Welcome to the 🗳 Very Serious (Not Serious) Mascot Elections 🗳 for 2021! These elections are your chance to vote for arguably the most important exec position of the society, yes even more important than the President, and yes even more important than the Web Admin... ✨ the mascot ✨.

Here is a quote from our Constitution about the mascot elections:

5.2.2: Annual General Meetings also include the election of the Society Mascot. This Mascot has no power (so does not have to be officially listed as an exec member) and does not have to be a member of the society, nor a person. Mascot proposals can be made and voted on by members and non-members alike.

The only rules for appointing a mascot are that it should probably be related to our society in some way, and that it absolutely must follow the Code of Conduct. You can see our previous mascots in this forum thread if you're looking for ideas. We've also had some good ideas in the past that haven't been elected, such as The Cursed Baby Head That The LARPers Found In The Woods.

In previous years, we've asked for submissions at the end of the AGM and voted on them there and then. However, the world is different this year, and as such the mascot elections are different. This time, you have a chance to make a very serious manifesto for your mascot choice, which others can read. We will then use a bracket-based format (think the Braketeering game from Jackbox Party Pack 4, or like actual sports brackets) to slowly reduce the number of mascots down to one overall winner.

This bracket will be assembled at the start of the AGM. The size of the bracket will be determined closer to the time, with the Returning Officer deciding which mascots go in the bracket if there are more mascots than spaces. Each vote in the bracket will be held during the AGM as a light-hearted break between everything else going on.

Oh also I guess this can function as an announcement post that emoji now work on the website. Thanks to Thomas for fixing this! 💻

So, in summary: if you have a mascot idea, post in this thread with your idea and an optional manifesto stating why. The manifesto can be as overdramatic and silly as you like. Ridiculousness wins votes, after all. You may post as many mascots as you like, but we ask that you don't spam this with every tiny mascot idea you can think of.

Finally, here is some overexcited music for this election, please enjoy.

i'm free

I hereby nominate :benji_sit: (see below) for mascot-ship.

The original picture was taken upon the conclusion of our previous AGM, run by the majestic Callum. With :benji_sit:, society members always have a friend available in their pocket, ready and waiting to give comments, financial advice, random D&D facts, and a variety of poor jokes and horrifying edits (see below)!

In addition to the previously mentioned reasons to vote :benji_sit: for mascot, there are a number of other reasons to vote :benji_sit:, such as

• the growth of other exec emoji, such as :ares_rawr: and :anakin_vibe:
• to support and give reason to incoming exec to run, so they too can be a meme and mascot
• as a way of showing your appreciation for me, Benjamin, the best Treasurer of Tabletop Society since the time I was elected in

Here's another reason to vote :benji_sit:: [fill in blank with a reason to vote for your candidate]

Finally, some quotes of supporters of :benji_sit::

he equal ops
he treasurer
but most importantly
he sit
- Finnbar McPresident, 07/03/2020

"I want a tiny Benji in my pocket, sounds useful!" - Sol McRPGs, 03/03/2020

Vote :benji_sit: for mascot for a brighter, more entertaining future.

Kind Regards,
Benjamin "Baby Pangolin (blame Ares)" McTreasurer

I've arrived to present you all with the only reasonable choice, All Horses. This isn't some obscure reference to something, I'm nominating the entire population of horses, both living and otherwise. They are the backbone to all the things we enjoy, including this little thing you may have heard of: Society??? I particularly like when they phase in and out of reality when I and other GMs forget that they're there until travel starts happening again. I use big letters because they convey big thoughts. [Editors Note: big letters replaced with normal letters to preserve accessibility] Thank you for your time.
Note: I will not be taking questions, as I am a strict believer that truth can only be found within the self. That is to say; just figure it out bro it aint that deep

Friends, nemeses, and those who have not yet heard about tub theory, I am making a case under absolutely no duress that the Gender Cube should be the society mascot. I wish I could tell you voting for the Gender Cube would stop it appearing outside your window, but I can at least promise it might hum less ominously. Other symptoms of not voting for the Gender Cube may include [INFORMATION REDACTED FOR THE SAFETY OF READERS].

Time for some Fun Cube Facts!
Crows are just a projection of cubes at a really weird angle!
Cubes cannot die!
These are the only Fun Cube Facts, the rest are horrifying!

You might be shocked to learn the Gender Cube has a broad CV, including many things that aren't just making people question their gender, including:
Having opinions on Hannah's bid for co-op officer 2021/2022. What these opinions are is confidential.
Being the CEO of Girls™
Summoning Hatsune Miku
Sponsoring Netrunner in order to maintain #Netrunner-girls-chat
Singlehandedly developing Monster Prom without any hands
Being used as an emergency device-including being a d6, currency, and a draft cube compatible with Magic, Netrunner, and many other CCGs that don't exist yet.
Being endorsed by our glorious presidential bean, Finnbar
The ultimate excuse for all your screaming, and really anything else you need an excuse for

Dropping the facade for a minute though, when I first came to Uni, I'd only just started being out as trans full time, and was just a little bit incredibly nervous. Having a supportive community here and other visibly queer people to talk to has been a massive help with that, even just for the simple thing of knowing I'm not alone, and doing stuff with the soc been one of the things that has made my 2020 less of an utter hellscape. Voting the Gender Cube would comemmerate that.

To get back on a less serious topic, it would also mean the Society unofficially sanctions my chaotic posting, and that would show a forward thinking society ready to embrace the energy of Gen Z, and my many quotable quotes (I have contributed almost 5% of all quotes added since I joined the soc discord, and while it would be arrogant and not just in the cool hubris way to claim I'm the nat 20 of quotes, I'm at least a solid 17.)

(Also it was this or a comprehensive list of all tubs, and that manifesto would have been even longer than this.)

Here, queer, filled with existential fear.

Aeons* ago there was a prophecy. Such a work of genius that could only come forth from the minds of a sleepy group of people who were very tired and had played way too much Jackbox that day. An idea so inspired that it could barely be contained by the mere contents of a newsletter and manifested itself in the title. Such an epic proclamation that would be echoed in the Discord by at least 1 other person. That’s right, it me, I’m running for mascot.

Look! It’s a prophecy in cool gif form! That’s how you know it’s legit

Now, you’ll be like, “but Jamie, you’re presumably running for other exec positions given how much you’ve been talking in exec meetings chat and now you’re running for mascot as well? That’s crazy!” Well, I’m here to tell you that not only is it not crazy, but it also makes 100% logical and sound sense. For you see, we all know that the mascot is the most powerful member of society, and I believe that combining this raw power with sheer prophecy fulfilling** energy will, indeed, unlock the omega exec state and allow Tabletop Society to ascend.

But if sleepy Jackbox™ and a newsletter title isn’t enough to convince you, here are a few fun facts about me that might sway your vote:

• I’m Aromantic, which basically makes me a crispy duck.
• My tooth is chipped from where I faceplanted a snare drum when I was little. In the immortal words of Simon Skinner, it really hurt.
• I can count to 10 if I try really hard.***

However, that’s not all. If you vote for me for mascot I promise that I will wear some kind of hat to an event at least once (COVID permitting), and that I will hold a vote on Discord to change my tag to a nickname worthy of the title of mascot.

Now you have been thoroughly swayed to my cause, I’ll leave you with a quote that you can take with you and share with the world:
“That’s the truth of the Finnbar Extended Universe – you never expect the ducks”

*Aeons meaning just over 2 months
**Ignore the fact it was also prophecised on the same day I wouldn’t be mascot
***Citation urgently needed

Okay look, the other mascots posted here are great. However, this particular mascot has been prophesised since the dawn of time so I have to mention it. That's right, it's ✨ Sea Urchin #16 ✨. (As we all know, time began just after the Depths Megagame, don't @ me.)

You may be wondering what a little sea urchin has done for our society. Well, you should consider an entirely different question. What has a little sea urchin done for my sanity? This little bugger messed up my code and caused needless crashes during the megagame, and is obviously immortal. Also it brought all of us together in a time of panic - whether that panic was me dealing with software, or any of the teams' engineers on encountering one of Thomas' puzzles. What follows is a collection of reasons promoting the efficacy of this sea urchin as mascot.

I theorise that this sea urchin is the glue that keeps Tabletopopolis alive. I will not be expanding on this.

Another reason to vote for this particular sea urchin is its murder power. Scientists theorise that this urchin can murder one submarine per time unit, which is significantly more than most other mascots on average (yes, the entire population of horses could probably kill more but they are too focused on infighting). Having this kind of murder potential (a kind of energy) could lead to much success in the society, since murder and the threat of murder are both crimes very effective tools [J et. al, 2020].

You should also consider that, given its game crashing properties, it could probably tear a hole in the fabric of space-time itself. Pretty cool, huh?!

Finnbar's Guide to Fish (one of the documents from the megagame) states that these creatures are "mostly-stationary giants". By being mostly stationary, we can put our mascot in the cupboards, a space well-known for having space. Also, by being readily available at our events by being in the cupboards, everyone will be able to appreciate the warmth and sheer murder potential of this beast. Furthermore, by being stationary, it's an adequate thing to put in your giant pencil case.

Fururthermore, by a stroke of complete luck, this sea urchin is first aid trained! So it can kill you and then heal you. (Note: it is not trained in necromancy.)

It's time for another fact I made up! Sea urchins, when cut in half, feel pain! But this sea urchin is immortal so it will make you atone for your sins.

I asked for some testimonials about the sea urchin, and got a few for you to enjoy:
"Probably couldn't even defeat a single horse" - Ryan (lying)
"10/10 would spam news team chat again" - Jamie
"Sea urchin #16 saved my life several times" - Alex (board games rep)

Anyway, that's enough facts for one day. I hope you consider voting for this sea urchin, as it is your friend. Finally, here is a picture of this sea urchin for your perusal (by Ares, as sourced from the megagame), and a picture of it in action doing what it does best: dying.

Here is the urchin, look at its pretty face!

Here is the urchin, which died many times.

i'm free

The elephant with googly eyes. It is a) an elephant, b) has googly eyes, and c) is a good cudly friend.

Elephant for mascot. Mascot was made with love, care, and attention to detail, and was inaugurated by taking on board suggestions from the WBG community.
Elephant inspires hope, adaptability, and warmth and these are things we need right now.

(Artock, friend of the elephant)

The Banning of Kakugo

Hi everyone!

You all know me as the person whose name appears next to this post; and I'd like to propose the currently-banned Netrunner card Kakugo:

What exactly does "Kakugo" mean?

Resilience.
Endurance.
Suffering.

It could mean any of these, for I do not speak Japanese.

Google Translate estells me it means "prepared", but nothing could have prepared us for the total shock the day NISEI marked too many cards for dead; cruelly removing them from legal play, once again allowing unruly punks to always be running with direct access to servers and only the threat of fun and interactive cards in their way. It's hard to wrap your head around, and I'd like to have been a fly on the wall for that decision.

Was this ruling acceptable? Many say no, not okay.

There are some people (and more power to them) who have proudly stood ever since in best defense of the card. Keeping a vigil, making sure the Kakugo heart beats on, and that the noise of those NISEI have wronged are heard. There will never be a doppelgänger to Kakugo.

Therefore I would like to present "The banning of Kakugo" to this open forum for your consideration for society mascot.

(Apologies for taking so long to make this post; I'm something of a drafter and found myself overwritingit.Ohdearmyspacecrashed.)

Hello everyone,

You might remember that I have already made a mascotifesto for Sea Urchin #16. However, life is too short for only one mascotifesto, and to be honest even though I would prefer the Gender Cube to win I may as well try and get something good for second. So, here we go!!

hang on heck there's four things there, I meant fixed it!! the post it _no_te (second image)

ANYWAY, why should you vote for the post-it note? The answer is obvious - that last sentence rhymed. Also the post-it note is convenient for when you're about to make a mistake - just look at it and realise you're wrong! After all, what represents the open and inclusive nature of this society more than a post-it note that says "no" on it?!

Look I've gotta be honest I was worried we wouldn't get 8 or 12 or 16 mascots depending on how the bracket is run so this is here to make sure that a number is reached

Anyway go vote for the other mascots byeeeeeeeeeeeeee

i'm free

Hello fellow tabletoppers! It is I, a regular member of this society. I was casually perusing this mascot thread, like any other mortal, when I came to the realisation that there was a worrying lack of the most iconic part of this society. It's the star of at least 2 one-shots, it's the scourge of Jackbox, it's the source of a non-zero number of Finnbar's nightmares, that's right, it's this iconic fellow:

Now, you might be thinking "Raccoons? But they're vermin! Why would I vote for a smelly little raccoon?" Well, first of all, how dare you. Second of all, it is a well known fact that raccoons are both the most adorable and the most vicious of creatures. So if you do vote for them, they will be the most adorable mascot that this society has ever seen, and if you don't, well, let's not think about that eventuality.

And in case those eerie yet vague threats weren't enough to pursuade you to the position of the raccoons, here are some fun raccoon facts:

• They, much like sea urchins, are trained in first aid! They specialise in correcting cardiac arrythmia with the help of electricty.
• They are excellent drawers, as you can see from the above picture, which was, in fact, drawn by a raccoon (hard to believe, I know)
• If you put 3 of them in a trenchcoat, they look nothing like a human, I don't know why you'd ever think that.

And if that still hasn't convinced you, I've talked to a local raccoon, who had this to say on the matter: "What noise do Raccoons make again?"

So vote raccoons for mascot, for a year of adorableness and to avoid getting mauled

I would like to submit the University of Warwick Computing Society (UWCS) as the official mascot, on the grounds that I am submitting Tabletop Games and Roleplaying Society for the next UWCS mascot.

Dipossum the Mirrored, Screaming Horror of the Void, has entered the arena!

At 11:35pm, on the 1st March 2021, Twitter user Dr Joby Hollis (@Jobium) posted this tweet:
At 11:36pm on the 28th Feb 2016, Dipossum the Mirrored began its apocalpytic rampage.
Please send help
Vote Dipossum iff:
You hate all the other mascots.
You think butterflies could be weirder.
You are constantly screaming. You cannot stop screaming, no matter how hard you try. Your jaw is locked open, a scream forced out of your unwilling lungs.
You think Possums are cute, but not like, "worthy of a mascot post" cute.

Here, queer, filled with existential fear.