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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!
Vesper 's shadows snap across the sand, black enough to carve the light apart, but the Dreamhollow is already twisting through the shimmer around it. One lash strikes only heat-haze, another tears through the space beside its forelimb, and the third whips past its many-eyed head close enough to make several of those eyes blink shut in sudden, furious alarm. Ronin 's firebolts follow, slamming into the Dreamhollow's chest in a burst of white-gold heat, punching through cracked hide and root-spurred plates. Sand and splinters scatter from the impact, and for the first time the creature makes a sound: not a roar, but a dry, breaking shriek like wind forced through dead bone.
Then Remi hits it. The Pixui's body crashes into the Dreamhollow with brutal force, claws and jaws finding purchase where Ronin's fire has split it open. Cracked hide tears beneath him; trapped dreamlight spills bright and wrong between its ribs, and the creature staggers under the weight of the impact, long limbs skidding through the sand as it tries to wrench itself free before the channel takes the Bastion away. Nova 's fire flashes next, bright against the pale desert, but the creature's violent twisting pulls it just out of reach. Her magic scorches across the sand instead, glassing a thin patch near one of the shattered crates.
The Dreamhollow is barely standing now; its many eyes roll, some fixed on the places where Vesper, Ronin, and Remi had been, some locked on the living still left in the sand. Cracks run through its bark-dark hide; its ribs glow openly; every breath spills more sand from its mouth in thick, choking streams.
Still, it turns back to Kaisel. The lunge is ugly and desperate, all ruined momentum and killing intent. Its body folds low before springing forward, one hooked foreclaw sweeping out in a brutal arc meant to rip him open from shoulder to hip. But the attack comes half a heartbeat too slow. Its claws rake through air and sand instead, missing Kaisel again as the Dreamhollow's own wounded body betrays the force of the strike. For a second, its shadow remains where the attack should have landed, jaws snapping silently at nothing. Then the horizon buckles.
Heat shimmer folds around the Dreamhollow's gaunt frame, swallowing its outline in a ripple of beige and white. The creature vanishes from the place where it stands and reappears forty feet away, half-crouched in the open desert, its claws digging deep into the sand as though to keep itself upright.
Blood does not fall from it, dreamlight does, and even from that distance, every remaining eye is still watching.
Your randomly assigned posting order is Colt, Kaisel, Liam, Nova.
The creature is about 40 feet away from Colt/Kai/Liam, and about 70ft away from Nova
My clothes still smell like smoke Your name's still in my throat But the glow ain't worth the burn that loving leaves
The rush of motion and the press of heat stills for just six impossible seconds as Vesper's suddenly there before her. Some part of her had known what she'd done. Commanded it even. Warned Kaisel of it in fact. Yet that had felt distant, little more than a thought sliding past her mind, not the commitment to seeing him that this is, not the betrayal of a decision to never need him again.
Every feeling drops out from beneath her as he stands between her and the creature, darkness sweeping forth in a display of terrible beauty. She doesn't see that none make contact, not when the blue of him turns on her, pinning her as expertly as every other time before. The only part of her that manages to steady is her gaze, amber cast unwaveringly back upon him. As he departs, always sooner than she'd like, a hand instinctively jerks forward. Just a touch, before she catches herself, aware that there'd be no keeping him here, and worse still to reach for him. The thank you dies out where it started to rise on the back of her tongue.
Every feeling and sense lurches back in a nauseous swell and Colt's attention snaps back to the beast as Vesper's parting image and dying word fizz out into the back of her mind. The other yelled cautions and demigods keep her well out of the line of fire, including the quite literal fire that appears suddenly. A reminder of the giggler. All of it happens in rapid succession and Colt is already planning to put distance between herself and the beast before it beats her to it. Shimmering in and out of sight, she gasps faintly when it just ceases to exist, flesh prickling with the race of adrenaline at such movement and ability. It pops back into view further away, and wounded as it appears to be (what had that brightness been, splashing from its ribs?), she doesn't trust her eyes, not when it's already bent the world around it so unnaturally.
"Fucking hell, that thing can move," she grits out, but there's a stroke of relief behind it. She prefers the distance, although she doesn't hesitate to close some of it to ensure the thing doesn't escape. "Don't let it run off and lick it's wounds!" she advises, reaching to grab her bow from her back and an arrow from her enchanted quiver. Distance is good, it's safe, but she wants to make sure her hits will land too, so she gets within range of it before lining up her shot. She waits to ensure no one is in her sights except the beast, then with a bow twang, releases her arrow towards it.
Colt gets within 29 ft of the creature and then fires an arrow from the pencil sharpener at it after ensuring no one is in the way.
The Pencil Sharpener | An earthen quiver that sharpens any arrow placed inside.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered | Cost: Action
When fire meets gasoline Lights you up quick but you can't control the heat It burns bright but damn you lose everything We only ever end up ashes on the breeze
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.
Oh, now he sees what Colt meant as cords of shadows unfurl, the image of Vesper's assault one he's not seen before. It's only an instant it feels like, then it's over, and Ronin's there in all his radiant glory, the sword of Caido. "Will do," he calls out to the retreating shape, unsure if the voice made it with the vanishing channel or not. The splashing of glowing gold draws his attention for a moment before the vaulting, biting form of his other father-in-law appears and some fire from nowhere, reminding him of their invisible user out there.
The demigods allowed them a good enough distraction to manage a breath, however quick and brief it is, and Kaisel's use it to sort himself out better. Enough so that as the nightmare lunges for him once more, he sees it and wildly dashes to the side with a strangled shout of dismay. Another moment and he'd have been sporting a new possible scar, but instead he feels the breeze of it passing just behind him while he staggers through the sand, fighting balance and momentum like two unruly beasts inside his feet. He bows his body away from the snapping shadow as he goes, not trusting it to not bite (he's seen Asta's).
"Guess he didn't like the haircut Ronin gave him," Kaisel gasps, sucking in a fresh breath as it vanishes. He pats around himself, disbelieving he's whole, but glad for it. Shaking out the willies of almost being torn in half, his head lifts, squinting against the desert as the brittle, wounded thing reemerges further away. Colt's call is one he nods at, the agreement already there before she said it, his own pace carrying him back over some distance towards the beast.
His backpack jostles behind him as he jogs, chakram held in hand, teeth set with determination as he gets near enough to believe in a successful throw. "Sending out my chakram too!" he adds, semi-beside Colt. As her arrow flies, he uses the clear lane towards the beast to whip out his chakram after it, targeting the legs, hand still outstretched to grab the weapon upon its return.
Kaisel gets within 29 ft of the creature and then throws his leviathan chakram at it's legs after ensuring no one is in the way. He's a bit beside Colt.
Leviathan Chakram | An unbreakable chakram created from the scale of a leviathan by the Voice. With razor-sharp edges, this discus will always return to the hand of whoever throws it, and will always do so without injuring the hands of the thrower.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action
Flower Charm | A Type 1 golden flower charm necklace that always blocks magic damage at mastered-level.
Type: Light | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Regional Score bonus: +23 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +23 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).
Kaisel
When all that's left is dust, they'll remember us
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
A flurry of things happened in quick succession, buying Liam time to load his crossbow as first Vesper, then Ronin, then Remi attacked the creature. Even as the ex-soldier moved frantically to prepare to join the fray himself, he had to admire their capabilities. He'd have to send them a gift basket and a note of apology for dragging them, one after the other, into this fight.
Fire magic sparked, though Liam wasn't sure where it came from - seemingly there was more going on then met the eye. The Dreamhollow's gaunt frame twisted and warped, disappearing only to materialize out of range. Cursing, Liam sprinted as best he could across the desert sand, still arching towards the side in an attempt to stay out of everyone's way. He wanted to be close enough to help, but not close enough to make them all a single target.
The Dreamhollow was barely standing after the combined attacks of Ronin and Remi; had their other allies hit, then perhaps this would have all been over quickly. As it was, Liam raised his crossbow to take aim at the monster as best he could, given its strange tendency to warp across the horizon. When he was certain of his aim (or as certain as he could be), he loosed a bolt towards the Dreamhollow's side.
---
Liam moves into range (~30 feet from the Dreamhollow), still moving at an angle to stay out of the others' way. He then fires his Ironbough at the Dreamhollow's side.
Ironbough | When not in use, this crossbow is nearly weightless.
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
Her brother misses and Nova's thinking she'll have to help him train to be as awesome as she is - but then she's missing too. Her lips purse, watching with jealousy as Ronin's attack lands devastating blow after devastating blow while the bright fire of her magic glazes harmlessly across sand where the creature had stood moments before. Even the massive maned animals that appears manages to sink its teeth into the bark of the Dreamhollow.
She's already preparing to redeem herself when the scenery folds in half, the stick and sand monster collapses within, somehow unfolding farther away than she can reach. It's wounded, head hanging low and more light pouring from it than sand at this point.
Not wanting to miss her opportunity for glory, Nova sprints forward on quick feet, ambition moving her nearly as quick as the panic had earlier. Magic sings in her blood, frustration and instinct bringing forth the icy water magic rather than the same fiery blast. Daring it to step towards her invisible form, Nova raises her hand and prepares to slice forward with a frozen scythe.
Still invisible, Nova runs 30ft closer to the creature, waiting for it to get within range before attacking with water magic (making sure not to hit the others).
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Water manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control water within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
You Blinked | An earring that renders the user invisible (can still be detected through other senses). (Made by Nova)
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Bonus Action
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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.
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Other
Regional Score bonus: +5 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +5 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
