It All Started In Frostknife
Night's shadow swam over the frosted waters of Frostknife. Light was scarce in the shallow recesses of that steep, steep channel. In place of stars, the twinkling torches and stoves of burning Dredge Coal shimmered high above, lining the west and east walls of the inlet. It was far from a quiet scene, for there was no escape from the endless echoes of chugging steamships and rotating ironworks. Ships, vessels, and yachts constantly churned their way north and south across the cold harbors beneath the shadow of multiple platforms.
One such yacht rolled up to the dock opposite of a massive steamship with a dull brown iron hull. The dock was covered in shipping crates, all bearing the company insignia of the Shoreline Trade Consortium. Servants in uniform rushed up as soon as the luxurious yacht was moored. A ramp was lowered, and the thick velvet door to the lower cabin opened swiftly.
Stepping out, Brye Chandler wrapped his bejeweled cloak tightly... and shuddered.
“Mrmmfff... damnable smell of this place,” he muttered in a hoarse voice. He marched obstinately past the silent servants. “Somehow, you can thaw a continent for centuries and still it won't drown out all the rats.”
On dull hooves, he trotted the length of the dock until he approached a steep ramp leading up to the central deck of the brown steamship. He had nearly ascended the entire plank when his hoof slipped on a melted puddle of snow.
“Gah!” He teetered towards the drink.
A yellow hoof reached out, gripped him, and yanked him safely on board the steamship.
“Rrrrrgh!” He batted the hoof away, then adjusted the velvety lengths of his lavish robe. “How many times do I have to tell you?! Don't touch me!” He gnashed his teeth. “I don't want your slimy, slave-fondling hooves anywhere on me! You got that?!”
A yellow-coated stallion with green dreadlocks stood across from him, nostrils flaring. His pale red eyes narrowed as he spoke in a cold, hoarse voice: “Did the monks serve their purpose?”
“Mrmmfff... yes,” Chandler grunted. “Barely. It would have been a lot better if six of them showed up instead of three, as originally agreed upon!”
“Three of them died on the voyage here from the Quade,” the yellow stallion said.
“Yeah—and just who's fault is that, Mr. Monket?!” Chandler scowled.
Monket's pale red eyes narrowed. “You told me not to feed them.”
“No, genius!” Chandler cackled, causing several deckhooves to glance at the scene. “I told you to let them preserve their customs! Monks from the Quade are always fasting! If you gave them more comfortable living quarters, then maybe more of them would have stopped dying of disease and starvation so they could have looked diseased and starved before the council! Mrmmff!”
“The only heated cabin on the ship was reserved for your friend,” Monket hoarsely said. “Per your orders.”
Chandler pointed. “He is not my friend.” Pouting, he readjusted the folds of his robe and sighed vaporously into dim torchlight. “Anyways, where is the bastard?”
“Down below,” Monket said. “Waiting for you.”
“Mmmfff... not for long. Let's get this over with.” Chandler grumbled, marching towards a set of double doors looming across the deck. “I swear... every second I spend on this Verlaxion-forsaken prison barge is positively drenching my mane hairs with flea shit.”
They passed several pairs of servants working in tandem, mopping up the deck and polishing the metal bulkheads. Along the way, Monket suddenly seethed. He rushed over to a pair of emaciated workers who had spread too far, throwing a cluster of fishing nets over iron manacles that were attached to their rear hooves. “Cover... yourselves... up!” He hissed, knocking one down to the floor. “This is Frostknife, you imbeciles! Don't make me sell you to Midnighters—they'll eat your eyeballs out!”
The servants shuddered and swiftly returned to work, remaining closely side by side.
Fuming, Monket trotted swiftly over to the doors and opened them for Chandler.
With his nose upturned, the executive of the Shoreline Trade Consortium trotted swiftly down the dimly-lit wooden steps. He followed a patch of torchlight that led him down a winding passage and through a narrow corridor. The stallion's nose scrunched to the smell of pungent odors, and he waved a hoof in front of his face. At last, he came to a stop before a thin oak door.
Monket reached him, unlocked the door with two sets of keys, and rested his hoof on the knob. “Have plans changed since you first requested his pickup?” Monket asked.
“I'll let you know when it's necessary,” Chandler muttered. “And stop with the inquisitions. I'm not paying you to be nosy.”
Monket nodded with a sigh, then opened the door for him. He pointed his yellow hoof in while performing a mock bow.
Humming to himself, Chandler entered the room. He was instantly treated to rich orchestral music playing softly from a record player in the corner. A stove burned with Dredge Coal on the far side, illuminating a soft bed with velvet sheets. Portraits with elaborate silver frames hung off the walls, depicting young foals frolicking around rice patties and farm steppes. Silk drapes hung from the lone porthole along the port side.
Resting in a plush chair, a bone-thin stallion with long black mane hair casually sat, reading one of several thick books from a humble bookshelf beside the record player. “I see that you finally braved the filth and muck to see me,” he rasped in a bored tone. “Did you finally get tired of sucking up to the real Magistrates running the show?”
Brye Chandler dragged a chair over and sat across from the stallion with a sigh. “...hello, Jeryn.”
Boss Jeryn flipped a page, his dark eyes lazily drifting across ink paragraphs in the stove light. “You know the one thing I miss from Shoggoth? Ambiance. I've read the tales of little Heartha and her adventures in Frostland over a hundred times... and the narrative always used to electrify me.” He sighed. “A good story isn't the same without refracted waterlight to enchant the moment.”
“Mmmmhmmm...” Brye adjusted his collar and leaned back. “I take it you had a comfortable trip?”
Slap! Jeryn closed the book hard, scowling at Chandler. “What do you think?!” He gestured with his hooves at his surroundings. “Does this look 'comfortable' to you?!” He tossed the book against the floor and hugged his forelimbs, shivering. “I've been holed up for days in this festering sharkhole, surrounded by smelly slaves and Mudtop filth! And that nasty cretin you have captaining this barge of the dead?! Monkey?”
“Monket.”
“Worse manners ever!” Jeryn grimaced. “All the ironworks and plumbing that any self-respecting steamship commander could possibly want, and he can't even manufacture me a bidet?!”
Chandler took a deep, fuming breath. “I imagined that you would be a tad bit more grateful, Jeryn,” he grumbled. “After all, I pulled a lot of stunts to smuggle you out from under Camellia's nose. Besides, you're lucky that fish-humping blowhard didn't give you the brain of a chicken. Though sometimes... I wonder if that would be an improvement.”
“Well this certainly isn't!” Jeryn cackled. “At least in Shoggoth, I was a lot closer to my friends!”
“You have me, Jeryn.” Chandler put on a slimy smile. “Aren't I your friend?”
“Pfft! As if! You only sent Monket after me because it was in the same area as the Quade!” Jeryn huffed, glaring at the walls of the place. “I don't even see what you needed me for to begin with. The Syndicate's toast. Even Revan's given up.”
“It's not entirely sunk in the abyss,” Chandler said. “And you know it.”
“Ohhhhhh Goddess...” Jeryn face-hoofed. “Again with the shareholding—”
“The Consortium held the most shares out of any other organization...” Chandler gestured. “Legitimate shares. Unlike that psychopath who ran Rust, I've prided myself in conducting things by the books.”
“Hmmmff... yes...” Jeryn scoffed, smirking. “On the surface—”
“And with all the resources that you had down in Shoggoth, it just boggles my mind that you didn't even conceive of doing the same!”
“The rules down there are different, Brye,” Jeryn said. “You could never understand... and you can't understand now.” His eyes narrowed. “Just what do you hope to achieve with so much possession of an organization that's now completely bereft of assets? Believe me—I've had my time to grieve, but I also knew when to give things up.”
“I don't need my lost fortunes back, no matter how much I want to wring your skinny little neck over them,” Chandler said. “It's the legal pretense of the matter. I just need the former property of your so-called Southern Hoof in limbo for the time being.”
“And just what are you hoping to achieve? I heard rumors of the litigation going on while I was dragged out of there!” Jeryn's muzzle hung open. “If your solicitors stay down there any longer, Chandler, they'll grow gills!”
“Never you mind.” Chandler shifted in his seat. “Do you have the evidence—?”
“Even years back, when we began trading, you never got your hooves this wet!” Jeryn gestured. “I once thought your Dredge Coal deliveries to Revan's outfit was pushing it, but this takes the cake—!”
“Do... you have......” Chandler cleared his throat. “...the evidence?”
Jeryn snorted. He leaned back with a sigh, then waved a limp hoof at the bed. “Over there. Beneath the pillow.”
“Hmmmfff...” Chandler stood up and trotted over. “Where you like to keep all things.”
“Hey!” Jeryn frowned. “You shipped me here with a crew of thieves and slaves! I'm lucky they didn't try crawling in here overnight to steal my balls!”
“All things in good time, Jeryn.” Chandler uncovered a brown envelope. Opening it, he flipped through several photographs—all depicting a mare with prismatic mane-hair, sporting a ruby pendant. “Hmmmm...” He looked up, green eyes glinting like jades. “Is this really her?”
“Yes! A thousand damnable times, yes!” Jeryn gnashed his teeth, glaring at the photographs. “You think I'd mistake the face of the single pony who tore down everything that I ever valued?” He pointed. “She's the one who cost you your shares! Not me! Her and her... mmmfff... flank-fooling bastard buddies of hers. I swear. Revan and I got owned by a motley crew of degenerates in fetish gear.”
Chandler continued squinting at the photographs, examining them. “She's so... petite...”
“Honestly. One of them—the griffon—had a metal sex toy for a talon.”
“How exactly did you manage to get these taken, Jeryn?” Chandler asked, waving the sheets.
“A few desperate souls on the outside,” Jeryn remarked with a shrugged. “Deluded to think I still had the power to funnel them and their friends coral to huff.” He examined his manicured hoof. “The moment you asked for my assistance, I asked for theirs. I got shipped out before they could receive any sort of payment. Heh... by now they're probably drowning in a cold sweat. Nopony ever fully recovers from coral smoking, and that's a fact.”
“Glad you have so much confidence in your former occupation,” Chandler muttered.
“And... future occupation... r-right?”
Chandler turned towards Jeryn.
Jeryn gulped. “I mean... that's what this is all about, right?” He pointed at the pictures. “Please... please tell me that you're going to send hitponies after her! Assassins! Sea ponies on jetpacks. Anything!”
“Calm down, old friend—”
“Do not call me 'old friend!'” Jeryn snarled, rattling in his chair. He shook and quivered as he hissed: “You owe me big time! When Camellia's guard tried to investigate the sunken trade ships from White Barge, I did my best to sweep it under the rug for you!”
“White Barge is no longer affiliated with the Tade Consortium,” Chandler said. “The Siren Witch's sea ponies would have found nothing—”
“Still, I covered your ass more times than you've ever... ever expressed gratitude for! So... please tell me, 'pal,' that this is nothing more than a bold plan to claim back what's been lost!” Jeryn gulped. “If you eliminate Camellia's one accomplice in the matter, then you put the burden of proof on a Princess who—by Muddredger law—had no business interfering with the Syndicate to begin with!”
“You're insane to think you can claim back all that you and that idiot Revan lost.”
“And you're stupid to give up on claming the tiniest smidgen of it!” Jeryn leaned froward, muzzle twisted. “So tell me, Chandler... what exactly is your game?”
Chandler tucked the photographs away in his cloak. “You've provided me all I needed from you, Jeryn.” He turned and trotted for the door. “Good bye—”
“Dammit, Chandler, talk to me!” Jeryn stood up, frowning. “Or else I start talking to ponies you don't want me to!”
“... … ...” Chandler turned and calmly stared back at the former Syndicate Boss.
Jeryn gulped, his bony limbs trembling beneath a dark mane. “I... I have nothing left to lose. You know that.”
“Mmmm... indeed I do.” Chandler patted his robe. “I need these photographs to create an extensive campaign.”
Jeryn blinked. “You... you mean a bounty?”
“Nopony's going to give a rat's ass about the Syndicate here in Rohbredden,” Chandler said. “But Unification Day is coming soon. Even atheist bastards full of pretense are feeling jittery, on edge, ready to worship the hooves of Verlaxion at the drop of a dagger. They don't fear Rainbow Dash—the demolisher of the Syndicate. They fear the 'Rainbow Rogue'... the Monster who desecrated the Quade... who burned Verlaxion's holy Reed to the ground.”
“But...” Jeryn blinked. “I already heard about the ruling of the Council. They've already sent the Right Talon of Verlaxion to—”
“Correction. They're sending one member of the Talon,” Chandler said. “The Talon is being divided. Which is precisely what I want to have happen.” He gestured. “Thin the guard... reveal their vulnerabilities... their weakness... then capitalize on the gap left in the public's trust.”
“I... I don't understand...”
“That's because you've never actually been in charge of something, Jeryn,” Chandler said. “All the stolen siren treasures under your belt, and you never even knew how to seize the day. That's one thing Revan always had over you, but the Northern Hoof's biggest folly was lack of resources.” He glared, his green eyes thin. “The Rainbow Rogue is in my territory as we speak. The monks we transported told Mister Monket the whole story. One of their protectors saw her headed due east after the Reed was burned. That puts her smack-dab in the middle of Consortium Waters. Right now... every single pony in my employ is keeping an eye out for her.” He waved a hoof. “And once I've established a bounty that'll match the rising fear and uncertainty of this populace, it'll give me the chance to grant their prayers in a way Verlaxion never could.”
Jeryn blinked. “... … ...you want it to be you.” He cocked his head to the side. “You want to be the one to turn her in... the conquering hero who captures the monster and grants everyone safety.”
“And once I do, the Council will stop dragging their hooves and make me Magistrate,” Chandler said. “Hymmnos' tenure is coming to an end, and I aim to take the Grand Podium. Especially if I manage to prove to every prefecture that Commander Seraphimus' forces lack the strength to adequately protect central Rohbredden from thieves and terrorists.”
Jeryn's eyes darted left and right. At last, he looked towards Chandler, thinking aloud: “All of that Dredge Coal... the material that I hear is getting hijacked... it call comes from your barges, doesn't it?”
“We've lived in a stale, outdated tradition for far too long,” Chandler droned. He pointed his hoof vaguely north. “Whatever sits on Verlaxion's frozen throne, deep in that damn mountain, it ain't alive anymore. I can tell you that. We have no need for the Talon anymore... or the Scientific Order for that matter. I'm the one stallion powerful enough to usher in a new authority... one that will adequately represent the Six Tribes... instead of just keeping them frozen in limbo under the false pretense of having 'thawed' some made-up conflict countless eons ago.”
“Chandler... you're madder than a tower full if midnighters...”
“No, Jeryn, I'm real,” Chandler said. “It's windigoes that are the myth. Verlaxion is a name supported by the bulwarks of fear, and I aim to topple it all down. And in case my plan with seizing this 'Rainbow Rogue' doesn't go well... I'm no idiot.” He pointed. “I'll just recollect my assets and fill the void that you and Revan left. With a brand new Syndicate, I'll find an even greater threat among the seven seas—even if I have to invent one—and I'll use that to springboard my path to transforming this continent into something great.”
“You're playing this far too close to home,” Jeryn said, gritting his teeth. “If the Council doesn't discover you, the Talon surely will!”
“They're blind enough as it is.” Chandler took a deep breath. “And with the Blight having fallen, I shudder to think of how unprepared we are for what might await us on the other side. We're already unprepared for whatever attack the Colonialists might stage, if they so happen to feel the mood.”
“Now who sounds fearful and paranoid?”
“It helps to hold onto what's most primal.”
“Hence why you're working the the likes of Monket.”
“Indeed.” Chandler made for the door. “And when I'm done speaking to him, he'll send you on your way to High Cave.”
Jeryn's eyes bulged. “High Cave?!”
“You heard me.”
“Wait!” Jeryn took a bold step forward, but stumbled, trembling. “Chandler, you're... you're selling me out?!”
“But of course,” Chandler breathed. “You're a filthy prick and I hate you.”
“I... I thought...” Jeryn gulped. “Don't you n-need me?”
“I needed you to get me something to mass-produce bounties from,” Chandler said. “And you delivered nicely on your end.”
“But... but the extraction from Shoggoth—”
“Do you honestly think I could have duped a telepathic ocean princess?” Chandler remarked. “You were extradited through a legality—just like how I hope to claim the property of the Southern Hoof.”
“A legality...?”
“Jeryn... it's been a long time since you last set hoof on Rohbredden soil, hasn't it?” Chandler smirked. “Do you truly think the Judicial System of Orchard Prefecture forgot about your little indiscretion?”
Jeryn instantly paled—if that was even possible. “Dear Goddess... you can't possibly mean...?”
“Throats slit and buried! All five of them! In a schoolyard, no less!” Chandler shook his head. “And not one of them had a cutie mark. Really?” A dry chuckle. “My dear Jeryn, I almost feel more comfortable with the slaves outside.”
“They... couldn't... prove... anything...” Jeryn hissed, eyes suddenly flaring.
“Well, they've had twenty-five long years to do just that. And your crime was the one thing that allowed me to fish you out of there to face trial.”
“Chandler, you can't...” Jeryn shivered. “You have no idea! They'll send me into the Frozen Shelves! Even worse!”
“Then you'd better learn to sing.” Chandler opened the door to leave. “Something tells me you'll be a falsetto soon enough—”
“No! Don't!” Jeryn flew forward, sliding on his knees and clasping at Chandler's robe. “Please! I'm begging you! Send me back to Shoggoth! I-I'll testify anything for you! I'll forget what I know about the Dredge Coal! Just please!”
Chandler glared down at him. Slowly, he peeled the stallion's hooves off. “Don't touch me. There's no telling where those hooves have been. After all...” He trotted off, adjusting his robe. “I'm going to be Grand Magistrate someday.”
“Chandler! For the love of—” Slam! The door shut, silencing the stallion's muffled wails.
Shuddering, Chandler marched up to the top deck.
Monket was there. With a flounce of his green dreads, he turned towards the Consortium executive, nostrils flaring. “Want I should just feed him to the sharks for you?”
“Normally, I would agree. But no.” Chandler shook his head, clenching his teeth as he was once again exposed to the frigid cold of Frostknife. “I think where this one's going... will give me far greater satisfaction.”
“Hmmmff...” Monket's yellow brow furrowed. “Then I am heading west again?”
“You...” Chandler reached into his robe, grabbed half of the photographs, and shoved them into the stallion's chest. “...are going to chase me down a rainbow.”
Monket's pale red eyes swam across the images. “... … ...seems easy enough to track down.”
“Music to my ears.”
“But I will need resources...” Monket looked up. “One ship isn't enough. And the slaves I have are growing weak. Diseased.”
“Then you will have your resources.” Chandler turned towards him. “The bits have no ceiling here. You absolutely must seize this pegasus and you must bring her in alive, do you understand me?”
“Perfectly.”
“Make as many trips to Mudtop that you need to,” Chandler said, shuffling off towards the ramp to disembark. “Just be quick about it. The Council's already sent a member of the Talon. If he or any others of Seraphimus' company gets to the 'Rainbow Rogue' first, then everything is ruined, and you can consider our business done for.”
“Then I'll cast off right away.”
“Good. You do that.”
“Just one more thing,” Monket said, stepping past several listening crewmembers. “I will need a base of operations.”
“Pffft...” Chandler turned back to smirk at him. “What? You want me to shit you out another Quade?”
“Don't confuse me for a mindless thug,” Monket hissed. “Out in the seven seas, we do things just as professionally as they do in Rohbredden.”
“Really? Why do I find that hard to believe?”
Monket merely stared.
Chandler sighed. “What are you needing, exactly?”
“My pursuit vessel... or vessels will need a staging place to fuel up on Dredge Coal if we hope to scour the ocean for this pegasus target of yours.” He shook his head. “Rust is off limits now, and I don't trust Mudtop enough to stay in port there for a single night.”
“Hmmm... then I see the predicament...” Chandler scratched his chin as he gazed across the cold waters of Frostknife. “And we can't have you mooring within brainshot of Camellia, or the whole operation is compromised.” A beat. He suddenly smirked. “Hmmm... Skagra. But of course.”
Monket squinted. “Red Barge?”
“I've been supplying him regular supplies of metal alloy for his harvesting equipment, in exchange for dredge coal at a cheap price.” Chandler's eyes narrowed. “He owes me, and if he knows that there's a profit to be had in assisting us, then that raggedy-headed bastard will do anything to lend a hoof.”
“If you say so.”
“Do you know the stallion?”
Monket's nostrils flared. “Unfortunately.”
“Well, suck it in, tough guy,” Chandler rasped. “Head to Red Barge and get his permission to set up port. Tell him 'the fat cat' sent you.”
“Really, now?”
“Mmm... yes...” Chandler grunted. “As much as I've come to loathe it, is the only safe word the two of us have. But it's okay. He'll keep everything a secret.” He finally shuffled down the ramp. “After all... all that washes into Red Barge... stays in that seahole to rot.”
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You'll need more than a single base of operations to bring RD down.
...
...
...Okay, a change in opinion. I don't "not like" Chandler.
I fucking despise him.
Working with slavers, Jeryn (well...until just now), and having some grand Machiavellian plot to ultimately take control of Rohbredden?
I am so looking forward to this bastard going down.
*sigh*...And with this latest set of details, stuff is set in motion for what's going to happen at Red Barge.
Still not looking forward to the now 30 chapters of endless fight scene.
Liking the intrigue, though.
In a reveal that should surprise exactly no one at all Jeryn and Chandler are working together, sort of. Also Jeryn and Chandler are both complete monsters.
Whew...
edit...
I think I see where this is going now... RD's face will be in a poster or something, spread around the rusty port city, and then our one-eared colt finds RD herself. RD then convinces him that she's not a bad pony, and etc etc.
The odds are stacked quite high against Rainbow Dash. A High Talon, former syndicate boss(well probably about to be gone), a scheming politician,
evilruthless dredgers, the fact she is infamous now, and an age-spanning, chess master, ice dragon. All the while she lost her friends, her Desperadoes, and soon Theanim. All the while she has a pretty broken wing and a couple of towers to get to deep in enemy territory.It'll be interesting to see how she gets through this.
On a side note, does anyone else feel a little bit of a End of Ponies vibe when RBD was having those flashbacks about Fluttershy?
6548314
....eeyup. Chandler is basically behind everything.
inb4 it takes 2 books to finally kill him.
And here we all thought Jeryn was just a slimy little shit who was all bark and no bite.
Fucker's a foal murderer, makes Chandler look like a friggin' saint in comparison.
-In the end isolation, hunted by a nation. Utaan.
damn, and Rainbow doesnt even have her wings to rely on...depending on how much time passed between books.
6548355 I dunno if we'll really be seeing Chandler as a saint after all's said and done... AppleTank was right last chapter in saying that we seem to have politics!Shell on our hands.
6548399
I never said we would see him as such, just compared to Jeryn being a foal killer, he seems like one.
He's still a slimy sleazy piece of shit, but, as far as we know, he hasn't killed any foals.
I'm really disliking Chandler right now and am seriously rethinking Hymmnos as a villain. Yes, she is part of the Council of Verlaxion, which Rainbow is firmly against, but she is just doing her job as Grand Magistrate to help govern all of Rohbredden. No member of the Council so far seems corrupt expect for Chandler who keeps trying to join. It doesn't help my opinion of him that he is gunning for my characters current positon. I'm really hoping that she'll survive whatever coup attempt Chandler will inevitably try.
Edited: Thanks for catching that Phoenix Kitten.
6548332
Well if I read it well and predict it well, RD is going to lose Theanim. But not his trust but rather his life. I think Chandler might succed capturing RD and when he represent her to the council, he might rip off the Element. You can guess what will happen.
Yep, called it. Had a feeling ol' Chandler was behind everything. Cannot wait to see when it all blows up in his face (in like 190 chapters? :P)
6548420
Hope I don't come across as an ass but
*coup
from the phrase coup d'etat
Well this is kinda new. We kno exactly who to look out for and their end game/evil plot while knowing absolutely nothing of rainbows current whereabouts or condition. I don't think rainbow will be well enough in the head to take on all of this..I'm pretty worried about how she's doing mentally after the quade disaster. I haven't felt this uneasy since after leris..
So Chandler's got a serious personal space issue. Just makes me want to poke him.
Something tells me he doesn't quite understand how not effective sending slavers and pirates after Dash is going to be. Did he not catch the part where she dismantled most of his Syndicate with just herself, two bounty hunters, a scientist, and a recovering drug addict? Then again perhaps he's thinking it doesn't matter of his mooks succeed or fail, as he can spin it either way into his plans. He strikes me as the Xanatos style villain that has a backup plan for every letter of the alphabet.
So, I'm -1 chapter on my Dash appearance prediction. Let's see how long we've got until we get a dash of protagonist up in this plot...
...*eyebrow waggle*
Edit:
Ye gods, I just had a terrible notion. What if... what if IC intended to tell the entirety of Utaan from the perspective of every character except Dash!? The entire story would be other characters reacting to Dash's actions and we wouldn't to see her point of view until the end of the story, so we'd be stuck with Theanim and all the other characters trying to guess at what Dash is doing and why?
Just a weird thought that struck me. Yes it hurt. Thoughts hit hard in my brain, okay? Its not a personal issue!!!
Well, I can say I wasn't expecting a chapter with this much candour for a long time yet. That said, it's rather encouraging to see it so early: it implies a Big Bad beyond Chandler's little uprising, which refocuses attention onto Verlax, who is the only player Rainbow really needs to be afraid of here. Nonetheless, we have our conspiracy, and what a delightfully evil one it is, too. Ambitious villains are always such fun . . .
So IC has finally tired of us joking every new bad guys was gonna be Shell 2.0TM, and actually gave us Shell 2.0TM
Shell 2.0, Now with 200% more political manuevering! Order now while stocks last
I have the feeling one or maybe even all of the Talon will end up dying, victims of all these machinations. Just like the gold saints.
If Rainbow didn't have plot armor, I think she'd be royally fuckaroonied right now.
Oh please let Verlaxion be the one to completely destroy his being.
Man, everything is really being set up for Rainbow. Seeing all of this finally explode once she gets her head back in the game and then actually make some of their things explode is gonna be really satisfying.
And Swab too......don't really know what he's gonna do but yeah! Him too!
ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-05/enhanced/webdr04/12/11/anigif_enhanced-buzz-26583-1399907337-23.gif
So who's gonna be the one to tell him that every political manoeuvre he makes is all just playing into the claws of Verlax's vastly more intricate scheme?
You dun' goofed Chandler, we were only an Antsan away from forming our own Legion of Doom!
I didn't see the foal killer part coming though. At this point I deserve to be castrated and then some.
...wait
Now i can see where this is going, the slow decay of this kingdoms values got shaken due to Dashs actions, different forces are set in motion and a really fragile and imperfect piece harmony that still remains gets threatened to be consumed in chaos.
If a high bounty is issued the 'hunters' of those rather rough places most likely will turn against each other in order to pursue it, its probably also the point where the Desperadoes have their comeback.
The talon will probably have an interesting role in this but i guess it will take quite some time until the full truth is revealed to them, with the current revelations i could actually see them partially teaming up with Dash if they somehow get to discover the full picture.
Fortunate they sent the curious one.
I am rather sure that this is just the start of the deception and backstabbing ride of this book, things will most likely become quite chaotic which just brings up my theory about who will be waiting inside the 6th beacon.
Six sentient beings 'died' in the 'yesterday' ponyvile incident, only five of them where equines and while dash didn't know from the start that she carried the souls of her friends with them all the time, she sure knows whom's power she is carrying with her.
tl;dr
Its going to be an awesome book !
6548564 That would be epically hilarious.
Chandler is committing suicide by the end of this book. Calling it now.
Dont worry Chandler, no matter how bad you think its going to be, coming face to face with a pissed off Rourke heading a Skystone powered battle fleet is going to be the Least of your worries.
Shell 2.0? I think Chandler is trying so hard to be Mini Verlaxion, and as such, if he manages to make Grand Magistrate and dare to climb the frozen throne, he is going to sadly discover what Elsa left there.
As for Jeryn. Why is everyone saying he Only killed.
Something tells me that Commander Severinus isnt going home, in order to see their family.
Monket and the slave ship are heading to Red Barge? One of the Claws is heading to the Quade and then after Dash? Whats the current bets on Dash getting her wing rehealed, letting her fly, before she ends up caught in a pathetic manner, thrown in a cell unconcious, chained up, and her pretty jewelry taken off a long way? Slave ship charnel house followed by her going all Langolier on red Barge?
I propose now very few living beings make it out of Red Barge. Dash, Griffon, Kid, Monket, and maybe one or two more we havent been introduced to yet, and the Desperados if they have been trailing Dash.
Dance, puppets, dance.
6548332 6548375 6548459 6549001 If I remember right, Dash implied her wing would insta-heal if Loyalty came off, but she said something along the lines of never resorting to full-chaos-mode. There seems to be an underlying setup for everyone else thinking it's best to take Loyalty from her. Talk about a potentially chapters-long dramatic irony, cool.
Green dreadlocks? ...That's kinda metal.
So now Mister Monket is heading to Red Barge, where they're already plotting to kill him and seize his operation. I don't like this plan. And neither does my counterpart, from his reaction to it.
The thing is, are they going to jump him before or after he tries to capture Rainbow Dash? Skagra said he was planning to "cash in on whatever the idiot was planning", but he sure as hell isn't going anywhere, not with Red Barge in its current state. I doubt whoever he could replace Monket with could do a better job, and Monket's chances of success are already pretty slim. As much as Monket's going for the cold and ruthless professional archetype, I really can't see his underlings being anything more than cannon fodder, especially given how he lists them as nothing more than "resources" and his other "resources" are already dying off just from the journey there.
It's not capturing a broken-hearted and broken-winged Rainbow Dash on a piddly little raft in the middle of nowhere that's the real problem (unless the pendant gets removed, either through her own newfound moral apathy or greedy slavers snatching possessions) but Keris, who is also actively looking for Rainbow Dash and probably one of the most qualified people to do it. A small fleet of fancy Rohbredden ships setting out from Red Barge looking in the exact same place he is will hardly miss his attention. Whether he deems it as relevant to his investigation or not in the wake of Seraphimus' chiding is the real question.
Okay, first of all: 6533138 CALLED IT!
The guy's much worse than I was expecting, though. You can really tell the darkness of the series is ramping up to Ledomare levels again.
This Chandler appears to be of the "don't let a crisis go to waste" school of political thought.
This and other lines makes me think those two might know each other.
6548564 im hoping that's not the case
Well I always knew Chandler was a fukboii. This just proves it.
If he wasn't trying to catch RD himself, running up a bounty campaign and letting the citizens of Rohbredden do the hard work for him and then swooping in to claim the spoils would be a much smarter strategy. That's where I thought he was going with this before he insisted that Monket and his fellow pirates and slavers be the one to catch RD and bring her back alive. RD stands a much better chance against a few ships of pirates than she would against an entire continent trying to kill or capture her, rather than one that simply fears her.
Chandler has no loyalty to anyone but himself, and fancies himself a chessmaster hm. This is going to be good watching him fall. Now with all of this scheming and deceiving I have a feeling that only the honest ones are going to come out the other side intact.
6548886
There are like, 3 gambits running already, and its probably only going to get worse before they all pile up on another.
Give up? Never!!
And Chandler is a scumbag.
Looks like RD will upset both him and the people who worship Verlax, since she'll prove that Verlax is real, but that she's not a goddess, simply a dragon matriarch.
This is getting complicated. I like it!
Called it.
Monket was one of the worshippers of the Reed!?
Welp. Chandler confirmed for new Lesser Big Bad.
It says some thing about a story when you have to designate a villain as a lesser big bad.
The only thing worse than a politician is a slimy, corrupt politician.
I'm getting bombarded with "Shell" vibes from this Chandler guy.
Ugh. Why does the Villain have to hate Verlaxion. Now Rainbow is going to get points for killing this bitch.
Hmm? Sabotaging the government's effectiveness in order to arouse distrust toward government, and then exploiting that distrust to further one's own ends? Why does that sound familiar? *ignores the sound of the news playing in the other room*
But for real, tho. Chandler's the worst kind of slimy dill-hole, and I look forward to watching him run into the world's sharpest yet most petite iceberg and sinking into his own putrid depths. For now, though, he's gonna be trouble. On the up-side, having another, more vile, person hunting after Rainbow might be just the fulcrum to hoist Keris into Rainbow's corner. Enemy's enemy, and all that.
And, with mention of Red Barge, it's all starting to come together. How's our favorite little one-eared scamp gonna play into all this?
6549862
It's funny, in a tragic soul-crushing way, how easily justice and murder get tossed together as bedfellows. Justice is, in theory, ensuring the guilty are suitably punished for their crimes. But that's the sticky part, the 'suitably punished' aspect of it. Who or what determines what the proper punishment is for a crime? Is there such a thing as an absolute form of justice that can equally apply to all circumstances and situations?
In Seraphimus' case she strikes me as one who considers herself justified in all her actions because she believes she's enacting Verlaxion's will, perhaps without realizing that she is also likely exercising her own frustrations at being unable to halt the country's corruption by killing those who are nothing more than a symptom of the problem. She's probably convinced herself that its rightous strength to slay the wicked, rather than a sign of moral weakness and the indulgance of anger and frustration upon those who represent the source of that frustration.
Most minds can rationalize anything as being justified as long as they believe its achieving some greater good or serving some higher cause. In that case the parallels between Seraphimus and Dash I think will become even more prominent as this story progresses.
Welp.
I think this confirms
Bellesmith, Phoenix and KeraRainbow, Keris and Swab are taking downNightshade Industriesthe Shoreline Trade Consortium together.Does this mean Keris is going to betray his comrades and have to make it up to them?
This is turning into another Eljunbyro, where we won't get back to Dashie till chapter 50 or so and while all these other chapters are nice and world building and interesting and all that I want to see Rainbow dang it! Especially after how the last book ended.