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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!
Sah’s quest was coming to an end he would soon set out for Starfall. The hybrid suspected that it would be the most dangerous mission of his life. As such, when he’d completed his hunt, he’d paused at the closest shrine. Setting the antlers of the luxere he’d taken down on the altar, he bowed his head. The prayer he sent up was quiet, but his thanks to Safrin for her guidance and his request for protection in the coming days rang true.
After completing his prayer, the hunter exited the shrine and ensured that his quarry was still secured to his sled. It was as he was adjusting the rope that he heard someone approaching. The crunch of ice and snow under their feet was quiet, but just barely decipherable over the wind. It had been howling all night, forcing the tundra into a colder night than normal for Flowerbirth.
Zen found that he quite liked the cold. It reminded him of the endless cosmos and the sharpness of his mother’s rage. Not that it had been directed at him yet, and hopefully never. But the Demi-god had witnessed her wrath from the stars, and it had thrilled him. His mother was powerful, and it filled the Demi-god with pride to be hers. Glancing up, Zen’s eyes softened at the stars above, wondering which were the ones he had touched while he grew in his mother’s domain.
A gust of wind came through and Zen pulled his jacket tighter around his body, scrunching his shoulders until the fur tickled his cheeks. He had been drawn out towards the shrine in the Sea of Glass yet again. The stars seemed brightest near the shrines and the one near the Citadel was too crowded for his taste. Unfortunately, it was colder tonight, and his jacket wasn’t insulating him as much as he’d like. The Demi-god had attempted to deal with the cold in his shifted form, but the result was roughly the same.
To his surprise, there was once more someone else at the shrine. It took a moment but as the Demi-god approached, a name clicked into his mind. Sah, if he wasn’t mistaken. He’d seen the hunter once from the stars, noting his name and face because the man had earned enough of Safrin’s favor to be hybridized by her.
Sah’s eyes scanned the man as he approached, not recognizing him. There was a slight tremble to the stranger’s shoulders. With his arcane blessing, the Wild Thunder was unaffected by the sharp bite of the wind. As such though, he wasn’t sure how concerned he should be. At least the man’s trembling was only mild.
Tilting his head, Sah regarded the stranger, scanning him briefly. “Are you alright? It’s dangerous to be out on the tundra alone at night.” Few people outside of local hunters made such trips, unless they were confident in their ability to brave the cold and the wildlife. It was entirely possible that this stranger fell into the latter category, but he seemed young. Maybe in his twenties, so it was worth asking if he needed help.
Zen regarded the hybrid for a moment, surprised at the question. Studying Sah’s face, it was clear that the concern was genuine. Softening slightly, he let his magic take shape. Blue stars formed in the air, shimmering against the snow and casting light against the darkness around them. (You’re alone too. I’m fine. Thank you. was shimmering in the air. It slowly dissipated once its message had been received, turning into stardust that was swept away in the arctic wind. The gust sent another shiver down the wayward Demi-god’s spine.
Still, the sky was clear and the view of the stars was brilliant against the pale snow. It was worth it.
You know how sometimes you step outside and the cold just catches your lungs? And you cough and gasp and desperately try to inhale more oxygen?
Congratulations! You probably just wandered into a breath snatch!
Yeah, that glittering cloud of glittering frost wasn’t friendly either. Who knew?
You’ve encountered a Breath Snatch. This counts as an uncommon 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 this creature without admin permission. )
Breath Snatch (uncommon) - A minor Halo nuisance, the Breath Snatch is a small elemental spirit that lingers in open areas on cold days. They're easiest to notice on bright days, a concentrated cloud of glittering frost lingering in the air, but if not noticed and walked into, the elemental will disperse in a puff of freezing air, often freezing the breath in the lungs of whomever was unlucky enough to come across it. It doesn't seem to possess enough sentience to be truly malevolent. Large groups of the spirits are rare, but potentially deadly if walked into unknowingly.
Sah’s eyes widened as they met molten silver, coughing as the breath snatch made its ay though. He also could have sworn he saw a shooting star go by in the younger man’s pupils, and that was enough distraction to put the breath snatch out of his mind. Still processing the startling eye color, the hybrid was further baffled when the stranger began writing with stars in the thin air. He had to be a Safrin Demi-god. The Wild Thunder could think of no other explanation. However, that did beg the question. Why did he keep finding Safrin’s kids wandering along in Halo? This was the second time already.
As far as he knew, the other kids of Safrin who were around were all in Torchline. And for a new one to appear so soon after Seren’s death? It left a bitter taste in the hybrid’s mouth. It made sense that Safrin would want to maintain a certain number of Demi-gods, but it felt too soon. Almost like his dear friend was being replaced. The revelation made the Wild Thunder nearly nauseous but he shoved it down. Sah couldn’t imagine that Seren would want him to abandon her brother and the hybrid wasn’t one to blame others for how they came to be.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Sah shook his head, lighting a fire in his palm under the guise of giving them more light. “I’m not alone.” He tilted his he tilted his head as he regarded the other man. “If you’re sure. But if you’d like company on the way back to the Citadel, my companions and I’d be happy to walk with you.” He held out his other hand, “I’m Sah. It’s nice to meet you.”
Zen coughed, glaring at where the creature was as he took a single step forward. The warmth of Sahs’ fire washed over him as he shook the man’s hand. Perhaps he was colder than he’d realized. But Sah’s purpose was obvious, and the Demi-god couldn’t help but feel slightly grateful for the attentiveness.
At the mention of companions, the Demi-god finally spotted three sets of eyes watching from a ridge. In the light of the moon and fire, he was able to just pick out what they were. Wolves. No wonder the man seemed so comfortable out on the tundra. He had an entire pack watching his back.
Another question, another expected answer. Brow furrowing, stars reformed. (Zen). Reluctantly, he shook the offered hand as he considered Sah’s offer. Returning to the Citadel for something warm to drink sounded lovely. But he couldn’t help but eye the stars above them once more with melancholy. He didn’t want to leave just yet. Making up his mind, Zen shook his head and took a step back.
04-12-2025, 08:05 PM (This post was last modified: 04-12-2025, 08:06 PM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
Sah shoved down Pad’s amusement when the Demi-god finally noticed the wolves. Zen ‘spoke’ with short sentences and the hybrid had a feeling that whatever magic he was using took some manner of effort. Following the man’s eyes as he shook his head, the Wild Thunder hummed. “Got it.” Yet he couldn’t shake the concern he felt. Nova hadn’t known how to handle the tundra and although this likely younger brother of hers was wearing proper furs at least, Sah didn’t like the idea of leaving someone unfamiliar with the tundra alone at night.
Making up his mind as the Zen put some space in between them, the hybrid let the fire in his palm go out and lay down in the snow, “You’re right that it’s a great night to watch the stars. Mind if I join you?” If the younger man didn’t want to leave, the Wild Thunder could at least protect him. Using his creation magic, Sah made a blanket and tossed it at Zen, “Here.”
Zen didn’t understand this man. Instead of leaving, he was staying and laying in the snow. Wasn’t he cold? The following loss of the fire made Zen frown, but it was quickly replaced with surprise at the sudden item that was thrown his way. Barely catching them, the Demi-god was surprised at its blanket’s softness. He squeezed the material, running his fingers across it. Was this creation magic? Sah was a strange one. Holding the blanket, Zen let out a long sigh and after a moment sat down beside the relative stranger who had apparently decided to chaperone him for the night. If the Wild Thunder hadn’t been basically bleeding concern, the Demi-good would have left, convinced that the kindness being thrust on him was deceitful.
Instead, he found himself returning to watching the stars as he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders.
Sah smiled softly as Zen made his decision, joining him in gazing at the night sky. It was a relief to see the blanket be accepted and hopefully, the Demi-god would agree to head to the Citadel soon. Even with the added protection, the Wild Thunder worried about the younger man freezing. He took a moment to create a small fire between them. One strong enough to provide some measure of warmth but not so bright as to block out any stars.
The hybrid’s concern was apparently shared as Lilly quietly, but with obvious movements, made her way over to Zen. She sat in front of him and tilted her head, letting out a soft whine, making Sah let out a chuckle as he explained, “That’s Lilly. She’s asking if she can join you.” He was curious to see how the Demi-god would react. He was a stranger, but Lilly was a good judge of character, even as she tried to befriend everyone. There was also the added fact that Lilly also felt guilt over Luka being stolen from their den and attacked. It wasn’t a surprise that she would be inclined to protect this younger man and if she was going so far as to offer Zen her warmth, then Sah was willing to trust him. Still, he braced himself to intervene should Zen react negatively to his companion.
Zen watched the silver wolf approach with wonder as the stars reflected off of her fur, hardy noticing the renewed fire. Lilly was small, but the intelligence in her eyes made him cautious. Glancing at Sah quickly, he took a breath and held out a hand to the companion. He’d never pet a wolf before, or any animal really. But she looked so soft, and his shoulders were still trembling, despite his newest layers. The Demi-god gave a nod, trying to convey his approval.
He kept the other two wolves in the corner of his eye, not wanting to be caught off guard should they follow their packmate over. Zen didn’t think that Sah would let them harm him, but the Demi-god wasn’t going to let his guard down over a mere hunch and a brief moment of generosity.
Sah watched as Lilly approached. The she-wolf gently nudged Zen’s hand, guiding him to pet her as she stretched out between him and her bonded. Pressing up against the Demi-god, her self-satisfaction was evident in her bond, making Sah huff a quiet laugh. Lilly’s love of making new friends would never cease to amaze him.
He felt before he saw his other two wolves begin their approach. Pad blatantly ignored the Demi-god and instead flopped over and rested his head on Sah’s leg. The dark wolf closed his eyes and relaxed, only grumbling when the shadows next to him rippled and Frog leaped out to land on their bonded’s chest. The pup wasn’t heavy enough to knock the air out of his lungs, but the action did make the hybrid laugh.
Zen tensed as the wolf got in close, eyes darting over her face as she nestled against him. Taking the hint, he began to gently pet her, rubbing behind her ears, missing how the tension in his own shoulders eased. He looked up at the sound of paw steps and saw the larger dark wolf curling up with the man beside him.
Brow furrowing, Zen scanned for the third only for his head to snap over as the small pup all but materialized on Sah’s chest. A shadowfang? He’d never seen one before. The pup’s pupilless white eyes were fascinating.
As everyone seemed to get settled, the Demi-god refocused on the stars above, absentmindedly petting Lilly when she nudged him with her cold nose to remind him to keep it up.
Sah smiled softly as Zen seemed to finally fully relax in his presence. It was peaceful to spend a night watching the stars but the hybrid did occasionally eye the man beside him to make sure he wasn’t getting too cold. If the Demi-god continued to refuse to leave, the Wild Thunder wasn’t sure what he’d do. He would never harm one of Safrin’s Demi-gods, especially not for wanting to be near the stars. But he couldn’t let the Demi-god freeze to death either. Thankfully, the fire and Lilly’s warmth seemed to be helping to keep Zen warm.
Hopefully, the young Demi-god would decide to head back to the Citadel on his own accord before Sah had to take drastic measures. But for now, he remained vigilant, even as some part of him relaxed under the light of the stars. “Do you have a favorite constellation?”
