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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!
Lena found the Barrows peaceful, and all of King’s End in the same light, even with the stories. Perhaps the final resting places gave her some semblance of serenity, and so close to Mourn, Meadowreach, and the Last Step, some portion of legends, stories, and myths that would never quite fade. Maybe they were contributing to a chapter now, as they settled across land and earth to place seeds into the soil.
The proximity to the Greatwood made this world a prime candidate for unfurling more helpful plantlife, so she tread along the plains and mounds, glancing over her shoulder at Koa. “Does this seem like a good spot?” Uncertain, truly, if he had a preference.
Mittens hovered over her other shoulder not unlike a snowball-esque bird, and then she tilted her head vaguely, one hand wrapped tightly around the golden seed. “Did you get to talk to Anju?”
I couldn't utter my love when it counted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
"Good enough for me," Koa confirms, having no more insight than the Caretaker on where they should plant their seeds. He'd been very grateful for the company, given his lack of any green thumb and general bemusement about the magic tree. And he'd wanted to talk to Lena anyway, far, he hoped, from prying eyes.
They pause at the appointed spot, a flat stretch among the sloping Barrows fed by a small stream. A beautiful place for a picnic- that is, if one was to ignore the looming jungle suffocated by Void mere meters away. Just being near those tangled shadows causes Koa to shudder, sticky fingers crawling down his spine as he thinks of the horrors that lie within. Even Pip lets out a low grumble of disquiet, tail thrashing across the Dragoon's back, her blue eyes narrowed as she eyes the distant woods.
The Dragoon drops his pack to the ground and kneels down beside it, pulling out the spades he'd packed in preparation of this task. But Lena's question has him pausing with a sharp inhalation of breath, the memory of his conversation with the Captain still fresh and painful in Koa's mind. "I did," the Dragoon answers slowly, careful with his words. He shifts his weight back onto his heels, peering toward the darkened jungle as though afraid it will approach. "I think... she is healthy." The words feel heavy in his dry mouth, strained with everything he can't say. An obvious but hangs in the balance, Koa waiting to see if Lena gets his hint before continuing on.
Koa
And I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
Snagging a garden trowel out of her bag, she gently began stirring at the earth, lifting soil and loam away for a moment. Eventually the particles would wind their way back to those same sentiments and sediments, but first there seeds to plant and hope to grow – even as the Dragoon shared information.
And it gave her some semblance of relief; her confidence in Anju had never waned, but the Caretaker had been confused and puzzled by the lot of it as well. To hear the Captain had done so out of her own free will was more a blessing than she realized; even if she’d chosen to bury and immerse herself within Dahlia’s predilections. “I’m glad to hear that,” she gave with a smile, reassurance, consolation, and some assuagement in all the daunting things. “So even though she chose to remain within,” and she waved her hands, signifying ‘council’ without saying it out loud, as if those listening might be able to reach them here. Talking around the parameters still felt off and weird, but she trusted if Koa didn’t understand or partake her meaning, he’d ask. “She at least did so out of her own volition.”
I couldn't utter my love when it counted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
He doesn't share in Lena's relief. If anything, to Koa, this is worse: but then, the Caretaker doesn't know it all. "Yes. That was her decision. " Not corrupted, just corrupt.
Disquiet wracks him; he can feel his body beginning to shake, the rush of emotion felt that night overtaking steadied nerves. He tries to channel the energy to digging, abruptly and violently snatching the trowel and tearing it into the ground. Pipsqueak slithers down his trembling arm, lending claws well suited to the task.
"She also said," He continues on, the words punctuated by strikes of the trowel, "That it's the Dragoon's responsibility to serve the leaders of Stormbreak. That anyone who feels otherwise is a traitor, and shouldn't. go. back. home."
There isn't even a pretense of productivity in his actions anymore, only the sharp stabs of anger and pain. He's trying hard to keep it together, but everything's spiraling apart.
Koa
And I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
There are many creatures contained within King’s End, and while some are wonderful and effervescent, there are others many will want to steer clear of.
Like that shapeless, smoky, vapor-looking thing in the distance. Unless, you know, you want to go approach it.
It moves with no real purpose, floating along above a couple treetops, before carrying on, as if nothing happened at all. Phew!
You’ve encountered a Enenra. 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. )
Enenra (rare/mythical) - Cousins of the Banshee, Enenra are creatures of smoke and vapor who possess a shapeless form, when the attack they generate a physical body of any appearance they like.
She paused momentarily, watching as he seemed to struggle within himself. Not knowing how best to comfort him, and not yet fully understanding the implications, she stilled; garden trowel resting in her hands and her eyes surveying the wracking emotions. It only took a moment more for the comprehension to begin sinking in, and her eyes went to the loam and silt beneath her hands.
The digging struck hard and fast and she sat in the sanction trying to digest all the words and notions as they came. Anju had said all of that? Had it been a farce – to ensure Koa would be safe and secure, away from Dahlia’s eyes? Had it been a means to shield him from the corruption and scandal? Faith in her friend kept her from angling into any semblances of other intentions. “Do you think she was trying to protect you? There’s no way she’d believe you were a traitor.” Not after all the time, the energy, and the efforts he’d put in to protecting their region. Not after how long they’d known one another. Not after gestures of family. “I find it far more formidable to not play into their hands. Maybe she wants to know what’s going on from council standpoints…but I couldn’t participate.” Her conscience wouldn’t allow it, and her thoughts softened, trying to figure where his motives fell and actions that would further unfurl from these segments. “What do you want to do?”
Then Mittens growled and scowled, glancing at the enenra floating nearby; the Caretaker spared it a single glance until it was gone, and then her attention could float between the Dragoon and planting.
I couldn't utter my love when it counted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
It almost certainly was to protect him, though Koa didn't see it that way. Too raw and too recent; the wound of rejection still burns and festers, blinding him with its bitter taste. "Maybe." His shrug is almost nonchalant, the amount he cares evidenced by just how hard he's trying to pretend that he does not. Maybe she's doing her best to protect them, and he's too hurt to know it. Maybe he wouldn't have been so rattled, had she used any other word.
Maybe that was the point.
Both of them pause as the Enenra drifts past, two sets of wary eyes watching it plot its course. Pip's nostrils flare as she tracks it, a small puff of steam exhaled into the cool spring air. Koa feels the tension, too; almost wishes the ghost would approach, so he might direct his emotions somewhere else. Alas, the spirit drifts away, leaving Dragoon and dragon with only a hole in which to pour their pain.
"I want the same thing I've always wanted." Pulling the gold pod from his pocket, Koa contemplates the thing, his fingers running over grooves, searching for seams in the seamless globe. "I always knew I wanted to protect Stormbreak, and that the best way I could do that was by being a Dragoon. But these days it doesn't seem all that simple, y'know?" How is he supposed to defend its home, when the largest threat has already wormed inside?
Koa
And I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
The Caretaker returned to the loam, striving to keep herself busy while the emotions waged from the Dragoon. Dirt and soil maneuvered under her graceful poise, until she had a wide enough portion to bury the seed within. She clutched it for an instant instead, as if pouring heartfelt sentiments into its gilded sanction, eyes watching as he seemingly shrugged everything away and off.
And then she supposed the only change was the influx of sudden and molten betrayal; even if it wasn’t exactly those edges and fringes. “Nothing has ever been simple,” she reassured, casting a glance his way before looking down at the earth again. Rotating the pod through her fingers, she frowned. “Everything will have to be less overt, and hopefully we can gain information somewhere.” Trying to alter the subject to a means in which they’d be productive, she looked at him again, a smile spreading across her features despite the heavy blows. “I feel like we don’t get much because of where we live,” perhaps people didn’t trust them, or thought the wisdom would flicker and flow straight to Dahlia. “But there must be a way. They cannot be so powerful that nothing can hurt or hinder them.”
I couldn't utter my love when it counted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
"I guess that's true." The pod drops out of the palm of his hand and vanishes into the open hole, vanishing under a sheet of dirt that Pip sweeps in with her tail. Koa watches it disappear, shoulders slumping as he sighs out the last of his distress. He feels better, having gotten it off his chest.
And he feels like he's less alone.
"We'll find a way," Koa agrees, flashing Lena a crooked, grateful grin. "And in the meantime, well, I've always wanted to learn about the animals in the Celestine. Maybe I can get myself assigned there more." It would give them a reason to meet more often, to swap clandestine news and notes.
The last layer of dirt shoveled onto the seed, Koa sits back upon his heels and peers out toward the woods. This time it isn't fury on his face, but focused speculation. "Actually... I've been wondering if we're going about this wrong. Maybe... maybe we need to work closely with our new Queen. Inside. It might be a good way to learn more about her and the rest of the Family." He eyes Lena sidelong, biting at his cheek. "Any interest in returning to the Council?"
Koa
And I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
Placing the seed gently into the dirt, she began to softly feed the soil back into the open space, listening all the while. “You know you’re always welcome there,” and she grinned in return, content to see his sunnier disposition flare back into existence.
The next insinuation gave her pause though, so her eyes, now worried and a bit dismayed, turned back to Koa. “Wouldn’t that look more suspicious? If I’d taken a stand to not be a part of her council?” The Caretaker had already strived to prove and make her point – she wouldn’t align herself with Dahlia, or be a pawn in those maneuvers. And perhaps she was a tad hurt that Koa would even think to have her go wind around in those machinations, after judging Anju so harshly for it, and being willing to put the Caretaker in such a dangerous position. She wouldn’t say any of it, of course, but the sudden look of dismay might’ve uttered enough.
Or Mittens’ adhering growl and imminent hovering over her shoulder.
I couldn't utter my love when it counted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
He realizes he's put his foot in his mouth as soon as the words leave it, noting the way Lena's expression collapses into overt dismay. "I- you're right, I'm sorry," he's quick to admit, giving a hearty shake of his head. There are a million obvious reasons why having Caretaker go back is a bad idea.
The problem is, they're running short on good ideas, just now.
Sitting back onto his heels, Koa lets out a sigh. "I guess it just feels like we're stuck right now. Not close enough to do anything, but not far enough away, either." Rough fingers run through Pipsqueak's fur, the dragon having clambered into his lap. "Ever and Anju... they're good people, but..." Again his shoulders roll in a shrug, fingers tangling tighter in the fur. "It would be good to know there was someone there advocating for Stormbreak's people. Someone we could trust."
He flashes Lena a boyish smile, both apologetic and sincere. "And you're probably one of the most trustworthy people I know."
Koa
And I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
The apology came, and with it some of the tension in her shoulders relaxed; striving to make a point without ridicule and strife, for they’d seen enough of it. The restlessness still curled its way into her fingers though, and so she grasped tightly at soil, bounding it between digits so the loam hid the tremors, and then maneuvered it around so the seed was properly buried, and perhaps with it, the subject altogether.
But while Mittens hovered, Koa continued, and her expression, while soft, still held that stricken look of dismay, as if she’d done something wrong and didn’t know how best to solve it. “It goes against everything in me to do what you’re asking though,” she opted for, applying her boundaries so he readily understood. She’d never do anything of such a nature to the Dragoon – and maybe in this way she was craving for him to cease and desist. Trust or not, she wasn’t going to be applying herself into Dahlia’s council again. “And while I appreciate that, there will be another way. I’ll keep asking around.”
I couldn't utter my love when it counted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
Koa sighs - not in resignation or exasperation, simply a weary exhalation, a blow-up bed deflating under the weight of the world. "I know. And I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have suggested it." It's just that the youthful, boyish part of him still years to have someone else take charge, to see problems solved by more capable adults. But he's learning about heroism, what it isn't and is. And not every hero, it turns out, is like the characters in his stories. Some of them are softer, quieter. Someone of them, like Lena, do good by being good. No matter the cost.
Slowly Koa rises to his feet, dusting his hands on his pants. Turning to Lena, he extends his hand to help her stand, smile still apologetic and sincere. "Sorry, Lena. I'm in a weird headspace today. Can I buy you lunch to make up for it?" he asks, copper eyes puppy-like and glittering with hope.
Koa
And I couldn't whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I'm singing like a bird 'bout it now
“It’s all right,” she mustered, dusting off her hands from the soil, and then rubbing them along her apron for better measures. “And I know it’s frustrating because we don’t have anything significant yet,” another pause ensued, for considerations and cross purposes, glancing down at the newly dug holes and maneuvered soil. “But I’m certain something eventually will come our way, and we’ll have a solution.” Be it the ring, or other motives, methods, and means. Her determination wouldn’t say otherwise, and she refused to wander down the alternative routes of despair and hopelessness.
Taking his hand to stand, she gave him another quiet, small, but still earnest smile. “Sure. Our work here is done anyway.” And with it, maybe an opportunity to thwart the infestations while they could.
