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!
"So, I need help for a quest t'make my armor better," had been the opening line when Tal had run into Thalassa in Torchline. "An' we might as well have some fun with it, yeah?" Seeing as it was Leafchange and Ludo's season, after all. The courier might have pledged himself to Mort, but for all the crap he'd gone through for the raggedy masked god he figured he could throw it a bone as Mort's herald.
Er. Figuratively, of course!
And while they might have been able to do things more easily within Torchline itself, Tal was pretty damn proud and smug. Almost insufferably smug about having first helped kill the Void Guardian that had been infesting the nearby Oerwoud and then called down Vi (and gotten the Big Guy's approval!) to clean out the remains of said Guardian. So maybe he wanted to show off a bit just how safe the Oerwoud was again. Which... actually wasn't terribly safe? But at least it was a lot less purple! And anyways, he and Sah had played a fun game of tag down in the Undergrove once before, what felt like a lifetime ago. The weirdly-lit underground tunnels and spooky, rooty forest was the perfect place for a Ludo game!
The Vest had been veeeeery reluctantly handed over to the Ancient - and if Thal had needed to tug it the rest of the way out of Tal's hands as he hesitated a little too long during the hand-off, well, who could blame him? And Tal stood awkwardly in his rolled-up shirt sleeves, suddenly looking a lot less smug as he eyed the dapper Vest with ill-concealed worry. "So, yeah... Ludo'd probably love this game," he admitted ruefully. "I'll try an' tag you, hittin' th'armor when I do, an' then you can try an' tag me an' then we can be done an' y'can give it back." Simple, right?
"So, I'll give you a five second head start. Five... four... three... two..."
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Rockhide Vest | An armoured vest flecked in black and white and lined with cool, fur-like material. This item blocks physical damage. Requires a 2 post cool-down between uses.
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded
Hands off! | Silver striping covers the Rockhide Vest. When successfully struck in melee combat it deals lightning damage at half the wearer's damage stat.
Talyson had caught her quite unawares with his request, but it had been a great distraction after the events of her week. It helped that he'd mentioned 'fun.' And then he mentioned getting to wear his armor, making the deal ever better. She'd been considering getting herself armor. What a coincidence?
She got a thrill of excitement having to rip the vest from his tight grasp, a mischievous grin on her face. "Sounds simple enough to me." Although the 'give it back' part sounded negotiable to her. Letting the large vest fall over her shoulders, she tried to maneuver the material to keep it from affecting her movements. Thal's blue eyes scanned the dark surroundings, taking stock of the trees that would be helpful for dodging. Before Tal even hit the end of his countdown, she was sprinting to a nearby tree, spinning around it's trunk to change directions.
Oh, Tal had a bad feeling about this. As soon as he saw the grin on Thal's face he felt twitchy, and almost called the game off. Almost. But it was his last task for Safrin and he was in a hurry to get the Vest strengthened. He'd been doing a fair amount of fucking around with the Void lately, and it didn't seem like they'd take things lying down for too much longer...
So, yeah. He finally let Thal have his armor and watched as she scampered away into the shadows. Was a five second head start too short? Maybe it would have been in Torchline, but with the twisting roots and tunnels of the Undergrove to hide in, he didn't dare give her any longer!
She was already out of sight behind a tree by the time he called: "...One...Zero! Ready or not..." He sprang into motion, legs and arms pumping to try and catch up. He saw the tree, and he dashed behind it, reaching out to tag the Ancient--
And missing her by a finger's-width as she spun herself around it and headed off a different way. "Hey!" the courier yelped, taking off after her once more and making a second desperate grab for her armored shoulder as she retreated.
An easy laugh escaped at the playful dodging. The sound almost felt foreign to her ears. It had been so long since she'd had this kind of carefree fun, letting her legs run with abandon. The last time had been with Maea, and the thought nearly had her clamping her mouth shut against the emotion.
But Thal ignored it.
She was going to enjoy this in spite of the memories prickling at her vision.
As if to prove it, she popped her head around the other side of the tree, a conniving grin on her face. "You have to be quicker than that!" Thal reached out a hand in an attempt to bop him on the head before darting away to another tree, weaving around to a different one behind it. The dark seemed to welcome her, the dark hair and clothing blending seamlessly with the shadows.
Tal's lips twitched towards a grin at the sound of Thal's laughter, though it didn't stop him from going all out in trying to catch her. His first attempt was foiled by her nimble feet and the breadth of the root-tree that allowed her to escape. Her taunt was perfectly timed, catching the courier off guard, and a look of mingled indignation and amusement twitched across his expression as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh or scowl.
"Oh yeah? Come over here an' say that!" he shot back--
And then she did, booping his nose and briefly shutting down Tal's higher brain functions in absolute shock at the temerity of the captain. He hadn't expected her to actually take him up on his dare! He was completely unprepared to defend against her attack, and by the time he realized she was in reach his delayed reaction grabbed only empty air.
"Wha-- Bu-- y'can't just--" He sputtered helplessly, but he realized she was getting away and he was forced to swallow his words - not that he knew what to say when she had and she could and it was his own damn fault for not being ready for her!
Luckily the shadows weren't much of a hiding place once Tal tugged his See-Right Goggles up over his eyes as he pelted after her. The darkness fell away around him and he could see clearly, his grin returning as he dodged around a pair of large roots and then put on a burst of speed to try and slap a 'tag' against Thalassa's back.
The courier's reaction was everything she'd hoped for and more. It gave her a chance to further the distance between them, but it was hard to stay hidden when laughing so hard. The melodious sound echoed through the trees, bouncing around enough that she hoped it might not give away her position, not that it mattered when Talyson pulled out the goggles.
When she saw him coming up behind her, mischievous curiosity struck, causing her to slow just enough to let him 'tag' her on the back, but not enough for the impact to affect her. Thal didn't necessarily just sit and wait to see what might happen with the contact. Instead, she spun around to keep him from landing another, shoving out her foot in hopes of tripping him in the dark. All the while, a sharp fanged grin played on her lips, enjoying this way too much.
It had been awhile since he'd heard Thal's laughter, and Tal had to admit it felt pretty good. It would have felt better if she hadn't been laughing at him, of course, but the courier was grinning, too. beneath his Goggles. It had been awhile since he'd just let loose and been silly like this, playing a game without worrying about the Void or political machinations way over his head or missing friends. Technically this was all in pursuit of a god quest... but the boop had sent that thought right out of his head. What mattered now was catching Thal and tagging her!
Well, he got his wish!
He put in a little more effort and the Ancient slowed down and Tal reached out a hand to slap her on the back with a triumphant cry of "Tag! You're it!" and--
And then the world went briefly white as a crackle of electricity sizzled in the air and up the courier's arm, zapping him hard. He yelped and jerked back, swearing profusely as he shook his hand to get the last crackles out. Thal's leg hit empty air since Tal had stopped, and his scowl was a perfect inverse of her grin. "Right, well... at least y'won't get shocked when y'catch me. If y'catch me," he added, dander up and competitive streak in full swing. He stuck his tongue out at her and then made a move to try and dodge past her and around a big glowy mushroom befpre she realized which way he was going.
She laughed again at Tal's response, concern for his injury low given his loud cursing. Her foot may have missed, but she didn't mind too much, taking the deep frown as a consolation prize. It only made her own smile deepen, fangs catching the moonlight that was able to filter through the canopy. Her already devious expression darkened at his challenge. "Oh really?"
Without another word or indication of warning, Thal lunged out. He had already started moving, and she just barely missed him. However, she saw which way he was moving. Her lithe body made her quick, making it easy to spin back into his path. She reached out her own arm to attempt a smack on the chest. All the while, a smile played along her lips, enjoying the playful challenge.
Tal might have taunted the sharp-toothed predator further - wisdom being one of his dump stats - but he was already moving to get the big fungus between them. He felt more than saw Thal miss, and it brought a grin to his face, doing more than anything else to soothe the remaining sting of getting shocked by his own armor. Sure, his fellow captain was quick, but the courier was quicker, and this time he had the headstart. It wasn't as good as the one he'd given her, but it was enough for the moment!
By the time she spun around - a fancy move, but it took extra time and energy - Tal had already changed course to duck around a different root, dodging well away from her attempted smack. Anywhere else the root would have been a tree in its own right, but in the chthonic gloom of the underground it was just another anchor from the massive jungle giants on the surfaceworld somewhere above them. "Missed me!" he called back, laughing. "Now y'gotta... uh... fuck. Keep tryin'?" Yeahhh no offense to Thal, but he wasn't looking to kiss anyone but his girlfriend! He just hadn't thought the childhood taunt through before it slipped out!
He twisted around to see how close she was, slowing a little without realizing it in a subconscious attempt to stop himself from running smack into a root or tripping over the uneven ground.
Thal didn't really want to kiss Tal either. No offense, but he wasn't really her type. She preferred bad boys, and she didn't think the courier had a single bad bone in his body. It made her laughter all the more humorous, nearly hindering her attempt to pursue him through the trees.
Her instincts kept her from slowing or stumbling even as she gave her own quip in return. "I don't 'try', I succeed." To support her claim, Thal didn't hesitate to dive forward in an attempt to tackle him. With any luck, the vest would hit him in her surprise attack, giving him another dose of powerful voltage.
He grinned at the sound of laughter echoing through the Undergrove - a sound that had been definitely lacking in the jungle while the Void had gotten its slimy tentacles all over it - but as much as he wanted to win, he also really wanted his armor back! As he turned around to check on Thal's proximity he remembered that oh, wait, he didn't want to get away! and it was like a little light bulb candle popped on above his head.
Which was pretty much the same moment that Thal launched herself at him.
The combination worked in the Ancient's favor. Tal managed to twist around to try and catch her, but her momentum still knocked him back and he stumbled a few steps before falling with her on top of him. Luckily for him the Vest couldn't be used offensively, but his pride was still wounded at having been knocked over. Still, he managed to smirk up at the petite captain as he got a good grip on the Vest. "An' now you can 'succeed' at givin' me my armor back," he teased her, ready to pull the overlarge garment (on her, at least) up over her head the moment she started to wriggle free of his trap.
Her success wasn't quite as solid as she would've liked, landing her right within the courier's clutches. She'd almost forgotten about keeping the vest, although now that she'd seen the damage it could do, Thal wasn't super enthusiastic about returning it. Even if she did happen to like Tal.
Leaning forward, she gave him a sharp grin before grabbing the armor and twisting. Between bursts of effort and strength, Thal had to contain the giggles trying to erupt. It was strangely similar to a tickling match, and she half-hoped someone would end up zapped again just for the humor of it. She spent some time struggling against him, maybe succeeding in landing a few questionable blows, until she finally devolved into a fit of laughter. "Okay okay. Fine. You can have it back, but you have to let me borrow it sometime." Thal could think of a few people she'd like to electrocute, making her smile turn devious.
Relaxing somewhat, she would let Tal remove the vest from her, sighing to see it go.
It was probably for the best that since they weren't actively attacking each other - at least, the inadvertent tickling didn't seem to count as far as the magic was concerned - no one got zapped again. Tal was still looking a little singed from the last minor electrocution, but in spite of his best efforts to scowl at Thal's attempts to flee with his armor he couldn't stop all of his laughter from escaping. The Ancient woman got a few last jabs in - literally, with knees and elbows - that were going to leave bruises, but eventually he out-stubborned her and retrieved his Vest.
"I got a better idea," he told her as he slipped it back into place, then sighed in relief as the comforting, comfortable weight snugged protectively around his torso. "Why don't y'go ask Dygra for some armor o' your own? An' I'll help y'get th'stuff you'll need for it." That way they could both be protected and dapper together, at the same time!
It was something to hash out as they made their way back to the surface and the waiting Peregrine for their flight back to Torchline.
