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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!
The movements were subtle, controlled—checking his pocket watch, adjusting his gloves, brushing an invisible speck of dust from the sleeve of his jacket. Small, efficient gestures that betrayed no real concern, only an awareness of time slipping out of alignment.
His flight to the Greatwood was behind schedule. Not by much—yet—but enough that he was already mapping out the consequences in his mind. A late departure meant a later arrival, which meant offloading supplies in dimmer light, which meant ground transport would be slowed, which meant the return flight would have to compensate—
Ever inhaled through his nose, slow and measured, pressing the pocket watch closed with a soft snick. Fine. There was nothing to be done about it now. He just needed to wait. And waiting—without an active task to focus on—had never been something he was particularly good at.
So, naturally, he found one.
The merchant’s stall wasn’t anything remarkable, just a small setup near the edge of the skyport, offering tea, small pastries, a few dried fruits in neat little wrapped parcels. Everest had passed it countless times but rarely stopped—flying didn’t leave much room for leisurely snacks. Still. Something to do. Stepping up to the counter, he exchanged a few coins for a cup of steaming black tea—no sweeteners, nothing added, just dark and straightforward. The warmth seeped through the ceramic as he wrapped his fingers around it, letting the heat ground him, even as he had no real interest in actually drinking it.
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
Liam’s flight to Stormbreak had been uneventful, and yet as he disembarked he was still on edge. He hadn’t been back to the city in entirely too long - not since before Sohalia’s fall and the Family’s takeover, back when the Void was just an annoyance. And though he had done nothing to garner the Famiy’s attention - save for create a poem for Vox - he couldn’t help but wonder if he would manage to walk out again.
The merchant’s stall by the skyport was still exactly as it had been the last time he’d visited. They sold basic snacks and drinks, and, oddly enough, had some of the best pastries in Stormbreak. He thought he’d heard that they had another location somewhere in Pacifist Plaza, but he rarely explored after his family’s death. For all he knew, that could have just been a passing rumor.
He stopped at the stall, a small bag over his shoulder, and waited in line behind someone who Liam didn’t recognize until he turned around. ”Everest,” Liam rumbled in greeting, raising a hand in a small wave. ”It’s been a while. How’ve you been?”
Everest recognized Liam’s voice before his face. It wasn’t intentional—just a byproduct of a mind that cataloged details whether he wanted it to or not. Tone. Cadence. Familiarity. It slotted neatly into place even before he turned, pocketing his pocket watch with a smooth motion before meeting the other man’s gaze.
"Liam." The greeting was crisp, polite, though Ever’s fingers flexed slightly around the tea he wasn’t drinking. His mind was still caught in timelines, delays, recalibrations, but he shifted, adjusting his posture into something more conversational; something he'd likely not have been capable of doing when the pair last met, pre-infection. "It has been a while," he agreed, dipping his head in acknowledgment. "And I’ve been—" different, changed, altered at the fundamental level of my being "—busy." A small, precise pause. "Flying mostly."
He tilted his head slightly, gaze flicking over Liam in quick assessment. He looked—well. Not bad, not particularly good either. Wary. On edge. Then again, who wasn’t, these days? "Didn’t expect to see you here," Ever noted, tone more observational than surprised. "Just passing through, or do you have business in Stormbreak?" It had been a while since the former-dragoon had been a regular in the flying city, at least from what Ever could recall.
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
Everest was not how Liam remembered, although to be fair, he wouldn't say he knew the man particularly well. Still, from what he recalled, Everest had always been a bit... different. Awkward. Uncertain, perhaps. This man was still observant and collected, but in a more refined way. Liam noticed all of this and then moved on. People changed over time, and it was none of his business anyway.
"I'm just visiting my family's graves," said Liam. "I haven't been for too long." Since before the Void had taken over the Greatwood, in fact. Something that he felt particularly ashamed about, but he shoved that aside. "Been flying anywhere interesting?" He asked instead, stepping up to the counter to place an order before turning back to Everest.
03-13-2025, 08:21 PM (This post was last modified: 03-13-2025, 08:21 PM by Everest.)
I think I can manage being collateral damage
Everest inclined his head slightly, an almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment at Liam’s reason for being in Stormbreak. Graves. It wasn’t unexpected, though Ever had never been particularly adept at handling grief—his own, let alone anyone else’s.
His fingers tightened around the tea for a fraction of a second before he forced them to relax. "It’s good that you came," he said simply. No condolences, no unnecessary sentiment—just a factual statement, left open for Liam to do with as he pleased.
At the question, Ever exhaled softly, adjusting his grip on the ceramic cup as though the act of holding something steady might do the same for his thoughts.
"The Greatwood, mostly." His gaze flicked briefly toward the still-empty dock where his ship should have been. [says]"Deliveries. Transport. It’s…" A pause, as if selecting the precise word. "…complicated, these days, what with everyone looking for roses."
Lifting his tea, he breathed in the steam but still didn’t drink. "And you?" His gaze sharpened slightly, considering Liam again. "Thinking about moving back home?"
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
Liam had to agree; it was good that he’d come, even if in the back of his mind he thought he should still be in the Greatwood, helping Maea with her quest to find Vi’s Roses - and if not for Maea, then for the greater good. If the price of finding one was to wallow in his grief for a little longer, then so what? He’d always been the self-sacrificing kind.
And yet… here he was. Here, not there. Perhaps that said something about his priorities.
Shaking it off, he nodded. ”I’ve been living in the Greatwood for the past few years,” he said. ”But I’ve never seen so many people as I have recently.” It had become quite the destination of late. Liam wasn’t sure what to make of it, personally. It wasn’t a bad thing, of course, but to have so many people flocking to the region… it made him wish that it hadn’t fallen into disrepair.
As for whether he was planning to move home, Liam shook his head. ”I don’t think so. Not at present, anyway.” Would he ever come home? Maybe, if he still felt like Stormbreak was home. But when he’d arrived today, it hadn’t felt like a homecoming; he’d been just as eager to get back to the Greatwood as he was to leave flowers for his wife and children. It was a confusing feeling, and one he didn’t appreciate complicating matters for him.
Everest listened, filing away Liam’s hesitation as easily as he did the flight schedules and wind patterns around the skyport. He hummed softly in acknowledgment, turning his cup absently in his hands. "The Greatwood has become… popular," he agreed, though his tone made it clear he wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. He understood why—the search for Vi’s Roses had made it a destination of necessity rather than choice—but Ever had never been one for crowds, even in his newly altered state of mind.
At Liam’s refusal to move back, Ever gave a small, considering nod, letting the answer settle before offering, in a tone both casual and completely sincere, "Stormbreak’s really coming along, and I'm sure the Dragoons would be happy to have you back, if you change your mind."
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
The Greatwood had indeed become popular, for better or worse. Liam had spent so long there as a hermit that it was both a welcome change and not to see it filling with people again. He’d thought, after Phoebe had disappeared, that it might be reclaimed by the Wilds forever. Now, though, he wasn’t so sure.
Everest, though, spoke highly of Stormbreak, and Liam shot him a look that was impossible to decipher before offering a self-deprecating laugh. ”I’m not so sure about that,” he said. ”I’m afraid I’m rather rusty, after all this time.” He paused to receive the pastry and coffee he’d ordered, then stepped out of the way so that the line might continue to be served. ”Stormbreak’s doing well, then?” he asked casually, genuinely curious to get someone’s perspective who was actually living here under the Family. He couldn’t imagine that it was a comfortable existence, but maybe he was wrong.
Everest caught the look Liam shot him, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he inclined his head slightly at the question, taking a measured breath as if cataloging his answer before speaking. "Stormbreak is doing well," he confirmed, without hesitation, without irony. "Better than it has in a long time." He shifted his grip on his tea, the warmth of it seeping through his gloves.
"There’s order. Structure. The council is efficient. And people are… adjusting." A small, precise pause. "Quickly, for the most part." There was no discomfort in his tone, no sense of caution. Just a quiet, calm conviction. Stormbreak was working the way it was supposed to work.
Ever finally lifted the cup as if he might actually drink from it this time—though at the last second, he simply breathed in the steam again, gaze flicking back to Liam politely. "Well, I don't want to keep you from plans," he murmured, before glancing over his shoulder toward where it seemed as though things were finally getting underway back by the port.
"But think about what I said? If the dragoons are happy to have me in their ranks, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to welcome you back."
Even if I had to lose you to know you I'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through
Everest had only positive things to say about Stormbreak, which took Liam a little by surprise. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting of the Family’s stronghold, but it wasn’t to find it largely unchanged and with an adjusting populace. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.
But either way, he had business back in the Greatwood. He wouldn’t be staying long enough to puzzle out what was going on in his old home. ”I’ll think about it,” he promised. It was, in some ways, a tempting offer; Liam missed the camaraderie and direction that being a dragoon had given him. But he had also settled into a life outside of soldiering, and he wasn’t entirely sure where that life was going to lead him next. ”It was good to see you. Take care.”
As he made his way towards the graveyard, he had a lot to think about indeed.
