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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!
Being on this side of Caido, Sah decided to take the portal to the climb as a means of cutting down on his travel time. With his newest shift, the flames were now an unexpected convenience. Yet, as he walked past homes and into a shop-laden street, it dawned on him that he'd never actually been to the Inner Quarter. Now was the perfect time to explore a bit.
The place was filled with an unexpected energy. There were far more people than Sah had expected, but the liveliness was welcome. There were shopkeepers calling out sales and giggling children racing after their parents. The Everlasting Bonfire cast a warm glow over it all. Surprisingly, the area reminded the hybrid of Torchline in some ways.
As he turned a bend, Sah paused as a familiar face caught his eye. "Alys?"
Tal and Alys had stopped for a few days in the Inner Quarter as Tal made deliveries in the area. Alys, as it happened, had her own business to attend to; she'd accumulated a few tarot clients in their previous visits, and several of them would want readings for the new season. Once she'd made the few house calls on her list, she'd set up a little booth in the market, offering readings to any who came by. It was the easiest way to get new clientele, and she had just finished with a young woman who had received a rather promising love reading when a familiar voice met her ears.
"Sah?" she asked, rising from the chair she'd been in with a warm smile. Aside from being Tal's friend - or frenemy, as Tal liked to call him - she'd always liked the Wild Thunder when they crossed paths. "It's nice to see you," she told him, hoping that he wouldn't hold their abrupt departure from Halo against them. "How have you been?"
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
11-03-2024, 10:55 AM (This post was last modified: 11-03-2024, 10:57 AM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
Sah smiled warmly, "It's good to see you too." He'd certainly seen Tal since the pair had left Halo, but it had been far longer since he and the seer had crossed paths. It was good to see her doing well. "I've been good. Busy for sure." He chuckled, "Lilly brought home a trio of arctic wolf pups last season, and they've been causing the usual chaos that puppies specialize in." They were growing quickly, and the Wild Thunder's companions were taking care of them while he was away. He wasn't sure what the pups would do when they were grown. They were wild animals, so it wouldn't surprise him if they decided to vanish into the tundra. But maybe they'd stick around. He hoped so.
His lips twitched, "I also recently became a hybrid." It still felt strange to say that. "How have you been?" Sah's eyes lid to the table beside her with open curiosity. There were cards of some sort, but he didn't recognize them from any game he'd seen in Halo. The art on them was especially eye-catching. Each appeared to be different as well. The Wild Thunder's head tilted, "And what are these?"
Sah was talkative, but Alys was genuinely interested, and she listened intently as Sah described recent happenings. She chuckled at the thought of three wolf pups terrorizing the Lovi household. "I'm sure they're keeping you on your toes."
News of him becoming a hybrid, however, had her tilting her head to the side. She'd known hybrids, of course, but she'd never really understood the process of becoming one. Wouldn't an Abandoned have to be favored rather highly by a god? How much had Sah devoted to his patron, for them to gift him with something like that? But she said nothing of her interest, instead murmuring a heartfelt congratulations, hoping that was the appropriate response.
"I've been well. Tal and I have been traveling quite a bit, but I've always enjoyed seeing more of Caido," she said. Then she followed his gaze to her cards. "These are tarot cards. I'm a seer by trade. I use these to offer insight and guidance to my clients," she explained. "Some think the tarot can tell the future, but that's not quite right. The future isn't exactly set in stone..." She trailed off. "It's easier if I show you. Would you like a reading?"
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
With the Hollowed Grounds’ alterations in landscape, some of the animals have grown a bit wilder. A bit bolder.
So while it may surprise some, and others not at all, a crow swoops down, snatching at clothing and bags with sharp, irritating, and annoying talons. Maybe you just lost a piece of bread, or a valuable keepsake!
"Definitely." Sah was rather talkative today, wasn't he? So much had happened since he'd last seen the seer, and he was in an excellent mood today. He had been since visiting Safrin and the awe would surely abate with time. But net yet.
He smiled warmly and thanked her for her sentiments, returning his own regarding her and Tal's wellbeing. The Wild Thunder listened intently as Alys then explained her boot. "Tarot? Fascinating." Eyeing the cards with new eyes, he nodded. "Sure. I would love a reading if it's not too much trouble." He'd have to treat the seer to a meal or something later to pay her back if she let him. If not, he'd send something to her and Tal's home.
There was a sudden outcry from a nearby merchant as a crow swooped down and stole one of the pastries that they were selling. Sah glanced over with mild pity, knowing that there was no getting that back.
"Of course," said Alys, gesturing to the seat across from her. "Please, sit." As she began to gather her cards, there was a sudden cry from nearby, and Alys looked up to see a crow making off with a pastry from a nearby bakery. "Shame," she commented mildly, then turned her attention back to the reading at hand.
"These are the decks I have with me today," she said as she sat two decks before her friend. "You'll need to choose one based on instinct; which one calls to you, without looking through them?" The two decks in question could not have been more different from one another. One, darker and moodier, had a sort of dark fairy tale vibe; the other, gilded and ethereal, was light and regal.
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
"Thank you." Sitting down, Sah carefully studied the two decks for a moment. There was something oddly comforting about the darker one. Maybe it was the energy around it or the earthen tones, but it reminded the hybrid of hunting at night. The lighter deck, however, almost made him uneasy. There was something muted and almost suppressed about it. It reminded him of his first few steps into Stormbreak. The feeling of knowing that he could be there but that he wasn't truly welcome. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
It was an easy choice. The Wild Thunder reached out a hand and tapped the table in front of the darker deck. "This one, please." His voice was certain, missing any hesitation or second thoughts.
Sah considered for but a moment before choosing the darker deck, and Alys tucked the lighter one away in its silken bag for safekeeping. Then she began to shuffle, first riffling the cards together a few times, then overhand shuffling for a bit longer. "Is there anything in particular you'd like guidance on?" she asked as she shuffled. "Sometimes people have specific problems, but other times, people just want a general life reading."
She continued shuffling all the while, concentrating on any specific question Sah offered, or on just a general reading, if that was what he preferred. When she was done, she sat the deck to the side and prepared to begin. "I usually do a three-card reading. Each card will have its own meaning, and I'll explain as I go. At the end, there's usually a big picture message that ties together the three cards. Are you ready?"
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Sah paused, letting out a hum as he tried to pinpoint a question after hearing Alys' explanation. Unlike the instinctual choice of deck, he hadn't thought about what he wanted answers about, given the spur-of-the-moment reading. If the results were generally big picture, then a big picture question was probably best. "Maybe just a general reading focused on guidance for the future, if possible?" Was that how it worked? There was a purple cloud over Caido and any advice on how to prepare or consider the events would be useful. Especially any that was even remotely specific to his own life or his loved ones.
As Alys set the deck to the side, the Wild Thunder nodded. "Ready."
"Sure thing," Alys agreed as she settled the deck, drawing the top card and laying it out on the table so that Sah could see. The card depicted a young man standing by the sea, holding a cup in one hand. "This is the Page of Cups," she told her friend. "Usually symbolic of creativity, magic, and, sometimes, romance." She peered at Sah for a moment, wondering if he had anyone special in his life. Then again, as a general reading card, she wasn't about to focus on any one aspect of life.
"The Page of Cups usually signifies an awakening of emotions and creativity. It suggests that we look at our emotional state and delve into whatever we find." Without additional cards, it was hard to say more, but Alys paused all the same, allowing Sah the opportunity to give feedback or ask questions.
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Sah blinked, caught off guard at the first card. His cheeks flushed slightly, "Well. Romance would certainly be a surprise." He ran a hand through his hair with a chuckle, "Magic and creativity are certainly more likely." He'd never been in an actual romantic relationship, despite having kids. Seren had been the only woman that he had ever seriously considered being with. But it was clear that they would never have the chance now that she was in the stars. Again.
Yet, it'd be a lie to say that he didn't want that. He wanted someone to be his and whom he could belong to in turn. There were long nights or times when he was out hunting that loneliness would blindside him.
But an awakening? He'd just hybridized. What else was there?
Nodding with Alys's explanation, the Wild Thunder readily agreed. "Ok. I'm certainly curious to see what the cards say."
Sah was certainly tricky to read. Some clients were like that, providing Alys with a challenge that she usually didn't encounter. Perhaps it was because he hadn't really asked for the reading - she'd offered, and he'd kindly accepted. Or perhaps she simply needed to continue, and things would become more clear.
She wasn't sure what she wanted to see from the cards, really, what with Sah's friendship with Tal. It felt almost like an invasion of his privacy, and, as sometimes happened when reading for someone she knew, she was inclined to try to figure out what they wanted to hear rather than what the cards said. While she'd gotten much better about this over the years, it did sometimes come back to her.
So she drew the next card, hoping for clarity, and was relieved when it was a pentacles card, symbolic of material possessions, rather than another cups, which might have spoken further to emotion and romance. "The two of pentacles," she said, showing the depiction of a man juggling two coins, complete with the sideways eight that symbolized infinity. "Balance, resourcefulness, and alignment. Paired with the Page of Cups, this suggests a recent change of some kind that you are working to balance." Perhaps this related to his recent hybridization. She could imagine that such a big change would indeed take some time to manage properly.
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Sah's head tilted as he studied the card. The symbol of infinity caught his eye, especially with its apparent connotation relating to balance. He absentmindedly murmured under his breath, "Interesting." It truly was and it made his mind race with possibilities.
Glancing up at Alys he processed her description and interpretation. "Finding balance with new changes?" That certainly could be his hybridization. "I can see that in the present." He let out a hum, taping the table in thought, "It might also mean a change is coming that would need to be balanced too, right? Or am I misinterpreting?" Fortunetelling was something that the Wild Thunder had zero experience in, even as a client. Regardless, things in Caido had surely been changing rapidly lately and it wasn't a stretch to imagine that some might reach deeply into his personal life.
