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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!
Offerings weren’t an unfamiliar process; multitudes were left at the altars for the Old Gods day after day. What made these ones different was the necessity of a rainbow theme, and as much as Deimos wasn’t ever inclined to specific hues and colors on his designations, he’d been nonetheless amused.
There’d been some inclination to perhaps journey to the Rainbow Road and snag stones from the blend of colors, but offering something contorted and created by Frey felt like swindling. Instead, he’d gone into the greenhouse, which while Frey hastened and designed, everything grown within had been by Halo hands. From there, he’d taken his bag of holding and grabbed an array of fruits and vegetables in the necessary blends: red apples, oranges, lemons, green peppers, blueberries, indigo-esque plums, and some violet-hued grapes.
So upon arrival, Amhran and Elizabeth would find him arranging the platter, spread out on a large, silvern plate, and some cream aside for when he was completed. Arching his brow, and turning his head from the designations and altar, he grinned back at them. “What did you bring?”
You have power over your mind - not outside events.
Elizabeth had thought long and hard about the request for 'rainbow themed' offerings for Frey. Having never met the herald, she didn't have the slightest inkling as to what they might like. She knew they were partial to nature and sex, but that didn't give her any idea except flowers. And she was trying not to be too basic. However, an idea had quite literally fallen in her lap as she'd been reading a particularly interesting book on a hillside. As if sent by Frey themself, a feather had landed perfectly in the middle of her pages. Her eyes had lit up with excitement as she dropped everything to search out more of the colorful plumage. It had taken her all afternoon, but by the end, she had a rainbow of brightly hued feathers. Some were solid while others had stripes or specks. One even contained an inky black that changed colors in the light, like oil on water.
So with her bundle of quills in hand, Elizabeth joined Deimos at the shrine. She gave him a warm smile, setting her offering on the altar in a fan of every color imaginable. "I didn't have many ideas, but I thought Frey might appreciate the poetry." Especially considering the fact that birds often used their bright feathers as ways to entice mates. Her eyes scanned the arrangement of designated colored produce, nodding in admiration. "You definitely went about it very practically." It wasn't an insult, but an astute observation of the methodical organization of each component which didn't surprise her coming from the serious Warden.
It's true that flowers are basic, and whilst Amhran had literally been one once, even he is on the lookout for something a little more quirky for Rae's herald. It's a search that had taken him deep into Snowcloak and into all of the stalls and businesses, until eventually he finds what he's looking for with wide eyes and obvious awe. It's with a similar (if not slightly dampened down) expression that he slips into the shrine, offering a bright smile to Deimos and Elizabeth.
"Sorry I am late," he says, setting down the box he carries and carefully opening it to remove his offering. A delicate suncatcher prism hangs suspended from a silver chain, casting gentle rainbows onto the walls as it refracts the light from the altar candles. Reaching up to hang it from a small hook, he clasps his hands together. "There. I think that will work, right?"
Glancing towards the quills and feathers, he smiled – the look was pleasing to the eye, and even if there was some insult to his, he could only snort. “I did find something else too,” he mentioned, pulling the coup de gras out of his bag in the form of a cake clearly meant to convey all the pigments and shades of the rainbow.
Amhran’s appearance and designation of the prism earned his grin and approval as well. “That should do very nicely.” Especially with the way the daylight snagged and caught on the pendulum, sending out arrays of beams and gradients of color.
Thereafter, he figured they could work on presentation. “We can arrange all of these together,” perhaps the feathers surrounding the food, under the prism…but he’d let them assist and decide too. He already began to maneuver the large plate of hue-laden fruits and vegetables beneath the refractions, considering the parameters and ease near the altar. “And then say a few words to Frey themselves.” Wondering whether Elizabeth or Amhran had ever been to a shrine, and once knowing how ignorant he’d felt upon initial tries, he offered some encouragement and ideas. “It could be gratitude, acknowledgment of their skills, something that impresses you…Frey has done a great many things for Halo, and that should never be forgotten.”
You have power over your mind - not outside events.
Elizabeth spotted the cake with open delight. "That looks delicious." She didn't mention that it made her want to try the pastry for herself. Her mouth watered slightly despite the meal she'd had before coming. However, she didn't think that Frey would like to see bites missing from their offering.
When the final member of their crew showed up, Elizabeth gave him a warm and welcome smile, no blame present for being the last to arrive. Instead, her eyes widened at the light being reflected from the suncatcher. It threw delicate rainbows across the floor, sparkling brilliantly. "Wow! That's so pretty, Amhran." She couldn't imagine Frey not liking the unique item and made a mental note to get one for herself later. Her office could always use more decorations. Contrary to her own opinion, most people didn't consider books as decorations.
Speaking of decorations, Deimos was then directing them to display the offerings in an appealing manner. Elizabeth didn't hesitate to splay the colorful feathers out in a fan around the platter of foods and cake. She tried to make sure the colors complimented each other in a pleasant gradient and when she'd finished, she stepped back to admire their work with a satisfied nod before moving on to the other reason for their visit.
Just as Deimos thought, the Abandoned hadn't been able to practice her prayers very frequently, especially considering how her most recent shrine visit had gone. However, she got the general concept and clasped her hands with lowered eyes. Without a second thought, she launched into her prayer to the deity. "Frey, thank you for providing your assistance in protecting Halo once more. Your power continues to astound us. We have not forgotten the help you've willingly given over the years, and we hope to continue our close relationship. Please accept these offerings as a token of our appreciation." After a moment of reverent silence, Elizabeth raised her head to look towards the others, hoping that she'd said the right thing.
Also somewhat enamored by the rainbow cake, Amhran is clearly of a mind with Elizabeth, and he promptly puts his attention elsewhere to avoid any missing, bite-shaped sections from the confection. "I am glad you like it. Your feathers are lovely as well," he tells the Abandoned, and if she were to ask him afterwards, he'd gladly share details of the place where he'd procured it.
Stepping forward as well to assist with the arrangement, Amhran ensures the prism and its silver chain are hanging just so over the feathers and treats, and he smiles at the bounty once they consider it complete. Once more feeling a kindred spirit in Elizabeth, the Raeling hasn't had any occasion to practice his prayers since replacing roots with toes, and he listens as she speaks with an encouraging smile, before adding his own.
"I have only been in Halo a short time, but I can sense your presence all around the Citadel, in all you have done for it so far. I am grateful to live in a place so touched with your power, and I hope I can contribute to it as well." Belatedly clasping his hands and bowing his head briefly, Amhran glances back up at Deimos for approval as well.
The presentation came together nicely – prisms refracting across more blends and hues, feathers cast in an array, food hastened from the threshold Frey had granted them years before, combined into something pleasing. As long as Frey appreciated it, that was all that mattered in the end, but they’d given their best efforts.
He watched and waited as the others bowed their heads; the inexperience showed, but the words conveyed were true and worthwhile, and he granted a very vague, if sort of proud grin for their efforts. The Sword granted both a quick wink too, to ease any trepidations or uncertainties, and then followed through on his own words, head bowing towards the shrine, eyes closed, a long breath flowing through his chest, before granting another low rumble along the altar. “Thank you again Frey, for everything you have given and granted to Halo. Without you, this region could not have thrived.”
Once they’d all said their pieces, he granted one final nod. “There. Well done. That should do it.” Simplistic – no need to venture out into the unknown or maul beasts; that’d be for later purposes. “Come on, we can go find more of those cakes.” He’d seen their avaricious glances, after all.
