[Forum Game] Werewolf XI: The Thing Attacks

[Penchant]

So...Am I still in the game?

[Zakilevo]

So...Am I still in the game?

I believe so... You escaped.

[Richard Leonecoeur]

I was right about D'Espana. Damn it all. He shouldn't have revealed himself. We were trying to protect him for a reason.

As for Penchant... That's... That's disconcerting, in a special sort of way. Do we try him again? Do we wait? I still hold with my list...

[Penchant]

I had to flee earlier as I couldn't just let you kill me. I apologize for not defending myself earlier when prompted but I was busy researching though due to being interupted with the lynching I was not able to finish my research. I may have said researching was only a hobby of mine but it is more like a passion of mine. Sadly not all my research was successful so I don't have much but I will share what I have and just hope the thing doesn't kill me or the remaining mercenaries protect me.

My first successful research:

As a parasitic lifeform, the Thing seeks to absorb and assimilate any nearby lifeform native to whatever planet the Thing arrives on. This enables the parasite to gain shelter and be able to adapt to virtually any environment that can sustain multi-cellular, complex life, which is its principle food and host source.

Each individual cell of the creature is both part of a singular multi-cellular lifeform and distinct, independent entity at the same time. Dual-functionality of the creature enables individual cells and/or collections of cells to function as separate organisms if necessary, which are invariably focused on one goal; assimilating and imitating other lifeforms.

It assimilates other lifeforms by either deploying separate, autonomous parts or using the mass of its own body to capture or seize a host, which will subsequently consume and generate a replica of the host from the biomass of the victim and the parasite itself, which is itself a copy of the Thing. Depending upon the size or nature of the infectious method, the consumption and replication of a host can take a variable length of time, from a very long time period to a shorter one, depending on whether the assimilating agent are small particles or larger forms.

One key capability of the creature is its ability to undergo cryogenic stasis, much like the Earth-native yeast fungus. This enabled it to lay dormant for at least 100,000 Earth years, awaiting discovery by any sentient life forms who have the means to revive it from its long-term dormancy.

As has been shown by other researchers:

The only known survivors of first Thing encounters were the researcher Lefanis, the Hematologist Zakilevo, the Psychologist Ketchum and the Commando Indirik. Indirik is rumoured to be currently having a supporting role in a cheesy reality TV show.

No one survived the Thing Returns. Lefanis, the hero of the Thing was recruited as a secret government agent but was rumoured to have been killed in the Thing Returns after recruiting Ketchum who also presumably perished. So was Zakilevo/???/Zaki who branched out into research and had more name changes than sex change operations. Except for the Thing of course - Telrunya, who infected D'Espana. There is a D'Espana of the same name in Thule Station now but it is unknown if it is the same person. Interestingly, D'Espana was Lefanis' unknown secret agent partner and was lynched by Lefanis. Other notable casualties were Sonya the female gypsy Psychic and Velax the big game Hunter who shot more people than the Thing ever hurt.

These are the main topics for researchers such as myself to research:

Biology has 2 parts. Behavior has 2 parts. History has 1 part. Origin has 1 part. And anything else you can think of.

That is all I have to share folks.

[Ketchum]

Aw.... At least we cleared Penchant. Why you so quiet, I guess that how you conduct your research.

As for me, I need sometime alone to think and analyse. It has been a very headache day with all the no hunts nights failed and not much information can be obtain from everyone voting, which also include Scientists lynching Scientist

[Disturbedyang]

But we can't turn away the fact that the researchers might be the Thing too! Penchant, explain then how did you prepared yourself with the bat thing.

Either way, both of you researchers need to work together to actually get something. I won't say out the name of the other researcher but you know what to do. The problem here is, i suspect either one of you might be the Thing. Remember i said that the Thing needs to research to use his special ability too?

And secondly, i realized that some of you mercenaries will get a certain amnesia if you are involved in the scene where some shout and some asked to come in. I ask all of you out here to please send me a message of what happened on those both nights of yours. I think that's a big hint there that we can probably find out who that 3 people are that were involved that night. Please tell me too if you didn't get feel anything on both that nights.

[Penchant]

But we can't turn away the fact that the researchers might be the Thing too! Penchant, explain then how did you prepared yourself with the bat thing.

Either way, both of you researchers need to work together to actually get something. I won't say out the name of the other researcher but you know what to do. The problem here is, i suspect either one of you might be the Thing. Remember i said that the Thing needs to research to use his special ability too?

First, the bat thing was prototype 247 that I had decided to bring with me once I found out you all were trying to lynch me. It was something I experimented with while researching before I came to Thule Station. Besides allowing the user to glide to the ground, it is also keeps the user quite warm.

As to the matter of,

Remember i said that the Thing needs to research to use his special ability too?

Just because you say it, doesn't make it true. Yes we will need to research to figure it out but nowhere does it say the thing doesn't know.

The Thing's special ability (ONE TIME USE only) can only be discovered through research and even past research from other scientific outposts (may or may not be relevant) Only research can narrow it down.

[Disturbedyang]

So Velax, why are you so quiet? Don't you have anything to say at all? Or we have to start voting you for you to start to talk?

[Velax]

Why is it so important to you that I talk? It's been pretty clearly established now that "quiet" does not mean "must be The Thing". I am simply choosing to keep my own counsel until I can figure out who is definitely not a Bad Guy.

[Disturbedyang]

No, being quiet doesn't mean you are the Thing. Being quiet means you are not sharing and hence even if you are not the Thing, you are not helping the cause. We need all the information we can get.

[DK]

Velax has the rights to share or not share. Even I don't share everything I got, honestly, sometimes I just forgot though. The point is, are there any concrete evidence that is relevant? We got like 3-4 researchers and I myself seen every researched made in public here. It's something we already know. We need something...... Unique. I don't think research papers are going to help us other than know some of the characteristic and past of The Thing. The clue given in the research are not easy to crack either. I suggest everyone suspect each other and each one of us must defend each other, explaining why you are not THE THING.

At least what I know, the Thing is testing and rising slowly to the occassion. He don't do sudden moves to reveal anything. He gotta be a smart chap. Someone with experience in all this. But I'm sure that not active is not the sure person to be The Thing. The Thing is waiting slowly for chance it might get. Right now, I realize that voting to early would be pointless. I need to get some point of evidence to convince myself.

Anyway, I'm suggest everyone to reveal who they think is The Thing and NOT who they don't suspect and clear off. Revealing who they don't suspect is not only a reductant move but gives The Thing an advantage. Not being suspected will give a certain surety to act more daringly. Give reasons why and vote accordingly. If the Thing moves out to attack tonight, we might get a general idea who out suspects really are.

[Velax]

Alright, I'll share a piece of info - one everybody should already know. There's no point voting Penchant today:

"Escape Artists: Will escape the first time he's lynched and then hide from lynching for a day and cannot vote. Can vote and will be vulnerable after that."

And this does not mean he's not The Thing. Just means he had an ability that let him survive longer.

[Lefanis]

Day 1-
VOTE VELAX: Penchant #55, Lefanis #61
VOTE SONYA: Velax #59

Day 2-
VOTE Disturbedyang - Penchant #83
VOTE DK - Disturbedyang #91
VOTE Zaki - Lefanis #92, Ketchum #101
VOTE Penchant - DK #95, Velax #102

Day 3-
VOTE SONYA - Disturbedyang #107, DK #111, Lefanis #92

Day 4-
VOTE Penchant - DK #118, D'Espana #140
VOTE Richard Leonecouer - Disturbedyang #121, Lefanis #127
Vote Lefanis - Richard Leonecouer #128


Zaki- has been silent, popping up now and then with research docs. He is a researcher, for sure, but second role is unsure.
Ketchum- seems like a townie.
Velax- has been silent, and while by no means does this point to his guilt, doesn't point away from it either.
Penchant- no point voting, he is safe this turn. Unless he forged that research, I believe he is in the clear, as researcher/escape artist.
Richard Leonecouer- escape artist, so no point voting him without further proof just yet. Will need to analyse this guy again.
DK- Like Zaki, shows up with docs no and then.
Disturbedyang- I do know one of his roles.


In another feat of reasoning a Thing destroyed a test that would have led to its exposure and demonstrated awareness of biology and medical practice that would have exposed it. Interestingly the second time this same method was proposed as a test the Thing had seemingly preempted the idea, this is despite the Thing that arrived at the second base was spawned long before the first test was thought of and was in a non-human form. This led to the theory of a shared consciousness between Things, especially as the 2nd sabotage was far harder to pull off covertly and while sowing seeds of misdirection it also exposed its presence.

Possibilities to consider-
Can the thing alternate between hosts?

Instead of hunting, what if the thing merely transfers its consciousness into the victim, destroying the body of its old host, who we feel is the target?

There are two things, essentially the same consciousness, but different people. The thing can decide who it wants to attack through. This might explain the periods of amnesia experienced by some. That could be the time they were controlled by the Thing. 

[Velax]

So, is anyone going to vote? I'll vote Richard Leonecouer, just so something is happening.

[Disturbedyang]

Velax, you protected Zaki on day 2 to stop his lynching, something you denied. A both of you did not vote for the past few days except for Zaki on Penchant yesterday which was already a sure thing. Seems like going under the radar to avoid suspicious to me. One of you are definitely the agent and the other the Thing. At least that's how it looks like to me. Somehow you seems to be on the researcher side for a certain reason and today it was DK.

DK starting to lead the lynching after i accused him of bandwagoning. First 3 days of bandwagoning and then the next 2 days of leading...
Zaki just remains under the radar most of the time and did not vote until previous turn which was quite obvious it is gonna be Penchant

D'Espana protected Richard and since D'Espana is in the clear, it's either Richard managed to convinced him, or he is afterall the good guy. I am still suspecting Richard though for I have not known any single role he is playing here.

But since Velax did not come clean with what he is doing unlike most of us and the fact that he only seems to initiate the voting without getting involved himself unless he thinks he is being suspected - I am going to VOTE VELAX