The Frostbourne

Top was tired. He had travelled late into the night to get to the rendezvous, only to find out the competition had already started. He had claimed an empty room near the end of a hallway, and gone to sleep. Fortunately, he was late on the brackets, so he would have plenty of time to judge the competitions, and get a feel for any particularly strong fighters. The results of his studying were troubling, to say the least. Though he was assigned to the Glyph Arena, he had seen fights in each of the others. And it seemed that some people would be able to kill him at a glance. One man had beaten his opponent simply by lighting a puddle of alcohol on fire. The fight Top watches now draws him from his thoughts with a start as a small child summons a large... Teddy bear. It's on fire. Somehow, it doesn't even phase the man it grabs, who jumps immediately into action. With a shake of his head, Top gets up to return to the Glyph room annd watch there once more. If the bear wins, I'll be able to imagine the battle; if the man wins, I'm sure to hear of it anyway... Time to scope out my opponent. hopefully, he'd be in there. One gunner-type shoots fireballs at some sort of monk, as Top enters, but they appear to only strengthen him. Top shakes his head and scans the area for a likely candidate for his opponent, before realizing that he has no idea who he's looking for. So, he decides to network instead. He sits near a social-sounding guy who's talking non-stop to the man next to him, who doesn't look too pleased. The talking one sonds like he's on the subject of FormSpheres. Top leans in to listen, and when the talker takes a breath, he tactfully interjects: "Not to be rude, but you speak of interesting matters. You wouldn't mind if one more were to join your conversation as well, would you?" He glanced at the quiet one to let him know that the question was directed at him, as well.

28? You're just trying to keep me away from anything I could freeze, aren't you? Oh, well. I can work with Glyphs... *planplanschemeplanplanplanplotplanplan* / \ | This is me. Only not. | By the way, is there anything (within reason - my reason) that would convince you to give us the full fighting brackets? Or are they somewhere, and I haven't seen? Edit- I've decided Top speaks and thinks in Third Person, as a form of emotional self-control, when he's in Baseline and unable to access his Zinc Blessing for Emotional Fortitude (this guy's been ripped to shreds emotionally - this is what keeps him going.). Regardless of perspective, this is the reason he can spend so long in-Form; he practiced so that he could use his Zinc whenever possible. :'(

...You mean did NOT, right? Otherwise... Ouch.

Has Jack looked at the Notice Board yet?

Username: The Frostbourne Contact: [email protected] (best to just PM me, though) Character Name: Heraldo Fernandez Bourguois III. Always asks (read: politely demands) to be called Top. Age:24 Gender: Male Hometown: Cierre-Leon - Tucked away on in a secluded valley in the South East part of the world, this town, which is more of a large, fort-like manor, is the ancestral home of the Borguois family. The place is well-defended for such a small manor out of necessity; it rests in an unfriendly part of the world, and the only nearby settlement of any size is the Frozen Foothills, and the Borguois would never turn to barbarians for protection. They believe that the Foothillers(?) Are enroaching upon their lands. Thus, they usually have three SphereMorphers at any time, all members of the Borguois line. Due to their history of victory against dangerous monsters, they have developed a firm tradition of giving every Borguois a SphereMount. No Borguois goes without, though the older members will often have to give up the theirs to be used by the younger generation. Their current Patriarch, Duke Fernandez Borguois II, hopes to expand the family's influence throughout the world. Marital Status: Ex-Engaged (Unofficially). Appearance: Top is tall, but not extraordinarily so; His eyes are green, but not piercingly so; his hair is blonde, but not brightly so; his clothes are unique, but not outlandishly so. In other words, he is so ordinary-looking as to immediately stand out. Standing at 72", with light green eyes and light hair, Top nonetheless atteracts attention, much as he dislikes it. It could be the clothes he wears; the simple necklace he wears, along with the with dark, fitted pants, tooled leather boots, and a simple, yet well-fitting black turtleneck with a grey jacket worn over the top were unusual. Or, more likely, it's the SphereMount attached to the right hip of his pants, just below the belt he always wears. Personality: A calm man, Top puts up with most foolishness due to his raising (see History). To keep from accidentally offending others, he stays polite in most situations, and avoids being downright rude whenever possible. If he insults you, you know you've done something wrong. He speaks in the Third Person to help control his emotions while in Baseline, since he doesn't have the advantage of his Zinc Blessing. His outfit and living habits, though, suggest a deep order and cleanliness in him which can't be learned; he tries not to let it show. He does crack occasional zingers. Sometimes they're even funny. History: As he got older, Heraldo would be called a failure, a reject. Today, his parents, the Duke and Dutchess of grand Cierre-Leon, Dutchess Florette and Duke Fernandez Borguois II, called him Heir. Years later, Heraldo would realize that heirs seem to be good at one thing above all else: disappointing their parents. They lived with the discovery that he was left-handed, to the fact that they couldn't teach him to get indignant or irritated no matter how hard they tried, even refusing to be called by his given name, instead responding only to "Top". This all ended with his rejection from another tutor. His only reason had been that the tutor had been "biased." This was the last straw. They gave him a gift. A SphereMount to call his own. He got excited, went out to test it; his parent's hired goons struck, and Top woke up hours later, quite literally in the middle of nowhere, with no idea of how to get back, and no proof of who he was. In the 8 years since then, he has learned things his parents could never teach him; he has learned how to Surive and Endure. And he met... her. She came into his life from nowhere, told him how to find his way from the wilderness and small villiges he had been trapped in. She travelled with him, towards that destination, her speaking of the great libraries. They began to talk of knowledge, of monsters, philosophies, Sheres. She, of all those he had kown, accepted his ideas, liistened to his theories. Even helped solidify them. They talked, they walked - they fell in love. Standing on a clifftop, with the final destination on the horizon beneath a glowinng full moon, Top proposed, after only eight days. By the time eight hours had gone by, she was dead. And so Top came into town, numb with loss, looking for a distraction that would not remind him of her. He found much more than that. He found the Tournament. Grid: Affected Triplicate- With the main FormSphere* in the center connecting to both of the other corners of the triangle, it alters their performance slightly. It can be used directly itself, and is, more importantly, a sort of "control" for the other two. It affects them both, creating a "Similarity Link" which makes all three more compatible. As such, transfers betwen the two are swift; only 8 seconds are needed. In Top's case, it leaves the Kandra Blessing active and Spikes present, though the effects are lessened somewhat. FormSpheres: •• *Kandra- Zinc Spikes are hidden within Top's shoulders, allowing him to withstand magic and endure emotional stress. The Form also carries with it the same crossbow that Top carries in his Baseline. Unfortunately, this form offers little benefit to his combat prowess, so he mainly uses it when he needs range, extra protection from magic, or a disguise. Powers- As a kandra, his face changes into a strong, square man's with a prominent nose, brown eyes, and hair the color of dust. He wears a grey, buttoned shirt, dark blue trousers, light leather gauntlets, and a thick oilskin cloak, and is never seen without the larg rucksack on his back, bulging oddly in certain places. That bag actually contains two spare bone sets - one of a young girl, perhaps ten years of age, and the other an older, short mam in his early forties. The face, though, can be changed through simple willpower. This, however, is the Form he uses when he has nothing specific in mind. Disadvantages- This form is not too useful in combat, due to its lack of fighting ability enhancements, or defensive boosts. It does have the crossbow, but that's not exactly a handcannon. • Basic Form (Top is currently working to gain skills like TenSoon's; the ability to form a body quickly, and to not need an exact memory of a person to become them, or something close.) •• Armored Knight- With the addition of thick scale mail across his body, as well as a strong breastplate, this form is designed for protection. As if the armor wasn't enough alone, its protective powers extend to being resistant to magical attacks, as well as normal, assisted by the zinc Spikes that carry across Forms. The armor is a curious matte blue, vey light, yet unreflexive. With a sheild on his right, and a spiky, dangerous-looking mace on his left, Top is a wall, except most walls won't hunt you down and beat you to a spiked, quivering pulp. Powers- With an Elemental Strike, focusing on Ice, freezing or shattering struck objects and bodies, and a Disabling Strike, focused on Slow, if he catches you, it's unlikely that you'll get away. Disadvantages- The danger is, obviously, the Form's lack of speed and agility. Also, offers no ranged attacks whatsoever. • Warrior --> Armored Knight •• Ice Warden- In contrast to the slow, horror-film I'm-coming-for-you movements of his Armored Knight form, the Ice Warden moves quickly and gracefully throughout the battlefield, jumping, rolling, and running to where he needs to be. Top wears simple, form-fitting, water-proofed clothes of dark colors, with only extra leather pads around the shoulders. His strength lies his speed, and in the Ice he can form around his body. Powers- This form builds upon the powers it held iniths Basic Form with the addition of higher physical speed and agility and the powers of Ice (obviously). Unlike most other manipulators of elements, he can only create or very near on his person. So, while he could create iceaskates coming from his feet, he could not create an ice rink to skate on. However, his control is very fine, which allows him to do most anything from throwing up walls and shields to sculpting a figure of a dove. This takes time though, so he tends to stick to straightforward, smaller objects; for instance, that knife he's about to stab you with. Disadvantages- Unfortunately, this Form has no real ranged attacks to speak of either, except for manually throwing ice. Also, it's low on the defensive side. • Chill Freeze--> Ice Warden Roleplaying Exerpt: Top was not a quick man to anger. The creature in front of him had made him furious. One person. One, so far, of all the people he had ever met who had listened to his theories without laughing. One, who had agreed in the possibilities he saw. One, who hadn't rejected him. One friend. Until this monster came along and ended her. It roared, obviously not content with one. It wanted him, too. He roared right back. "You want me?!" He charged. She had been taken. She had not had a Spheremorph. The beast rushed to meat him, frenzied by the scent of blood so heavy in thee air. Tops met the creature with a roar of his own, shield meeting claw, mace meeting bone, with a shrp crack and a surprised screech. Mace met bone. Mace met bone. Mace met head. The thing collapsed, shaking softly, and mace met head again, to be certain. Top slumped to the ground beside it. "Come and get me." It came out as a tiny, hoarse whisper. He shook the carcass, looking for loot before the carrion eaters came. He took his hunting knife to it, savagely. He took a tooth, them hesitated. Somehow, her trinket had caught around a fang near the back of the thing's mouth. He reached, took it. He stumbled away, suddenly exhausted. The scavengers began to feed. Soon, none but bones were left. Monster bones, and human bones. People often asked about the fang around Top's neck, and the small, plain stone that hung next to it. Top's answer was always simple. "It's a memory." The memory of the happiest time of his life. Eight days of freedom. Eight days of love, followed by a single moment of catastrophe. Chill Touch is much better; thank you. Also, I fixed the amount of Spheremorphs at Leon. I was just trying to justify them giving a Mount to Top before "banishing" him. I think what I have now works, though. If Kandra become Inquisitors, do they keep their body-morphing abilities, even partially? Right now, the connection from Kandra to Inquisitor seems stretched. (I don't mean to sound rude, but it does.) No, the lines meeting in the middle represent the Kandra Spikes that carry over. It's sort of an "a<--->b, with c (the small triangle) being mixed in both" thing. The "archaic" design is probably what confused you. That's right. Out of order. What can I say? I got bored.

Oops. I meant to set him at 6' even. Not sure HOW I messed that up. Also, even if Silus cares, I thank you for your help. not that I think he does, though. I'll fix that, and rethink the hair. I'm not sure what more you want past-wise, unless you read my UNedited version. Check it again, and it should be much more satisfying. Anyway, I think in Nexus, Kandra don't dissolve/digest forms to eat them. I believe it's just a "willpower" thing. EDIT: fixed the height, turned him dirty blonde. Also, for Silus, I got rid of the Quarterstaff, and retooled the crossboow's description a bit. It should all be good now. Edited EDIT: I also fixed up a description for Cierre-Leon. I'll add that now.

**Cold Man Feeze (Tentative; ideas for a better name would be much appreciated.)- The Cold Man Freeze is a rare Sphere, for a Basic Form. Some say it comes from hailstorms. Others from glaciers. Whatever the origin, it doesn't appear like much when activated; only small aesthetics, like thick gloves or a wool hat, are added. Powers: The abilities that come with this Form are twofold: The power to remove and dissipate heat, and a defensive lessening of pain coming through the constant connection to Ice. This allows him/her to gain ground on the enemy while shrugging off blows, and not die from those blows later. A quick touch counts as a Slow effect for a few seconds; longer than that, and the effects worsen within seconds. Disadvantages: This Form lacks the speed or finesse of its upgrades; also, it is actually rather hard to freeze things; it takes concentration and focus for a number of seconds to do so. Plus, while the form is able to use its fists to fight semiproficiently, he/she is best used as a scout or deployed only when the enemy will not strike him/her. *Basic Form I got rid of the agility, to be added in only once IW is acquired. Is that sufficient, or should I scrap the file and redo it? >The trick is, I normally use my cellular device to upload, due to a lack of reliable computer connectivity, so I do not have access to Spellcheck, and as some of you may know, the mobile site posting system can be frustrating at times. I will work on cleaning stuff up, though, especially once I join the story. the Affected Triplicate Grid is HERE. (Hah! I beat myself! It's not even Afternoon yet, and I got the Grid done!)

I understand. And I agree on most parts. Some just need a bit of logic-ification. I'll go in the same order as you did. Cierre-Leon (sorry about the spelling error, this is correct)- I'll cover in more detail soon, but suffice it to say for now that it is a manor/fort of middling size, in the SE lands, near the Frozen Foothills (though not a PART of that backwater - gross!), with only 4-5 Spheremorphs, all born of the local ruling family. It'll make more sense when I get the details later. Relationship Status- I agree about the mess of writing - i 'll fix that in the actual character edit. Similarity Link (S-link)- The triangular formation allows the traits of the Head Form to manifest within the Side Forms, albeit not as strongly as they are in the Head. Specifically, this gives Top kandra spikes in all forms,though he won't be thouroughly hampered by their loss, and they don't give as much magical resistance. This is partly to counterbalance only having two real "combat" forms (along with the 8 second change), but also partly for character possibilities I would like to discuss privately at a later date. Picture- I should be able to create one this afternoon. Kandra- Olay, so I got a bit carried away. The armor, in retrospect, definately does not belong, and is in fact a somewhat rediculous aditioon, but I feel the weapons are reasonable, whether wielded in the Base and simply carried over into the Form, or something else. They aren't really that much to ask for, right? Armored Knight- I enjoyed creating the Form, plus I needed it, so that I could eventually (maybe) get Shardplate without starting there (I have a feeling that would get instantly shot down, anyway.). The Ice focus is a personal choice, because of where Top lived, and because of his familiarity with the element through his Ice Warden form.it simply shows his tendency to choose a few traits or skills and develop them more, as seen in his Forms, his Abilities, his Grid, etc. He is still able to perform other attacks; his Ice is simply especially effective. IW/CMF- I do not know if the IW is from something or not, but I don't consciously recognize it. Maybe I sub-consciously based it on something... I do know I wanted it to be a "downgraded" form of a Frostborn, and you can see where I got that inspiration. In any case, the CMF is another amtter; one with which I would be happy to oblige. You made, like, 40 after all. I can easily do one more. (Before you ask, I'll do Frostborn later.) **Cold Man Feeze (Tentative; ideas for a better name would be much appreciated.)- The Cold Man Freeze is a rare Shere, for a Basic Form. Some say it comes from hailstorms. Others from glatiers. Whatever the origin, it doesn't appear like much when activated; only small aesthetics, like thick gloves and a hat, are added. Powers: The abilities that come with this Form are twofold: The power to remove and dissipate heat, and the agility to get close enouh to use this power. A quick touch counts as a Slow effect for a few seconds; longer than that, and the effects worsen within seconds. Disadvantages: This Form lacks some of the speed or finesse of its upgrades. Further, it is actually rather hard to freeze things; it takes concentration and focus for a number of seconds to do so. Plus, while the form is able to use its fists to fight semiproficiently, he/she is best used as a scout or deployed only when the enemy will not strike her/her. *Basic Form Out of curiousity, I've come up with a mostly aesthetic trait for Top, and would like to run it by you; <due to his time in the Wilderness, and his natural tenacity, he has trained his Form Endurance to be able to maintain a Form, especially his Kandra Form, to be several hours longer than the average Sphere Wielder.> I don't know if this would affect very much, but I'd like to progress him in certain ways, and this would be a logical early step in that progression. Yeees, I do plan my characters. A little bit. Occasionally. Well, not really, but I can see where I'd like him to go, okay?

By this, you mean another character, right? River's pretty epic., though I wonder as to the state of his sanity. Then again, I wonder that about most of these characters, if not all of them.

Nonono. The "delayed" thing was a reference to your *processing* thing. It was... a joke. This is why my characters usually have bad senses of humor.

"It's a terrible thing, to have the One you believe in die." A religion based novel (series?), ispired a bit by Mistborn. A cruel world with many small deities who squabble and fight whenever the Big Guy in the Sky (BGitS) isn't looking. And sometimes, they die, leaving the ones under them to fend in the wilderness. That just made things more confusing, didn't it? In any case, my other one is: "Even the planet on which they lived had rejected them." A novel (series?) with a sci-fi bent. I don't claim to be an author, but I do get bits of inspiration now and again.

Thank you for the enthusiastic (albeit a bit delayed) welcome! Seriously, though. That's a gargantuan !. By the way, I cleaned up my CharPost a bit. Nothing really changed. Just cleaned it up.

Username: The Frostbourne Contact: [email protected] (best to just PM me, though) Character Name: Heraldo Fernandez Bourguois III. Always asks (read: politely demands) to be called Top. Age:24 Gender: Male Hometown: Cierre-Leon - Tucked away on in a secluded valley in the South East part of the world, this town, which is more of a large, fort-like manor, is the ancestral home of the Borguois family. The place is well-defended for such a small manor out of necessity; it rests in an unfriendly part of the world, and the only nearby settlement of any size is the Frozen Foothills, and the Borguois would never turn to barbarians for protection. They believe that the Foothillers(?) Are enroaching upon their lands. Thus, they usually have four or five SphereMorphers at any time, all members of the Borguois line. Due to their history of victory against dangerous monsters, they have Mounts, Grids, and Spheres to spare. All they need are Morphers, so no Borguois goes without, though the older members will usually give up the good loot to be used by the younger generation. Their current Patriarch, Duk Fernandez Borguois II, hopes to expand the family's influence throughout the world. Marital Status: Ex-Engaged (Unofficially). Appearance: Top is tall, but not extraordinarily so; His eyes are green, but not piercingly so; his hair is blonde, but not brightly so; his clothes are unique, but not outlandishly so. In other words, he is so ordinary-looking as to immediately stand out. Standing at 72", with light green eyes and light hair, Top nonetheless atteracts attention, much as he dislikes it. It could be the clothes he wears; the simple necklace he wears, along with the with dark, fitted pants, tooled leather boots, and a simple, yet well-fitting black turtleneck with a grey jacket worn over the top were unusual. Or, more likely, it's the SphereMount attached to the right hip of his pants, just below the belt he always wears. Personality: A calm man, Top puts up with most foolishness due to his raising (see History). To keep from accidentally offending others, he stays polite in most situations, and avoids being downright rude whenever possible. If he insults you, you know you've done something wrong. His outfit and living habits, though, suggest a deep order and cleanliness in him which can't be learned; he tries not to let it show. He does crack occasional zingers. Sometimes they're even funny. History: As he got older, Heraldo would be called a failure, a reject. Today, his parents, the Duke and Dutchess of grand Cierre-Leon, Dutchess Florette and Duke Fernandez Borguois II, called him Heir. Years later, Heraldo would realize that heirs seem to be good at one thing above all else: disappointing their parents. They lived with the discovery that he was left-handed, to the fact that they couldn't teach him to get indignant or irritated no matter how hard they tried, even refusing to be called by his given name, instead responding only to "Top". This all ended with his rejection from another tutor. His only reason had been that the tutor had been "biased." This was the last straw. They gave him a gift. A SphereMount to call his own. He got excited, went out to test it; his parent's hired goons struck, and Top woke up hours later, quite literally in the middle of nowhere, with no idea of how to get back, and no proof of who he was. In the 8 years since then, he has learned things his parents could never teach him; he has learned how to Surive and Endure. And he met... her. She came into his life from nowhere, told him how to find his way from the wilderness and small villiges he had been trapped in. She travelled with him, towards that destination, her speaking of the great libraries. They began to talk of knowledge, of monsters, philosophies, Sheres. She, of all those he had kown, accepted his ideas, liistened to his theories. Even helped solidify them. They talked, they walked - they fell in love. Standing on a clifftop, with the final destination on the horizon beneath a glowinng full moon, Top proposed, after only eight days. By the time eight hours had gone by, she was dead. And so Top came into town, numb with loss, looking for a distraction that would not remind him of her. He found much more than that. He found the Tournament. Grid: Affected Triplicate- With the main FormSphere* in the center connecting to both of the other corners of the triangle, it alters their performance slightly. It can be used directly itself, and is, more importantly, a sort of "control" for the other two. It affects them both, creating a "Similarity Link" which makes all three more compatible. As such, transfers betwen the two are swift; only 8 seconds are needed. In Top's case, it leaves the Kandra Blessing active and Spikes present, though the effects are lessened somewhat. FormSpheres: •• *Kandra- Zinc Spikes are hidden within Top's shoulders, allowing him to withstand magic and endure emotional stress. The Form also carries with it the same crossbow that Top carries in his Baseline. Unfortunately, this form offers little benefit to his combat prowess, so he mainly uses it when he needs range, extra protection from magic, or a disguise. Powers- As a kandra, his face changes into a strong, square man's with a prominent nose, brown eyes, and hair the color of dust. He wears a grey, buttoned shirt, dark blue trousers, light leather gauntlets, and a thick oilskin cloak. The face, though, can be changed through simple willpower. This, however, is the Form he uses when he has nothing specific in mind. Disadvantages- This form is not too useful in combat, due to its lack of fighting ability enhancements, or defensive boosts. It does have the crossbow, but that's not exactly a handcannon. • Basic Form •• Armored Knight- With the addition of thick scale mail across his body, as well as a strong breastplate, this form is designed for protection. As if the armor wasn't enough alone, its protective powers extend to being resistant to magical attacks, as well as normal, assisted by the zinc Spikes that carry across Forms. The armor is a curious matte blue, vey light, yet unreflexive. With a sheild on his right, and a spiky, dangerous-looking mace on his left, Top is a wall, except most walls won't hunt you down and beat you to a spiked, quivering pulp. Powers- With an Elemental Strike, focusing on Ice, freezing or shattering struck objects and bodies, and a Disabling Strike, focused on Slow, if he catches you, it's unlikely that you'll get away. Disadvantages- The danger is, obviously, the Form's lack of speed and agility. Also, offers no ranged attacks whatsoever. • Warrior --> Armored Knight •• Ice Warden- In contrast to the slow, horror-film I'm-coming-for-you movements of his Armored Knight form, the Ice Warden moves quickly and gracefully throughout the battlefield, jumping, rolling, and running to where he needs to be. Top wears simple, form-fitting, water-proofed clothes of dark colors, with only extra leather pads around the shoulders. His strength lies his speed, and in the Ice he can form around his body. Powers- This form builds upon the powers it held iniths Basic Form with the addition of higher physical speed and agility and the powers of Ice (obviously). Unlike most other manipulators of elements, he can only create or very near on his person. So, while he could create iceaskates coming from his feet, he could not create an ice rink to skate on. However, his control is very fine, which allows him to do most anything from throwing up walls and shields to sculpting a figure of a dove. This takes time though, so he tends to stick to straightforward, smaller objects; for instance, that knife he's about to stab you with. Disadvantages- Unfortunately, this Form has no real ranged attacks to speak of either, except for manually throwing ice. Also, it's low on the defensive side. • Cold Man Freeze (?)--> Ice Warden Roleplaying Exerpt: Top was not a quick man to anger. The creature in front of him had made him furious. One person. One, so far, of all the people he had ever met who had listened to his theories without laughing. One, who had agreed in the possibilities he saw. One, who hadn't rejected him. One friend. Until this monster came along and ended her. It roared, obviously not content with one. It wanted him, too. He roared right back. "You want me?!" He charged. She had been taken. She had not had a Spheremorph. The beast rushed to meat him, frenzied by the scent of blood so heavy in thee air. Tops met the creature with a roar of his own, shield meeting claw, mace meeting bone, with a shrp crack and a surprised screech. Mace met bone. Mace met bone. Mace met head. The thing collapsed, shaking softly, and mace met head again, to be certain. Top slumped to the ground beside it. "Come and get me." It came out as a tiny, hoarse whisper. He shook the carcass, looking for loot before the carrion eaters came. He took his hunting knife to it, savagely. He took a tooth, them hesitated. Somehow, her trinket had caught around a fang near the back of the thing's mouth. He reached, took it. He stumbled away, suddenly exhausted. The scavengers began to feed. Soon, none but bones were left. Monster bones, and human bones. People often asked about the fang around Top's neck, and the small, plain stone that hung next to it. Top's answer was always simple. "It's a memory." The memory of the happiest time of his life. Eight days of freedom. Eight days of love, followed by one single moment of catastrophe. ...Wow. that's somewhat depressing in retrospect. It does explain some things about him though. And it cleans up Top's backstory nicely, so the GM doesn't have much to use against me ; ). Because they do use everything against you. Always.

Yeah, I'm probably just overcomplicating things. I tend to do that, oh... all the time.

I will have been far from the first to relate my story of lurking here on the threads, then finally coming up with a theory that makes joining worthwile. However, I am not fully able to come to a conclusion on this, and I have not been able to fully flesh it out. Thus, I would like some peer critiques and comments. Tear it apart, raise it to fanon. I do not especially care, I just wnat to appease my mind, and get this idea out of my head. And straight into yours. In essence, my Idea is this: rather than being simply opposites, Ruin and Preservation contrast much more convolutedly, and much more completely, in a way that is comparable to the sixteen Allomantic powers. The positive side of this theory is that, in theory, it makes sense. Each is opposite, but in specific ways, such as how Ruin takes control of Spiked individuals, while Preservation "frees" Allomancers by removing the need of metals to burn temporarily. There are further cases, such as Atium versus Lerasium (sp?). The negative side, and the reason I'm posting, is twofold. Firstly, I feel as though I'n missing something obvious. I'm no fact buff when it comes to the series, so if, say page 247of Book Three says that they are simply one versus the other, with no complexity, then this theory is instantly Kaput. The second problem is the one I'm having trouble with, though. I can see clearly in my head how Ruin and Preservation would fill the circular chart, yet I can't seem to come up with anything, such as why Ruin would be External Physical, while Preservation was Internal Mental. I'm just not equipped with the time or knowledge to fill in the gaps. Thus, I turn this bare-boned work you you, kandras, to be given flesh and life. Or to be beaten to powder by giant metal hammers.