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!
LongNight has settled over Torchline, drawing a black curtain across the coast with no moon, no stars, and no hint of sunrise waiting beyond the horizon. That has never stopped Torchline from making its own light of course, and all along the white sand, bonfires burn bright against the dark, some crackling with ordinary flame and others blooming in shifting, magical colours. Torches line the beach between them, guiding the way along the coast where the waves roll in glowing blue, the bioluminescence catching around ankles, footprints, and the edges of the tide.
This year’s celebration stretches along the shoreline, with plenty of room for anyone brave, foolish, romantic, drunk, competitive, or all of the above to join in. Groups have gathered around the fires with drinks, food, stories, dancing, and all the usual Torchline-level encouragement toward bad ideas. The jungle looms warm and dark behind the beach, the ocean gleams ahead, and between the two, the longest night is being turned into exactly what Torchline does best: a party.
For those looking to test their nerve, the highlight of the evening is the encantado fire-hoop jumping competition. Participants will ride the magical dolphins through flaming hoops set just off the coast, with cheers from the shore, glowing water beneath them, and absolutely no promise that dignity will survive the attempt. Whether competing, spectating, heckling, or pretending they were definitely about to sign up before thinking better of it, everyone is welcome near the waterline.
And for anyone in need of a drink before or after the festivities, The Last Word is officially open. Rebuilt, ready, and far too pleased with itself, the new bar offers shelter, alcohol, and the kind of atmosphere best suited to celebrating surviving the dark (or making questionable choices in the middle of it).
Open ME to celebrate LongNight and party!
I'm a force that you will dread, set me on fire, I'm still alive
Coming from the strangeness of the desert and the dreamscape that snuck up on him, none of it feels like it can find them here. They're untouchable, not even permitting the darkness to creep in beyond the firelight and the laughter. Or that's the sense Kaisel carries with him as he walks down the beach, expecting no problems larger than unruly encantados. Outside worries will return in time, but here and now, the warmth of Torchline pushes back fiercely against the bleakness of the night.
With hands fisting his hips, legs spread, Kaisel surveys the flaming hoop beyond the water with no semblance of caution in his expression. "I'm definitely doing that tonight." Stripped of his soldier attire for now, his first round of patrols complete, he stands in more suitable casual wear. This includes a yellow tank top that bears Ronin's face laughing open-mouthed in cartoon-style on the front, sunglasses each bearing part of his name, White in one, Knight in the other. Beneath that, he's got on his hot pink board shorts with little white encantado prints on them, and the barefeet of a man intending to be in the water before long.
Glancing over his shoulder, he lifts up a hand to his brows out of habit, despite there being no sun to shade and improve his view. He's looking for Flora, having misplaced her while he worked, and so he squints through the glows of the bonfires in test of a familiar shape, the bracelet on his wrist equally casting out a net of awareness for her.
Kaisel
Bet you didn't think that I'd come back to life, stronger
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
You're my lighthouse in the darkness when the storm is comin' in
With his back to the bonfire blazing merrily behind him, hand curled around a beer freshly acquired from The Last Word, Iskra has just finished settling on the beach towel spread over the sand. Much like collecting snacks and a cozy blanket in preparation for a movie, so Iskra has assembled himself, and Melita, for the spectacle of the long evening.
One leg is crossed over the other at the ankle, one of his flipflops threatening to flip right off and flop onto the sand. His pale legs reflect almost eerily in the fightlight, feet rimmed by the blue glow of the bioluminescence that repeatedly breaks on the waves and moving people along the shoreline. His black hoodie keeps him warm while his forest green board shorts keep him in line with Torchline beachwear.
"So is the goal to be the fastest or just to stay on?" he wonders alound, head tilting over his shoulder to direct his gaze to the Honeybee. She should know everything about her region, he'd stand to reason, despite not being able to claim the same of his own.
A low-hanging tree nearby is heavy with strange fruit, its branches sagging beneath the weight of several Molten Pineapples clustered together. Their spiked skins glow faintly, heat shimmering in the air around them as they cling stubbornly to the limbs.
Now and again, one shifts, its stem cracking with a soft, ominous sound before dropping free. It hits the ground with a dull thud, splitting slightly as warmth seeps outward, scorching the earth beneath it. The others remain where they are, swaying gently, their glow pulsing as if in response.
The tree creaks quietly under the combined weight and heat, leaves curling at the edges. Whether more will fall or the cluster will remain intact is uncertain, but the warning is clear enough for those paying attention.
Molten Pineapples
Areas Found: Torchline — Common
These pineapples have adapted to Torchline's environment, developing a protective layer that withstands extreme temperatures. When harvested, their juicy, heat-resistant flesh is a favourite treat among the locals.
Culinary Favourite: prized for its flavour and resilience; Extended Freshness: resists spoilage longer than most fruit
TRAITS
Heat-Resistant Flesh: remains fresh and juicy even in extreme temperatures; Tough Exterior: protective rind shields fruit from damage; Tropical Growth: thrives in Torchline’s warm, coastal climate
ACTIONS
Eating the fruit delivers a burst of sweet, tropical flavour with a faint warmth; the heat-resistant qualities make it refreshing even when eaten under direct sun, and overindulgence may cause mild stomach upset due to its richness.
Blinking is an inconvenience when there's so many things to see. Fern's eyes haven't stopped being wide as the full moon, one she keeps searching for amid the stretch of black. It's eerily dark, too dark without the stars and the moon. While the fires, much like the one she's beside, cast enough heat and light, the glow does not reach the pitch above, which feels like a sky she cannot recognize.
That unsettling aspect is something she only remembers on occasion, otherwise wholly swept away by the revelry. It calls her back now, a delighted gasp rising up as her feet sink into the surf and bright blue immediately dazzles forth. "Look!" she declares with a point of her hand, where she crouches down to draw a little face, blue springing to light at the contact and then slowly dimming. "It's bioscience!" she asserts, meaning bioluminescence, but not hearing the error.
Certainly the twins alongside her have seen it just as equally, but the awe of it being at hand makes her point out the obvious. Grinning widely, she glances up from her glowy designs to peer at each of them. "Do you think if you eat this it'll make your insides glow?"
Melita had always been capable of wandering her way forward from the brink of something threatening to stifle, but this one wanted to pull her back. She had half-formed an idea of shaking it off her ankle, like a tether or a bind, and carrying on, finding the fun and mischief amongst the lights and sounds. She’d already brought one celebration down, wasn’t certain on how to press the news onward without inciting some mild panic, or complete disinterest, and she’d already confused Iskra. That hadn’t been what this was all for.
Despite the temptation to pout, she forged a smile against the finery of bioluminescence and bonfires. In truth, it was difficult to ignore the tide rushing in and the hues igniting across the wake and the promise of people doing stupid things. The mere thought of someone striving to ride a dolphin, then scale their way through gigantic hoops, was so ridiculously insane that she hoped there’d be a massive line.
Plus, the company. Sequestering themselves near the bonfire, she curled right into Iskra 's side with her drink perched in her hand (a Sex on the Beach, fuck you Kaisel), purposefully snickering at his inquiry. “Yes,” she winked. Allowing just enough of a pause to irritate, she hummed a little under her breath, gilded gaze flicking from him and back to the shoreline, waiting for one of the first people to strive and try. “Though to be fair, probably more of the latter.” Then if they could stay on, they’d go from there.
Sighing a little and wrinkling her nose, she took a sip before dropping her voice to a whisper. “Sorry about dumping everything on you at the celebration. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about all that shit.”
no thank you is how it should have gone, I should stay strong
"Oooooh, bioscience," Carlo echoes as he watches Fern create an eerie little face in the surf that slowly melts back into the inky waves. He doesn't know she's incorrect and there's no one immediately available to put them to rights (though there are plenty of grown-ups nearby, his fathers included plus one projection probably) so this is what it will be for the foreseeable future.
They'd been told a number of rules explicitly - and sternly, in a way that suggests they should actually consider listening this time - including not touching any of the bonfires, not going into the water past their ankles, not wandering off into the dark and not drinking anything they aren't given by a parent. Those rules, however, did not include don't eat glowing algae.
"I don't know," he admits, flashing Calan the sort of grin that directly translates to finding out one way or another. "I bet if I put some in my mouth and chew, you should be able to see if it glows, right?"
but I'm weak, and what's wrong with that? boy oh boy I love it when I fall for that
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
