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!
Sah paused when he heard something giving way. Deimos removed his rock a second prior, and it became apparent why. He reached down and ran a hand along the side of the spring, his brow furrowing as it came back coated in eroded residue. Hopefully it was just this section, and they could rebuild it without much trouble. "Alright. Let's give it a shot."
Using his earth magic again, the Wild Thunder focused solely on holding the earth steady. He closely examined the sides of the spring for any cracks or new breakages as Luka checked the rest of the structure. The Abandoned kept his telekinesis close to the surface, ready to lift anything if it fell onto his son.
Luka frowns at their lack of success, not the type to wince or take on blame that isn't his to carry. It simply is what it is, and they must approach from a different angle. It's not as if he has any pressing events or hot dates to get to after this, so they can take all the time in the world to accomplish this, no matter how many tries it takes.
Rising to Deimos' orders swiftly, Luka nods his head. "On it." He feels along the layers with his hands as he goes around to help supplement what he can visually examine. It's slow going, but it gives the other men time to work their own literal magic. When he's made it around the perimeter he stands and catches Deimos' attention with his eyes. "There are some weak layers that crumble slightly with pressure, but no full erosion elsewhere." At least that he can see, though he's certainly no mason.
- - -
Luka examines for erosion and reports back!
I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
Luka ’s report gave additional information, and Deimos nodded, applying the earth proportions back into the soil, aiming to target those sections. Sah did as well, and the weakened layers slowly began to build back into fruition. After they successfully rearranged the portions of stone, loam, and terrain, the Sword sighed, glancing at the half-finished work. “We will probably have to check there frequently,” or any time one of them used the area; just as a means to ensure nothing like this happened again.
Stepping back, and running his own magic through the inspection and prowess, he couldn’t feel anything else that alarmed him. Brushing snow out of his eyes, he nodded at the rest. “All right. One more time with placing rocks, and hopefully that will be done.”
--
Round 6 – things should be stable again! Start moving rocks back to their designated places!
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Sah nodded, "Sounds like a plan." Carefully, he began to stack the rocks once again. With a combination of manual labor and telekinesis, he went slowly so that he could catch any further crumbling before it went too far. The Abandoned didn't want to have to repeat this process yet again. He was certainly becoming familiar with the unique shapes of each rock that they'd collected, so replacing them was going to be easier each time.
There was one interruption when he discovered a snail on one of the rocks. He had to gently pry it off and set it on solid ground before returning to work.
Luka makes sure to walk along and point out sections as Deimos works, just in case his verbal directives didn't provide enough context. He's not exactly known for being the most verbose young man, and he can admit that easily. No sense in ruining a project for it.
The idea of constant oversight of the areas makes him moue a little, displeased with the lack of efficiency but finding no better alternative. Maybe Rae's upgrade will somehow strengthen the springs as a whole? Luka has still yet to visit a herald so he has absolutely zero input here on any side.
What is he good at though? Picking up rocks and putting them back down. Much like his dad he wonders if he'll memorize some of them by heft and shape, and it's an amusing enough idea that it fuels him through the process of placing them all over again.
- - -
Rinse and repeat rock-stacking!
I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
There was a long rush of relief through his lungs as they placed the rocks. Nothing seemed to fall. Nothing seemed to unfurl. Nothing seemed to falter underneath their feet again. A satisfactory note to all their trials and tribulations, with much to consider each time they visited. Perhaps, as Luka had thought, with future upgrades there wouldn’t be much of an issue; but the Warden would monitor it in the back of his mind, regardless.
With the snow storm ceasing, their visibility would increase as well; though now under more snow. “Good. With that settled, we should take a final walk around and make sure everything is secure. Then clean up, and we should be able to go home.” Nodding his head at the plan, his long strides began to carry him towards the northern portion, much like inspecting beforehand, they now wanted to ensure everything remained in place.
--
Round 7 - Take another walk around to make sure everything is still secured and in place!
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
The storm began to die down and no other hurdles appeared as they stacked the rocks yet again. Sah rolled his shoulders back and stood from where he'd crouched to adjust one of the stones. "Excellent. We'll be done with this quest soon." Having a way to combat void infections or their adverse effects will be an incredible boon. However, they'll likely not be able to test it until a true emergency occurs.
As he considered it all, Sah made his way around the structure, inspecting the rocks for loose stones or signs of faltering. From what he could initially tell, it looked sound.
It's an easy enough directive, and though Luka is tiring by virtue of being a squishy Accepted instead of demigod-adjacent powerhouses like Sah and Deimos, the springs are still rejuvenating enough on their own that he's far from having to throw in the towel anytime soon. Admittedly that's partially why he had been happy to get inside it even if it means he'll have to ask for one of the men to help with drying out his clothes - free stamina top-ups.
Luka walks around in counterpoint to the other two so they can cover ground and check each other's work as needed. He feels with his hands in tandem with a visual inspection given they're his only tools to be utilized here. Their efforts seem to have taken this time, but he keeps his ears perked for anything the other two may notice or point out as insufficient.
- - -
Luka walks around and visually and physically searches for any errors.
I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
The inspection rounds went well; no loosened bits of structure. No rocks falling back into the springs. No sudden swells of water wandering into rivulets. With a long sigh of reassurance, the Sword nodded, content with the work accomplished. “Good. This is a relief,” and he permitted one round of laughter, before taking a survey of everything else around them.
In their efficiency, there was still portions of rock debris or pebbles strewn about paths, and the snow that had receded into multiple trailways for occupants to consider. “We can clean up now, and then head back.” And then everything would be done, and future revelers could be mended in a variety of ways.
--
Round 8 (the last!) – Clean up the area!
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
"Alright, let's get to it." Sah chuckled, "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can have a well-deserved soak." He might not be physically tired, but the mental break of warm water sounded lovely right now.
Telekinesis and manual labor were always a solid combination and the Abandoned easily repeated the motions as he cleared up the rock debris. He made sure to pile the stones in a place where they wouldn't topple into the water or impede anyone trying to get into the springs. The pile steadily grew, and Sah found enjoyment in piecing it together like a puzzle. He wasn't an artist, but rock gardens were a thing, yes? He could have sworn he'd seen some in Torchline. Surely his small 'mountain' counted.
“Count me in,” Luka laughs quietly, smile evident to make up for the inherently hushed nature of his enthusiasm. Cleaning is not his strongest skill - partially because he keeps very minimal items personally, and it isn’t a duty he’s often tasked with by the Halovians who know him to be reliable as a handyman of sorts - but with rock and rubble on the menu he is decently confident he can’t make it any worse than what they’re starting with.
The other two hadn’t used tools of any sort so Luka tidies his own first, ensuring every item is accounted for and not unwittingly lost or abandoned in the steaming waters. A bit of sweeping pebbles here, some discarding of larger stones there, and it’s not long until that promised reward of relaxation is on the horizon.
- - -
Luka cleans and tidies.
I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
All together, they cleaned and tied – rocks askew no longer so, piles taken apart, snow cleared out of the way. A satisfying end to a rather tumultuous beginning, but it came together nicely, and by the time they’d finished, the momentous wake would once more be ready and available for anyone who needed to use it. Infected or otherwise.
Later they’d have to figure out announcements, provisions, and practicalities amidst the arrangements, but for now, Deimos could announce they were done. “There. Even grander than before.” A generous smile was granted and extended to each, and then they could commit to exactly what they’d earned.
--
This PQ is finished! Thank you for helping!
[FIN]
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
