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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!
07-17-2025, 07:23 PM (This post was last modified: 07-22-2025, 07:35 PM by Callum.)
Callum
This is a black market reformation
He has to admit, her eagerness is catching, and he watches her bounce forward towards the trees with a light chuckle through the Attuned bond. He commits her name to memory - something tells him she's going to be someone to watch - and flutters his wings. Yep, he drawls, taking off from the wellhouse roof. This way.
He leads the way through the trees and into Mourn, all rolling hills and grasslands as far as the eye can see. They're just over the rise to the east, he says, keeping his eye on the blink hares nibbling on the waving grasses on the other side of the hill. He circles lazily, looking for all the world like a falcon just soaring on the wind. It won't do to scare the hares before Nova has a chance to stalk them, after all. They're all yours.
Despite the confidence of her steps suggesting she knows exactly where she's going, Nova has no idea where the blink hares are; so when Callum takes off to lead the way, she trots along below him, tail flicking carefree behind her as she hums a jaunty tune through the bond. It's only when the tress open up to a wide, grassy field that she slows, glancing up at the falcon as he gives her guidance on the prey's location.
She pads cautiously up the knoll, doing her best to smother the tingling energy sparking through every cell, obvious in the sparkle of her blue eyes and the excited twitch of her tail. Once she spots the gray bundles munching in the greenery, Nova drops into a crouch like Sah had taught her, haunches low and ears alert for sounds around her. She sticks her nose in the air, testing the wind to make sure her scent won't scare off the hares before she begins to stalk through the long grass.
From on high, Cal watches as Nova pads up the knoll. Even from here, he can sense her excitement, can see the way her tail flicks and her eyes sparkle, and he drawls a simple, Good luck. If his own experiences hunting the elusive blink hares are any indication, the girl is going to need it.
He thinks back to the first time he encountered the creatures. He hadn't realized they could teleport, and he'd tried to shoot one with his crossbow. All it had taken was the twang of the bowstring and they'd been off, scattering in all directions. His shot had missed, and his hunting party had laughed. He'd laughed, too. Eventually.
Now he watches as Nova stalks forward, the hares none the wiser, and waits to see if she fares better than he did all those seasons ago.
It should come as no surprise that Nova does not fair any better than Callum did on his first try. As she stalks forward, they're completely unaware of her approach, munching happily on the grass without a care in the world. Her body stays quiet and low, the breeze keeping her scent from unveiling her, but as she sinks down in preparation to lunge, the sunlight catches against her black fur, making her figure obvious against the green of the grass. Unaware that her cover's been blown, Nova launches forward, a victorious trill in her mind as her paws land atop... nothing.
Leaning back, she looks down to where the hare should be, annoyance vibrating through the bond. Her eyes scan the hillside and spot it a few feet away, already resuming its meal of grass without an ounce of guilt on its face. Nova lifts her lips to bare her fangs. That was rude. Flicking her ear in dismissal, she straightens. Two can play at that game. Then she's shifting, shrinking down into her dreambird and taking flight while keeping her gaze intently focused on the rodent.
Callum does his best not to laugh. Truly, he does. But he can't help the amusement that flickers through the bond at Nova's failure any more than he can stop the sun rising in the east. But before he can say anything - like offering tips or teasing advice - she's shifting again, taking on a winged form that takes to the skies with ease. The mercenary watches with interest, curious to see what the girl will do next.
He coasts higher on a thermal, circling idly nearby as he watches the show. The blink hares still remain remarkably unbothered; perhaps they believe the threat has given up and fled, frustrated by their tricks. But Callum is quickly realizing that Nova has a stubborn streak, and he's eager to see how this particular matchup is going to play out.
Nova doesn't miss the laughter, and it draws her attention as she shifts. Her wings ruffle in a puff of annoyance and gathered determination. Don't be so fast! She doesn't get hung up on the incorrect phrase - missing the part about judgement or dismissal. Instead, Nova gains altitude in a flurry of feathers before tucking her six wings and twisting into a dive. More concerned with grounded attacks, the hare isn't as prepared for a tiny bird to lunge for an attack - and technically Nova's not attacking, yet.
Only when she's certain there's no room for escape, she catches the breeze in her plumage to slow the decent before shifting again. She expands into a vicious tide jaguar that falls directly onto a squeaking blink hare. Her joints absorb the impact, although it's still a little rougher than she'd like to admit. Despite that, proof of her efforts squirms beneath her claws, a shot of grey fur peeking out from the black of her paws.
Callum ignores the girl's irritation. This is the most fun he's had in weeks, and it's all because of Nova's clear lack of experience - although, to be fair, what she lacks in ability, she more than makes up in enthusiasm. I'm a peregrine falcon, he points out instead. I can't help but be fast. A poor joke, perhaps, but a joke nonetheless - perhaps a peace offering, just in case she proves to be the sort who attacks the poor mercenary who has led her to prey.
And it seems, in the end, that perhaps Callum has misjudged the girl yet again, because there she goes, shifting on the fly to land on one of the blink hares, taking it - and the mercenary - entirely by surprise. Well done, Cal says idly, flapping his wings as he dips between thermals. Now what? They make a fine stew, if you're so inclined.
Her mental tongue sticks out at his jibe, tempted to race him just to prove he's not that fast, even if that hadn't been what she'd meant. And lucky for him, her prey distracts her from any necessary punishments for mercenaries who lead her to difficult targets. It wiggles beneath her paws only long enough for her to appreciate her accomplishment before she's letting out a verbal growl that sounds more like a giggle through the bond, snapping her jaws around the neck to give it a decisive shake.
She raises back up with a proud puff of her chest, a feline grin on her features that's speckled with blood between her fangs. I know. One paw releases its hold, but the other stays possessively on her kill, her ears flicking with interest as she looks up at Callum. Ooh. Do you know how to make stew? Her nose twitches, mouth watering as she thinks of how delicious the meat would taste - but also having no cooking skills to speak of.
07-28-2025, 08:14 PM (This post was last modified: 07-28-2025, 08:15 PM by Callum.)
Callum
What's the worst that could happen
The blink hare lasts all of two seconds in Nova's capable paws, and Callum sends a pulse of approval down the bond in response to the clean kill. Now that one of the hares is dead, though, the rest have scattered; a shame, really, since two hares would have been better than one, although a stew will help the meat to stretch.
Soaring closer, Callum dives - sharp, swift, and precise, he is hurtling towards the ground at breakneck speed. It never ceases to thrill him, the speed and agility of his peregrine falcon shift. Just before he hits the ground, he flares his wings and, in a copy of Nova's earlier move, transforms gracefully back into his human self just as he lands upon the grassy ground.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he grins at the girl. "I do," he says. "New Haven's not far. We can get the supplies we need there."
08-02-2025, 05:19 AM (This post was last modified: 08-13-2025, 10:06 PM by Nova.)
Life is a grand adventure.
Unbothered by any other lost meat, Nova preens at the approval that warms the bond, always appreciating praise. In a show of pride and ability, she flicks a hand against her newly reappeared crown of golden curls, standing confidently over the blink hare when Callum comes to land next to her. There's still a sparkle in her eyes that shimmers a little brighter when he confirms being in possession of cooking skills.
Bouncing on her toes, she clasps her hands behind her, grinning wide. "Okay! Lead the way!" She spins to grab her kill, but pauses when she sees the pool of blood that's formed. Checking to make sure it hasn't already spread to her sandalled feet, Nova twirls again to head towards the path. "But you carry the hare. I don't want to get blood on my dress." There's a naive upward tilt to her head that says she has full faith in his obedience, then she skips off, continuing to astound Callum with her unique and shining personality throughout their meal.
