Vampire V - Paris By Night Recruitment, Rules & Roles Thread

[Helgraf]

Helgraf and RabbitHoleLost present...

WARNING: I am -extremely- likely to lose power or worse as a result of Hurricane Irene, which is going to blow right by/over where I live based on current projections (Coastal NJ).

While I'm pretty sure I'm dead in all the WW games I was playing, this does mean that Vampire will very very likely be delayed until I have power again.

RECRUITMENT IS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED

ROLE AND FACTION PMS SENT. IF YOU ARE ON THE PLAYERLIST AND DID NOT GET A ROLE PM, PM HELGRAF ASAP. IF YOU ARE ON THE PLAYERLIST AND DID NOT GET A FACTION PM THIS WAS INTENTIONAL.

Vampire V: Paris By Night

Paris ... the City of Lights. Lights that burn low, guttering in the night, casting long shadows that do nothing to burn away the night fears of her people.

And Paris is full of frightened people - frightened people paradoxically willing to take bold and ruthless action.

The Church and its grand Cathedral. The Inquisition and its Question Den. They circle one another and the populace they both claim to serve warily.

The University students, minds afire with the concepts of democracy, liberty and fraternity. The Nobles in their Salons, who wish to keep things as they are, with them firmly on top of the heap and keeping things running quietly, if not necessarily well.

The Gypsy folk, reviled by many, yet sought out for their perceived wisdom and insight into peoples' futures.

The owners and workers of the Paris Opera House; struggling to find an acceptable equilibrium between patronage and freedom ... and the madman beneath with his own vendettas to settle.

All of these, any of these might have set the spark that set Paris burning.

Then, in the dead of night, a wagon comes through the city gates. It is delivered to a building much like any other on its street. Not even an hour later, another man enters Paris, reporting to the Gendarmes. This man is the legendary Van Helsing - and he tells them a tale of horror, perversion and morbid death.

The spark is lit. Can you keep Paris from burning?

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Welcome all to the Vampire V Rules, Roles and Recruitment Thread. Here is where all the basics of the game will be posted. Public rules specific to given roles will be listed with those roles.

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The Rules

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The basics of the game still follow core Werewolf-style game rules. Each day is divided into two phases, day phase (when lynch votes and a very small number of actions occur) and night phase (when most actions are submitted and the vampire night kill is attempted). Some clarifications specific to this game follow.

Voting Phase Rules
Each day, everyone must vote to lynch another player. Failure to vote for 2 voting phases will result in autolynch at the end of the second day's voting phase; if you will be away, it is highly recommended you let us know this fact so we can account for it. Useless votes do not count as a vote for avoiding autolynch. The following vote types will not count and will not protect you from autolynch:
Votes that do not specify a player’s name (such as but not limited to the player above me [TPAM] , the player below me [TPBM])
Votes for a currently known deceased player (one whose death has been annouced in the game thread in a day or night summary).
Voting for yourself - Regardless of whether or not you have a reason for doing this (and you may), attempted suicide will count as a non-vote and will put you at risk for auto-lynch. In short, don't vote for yourself two days in a row, nor on a day where you failed to vote the day before.
Autolynch Replacement
This game does not feature autolynch replacement - it is quite complex enough already.
Tied Vote
In the event of a tied vote, and without other circumstances in play, the first person to have reached the number of votes required for the lynch shall be the victim.
Unexpected Lynch Results
When a lynching does not match the visible vote pattern, that is because there are several roles and events that can manipulate the results of the lynch.
Scry Interference
Scry Interference is in full effect. If two or more scrys are used on the same target in the same phase, all scrys on that target will fail. Limited use scrys will fail but will not be expended.
Actions (Abilities, Effects and Item Use)
All private actions, regardless of whether they are used in day or night phase must be sent via PM to all narrators for this game. Failure to do so will result in your action not being processed. Only if one of the narrators PM boxes is full will there be an exception made.
Conditions
Conditions are things that happen to you - mostly bad, and a few both good and bad - that linger either for a set number of full days or until they are successfully treated. They tend to make abilities less reliable, or cause you not to be able to vote for a while. By and large, they are gained as consequences of poor performance during an event.
Night Actions
Speed of submission of actions has no impact on the success of actions. Disguising effects trump scrying effects, bane effects trump kill effects; regardless of when in the night they were submitted so long as they are submitted before the narrators post the "end of night" message (after which there will be some time before the night narration is posted for the narrators to ensure that everything is properly ironed out).
Standing Orders
If your role has an Ability usable every night, you may set a Standing Order with the narrators to indicate how it will be used, however, you must re-issue the standing order again anytime you deviate from the Standing Order to target a different player. As with all ability PMs, it must be sent to all narrators of this game to be deemed effective.
Returning from the Dead
When someone is returned from the dead, their affiliation and role (if any) are randomized. It is possible that they will gain a role from someone who died. Yes, it is possible for someone with Vampire affiliation to return with Parisian affiliation, and vice versa. Yes, the narrators are aware of how this could be game-breaking if not carefully controlled. Yes, rules are in place to ensure this doesn't happen.
Destroyed
If a player's character is destroyed (or their dead body is destroyed) that player cannot be returned to life. This effect will be specifically called out in the narration if it occurs - otherwise Dead just means dead (eligible for resurrection as normal).
Events
Events are complications in the story - they generally will fall into one of three categories - Social, Combatative, or Opportunistic. The event will be described when it begins; courses of action (sometimes with assessment of risk/reward noted, sometimes not) will be suggested. Other options are available. Sometimes, opting not to be involved may be the best choice for certain players. Generally, events will give the opportunity to gain items, special powers (temporary or occasionally permanent), or control of a location in Paris, but they can also afflict poor performers with Conditions - if the danger is severe enough, the possibility of death is there. Events will typically either be Single-Night or Ongoing (and will typically be identified as to which duration when they start).
There will be two pre-set events; Open Discourse 1 and Open Discourse 2, where the people of Paris will meet to discuss the situations of the day and give support to those they trust most, or perhaps wish to secure later favors from.
Other events will occur or not occur as the game unfolds.
Items
Players may well find themselves in the possession of useful favors. Here are but a sample of the things that might be acquired.

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Crucifix This item has a 25% chance of repelling a vampire if the user is attacked. It is destroyed either way afterward.
Intervention When used, the target cannot be lynched the next day as they are saved at the last minute by the intervention of a higher authority.
Medical Assistance When used, the target loses one condition (or diminishes its severity one grade).

Something to Consider
Vampire is similar to Llama Llama Duck in that it is designed to promote the unknown factor; to make it harder to find your enemies by spreadsheet like dedication. There are a number of elements in play to support this goal. Unlike LLD, the mood is not meant to be one of humor; what humor might be found will certainly be a darker type.

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Roles & Role PMs

While there are 18 roles besides Parisian and Vampire available, the number that will actually be used depends on the number of players who sign up - some roles will be cropped if the signup list is less than 40 players.

To make Role PM flashing a nearly useless tactic, I'm putting the Role PMs here for everyone to look at.
Vampire Only roles will be listed in Dark Red.
Parisian Only roles will be listed in Green.
Roles that can be on either side will be listed in Blue.

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Dracula

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Lord of the Vampires, Dracula suffered a significant setback during the events of the Song of Night. He fled to Paris, where he is seeking to regain his former position and prestige.
Victory Condition: Reduce the number of parisians to equal or less than that of the vampires. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability: – Recruitment – Dracula can choose to void the normal vampire kill to attempt to create a new vampire. The recruitment may be refused; certain roles will automatically refuse for purposes of game balance. Other roles may find their abilities change if they become a vampire. Once recruitment has been used, it cannot be used again until 3 nights later.
Effect: – Eternal – If Dracula is destroyed, he will return from death at the beginning of the fourth night after his death by replacing one of the other vampires in the game. In effect, the other vampire will gain the Dracula role. However, Dracula does not maintain his old coven if this occurs, though he may become part of an existing coven depending on whom he replaces.
Night Kill: Takes part in the nightly kill vote as a regular vampire.
Targeting: Scry as Monster. Strong Scry as Vampire/Dracula.

Nosferatu

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You are the Nosferatu. While Dracula was tending to business elsewhere, you kept an eye on the Parisian situation. Unfortunately, due to a recent Inquisition raid, you lost access to your private library of blackmail and secrets. Because of this, like all of the vampires, you start the game not knowing the whereabouts of the others.
Victory Condition: Reduce the number of parisians to equal or less than that of the vampires. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability: – Strong Scry – Scries target, learning all role information (including Faction, if any). If the Nosferatu scries another vampire, a coven is formed at night’s end (or an existing coven grows larger by addition of the Nosferatu to its ranks).
Effect: – Kingmaker – If Dracula is slain while Nosferatu is still alive, Nosferatu may instead of using Strong Scry, nominate one known vampire (excluding Nosferatu) to the position of Dracula, in effect giving that Vampire the Dracula role at the end of that night, instead of having to wait four nights per Dracula's Eternal Effect.
Night Kill: Takes part in the nightly kill vote as a regular vampire.
Targeting: Scry as Psychic. Strong Scry as Vampire/Nosferatu.

Beast

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You are the Beast; more animal than human, primal and ancient. You serve Dracula because he ensures you get to feed how you want, when you want. You neither know, nor care whom the other vampires in Paris might be, and so do not start with that information.
Victory Condition: Reduce the number of parisians to equal or less than that of the vampires. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability: – Retaliation – When an effect kills you, you will take someone out with you; either the originator of the kill effect, your choice of those who voted to lynch you, if lynched, or a random player if you are killed as a result of an event. The victim is considered Destroyed.
Effect: – None
Night Kill: Takes part in the nightly kill vote as a regular vampire.
Targeting: Scry as Monster. Strong Scry as Vampire/Beast.

Vampire

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You are a Vampire. Your goal is to take control of Paris once more through whatever means are neccesary. Like all of the vampires, you start the game not knowing the whereabouts of your fellows or your master or the Nosferatu.
Victory Condition: Reduce the number of parisians to equal or less than that of the vampires. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability: – None
Effect: – None
Night Kill: Takes part in the nightly kill vote as a regular vampire.
Targeting: Scry as Monster. Strong Scry as Vampire/(Secondary Role).

Star-crossed

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You are one of the Star-crossed. Your goal is to find your soulmate and survive with them through the oncoming storm. The Star-crossed consist of one Parisian and one vampire. Your star-crossed is <playername here>.
Primary Victory Condition: The Star-crossed Victory condition is modified: they do not count as vampires or Parisians for determining overall victory. If one of the star-crossed is the lynchpin Parisian, the vampires win and the star-crossed win. If one of the star-crossed is the last remaining vampire, the Parisians win and the lovers win. Your affiliations may give you secondary win conditions.
Ability: – None
Effect: – I will save you – If the Star-crossed vampire is in a coven that attacks the Star-crossed Parisian, the night kill will be shifted to the next most appropriate target instead. If the Star-crossed Parisian points at the Star-crossed vampire , and theStar-crossed vampire would otherwise be lynched, the lynch is shifted to the next most appropriate target.
Effect: – Greater than the sum – When working on the same task in an event, the Star-crossed gain a bonus to their chances for success.
Night Kill: The Star-crossed Vampire casts votes for the night kill as normal for a Vampire.
Targeting: Star-crossed Vampire: Scry as Monster. Strong Scries as Vampire/Star-crossed.
Star-crossed Parisian: Scry as Parisian. Strong Scries as Parisian/Star-crossed.

Parisian

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You are a Parisian. Your goal is survival - and possibly social elevation. While you start off without an affiliation, this can change with ease.
Primary Victory Condition: Eliminate the monsters infiltrating Paris. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability – None
Effect – Knack for Success – All Parisians without a secondary role gain a small bonus when participating in events.
Targeting: Scries as a Parisian. Strong Scries as Parisian/(secondary role, if any)

Poirot / Clouseau

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You are the famous investigator Poirot. Having returned to Paris after investigating a number of puzzling occurances, you discover that home has become as dangerous as overseas.
Unless, of course, you are actually the bumbling idiot Inspector Clouseau. In which case, you believe yourself to be Poirot due to a sharp blow to the head administered by your manservant Kato Fong.
Primary Victory Condition: Eliminate the monsters infiltrating Paris. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability (Poirot): – Accurate Scry – Poirot will learn the target’s Affiliation with total accuracy [Villager, Neutral, Vampire, Psychic] unless an event, item or power is disguising that information.
Ability (Clouseau): – Inaccurate Scry Clouseau will learn the target's Affiliation with crapshoot accuracy [Villager, Neutral, Vampire, Psychic] - a disguise will still fool him even if he gets 'lucky'.
Effect: – Deep Research Deep Research must be performed for 2 nights in a row in place of a Scry; the next Scry performed afterward will reveal the target's Affliation and Role Name. This scry is as accurate as your regular one.
Targeting: Scries as a Psychic. Strong Scries as Psychic/Poirot or Psychic/Clouseau as appropriate.

Van Helsing

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You are the Van Helsing. Your goal is to protect humanity from the threat of the Vampire - a threat you are sorely underequipped to match in the long run.
Primary Victory Condition: Eliminate the monsters infiltrating Paris. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability: – Lorekeeper – Van Helsing chooses one target each night. That target is rendered immune to death effects during that night phase. Repeated use on the same subject on consecutive nights will reduce its effectiveness.
Effect: – None
Targeting: Scries as Parisian. Strong Scries as Parisian/Van Helsing

High Magistrate

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You are the High Magistrate, whose words and writs carry the weight of L'Emperuer's Law behind them. Your task is to attempt to keep civilian casualties to a minimum while dealing with the assorted horrors of the city.
Primary Victory Condition: Eliminate the monsters infiltrating Paris. Your affiliation may give you a secondary win condition.
Ability: – Magistrates’s Writ – The High Magister chooses one target each night. That target is rendered immune to death effects during the next day phase. Repeated use on the same subject on consecutive days will reduce its effectiveness.
Effect: – None
Targeting: Scries as Parisian. Strong Scries as Parisian/High Magister

Feuders

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You are one of the Feuders; a pair of Parisians whose hatred runs so deep that it eclipses all other motivations. Your goal is to ensure your rival doesn't survive, and then survive yourself. Your rival is <Playername>.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Victory Condition Restriction: Does not win when victory condition achieved unless the other Feuder is dead.
Alternate Victory Condition: If each feuder dies and both are brought back to life, they settle their differences claiming victory. From that point on, their victory condition restriction is removed.
Ability: – None
Effect: – Eloquent Hatred – Your lynch vote counts double when used on your opposite number. If both Feuders choose the same task during an event, they both suffer penalties to their effectiveness due to the inability to resist trying to sabotage or one-up their rival.
Effect: – Strength in Unity – If the Feuders attain their Alternate Victory Condition, Eloquent Hatred is replaced with Strength in Unity. When both Feuders point at the same lynch target, it counts as three votes against that target. Also, they gain a bonus when both performing the same task during an event.
Targeting: Scries as Parisian. Strong Scries as Parisian/Feuder.

FOR ALL BLUE ROLES: When Affiliation is listed as part of a scry result, substitute Vampire or Parisian as appropriate.
Resurrectionist

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You are the Resurrectionist - through intensive study of forbidden arts and sciences, you have learned the secret of returning the recently deceased to life.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Resurrection – Once every three nights (starting as early as night one) the necromancer may return a player from the dead. (See rules on Resurrection earlier). Anyone raised by this power gains the Discomforting Aura condition.
Effect: – No Mortal Cause – The Resurrectionist scries as no faction and automatically refuses faction recruitment effects.
Targeting: Scries as Affiliation. Strong Scries as Affiliation/Necromancer.

Blood Magus

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You are the Blood Magus; your command over the sanguine humour is absolute; and you have developed great powers relating to it.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Power of the Blood – The Blood Magus gains access to four incantations. Each may be used up to twice per game; but at least one other effect must be used before one can use a given ability a second time, and no player may be targetted by two effects in a row.
Blood Incantations

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Blood Boil: Blood Boil may be manifested during the night phase to protect a target player from being killed during the night. In the event that the target player is attacked that night, the target's assailiant's blood boils - causing the attacker to cry out in horrible pain, drawing attention to the attack. There is a chance that one member of the attacking group will be revealed to the target - if the death effect comes from a single player, that player may be revealed. If it comes from a group (such as the vampires in the winning coven's night kill attempt, or a faction based kill effect) then a member of the appropriate group may be revealed.
Blood Shield: A Blood Shield can be created during the voting phase, at any time before the voting phase ends, to protect a target from lynching. You must PM the narrators before the end of the voting phase.
Suicide: This powerful incantation, which can be cast in either phase, causes the target to commit suicide by whatever means at their disposal. It is countered by anything that would normally counter a death during the appropriate phase.
Brainwipe: Target may not post in thread, nor use any abilities for the next full day and night. This cannot force an auto lynch.

Targeting: Scries as Affiliation. Strong Scries as Affiliation/Blood Magus

The Farspeaker

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You are The Farspeaker; a ritual occultist who has bargained and wrestled with creatures beyond the comprehension of mankind. You share the maddening insights you have made, granting temporary power to others to lure them to follow your path.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Lucidity of Madness – Choose a target each night - you can choose yourself. The entities between worlds will visit your target and grant it the blessing of its presence, causing one random effect to manifest upon the target from the full list of all abilities in the game – even ones whose matching role is not being used if the game's playerbase is too small.
Targeting: Scries as Affiliation. Strong Scries as Affiliation/Farspeaker

The Illusionist

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You are the Illusionist. Your combination of sleight of hand, disguise and mesmerism can make animals talk and the wise fall silent. For you, masking a man in the guise of a woman is child's play; you can transform anyone to make them seem like whomever you wish.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Glamour – Each night, the illusionist can target one player and change their affiliation and role for the purposes of scrying effects. The change lasts until the next nightfall.
Targeting: Scries as Affiliation, Strong scries as Affiliation/Illusionist.

Master Politician

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You are the Master Politician. Yours is the golden tongue, the silk glove; the hidden deal and the master plan. People follow your lead rather than risk becoming your enemy.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Born Leader – Your vote counts as 3 during lynches.
Targeting: Scries as Affiliation, Strong scries as Affiliation/Master Politician. As a fairly public figure, your role will be public on death.

Rabble Rouser

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You are the Rabble Rouser. While a noble, your sympathy for the commoners has made you something of an odd bird among the nobles. Still, your influence with the lower classes occasionally proves useful to one of your fellows and you retain extra favor because of it. Should the Master Politician meet an unfortunate end, you would slide into their shoes with ease.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Sway the Masses – Your vote counts as 2 during lynches. If the Master Politician dies while you still live, you lose this role and gain that one.
Targeting: Scries as Affiliation, Strong scries as Affiliation/Rabble Rouser. As a fairly public figure, your role will be public on death.

Bounty Hunter

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You are the bounty hunter. You bring in the mark, alive or dead; preferably dead, but your employers often pay you more for alive.
This is a secondary Role – all other aspects as primary role.
Ability: – Ambush – Every three nights, you may attempt a night kill. If you have learned your target's Faction, your odds of success are increased as you are able to prepare an ambush more effectively.
Effect: –
Targeting: Scries as Affiliation, Strong scries as Affiliation/Bounty Hunter.

Spy

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You are a very observant person, who takes especial effort to mind the comings and goings of people.
Ability: Shadowing – Each night phase, choose one player or one area (You will be informed when areas become an option for observing). You will notice any players interacting with that player or leaving or entering that area except for the vampire kill – vampires are far too dangerous for even you to try and trail. You will not observe the specific actions performed, just notice there were interactions.
Effect: Mr. Nobody – You scry as a Neutral despite your actual affiliation (Vampire or Parisian).
Targetting: Scries as Neutral. Strong Scries as affiliation/Spy.

Phantom

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You are the true owner of the Paris Opera House and all it encompasses.
Ability: – Snare – Each night phase, choose one player. Any player attempting to interact with the targetted player or a player located at the targetted area falls into your snare and their action fails. The snared player will be mentioned in the night narration, but not whom they targetted or what they were attempting.
Effect: –
Targetting: Scries as Affiliation, Strong Scries as Affiliation/Phantom.

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Important Note: The goal numbers may change between now and game start depending on what the end total playerbase is. The final and correct numbers will be posted in the game thread.

The Factions of Paris

Paris is nothing if not full of people and groups with conflicting desires and goals. Representing that fact is the new ruleset for Vampire - Factions. The following rules give the basics on how factions work and the factions that exist in the game.

Faction Basics

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Each faction will start with one player; if the playerbase is large enough this will increase to two or three players.

Each faction may attempt to recruit one player to their group each night. If the targetted player is already a member of another faction, the attempt will fail. If a factionless player receives multiple faction invites, all will fail and they will remain factionless. Otherwise, the player must decide to accept or decline the invitation.

Every faction has a goal; when they are about halfway to their goal, they will gain a power to assist them.

If a faction achieves their victory condition, all current members of that faction (Parisian and Vampire alike) will gain a boon. Once a player has gained a boon, they cannot gain another, even if their faction changes and their new faction then completes their victory condition.

It is possible for multiple factions to achieve their victory conditions. It is possible, but extremely unlikely that every faction could do this.

Faction victories will impact the background storyline.

Factions In Paris By Night

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Church

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Goal: Gain as many converts as possible. If the church ever has 30% of the playerbase in its group, its members claim a victory and a boon.
Faction Power: If there are at least 15% of the playerbase in the church at the start of nightfall, the Church can use Sanctuary
Sanctuary - Night Action: Choose one player to protect from death during the dayphase. If that player would be lynched or otherwise killed during dayphase, their life is spared - and they become part of the Church. If that player is already a member of the Church, however, they switch to another Affiliation at day's end.

Inquisition

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Goal: Kill or arrainge for the death of heretics and sinners. A list of your targets will be sent to you seperately. If eight of the heretics or sinners die, the Inquisition claims a victory and a boon.
Faction Power: When four of the Inquisition's targets are eliminated, the Inquisition can use "The Question"
The Question - Night Action: Choose one player during the nightphase. If that player is not a heretic or sinner, the Inquisition learns their Faction. If that player is a heretic or sinner, there is a 50% base chance they will be killed. However, if the kill goes bad, that player has a 50% chance of learning the identity of one member of the Inquisition.

University

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Goal: Gain sufficent support to ignite the revolution (and ideally, win it). If University can gain majority support of at least four factions collectively not including themselves (over the course of both Open Discourse events), the revolution will occur. If they can gain the support of eight factions collectively (which means, yes, gaining the same faction's approval at both meetings for at least two factions) the revolution will be a success; University will claim a victory and a boon.
Faction Power: Once the revolution is ready to occur (see above), the University can use "Propaganda"
Propaganda - Day Action: If at least 25% (minimum three) of the University votes for the same target, all their votes against that target count double.

Nobility

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Goal: Maintain the status quo. If you "win" both Open Discourse events (by gaining the support of the most or tied for most factions); you either prevent the revolution or (if allied with the University) ensure that the Nobles manage to mostly escape the wrath of the proleteriat - this grants you a victory and a boon.
Faction Power: If you win one of the Open Discourse events, you gain "We're all in this together"
We're All in this Together - Each night, one of your faction's members is protected from night kills. This will rotate throughout the membership before affecting a target already affected. Also, each night, one member of your faction will recover from a condition they are suffering (or it will decrease in severity).

Masqued

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The Masqued wish primarily to be left alone, but they have several things the other factions want; the Church wants to reclaim certain artifacts in the Masqued' possession, the Inquisition desires to take possession of the structure to convert into a new Question House. The University wants to claim the black powder left in the sub-basements after the last failed revolution. The Nobility wishes to take more permanent ownership - patronage of such an esteemed property would reflect very well on them indeed, ghost stories notwithstanding. The Gypsies want to make it a home away from home. The Masqued want none of these things, but recognize that they do not have enough resources to win on all fronts.
Goal: If the Masqued can get five factions appeased after the second Open Discourse, they score a victory and a boon.
Faction Limitation/Advantage: The Masqued cannot "win" Open Discourse events; but their votes count double for purposes of supporting other factions. If a faction wins an Open Discourse event, but would have lost without the Masqued faction support, the Masqued gain a free defensive void action against the faction they supported - this action will stop the next Ability or Effect used on the Masqued by a member of that faction.
Faction Power: After the first Open Discourse, the Masqued gain the ability to use Sacrificial Resources.
Sacrificial Resources - As part of the effort to remain in control, the Masqued must occasionally make a material offer; this is represented by them selecting a faction once nightly (including their own). That faction will be offered a random item; they must accept or refuse it; if they accept they must immediately decide which member to give it to. Additionally, if they accept, that faction is considered appeased until the next Open Discourse (or the end of the game, if the second Open Discourse has occured). If the Masqued give an item to their own Faction, however, then one of their formerly appeased factions (chosen randomly) will no longer be considered appeased as they take affront in some fashion. If there are no appeased factions, one random faction will become hostile. Hostility is -not- reset after an Open Discourse.

Gypsies

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Goal: The Gypsies wish to find the lost children of Rom; a list of players they must try to recruit and keep. This list will be sent to them seperately. If they successfully recruit all of the lost children, they claim a faction victory and boon.
Faction Limitation/Advantage: Open Faction - The Gypsies are publically known (and distrusted). At the start of each day, the members of the Gypsy faction will be posted - so new recruits will be obvious.
Faction Power: Once the Gypsies recruit half of the lost children, they gain the ability to use Fortunetelling
Fortunetelling: The Gypsies can consult the Fortunes once per night. They choose a target (of their own faction or otherwise) and if the target is not one of the lost children then one of the following three effects occurs:
1) Fortune's Eye - The target's faction is revealed to the Gypsies.
2) Wheel of Fortune - The target loses a condition (or degrades it one step) if it has one, or gains a Level 1 condition if it does not.
3) Devil's Fortune - The target abandons their current faction - or if factionless, joins the Gypsies.
If the target is one of the lost children Devil's Fortune will result.

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Game can run with as few as 30 players - but works best with 40+ Any less than forty and I have to axe a few special roles to maintain game integrity.

EDIT: Recruitment IS NOW CLOSED!

Player Signup List (final update 01:18a ET 08/27/2011)

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Staff
00. Helgraf (Narrator)
00b. RabbitHoleLost (Co-Narrator)
Victims
01. bladescape
02. Ramsus
03. banjo1985
04. Lady Tialait
05. cd4
06. super_dark33
07. Murska
08. mangosta71
09. TinyMushroom
10. TsukikoJ
11. Lamech
12. ThePhantom
13. TigerFang
14. Lindon
15. Lord_Loss
16. Elder_Tsofu
17. Khal
18. Alber
19. Penguinator
20. otakuryoga
21. Fin
22. Gray_Mage
23. The_Grimmace
24. Diva De
25. D_Lord
26. The_JJ
27. calar
28. billtodamax
29. Mustiado
30. Istari
31. Alarra
32. Eternis
33. IXI_FatTony_IXI
34. Reinholdt
35. Joxer_t'_Mighty
36. Larspcus2
37. Eldritch_Knight
38. Matthias2207
39. PirateMonk
40. Fleeing_Coward
41. Lex-Kat
42. Urien
43. Zar_Peter
44. erikun

Role distribution to occur on the weekend of August 27th. Game begins on August 29th as soon as the game thread is submitted and approved, if I have power again at that point.

[bladescape]

I'm honestly surprised that I'm the first,
To come here and want to quench their thirst,

For blood, or vengence against these beasts,
That would, on human bodies feast.

[Ramsus]

I'm totally in!

[banjo1985]

*dons cape and gentlemen's top hat*

"Paris you say? How...interesting, and European to boot. Let us dance through the night, the vampires and I, and see who emerges the victor."

Lord Leinart smiles and takes a firmer grip of his walking cane.

"I am in, let the dance begin."

[Lady Tialait]

A man in a felt top hat and wearing a expensive suit with golden jewelry sits in his Canadian office of his furs and hats world wide trading company. A woman wearing a simple dress and a pair of large sunglasses. "Sir, an invitation." He takes the letter and places it on his overlarge desk.

"How goes our Egyptian shipments? Well, I hope."

"No sir, they have had a hang up."

"Oh? Really? What hang up is that?"

"Sir, you hung them up. You sent a message to the shippers that told them to be ready for the shipment of cheese from 'up north' before heading back this way."

"And? That moon cheese should be on time."

"Sir, there was no moon cheese. I assure you, there is no cheese on the moon."

The man sighs, and shakes his head. "Then that must have been in my head. Tell them to continue the shipping." He picks up the letter, "Perhaps I shall go to this invitation, see what Paris looks like after all these years....many many years..." He sighs again, "Paris...I miss you."

(I'm in!)

[cd4]

I will join this game, hoping I am not a simple parisian

[super dark33]

I am In!
that will be fun.

[Murska]

And as usual, the night falls upon Paris once more.

In.

[mangosta71]

The city must be purged. (In.)

[TinyMushroom]

This looks interesting. I'm in!

[TsukikoJ]

In in in in in. (10)

[Lamech]

Pick me, pick me!

[ThePhantom]

*Dum, dum dum dum, ba dum, badum badum dum*

Deep within the Opera House, music stirs.

(I'm in).

[TigerFang]

Always wanted to go to Paris... I'm in.

[Lindon]

Je tiens à jouer. J'aime Vampires!
(May have just typed that into google translate...)

[Lord Loss]

J'aimerais me joindre au jeu, si c'est possible. À partir d'ici, je vais utiliser que le français, car c'est ma langue maternelle (ainsi que l'anglais, je les ai appris en même temps).

I'm done showing off my mastery of various languages. Sign me up

[Elder Tsofu]

Je ne se pas.
I suppose I could sign up, was some time ago I was in a large game.

[Khal]

I'm in. This looks amazing.

[Alber]

Been waiting for this...in

[Penguinator]

Sign up before I have to leave. Again.

[otakuryoga]

I vant to suck your blood join this game

[Fin]

In, with Cake!

[Gray Mage]

Sign me up.

[Zjoot]

In. And I brought ice cream to go with the cake.

[Diva De]

I will always play Helgraf games, however poorly I do.

[D_Lord]

I'll join but if Clouseau dies, I'll be very unhappy, sure he isn't very bright, but he is invincible. Nothing kills Clouseau, not an doomday machine, not hundreds of assassins. Clouseau lives through it all.

[The_JJ]

I'll join, why not?

[calar]

In, maybe I can last past night 1 this time hmmmmmm?

[billtodamax]

I am in.

[mangosta71]

In, maybe I can last past night 1 this time hmmmmmm?

Don't bet on it. *pumps shovel*