Era 9 Episode 2

[Steel Speedster ♂]

19 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

The thugs grabbed Aradan’s shoulders and began pushing him towards a steel door. The laboratory? That doesn’t sound good. Aradan glanced at the scarred man against the wall. Stopping for a second, he questioned, “Who are you? Are you going to just let them lock us away?” He was about to say more, but one of the guards kicked him in the shins, forcing him forwards.

@Steel Speedster@Mistfallen Soldier

3 hours ago, Mistfallen Soldier said:

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown

Saitaku watched the people drag the scadrian. Aradan? Something like that. He’d admitted to having at least pewter and Gold, both very valuable spikes. He spoke up to the man seemingly in charge.

”Hey.. Mask, is it? Are you sure he’s only got pewter and gold?” He took out a knife, “besides, spiking doesn’t work if the subject is tapping gold the whole time”

He wandered towards the laboratory, fingering the blade, “I’m sure you would’ve found someone from the Set with expertise by now” 

He raised an eyebrow, “Do you even have any spikes?”

@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian

 

Mask, Underground, Saferoom

Mask turned back, raising an eyebrow at the JinDo. "All in good time, Saitaku," he said. "While I appreciate your advice, I assure you, we are thoroughly versed in Hemalurgic practices." Though he made no outward sign of discomfort, Mask was beginning to wonder if he had been a bit hasty in inviting this man into their ranks. The more they interacted, the more unreliable and erratic Saitaku seemed to be.

@Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Quote

@Qianweilian Mask is still holding the bag containing Aradan's equipment, and he's not paying much attention to him at the moment, so this could be an opening to grab it if you want.

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

4 hours ago, Mistfallen Soldier said:

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown

Saitaku watched the people drag the scadrian. Aradan? Something like that. He’d admitted to having at least pewter and Gold, both very valuable spikes. He spoke up to the man seemingly in charge.

”Hey.. Mask, is it? Are you sure he’s only got pewter and gold?” He took out a knife, “besides, spiking doesn’t work if the subject is tapping gold the whole time”

He wandered towards the laboratory, fingering the blade, “I’m sure you would’ve found someone from the Set with expertise by now” 

He raised an eyebrow, “Do you even have any spikes?”

@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian

31 minutes ago, Steel Speedster said:

Mask, Underground, Saferoom

Mask turned back, raising an eyebrow at the JinDo. "All in good time, Saitaku," he said. "While I appreciate your advice, I assure you, we are thoroughly versed in Hemalurgic practices." Though he made no outward sign of discomfort, Mask was beginning to wonder if he had been a bit hasty in inviting this man into their ranks. The more they interacted, the more unreliable and erratic Saitaku seemed to be.

@Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

Out of the corner of his eye, Aradan saw Mask turning around, looking at the scarred man—Saitaku, was it? Considering for only a split second, he threw his head back and slammed into the guards pushing him. He dove at Mask, tackling him to the ground. Aradan reached into the bag and grabbed a vial, quickly inhaling it, while also slipping a couple of rings on his fingers. 

While he was distracted, one of the goons jumped at him, dragging him down on the floor. Aradan swiftly gave him a pewter enhanced elbow to the face. Another guard ran up and kicked at him, but he reached into the bag, feeling for the touch of nicrosil. That guard slipped and fell as Aradan Pulled on his belt buckle.

@Steel Speedster@Mistfallen Soldier

Quote

I have spring break coming up this next week, so I’ll probably be less active. I’m not sure what y’all have planned.

@Steel Speedster You've said that Fenna is not going to intervene (on Aradan's behalf). Makes sense. I saw that she is a pewter savant, so I thought a cool scene might be Fenna overpowering Aradan (think Hulk vs Thanos in Infinity War). That probably doesn’t work out into anything good for Aradan though, so it’s probably just an empty possibility.

@Mistfallen Soldier I don’t actually know what Saitaku is going to do here (but it sounds like Mask doesn’t either). If you fight Aradan, that’s not a super possible fight for Aradan, so he’ll probably just run. If you’re on the fence or even help Aradan, then he might stick around a little bit and see what he can find.

[Steel Speedster ♂]

23 minutes ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

Out of the corner of his eye, Aradan saw Mask turning around, looking at the scarred man—Saitaku, was it? Considering for only a split second, he threw his head back and slammed into the guards pushing him. He dove at Mask, tackling him to the ground. Aradan reached into the bag and grabbed a vial, quickly inhaling it, while also slipping a couple of rings on his fingers. 

While he was distracted, one of the goons jumped at him, dragging him down on the floor. Aradan swiftly gave him a pewter enhanced elbow to the face. Another guard ran up and kicked at him, but he reached into the bag, feeling for the touch of nicrosil. That guard slipped and fell as Aradan Pulled on his belt buckle.

@Steel Speedster@Mistfallen Soldier

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom

Fenna turned in surprise as the prisoner, Aradan, broke free of the guards and knocked Mask to the floor, apparently recovering his metals. Storing weight, Fenna leapt up and kicked off a nearby wall, flaring pewter, and launched herself across the room.

@Qianweilian

Quote

It probably makes the most sense if Aradan just runs, because if he were to get captured again, it would become less believable for him to make another escape. We could have Fenna chase him but him ultimately escape, which could be fun. (I don't know that that match-up between them would be super lopsided. I've been assuming that Savantism makes Fenna roughly 3x stronger than a normal person when burning pewter normally (compared to a normal Thug's 2x) and 4x stronger when flaring (compared to a normal Thug's 3x.) (WoB) And while Fenna does also have F-iron, Aradan's F-gold is pretty good too.)

Information that might be relevant for an escape. They are currently in a small underground complex. In one room (you're free to make up whatever room layout you want), there is a ladder and trapdoor that would lead to the basement of an abandoned building in the middle of Smokestack.

 

Edited March 7 by Steel Speedster

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

On 3/5/2026 at 7:40 PM, Through The Living Coder said:

Lux, Mistkeep, Wickwillow Manor

Lux was slightly confused.

He had seen the place fluctuate in the Cognitive realm, and Lux sense something strange was going on in this manor. He... felt... the same being in the last warped alleyway.

It was like... A presence. Like... a giant Eye watching everything.

Lux took stock of the situation.

They were in this huge manor, and his protector was talking to a giant floating eye that resides over all.

His protector, Ebon, seemingly wanted to get somewhere, and fast. To track down a criminal group, or something.

No matter what, Lux made sure to stay silent. No matter how belevolent Ebon seemed, Lux did not want to get on his bad side.

On 3/6/2026 at 10:02 PM, Koloss17 said:

Belias, Miskeep, Wickwillow Manor

Belias was growing tired of this weakling’s presence. But until his plan was complete, killing this weakling would sow distrust in Perses. He sent one of his failed vessels to speak for him.

————————————

the room had an eerie silence to it, as the floorboards didn’t make the creaking noises that an old house like this would make. Instead, the floor made a dull crunching noise, like the floorboards could crumble at any moment. From one of the many doorways into the rest of the mansion, shrouded in darkness, a figure emerged.

A long, spindly creature stood before the two figures, a blank slab of skin wearing deteriorating clothes. As they stood  in the presence of the two, a face grew from the blank head, skin tightening into scales as eyes seeped out from its skull, a hole below it becoming its mouth.
 

Slowly, agonizingly, over the course of a minute, the creature became an amalgamation of the two visitors. Hardened carapace-like skin, with a pair human eyes and a nose. Once it had a stable form, it spoke, its voice triplicating: one being the voice of Ebon, a second being the voice of Lux, and the third being the voice of Belias.

“This Way,” said the voices, tgeir speech overlapping. The creature beckoned, its uncanny arm extending, waving towards the door they emerged from.

@Through The Living Coder

Ebonaryle, Mistkeep, Wickwillow Manor

Ebon watched the arrival of the creature, chills running down his carapace as it spoke. It unnerved him, but as with many things in the Alleyverse, he had grown used to Belias' oddities. In a twisted way, it helped him to think of them in similar terms as Odium's own abominations - ones Ebon had only recently begun to see in their true nature. Belias was simply a mysterious, unbound Unmade. Or at least, that was possible to process.

With a curt nod of gratitude - Ebon knew no greater thanks would sway Belias in his favor - he stepped through the doorway. For an instant, as he hung between the gates, Ebon felt as if he was suspended in a void - the chill air of nowhere caressing his rough flesh. Then he emerged on the other side, and breathed. The air in New Hallandren was different. Generally cleaner, but now, it carried an ashy tinge - remnant of the earlier explosion. This close to the garrison, it was more important than ever for Ebon to remain unseen - but thankfully, from the looks of the alley Belias had deposited them in, they had emerged on the back of the complex. A quick scaling of the nearest wall and creeping to the edge of the roof confirmed it. Here, he was more exposed than he would generally choose to be - anyone looking down from a taller building nearby would be able to see him. But there was no better option now, not with a boy Radiant to drag around, and the situation demanded hurriedness, not calculation. Some bystanders frequented the street, but not many. Ebon turned around on the roof, staying low, waiting for Lux to join him. In his head, a plan was beginning to form.

@Through The Living Coder

[Koloss17 She/They]

2 hours ago, Slay the Living Hoid said:

Ebonaryle, Mistkeep, Wickwillow Manor

Ebon watched the arrival of the creature, chills running down his carapace as it spoke. It unnerved him, but as with many things in the Alleyverse, he had grown used to Belias' oddities. In a twisted way, it helped him to think of them in similar terms as Odium's own abominations - ones Ebon had only recently begun to see in their true nature. Belias was simply a mysterious, unbound Unmade. Or at least, that was possible to process.

With a curt nod of gratitude - Ebon knew no greater thanks would sway Belias in his favor - he stepped through the doorway. For an instant, as he hung between the gates, Ebon felt as if he was suspended in a void - the chill air of nowhere caressing his rough flesh. Then he emerged on the other side, and breathed. The air in New Hallandren was different. Generally cleaner, but now, it carried an ashy tinge - remnant of the earlier explosion. This close to the garrison, it was more important than ever for Ebon to remain unseen - but thankfully, from the looks of the alley Belias had deposited them in, they had emerged on the back of the complex. A quick scaling of the nearest wall and creeping to the edge of the roof confirmed it. Here, he was more exposed than he would generally choose to be - anyone looking down from a taller building nearby would be able to see him. But there was no better option now, not with a boy Radiant to drag around, and the situation demanded hurriedness, not calculation. Some bystanders frequented the street, but not many. Ebon turned around on the roof, staying low, waiting for Lux to join him. In his head, a plan was beginning to form.

@Through The Living Coder

Quote

Technically, more of a journey would be required to get to an Alleyway, but that would only add further stalling, so I like your approach better.

 

[Qianweilian He/him]

On 3/7/2026 at 8:03 AM, Steel Speedster said:

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom

Fenna turned in surprise as the prisoner, Aradan, broke free of the guards and knocked Mask to the floor, apparently recovering his metals. Storing weight, Fenna leapt up and kicked off a nearby wall, flaring pewter, and launched herself across the room.

@Qianweilian

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

“Ow!” Aradan recoiled as the woman clipped him, flying past. Running past, he swung open the steel door. It opened into a hallway, with a cobbled floor, illuminated by electric lamps in the wall. Flaring his pewter, he ran down the hallway and saw three doors, one wood, the other two steel. Glancing back, he saw the guards who had been dragging him in hot pursuit. Quickly, Aradan pulled a pistol out of the bag he was holding and fired off two shots.

@Steel Speedster@Mistfallen Soldier

Quote

I’m sorry I took so long to respond, I was on vacation and needed a break. I should be more active now. I was thinking Aradan could go through the wood door and that would lead to the aforementioned room with a ladder. I don’t know what you want Fenna to do, so I’m thinking just a chase?

@Mistfallen Soldier, as I said before, I’m fine with whatever Saitaku does. 

 

[Myst He/Him]

2 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

“Ow!” Aradan recoiled as the woman clipped him, flying past. Running past, he swung open the steel door. It opened into a hallway, with a cobbled floor, illuminated by electric lamps in the wall. Flaring his pewter, he ran down the hallway and saw three doors, one wood, the other two steel. Glancing back, he saw the guards who had been dragging him in hot pursuit. Quickly, Aradan pulled a pistol out of the bag he was holding and fired off two shots.

@Steel Speedster@Mistfallen Soldier

 

Quote

Alright, I didn’t want to ruin anything. But most likely… He’d try to get a spike from you… and if that didn’t work, he’d “accidentally” get one from someone else. 

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown.

Saitaku quickly took out a spike. Iron. He debated before switching to a copper one. Just in case.

The Scadrian seemed to be very resourceful. Certainly more than these other people…. It’s a shame….

Saitaku rushed after the Scadrian. Before getting to the side as bullets flew past. He looked at the spike in his hand. He couldn’t get close. It’s only copper 

He quickly reached into the doorway and chucked the copper spike into the room many he’d get lucky.

@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian

Quote

Here’s another toy to play with, it can ricochet as you’d like it to. It can bounce back to kill a guard if you want

 

[Steel Speedster ♂]

On 3/15/2026 at 11:57 AM, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

“Ow!” Aradan recoiled as the woman clipped him, flying past. Running past, he swung open the steel door. It opened into a hallway, with a cobbled floor, illuminated by electric lamps in the wall. Flaring his pewter, he ran down the hallway and saw three doors, one wood, the other two steel. Glancing back, he saw the guards who had been dragging him in hot pursuit. Quickly, Aradan pulled a pistol out of the bag he was holding and fired off two shots.

@Steel Speedster@Mistfallen Soldier

 

23 hours ago, Mistfallen Soldier said:

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown.

Saitaku quickly took out a spike. Iron. He debated before switching to a copper one. Just in case.

The Scadrian seemed to be very resourceful. Certainly more than these other people…. It’s a shame….

Saitaku rushed after the Scadrian. Before getting to the side as bullets flew past. He looked at the spike in his hand. He couldn’t get close. It’s only copper 

He quickly reached into the doorway and chucked the copper spike into the room many he’d get lucky.

@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian

 

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom

Fenna landed lightly on the ground and dashed after Aradan as he took off down the hall. She rolled as he turned to fire a pistol backwards, ducking under the bullets. Flaring pewter, she launched herself into a full sprint. As she sped down the hallway towards her quarry, she drew an aluminum dagger--crafted from a stolen spearhead she had acquired during her visit to New Hallandren a year previous--and prepared to strike.

@Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Quote

I don't know how accurate this is, but according to ChatGPT, Fenna could potentially reach running speeds of around 70 mph (although I assume that requires time to accelerate), so she's coming fast.

 

Edited March 16 by Steel Speedster

[Qianweilian He/him]

On 3/16/2026 at 2:54 PM, Steel Speedster said:

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom

Fenna landed lightly on the ground and dashed after Aradan as he took off down the hall. She rolled as he turned to fire a pistol backwards, ducking under the bullets. Flaring pewter, she launched herself into a full sprint. As she sped down the hallway towards her quarry, she drew an aluminum dagger--crafted from a stolen spearhead she had acquired during her visit to New Hallandren a year previous--and prepared to strike.

@Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

Aradan saw a man and a woman, the ones who had been in the cell earlier, dodge and sprint down the hallway at horrifying speeds. Barely hesitating, he fired again and ran down the hallway. Upon reaching the doors, Aradan tugged on the wooden one. It’s locked! Thunk. An orange-brown spike slammed into the floor behind him, chipping the stone tiles. Swiftly, Aradan flared pewter and crashed into the door, splintering it into pieces. He saw a crossroads, one hallway leading to a dimly lit room with a ladder, the other leading to what seemed to be a kitchen of sorts. Pausing for a second, Aradan began to run towards the ladder.

@Steel Speedster @Mistfallen Soldier

Quote

Hey @Steel Speedster and @Mistfallen Soldier, does Fenna or Saitaku have any metal on them? If so, how much?

Not much to say here.

 

[Myst He/Him]

1 hour ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

Aradan saw a man and a woman, the ones who had been in the cell earlier, dodge and sprint down the hallway at horrifying speeds. Barely hesitating, he fired again and ran down the hallway. Upon reaching the doors, Aradan tugged on the wooden one. It’s locked! Thunk. An orange-brown spike slammed into the floor behind him, chipping the stone tiles. Swiftly, Aradan flared pewter and crashed into the door, splintering it into pieces. He saw a crossroads, one hallway leading to a dimly lit room with a ladder, the other leading to what seemed to be a kitchen of sorts. Pausing for a second, Aradan began to run towards the ladder.

@Steel Speedster @Mistfallen Soldier

 

Quote

Saitaku has the three spikes in his body, which obviously would resist any investiture. And besides that his belt buckle is metal, as well as a knife and another non-invested spike

 

[Steel Speedster ♂]

4 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

Aradan saw a man and a woman, the ones who had been in the cell earlier, dodge and sprint down the hallway at horrifying speeds. Barely hesitating, he fired again and ran down the hallway. Upon reaching the doors, Aradan tugged on the wooden one. It’s locked! Thunk. An orange-brown spike slammed into the floor behind him, chipping the stone tiles. Swiftly, Aradan flared pewter and crashed into the door, splintering it into pieces. He saw a crossroads, one hallway leading to a dimly lit room with a ladder, the other leading to what seemed to be a kitchen of sorts. Pausing for a second, Aradan began to run towards the ladder.

@Steel Speedster @Mistfallen Soldier

 

Quote

As a Skimmer, Fenna isn’t worried about steel/iron attacks, so she does have some metal.

Her ironminds on her legs would have some resistance due to being Invested, but it should still be possible to affect them. She also has metal vials attaches tightly to her belt.

 

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

On 3/8/2026 at 8:10 PM, Slay the Living Hoid said:

Ebonaryle, Mistkeep, Wickwillow Manor

Ebon watched the arrival of the creature, chills running down his carapace as it spoke. It unnerved him, but as with many things in the Alleyverse, he had grown used to Belias' oddities. In a twisted way, it helped him to think of them in similar terms as Odium's own abominations - ones Ebon had only recently begun to see in their true nature. Belias was simply a mysterious, unbound Unmade. Or at least, that was possible to process.

With a curt nod of gratitude - Ebon knew no greater thanks would sway Belias in his favor - he stepped through the doorway. For an instant, as he hung between the gates, Ebon felt as if he was suspended in a void - the chill air of nowhere caressing his rough flesh. Then he emerged on the other side, and breathed. The air in New Hallandren was different. Generally cleaner, but now, it carried an ashy tinge - remnant of the earlier explosion. This close to the garrison, it was more important than ever for Ebon to remain unseen - but thankfully, from the looks of the alley Belias had deposited them in, they had emerged on the back of the complex. A quick scaling of the nearest wall and creeping to the edge of the roof confirmed it. Here, he was more exposed than he would generally choose to be - anyone looking down from a taller building nearby would be able to see him. But there was no better option now, not with a boy Radiant to drag around, and the situation demanded hurriedness, not calculation. Some bystanders frequented the street, but not many. Ebon turned around on the roof, staying low, waiting for Lux to join him. In his head, a plan was beginning to form.

@Through The Living Coder

@Through The Living Coder

[CoderDrag0n8 He/They]

On 3/6/2026 at 7:02 PM, Koloss17 said:

Belias, Miskeep, Wickwillow Manor

Belias was growing tired of this weakling’s presence. But until his plan was complete, killing this weakling would sow distrust in Perses. He sent one of his failed vessels to speak for him.

————————————

the room had an eerie silence to it, as the floorboards didn’t make the creaking noises that an old house like this would make. Instead, the floor made a dull crunching noise, like the floorboards could crumble at any moment. From one of the many doorways into the rest of the mansion, shrouded in darkness, a figure emerged.

A long, spindly creature stood before the two figures, a blank slab of skin wearing deteriorating clothes. As they stood  in the presence of the two, a face grew from the blank head, skin tightening into scales as eyes seeped out from its skull, a hole below it becoming its mouth.
 

Slowly, agonizingly, over the course of a minute, the creature became an amalgamation of the two visitors. Hardened carapace-like skin, with a pair human eyes and a nose. Once it had a stable form, it spoke, its voice triplicating: one being the voice of Ebon, a second being the voice of Lux, and the third being the voice of Belias.

“This Way,” said the voices, tgeir speech overlapping. The creature beckoned, its uncanny arm extending, waving towards the door they emerged from.

@Through The Living Coder

Quote

guess whos back

back again

Coder's back

tell a friend

sorry guys been a while also my jaw is in excruciating pain (Minor exageration) so this post might not be the bestest.

Lux, Miskeep, Wickwillow Manor

Lux seemed incredibly creeped out as he walked alongside the strange creature.

Well that's... not normal...

On 3/8/2026 at 6:10 PM, Slay the Living Hoid said:

Ebonaryle, Mistkeep, Wickwillow Manor

Ebon watched the arrival of the creature, chills running down his carapace as it spoke. It unnerved him, but as with many things in the Alleyverse, he had grown used to Belias' oddities. In a twisted way, it helped him to think of them in similar terms as Odium's own abominations - ones Ebon had only recently begun to see in their true nature. Belias was simply a mysterious, unbound Unmade. Or at least, that was possible to process.

With a curt nod of gratitude - Ebon knew no greater thanks would sway Belias in his favor - he stepped through the doorway. For an instant, as he hung between the gates, Ebon felt as if he was suspended in a void - the chill air of nowhere caressing his rough flesh. Then he emerged on the other side, and breathed. The air in New Hallandren was different. Generally cleaner, but now, it carried an ashy tinge - remnant of the earlier explosion. This close to the garrison, it was more important than ever for Ebon to remain unseen - but thankfully, from the looks of the alley Belias had deposited them in, they had emerged on the back of the complex. A quick scaling of the nearest wall and creeping to the edge of the roof confirmed it. Here, he was more exposed than he would generally choose to be - anyone looking down from a taller building nearby would be able to see him. But there was no better option now, not with a boy Radiant to drag around, and the situation demanded hurriedness, not calculation. Some bystanders frequented the street, but not many. Ebon turned around on the roof, staying low, waiting for Lux to join him. In his head, a plan was beginning to form.

@Through The Living Coder

Lux scarmbled to the top of the wall.

Does this man expect me to scale a wall that quickly?

Lux shook it off, and took one moment to breath. He looked around.

I'm... out of the alleyways... Lux through, staring at the city. He quickly peered into the cognitive realm to confirm it, and there it was. The nice, beautiful normality of this world.

He snapped back to the physical realm, and prepared for Ebon's next move.

[Lunamor she/her]

Eza, Underground, Unknown

Eza sat still and quiet in her cell, huddled with her knees pressed against her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Thinking was hard. Thoughts slipped through the holes burrowing from one end of her brain to the other before she could process them. Sensations were simpler to understand, though. Something in her was missing. Her insides were dark. Not the comforting, hiding presence of the night. It was the darkness of an empty clay pot, the lid sealed tight on a great big bunch of nothing. 

That nothingness threatened to swallow her whole, so she focused on her hands. Her hands shook. Her hands were pale. Her hands were too bright. Her hands were wrong.

This was familiar to her, in a way. She’d felt like this before, in a prison that time too. It’d maybe be funny if prisons were funny. She wasn’t in a cell that time, though. The sensations were different, but the feeling was the same. She’d maybe died, she wasn’t sure. She didn’t remember much. She didn’t want to remember much. Starting to die again was making her remember.

The sensations crept towards becoming tiring thoughts, so she tried to stop focusing on them. That made her mind blank, leaving room for more thoughts of the past. Thoughts of the warmth of iron burning in her stomach, bright lines stretching from her sternum to beautiful things. Thinking of that made her muscles ache and foot tap. So, she focused on her hands again. Her clammy, trembling, not-right hands.

There was a way to get iron, or so her captors had told her. They said they’d give her some if she told them where she hid what she had taken. But there were other things there, things she couldn’t lose. They’d probably just kill her after she told them where it was, anyways. She’d sensed a spike through the shoulder of the person who’d first caught her by the arm with too much strength and dragged her into custody, so there was little doubt they wanted to steal her power after they got the information they wanted from her. Eza didn’t much fancy a spike through her eye, so she stayed silent and quietly continued to hurt.

—————————

There was a new sensation- sound. Gunshots. Wood splintering. Grunts of pain. Normally that was a bad thing. It was getting closer. But it was something other than her hands, so she shakily pushed herself to her feet and shuffled towards the edge of her cell. If someone was fighting against the people here, then maybe they’d be willing to help her. It was a faint hope, but that was all she had. She yelled in the direction of the noise, slightly raising the pitch of her voice to make it sound younger. She made no attempt to conceal her fear or desperation.

“Someone, please help! They’re gonna kill me soon!”

Unlike many things she claimed, she didn’t think that was a lie.

@Qianweilian

@Steel Speedster

@Mistfallen Soldier

[Qianweilian He/him]

On 3/18/2026 at 4:45 PM, Lunamor said:

Eza, Underground, Unknown

Eza sat still and quiet in her cell, huddled with her knees pressed against her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Thinking was hard. Thoughts slipped through the holes burrowing from one end of her brain to the other before she could process them. Sensations were simpler to understand, though. Something in her was missing. Her insides were dark. Not the comforting, hiding presence of the night. It was the darkness of an empty clay pot, the lid sealed tight on a great big bunch of nothing. 

That nothingness threatened to swallow her whole, so she focused on her hands. Her hands shook. Her hands were pale. Her hands were too bright. Her hands were wrong.

This was familiar to her, in a way. She’d felt like this before, in a prison that time too. It’d maybe be funny if prisons were funny. She wasn’t in a cell that time, though. The sensations were different, but the feeling was the same. She’d maybe died, she wasn’t sure. She didn’t remember much. She didn’t want to remember much. Starting to die again was making her remember.

The sensations crept towards becoming tiring thoughts, so she tried to stop focusing on them. That made her mind blank, leaving room for more thoughts of the past. Thoughts of the warmth of iron burning in her stomach, bright lines stretching from her sternum to beautiful things. Thinking of that made her muscles ache and foot tap. So, she focused on her hands again. Her clammy, trembling, not-right hands.

There was a way to get iron, or so her captors had told her. They said they’d give her some if she told them where she hid what she had taken. But there were other things there, things she couldn’t lose. They’d probably just kill her after she told them where it was, anyways. She’d sensed a spike through the shoulder of the person who’d first caught her by the arm with too much strength and dragged her into custody, so there was little doubt they wanted to steal her power after they got the information they wanted from her. Eza didn’t much fancy a spike through her eye, so she stayed silent and quietly continued to hurt.

—————————

There was a new sensation- sound. Gunshots. Wood splintering. Grunts of pain. Normally that was a bad thing. It was getting closer. But it was something other than her hands, so she shakily pushed herself to her feet and shuffled towards the edge of her cell. If someone was fighting against the people here, then maybe they’d be willing to help her. It was a faint hope, but that was all she had. She yelled in the direction of the noise, slightly raising the pitch of her voice to make it sound younger. She made no attempt to conceal her fear or desperation.

“Someone, please help! They’re gonna kill me soon!”

Unlike many things she claimed, she didn’t think that was a lie.

@Qianweilian

@Steel Speedster

@Mistfallen Soldier

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

“Someone, please help! They’re gonna kill me soon!” Aradan’s blood ran cold. Someone else was here, trapped. The shout came from down the hallway, past the ladder into another room. I have to rescue them. Aradan dashed past the room with the ladder and found the door from which the shouts came. Quickly, he flared pewter and pulled the door off its hinges. “Are you alright?"

@Steel Speedster @Through the Living Mist @Lunamor

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

On 3/17/2026 at 10:18 PM, Through The Living Coder said:

Lux, Miskeep, Wickwillow Manor

Lux seemed incredibly creeped out as he walked alongside the strange creature.

Well that's... not normal...

Lux scarmbled to the top of the wall.

Does this man expect me to scale a wall that quickly?

Lux shook it off, and took one moment to breath. He looked around.

I'm... out of the alleyways... Lux through, staring at the city. He quickly peered into the cognitive realm to confirm it, and there it was. The nice, beautiful normality of this world.

He snapped back to the physical realm, and prepared for Ebon's next move.

Ebonaryle, New Hallandren, New Hallandren Garrison

Ebon saw Lux arrive, and began to hum the Rhythm of Executions. Other Fused used it rarely, only for when the blood was so close it could be tasted. To Ebon, it was second nature. And today, there would be blood.

"Listen," he calmly commanded Lux. "See that door?" He nodded towards the gates of the garrison. "I need you to go over there, and make the biggest distraction you can." He finally turned to the boy Radiant. "You may begin as soon as you'd like."

[Ink and Embers Any pronouns]

2 hours ago, Slay the Living Hoid said:

Ebonaryle, New Hallandren, New Hallandren Garrison

Ebon saw Lux arrive, and began to hum the Rhythm of Executions. Other Fused used it rarely, only for when the blood was so close it could be tasted. To Ebon, it was second nature. And today, there would be blood.

"Listen," he calmly commanded Lux. "See that door?" He nodded towards the gates of the garrison. "I need you to go over there, and make the biggest distraction you can." He finally turned to the boy Radiant. "You may begin as soon as you'd like."

Cayansa, New Hallandren, New Hallandren Garrison 

Cayansa wandered over to the noticeboards lining the corridor. The images burned brightly with BioChroma - maybe to make them more memorable? - and depicted a range of people with charges listed beneath their names.

Less than half of these people are human, Cayansa frowned. That seems unfair. Most of this district seemed human on the way here. So why?

They glanced back, checking if Starseeker and Kai had left the room yet. 

@KnightSkye Reforged @Through The Living KSauce

[Lunamor she/her]

7 hours ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

“Someone, please help! They’re gonna kill me soon!” Aradan’s blood ran cold. Someone else was here, trapped. The shout came from down the hallway, past the ladder into another room. I have to rescue them. Aradan dashed past the room with the ladder and found the door from which the shouts came. Quickly, he flared pewter and pulled the door off its hinges. “Are you alright?"

@Steel Speedster @Through the Living Mist @Lunamor

Eza immediately stumbled out of the cell. She looked at her rescuer, dark circles under her eyes. Help had come quite a bit faster than she expected. Really, she hadn’t expected any at all.

”I’m good enough to run. Thanks for busting me out.”

She needed iron. Instinctively, she tried to burn it to see if the man had any on his person. That only made the emptiness within her seem to grow. She shuddered slightly.

”You wouldn’t happen to have any iron? I can pay you back for it once we get out of here, I have a lot of money.”

Hopefully a promise of payment would help motivate this guy to make sure she made it out of here. She wasn’t sure that trusting him was a good idea, but him rushing to her aid was a good sign. Besides, it wasn’t like she had any other options.

@Steel Speedster

@Through the Living Mist

@Qianweilian

Edited March 23 by Lunamor
Forgot a tag

[Myst He/Him]

5 minutes ago, Lunamor said:

Eza immediately stumbled out of the cell. She looked at her rescuer, dark circles under her eyes. Help had come quite a bit faster than she expected. Really, she hadn’t expected any at all.

”I’m good enough to run. Thanks for busting me out.”

She needed iron. Instinctively, she tried to burn it to see if the man had any on his person. That only made the emptiness within her seem to grow. She shuddered slightly.

”You wouldn’t happen to have any iron? I can pay you back for it once we get out of here, I have a lot of money.”

Hopefully a promise of payment would help motivate this guy to make sure she made it out of here. She wasn’t sure that trusting him was a good idea, but him rushing to her aid was a good sign. Besides, it wasn’t like she had any other options.

@Steel Speedster

@Through the Living Mist

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown

Saitaku made his way into the room, after someone else had went first, of course. There was some people near an open door, which seemed to be some sort of cell.

Saitaku grabbed another clean spike. Bronze. He rushed forward, trying to impale at least someone in the room.

[Steel Speedster ♂]

45 minutes ago, Lunamor said:

Eza immediately stumbled out of the cell. She looked at her rescuer, dark circles under her eyes. Help had come quite a bit faster than she expected. Really, she hadn’t expected any at all.

”I’m good enough to run. Thanks for busting me out.”

She needed iron. Instinctively, she tried to burn it to see if the man had any on his person. That only made the emptiness within her seem to grow. She shuddered slightly.

”You wouldn’t happen to have any iron? I can pay you back for it once we get out of here, I have a lot of money.”

Hopefully a promise of payment would help motivate this guy to make sure she made it out of here. She wasn’t sure that trusting him was a good idea, but him rushing to her aid was a good sign. Besides, it wasn’t like she had any other options.

@Steel Speedster

@Through the Living Mist

Fenna, Underground, Cell Block

Fenna skidded to a halt as she burst into the room. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed in surprise, panic setting in. Part of her still didn't want to see anything bad happen to Eza, but if she was an enemy of her new employers...

36 minutes ago, Through the Living Mist said:

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown

Saitaku made his way into the room, after someone else had went first, of course. There was some people near an open door, which seemed to be some sort of cell.

Saitaku grabbed another clean spike. Bronze. He rushed forward, trying to impale at least someone in the room.

Just then, Fenna heard someone coming from behind. She stored weight and leapt aside as Saitaku charged into the room wielding a spike. "What are you doing, you maniac?" she demanded.

@Qianweilian @Lunamor @Through the Living Mist

Edited March 23 by Steel Speedster

[Myst He/Him]

14 minutes ago, Steel Speedster said:

Fenna, Underground, Cell Block

Fenna skidded to a halt as she burst into the room. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed in surprise, panic setting in. Part of her still didn't want to see anything bad happen to Eza, but if she was an enemy of her new employers...

Just then, Fenna heard someone coming from behind. She stored weight and leapt aside as Saitaku charged into the room wielding a spike. "What are you doing, you maniac?" she demanded.

@Qianweilian @Lunamor @Through the Living Mist

Saitaku, Underground

Saitaku looked at the woman, “What? You expect me to let a prisoner get away?” He looked at the two escapees, “and it seems they’ve found another”

He tightened his grip on his spike, surveying the two, the Scadrian had proven to be rather resourceful, but Saitaku wasn’t fond of engaging people who he didn’t have some idea of their strength.

Saitaku charged towards the Scadrian, trying to impale him with his enhanced strength. 
@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian @Lunamor

Quote

I would not recommend being stabbed by him. Aside from having a bit of your spirit-web taken off, you’d have a rather large bloody hole in your body. 

 

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

3 hours ago, Through the Living Ink said:

Cayansa, New Hallandren, New Hallandren Garrison 

Cayansa wandered over to the noticeboards lining the corridor. The images burned brightly with BioChroma - maybe to make them more memorable? - and depicted a range of people with charges listed beneath their names.

Less than half of these people are human, Cayansa frowned. That seems unfair. Most of this district seemed human on the way here. So why?

They glanced back, checking if Starseeker and Kai had left the room yet. 

@KnightSkye Reforged @Through The Living KSauce

Starseeker, New Hallandren, New Hallandren Garrison

Starseeker followed Cayansa.

"Do we go back to the crater?" he asked.

@Through the Living Ink @KnightSkye Reforged

[Qianweilian He/him]

2 hours ago, Through the Living Mist said:

Saitaku, Underground

Saitaku looked at the woman, “What? You expect me to let a prisoner get away?” He looked at the two escapees, “and it seems they’ve found another”

He tightened his grip on his spike, surveying the two, the Scadrian had proven to be rather resourceful, but Saitaku wasn’t fond of engaging people who he didn’t have some idea of their strength.

Saitaku charged towards the Scadrian, trying to impale him with his enhanced strength. 
@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian @Lunamor

 

2 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

Fenna, Underground, Cell Block

Fenna skidded to a halt as she burst into the room. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed in surprise, panic setting in. Part of her still didn't want to see anything bad happen to Eza, but if she was an enemy of her new employers...

Just then, Fenna heard someone coming from behind. She stored weight and leapt aside as Saitaku charged into the room wielding a spike. "What are you doing, you maniac?" she demanded.

@Qianweilian @Lunamor @Through the Living Mist

3 hours ago, Through the Living Mist said:

Saitaku, Underground, Unknown

Saitaku made his way into the room, after someone else had went first, of course. There was some people near an open door, which seemed to be some sort of cell.

Saitaku grabbed another clean spike. Bronze. He rushed forward, trying to impale at least someone in the room.

3 hours ago, Lunamor said:

Eza immediately stumbled out of the cell. She looked at her rescuer, dark circles under her eyes. Help had come quite a bit faster than she expected. Really, she hadn’t expected any at all.

”I’m good enough to run. Thanks for busting me out.”

She needed iron. Instinctively, she tried to burn it to see if the man had any on his person. That only made the emptiness within her seem to grow. She shuddered slightly.

”You wouldn’t happen to have any iron? I can pay you back for it once we get out of here, I have a lot of money.”

Hopefully a promise of payment would help motivate this guy to make sure she made it out of here. She wasn’t sure that trusting him was a good idea, but him rushing to her aid was a good sign. Besides, it wasn’t like she had any other options.

@Steel Speedster

@Through the Living Mist

@Qianweilian

Quote

Wow, this is quite the gang here. Also, @Through the Living Mist, what “Scadrian” are you talking about? There’s at least two in this room, maybe more.

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

The scarred man lunged at him with what seemed to be a railroad spike. Quite strange, Aradan thought as he jumped out of the way. Moving fast, he threw one of his metal vials to the woman who was in the cell. Hopefully she’s trustworthy enough. 

Aradan pulled a pistol out of the bag he was holding and pointed it, along with the one he was already holding, pointed his guns at the scarred man and the woman who had been chasing him so inhumanly fast. How am I going to get out of this. “Stop! Stop. Or, I’ll shoot!” Without waiting to see the reaction, he grabbed the prisoner (Eza), and shoved through the two others in the room. Pushing her aside, he picked up and door and shoved it back onto the frame. 

Aradan then broke out into a sprint, pushing the prisoner along. “Quickly, now. I don’t want to be captured, or worse, stabbed by the scarred man. That vial has iron. There’s an exit up the hallway to the left."

@Lunamor@Steel Speedster@Through the Living Mist

Quote

I don’t think that I did too much without giving y’all a chance to react, though I apologize if I did. I’m curious, do y’all want to keep this mostly contained down in this bunker, or do you want to let it break out onto the streets? (maybe even get some other characters involved?) @Lunamor, you said that Eza has “a lot of money.” While Aradan did not rescue Eza for the money, he is kind of destitute and would appreciate it. (If Eza is that philanthropic) @Steel Speedster, where is Thav? If I ran to the secret hideout, would he be there? Also a good question, what time is it? How long has it been since the meeting in the cave? @Through the Living Mist, is Saitaku just going to go stab stab? Just Aradan, or Eza or Fenna too? I’d love if you’d give some insight as to what your next couple of posts are going to consist of?

[Steel Speedster ♂]

3 minutes ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

The scarred man lunged at him with what seemed to be a railroad spike. Quite strange, Aradan thought as he jumped out of the way. Moving fast, he threw one of his metal vials to the woman who was in the cell. Hopefully she’s trustworthy enough. 

Aradan pulled a pistol out of the bag he was holding and pointed it, along with the one he was already holding, pointed his guns at the scarred man and the woman who had been chasing him so inhumanly fast. How am I going to get out of this. “Stop! Stop. Or, I’ll shoot!” Without waiting to see the reaction, he grabbed the prisoner (Eza), and shoved through the two others in the room. Pushing her aside, he picked up and door and shoved it back onto the frame. 

Aradan then broke out into a sprint, pushing the prisoner along. “Quickly, now. I don’t want to be captured, or worse, stabbed by the scarred man. That vial has iron. There’s an exit up the hallway to the left."

@Lunamor@Steel Speedster@Through the Living Mist

Quote

I have not RPd Thav for a while, because not a lot of time has passed since he escaped the meeting. (Although I probably should get back to him soon.) He is probably not at the hideout yet.

As for the time, I suppose it must still be some time in the middle of the night, as it's only been a few hours (at most) since the meeting. (It's not clear how long Saitaku and Aradan were unconscious.) If you want this to spill out into the streets that would work for me. There's not a lot going on in the bunker, and you have to escape somehow.

 

[Lunamor she/her]

4 hours ago, Steel Speedster said:

Fenna, Underground, Cell Block

Fenna skidded to a halt as she burst into the room. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed in surprise, panic setting in. Part of her still didn't want to see anything bad happen to Eza, but if she was an enemy of her new employers...

Just then, Fenna heard someone coming from behind. She stored weight and leapt aside as Saitaku charged into the room wielding a spike. "What are you doing, you maniac?" she demanded.

@Qianweilian @Lunamor @Through the Living Mist

Eza cocked her head curiously upon seeing Fenna. Why was she here? She was pretty sure that Fenna was a good person, but had never been able to figure it out for sure. Best not to give her any information.

”I dunno!”

4 hours ago, Through the Living Mist said:

Saitaku, Underground

Saitaku looked at the woman, “What? You expect me to let a prisoner get away?” He looked at the two escapees, “and it seems they’ve found another”

He tightened his grip on his spike, surveying the two, the Scadrian had proven to be rather resourceful, but Saitaku wasn’t fond of engaging people who he didn’t have some idea of their strength.

Saitaku charged towards the Scadrian, trying to impale him with his enhanced strength. 
@Steel Speedster @Qianweilian @Lunamor

 

Eza’s eyes widened in fright for the slightest of moments, then narrowed in anger. This thing was trying to spike someone. She wished she had her daggers with her.

1 hour ago, Qianweilian said:

Aradan Liese, Underground, Unknown

The scarred man lunged at him with what seemed to be a railroad spike. Quite strange, Aradan thought as he jumped out of the way. Moving fast, he threw one of his metal vials to the woman who was in the cell. Hopefully she’s trustworthy enough. 

Aradan pulled a pistol out of the bag he was holding and pointed it, along with the one he was already holding, pointed his guns at the scarred man and the woman who had been chasing him so inhumanly fast. How am I going to get out of this. “Stop! Stop. Or, I’ll shoot!” Without waiting to see the reaction, he grabbed the prisoner (Eza), and shoved through the two others in the room. Pushing her aside, he picked up and door and shoved it back onto the frame. 

Aradan then broke out into a sprint, pushing the prisoner along. “Quickly, now. I don’t want to be captured, or worse, stabbed by the scarred man. That vial has iron. There’s an exit up the hallway to the left."

@Lunamor@Steel Speedster@Through the Living Mist

Eza barely blinked at the inhuman feats of strength by this stranger. After two years in the Alleys, sights like these weren’t particularly impressive anymore. He probably just had pewter or something, like Fenna.

She figured that since the man was pointing a gun at Fenna to stop her, she probably wasn’t going to be on their side. The monster seemed to be on her side somewhat, though Fenna didn’t seem to approve of him spiking people. Eza decided that leaving her in a jail cell with the thing was probably not going to kill her.

She quickly dumped the contents of the vial into her mouth, reasonably confident it wasn’t poisoned. She started to burn the iron slowly, desperately wanting to stoke the fire within her into an inferno but not wanting to run out of iron too quickly. The fog obscuring her thoughts cleared, her hands quit shaking, and faint blue lines sprung out from her chest. The emptiness rapidly faded away.

Eza shifted so that she was running next to the man rather than in front of him, then held her head sideways. She tried her best to keep track of the blue lines stretching both behind her and in front of her. She was incredibly tempted to yank on a particularly thick blue line up ahead she thought could support her weight, but she couldn’t just ditch this guy after he’d helped her. She knew how to potentially keep the monster from impaling them.

Quote

Eza is currently failing to put together the fact that people with vials that have iron probably also have allomantic iron. She’s also still following Aradan‘s lead on where to go.

@Qianweilian

@Steel Speedster

@Through the Living Mist

Edited March 23 by Lunamor