Maxx

Soldiers of Fortune

@Ghost Note @Fernstone @Dragonbud @JunkMail @SepticGentleman @Spoopy Scary

ASSEMBLE, MY KNIGHTS

Soldiers of Fortune

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<Map WIP>

Tithe is a single continent in a much larger, undiscovered fantasy world, with environments and fauna reminiscent of North America. Within the land of Tithe, many sapient races coexist, from the industrious humans to the naturalistic fey to the subterranean darklings. Many cultures and religions exist within Tithe, and because of this it is difficult to truly summarize its culture in a short snippet. Generally, Tithe is divided into fifteen regions. Most of the world’s population, about 60% or so, can be found in Southern Tithe, typically everything south of the northern border of Talbor, while the north tends to be less populous (and significantly more dangerous).

Nations of Tithe

Concordius: The homeland of the fey, Concordius is a natural haven filled with some of the most unique environments in the world. Much of the western part of the country is filled by the Great Fairy Forest, a misty temperate rainforest where the fey trace their origins to. Concordius is a true theocracy, the government run by the leader of the Maelen church and the law directly informed by the law of the Maelen religion. The land is patrolled by warrior-priests called Faerie Knights, who keep the peace, enforce the law of Mael, and preserve the environment. Many fairy courts exist in Concordius and while they have no direct authority, many government officials sit on them and their influence certainly alters government policy.
Government: Theocracy, run by the High Priest of Maelen. All land is property of the church.
Primary Inhabitants: Fairies, Auguries

Dolorod: Dolorod is a vast, dry desert which spans much of southeastern Tithe. Few people actually live in Dolorod, and no central government actually holds the area together, save for the eastern region of the area where several merchant city-states facilitate the exchange of goods and services from the south to the north of Tithe. In the center of Dolorod is High Hill, a religious monument sacred to Maelen worshippers as the site of the origin of creation. High Hill is inhabited by the mysterious Droal, beings of carved rock who seldom interact with outsiders.
Government: Monarchal city-states in the east.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Orcs

Frozen Wastes: Basically uninhabited, the Frozen Wastes is the coldest place in Tithe. A supernaturally-cold wind current runs across Northern Tithe called Fathach’s Wind, and this current is responsible for keeping the ice states from melting. The current, however, also runs across the mostly-flat wastes, becoming colder and colder until it hits an absolute low around -130˚ F. Most of it is unexplored and, quite frankly, unexplorable.
Government: None.
Primary Inhabitants: None.

Haderlock: Spanning much of the northernmost region of Tithe, Haderlock is a cold and harsh nation with a great deal of instability. Most citizens live in the central valley and southern cities of Haderlock, while the mountains are barely inhabited if at all due to the frigid temperatures there. Haderlock is constantly at war with its neighbors the Icefolk, who believe Haderlock belongs to them, and as such the nation is constantly battered by small groups of guerilla fighters who freeze agricultural land and destroy government buildings. The Haderlockians would probably just leave if it weren’t for the fact that 70% of all the gold in Tithe and 80% of all the silver can be found in the mountains.
Government: Feudal monarchy, with various duchies controlling various lands under a single king.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Orcs

Ice States: The northwestern point of Tithe is inhabited by the Ice Folk, strange humanoid creatures composed entirely of ice. Due to the 1000+ years of isolation the ice folk have enjoyed as being Tithe’s sole indigenous inhabitant of the north, ice folk culture is completely alien from the rest of Tithe and the ice folk seldom interact with any other races.
Government: Feudal democracy, a collection of many feudal lords with independent states who vote on policy.
Primary Inhabitants: Ice Folk

Ignion: The massive land of Ignion stretches from Talbor in the south to the Frozen Wastes in the north, yet encompasses vast stretches of nigh-uninhabitable desert. Beneath the ground, however, the darklings have built themselves an enormous, technologically-advanced empire. Tunnel systems run beneath the surface at various depths, connecting subterranean colonies to one another. Life in the dark is difficult, but the darklings’ combination of superior senses and high intelligence have allowed them to flourish for many centuries in isolation. In addition, the Phoenix Mountains, which run the length of Ignion’s western border, is the homeland of the orcs and the adopted land of the hobs, both of whom constantly fight against the few aboveground darkling cities (and each other) for the resources of the fertile valley.
Government: Imperial monarchy, a sprawling empire controlled by a central bureaucracy around an emperor.
Primary Inhabitants: Darklings, Orcs, Hobs

Jikari: Jikari is separated from the rest of Tithe by Dolorod, and similarly has a dry climate. However, where Dolorod boasts nothing but rocks and sand, Jikari is home to a sprawling savannah filled with bizarre creatures: dragons, pegasi, griffins, cockatrices, and basilisks all originate from Jikari, as well as many magical plants and shrubs which are used by alchemists. Jikari sits atop the richest vein of Tears in the world, its mines able to pull a dozen or so of them from the ground each month. The entire government and society of Jikari revolves around this trade, with extreme measures in place to keep the process of mining and processing the tears secret.
Government: Aristocratic monarchy, consisting of a king and a series of officials from both governmental and business positions.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Ostarans

Minotaur Territories: The great plains in the center of Northern Tithe are home to the minotaur. While not all minotaur recognize this area as exclusively their property, governments of Tithe do after a relatively recent major war between Haderlock and Ignion caused upheaval across the continent. The minotaur territories are vast and green, filled mostly with fields of rolling grass. The minotaur travel with the seasons, grazing upon the grass and living in relative peace.
Government: Individual tribal authorities.
Primary Inhabitants: Minotaur

Nepharie: The Grand Nepharie Empire once covered almost all of Southern Tithe, controlling every nation except for Talbor for many hundreds of years. Several revolutions and religious schisms broke the empire apart over the last few centuries, but you couldn’t tell based on how the imperial government behaves. Nepharie still manages to be the largest country in Tithe, possessing nearly 40% of the continent’s population. The nation represents the best of human-fairy cooperation, possessing beautiful human architecture (thanks to its rich veins of marble) and stunning landscapes preserved by the fey. In the west, the east ostarans produce much of the nation’s produce and live in relative peace under the aegis of Nepharie protection, though their rather disgruntled western neighbors are none to please about this arrangement. Despite no longer having the blessing of Concordius, Nepharie prides itself on its divine providence and justice, and its imperial courts are touted as the single shining light of justice in all the land. That said, their judicial system actually is quite advanced, reminiscent of modern court systems with a judge, jury, prosecutors, and universal legal coverage for defendants.
Government: Imperial monarchy, with an array of appointed satraps who report directly to the emperor.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Ostarans, Auguries

Ostaria: Separated from Nepharie by the Harvest Mountains, Ostaria is the homeland of the ostarans. The north is mostly rugged grasslands divided by tall hills, while the south becomes wetter and wetter, eventually giving way to swamps and tropical rainforest in the far south. The ostarans are incredibly wary of outsiders given their fraught history of conflict with Nepharie, and few non-ostarans ever get to see this land. Much of the culture of Ostaria is different from that of the rest of Tithe, with their different language, religion, and crops due to their more tropical environment.
Government: Feudal monarchy, a loose collection of duchies united under a single monarchy.
Primary Inhabitants: Ostarans

Robore: Robore is one of the weirder lands of Tithe. While technically owned and governed by Concordius, the condition of Robore is so that most Tithans consider it separate from Concordius. The outskirts of Robore seem normal: coastal temperate forests, mountain grasslands to the east. The center of Robore, however, is cordoned off from the rest of the world by an endless wall of Robor trees, trees with bark harder than steel that are about the height and diameter of giant sequoias. This impassable barrier insulates Robore from the outside world. The inside of Robore is filled with bizarre plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, from humanoid frogs to gigantic fire-breathing moths to bioluminescent centipedes the size of wolves. Somehow, the forest of Robore’s depths is magically-animated and behaves in a way unlike any other place in Tithe. Due to its uniqueness, travel in and out of the forest through a single winding path is heavily-restricted by the mysterious Cernunnos, a powerful arcane entity reminiscent of an ent or treant.
Government: None, though the theocracy of Concordius claims the entire place as a nature preserve.
Primary Inhabitants: Fairies, Humans, Minotaur (occasionally)

Stellona: The fallout from the corruption of Sylvestre, Stellona is a sparsely-populated region of Tithe constantly menaced by their neighbors to the north. Ever since Grand Nepharie collapsed, Stellona has been a sort of wild west of Tithe, home to societal outcasts and dark magic-users outlawed from their old homes. Much of the land is unclaimed, save a few small and heavily-guarded city-states. Other areas, meanwhile, possess ancient castles or cobbled-together dwellings inhabited by mad, or simply evil, wizards.
Government: Anarchical, with occasional small monarchies.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Orcs, Minotaur (occasionally)

Sylvestre: Only legends tell of the wicked monstrosities that lie within the haunted marshes and forests of Sylvestre. For millennia, Sylvestre has been inhabited by the hags, beings of incalculable arcane potential who seek to spread chaos and havoc across the world. Hags are the most ancient creatures in Tithe and have lived in Sylvestre for an untold number of millennia (though of course the Maelens date their existence to a few years after the date of creation). While not all hags are pure evil, many of them deal in arcane arts far beyond the scope or understanding of the rest of the world, giving them untold power that they rarely put to good use. Few people ever enter Sylvestre, and those who do often end up at the bottom of one of the land’s many swamps of bubbling hot mud, pulled down there by the many wicked creatures of the land or first toyed with by the bizarre machinations of the hags.
Government: Hag-led despotism
Primary Inhabitants: None

Talbor: The homeland of the hobs and adopted homeland of the humans, Talbor is a land of equal parts industry and corruption. Run by five separate consuls representing five rival clans, Talbor is near-constantly at war with itself. Control of the fertile central Maceron Valley and the role of king is decided by a tournament between the five consets, a tournament which is almost always filled with political engineering and corrupt business dealings. Despite all of this constant strife, Talbor manages to be a fairly productive nation; much of the world’s iron deposits can be found in Talbor’s Trapjaw Mountains and the iron tools and weapons manufactured in the forges of Maceron are high-quality and universally sought-after.
Government: Feudal monarchy, where the five consuls and the king decide the law of the nation.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Hobs (occasionally, though they seldom stay long)

Venera: Formerly part of Nepharie, the land of Venera contains the highest population of non-fairy magic-users in Tithe. In the pursuit of greater knowledge of the machinations of the world, the Venerans founded the Magical Academy many centuries ago, an institution which studies both magic and the natural sciences. Many of the ways Tithans understand the universe were founded here, and many more secrets are yet to be revealed. Veneran society revolves around magic, with those rich and powerful enough to obtain a tear making up the ruling class. This makes Venera a sort of magistocracy, where only those capable of the arcane arts have any particular power in government or society. As the supply of magic in the world decreases, however, the Veneran aristocracy grows smaller and smaller, and attempts to increase the supply of magic in the world become more desperate than ever before.
Government: Magistocratic republic, run by a ruling class of wizards.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Ostarans, Auguries

Current Events in Tithe

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Eight races make their homes in the land of Tithe: humans, fairies, ostarans, darklings, orcs, hobs, auguries, and minotaur. Some races are widespread across the continent, while others are concentrated in specific locations. Nonetheless, each of these races have their own cultures and abilities that could make them helpful on the battlefield. Below, you fill find a brief summary of each race followed by a link to a google document containing more information on them for interested players.

Races of Tithe

Humans: The most common race in Tithe, humans are industrious, resilient, and highly-adaptable. They are the most well-rounded race of Tithe in terms of physical abilities.

More on Humans

Fairies: The oldest race in Tithe, the fairies are smallish winged creatures known for their potent magical abilities. They are fairly physically-weak, but are the only Tithan race capable of casting magic from birth.

More on Fairies

Ostarans: The ostarans are another common race of Tithe, small and hairy folk reminiscent of halflings or hobbits. They are swift and nimble on the battlefield, using their superior dexterity to their advantage.

More on Ostarans

Darklings: Relatives of the fairies, the darklings inhabit the deep tunnels and caverns beneath the deserts of Ignion. Their advanced technology and superior senses give them advantages over other races, though they are blinded by the sun.

More on Darklings

Auguries: The Auguries are one of two kinds of beast-folk within Tithe, crow-people who live in a loose collection of treetop rookeries across Southern Tithe. They are highly dexterous and have perfected the art of necromancy, often charging into battle with vicious bone homunculi.

More on Auguries

Orcs: Native to the harsh mountain climate of Ignion, the orcs are enormous, muscular creatures known for their penchant for warfare. Orcs are the most durable sapient creatures in Tithe, capable of shrugging off hits that would kill other creatures.

More on Orcs

Hobs: Once the inhabitants of the now-human Talbor, the hobs are a martial race of goblinoid folk without a home. Hobish warriors are some of the best in Tithe: strong, well-trained, and bringing the most masterfully-crafted steel available into battle with them.

More on Hobs

Minotaur: Inhabiting the lush plains of Northern Tithe, the minotaur are great and powerful bison-men known for their pastoralism. Minotaur are the strongest race of Tithe, able to lift incredible weights and pull three times their body weight.

More on Minotaur

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Tithan magic is based around a phenomenon called The Pulse, a web which connects the life force of all living things. Through manipulating the pulse, one can alter the behavior or physiology of living things. Only fairies can utilize the pulse from birth, while all other races must consume a very rare artifact known as a Tear to use magic. Several schools of magic exist based on types of living things: animists, who study animals, botanists, who study plants, myconists, who study fungi, and somists, who study specifically the biology of sapient creatures.

More on Tithan Magic

Soldiers of Fortune

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“The devil would be powerless if he couldn't entice people to do his work. So as long as money continues to seduce the hungry, the hopeless, the broken, the greedy, and the needy, there will always be war between brothers.”
- Suzy Kassem

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The diary of Abbot Edward Westerfell

Year 5061 of the 23rd Roc

Plenmos 18, Malza

The spring crops have begun to be planted. The brothers spent the last nine days distributing the abbey's seed reserves to the peasants and watching as they plowed. The peasant crop is good this year; they are hard workers with strong backs. Only one faced the whip for improper planting behavior. I should probably take the whip authority from Josiah- he enjoys it far too much.

As I left my morning prayers, I happened to notice a band of mercenaries traveling past down the old grain road. What a strange lot they were, creatures of all kinds: fairies and orcs and an augury with its most revolting charge. Indeed, I even saw one of the accursed ones with them, a cave-dweller strolling in broad daylight! My goodness, the monstrous have gotten so cavalier! I remember the days when such monstrosities would be chased back to their burrows beneath the sand! Now, these rowdy bands of outcasts will even approach a holy place such as this, their minds blank save for their wanton lust for blood and power.

We live in a time of such strife. Each day, one hears of another revolution quashed or another lord cutting down his brother in the name of reckless greed. Lords throw more money now at building armies than they do at tithes for the church or even the adornments for their own great halls. By the time most people hear of these affairs, it is on the lilting tongue of the bards who troupe from town to town, spreading stories of knights and heroes and warrior-princes smiting evil from the land. If only half of that was true...

To the contrary, the face of war should be this rowdy lot, these blood-soaked outcasts bathing in the crimson pool of another's greed. No one will tell stories about them, how they died for a cause they did not believe in, how they bled to assert political power unjustly derived. They serve no crown or master or philosophy, only their own desires for carnage and glory. Perhaps it is best they die a forgotten battlefield death. I'd shudder to think what such folk could do if they left a mark upon this world...

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Soldiers of Fortune is a fantasy RPG set in the world of Tithe, a setting developed over many years by myself and several collaborators (some of whom are in this RP). This RP will follow a company of mercenaries as they navigate the contentious political landscape of Tithe's many governments, seeking fortune and glory on the battlefield. Tone-wise, the story will likely be similar to a slightly darker Fire Emblem, with a focus on the themes of comradery between outcasts and the struggle of personal power versus the greater good.

This is a closed, invite-only RP. The format is pretty causal— there's no minimum or maximum post length and no posting order. I'd prefer that writers try to post at least one per three days.

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The Iron Pride Mercenary Company is in its tenth year of operation. Founded by Adam Bradshaw, the company is of relatively average note, known by some, but not all, in the business. They primarily operate in the human-occupied territories of Southern Tithe, such as Nepharie, Talbor, and Dolorod. In the past, the company has performed rather perfunctory and apolitical jobs: guarding caravans, hunting bandits or pirates, and occasionally capturing bounties. The company tends to be small for mercenary bands, but has been known in the past to be highly efficient for their size, making some of the more frugal government officials in Tithe fond of them. An Iron Pride mercenary can expect to make 5-6,000 Mona a year, roughly equivalent to $50-60,000 USD, counting for inflation.

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

69 nice

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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The danger seemed to have passed. Trent no longer felt the searing power of the apparition, and the only entities he felt now were Odessa and Finn. He let go of Isla and sat down on the ground with his knees close to his chest, just listening. These people seemed to know what they were talking about, Odessa especially, and that put him at some sense of ease. Trent covered his face with his hands to shield the sun from his eyes. His head still pounded; he felt like he was going to throw up at any moment. Where...was this place? It was grey and empty, but the sun still streamed down to bleach it all.

"<Everything they're saying about The Hound is right, far as I know,>" Saint Jimmy said, considerably quieter than usual. "<Let's hope we don't meet him.>"

"You...think they're right about the dream?" Trent whispered.

"<Fuckin' feels real to me,>" Saint Jimmy replied. "<But it's possible I guess. Let's hedge our bets though and not try to jump off buildings or anything.>"

"Wasn't planning on it," Trent whispered. He noticed that Finn had approached, the only friendly face he knew in this freaky place. He leaned his head against their leg. Familiarity gave him a bit of comfort. A tear dripped down his cheek, but he was silent. There was no way he could contribute— best let the "adults" do the talking.

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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Everything spun. Trent's head pounded. His stomach was twisted by nausea. Somewhere in the mental static and blunt trauma, Saint Jimmy whispered:

"<Fuck...fuck...fuck...we're going to die here. Get up, kid. Come on.>"

There was struggling outside of Trent's head too: fighting and banging and dust welling up along the ground. A piece of asphalt shrapnel bounced harmlessly along the ground in the dust in front of Trent's head. Dust and smoke drifted into his limited view. As he slowly pulled his head up, Trent heard screams.

"GET OUTTA THERE SQUIRT."

There was an unnatural sound: a squishing, ripping, horrible sound. Then another scream.

"CAELA!"

Saint Jimmy's voice erupted in Trent's head like thunder.

"<HOLY SHIT!>" it roared. "<KID, WE NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.>" Trent cried out in pain, and his vision went white. He blinked, and there was a hand at hiss back. Slowly, Trent rose to his feet, supported by the girl in the yellow hat. The kid with the guitar was helping Finn, who too seemed out of sorts.

"it's going to be alright, we just need to get away, so help me out here."

"Okay..." Trent said. "I can...I can stand...I think." He stood under his own power momentarily, staggered slightly, the world spinning, then leaned on Isla again, though less weightily. Part of him wanted to ask what had happened, having not seen it himself, but another part knew: there was a powerful spectral presence behind them, where he'd heard the ripping and screaming. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before, stronger than any graveyard phantasm, even stronger than the faceless creature on the boat. All of them together had no chance of fighting it; they had to run.

"I might be able to teleport us outta here if that thing tries to follow us."

Trent fought the urge to mention his aura: if they didn't get away from that thing, it could follow them and they'd all die. These were good people...he couldn't let himself be a burden to them-

"<Forget it, kid,>" Saint Jimmy said. "<You met these teenaged fucks an hour ago. All that matters is that we get away from this thing alive and in one piece."

"I guess..." Trent mumbled under his breath. He looked up at Isla "How far...can you teleport us?"

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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A crash, then silence. Trent felt himself weighless, his whole body vibrating from the force. It wasn't pain, just...numbness, that overcame him. The screams of the other passengers on the boat become overrun by a high ringing. Trent hit something hard back-first; what was left of his breath erupted out from his mouth with the impact. He thrashed about in the water, body still numb and shaking and uncontrolled. He heaved, and his lungs filled with water. The last thing he heard was

"<Fuck. Better luck next time, I guess.>"

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"Hey...Hey Trent? You...okay?"

Trent coughed up seawater mixed with mucus. He felt wet mud beneath his head, and a cold breeze overtop. Grass tickled the back of his neck and forearms. He groaned, and the pain hit him: his head throbbed and his eyes ached like nothing he'd ever felt before. He opened them, partially-blinded by the sun. Strange silhouettes floated past his eyes; he though spirits at first, but they were just artifacts from the impact. Slowly, Trent struggled to his hands and knees, Finn's hand on his back. He coughed a few more times, then clutched his head with his hands: the light hurt so badly it brought tears to his eyes.

"<You survived? Damn, you're tougher than you look.>" Saint Jimmy's voice boomed through Trent's head, and he visibly flinched. Trent rolled over onto his side, still covering his face. He could hear...children? All around them came the noise: balls bouncing, feet crushing grass, jump ropes skipping against concrete. The noise...christ the noise all hurt so bad.

"Finn..." Trent sobbed. "I wanna go home."

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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"Wh-what are we gonna do Trent?"

"...uh, run?" Trent replied. He looked out the back window of the lifeboat at the apparition standing above the water. The spirits Trent had dealt with before, the ones that lurked from the graveyard, had never been this large or menacing, only person-sized at biggest. This thing was massive, and Trent had no idea if he could even harm it. He looked down at his left arm where he'd drawn the blood for his abstraction; several penny-sized welts had formed, but it wasn't anything life-threatening. He could use the power again.

"<Don't get too cocky, kid,>" Saint Jimmy said. "<We have a long way to go.>"

"Fair," Trent whispered, trying not to draw any attention to himself. He looked back towards the interior of the lifeboat. It was crowded now, with a multitude of people, not much older than Finn and he, all spread about the cabin. One of them, a black woman wearing a green robe, gave him definite apparitional vibes.

"<Is there an adult on this goddamn field trip?>" Saint Jimmy grumbled. Trent shared the sentiment. He turned back towards the monster, watching it intently in case it got too close. If it did, well, Trent wasn't sure what he'd do.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

<Snipped quote by Maxx>

Honestly? Not too far off from the canon ending.

@JunkMail

Wait, did y'all actually finish this rp?

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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Trent felt the lifeboat rock, awakening him from his terrified and confused stupor. The floor outside was tilted at a thirty-degree angle, and the others outside began to fall and slide. Trent looked around the cabin of the lifeboat: anchored by cables to the side of the boat, it didn't tilt nearly as much as the rest. So long as someone activated the release mechanism, they could still escape. The others...he just met them.

"<No reason to risk your neck,>" Saint Jimmy said in his rumbling baritone. "<Stay put.>" Trent nodded silently. Jimmy was right; no point risking your life for people who couldn't save themselves. The girl in the yellow hat could pull the lever. The others in the life boat looked strong. The older guy with the spiky hair, Hagan, they'd said his name was, looked like he could pull his own weight. The other kid (curly hair, case on his lap), Trent couldn't tell anything about. They'd probably come in handy, Trent wagered.

"I...can't pull myself up!" Trent heard Finn cry out. Trent's blood turned to ice water. Finn was, in Trent's estimations, the only friend he'd had in a very long time. Trent stood up instinctively, losing his balance on the slanted tilt of the lifeboat deck.

"<The fuck are you doing?>" Saint Jimmy hollered. "<Sit your ass back down, now.>"

"I...I can't let them fall," Trent replied out loud. His whole body felt stiff. He took a step forwards, nearly falling once more with his uneven footing, then another. He reached the door and fell to his knees, slinging his arms over the door to the lifeboat to keep himself from falling back into the seats. He looked down: there was Finn, dangling from the safety rail, struggling to hold themselves up.

"<Like Hell I'm gonna drown for that dumbass kid,>" Saint Jimmy grumbled. "<Sit your ass back down, kid. This ain't our fight.>"

"I have to help them," Trent said out loud.

"<You don't have to do shit. What have they ever done for you?>"

"They're the only friend I've got!" Trent shouted, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He reached out his left hand, closed his eyes, and tensed all of his muscles.

ABSTRACTION-ACTIVATED: CASTLE OF GLASS

Several spots along the veins of Trent's left arm glowed blood red. Pools of blood welled up from his skin, glowing faintly. It hurt tremendously, as it always did, like needles poking through the skin. The blood drops flowed through the air, intercepting the tiny clay pot on the rope string around Trent's neck. As it vanished, the surface of the pot turned a deep red, then faded. From around Trent's forearm, a chain sprung to life. It was a strange, ephemeral object, translucent blue with the texture of wrought-iron. Quickly, it began to erupt outwards, chain after chain adding to the end, wrapping around Trent's arm and hand and dangling down the incline to reach Finn.

"Grab on!" Trent called out. He looked over his shoulder to Hagan. "Help me pull them up!"

"<You're a fucking idiot.>" Saint Jimmy grumbled. "<But whatever. Not like I can drown.>"