Con
Con is a pivotal supporting character in The Metalwood Saga. She is a young underkid—estimated to be between twelve and fifteen years old—who survives the brutal environment of the Under by working as an independent con artist.
As Rylan's best friend and closest confidante, Con represents the innocence and resilience of the underkids who are victimized by the Planners' ruthless system. Her tragic capture and subsequent death during a Civil Service ritual serves as a major turning point for Rylan, fueling his determination to destroy the corrupt government of the sky cities.
Appearance and Personality
Con is described as being "very short" and "incredibly dirty," with wild, frizzy blonde hair. Her face is perpetually smudged with dirt, and while Rylan notes that she isn't "particularly pretty," she possesses a "force of life" that makes her a comforting presence in the dark Under. Later, after enduring starvation and abuse in the custody of the Planners, her appearance becomes tragic: she is rendered "skinny to the point of malnutrition," her face a mess of cuts and bruises.
Personality-wise, Con is a masterful survivor who hides her sharp, calculating resourcefulness behind a veil of sweetness and innocence. She is warm, kind, and selfless with her friends, often inspiring a protective instinct in those around her. When running her "cons" topside, she weaponizes a pitiful, "sad look," using her natural charm to manipulate gullible Citizens. Because she is not a practiced liar in the traditional sense, her cons are highly effective simply because others inherently want to believe her.
Biography
Life in the Under
Unlike most underkids who rely on joining a Crew to survive, Con prefers to live independently, carving out a hidden home for herself in a secluded tunnel beneath Eddy and Taylor streets. She frequently looks out for Rylan, providing him with a safe place to sleep when he is struggling to find his footing.
When Rylan is brutally beaten and cast out by the guards of Shock Crew, he is left bleeding in a dark tunnel. Con tracks him down using an emergency flare, offering him comfort, food, and shelter in her tunnel. She tends to his wounds and shares her meager supply of canned kidney beans with him, proving to be his only true friend.
The Topside Scam and Capture
Running out of food, Con suggests that she and Rylan venture topside to perform a "family act" con. Navigating the pristine streets of New San Francisco, Con puts on a masterful performance, pretending to be deathly ill with a severe cough while leaning on Rylan. They successfully scam an elderly woman out of forty dollars by claiming they need to buy bread for their sick father.
However, their luck runs out shortly after. While turning a corner, they accidentally bump into a wealthy, top-hat-wearing topsider whom Rylan had previously pickpocketed. The angry man recognizes them and attempts to grab them. Rylan shouts for them to run, and the two friends scatter in opposite directions. Tragically, the man chooses to pursue Con.
When Con fails to return to their hideout, Rylan realizes she has been captured by the Department of Civil Service. Desperate to save her, Rylan seeks out the help of Shock Crew captain Dill to mount a rescue mission, completing a dangerous power siphon job and officially joining the Crew in the process to secure Dill's help.
Imprisonment in Planner Central
Before Shock Crew can organize a rescue, Rylan and the elven girl Elanil inadvertently stumble upon Con while escaping from a subterranean jail in Planner Central. They find her locked in a dark, forgotten cell, where she has been severely abused and starved. Rendered barely conscious and too weak to even lift her head, Con is unable to respond to Rylan's voice. Rylan desperately tries to pull the iron bars apart, but without any primewood to power his magic, he is completely powerless to free her. Heartbroken and weeping, Rylan is forced by Elanil to leave his best friend behind before the guards discover them.
The Darkprime Ceremony and Death
Rylan eventually returns to Planner Central with Dill, Elanil, Small, and Shot to execute a rescue. They infiltrate the subterranean levels and find themselves on a catwalk overlooking a massive, hidden underground forest.
Tragically, they arrive too late. Rylan spots Con bound to a small tree sapling on the forest floor below, looking battered and barely alive. As the group watches helplessly from above, the Department of Civil Service agents initiate a horrific ritual that Small reveals is the true nature of "Civil Service". On command, the agents simultaneously strike their prisoners with knives. Con is killed instantly as her blood and life force drain into the roots of the sapling, transforming the normal wood into a twisted, magical Darkprime Tree.
Legacy
Con's brutal, senseless death fundamentally changes Rylan. Having lost his only true friend, Rylan vows to stop the ritual killings and avenge her. The memory of her sacrifice haunts him throughout the series, solidifying his hatred for the Cothellon and giving him the emotional drive necessary to fight back against the ancient mages. He later takes solace in the fact that her death was not entirely useless, as her life force directly created the darkprime magic needed for the underkids to fight back against the Planners.
Key Relationships
- Rylan: Her closest friend and confidante in the Under. They shared a deep, platonic bond, looking out for one another when no one else would. Her death becomes the primary catalyst for his rebellion against the Planners.
- Dill: Con deeply feared the Shock Crew captain, recognizing him as dangerous and unhinged. However, Dill eventually recognizes her value as a masterful con artist and agrees to help Rylan attempt a rescue, though it ultimately comes too late.