Heirs to the Final Empire: Roleplaying Thread

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Generation 6: The Skaa Rebellion Part 2

 

Turn 1

 
The Lord Ruler sat on his iron throne, alone in the room. He stared down at the congealed pool of blood before him, the splattered body of the former Lord Heatherlocke tossed aside like a fishing boat in a storm. His head lay scattered around somewhere, but he didn't care to see where it had rolled to after it was displaced.
 
There was silence, aside from the slow dripping of blood from The Lord Ruler's hand to the floor. It wasn't just Lord Heatherlocke's blood; the skin on the back of his hand had split in his rage, his body strengthened but not fortified, and he didn't care enough to fix it. The pain was good, it helped him think. Helped him remember of the last person who had annoyed him this much. But he had died many centuries ago, a name forgotten in the annals of time.
 
Could he have achieved this? No, of course not. Even assuming that the false-Hero had used these powers, as they wanted to be used, he would never have embraced the philosophy of Preservation. It had been hard work, slowly but surely moving towards an unchanging world. Science, fashion, even social status did not change much here. His Inquisitors saw to that. A world in perfect stasis, an hourglass turned on its side.
 
A pulse of power. His mind turned to its source, the terrible and great prisoner held beneath the palace. This was his doing, he knew that. Ruin. A cold force of unflinching destruction. Not malicious, in theory, but apathetic towards people. It was not a person, or perhaps even a force of nature. It was an inevitability, a terminus that the world approached ever closer. It was the slow march of time, the unstoppable onset of entropy, the cold embrace of death. It was the unstoppable end of all things.
 
But while it could only truly mimic human emotion now, that did not mean that Ruin - or rather the mind that held and was consumed by its power – was not sentient. Ruin was the most dangerous of powers, it was intelligent destruction rather than unbridled chaos. Even as he beheld a small sample of the infinite scope of the Cosmere all those years ago, he could feel it working against him, gently turning the tumblers of its locked cage.
 
Lord Penrod was a fool, but an earnest one. His family were all rather closely linked to the Steel Ministry, providing materials for it to use and bodies to serve it. And so, in helping to codify them, he had developed a detachment from the laws of The Final Empire. He probably did not even think to consider what he was doing went against divine law. But ultimately, he could forgive Lord Penrod his folly; in his final moments, he served the Steel Ministry's cause once again, as a warning and a threat.
 
Lord Heatherlocke on the other hand was one of his most promising and most cunning nobles. Like Penrod, he had been granted a city to rule and to shape and mould. But unlike the Penrods, he had expanded his horizons, making more use of the lands of The Final Empire, and helping with the incarceration of its lesser nobles. An enforcer of laws, rather than their writer. If any should have known the repercussions of defying his laws, it should have been House Heatherlocke.
 
And yet, inexplicably, the man and his House had turned on him. An army was led to his city, and while the attempt was futile, it angered him far more than he had thought was possible these days. He had saved this world, and in another five-hundred years, he would save it again. Then another millenium after that. And after that. Every thousand and twenty-four years, he would take the powers that the Well had to offer and use them to tighten his hold on the world, and to keep back the chaos that would overcome it otherwise. It was why he needed everything to remain the same. Every small change deviated from his plan, threatened to bring the world into Ruin's grasp.
 
Ruin had a hand in Lord Heatherlocke's treason – Perhaps Lord Penrod's too, but he didn't know that for sure. Ruin had whispered in Heatherlocke's ear, promising him power, and Heatherlocke had listened. The fact that he was ultimately unsuccessful in the face of the Empire's koloss didn't matter, that was not the victory Ruin had sought. Heatherlocke and the skaa rebellion, both worked against him by showing he could be fought. Both needed to be mercilessly crushed if his reign was to continue, and his world saved.
 
And even then, even ignoring the victory that Ruin had scored in the minds of his people, there was one other change he could not stomach, for in this it was his own fault. Heatherlocke was one of his most trusted nobles, and he had rewarded him with the most dangerous gift of all – knowledge.
 
“I've told them,” Heatherlocke had said as he knelt on the floor before The Lord Ruler earlier, blooded and beaten but alive. “They all know now – The eleventh metal!” There was a manic grin on his face, even as his head was ripped from his neck.
 
He clenched his hand on the chair's arm as it finally stopped bleeding. His temper had overcome him, and he had killed Heatherlocke there and then. All-in-all, the knowledge of aluminium did very little to overcome him personally, as it was very difficult to force someone to burn a metal. He could hardly ban the metal either, not without appearing weak. But the implication that worried him.
 
Ten metals he had granted his nobility, and only ten. Four physical, four mental, one temporal, and atium. Now they knew of one more, one which fit none of the three categories they knew of before. And once they knew of eleven, they would naturally search for the twelfth – Elven was an odd number, its only interesting feature being that it was prime. Twelve, however... Four physical, four mental and four higher, two of which were temporal, two of which affected metal reserves. But then that was three sets of four...
 
Humans, he knew this from observing them for so long, loved to find patterns in things. Perhaps it was in their nature due to Preservation's influence, a ravenous need to keep everything the same. No, at this point, it was only a matter of time before the entire Allomantic system he had developed fell apart.
 
Although... Perhaps not. Aside from gold, which was fairly abundant and remained pure for the most part, the other metals not a part of the eight 'basic' metals were not easy to obtain. Even aluminium was difficult to obtain in a usable form, as his own servants had to resort to mining it from within the ashmounts. The next most available source was in gemstones, and it would be impossible that his nobility could learn to use that without him knowing. Pleasingly, with the technological level of the Empire, it too would almost be impossible to obtain. Yes, this could work.
 
An Obligator approached him some time later, hesitant to disturb his thoughts.
 
“Inform the Great Houses that the Canton of Resource will be selling small amounts of aluminium for their use. Also inform them that the price of atium will be increasing in light of Heatherlocke's treachery, as punishment for their lax ability to spot his turncoat nature.” He smiled a little as the Obligator left. Yes, that should be enough, particularly in light of recent events. And now, he could turn his mind to the other problem, the Skaa Rebellion...

 

And, hidden from the physical world, a lost soul looked on with dismay, quietly watching as the future began to unravel.

 
Generation 6 Player List

• little wilson – Tarek Wilson
• Unodus – Atelt Uethorn
• Venture Mistborn - Maximus Orielle
• OrlokTsubodai – Solon Tekiel
• Aonar Faileas – Lucca Izenry
• phattemer – Cimula Erikell
• Araris Valerian – Araris Penrod
• Shallan – Vinna Vinid
• Maillie73 – Quáit Zerrung
• Deathclutch19 – Joanna Jormundgand
• Comatose - Kenneth Elariel
• Ashiok - Tyden Noir
• Tony Shark - Tony Shark Aquariupolus

​

 

Generation 6 has begun! Turn 1 shall end on Friday at 6PM GMT.

 

Aluminium has been discovered! It is unlikely that you will be able to mine it, but it's possible to purchase it from the Canton of Resource in the same way that atium can be purchased.

 

So people are aware, Ashiok and Tony Shark have joined the game, and Comatose has rejoined.

 

Also note that the price of Goods have changed. For further information, check the Public Information Sheet in my signature.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Wyrmhero

[Curious Anamaximder he/him]

My heir is Maximus Orielle.

Will write some RP tommorow.

[Ashiok]

Pure RP if you want to skip it

Tyden Noir stood beneath the grand obsidian windows of his new Keep and smirked. The two most recent graduates of Noir's Hazekiller Academy faced him, armor and shields covered in chalky lines. They looked a little bruised, but nothing too bad considering that they had been sparring with him for nearly an hour. 

"Last run!" He called out. "Remember, I mark a limb and you can't use it. If I hit two limbs, a chest or a head you're down. I take two hits a limb. Come at me!"

The man to his right beat out a quick signal on his shield, and the two began to advance in a perfect pincer formation. Tyden cast his eyes around, searching for an opening, and found that the woman on his left was having difficulty holding her shield up. He leapt forwards, slashing at her exposed shoulder, only to grunt in surprise as she flew into action. His stomach found a dueling cane and his blades found naught but air. He leapt backwards, frantically trying to regroup, only to take another crack to the back from her partner. He dropped to his knees and his knives fell out of slack hands.

 

"Well done, you two! Feigning weakness like that was a brilliant tactic. Great fight, I'm telling you. Now then, congratulations on your graduation. Who do I have the honor of addressing?" He asked after spending a moment regathering his scattered wits.

 

The woman reached out a hand and Tyden grasped it, gratefully accepting her assistance. Apparently, that was all it took to open the floodgates. "Huh Dax, it's just like old master Elbin said. The Lord is fast as a mistwraith, but he can't take a hit. Ah, no offense sir. I'm Alnet, and that's my partner Daxon. It was an honor to fight with you, sir. Everyone at the academy tells stories about you, y'know? And most of them are true, from what I understand. Except... did you really fight a mistwraith? And tame it into a kandra? Or that time you sparred with an inquisitor, did you really beat him? I bet you could fight the Lord Ruler himself if you wanted to!"  

 

Daxon walked over, whispered a simple "Al, calm," and grasped her hand, quieting her instantly. 

 

Tyden smiled,"Huh, I wonder when I had time to run House Noir in between all those exploits? I can't really answer your question, you'll have to decide for yourself, but I can say that you two are the smallest group to ever beat me in this ceremony. I'd like to offer you a job on my personal guard."

 

Daxon's jaw dropped, but he put himself together enough to respond "We'd love t-" before Alnet pulled him into a kiss.

 

Tyden turned around after a minute, thinking to himself 'As much as I want to be mad at them, I'd love to do that myself. Huh, I should probably try to find a wife. That would be good for the house, too. As a new player in the Luthadel scene, I need to attach myself to a well known house. Hmm... Maybe Wilson? I've heard good things about them.'

 

He was startled out of his musings by his Terrisman, Delen. "Sir, I wrote those letters about the academy that you asked me for, would you like to look at them before I mail them off?"

 

Tyden waved a dismissive hand. "No, I trust you were able to say something to the effect of 'House Noir is offering a discount on bulk education at our  prestigious Hazekiller academy, please send Lord Tyden Noir any questions or concerns you have' without any horrible errors. Send those tonight, I need to look into marriage right now."

Edited February 9, 2016 by Ashiok

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Araris stood atop the roof of Keep Penrod, among a well kept garden. The Keep was far finer than the residence in Fellise that he had grown up in, yet here at the top none of that could be seen. Once, this place had been a symbol of what had united the Houses. The potatoes growing here were descendants of the very ones that Hadrian had delivered among the High Nobility, which had formed a link between Penrod and Urbain. But in the midst of the skaa rebellion, Urbain had lost its keep, and the name of Hadrian had been sullied. Only the potatoes remained, but with them, the heart of Hadrian was still alive. A love for people and good, honest labor. Araris knew, beyond all else, that he could not lose sight of that vision. Any who sought to distract him with promises of wealth or alliances that were unable to meet his standards would be quickly turned away. Now, more than ever, House Penrod would show the Ministry, the Lord Ruler, the Nobility and the Skaa that it would not be cowed by an execution.

 

Actions:

Action 1:

Who: Araris

What: Trying for an heir

When: First Action

Where: Keep Penrod

Names: Aradel (boy), Arette (girl)

 

Action 2:

Who: Araris

What: Giving the Ministry use of the Imperial Archive for the generation, and a shipment of high quality paper as well

When: Second Action

Where: Imperial Archive

Why: To restore a working relationship between House Penrod and the Ministry

Edited February 11, 2016 by Araris Valerian

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Action 3:

Spend Wealth on the education of workers in Fellise to restore the town to more glory. As the new Governor, House Zerrung will be putting in much effort to enhance Fellise.

[Unodus he/him]

Action 0

Who?  Gardell in her capacity as House Lord

What?  Trying for an Heir

Why? Because I'm lazy =x=

 

Gardell spun through the mists, dancing through the night air. The mist tonight were just perfect for Mistborn to slip under the covers of darkness and escape the toxicity of financial paperwork. She slipped on her new scarf for good measure, a long flowing scarf weaved from several tassels that easily wrapped around her entire face and trailed behind her as she flew- mistscarves weren't exactly the height of fashion these days, a noble lady mistborn shouldn't feel the need to hide their face, but she had an image to maintain for her house. Shouldn't let any "lesser mortals" realize she was human too, her mother would always say. Gardell tossed a coin and arced towards her destination. The Skaa Slums. They were always the most likely to be empty during the mists, as long as she stayed away from the bars or the... brothels.... Lord, what would she do if she actually saw someone she recognized there? What if they recognized her behind the scarf? The thought made her shudder, some aspects of high society were just a little too cold- sometimes more aspects than she was willing to admit. Picking an empty wall, almost entirely at random, Gardell opened her pack and took out three vials. One bright red, one white, and one dark maroon- the most valued colors on the market. Turns out, when your house controls a significant portion of the dye industry- getting the good stuff was almost too easy. Determined, she set to work. The actions were familiar to her, they were a routine she divulged in as frequently as possible. First, she took the white powdered dye- like chalk, but smoother- and covered her fingers with a thick amount of white dust. Sporadically, she traced long lines across the wall with her finger, leaving a thin line of white in her wake- using allomonacy to reach the higher parts of the wall. After a minute or so, she paused to admire her handiwork. To a casual observer, the lines would just look like a web of scribbles- a mess a child could make, not distinct or important in anyway. To the professional eye though, if you looked at the right place just at the right time...
There.
The lines reorganized themselves in Gardells mind, twisting and pulling like the mists themselves until she found an image. Sometimes it was a bird, sometimes it was a man. Today, she saw a lion- as tall as the wall itself. How had she missed seeing that obvious mane like crest when she was drawing it? Grinning behind her scarf, she picked up the maroon paint- a thick oil mixture this time- and outlined the shape of the lion as she saw it, shading in little details as she went. Though she enjoyed every second, it was over in minutes. For good measure, she gave it a second coat anyway- giving the lion fur a rich texture and pronounced eyes. She only ever stopped once it was perfect. The large imposing lion stared out into the distance, as if searching for anyone who would dare defy it's divine right to it's sacred wall. Whether it actually looked like a lion or not was debatable- she'd never seen one herself, only old records recorded such creatures. Taking the lighter red, almost blood-like in texture, she wrote with her index finger the words
"Even though the sun is behind the clouds, I know it will shine on through." in big bold letters.

She didn't think why, the words just seemed to fit. Maybe it'd inspire some Skaa philosopher, make a change from just angry rioting- though philosophical Skaa were probably rarer than lions.
A cracking bang interrupted her thought process. Screams. Instinctively, she took to the roof- out of sight. A Koloss drenched in blood sprung into view, carrying in one of it's over sized hands the limp figure of a child. The mist was pierced by the sound of a sobbing mother. The Koloss scratched it's head and swung, and the crying stopped. Shocked, Gardell held back screaming as she recovered. Fear was replaced with fury.
What kind of God would allow this?

If only she'd brought a weapon. Coins would only get so far, and she'd never had to use a knife before. She stood up anyway,
"I'll make you pay, creature. Those people did nothing wrong- they were just..."
The humongous creature swiveled around and locked eyes with her. Lord Ruler, those eyes... They were wild, like an animal. Gardell froze. It's eyes stopped at the wall with lion, and for a moment it looked like it was on the verge of remembering something. Seeing an opening, she tossed the nearest thing she could grab- her paints. The glass shattered on the monsters hard skull, and with a roar it dropped everything and clutched at it's delicate eyes- which only served to rub the dye in further. Gardell turned to leave, but stopped when she saw the child twitch and cough. Somehow it was still alive. The creature was lashing out randomly now, destroying everything around it. It managed to break off where the lions head was with a single swipe.

If I could just save one life...

Gardell was already at the childs side- she was there even before she decided to help him. Foolish. His arms were crushed, but he was breathing. A young boy, barely four- what had the world come to? She had to leave. Rusts, what would her mother say if she saw her trying to save a Skaa? The next moment lasted for what felt like an eturnity, as the Koloss lunged out and crushed her lower spine.

 

Gardell was found the next morning in a pool of her own blood, clinging on miraculously thanks to pewter. Over the course of a month, she lay in bed unconscious. The incident was kept a secret to prevent a public outcry- her brother Atelt secretly took over the accounts while she recovered. When she awoke, Gardell discovered she had lost the ability to move her own legs. For days, she wept. She would never be able to walk the mists again.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Unodus

[Araris Valerian he/him]

You know, Mailliw, I built a University in Fellise that you could probably use for that, for a small fee.

[DeathClutch19 he/him]

Action 1: Try for an Heir

Why: Because baby making is fun and the House needs an heir

[Tony Shark he/him]

Noble houses of Luthadel.

As one of the newest houses of Luthadel, House Aquariupolus would like to send you a formal invitation to the opening ball of of our newly constructed keep and would ask that you participate in the any festivities accompanying it.

 

House Aquariupolus has sent letters addressed to each major house specifically, this announcement is for lesser houses that did not receive a personal invitation.

 

Who: Tony "The Shark" Aquariupolus.

What: Hosting a ball in commencement of the opening of the houses new keep.

Where: Keep Aquariupolus

When: Action 1, Turn 1, Gen 6.

Why: To attempt to make connections with the other houses and create good standing within Luthadel.

[Orlok Tsubodai]

Action 2:

What: Donate 20 wealth to the Steel Ministry

When: G6T1A2

Where: Steel Ministry

Who: Lord Tekiel

Why: To raise the standing of House Tekiel with the Steel Ministry

[little wilson she/her]

Tarek Wilson stood in front of the memorial honoring his grandmother. She looked regal there, and not for the first time, he wished he'd known her. A woman brave enough to take the House in a new direction. The Arranging Marriages stewardship had been an unprecedented one, but Tamsa had put an energy into it.

And now Tarek was going to take it all down.

Matchmaking just wasn't his thing. He appreciated it for what it was, but the idea of running around Luthadel, finding the best matches to preserve pure allomantic bloodlines or forge new bonds between Houses just didn't appeal to him. In fact, it gave him the shivers. He wasn't cut out for that, nor was he raised for it. Ruán had been the one trained for manipulating those drawing room conversations, yet his mother had wedded him off to the Herons, just before they left the city. Tarek had been brought up on the training field, with coins in a pouch and metal vials on his hip. He'd made more friends with the guards than he had with other Nobles. That was who he was.

"She'll understand, Tarek. She did the same thing you're doing," Lisha spoke, coming up behind him.

"I know. But I still feel like I should honor her memory."

"You are. By doing what you want to do, you're honoring her memory. The only way to dishonor her is to force yourself to do something you hate. She wouldn't want that, even if it was something she loved. Do what you want."

He nodded. "I suppose I'll be going to the Canton of Hegemony then."

Lisha held out a coin pouch. "Don't forget this. Not that you need it, but it can't hurt."

He chuckled and took the pouch. "Thank you." He looked at her for a long moment, and then turned, heading toward the entrance hall. His own marriage was proof that he wasn't cut out to be a matchmaker. His mother--who hadn't been much of a matchmaker herself--had just known instinctively that Lisha would be a good fit for him, and she wasn't wrong. He couldn't begin to fathom how she'd known, though he imagined it was similar to how he instinctively knew where to place a glass dagger to do the most internal damage. Probably. Well....maybe not, but that was the closest thing he could think of. Regardless, she had known, and he had not, and that was enough to show him that he needed to abdicate. So he was.

And so it was with a light step that Tarek Wilson entered the Canton of Hegemony on the day he would abdicate his stewardship. His mind made up, and his path clear, he knew what the Final Empire needed of him, and by the Lord Ruler's staff, he'd do it.

Actions

Action 1

Who: Lord Tarek Wilson, as House Lord

What: Abdicating his role as Steward of Arranging Marriages and petitioning the Steel Ministry for General of the Lord Ruler's Army.

Where: Canton of Hegemony

Why: Tarek doesn't understand love or matchmaking, but he understands the military. The Final Empire needs his skills more to put down the skaa rebellion right now than it does for him to struggle making terrible matches for heirs.

Action 3

Who: Tarek and Lisha Wilson as a married couple

What: Trying for an heir

Where: Their quarters in Keep Wilson

Why: To keep the Wilson family name going.

Male: Elerek

Female: Kyra

Edited February 14, 2016 by little wilson
Removed action 2

[Aonar he/him]

Actions:

 

2: Try for an Heir. (Male, Tatheil, female, Corranne).

 

3: Increase the size of the Urteau Garrison, to better defend against attacking skaa and maintain Order.

 

I might try to RP later. we'll see what happens.

[Comatose he/him]

Generation 6 - Turn 1 - Kenneth Elariel

 

OOC:  Sorry the RP is kind of bleagh.  Kenneth isn't coming off the page much for me, and the writing juices were not flowing.  Hopefully next turn gets better.  

 

Kenneth Elariel will be attending House Aquariopolus's Ball with his wife, Jacosta Elariel

 

Kenneth Elariel sighed as he stepped down from his carriage and held out a hand to help his wife.  Jacosta Elariel, resplendent in a jewel encrusted ball gown matched with a pristine fur wrap, glided gracefully down the steps, relying on his hand only for appearances.  Since their marriage, Kenneth had quickly realized that there was little his new wife needed him for beyond appearances.  Compared to the master politicians and manipulators in his family, Kenneth found himself to be decidedly  obtuse.  Before his marriage, he had constantly found himself being pushed and prodded by one faction or another in an attempt to gain influence over him.  His marriage to Jacosta had changed all that.  Within a week of moving into Keep Elariel, Jacosta seemed to already have things figured out, knowing intuitively which players to pressure, which to charm, and which to ignore entirely.  While Kenneth remained the public face of House Elariel, it was no secret within the family that it was Jacosta who was pulling the strings.  Some saw her as an overly-ambitious interloper and resented her for it, while others quietly welcomed her competence and ingenuity, glad to know the House was in good hands.

 

Jacosta shrewd eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the newly constructed keep, no doubt sizing it up, noting each and every flaw while calculating the resources House Aquariupolus would have had to expend in order the build it.  "I wonder if the ball will be well attended."  Kenneth, used to being ignored, nearly jumped as his wife addressed him.  

 

"Pardon?"

 

"The ball, darling.  Some might think it ill taste to host a ball in the midst of a rebellion.  On the other hand, the stress of dealing with the rebellion might make our peers eager to drink and dance the night away to escape from their troubles and concerns.  I wonder which scenario will play out tonight, and what effect either will have on the House Aquariupolus's station."  Kenneth nodded thoughtfully, not knowing what to say.  Convesrations with Jacosta often went that way, with her presenting multiple sides to a problem, leaving him without much to add.  

 

As they entered the ballroom, Kenneth helped Jacosta out of her wrap and handed it to an attendant along with his own coat and duelling cane.  Jacosta's ears, throat, and fingers all glittered with a rainbow of precious stones, set in gold and silver, all produced in House Elariel's newest business acquisition.  The gown itself was brilliant white, trimmed with diamonds and cloth-of-gold.  With her striking features and clever wit, Jacosta had little need for such ostentation to draw attention in a crowd.  The true reason she had chosen tonight's was to advertise the work of their new jewelery shop, and to hopefully encourage other nobles to start purchasing from them as well.  

 

"Why Lady Elariel, that necklace is simply stunning!  Wherever did you get it?"  Jacosta gave Kenneth an affectionate peck on the cheek and then peeled away from him to greet the woman who had complimented her.  Within moments, she had attracted a small crowd friends and rivals, leaving Kenneth to find their table alone.  

 

 

Public Action:

Action 2: Purchasing A Jewelery Store (Public):
Who: Lord Kenneth Elariel
What: Buying a Jewelery Store, and rewarding well behaved skaa with a chance to work in better conditions in said store.  
Where: Luthadel.
When: Gen 6, Turn 1, Action 2.
Why: To provide future luxury items for the house and for sale, and to hopefully encourage the Elariel skaa not to rebel.  

[Ashiok]

Public action (1)

Who: Lord Tyden Noir

What: Expanding House Noir's Hazekiller academy and creating a free program where the prospective hazekillers take up jobs for Noir while learning and then are employed by the government after their education is completed

Where: Luthadel

When: 6 1 1

Why: To enable upwards mobility in the lower nobility, create a temporary military force for house Noir and enhance TFE's military strength.

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Generation 6: Turn 2

 

The nobility of Luthadel wined and dined at each others' Keeps no matter the occasion. The rare rebellion or two did not stop this, and parties resumed at full swing with barely a thought outside of these walls.

 

Of course, that was not entirely true. Even within this relatively safe environment, plans were being hatched and plots spun into motion from their minds, an endless dance within the court of The Lord Ruler.

 

For example, this entire event was a plot. One of the new, upstart Lesser Houses had managed to eke its way into Luthadel by hook and crook combined, and everyone wanted to be here to see just what they were worth. They examined the decorations for signs of affluence, they brought Seekers within their servants to judge their Allomancy, and above all they judged their reaction to this scruitiny, whether they would break under the pressure, or would truly become one of the Great Houses.

 

Aquariupolus, a seafearing House by all accounts (and rumoured to be descendants of either a piratical, rogue Heron or remnants of treacherous House Heatherlocke), had spared little expense on their first ball, and it was generally judged that it would be a shame if it was their last. A variety of fish, scraped clean of ash and dirt after catching, was offered for the dinner, and the music playing in the background was relatively new to Luthadel's ballrooms, coming from Lansing, a city that was almost ignored these days.

 

And, as a constant background chatter across the room, news was passed between the Houses. Even with the canal systems and roads maintained by the Houses, information was slow to travel, particularly when it was kept hidden or distorted by lies. Information and misinformation passed between the nobles, with such care and skill that it would take a carefully discerning eye to separate the two.

 

There were three words that were on everyone's lips, as they were on many a ball these past years. 'The Skaa Rebellion'. A hundred years ago, it would have been spoken about in hushed tones, to the disbelief of the listener that Skaa could ever do something like that. They were docile, quiet creatures, incapable of raising any sort of resistance, it used to be thought. But not any more, their prolonged assault on civilised society had taught the nobility to take more care when in their company. Now, they were treated with as much caution as their peers, even if they did not demand the same level of respect to go with it.

 

“House Penrod has defected and joined the skaa!” Quáit said in a conspiratorial whisper to the man he was talking to. “We all knew it was only a matter of time...”

 

That man, Araris Penrod, gave him a withering look in return. “...Lord Zerrung,” he began, “I believe I would remember if I had ordered that. I admit that my House has previously... Misjudged the loyalties it displays to the outside world. But our loyalty to the Empire goes right down to our core. We believe in hard, honest work, a meritocracy, and The Lord Ruler and his Empire. The rebellion concerns me as much as it concerns everyone else, I promise you that.”

 

Lord Zerrung rolled his eyes. “Only because if it didn't, your head would be taken off as well. How many of your ancestors have been beheaded again?”

 

Lord Penrod winced. “...Two,” he admitted. “Though one of those was for a misunderstanding, though I can see how the confusion arose and bear no ill will to the Steel Ministry for their mistake,” he added quickly as an Obligator passed them by.

 

Lord Zerrung laughed and reached over for another wine glass. “You're so excitable, aren't you? So aware of them all watching you, waiting to see if you do anything else treacherous. Just waiting for you to slip up as they did.”

 

“They are avoiding associating with me,” Lord Penrod agreed as he took another glass as well. “Probably suspect they'll go down as well if I get killed, though why they think that I have no idea. Though it does raise the question of why you are willing.”

 

“Perhaps I'm just braver than the rest,” Lord Zerrung laughed, before knocking back the rest of his drink. He went to walk off, but instead took a step closer, hand on Lord Penrod's shoulder. “Or perhaps I don't think you're the threat in this room, eh?” He patted him and gave his glass to the bewieldered man, whose eyes were already darting around to see if he could figure out who – if anyone – Lord Zerrung meant. “Good luck proving you're not traitorous scum, eh?” he said as he walked off. “I look forward to seeing how you prove it...” 

 

---

 

Turn 2 has begun! It will end on Friday the 19th at 6PM GMT.

 

Generation 6 Player List

• little wilson – Tarek Wilson
• Unodus – Atelt Uethorn
• Venture Mistborn - Maximus Orielle
• OrlokTsubodai – Solon Tekiel
• Aonar Faileas – Lucca Izenry
• phattemer – Cimula Erikell
• Araris Valerian – Araris Penrod
• Shallan – Vinna Vinid
• Maillie73 – Quáit Zerrung
• Deathclutch19 – Joanna Jormundgand
• Comatose - Kenneth Elariel
• Ashiok - Tyden Noir
• Tony Shark - Tony Shark Aquariupolus

​

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Is the bit about two of my ancestors being beheaded just for flavor? Because don't remember dying before the last generation.

[Unodus he/him]

What: Buying a shipment of Aluminum for 10 wealth
When: Third action
Who: Lady Uethorn
Why: The earlier you buy, the cheaper it is. Hopefully. Might as well since I have some disposable income.

 

Gardell glided down the halls of her keep like a specter on the wind. Unlike lesser mortals with her... "condition", she protested against being confined to a chair for the rest of her life- allomancers were entitled to the mists, and she refused to be denied her birthright. Her brother Atelt, seeing her distress, had hired countless engineers to try come up with a prosthetic for an allomancer- but none brought back the nights of freedom she once had, even an intricate legpiece of anchors didn't allow more than a stiff march. Gardell had settled for a simpler option, a melon sized metal sphere filled with sand- one of her brothers earliest suggestions. By hovering over it with a push, she could maneuver herself by carefully leaning forward or back to tilt the angle of the push and move the ball in the opposite direction. With practice, she could even hop up and down stairs without assistance- and using pewter to lock her legs in place, she could get up and down from the ball without support. Though imperfect, the device meant she was still able to attend dances and social gatherings- albeit it gave the most chilling illusion of floating like a damned mistwraith. It also meant she was forever dependent on steel, which though not an issue for a wealthy noble- there were whispers of side effects from overdrawing allomancy. Already, she was beginning to struggle with sleeping without pushing against something- she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable unless she was burning steel. After all, the only time she felt in control now was when she was scorching herself upright. She wore a metal pendent at night, gently pushing it upwards as she fell asleep- and she would keep pushing against it even while she was unconscious until her metals ran out and she awoke with the feeling of sudden indescribable lurching helplessness. Still, Gardell yearned to fly across the mists again- painting in her room simply didn't have the same thrill. Whenever her brother left Luthadel, she would sneak out of the house on misty nights and drift between the spires of Kredik Shaw- leaving swirling patterns of red paint across the highest reaches of the towers, only visible to allomancers who followed her paths. Though she doubted the Steel Inquisitors would approve, it was the only place in the city where she could find enough anchors to be truly unrestricted. On dark lonely nights, she would take a completely hollow steel ball and float atop the river channel through the mists down past the city gates to a grave hidden on the banks outside of Luthadel. She had had the body of the skaa she couldn't save buried in secret- but with no surviving relatives to which to speak, she still didn't know the child's name. Grieving and broken, Gardell distanced herself from society. Wild tales from chance spectators slowly begun to blossom into the legend of the Phantom of Luthadel.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Unodus

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Action 1: Try for an Heir. Male: Kahad Female: Abryn

Action 2: spend 10 Wealth on improving education in Fellise and establish a program that will use 5 wealth on education every coming turn.

[DeathClutch19 he/him]

Action 1: Sell 3 MP to House Tekiel for 3 wealth

[Orlok Tsubodai]

Action 3:

What: Purchase 3 MP for 3 wealth from House Jormungard per turn

When: G6T2A3

Where: Keep Tekiel

Who: Lord Tekiel

Why: To augment the military strength of House Tekiel

[Araris Valerian he/him]

My new semester just stared at school, so my RP time has been pretty much non-existent, but I'll try to do some tomorrow.

 

Actions:

Action 1:

Who: Araris Penrod

What: Hosting a gathering of scholars from across the Empire

Where: Luthadel, in Keep Penrod

When: First Action

Why: To give House Penrod connections to other parts of the empire and to potential new ideas

 

Action 2:

Who: Araris Penrod

What: Writing and distributing a biography of Hadrian

Where: Luthadel

When: Second Action

Why: To clarify some of the confusion about Hadrian and House Penrod in general, and to demonstrate some of the policies House Penrod was about to instate before Hadrian's death to the rest of the Empire.

[Aonar he/him]

Public actions:

 

What: Try for Heir (Male, Alden Female, Corranne)

Who: Should be obvious.

When: Action 2.

Where: Should be obvious.

Why: Again, should be obvious.

 

What: Propose contract with Tekiel, Armour for Wealth each turn.

Who: Lord Izenry, via messenger to Keep Tekiel.

When: Action 3.

Where: Keep Tekiel, Luthadel

Why: Improve my House's overall financial state.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Aonar Faileas

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Generation 6: Turn 3

 

It was a formal gathering, though not like any that Luthadel had seen before. Gone were the popular music and the rich, exotic foods. The wine, of course, remainedm but in place of the dancing music, a soft and slow orchestral tune wafted through the room. There were no plates before them with artistically small portions either. Instead, trays of bite-size snacking foods were laid on the tables next to comfortable chairs, with a large number of serviettes beside them.

 

This was a gathering for the intellectuals of Luthadel. Those here were not just 'somebodies'. They were considered 'somebodies with a mind'. All were, of course, Lesser nobles or higher up the societal food chain. Skaa were not educated in Luthadel. And even those who were educated in other cities were still not allowed to travel, and thus could not join them. House Penrod was not going to invite displeasure in that way so quickly.

 

Piled high beside the chairs were tome after tome. Thick and heavyset, not ones that could be read within the evening. But they were all masterworks that any of the attendants should have read before, if they were to be considered intellectuals of any degree. Several were written by House Penrod themselves; histories and biographies ranging all the way back to the time of The Deepening, when The Lord Ruler saved the world and set them above others.

 

But it was not an old work that they were here to discuss today. Despite championing the meeting as one to discuss any and all works that they had read, there was not a doubt in anyone's mind what they were really here for. But the majority of the attendants were Lesser Nobles; When even a somewhat disgraced House such as House Penrod called, they had no choice but to answer them.

 

“I will admit,” one was saying to Araris himself, “you have written something rather impressive. From my own point of view, it is interesting to see how one deals with The Inquisition and even The Lord Ruler himself – Not that many do, these days, I suppose. At the very least, it will be a useful primer for anyone such as myself hoping to take the stage as a Great House.”

 

“I am sensing that there is a caveat to your praise,” Araris remarked. “Please, Lord Etoro, this is a place for you to speak your mind. If not here, then where, I ask you?”

 

Lord Etoro nodded, and now that he had been given leave to criticise, he continued. “However, I am cautious to admit to having read the thing outside of these walls. The book looks upon your ancestor in a favourable light, and could be considered to criticise The Inquisition – if not The Lord Ruler himself. Are you not concerned by that?”

 

“If there are any criticisms,” Araris said, “then they are ones that the reader already has in their mind. My book is factual, and only merely attempts to dispel some of the myths perpetrated. I would not go so far as to say that The Inquisition was wrong to execute my great-grandfather. I would say, however, that had he explained himself to them before doing so, then perhaps the sorry mess might have been avoided, either by them agreeing with him or him dropping his cause.”

 

“It's still a dangerous line to walk,” Lord Etoro replied. “Was this perhaps another of those things that should have been discussed with them before being carried out? Please tell me that you did. It would be a shame to have to publicly burn and denounce another book because of its author's stupidity.”

 

“And I thought you were afraid to criticise me,” Araris said, amused. His became more serious shortly after. “I have, of course, discussed this with The Steel Ministry. I requested their permission to publish beforehand, and I am pleased to say that they have allowed me.”

 

“Hmm. What did you bribe them with?” Lord Etoro asked. “I cannot think of any mining operations or jewellers that your House owns. Publicly, of course. I am aware you may have less well-known connections.”

 

“What is the one thing that the Steel Ministry needs in order to function?” Araris asked, smirking over the top of his wine glass. “What can even the Inquisition not do without?”

 

“Hmm...” Lord Etoro tapped his chin as he thought. “I suppose it requires a source of willing bodies, people who are happy to work for them and to leave their own family. Understandably, most of their recruits are people from the Lesser Houses, as they have less to lose and more to gain. Did you promise them Aradel, when he is old enough?”

 

“...No, Aradel remains my son, and he shall inherit from me in time as usual. But apart from people, what do they require?”

 

“Metals? The Inquisition cannot survive without metals. They live on Allomancy, it's practically a necessity for what they do. Particularly when chasing down rogue Mistings. Have you heard that there are some on the Skaa Rebellion? They claim to be descended from nobility. The nerve!”

 

“I have heard of these rumours,” Lord Penrod waved them away before reaching over to the table and taking some food. He wiped his hands on his napkin. “I do not know how true they are. We did put plans into place to root out such things. But regardless, you have already pointed out that I do not publicly own any mining operations.”

 

“And you would not admit if you owned any privately,” Lord Etoro completed. “Yes, yes, I see... Then tell me, what is the third thing they require? What did you give them? Surely not just some of your wealth.”

 

“No,” Lord Penrod smiled. “I gave them knowledge, and the means to use such knowledge. You see, the Inquisition doesn't live on people, or metals, or even money. It lives on paper. It is a great bureaucratic giant, only as powerful as it is because it knows so much. While it is true that they could demand access to my family's library instead of the payment arrangement we had in place before, it is much more pleasant to simply give them unfettered access to it.”

 

“I suppose this is true. But ultimately, it results in the same thing,” Lord Etero said with a shrug. “You are merely saving them money.”

 

“Perhaps, but it is a start,” Lord Penrod said. “And it helps them with their work more than coins ever could.”

 

“And so where from here?” Lord Etero raised his glass, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair. “What does House Penrod hope to achieve by becoming close to the Steel Ministry again?”

 

“Lord Etero, you never will break into Luthadel properly if you don't understand this,” Lord Penrod smiled. “It's not about getting anything in return. One should never use it as an excuse to gain leverage over them. My family serves The Steel Ministry because we believe in its cause, not because it is profitable. There's more to life than Wealth, you understand.”

 

“Perhaps to a Great House such as yours, Lord Penrod. My own can barely make ends meet, it has to be said. We need you, but you do not need us. Even after your great-grandfather's treason, you remain a Great House. There is a gap between us that is difficult to bridge.”

 

“Indeed,” Lord Penrod nodded. “My House may not be one of the original nine, but we were there with The Lord Ruler from the beginning. House Penrod exists to serve him, his Empire, and all that he does. We are a House of spiritual fulfilment, one might say, and we are known for it. This the difference between us, Lord Etero. House Penrod and all Lesser Houses” He finished his glass of wine. “We live for more than material wealth. We trade in reputation, not wealth. That is what makes a Great House; reputation.”

 

“Hmm,” Lord Etero nodded. “I shall remember that, My Lord.”

 

Turn 2 has begun! It will end on Friday the 26th at 6 PM GMT.

 

Generation 6 Player List

• little wilson – Tarek Wilson
• Unodus – Atelt Uethorn
• Venture Mistborn - Maximus Orielle
• OrlokTsubodai – Solon Tekiel
• Aonar Faileas – Lucca Izenry
• phattemer – Cimula Erikell
• Araris Valerian – Araris Penrod
• Shallan – Vinna Vinid
• Maillie73 – Quáit Zerrung
• Deathclutch19 – Joanna Jormundgand
• Comatose - Kenneth Elariel
• Ashiok - Tyden Noir
• Tony Shark - Tony Shark Aquariupolus

​

[Araris Valerian he/him]

Araris sat in the ballroom of Keep Penrod following the convention. The last several years had been good to his House, all things considered. The Ministry was still disgruntled, but it was nothing that a little time and money couldn't fix. Furthermore, in the period between Hadrian's murder and his own ssumption of House Lord, the House funds had sat stagnant, increasing steadily with no place to go. Soon, that money would go toward a grand project, an undertaking that would leave House Penrod memorialized as long as the Final Empire lasted.

 

But tonight was a night to relax, not to stress about plans for the future. Araris left the Keep and began burning tin. Luthadel was so empty at night, despite its overcrowded population, and he could walk for hours without seeing another soul. And everywhere were the mists, curling around rooftops and hugging the streets. Araris knew what the mists had once been, back during the Deepening. That was part of why House Penrod was loyal to the Lord Ruler, despite his inflexibility with the skaa. Whatever he had done, the Lord Ruler had saved the world from destruction. But despite the histories and records it was hard for him to see the mists as something to be feared. The cool dampness from their swirling was comforting in a way that nothing else could be.

 

Eventually, Araris reached the city wall, and found a place where, with flared tin, he could just barely make out the Arena. Hadrian had told him about that day, and several records of it were stored throughout different Penrod libraries. Initially, following the outbreak of the rebellion, the Ministry had sought to destroy the record of the event, and Hadrian's resistance to those efforts had been part of why he ended up on the wrong side of an Inquisitor's axe. But House Penrod was dedicated to history, and the Ministry had eventually given up in that area. Araris often came to this place now, both to remember his father and what the skaa rebellion was really about. Why would the skaa die killing each other if they could bring down a few noblemen instead?

 

Araris pulled a book from his pocket, and stared at the cover for a while. This copy was special, made with expensive paper and ink to withstand the mists. The Deepness still retain a small vestige of its former destruction; books quickly became illegible after a short time out at night. The Last Speech: An Ending, this was called, and perhaps it would be Araris's greatest legacy. It was probably the greatest unchallenged attempt of House Penrod to disagree with the Ministry in all of its history. The premise behind the book was fairly simple; Hadrian simply was unable to finish giving the speech that had led to his death. Later, Araris had discovered the manuscript for that speech, and discovered that Hadrian had been about to declare renewed efforts towards killing skaa-noble children and their parents. From there, it was fairly straightforward to create a text that the Ministry could not easily fight against, at least not without undermining their efforts to prevent skaa from getting noble blood. And it had worked. Hadrian was redeemed and the Ministry was appeased, for the moment.

 

Only when the sun began to rise, pushing the mists away to wherever they slept during they day, did Araris go back to Keep Penrod. He was tired, but excited for the new days ahead.

 

Edit: I have some actions as well:

Action 1:

Who: Araris

What: Try for an heir

Where: Keep Penrod

Names: Alelin (either gender)

When: First Action

 

Action 2:

Who: Aradel (my current heir)

What: Applying to become an Obligator

Where: Luthadel

Why: To reinforce the ties that House Penrod has with the Ministry

When: Second Action

Edited February 25, 2016 by Araris Valerian

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Action 2: Spend 10 Wealth cleaning the streets of Fellise to improve health and make it prettier.