Click here for a list of weather descriptions, seasonal festivals, and a real time:site time conversion.
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!
05-09-2025, 01:53 PM (This post was last modified: 05-09-2025, 01:54 PM by Deimos.)
I carried my own ashes to the mountains
Boisterous laughter surrounded; it couldn’t be helped, perhaps, once they were all encircling the spar area, warriors and soldiers conforming around several others. Feats of enchantments spread within the wide, makeshift arena; Deimos had long since shed his furs and coats for the long tunic underneath, hair up in a messy bun to get off his neck. The fellow combatants seemed much the same, though far worse for wear, having already gone through multitudes of bombardments from Sword and opponents alike.
One more! was shouted, and the compatriot grimaced, before sending a tight line of earth and rock towards the Warden’s direction. He snorted, amused, and then snagged at it with his own air, drowning it out with power alone, and sending the stones skittering down to the ground.
With a huff and long breath, the soldier conceded, and they applauded, patted on backs, and broke apart – snorting and chuckling all the while. He congratulated on efforts and extended other instructional means and devices, and then wandered towards the sidelines, intending to find his canteen.
Not many people noticed Nova's entrance, but that was only because they were very focused on some spar that was happening in the middle of the training area. Some might wonder how she winded up in Halo (again). Honestly, she had no idea either, having 'wandered' into the chilly territory when she'd hopped on a random skyboat. Not that she was complaining, it was nice to have a break from the thicker heat of Torchline. And apparently Halo had some pretty decent entertainment.
She immediately ducked and squeezed through the crowd to make her way to the front. Amongst the dim outfits of the soldiers, her bright pink and yellow jacket was almost blinding, her strand of orange hair flashing from beneath a sunhat that most would argue doesn't go with the environment. It wasn't something she cared about as her eyes caught on the two men battling with magic. There was a slight gasp from her lips as she watched in awe. Other than Jack, she hadn't seen a lot of displays of powerful magic, but there wasn't any other way to describe the way the large man shoved aside the earthen attack with such ease. Her own magic hummed with excitement, eyes transfixed on the exchange.
It wasn't until they parted that Nova could no longer contain herself. She jumped in front of the man, a small shimmer of starlit illusions following her bright smile as she bounced on her toes. "Hi! You're pretty good! Did you use air magic on that last part?" Curiosity and delight brightened her blue eyes when she looked up at him.
He'd barely had a chance to gulp down water before another sidled in front of him. He managed to not have his eyes widen significantly in the blinding glimpses of colors suddenly bombarding his gaze, but he did choke back a snort. Shaking his head and glancing downward, he found he had no idea who this individual was. And by the way his soldiers were staring nearby, she hadn’t frequented their rounds either.
Taking in another breath, he eased the sudden tension through his shoulders with a nod. “Thank you. And yes.” Placing his canteen down, and looking around as the warriors dispersed in a general ‘something for the Warden to deal with’ evasion tactics. Uncertain what else the youth would be there for, he figured he’d go for introductions and then unfurl from there. “I am Deimos. What brings you here?”
She didn't even notice the stares, too used to them to find it strange. Instead, her focus was fully on the hulking man before her, the one with enough magic to possibly rival her own. As he introduced himself, the young woman practically pulsed with energy. "I'm Nova!"
Glancing around at the training space, she couldn't say she had a purpose for being there, so she shrugged her shoulders, a bright grin on her face when she turned back to him. "I got bored and wandered here, but then I saw your fight! I haven't gotten to see many other people fight with magic - at least not with air." Fire and water were the main two she'd seen, but air was something she hadn't explored much of, and the intrigue in her eyes begged him to show her more. She wouldn't admit to needing teaching, but it would be nice to see more of whatever tricks he had.
Arching a brow again and breaking out of the stoic molding, he placed the canteen back into bag, listening with his usual machinations forming behind his piercing gaze. Nova; bored and wandering, intrigued by air magic. Most, given the state and moods towards Abandoned over the years, would either admit their interest due to enchantments flooding through their veins, or that casual curiosity, sights beyond their capabilities. He’d veer in tendency towards the former with this younger individual – who likely hadn’t been subjected to any passing cruelties. Deimos simply hadn’t cared about judgements and circumstances – standing proud and loyal and steadfast, no matter what coursed along his ichor. “Do you have some of your own?” Or maybe they were just a potential show for her – and he wasn’t certain about his predilections towards that.
His head tilted again, perusing the potentials, and releasing another long breath for pending circumstances; of which he had an inkling. “You are welcome to practice here, if you would like.” There were hordes to offer a restless mind, after all.
His question made her bounce, excited to share her own powerful magics. "Yep! I've got air and water and earth and fire and creation and illusion!" She listed them off on her fingers, tilting her head as she did so. Others might argue that she shouldn't be telling so much to a stranger, but Nova would stick her tongue out at them.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings and the other people training in the area. She'd never been one for 'training,' but Jack had been encouraging her to do so, and she can't say it's as boring as she thought it'd be. Smiling, she let out a contemplative hum. "Hmm... Are there a lot of other magic users?" Because she saw a lot of weapons, but she'd only seen Deimos and his opponent using magic, and she didn't have any desire to fight with anything other than the power in her veins.
For someone seemingly so young, she had quite a horde. Stifling a laugh, swallowing it down so it was nothing more than a long breath, Deimos opted to make no mention of his own assemblage and multitude. It was one thing to unfurl a litany of potentials to his comrades, and quite another to a stranger. And he was too guarded, too furtive, to surreptitious to give everything away. War had taught him many lessons, and the known sometimes left much larger scars. “Any in particular you wanted to work on?” That would narrow down some portions.
Especially since she didn’t seem terribly inclined to make an obvious choice. “We have a few.” He pointed to several amidst the bunch, most focused on tasks at hand and instruction of their own, magic flying over heads or bounding into shoulders with winces or laugh. A couple more honing in on items, placing enchantments into swords and daggers and whipping them around in the back corner. Though, given their current attention spans, he might’ve been the only one actually available. “I can assist too.”
It didn't bother her that Deimos failed to disclose his own abilities. She was more interested in sharing her own, 'bragging' as some might say. Her pride puffed her chest a little, even as she considered his question and her multitudes of options. "Maybe water? Or air?" Nova felt most connected to her water, but after what she'd seen him do, she wouldn't mind giving her air magic more attention.
The other magic users didn't interest her as much as Deimos had. Not that they were weak per se, but she'd already fixated on him, and it was going to be hard to get rid of her now. So when he offered to work with her, Nova clapped her hands with delight, bouncing. "Really?! That'd be great!" Her smile beamed as she asked, "How should we start?"
Bragging and misplaced arrogance didn’t bother the Sword. He’d heard enough bravado chants within training amidst his childhood, teenage years, and upon the dais of war – all that mattered, in the end, when kingdoms were torn apart, was what one could truly accomplish. What power reigned supreme. An individual could have every power, every weapon, every ability in the world, and if they didn’t know what to do with them, it would scarcely matter. Just as ineffectual, just as useless, as the hollow boasting and empty blustering. Deimos had never felt the need.
“Air then,” he granted with a nod, given her curiosity about it. Already walking over to an outstretch of targets not in use, and figuring she’d follow, he inclined his jaw towards the effigies. Always eager for a demonstration of power, and then figuring out where to best start, he stood rigid and unyielding, and only inclined the lightest of smiles. “Show me what you can do first.” If she could lift or launch them. If she could move the portions and pieces. If she could maneuver and stir the rocks nearby.
Skipping along behind him, Nova followed Deimos to the section of unused range. Her blue eyes scanned the area, slightly disappointed that it wouldn't be against someone, but as he raised the challenge before her, the young hybrid was determined to show off what she could do. Jumping to a solid stance, she gave him a glittering smile. "Okay!"
Nova lifted her hands towards the targets, gauging how she wanted to go about attacking them with air. She started with a fast, hard gust of sparkling wind that toppled the wooden frame, pushing it back in the process, a loud scrape echoing through the space. With a twist of her wrist, she swirled the air beneath it to lift it from the ground. It didn't make it very far, but when she released the magic, the target slammed down with a crunch.
Very pleased with herself and her display, she turned her eyes up to Deimos, an expectant grin on her face.
He watched, silent, quiet, as she put on her enchantments and incantations. The target swayed, pushed back from its prior position, then raised, slightly, from the ground. “Good,” he cemented, considering how best to push from the current abilities. “Then maybe we should work on your lifting.” Since that seemed a weaker point that they could coincide and meld with. “Eventually, you will want to be capable of launching things.”
From his standpoint, far off to the side, he demonstrated – utilizing the great gusts of wind and air to his control and precision, locking onto the same target. It swung rapidly upwards, as if weightless, before he tossed it aside, and it pitched towards the ground, smashing into bits. “You can use those pieces,” might as well – otherwise they’d up end in the brazier soon anyway. “And aim them at me.” He could utilize those means to his own ends too.
His praise was met with a beaming grin, her hand coming up to adjust the sunhat that had shifted in her display of air magic. She might have preferred a more energetic response to her amazing abilities - or at the very least a smile - but she got the feeling that he wasn't one for colorful displays, so she'd take it as the equivalent of 'Wow Nova! You're so incredible! No one else holds a light to your power!' Not even his words of 'eventually' could dim her pride.
Her mouth opened wide as she watched him lift and smash the target. She could probably do that if she tried, if she hadn't traveled all the way here - because she was capable of anything, and no one could tell her otherwise.
Excited to do something against someone, Nova hopped to attention, ready to launch the pieces of wood at Deimos. "Okay!" She started with one of the small planks, twisting her hands so that it rose a few feet of the ground before pushing it up towards the man. It wasn't the most accurate of throws, but it was at least in his general direction, the wood flipping over itself.
He watched, very deliberately stifling a laugh, as the wood she sent toppled and twisted over itself; not unlike a small child rolling down a hill. The Sword even gave it a few moments, buckling and bucking its way over, before he snagged and grabbed it with his own air incantations. Without needing to move his own figure, the wind gusted and walloped, seared and snagged, and tossed the board about as if it were nothing more than a particle of dust. It flew through the dominion and hit a wall, splintering before sliding down the side. Several soldiers scooted off to the right, despite Deimos being very careful and particular about where he placed it.
Granting a small grin and a tilt of his head, he nodded. “See how quickly you can do it.” To grant her some semblance of a challenge, focus, and concentration.
Nova didn't notice the laughter, too busy proudly watching her wood fly through the air - before it was unceremoniously obliterated against a wall. She watched each splinter spread across the training ground, awe making her uncharacteristically silent for a moment. Certainly she could do that too...
She didn't have time to think on it before Deimos was directing her, challenging her. An excited grin flashed across her face, another bit of sparkle appearing around her as she thread her hands up. "Okay! Watch this!" Another piece of wood lifted from the ground, a little faster than before as she flung it towards him. The speed made it look less like a cartoon - although it still spun wildly - but it went less at him and more near him this time.
