#At least Vault 112 was REALLY COOL!!!!

[maddymoreau]

I'm enjoying Fallout 3 a little more but there’s one thing that’s extremely bothering me.

How come, in the dialogue options, I can NEVER can mention, I was FORCED to leave the vault?

I didn’t have a choice but to leave. Jonas Palmer was beaten to death in attempts to get info about my father James. The Overseer was going to have the same done to me if not WORSE.

The Lone Wanderer: "So they killed Jonas, and I'm next, is that it?"

Amata: "Yeah. It's lucky I got here ahead of them. But we can't stand here talking! You're got to get out of here!"

I understand my father didn't know this would happen. That he simply thought I wouldn't be able to leave the vault after he escaped.

But the fact I can never explain what happened when reunited with him is just so ODD!?!?!!?

I COULDN’T STAY!!!!!!!

I FEEL LIKE THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU SHOULD WANT TO KNOW DAD!!!!!

WHY ARE THESE MY ONLY OPTIONS?!?!?!?!!!!!

Why give me that entire section where I had to escape the vault to avoid MURDER!!?? If they were going to back me in a corner (dialogue wise) that I would've gone after my father no matter what.

It would've made the dialogue option, "Why would you throw away the life we had?" WAY MORE INTENSE AND INTERESTING IF I COULD TELL HIM HIS ACTIONS UNINTENTIONALLY AFFECTED ME!!!

It could've been followed by a cute bonding moment where he apologizes and says while this life was never what he wanted for me he'll now help me adjust however he can.

[foxsdomains-blog]

Monarchs and Drinking

"'I'and 'B', you both are going through entry point Bravo i.e. the fucking air vents, and are following Rooks directions with support from her. Your job is to get to the central command point and insert this phone which will allow Rook into the entire mainframe. Ryan and I are going to provide a distraction at entry point Alpha, i.e. the courtyard, pulling hopefully all the guards to us. Nines, you get the boring job, you are providing sniper support for Ryan and I and where possible 'I' and 'B'. And Rook, you are doing what you can with what remote access you can get into their mainframe until 'I' and 'B' are able to get you into the central command point, at which point you are to shut down their power, support, and weapons system. After that, 'I' and 'B' are to get to the courtyard and meet up with Ryan and I, and Nines, as soon as the power goes out you get the Silver Angel and pick us up at the courtyard, mowing down anyone who dares to stand in your way. Once we are in, and the door is closed Ryan, we simply fly away, using tracking missiles to shoot down anyone who tries to stop us. Rook, your job is to download every bit of information you can. Remember, we are doing it for this information. Sound simple enough? Great, cause I'm not changing the plan," Jeremy, the leader of the Fallen Angels, says.

"God this is going to be boring," Nines says, grabbing the sniper rifle placed next to him by Jeremy.

"You get the safe job. Jeremy and I are in the courtyard," Ryan counters, cocking his gun before climbing into the double rotor helicopter, the FC-112, aptly named Silver Angel.

"Least you get to fly Nines. 'B' and 'I' need to climb through vents, around crevices, and all sorts of shit. While trying not to get killed. Don't you start complaining," 'I' said, slightly laughing at Nines.

"Calm down you lot. This will be easy. See, 'B' isn't complaining," Jeremy says, his voice seemingly raised above everyone else's.

"This is our job, nothing to complain about."

"You just aren't complaining because you get to be with 'I' the entire time," Clair said from her chair behind the rest.

"Not complaining about that either," 'B' chimed in without hesitation.

"Lets load up people, we don't have all day. Well, we kinda do, but saying we don't sounds cooler," Jeremy jumps next to Ryan in Silver Angel.

"Yeah yeah," Nines said, climbing in the pilot seat of the Silver Angel.

"See you all when you get back!" Clair shouts over the sound of the Silver Angel starting up. I and B wave her off as the SIlverAngel flies away.

"Sometimes, flying this thing makes me seem cool. Other times, not so much," Nines says over the comms system.

"Why would flying this not make you seem cool?" 'I' asks, the comms system not doing anything to mask the question in his voice.

"Dunno 'I', dunno. Just, a feeling I get. Like somethings about to happen. But I don't know what."

"If that means what I think it means, we're in trouble. Big trouble," Jeremy finishes the quote.

"Good song that one. Wasn't expecting you to get that quote in so easily," Ryan praises.

"You're talking about the kid who used to fit in SovietWomble quotes every chance he got, with no hesitation. Of course he can quote a song easily," 'I' sighs lightly. Nines simple chuckles over the comms.

"Can we not be flying 2 feet off the ocean surface please?"

"See...?"

"I really like dolphins I wanna see one!"

"Nines! Come on man." Nines laughs even louder over the comms.

"Hey, remember that feeling? Well, we got police helo's scouting us. Not surprised, pretty sure they have never seen a FC aircraft. Especially not a silver one. Trying to divert their attention now," Nines said, turning his attention onto the helicopters.

"Gonna divert course, lead them away before looping back. At this point, not planning to shoot them down."

"The guns are on the front though?"

"Exactly."

"This is police chief James, you are flying an unregistered vehicle in restricted airspace. Land and let's have a little chat!" The police chiefs voice sounds through the outside comms system.

"Police chief James. This is Nines of the Fallen Angels. If you do not divert course away, I will be forced to shoot you down. This is not a threat but a promise. Don't make me shoot you down," Nines replies. Maybe it's because of the 'promise' or maybe it's because of Nines declaring his allegiance to the infamous Fallen Angels, but the police helicopter diverts course, flying back to the what the occupants of the SilverAngel assume is the police station in town.

"Attention all pasangers, we are approaching our destination. Engaging stealth mode and moving for landing within the designated clearing. Get ready to dismount with all gear as soon as we land. Thank you for flying air SilverAngel," Nines reports in a joking way. As soon as the SilverAngel lands, 6 armed 'terrorists' climb out.

"That was a boring flight Nines. I expected better of you," 'I' said, laughing lightly.

"Well I'm sorry the police were on our ass and I had to get them to leave us alone," Nines replies.

"Alright people, don't mean to break up your laughs, but we need to move. I would prefer to get this done during the day so we can drink tonight. Sound good?"

"We got any jaeger?" Nines asks.

"Two whole bottles for ya Nines. We also got Rum and coke for when you want something a bit less. We got tequila, red cordial, vodka, and a bunch of other shit. Let's just say we are all good for alcohol," Ryan replies, checking over his ammo.

"How long do we expect this whole thing to last? Hopefully not long right? I wanna play some pc," Nines asks, as the last whirl of the double rotors die down.

"What do you even still play? Overwatch has been dead for years," 'I' asks.

"Well, CS;GO for one, and my MMO's. So ha," Nines rebutted.

"Still can't snipe in CS," 'I' snickers.

"Quiet you. I can now. You haven't even seen me recently so how would you know?"

"1v1 me," 'I' declares.

"After I save your ass today, sure," Nines jokes back.

"Alright, I'm going to set up. See you all soon. Hope you don't see me," Nines says before jogging off through the forest.

"Well, let's split up into our groups and move forward," Jeremy's voice cuts through the silence created after Nines' departure.

3 hours later

"Nines! Where is the fucking extraction!?" Jeremy shouts over the hail of bullets.

"Well, you see, they were alerted to our presence and are now SURROUNDING THE FUCKING HELICOPTER!"

"Well hurry up and clear them out! We need our extraction!" 'I' screams between firing his own gun.

"How long is this going to last J!? I'm running low on ammo here!" Ryan complains, vaulting over his cover before slamming a guard into a wall, picking his gun up and opening fire on anything in his sight.

"Jesus, Ryan! Are you crazy!?"

"Yeah! I thought you knew this already 'I'!"

Suddenly, the dying screams of countless guards is drowned out by a loud propeller sound.

"That you Nines!?" 'I' question's hopefully.

"That isn't him. The Silver Angel is silent! Everyone duck and cover!" Jeremy screams his order, and without any hesitation every Fallen Angel on the ground spreads out, trying to find any cover from the enemy helicopter.

"Rook, are you able to shut it down!?" Jeremy calls over comms, with the vain hope that even though the helicopter is old, enough systems are able to be hacked into by Rook.

"It's too old a model. I can't get into it at all," Rook replies, her voice calm but worried.

"HEY BASTARD! GET FUCKED!" A new voice screams over loud speakers as the Silver Angel appears behind the enemy helicopter, two of the four winged missiles flying towards it. A loud explosion rocks the courtyard as the helicopter crashes down, nearly flattening many guards.

"Took you a bit Nines!" Jeremy calls, relief flooding his voice.

"Hehe, yeah sorry about that. Hey hey hey, I wouldn't recommend shooting me because your gun goes pew pew, but my fucking gun, well, we all know what happens here!" Without any hesitiation, Nines spins the high caliber chaingun on the ground, mowing down all remaining guards before landing the Silver Angel in the courtyard next to the now destroyed enemy helicopter.

"Jesus Nines. You sure did take your time getting here," Ryan says as he climbs in the back.

"Like I said, there were guards around her. I had to take them out before I could get here," Nines replies.

"And manage to fit another SovietWomble quote in. Again," 'I' sighs as he and 'B' climb inside.

"Yeah yeah. Let's go back and drink!" Nines cheers as he and the other deployed Fallen Angels fly back to the safehouse...

At least they thought so.

"Nines, the radar tells me you have enemies on your rear. May want to take them out before returning," Rook's calm voice sounds thought Nines' headset.

"Thanks Rook. Will do," Nines replies calmly, looping the Silver Angel around to face the enemy helos.

"Let's kick her into reverse. Now, if you would be so kind to look through the front window, or out any side doors, you will see, I believe that's six? Yeah, six enemy helicopters all coming towards us, most likely with the intent to kill us. Let's change that shall we?" Nines chuckles.

"Excuse me sir! You are flying in restricted airspace! Leave or I'll shoot! Or, even better, just try me fuckers!" Without any other warning, Nines flips a switch and fires the last two tracking missiles, destroying two enemies.

"Two down, four to go." Nines spins he chaingun up again, the bullets ripping through another of the helicopters, leaving only three.

"Hey guys mind helping out? You know, shoot THE FUCKERS!"

...

"Who knew that we would be chased?" Jeremy asks as he climbs out of the Silver Angel.

"I knew. I knew they would," Nines replies, lying face down on a floor.

"Sure you did, Nines," 'I' scoffs, throwing his gun aside.

"Oh, you're all back. How did it go?" Clair asks, rounding a corner.

"Well, we got the information, and we all survived. So that's two plus'," Ryan answered.

"I take it something happened then?"

"Well..." Ryan started.

"Oh don't you start Rye. I told you they were surrounding this bird, what was I supposed to do? All I had was a sniper rifle and they had fully auto rifles and armour. It's not like I could just go up and start punching them. I would get gunned down instantly!" Nines defends himself.

"So Nines didn't extract you on time? Leave it to him to let you all down," Clair sighs in fake disappointment.

"Shut it you," Nines says, not looking up from the ground.

"Alright you lot, let's drink our sorrows away. Clair, Ryan, go get all our booze," Jeremy orders, stripping off his Kevlar chest piece.

"On it. And Nines, get up off the floor. You are depressing me," Clair scoffs as she walks away.

"Oh up yours!" Nines climbs up off the ground, moving over to a couch.

"Let's not drink in here. Let's move to the TV room," Jeremy says, helping Nines off the couch.

As they enter the room dubbed the 'TV room', Clair and Ryan bring in two carts full of alcohol.

"Your jaeger Nines," Ryan passes over a full bottle of Jaeger with a shot glass.

"My thanks good sir," he acknowledges. As the rest of the alcohol is passed around, Rook enters the room.

"Oh, hey Rook. How'd the download go?" Jeremy asks, pouring her a glass. She takes it, dropping a USB in his hand.

"Got it all in there. Don't need to worry about The Monarchs for a while now," she replies, taking a sip of whiskey.

"Let's all play a game, shall we?" Ryan breaks the non-existent silence.

"What game?" 'I' asks.

"Hmm, 'never have I ever'?" Clair suggests.

"Oh god, this is going to end badly. Let me guess, shot every time you lose a point?" Clair nods.

"Alright, everyone set up five shots of whatever you please. Tequila would be the best bet, so we can all get a drunk as possible." Nines sighs as he pours five shots of Jaeger, taking a sip from a Rum&Coke that was next to him.

"Wait, when did you get that Nines?"

"Rook gave it to me," he replies.

"Oh, did she now?" Clair grins knowingly at Rook, who is sitting on the floor, legs crossed, across from Nines.

"'B' and I are going to sit out. We are tired, and are probably just going to go to bed now. Goodnight you lot," 'I' says, handing his drink to Ryan before walking off to a closed room, 'B' following him. Everyone says their goodnights and waves them off.

"Alright, let's start! Never have I ever given oral!" Clair shouts softly.

"Clair!" Jeremy scolds. She responds by knowingly grinning at him. He holds her gaze for a second before taking a shot.

"Ha, knew I'd get you on the first turn," she laughs, taking a shot herself.

"Alright, my turn. Never have I ever tried to seduce someone," Nines said, not looking up from his shots.

"Oh fuck you Nines! It's my job!" Clair shouts, forgetting about the sleeping pair in the other room.

"Hey, you bagged on Jeremy at the beginning, I reckon I'm gonna try to get you out first go," Nines said, taking a sip from his drink.

"Alright... Ah! Never have I ever NOT ridden in the Silver Angel," Ryan laughs as he finishes his sentence.

"Oh for fucks sake!" Clair curses loudly again, downing her third shot in a row.

"Seriously though, that bird, best investment ever," Ryan says.

"What investment, you stole the bloody thing!" Clair slurs.

"Well, stealing it was a challenge. Then we had to go buy paint and paint her. So I consider painting and stealing the investment," Ryan explains.

"Anyway, moving on. Um, hm... Never have I ever... fuck it. Kissed a girl," Jeremy says, giving up on something creative.

"Come the fuck on!" Clair explodes, taking her fourth shot.

"Hey, at least more of us drank at that one," Nines said.

"Only one to go. Come on Rook, bring it home," Jeremy says, giving her a pat on the back.

"Never have I ever been shot," she says calmly. Clair sits still for a minute before,

"Yeah! That's my girl! Finally I'm safe!" she cheers loudly as Ryan, Jeremy and Nines each take a shot.

"Hmm, now... I'm gonna target... Nines. Never have I ever ranted about an anime." Nines sighs as he takes his third shot.

"Umm... never have I ever... been in love with a girl," Nines shrugged.

"Ha! Fuck you Nines! Only kissed one, never been in love with one!" She cheers again.

"Fuck," Nines mutters as he takes a shot.

"Alright, I'm tired, so I'm going to go to bed after this one. Never have I ever cut myself while cooking.

"FUCK YOU!" Clair erupts, taking her fifth and final shot, alongside Nines.

"Wait, Nines, you too?" Jeremy asks.

"Yeah, I used to cook a lot and when you cook lots you are bound to cut yourself."

"So, who won? Nines or Clair?" Rook asks.

"Well, all in favour of voting Clair, say Aye," Ryan says, raising his hand alongside Jeremy.

"Well, sorry Clair, you lose and Nines wins. Sorry," Jeremy says, shrugging.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. So you are going to bed Ryan, what about you three?" Clair asks.

"Well, I'm going to stay up, watch some movies if anyone wants to join me," Nines replies, scanning over who is left as Ryan waves goodbye and walks out.

"I'll join," Rook says.

"I'm not tied either," Clair says, already taking her place on the couch.

"Well I'll let you three be. I'll head off to bed. Night," Jeremy says, walking off.

"Well, what movie should we watch?" Nines asks.

"Hmm, well let's look shall we?" Clair says, pulling Rook and Nines down onto the couch with her as they start looking through the movie selections.

"Let's let Rook decide what movie to watch, she is the least drunk, so we should watch something she will enjoy the most," Nines suggests, offering the remote to Rook. Hesitantly she takes it, flipping through the large selection of movies the Fallen Angels have on hand.

As the night goes on, the only light left on in the base is that of the TV, and the sound of movies playing reverberates through the base. As the three watch movies, and the other four sleep, one can only imagine, or dread, what other dangerous missions the Fallen Angels will get tomorrow.

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters 112-113, Interludes 12-14

Yep, everything’s blowing up in their faces.

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twelve – For the Living

Still nothing solid on who that ninth Unmade could be from Hessi, though she wonders if she's “conflating two Unmade into one”. Possible, but mmmmm...

“Kaladin remembered a woman's kiss.” That is not how I was expecting this chapter to start. But! MORE TARAH INFORMATION. GOOD. She's still basically an unknown at this point, so more info is always good.

Cultural note: dresses of an old-fashioned Thaylen style – an apronlike front with straps over the shoulders and skirts that ended right below the knee; a buttoned shirt underneath, often in a bright colour

HUGS. SHE'S HUGGING HIM AND HE'S COMFORTABLE AND HAPPY, AAAAAHHHH

It would take forever for tall-and-skinny beanpole Kaladin to find a spear long enough for him to wield properly.

'Slightly plump, with a round face and firm build, Tarah's beauty was a subtle thing. Like an uncut gemstone. The more you saw of it – the more you discovered of its natural facets – the more you loved it. Until one day it struck you that you'd never known anything as wonderful.' Um hello yes snagging this happily to add to my demi-romantic!Kaladin headcanon, along with general note of Tarah's appearance

Haaaah. She has to follow her own path. She won't stick around just to be with him, just as he wouldn't do so for her. She has a point, too - “Maybe someday you'll learn how to be there for the living, not just for the dead.” Kaladin continues to carry the weight of those deaths; he did throughout his time as a slave, in Sadeas' warcamp, and still shoulders it now. He's got such a gentle, soft, caring heart, and it doesn't heal easily when it bruises or breaks, especially as he refuses to let go of the pain of those deaths.

I'm- I'm glad this is ending amicably; I was wondering if she'd end up just another name on the list of those who died/Kaladin believes he failed. THANK YOU FOR NOT FRIDGING TARAH FOR THE SAKE OF MANPAIN, BRANDERSON.

More really cool Shadesmar trees: 'taller, more statuesque ones with deep crimson trunks and limbs like burnt-red crystals that, at the ends, burst into a small collection of minerals.'

Kaladin's still attracting windspren every now and then. What is it that they're drawn to about him right now that's causing them to pop over even a little from the Physical Realm?

So the uncorrupted Oathgate-spren look like a matching pair of salt-and-pepper shakers – one iridescent-black, one prism-white, as opposed to the corrupted black-and-red that we saw back at the Kholinar Oathgate.

And there's an army in their way. Of course.

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirteen – The Thing Men Do Best

'Dai-Gonarthis' is our possible last Unmade, then, and maybe one that packs immense destruction as its main ability – perhaps even as much as to destroy Aimia?

“Did you really think that you belonged here? That you were native to Roshar?” Oh come on, Stormfather, why would they think otherwise, when all they know of their history has been here? They didn't even know much about four thousand years ago, much less anything before that, and after the destruction of the Desolations? After the continuing apocalypses that would wipe out 90% of the population? They'd lost all knowledge of what came before, much less so early as that. At least their originating from Shinovar makes sense to believe from their point of view – but complete aliens?

Where. Did. The. Humans. Come. From. Between the Rosharan System blurb in Arcanum Unbounded and the main SA series itself, we know that they have to be genetically distinct, and everything else in the Greater Roshar System screams 'deliberately created this way'. There are spren on Ashyn, aren't there? Were Rosharan-humans originally created by Adonalsium rather than by Shards or transplanted from Yolen, and put on Ashyn instead of Roshar?

“It was not only the truth of humankind's origin that caused the Recreance. It was the distinct, powerful fear that they would destroy this world, as men like them had destroyed the one before. The Radiants abandoned their vows for that reason, as will you.” Okay, that makes a lot more sense. I'm still shocked that it was enough that they would kill their soul-bonded spren to do so, but they essentially looked at themselves and went I have the power to physics-nuke a planet and that's more than enough to shake anyone to the core.

[winces] And the bridgemen get it. “Invaded by people trying to reclaim their homeland. Storms. I'd be mad too.”

Except they've been co-opted by Odium, their fellows transformed by the Everstorm into mockeries of the Radiants – powerful, but still mockeries, and ones that consume the soul of the body that they inhabit, and in the end, they and/or Odium will destroy Roshar so that there is nothing left for either Humans or Parsh/Dawnsingers.

Their unwavering faith in Kaladin is beautiful and heartwrenching at the same time. Dalinar, on the other hand… he's losing hope that Adolin and Elhokar will ever return. 'No news is good news' doesn't quite count when the city they were in has fallen to the enemy and no information was coming out of Kholinar before that anyway.

!!! So- what the Vorins call the Tranquiline Halls could in fact be a reference to the origin of the Rosharan-humans?

Honor sounds like he was going a bit loopy before he died, though even before that, he was egging on the Radiants, perhaps pushing the war even when peace might have have been brokered and Odium's power over the Dawnsingers broken.

“They tried to protect the world. I blame them for their weakness, their broken oaths. But I also understand. You have cursed me, human, with this capacity.” Character development even from the Stormfather, greatest of spren of Roshar. Who would have thought?

[winces] The coalition alliance is cracking along every seam it has. And Taravangian has the sheer gall to say that he's sorry, when he's the one who orchestrated all of it! ~~FUCK OFF, YOU MANIPULATIVE OLD TURDBUCKET~~

“I tried my best to hide this.” “So we could continue living a lie?” “It is, in my experience, the thing men do best.” I… I would say something along the lines of 'fucking ouch', but- but instead I'm reminded of that one Terry Pratchett quote from Death in Hogfather – the one about needing to believe the little lies so that we can believe the big ones: 'JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.'

That's not what Dalinar or the Stormfather sees, of course, but at the same time……

End of Part Four

Interlude Twelve – Rhythm of Withdrawal

The Fused's/Odium's plan for Venli stumping for them now involves her forced into a hermit cave, an essentially 'primitive' existence, and I'll bet it's to help the image of how they want to portray her – the last of a people that had held out against humans for centuries, millennia, now but a dying predecessor to those who will rise and fight.

Oh, no more individual talks? You're right, Venli; Odium probably doesn't want you and your people to realize their history of long ago as Dawnsingers, or how close the world has come to complete and utter unlivable destruction in Desolations past.

!!! She's going to the assault on Thaylen City with the rest of them? OOOOO. Sanderson please let her meet Dalinar in person that'd be great

Yeaaaaah, the Everstorm's sent to push them onward – maybe even awaken new Fused on the way there (especially since Rine says that the “strongest and most skilled of [their] number have yet to awaken”, which is… oooof.)

Interlude Thirteen – Rysn

RYSN RYSN RYSN!!!

Who is very much not happy to be confined to a desk, no matter how 'important' the job may be. Someone needs to invent a kind of wheelchair stat so she can have some freedom of movement.

That Thaylen Gemstone Reserve is going to be important. This is the second time they've mentioned it in only the last few chapters.

That 'Wheeeeeeeeeeee.' has me cracking up istg

She still has her grass! And her insectoid gift from Relu-na! Chiri-Chiri is an adorable name for the larkin; it sounds like an onomatopoeia. Her own tiny iridescent not-axehound!

“You just ate.” Thank you branderson for somehow capturing the exact exasperated tone of voice that all pet owners everywhere know by heart.

Vstim is past seventy! I'd originally though him early sixties or something when I read their WoR Interlude. By Earth calculations, that would now make him… at least 77, and still sauntering around the world to trade up until taking this position. Damn, he's spry.

I love that she has her own little guardian crustacean. Chiri-Chiri: U WILL NOT HURT MY HUMAN

Hmm. Looks like the Growth Surge can't heal wounds that are past a certain point. Hobber's paralysis healed, but he did that by taking stormlight in himself, not receiving healing from an outside source.

Ohhh, Rysn bowed out of going on further expeditions herself- you and Renarin need to have a long talk together on disability, I think.

W A N D ER S AIL

Vstim, you are a gem of a mentor and friend.

“a stuffy meeting with old Kholin and his soldiers” - which in the end turned out to be anything but dull and stuffy, but fair enough.

All of the security – and the assertion that the vault has never before been robbed save through embezzlement – makes me all the more certain that we'll see a robbery happen in this interlude.

Oh, so she does have some sort of wheelchair…? Sounds like it needs a bit more optimization in order to get her into and through more places, though.

!!!! 'The King's Drop' – like Honor's Drop, I believe was the one mentioned earlier? A perfect gemstone that would never lose light? Which would explain why it's still alight after two hundred years without ever being taken out to refresh its light. 'The size of a child's head' daaaaayum but that's a big gemstone. But… I wonder what the other, more mundane objects in there are being kept for, if they're important enough to be secured in the same area as the King's Drop?

“They say it's a chunk off the Stone of Ten Dawns.” That's more mythology and one we don't know about what is the Stone of Ten Dawns tell us Sanderson-

“The queen's guard killed Tlik.” WHAT. JUST. SO CASUALLY STATED. WHAT. Oh no oh noooo, Rysn's knocked to the floor and he's going after Vstim I hope Vstim ends up all right oh noooo

Aw shit, whoever the thief is, they're ignoring the damage – another Radiant associated with Taravangian, perhaps?

Smart decision to use the rope and tie the ruby to her, and if the one killing everyone really is a Radiant, then reducing the available amount of stormlight via Chiri-Chiri will actually be a good thing.

Alone in the darkness, men dead and dying around her as she realizes that there's no way for her to step to load the crossbow, the thief-murderer advancing on her, but at the same time-

“Yes. Yes, I care! I want to sail my own ship!” YEEEEESSSSS

!!! It wasn't a Radiant but a Fused? There's a type of Fused that have the ability to use a Voidbinding that's equivalent to Lightweaving? UM. This is the first that we've heard of that. Also, Chiri-Chiri can feed off of voidlight as well as stormlight.

Odium and the Fused want the King's Drop – or at least one of the perfect gemstones – but for what?

Interlude Fourteen – Teft

TEEEEEEFT. Last POV we had from you, you were falling back into moss-addiction, to the point of selling your Bridge Four coat for money. Sounded like you were stabilizing a little bit there for a while, given Kaladin and the rest of your support group, but then started sliding back again recently.

[winces] Then again, I could have been reading him 'maybe getting a little better' as him just being functional, as outlined here in such viscerally honest terms.

Looks like there's someone who we saw last time who still hasn't given up on him, though. The honorspren is still there, still standing at his side. Has he- has he sworn Oaths already? And how many?

Oh shit. They've got trouble at Urithiru too?! SHITSHITSHIT THEY GOT ROCK AND TWO OTHERS AND THE HONORBLADE-

Rock and Bisig are still alive thank the Heralds but they may not be for long unless they get help, and Renarin was still in Thaylen City, though he left the audience chamber-

An unfamiliar man – who could have been anyone from one of Taravangian's spies to one of Ialai's to maybe even a Fused, now that we know there's a kind that can Lightweave – ...and they were wearing Teft's coat.

He's never going to stop blaming himself for that.