From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Her offer of what the guild membership meant didn't seem so hard. He knew a great deal about the creatures of Halo, prey and predator alike. The rest of the world, however, he was less versed in. Perhaps stepping into this guild would be a way for him to gain that knowledge. Noah smiled, softly. "Well, that doesn't seem so bad. You can count me in, if you'd have me." As the bartender refilled her glass, Noah rested his hand over his gently to indicate that he was finished. He had been trying to keep it to only one -- this same whiskey was what he had drowned himself in not a few nights ago, sitting darkly in grief.
She recanted the tale enough for him to follow about the white dragon hunt. "Dragons are elusive. They don't like to be found, and when they are, it would surely be a feat to get to the heart." He didn't want to tell her that if they had found the dragon, her Adam and Peter would not have been the only bodies left in the Fangs. It could be implied, however, from the way he looked at her. "But I am sorry you lost a friend." Some might have followed that up with: at least it wasn't lost, the sacrifice helped rebuild the temple, blag blah blah... Noah, however, didn't feel he was in such a place do to so. Temples and shrines hadn't meant much to him until just recently, and even then he had only been left empty handed and cursed.
the rot will always be there, under the surface, waiting for your mask to decay
you swore to your parents that you would be virtuous
“We’d be glad to have you.” She offers him a wide grin, a raise of her newly filled glass in a small toast as the barkeep gives Noah a glass of water in place of the whiskey. She takes a quick sip before she’s speaking of the white dragon – infinitely curious if it were the same one, but not mentioning that thought as he speaks. A nod is given to him in response, unsure of why they had chosen a dragon (though something about attuneds being able to talk to them was definitely the reason) and she focuses on Noah’s implied words between the lines.
“Oh, but they did find the dragon. Adam and Peter as far as I know, still remain in the dragon’s den.” A soft sigh to that, a glance back down to her journal with the small amount of information she had on the subject before her iceberg gaze lifts back to Noah. “I’m used to it by now.” She offers with a small smile – and while she hadn’t been close to Adam, not like Peter and Deimos and Amalia had been, she’d still spent a few nights in the Greatwood’s Pit with Adam beside her.
Then, giving him a slight considering look, aiming to change the subject. “What about you?” She asks, wanting to learn more about him as well – who exactly she’d invited and accepted into her Guild, aside from simply being a hunter as well.
the things you've done, come to you in the night
and whisper 'you lied, you lied'
KIADA
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
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Noah clinked his water glass with Kiada's with a grin spreading across his face. "I plan to do some exploring of the world outside of Halo come Flowerbirth. I could work on getting some information about creatures I might encounter, if that would be helpful..." he trailed off a little, taking a drink of his water. It was not as satisfying as the whiskey, but after he had drowned himself in it the other night he had only been allowing himself one or two before turning to water.
"Oh. That's...interesting." He didn't really know what else to say about that, and he felt awkward about making an assumption without knowing all of the information. Color flared in his cheeks, but it was hidden mostly by the windburn that already existed there for the majority of Deepfrost. "This world is harsh, isn't it?" He took another drink of the water, trying to replace the taste with the whiskey he finished in his mind. She asked about him, and he thought for a moment. "Uh, well. I was born here in Halo. I have a younger brother who is out exploring the world. I expect him back soon, when the weather turns. My parents died just over ten years ago. I've always been a hunter..." He trailed off again, looking to Kiada to see if that satisfied her. He never was sure on what to share about himself when others asked.
the rot will always be there, under the surface, waiting for your mask to decay
you swore to your parents that you would be virtuous
The clink of the glass solidifies their mutual agreement, and she flashes him a grin that mimics his own. “Oh? Where to?” She questions casually, taking a sip before setting the glass down and giving him her undivided attention. “It would be immensely helpful. I have a fairly decent registry of the Grounds, but I’m missing a bit in Torchline. Chuy and I have a camping date already planned once the portals open though.” She flashes him a wink before a soft laugh leaves her until the conversation grows a bit darker and the smile fades, the air in the room suddenly a bit too cold as she looks back to her plate and pushes it aside.
“They all are.” She replies a bit more somberly instead – out of all the worlds she’s been in, each one had been equally as terrible when it came to losing people. It was a thing she simply expected now, unable to wrap her mind around a permanence just yet. But luckily for her, she focuses on him as he speaks of himself, all the information he gives her easily and she nods along. “I hope you get to reunite with your brother soon.” She offers softly, some sort of wish that she could do the same but knowing it were impossible. “You’re part of the council now too, aren’t you?” She’d heard his name pop up a few times in Chuy’s conversations with her, but she fails in remembering just what it was.
the things you've done, come to you in the night
and whisper 'you lied, you lied'
KIADA
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
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
He wasn't sure entirely the specifics of his exploration trip, he only knew that Delphine wanted to go back to Torchline first. "Torchline is the first place we will be going. That seems the popular idea, I see." The fact that Kiada and Chulane would also be traveling did not surprise Noah. It would surprise him if the outlanders stayed here and never left. Even now, though, for him to be willing to leave the frozen tundra--even for a short period of time--still made him apprehensive. In Torchline, though, there were things he needed to do, conversations he needed to have. Delphine wanted to introduce him to her friend Remi. Noah wanted to seek out the man named Sunjata and talk about the tavern they sat in--see what his interests were in it with Weaver's passing. He learned of the man from Korbin, and he felt the hatred of him from the raven, so Noah pressed himself in as the unofficial middle man. Now, he also needed to learn about the new fauna of the land. He list seemed to be getting longer and longer by the day.
He chuckled a little when she asked about his position on the cabinet. "Yea, I guess I am. The Chief of Public Affairs." His smile broadened, and he shook his head some. "I don't entirely know what it all entails, yet, to be honest. We've never had such a thing before." He knew that he had this position in the government because Morgan saw his relationships with the people. He was able to recall details of the lives of her fallen guards that she did not even know.
the rot will always be there, under the surface, waiting for your mask to decay
you swore to your parents that you would be virtuous
“Well, you’ll get a head start on us.” She chimes with a laugh. If they plan on heading to Torchline immediately, they’d certainly beat them – of course having to detour to the Grounds and ensure that the people made it back home safely. That, and additionally, the fact that Deimos and Amalia remain there as far as she knows, ready to be surprised with whom Kiada brings home to greet them.
Regardless, she pays attention as she questions his role and what it means – though it seems he doesn’t know what it entails either, and there’s a soft hum of a laugh that leaves her throat. “From what I’ve heard, I think you’ll figure it out. And do a good job at it.” She tips a wink his way with a small grin that remains hidden on her face. “Any other plans? For Halo or anything else?” Anything else that might matter when it comes to the Guild or in general, if he might come to the Grounds at some point to see the Guildhall for what it was.
the things you've done, come to you in the night
and whisper 'you lied, you lied'
KIADA
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
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
"That seems the be the way of life here in Halo -- no one really knows what they're doing so we just go one day at a time and move forward with what works." Noah laughed at his own comment - but it was true. The tundra ate a lot of lore and history and customs. There were tried and true aspects of this life that lasted generations and defeated the tundra's icy claws. However, if the people did not cling to the customs from the people they learned them from when the people died the customs were lost. "Unfortunately I don't know anyone in Caido -- even outside of Halo -- who shares this type of position with me to seek council from." Perhaps, with Kiada's knowledge of the Hollowed Grounds, she would be able to point him in the direction of someone with enough wisdom to share with him.
He smiled, even more, when she affirmed him. To think that someone, even a stranger, had confidence in what he could do made him feel good. It was a small sense of pride that rose in his chest from the comment, the whiskey -- even one glass -- enough to keep the anxiety and self-doubt away for a moment. "I think the council has plans to discuss some food production options for Halo, come to Flowerbirth. Chulane has a great idea for farming ningos that we will have to discuss in further detail -- but he has put a great deal of work into it. It's impressive, really." To think that no one, save for a few families who didn't spend much time hunting, thought of farming ningos until now was incredible, as well.
the rot will always be there, under the surface, waiting for your mask to decay
you swore to your parents that you would be virtuous
She nods in understanding at Noah’s comments. In reality, that’s all they were all trying to do, wasn’t it? Simply trying to find what worked and continue doing it until it stopped working and they needed to find another way to go about things. Adapting, certainly was the key to survival. But as Noah mentions he doesn’t know anyone else in Caido or outside of Halo that has a similar position, and her face twists a bit as she considers it, a deep inhale paired with it. “Actually…” She hums, before her iceberg gaze slips back toward Noah. “The Grounds have Advisors for Outlanders and Naturals that take their people’s positions into consideration for the main head of it. Perhaps it might be worth seeking out?” She questions with a tilt of her head.
It’s a thought that she lets sit in the air a bit before she comments on the idea of Halo and what else they could create and imagine for Halo and all the wonders within to prosper. “Ah, yes, he’s mentioned it to me.” She chimes with a wider grin, flashed his way as she closes the book and settles into giving him all of her attention – angling her body toward him to face him more fully. “He’s very excited about it, a bit nervous that people won’t like it, but he really just wants to help. He’s… Very kind in that way, using the things he’s familiar with to try and help where he can.” Her smile grows a touch fond as she speaks of her boyfriend.
the things you've done, come to you in the night
and whisper 'you lied, you lied'
KIADA
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
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
A brow lifted with interest at her comment. "Oh?" He inquired, reaching into his coat pocket now for his own journal. It was a tattered, well-used and well-loved thing that he continued to stuff as many notes and pieces of paper as he could into it. "Do you know their names?" He found a small section enough to write a few names down in his journal, and reached his hand out to ask for her writing utensil. "I would like to meet with them if I could find them in the Grounds."
Noah nodded, again, at the comments of Chulane. It seemed the consensus about the outlander man to be quite positive. He was helpful, energetic, willful enough to make change. There were some similarities between he and Noah, and the bottom line seemed to be that the two men were designed to do just as they were trying to do: serve. "It will be exciting to see what he offers Halo."
the rot will always be there, under the surface, waiting for your mask to decay
you swore to your parents that you would be virtuous
“Jigano is the Outlander’s Advisor.” She begins, right after he’d pulled out his journal to write them down, easily handing over her writing utensil for him to take notes of who to seek out. “Samuel is the Natural’s Advisor.” She adds after he’s written down the first name. Anything else in the Council for the Grounds was quite similar to here – ones for agriculture and the like, ones for health and ensuring things went well, the militia to ensure protection. After that, well, she’d not paid too much attention.
She just had her guild and that was that, mostly.
But on the subject of Chulane and the work that he’ll put into Halo, Kiada holds all the faith in the world that he’ll be able to accomplish it. A soft smile graces her lips with it as she moves to take a sip from her drink again. “He’s excited too.” She affirms him, before offering easy conversation until they have to part ways at the end of the night.
- FIN <3
the things you've done, come to you in the night
and whisper 'you lied, you lied'
KIADA
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