Advanved Hemalurgy for the Scientifically Inclined

[Fatebreaker]

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A few quick things: People are welcome to write reactions and interactions of their Characters in Alley city and the Various Alleys, but it is impossible to reach the Alley where The Stranger's lab is currently located. Some communication can come through, but the Alleymatic security measures are beyond ridiculous here.

Enjoy 

 

The Stranger sat in his lab and contemplated the cookie in his hand. It was chocolate chip, slightly chewy and perfectly balanced between chips and cookie. Something simple to enjoy amidst the complexities of Science. He took a bite, then turned towards his current experiment. Distortion fields hummed and hypercompressors whirred, while a glowing sphere slowly revolved in the air, suspended between two gravitron fields. It was roughly the size of a melon, and if one looked closely they could see tiny clouds floating above minuscule continents and seas. The Stranger grinned, it had been no small feat to compress a planet to this size, without annihilating all life on it. It had taken years of work and was one of his prouder achievements. He’d even kept the gravity to scale, and maintained the water cycle perfectly.

But all of that was nothing compared to what he was about to do next.

He reached into his grey lab coat and pulled out a pair of gloves, as he walked over to a separate lab bench. As he walked he left afterimages in his wake, but they weren’t of him. They were a myriad of people and creatures from across the multiverses: A wailing Parshman in Stormform, a woman in a mistcloak, a strange figure with tentacles for a mouth, a duck. He noticed the duck and realized he had been distracted, so he concentrated and the afterimages vanished. It required incredible self discipline to hold that many pieces of other’s souls, and often less prepared Hemalurgists lost themselves. But the Stranger was no Acolyte, he was the Head of Research and Development, as well as Marketing. He didn’t have time to be distracted by such petty concerns.

There was Science to do.

He opened a lead box on the counter, and carefully lifted out a silvery vial, made entirely of aluminum. He uncorked it and removed the contents with a gloved hand: a single glowing spike, made of Soulstone as well as some other unidentifiable materials. If one looked closely at the  surface they would see that the entire thing was covered completely in microscopic etchings.

The Stranger’s perpetual Cheshire-esque grin grew even wider, his eye glowing as brightly as the spike in his left eye socket. He had made an essence spike before, but this was something different entirely.

He felt euphoria welling up inside him, but he remained calm and kept himself from dancing across the lab in wild glee. Science was about prioritizing and process, and dancing wasn’t until step 7,542,230, though he had allowed himself a small dance break a few days prior. Now was the time to focus, the experiment was almost complete.

The Stranger looked once more at the Spike in his hand. This was too great of a Scientific Achievement to complete alone in a lab. This had to be witnessed, if only to ensure that someone could destroy everything if it all went horribly wrong. The Stranger almost summoned Leonard, his chief acolyte, who’d been his lab assistant for years. But then he realized that there was another who deserved to be a part of this moment, the Original Lurker, The Baker Supreme, the Master of the Alleyverse: Voidus

Edited November 7, 2018 by Fatebreaker

[MacThorstenson]

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I would like to mention that Voidus is currently entrapped in a bubble of his own creating. He can't escape otherwise the guardian to the worldspike would escape, and we dont want that.

Nobodies really gotten around to letting him out, so hes been chilling for 16 years.

But the DA could easily do that, all they have to do is pull the spike out of lock down mode. I can do that right now, if y'all want.

@Voidus @Fatebreaker

[xinoehp512]

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After all our trouble trying to get in, too...

 

[Voidus]

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For the purposes of this I'm assuming FB has released the lockdown and Voidus has been able to port out. The Stranger would definitely have the knowledge and access to do so.

 

[+Ark1002]

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Oh wow. That main plot failed.

@Kidpen

Edited November 7, 2018 by Ark1002

[Voidus]

11 minutes ago, Ark1002 said:

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Oh wow. That main plot failed.

 

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At this point there were a number of different ways that would have resulted in Voidus being released in a relatively short amount of time anyway.

EDIT: Alternatively, if people would prefer to pursue that plot, we can play a bit loose with time here.

 

[MacThorstenson]

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I don't care how we resolve it.

Mac sat in his office. The Stranger was back. The best scientist the DA ever had. The man who created the essence spike. His research had guided and helped Mac's own counterintelligence division flourish. While Mac was more interested in the guild and business side of things, he knew that without people like The Stranger, the DA would cease to be important. Science was the lifeblood of the Darker Alleys, and it was about to make a large leap forward.

The Stranger had informed him that he needed the broadcasting system up and running. He was going to be making an announcement. Mac wanted to be ready to watch it happen.

[Kidpen]

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Would releasing Voidus release the guardian? 

 

[Fatebreaker]

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I'm not up to date on this subplot, can someone catch me up very briefly? What is keeping VOidus occupied and what are the surrounding concerns?

 

[+Ark1002]

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Voidus was trapped at the worldspike. He could be released at any time by the DA, but Mac was trying to manipulate him into giving back his soul. As Voidus said, you could easily turn it off, then he would come out.

A plot was working on trying to get the guardian, which was trapped there.

 

[MacThorstenson]

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Essentially during the last Guild war, Voidus came close to the Worldspike, and got locked in side because the shields around it went into total lockdown. 

Usually, because of Voidus' god level strength and ability, he could break free. But he designed the total lockdown stage of security to be as strong as he is. Usually, he could just break through, but while it was in total lockdown if he put in the energy to break through, then he would be left with no energy. The reason that that is an issue is because if the shield was destroyed, nothing could stop the Guardian of the worldspike from escaping.

The DA could rectify that situation, by bringing the spike out of total lock down, but we have not for 2 reasons.

1) In character, the DA currently owns Macs soul, because the terms of his employment were that the DA would be able to collect Mac's soul upon his death. Mac came back to life tho, and wants to continue to work for the DA, so he needs to renegotiate that part of the Deal with Voidus. This is a flimsy, in character reason why this hasn't happened.

2) OOC, Kidpen started a plot revolving around trying to bust the Guardian out of the Worldspike underneath a different guilds control. If the DA brought down the security level, then the whole plot is destroyed because anyone can walk in and interact with the guardian.

The worldspike bears no resemblance to the worldspire from alcatraz. The world spike is the spike that voidus used to create the Alleyverse. If it were removed, the DA would face a minor set back as it had to remake the world, but everyone else would die as the world collapsed. Thats why we don't want the guardian to get loose.

 

[Voidus]

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Ok, for simplicity here I'm going to go with time shenanigans. This Voidus is either from before the lockdown or after his release.

Alley REDACTED already has some time slippage so I think it ties in nicely and means existing threads are relatively unaffected. Except that people might thinkthink that Voidis got out.

 

[MacThorstenson]

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Sure. I mean, continuity has already been torn to threads so.

Wait, is this Alley REDACTED (as in the name REDACTED) or Alley REDACTED (Where the name has been redacted)

 

[Fatebreaker]

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Ah, this is handled easily enough.

And this isn't either of those Alleys. It's THAT Alley.

The Stranger summoned Leonard to the Lab. He was a tall, lanky fellow who wore a white lab coat and a featureless mask with a single spike driven through it. 

"You summoned me sir?" His voice was equal parts fear and apathy, though how he managed that the Stranger never quite could figure out. "I have need of Voidus, go inform him that we have an Omega level breakthrough." Leonard somehow managed to look sheepish, despite having his face completely obscured by a mask. "Uhhhh, yeah, there's a bit of an issue with that, sir. He's actually trapped at the worldspike, under total lock down" 

The Stranger frowned. That was an issue, it sounded like horrible things were involved, like politics. He shuddered. Very well, this could be worked around.

"Use my Helixcycle and contact Voidus three years ago. That should allow him to still deal with whatever entanglements he's currently engaged in, while still allowing him to participate in this historical moment." Leonard groaned, "But sir, you know that thing makes me nauseous. And the spark plugs are all fouled up, so changing years tends to make it stall." The Stranger shook his head. Only Leonard could make riding a time travelling motorcycle sound like a pain. "Hurry and inform him, or I'll have you clean the enclosures for the Lemurquisitors." 

That got Leonard to go. If there was one thing he hated more than the Helixcycle, it was those lemurs. He scurried off as the Stranger returned to his calibrations.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Fatebreaker

[Voidus]

3 Years prior

Tilting his head to one side, Voidus felt a disturbance in the force.

“Darn force fields. Can’t keep a stable output of force.” He muttered under his breath.

He realigned one of the spikes in the large Investiture circuit until finally the output stabilized.

“Alright.” He said to the handful of acolytes who stood nearby. “Now that you’ve seen how to correct it, I trust that I won’t be sensing any more of those disturbances?”

Before the Acolytes could reply, Voidus was gone. He had felt the presence of an old friend, head of the DAs research and development and one of the most dangerous beings in the Alleyverse, the Stranger.

A little bit different this time though. Temporal separation? Voidus mused. It seemed that the Stranger that was trying to contact him was not the same as the Stranger that existed in this timeline.

Thankfully the area he was travelling to was already dimensionally separated from the more commonly perceived representation of the Alleys, so their reunion was unlikely to cause the death of too many billions of bystanders.

[Fatebreaker]

 

The Stranger waited for Voidus to appear on the entry platform. This entire dimension was quarantined, and under the highest layers of security. There were only two conscious entities allowed in this Alley. Well, three if you included Leonard, but he didn’t really count.

The platform began to hum faintly and a figure began to materialize. It took longer than normal to materialize here, which was one of the countless safety protocols in place. It meant that in the 0.00000000000000001% chance that an unauthorized entity had managed to find this dimension, there would be time to neutralize them before they were even able to fully materialize.

Two minutes went by as slowly Voidus materialized. All of the biometric and spiritual identifiers had confirmed it was him, so by the time he had fully formed the doors had opened and the Krakenquisitors had been put back in their cages. The Stranger strode forward,

“Voidus, it’s been too long. Welcome, to the Alley that doesn’t exist. Welcome, to Alley 7.”

[MacThorstenson]

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So uh, will we ever find out what this new spike does?

@Voidus @Fatebreaker

[Fatebreaker]

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Eventually, once these wildfires in So Cal burn out. Citywide evacuations tend to put a damper on creativity. 

 

[MacThorstenson]

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Oof. I'm sorry. Yeah, take as much time as you need. Hopefully things get resolved soon.

 

[Voidus]

Voidus smiled as the area around him stabilized. Or he stabilized
relative to it anyway, relativity and dimensional stability had some
interesting interactions after all.
He reached out to clasp the Strangers arm once they were both on the
same plane of existence enough to make physical contact.
“It’s been too long.” Voidus said warmly. “Things go a lot slower in the other
labs without our head of R&D present you know?”
The Stranger grinned, “Ah,well, I’m sure you’ve been able to do well
enough without me. You’ve always had a knack for leadership, and I’ve
been a bit busy working on some experiments lately. Speaking of
experiments, you remember the Essencespike I developed a few years
back that was used on Winter?”
“They were an interesting find weren’t they? I must admit the possibilities
are as terrifying as they are awe-inspiring. But as ever, we need to forge
the path of science for those who will follow behind us, whatever that may
mean.”
The Stranger nodded, “Well said, we can never stop looking forwards.
Which is why I chose to take it a step or two farther. I had gone to examine
the worldspike, the one you had used to create Alleycity, and its similarity
to the Essencespike struck me. You had terraformed an uninhabited
continent with it, and stabilized an entire dimension. But I got to thinking,
could one go even farther?” He reached into his labcoat and removed an
aluminum vial, which he uncorked. Then he slowly withdrew a gleaming
spike, its surface a mesmerizing tapestry of etchings.
“What in the?” Voidus leaned in for a closer look, incredibly enhanced
eyesight picking up the intricate details while other senses detected the
Investiture that it contained.

“The combinations here, they conflict. Here, and here, the spiritual fragments push against
each other. How is it still...” Voidus trailed off as he continued to observe.
“Hmm, the forces are perfectly aligned. The opposing natures of individual
components used to generate a force that keeps the whole together.
Remarkable. A Worldspike?”

[Fatebreaker]

 

“Yes, a true Worldspike. In addition to rewriting the souls of every single living organism on the planet, I had to rewrite the entire planet’s soul. But it’s beyond even that. That would require a world stamp, not a worldspike. But I’ve done more than just rewrite a world, I’ve taken pieces of other worlds. 

“I traveled to parallel versions of Roshar, Sel, Scadrial, and more. Then I spiked minute pieces of the planets’ spiritwebs with thousands of spikes made of soulstone. Then I merged all the spikes into a single module, adding external investiture to create the base Worldspike. I’ve added metal reserves, shardpools, spren, chickens, any kind of investiture you could think of. I even programmed in a Dor where the base Aon required is a cookie! Once I was sure I had all of the pieces needed for the foundation, I began the forgery portion. I began writing a planet’s history, carving it into the very identity of the spike itself. I created a geological tableau, weather patterns, a slight adjustment to the axial tilt, et cetera. Then I edited life itself.

I had selected a preexisting planet, complete with technologically advanced humanoids. I could have created a planet from scratch with less effort, but it was about the challenge. I wanted to rewrite not only a planet, but a planet’s entire population. Extrapolating from the basis that the inhabitants of a system serve as components of its spiritual and cognitive identities, I managed to change the histories of nations by changing the planet itself. I’ve had to account for endless, infinitesimal minutia to ensure the changes take. But I believe it’s possible with the combination of Hemalurgy and Forgery I’ve used. It’s taken me eons upon eons, and I’ve had to compress time here to ludicrous levels. But at last we’re ready.”

Voidus examined it with a look of awe, marveling at the concept., “This is an undertaking only the truly mad would even consider.” He looked up from the globe, “No wonder you did it.” The Stranger smiled, “Well, of the two of us, I am The Stranger one.”

They laughed maniacally together, the sound of it echoing through the chamber. The Alley hadn’t accomplished something this elaborate for a long, long time. It felt good to talk shop and alter the known universe. But further reminiscence could wait.There was Science to do.

They donned their gloves and goggles, then turned towards the globe. Voidus checked compression levels and made some slight adjustments to the axial tilt. “Gravitational levels stable, Spiritual fields consistent. Prepare for transformation.” The Stranger nodded, then pulled two cookies from his coat. They toasted, then consumed them with relish, instead of the usual milk. 
The Stranger aligned the Worldspike above the predetermined area. “Spiking in 3… 2… 1… 

Initiate transformation”

And he rammed the spike through the globe.
 

[Fatebreaker]

The Stranger opened his eyes

That was always nice, discovering you still had eyes to open. It happened roughly 30% of the time when you were working with highly questionable investiture sources. 20% if there were Psittacines involved. He grunted and found that he could rise, another pleasant surprise. He was standing in a grassy clearing, with several rock outcroppings scattered about. He could see mountains in the middle distance, and forests about 50 yards to his right. He took a deep breath and smelled one of the seas he had created not too far off. He heard a coughing noise, and turned to see Voidus dusting himself off. "That," he muttered, "is one hell of a head rush." The Stranger grinned. They had both survived the transformation process and, based on the fact that they weren't floating through the endless oceans of the Abyss, the planet had too. All in all, it was looking like the experiment had been a success. However, no scientist worth his salt would take such a result on the basis of preliminary observations alone. Time to test the hypothesis.

He pulled a small device from his lab coat and adjusted some dials. "Atmosphere, tectonics, spiritual realm... all stable. Planar alignment... isolated." He reached down and scooped up a handful of dirt, which he promptly put in his mouth and began to chew. "Geological composition," *crunchcrunchcrunch* "acceptable." He spat out a piece of gravel as his eye scanned the horizon, making mental notes and calculations. Voidus was conducting his own tests, and the two of them spent hours going over everything with critical eyes.  Finally The Stranger turned back to Voidus with a grin "It would appear, my friend, that we are in fact successful." Voidus' smile matched his own, "I can find no critical inconsistencies. You madman, you actually pulled it off." They both threw back their heads and laughed with exultation and triumph. 

Eventually the maniacal cackles died down and Voidus glanced up at his lab partner. "You know, I haven't been able to flex my science muscles in such an unrestrained manner in quite a while. It does a Denizen good to really test his limits now and then."  The Stranger nodded, "While the Alleycity does allow much growth and prosperity, it does hamper the pure destructive tendencies we may seek to indulge. And that brings me to the final test I would like to conduct." He strode a few paces away, then turned back to face Voidus. "The final test is to see if the planet can hold up under excessive amounts of Investiture expenditure. I have designed this specific continent to serve as a demolitions testing ground to see if the True Worldspike can hold up, or if the introduction of extremely large amounts of energy will disrupt it, thus destabilizing the planet and corresponding pocket dimension." He tucked his scanner into his lab coat and then unbuttoned it, revealing bandoleers filled with spikes crossing his torso. "And so I ask if you'd be interesting in a friendly match. To test the limits of this world I've created, to let off a little steam, to show some of our fellow Denizens what the Dark Alley is truly capable of." His smile stretched beyond natural proportions and the spike in his left eye socket glowed with a ghostly light. 

"Standard rules for a legend rank battle: No Godmetals, no time travel exceeding 1 minute, and no total extermination. While we want to have fun, let's try not to destroy the world I spent so long creating. We can decimate this continent, but lets try to confine our skirmish to it's borders. And of course, we want to be able to regenerate afterwards, so total cognitive and spiritual decimation should be avoided. That said, we're probably the most resilient beings in the Alleyverse, so we shouldn't have to worry about that too much." He flicked his wrist and a spike appeared in his hand. "Anything you'd like to add?"

Edited January 23, 2019 by Fatebreaker

[Fatebreaker]

Voidus couldn't help but smile. He hadn't had a chance to spar with another individual of his power level for ages. "Let's keep the Atium and teleportation usage to a minimum, I want to really enjoy this." In the blink of an eye there was a kusarigama in his hands, gleaming wickedly, "Steel yourself, old friend." The Stranger smiled, things had just gotten serious. "Alright then," He tossed the spike into his left hand, then pulled out a much larger one, about 1/2'' in diameter and 3' long. His eyes closed and his body seemed to relax, and soon the glowing after-images began to appear. Countless people and creatures seemed to swirl around him, appearing and vanishing in fractions of a seconds. Normally this would have been a sign of shoddy Hemalurgy, souls failing to bond fully, but here it was something else entirely. Not only did these ephemeral figures wreck havoc with anyone using Atium against him, but it also made it hard to predict his movements. You had to concentrate on the central figure and avoid getting lost in the swirling afterimages, or you might try to block an attack that wasn't there and get hit by one that was. It was something the Stranger didn't often use, but then Voidus was no ordinary opponent. He bowed deeply, then locked eyes.

"Kamat me."

Voidus launched the weight of the kusarigama at the Stranger faster than the eye could follow. The long spike came up just in time, deflecting the blow to the left. Voidus tugged on the chain, changing the trajectory into a swinging arc. The Stranger was forced to leap back, avoiding the second attack by a narrow margin. He danced among the spinning chain and weight, knowing a single hit with it could shatter a tank. Each arc was calculated with the ideal trajectory before it even began, all while maintaining perfect control. No sane entity would ever dream of engaging in such a battle. Fortunately, The Stranger was anything but sane.

He did some mental calculations as he dodged past another swing, then spun and threw the spike from his left hand. it's fine point went through a single link in the chain that connected the weight to the kama, altering it's trajectory. He lunged through the opening he created, the long spike gleaming wickedly. Voidus's face took on an expression of pleasant surprise, even as he knocked aside the point of the spike with his kama. He whipped his blade upwards, but the Stranger caught it with another spike he had pulled from one of his bandoleers. Voidus spun and pulled on the chain, bringing the weight screaming back towards them and forcing the Stranger to leap out of the way. Even as the weight flew by Voidus was already bringing it around for a flurry of blows. The Stranger deflected and parried blows with blinding speed, his long spike dancing in the light. Then, with superhuman agility, he flipped over the weight and grabbed the chain. Before even touching the ground he yanked on the chain, as if to rip it from Voidus's grasp. Anticipating this, Voidus pulled back, increasing his weight to avoid being thrown off balance. Rather than engage in a hopeless tug of war, the Stranger used his pull to launch himself at Voidus. The wind whipped his shaggy black curls as he shot forward like a bullet from a railgun. They collided with a crash, the spike slicing a groove in Voidus's side, even as the kama made a similar one on The Stranger's chest. He planted his feet on Voidus's torso and pushed off into a smooth back flip, barely avoiding the second kama strike, but staying at close range. Voidus's increased weight prevented him from stumbling backwards however, and he twisted his hand to catch the incoming weight with a meaty thud. "You know, I've been trying to watch my WEIGHT, but you're making it difficult." he said with a smile. The Stranger grinned, "I think you should be more concerned with SPIKES in your blood pressure."

They laughed, even as they began their dance anew, blades and chains whistling through the air. Things were only getting started. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by Fatebreaker
Grammar

[Voidus]

Voidus tilted his head to one side until there was a satisfying popping sound and his vertebrae had realigned. The Stranger had begun circling opposite him, both of them waiting for the other to expose the slightest of openings. He began to twirl the kusarigama once more, letting the heavy weight build up momentum as he waited for a chance.

The moment before he let the weight fly towards the Stranger, he had already begun moving. Seeming to almost vanish as he dashed forward even faster than before.  Voidus barely managed to catch the point of the spike before it pierced through his shoulder, likely passing through a feruchemical bind point to try to rid Voidus of his iron feruchemy.

There was a screech of metal against metal as the blade of the kama began to bend under the force. The ground beneath their feet began to crack from the weight as both of them tapped iron to gain more momentum. Giving off no sign, Voidus suddenly reversed the flow of Investiture to his metalmind, becoming lighter instead of heavier and allowing himself to be blown back by the force of the blow. As he landed he completed the final rotation of the weight on his kusarigama and let it fly out as the Stranger chased after him.

This time the Stranger's spike began to warp under the force, the tip bending into a shape that would cause difficulty in finding a precision bind point. Voidus grinned at the Stranger for a moment, before noticing an identical grin on his opponents face as his free hand reached under their colliding weapons, aiming for one of Voidus' spikes.

He began moving backwards, but not before the Strangers managed to just barely graze against the tip of the spike, this glancing blow alone was enough to send the spike shooting out of his heart and through his back and into the ground behind them.

Well that could have been worse. Voidus mused, noting that he'd now lost the ability to alter his skin's texture. Someone's learned a few new tricks since we last sparred.

"You always had a knack for piercing through to the root of a problem didn't you?" Voidus asked, still grinning.

"If you start at the heart of an issue and work outwards I find it's usually faster." The Stranger replied, still mirroring his grin.

Neither of them showed any reaction other than their grins but still the Stranger managed to duck out of the way as the Kama flew past where his neck had been moments before and into Voidus' outstretched hand. Whether he'd noticed it through tin enhancing his senses or simply through his millennia of experience wasn't clear.

Voidus briefly glanced towards the Kusarigama, Soulcasting it to air and taking up an unarmed fighting stance instead.

Time to shake things up a bit.

[Fatebreaker]

The Stranger watched Voidus go into a fighting stance with growing excitement. When it came to hand to hand, Voidus was nearly unparalleled. He rammed the now bent spike into the ground as he decided which style to use. 

Eel form?Not on someone this fast. Butcher style? Not with his healing capabilities. I could try... oh yes.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he settled into Cataclysm Style. As he finished exhaling, his eyes snapped open and he launched himself towards Voidus. just as they were about to collide, the Stranger  used the 3rd form of Cataclysm Style, Seismic Step. He tapped hie Ferchemical Iron metal mind, pulling centuries of weight from it as he slammed his foot into the ground. The impact created a small crater and a localized tremor that shook Voidus off balance for an instant, his footing unstable. He shifted to regain his footing, but the Stranger had already closed the gap. He launched into Lighting Strikes, precision blows with the tips of the first two fingers on each hand that targeted Hemalurgic bind points. The first one connected, removing the spike that gave Voidus his ability to shape-shift into mollusks.

This opening was short lived, as Voidus regained his balance enough to launch a kick at the Stranger's torso. He dodged out of the way, knowing Voidus hit like an extinction-level meteor. Voidus spun with the momentum and launched a hay-maker at the his head. The Stranger saw the opening it created and leaned back just far enough to avoid the hit. But just as the blow flew in front of his face, Voidus hit himself in the shoulder.

There was an audible pop as the shoulder was dislocated, lengthening the arm just enough to strike the Stranger full in the face.

The force of the blow sent him flying, crashing into the ground shortly after. The right side of his head had been nearly obliterated, but it was already healing. He flipped to his feet, just as Voidus landed the second blow. It knocked the air, and a good deal of blood, out of him. The third blow was aimed at the throat, so the Stranger threw up a block and increased his weight. But even as he did that Voidus hit himself in the center of his bicep, snapping the bone and changing the trajectory of the strike and catching the Stranger in the side of the head. He staggered back, then ducked under the 4th blow Voidus had sent screaming at his head. He heard the pop of a joint snapping back into place, then launched into Hurricane Cuts as his hands became blades of force. Voidus blocked and dodged with relative ease.

The Stranger threw a final blow then leapt backwards, giving himself some room to breathe. Voidus circled for a moment, then moved to close the gap. The Stranger was forced into moving defensively, reacting to his opponents attacks rather than striking with his own. But the angles were always different and the rhythm unpredictable, making a counter attack seem impossible. If things kept going this way, it wasn't going to end well. Time for something, drastic. 

The Stranger  ducked under a crooked jab and flared pewter as he slammed a fist into the ground. a shower of dirt and gravel erupted from the ground in a cloud, then turned to brilliant points of light as he Soulcast them into fire. Voidus closed his eyes to avoid being blinded, even as he brought up an arm to block the attack he sensed coming. The Stranger had swung his arm in a downward strike with horrific force. An opponent of Voidus's skill could sense the pewter being flared and the iron being tapped by the Stranger, so he responded in kind. Their limbs crashed together with the force of titans,

And the Stranger's right arm snapped with a sickening SNAP!

The force of the blow had broken the bone clean through. The break was just below the wrist, and the bone stuck straight out of his arm. Blood spattered across the ground. Voidus seemed surprised, as if he hadn't expected the block to do that kind of damage. The Stranger didn't even look at his arm, but rather reached up and ripped off the ragged sleeve and threw it at Voidus. Even as it left his hand, it was Soulcast into glass and became thousands of razor sharp shards. Each one reflected the light, creating a dazzling display. Voidus transmuted them into smoke before they could connect, and saw the Stranger grab his broken arm, most likely to snap it back in place. Then suddenly the Stranger had moved in, closing the distance in a heartbeat. He threw a wicked left uppercut as he slammed his foot into the ground, creating another small tremor. Voidus turned to block the blow, just as the Stranger reared back and stabbed him through the chest with the broken bone. Except, it was no longer made of bone.

It was made of Iron.

The Stranger grunted as he snapped it off, still lodged in Voidus's torso, the end still made of bone. Without breaking his stride, he hit it with a two fingered strike and sent it out of Voidus's body. He finally allowed himself to tap Gold and his arm re-knit itself rapidly. Holding off on healing could be difficult, especially after a bad wound like the one he had just received. His face hurt, both from smiling and the intense beating it had received. 

And it wasn't over yet.