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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!
Just as he had before, Sah went straight to the forge after receiving his quest from Safrin. This round would go faster. He'd already designed the ring for Luka when he'd created Soleil's necklace. After a brief conversation with the jeweler to gain access to his shop once more, the hybrid pulled out a sheet of paper. On it was the sketch he'd need. A ring with depictions of the wind along its surface. Annotated on the image were key notes, especially that the ring would be silver.
He retrieved enough scrap metal for two identical rings and double-checked his measurements. Just as he had with Soleil's necklace, these rings would be crafted with both magic and his hands. It took more effort in its own way, but it felt more personal. These rings were meant to protect his son, and Sah wanted to ensure that he gave his all into their creation.
Nova hadn't traveled back to Halo in some time, but she'd been in a particularly explorative mood - as long as the destination didn't involve purple flowers. And lucky for her, she knew that Halo wasn't exactly the kind of environment that cultivated such delicate plants. With that in mind, she'd hopped on a skyship and made her way there, and she was skipping through the streets before she knew it.
Like she had every day since her unfortunate encounter in the desert, Nova had taken to letting her magic hum freely around her. Air brushed against her orange and blonde locks, ruffling the bottom of her thick pink jacket as she swirled a few snowflakes around her head. A few shimmers of glitter joined them on the breeze, leaving behind a trail of sparkles in her footprints.
She might have kept skipping all day, aimlessly wandering through the quaint town, but something shiny caught her eyes in the window of a store. Jewelry. Letting out a little giggle, she entered the shop, a chime ringing out from the bell above the door. To her pleasant surprise, she immediately found a familiar face, her blue eyes beaming with recognition. "Sah! What are you doing here?!"
Sah glanced up from where he was using fire magic to melt down the silver as the door chimed. To his surprise, Nova walked in. "Hey, Nova. Wandering around again?"At least she was in the Citadel this time, if that was the case. As he spoke, Sah used telekinesis, to call two small metal rods to his side, and used them to help shape the rings. He had to make a few adjustments to ensure that they were the proper sizes.
The air around the older hybrid picked up as it twisted along the edge of the amulets. swirling the molten metal and leaving behind depictions of the wind. "I'm making a pair of protective rings as part of a quest for your mother." Water magic rose up as a bubble in the air, and he cooled the rings before repeating the process until he was satisfied with the design.
With creation magic, Sah crafted a small rag and polished the two identical rings before placing them on the table in front of Nova. "See?"
Stepping inside and out of the cold, Nova gave Sah a bright smile and a playful wink. "You know it!" And, if her expression was any indication, she had no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Nova watched with wonder as the older hybrid manipulated materials through the air, the unformed metal looking dull before it was molded into a circular shape. Her eyes glittered with delight, leaning forward to watch him work closer, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. "Wow! Really?! That looks so cool!" Especially as the water magic helped the rings solidify into their shapes, the amulet accented by the swirling wind designs.
Her bouncing turned to jumping as Sah showed her the results of his work. "Oh oh! I made our jewelry by hand, but I wonder if I can do it with magic now!" She reached out to proudly show him her wrist, where her silver bracelet shone with its opal and delicate dangling stars. Caly had one that was nearly identical, the only difference being its gold coloring. She'd struggled over them for some time before feeling satisfied with their designs. Now, she wondered if there might be an easier method.
Focusing on the creation magic tingling in her chest, Nova tried to imagine a beautiful silver ring, shimmering and studded with diamond stars. She stuck her tongue out and wiggled her fingers, calling forth the idea - only to find a very crude mound of metal, like a grey donut that hadn't been formed right. The smile on her face fell like a rock when she saw it and her lips pursed in disappointment, spinning the ugly 'ring' in her fingers. "Well, this isn't very cute."
Sah chuckled at his fellow hybrid's enthusiasm. "Thank you." With his rings finished, he wrapped them in the cloth and placed them in his bag as he eyed Nova's bracelet. "It's beautiful. Well done!" The stars were a particularly nice touch, but he was certainly biased.
He watched as she attempted to create a ring with her magic. Sah wasn't surprised by the outcome, easily recalling his first attempts with creation magic. "It's not a bad first try." Reaching across the table, he showed her the various designs, notes, and measurements he'd made before creating the rings. "Even if you're using magic to create something for the first time, it's helpful to design and sketch it out first. That way, the structure and details are more solidified in your mind." It was more steps, but it often had better results for him. And sequential creations of the item usually came out better off as well.
Basking in his praise, Nova lifted her head, a proud and regal smile on her face. "Thank you! My mom made it so they also transport me to my sister! Although we have to be close." Her finger ran over the opal, knowing that if they were within range, she'd be teleported to her sister's side. Luckily, she stayed put for now.
Nova couldn't agree that what she had in her fingers was 'not a bad first try,' glaring down at the disgusting, barely recognizable shape. However, if sketching could make it better, she would certainly give it a try - although her imagination was very detailed. Tilted her head, she let out a considering hum. "Hmm. Okay." Grabbing at one of Sah's extra papers, she scribbled a detailed image of what she'd imagined for the ring. She had to switch the color of the pen every once in a while to really capture the likeness of the colorful shifting of the design, but she thought she got the gist right.
When she was done, she showed Sah before turning back to her 'ring,' her tongue sticking out in concentration. She took a little more time on the second try, her eyes flitting between the paper and the rounded metal. It began to twist and shape, the middle widening to something wearable, and the outside thinning to a flat surface. The stars and diamonds stayed stubbornly absent, but it was overall a much better try that before, and Nova lifted it to show Sah, bouncing up and down with excitement and a beaming smile on her face. "It worked!"
Sah's brow raised. "That's useful." It seemed that Caly and Nova were working on a permanent version of what he was crafting for his twins. If there was more time, he'd have done the same.
The Wild Thunder had to restrain a laugh as he watched Nova create the most colorful design sketch he'd ever seen. His were usually monotone with notes about what color was needed in the final product. When she showed him, he held himself together and nodded. "Looks good!" She per design to work and Sah's smile softened at her success. "Well done, Nova. A few more attempts and I'm sure you'll get it." She'd already made significant progress, and he had no doubt that she'd get the hang of creation magic soon.
With the rings done, Sah stretched. "I need to get going to complete my quest. Be safe wandering." With a wave and final grin, the Wild Thunder left the shop.
