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!
// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //
Team supplies seems promising at first, following the nails that Danta pockets and the swish of the sand that leaves drag marks that haven’t been swept away by the wind yet. The shade of the dune is distracting, one that immediately has Asta on high alert, teeth already on display before it hisses at them. Upon further approach, Danta has shifted into his gleaming, molten feline self, with a reverberating roar aimed directly at the thing that hisses at them. Int his time, Asta’s shifting too, but into the fyrhund shift. Volcanic plates shift along his back as he charges toward it, smoke pouring from his mouth as he snarls at it in turn.
When it comes to the perimeter, though, Sunjata’s intercepting the hel that dives at Niki in a flurry of feathers. Though he doesn’t come away unscathed, not with the sudden sensation of tearing that sparks a squawk of unpleasantries to leave him as he shifts back to himself, seeing Ronin’s bolts sail through the air toward it. He shifts back into himself, a hand pressed against his lower back as he steps over toward Niki with an apologetic smile slanted his way. “Yeah, I’m good.” A little sore, but not incapable of continuing to help. And as such, he stands there body blocking the plants from the hel that circles from above, just incase Ronin’s firebolts miss it, only distracted a few times to help Niki fix the perimeter.
Asta turns into a fyrhund and snarls at the creature in the dune threateningly while Danta shifts into a molten tiger and ROOOARS.
Sunjata’s a wee bit sore from missing some tail feathers but he’s body blocking the plans currently and trying to help Niki where he can.
All this time I didn't know You were breakin' down
Soh was feeling rather pleased with herself. Her plan had worked; the crab that she’d snatched from the dunes flailed about in her grasp until she deposited it unceremoniously back into the sea. She’d just turned to head back for another - she would move them one by one if she had to - when a warning call from Flora had her honing in on the moving sand. It wasn’t a tiny movement, or even a melon-sized one like the spoon-wielding crab. This shaking mound of grains was massive, and Soh circled above Flora and Mateo as she waited to see what would reveal itself.
Whatever it was, her snowy owl form probably wouldn’t be enough to fight it off. Not something that size that she assumed was going to be angry. So instead, Soh dropped to the beach and shifted again, until she stood before Flora and Mateo with a snarl on her tide jaguar muzzle, her hackles raised and her tail lashing as she prepared for a fight.
—-
Soh shifts into a Tide Jaguar and waits to see what appears from the sand.
I'd fall to pieces on the floor If you weren't around
Sohalia
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
karma's a relaxing thought, aren't you envious that for you it's not?
Team Walkthrough (Flora, Sohalia, Mateo)
The shifting mound bursts open at last, and it’s somehow worse than Flora imagined. A monstrous crab—easily the size of a small dinghy—heaves itself free of the sand, its barnacle-crusted shell glistening wet as if it’s just crawled up from the depths. Its claws are massive, each big enough to snap a plank in half, and one is tangled in seaweed, the other clamped around something that might have been part of a shipwreck.
The smaller crabs immediately scatter to either side, leaving the ringleader to click menacingly at the giant, who answers with a grinding rumble that makes the sand tremble underfoot. Flora feels the vibration up through her ankles and mutters, "...Okay, so apparently we’re building on top of a fuckin' crab nest. Great."
Spice, sensing the tension, sweeps low with a crackle of cold in the air, frost beginning to spiderweb over the sand near the giant crab’s front legs. "Mateo, if you’re gonna whack something with driftwood, aim for the eyes," Flora says brightly, stepping behind Soh’s jaguar bulk without a shred of shame.
Team Perimeter (Niki, Sunjata, Remi, Ronin)
The circling hel doesn’t scare easily—Ronin’s firebolts sear the air close enough to singe a few feathers, but the bird just gives an infuriating caw and wheels higher, out of direct reach. Then it dives again—this time not for the plans, but for the freshly placed corner flag.
Niki’s still within range to try his bribery idea, but the hel is fast, and as it swoops, two more appear from further down the beach, attracted by the commotion. One lands brazenly on a pile of stakes, tugging at them with sharp jerks of its beak, while the other glides low toward Sunjata, clearly aiming to provoke another reaction.
The perimeter line they’ve marked so far is now dotted with hel-shaped interruptions, as if the birds have decided this is their new playground.
Team Supplies (Danta, Asta)
The thing in the dune hisses again, louder this time, and the yellow eyes blink once before disappearing—only to reappear further to the left, as if the creature is circling them under the sand. The crate scrapes as it’s dragged further back into the shadows.
Then, with a sudden lunge, the sand erupts in a spray of grit and shells, revealing a massive monitor lizard, its mottled hide the colour of wet rock. It's not nearly large enough to take on the fyrhund or tiger, but even so, it's throat swells as it lets out a low, resonant growl. Asta’s fyrhund fire makes it hesitate, but it doesn’t back away—instead it drops the crate just behind its haunches and begins to fan its tongue, testing the air.
Niki's temper is a very difficult beast to rouse, but as the hels increase in number once again and begin to divebomb the small amount of work they'd done with the perimeter, he can feel his cheeks start to flush with it. As such, bribery is no longer at the forefront of his mind, and his fingers squeeze around the cane as if very close to brandishing it at the birds, before Ronin - naturally - beats him to it.
The Knight's temper is not difficult to awaken this season, and he's already fiercely glowing with frustration at having missed the hels last time. As a result, he unleases his Smite in its full 60ft radius, intending to incinerate any hel within range.
Mateo glances up at the flash of light across the beach, but luckily it's a short-lived distraction, thanks to the fucking KQ sized crab that emerges from the sand. "I do not suppose you have considered a different spot?" he asks his sister, wincing and gripping the driftwood tight. He doesn't intend to get close enough to the enormous crustacean to aim for its eyes, but he'll happily smack at any of the smaller suspects if they get close.
Niki is about to try and smack at the hels with his cane, but Ronin unleashes his Smite before he gets a chance.
Mateo prepares to attack any of the smaller crabs that get close (aiming for the eyes, yes).
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //
Team Supplies:
The louder the lizard hisses the more of a mix of amusement and anger from the butcher, the fyrhund snarling louder in response as he whirls around to spot the creature. The crate is within sight at least, even if it’s dragged back into shadows. The lizard lunges into the air but pauses, just enough to taste the air and hesitate, which ultimately is its mistake.
Distracted by the fyrhund that snarls smoke at it, it’s a perfect distraction for Danta in his tiger shift to launch at it. All chaos and teeth, Danta propels himself at the lizard, maw parted with teeth sharp and at the ready to snag and tear the creature’s middle. And so long as the crate’s out of the way, the butcher adds his own flare, hopping toward it with a blast of fire escaping his mouth in a precise motion to aim for the lizard’s head.
Team Perimeter:
The bird seems to care less about Ronin’s fire bolts, which spark confusion in Sunjata’s face as he watches it - nose wrinkling as he notices the others that have joined the party. Varying hels dot the perimeter and Sunjata conjures his water, letting it swirl and glint in the light before he aims to blast the hels off the perimeter line like a fun little duck shooting game.
Danta goes full throttle on the lizard with his tiger shift and aims to bite the bulk of it (it’s abdomen area), while Asta blasts fire at it while it’s away from the crate.
Sunjata decides to play a little game of duck shooting and shoots at the hels with his water magic.
All this time I didn't know You were breakin' down
Sohalia placed herself squarely between the mound of shaking sand and her friends, only to find that this was, perhaps, a regrettable course of action when the giant crab eventually erupted, grains spilling down its sides. This crab was nothing like its smaller kin. This one was massive, easily big enough to challenge Sohalia’s tide jaguar shift with its great claws. Still, she snarled again, flexing her claws into the sand. She wasn’t sure what good she was a going to do - she wondered, too, if even Flora’s knives would make a dent in their opponent’s armor.
Fortunately, there were others around, and Sohalia cast around through the Attuned bond for any creature around that might be big enough and mean enough to help them. Ideally, she’d find a second giant crab to stand in as their champion and chase this one off from their stretch of beach… but, honestly, at this point, she’d take what she could get. Perhaps she could find another tide jaguar to come and aid her, or some seagulls to gouge out its eyes.
—-
Soh searches for other animals to call for assistance. Ideally, other giant crabs, but in a pinch, she would take tide jaguars or even seagulls to bombard their opponent.
Can call any animals for assistance (3 large, 6 medium, or 10 small).
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic | Cost: Other
I'd fall to pieces on the floor If you weren't around
Sohalia
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
karma's a relaxing thought, aren't you envious that for you it's not?
Team Walkthrough (Flora, Sohalia, Mateo)
The sand is a churn of claws and legs, the giant crab looming like something from a nightmare, but Soh’s tide jaguar form holds the line until the Attuned bond hums with an answer. From the jungle fringe, three more crabs—smaller than the behemoth but still the size of barrels—scuttle into the fray, their shells mottled in green and gold. They don’t hesitate, charging straight into the giant with a cacophony of snapping claws, forcing it to pivot and defend against multiple directions at once.
The smaller crab ranks scatter under Mateo’s driftwood swipes, two of them retreating back toward the dunes. Flora grins at him through the chaos, daggers in hand, but stays behind Soh’s bulk, letting Spice’s frost keep the giant’s legs sluggish while their new crustacean allies harry its flanks. With a final, frustrated wave of its largest claw, the monster retreats toward the shallows, vanishing beneath the foam with the defeated shuffle of something that knows it’s outnumbered.
Team Perimeter (Niki, Sunjata, Remi, Ronin)
Ronin’s Smite ignites the air in a blinding flash, and for a moment the hels wheel away in disarray, wings beating frantically against the sudden heat. Sunjata’s water magic sweeps in to finish the job, hammering the stragglers off the perimeter line in a scatter of wet, squawking indignation.
By the time the light fades, the beach is clear save for a few abandoned feathers and the occasional irritated caw from a safe distance. The marked perimeter stands intact again, Niki’s cane unused but still in hand—though judging by his expression, the hels had better not test him twice.
Team Supplies (Danta, Asta)
The monitor lizard lunges, but Danta is already there, a blur of heat and muscle. His jaws clamp down on its side, dragging a guttural hiss from the beast as Asta’s fyrhund fire lashes across its head in a sharp burst. The combination sends the creature reeling, tail whipping sand into the air before it retreats up and over the dune.
The two smaller monitors take one look at the molten tiger and volcanic hound standing guard over the crate and decide—wisely—that they have better places to be. With the immediate threat gone, the crate sits in the sand, a little scuffed but intact.
\\
Flora exhales hard once the last of the excitement fades, scanning the beach to make sure everyone’s in one piece—and, shockingly, still wanting to help. "Okay!" she calls, clapping her hands together and stepping up onto one of the lumber palettes so her voice can carry. "I think that’s plenty of excitement for one day. Unless anyone’s got a secret desire to wrestle more wildlife, in which case—no, pretend I didn't say that."
Her grin is bright and a little wild, her curls wind-tossed, eyes sparkling with the rush of having survived the chaos. "The builders are going to take it from here for now. Give them a few days to get things started, and we’ll meet back here at the end of the week to see how it’s shaping up." She sweeps her gaze across them all, bracelets chiming as she gestures toward the snack table. "Go get a drink. You’ve earned it. And I swear if anyone tries to leave without a mango pastry, I will be offended."
With Spice curling down to her shoulder, Flora hops down into the sand, the Ahi Coast stretching bright and warm around them, already beginning to look just a little more like home.
Alright, everyone go and then come back at the end of the week for more!
// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //
A swell of excitement and content escapes the butcher as Danta launches forward to snatch up the lizard. He backs him up with the hiss of flame, and between the fire and teeth that have threatened it, the butcher watches as it goes running over the dune, back into hiding, likely to take care of its own wounds. The butcher blasts a ball of flame after it, an additional flare of stay the fuck away in the action before he retreats.
With both of them shifting back to lug the crate back to join the rest of them, he ensures that Danta’s returned most of the glittering nails he’d collected on the way there. Right in time to hear Flora’s call, turning toward her with his blood pumping a touch harder from the start of the fight.
Acknowledging that they’d be back later that week, the butcher shoots Flora a sharp grin at the mention of mango pastries. “We can’t have that, darling.” He trills to her, already stepping away with Danta toward the tables, taking a drink for the trouble that’s downed too fast and at the very least two pastries (the one that Danta plucks so he doesn’t offend her, but will certainly be devoured by the butcher and his sweet tooth after).
Sunjata, meanwhile, flinches briefly away from the light as it erupts the beach around them - glad he’s been doing his best to avoid looking at Ronin because he’s certain he’d be blind by now. Instead, he focuses on keeping his water magic at the ready, lashing it out after the smite in order to take down the stragglers that remain. It’s enough to leave them free from being harassed by the avians, and with that he glances back over at Niki to make sure he’s alright as they rework the perimeter lines, ensuring it’s perfect by the time Flora calls them.
He steps over, carefully avoiding getting anywhere near Remi or Ronin, his steps sure in the sand as he snags a pastry and devours it swiftly before snagging a drink, leaving an offer to Niki to join him if he wanted to while they were all here. Whether or not the abandoned does or doesn’t, he’ll slip away to enjoy the few days in Torchline’s heat until they return.
It’s the end of the week and Asta and Danta have certainly turned it into a mini vacation, with a hint of a tan blooming on both of their skins and an equally relaxed demeanor (still on edge, given the season), they return to the stretch of the perimeter and crates they’d checked before. His arm is wound around Danta’s middle as they await instruction while the butcher’s tail flicks behind him in a twitchy kind of motion as if a bit stressed.
Sunjata returns, too, his own skin darkened by the tan as he steps up and flashes a smile toward Danta and Asta which only earns him what he can assume to be an Ancient’s type of growl in response, before he sticks to himself and looks over at Flora to await her instruction.
Asta and Danta take pastries when they leave and return at the end of the week ready for more work!
Sunjata also takes a pastry, offers to hang out with Niki after, and returns to work some more!
There is no shortage of relief in Niki to see that the hels have finally decided to leave them alone, the boy standing with his cane and the rolled up blueprints in hand, and a pitifully small amount of the perimeter marked by the time Flora calls to them. His shoulders slump a little, and he frowns at the frayed bits of string and the crooked pegs in the sand, but Ronin is already ferrying his husband across the sand for pastries, and Niki is left with Sunjata.
The Flood, at least, ensures that things look better before retiring as well, which cheers him significantly, and not only does he follow everyone over to the snacks and drinks - he even agrees to have a drink with the Flood. Look, progress!
Still, he retires back to his lodgings after that, tactfully avoiding Mateo's attempt to corral everyone to a cocktail bar, and the rest of the week passes without incident. When he returns, in fact, he doesn't have any more of a tan, and he's dressed much as he had been the first time. Waving as he approaches he offers a greeting to Sunjata and awaits further instructions.
Niki hangs with Sunjata (gasp), Mateo tries to corral everyone to a cocktail bar, and everyone returns at the end of the week for more!
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
I don't even know myself at all I thought I would be happy by now
Soh held the line in her tide jaguar form, snarling at the behemoth crab as it clicked its claws angrily at them. She was relieved, though, when her summons was answered by three new crabs. While smaller than the giant, they still managed to annoy the beast into submission, until it slunk away into the sea with its smaller brethren. Once it was well and truly gone, Soh released her crustacean allies back to their business, and they departed with haste.
Shifting back into her human form, the Luminary grinned at Flora and Mateo, then departed the scene arm in arm with her best friend. She whiled away the days with Flora, or shopping, or any manner of things to distract herself from thinking too hard, until finally she returned to the shoreline to meet up with the Doubletake and her small army of helpers.
—-
Soh hangs out with Flora all week, then returns for more!
The more I try to push it, I realize Gotta let go of control
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
karma's a relaxing thought, aren't you envious that for you it's not?
The mansion house rises proud and clean against the Ahi Coast, its walls new but stark, the rooms empty, echoing with potential. The tiki torches lining the sand flicker warmly as if celebrating the progress, and the scent of salt and fresh-cut lumber still lingers. Where there had once been chaos and crab battles, now stands the skeleton of Flora’s new home, waiting for life to fill it.
Flora, perched on the front steps in a swirl of gold jewelry and sunlit curls, claps her hands together the moment everyone has gathered. "Alright, round two!" she declares, her grin wide enough to match the horizon. "The house is built—thank you very much to the professionals who did it while we were all tanning and drinking cocktails—but now comes the fun part. Making it mine."
She hops up, bracelets chiming as she gestures to the first group.
Team Perimeter (Niki, Remi, Sunjata, Ronin)
"Niki—you’re in charge of the muscle squad," she says, wagging a finger with mock severity. "Remi, Ronin, Sunjata—you three are hauling crates. Furniture, linens, cookware, lamps, all the goodies. Niki has the inventory list, so each crate goes into its proper room and onto the right floor. This is not a free-for-all treasure hunt." Her aqua eyes glint mischievously. "If I find the kitchen cutlery in my bedroom, I’ll know who to blame."
Team Supplies (Danta, Asta)
Turning with a flourish, she sweeps a hand toward the pair of Ancients. "You two are on doors. Doorknobs, specifically to start." The knobs were all thrifted, antique, each one unique, so it would be up to the butcher and Maverick to decide what ought to go where. "Every door in this house needs to open with a little flair."
Team Walkthrough—now Team Pool (Flora, Sohalia, Mateo)
Finally, she slings an arm around Sohalia’s shoulders and nudges Mateo with her hip. "And weeeee, are in charge of the most important feature: the pool. Specifically, how we’re going to fill it with water from Torchline’s healing fountain. Buckets? A siphon? Do we just steal Sunjata and make him do it?"
I don't even know myself at all I thought I would be happy by now
Flora was a force to be reckoned with - and the house that had seemingly been built in a week was the proof. Soh had never seen a house go up so quickly, and with such fine quality. Once she’d ooh’d and aah’d over the craftsmanship, she assembled with the rest of the crew to listen to her new marching orders.
The pool was where they were headed, and it was, unfortunately, quite empty. They were to fill it, apparently, with water from Torchline’s healing fountain. Did the fountain replenish itself, Soh wondered, or would they be stealing from the region in their efforts to fill the pool? Would it count as stealing if Flora was the queen?
Ah, whatever. If this was what Flora wanted, this was what Flora would get. ”I say we steal Sunjata,” Soh said. ”Buckets will take forever, and I’m not sure how we’d make a siphon work.”
—-
Soh votes to steal Sunjata.
The more I try to push it, I realize Gotta let go of control
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Niki's eyes are wide as he considers the enormous house that has popped up on the beach while they'd been away. It had certainly come a long way from their (average at best) perimeter scoping, and he offers Flora a smile and a nod as he collects up the house plans. "I think I can manage that," he says a touch gratefully, spreading out the plans atop one of the larger crates and focusing, naturally, on one floor at a time.
"Alright, there are a list of the items that belong in each space, so we should probably go room by room and transfer them inside. I can check them off as we go," he suggests. Pointing out some boxes and crates designated for the kitchen first, Ronin happily gets straight to work with hauling them into the house, double-checking with Niki on the location before he heads off.
Mateo meanwhile, happily nudged and busy sipping from a cocktail he's sequestered from a shack along the beachfront, peeps at the empty pool from behind his sunglasses and grins. "I do not object to stealing Sunjata. Or," he suggests, lowering his voice as if it's a secret for their group alone, "we could ask some friendly spirits if they would make a siphon between here and the healing fountain. I bet it would not take much for them to do it."
Niki organises the demigods and puts them to work! Mateo suggests channelling a spirit to make the siphon happen, but he'll also go along with stealing Sunjata if that's what the majority want to do.
my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now I can feel the light shine on my face
// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //
Beaming his shark tooth smile at Flora as they arrive to greet her and take in the progress, he’s very impressed to see the skeleton of the giant home rising up like a little sanctuary for Flora amongst the dunes. And without lizards trying to steal crates to bother them, he’s content to stand at a decent distance away from the rest of those gathered, arm pressed against Danta’s lower back as the instructions are given out.
Doorknobs and doors opening with flair earn her a sharp smirk and a nod - because if there’s something that the butcher can definitely do, it’s that. And before he knows it, Danta’s already shoving doorknob after doorknob into his pockets to where it almost seems like he might lose his pants for the weight of it. Not that he thinks the Maverick would care much about that, but he does help in collecting as much as he can before they get to work.
Once they’re near the bedroom section, the butcher inspects all of the doorknobs they’ve collected, deciding on the one for Flora’s bedroom to be the most opulent. And it is, given that the thrifted doorknob they decide on sparkles with gold and silver, with inlayed opals that catch the light from the hallway in the most stunning way. And so, they get to work, diligently placing the doorknobs and ensuring they work well without butting up against the frame or scraping and that they each open without a squeak but with beauty and promise.
Sunjata on the other hand, watches as Flora delegates their tasks (because it’s a very good excuse to not look over at Remi and face Ronin’s wrath. Finding success so far in not antagonizing Ronin, he waits until the other demigod has snagged his crate and gone inside before he snags his own from a separate section (leaving the kitchen, wisely, to Remi and Ronin). He’s fairly certain he’s got the boxes for one of the bathrooms, and after double checking with Niki which one it goes to, does he haul it in.
Asta and Danta take the door knob situation seriously and picks the nicest one for Flora’s bedroom. Sunjata picks a crate for one of the bathrooms and double checks with Niki where it goes before he takes it in and starts to unpack.
