Alleyverse Era Nine

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

On 1/10/2026 at 7:03 PM, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

Starseeker, New Hallandren, Crater

Starseeker, upon finally convincing a pile of rubble to become smoke, stepped back into the Physical Realm. His Life Sense immediately told him of Ebon's movement.

"Where are you going?" Starseeker asked as he moved to the next pile of rubble.

@Ink and Embers @KnightSkye Reforged @CoderDrag0n8 @Hoid Slayer @Steel Speedster @Koloss17

Ebonaryle, New Hallandren, Ruins around Crater

Ebon jumped at the Returned's comment. He hadn't yet gotten completely used to the heightened perception of Nalthians, and his stealthy tactics didn't work as well in the Alleycity. Thankfully, as he was mumbling a response, the Returned's attention was quickly caught by something else. He prayed the Elsecaller would find no reason to comment to anyone on his absence.

On 1/17/2026 at 2:54 AM, Ink and Embers said:

Cayansa, New Hallandren, Crater 

Cayansa nodded, then turned to see if there were any nearby locals who might be better equipped with knowledge. "In that case-"

Someone's coming! Reyx called, flickering a little way above the rubble. They didn't speak with urgency, but there was more than a passing caution in their voice.

"Who? Anyone helpful?"

Reyx just nodded - well, shone - a little way along the crater. Maybe. 

The crowd of dusty civilians was parting, people lurching away with a determined look on their faces. Not my problem anymore, they seemed to be saying. Others with carefully expressionless faces were spilling into the crater, each wearing coloured cloaks over the same leather uniform. They moved in quick steps, not quite a march but not far off, and encircled the crater, silvery spearheads glinting in the light. 

One woman in a cloak the colour of blood stepped forward. Even from this distance, Cayansa could see the frown slashed across her face like an old scar. 

They look ... official, Cayansa thought to Reyx, numb.

Hopefully, Reyx drifted higher, then added. Their badges say New Hallandren Guard.

Cayansa nodded, and stepped in front of Lux. "I hope these people will be friendly," they whispered to him, "But if you don't already have a plan to run, now could be a good time to come up with one."

@Koloss17 @CoderDrag0n8 @Steel Speedster @KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren @KnightSkye Reforged @Hoid Slayer

Ebon had just made it into deeper ruins - where walls still stood, and wreckage provided heavy cover - when he felt the crowd around the crater shift and turned around. Immediately, he tensed. This wasn't his first encounter with the New Hallandren Guard, and he knew that Midas made sure they were some of the most serious in the Alleycity. Thankfully, he found solace in the fact he was no longer weak; his charges would be ready soon, and he could fight.

No, what concerned him more as he watched from a distant warehouse window was what they might tell Kai. The guard was on the lookout for a male nex-im - and though they knew nothing about him, they thought him connected in some way to the Crimson Breath.

Ebon turned away from the scene. The more time passed, the more the guard would surround the area and the higher the probability that violence would become necessary. Making sure to stay as silent as possible, Ebon found a mostly intact warehouse half and scaled it's walls, getting a better vantage point of the area. As he looked around, something caught his attention. The radiant boy was fleeing, chased by a set of guards... and... and... was that Perses? Sure enough, as the boy turned a corner, the mistcloaked man took a step and seemingly vanished into the void. An Alley. That was his way out. Relief flooded Ebon, but then he turned around to take one last look at the crater, and his heart stopped in his chest.

In the nearest ruins, the guards were apprehending Kai and Cayansa. The Thaylen's body was bound in rope, unresponding to their struggles, while the Windrunner had a little more success - slicing off the rope before the halo of light around him vanished - a Leeching. They would be taken in, and they would be interrogated. Not only that, they would be told about him. About what he'd done.

Ebon knew every second he waited, the Alley risked closing. They never lasted long, and it was in Perses' interest to keep this one closed. But he couldn't tear his eyes off the crater. Until eventually, he did. He looked back at the boy chased by the guards, racing down the road towards the Alley. Yes, that was his path. That was his life. He couldn't choose. No, he had promises to keep. And he couldn't hesitate any longer.

With a groan, Ebon leapt off the roof onto an adjacent one that began to collapse under his weight, until he jumped onto yet another. He abandoned all caution, his body, his muscles, working in perfect cadence to achieve maximum speed. He heard shouts from behind him, but didn't turn, only he jumped again. As he flowed through the air, through the city, he couldn't help but smile, first a grin then an exultation. Yes, this was what he lived for. This was who he was. The voidlight rushing in his veins, the wind against his face, the knife in his hand. Before him, the boy almost reached the Alley - but with every second, the distance between Ebon and him shrunk, until only a street - Ebon leapt off the final roof, and as he fell, his surge recharged. Instantly, he stabbed the obsidian knife into his stomach - a wound that instantly healed around the blade, and brought him more comfort than pain, like a memory of what he used to be - and left his husk behind. In the Transported form, he raced down the street faster than any physical form. When he reformed mere meters from the Alley, he cut down all three guards with a ruthless efficiency, dead before their blood hit the pavement - and when the boy ran through the dimensional gate, he slid in after him.

@Koloss17@CoderDrag0n8

On 1/22/2026 at 9:05 PM, Koloss17 said:

@Hoid Slayer now would be a good time to give me a rundown of what you envisioned the crimson hand to be, beyond a New Hallandren-based gang. This can either be done through the chat thread, here via quotes, or via DMs, whichever you prefer. If I’m going to be RPing the guards, and the guards presumably know about the crimson hand, I should have at least some knowledge of how they do.

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Alright I'mma make a post in the Chat Thread after this and ping you

[CoderDrag0n8 He/They]

5 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

@Koloss17 @CoderDrag0n8

 

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I would ask Koloss17, I don't really care.

3 hours ago, Koloss17 said:

Midas, still holding on tightly, grabbed a small rope from his pocket and spoke. "keep me and the radiant in contact." Breath flowed from Midas into the rope, and the rope sprung to life, twisting around his arm and binding his hand to the radiant's arm. He spoke to the radiant. "If you wish to act like a child, you shall be treated like one. And be lucky I won't be adding resisting arrest to your charges." Midas maintained a burn on his chromium, keeping the radiant from summoning their blade and plate.

Perses, The Alleys, Belias' Domain

Perses entered the Alleyway, and emerged to an absence of senses. Within Belias' domain, Perses could not feel any temperature, no matter how hard he tried. There was still air, but no sign of circulation or wind. The only scents Perses could detect were his own. His footsteps felt muffled, the soundwaves traveling into nothingness. In truth, he hated it here.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the Alleyway he had arrived through. From their outline, the only thing in this place that his steelsense could detect, it looked to be the same person that the guards were chasing.

"I see you have brought a friend." Belias boomed, voice coming from all directions, reverberating off walls Perses couldn't detect. As always, his voice sounded emotionless, sounding as if the words simply appeared, with no mouth or vocal chords to guide it. 

Perses stared at the newcomer, as much as he could stare, dumbfounded. No one had ever dared to follow him into Belias' domain. No one was that stupid. "I rusting didn't invite them!" Perses managed to utter. "Who the hell are you?"

 

"I-Where am I?" Lux asked, looking around, "I've never seen alleyways like this... Who are you?"

3 hours ago, Hoid Slayer said:

Ebonaryle, New Hallandren, Ruins around Crater

Ebon jumped at the Returned's comment. He hadn't yet gotten completely used to the heightened perception of Nalthians, and his stealthy tactics didn't work as well in the Alleycity. Thankfully, as he was mumbling a response, the Returned's attention was quickly caught by something else. He prayed the Elsecaller would find no reason to comment to anyone on his absence.

Ebon had just made it into deeper ruins - where walls still stood, and wreckage provided heavy cover - when he felt the crowd around the crater shift and turned around. Immediately, he tensed. This wasn't his first encounter with the New Hallandren Guard, and he knew that Midas made sure they were some of the most serious in the Alleycity. Thankfully, he found solace in the fact he was no longer weak; his charges would be ready soon, and he could fight.

No, what concerned him more as he watched from a distant warehouse window was what they might tell Kai. The guard was on the lookout for a male nex-im - and though they knew nothing about him, they thought him connected in some way to the Crimson Breath.

Ebon turned away from the scene. The more time passed, the more the guard would surround the area and the higher the probability that violence would become necessary. Making sure to stay as silent as possible, Ebon found a mostly intact warehouse half and scaled it's walls, getting a better vantage point of the area. As he looked around, something caught his attention. The radiant boy was fleeing, chased by a set of guards... and... and... was that Perses? Sure enough, as the boy turned a corner, the mistcloaked man took a step and seemingly vanished into the void. An Alley. That was his way out. Relief flooded Ebon, but then he turned around to take one last look at the crater, and his heart stopped in his chest.

In the nearest ruins, the guards were apprehending Kai and Cayansa. The Thaylen's body was bound in rope, unresponding to their struggles, while the Windrunner had a little more success - slicing off the rope before the halo of light around him vanished - a Leeching. They would be taken in, and they would be interrogated. Not only that, they would be told about him. About what he'd done.

Ebon knew every second he waited, the Alley risked closing. They never lasted long, and it was in Perses' interest to keep this one closed. But he couldn't tear his eyes off the crater. Until eventually, he did. He looked back at the boy chased by the guards, racing down the road towards the Alley. Yes, that was his path. That was his life. He couldn't choose. No, he had promises to keep. And he couldn't hesitate any longer.

With a groan, Ebon leapt off the roof onto an adjacent one that began to collapse under his weight, until he jumped onto yet another. He abandoned all caution, his body, his muscles, working in perfect cadence to achieve maximum speed. He heard shouts from behind him, but didn't turn, only he jumped again. As he flowed through the air, through the city, he couldn't help but smile, first a grin then an exultation. Yes, this was what he lived for. This was who he was. The voidlight rushing in his veins, the wind against his face, the knife in his hand. Before him, the boy almost reached the Alley - but with every second, the distance between Ebon and him shrunk, until only a street - Ebon leapt off the final roof, and as he fell, his surge recharged. Instantly, he stabbed the obsidian knife into his stomach - a wound that instantly healed around the blade, and brought him more comfort than pain, like a memory of what he used to be - and left his husk behind. In the Transported form, he raced down the street faster than any physical form. When he reformed mere meters from the Alley, he cut down all three guards with a ruthless efficiency, dead before their blood hit the pavement - and when the boy ran through the dimensional gate, he slid in after him.

@Koloss17@CoderDrag0n8

"Who are you?" Lux asked, even more bewildered.

Fractal, do you know what's going on?

...

Fractal?

[Steel Speedster ♂]

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I think it's about time I get my other two characters actually doing something, so this will just be introductory posts for both of them.

I'm fine on my own for now, but I'm also up to collab with anyone who wants to. Me and @Qianweilian are already discussing some interactions for Thav.

Thavel Talin, Mistwarrens

Thavel Talin wound his way through the narrow, dirty streets of the Mistwarrens. This part was a particularly shady area, but Thav wasn't concerned about being mugged at the moment.

That was because he was planning on doing the mugging.

Thav trailed behind his target, a tall man wearing a tan coat and a brimmed hat, doing his best not to look conspicuous. According to his previous investigations, this man had been invited to some sort of recruitment meeting, which Thav believed to be linked to his ultimate target. He and Jerrin had still found very little information about the Hemalurgist who had attacked them, but they had some evidence that he was connected to a highly secretive enclave operating in the Scadrian districts. This recruitment meeting was their best lead yet.

Thav burned bronze and steel. He could sense Allomantic pulses coming from his target. Steel. The man knew he was being followed and was wary. A faint blue line pointed to his coat pocket where, Thav guessed, a gun lay concealed.

The man turned a corner, moving down a particularly narrow street, almost as tight as an alleyway. Thav tracked him using steelsight, then turned the corner tapping zinc.

The man spun around drawing his gun. In an instant, Thav calculated the bullet trajectory and nudged the gun to the side Allomantically. At the same time, he drew his own weapon, lining up a shot and firing.

The first bullet whizzed harmlessly past Thav's head. His own bullet precisely impacted his opponent's weapon, causing him to cry out in pain as the shock passed through his hand and the gun spun away. Thav stepped forward and punched him across the face. The man stumbled backwards then turned back towards him, shooting a spray of coins with his good hand. Thav, having seen the attack coming with his bronzesense and steelsight, side-stepped the coins, nudging them slightly to the side and swung his gun into his opponent's face.

Well, that was simple enough. Now all he had to do was make sure the man stayed put while Thav impersonated him. They were similar enough in size that Thav felt fairly confident his disguise could hold up. He picked up the man's hat from the ground and pulled off the tan coat. He also had procured a fake mustache for the occasion. If the information he had gathered was correct, this man had been selected as a potential recruit, in which case no one would notice the slight differences. Hopefully. The only thing left to do was make sure he stayed put until Thav was done using his identity, for which purpose, he had brought along a length of rope.

@Qianweilian

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you can jump in here if you want to.

 

Fenna Koss, The Corridor

Fenna pushed inside a dingy abandoned shop. The front windows were so stained and dusty that it was dark inside, despite their large size. She made her way past rows of empty shelves to the front desk. Hopping over it, she bent down and tapped the floor three times.

After a moment of silence, a floorboard shifted away, revealing a ladder leading down into darkness. Fenna stored weight and dropped down, landing lightly in a small room under the shop's floor. The floorboard above slid back into place, moved by an unseen mechanism. She proceeded to a small hatch on the wall and stepped through to a second room.

This one was slightly larger and was softly illuminated by a single lantern on a desk in the middle of the room. Behind the desk, a man wearing a dark cloak reclined, his hands clasped calmly in front of him. He leaned forward as Fenna entered. "You have it?" he asked in a soft voice. Fenna produced a bag that clinked as she set it on the desk. The man--whom Fenna knew only by the pseudonym "Mask"--smiled as he opened it and held up a shiny piece of aluminum. "Excellent," Mask said. Despite the name, he wore no mask. His face looked generic, with his only notable feature being his eyes, which were sharp and somewhat unnerving.

Mask put away the bag of aluminum and passed a small pouch containing coins across the desk. Fenna knew very little about the man or what he did, but he paid her well for a variety of jobs. She did know that he was some sort of crime boss, but she had rarely met anyone else under his employ. It always seemed to her that he enjoyed keeping her in the dark.

"Listen, Mask," Fenna said, leaning over the desk. "I'm happy to get paid for small jobs, but you know I want to do more. When are you going to let me in on something big? It's been long enough." Mask sat back in his chair, still smiling in an unnerving way. "You have a point," he acknowledged. "We shall consider."

"Why can't you decide now?" Fenna demanded. Mask made no answer, instead producing a sealed envelope and handing it to her.

"In the meantime," he said. "I do have another job for you. While you're there, you might pick up something that interests you."

With that, he leaned back once more, saying nothing else, which Fenna knew was a dismissal. She frowned but turned and left the room. Climbing back up into the shop, she pulled out an aluminum knife--reworked from a spear tip she had acquired in New Hallandren the previous year and slit open the envelope to read her new instructions.

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oh wow, that was a bit long, wasn't it?

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

Tap. Tap. Tap. Aradan walked along the cobbled road. Silence permeated the night, only broken by the sound of his footsteps. The mists always helped him think. He did not fear them, or any man within them, for he had already faced that darkness. The questions of how he had arrived here, how he had survived the journey, my parents' mysterious past. 

That doesn't matter right now. I need to find a place, a—crack. A shot rang out in the air. Crack. Aradan paused, hesitating for a moment. Then he burned pewter. Ahh, that feeling of strength—the feeling of POWER. 

Now to try something I have been wanting to try. Cautiously, he felt at the metal on his chest, and tapped the power within. Raising his arm, Aradan shot a hook out from his makeshift weapon. Then he PULLED and was dragged along the rope leading towards the roof of a nearby tenement.

Breaking into a full sprint, he leaped across rooftops. He reached the corner from which the shots originated. A man lay tied up in an alleyway, seemingly helpless. Aradan burned iron, seeing a blue line point to a gun lying next to him. Jumping down, pewter enhancing his legs, he picked it up. One bullet from the chamber was missing.

His attention turned back to the man. "Who are you? Who did you shoot at? Who tied you up?" Dazed, bound, the man merely pointed his head down another alley.

After again ascending to a rooftop, he landed again. Fwoom. Aradan landed in front of another man. Raising his gun, he said in a low voice, "You mugged that man. Why?"

@Steel Speedster

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My character should believe Thav's story, as long as he explains himself adequately. What do you want me to do after? Accompany you to said recruiting meeting, meet you later, or something else?

Edited January 25 by Qianweilian
Forgot what paragraphs were.

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

11 hours ago, KnightSkye Reforged said:

Kai tightened his grip, squeezing Midas' hand till his knuckles were white. "While I have no need of Light right now, it is generally polite to warn someone before leaching them, no?" He made no attempt to flee or escape in any way, nor did he draw in anymore stormlight. 

"He's a leacher, Starseeker. He can use his abilities to drain someone or something of investiture as long as he is touching it. This is probably a precaution to make sure I don't fly away." Kai released his death-grip on Midas' arm after a second or so. 

Starseeker, New Hallandren, Crater

Starseeker's jaw dropped. He had never heard of such powers before.

9 hours ago, Koloss17 said:

Midas, still holding on tightly, grabbed a small rope from his pocket and spoke. "keep me and the radiant in contact." Breath flowed from Midas into the rope, and the rope sprung to life, twisting around his arm and binding his hand to the radiant's arm. He spoke to the radiant. "If you wish to act like a child, you shall be treated like one. And be lucky I won't be adding resisting arrest to your charges." Midas maintained a burn on his chromium, keeping the radiant from summoning their blade and plate.

Starseeker gritted his teeth, but did not move. He knew that if he tried to do something, he wouldn't be allowed to walk free.

 

@Koloss17 @CoderDrag0n8 @Steel Speedster @KnightSkye Reforged @Hoid Slayer @Ink and Embers

[Born of Mist He/Him]

On 1/23/2026 at 10:46 AM, Akimikoisthecutest said:

Cecillia, Mistwarrens, Alleyways

"You don’t actually plan on using that, do you?" she asks, her eyes flickering down to your tightening grip on the sword's hilt.

She reaches into her purse and retrieves a small, smooth-sided metal cube. As she speaks the passphrase into it, her other hand instinctively brushes the cold metal spike at the base of her neck. Closing her eyes for a split second, she taps her chromium metalmind, feeling the familiar, golden warmth of Fortune flooding her system.

Suddenly, a heavy wooden shutter above bangs open, and she uses this distraction to begin running.

@Born of Mist

Genali'poonulah'likum'kai, Mistwarrens, alleyways

Fire turns back and curses, pulling out his pistol and giving chase, firing several shots at her.

2752 opens by his head, and stays by his head as he sprints after his target. "See? This is what I mean! You were distracted," 

"I was distracted by you!"

"and now she's getting away!"

Fire growls "Not yet she isn't!"

He inhales sharply, sucking in Stormlight from the gemstones he's carrying, and bursts alight. He sheathes his weapons and after they turn a corner, he jumps, and lashes himself to forward; only once, so that he would be able to change directions quickly, he hoped. 

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POV: you have to look up appropriate uses of a semicolon for an rp 

@Akimikoisthecutest

Edited January 25 by Born of Mist

[Akimikoisthecutest]

2 minutes ago, Born of Mist said:

Genali'poonulah'likum'kai, Mistwarrens, alleyways

Fire turns back and curses, pulling out his pistol and giving chase, firing several shots at her.

2752 opens by his head, and stays by his head as he sprints after his target. "See? This is what I mean! You were distracted," 

"I was distracted by you!"

"and now she's getting away!"

Fire growls "Not yet she isn't!"

He inhales sharply, sucking in Stormlight from the gemstones he's carrying, and bursts alight. He sheathes his weapons and after they turn a corner, he jumps, and lashes himself to forward. Only once, so that he would be able to change directions quickly, he hoped. 

@Akimikoisthecutest

Cecillia, Mistwarrens, Alleyways

She flared her Tin. The crack-crack of a pistol going off behind her was explosive in her ears. She ducked instinctively, feeling the stone chips ping off the wall next to her.

Then, Fire shouted, "I was distracted by you!"

Cricket stumbled, nearly falling. Her highly-tuned senses found nothing, zero sound waves, zero physical presence that those words could have come from. It was a phantom conversation, a void in her otherwise crystal-clear sensory input.

Fire growled again—a perfectly audible, guttural sound—"Not yet she isn't!"

When he inhaled sharply, pulling in Stormlight. The resulting flash was so bright it momentarily incapacitated Cricket, overwhelming her enhanced sight and making her cry out in pain and sensory overload.

When her vision cleared a second later, she saw him lashing forward, chasing her target—which was her.

She forced herself to move, pushing past the pain. The absence of data was infuriating. She couldn't sense anyone else at all, which meant something fundamental about reality was different here, or it was an internal projection she couldn't access.

Cricket scrambled around the next corner, Fire a streak of blue light gaining on her fast. She couldn't outrun him physically. She needed leverage, data she had.

She stopped short and spun around, pulling her heavy satchel off her shoulder, ready to use it as a deflection shield, prioritizing her research even as she put herself in danger.

"I can't perceive the second speaker!" she yelled, her voice urgent and slightly hysterical with frustration. "You are engaging with a non-existent entity from my perspective! I need a physical manifestation point documented, or my field notes will be incomplete!"

She didn't wait for a response, immediately ducking back around the corner and running toward a high wall she planned to scale. She was gathering data on their reaction to her bizarre line of questioning, trying to find a pattern in their chaos, running blind into the situation with only her boundless, dangerous curiosity as a guide.

[Steel Speedster ♂]

20 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

Tap. Tap. Tap. Aradan walked along the cobbled road. Silence permeated the night, only broken by the sound of his footsteps. The mists always helped him think. He did not fear them, or any man within them, for he had already faced that darkness. The questions of how he had arrived here, how he had survived the journey, my parents' mysterious past. 

That doesn't matter right now. I need to find a place, a—crack. A shot rang out in the air. Crack. Aradan paused, hesitating for a moment. Then he burned pewter. Ahh, that feeling of strength—the feeling of POWER. 

Now to try something I have been wanting to try. Cautiously, he felt at the metal on his chest, and tapped the power within. Raising his arm, Aradan shot a hook out from his makeshift weapon. Then he PULLED and was dragged along the rope leading towards the roof of a nearby tenement.

Breaking into a full sprint, he leaped across rooftops. He reached the corner from which the shots originated. A man lay tied up in an alleyway, seemingly helpless. Aradan burned iron, seeing a blue line point to a gun lying next to him. Jumping down, pewter enhancing his legs, he picked it up. One bullet from the chamber was missing.

His attention turned back to the man. "Who are you? Who did you shoot at? Who tied you up?" Dazed, bound, the man merely pointed his head down another alley.

After again ascending to a rooftop, he landed again. Fwoom. Aradan landed in front of another man. Raising his gun, he said in a low voice, "You mugged that man. Why?"

@Steel Speedster

Thav, Mistwarrens

Thav spun to face the newcomer, his hand moving to his aluminum gun. He did not draw, however, as the stranger already had a weapon trained on him. "Um..."

He tapped zinc, quickly thinking through possible actions. The man seemed to genuinely want an answer. Who was he? An enemy agent? Just someone passing by? Thav burned bronze and sensed to different Allomantic signatures coming from him: pewter and iron. That was certainly unusual. Was he spiked?

For the moment, Thav reasoned, it would be best just to tell the truth. If the man was an enemy, keeping him close might be the best option, and if he wasn't providing more detail couldn't be worse than letting him think Thav was a simple robber.

"He's a criminal," Thav said. "Although he's not the person I'm after. I need information about a group he may be involved with."

He waited, hoping the stranger would accept that as an answer. His hand stayed hovering near his weapon, and he burned bronze and steel, ready to react if the other man attacked.

@Qianweilian

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Whatever you want to do works for me.

Thav has some time before he needs to go to the meeting, so he could give Aradana brief orientation to the Alleyverse if needed. If you want him to tag along to the meeting, I think it would be reasonable to say that Thav (in disguise) can just bring him along as a friend without too much suspicion. And if you want to go do something else while Thav is doing his infiltration and then meet up later, we can do that too.

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

That was unexpected, Aradan thought. After a second, he holstered his gun and scratched his chin. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the man. Something that anyone could say...but he doesn't seem to be lying. If he is lying, than staying close to him might stop another mugging tonight, and regardless, he appears to be honest. 

Now decided, Aradan moved to shake his hand, making sure to keep an eye on his gun. "Very well. I even help you take down this group, if that is what you wish. However, I must request that you will tell me more about the information that you are hunting, and give me some suggestions on where to stay—I have no real knowledge of this city and have been sleeping on the streets. In exchange, I will tell you about myself and attempt to answer any questions you have."

Aradan now was sure that this man—Thav, could very well help him both establish himself, and continue his goals of fighting crime. Maybe we could work together. Pewter or not, there's no way for me to take on criminals by myself.

@Steel Speedster

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I'll think I'll accompany you to this meeting. I don't really have anything else for my character to do; it would be good to get more connections/relationships with other characters. Sorry, it's a bit short.

 

[Steel Speedster ♂]

1 hour ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

That was unexpected, Aradan thought. After a second, he holstered his gun and scratched his chin. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the man. Something that anyone could say...but he doesn't seem to be lying. If he is lying, than staying close to him might stop another mugging tonight, and regardless, he appears to be honest. 

Now decided, Aradan moved to shake his hand, making sure to keep an eye on his gun. "Very well. I even help you take down this group, if that is what you wish. However, I must request that you will tell me more about the information that you are hunting, and give me some suggestions on where to stay—I have no real knowledge of this city and have been sleeping on the streets. In exchange, I will tell you about myself and attempt to answer any questions you have."

Aradan now was sure that this man—Thav, could very well help him both establish himself, and continue his goals of fighting crime. Maybe we could work together. Pewter or not, there's no way for me to take on criminals by myself.

@Steel Speedster

 

Thav, Mistwarrens

Thav relaxed. "Oh. So, you're new here then?" If that was true, it was very unlikely he was working for Thav's enemies. "Well, I don't know how much you've figured out about this place, but it's a sort of nexus for a bunch of different worlds. You step into in alley and sometimes you just come out here. You can't really get out after that. Alleys here can lead to bad places, so be careful about those. People from different places sort of have their own parts of the city. You're Scadrian, so you'll probably be more comfortable around here, but there's a bunch of other districts."

"Anyway," Thav continued. "If you need to know, the person I'm looking for killed a lot of people I cared about. I don't know who he is, but I need to find him, and this meeting is the closest I've ever been."

"So, that's me," he finished, crossing his arms. "Now tell me a little about yourself."

@Qianweilian

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Ok, sounds good.

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

29 minutes ago, Steel Speedster said:

Thav, Mistwarrens

Thav relaxed. "Oh. So, you're new here then?" If that was true, it was very unlikely he was working for Thav's enemies. "Well, I don't know how much you've figured out about this place, but it's a sort of nexus for a bunch of different worlds. You step into in alley and sometimes you just come out here. You can't really get out after that. Alleys here can lead to bad places, so be careful about those. People from different places sort of have their own parts of the city. You're Scadrian, so you'll probably be more comfortable around here, but there's a bunch of other districts."

"Anyway," Thav continued. "If you need to know, the person I'm looking for killed a lot of people I cared about. I don't know who he is, but I need to find him, and this meeting is the closest I've ever been."

"So, that's me," he finished, crossing his arms. "Now tell me a little about yourself."

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

Hmmm. So I guess I'm just stuck here then. I was never really one for regrets... "My name is Aradan and I...," Aradan hesitated for a moment, "I was a lawman of sorts, in the Southern Roughs, if you know that place. I worked with the local constables, and then..." Then I found out about their banditry. "...then I was betrayed and left for dead. I wandered through the wilds for some time, eventually found this," he reaches into his shirt and pulls out a small nicrosil disc for Thav to see. "This is a strange device that lets me burn iron, and then I later found myself here."

He cleared his throat. "I always hated crime, after my parents were..." Even though, they were criminals too, or at least that's what he said they were. Aradan shook his head and continued, "Regardless, I have seen a lot of petty thievery here since I've arrived, and I'm interested in doing what I can to stop it. Helping infiltrate this organization of yours seems to be a reasonable start. I'm actually really lucky to be in a position to help people."

"I'm both a Thug, a Bloodmaker, and I have this medallion for me to burn iron. Unfortunately, I still failed there, so I have to become more powerful somehow. You seem amicable enough, would you like to help me? Clean up the streets? Protect the people?" After Aradan finished, the air was silent for a moment. He then added, "Oh, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you knew somewhere I could sleep."

@Steel Speedster

[Steel Speedster ♂]

16 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

Hmmm. So I guess I'm just stuck here then. I was never really one for regrets... "My name is Aradan and I...," Aradan hesitated for a moment, "I was a lawman of sorts, in the Southern Roughs, if you know that place. I worked with the local constables, and then..." Then I found out about their banditry. "...then I was betrayed and left for dead. I wandered through the wilds for some time, eventually found this," he reaches into his shirt and pulls out a small nicrosil disc for Thav to see. "This is a strange device that lets me burn iron, and then I later found myself here."

He cleared his throat. "I always hated crime, after my parents were..." Even though, they were criminals too, or at least that's what he said they were. Aradan shook his head and continued, "Regardless, I have seen a lot of petty thievery here since I've arrived, and I'm interested in doing what I can to stop it. Helping infiltrate this organization of yours seems to be a reasonable start. I'm actually really lucky to be in a position to help people."

"I'm both a Thug, a Bloodmaker, and I have this medallion for me to burn iron. Unfortunately, I still failed there, so I have to become more powerful somehow. You seem amicable enough, would you like to help me? Clean up the streets? Protect the people?" After Aradan finished, the air was silent for a moment. He then added, "Oh, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you knew somewhere I could sleep."

@Steel Speedster

Thav, Mistwarrens

Thav hesitated. He trusted this man, but he didn't know for sure that that trust was warranted, and Jerrin would not be pleased if he compromised their hideout. The offer of help, however, was tempting. Changing the plan at the last moment seemed risky, but having back-up sounded good.

"Alright," Thav decided. "If you're willing to help, I'll take it. There's still a few hours until the meeting. I know a place where you can stay, at least for the night. It's over in Smokestack--not far. I can show you if you like."

@Qianweilian

[Myst He/Him]

Saitaku, Mistkeep

Saitaku shuffled through the crowded streets. People sure are tensed up by the commotion in… New Halledren? Hallandren.

Whatever it was, Saitaku wasn’t ready to figure it out. Until he had at least something to fall back on, there wasn’t much of a point.

He’d been taught the importance of a backup plan back in Fjordel, he wasn’t making that mistake again.

Saitaku spotted a nearby side-street, and he cut towards it, hopefully it would allow him to avoid the crowd.

Spoiler

@Steel Speedster

 

[Steel Speedster ♂]

Quote

To avoid any potential confusion for anyone else, this character is an NPC. Normally I won't be RPing from his perspective, but for this scene, it was unavoidable.

Mask, Mistkeep

"Saitaku of JinDo," said a cloaked figure, stepping out of the darkness. "We've been observing you. I believe we have...interests in common. We have a bargain for you if you'd like to hear it."

@Mistfallen Soldier

Quote

Just so you know, if you ping someone inside a quote or spoiler block they won't get alerted. Doesn't matter for me, because I get notified by any posts on this thread, but just for future reference.

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

2 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

Thav, Mistwarrens

Thav hesitated. He trusted this man, but he didn't know for sure that that trust was warranted, and Jerrin would not be pleased if he compromised their hideout. The offer of help, however, was tempting. Changing the plan at the last moment seemed risky, but having back-up sounded good.

"Alright," Thav decided. "If you're willing to help, I'll take it. There's still a few hours until the meeting. I know a place where you can stay, at least for the night. It's over in Smokestack--not far. I can show you if you like."

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

For a moment, Aradan paused. After a split second, he decided Thav was being honest with him. He then spoke, “That sounds fine. I’ll help you if you help me. Would you be willing to show me your place in . . . you said, ‘Smokestack,’ right?"

Quote

Okay, this seems fine. If you wish, you can narrate showing my character your hideout and then heading to the meeting.

 

[Steel Speedster ♂]

1 hour ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Mistwarrens

For a moment, Aradan paused. After a split second, he decided Thav was being honest with him. He then spoke, “That sounds fine. I’ll help you if you help me. Would you be willing to show me your place in . . . you said, ‘Smokestack,’ right?"

 

Quote

Skipping forward a little bit:

Thav, Smokestack

Thav led the way back to the hideout, descending the staircase from the street to a fairly spacious but sparsely furnished basement. The walls and floor were hard cement. Furniture was limited to a table and chairs in the middle of the room, a desk in one corner (covered in a pile of newspapers), and a few cabinets and shelves. There was an adjoining hall that led to a few small rooms containing beds.

"Do you need any supplies?" Thav asked. "Metals? We might have some pewter or iron around here somewhere."

@Qianweilian

[Myst He/Him]

9 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

Mask, Mistkeep

"Saitaku of JinDo," said a cloaked figure, stepping out of the darkness. "We've been observing you. I believe we have...interests in common. We have a bargain for you if you'd like to hear it."

@Mistfallen Soldier

 

Saitaku, Mistkeep

Saitaku instinctively reached towards his belt, grasping for a knife, before finally locating the sound of the voice 

I’d better be careful 

Keeping his hand close to his knife, he spoke, “I’d be interested in hearing it. As for whether our interests align… that remains to be seen”

@Steel Speedster

[Qianweilian He/him]

20 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

Thav, Smokestack

Thav led the way back to the hideout, descending the staircase from the street to a fairly spacious but sparsely furnished basement. The walls and floor were hard cement. Furniture was limited to a table and chairs in the middle of the room, a desk in one corner (covered in a pile of newspapers), and a few cabinets and shelves. There was an adjoining hall that led to a few small rooms containing beds.

"Do you need any supplies?" Thav asked. "Metals? We might have some pewter or iron around here somewhere."

Aradan Liese, Smokestacks

Aradan followed Thav into the hideout, scanning around for traps. Apparently satisfied, he took a second to put his things down and stretch. He then replied, “I’m mostly fine on supplies, though I could use some iron. I never really had the opportunity to get much of a stockpile. What’s above us? Is it like a front for this place or is it owned by someone else? Is it unclaimed?"

@Steel Speedster

[Koloss17 She/They]

On 1/24/2026 at 1:55 PM, CoderDrag0n8 said:

"I-Where am I?" Lux asked, looking around, "I've never seen alleyways like this... Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Lux asked, even more bewildered.

Fractal, do you know what's going on?

...

Fractal?

Perses, The Alleys, Belias' Domain

Perses stood there, slack-jawed as Ebon entered the portal after the stranger. He turned to Ebon. "Is this your doing?" he inquired, incredulous. Given the stranger's confusion over Ebon's presence, it seemed unlikely.

Regaining his composure slightly, Perses answered their question. "You're in just about the most dangerous place you could possibly be." He paused, still not fully over what had just happened. "What made you think it was a good idea to follow me of all people?" Ordinary denizens of Alleycity didn't often enter an alleyway, especially if they knew it led into the Alleys. This person certainly wasn't part of the Dark Alleys, not that he had seen them in a long time. Gathering his wits, Perses took a more ominous stance. "Now give me a good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet hole in your chest." The Alleyway closed behind them, blinking out of existence. "I'm not a patient man, so you'll have to answer quickly."

@Hoid Slayer

Quote

Also for other folks' reference: The normal Alleys look as the name would suggest: A never ending chain of alleyways or varying shapes and sizes. There's a lot of variety, but in general its a maze of tight spaces. Here's a quote from Voidus on it: "The only constant is the sky overhead is a dark endless roiling mass. Don't look up. But sometimes regular looking stone alleyways that seemed like they continued forever, sometimes closer to like a street where there were regular doors, sometimes it's like a beach with a blood-red ocean. One of them had baths and some ominous monster growling in the distance"

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

1 hour ago, Koloss17 said:

This person certainly wasn't part of the Dark Alleys, not that he had seen them in a long time.

Quote

I remember from lurking an org. called the Dark Alley. What happened to it? Did it just become inactive?

 

[Koloss17 She/They]

1 hour ago, Qianweilian said:

 

Quote

Pretty much, yeah. A main plot point before era 7, but then when we revived the AV, not a lot of people made characters to do with it

 

[Steel Speedster ♂]

17 hours ago, Mistfallen Soldier said:

Saitaku, Mistkeep

Saitaku instinctively reached towards his belt, grasping for a knife, before finally locating the sound of the voice 

I’d better be careful 

Keeping his hand close to his knife, he spoke, “I’d be interested in hearing it. As for whether our interests align… that remains to be seen”

@Steel Speedster

Mask, Mistkeep

"We both crave the same thing," Mask said. "Power. I have seen you are already powerful, as are we. But one can always have more power, wouldn't you agree? You could be of great service to us. And we could grant you more of what you seek."

He produced a folded piece of paper. It was stamped with a jagged black symbol, like a row of icicles. "This contains directions to a meeting taking place tonight. There, you can hear more, if you wish."

@Mistfallen Soldier

5 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Smokestacks

Aradan followed Thav into the hideout, scanning around for traps. Apparently satisfied, he took a second to put his things down and stretch. He then replied, “I’m mostly fine on supplies, though I could use some iron. I never really had the opportunity to get much of a stockpile. What’s above us? Is it like a front for this place or is it owned by someone else? Is it unclaimed?"

@Steel Speedster

Thav, Smokestack, Hideout

"We own the building above, but it's empty," Thav said. "If people see it's abandoned, there less likely to suspect anything is down here."

He headed towards the hallway to the side of the room. "We might have some iron. I'll take a look." Thav walked down the hall and turned right into one of the rooms near the end. It hadn't been lived in recently, but he and Jerrin had never cleared it out, so there were various odds and ends lying around. This room had belonged to Drin, the team's Lurcher. Sure enough, a drawer in one corner contained a couple metal vials labeled 'iron.'

Thav returned and set the vials down on the table. "Here you are."

@Qianweilian

On 1/24/2026 at 9:48 AM, Hoid Slayer said:

With a groan, Ebon leapt off the roof onto an adjacent one that began to collapse under his weight, until he jumped onto yet another. He abandoned all caution, his body, his muscles, working in perfect cadence to achieve maximum speed. He heard shouts from behind him, but didn't turn, only he jumped again. As he flowed through the air, through the city, he couldn't help but smile, first a grin then an exultation. Yes, this was what he lived for. This was who he was. The voidlight rushing in his veins, the wind against his face, the knife in his hand. Before him, the boy almost reached the Alley - but with every second, the distance between Ebon and him shrunk, until only a street - Ebon leapt off the final roof, and as he fell, his surge recharged. Instantly, he stabbed the obsidian knife into his stomach - a wound that instantly healed around the blade, and brought him more comfort than pain, like a memory of what he used to be - and left his husk behind. In the Transported form, he raced down the street faster than any physical form. When he reformed mere meters from the Alley, he cut down all three guards with a ruthless efficiency, dead before their blood hit the pavement - and when the boy ran through the dimensional gate, he slid in after him.

Jerrin, New Hallandren

Jerrin stood in shock as the Fused from the scene of the explosion appeared out of the air, cutting down the three Nalthian guards in front of him and disappeared into an Alley after the Radiant. Jerrin hesitated for a moment, then tapped steel and dashed after him. 

He closed his eyes, considering how rusting stupid it was to be charging into an Alleyway. When he opened them, he found himself skidding to a halt--not in an interdimensional horrorscape--but on the next street over, still in New Hallandren. The portal had closed. Spinning around and trying to regain his bearings, Jerrin could hear shouting from the direction of the crater. It was time to get out. The Alley was gone, the Fused was gone, he was low on speed, and even his electrum reserves were running out. The shortcut through the alley would give him a decent headstart on the guards.

He took off back towards the Scadrian districts, cursing under his breath. He kept his speed low, trying to conserve as much as possible. It should be enough to get out.

[Qianweilian He/him]

3 minutes ago, Steel Speedster said:

Thav, Smokestack, Hideout

"We own the building above, but it's empty," Thav said. "If people see it's abandoned, there less likely to suspect anything is down here."

He headed towards the hallway to the side of the room. "We might have some iron. I'll take a look." Thav walked down the hall and turned right into one of the rooms near the end. It hadn't been lived in recently, but he and Jerrin had never cleared it out, so there were various odds and ends lying around. This room had belonged to Drin, the team's Lurcher. Sure enough, a drawer in one corner contained a couple metal vials labeled 'iron.'

Thav returned and set the vials down on the table. "Here you are."

Aradan Liese, Smokestacks

Aradan thanked Thav and tucked the iron in the pocket of his coat. Looking around, he walked over and sat on one of the chairs, thinking. This is a nice place. If he’s willing to work with me long term, than this would be an excellent base of operations. Now to think about something else. If I am to effectively deal justice to criminals, I can’t just do it by myself—or even with a team of sorts. I can’t be there everytime someone is mugged, but maybe I can make them think I will be… Criminals often get their way through the fear of retribution, what if I did something similar? Aradan then realized he still had some pewter left unburned. I have more anyways. He then flared his pewter and stored the resulting recovery/healing effects into his goldminds.

@Steel Speedster

[Born of Mist He/Him]

On 1/25/2026 at 1:30 PM, Akimikoisthecutest said:

Cecillia, Mistwarrens, Alleyways

She flared her Tin. The crack-crack of a pistol going off behind her was explosive in her ears. She ducked instinctively, feeling the stone chips ping off the wall next to her.

Then, Fire shouted, "I was distracted by you!"

Cricket stumbled, nearly falling. Her highly-tuned senses found nothing, zero sound waves, zero physical presence that those words could have come from. It was a phantom conversation, a void in her otherwise crystal-clear sensory input.

Fire growled again—a perfectly audible, guttural sound—"Not yet she isn't!"

When he inhaled sharply, pulling in Stormlight. The resulting flash was so bright it momentarily incapacitated Cricket, overwhelming her enhanced sight and making her cry out in pain and sensory overload.

When her vision cleared a second later, she saw him lashing forward, chasing her target—which was her.

She forced herself to move, pushing past the pain. The absence of data was infuriating. She couldn't sense anyone else at all, which meant something fundamental about reality was different here, or it was an internal projection she couldn't access.

Cricket scrambled around the next corner, Fire a streak of blue light gaining on her fast. She couldn't outrun him physically. She needed leverage, data she had.

She stopped short and spun around, pulling her heavy satchel off her shoulder, ready to use it as a deflection shield, prioritizing her research even as she put herself in danger.

"I can't perceive the second speaker!" she yelled, her voice urgent and slightly hysterical with frustration. "You are engaging with a non-existent entity from my perspective! I need a physical manifestation point documented, or my field notes will be incomplete!"

She didn't wait for a response, immediately ducking back around the corner and running toward a high wall she planned to scale. She was gathering data on their reaction to her bizarre line of questioning, trying to find a pattern in their chaos, running blind into the situation with only her boundless, dangerous curiosity as a guide.

Genali'poonulah'likum'kai, Mistwarrens, alleyways

Fire swoops up and lashes himself in her direction. The tempest of stormlight an eager thrill in his veins, urging him onwards.

He forced himself not to answer her question. How was it she was able to get so much out of him? No matter, as she would soon not be able to ask any questions. 

"Can you follow her?" He asked 2752 as he rounds the corner with a few quick lashings. 

"Maybe, what is it human mothers sometimes say to children? Oh I remember! What's the magic word?"

"Please?" He asked, more than a little frustrated, stormlight leaking from his mouth. 

"Yes, I can." She says "Thank you for being polite." She zipped over to where the spiked was trying to get over a wall. He lashed himself towards her ready to end this.

[Myst He/Him]

3 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

Mask, Mistkeep

"We both crave the same thing," Mask said. "Power. I have seen you are already powerful, as are we. But one can always have more power, wouldn't you agree? You could be of great service to us. And we could grant you more of what you seek."

He produced a folded piece of paper. It was stamped with a jagged black symbol, like a row of icicles. "This contains directions to a meeting taking place tonight. There, you can hear more, if you wish."

@Mistfallen Soldier

Thav, Smokestack, Hideout

"We own the building above, but it's empty," Thav said. "If people see it's abandoned, there less likely to suspect anything is down here."

He headed towards the hallway to the side of the room. "We might have some iron. I'll take a look." Thav walked down the hall and turned right into one of the rooms near the end. It hadn't been lived in recently, but he and Jerrin had never cleared it out, so there were various odds and ends lying around. This room had belonged to Drin, the team's Lurcher. Sure enough, a drawer in one corner contained a couple metal vials labeled 'iron.'

Thav returned and set the vials down on the table. "Here you are."

@Qianweilian

Jerrin, New Hallandren

Jerrin stood in shock as the Fused from the scene of the explosion appeared out of the air, cutting down the three Nalthian guards in front of him and disappeared into an Alley after the Radiant. Jerrin hesitated for a moment, then tapped steel and dashed after him. 

He closed his eyes, considering how rusting stupid it was to be charging into an Alleyway. When he opened them, he found himself skidding to a halt--not in an interdimensional horrorscape--but on the next street over, still in New Hallandren. The portal had closed. Spinning around and trying to regain his bearings, Jerrin could hear shouting from the direction of the crater. It was time to get out. The Alley was gone, the Fused was gone, he was low on speed, and even his electrum reserves were running out. The shortcut through the alley would give him a decent headstart on the guards.

He took off back towards the Scadrian districts, cursing under his breath. He kept his speed low, trying to conserve as much as possible. It should be enough to get out.

Saitaku, Mistkeep

Saitaku found himself nodding in agreement, “I’ll have to see this for myself” 

At the very least it can’t hurt

He took the paper, glancing at the directions, “I’ll be there” he said, “I don’t have other plans”

“Tonight then”

@Steel Speedster