Anniversary Game 7/Anonymous Game 9: From Embers, A Flame

[Taupe Gecko]

Aurora stepped out of the city, her claws-wait no those were toenails, weren't they? Humans were so weird. Oh, and she should probably buy some clothes. People were looking at her oddly. It wasn't her fault that they insisted on wearing clothes. Honestly, scales were far more practical.

[Sapphire Elephant]

After getting his bearings right, Al looked around as other made introductions. some fella sang a nice song. that would have been useful if it was before i got this blaring recap in my brain in the form of this dream. As he looked around, he thought he recognized a few of them. huh, must be the drink, cause surely the losers i knew wouldn't be here, all i know were storming losers - heyy that guy DOES seem familiar. "Shir Buckett ish it? *hiccup* kindly pardon this shtate of mine buuut be reshht ashured that im totally capable of holding a *hiccup* conversashun. seee I used to know a fella juusht like you. goes by the name of.. hold on I remember there being a rod... penrod? hadrian penrod? ishh that you?? you slyyy fella thinking you can hide? hold on let me make sure its you." 
Al walked up to Sir Brockett, and started squishing and pulling apart his cheeks. hmmm just to make sure youre not hiding under an illusion. "well, if its you yer doing a darn good job of hiding it. nish to meetchya penrod. how goes you these days? odiums beeing a sneeky one innit?" 

darn a lot of these fellas out here acting like they don't know a thing? how can you not know anything?? "heyyyy" Al shouted towards them "how can you not know ayenithing happenin here?? im drunk outta my mind and still have some sorta clue of them happenins. do better yallss!"

Edited December 28, 2020 by Sapphire Elephant

[Chartreuse Penguin]

i copy everything

[Violet Axolotl]

8 minutes ago, Sapphire Elephant said:

"Shir Buckett ish it? *hiccup* kindly pardon this shtate of mine buuut be reshht ashured that im totally capable of holding a *hiccup* conversashun. seee I used to know a fella juusht like you. goes by the name of.. hold on I remember there being a rod... penrod? hadrian penrod? ishh that you?? you slyyy fella thinking you can hide? hold on let me make sure its you." 
Al walked up to Sir Brockett, and started squishing and pulling apart his cheeks. hmmm just to make sure youre not hiding under an illusion. "well, if its you yer doing a darn good job of hiding it. nish to meetchya penrod. how goes you these days? odiums beeing a sneeky one innit?"

Well I'll be. This fellow is simply ghastly, though I suppose I can't blame a drunkard. I haven't ever been under as far as this one, thank the... whatever planet I'm on, but I suppose sympathizing with the man is within my abilities. He isn't the worst drunk I've seen; once I witnessed a Horneater drink so much Horneater White he was convinced he was a chicken from Shinovar on the butchering pile! 

"Penrod... the name rings a bell, though I've met a lot of people in my years. Maybe even you at one point, though now you're so slack I wouldn't know."

[Sapphire Elephant]

"oh and hey whats this about speakin in secrets??? you know who people come to for secrets? drunkards and beggars! huh makes it seem like informashun is shure not safe with them huh. no matter! your informatshun shall be safe with me! prudence, do send me to people who wish spare this drunk their two sense"

"oh oh and right before i go, heres this faaantashtic idea of mine (please listen to me, do not discard the words of a drunk, for there is no time where brain is as clear as when it is cleansed by alcohol). the big bad lad is stuck on roshar right? aannnd he can only kill in roshar (and well braize and ashyn but bleh he deshtroyed them anyway) sooo we dont go to roshar. dangerrrr danger place that. none of them shard holders go there anyway, as big baddy can only attack them shard holders. howzzat for a plan?"

[Plum Rhinoceros]

(I will be RP'ing as Solemnheart, who underwent something similar to Returning, getting suffused with Investiture from the chaos post-Shattering and also completely losing his memory. Probably best described as a Returned.)

 

.

..

...

… What is this?

A void stretched out before him. Not pure blackness, but a blackness, scattered with lights of many colors. It was... beautiful. And yet so, so wrong. He expected... he expected... he knew this was not what he was familiar with, that there should be more. But at the same time he knew that of the sixteen lights that he saw they should only have been one.

One of the lights winked out.

It left a spot on his vision, a remnant of a light once seen. And something twisted within him. Not just a spike in the wrongness of it, but something... pulling him? He saw two more lights wink out in quick succession. Then another, which flickered feebly. And then the void collapsed to blackness.

...

He awoke to a drop of water landing on his head. He started to shake it off, then opened his eyes. Gaining... sensation. Something he had missed, without knowing he missed it. A figure - humanoid, but there was too much contrast to make out if they were actually human - stood above him, head almost perfectly blocking out the noonday sun over a perfect sky.

"You don't look like you've been cooking here all day, friend," said the human. A male, with tan skin and a strange bulk to them. This was a warrior, not a scholar, but if they were a warrior they likely practiced a completely different form of combat than he... he didn't know any combat.

Oh Lost Ones... who was he? He couldn't... he couldn't remember anything before the... wrongness. The void. But even that memory was trailing from him.

He didn't think that was a good question to start off with, however. "Where am I?" he asked instead. He sat up brushing off sand - white sand? - from his brow.

"Welcome to Kertza," the other man said. "Where you lie thirty miles from the nearest watering hole that I know of, and you don't seem to be dying of thirst. You're not even sweating, which means you're either just fine to get yourself a suntan or you're a dead man walking. And honestly, I'm thinking the latter."

"I feel..." dizzy was the accurate response but he knew that wasn't from dehydration. "I feel fine. If you please, I'd like to get somewhere with some paper. I need to record something I saw."

The man stared, then sighed. "Well, I can't just leave you here to die, but I have my own business. If you head that way," he said, pointing towards a seemingly normal set of sand dunes, "you'll reach a town that has something that should interest you. Just look back at your footsteps to make sure you're going the right direction and pray that there's not a storm. And what's you name, solemn one?"

He stiffened. His name. He had no name. He had no... idea who or where he was.

"I am... The Solemn One. My name was taken. So now I am... Solemnheart."

The man nodded, slowly. "Very well, Solemnheart. May the sun wish you well," he finished, making a gesture.

Solemnheart reciprocated the gesture clumsily, although his savior didn't seem to notice. He'd already turned on his own path.

A few minutes later, Solemnheart went to adjust his course and nearly collapsed. The footprints he'd made in the sand were blackened, as if burned into the ground by his footfalls.

The man who had helped him had vanished. And he had left no footfalls at all.

[Violet Axolotl]

17 minutes ago, Sapphire Elephant said:

"oh oh and right before i go, heres this faaantashtic idea of mine (please listen to me, do not discard the words of a drunk, for there is no time where brain is as clear as when it is cleansed by alcohol). the big bad lad is stuck on roshar right? aannnd he can only kill in roshar (and well braize and ashyn but bleh he deshtroyed them anyway) sooo we dont go to roshar. dangerrrr danger place that. none of them shard holders go there anyway, as big baddy can only attack them shard holders. howzzat for a plan?"

"Less of a plan, and more of common sense- though perhaps I take my age and wisdom for granted sometimes."

[Opal Lion]

Remy didn't grow up in Shadesmar, but it wasn't that hard to adapt. It definitely wasn't the easiest thing to do, but he also wasn't going to be living here forever, and figured that it's gotta happen sometime or another. for...what reason? Remy couldn't remember... He thought that he'd be here a few weeks, to get used to the environment. then he could return to- 
return to where?
He shook off the feeling of uneasiness. He'd remember sooner or later. Why he was suddenly blanking on the name probably just had to do with...something bad that he ate? Yeah. Probably. 

It was pretty easy to survive in Shadesmar, but surviving didn't ever cure boredom in a day- or...however that saying goes. 

Recently he'd taken up fishing. there were no real seas in Shadesmar, but about a week ago he started sitting on the edge of the ocean of beads for hours every day, figuring that if he threw in a line and waited, something was bound to happen, sooner or later. 
He'd...started to think that he was wrong about that. 

[little wilson]

Regarding Prudence PM Requests:

As mentioned in the OP, players can request PMs from Prudence here in the thread. These PMs do not have to name specific players, though they can. If you would like to leave the choice up to Prudence on who you PM, you may do that.

You may also request PMs in your GM PM (anonymous account). Any requests sent through your GM PM will be given to Prudence at the end of the turn. While PM requests submitted in the thread will be created whenever Prudence lets the GMs know (and the GMs see the approval) and therefore may be created the turn the request was submitted, requests submitted via GM PM will not even be seen until the following turn, though they will still be created as soon as Prudence approves the request (and the GMs see the approval).

[Quartz Zebra]

For RP, I’ll be Sophos, a Bad Stormwarden. After all, there should have been a Highstorm about six minutes ago.

 

[Chartreuse Penguin]

you would like to leave the choice up to Prudence on who you PM though be created the turn the request was submitted

[Violet Axolotl]

Six minutes! By jove, I don't know what I would have done! My frail body would have been blown away and snapped like a twig. I am a stick, for all practical purposes. It would have hit me hard, being on Roshar and all...

Say, would any of you protecting types feel obliged to help an old man like me? With residing on the 'Big Bad's' territory and all, I'm a tad scared of getting struck down. Even I couldn't withstand a direct blast from Odium without help.

Forgive my memory, comes with being elderly, but I seem to have forgotten to yell at the one I disapprove of: @Amethyst Scorpion. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go take a drink of water to help my wounded throat. The mention does negative wonders to the old voicebox.

Edit: As an afterthought, @Prudence, I'll take a PM with the drunkard. Even in all my years I've never seen anything like him.

Edited December 28, 2020 by Violet Axolotl

[Indigo Weasel]

Iadhin Ramer, known as ‘The Weasel’ to his friends and enemies alike, was going to jail. Again.

I really don’t know what all the fuss is about. If these people are going to leave their money hanging out like that, they must expect people to take some, right? How was I supposed to know it wasn’t up for grabs? I mean, sure, it was in a locked cage, so theoretically that could imply they weren’t free to take, but c’mon, how could I have known?

[Cream Tuatara]

*cough cough*

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

Rise the dawn of a splintered sun

Over a valley of shadows.

Hear the game that must be won

Against the ones you oppose.

Pieces on an endless board,

Countless paths yet unexplored,

Find the steps to victory assured,

The songs of he who knows.

 

Hatred flows across the sky,

Into a valley of stone.

There in silence men shall die,

And forever lie  unknown.

Trust the one that gives the word,

Fear the one that brings the sword,

Kill the one that breaks the world,

Atop a broken throne.

*faints*

---

Oh dear, it seems I've forgotten the rest... luckily, I wrote it down! Somewhere. I'm not entirely sure where...

 

[Turquoise Gorilla]

Not really sure how to engage with all this rp, so partially just checking in.

If Prudence is feeling kind, I'd appreciate PMs with players they consider interesting. 'fraid I can't spare the time to PM all of you, so here's hoping they're discerning.

Who do you chaps feel like lynching today? Feels to me like we ought to get into the meat of the matter. For now, my vote is for Sage Kangaroo. Feels to me like an advantage for the elims to know where two shards are, and to take two players off their to kill list.

[Violet Axolotl]

1 minute ago, Turquoise Gorilla said:

Who do you chaps feel like lynching today? Feels to me like we ought to get into the meat of the matter. For now, my vote is for Sage Kangaroo. Feels to me like an advantage for the elims to know where two shards are, and to take two players off their to kill list.

Ha! Even with my memory I remember this. I might join you, barring on when Scorpion decides to show their mandibled face. I am curious to know what Kangaroo thought about those two Shards would warrant a safe claim. 

For those concerned, my voice has recovered. The water helped nicely, even if I did have to steal it from out of a barrel.

[Mint Heron]

Nihalin was curious about the rocks in Shadesmar. Would the glass-like substances retain their structure in the physical realm?

He was determined to find out.

With the careful precision from decades of experience, Nihalin used a chisel to cut a chunk of rock from the ground. It would make a wonderful addition to his collection of rocks. He had some from different regions of Sel, Roshar, Scadrial, and more. This would be his first from Shadesmar.

People thought Nihalin was strange. They were probably right, but that wouldn’t stop him. Rocks were fascinating. They told the history of a world within the layers of compressed minerals. Scadrial’s was probably the most fascinating. He’d ventured into the network of caverns to find evidence of the world of ash—and even the world before the world of ash.

But today it was Shadesmar. Such a curious place, full of glass of all things. Why glass? He needed to convince a Lightweaver, or maybe an Elsecaller to help him safely get to the bottom of the ocean of glass to see if there was any difference to the ground there. Does Shadesmar’s ground hold the same traces of a changing world as the other worlds?

*-*-*-*-*

Hi! Excited to see everyone here! I really need to do another read of the rules before getting too far, as I don't really know what anyone can do.

Let's get the stabbing started, shall we? Odium sure won't wait.

Scarlet Octopus for reasons.

[Quartz Zebra]

I predict a Highstorm will strike down Penguin at the end of this cycle, for making such demands of the Shards.

[Sage Kangaroo]

7 minutes ago, Violet Axolotl said:

Ha! Even with my memory I remember this. I might join you, barring on when Scorpion decides to show their mandibled face. I am curious to know what Kangaroo thought about those two Shards would warrant a safe claim. 

Survival and Autonomy are neutral Shards, so they don't matter for the elim or village win conditions. In addition, they can't really pass to other players (no investiture that targets players), so people have no reason to kill them for their Shards either.

11 minutes ago, Turquoise Gorilla said:

Who do you chaps feel like lynching today? Feels to me like we ought to get into the meat of the matter. For now, my vote is for Sage Kangaroo. Feels to me like an advantage for the elims to know where two shards are, and to take two players off their to kill list.

I think that them claiming has quite a few advantages for the village, even if it does help the elims as well. After all, neutral posts can be ignored when analyzing and village abilities wouldn't be wasted on neutrals if they claimed. I guess it essentially comes down to whether you think it's more valuable for the elims to know not to kill two players or if it's more valuable for the village to not waste time/abilities on two neutrals.

[Sapphire Elephant]

2 hours ago, Violet Axolotl said:

"Less of a plan, and more of common sense- though perhaps I take my age and wisdom for granted sometimes."

"ahh I see, a wise mans common sense is a drunkards wisdom" 

2 hours ago, Opal Lion said:

Remy didn't grow up in Shadesmar, but it wasn't that hard to adapt. It definitely wasn't the easiest thing to do, but he also wasn't going to be living here forever, and figured that it's gotta happen sometime or another. for...what reason? Remy couldn't remember... He thought that he'd be here a few weeks, to get used to the environment. then he could return to- 
return to where?
He shook off the feeling of uneasiness. He'd remember sooner or later. Why he was suddenly blanking on the name probably just had to do with...something bad that he ate? Yeah. Probably. 

It was pretty easy to survive in Shadesmar, but surviving didn't ever cure boredom in a day- or...however that saying goes. 

Recently he'd taken up fishing. there were no real seas in Shadesmar, but about a week ago he started sitting on the edge of the ocean of beads for hours every day, figuring that if he threw in a line and waited, something was bound to happen, sooner or later. 
He'd...started to think that he was wrong about that. 

Read this whole thing from Remy the Rat from Ratatouille's POV. x100 times funnier.

58 minutes ago, Violet Axolotl said:

Edit: As an afterthought, @Prudence, I'll take a PM with the drunkard. Even in all my years I've never seen anything like him.

"and I shall be humbled by your presence and a receptacle to your wisdom" Huh, my speech is fixing up and I'm gaining lucidity. Gotta fix that. And just like that Al took another large swig from the bottle. "perfect"

[Mauve Crocodile]

@Prudence I'll request PMs with Sapphire, Opal, and Charcoal. And then I'll go read the rules, finally.

[Plum Rhinoceros]

To the grand entity Prudence, I request a PM with every odd-numbered player. Writing in this fashion is confusing. Taldain - it's one word, I must remember that - has an odd sort of paper. Curious, seeing as to my prior knowledge I've never held a sheet of paper in my life. I wonder... can I use this as evidence as to what I did before I lost my memory?

If I can trust these shadows of recognition, then I must be a scholar. I cannot read the dialect that many books here are written in, but the diagrams I can decipher often with a glance. Particularly those that concern enhancements of vision,, such as glassmaking, but I feel like my talents are not truly founded there. It must be something else. Stories come from the pool, stories of other lands I do not recognize. Perhaps I will find answers there.

For now, I will begin my experiments. Just because this planet is alien doesn't mean it doesn't have grand capabilities. In fact, I would be quite wary of newcomers here. Those whose intentions are murderous would likely benefit from the concealment of the storms.

[Violet Axolotl]

4 minutes ago, Sage Kangaroo said:

Survival and Autonomy are neutral Shards, so they don't matter for the elim or village win conditions. In addition, they can't really pass to other players (no investiture that targets players), so people have no reason to kill them for their Shards either.

I think that them claiming has quite a few advantages for the village, even if it does help the elims as well. After all, neutral posts can be ignored when analyzing and village abilities wouldn't be wasted on neutrals if they claimed. I guess it essentially comes down to whether you think it's more valuable for the elims to know not to kill two players or if it's more valuable for the village to not waste time/abilities on two neutrals.

The way I see it is plain and simple: Autonomy has the ability to stop Odium's kill, if the stars align. Now, if I were the big bad, Odium himself, the last thing I would want running around is a Shard that can stop my killing spree. So while I understand your reasoning, I disagree.

Survival is another matter. They might actually benefit from showing their face. Not that I would do it if I were them, but it likely wouldn't be as risky as an Autonomy claim.

I'll lay off Scorpion. I still want them to show up, as long as they stay far from me, but I dislike how Gorilla looked to obvious places to find someone to accuse. Even I thought deeper, and my IQ has been diminishing for at least ninety years!

[Fuchsia Ostrich]

"Hi everyone! I'm Konion, and I'm so pleased to meet all of you! You all sound like responsible adults who wouldn't die on their children like all 6 of the parents I've had did. I think Mr. Adonalsium hismself was probably a parent! But still, I'm hopeful to find new loving parents somewhere out in the cosmere!!

"Mr. Soren sir, your poetry is AMAZING! I'd give you a boxing, but I don't have any right now."

"Oh great @Prudence could you please put me in touch with two people who are looking to adopt someone? I sure would like a family."

[Oxblood Beagle]

Quote

Dear Lady Orchid,
     I've been thinking about traveling the Cosmere, and was wondering if you had any recommendations. It's my first time leaving my home world, and I'd really like to take in the sights.
                  Sincerely, Wanderlust

Dear Wanderlust,
       The travel bug must have bitten you pretty hard. Not to worry, I have all the tips you need to know for an invigorating trip.

1. Tip #1: Pack an umbrella if you're heading to Roshar. A high-storm can appear out of nowhere, ruining the clothes of those unprepared. I would mention that you can get some Investiture for your troubles, but you probably know that already.
2. Tip #2: Skip on Braize. Look, I'm not sure why people think visiting Braize is a good idea. In all my years of travel, Braize was second only to Threnody in terms of dreariness. Yes, the stillness will make your voice seem louder, but it's not worth the trade off. There's too many ways to direct it, and there are much safer options for that kind of quiet.
3. Tip #3: Ashyn is an acquired taste. Since you're a first time traveler, I'd recommend skipping this place for now. There are some hidden gems there, but that planet is not tourist friendly. You really need the right skill set to take full advantage of your trip there.
4. Tip #4: Scadrial is the place to be. If you want the finest life has to offer, Scadrial is the place for you. Taking in the sunset from a tower in Elendel is something that everyone should do at least once in their lives. Just be warned, the city can get pretty crowded, and occasionally sinister types slip in. Don't let that discourage you though. It's worth the trip.
5. Tip #5: Do your homework before setting off to Sel. I know this planet has a lot to offer, but the Dor makes traveling here tricky this time of year. If you wait until it dies down, you can get a lot of rewards.
6. Tip #6: Nalthis is a bit of a tourist trap. Look, we all agree that gazing over the Bright Sea as you dine on the finest seafood the Cosmere has to offer is simply divine. However, spikes in demand have made the waiting list extraordinarily long. You can still book a reservation, but be aware any rewards might be a ways off.
7. Tip #7: Pack bug spray if you're headed to First of the Sun. This planet is practically untouched, making it an ideal location for anyone looking to get away from it all. Unfortunately, that means the mosquitos run rampant there. You do not want to wake up to a back of welts and bumps.
8. Tip #8: Taldain is a great, affordable option. Many people discount Taldain, thinking of nothing but sandy deserts. They're wrong though. There's plenty of beauty on Dayside to be sure, but Nightside has some of the most impressive resorts in the Cosmere.
9. Tip #9: Finally, don't be too hasty to get out of the Cognitive realm. Shadesmar is a great big mixing pot of all the world's cultures. I find myself making new friends every time I visit, and continue to come back time after time.

I hope these tips really helped you plan out your itinerary. The Cosmere is full of beautiful sights, and I hope you get to experience many of them. As a quick reminder, we are under an Odium watch in the Rosharan system, so you'll have to plan accordingly. Don't let that put you off though. Traveling is one of the joys of life.

        Sincerely, Lady Orchid