Long Game 30: Journey Before Destination

[DrakeMarshall]

1 minute ago, Arraenae said:

Last cycle, I voted on Arinian. The timing of my vote might have looked like bandwagoning, but it wasn't intentional bandwagoning. (It might have been unintentional bandwagoning, since I'm kind of susceptible to groupthink, especially if I don't have notes of my own, but that's besides the point).

I was suspicious of Arinian since C2, mostly for bad gut feeling and because of what he said. I didn't vote for him then, because there were quite a few votes on him and I didn't want to bandwagon. Of course, that was rendered a moot point C3. Arinian was the best lead I had, shakey as it was. So I voted on him.

If I'm an elim, then Arinian probably isn't one. If he is, this I'm probably not one. So if you think I'm an elim and Arinian is village, then interrogate me and vote to pardon him. Why let a player get executed if you think they're village? If you're not sure, then vote to execute him. Knowing Arinian's alignment will give us a lot more info to work with. Whatever you think, pick something and stick with it. Either vote to pardon or execute him. Don't stay silent.

 

I recognize that it is quite plausible that you are innocent, but if you don't mind my saying, you're still at the top of my list.

Also note that if I'm an elim, it means you probably aren't an elim, and if you're an elim, it means I'm probably not one. Those kind of dichotomies tend to be created when people try to get each other lynched.

Oh, also, I believe I've made my reasons for voting to execute Arinian known. I kinda wish it was a vote on someone other than Arinian though, since my read of him is actually kinda village-y.

 

...and a little bit more RP now maybe.

Also, @Amanuensis I'd just like to double check before the cycle ends that the voting tallies you had for me were intentional? Last cycle, I don't think I voted on sheep's execution, and I had changed my interrogation vote from Jondesu to Rae...

 

The wall of stormwater crashed into Uther. It was cold. Thankfully, Uther's head was still above the water level... For now. The chasm was rapidly filling up with water.

The vines he had latched onto shuddered, stretched, and threatened to pull free of the chasm wall. Nevertheless, they held. They had probably weathered highstorms, and this was not quite a highstorm. Once the initial force of the water's impact was passed, Uther started climbing up the vines frantically to avoid being submerged. The vines didn't reach anywhere close to the top of the chasm, but they should keep him from drowning. The water was still flowing dangerously fast around Uther.

The current of the flood is moving towards the spire... I must be storming insane... But my best chance is probably to swim it.

Uther unclasped his sword and let it fall to the bottom of the river that was now coursing through the chasm. Then he let go of the vines.

[Assassin in Burgundy]

Araon was worried. 

He could take down a Voidbringer. He had helped kill a Chasmfiend. He had bested a man wearing plate in an arena. 

But you couldn't fight a wall of water. No matter how strong you were, how accurate were your thrusts, or how long you could keep fighting. Water killed. And Araon couldn't swim. 

He ran. He was fast, but the water was hot on his heels. He avoided the Voidbringers, as their lightning could quickly kill via the flood. He didn't pause, didn't hesitate, only ran. He managed to dispense his gauntlets mid-stride, but that wouldn't be enough. 

He kept running, but he knew it was hopeless. But Fleet ran, and he almost one. Araon didn't have to get across the continent; only to the Oathgate. He could do that. Right?

Right?

[Alvron]

1 hour ago, randuir said:

By my count, we're still short one vote, so if we want to get that information, we'll need one more.

Oops, you're right.  I had Lopen down for killing Ari twice.

[Arrae]

"Come on Ralaa!" Jonly yelled. He tossed the rope to Ralaanar, who fumbled the catch.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Rissa screamed.

Ralaanar grabbed onto the rope and was yanked upwards. He squeaked and squeezed his eyes shut.

Jonly yelled something else, but it was covered up by the sound of rushing water. Ralaanar squeezed his eyes even tighter, but it didn't help. He could still hear the water sloshing down the canyon.

Someone else climbed onto the rope and bumped into Ralaanar. He opened his eyes and looked. It was the blind man, Hithon. He felt wrong somehow, though Ralaanar couldn't tell why. He hastily scooted away from the man.

"Storms, somone's still down there!" Rissa said.

Ralaanar turned his head to see Aaron running from the wall of water. It was hopeless. The muddy water gained on him faster than he could hope to outrun it.

Ralaanar got a sick feeling at the bottom of his stomach. The man was going to drown, and Ralaanar could only watch. There was no more room for Aaron on the rope.

"Do something!" Rissa shouted.

Ralaanar tried to let go of the rope to offer a hand, but it had tangled around his arms. He wasted precious moments trying to fight free, but it only served to further entangle his hands.

The rope. Aaron needed a rope to grab onto, but there wasn't any other rope here, just a bunch of rockbuds and vines and oher useless things --

A vine towards the end of the canyon lengthened. It grew longer, long enough for Aaron to grab.

Ralaanar breathed a sigh of relief.

[Amanuensis]

1 hour ago, Drake Marshall said:

Also, @Amanuensis I'd just like to double check before the cycle ends that the voting tallies you had for me were intentional? Last cycle, I don't think I voted on sheep's execution, and I had changed my interrogation vote from Jondesu to Rae...

I'll have to go through the entire previous chapter again, but the vote tally I posted should have no errors. If a few people have the time to run through it themselves, I would appreciate it, as I'm currently working on the next chapter's write up, and it's gonna be a doozy,

Also, friendly reminder that there's approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes left in this Chapter, so if you haven't earned full honor or you haven't put any orders in, you have until the clock below this sentence hits zero.

[DeTess]

Ranatar had reached for the rope Kintas had tossed towards him as the flood came raging in. He breathed in, packing as much air into his lungs as he could, than grabbed the rope. He almost immediately lost the breath he'd been holding again as the rope curled around his wrist, seemingly taking on a life of its own. Then, as the others grabbed hold of the rope as well, it lifted them up in the air and away from the oncoming flood.

Just wanted to quickly establish that Ranatar did, in fact, grab hold of the rope. Good night everyone!

[Ecthelion III]

(Only an analysis post because the Fifth Nameless is currently unconscious.)

Yes, you're right, I have had the opportunity to post analysis but I only posted RP. The reason for this can be summarized in one quote:

     "An uneducated vote is worse than no vote at all"

I tend to fall for groupthink rather easily and I like to deal in facts. It's a fantastic way to avoid deception, but unfortunately, especially due to the practically wasted lynch on Sheep which didn't tell us anything (and which, may I add, I have been strongly against and continue to be strongly against a lynch on Quiver), we have but few facts to work with as far as voting is concerned. Though I also didn't agree with all the reasons for the lynch on Arinian, now that he's imprisoned, we should execute him to obtain at least some of said facts.

To be honest, I'm not quite sure whom to vote for. I do believe at least one, if not more, of the eliminators were at least partially behind the lynch on Sheep (for reference, Jondesu, A Joe in the Bush, Magestar, Assassin in Burgundy, Drake Marshall).

[Assassin in Burgundy]

@Ecthelion III, the reason I left my vote on Sheep was because I'm on mobile and couldn't do the cross out thing. I just left it on since I figured she wouldn't be executed, at least not by the lynch. 

[TheSilverDragon]

Ok, so pro's and cons for killing Arinian. If we do kill him we could get info from his posts and what not, including any private info he might have shared with other players, though I doubt there is much of that since it's pretty early game. Also, It would also force the unjust to use two people to kill someone. Wait, can the unjust have alternative action so if the target they were going to kill gets lynched, then they would target someone else, @Amanuensis? If that isn't the case, then I'd say  Arinian just to throw off the unjust, and force them to find another target. (Not me  plz). It would also let us see what their play style is.

If we don't kill him, but keep him imprisoned, nothing really would be gained, except maybe letting the unjust kill him for us? Maybe? Also, if there isn't really any evidence that he 65-100% an unjust, it'd be our best bet to lock him up until we can tunnel  investigate further into his posts.

If we pardon him, we get his help if he is a villager. 

I'll keep my vote the way it is, though I'm a little hesitant to kill anyone. Something that is a problem in SE. 

[Amanuensis]

4 minutes ago, TheSilverDragon said:

Wait, can the unjust have alternative action so if the target they were going to kill gets lynched, then they would target someone else, @Amanuensis?

 

No, they cannot have contingency orders.

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

I'll probably revive Sareth later sometime, maybe at the beginning of next cycle, but for now I'm going to continue with discussion-y topics. So much of the discussion is over what to do with Arinian. I did vote for his death, mainly because everything was moving in that direction (the groupthink is strong with this one), but right now it is hard to glean much hard info. I guess it is almost impossible to get any "hard info" in SE, but at least any definite suspicions and evidence. I suppose lynching Arinian is a start, gets us his alignment and such, but it won't do much if all we see is Honorable Initiate. It would be nifty if he had a Bond, and it would get us more information/affiliations on those who were leading his capture and lynch. Speaking of those key in his capture an lynch, that is pretty much all of the info we will get if he is Honorable. If he is Unjust, then wow. We are storming lucky this game. Maybe as lucky as Mat Cauthon.

[DrakeMarshall]

2 hours ago, Ecthelion III said:

To be honest, I'm not quite sure whom to vote for. I do believe at least one, if not more, of the eliminators were at least partially behind the lynch on Sheep (for reference, Jondesu, A Joe in the Bush, Magestar, Assassin in Burgundy, Drake Marshall).

That's why I asked Aman to review the votes. I have no recollection of voting to execute sheep and vocally argued against that execution.

I did vote on jailing sheep though. There were some good reasons to do that... No good reasons to execute that I could see.

[Alvron]

3 hours ago, Amanuensis said:

I'll have to go through the entire previous chapter again, but the vote tally I posted should have no errors. If a few people have the time to run through it themselves, I would appreciate it, as I'm currently working on the next chapter's write up, and it's gonna be a doozy,

Chapter Three Tallies: (As best as I can see)
Shqueeves (0): Doc
Quiver (5): Rand, Jond, Headshot, Assassin, Drake, Ari, Mage, Doc, Ari
Rand (0): Doc
Ec3 (0): Doc
Jond (0): Drake
Ari (7): Alv, Rae, Joe, Drought, Lopen, Rand, Dragon
Alv (0): Ari
Rae (1): Drake

Kill Sheep: (5/11)
Doc, Shqueeves, Jond, Assassin, Ari, Mage, Lopen

Pardon Sheep: (1/16)
Dragon

[Ecthelion III]

My comment was referring to the chapter two tallies about whether to imprison Sheep. not whether to execute.

(Sorry for using the word lynch, it's rather ambiguous in this game.)

[TheMightyLopen]

"Storms, I missed the best part," Shinon grumbled, looking over the chasmfiends corpse and the exhausted Initiates. Apparently he'd been unconscious for the end of the battle, which really put him in a bad mood. He'd finally come to when the beast had almost crushed all of them. It seemed they'd all survived the test Kaladin had prepared for them, which seemed like a miracle to Shinon, since only about half of them had really done the fighting.

Sighing, he began to search the chasm for any arrows he could scavenge. He was able to gather quite a few, though not nearly as much as he'd had when the battle had begun. He'd have to get some more once they returned to Urithiru. During his scavenging, he was able to find a few infused spheres, which he added to his pouch. He'd have to make sure and ration his stormlight better next time he was in a prolonged fight.

As he was checking his equipment and preparing for the return, he heard one of the Initiates yell. "Voidbringers!" Shinon snapped his head up and saw them. He couldn't tell their numbers exactly, but he was sure there were more than they could handle. Kaladin seemed to think the same, shouting orders to get back to the Oathgate as quickly as possible.

While the other Initiates scrambled to their feet and began to run, Shinon readied his bow and followed behind, watching carefully to make certain no Voidbringers could sneak up on the group.

---

Urgh, I know this is really late, but I'm hoping to get some more up in a bit so that Shinon can grab that Awakened rope as well. Hopefully there's room!

 

[Doc12]

I'm not going to post anymore RP this cycle, as Hithon is...really in a bind. He can't do much to save himself at this point, so one of you lovely people would have to rescue him. 

My vote and my execution vote remain the same, and these are just some things I wanted to respond to. 

12 hours ago, Jondesu said:

@Doc12, I suppose you missed the large chunk of my first post that was discussion, and then my second post that was discussion only including a vote? I'd appreciate not being called out for only doing RP when it's not true.

Ah, Sorry Jon. For me, I was only counting the second day, where there was no discussion until Lopen's post came along. I do remember your discussion posts from Day 1, so I suppose it's unfair to lump you with those that have posted nothing but RP. 

To Headshot, Ecth and the others, thanks for starting to provide commentary. 

9 hours ago, Arraenae said:

If I'm an elim, then Arinian probably isn't one. If he is, this I'm probably not one. So if you think I'm an elim and Arinian is village, then interrogate me and vote to pardon him. 

8 hours ago, Drake Marshall said:

Also note that if I'm an elim, it means you probably aren't an elim, and if you're an elim, it means I'm probably not one. Those kind of dichotomies tend to be created when people try to get each other lynched.

If X is an eliminator, Y is innocent because he voted on X. Drake, bear in mind that these dichotomies don't always hold true. In SE itself, there is a strategy known as 'bussing' where eliminators might accuse and even lynch other eliminators to earn trust. I particularly remember Aman himself pulling the same trick in a recent game. It's a strategy that has enjoyed a good measure of success, because they expect us to think this way. That doesn't mean it's a invalid assumption, just bear in mind that if Arin turns out to be an eliminator, it doesn't make any of the voters hard-cleared. 

[Alvron]

Naihar was dead.  He knew he was dead.  The five Voidbringers who had cornered him in this dead end knew he was dead.  The only question remaining was which one was going to kill him.

Naihar pulled out one of his knives but knew it wasn’t going to be of any use against those that seeked his death.

One of the Voidbringers laughed, or at least Naihar thought it was laughter, as it pointed it’s hand towards him, a spark of lightning erupting from its fingertips.  Naihar flinched as it struck the rock just above his head causing another round of laughter from the Voidbringers.

Just as Naihar was sure he was going to die, a wave of water crashed through bowling everyone over.

Struggling for air, Naihar reached out and caught his hand on a small rock outcropping.  Quickly unwrapping his vine rope from around his body, he tied one end to the outcrop and the other around his waist.  Breathing in the last of his Stormlight, Naihar hoped it was enough to keep him alive until the water dropped enough for him to be rescued.

[TheMightyLopen]

While a few of the Initiates ran ahead of the main group to try and secure the Spire, their only way back to the Oathgate, Shinon fired back at the Voidbringers chasing them down from behind. At this distance, his arrows were much more deadly than their wildly inaccurate lightning. His arrows killed, or at least halted, a Voidbringer more often than not, but that didn't seem to slow the others at all. They're determined to kill us all, he thought grimly. 

It looked like they would be able to outrun the bulk of the Voidbringers to the Spire though, thanks to Kaladin and his Squires. Feeling confident that they'd actually get out of the chasms, Shinon heard one of the Initiates yelling for everyone to run. What's the problem, we're almost there, Shinon thought to himself. Then he heard it. The low rumble of water. Shinon's heart sank as he realized what that meant for them all. He knew what carnage floods caused here in the chasms. Shinon tried to find a way up the chasm, but there wasn't nearly enough handholds to make it far. If only I had some rope.

He looked around, trying to find something to climb. He squinted, and noticed a few Initiates gathering around one point. A rope! Shinon sprinted towards the group, the rumbling getting louder every second. Thankfully, he made it with time to spare, securing himself a place on the rope, which actually somehow raised him up once he grabbed hold of it.

Let's hope this is high enough, he thought as he saw the river of water begin to barrel down the chasms toward him.

[Amanuensis]

Chapter Four is now closed. Chapter Five shall begin sometime within the next two hours.

[Amanuensis]

 

 

Alone, Dalinar sat upon the eastern ledge of Urithiru’s roof, looking out towards the Origin. Whenever he was deep in thought, he found himself staring at the horizon, as if there was something hiding just beyond it that could answer all of his questions.

In the corner of Dalinar’s eye, a bright, column of light manifested, then faded, signaling the use of the Oathgate connected to Stormseat.

Given the time, Dalinar was surprised. He did not expect the Initiates to return for another hour, at least. The sun had just barely reached its apex, and the Highprince knew Kaladin had planned for them to break their fast in the chasm, after finishing their battle. If they were here already, then that meant they slayed the Chasmfiend in record time. For such a small group, that should be impossible. Especially so once you considered the Initiates never fought together, before. If twenty Initiates were capable of such a feat, what could an army of Radiants accomplish?

Curious, Dalinar rose from his seat and approached the edge overlooking the Oathgate, only to find the disc barren of life. If it wasn't the Initiates returning, than who else could have used it?

Fortunately Dalinar didn’t have to wait long for that answer.

Three men ascended from the stairwell leading into the inner chamber, one with his arms bound behind his back. It was hard to tell from this far up, but he wore an Initiate’s uniform, torn and bloody from battle. The men escorting him wore the pristine garbs of the Squires, and judging by the slight glimmer of their skin, they were using their powers to keep him compliant. Still, the two Squires had their spears leveled at the Initiate, one flat across his chest to prevent him from fleeing, the other's tip pointed at his rear to urge him forward.

As they walked towards the bridge, Renarin peaked his head out of the inner chamber, likely watching for when they were off the platform so that he could return to the Shattered Plains to wait for the others.

Who was the Initiate, and why was he being treated like a prisoner? The only explanation was that the man below had been found responsible for Lomot’s death. Dalinar would have to speak with him in the cells, if that were the case. Should he leave now, he'd arrive at the cells just in time to greet them.

About to turn, Dalinar glanced at his son one last time. One moment Renarin was standing absolutely still, as if Soulcast into a statue, despite the Initiate and his escorts being halfway across the bridge already. The next moment he collapsed to his knees, his body trembling rapidly as he fought to get back up.

Dalinar breathed, sucking in the Stormlight from the necklace of spheres he wore around his neck, and shouted with all his might.

“Renarin!”

Dalinar's voice resonated throughout the atmosphere, as if it were thunder. All over Urithiru, people stopped what they were doing and looked up to sky, wondering where the yell came from. Kaladin’s Squires, however, were just with Renarin and did not hesitate to turn to see what was wrong.

The Initiate smiled, then breathed. In a blink of an eye, he had slipped free from his bonds and slid underneath the spear against his chest, and amazingly kept on gliding across the length of the bridge, as if it had all the resistance of ice.

Momentarily stunned, the two Squires glanced back and forth between the fleeing Initiate and Renarin’s seizing form, trying to decide what to do. Without speaking, they split off, one in each direction.

DALINAR KHOLIN. WE NEED TO TALK.

“Not now!” Dalinar yelled at the Stormfather, sprinting from the ledge and towards the stairs leading down into the tower. In that moment he wished he was a Windrunner. That way he could fly to his son, rather than waste his time riding the lift down to the ground floor.

I THINK YOU WANT TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.

“Whatever it is, it can wait! Can’t you see something is wrong with my son?” Dalinar’s question echoed off the walls of the stairwell to the beat of his heavy footsteps.

THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT. HE’S HAVING ANOTHER VISION.

“A vision?” Dalinar asked, interest peaked, though he didn’t slow his descent. “Of what?”

THE ANCIENT ONES, BOUND TO THE ONE WHO HATES. THEY ARE FIGHTING YOUR INITIATES NOW, AND THAT ONE YOU CALL STORMBLESSED.

That last word sounded almost like a sneer.

Dalinar ignored it, focused only on what he needed to do.

 

 

Eshonai sang to the Rhythm of Destruction, smiling as the rain wet her hair and dripped down the ridges of her face. Beneath her, a dozen listeners swarmed that fool Alethi, no longer afraid of his power, but inspired by them instead. If they could cut him down, they would become legends among their kin, for they would have avenged those slaughtered since the Rider’s betrayal.

Eshonai battled with herself, fighting to not leave her perch. As much as she wanted the glory of vengeance for herself, she needed to play the general today, rather than the warrior. Last time, she barely survived her encounter with the Alethi, and she had only faced an ordinary Shardbearer then.

“Do not let them escape!” she yelled, watching as the group of men and women fled deeper into the chasms. Though Eshonai’s voice could not pierce the storm that was raging above, those attuned to the same rhythm as her could feel the command.

Breaking away from those chanting to maintain the tempest above, a squad of listeners jumped to an adjacent plateau, seeking an ideal position to drop on top of the human cowards.

Gathering her strength, a bolt of red energy coursed through her, forming into a malicious sphere of crackling energy between the palms of her hands. The louder she sang, the larger it grew, the black and red colors on its surface swirling and bubbling until eventually it became too strong for her to hold onto any longer.

Casting it from her hands, the violent orb shot into the open air and exploded, nine bolts of crimson lightning bursting from it, aimed for the earth. Wherever they crashed, the ground cratered and burned. Rocks scattered hundreds of meters into the air, then fell back down, sharp and furious.

The power was chaos, far beyond Eshonai’s control. Still, it was chaos that she could use to fulfill her and her god’s desir-

A blood-curdling scream filled Eshonai’s ears. It was so loud, it drove her to her knees. Desperate, she clasped her hands around her ears, though the effort did her no good. Her stomach twisted, the powers of stormform abandoning her and her resolve vanishing along with them.

Receding into herself, she found where the sound was coming from. But how did her Rhythm suddenly change to Peace? She could sense the Rider of Storms watching her, now.

Had he somehow forced the Rhythm upon her?

Eshonai cycled through the Rhythms and again found Destruction. At once the screaming stopped and her strength returned. Rising back to her feet, she held her hands before her, then resumed her singing, urging the energy to form between her palms and demanding it to grow.

 

 

Veriq truly was the most worthless man in Roshar.

 

When the others talked, Veriq remained silent. When the others fought, Veriq remained idle. And now, when the others ran, Veriq remained still. Frozen in place by... something. Not quite fear or cowardice, but more like a lack of esteem, or self-loathing.

 

At least he had succeeded in saving the babe. He did not know its gender, too embarrassed to check, but he knew the infant was safe in Urithiru. That mission was done, and for that, he was grateful.

Could he die happy, knowing the baby would live on because of him? Maybe so, but when he breathed, the Stormlight flowed into him from the spheres in his belt pouch. When he breathed, he realized he wasn’t quite ready to stop breathing.

And so he ran, faster than he had ever run before. Despite swearing the First Ideal, his leg was still bent awkward from his accident. Perhaps he had the injury for so long that it had become so a part of himself that not even Stormlight could heal it. Fortunately for him, the power did repress the pain enough that he could keep up with the others. Well, relatively speaking, at least, for they had already passed the Chasmfiend’s corpse, while he had just barely left their temporary camp.

At least this way, no one’s life would depend on him but his own.

Despite the power raging within him, all this exercise still made him perspirate. He wasn’t accustomed to running, let alone walking for any great length. At least the rain washed away the sweat from his brow. Licking his lips, he was glad not to taste salt.

Woosh.

What was that?

Turning, Veriq saw the most insane thing in his life. A surge of water rushed from the opposite end of the chasm, so massive and strong it lifted the Chasmfiend from the floor, heading straight towards him. If that were not insane enough, there was an Initiate climbing the thing, a gemheart cradled between his arm and his torso, the same arm bearing a sword and awkwardly swiping at a pair of Voidbringers nipping at his heels.

 

Just in time, the crazy Initiate threw himself over one of the monster’s spines, riding it like a horse. Yelling something that could not be heard over the storm, he pointed the sword forward, and with a lurch, the corpse began moving downstream.

 

Straight towards him and the other Initiates.

The flash flood hit Veriq first, throwing him backwards and off his feet. The world around him became a suffocating blur, dark and murky except for the occasional burst of red lightning in the sky. A bolt struck close to him, shocking him and rendering him unconscious.

Darkness. But no deathspren? It was questionable whether or not they truly existed, but Veriq had seen them himself, once. Where were they now?

Light! Veriq’s head pierced the surface of the water, and he breathed deep, the Stormlight from his spheres flowing into him. He had turned around somehow, and was now facing downstream, towards the other Initiates. They had all been swept up too, save for a handful clinging desperately to a rope that somehow was pulling itself up the chasm wall. Had one of them developed some kind of Radiant powers?

Another few Initiates were riding a shield, by the looks of it, though only two adults and the child could fit on it. The rest struggled to swim with the current, or in a few cases, were unconscious and simply drifting with the flow. Dead Voidbringers bled and bobbed around them, while their living brethren stared down at the Initiates from the plateaus, casting the occasional bolt of lightning, but seldom hitting their mark.

Crash.

Veriq remembered the Chasmfiend the moment it hit him, and only then. Fortunate that he only hit its shell and not one of its spines, he just had to deal with the wind being knocked out of him.

Conveniently, one of its claws limped beside him. Sucking in air and Light, Veriq grabbed hold, then used a surge of strength to lift himself on top, just like he saw Balthazar straddle one of the spines.

His legs dragged in the water, the bum one blazing with pain, forcing him to keep breathing in his Stormlight. Instinctively he leaned one way and the claw swayed with his weight, nearly forcing him to slam into the corpse’s shell again. Resisting his urge to lean, Veriq fixed his posture and returned his gaze forward, towards the other Initiates, glad that the claw followed suit.

Was it just him, or were they getting closer? Either the Chasmfiend was moving faster, which should be impossible given its weight, or they were beginning to slow down. But if so, how?

The water… it was rising. The ground beneath them must have been sloping upwards, meaning that soon enough, the momentum would stop completely.

Smash.

Something beneath the water hit the Chasmfiend and launched it into the air at a spin. Hugging the claw tighter, Veriq closed his eyes and held on for dear life.

When he opened them again he was facing a wall. The very same wall that a few Initiates had been hanging on by a rope just before. Looking left, he could see nothing but water and Voidbringers. Had the Initiates been struck by lightning, or been dragged down by the turbulent waters?

Smack.

What the? Dazed, Veriq swatted at whatever hit him in the face. Beneath him the claw shifted with his weight, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the water. Flailing his arms for something to grab ahold of, he felt something slither beside him. Frightened, he tried to swim away, but before he could escape the thing wrapped itself around his wrist and tugged. Veriq gasped, and water filled his lungs.

This time he could sense the deathspren in the darkness. They weren’t exactly visible, and yet Veriq could somehow see their ravenous maws gaping to consume him.

They were moving closer, growing larger. This would be the end for sure.

Pulse.

A sound like a drum beating filled the darkness. One time, then two times, then one time once more. The deathspren seemed scared by the sound, and sure enough, when the last one resounded, a warm light banished them and brought Veriq back to life.

“You alright, friend?”

Veriq was on top of the Chasmfiend, Kintas standing above him. Before anything else, Veriq noticed the rope curling itself around the man’s arm, as if it were alive.

Veriq tried to speak, but only coughed water. Smiling, Kintas ran off towards the Chasmfiend’s head, motioning for Veriq to follow.

 

 

Kaladin hadn’t felt this alive since… well, since the day he fought the Assassin in White.

His heart raged inside his chest, Stormlight coursing through his veins, strengthening his muscles and hardening his skin. Kaladin spun among the Voidbringers, Sylprena dancing in his hands, sometimes in the form of a spear, other times as a shield, or a hammer.

As hard as the monsters struggled against him, their strength and their speed could not match his. This… this was more than just Stormlight empowering him. It was as if the Ideals themselves were giving him strength.

I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.

And protect them he did.

Kaladin had no time to look back. Escorting the Initiates to safety was his Squire’s responsibility, not his. He had only one job, and that was to keep the Voidbringer’s from pursuing them.

Slipping under one’s arm, Syl became a sword and Kaladin spun around, the Voidbringer’s eyes boiling in his skull. Though the monster's eyes were the same color as flame, they burned all the same when sliced through with a Shardblade.

Beyond the falling corpse, a warpair ran towards Kaladin at full speed, then leaped, blades sparking with electricity as they lunged them at his face.

The Windrunner Lashed himself to the sky ten times in quick succession and rocketed into the air, narrowly dodging their strike. Gathering a full broam’s worth of power inside him, he Lashed himself down to the earth one hundred times more, landing on the head of one and burying him seven feet deep into the stone, a concussive wave of frost and force bursting from his body, knocking the advancing Voidbringers off their feet.

Surprisingly, not a single one stirred. None except those taken by the sudden current of the flash flood heading right towards him.

No wonder they stopped jumping down after him.

Smiling, Kaladin took to the sky once more, this time slowly so that the Voidbringers on top of the plateaus could get a good glimpse at the man who would defeat them, once and for all.

Too busy chanting that disturbing song, the Voidbringers barely seemed to notice.

“Kaladin, behind you!” shouted Syl. Too late to turn, Kaladin Lashed himself sideways, but even that turned out to be too late, too.

A bolt of red hot plasma shot through him like an arrow. He tried to breath, but the blast had paralyzed him completely. Eyes locked open, all he could do is watch that Voidbringer Shardbearer smile as he fell into the turbulent waters below, his body convulsing from the shock, her body collecting electricity.

 

 

How? Veriq asked himself, panting with his hands on his knees, halfway up the Spire. How had they gotten here?

He knew the answer, of course. He had watched Kintas fish the rest of the Initiates from the water with that living rope of his. He had watched Shinon fire arrows at the Voidbringer’s trying to jump and climb onto the Chasmfiend, and watched Uther throw daggers into the air to catch any bolts of lightning that came dangerously close.

Of course, neither man's aim was perfect, and there was the occasional skirmish, but miraculously the Initiate's had all survived. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the Spire.

It reminded Veriq of the Chasmfiend’s spines, a massive, black needle that from this angle, looked tall enough to pierce the heavens. As soon as they reached it, the Horneater that Kaladin called Rock dove into the water and swam into the tower through one of its open windows, a few of the Initiates following close behind.

Low on Stormlight, Veriq found himself unable to move. His leg ached worse than ever before, and he was more tired than he had been in his entire life. If not for one of that bald Squire grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing him to swim, he would have drowned for sure.

There were still so many steps left to climb, and the other Initiates were so far. Even the Squires had moved on ahead, although instead of using the stairs, they had ran up the walls outside, defying gravity. They needed to reach the top, they said, before the Voidbringers could get there and set an ambush.

At least Veriq was not alone. Petrik was having trouble too, it seemed. For some reason his wounds weren’t healing, as if the Stormlight refused to replenish his strength.

“We’ve got to,” Petrik gasped, “keep moving.”

“I know,” Veriq wheezed, “but I can’t.”

Looking over the edge of the stairs, he could see the water rising in the center, red lightning dancing across its surface. The Voidbringer’s must have been channeling the electricity directly into the rising flood. If it were to touch him, Veriq would surely die. It rose so quickly, he concluded that this was the end for sure.

“Here,” Petrik held one of his infused spheres out. Veriq breathed and the Stormlight urged him to survive.

“Let’s go.”

 

 

Adolin felt the rain before he saw the storm.

When the curtain of light fell to reveal the Shattered Plains, he found it very different than he last remembered. It was still daylight, apart from the plateaus obscured by the shadow of the unnatural storm above. Some of the plateaus seemed to have shifted places, while a few others had been splintered and weathered.

Voidbringers, at least a hundred of them, lined the edges of the plateaus, chanting that horrific song of theirs. It was faint from afar and with the thunder roaring above, but Adolin could hear it. The rhythm summoned memories of that day when he fought Eshonai and nearly died.

If he let them keep singing, the storm would only get worse, and so he ordered the Bridge Crews to get to work.

“17! Get Aladar’s men on the southern plateau! 18, prepare for mine to cross to the western!”

Heaving the bridges onto their shoulders, the bridgemen complied.

“Son, can you see them?” Dalinar asked, shielding his eyes from the downpour with his hand.

“No father," Adolin replied, glancing at his dad. "But I'm sure they're okay. Kaladin is with them, after all." Dalinar didn't look very convinced. "Please, return inside. It’s too dangerous for you to be out here without Plate or Blade. I’ll take care of it from here.”

Shifting his gaze to his son, Dalinar nodded. “Yes, you’re right. Good luck.”

Thanks, Adolin thought as he watched his father descend back into the Oathgate’s inner chamber, then looked back at the chaos unfurling before him. It looks like I’m going to need it.

 

 

So close, now. They were so very close.

Already the rest of the Initiates had reached the top of the Spire and stepped onto the plateau. Most of them were outside with the Squires, fighting off Voidbringers by the sound of it, although a few of them remained at the exit, shouting for Veriq and Petrik to hurry.

Smack.

The Spire quivered and Veriq stumbled to the side. Rather than lose his balance and topple, he threw himself against the stairs, digging a few of his fingers into a gash in the stone to keep him anchored.

He was fine. Thank the Almighty, he was.

Petrik, however, was not so lucky.

“Help!” the young man shouted, hanging onto the edge of the stairs with a single arm, his other too wounded to hold his weight. Veriq could see that his grasp was slipping, and fast.

“Veriq!” Kintas shouted from above. “Are you alright? Petrik needs your help!”

Help. How many times had Veriq heard that word and froze? Countless times. So many, that it didn’t even register in his brain the same way it would anyone else.

He was the most useless man in Roshar, after all. What help could he be to anyone, other than himself?

Breathing deeply, Veriq sucked in some more Stormlight from what was left of Petrik’s spheres. If only he didn’t resist his powers, Petrik could pull himself up from the ledge.

“Please, help,” Petrik cried.

Veriq panicked and ran.

“What are you doing! Petrik needs your help! Turn back!”

Kintas was right. Petrik needed him, and what did Veriq do? The same thing he always did. He fled.

Maybe today… maybe today could be different.

Veriq turned and watched as Petrik’s strength gave out with a yelp, the young man's flailing body falling towards the electrified water.

“Grab hold and pull!” Kintas shouted, and suddenly his rope was alive again. Like a skyeel, it flew at Petrik and snagged his broken arm. No longer needed, Veriq turned kept on running, watching as Ranatar pulled back on Kintas' now-gray trousers to keep him from being pulled off the ledge.

Once outside, Veriq fell to the ground, utterly drained of Stormlight.

"What the colors was that?!” Kintas shouted at him, kicking him in the side so that he rolled onto his back. “How could you just let Petrik fall to his death!”

“I’m sorry,” Veriq tried to say, but the words wouldn’t come out. He was too tired to even speak.

“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” Ranatar said next. The stormwarden had seen his cowardice too, and in that moment, it seemed the only logical explanation.

“I’m sorry,” Veriq tried to say again. This time he couldn’t even move his lips.

“Airsick lowlanders!” shouted an unfamiliar voice, just before Veriq was suddenly lifted onto a massive shoulder. “Less talking! More running!” the same voice demanded. Veriq's stomach churned as the world rocked around him.

 

 

Charging across the bridge, Adolin directed half of his troops towards the Voidbringers lined up along the edge of the Plateau. As the soldiers parted to knock them into the flooded chasm below, the prince and the rest of his men ran for what looked like a massive spike, surrounded by a writhing crowd of those monsters.

It was impossible to tell what the crowd was surrounding exactly, but Adolin’s warrior instincts told him that’s where he needed to be. Sure enough, a moment later he saw one of Kaladin’s Squires knock a few of the Voidbringer's off their feet with what looked to be a cookpot. As he ran, he swung the pot wildly with one arm while the other sheltered an unconscious Initiate draped over his shoulder.

Voidbringers too stunned to stop them, a few of the smaller, younger Initiates made it free from the battle, although the monsters quickly reformed their line, cutting off the rest.

“Pincer formation!” Adolin shouted, sprinting left and saluting Rock as they passed each other, the Horneater determined to lead the women and children to the Oathgate, the prince determined to reach the battle and save what was left of his father’s hopes and dreams.

If the Voidbringers had not noticed already, Adolin had no intention of warning them of their advance. Fortunately by the time any one of the monsters heard the soldier's footsteps over the thunder and rain, it was too late for them to act.

A flash of light and the clanging of metal. A splash of blood and cries of pain.

When the chaos settled, Adolin found himself struggling to catch his breath alongside a man bearing the uniform of the Initiates. His eyes were still dark and his skin did not glow, but whatever this man’s name was, there was power within him.

“No time for rest,” he shouted, quickly surveying the faces of the men who were still standing. Only Algo and Loen were dead, then. Good soldiers that deserved a proper burial. Breaking off into a run, Adolin hoped the scouts could find their bodies later.

“Brightlord!” yelled a Squire. Teft, if Adolin remembered correctly. “Have you seen our Captain?”

“Kaladin? No. I thought he was with you!”

The look on Teft's face was cold. Empty.

“I don’t… feel him, Brightlord. Not like I’m used to.”

“Well, do you still have your powers?”

The man’s skin began to glow.

“So he’s still alive, then. Probably just took flight when the chasm started flooding.”

“I hope you’re right, Brightlord. I hope you’re right.”

 

 

YOU’VE LOST HIM, KHOLIN. STORMBLESSED IS GONE.

Dalinar breathed in the Stormlight then bellowed, “Retreat! Retreat!” His voice was loud enough to shake the earth and rouse the dead.

Behind him, Renarin was shaking. Whatever kind of visions he got they were very different than Dalinar’s, for he remained standing, and was still conscious of this world.

Ahead of him, Adolin raced across Bridge Eighteen, an entourage of soldiers, Squires and Initiates following close behind him.

“What do you mean Stormblessed is gone?” Dalinar mumbled, not wanting to speak loud enough that his honor guard, made up of the former members of Bridge Four, could hear.

Unfortunately the Stormfather did not answer.

“Renarin, get back inside. Prepare the Oathgate. I’ll shout when we’re ready to go.”

“Drehy!” one of Dalinar’s guards yelled, waving his hands to grab the attention of Kaladin’s Squire. After a quick glance behind his shoulder, the man named Drehy ran over to meet his friend. “I don’t see the Captain. Where is he?”

“Peet…” Drehy’s face twitched a little, then became as solid as stone. Without saying another word, he looked behind his shoulder once more. “He ran off on his own, Peet, to keep the Voidbringers off our back. Said he would meet us here. I’m sure he’ll show up so-”

“-sadly, Squire,” Dalinar interrupted the conversation before Drehy could finish. “As soon as Aladar’s soldier’s finish crossing their bridge, we’re leaving, with or without Stormblessed.”

“But sir!” Peet interjected.

“Soldier,” Dalinar responded firmly. “I respect your loyalty to your Captain, but do not forget that I am both his and your superior. Besides, Stormblessed is capable enough on his own to return to Urithiru without an escort. Understand?”

“Yes, sir…”

In the distance, Aladar directed the last of his men onto the Oathgate before stepping onto it himself.

“Renarin! Now!”

 

 

Splash.

Veriq was soaked, but that didn’t stop the cold water that was thrown on his face from waking him. Wiping the moisture from his eyes, he looked up to find a clear, beautiful sky, and his fellow Initiates surrounding him.

“Veriq, is it?”

That was Dalinar’s voice.

“Yes, sir,” he said, struggling to rise to his feet, though he could only make it to a knee.

“I’ve been informed that you tried to kill one of your fellow Initiates. Is this true?”

“I… what? No!”

Dalinar sighed, waving several men forward. Of them, Veriq only knew Kintas’ name. Behind the crowd, Petrik watched with sad eyes.

“So in your own words tell me what happened, then.”

Clear sky or not, the air was strangely tense, as if there was an unseen storm brewing around him.

“I… I left Petrik to die, sir. I could have helped him, but ran right past, only concerned with my own safety.”

“And before that, while your allies were fighting the Chasmfiend. What did you do?”

“Nothing, sir...”

“Nothing? You didn’t even lift a finger? Just watched as your allies fought for their lives?”

“Yes, sir. I'm worthless, sir.”

“Well then you leave me no choice. Initiate Veriq. On the field of battle, non-action is as good as being an accomplice to murder. You could have saved another man’s life and instead left him to fall to his death. How can I trust that you run out of fear, but because you wanted him to die?”

“I… I don’t know, sir. I don’t think you can.”

“Then you understand the predicament you have put me in. Therefore I hereby sentence you to indefinite imprisonment, until we can decide what to do with you. Adolin, be so kind as to show him to his cell.”

“Yes, father,” the prince responded, then stepped up to Veriq. “Come,” he said, his face steeled but eyes shining with contempt. Adolin did not even reach out a hand to help him up.

“As for the rest of you,” Dalinar addressed the other Initiates while Veriq was led away. “You’ve been through a lot today. Please, take the evening, and all of tomorrow, off. Relax a little. Perhaps take a stroll through the gardens, or unwind with a drink at Pub Seb. I haven’t been there myself, but Sebarial ensures me that it’s atmosphere is delightful and that it’s got the best menu Urithiru has to offer.

“Oh, and do be on the lookout for Arionium. Earlier the man escaped from the Squires and is hiding somewhere within the city.”

Edited February 21, 2017 by Amanuensis

[Amanuensis]

CHAPTER FIVE

Arionium escaped from prison before he could be executed!

Veriq has been arrested! He was Guilty of Cowardice and Being an Accomplice to Murder!

One Bond has been formed!

One Bond has been broken!

 

 

I'm very sorry about this write up, guys. I had a lot of content to get through, and it ended up being ridiculously long, so it's also not very polished. I have to get to work soon, so I'll have to fix it up later so that it meets my standards.

 

For similar reasons, the prompt for this Chapter isn't very clear. Feel free to retroactively roleplay if you want to describe what happened with your character during the Greatshell-raft ride, or during that final confrontation with the Voidbringers just before Adolin came to the rescue. Otherwise go ahead and explore the city and build some character relationships! If ya'll don't make it to Pub Seb this Chapter, then maybe for the next one I'll set the scene myself, and you guys can enjoy some good ole fashion drinking games, and maybe even get into a bar fight! Wouldn't that be fun?

 

Anyway, GM PMs will be coming soon. I think I should be able to get everyone theirs before I have to go for the night.

 

Have fun

 

INTERROGATION

 

(3) Alvron: Doc12, TheMightyLopen, A Joe in the Bush,

(1) Arraenae: Drake Marshall,

(1) Elbereth: Arraenae,

(4) Quiver: randuir, Alvron, Hemalurgic_Headshot, Jondesu,

 

EXECUTION

 

(13/10) Arinian: Drake Marshall, Arraenae, TheMightyLopen, Jondesu, A Joe in the Bush, randuir, Doc12, Hemalurgic_Headshot, Alvron, Magestar, Ecthelion III, TheSilverDragon, Quiver

 

INITIATES

1. A Joe in the Bush as Jonly

2. Assassin in Burgundy as Araon Darkblade

3. Jondesu as Kintas

4. randuir as Ranatar

5. Hemalurgic_Headshot as Sareth-son-Erneth

6. TheSilverDragon as Rea

7. Ecthelion III as Fifth Nameless

8. Arinian as Arionium, Guilty of Murder, Fraud, and Multiple Counts of Theft

9. JUQ as Hess

10. Shqueeves as Leif

11. Doc12 as Hithon

12. Magestar as Balthazar

13. Arraenae as Ralaani

14. TheMightyLopen as Shinon

15. Drake Marshall as Teresh

16. The lazy anarchist as Lyna Telavalet

17. Alvron as Naihar

18. DroughtBringer as Petrik

19. Darkness Ascendant as The Phantom Stranger & Hashiv

20. Elbereth as Tintallë Iurnu

 

PRISONERS

1. Veriq, Guilty of Cowardice and Being an Accomplice to Murder

 

CASUALTIES

1. Lomot the Honorable Initiate
2. Ashetvl the Honorable Initiate

 

COUNTDOWN

 

Chapter Five will end on Monday, February 20th, at 0400 EST. Chapter Six will begin approximately 2 hours later

 

Edited February 21, 2017 by Amanuensis

[Jondesu]

Wow, Aman, thanks for making Kintas so prominent, and well, awesome! I'll make a full post once I'm supposed to be awake (it's only 5AM here), but that's was incredible, polished or not.

[DeTess]

39 minutes ago, Amanuensis said:

 

I'm very sorry about this write up, guys. I had a lot of content to get through, and it ended up being ridiculously long, so it's also not very polished. I have to get to work now, so I'll have to fix it up later so that it meets my standards.

 

What do you mean, you're sorry? this one, like those before, was amazing!

Now, important rules question. how does one go about executing an edgedancer? Can they be brought in for execution again without first having to imprison them?

Wether we decide to go after Arin again or not this cycle, it might be important to know at a later point (as I'm fairly certain it was Arin's bond that got broken due to lack of honor to supply his spren with, unless an(other) unjust did something to break his bond).

Edit: Also, for those who missed it looking through Aman's post the first time round, we have a vote manipulator who added quiver to the execution tally.

Edited February 17, 2017 by randuir

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

This connects the ending of my last RP to the present:

Sareth looked around and struggled to his feet. Where was everyone? Then he saw them, all at the feet of a massive spire, just ten paces away. Somehow, the flood had carried them all the way. He raced to join them, supplementing his weakness with his staff.

...

The Oathgate flashed, and they were all safely back in the Holy City. It had not changed in its magnificence a bit, but Sareth had. He had been in war. He had fought not only a chasmfiend, but also voidbringers, and lived! He sighed. So much trauma... he will go meditate now.

[Arinian]

I'm back 

And yes it's my bond was broken. Don't have much to say right now, will throw my thoughts and RP later  

And also question. Can I vote? Cause by write up I think I can't.

Oh and write up is nice, as always. 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Arinian