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It was Kelsen’s fault in the end. Most things were, according to Marene anyway. Kelsen would argue but, well, more often then not his sister was right. This one though... This one was just as much Marene’s fault as it was Kelsen’s. It had been her idea, after all. It had been a perfectly ordinary weekend until then. Ashren, their cousin, had come by and the two boys were going at it with their guitars, playing along to their favorite bands and blasting lyrics at full volume. Never one to be outdone, Marene tried to drown them out with notes high enough to shatter glass. “What are you singing?!” Mrs. Eld had been an opera singer once, and her powerful voice brought a sudden end to the battle of the bands. Unfortunately for the cousins, that meant the harsh metal lyrics were all the more audible. “Put a spike through her heart-“ Kelsen shoved the needle away with a sharp screech! but the damage was already done. He didn’t have to look up to know his mother was glaring. “It’s just words, Ma.” ”Words,” Mrs. Eld snapped, “have power. I’ve raised you to be good Survivorists, and I won’t have that,” she shot the record a disgusted look, “trash in my home.” She snatched the black disc from her son’s hands, snapping the hard plastic in one sharp movement. ”Ma!” Kelsen protested. “That cost a whole months allowance!” Mrs. Eld was unmoved. “Then next time spend it on something worthy.” ”But the music’s great,” Ashren protested, realizing his mistake too late, flinching as his aunt turned her withering glare on her nephew. “And I’m sure my sister will be delighted to hear it.” Ashren winced again. “Why don’t you find some noise with better lyrics?” ”They don’t make ‘em,” Kelsen muttered, looking mournfully at the broken pieces. It had cost him a whole month’s allowance too. He’d known buying it was risky, but the music was amazing! It was sharp, and wild, and nothing at all like the classic arias his parents had had him practicing since before he could remember. This was something entirely new, something for his generation! Not that his parents would understand. All they heard were the words, which were, admittedly, pretty bad, glorifying murder and Ironeyes and Hemalurgy. Kelsen wasn’t too fond of them himself, but the music was worth it. His mother disagreed, leaving him with a stern warning about what would happen if she caught him listening to such ‘trash’ again. “I bet she’d like it if it had Survivorist lyrics,” Kelsen said crossly after his mother left and the door was safely shut, “even if they were about how he killed the nobles or robbed people or was tortured in the Pits.” ”Yeah,” Ashren agreed. “Wish someone’d make some.” ”Why don’t you?” Marene snapped, flicking her long, dark hair back. “Better then wasting more of my practice time.” Marene wanted to be a famous singer, like her mother had been, and that meant a lot of practice. Kelsen had a good voice too, but he would rather play his guitar. “Because-“ Kelsen paused abruptly, objection silenced as his sister’s words penetrated. “Why not?” he said slowly, turning the idea over in his mind. The more he thought about it, the better it seemed. “Why not?” And so The Survivor’s Crew was born. (You are allowed to critique this, because apparently I need to give permission now.)

The band is run by a guitarist named Kelsen, and his younger sister Marene, who is a soprano. They play Kell and Vin (used to be Kell and Mare, but that got too weird.) Kelsen’s girlfriend Domique plays the keyboard and has the role of Mare (which works much better.) Their cousin, Ashren, plays Marsh and is the bassist. For Elend they recruited Marene’s friend from band, Renek, who plays drums. Ashren recruited Andryl, a Terris Pathian, for Sazed. He plays rhythm guitar. Kelsen’s best friend Endel is their manager and sound tech. He also plays a theremin and a classic guitar. When he’s onstage he’s Dox. They do have an organist, Vinouex, who Renek met in church. He plays Breeze when he joins them. He brought his flutist, South Scadrian, girlfriend Jenah, to play Alriane. Another of Marene’s band friends, Laine, plays a sax and Ham. Nesier was a blind kid Kelsen met at a church fundraiser. He plays Spook and a viola. He introduced the band to Razen, his counselor at his camp, the band’s oldest member. Razen plays a clarinet, trumpet, and harp (not all at once!) He was recruited to play Clubs, due to his limp and age. Then Jenah brought her little sister, Mart, to play accordion and Beldre. And Andryl discovered his neighbor, Tynsen, plays the glockenspiel, so now she’s Tindwyl. The band members aren’t all onstage at the same time. But they do all play. Except for Andryl, Tynsen, Jenah and Mart all the members are devout Survivorists. The former two are Pathians, and the latter two are from an offshoot Survivor/Sovereign combination faith that was created when Scadrial figured out the two were the same. At an early point Kelsier discovered them and started funding the band. Only Kelsen, Marene, and Endel know their silent backer’s identity. Core band: Kelsen: lead electric guitar, vocalist, Kelsier (Survivorist) Marene: vocalist, lute, Vin (Survivorist) Domique: keyboard, Mare (Survivorist) Ashren: Bassist, Marsh (Survivorist) Renek: Drummer, Elend (Survivorist) Andryl: Rhythm guitar, Sazed (Pathian) Endel: classic guitar, theremin, sound tech, manager, Dox (Survivorist) Additional members: Vinouex: organist, Breeze (Survivorist) Jenah: flutist, Alriane (Survivor-Sovereignist) Laine: saxophonist, Ham (Survivorist) Nesier: viola (and other types of violins), Spook (Survivorist) Razen: clarinetist, trumpeter, harpist, Clubs (Survivorist) Mart: accordionist, Beldre (Survivor-Sovereignist) Tynsen: glockenspiel, Tindwyl (Pathian) Others: Kelsier: (mostly) Silent backer

This is a fan club for those who love metal of any form. Except tin.