Long Game 30: Journey Before Destination

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

35 minutes ago, Jondesu said:

Aww, I was hoping Sareth would be irritated by the water on his face.  

He was too relieved to be alive. And I guess the water cooled him off after a hot battle.

[TheMightyLopen]

Vote tally:

Shqueeves(0): Doc
Quiver(5): Randuir, Jondesu, HH, Assassin, Drake, Arinian, Mage, Doc, Arinian
Ecthelion(0): Doc
Jondesu(1): Drake
Arinian(6): Alv, Rae, Joe, Drought, Lopen, Randuir
Alv(0): Arinian

Execute Sheep(5/11): Doc, Shqueeves, Jondesu, Assassin, Arinian, Lopen, Mage

It is possible that a Willshaper was one of the Bonds created, so there is a chance that vote manipulation could happen. Just throwing that out there so everyone's aware of it.

I'm not convinced that Arinian is an Unjust, but I haven't seen anything from him that really made me think he's an Honorable either. So I'm leaving my vote on him. Sorry if you're a villager man, I just have to go with my gut on this one.

[Ecthelion III]

The first Physical Internal power is that of Vision. When a Connection is forged with another, this power enables the Soulbinder to see through that person’s eyes. As with all Internal powers, the person will be unable to detect that their vision is being shared by another. This power is extremely useful and should be mastered by all five of you.

"Let's finish this."

At that heroic moment, standing atop the battered and weakened chasmfiend, radiant staff in hand, face to face with the Shin seeker, it occurred to Fifth that he had no plan.

Plans are for weaklings, the voice in his head spoke. Trust your instincts. Hunter's instincts.

Hunter's instincts. Always go for the head.

With an arcane battlecry, the Fifth Nameless once again broke into a run, but this time, across the back of the chasmfiend. The roars and tremors of the beast beneath him meant nothing as he danced through the maze of spikes.

Time slowed down. He was fast approaching the front legs of the chasmfiend. The chitin rippled beneath him like an ocean. A bloody ocean.

He had almost reached the head when -- with a tremendous CRACK! --  one of the four front legs gave way. The chasmfiend roared in agony, and Fifth lost his balance. He snapped out of his focus and tumbled to the side, trying to grab a hold of one of the creature's spikes, but to no avail. He gained momentum, about to slide right off the side.

Storms! He was going to fall and be crushed by the chasmfiend's legs!

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

The entire beast shook as one of its massive legs snapped under the tremendous weight of the chasmfiend. Sareth caught himself with his staff, but saw that Fifth, up ahead, had tumbled down, and was quickly sliding towards the edge! He had no time to waste. With a deep breath of stormlight, he charged forward, hurdling spines with ease. Fifth reached out, desperately trying to grab hold of the creature's shell...

and wrapped his hand around the end of Sareth's staff. Sareth pulled him up, holding onto a spike higher up. Hand over had, and both were safely on top of the beast. Below them, the chasmfiend shuddered and bellowed. The breaking of its leg had caused it severe pain, and it flung itself into a rage. But that fury was hampered by its new immobility, and it flailed around its claws. Together, Sareth and Fifth ran to the head.

Neat where the head met the body, two chitin plates overlapped. Sareth rushed over to it and slid the end of his staff into the narrow gap between the plates. He braced himself, and with stormlight, he pushed down on the staff. Acting as a lever, the staff began to pry the plate up, slowly. The beast trumpeted with each centimeter raised. It must hurt terribly. Sareth motioned to Fifth to join him. Together they can flip this plate.

---

Good night to you all!

[Shqueeves]

Leif was still hadn't made the jump into the chasm. And at the rate the other Initiates were beating the chasmfiend, Leif probably wouldn't have to. However, instead of watching the intense battle below, Leif was watching the radiant, Kaladin. “It doesn't make sense,” he thought. “Why would Captain Stormblessed make us suspicious of each other one day, and then the next day force us into a situation that demands teamwork.”

After a few minutes of studying the man, Leif decided to unravel this mystery later. He didn't like the looks some of the Squires were giving him.

Leif approached the edge, looking down at the battle being raged below. Down at the people who would one day be radiants, assuming they weren't killed by the murderer with a shardblade. He frowned. The idea that people wanted to kill filled him with both confusion and disgust. You killed because of necessity. What sort of sick, twisted person felt the need to kill someone they just met. What had Lomot done to deserve death.

“Of course, this chasmfiend probably hasn't done anything to deserve death, yet there they are, killing it”

That was the reason Leif didn't join the fight. The majestic creature had done nothing to offend him. It didn't deserve to die. And Leif stood by. Watching the inevitable death.

[Ecthelion III]

The other Physical Internal power is Sound. Similar to Vision, it allows you to experience the sounds of the Connected being as if you were them. While not as inherently useful as Vision, it can pick up certain high-frequency vibrations which have as of yet unknown properties.

The Fifth Nameless picked up his silver staff, which had thankfully lodged between two of the spikes when he had fallen, and rushed to Sareth's aid. He slid his staff into the slowly widening opening next to the other staff and pushed down with all of his strength.

With the combined force of Sareth and Fifth's staffs, the chitin plate bent until it could bend no longer. Cracks began to form in it, then fissures, until it finally snapped, exposing torn and bleeding flesh beneath. A weak spot.

The chasmfiend shook from side to side, trying to launch off the warriors atop it, but they were ready this time, holding tightly to the spikes.

The massive beast roared as another leg snapped. Uther was doing his job, certainly, and the chasmfiend was gradually growing weaker as the poison affected it. It attempted to charge but, half-blinded by Shinon's arrows, it only harmed itself, wildly flailing into the towering rock wall.

This wasn't to say the creature had no fight left in it. Quite the contrary; as it took more punishment, it paradoxically seemed to become more and more energetic. The Initiates could wound it all they wanted, crack its armor in as many places, but how would they finish off a beast with this much constitution? Though poisoned, blinded, and exposed, it was not dead. Perhaps far from it.

He and Sareth held onto the top of the chasmfiend for dear life. Come on, Balthazar! Hurry up and find the heart of this thing!

[TheSilverDragon]

Rea ran around the large chitin covered monstrosity, looking for a way to avoid the thrashing mess of legs and appendages. Why did they have to pit us up against something so storming big. They must have cremlings for brains. He had barely managed to survive the drop, somehow managing to suck in enough stormlight not break all of his bones, and then enough to mend the ones that did break. He looked at his now dully glowing pouch of spheres. Storms, he cursed to himself, that’s not going to be enough for anything really.  He had even, um, procured, a few more then was given out, and he was still almost out. How the storms are we supposed to take this thing out? He wondered. They didn’t even give us anything to fight with. I doubt my hands will do anything against this thing.

He kept circling, looking for a way in, when he saw the thing’s legs give away, and some storming idiot who was standing right under it. This is no time for heroics, he told himself. You will absolutely not go and try to save him. Don’t get yourself- fine then, get yourself killed, he thought to his legs and they began to run, almost of their own accord, towards the man in danger. If you get me killed, I’m blaming you, and they won’t let you into the tranquil halls, must me. He stopped talking to himself once he realized that he was doing it again. I really do need to find someone to talk to, maybe Ashetvl if they ever let her out. What she did wasn’t that bad, not as bad as- his thoughts were cut off as he ducked down to narrowly miss getting his head sliced off by a flailing claw. Storm! I must be one of the ten fools to try this but…

Rea slid one foot out, sliding on his side, gliding over the ground as it found no purchase on his glowing leg as he slid under the belly of the oversized storming crab. I wonder how it tastes, he thought idly to himself as he got closer to the man who was about to get crushed.

He looked around to see where the man had goten to, only to see him being pulled up to the relitive safty of the creature's back. Oh stroms, he thought as he slid to a stop infront of the giant maw of teeth, this is not going to end well. 

 

---

Sorry for not posting a lot, I got dumped with homework and work, so I've been doing my best to stay ontop of everything 

 

I still don't have any solid reads on anyone yet, but I really don't want to kill sheep right now, for purely RP reasons and I don't think my vote will count for much. I don't think Rea would want her dead, and it realy doesn't matter if there is one for keeping her alive. If she does end of getting killed, Rea will probably try to stop it, but fail, or will she 

Gut fealing right here, but I'm going to vote Arinian, Most of my votes are just gut feelings, so hopefully this one's right.

 

Edited February 14, 2017 by TheSilverDragon
I got ninja'd

[DrakeMarshall]

15 hours ago, Amanuensis said:

Believe me. I've got bigger plans than another greatshell for Chapter Four...

I look forward to it.

Although I do have some plans for the next down time the initiates get. Don't let that stop you though; I'm sure I can work them in before or after the scenes you set up if need be.

 

Anyways... Voting. This is kinda hard since we don't really have any useful info. Imo it's a lot easier to talk your way out of something suspicious then it is to figure out who's actually evil. I don't think I've actually won a SE game yet

But I digress. What I wanted to say is that I don't really like the direction the Arinian lynch has headed. Some of the votes seemed legit, but for some the reasoning just seemed a little odd... If Arinian turns out to be innocent, I'd bet a handful of firemarks that one of those middle votes on the bandwagon was cast by an elim. So... My new top suspect is probably Rae. There are some good reasons to vote on Arin, but the one you keep bringing up frankly isn't one of them. It just feels like you are looking for an excuse to kill him... And it looks like you heaping on that questionable reason did start a bandwagon, which is what an elim would want.

Also, SilverDragon and Lopen, I'm also calling you out both for bandwagoning.  I don't really suspect you guys too too much though; there are good reasons to vote Arin... I just wish you would say them when you voted, because that kind of info is good for the town.

I realize I've changed my vote around a bit this cycle... But that's maybe kinda the point of all this. There's plenty of new information to be had in a three day cycle, and as you all keep talking, my suspicions change. Jondesu was mostly a gut read and as a general rule I would rather vote someone for a solid reason.

 

Also I still don't support lynching sheep. Sheep could be an elim, but I find it improbable. And, for now at least, there is very little damage that sheep could do, even if the elims are relaying orders through sheep like I'm pretty sure Aman said is possible. And if sheep isn't an elim, then they make a convenient meat shield for the town victory condition. I don't really blame you guys for voting to execute sheep however... There are some solid reasons to choose that way, I just happen to disagree with them.

 

Also, the chasmfiend appears to be awake. And so does Uther.

 

Uther collapsed, his wounds and lack of stormlight catching up to him. Spots danced in front of his vision, and the puncture through one side of his gut and out the other hurt like braize. His vision faded to blackness...

...

Through the haze of sleep, Uther heard shouting... "Breath, man, breath!  Don't let Captain storming Kaladin have the pleasure of watching you die."

Everything hurt. He didn't understand what was going on for a moment. To clear his mind, he instinctively sucked in a bit of stormlight, a habit Uther had quickly developed. The light did indeed make Uther feel more alert, and he realized that he was lying on the floor bleeding out, with critical chasm-fiend induced puncture wounds. Then the stormlight vanished, spent on healing a fraction of the injuries. Uther sucked down more stormlight... His injuries were healing and his blood supply replenishing.

He opened his eyes. Kintas was standing over him with a look of concern. "Storms that was close... Thank you."

Kintas helped Uther on his feet and led him further back, away from the struggle.

"I probably would have died if it weren't for your help. That greatshell's a right vicious one."

Kintas nodded, then jogged back to the battle site to see to other wounded. If it weren't for the other initiates' support, most of us on the front lines would be out for the count by now...

 

The stormlight Uther had inhaled was enough to heal him back to health. The last of it leaked out as he exhaled. He examined the chasmfiend. Storms. It looks like we may be beating it. The chasmfiend could barely stand. Sareth and the man who had refused to give his name were both beating it over the head with staves, which, surprisingly, seemed to be making some headway on that thick carapace.

Uther considered going in to help finish it off... I don't have any stormlight left... Storm it, I'm going to see this through. I didn't come out here to sit and relax while people risk their lives to finish off our trial. And plus, that bastard chasmfiend took my sword.

He ran towards the downed chasmfiend. On the way he noticed a dead Alethi soldier caught in the tangle of vines on the floor, one of Aladar's. Maybe he had a few spheres on him? Uther relieved the corpse of it's stormlight. In less desperate times, he might have felt bad for robbing a corpse.

Uther saw his sword lying in a groove the fiend's claws had excavated, just a few paces from the fresh bloodstain on the rock where Uther had been impaled. He scooped the still generously poisoned weapon up.

It'll take a pretty massive dose to knock out a chasmfiend for good, but this should certainly be enough to keep wearing it down... He ran towards one of the already-disabled legs to insert the blade into the open wound.

 

I don't think I'll continue my RP on the fight any further. At the beginning of this cycle, Aman said

Quote

Note that I planned on writing the Chasmfiend death scene myself, but if you all want to finish it off before the next Chapter and start a dance party on its corpse, feel free.

And I for one would rather read Aman's death scene that involves everyone's efforts, particularly if he had been wanting to write it.

I've stated more or less what Uther/Teresh will be doing towards the end and I'll let that be that.

[Ecthelion III]

Same here. No more RP from me this cycle; the above is Fifth's situation going into the C4 write-up. (Hope that helps you, Aman.)

[Jondesu]

Same. Kintas may lose his caution and jump in if you like, but I won't be trying to write any more RP myself. In fact, I hope you're set up perfectly for a fantastic death scene, Aman, and just on time. 

[Ecthelion III]

Oh yeah, a moment of silence for Shinon @TheMightyLopen who was standing on an outcropping of rock which the chasmfiend ran into and destroyed, causing him to fall down on the creature's back and on the ground, who is now probably being trampled on by the angry monster.

(Assuming I read it correctly)

Edited February 14, 2017 by Ecthelion III

[Arinian]

4 hours ago, TheMightyLopen said:

Vote tally:

Shqueeves(0): Doc
Quiver(5): Randuir, Jondesu, HH, Assassin, Drake, Arinian, Mage, Doc, Arinian
Ecthelion(0): Doc
Jondesu(1): Drake
Arinian(6): Alv, Rae, Joe, Drought, Lopen, Randuir
Alv(0): Arinian

Execute Sheep(5/11): Doc, Shqueeves, Jondesu, Assassin, Arinian, Lopen, Mage

It is possible that a Willshaper was one of the Bonds created, so there is a chance that vote manipulation could happen. Just throwing that out there so everyone's aware of it.

I'm not convinced that Arinian is an Unjust, but I haven't seen anything from him that really made me think he's an Honorable either. So I'm leaving my vote on him. Sorry if you're a villager man, I just have to go with my gut on this one.

I'm not sure if you seen reasons for me to be unjust but okay(I'm not counting your reason about my vote on Alv as valid, cause you really think that your one sentence about me was so big threat that I should react on it (if I was elim)?, I can't convince one who don't want to listen.

Maybe you can go and look on only game(LG 28) where I was elim and say if my behavior is identical? I don't see how I can convince you in other way, if you don't want to listen.

[Jondesu]

51 minutes ago, Ecthelion III said:

Oh yeah, a moment of silence for Shinon @TheMightyLopen who was standing on an outcropping of rock which the chasmfiend ran into and destroyed, causing him to fall down on the creature's back and on the ground, who is now probably being trampled on by the angry monster.

(Assuming I read it correctly)

Sorry, Kintas was too preoccupied with those he could find, and didn't spot Shinon.

[Doc12]

Hithon's stormlight had run out.

He had been careful. Had tried to use it in only controlled bursts. But getting thrown bodily from the back of an enraged chasmfiend proved to be the final straw.

When the other Initiates had managed to get the fiend to smash into something,  the fiend had lurched forward alarmingly, and Hithon had been jerked off  from his position. He had tried his best to twist himself into a landing position, but it had all happened too fast. He smashed into the ground, having taken an unprepared fall from the height of Urithiru's third storey. 

it had hurt.

But he did not have the luxury of unconsciousness. The spheres he had been carrying had contained enough Stormlight to patch up his broken bones and injuries. He had forced himself to his feet, even as the last of the light washed over his body. The first tired step forward, the light finally winked out, leaving him empty. And even though the light must have healed his major injuries, he still felt every single cut and bruise and ache screaming in his body. 

It hurt. 

But he had gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk towards the thundering roars. He knew, at least, that their efforts had not been in vain. The roars sounded noticeably more anguished and weaker than enraged now. It was failing. 

As he picked his way painfully through the fallen rocks, his foot came across a body, who groaned at the kick.

Hithon frowned, kneeling. Quickly, he placed a hand on the person's chest, feeling a strong heartbeat. Efficiently, he searched the person, coming across a bow clutched in a death-grip in the man's hand. Shinon. The man groaned again - he seemed to be half conscious.

Hithon groaned. Must he?

He knelt, hooking his elbows under the man's armpits. This maneuver was difficult, and much easier when he had his eyes. Nevertheless, he was familiar enough with the movements that it wasn't too awkward. After maneuvering Shinon into a position where he was draped over his shoulders, he began to painfully walk forward towards the noises. Towards the other Initiates, hopefully. Towards help.

Oh, it was painful. 

But he had lived a life used to pain. 

After a time of walking, footsteps came running up. Hands lifted Shinon from his shoulder, and a comforting, soothing voice was speaking to him, thanking him, telling him that he had done enough. The stranger. Kintas. He couldn't hear what the man was saying. Something was pushed into his hands. A pouch, filled with round spheres. Hithon gasped. 

Then suddenly, Light. Strength. Relief.  All the bruises that he had been carrying seemed to melt away, all the pain - gone. Relief. He could stand straighter, he no longer had to gasp for every breath. Light.

"Thank you..." He gasped.

Above them, the chasmfiend screamed. Hithon jerked his head up, although he couldn't have hoped to see what had caused it. The fiend wasn't dead yet. And he knew - he himself was living proof that a creature wounded and frightened would strike back twice as hard if not quickly subdued. 

He still wondered why he had charged out with Teresh earlier. But it didn't matter, for now. He had started out to do one job. And it was time to finish it. Hithon drew two more poisoned daggers with wicked blades, turned calmly towards the source of the roars, and started running.

Time to end this. 

---

Don't worry @TheMightyLopen, Hithon's got your back  @Jondesu, you got two new patients.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Doc12

[Amanuensis]

Chapter Three is now closed. Chapter Four shall begin sometime within the next two hours.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Amanuensis

[Amanuensis]

 

Eshonai awoke to the sound of trumpets. Trumpets, and footsteps.

 

Eyes bleary, she rose while humming to the Rhythm of Anxiety. Judging by the dim light filtering into her makeshift chamber, it was early. Instinctively she clenched her left hand, red energy crackling along her knuckles. She was becoming more accustomed to that reaction every day, and less inclined to summon her Blade whenever she was in danger. Maybe she was just getting used to this new form, but the scream buried deep inside her had another thought on the matter.

 

Questions ran through Eshonai’s head at the pace of a Highstorm. Who blew those horns, and who was running the tunnels? Was it possible that the Alethi had finally found them, and were now attacking with hopes of finishing them off?

 

It was futile, of course. The Alethi may have won the battle in Narak, but they were too late to stop the Everstorm, which meant they already lost the war.

 

Still… she was not quite ready to die. Not yet. Both pieces of her agreed that she had so much left to live for.

 

When she heard the trumpeting again, this time she understood.

 

“General!” a familiar voice yelled from outside her chamber. That was Melu, one of the few survivors from the first legion of warriors that took stormform.

 

Exiting her small, square room, Eshonai turned to face the approaching soldier. It was hard to tell before, but she could now hear the rhythm she was attuned to.

 

Excitement.

 

Cycling through the new Rhythms, Eshonai found Craving.

 

“You look eager. What do the scouts report?”

 

“Alethi, sir. No more than thirty, alone in Narak, fighting a Greatshell.”

 

“What?” Eshonai laughed to the Rhythm of Derision. “Are they mad?”

 

“Not quite. Sir, they’re glowing.”

 

A second later she was sprinting.

 

Eshonai knew these tunnels better than anyone. In those weeks before the battle, she had spent countless hours carving them herself. Confident of her newfound strength or not, she was a General long before she was gifted this form of power, which meant she knew better than to not have a contingency plan. It was inevitable that the Alethi would find Narak. The city was ancient, and not easily disguised. But a system of tunnels and caverns hidden in the chasms, with doors of stone carved to seal out the brunt of the storm and drains to take care of the rest? Even if they knew what to look for, it would take the Alethi a long time to find it, and by then, the listeners would be long gone.

 

More waking soldiers joined Eshonai and Melu as they ran. They didn’t need an explanation to know when to follow. After all, they had heard the Chasmfiend too. Its cries of fury and pain.

 

Eventually the tunnel widened and began sloping upwards. This incline was natural, unlike the perfectly flat walkways she had made. Ahead of her, the sun was dawning, a horizon free of clouds burning as deep a red as her own eyes.

 

Bursting into the light with a legion of listeners trailing in her wake, Eshonai stepped towards the ledge and looked. Narak was far, but not so far that she could not see the figure of a man standing just above it. Even at this distance, she could see the faint wisps of light smoking off his skin. Through her eyes it glowed like fire.

 

She knew that man and what he could do. Besides Blackthorn and his brother, he was the most dangerous man she had ever known.

 

And today, she thought, humming to the Rhythm of Determination, I will kill him and anyone who stands in my way.

 

“Gather everyone!” Eshonai commanded. “We attack at once!”

 

 

With a wide grin, Kaladin watched as the battle unfolded below. Though he could not hear the words the Initiates shared before they charged, he could tell who were the leaders and who were content to follow. Ranatar, the man he had pushed off the ledge himself, was one of the former. He didn’t look it, but that man had experience leading troops. The Shin man, Sareth, had the potential in him too, though his was a different sort of guidance, more like Dalinar’s than his own.

 

“This isn’t right,” Syl told herself, her voice not much louder than a whisper. A warm breeze flowed through her, her hair and dress stirring as it passed by.

 

The Initiates were winning. Kaladin knew they would, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t putting their lives at risk. It wasn’t an easy decision, especially for him, but he saw what the Everstorm was capable of and knew that these men and women needed to develop faster than he had, and that meant pushing them to the extreme.

 

Please, no one die, he shuddered within, though his body may as well have been soulcast into steel for all the movement he made. And to think it was Shallan who bonded the Cryptic, rather than he. Where was that woman now, anyway?

 

Forcing her out of his mind, Kaladin took note of those who were brave enough to attack the Chasmfiend directly. Araon and Arionium, Hithon and Teresh. Fifth, too, and Balthazar as well. They weren’t a very well coordinated team, but the Stormlight made up for their inefficiencies. So long as Shinon kept firing his arrows and Kintas kept playing at medic, it was just a matter of time until they won.

 

This trial was little more than a battle of attrition, after all. Kaladin knew better than anyone what Stormlight could do. So long as they had it, they could keep fighting. But he also knew how they would feel when it was all gone. Deflated, like an empty wineskin, and so painfully sluggish that it’d take all their willpower to move. Worse than any hangover, waking up the next day would be a trial all its own.

 

Sadly not every Initiate would get that lesson. Many of them hesitated or refused to fight outright. Dalinar had told him not to expect everyone to become warriors, and Shallan had quoted enough passages of that book to make him understand that not every Order was comprised of warriors, but still. It seemed so odd to him how anyone with powers like his could be a coward. Whenever he breathed in, he felt an urge to move, to fight. Was it possible that Stormlight affected people differently? Maybe that was a question worth asking.

 

Now that he thought about it, that brooding man Jonly didn’t even glow when he fell, nor did he when he rose from the tiny crater created by his descent. Looking at him, the man was strong. Determined, too, by the cold fire of his eyes and the set of his jaw. So why did he linger on the sidelines now, doing nothing?

 

Kaladin would have to talk to him after this, he decided.

 

Ralaani, the girl who figured she’d be more helpful drawing the battle than participating in it, suddenly gasped at his side. Instead of looking at her, his eyes darted to the Chasmfiend, praying that someone hadn’t just been killed.

 

“What happened?” he asked, expecting to see a man cut in two, or a pile of blood and gore.

 

“Baltahzar just jumped in the Chasmfiend’s mouth!” she said then began sketching madly, presumably to capture the scene.

 

Fool man, Kaladin thought. Not of Balthazar, but himself. Sure, Balths was a fool, too, but this trial was his idea alone, and no one else could be blamed for what happened during it. Kaladin only hoped the Initiate’s death was quick, unable to imagine how terrifying being digested alive would be.

 

After being dazed by a rockfall and having a few of its claws cut off, the Chasmfiend didn’t look like it had much fight in it left. There were a few more close calls, as even Kaladin could only dodge so many furious swipes at once, but it looked like no one else would die today, and for that he was thankful.

 

At least until the Chasmfiend began to collapse, with that young boy Rea weaving underneath the creature’s legs, as if playing some kind of game. A cloud of dust whooshed away from its body, obscuring the forms of its challengers. Had Rea made it out? Kaladin couldn’t tell, but he certainly hoped.

 

Nearing death, the Chasmfiend flailed wildly, nearly knocking Fifth and Sareth off its head. Miraculously, the pair had managed to regain their footing and continue towards its head, quarterstaves in hand, looking like they aimed to finish it off, once and for all.

 

What happened next, no one could have predicted.

 

The Chasmfiend rolled.

 

Even from this far, he could see the violet globs of fear manifest around them.  They were trapped on all sides by the creature’s spines, rapidly lurching towards the earth. Towards Kintas and Uther, and someone else whom Kaladin didn’t recognize, lying down and covered in dust.

 

It was done. In its death throes, the Chasmfiend had flipped on top of his foes. There was room enough for them to squeeze, but the spikes were so many, what were the chances that not a single Initiate had been pinned, or worse?

 

Spren like arrowheads steamed off the Chasmfiend’s body, dissipating as they drifted towards the sky. It’s mouth lolled open and began spewing blood and gore. Even a few rocks, and what must have been Balthazar’s sword.

 

All four of his Squires were there now. They had begun running when they saw what was happening, but were too far to interfere. Kaladin breathed in a wealth of Stormlight, and they began to glow. Skar, Drehy, Teft and Leyten reached the corpse at once, each wrapping their arms around one of the Chasmfiend’s spines, and began lifting with all of their might. Slowly but surely the monster was lifted, revealing pools of blood and the soldiers underneath.

 

Uther was crawling on his face, dragging Hithon behind him. The blind man had been knocked unconscious, but fortunately he was still breathing. Kintas, who somehow seemed shorter than before, stood up unscathed, eyes locked on Sareth whose gut had been ran through with a spine and was now dangling from it, grabbing at the point and pulling himself towards it, like sliding meat off a kebab. Fifth was nowhere to be seen.

 

Glancing over his shoulder at the Initiates who remained atop the Oathgate with him, Kaladin barked at them to jump now, or else be exiled for refusing to follow orders. Hess shrugged without a word and, reluctantly, Veriq approached the ledge.

 

He didn’t have time to wait.

 

Riding on the wind, Kaladin soared. More and more every day, what he did felt less like falling and more like flying. Before he knew it, he was there beside his Squires, helping them hold the corpse up before they lost all their strength. Behind him, a few lingering Initiates ran to their fellow’s aid. Shinon helped Uther to his feet, then slung Hithon over his shoulder. Petrik, his arm still limp, let Sareth lean on his other shoulder and, along with Kintas, led him out into the open air.

 

Once free, the Initiates fell to the ground, exhausted. Some of them even had the audacity to laugh at what just happened. The rest just watched them as if they were crazy, their faces apprehensive.

 

Kaladin let go of his spine and spun on them, his Squires letting theirs down slowly. “What about Fifth?” he yelled, voice echoing loudly in the city within the chasm. “Rea?” he added, remembering the little boy.

 

“Here,” a man coughed, rounding the other side of the Chasmfiend. It was Fifth, and in his arms, he cradled the child Initiate.

 

Kaladin breathed a sigh of relief. Only Balthazar had died, then. A terrible loss, still, but better than it could have been.

 

“Uh, Kal?” Teft said, voice laced with concern.

 

“What is it, Teft?” Kaladin asked as he turned.

 

“The Chasmfiend…”

 

It was moving.

 

“Syl!” Kaladin shouted, brandishing his hand. Drawn from her reverie, she zipped to his arm as a ribbon of light, spinning round it until she reached his palm and formed into a glistening spear.

 

No one else would die today. Their trial was done, and Kaladin would finish this once and for.

 

The Chasmfiends mandibles twitched and Kaladin prepared to lunge.

 

Then, with a wet slosh, Balthazar slid out of its mouth, covered in blood and slime, but smiling still.

 

In his hands he held a massive gemheart.

 

 

Ashetvl was no longer alone.

 

It’ll be okay, the voice told her. It was beautiful and comforting like her mother’s. All night it had assured her that the worst was over, that she was going to be fine. At first she thought the Highstorm had driven her insane, but then she saw the spren - not completely, but it was hiding there, in the corner of her eye - and she understood that she really was a Radiant. Or at the very least was on her way to becoming one.

 

Only the spren was wrong.

 

Nothing would be okay. The worst had not yet come. She was not going to be fine.

 

“You know why I’m here, don’t you?” a different voice said from the darkness beyond her cell.

 

“To let me free?” Ashetvl said, not hopeful, but with a sneer. It might be too dark to see, but she could feel the tension in the air. It reminded her of that final minute before yesterday’s Highstorm.

 

“In a sense,” the voice said. Metal scraped as a sword was drawn from a scabbard. “Any last words?”

 

“None for you,” Ashetvl answered. Not with a whimper, but a bang. It was strange how ready she was for this. How cold she felt inside, and yet how hot were words felt as they passed her lips. She had spent so much of her life crying, she decided she would greet death differently.

 

“Very well then,” the voice replied with a hint of morning.

 

“Let justice be done.”

 

 

Arionium sat away from the other Initiates, alone and uninterested in having a conversation. His stomach grumbled, but he didn’t feel like eating.

 

Balthazar was boasting, again, a pair of gloryspren circling his head like a halo. Arionium knew the man had an ego before, but after ripping that beast’s heart free and presenting it to Kaladin like a prize, he had gotten even worse.

 

Honestly, he just wanted to return to his bed, but that Dullbrain Kaladin had insisted they remain here for lunch, only a few dozen meters away from that monster’s stinking corpse. One of his men, that giant who had woken him by banging on a cookpot the day before, had emerged from one of the ancient buildings with the very same cookpot, though this time it was filled with fresh stew. It really did smell good and the others seemed to be enjoying it, but Arionium wasn’t in the mood for building camaraderie, whatever the damnation that was.

 

Dullbrain had used the word in another one of his speeches. He also talked about the importance of following tradition, and how the best of friendship’s could only be forged on the field of battle. Arionium saw his words for what they were, though. Useless blathering.

 

He chuckled to himself, thinking it fitting that a Windrunner would have so much air filling their head.

 

Silence. Why was everyone suddenly quiet?

 

“What’s so funny?” someone asked. Arionium didn’t try to memorize the other Initiate’s names, let alone their voices.

 

Ignoring the question deliberately, he turned away.

 

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” the man yelled. Arionium’s only response was him cracking his neck.

 

Behind him, a few of the Initiates rose loudly. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by a handful of them. Not that he even made an effort to acknowledge them.

 

“Why are you being so reclusive?” someone else asked, this one's voice softer than the other’s. He wasn’t challenging him, but his tone was probing. Arionium hated people who didn’t know how to mind their own business.

 

Arionium turned the soulstamp for his sword over in his hand. In the fight it had been crushed slightly, and with a tiny blade, he was trying to fix the mold. He was quite fond of that blade, and would hate losing it.

 

“I don’t like this, Shinon. How can we be expected to trust someone who never talks to us?”

 

One of the other men grunted at that.

 

“Do you think… I mean, I’m no murderer. But if I was one and didn’t want anyone to know, I’d probably keep my mouth shut, to make sure I don’t say anything suspicious.”

 

“Now that you mention it, Naihar, something does seem off about this guy. Before I thought it was just because he’s a foreigner, but… maybe you’re right. What should we do?

 

Arionium’s hand slipped, the scalpel cutting the the tip of his thumb. Without thinking, he tapped one of his golden rings and wiped the blood on his cheek, the wound underneath freshly knit.

 

“Did you see that?”

 

“He didn’t even breathe.”

 

“What the storms is he?”

 

“Arionium,” barked one of the men, prompting him to look up, surprised he knew his name. “Earlier I saw you with a sword. Where is it?”

 

Shrugging, he went back to his work.

 

“Now that you mentioned it Jonly, he didn’t have a sword when he jumped off the Oathgate. But when he landed, there was suddenly one in his hand. Could it have been…?”

 

“A Shardblade!” three of them gasped at once. Beyond the men, the group of less violent Initiates sat up abruptly.

 

“It was you, wasn’t it? You killed Lomot! But why?”

 

This time Arionium couldn’t keep his mouth shut. It was one thing to talk about him behind his back, another two feet in front of him, but to accuse him of murder? Where he came from, those were fighting words.

 

“I didn’t kill the man,” he answered, rising. “Now step off.”

 

“What’s the problem here?” Dullbrain yelled, drawn to them by all the commotion.

 

“We’ve figured it out, sir. This man’s the one who killed Lomot.”

 

The men parted ways, letting Kaladin through. He wasn’t smiling now, but Arionium could still picture his ugly mug grinning. It made him mad.

 

“I didn’t kill him,” he growled.

 

“He’s lying, sir! Ask him about his Blade!”

 

“Blade?” Kaladin asked, then surveyed the man’s equipment. Everything the man owned was laid out on a sheet before him, and the closest thing he had to a sword was the dagger that he stamped. “Where is it?”

 

“That’s exactly it, sir! Arionium never carries a sword, but when we were fighting, he had one! There’s only one logical explanation!”

 

Kaladin considered the words. The way the Radiant looked at him made Arionium want to beat in his face.

 

“Skar! Leyten!” Kaladin yelled. A moment later, two of his Squires were by his side. “I’m going to need you two to escort Arionium to Urithiru. Dalinar needs to have a word with him.”

 

Unhesitant, the Squires reached for him. “Leave off!” Arionium recoiled from their touch with a shout. “I’m not going anywhere!”

 

“You don’t have a choice, Initiate,” Kaladin said, flexing his hand by his side. “Stand down and follow my orders. You will return to Urithiru and speak with Dalinar at once.”

 

“No!” Arionium yelled in defiance. “I ain’t the one who killed Lomot!”

 

More of the Initiates were watching now. Between the bodies of the Squires, Arionium could see that little boy peeking his head, trying to see what was happening.

 

In the blink of an eye, one of the Squires got behind Arionium, the other blocking his vision in front. He felt a tug on his arms behind his back, and then they went cold. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t remove his arms from where they were bent, as if they had somehow been bound together.

 

They began dragging him away.

 

“Listen!” he began. “I have done many bad things that I don't consider criminal, and I’ve lied to many people many times but all that means nothing…”

 

All my life I thought that I was a selfish person who loves only myself. I was wrong, but I understand now, even if it is too late.

 

“Only crime I will admit is this one! It was so long ago, now, but it’s the only one that matters!

 

“Her name was Leiren, and yes, I killed her. At first I thought I did it to save my brother. Yes, he loved her, and she loved him. She nearly convinced him to break the First Deal. I don’t expect you to know what that is, but understand that it’s as good as treason. She had to die.

 

“But that was the lie I told myself. Truth be told, that was only an excuse, and it took countless years for me to realize it.

 

“Now I understand I killed her out of selfishness. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met, and I was jealous she didn’t feel the same as me. In my heart, I believed that my brother didn’t deserve her. And if I couldn’t have her, then no one should. As simple as that.”

 

He was so far away now. Could they even hear him?

 

“I have killed before! But I did not kill that man! Trust me! Believe me!”

 

Why wouldn’t they believe?

 

 

“Who’s there?” Renarin shouted, leaping at the sudden crash.

 

“Don’t worry, Brightlord!” yelled Skar. The young Kholin could now hear a few grunts and the sounds of struggling. A moment later Skar and Leyten, along with an Initiate whom they clearly bound and gagged with Stormlight, descended into the circular chamber. “Mind helping us get to Urithiru? Captain’s orders.”

 

Swallowing hard, Renarin beckoned for Glys in that strange, wordless way he always had. The spren didn’t like becoming a Blade, but he had no qualms about acting the Key.

 

 

“This isn’t right, Kaladin,” Syl said, quivering in the sudden gust of wind.

 

“You don’t think I made the right decision?” he asked, feeling the urge to walk somewhere more private. Teft and Drehy were his Squires, however, and should be allowed to hear what she had to say.

 

A drop of rain hit his brow and without thinking, Kaladin wiped it away.

 

“Not that,” Syl dismissed thoughtlessly, and for the first time, Kaladin really felt her fear. Glancing at her, he found her watching the sky. When had it got so gray, anyway?

 

A flash of red lightning, followed by the immediate pounding of thunder.

 

That could only mean one thing.

 

“Voidbringers!” one of the Initiates shouted. There were dozens of them - no, hundreds - standing upon the ledges of the plateaus above, looking down. Many of them were chanting, though some were gathering energy in their hands, preparing to cast their fury down upon them.

 

Among them, a single Voidbringer wearing Shardplate raised a Blade above her head and screamed. By the tens, they dove off their perches, landing in the massive chasm no further than a thousand meters away.

 

There was no way the Initiates were ready for this. Exhausted from their battle with the Chasmfiend and at least half of their infused spheres drained, their only hope would be to flee to the Oathgate and escape.

 

“Initiates, behind me!” he commanded, surprised how quickly many of them obeyed. “Rock, take them to the Spire and up to the Oathgate,” he yelled, referring to a massive, needle-like structure they discovered while scouting, containing nothing more than a ring of stairs that would take them to the plateaus above. “Teft, Drehy! Protect their rear and their flanks! Try to prevent as many of the Parshendi from reaching them as you can!” he looked at them both in the eyes, satisfied by their solemn nods. “And Initiates… watch each other’s backs. There’s no guarantee that the scouts will report this in time to do us any good, so don’t hope for reinforcements. Just get to the Oathgate as fast as you can. I’ll meet you there.”

 

“Meet us there, sir?” Drehy asked.

 

Without answering, Kaladin charged forward, towards the line of Parshendi forming ahead. Several pulses of red lightning shot forth from them, some arcing to the ground, others hurtling towards him.

 

Blessed Syl manifested as a silvery shield, then, the azure glyph of the Windrunners emblazoned on her front, crimson bolts of energy glancing off her and hitting the ground.

 

Please, no one die, Kaladin prayed for the second time that day. If his foolish trial cost those people their lives, he was certain he could not survive the guilt.

Not this time.

 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Amanuensis

[Amanuensis]

CHAPTER FOUR

Ashetvl has been murdered. She was an Honorable Initiate!

Arionium has been arrested. He was guilty of Murder, Fraud, and Multiple Counts of Theft!

Three Bonds have been formed!

 

 

This time I got all the GM PMs sent before posting the thread. I know I've missed a few people before, so if you didn't get one from me, please send me a message.

 

This write up's the longest yet, and I'm sure many of you won't read it. Once again, the only part you really need to read is the last section, as it will explain the current situation. In a nutshell, Eshonai and almost two hundred other Listeners have decided that slaughtering a group of potential Radiants is worth revealing themselves after the Battle of Narak. Chances are, twenty of you won't be able to take that many of them without sustaining casualties, and so Kaladin has sent you along with his Squires to flee to the Oathgate while he tries to fend them off. Of course, he won't be able to distract them all. So have fun running for your lives and warding off the occasional Voidbringer.

 

Best of luck

 

 

 

INTERROGATION

 

(5) Quiver: Jondesu, Hemalurgic_Headshot, Assassin in Burgundy, Doc12, Arinian,

(1) Ecthelion III: Doc12,

(1) Jondesu: Drake Marshall,

(7) Arinian: Alvron, Arraenae, A Joe in the Bush, DroughtBringer, TheMightyLopen, randuir, TheSilverDragon,

 

EXECUTION

 

(5/11) AliasSheep: Doc12, Assassin in Burgundy, Drake Marshall, Magestar, TheMightyLopen,

 

PARDON

 

(1/16) AliasSheep: TheSilverDragon,

 

INITIATES

 

1. A Joe in the Bush as Jonly

2. Assassin in Burgundy as Araon Darkblade

3. Jondesu as Kintas

4. randuir as Ranatar

5. Hemalurgic_Headshot as Sareth-son-Erneth

6. TheSilverDragon as Rea

7. Ecthelion III as Fifth Nameless

8. JUQ as Hess

9. Quiver as Veriq

10. Shqueeves as Leif

11. Doc12 as Hithon

12. Magestar as Balthazar

13. Arraenae as Ralaani

14. TheMightyLopen as Shinon

15. Drake Marshall as Teresh

16. The lazy anarchist as Lyna Telavalet

17. Alvron as Naihar

18. DroughtBringer as Petrik

19. Darkness Ascendant as The Phantom Stranger & Hashiv

20. Elbereth as Tintallë Iurnu

 

PRISONERS

 

1. Arionium, Guilty of Murder, Fraud, and Multiple Counts of Theft.

 

CASUALTIES

 

1. Lomot the Honorable Initiate
2. Ashetvl the Honorable Initiate

 

COUNTDOWN

 

Chapter Four will end on Friday, February 17th, at 0400 EST. Chapter Five will begin approximately 2 hours later.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2017 by Amanuensis

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

Oh my gosh, Aman. That write up was remarkable! I was on the edge my seat the whole time. Yes, you were right when you said you could top last chapter. And ouch, a spine through the gut? At least I'm alive. Do I have to incorporate my battle wound into the RP(I will anyway)?

So, who wants to fight some Voidbringers?

[DeTess]

Ranatar had started on his second bowl of steam, when he finally realized there was something not-quite-right.  All around him initiates chatted, happy and relieved. Almost everyone in the group exuded a sense  of overwhelming relief at having survived the fight. There were even a few glory-spren spread above the group. Yet Ranatar didn’t feel anything. No relief at having survived, no sense of victory at having helped slay the greatshell…

‘Of course I don’t.’ Realization flooded into Ranatar’s mind. He closed his eyes  and focussed inward. One by one, he pried open the castle-doors locking away his emotions, his hopes, his dreams, his… humanity. As he undid those, emotions finally clouded his toughts. Relief at having survived, awe at the fight the initiates had put up, but above that, anger and revulsion at himself. He’d promised not to let himself slip into this abyss again, no matter what. But a simple threat to his life had overcome that decision without any struggle. ‘Balerad would have been proud.’  The thought came unbidden to him.

‘It was necessary. He whispered to himself. Without this, I’m not much use in a fight. I would have died. So would others, maybe…’ The rationale was solid, but hardly convincing. Ranatar knew that the opposite would have been far more likely, that more people would have died while he was like that.

His thoughts where interrupted by a sudden shout. “Voidbringers!” Ranatar looked up and saw them arrayed around a plateau to their flank. A flurry of orders came from Kaladin, ordering them all to retreat. For a moment, fear threatened to paralyze him.

A simple mental nudge was all it took. The castle doors in his head crashed into place again, locking such useless things as fear and self-recrimination away. Ranatar the Atoner was gone again. In his place, Ranatar the captain leapt up.

“Wounded and non-combatants to the front!” He shouted.  “Everyone else, form up behind them. Stay together, cover each other’s backs and don’t charge of alone.” 

Aman, it isn't just the situation that's getting topped everytime, your write-ups also keep getting better, and the very first was already fantastic.

Three bonds have been formed, none have been broken, so we should have five active radiants now. I wonder if the remaining three are just very costly, or that a bunch of the people who've been earning full honor have put it all on the same Spren. That is, of course, assuming none of the bonds formed where skybreakers. Aman said he'd put those in as a balancing factor, so it seems unlikely any of those bonds where skybreakers already.

There's also Sheep's murder to consider. It seems odd to me, as she's a confirmed inactive which would almost certainly not have a spren, so she wouldn't be much of a threat to the elims or much help to us. She was imprisoned, so maybe the elims just decided to pick up the easy kill (likely)? Maybe the elims are all members of the contribution crusade (less likely)? Or maybe everyone I think of as a likely target is actually an elim (unlikely, I hope)...

Edited February 14, 2017 by randuir
double whitespace cleared away

[Doc12]

A couple of things I want to say concerning the last cycle:

 

1. 

Quote

(Hithon suddenly feels the extreme urge to drop his weapons and run away screaming like a little girl)

...Aman, You're a sociopath. Calling it now, we're going to face Odium himself at one point. Five emerald broams and a drink says so.

Remember this? Voidbringers count, yeah? Someone owes me 5 broams and a drink!

2.

Quote

Note that I planned on writing the Chasmfiend death scene myself, but if you all want to finish it off before the next Chapter and start a dance party on its corpse, feel free.

The writeup was great, Aman. But where was the dance party. We were promised a dance party.

---

Right. Onto more serious matters... 

The Sheep kill. That was weird, as Randuir pointed out, if you're asking why the eliminators would an inactive. The eliminators had literally no reason to kill them, seeing as they were inactive and would not have a spren at all. It doesn't make any sense why they would choose to kill an inactive player instead of everyone else contributing. Of course, if we change the question to "Why would the Unjust kill a jailed player?", the answer seems to be because they could get away with only sending one Unjust - an easy kill. I think that this was the most likely explanation, that perhaps, the other members of the team were doing something else? 

Second question. What are we to do with Arin?

@Alvron @Arraenae, @DroughtBringer, @TheMightyLopen, @A Joe in the Bush, @randuir, @TheSilverDragon. You were the people that voted for Arin's lynch. Now I wish to put this question to you. What exactly do you want with him now? Those of you with reasons, are they strong enough to call for his execution? Some of you were bandwagoning. what do you want to do with him, now that he's in jail? If we leave him alone, do you think the Unjust would pick him off like they did Sheep if he's innocent?

And lastly, who are we going after this cycle? 

If we are to check the inactives, they would be in this order: @The lazy anarchist, @JUQ, @Elbereth, @Quiver. None of those have posted in the last three days. 

 

But I would much rather we try to find a target which we can actually debate on and take stands on, so I guess we're dropping Quiver this round? I am still a little suspicious of how the lynch on Arin formed up so quickly and overtook the lynch on Quiver. If Arin turns out to be innocent, it might be worth taking another look at Quiver. 

Anyways, my vote. I had previously stated suspicions of Ecth and Jon, but their posts have convinced me to lay off them for a bit. Technically, Ecth never really answered the question I first asked him, about why he thought Jondesu was being more helpful than Lopen, but that's probably me being pedantic. I guess I'll be putting my vote on Alvron, then, seeing as he's my only lead from last cycle. Yes, you've given your reasons, and I'll most likely change it before the cycle is over, but still. I'm watching you. 

Oh, and concerning the bonds... I have been investing all my honor towards on spren for two cycles now, and I haven't got it. Either the particular order is expensive, or someone has it.  

[DeTess]

37 minutes ago, Doc12 said:

Oh, and concerning the bonds... I have been investing all my honor towards on spren for two cycles now, and I haven't got it. Either the particular order is expensive, or someone has it.  

Hadn't Aman stated you'd be informed if the spren you're putting honor towards has bonded someone else?

37 minutes ago, Doc12 said:

 @Arraenae, @DroughtBringer, @TheMightyLopen, @A Joe in the Bush, @randuir, @TheSilverDragon. You were the people that voted for Arin's lynch. Now I wish to put this question to you. What exactly do you want with him now? Those of you with reasons, are they strong enough to call for his execution? Some of you were bandwagoning. what do you want to do with him, now that he's in jail? If we leave him alone, do you think the Unjust would pick him off like they did Sheep if he's innocent?

As I stated in the post, my reason for switching from Quiver  to Arin was to prevent a draw (at the moment of switching, the vote was 5-5 between quiver and arin). Given that the vote ended 5-7 against arin, I feel somewhat justified in not leaving my vote on quiver (if nothing else had changed the final vote would have been 6-6). The evidence against arin was just barely good enough to interrogate him on, but I'm not 100% convinced we should execute him. On  the one hand, it would give us some information, but on the other hand it is irrevocable (if evidence comes forward about his innocence, we can't un-execute him, and post-humous pardons are just a bit pointless). If he is evil, he's only a threat to others in the prison(which could be problematic, but would become pretty clear pretty quickly).

Anyway, those are my reasons for my vote on him previous cycle and my feelings on executing him. I know it's  a bit rambling.

37 minutes ago, Doc12 said:

If we are to check the inactives, they would be in this order: @The lazy anarchist, @JUQ, @Elbereth, @Quiver. None of those have posted in the last three days. 

If we do go after an inactive, Quiver is the only one of these that has indicated he would be going inactive for the rest of the game, the others might come back, so he seems the logical target to vote against if we go that route (at least, if it's just to cull inactives to make execution/pardon votes easier, if we have reasons to suspect any of them of being elim lurkers, that's a different story). If there's a non-inactive that acts suspiciously, it would be better to go after him/her of course.

Edited February 14, 2017 by randuir
slightly changed the last statement

[DrakeMarshall]

Well, it looks like you weren't lying when you said you would top the chasmfiend...

Anyways, I don't believe I ever voted to execute sheep, and I had changed my vote on Jondesu to Rae. Just checking, is the current tally intentional?

I will find time to give more in-depth comments later.

Also, can I just say I told you so with the whole sheep execution?

[Jondesu]

Kintas threw himself on the ground as the greatshell rolled over, watching the spikes and attempting to position himself where they wouldn't impale him, but knowing it would just be a matter of chance.  One of the spikes slammed into the ground less than an inch from his arm, grazing it and sending a shock of pain up into his shoulder, but leaving him alive and otherwise undamaged.  The chasmfiend's bulk was just above him, keeping him from rising for now, and he didn't have the strength to push it up at all. He lay there breathing, sucking in a bit of Stormlight to keep him alert, until the chasmfiend was lifted up.

Storms, were those Kaladin's squires lifting the beast?

Kintas was shocked at their strength, considering there was only four of them, with Kaladin swooping in to help as well.  He flipped onto his belly and began to rise, stooping and making his way out from under the greatshell's back, when he noticed Sareth, who had still been lying on the ground next to him, recovering from his ordeal.

He wasn't on the ground now.

He was skewered on one of the spines, shoved far through his belly and lifting him up as the chasmfiend was lifted to make room for them to escape.  Amazingly, Sareth reached out and grabbed the end of the spike, or as close to the point as he could reach, and began pulling himself off.  Kintas couldn't believe the man's resolve and strength, and to his shame, stood there gawking for a moment.  He quickly shook that off, though, and jumped to help.  He pulled Sareth the rest of the way off the spike and threw him over his shoulder, hoping there were still infused spheres close enough for the Shin man to breath in and heal himself.  Running out from under the beast, he moved to a safe spot and laid Sareth down, feeling as if he could have carried him much further with the storm surging through his veins, but also not wanting to be too far from where he could look for others to help.

Then the beast moved again, and his mind nearly blanked from panic.  He was no warrior.  What was he doing trying to help kill a chasmfiend?

And then, the smug face of Balthazar emerged, a giant gem in his hand, acting as though he was one of the heroes of ages. I almost wish he'd been digested, with that face.  He'll be insufferable now. Gloryspren, several of them, were popping into existence around his head, and while Kintas couldn't really blame him, he still groaned internally.

Kaladin and his squires moved among the Initiates, distributing more infused spheres to those who had run out and needed healing, and finally Kintas found the opportunity to relax.  He didn't let go of all the Stormlight he held within, though, still breathing in a little bit at a time, holding onto the strength of will it granted him.  Without that, he feared he would lose his mind.  Supposedly Returned couldn't go crazy, but he was willing to bet this Alethi nutjob could prove all the Nalthian scholars and priests wrong.

---

As some of the other Initiates began harassing Arionium and goading him into what Kintas could only assume was an adrenaline-laced fury, he winced to hear the accusations they flung about.  He knew it was possible that Arionium had been the one who murdered Lomot, but this wasn't the way to figure that out.

When Arionium screamed out his pained confession of the murder of his brother's lover, Kintas's heart fell.  Yes, the man had killed before, but he sounded like a man broken by that pain, and Kintas wasn't sure Arionium would have had it in him to kill again.  The bit with the sword was odd, but Kintas had seen the soulstone being rolled around in the man's hands and knew what that meant, so it didn't concern him the same way as the others.  As the initiate was dragged away kicking and screaming, arms stuck together behind his back and his jaws eventually clamped together against his will as well, Kintas pushed the matter aside for now, knowing the Blackthorn would get to the bottom of the matter.

---

Voidbringers?

It wasn't real.  It couldn't be.

Kintas knew the Voidbringers were back, of course, and were very real, but for them to find the exhausted group, some still trying to recover from the wounds they'd incurred, as they tried to rest before heading back, was simply not fair.

When were the worlds ever fair, though?

As red lightning began to fall around them, Kintas grabbed several of the Initiates who had been non-combatants and pushed them ahead of himself, yelling at them to run for the Spire, per Kaladin's orders.  The man was insane, but Kintas wasn't going to argue if he wanted to charge the Voidbringers and buy the rest of them some time.  Most of the lightning shifted and was aimed towards the crazy Radiant, bouncing off his glowing shield (where did that come from?), but many of the Parshendi above continued to target the relatively unprotected Initiates as they fled or fell into battle stances.  Kintas scooped up an abandoned bag of spheres from the group, not bothering to check if they were infused, but hoping he'd have enough for himself and anyone who was struck on the way.  He didn't know how much damage those bolts of lightning could do to someone with Stormlight in their veins, but he didn't want to find out, either.

He did anyways.

A bolt struck him in the leg as he ran, sending him sprawling and rolling in a tumble as his leg spasmed and burned.  A quick inhalation of Stormlight pushed the pain away and began healing the wound, but somehow it seemed to heal slower than the other wounds had, as if whatever was causing it was somehow fighting the Stormlight inside him.  It took a moment before he could rise and begin to flee again, and as he did, another bolt struck just above his head, sending a small flurry of rocks crashing down over him.  They weren't nearly enough to pin him, but he staggered out from under them into pure chaos.

A Voidbringer lept down from the top of the chasm and landed with a thud in front of him, staggering slightly but amazingly on it's feet and ready to fight. Kintas might not have been a fighter, but his survival instincts were still very strong, and before he knew it, he had his sword out and buried to the hilt in the creature's gut. Shocked red eyes stared back at him, and then Kintas noticed the hand that had grabbed the blade and tried to divert it was beginning to crackle with red lightning.  Diving away, he just barely avoided being electrocuted once again, and when the shock cleared, he turned back to see the Voidbringer's corpse had been completely charred.  Kintas thought briefly about recovering his sword, but the metal was glowing red-hot and he didn't feel like waiting.  No one else was close enough to the blast to have been harmed, so Kintas sprinted away towards the group of fleeing Initiates, knowing he could only hope to survive, not fight away this danger.

---

Aman, you're both genius and terrifying.  I didn't quite expect Voidbringers this early, especially not in such a strategically dangerous position (above us, firing down into the chasm like shooting fish in a barrel).  Good thing that lightning of theirs isn't particularly accurate.

As for the arrest yesterday, it felt just like a giant bandwagon to me, and with poor reasoning from those that did provide it.  Granted, I don't necessarily think Arinian is clear, but the reasons given for accusing him didn't hold a lot of weight to me.

I am a little surprised that Sheep was killed by the Unjust, but as others have said, it was probably a good value for them: one Unjust could execute him, while others investigated people or perhaps used a spren ability if they were one of those who bonded a spren.  Of course, only two people had bonded a spren at that time, and I didn't see anything that indicated any abilities were used unless there was a vote manip that I haven't confirmed yet (I haven't gone back through the list yet).

Also, since I said I was keeping track, many of us have earned 6 Honor so far, which is awesome, but there are a few with less.  Only three people have none, now, but there are a couple with only 1, and several with only 4, which is probably the  minimum to bond a spren, and most of those with 4 didn't get there this last cycle, so if they were going to bond a spren they would have already (unless they just didn't allocate it).  That means our five bonds are probably among those with 6 Honor, possibly some of those with 5.  Still a decent list, but if I assume that only those with 6 Honor earned have managed to bond a spren, then actually over half of them will have one now, since there are 9 people with 6 Honor, and 5 bonds.  Even if some bonds went to people with 5 Honor, that's only 14 people total (with 5-6 Honor), out of which 5 are bonded, so still should be possible to guess or determine who has some of those.  I'm hoping most of them are Honorable, but statistically, there's a fair chance at least 1 of those spren is bonded to an Unjust.  I'm almost certain that several of the more active players are likely Unjust, since it would put them at a disadvantage to lurk and not gain Honor, and since it's relatively easy to earn (as long as you make 2-3 posts at least, and a lot of players have been doing far more than that).

[DrakeMarshall]

First of all, while my vote last cycle didn't amount to much, I still have all the reasons I listed last cycle to vote on Rae.

Second of all... I am still pretty suspicious of the whole Arinian bandwagon. And yet, to be honest, we still need to carry out a real lynch for the town. Furthermore, all of you who voted on sketchy grounds are now silent when asked what to do with him. I'm calling your bluff. Arinian. If Arinian is innocent I will be even more suspicious of the folks who voted on him, and if not... Well then I guess I was wrong, and I will promptly stop trying to accuse Rae.

Third of all... Arinian, if I'm reading the rules correctly, you can still PM. Now... If my read is correct... That means you can PM me with anything you want to tell everyone, and I can relay that information in paraphrase to the rest of the group. And since you can still view this thread... You'll know if I lied about what you said, and can PM someone else to warn them in the event that I lied. Feel free to communicate to the group at large using this method.

If this is an exploit of the rules, @Amanuensis feel free to change the rules to prevent it.

Also... If someone wants me to accuse me of trying to focus all discussion on Arinian... Yes. I am 100% guilty of that. I am trying to make it so that when Arinian is properly lynched, we will have talked about the lynch enough that we have some useful information. Encouraging discussion on a lynch is a great way to maximize the amount of info we get out of the lynch.

Also... While I'm talking about potential exploit strategies... What is to keep us from arbitrarily jailing everyone but one person (using random selection to eliminate the risk of manipulation or poor judgement), and relying on probability to dictate that the last free person probably isn't an elim? I wouldn't support that tactic simply because it sounds like no fun at all, but still... Wouldn't that let the town turn this all into a simple probability game, with the odds in their favor?

Also I will post RP later... This will be... Interesting. Way to take it to a new level.

[Arrae]

Teresh (Drake), that thing about calling out our bluffs would be a lot more dramatic had you waited a few more hours to say that. We're being chased by storming Voidbringers! At least wait for us to get somewhere clear before lobbing around accusations, yeah?

Rollover is at midnight for me. Now, I don't know about you, but I try to go to sleep by 10:45 PM. Then I also have school. I got up at 6:40 AM today and had fifteen minutes to read through Aman's writeup while eating breakfast. School starts at 7:30 for me. I cannot use the phone in first period unless I want it taken away from me. It's not even my phone, so if I have to go to the office to pick it up after confiscation, bad things will happen. After that class, I have another one with intermittent, unpredictable computer use. Sometimes I can check SE, and sometimes I can't. It depends on what I'm supposed to be doing. Then I have a 15 minute recess where I can choose to check SE. I say "choose" because I don't always want to spend my 15 minute break on SE and SE alone. Sometimes I buy food. Sometimes I get outside and socialize. If I choose to check SE, I can either use a school laptop, if it's available, or a phone, if it's available. The laptop is connected to very poor internet. The phone is a pain to type on. Then there's a class with more frequent computer access, and afterwards I have lunch. Again, for lunch, I can choose to check SE. I can also choose to eat and socialize. Sometimes I don't have a phone to check SE with.

At the time you made that post, I effectively had 15 minutes total (maybe less) to check SE. I spent a lot of that time reading Aman's writeup. Would you like it if 15 minutes after rollover, someone said that you were being suspiciously silent?

I have a life outside of SE, and sometimes I haven't posted anything 10 or 11 hours after rollover. That doesn't mean that I've pulled an all-nighter, skipped school, and was in front of a computer the entire 10 or 11 hours between rollover and now. Please try to consider the schedule of players before calling them out for supposedly being silent.

I spent a lot of time typing that up. Now the teachers want me off of this laptop. I will respond to what you said. I just can't do it right this very moment.