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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!
The Ark has been docked in the skyport in the Greatwood for a couple of days now, and whilst its captain has plenty of business to conduct within the recently-void cleansed forest, there's another reason to stay put. Granted, he doesn't know quite when to expect the respective leaders of Torchline and Halo, but he'd said he'd be here, and so he will. Stepping back onto the deck under a veil of light made golden in the morning mist, Jack makes his brief checks before excusing himself to his cabin.
He gives notice to those on watch that, when Deimos and Hadama do arrive, for them to be shown directly to that same space. Within, Jack will be at his desk already, scribbling some note or another in the ship's ledger, a sprig of peppermint bark between his teeth. It's warm enough in Flowerbirth for him to have discarded any semblance of a sweater, though he's left his hair loose around his shoulders today, looking the picture of a swashbuckler hard at work.
The Sword had spent all of several days home, before flying back out towards the Greatwood – this time, perhaps in hopes of gaining something out of all the political machinations. He’d prefer solidified plans nowadays over anything too speculative or wandering in circles. Definitive. Tangible. Forthright. But he didn’t know much about Jack, nor his motivations; save for distant meetings across fires, happenstance, or those shelters once carved into the Fingers before wars.
So his eyes narrowed at the ship, carefully scrutinizing it, and then on the crew as he arrived and was shown to the meeting area. He withheld a snort though; typically it was him at his desk, waiting for more to come bother or grant him letters he didn’t particularly want to read or answer, while plotting out the next courses of action. Maybe they’d have the latter anyway. “Morning,” he offered, standing stalwart and stoic, waiting for something else to unravel.
Jack's letter had been unexpected, to say the least. The Captain did not usually contact Hadama, and the Tidebreaker had been content to leave the man be, especially after learning that Flora was seeing him. He had found Jack's insights to be useful in the past, however, and he did not see any reason to believe that this request would prove any less fruitful than those earlier conversations.
And though he had certain... concerns... about leaving both Torchline and his co-ruler to their own devices at this particular juncture, travel for him was a matter of stepping through the shifting gravities of Caido's moon. He arrived at the Sidhe Village early, taking time to seek breakfast and coffee from his favored cafe and to peruse the morning flower sellers - just in case one had an unexpected treasure amidst their wares - before making his way to the skyport.
The Ark was unmistakable to any Torcher, and Hadama arrived shortly behind Deimos. He nodded recognition and greeting to the crew and followed them to the cabin, ducking inside with a care for the lintel. The space was distinctly smaller for having both the Sword and the Tidebreaker within its walls, he noted absently. "Deimos," he greeted quietly with a nod, followed by: "Jack."
And then he waited with patient courtesy for the captain to reveal the reason for his mysterious letter.
Sword and Tidebreaker arrive in good time, though Jack doesn't look up from his parchment until he's finished writing, waving an absent hand as if to ask the two men to take a seat if they want. Not that there's anywhere to really get comfortable, not unless one of them is keen to perch atop a large coffer or get cozy in Jack's bunk. Either way, putting away his ledger but keeping the freshly written note on the desk, he takes the sprig of bark from between his lips and flicks his eyes up towards them.
"Mornin'," he rumbles, turning the note and sliding it across for them to see, before reaching into his shirt and withdrawing a pitch dark stone on a thin chain, setting that down beside the parchment. "Recently found myself in possession of this. It won't do much good without a helluva distraction goin' on, but it ain't a bad thing to have, an' it's free to borrow. Heard you've been havin a chat 'bout plans goin' forward as well?"
Enlighten me, is what he doesn't say.
Jack's note contains the description of the item:
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Family Pheromone | A dark stone on a chain mined from Starfall. When worn on the island, causes all flora/fauna to treat the wearer like a Friend of the Family.
Deimos didn’t take a seat; opting to lean against a pillar, nodding towards Hadama as the other leader appeared. Whatever he expected from Jack in the next instance, these notions hadn’t been it, and his brows raised significantly before returning to their more stoic positions. His eyes ran over the description several times, mind already concocting a series of events it could be utilized for – especially their recent endeavors and discussions. “That is quite handy,” the Sword admitted, granting Hadama room so he’d be able to discern the note as well. ‘Free to borrow’ surprised him – mostly because he’d never known Jack to be of the altruistic type.
But the Warden was also very careful, and while he’d had deep discussions with Safrin, leaders, and his citizens, he wasn’t certain on the level of regard and information for Jack. Perhaps Hadama knew more, or better. His head tilted, eyes narrowing briefly in study. “We have been. Did you want to become involved?”
A glance around showed that there were no convenient chairs, and so Hadama remained standing beside Deimos until Jack was ready to speak to them. He had enough experience with the captain to wait patiently until he was ready to reveal his reason for calling them to the Greatwood, though curiosity made a quiet ripple through his thoughts when he saw the note.
The stone lay on the desk beside it, absorbing light and radiating quiet menace in spite of being tamed to their own uses. It reminded Hadama of the crystal sphere that Seren had been given by Safrin, and the memory sent a spike of fresh grief through him. He set the note back down, thoughts turned inward while he held the image of his fellow demigod, smiling and earnest, until it faded in its own time.
Just where Jack had heard the private plans of leaders and demigods was not difficult to guess. That the captain who normally steered his course clear of politics and conflict would suddenly offer assistance without being asked first was far more surprising... but perhaps his time in Mort's Halls had caused a change of heart. Or at least a change of pride.
But without a way to determine whether was among the infected Hadama held his silence and allowed Deimos to lead the negotiations.
Neither man takes a seat and Jack doesn't deign to get up, the captain sinking back in his seat and propping a foot on the edge of the desk to regard them as they talk. "Mm, that was my thinkin' too," he says of the necklace and its quite handy properties, and even without telepathy, a swift glance between them and their relative lack of response gives away their surprise. "Look, remember that broacast that went out 'bout Flora and friend gettin' themselves killed by the Family? Full disclosure - that was me. I'm and friend."
Scoffing at the memory - in this very region, to add insult to injury - Jack reaches for a bottle of good whiskey from a drawer in his desk and holds it up as if to offer either man a glass if they want it. "So let's say I've a vested interest in bein' as big a thorn in their asses as I can. I ain't no demigod or a heavy hitter, not compared to the likes of you both, but that ain't ever stopped me before. What plans you got?"
Deimos arched a brow at Hadama’s silence, but then opted to place his full attention and focus on Jack. Quite a bit of information unfurled in just those few sentences – and his eyes widened briefly to the sentiments of previous broadcasts – the said friend mauled and murdered alongside Flora. “Sorry to hear that.” But now everything else made sense; vengeance was a plot line and motivation the Sword knew well. One of his favorites, in fact.
Opting out of the whiskey, his head tilted once more, every bit the curious but scrutinizing aspect. “Nothing has been set in stone yet, however,” he uttered one long breath, pondering whether to leave Flora’s rash endeavors on the table too, or if he was already aware of them. “Once we have gained some of the preferred flowers, we intend to head to Starfall, like we did in the past.” Push further up the beach, settle a few scores and maim whatever came along the thresholds. “Were you ever informed of the visions of the isle?”
03-16-2025, 11:15 AM (This post was last modified: 03-16-2025, 11:45 AM by Hadama.)
The arched brow was met with a slight change in the inclination of his head. An acknowledgment that shifted back to Jack as the Captain made his explanation. One that Hadama had already learned from Flora back when they had offered pieces of themselves for the key to Torchline's shield, and he gave Jack a slight bow. There was gratitude in the gesture, for Flora had said that he had given his life for her, even if in the end she had lost her own as well. The intention mattered to the Tidebreaker, at least, and given how long it had taken Flora to regain her spark after the experience it was unsurprising that Jack had also needed time to recover.
He accepted the offered whiskey with a nod, trusting to his own capacity and many work meetings with Flora at the Hanged Man to keep him clear-headed as the offered loan shifted to negotiations and information brokering. "The flowers remain the most difficult part of this," he rumbled in agreement with his fellow co-ruler. Though he paused, glancing to Deimos with a flicker of concern in emerald eyes. "We may need to consider if it is worth challenging Starfall even without one. To gain crystals... and, perhaps, Familial blood."
Shrugging to Deimos as if to say shit happens and pouring a decent measure of whiskey into two glasses for himself and Hadama, Jack sits back once more to cradle his drink in his hands, listening to the plans unveil. They might only be seeds so far, leaving gaping and then what? questions in their wake, but he supposes it's better than nothing. "Word gets around," he says of the visions. "Which is where my ideas come in."
Taking a slow drink and setting the glass down, the captain sits up straight at his desk at last. "You ever just considered detonatin' the fuckin' island?" he asks. "We know what's effective against the Family. Why not ask the great and powerful gods to help a region craft somethin' we could plant on the island and just... let it do its thing?"
Smirking and lowering his voice, he continues. "Before that, though, I reckon it'd be a good idea if there was a place we could speak freely. No purple static allowed. I know that's easier said than done, but have you ever thought've goin' on the offensive with shit like that? Sendin' our best and brightest and takin' what we need from the Family?"
It was a special irritating inflection in his ribcage, to know that some of the most difficult portions of their plans laid with flowers and fortune. Not that they couldn’t correct it with some visits with Big Gods, but just that something that felt so easy couldn’t be obtained quickly. The notions of challenging Starfall simply to do so gnawed at him too; because his intentions had been twofold – in order to drive things back further, otherwise the island would remain just as imposing and threatening.
But Jack had seemed to have heard of the visions anyway, and the explanation remained unnecessary. The other ideas gave him pause though; and he’d have to admit he hadn’t surmised blowing the thing up. His focus had been on his own people, on protecting and salvaging what they could, on healing those infected and infested – and well, they all knew how that had ended up recently.
His jaw clenched. “I will admit, Halo was initially focused on the springs, and then putting up the void blockades,” and things, like the tides, had turned. He’d like to ensure they still had mending portions up before the year was out – with much more to do. “I believe, if we can obtain some of their blood, the lack of static may be feasible.” He thought instantly of King’s End, with the Refuge already there, or of the Grounds, uncertain what they were doing at the present. “As for a weapon, Torchline would be the closest,” and he glanced back at Hadama, to see if there’d been anything on the horizon for those lanes.
03-17-2025, 07:32 PM (This post was last modified: 03-19-2025, 07:20 AM by Hadama.)
The whiskey was accepted with a nod of thanks and Hadama stood and sipped at the vintage as Jack offered some ideas of his own. The mention of a weapon had him giving a contemplative tilt of his head. Deimos answered first, speaking in many ways for both of them as to their priorities of past seasons and the Tidebreaker nodded confirmation of what the Resurrected Sword listed. Not the springs for Torchline, but the barriers against void encroachment, yes. And in all the seasons since no monster had forced itself into their waters or upon their shores.
But other regions had come under fire in exchange.
"I thought that the flowers were the weapon that we were planting on the island," he rumbled first. "They weaken the Family. Prevent the Void from entering their cleansed areas." The gods had so far given no indication that they could create anything more powerful. If Roses made by Vi or Lillies blessed by Rae could not fully cleanse the island moon, Hadama could not imagine the gods creating anything significantly more destructive to the Void. Vi in particular had made his disapproval of the violet invaders plain, and if it had been within His power to inflict greater damage upon them, it was Hadama's opinion that He would have made his desires clear.
But not even the Gods were a match for what gestated within Starfall. Safrin's near destruction at the Void's hands was ample proof of that.
Which did not mean that Hadama intended to give up. As with the War of the Voice, what the gods could not accomplish alone might yet be done by mortal hands.
"I have discussed a method of blocking... eavesdroppers... with Safrin before," he admitted slowly. "Torchline has focused on physical protection since Starfall. But yes, it can be done. I was told that if a piece of a Family member could be obtained, that it could be used to physically keep out the Family." His brow furrowed faintly as he cast his memory back to that meeting at the altar in the Barrows. "But not their Voice. The only way to prevent the... static... would be a piece of the static's source." Plot information received in Star Amour
*Edited for updated reqs
Listening as both leaders give their respective input, Jack can't help but wave a hand as he lifts his glass to his lips. "I reckon we're well past the point of buildin' our defences. The Family have proven that they'll do anythin' an' more to win that tug of war, and all the while that island is only gettin' more dangerous," he says. "We're runnin' out of time. And the flowers cleanse, but we don't know if they'll stop an area from bein' re-infected," he points out, sitting back up in his seat.
"And I'm not talkin' about a weapon from a region. I'm talkin' about somethin' we can take to that island and set off," he continues, tapping at the necklace on the desk between them. "Somethin' with gravity magic, or concentrated air." Gravity bomb, anyone? "Those flowers and this item could let us get further on the island - far enough to do somethin' like that, if we're careful and lucky."
As for preventing The Family - preventing Vox in particular, from overhearing them, Jack can only shrug. "Personally I'd think gangin' up on their messenger and stealin' a piece of him would be a comfort. But then again, even by talkin' like this, odds are they already know what we're plannin'."
It was easy to say the time for defenses had come and gone – but Halo’s focus had been on everyone else. And perhaps that had been to the fault of their own; so Deimos narrowed his eyes and offered nothing in that regard. Once their void blockade was finished, they’d have to make a choice on springs coming initially, so their citizens could be mended promptly and efficiently, or take another step towards Family denizens – both of which had their pros and cons.
The news from Safrin caused his brow to arch, and another wave of machinations to settle through. “Sounds like it may be difficult to acquire.” They’d have to pinpoint where the little static-maker would be, somehow snag at it, and successfully grab.. “I wonder if there could be something crafted to detect it as well.” All in all, many steps. As for the bouquet arrangements, he gave a nod. “The flowers aid in impeding their advance on the island,” with a quick jerk of his chin in the general direction. “Which means we have a safe landing on our initial approach, since we already have one there.”
Thoughts about an entire region crafting a weapon to set off caused another volley of long breaths, considering the platitudes. “Probably feasible. I can put the ideas out to other leaders and see if they would be interested as well.” But then that ran into their kingdoms being targets as too, and the whole thing cycling through. “I would be concerned if it was a one-use sort of thing, and something goes awry.”
