Tridenser Slice
A Slice of Prayer With Robots and Ki-rins
When I am not here at Gold Arrow Station, you can find me in my home in the Eastern Canton of the Kirinal Concordance Zone. The Tridenser Slice, the Home of Justice, covers the eastern wedge of our circular Zone. There you can find Tridenser City, a holy settlement devoted to my lord Anam and the largest population of my kind, the soulforged, in the multiverse. The eponymous ki-rins dwell in their forest on the eastern edge of the canton.
I sometimes visit Instructor in his high tower in the City of Five-Swords. Despite the bad blood between orcs and Anamites I feel... welcomed is wrong. Is there a word that means tolerated with caution, but also acknowledged as an ally? That's it. I feel like I'm respected. Oh yeah, and Instructor! Can you get a bathroom installed in your place! I hate going down 50 flights of stairs to take a leak!
In the Eastern Canton of the Zone, Anamites and Soulforged have built an equitable society founded on the iron hand of law, tempered by divine mercy. The latest Maharlitech hums alongside millenia of Order of Tridenser military discipline.
The Oath of Anam sees themselves as the modern day heir to the Pax Lozaria, a bulwark of civilization protecting the world of Erathia from the chaos of the multiverse. The ki-rins who grace their skies and the Ki-Rin Forest in the east are seen as proof of divine favor.
Underneath the veneer of equity and justice, some say that the pride of the Tridensers borders on arrogance. There are those who remember the days when the Kingdom of Lozar ruled the world with a benevolent fist. In the shadows, the Aleph Zero Syndicate stirs discontent, feeding the fears of humans who believe that mechanical men are replacing them.
The Tridenser Gate
The Eastern Gate, formally known as the Tridenser Gate, provides official access to the Manifest through the Pit Wall. It is built into the Citadel of Anam and is guarded by the Tridenser Host, a disciplined army of paladins, clerics, and soulforged soldiers sworn to the God of Justice.
The gate has been blessed by the Church of Anam and radiates a soft golden light that compels honesty. Liars passing through it feel their voices falter, and some are unable to cross. Those with ill in their hearts find it easier to pass through the Wall at other gates.
The Never-Born Returns
Account of Sunflower, Holy Defender of the Eastern Gate
I drew the short straw that night, guarding the Tridenser Gate on the Midnight Shadow Shift. As the Witching Hour approached, I adjusted my halberd in my metal hands and muttered a prayer to my lord, the First Forged. The mists inexorably rose, carrying the scent of freshly dug graves with a hint of rot.
A few stragglers shuffled past, with their books and totems. Some were warlocks, seeking a pact with the Lords of Shadow. Others were just curious. A few were desperately seeking a loved one. By the Treaty of Passage, I let them through into Shadow. Foolish or damned, I still included them in my prayers. Especially those not asking for them..
Then - bang! bang! bang! - gunfire cracked from the gloom, followed by the stink of burning ectoplasm. Smack! smack! smack! - boot steps pounded towards the Gate. I brandished my blessed halberd, my steel body ready to repel whatever came.
Out of the purple mists staggered a woman in leather, glistening sword in one hand, smoking pistol in the other. Behind her, shadow-hounds bayed, only to scatter as the Gate flared with divine light. Those that survived turned tail, seeking easier prey.
I recognized her. "Greetings, Ms. Miranda Never-Born, Seeker of Souls. I welcome you home! When you passed into Heaven, we did not expect you to return through the Shadow!
She laughed, breathless, holstering her weapons, "Thanks, Sunflower. I did take the long way back! Found a hidden flight on the Staircase of Worlds, led to a dozen Earths I've never been to! But none of them were mine."
I smiled showing my ceramic teeth, "I am sorry that you did not find your Dirt, I mean Earth, but as always we are glad to count you among our number!
Citadel of Anam
A five-sided star fortress, the Citadel of Anam, guards the eastern rim of the Kirinal Pit. From its walls, the Tridenser Host guards the world, and within its halls the Justicars of the Oath of Anam render judgment. Ki-rins roost on its highest towers, their golden eyes watching over the lands that bear their name.
The original Tridenser Knights were based in the lost city of Kirinal. Even after most of their Order was disintegrated in the First Kirinal Catastrophe, they still came to fight the hordes that poured out of the smoking crater that was their home. When their first fortress on the rim was destroyed in the Second Catastrophe, they came back yet again, raising the Citadel of Anam.
Time and again, on Days of War, the Host proves themselves to be the most disciplined and reliable force in the Zone. They are the most numerous army on the Pit. Every re-born soulforged, every cleric of Anam, and every Tridenser paladin serves a mandatory term of service on the Wall.
Captain of the Dusk Patrol
From the Journals of Sir Bekezela Shange
Shadow Night's re-birth had been a rough one. The mists clung tight to their trapped souls, but we pried one loose and sent it to the Soul Forge. The rest of our shift was routine enough: some mindless undead to slay, a demonic possession to exorcise, and a cannibal cult to put down. Simple matters that we could handle without thinking about it.
As my patrol ended, I saw the isekai woman, Miranda, coming through the Tridenser Gate in impressive fashion. Word of her had reached me, someone worth recruiting for the Dusk Patrol. I waited as she passed into the Citadel. My red and white armor caught her eye. I nodded.
"Lady Miranda Never-Born? I am Sir Bekezela Shange. Might I have a moment of your time?"
"The famous Captain Shange! I'm no lady, but that's fine by me. As long as you're willing to walk and talk. I'm not staying in the Citadel, I'm headed into Tridenser City"
"If you don't mind the company," I replied as I fell in step beside her, "I'm headed there myself." I continued, "So you've heard of the Dawn Patrol?"
"Of course, there are songs about you guys. You're in the news all the time. You even have your own comic book!"
"These Copper Chronicles are a little exaggerated," I admitted, "but you have an idea of what we do. I wanted to talk to you about joining us."
"Me?" She laughed. "I'm just an Earth-girl with memory problems! Why would you want me?
"Despite your protestations, I have heard that you are the best Seeker the Atheneums have ever had. And that's what we look for in the Dusk Patrol, only the best."
"I'm the best Seeker by accident, Captain Bek! I only took that job as an excuse to dig around the multiverse. I'm just looking for home."
"Whatever your reasons, you've proven yourself to be tough, resourceful, and capable. We need that on the Patrol!"
As we walked I felt the eyes. Dark things in the gloaming watched as we passed by. They knew to wait for easier prey. Miranda knew it too. She adjusted the ghost pistol on her hip and adjusted her agimat pouch, but her breath did not quicken and her steps stayed steady.
"Sir Bek, I already got a gig with the Atheneum, and if I ever find my Earth, I'm going back to my family. If you can work with that, I may have some free time to go in the rotation."
"We have a lot of specialists on call. I'll put you down as our Isekai Expert and see how it goes."
"Deal! I guess I'm on the Dusk Patrol!
Tridenser City
At the heart of the canton rises Tridenser City, an orderly maharlitech metropolis of towering spires and quiet streets. It is home to the largest population of soulforged in the world. Every one of these mechanical mortals serves as soldiers on the Pit, earning their Concordant citizenship through service to the Oath of Anam. The city's flesh and blood population are mostly Anamites, mixed with a cosmopolitan blend of mortals from across Erathia and the multiverse.
The city's skyline is pierced by Soulforged Towers, tall, slender structures without kitchens, bedrooms, or bathrooms. They were designed for inhabitants who need neither food, sleep, nor toilets. Each one-room unit houses a single soulforged, whose spare possessions leave room for the greatest luxury the city offers, a spectacular view of the Zone and Pit.
The Ancestral Atheneum
Logbook, Third Prime of Tasagem, 3225 FA., Instructor of Recruits
The Seeker of Souls known as Miranda Never-Born, signaled my ident-a-hedron last night, requesting a meeting at the Tridenser City Ancestral Atheneum. I informed Sgt. Kill Flayer that he would teach alone this morning and immediately boarded the red-eye Inner Ring train to my quarters in the Eastern Canton.
I came out of hibernation the next morning to greet the day's Manifest Prime. The Call marked it as a Day of Trade. I left my alcove and joined the orderly line of my fellow mechani-kin as we marched down the skyscraper stairs with metal feet to our daily duties.
On the way to the Atheneum, I stopped at Black Gold, a coffee and oil shop. The tiefling behind the counter perked up when she saw me in line.
"Instructor! Good to see you in the middle of the week!"
"Good morning, Iniza the Barista. I am glad to see you as well. I have been called in for a consultation at the Atheneum."
"Ah! Gotcha. So, a latte with a triple shot and some chocolate biscotti for Miranda. And for you, a warm sweet crude oil?"
"Thank you Iniza, you have surmised correctly. Do you happen to have those acid-etched ball bearings that I like?"
"I keep some in back, just for you!"
I walked through the marble columns of the Atheneum. Here, the priests of Molak, God of the Dead, attempt to record every soul who has ever died in the multiverse, and which Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory it has gone to for repose.
I nodded to the robed librarians as I walked into the stacks, the smell of ancient scrolls mixed with ozone from the sparking crystals connecting the archive to the Hedron Network.
I found Miranda at her messy desk, hunched over her report. I placed the fresh latte next to two empty cups.
"Thanks for the refill!" she said without looking up from her writing. "Instructor, I found my way back to the Empty Heaven.
"That is amazing! Only a handful of dimension-hoppers have reported seeing the realm of your never-birth. What did you discover?"
"I didn't find any more amnesiac Earth-girls if that's what you're asking." Se leaned back, her voice low as she met the soulforged's crystalline eyes. "But the scratched out inscriptions, the blank statues, they mean something. I found the slab I woke up on. When I touched it..." She shivered. "I remembered a battle. The Lords of Time at war. I know now, my great-grandfather never met my great-grandmother. I was never born. But someone put my name in my head. I just don't know who.
Fair Play
The town of Fair Play sits on the edge of the Zone, built around the eastern-most Outer Ring train station. All legitimate road and rail traffic from the east travels through its gates. It is also the closest settlement to the Ki-Rin Forest and the Empyrean Ki-rin Monastery, serving as a supply hub and waystation for both.
Fair Play is home to a large population of immigrants and exiles from countless worlds. These Isekai make the town a multiversal melting pot. The eclectic mix of people, architecture, and cuisines gives Fair Play a character unlike any other in the Zone.
The Road to Fair Play
Here's the thing. My memory is in pieces. I don't know who I am. I just know that somewhere out there, a husband I've never met is missing me. His grief is what brought me back. But I can't find our Earth. I can't get home.
Yes I walk the roads of the Zone at night, and no, I'm not afraid. But sometimes I don't want to be alone.
I leave the skyscrapers that remind me of a city whose name I can't remember. I take the road to Fair Play under the moons. As I draw close I hold out my hand and close my eyes.
"Ghost Boy come and take my hand,
I am lost, my steps unplanned.
The aswang want my flesh and bone,
Here in the dark, please guide me home."
I feel his cold hand in mine. Eyes closed, I let him lead me forward.
I hear his tiny breathless voice. "Ms. Miranda, I know you want me to take you to your Dirt-world, but I can't leave the Zone. I can only take you to your home here... if you want me to."
I nod, tears streaking my face, as the little ghost brings me home.
This slice feels a bit more intimidating than most.
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber 2025
Does it? That's an interesting take. I guess setting it on Shadow and the melancholy may make it darker than I intended. Thanks for the reply and like!
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