Click here for a list of weather descriptions, seasonal festivals, and a real time:site time conversion.
Character of the Season
From Attuned to Ascended to Ancient, Kiada Njovu-Reyes has been reborn several times throughout her short life, but her fighting spirit has never once been diminished. With beauty, grace and a quick wit, Kiada is the whole package wrapped in an infectious smile. Recent endeavours have found her in the heart of the Hollowed Grounds, aiding the region and bettering it for her new Ancient kin, and whatever she does next, we know it's sure to pack a punch.
Congratulations, Kiada!
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!
King’s End was beautiful even in the furthest midst of Deepfrost, and the Caretaker took a moment of opportunity (a day trip) to study some of the animals immersed in its fields. Foxes had been the main goal, and from her perched rock, she’d seen any number of them along the sloping valley and nestled streams.
But because she’d been mostly still as she took notes and sketches, Mittens was all the more restless.
Tossing its head back and forth, it had begun to launch its own versions of snowballs across the sky, wind, and breeze, until, as Lena was quite absorbed, it saw another coming.
An opportunity for a perfect victim! So Mittens did exactly as it yearned and craved, instigating and agitating the potential for onslaughts.
It's the end of their time in King's End, and what better way to spend it than by enjoying the fresh snow on the meadow, gleefully chasing rabbit tracks? That's what Pipsqueak thinks, at least. With her skinny body and slick fur she is perfectly suited to burrowing through snow banks, vanishing beneath the thicker drifts only to pop out in a chaotic breach ten feet away.
Koa, we know, despises the cold. But he endures it. For her.
Pip has disappeared again when Koa catches sight of a familiar back. Immediately the Dragoon perks up, pleasantly thrilled at this chance encounter - and the opportunity to commiserate with another human being. He picks up his pace, his focus fixed on keeping his footing as he trudges through the bed of snow.
So it is that he fails to notice the camouflaged abomination that is Mittens until it's far too late, and all he can do is squawk indignation as the first thrown snowball strikes his shoulder, leaving him blinking in stunned surprise.
A combination of Mittens’ ridiculous and inflated cackle, Koa’s answering squawk, and a dragon overhead meant any process of studying the animals was soon removed. The sounds conflated and echoed across the snow, and the foxes scattered as Lena turned her head over her shoulder, eyes widening at the more bizarre of displays.
Though, it seemed, the Dragoon was no worse for the wear.
Her companion, however, received a very stern warning via their Attuned bond, and pouted immediately in her direction, as the apologies came forth. “Koa! I’m so sorry!” Launching off the rock, she placed her notebook down on the stone and advanced towards culprit and prey. “I hope it didn’t get you too badly?”
Of course the shock is quick to wear off, replaced first by attentive wariness (a scan of the perimeter, his hand flying to the chakram at his belt, wary and ready to protect Lena from attack). Then by open amusement as understanding dawns, and the culprit comes into focus as clear as day. "Mittens!" Of course Lena's charming little eldritch horror is responsible for the attack; Koa feels a bit foolish for not realizing sooner.
He's laughing good-naturedly when Lena lunges toward him, though the sidelong glance he gives the snowball is tinged a little wary. "All good!" Koa reassures, wiping snow from his coat's lapel. "Nothing wrong with a little bit of-- Pipsqueak, no!"
But of course his cry comes far too late, the little dragon already having begun her explosive assault. From the snow near Mittens' feet(?) the noodle emerges, wings flapping to send a damp flurry hurtling pell-mell in her wake. A roar of friendly challenge is squawked the abomination's way, Pipsqueak's confidence as absolute as it is misguided. Challenging a snowball to a snowball fight? Bold move, catsnake. Let's see how it plays out for ya.
Knowing better than to get in between two half-feral companions as they start a war, Koa edges around the newly declared battleground, mentally warning for Pipsqueak not to use fire. Shrugging at Lena as he nears her, he offers a half-apologetic lopsided smile. "Seems better not to get in the middle of it," he says, a watchful eye still on the pair.
Her companion remained the triumphant sort; gloating and proud, a vicious little Cheshire grin ensnaring the stones that made up its face. She could be angry at it, but it wouldn’t do much good; Mittens would sooner commit the same atrocities.
Of course, this only seemed to prompt Pipsqueak, and though Lena didn’t want either of them to come to harm, this miniature feud seemed more amusing than vicious, so she shook her head, attending to Koa’s wariness instead. “Yes, well -,” she trailed off, watching as Mitten’s glee turned into surprise, and then renewed vigor, seemingly absorbing more snow as it was tossed back at it – then hurling multitudes at the dragon in quick, rapid fire.
Instead, she grimaced slightly, and then turned her gaze to the Dragoon. “How have you been?”
Pip's response to the assault of snow is what one might expect from any animal: om nom nom. Needle-sharp teeth glint in the sun as she chomps and gnashes at the snowballs, her body flailing gracelessly through the air, leaping and falling like a breaching shark. It's cold enough for steam to rise each time she gets a mouthful, the warm nest of fire inside her throat causing ice to immediately evaporate.
In retaliation Pip sweeps her tail, using the long appendage along with her wings to send a wall of snow Mittens' way. And then, at the last minute, she spins around, lighting just enough on fire so the solid melts into unpleasant slush. She chortles gleefully at her own clever thinking, before burrowing back into the bank.
Koa shakes his head indulgently, satisfied that Pip has maintained enough control to not try and melt Mittens. "We've been alright," he answers Lena, gaze still fixed on the companions at play. "Been doing a lot of thinking." He doesn't feel the need to clarify on what, because there's so much he doesn't know where to begin.
A pause falls, and then he adds in a hushed voice: "I sent a note Anju. We're going to meet soon."
While Pip might have been overjoyed, Mittens was aghast that its properties were suddenly turned into something else (and much less threatening). With a flail, a pout, and a harsh scream that could’ve scared multitudes away, the troublesome companion maneuvered around and absorbed the walloping of snow again – growing larger. Swelling to twice its size, it then launched a similar tirade and ambush, altering the substance to ice, for it had no other means besides outright screaming.
Wincing, Lena shook her head and opted to listen to Koa instead. A lot of thinking made her brows go up, but only out of curiosity rather than shock, and left the pause empty in case the Dragoon felt inclined to fill it. The Caretaker wouldn’t have pried on her own, it wasn’t in her nature, but the following ensued and she remained quiet. “I see. I think that’ll be good for both of you.” Clarification, understanding…because Lena only provided what she knew, and she’d yet to have a following conversation with the Captain either. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”
