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Character of the Season
From Attuned to Ascended to Ancient, Kiada Njovu-Reyes has been reborn several times throughout her short life, but her fighting spirit has never once been diminished. With beauty, grace and a quick wit, Kiada is the whole package wrapped in an infectious smile. Recent endeavours have found her in the heart of the Hollowed Grounds, aiding the region and bettering it for her new Ancient kin, and whatever she does next, we know it's sure to pack a punch.
Congratulations, Kiada!
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!
06-03-2024, 10:03 PM (This post was last modified: 06-03-2024, 10:04 PM by Lena.)
Lena
Lena hadn’t returned to the Feverlands since their recent and abysmal failure, and part of it had been just that. A reflection of their efforts, though tried and true, would be a harsh reminder of just how little they’d combatted this void.
And flying over didn’t make her feel any better – but perhaps, in lieu of anything else she could think of, they could explore, research, and scrape upon what had taken over this land, and do something about it.
She’d sent out some notices, hoping to gain some others mutual interest, before descending and arriving. Shifting back to her usual self, she examined her basket, and Mittens to ensure it too had prevailed in the flight, considering the wares, her staff, and everything else notched within: some clean, fresh water in bottles and canteens, rope, bandages, and food. She didn’t intend for them to be here for too long, but one never knew what could happen within Caido.
So she glanced around once more, waiting for others to come at the designated spot (a large looming tree, just as decrepit and purple-hued but much taller than the rest), taking in the way the earth had shifted and changed.
--
This is a PQ+ to explore/investigate/research the Feverlands current state. Please post your character arriving and anything they’re bringing along! No post order!
Lena has everything listed on her profile, and her little basket with fresh water in canteens, rope, bandages, and food.
The shameful memories of his failure during his last visit to the Feverlands made Zavien cautious as he trapsed through the trees. Each noticeable patch of Void purple had guilt piercing his heart, forcing him to glance away. But a determination had taken hold in his chest. A promise to make up for his blunders. He wouldn't fail again.
Most of the trees he passed looked the same and he found that it may not be as easy to spot the meeting place as he'd anticipated. He readjusted his large travel pack on his shoulder, pausing to question whether he had already been down this path. Was that stump there before? He could have sworn that was the same swampy mud pit... Shifting his feet nervously, he prepared to go left, when he spotted a figure landing nearby. Just maybe...
Zavien jogged towards the area, spotting a skyscaper of a tree that became obviously clear in hindsight (he may have passed it once already) as the designated rendezvous point. Far beneath its infected branches stood a familiar face and he waved a greeting accompanied by a large smile. "Hey, Lena! Thanks for the invite!" His feet bounced in excitement as he came to impatiently stand next to her, anticipation making him want to start, but politeness requiring that he wait for their final companion. Instead, he channeled the energy into an exaggerated bow to the abominable snowball. "And always a pleasure to see your snowy figure, Mittens. Do I notice more sparkle on your snow?" He winked and gave it the most winning grin he could muster.
Zavien arrives with his travel pack (camping equipment, food, water, etc.) and his sword.
reflect heavenly truth, the imagination not least.
Not having been present for the initial stand-off in the Feverlands, but seeing the notice and wanting to help, Isla finds herself setting off for the swamp at the designated time. It's been a long time since she's been to the Hanging Tree, and the Remedy isn't sure whether or not to be pleased to see it still as eerie as ever (and not for void reasons). Spying a couple of other people up ahead, she picks up her pace until Lena and Zavien come properly into view.
"Hello," she calls out, shifting her satchel on her shoulder, hopping across a few tumps of moss and grass before she can properly stand with the little group. "This is to investigate the Feverlands? I'm Isla." She smiles between them. "I'm a doctor back in Torchline. I brought medical supplies, in case anything should happen."
Isla arrives, bringing a satchel containing bandages, antiseptic, a few poultices and tonics and some pain medicine. She's also got a few vials and containers and a notebook, in case there's anything of interest to jot down or sample!
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
They all made it there, for better or for worse, and Lena was content that others were interested in trying to salvage what they could from the failed endeavors. “Thank you for coming,” she extended to both Zavien and Isla, though for the latter she held out her hand. “I’ve heard much about you. You’re running the healing guild in Torchline, right?” Fellow menders and soothers had to unite somehow.
Then there was the impending trek. Nodding at their supplies and showing her own, the Caretaker strived to her thoughts in order, walking and talking, as it were. "I was hoping we could explore, see any massive changes made, and if we come across something, we could study it.” She was certain they were all thinking of the multitudes likely to encounter, but that was a bridge they’d cross when they got there. She didn’t particularly fancy mauling any flora or fauna, but if it proved necessary…
Anyway.
They walked some paces, going away from the Hanging Tree itself into some sunken paths. Naturally, it began to diverge eventually, into three different routes. Perhaps others had traversed there recently, or not at all given the circumstances, but clearly they’d been used before.
To the right, was an ample trail surrounded by swamp and bog on both sides, eerie and purple but indicating nothing more.
To the center, a wildly overgrown path system, leading somewhere potentially with more solid ground, with some scattered trees in the distance.
To the left, the route maneuvered downward, into something nearly hollow and consumed-like; a gurgle of frogs parading along its venue.
Lena gestured to the rest of her group, surveying the surroundings, while Mittens rotated above her head obnoxiously. “Which one do you want to take?”
--
Your characters have encountered three different paths! Decide what you’d like to take. Majority rules!
Smiling at the kind newcomer, Zavien gave a short wave of greeting. "Hi Isla! I'm Zavien. Pleasure to meet you." Before he could start rambling or bombarding her with questions, he was following Lena's steady walk away from the Hanging Tree. Taking her words to heart, he scanned the surroundings as if by looking closely enough, he could observe their histories. Alas, it only aided in making his eyes hurt and he shook his head to focus on the path ahead.
As they came upon the fork, Zavien studied the options with soldierly efficiency, stepping forward to gaze as far as his eyes could see. The right would be more in line with finding something to study, considering the purple hue permeating from the depths. The middle looked difficult for a moment before promising supposedly steadier grounds. Lastly, the left gave him a suspicious feeling of unease that he couldn't quite explain.
Shrugging his shoulders, he looked to Mittens with a grin. "I'll follow your lead." Attempting to influence the snowball's decision, he drifted slowly towards the left path, certain that his gut was telling him something important.
Zavien will follow Mittens, but choosing the left path himself.
reflect heavenly truth, the imagination not least.
Flushing happily to be recognised by someone from as far away as Stormbreak, Isla offers a gentle nod. "I'm hoping to branch it out into a full guild, yes," she says. "At the moment it's just a clinic." Regardless, she and said clinic's supplies are ready and available for the endeavour, though as always, she hopes she doesn't need to use any of them.
"That sounds like a good idea," Isla agrees with Lena's approach. "If we do notice anything, perhaps it would also be good to make note of where exactly we saw it. Then we can track the void's movements overall." Much as she'd prefer to pretend it isn't there at all.
They press on nevertheless, and Isla's brow furrows as she examines the three routes. "Perhaps the centre path?" she suggests. "I have a crow shift if you need someone to look ahead on the wing - or a molten tiger if we need to go through the undergrowth."
Isla chooses the centre path!
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
“If you ever need any help, let me know,” she beamed in return, before corresponding their choices towards pathways. Zavien’s suggestion towards Mittens was met with abject and horrific glee from the snowball, who roared triumphantly and began shooting its way down the middle lane. “Center it is,” she shrugged and laughed, gathering her basket back upon her arm. Isla’s iterations sounded well and good, and it reminded the Caretaker of her own abilities to parse through, especially before they got too adrift. “I have a parrot and fox shift, so perhaps one of us should take the ground or air?” Lena didn’t have a preference, so she’d let Isla choose first.
Directing her attention to the Dragoon again, she nodded at Zavien. “If you want to follow Mittens around, we can get a lay of the land. Just make sure we don’t stray far from each other.” She wouldn’t be able to communicate as openly with either of them, given their lack of Attuned nature, and she knew better than to separate the team. “Don’t go past…,” and she looked for a particular landmark – deciding a grove of three trees clustered together would make do, pointing towards it. “There. And we can meet at that spot in a few minutes.”
--
The group has taken the center path. Explore a small patch of the area how you see fit! No post order!
Although slightly disappointed that they didn't pick the mysteriously dark depths, Zavien smiled and played along with the team. Sadly, he didn't have any shifts to contribute unless you counted being able to shift a bad situation into a good one. However, he wasn't discouraged as he followed Mittens with a bounce in his step. Turning to Lena before they split up, he gave her a respectable salute. "Yes, ma'am!" Zavien looked between Lena and Isla, adding, "Just give a holler - or whatever noise your shift makes - if you need assistance before we reconvene. I'll come running." And with that said, he headed to the right.
He kept his head on a swivel, observing for any signs of the Void or other dangers. Concerned about being caught unprepared, he unsheathed his sword, ready to hack any foliage in his way or infected creatures trying to ambush him.
Zavien heads to the right, staying vigilant with his sword at the ready.
reflect heavenly truth, the imagination not least.
Nodding to Lena and vowing to do just that, as they decide on the centre path, Isla listens carefully to the other woman and considers their options. "I'll go on the wing," she decides. "Don't be alarmed - a gore crow isn't the kindest looking creature in the world, but I assume anything here that's airborne might think twice before going after one." And she possesses limited vocals as a corvid to get their attention too, if it's needed.
"Would someone mind carrying my satchel, please?" she adds, setting down the pack with the medical supplies so she might step back and shift. And in only a few moments, Remedy becomes crow, black wings spreading as she takes flight to circle overhead and see what, if anything, of interest might be lurking in the near distance
Isla becomes a crow and circles overhead to spy anything interesting!
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
With agreements poised, each individual (or companion) took to their own chosen areas, splitting off but not completely disembarking from the team. Within an earshot of one another, they’d be able to parse through anything of interest nearby.
Zavien and Mittens, should either of them pick up Isla’s bag, would meander through portions of long grass for a while, and striving with great difficulty to not break off into pieces and portions of mud, or purple-overlaid textures and leaves. The Dragoon would be able to see a number of Devil’s Klaws situated near a large rock – what he wanted to do about that was up to him.
From Isla ’s great height, she’d be able to spot some meandering animals still a few yards off – several gilled musk deer basking in the gloom, and blind swamp rats munching on something…though they looked distinctly lavender-hued.
Lena’s attempts at rooting about as a fox came along with sniffing at the ground, striving to trace anything of value, worth, or intel. There were several mushrooms nearby, but nothing overly threatening, so she dove under and around a few more bushes and brush.
--
Zavien has spotted a few Devil’s Klaws.
Isla had spotted gilled musk deer and blind swamp rats in the distance. They haven’t noticed her yet.
Lena has found nothing.
Decide to investigate further or meet at the trees!
Before ducking into his chosen path, Zavien smiled to Isla and threw her satchel over his free arm. It was heavier than he expected, the clinking glass and unusual scents caused him to laugh in surprise. "Geez! What do you have in here? A whole hospital?" He half expected a gurney to fall out with a surgeon mid-incision. Yet he refused to peek his curious head inside the bag. His gentlemanly manners forbid him from invading a woman's privacy in such a manner.
So he turned his focus to the overlapping grasses and purple-tinged foliage, letting Mittens lead or follow at its own behest. Each step seemed to confirm the debilitating extent of the Void infection and he used his sword to avoid letting the vile objects come in contact with him or Mittens. Zavien just hoped that this was the worst portion, even though he knew that was only a naive wish. His daydreaming thoughts were quickly interrupted by the appearance of a handful (that's the zoological term for this group, right?) of Devil's Knaws ahead. They hadn't made a move to imply they had noticed him, but Zavien wasn't sure he was willing to take any chances. He'd heard stories of the horrors they bestowed upon their victims and he couldn't risk compromising the mission. Yet he also didn't want to kill them unnecessarily. Enough life had been shed already, he wouldn't contribute more.
Keeping his eyes latched on them to watch for movements, he moved in the opposite direction of the meeting place in case they decided to follow him. Perhaps he could explore more as he took the long way around. As he retreated from the handful, Zavien cut down branches to impede their attempts to stalk him.
Zavien looks at the Devil's Klaws to keep them from following as he moves past, placing branches as obstacles along the way.
reflect heavenly truth, the imagination not least.
If Isla had still been in possession of eyebrows, she might have bounced them mischievously at Zavien, as if asking him to guess just what she kept nestled within her medical bag. Alas, maybe he'll have the opportunity to find out later (the downside of that, of course, being that it would mean he'd gotten hurt).
And so whilst the rest of the group take to the ground, the gore crow circles overhead, Isla's keen eyes quickly taking in both gilled musk deer and blind swamp rats, as well as the hint of lavender that either suffuses them or their prey - neither of which seems particularly encouraging.
Letting out a caw that might simply be a passing corvid overhead circling carrion, hopefully it will be pointed enough to alert the rest of the group to the direction of the potential void infection without drawing too much attention to herself. Either way, Isla is sure to circle around a few times before flying back towards the meeting point, just in case the creatures do want to watch her for a bit.
Isla lets out a caw to tell the rest of the group the direction of the creatures she's spotted, but is sure to circle a few times before going back to the meeting point, just in case she's drawn attention to herself.
sooner or later, we all have to wake and try forgetting everything
Given Zavien ’s decision, he probably wouldn’t be surprised, upon turning around and spying upon the Devil’s Klaws again, that they had moved. A slow and subtle notion to be sure, maybe a leaf or root here and there, but enough to even make Mittens glare at them suspiciously. Otherwise, as he cut down branches, this action would upset a snake that had made its home within said tree – a violent hiss unfurling as a warning as it slid downwards.
Isla and her gore crow cover worked efficiently well. The gilled musk deer took off on normal accord, maybe they feared such an animal regardless, and the blind swamp rats only raised their heads to smell and sniff at the air, before returning to their meal. Undisturbed, she’d be able to fly back to their rendezvous point with little issue or disturbance.
Lena eventually did find something, though they were traces of plants rather than anything diabolical or horrifying, but worth noting that they hadn’t succumbed to the disturbing void yet. Perhaps not everything would. Not bothered by the lack of notions, she shrugged her little fox shoulders and carried on back towards the trees to meet with the rest, shifting back quickly to share any evidence.
--
Zavien is being stalked by Devil’s Klaws and has irritated a snake.
Isla and Lena have both made it back to the meeting point, and Isla has successfully scouted without disturbing the blind swamp rats.
Pleased to see that she's not blown her cover, Isla takes a slow circle back towards their meeting point after ensuring that she's taken note of any landmarks, and soon drops down into a landing. And a woman rises where a crow had just been, the Remedy brushing off her skirts and smiling to Lena.
"I found a gilled musk deer, which looked perfectly healthy," she says. "But also some blind swamp rats. There was something distinctly purple about them, though I don't know if they were infected or if it was whatever they were eating. Either way, it can't be good for them." Raising a hand, she indicates the general direction of the rats, confident that she'll be able to lead them in that direction if needed.
