Into the Dark

[+Sorana]

On 2.3.2020 at 2:57 AM, I think I am here. said:

I think we should go the way we came, Max said. And get a sample of any new thing we find, like that mushroom. I’ll send a Canton team down here later, we can go with them if you want. Or,

He looked at Althea, near the underling kid.

We could go deeper into this cave system. See what we find.

Let's head outside first. Althea made a quick gesture towards the Underling. I would prefer to get him to safety and then we are free to explore. He's one of mine, and I can't leave him alone for the DA to prey upon.

But first, as long as they were here she could at least take a few samples to work with. They could always come back, but then you never knew what would happen, especially not with the DA nearby. She walked over to some of the mushrooms and carefully knelt down, took a piece of it. She hurried a little, didn't want to keep Max and Wes waiting too long for her, but to miss anything of this would be awful.

In the end she she inhaled, created another cage where is was easy enough to be seen and placed a little food inside, attaching a note to the top of it.

For Karin. We agreed to take one Kalea each, so I hope you won't find this cage empty. Althea

She didn't doubt Karin would find it, the woman had wanted to spend more time down here as well and the moment she started to head back she would stumble over it. It was the best she could now, without heading back into the cave and arguing with whoever was left there.

"I am ready." she told Max and tapped the stormlight in her bracer, extending a hand both to him and Wes. Not strictly neccessary, but maybe it would give the kid a little feeling of control. "Let's go."

Quote

sorry for the late reply.

============

@kenod

Quote

Feel free to do with the cage whatever you want to

 

[kenod]

On 4/19/2020 at 3:10 AM, AonEne said:

Myriad considered that for a minute. “Would you know where best to contact them? Acquisitions in particular?” 

Vita shrugged. "Just walk into an alley, and say out loud that you need to speak to someone because you want to join. Using a specific name tends to be best. For Acquisitions I suggest Matthieu, he's the department head, and the one who goes over that kind of thing. Just keep in mind that once you do go into the alleys there won't be any chance to back out, so think everything through carefully before going in." She looked at her for a bit, thinking. "I wouldn't mind introducing you myself, it would be safer for you." And might get me a bonus, she added in her mind. "I won't be able to do so for now though, given that I currently need to oversee our operations here."

[+ZincAboutIt]

Lita slipped the grey metal coin from the Stranger's palm and turned it over in her hand, feeling the cool surface against her skin. It was smaller than her Coin, and it... felt different. It was a tool, not a talisman. Not a gift. She looked over at Laurelai; the two coins were the same. An odd sense of relief washed over her, followed quickly by confusion, then embarrassment.

Don't worry, that little voice whispered as Lita pulled the heat destined for her cheeks into one of her Brass earcuffs instead. You're still special. Out of all the little chess pieces on his board, I'm sure you're his favorite. 

The words were truth, the cruelest sort of poison. Lita gritted her teeth against the taste of it.

"And in that vein I need to know another piece of data. I want both of you to tell me your greatest desire, even if it's impossible. Not here, you may use the coins when you are ready, but soon."

Lita looked up at that, and the blurred echoes of what she had seen in the Chapel of Rain pulsed with recollection - even though she could make little sense of them. But this was no idle fancy the Stranger spoke of. Somehow, Lita knew he was serious. Her greatest desire... She had so many desires, so many ambitions. Which of those was her greatest?

The Stranger was still speaking, his voice ringing through the room, the air resonating with light and shadow and magic as he spoke. For a moment - just a moment - Lita allowed herself to become enveloped in that power, to be swept up in the kind of possibility that was only visible to gods and fools. She let herself believe the lie, a beautiful lie, and a dangerous one at that. The most dangerous kind - the sort that was very nearly the truth. Light filled the room, filled the Alley, and it swirled around them all in a glorious wave of sound and wonder.

Then, Lita was alone. The light faded, and the world resolved into... her room. Her room, behind the blue door. She started, looking around, half-expecting to see the Stranger sitting in one of the chairs at her little table like he had the first time she'd met him. 

Your work begins, a path of shadows to tread. I am waiting... 

Lita turned at his whispered voice, flaring her Tin for any signs of life around her. But there was nothing. Just the grey coin in her hand, and the gold Coin in her pocket, and the work to be done. The work. Over two years and a universe away, and she was still someone's little Tineye. Anger warred with awe within her, and fear with fascination. She was being used, and she knew it. This was the way of the world - of every world. The worst part was that even as she hated herself for it, she wanted to impress him with all her good work. She wanted someone to follow, even if it meant following a hungry shadow ever further into darkness.

With a sigh, Lita slipped the grey coin into her other pocket and crossed toward her little kitchen, flicking the switch on the electric kettle. While the water boiled, she dropped a tea bag into a mug and got a pad of paper and a pen out of a drawer. Then, she began to write down everything she could remember of what she had seen in the water. This was her one advantage, the one card she had to play. Lita had seen the Stranger in that moment between heartbeats. No, she hadn't seen him, she had Known him. In that frozen place, he wasn't a stranger any longer. He had a history, he had a name. And he had a plan even grander and more terrifying than he let on. If she could just remember it...

Then she might finally have some real power. And maybe she could be her own little Tineye for once.

@Fatebreaker @Voidus

[Voidus]

Laurelai took the coin, running her thumb over the cold metallic surface, feeling the image that had been carved into its surface. When had the Stranger created these? Had he been planning to give them out even before they'd found the well? Or had he just created them right now? Fabricated them from the ether like a Soulcaster creating food for the masses. But an artifact of this level was orders of magnitude beyond transmuting one essence into another, she couldn't even immediately tell how it functioned. Was it a Fabrial? Some Ettmetal technology? Aonic?

Not much use worrying over how gods do what they do. A sensible part of her mind reminded her before she became lost in her musings. He probably could have created it in any of a hundred ways for a thousand reasons, and you wouldn't be able to tell which just by looking at it.

Giving herself another shake, Laurelai pulled her hair back to leave her face clear as she faced the Stranger once more, her eyes still burned with curiosity, with a thousand unanswered questions, but the rest of her expression was set in determined approval.

"And in that vein I need to know another piece of data. I want both of you to tell me your greatest desire, even if it's impossible. Not here, you may use the coins when you are ready, but soon." The Stranger said.

The words reverberated in Laurelai's mind, bouncing back and forth, tantalising her with unspoken promises. The room faded around her as she was once again pulled somewhere else, surrounded momentarily by darkness and left with nothing but her thoughts when she arrived back in her house, in the library that was empty but for her.

"My greatest desire?" She murmured aloud, fingers still tracing the outline of the coin.

What was her greatest desire? Her thoughts were immediately pulled towards the recent past, to a dark cave and a silent, entrancing cascade of liquid that fell into a pool. Was that what she wanted? To return to those waters and bask in omniscience once more? To lose herself in the flood of knowledge and power, to feel once more like a god?

Looking down at her uncovered hand, she flicked the coin up before catching it and peering at the image of a hammer that reflected some of the faint light from the room back into her eyes. Did it mean anything? She'd heard some of what the Strangers other coin could do, the one he'd given to Lita, but he hadn't mentioned anything like that from this one. Just that it was to be used as communication.

Shaking her head at her own folly, Laurelai tucked the coin into one of the hidden pockets on her dress. She wouldn't leave her fate to the flip of a coin regardless of who gave it to her. The Stranger had implied that they had some time to think about their requests, but not a lot of it. For now, she had work to be about.

Moving from her library to her closet, she removed the last of the dust and cave-grime that clung to her body with a quick Forgery before changing into a fresh set of clothes. A blue, high-necked dress of Vorin styling, Alethi glyphs forming a scrolling pattern along its hem, and long draping sleeves. It would do for a walk through the city, specific enough that people would assume her to be Rosharan, likely new to the city given that she was still concealing her safehand. Just another tourist that they could dismiss.

Stepping over to the mirror, she gave her appearance a once over, briefly adjusting her hair before nodding in approval and striding towards her front door. She quickly slipped into the practised, measured gait of a noble. Firm, upright posture and slow, graceful steps. She loosened her tensions as best she could, but even as practised as Laurelai was there was nothing she could do that would remove the burning curiosity that her gaze still carried.

[+ZincAboutIt]

Lita plaited the last few inches of her long auburn hair and tied off the braid before coiling it into a spiral on the top of her head. She slid a few pins into the braid, then fit her flat cap over her hair with a short sigh. Red hair was distinctive enough even in this city, and the last thing she needed was someone marking her out while she wandered around. Lita pulled on her coat and took one last look at herself in the mirror that hung opposite her narrow bed.

Perfectly ordinary, she thought with a small, satisfied smile. 

The cool weight of her gold Coin lay in its usual spot, tucked into her sock next to her ankle, and the newer, slighter weight of the grey coin sat in her pocket within easy reach. The Stranger wanted her to spy on the city itself. Well, it wasn't her typical reconnaissance job, but then, what was typical about the Stranger?

She turned and walked to her door, stopping before reaching for the knob. Lita hesitated for a moment, then pulled the familiar Alleycant pen out of her other pocket, inspecting it and chewing her lip. Whatever had happened down in the tunnels beneath the city, Laurelai was the only person she could even begin to trust now. It would be foolish to go about this errand without at least consulting with her, forming some kind of strategy, before splitting off. 

Lita drew in a breath, then spun the pen in her fingers as she opened her front door and stepped out into the Alley beyond. 

Care to unpack the last several hours before we begin combing Alleycity for its core essence and intangible qualities? She sent, then locked her blue door and bent the world around herself, heading for Laurelai's quarters.

@Voidus

[Fatebreaker]

Boom, Boom, BOOM.

Little by little, the Stranger shaped the future in fire and darkness. His hammer rose and fell with the weight of terrible purpose, the echoes ringing out in the darkness. As he worked he processed the information coming to him from Lita and Laurelai, taking in details and noting the significant pieces of insignificance. Each one was a minute piece of the whole, a single scale on the back of a leviathan. But it was these tiny pieces that built the grand picture, gave it life and depth. He needed these pieces if he was going to get it right. If he was going to give his friend the world he deserved. 

Boom, Boom, BOOM.

There were three conversations he needed to have. And he wasn't looking forward to any of them. He needed all of his cunning and wit, and even then he wasn't sure it would be enough. In a way, this was the most dangerous part of the experiment. He went over numerous mental checklists to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He was on schedule, and if things went well he could even gain some time. But that sounded like optimism, and that was a luxury afforded the weak and the foolish. He focused and sent a mental signal to his Shade. He felt the brief sensation of acknowledgement a moment later, a sign that the plan was in motion. If his estimate was correct, this would be the least worrisome of the three conversations. That left the other two, which he really dreaded. He worked for a little longer, putting off the inevitable. But he could only dawdle for so long, he had a schedule to keep to if he wanted to maintain peak efficiency. So he lowered the hammer and chisel, glowing white hot with the energy he had been channeling through them. Rust it, nothing but to move forward. He left the lab and opened an Alleyway, the dark portal swirling hungrily. He stared into the void for a long moment.

You really think he'll listen? He is the epitome of everything you mistrust.

The Stranger narrowed his eye. The voice was his, and yet not his, like an echo that wasn't quite right. He hadn't made another Shade, he was sure of it. The amount of investiture would be impossible to miss. It was most likely a manifestation of the Alleys. But search as he may with his piercing sights, he could not locate a source other than himself. "Who are you?" He whispered, curious and just a little angry. 

I am you, my foolish friend. I am your twisted soul, your secret heart, your forgotten mind. I am your madness and your shame, your hope and your despair. 

"That's nonsense, my mind is a mechanism that hasn't failed in all these countless years. Neither time, nor isolation, nor the Void has shaken the foundations of it. I have faced horrors and wonders that would drive mortals insane, and I've made things greater still. I've stared the darkness in the face and the darkness blinked!"

And now you've gone mad.

Something pulled at him, as if a magnet in his pocket was attracted to a far away source of polarity. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he couldn't afford to find it. His bones ached and something whispered in his mind even as the voice laughed. The Stranger ground his teeth and walked into the swirling darkness of the portal, "I don't have time for madness, I have a world to remake."

He emerged into a building on the outskirts of Alleycity. It was a partially destroyed three story building that had been abandoned since the Plasmacore incident. He had noticed it in one of Lita's reports and it seemed as good a meeting place as any. He swept his senses through the building to make sure it was empty, and after he was satisfied he soulcast two chairs and sat in one of them. Then he reached out, sending a an impression of his location so faint that it was nigh impossible to miss. But if his next conversant was as good as the Stranger thought he was, he would notice. "Alright Sudiov, let's see if you have what it takes to be worthy of the image you bear."

@Voidus

...

The Stranger's Shade was in an Alley that resembled a subterranean cavern, dark pools seething and bubbling amidst the rock. He sat at a table and stared into one of the pools, hoping the tidbit he'd sent had been enough. Aylitha was unparalleled when it came to interspecial integration, a legendary scientist in her own right. He hoped that she would see the opportunity as a challenge, an endeavor worthy of her skills. He had sent a note along with a sample of the pyrolobus achaea that was found in these pools, an extremophile that thrived in conditions that were unlivable for almost any other organism. He hoped her curiosity would get the best of her, but then one didn't get far in the DA if they weren't driven by curiousity, by a hunger to learn, to Know. They also didn't get far without an obscene amount of paranoia. He would have to wait and see which won out. So he sat in the darkness and the silence and waited. And as he waited he wondered when it all would end.

@kenod

[kenod]

54 minutes ago, Fatebreaker said:

The Stranger's Shade was in an Alley that resembled a subterranean cavern, dark pools seething and bubbling amidst the rock. He sat at a table and stared into one of the pools, hoping the tidbit he'd sent had been enough. Aylitha was unparalleled when it came to interspecial integration, a legendary scientist in her own right. He hoped that she would see the opportunity as a challenge, an endeavor worthy of her skills. He had sent a note along with a sample of the pyrolobus achaea that was found in these pools, an extremophile that thrived in conditions that were unlivable for almost any other organism. He hoped her curiosity would get the best of her, but then one didn't get far in the DA if they weren't driven by curiousity, by a hunger to learn, to Know. They also didn't get far without an obscene amount of paranoia. He would have to wait and see which won out. So he sat in the darkness and the silence and waited. And as he waited he wondered when it all would end.

Soon after the stranger sat down a small crab crawled into the cavern, hiding itself from view. Curious, Aylitha watched through its eyes, wondering who had sent her that note, and why. Finding the place had been easy of course. Extremophiles were easy to recognize, the high GC content in their DNA and the presence of heat shock proteins giving them away easily, and the lack of chlorophyll or similar substances made it obvious that this sample must have grown in a low-light environment, instead relying on thermal and chemical energy from its surroundings, which meant it would have lived in an underwater environment around hydrothermal vents, using the heat and acidic chemicals to thrive.

Of course, environments like those were rare, especially in the vicinity of the Alleycity, since these would normally be found at the ocean floor, close to the edges of tectonic plates, or possibly underground in caverns, if the crust at the location was thin enough. On the other hand, neither of these applied to the Alleycity, made obvious by the general lack of earthquakes, except for when R&D wanted to try out something new, of course. Add to that that the note was delivered to her inside the alleys, and it was most likely that the sample had originated from there as well, and at that point trying out all the different alleys that had black smokers was just a case of manpower, something she was never short on.

Still, it seemed this was the right place, judging by the man sitting at the table in the centre of the cavern. She mentally blinked when she caught a glimpse of a singular eye spike though, wondering what the Stranger of all people was doing here. She was a fellow department head, even if she wasn't as well-known as him, he could have just sent a normal message, instead of going through all this trouble. Even if he was trying to keep the meeting a secret the only person that might pick up on something like that would be Voidus, or maybe HR. She guessed Mac might as well, but if the rumours were right he had disappeared for now, so that couldn't be the case. Curious she split off a mental thread from her main intellect, and in the blink of an eye the crab's form changed to that of a young girl wearing a simple dress.

"Well, I hadn't quite expected to meet a stranger in a place like this," she quipped as she walked up behind him, suspected he had known she was there the instant she had entered this alley. She sat down in front of him, tendrils forming a chair beneath her. "First of all, my thanks for that sample," she said with a cheerful smile. "I quite like extremophiles like hyperthermophiles, their environment always creates fascinating adaptions, and above that, types like these that grow in acidic high-temperature environments show an extremely interesting insight into what potentially was the earliest form of biological life. And given that I wasn't aware of this species before... Well, you have my thanks for bringing it to my attention."

Still smiling she straightened herself, looking more like she was sitting in a classroom than a cavern filled with acidic pools. "So, could you tell me why you called me all the way out to this place?" She asked. "Given where we are, I have to assume you want to keep this a secret, but for someone of your power there are easier ways to do so. The only people I know of who can spy on or even gain knowledge of a meeting between two department heads would be you, Voidus or maybe HR. So given that, I assume this needs to be kept secret from one of those two. So, what do you want to discus that either of those two aren't allowed to know about? A coup?" She asked it in a genuinely curious tone, not showing any care about the implications of something of such a magnitude, just curiosity about what the Stranger might be planning.

[Voidus]

Sudiov stared unblinkingly at a featureless white-painted wall in front of him, the passing members of TUBA took a small detour around him as they passed, many of them casting him curious glances. He really should have tried to fit in better with them, they were the only allies he could gain, or at least the only ones he was relatively sure wouldn't stab him in the back as soon as was convenient.

But some things took precedence over making friends or establishing bonds with his new comrades. His ceaseless vigil over the doings of the DA for one, ever since the discovery of the Atium he'd been keeping an eye on them where he could, had noticed several presences that had arrived and seemed to have taken over control of the Atium. Sudiov still didn't agree with that decision, powerful the DA might already be but who new what they would be able to do with that much Atium? How much more research could they perform with a near-unlimited supply of the metal most useful for Hemalurgy?

A concerning enough day by itself, but that's not even the worst of it yet.

Two of the presences that had gone into the caverns had vanished, Sudiov hadn't been paying them particular mind. They weren't either of them among the most powerful that he'd felt. But even so he would have noticed if they'd Alleytravelled out, they shouldn't even have been able to do that in the tunnels, not easily. But in between one moment and the next he'd completely lost sight of them, right as he felt some other strange energy where they'd just been standing.

Voidus? Why go to the effort of hiding two of his members and not the others? They weren't even near the Atium when they vanished, is there something else down there? Something worse?

Sudiov was tempted to rematerialize there himself, but caution held him back. If Voidus had been there then he might well have left some kind of trap, perhaps he'd simply been biding his time the last months and now was trying to lure Sudiov out with some bait. No, investigating it personally was definitely not a good idea. Perhaps TUBA could send some others first to see what was there?

During his musings he suddenly shifted, moving for the first time in minutes. It wasn't a big shift, just a slight twitch of one shoulder, an uncomfortable itch.

What is that, that twisting? That itch. From the city, not the caverns.

Sudiov paused for a moment, isolating the feeling and examining it. With a start he realized the source.

The Stranger? Damned nuisance, he shifted out of the Alleys without me noticing at all and then sent a call?

It was a subtle thing, easily missed with all of the energy that regularly flowed through the city. But it was unmistakably a call, and one meant for Sudiov himself if he wasn't mistaken. But then what was he to make of this? Another trap most likely but why be so subtle about the first and then so brazen about this one? Voidus didn't seem to be there, or if he was he was taking extreme measures to conceal himself. Mac wasn't there either, which was encouraging. The Stranger was one of the most dangerous denizens in the DA, more dangerous than Voidus in his way. But if he was by himself then it was manageable. Barely.

"What?" Sudiov said, vanishing from TUBA and reappearing behind one of the chairs. "What could you possibly want to talk to me-"

He cut off mid way, tilting his head to one side. The Strangers presence here was faint, almost unnoticeable even while Sudiov was standing right in front of him. As though he was concealing himself, and indeed this entire meeting it seemed. Come to that, why had he called Sudiov here in this manner? Sudiov had little doubt that the Stranger would not find it difficult to simply appear in the middle of the TUBA headquarters and ask to speak with him, or do as Voidus once had and hold a meeting from a distance.

"What are you hiding from?" Sudiov asked, suspicion shifting to curiosity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moments from shifting through the Alleys, Laurelai felt the familiar twinge of her pen. As expected the message from Lita quickly arrived, leading Laurelai to smile down, grateful that they were still on the same page, that their relationship hadn't been destroyed by what had happened in the caverns.

That does sound like it would be best. She replied.

The message had barely sent before she felt a twisting nearby, the momentary shift in reality that preceded Alleytravelling. By the time Laurelai had pulled out a plate with some biscuits and Forged the kettle to a boil Lita had arrived. Wearing a coat and with her hair hidden away, she would blend into the crowds of the city perfectly. Seen but without attracting any attention, able to see and hear all that happened around her with her tin.

A brief shiver travelled down Laurelai's spine before she could suppress it, a moment of admiration at how accomplished her friend was, tinged with a touch of terror at how effective she was. Laurelai might spend a day or two perfecting a forgery and blending in with a group to overhear the right thing at the right time, while Lita could inconspicuously walk past them at a distance and overhear the same thing within minutes. It was not difficult to see why the Stranger had become interested in Lita, even while new to the DA she'd been brutally efficient at whatever she'd been tasked with. Spying, intimidation or hunting down rogue survivors from PlasmaCore, and with an insight and wit that kept pace with Laurelai's own.

"Well I can't deny it's been an interesting day." Laurelai said, smiling at Lita in greeting. "But how about next time you want to get me out of the paperwork we just get some coffee or a drink?"

She set the platter of biscuits on the table and began pouring tea for them both, as she was pouring one for Lita she slipped a side-long look at her friend. Lita saw a lot, more than she usually let on in Laurelai's experience. How quickly had she managed to get a read on Laurelai when they'd first met? How easily had she adapted to speaking with the leaders of the DA? What else had she seen, or realised? And was there perhaps one thing that she'd noticed that could confirm some of Laurelai's own suspicions?

@Fatebreaker @ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt]

The familiarity of Laurelai's rooms was soothing after a day of so much novelty, and Lita allowed herself to relax just a bit when she heard the bubble of a tea kettle and smelled the powdery-sweet scent of the biscuits on their plate. Lita put her Tin down low and sat down as Laurelai stooped to pour them both cups of steaming tea. She watched her friend watch her quietly, taking the opportunity to envy Laurelai's perfect hair and unruffled blue dress. What a boon indeed, to be able to access Forgery without even carving a stamp. Crafting the perfect disguise, should it be needed.

You were offered subtlety, her memory chided, but you chose something else.

Lita could still sense the small reserve of Pewter in her belly as she slid a biscuit off the plate and picked up her cup of tea. Yes, she had made her choice, and she didn't regret it. Regret was pointless, in her estimation. She sipped at the tea, uncaring of the heat as she stored any excess in one of her Brass cuffs.

"Yes, I think coffee is a safer bet," Lita said, setting down her cup and taking a bite of biscuit. She chewed quietly for a moment, thinking, then slipped the grey coin out of her pocket and set it onto the surface of the table. 

"Speaking of 'safety,'" she went on. "What do you make of..." Lita waved her hand through the air as if to encompass the entirety of what had happened.

@Voidus

 

[Voidus]

A wry smile passed Laurelai's lips as she leaned back into her chair and raised her own cup. She winced at the heat as soon as it hit her mouth, seeing Lita sip without issue she'd assumed it was already at a cool enough temperature but either her Pewter or Brass had probably helped make it more tolerable.

"I think." She said, blowing gently on the tea before setting it back down to cool a little further. "That we've had a bad habit of getting stuck with an unfortunate amount of attention from those in vastly higher positions. And eventually that would catch us between a rock and a hard place as I believe the saying goes."

She didn't recall where it came from, Roshar perhaps? But it was apt. On the one hand there was no way they could refuse the Stranger, Laurelai was already worried enough that he'd change his mind at some point and end them both to cover up loose ends. If they'd tried to question too much, or refused his offer what would he have done?

You saw him. He may only have one eye but it was still just as easy to see into it, that's the expression of someone who will do what they decide to do, obstacles and consequences be damned.

But on the other hand, the Stranger was asking them to keep this a secret from everyone, from all of the other department heads and from Voidus himself. What could possibly prompt him to do that? And what could Laurelai and Lita possibly do or say if they were ever confronted by one of the other higher ups? Certainly the two of them were skilled at deception and could make the truth dance a merry jig when required, but would they be able to get around that kind of a discussion without slipping up in the slightest? And if they couldn't then what would happen?

"The DA has never been the safest place in the world." Laurelai said, reaching for one of the biscuits. "Certain departments might do what they can to impose safety restrictions on things but when you're handling the manipulation of souls or the creation of monsters there's only so much you can do even if people did listen to all of those restrictions. But even by those standards I think we've wandered into one of the most dangerous games I've seen. And once you're on the board, all a pawn can do is hope that the one moving them comes out on top."

@ZincAboutIt

[Fatebreaker]

The Stranger and his Shade noted the arrivals of their respective targets with cool satisfaction. Both Sudiov and Aylitha could provide valuable assets for his enterprise, but both could be dangerous to him and more importantly, his work. The Stranger and his Shade smiled, dimensions apart, and said,

"I am changing the world."

...

"An opportunity to push the borders of Science. I am going to reshape the Alleyplanet, to put a stop to the endless wars and chaos that have plagued us for so long." The Stranger's Shade spoke leveling and quickly, not adding any flair or drama to his words. Aylitha was first and foremost a scientist, and as such he could reason with her. He wished he could converse with everyone this way, it was so much more efficient. "Simply put, our current place in the world we created is under constant siege by those who either don't understand us, or fear us because they understand. We have faced wars, sabotage, and countless other strains from within and without. And it has taken a toll on Voidus." He gestured upwards, though spacial references were meaningless here.

"The past years have shown us that the more aware of us the world is, the greater their efforts to destroy and subvert us. We've faced set backs, interruptions, and unacceptable delays to our work and our growth. And so I am undertaking a restructuring of the world, so that we may work uninhibited and limit distractions. I would like to integrate your nigh omnipresent capabilities into the redesign of the world, expanding your capabilities and ensuring we have a new level of subversive control surface-side. As such I would require a portion of your essence to work into the formula, to ensure a lasting transition without any potentially damaging side effects. It would allow a previously unheard of level of cognitive subdivision and immersion, a hivemind integrated into the spiritual aspect world itself. We'll be able to monitor everyone with instantaneous connectivity and hyper spatial and biological awareness. It's dangerous, but if anyone can get the formulae right, I can."

It wasn't bragging when he said it, and Aylitha  would know it. But he wasn't done yet. He looked at her with a candid expression and said, " The reason I have kept this quiet, and why even now we meet in such absurd circumstances, is that I am also going to be making some changes to a certain department focused on interior affairs. I have not filled out the requisite paperwork, because soon their purview will be drastically altered and I don't have time for their stalling. And so the fewer people who know about it the better. My initial plan was to integrate a team, but you're so much better than that. No conflicting personalities, no discordant thought patterns, you are the single more unified conglomerate I can reliably work with in perhaps the entirety of the Alleys. And so I request your assistance in this experiment, Aylitha. From one department head to another, join me in changing the world."

@kenod

...

The Stranger motioned for Sudiov to sit with a wave. "I have a proposition for you, oh shade of my closest friend. I am engaged in an endeavor the likes of which the world has never seen. And as such, I am here to offer you an opportunity. I am going to remove Voidus as the head of power, pull back the DA from the public eye, and bring a new era of peace and prosperity. And all I need from you is some information." He grinned warmly, "Provide me with the information I seek and you will be saving the lives of many, many innocents. All I want is for you to tell me everything you know about Voidus, before the Alleys. Before we met, before we began our path, before we found those darkened pathways. You are a part of him, a Shade of his power. You share his abilities, so it stands to reason you would share his memories, if in a disjointed fashion."

The Stranger's gaze was distant, his dark eye sifting through the deep waters of recollection. "I know Voidus better than perhaps any other living being. And yet his origin is a mystery to me. We never spoke of where we came from, of who we were, because none of it mattered. What mattered was what we could achieve, what we were trying to build. Branded as outcasts for our art, drawn together by our resolve and our Hunger to learn, to know. Drawn by The Alleys. We sought their depths, hungry for knowledge and paid the price time and time again for our ambition. Do you remember it?"

His gaze focused on Sudiov, angry and cold. Yet there was uncertainty behind it, and questions, so many questions. "How much of my friend are you, godshadow? Do you remember the triumphs and the defeats, the celebrations and the lamentations? Do you remember the Sacrifices?" His words were hot and cold, exuberant and sorrowful. The Stranger felt the blade of nostalgia pierce his heart, sharp and sweet as a last sunset. "We tore the fabric of reality and repaired it at our leisure. We altered the flow of time and rerouted it waters with the canals of our designs. Led by the Light of Science, we pushed back the darkness of ignorance. We sacrificed the ambrosia of ignorance for the bitter cup of knowledge, and the deeper we drank the heavier the price."

He stood, his hand seeming to move of it's own accord. Like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline, knowing there is none to be found. The room darkened, and gravity seemed to fluctuate. "And in that darkness we found our goal, our great work. We would use our power to create a place where the cruelty of foolish could not reach. Where those who gorged themselves on ignorance couldn't abuse, prevent, or destroy the work of the Hungry. Where the light of Science would no longer be relegated to a candle flickering under a blanket of secrecy, but a beacon to those who sought it's flame. We left the worlds that had rejected and persecuted us, we usurped no one to build this world. We Sacrificed  EVERYTHING!" His voice was ragged and filled with such emotion that the Stranger hadn't know he had left. His blood ran hot as his spikes burned cold. Pride and despair warred within hi words like serpents straining for dominance, and despair was the victor. "And it was all for naught."

He turned, and gestured to the city beyond. "Our paradise of science was short lived. It drew the curious yes, but also those who let their biases dictate the truth. And soon the ignorant followed, and we were persecuted in our own home. And our Eden became our perdition. We stayed in power, but it was a battle for existence. Factions rose like locusts from the desert, seeking to devour us and all that came seeking the light. Some sought to take control of the world we had made, to gain more power and authority. Others arose purely out of the desire to oppose us, to silence us forever. We defeated or outlasted almost all of them, though at times our numbers dwindled to few, oh so few. We sacrificed and endured. We brought balance and stability to the world, and we were damned for it. Voidus still seeks to bring order, to tend to his greatest creation. He should be revered as a benevolent god, a titan of endless patience and power. And yet he is cursed by those he spares, by those he saves. I drew back into the Alleys, seeking the work to bring me solace, not caring if the Denizens destroyed the invaders and interlopers. I had hoped Voidus would join me, that we could return to our Hunger and scour the Alleys for the meat of it's secrets. But he stayed."

The Stranger looked towards where he knew the Worldspike to be. "And they nearly destroyed him for it. He paid the price, and you were no small part of it. But the greater sacrifice, was his Hunger. He has locked it away so that it wouldn't consume him as he managed the world. I can not say when last the greatest Denizen turned his mind to pursuing Science's Light. He has chained himself to the unrelenting wheel of duty, where once he flew free. And in doing so he has sacrificed that from which he once drew his light and inspiration, his joy and fear. Our deeds sink into meaninglessness, and I lose my only..." he stopped, his words catching in his throat. 

"friend."

He was quiet for a long time, his leaden words forming unseen chains around his neck. In his mind he heard a boy coughing, a girls whispered words of fear, angry shouting, and the sound of a bloody spike falling to the floor. All mist, curling ethereally in the darkened corners of his mind. Then he spoke in a whisper, his words the smoke of a dying funeral pyre. "And so I devised an experiment, the likes of which the world has not seen since it's inception. I will reshape the world, the city, the guilds, and my only friend. I shall take the yoke of duty from his shoulders and give him a life unburdened, that he may live in peace and joy, free to follow his own Hunger. I shall return the DA to the shadows, for it seems in the open the Light of Science draws flies to tarnish it's brilliance. I will give the world an era of peace, such as it has never had in all it's days. And I shall Sacrifice myself to do it. But here's the catch, usurper of the Light, so must you." His gaze locked on Sudiov as a falcon's locks onto a swallow. His eyespike gleamed with the cold brilliance of an iceberg, with depth to match. His voice became lighter, though it was light reflected on an ocean, and the depth of his gaze belied the almost casual tone, "You will tell me all you know of Voidus's past, and then you will join me in the design I have crafted. You shall ascend, and be shade no longer. A god in stature, but removed from the world as I shall be. You shall be a guiding light to those that seek you, a counter to mine own. And what's more you shall help me hold the very fabric of reality together." The Stranger gestured broadly with a sweeping arm. "That is your choice, Sudiov. You can help me remake the world. Or," And the light that played across his eye vanished revealing the abyss beneath. "I will Cleanse it." 

@Voidus

Edited May 13, 2020 by Fatebreaker

[kenod]

11 hours ago, Fatebreaker said:

"An opportunity to push the borders of Science. I am going to reshape the Alleyplanet, to put a stop to the endless wars and chaos that have plagued us for so long." The Stranger's Shade spoke leveling and quickly, not adding any flair or drama to his words. Aylitha was first and foremost a scientist, and as such he could reason with her. He wished he could converse with everyone this way, it was so much more efficient. "Simply put, our current place in the world we created is under constant siege by those who either don't understand us, or fear us because they understand. We have faced wars, sabotage, and countless other strains from within and without. And it has taken a toll on Voidus." He gestured upwards, though spacial references were meaningless here.

"The past years have shown us that the more aware of us the world is, the greater their efforts to destroy and subvert us. We've faced set backs, interruptions, and unacceptable delays to our work and our growth. And so I am undertaking a restructuring of the world, so that we may work uninhibited and limit distractions. I would like to integrate your nigh omnipresent capabilities into the redesign of the world, expanding your capabilities and ensuring we have a new level of subversive control surface-side. As such I would require a portion of your essence to work into the formula, to ensure a lasting transition without any potentially damaging side effects. It would allow a previously unheard of level of cognitive subdivision and immersion, a hivemind integrated into the spiritual aspect world itself. We'll be able to monitor everyone with instantaneous connectivity and hyper spatial and biological awareness. It's dangerous, but if anyone can get the formulae right, I can."

It wasn't bragging when he said it, and Aylitha  would know it. But he wasn't done yet. He looked at her with a candid expression and said, " The reason I have kept this quiet, and why even now we meet in such absurd circumstances, is that I am also going to be making some changes to a certain department focused on interior affairs. I have not filled out the requisite paperwork, because soon their purview will be drastically altered and I don't have time for their stalling. And so the fewer people who know about it the better. My initial plan was to integrate a team, but you're so much better than that. No conflicting personalities, no discordant thought patterns, you are the single more unified conglomerate I can reliably work with in perhaps the entirety of the Alleys. And so I request your assistance in this experiment, Aylitha. From one department head to another, join me in changing the world."

For a second, Aylitha sat there in stunned silence, before suddenly bursting into hysterical laughter. "Oh, that's great, that's absolutely amazing!" she exclaimed with tears of laughter in her eyes. "I figured you were planning something when you called me here, but something like this? Oh, you really don't disappoint, do you! I figured this would be something boring, like a coup, but rewriting the entire world? I knew you were something special, but even I hadn't expected something like this! Count me in! To be able to witness the results of an experiment like this, rewriting an entire world, That's absolutely great! Even that stuck-up Ktrilnha wouldn't be able to do something as great like that!"

After a minute she finally got herself under control, and wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to look serious again. "Yes, I'll join you in this," she said, "and you can have a sample of my essence. However, I request that you don't tinker with it too much. I trust you have the skill required, but given my past, and how much my abilities are tied to my research even small alterations might have large consequences." She smiled slightly. "Besides,"  she continued, "I suspect even you don't know the full nature of my abilities, or how I originally acquired them."

She fell silent for a bit, thinking, then nodding to herself. "Hmm," she said, cocking her head, "I don't think you'll need to actually change that much for me to be effective. As long as you leave my past before arriving in this world in tact it should solve most issues. As for my abilities, I'm currently already powerful enough to do the surveillance required, as long as my main body is in the same world. If you get rid of that restriction, I should be able to observe both worlds, and other than that, well, my mind and abilities are already vast enough to instantly monitor entire worlds, so messing about with them in fancy ways like integrating them with the spiritual realm won't be needed."

She nodded to herself again. "As for dealing with subversives, depending on who you categorize as such, and how you want me to deal with them, I already have a few options, with your aid. Simply disappearing them won't be an issue, but I think I have a good way of controlling them as well..."

She paused for a bit, trying to figure out the best way of approaching this part of the conversation. This would be the trickiest part. She wasn't interested in having her powers altered too much, the true nature of her abilities was too different from what the Stranger could have possibly ever worked with, and she didn't want someone who didn't know about it messing about with them. Besides, she did have someone else she was responsible for, and this would be the perfect way to make sure they could stay together, as well as making sure she got a happy life in this new world, since if this change occurred their meeting might not have taken place either.

"For maintaining proper control, it might be good to give me an assistant," she finally said. "I can create my own creatures to deal with subversives, but mental control isn't my forte. For that, I would suggest someone else. She's an ex member of Bioscience, currently works in Acquisitions, goes by Vita. I took her under my wings a while ago, because of her ability. Specifically, she sense, analyse and alter living organisms. It should be quite easy to alter this ability to work on the cognitive level, instead of the physical. This should allow her to make problematic individuals more... compliant. Not only that, but since she's an Epic I can embed motivators of her into my creations, and while they likely won't be able to modify memories or minds I should be able to program them to detect whatever you consider to be problematic qualities."

She smiled. "This," she continued, "has the benefit that it's easy to do, and will require relatively few changes for both of us, whilst trying to modify my own existence to be able to do all that without causing large issues will take you a lot of time, time I suspect you'd prefer spending on more productive things, like dealing with a certain department." A certain mixture of disgust and annoyance was audible in her tone with those last two words. She understood the need for rules, but creating rules for rule's sake was just insane. In the end, rules had to evolve, similar to organisms, or maybe it was better to consider the Group as a single organism, the individuals being cells, and the rules the way those cells made the organism work in the most optimal way, while also protecting itself. Looking at it like that, rules for rule's sake was an abomination, something that went against nature and biology in one of the most fundamental ways possible.

She shook herself, trying to gather her mind. "Well, anyway," she finally said. "That's my answer, as well as a suggestion, or maybe a request, on how to integrate me into your plans. I hope that's okay?"

[Voidus]

Staring back at the Stranger, the Sudiov kept an outwardly calm expression but couldn't entirely prevent a small flinch as the Stranger finished speaking, draining all light from the room and drawing the void towards them.

"You had the potential." Sudiov replied after a moments pause. "I wondered why he never chose you, never told you about it."

With a sigh he leaned back in the chair, perfect posture slumping as defeat weighed his shoulders down and distaste warped his expression. There were few people who could evoke much of any emotion from Sudiov but the Stranger had now consistently proven that he was one such.

"But it seems that for all your talk of sacrifices there are some lines that the two of you won't cross. Perhaps he was simply unwilling to do to you what was once done to him, though I'm not sure that even he remembers that anymore. To my knowledge, outside of Voidus himself there are only two people who could possibly give you the answers that you seek. And Voidus' child was probably too young to realise much of what was happening."

Sudiov watched the Strangers expression carefully as he spoke, looking for any tell as to what information he might already know. But beyond the outbursts of rage, loss and disgust that the Stranger so violently showed, Sudiov could glean little else.

"Very well, your offer holds little drawback for me. You would need someone to look after his connection to the Void while Voidus lives out your little story, and there are very few who would be able to do so, none others who are completely ready yet. So, we separate ourselves from this facade you drape over the world and desperately hope that the two of us can hold the world together? The spike will be crucial to that, and if you want to bring the spike into your web then you'll need to understand where Voidus took it from."

Sudiov spread a slow smile of his own, draining the light from around them much as the Stranger had done, sealing their space from any awareness that may seek to eavesdrop on them. The air seemed to creak as the pressure they both emitted came to a head, breaking and rebuilding the world around them.

"I don't have his memories, only that of his power. But fortunately for you, the power existed even at the beginning. So let me tell you a tale that not even Voidus can truly recall. Let me tell you the full story of what he's sacrificed, and what you will need to sacrifice if you ever want this goal of yours to truly succeed. The story of a professor, and the monster known as Voidus."

[+ZincAboutIt]

Lita watched the steam curl off the surface of her tea, her eyes barely focused, gaze shifted inwards. She slid the Coin, her Coin, out of her sock and began to walk its cool, heavy face across the back of her knuckles. Forward, then backward. Forward, then backward.

"When I came to this city, all I wanted was a fresh start," she said softly, still watching the steam. "I was so tired of being a piece in the games of lesser men. A sharp tool in dull hands. An apostate of a weak god."

Lita flipped the Coin and caught it, opening her palm to reveal the gleaming rictus grin of the spiked skull. "And now? Now I'm a piece on a different kind of board. But there is no escaping it, Laurelai. There is no other option. There are only the pieces on the board, and the hand that moves them. Everyone is trying to be the Queen, but even the Queen is a piece."

She looked up at her friend, green eyes cold, pupils widening as she felt herself start to burn Tin. Too much Tin, Lita. Far too much. She shook away the doubt, her mind racing through the fragments of her memories.

"I touched him, you know," she whispered softly. "I was so sure I was going to die down there, I could feel it like the breath in my own lungs. I felt the world narrow and stop. I felt it turn in that moment. I was supposed to die, and so I thought, 'What the hell?'" Lita began to walk the Coin along the back of her hand again, twirling it between her fingers this time, burning a little Pewter to help with the dexterity.

"So cold." Lita flexed her left hand with the memory of it. "But he was real, Laurelai. He was real. There was a time when he was just like us - just another piece. That is how you win, Laurelai. It's the only way. You let yourself be played. Over, and over, and over. As long as it takes until you learn the rules. Until you can see the pattern. And then, you make your own board. You design the game. You decide who stands on which square. Who plays black and white. That is when you can keep the power that you find. When there is no one left above you to take it."

"There is no other way across the board but to be played, and to watch. Watch how the hand moves you. However many times is required. However much of you is required. No matter what you have to do, or who you have to forget."

Lita stopped spinning the gold Coin and slid it back into her sock, then picked up the grey one from where she'd placed it on the table. She cocked her head at it, studying its surface, before closing her fist around its face and shutting her eyes.

I think you already know my greatest desire, she thought into the coin. I think you knew it that first moment you sat at my kitchen table and offered me all the secrets I could find. And I have made good on your offer. I've paid prices and reaped rewards that I could never have imagined. I have held the power I've always sought - but never for very long. Always, I've been in the service of someone else. Doing someone else's bidding. Finding someone else's answers. I want to be my own Tineye. I want to move the pieces on the board. I want to keep what I find. I'm tired of being the knife. I want to be the hand.

She opened her eyes and let the grey coin fall from her palm, meeting Laurelai's blue gaze across the table.

"We should get to work, I think," Lita said softly, feeling all the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The world felt tense, as if it were holding its breath. "Something tells me we're about to get moved across the board."

@Voidus @Fatebreaker

[Voidus]

Laurelai stared into her own cup as Lita picked her coin back up, squeezing it in a closed fist. She had some idea of what Lita was doing, and it felt like it would be rude to stare at her while she did so, like intruding on a private conversation. Then again, Lita of all people would have to know that it was rare that any conversation was truly private. Was that why she'd asked Laurelai to both speak their secrets that night in the tavern? If you knew that all secrets got out eventually then maybe the only thing you could do was control who learned it and how.

Always thinking like a Forger aren't you? A quiet voice spoke up. Even in this moment as you pretend to be polite and avert your eyes you're still trying to peel back all the layers and find what lies beneath.

Laurelai pulled out her own coin and stared into the grey surface. Was that what she wanted? To understand everything around her like she had under the waters? Her eyes had begun to flutter close when something finally stopper her.

No, it's not that. You don't want to know everything else, you love to discover not to know. Once you know something it becomes mundane, the unknown is filled with infinite possibilities and mystery, you could never give that up. So if that's not what you want then what is? Are you like Lita? Is it power that you seek, to be the hand that moves instead of the pieces that take orders?

Her gaze flitted up for a brief moment, taking in Lita's form before giving the slightest shake of her head.

No, you don't care for that. Knowledge brings you power but it's not the power you craved. You've never chafed at having others guide you, never desired to break free and wield power for yourself. So it is knowledge that you seek, just not knowledge of others.

Laurelai took a deep breath and then mimicked Lita, closing her eyes and forcing her thoughts into the coin.

You know I'm a Forger, I've Forged myself countless times and that's needed me to know a lot about myself, more than most people ever learn. But every time I change some things stay the same, some things I can't change because I don't understand them. Why did I join the DA? Why did I visit the Nightwatcher? What happened before I was found on the streets? I thought I had an answer, but it's just a guess, a hunch. So all I really want is the answer to a question, perhaps the biggest question.

She looked up to see Lita's green eyes staring back at her.

"We should get to work, I think," Lita said. "Something tells me we're about to get moved across the board."

"Yes." Laurelai said, one hand still clutching the coin. "I think we are at that."

Who am I?

[kenod]

On 4/22/2020 at 9:27 PM, kenod said:

Vita shrugged. "Just walk into an alley, and say out loud that you need to speak to someone because you want to join. Using a specific name tends to be best. For Acquisitions I suggest Matthieu, he's the department head, and the one who goes over that kind of thing. Just keep in mind that once you do go into the alleys there won't be any chance to back out, so think everything through carefully before going in." She looked at her for a bit, thinking. "I wouldn't mind introducing you myself, it would be safer for you." And might get me a bonus, she added in her mind. "I won't be able to do so for now though, given that I currently need to oversee our operations here."

She thought for a bit, then quietly sighed. "There should be another operative around who can help you. I'll send them a message, though I've got no clue if they'll do it."

She took out a small spike from her pocket, and started spinning it around. Corette, got a potential recruit here for you. Currently a member of the Scholars Guild, interested in memory manipulation, specifically restoring lost memories. I don't think she mentioned her name though. I'd bring her back myself, but I'm currently busy dealing with this. Haven't told her your identity, just told her there was another DA member, so keep that in mind.

Finishing up the message she looked at the spike, waiting for an answer.

@AonEne, @ZincAboutIt

[Fatebreaker]

Bang, BANG, BANG!

Days passed, and the forge in the heart of the Alleys was alight with fell flame. The Stranger worked in silence, contemplating all he had learned. Burdened with knowledge and dread purpose, driven by Hunger and devotion and pride. Time had no meaning, he didn't eat, didn't sleep, he had long ago stopped needing such trivialities. He had only the work, the Hunger that no sustenance could satisfy. He worked at impossible speed, draining zincminds at ludicrous speed even as he chronocompressed the lab. The temporal distortion was dangerous if you weren't careful, but the Stranger was the best. It wasn't a gamble for him, just another procedure. Sparks flew, and the chisel seemed to dance across the metal, leaving intricate patterns in it's wake. And as he engraved the new future, he worked the essences into it: Aylitha, Sudiov, and himself. He channeled the power into it, enmeshing it into the very structure of the work itself. 

The Stranger grinned, feeling the power coursing through him in a constant onslaught. Like funneling a river through a dam, it surged dangerously. But he held it firm, not letting it's wild strength carry him away. His will was indomitable, his resolve the lever with which he moved the world. He hadn't worked on anything like this in far too long, back when Voidus... But that was in the past, and he couldn't afford to dwell on that, couldn't let himself get sidetracked. He had already tasted too much of nostalgia's wine, and it had slowed his mind and dragged at his heart. It was not a luxury that he could afford. But even as he pushed that thought from his mind, he heard faint voices in his mind, as if from a remembered dream.

"It finally all makes sense! I've figured it out, I can save him!" "You play with forces you don't understand, boy!" "It hurts, oh ruinous skies it hurts so much. I'm tearing, my heart is tearing! Please, make it stop, make it st-..." "What... what have you done? Oh gods, what have you done?"

"Is this really what you want?"

The Shade spoke, interrupting the odd dream. The Stranger did not look at him, choosing to ignore the words and redouble his efforts. His Shade sighed, and tried again, "You will lose your only friend, betray your colleagues, and set in motion events not even you can foresee. Even those helping you with this don't truly understand what you're doing. You have wrapped yourself in lies and deception to trick everyone, most of all the one person alive who still trusts you." The Stranger glanced out of the corner of his eye and snorted derisively, "You are focusing on the minutia, letting the grand design elude you. I am performing a great service for the world, for our organization, and most of all for my friend. I shall give him the greatest gift he as ever received, a gift so precious that he can't even know of it, lest it shatter. And I am following the Light, the beacon of Science. I am pushing the possible to new heights! And all you can think about is the cost. All greatness requires Sacrifice."

The Shade swept his gaze across the Spike. "Perhaps," he admitted, "But have you really thought about what you're sacrificing? You will be alone, oh Stranger to the world. You will be a stranger in truth, for none shall know you. You will trade the admiration, the fear, the friendship, for the grey void of anonymity. You will be truly alone, for even your memory and legacy will be forgotten. You will effectively die, oh immortal god of iron, and there will be none left to cower before you or praise your name."

The Stranger stopped, as if frozen. Then he laughed, soft and low, like a tremor of the earth. His laughter built in volume until the bombastic roars filled the lab. "Forgotten? Dead? Oh no, no no no my friend, I shall ascend! I shall become what they name me, a dark god roaming the Void. I shall be their fear in the dark, driving them to seek the Light of Science. Voidus shall be remembered as the Father of Light and Reason, the Revolutionary, the Founder. I shall be the Bloody Doctor, The Merchant of Choice, the One Eyed God. And though I am forgotten I shall live on in greater glory, for they shall worship me!" His laughter shook the Alley and beyond, spilling through the dimensions. He seized his instruments and carved new symbols into the metal, his grin stretching wider than humanly possible. "My word reshapes the world, my art rewrites history, my will changes the lives of everyone on the planet! No more shall my Hunger be chained!"

All was power and madness. 

The Shade looked at his maker in silence, then picked up a hammer and chisel of his own. He worked lines into the pattern, as as he did he remembered a pair of green eyes. They worked for an indiscernible amount of time, when Suddenly the Stranger struck a blow so mighty that the sound of it nearly shook him off his feet. His eye was wide as he whispered, "It is finished." 

He gazed at his masterpiece: a colossal gleaming shard of metal, with it's entire surface covered in engravings. Figures, patterns, runes, it was a work of art in it's complexity and beauty. A new Worldspike.

It was a masterclass in integrating different forms of investiture, and the carvings were enough to make scholars swoon. It was beautiful, and magical, and so very dangerous.

The Stranger lifted his hands and the whole spike rose into the air. Then he opened an alleyway to the far side of the planet and pulled the worldspike through, it's giant mass floating weightlessly in the air. He took in his surroundings, breathing in the fresh air. It was a beautiful day to remake the world.

...

The Stranger's shade held a silvery vial in one hand and dropped a copper spike into it. Then he sealed it and opened an alley in a separate dimension, and sent the tube through. It would have to be enough. Then he wrote a note on a ragged scrap of parchment. It was a single line that read, "Find your friend." Then the portal closed, and the Shade wondered if he had done the right thing. Only time will tell.

...

The Stranger raised his hands over his head, marveling at the silence of the world around him. "I'm sorry, my old friend, that you could not be here to witness to my triumph. Farewell, Voidus, and may you find for yourself a better morrow." And he drove the Worldspike into the ground with a massive, flaring push. The point pierced the earth, sinking deeper into the soil. The magic was a hum that built to a roar, shaking the earth. The Stranger threw himself into it, heaving and straining to move the spike into place, carefully adjusting so that he would hit the proper planetary bindpoint. The ground shook, and the planet seemed to groan and shriek. The Stranger felt his investiture reserves flowing away as he wrestled with the work he forged.

He whispered quietly, "For you, my friend." Then all went black, and the Stranger knew no more. And the World Changed...

Edited May 15, 2020 by Fatebreaker