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!
05-01-2025, 08:10 AM (This post was last modified: 05-01-2025, 09:32 AM by Maea.)
I see your true colors shining through
The sun was lowering on the horizon, marking the end of another hot, sun-bright day. The air beneath the freshly leafed trees was close and heady with the scent of flowers and greenery, and any gust of wind that cooled sweaty brows was welcome to most of the group. Preparing to make a sweep around the Sidhe Village to route any Void Creatures about to encroach on the settlement, Maea was checking her gear while keeping an eye on the other participants in this patrol. Being in charge, even nominally, chafed against a deep scar in her confidence, though it was hard to tell from a glance. Her pale features seemed only collected and calm, if a bit withdrawn - easily excused as concentration, if one didn't know her well enough to read between the lines.
"Don't forget to bring lanterns," she reminded them, after nearly leaving her own behind while going through her pack. "It'll be pitch black beneath the trees." The day patrol had said there were signs of Void activity in the area, but they hadn't found anything. That meant the odds of them running into something were good... or bad, depending on how you saw it.
"Is everyone about ready?"
Welcome to this Void hunt PQ! This will be a low-stakes adventure, no death! 4 rounds, please summarize your actions at the bottom of the post for clarity.
Of course Liam wasn't going to let Maea go out and have all the fun (read: go out into danger alone), so he arrived alongside her and began to check over his own gear. He had his sword - a simple, basic weapon, nothing like the enchanted one he hoped to complete soon - and a dagger, a bag with some basic hiking essentials, and a lantern, as requested by Maea.
He straightened to give her a small, encouraging smile as they waited for the rest of the party to prepare. Since he was ready, he went around to check on the rest, making sure they had lanterns and that they were well-equipped. It might not be his hunt, but he was determined that Maea wouldn't lose anyone today.
---
Liam arrives with a basic sword, a basic dagger, and a bag containing hiking basics (i.e. snacks, water, first aid kit). He readies his gear and makes sure everyone has a lantern per Maea's instruction.
Apparently Nova missed the memo about 'weapons' (isn't she fearsome enough?), so when she joined the others, she had little more than the sparkly pin in her hair to fight with - not that it bothered her any. She skipped into the group like the heat wasn't pressing against them from every side. That might also be due to the slight breeze that her magic stirred with each movement, a slight shimmer to it that others might notice as illusion magic.
Spotting the pale Ancient, Nova waved her hand excitedly. "Hi Maea! I brought my lantern!" Hers was more decorative than functional, but the light still filtered through the starry cutouts when she raised it for her to see. The light caught against her teal and blonde hair, making the pearly sheen of her dress flash in the darkness. It was almost as bright as her smile that stretched the white stars of her freckles.
Nova arrives as woefully unprepared as usual! She has herself, a pretty lantern, and her peppy energy!
When it seemed that no others were coming, Maea turned to Liam and Nova, a smile and a nod acknowledging their lanterns and efforts to prepare.
"That's good. Looks like it'll just be us alone... make sure to stick together and call out if you need help."
Her eyes lingered pointedly on Nova, with the girl's exuberance and the unfortunate end to their last adventure in fresh memory.
Leading the way out of the village, darkness closed in around them as the lights from the settlement faded. Before long the glow of their lanterns became an island in the blackness, the limit their perception ending just a few feet past Maea's outermost reach. Anything past that was unknown, a mystery enveloped in subtle dread.
"Keep an eye on the ground, we need to find the tracks the guards were talking about," she said, keeping her voice at a hush. The light was enough of a target already; they didn't need to bugle their presence to the entire region.
Round 1! Search for any tracks that lead towards the Sidhe Village.
Orbs of light beckon and call from the darkened angles and shadows of trees. Were those whispers of your friends? Family? Fallen allies?
Was that a scream? Could they be in trouble?
Is it all in your head? Just your imagination?
Or something else altogether – because what if it’s true?
You’ve encountered a Will-O-Wisp. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.
Will-O-Wisps (common): Glowing orbs of light that dance and weave between the branches, despite their usefulness, these creatures are not to be trusted. Mischievous and loyal to no one, they will lead travellers astray at a moment's notice.
Joining their party was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, who seemed to have both the exuberance and naivete of youth. She appeared with a lantern, but no weapons, and in a dress, no less. Liam had to remind himself that Maea's armor also took the form of a dress - so perhaps this girl was more fearsome than she first appeared. Still, when Maea's eyes lingered on the girl as she voiced her warning, the soldier made a mental note to keep an eye out for her even if she could take care of herself. "Hello," he said with a friendly smile as he finished checking over his own equipment. "I'm Liam."
With introductions out of the way, Maea led them into the darkness. Lights from the village faded behind them, leaving them to follow the glow of the lanterns. Darkness enveloped their little island of light, but that didn't stop Liam from keeping a keen eye on the ground, searching for the tracks that Maea had mentioned. He wandered to the edge of their group, trying to extend visibility as he searched, keeping one eye on the girl with the teal-colored hair all the while.
---
Liam searches for tracks, while keeping one eye on Nova!
Giggling, Nova gave Maea a playful salute before turning to the man she didn't recognize. Her hand came up in an energetic wave, more of her illusion magic making the air ripple with sparkles around the movement. "Hi Liam! I'm Nova! I look behind to working with you!" She rocked forward on the balls of her feet, her smile vibrant despite the darkness around them (or the fumbling of the phrase).
As she twirled around to work her way down the path, a low hum sounded from her throat, soft but light. Doing as Maea instructed, she looked down at the ground, concentrating her eyes so much that they became reflective in the night, their pupils narrowing to those of her feline form. It certainly made it easier to see in the dark, although she was immediately distracted by a nearby glow. Gasping, she skipped forward. "Wow! What are those?"
Nova shifts her eyes to those of her tide jaguar so she can see better in the dark! (Then gets distracted by the will-o-wisp.)
In the dark it was difficult to see much of anything. It could have been a completely ordinary evening, if it wasn't for the silence hovering over the woods.
As will-o-wisps emerged off the side of the path, Liam spotted a patch of infected grass in the faint glow, right next to a curious wave-like pattern in a sandy patch of dirt. Not paw prints or hooves, but like something had slithered across...
Maea didn't see it, but called out to the girl anyway as she broke away. "Hey, be careful –"
A moment later, Nova skipped right over the track, straight for the wisps - and from the branches above her a tangle of void vipers dislodged, and came crashing down right atop of the girl. Heavy coils of void-black snake writhed to find purchase around her neck and shoulders, hissing and snapping at her whenever she moved.
Round 2: Oh no! Nova stumbled into a cluster of Void Vipers! Maybe help her get them off...
Void Vipers (Common): Once inquisitive Hanging Snakes, touched by the void, transform into Void Vipers. Their slender bodies now bear patterns that seem to absorb light, making them almost imperceptible in the shadowy depths of the woods. Instead of curiously exploring, they now slither with a purpose, seeking to entwine themselves around unsuspecting wanderers and imbuing them with a void-touched presence.
She barely heard Maea's words before the world seemed to fall around her - or better yet, on her. There was a lot of hissing and wriggling, plus some sounds from the vipers. Nova let out a squeaking squeal of surprise, instinctually dropping her lantern to free her hands.
They wrapped around her limbs, small fangs digging into her skin around her exposed arms and legs. "OWWWAHH!!!" It was a mixed cry of indignation and pain that immediately sent her into action. Not waiting for someone to save her, she lashed out with her magic. It was a twisting cyclone of air and water that attempted to peel them off her, ice cracking wherever it made contact with the purple scales. She was like a maelstrom of icy chaos, although she at least tried to contain it to just herself.
Nova uses a combination of air and water magic to push/freeze the vipers!
Air manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate the air. Must be within a 30ft radius and allows the user to levitate medium-large sized objects up to 5ft above the ground . Control is excellent.
Type: Grey | Rank: Upgraded
Water manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control water. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
Liam had no sooner spotted something - a patch of darkened, infected grass flanked by some kind of tracks - than all hell broke loose. Seemingly enchanted by the wisps, Nova skipped across the tracks - and right into a next of void vipers, which fell upon her in a sudden cacophony of squeals and hissing. Liam leapt forward, reaching for Nova with his free hand, aiming to snatch a handful of snakes and yank them upward (hopefully not injuring her in the process), but then -
A cyclone of air and water appeared around the girl, and as the water began to freeze, Liam jerked his hand (and any vipers he'd managed to snag) out of the way with a hiss of surprise. He'd underestimated Nova - she had more abilities than he'd given her credit for, and he was impressed that she'd been able to think so quickly while under duress. Still, he wasn't sure if her cyclone had worked, and he held up his lantern to see better.
---
Liam reaches out to try and yank some of the void vipers away from Nova! Also holds his lantern up to see better.
