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!
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
Given Melita was invisible, Koa lacked the crowning achievement for hitting her. Instead, it went impossibly wide, and the Honeybee couldn’t help laughing (therefore giving away some position), as it went over her head, and down onto the curb, where it promptly popped on no one. “Spirits indeed,” she grinned, even if no one could see it. She'd rather like pinpointing their antics upon that, instead of giving any more credentials to void shit.
Then the Honeybee promptly took aim at the group of teenagers, simply because she could, and watched as hers too went into pits of nothingness – hitting no one directly but slamming into the middle of their huddle. The youths promptly began screaming more at each other, as if one of them had committed the deed.
Mateo and his vendetta against Koa would find another miss; instead of snagging at the Dragoon, it bounced onto the side of the roof and deflated quickly, only soaking a few gutters.
Flora, as it turned out, would be the only successful one this round – promptly aiming at a parent leashing their child, and hit the mother in the shoulder. The woman shrieked, and her kid started pointing and laughing; but they’d yet to draw any ire or attention. Maybe most didn’t want to go anywhere near the pair.
--
Melita, Koa, and Mateo have all missed, womp womp. Flora has hit a parent. No post order!
Targets Available for this Round:
- Merchants
- A group of teenagers still arguing
- Enttled parents and children
- One shrieking mother/leashed child combo
- Your competitors
Current Point Status:
Melita: 45
Koa: 25
Flora: 55
Mateo: 40
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
we write out the ends on our palms, then forget to read
Honestly, maybe it was because of her own issues with her parents at the moment that explained why the queen took such delight in pummeling someone quite literally leashing their child. There were lots of parallels to be drawn if anyone took the time to, but given the chaos unfurling around them Flora doubted if anyone was really looking too closely at what she was doing or why.
Being invisible helped in that regard as well.
Reaching for another balloon, the queen had to bite back a sassy remark about letting kids live their own lives, before hurling her balloon at the parent in question.
Should'a seen what I wore I had a cane and a party hat
"If it is so refreshing, then you will not mind having another dose of it, will you?" Mateo says with eyebrows raising comically into his sopping wet curls. To say he's disappointed that his water balloon has gone wide is an understatement, but hey, there's always more ammo, right? And as Koa has rightly pointed out, he's quite the target.
With that in mind, it's likely to nobody's surprise that the botanist darts forward to grab another balloon, scurrying across the roof (moving targets, hey) and launching another effort towards the dragoon in an attempt to soak him.
Will he be distracted by the other available targets should he be able to properly kit Koa and exact his revenge? Perhaps. It all depends on how badly his friend wants to keep this sort of chaos contained to the rooftops rather than the poor people milling about below.
Mateo goes for Koa again!
I was the king of this hologram where there's no such thing as getting out of hand
So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight
"Of course not, but shouldn't we share the love?" Koa shoots back as he dodges the balloon, his own failing to strike either invisible target (and really, who's surprised?). It seems terribly unfair for both girls to be hidden while the boys flail around like fools, but then again the inability to see Flora means she's kept at the edges of his mind, safely pushed back from taking a distracting center stage.
Ducking in attempt to dodge Matel's volley, Koa tries again. "I'm just sayin- we're both already wet. Why not call a truce and join forces? Seems like the smartest way to get more points!" Though the ongoing negotiations do not stop Koa from hurling a water balloon back toward his friend - he knows better than to yield to an enemy, before the terms are set in stone.
Koa retaliates against Mateo
Koa
No other version of me I would rather be tonight And, Lord, she found me just in time
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
Flora and Melita’s efforts, doubling down on the parent and teenager combination of irritating individuals, came up golden. Or, watery, as it were. The mother wailed at the top of her lungs (”I’ve been hit, I’ve been hit!”) and her leashed child began screeching too, attracting just enough attention from the merchants. Leaving their kiosks to figure out what was going on (other than a haphazard mess), they strived to coddle and placate through the mess. ”Should we get the Dragoons?” was heard through the chaotic haze.
Melita’s shot hit dead-center in the back of one teenager’s head, and then there was another outcry from their entire group – with only one reminding the others that it came from behind. It didn’t seem to much matter, because soon fists were flying, and the Honeybee grinned from ear-to-ear. “Isn’t it awesome?” She said to mostly herself.
Meanwhile, Mateo and Koa’s rivalry seemed to have little impact on the mess below. Tossing and throwing against one another rather than anyone else would save them a lot of trial and tribulation with Stormbreak at large, but not necessarily with each other. Koa ’s balloon smacked the botanist right in the shoulder, potentially making Mateo’s go wide, and land near Flora’s feet with a modest splash.
--
Flora, Melita, and Koa have hit! Mateo missed. No post order!
Targets Available for this Round:
- Deranged shrieking mother/leashed child
- Fighting teenagers
- Well-meaning merchants
- Your competitors
Current Point Status:
Melita: 55
Koa: 40
Flora: 65
Mateo: 40
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
Should'a seen what I wore I had a cane and a party hat
Mateo will have you know that he's quite the expert at flailing around like a fool, and not even when he's throwing water balloons. Granted, one might think at this point that either he's been very lucky so far to have hit the targets below them, or that he's simply terrible when it comes to aiming for something closer. Either way, he grunts a curse in the travelling tongue to feel a balloon burst against his shoulder, his own going rather wide of Koa.
"Do I look like someone who tries to do things the smartest way?" he inquires, thinking it must be pretty easy to call for a truce when you're the one battering your friend with water balloons. But hey, maybe Mateo will agree to it once he's managed to hit Koa in return. Not before then, though, and he launches another volley in an attempt to his the Dragoon.
Mateo says truces are for weiners and tries to hit Koa again!
I was the king of this hologram where there's no such thing as getting out of hand
we write out the ends on our palms, then forget to read
"Oh my gods this is the be—" Flora starts to say, before the splash from a nearby water balloon has her skittering to the side. "Hey," she calls, glancing sharply over her shoulder where Koa and her brother are posturing like the stupid teenagers that they've always been to her. Her admonishment will do little good seeing as she's invisible, but some things just couldn't be helped.
Still having absolutely no patience for the parent who was now wailing at the top of their voice instead of, you know, perhaps unleashing their child and just leaving, Flora aimed another water balloon their way and launched it.
"The dragoons have been called, no need to panic!" The Doubletake yells from the roof, hoping that would deter anyone from actually going and fetching them.
So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight
Ok, well, war it is. "Don't say I didn't give you an out," Koa shrugs, before sending another balloon Mateo's way.
Things are getting out of hand, if the sound of voices on the street is anything to go by. Should we get the Dragoons? has Koa grimacing, a panicked look thrown back to where he expects Melita to be. Technically a Dragoon is already here, but given his complicity in the chaos it seems unwise to draw attention to that fact. Neither, though, does he want any of his fellow soldiers to catch him in the act of domestic terrorism, convicted by the specks of balloon still clinging to his hair.
But then there's Flora, throwing another wrench in the works. Turning a panicked glare her way(ish), Koa quickly tries to assess the situation. "We have to go," he hisses to the group at large, jutting his chin to indicate a path across the roofs and away from this chaos. "Before I actually have to arrest you," he adds, though gods know Mateo's the only one he could actually catch.
Koa
No other version of me I would rather be tonight And, Lord, she found me just in time
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
The Honeybee sought to rally again, launching with a strong-armed throw and hurtling it into a larger boy on the edge of their fighting circle. Mateo and Koa seemed to be sequestered in their own portion of a game, but that didn’t mean they’d gone…unnoticed. Between the Dragoon smacking the botanist with yet another well-timed balloon into his chest, another wild miss from Mateo that hurtled down upon the ground, and with Flora ’s combination of water siege upon one target and her voice thrown into the mix…
Well, someone finally looked up.
One of the more observant merchants glanced around, clearly trying to identify the voice and the range of projectiles. Melita uttered a low “Fuck,” just as his eyes seemed to take in shadows and forms moving across the rooftops. “Did anyone see someone up there?” he echoed, striving to tend to one of the many victims while pulling balloon pieces from them with a baffled expression.
The Honeybee huffed and rolled her eyes, ignoring Koa’s request. He’d have to catch her anyway. “Let’s get rid of the rest of these. Whoever hits the most, I’ll give you a damned duck.” They could even pick the color and size.
--
Melita, Flora, and Koa have all hit and Mateo has missed again.
The merchants have noticed some movement on the roof. Throw the last remaining balloons! No post order!
Available Targets for this Round:
- Busybody merchants
- The wailers
- The teenage wastelanders
- Your competitors
Current Point Status:
Melita: 65
Koa: 55
Flora: 75
Mateo: 40
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
Should'a seen what I wore I had a cane and a party hat
"You could not arrest me if you tried. My father would-- oof!" Cut off by the all out war he's just invited, Mateo is almost taken off his feet by the force of the balloon that smacks into his chest, leaving him wheezing out a laugh despite himself. He'd have tried to follow up with another volley (luckily for his ego, he hasn't noticed that his own balloon has gone pitifully wide), but at that moment he finally has the good sense to pay attention to the rest of their surroundings.
"Oh, that is not good," he says, grinning at Koa as if he's the one that will be in the most trouble if they get caught up here with all this ammo. Luckily for the Dragoon, Mateo is a good friend, and he'll help to get rid of the evidence. And so, seizing more water balloons, it's with a quick glance over the side of the building that Mateo lobs them towards The Wailers. Why not give them something to wail about, no?
Mateo goes for the wailers!
I was the king of this hologram where there's no such thing as getting out of hand
we write out the ends on our palms, then forget to read
"Yeah, best of luck with that." Flora mutters under her breath, doubting if even the threat of losing his job would be enough to get Koa to look her in the eyes or worse, have to touch her.
Glancing toward the sound of Mel's voice, the Doubletake huffs. "I still think we can pass all of this off as just Leafchange spirit activity." She mutters, before reaching for her last balloon. Not necessarily wanting to target the merchants who'd done nothing wrong and watching her brother aim and fire toward the wailers, the queen bit at the inside of her cheek, trying (for a split second, anyway) to ignore the mischief building in the back of her mind.
Ahh, but it wasn't as though Flora was really known for making the best choices.
Turning, she throws her balloon toward Koa. If nothing else, she could say that at least she wasn't adding to the incriminating evidence below.
So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight
He probably will be the one in the most trouble, especially as he fully expects the others would leave him holding the bag. As his request for them to move on is ignored Koa sets his jaw, as amused as he is annoyed by the chaos and mischief into which he's been roped. But, tempted as he may be to bail (and thus salvage his reputation), Koa is a loyal lad who will go down with his squad. And so of course he sighs his resignation, passing his last balloon between his hands as he considers his final attack.
The sight of another from the corner of his eye answers the question for him. Whirling around, Koa hurls his balloon toward where the one thrown at him originated, hoping to hit Flora or Mel at least once. It seems unjust, after all, that Koa and Mateo should be so damp while they remain dry and out of sight.
Koa throws his last balloon back at Flora!
Koa
No other version of me I would rather be tonight And, Lord, she found me just in time
they should have checked the ashes of the women they burned alive
In perhaps the most stunning display of ridiculousness known to any of them in a long time, the chaos reached grander, loftier, and stunning heights. Mateo went for the wailing banshees down below. It split between the multitudes, and somehow, through less than divine intervention, and probably the endless barrage of soaked shingles, the botanist slipped, fell, and tumbled off the side…right off the roof.
“Shiiiiit,” Melita uttered while attempting to barrage Koa. That missed. Flora also attempted to siege against Koa. That missed too.
And Koa? Also missed. Stunning.
Rolling her eyes and not giving a shit about dazed onlookers, the ringleader glanced over the side. “You good down there?” Melita hollered, hoping Mateo wasn’t about to be caught outright by anyone down there, but uh, it wasn’t looking like they should keep going. Glancing back at Flora, who was truly the outright winner, she snorted. “Here, pick and choose a duck out of the bucket,” because she meant what she said – even if the prize had only been a bath toy.
“And nooooow it’s probably a good time to go,” thereafter, judging by the crowd, antics, and Mateo.
--
Everyone missed in the grand finale. Time to make an escape! Flora wins a duck of her choosing!
End Points:
Melita: 65
Koa: 55
Flora: 75
Mateo: 30
because it takes a single wild ember to bring a whole wildfire to life
Should'a seen what I wore I had a cane and a party hat
One moment Mateo is convinced he's finally going to hit Koa with a water balloon (in his head he's hit him right in the face, and his friend is left soaked and spluttering), and the next, he's in fucking freefall. Slipping quite spectacularly on the drenched shingles, the botanist manages a brief curse in the travelling tongue before he's quite simply gone, landing with a quite unpleasant sounding smack! on the cobblestones below.
It might have been quite a nasty fall were it not for the necklace of finger bones nestled against his chest, and they are already pulsing with light and warmth as he groans and rolls onto his side. The cut on his hairline promptly seals up, leaving him bloody but uninjured, and he shakes out what would have been a broken wrist a moment ago to clamber to his feet.
Everyone turns to stare, of course. At Mateo, up at the rooftop, at Mateo again. And the botanist, to his credit, merely clears his throat, brushes himself off, and strides away into the crowd as if nothing at all had happened.
Mateo styles it out lmao.
I was the king of this hologram where there's no such thing as getting out of hand
