What do you get when two ruthless assassins raise their daughter travelling through the wildest reaches of Caido? Take one look at Theea and you'll get a pretty good idea. Cheerful and tenacious in equal measure, and curious beyond all else, she began her journey on a mission to find those her mother once called family. And find them she did, soon rubbing elbows with demigods, leaders and even ghosts from the past. Her determination is resolute, her thirst for knowledge unmatched. We can't wait to see where her next adventure takes her!
Congratulations, Theea!
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!
Barely had the last violet flower disintegrated in a puff of ash before Maea extinguished the flames and turned to help Zavien and Hadama. She could practically feel the hedge sagging in relief as the flames vanished - and gone they would have to remain. The dark vines wrapping around Hadama's neck made fire a poor option, and her other alternatives were... limited.
Steeling herself against what was to come, Maea drew a chakram from her belt and turned it on herself. As the blade bit into her arm, a darkness overtook her sclera, power surging in response to her sacrifice. Turning her dark magic on the void moss, she watched for a result with a certain dispassionate interest; how much damage would she inflict on thhe basic level? Would it require more blood, more pain - more power - to eliminate it from her sight? Pesky little plant, thinking it could touch what was hers and live... she almost hoped that Zavien's blade wouldn't be enough to finish it off, so that she could make it suffer longer.
Maea uses Bloodbane, harming herself for basic damage to inflict Upgraded damage on the Voidquicksand Moss.
Magic: Bloodbane | Can injure themselves for mastered damage to weaken others at a 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Zavien's courage did not go unnoticed by Hadama, though the demigod was rather distracted at the moment. He tensed the muscles in his neck, already resisting the pull of the tendrils, and the Dragoon's steadying hand was a welcome anchor to assist in the effort. Unfortunately his sword wasn't long enough to reach the heart of the corrupted Moss patch. Not unless he was willing to venture out into it directly, at least! He still did damage, however, his magic sword burning and searing at the false foliage with dreadful effect.
But not killing it.
That took Maea's bloody hand to do the deed. The Ancient's power welled up with her blood, lashing out at the weakened Voidquicksand Moss and severing its ties to the living world completely. Her power was unavoidable and the tainted creature blackened and with a final lashing of tendrils it went limp and lifeless, loosing Hadama at last.
While it fell into its death throes, the Tidebreaker pushed back against the violet darkness with the light within him, drawing on the moon to summon his healing mist in a thirty foot radius around him. It settled on the Moss, clinging and glimmering as it seemed to bind the Void creature's movements, making it easier prey for Zavien and Maea to finish off. It brought some comfort to the purple-black bands of corruption on his skin where the tendrils had wrapped around his limbs and throat, and it washed over Maea to wipe away the wound she had given herself for his sake.
He coughed to clear his throat and pushed himself back to his feet, stepping unsteadily away from the now-truly-dead patch of blackened leaves. He reached up to massage his throat lightly, his gaze a little glassy in the dappled shadows of the hedge that rustled uneasily around them. After a few moments he gathered his wits enough to nod to both of his friends with gratitude and reassurance, giving himself a moment to recover his voice before he tried to speak. "Quick thinking," he offered first in praise. "Thank you."
For once he leaned on his trident not just for balance but for true support. His physical wounds were not terrible compared to what he had fought through in the past, but there was a weakness within him where a shadow still lay upon his spirit that was not so easily banished by magical healing. It lingered in his eyes, deepening his weariness, but there was a glint of steel beneath it all as he looked deeper into the maze.
"I will need to rest. But if you are willing, I would appreciate your help to finish clearing the Gambit afterwards. The Moss should have kept other large predators down, at least." Indeed, a few more patches of Cursed Daisies would be all they would find if they continued, and they had already proven to be more than a match for the Void's floral contingent in King's End.
Last round before they fade to black on the rest of the day.
Bring it on home, voidhunters!
Was the dark thought a true reflection of her personality, or entirely brought on by the magic? The question lingered in her mind even as the void moss withered and lost its hold on Hadama. Perhaps it didn't actually matter. Not when the relief of seeing him catch his breath overruled any longings for black vengeance and torment. He was worth it; worth the pain, the dizzying moment of near madness, and any amount of heart attacks he'd nearly given her by stepping into the void tainted trap.
Breathing deeply of the soothing mist, Maea watched the wound on her arm knit back together and disappear, a smear of blood the only evidence of bloodshed that remained.
"Of course," she murmured, without hesitation. "I'll be here all day." Ready to save the day as many times as needed... She flashed Zavien a little grin, then immediately caught herself and cleared her throat. Damn this awkwardness...
Once Hadama recovered enough to continue, they resumed the hunt for void flowers. Maea had the satisfaction of wielding fire to her heart's content, relishing the challenge of burning only what was corrupted without harming the hedge. For such a grim task she enjoyed herself quite thoroughly, occasionally even forgetting that she was supposed to be demure and contrite around the dragoon.
Maea sticks it out and helps burn Void Daisies with her fire magic once Hadama is ready to continue.
His sword sank into the brown 'grass,' but even as Zavien felt the resistance of the creature, he knew it wasn't enough. Despite the sizzling and smell of burnt soil, the hold on Hadama didn't loosen, and he grit his teeth as he maneuvered to pull his blade out for another strike. Before he could do so, the tendrils suddenly fell away, a strange twitching motion being the only sign of its death throes, and when Zavien looked up, he saw Maea's eyes dark with magic.
Too relieved to think much of her abilities, the Dragoon maintained a stabilizing hand on his friend's shoulder, checking him over with a practiced eye to make sure he was still breathing. It helped when the Mer King spoke, and Zavien squeezed his shoulder in response, not feeling like he had any right to accept thanks when he had barely done anything. And when Maea smiled at him... he gave her a cordial smile in return, unable to be angry after she'd helped free Hadama.
Nodding his head, he finally released his hold as the man stood, pulling his sword from the dead Moss. "I'll be here for as long as you need." And as he said, Zavien stayed to assist, being more cautious in his approach as he carefully sliced the Void flowers from the hedges.
With two such staunch friends by his side Hadama was able to find the strength to continue. The Voidquicksand Moss's corruption had left shadows on his soul that would take much longer to fade than the ligature marks upon his skin, but Safrin's starlight was strong within him, and the work he did in her name gave him resilience in the face of the Void's creeping taint. Zavien's courage in the face of his own fears and Maea's loyalty and determination to stay by his side only bolstered his own resolve, so that they made their way through the Gambit's twisting, shifting ways without falling prey to further tricks from their floral foes.
Shadows were beginning to fall across the land as they made their way back out again, tired but triumphant in having pushed back a little more of the purple menace, at least for today. Hadama clasped the arms of his friends in gratitude, offering them both a tired but warm smile. "Thank you. Every foray counts. If I can repay the favor, you need only ask."
