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Here is the prologue: It should be noted that more content may be added. He was in control. Absorption held them like cards. He could play them at any time. He could kill them without a thought. His rule - so magnificent. He was in control. He walked into a room. No one ran. If you ran, you were already dead. He shot the wall. The screams ensued. He laughed. He was in control. The epic had already fled the place, but there was a point to be made. Those who defy his rule are dead. Each shot sank into flesh. He just shot the wall, but it was the wall that remained unharmed. The people all had bullets in their faces, a big gaping hole almost reminding of a third eye. A man tried to shoot him. A bullet ended up in the man's chest right as it hit Absorption. Absorption was unharmed. The epic would come back. The scene here was just a fraction of his power. A reminder of the true threat to the epic. After all, the bullets could've as easily been in the puny little epic's throat. He was, in theory, inevitable. He took his maniac laughter outside. There the people of the streets glanced at him with concern. They knew they could die at any moment. They were afraid. As they should be. After all, he was in control. ##### Chapter 1: The moment replayed itself in Recapture's pristine memory. The smirk on Absorption's face as he walked into the store. It was a surprisingly normal location for such a big incident. It was a walmart. It was also the secret liar of the Voidcaller, a minor epic with invisibility powers and Radiation powers. That's right. The tyrant of the century's weakness was radiation. Absorption - the closest thing to a god - was killed by this guy. Nothing moved. Recapture was in a frame. Nothing moved in a frame. It was captured. Caught in the act. The Voidcaller; the mastermind behind the kill, was a 62 year old man. By touching his past frame, he could glean every moment of his life. The voidcaller's life. not his. There was once a man named Arelythis. His dad died while fighting in the second world war. His mom fled germany to get a better life and met his father. They lived together for 4 years before having Arelythis. Their child, had been an academic master. Aced all his courses. But his parents would never be proud of him. He always failed to meet their expectations. His peers only laughed at him. He had beaten the systems of education, but never his parent's sky high expectations. After an argument in February 1989, Arelythis left his family for good. He purchased a one-way ticket to Sydney, Australia, and settled there. He got a job as a software engineer for public transport systems and lived a happy normal life. Until calamity rose. Arelythis then hid from the roaming epics in the remainder of australia, now called the wastelands. Then, three and a half years after Calamity started burdening the skies with it's hellish glow, Arelythis gained his powers as the voidcaller. He slowly made his way to Alensdale, California, leaving a trail of radioactive wasteland. Everywhere he went, he ridded the world of epics. He considered it a mercy. Recapture now knew what he needed to know about the Voidcaller. Not that his name was Arelythis. Not that he came from the wastelands. Recapture now knew why Arelythis considered it a mercy to kill Absorption. Not an act of kindness, or an act of displaying power, but an Act of mercy. The truth was disgusting. Recapture snapped back to reality. He told Aerie what the air manipulator needed to hear. "Down the street. Next to the pre-calamity barber. Greenish house with bricks on the right." Aerie would never know the truth. The disgusting horrible truth. Aerie would kill that epic. It was, after all, a mercy to kill an epic. Chapter 2: It was a very quiet room for a god slaying menace to be hiding in. Aerie was almost surprised to see Voidcaller as an old man, maybe in his 60’s or so. He was the only man in the room. Voidcaller had the power to go invisible. Right. Aerie reached out with tendrils of air, trying to feel everything in the room. Nothing, no one. He checked behind him. The door was still as he had left it. Aerie looked back to the old man squatting in the corner. Wait. Where was that old man? Aerie felt something disturb the air. He created a bubble of air around it and popped it. That would kill anything within it. Then his danger sense went off, and Aerie was almost forced – it was more like a guiding sense – to fly upwards, crushing the roof with a burst of air pressure. The area blew up with a purple explosion. A man lay in the crater. Alive. He was alive. The air was moving in and out of his lungs. He wanted Aerie to believe he was dead. Aerie walked right up to the coward. Most epics had a cool down on their powers, and couldn’t use them right after. And he grabbed the Voidcaller – a 62 year old man with a sense of age on his face – by the neck, and used air pressure to rip open his chest. It was painful for both of them. Aerie always hated blood and gore, but he had to make a public impression. Aerie smiled as he brushed off the pieces of the Voidcaller’s chest cavity. It felt good to kill. Sparks. It felt good. - - - - It wasn’t long before Recapture asked if the Voidcaller was truly dead. Which he was. Aerie was certain of it. He had scattered the pieces far enough that a healing epic couldn’t save him, and he heard no report of resurrecting old people roaming the streets. Recapture was a coward. A true coward. One that hid behind the greater epics. Epics like himself. Insolence was a blockade. Strength and Invincibility were Insolence’s powers. What either of those powers had to do with insolation was beyond Aerie’s imagination. But he was going to get in Aerie’s way. Insolence didn’t know any of Aerie’s plans, so he was not a high priority target. Aerie’s low target enemy was adamant about Absorption being alive. He believed that Absorption is faking is death, and when he returns, those loyal to him will prosper. That was, undoubtedly, false. “We should be recruiting all the epics. Telling them to stay in line or else –“ Insolence motioned a cutthroat with his fingers, “Absorption will deal with them.” Recapture was impartial to everything. Whether that scared Aerie or not was concerning, but that was not a problem. The three of them: Aerie, Recapture, and Insolence were the tools of Absorption’s rule. They didn’t really get a choice about working for him. The way it would work was that you would receive a letter. The letter that thousands of epics received. Only around half of them lived. You could hide, but you couldn’t run. Absorption could kill you from any distance. The letter had a message from Absorption. Aerie’s letter had the message: I do not care where you are. You must come to Alensdale in five days, or I will kill you. And you cannot hide. It still chilled Aerie. The words were so crude. Absorption didn’t need to care who you were. He won either way. He didn’t need to bother with persuasive language. He was in control. “Well, then. I’ll make sure that people fall into line then.” Aerie responded. He would make them all fall into line. All of them. Just like how Absorption did it. Everyone was following the rules. And the rules would be made by Aerie. He had waited a long time for this moment. And he would savor it. ##### BTW future chapters will be posted here. Maybe in spoiler boxes. Idk. Chapter 3: Chapter 4

SPOILERS for Skyward, Reckoners, and Frugal Wizard Brandon has said it’s arguably the case that The Reckoners is in the same fictional world as Skyward. Obviously, since each world has a dimensional multiverse, they could just be in the same multiverse, but maybe it’s more than that: Perhaps in Skyward the humans’ ancestors left earth centuries after the events in The Reckoners occurred. And maybe Calamity was a delver. Unless I’m forgetting something, and I may well be, I see no reason Frugal Wizard couldn’t have happened in the same world as both, after The Reckoners and before humanity left Earth for the stars and Skyward happened. This would require that Epics ceased to exist. Easily possible if we assume Calamity made Mizzy an Epic just before he left. It could be that no one becomes an Epic after Calamity leaves. I admit this possibility is weakened by the remark in Frugal Wizard that Runian had found the only known world to contain anything like magic, but I don’t think that completely refutes the possibility. The definition of magic might be a little subjective. Personally, I’d rather think there continue to be new Epics indefinitely than believe the three series share a universe. Either way, though, they could share a multiverse. What do you think?

What would happen if at the beginning of the first era in mistborn, Calamity appeared overhead in the sky and 1-2 years later ( I forget the exact time, it is in the reckoners book 1) random people in scadrial started to turn into epics. Anyone wanna speculate?

“Massive Tidal Waves Plunge Chilean Coastline into Chaos; Cape Horn Submerged” read the headline as Alex sighed but continued on. “A series of titanic waves, soaring up to 60 feet high battered the coastline of Chile and parts of Southern America. Earthquake, measured at 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, originated in western Antarctic Ocean and is expected to send waves as far as parts of Eastern Asia and Western coast of Africa. Death toll is expected to reach thousands and thousands more have lost their homes and their livelihood. Is the worst over, or should we wait with bated breath? That is yet to be seen.” Alex folded the newspaper back to its form, he’d read enough. “Eva, dear? Pack our bags, we’re leaving.” “Oh dear, we’re going to Antarctica, aren’t we?” came her voice from inside. “That’s right. Albert, prepare the chopper. It’s time.” Hello and welcome to MR56: Day of Reckoning! This is a complete blackout game with just the barebones revealed here. I'm very excited to run it, because I love keeping secrets. Join in to uncover these secrets and of course, the game will play out better with the higher player count, so I'll appreciate your time. For any clarifications, tags yours truly [@|TJ|] and to allay any concerns, we have @Elandera to impartially moderate our game. Sign ups will end on Thursday, 10th February at 22:30 IST [GMT +05:30] and the game will begin soon afterwards. Now on towards the rules! Basics: Alignments: Participants: Quick Links:

When Lux came out, I seem to remember hearing that there were plans for two more books in the Reckoners world co-authored by Brandon. But I'm not finding anything about that now, and I'm pretty sure I haven't heard anything about that in Brandon's recent publication schedule announcements. Will there be more coming out? If so, are they going to be sequels to Lux, or other stories in the same universe?

I just listened to Lux, and I noticed Lifeforce had a slight accent that sounded familiar but that I couldn't quite place. Does anyone know what that accent is?

It took me a while to finish the series, but I finally did! Stayed up until almost 3am because I couldn't put it down. Once again, was not disappointed! I pride myself in being able to catch on to the plot, and figure things out quickly, but I was never ahead of David. I figured it out as he did, I messed it up when he did, etc. It's so refreshing to have books that I can't predict. Sanderson writes it so perfectly, that when you finally figure it out, it feels obvious because there were all these hints and signs, but they didn't make sense until that moment. I know it's a young adult series, but his writing is so intelligent that I didn't feel like I was reading a YA novel. I stopped reading the later Percy Jackson books because they started feeling too young for me. I had just gotten too old for them to grab my attention in the same way. No such issues with Reckoners. It's nowhere near as complicated as Mistborn, but it's no 'dumbed down'. There's just a little less to the magic system, but even then, he didn't simplify the magic system so much that you couldn't figure it out quickly! So yeah, that's my praise of the Reckoners Trilogy. I have the whole of the Cosmere to read next.

We all know that the Reckoners aren't in the Cosmere…but they could be Spoiler for The Reckoners Series (Serious spoilers for all three books)

Wishes Come True (Not Free) --Rated T, 1,701 words. Warning for major character death This is a backstory oneshot for one of my main Reckoners OCs (who also is in another fic, but it's not necessary to read that one to understand this)

This thread is closed to new Epics, but is open to new non-Epic characters. If you want to join as a non-Epic, but aren't sure about how they can become involved in the plot, post your request in the latest Question thread and we'll help you. When Nathan Sperry woke with a pounding headache, blinking in the torchlight, he knew exactly where he was. Fear banished the lingering effects of the drug. Several sensations came to him all at once—a wooden table beneath him, too-thin cloth shielding his body from the chill, the taste of cloth in his mouth, the something pinning his wrists and ankles. A few frantic glances confirmed what he already knew. Thick leather straps held his wrists and ankles down. His mouth was tied with a gag. A thin white robe covered him. And the table belonged to Fortuity. The second Fortuity had signaled to him at the casino, he’d known something terrible would happen—and when he turned from his woman of the week long enough to ask his name, Nathan knew he was a dead man. There was no point in running. Not from Fortuity. Not from an Epic who would know his steps before he took them. There had been nothing to do but retreat to the kitchen and sink to the floor in a shaking heap. Nothing else but to listen as the news was bounced from server to cook to server and nod mutely as they cried and hugged him and said he’d be missed. Nathan gave his arm a tug, then another, but only succeeded in bruising his hand. The straps were tight, almost to the point of chafing, but not quite. Fortuity didn’t want any distractions. “Don’t panic. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just take everything as it comes.” That was what his manager had said during the “What to Do if You Anger an Epic” portion of training. It wasn’t part of the official program, but she always carved out a few minutes for it. Don’t panic. Too late. Don’t get ahead of yourself. What was there to get ahead of? Just take everything as it comes. Nathan lay his head back and took a few breaths, slow and even as he could. His heart pounded—how much longer until it stopped? How long before breathing was impossible? And then what? Don’t get ahead of yourself. He had heard that severe trauma sometimes induced unconsciousness. That victims of violence occasionally—or was it often?—blacked out for the worst of it. Would that happen? Or would whatever drug he’d been given keep him aware until the end? Take each thing as it comes. The drug had worn off. Fortuity wanted him awake, and he wouldn’t risk further complications with more drugs. He would black out, and that was that. That was what he told himself, anyway. He heard a door slam shut, and his pulse quickened. His eyes smarted—but he blinked them away. He wouldn’t cry. He forced himself to listen instead. There were two voices, one Fortuity’s, and one female. He’d brought the woman back to his penthouse. Nathan tried to calculate what that meant. Did it mean more time to wait—or that his death would have an audience? Nathan thought back to the woman at the casino. She was pretty—all of Fortuity’s women were pretty—but she wasn’t dressed like most Newcago women. No flapper dress or cloche hat for her. This one had worn a dress of fluffy black tulle and knee-length silk, dyed all the colors of the rainbow and then some. A thick wool sweater, black with multicolored ribbons woven throughout, hung off the back of her chair. Her black hair had been like her eyes: sparkling, though due more to the presence of glitter than that of mischief. Not once had she stopped smiling. An Epic. She would want to watch. As if on cue, she spoke, her voice muffled by the thick wooden door. “Where’s Nathan?” Fortuity laughed, a low, growling sort of laugh that froze Nathan’s breath in his lungs. “He’s right in here, doll.” “Is that the bathroom?” Fortuity paused. “Uh—sure is. But you don’t really—“ There was a scuffle. There was a slam. There was Fortuity’s shout of anger. “And now you’re in there! See ya!” Fortuity pounded on the door. Nathan couldn’t make out his words, but he could guess. The woman giggled. “Have fun with the doorknob!” More growling—and a yelp of surprise. What did she do to the doorknob? Nathan didn’t have time to wonder. In a moment, he heard her running—no, skipping—toward the door, his door. “I’m gonna go find Na-than, I’m gonna go find Na-than,” she sang. Nathan’s mouth went dry. If he had to choose death by Fortuity or death by a giggling singer—he wasn’t sure which he’d choose, but the former seemed slightly less nightmarish. She knocked on the door. “Yoo-hoo! Nathan!” For the first time that night, Nathan was grateful for the gag. She giggled again. “Ready or not, here I come!” One more knock and the door vanished, sending a sheet of something rippling and transparent crumpling to the floor. The Epic jumped and clapped her hands. “I found you! Yay! We’re going to have so much fun!” Nathan couldn’t have said a word had he wanted to. With another small jump, she landed on what had been the door, causing a series of loud pops. Bubble wrap. She had turned the door into bubble wrap. Nathan watched as Fortuity’s date pranced over the bubble wrap in light-up socks and mismatched Converse, her giggles blending with Fortuity’s shouting and banging. Too soon, she was at his side. With another giggle, she crouched beside the table so their faces were level. She had brown eyes, very big and full of mischief. He’d rather think it mischief than malice. “Hi there. I’m Doctor Funtimes. Do you wanna join my party?” The words of his manager returned. “Always give an Epic what they want. Don’t ever tell them no—unless there’s a more powerful one standing by.” Fortuity wanted to cut him open. Doctor Funtimes wanted a party—which could very well involve the same. She had locked Fortuity in the bathroom with a malicious doorknob. Nathan nodded. Doctor Funtimes gasped, jumped in place and clapped her hands. “Yay! I love parties! I throw good parties.” Nathan watched her, frozen where he was. Any second now she would wrap her hand around that ceremonial dagger lying on a nearby pedestal and…. She snapped her fingers. The leather straps dissolved into confetti. There was still something in his mouth, but the gag was no longer pressing on his cheeks. He tasted sugar. Nathan sat up, lifted his hand, and spat out a brownie. “Try it,” Doctor Funtimes said. “They’re nummy.” Nummy? She giggled, clapping her hands again. “Let’s go find that poo-poo head! He’s fun.” Nummy? “Come on!” She pranced around the table, took his hand, and helped him off. Nathan had no time to process the sensation of walking out of his own tomb, let alone while clutching a brownie with bubble wrap popping against his bare feet. Doctor Funtimes danced onward, dragging him along until she stopped at the nearest door and knocked. “For-TU-i-ty!” she sang. “I found something!” He heard the crack of gunfire, and the cry of something dying. “You put him back where he was!” “Nah, I think I’ll keep him.” She snapped her fingers again and, to Nathan’s horror, the bathroom door became a curtain of beaded gumballs. “Look at him! Isn’t he fun?” Fortuity tore a handful of strings down when a gumball hit him in the eye and threw it on the floor, leveling his revolver at Doctor Funtimes. Nathan instinctively ducked behind her. “You listen to me,” he said, his voice soft with barely-restrained rage. “You put my penthouse back the way it was, you put him back where he was, and I’ll shoot you. I’ll just shoot you. Got it?” It was a generous offer, but Doctor Funtimes giggled. “Nah, he looks neat. Toodles!” Another gunshot tore through the air. Nathan fell to the ground, hands over his head, bracing himself for the sound of Doctor Funtimes’ body hitting the floor. Instead, she giggled. Nathan looked up and saw her holding something small and square. Two more gunshots. A crouton hit the floor. Doctor Funtimes jumped and clapped her hands. “Ooh, ooh, throw a grenade this time! I wanna make a salad!” Fortuity growled and reached into his pocket—presumably for another bullet—but he never reloaded. Doctor Funtimes snapped her fingers, and his gun became a hamster. “What the—?” He swore vilely at Doctor Funtimes, throwing the hamster. She caught it with a shocked gasp. “Fortuity!” She may as well have admonished an ill-behaved child. “We do not throw Mister Hamsterface! We hold him and pet him and love him!” She cradled the hamster in her arms to demonstrate. “But you—he—he’s a hamster!” “And he wants you to respect his life choices.” “He’s a hamster! No—he’s my gun! Give me my gun back!” She stuck out her tongue. “Give—ah!” Growling again, he drew another revolver, bringing the barrel level with Nathan’s leg. “You turn that thing back into a gun, or I’ll shoot him. Won’t kill him—oh, no. That’s for later. You’ll get to watch me take your little friend apart piece by piece.” “Nathan or Mister Hamsterface?” “Both.” A bullet clicked into place. “Now. Put the hamster on the floor, and step away.” Doctor Funtimes snapped her fingers. Fortuity’s fedora leaped from his head, growling savagely. Once on the floor, it took ahold of his cape and gave a tug much mightier than Nathan expected from a walking hat, yanking Fortuity back a step. “What the—“ He tugged back, but he was already losing ground to his hat. “This—doesn’t—even—make—sense!” Doctor Funtimes laughed. “Catch me if you can, meanieface!” She grasped Nathan’s arm, and Fortuity’s penthouse vanished. The last of the late-night traffic whipped past. Few pedestrians were out, but those that were stopped in their tracks to stare. Cold night wind cut through his white robe, pulling it taut around his legs. He danced from foot to foot on the frozen steel. “Now let’s see,” Doctor Funtimes said, her steps echoing hollowly as she walked a few paces down the sidewalk. “He parked his car right….over….aha!” More staring. An Enforcement officer spied him from across the street and frowned. Not one of Fortuity’s victims had ever escaped before, but it had to be a crime. Denying Epics what they wanted was a felony. “Doctor?” Nathan’s teeth had already begun to chatter. The officer signaled to one on their side of the street, who made his way toward them. “Hold your seahorses,” she said, and waved her hands broadly over a sleek black convertible with gleaming red leather seats. The convertible changed shape, rounding as its color lightened from black to golden brown. “Is there a problem here?” The Enforcement officer was still a good ten feet away, but he was well within firing range. Even if he wasn’t, no one could escape their radios. “There!” Doctor Funtimes skipped back to where he stood and indicated her handiwork. “Isn’t it pretty?” Fortuity’s car—his beloved convertible, the one he made all his women ooh and ah over—was now a giant metal hot dog on four wheels. Nathan didn’t know what to say. “Sir, I’m afraid we’ll have to ask you a few—“ If the officer finished his sentence, Nathan never heard it. Doctor Funtimes took his arm and, just like that, Newcago was gone.

Here, you can share your favorite David metaphors, as well as any bad metaphors you can think of yourself! For instance, "I'm worse at metaphors than an Epic-killing teenage boy."

I don't see a typos thread yet, so here goes. Ebook page 78. Chapter 12, second page Looks like there is a stray comma after But...

I usually have an image of each character in my mind, but every now and then, a character comes along that I just can't form a coherent image of, or at least, a coherent image of that matches the descriptions in the books. Dalinar Kholin I have a little trouble imagining. I have a worse time imagining Jonathan Phaedrus, aka Prof, from Brandon Sanderson's Reckoners series. Can y'all share fanart of Dalinar or Prof that fits with the books' description and you think matches the personality of the character? Or could you share photos of actors or other people who you think resemble one of those characters? I would appreciate it.

So...did Lux just change the way that gifters work? In previous books, gifters were unable to gift their powers to other epics, yet in Lux, each of the four other epics we meet on Lux have been gifted Lifeforce's healing, and used it to save their lives. (On that, is Lovestruck still alive? Or did years of constant starvation kill her, like it did others? Or did the transfer to Paige stop the rebound?) Anyway, this seems to break the rules previously set in place. I'm curious as to whether you all think that it's just a plot hole or plot convenience, it's an unexplained variation in epic powers from gifter to gifter, it's some change granted by the weird "demon" inside Lifeforce that seems to be something more than just the darkness, or something else. Thoughts? Edit: I just realized that this is my first post in exactly 3 years! Who woulda thunk?

We got a new Brandon Sanderson book this year already, and it is Lux! It is an Audible original set in the Reckoners universe, and it's time for us to talk about it. Overall we liked it, but we obviously get into the weeds, because it's Shardcast. Spoilers for the original Reckoners trilogy (Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity) here, but if you haven't listened to Lux yet, we start with spoiler-free reactions. Chapters are below! Hosting this episode is David (Windrunner), and we also have Ian (Weiry), Evgeni (Argent), Danielle (FelCandy), and Marvin (Paleo)! How many ways can Evgeni say a different character when he meant Jax? Well, you'll find out! Lux is out: https://www.17thshard.com/news/brandon-news/lux-is-out-physical-dawnshard-and-way-of-kings-prime-dragonsteel-mini-con-r736/ 00:00 Introductions 2:26 Spoiler-free reactions to Lux 20:20 Spoiler stuff and the ending 45:16 The Reckoners 1:29:39 Epics 2:02:55 Final Thoughts 2:13:40 Who's That Reckoners Character If you like our content, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/17thshard For discussion, theories, games, and news, come to https://www.17thshard.com Come talk with us and the community on the 17th Shard Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/bMAUS5c Want to learn more about the cosmere and more? The Coppermind Wiki is where it's at: https://coppermind.net Read all Words of Brandon on Arcanum: https://wob.coppermind.net Subscribe to Shardcast: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:102123174/sounds.rss Send your Who's That Cosmere Characters to [email protected]

Just finished, a good read with plenty of juicy tidbits but I was a little disappointed with the ending to be honest. Anyone else care to share their thoughts?

I was rereading The Stormlight Archive in preparation for The Rhythm of War release, and I thought that Kaladin has one major restriction, he is tied up in his past failures. He can never get past them. This reminds me of an Epic in the Reckoners. The spoiler below will tell the epic's name, DON'T OPEN UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE SERIES. If a character in the Cosmere manifested Epic powers, what would each of their weaknesses be, and what is your reasoning? PS: I am sorry if this is in the wrong discussion board, I wasn't sure where to put it if it spans both Cosmere and Non-Cosmere books, just tell me where I need to move it or do it yourself if you have that power. Thanks!

If there was a Reckoners movie series confirmed, what would your dream cast be? I only have a preference for one: Liam Neeson as Prof/Jonathan Phaedrus/Limelight. I can very easily imagine Liam standing in Prof's place.

I WAS JOKING WITH MY FRIEND ABOUT GIVING ALCATRAZ THE RUIN SHARD AND NOW I NEED TO DRAW A L L OFF THE DESTRUCTIVE CHARACTERS MERGED INTO ONE BEING current idea: alcatraz reading the bible with red hair holding some shiny rocks saying something like "Matthew 2:12: and behold, God said unto to The Devil 'thou hast yee'd thy last haw'"

A fan club for Elsa Steelheart to rule over. Who is Elsa Steelheart? If her lengthy introduction topic is anything to judge by, she might just be the most popular Sharder since FeatherWriter. Of course, her highness far outranks Feather; after all, she is just a Lady, whereas Elsa... Well. Elsa is our Queen. In your graciousness, her Majesty is always willing to accepts new members to the court. If you wish to pledge your allegiance to our most worthy Queen, simply present yourself before her and swear your loyalty. Your Majesty, Elsa Steelheart, First of Thy Name, Titan of Ice, Snowwarden, Frozenborn, Queen of Newcago and all Lands of the Seventeenth, I, _______, do swear my humble, undying fealty to thee. I shall forevermore serve thee and thee alone with the utmost fervency, till last I draw breath

MR39: For Science! "Scissors." He reached out a gloved hand, blood dripping to the floor and spattering his boots. He didn't look up from the dissected body on the table before him. Miranda picked the scissors from the tray and handed them to the doctor, hands trembling as she watched him take the gleaming silver tool from her. His steady hand moved to make the cut. Miranda let out a small gasp, bringing him to a stop. "Do you need to leave the room, Miranda?" The doctor spoke quietly from beneath his mask. Miranda's heart beat wildly and she didn't make a sound. "Send me another to take your place. You're relieved for the day." Moments later she leaned against the door of her room, trying to calm her stomach. Nope. She lost what food she'd eaten that day. Shaking, she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and collapsed on her bed across the room. Something had to be done about this. Dissection after dissection and still nothing satisfied the doctor. Everyone knew that epics were horrible people but that didn't mean it justified cutting them open to see how they worked...did it? "I have to stop it." Opening the drawer in her end table she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and began writing. ~~~ Trying to steady her breathing, Miranda knocked on the office door. The doctor's voice beckoned her inside. A clock ticked on the wall, the only sound in the room besides that of papers shuffling on the heavy wooden desk. It was a nicely furnished room with a dark velvet chair in the corner, a pretty green rug on the floor and a dark wooden bookcase lining one wall. A tank of fish sat next to the chair, the filter causing bubbles on top that made the fish curious until they forgot what they were doing. Fish don't have the greatest of memories. The doctor glanced up from his desk in the center of the room. "Are you feeling better? Please come in." Miranda swallowed and stepped forward, handing the doctor the note she had written. "What's this?" "I'm leaving." The doctor looked at her in shock. "You're what?" "I need to get away from here for a while. I want to go on the next expedition you send out to find epics for your….research." The doctor's expression changed from concern to consideration. "I...see." He removed his glasses, hooking the end of the frame in his lip as he thought. Did he suspect something? Miranda counted to ten to distract herself and still her nerves. He sat quietly for a moment, the ticking of the clock seeming to grow louder and louder in Miranda's ears before the silence was broken. "Very well. You've been my best assistant." He put his glasses back on and set to writing on a clean sheet of paper, signing it when he was finished. "Give this to Arone straightaway. I believe his team is leaving for Newcago first thing tomorrow morning." Miranda reached out and took the paper, sighing in relief and turning to leave. Just after the paper left his fingers, the doctor gripped her wrist, causing her to look back at him. He stared her in the eye, his cold blue gaze feeling as if it would pierce through her. "Be careful." She nodded. Leaving the room, she closed the door behind her and exhaled. She wasn't sure if those words had been meant as well wishes or a threat. Did he suspect her intentions? Either way she was leaving. She would find a way to put an end to this. Even if it meant having to find an epic to help her. _________________________________________________________________ Welcome to MR39! The game will begin on Friday the 13th at 1 PM CST. Good luck! The game is set sometime before the events of the book Steelheart but after Steelheart has taken over the city of Newcago. So basically before the beginning of book 1 minus the prologue. Rules: This will be a MR with 48 hour cycles The elims have a separate doc to discuss and they have one kill per cycle Open PMing (only 1 on 1) All PMs must include myself and Fifth Scholar (IM) Tied lynch ends in a no lynch No minimum vote requirement When a player dies their items are removed from the game Actions: You may only take one action per cycle Elim kill counts as an action You may use an item You may target a player and attempt to steal their item You may choose to guard yourself against an item being stolen Factions: Loyals - you are loyal to the doctor and will see your mission done when you find all of the traitors Traitors - you win when you kill or outnumber all of those who are loyal to the doctor Items: Gun - one time use, may kill any player you target unless they're protected by the vest Bullet proof vest - one time use, protects against any attack excluding the lynch (passive ability but if activated by an attack it will cancel out your other action if you took one) Knife - wounds a player of your choice, blocking their action for that cycle (may be used once per round) Binoculars - may spy on a player's action, seeing whom they targeted and with what action (may be used once per round) Both the elim kill and the gun will show up as an attack if the binoculars spot it. It will not specify which one it was. Smoke Bomb - You cannot be observed with Binoculars. Using this doesn’t consume your action. Strongbox - Cannot be stolen. You can store one item in the Strongbox. That item cannot be stolen while in the Strongbox. Putting an item in a strongbox does count as an action, but the item is still available for use on following cycles even if it is in the strongbox. The Black Market: This will be a space where players can spend points earned from activity each cycle. Some items are only available in the black market and do not start out in game. There will be a limited number of items for the entirety of the game. Point Gain: Posting over 150 words in at least one RP post in a Cycle - 1 point Making at least 2 posts contributing to discussion in a Cycle - 1 point The Black Market is not a place for charity, and besides, you’re all mercenaries. Points cannot be given to other players. If two people go for the same item and there isn't enough inventory then the person who put in the order first will get it. The person who didn't get it will retain their points. You will not be informed of who got what, but you will be able to see what went down in inventory on the next cycle. There is a set number of items at the start of the game and no more will be added. The black market does not count as an action and therefore the binoculars cannot see it. There is a 2 point cap that can be reached each cycle. Order of Events: Guarding an item/ strongbox Stealing Bullet proof vest Weapon or elim kill Smoke bomb Binoculars Inactivity filter: must post once per cycle or you'll be removed from the game Player List: Links: Rule Clarifications: 1. When targeting a player to steal an item, you may specify what item you're attempting to steal if you wish, but if they don't have that item then you will get nothing. If you don't specify then you will get one of their items at random unless they were guarding that item. 2. You must choose which specific item to guard from being stolen. 3. You can steal as many items as you can get.

I’m really proud of this! Any and all feedback is hoarded and appreciated. (Especially if it’s about the reveal. I’m concerned I might have been accidentally offensive, despite my efforts.) I hope you enjoy. This work has been updated and can now be found here:

Title say it all. I know that there’s not much chance of a reckoners show anytime soon but still an interesting topic I think