The Forge

[The Grumpy Elantrian]

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Sorry guys for my lack of attentiveness, I've been really busy these past few nights.

Ishek sipped his tea once it was poured for him, savouring the overly strong flavour. He ate his meal mostly in science and, in response to Laonin's tirade - does that man ever stop talking? - nodded his head slowly.

"More space would certainly be convenient, not that the ash bothers me much"

Ishek hesitated, then continued

"What are your investitures? I like to know who I'm working with."

@Karnatheon

@xinoehp512

@I think I am here.

[xinoehp512]

Nekorb looked up from his box. "I don't have any Investiture." He frowned. "I think."

[Vargo Seldon]

A shaft of light appeared in the room behind everything.  It widened to make a sort of portal.  A short man stepped out beside a man with silvery skin and hair.  The short one was blond, walked like he knew how to handle himself, and wore a perpetual arrogant look on his face.  The Elantrian was tall, and seemed like he deferred to the short one.  He had long features and a hard gleam in his eye.  The short man smirked and remarked to the Elantrian, "Told it'd work.  Those Aons of yours are quite handy." 

"Yes, but you could've killed any one of these good people," The Elantrian countered.

"You're right," Galvris's tone softened, "It's a good thing I used that Aon to place the gateway perfectly."

Galvris extended his hand, "I am Galvris Moerevron, but you may address me as Lord Moerevron." 

"Just do it," Aeodin said, "It satisfies his ego."

Ignoring Aeodin, Galvris said, "I understand that you are the one who fixes.  I think that the goal is worthy, and am here to offer my services.  I realize that you are probably against the guilds and massive amounts of investiture, but I am here to surrender that investiture for use.  If you'll have me."

[Karnatheon]

Laonin listened to what his guests had to say. It seemed that Nekorb's memory issues were still prevalent, and the man didn't know who or what he was. But that was fine, he seemed willing to help, and anyone willing to help in an endeavor like this couldn't be that bad. So Laonin was hopeful. Ishek was straight to the point, a trait that Laonin appreciated as long as it was tempered with kindness. Like smelting steel, too much of one ingredient and not enough of another would end up with an alloy that was brittle, or unrefined. Assuming Ishek had not intended the question for himself, as he had just told them all he was a Forger, he declined from responding so as not to repeat himself.

Suddenly a doorway of light appeared, and two men stepped out. Laonin did not recognize either of them, though one was obviously Elantrian. Their look was one of a kind. They seemed to bickering about something, before the non-Elantrian who seemed to be in charge spoke up. 

"A 'Lord' eh? You've got the look for it alright. You want to offer your service to me you say. Well what do you get out of it then? I've never known a Lord to be selfless. Why not just donate some of your money to a charity, or build a homeless shelter in your honor if you want to help? That's what most of you seem to do. Too afraid you might get your hands dirty if you try to make a real difference." Laonin said this bitterly. Realizing that he was in no real place to turn down assistance when offered, however, he changed his tone. "I apologize for the harshness of my words. I do not mean to judge you, having no actual information as to your character and moral fiber, I simply have grown rather pessimistic of those who seek to rule. In what way are you looking to help me? My goal is simple, to help those who can't help themselves. Restore the parts of this city that were destroyed due to the cruelty and chaos that seems to corrupt the hearts of those with too much power. And personally, I aim to be helpful, as opposed to powerful."

[Vargo Seldon]

"I used to aim to be powerful.  Now I aim to be just.  Justice is one of the few attributes that is honorable among men.  Along with humility and helpfulness, of course.  The only reason I came to help is for justice.  The men who did this need to be brought to justice, and part of that is repairing the damage that they have done.  I do not seek to rule, I only seek to deliver justice."

"He's kind of obsessed with justice, if you haven't noticed," Aeodin said wryly.

"You ask what's in it for me?" Galvris continued, ignoring Aeodin, "I don't look for personal gain, only gain of society.  I can channel quite powerfully, and Aeodin, my companion, can draw Aons with no small skill.  I think that our talents could be put to great use here."

With that, he sat down at the table and looked expectantly towards the man who fixed.

@Karnatheon

[I think I am here.]

“My Investiture’s nothing,” Alask said quickly, almost too quickly. “Just like that Nekorb.”

Suddenly a flash of light pulsed and two men stepped out. They conversed with Laonin and Alask found himself more on edge which each moment. The guilds. They spoke of justice but they still captured bystanders for their experiments. Their entertainment.

Alask wondered if they’d ever known of hardship, those two. One was a powerful Elantrian, the other a powerful Channeler. Surely they’d never been forced to sleep in a cage to avoid killing people.

Slowly, Alask unclenched his fists and spoke up to the Channeler man. Galvris. Alask only spoke titles to those he felt deserved it.

“You said you’re an extremely powerful Channeler. How? Surely it can’t just be skill alone.” 

@Kaladin78

[Vargo Seldon]

"You are correct young man," Galvris looked uncomfortable for a moment, "I was a different man all those years ago.  I... killed fellow men in order to gain their power.  Through hemalurgy, surely you are familiar with that art."  He quickly masked his discomfort, and again looked to the one who fixed, "Surely you all have names, what are they?"

[The Grumpy Elantrian]

"Ishek" Ishek said, without the slightest hint of warmth entering his voice. "You are a rather pompous man aren't you?" Ishek met the man's eyes cooly, then quickly turned to the Elantrian "I like you though"

To the point, always to the point. Never want to waste time with small talk, that'd be normal, and you can't be normal can you Ishek.

Ishek shook his head, then turning back to Galvris "What's a channeler?"

[Karnatheon]

"Justice? Too often justice is simply a tool men use to justify their actions. Justice can quite often be a mislabeled form of revenge. Based off what you say, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would consider killing you to be justice, given your admitted past with Hemalurgy. Justice in and of itself is not right, or wrong. Any tool can be wielded for good, or bad, it all depends upon the hand that holds it." Laonin said, then took a puff of his pipe. "I have limited knowledge of what can be done with Aons, as I don't have the capability to use them myself, but I have also never had any experience with this Channeling you speak of. What are you capable of? Obviously you must be powerful, but in what ways could that power help rebuild? Can you soulcast? Shape things? Rewind time? Not knowing what you can do doesn't help me know what you can't do either."

Laonin sat back in his chair. One of these days his mouth would get him into trouble. He always tended to say what he thought, regardless of consequence. Not that he was brash, he did think very intently about what he said, but that just made it all the more harsh sometimes. "My name is Laonin. It is a pleasure to meet you, though odd and unexpected considering you just appeared out of thin air."

[I think I am here.]

2 hours ago, Kaladin78 said:

Through hemalurgy, surely you are familiar with that art."

Alask heard nothing else after that, save for his own thoughts running through his head. Hemalurgy. He’d used hemalurgy. He stood up.

“And what about the people dead?” Alask asked. “What about those who had their lives permanently ruined by one of your experiments?” Even now, Alask could feel his spikes throb, just as they did when they’d first plunged them into him.

“Every person you victimised, where was your justice then? Quite ironic, how you’ve developed a sense of morality right after you killed everyone.”

[xinoehp512]

Nekorb froze as two strangers burst out of thin air. What was going on.

Meanwhile...

A dark blob scurried through a dark alley, lost, dazed and confused. It huddled on something, though it couldn't tell what it was.

[Vargo Seldon]

"Ahh, I see you don't really like me.  I used hemalurgy back when I lived on earth.  I was a different man.  I found my way to the reckonerverse, and calamity trapped me there.  I used spikes to strengthen my epic powers, but I was also insane.  My justice pact excuses those who are insane.  To answer your question young one, it was many years before I decided to seek mental healing."

"Thank you Ishekk.  He says it's a product of his insanity.  He is quite pompous though," Aeodin said.

"My power can do many things," Galvris continued, shooting Aeodin a look, "I can lift objects with the air, I can wield things with fire, I can travel instantaneously.  I can also heal wounds instantly.  I also posses physical skills, with a sword, hand-to-hand combat.  I believe I can be a great help to you."

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You can find his justice pact if you click either the disclaimer or the here link in my sig.

 

Edited November 24, 2018 by Kaladin78
Adding

[Karnatheon]

It seemed that Alask echoed some of Laonin's thoughts. He seemed bitter and judhemental of the man. Maybe he had a past of his own involving Hemalurgy? Laonin didn't play on prying though, Alask would bring it up if he wanted to.

"Well, I'm never one to deny a man a second chance. As long as you're willing to work, I would happily accept your assistance. Given the nature of Forgery, I won't very well be able to work directly on a specific task with anyone else, but if we coordinate our individual efforts I think we can all make a real impact here." Laonin stood up, and walked into the other room, then came back carrying a plain but well drawn map.

"I'm no artist, but I do know measurements. I did a bit of scouting in the area and marked down locations I was thinking would have been good places to focus my efforts. If we can work together we can make some real progress. If you're all willing, here's what I'm thinking."

Laonin took out a pencil and pad, and began taking down notes, highlighting areas of importance on his map. "Lord Moerevron, this building here has lost a lot of structural integrity, and has been put out of comission because of it. However, it has suffered minimal actual damage, so you should be able to shift things back into place and weld any cracks fairly easily. Just be cautious not to destabilize it further and cause a collapse. I'm not sure if you wish for your Elantrian companion, who I don't think we were introduced to yet, to accompany you or not, but if he wishes to go on his own, this building here simply has a collapsed roof, so maybe he can take care of that? I will continue my work on this large building here, and Ishek I believe you had said you wanted to accompany me as, protection? Alask, I'm sure you know this city better than I do. I was hoping you could try and find somewhere for us to purchase supplies from, preferably in bulk to save costs. Maybe try negotiating for a better price, or seeing if I could partially exchange my services to them for part of the cost. Nekorb, while you are still recovering from your ordeal maybe you could accompany Alask? This setup would mostly keep us in pairs for some safety in numbers. This is just an initial thought process so if anything sounds like it needs to be changed just let me know and we can review it."

[I think I am here.]

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Yup. Also, any disapproval of Hemalurgy is Alask’s view entirely, I’m not actually berating people for having spikes  

Alask heard the man’s response and sat down. The truth was, he’d wanted someone to vent at for a while now, someone He could blame his whole situation on. This Moerevor guy came at Exactly the right time. Besides, Alask was lucky the lord didn’t lose His temper. He couldn’t take on any of the people in this building, barring Nekorb maybe, in a fight. He would get obliterated against an Actual guild member.

Looking towards the map Laonin had laid on the worktable before him, Alask noticed he organised the group into pairs, how he saw each person’s strength and Utilised it. Alask wondered how his life before Now, before the Alleyverse was. Surely there was more to this man than just being a Forger and forger?

Hearing his own part in the plan, Alask nodded. “I can do That,” he said. “I know a few places we could take some resources. For cheap, of course.” He looked to Nekorb. “What do you think?”

[xinoehp512]

Nekorb nodded. "I'm okay with that."

[Karnatheon]

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So do I win something for saying, "THE HAUNT" or what's the reason behind it being in your last 2 posts Itiah? A reference to Betrayal at the House on the Hill perhaps? Or something else?

 

[xinoehp512]

The dark blob suddenly realized that it was hungry. Very hungry.

It reached out, desperately, trying to find sustenance. To its surprise, it found it in the thing it was resting on. It drank it up, greedily.

In the dimly lit alley, the first sphere went out. 

[Vargo Seldon]

Galvris nodded.  "I can do that.  Trust me, me and Aeodin—This is Aeodin everyone, everyone, Aeodin.  He's named after Aon Aeo, which means bravery—can handle ourselves.  Aeodin will be able handle this roof of yours with no problem, and I think that I might be able to do something about this structure."

With that, he gestured to Aeodin, and Aeodin drew Aon Nae.  Galvris took hold of the Aon, and was able to use it to look out onto the street where the building was located.  With a look of immense concentration on his face, he opened a gateway in a secluded spot where there were no people.

"If a gateway catches a man, it will slice him in half," he explained.

He then schooled his features to a look of nonchalance, then stepped through the gateway, letting it close behind him.

Aeodin then, with a bemused look on his face, drew Aon Tia.  "Unlike gateways, my method of transportation is completely harmless," he bragged.  He then grabbed a hold of the Aon, and a flash of light enveloped him.

[xinoehp512]

The dark blob jumped from lamp to lamp, gobbling up the stuff inside. It could feel itself growing stronger, bit by bit.

[The Grumpy Elantrian]

"Those two are annoying" Ishek mumbled after the two newcomers left as spectacularly as they arrived. Then to Laonin he comtinued "But I am fine with this plan, I'll do my best to assist and, as said, will offer my protection"

 

[xinoehp512]

Nekorb yawned. "We'd better get to bed, then."

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I'm ready to jump to the next day. After this, Nekorb will probably just want to go straight to sleep.

 

[Vargo Seldon]

A strange dissembodied voice floated through the room, "yes, we are quite annoying, aren't we."

Galvris finished eavesdropping on the forge, and dropped the stone he'd been using.  He then wove threads of air, fire, and earth.  He used the earth to suppliment the supports inside the building.  He used the fire to seal it.  He used the air to support the building, lest it fall while he worked.  It took a few hours, but he finally wiped his brow, the work completed.  He looked up with a start as he realized it was nightfall.  He'd need to get back.  He walked back, because he couldn't risk making a gateway without Aons.

Aeodin drew many Aons.  He started with Aon Edo, which made a shimmering yellow shield over the hole in the top.  He realized this wasn't going to work, and sighed as he realized that Aons really weren't suited to this type of thing.  He drew Aon Dao on the building to stabilize it, and started on the roof.  He piled stones and rubble on the roof over the shimmering yellow shield.  He then transported away and found tar.  He pored it over the entire construction and drew Aon Ehe with a few special modifiers.  He then finished it, and fire spread in a wave over the roof top, melting the tar and sealing it in place.  It probably still wouldn't hold, so he drew more Aon Dao's all over the thing.  When he took away the shield he looked proudly at the roof that stood.  It wasn't pretty, but would do well for a roof.  He realized it was nightfall, and transported back to the forge for the night.

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I really don't know if channeling can be used this way, and took a little creative license at the use of Aon Dao.  I hope nobody faults me for this.  Btw, this thread is amazing.

 

[Karnatheon]

"I'm glad everyone is ok with my plan. Let's all get a good night's rest and we can pick up with a fresh start in the morning. I'll be right back." Laonin said this, then went into the other room. He came back a couple of minutes later carrying 5 bedrolls and some pillows, which he set up in the cleanest part of the forge.

"Well, it isn't much. But it's here for you who'll accept it. I'll be spending all my free time aside from restoring the building I assigned myself fixing the house next door, so hopefully it should be usable soon. May you all sleep well, and rest easy, knowing the good your efforts will do." Laonin then went upstairs, and since he had never changed out of his pyjamas, went to sleep soundly.

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I don't know if eother could do that either but I'm totally ok with it yes. Thank you for the kind words. I seriously appreciate all of you and the fun RP going on.

 

[I think I am here.]

12 hours ago, Karnatheon said:

So do I win something for saying, "THE HAUNT" or what's the reason behind it being in your last 2 posts Itiah? A reference to Betrayal at the House on the Hill perhaps? Or something else?

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It may not happen for a while, but that was my attempt at subtle forshadowing  Forshadowing what I will not say.

Also, did Moerevor just kindle flame by weaving fire? Because if so, oh boy, we finally get our first taste of Alask’s Shade.

While Laonin went set the bedrolls and went to sleep, Alask struggled  not to kill anyone.

He was shaking, and suddenly sweating. He knew this feeling. It was the feeling when his Shade enraged. Even with it spiked to him, it almost always lay dormant, until someone broke any one of the Three Rules.

Which one was it this time? He thought, actively fighting to stay in control of his body. He knew it was a losing battle. When the Shade enraged, he could never stop it. Did they run at night? Kindle fire? Maybe even shed blood?

His guise of normality would soon be over, Alask knew. How would Laonin react? He didn’t worry about that as he gritted his teeth. He was losing control. His eyes started to flicker a glowing green, and his arms started to move when he instructed them otherwise.

Galvris. He’d kindled the flame. Alask had to warn him while he still could. The Shade inside of him forcing him to stand up, Alask called out: “Galvris!” He yelled “Ru-”

But it was too late, and suddenly Alask was a passenger in his own body, unable to do anything save for watch as his eyes burst alight in green and wisps of cloudy darkness started emanating from his body. The Shade took control. It growled.

And charged at Galvris.

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To a normal character, Alask’s Shade would be hard to beat. When it takes over his body his speed, strength, durability and other physical attributes go insanely high.

Since Moerevor is one of the most characters right now, however, I don’t know if there would be much trouble. 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by I think I am here.

[Karnatheon]

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He wasn't here when he made the fire.

@I think I am here.