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!
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
The tunnels, and all their careful maintenance, made her jaw clench. Not mulishly, not overly angry, but perhaps irritated and frustrated that this had gone on for so long - and right underneath their noses. And when the choices were laid out before her, she wasn’t certain which to pick – half-inclined to nosing about the Celestine on instinct to rid them out of the sanctuary, but then there was the potential of the ship’s docking…
And of course, Mittens findings.
The snowball reached across their bond and informed with all its little vicious intent, and she sighed, relaying the notions back to the group. “There’s a nest of void beasts towards the east,” and she pointed off where the companion screeched and growled. “I think we should take care of them, and then head towards the Celestine to block off their access points.” But her gaze went back and forth towards Koa and Zavien, waiting for their judgment to pass as well.
--
Lena informs and makes suggestions!
sunlight on mist; summer lightning your choices outweigh your substance
The obviously maintained tunnels were definitely concerning, but Zavien found himself more occupied with the lack of trouble. Shouldn't they have run into something? Sure, the matas had tried to shove him off the bridge, however, things just seemed too... quiet. His hand clutched the chakram close while he kept another hand lingering near his sword, untrusting of the manicured route system.
When they came across a split in the path, he began to wonder if their exploratory quest might go off without a hitch, no run-in with smugglers or nefarious creatures, just discoveries and deterrence. Then his ears caught on Lena's (Mittens') discovery of the nest and Sol was sending him an excited thrum through their bond, feeding on the other companion's activity. "That's a good idea. I don't think our companions will ignore the Void beasts now that they've spotted them. We should head that way." Zavien nodded his head, making sure his supplies were tucked away with his weapons ready and his headlamp in place.
Zavien agrees with Lena that they should pursue the Void creatures.
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.
There's going to come a day when you feel better You'll rise up free and easy on that day
Onwards and outwards, then.
Mittens and the Dragons (cool name for a band) lead the crew to a break in the tunnel, through which whistles sharp sea air and the acrid smell of the void. It's a side path, barely wide enough for the broad-shouldered Dragoon to edge his way through, his headlamp illuminating the narrow crack. "It opens up ahead," Koa stage-whispers, hoping his voice carries behind him because man, he cannot turn his head. "But the platform looks pretty narrow and-- OH FUCK FREY WITH A SHIT!"
The exclamation is two-fold. One, Koa has suddenly broken out of the corner of the crag and onto a narrow ledge, some six feet wide and four feet deep and opening into open air intersected by sweeping vines.
Two, some of the vines have dislodged from the jungle and taken the form of violet snakes, their winged heads flapping as they slash through the air, directly toward Koa's face. Instinctively he punches forward, knocking one mata out of the air. But his yelling has upset the nest, and purple eyes gleam in the darkness, a hoard ready to pounce.
And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air Just when that day is coming, who can say?
As Koa squeezed his way through, Zavien prepared to follow him only to stop short when the Dragoon cried out. Flapping wings and whistling wind reach his ears, suggesting the trouble ahead enough to get his heart racing. He was hesitant to step onto the small ledge, but he wasn't about to leave his friend out there to fend for himself! Shoving past his nerves, he stepped out and plastered himself farthest away from the cliff edge.
Zavien didn't want to lose the borrowed weapon, so he used it 'incorrectly' again, striking out like a strange circular axe against the living vines. Meanwhile, Sol continued to provide arial support for his companion, giving the most adorably intimidating screech he could muster before blasting his fire at the Void beasts.
Sol breaths fire at the Void creatures while Zavien tries to strike out with the chakram.
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
Lena remained ever impartial to cliffs and ledges, in part due to the avian nature stored in her soul, so at the stage whisper, she wasn’t the least bit bothered. With the sudden screaming, however, the Attuned’s eyes widened, and she dared to chance a few glances over wider, broader shoulders, to assess what was going on.
Ah, the nest.
As the rest gathered and composed themselves into fighting distinctions, the Caretaker did the opposite – combining her abilities into a justifiable compulsion and demand for their departure.
Mittens followed suit (avoiding the dragon’s fire), and launched its head at the nearest void cretin.
--
Lena compels the void beasts to leave.
Mittens launches its head at any of them nearby/departing.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
Can speak to rare creatures/companions/regular animals
sunlight on mist; summer lightning your choices outweigh your substance
There's going to come a day when you feel better You'll rise up free and easy on that day
Zav, buddy. You gotta throw the disc.
This is what Koa thinks. Out loud, he only manages to snarl "Throw it!" to the other Dragoon before he's distracted by his own onslaught. Five void matas have dislodged from the nest, flying straight at our intrepid trio. The largest focuses its ire on Koa, hissing protectively as it snarls through the air and toward the young man. Armed with boxing wraps and his bracers, Koa reacts with an electrocuted punch; it lands, despite the eight feet of distance, electricity jolting the Mata Mata and sending it out of the sky.
The other four are smaller creatures, but no less intimidating. Moving as one they dive-bomb poor Zavien, whose luck is just, like, real bad. Unfortunately the chakram does very little at so close a distance, though as the serpents close in on him he's able to slice out at at the first one, cutting through scales and flesh and into void-laced blood. Sol's fire finishes the beast off, but even so, three remain. A sense of foreboding will overcome the Dragoon, and perhaps it's this which causes him to falter in his own defense, because while he's able to evade the first Mata that reaches him, the other two sink their fangs in deep, biting into Zavien's skin.
It would be a great time for some compulsion, but alas, Lena will find that the void mata's minds slip from her grasp like so much oil. And while Mittens is a fearsome monstrosity in its own right, it, too, is unable to gain purchase on the winged beasts, its attack evaded by the third remaining snake, which now turns its attention on the sonwball and its mate. Oops.
-------
Abyssal Mata Mata (Uncommon): The Mata Mata, twisted by void corruption, have raven's wings of inky darkness. These Abyssal Mata Matas dwell in the void-laden Grotto, their eyes glowing with the shadows of the abyss. Encounters with Abyssal Mata Matas bring an unsettling aura of void-wrought foreboding.
And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air Just when that day is coming, who can say?
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
The onslaught was sudden and bearing down upon them – and though Lena was glad for the bucklers snagged and defending portions of her person, there were other multitudes at hand. Her compulsion endeavors slipping over and around, for instance, and having no effect on the void creatures whatsoever not only gave her a shock, but that sense of dread and foreboding. Without her Attuned measures, she wouldn’t be of much use at all.
But instead of rising into the panic threatening over her throat, she ducked down and against the cliff wall, snagging at her bag. If she could get her healing staff out, that would at least be useful in ensuring Zavien and Koa were mended from the situation. Though as Mittens came rotating around and screeching, throwing itself around, she began to feel apprehensive for her companion as well.
So she adapted; compelling for any animals around (presuming, perhaps there’d be some birds or bats nearby, perhaps even regular mata matas), to chase off the nest of vicious little things.
--
Lena compels any other animals around to come help chase the abyssal mata matas off. She also gets her healing staff out (to heal next round).
Mittens screeches at its opponent and attacks again.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
sunlight on mist; summer lightning your choices outweigh your substance
Zavien was not having a good time. Between the overwhelming sense of doom and the matas' singular focus on him, the Dragoon could only defend against so much. One out of four had to count for something, the chakram slicing through its inky black scales to spray him with its thick, oily blood before dying in a fiery ball of shrieks and writhing limbs. Out of pure instinct, he avoided the first of the next three, but his luck didn't last. Two pairs of excruciatingly sharp fangs sank into the skin of his leg and the forearm he threw up to protect his face. Uncontrolled burning laced through the puncture wounds, making him cry out. The pain echoed down the companion bond, causing Sol to screech a mix of fear and rage, dive bombing the Void mata on his leg in a flurry of wings and scalding flames.
Meanwhile, Zavien thrashed his arm to dislodge the creature, not caring if it tore further. He'd have to deal with the ramifications the injuries later anyways, if he was able to escape. So, despite his fears of throwing the borrowed weapon off the cliff, Zavien finally listened to Koa out of pure desperation, flinging his uninjured arm out like a frisbee at the nearest enemy.
Zavien throws the chakram while Sol tries to barbecue the snake-birds!
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.
There's going to come a day when you feel better You'll rise up free and easy on that day
The remaining matas shriek as fire and ice hurtle toward them, a trio of companions surrounding and quickly felling two with their combined might. Koa slams out again with his fist, reaching an invisible hand around the neck of another snake. Electricity shoots through violet scales; it's far too stunned to gain its bearings as the Dragoon hurtles it toward the sea below.
And while that may make it seem like little is left for Zavien and Lena, have no fear, my friends. For from the nest a new challenger approaches: Mama Mata, a matriarch of the winged serpents, her long body pulsating with purple pustules and violet void. Not quite the elusive 20 foot long python, but something dangerously close.
It's a good thing Zavien's thrown the Chakram, because Mama Mata is too far away for a simple punch. The disc flies from his hand and straight toward the approaching snake, slicing in against her side. She hisses her fury, dark, inky blood oozing from the wound even as the magic missile weaves its way back to Zavien's hand.
And then there's Lena, whose mental compulsions are heard not by uncorrupted matas, but a nearby flock of cloud wyrms. Eight of them swoop up through the gap in the vines, and while they're too small and docile to outright attack the Matariarch, they fill her line of sight with clouds, making it impossible for her to see exactly where her quarry lies. Thrashing angrily in the air, Mama Mata hisses out her rage. She won't be attacking anyone this round, but her sights are set, of course, on Zav.
Koa and the companions finish off the lil Matas, but Mama Mata the Matariarch is now awake!
Zavien hits Mama Mata with the chakram
Lena compels cloud wyrms, who obscure Mama Mata's vision with clouds
Mama Mata loses her attack this round, but has target ZAVIEN (dice hate this boy)
And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air Just when that day is coming, who can say?
He would definitely have to thank Koa for the tip later, shocked to see the chakram not only hit something, but then fly back to him. Through the haze of pain, Zavien watched as the blood sprayed through the air from the Mother of all Matas that had appeared. Just his luck. If he didn't already have a crushed sense of dread, he definitely would now.
Seeing and feeling Zavien in continued distress, Sol raged at the new enemy, throw as much fire as he could in its direction while keeping on the move with his tiny little body. The Dragoon tried to give his companion some support. After catching the returned chakram, he immediately threw it again in the same direction, hoping it was right since he couldn't see through the 'help' the cloud wyrms were providing.
Zavien throws the chakram again and Sol blasts Mama Mata with his fire.
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
A rush of action and movement emblazoned across her senses, and she strived not to find them jumbled in the rallying volley of fangs and dread. Stifling down sentiments rooted in benevolence and compassion rather than apprehension or viciousness, the Caretaker reached for her staff and drew it over Zavien’s injuries, trying not to flinch at the noises of marred creatures or flying weaponry.
The cloud wyrms coming to their aid were enough for her too, and while Mittens aimed to sink its teeth towards the Mama Mata, she continued to compel the others. If they could continue providing them with cover, perhaps the others would have the opportunity to finish things off.
--
Lena heals Zavien with her staff and continues to compel the cloud wyrms to cover them.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Healer's Staff | A wooden staff that continues to bloom and grow leaves despite having been separated from its mother tree. Capable of delivering Basic Healing to one target.
sunlight on mist; summer lightning your choices outweigh your substance
There's going to come a day when you feel better You'll rise up free and easy on that day
The Wyrms continue to weave their clouds, which is a blessing and a curse. It means that Mama Mata's aim is off, and when she comes to sink her fangs into Zavien she misses with an angry hiss before pulling back into the steam.
It also means our fighters are at a disadvantage, sniping into rolling smoke at an already dexterous creature.
Koa's punch fails to land, the burst of electricity instead sparking harmlessly off a cloud. Zavien's aim is better: again the chakram hits the Mata, and again it flares its wings in pain as scales and a hunk of flesh are torn out of its side. This time dark, black blood oozes from the wound, filling the air with its acrid scent. It creates in Koa a terrible sense of foreboding, causing the Dragoon to clench his fists as dread sinks into his very bones. "I don't know how this is going to end," he murmurs, glancing at his friends. "I just... gods, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here, and now we're all in danger and it's my fault."
Poor bewildered bean.
Zavien will be feeling better from Lena's healing - which is good, because even with the companion's fire and ice, Mama Mata is not yet dead. Almost, so close that another hit may just be the ticket, if you can land one through the steam.
------------
Zavien HITS!
Koa MISSES! He is overcome by dread
Lena successfully heals Zavien
The area is full of clouds, giving EVERYONE disadvantage
And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air Just when that day is coming, who can say?
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
The Caretaker couldn’t help but cringe. Between the good and the bad notions of the cloud wyrms’ involvement, which segmented solely on her, Koa’s sudden onslaught of statements, and outpouring wounds, Lena was grappling with a lot. Clenching her jaw and grinding down on her teeth, she opted not to meander too close to the melancholic, shaking her head. “It’s fine. We all wanted to help.” Whether or not it was fine didn’t resonate; too busy, too finessed into her task at hand.
“I’ll see if I can get them to chase her off instead,” compelling, rapidly, the command towards the helpful creatures. Turning away from Zavien, she focused her healing intentions upon Koa, waving the staff over him, wondering if it could combat terror, dread, and foreboding.
--
Lena waves her staff over Koa in case she can ward away the foreboding, and tries to compel the cloud wyrms to chase Mama Mata off.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Healer's Staff | A wooden staff that continues to bloom and grow leaves despite having been separated from its mother tree. Capable of delivering Basic Healing to one target.
sunlight on mist; summer lightning your choices outweigh your substance
The warmth of Lena's healing dulled the pain enough for him to regain some of his usually easy confidence. He looked back to throw her a grin, his positivity shining through the despair coursing through him. "Thanks!"
Koa's words brought a frown to his face, causing Zavien to shake his head emphatically. "Hey. We're not beaten yet." He wouldn't let it end this way. He wouldn't sit by with his friends in danger. Despite the foreboding trying to overwhelm him, the Dragoon felt a new sense of determination. Sol felt the shift, puffing his chest and letting out a high-pitched battle cry before diving to unleash another barrage on the giant void mata. Although the bond was still new, Zavien tried to navigate the connection, using his companion's perception to guide his aim as he threw the chakram into the clouds again.
Zavien throws the chakram again. XD And Sol continues to blast fire.
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.
