Arontius of Bygelswade

.....We stopped by Talon and Jenae's house for their Thanksgiving festivities just in time to witness a game called 'Werewolf'. They did their absolute best to get me to play, but I wanted to watch. TBT watched the first round and then joined in on the second. The game is actually a real hoot and if we had stayed a little longer I probably would have been persuaded to join in on it.

.....A set of cards are passed out to the participants sitting around the table. Two people are designated as 'werewolves' and one person is designated as a 'psychic'. Everyone else sitting around the table are the 'villagers'. When you are given your card, you are not to reveal what exactly you are, that is supposed to remain a secret.

.....One person acts as a moderator for the game. He starts the game by telling everyone that they go to sleep for the night. Everyone closes their eyes. The moderator then tells those two people who have been designated as 'werewolves' can now open their eyes. They do so and recognize each other, without giving themselves away to the rest of the group. They then designate a 'victim' who will be found dead in the morning by pointing to one of the villagers around them.

.....The moderator then tells them to go to sleep. Then he tells the 'psychic' that it is time for him to wake up. The 'psychic' points to one of the people around the table and the moderator indicates whether that person is a 'villager' or a 'werewolf'. Theoretically, with this information the psychic can help persuade the villagers later that this person or that person is or is not a werewolf. But because there are TWO werewolves, if the psychic points out the one werewolf, it is probable that the other will eat him the next evening.

.....O.K., have I lost you yet? :-) After the psychic asks his question and gets his answer, the moderator then tells everyone to 'wake up' as it is morning. He then informs them all that someone died during the evening and lets them all know who it was. It is now the job of the villagers to determine who the werewolves are. The accusations fly. The accused get the opportunity to defend themselves before the villagers decide for themselves just who they think that the werewolves are and put them to death.

.....During this process the werewolves are of course trying to deflect suspicion off of themselves and on to someone else. Last night, the werewolves were very successful in doing this. They usually survived until the end. Unless, like Conchobar, they have been sipping regularly from the Bushmills and Guiness over the course of the game. :-)

.....Like I said, the game is a hoot. Having a good moderator makes the game even more fun. And the better and more wild the accusations, the better. :-) A very fun way to end a Thanksgiving Day feast. :-) Will have to remember that game for other 'after feast festivities'. :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.