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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!
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
LongNight had come and gone with little fanfare; a justifiable and welcome experience to the Sword, who’d endured many that hadn’t been in the same ilk. Rather than dwell on the past haunting landscape though, there was always much to be done in Halo – and while they weren’t the partygoers like Torchline’s fleet of citizens, the storms, darkness, and other multitudes still left their marks.
“Thank you for being willing to help,” he smiled to Sah and Elizabeth as they met within the center of the Citadel. There was a long list of things to do, from a variety of citizens, and neither he nor Evie would be able to accomplish them all on their own. Consulting the papers, and the general landscape, the first order would be clearing roads and paths impacted by the snow. “We can start here,” and he pointed towards the main route behind them, where deep piles had fallen into the lanes, and likely ice underneath. “Should clean this up first, then see what else is needed.” He waved the papers and arched his brows, to show plenty had come in on missives.
--
This is a PQ+/SE to clean up after LongNight! We have until August 22nd to finish. Please post your characters arriving, and starting to help. No post order!
As she trapsed through the snow to the center square of the Citadel, she saw Deimos already waiting. Elizabeth greeted him with a warm smile that spoke of their many recent encounters. He'd been so willing to let her help out around Halo, inviting her to multiple activities, never excluding her despite her obvious lack of strength and physical skills. Of course, she was more than happy to lend a hand once more!
The other man wasn't familiar, but she gave him a friendly grin and a wave. "Hi! I'm Elizabeth. I look forward to working with you today." Glancing around at the giant piles of snow and ice, she grimaced slightly and let out a light laugh. "I'd say we have our work cut out for us." Eager to start making a dent, Elizabeth grabbed a shovel to start clearing the way, being extra careful to watch for any hidden chunks of ice.
Elizabeth arrives and starts clearing snow!
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
LongNights in Halo had been calm for the past few years, apart from the parties that had begun to emerge. It could be just his immediate neighbors, but Sah was fairly sure that the last two years had been particularly rowdy. Although it was nice to see Halo's people enjoying life, the cleanup wasn't something that could be ignored.
As such, Sah found himself volunteering to help restore the town to its typical state of organized chaos. He nodded at Deimos when he spotted the Sword and turned to return the unfamiliar woman's greeting with a soft smile, "I'm Sah. Good to meet you." He'd seen her in passing, and it was nice to finally be able to put a name to the face.
Grabbing a shovel, the Wild Thunder focused on one sector of the snow to start. Using his telekinesis to assist, he worked to clear the snow and force it into a nice, neat pile on the side.
~
Sah arrives and starts clearing snow with telekinesis and a shovel.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
They followed suit, heading to the lanes with shovels and determination. After initial greetings, Deimos tilted his head in concentration, but information gathering as well; he’d heard from Evie about certain complexities, focus pinpointed on Sah for the moment. “How did the ursur fight go?” Having been tied up in a meeting when the alarm rang out, he’d only been able to stand amidst the Citadel walls and ensure soldiers were in their proper places by the time everything had gone off. A frustrating aspect for the Sword, but one he could deal with, when victory had been laden regardless if he was there or not.
Then they worked on sections – dividing and conquering. Deimos utilized both strength in his routine shovel work and incantations, Mastered Water and Mastered Air combining into motioning the piles into spread out portions, layering them evenly so they wouldn’t be tempted to fall back into the routes once more.
Sah and his circumstances were much the same, the telekinesis building and layering. Eventually he’d have a nice amount of snow upon the edges too – though he’d find a thick amount of ice built up underneath the lacquer.
Elizabeth started strong – and likely wouldn’t be surprised either when she also encountered a plethora of ice. Nearly slipping on one venture, she’d have to find a way to break through the multitudes without injuring herself.
--
Sah and Elizabeth have encountered some ice! What will you do next? No post order!
Like a self-contained blizzard, a white dragon snarls overhead with an ursur clutched between its claws. Flying towards the high cliffs that no doubt are its home, it’s probably a good thing that it already has its dinner for the evening, lest you have become its meal.
You’ve encountered a White Dragon. This counts as a rare 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. You may not kill your rare creature without admin permission.
White Dragons (Rare/mythical): Living in underground tunnels that are warded with ice and snow, white dragons hoard treasure and anything they deem beautiful. Often this means that one might find gold, gems, and frozen humans stored in their caves. They can speak the basic common tongue and can communicate telepathically with the attuned, though they are secretive, vain, and usually aloof and unhelpful.
Deimos understandably brought up the recent attack and Sah grimaced, "It was...messy. If we find time, I'd suggest we host a group training session to work on teamwork and strategies that play to everyone's strengths." The Abandoned absentmindedly rubbed a spot on his chest where a large bruise once existed, "There were multiple incidents of friendly fire because the range of certain abilities wasn't taken into proper account when working with a team." Even if his anger still lingered, Sah didn't give any names because the lack of coordination was on all of them. But they were certainly lucky that it hadn't resulted in tragedy.
The Wild Thunder was brought out of his musings as he struck ice. Warming his hand with fire magic, he laid a palm on the ice sheet and began to melt it away in a controlled manner. The sound of a dragon flying overhead made his head shoot up and the Abandoned glared at the beast as it flew overhead, "Fucking hell. Another one?" It may have been the first dragon he'd spotted in seasons but there had been far too many in recent years for his comfort.
Elizabeth listened to the conversation as she worked, ears perking at a 'group training session.' Gods knew that she could use all the practice and instruction she could get. Halo was already helping her to strengthen her abilities and resolve, but she had a lot more progress to make.
A chunk of ice distracted her from the thought, jerking her movements to a stop. Her feet lost their purchase in the process, causing her to stumble, her feet slipping aimlessly for a moment. A wave of her arms and shuffle of her boots let her maintain her balance enough to find more solid footing. Letting out a sigh, she adjusted and lifted her shovel to slam it down into the ice, hoping to break it up and make it easier to scoop out.
The dragon overhead had her flinching slightly. It reminded her of a certain antlered menace that she was grateful not to have seen yet. However, the others didn't seem too concerned, so Elizabeth admired the strong beat of wings before refocusing on her task. Unless it was going to come down and help, she had work to do.
Elizabeth uses her shovel to hit down into the ice.
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Though he clenched his jaw at the dragon’s appearance, the creatures had almost become an inevitable staple of the Halovian background for him – less of a trigger now, years after unfortunate events. He took ample opportunity to listen to Sah instead, mulling over the complexities, the unsaid names, and how everything lined up with Evie’s explanations as well. A long breath steadied through his chest as he moved more snow, a level of irritation with one certain individual beginning to parallel all the other circumstances with them lately. “It has been a while since we have done one.” Mostly because the Sword had presumed those involved knew how to work together; especially after all these years and wars. “It will be interesting to see if those involved will want to work on such things,” and he left it at that; the Wild Thunder would’ve already experienced this at one meeting, and now a battle.
They continued to work at a steady pace – Elizabeth righting herself accordingly, and utilizing the shovel to chisel away at the ice. It wasn’t as swift nor quick as Sah’s fire, but still got the job done.
@Sah’ s use of flames went well too, and before long everything was maneuvered well and off the initial path and route. Smiling at both, he allowed any prior trepidation to disperse. “Good. This should be plenty for now.”
And just when he was glancing down at the pile of papers and going through the list of necessities, a holler came down the road – Mrs. Took waving a handkerchief, striving to draw their attention. “Excuse me, I need some help over here! My deck is covered in snow!” Trying to either withhold a laugh or a grimace, the Warden’s features turned into complete and utter nonchalance, because the woman was more than capable of doing it herself…
Anyway.
Consulting with his notes, his deep rumble resounded over the huffs and puffs of the Halovian nearby. “If one of you wants to handle Mrs. Took,” and he understood if neither of them wanted such a task, “the others can head to the Smiths. The ice has solidified on their roof and they need assistance in getting it down.” And shoveled away, most likely.
--
The main route is devoid of snow/ice! Pick which task you would like:
- Assisting Mrs. Took in cleaning off her deck (and suffering)
- Cleaning off the Smiths’ roof
She was about to comment about her own interest in the training session when the woman's holler came stomping down the street with her handkerchief banner flapping in the wind. Elizabeth almost laughed at the total lack of emotion of Deimos's face. Obviously, he was familiar with this 'Mrs. Took.' And based on her exuberant mannerisms, Elizabeth couldn't say she was surprised.
Flashing the men an overtly warm smile, she said, "I'll handle Mrs. Took." With that settled, she grabbed two shovels and walked down the street towards the woman, her stride slow simply because she knew it would probably annoy the woman. When Elizabeth arrived at the snow-covered porch, she gave her a kind and patient smile. "Hi, ma'am. I'm Elizabeth. I understand you need help clearing your porch." Offering her a shovel and another bright tilt of her lips, she said, "You start over there and I'll start on this side so we can meet in the middle." Not waiting for a response, Elizabeth began clearing the snow.
Elizabeth helps Mrs. Took!
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Sah nodded, glad that Deimos was in agreement. Hopefully, the issue will be addressed before the next disaster. But now wasn't the time to dwell and the Abandoned turned his attention to removing the ice. Mrs. Took arrived as he was finishing up. The Wild Thunder fought to keep a polite expression on his face but once Elizabeth left to help the woman, he let out a heavy sigh. "I'll go help the Smiths'."
Arriving at their house, the Abandoned climbed up to the roof and began to carefully chisel and crack the ice away. He implemented telekinesis as needed to break it apart and for safely lowering the chunks to the ground below.
~
Sah works to clean the Smiths' roof! He uses manual labor and telekinesis.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
The Sword was relieved the moment Elizabeth said she’d go with Mrs. Took, leaving himself and Sah to traverse down to the Smiths’ shop. While the Wild Thunder traversed upon the roof, Deimos watched as he chiseled away, before deciding to come assist. Flying to the top portions of the building, he landed easily and efficiently, before putting the wings away and presiding along the other side – manifesting combined elements and physical labor to ensure the chunks could come down easily.
Which was just as well, as Sah’s seemed to be hung up on some ends of the roof, leaving them to dangle precariously.
Elizabeth and her efforts with the older Halovian would find the usual flair and fare about the butcher’s wife (she’d absolutely noticed the slower pace, with a half-snarl to boot for the Abandoned’s troubles). ”Finally, someone! I’ve been waiting for ages!” And while this likely wasn’t true, it scarcely mattered.
But shock went over the woman’s face at the shovel being handed to her, and she began to sputter as Elizabeth worked. ”Well I never!” (which was also obvious), before making a face and beginning to chisel at her end of the porch, deliberately unhurried.
--
Sah and Deimos are working on the Smiths’ roof, however, Sah’s end of things is becoming a bit tied up.
Elizabeth has somehow wrangled Mrs. Took into helping (well done), but not very well.
A small smile hid beneath her calm exterior as she watched Mrs. Took's indignant response. It was exactly what she'd expected. In fact, she'd expected worse. Maybe more yelling? Or throwing the shovel? Or stalking away in anger? So when the woman just grumbled and put the tool to work, Elizabeth was more than pleased with herself.
Her eyes quickly noticed the unhurried progress of the butcher's wife. It was obvious that she was trying to get Elizabeth to get frustrated and tell her to give up or silently do the extra work. But this therapist was much more stubborn than people originally guessed. She intentionally slowed her movements to match Mrs. Took's. If she asked, she'd get the excuse of not wanting to make the woman feel inferior for being slower. Either way, if it took twice as long, Elizabeth didn't care. This was the moment that would define their relationship with each other, and she didn't tolerate disrespect.
Elizabeth keeps shoveling but slows down to get Mrs. Took to pick up the slack! ;P
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
At first, things seemed to be going smoothly. Piece by piece, and chunk by chunk, Sah was able to clear the ice off of the roof. But his progress stopped when he heard a 'thunk'. Glancing over, his eyes narrowed at the sight of multiple sections teetering on the edge of falling.
His best guess was that the ice sheet was breaking unevenly as he worked, and it was causing a cascade not unlike an avalanche. If that was the case, then he needed to secure it. Using water magic, Sah attempted to refreeze the hanging sections into something more solid and uniform. With the risk of breakage hopefully eliminated, he then worked to lower the entire chunk down to the ground using telekinesis.
~
Sah uses water magic to freeze the snow into a more cohesive chunk and uses telekinesis to safely lower it.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Sah and Deimos continued in their elemental collaboration, only this interval proved much more successful. The ice unfurled into nothingness, and there was the imminent satisfaction of it all rushing downward to the ground; sliding or hovering. “Good. We can pick that up now too.” For the snow would need another place to go besides the pathways around the Smiths’ shop, and he figured with their incantations, it wouldn’t be quite so labor intensive.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was about to be swindled by Mrs. Took. The woman hadn’t taken so kindly to the therapist’s methods, and had already begun to scheme again. Taking her sweet, sweet time as the other slowed down as well, she purposefully took a sharp movement. ”Oh, ow!” she yowled, much like an irritating cat. Her hand immediately went to the lower part of her spine. ”My back! I must have pulled something!” She put the shovel down, managing to hobble a few short steps to lean against the deck railing.
--
Sah and Deimos can clean up the large chunks of ice and snow around the Smiths!
Mrs. Took is trying to get out of work again, sorry Elizabeth!
