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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's too much to bear my darlin', the weight of the world
And I would carry it for you
The sky over Stormbreak was overcast when Noah arrived via his compass. The clouds were a flat, bruised grey and pressed low over the tower. Rain threatened, with distant rumbling thunder, but had not yet begun to fall. The city stood quiet beneath it—watchful.
Wounded.
Or healing?
He waited without fanfare, cloaked carefully in invisibility thanks to Deimos. The rose lay wrapped in linen, nestled in a pouch across his chest, its heat barely muted. It hadn’t withered. He waited for Zavien at the base of the steps. When he finally appeared, Noah lowered his hood and revealed himself from beneath the invisibility cloak.
The Dragoon looked tired but steadier than the last time they’d spoken, and as their eyes met, Noah gave a small nod. ”Ready?” The Forsaken asked, looking then around at residue of the Void—still, and wrong. The kind of stillness that came after too much silence.
The battle with the Void dragon had left significant damage on the city; rubble littered the streets and dried blood still splattered the street like dark purple raindrops. The Tower that had once stood as a symbol of justice and order now lay in ruins, only a vague foundation cracked beneath the stone and wood. It saddened him to see his home in such a state, but Zavien knew that it would be worth it in the end - to cleanse the city of the Void. Like debriding an infected wound, the rebuilding of Stormbreak would be painful and unsavory to watch, leaving scars in its wake, yet when it was finally healed... they'd be home.
Sol led the way forward, his tail drooping with the loss of a friend. Although Zavien's physical wounds had been wrapped and healed, he felt the ache too, the sympathy for Sohalia's loss. He gave the dragon a soft pat on the head, flooding the bond with affection and relief that the same fate hadn't fallen on him.
Glancing up, he saw Noah, straightening to give him a deep, appreciative nod. "Yes. Thank you for coming." He ran a hand through his hair, luckily having cleaned up the purple-black blood that had coated it. There was still a tired look in his eyes as he scanned their surroundings, but excitement and hope broke through the exhaustion. "Is there any particular place we need to plant it? I've never done this before."
It's too much to bear my darlin', the weight of the world
And I would carry it for you
”I don’t think so.” he said, shaking his head slightly. Noah then turned and descended the steps, the city's hush wrapping around him like fog. He should have recognized it — the held breath after a Titan fight.
But he was focused.
He moved through cracked courtyards and broken archways, eyes scanning the stone and rubble. He stopped at a patch of earth near an old wall—overgrown, forgotten, soil turned up by falling disaster.
He motioned for Zavien and lowered himself to his knees. ”Dig a hole for it here.” Noah instructed as he pulled the rose from its pouch on his chest. Once Zavien dug the space, Noah would plant.
Nodding his head, Zavien followed Noah, still watching for any Void creatures that might stop their progress. Like a cornered animal, he wasn't sure if their approach would be taken as a threat, motivating a final, desperate stand against the impending cleanse. But everything was eerily silent, as if the world was holding its breath in anticipation of the liberation.
He noted the space Noah had found, kneeling next to him as Sol moved to help. His hands dug into the soil, thankful of the physical act that felt monumental despite the simplicity. With the help of dragon claws and the soft dirt, it didn't take them long before a space had been carved out, gently prepared for the rose.
Zavien looked up, giving another slow nod, suddenly nervous. "I think that should be deep enough." He wasn't a gardener by any means, but Lena had taught him a thing or two in the Celestine, and it felt like the hole was the right depth. Regardless, he watched with bated breath as Noah lowered the flower.
It's too much to bear my darlin', the weight of the world
And I would carry it for you
Above them, thunder rumbled. Noah’s stomach flipped with the weight of what they were doing — what this would mean. He thought of Tal, of Alys, of the lands before this that he had helped cleanse of the void. He sucked in a breath.
Noah knelt beside the hole Zavien dug, fingers steady as he placed the rose into the earth. Its petals shimmered, catching what little light broke through the dark and brooding clouds. He pressed soil over the roots with care, grounding it.
Then, head bowed, he touched a hand to the dirt. Vi, he prayed silently, let your power come.
The soil beneath your hands grows warm. The rose blooms, vibrant and crimson, lifting towards the overcast sky, and the earth breathes a sigh of relief. You are filled with a sense of calm, that something right has just happened. In the distance, birds begin to chirp and sing.
Congratulations on planting a Vi's Rose! Together with the actions taken in [KQ][SE] scatter the ashes, Stormbreak has now been cleansed entirely of the void!
Zavien offered a similar prayer as the soil embraced the roots of the Rose, his head bowed low. Vi, please bless Stormbreak with your power. Please cleanse our home. Even Sol stilled, understanding the gravity of the moment as he reached his snout forward to sniff gently at the petals.
Then, as if the heart of the city had begun to beat again, a warmth spread through him, bright enough to fill every pore. As it breathed, he breathed, the air suddenly clear and healing in his lungs. Zavien closed his eyes, knowing in his soul that the world was right again, that this pivotal moment had broken the chains that kept them exiled. Thank you, Vi. Thank you. The prayer wasn't enough, but he hoped the god might hear the sincerity and know that Zavien would always believe it was divine intervention that put him, Noah, and the Rose in the same place.
When he opened his eyes again, there was a soft glint that suggested at tears, but he blinked them away, dipping his head deeply to Noah again as he tried to express just what it meant to him. "Thank you. With Dahlia's dragon defeated, I think the city is finally free - the people are safe to come home."
It's too much to bear my darlin', the weight of the world
And I would carry it for you
Noah stayed kneeling a moment longer, his hand still pressed to the earth as if anchoring the weight of what had just passed. The warmth from the rose wasn’t just heat—it was something older, deeper. It breathed through him like fire through a forge, like sunlight through ash. Slowly, he stood, brushing soil from his palms, and praising his patron silently yet fully.
Zavien’s words struck with quiet finality. Noah looked at him, steady and worn. He saw the gratitude in Zavien’s face, the echo of relief behind his eyes, and felt a flicker of something like peace bloom low in his chest. It didn’t erase the cost. But it mattered.
He exhaled, breath catching slightly as he began to speak, ”Stormbreak deserves a new beginning.” He turned his glacier gaze outward, to the spires and streets below, where a city might begin to heal. “Let them come home.”
