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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!
On the rare opportunity to travel, the Caretaker took it upon herself to view animals in their natural habitat. And though she’d done so amidst the beautiful plains of King’s End and Torchline before, Halo and its lovely and lively creatures had been out of reach – mostly due to time. So she grabbed her best parka, matching gloves and hat, and took a sojourn along one of the skyboats into the Citadel’s port.
Mittens appreciated the outing very much, and she could only grin as the abominable snowball seemed right at home – twirling about as they strode across the Greenwing. Unbothered by the snow and cold, or perhaps unaware this was the warmest it’d be, Lena eventually found herself a decent-sized rock by the stream, and set up a makeshift camp of her basket and notebook. “What do you think?” she whispered to her companion, only receiving a light grumble in response as it began perusing the babbling brook.
By then, she’d heard the telltale signs of frost foxes, and stilled, waiting for them to come by.
The pups had improved and grow enough that Sah felt comfortable taking them beyond the Citadel's walls. The Greenwing seemed like the best spot. With a pup in h87and and the other two being carried by Lilly and Pad respectively, the group found themselves in a calm clearing. At first, all seemed well. The puppies chased each other around in the grass, their white coats occasionally blending in with the snow. Lilly chaperoned, dropping into a play bow and leading the race in an effort to keep the pups close. Such games were beneath Pad, so the dark wolf stayed curled up beneath an evergreen alongside Sah.
It was a cracking sound that alerted the group. Then it was the thud of small paws. The Wild Thunder glanced over to see a frost fox tumble out of the foliage and join the game. Taken aback, he watched with wonder as the little canine quickly integrated with the wolf pups. Before Lilly could react, the four raced out of the clearing and into the bushes.
Sah broke into a job to keep them in sight with Lilly and a reluctant Pad following him.
Meanwhile, the group broke through the greenery only to spot a Lena. The fastest of the puppies skidded to a halt at the sight of an unknown person, the other two and the fox crashing into them and sending the entire group tumbling. Sah was right behind them and witnessed the small disaster.
Snickering, he sat down in the grass to supervise as they got to their feet and resumed their game. Spotting Lena, he smiled, "Hey, Lena. Long time no see."
When she heard the initial, telltale cracking, she got her notebook at the ready, charcoal in gloved hand eager to write across blank pages – delighted and still as the singular fox took a drink from the stream, and she began to sketch. She’d only gotten so far as the head and a roughened portion of fur when all chaos seemed to break hold – more icy conjectures, padding of feet, panting from canines –
And she glanced over, to see the incoming rampage of companions and foxes alike. Mittens hissed in disapproval, launching itself higher and out of the melee. “Goodness,” she laughed, incapable of controlling the array of giggles as they bundled together and slammed about. “Is everyone all right?” she chirped in response, shaking her head as Sah appeared – not startled by the notions, but content to see the Wild Thunder. With a little wave, presuming her research would be done for the moment, she greeted. “How are you? These all yours?”
Sah kept one watchful eye on the pup's game as he returned the wave, "Good." One of the pups took a nosedive and was quickly puppy-piled by siblings and fox alike. Chuckling, the Abandoned shook his head, "Just the wolves are. The fox is wild but joined in to play today." Though he was certainly hesitant to part with the adorable creature. Maybe he could make this a regular outing with the pups?
Nodding at Lilly, the silver wolf went to supervise so that Sah could focus on the conversation. Pad came up and curled up beside his bonded, the dark wolf's head resting on the Abandoned's thigh as Sah spoke. "The pups are new. Lilly adopted them just a few weeks ago." That had been a surprise to wake up, to say the least. Thankfully he'd had help in getting them settled in.
Sah's eyes ran over Lena with concern, "But, how have you been? Are you still living in Stormbreak?" She seemed okay, but last he heard, the Family had their claws in the region, and one of their own had taken the crown. Dahia, if he recalled correctly.
“Interesting. I always thought they were shy,” but at that note, she jotted the newfound notions off the side of her journal, before placing all her attention back on the chaotic array of canines and vulpines alike. “And congratulations on the newest family members.” While Mittens didn’t seem overly impressed – scowling at them as it hovered above the mayhem – the Caretaker was all the more delighted in the incredible foolishness on display.
She didn’t expect to see, or hear, the concern as she drew her gaze back to Sah. Her own features muddled away from the bright grins and smiles, a glance back to the long green and white horizon instead. “I’ve been all right. We have some plans in place now, where we didn’t before.” She wasn’t about to showcase what those were – protective of notions not yet fully developed – but she could at least answer the last inquiry. “I am – I have no intention of giving everything over to them.” Who them was would be the Family, and especially Dahlia, but she wouldn’t give any clues in case they were listening across the wild winds. Nor would she leave Stormbreak – her home, her occupation, her entire life beyond, because of some invading force. “I quit the council. I wasn’t going to serve - ,” she cut herself off, and then shrugged; trusting Sah would comprehend. “What have you been up to?”
Sah nodded, "I did as well." He watched as the fox leaped onto the back of one of the wolf pups. "Maybe the younger ones are just especially playful with other canines?" The fox was small. But he'd never seen a frost fox so maybe they all were. The congratulations were appreciated, and he glanced at Lena with a warm smile, "Thank you." The house was certainly getting crowded—three adults, three companion wolves, and now three wild wolves.
He listened intently as Lena spoke of Stormbreak's internal strength and filled in the blanks. "I'm glad to hear it." There wasn't much more he could say than that. But pride filled him to hear that Caido's people were still standing tall in the most dangerous of places. It gave him hope.
The Abandoned took the change of topic with a nod, "I've been alright." The Tournament felt almost like a lifetime ago with how rapidly things had progressed. It had taken him time and Safrin's approval to recover from the trauma as much as he had. "I've been keeping up with my training and traveling some." Sah's eyes were drawn to the sky above them. "There's so much to do, and when I have spare time, I try to help where I can."
Running a hand over Pad's back, Sah continued, "There's something that I've been debating for a while now." The Wild Thunder's brow furrowed as he tried to find the right words before his eyes returned to Lena's, "How did...how did you go about asking to become an Attuned? If I'm allowed to ask that." Sah wasn't sure how private of a topic it was and he sincerely hoped that he hadn't crossed an unknown line with his inquiry.
With no more questions geared towards Stormbreak, the Caretaker eased her mind off of political machinations, and more along the sketches across her page. Pondering over the semantics of the frost foxes was vastly more entertaining to her, especially if this little one was simply an outlier, but then she was inclining her head back towards Sah, listening as he described his latest ventures.
“I think we all feel that way,” when it came to time management, and the multitudes of things to be done. While she didn’t keep up with any sort of training (though more than once shed pondered if she should be taking up some self-defense notions, even if she feared weapons as a whole), there were hordes of other things to accomplish. “Have you heard about the flowers at Frey’s Breath?” Or rather, how they were all trying to gather with no such luck yet?
His following inquiry surprised her, enough to drop her charcoal along the page and give him her full attention. “I don’t mind saying,” she smiled, gentle and serene. “All of my family were Accepted, but I always knew my devotion.” The Caretaker had never been drawn to ridding the world of Ascended, or any form of racist overtures – she’d been of balance and benevolence. “I asked Frey when I was old enough to know what I wanted. It was very simple – and they opened up a portion of my soul that allowed for shifting.” Much could be the same for any Attuned. “Were you thinking of becoming one?” Hybrids were scarce, but strong, powerful, and potent in their own right, and though they’d long since leaned away from the prejudice against Abandoned, she could imagine most heralds would be content to alter the entities into something of their own liking.
Sah sighed, "Yes. Apart from the one in Ray's wand, I've heard that no one has had any luck. I'm planning to search as well." The more people scouring the springs, the higher their chances of success. It was frustrating how difficult the flowers were to find, discouraging even. If it was possible, the Abandoned hoped that they could find enough to have a supply on hand should a region fall.
The Wild Thunder blinked when Lena dropped her charcoal, opening his mouth to apologize, only to close it as Lena began to speak. Her certainty in her choices soothed some of the hesitance that had been festering for years, "I am. I've considered it briefly on multiple occasions." Sah's eyes were drawn to the pups playing. "The inclination has been growing steadily, and I think I'm ready to ask." There had been multiple incidences lately where he'd wished that he'd had access to the Attuned bond in battle.
Beyond that and more importantly, the idea of regaining paws had always appealed. But the grief of never regaining his original form due to his species not existing in Caido had ached and left him hollow. It had made the idea of becoming an Attuned unfathomable at first. It'd have only hurt him to be so close yet so far.
But now that he'd been in Caido for so long, things had changed. Sah flexed his fingers against his knee as he pondered. This form was familiar now. He felt settled in the world around him. It no longer felt like it'd be a loss or sacrifice to hybridize but instead an opportunity. The Abandoned had been feeling for some time that he was beginning to reach the edge of what he could accomplish on his own. It was time to open himself up to new possibilities and new beginnings. To stretch his power beyond the magic in his blood and further devote himself to his sworn goddess.
Sah ran a hand through his hair, refocusing on the conversation, "I'm fairly certain that Safrin would be willing to do it for me. I'm just not sure how to go about asking." He'd be asking her to remake him in a way. Was he worthy of that? He was hers, yes. And hybridizing would just be an extension of that loyalty. Still, it felt like too big of an ask.
Picking her charcoal back up after the initial shock, she persisted in outlining the frost fox’s fur, watching as it glided amongst and amidst the rest of the folly with amusement. “Good,” she mused. “I keep going when I have the opportunity. With so many of us venturing there, something is bound to turn up.” Perhaps a foolish display of optimism and determination, but sometimes that was all they had to combat the ulterior motives and forces surrounding and pervading the lands.
Unaware of Sah’s past, the Caretaker could only preside in what was offered, and she tilted her head, studying him briefly. Perhaps the notions had been a heavy weight, but Lena couldn’t ascertain why - though she’d had the Stormbreak education ever since her birth, of dedication to gods, of presiding in faith, of rendering allegiance and beliefs into her blood and bone. The lingering question there though confused her, and her brows furrowed slightly. “You do just that. Ask.” And while the feeling might’ve been monumental, the inquiry didn’t have to be. “Ensure you are confident in your choice,” to which she gave a grin. “What do you think your first shift would be?”
Sah nodded, "Definitely." Every time someone searched, the higher the probability that one of the lilies would turn up. They had to stay positive and keep up that hope. Otherwise, the strength that the Family had already shown would lead them to despair. The power gap was already apparent and intimidating if one thought about it for too long.
The simplicity of Lena's answer surprised him and the Abandoned's eyes widened. Just ask. Was it truly so simple? He chuckled lightly, "I suppose you're right." It was that simple. He'd reflect on the choice for a bit longer, perhaps till the end of the season. But Sah's heart was all but set already. He just didn't wish to rush it like Lena advised against.
Her grin was met with one of his own, "A wolf." While there was still minor uncertainty in the notion of hybridizing, there was none here. Sah might have settled into his new body and life, but the wolf within him had never vanished. It'd be wonderful to truly hunt with his pack on four paws. An idea that Pad agreed with as the dark wolf's ears twitched at the statement. His companion's eagerness was apparent through the bond.
Sah tilted his head curiously, "What was your first shift?"
She placed finishing touches on the ear tufts before rounding her gaze back towards Sah, a brow arching at the sudden, but clear and certain, choice (if he had a say). Lena didn’t know him well enough to be a judge of character and mannerisms – but maybe it’d be fitting, out there across the tundra, wolves at heart and mind.
Humming lightly at the question directed back at her, she adjusted her stance on the rock only slightly, wondering if her art, her intrigue, or her musings might’ve given her away long before. “An arctic fox.” Closely related to the frosty vulpines here, and her grin broadened. “Then a cockatoo. I recently acquired another too.” Keeping it a secret, for now, she indulged in a slight shrug. “You’ll find more as you grow in Attunement too, probably much like your magic.”
An arctic fox? How fitting. Sah chuckled lightly at Lena's secrecy. Her advice made him hum in thought. Were magic and shifts so similar? He'd have to ask Deimos next time he saw him.
The Abandoned tilted his head, "Does it ever get crowded? In your mind, I mean. I've heard that shifts sometimes influence people's personalities. Wouldn't more or conflicting shifts be difficult to manage?" Or perhaps it was a similar situation to magic where one or two were more dominant and thus drowned out the 'voices' of the others when they weren't in use. Sah's lightning was a constant presence in some manner. A hum in the rush of his blood or a pulsing warmth in the beat of his heart. Sometimes it was quiet if he was focused on something, but it was always present.
The question gave her pause, for she’d never really thought about it before. “I think it depends on the situation,” she started to explain, brows furrowing as she mused within and alongside. “I have felt that need to flee quite often lately,” as one could surmise with recent experiences with Stormbreak being run by Dahlia herself, and so many other circumstances. “But I can’t tell if it’s always because of the shifts in my soul, or if that would be my initial reaction, regardless.” Brave and stalwart, but not dashing, daring, or dauntless enough to throw her entire entity into the fray. She’d much prefer to be in the background, healing, mending, or tending, tossing about ideas. Maybe that meant she was wise, or terrified. Perhaps someone could be both.
Flicking another tuft of fur across her drawing’s head, she weighed out other matters. “It probably depends on what the shifts are too – especially if you have prey and predator ones intertwined.” She shrugged her shoulders – because everyone’s experiences would be different. “But I’ve never had one dominating over another.”
Sah hummed as he listened to Lena, turning her words over his head. "That seems logical." It sounded complex and individualistic, but the premise wasn't too hard to wrap his mind around. The idea of a shift making him want to flee was concerning, but hopefully, sticking to predatory ones (if he had the choice) would alleviate that risk. All in all, though? It sounded worth it.
There was a sudden yelp as one of the pups took a nosedive after stumbling over a rock. Once again, the entire hoard was sent down in a rolling tumble of paws and tails. Sah snorted out a laugh and whistled at the chaotic pile, "Ok, enough, you crazy pups. It's time for your lunch." The pups' ears perked up and they trotted over to Sah, still nipping at each other's ears.
Standing up, he flicked off a leaf that clung to his pants before giving the Attuned a warm smile, "Thank you for your advice and time. It's been truly helpful." He ran a hand through his hair, finally putting into words what had been on his mind for seasons and what Lena had helped him finalize. "Safrin willing, I'll be a hybrid next time we meet."
With another nod of thanks, the Abandoned led his rambunctious pack home. Much to his surprise, the fox stayed with them all way until the Citadel was in sight before vanishing back into the snow.
