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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!
I nod, curling my fingers around my glass, the chill of it stark against the warmth in my chest. “I think I really like Halo,” I say softly. “I mean, yeah, it’s freezing, and the snow gets in everything, and I might’ve almost lost a toe to the cold once, but… there’s something about the trees there. And the way the quiet feels alive.”
I pause, rolling the glass gently between my hands.
“I avoided it for a long time. That’s where we lost Dad when the world just ruptured.” I glance toward the torches, watching the flames flicker. “But now, I kind of hold on to the fact that all our last best memories were made there too.”
I take another sip, then glance back at her, a grin tugging at my mouth. “Mom said you were the best hunter and tracker she ever knew. You tracked her to a whole different world.” I nudge her with my elbow, playfully but impressed. “That’s the kind of thing I’d brag about in every conversation, if it were me.”
I shrug a little, smile going wry on the topic of Ronin. “I am used to people being overprotective. Even though I'm perfectly damn capable.” I grin again, sheepish. “Still. Even I can admit that going up against Pierce probably would’ve been a mistake. I like my bones unshattered.”
And when my Nonna pulls me in, her arm around my shoulders, I lean into her without thinking. The motion just fits. Like I’ve done it my whole life.
Her words land like fire in my gut—hot and bold and a little unreal. I blink at her, incredulous, and then laugh, caught off guard by the fierceness of it. “Gods, Nonna.” I’m grinning, teeth and all, before ducking to take a long sip of my drink. I let it burn its way down, same way her words do.
“I just want to help,” I say after a second, quieter but still sure. “I want to make a difference. Somewhere. To someone.”
and life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror,
but my god, you're alive and it's spectacular
"Oh? I confess, that's one of the places I never got the chance to explore," Vai says of Halo, though the curiosity sparkles in her blue eyes. "I suppose that just means you'll have to go there and explore it for me, and tell me all about it whenever I get the chance to come back and visit, mm?" Her expression softens, of course, as Theea explains more about her relationship to the region, and she gives her a gentle squeeze.
"It's important," she agrees, "to let ourselves feel the good and the bad about the places that mean a lot to us. I was worried the family might avoid the Greatwood, since that's where I left them. But it's where I also felt most alive, so I like to think they can sense me there." Perhaps it's the same for her father.
Sipping at her wine before scoffing at Ashe's blatant compliment, Vai grins out across the party where, even now, she's subtly tracking her daughter's movements, and she shrugs her shoulders. "Why brag about that when I could brag about her, and you, and the rest of my family? She's the reason I went looking after all," she says with a grin. "And if it helps, I'm still overprotective of her, even though she's also more than capable. So it's not just you."
Reaching out to tease a lock of dark hair back out of her face, Vai positively beams to hear Theea's ambitions. "Well," she says, "you've already made all the difference to me, just getting to know you. I think the rest of the world won't know what's hit them, when you really get going."
I let out a quick laugh. “Alright, but if I’m reporting back, I’m making it sound way cooler than it is. ‘Nonna, you won’t believe it—I tamed a wild frost giant and rode it through a blizzard to save an orphaned fox.’” My grin tilts wry, but it eases into something softer. “I think you’re probably right. About him being there. Maybe it’s just me wanting it to be true, but… I’ll take it.”
Her bit about the Greatwood hits deeper than I expect, and I give her arm a light squeeze.
“Leaving pieces of yourself behind…It’s like the places you love keep a version of you safe, no matter what happens.”
When she deflects the credit, I give her an exaggerated look of disbelief. “You tracked Mom to another world and you’re just gonna sit here like it’s nothing? No. Sorry. That’s top-tier bragging rights right there. If I ever manage something like that, I’m never shutting up about it.”
She tucks my hair back, and for some reason it makes my chest feel too full for a second. I swallow it down, take a sip of my drink, and manage a lopsided smile. “Guess I can retire now. Made a difference to Nonna—mission accomplished. Time to live in a cottage with a dog, maybe learn to knit.”
I rest my shoulder lightly against hers. “But… I really do want to help. I want the world to notice me for something good. Preferably not the kind of thing that gets me wanted posters in three regions.” Yes mom, that’s a callout.
and life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror,
but my god, you're alive and it's spectacular
you give her something she can hold in her palms without crushing,
you give her something sweet
and tell her to keep it.
I step back into view just in time to catch her last line, my eyebrow climbing. “Wanted posters? Gods, Theea—please tell me you’re not chasing that kind of family legacy.” My voice is warm, teasing, but the look I give her makes it clear I’ll be digging for details later if I have to.
Sliding onto the other side of Vai, I lean into her shoulder like I’ve done it a hundred times, like I never forgot how. The slight buzz in my veins smooths the edges of the night, makes it easier to breathe. Easier to just be here without measuring how much time is left before I have to walk away again.
I reach across my mom’s lap and find Theea’s hand, curling my fingers around hers. My thumb moves in slow, absent circles against her knuckles, and the words slip free before I can think better of them.
“I love you both,” I murmur, my grin lingering but my voice low, a little thick. And for once, I don’t let guilt or regret creep in. Not tonight. I just hold on, take a deep breath, and let the moment root itself in me. “This feels like enough to keep me going for a while.”
"As a storyteller myself, I'll only be enamoured with any flourishes you add to your adventures," Vai assures Theea with a grin. "And it's you wanting him there that makes it true, sweet girl. Places have memory and words have power. If you think he'd be reaching out to you from Halo, chances are he is - you just have to reach back." Squeezing her upper arm where she remains in that half embrace, she nods her agreement at the sentiment. "That's what I like to think as well," she says softly. "The trees in the Greatwood remember me, even now I'm no longer there."
Jostling Theea playfully as she refuses to let the subject of her tracking days drop, Vai lets out a laugh and shrugs her shoulders. "I'd fully expect you to brag - and if you didn't, I'd brag enough for you. Which is how things tend to work for me as well," she points out. "And you know, I always wanted a dog. You can retire to my old Greatwood cottage and get a puppy if you want."
Glancing up as Ashe reappears, seemingly drawn by her own criminal past, Vai's grin slants towards something mischievous and she reaches out to snag at her daughter, tucking her against her other side. "I love you too. Both of you," she whispers, pressing a kiss to each of their temples while they're too close to do anything about it. "Get used to this sort of thing, if you stick around. It'll be enough to keep you going forever." She beams.
When the lantern finally starts to dim and it's time for the witch and the other spirits to depart, Vai reluctantly leaves them, but not with a goodbye - such things don't belong in the afterlife where she resides. She steps back into Mort's Halls with a warm see you later, already looking forward to the next time they meet.
