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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!
"Well then, Commander Erebos, how does this hilltop look for the point of deployment?" Koa grins broadly at the toddler, cheeks chapped and pink from the chill. Despite the notebook burning a hole in his breast pocket, the young Dragoon is happy to take a moment's respite. Sure, he'd come here with the express intention of informing Deimos about what he'd gleaned from Safrin, but the baby had been so damned excited about the prospect of a sledding trip, and who was Koa to say no?
Besides, if he's going to use gravity his advantage, might as well make it fun.
Their small group is perched atop a hill, Deimos and Erebos one one sled, Koa on another. Pipsqueak, for her part, has decried the wooden constructs: she can slide much better on her scaly belly, and she's already been carving rivulets through every incline on their path. Grinning across at the Warden, Koa counts them down. "Okay, on three we race. Ready? One, two... THREE!"
Shoving his sled forward with a whoop, Koa throws himself upon it, his laughter riotous as he enjoys the rush of wind and the sensation of near-flight.
Erebos wasn’t certain what ‘deployment’ meant, but he giggled and screeched ‘Yes!’ anyway from their vantage point amidst sleds and hills. The entire enterprise had given Deimos a certain arch to his brow – sledding was a preferable activity to a multitude of letters he’d need to be writing or sending – but given the state of Koa’s prior address, he thought there’d been other angles to tackle.
Nonetheless, he was also competitive to a fault, and adjusted their seating arrangement in the vessel, while the toddler squealed and waved his arms about, clearly experienced in the unfurling of sleds racing down knolls.
At Koa attempting to rush beyond them, the Warden snorted, and pushed them off, opting to use his muscular frame to assist in the situation – leaning forward as it began to careen, and ensuring a protective threshold hovered over his son.
Koa holds no illusions about his chances in this race: Deimos is stronger, with magic on his side, and as Warden of Halo naturally has infinitely more sledding experience than the boy could ever dream. But knowing the odds has never stopped him previously, and now as they set off on their descent he's quick to focus in on the movement, maneuvering his body to better try and keep up with the Sword.
It... doesn't really, work, of course; as predicted, Deimos and Erebos pull ahead without much effort at all. But Koa isn't entirely without his own advantages, and as the sleds fly onward he reaches out, bracers extending the reach of his grasp as he snatches up a snowball, hurtling it toward the Warden's broad back with a giddy, boyish laugh.
Erebos’ squeals of delight echoed along the hill, hands thrown wildly in the air with each thrill and pull of the sled. Deimos snorted, but kept an amused snicker on his features, easily gliding ahead of Koa with swift and keen expertise in the wake of snow. He wasn’t even deterred or bothered by the snowball hitting him – in fact, he had other things up his sleeve, if the Dragoon didn’t want to play nicely.
Which was why he spread his magic nearby, utilizing the earth and water incantations, and creating a miniature little barrier right in Koa’s path; either potentially slowing him down as a speed bump, or catching on the runner of the vessel altogether.
The snowball hits its intended target (not particularly impressive, giving the breadth of the Sword's back, but y'know) and Koa whoops his triumph, laughter snatched by the swift-blowing wind. So enthused is he that he scarcely registers the danger he's about to be in; too late he sees the earth ahead shifting, and it's with saucer-wide eyes and a yelp of panic that he hits the little bump.
It should have slowed him, or sent him tumbling, but it that's not what happens at all. Through some combination of speed, maneuvering, and sheer, dumb luck, Koa hits the construct in such a way as to launch his sled into the air. For a beautiful, terrifying, perfect moment, the Dragoon is utterly weightless, his vessel soaring like a bird over the fresh snow. "HO-LY-SHIT!" Koa cries in exultation, feeling time dilate and slow. Is he flying? This feels like flying! Rae's tits, he's really---!
"OOF!"
That's right, lads: gravity's back. What goes up must come down, and so it is with Koa's airborne sled. He lands unevenly, right runner leading the left; the resulting imbalance sends the sled into a tailspin, and now Koa's flying again, except instead of weightless and elated he's rolling around like a lone sock left in the dryer cycle. "Fu-u-u-uck!" the Dragoon cries as his body bounces, making the remainder of the descent entirely without his sled. It can't be more than a handful of heartbeats, but when he finally stops he's thoroughly dazed, lying on his back in the snow.
Somewhere nearby the sled has come to an innocent standstill, and as Koa blinks up at the sky it's abruptly blotted out by a cloud of inky fur. Pip squawks down at her human's face, alarmed and bemused in equal turn. Her scaly snout snuffs his cheek, and then, in a a perhaps misguided attempt to ensure his well being she nips gently at his nose - which is more than enough to shock the young Dragoon out of his daze. Bursting once more into laughter, he shoos the wyrm away, sore body shaking with hilarity as he pulls himself upright.
The yelping was enough of an amusement as they continued their descent; Deimos quietly chuckling to himself. The ridiculous fault lines thereafter though, he could only witness from the periphery of his vision – cursing and crashing, until the Dragoon and vessel tumbled onward in a display of absolute ridiculousness that had the Sword belly-laughing – though he tried to hide it by muffling his face into his coat.
As he and Erebos came to the bottom of the hill, the toddler only just realized something else had occurred. ”Wot happen?” he pointed and questioned innocently enough, and the Sword sighed, beginning to take both of them out of the sled and venture towards the catapulted soldier. In another threshold, the father might have told his son that it was called ‘messing with the wrong individual’, but for now, he settled the youth upon the snow, so the toddler could go teetering beside his long legs. “He has not practiced enough,” Deimos opted to explain, and Erebos nodded as if this could be the only answer. “You all right?” came the deep rumbling tone thereafter – having no healing measures on him and Zuriel far back at the Citadel.
03-28-2025, 09:40 AM (This post was last modified: 03-28-2025, 09:41 AM by Koa.)
Koa
We are young supernovas
"All good!" Koa wheezes good naturedly, diaphragm constricted by a combination of bruising and laughter as he rolls onto his knees. With a groan the young Dragoon rises, brushing snow off of sore arms. "Nothing more hurt than my ego- wait, shit, hold on."
Having reached his torso, he now pats frantically at his breast pocket, looking for what lies within. A moment later he feels it, the papers tucked against his chest; with a sigh of relief he digs them out, smoothing the parchment in gloved hands. As fun as it has been to practice sledding, the real reason he chose this location was because it's so remote. With no real understanding of just how much their enemies are watching, Koa had figured an overabundance of caution wouldn't be amiss.
Not when it came to the precious documents he had to deliver to the Sword.
Serious now, the young man looks up to the Warden with hopeful, eager eyes. "Here - not that sledding hasn't been great, but this is the real reason I asked you out here. I spoke with Safrin recently, and she shared... well, take a look." Extending the journal to Deimos, he waits for the Warden to open the documents, nervously picking at his sleeve. "These are the plans to our friend's house, as best I was able to jot them down." The drawings are meticulous and detailed, as best as he could manage - he'd gotten his father to help re-draw them, and between Kimo's artisan background and Koa's recollection the result was fairly impressive, with copious notes and annotations to flesh it out as best he can.
"I thought it might help, the next time you decide to do yard work for them. And I thought that maybe one of these times, I might come along, too."
Father and son waited while Koa seemed to find whatever he misplaced; both construed with confused expressions, though Erebos didn’t last very long and immediately sat down to play about in the snow. With his gaze resting on his son, then the Dragoon, Deimos couldn’t help but snort at the admission. “Ah, the guild business?” Taking the journal over though, he found far more detailed notes than he’d ever expected – Safrin’s words paired with drawings, diagrams, and notations, eyes widening as he read further.
“I did not realize their house was so extensive.” His jaw clenched briefly, finger pinpointing on the level they’d be heading towards next. Perhaps they should’ve guessed, based on how quickly they’d taken over – and through dreams that still hadn’t embedded as much as a revelation as the here and now. “Seems our next yard work endeavor will be here then,” at the shape of the cavern, at the pinnacles of death riddled and rankled monstrosities. “Thank you for all of this. Do you mind if I copy it over?” That way there’d be multitudes, and he’d be able to distribute to allies.
As far as invitations to said stately mansion, the Sword tilted his head. “We have been thinking about sending teams – it would likely be best to do so with a flower and a similar group.” His eyes narrowed, before watching Erebos throw snow everywhere down by his feet. “Do you have something effective for the pests?”
Clasping his hands behind his back, Koa waits in anticipation while Deimos examines the documents. Snow crunches beneath his heels as he anxiously shifts his weight; Pip has gone over to play with Erebos, their combination of squeals and croons muted by the fog. Snapping his eyes back up at Deimos' question, Koa shakes his head. "I've already made copies - that's for you to keep." He and his father had been sure to replicate the information into multiple notebooks, Kimo fastidious to the last. "I was going to bring one to Sunjata, but wanted to check with you before reaching out to any other guild members." Because after learning about Ronin, Koa isn't sure who exactly is actively on their team.
His eyes light up at the affirmation, the promise of being able to aid. "I'm working on that," Koa nods eagerly, rubbing his left hand unconsciously over his right. "I have a some tasks from our mutual patroness to complete. Though I think I can check one off today." He smiles crookedly, feeling rather pleased with the solution he's developed. "After that, I'll be able to throw some solid punches against our enemies."
Given Erebos’s constant experiences with Belial, Zuriel, and Micah, he latched onto Pipsqueak’s presence naturally – and they were instant allies and companions, as the youth tossed snow about and giggled when the dragon reacted. With the toddler entertained, Deimos could listen to the rest of Koa’s statements – arching his brow at the notion of copies already made. “You came prepared,” which was growth – and a standard he didn’t see many display recently. “Thank you again.” He meant the gratitude and acknowledgments, without this, they wouldn’t know the environmental factors of what they could be potentially facing – long with multitude of other quandaries. “I should probably be making some gas masks then.”
At the implication of others being allotted the same information, his eyes narrowed, speculating over the names instantly coming to mind. “Hadama. I will speak to Sah once we return and see if he would be interested too. I can show him mine and we can go from there.”
His head tilted vaguely at the semblances of the Dragoon having already put something together – smiling a little at the details of Safrin’s assistance. “I see. Air or gravity infused punches?”
Sah Koa doesn't know, except as the guy who electrocuted Melita. But Hadama is an easy choice, and the Dragoon nods agreement. The stoic, strong merking is certainly an ally they want on their side. "I don't think we should give out too many copies, just in case someone, um, unexpectedly leaves the guild." He raises his eyebrows meaningfully. "But if you need more, let me know. My dad has the originals locked away." In a container with two keys, one of which Koa holds.
Punching is an easier topic to get into; Koa's smile morphs into a fierce grin. "Gravity," he confirms, flexing his fingers. "Not really sure how it'll work, exactly, but I have full faith in Safrin." The gifts the goddess has bestowed thus far have all been extraordinary, after all.
Deimos raised a brow in return, to match the meaning behind the gesture. “Agreed.” He wasn’t one for disclosing secrets regardless – only things nowadays he seemed to push onwards were plotting machinations. But he nodded just the same, the furtive notions safe with him. He’d only share the necessities with those involved, or soon to be, and that would be that.
Erebos threw more snow in more wider clumps until they descended like miniature showers around his tinier frame, giggling in hopes to gain a reaction from the dragon. The Sword focused on his son and on the Dragoon simultaneously, snorting while watching the ridiculous acts of one and the confirmation of another. He wasn’t certain how it would work either; but stranger things had happened. “Does that mean you will be moving in close proximities?” Or maybe there would be a range he was unaware of – because moving in too adjacent to these creatures could spell even more disaster.
Pip chases the thrown snow obligingly, snapping up mouthfuls that melt instantly on her warm tongue. Burrowing into a nearby drift, she vanishes briefly only to pop her head out with a triumphant squawk near Erebos, disappearing once more when the child's attention is got. Again she burrows, weasel-like; again she pops out somewhere else, like some sort of deranged whack-a-mole come to life. Koa watches with fond amusement, delighted and entranced. It'd be idyllic, were it not for the putrid purple penumbra waiting at the edges of it all.
"I like to be where I'm needed," Koa replies with a crooked smirk, rubbing the star-engraved bracer on his wrist. To demonstrate what he means Koa reaches out toward where Pip chortles, some ten feet away. Shoving his hand forward, he seems to be pushing against the empty air - but then the dragon squawks, falling backwards in the snow, shoved by the invisible force of Koa's extended reach.
Koa looks back to Deimos for his reaction, feeling very pleased with himself. "They work up to around fifteen feet," the young man explains, holding up his forearms to better display the bracers. "Gives me a bit more flexibility. Courtesy of Safrin, of course."
Erebos was utterly delighted by the dragon – as evidence by his loud clapping and persistent, contented squealing whenever the companion did anything - but especially when she squawked and popped out nearby. More than once he tried to stretch out his own limbs and toddle over, but was never quick enough. Unbothered by the arrangement, the giggles rang clear, even when Pip was used as a clear demonstration.
Deimos watched with an arched brow, pleased with the modeling of the bracers. “Of course,” he echoed. “You may want to invest in some armor as well.” Given the environment they’d be going towards.
On another thought, the Sword narrowed his eyes, briefly turning his gaze towards the more expanded vision of the Tundra unfurling nearby. “I know you were interested in assisting with the guild. We will have more yard work here soon as well, if you still wanted to be a part of it.”
