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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!
09-16-2024, 10:22 AM (This post was last modified: 09-22-2024, 08:09 AM by Hadama.
Edit Reason: adding the tags back in for the second time
)
Longheat was Safrin's season, with gentle nights perfect for gazing up at the stars and life in abundance on the world below them. For all that his goddess had given him in the past year, Hadama had put out the call and gathered a few volunteers to show their gratitude for the Herald of life by cleaning and beautifying the lighthouse shrine on Aumakua now that the influence of the Void had been banished from its shores.
The large man stood in the light of early morning with his muscular arms crossed over his bare chest as he considered the tasks before them. A small boat had been loaded up with supplies and rowed across the channel at high tide in the predawn gloom; it now rested half-beached on the sparkling black sands of the isle, giving some clues as to what to expect from the day: ladders, large buckets of soapy water and long brushes, and several barrels of whitewash were intended for the outside of the lighthouse. A small cart filled with young plants with dark leaves and white flowers had been packed alongside wood and carpentry supplies, and there brooms, dusters, and polishing cloths tucked into the remaining spaces.
Perhaps more importantly, a small folding table had been set up nearby with a steaming urn of fresh-brewed coffee and a plate of warm, fruit-filled breakfast pastries from the Tidepool Bar's ovens to bribe reward those who braved the cool morning breeze to help him in his self-appointed task.
Deft fingers plaited his steely hair back into a tight, neat braid as he waited for a few more volunteers to arrive. A couple of people were making their sleepy way across the footbridge, but he was hoping a few more might still join them before they got started.
This is a PQ to remove all remnants of Void presence and clean up the lighthouse shrine in honor of Safrin. Please post your character arriving and we'll get started!
Given his tumultuous relationship with the starlit herald, one might find it surprising that Ronin decides to come and help out with this particular task, it's true. But given that he's a demigod of Vi - and this is also a shrine to the God of Life - and also that he's vowed to lend his help wherever possible, perhaps not. Besides, it's amazing, what a season or two of hard work and personal growth and healing can do, and so as he approaches where Hadama is standing, it's with an easy smile for the Tidebreaker.
"I heard we are completely protected now, from the void," he says with a gentle nudge to the taller man. "Or as protected as we can be, anyway." Family notwithstanding. "That's a huge achievement, you should be proud. I'd be honoured to help clean up the lighthouse, so let me know where I'm needed and I'll get going."
Ronin arrives!
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
After finishing his part of the regional quest with Sah, Noah wanted to visit the shrine before he went home. Prepared with an offering and a prayer, the Forsaken did not expect to also see two friends. But, both dedicated to the god and herald of life, he wasn’t too surprised.
“Good morning,” Noah’s voice rumbled in as he greeted both demigods with a smile and a nod, “looks like you’ve got a big task at hand. I’m ready to help. I was coming to pray before I headed back to Halo.” He looked between Hadama and Ronin. He hadn’t seen Ronin since the attack on the beach, and so he stepped closer to him, “And thank you.” For what, Ronin knew.
09-18-2024, 12:16 PM (This post was last modified: 09-27-2024, 12:17 PM by Hadama.)
The White Knight's presence was always welcome, and Hadama tilted his head down at the demigod of Life with quiet satisfaction softening his expression as he accepted the praise. "I am," he assured Ronin, proud and pleased - and relieved - to have gained some measure of protection for their home. "And thank you, I want to start with--"
But before he could finish another familiar and very welcome face arrived, and the Tidebreaker almost cracked a public smile at seeing Noah again. He reached out a hand to clasp his friend's forearm in warm welcome. "Good morning. I would be glad for the help. Thank you both."
The small handful of other early-morning Torchers gathered around and Hadama gestured to the supplies being unloaded from the boat. "First, cleaning. Now that the Voidbound Hels and Messengers are gone, I want to scrub the outside of the lighthouse." To remove all lingering traces guano. He means guano of the twisted birds. "There is soap and water, scrub brushes... and ladders for those who cannot fly," he added, with an acknowledging tilt of his head to Ronin, who certainly could.
Round 1: Clean the outside of the lighthouse until it sparkles like Safrin's stars!
There are long-handled brushes, buckets of soapy water, ladders, and whatever other basic cleaning supplies you might want.
There are a few devout NPCs along to help, if you want a crew!
Cleaning the sides of the lighthouse:
1. Noah
2. Hadama
Cleaning the roof of the lighthouse:
1. Ronin
Also glancing around at the sound of Noah's voice, Ronin's expression softens to see the Forsaken come to join them, and he offers a warm smile and a nod towards the other man. "I was happy to help," he assures him in response to the gratitude offered, before turning his attention back towards Hadama and the tasks that will soon be underway.
And of course, that acknowledging tilt of the Tidebreaker's head is all the Knight needs to know where he'll be for this first bout of cleaning. "I'll take some soap, scrub brushes and myself up to the roof, then," he says, and with a wink and a shrug of his shoulders, pale draconic wings appear to flex and stretch in the dappled sunlight.
Grabbing his supplies, he asks some of the volunteers to fill some buckets with water so he might be able to rinse the tiles off when he's done, before he takes to the air - and to the top of the lighthouse - to get to work.
Ronin and his wings opt to scrub the roof!
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
It seemed that Hadama had planned this event for the long run of their campaign against ridding their land and protecting their borders. With no void flora and fauna in the lighthouse, all of the evidence had to disappear too. Proud of the way his friend was ready to honor his goddess, Noah kept his ears attentive to the instructions and plans given.
Ronin had wings to keep him aloft while working. Smirking towards the Knight, Noah then gestured towards the other side of the lighthouse. "We Will start over here!" Noah said, motioning with strong arms for a few people to follow him to the opposite side and begin their scrubbing. He helped gather their necessary supplies, and headed over to work.
Noah takes some NPCs to the opposite side and starts scrubbing!
"Thank you," Hadama called to Ronin as the White Knight assembled his tools and manifested his wings, rising to the occasion - and the roof. Life was often messy, and so perhaps it was no surprise that a shrine dedicated to the god and goddess of Life was, too. Especially given the more recently unwelcome and distressingly purple denizens of Torchline. The roof of the lighthouse was in the most dire need of cleaning given how many birds - Void-touched and otherwise - had perched there, though passing storms had certainly helped. Ronin would have to use some elbow grease to scrub out some of the more stubborn stains, but eventually the roof would shine with a clean sparkle.
Noah's willingness to get to work matched Hadama's own preference and the two split up to tackle opposite sides of the lighthouse exterior walls. There were fewer stains on the vertical surfaces, but the pale stones were still discolored, especially on the side that faced away from the prevailing winds. Both ladders and long-handled brushes quickly became necessary to clean the higher stories of the lighthouse, but the combination allowed them to reach - if just barely - every inch of the structure.
On the outside, at least.
Hadama had chosen the lea side of the lighthouse, where the purplish guano stains had been washed by less rain and were more stubborn. As the other teams finished up he paused to wipe sweat from his brow and nod at his own NPCs before turning to Noah and Ronin. "While we finish out here, would you clean the inside?" he asked his friends politely. "It will give the stones time to dry. There are brooms to sweep out the stairs and the shrine. And dusting cloths for the rails and fixtures inside."
Round 2: Clean the inside of the light house so it matches the outside!
One to tackle the sweeping
One to tackle the dusting
Hadama will finish the outside scrubbing!
Being as careful as he can not to soak his friends as he rinses off the roof tiles, the ache in Ronin's muscles is a welcome one; he'd take work like this every day over flying out to Starfall to deal with whatever assorted bullshit lurked there, after all. Once he's content with the state of the roof - and hearing Hadama's call - he peeps over the side and gives the Tidebreaker a nod. "Can do!" he calls, rallying his group of volunteers and swooping down to land outside the Aumakua.
"If we handle the dusting, Noah can come behind us and sweep?" he suggests; that way they won't be accidentally swiping dust onto clean floors. So saying, the Knight gathers his supplies and his helpful volunteers and heads in to start from the top at the shrine itself. (And yes, he makes thorough use of any railings and hand-holds available, thank you for the concern).
Ronin and his group dust!
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
A hard worker at heart, Noah appreciated the pull in his muscles and the tightening in his core just as Ronin did. He worked diligently and encouraged those around him to do the same. A few of them splashed around, even trying to push each other into Ronin’s spills from rinsing the roof, and Noah couldn’t help but chuckle. They didn’t derail the process, and it was good to have fun along the way — especially when any wayward look over the shoulder could cause the heart to sink.
Finishing with their side of the lighthouse, Noah and his crew returned their cleaning supplies. Drying his hands off on his pants, the Forsaken listened to his friends and with a firm nod and a smirk, Noah agreed to the new plan and set to work.
—
Noah agrees to Ronins suggestion and gets to work!
The inside of the lighthouse shrine had at least been spared the worst of the Void-touched fauna's desecrations, but there was still work to be done to dust and polish it up. Reverent fingerprints needed to be scrubbed off the handrails and walls, candles and offerings needed a light dusting, and the fallen remains of previous offerings - leaves, petals, bits of soil or crumbs of food - that hadn't quite made it to the altar needed to be swept away.
Ronin and his crew would find a bit of a challenge at the top of the lighthouse, where the sea breeze had brought with it a faint, virtually invisible crusting of salt on many surfaces that was not apparent until they began to rub the more obvious dust away with their cloths. It wasn't as difficult to clean as the roof had been, but it took more time and more elbow grease than the White Knight had perhaps anticipated before the walls and surfaces gleamed freshly once more.
Noah would find a similar issue with the floors as his team began to sweep. The stairs were easier to clean, but the shrine at the top of the lighthouse needed a good mopping. The timing worked out unexpectedly well, however, since it gave Ronin's crew time to work their way down the stairs, dusting the handrails and artwork on the walls before the sweeping crew was ready to follow.
Outside, Hadama and his pair of helpers employed brawn and heavy scrub brushes to scrape the last stubborn elements of the Void from the exterior of the building. He was determined to let no smudge or stain remain to besmirch his lady's shrine, and the perfectionism that he brought to his smithing and to his food preparations was applied to the lighthouse walls until they gleamed.
The sun was well up by the time they finished the initial scrub down of the inside and outside, and Hadama gave his fellow demigods a deep nod of gratitude. "While the last section dries, I would like to honor Safrin - and Vi," he added, with a twinkle in his eye for the patron of his friends, "with some living decorations for the lighthouse." He moved to the rowboat that had brought the supplies and began to separate out the lumber and plants. "Could one of you build flower boxes to hang beneath the beacon windows? As they are finished, another can fill them with the plants." The small white flowers of the sturdy, low bushes almost looked like stars against the dark green-black foliage of the leaves they nestled against. "And the last group can fix them in place."
Round 3! Decorations for the gods of life (but especially Safrin)
1. Make the window boxes
2. Fill them with the provided soil and plant the flowering bushes in them
3. Find or make a way to hang them below the windows at the top of the lighthouse.
Having wrinkled his nose at the initial work to do - the Knight has not been in an especially delicate or careful mood today - Ronin eventually forms a plan with his volunteers and, between them, they manage to dust out the shrine area for Noah and his group to follow. Which, whilst nowhere near as fun as scrubbing the roof tiles, is still an important contribution to the overall cleaning of the lighthouse, and by he time they are standing outside again, he's feeling quite good about it all.
"I can get to work on the window boxes," he confirms with a cheerful smile, heading over to the supplies and grabbing up the lumber needed. With a saw in hand and a few volunteers assisting by holding the planks and nails, they get dilligently to work.
Ronin takes the window boxes!
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
Noah had not expected there to be so much build up. He was not familiar with the way the sea's salt made its way into the air and then clung on to anything it could. It made the floor a sticky mess that could not just be swept up (and he was still amazed as he ran his mop and broom over the area that he hadn't noticed this before), but he and his team worked diligently. The youngsters that had attempted to drown each other in the sudsy water they used to clean the outside even put their noses to the grindstone and impressed the Forsaken.
Ready for the next task, after Noah and his team put away their tools, the demigod shrugged a bit. "I'll work on planting the flowers." Because although Noah had grown up in the harshest terrain of settled lands, since the greenhouse had come to fruition the hunter had learned the valuable skills of planting and tending to plants. How hard were flowers?
Living on a houseboat filled with lush plants along its deck and windows had definitely given Ronin an edge for this sort of work. The window boxes came together neatly under his supervision, his helpers either already skilled at such simple projects or else eager to learn from the White Knight. They were able to utilize all of the available lumber without needing to recut any pieces or throw away any split boards, and once they were done it was the Forsaken's turn.
Noah's thumb might not have been as green as Ronin's, but his greenhouse experience stood him in good stead. The plants that Hadama had chosen were hardy, intended to survive the sea wind and salty air, and the Halovian would find that they were fairly forgiving. One of his assistants was an experienced gardener of vegetables and flowers in her own home, and she helped them to transplant the trailing bushes into their new homes while protecting their roots from the shock of the move.
The most difficult task was, arguably, the engineering needed to secure the boxes to their new home. Hadama puzzled over the problem with his own crew as they examined the windows and sketched out several ideas before deciding on one. The ladders were set up once more and measurements were made twice and marked before holes were drilled carefully into the freshly-cleaned masonry of the lighthouse. Anchors were inserted and brackets were bolted into place just as Noah and his crew finished filling the boxes with the flowering plants.
Looking over what they had done so far, and with the sun sitting high above them at noon, Hadama wiped his brow and nodded in satisfaction. "One final task," he rumbled. "Before we hang them." As he spoked he moved to lift the buckets of white wash from the boat and carry them towards the base of the lighthouse. "A fresh coat of paint. So that it reflects the moonlight at night." And would stand bright and beautiful during the day. Fragments of quartz and mica glittered in the paint, catching the light with a sparkle that echoed the sands of the sacred island. Claiming a long-handled paint roller, the Tidebreaker got to work.
Round 4! (last one!)
Now that the walls have dried off, it's time to slap on a fresh coat of paint to really make the light house sparkle!
The planting went well. Noah was thankful for the experience and willingness from his group, and took mental notes that she guided him to translate even back to his life in Halo. He thanked her many times as they worked on the planting project.
Before he knew it, the boxes were full. Pleased with the work they had done, Noah guided his team over to the table to have a little break and some food while they prepared for the next set of tasks.
With the plans laid for the boxes to be hung, and the king giving them directions to paint, the demigod stuff his mouth full of snacks before heading back in. He gathered paints and brushes and then scuttled up a ladder to begin his work.
