Click here for a list of weather descriptions, seasonal festivals, and a real time:site time conversion.
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!
now i am the violence, i am the sickness won't accept your silence
Watching the void tangleweed as it rolls from the attacks and grimacing lightly against the shriek that pierces the air before it’s limp in a strange oozing kind of liquid that he really really does not want to get anywhere near him. Regardless, flashing a shark toothed grin toward the Doubletake in turn, the Butcher inclines his head. “We do, don’t we, darling?” Watching then as the feathered blade zips through the air to meet Flora’s hand, Astaroth nudges Danta briefly as he steps back to assume the position of keeping watch for the back of their group with a soft little “after you, my dear.”
He dismisses the fire from his hands, instead focusing on keeping an eye on their surroundings, posture straight and hands clasped behind his back, still trying to keep his eyes peeled for anything that might be shaped like a woman and made from wood.
Astaroth takes up the back of their little party again and keeps an eye out, continuing down the path!
"Oh, I'm sure it counts somewhere. It's not quite what we're looking for in these woods, though," Danta says with a smirk, eyeing Flora and her blade skills with no shortage of interest, before it's off once more into the deep dark forest filled with void monsters. Allowing Astaroth to watch their backs once more and for Flora's feline to prowl up ahead, the Maverick peers up into the network of branches.
"Cover your eyes," he calls over his shoulder, directing his comment specifically to the butcher. "I'm going to try and take a look from the air." Giving Asta enough time to direct himself away from his shift, man promptly becomes gore crow, and it's with a few beats of his wings that he heads up into the canopies to try and spy anything coming up.
Once he's gone, it isn't long before the two remaining party members find themselves with yet another fork in the road. Do they choose left this time, or right?
Make yo' choices! Danta has left the party to try and scout ahead.
Dantalion
// put your, put your v-v-venom in me //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
now i am the violence, i am the sickness won't accept your silence
He’s content to trail the party, dark eyes scouted for anything of interest or intrigue, finding nothing aside from the path they create through the woods between the three of them and the tide jaguar summoned from Flora’s ring. At least, until the Maverick is referring to him specifically, gaze focusing on him for a moment as he catches the hint within the suggestion (demand?), the butcher nods a short sharp dip of his head and does precisely that.
Closing his eyes and going so far as to turn away from the Theocrat, Astaroth’s hand covers his eyes on the off chance he thinks he wants to try and open his eyes. He can still hear the thump of Danta’s wings as he takes to the sky, but he waits just long enough to where he can’t hear the wingbeats any longer and he’s taken enough deep breaths, before he removes his hand and opens his eyes and directs himself back toward Flora and down the path.
One that forks again.
“Shall we try the left one this time or do you have a better idea in that wonderful mind of yours?” He hums toward Flora, still a fraction on edge but not nearly as much as he would have been had he seen Danta shift.
Astaroth suggests the left path! Though he does concede to Flora should she think the right path is better.
Whether I'm gonna curse you out or Take you back to my house
"Cover my—" Frowning as Danta shifted and wondering vaguely if something more impressive was supposed to happen, Flora glances over her shoulder to see Asta covering his eyes with his hand. Her frown turns a touch crooked then, if only because there was a direct correlation between how handsome someone was and how much weird shit that they could get away with, such that Flora found this entirely endearing rather than weird. "Not a fan of birds?" She guesses, her eyebrows gently raising.
"Left sounds wonderful." The queen agrees without bothering to really look for herself to see if the right did make more sense. It all probably connected up ahead anyways and given the tension she could see building in the ancient's frame, the Doubletake thought it a good idea to soothe his mind by going along with his choice.
Unaware of the choices the duo are making below him, Danta focuses on getting the lay of the land from above. And Flora is right, coincidentally; the network of pathways does seem to melt and blend into each other, almost like a maze, and whilst the Maverick is of a chaotic nature, even he doesn't quite see the point of it - until he does.
While subtle, these pathways have been formed rather than made my any travellers, and the deeper into the woods they go, the more the trails take on a tell-tale purple hue. With a croak of nothing in particular - but one that Flora and Astaroth will likely know is him regardless - Danta returns to them before he can get snagged by anything.
Circling ahead so he might approach on foot as he heads back towards them, it's with a lot less feathers that Danta appears once more. "These trails have been formed by that void tree woman thing," he says, ruffling a hand back through his hair. "So I guess it doesn't matter which way we go - if we move quick, we'll reach it before long. Shall we be quiet and try and catch it by surprise? Can... can you surprise trees?"
Danta has found the path to the void wickerwoman! (Hint it was all of them). Do we want to stealth in and try to surprise it, or just take it by force?
No post order!
Dantalion
// put your, put your v-v-venom in me //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Whether I'm gonna curse you out or Take you back to my house
Even if Flora hadn't identified the croak overhead as being Danta, the flattening of her jaguar's ears more than let her know something—or someone, has it happened—was up ahead.
"I mean...if it can make pathways does that mean it can move?" The Doubletake wonders, grimacing slightly at the thought. "We can always send the jaguar in first as a distraction and then approach from one of the other sides if we think that's worth it. Or I can go one way and you two go the other?" Grinning, the Doubletake bounces her eyebrows. "I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty tough." So saying she pulls her two other feathers out from their pouch and settles them comfortably in her hands.
"I also have an invisibility ring if either of you is so inclined..?"
Flora doesn't care but offers to go first. She also offers up her invisibility ring.
now i am the violence, i am the sickness won't accept your silence
“Not of those particular kinds.” He rumbles toward the Queen before they embark on picking their path, traveling down the trail that seems to grow more and more purple the further in they delve. He does come to a stop the second he hears the croak, though, jaw working slightly and nose wrinkling before he exhales a sigh of slight relief to see the Maverick featherless as he approaches.
Smoothing out his shirt, Astaroth’s posture straightens and he flashes an easier smile and a shake of his head to Flora at the offer of the invisibility ring. “I will shift and take up approaching on the other side.” Hopefully it doesn’t move, but he’s never seen a wicker woman before. If there are other options to aim for when it comes to distracting it from attacking all of them at once, Astaroth intends to take it.
So he shifts to the fyrhund shift of his, wolfesque and volcanic, a low rumble leaving his throat as he angles himself toward the other way than Flora’s intending to go.
Asta votes taking it by force and splitting sides to keep the whole group from being a single target! He’s also in his fyrhund shift!
Splitting the party might seem like a terrible idea in general, but for two chaotic Ancients and the Queen of Torchline herself, why the fuck not? Danta, either way, is all for it, and he offers a grin. "We could always do both," he suggests, accepting Flora's invisibility ring and blowing her a kiss for her trouble. "You attack it from either side, and I'll surprise it when it thinks it's only got the two of you to worry about."
Where is the problem?
"And I don't think it can move in the way we can, but... well. Be careful of roots tripping you up, maybe?"
With those parting words of wisdom, Danta slips on the invisibility ring, disappears, and off they fucking go.
Astaroth and Flora won't need to wait long before they come across the Voidroot Wickerwoman, regardless of the pathway they take; she sits squat at the centre of the Outer Brambles, branches suffused with a violet hue, roots plunged deep into the earth and racing outwards towards the treeline in all directions.
Voidroot Wickerwomen(Rare/Mythical): Once guardians of the forest, these trees have succumbed to the void. Their once-benevolent nature twisted, their bark is now dark and covered in void runes. Instead of nurturing the Greatwood, they drain the life force of the surrounding flora, spreading void tendrils that corrupt the land.
Voidy Wicker Gal: 409/409
Danta: 100/100
Asta: 90/90
Flora: 407/407
No post order!
Dantalion
// put your, put your v-v-venom in me //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Whether I'm gonna curse you out or Take you back to my house
"Maybe this time you can be topless." Flora trills to Danta as she tosses him the ring, winking in response to his blown kiss.
Off the fucking go indeed.
With a nod toward the fyrhund, Flora sets off with her chin raised, her feathers at the ready, and her jaguar prowling ahead. Her intent was to send her jaguar running in first. The creature couldn't physically affect its environment, but it could take a few hits at least and would hopefully serve to keep the tree distracted. Then, slinking through the foliage, Flora would throw one of her daggers from as far back as she was able hopefully sinking it right into the core of the tree itself where her poison might do some good.
Flora sends her jaguar in first as a distraction, before throwing a dagger from 30ft back right at the centre of the tree.
Regional Score bonus: +7 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +7 should be included)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Lucky you | A ring that when worn grants +3 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Star Poison | A poisonous coating on each of the Deadly Plumage daggers
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Deadly Plumage | Three iridescent feathers capable of being used as projectiles. Razor sharp, they will recall themselves to the user's palm at will up to a range of 30ft.
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Signet Ring | A signet ring with the insignia of a Tide Jaguar When thrown, becomes a full-grown Tide Jaguar with the same HP as the user. The animal cannot do physical damage to others, and lasts 3 rounds or until it is killed. Can only be used once per thread.
Following after Flora until the point where their paths split, Asta isn’t sure where Danta has fucked off to but he knows it isn’t his focus as the wicker woman comes into view. Instead, as the tide jaguar is sent out and Flora aims her feathered blades into the center of the tree, Astaroth slinks through the undergrowth on the opposite side.
Pausing for it to focus on the tide jaguar first, Astaroth takes his move next — lunging out of the foliage with a smoking maw and fire immediately pouring out to the roots that delve into the ground in front of him, spreading its void ickiines out into the surrounding environment.
Astaroth slinks around the other side and launches out, aiming fire at the roots that plunge into the ground in front of him!
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
07-23-2024, 12:43 PM (This post was last modified: 07-23-2024, 12:43 PM by Dantalion.)
// divide me down to the smallest I can be //
Say what you like about this little trio - when their plans go off, they go off. Perhaps, of course, it's to do with the fact that the wicker woman can't exactly get up and smack them around like some creatures, but either way it's still an impressive show of teamwork.
Flora's tide jaguar succeeds in drawing the ire of the void-touched tree, and a large branch sweeps around, Whomping Willow style, and clubs into the feline at full force. (Sorry, kitty!)
That means, at least, that the groups attacks go off without a hitch. First come Flora's daggers, sinking deep into the black bark of the tree, spilling nightmarish and hallucinogenic sap from the wound. That's followed soon enough by the fyrhund's jet of flame, and the tree's roots are crackling and hissing their agony thanks to Asta's assault.
Finally, appearing somewhere behind the tree (if that counts, since they don't really have faces), Danta directs his own ball of flame, which catches in the lower boughs of the unhappy plant.
Whether I'm gonna curse you out or Take you back to my house
Damn, go team.
If Flora had learned one thing from her fathers, it was that if something is working there's no need to try and be cute about it. Rather than drawing on another ability to try and show off (she'd happily do that later, though), the Doubletake reached for another blade. Her jaguar wouldn't last forever, so while it was still distracting the tree (which, lol) the queen wanted to bury as many daggers into its bark as she could.
Pulling her arm back, Flora threw another dagger, aiming to hit the tree in more or less the same position. Feathers FLY!
Flora throws a poisoned dagger again!
Regional Score bonus: +7 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +7 should be included)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Lucky you | A ring that when worn grants +3 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Star Poison | A poisonous coating on each of the Deadly Plumage daggers
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Deadly Plumage | Three iridescent feathers capable of being used as projectiles. Razor sharp, they will recall themselves to the user's palm at will up to a range of 30ft.
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Signet Ring | A signet ring with the insignia of a Tide Jaguar When thrown, becomes a full-grown Tide Jaguar with the same HP as the user. The animal cannot do physical damage to others, and lasts 3 rounds or until it is killed. Can only be used once per thread.
Focusing their fire separately against the tree, Astaroth can kind of begin to understand why they call it a wicker woman, with how much movement it fully seems to have. Which is not a lot, but certainly enough. And being made of wood and whatever awful void shit resides within its bark, it seems particularly susceptible to fire.
So why change something that works?
Bounding over as the roots crackle, Astaroth aims his fire from his smoking maw once more toward the bottom of the tree where the roots connect higher up to branch out, hoping to continue to burn it to ash.
Astaroth gets a little bit closer and aims his fire a bit higher, still in his fyrhund shift!
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
07-24-2024, 09:45 AM (This post was last modified: 07-24-2024, 09:45 AM by Dantalion.)
// divide me down to the smallest I can be //
It's almost as good a job as before, but not quite. Flora, of course, is strong and beautiful and dexterous - as she'd rightly told the two men flanking her - and her second blade joins the first with almost sickening ease; indeed, there's hardly a couple of inches between them, and the sap flows thick and fast. And given that the wicker woman is not a sentient being, of course she is still distracted by the tide jaguar, swinging at it once more. This time, however, it gets itself out of the way.
Unfortunately, the movement means that Astaroth's flames fall short of where they're intended (or that's what we're saying, anyway), because the fyrhund isn't able to damage the void-infected tree this time around. Luckily for him, Danta has no intention of letting the Ancients' penchant for pyromania go unrepresented, and his own fire eats hungrily at the upper branches, doing yet more damage.
