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For a minute, I thought Mouse was going to trap Snake with a misstep. Snake had mentioned 3 deaths, which Mouse corrected to 4--presumably they hadn't told anyone Tiger was dead (and as no one really reacts to the news that's a bit unclear). But then Snake mentions later that there was no origami cat near her body--something that clearly he'd only know if he'd seen it. Interesting that he seems to also think this is Brian's handywork, but confirms that someone else must be working with the mastermind--either one of the other contestants or someone hiding in the school. Wouldn't be surprised at this rate though if we find out it's not Brian out for revenge, but someone else attempting to cover up something related to the case, something they fear the contestants present know. (Which could possibly explain why Mouse was involved--fear she found out something from her father or something he left behind.) Of course, that theory is a bit contradicted by the goal of the game not seeming to be killing everyone.
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Nov 10, 2022 20:14
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Well drat, my suspicion of Bunny threw me off the track. I do disagree with Snake though - Brian killed people by pulling them into this nonsense. Snake may have been the tool to do it, but any deaths here are on Brian's hands, especially with the added constraint he gave to Snake in the middle of the game.
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Nov 10, 2022 20:15
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dervival posted:Well drat, my suspicion of Bunny threw me off the track. Same, Bunny was behaving really oddly. Like his line about Sheep being overpowered; either he's an awful cop, or he was trying to pull something there, but I can't figure out what since he gives no indication of suspecting any particular person. Maybe he just wanted to see if anyone would contradict him?
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Nov 11, 2022 15:07
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 Another route down, another bonus update. This route was, well, the Snake Route, and the endings in question are the 7s cards. Once again, roughly 50% of the votes voted for this one- I think people just liked the number because of how close to the middle it was. Themis has gone on record saying they feel like this route is better if you hit it early just because of the information gathered through it; additionally, while this obviously isn't the only route where we'll have to deal with murder occurring, Snake is pretty unique in how put together he is during the whole thing- even when Mouse is breaking down her theories on how he committed the murders, he doesn't break. Snake's route is another one that's laid out pretty straightforward- avoid some binary good/bad choices, and then the end is based on if you can successfully deduce everything surrounding the series of murders. That said, there were some endings we missed, so let's not waste any time and get to it!  The first ending we avoided was if Mouse decides she's too suspicious of Bunny and decides to search by herself...[Search alone.] [BGM: Silence]   I think we could cover more ground if we searched separately, you know? Plus, and no offense, but I'm not completely comfortable being alone with someone else at this time. You understand, right? No no, I get it, totally got it. Well then, I wish you luck in your search. 2 more trinkets. 2 more trinkets.And with that, Bunny left. It felt bad rejecting his offer, but... something about it made me uneasy. [BGM: Mousetrap]  Something about Bunny's demeanor gave me the impression that he was hiding something. I wasn't sure he was the killer, but I also wasn't sure he wasn't. Best to work by myself for now. I decided searching the third floor would be best for now, so I went up the stairs and entered the closest classroom. These classrooms were all starting to blend together... but I couldn't give up hope. I checked my tablet and realized that Round 7 had started. Should I make a move now? It was possible we would find the needed Minor Trinkets before the end of the round and begin to move with them. There was no need to rush things. As I was contemplating this, I thought I heard something behind me. However, before I could turn around, I felt a tightness around my neck. A thin metal wire, choking me. [BGM: Silence]  The lovely thing about being choked to death is that you know exactly that you're about to die as you're dying. I tried to lash out behind me, to disrupt my assailant whatsoever. But I didn't manage to land a single hit before going limp. And just like that, I was the fourth victim. Likely not the last.  Ending - 7 of Clubs  The Origami Cat Killer won't stop killing until there are at least four victims. If Mouse decides to keep searching for Trinkets on her own, she's liable to become a target. And if Mouse dies, it's likely that there will only be one survivor in this Race. Now that's certainly not ideal, is it?The second ending we avoided is when we decided to break from the agreed plan and hitch a ride on Ox instead. Ultimately, this is what saved the group, but what happens if we go through with the agreed-upon plan? [Hitch a ride on Snake.] [BGM: Silence]  Of course. Of course I'd stick to the plan. Even if it was dangerous, I'd believe in the group. I couldn't betray Ox and Bunny and Snake just to try and save my own skin. Even if I hitched a ride on Ox, I still couldn't win the race anyways. So my best chance to survive is to stick to the plan. I clicked ACT and selected Snake. And with that, I walked to the cafeteria with confidence.  I noticed that pretty much everyone else had gathered as well. Snake must have succeeded in bringing everyone together. Hey everybody! Mouse. Did you find a Minor Trinket? I'm worried that by the tone of that question, no one else has. So we all failed, huh? Hey, we don't need to worry. After Snake brings things together, we can search as a group! We still have time. I'm not sure about that. Let's keep things optimistic, okay? We can't give up hope! For now, let's turn our attention to the screen. I believe the round is about to commence.Snake was right; the speakers kicked on moments later.   Round 9 has ended. Now, let us see how the race has progressed. The Rat has hitched a SNEAKY RIDE on Snake. The Ox has begun to STAMPEDE and moved to the 14th space. The Tiger has failed to make a move. The Bunny has begun to HOP and moved four spaces. The Dragon has failed to make a move. The Snake has attempted to SERPENTINE. The SERPENTINE is successful! The Snake has moved to the finish line. Thanks to the SNEAKY RIDE, the Rat also moves 1 space. The Horse has RUN one space. The Sheep has failed to make a move. The Monkey has RUN one space. The Rooster has RUN one space. The Dog has failed to make a move. The Pig has RUN one space.  The finish line has been crossed. The winners are MOUSE and SNAKE. Congratulations! Anyone who has not won has lost. Prepare for execution.[BGM: Mousetrap]  No sooner had the Jade Emperor said that did I hear the panicked cries start to shout. To my left and to my right, everyone started clawing at their throats, started losing their balance. Everyone's faces were a mixture of pain and fear. Well, almost everyone's. Except for the man standing right in front of me, unphased. Snake... What the hell is this?! What happened? Ah, Mouse. So you decided to listen to me. That's nice. It would be awfully tragic were I the only survivor. And if I were to choose anybody to bring with me to the end, it would be you.I could barely see Snake straight, I was so boiling with rage. Instead of addressing me, Snake turned to the others.  Apologies for everything, everyone, but I believe this was the only way. With things in the state that they were, you don't seriously think there was some way for us all to escape together? Trust me, if I thought that outcome possible I'd have eagerly strove towards it. I admit I wasn't truthful in what my ability actually did. But would you have cooperated if I had told the truth? No, I don't think that likely. But people, believe me when I say this: I truly am mournful. Whoever put us in this game will pay. This ending will assure that. ...But I guess that's hollow consolation. You've every right to curse me from hell. I imagine it won't be long before I join you. But until then, there are a few things left unfinished that I ought to sort out. Before then, I wasn't content to just die. And so, and I say this with sincerity- See you on the other side.For many, those were the last words they heard. Their bodies, now thrashing on the floor, stopped moving for good. And I was left just standing there. There with this... murderer. This demon. I suspect that my explanation didn't convince you? … Very well. You're one of the few with whom I can speak candidly about everything. I suppose then, we should have a talk.And have a talk we did. A long, not-very-friendly talk. And I heard a lot of surprising things. But no matter what was said, one thing was the case. 10 people were dead in this school. And I wasn't. [BGM: Silence]  Ending - 7 of Diamonds Snake is an incredibly shrewd man who values artistry and logic equally. He is more than capable of orchestrating the race to play out how he wants it, especially with everyone so fear-struck by the Origami Cat Killer. Mouse is perhaps the only one who can catch on to the contradictions in Snake's story. If she fails to, Snake will be the only survivor in this race. Not quite the worst case scenario, but awfully close.And, lastly, the ending we get if we fail the deduction at the end of the Snake route. [Fail to deduce the truth behind the Origami Cat Murders.] This one's kind of different in that it's not one binary choice like the others, but rather multiple different points where you can make a mistake. We'll go over each point before showing what happens when you get something wrong. [BGM: Dance of the Snakes]  The correct option here was that we need to prove that Snake has been manipulating some of the other participants into using their abilities- we have no way of proving Snake lied about his ability without first proving why he would want to manipulate the others. That said, if you get it wrong... I'm going to prove that you lied about your ability with evidence! And what evidence would that be? Well, you know... You were hiding it before! So I could use it, yes. How does this prove anything? Um, well...poo poo, this isn't right! ... The next deduction point is when Mouse asserts that there was a false assumption we've been operating under this whole time. [BGM: Constriction]  The correct answer is that Sheep was not dead when Dragon and Snake discovered the body- they had no actual way of checking her body when it was first found. The other two options are obviously incorrect- the chain was tested to be solid, and there was an obvious injection mark on the body which is the only obvious possible cause of death. That said, if you get this one wrong... Just because there was a chain lock doesn't mean you couldn't get in. Oh? And how do you figure that? All locks can be picked! You have lock-picking experience, don't you! My, what a hefty claim. I'm sad to say, but I do not know how to pick locks. And even if I did, what would that change? You can pick a lock open, but it would be exceedingly hard to pick a lock closed. Well, that's... If it was as simple a matter of picking locks, any one of us could be the killer. Mouse, you're just making things up now, aren't you? No, I'm...poo poo. I didn't think things through! And the other wrong choice...  It's a mistake to think Sheep was poisoned to death! Oh? How so? Because as I recall it, the only injury she outwardly sustained was an injection. A vial of instant-acting poison also went missing, yes? That could all be a diversion! Really, Sheep was killed like Dog- with electricity! She was taking a nap on the other end of the room, and you lassoed a plugged-in wire over to her feet through the gap! That's what really happened! No, no I don't think that is what happened. ...Uh, actually, you might be right.... The next deduction point is when the topic of Dragon's death comes up.  The right answer is obviously that Snake made it a locked room from inside the room, mostly because the other option is, again, provably false- there's no conceivable way someone could make a stack of books right at the door and then also manage to leave the room without disturbing them. That said, if we get this wrong... You were able to stack those books from outside! Wow! What an impressive feat! Tell me, how exactly did I manage that? The thing about that is, um... I don't really know how exactly. What? But there's probably a number of tricks you could use! Magicians can do all sorts of things! The human brain is limitless! The human brain might be, but yours certainly has limits. You've reached them. I'm no magician, Mouse. If there was some trick, surely evidence would have been left behind, yes? But you found none of it. Admit it, you don't have an answer to this mystery. That's... well...poo poo. He was right. ... The last deduction point is when the topic of Tiger's death comes up.  This one's a little harder unless you got the first ending where Snake strangles Mouse to death with some kind of wire, at which point it becomes obvious the killer has that kind of tool.  The main way to get this right is simply that the other two options are already eliminated- the tablet obviously wasn't what killed her, Mouse and Bunny heard the knives enter her neck themselves, and poison was already ruled out as her cause of death.That said, if we get this wrong... She wasn't strangled, she was poisoned! You injected her with the instant-acting poison, and then after she died you strangled her with the wire to confuse us! But you didn't find an injection point, did you? Well, we might not have noticed it! That seems like a major oversight on your point if that was the case. Uh, that is... Maybe she wasn't injected, she might have drank it! Drank it? You could've given her a bottle of water, but the water was poisoned. Tiger was gullible like that! Mouse, where on earth would I get a bottle of water here? And Tiger may have been gullible, but she wasn't completely stupid. With three dead, do you really think she would accept a random bottle of water? She might! I doubt it. ...You might be right.And the other wrong choice...  You used the tablet to kill her! The tablet? How on earth could I use a tablet for murder? You're not saying she was actually executed, are you? No, I'm saying that you strangled her while she was busy looking at her tablet. In that case, she should've been able to fight back, right? Tiger is both taller and stronger than me, and she's the type that easily lashes out. Even with a weapon and the element of surprise, you can't expect me to take her out that easily. Well, that's...poo poo! He had a point. The moment you make any wrong deduction, it's over. You have to get all four of these deductions correct in order to get the ending we saw last update. As for if you get something wrong... [BGM: Silence]  Snake started to walk towards me. Mouse, please. I realize that things are hectic now, and you're eager to pin blame on someone. It's a perfectly natural reaction. But it's unhelpful. Clearly you haven't even thought everything through yourself. Well, maybe not, but-He grabbed my hand.  Look into my eyes. Are those the eyes of a killer?His stare was piercing. He looked deeply offended that I would suspect him. Was I in the wrong? I was doing a lot of guesswork... Just as I thought that, Snake jerked my hand towards him. Before I realized what was going on, his other hand was around my neck- No. It wasn't a hand. [BGM: Mousetrap]  It was a golden knife!  What?! Snake, you bastard! You... Everyone, settle down, settle down. We wouldn't want any accidents, now would we?I felt his knife trace a line on my neck. Snake, what the hell?! I must commend you, Mouse, for being the smartest one in the room. Unfortunately for you, you weren't quite able to see through my work. Your work? Look, I take no more pleasure in this than you. But it is how it is, okay? I must do what I must do. The hell kind of excuse is that? What do you want? Want? I want nothing. I'm simply going to retreat with Mouse to a nearby room and continue strategizing. Honestly, if I thought my survival too unlikely, I planned on surrendering. In this case, an ugly victory really would be worse than a beautiful defeat. When you started accusing me, Mouse, I really thought it was the end of the line. But I believe there actually is a line of play for me left. Like hell I'm going along with your plans!I started struggling in his arms. He was stronger than I'd have thought, but not too strong. Settle down, will you? Look, if you play along, there's a decent chance you can actually survive with me! Don't make me-I tried stomping on his foot to break away. ...Unfortunately, that hit made him jerk his hand unevenly. The hand with the knife by my throat. Before I knew what was happening, I felt a wet dripping on my chest. [BGM: Silence]  Oh dear. Look what you've done. This is the worst outcome for both of us. A most unfortunate fate.Those words paired with the horrified looks from my allies were the last sensations that entered my brain before my knees buckled. At the very least, Snake would likely be captured by the group after my death. A hollow victory.  Ending - 7 of Hearts Snake is not an easy opponent to face down. Mouse's logic needs to be flawless to convince the group and corner Snake. If there's room for doubt, Snake will try something, and it will almost certainly lead to violence one way or another. A sub-optimal path can easily be avoided if Mouse can correctly piece together the past.Next update, we start on a different path towards a different route!
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Nov 11, 2022 17:47
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lol, imagine bad endings that actually provide interesting information and progress the overall plot! Amazing.
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Nov 11, 2022 18:00
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I don't know, I think we should switch to the universe where the race is a cook-off and also Snake is blonde and Ox has been replaced by some rando on Kickstarter, but before we can think about this Monkey stabs us, that seems like a good plan.
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Nov 11, 2022 18:16
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So we’re 2 for 2 on the focus character of a route becoming its main antagonist, eh? Now I almost want to see that to turn out to be the case for every route somehow, as impractical as that would probably be
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Nov 11, 2022 19:39
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Zyxyz posted:So we’re 2 for 2 on the focus character of a route becoming its main antagonist, eh? Now I almost want to see that to turn out to be the case for every route somehow, as impractical as that would probably be Why would it be impractical? Every route should have 2 people who will die if everyone ties, makes sense to make them the antagonists of the routes. And it's an original idea compared with most VNs, instead of getting the info befriending them, you get them by besting them.
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Nov 11, 2022 19:43
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Zyxyz posted:So we’re 2 for 2 on the focus character of a route becoming its main antagonist, eh? Now I almost want to see that to turn out to be the case for every route somehow, as impractical as that would probably be The route with the highest death toll even on the best ending is gonna be Monkey isn't it 
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Nov 11, 2022 21:11
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Marluxia posted:The route with the highest death toll even on the best ending is gonna be Monkey isn't it 
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Nov 11, 2022 21:16
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What interests me about Snake is that unlike a lot of characters in his archetype he's under no illusion that what he's doing is good; he believes himself to be working towards the best possible outcome, but he acknowledges that it will likely not be a particularly good one for him in the long run, even if he succeeds. He also doesn't use the game as an excuse for his actions, and rather does the opposite--takes full responsibility for killing, to the point of seemingly try to absolve Brian from the guilt.
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Nov 11, 2022 22:16
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I didn't notice earlier that RQM says the hateful, etc. roles are 'assigned' based on certain events. That means that anyone on any route could be assigned a role, so villains could be repeated across routes. Also, since the personality traits seemingly break all cooperative wins and JE/B says it's possible for all to finish, we will probably need to find a route where no new roles are assigned, or one in which the assigned roles somehow don't break the game. e: And technically RQM only mentions assigned roles for one person, in which case JE/B is potentially bullshitting about some of the new roles. Notably the ones mentioned are of the sort that nobody would willingly reveal themselves. It also seems like the chess game that Snake was analyzing isn't the one in the image, or the image is really obscuring the pieces. It could also be that Snake is wrong, but I would trust what the game says before relying on a picture that was shown briefly and is difficult to make out in the first place. Kangra fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Nov 11, 2022 |
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Nov 11, 2022 22:25
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Kangra posted:It also seems like the chess game that Snake was analyzing isn't the one in the image, or the image is really obscuring the pieces. It could also be that Snake is wrong, but I would trust what the game says before relying on a picture that was shown briefly and is difficult to make out in the first place. Eh, considering the author made an incredibly glaring mistake when describing the game, as someone already pointed out (the Sicilian defense is a move that Black chooses, not White), I somehow doubt they managed to chase down an example of a position that works as they described it.
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Nov 12, 2022 01:37
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Jade Emperor, when Snake Serpentine's Successfully posted:Thanks to the SNEAKY RIDE, the Rat also moves 1 space. Wording error by the game? The image and story show Mouse makes it to the end with Snake. Overall, these are a strong set of endings. I appreciate Snake a lot more as the mastermind, and Mouse's deductions and takedown were great. Her anger continues to shine through, so I am looking forward to seeing how she takes on the mantle of big bad. Here are the personalities I've gathered so far: Mouse: Clever Bunny: Victorious Dog: Defeated Tiger: Selfless Snake: Ambitious Either Dragon or Sheep are Hateful, probably Dragon I think we learned more in Snake's route than in Dog's. In Dog's, we learned that Bunny and Dog know each other from before and that Chief Bowen was corrupt. In Snake's, we got "someone's playing chess", Bunny's true ability, Snake's true ability, Tiger's audio tablet, and Snake and Brian's teacher-student relationship. NeoRonTheNeuron fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Nov 14, 2022 |
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Nov 13, 2022 13:18
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NeoRonTheNeuron posted:
Tiger, not Cat. It was mentioned earlier in the game that Cat is a separate animal from Tiger in the original Zodiac story.
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Nov 13, 2022 23:26
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 Now, it's time for us to go back and get going on a new route! The thread has voted, and this time we'll be starting at the first choice that influences the route- when the group splits up at the start of Round Two and Mouse is given several potential groups to investigate with. We're actually going to be going with someone else this time around, instead of Rooster and Snake... [BGM: Silence]  I decided that I had already talked with Ox quite a bit when I woke up, and it would be best to brach out. Actually, I'll help Horse and Sheep with their search. I think checking out the training room seems like a good idea.[BGM: Friendly Bunny]   It'd be great if you came with us, right Horse? Hmph. Couldn't hurt. Doesn't sound like he's thrilled to have me. Don't worry about him. I'm happy to have you. Well then, I'm glad to come along. Fine. Mouse, you go with them. Now can we quit talking about searching and just start searching? Yeah, let's do that. The rest of us can just split up and look around. Oh, and everybody, remember to input your moves and reconvene here before the round ends. Got it.With that, we all spread out and began our search. The workout room Horse told us about wasn't far from the cafeteria, so it didn't take long to get to it.  We just had to walk down a hallway, take a turn, and we were there. So this is where we're going to look first? Is it a dumb idea? If it was a dumb idea, I wouldn't have decided to help you guys look here. I think it makes a lot of sense. If you were going to hide weird items for your demented death game, you'd most likely hide them in memorable places, right? And this place looks pretty memorable. My thoughts exactly. But man, for a school workout room, this place looks pretty high-end. There's a bunch of weights, bikes, treadmills, and is that a rock wall over there? And this isn't even the gym, this is just a room to work out! Incredible. My school never had anything like this. I think most don't. It seems like the location for the Jade Emperor's race is pretty fancy.  It's a good investment though. A good training environment is a big part of getting in shape. I wish I could work out at a place like this. I'd like to get stronger. You would? Who wouldn't? Fair point, I guess. So why don't you? Oh, well... I guess I'm just too busy. I feel like I always have something to do. I just can't set aside the time to regularly do something without much immediate benefit, you know? Yeah, that makes sense. A big part of why I'm in rubbish shape is simply because I've been too busy with life. But I guess I don't really have a strong desire to get fit anyways. I don't see the need. What? How is there not a need to be strong? I don't know, how often is there a situation where you have to be strong? What would you do if someone stuck a knife out at you and tried to mug you? I'd probably give them my money and hope I wasn't mugged again. See. Okay, but being mugged is a pretty unlikely thing to have happen. But there's a chance. There's always a chance! With that logic, there's an advantage to not being strong. When is it better to be weak than it is to be strong? Let's see... I bet since you're so strong, all your friends call you when they need help moving furniture and stuff. That's gotta be super inconvenient, right? What is the drawback in being able to help my friends when they need to be able to move things? Okay, maybe bad example. But the time you spend getting in shape could be spent on other good things. What if you researched the cure to cancer for all the time you've spent working out? You could have found the cure to cancer! I could not find the cure to cancer. You never know until you try! I am reasonably certain I could not find the cure to cancer. Um, not to interrupt, but I feel like we might have gotten off track. You're right Sheep, we need to start looking for Minor Trinkets. Yes.We began to look around the workout room for any sign of something being hidden. Sheep and Horse didn't make for the most talkative partners. But that was fine with me. The top priority was finding a Trinket. We spent plenty of time inspecting every corner of the room. After some time, I noticed Sheep trying to climb the rock wall. I didn't think much of it, but a few moments later she called us over.  Look what I found at the top of the rock wall!She pointed out a safe. Great work! Does it have anything to do with the race? I mean, probably. Why else would there be a cheap safe at the top of a rock wall? What does it say on top of the safe? 'Work Out!'... What do you think that could mean? It's just giving good advice. More importantly, we need to get the safe open. There's a four digit lock combination to this.Horse picked up the safe and started examining it. Hm. This is pretty shoddily made. If I used one of the weights, I could pry it open after repeatedly striking it at the right angle. Woah, hey, maybe we use that as more of a last resort. It doesn't look like there's a limit to the number of guesses we can put in. There are 10,000 possible combinations to that safe. Assuming that each entry takes 5 seconds- How about we just look for the safe's code? Where? I bet the message on the safe is actually a hint how to open it. Maybe we can find the numbers if we use the equipment in here. It's worth a shot, I think.I was able to dissuade Sheep and Horse from more extreme plans. Instead, we started frantically using all the workout equipment. Sheep started turning on treadmills. One of them had the number '5' taped on the tread. Horse went around the weight lifting machines and set the stopper at the various weight levels. At each level, he'd look underneath the block he was lifting. Eventually, this method resulted in finding another number. '3'. With some difficulty, I moved the manual weights from their resting places, and under one was the number '5'. Finally, stretching out one of the ropes turned a black smudge into a number '5'. There! That's gotta be all of them. Three 5s and a 3. That's four digits. The only problem now is what order to put them in. Maybe there's something about an ascending level of difficulty? Or is there an order you should generally work out in? Horse, do yo-*beep beep* I heard the sound of the safe opening.  I thought with 2 numbers, it would be more reasonable to just try all the combinations. It was 5535. Oh. Okay then. I guess that makes sense.I was a little annoyed we didn't solve the puzzle 'properly', but Sheep was right to just brute-force it. We didn't need to play along with Brian's games. Well, let's see what's in this bad boy.I reached my hand in and found a blanket of white cloth. Looking at it closer, there was a string of numbers on it. Wrapped in the cloth came an explanation of what this was. "Sheep's Clothing – Sheep Major Trinket. Activate this item, and become a copy of a separate contestant. This will replace your information with theirs. One time use."  So basically, whoever uses this can replace their ability with someone else's. Seems like that could be useful in the race. But it's not a Minor Trinket. No, it's not. Does that mean this was a failure of an exploration? Not at all! We still found an item, and we crossed off a room to search. That in itself is a victory. We don't need to rush. Anyways, I don't think this item's going to have any application. Sheep, since it's your Major Trinket, I guess you can hold onto it. Um, okay.She nervously took ahold of it. The mood in the room was a bit sour. After all that work, we found something that didn't actually seem to be that useful. Still, we couldn't give up hope. So, what's next?[BGM: Silence]  Um, well, that actually took a lot of the time we had this round. Maybe we should input our moves and meet back up in the cafeteria? That's a good idea. Fine. Sheep and I will go to different rooms. You stay here and press the run button. We will meet again at the cafeteria.Horse didn't suggest this so much as he ordered it. And so, he just began walking out of the room. After a moment, Sheep began following him. Once they were gone, I pulled out my tablet and turned it on. There was no need to think much about my choice. I just pressed the RUN button. Afterwards, I returned to the cafeteria. [BGM: Lamb to the Slaughter]  Horse and Sheep arrived shortly after me. We were the first ones back. Horse took a seat by himself at the side of the room. Sheep, on the other hand, approached me. Um... Mouse? Yeah, Sheep? We weren't able to find anything useful, were we? Objectively speaking, I guess not. If things keep going like that... people might get desperate. Maybe. So then, do you think we can trust everyone? I mean, I want to, but...She raised a good point.  This choice only comes up if you explore with Sheep and Horse during Round Two, and it IS one that influences what route you end up on. To get to the route that was voted for, our answer for Sheep is... It may look bleak, but if we can't trust each other, bad things will happen. We can't give up, no matter what. Right... you're right. Thanks for the advice, Mouse. Don't mention it.Right as I said that, the others began walking into the cafeteria. Many of them were in low spirits. I couldn't find anything. Me neither! Are we doomed? Is this it?! I thought I'd at least be able to find one.  Have no fear citizens, for Team Rooster has secured a Minor Trinket. Really? Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Huh. Looks like I wasn't the only one to find one of those things. Dog, did you find a Minor Trinket, too? Yup. Wasn't that hard. Just had to solve a simple problem. Nice work, everyone! We're well on pace to getting out of here. We found an item, but it wasn't a Minor Trinket. It is going to be pretty useless to us getting out.  Do not be discouraged. You found something that Brian hid. That's progress, direct or not.Ox cleared his throat. Yes, yes, we are certainly performing adequately. However, we can talk more about that after these results. Not that I have reason to doubt you all, but I would just feel safer seeing everyone has stuck to the plan. Of course everyone just ran. ...right? Round 2 has ended. Now, let us see how the race has progressed.The round plays out like it did in previous updates- every participant simply RUNs as they did in Round 1. Next update, we'll pick up from the point where people are separating into groups again, and our next route-determinant choice shows up!
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Nov 15, 2022 00:10
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Wow, that trinket sounds really powerful. Both in a good way (one of the "traitor" personalities could become a non traitor one and thus be able to win with everyone, enable strats to help people tie)... or bad (someone becoming the traitor personality, strats to win by becoming Horse or Snake or something). That said my first thought was, if Sheep's ability stays even if she uses the trinket after activating it, was "wow, Ox could win easily by tricking Pig into moving 12 spaces, using Stampede, and having Sheep become Rooster and encouraging him twice for like 19/20 spaces in one round"
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Nov 15, 2022 00:23
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Assuming the "traitor personalities" are still a factor in this route, the players will hopefully realize the value of this Trinket once the Jade Emperor announces said personalities--and the fact that one personality-changing Major Trinket exists makes it clear that there's a possibility of more than one. (Though it's always possible the game-runners will just... not throw the "two personalities can't win with the team" twist in, depending on what happens in the initial rounds.) If there are always two "traitor" personalities, and getting the "golden" ending is just a matter of picking the right exploration/dialogue options, then presumably having someone discover this Major Trinket is one of the required elements of the ideal route. (Unless there are three or more personality-changing trinkets around, but that seems a bit too generous.  )
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Nov 15, 2022 06:53
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It's a bit unclear on what "Will replace your information with theirs" means. Does that mean the board will have 2 of an animal? Which order will they go in? If not, then what, do they share moves and the abandoned piece goes immobile? Either way it would be super obvious on who used it. Second, it doesn't say it replaces your abilities and/or personality, just "Information". If it just...re-skins your tablet that no one else is allowed to look at anyway then what's the point? That said, i wonder if this trinket is always found or if they need mouse there to find it, clearly snake and dog teams manage to solve their puzzles regardless. Tiger/Dragon probably cannot solve theirs since with 2 people they cannot reach the ceiling.
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Nov 15, 2022 07:57
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My assumption is that at the very least using the major trinket would replace your personality and ability with the target's, as those are tied to the data on the devices. Whether it replaces your figure in the race with one too I have no idea, but perhaps it does, as it would be an interesting scenario if the player had to deduce which version of someone is them and which is someone pretending to be them. I definitely agree that the obvious use is letting someone whose personality gets hit with a special rule wiggle their way out of it. If there was another trinket that let you change personalities then we'd theoretically have a way to beat the game the way it currently seems to be set up.
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Nov 15, 2022 14:58
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If it works the same way as the whip multiple people can use the singular trinket and they don't even need a second one
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Nov 15, 2022 15:09
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FoolyCharged posted:If it works the same way as the whip multiple people can use the singular trinket and they don't even need a second one It explicitly says one use. Probably because otherwise it'd be too easy to wiggle out.
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Nov 15, 2022 15:32
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Horse is real and strong and he's my friend.
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Nov 15, 2022 15:38
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 [BGM: Stripes]  The group started chatting and splitting up amongst themselves. I still wasn't feeling totally safe at this school, so I didn't want to be alone. I decided joining one of the pairs would be the best choice. I decided that Pig and Monkey were a safe group to explore with.  Oh, you're going with us? Well, that's great to hear. Indeed. I feel safer searching with someone I have history with, as opposed to a complete stranger.I felt similarly. Unlike some of the other groups, I had zero doubts about whether I could trust these two. Let's not waste any time, then. These Minor Trinkets aren't going to find themselves! Everyone, same deal as last time. Before the end of the round, remember to input a move and meet back up here.  Thanks for the reminder Ox! We'll be sure to listen. Absolutely! Now come on guys, let's get searching!The group split off, and the three of us began to search around the school. So, does anyone have any ideas about where we should look? I hold no strong preferences on this matter. None at all? It is best to move with the wind.  Okay, but what does that mean? It means we've got to make a choice. I don't want to go too far from the cafeteria. How about we search over in this area right next to it? There seems to be a bunch of spaces where you could hide things here. Alright then, let's investigate over there. Let us. And so we investigated the area adjacent to the cafeteria. There were plenty of spaces where it seemed as though secrets could be hidden. Chairs, tables, vending machines. Thoroughly investigating it all took longer than I expected it would. However, before too long, Monkey called us over to an enclosed section of the area with some printers and a lot of papers.  I do believe I have found something of importance. What is it? Between this printer and the wall, there is a safe.[BGM: Dog Days]  Sure enough, Monkey pointed us to said safe. It looks fairly lightweight and cheap. No doubt it is hiding something related to the game. You're totally right, Monkey! Nice going! Oh, but it's probably going to require some sort of passcode, isn't it? Darn it. I knew things couldn't be this easy! Now, now. Do not worry yet. We know not if it is actually locked. What sort of safe isn't locked?! Of course it's locked! It is better to check it first before making any assumptions.Monkey picked the safe up and put it on one of the tables. She then tried to open it. ...Needless to say, the safe was locked. Okay then. So now we know we should be looking for a code. Obviously. The code's probably going to be near where the safe was found, right? So let's just look around here! We began to look all around the printer area. After a bit, I spotted a stack of four papers that caught my eye. They were labeled '1', '2', '3', and '4' in pen in the top right corner. Hey guys, come look at these. I think these papers might be clues to the safe's password. The numbers definitely sort of point to that, I guess. But what are the actual clues? Well, look at the name for this first paper. 'Pal N. Drome'? Like palindromes? That's a pretty bad pseudonym, I've gotta say. But what does the joke name have to do with anything? I read this seemingly nonsense passage, and it turned out that there were 7 palindromes in it. So maybe it's trying to say the number in the 'first' position is '7'. That seems like a bit of a stretch. No, that's totally right. Puzzles are all about this sort of weird, tangentially connected logic. Okay then, what about the other sheets of paper? Well, one's by 'Amby Gram', so that's clearly looking for ambigrams. The one by 'Tauto Nim' is about tautonyms. But I have to admit, I'm not sure what this name's trying to say. 'Joey N. Kang'? Oh! I bet it's looking for Kangaroo words. Kangaroo words? Those are words that have their synonyms written inside themselves. Like, um... 'Isolated' has the word 'sole' inside of it. And 'feast' has the word 'eat' inside of it. Oh, okay. I think I get it. Why not give it a whirl and try looking for them? Monkey and I will handle the other two. Pig handed me the paper. I understood the concept, so I figured it shouldn't be too hard to solve. Now, let's read this passage. 'Any ordinary painter can create works of art that astound and surprise normal citizens. It is only those who can birth living works who possess the potential to truly blossom into masters. Be it a painting of an honorable prince, a helpless damsel, or a devilish trickster, the characters must come alive on the canvas. If the object of the illustration is not seemingly alive, then the creator is no better than a plagiarist.' Hmm... Words that housed synonyms inside themselves, huh? This was harder than I thought it would be. I figured the words probably served the same function in the sentence, meaning they could replace the larger word they were hiding in and little would change. It was also a fair assumption that none of the kangaroo words would be as simple as lopping off a single letter. They might be incredibly difficult to see. I also had to look for words that seemed out of place. Clearly the passage was built to try to fit in certain words. I tried reading it once more. Let's see... It should be obvious, but this is your last chance to scroll back up and try to find the solution yourself before I give it and we continue on.  The correct answer here is 6. There are six kangaroo words: 'astound', which has the word 'stun' in it; 'blossom', which has the word 'bloom' in it; 'honorable', which has the word 'noble' in it; 'damsel', which has 'dame' in it; 'devilish', which has the word 'evil' in it; and 'plagiarist', which has the word 'liar' in it.  Guys, the fourth digit should be 6. The second digit is also supposed to be 6. The third digit is only 3. So, the code should be 7636? There's only one way to find out. Pig was right. I moved over to the safe and inputted the code. 7636. I was greeted by an affirmative beeping indicating our success. Yes! Well done. What, is it open now? The beeping certainly sounded positive. Did it? Pig, are you perhaps hard of hearing? Me? Oh no, no, no, my hearing works completely fine. I just, uh, well, you know, it's kind of a long story. Bascally I have this thing called amusia. Amusia? It means I can hear fine, but I'm not really able to distinguish the pitch of most sounds. Oh no! Yeah, it, uh, it kind of means I am not able to really enjoy music or anything, but that's fine. It also sometimes makes it difficult to pick up on people's tones. That's why I generally have to rely on people's facial expressions to tell how they're thinking. Which, erm, I'm not the best at either. But you know, baby steps. Anyway, enough about me, let's get a look inside the safe! Without another word, Pig leaned over and grabbed the safe's handle. She opened it, and sure enough, there was an item that looked like a token. That is... A Minor Trinket! I bet these digits on the back are what we need to input to activate it!The inscription 'Sheep Minor Trinket' was written on the token, but there were indeed also numbers on the back. It read '4376'. Oddly enough, the 6 was written in red. Odd detail, but probably irrelevant. Yes! We're one step closer to getting out of here together! Spectacular work, everybody.[BGM: Silence]  Since we have found a Trinket, how about we head back to the cafeteria, input our actions for this round, and wait for the others? Makes sense to me. Yeah, I'm down. The round will be ending soon anyways.And so the three of us made our way back into the cafeteria. After that, we briefly split up into separate rooms so we could input actions on our tablet. Of course, I pressed RUN again. No need to hesitate on that front. When I returned to the cafeteria, Pig and Monkey were sitting there. [BGM: Slow Boar]  It was only the three of us there. I realized there actually was quite a bit of time before everyone would be getting here. I hope the others are alright. They probably are. I mean, they have to be, right? There's no way something bad could happen. Although, I guess there's a lot of ways something bad could happen. Ways I've been ignoring thinking about. It's an abandoned high school, after all; we're being kidnapped by a psychopath, we've got deadly devices around our neck, it's a bad bad situation. But if I think about that too much I'm just going to flip so for the sake of argument, there's no way something bad can happen. I don't know. I just want to get out alive. As do I. I think we all want to get out alive. Is there anyone outside that you particularly feel the need to get back to, Mouse? Well, you'd know more than anyone, wouldn't you? True, but I would like you to try to vocalize these thoughts. ...Are you trying to give me therapy in the middle of this death game? Think of it more as a grounding exercise. Okay then. I have my mother, who cares a lot about me. I have my friends, who would be really sad if I died. And I have a bunch of goals that I want to see through before I die! That's the spirit. What about you, Monkey? Why do you want to get out? Me? Well, I suppose my main motivation is my obligation to all my clients. Without my consultation, I fear many may collapse. Although, even with my consultation one clearly did collapse. And there are other therapists, I suppose. So that's it? Don't you have any family or friends you want to see? I was an only child, and I'm not particularly close with my parents. And operating as a solo practitioner of therapy is a very tiring ordeal, so unfortunately my social life has been rather unmaintained. Save for one older confidant, there aren't many people close in my life. That's kind of sad. Perhaps. But I am perfectly capable of living for none other than myself. I prefer to think of it as living untethered. Without any obligations, I can really focus on doing things that interest me. And I have a lot of interests. There's so many fascinating things out in the world, things worth learning about. Monkey's got the right idea! The only reason I want to get out alive is because I want to get out alive! So you don't have any family, Pig? Oh, I've got family. Parents and a bunch of siblings. But I'm not really close with them anymore. What about friends? Friends? With my schedule? I'd have trouble with meeting people if I did spend more than a couple hours a week outside my apartment. I have people I collaborate with on projects frequently, though. Do they count? If you believe they do, then yes. Okay then, I've got tons of friends. That's good to hear. Well, I think no matter our reasons, we all obviously want to get out alive. So let's do our best to work together and make that hope a reality. Well said. Exactly right! Shortly after that conversation, people started to gather back in the cafeteria.A Mouse! There you are. Hey, you won't believe this good news: two more Minor Trinkets have been found. In no small part thanks to yours truly, you're welcome. Guess what? So did we! Nice! Team Trinket-Takers are on a roll, huh? Yes yes, that's all very well and good, now could you all be quiet? They're about to show the race results. Why does it matter? Isn't it obvious what they'll show? Better to keep a close eye on them regardless.[BGM: Silence]  Before that discussion could continue, the speakers cut on. Round 3 has ended. Now, let us see how the race has progressed.
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Nov 17, 2022 03:36
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Hmm, so we're either going down Sheep, Horse, Monkey or Pig's path this time. Probably Sheep, as we found a major trinket and had her hold onto it.
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Nov 17, 2022 04:08
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Ah yes, the last number is written in red, that's probably completely irrelevant.
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Nov 17, 2022 07:34
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Regallion posted:Ah yes, the last number is written in red, that's probably completely irrelevant. There's definitely not going to be some kind of code using red numbers from different trinkets, possibly involving ones found across different routes.
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Nov 17, 2022 14:41
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 We're going to be skipping the results of Round 3 because, like previous updates, everyone simply RUNs again. Therefore, we'll be starting at the Jade Emperor's message after Round 3's results are given... [BGM: Mousetrap]  Before Round 4 begins, I have an announcement to make. What? There is an additional rule I have yet to inform you all of. A quirk of the race, if you will, that you all may be interested in. No doubt those of you who checked the information tab will have noticed you each have a 'personality' assigned. From the Rat to the Pig, each of your personalities are unique to you. Most of you probably dismissed that, and for most of you that was the right choice. However, for two of you, this personality is an incredibly important variable. First up, I'll talk about the DESPERATE personality. The desperate personality wants to finish the race in first place, just like everyone else. However, this personality type isn't content in a big ol' shared victory. For this personality to be satisfied, no more than three animals can tie for first. If this condition isn't satisfied, the animal with this personality will be treated as if they have lost. They will be punished accordingly. Wait, but that means- Are you kidding? That's crazy! No... The other personality to take note of is the CONTENT personality. Unlike the other personalities, this personality doesn't actually wish to win the race. The animal with this personality wants to be in last place when the race finishes. If that happens, all animals except those possessing the DESPERATE personality and those possessing the CONTENT personality will be executed. However, this caveat is not applicable if first place is a tie between 9 or more animals.Like before, the Jade Emperor gives everyone 15 extra minutes to process this new information. [BGM: Silence]   Everyone, calm down. We don't need to descend into chaos. Seems like if there were a time to descend into chaos, now might be the one. After all, we've now got two people who'll stop at nothing to survive. Even if it means letting the rest of us die. That's outrageous! Indeed. Trading 10 lives for one's own is quite selfish. Who cares about the numbers, depriving the world of the culturally significant art I provide is a war crime! It's not unthinkable many would prioritize their own survival. It's merely a Plank of Carneades where the scales are a bit unweighted. Everybody, everybody, settle down. There is no need to resort to panicking.[BGM: Weak Pig]  I have the CONTENT personality.What? Seriously? No way! This is certainly a surprise. You're... admitting it? Naturally I'm admitting it. To not do so would bring the group undue stress, no? Monkey... But, with this, y-you... I struggled to get the words out of my throat. On the one hand, this revelation was a blessing. Monkey was giving herself up to the group. However, that meant that she... that she would certainly die. I had known Monkey for a while. Out of everyone here, she was the person I least wanted to see die. So for her to meet an end like this? What was Brian thinking? My distress must have shown plainly on my face. At ease, Mouse. You must move past this. I need to move past this? What about you? Death will come to us all, eventually. I can't... I can't claim that I am not distraught at this outcome. However, it unfortunately appears I do not have a choice. For the sake of others, even if my body wishes to reject this fate, I will give myself up. Just as I have done all my life. Luckily, I don't need to work up the courage to actually kill myself. I simply must prevent myself from acting untowardly. But will you be able to, though? Rooster? Sure, she's admitting things herself now, but it's probably just a ploy, right? She's clearing herself from suspicion by confessing, so when things go wrong later, we won't blame her. That's not it at all! How could you say that about Monkey? Monkey, you may have our backs right now, but can the same be said about later, when you're really facing death head on? Seriously, guys? That'll be a lot harder than it sounds, I think. It sounds impossible, actually. So what do you suggest? You should all kill me now? That since I am going to die anyways, there's no reason to not stab me at this very moment? That would be barbaric. Yeah! We'll just restrain you so you can't do anything suspicious. Yea- We will? Horse, would you be a doll?Horse looked at Rooster for a moment, as if considering the proposal. Then, he made his way towards Monkey. Immediately, I intervened. Woah, woah, woah! What are you doing? I'm going to restrain her. Why are we doing that? Did we not just discuss this matter? No, Rooster just said some dumb poo poo per usual, and everyone seemingly went along with it! This is an outrage, Monkey doesn't deserve this at all! Now now, Mouse. There's no reason to be upset. If they would feel safer were I restrained, I see no reason to refuse that. Great! Thanks for your approval, babe. ...can I rescind my approval? Nope. Anyways, I thought I saw some jump rope up in the gymnasium. Why don't we tie her up on a chair with some of that? That will work well enough.And just like that, the plan to restrain Monkey was put into motion. [BGM: See No Evil]  Before we knew it, Monkey was firmly tied to a chair in the middle of the cafeteria. Rooster seemed to take particular delight in the restraining process, a mildly concerning fact.  Now, this should certainly satisfy everybody's fears. Now then, I would ask the DESPERATE personality to also confess at this point. I understand how scared you are, but know that we are all here for you. Things will go much better if you speak up now.Monkey's voice was inspiring. However, her words fell flat. The rest of the room stayed silent. Come now, surely you can speak up now. Save it. While I admire your bravery and willingness to sacrifice, most aren't willing to give up on everything in their life just to help some strangers. Unfortunately, this is kind of the expected result. I see. If it was a matter of actively betraying the group, most would shudder from action. However, when action leads to one's death, betrayal by inaction is much more palatable. So then what are we going to do? We don't need to change our strategy at all. We now just need to gather 11 Minor Trinkets instead of 12. Then we can all cross the finish line at the same time. But won't the person with the desperate personality try and reach the finish line before that? What if it's, say, Pig? Me? I-It's not me! It was an example. You could use your ability and rush ahead 11 spaces. That puts you way in the front! That would be much akin to getting Check in chess by crashing your Queen through the line of pawns. A move that temporarily gets you in the lead, but will immediately end your chances of success. If Pig makes her intent to betray the group clear from the start, the whole group will team up and make sure she doesn't beat us. Therefore, it would be in her best interest to hide for the time being, and look for some other opportunity to win in one strike. Stop talking about me l-like I'm going to betray the group! The bottom line is that if we all stick to the plan, and nothing major goes awry, then the traitor won't have an opportunity to cross the finish line alone. Therefore, we should focus on searching for the Minor Trinkets.  Let us split up and search for them now. Hold on a moment- that was an odd suggestion. What do you mean? The person with the DESPERATE personality is still at large. Splitting up seems like a rather dangerous idea, given the circumstances. I don't know what you're talking about. A single person can't do much on their own. What's dangerous is not finding enough Minor Trinkets in time. We have ample time, and have been making fine progress. Splitting up only increases the risk posed. Bad things could happen if everybody is split up. I doubt it. We're in a school, and everyone's on guard. A naive take. Excuse me? I must say Ox, it feels weird for me to be this aggressive, but your suggestion strikes me as rather suspicious. It's the type of thing that someone plotting something would say. Is that so? It appears that even tied up, you intend to sew discord. For everyone's information, I am the last person who would do anything untoward in this building. If you're accusing me of being the other traitor, Monkey, I'll have you know you're gravely mistaken. I never said you were a traitor. I just said the proposal sounded like you were scheming something. …Things could take an ugly turn if somebody didn't step in quick. It felt a bit bad, but in this argument, I had to support...  Here we find ourselves at another route-determinant choice. For the route that was voted on, the person we have to side with is...[BGM: Rooster Style]  Monkey, I think you're going a bit far. Ox's suggestion is perfectly benign. I don't think you can say he's planning anything because of that. Ah, apologies. I may have overstepped my bounds there. I mean no offense, Ox. Just on the lookout. It's fine. Anyways, Ox is probably right. The sooner we find the Minor Trinkets, the sooner we can get out of this place. I say splitting up is the way to go. I agree, it makes a lot of sense. Same with me. Very well then, it appears the group has made a decision. It's not my place to intrude. With the objective of finding Minor Trinkets clear, we all split off, planning to reconvene in the cafeteria at the end of Round 6. Hopefully, we'd have found 10 or 11 Trinkets by then. And like that, we'd be home free.
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Nov 22, 2022 01:54
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Monkey going to manipulate everyone from that chair like a pajama pants Hannibal Lecter. I feel bad for our zodiac, but this is tremendous Content.
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Nov 22, 2022 02:01
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Splitting up for 3 rounds... what could go wrong? It would be fitting that Pig is DESPERATE since her ability is called Loser's Desperation. Anyway, Monkey can't survive being tied up for 3 rounds, can she? How will she use her tablet? This seems like a plot hole, but let's just roll with how she's going to survive and take everybody else out along the way.
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Nov 22, 2022 03:36
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So nobody mentioned the artifact that could save a life? Uh, guys? That thing sheep is holding?
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Nov 22, 2022 03:54
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FoolyCharged posted:So nobody mentioned the artifact that could save a life? Uh, guys? That thing sheep is holding? You can't use it without knowing that the person who you copy is safe. We know that Monkey is almost certainly one of the personalities (though which personality is up for debate - this could just be a clever ploy), but we don't know who the other is. Given that everyone at this stage is still just using RUN every round because they don't trust each other enough to sync up their powers properly, there's not a whole lot of trust to actually be had here.
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Nov 22, 2022 04:27
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Explosions posted:Monkey going to manipulate everyone from that chair like a pajama pants Hannibal Lecter. I'm about 60% sure this is Monkey's route. The 40% I'm not sure about - why did Monkey just give herself up so easily? She could've easily gone around and put ideas in their heads without being restrained. Maybe being tied up gives her a psychological edge?
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Nov 22, 2022 05:48
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If this is a route split, I suspect it is not Monkey's route as I imagine Monkey's route involves going along with her suggestion to not split up. This will probably be the route of whoever has the Desperate personality (this is all assuming Monkey isn't lying about her personality for some reason, which is still a possibility).
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Nov 22, 2022 14:55
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 [BGM: Rooster Style]  For my part, I decided to check around the second floor. I hadn't looked in the classrooms on that floor enough, so I tried poking around as much as I could.  In this one math classroom in particular, I really tried to check every single nook and cranny. The room seemed significant, so I thought I might find something here. However, a thorough search turned up nothing. I wasn't able to look in the room's closet, but that seemed to be locked by the school, not the Jade Emperor. Beyond that, I covered every inch of the room. I even got up on a desk and looked at the ceiling tiles. The ceiling tiles throughout the whole building were interesting. They were connected to a grid, and if you pushed hard, you could break them off the grid. Pushing up on those tiles revealed a little dark area between this ceiling and the ground of the floor above. Nothing was up there, not to my surprise. Honestly, I checked that area more out of curiosity than anything else. Hmm... So, where to look next? I suppose this hallway is as good as anywhere else. [BGM: Slow Boar]  I made my way into what looked to be a Spanish classroom, when I ran into somebody. Oh, Sheep. Didn't expect to see you here. Mouse! So, you're looking around here too? Indeed I am. Care to search together for a bit? You d-don't mind me hanging around you? Not as long as you remember to keep your mouth shut. I, uh, wh- I'm kidding, obviously. Gosh, Sheep, you really have to learn to take a joke. Oh, right. Of course. Anyways, have you found anything yet? You seem to have already been searching the classroom quite a bit. Oh, well, I have found a few things that are odd. The globe on this desk, for instance. It's, um, it's not actually accurate. The whole thing is flipped horizontally, for some reason. So the globe's a misprint? I guess so? I also found a deck of cards sitting on the teacher's desk. There were some marks on the sides of the cards, if that matters. Maybe they were used in a rigged gamble. You think? No, of course not. Oh. Find anything else? Oh, well, I'm not sure if this is anything, but I can't help but take notice of the student list for this class. I mean, there's a list of 20 names, but each name has a student number listed next to it. And they're all out of order. So that's weird. And that's it, that's all you've found? Yeah. Are you, uh, disappointed? Not really. This is to be expected. It is? Let's just keep looking around. Maybe we'll find something useful. Got it.With that, we went to work looking around the room for anything Brian might've hid. You know, Sheep really had a sharp eye to catch those odd details. Which made the fact that she didn't find the rather large and obvious safe before me even more peculiar. It wasn't hidden that well, just behind some textbooks. Well, here's something. Good eye, Mouse! Look what's written on the tape attached to this safe. '1058S112C139HD246711.' What is that? It could be a hint for the safe's passcode. Well, obviously. I mean what is the hint? Oh. Uh, I don't know. I know you don't, it was rhetorical. … Man, these safes really are everywhere. Wonder if Brian got a discount when he ordered these in bulk. … '1058S112C139HD246711.' '1058S112C139HD246711.' No, it's not ringing any bells. … Although... Sheep, it seems like your previous search wasn't a waste of time after all. It wasn't? No! Well, most of it was. But there was something you mentioned that is useful. This puzzle is.... a weird one to figure out, if I'm being honest, so I don't really expect anyone to actually try to solve it... Also, we only encounter this puzzle on this specific route, for whatever reason. It's also the only puzzle where they don't solve it immediately if Mouse gets it wrong- in this particular case, Mouse just gives Sheep her thought on how to solve it and leaves her alone to do it herself, and in a later scene Sheep mentions she did eventually figure it out but that Mouse's suggestion was wrong. Anyway, if you DO want to try to solve it, stop scrolling here!  The deck of cards needs to be properly arranged if we want to see what it's really telling us. Really telling us? Look, this isn't a random string of numbers and letters. It's actually two strings combined together. First, there's the string '10 5 8 1 12 13 9 2 4 6 7 11'. That's referring to the 13 card ranks. 1 is a stand-in for the Ace, while 11 through 13 is Jack through King. Mushed in there is also 'S C H D.' Spades, Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds, in that order. What it wants us to do is arrange the four suits' cards in the first string's order. Then we put the four stacks of suits in the order of the second string. And that'll give us? That'll give us the code, silly. Look, just watch me.I went and grabbed the deck of cards Sheep had pointed out, and began organizing them on a nearby desk. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would to organize everything. Once I had put the cards in order, I looked at the side of the deck. Sure enough, the seemingly random marks now revealed themselves to be a code. '4005'. I went over to the safe and punched those digits in. Voila. Great work, Mouse! I try. Anyways, let's see what we have here.I reached in and found a vial of some clear liquid, with digits on the top. I also grabbed a printed out note. I began to read it aloud. ”Kavka's Toxin. Use this item once per round on any player not in front of you in the race. By doing so, they will be notified that they have been 'poisoned'. They will know that they will die at the end of the next round, unless they find the 'antidote'. The 'antidote' they need to drink will be randomly selected from a variety of pre-selected options. However, the fact of the matter is, the antidote will doom them, not save them. If the victim calmly accepts their fate and intends to die, nothing will happen to them. However, if at any point, they drink the 'antidote', they shall be executed.'  So... I'm not loving this. This is... a horrible item! Yeah, this one really blows. But hey, at least we found it before the traitor, right? I guess. Look, I'll hold onto the vial, and I'll just not look at the numbers on it, okay? Okay.I pocketed the vial and the note. I doubted either would be useful, but better safe than sorry. [BGM: Silence]  Well... looks like we found all this room has to offer. Looks like it. Guess we should split up and keep searching the school. Guess so. You know what I like about you Sheep? You're easy. …With that, we both made our way out of the classroom and began walking in separate directions. Since it was nearly the end of the round, I found a nearby classroom and took out my tablet. At this point, I wasn't even giving the options a second thought. What to do? Easy, click the RUN button. Simple as that, really. Afterwards, I thought about where else to look. I figured the third floor hadn't been covered much, so I decided to make my way there up the nearby staircase. [BGM: Cock a Doodle Doo]  Wandering the third floor hallway, I ran into Rooster. Oh, Rooster. Nice to see you up here. Likewise, Mouse. I must say, no disrespect to our dear friend Ox, but splitting up has made things awfully dreary. I haven't seen another soul in quite some time. Think of how many possible words I have left unspoken due to my solitude! Truly, it's a crime to rob the world of your conversation. Yes, you get it Mouse. Well, want to search around here together for a bit? I know splitting up is more efficient, but there's no harm in working together for a time. Ah, breaking protocol, are we? I love it. Let's let out our inner bad boys. Let's. Come, I was just about to check out this classroom.I followed Rooster into a nearby classroom.  It was a nice American History classroom. There was a thick carpet on the ground, various desks strewn about, and a bunch of dates and terms written on the whiteboard. Without much delay, we got to looking around the room. It didn't take long before I found a familiar looking safe in a closet. Hey, Rooster! I think I found something. Ooh, what is it? Another safe. Oh, and written in tape on the top is a message. '# of Mistakes.' That must be the hint.While Rooster made his way to the safe, I turned around and looked at the whiteboard. I knew what to do. Okay, this is simple. We need to look out for the 'numbers' that are actually 'mistakes'. It's a four digit code, so there's probably four of them. There's a lot of dates written here. Some of them have got to be wrong, and that's what we need to look at. Unfortunately, I'm a little rusty on my American history. Looking at things sequentially, it seems as though everything's in order. Which means we have windows in which the inaccuracies could be operating in. Say, do you see any good textbooks? We could probably cross-reference all of this with one of tho-*beep beep*  I heard the clicking sound of a safe opening. I turned around, and to my surprise Rooster had already managed to open the safe. What the... Rooster, what did you do? Who, me? Oh, sorry, you were saying a lot of stuff that seemed boring, so I kind of tuned you out. I do that a lot. Anyways, the tape said 'number of mistakes', so I guessed the password would probably be the number of mistakes on the whiteboard. There probably couldn't be too many mistakes, so I started with 0000, then went 0001 and kept making my way up. Turns out there were 4 mistakes, because 0004 worked. … … … Good work, Rooster. Well thought out. Aw, thanks! Now, let's check the safe.Without another word, I pushed by Rooster towards the safe. I looked inside, and saw two things of note. One was a needle, the type you might find in a sewing kit or a medical pack or something. A rather benign object, but its presence in the safe drew my concern. [BGM: Silence]  What was more concerning was the sheet of paper I saw sitting in the safe. Great, another note of Brian's. I grabbed it to see what was written on it, but immediately something jumped out at me. Unlike, the previous message, this was not typed out, but written out in... blood. Creepy... I guess Brian wanted to 'set the scene'. That theory was concerned as I read the title of this sheet of paper. [BGM: Sleepy Sheep]  How to Perform The Ending Ritual Fun. I decided to read more. 'First, the stage must be set. 12 chairs, one for each animal, shall be placed about the room. The first will align with the red stars. The rest shall be 3 feet from the others, in a perfect circle. In the center, a stool shall rest. On it will lie the ritual needle and a bucket of oil. Before it begins, no light shall be able to enter the room. Once the darkness has taken over, the animals shall find their spots. The Mouse will sit on the stars, the rest in order, with one key exception. The Monkey and Sheep must not be in contact, so they shall each trade places with their other partner. When everyone is in position, the circle shall be completed, all hand in hand. Then, the choir of the damned shall begin to sing. Under their chorus, no others shall make a sound. Instead, the Mouse shall make their way to the center and bleed into the gathering pot. After returning to their position, the next in line shall follow, and so the clock will dictate. When all have contributed an equal amount of their essence, the choir shall fall silent, and the ritual shall be complete. If successful, at the end of the round, every single animal shall proceed to the final space. Be warned, this tome is a precious gift. The ritual may only be attempted once, so take caution.' Mix. fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Dec 2, 2022 |
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Nov 24, 2022 01:56
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Man, Mouse is a jerk to Sheep on this route! It's weirdly inconsistent with how they've acted otherwise.
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Nov 24, 2022 02:13
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 that ritual sure… sounds like a thing.
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Nov 24, 2022 02:17
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Podima posted:Man, Mouse is a jerk to Sheep on this route! It's weirdly inconsistent with how they've acted otherwise. Yeah I was kind of taken aback at how much of a jerk Mouse is to Sheep, given that otherwise she's been fairly even-keel. This game has a lot of great moments- Rooster opening the safe made me laugh out loud.
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Nov 24, 2022 02:33
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Do we have anything you brove that mouse hasn't been replaced by a body snatcher this route? Gonna go all  and declare that first artifact swaps more than just your game trait. I know it's completely out of character for the game, but it's a fun explanation for why mouse suddenly became a complete rear end in a top hat and I'm sticking to it.
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Nov 24, 2022 03:14
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Agreed on Mouse being weirdly antagonistic towards Sheep this update. (Now I'm wondering if Sheep's the Desperate personality, and might specifically call out Mouse/anyone else who's been rude to her after her personality is revealed. But having Mouse be uncharacteristically rude to Sheep in this route to provide a dubious rationale for Desperate-Sheep to seek a victory that kills other players when she's holding an artifact that would let her share victory with ten other players seems like poor writing, so I'm hoping that's not the way things go.) The existence of the ritual does point to a way everyone could get out at once... as long as it got found before the rule change was announced, as it appears that it requires everyone to be A) alive and B) willing to cooperate. It is interesting that the ritual refers to "Mouse" rather than "Rat"--it appears to be another indicator that the game-runner can predict the players' actions with high accuracy (since the animal in the zodiac legend is a rat--Mouse is only Mouse because she didn't want to be referred to as a rat.) I also note that there was only one pin provided. Hopefully none of the players have any blood-borne illnesses, because that's just not sanitary.
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Nov 24, 2022 05:11
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