Silus - Shard of Flame

There's been a change in the Application. There's now a system when it comes to Grids you can pick to start off with (including some other Spheretech), which is similar to how it is with Forms. Don't worry, your current characters don't have to change, this is just something for new characters. That means you, Frost. XP

Jack Mckinney

Ooh, a lightsaber! Throw won't help so...shockwave!

Jack launches a shockwave, knocking the lightsaber off course enough that it lightly grazes his shoulder. The armor crackles as it is disintegrated by the bound plasma in the blade.

Hrm, what to do now?

Jack smiles then Throws his opponent, followed by an insta-shift into black-mage launching several ice spells at the opponent.

"I feel hungry for leeks. Do you feel hungry for leeks? I like leeks."

The throw knocks him back a few feet, but he stays on his feet, leaving him able to counter the ice blasts with...his lightsaber. It's already back in his hand, even though you just saw him throw it. Whatever just happened, the lightsaber is very effective in blocking the ice blasts, the searing heat making a perfect barrier against the cold.

Ambrosius

Ambro arches an eyebrow, so he has the goods at least, and even has a copy of Cromael's Diary. Who is this guy?

"How much for a copy of the Book of Isis? Or a smaller Solomon's Seal?"

I probably will have to go find Eero and get that money back. If he hasn't spent it. Oh, and the pocketwatch, I might be able to sell it.

"A bronze fiver for the Seal, the Book of Isis is a firemark in paperback and two in hardback." A firemark, while relatively low on the scale of stormlight currency, is still pricey.

Eerongal

"I see. It is a might strange all of the comforts and luxuries that are just thrown around here. One has to wonder who this 'benefactor' really is."

Flexing my arms a bit more, I stand and stretch a bit, feeling the obvious relief from pain.

"So....I have a feeling I all ready know the answer to this, given the lavishness of things around here, but how much do I owe you for the healing? I suspect most payments around here seem to be in a 'all ready taken care of nature' and if that's the case...." i pull out a few coins from my pouch and hold them in my open palm, "I assume there are no rules against tipping the patron for a job well done, right?"

The nurse giggles a little, whether from your manner or from your shirtless torso is anyone's guess. "Right, no charge. But..." She reaches out and takes the coins. "The Sisters of Preservation always appreciate donations." You recognize the name; a religion run hospital in Desert's Edge, a well known one for their skill in healing. Looking around, you see at least a dozen other nurses, and can spot the distinctive metal touches in their uniforms that mark them as Shardist nuns of the Order of Preservation.

Ambrosius

Bleh. He's one of those types. They think that by examining how magic works they can make it stronger, yet they don't realize that it doesn't matter.

Ambro replies with equal disdain, "Do you have the Chimaeracon, the Wicker Book, the Book of Isis, or Cromael's Diary?"

I doubt he has that last one though, there are only three in existence.

Ambro looks over the wares on display. "Or at least a Solomon's Seal."

The man takes barely a moment to respond to your list. "I have the Chimeracon and the Book of Isis either in hardcover or paperpack, the Wicker Book in large or small print, and I'm afraid that our copy of Cromael's Diary is on hold for another buyer. As for the Solomon's Seal..." He points behind you, to a rack lined with dozens of them. "We have a variety of sizes."

Jay'el

"Quinn, what order should I do these in? That seems important..." My sentence tapers into silence as I realize that Quinn has already taken off with his characteristic speed. Shoot. Okay, you can do this, Jay'el. Just look first, think it through. I take the next ten minutes to examine the lines that Quinn laid down, trying to figure out what is off about them.

The lines appear random at first, but examining them reveals a subtle pattern to them. You almost miss it, but the curve splits the bindings evenly, each line progressing into the next to continue the even cut.

Jack Mckinney

Oh my. He's quick.

Jack dodges as the opponent makes a leaping slash, but a great rent is torn in one of Jack's sleeves.

Banking sharply Jack insta-shifts into Adept, then uses the Sub-machine gun as he lands.

I wonder if the type of weapon affects his abilities. I'm pretty sure he didn't have that katana, and katanas are usually associated with speed.

Jack prepares a Throw in case his opponent charges.

"what? That axe too much for you too handle? Or was it just for show?"

Tank makes a quick spin with the axe, deflecting the rounds, though the force of it causes him to grimace. At your comment he grins, his katana morphing into the yellow glow of a lightsaber, which he throws at you.

Hrm....cut off a bit abruptly there....Hiding something? Oh well, best not to press it.

"Very well. Sleep well, you've earned rest."

Nodding to her, I turn back to watch the healer work upon my wounds.

"Tell me, healer, how often do you have to use such powerful, and not to mention expensive, methods of curing wounds? That seems like it would get pricey after a time...."

Flex my arms carefully, i enjoy the relief brought about from my lack of severe burns.

The healer smiles at you, still moving over your burns with care and precision. "Before I got here, never. Our benefactor is very generous, he said to spare no expense in keeping the competitors in fighting shape. I'm not sure where he gets it, but I never need to ask for more. There's always enough, which is a little eerie considering just how quickly we've gone through the stuff today."

River

My eyes widen when I hear the price. It would take the better part of my families entire fortune to purchase the Dynamic Overdriver, and I only managed to walk away with whatever I could carry. With one last hungry look at the Overdriver, I tear my gaze away, knowing I'm only torturing myself. There's no way I could lay my hands on it without stealing, and Gustav is not someone I'd want to steal from without an air tight plan. Now that he seems to have forgiven my behavior, I need to stay in his good books, and can't afford to risk his displeasure.

"I'll try to work on my attitude," I say. "You can't help how you were raised, right?" My sisters would be laughing at me now. Their pride would never have allowed them to give in as I am now. No doubt, they would accuse me of lowering the status of our house with my behavior. The jokes on them though, for my house is gone and I remain. Robin would have been proud of me. At least, she would have claimed to be. I never know what to think about her, for I cannot tell how much of her personality was a sham. She betrayed you, I remind myself. I need to forget about her if I'm going to move forward. If I need to forget, why can't I?

I focus on the situation at hand, not wanting to dwell on the past. "I should have trusted you when you said it was out of my price range." I pause, considering for a moment and then continue. "I'm still interested in acquiring some sort of fuser or evolver? If you don't have any in stock, do you know where or how I could find one and how much it might cost me? As long as it doesn't remove me from the tournament, I'd even be willing to work to acquire one. With everything that's going on, I won't have much time to learn a new sphere, so I'd rather improve on what I already have if possible." After a moment, I remember one last question. "Do you know if it is possible to combine more than two forms?"

"Come back after dinner, I have a feeling a good meal will help you work things through." He winks at you.

At your next question, he pauses for a moment. "There's a rule in Spherework, one that I've found rings true. The more you try to put into a Form, the more it'll cost. Whether it's in rare materials, a simple need for bulk resources, or complicated workarounds, the rule is the same. Look up there." He points you toward the top of the pyramid display, where you can see a single glass case holding a simple device made up of three rings about the size of Formspheres. "That's the crown jewel of my wares. And trust me, it don't matter how nice a meal you get, it won't you get you any closer to affording my Triple Fuser. It's a simple way of combining three Forms into one, but it's a pain to make. Cost me a fortune, then another one on top of that!" He laughs, holding his side. "Sure, there are better things, rumors of a Quad Fuser fly around like beegnats in my business, but there's no way to make 'em through conventional means. And really, what you'd need to do the same thing on a Grid that that Fuser does easy as pie is still storming expensive and takes up Grid power to drag your shift speed into the gutter."

The title is a lie! There is no ice cream sandwich here!

I have the feeling that if you can store emotions, that each one stores a significantly different one, such that you can't really store the opposite.

Gor for it, Frost. But keep in mind that the more characters we have, the quicker we get to PvP fights in the tournament. Whether that's good or bad depends on your point of view.

One reason I'm glad that KChan shows interest in Nexus is precisely because of the gender imbalance. If you think you can pull off a female character, though, than by all means, do so.

Holy crap, this is so meta.

I am a good, compliant forum goer. All hail the 17th Shard overlords!

Trunk novel: books written before the author got published. Basically they're the type of books that they write and then get thrown into a "trunk" (think like old style suitcase) to be pulled out eventually, dusted off, and looked over. I think the trunk novel that Peter's referring to is the Elantris sequel. (But that's just my guess.) (Most of what I understand of this comes from one of the WE eps they did on it. http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/08/22/writing-excuses-4-33-trunk-novels/)

The core of the cosmere's story is Mistborn, WoK, Dragonsteel, and I THINK Elantris. I know for sure though that books like WB and Silence Divine aren't in there. From what I understand, this basically just means that they don't reveal vital information about the cosmere. (We learned nothing big about shards, realmatic theory, or such from these books. You could skip them, and still get the important part of the cosmere theories.

From what I remember of the quote, Elantris is not one of the main ones, but MB, SA and DS are definitely in there.

Oh, good, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought of that.

Yados, I completely agree with you. Also, darn, the Warbreaker cover isn't as good as the others! The US cover of that is one of my favorites, though, probably right after Way of Kings, which is my favorite.

A single emerald broam would be more than River has by a significant amount. (I describe this a bit in my last response to Eero.)

EDIT: @Cuairr: I actually wasn't referring to the yellow lines when I said he was speeding over something.

SO PRETTY. WANT POSTER.

Would it be a private board? How would you get in?

A Brandon written test about Schlock and Martians? BEST TEST OF ALL TIMES.

Yeah, spoilers:

I was actually okay with the way that all played out. Katniss was set up as the Mockingjay, the symbol of the revolution, but she was always a broken teenaged girl. Sending her in with a small teem of soldiers against the worst the Capitol could muster and expecting her to succeed was just asking too much. She broke under the strain, and I can't say I blame her.

To do otherwise considering the setup would have made her inhuman.

What pissed me off was actually the second book, "Catching Fire". It was a complete waste. All Collins did was retread the ground she trod with The Hunger Games. I wanted to see Katniss and Peeta as mentors. I wanted to see the war start in book 2. I wanted to see the war actually play out, instead of spending most of book 3 watching Katniss get over a nervous breakdown (which she wouldn't have had if Collins hadn't put her back in the arena) in District 13 while the war is fought offscreen.

Maybe my expectations were just off the mark...but I do believe that I only wanted what The Hunger Games set me up to want. I wanted a dystopian sci-fi military thriller, but all along Collins was doing a character study. Nice for what it is, but I would have enjoyed the other so much more.

Oh, and I'm still reading A Night of Blacker Darkness. I just can't seem to muster the motivation to stick with it. I mean, yeah it's amusing, but the plot just doesn't carry its own weight. I bet it would make a good movie, though.

More Hunger Games spoilers.

Jack Mckinney

Jack shifts to airbender, then takes off using his wide sleeves like sails.

lets see now, he appears to be a close-range physical type, but the lack of clothing change is making it difficult to determine exactly what he is. If he does have a ranged attack I can insta-shift into Adept to take the hit if I can't dodge. I wonder how much of a temper he has.

Jack sends a multitude of gusts to blow into his opponents face at quick intervals.

'I wonder! Did that velocihound die of laughter at your appearance or shock at how slow you are?" Jacks voice is magnified by a quick manipulation of air.

He slips the axe from his back and pulls a katana from his belt. You aren't sure whether that was there before or not. He runs at you.

He's not slow.

River

Garson Gustav... How is it I spend all day looking for powerful friends, only to offend the first one I find because I mistake him for a simple shop-keep? Wait a minute... What is Garson Gustav, ruler of a international spheretech empire, doing peddling his own wares? I would assume he is lying, but somehow I doubt it. Garson Gustav is not exactly a name you can steal and expect to get away with it. The question remains, what is he doing here playing the cashier? Out in the real world, someone like Gustav would have underlings to oversee the underlings who check in on the ones who run the shops. True, this many Speremounts gathered in one place is bound to be an unparalleled business opportunity, but that still doesn't explain why Gustav isn't rubbing elbows with the higher ups, leaving his shop to a trusted assistant. For what seems like the hundredth time I wonder who in the world is running this thing, and how much power they have.

I realize I've been silent, paralyzed by embarrassment and mortification. "Please, you must accept my apologies, Master Gustav." I pause, unsure of what to say next. This man is definitely one I would rather have for a friend than an enemy, and he's crafty enough to see through anything but the truth. "I thought you were a shop keeper. I would have never expected someone of your standing to mingle in companies like this. Now, of course it makes sense. A shrewd business man like yourself would never leave such an opportunity in the hands of someone who might mess it up." Careful with the flattery. Too much, and he'll laugh in your face. I try my best to be sincere. I know I've messed up, and now I need to fix things, fast.

"I've behaved horribly, but I'm still very interested in the Dynamic Overdriver. How much is it worth? If it's out of my price range, and your willing to forgive me, I'd like to buy you a drink or dinner, to make it up to you." I hate the position I am in. I glance to either side, hoping no one else is witnessing my humiliation. "I really am sorry," I say, lowering my eyes respectfully. Please let this situation be salvageable. I know I can't afford to miss out on this opportunity.

He chuckles at how flustered you are. "It's been a while since I got to freak someone out like that." He laughs, clamping his hand on your shoulder; the reassuring feel is comforting. "Also been a while since I've run an actual store. That's where I started out, you know, at the bottom, but I've been working my way up for almost fifty years now. Still, trying to sell something the old fashion way feels good.

"Don't worry yourself too much. Your noble manner was just a little grating, you might want to do something about that. A little dash of humility goes a long way. Sure, presenting a solid front in a business arrangement is important, but a man's pocket reflects his thoughts, especially with people." He turns back to the display. "The Overdriver is a rare piece, likely you won't ever see another one. I'd put its price about...three emerald broams?"

"FirstRainbowRose, Awardless of 17th Shard, wore a Shallan cosplay on the day she was to stalk an Author."

I concur with this. Cobalt Guard is awesome.

Jack Mckinney

"indeed it is! Tomorrow would be good! Seeya then, 'kay thanks bye!"

My turn! Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun...

Jack runs out of the store. Jack enters the arena, tumbles, then rolls across the bridge.

He gets up and dusts himself off.

Jack smiles at his opponent, "Hello there!"

The man glances at you, then grunts a greeting. He's massive, at least six and half feet tall and built like a bearmech. He has the palish complexion and streak of golden hair typical to Eastgaters, and he wears the pelt of a velocihound as a coat. Obviously a skilled hunter, since velocihounds are notoriously difficult to catch, though the large, double sided axe on his back couldn't hurt his chances.

"This match: Jack McKinney versus Tank!" Jezebel is refereeing again, which seems to be a pretty easy job. "Ready!"

He starts to shift, cracking his neck as he does so.

"Set!"

His aura fades, leaving him pretty similar to what he looked like before.

"GO!"

Ambrosius

"Paranoia? yes, no need for that."

Ambro watches as the man leaves.

He also came to the conclusion of eye based spheremorphs, so I am not just jumping to conclusions.

Ambro heads to the market section of the area, looking for magic shop.

They may even sell witchcraft spells, which contrary to popular belief any human can use.

I even had several cousins who used it, so I also know a fake when I see one.

The magic shop is cleaner than you expected, almost pristine. The counter is shiny. The contrast with the wares on display is striking, the various incenses clashing with what might be disinfectant in the air. Ringing the little silver bell on the counter brings out a middle aged man with dark eyes and hair streaked with grey, with a pointed face and a brilliantly white lab coat pressed to perfection.

The man looks you over with disdain. "Can I help you?"

River

I take note of the man's sarcasm, and notice him eying my hair. Although the heat was travelling out of my body, it seems it still managed to singe, and even the lightest of burns shows up on platinum blond. I resolve to give myself a quick trim as soon as possible.

"The singeing is intentional," I say, wanting to clear things up. "A little burnt hair is a small price to pay for setting a man on fire from the inside, wouldn't you think?" His patronizing attitude angers me, but I force myself to stay calm. There are very few things I hate more than being made to feel like I'm inferior.

"I take back what I said about talent," I saw as my lips twist with distaste. "Do all your customers take kindly to being abused?" My instincts tell me to storm off and find another vendor, but my curiosity gets the better of me. With a black mage as a base, this sphere could be more my style.

"Tell you what, I'll give you another chance before I take my business elsewhere. I confess, I'm more familiar with using spheres than identifying them. My gentlemans' education did not include 'Dynamic Overdrivers'. Give me your best pitch, and we can forget about this little argument. Then I won't be forced to tell everyone I meet how dissatisfied I was with your service."

The smile in his eyes disappears, but the smile on his mouth remains. His voice is low. "River of Riverheart, you seem to be suffering under the delusion that I need your business. And frankly I doubt you can afford it. You obviously don't know who I am, which doesn't surprise me, considering the backwards little house you come from.

"My name is Garson Gustav." The name sends a small chill down your spine. You've heard of this man, the name whispered among the noble elite, the supplier of powerful Spheretech, who runs a world-spanning business empire. Even the most powerful of men knows not to cross Garson Gustav, who has more than a few Spheremorphs in his clientele.

The smile is back, as if it never left. His voice back to its slightly accented, jolly self. "An Overdriver, my boy, is a powerful piece of Spheretech indeed. When you activate it, your Form is Evolved, for a short time, into one of its possible Evolutions. Once the Overdrive ends, you're automatically shifted into another Form, unable to use the Overdrived Form for a few hours, but the power boost is an edge that most would kill for. A Dynamic Overdriver is even better. Ya see, most Overdrivers have a set level of power and cost, but a Dynamic one lets ya pick. You can choose, say, between a first level Overdrive, which Evolves your Form once, or a third, which Evolves it three times, but with three times the burnout time. You could take that Black Mage Formsphere and Overdrive it to a Arcane Mage or an Elemental, but that depends on how much you're willing to risk on the luck of the draw."

Eerongal

Well, at least she seems to be a good loser....

Nodding to her, i return her sentiment.

"Yes, it was a good fight. You certainly have a few interesting forms. "

Holding out my arms for the returning healer, i continue the conversation.

"Get a bit more practice with them and you could probably defeat me. Also, that bear you have, while powerful, is dumb as a sack of rocks. I could probably teach you a few tricks if you plan on sticking around and are up for it. Inexperience is more deadly than the strongest formsphere."

Pausing to wince a little at sting of the salve being applied, i continue.

"Tell me, Darla, what are you doing working for the Furies? You don't seem like their usual sort, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it."

"Tibbers may be dumb, but there's not much I can do about that, brains made of stuffing and all. And I'll pass on the tips. This tournament is knockout, one loss out, so I don't think I'll be doing much fighting. But I think I'll stick around anyway, maybe see somebody kick you around." She grins.

The healer applies a salve on the smaller burns, which works remarkably fast. But she pulls out a fabrial for the worse ones. This surprises you, as fabrials aren't just rare, but incredibly expensive since they run exclusively on stormlight - the single most valuable form of raw magical energy in the world. This makes infused spheres, which hold and generate stormlight, more valuable than all other forms of currency. A single emerald broam is enough to keep a village of over a hundred people in food and luxuries for a month. Regardless of the expense, the feeling of your burns healing up is worth every ray.

She frowns when you mention the Furies. "I've been in the group my whole life. Not much choice when you're-" She stops suddenly, then turns around and lays her head back down. "You're hammer gave me a splitting headache, Paladin, so I hope you don't mind if I sleep it off."

In Alethi there is no word for a lord that doesn't make reference to being a lighteyes, the two are completely synonymous. Though Darklord Kaladin has a nice ring to it.

"In corner number one we have Darklord Kaladin, slayer of Shardbearers and Radiant Knight! And in THIS corner we have...

"STORMAGEDDON, DARK LORD OF ALL!"

*cue crying baby*

If I were a gambling man I could probably make a pretty penny taking bets on your grades.

On your last point, a lot of the tales of his ridiculous healing are exaggerated, especially his injuries. He was never fully decapitated, and never reduced to a skeleton, or he would be dead, none of the Metallic Arts could save him from those.

There's some things I wish I could say, but can't. Darn spoilers.

I have an ARC of AoL and it has the illustration of the Feruchemical table, but I was disappointed that it didn't have any information. Can't wait for the release!

My guess is that the only way to seriously affect a normal human with Connection tapping would be if you're Compounding. Now I just want to know which metal it is! I doubt that you could totally control someone, though.

I started Startide Rising a while ago, but I couldn't get through it. The pacing was too slack for me.

Roving bandits, mainly, with a tendency toward burning out small villages, but that's off of a job. They're very effective killers, usually armed with magic or tech. Their leader is known as the Duchess of Wrath, who's said to be as beautiful as a sunset yet deadly as a Sun Wyrm - which is pretty freaking deadly.