NameIess

"I think," ... replied in an even lower voice. "that Subversion wishes to keep her true powers hidden for some reason. I believe that going along with it will be a wise decision." The General's eyes turned to the unconscious Great Wizard. "Hardly. he could call his rabbits to aid him if he were awake. With this creature's help as well," She gestured to TP. "he might well escape. You may speak to him once he is securely locked inside a cell and cut off from his rabbits." "It was no one specific. Just a random person who claimed the lesser of the Blades. Now, let's begin." The Dreamsmith set his hammer down on the anvil and stared deeply at Platypus. "Your soul is quite a mess, but the tool may help with that." The Dreamsmith breathed in, then out. He took up his hammer, and began to work. To start, the Dreamsmith created the form. A tiny outline, made from wavering threads of light appeared upon his anvil. He reached out and plucked at this outline with one hand, deftly altering the blueprint until it was to his liking. "Next comes Power and Reality," The Dreamsmith murmured. Carefully, he reached out to Platypus and plucked a thread from the barely-stable mass of energy that was his soul. carefully, he wrapped this thread around the form of the tool on the anvil, then gently lifted the hammer and tapped once. A brief flash of light followed, and the soul bound itself to the outline perfectly, forming a small metal object that shimmered with a fading light. The Dreamsmith quickly picked the completed tool up and walked with it over to Platypus. "All that is left now is the Name, which I shall leave to you. Behold your tool, capable of fending off practically any Enuller." With that, he handed the object over, a metal pen carved in intricate detail, perfectly fitted to Platypus's writing hand. "With this, you can fill out any paperwork necessary to keep the Enullers off your back, or to request their aid! Do be careful of signing or writing contracts with it though, as it does contain a part of your soul within it. But, then again, you may find that helpful!" He set down his hammer, rubbing his right shoulder uncomfortably. "Are you content with this, Platypus?" The Brave Adventurer glanced around the room, having remained silent all this time. "Onyx," He whispered, voice so low as to be inaudible to anyone without magical hearing powers. "Are you willing to help my order secure the most dangerous Plotblades?"

"Yes, highly limited." Subversion's glare strengthened, and Selppaenip felt a chill seep into his bones. "Just like most magical powers." She broke off her glare, and the chill vanished. "Sounds good Nogard. I'll get to it." She hopped down into the crater and started carefully making her way to the portal stone. The General muttered something under her breath. "You may speak to him once he is secured in our custody, Narrator. There will be time before the trial." "Still, you were trespassing. If you really are not guilty of a crime, then your trial will prove so." The Brave Adventurer shook his head disbelievingly. "I am always happy to help those in need. And besides, Onyx may know something about the Plotblades that could be useful in my organization's search." "The prophecy was merely a list of those who were most likely to claim the Blades, at the time. Things have changed since then, and the prophecy was never an exclusive list. You could..." The Dreamsmith trailed off as a tiny clockwork creature skittered into the room, carrying a small note. The creature moved swiftly around Platypus, then crawled up the Dreamsmith's leg and to his outstretched right hand. Carefully, the Dreamsmith took the note, then pulled a hidden catch, deactivating the creature. "Apologies for the interruption." The Dreamsmith scanned the note quickly. "I see events are moving quickly..." The note burst to flame in his hands, burning to ash that scattered away. "Anyways, you want something to help you deal with Enullers? Something small, with potential for both creation and destruction? I can do that." The Brave adventurer followed hurriedly, checking the time on his pocket watch again. "Are you... that Everyone?"

"Indeed!" Subversion shook Nogard's shoulder worriedly. "I am one of those lucky few who are blessed with highly limited powers to manipulate reality." She glared pointedly at Selppaenip and ..., grey eyes flashing briefly with iridescent light. "As such, I can make use of this chunk of portal stone that conveniently fell to the ground to bring us wherever we need to go." As TP tromped to the Great Wizard, he also managed to pick up about a dozen Brave Adventurers, including the Silent Hero, the General, and the Valiant One, holding on through careful application of grappling hooks, extra arms, and/or sheer tenacity. The General managed to pull a mace out in-flight. "If you do not land this very instant," She shouted, her booming voice carrying despite the rushing wind. "I will ensure that you have no other option!" The Valiant One shouted something else, but it was completely inaudible. "Why thank you." The Brave Adventurer sat gracefully, accepting the cup of tea with a nod to Sequence. "And of course there's no need to worry about violence. Not from me, anyways." He glanced askance at Erif. "My story is simple. I discovered the existence of the two most dangerous Plotblades at the same time as I discovered that the Great Wizard, once my most respected colleague, had been plotting against my order to claim those Plotblades for himself. Then this 'Erif' along with others in service of the Great Wizard broke into a most secret meeting of the council. When we attempted to capture and question them, still more spies broke in, starting a fight and managing to escape unharmed. I myself was severely injured, although I have quite fortunately been healed of those injuries." The Brave Adventurer smiled, fingering a small scar on his jaw. "However, this is not the end of the crimes that this man and those with him have committed. We, quite understandably, I'm sure, sent our forces to capture the intruders and their master and bring them-alive and unharmed-for trial. However, when we sprung our trap and attempted to arrest the criminals, they fought back with lethal force, resulting in the deaths of multiple adventurers." A frown of anger momentarily clouded the Brave Adventurer's expression, but it was gone in a moment. "So that is my perspective. These violent criminals are seeking the two most dangerous Plotblades in the history of TLT, and they are willing to kill innocent adventurers to achieve that goal." His eyes drifted to Erif again. "Under normal circumstances, I would of course never ask that you use your powers against one who is obviously a guest, but... considering his crimes, I feel it is my duty to ask that you turn him over to the authority of the Brave Adventurers." "You misunderstand me. Besides the fact that you really could bring peace to all of TLT with one of those Blades, I was... warning you. The Blades have an allure that is almost irresistible. Even I have wishes, hopes, and regrets that they could manipulate." The Dreamsmith sighed, jaw releasing a jet of steam. "Anyways. Your weapon." A glowing hammer appeared in his hand, and his anvil reappeared. "I do not believe you need any more power in combat, and I don't have the inspiration to give you anything that will be significantly helpful in that area. So perhaps something more tool-like would do. Do you have any preference on form?" "If I might intrude on this conversation for a moment?" The Brave Adventurer stood, checking his pocket watch again. "I must insist that I accompany you if you are visiting Onyx. It is well known among my order that Nameless, the original brave adventurer, visited Onyx and was on rather good terms with him. As such, I believe I will be most helpful in any negotiations with that Narrator."

At the center of the impact crater lay a glowing chunk of metal that periodically shot off sparks that warped spacetime around them, causing portals to open and close randomly in the vicinity of the crash sight. ... regarded the metal, then nodded, eyes flickering towards Subversion for a fraction of a moment. "That's convenient. Narrator, I suppose you can use your powers to make this thing take us where we need to go?" "I do. And I shall keep that secret, for now. But the secret of the Blade's identity may soon come to an end." The Dreamsmith sighed. "Platypus, do you understand the real danger of these Plotblades? The trial Omen gave you, that was a possible future in which only one of the Blades were found. Holding one of those Plotblades, anything is possible. No laws will bind you." The glow of the Dreamsmith's eyes brightened, then dimmed, and a wistful expression formed on his face. "You could achieve your heart's greatest desire, and perhaps... perhaps you could even put it down afterwards." The Brave Adventurer pulled out his iridescent watch and began polishing it. "I... was not aware that there was any particular secret in my predecessor's identity. Would you be so kind as to share this secret?" The General appeared distracted by something, but the Valiant One quickly stepped between Gail and TP and the Great Wizard. "We are taking this criminal into custody." A ring of Brave Adventurers fanned out and began surrounding the pair of heroes. "Just as we're about to do to you. Surrender peacefully, unless you wish to die in the face of insurmountable odds." The General, who had overcome her surprise at the sudden reversal of the Ghanderflaffle empire's direction, spun her maces threateningly. The Brave Adventurer shook her hand. "Likewise, likewise. So, for what purpose did a distinguished person such as yourself wish to meet with me?"

... glanced at Subversion, then started walking towards the sight of the landing. "Only one way to find out."

"I suppose you're right. Our odds of finding the others, are quite low, barring some really unusual circumstances." At Subversion's words, a streak of white light fell from the heavens and impacted the ground about half a mile off from the group. "...Perhaps." ... sounded less confident.

"It's a big thre-er, world out there." Subversion hesitated. "So, uh, were we doing some important quest thing? I've forgotten." "I hope that is not necessary. The Brave Adventurer's dungeons are quite secure."

Subversion nodded. "Yes. They're shapeshifters, and their empire is always either rising or falling. They aren't too common outside of that empire, but they do travel sometimes." "That... is not good. If he has been captured, our quest is in serious trouble."

"The General? I think she was a Ghanderflaffle." Subversion paused to see if this rang any bells for Nogard. "Not without the Great Wizard." ... glanced around. "Did you happen to see what happened to him?" The Great Wizard appeared to be being placed into a magically sealed coffin while unconscious and tied in magical ropes, watched carefully by the General, the Valiant One, and the Silent Hero. Well, the Silent Hero was watching everyone, including TP, but he seemed to pay extra attention to the unconscious Wizard. "I am the one who originally warned the Brave Adventurer about them." "Of course! He was a great man, my predecessor. A pity he vanished as he did." The Brave Adventurer frowned. "Was there some secret as to his identity?"

The Dreamsmith set aside his work and gave Platypus his full attention, anvil fading into the background. “He did send letters asking for my aid, but I cannot say whether he intends to claim the Blades for himself. Even if does not intend to, he may end up claiming one of them. Even I am not sure that I could resist the temptation, if the Blades were brought to me.” “Ah, one of the intruders? I’ve no clue where he is.” The Brave Adventurer smiled in a trustworthy-seeming way. “I’ll be sure to tell you if I find him. And of course I knew my predecessor personally. We were quite close before his retirement.” The Brave Adventurer’s smile wavered for an instant. “Depends on your point of view I suppose. But I wouldn’t say so.” “Hopefully not.” Subversion rose to her feet smoothly, brushing hair out of her face. “I didn’t get hit that hard.” … considered this. “Probably not.” He finally said. “I suspect there’d be a trap waiting for us. But we should try to meet up with the others.”

The Dreamsmith paused in his work to regard the half-finished weapon on his anvil, looking over it with eyes that glowed like the embers of a fire. His mechanical jaw moved in a motion that might have passed for a frown. "Yes, that is my name. What brings you here Platypus? Do you seek a weapon to be of use to you in some quest?" The Brave Adventurer looked quite at ease, standing confidently with his hands in his pockets. "I have seen several squirrels recently. Perhaps if you told me more about the squirrel you're looking for, I'd be able to tell you whether I've seen it?" "No, I don't believe so." After only a moment's hesitation, the Brave Adventurer extended a hand towards Bacon. "I am the Brave Adventurer. Leader of the Brave Adventurers. Who might you be?" "Yes, I am. Feeling much better now. "Indeed. Quite fortunate for us, that is. But I do not doubt that he and with the rest of the adventurers will be doing everything in their power to track us down and end our adventure for good. So apprentice, I ask you: what is the normal thing to do in this situation?"

IM SORRY I HAD SCHOOL AND THEN I ALMOST DIED OF PNEUMONIA. Still have school, but less pneumonia, so I'll see if I can avoid leaving for three weeks again. Also, I almost gave up reading what I'd missed when I got to the pun battle. You guys need help. The figure raised The Blade of Endings once more, and a dread light of darkness began to grow within it. "Do you tire, Platypus? I tire too. I am tired of this battle, this Thread... they are too limiting for me. I shall put them to an End, and I shall be free." The dread light within his Blade grew stronger and stronger, until it consumed Platypus's sight and blocked out all except the Blade of Endings and the silhouette of the one who wielded it. As Platypus watched, the figure swung the Blade down. And tore the Thread in two. Not just the Thread, but the great barriers that trapped Narrators within the Thread shattered as well, finally broken so long after their creation, breaking apart to reveal uncounted worlds, now doomed to destruction that would match TLT's own. Platypus felt himself falling, and he heard the laughter of the figure as he did. The laughter of a being who knew he had won. Platypus's eyes opened. He was lying on his back on a cool stone floor. From his left came warmth, and the sound of a hammer against an anvil. "Excuse me. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I was invited." The Brave Adventurer walked up casually, idly tucking a stray strand of blond hair back into the carefully manicured wave atop his head. He wore a suit, and his beard was well trimmed. At his waist, a small sword dangled in its sheath, hilt gleaming with a shine that seemed... untouched. "I came as soon as I could. I could hardly deny a request for an audience from one of the oldest and wisest Narrators in the thread, now could I?" He checked the time on an iridescent pocket watch. I do believe Sequence is older than Platypus and Subversion, by the way. Earliest I could find mentioning her is 2021, and @Immortal Platypus didn't join the Shard until 2022. So yeah, oldest active Narrator in terms of pages alive for. Subversion's soul returned to her body as her Author returned to the Thread, and her eyes fluttered open. In an instant (lucky her, took me a few hours) she saw all that had transpired while she was unconscious. "Oh, the Once Author's gone? That's... that's a pity." She said softly. "He was a good... once-Author, I guess." She looked at Nogard. "Thanks for getting me away from that... guy." ... frowned. "I think we lo... no, I won't say that. Take note, Selppaenip. Never say that phrase that I was about to say. Or similar ones. Merely state reality as it is. I do not see the Silent Hero chasing us any longer. You understand?"

The figure struck again, and it felt to Platypus as if the strength of the entire Thread struck with him. The figure laughed. "I am invincible!" "You cannot stop him, Platypus." The voice that whispered to Platypus sounded quite unlike that of the figure. "You cannot win against him now." "Thank you for your aid, Narrator. I shall take my leave now, and take casualty reports." The General's many eyes glared at Hacob and Zanitar for a moment, then vanished as she abandoned her mutated combat form. "Of course I can!" Subversion sat up, then groaned and held a hand to her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "With some help, maybe." The Silent Hero continued his implacable march towards them.

The intruder was as silent as his name suggested as he stalked towards Selppaenip. The Ended space yielded to Platypus's attempts to renew it, but he could do nothing to stop the wave from spreading further. "Subversion? Ah, that was a battle. She and Moniker attacked me together, along with a Nameless reborn by act of his Author. They are dead now. As are Unintelligible, Sequence, The Once-Author, and others. Most recently, I killed some fool called... what was his name? Hacob? Yes, that was it." The Blade of Endings flashed for Platypus's neck once more. "Do you think yourself strong enough to avenge them?" "No need. This strike force was just to split your group up and distract the strongest fighters. The others will do their parts well enough." "Perhaps that was a bit too far." Subversion muttered. "Lets... try that again." *time warpy noises* The mask lifted to reveal a black eye, and some light bruises around the edges of the mask, where it had been pressed into Subversion's face. "See? told you I wasn't hurt." "No. We must still strive to escape. This is another key aspect of normalcy. When a problem is impossible to face head-on, the normal people look for a way around it. Or in this case, a way away from it."

The mask lifted to reveal a mass of bruises that was barely recognizable as a face. Subversion's nose was broken in three places, and her left eye was swelled shut. More than half her teeth were gone as well. "How bad is it?" The intruder remained silent, but his gaze was locked on Selppaenip. "Apprentice! Watch yourself. That is the Silent Hero, the most deadly member of the Council of Brave Adventurers." ...'s voice was almost a whisper, but the Silent Hero's eyes swiveled in his direction immediately, piercing through the normalcy field in an instant. "Apprentice, he has the unique ability to channel the spirit of past heroes. You will not best him in battle." The figure's Blade slammed into the ground. Where the Blade had struck, a wave of nothingness, of Endings, began to spread. The figure laughed. "Do you yet feel bravery? Do you yet trust in hope? Come, defeat me, take Vengeance for all those I have slain." -- The General blocked Zanitar's attack with ease due to the eyes in the back of her head. "Narrator, I appeal to you. Why do you shield these people? Do you have some design that involves their continued freedom? Would it not make for a better story if just a few of them were captured?" Also, it would be hard to destroy Endings by attacking a version of it that's not really real.

Lots of cool Shard lore in this one, but while reading this, what stuck out to me was Gaz. He seems like the #1 suspect for being a mole to me. He was in debt, and if I remember right in WoR when Shallan asked if he was a gambler, his response was along the lines of "sure. Doesn't make any difference." Now, however, he's got a gambling addiction (which could definitely be true, but it seemed like there was something else that was going on with his debt) and he's the only member of the Unseen Court that doesn't want to attack the Ghostbloods right now? Seems suspicious to me.

Since he was so attentive, Selppaenip noticed the strange approaching figure before anyone else. The man who walked towards them was tall and broad-shouldered, with wavy blond hair and brown eyes. In his hand he held a simple sword, and on his face was an expression that signaled impending death. "I'm fine. Barely injured." The massive bruise on Subversion's face where she'd been hit said she was lying, as did the dazed look in her eyes. "Did we escape?" Several adventurers approached Jilu carefully and began tying her in enchanted ropes. The man met Platyus's eyes and smiled. "You're as arrogant as Nameless was. But this battle will end the same for you as it did for him." He swung his Blade for Platypus's head, and in that frozen moment Platypus recognized the Plotblade: Endings. The General's countless eyes took in the change in scenery instantly. "Choosing your battlefield? I suppose this means the gloves are off Narrationwise. I was beginning to think you'd let me hold the upper hand forever." Did Hacob shift everyone or just the General and those fighting her?

Jilu began to feel a little sleepy. They barely made it through, the portal snapping shut mere moments after they passed through it. ... glanced around, noting Nogard and Subversion. "Be ready, apprentice." The man laughed. "Nameless? No. I decided that it could do something. I have discovered the secrets of the Plotblades. They bend to my will, as all things must." Suddenly, Pineapples burned with a black flame, and Platypus could see the figure's power swell. "This crown now converts the randomness of the Thread into power for me. It is the link between Plot and Chaos, the secret to his might. Come and die by my hand, Platypus, as all the rest have." The mace that had disrupted Hacob's Narrationblade flashed, and the damage on the cracked mace vanished. The General smiled with a mouth that had far too many teeth. "Did you think this would be easy? These maces were forged in the Great War of Unification. While they can't do much of significance to you, cleansing themselves of the taint of your Narration is a simple thing." Behind Hacob, the portal snapped shut. Subversion's deep grey eyes fluttered open. "Nogard? Is that you?"

An arm burst from the ground behind Jilu and grabbed at her leg. … glanced at the portal. “My lead is to get out of here. I have an inkling as to the General’s plan.” The man before Platypus held a sword, one that shone with the power of Plot. On his head, he wore the crown of Suddenly, Pineapples, and Platypus felt the dread influence of that most powerful of Plotblade upon him, no longer lying dormant and useless. The man laughed, an awful sound. “So, another hero comes to destroy me? You will fall just as they. — The General defended against the combined attack without stepping yielding. A hand knocked aside Zanitar’s Brightwield, sending it sailing through the air to impale a corpse. A mace flashed, and Hacob’s Narrationblade blurred into mist briefly, just as the General sent a mace crashing toward his chest. — The Valiant One tripped and fell on his face. He was promptly smothered under a pile of invisible rabbits. fyi I might not be super active today.

“I mean that you should be careful. Do not assume that you know what the enemy is planning. This is a key aspect of normalcy. You must think deeply to determine the truth of things.” The claws shifted into arms which wrapped around Juli, trying to immobilize her. “You’re not one of his? Then you should flee. Flee, before he…” The man trailed off, his eyes glazing over. His chest stopped moving. Platypus felt something behind him. A presence so vile it almost made him sick. — try as Zanzibar might, th General managed to sap as much energy from his weapons as he sapped from hers. — The Great Wizard raised his staff, and a stream of invisible rabbits slammed into the Valiant One. The hero’s Blade flashed and the rabbits split around him as he continued his charge towards the Great Wizard. “Traitor!”

The General grows another face to meet her, sprouting claws and arms that lash out towards the beast with speed similar to the lightning. the man was no one Platypus had ever met before, and yet there was something familiar about him. As Platypus approached, he saw a wound in the man’s side, blood staining the ground. The man did not look up at Platypus’s approach, but he seemed to sense his presence. “Did he send you to finish me off? There’s no need. I’ll be gone soon anyways.” — The General growled inhumanly, swelling in size. “Fools!” Her maces swung even faster, till they were no more than blurs. As Zanitar’s Brightwields met the last of the General’s maces there was a flash of light, and he realized with shock that it had sapped some magic back. The Great Wizard was staring mournfully at a fallen adventurer. He shook himself, turning to assess the battle. The maces of the four Ghandeflaffle kings? This is bad. Time to get involved before anyone else gets hurt. He moved to join the battle against the General, but froze as a figure appeared. The Valiant One held a brilliant Shardblade and his expression was grim. “Do you have enough blood on your hands?” He shouted, “Or is your thirst for death not yet quenched? Once, I thought you held life in higher regard. What a fool I was.” He raised his Blade and charged. — An arm caught Selppaenip’s shoulder. “Apprentice, be careful.” …’s normalcy field was so strong that even Selppaenip’s eyes could barely notice him. “The General is skilled at combat, but her prowess in a fight is nothing compared to her strategical mind. She has a plan, and I fear you all might be falling into her trap.”

Subversion lay still, barely breathing. Her Narrationblade, in the form of a mask, covered half her face where she'd summoned it to block the mace at the last second. "Very well." Platypus stood in a field that had recently been the scene of a battle. Before him, a man wept. The General turned to face them, swinging her maces with incredible skill. Careful Hacob. Subversion's thoughts were weak and wavering. One of those maces can disrupt Narration. As if the General had eyes in the back of her head, one of the maces swung towards Jilu, loosing a lightning bolt directly at her.

Subversion's fight was not going well. Arms sprouted from the General's back to catch any muffins or other projectiles that came her way, and her maces came at the flagging Narrator from all angles. Subversion's brilliant Narrationblade moved like lightning, but she was unable to do anything but stay alive. Light, she's good. Not good enough to beat me, of course, but it is good to know that I'm immortal. One the General's arms split suddenly, reaching towards Subversion's legs to trip her. Quickly, Subversion swung her Narrationblade down to sever the new limb, shoulder-length hair spinning around her face. One of the General's maces flashed, and Subversion's Blade vanished. It reformed the next moment, but by then it was too late. The General's arm knocked Subversion off balance and she swung wildly, trying to-pain shot through Subversion as a mace took her in the head, sending her flying into a pile of muffins. One down. The General turned, assessing the battle. Muffin men next she decided, extra arm casually catching a muffin and stuffing it into her mouth. She leapt forwards, closing the distance between her and them in an instant. @Through The Living Glass@The H

One of the General's maces burst into flame, and the ice that tried to restrain her melted away. "They're resisting! Attack!" The Brave Adventurers rushed forward, engaging Jilu and charging towards the others. The General herself leapt towards Ista with blinding speed, maces swinging right through where Ista's head had been before Erif teleported her and Tull away. I have no idea what you're talking about. Subversion's thoughts sounded very offended. And why would I stop you from Narrating? Just don't do anything stupid, like revealing the extent of your powers to... anyone in our party whose brain might be broken by it. Omen did not move. "The path to the Dreamsmith is not meant to be one of safety. Are you prepared to face your trial?" The Adventurers seemed confused by Livetha. "Is that stoat a Narrator? These readings are quite odd." Three adventurers with nunchucks surrounded him. An adventurer came at Nogard with a rapier. "What, did you invade our most secret council by accident?" He laughed. "Just give up already." The General glanced around, confused for a moment by Ista's disappearance. Her eyes fell on Subversion, and an instant later her maces were swinging for the Narrator's head. Subversion barely got her Narrationblade up to block in time, dress billowing in the wind as she exchanged a flurry of blows with the four-armed Ghanderflaffe.

Platypus appeared in a sunlit meadow filled with flowers. Before him stood Omen, a terrifying figure whose appearance seemed to change at every glance. "Platypus. Seek you the Dreamsmith?" The Great Wizard stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I did not know it was possible for the Dreamsmith to wield a Plotblade. He did not mention any desire to claim the Plotblades during our correspondence... in any case, I'm afraid he can't join our party. He dwells in a realm only dimly connected to our own, and cannot exist in this one." "I-ah... that's nice." Subversion tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, I'm very curious to know what that is but-wait, oh no!" Subversion turned towards the very empty-looking bushes. "The Brave Adventurers have caught up with us!" As if on que, several dozen adventurers burst from said bushes, having somehow snuck up without anyone noticing. The General was at their head, holding a glowing mace in each of her four hands. "There is no escape! Surrender now and you will not be harmed. Resist, and we will use whatever means necessary to pacify you." @The Halcyon Girl@The H@Ancient Elantrian@Through The Living Glass@SpiritOfWrath