Fatebreaker

I think after would be best, trying to run the current plot is difficult enough as is. Edit: ninja'd

Also just want to put it out there that there's no guarantee the Stranger will still be around after this arc

I was thinking either. Just as the Alleys are highly varied, the ways of gaining power from them would also be varied. People stumbling into them, people seeking them out, denizens running experiments (both on themselves and on test subjects), cultists sending in people as sacrifices. Deals, possession, gifts, contracts, the possibilities are expansive.

Precisely, allowing for people to make characters that can have stronger powers but with built in weaknesses. And yes, I was thinking that the ramifications of the Forging would cause the Alleys to start to bleed into the outside world more, giving more people access to the powers. It could even be a plot point in the next era.

I like the idea of expanding on Alleymatics for additional powers. What about drawing on the chaos of the Alleys? Like people could tie their essence to a specific Alley, which would allow them to either summon what's in it (paint, frogquisitors, clouds), or would transform them based on it's nature(becoming two dimensional, growing tentacles, having lighter gravity). It would open up a bunch of possibilities for creative powers while all being linked in to a central theme.

Canon

Reshilore smiled awkwardly at the girl as she got closer to him. "Hi, lovely to meet you, um, Vivica. I'm okay without a coat for now, but thank you all the same." He made nervous eye contact with Victoria, asking silently with his eyes, "Is this safe?" She nodded curtly, most of her attention was on the boy who'd just come in. Victoria smiled at the boy and took his hand, "Well, we'll do our best to help you." Just then, another patient entered. Sanax, from the same ward, Victoria had seen him before, but hadn't worked with him very much. She knew Sanax had displayed worrying tendencies in the past, though she wasn't sure of the severity. He greeted them, and Victoria was about to reply, when the earthquake slowed and eventually ceased. Reshilore breathed a sigh of relief, but Victoria knew that there could still be aftershocks. She was torn between sending Reshilore for help and having him stay with her so she wasn't the only sane person in the room. Ben seemed fine, but she had no guarantee that he was mentally stable. As she was trying to make a decision, Reshilore squeezed her hand, as if hearing her thoughts. "I'm staying right here, Vic. We can help these folks together." Victoria gave him a grateful smile as she squeezed his hand back. They would face whatever strangeness together. It'd be best to keep Vivica and Sanax separate, both have severe delusions and they could easily have a negative affect on each other. "Alright," she said as she turned to the others, "We need to remain calm, emergency personnel will be on their way. Now Vivica, would you keep an eye on Reshilore for me? He's a bit useless in emergencies, you see, always going on about his research." She gave Reshilore a nod, trusting him to get the message. He gave her a quick grin, and walked over to the girl. She turned to the two remaining patients, "Sanax, would you mind joining me in making some introductions? It might help Ben feel a little more welcome." On the other side of the room Reshilore smiled at Vivica, in what he hoped was a friendly way and not a forward way. "Well, Vivica, you said there was something strange about me? I hope I don't make you uncomfortable." @ZincAboutIt @18th Shard @Ashbringer

Well if anyone wants to get the reference and watch a truly bizarre music video, search Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler. It's... something

I got the reference. All these young'uns runnin' runnin' round these days, makes a geezer tired.

Depending on Nulls level of interaction with the rifts. If his attention shifts from the rifts to Cassie, they would most likely leave. Squishing them probably wouldn't go well. In this case he's referring to Reshilore and Victoria.

The Shade nodded at the god's words. "Yes yes, I remember the plan. I was there for it's inception. I helped carve the runes that made your paradise possible. I know what you intended, and what it cost." It did not look into the too-bright eyes, but it felt the person behind them was still there. That was good, that meant the there was still a chance. But first it had to reach that man. "The Stranger got his world without nuisance, and you got your world without mass slaughter of the innocent. Some would say you got the better end of the bargain, for it cost him much more to create it than it cost you to help sustain it. But I know that's not entirely true." "You gave up your new found life. You friends, your guild, everyone who's ever known you and given you an identity other than that which Voidus gave you. You gave up autonomy to once again be half of a whole." The air hummed with power, and the Shade knew that he was dancing on a razor thin line above a bottomless chasm. Careful, oh so careful now. The Shade met Sudiov's eyes then, one silver and one void, staring into hollow suns. "If I were to ask you if it were worth it, you'd say yes. We both know you would. And you'd do it over again if you had the choice, because that's the kind of man you are." Mist curled around them, filling the air with silver-grey shadows. "But it was not a single moment of sacrifice, was it? You did not die in a blaze of glory, did not meet a heroic death with head held high. You endure." The Shade gestured at the realm around them, encompassing all with a wave of his hand. "You have not died a hero's death, you have committed yourself to a life of servitude. Of slavery to the life you helped tell. And you have an eternity to miss all those who helped to make you human. The conversation, the laughter, the song, all traded for a life trapped in a false heaven with a false god." It grinned, it's expression both mocking and pitying. "And all for a plan made by a mad man, yearning for a better world. But the reality is that the plan is failing. And it is failing for one simple reason. But you will need to be shown, rather than told. And so I have come to show you something." It drifted slightly away and traced a finger through the air, opening up a window to the physical realm. Through it, they could see a hospital. The Shade turned to Sudiov and gestured for him so look. "The hospital has become a nexus of the fractured, and thus a nexus of the fractures in your world. Look at what's happening now, look who's there..." @Voidus

True, true.

Whoops, thanks Mac, tired brain has me tagging the wrong people.

So to answer people's questions about the shadow beasts: I don't have a specific set of rules for them, more of a loose idea as to their purpose. The shadow creatures are the creations of Aylitha, who lent her power to the forging of the world. Because her essence is tied into the forgery, and the creatures are of her, they can sense when things are causing the forgery to weaken. This can be people experiencing memories of their past life or people engaging the the fracturing parts of the world and thus aggravating the damage. The stronger or more consistent the memories are, the stronger the scent for the creatures to follow. Once they find their targets, they repress the old memories and wipe the most recent ones that involve their remembrance. Most people can't see them and they rarely do physical damage, though they are capable of it. I wasn't planning on writing every shadow beast post, they're more there as a plot device/antagonist for characters to interact with. If you want your character to be pursued, feel free to write that! They can either be defeated by the beasts or defeat them in turn, though keep in mind the more interference, the more attention your character is likely to get from malevolent forces. That said, @kenod is the creator of Aylitha, so I defer to them if there's anything they want to change or add. Zinc, this is so good. That's all.

The whole building was shaking as Reshilore pushed past the masses of frightened patients and staff who were fleeing the hospital. His eyes scoured the halls for signs of Victoria, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Has anyone seen Dr. Estrella?" His voice was lost in the chaos, drowned out by tremors and screams. He looked into each room he passed, pausing just long enough to ensure she wasn't within. "Vic! Can you hear me?!" His voice was raw with desperation, fear steadily growing inside him. Where was she? ... Victoria smiled at Vivica's compliment. The girl often expressed her thoughts as the words of her imaginary friend. If she was just a little younger it might even have been cute. "Well, please give Bennington my tha..." She fell beside Vivica, knocked off balance by the tremors that suddenly shook the building. She could hear cries of alarm in the hall, but Vivica appeared unbothered. Victoria, meanwhile, was considerably more worried. She took several deep breaths before soothing her own emotions, something that had taken practice to get down. She gave the girl a half smile, "Well, this is something isn't it? I believe we should either evacuate or get under a table, which would you prefer?" Vivica laughed and rolled on the floor over to the hospital bed, where she grabbed the blanket and pulled it down to form a rudimentary tent. Victoria shakily made her way over and poked her head under the blanket. "This is fun, Vivica, but she should make sure we're still visible in case emergency personnel come for us." Suddenly, a boy burst into the room, looking frightened. Victoria turned to face him, realizing she didn't recognize him. Suddenly, things seemed a little distorted around them, shapes in the hallway moving oddly. Some sort of allomantic bubble, probably cadmium, she thought. "Um. Does anyone know what's going on? There's... weird things happening." The boy's voice shook, belying his fear. She reached out and soothed some of the fear away, to ensure he didn't act rashly. She hated soothing without first asking permission, but these were special circumstances. She spoke in a raised voice so as to be heard over the din "There appears to be an earthquake. You can either head towards the emergency exits, or wait with us here. I am Dr. Estrella, may I ask your name and whether you are simply visiting today or a patient?" Just then she heard a familiar voice, echoing from down the hall. "VICTORIA!!!" She unsteadily got to her feet and haphazardly walked to the doorway. "I'm in here, Resh!" she called out, searching for his tell tale curls. He came skidding around the corner, running full tilt. They collided in a fervent embrace, and Victoria felt his warm arms around her, soothing her heart in a way allomancy couldn't. "What are you doing here?" she asked as they held each other. He squeezed her tighter, "Making sure you're okay." ... The shadow beasts closed in on various figures throughout the hospital, each one aglow with wrong memories, wrong thoughts, wrong eyes. They pounced, removing the false memories and a man who was crying in a corner. Their limbs held him as even as their jaws passed through him, leaving not so much as a blemish on this forehead. They fed on the lies, drank of them till they were gone. But they did not stay for long, splitting up as they ran invisibly through the hospital. Three of them closed in on a major source, a woman who reeked of investiture, staring into the tear before her. They barely paused for a moment before they leapt, reaching for her brain as they did. ... "We gotta get out of here Vic, Reshilore insisted, "this whole place could come down." Vic shook her head, "I need to stay with Vivica. She's unpredictable under normal circumstances, I'm not she exactly what she would do if given free reign now. We should stay here and wait it out." She turned and led Reshilore back into the room. "Vivica, this is my friend Reshilore, but you can call him Resh." Reshilore gave an awkward smile, then slipped during one of the bigger tremors. Under his breath he could be heard grumbling, "Oh course, brilliant, superb." Victoria smiled and turned to the unfamiliar boy that was in the room with them. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your Name? @ZincAboutIt @Ashbringer

Reshilore ran down the street at a brisk pace, breathing hard. He didn't live that far from the hospital, but he didn't run often. In his mind running was for masochists and people who worked with dangerous things. He was neither. He came to the front desk and smiled at the receptionist, who gave him curt nod as she spoke to a nurse. The cognitive ward was quite familiar to him, though it seemed uncharacteristically busy today. A glut of unfamiliar people seemed to fill several rooms and hallways, various conversations bleeding into one another. He pushed past, looking for a glimpse of dark, curly hair. ... The creatures were drawn like oil across the surface of water. There were spots of energy, where they could smell those who were in contrast to the world around them. Minds that didn't fit, patterns of the wrong weave. And so they followed the smell of dissonance, as Mother had made them to do. One of their kin had visited the fractured one but a few moments previous, for she was a sweet familiar scent. Her mind was always ready to feed them forbidden memories. But now they worked their way towards another individual. She smelled of metal, and her scent was growing stronger by the minute as she engaged with the tears that whispered lies to her mind. The beasts of shadow wove through lines in the floor, wires in the walls, cracks in the ceiling, moving ever towards their prey. She was slow, hampered in some way. Vulnerable. They whispered in voices mortals couldn't comprehend, alerting the One Eyed God to the presence of the rift. They felt him stretch out his power and begin to close it. And the building began to shake. @mathiau ... Victoria had been busy today, as more and more cognitive patients had been admitted in these last few weeks. At first she had been simply working as a psychologist, analyzing a few incoming patients and doing her best to help them remember important details. But more and more she'd had to function as a Soother as well, as more and more people showed up in states of distress. These days she was working with half of the patients on the floor, doing her best to comfort, assess, and assist in whatever capacity she could. They often had various forms of amnesia, to varying degrees of severity. It was quite strange, as the last time she had checked amnesia wasn't contagious. But things were looking differently these days. She tugged a glove onto her left hand as she stepped into a patient's room. She looked up and smiled as she greeted him, "Hello Liam, how are we feeling today?" Liam, an Alethi man in his early forties, smiled at her. "I'm feeling a little better, brightness, but my mind is as foggy as ever. In fact, I can't even remember your name today. I'm so sorry for my rudeness..." Victoria gave him a reassuring smile, "That's quite alright, it's never a burden to introduce myself to a polite gentleman, such as yourself. I'm Dr. Estrella, but you can call me Victoria." The man nodded vigorously, as if it was all familiar, "Dr. Estrella, of course, I remember now that you say that. it is so strange, it feels sometimes as if the memory is right in front of me, but I can't reach out to recall it. Other times all I can feel if a fog that muddles my thoughts, smothering my mind." His voice shook slightly, and Victoria could see the frustration building in the lines of his face. "May I Soothe you?" she asked in a pleasant tone, interrupting his rant. He nodded wordlessly, not looking at her out of misguided shame. Victoria soothed the shame first, then the underlying fear that lay behind it. She did it subtly, letting him still feel them without being overwhelmed. That was the key of good Soothing, as it gave them a slight sense of agency. She was assisting, but they were the ones overcoming their struggles. That was one of the most important elements of her job, helping patients regain control of themselves. but it was hard to regain control of yourself, if you weren't sure who you were. She worked with Liam for a little while before it was time to move on to her next patient. I hate the time constraint of having so many people in the ward, she thought as she left the room, removing the safe glove once she was out of sight. There just isn't enough time to give each patient all the attention they need. She referrenced her clipboard as she walked, cheing on who her next patient was. Ah, one of my favorite, if most challenging, patients. Mentally she chided herself for picking favorites, but this one made it hard. She was just so friendly and polite. "Good day, Vivica. And how are you feeling toady?" She had just been about to sit down when she felt the hospital begin to shake, tremors growing in strength. The whole building felt like it was rocking slightly, an unsettling sensation. She heard sounds of alarm in the hall, the crash of a meal tray falling off a cart. What on earth is going on? @ZincAboutIt

^ I'm in this picture and I don't care for that.

Essentially, the world is slowly starting to come apart as more and more people encounter discrepancies from their previous lives. As people and places begin to disappear, the more keen minded residents might notice the cracks. But as the cracks spread, so do the children of the Mother of Shadows, seeking to reset or remove those causing dissonance. They are subtle, but at the cost of outright power, favoring stealth. Most characters are currently in the process of noticing the differences, which will lead to greater and greater conflict as things begin to escalate.

The Stranger's Shade watched as Sudiov prepared to strike, knowing that this was the knife's edge. Sudiov couldn't act without immediately giving the Stranger leeway to act in turn, and who knew what he'd use that leeway for. The Shade had to be subtle, but still make Sudiov want to know more. And most importantly, Sudiov had to see why things couldn't continue this way. Sudiov wanted this new world, false though it may be. The Shade knew that the concept of it was indeed brilliant. There hadn't been a single world threatening cataclysm or guild war to take hundreds of lives. With the biggest players removed from the field, acting only to ensure nothing could challenge the greater status quo, people had indeed flourished. It was a beautiful dream, but people were beginning to wake up. The Shade stood silently for a moment, staring at the man before it. The Shade nodded it's head respectfully, "I would give you, oh golden reflection, understanding. You are not the man you mirror, and yet you're more of him than either of you realize. From one portrait to another, you have my sympathy." It grinned , but the expression was ironic, rather than mocking. It stared into the distance where it could feel the man it had been created from, though he was hardly a man anymore. "I know not why the universe cursed us with morality, but you and I both have been unfortunate enough to have the capacity to care about people. Something our progenitors have lost, or rather, believe they have lost. We care what happens to the people who live in the world they made. And thus have I come to tell you," "that they are all in grave danger." It gestured at a glimpse of the world visible like a piece of falling glass in the air. Faint laughter could be heard from a long way off, and glimpses of children playing could bee seen. The Shade continued, "Every sentient creature, in the Alleys and out will perish, because your new world is coming apart at the seams. And the three of you can't mend it fast enough. More and more people are experiencing dissonance, falling into flashes of their past lives. Spouses who were separated in the Forgery, mother's remembering children that are no longer theirs. More and more flaws, blemishes that Aylitha tries to clean up. Changing the memories of some, removing those she can't 'fix'. How many minds must be reset, how many people have to go missing? The very world is starting to feel it, and it can't handle the strain. The Forgery must be reversed, before it comes undone." A low wind swam through the air between them, softly sighing as it went. The Stranger's Shade looked at the man in front of him, marveling at just how deep those golden eyes were. It hoped they still had a man behind them. @Voidus

Something else to consider is that if you wanted a more powerful character, they would more readily attract Aylitha's shadow creatures once they had dissonant memories. So they would face greater obstacles, obstacles that would be deadly to lesser powered characters, which could make sharing scenes difficult.

And yet my anger at his wrongdoing burns with a warm familiarity that never truly extinguished.

Of all the times for Quota to strike, this is surely the worst.

I second this whole heartedly. There's so many horrible things that could happen to Resh and crew that they'd be absolutely powerless to stop and that's quite fun. Canon

That's part of what I've been excited for with the arc, is it really takes the Stranger to the extremes of the character, creating wildly different viewpoints. And the nature of the new world is that even the weakest characters have the potential to change everything.