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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!
Anyone watching would have found Sol's following expression the epitome of comedy. His maw was hanging partially open with an assortment of cheese and meats overflowing from between his teeth, his eyes were about as big as the saucer Mittens had expelled from his mouth, and his wings dangled limp at his side, all signs of competitiveness vanishing in an instant. However, it was quickly replaced by playful delight, the dragon bouncing up and down with small grumbles that encouraged the snowball to do it again.
Zavien chuckled at the suggestion he'd made almost a year ago. "Right. It just might be smarter to make it a picnic under the trees or a meal inside one of the inns nearby. I'd prefer not to have those kind of sparks on our trip." He shot her a playfully dazzling smile before listening for her other suggestions.
His head nodded along, content to see all of the Grounds if they had the time. But mention of riding a boat certainly caught his interest more than the other ideas, and he grinned, bright and excited. "Ooh. I like that idea. You could swim along the side of the boat." He tried to imagine it, but realized something that made his gaze turn to Lena again. "I don't think I've seen your water shift yet." In fact, he'd only seen her as a bird, and he briefly wondered what her other shifts might look like.
The real tragedy is men who are afraid of the light
Mittens didn’t need encouragement, especially from its sworn rival (of which only one of them probably knew about), but gods if it didn’t deliver on the stupidity and unhinged peaks. Next up was the meats tray, and it gobbled and hoovered and vacuumed the sentiments within until there was nothing left but the plate, and with another burp and heave, that too was tossed into the air, before it sized up the potential sandwiches nearby. It likely looked like it would explode at any moment – a snowball suddenly three times too large, or perhaps the very bottom layer of a snowman.
Too invested in the current conversation to glance over at the picnic wreckage, she laughed, head shaking and a pretense of eye-rolling at the horrendous joke. Then there were other forms of entertainment though, and her smile rounded with glee. “That could work! It’s an encantado – one of the pink dolphins you’ve probably seen on all your adventures,” at least, she’d been known to admire them – mischievous and powerful all the same. “I haven’t had much reason to use it lately,” to which she shrugged – mostly everything had either kept her tied and tethered to the Celestine and Stormbreak, or out amongst her friends, assisting where she could in small snippets of time.
With the snowball's impressive consumption and resulting bloat, Sol was even more willing to encourage the eating. There was a curious excitement that flowed down the bond, although whether it was a desire to see Mittens explode or just to see how large he could get was anyone's guess. Regardless, Sol continued snapping at what foods he could reach, egging the other companion to follow suit with muffled chirps and flapping wings.
Distracted by his own conversation and Lena's delightful reaction to his joke, Zavien barely noticed the chaos on the blanket ahead. His eyes were too focused on the gleeful expression on her face, sharing in her joy like it was a blanket they could cozy up under. "Really?! That's so cool! I bet swimming feels like flying for them." He'd only seen the creatures a few times, one of which had been his uncomfortable interaction with Maea, but he still like how playful and energetic they were. The idea of Lena being an encantado fit perfectly, and he found himself eager for the day to arrive.
Zavien was starting to pick up on the insanity ahead, but he hung onto the comfortable moment between them, reluctant to let it end. Smiling, he gave Lena a crookedly charming grin. "Do you have a favorite shift? Any others that I haven't seen?"
The real tragedy is men who are afraid of the light
Enamored, she hummed again, contemplating the fixtures. “Something like that!” She’d done both – so the semblance of freedom amidst the elements was something she encouraged and thrived and loved –
And any notion of answering the other questions was wholly disassembled by the scene before them.
Meal thoroughly inhaled. Mittens not even bothering to look ashamed. Sol’s encouragement. The demolition of the picnic. “Oh my,” she whispered, slightly in shock, uncertain where to even begin, save for a warning through their companion bond. Only then did the snowball dare to glance away, but it could’ve been contemplating eating the plates again. “Gods, I’m so sorry,” Lena began, immediately rushing over to start cleaning up whatever remained, struggling to teeter over the disaster with a laugh or just shake her head. “I think this has been a valuable lesson though,” in that she wasn’t going to leave Mittens out of her line of sight for long ever again.
