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Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
Somehow, Sah found himself back in Torchline post-fight with an incredibly dangerous void creature for the second time this season. The Oerwoud Void Guardian had been a nasty creature, and the Wild Thunder wouldn't be able to get the image of Noah skewered through by its vines out of his head anytime soon. Thankfully they had all survived and the Oerwoud was on its way to returning to normal. The Abandoned wasn't sure if the region would heal on its own now that the void was purged from it, or if a team would need to go in and burn the remaining traces of purple. But that was a problem for later and not mere days after the encounter.
Needing the solitude, Sah had sought out the shadowed beach beneath Aumakua. Sitting cross-legged on the sand, he tilted his head back to gaze at the stars. They were bright tonight, and he hoped that Safrin was pleased with what they had accomplished.
Sah's solitude will be interrupted by the crunch of footsteps on pebbles and sand; the Wild Thunder may have been alone upon coming down onto the beach, but the small rowboat dragged onto the shore nearby is about to change that. It's true that Jack could just as easily use The Ark to sail from Kaiholo Port out here to the lighthouse, but for all of her many advantages, his ship still takes up a lot of room and attracts a lot of notice. And the good captain's business tonight requires a modicum of subtlety.
So he's used a rowboat to reach the shores of Aumakua, his footsteps only slowing as he senses the other man's presence. Jack, of course, had felt the prickle of Sah's mind before actually seeing him in the flesh, but given that he can't find any open hostility in his thoughts (yet), he doesn't choose to alter course. And so with a heavy-looking burlap sack over one shoulder, Jack makes to amble by and up towards the pale stone of the lighthouse itself.
The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention and Sah glanced over to assess the approaching figure. A quick scan makes recognition light up in him and he lets out a contemplative hum. This was the other Abandoned from the first void creature mess this season. Damn fucking cat.
Sah nodded at the man as he drew closer, "Good evening. How have you been holding up since the void sea panther attack?" He didn't know the man's name as there hadn't been time for introductions in the chaos, and they all parted swiftly afterward. Still, it was good to see that the man was seemingly alright.
Given the time and location, his fellow Abandoned may have been here to visit the shrine. Or maybe just to watch the stars. Sah had found that they were occasionally difficult to see deep in the city in the light of so many torches. He refrained from asking, even if he was certainly curious.
there exists a tipping point between gods and monsters
At least they can agree on that much; damn fuckin' cat, indeed. The recognition is enough to have the captain's footsteps slowing a little and he pauses to glance across towards the other man. "Still alive, more or less," he says, shifting the burlap sack over one shoulder. "I'll be glad if I don't see another one this lifetime, though." Ha, get it? Because he's immortal? Yeah, you get it. "You?" He hadn't seen him get all that hurt apart from at the end when the thing, y'know, exploded, but whatever.
Glancing slowly from the Aumakua overhead and then back to Sah, the Wild Thunder isn't alone in his curiosity, though just because he wants to know something doesn't necessarily mean the captain is going to be forthcoming. "Jack." He introduces himself nevertheless, nodding towards him. "You ain't a Torcher, are you?"
"Good." Sah had been worried about the man and Flora for a bit there. Thankfully Ronin and Remi arrived when they did.
He grimaced at Jack's words, nails digging into the grass beneath him Gods, Sah didn't even want to think about another one of those things running around. "Same here. I've always been more of a dog person anyway." Not that normal cats weren't cute. Wolves were just better.
When the question was turned on him, Sah nodded, "I'm fine. It wasn't focused on attacking me for most of it, and I was able to get healed quickly." The explosion had been...a thing. But thankfully, Sah had been able to walk away and spend an evening getting clean and making the most of his meager healing magic. It still wasn't his strong suit, but it worked well enough for moderate injuries, even if it took a few rounds.
The following introduction was a pleasant surprise, "Sah. Good to officially meet you." He shook his head, "Halovian."There was something about Jack's demeanor that had him asking his next question with a slight tilt of his head, "I'm guessing that you're a born and raised Torcher? Or at least, you've lived here for a while." Jack had the sharp eyes and surface-level laid-back attitude that he'd seen in many of the people who called the region home.
Neither a cat nor a dog person, but with a special dislike for felines (his companion says ha ha, pull the other one), Jack remains impassive in response to Sah's comment, though he does cast his eyes back towards the water. "They usually keep out at sea." Usually. There have been two on Torchline's shores in recent years, though, so that probably says something about how things are going in general.
Inclining his head as the other man's name falls officially from his lips, Jack's eyebrows do raise to hear that he's in the presence of a Halovian so far from home. "You're well south of where you should be," he says. "At Longheat, too? I thought you lived for the cold up there." Not that he'd know - he's barely seen the region but for the wildest edges of it. (So far, so unimpressed, he might add).
"Mm, born in Kaiholo," he confirms. "Well, enjoy your time here. Don't do anythin' I wouldn't." Shit to do, illegal stuff to bury, you know how it is.
Sah nodded, "Hopefully, they'll stay out there for the foreseeable future." He'd heard about the prior sighting through the rumor mill. Whether they were coming to shore for food or because something was driving them out of the water was the question. Neither sounded good.
The younger Abandoned let out a laugh, "Oh, I do." He needed snow to be happy. "I had some things I needed to take care of here. Then the panther attacked, and there was zero chance of me leaving without helping." Especially not when Noah was in danger.
By things to take care of, meaning seeing if he could withstand Torchline's heat at its highest. Sah had the sinking suspicion that Soleil might want to move to Torchline one day. Her love of the sunny region was obvious, and the Wild Thunder couldn't imagine going an entire season without seeing his daughter. So, he needed to be able to handle spending at least a few days here during Longheat. Somehow, he hadn't melted yet, so it was doable. However, he'd probably dive into the snow as soon as he was home.
So, his intuition was correct. Good. "I will, thanks." With that, the conversation lulled and Sah returned to watching the stars as Jack left to carry out his nighttime objectives.
