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!
09-01-2025, 10:50 PM (This post was last modified: 09-29-2025, 07:49 AM by Zavien.)
Zavien
The sun was only just peeking over the cliffs of Stormbreak to light the city through the cold mist of fog that hung like time suspended. Few stirred in the early morning hours, bakers, blacksmiths, and couriers making use of the silence and empty streets to go about their business. Otherwise, only the bravest of souls were awake at the ungodly hour, bearing the bite of frost at their fingertips. That included restless leaders with work to do, propped against the rubble from an ended reign of terror.
He didn't look the least bit tired, although that might have been from the third cup of coffee he was already emptying. Regardless, he stood with a content smile on his face, inspecting the work that needed to be done. There was plenty of non-building debris mixed in with the tumbled bricks and broken wood that made up the ruins that had once been a magnificent tower; it looked like someone had huddled into a small cave of stone while a group of teens had claimed the uppermost standing section as the new drinking hub (with Sol currently trying to claim it at his sentry post). Between shattered bottles, wrappers, and discarded trash, they had their work cut out for them before they could even start building. It would certainly take a few days - perhaps a week - to get through each aspect of the process, but it was more than doable, and the changes they'd decided on made him all the more excited to see the plans come together.
Taking another deep sip of his coffee, Zavien slid his free hand into the dark green jacket her wore, unbothered by the cold since he knew they would be sweating son enough. Until then, he looked out at the sleepy city that he now led, patiently waiting for his council to arrive, followed by the admirable volunteers that had been willing to assist in the reconstruction.
Welcome to the PQ to prepare to repair the Tower in Stormbreak!
The Tower represented many things to Lena – but most of them nowadays lapsed into some haunting memories or swinging, sudden alterations; from her sister’s death to changes in government. But they were determined to lead into new beginnings, portions that wouldn’t be so hard hitting or diabolical – making up for the losses with renewal and resurgence. Those actions would make up for everything else.
Pinning her hair up and out of her face, the Caretaker had already gone over to the Celestine that morning, making her usual rounds before promising she’d return later – duties pulling her in multiple directions all at once. Mittens hovered alongside, screeching to announce their presence well before they actually made it into view. The debris and rubble made her stomach clench, stuck up against her ribs like a knife, but she swallowed down the bile, adjusted her features to an ever-present smile.
Patting Zavien’s arm affectionally, because she was certain he was feeling an assortment of reeling emotions, she jostled her bag back onto her shoulder. “Lots to be done. What’s first?”
--
Lena arrives with Mittens and a bag filled with food, water, bandages, rope, and her healing staff.
It's not losing it all, if we have each other In the end it's all, in the end it's all that matters
Sohalia arrived a few moments after Lena, a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a basket of goodies in the other. She was dressed in several layers, and her hair was braided into a crown atop her head to keep it out of her face. All in all, she was rather put together for such an early start to the day - but she’d always been a morning person, so the ungodly hour didn’t deter her bright smile as she approached her friends.
”I hope I’m not late,” she said as she arrived, glancing at a watch upon her wrist. Seemingly satisfied, she held her basket out to the others. ”I brought some pastries from Mila’s - didn’t want us to forget to eat. We’ll need our strength!” Especially with the work they had yet to do rebuilding the Tower - a job and a half, if she’d ever seen one.
—-
Soh arrives with herself and everything on her profile. She also brought a basket of breakfast pastries to share.
If we take this chance, and it falls to pieces In the end you're all, in the end you're all that matters
Sohalia
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
He spotted Lena first, his smile brightening like it always did when he saw the Caretaker. His gaze didn't miss the tension in her shoulders or the way she avoided looking at what remained of the Tower. She had plenty of reasons to despise the structure - as did most Breakers - but he admired her resiliency, the fact that she was willing to push it aside for the benefit of others. It was one of the many reasons he loved her, but he made a mental note to check in later, to make sure it wasn't too much.
Right now, he pulled out his hand to gently squeeze hers before Sohalia was appearing with goodies in tow. Like he'd been summoned by name, Sol was immediately trotting at her heels, a begging look in his eyes. Zavien just laughed, stepping forward to peek at the options, picking a cheese pastry of some kind. "Thanks, Soh. That was thoughtful. I think Erika was also planning to bring lunch by later so we can keep our energy up." And their spirits if the shop owner had anything to say about - and Erika always had something to say.
Looking between them and the Tower's ruins, he finally answered Lena's question, "Well, we need to clear away the trash first then the rubble then gather the new materials then - " Zavien paused in his rambling, chuckling through the pressure of work barely started and doing his best not to make it appear too daunting. "There's a lot to do, but I'm hoping we can at least get the area cleared today." To wipe the slate clean and start something new, built on hopes and aspirations.
Grab a snack then start on the garbage cleanup!
As the sea is beautiful not only in calm but also in a storm, so is happiness found not only in peace but also in strife.
She smiled back at Zavien, gently squeezing his hand back, and then directing her attention to Sohalia as she brought her wonderful presence and the warm semblance of baked goods. “You were both excellent planners then,” she grinned; Lena had only brought her determination and perseverance – though she hoped that’d be useful as well.
Grabbing a quick bite of a chocolate pastry and some tea, she surveyed the ruins too. Trying not to remember and recall the unfortunate situation from years before, her eyes then flickered to the trash around the area, sighing inwardly but keeping it to herself. “Sounds good,” came with a beam of her sunshine distinction, before she finished off the roll and tea, and put on her gloves, and grabbed a bag. Mittens rolled its eyes, but otherwise glided around and helped too, as they crouched (the snowball took hold of things in its mouth and didn’t even bother hiding the way it ate most of the refuse), snagging at the broken bits and pieces.
--
Lena and Mittens help clean up the garbage. Mittens mostly eats it.
It's not losing it all, if we have each other In the end it's all, in the end it's all that matters
Soh did her best not to let her spirits fall as Sol joined her, trotting along and begging for treats. While Tarak had never been one to beg, precisely - he'd been one to lay claim to as though treats were his right - it still made her miss her companion to see someone else's following along behind her. She had to wonder when, if ever, she might be free of Tarak's ghost: not because she wanted to forget he'd existed, but because she was tired of hurting so much.
But it wasn't Sol's fault, that was for certain, and so she shot the dragon a small smile and contemplated sneaking him a treat from the basket. But before she could decide to do so, instructions were handed out, and it seemed that the first order of business was, predictably, to clean up. And so that was what Soh did. Setting the basket aside for anyone who might wish to partake in the goodies, and placing her tea somewhere she would easily remember and come back for it later, the Luminary turned her attention to the task at hand.
---
Soh puts her stuff down and begins to help clean!
If we take this chance, and it falls to pieces In the end you're all, in the end you're all that matters
Sohalia
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Finishing off his coffee and the unknown cheese pastry, Zavien gave the women a peppy smile. "Then let's get to work!" He slid on a pair of gloves and passed out the extras, securing a personal bag for the trash he gathered and setting off in search of garbage. It didn't take long for him to encounter his first piece - one step to be precise - and he hinged to pick up the dull bottle that had a crack along one side.
While Mittens chose to eat the trash, Sol used the humans' shift of focus to steal some of his own goodies from Soh's basket. He didn't pick or choose, indiscriminately plunging his face in to grab at whatever his teeth could reach; but he wasn't the only one attracted by the deliciously sweet smells. The overly large rodents had grown used to the new environment created by the ruins, relishing in the refuse and the avoidance of the general population, however, the treats were new, and they peeked their pink noses and greedy black eyes out from beneath the ledges of wall that they'd burrowed into. Spotting Mittens and Sol happily munching on the food in their territory, only a few angry yips served as the warning of their impending assault before the rats busted from their hiding places to lunge at the companions.
Uh oh! A food fight has begun with a group of ROUS! Do something!
As the sea is beautiful not only in calm but also in a storm, so is happiness found not only in peace but also in strife.
All this time I didn't know You were breakin' down
Soh wasn't particularly happy to be cleaning up garbage (who would be?), but she was content to do her part to rebuild their home, and that was enough for her. She went around with a trash bag, gathered bits and pieces of trash to tuck away to get rid of later, and she'd nearly filled her bag halfway when a sudden series of angry yips caught her attention. Turning to look towards the sound, the Luminary saw a group of rats swarming Sol - and in a moment of sheer post-traumatic stress-induced panic, saw a mental image of them swarming and devouring the dragon before anyone could do anything to stop it.
She was shifting before she realized what she was shifting into, and in only a moment, a tide jaguar was bounding away from a discarded bag of trash and towards the brewing fight, a ferocious snarl ripping from her throat. She rushed to Sol's side, growling at the rats, and swiped at the nearest one in a clear warning: stay away, or face the consequences.
---
Soh panics and shifts into a tide jaguar to go face down the rats with Sol!
It started off easy enough – garbage disappearing into her bag, or Mittens’ mouth, and she didn’t have to gaze upon or think of anything too traumatizing. But then there was a disturbance, a recognizable pattern of movement and motion, of noises, that made her turn sharply towards the decibels – and only frowning slightly at the notion of the ROUs.
She sighed – understanding their impact and why they were here – but with their territorial nature, and inclination towards potent bites, they wouldn’t be able to remain for long; not when they were rebuilding this place, anyway. While Sohalia shifted, Lena went into her inherent demands and commands, compelling the creatures to simply leave - depart for elsewhere. Sohalia’s sudden bout of panic made the Caretaker steel herself – not wanting to be swarmed in the midst of those emotions.
Mittens, for its part, screeched and screamed, and then began to rally a multitude of snowballs, chucking them in a volley towards the large rats.
--
Lena compels the ROUs to leave and Mittens throws snowballs at them.
(Beastmaster) can compel any non-mythical sentient animals for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
Can speak to rare creatures/companions/regular animals
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic | Cost: (None)
Zavien could feel that something was off when a strange rhythm of noises sounded from a pile of rubble next to him. He paused in his own clean-up to look at the source, his eyes narrowing suspiciously; but before he could investigate or give a warning, the rats were leaping at the companions, trying to fend them off from their new home.
Screeches and flapping wings signaled that Sol had taken flight, a small burst of fire warding them off while Mittens' snowballs did the same for it. Sohalia managed to scare the ROUS aware from her with the intimidating tide jaguar roar, but they weren't completely banished from the space. And they kind of listened to Lena's command, but the giant rodents took 'leave' to pertain only to companions, shifting their focus to the vulnerable 'food' spread throughout the ruins. The gnashing of teeth and high-pitched squeaking followed as they scattered, lunging for the basket and various piles of trash, a crazed look in their eyes that threatened any who stood in their way.
The Dragoon glanced at the receding fog and the people that would ultimately be joining them, letting out a tense breath in his helpless capabilities. He'd have to rely on the others. Cupping his hands, he shouted out, "See if you can funnel them towards the empty side street!" He pointed towards the street that many Breakers had left in the exodus, knowing it was a temporary fix, but a possible solution for the moment to free them of the threat.
Because of bad rolls companion chaos, the ROUS are becoming more aggressive! Try to lead them towards one of the empty streets!
As the sea is beautiful not only in calm but also in a storm, so is happiness found not only in peace but also in strife.
Any note of frustrating winding through Lena was quickly stifled; she rarely had issues with her commands and demands, unless they were void related. She knew these creatures weren’t, and simply doing what ROUs did, but it didn’t make it any less irritating.
She could hear the instructions, somewhere in the midst of all the chaos, but chose to segment Attuned portions through to Sohalia. I’m going to try and compel them towards the side street. Thereafter though, maybe they could block or pin them away.
Starting with the compulsion, she strived again, leaning more into the demanding portions of the command – directing them towards a specific route, trying to alter their minds into that declarative, and empty, portion. Mittens opted to assist once more with tossing snowballs and driving them onwards.
--
Lena tries to compel the ROUs down the empty side street and Mittens directs them that way by driving more snowballs.
(Beastmaster) can compel any non-mythical sentient animals for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
Can speak to rare creatures/companions/regular animals
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic | Cost: (None)
All this time I didn't know You were breakin' down
Sohalia heard Zavien's shouted instruction distantly, as though underwater; striving not to be swept away by her sudden panic (which was helped immensely as Sol simply departed from the ROUs' immediate area), she took a deep breath as they scattered every which way. The poor beasts were simply doing what they did, she knew, but her nose wrinkled all the same, another low growl rising in her throat. They might just be following their instincts, but they were in the way of progress, and that simply would not do.
Lena's calm voice through the Attuned bond helped to steady Soh, and she quickly latched onto that feeling. All right, she said. I'll try to drive any stragglers that way. And so, off she went, slinking around any ROUs who had resisted Lena's commands. This time, she was more in control of her emotions, and so she merely bared her teeth at any stragglers, perhaps swiping a clawed paw at them if they were truly ornery, trying to herd the masses into the side street.
---
Soh tries to herd any stragglers into the side street.
The ROUS put up quite a fight, but Lena's compulsion had most of them heading towards the abandoned street to burrow into hidden cubbies and passages. Stragglers were encouraged to reconsider their life choices by the fire breath and snowballs, however, Sohalia's efforts proved only effective in pissing off a grouchy old rat with gnarled and cracked teeth. Perhaps it caught scent of her panic. Sensing a weaker opponent, it lunged from beneath a ledge of rocks, the brittle teeth proving stronger than they look when they clamp like iron against her back leg.
In the middle of using his shield to direct ROUS, Zavien was the first to notice the rodent stubbornly attached to Soh. "Soh!" He called Sol to take over at his position near the street, running forward to help the Attuned free herself of the rancid rodent. Unsheathing his sword, he directed Lena over his shoulder, "Keep them moving! I'll help her!"
Lena manages to corral the ROUS into the side street with a little of Zavien's help, but Sohalia rolled a 2 got bit!
Lena: Keep directing the ROUS into the street.
Sohalia: Defend yourself!
As the sea is beautiful not only in calm but also in a storm, so is happiness found not only in peace but also in strife.
Things went well for a moment – collaboration flickering through Attuned bombardments. Except when another of the ROU forces turned upon Sohalia; and Lena’s breath tightened in her chest. She knew the predicament and possibility of such bites – these creatures were notorious for the potential of poison-laced assaults. “I have my staff!” she hollered back to Zavien as he offered to help, hoping he could manage with the ROU and Sohalia both.
Clenching her jaw as she sought to snag at her staff while dealing with the beasts simultaneously, she aimed to send the rest of the horde down and keep them contained – Mittens at the helm with its illustrious rage and snowball power, and her with the constant compulsion, direction, and demand.
--
Lena offers her staff for Sohalia and still compels the rest of the ROUs to either get them down the street or corralled; Mittens throws more snowballs at them to ensure containment.
(Beastmaster) can compel any non-mythical sentient animals for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
Can speak to rare creatures/companions/regular animals
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic | Cost: (None)
