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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!
“No, no, it’s good,” she promised, shaking her head. The figures were enough to keep her entertained and occupied too, waiting to see his reaction, watching him from underneath her long lashes, pondering over the remarkable privilege she had just to see him wander through the reel of laughter. “All right.” Ensuring, in the back of her mind at least, that he’d get to take at least a couple home. “Yours matters too though,” and she wrinkled her nose as they moved onward.
Placing one of the luxere trinkets in her bedroom window, a large framework that let the sun scatter inward, she hummed, content and satisfied, a little hum drumming through her as they wound their way along. “Ah well, I probably couldn’t help myself.” It wasn’t a perfected replica, and never could be, but a habitable space of her favorite things. Zavien included, for this instant. “Easily influenced, I suppose,” she joked. “Come see the front porch!” And while the Caretaker could’ve easily dashed away to the front of the house, barreling along, she snagged at his hand to drag him instead.
Which, upon opening the door, led to a wide expanse of future chairs and tables – maybe to invite guests over to simply remain in the splendor of the day. And more plants.
Zavien left the bookshelf behind, smiling softly at Lena's concern for his safety. "Perhaps, but Sol is quite formidable." He sent a wink her way, fully aware that the overly social dragon wouldn't let a possible new friend escape his notice in the daylight. And between the pair's symphony of snoring, nothing would dare enter at night, too convinced that a lair of beasts resided within. Overall, the Dragoon felt fairly safe in his own home; however, he wouldn't turn down anything she gave him.
He leaned against the doorframe for a moment, just listening as she hummed and flitted across the sunrays of the room. His eyes remained on her, admiring the way she seemed to know exactly where every luxere belonged. Her light energy permeated the space, making him smile again. The smile only deepened at her sudden exclamation and continued excitement. When she grabbed his hand, Zavien was content to let her drag him behind, following to the open space of her porch.
Keeping her hand in his, he looked at the area. The sunlight still held strong, and he tilted his head to imagine what it would be like once Lena had gotten more settled. "Wow. This is awesome! Maybe we should eat dinner out here tonight?" Granted the weather held up, or course. Although, even if it got chilly, Zavien wouldn't mind curling up together to enjoy the fresh air.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Lena wasn’t one to underestimate any creature; companion or not. “Of course.” With a lofty grin, she pondered if that meant she’d simply keep all the luxere trinkets to herself; granting a little wink that could mean multitudes.
Unaware of just how much she was being watched, she still flitted about, not unlike the bird shift within her soul, content to let their fingers intertwine as they surveyed the porch. That would be another project for the future too – picturing and fathoming more comfortable spaces for friends and family alike. Days of sanctity and shelter, ensconced in repose and serenity, rather than other things harboring and harpooning about. Her grin widened at his response though, eyes alight. “That sounds perfect.” Stormbreak weather was fairly mild anyway. “Did you pick anything yet?” She hadn’t given him much time to look at the cards, but they’d need to plan over what was available.
Lena's agreeance made him smile again. As he looked out at the view from her porch, he ran his thumb absently over the back of her hand, enjoying the feel of their fingers linked. Even as she asked about one of his favorite topics, food, he kept his hand in hers.
Pulling the cards out of his pocket, Zavien studied the elegant handwriting. A deep hum rumbled in his chest as he considered the options. "Dream bird with rice or blink hare pasta sound good. What do you think?" They hadn't done that much work, but he would've agreed to eat anything, his stomach growling quietly to communicate the same. The Dragoon looked around, as if searching for the source before turning a sheepish grin her way.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Pulling him back along into the house, she tilted her head, listening to the options. “Let’s do the blink hare pasta. I have probably everything we need.” She withheld her snort at the sound of his stomach rumbling, shaking her head and meandering their way back into the kitchen. For a moment, she considered something, but then released his hand only to open the door and invite the companions back in – not particularly trusting Mittens to not do something ridiculous.
With a warm pulse of Attuned measures, she could see both springing their way out of the long stalks of greenery, before making their way inside. Glancing back at Zavien and the cards, with a very warm depth to her smile, she started clearing off the counter, save for the flowers. “All right, what does it say to do first?” Already having a vague notion, since she’d written them, she started going through the cabinets, grabbing at the necessary pots and pans.
He nodded along with her decision, both eager and apprehensive to begin. There wasn't time to dwell on it as they made their way back inside. At Lena's invitation, Sol glided in, trotting around the room with mud on his paws, which elicited a soft groan. Zavien scolded him lightly, hoping he hadn't done too much damage to the new garden. The Dragoon scooped up his companion, stepping out to brush the dirt from the golden scales. When he made it back inside, wriggling dragon in tow, he gave Lena a grimaced smile. "Sorry." He stooped down to scoop up some of the loose pieces that'd been tracked into the house, throwing them outside before making his way back to her side, trying to shift the focus back to cooking.
Standing very large and awkward in the middle of the cozy kitchen, his face scrunched to read the card. "Umm... boil water for the pasta?" He was fairly certain that's what it said in the scrawling note, but nerves still had him asking it like a question. The logical side of him knew that it was a simple process even as the anxiety had him blanking on what that involved. Water. Obviously. A pot maybe? Was that it? The minimalism of it had him doubting himself, looking to Lena to take the lead, eyes desperate and pleading.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Her eyes went immediately to the mud on her floor, and trying not to laugh. It’d be easy enough to clean up, and she couldn’t get mad – not when she’d done much of the same thing nearly every day through the Celestine, after going through one enclosure after another. “It’s okay,” she reassured, already heading towards where she’d opted to keep the broom. With a quick sweep it was all nice and tidy again, and nothing worse for the wear.
Something told her boiling water wasn’t going to be the most difficult portion of this trek, but she’d signed up for it. With patience, fortitude, and might, she knotted her hair out of her face again, and washing her hands after going through the dirt and grime, she grabbed hold of the necessary pot. “Here you go. We’ll fill it with water,” and she ran it under the sink until it seemed to be a justifiable amount for impending pasta. “Place it on the burner,” and she demonstrated, putting it along the front left. “And then we flick this switch here,” and she turned it just enough so the warmth began to radiate through. “It usually takes a couple minutes to start boiling, so in the meantime, we can do the next step.”
Satisfied that Lena wasn't going to scold him, Sol made his way inside, prancing along as if he owned the place. It made Zavien roll his eyes, trying to hide a smile. The little dragon didn't seem bothered, curious to explore every nook and cranny. His head tilted and tail flicked as he nestled into corners, trying to discover some hidden toys or treats. That included the ceiling as he flew up into the rafters, wings flapping gently. It was a welcome distraction from the nerves, but Zavien tried to set it aside to make sure that he absorbed all the important cooking skills. He'd eventually have to try this on his own anyways.
Standing very stiffly, his eyes scanned Lena's every movement, paying close attention to how much water she used, how she turned the stove on, and how she positioned everything. He nodded his head, a diligent student determined to learn through pure willpower. "So while we wait for the water to boil, we..." He consulted the cards. "Cut the meat?"
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
While Lena wouldn’t take offense, Mittens certainly could, and with a low grumble, began to haunt after the dragon. Those were it’s special spots and corners and areas to lurk – and its temperamental, mercurial mood was fraught with a vicious little wrinkle to its features, before hissing at the other companion.
Her eyes went to the water, regardless of the old saying, knowing they’d have about seven or eight minutes before the boiling actually began and more motions would come to fruition. Patient as ever, she then waited for the next round of instructions, nodding and smiling. Opening the fridge, she snagged at the blink hare; meat ready, but certainly not cut. “Okay, this is how I do it,” meaning he might find his own methods, but was welcome to mirror hers. Snagging one of her kitchen knives, she began to carve the portions neatly and efficiently, giving an even amount to each – but not finishing it.
Instead, she handed the knife over to Zavien, with a confidence-building smile. “You try.”
Sol was unsurprisingly unperturbed by Mittens' hissing and grumbling, quite used to the response by now. If anything, it gave him the impression that the snowball wanted to play. The little dragon chirped and dodged around. He antagonized the fellow companion, zipping in and out of range, spinning around the rafters with excitement.
Meanwhile, Zavien was much more comfortable with a knife than a pan, making it easy to accept the offering. His smile was easier this time. Adjusting his grip, he slid the blade through the blink hare with confident movements. The precise measurements weren't as skilled Lena's, considering the fact that he was more used to large aggressive motions, but they were satisfactory enough to put the meat into manageable pieces. He laughed at how different it felt compared to the rest of the cooking. "Maybe I should stick to the cutting and chopping while you do the other parts. Unless you want to risk your new house going up in flames?" Zavien gave her a charming grin, almost pleading her to take the offer.
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
Mittens knew better than to throw itself around in the house, but the insistence on rampaging around its threshold was almost too much to bear. Instead, it opted to chase after the dragon, likely further amplifying the issue, opening its mouth to try and bite Sol’s tail.
Wholly concentrating on the task at hand, Lena watched as Zavien handled the knife well; as expected. His attempt at finagling out of the task, however, made her snort. “I’m not going to let the house go up in flames.” And how would he learn, if he didn’t attempt it? The notions of placing it all upon her wasn’t accepted or acknowledged in the slightest; in fact, his attempt at evasion was going to make her even more stubborn about the situation.
She rounded over to the water, noticing it was beginning its rolling boil. In her most charming smile, she glanced back to the Dragoon. “All right. The water is ready. What’s next?”
Flicking his tail enticingly, Sol zipped around Mittens. He spun in tight circles around the snowball, snapping his jaw playfully. It definitely wouldn't deescalate the situation. Zavien was just happy Sol hadn't started snorting any fire. Then the house might really go up in flames.
Her snort at his request had him sighing, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "It was worth a try." His smile was still lined with nerves, but he hadn't really expected to get out of it. The skills would certainly be necessary since Lena wouldn't always be there to help.
Referring back to the card, Zavien read the next steps. "It says to put the pasta in the water. Then cook the blink hare in a pan." Trying his best to be proactive, he pulled the pasta out of its package and dumped it into the boiling water. He couldn't screw that up, right?
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
The snowball roared in return; not the high piercing cry to unnerve others, but to truly shatter and unravel its manner of defiance. Then promptly tried to chomp on any part of the dragon it could reach, fully invested in making things worse.
Content with the answer, and perhaps some manner of resignation into necessary learning, she watched out of the corner of her eye as he dumped the pasta into the pot. When there was only the faint sizzle of water droplets hitting the stovetop, she nodded. “Good. Then we can balance out the timing of things. Ideally, you’d want everything ready at the same time.” That way none of the food grew cold while they were working on other things.
She handed him a large spoon. “You’ll have to stir the pasta occasionally, so it doesn’t stick. It will usually take around seven minutes or so.” Thereafter, she ducked into cabinets, selecting a pan, and carefully placing the blink hare cuts into it. “Does it say what level of heat for the hare?” Details were important; and doing so incorrectly could easily earn them burnt food for their troubles.
The echoing roar finally attracted Zavien's attention enough to see Sol antagonizing Mittens, frantically trying to dodge the chomping snow teeth. Like a fun-loving dad, his first instinct was to chuckle at the chaotic fun before he was raising his voice to gently scold the dragon. "Sol. Play nice. If you can't, you'll have to play separately." How he could manage to keep the two apart was a problem he'd deal with if he got there. For now, Sol seemed to get the message, tail sagging slightly at the threat as he hovered in the air. He cocked his head to look at the snowball, chirping softly to offer a truce.
Turning back to Lena and their lesson, he nodded his head along with her sentiments. "That makes sense." Cold food wouldn't be very enjoyable. He accepted the spoon, stirring the pasta as instructed to keep them from sticking to each other. With his other hand, he squinted at the card again, finding the next step. "It says 'medium'?" Not that he had any idea what that meant. Zavien looked to her with the same question in his eyes. He only knew of 'on' and 'off.'
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another.
