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!
04-09-2025, 08:03 PM (This post was last modified: 04-10-2025, 03:53 AM by Honey.)
Pierce
It was an absolutely gorgeous Flowerbirth afternoon. The clouds had parted and offered a few days of reprieve from the spring rains, making room for dry streets and the general return to the bustle that was Stormbreak. It also meant that now was as perfect time as any for Pierce to really get a feel for the people out and about – not just here, but in Caido as a whole.
After all, so many knew of him, so it was only fair that they have a chance to meet him in the flesh, right?
And what better way than to do it in a way that seemed fun and palatable to those who were still so very worried about them being here? So, the busy city streets of Stormbreak boasts a bustling and colorful carnival – with a variety of games and food spread out across the expanse of the plaza, blocking this entire section of the thoroughfare, and right in the center in all of his glory, stands the ‘strongman’ himself, next to a fun little magical machine aimed to test everyone else’s strength.
“Well, who wants to go first? No need to be shy, I don’t bite.” He calls out to those that arrive or are simply curious, gesturing with his thick muscled arms to the game he stands beside, the hammer in question swinging loosely around his thick wrist, while he flashes quite a charming smile to whomever wants to go first.
Welcome to Pierce’s drop! You have 48 hours to post your arrival and whether or not you try out his strongman game. Good luck!
The festivities are too loud and colorful for Thal's liking, but she can't deny that they make the perfect hunting grounds for a prowling predator. Jewelry and purses 'randomly' find their way into the pockets of her cloak, lithe fingers and subtle distractive touches that go unnoticed in the bustling crowd make easy work of the ignorant citizens. It's almost too easy, and it's not long before she leans against the pillar of a cotton candy stall, blinding taking stock of her full pockets with the skilled assessment of her fingertips.
The flash of a familiar face catches her gaze - one from seasons ago, one plastered on warning flyers all around Caido, one that speaks of violence. She pauses in her mental cataloguing, a feral grin spreading across her face as she takes a moment to watch, to assess the scene for tricks or threats, to appreciate the man's strength. It seems to be nothing more than a game like many of the others scattering the plaza, although people appear to be avoiding this particular one, giving Pierce a wide berth in pursuit of safer enjoyment.
She has no such qualms, her tail flicking as she pushes off the wall. Her eyes gleam as they take him in, a low purr on her tongue. "We both know I wouldn't mind either way." And the flash of her fangs says she might just be the one doing the biting. Cocking her hip to the side, Thal offers out a hand for him to place the hammer in, shooting him a playfully coy wink. "I hope you have a good prize in store for when I win."
Once she finishes in the Celestine, Nova is pleasantly surprised to find the street full of lights, music, food, and colors of every kind. A giggle erupts from her chest as she skips through the aisles, trying every game and treat within reach - not that she's particularly skilled at any of them. But they're fun nonetheless! She continues basking in all the wonders and delights of the festival, her arms laden with fuzzy toys (that she'd batted her pretty eyelashes for) and bags of rainbow candies with unimaginable levels of sugar.
When she comes across the muscly man swinging a hammer, Nova is in the midst of her sugar high, sparkles ringing her pink and blonde hair as she skips forward. She could have sworn she'd seen his face before, but her gaze doesn't linger on the thought, skimming instead to the game he mans. Bouncing in place, she waits her turn before approaching, all buzzing energy and excitement. "Ooh ooh! Are there prizes?!" Although she'll play even if there aren't, too intrigued by how the contraption works to really care.
Vesper hadn’t come for the carnival, he’d come for Nova.
Thalassa’s flash of predatory amusement reached him before her voice ever did—recognition gleaming sharp and bright across their tether like a flicker of lightning—but it was the sugar-glazed swell of his sister’s emotions that yanked his focus. The thread he kept tuned to her mind was vibrating like a plucked string, high and fast and full of dizzy joy, and though her surface thoughts were nothing but candy, glitter, and ooh, fun, he moved without thinking.
It didn’t matter that the plaza was alive with colour, music, and the crackling scent of roasted nuts and sizzling meats. It didn’t matter that everything here seemed designed to disarm, to entertain. Vesper didn’t like it. Too loud. Too busy. Too…public. But his sister was radiant in the middle of it, arms overflowing with stuffed animals and spun sugar, her grin bright enough to knock the stars out of the sky.
So he stepped forward, boots slow against the flagstones, trailing the slip of his shadow behind him as his gaze cut through the crowd. The sight of him—of the man in the centre of it all—drew a familiar coldness up Vesper’s spine. The face from posters. From whispers. From the darkest edges of his mother’s wrath.
And Nova was skipping right fucking toward him.
Vesper’s expression didn’t shift; he simply trailed after her, hands in his pockets, constellation freckles dimmed in the broad daylight. As she approached the Strong Man stand with wide eyes and an excited squeal, he fell in just behind her, close enough to reach for her if she needed it.
"I’ll play too," he said, his voice quiet compared to the chatter around them but edged with flint, gaze fixed on the hammer game. "Would hate for her to win something ugly." A flicker of a smirk touched his lips—meant for Nova, not for him—but the glint in his eyes said something else entirely.
Vesp steps up to play!
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Noe strolled through the carnival without a care in the world, enjoying the Flowerbirth afternoon. It was shaping up to be the nicest day yet this season, and the girl was ready to enjoy it. With her dark waves pulled up into a ponytail and dressed in a colorful ensemble that showed off her tan legs, she made her way past booths of this and that, admiring different games and vendors as she went.
When she reached the strongman game, she paused. There were a few others gathered around, and she joined the growing crowd. The man beside the game was familiar - he'd shown up to the taco party, and though Noe hadn't quite caught his name, she recognized him as someone who'd been familiar with Dahlia. A Family member, or maybe a Friend of the Family - she wasn't sure which, but she gave him a bright smile as she waited her turn. "I'll play!"
Koa's in uniform - a uniform which chafes after weeks of disuse, that doesn't quite fit the way it has in years past. But it gives him an authoritative flavor, something to cling to as he strides through the makeshift and entirely unsettling carnival. He recognizes most of Stormbreak's denizens, nodding to familiar faces as they pass, though his eyes are keen and shifting as he searches for sign of Noe among the crowd.
He doesn't spot his sister, for better or for worse. What he does spot is a cluster of unfamiliar faces gathered around one he's only seen in drawings up to now, but which strikes a cold blow to him as he takes it in. He cannot quite recall the name, just a sense of dread and danger. He's about to turn away, or at least to settle in at a distance that lends itself toward observation--
--and then he spots her among the crowd, and fuck fuck fuckity fuck, now he has no choice.
"Count me in," Koa says, his words clipped as he sidles in beside Noe, casting the briefest glance his sister's way. His body language is calm, the easy attention of a soldier, but under it all he's tense and vibrating, ready to spirit his sister away should this fucker so much as glance at her in a vaguely threatening manner.
Calypso isn’t here to see the carnival either – at least not initially – but she’s here for Vesper as much as he is for their sister.
So she picks her way through the crowd, spotting a few familiar faces amongst the mix. It’s to her shadowy brother that the sun finds her way, but a crowd has already formed by the time she’s secured her place in making her attempt. Standing behind a man who appears almost jittery – though she can’t tell whether it’s a caffeine overload or something else.
Choosing to think that it’s something else, she slides around Koa with a bright sunny smile and a wink before she’s slipping into the space beside her brother who's right beside Nova, calling out after a few other voices of agreement. “I’ll play too!” She calls out, settling in and looking over to Vesper with a shrug, uncaring if she won anything at all.
Calypso will play!
Calypso
one-sided, it's pathetic how you think you're being smart
04-11-2025, 12:11 AM (This post was last modified: 04-11-2025, 06:38 AM by Kaisel.)
// Ring around the rosie - Pocket full of posie //
He'd finished his assignments for the day and had since changed into his casual wear, his hood pulled up as he made his way into town. Despite the nice weather, the shade could be cold in the right breezeway, and he intended to be out until evening. At least, that was his plan when he left the house, but his steps were gradually slowing, his head craning over the increasing bustle of bodies and the sound of...a carnival? An eyebrow quirked up as Kaisel wove through the crowd, taking in all the sights and smells. Fried food stalls that threatened to put you on the toilet in two hours and raucous carnies edging for some extra cash with the promise of cheap toys. Still, there was something magical about carnivals, a nostalgic cry to childhood days when you were given some money to spend and set loose like a feral sugar-high demon with so many choices and the first feeling of self-agency. Kaisel smiled.
After rustling up the largest pickle to ever exist, Kaisel was sauntering through the din, wondering what ride might be worth the wait, when he heard some familiar voices. Looking over at the small crowd assembling around a manned game, Kaisel slunk closer, pickle plunged into his mouth as its juice threatened to get on his hands. "Waf hoin on?" Kaisel asked Koa as he drew up next to his cousins, spotting them among the scene. He slurped the pickle out, cronching on the tip as he assessed the game, and his family. He hadn't seen Noe since their last meeting, but now he knew the truth after speaking with Lena, and he surveyed her carefully, looking for some sign of that infection he knew wriggled in her veins. He could hazard a guess that's why Koa looked like he could punch glass into existence if someone would just give him two grains of sand. This would be interesting for sure. "I'll take the w on this," Kaisel called out to the gamesman, unaware this was the Pierce he'd been previously warned of.
Kaisel
// I'ma fucking blow all the ashes down //
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
The progress on his quest was going well, but Zavien was still feeling the effects of Sol's absence, his lack of golden light having left him in a very dark mindset. He ran a nervous hand through his hair as he made his way through the plaza, trying to stick to the edges of the crowd as he jumped at the loud sounds and flashes of purple light. Amongst a crowd of smiling enjoyers, he was noticeably melancholy, hoping to make it through without incidence.
That didn't seem possible when he recognized a familiar face, one plastered across Caido with threats of death and violence, manning a game. How so many people could ignore the fact that Pierce was leading the event astounded him - considering he would rather be anywhere else. He could only suspect that the people didn't know the risk, that they'd been living in the infected city for too long to have seen the notices, or been too brainwashed to care. The vulnerability of the people somehow pushed through his anxieties - a desire to protect these people from their own ignorance.
His body tense with nerves, Zavien rested a hand on his sword hilt, channeling silently in an attempt to keep any further victims from joining what he could only guess was a risky game that could end in death, or worse, infection. He didn't dare join himself, unwilling to compromise himself in case something went wrong. No, he'd stay back and keep a watchful eye over everyone.
Zavien channels a spirit to distract further people from participating but chooses to observe rather than play.
Accepted Channeling: Allows an Accepted to channel a herald/demigod/spirit during a time of crisis (2x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
Type: Light | Rank: Upgraded
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.
The air shimmered above the cobblestones. A pale, translucent figure unfurled from the sky itself, drawn down by Zavien 's silent prayer like smoke poured through a sieve. It took the shape of a robed, eyeless sentinel—its face smooth and featureless save for a single, vertical crack where a mouth should be. The spirit’s presence was cold, sovereign, and final. With each slow turn of its head, those near carnival's edge found their steps frozen mid-motion, the air growing too thick to push through to see what all the commotion was about.
The spirit will prevent anyone else from joining the drop!
They arrive, and with it a sudden sentinel that appears that immediately has Pierce’s teeth on edge. But he’d come here for a good time, not to make an example of anyone.. yet, but Zavien’s actions don’t go unnoticed as he pretends to not let it bother him for the time being to get the show on the road.
The first to step up the plate has almost all of Pierce’s attention for the span of time she’s there – his gaze lingering on Thalassa. “You know, I think I could come up with something just for you.” His baritone voice hums suggestively toward her, recalling their tryst from what felt like forever ago. It’s there for a moment before it passes, handing her the hammer and stepping back to watch as she steps up to play. The hammer lifts, hesitates for a split second, before crashing down with a thundering slam against the metal weight. The weight bounces up, shooting toward the coveted bell, but stops short, hovering there before it crashes back down along its track. The rumble of a laugh from Pierce is charmed as it is playful. “That’s a lot to go up against.” He calls to the crowd but flashes Thalassa a wink as he takes the hammer from her.
Handing it to miss rainbows herself, Nova, Pierce watches with amusement as she seems to look like she’s having the sugar high of her life. Who’s he to judge? She steps up to strike the metal plate as well, and it shoots up and up before falling short of Thalassa’s number, but only just. And Pierce has a moment of surprise that flickers across his face as he chuckles to see how well she’d done. “Not bad, not bad.”
Next up is Mr. Shadowy Silence himself, though, at odds with the sugar high before him in line. Handing the hammer to Vesper next, Pierce steps back to watch with his arms crossed as the young man strikes the hammer down onto the plate. It shoots up like a star with a surprising amount of speed and intensity, enough that even Pierce’s brows lift slightly – watching as it slams into the bell with a resounding prrrring! “Well damn, that's pretty good.” Which of course means Vesper has his attention, whether he wants it or not.
The hammer, taken from the crowning winner so far, goes to Noe next – and to her a warmer smile is offered, along with a low hum of good luck. As she steps up and takes her own swing, it doesn’t quite have the gusto that Vesper’s or the ones before him had, but it still isn’t too bad of an attempt. It falls short of Nova’s attempt by a few inches. “Ah, better luck next time huh?” The baritone voice rumbles out, taking the hammer from her and handing it to the next in line.
Which means as Koa comes up to the game, he’d find nothing amiss with the game itself. He grabs the hammer, a perfectly normal weight, and when he goes to slam it down? Well, perhaps this is when the luck of the start begins to fall. While looking stronger than some of the others in attendance, Koa’s attempt falls just below his sister’s. “Promise it’s not rigged.” He touts to the dragoon with a smirk before collecting the hammer to hand it off.
The next to step up is a willowy looking girl, and honestly Pierce doesn’t have high hopes for Calypso’s attempt – though he could be wrong, given the way he’d been wrong about Nova, but he flashes her a smile and a nod to take her attempt and watches as her thin arms lift and drop, striking with the hammer in quite a sad attempt. It falls far shorter than Koa’s, hardly making it off the weighted portion itself. “Oooof, that’s tough.” There might be a low undercurrent of sympathy, purely for show as he takes the hammer from her and hands it to the last participant.
As Kaisel steps up to the game, Pierce takes a moment to focus on whether or not the machine itself is bugging out with how even this has been (it’s not, it’s the rolls), but he steps back when he gestures for Kaisel to continue. As the young man slams the hammer down, it shoots up past Calypso’s attempt and stops just short of Koa’s attempt. All in all, not too bad. "Close!"
Collecting the hammer, he regards the crowd with a bright grin. “Don’t worry about the prizes right now. It’s a best of three where each gets harder and harder.” Should he have said that before everyone stepped up? Maybe. Does he care? Not at all. “This time, we’re switchin’ up the hammer.” Tossing the one they’d used somewhere behind him (and listening as it crashes into a metal bin), he doesn’t turn to look as he instead reaches into a box to pluck a rather unique instrument from it. This one’s unique in that while it looks like a usual hammer and can likely be held like one, the interior is almost wobbly, like something’s trapped inside trying to break its way out.
“Step up for round two.” He says, ready to hand it to the next in line once he’s acknowledged the sentinel in the back. “And hey, y’know, it’s just a game. We don’t need a babysitter. Either play or get out.” He calls to Zavien, giving him a final choice in whether he wants to join in or lose out.
The winner of Round 1 goes to Vesper ! Zavien has the choice of joining the game or leaving before something happens.
Round 2: The hammer this time has something inside of it that’s erratic (you probably don’t want to know what). Try to reach the bell this time!
// Ring around the rosie - Pocket full of posie //
"Mnnmh," Kaisel swore around his pickle, nearly loosing it to the grit of his teeth as he swung the damn hammer and drew up short. In hindsight, he should have eaten it quickly while waiting his turn, but he'd been too engrossed watching everyone, making silent judgements about who he'd for sure beat and who to step up to. It was no surprise that his older cousin diffed him, but what the hell was with the first bunch of people? They seemed liable to break the damn game. Kaisel glanced surreptitiously towards them, but they didn't look especially swole. Pierce had told Koa this wasn't rigged, but doubt began to gnaw at Kaisel's gut.
With the fire of competition blazing through him, Kaisel choked down the rest of his pickle. He wiped the vinegar remnants from his lips with the back of his hand and a lip-smacking ahhh as he stepped back towards the infernal pad and bell. "I got it this time," he said as he reached for the hammer, grasping it firmly between his hands and feeling the jarring movement for a moment. Ah yeah, I understand it now.
Kaisel spun abruptly and swung with a full follow-through from his heels to his fingertips. He tried to match the buzzing, jerky movements just right so that they'd lead the swing and add some extra oomph. He listened for the bell as he held out his hand for the next competitor to take the hammer, his cool gaze sliding to Vesper and pinning him in quiet challenge.
Kaisel
// I'ma fucking blow all the ashes down //
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
His words earn him a playful hum, wondering just what kind of trouble he might have in mind as she takes the hammer from Pierce. She doesn't try that hard, and she's pleasantly surprised to see it nearly crash against the bell towering above, making it all the better when her skills are recognized by the man. "Did you expect anything less?" Thal shrugs her shoulders, letting her hand linger on the hammer a moment longer than necessary before taking a step back, a roguish grin on her lips.
When she finally spins on her heels, Thal is suddenly caught in a very interesting situation - while most might dread finding themselves trapped in the same airspace as two lovers, a thrill of excitement runs up and down the Ancient's spine. The idea of making either one jealous is so deliciously tantalizing that she just can't help the blaze of her eyes or the extra sway in her hips as she walks away from Pierce, her grin sharpening to something more feral as she turns her attentions to Vesper. "Miss me already?" She doesn't wait for his answer, shooting him a wink before moving to wait for further instructions in the recessed shadow of a nearby stall.
The other strange nuances of the situation aren't lost on her, spotting the two women who can only be his sisters despite their vastly different 'aesthetics,' as well as a strange figure that manifests to warp the crowds around them - they're just not as interesting as the two men her eyes flit between. She watches as Vesper surpasses her own height, a thought curling with delight to see his own strength, what he could do with it. A quiet curiosity grows as she wonders how he might stack against Pierce. Physique alone gave her the impression that it wouldn't be a fair fight.
With the next challenge presented, Thal steps forward again, weighing the strange weapon in her hands. She doesn't fight the trembling and shifting of the hammer, because - although peculiar - it doesn't bother her in the slightest. Instead, she flows with the momentum, letting it carry her arms down into the target, a competitive edge accenting her fluid motions.
She senses her brother and sister before seeing them, a little bit of triplet tingle making her turn to spot them. Without missing a beat, or wondering how he'd found her here, Nova grins and shoves her bundle of goodies into his arms mid-hug. "Vespy! Hold these while I try!" Bouncing like there's cotton candy stuck between her toes, she approaches the muscly man without any fear, a beaming grin on her face as she accepts the hammer. It doesn't go as high as the woman before her, but it's still fun to hit things! She even gets a decent idea of how it all functions, the vibrations running up her arm as she twirls away in a shower of sparkles.
Nova cheers and throws her hands up when Vesper rings the bell, doing a little dance of victory as her laughter chimes through the festival. Her smile is still bright when Calypso fumbles her attempt, offering her sister a light squeeze of her hand as she butchers the encouraging phrase. "You'll go next time!"
When it's her turn again, Nova skips forward again, giggling as the strange movements of the hammer ran up her arm. "This is so weird!" Looking up at the game master, she pauses, all naivety and curiosity. "Is there something inside?" She inspects the weapon closer, trying to see if anything on the outside might tell her what made it warp and wiggle. Whether he answers or not, she gives a shrug of her shoulders and lets it swing.
