I think I am here.

Alask was in the bar. He usually frequented these places for business reasons, or to meet someone important, but those were the good bars. The expensive ones, like the Bleeding Spike Tavern. A bar like this, shoved into the corner of an alley, grimy and unwashed from years of no cleaning? No one visited here. No one important, anyway. Someone collapsed beside him and Alask looked down at the man on the floor, the shattered mug of something strong beside him. You didn’t drink like that unless you wanted to forget something or die trying. For a moment, no one moved from their places. The man had chosen to drink, he’d chosen to forget. The fact that he was on the floor in a blind haze didn’t make a difference. Everyone had seen worse. Alask took one look at the man, took in the brown hair and green eyes, the sorrow of it all, and sighed. He wasn’t heartless. “Storm-shadows, man,” he muttered as he slid off his barstool and knelt beside Darien. From a knapsack he held around him he took out an unsealed goldmind, then pressed it against the man’s forehead. “You really screwed yourself up, huh?” Some people turned to look. Some didn’t. Alask concentrated on the man, hoped he could take away some effects of the alcohol with the goldmind. It was a precious commodity, one that Alask wasn’t too happy throwing around, but if he’d let the man die, it would’ve been on his conscience for at least a week. “Come on. Wake up,” he grumbled, more so he could conserve the contents of the goldmind than anything else. How much did this guy drink?

Do authors often have interludes like Brandon does in SA? I think not. Maybe that’s what he’s using to foreshadow future events (which is difficult for other writers who don’t have interludes). For example, the whole thing about measuring a flamespren and fixing its shape.

@Thaidakar the Ghostblood Do you want someone to interact with Darien in the Alleycity thread? I can put a character there if you want. Poor guy seems to be dying of alcoholism alone in an alley somewhere

Castled frowned, but otherwise didn't respond to Scarred's story about 'Willem'. The Forests often held superstitions of Shades like that, specters who could think, who could remember their past lives. None of those tales ended particularly well. A newcomer approached, and Castled watched the Shade - Willem - try to block him from entry. It was bizarre to say the least. Shades didn't have thought, they didn't have goals, like warding people away. They were animals. If they wanted you dead, they'd kill you. Otherwise, they'd wander aimlessly among the oaks. Willem was doing neither. He focused his attention to the newcomer. They looked young, new. Inexperienced. On the other hand, they didn't seem nearly as afraid of Willem as Castled had been. That had to count for something. Nervous that someone might get hurt before the expedition even started, Castled tried doing the thing he'd seen Scarred do. "Willem," he called out to the Shade. "Stop." Hesitantly he looked to Scarred, unsure what (if any) impact it would have on the Shade. Perhaps it only listened to Scarred.

Castled took the man's hand and stood up uneasily. "Roxlynn. Right," he said, patting his pants free of dust. He'd been jumping from place to place so quickly these past few weeks, it was a wonder he hadn't lost track of names sooner. "Boschester is the fort city, yeah? Up North?" He watched another man approach and nodded to him as well, noticing how he called the older man Scarred. A cruel twist of fate, if that was his real name. "Castled," he said, introducing himself to the man who'd walked in. He looked around. "Well, that makes three of us, then." Though he was back on his feet, he still eyed the Shade behind Scarred with suspicion. So far, no one seemed worried by it. It seemed dormant... and oddly still, not wandering about as Shades often did. "Anyone care to explain what that's doin' there, though?" he said, pointing at Willem. "I got to say, it's the first time I've ever seen anyone give a Shade a name."

A breeze swept through Roxlynn as Castled approached the Ox carriage. It was near the town's edge, away from the main streets and prying eyes. Tall oaks laid ominously ahead, obscuring light even in the daytime. He'd been through the Forests plenty of times, especially in the last dozen days or so, but the thought of leaving safety to venture out in Hell unnerved him even now. Still, it wasn't like he had a choice. "This is to Boschester?" Castled asked to an older man adjusting straps. The man turned and greeted him, and Castled saw a face gnarled by a particularly vicious scar. Human, or Shade? Castled wondered, but it didn't really matter. You had to watch out for both out here. His thoughts were interrupted by a Shade appearing in front of him, and Castled stumbled back and fell over on the dirt behind him.

Hi! What’s your favourite magic system? Can be one of Brandon’s or something outside the Cosmere. If you could choose one Brando story to adapt to film/TV (whether Cosmere or not) which would it be?

Ah, gotcha. In that case, if he isn’t going against anyone but your own character, then it should be fine. So he’s like a special NPC? I do have to say though, I don’t know how you plan on executing this idea, but from my experience RPing your own character’s arch nemesis sort of difficult because it almost closes you off from other interactions with others (I tried doing it once with one of my characters and the result was very… eh). Still though, if the villain’s only really going to affect your character, unless other people ‘opt-in’ to fight them, then it should be fine. I think.

In general, no mind controlling other people’s characters without their permission. We’ve had a mind-altering Epic before as a villain, but the key thing there (and for all OP villains) is for everyone to trust that the villain is going to be used as a plot device more so than a character. Meaning, 1) they have some sort of weakness, and 2) is used to challenge the protagonists, but is built knowing in mind they will eventually be defeated by the protagonists. If that trust is there, people are more willing to let their characters go through mental shennagins for the sake of the plot, but even then, full on ‘I control your character now’ removes them from the RP, so you’re better off with something where they still have character agency (like memory changing) and something they can (somewhat) try and resist. I think your best bet (if you don’t want to have ask permission each time). Is some sort of powerful Soother/Rioter or an Epic with some sort of ‘aura’ of emotional influence. Of course, the exchange here is that characters can resist against them (which can make for good RP) and can take precautions (eg. Aluminium headwear). But then that goes for all powers.

He could feel the end coming. Everything felt wrong, crooked. Cassie, shocked and staring at him. Evelyn, who was looking at him like he was some kind of monster. And of course James. James, who was the Knight in shining armour, the leader of leaders, the Radiant hero against Rob. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Not at all. There is only one thing to do now, the sphere whispered to him. Make the wish. Wish? Rob's heart felt like a Shardblade in his chest every time it beat. James. Wish. The Nightwatcher. Couldn't she refuse a wish? No, whispered the sphere. She cannot refuse. There are people in this room who have felt her touch. Wishes she could not refuse. Banes she had to give. It was too much. Too much. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben. James. Cassie. Evelyn. The Sphere. Shana. Rob. Ben - and then he just - Rob laughed. The sound seemed unnatural coming out of him. His stoic face contorted into a smile, and he hunched over, squeezing his eyes shut. Nothing was funny, but he laughed anyway, laughed because there was nothing else to do, laughed because everything that had been suppressed for so long was finally being set free. In the silent, tense room, his giggles echoed off the walls, and when he ran out of breath he stumbled against a shelf by the wall and hung onto it for support. He felt like he was coming unraveled, like everything he had been made to be was being inversed. Remade. Unmade. "You... you..." The laughs morphed into sobs seamlessly. Hot tears ran down his face and dropped to the floor, and he made no effort to hold them back. He still remained facing the ground, eyes clamped shut and face turning red from exertion. His stomach hurt from the crying. While his left hand supported him against the shelf, his right still clutched the sphere. Cracks now covered the glassy surface, and his knuckles were white as he gripped it. He thrust his head up to look at James, Cassie and Evelyn, pushing himself further into the corner of the room away from them. Anger, sadness and glee flashed across his face interchangeably, and he felt swept up in a ocean of delirium. This was it. This was it. "If you won't fix me," he growled at James, eyes wild and manic, voice breaking. "I'll do it myself!" He stepped forward shakily, and whether it was the emotions or the sphere or something else, but he swore he could see the Nightwatcher herself hovering above James in a pool of emerald mist, frowning at him. He stared at her and held his sphere to the side resolutely. "Nightwatcher," he said. "I DEMAND this wish. Give me the power to kill those who prolong this war. Give me the power to be MORE, more than this weak mind. That is my wish, and I accept any Bane." The dark sphere in his right hand shattered in his grip, bloodying his palm and sending shards of glass falling to the floor as something dark escaped. It took the shape of dark, too dark smoke as it coiled around his arm before forcing itself into the wounds the glass had made. It was excruciating, and all Rob could hear as it raided his soul and slaughtered Cup was an incessant giggling. Welcome to the end, it whispered to him. You made the wish. Welcome to the end. @AonEne@Wyndlerunner@WrathofaShardKitten

You sure there’s no relation to @FatherTiempo? He hung around these parts for a while

On the the other hand… the GB split was all smoke and mirrors while the guild was very much still one entity. Just pretending to be split. What is your awesome idea for the next era?

1. The Way of Kings 2. Words of Radiance 3. Oathbringer 4. Rhythm of War 5. Heroes Have Heavenly Honour TWOK WOR O ROW HHHH

I’m a bit late to the party, but I agree with everything the Mac has said.

All very good points. Consider me converted to the after-squad

It’s going It would take place before the Forgery breaks. In effect everyone is trying to prevent the Forgery from breaking. So they realise “if we don’t cut down usage in 6 months (or something) the Forgery is going to break and we’re all going to die”

I love it when stuff like this happens. Maybe that’s the whole reason why it’s all cloak-and-daggers. Being upfront about cutting budgets would prompt… undesirable reactions. So different DA factions plot in the shadows, employing the help of different guilds to try and do their plans subtly, try to out-plan each other and try to intercept each other’s schemes. Proxy war. Cold War.

I like the idea of a being (it could be a sentient version of the Alleystorm) but to be honest if it’s the catalyst I think it would be more interesting for it to be its own wildcard, rather than just handing out powers to people. Just thought of an alternative to this. Let me know if this is insane.