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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!
Okay, he'd taken the high road the day before, but when Hotaru played tonsil hockey with Jata first thing on the morning Tal couldn't hide the groan and heavy sigh, even when he tried to drown it in his coffee. He waved to the two leaders as they teamed up to put their big muscles to use, and though he momentarily brightened at the Valkyrie's approach her request was met with a wrinkled nose - and a tongue stuck out in a dazzling display of maturity. "I would've, but you'll get Sunjata-spit in it," he protested, cradling his mug protectively close. He was mostly teasing... but only mostly. As much as he liked his Archon, he wasn't particularly keen to get a secondhand kiss from the Flood!
Luckily she'd already had her caffeine, and Tal was soon caught up to her in that department. They fell back into their rhythm from the previous day, moving with gratifying speed thanks to how they'd pre-built plenty of sections. While Ru handled the stairs, Tal worked with a team to set the supports in the holes they'd molded in the foundation the day before, making sure the large timbers were anchored deep and solid and braced with iron. Slowly but surely the first floor took shape beneath the skeleton of ceiling crossbeams and the stairs began their long spiral along the wall.
A wall that continued to grow as Sunjata and Hadama utilized brawn and attention to detail to carry the heavy stones up the ramps of the scaffold, shifting in a steady circle around the tower as it began to narrow through the second floor and up into the third. Their assistants handled the mortar as each stone was laid, and through a combination of luck and skill at choosing the right blocks for the job they managed to fit them together tightly and without significant cracks.
Lunch was another lingering affair in the shade to let the sun start heading west, but as Tal looked over their progress he was downright smug and bursting with pride. "We're doin' great!" he assured the gathered assistants and friends. "I think we just need one person t'lead the last floor an' a half on th'walls. An' one on th'stairs, since that'll be slowin' down. But we need t'start buildin' th'actual floors in, an' th'inside walls. So, can one o' you take lead on th'second floor, an' one take th'third?" he asked, looking to Sunjata and Hotaru in particular, since they had made the interior design adjustments and had the best idea of how to lay out the rooms and space around the central well where the big freight elevator would go.
We're in the home stretch! The tower is taking shape, but it's got a little further to go (four floors, to be exact)
Hadama and Tal will keep working on the walls and stairs, but there are enough crossbeams in place to start putting the actual floors into the second and third stories and roughing in the interior walls. Hotaru and Sunjata can pick their floor and lead their teams to follow their dreams from yesterday! What rooms or design elements will they include in the new plans?
Entirely helpless to avoid being pulled back into Hotaru’s orbit, the Flood indulges her with that famed parting kiss that Tal is so put off by. It’s enough to bring a light hue of pink to the top of his cheeks as he partners up with Hadama, flashing the other demigod an easy lopsided smile of agreement. Between the two of them, they should be able to manage it fairly well.
And he’s positively delighted to see that they do. The hard work and attention to detail pay off as they go round and round with the help of their assistants to ensure each stone fit nicely into the rows. And when they break for lunch, there’s content happiness lingering in his chest, a sensation sent through the attuned bond toward the Valkyrie despite it being revealed plainly on his face.
Attentive despite the food coma that so badly wants to undertake the Flood’s motivations, Sunjata huffs a soft laugh and a nod. “Oooh.” He purrs playfully, nudging Hotaru with his shoulder lightly as mischief sparkles in his gaze. “Well, I think you should get the floor everyone’s gonna see first.” When they arrive at least, which means floor 3 (if he’s figured out the way Tal’s set this up, at least.)
So, content with the second, he returns to work with Ru as they make their climb, breaking from her to remain on the second floor to make his adjustments — smooth walls and room for plenty of decor and unique notes. He even goes so far as to shift the inside of the room ever so slightly, making the staircase an obvious focal point, but ensuring the inside harbors room for shelving and the like to add trinkets from King’s End as a preview of what awaits them.
Oh, and the large map that he’d bought from a talented cartographer, one that could be placed on the wall for an easy view to help visitors both figure out where they are and where they would like to go.
Sunjata gets to work on floor 2! He intends to make his room able to hold a variety of king’s end trinkets and has a large map of it to be put up for the visitors to see where they are and where they want to go!
"You are not the first to say that," he murmured to Hotaru with a twinkle in his eyes as he moved off to assist Sunjata with the stones of the wall. He might have been apologetic but he was not about to change over to a task at which he was far less suited, such as the carpentry. Especially not when the Valkyrie had shown both a talent for the task and an easy rhythm with the Messenger.
He worked in companionable silence with Sunjata until lunchtime and then looked over the blueprints as he ate, nodding his agreement that they were reaching the point where only one of the demigods needed to still be working on the wall. Their assistants had the hang of it now, and the stones they were using to build the upper stories were smaller than the ones at the bottom. Easier to carry, and easier to place even without unusual strength. Still, it did not hurt to have one person left to ensure that no mishaps happened, and he inclined his head in acceptance as the task fell back to him.
The work might have slowed without Sunjata to do the literal heavy lifting, but the tower was growing narrower as they neared the top. Hadama led the way in finishing the third story and then moving on to the final one; in some ways it was trickier because there were large doorways and windows to account for, but it also meant less stone overall needed to be placed, and by the end of the day his team had placed the final rock, high above the rolling hills of Mourn below them.
Hadama finishes the walls, and leaves plenty of spaces for entrances and windows all around the tower on the fourth floor!
Talyson's childishness is a perfect, caustic fit to Hotaru's general bratty disposition, so she sticks her tongue out with a harsher face just to feel superior. "I'm telling Alys you denied me just to be mean," she huffs, though the veracity of the threat dwindles as the workday moves forward and her grumpy baseline pushes the needle into milder spirits. Whether it will drop again when she's forced to part from Sunny again after lunch...
Luckily his charm and flattery is eternally motivating, and she kisses him quickly as cleanup of the meal begins. More saliva to bully Tal with. "You're the foundation, I'm the decoration," she declares in agreement; though the lilt of her tone is lofty to all who are around to hear, the humming truth of it sings from her heart to his through the Attuned bond.
Alone on the landing floor, Hotaru corrals as many NPC helpers as she can bat her eyes at to coordinate her vision. A well-defined route to the stairs and exit zones is boring artistically but unfortunately necessary (they live in Caido, emergency exits must be plentiful and vibrantly marked). From there, she begins structuring the skeletons of stores and retail locations lining the space between the docking area and outer walls (like the upper mezzanine of a mall). Ports and towns are great mercantile options, but Hotaru is very passionate about shopping and investment. Not only monetarily, but for the locals who can use the opportunity to better their own lives and businesses. And why not encourage it anyway? It's the perfect setup; while waiting on a boat, why not visit a lovely boutique, peruse an art gallery, or receive a massage?
Oooh, maybe she should open another branch of her spa...
- - -
Ru starts on the floor where the loading will be (3rd...?) and starts outlining spaces for mall mezzanine style shops for centralized trading and employment of locals, to be fine tuned in the next round.
She doesn't care about your words or how you'll try and save her
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
"She wouldn't want me drinkin' Sunjata spit, either!" Tal protested, wrinkling his nose at Ru's threat. He had far too much faith in his partner to think she'd take the Valkyrie's side over his when he was so justified! Then there was more revenge- kissing over lunch and Tal took refuge in his blueprints as he crammed food in his mouth, muttering to himself as he made a few more adjustments here and there. Then it was back to work, racing to keep pace with Hadama's crew as the last spiral of stairs was completed up the third floor, and he and his crew built in the floorboards that covered Ru's boutiques as the Mer King finished walling in the fourth floor where the actual docks would be.
Again the sun was setting by the time they finished their tasks for the day, but the skyport was finally looking like a reality rather than a dream. Four stories of strong, sturdy stone with deep foundations rose from the gentle meadows of Mourn. A canal connected it to the river, with a covered boathouse/Mer pool for water deliveries, while its interior contained broad steps that led to a floor with a map and examples of what King's End had to offer visitors, and another with small shops and places to relax before or after a long skyship journey.
"One more day an' we should have it finished enough t'open," Tal declared with satisfaction. "First thing tomorrow we can split up into teams again. One team can work on roofin' over th'top floor, an' one can start buildin' the platforms out around it."
Three rounds left!
The interior is almost done, so in the morning (next round) it will be time to finish the outside. Team one will need to build the broad wharf decking around the exterior of the tower that the individual berths will attach to. Make sure it's well-anchored and braced!
Team two will be in charge of roofing the tower to protect it from the elements. Ideally it should extend at least partially out over the wharf decking.
Hadama came down the inside of the tower at the end of the day, looking with bright, curious eyes at how it had transformed from a bare shaft into an oasis for weary travelers and a warm welcome for new arrivals. The third floor's bright boutiques gave way to the second floor's informative displays of the region before the first floor opened out into the red light of the setting sun. "I may take some of your inspiration for Torchline's skyport," he confided in Hotaru and Sunjata, the Attuned bond warm with admiration for their work.
It had, however, been a very long day, with one more still to go, and so Hadama took his leave back to Torchline once more, so that he could arrive in the pre-dawn gloom the next morning.
Even the Tidebreaker was yawning as he poured himself a large mug of coffee from the waiting carafe, and contemplated the tower as it glowed pink and then gold in the rising sun. Once they had enough helpers gathered to begin work he nodded at Talyson and his fellow demigods with a flicker of humor in his eyes. "I am more familiar with wharves than roofs. I will begin there." Draining his mug, he gathered some of the other earlybirds from New Haven and went to collect boards and beams from the supply. Though he was uncertain how to brace them against the tower, he set his team to assembling the decking that would be laid atop the support struts once someone more skilled in architecture had seated them in the stone walls of the skyport.
Hadama joins Team Wharf and begins assembling the decking for the skyport's wooden docking platform.
As work draws to a close, a huff of laughter is offered alongside amusement that flickers down the attuned bond toward Hadama, flashing the other demigod a crooked smile. “Feel free to.” Information was always a welcome addition to those that hadn’t traveled to a region before – or those who had, but didn’t know the unique little tidbits without opening a book. And for that, Sunjata would always be pleased to brag about his region. He’s sure Hadama feels the same.
But as the Flood steps up beside Hotaru and winds his arm around her again – ignorant or perhaps playfully ignoring the previous all day banter of his spit, he admires the space for little shops to be displayed – another welcome addition to what life was like in King’s End. “I love it.” His accent pours over the words as he looks toward the Valkyrie, then on toward Tal and Hadama as they break for the evening once more.
And yet again, the Flood whisks the Valkyrie away to soothe sore bones weary from work, only to return bright and early – already having downed two cups of coffee and a snack for breakfast.
Nodding toward Hadama as he takes the wharf platform, the Flood peers up through the gloomy morning to notice the framing for the roofing. Now, roofing is something the Flood has experience with, and it’s with a playful grin that he announces as such. “I’ll take the roof. I put plenty up in Torchline over the years, so hopefully this is just as smooth.” Bouncing his brows in relatively good spirits (and thankfully, very caffeinated spirits) toward Hadama, Sunjata obnoxiously nuzzles Hotaru’s temple as he walks by, feathered wings spiraling from his back in multicolored hues of blue from dark to light shades as he collects whatever tools he needs and takes to the sky to get started ensuring it had ample coverage.
Sunjata’s team roof!
the flood
// where me and you can always hide //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Inspiration is hardly something Hotaru can regulate access to, though she might be the type to try. Luckily Sunjata gives his approval in her stead, and she is in turn distracted and mollified by the end of the day's work and the softness of his affections. "I love you," she murmurs, treating the crowd to one last show of public affection as she kisses his jaw before they all part ways for the night.
The next morning she is determined not to be separated again, and though she laughs quietly at the ticklish nature of Sunjata's nuzzle, she isn't far behind him as he takes to the sky. "Let's leave the roof to the people who can fly," she agrees with a grin. Unless Hadama is hiding something beneath those overlarge fins of his that should only leave her and Sunjata. People falling off a roof that stands four stories high seems like a terrible way to consecrate the new building.
Landing near the Flood, she beams and falls into rhythm with him, trading tools and flagrantly chatting where few can complain about their slower pace or distraction.
- - -
Ru is team roof!
She doesn't care about your words or how you'll try and save her
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
The winged couple headed to the roof to tackle the final framing, and Tal waved grateful thanks to Sunjata for taking the lead on it. "Shouldn't be any problems," he agreed, and was unsurprised when Hotaru followed. "Hey! Don't get so busy canoodlin' that y'fall behind!" he called after the Valkyrie with a grin. Not that he was worried; if she said she was going to get the job done he trusted her. But if he didn't get to tease her, who else in King's End would? It was practically his duty!
The weather was bright, sunny, and warm again. A perfect Longheat day for roofing over the top of the skyport with thick timbers to withstand wind and snow, and sturdy shingles to shed the rain from storms. With their crew helping from ladders inside the roof took shape at a steady pace throughout the morning.
Tal joined the wharf crew. He left the decking to Hadama and worked with a smaller crew of carpenters and stonemasons to set the braces in the wall of the tower that would hold the wooden walkway on its exterior. As the mighty arms were set into place, it gave the Tidebreaker's crew a chance to assemble the decking atop it. They worked their way around the fourth floor of the tower, completing the ring as the roof finished as well.
No leisurely lunch today! Determined to push through and see the skyport finished, the vendors were instead handing out smaller sacks of food that could be eaten one-handed or nibbled while working as Tal consulted the crew for the finishing touches.
"I'll need a hand workin' on th'central cargo lift," he admitted, looking around at the demigods with a rueful quirk to his lips. "It'll be heavy an' finicky work, an' it'll probably take th'rest o' th'day. In th' meantime, someone needs t'finish buildin' out th'berths from th'wharf, an' a third crew can finally hang th'doors an' get th'windows in. Who wants what?"
Two rounds left!
1. Tal needs a volunteer to help him assemble the lift and get the mechanism into place.
2. Get the windows and doors installed to keep out the elements!
3. Build out the berths for the skyships from the wharf, like spokes on a wheel.
Seeing the wharf come together and take shape atop the bracing timbers was a satisfying pleasure. Hadama had taken part in such monumental works of architecture only a few times before, but seeing the individual parts come together in a harmonious whole would never become old. He accepted a sandwich of sorts - meat and leafy vegetables rolled up in a wrap of very thin bread - and ate as Tal explained their next steps. One look at the blueprints informed Hadama that he would be woefully out of his depth with the mechanism portion, and he tapped a finger on the berths around the wharf.
"I will continue here," he decided. "And finish what we started." Keen eyes noted the cabling to help hold the weight of the extensions, and the safety rails that could be easily socketed in or removed to accommodate smaller or larger vessels.
Collecting several members of his morning crew, the Tidebreaker went to claim the rest of the wood planking suitable for decking, and chose the heavier timbers for the support frames. He divided his crew to begin building four berths, one for each direction, and to work out how to attach them to the wharf in such a way that they would be safe and secure even in a storm.
Hadama takes the berths for the wharf!
Hearing the teasing between Ru and Tal sparks amusement from the Flood, even as he ignores it for the sake of building the roofing for the Skyport. And luckily for them, the weather works in their favor, and he’s also learned a few things about preventing accidentally hammering his thumb in the process of shingling. All in all, it’s a good amount of work, and while they worked quite hard it doesn’t stop Sunjata from being affectionate to the Valkyrie. As such, when they finish he presses a soft kiss to her lips and nuzzles in slightly, before the next set of instructions are given.
If it adds more fuel to the fire, so be it. But an amused and crooked smile blooms on his face — playful mischief glittering in his mind down the attuned bond for Hotaru as he promptly lays claim to his own task after Hadama’s made his choice. “Looks like you could use some help, Tal.” He refrains from mentioning anything about spit despite wanting to quite badly.
Shaking out his stiff limbs, the Flood sidles up beside the Messenger and starts to help assemble alongside Tal and the crew. And when it comes to placing the mechanism, he utilizes his strength to slot it into place.
Sunjata picks team Tal! (the lift and the mechanism) ;D
the flood
// where me and you can always hide //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
It’s true that nobody else in King’s End is either inclined to (or perhaps dares to) tease and heckle the Valkyrie quite so boldly, but it’s a double-edged sword of a boon that Talyson wields, because it also ensures he’s subjected to far more of Hotaru’s special brand of fond harassment than those everyday citizens. Being up on the roof keeps him from her for most of the day - and grants her plentiful access to Sunjata, in the moments between work - but as they descend in the wake of their success the beneficial team up must come to an end.
She’s content to work with Hadama, but there is as yet one task with no assigned leader, and something something demigods being inherent leaders and whatnot she decides to tackle that instead. Doors and windows aren’t exactly her strong suit given her height, but Hotaru sets to the task diligently and employs taller helpers as needed.
- - -
Hotaru takes the remaining task of doors and windows!
She doesn't care about your words or how you'll try and save her
Hotaru has a passive magic that makes her glow with an internal golden light; it makes her appear youthful and her hair seems to look like moving sunlight. Can only subtly illuminate dark spaces.
It had been a long couple of days, but it was all coming together now. Hadama needed to be careful in building out the berths as they extended out into the open air above the third story of the tower, but the scaffolding that had been used to build the walls was easily repurposed to provide a safe perch for building out the spokes of the wharf. Soon the gangplanks of airships would be rattling down to the new berths, allowing people and goods to be unloaded in safety and comfort.
Hotaru may have been short but her presence was commanding and her sharp eyes ensured that no door was hung off true. Her skills as a glassblower came into use with the windows as well, guiding their installation so that they were firmly placed without being wedged into place so roughly that they broke. The Skyport was soon secure against the weather - and any dangerous creatures that might have tried to go sniffing around inside it!
Tal and Sunjata had a little more trouble with the central cargo lift and the winching mechanism that powered it. The blueprints had a lot of small notes scribbled in the margins, but luckily they weren't alone. A couple of New Haven's new residents were engineers who were able to guide the construction of the mechanism. While Tal handled the shaping and construction of the wooden pieces and one of the engineers helped with the metal, Sunjata provided the muscle to assemble it all and get it set up in the foundation and at the top of the skyport.
By the time they had managed to wrestle it into position and get it working there was only a little bit of light left in the day, and Hotaru and Hadama had finished their tasks. Tal looked around proudly, looking exhausted but downright smug at their progress. "Right, now we just need t'add th'finishin' touches! Anythin' y'think it's missin'? Or needs t'make it safer or more welcomin'?" he asked his crew for their final additions before the grand opening!
Last round!
Add on anything that you think it needs (railings, storm shutters, fresh coat of paint, light fixtures, flower boxes, etc) and I'll wrap it up in my next post!
The sun continues to drift through the sky as they work, taking the help from the engineers and Tal to assemble the central cargo lift. But, with still sore muscles but quite a bit of strength behind everything, the Flood works in tandem with everyone to get it all set up. Pride radiates from him as he flashes a knowing grin to Tal for the teamwork before the last bit of finishing touches is brought up.
Glancing at the waning sunset, the Flood eyes what’s left and decides on a bucket of paint for the main sector everyone would see. Getting to work on the flat wall above the entrance, Sunjata scribes out a nice and neat little ‘Thank you for visiting King’s End’ before he ducks into the inside of the Skyport for the same door, painting out an additional touch of ‘Welcome to King’s End’.
Sunjata adds a little welcome to kings end and a thank you for visiting king’s end on the main entrance!
the flood
// where me and you can always hide //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
