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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!
08-25-2025, 10:29 PM (This post was last modified: 08-27-2025, 07:58 PM by Alys.)
how did this asylum become where i sleep
"Have you ever played crazy eights?" Alys asked, settling into a booth at New Haven's most popular tea shop. The little restaurant was cozy and warm, a stark contrast to the chilly, grey day beyond the windows. The seer had suggested that she and Sunjata make a stop here to discuss some business - and to play a quick card game, if the Archon was agreeable. "I have to play a card game for a quest, so I thought, if you wanted...?"
A barista called her name, and Alys quickly rose to get her drink. Sascha stayed under the table, curled up at Sunjata's feet. When the seer returned, the little ursur shifted just enough to lay her head on top of Alys's boot, then promptly went to sleep.
Once she and Sunjata both had their beverages (and any snacks that Sunjata felt particularly inclined to), the seer looked at him hopefully. If she was fortunate, he would agree to a quick game, and that would be that. The last piece of her quest for Ludo-disguised-as-Frey - and then she would have to decide how to go about turning it in. But that would be a problem for tomorrow. For today, she could simply focus on playing a game.
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
“I haven’t.” Sunjata says, flashing his Seer a lopsided smile as he settles into the booth in the tea shop. It’s warm in comparison to the cool breeze that indicates Deepfrost’s approach, something he relishes in as he makes room for Petronella to curl up in his lap. She purrs a little squeaky sound as she spins around a couple of times before settling into his lap, claws digging into the fabric of his shirt as she makes her bed. One that will be interrupted shortly when he goes to grab his drink.
She only complains minutely when he does grab it, and when he returns she settles back into her normal position while the tea steams from the cup at the table. “I played poker occasionally when I was back home, so you’ll have to teach me the rules for crazy eights.” He murmurs with an easier smile. “And maybe we can figure out what to do for King’s End while we're at it?” He asks, sliding the cup out of the way to lean forward without bothering his sea panther companion in the process, subconsciously aligning their thoughts.
the flood
// where me and you can always hide //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"I've never played poker," Alys said thoughtfully. "But crazy eights isn't too bad to learn. I used to play with my family, years ago." Back before she'd been 'cursed' with magic and subsequently disowned. "Here, let me just get the deck and shuffle -" And she did just that, drawing a standard pack of playing cards from her pocket. The cards were shiny and new, and as she began to shuffle, she marveled at how difficult they were to work with in comparison to her tarot decks, which were well-loved and shuffled like butter in her hands.
"Did you have any thoughts on what to focus on this season?" she asked as she worked, frowning at the deck as a few cards jumped free. "It seems like, with peace in Caido, we might could focus on something other than soldiers. I think last season you'd mentioned trading some shavings for bottled lightning for Colt's fences? Is that still on the agenda?"
With her shuffling finished, she set the cards aside. "So, the goal with crazy eights is to be the first to get rid of all your cards," she explained. "You get five cards to start, and lay one down each turn that matches either suit or number. If you can't play, you draw until you can. Eights are wild cards and can be played any time, and can represent whatever suit you choose." Dealing out five cards to each of them, then turned over the starter card: a three of spades. "You can go first, since I dealt."
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
“Maybe I’ll teach you that sometime.” Sunjata murmurs with an easy smile, settling in for her to explain her familiarity with crazy eights. And so he nods, letting her grab the deck of cards, watching as she shuffles it while he runs his fingers along the back of Petronella’s neck while she settles back into his lap. Content with to chat about regional thoughts while she works with the deck, he nods.
“Yeah. It’ll help her keep the wild unicorns from slipping into her ranch which in theory should help with the population if they aren’t all hanging around her ranch all the time.” He pauses with a warm laugh. “We’ll collect some shavings and I’ll see if Danta’s willing to trade at the beginning of the season?” A letter should do just fine, unsure how a visit would be with the Maverick’s beau around.
He leans forward a touch as she begins to explain the game, nodding at the mention of getting rid of the cards. He fans the cards she’d dealt him out as he inspects them and the card she’d flipped to start it. “Okay, sounds easy enough. Let’s see.” He places down a 10 of spades and looks up to her briefly as if to ensure he’s done it right.
the flood
// where me and you can always hide //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
As Alys worked with the deck, breaking in the shiny new cards, she listened to Sunjata’s explanation. It seemed perfectly reasonable to her to focus on resource gathering, given that peace had once again settled across Caido. ”That sounds perfect,” she agreed readily. ”I’m sure Colt will be pleased.”
When they were finally ready to play, Sunjata flipped a ten of spades, and Alys gave him an encouraging smile. Looking down at her hand, she contemplated for a moment before making a face, unable to play. Drawing a card at a time until she finally managed to get a ten of clubs, she played her card with eight cards left in her hand. ”Well, I suppose you might have a bit of beginner’s luck,” she told the Archon with a wink.
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
“Yeah, I’ll have to let her know.” Sunjata murmurs with a crooked smile, tugging up on the side without the scar tissue as he inspects his cards. He places his card and glances up at her to see the encouraging smile. So he had done it right, then. He settles in waiting for her next card when she reaches for the deck to draw some more, ending with eight cards in her hand and a ten of clubs replacing the card Sunjata had placed.
He laughs lightly, looking at his hand again, finding nothing that would work for the clubs or the ten. “Never lasts much, don’t worry.” He rumbles with amusement, reaching for the deck to draw a card, finding the first one he plucks to fit the bill. He places down the three of clubs and looks back at her, waiting for her play.
the flood
// where me and you can always hide //
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
The pair of them settled into an easy rhythm, each playing their hand before waiting for the other, all the while a steady stream of conversation continuing between them. Alys played a few rounds before having to draw again, but this time, her first draw was something she could play. Still, Sunjata had her by a few cards, and before long, he was on the cusp of victory. "I hope you can't play that last card," she joked as she placed an ace of diamonds down. But alas, victory was not to be, and as Sunjata played his last card, the seer groaned theatrically.
"Are you certain you've never played before?" she grinned, gathering up the cards and beginning to shuffle them methodically. Now that the cards were beginning to break in, she found them easier to work with - although they still fit her hands differently than her tarot decks. Most of those were larger, the cardstock thicker, and the playing cards felt flimsy by comparison. "Another round?" she asked then, preparing to deal them in if he agreed.
fin
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Emotional Telepathy | The user can read deep emotions of those within a 5 foot radius at will. Control is excellent. Note: "Deep emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Emotional Perception | The user can read surface level emotions of those within a 15 foot radius. Control is moderate. Note: "Surface level emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
