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!
oh wouldn't that be lovely? you would torture me whisper me the reasons that you hated me
In equal agreement with @Koa’s statement, the butcher watches with dark eyes as the skeletal child launches for him. Side stepping it and using the cane to rebalance himself as the child goes sailing past, it lines him up precisely in a horrible position as the priestess’ dreadful touch presses against him. Softer than he expects, the butcher realizes how long it’s been since he’s truly been burnt by something. “Absolutely not.”
Hissing a snarl in pain as she soon vanishes back into the mist, leaving behind the sharp stinging ache that's cold and biting, the butcher’s hand wreathes in flame once more. Ensuring that Koa isn’t in his line of fire (literally), the butcher sweeps out a blast of fire in a horizontal arc, sending it careening for the Spectral Villi, cutting through the mist and fog. And if it hits the child, priestess, or knight in its pathway on the way there, there’ll be no complaints from the butcher.
Astaroth reels a bit from the priestess’ touch but situates himself at Koa’s side so his fire won’t hit him and shoots a horizontal arc of fire toward the Spectral Villi and potentially any other revived spirits if they're in the path to get there.
Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Citizenship Ability:
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +5 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +5 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
His punch connects satisfyingly with the knight's armor, even if there isn't any actual physical contact between the two. Again Koa dodges the slow-moving sword, grinning fiercely up at the faceless helmet as iron snicks harmlessly past his head. "Gonna have to do better than that," he taunts, bouncing back and away once more before gravity-bending striking out with an upper-cut aimed at the revenant's twisted face.
He's aware of the tall, tall man at his side, fire streaking from his fingers, and of the distant presence of others with their flashes of light and gusting air. As long as he can keep the ads in check it'll give them a chance to take down the big boss, so he grits his teeth and keeps at it, keeping an eye in case the little gremlin comes back for another snack.
Koa tries to move out of range of the knight, then does what he does best and PUNCHES it again. If it seems like the child zombie is going for Asta he will attempt to block it so Asta can continue to focus on the Villi (you're on your own against that funky priestess, soz fam)
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Starlit Bracers | Bracers that when activated extend the movement of the user's hand to 15ft total. Includes effects from items/weapons.
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Taijitu Boxing Wraps | When landing an attack on an enemy (via an unarmed strike), may EITHER cause Upgraded Damage to the enemy, OR may give Upgraded Healing to the user.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Gravitine Band | A ring made out of dark starlight that inflicts gravity damage on a successful hit.
Type: Light | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Static Electricity | A ring that when worn adds lightning damage to whatever item is held in that hand (or to an unarmed strike).
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Mothman Scale Shirt | A soft, lightweight shirt made from the scales of a slain mothman. Blocks Physical damage and downgrades incoming Upgraded dark magic to Basic level. Can be used 1x per thread.
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
Koa
// Maul the world like a carnival bear set free //
She watches helplessly as the priestess lays her hands on Astaroth. Despite her reluctance to attack the macabre version of a devoit woman, Thal feels anger flair in her chest for the pain he must be in. A low growl of warning sounds from her throat that says, 'Pick someone else.'
It's almost comical to see her standing in front of Asta like a shield, but she does it regardless, glancing over her shoulder as she tells him, "Stay behind me. I'll protect you." Spreading her arms, heat flares in front of her, forming a wall of flames to protect her friend, but it doesn't reach out, it doesn't attack, it just makes a barrier to ward off any more attacks in his direction.
Thalassa makes a wall of fire, putting herself between Astaroth and the creatures.
Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +5 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +5 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Frustration starts to singe the edges of the captain's patience as he sees another attack go wide, Jack's jaw feathering and his feet carrying him through the fog, closer to the flare of fire from a wall that the very much not right woman has conjured in front of Astaroth. Thalassa is a name that is only recently familiar to him - and in the way he's seen her from Vesper's slip in his mental shield, perhaps overly so - but to understand that she's touched by the void?
Fuck that.
Turning his attention back to the Spectral Villi and the two jets of fire directed towards it, Jack brushes off the crackle of pain that tells him of Asta's damage from the priestess and drags together the tendrils of his willpower. With a sharp exhale, he directs another slicing arc of condensed air magic in the wake of the flames, keen to keep the pressure on. And if there are any other zombies in the fog? Fuck them too.
Jack tries again with Mastered Air!
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Magic: Signal Boost | Increases the range of Passive Telepathy by 10ft
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
Air manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control the air. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Mageglass Ring | A silver ring with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered range cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Mageglass Ring | A band of silver crafted to look like waves, with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s).
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Mageglass Bracelet | A bracelet of leather and silver, decorated with a piece of polished mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Dark | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
KingMaker Coat | A coat made from the elephant-portion of the mythical KingMaker. Type 3 armour, blocks physical damage.
Type 3: Armour that is always active but has a cool down.
Blocks damage based on your character's magical-item stat with no penalties, however has a 1x per thread/3 post cool down/2 post cool down in terms of basic/upgraded/mastered. You must specify if it blocks physical or magical damage.
Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
The Spectral Villi twists away from the converging magic like a scrap of silk caught on a windless tide. Maea ’s fire flares past her cheek. Astaroth 's horizontal blast sears through the mist, catching only grave-moss and air. Jack ’s slicing arc lashes the shadows, stirring the fog into curling ribbons—but finds no purchase, and Koa 's blow toward the Knight catches only on gravemist.
The Villi laughs.
It’s a guttural, rasping sound, wrong in the shape it takes. There’s no joy in it. No mirth. Just the echo of heartbreak dressed in cruelty, reverberating off the iron doors of a hundred barrows.
She doesn’t move like a living thing. She glides, all veil and talon, reaching with long, spidery fingers that shimmer with voidlight. This time she hits. The touch lands square against Maea’s chest with a whisper, like petals brushing skin. But the pain is immediate—radiating, invasive, filthy. A brand of absence, scorched into the soul. Black vines creep from the wound beneath her clothes, threading spider-silk patterns across her ribs.
The knight barrels toward Koa again, its blade now notched and crusted with moss. The strike swings wild, carving earth and stone instead of flesh as Koa dips beneath it with firelit grace.
The child—that ragged little corpse with too many teeth—lunges again. Its skeletal hands grab at Koa ’s hip and then bite deep into his thigh. It latches on, shrieking with glee, eyes blank and shining with malevolence. The bite burns with something unnatural, and the smell of decay hits like a slap.
The priestess, untouched and hovering, moves like a drifting reed through the fog. Her empty gaze fixes on Jack. Her arms stretch outward, but for now her grasp misses. The wind shifts. The scent of ash and embalming oil is thick.
You have 24 hours to reply. Your randomly assigned posting order is: Maea: 152/279 Astaroth: 144.5/200 Koa: 259/272 Thalassa: 189/189 Jack: 300/300
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
Spectral Villis (Uncommon/Mythical): These spirits, once seeking vengeance, have become void-infused spectres. Their wails echo with the void's malevolence, and they manifest in shadows to terrorize the living. Those touched by a Spectral Villi are left with a void mark, a curse that attracts further void corruption.
Sing to me, I am not doing well Getting tired of my own words
It wasn't fun anymore. All it took was one fumble, one miscalculation, and suddenly the Villi had moved again, to appear right in front of her. Maea had no time to react before a touch like none other impacted against her chest. A vision of her beating heart being torn from its ribcage flashed through her mind for a second, but as she staggered backwards with a gasp, shoulders curving in to shield something that shouldn't be there anymore, her fingers met the same compact flesh and solid skin as usual. The pain was real, and the way it drained her strength, her life force...
But she didn't pause to analyze. Baring her fangs at the Spectral Villi in a defiant snarl, Maea turned the glaive in her hands towards herself. Pain flashed again - on her own terms - and as it carved into her left calf, she turned the surging dark power onto the Villi, in vengeful retaliation. Should it try to strike again... she could only pray to Dygra that her armor would keep her tethered to life.
Maea staggers but stays upright, and uses Mastered Bloodbane on the Spectral Villi.
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded
Valair Armour | A beautiful black dress lined with crimson, stronger by far than it appears. This item blocks physical damage. Requires a 3 post cooldown between uses.
Bloodbane (Ancient): Can injure themselves for mastered damage to weaken others at a 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself through the loudness of my own hurts
oh wouldn't that be lovely? you would torture me whisper me the reasons that you hated me
His chest still aches with that cold biting pain as he sends the fire out — only to find that it misses. That essentially all of their attempts have been thwarted someway or another. So the butcher grits his teeth, grips the cane a bit tighter, and preps himself for a fraction of a second before he feels Thal barrel in front of him like a shield.
Confusion flares for a moment with her wording, before the butcher is moving slightly so that he and Thalassa might be able to manage not being taken by surprise back to back. “Keep an eye on my back, would you?” The butcher calls to Thalassa, summoning more fire to send another sweeping arc toward the Spectral Villi. “And perhaps do something about the child?” Or Knight or Priestess. He’s currently busy attempting to get the main summoner down.
Asta moves enough to be back to back with Thal and sends another arc of fire toward the Villi.
Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Citizenship Ability:
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +5 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +5 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Things have been going remarkably well thus far. So, predictably, the next round sees everything to to shit.
Koa's punch goes wide, earning a growl of frustration from the Dragoon. Again he ducks, lunging away from the cleaving sword only to find the fucking child monster latched onto him again. "What the fuck?" he snarls, trying to dislodge the little iron-jawed shit from his thigh and maybe punch or kick it away for good measure. This is getting a little out of hands.
Time to call in the big(ish) guns.
Reaching for that thread that acts like a direct phone to divinity, Koa grits his teeth and dials 1-800-LUDO. "Hey, Ludo?" he calls to the mist, and the sky, and the world at large, "We've got a few dead people who have been plucked from Mort's halls. Any chance you'd be willing to put them back?" Hopefully the herald will be able to shepherd these shamblers back into the ground.
Koa tries to shove/punch the zombaby off, and channels Ludo!
Channeling (Accepted) : 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
Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included)
Koa
// Maul the world like a carnival bear set free //
Unaware of any confusion, Thal gives Astaroth a fanged grin at his request. "Always." She'd have his back through thick or thin, sun or storm, hell or high waters, and as he turns his back to her, she stands as a strong deterrent against the Void creatures who might attempt to attack him.
As for his second request, she glances towards the cute little zombie child, feeling very much like she'd rather do anything else than attack it. If that seems strange to her, she can only imagine how that would sound to Asta, so she steals a brief look to see that he isn't watching and offers a noncommittal, "Sure." Holding her wall of fire in place, she lets a small tendril towards the child, just enough to make it look like she's trying to attack it but too far to matter.
Thalassa keeps up the great work by continuing to ward off the creatures from Astaroth with her wall of fire.
Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +5 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +5 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Pain flares and burns through his telepathy from multiple sources, and even through the fog Jack is now fairly certain of everyone's location - except, of course, for the fucking zombies and their spectral queen. Luckily there's a few guiding bolts of fire to follow - not that it's made the slightest bit of fucking difference for him so far - but something's gotta give eventually, even bad luck. Right? Right.
And so with his jaw feathering (and his magic reeling away from Thalassa even if she's apparently doing her best to be useful right now), Jack focuses back in on the Spectral Villi, prowls forward and unleashes another slicing blade of condensed air magic. He barely gives the whisper of almost-touch from the priestess a thought, despite knowing in intimate detail (thanks Astaroth) how it would feel if she did grab hold of him.
A rinse and repeat from Jack! He tries again with Mastered Air!
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Magic: Signal Boost | Increases the range of Passive Telepathy by 10ft
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
Air manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control the air. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Mageglass Ring | A silver ring with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered range cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Mageglass Ring | A band of silver crafted to look like waves, with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s).
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Mageglass Bracelet | A bracelet of leather and silver, decorated with a piece of polished mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Dark | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
KingMaker Coat | A coat made from the elephant-portion of the mythical KingMaker. Type 3 armour, blocks physical damage.
Type 3: Armour that is always active but has a cool down.
Blocks damage based on your character's magical-item stat with no penalties, however has a 1x per thread/3 post cool down/2 post cool down in terms of basic/upgraded/mastered. You must specify if it blocks physical or magical damage.
Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own
"Technically," says Ludo, popping out of the either like a more jaunty version of the Spectral Villi, its bridal veil just a strangely arranged rag around its porcelain mask, "these aren't dead people at all, not in that sense. Their souls are still with Mort - something has just... persuaded their bodies to get up and dance." And bite, apparently.
"Besides, I have a better idea."
Waggling a rag at the Revived Child (zombaby, heh), the skeletal youth will suddenly stop in its tracks, waggle in return with its bony limbs, and peer up at Koa with suddenly vacant and innocuous eye sockets.
"There," Ludo says, waving goodbye, "now it has some friends, and you have made a new one!" And off it goes.
Thanks to Ludo, the Revived Child has become friendly for the rest of the KQ!
As Maea carves into herself, the subsequent pain she feels is dealt to the Vill as well. It lances across the battlefield like a shot through the soul, burning with purpose and power and pain. The Spectral Villi recoils, its veil snapping backward as though caught in a wind that only the dead can feel. It screams—not the shriek of a banshee this time, but a keening note of anger, warped and cracked like a music box left too long in the dark.
Then Astaroth ’s fire follows—more ragged, more vicious—and it connects. The flames rake the Villi’s arm, scorching the translucent skin until it curls and peels like old paper. She stumbles back with a sound that might be words in a dead tongue, dragging the mist with her in tattered coils.
She does not fall. But her form flickers. Falters. She turns on Maea once more with those eyeless, glowing hollows—but this time her strike slices only through air.
Behind them, Koa ’s prayer is answered. With a rustle of rags and irreverence, Ludo appears. Like a marionette painted in funeral cloth and whimsy, it speaks and waves and, with a flick of some invisible string, the once-feral Revived Child stills. The little corpse stands upright, head tilted. Then, without irony, it reaches for Koa ’s hand with a bony little clack. If it could smile, it might.
But not all is calmed.
From the fog, the Priestess reemerges—silent as a sigh and twice as cold. Her ghostly claws reach for Jack, and this time, they land. They rake through his coat at the shoulder, sinking into the leather and canvas. But the material holds. No mark. No blood. The sound of ripping fabric is loud in the muffled air, but Jack stays standing.
You have 24 hours to reply. Your randomly assigned posting order is: Maea: 106.5/279 Astaroth: 144.5/200 Koa: 259/272 Thalassa: 189/189 Jack: 300/300 *armour on cool down
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
Spectral Villis (Uncommon/Mythical): These spirits, once seeking vengeance, have become void-infused spectres. Their wails echo with the void's malevolence, and they manifest in shadows to terrorize the living. Those touched by a Spectral Villi are left with a void mark, a curse that attracts further void corruption.
Sing to me, I am not doing well Getting tired of my own words
Pain flares through her leg, through the sucking curse in her chest, and though the sound of the Villi's rage was satisfying her desire for revenge, Maea can feel her strength fade. Clutching the glaive for support, she moves as far away from the spectral figure as she can to avoid another blow.
Digging through her pockets for the small cup that she'd carried ever since Remi gifted it to her, she hauled it out and raised it to her lips, to drink down the healing water. Rather than gamble with her life and maybe die, better she use it now. Just a moment was all she needed; then she would be back in the fight again.
Maea moves away from the Villi and heals herself using Spring Water
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
Spring Water | Held in a clay cup that cannot spill, this water can fully restore the HP of anyone/anything who drinks from it and removes any status effects they might have. One use.
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded
Valair Armour | A beautiful black dress lined with crimson, stronger by far than it appears. This item blocks physical damage. Requires a 3 post cooldown between uses.
Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself through the loudness of my own hurts
oh wouldn't that be lovely? you would torture me whisper me the reasons that you hated me
"Thank you." A curl of satisfaction blooms within Asta to hear Thalassa’s agreement. Back to back, the butcher watches as his fire flares out in carnal chaos, singeing the arm of the Spectral Villi and watches as her skin peels like paper. His nose wrinkles a touch to hear her words, watching as the mist pulls away with her cloak.
And then more chaos ensues. Suddenly Ludo is there, a bit of surprise shot over toward Koa before the butcher’s continuing his assault on the Villi, fighting through the lingering biting ache of cold from the priestess’ attack, taking note that she’s over by Jack. Winding more of the fire together, the butcher aims the cannon of flame back at the Spectral Villi, hoping that Thal keeps the rest of the spirits from reaching him again.
Asta stays with Thal and focuses his jet of fire back on the Villi again.
Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Citizenship Ability:
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Regional Score bonus: +5 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +5 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
