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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!
It is not often that Niki finds himself so close to the water. The Stone Symphony is one thing, with its roaring currents and bursting banks; at least there he knows how to get to safer ground if needed. Out here, though, it's a different matter entirely. But the boy is nothing if not a keeper of his word, and when an old gentleman had requested something commissioned for his wife, he had of course obliged.
Unfortunately the man had been too frail to make the journey back to the Sidhe Village, and given that no cart would carry him the full distance across the estuary, Niki has had to hop out and continue on foot. Not that he is arguably any more hale and healthy than his customer. Still, it's barely creeping towards mid-morning, and the worst of the heat is yet to come, especially next to the babble of water. Ducking beneath branches, Niki is dappled in golden light as he steps out onto a trail that will take him along the estuary to where he's been told the man and his wife live.
Using his cane to test his footing before he walks, it's with a satchel slung across his chest and his sleeves uncharacteristically rolled to his elbows (it's still hot, even if not yet unbearably so) that he continues, sweat already beading against the nape of his neck.
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
There were advantages to being a once-Mer in the Greatwood during Longheat. The waterways made a far more comfortable way to travel while remaining cool. The current was far gentler in the estuary than it was in the Symphony further inland, and Hadama moved through the water with slow, powerful flicks of his tail beneath the surface. His steel-silver head rose from the water, studying the banks to either side for a glint of crimson or gold.
there was no sign of such a flower yet, but the day was young and he could spare a few more hours of searching before he would need to return to his duties in Torchline. The birds in the Greatwood were different than those in his home region, and the brackish water of the estuary was a curious and refreshing flavor against his skin and night-sky scales.
No Rose did he find, but a young man came into view after some little while of searching. Hadama paused to watch him, thoughtful, then ducked beneath the water and cut his way to the bank nearest the traveler. He rose slowly, with a small splash to announce his arrival before he spoke. "Good morning. Have you seen any gold thorned Roses?" The inquiry was polite, soft-spoken in his deep voice from where he floated, submerged from the shoulders down in the slow-moving water.
The splash draws Niki's attention, and he pauses to raise his eyebrows as a man emerges from the riverbank. Luckily Hadama hasn't startled him into falling into the water, but he's non-plussed at the very least by the sight of him, falling to a brief half and leaning against his crutch to steady himself on the uneven ground. "A... rose?" he repeats, his accent wrapping around the words, his voice a little hoarse as if it's the first time he's spoken that morning.
Gently clearing his throat, he blinks a few times as if to truly place himself in the here and now, rather than wherever his daydreams had been taking him. "With gold thorns." Glancing around as if one might simply pop into existence because he's looking for it, he slowly shakes his head. "I am sorry, I cannot say that I have," he admits. "But then I have not been looking all that hard. What do you need it for?"
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
He took a closer look at the young man, noting the crutch and the physique that wrapped around it. Heard the voice, rough and lilting. And stayed where he was in the water, inclining his head in confirmation that yes, in fact, a rose was what he sought.
Though the human had a better view by the vantage of his height above the slow-moving water, his luck did not seem any better. Hadama joined him in scanning what he could see of the shore, for there was no harm in another search of the area while he was there. "Mmn. Thank you." He returned his gaze to the traveler and nodded politely for his effort before answering his question in turn. "Vi's Roses can protect a region from the creatures of the Void." A simple answer, for all that beneath it lay numerous complex layers.
The onion analogy practically wrote itself.
"I am Hadama of Torchline. If you should find one and are willing, I would trade you for it."
In the wind you hear voices. It sounds like children playing some kind of game with laughter and mischief. Then one screams. There’s a call for ‘Mom!’ ‘Papa!’ and other adults as the laughter stops. Glancing towards the direction of the commotion, you’ll see fins cutting the water. A pack of echo sharks lurks, ready to leap up and grab any who fall for their trap.
You’ve encountered a pack of echo sharks. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.
Echo Shark (common) - A dwarf species of shark known for hunting in packs, the Echo Shark can live in both freshwater and saltwater. They are able to mimic any sound they’ve heard and band together to increase their range of vocals. The sharks use the words and sounds they’ve learned to lure unsuspecting prey into the water, where the sharks will then leap up and drag them into the waves.
Niki listens, filing away Hadama’s explanation about the fabled roses - and their properties - and giving a gentle nod of understanding. With the moniker of Vi’s Rose to fall back on, he recalls their necessity in the situation at large, despite being somewhat sheltered by all of it in the depths of the Greatwood. ”Good to meet you, Hadama. Are you the one they call the Tidebreaker…?”
He’s about to introduce himself in turn, and to perhaps inquire about Flora if Hadama is the Hadama of Torchline, but a sudden call from the deeper water causes him to jump, pale eyes flicking to the dark pod of shapes lurking nearby. ”I do not recommend following that sound,” he says slowly - not that he can or will do anything about it himself. ”My name is Niki,” he offers at last. ”If I see any of those roses, I will see about sending it to you at Torchline.”
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
His answer to the first question was interrupted by a sound he was all too familiar with. Hadama's solemn expression did not change, but there may have been a hint of weariness deep within emerald eyes as the voices of the echo sharks came to them both. He turned away from Nikki to consider the finned shapes, small and slender and deadly enough to those unused to dealing with them. The young man's warning reached his ears and he nodded, moving no closer to the predators.
There was this to be said for the echo sharks: they were perceptive enough not to move closer to him, either.
"I am the Tidebreaker," he confirmed. "And it is a pleasure to meet you, Niki. Thank you.' He inclined his head deeply in gratitude for the man's willingness to assist in the flower hunt. "I will continue my search for today. But if I can help you, you need only ask."
He began to swim again, leaving the milling and wary sharks behind as he forged along the bank, his head high and his gaze sharp. Somewhere in the Greatwood more Roses had to exist. It was just a matter of finding them...
