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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!
08-08-2025, 11:48 AM (This post was last modified: 08-08-2025, 11:48 AM by Court Official.)
In Leafchange, the heavens open frequently above the Sallow Swamp. And with this influx of rain brings an influx of mud, claggy against the tumps and turning the banks of the swamp into something slick and perilous. That doesn't stop the creatures in the Feverlands from doing what they do best, though. And since the retreat of the void, what they do best appears to be growing. Substantially.
Word from those who scout the region is sporadic at best, but there are enough reports that the rumour begins to grow a backbone: there's something large and amphibious squatting out in the swamp. It's ugly, it's hungry, and it's gobbling up more and more travellers as they try to pass through into the neighbouring regions.
Some have even suggested that it has more teeth than any frog or toad has a right to possess. But before anything can be done about the creature, it has to be found. Can't fight what you can't find, right? If only someone could track it down and do something about this menace.
Someone... like... you?
Go on. Hop to it.
Welcome to the Key Quest.
This is a KQ intended for characters below Level 5. Please give priority to those who have indicated they need a "BABY KQ TO LEVEL" in the levelling-needs channel.
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Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
A game of hide-and-seek in a swap with a frog that supposedly has more teeth than people can keep track of?! Count Nova in! In fact, she'll skip right into the boggy environment with a smile on her feline face, ears perked to pick out any tell-tale 'ribbits' that might lead her the right way.
Her tail flicks as she stalks through the undergrowth of buzzing flies and damp earth that sucks at her paws. The black leather of her nose scrunches at the smell and the mud that already coats her glittering rainbow pelt, but she'd decided that her shift would probably have a better chance at finding the hoppity creature - and now she doesn't have to deal with ruining her outfit.
Lifting her nose to the sky then back down, Nova searches for any hints of amphibious hoppers, her glittering blue gaze scanning with excitement as she calls out, Here froggy froggy!
Nova arrives in her Tide Jaguar shift, trying to use her heightened senses to find the frog!
On her person, she has everything in her profile, a glitter bomb, her sharp hair pin, and her emergency sewing kit.
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Lucky Buckle | A well-crafted belt buckle that, when worn, grants +3 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted.
Regional Score bonus: +17 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +17 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
”So, frogs are different from toads because frogs have more webby feet and lowkey need water way more. Their legs are also longer, so they jump really far and swim better.” Kaisel is regaling Colt with what they should be on the look out for based on the mixed reports they received. ”Toads, on the other hand, are fat and stubby. They’re chopped. They still need water, but not as much, and usually do fine with mud. They’re better diggers and hoppers than swimmers.” He airplanes out with his arms as his step goes a bit wayward over a root he’s navigating.
He’s wearing his soldier garb for this expedition. The taller, dark boots provide better traction and protection against the wilderness, but a few patches of the bog have already threatened to well up over the leather. His black pants are tucked inside the boots, trim instead of his usual baggy preference. He’s got on a long-sleeved shirt beneath the charcoal windbreaker zipped up over him, fighting back the chill of the season and all the wet here the best it can. He shifts the pack against his back, keychain swinging with the movement. His knuckle dusters are in his pant pockets, but the chakram is in his hand, helping him hack away vegetation.
”SO, that means if we find tracks that are shorter together it’s a toad, and if longer apart, it’s a frog. Either way, the toes on their feet, especially their back ones, leave distinct marks.” You’d think he’s one of their word kids with a niche obsession over amphibians, but really he’s been brushing up on his enemy, the gummy worm thieving RUPERT. So he’s scouring the ground they cross for signs of tracks left in the bog, which would be easier if he didn’t have to stoop through the fog and hop around from ‘dry’ patch to dry patch as if imitating the beast.
Kaisel is scouring the ground on the dry areas and looking in nearby wetter spots for the tracks from the creature’s feet.
On him is everything in his profile, and has a backpack that has basic supplies like: water, granola bars, bandages, matches, a compass, and a pair of shorts to change into so that he’s never caught unprepared at a sleepover again.
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Wanted me to fail out of spite, I didn't All bark but they don't bite, they timid
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
Still eager to prove she’s better than the first time she worked with the Monster Hunter’s guild, Colt reluctantly agrees to this trip when Kaisel brings it up in town. ”Mhmm,” Colt says absently to Kaisel, half listening as she picks her way carefully around roots and bog. It’s slow going with the ground a bit obscured, which is why she’d left their horses back behind them, not needing to get the rides stuck instantly. She is on the lookout for signs too, but her gaze is higher, squinting along broken tree limbs that might give away a monster’s passing. Usually, something big enough to eat people leaves a mark.
Her jeans are tucked into her boots in an attempt to keep them as dry as possible. Her long, dark leather duster helps too, sweeping to the top of her calves and fitting down to her wrists, collar pulled tight against her neck. Her hair is braided to the side under her hat, turning the brim of it into wayward sprigs jutting out from the trees. Her bow and quiver thump along her back as she picks her path, the lasso fitted to her left hip swaying, her knife folded securely in the back pocket of her pants.
”Hey,” she calls out towards him, ”is that Nova?” There’s a familiar look to the tide jaguar she spies nearby. She figures it’s an Attuned, that or an extremely lost tide jaguar, but the iridescent sheen catches and nearly pinpoints the glittering girl. She waves at the panther should Nova look over.
Colt is walking carefully along the dry areas looking for signs of broken twigs.
On her is everything in her profile and a pocket knife, a shortbow, arrows in her quiver, and a lasso.
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Colt
Just lookin' for a brand new way to get lost
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
The Feverlands have quite a reputation for its noxious fumes, rampant death, infernal decay, and that wonderful yellow fog that really gives the skin a fresh glow as you wander into its depths.
And ah…now you’re stuck.
Your feet have somehow become wedged in one of its many quicksand-like areas! Maybe you can find a way out – there might be a branch nearby. Or you can snag a friend.
Before the gore crows, blind swamp rats, and all those other lovely things do!
The thrill of battle is a high he's begun to recognize. Wild to think after all this time his parents, and Mel, had been onto something. If only he'd listened all those years ago, rather than wandering woodlands and ice like a living ghost. He's putting in the work now, and he can feel it's effects, his fire reaching further and burning hotter than before, but it's still not enough. More work to be done, more tests to weight himself against.
The reports of this monster have led him here and is why Goose isn't in his shadow. He can't trust that he can protect the hound when he himself is still flailing around, and there's no Jack or Deimos here to shoulder the brunt of the damage or craft shields this time. Still, it seems like something he could prove himself against, to himself at the very least. So he wanders after the last area the beast had been seen, boots on the ground, dry ground, he hopes, as he goes. His head is cocked, listening for a tell-tale croak, or the buzz of flies that might bait the monster. His raincoat fucking swishes loudly though, so he keeps pausing every so often to hear, which is when the other voices drift over.
"Hey!" he waves to them, a quick glance at all their weapons a sure sign of their intent. Well, maybe not the solo test he'd been hoping for, but he's secretly relieved there's help here. Ampere's weight rests against his back, his normal axe on his belt alongside a knife. In one of his jean pockets is a set of matches, in the other is a wooly scrap of cloth. "I'm Iskra—frog hunting too?"
Iskra is listening for noises that'd give it away and was staying on dry ground.
On him is everything in his profile along with matches, a balloon a wooly cloth, an axe and a pocket knife. Goose is not present.
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Swinging my axe, instead of sleeping Swinging my axe, my splinters are bleeding Swinging my axe, these cuts are too deep and I feel like I’m freezing
All this lovely wet, boggy ground and you're searching high and low in the dry areas? More fool you, croaks the toad.
Colt's leg catching quick in the mud will prove the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that, in fact, you are not frog hunting. Frog is hunting you.
Before pleasantries can be exchanged, two large, buggy eyes (the size of softballs, if you're interested) open just at the surface layer of mud close by, blinking slowly and not at all at the same time. A squat, wide maw opens next, and it almost seems as if the toad is going to let out a characteristic rrrrribbit - but instead, out launches its tongue.
A tongue capped with a grotesque, slimy bulb that, as it turns out, contains a multitude of jagged and snapping teeth.
It aims directly for the sitting duck, aka Colt, but the rancher gets lucky this time. Misjudging either the distance or the agility of its prey, the hungry tongue goes wide, then swiftly snaps back into the toad's kisser.
(Disclaimer: use of language is entirely creative, it is not recommended that you kiss the toad. Or, y'know, do. It's your life).
Welcome to the Key Quest.
This is a KQ intended for characters below Level 5. Please give priority to those who have indicated they need a "BABY KQ TO LEVEL" in the levelling-needs channel. Your randomly assigned post order is:
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
The answer doesn’t come from any of them, but from the ground itself. A large pair of eyes peek over the bog, fixated on Colt, who’s currently tangled in the swamp. No different from a fly vibrating across a spider’s web, this draws the sit-and-wait predator into view.
Faster than any of them can act, its tongue darts out, looking like a rope of bubblegum rolled in broken glass and now launched like a medieval flail. Iskra hastens a hand into his pocket, withdrawing a match and dragging it to life. He’s not fast enough to make it across to help Colt in time, but maybe he can damage or distract. Judging that he’s in range and none of them are directly in his firing line, Iskra pushes his fire out towards the visible portion of the frog. Afterwards, he slips behind a knotted tree, thin cover at best, but better than none he supposes if his assault drew more attention than he wanted.
Iskra throws fire at the frog and ducks behind a tree
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Swinging my axe, instead of sleeping Swinging my axe, my splinters are bleeding Swinging my axe, these cuts are too deep and I feel like I’m freezing
She doesn't catch the scent of the frog, but Nova does smell something, something familiar. Then her ears pick up her name and she's turning to spot a few other people who have decided to participate in the fun frog-hunting game. Shifting back into her recognizable blonde and green hair, she gives an excited wave to the others. "Hi Colt! Hi Kai! Hi.. you!" Not knowing the last guy's name, she just points, moving to step closer to the rest of the group.
That is until the ground is trying to swallow her lime green rainboots (it matches the frog stitched dress she wears) and their target is suddenly launching a fascinatingly gross tongue at Colt. Annoyed that the mud has the audacity to steal her outfit, Nova summons her magic to free herself and anyone around who might need it, giggling as she pushes it towards the frog and freezes it like a dirty ice cocoon.
Nova uses a combination of Water and Earth magic to free herself and those in range from the mud while pushing/freezing it around the frog to hold it in place.
Water manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control water. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
Earth Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate the earth. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent.
Type: Grey | Rank: Upgraded
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Lucky Buckle | A well-crafted belt buckle that, when worn, grants +3 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted.
Regional Score bonus: +17 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +17 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Apparently as careful as can be means absolute jack shit when weaving through a shitty swamp that shields half the ground from view with putrid fog. She feels it the second it happens. The squelch of entrapment, the way her leg shifts up but is equally tugged down. ”This place is a shithole,” she grumbles, reaching over for a nearby branch to steady her and give her something to yank back against the suction with.
The sudden whip of, well she doesn’t actually fucking know, something bad, she can only assume, catches her eye. ”What the fuck!” Seems the only appropriate response to watching a long, toothy tongue coil back inside a giant frog’s maw after it’s failed to nab you up. Yeah, she needs help.
Extending a figurative hand into the spirit’s plane, Colt channels. ”Spirits, destroy his eye,” Colt grinds between her teeth, wanting to hurt the fucking frog, and those soft eyes seem a nice way to go about it, could even remove his accuracy further. He already missed her once, with less eyes, the odds of him missing again should be higher. Worrying about freeing herself while the spirit acts, her grip tightens around the branch. She yanks, hiking her leg up, toes curling inside her boot with an effort to keep the shoe as she tries to pop free of the mud, which seems like it should be easier thanks to Nova.
Colt channels and asks the spirit to destroy one of Sir HOPkin’s eyes while also grabbing onto a branch to pull herself from the mud.
Channeling (Accepted) : Allows an Accepted to channel a spirit during a time of crisis (1x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Colt
Just lookin' for a brand new way to get lost
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Kaisel glances over the way Colt motions at the mention of Nova, but before he can call out a greeting, a cord of flesh is rising out of the bog like the most grotesque brand of licorice. ”There it is!” he calls out helpfully to everyone. He’s only got time to blink, mouth ajar, as the arc of it just misses Colt. ”Oh shit!” he breaths, eyes widening as he glances over at the rancher while she struggles to free herself.
Although he’s of the mind to jump over and assist, he could end up in the same mud that’s got her, so he remains on his little patch of dry ground with bog between them. ”Throw me your lasso and I can help pull you out, if you need!” he offers instead, standing near his own tree, an anchor he could use for the rope, and a bit of a shield from the frog. He can hear her summon rising over her struggle, so he channels alongside her, combining his strength with hers as he bends his thought and prayer that way. ”Good idea, let’s tag the spirits in and pop his eyes!”
Kaisel combos his channel with Colt to attack the frog eye.
Channeling (Accepted) : Allows an Accepted to channel a spirit during a time of crisis (1x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Wanted me to fail out of spite, I didn't All bark but they don't bite, they timid
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
The air thickens with a low, angry hum as the swamp’s mist parts to make way for a black cloud of winged hunger. The swarm descends in a frenzied spiral, each insect a darting, needle-mouthed predator drawn straight to the glistening softness of the toad’s massive eyes. They land in writhing clusters, biting and tearing with relentless precision, turning the glossy orbs into a frothing mess of ichor and shredded membrane.
Poor Sir Anthony!
Added damage because of 2x Accepted channeling!
Flinching at the blast of fire that comes wheeling towards it, the wet hiss of flame sizzing across delicate toady flesh fills the air with a sweet and putrid stench. It ain't a bed of roses out there, but it's difficult not to smell notice Iskra's success. Not a moment later, the ground warbles and morphs under Nova's magic, providing stability underfoot and, with the help of a sturdy branch, freeing Colt from her predicament.
Then the Accepted get to work.
The swarm of biting flies - a wombo combo of truly ironic proportions given the natural order between frogs and insects - descend with horrifying precision. The toad writhes and screams (they do that, you know) and tries to submerge itself in the mud, but it's too late. By the time the spirits are gone, there is naught left of the creature's buggy eyes but bloody pits. It hopes you're proud.
Perhaps its fresh blindness makes it rely on the safe option, because its tongue lances out again in exactly the same trajectory - and this time, it hits. Colt will feel the bite of needle-like teeth against her calf, leaving a nasty welt and deep lacerations in her skin; luckily the fabric of her jeans is all that tears away as the appendage springs back into the toad's mouth. Next time she might end up going with it.
Thanks to Nova's efforts, Colt is now free from the quicksand/mud!
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
He didn’t think the smell here could get worse, but the aroma of his success curls his upper lip in disgust. The rest unleash their volleys of attack, and soon there’s a new reason to be nauseated whenever you look at the frog. Blinking rapidly, as if imagining the descent of flies upon his own eyes, he almost misses the quick reappearance of the dangerous tongue. They’d succeeded in damaging the monster, but it did little to turn the tide of the frog’s focus, its tongue darting out for the rancher again, hunger seeming to be its main concern.
He can’t move fast enough to catch up with the tongue before it’s spooling back into the frog’s mouth, but from around his tree of safety, Iskra draws another match to life. It seemed to work well enough before, so he goes again. His fire pushes out towards the frog’s side, aiming for the same spot, like he could bore through the char and leave a deeper dent. He crouches back behind his tree, figuring at least some cover is better than none.
Iskra throws fire at the frog, aiming for the same spot, and ducks behind a tree.
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc.
Swinging my axe, instead of sleeping Swinging my axe, my splinters are bleeding Swinging my axe, these cuts are too deep and I feel like I’m freezing
