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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!
06-16-2025, 03:31 PM (This post was last modified: 06-18-2025, 07:32 AM by Koa.)
You won't stay with me, I know
It had taken time to settle in, and more to choose a spot. But now Koa stands with his hands on his hips, giving the building they've selected a speculative look. Settled on the outskirts of town, the squat, double-story structure looks like it may once have been a church, or inn; now it's rather dilapidated, with vines of ivy trying their best break in, additional sheds and storage in the back, and a large open courtyard that opens into rolling hills of Mourn, overgrown with wildflowers and weeds.
But what Koa really loves is the round spire-like addition protruding from the Eastern wall, its windows open to the rising sun. He's already got designs to make it his office, because fuck it, he can.
Reaching up to pat Pip's head, Koa scratches behind her horns. "It's not home, bit it'll do." He's put up fliers and spread the word: he's hopefully to see new faces as well as old, because why not use this opportunity to spread the good word of the Dragoons?
PQ to set up the new Dragoon Headquarters! All comers welcome, especially those interested in learning more about the guild!
Lena still felt unmoored – despite every nicety thrown their way. Perhaps it would take her more than a few weeks to be fine and safe and secure – or less homesick for the inevitable gardens of the Celestine, the restlessness clawing between her veins at the thought of her wayward animals, and everything else adrift.
But she would help, just as she always did – head held low or high or somewhere in between, so when Koa announced they’d be securing new Dragoons headquarters, she arrived, staff tucked neatly in her bag, Mittens hovering at her shoulder. “Here to assist,” she murmured to him, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, stung and strung somewhere, before her gaze went over the building – figuring they could make it work.
06-17-2025, 10:59 PM (This post was last modified: 06-18-2025, 09:13 PM by Colt.)
COLT
Usually a drink will do the trick Take the edge off quick A long gone drive, you know the kind Where you take a turn and you don't know why But it clears your mind, a surefire cure
She had offered to help in whatever way she could, and her hands, and her horsepower is one such way. Not entirely sure what would be needed she didn't go all out and bring her wagon and team, doesn't really keep many of the stockier horses on hand to begin with either, but she's got a horse with her that she trusts to work hard. The bay gelding, Chip, halts easy under the request of her seat. "Hey," she greets, glancing from Koa to Lena, hat tipping faintly in greeting.
She slips out of the saddle and sets the reins against the back of the horn, grabbing at Chip's soft nose to deliver an unwanted kiss. "Chip and I are here to help, however we can. Wasn't sure if he could haul anything for you or not, so brought a harness and straps if needed." It's bundled behind the saddle, a bulge that had faintly jingled with every step here. "Hi, I'm Colt," she says with a smile towards any gathered who she doesn't know.
I need somethin' stronger That'll last a little longer I could use a love song
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Zavien comes to stand next to Koa, doing his best to see the building for what it could be rather than what it is right now - a crumbling skeleton of a haunted house. Smiling, he shrugs his shoulders as he agrees, "Just needs a little fixing up." His eyes find Lena next to him, shooting her a wink to match his playful words. "And maybe a woman's touch?" He can see the tension in her body, the same way establishing a new base makes everything feel more... real, but in spite of every instinct telling him to fight the change, Zavien does his best to embrace it and see the positives (which admittedly aren't many).
A new face is just what they need to keep from falling into old hopes and memories, so when a woman approaches with her horse, the Dragoon gives her his friendliest smile. "Hi Colt. I'm Zavien, this is Lena, and Koa's our fearless leader." He uses small gestures to indicate each name before offering a hand of greeting that's promptly interrupted by a small gold scaled head that nudges against his leg in reminder.
Chuckling, Zavien rolls his eyes affectionately before adding, "Oh. And I can't forget the companions: Chip, this is Sol, Mittens, and Pipsqueak." Sol puffs his chest and casts out his membranous wings, chirping a greeting and waddling up to receive any treats the woman may have for him.
Koa's eyes light up at Lena's arrival, a warm smile spreading over his tired face. He sweeps her into a firm hug, Pipsqueak extending her neck to press her head on the side of Lena's face. "Glad you came." He hasn't had a chance to properly catch up with the Caretaker, not since their world got flipped upside-down, but seeing her now makes the ache of their losses that much better and worse.
Zavien gets a hug, too, Pip jumping from the Dragoon's shoulder to go swap war stories with Sol. Then Colt is there, a horse in tow, and Koa casts her a broad grin. "I'm sure we can find plenty for Chip to do." Like haul out dead plants, or whatever horrors await them inside the untouched property.
Clapping his hands together, Koa turns to face his small crew. "Alright, so. We have some contractors coming in a few hours, but I thought it'd be good for us to get a handle on what all needs doing before they show up." He glances between them, mustering all the leaderly enthusiasm he possibly can. "Obviously the grounds will need to be cleared out before we can set up a training area. I think I spotted some trees out back that'll need to come down, and I can't imagine those sheds are in great shape. And then inside... well, I've looked around a little, but not enough to really know how much work'll have to be done." Grimacing slightly, Koa shakes his head. "How about we split into teams? Lena and Colt, you guys check out the back while Zav and I poke around outside?" He looks at each as he hands out assignments, hoping Zavien and Lena won't protest being split up. "Then we can reconvene back here in, say, half an hour to come up with a plan for when the construction crew shows up."
Round 1! Time to scope out what needs doing. Lena and Colt, please check out the outside area. Zavien and Koa, you're going into the haunted house.
Please describe some things you find in your post! Feel free to be as creative as you want!
She gave Zavien a playful arch to her brow, not commenting on the ‘woman’s touch’ line, and instead listening to the directions at hand. There was no protest from her, and she already had an idea in mind. Inclining her head towards Colt with her a small smile, she offered some notions and inclinations towards scouting. “I can fly overhead, if that will make things easier.” Things to spot, with avian eyes pinpointing and searching.
Once that was agreed upon, the Attuned altered – into silver and pink plumage – catching on warm thermals and air, brandishing out over the designated area. There were the dilapidated sheds, and hordes of trees that had scuffed over rooftops and down along pathways spotted almost immediately, along with some merely residing in a space that would inevitably be the training area – though that made Lena a little despondent to think of, when they could just use the space with the timber in tact –
She gave a gentle coo downwards, as if to ask what Colt had found.
--
Lena scouts the outside area in her bird shift!
we are more weather pattern than stone monument sunlight on mist; summer lightning
Usually a drink will do the trick Take the edge off quick A long gone drive, you know the kind Where you take a turn and you don't know why But it clears your mind, a surefire cure
Zavien is kind, but a bit like a dog with paws too big, so you always end up with your feet stepped on. Colt only politely inclines her head though, smile wrinkling the edges of her lips, appreciative of his introductions even if she's met most of them. The companions gathered alongside each of them though, she is grateful to know the names of, and drops to a crouch as Sol squawks towards her with proud gusto. "Hey Sol," she murmurs, one hand held out, palm up, for him to inspect. "Only got hay crumbs, I'm afraid," she says with a wrinkle of her nose in apology as he sniffs her fingers and is left wanting.
She straightens as Koa lays out his plans, nodding as she swings back onto Chip's back. "Good idea," she calls out to Lena, just before the woman changes and flies away on steady, vibrant wings that earn an appreciative trace of Colt's gaze. That does seem like fun, she has to admit.
Chip pivots under the weight of a rein and together they set off at a steady trot out and around the back portions of the land. "Some of the trees look a bit dead in here!" Colt calls up to Lena, motioning with a jerk of her head. The exterior of the trees in the collection appear healthy, but they've crowded and some of the interior ones have become pale and hollow, unable to compete for light and other resources. "Those would be easy to remove, and helpful too." Better to remove the fire hazard and let the still living trees thrive a bit better.
As for one of the buildings, it made a hissing noise where her and Chip pass by. "Whoa," she murmurs to the gelding as she sinks on her back pockets, weight settling into his abrupt halt. Colt leans over the horn, squinting down at the scuffed dirt. "Looks like something has a den here," she waves to Lena, knowing the woman specializes in this a lot better than she.
Colt scouts out back on Chip, she points out some dead trees and something is living in one of the old sheds
I need somethin' stronger That'll last a little longer I could use a love song
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Accepting the hug from Koa - with a lingering grasp that says more than his words can - Zavien watches as Sol gives a smoky huff of resignation for his lack of treats, still offering Colt a small boop with his nose in greeting before trotting off to join Pip in recounting their recent heroics (they'd played a pivotal role after all).
He throws Lena another playful smile before he moves to enter the eerie house. "Okay Koa, let's go tell these ghosts that they need to vacate the premises." Not that he wants to find ghosts haunting the building, but it's hard to believe the possibility is zero when he sees tattered curtains fluttering in the window like a grieving mother looking for company.
Sol decides he'd much rather stay outside and chat with Pip than join the Dragoons (coward), but Zavien shrugs his shoulders and works his way up the creaking front steps. When he reaches for the doorknob, it doesn't turn so much as fall, pulling him forward with the weight of the ashen wood as it crashes inward. He lets go before it can bury him beneath the infrastructure, but he still lets out a surprised huff of breath. "I guess we'll need a new door. Unless you just want anyone coming in?" His eyes turn to Koa, glittering with amusement at the poor start to their search.
Doing his best not to step on the splintered board of wood, Zavien ducks into the dusty front room that smells simultaneously musty and dry, windows thick with grime that casts the sunlight into the space with a depressing gray mood. He holds back a sneeze as he takes in the cracked floorboards and peeling wallpaper that looks more like bark than whatever colorful design they'd had originally. "Cheerful," he mutters under his breath.
A sharp, wailing whistle echoes down the stairs, melancholy and calling for companionship. Zavien rocks back, suspicious of the noise as he takes in the crooked planks of the stairs, wondering if they'll be strong enough for him to investigate the sound.
Zavien heads inside the haunted house with Koa to find the doors falling off the hinges, the steps in disarray, and a strange whistling coming from upstairs.
Making their way into the copse of trees, Lena and Colt quickly identify the problem children in the grove. There are three that will need to be taken down, and hopefully the women will have marked them in some way so the contractors will know where to focus their attention when they show up later. As for the shed? Should she peek in from above, Lena will be able to make out a small nest of incredibly ugly dream bird chicks. The mother is nowhere to be found. The shed itself is incredibly decrepit, really just one strong gust of wind (or one particularly hungry wolf) away from falling right on down. It'll have to go at some point, the question is: what's to be done with the birds?
Meanwhile, Koa and Zavien make their way into the run down house, which starts quite inauspiciously as Zav doesn't so much open the door as get thoroughly bullied by it, stumbling forward in a cloud of dust that leaves Koa coughing and waving his hand. "Ideally we can keep the destruction to a minimum," he comments wryly, pulling out a notebook to jot down this first necessary repair.
The interior is hardly the scene he'd hoped for, but it's not the smote ruins of a dragon-demolished tower, so they got that going for them, which is nice. Koa's popped his head into what seems to be a large dining room - complete with massive, spiderweb-entombed table and desiccated fruit basket - when the sharp whistle has him jolting back, the floorboards creaking beneath his steps.
"The fuck was that?" Koa asks suspiciously, coming back to peer over Zavien's shoulder up the questionable stair. "Probably the wind," he answer his own question with an admirable degree of forced confidence, though the lines between his eyebrows say he's quite far from convinced. But leaders must lead, so he forces himself to face his uncertainty and conquer the ascent. The first step goes fine, the second screams in protest, but somehow he makes it up the flight without anything collapsing under his weight. His grin is bright as he turns back to Zavien. "C'mon, let's scope it out."
Beyond, the pair will find a the landing splitting in two. To the north it wraps around in a hallway that extends into two small and one large open doors. To the south it leads to what appears to be some sort of conference room, and beyond the stairwell to the turret on which Koa's set his sights.
This, of course, is where the fucking wail is coming from.
"Okay, well." Squaring his shoulders, Koa shifts his jaw. "Nothing for it. Let's go fuck up some ghosts, eh?" He's joking, mostly, but a part of him is growing ever more convinced he's chosen a haunted house in which to build his guild.
Lena and Colt have found three hella dead trees and a dream bird nest! What will you do?
Zavien and Koa follow the wailing! It seems to be coming from the turret! Shall we investigate?
Her careful gaze hadn’t missed the chicks; laden amongst the old decrepit shed. With a soft sigh, she ventured downward, mind already flowing over how to potentially ensure the little ones survived, while also maintaining some order with the other things they had to accomplish. “There are some chicks that need to be taken care of,” she mentioned, pointing them out to Colt. “I can handle them, if you want to mark which trees need to be removed?”
If they were in agreement, the Attuned could move towards the structure itself; afraid it’d come crashing down on her if she wasn’t too careful. Keeping and maintaining her calm, given who she was, she whispered kind words and permitted the soothing gestures within her Attuned adornments, and gently plucked the nest from the wooden beams.
--
Lena makes suggestions to Colt, then goes to take care of the chicks.
Usually a drink will do the trick Take the edge off quick A long gone drive, you know the kind Where you take a turn and you don't know why But it clears your mind, a surefire cure
Colt nods at Lena's suggestion, more than happy to leave the wildlife to the zoo's caretaker. Colt has a mind for critter care, but it definitely doesn't compare, not unless it moos or neighs. "Birds are alllll you!" she calls out, overly chipper with the shift of responsibility as she swings her horse around and heads back to where she'd seen the dead trees.
They return at a lope, not needing the slower speed for looking as much as the quick removal of distance to finish the task at hand and move onto the next. The familiar cluster of branches and shadow reappears soon enough, causing leather and steed alike to groan as the pace quickly tucks into a graceless slow and eventual halt. She slips from the saddle in a single motion, reins tossed over her shoulder as she rummages in a saddle bag for the best marker she can think of.
"This shit always proves useful," she tells Chip as she pulls out a bundle of baling twine, leftovers from an opened bale some other day. The threads are vibrant and sturdy, capable of weathering out here until the contractors come, and too bright to be lost easily. She slips a pocket knife between her teeth as Chip and her weave into the small copse. A few knots and some flashes of the blade and each tree is neatly marked with neon tails that flutter off the dead limbs like the worst gift wrapping.
"That should do it," she tells Chip with a nod of approval as she stuffs the rest of the twine back into the saddlebag, but the knife she slips between her right pantleg and boot, half expecting she might need it again.
Colt marks the dead trees with baling twine
I need somethin' stronger That'll last a little longer I could use a love song
Received a Gilded Market wig from Remi that resembles her usual hair and is enchanted to stay on better than most wigs | has a reverse centaur tattoo on her left hand with the legs going down her pointer and middle fingers that looks like this.
Scoffing, Zavien shakes his head. "I didn't destroy anything. It was already like that." And now that they've heard the wailing sound, he wonders if they might get a chance to meet the culprit.
His look is as enthusiastic as Koa's, an optimistic grin on his face. "You're right. It's probably the wind." But as the suggestion to investigate is posed, he swallows the apprehension that builds, giving a nod of his head and moving forward without hesitation. After all, ghosts can't be that bad, right? Although he's never met one, so....
Proceeding with a respectable level of caution, Zavien makes his way up the stairs, the wood creaking and squealing loud enough that if the sound isn't the wind, it certainly knows they're coming. Still, he makes his way up, assessing the layout with a trained eye. The wail draws his gaze towards the partially cracked door leading to the turret. "I don't know. Maybe we can convince them to join the guild. The wailing might be a good battle tactic." He shoots Koa a playful look before making his way forward, his spine stiff and sword at the ready despite his teasing words.
Lena's skill with animal and innate abilities certainly serve here well here. The chicks (three of the, adorably hideous little pre-fledges with pink faces and bulging eyes and six naked wings apiece) begin to cheep eagerly as the caretaker dislodges their little nest, clearly convinced she has come on behalf of their mother to deliver food.
A mother who is just now making her return, belly full of dead things to regurgitate to her young. And as is the way in the animal kingdom, the sound of her babies sets her on full alarm, ready to see what fool has decided to intrude upon her nest. Unfortunately it's not Lena she spots first but Colt, the rancher being near enough for the mama bird to mistakenly peg as a threat. With a piercing shriek it dives toward the blonde, red beak open wide to reveal a mouth of tiny, horrifying teeth. Its talons extended, it seems ready to try and snatch the human by her hair. Whatever shall you do?
Meanwhile the boys have made it to the base of the turret, exchanging teasing, playful looks as they ready to climb the stairs. "Last time I fought alongside a dead thing it wound up being pretty useful," Koa concedes, remembering the ragged zombaby that had changed sides midway through a fight. He pulls the door open for Zavien, wincing as it shrieks on its hinges. "Maybe we could get it on scouting duty? It'd be great to have a soldier who was invisible and couldn't be killed."
The tower is in a surprisingly good state of repair, all things considered. Narrow wooden stairs are lined with moth-eaten carpet, but they don't show any signs of rot or potential to collapse under the mens' weight. Another door waits at the top of the staircase; Koa glances uneasily at Zavien as the sound of scuffling is heard beyond it, his wrapped hands balling into fists. "Right behind you," he whispers, nodding for the other Dragoon to reveal the threat that lies beyond.
As the door swings open, another high-pitched wail whistles through the tower, and now they can clearly see that one of the windows is fully open, a breeze rushing through to rustle all the stray paper and detritus within.
And there, perched within the windowsill: an old, wizened, Cockatrice.
It fixes the men with one beady eye; the other is missing, hideous scarring suggesting he'd lost it in a fight. Mangy feathers puff and rise along its scaled neck as it digs gnarled, arthritic talons into the old wood. It appears more than ready to do violence at a moment's notice, without much need to be provoked. "Fuck," Koa hisses, eyes wide as he gapes over Zavien's shoulder. "Think we can get rid of it without a fight?"
Round 3! Lena has successfully dislodged the dreambird nest, but the sound of her babies has put mama bird on alert, and she's now attacking Colt!
Koa and Zavien have made it to the turret, only to discover it is the nesting place of an old, mean looking cockatrice
Willing to joke away the nerves as they creep up the stairs, Zavien lets out a quiet laugh as he whispers back, "That's a good point, although Melita might fit a lot of those requirements." Loud enough to be a distraction? Definitely. Invisible? He's seen it a few times. Unable to die? He doesn't know if she's immortal yet, but it certainly feels like it. Overall, he seriously considers recruiting her but holds a healthy level of respect for whatever chaos she brings with her.
The sound of movement draws his attention, a strange sort of scuffling that gives no hints as to what it may be, although he doesn't think ghosts usually make those kinds of sounds. Zavien is about to reach for the door when Koa pipes up. He knows he's just letting him go first so he can get the brunt of whatever insanity lies beyond, but he doesn't mind too much, rolling his eyes with a muttered "Thanks."
There's momentary relief when he sees what they face before he notices just how battle scarred this bird is. He gets the feeling it's faced worse than them. "I highly doubt it, but I'd hate to hurt the thing..." Or more likely: for it to hurt them. Keeping the door partially closed like a protective barrier, he doesn't take his eyes off the cockatrice as he mutters, "Maybe we can smoke it out? The window's already open..."
Zavien suggests they close the door and smoke it out. XD
