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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 Sun shone down its hateful rays upon the sky of the sole farmer on this land. It was a lot of work, but Sarah could handle it. Farmhands would have made it easier, but life was never easy for her, ever since her parents died. Currently, she was picking the ripe berries off the bushes on her large farm. There were so many bushes to pick in her vineyard but it needed to be picked. She would go hungry if she allowed bugs and animals to take them. Not only that, she needed to pick the fruit off the trees, and several vegetables from the ground. However, she will do so without complaint, and without worry. However, she did fantasize about having a hot prince to pick her up like a princess. Shaking her head, she expelled such lustful thoughts. That life was not for Sarah. Perhaps she will die alone, with no children, and no one to hold her.
"Hey gods send me some hot accepted or a demigod will you." She joked playfully as she went to the next bush, and the next and the next." If you give me a hot guy and a magic sword, I might adventure or not. Not that you are listening. The fairy tales are not real." She said as she went to her storage area and set down the box of berries. She grabbed another one and resumed her task.
”Hey, excuse me?” Ronin’s voice is somewhat distant, and he waves a hand from over the rows of grapevines nearby. ”This is a vineyard, right? You don’t happen to have any bottles ready for sale, do you?” The Knight has stepped off the beaten track upon noticing the young woman carrying her crate of berries; behind him back on the road sits a handcart laden with sacks of flour and boxes of vegetables.
It’s in Ronin’s nature to be helpful, and even more so in recent times. And so it likely isn't much of a surprise to those who know him that he’s gotten waylaid helping out a merchant with some supplies. The cart is bound for the House of Midnight, and while he knows he’ll be able to get home to his husband by the end of the day, if he has a local vintage to bring back with him, all the better.
”I can pay you, of course,” he adds, just in case she thinks him to be rude.
Sarah raised her eyebrow at the stranger on her lovely farm. Who was he? He didn't look like any bandit or smell like one. However, she had a visitor, a cute one. Still, she needed to be cordial, act like a lady like Mother and Father said. She dusted herself off, and looked at him, and examined his features before approaching him." Morning, I do have bottles, haven't tried to sell them. What is your name sir?" Sarah asked as she spotted some giant berries from one of her bushes. They will make for tasty wine, or at least grapes.
"The name is Sarah, a farmer around these parts. I assume you have a lot of coins or you would not have a cart. If you were a knight then I know you would be rich." She chuckled with a big smile. She put her basket down and offered a hand to the man, a handshake went a long way. What would her life be if she was a princess, or a noble, or a knight herself." Sarah looked muscular, it could be intimating to some.
"It's good to meet you, Sarah. Call me Ronin," he says with a smile, pleased to hear that she has bottles ready. "The berries look good - I hope they're a good omen for the taste of the wine," he adds, reaching out to shake her hand with a steady grip, his fingers finely calloused. Following her gaze over to the cart just beyond the hedgerows, Ronin lets out a soft laugh and shakes his head.
"It isn't my cart," he says. "A merchant a few miles back needed his supplies taken to the House of Midnight. It belongs to him - I'm just pulling it." That isn't to say that he's not able to pay his way, though. "How much for one of the bottles? If it's coin your after I can trade you something to get by - or I could help with some of this work as payment?" He gestures to the berries in need of collecting.
Sarah's grip was strong, and firm and tight. A result of working for years at a farm. She could get money from this man, but then again, she could just use him to lighten the load. After all she already had too much coin. Coin that she never used, and it stayed in a room. However, she did have something in mind for him.
"Well if you give me powers, and a sword then I will take it as payment." Sarah laughed soon after and slapped her knee." No regardless you aren't one of those many gods. They aren't liste ing to me and my fantasies. I will need your help around the farm, more so on my bees. I have taken to bee keeping as their honey is tasty, and sells for a lot. And their honey comb is well to die for. After all of this work, I will give you a bottle."
Sarah didn't need help, but the company was much appreciated.
With his brow furrowing, the words powers and a sword are still locked on Ronin's tongue when he realises Sarah is joking, the Knight huffing out a laugh and shaking his head. "No, alas I am not," he says, and having met far too many of those gods in his time and far too often, he doesn't envy them either. As for the work, Ronin had been looking at the multiple hedgerows bursting with fruit in need of collection, but if Sarah would prefer assistance with her bees, well, who is he to tell her no?
"I'm far from an experienced bee keeper, but if you tell me what you need, I'm happy to help," he nods, cementing their deal and peering out over the farm as if listening for the tell-tale buzz of a swarm. "Do you have any protection that you wear to harvest their honey?" He assumes, of course, that this is what they'll be doing.
