Guild War Plot

Warfare between guilds is not uncommon, especially among more aggressive groups such as the Dark Alley.

A major guild war recently concluded, marking the end of Era 1 of the Alleyverse. The war was divided into 'phases'. Phase Four, known as the Seven Day War, recently concluded. It is a war between the Dark Alley and the Black Crusade against TUBA, the Ghostbloods, the Sentinels, and others.

## Origins

The first known mention of warfare between guilds within the Alleyverse is by user I think I might be here. (ITIAH) in his post on April 22, 2018. The post outlines their prediction of a Great Guild War, and that they believe that "a war is coming... just about to dawn on us." ITIAH notes that some force appeared to be preventing the outbreak of war, and asked for help from others to help bring the conflict about.[1] This may have been to give the Alleyverse RP a greater sense of direction and plot.

Tensions between the guilds began to build when Leyrann made a post on April 25, on behalf of TUBA. They stated that, despite Dark Alley's recent withdrawal from the Alleyverse RP, they still had a large amount of influence within the universe despite not technically existing. Leyrann complained that TUBA was the only guild operating without being under the influence of the DA outside of specifically neutral guilds like the Ghostbloods and the Sticknaughts, as the Canton of Combat and the Liebrary both had DA-affiliated leaders. They also noted that the majority of mediators were also DA affiliated. This, combined with the fact that several prominent DA members had been in conversation with ITIAH following his attempt to kickstart a Guild War, led Leyrann to believe that the Dark Alley was attempting to start a war in order to wipe out or assimilate TUBA in order to regain complete control within the Alleyverse. This culminated in the announcement that TUBA would therefore not participate in any future Guild Wars in order to preserve their existence.

This announcement led to upheaval within the Alleyverse community. Many of those implicated within Leyrann's accusation denied the claims, and several suggested rebranding TUBA as no longer diametrically opposed to the DA in order to avoid conflict with them.

Soon after, Mraize announced that they would be 'disbanding' the Ghostbloods, supposedly as they did not wish the guild to be involved in either side of the brewing war. They encouraged the displaced Ghostblood members to join either the DA or TUBA, but stated that the guild no longer existed as an entity. A number of former guild members denounced this decision, and users Blazenella and Gancho Libre formed a splinter faction known as the New Ghostbloods or the Rogues. This was supposedly a group not connected to the original guild, and contained former Ghostblood members who hadn't made the jump into one of the major forces.[2]

However, on April 27, Kidpen revealed evidence that the disbanding was instead a ploy to plant Rogue Ghostbloods into the guilds, in order so that they could assassinate key members of both the DA and TUBA, and raise suspicion between the two groups in order to bring about war. This also revealed that the Liebrarians (the guild which Kidpen was a member of) had a mole within the Ghostbloods.[3] The mole was revealed to be MacThorstenson.[4] Suspicion continued until Mraize publicly confirmed the claims on July 10 in the Divided We Fall thread.[citation needed - I'll find this later. -Meta]

## Calm Before the Storm

(See Calm Before the Storm).

This was the first the first phase of the Guild War, and was considered as a sort of 'warmup" to let the participants get used to the FFRP format. It was started by Mraize on April 26, 2018, and concluded on May 16, lasting for three weeks. It chronicled the beginning of the Guild War, and began just after Mraize announced the dissolution of the Ghostbloods. It was also the first time that the Alleyvillage Inn was introduced.

The thread mostly follows the remains of the recently fractured Ghostbloods pursuing their own goals. Rhaizen (Mraize), their former leader, who had recently disoolved the group, contacts a number of characters around the Alleyvillage, attempting to gain more Investiture. Nei’an (Gancho Libre) and Septimus (Blazenella) tried to form a splinter group that continued in the Ghostblood’s footsteps, against Rhaizen’s wishes. This group became the New Ghostbloods. Septimus laments that only 5 members of the original guild moved to their side.

The first character Rhaizen contacts is a piece of Voidus that is contained Hemalurgically within a rock. Rhaizen asks for two Hemalurgic spikes - Voidus originally rejects the offer, but is convinced, and grants Rhaizen a dark grey spike and a brass spike. Rhaizen uses both of them, along with a bronze spike that he had prepared earlier. His next goal is to convince Mac (MacThorstenson) to teach him to access the Dor. Like Voidus, Mac turns him down, but Rhaizen eventually convinced him to lend a sheet of papers with basic Aons drawn on them, and a few instructions on how to use them. Rhaizen then goes to find Fifth of the Night (Life&Death) who can supposedly lend him an Aviar, and reveals his plan to Septimus: he is gathering Investiture for the ‘coming storm’, a reference to the brewing guild war. He notes that he plans to get an Aviar from Night, unkeyed metalminds from Mace Klasten (Archer) and to learn ChayShan from Kane Mentiz (BitBitio). At a later time, he also reveals that it is all “to help people” and that it is the “only way”.

Rhaizen gets some tattoes of Aons and tries out his new Allomantic abilities, which he gained through the Hemalurgic spikes. Mac is surprised by his level of skill. He then meets with Nei’an and Septimus in the Alleyvillage Inn, waiting for Mace to arrive. Rhaizen proposes a new alliance between the three, despite the dissolution of the Ghostbloods and the end of their guild. Nei’an immediately turns him down, stating that he had broken their alliance, and if he met Rhaizen again he would kill him.

When Mace does arrive, he gives Rhaizen two unkeyed metalminds: copper and ?. In exchange, Rhaizen tells Mace that there is a mole in the TUBA ranks. Rhaizen then goes to Fifth of the Night’s shop, leaving Septimus and Nai’en, and asks to buy an Aviar. Night says that obtaining one is difficult, but not impossible.

Septimus receives word of Rhaizen’s ultimate plan - to reforge the Ghostbloods and to purge the new splinter faction. He and Nei’an preemptively attack Rhaizen in Night’s shop. Mace gives and exploding monkey in a bag to Rhaizen as assistance, but the bag is quickly stolen off of him and Septimus covers it in rock in an effort to contain the blast. Rhaizen Elsecalls away as the building begins to collapse, bringing Mace with him to the Cognitive Realm. Soul (Life&Death) arrives and kills Night.

Akrasia (The Forgetful Archivist) enters the building, hoping to join the fray, but is crushed as it collapses. Rhaizen rescues him and brings him to the Cognitive Realm with Mace. The monkey explodes, destroying Night’s shop and sending animals flying everywhere. Rhaizen returns with Mace and Akrasia and challenges his opponents, saying that it would be a mistake to fight him. Akrasia is beginning to get driven into a frenzy. Septimus manages to launch them all away and follows Rhaizen, trapping him within the rock and attacking him with F-Steel. Mace flees the scene, and Lopen (LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian) arrives, rescuing the Voidus rock. Akrasia wakes, having been knocked unconscious, and attempts to help Rhaizen, but is trapped by Septimus as well. Rhaizen reveals that the person Septimus had been attacking was an illusion, using Pailah’s Honorblade that he had stolen from the Ghostblood stores. The others try to attack the real Rhaizen, with more characters arriving to the battle. Drako He’Stan (Grey Knight) summons an army to assist in defeating Rhaizen, and Tevarah (Jehoida) helps take it down.

Lopen helps the Voidus rock Hemalurgically inhabit a Lifeless, and the rock anxiously tries out its new body. [Voidus talks about rock origins on p13.] The battle continues, with Rhaizen taking the advantage, but it is cut short when a group of Dakhor monks arrive and kidnap Rhaizen. Septimus vows revenge on Rhaizen and promises to follow him to Sel, after visiting Taldain for an unspecified reason. Voidus Prime arrives and begins to repair the Realmatic damage caused by the use of the Dor throughout the fight. The area in which the battle took place has been completely decimated.

Overall, the thread was a success, as a sort of practice for the newer members of the communist and a way to experiment with combat in the FFRP format. The thread began to lose its way over the last few pages, descending into nonsensical mayhem, and had to be cut short, but it was still enjoyable (check TotH poll? -Meta) and served to further the plot regarding the Alleyverse. A number of smaller stories also took place during the thread, including a race between Rashan (ITIAH) and Esha (Leyrann) that was never fully concluded.[5]

## Tension on the Horizon

(See Tension on the Horizon).

Following the events of Calm Before the Storm, Rhaizen (Mraize) awakens in a Dakhor Monastery in Sel. They give him the power of enhanced strength and speed, as well as the ability to resist and negate Aons. This requires the sacrifice of 50 people. The Gragdet Vatheson, who is looking after Rhaizen, promises that the Dakhor will fight alongside him.

Septimus (Blazenella) has been practicing Sand Mastery on Taldain, and returns to the Alleyvillage with some sand after gaining some expertise. In the Alleyvillage, Drako (Grey Knight) and his forces have been helping to rebuild the desolation caused by the previous battles. Voidus is also preventing the Alleyvillage from Realmatic destruction after the use of Dor in the area. Drako, looking over the city, remarks that Rhaizen had failed in breaking it.

A messenger from Lopen (LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian) appears to a number of characters and gives them a message and a playing card with an Aon Tia inscribed on it. The message states that their help is needed in capturing Rhaizen before his plan to gather Investiture is completed. Nei’an (Gancho Libre), Soul (Life&Death), KoTiel (kenod), and Aaric (EddyJ) all tap the cards and are transported to Sel. Septimus also is transported to Sel, but arrives in a different location, with a note telling him he was sent to a different location due to his temperament.

Rhaizen, wandering the monastery, encounters Yzabet (I Am Witless), who was once an old friend of his. She appears annoyed at him. Lopen talks to Septimus, revealing his plan for him to teach his troops in Sand Mastery. Septimus says it can’t be done, and that while he will help in Lopen’s plan he will also follow his own path. Due to being an Elantrian, Septimus also sticks out like a sore thumb. The other characters join willingly, however. KoTiel is tasked with impersonating an artheth, although he says he isn’t good at impersonation and cannot harm a human, and is given a Seon for communication. Lopen asks Mac (MacThorstenson) to help teach his troops in Awakening and Surgebinding. Mac says that mixing magic systems will be difficult, especially for those not experienced with them.

Yzabet and Rhaizen begin to talk, with Yzabet saying she was sent to check on him. Concerned and on the verge of panicking, she asks hat kinds of Investiture he has gathered, knowing that some kinds of magic corrupt people more than others. Rhaizen lists some, leaving out Hemalurgy to prevent her from panicking, but she is still disturbed by his Dakho powers. Yzabet says that she found him by using a tracking agent (possibly the one planted by Nei’an during Calm Before the Storm), and that she thinks he left TUBA because of pride and hunger for power. Rhaizen says that it was not either of those things, but because he needs to gather Investiture to fight a great being which may destroy them. He states that it is attracted to the ‘end negativity’ of the Worldspike, but Yzabet says he shouldn’t be fighting it.

Septimus approaches the Dakhor monastery and knocks on the front door. Nobody answers. He gets tired of waiting and breaks into the building, and comes across Yzabet and Rhaizen in the courtyard. Lopen detects that something is happening using Fortune and transports his group to the courtyard so they can face Rhaizen. A battle ensues among the Dakhor monks and the other characters, with KoTiel fleeing and Lopen attempting to subdue Rhaizen using Sand Mastery. Rhaizen escapes and, using Investiture given to him by Vatheson, notes that his Shardplate and Shardblade have red lines covering them and that he absorbs Voidlight. Yzabet and Rhaizen originally attempt to stand their ground, but soon start to flee. Rhaizen subdues Septimus by sending him into the Cognitive Realm. While he and Yzabet fly to their safehouse, Tevarah (Jehoida) hold the others off.

(Nobody paid attention to this part. I am just going to say Kane didn't interact with the other characters formally until DWF. -Bit) Soul’s foot is sliced by Tevarah’s Shardblade, but Lopen helps him heal it with gold metalminds. Eventually, Soul is incapacitated briefly and Tevarah begins to run towards Rhaizen. The others follow close behind.

Yzabet has grown a large tree cave using Progression and they are hiding within it. Rhaizen reveals that he is collecting Investiture after someone met him and gave him a metalmind. It contained a memory of a Chaos which ravaged a distant city. The person told him to collect Investiture to combat it. They have a tender moment and kiss, and in celebration the characters politely wait until they are finished, before planning and carrying out a wedding for them, replete with cake and decorations.

Afterwards, Rhaizen and Yzabet escape Sel, ending up near the Horneater Peaks. When Nei’an tries to follow Rhaizen spikes him, killing him. Septimus discovers the body and become enraged, as does Soul. A number of characters begin to track Rhaizen, baying for blood. Rhaizen is bitten by Lopen and the wound become infected. Mace Klasten (Archer) arrives and creates a diversion using a Hemalurgically enlarged nightmaw, so that Rhaizen and Yzabet can escape using Tia cards. The nightmaw is killed, but no one is able to follow them.[citation needed - Meta]

## Divided We Fall

(See Divided We Fall).

A month after the events of Tension on the Horizon, Rhaizen (Mraize) is in hiding with Yzabet (I Am Witless) in a safehouse in Scadrial, which was built by Mace Klasten's family (Archer). He managed to get an Aviar named Marion, although his infection is worsening. Rhaizen decides to contact Kane Mentiz(BitBitio) and Li TaiRu (Arlin) using the Tia cards he had stolen. Drako He'Stan (Grey Knight) arrives in the area with several troops, gifts Rhaizen a sword called Nocturne's Claw, along with other assorted gifts, and states that his Salamanders are guarding the city. Rhaizen reveals his plan for the future - divide the Worldspike into pieces to avoid the destruction that he saw in his visions. Other characters begin to gather in the area.

Drako attacks Mace for killing many of his troops when detonating the monkey in Calm Before the Storm. Rhaizen eventually succumbs to the nightmaw poison in his infection and dies. In the Cognitive Realm, he requests that his powers be transferred to a man named Solace (Mraize), which Death(LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian) agrees to. Solace steals Rhaizen's corpse and travels to the Ghostblood building, where he tasks ZhiShu (Mraize), a kandra, with impersonating Rhaizen. Once finished, the transformed ZhiShu begins planning to host a party at the Ghostblood building, sends a message to Yzabet telling her that Rhaizen survived, and requests that Li TaiRu, Tevarah (Jehioda) and Veil Stormrise (ShardBreaker) come to him immediately. When they arrive, he poses as Rhaizen, although they all eventually work out his true identity.

ZhiShu then enters a Ghostblood council meeting, and announces that Rhaizen will be stepping down so that Solace can take his place as leader of the Ghostbloods. Kane begins to teach Solace some ChayShan katas - something that Rhaizen planned to do but never achieved. Shelan (BitBitio) possesses Kane, and forces him to leave abruptly. Solace then leaves to learn Forgery from TaiRu, and Shelan attempts to kill Nalizar (5ith Ideal), but loses him. Once Solace is happy with his Forgery abilities, he sends invitations to a number of people throughout the Alleyverse, including Voidus himself.

Soon after, a space marine assassinates Solace, and Veil finds the corpse. Rashan Caer (Itiah), Tevarah, Devaan Sheonar (Nohadon), Li and Hazekiller (disguised as Kane) all rush to the scene, and Rashan and Li start to heal him with Regrowth and Forgery. Hazekiller (who also uses the name Typhoon) reveals himself and declares that he has been sent to destroy the Worldspike, and kill Solace (mirroring the visions that Rhaizen saw.) Devaan puts everyone except Hazekiller in a Bendalloy bubble, and they outline a plan. The bubble is dropped and the battle begins.

Rashan is killed by Hazekiller, and Devaan is stabbed by a Shardblade. Devaan swears the Second Oath of the (Edgedancers?) and heals both of them. Naerman and Veil return to Solace, finding the battle. Mace returns to aid Hazekiller, but misses the battle. Rashan awakens as does Solace, but Rashan is still split between the Realms and is close to being torn apart. Devaan transports his allies to his house, but Hazekiller follows them. Once defeated, Typhoon then takes the name Rohan and saves Rashan from being torn apart, but he passes out.

Solace bonds an Alleyspren and summons the rest of the Ghostbloods to meet him near the Worldspike (as close as they can get without triggering the DA's protections). Drako He'Stan sees that he is planning something and swears to fight against him. Rashan awakens once again, his connection allowing him to access Fortune and view the future, but also causing immense mental strain and amnesia. Seeing into all three realms, accidentally views Rohan's entire life. The exertion nearly kills him. When he awakens, aided by the others, he predicts that a guild war is coming, and that there would be "deaths like none have seen".

Solace relocates to just outside of the Alleycity, with a small battalion consisting of 750 heavy infantry, 150 calvary, 50 units of seige equipment and two Mistborn-controlled chasmfiends. He declares that they will attack at dawn. Guilds begin to take sides: TUBA swears to fight against the Black Crusade, as their leader Drako had betrayed their existence, and against the DA with which they had long been at odds. The Sentinels split in half between the two forces. Rohan, Death and Devaan agree to stop Solace if things get out of hand, and Rashan decides to join Mace, as the strain on his mind has made him forget that Klasten killed his mentor.

When dawn breaks, the Seven Day War begins.

## Seven Day’s War

This was a war started by Mraize and the ghostbloods against the DA because they want to do something to the worldspike. The war was ghostbloods, TUBA, the sentinels, and others against the Black Crusade and the Dark Alley. It is to be the last phase before a sixteen year time skip. The war started out a war for the alleycity, and has since escalated. The abominations were released, Hellbent went on a rampage, leading to a fight with Devaan, who killed him, though he totally destroyed his foot. Kane fought Frond, losing his arm in the process. Jaco Seresh became Bloodbath. Caer touched the worldspike.

Following the events of Divided We Fall, Solace First (Mraize) assembles an army consisting of 750 heavy infantry, 150 Calvary, 50 units of siege equipment and two Hemalurgically-enhanced chasmfiends to the southwest of the city[2], which has been occupied by space marines (usually agreed to be Chaos Marines). Fellow Ghostbloods Li TaiRu (Arlin), Rashan Caer (Itiah), Veil Stormrise (ShardBreaker) and Devaan Sheonar (Nohadon) arrive at the Ghostblood camp. Solace takes 20 Knights Radiant to attack the southwest wall of the city, followed by Rashan, Devaan, Soul (Life&Death) and a number of other characters. Voidus Prime (Voidus) begins to evacuate the city.

Solace orders the Knights to withdraw, as the attack on the wall has not gone well, despite allowing several characters an entrance into the city. He kills several Chaos Marines. Rashan encounters an eldritch horror, which resurrects dead space marines, but is saved by one of the survivors named Kerith (Grey Knight). Veil is trapped in a metal sphere by Death (LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian), but is rescued by Hellbent (Ark1002). Devaan swears the first Ideal of the Edgedancers and kills the resurrected space marines.

Mace Klasten (Archer) and his troops throw a pineapple at the Worldspike, which angers Voidus into releasing more abominations, including Kolossals. The Sentinels assist Mace in killing the Kolossal. Elkanah explains his plan to summon an Alleystorm to fuel the AU army and give them a chance. Gaan (Snipexe) summons eldritch horrors to assist DA; notably, he summons a large Shoggoth, which also goes after Mace. The Shoggoth begins slaughtering Mace's soldiers, and conventional weapons do not work to kill it. Mace and Rohan (BitBitio) attack the Shoggoth together. It fails, and Mace is mortally wounded, although he compounds gold to survive. Devaan and Rashan Steelrun through the streets, as Rashan struggles with the idea of war between former friends and notes that Fortune only allows random glimpses. Devaan and Rashan attack the Shoggoth with Shardblades. Mace prepares to compound brass while squeezed into the barrel and make massive amounts of energy to kill the Shoggoth. It destroys half of the eldritch god's body. Yzabet Montague (IAmWitless) helps to heal him.

Rashan has an idea and Steelruns away. Mace recommends regrouping and focusing their attack. Rashan realises that he needs an anchor to use his Spiritual Sight properly and that the Worldspike is connected to everything. Voidus agrees to talk with Rashan. Rashan says that if he can touch the Worldspike, then he could end the war by seeing the future - otherwise it would destroy the Alleyvillage.

Hellbent whips himself into a killing frenzy, but Drako He'Stan (Grey Knight), leader of Black Crusade, rams his sword through Hellbent's back, and Devaan arrives to help stop the killer. Storm sits in the basement of the TUBA building, dictating the movements of Stone Soldiers, but Chaos Marines attack them. Rohan (BitBitio) uses Allomancy to create a tornado of shrapnel to hold back the Shoggoth while other AU members assist TUBA, and tears the eldritch horror to pieces with the metal.

Voidus considers Rashan's proposal, and gives him a test in the form of a single gold coin. He sees a vision and realises it is a map of all of the DA's alleys. Voidus, satisfied by Rashan's abilities, opens a portal into the Aonic shields and brings both of them inside. Rashan observes the chaos inside, and touches the Worldspike He sees a vision of Mac's funeral and how it brought people together, but his zincminds run out.

Elkanah practices summoning the Alleystorm. Shelan (BitBitio) possesses a corpse speeds towards the Worldspike, planning to connect himself to it, but is vaporised by its power. Yzabet slaughters the Chaos Marines attacking TUBA, but a final marine named Azrael survives and begins to duel her.

Rashan, realising how to end the war, Steelruns towards Devaan and Hellbent. Gaan goes insane when the Shoggoth is killed, and hallucinates a Voidus instructing him to let all the Hemalurgic constructs out of their cages, which he does, before realising his lucidity. The containment breach locks Voidus inside of the Aonic shield, and Rashan realises what has happened. Naerman (Gancho Libre) takes the side of the DA to prevent TUBA from reaching the Worldspike.

Hellbent and Azrael are killed. After being attacked by a Flamebringer and a Dread, Rashan plans to make a speech to the Alleyvillage to end the fighting and contain the breach, and asks Devaan for assistance. Through a number of different forms of Investiture, Rashan is able to transmit a plea for a truce throughout the city as the Phoenix breaks from its containment. Mace, Devaan and others flee to the Canton (which is being used as a safe haven for citizens and wounded fighters as Rashan and Rohan prepare to attack the Phoenix. Rohan is killed as the building is collapsed but Rashan manages to save two young orphans (Max and Mara) before being killed. Soul swears the fourth ideal of the Skydancers, and prepares to kill the Phoenix. Elkanah swears the fifth Ideal (of which order?) as so to summon the Alleystorm. There is a minor brawl in the Canton between Mace and Kane Mentiz (BitBitio) and several Black Crusade members.

Devaan, moved by Rashan's death, orders the Crusaders to stand down. Devaan incapacitates everyone still fighting, including the Crusaders. Kane gives Devaan a fragment of Voidus' rock, which Rashan had, as a gesture of peace. Devaan, Kane and Drako sit side by side, planning to broker a peace treaty in Rashan's name.

As the Alleystorm approaches, a number of characters attack the Phoenix, with Soul and several others managing to remove a few spikes. Kane and Mace plan to herd several abominations (including Koloctopi) using Amberite, but are attacked by Naerman. Tena (AxeliustheGreat) assists them, and kills Naerman.

Soul blows himself up over the Alleyvillage, causing large amounts of damage and causing the Phoenix to flee. Mace Klasten is attacked by a Kolossal, and possibly killed.

A Black Crusade warship named the Exterminatus flies over the Alleyvillage and launches a nuke in order to kill the remaining abominations in the city, as the civilians have all been evacuated. In a protected Canton of Combat, a Chaos Marine attempts to turn off the Aonic shielding but is stopped by Syen (Sorana) and Devaan. In the ensuing commotion, Syen and the marines are all killed.

As the dust settles from the blast, the surviving members of the Alleyverse begin to rebuild in the crater of their city, promising to uphold the peace.[1]

The Seven Day War involved the creation of many new features of the Alleyverse, including the Alleystorm, and the opening of the Boundless Worlds.

## References

1. Sons of War
2. The Puppeteers of the Dark Alley
3. The Deception of the Ghostbloods
4. The System of Justice
5. Calm before the Storm