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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!
Hadama sighed and relaxed back against the edge of the hot springs, tilting his head up to the starry sky above. A mertail stretched out in the water beneath him, dark scales echoing the starry heavens above with pinpoints of light and swirls of distant nebulae, cut by scars of gold that glinted in the play of light and shadow that filtered through the water's surface.
"These are lovely." The rumble of his voice was a quiet, contented murmur of appreciation for the hard work that had gone into creating the sacred springs. For a few minutes, at least, there was peace to be had in the world, even if it was a fleeting, illusory thing. Still, he would not waste those precious moments, so few and far between. Who knew what new disaster or tragedy or chaos would be unfolding when he returned to Torchline? bouncy balls. The answer was bouncy balls.
But at last he sighed again, taking in the soothing steam and letting it out in a slow breath through his nose before he raised his head and turned to look at his host. A single brow rose in invitation as he steeled himself for the necessity of what came next. "Business first?"
Any moment Deimos had considered “relaxing” was fast and fleeting; moments he could scrape away out of the lacquered, hardened enamel of bedlam. He’d, at the very least, had some days in between the event and present, leaving him less mired in trepidation, harsh realities, and coated apprehension, and more acclimated to the cold fixtures of brooding configurations, machinations beginning to surmise multitudes.
But now he served as a warning and messenger, leaning against his favorite spot in the springs, sinking up to his jawline while the Tidebreaker extended compliments. “Thank you. Safrin did a wonderful job,” as she so often did. Halo was honored to carry the banner of starlit, cosmic bliss.
A long sigh filtered through him, before he began to summon the notions all over again, though through the attuned bond, in case any passing, invisible Vox contortions lingered near. Dorian, the Head of the Family, came to see me. His jawline clenched again, eyes narrowing as his glance went to pockets of water and plumes of heat, rather than anywhere else. Gave me a proposal of safety for Halo - if I stopped interfering with the Family. Pausing, to give Hadama a moment to take it all in - his brow arched, waiting to see the reaction. I declined, but wanted everyone aware of what they are attempting to pull.
who we were before bones, before dirt, before even light we have always been deep, restless souls
Though it had been brief, the opportunity to relax in the sacred pools was bolstering to the demigod, giving him the strength to face the trials and tribulations that pressed them once more. Soon enough would come more machinations; depths to delve, fights to undertake, powers and weapons alike to hone in the name of defending their homes, their families, their world. But tonight, at least, there was time to let their muscles recover even if their minds were still bent upon the anvil of war.
He nodded at the praise to Safrin, content in their shared deity, and let his eyes drift closed a moment before the reason for his hurried arrival was made clear. The name was... unfamiliar, in any personal sense. But the title was far too close to home, and not even the hot waters of the spring could stop the coldness in his chest. Emerald eyes opened, a thin line of tension creasing his brow even before Deimos continued with a proposal that whispered of Familial poison. A temptation, to be sure...
But he stayed silent, both within the Bond and without it, holding his breath and his words until the Warden relayed his response. Only then did Hadama incline his head deeply and breathe again, turning his own gaze back to the reflections of celestial majesty amidst the steam. Thank you. I doubt that Torchline will receive such an offer. Not with Flora's many antics behind them, or the protections underway. But the other regions... One he trusted as well as Halo, its leader an ally unlikely to be caught a second time. Not with so many who would know if Sunjata became reinfected. But... Do you think the Hollowed Grounds might accept?
Quiet, his muscles enjoyed the lull, the listless warmth basking at his limbs. His mind wasn’t relaxed though, and it might’ve taken far more time for it to not bear down on machinations and stratagems. The silence was another foreboding thing; waiting for either Hadama to tell him he was foolish, that he should’ve taken the offer, that there would be some perilous judgment in the wake of decisions, the ebb and flow of persistence and perseverance –
But none of that came. His eyes narrowed, focused on galaxies spinning in the tranquil pool, jaw clenching, then not, long, slow breaths compelled from his lungs, sliding past his ribcage.
Deimos wasn’t sure if he felt certain about anything nowadays – everything a tightrope, one single wrong move, an erroneous step taking them off the ledge. I would not put it past them to try something else. An inveigling lure, meant to entice, to snare; to justify the means. They’d already tried it with death. I already let Sunjata know, and have sent letters to Ronin and Remi. Hopeful, perhaps, that Hadama would inform Flora on his own.
But in all his haste, he could admit he hadn’t considered the Grounds. Perhaps he should’ve, given Kiada, yet, they always seemed to be quiet – patiently waiting, stalking, Danta carefully and covertly guiding his compatriots into ridding the void creatures away. I am not sure. They do not seem to be heavily involved with bombarding the Family. Even with the Maverick’s anger towards the body placed within their range – and the Sword’s offerings of ideas, he hadn’t heard too many particulars on their obstructive means. So maybe they will remain unscathed. Unbothered. Not trifled with. Safe because of their hushed ministrations; rather than everyone else’s combative sway.
who we were before bones, before dirt, before even light we have always been deep, restless souls
The revelation of the Family Head's offer had been utterly unexpected, but that the Resurrected Sword had held stalwart against it was not. What was a promise made to mortals by the emissaries of the Void? Even if it had held until the rest of Caido had fallen, it would only have resulted in Halo standing alone and without remaining allies; the last to be swallowed down the black maw. Time, yes, but purchased at a price that would come due eventually.
No, Hadama would not judge Deimos a fool for seeing beyond the next few seasons and making his decision accordingly.
Though perhaps he was, himself, being overconfident in thinking he had no levers left for the Family to pull. His tail moved slowly through the water, an undulation that did not quite break the surface as he considered the warning and then nodded slowly in agreement. Your point is taken. A solemn acknowledgment of wisdom, and a readiness to be on his guard.
The Hollowed Grounds were a point of concern, but only because Hadama did not know the leadership well enough to guess at their motivations. Friends of Flora, and of Deimos, but not of the Tidebreaker. Though given that they had continued to keep their hands out of any obvious rebellions against the new would-be masters of Caido...
Indeed. There may be no need to bribe them, if they are not a threat. A raised brow then, a flicker of wry acknowledgment through the bond that Deimos most certainly was a threat, and large enough that the Family sought to remove him from the conflict without risking themselves further.
Once the Citadel and the Coast are free of such... visitations... would you consider another trip to our garden? Was the subterfuge necessary within the bond? Perhaps not, but the habit was ingrained now, and it caused no harm to maintain it.
The temptation to sink beneath the mirror’s visage and façade lingered, and he slid further down, so the water reached over his jaw, felt the intermingling of the warmth gravitate there too. Listening now, rather than extending all the announcements, brow arching slightly at the indications of threats (and Deimos himself never believing he’d amounted to one; a sobering thought). I will let Dantalion know either way. Precautionary, a heads up as he’d delivered to Remi and Ronin. He wouldn’t expect a reply or response, especially where Kiada was having her honeymoon, and the Maverick’s own warnings from earlier in the season.
Even those days felt like eons away from the present, and his gaze maneuvered back to Hadama. I think that may be wise. Sooner, rather than later, if they could scrounge up the other portions to the team. I am not certain if you know Alys, but she is a Seer, and informed me she had visions of whatever lurked in the water.
who we were before bones, before dirt, before even light we have always been deep, restless souls
A pulse of silent acknowledgment met the Sword's promise to contact the Maverick. Or perhaps to contact Kiada, who seemed to handle most of the Grounds' correspondence. It was all that he could ask for, and he let out a slow breath and slid low enough in the water to let his head rest back upon the rounded stones of the edge, cushioned by his braid. Face tilted towards the sky, he watched the stars above through half-closed eyes, stretching his tail out in the hot water and letting its healing properties sink into every muscle and sinew.
We have met, he concurred, though there was a slow hesitation there as he pulled up the memory of the dark-haired woman from distant recollection. I do not know her well. Did not know that she had the gift of foresight, though such a thing could be of great use. Was there detail of what to guard against? Or something more of what to expect, beyond Koa's vague warnings from Safrin on the next challenge.
His own eyes went across the mirror; along pathways of overhanging Palaces and piles of snow, to a world he protected with every breath. Sentiments of persistence, of perseverance, of promises and convictions knelt in between the lines of cobblestones and pathways, where the hardened sanctions of Halovians lived and defied. And he’d always do the same, head low, gaze on the necessities, on the fundamentals.
That Hadama knew Alys in passing was enough, and he inclined his head, tilting it back towards the springs, the nourishing warmth. Much like fragments. Dripping water, an enormous underground space. Much like Safrin’s warnings, written in Koa’s books. Flickers of bright violet, writhing, markings on something enormous. With many, many tentacles.
who we were before bones, before dirt, before even light we have always been deep, restless souls
Hadama listened within the Attuned bond, though outwardly he remained at ease within the steaming water. They had known they would be facing something in water, far beneath the surface of the island, but the writhing and the tentacles... That will be... interesting. A cautious observation; an understatement worth long, quiet consideration. Difficult to guard against. But perhaps easier to deal with then the Wyrm. If the tentacles could reach them, they could reach the tentacles, after all. And the magic of the Sword and the Tidebreaker was well-suited to such combat, unlike the Mire Wyrm's penchant for burrowing out of reach and using the inanimate geology against them.
But they had a way to draw it to them, now, and Hadama breathed deeply of the steam before he turned his mind to their previous business. This... Dorian. What did he look like? And he listened gravely to the description that followed before lapsing into silence, deep in thought.
For the moment it was enough to simply relax and enjoy the hard-won waters. Soon enough there would be further trials and tribulations, but now, in this moment, there was quiet camaraderie and a much-needed rest before they took up their burdens once more.
