Plum Rhinoceros

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Seven Post-Illumination, Taldain I thought this would be my final entry. Perhaps it will not be. Perhaps it will. Only time will tell. Have you ever wondered, searching through the cosmere - the cosmos - if you would find something that would interest you? Not just interest you, but draw you in, nearly consume you to the point of sheer... joy is not the right word. Excitement. Purpose? It is on the tip of my tongue... no matter. Today, the day I thought for certain I would lose this thread keeping my body together, I have found it. Seeing as I was sequestered to Taldain, I decided to continue my search. I made more of my glass, light and dark. They both seem to stay the same, although the white glass reacts as Invested to everything except the touch of my skin, which still . I am sending a few samples enclosed in these packages; I would encourage someone to attempt to Infuse them with Roshar's Investiture. But although I did craft some nice pieces, including a lens set, I grew bored of the black sands. So I visited Darkside. And all the world was Shattered, for I could see the stars. The stars! I had never truly gotten a look at them; Taldain is accursed to be forever tidally locked in the same position, and while the Cognitive Realm has its own wonders, it has only has an inkling of what a sun should be. But the same curse that makes seeing the stars impossible on half of Taldain makes them ever so clear on the other. I knew at once this had been the initial meaning of my life. The readiness I identified constellations that some Darksiders did not even recognize, the darting of my eyes across the wonder of The Scar free from light pollution... even the lenses I had created only a few days ago. It would be a lie to say that view - which for all I know will be my last sight in this world - made everything worthwhile and that I could pass in peace. But it would be close. And there is one more thing, that filled me with what I can truly describe as... lamentation. A rejoicing lament, but a lament all the same. My eye was repeatedly drawn to one, single, inconspicuous star. At first I did not understand, and then I began discussing with one of the local worldhoppers. While they have not visited that system, it is inhabited. I have found my home. And no matter how long I live I cannot return to it, for it is beyond any worldhopper's reach. It seems, the last time someone visited it, they ensured that forever. They think that person was Ruin. I know that person was me. -Solemnheart

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Seven Post-Illumination, Taldain Thank you for answering my questions, Azure, as I still have a curious soul. As I have said, I cannot really refute anything you say, just my own intentions. I do not have much desire to claim - as somehow I doubt it would help, and I am already nervous about the security of people's abilities. I do wonder about the honesty of your scanners, however. Redirect claims would be helpful. As to what you specifically asked me: At the time... I don't think I noticed whether Gecko was on it, but I do like for there to be alternatives to a single (or even double) execution bandwagon. And I would think that Gecko would have joined any execution train that was not his own at that point. Seeing as I meant to submit this paragraph four hours ago, I do not know how much difference anything else I say makes. I shall continue my research on the sands of Taldain. Farewell. -Solemnheart

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Seven Post-Illumination, Taldain Well, this is what happens when I fail to follow the initial reports, I suppose. As briefly mentioned, I have not been around as much as of late. I had been working on developing a post summary - I use the term "summary" lightly, as it is in my nature to... ramble given the chance. That proved... draining, along with some unrelated troubles. That being said, I do not have much to say in my own defense, as I have few abilities worth taking. But I do have some... questions. It is likely too much to ask who you say scanned me, but I will ask whether it was Chartreuse Penguin or a living player. Also, would that mean that you know, for a fact, that all six other players in Shadesmar were Shards? Because that seems statistically unlikely even for it to exist, much less for you to know their identities. On the point of my vote on Opal Lion, all I knew about Prudence before Opal claimed in thread was that they were, according to Ivory Dragonfly, considering claiming in thread but that they found it "intimidating" to claim publicly. Then Opal claimed in thread, after asking and seemingly continuing to ask for Cultivation's identity. At the time, I believed Cultivation's ability was Night only, and so I worried that if Cultivation missed or protects split off due targeting a fake claim then Prudence could be lost forever, and after essentially swapping strategies Opal's claim rubbed me the wrong way. I feared they could be fake claiming for that reason, or could be a Champion Prudence still looking for Cultivation. After no counter-claims were made and Ivory confirmed that Opal was the original claim, I needed to discount the first option. But not the second. I thought Opal was a plausible Champion, one that had happened to receive the splintered Prudence. And yes, I still believe that having a full Prudence in Champion hands is better than a Splintered one. A Full Prudence has to try and act normal with their distribution of PMs, while a Splintered one physically cannot do that; as well, it is much more difficult for a full Shard to disappear entirely. In short there are more ways to judge if a Prudence is good or bad when they can create PMs. I moved my vote to Oxblood mainly because they were searching for Autonomy, and doing so... without much reasoning, even after posting. I will admit that I saw their explanatory post, but did not post after nor change my vote, because while I agree that Autonomy is the neutral more likely to side with the Champions, their reasoning on how to earn their support seemed... suffice it to say that I did not believe making Valor target a neutral three turns in a row is in the best interests of the Children of Adonalsium. They also did not reveal they had a role the Champions would be "unlikely to start with" until that post, and I did not really know what to make of that. I doubt this will change anything. I will see what I can do in the meantime. -Solemnheart

My attempts to draw from prior posts so far has gone... poorly. Twice I lost the careful organization, and it is ultimately proving to be difficult. I should have started sooner. I fail to see how I become more suspicious because of something I do not know. But I do understand the gut reads, as far as I can, as I have not been terribly helpful. But in that regard I am by no means alone. I will join the vote on Taupe Gecko, and continue my search. But otherwise I have nothing to share at this moment.

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Six Post-Illumination, Taldain I was not planning to return here. To the land of my origin. To the white sands that turn black at my touch. And yet, here I am. I saw Ruin. The face of a Shard, just before it destroyed the Cognitive Realm. I wish that I could have seen more, but I dared not risk it. We barely got everyone out before... whatever happened happened. I so want to research this. Ruin is capable of destroying planets, that much has been made clear. But the utter desolation of one of the three realms... that seems impossible. Even for a Shard. Perhaps it is not destroyed, just rendered as inhabitable as Sel's region; or perhaps the effect is localized to Rosharan Shadesmar; or both. But onwards I must go, even on this cursed planet. I will note that I have been... less involved with cosmere affairs as of late. I have noted this, and am seeking to rectify it. But my mind is wired to locate suspicions based on nothing but fact, and the absolute sum of what is stated. My emotions have both proven as bad guidance and as overall... unwieldy, let us say. So I attempt to ignore them. I will attempt to gather these sums today, and certainly before the next removal, but I wish to verify that I am still here. -Solemnheart

Journal of Solemnheart - Annotation, Day Five Post-Illumination, Shadesmar I appear to have lost a few pages of my journal. I shall attempt to write again in summary. Opal Lion... it appears I did misread your true claim, as I had thought you explicitly asked for Cultivation to contact you again. While that is perhaps implied in "There is no intermediary" which to me suggests direct contact, that is a linguistic judgement which I am in no position to make. I still do not like your continued desire to meet Cultivation, as I believe secrecy is their best safety. But the need of repaired PMs seems to trump that, and I believe your claim of the Investee of Prudence.

Confirmation received to my satisfaction. Opal Lion. Oxblood Beagle. I still do not like Opal Lion and his search for Cultivation, but he has a point. If Prudence matters so much to the Champions, they will attempt to deal with him; if not, they will not. But removing Opal Lion now risks the loss of Prudence entirely. Opal Lion, are you in range of Odium? I would suggest Valor protect him either way, but whether more depends on your location.

Journal of Solemnheart - Annotation, Day Five Post-Illumination, Shadesmar I, to, do not like Opal Lion's enthusiasm to learn Cultivation's identity. I have heard from Shadesmar that the new Prudence did not wish to claim in thread, which would be a contradiction to this behavior, and the reveal was after less than an hour waiting for Cultivation to appear as an intermediary. If you truly are the holder of Splintered Prudence, then you do not need to know who Cultivation is, now that they know who you are. They can act without your input, and I urge them to act as soon as possible. I am awaiting confirmation that Opal Lion is the Prudence who claimed to a Shadesmarian. If this is the case, I will remove my vote (and likely vote for Oxblood Beagle if their curiosity does not have an explanation). Even if they are a Champion, forcing them to deal with Prudence themselves is better than risking it erased. Can I receive another vote count?

Journal of Solemnheart - Annotation, Day Five Post-Illumination, Shadesmar Quartz Zebra, you are currently voting for the same person twice. On the Cultivation --> Prudence plan... The Splintering of Cultivation is something I agree we should not risk, but is there any major risk associated with the Vessel of Splintered Prudence from simply claiming to the general public, letting Cultivation act without revealing their identity? If the Vessel is in the Rosharan system and therefore a possible target of Odium, that could delay things, but from what I can see in the rules of the cosmere, Cultivation would successfully UnSplinter Prudence before Odium's strike. In the worst case (assuming Cultivation is not blocked or redirected by chance), we would be back where we started with Prudence Splintered and in the hands of the most recent Investee - unless an Investment while Splintered does not allow for the Shard to Transfer after UnSplintering. (@little wilson). And the Investee of Honor can always protect the holder from death and Splintering, and/or Valor can defend them from death while being a danger to Odium and a deterrent to his strikes, and/or an Edgedancer can protect them from death as a last failsafe. (Upon further reviewing, the true worst case would be if Prudence failed to Invest in a valid target, upon which the killing of the Vessel would lead to the disappearance of Prudence completely. But Valor or the Investee of Honor would still prevent this, although it would likely require both to protect the Vessel, as the Investee of Honor is not guaranteed to exist, and Valor will not protect Prudence from being re-Splintered and will be Splintered themselves. They are also both capable of being Champions, which would likely make them uncooperative.) If the Vessel is not in reach of Odium, then they have nothing to fear from the Shard or its Champions until Honor dies or Roshar is broken, and they could in all likelihood pass the Shard if that is believed to be inevitable. The protection of Valor and/or an Edgedancer would likely be recommended in case a Champion or a vengeful neutral uses a kill item. It would require the cooperation of several Shards, but it only requires the identity of one. Vessel of Prudence, please do not claim without giving this thought and time for others to view the idea, as I've already shown I can be... forgetful at best. Perhaps that is to be expected. -Solemnheart Additional Annotation: Further delving into the Investiture of Valor seems to show that it will block the Splintering effects of Odium's capablitiles. In addition, if the Vessel would be in danger from Odium this turn due to habituating within the Rosharan system, they would likely worldhop out the next turn, meaning the Vessel is only exposed for a single turn. These combined should allow Valor to protect the Vessel alone, although I personally find that to depend too much on the loyalty of Valor - a strange concept, that - and their ability to use their power without interference.

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Five Post-Illumination, Shadesmar I recognize the Cognitive Realm. "Recognize" is not truly the correct word. I have no mental memories of this place, of visiting any location within it or studying it for any purpose. But while my mind has lost its memories, my muscles have not. I can balance perfectly on a plank across the beads of the Shadesmar and the Sea of Lost Lights, and know how to tread through the Expanse of the Broken Sky. The Expanse of Vapors and Expanse of the Densities, however, are new to me. The Splintering of Prudence is disturbing, as I had hoped that Odium would be properly confined. Shadesmar does allow for increased communications, which is... being well taken advantage of, it appears. Can someone deliver a vote count? I shall attempt to research the Shards, but I also see the need to get more involved in the executions.

Sapphire Elephant, It is rather difficult for me to understand the slurring that comes with your speech, so I apologize for referring to the vote as a poke, as that is indeed inaccurate. But the basis of the vote, while lauded for its existence, is by no means solid. The facts are plain. You cast a vote for Mauve Crocodile, and were indeed the first to do so. Then, precisely four minutes before the bell tolled, you removed that vote. Had Sage Kangaroo not arrived within those four minutes to vote in self preservation, we would likely be having a very different conversation tonight. (Today? Standard Cycles are so hard to keep track of on Taldain.) Why you voted initially and why you changed are not irrelevant, but they also do not change the results. Before Charcoal Hyena had voted, the count to the observer would have been 3-2, as Mauve Crocodile had already claimed to be on Braize. Perhaps they deserve a closer look, but to me a vote in the middle of the cycle while discussion is still available is better than a vote with literally minutes to spare. And as far as I can see, Charcoal Hyena has done nothing else to be suspicious and did some early analysis of the state of the cosmere's laws, although I must admit it is difficult to decipher their meaning from poems. So while I do not intend to forget their vote, it is not enough to provoke me. On a few unrelated notes: can we come to a cosmere-versal agreement on referring to names? I have seen documents where individuals are referred by either their respective color or their respective animal, which becomes quite the nightmare for logistics. Meanwhile scribing down the full name becomes... tedious. Prudence, I appreciate the PMs I have been set up with, but I would also request PMs with Charcoal Hyena, Chartreuse Penguin, Sapphire Elephant, and Taupe Gecko. I also managed to miss Amber Vulture in my vote analysis. As a late voter for Mauve Crocodile, I believe them to be safe for now, but it would depend greatly on the alignment of the other voters. -Solemnheart

Journal of Solemnheart - Annotation, Day Four Post-Illumination, Taldain I wish to preface this by saying I did not vote for anyone in the executions. I did not really get the chance, due to Connection issues, and a personal misunderstanding on when the actual removal would take place. However, I cannot honestly say I was planning to vote before my source of information was cut off, as from what I could see in the moment both Mauve Crocodile and Sage Kangaroo had poor reasoning for their respective execution mobs. The voters for Mauve Crocodile were Sapphire Elephant, Opal Lion, Violet Axolotl, Onyx Flamingo, Sage Kangaroo. The voters for Sage Kangaroo were Turquoise Gorilla, Mauve Crocodile, Charcoal Hyena, Taupe Gecko. Sage Kangaroo and Mauve Crocodile are irrelevant as their votes were self-preservation, although Mauve Crocodile's decision to vote for Sage Kangaroo (with the abilities of Braize behind them) of the available one-vote players makes me trust Sage Kangaroo. Sapphire Elephant retracted their vote on Mauve near the end of the round, and Opal Lion and Violet Axolotl both expressed that they would have removed votes if they had the chance. This makes me... nervous. On the note of Mauve's Appeal to Emotion, while I agree that it is unfortunate to be the first person to be executed, the ugly truth is that there must always be a first. Would Sage Kangaroo not also wish to live? This makes me a bit more hesitant about Opal Lion than Violet Axolotl, as Violet had a pre-prepared written document about their near-disaster and their original vote was in a solidifying position, while Opal Lion only had a hesitant statement that they "would have taken off their vote" and their original vote was in an earlier position. But Sapphire Elephant is the most suspicious of that group, for an early "poke" on an Elim that was removed at the last minute. Of the voters for Sage Kangaroo, Taupe Gecko was the last vote in the last minute. I believe Charcoal Hyena's vote was early enough in the cycle not to be incriminating (on its own), and Turquoise Gorilla's was before Mauves. So I am suspicious of Taupe Gecko and Sapphire Elephant, wary of Opal Lion. Unfortunately the chaos of each individual adventure makes it hard to extrapolate more. I will have to do further research, and the passing of the standard cycle will hopefully carry further information.

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Four Post-Illumination, Taldain Aldonalsium is dead. I never thought such a sentence would invoke such a... reaction. Aldonalsium was... God. Unknowable, uncontainable, unkillable. But they are dead all the same. Not "dead" as in having never truly existed, but killed. Shattered into components known as Shards, with infinite power but limited capability. I had heard of Odium and the terror he invoked in the hearts of men, but those three words give me much, much more. I should have asked about Odium's origins much sooner. I suppose if Aldonalsium can be killed, they never were the final answer to the question of life. Already there is talk of the God Beyond; one, or three, omnipotent beings that will never walk among us after we killed their envoy. But I digress. The powers of the Shards are all quite equal (or as equal as infinities can be), save for the four that were Splintered by Odium. Their Intents, however, shape that power in different ways, allowing them to apply the power themselves or Invest a different form in others. Splintered Shards are broken to the point where they can only grant others power. Odium seeks the eventual destruction of all who will not bow to him, and most Shards will oppose this - with the exception of three, who have their own goals to fulfil. I will attempt to write about each Shard in time, as the poet Hyena has done prior. I also wish to get more involved in the discussion of identies of these Champions, as one has evidently been already discovered. However, while Taldain limits my ability to regulate my sleep, I sense its need approaching. I will tackle these projects at a later date.

Journal of Solemnheart - Annotation, Day Four Post-Illumination, Taldain Ah. Good to know. Might I suggest that if you or another Nalthian believes an additional kill (that does not hit a Champion) is due to a kill item in the previous distribution, to discuss that within the Nalthian sphere and find who had used the item? I see no major reason that knowing who dabbled in vigilantism after the fact would pose a threat, but I have already miscalculated in regards to the capabilities of Sel and Nalthis. Do not publish the information before the item is used, obviously, as a Champion on Sel could use that information to great extent. But being able to hold known misfiring vigilantes at... arms reach, so to say, could prove useful for certain roles. Vigilantes with more accuracy should keep a lower profile, unless they seek the path of Ruin. -Solemnheart

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Four Post-Illumination, Taldain After further reflection, it appears I need to revise my determination of Sel. For one thing, the unique Connection to the land allows for all members to see what items the dead had held, which is not something that is revealed by normal means. It also allows the Selish to more evenly redistribute these items, as they can transfer them amongst themselves and decide who needs the item more than others. I still believe that Nalthis is a better planet for those seeking items. Certain items are less capable of being hoarded than others; especially with the awareness surrounding Sel's abilities, items that can kill or roleblock may end up used as soon as they possibly can, which makes their arrival on Sel unlikely. But if there are specific items that interest you, Sel is much more lucrative. I do ask for a Nalthian unafraid to state so, is it revealed what item was distributed in the last turn to those who did not receive it? Will all Nalthians be aware that one of their member now holds a item with a specific function, or merely one item of the various varieties? And can more durable items, such as spanreeds, be created? Attaining a spanreed would make the distribution of these papers somewhat easier. Perhaps I can create a mechanism that instead of creating a single copy at a great distance, will create many copies nearby. I doubt Taldainian sand will help in this venture, however. -Solemnheart

Journal of Solemnheart, Day Four Post-Illumination, Taldain In my studies, it appears I previously neglected the study of planets. It seems that the Shards themselves are a matter of great debate within the nature of the cosmere and its future, but the planets themselves and their abilities seems to be a relatively new field. Taldain is my current location, and of course the Cognitive Realm is Connected to everything, but the other planets are alien to me. Perhaps I came from a different planet... the name Yolen was mentioned only in passing, but it is the only one I recognized. So here is what I have gathered on the various planets. (I meant to distribute this document yesterday, but I was having some… Connection issues.) Roshar: A land scoured by massive storms brimming with Investiture. It appears that anyone that requires Investiture to do a task can go to Roshar to retrieve additional charges to use their own abilities. This has many different implications; I think it is one of the most powerful places for some individuals to exist. However, it is also a danger. It is one of two strongholds that are currently limiting the power of the one called Odium, who nobody mentions without a shudder. To some it may be worth the risk. I think if any planet is worth risking exposure to this being's power, Roshar is. Braize: A cold land, mostly uninhabited by living beings and instead by... animate Investiture? The living ones that can survive on Braize have an increased tenacity and increased pull, counting extra votes for the removal of suspected sympathizers of Odium. It does not give an additional vote, but boosts their original one. If that original one is changed, altered, or erased, so does the doubling affect. I do not know if this ability is worth facing Odium's wrath unless you are very confident in who their followers are. However, if Odium is unchained, Braize would likely become a much more lucrative location. Ashyn: A land without much actual land, where Investiture is scattered by diseases. This gives the strange capability for individuals to use actions that they would normally only do once a solar cycle, to use them twice on a staggered schedule. This is... peculiar. Depending on the original abilities of the individual, this could either be an incredible boon or a useless conundrum. Combined with the fact Odium's reach extends to here, I would strongly recommend avoiding this planet unless you have abilities you need to burn through before strong scrutiny has arrived. There is another note: those without Shards are safe, to some degree, from Odium. Those are the individuals who will get the most out of Roshar and Ashyn, but may also draw the attention of Odium's Champions, who are perfectly capable of murdering those without Shards. Scadrial: A land where Investiture is contained in mist and metal. These mists form a bit of a shield from those who would attempt to harm them, occasionally protecting them from extraplanetary attack. This is a good planet to be in to hide and survive, but there seems to be a large contradiction in heading to a specific planet in order to avoid scrutiny. If many people die on Scadrial, it could be presumed there is a Champion of Odium on the planet itself. Sel: A land that is incredibly highly Invested but also divided by regions. Normally Sel is hard to access, but once there you can obtain items from those who have passed on. It is difficult to see how this would actually function, as only one person involved in this conflux has died and they do not appear to have an item. However, it is one of few ways of receiving items, which can have different effects. Nalthis: A land where Investiture is innate in the hearts – or lungs – of living beings. This allows for a gathering of items on a regular basis, but the actual effect and distribution of the item is randomized. I personally think this planet is better than Sel for attaining items, but by that very mechanism it loses efficiency if people flow to it. First of the Sun: A wild land, with many predators and rugged individuals. The tenacity that this land enforces makes it harder to remove its inhabitants. I personally think this planet is the least valuable of them all, as Braize gives the same amount of influence on removal with much more versatility. However, it does have two minor advantages; is out of the reach of Odium, and has a stronger subtlety than Braize. The first will likely not last forever, and the second may appeal to some, but not me. If Ruin has an inescapable urge to destroy a planet, perhaps in an arrangement with Autonomy, First of the Sun would be a good target. Taldain: A land, tidally locked so the sun never sets (or I suppose on the other side, rises) and covered in an Invested white sand. It is my current location. The static location of the sun makes navigation, once you have the proper tools, much easier, which makes it very difficult to impede the progress of others. You cannot be diverted here, and it’s possible that attempts to impede progress will dissolve as well. This is the place to be if your tasks must be completed, but I must stress that there is a severe worry that Odium will use such an ability to prevent any alterations. Watch for newcomers here. Shadesmar: The Cognitive Realm, the place that is not a place. It is much easier to communicate here with shortened distances, and even manipulating minds can allow speaking into the minds of others outside the realm. I may travel to here soon; the value of its location will depend greatly on the decisions of Prudence. But it is quite unique. I am open to debate on the accuracy of these summaries, as I only have access to a single planet and have gathered this information from only a few sources. -Solemnheart

Solemnheart lit a fire under the sun, equipment scattered around him. A few of the Taldainian scholars sat with him - although he couldn't read their writing, he could understand their words. "Has anyone tried this before?" he asked. One scholar nodded halfheartedly. Another gave a more relevant answer - "we have, but we haven't really done anything to study it." Solemnheart nodded, putting on a pair of gloves. He still couldn't touch the sand without it turning black; according to the scholars this was indicative of him somehow... draining the Investiture of the sand. It would recover in a few hours from the light of the sun, but it was still unnerving to many people. Solemnheart didn't really want to outstay his welcome. He grabbed a scoop of sand, careful to keep it away from his exposed skin. Then he stuck it in a clay pot and suspended it over the fire. "You have glass, I've seen it," he said, removing his gloves and preparing a batch of black sand. "But no one has studied glass made from the respective sands? Hmm. At the very least, this is new to me." That should be long enough. He removed the two pots, letting them sit in the sand. One stayed light, one stayed dark, but they both were quite obviously different. Solid, clear pieces of glass. He cautiously touched the light glass, and it stayed light. "I'll have to run more tests," he said.

To the grand entity Prudence, I request a PM with every odd-numbered player. Writing in this fashion is confusing. Taldain - it's one word, I must remember that - has an odd sort of paper. Curious, seeing as to my prior knowledge I've never held a sheet of paper in my life. I wonder... can I use this as evidence as to what I did before I lost my memory? If I can trust these shadows of recognition, then I must be a scholar. I cannot read the dialect that many books here are written in, but the diagrams I can decipher often with a glance. Particularly those that concern enhancements of vision,, such as glassmaking, but I feel like my talents are not truly founded there. It must be something else. Stories come from the pool, stories of other lands I do not recognize. Perhaps I will find answers there. For now, I will begin my experiments. Just because this planet is alien doesn't mean it doesn't have grand capabilities. In fact, I would be quite wary of newcomers here. Those whose intentions are murderous would likely benefit from the concealment of the storms.

(I will be RP'ing as Solemnheart, who underwent something similar to Returning, getting suffused with Investiture from the chaos post-Shattering and also completely losing his memory. Probably best described as a Returned.) . .. ... … What is this? A void stretched out before him. Not pure blackness, but a blackness, scattered with lights of many colors. It was... beautiful. And yet so, so wrong. He expected... he expected... he knew this was not what he was familiar with, that there should be more. But at the same time he knew that of the sixteen lights that he saw they should only have been one. One of the lights winked out. It left a spot on his vision, a remnant of a light once seen. And something twisted within him. Not just a spike in the wrongness of it, but something... pulling him? He saw two more lights wink out in quick succession. Then another, which flickered feebly. And then the void collapsed to blackness. ... He awoke to a drop of water landing on his head. He started to shake it off, then opened his eyes. Gaining... sensation. Something he had missed, without knowing he missed it. A figure - humanoid, but there was too much contrast to make out if they were actually human - stood above him, head almost perfectly blocking out the noonday sun over a perfect sky. "You don't look like you've been cooking here all day, friend," said the human. A male, with tan skin and a strange bulk to them. This was a warrior, not a scholar, but if they were a warrior they likely practiced a completely different form of combat than he... he didn't know any combat. Oh Lost Ones... who was he? He couldn't... he couldn't remember anything before the... wrongness. The void. But even that memory was trailing from him. He didn't think that was a good question to start off with, however. "Where am I?" he asked instead. He sat up brushing off sand - white sand? - from his brow. "Welcome to Kertza," the other man said. "Where you lie thirty miles from the nearest watering hole that I know of, and you don't seem to be dying of thirst. You're not even sweating, which means you're either just fine to get yourself a suntan or you're a dead man walking. And honestly, I'm thinking the latter." "I feel..." dizzy was the accurate response but he knew that wasn't from dehydration. "I feel fine. If you please, I'd like to get somewhere with some paper. I need to record something I saw." The man stared, then sighed. "Well, I can't just leave you here to die, but I have my own business. If you head that way," he said, pointing towards a seemingly normal set of sand dunes, "you'll reach a town that has something that should interest you. Just look back at your footsteps to make sure you're going the right direction and pray that there's not a storm. And what's you name, solemn one?" He stiffened. His name. He had no name. He had no... idea who or where he was. "I am... The Solemn One. My name was taken. So now I am... Solemnheart." The man nodded, slowly. "Very well, Solemnheart. May the sun wish you well," he finished, making a gesture. Solemnheart reciprocated the gesture clumsily, although his savior didn't seem to notice. He'd already turned on his own path. A few minutes later, Solemnheart went to adjust his course and nearly collapsed. The footprints he'd made in the sand were blackened, as if burned into the ground by his footfalls. The man who had helped him had vanished. And he had left no footfalls at all.

Inb4 there are no Dustbringers today

Well this is awkward...

I greatly enjoyed it . Truly. Y u gotta analyse so much I’m a simple guy. I say what I mean

yeah think I’ll take a rain check on this lynch I hope you feel better soon (An Odious individual wouldn’t have said that.) uhm yeah im indeed an elsecaller this cycle! Don’t waste this lynch on me

Radiants, I’ve a very important announcement to make. I got Skybreaker C1 and Elbereth is an elim. Thank you <3 Though I must disagree with the Odium bit. I only serve Queen Jasnah Albatross is my best friend

Wow Gecko you didnt really even talk about me in this post I’m offended. I barely got any spotlight time at all...Everybody wants to move on I subconsciously read your posts in a different voice because of that font