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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 watches the chaos unfold with lazy satisfaction, one hand tugging his scarf lower just enough to free his mouth, sharp grin flashing against the whiteout backdrop. The squealing retreat of the dog draws a chuckle from deep in his chest, but his focus never strays too far from the game—or from the Blue Team scrambling to recover.
When he sees Anita Bath stalking back toward the sidelines after getting pegged, he raises his voice, sharp and bright enough to cut through the wild mess of shouts and laughter. "Anita! Heads up!" he calls, plucking another snowball from the nearest pile and lobbing it underhand toward her, aiming to arc it over the front lines and into her waiting hands.
Get it, catch it, and get back in the game.
But even as he throws, Vesper is moving. His shadows flicker and dart ahead of him, low across the battlefield, more smoke than substance, poised to catch anything launched his way. He weaves among the half-built snowbanks and broken barricades, eyes sharp, senses extended in every direction, but none moreso than his telepathy.
Vesper tries to free Anita, before moving out onto the field and using his telepathy to sense if anyone is targeting him, in which case he'll use his hands and/or shadows to try and catch the snowball to get that person out!
Magic: Shadow Touch | Can create and manipulate tendrils of shadow. 15ft radius. Shadows share his STR stat.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
but I swear to God I'll find it
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
It’s pure, unadulterated chaos, and with the added rules and extra parts of the game, Amhran finds himself grinning beneath his own scarf, silently resolving to bring snow dodgeball to the Halo masses regardless of the outcome of this game. He’s distracted, granted (and however that might play out is yet to be seen) by the sudden appearance of Goose on the battle playing field, the Raeling left blinking as he sees Iskra go to try and call the dog back away.
Blinking and shaking himself back into focus, he crouches behind his barricade and scoops up another snowball, this time aiming for any of the Blue Team he catches sight of as he pops briefly up. Unlike his other competitors, he doesn’t consider darting or moving from his little hidey hole, instead using the opportunity to make more snowballs whilst he’s out of sight.
Amhran is briefly distracted by Goose, lobs a snowball at the Blue Team in general, and then hides behind his barricade to try to make more ammo!
I've done nothing wrong Except for all the atrocities
The absolute chaos continued; a true homage to Ludo. Hopefully the raggedy god was looking on somewhere, enjoying its hot chocolate as the show continued on.
Both teams had even stances after the first round, and pursued their attempts to rally the odds in their favor on opposing ends. Vesper, successfully dodging Hugh Jass’s throw his way, moving expertly enough to launch his snowball towards Anita, freeing the woman so she’d be able to rejoin the team. Melita, moving in on the lack of staying power on Hugh’s end, and climbing (invisibly) on top of one of their barricades, made ample use of her new height advantage, and nailed the Blue Team opponent with another snowball in the shoulder. If there were any cawing sounds, ignore it.
Hugh hadn’t been outdone though, and had timed his attempts well – taking out Marsha Mellow (even as she freed Toby with her own vicious surge) with a wild throw as he flailed down to the ground.
Brock Lee followed up with a rallying venture towards Skibidiah, but would find himself without a hit once more; as the snowball billowed by the man’s feet. Alas, Amhran ’s tactic of popping in and out behind barricades and defenses served him well, and Brock Lee’s failure would persist as he was hit in the knee by the Raeling, and sent off to jail.
Skibidiah, despite his dodge, would also find himself incapable of freeing Amy – and as Hugh goes down to Melita’s tactics, Iskra would be able to call Goose over to him, and lob another snowball towards Sue Flay, freeing his teammate so she could rejoin the fray.
--
Woof! Still four out but a nice little rotating bench. Your character may decide on aiming for more on the opposing side, trying to get one of their jail members out, or more antics!
Goose is with Iskra and no longer running through the Blue Team's area.
In Jail:
Amy Stake (Blue Team)
Marsha Mellow (Red Team)
Brock Lee (Red Team)
Hugh Jass (Blue Team)
Blue Team:
Amhran
Iskra
Skibidiah (NPC) Amy Stake (NPC) – jail Hugh Jass (NPC) – jail
Sue Flay (NPC)
Red Team:
Melita
Vesper
Toby LeRone (NPC) Marsha Mellow (NPC) – jail
Anita Bath (NPC) Brock Lee (NPC) - jail
He heard Sue's delighted success of a catch behind him, his focus since shifted to the blue of white and grey fur careening through the playing field. "Goose!" he called out again, and the silly animal finally saw him and veered his way. The pair reunited in a flurry of tail wags and laughs. Iskra knelt down to hug the mongrel as he slammed gratefully into him, his full body weight tossed against the woodcutter's arms with barely contained joy. Iskra turned his head against his friend's nape, dodging licks while his fingers brushed over the coat in both reassurance and investigation. "You're fine boooooy. You're fine." He said it as much to the dog as to himself, the search coming up with nothing but loose hairs that murmured of a change in season. Goose settled into the touch with a low whine, and as Iskra stood he glanced up and at the ready. "Go on," Iskra urged, "get out of here before you get hit for real dummy!" He pointed to the distance, and though Goose's ears flicked backwards in displeasure, the hound slunk towards the motioned area, requiring just a few more reiterations of the command, to be sure Iskra was certain he wanted Goose gone.
He'd tried to reunite with his dog somewhere partially covered, an ear kept out for the whistle of snow, but he was more concerned with Goose's wellbeing than his status in the game. Still, watching the mutt meander off the field, Iskra could return his attention to the mayhem. He cast a sweeping look for Mel, but as earlier he couldn't find her. Where had she gone? he wondered suspiciously, but lacked the time or talents to dwell on the oddity. Vesper was visible again, and though just the sight of the little cunt rankled through Iskra, he saw a much easier target closer by. Grinning, Iskra swept a snowball out towards Anita Bath, then made a break for the cover Amhran was using.
Iskra sends Goose further off the field, aims for Anita, and ducks to hide with Amhran.
ISKRA
// Sipping on the stars while we laying under sunlight //
The battlefield is pure anarchy now—snowballs hurtling through the air, shadows slithering over the churned-up drifts, triumphant whoops and theatrical groans as players are knocked out or claw their way back into play. Vesper thrives in it, weaving through the tangle of half-built walls and broken ranks, his sharp grin flashing in the frosted light.
Anita catches the snowball he lobbed and vaults back onto the field with a feral sort of glee, and Vesper tips two fingers to his temple in a lazy salute before ducking low behind a half-shattered barricade. His shadows ripple outward in thin, grasping tendrils, poised to either slap incoming snowballs aside or catch them outright—he isn’t picky.
He watches the shift and collapse of the battlefield from his crouch, bright eyes darting between movements. Melita ’s chaos is unmistakable even without seeing her (her mind, though, feels like a firework), an invisible menace flinging carnage with gleeful precision, and Vesper huffs out a laugh under his breath as Hugh Jass drops dramatically into the snow.
Seeing Sue Flay streaking back onto the field after Iskra ’s assist, Vesper narrows his eyes in quick calculation. They needed to thin the Blue team again, fast, before momentum turned against them.
Scooping up a fresh snowball and letting the shadows coil along his arm for added force, Vesper flings it with sharp precision toward Skibidiah, aiming to knock the man out before he could rally the others. No mercy—not in dodgeball, and not when pride was on the line.
And all the while, his mind stayed wide open, catching the flickers of thought, the scrambling plans, the glimmering, ruthless little hopes of every mind nearby.
Vesp hides behind a barricade and uses a shadow to hurl a snowball at Skibidiah!
but I swear to God I'll find it
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Beaming his success behind his scarf as the absolute carnage continues to churn overhead, Amhran is nevertheless enjoying his current streak of luck. Granted, there are still two of their team on the bench, which won't do at all, and it's as he's considering who he's in the best position to free that he realises Goose has stopped barking. And, as he glances back over his shoulder, he notices that Iskra has come to join him.
"I haven't seen Melita," he remarks, his voice a little muffled but hopefully still audible over the din. "I have a feeling that perhaps the Red Team are using their abilities to gain an advantage." Alas, Amhran only has a pleasantly healing breeze to offer - and the capability to plant one of Rae's Lilies, he supposes, but that's equally as unhelpful in a dodgeball situation.
Still, perhaps Iskra will be able to use something to even the odds, and in the meantime Amhran pops himself above the barricade, yells for Hugh Jass's attention, and lobs a snowball his way. (And then ducks back down again, of course).
I've done nothing wrong Except for all the atrocities
It was another thrilling and wild display of chaos, with dodges, dips, dives, ducks, and…dodges secured through the fray. Invisible Melita, standing along the barricade with the wind in her intangible hair and bedlam running through her mind, wound up her next snowball, intending to free Marsha Mellow. Despite the strength and tenacity behind the throw, she missed – the snow cascading with a musical chime as it bounded into the ground. Likely the only other thing heard was a huff of annoyance.
Vesper ’s decision to hie behind the barricade was a good one – for as Skibidiah aimed to liberate Amy Stake from her current jail holding, his shadows marked and hurled – hitting the Blue Team member straight in the chest.
Toby LeRone tried to pick off Iskra, but failed as the snowball crashed into the barricade. Anita Bath, opting to aim for deliverance of Brock Lee, ended up freeing her teammate, but her inattention on the moment meant Iskra’s hit went into her shoulder (along with a new duck, yay!), and she shuffled off to jail as well. Goose, also rather reluctantly, made his way off the field.
The Blue Team’s antics persisted, though most of them were misses – Amhran ’s valiant efforts to free Hugh Jass ended up with the snowball careening in one of Vesper’s shadows, and Sue Flay’s throw towards Vesper, once again, didn’t launch into the demigod as he remained behind the barricade.
With those portions out of the way, the Halo contingent looked to be in a slightly worse-off way. Would they be able to come up with another strategy, or inevitably be picked off, one by one, from the Torchline visitors?
--
The chaos persists, but now Torchline has a slight number edge. What will you try next? Your character may decide on aiming for more on the opposing side, trying to get one of their jail members out, or more antics!
04-29-2025, 09:08 PM (This post was last modified: 04-29-2025, 09:09 PM by Iskra.)
// All I want is champagne and sunshine //
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Iskra mutters with a pulled face, even as something devilishly warm flares in his chest at the thought of her outwitting them all. "The other one is nearly impossible to hit too. I think he's part blink hare." There's a sigh of reservation as Iskra presses his back against the cool snowy barricade, attempting to think. "I'm of no help unless you have matches on you—even then it's questionable." He laughs faintly, but it's a nervous one, aware of the odds beginning to stack against them.
"I think our best bet is numbers. If we keep freeing our team, eventually we'll overwhelm them?" Iskra glances at Amhran, shoulders lifting in a shrug. He's open to other ideas—and he wants to find Mel, but she has the upper hand so its risky. "We could try and watch where Mel's snowball's are coming from, to pinpoint her. If we take her down, the team will be hurt." Iskra muses as he pops up to huck a snowball at "Skibidiah!" before ducking back down. He can't stay here much longer either, it wouldn't be long before the Red team pressed in on them, fed up with barricades.
Iskra tries to strategize and tries to free Skibidiah
ISKRA
// Sipping on the stars while we laying under sunlight //
Vesper lingers behind his half-ruined wall as if he’s bored, lazily packing a pair of fresh snowballs. In truth, he’s listening—not to voices, but to the little spike of intent swelling just beyond the Blue barricade. There’s a breath-beat pause, an almost-pop of anticipation from that side...
now!
Shadows slither up Vesper’s arms like quick-draw slings. The instant Iskra ’s head and shoulders appear—arm cocked to fling freedom at Skibidiah—three snowballs launch in the same heartbeat: one from Vesper’s right hand, hard and flat, aimed square for Iskra’s chest. The second and third fired by ribbons of black smoke that crack like a whip, arcing over the barricade to tag him from above.
Vesp uses his telepathy to try and figure out what Iskra is going to do and then launches three snowballs when he senses the other man is about to pop up.
but I swear to God I'll find it
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
"I don't make a habit of carrying them, sorry. There might be some torches nearby, though?" Halo has them aplenty, Amhran knows - perhaps if Iskra can snag some fire from somewhere he can use it to melt any of the projectiles coming their way? Maybe? Either way, the other man's strategy is a sound one, and the Raeling nods his agreement, especially as it seems that their numbers are dwindling.
"Perhaps we focus Melita or Vesper next time," he suggests, unaware of course that the latter is about to bomb them with snowballs. "For now, we should definitely try to get our team back to full strength." Or as close to it as possible.
With that in mind, Amhran moves at the same time as Iskra does, but whilst his teammate focuses on freeing Skibidiah, he focuses again on Hugh Jass. "Hugh!" he calls out, firing a snowball towards him with another already in hand in case that should fail.
Amhran agrees with Iskra and tries to free Hugh Jass, suggesting that they focus on Mel/Vesper next round. (Providing they aren't in jail, lol).
I've done nothing wrong Except for all the atrocities
And then there was a tale of, well, lots of misses. An intriguing round to be certain – for as Amhran and Iskra strategized, and rightfully so, they’d find their snowballs pelted into either barricades, the ground, or Vesper’s shadows, leaving them with no one freed from the jail’s clutches.
Save for Amy Stake, as Sue Flay made a heroic effort to fight over the onslaught of telepathic endeavors, freeing Amy from the prison and returning her back to the Blue Team.
The Red Team would see similar results. Despite Vesper ’s usual luck and shenanigans, it wasn’t to be – Iskra ducking down well before any of the snowballs could reach him, stumbling headlong into the snow, hopefully where no one could see him. That’d be embarrassing.
Melita managed to hurl a very long snowball over to Marsha Mellow, freeing the team member from the ‘cells’, but otherwise Toby LeRone was the lone soldier striving to do his part Brock Lee’s attempt to snag Amhran failing). Toby’s efforts yielded freedom and liberation for Anita Bath, and suddenly the Red Team were up by quite a few more…
--
Lots of flailing about - some returned back on the team, and some still stuck on the sidelines!
In Jail:
Skibidiah (Blue Team)
Hugh Jass (Blue Team)
Blue Team:
Amhran
Iskra
Skibidiah (NPC) - jail
Amy Stake (NPC)
Hugh Jass (NPC) - jail
Sue Flay (NPC)
Red Team:
Melita
Vesper
Toby LeRone
Marsha Mellow (NPC)
Anita Bath (NPC)
Brock Lee (NPC)
The thumps of the snowballs striking the barrier moments after he was back behind it sounded louder than they should, the close call a wild energy that hummed through him. He grinned at Amhran, his freedom a small victory they could still celebrate, even as their shots whiffed. Unfortunately, the rest of Red team's aim was not so poor.
Iskra kept a keen eye out for a mysteriously sailing snowball as he packed two more. He didn't catch its origin exactly, but the one that sailed toward Marsha had come from a distance—enough for him to estimate the arc. He wasn’t sure—but he was grinning wide with hope as he sprang from his bunker hole with Amhran. He spared one wary glance for Vesper through the trees, but otherwise Iskra bolted for the space he assumed Melita to be, her arm invisible, but not her ammunition.
Iskra crushed one of his snowballs into powder and flung it forward as he neared, an attempt to dust Melita in white so he wouldn't lose her. He was moving too fast to just stop, and he couldn’t risk it—not if she turned and caught him mid-charge. No, he had no time to waste, whether he marked her or missed entirely, Iskra lunged forward with outstretched hands to tackle the Honeybee—one hand still clutching his snowball, ready to tag her into jail.
Iskra tackles Mel and tags her, maybe?
ISKRA
// Sipping on the stars while we laying under sunlight //
Vesper feels it before he sees it—intent like a hot flicker through icewater, sharp and sudden, coming from the direction of the Blue Team’s flank. Iskra. The man's thoughts spike with momentum, a plan forming mid-run, half-formed but ferocious, all speed and instinct and a dash of chaos. Vesper lets his gaze drift to where the trees begin to stir, a blur of limbs and light and someone charging like they’ve got nothin’ to lose.
Shadows lash from his heels, scooping up snow with uncanny precision as he reaches with his hands for the snowballs already at his disposal. Vesper steps out from behind his ruined barricade, his constellation freckles shimmering faintly in the sunlight, star-mark glinting beside one narrowed eye. "Hey you," he calls mildly, just loud enough to carry and maybe just enough to distract. "You forgot somethin’."
And then the barrage begins.
Two snowballs from his own hands fly in tight, practiced arcs—one aimed for Iskra’s chest, the other for the space just ahead of where his feet will be. The rest launch from shadow-tendrils like slingstones, crisscrossing through the air in a flurry of low whistles and sharp cracks as they slice toward Iskra’s flanks, legs, and back.
Vesp comes out from hiding and tries to pummel Iskra with snowballs!
but I swear to God I'll find it
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
More snowballs fly, some hitting and some going hilariously wide of their mark, and soon enough Iskra is ducking back down behind the barricade with him. Grinning back despite their comparatively worse off position, nevertheless Amhran can feel his fingers starting to go numb even through his gloves from the continued grabbing and throwing of their icy projectiles. "Do you remember if Melita told us how we actually... win?" he asks, but before he knows it, Iskra is gone again on what some might argue is a suicide mission.
Amhran has his back, though.
Popping up behind the barricade just as Vesper appears, the Raeling calls, "No he didn't!" and pelts a barrage of snowballs at his fellow demigod, as if to ensure he pays for every second he's out of cover and trying to put his teammate in jail. Of course, perhaps this puts him on his very own path to the bench, but it's worth it he feels. (If for nothing else, then perhaps a chance to sit down).
