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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 mention of food reminded Maea that she hadn't eaten since last night. In the wake of the storm she had been too preoccupied with salvaging her things, and frankly been too upset to even be hungry. Now, putting a hand over her stomach, she felt the quiet growls of protest and smiled up at her friend.
"Mhm, now that's an offer I'm not going to pass up. Where to?" Ignoring the sizeable dent it would make in her funds to eat out, Maea was confident it wouldn't ruin her. They were still going hunting one of these days, and with the progression of spring there was foraging to be done while they were out exploring, both to eat and to sell. It would be fine - somehow it would be alright. Liam was back, the waiting was over - and it would be nice to talk about less depressing things than they had so far.
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
Fortunately for Maea, Liam had become somewhat of an expert at living on a budget, and the stall he had in mind was quite cost effective, indeed. "This way," Liam said, leading the way down the street and away from the merchants. It took only a few moments before they stood in front of a small stall selling all manner of bits and bobs: tea and coffee, for those inclined, but also pastries, both savory and sweet; sandwiches; and even a few desserts. "They have very good meat pies," Liam said by way of explanation, ducking his head as though embarrassed. Should he have taken Maea somewhere nicer? Tried to treat her to a better lunch than what a lone soldier usually partook in?
But it was too late to regret the decision now, and Liam led the way in ordering before standing aside to wait for his food. Once they'd both received their orders, the soldier led Maea to a nearby picnic area, complete with roughly hewn tables. "I wanted to talk to you about something," Liam said as they sat down, then dug around in his pocket for a worn piece of paper that had clearly been folded and unfolded many times. "I went to Frey to see if they could help me make that," he said as he handed the paper over to Maea. On it, there was a design for a ring, along with a description of its properties: namely, to create a force field of sorts to protect conversations within it from Vox and the Family.
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
Though the wind kept driving clouds across the sky it was warm in the shelter of the forest village. As scents of cooked food grew more pronounced the crowd grew, though not as much as Maea had feared. The worst of the lunch rush was already over, and they could take their time to pick out what to order. The Ancient perked up visibly at the mention of meat pies – "I love pie!" – and as they settled down by the table to eat, she had not only a savory pie but a sugared apple tart for dessert, along with a mug of steaming hot tea.
"Oh yeah?" Taking a big bite of the food, she accepted the note and poured over the sketch as she chewed, intrigued by the design. It was a neat idea in her opinion, very convenient if it worked. "Did they answer? What did they say - can it be done?" Maea was a bit surprised by how quickly Liam had put thought into action. Looking up to with keen interest to hear the answer, it occurred to her that perhaps she ought to stop trying to guess what he might do in any given situation. So far he'd been nothing but reliable - she ought to trust that a bit more.
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
Glad to have found something that Maea liked, Liam’s concerns about whether he should have splurged for somewhere nicer faded. He settled with his own meat pie and a cherry tart for dessert. He’d elected to forego coffee or tea, instead settling on a glass full of cold water. Chewing slowly, because he knew this would not be an easy conversation (at least on his part), he took a moment before answering.
”It’s possible,” he said slowly. ”But… it requires a piece of the being that the barrier would block.” He paused. He’d given it a lot of thought in the time since visiting Frey, and he’d come to the same conclusion every time. He’d seen the Void and what it could do; to take a piece of the Family themselves would require power that he did not possess. ”I’m… not strong enough,” he said softly, bitterly, his mouth twisting with sorrow. He’d hidden himself away for years and for what? To be useless when it mattered most?
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
Truth be told, she had gotten her hopes up. And when he said it was possible Maea felt her heart skip a beat, just before the caveat dropped. Liam's disappointment was clear to see and she felt it too, along with a cold dread. For a moment she closed her eyes, recalling what she had seen of Vox – was that thing even properly here to take a chunk out of?
"I should have known that," she muttered ruefully, prying her eyes open again. "That's why the gods send us on quests, I think, because there is a need for components to manifest our desires... I'm sorry. I'm not strong enough to go up against the Family either." Gods knew she wished to be; it would be so satisfying to do something instead of sitting around, waiting for something to go wrong.
Looking again at the sketch, she supposed it wasn't a bad thing to pass on to those stronger than them. "The mer king of Torchline is a friend of mine," she murmured. "Hadama is one of the strongest people I know... if you would like, I can pass your idea on? Maybe it's not possible now, but... who knows what may happen in the future." Handing the note back to Liam, Maea made herself take another bite of the pie. Mingling flavors grounded her back in the here and now, easing some of the darkness; suddenly she smiled.
"I told you the gods love an Accepted," she said, pleased to have been right. "So now you've met a god. What was it like?"
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
When it came to taking a chunk out of Vox, Liam wouldn’t even know where to start. There was so much that would need to be determined: where to find him, how to hurt him, and so the list went on. It wasn’t that Liam was unwilling. If he thought it was something he could do, he would have undertaken such a quest gladly. Unfortunately (for all involved), he didn’t think it was something he could do.
And he’d be no use to anyone dead.
”I suppose it would have been too easy,” he said ruefully. But didn’t they deserve a break? From what he’d surmised, Caido was holding their own against the Family, but they weren’t exactly making headway - and maybe this was part of the reason why. ”Of course. Please pass it on to whoever might be able to use it.” He tucked the paper back into his pocket. ”And if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
Maea’s smile lightened the bleak mood. ”I don’t have words,” he said, his awe clear in his voice. He might be an Accepted, but he was no one - just a random soldier striving to do what was right. He hadn’t truly expected an answer, and to have been given one was beyond any of his wildest imaginings. ”In truth, I fear I may have been a disappointment when I couldn’t do what was required.”
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
And why couldn't they have it easy for once? World spanning catastrophy aside, Maea thought both she and Liam had been through enough trouble in their personal lives. They had both lost family, lost homes, lost time on mending wounds while others forged ahead. Did it make them weaker than the likes of demigods or wardens, for being unable to keep up? She couldn't quite accept that, though it would be more than easy to lose heart when comparing oneself to legends.
Looking at the dragoon now, Maea thought it wouldn't take more than time to elevate him from humble soldier to something far greater. Experience too, perhaps, and a bit of aid from a divine influence. Even she had been helped along the way, though she'd squandered most of the chances to become more than a half-blind farmgirl from the Grounds.
"I've only seen Frey from a distance, never in person," she remarked, "but they don't strike me as the type to be easily disappointed. Are you telling me you left empty handed?" And even if he had, had the god not responded in the first place? That had to count for something.
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
Had Liam known where Maea’s mind had gone, he might have argued that he’d come from humble beginnings and had no intentions of rising much higher - he was, after all, just a simple soldier when it came down to it, a low-ranked dragoon without even a dragon to call his own. But if he really thought about it, dug down deep and considered, he wasn’t sure he believed that anymore. Maybe there was more to him, to his purpose in Caido, then simply following orders.
”I wouldn’t say that…” he admitted, then quickly told Maea of the encounter. He was still amazed that Frey had answered his call at all, much less provided him with information and more, and that was clear in the way he spoke about their appearance. ”I don’t have anything to compare to,” he said after he’d finished. ”Since I’ve never seen another god, but Frey seemed kind, and willing to help.”
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
A wistful expression came over the Ancient while she listened to his experience, remembering her own first encounter with a god. The deity was different but that sense of wonder and disbelief was the same. It was incredible to realize how far she come from that girl; in many ways she remained the same but in this, experience had altered her view of the gods beyond recognition.
"When I was younger, I would have given anything to speak with Frey," she mused aloud. "When my childhood friend, Amalia, attuned to Safrin I was so jealous I barely spoke to her for weeks. It wasn't until much later that I began to realize how fickle they can be. Take Ludo, for instance; it helped me see when I'd nearly lost my sight, gave me its own rags against the cold, even attuned me despite my magic. Yet the same god played cruel tricks on Remi, taunting him and forcing dreadful choices on him. I've heard stories about all of them, both Safrin and Frey - not to even mention the Voice." Scraping a nail along the wood grain of the table, her gaze had turned distant. Maea didn't really accuse any of them, not was she trying to dampen Liam's joy at the encounter. It really was something to celebrate. "Perhaps my mistake was thinking that kindness equaled good... or even friendly. Last time I spoke to Ludo, this past summer, it was as if none of our previous exchanges meant anything at all. And perhaps they never did, to anyone but me. It certainly taught me not to take it for granted."
Her smile twisted, became a touch wry and perhaps a bit sad. It didn't hurt as much now as it had at the time; what remained was a bittersweet regret, of a connection faded beyond recognition or repair. She wasn't that girl anymore, that she would do anything for a bit of acknowledgement.
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
Liam was content to listen, and Maea’s words did little to dampen his joy. It made sense that the gods should be distant, unknowable beings, separate from the mere mortals that roamed Caido in more ways than one. That they might find that they favored one person while disliking another. After all, weren’t all people different, and so some might not be as useful to one god as another, whether because of personality or actions?
More than anything else, Liam was pleased to have learned a little more about Maea and her ideals. Being granted even a fragment of her history was something of a relief for a man who had few close friends, even if that piece wasn’t entirely happy. ”I’m sorry,” he said, and meant it. It sounded like Ludo had meant a great deal to Maea, and to lose that closeness… he had to imagine that it would hurt. ”I suppose at the end of the day, they’re gods and we’re not.” Not that it made their disinterest any easier to bear.
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
"Mhm, they are that," she agreed. His sympathy was so genuine that it warmed her more than rankled, and for once Maea found it easy to ride the wave of sorrow to it's end, without sinking too deep. "At least there's Dygra - so far my contact with her has been very encouraging. Have you heard anything about her around here, yet..?" Unsure of exactly how isolated the region was, she'd like to think even the fae and those who lived with them would notice the influx of Ancients. Liam had not so much as commented on her unusual features; even for a polite, well-mannered soldier a tail ought to be strange enough to inquire about.
Unless he thought she was still a hybrid? Attuned enough to partially shift? Now she was really curious about how much he knew.
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
Even if Liam hadn’t known much about Ancients, he’d have noticed Maea’s distinct features marking her as one. He admittedly knew little about them or their patron goddess, and he shook his head accordingly. ”I know that she’s the goddess of Ancients,” he offered, then paused. ”Although I suppose I shouldn’t assume. Is she the goddess of all Ancients? Or do some follow other gods?” He had limited experience with either Ancients or gods, so he wasn’t sure if the other gods would frown on the race, like they did with the Abandoned, or if they had options aside from Dygra to pray to.
He’d gathered a little from Maea - namely that she’d turn to stone if she got too cold - but he was still mostly clueless about other things regarding Ancients. He’d heard rumors of their strange appearance and of some kind of bloodlust, but as for hard facts… well, it seemed rude to ask outright.
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
"I'm not sure..." Tilting her head, she thought back on the others she'd met. "So far I haven't met anyone who thinks poorly of her? Actually, I might be the one with the most reservations of all ancients I've talked to. Granted, I've not been one for very long, and I was quite devout growing up. It's hard to shift from a 'one for all' to 'me for myself and good luck to the rest' mentality. And that's aside from her delight in blood and chaos."
Did it make her a terrible person for not finding such a goddess repulsive? Sometimes Maea thought she was. Other days, when she felt tired and lonely and she recalled the ready acceptance of her by that resonating voice whispering from the dark, it didn't matter as much.
"From what Ludo said, I got the feeling that we're as different from the people of Caido as the New gods were from the Old. More tolerated, because Ludo did speak to me, but... perhaps not exactly loved." She still honored them, and respected deeply the balance of Life, Nature and Death – and she still found it difficult to accept that her place in the circle had altered by embracing entropy.
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
Liam had always been a pious person. Not overtly so, but respectful of the gods and all that they had granted to the mortals that lived in their world. Aware of their influence on the lives of people around him, even if they never deigned to interfere in his. He’d been okay with that, with going unnoticed, if it meant a quiet and peaceful life.
But his life had never been quiet or peaceful, at least not since the Ascended attack on Stormbreak, and it was about time he started to act accordingly.
Liam’s reaction to Maea’s description of Dygra was perhaps not what one might expect. Some might shy away from the goddess of entropy, but Liam simply regarded her the same as all of the other gods: unique, with her own strengths and weaknesses, her own preferences, and no doubt her share of followers. Liam might not be inclined to seek her out, but that was a personal decision, and he would no more judge Maea for hers than he’d expect her to judge him for his.
”I suppose… becoming an Ancient… it sounds like it came with difficulties,” he said, tilting his head to one side in consideration. To have the gods one had revered their entire life turn away… Liam wasn’t sure he’d survive it, even with a new goddess to welcome him into the fold.
And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down You don't wanna know me now
