From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
Given all the stories, the once-rampant acrimony, and the embedded racism, Deimos hadn’t expected to find the Celestine in the middle of a stony, unyielding world. But wandering into its midst, and accompanying Sah on their latest offering towards shrines and heralds, left him standing still and silent.
The world opened in gardens and twilight, starlight and wonder, aspects of blended deities – touches of Nature Frey and Safrin’s spirits unwinding and unfurling in tapestries and creatures alike – his eyes following some staring back at him from beyond enriched enclosures. There’d been some hint of the serene proportions throughout the plaza as they’d walked through, but the expectations hadn’t been anything close to this.
“Huh,” he managed after a moment, turning to the other Abandoned. “Quite a place.” From there, he attempted to make quiet footfalls, as if not to disturb any entity residing within, meandering over until they might’ve found the foretold sanctuary.
Sah still had reservations about visiting Stormbreak but he felt far more comfortable with Deimos beside him. Between the two of them, they'd be able to fight or negotiate their way out of most situations. Knowing that the Sword had his back was a solid comfort. Perhaps if things continued to progress in a positive manner, it'd be safe for Abandoned to traverse the region alone in the future.
The Celestine was even grander than Sah had expected. Lena had mentioned that it was beautiful and held a shrine, but nothing could have prepared the Abandoned for the beauty of the place. The starlight, the flowers, the array of abundant life, and the impressive statues were nearly overwhelming in their entirety. The energy in the Celestine was magnetic, practically humming with divine energy. Sah walked beside Deimos with equally silent steps, nodding as he did so. "Truly. This place is astounding."
Deimos had reservations miles wide – but kept it contained beneath the layers of twilight and garden expanse – taking the entire serene and tranquil atmosphere as a separate feature. Away from the old stories and the cruelly faceted jurisdictions of old. Away from the conspiracies and abhorrence. Away from the legends and vague looks. “Not what I expected,” he surmised again, as they persisted and continued down the path to the right. At this point, his predictions and calculations would’ve been stone, stone, and more stone, with some encompassing venture of decrepit prejudice – platitudes never directed towards plots, estates, and lawns. His strides were sedate instead of the usual sweeping turns and paces, permitting a placid venture to take everything in.
Such as the animals amidst the enclosures, incapable of helping himself from turning and twisting in various directions to see how everything unfurled. Or what was watching. He could see unicorns from some distance, amidst rolling fields, cloud wyrms contorting along their containers, and an abundance of wine spiders as they strolled by. “Do you know anything about it?” He probably should’ve asked rather than meandering or merely taking Sah up on the offer – but perhaps the Wild Thunder had heard more.
Sah shook his head, observing the variety of creatures who called the Celestine home. "No...I thought it was just a temple of some kind." All that he'd known was that it was supposedly 'beautiful' and had a shrine in it. Nothing could have prepared him for the menagerie and stars. The animals seemed content, but it felt wrong for the Outlander to see them enclosed. He'd never seen such a thing before.
Turning along the path unveiled the temple that Sah had expected just a small distance away. "Ah, there it is. I didn't realize it was an open-air one." He could hear the sound of running water and the gentle hum of insects as they weaved through the flowers. The air seemed to pulse with energy and the Wild Thunder wondered just how long this garden had existed. Had it grown on its own in response to divine energy? Had the Gods planted it, and their followers flocked to it in response?
No temple, not really, not like the one boasted within the city walls. This instead seemed to be an endless menagerie of creatures great and small, with interloping gardens, and twists and turns of twilight. A remarkable and serene place to regard, away from the reaches of misplaced abhorrence, and Deimos had half a mind to return here at some point, maybe show Evie when the world and moments were more settled. Perhaps he might’ve preferred to worship in these sorts of graces, rather than a cold and empty building.
He followed Sah along the path though, gaze scattering and tracing in multiple directions. Analytical to a fault, it was intriguing to be able to breathe and feel the tranquility, rather than preside amidst constant trepidation. A semblance of wonder, amidst everything else. “This is nice,” he murmured, eyes going to the water gardens, the flowers, and the amount of gifts already placed.
Taking the opportunity, he rifled through his bag, intending to grab hold of two sets of offerings – one specifically for Ludo, and the other for Safrin.
There wasn't much for Sah to say except, "It is." The Celestine was awe-inspiring, and he found himself at a loss of just how to describe it. Nice, beautiful, serene, divine. All worked but none fully encompassed the shrine. As Deimos reached for his offerings, Sah did the same. Just as the Sword had, the Wild Thunder had brought a gift for Safrin as well.
The goal of this trip may have been for Ludo, but Safrin would always be Sah's priority—the goddess to whom he had sworn life and soul. He placed a mask down for Ludo and then carefully set down a fine scarf of fox fur that had been embroidered with stars. Closing his eyes, he sent up prayers to the heralds to accompany his offerings. When he was done, he stepped back and waited patiently for Deimos.
With little to pry from Sah, Deimos shrugged his shoulders, placing his attention amongst the shrine and his offerings. The first was for Ludo – an assembled bag of marbles, created from his magic, in all assemblage of hues. Some were made to look like the darkest portions of the sea, others immersed into pale adornments, hastened into dawn highlights, or rushes of combinations, earthen and scattered. Figuring they’d at least be something for the ragged herald to marvel at, and play with, he then settled his gifts for Safrin nearby, a touch further, to be encompassed and not shared with the deity she didn’t favor. This one was a comb, embossed and embedded with cosmos patterns, made to twinkle in just the right light.
Bowing his head, his prayers went silent, but figured they be able to sneak their way to the deities’ wakes. Thereafter, once Sah had finished, he took a step back, eyes flickering immediately to the surroundings again. Stepping away from the sanctuary itself, restless endeavors sought themselves once again. “I would like to explore more, if you do not mind.” Then again, if the Thunder didn’t want to, he could deviate – but Deimos wanted to see the creatures, and whatever other concoctions had been streamlined and grown into this threshold. “I heard there might be rarer animals here.” Whether or not that was a rumor, spoken of to keep tourists entertained, he wasn’t certain, but it certainly stoked his curiosity.
04-15-2024, 04:58 AM (This post was last modified: 04-15-2024, 04:58 AM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
"I'd love to." Sah was eager to see more of what the Celestine had to offer. He glanced around the open space, listening to the various creatures in the distance before glancing at his friend, "Do you have one in mind that you want to find? There might be a map." He began searching the immediate area for any sign of one.
Walking further down the path but still within earshot, the Wild Thunder paused as he came face to face with one of the enclosures. "That...that is the biggest otter I have ever seen. What are they feeding the animals here?" Equally baffled and concerned, the Wild Thunder watched as the animal happily splashed around.
With the agreement rampant, the Sword followed Sah’s movements, leaving the shrine area and hastening back towards filaments and hues of evening skies. “I do not,” because it’d been the truth – curiosity compelled – and as far as he knew, the enclosures altered and changed with the animals. So naught would stay the same, wholly balanced for whatever the creatures required. Nor did he have a map, save for the one Sohalia had created for them, but it hadn’t pierced any major details about the Celestine’s refined factions. They’d have to find out on their own. Deimos didn’t mind.
As Sah ventured towards an enclosure, the Warden’s eyes narrowed, taking in the massive creature. But this one was familiar and distinct, and caused a grin for memories of the Greatwood, and swimming amidst the pools of the Stonesong. “Glotters. They are usually that size.” And since the animals were here for recovery, he gathered something must have gone awry with this one – content as it was. Maybe it would be permitted to return soon, back into the forest and rivers.
Something else caught his eye though in the same enclosure, and he ended up pointing towards a semi-translucent octopus towards the bottom of the nearby rivulet, some tentacles outstretched. “I have not seen that before though.”
"A glotter?" Sah observed the creature for a moment, taking in its relaxed antics. It seemed happy and it drew a smile to the Abandoned's face. At Deimos' beckoning, he turned away and walked over to see the new creature. There was something off about its tentacles, the ridges looked asymmetrical compared to each other. The Wild Thunder would have assumed that each one should resemble the other but apparently not.
He walked closer, "I haven't either." Letting out a hum in thought, he watched the creature. At the sound of the small note, the tentacles changed, and Sah could have sworn he had seen a word or two for a moment. Glancing startled at Deimos, Sah repeated the sound, and his eyes widened as, once more, a word became legible for a heartbeat before disappearing again. "What in the world?"
There were indeed words printed upon the stretched skin of the octopus, and with a brief snort but otherwise somewhat still composure, he tilted his head, intending to study and snag at what he could. “Very impressive,” he countered, as if to extend the compliment to the creature too. Can you show us? he asked towards the being, and perhaps on kindness or merely the gentle cajoling of Attuned proportions, he watched as one tentacle extended towards them.
Deimos had only been to the Undercroft once; in a time and venture so far gone from his current roots that the diction inscribed across didn’t spark any recognition initially. But there, assembled and simplistic, was scrawl from the Fae, dotted and lined and known to few. “How could that come to be,” he wondered and marveled out loud, but with a boyish smile still kindled across his face. "Can you make any sense of it?"
Sah wasn't sure why, though he suspected that Deimos was the cause, but the creature extended one of its arms for them to view. "Incredible," he breathed, leaning forward slightly to get a better look. Although in a language that he wasn't fluent in, it was somewhat familiar. He could have sworn that he'd seen the script somewhere.
It clicked, and Sah shook his head. "I think I've seen it in the Greatwood, in the village. But I can't interpret it." He tilted his head at the creature, "Did you eat a book? Is that what happened?" If the animal was translucent, maybe its previous meal was visible. That would certainly be an interesting trait.
Sah could have his suspicions. Deimos would give nothing over, save for his curiosity, listening as the fellow Abandoned began to surmise the possibilities. The Greatwood village served as a well of memories – of chances, friends, and loved ones taken, of pits and sacrifices to ancient beings, of books beneath carved runes, ruins, and pieces apparently never meant to last.
But instead of drowning in that murk, he rose above, years away from the flights of regard and heartache; eyes roaming over the script again. “Interesting. Where in the village? The Undercroft?”
As for the question – the creature couldn’t answer or understand Sah. It blinked, threatening to recoil its tentacle back into place, but Deimos repeated it just the same. Only thereafter did it seem to understand, in vague terms, before nodding once.
