the Expedition - a Pokémon Mafia game. (GAME OVER. SYLANDRA WINS. TOWN WINS.)

Tremula

Around you, the expected hustle and bustle of a train terminal is surprisingly absent. Several tracks lead into this quiet, cathedral-like enclosure, the massiveness only enhanced by the absence of windows or natural light. Giant braziers offer light to see by, coating every object in a romantic, mysterious glow. Around the room, archways allow in locomotive vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from old fashioned steam-driven monstrosities of iron to the sleek thermoplastic subterranean trains that look more a bullet than anything else. A large crowd has gathered, and you all know you are there for one purpose.

"Alola!" A youthful voice rings out, its source unknown. It echoes off of the terminal's walls, muted slightly by the darkness surrounding you, "A new region filled with lands that have never been tilled, food that has never been eaten, flowers that have never been picked. Most importantly to many of us, there are new Pokémon who have never even seen a human before."

A murmur runs through the crowd as the boy's words fade, a faint buzz of excitement filling the air before it is silenced by his voice again. "Today, my invited guests, we all take the first step into colonising the Alola region. Unlike our forefathers, who struck brashly and tore apart the land and destroyed the wildlife to create homes, I have assembled a great group of scientists, environmentalists, medical experts, and peaceful individuals who will help us to learn to mesh into the environment. We will live in the trees, under the ground, and in the scrublands. We will live in harmony with the Pokemon, and finally settle in a region where Human and Pokémon truly live as one!"

A few cheers spring up from the crowd, and you cannot stop yourself from joining in the applause. From atop the pillar in the centre of the room, a boy leaps down, a face you all recognise easily as belonging to Champion Alec, the patron of the Expedition and the most widely renowned Champion among them all for his efforts to create a state of true harmony between Pokémon and People. Only a moment later, the telltale cry of his partner, Shaymin, fills the air as the Pokémon wheels from above to flop across his shoulder, looking around the throng inquisitively.

"It is a long journey, one that we cannot make on foot. I have sunk the considerable funds of my office into this, the CCL Expedition!" He gestures with a flourish, and torches along the wall spring to life at the far end of the terminal, revealing a massive train that hovers atop the tracks, perfectly still. "It is the first of it's kind, fully solar powered and entirely eco-friendly! Using magnets, it can reach a safe speed of 450 kilometres per hour, making it not only the most eco-friendly train, but the fastest in the world! The rails it is polarised against have been buried underground, you see, allowing us to zip through forests, above and across mountains, and even underwater to reach our final destination - the Alola region."

He beams as he turns around, and you can sense the excitement in his words, the belief behind them. He is truly excited to visit the new region, and to bring each of you along. Shaymin nudges his head though, and looks at him pointedly for a few moments. His smile falters, and he says, "I...should let you know, though, that we're not...we're not entirely safe doing this. There have been protesters saying this is a waste of money, and that we should take Alola by force. There have been religious threats against me, and everyone who would travel in the Expedition. As I told you all when you were invited, this is going to be no picnic. We'll have to stop every day to let the solar cells charge during the day, and travel at night. Bomb threats have been called in at stations along the tracks, and all sorts of terrible words have been slung around.

"But we don't do this because we're comfortable, we do this because we all share a dream." His eyes nearly blaze with determination as he draws the rapier at his side and points it to the sky, "We all dream of living together with Pokémon as one, not owners and pets or masters and slaves, but as equals! We all share a bond with not just our Pokémon, but every Pokémon! If you leave now, I will not fault you, but to those of you who would go with me on this journey, I ask nothing of you but your best! Who is with me?"

There is silence for a moment, and then like a wave crashing against rocks, a roar goes up from the crowd, and you can't help but join in the applause and cheering. The Alola Region waits, and as sweet as getting there will be, the journey will be the true experience.

Greetings, trainers. Before we can set out for the Alola region, you must be made aware of the rules of the Champion Craft Locomotive: Expedition, you must be aware of the rules of travel.

A small plaque in every car reads:

Travel Rules:

1. Votes MUST be in bold to count. (ex. Vote Tremula)

2. Once a majority has been reached, the day ends. Anything that happens after a final vote will not happen, including unvotes to bring the target below the minimum threshold.

3. You are not allowed to post in the thread during the night phases.

4. You are not allowed to communicate with each other outside the thread unless your role specifically allows you to do this.

5. Once you are eliminated, you are not allowed to post in the thread during the day phase unless your role explicitly allows this.

6. You are not allowed to quote your role PM AT ALL.

6 1/2. You may quote from your PMs any message that is Italicised. Some people aren't fully aware of the Pokémon world, so I have planned certain messages to be shareable. Do not attempt to falsify what was or was not italicised or you WILL be modkilled.

7. Do not discuss game details outside of the game.

8. If you go inactive, please let me know so I can find a replacement player. (Those interested in being a replacement player, please message me for a waitlist!)

9. You're not allowed to edit your posts. Doublepost instead if you want to clarify something.

10. You must be sportsmanlike. If you are rude or inflammatory to the point that the game ceases to be enjoyable for the rest of the players, I reserve the right to modkill you.

11. The game will end when either the town or the mafia have reached their victory condition.

12. Dayphases will last no longer than a RL week. If seven days go by without a lynch, the Nightphase will immediately begin.

13. Nightphases will last no longer than 48 hours. If night actions are not delivered at the end of the night phase, it will be read as no action.

14. The Champion (game master) will decide order of events if contested, and his word is final. Do not invoke an order-of-events check if you are not willing to be told you are wrong.

15. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR TRAINER CARD AT EVERY STOP, OR YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE GAME. TRAINER CARDS WERE DISTRIBUTED ON INVITATION AND AN EXAMPLE IS SHOWN BELOW.

If you're unsure about how to play mafia, I recommend reading through past games such as Sylandra's Shakespearean Mafia or Kiradawea's Gods and Monsters Mafia.

Two additional factors make up this game, and will be explained below. The game will begin at the post of Day Zero.

Trainers:

Day 6 Win!! (Warlock): 1. Sylandra 

2. Dylara - the Coroner - Town

3. Thul - the Mayor, Town

the Hyde (Terrorist Victim Day 2) 4. Iosion

Mafia Admin (Detained Day 4) 5. Ushaara 

6. Othero - the Watcher, Town

Mistletoe (Night 6 Kill): 7. Luce 

Day 10 Lynch (Doctor) 8. Phoebus

the Terrorist (Day 2 Explode) 9. Weiwae

the Jekyll (Terrorist Victim Day 2) 10. Synkarin

Traitor (Day 7 Lynch)11. Allyrianne 

12. Krackenor - the Blocker, Town

13. Melali -  the Jailer, Town

Night 11 Kill (Vigilante) 14. Portius

Dead? Think so. Forgot where. 15. Kalaneya

Day 8 Event Death (the Investigator) 16. Ssaliss 

Day 4 Arrest (Mafia Grunt): 17. Salome 

18. Cyndarin - the Collector, 3p/Town

Day 5 Drop Out [modkill] (Mafia Admin): 19. Silvanus 

Night 2 Kill (Magistrate): 20. Alary

Day 8 Lynch, Day 9 Lynch (Lunala Overlord) 21. Vivet 

Night 8 Kill (Solgaleo Overlord) 22. Lehki

Night 10 Kill (Chosen) 23. Cen 

Night 7 Kill (Witch): 24. Kaimanahi 

Day One lynch (Serial Killer): 25. Kilee 

Night 2 Kill (Creepy Boy): 26. Rolsand 

27. Ileein - the Pathologist, Town

CyndarinAscends

You PM'd the wrong account. Can you send it to CyndarinAscends instead of Cyndarin. (I don't have access to the other one)

Tremula

Factor 1: EVOLUTION and BATTLING.

You each have been allowed one Pokémon to bring with you on the CCL Expedition, and with the exception of a few, they can be EVOLVED. 

Evolution is a process through which your Pokémon gains strength, a new form, and occasionally new resistances and/or moves.

Evolution can occur through the gaining of Experience or through use of special Stones. Only Pokemon who evolve through a special stone may evolve through special stones. Pokemon who evolve through gaining levels will receive no benefit from a special stone applied to their Pokemon.

Experience:

Experience is gained through battling. You can see that your Pokémon has an ability that can be activated. Every time it is used, you gain experience. When you reach a certain threshold, your Pokémon will EVOLVE. 

When you use a move or ability against another Pokémon, it is considered a battle. If your typing is superior to theirs, you will gain DOUBLE EXPERIENCE and they will gain NONE from the encounter. If your typing is equal, you will both gain experience. If your typing is inferior, you will gain no experience and they will gain experience.

IMPORTANT BATTLE NOTE:

If your Pokémon takes damage, the damage does not disappear. Your Pokémon can take 3 points of damage before fainting. If your Pokémon sustains any more damage after fainting, they will DIE PERMANENTLY and you cannot receive another one with the exception of an event.

Stones:

During an Event, you will have the option to acquire an evolution stone from a vendor along the track of the CCL Expedition. If you choose to obtain one, everyone will see that you do so, but will not see your Pokémon, or what your Pokémon evolves into. You must PM the Champion at night to Use [Type] Stone on [Pokémon]. 

Tremula

Factor 2: Events

Along the way, special events will occur at nearly every stop on the CCL Expediton's track. These range from Pokémon Centres allowing you to heal your Pokémon to Hospitals for you, Vendors with Stones for sale, and other random events that can increase the odds of you and your Pokémon making it to the Alola region unscathed! These events, however, will reveal your Pokémon (if the Pokémon is involved) and are entirely optional.

There is no set number of events, and they are entirely randomised unless the Champion deems it necessary to force a stop for a Pokémon Centre.

You have half an hour to finish preparations before the sun rises and the CCL Expedition's solar cells begin charging. Since it has not moved, this day phase will only last for 24 hours, or until a vote: none majority has been reached.

Sylandra

Oh my gosh this is going to be wild. Hello all.

CyndarinAscends

My pokemon sucks. >:(

Tremula

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT GAME MECHANICS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE CHAMPION (ME) NOW. THEY WILL STILL BE ANSWERED IF THEY RISE THROUGHOUT THE GAME, BUT THEY ARE MY PRIORITY NOW. QUESTIONS ARE NO LONGER MY PRIORITY AND WILL BE ANSWERED AS I CAN, SINCE I HAVE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION FOR ORDER OF EVENTS.

FAQ:

Q: Is there a certain amount of experience we get from battle and/or using our powers?
A: Yes, but this knowledge is hidden from player view to avoid any potential gaming of the Evolution system.

Q: Do I have to post my Trainer Card in every post?

A: No, this would probably be a terrible idea. Think of your Trainer Card as the 'Post' button when you send a message. You will not confirm your Night Actions as done for the Night until you send the Trainer Card to the Champion. The imgur links they are hosted on are available on request or can be obtained in your role message.

Q: Do we update our own Trainer Cards?

A: No, if your Trainer Card will change in any way, the Champion (me) will give you a new one. Tampering with your Trainer Card in any fashion will result in a modkill. I will, however, accept requests to change sprites/backgrounds/etc. within reason.

Q: How do I know what my Pokemon will evolve into?

A: While I can't tell you directly, I strongly encourage everyone to research their pokemon and understand the various evolutionary needs.

Q: Do I HAVE to evolve my Pokemon?

A: No, you do not! I won't just evolve your Pokemon without permission. You'll receive a message saying 'Your Pokemon is ready to be evolved!' Reply whether you do or do not want your Pokemon to be evolved, and you will receive accordingly.

Q: How do I use a Pokemon Power during the day? Do I have to post my Trainer Card here?
A: NOOOOOOOoo you do not! Once more, that would be a Very Bad Idea (tm). To use a Pokemon's Power, simply say "[Pokemon], go!" if it is an ABILITY you wish to use, or "[Pokemon], use [move {on (Target)}]!", just as you would for any other day activated power. Please do not bold for emphasis for this reason.

Q: I don't like my Pokemon.

A: Tough nuts. Randomisation is random.

Q: But I want a different Pokemon!

A: Luckily, there will be trading events where you can offer up a Pokemon for trade or say you're seeking a Pokemon. You don't know what a certain person could want, and it's up to you how much or little you want to reveal about the Pokemon in your possession. Think strategically!

Q: This move has a cooldown of 'turns'. What is a turn?

A: A turn is equal to one day AND one night.

Q: My Pokemon doesn't do damage. Can I not gain experience?

A: Not every Pokemon is meant to do Tonnes of Damage (tm). There are supportive, controlling, and overall confusing Pokemon out there as well! Every action your Pokemon can do will gain them experience, however. 

Q: Can you remain on the train without Pokemon? Are there ways to gain extra Pokemon, or Pokemon if you lose one?

A: You can remain on the train with or without Pokemon, until you are eliminated. There may be events correlated to this.

Q: What are the trading mechanics?

A: Wait for a trading event!

Q: What happens to the Pokemon of players that are eliminated? Are they tradeable?

A: Pokemon who find themselves without a trainer will go to the Champion's Car. They are available for trade on a first-come, first-serve basis, and may find other uses throughout the game.

Q: I play Pokemon enough to know Type effects damage in-game. Does it effect damage on the Expedition?

A: While that would be fun, since not every Pokemon is able to deal damage, I cannot fairly justify damage dealing abilities doing double damage based on type. However, this also means that immunities have been buffed - if you would not be damaged by a Pokemon's attack, you will not be effected by their controlling ability either. For example, a Mismagius (Ghost type) would not be effected by a Dizzy Punch (Fight).

Q: T-type? Please, have mercy on my poor, non-Pokemon playing (or at least since Red/Blue) heart.

A: Shhh, don't fret. Enjoy this TYPING CHART. Now that you're even more confused, use the following link (substituting the Charmander for your Pokemon) to see what you are immune to. [bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Charmander_(Pokémon)#Type_effectiveness]

Q: What are the Town called?

A: Simply put, if you are sided with the Champion, you are Town.

Q: Can I target someone's Pokemon without knowing what it is?

A: Yes, you can. This is slightly risky as you could run the risk of running your Charmander with Ember against a Mudkip, which would result in no experience from the battle, but it is entirely possible.

Q: Is there anything to be gained from battling if you don't want to/can't evolve your Pokemon?

A: Know your type matchup. If you discover that someone has a type that you can battle and keep from gaining experience and/or damage, I would think that is a benefit. Otherwise, the only benefit is whatever effect your Pokemon's power supplies. 

Q: So if you can't evolve you're stuck with a weak power?!

A: No! The vendor could possibly sell TMs (Technical Machines) that can teach your Pokemon a new move (at the cost of replacing your old one). However, Pokemon who are unable to evolve have a stronger move than a Pokemon who can evolve at their earliest stages. They may eventually be outclassed when those Pokemon reach their final evolutions, but their abilities and powers will remain relevant throughout the entire game without alteration.

Q: Kill Champion/Kill Shaymin

A: No.

Q: I can't perform a day action. Does that mean I can't use my Pokemon? What about voting?

A: No, no, you are unable to perform an action yourself. You can speak, thereby allowing you to vote and order your Pokemon.

Q: I don't have a cooldown on my Pokemon's power. Can I use it whenever I want?
A: If your Pokemon does not have an explicitly stated cooldown, either I have a diabolical plan in store for your greedy clutches or you can activate its power once a turn (the second is 99% more likely). 

Tremula

Far above you, crystals that make up the roof of this cavern fill with light, refracting the rays in a colourful spray down the walls and onto every surface, turning the terminal into a veritable wonderland of colour. The sun has risen, and the Solar Cells are charging. You have 24 hours until night falls.

IT IS NOW DAY ZERO OF THE JOURNEY OF THE CCL: EXPEDITION.

Makaela

New breeder in town! Come to me if you want the perfect new poke! I will be in my cabin during the voyage if any wishes to see if their poke is deemed good enough to be bred.

Melali

Hey everyone! Here's to a good journey!

Makaela, what exactly does a Pokemon breeder do? (Without directly quoting your role PM, unless it's in italics.)

Ileein

I'm genuinely quite excited to see what we learn moving forward. There's a lot we don't know-- what forces exactly intend this expedition harm, among other things-- so the more we can learn, the better.

Dylara

Checking in, unfortunately I got moved to working tomorrow morning so I'll be quiet until tomorrow evening.

Super excited about this expedition, and learning everything I can!

Makaela

@Melali Oh I just play a lot of pokemon and my favorite trainer type is the breeder. Just something for fun. Bit of forum rp if you will.

Lavinya

I feel sooooo out of my depth. Hi there. Fyi I know absolutely nothing about pokemon. Must do some research.

Tremula

Ah. A friendly tool to anyone who may be out of your depth in Pokemon, I would recommend this site. It's very user friendly, and can let you know about lore, pokemon movesets, evolution requirements, etc.

Vivet

I'm still confused about how trainer cards are figuring into things, but I'm sure we'll be reminded once the time comes. Hi!

Kaimanahi

Hi all, a pleasure to join this adventure with my fellow pioneers. I have great hopes for what lies ahead!

I wanna beee the veeery best, like no one ever waaas DUHHH NUHHH, NUH NUH!

Krackenor

Imma let you finish Kamehamehameha, but I'm already the very best like no one ever was (duh nuh nuh). You'll have to settle for second best.

Lehki

Hey everybody. Super excited to be here! I'm sure great things are coming for us.

Sylandra

Hah, so I officially have no idea what is happening but hopefully some of you do. I can't believe we are doing a game with 25 people or so. Voting is going to be brutal.

Silvanus

Holy shit.

This game is huge and complicated and more than I can absorb in one nght.

Melali

A few things that people on the Champion's side might want to take note of:

- There seem to be 2 groups of enemies: Protesters who want to save money and take Alola by force, and people who make religious threats. At least, I don't think that these are the same group. But with so many different people, multiple groups of enemies doesn't seem far fetched.

- You need to message/present your Trainer Card to the Champion each night, so that you can be counted as active/ confirm your presence on the train.

- Ask every question you can think of now! We don't want any surprises, especially about power interactions, if we can avoid it.

Also, I have to say I was really confused when I first saw Alola. I thought that it was a typo for Aloha, until I continued to read.

Tremula

Melali said:

A few things that people on the Champion's side might want to take note of:

- There seem to be 2 groups of enemies: Protesters who want to save money and take Alola by force, and people who make religious threats. At least, I don't think that these are the same group. But with so many different people, multiple groups of enemies doesn't seem far fetched.

- You need to message/present your Trainer Card to the Champion each night, so that you can be counted as active/ confirm your presence on the train.

- Ask every question you can think of now! We don't want any surprises, especially about power interactions, if we can avoid it.

Also, I have to say I was really confused when I first saw Alola. I thought that it was a typo for Aloha, until I continued to read.

(asking questions and trainer cards)

Makaela

Ah, you do have good points Melali. I do hope any of these protesters stay away from my cabin. I have far to much business to conduct there, hopefully new customers as well.  I will be wary of any who seem to be religious zealots though, or those who seem to be overly tight with their coin purses.

Thul

Ahahaha this is going to be insane.

So, let's see here. I don't think anybody is going to want to reveal what their Pokemon is at all, for fear of getting farmed by somebody with a damage-dealing ability.

Real shame, because before reading the rules, the first thing I wanted to ask was who got stuck with a Bidoof. Or something similarly lame.

Lehki

Thul said:

Ahahaha this is going to be insane.

So, let's see here. I don't think anybody is going to want to reveal what their Pokemon is at all, for fear of getting farmed by somebody with a damage-dealing ability.

Real shame, because before reading the rules, the first thing I wanted to ask was who got stuck with a Bidoof. Or something similarly lame.

There are no lame pokemon! Only friends. And I actually like Bidoof. He is my wonderful, dumb-faced HM baby!

And the post only mentions typing affecting the XP gained, not that the damage will be increased. (Could we get clarification on that?) And their might be abilities that won't do damage in a battle. It might be possible to use it to our advantage if we knew there was a Pokemon we wanted to evolve fast, though probably still risky to reveal too much info this early.

Melali

Well, keeping your pokemon secret will only last until you use it. Though, Tremula, I wonder if one could target another's Pokemon without knowing what their Pokemon is? For example, if I had the Pokemon Blah with move Nuzzle, could I say "Blah, use Nuzzle on Tremula's Pokemon"?

Also, and this is just out of curiosity, I'm assuming we can't kill the Champion or his Shaymin?

Anyway, Pokemon are essentially another ability, one that can be lost, traded, and improved, and are probably not one-use. Though keeping one's Pokemon secret at first may be a good thing, to retain the element of surprise, once it's out there, there are a few strategies that can be used. For example, if someone has an ability that doesn't cause damage, they might get the permission of people to use it, so that they could level. Especially since, with each usage of the ability, both pokemon benefit (except with certain types).

Of course, some Pokemon are in the hands of the Teams, so we want to be a little cautious about who to trust. And there might be some troublesome Pokemon whose power would be troublesome for the Town (Followers? Champion's?) who should be expelled from the train, like a Delaying power.

Phoebus

Hello! There sure are a lot of you. I get the feeling I picked a crazy game to join after years of only watching and not actually playing, hah.

A couple of questions while I'm here and still getting situated!

@Tremula So, just to be 100% sure, we send our Trainer Card to you every night so you know we've a) read the rules and b) are still paying attention to the game?

Out of curiosity, is there anything to be gained from battling if you can't/don't wish to evolve your Pokemon? May they level up and perhaps gain new abilities with experience, or is experience's only function to enable evolution?

Tremula

FAQ answering all the relevant questions to mechanics has been updated. 

@Phoebus yes, it is basically my check-in system. If a target does not check-in, they will be temporarily "jailed" due to losing their card, and if they go another turn without producing it they will be modkilled, to keep the game progressing steadily.

(Man, the flashbacks to running games this size on Gaea Online are real)

Cen

Cen

Also, the typing chat link isn't working for me.