Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Creation >

Mafia 3 - The Game

Page: 1 2 3(4)5 6 7

10:04 / 12.04.03

The sun begins to set over the SS Substandard. In his cabin, the captain lies in a drunken haze of rum and coconut oil.
There is a sudden knocking at the door. Tezcatlipoca opens one eye, mutters something unforgivable, then rolls over. The knocking starts again in earnest.

"Yes?"
"I hate to disturb you, sir." The voice of Ponsonby filters in from without. "But an angry mob is here to see you. They have who they believe to be one of the mafia, sir. They are requesting permission to keelhaul, sir."
"Finefinefine. Keelhaul the gentleman and get it over with."
"The child, sir. Not gentlemen. The mob is accusing young master Toddles."

The door opens gingerly and the captain, resplendent in his silk dressing gown, cigarette holder and army surplus slippers, steps on the deck.
"You master, Toddles, eh?" A shrug. "Well, let's get it over with."

An hour later, the body of poor Toddles is dragged up from the briny deep and dumped unceremoniously onto the deck. Prudence gives a great cry and surges forward, pushing the assembled crowd to the side as she flies to her poor boy.
"You fools!" she cries. "You ghastly, ghastly people! Toddles has never hurt so much as a fly! He was innocent!".

The captain stands silently for a few moments. Then takes another puff from his cigarette.
"Poor, poor boy. Obnoxious child he might have been, but sure he was no mafia. The sun has set, ladies and gentlemen. If some of you would like to send me private messages, I shall be in my cabin."

11:10 / 12.04.03

Ah.
Hmm.
Well.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

13:58 / 12.04.03

"Lord above!" cries Stoatie, hugging his scarf around his throat. "How dare we claim moral superiority over the Mafia when we've revealed ourselves to be a bunch of child-killers! We're doomed! DOOMED I tell you! DOOMED!!! "

And with that, he falls to the deck, prays an incoherent prayer, and is eventually led back to his cabin by a couple of crew members.

21:08 / 12.04.03

Impassively, Orr reaches into the gunwale on the upper deck and removes a small childs silver button. Carefully ensuring that no-one is watching, he places the object into the watch pocket of his waistcoat. A close observer might wonder if, perhaps, his eyes held a slight sheen; but there is no-one to see.

23:18 / 12.04.03

Lionheart takes a sip from his hip flask and silently mouths "Oh shit..."

05:40 / 14.04.03

"A New Day"

The sun rises over the mid-Atlantic, curling golden fingers over the glittering frame of the SS Substandard and around the smoke rising in a curling grey whisp from the floating wreckage of the biplane.

Captain Tezcatlipoca stands on the deck, watching at his crew hook the plane up to the cargo crane and swing it over the ship. There is a ponderous creaking, the pitiful whine of dying metal, and the frame is lowered slowly down.

"The Remains"

Tezcatlipoca shakes his head.
"Poor Bastard. What happened, Ponsonby?"
Ponsonby, his head bowed, looks up sorrowfully. "The Mafia, sir. It seems that the good gentleman has decided to take a late evening flight around the ship before retiring to bed. Our own ship mechanic informs he that the engine has - to coin a technical phrase, sir - been knobbled."
"Sabotage, eh?"
"Such would appear to be the case, sir."
The captain gives a sigh and glances down at the photograph his men had managed to salvage from the mess.

"Tally Ho!"

Another sigh. "A brave man. We'd better bury the body at sea."
"Yes, sir."
"See to the arrangements, Ponsonby. I need to break the news to the passengers and crew that an innocent man has been killed."
"Very good, sir."

Nietzsch E. Coyote

06:41 / 14.04.03

Well, I didn't know him well but still he will be missed. It is funny this hit seems engineered to make it look like Flyboy, Rat, and Bleulaces are guilty. The last one made it look like Toddles was and then he was lynched. I hope we don't fall for that again.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

12:42 / 14.04.03

He was my quoits partner....

[barely perceptible quivering of chin]

...we played quoits....

[deep breath]

I don't believe Bleulaces was involved. But Flyboy and Rat. Just hunches, you understand.

I have to... I have to go collect myself.
[strides off-deck, covering eyes with hand]

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:47 / 14.04.03

Damn, rot, blast. My gut instincts rarely fail me, but perhaps this time it was just the smoked salmon repeating on me. Anyhow, the fiendish Mafia are clearly setting me and others up to be lynched, and I commend Nietzsch for spotting their plan. grant, on the other hand...

That Orr's been a bit quiet recently. Yes. Perhaps... too quiet.

16:06 / 14.04.03

"Secret Identity"

"Yes, Ponsonby? What is it?"
"I have had the crew go through the flying-gentleman's luggage, sir."
"Excellent. And our percentage for the eulogy?"
"Very meagre, sir. One gold watch, fake. One pair of slippers, pink and white stripes. One spare set of flying goggles. One-"
The captain gives a low whistle. "We're not going to get much pawning that lot."
"-and one diary, sir, in which it is revealed that the gentleman, whilst innocent of being a member of the mafia, appears to have been engaged in investigating members on board this ship."

"Grimaces..."

The captain grimaces uncomfortably. "so which of my nemeses was he? Revenue official? Customs? Health Inspector?"
"None, sir. And no badge pertaining to the gentlemen accustomed to such investigations. He was, sir, a Fink."
The captain breaths a steady sigh, the air escaping his fleshless mouth like a whistling kettle. "That's something, at least. Our detectives are a little bit safer now. Very good, Ponsonby. Inform the crew and passengers."

16:21 / 14.04.03

Lionheart takes another sip from his hip flask and laughs out loud.

*ahem*

Hahahahahahahaha...eh....ah..hahahahahahahahahaha....
*sip*

18:22 / 14.04.03

While, the voyage seems to be a deadly one. People are dropping like flies. Oh, my gosh, I can't believe people got the fink, I guess its good for the detectives.

My intuitions in the game have gone out the window, I just can not relay on them anymore. Maybe its the stress of final exams or something.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

21:25 / 14.04.03

HAHAHAHA Good one you mafia bastards!

21:36 / 14.04.03

Apologies for my absence, Master Flyboy, sir, I was otherwise detained by my duties.

Trans. I've finally landed gainful employment as you well know you darned fool. It's the same reason I missed your birthday. I am a slave to the machine once more.

Incidentally, may I add my chortles to the pile. Them mafia coves should be easier to spot now with their limps and shoes that smell of cordite.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

00:14 / 15.04.03

Does anyone want to join me in my stateroom I have some pipes that were willed to me by bjacques, may he rest in peace, and we have some poppy-product to go with it. I feel like a vision is coming on. Look out dragon!

02:09 / 15.04.03

His last words: How dare we claim moral superiority over the Mafia when we've revealed ourselves to be a bunch of child-killers!

How ghastly. And he was in league all along....

And now, here we are. I may have been premature in my speculations about Rat, et al. Only speculations. But here's something to consider -- who seems to be shaping public opinion on this ship? Would the mafia not be trying to lead the lynchings? And what would keep a detective from coming forward at this juncture? It may be too early for that yet....

02:18 / 15.04.03

And what would keep a detective from coming forward at this juncture?

Possibly the fact that they would instantly be murdered in their beds by the mafia? And the people all said "Sit down. Sit down you're rocking the boat". More tea, sir?

12:47 / 15.04.03

"Tea? Poppy tea? No? Hmm... I think I may go and join Nietszch.E for one of those interestingly aromatic pipes; visions are most definitely what we need at the moment... Rationality appears to be failing us."

rat strides (with his natural lack of grace) towards the exit, before pausing to tersely note to grant:

"And if you had considered the matter a little more carefully you might have noted that it would be pointless and dangerous for even the most demi-witted of mafia to vote to keel-haul the passenger they intended whack that night. Nor, unfortunately, had I any idea that man was a fink (may God have mercy on his blackly treacherous soul), I merely voted (in both rounds) in that manner to attempt to stave off unnecessary bloodshed where, shall we say, others where a little more zealous in their thirst for innocent blood. I think I shall leave now."

And the oddly skinny creature sweeps out in a jumble of limbs.

13:29 / 15.04.03

Two days and nights have gone by. There are 10 passengers left.

After today & tonight, that will be 8.

[places cigarette in cigarette holder]

Two of those passengers are killers. And two are detectives. If a detective were to be killed by the mafia at this point, tonight, the ship would know the innocence or guilt of two passengers.

[deliberately lights cigarette]

That would be two out of eight, leaving six points of uncertainty.

The problem is...

[blows a jasmine-scented smoke ring]

...the problem is, if it happens after tonight, if one detective comes forward and is killed on the following night, there will be three points of certainty out of six. And two of them, depending on today's events, may be mafia. A bloc of two, hoping to control the other four.

I do believe I've answered my own question.

Those odds aren't so bad. So today we go about our business, and do our best to speculate. Tomorrow, however, some genuine decisions need to be made.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on the upper deck, composing a thank you letter to Dr. Galenas, the statistics teacher at my alma mater.

16:53 / 15.04.03

Lionheart shitfs the fedora on his head, and looks down at a spot on the floor 10 feet in front of him. He seems to be in deep thought.

"Those damn detectives better keep their mouths shut until only 6 people are left. That way they can reveal what they know in safety because by then they wil have info on anywhere from 3-6 different passengers of this ship. Since it's unlikely that both detectives asked questions about the exact same passengers then we can be sure that it is more probable that, together, they know about more than 3 passengers. But some of the passengers about whom they asked might've been killed in the courses of the past two nights. So we will be left, when we are 6, with a list of 4 passengers. If a mafioso is identified with in the list we must lynch them immediatly thus ensuring our win."

Lionheart kicks the floor with his foot.

"By the demons of Kaddath! Ofcourse! If one mafioso dies then we will have won! For while two mafiosos can function at an advantage, one mafioso cannot. He will stick out like a tree in the desert."

Lionheart straightens himself out and rolls his shoulders.
"I hope I was understanble. I tend to mumble at times."

He takes a drink from his hip flask and slowly walks away into the shadows of the lower decks.

18:45 / 15.04.03

Whilst young masters Grant and Lionheart both make excellent points I would advise against rash celebration at this stage. I have known too many detectives prove to have come from defective stock, to join them in their confidence just yet.

Also, it has been brought to my attention that several vital pieces of equipment are missing from the shuffleboard set. If the gentlemen who borrowed them would kindly wipe them down and replace them I would be most obliged.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

06:53 / 17.04.03

For while two mafiosos can function at an advantage, one mafioso cannot. He will stick out like a tree in the desert.

I'm afraid I disagree with you there as long as there are two mafiosoes then we can look for team play, with only one he will be a shadow.

Glad to see I have one person to pipe with. Puff Puff. I think I need to lay down.

No star here laces

08:01 / 17.04.03

The day draws on, my fellow passengers, and we must lynch someone before dinner time - a mob killing is just what I need to add piquancy to my denunciation of zee new chef's so-called "cooking". Much as in ma cherie France, everybody drinks wine, in time we must all be accused of being in zee mafia. Weeth thees in mind, I would like to bring some new suspects to zee party. Given that the mafia will not vote for each other, it seems likely that they will be found amongst the passengers that have had the least nominations to date. Therefore, M. B. Zunti, would you care to explain yourself? Do you know so much because of your mystical powers, or because you are paying off zee staff for tips?

Nietzsch E. Coyote

08:17 / 17.04.03

Given that the mafia will not vote for each other, it seems likely that they will be found amongst the passengers that have had the least nominations to date.

Unless someone else nominated them.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

09:05 / 17.04.03

Bleulaces is that a vote for Zunti?

11:09 / 17.04.03

i would like to point out that it was M'sieur Bleulaces who led the call for the innocent Bjacques to be lynched. In the second round he voted for Stoatie, who was then killed that night. He wanted him dead one way or the other. He has targeted me because I had it right in the first round of voting. That plus his prejudice against the mystic arts. Bleulaces, j'accuse!

15:26 / 17.04.03

I still mistrust Flyboy.

The last pilot didn't turn out so decently....

17:17 / 17.04.03

Lionheart bursts into the opium den, waving his arms madly, his eyes glazed over wth madness, perspiration all over his face, rushed breathing and horrible twitching. In a calm voice Lionheart proceeds to speak:

"Senior Coyote, I feel it is my duty to point out that when one mafioso is left the game ends and the villagers are considered to have won.

Why? Because if one mafioso is left then s/he and the passengers will be whacking people left and right until one innocent and one mafioso is left. Since a mafioso won't vote for hirself then the game ends in a tie. So it is assumed that when one mafioso is left that the passengers have won."

Whisky Priestess

19:06 / 17.04.03

Voice from the Spirit World:

But isn't that monstrously unfair to the Mafia? If the vilagers get lucky just once the other Mafia is out of the game? What's the point of having 2 mafia in that case? In the first 2 games there were 3 Mafia and they weren't considered losers when onewent down - surely ina game with only 2 the remaining one should be left to fight alone - otherwise it's a very skewed game indeed.

Sorry. But what Lionheart said really can't be right.

21:43 / 17.04.03

Lionheart shakes his head.

"What I've told you is correct. With one mafia remaining the only possible outcomes of this game which we call life is either a tie or the victor of the innocent passengers over the mafioso scum. It is not I who made the rules. You've all agreed to them before you got here."

Nietzsch E. Coyote

02:07 / 18.04.03

The game ends when the Mafia has a majority over the Villagers, or the Village eliminates all Mafia.

From the rules. Sorry Lionheart, I think you are wrong.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

02:08 / 18.04.03

If there is one maf and one villager the villager dies in the middle of the night and the mafia wins.

06:31 / 18.04.03

"Victory Conditions"

"Well, unexpectedly, the shipping commission includes a detailed report on this exact scenario in it's guidelines for captaining a dangerously unseaworthy vessel such as the SS Substandard. It seems that Neitzsch E is in fact correct, the crew and passengers are deemed to have won when all the Mafia are dead, since the threat is then over. Remember people, it's your self-preservation - and not the end conditions - which are important. Even if you do whack a mafia, I for one won't feel safe until the other is brought to justice. Consider also the rewards at being left alive. Once I've taken a small commission, the luggage and personal affects of the dead are to be divvied up between the survivors, so it's in your interest to last the trip. On which note, night is approaching fast and we need to find ourselves a new victim..."

18:03 / 18.04.03

Lionheart seems very confused at Coyote's and Tez's logic..

"When one passenger and one mafioso are left then how can the innocent pasenger die in the middle of the night when passengers lynch people before nightfall! That is the passengers kill people before the mafia does! BUT it's obvious that during dusk the mafioso will vote against the passenger and the passenger will vote against the mafioso. That way the game will continue on in a neverending tie."

Nietzsch E. Coyote

19:55 / 18.04.03

Forget logic lionheart the Captain has spoken. In a tie vote with no option of re-vote no one is lynched. They can't be. Then nightfall and... Mafia time.

Page: 1 2 3(4)5 6 7