand."
Midday votes (counted by people who vote for someone in bold lettering.)
Kent: 4 (Homestar, Wind, Equi, Fuse)
Mike: 6 (Flyg0n, Phant, Perseph, Yellow, Abra, Sinderella)
"I think it is odd that we are confused about why the robot did not tell us what their note said earlier," Hazel mused, "I think the robot should not have told us at all. Giving us the clue also tells us another thing: That you are not one of the people with a power."
