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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!
01-23-2026, 10:44 AM (This post was last modified: 01-23-2026, 10:58 AM by Dantalion.)
you're livin' for the rush, for that royal flush, but you take what you can get
They pack up camp, round up the unicorns again, and set off early towards the Outer Brambles - this time with everyone on two legs. The reason for it becomes clear when it's time to actually make the crossing from King's End and into the Grounds; it might not be a large distance between the two regions, but it's large enough, and it's all water to boot. Danta has arranged transport in advance, luckily, and a large barge awaits them which should be big and ugly enough to hold all their wait.
"Now comes the fun part," he mutters, running his fingers through his hair and flashing a crooked smile to his companions. "Getting the unicorns on the boat." The ranchers seem confident and that's enough for the Maverick, but he'll absolutely be following their lead.
Part 2, round 1!
We need to make the crossing into the Outer Brambles by loading the unicorn herd onto a barge! Grab a pon and follow the ranchers to lead it on board and offer whatever reassurance you can to the herd.
It’s morning again and at least this time he doesn’t have to worry about the soreness of his arms, only his legs as they get to work bright and early. Working through it, the butcher lingers by Danta and flashes him a bright smile as they spot the barge that would work well enough to get the unicorns on. The challenge itself would be making sure the unicorns get on it without too much fuss.
The ranch hands confidence is a boon for the butcher, one that he latches onto to exude the easy calm and quiet he thinks the unicorns might benefit from. “Alright, good luck to us, mm?” He says to their little group before he steps forward, slipping his glamour into place to make him seem a little less threatening – something tells him that the equines won’t be too much of a fan of his tail, let alone his horns. He looks almost perfectly mundane as he takes one of the ropes around the neck of the unicorn he’s picked, cooing a little soft sound to it to gain a little bit of trust before he’s starting to guide it after the ranchers onto the barge.
Asta puts up his glamour to make himself less threatening, coos some soft sounds and murmurings to the herd and picks one to lead onto the barge!
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
It is surprisingly exhausting being woken up early for the watch and trying to get a little bit more sleep after it was over. But the peacefulness of King’s End was something that she thrived with – after all, it had been the place she’d spent a decent amount of time post war, post becoming an Ancient. She doesn’t miss it more than she does her new home in the Grounds and the life that’s come with it, though, never having to find herself alone again.
As such, she’s hand in hand with Fox as they trail up to the edge where the barge awaits with the herd and the hired help, listening to Danta’s instruction and appreciative of the fact that Danta’s managed to get this all planned. As Asta steps up to guide the first one, Kiada glances over at Fox with a silent but amused look that seems to scream it’s weird when he looks normal, right???
But then it’s their turn and she can’t help but to steal a kiss – her own horns tucked easily into her dark hair that don’t pose much of a threat and she keeps her tail in close so it doesn’t spook the next unicorn that she takes the lead for, following after Asta to put herself in between the butcher and her hunter to lead it on.
Kiada puts herself between Asta and Fox to lead her unicorn on!
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
am i more than you bargained for yet?
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Fox, at least, is used to early starts and broken sleep, and though he's stifling a yawn as they arrive at the shoreline of the Barrows, he's fairly chipper about the early hour and the hard work. What gets him, which is probably of no surprise to Kiada, is the prospect of travel across water, a combination of motion sickness and being unable to swim making the idea horrifying at best. Even so, he squeezes Kia's hand and presses back into her kiss, humming distracted agreement about the butcher.
I don't believe he ever looks normal, comes his whispered reply, but then the harpy is putting herself between them and also helping to corral the unicorns on board. And so despite the nerves churning in his gut, Fox follows suit and takes one of the offered animals, leading it onto the barge and muttering reassurances, though there's no telling if it's for the unicorn or for himself.
Fox leads a unicorn and mumbles some nervous reassurance lmao.
astra inclinant, sed non obligant
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Small, bone-like protrusions (aka your stereotypical devil horns) that are easy to miss in his hair.
you're livin' for the rush, for that royal flush, but you take what you can get
It's a mixed bag, honestly, and the ferryman will absolutely not be glad to see the back of them by the time they reach the Outer Brambles in earnest. For Danta and Kiada at least, they are able to keep control of their unicorns for the most part, needing to do little more than stand with them and prevent them from stomping around or panicking the rest.
Astaroth, though, will find that no matter how he glamours himself, the scent of blood lays thick upon him, and his charge is very nervous. It kicks over a barrel of cargo and causes a fuss for the majority of the journey. Fox doesn't fare much better; he might not smell like death but his nerves are contagious, and his unicorn becomes a bite risk for anyone who gets too close - including the hunter.
But they reach the far shore one way or another, and the herd tromps back down onto home ground (for the Ancients, anyway).
"A couple of us should probably help put the barge back to rights," Danta says, wincing. "But everyone else can get moving."
Round 2! The unicorns were kinda behaved, but they've caused a mess and some damage on the barge!
- 2 people to stay behind and clean up the spilled grain from a barrel, as well as the manure left behind (yay!)
- 2 people to join the ranchers in starting to drive the herd through the Outer Brambles. You can be in shift or on foot, just be careful not to get lost!
Dantalion
you play your final ace for a pretty face, tastes like scotch and cigarettes
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Well, the trip over onto the barge is a fucking challenge and honestly rather embarrassing for the butcher despite his best efforts to keep the unicorn calm. He does chalk it up to the fact that he’s still menacing regardless of the glamour or not, but at least the butcher has the strength to be able to hold onto the rope to ensure the unicorn doesn’t stray too far away. He leaves the mess behind, at least until he can get the unicorn over on the other side and free himself from it.
Once they’re finally on solid ground, the butcher lets the unicorn join the others in their little herd and checking with the hands to make sure they have control over it. He stretches and keeps his glamour up as he looks back toward the barge and exhales a sigh. “I will stay.” He murmurs, shooting Danta a small smile as he stays behind, stepping back onto the barge to start picking up the barrels his unicorn had knocked over, getting them back into some semblance of an order.
Asta stays behind to work on the mess on the barge!
Her unicorn is an easy guide over onto the barge, the ship gliding effortlessly without zero issues as she watches the horses for Asta and Fox start to lose their nerve. She winces slightly as she sees Fox’s unicorn lash out for a bite that she isn’t sure whether it does or doesn’t nail her husband. She doesn’t go and check on him, though, looking back at her unicorn to see how calm it is.
Once they’re there, though, she guides her unicorn onto land again. Getting it into the space where the rest of the herd rests, the harpy glancing back to see the state of the barge. She looks over toward Danta and huffs a little sound of a laugh, shrugging slightly. “I’ll start driving them. I’ll be on foot to start but I’ll shift if we need to.” She flashes a bright smile, unsure whether Fox would join her or stay behind to help the butcher clean up.
Kiada will start driving the herd on foot but switch to her shift if need be!
am i more than you bargained for yet?
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Oh, the unicorn absolutely nails Fox in the bicep, and by the time the barge bumps up against the shoreline at the Outer Brambles, the hunter is both seasick and nursing what will be a nasty bruise soon enough. Nevertheless, he shuffles off the boat with his skittish unicorn in tow, grateful to be able to release it from its bindings to let it go and cause further evil with the rest of the herd.
Taking a few deep breaths and rolling his shoulders, he flashes a small smile to Kiada and instantly heads to join her. "I'll go with you," he says - between staying behind on the barge and having Astaroth as company, it's the easiest decision he's made since they started out on this journey.
Rubbing at the bite on his arm for a moment, as the ranchers and unicorns head off, he opts to shift back into a fyrhund. This time he doesn't stray far from Kia's side though, happy to trot along and only head out where needed to corral a few of the horses back in.
Fox goes to drive the herd as well!
astra inclinant, sed non obligant
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Small, bone-like protrusions (aka your stereotypical devil horns) that are easy to miss in his hair.
you're livin' for the rush, for that royal flush, but you take what you can get
It doesn't surprise Danta at all that Fox and Kiada opt to stick together, and he throws a cheerful wave towards them as they set off with the herd and the ranchers. That, of course, leaves himself and his beau to stay behind and straighten out the mess they've made. "It wouldn't be a trip with Ancients if we didn't cause a little chaos," he chimes to Astaroth as he clambers back on board, opting to shovel manure over the side whilst the other man straightens out the barrels.
It doesn't take all that long either, given how short the trip had been, and after sweeping the rest of the deck and checking that there's no further damage, Danta - and more importantly, the owner of the barge - is satisfied with their work. "I guess that means we better catch up," he tells Asta with a grin.
Meanwhile, driving the herd through the Outer Brambles is going well - arguably even better than across the plains of King's End. The treelines and scrubland make it more difficult for the unicorns to run off, and they're more or less corralled in the right direction. Complications arise only when they run into the first of the bone bridges, and they are forced to stop to consider how best to get it done.
Round 3!
- Danta and Asta need to catch up to the herd as quickly as they can. On the way, they'll find one of the unicorns lagging behind - uh oh! Better get it moving as well.
- Fox and Kia need to figure out how best to lead the unicorns across the bone bridges so that nobody panics or gets bumped overboard!
Dantalion
you play your final ace for a pretty face, tastes like scotch and cigarettes
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Unsurprised and perhaps a bit put out that Fox won’t stick around with him to clean up and slyly torment, he isn’t that upset that the hunters chosen to go with his wife. It leaves Asta with his preferred company, too, humming a soft laugh to ease the bruise of his pride of his unicorn losing its mind on the way over. “That is true.” He concedes, shooting his lover a sharp smile.
Working to right the barge and clean up alongside Danta, Asta stretches out once they’re finished – catching the Maverick’s grin and announcement that they need to catch up. Smirking toward the end, Asta nods. “Race you?” He suggests, shifting to his fyrhund and taking off – sure that Danta would probably win the battle when it comes to flight versus running.
Upno the approach, though, a unicorn appears to be lagging behind – and it’s with a bark of warning that Asta tries to herd the unicorn back in the correct direction.
Asta shifts to his fyrhund to try and race Danta and herd the lagging unicorn back to the rest of the group!
Hearing that Fox will join her, Kiada flashes her husband a bright grin – a twist to it as if understanding the reason why. She does pause in the interim before they depart, checking in on the bite to his arm and promising all kinds of ways she’ll make sure he heals up well, before he’s shifting into a fyrhund and she scritches behind his ears and lets him be her guard dog to make sure the unicorns behave.
They make it a good distance, stopping by the bone bridges as she considers what exactly to do. Looking between the ranch hands and the unicorns and the fyrhund, she purses her lips and places her hands on her hips. “Maybe we need to lead them one by one? Or.. Attach a couple to the hand’s horses so they feel more confident getting across?” She looks to the hands and her husband to see what they think about the plan.
Kiada suggests leading one by one or attaching a couple to each hand’s horse to guide across the bone bridges with the least chance of a complication.
am i more than you bargained for yet?
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Rumbling a note of affection at the scritch to his stony ears, Fox is truly more hound than fire as he sticks close by Kia's side, tongue lolling by the time they arrive at the bone bridge and are faced with their next hurdle. Shifting back and straightening up beside her, he doesn't have the first clue about how to get large prey animals to clomp across a bridge over a large body of water, so it's a good thing indeed that his wife is such a genius.
"I think that's a good idea," he says, of tethering a couple of the unicorns to the ranchers' horses to give them further confidence in crossing. "I'll help to tether them up. You can I can go first as well, to lead the way?" This is their home region after all, so they can at least share that confidence when it comes to knowing the right direction to go after they've reached the other side.
Fox agrees with Kia's plan and starts to help tether the unicorns to the ranchers' horses.
astra inclinant, sed non obligant
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Small, bone-like protrusions (aka your stereotypical devil horns) that are easy to miss in his hair.
be love in its disrepute, scorches the hillside and salts every root
Kiada's plan is a wise one, and one that the ranchers entirely agree with as it happens. It takes only a little time to get the unicorns tethered up, and they diligently follow after the two Ancients as they start the crossing over the Bone Bridge. With the horses and riders calm, the herd has no reason to be skittish (unlike on the barge, evidently) and before long they've reached the other side and are able to continue on.
It's at that point that Astaroth and Danta turn up; obviously having accepted his lover's challenge, the Maverick had taken to the skies, only wheeling back when he realises there's a rogue unicorn to corral. Between crow and fyrhund the animal is practically fleeing from them; probably not the best for its wellbeing, but it is going in the right direction, and it promptly trots back among its companions once they arrive on the other side of the bridge.
Shifting back and feeling quite victorious, Danta quickly confirms their route through the Outer Brambles and then it's time to be back on the road.
It's late afternoon when they reach a large farm where the ranchers have agreed to leave them, planning to rest themselves and their horses and refuel before turning back for King's End. "I feel confident we've got it from here," Danta says with a wry grin to his companions. "Come on, I think we can push through the night to get to the Inner Quarter too."
Round 4! The ranchers have left the group (thanks bye!) and Danta has decided in his infinite wisdom that they can pull an all-nighter to get back ASAP. The following tasks need to be completed!
- One person to take position at the front of the group. They'll need to make sure there's enough light to lead the way!
- One person to stay among the herd and keep checking in on the unicorns, keeping count of them so none get lost.
- One person to scout around the group. A lonely job, but important to make sure there are no threats or hazards about.
- One person to take position at the rear. More light is needed here, but also important to make sure there's nothing nasty lurking or following behind the herd.
be there and just as you stand, or be like the rose that you hold in your hand
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
It is a bit frantic, but it works out eventually as the unicorn does manage to make it back with the rest of the herd even if it’s a bit more panicked than he’d originally anticipated on it being. It does help the ego fluff of making him feel like his fyrhund shift is terrifying (it is, but that’s beside the point).
Once they meet up with everyone across the bone bridges, Asta shifts back too rather than remain the canine at his lover’s heels. It’s enough that his glamour is back in place, the tines of his horns reaching for the sky as he adjusts his hair back into position while Danta gives out the next plan.
When late afternoon arrives and the ranch hands begin to depart, Asta nods to the Maverick with an easy grin remaining on his face. “I will gladly take the scouting route.” The butcher purrs, and it seems as though he takes on a second version of himself (the first, the precursor to the butcher everyone now knows). It’s what he excelled at before, so with that shade of himself starting to reveal itself again, he parts from the group with a parting kiss to the Maverick before he disappears up ahead, ready to call back in case there’s any issues or threats that arrive.
