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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!
Reluctant as he is to admit it, after the drama of the past few days in Torchline, it's almost a relief to be able to stretch his wings and just go for a while, pushing himself in ways he rarely gets to unless it's out here under the open sky. The trip to the Cordillera has been fairly straightforward, too, Longheat providing ample thermals to glide upon, the skies warm and calm. Uneventful, which is precisely what Ronin is craving.
And how turbulent must things be, he wonders, that coming up here to prepare for a dinner with Sunjata and Hotaru feels like a breather? Scoffing to himself as he lands in the meadow where the Tramezzino sits nearby, Ronin stretches his wings a final time before dismissing them with a gentle shrug of his shoulders.
There's nothing but the distant rush of water, the wind through the pines nearby and the smell of wildflowers. Closing his eyes to take it in, the Knight lets the sun soak into his shoulders for a moment or so, before he sets off for the old houseboat.
Unlike the rest of the Family, Pierce isn’t geared toward stealth and appearing through slits of time and shadow. He’s a brawler, he’s strong, and most of all he’s the heavy hitting tank. So as Ronin begins to make his march toward the odd little houseboat in the distance, Pierce has been lying in wait – having known he may make a moment of escaping to the little vista away from the majority of Caido’s weaker populace.
His instructions are clear, and after having a long bit stretch of time getting used to this form and shape of his body, he’s eager to test out his limits.
He’s crouched in the meadow as if inspecting a curious flower, until he hears the flapping wings of Ronin and the crunch of drying grasses and flowers beneath the Knight’s feet, and with it Pierce waits a touch for the man to get closer (not that he can hide very well as is, with the muscles along his body more in line with tree trunks and a body equally as large to host such feats).
He straightens up and stretches, letting his bright gaze land on the Knight in greeting – pleasant at first, as instructed, but the majority of him hopes that it doesn’t last. “Ronin! Just the guy I was looking for.” Because it isn’t the first time the two had met – no, the Hollowed Grounds had witnessed their initial meeting, and Ronin had been relatively pleasant if not put off by the void that seemed to try and stretch its fingers into the region. “I’ve got a question for you.” Much like Dahlia’s assumptions, Pierce is blunt and to the point, and in a space where there’s little that can be done from outside intervention, what’s the harm in not beating around the bush?
Ronin's footsteps are already slowing as he makes out the shape of a man crouched in the meadow - one of these things is not like the others - and as Pierce draws up to his full height, the Knight stops altogether.
He does recognise him, recalling the strange and somewhat uncomfortable meeting out at the Bone Bridges, and there is no reason for the other man to be up here in the Cordillera as far as he can tell. No reason for him to be able to stand here unmolested by the dragons, no reason to have been looking for him at all.
Unless he's looking for trouble, and already Ronin is getting the impression that he's found it.
"You've come a long way for a question," he says politely enough, purposely not glancing over Pierce's shoulder towards the Tramezzino nearby. "It must be an important one." Spreading his hands as if inviting Pierce to speak, Ronin nods to him. "I'm listening."
Pierce most certainly is looking for trouble. And as such, he meets Ronin’s politeness with a curious nature of his own crossing his face. He crosses the distance between them, meticulous, slow, calculating. “It is an important question.” He announces, as if it weren’t obvious just by the mere fact that he was standing here completely unharmed. Sure, it shows his hand and he could likely no longer hide in plain sight, but those were small difficulties in the face of the prize Ronin possesses.
“I heard about an interesting weapon you have.” He starts to say, closing the distance further between them so the conversation appears more friendly, despite the air of threat beneath the surface. “You see, I got this thing going on and gods it would be really handy to borrow it.” Borrow is relative at this point, but hey, it sounds better than give it to me, and unlike Vox, Pierce really does try to not be so brutally honest. Blunt, sure, honest? Unlikely.
“What do ya think?” Arms fold across his chest, revealing the muscle and the mere brawn of the man the same height as the Knight, making it as clear as he thinks it needs to be.
bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.
You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)
Ronin holds his ground at first as Pierce begins to step closer, wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the cadence of his steps alone is slow and predatory enough that his instincts - luxere and dragon both - are already screaming at him to fight or flee. "Oh?" he asks softly, trying and failing to sound casual, his hand automatically dropping to the hilt of the rapier at his side. Were it not for this solo journey he might have - should have - left it at home, but there's no telling what might be lurking up in the Cordillera at any one time.
Case in point is standing before him right now.
Now he does yield a step, chin lifting ever so slightly. "Borrow gives the impression that you'd plan to return it," he says slowly, all warmth fading from his voice. "And I don't think that's true, is it?" His fingers close around the rapier, itching to draw it from its scabbard. "I'm not looking for a fight."
It’s precisely what he wants to see, the battle of fight or flight that runs through the Knight’s mind. Kudos to him, though, as he stands his ground and Pierce’s grin brightens. He’s playful, like a cat with a mouse, especially as the warmth fades from the Knight’s voice. “Well, I might give it back.” Tilting his head this way and that as he plays with the demigod, unfettered by the way his hand goes to the scabbard of said rapier.
Eyes widen a fraction as Pierce hides the laugh that bubbles from his throat. “Then hand it over, White Knight.” If he isn’t looking for a fight then it shouldn’t be too hard to avoid one by simply giving him what he seeks.
But, Pierce knows that it won’t be as simple as that, knows that maybe Ronin will need some convincing. So, already his arms unfold from his chest in the first move. It isn’t quite as quick as one might expect, given the nature of his brawn, but in one fluid movement Pierce’s arm pulls back and launches it, aiming for Ronin’s chest, immediately taking the offense in case the Knight pulls the blade that could very well destroy him as it had the dragon. His goal is to knock him off guard, to get that hand away from the blade. And if he does more? All the better.
And it reminds him of one simple fact: It feels good to brawl again.
Pierce throws 3 unarmed punches and aims them at Ronin’s chest to try and keep him from grabbing the blade.
It happens both fast and slow, such that Ronin can honestly say that he reacts entirely on instinct. Pierce is quick enough that the Knight's bones scream as he's forced to engage in the sort of agility reserved for void dragons and ex-demigods gone mad on, ha, this very mountain.
If he's able to dodge the blows lancing towards him, he will indeed rip Wilde's Rapier free from its scabbard, aiming low to slash Pierce across the torso. A light show simultaneously blazes behind him in three points of radiant fire - he's got his suspicions (and then some), but he has to know what he's dealing with.
Directing all three firebolts at the other man's back, if nothing else perhaps the momentum of the blows will overbalance Pierce and whatever he plans to do next.
Ronin uses Wilde's Rapier (if he can!) and simultaneously unleashes three firebolts at Pierce's back!
Magic: Once More With Feeling | Twice per combat (e.g. KQs, PQ+s, PVP) Ronin may use two actions in one turn. Type:Light | Rank: Mastered
[*]Magic: Radiant Firebolts | Ronin may summon radiant energy as a fiery projectile. Control is excellent, and multiple projectiles may be created at once. (In quests or other combat situations requiring dice rolling, only 3 firebolts may be created per post). Range: 60ft Type:Light | Rank: Mastered
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Wilde's Rapier | A beautiful rapier with a blade as black as shadow and a bone-carved hilt. When an attack is successful, there is a 1/10 chance that the blow will be a fatal one.
Regional Score bonus: +11 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +11 should be included)
Ohoho, Ronin is quick. And it sparks the grin that blossoms from his face even as he barrels forward enough for the Knight to draw the weapon and slice him, precisely what he didn’t want to happen. And it’s that moment where his hand lifts to his shoulder, holding over the wound caused as if taking a breather to ensure and double check that he is still alive.
The realization sparks a brighter, hungry grin, and in his pause his face is reflected by the starbolts that fly toward him. Each one hits, and while the tight shirt burns, the skin beneath is charred but otherwise unharmed from the celestial attack. “Cute.” He hums, brushing off the attack as easily as a roll of his shoulders and neck. “Let’s see what else you got.”
With the movement, Pierce reorients, focuses hard on the Knight and swings again, this time aiming for a different kind of approach.
Pierce throws another punch, this time activating his concussive blow;
Concussive Blow | A void-charged strike dealing Mastered Magical damage. On hit, enemies are stunned and cannot act the following round.
Magic: Dead Space (passive) | Celestial damage is ineffective against Pierce.
Type: Dark | Rank: Basic
Stepping past and taking the blade with him, Ronin soon rounds on the other man, swinging the ebony rapier through the empty air with force enough to have Pierce's blood flecking on the flowers nearby. It's as he'd expected - the brief glimpse of perfectly unblemished skin after the bombardment from his firebolts, and a little more steel enters the Knight's blue eyes.
"I kind of like my odds with this," he says softly, before the goliath of a man is coming for him again. This time Ronin all but drops to the ground, arcing the blade around to try and catch at Pierce's calves with it before rolling away again. He's not out of breath, not yet, but suffice to say that their movements are quick enough to blur the world around them.
Ronin goes for Pierce again with Wilde's Rapier!
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Wilde's Rapier | A beautiful rapier with a blade as black as shadow and a bone-carved hilt. When an attack is successful, there is a 1/10 chance that the blow will be a fatal one.
Regional Score bonus: +11 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +11 should be included)
