“... Over one’s environment, is to manifest the essence of the heavens in oneself.” Cassiel is a student in the Valley of the Crystal Sun, doomed to obscurity and neglect because of her failure to fully integrate the vaunted Sunlight Crystals. Iyojin is a studious Weaver in the Paperhall, working to complete her new Chitin weapon in order to graduate, even as pressures mount. Lairas is a wanderer and a thief, and has just gotten away with the biggest theft of his life - stealing a Spirit of Slaughter from Wellspring Barrow. Their lives are about to become entangled, as each seeks achievement, insight, and safety in the mysterious Tournament - an event that will pit warriors from across the continent of Inara against each other for glory. This is a NaNoWriMo project, my first, and will be cross-posted on Sufficient Velocity and Spacebattles, under the username 'Amplified.'