Vanara

[soulping]

[Your room today is that of a cozy statesman’s meeting office, with a round table to sit at and a cheap coffee maker with those cookies you find in libraries sometimes on a small serving desk in the corner. The table is emblazoned with a very stately looking flag with a Monkey featured prominently on it. Christmas decorations abound all around the room. There’s even a Christmas tree in the corner! Wow, that tinsel looks pretty innocuous, doesn’t it? It’s so pretty and red… wait isn’t it traditionally supposed to be silver? Oh well.]

Comments

RULES

[soulping]

[On the table is a tablet which is powered on to some kind of selection screen and a sealed letter, containing the rules of the game once opened and read:]

Welcome to the Christmas Contraband game, Wisps. As you should (but probably don’t) know, the setting of this game is that of a world where Christmas is outlawed. You control the great nation of MONKEYTOWN. However, the children of your nation still know what Christmas is, and they want things which can only be acquired through… less than legal channels. As Heads of State, this means it’s your job to acquire those presents for your own children, or else you face termination. However, you also need to prevent breaches in your own economy. That means you’re also going to be acting as a customs inspector to stop other countries from stealing presents from your country.

The rules are simple: The tablet in your room has two fields to fill out. The first is how many presents you will be attempting to smuggle from the other country. You can choose any number between 0 and 10 presents, and this will be your ‘attacking’ number. Below that is how many you will be searching for. You can either call ‘pass’ to allow everything through, or call ‘doubt’ for a number between 1 and 10 presents. Now then, on to the possible results of smuggling and catching smugglers.

PASS: The smuggler is successful! Their nation adds however many presents they attempted to smuggle to their score. If none were taken, then no points are gained.

DOUBT # EQUALS OR EXCEEDS # OF PRESENTS SMUGGLED: The smuggler is caught! All presents the smuggling nation attempted to take go to the inspector’s nation, giving them the points instead.

DOUBT VS 0 PRESENTS SMUGGLED: The smuggler was actually innocent! In order to avoid a nasty international incident, the inspector will have to pay restitution. Half of the amount of what was doubted is deducted from the inspector nation’s score and given to the smuggler. This amount is always rounded down to a minimum of 1 (so if DOUBT 9 is called, you would lose 4 points and they would gain 4 points).

DOUBT # IS LESS THAN # OF PRESENTS SMUGGLED: The smuggler successfully sneaks the presents by and manages to feign innocence. Their nation adds however many presents they attempted to smuggle to their score. In addition, Half the amount of what was doubted is deducted from the inspector nation’s score and given to the smuggler.in restitution for the ‘incorrect claim,’ as above.

You have until the timer on the tablet reaches 0 to enter your choices. Please note that once finalized, these choices cannot be changed. If no choice is made within the time available, your move will be considered 0 presents smuggled/PASS

ROUND 1

[soulping]

Your tablet’s heading changes. ‘Now engaged in dealings with: Dogland’

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

Re: DISCUSSION

[fairweatherfriend]

Dogland sounds a most delicious place.

[andturning]

Are dogs meant for eating? Are we playing against true and proper dogs?

TURN-IN

[soulping]

You have until 7:45 pm EST to turn in! Please make clear how many (if any) presents your nation is smuggling, as well as either PASS or DOUBT and the number of presents being called.

Re: TURN-IN

[fairweatherfriend]

Smuggling: 10.
Doubting: 10.

ROUND 2

[soulping]

5 ominously-wrapped presents with shiny, inklike black wrapping and sanguine red bows are currently on your nation’s table! They cannot be opened at this time.

...Did one of them just shake? No. That can’t be right. Just your imagination.

Your tablet’s heading changes. ‘Now engaged in dealings with: Pigland’

Also, a status update has appeared in its notifications...

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

Re: DISCUSSION

[fairweatherfriend]

It appears we were too vicious in our attempt to achieve victory.

[andturning]

Who knows? It might have been a matter of catching the wrong country.

TURN-IN

[soulping]

You have until 8:45 pm EST to turn in! Please make clear how many (if any) presents your nation is smuggling, as well as either PASS or DOUBT and the number of presents being called.

[andturning]

Smuggling: 0!
Doubt: PASS, sorry!

[soulping]

[sorry, but per the rules only the first input was accepted. smuggling 0/doubt 10.]

ROUND 3

[soulping]

10 ominously-wrapped presents with shiny, inklike black wrapping and sanguine red bows are currently on your nation’s table! They cannot be opened at this time.

...Did one of them just shake? No. That can’t be right. Just your imagination.

Your tablet’s heading changes. ‘Now engaged in dealings with: Catland’

Also, a status update has appeared in its notifications...

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

[andturning]

. . . boldness really would have served better there, I suppose.

TURN-IN

[soulping]

You have until 9:45 pm EST to turn in! Please make clear how many (if any) presents your nation is smuggling, as well as either PASS or DOUBT and the number of presents being called.

Re: TURN-IN

[fairweatherfriend]

Smuggle: 10
Doubt: 10

ROUND 4

[soulping]

15 ominously-wrapped presents with shiny, inklike black wrapping and sanguine red bows are currently on your nation’s table! They cannot be opened at this time.

...Did one of them just shake? No. That can’t be right. Just your imagination.

Your tablet’s heading changes. ‘Now engaged in dealings with: Horseville’

Also, a status update has appeared in its notifications...

Re: ROUND 4

[fairweatherfriend]

...

[andturning]

[ tugging thoughtfully at a red ribbon as it trembles. ]

They're very -- twitchy, aren't they?

TURN-IN

[soulping]

You have until 10:45 pm EST to turn in! Please make clear how many (if any) presents your nation is smuggling, as well as either PASS or DOUBT and the number of presents being called.

Re: TURN-IN

[fairweatherfriend]

PASS

RESULTS

[soulping]

[You’ve wound up with 10 of the black presents on your table! However, something still seems off… They shake and shudder ominously, their lids flying open and spewing forth… Coal? A mountain of coal, actually, covering the table and overflowing onto the ground. And on top of the coal, a note readable even if you can't read:]

Christmas is ruined forever, and all the children cry the whole day, knocking on your door just to tell you they hate you. You are voted out of office the next week. Also, your spouse leaves you and takes any children you had with them, citing ‘irreconcilable differences,’ but you know they were seeing your neighbor on the sly. Less than a month later, you are diagnosed with sudden onset dramatis parentitis. It’s inoperable, but the tests to prove it drain your dwindling bank accounts and your debts get you evicted from your home. You meet your end cold and alone in an alley with only a bottle of whiskey and a tattered, rain-ruined box to your name.

O Wisps, take heed: Holidays are not to be neglected.

[With that, a door opens in a wall.]