Post by Barry on Jan 6, 2013 20:24:10 GMT -5
ONCE UPON A TIME, on a Parallel Earth, the Mayan Doomsday Prophecy came to pass.
Destruction came in the form of a Crystal. It was created by a rather bumbling and forgetful, yet brilliant, scientist called the WIZARD. The Crystal could suck the Life Force out of any living thing, including crabgrass. One day, an uncontrolled chain reaction killed off every life form on the planet, along with the only rumored member of the O.J. Simpson Fan Club. Only a few square miles of inhabitable area surrounding the Crystal were spared. The few surviving humans referred to it as the “Land of Oz” (LOZ). Everything beyond the 3.61-foot high, stone-walled borders of LOZ was barren and devoid of life. This dead zone was known as the VORTEX. To venture there meant instant vaporization and non-existence, even for camels. On the day following Doomsday, chaos ensued.
The WIZARD fled into what he thought was a secluded cave with the Crystal, trying to hide from the wrath of the humans. However, his supposed sanctuary was actually an old psychedelic Volkswagen van owned by a roguish drunk of a man called ZARDOZ. ZARDOZ “liberated” the Crystal from the WIZARD and forced him to divulge its secrets. ZARDOZ used the Crystal to give immortality to those he called “His Chosen Ones”, or ETERNALS. In return for their immortality, ZARDOZ ordered the ETERNALS to wage war on the non-immortal humans (MORTALS), and kill them by casting them into the Vortex. ZARDOZ also built an airship in the appearance of a giant ape-human-like head and floated all over the LOZ-place in it.
Over time, the ETERNALS became weary of the carnage. Besides, tossing chicks into the Vortex seemed pretty d*mned stupid. The ETERNALS revolted and ZARDOZ stripped them of their immortality in retribution. One day ZARDOZ’s giant, floating apehead-ship was shot down, killing ZARDOZ. However, the Crystal was nowhere to be found. In fact, only ZARDOZ’s illegitimate son, ZARDOINK, knew what the Crystal even looked like. The WIZARD couldn’t remember. So no one took particular notice when ZARDOINK spirited an empty Foster’s beer can from the giant apeheaded-ship’s wreckage. They did notice, however, when ZARDOINK built a new giant ape-headed floating ship, and started bombarding them from above through a megaphone with his shrill, nearly incoherent drivel. The incessant racket even led the MORTALS to implore the GHOST OF ZARDOZ (affectionately called the “GOZ of LOZ”) for his spectral assistance.
In any event, the death of ZARDOZ caused a power vacuum in LOZ. It continues to this very day - pitting MORTALS vs. ETERNALS vs. WIZARD vs. ZARDOINK. Four fearless fermenting factions frantically fighting ferociously. But three will be cast into the Vortex before our story ends. For you see…THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
***
Cast of Characters (16):
MORTALS, including 2 PROTECTORS & the GHOST OF ZARDOZ (11): Mostly clueless humans, who largely fill their days drinking, chasing chicks, and making baseless charges of treachery against all the inhabitants in the Land of Oz. The Ghost of Zardoz (GOZ) has thrown in with the Mortals because of the Eternals’ rebellion against him. GOZ doesn’t care much for drinking or chicks anymore.
• Mortals have no special powers, except for the 2 Protectors and the GOZ.
• During the Secret Phase each Protector may prevent a player, including themselves, from being cast into the Vortex by the Eternals, but may not protect the same player two Days in a row.
• During the Secret Phase GOZ may scan one player to determine his role.
• During the Open Phase the Mortals vote to cast one player into the Vortex or vote not to Vortex anyone.
• The Mortals win if Zardoink, the Wizard, and all of the Eternals have been cast into the Vortex.
ETERNALS (3): The formerly immortal minions of Zardoz. They are no longer immortal, and are now subject to the weaknesses of human flesh (including an intensified desire to chase chicks); but still like to play hard to get.
• The Eternals know each other and who the Wizard is.
• During the Secret Phase, the Eternals may vote to cast a player (other than the Wizard) into the Vortex
• During the Open Phase, the Eternals can argue and vote for or any player, including the Wizard, to be Vortexed.
• The Eternals win if they come to outnumber or equal the number of Mortals (including Protectors & GOZ), as long as both Zardoink and the Wizard have been cast into the Vortex.
ZARDOINK (1): The irrepressible and illegitimate Son of Zardoz, who floats around LOZ - hopelessly drunk - in a giant apehead-like ship, with both the Crystal and a megaphone in unsteady hands. Oh…and he likes chicks, too.
• Zardoink knows who the Eternals are.
• During the Secret Phase, Zardoink can vote for any player (including an Eternal or himself) to be cast into the Vortex. This vote shall be disclosed at the beginning of the Open Phase. Zardoink loses this power if, and when, the Wizard is Vortexed.
• During the Open Phase, Zardoink can argue and vote for any player, including an Eternal, to be cast into the Vortex. His Open Phase vote does not have to be the same as his Secret Phase vote. (Yes. This means that Zardoink has two votes each Day, as long as the Wizard is alive.)
• Zardoink wins if he AND at least one Eternal are alive when the game ends. But when the last Eternal dies, so does Zardoink.
WIZARD (1): A bumbling, forgetful, old buffoon, but brilliant scientist and creator of the Crystal. He’s forgotten pretty much everybody and everything he ever knew, including what a ‘chick’ is.
• The Wizard does not know any other player roles – told you he was forgetful.
• During the Open Phase, the Wizard can argue and vote for any player to be cast into the Vortex.
• The Wizard wins if he is alive, AND Zardoink is dead when the game ends, regardless of whether any Mortals or Eternals are also alive.
Game Rules:
1. The game ends when either: (1) all the Eternals have been cast into the Vortex, or, (2) the number of living Eternals is greater than, or equal to, the number of living Mortals.
2. Each Day is divided into a Secret Phase and an Open Phase.
3. During the Secret Phase, the ETERNALS, PROTECTORS, ZARDOINK, and the GHOST OF ZARDOZ shall pm me with their players to Vortex, Defend, or Scan. ZARDOINK’s vote will be disclosed and be the first vote cast in the Open Phase, but all other votes will not be revealed until the end of the Open Phase. The Secret Phase will last up to 24 hours.
4. During the Open Phase, ZARDOINK’s secret vote will be disclosed, and then all Players will discuss and vote upon whom to cast into the Vortex. In case of a tie vote, the Player receiving the first vote will be Vortexed. The Open Phase will last up to 48 hours.
5. The votes during the Open Phase should be made in BOLD type and be clear in their intent. For example,
Vote: Vortex Justin Bieber
Change Vote: From Justin Bieber to Kim Kardashian
Vote: No Vortex
6. All results from the Secret and Open Phases, with the exception of ZARDOINK’s secret vote, will be announced after the conclusion of the Open Phase. In the event an ETERNAL is cast into the Vortex after the Open Phase, the ETERNALS’ vote in the Secret Phase will be nullified.
7. Failure to post for two consecutive Days will result in a player’s being cast into the Vortex for inactivity.
8. I swear, upon the SACRED GRAVE OF ZARDOZ, that all roles were chosen at the whim of “random.org”. ~Barry
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WW22 Players Alive:
Surdra
Land
Free Guns For All
3LiT3
Takaram
Malecia
Spiritons
Vortexed Players:
Benevolent Thomas (Mortal) - Day 1 by Eternals
Java (Mortal) - Day 2 by Eternals
Randomain (Ghost of Zardoz - the "Seer") - Day 3 by Eternals
Controlitia (Mortal) - Day 3 by Players
Aersoldorf (Eternal) - Day 4 by Players
Calanria (Mortal) - Day 5 by Eternals
Tanzoria (Mortal) - Day 5 by Players
Petalumadom (Mortal) - Day 5 by Inactivity
Boltor (Eternal) - Day 6 by Inactivity
****
Okay. The game is almost on! I’ll be sending out pm’s to everybody on their roles. Once they have all (or substantially all) been opened, I will post and start the clock running on the Day 1, Secret Phase…HAPPY VORTEXING! ;D