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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!
Colt didn't really get days off. Animals had to eat every day, multiple times a day in fact, and then they shit most of it out too. With the amount of animals she oversaw, that left little time for much else, except stolen moments here and there to share stories with friends, roll around in the hay for a quick release, or fry up something tasty for herself. So it was strange that she was wandering here with no lassoed beast in tow, no tacked-up horse carrying her through at an industrious pace. She was simply meandering, enjoying the peace of this wonderful place.
She was often reminded by others that she did not need to do it all.
There was a lot to be done, yes, but she had hired hands for that exact reason. So, at their instance, she took the day off. She had a feeling it was actually good for her (shocking) to clear her head and ease the tension from her body, so that when she returned, she was not so hard on bit or hand.
Barefoot, she dipped her toes in the water she sat next to and rubbed a freshly picked plum against her shirt. Some of the debris wouldn't leave it, but she shrugged and bit into the purple flesh, delighting in the sweet flavor. It was juiciert than expected though, and she awkwardly hunched over to let the drips running down her mouth fall anywhere but on her clothes.
I ain't gonna be that easy to leave I'm gonna make you miss me
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Lyra, on the other hand, is at a stage of life where she finds herself with too little to do, and far too much time in which to do it.
With her latest round of foster kids grown and out of the house, Lyra has taken advantage of the opportunity to travel and see the world. But without a direction and a job, she has found herself adrift, not really sure where to go or what to do next.
She has come to King's End after hearing of its natural splendor, and though she personally prefers the Greatwood, she has to admit that the travelers who recommended it to her were not lying. Wide, grassy plains and hills give way to strange monoliths and crypts; Lyra wonders idly where they came from, but can't say she cares quite enough to go hunting for the information.
Today, she wanders Wrenzoak's Refuge, a fabled place where she's heard that magic and abilities cease to function. Fortunately, she is not particularly inconvenienced by this fact, and she makes her way down to the water with an abundance of good cheer. Arriving to find another woman, barefoot, dipping her toes in the water, Lyra decides that this seems like as good a way to spend the afternoon as any, and she sits nearby (though not so close as to crowd the stranger) and begins to remove her shoes.
"Hi," she calls out, offering a friendly smile. "Hope you don't mind me joining you."
Hunched over like a fruit goblin caught in the act, Colt startled as a voice cut the solitary serenity. Her body visibly flinched, and her head whipped around. She nearly toppled over, her arms strung out at her sides like a marionette to funnel the juice to the ground, so she was already askew. She managed not to completely humiliate herself in front of the stranger and stayed upright, though the face she turned to Lyra was covered in plum-gore.
"Hi!" she managed to get out as she straightened herself, rubbing the back of her hand against her mouth. "Oh no, please sit honey, I don't mind one bit." Colt pat the ground next to her invitingly, a purple smile brandished in greeting. "I'm colt," she said without extending her hand, not that Lyra would want to take the sticky fingers in her grip. No, Colt was easy going, at least out here where she was not in charge of anyone but herself. There was no need for formalities here; they were already friends by now.
She took another series of bites of the plum and chucked the pit behind her. Leaning forward, she washed off the residue in the water, rubbing some against her lips with a wet thumb. It had stained her a bit, and it looked like her fingers were badly bruised. "Nothing beats the eats here," she said with a feral grin, as if she was nothing more than a barefoot child running wild in these lands all over again.
I ain't gonna be that easy to leave I'm gonna make you miss me
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
There's something charming about the easygoing way the stranger turns from surprise to welcome, and Lyra grins as she settles near the edge of the water, slipping off her shoes and sticking her feet into the little river. "I'm Lyra," she says as Colt washes off her hands in the stream. Her fingers are bruised from the plum juice, and Lyra realizes that she hasn't eaten yet today. Fortunately, she usually packs something for the road, and she digs around in her pack for an apple - much less messy but no less delicious than a plum.
She rinses the apple in the water, then takes a bite; it's sweet and crisp, and Lyra hums contentedly in response to Colt's feral grin. "I wouldn't know," she says. "I've never been to King's End before." Although if the natural splendor she's seen so far is any indication, she might be inclined to stay a while. "Are you from around here, then?" Her bright blue gaze is piercing, curious; eager to learn more about the area, before she inevitably returns home to Torchline, where things are so very different.
It's just a little rude that Lyra seemed to ignore Colt's praise of the readily available fruit around here, preferring her packed and banged up apple, as if she didn't trust the growth here, or she was too good for it. Colt's gaze sharpened a bit, but her smile only grew wider for it. Kill 'em with kindness, as they say. "Oh, what a lovely apple," she remarked sweetly, tilting her head into her hand as she watched sidelong. "Our cows love them. Seems to be a favorite of cows, really." She ruffled her finger through her loose hair a bit before sitting more upright, hands cupped around her knees.
"Well then, welcome to King's End, it's the loveliest place around, especially here." Colt noticed some plum stain on her sleeve and licked a finger, rubbing at it. "Born and raised," she drawled in response to Lyra, "you?" The stained lightened, but did not disperse, and Colt frowned at it, abandoning it for now. "I own a ranch over in the Meadowlands. We raise and train horses and unicorns, and we have some beef cows too." Her lips had never stopped smiling, but her eyes did not seem to contain the same warmth as her teeth as she glanced across the stream. "It's been in the family for a while, and I managed to sneak away some time today."
I ain't gonna be that easy to leave I'm gonna make you miss me
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Lyra misses the subtle bite behind Colt's words as she snacks on her apple. She's never been one for hidden barbs, and she is perhaps a little clueless when it comes to conversations with people her own age. She's spent so much time around children that she's forgotten what it's like to be around adults. "Oh, is it?" she asks obliviously, tilting her head to one side. "Honestly, it's just what I had on hand when I was packing. Your plum was probably much better that this."
Hearing that Colt owns a ranch nearby piques Lyra's interest. "Oh, that must be so interesting!" she says eagerly. "I've always loved animals, but never had the room for them." Nor has she the time and energy - children took up all that she had to spare, at least until recently. "Which are your favorites? The unicorns, or the horses, or the cattle?"
As for Lyra: "I'm from Torchline - born and raised," she adds with an affectionate smile. "I've never had a chance to travel until recently. King's End is beautiful so far. You're so lucky to live somewhere so green!"
Lyra's explanation makes sense, but Colt can't keep the gristle from between her teeth at the slight, intended or otherwise. She'd forget about it soon, but not now. Too akin to fire, once something caught, it burned.
Still, Colt could be civil.
"The horses," she admitted as she tucked her hair behind her ears and turned back to look at Lyra. "People love unicorns," she shrugged, "I do too, but the horses have a lot of heart and less opinion on everything. The cows just taste good—they're dumber than dirt." A grin, then she was picking at some of the purple stain on her fingers. "I think you have to make room for what you want in your life, animals or otherwise." She was referring to Lyra's earlier remark, a bit uncertain how Lyra could claim to love something that had no current place in her life, no room afforded for it. Torchline was certainly not the place to ranch, but who knew, she could have a bay full of seahorses or something.
No, Lyra didn't love animals, she just loved the idea of them.
Colt leaned forward and got to her feet, hands brushing the dirt and grass from her rear. "It's good to get out more and see the world," she admitted, turning to regard her, one hand on her cocked hip. "Makes you appreciate home, or inspires you to bring the best back to it." Colt could certainly stand to travel more, although running into thick-headed strangers like Lyra reminded her why she preferred to stick to what she knew and liked. "You should come by the ranch one day, if you like. Can get you on a trail ride or something." Maybe by then Colt's ire would have chilled.
"Anyway, I'm afraid I have to head home and make sure the boys haven't forgotten to feed everyone. See ya around." She lifted a hand in departure and moved with familiar ease through the lands back to her home.
I ain't gonna be that easy to leave I'm gonna make you miss me
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Lyra listens thoughtfully, considering Colt's insights into the various animals under her care. They all sounded wonderful - except, perhaps, for the cows - and the woman finds herself wondering if she'll ever have the chance to be around animals the way that Colt is. She's not sure she'd want to make a living on a ranch, but even having a single pet had to be better than nothing at all.
"I'd love to come by the ranch," she says with a smile. "I appreciate the offer." And she truly does, already considering what she might bring with her on such an adventure. But then Colt is bidding her goodbye, and Lyra nods along. "It was nice meeting you," she says as Colt departs, waving with a friendly smile until the other woman's back is turned. Then she goes back to her apple and admiring the land.
