Alectryon

[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 Rooster 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 ROOSTERVILLE. 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: Pigland’

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

Re: DISCUSSION

[notsuperman]

...It seems like going for the maximum number of presents to smuggle is the best case scenario, isn't it? For that portion of the game.

Re: DISCUSSION

[murimurimuri]

Yes...

Um, sorry. Could you please excuse me for just a moment?

[Without waiting for an answer, he walks over to the Christmas tree.]

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

[soulping]

[The tablet automatically selects PASS/SMUGGLING 0 as the time ends.]

ROUND 2

[soulping]

5 pleasantly-wrapped presents are currently on your nation’s table! They cannot be opened at this time.

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

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

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

Re: DISCUSSION

[notsuperman]

...Well, I guess that's somewhat convenient.

And means that some other teams, at least, are expecting people to smuggle ten presents.

Re: DISCUSSION

[murimurimuri]

We're up against Ratatoskr...

Is Ventus here? Does anyone on that team besides Ventus like us?

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.

Re: TURN-IN

[notsuperman]

Smuggle 10, Doubt 10

ROUND 3

[soulping]

25 pleasantly-wrapped presents are currently on your nation’s table! They cannot be opened at this time.

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

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

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

Re: DISCUSSION

[notsuperman]

...Tigertown has a lot of presents, so they might play defensively - not smuggle, only doubt, like last round. But we can't be sure of that...it's possible that's what they just want us to think...

[ Thinking out loud. ]

Re: DISCUSSION

[murimurimuri]

Our own record is mixed, so they don't have any reason to adopt one strategy over the other. They've been calling doubt, though, so I'm reluctant to smuggle.

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

[notsuperman]

smuggle 0, doubt 10

ROUND 4

[soulping]

40 pleasantly-wrapped presents are currently on your nation’s table! They cannot be opened at this time.

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

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

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

Re: DISCUSSION

[murimurimuri]

I think we should stay the course. Doubt 10, smuggle 0.

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

[notsuperman]

smuggle 0, doubt 10

RESULTS

[soulping]

[You’ve wound up with 40 presents on your table! All at once the ribbons tying them shut vanish into thin air, allowing them to be opened! Inside are various small gifts (fruit, hot wheels cars, legos, etc) which are yours to keep! In addition, there is a note that appears traced in the sky before you in vivid green letters.]

The children of Alectryon thank you! Nollaig Shona Daoibh, Wisps.

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