Proposal: Profitless Prophets? [Trivial]

Prophets that don't actually help anyone are not being very Prophet-like.

In rule 17 under Prophets;

Replace:

‘Once per lacuna, the Prophet may give 8 supplies of his or her ship to another ship within 10 distance.’

With:

‘Once per lacuna, the Prophet may give 8 supplies of his or her ship to another ship within 10 distance provided that the ship has a crew of at least 1 Mariner.’

There was a slight problem concerning Prophets and Abandoned Ships; see the GNDT for further details.

Passed 11 to 2 by Satyr Eyes at 8:53 GMT, 04.05.2004. +2 to Keitalia, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

Proposal : As You Were [Trivial]

[ Clarifying an ambiguity. ]

In Rule 2, replace "Admins may un-idle a Mariner at their request." with:-

Admins may un-idle a Mariner at their request - the Mariner's personal gamestate retains the values it had immediately prior to their idling.

Timed out; passed 7 to 5 by Satyr Eyes at 8:46 GMT, 04.05.2004. +2 to Kevan, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

I'd Hate to Be A Whiner, But ...

... Is there any way we can re-order the GNDT so that all the ships are at the bottom, and and all the Mariners at the top? Or is that impossible and am I just being silly?

Not-really-a-call-for-Judgement: Returning stats

Technically, as I left and returned in the same Dynasty, my stats should have remained in the GNDT. However, they have not. Under these circumstances, should I just start again from scratch?

Everything is good again

Which means that I want back in.

I'm unidling myself, but we should clarify whether idle Admins are allowed to do this.

I'm also re-naming myself to Josh, which is interestingly uncovered in the rules. Technically this is illegal, so if anyone wants to CfJ (or even outright reverse) it they're welcome.

Call for Judgment

A little while ago, Kevan undid a number of the GNDT alterations I made for Homesickness:

Kevan's Morale = 146 (was 140), est's Morale = 140 (was 134), Axiallus's Morale = 150 (was 143), TrumanCapote's Morale = 98 (was 91), Dunam's Morale = 161 (was 154), Aaron's Morale = 132 (was 128)

His argument:

(At the time of processing, Captains and Warriors were immune to the global effect of Homesicknes.)

At the time of processing, however, the rule for deducting Morale as a result of Homesickness read as such (as it does at the time of this posting):

At the end of each Lacuna the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner, dependent upon their current Ship's Distance value.

I read this as being an effect on the level of each Mariner in turn, not a global effect. I suggest that we reapply the Homesickness penalties to Kevan, est, Axiallus, TrumanCapote, Dunam, and Aaron.

What say the people of the Blog?

Failed 0 to 10 by Satyr Eyes at 10:05 GMT, 04.04.2004. Sorry to have wasted everyone's time.

Proposal : Plain Sailing [Trivial]

Simplify the effect of the "Sailor" job from:-

Once per lacuna, the sailor may make a GNDT comment "Sailing: DICE". That roll is known as the Sailing roll. On a sailing roll of 1 nothing happens. On a roll of 2 or 3 or 4 the speed of the sailor's captain is decreased by 2 until the next lacuna has started. On a roll of 5 or 6 the speed of the sailor's captain is increased by 5 until the next lacuna has started. A sailor also counts as deckhand. This is an advanced job for deckhands.

to:-

Sailors have a Speed of 2, and also count as Deckhands. This is an advanced job for Deckhands.

Failed 3 to 8 by Satyr Eyes at 10:00 GMT, 04.04.2004. -3 to Kevan, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

Chapter 3: Of Cabbages and Kings (Concluded)

At night, it seemed to Octave of the restless spirit that the weathered hull of the Eriphyle took on the same watchful, wary demeanor as her crew. In the quarters below, Octave's fellow mariners tossed and turned, whispering to each other or sleeping with ears open. On the deck above, the fire-winged warrior kept his midnight vigil over a sea nearly invisible in the gloom. And in the gaping mess hall where Octave sat, the howling of an unnatural wind eliminated the line between the ship and its surroundings. The ship contained the entire universe, and there was nothing in the universe but the ship. Octave could almost hear Eriphyle taking her pulse.

The restless spirit's thoughts strayed, as they so often did, to his captain. Dunam, called the great-hearted, had been remote of late. Perhaps he sensed -- as, implicitly, did every man and woman on the ship -- that the Eriphyle's mood had changed. Ever since Dunam had ordered his crew to attack their kinsmen on the Calypso, trust in the once-beloved captain had wavered. Unfairly, perhaps. Yet, to tell a legion of loyal mariners that they were to take up arms against fellow Greeks, on the basis of a vague dream...

Had there ever been a dream? Octave sometimes doubted it. He could not help but remember when his captain had punished him for giving a dishonest man his due. Octave had scrubbed the deck once, twice, thrice, while his mates took in the sights of Ismarus. And with every back-and-forth of the rag, Octave wondered if his captain had done the right thing to preserve order at the expense of common morality. Or, the thought insinuated itself, might Dunam not consider himself above common morality?

The air shifted, and Octave realized with a start that he was not alone in the mess hall. The gaunt figure of the ship's cook approached, and seated itself across from Octave.

"Trouble sleeping?"

"What are you doing here? Evening mess was hours ago."

"I'm preparing breakfast." The cook raised his head, his sunken eyes staring into Octave's. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. They say it gives you the strength to see the day through. Though of course, it takes more than strength to get through the day."

Octave feigned annoyance, though he found himself interested despite himself. "And what else does it take, O earliest of risers?"

"Conviction."

"What?"

"Strength without conviction is like thunder without Zeus. There is no direction, no purpose. It strikes where it may, even against the gods. No good can come of it."

Now Octave was listening hard. "And the Eriphyle -- does it have conviction?"

"Oh, yes, the Eriphyle does. It is her crew that does not. I know that you too hear the whispers. Now they are whispering the name of Dunam. But they whisper with doubt, and no more do they call him great-hearted." The cook paused. "Soon the voices will whisper another name. They will whisper it in trust, and they will call the new name's bearer great-hearted." The cook lifted a thin eyebrow at the restless spirit across the table -- then, meaningfully, extended a bony hand.

In a moment Octave realized what the man meant. Horror and hope mixed in equal measure. He suppressed the urge to yell, taking a deep breath instead. In a moment he answered, neutrally: "What are you offering me, cook?"

"I used to serve mead in Athens, before I came to Ithaca. In Athens, the bars are full of hungry mouths and empty minds, and he who fills the one may just as easily fill the other. There's really little difference between a bar and a mess hall."

For a moment the sound of the wind disappeared, and Octave could hear only the beating of his own heart. His dreams, fears, conscience, and intuition mingled in a dissonant symphony -- or perhaps a consonant cacophony. He stared half-unseeing at the cook's outstretched hand.

"Well?" whispered the cook.

Octave of the restless spirit, please select an option.

1. Shake the cook's hand.
2. Shake your own head.
3. Call a warrior to put the cook in the brig.

Octave chooses option 1 by default, and the cook spreads rumors of his heroism and Dunam's shadiness. Octave's vote will count triple in any calls for Mutiny and elections for new Captain for the remainder of this Lacuna and the next. Had he chosen option 2, there would have been no effect except a disappointed sigh from the cook; had he chosen option 3, every Mariner on the Eriphyle would have lost 5 Morale as a result of the lack of good cooking and a chance for change.

Lacuna 4: Passing Through

"Land ho!"

Fire-winged Axiallus, eyes straining against Artemis' deep darkness, sent up the cry just in time for the half-drunk sailor manning the wheel to steer the ship comfortably away from the rocks. Axiallus knew he should have heard the surf against the rocks earlier, but the night's prodigious wind -- sent, no doubt, by Poseidon himself! -- drowned out all else.

The lack of sleep didn't help his hearing either. Oh, it was quiet and peaceful enough below decks... but it was the quiet of the listening mob, the peace of the hurricane's eye, a hurricane mirroring the gale propelling the Eriphyle onward. Few shouted or caroused -- but all night there were whispers. Somehow, the whispers were far louder than shouts would have been.

And so Axiallus stared, bleary-eyed, at the silhouette of the uncharted island rising before the Eriphyle. He hoped his captain would give the order to take shore leave there. He needed the break; he needed sleep.

Far beyond the reach of the Eriphyle's serpentine wake, two other ships -- the Odyssey and Palladium -- plodded ever onward towards Ithaca. They moved under the power of the wind alone, however; apart from a few unlucky chaps tending the ropes, all those aboard were sleeping soundly. They dreamt dreams of home, the Odyssey's men knowing their ship to be swift and sure, and the Palladium's knowing their ship's rapport with their god to be closest of all.

And somewhere on the wine-dark sea, within the derelict hull of the long-forgotten Calypso, something began to awaken.

Proposal: To Stop My Mind From Wandering (trivial)

In Rule 11, Ships, amend the last five words of "Any Mariner newly joining BlogNomic, as well as any Mariner who returns to BlogNomic after being Idle since the beginning of the previous Lacuna, is placed aboard the Ship with the smallest number of Mariners" to read "the smallest nonzero number of Mariners."

In Rule 22, Ailments, amend "If a ship has this ailment throughout 1 lacuna it contracts the ailment ‘Ghost Ship’" to read "If a Ship has this Ailment throughout one Lacuna, the Ailment is replaced with the Ailment ‘Ghost Ship’".

If at least half of the comments to this post that contain counted votes also contain the text string "===|:)" (hereafter called the "Abe Lincoln"), then in Rule 25, Homesickness, amend the phrase "At the end of each Lacuna the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner" to read "At the end of each Lacuna, immediately prior to executing Captains' Orders, the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner."

If less than half of the comments to this post that contain counted votes contain the Abe Lincoln, then in Rule 25, Homesickness, amend the phrase "At the end of each Lacuna the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner" to read "At the end of each Lacuna, subsequent to executing Captains' Orders, the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner."

Passed 13 to 0 by Satyr Eyes at 11:05 GMT, 3.31.2004, with the Abe Lincoln tally 6 with - 7 without. +3 to Satyr Eyes.

Declairation of Vicory

I do declair that persuant to rule 10, with regards to my actions as detailed in the GNDT, Vicory is mine.

Sailing in, the sole survivor and captian of the SS Eriphyle, Completor of an epic journey. The Poet shall write sagas about me for all time.

My thanks to those who helped me on my way and were burried at sea behind me.

ChinDoGu.

Failed by SatyrEyes. Sorry, you are not a winner. Play again.

Proposal: In the heart of every man (trivial)

In Rule #17 - Jobs, add "other than Homesickness" to the end of the following sentences:

"The Warrior is not affected by global Morale modifiers"

and

"Captains are immune to global or group Morale modifiers"

In Rule #25 - Homesickness, change

"At the end of each Lacuna the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner"

to:

"At the end of each Lacuna the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner (regardless of Job)"

Hopefully that clears things up as to my intentions. I know that Captains are supposed to be at home on their ship or some other such nonsense, but these guys aren't professional sailors, they're just leaders in a group of people trying to get from one place to another after being stuck on land for the last few years. To me it wouldn't make sense for them to have that type of bond with the ship like a real Captain.

Timed out at 0:02 GMT, 04.03.2004; enacted 8 to 5 by Satyr Eyes at 22:22 GMT, 04.03.2004. +2 to Est, +1 to Satyr Eyes; -5 to nonvoters Axiallus, Octave, and Zebu.

Commentary

I've just enacted several Proposals (see below). This includes The Wandering; it still needs amending, to specify that new Mariners don't get placed on Ghost Ships and to make Ghost Ships lose the Abandoned Ailment.

The main reason I'm posting this comment relates to Homesickness, which does not specify whether I am to deduct Morale before or after the Ship moves. Since the end of a Lacuna is defined as when I move Ships, this is a little dicey. When I next implement Ships' Actions, I will assume that I am to deduct Morale after I move Ships; if you don't like it, CfJ it.

There is another problem with Homesickness, insofar as it is not clear what Mariners it applies to. The Poet "deduct[s] Morale from each Mariner, dependent upon their current Ship's Distance value." I take this to mean that the effect is on the level of the Mariner, not global or on the level of the Ship, and that therefore neither Warriors nor Captains are immune. I'm not positive this was the intent of the rule.

I encourage someone to propose an amendment addressing these issues; even if you think I'm making the right calls, a little clarity in law never hurt anyone. Thank you!

Proposal: Mingrelia

Time to mix some legends.

add to the bullet point after the string of characters "Isle of the Sun. (20-15)" in rule 19 "Mariners' Map" the following:

Here the Golden Cardigan is guarded by a mighty, nose-less Sphinx. Anyone may try to retrieve (by posting to the blog some message to this extent) the Golden Cardigan provided their ship is docked here.

Also add the following to rule 20 "Victory":

The mariner who possesses the Golden Cardigan may also declare victory.

build

Failed by Keitalia, 3rd of April. -3 to Aaron, +1 to Keitalia.

Proposal: Opiates are the religion of the masses

Better make use of some of these locations.

add to the bullet point after the string of characters "Isle of the Lotus-Eaters. (80-75)" in rule 19 "Mariners' Map" the following:

When a ship docks at the Isle of the Lotus-Eaters, the captain of that ship must make a post to the GNDT "Opium: DICE". On a roll of 1, all deckhands of that ship become "Enraptured". On a roll of 2, all warriors of that ship become "Enraptured". On a roll of 3, 4, or 5 nothing happens. On a roll of 6, both the deckhands and the warriors on that ship become enraptured. If the captain of the docked ship orders a resupply action then the captain rerolls and on a roll of 6 all members of the resupplying ship become "Enraptured".

Failed by Kevan, 2nd April. -3 to Aaron, +1 to Kevan.

Proposal: Knocking on Hades' Door

In Rule 19 (Mariners' Map), change the location of the Isle of the Sun to (25-15), and add to its description:

All Ships must Dock and Resupply at the Isle of the Sun whenever they legally can; however, an Order to Resupply here has a recharge time of three Lacunae. Immediately after any Ship Resupplies at the Isle of the Sun, the Poet shall make the GNDT comment "Hubris: DICE". If the die roll is strictly greater than the Ship's Foresight value, Zeus sends a storm as punishment for eating the cattle of Helios; the Ship gains 32 Distance.

Reword the first paragraph of Rule 22 (Ailments) to read:

Certain game events may cause Mariners and Ships to become afflicted with Ailments, which are tracked in the GNDT. Current Ailments are as follows:

Create the following Ailment:

* Foresight (X): The Ship has Foresight. X is an integer from 1 to 6, and may be referred to as the Ship's Foresight value.

Create a new Order which may be given to Ships:

DESCEND: The Ship loses no Distance, but instead visits Hades to listen to the words of the blind prophet Tiresias. The Ship loses Supplies equal to the number of Mariners aboard the Ship, and all Mariners aboard the Ship lose 10 Morale. Further, the Ship's Foresight value increases by 1 (to a maximum of 6); if it did not have Foresight before, it instead gains Foresight (1). This Order may be given only by a Captain who has previously given the Order to Resupply at the Isle of Aeaea.

Lastly, 3 of the Morale that Satyr Eyes would otherwise receive from this Proposal's enactment are given to Keitalia for her idea of Ship Ailments.

I tweaked the Distance value (32 instead of 40) and the precise mechanics by which visiting Hades works; it's simpler now.


Enacted by Cayvie with voting 13 to 1 8:28 GMT, 4.1.2004. +7 to Satyreyes, +3 to Keitalia, +2 to Cayvie.

Proposal: Walking Among the Lowest of the Dead

In Rule 19 (Mariners' Map), change the location of the Isle of the Sun to (25-15), and add to its description:

All Ships must Dock and Resupply at the Isle of the Sun whenever they legally can; however, an Order to Resupply here has a recharge time of three Lacunae. Immediately after any Ship Resupplies at the Isle of the Sun, the Poet shall make the GNDT comment "Hubris: DICE". If the die roll is strictly greater than the Ship's Foresight value, Zeus sends a storm as punishment for eating the cattle of Helios; the Ship gains 40 Distance.

Reword the first paragraph of Rule 22 (Ailments) to read:

Certain game events may cause Mariners and Ships to become afflicted with Ailments, which are tracked in the GNDT. Current Ailments are as follows:

Create the following two Ailments:

* Foresight (X): The Ship has Foresight. X is an integer from 1 to 6, and may be referred to as the Ship's Foresight value.
* Among the Dead: A Ship that is Among the Dead is listening to the words of the blind prophet Tiresias. All Mariners aboard a Ship that is Among the Dead lose 10 Morale every time a Lacuna begins (but do not suffer any penalty from the Rule "Homesickness", if it exists). Further, whenever a Lacuna begins, the Ship's Foresight value increases by 1 (to a maximum of 6); if it did not have Foresight before, it instead gains Foresight (1). Ships that are Among the Dead do not act on any Orders, including the default Sail Order, at the end of a Lacuna (this supersedes all Rules requiring an Order to be carried out); however, a Captain may remove this Ailment from his Ship at any time.

Create a new Order which may be given to Ships:

DESCEND: The Ship loses Supplies equal to twice the number of Mariners aboard the Ship. It loses no Distance, but instead visits Hades, gaining the Ailment "Among the Dead." This Order may be given only by a Captain who has previously given the Order to Resupply at the Isle of Aeaea.

Lastly, 3 of the Morale that Satyr Eyes would otherwise receive from this Proposal's enactment are given to Keitalia for her idea of Ship Ailments.


Failed by Cayvie (self-fail) 8:27 GMT, 4.1.2004. -3 to Satyreyes, +1 to Cayvie.

Proposal: Eris Tries Again

Perhaps this will clear a few things up.

Create a new rule, entitled "The Wrath of Eris."

Eris, goddess of strife and discord, finds the neat complexity of our ruleset quite unpalatable, and has decided to take matters into her own hands. Whenever an admin enacts a proposal, he/she should make a comment in the GNDT, "Wrath of Eris: DICE." If the result is a 1, he/she should make a second comment in the GNDT, "Uh-oh: DICE," and Eris performs the corresponding action. If an admin enacts a proposal without following any part of this paragraph, any Mariner may deduct 25 Morale from that admin. Only one such deduction may occur per transgression.

1: Eris halves a randomly selected even number in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset, and not including rule numberings or references to them).
2: Eris doubles a randomly selected odd number in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset, and not including rule numberings or references to them).
3: Eris adds a new rule to the ruleset, entitled "Snorkels" and properly numbered, with the text "There exist objects called Snorkels. A Snorkel may be purchased by any Mariner at any time for 5 Morale." After Eris does this, the enacting Admin may choose to replace, within this rule (The Wrath of Eris) all occurences of the word "Snorkel" with any other word that appears nowhere else in the Ruleset or current gamestate.
4: Eris adds the sentence, "All pigeons are snooty." at the end of a randomly selected rule (including those in the core ruleset). After Eris does this, the enacting Admin may choose to replace, within this rule (The Wrath of Eris), all occurences of either "pigeon" or "snooty" with any other word that appears nowhere else in the Ruleset or current gamestate.
5: Eris vetoes the oldest pending proposal in the proposal queue. The admin marks this by commenting on the proposal with the sentence "Eris made me do it :VETO:" and the proposal automatically and immediately fails.
6: Eris decides to be extra-nasty today. Roll twice more on this table. If three sixes are rolled for a single proposal, however, Eris deletes this rule from the ruleset (after performing her other actions), deciding that it's hopeless here.

If, at any point, the most recent action by Eris causes a contradiction to occur in the ruleset, then the Admin must undo that action, and may subsequently delete this rule (the Wrath of Eris) from the ruleset.

The admin should use a random number generator, found all over the web, to determine Eris's actions. For example, if a 1 was rolled on this table, the admin would count up the number of even numbers in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset), generate a random number between 1 and this, and then count down to it. (i.e. if there are 40 even numbers, generate a random number from 1 to 40, say 15, and then halve the 15th even number).

Within this rule, the "current gamestate" is defined as the GNDT, list of players, and any pending Proposals.

Failed by Cayvie with voting 4 to 8 8:27 GMT, 4.1.2004. -2 to Cayvie.

Chapter 2 Concluded

Chapter 2, "The Potency and the Existence," has been concluded. May all parties concerned prosper.

Proposal: Wrath of Eris

Eris is apparently annoyed that she has no followers, and has decided to take out her aggression on the game of nomic.

Create a new rule, entitled "The Wrath of Eris."

Eris, goddess of strife and discord, finds the neat complexity of our ruleset quite unpalatable, and has decided to take matters into her own hands. Whenever an admin enacts a proposal, he/she must make a comment in the GNDT, "Wrath of Eris: DICE." If the result is a 1, he/she must make a second comment in the GNDT, "Uh-oh: DICE," and Eris performs the corresponding action.

1: Eris halves a randomly selected even number in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset).
2: Eris doubles a randomly selected odd number in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset).
3: Eris adds the sentence, "This paragraph has no effect on gameplay." to a randomly selected paragraph in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset)
4: Eris changes all digits (excluding dice rolls and rule numberings) in a randomly selected rule (outside the core ruleset) to 1.
5: Eris vetoes the oldest pending proposal in the proposal queue. The admin marks this by commenting on the proposal with the sentence "Eris made me do it :VETO:" and the proposal automatically and immediately fails.
6: Eris decides to be extra-nasty today. Roll twice more on this table. If three sixes are rolled for a single proposal, however, Eris deletes this rule from the ruleset (after performing her other actions), deciding that it's hopeless here.

The admin should use a random number generator, found all over the web, to determine Eris's actions. For example, if a 1 was rolled on this table, the admin would count up the number of even numbers in the ruleset (outside the core ruleset), generate a random number between 0 and this, and then count down to it. (i.e. if there are 40 even numbers, generate a random number from 0 to 40, say 15, and then halve the 15th even number).

Vetoed by Satyr Eyes with voting 7 to 0. Failed by Satyr Eyes at 22:37 GMT, 3.31.2004. -3 to Cayvie, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

Proposal: Homesickness

Create a new rule entitled "Homesickness":

Although the Mariners are bound for their home at Ithaca, they have also grown accustomed to Troy over their years there. Therefore they suffer Homesickness as they venture away from Troy, which lessens as they approach Ithaca. At the end of each Lacuna the Poet will deduct Morale from each Mariner, dependent upon their current Ship's Distance value.

The formula for the Morale deducted is thus:

If the Ship's Distance is greater than or equal to 50 the Morale deducted will be (100 - the Ship's Distance) / 3, rounded down.
If the Ship's Distance is less than 50, the Morale deducted will be (0 + the Ship's Distance) / 3, rounded down.

A Mariner's Morale can not be negative as a result of the deduction. If the deduction would result in a negative Morale, the Mariner's Morale will be set to zero instead.

Just a little something to keep things interesting. Based on Satyreyes' idea that was elaborated on by Royce. Added my own little twist.

Passed 12 to 0 by Satyr Eyes at 22:27 GMT, 3.31.2004. +10 to Est, +2 to Satyr Eyes.

Proposal: Ghost Ship Quick Fix (trivial)

This proposal fails itself if Proposal: The Wandering does not pass.

Add the following text to the beginning of the paragraph describing Ghost Ships in rule 22 (ailments):

No Mariner may voluntarily transfer to a ship with this ailment. Should a mariner be involuntarily transferred to a ship with this ailment through any means, that ship loses this ailment immediately.

Replace the following text in rule 22:

The Poet may move this ship with any integer of speed. Once per lacuna, each Ghost Ship may attack any Ship with Battle Strength of 100 or higher.

with this text:

Once per lacuna, each Ghost Ship may declare an attack against any Ship, regardless of the Distance between the two, provided that the target Ship has a Battle Strength of 100 or higher.

If Aaron makes a comment to this proposal that contains the string "[yes]", this proposal as enacted shall also contain the text enclosed in braces:
{ Replace the following text in rule 22:

In order to avoid an attack by a Ghost Ship, a Priest must successfully perform a Ritual within 12 hours of the attack. If the Ritual fails or if it does not take place within the allotted time the attack is successful.

with this text:

A Ghost Ship may not declare an attack against any Ship which has a Mariner belonging to it that has performed a Successful Ritual in the 12 hours immediately preceding the declaration.

Replace the following text in rule 17:

The Ritual may only be performed X per lacuna. (Where X is the number of Ghost Ships in play.)

with this text:

Each priest may perform one ritual per lacuna per Ghost Ship in play.

}
If Aaron does not make a comment to this proposal containing the string "[yes]", then this proposal, when enacted, shall also contain the text enclosed in brackets.
[
Replace the following text in rule 22:

In order to avoid an attack by a Ghost Ship, a Priest must successfully perform a Ritual within 12 hours of the attack. If the Ritual fails or if it does not take place within the allotted time the attack is successful.

with this text:

When a ghost ship declares an attack against a ship, any priest aboard that ship has 12 hours to respond in the GNDT with a single comment of 'Ritual: DICE'. Should a priest respond in this manner, that priest loses 2 morale and a die is rolled. If the result is a 4, 5, or 6, the ritual is considered a Successful Ritual. If no Successful Ritual occurs in the 12 hours following a declaration of attack by a Ghost Ship, the attack is considered to be successful. Otherwise, the attack fails.

Remove the following text from Rule 17:

A Priest may also perform the ‘Ritual’. In order to perform the Ritual, a Priest must make the comment of 'Ritual: DICE' in the GNDT at the cost of 2 of their morale. The Ritual is successful if the Dice rolls a 4, 5, or 6. The Ritual may only be performed X per lacuna. (Where X is the number of Ghost Ships in play.)

]
I saw some loophole potential, as noted in my comments on the Ghost Ship proposal. I also noticed a few more that would occur if a Ghost Ship were to have mariners on it. For instance, it could have an election for captain, and if it got one, that captain would be able to declare attacks, even without control of the ship itself. I also thought that the bit about the poet moving it around was meaningless if it didn't have people on it, and potentially dangerous if, somehow, someone ended up aboard. And since I was revising anyway, I thought it'd be nice to clear up the confusion regarding what a ritual means and does. Now, a ritual clearly makes the attack fail, and since the Ghost Ship can only declare one attack per lacuna, the ship is safe. (as are all other ships). But then I remembered that there was some confusion on this point, so I included a way for Aaron to choose which way he wanted it to be (since we can't modify proposals once someone comments on them) Aaron, if the proposal is making it unclear, I'll explain simpler in this paragraph: If you meant for a ritual to be a way to protect against a possible ghost ship attack in the next twelve hours, add a comment containing "[yes]" to this proposal. That's a lower-case yes enclosed in square brackets. Otherwise, if you meant for the priests to have 12 hours after the declaration of an attack to respond, there is no need to do anything special. (As an aside, I do believe that this is the first self-mutating proposal in this Nomic, though I have not finished reading the archives yet.)

Passed 10 to 1 by Satyr Eyes at 22:17 GMT, 3.31.2004. +2 to Udelar, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

Proposal: The Wandering

Reword first paragraph of Rule 22 (Ailments) to read:

Certain game events may cause Mariners and Ships to become afflicted with Ailments, which are tracked in the GNDT. Current Ailments are as follows:

Create 2 new ailments:

*Abandoned: Once a ship becomes uninhabited by Mariners it is said to have contracted this ailment. A ship with 'Abandoned' may not have new or un-idled Mariners added to its crew. If an active Mariner transfers to this ship, the ailment ‘Abandoned’ is removed. If a ship has this ailment throughout 1 lacuna it contracts the ailment ‘Ghost Ship’.

*Ghost Ship: Ships with this ailment are under the control of the Poet. The Poet may move this ship with any integer of speed. Once per lacuna, each Ghost Ship may attack any Ship with Battle Strength of 100 or higher. Ghost Ships may not be attacked by non-Ghost Ships. Ghost Ships attack by using Massacre as their only attack type. When attacking, Ghost Ships do not roll for attack or defense. In order to avoid an attack by a Ghost Ship, a Priest must successfully perform a Ritual within 12 hours of the attack. If the Ritual fails or if it does not take place within the allotted time the attack is successful.

Add into job description of ‘Priest’ under Rule 17 (Jobs):

A Priest may also perform the ‘Ritual’. In order to perform the Ritual, a Priest must make the comment of ‘Ritual: DICE’ in the GNDT at the cost of 2 of their morale. The Ritual is successful if the Dice rolls a 4, 5, or 6. The Ritual may only be performed X per lacuna. (Where X is the number of Ghost Ships in play.)

This a proposal that will add another interesting mechanic to this Dynasty. And since there is currently a ship without any crew, we might as well make some use of it. Also, thank you Satyr Eyes and Cayvie for your previous comments.

Passed 8 to 6 by Satyr Eyes at 22:07 GMT, 3.31.2004. +10 to Keitalia, +2 to Satyr Eyes.

Proposal: Take a Risk Sometime (trivial)

Look at the Morales. Right now, the lowest morale out there is 93. We have numerous ways to gain morale, and not that many ways to lose it. Right now, if a person proposes four non-trivial proposals, only one of them has to pass for the proposer to come out ahead. Basically, this means that we're encouraging people to propose tons of worthless and meaningless proposals, because if one in four passes, they come out ahead. I don't think this is particularly beneficial to the game.

Replace, in rule 6 Enactment, the statement

When a Proposal fails, its proposer loses 3 Morale.

with

When a Proposal fails, its proposal loses 6 Morale, or 3 if it was a trivial Proposal.

Failed 4 to 8 by Satyr Eyes at 3:26 GMT, 3.31.2004. -3 to Cayvie, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

Avast!

The SS Odyssey is wheeling about to raid the ghost ship SS Calypso, and liberate its luckless prisoners. The GNDT dice rolls will be made momentarily...

[ thunder rumbles ]

Rolls are made, the battle is over. The Odyssey had an Attack Strength of 1282; the deserted Calypso mustered a Defence of 200. The Odyssey claims 20 Supplies from the Calypso's abandoned stores, and our raiding party carries an unshackled Royce and Strider back to safety.

We're still ahead of the Calypso, so if the pair of you want to travel back and reclaim it, feel free to take a raft back there after you've fed and rested. But you're more than welcome to remain part of the Odyssey's crew.

Proposal: Words Words Words

add the following as an Upgrade under rule 15 "Actions":

Really Big Mast 30 supplies: add 2 speed to a ship with a Really Big Mast, but subtract two speed instead if that ship does not have at least two non-imprisoned deckhands. A ship loses its Really Big Mast should a mutiny occur. A ship may not have more than one Really Big Mast at a given time.

Passed 8 to 5 by Satyr Eyes at 3:17 GMT, 3.31.2004. +10 to Aaron, +2 to Satyr Eyes.

Proposal: Expert Texpert

append the following paragraph to rule 24 "Piracy":

When an Attack succeeds and should all the priests on the attacking ship worship the same god, each priest on the attacking ship may force a non-priest mariner on the attacked ship to convert and change their god to the one that the priests of the attacking ship worship.

Self-failed by Aaron with voting 1 to 8; failed by Satyr Eyes at 3:05 GMT, 3.31.2004. -3 to Aaron, +1 to Satyr Eyes.

Advanced jobs question

There is a new column for advanced jobs... shouldn't they be in the same column as basic jobs? Am I wrong in thinking that the current rules do not allow the occupation of a basic job AND an advanced job?

Chapter 2: The Potency and the Existence (with Epilogue)

My name is Calypso. My garden overflows.
Thick and wild and hidden is the sweetness there that grows.
My hair, it blows long as I sing into the wind...

At first Brother Cayvie, the traveler of islands, thought it was the song of the sirens he heard echoing over the waves. He froze for a moment in horror -- then relaxed as he realized, a moment later, that if it were a siren song he heard, he would already have thrown himself overboard. Yet bewitching the song was, and he listened to its strains even as he became aware that the crewmen around him heard nothing.

The song was a plea for help. He knew it, though the lyrics did not say it. Somewhere on the wine-dark sea, the same sea over which the Palladium cruised at last, there were Greeks that needed the kind of help only the gods could send. Who were they? Did they mean his ship well or ill? And could his conscience bear turning a deaf ear to the pleas of those in need?

Cayvie closed his eyes and tried to hear the counsel of wise Athena. She was silent today, however. Perhaps she was waiting for her child to show his resolve. Or perhaps she wasn't even watching.

O Cayvie, traveler of islands, please select an option. How do you deal with the mysterious song that only you can hear?

1. Pray to Athena on behalf of those crying for your help, hoping she will see fit to end their suffering.
2. Pray to Athena to let the singers suffer, knowing that wisdom may often come from hardship.
3. Sing the song you hear to your shipmates, hoping to inspire them to pray -- or even search -- for the lost souls.

Brother Cayvie was a sensate, one who knew the ways of the gods and could interpret signs when he saw them -- or heard them. Still, he thought, the gray-eyed goddess helps those who help themselves. If I want to aid the ones who suffer so, it is a task for men, not gods; Athena has given me a key, and the door is mine to find.

With that thought, the traveler of islands turned from the prow where he stood to face the seamen teeming over the ropes, took a deep breath, and addressed them...

***

Many leagues away, Royce, the long of hope, awoke. The captain of the Odyssey had been kind enough to let him use one of the few cots on the ship, to help ease his residual soreness from spending days in the Calypso's brig. He put his hand to his forehead, silently sending thanks to each god in turn, and to his deliverer, the great tactician Kevan.

On the other side of the room, dark-browed Strider saw Royce stir. "I've gotta give you credit," he murmured sleepily. "That prayer of yours... that song... sure got results."

"Who knows?" Royce replied. "Maybe it was all coincidence, and this would've happened anyway. I'm not sure it really matters. We are where we are now, and where we are is on a ship bound for Ithaca. I for one am glad to be here."

To this Strider could only say amen.

***

The subtle Aaron, captain of the Palladium, glanced again over his navigational chart. His ship had not run across anything unusual in the days since his priest sang that beautiful song to the crew. While the captain knew Athena would not lie to her sensate, he knew too that the affairs of mortals moved quickly -- sometimes more quickly than even the gods, with their unending lives, could keep up with. Perhaps the Palladium's help was no longer needed. Perhaps the ones in misery had been saved by another. Or perhaps Cayvie had simply been mistaken.

Regardless, the captain could not help but marvel at the progress his ship had made since the sensate's performance, as his emboldened crew had redoubled their efforts. Aaron smiled, his intuition that Athena smiled on the Palladium's journey confirmed.

Cayvie's choice has encouraged the crew to sail with all speed. Cayvie's Speed therefore increases by 2 until the beginning of the next Lacuna. Had he chosen the first option, Athena would have seen fit to free the prisoners Strider and Royce from captivity on the Calypso, had they not been freed already. Had he chosen the second, every Mariner on the cursed Calypso would have lost 5 Morale to the hopelessness of the dark brig.

Lacuna 3: Bright Mornings and Endless Evenings

The ship's massive hull creaked hollowly as it rocked slowly on the endless sea. Beneath the deck, in the darkness of the underchambers, a rat scrabbled at the floorboards to resist the floor's sudden tilt. It held its ground but was thrown off-balance, for just long enough for a sharpened bone to pierce its skin from above. Emitting a final, futile squeak, the rat surrendered its life to the man holding the skewer.

Dark-browed Strider spun the rat round and round absently, his mind elsewhere. A few yards away, Royce, the long of hope, turned his body to face his cellmate. Strider's face was barely visible in the dim light filtering down between the boards of the Calypso's upper deck. Normally clean-shaven, Strider now sported stubble reflecting the days of the men's imprisonment.

"I don't suppose you'd consider sharing that," Royce asked tentatively.

Strider sighed. "As I recall, you took a double helping at mess the day before our treacherous captain threw us in here and jumped ship." But he tore a leg off the rat and handed it to his comrade.

Royce smiled gratefully and dug in. He was not one to quibble with the Fates, and if the Sisters gave him rats, why, rats it would be for him. The gods would provide for their children. But he reflected, as he ate, that even the Fates could only work with what they were given.

"Strider," Royce said, interrupting the other man's noisy consumption of the remainder of the rat. "Are you still on good terms with the sea-god?"

"Aye." Strider's rapport with Poseidon had always been strong, and if the mariner had muttered a few curses at his patron deity of late, he knew the latter would forgive him. His circumstances were, after all, exceptional.

"Ask him to send the wind, would you? Not a strong tail wind for the ship, but a benign wind to lift a prayer up and cast it wide."

Strider grunted. "If Poseidon sees fit to help us, it won't be any prayer from a... pantheist... like yourself that convinces him." But in the safe darkness of the Calypso, the gruff Strider could not resist a bit of a smile.

Put off a bit, Royce nonetheless nodded with acceptance. "Then I suppose my prayer will have to reach the gods under its own power." The one long of hope gazed up through a crack in the floorboards, at a sliver of clearly visible, promising blue sky above. He opened his mouth and began to sing.

Proposal: Sandbagging

In Rule #4: Proposals, change:

A Mariner may have no more than two non-Trivial and four Trivial Proposals Pending at any one time.

to:

Non-Trivial Proposals are equivalent in worth to two Trivial Proposals. A Mariner may have no more than two non-Trival Proposals' worth of Proposals pending at any one time, ie: 2 non-Trivials, or 1 non-Trivial and 2 Trivials, or up to 4 Trivials.

I'm sure it used to be something like this a while ago. Once you hit your limit that was it, you had to wait until they were passed or failed. One person having six Proposals pending at any one time seems ludicrous to me.

Passed 9 to 3 by Keitalia @ 3:25 GMT, 3.30.2004. +10 to EST, +2 Keitalia.

Proposal: Can I buy some wings? [trivial]

Add the following to the list of upgrades in the rule 'actions':

Parrot 5 supplies: Increases the morale gain of loud and quiet choices by 1 and increases the morale loss of loud and quiet choices by 1 (as read in the jobs rule under 'captain')
Wine Cellar 10 supplies: During a feast the morale of mariners of this ship increases by an additonal 3.
Confession Cabin 10 supplies: Once per lacuna, a Priest on board of this ship may raise the morale of all mariners on the same ship by 3, but the priest will lose 3 morale per mariner on board.
Crow's nest 30 supplies: Pirates and heros may not choose this ship when attempting to sneak or rescue when their distance to this ship is more than 5.
Extra sail 40 supplies: The speed of the captain on this ship is increased by 1.
Oars 50 Supplies: The speed of deckhands on this ship is increased by (deckhand's morale/100) rounded down. When this ship's distance is reduced, all deckhands on this ship lose 20 morale.

In the rule actions under the header 'upgrade' add:

A ship may have no more than three upgrades. The poet will ignore all upgrade requests when the ship already has three upgrades.

and

At any time the captain may remove any upgrade from his or her ship

Failed 2 to 10 by Keitalia @ 3:23 GMT, 3.30.2004. -3 to Dunam, +1 Keitalia.