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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!
Alys had ridden horses in her youth, but never had she driven a cart - strange, really, given that she was the daughter of merchants, and their goods often came and went in the contraptions. Perhaps her parents had never trusted her to drive, or maybe they simply paid someone else to do the driving for them. In truth, she couldn't remember. All she knew was that the instructions she'd been given on how to steer the donkey and cart - her makeshift chariot - were not enough to prepare her for the reality of the situation at hand. And yet, somehow, despite her utter terror at running off the road and crashing the cart, harming the donkey and therefore having to pay for the entire setup, she'd managed to get herself and Maea to the shrine in one piece.
Hoping that the ride hadn't been as harrowing as it had felt to her (spoiler alert: it wasn't), she hauled on the reins to signal the donkey to halt. Blowing out a nervous breath, Alys looked at her friend sidelong, blushing sheepishly. "Well, we made it, at least," she offered. "Sorry about the ride. It's for a quest, or I'd have just suggested we walk."
ALYS GLASSE
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.
Prying her hands from the seat where they had been restrained from trying to help (read: take over), Maea let out a silent breath. "Not bad for a first time," she applauded, returning the sheepish smile with a lopsided one of her own. The control freak in her had a hard time leaving the steering to somemone else; truly, this trip was an excellent exercise in letting go, a trust fall by way of donkey cart that was panning out rather well so far. "It's convenient for me too, I would have had a difficult time bringing this out here on my own."
Gesturing to the cleaning supplies and offerings stored in the back of the wagon, she jumped down in an easy motion and went to unload a bucket of water, soap, brush and fresh candles. "Liam pointed out that I've been very fortunate to find so many Roses. Figured it's about time I do something in return, and since I haven't been to this shrine before... it seemed appropriate."
In truth, it had been years since she prayed to the God of Life and his Herald. Ever since childhood they had felt more like Amalias gods than her own, and as their relationship became frought, Maea had distanced herself from the deities too. Then came the turns between Safrin and Ronin and Sunjata, her time spent as Ascended, Harper's doubts, Noah's struggles as a demigod under Vi, and somewhere along the way she had concluded that these fickle, demanding gods had nothing to do with her.
But then roses started growing around her feet in times of need. And the stars were still beautiful, no matter what her personal feelings about Safrins conduct might be. Who was she to pass judgement on a goddess? Much of her reservation stemmed from jealousy anyway. Her friend had gotten something she wanted, and instead of being gracious about it she had turned her back on both the friend and the dream.
As she knelt before the shrine and began to wash the altar, like so many times before in her youth, Maea figured it was high time to set aside those childish behaviours and readjust her views. It wouldn't do, to keep doors closed just because they always had been.
Alys dutifully ignored the way that Maea had been clinging to the seat, incorrectly assuming that this was a reflection on her driving prowess rather than a desire to simply take over. Any other time, the seer would have been happy to give up control of the cart to her friend, under no illusion that someone else would likely do much better than she; but this was for her quest, so here she was, riding her chariot cart off into the metaphorical sunset.
"Ah," Alys replied as she hopped down to help Maea with her supples. "You have been rather fortunate, it seems. As have I. Perhaps I can help you?" After all, she'd found her own rose and managed to cure Tal. It seemed only right that she give thanks. For a moment, she merely helped to unload, but then she peered over at Maea. "How... is Liam?" Was he struggling in the aftermath of his infection, like Tal? Or was he recovering well?
ALYS GLASSE
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.
Extending a bucket and a scrub brush to Alys, Maea's smile was grateful. "Of course, I won't say no to that." A touch of fire every once in a while kept the water warm, though the chill air lent a bite to it that threatened to numb her fingers. With two of them the work would be done much faster - not that she was in a hurry to leave, just eager to put the gloves back on.
"Liam is alright," she replied, with a rush of warm relief accompanying her words. "I found a rose just after Ludo's party, and curing him went surprisingly well – " She trailed off, hands stilling on the altar. "Well. He's doing as well as can be expected. Suspect it'll take time to fully process what he's been through. Same for Talyson, right?" Alys would know better than most how much of the battle remained even after the war had ended. Everyone dealt with the aftermath differently, but it was there all the same. Like a shadow to either face, flee from, or fade into.
Accepting the brush and bucket, Alys smiled at her friend and joined her in her work. It had taken quite a while for the seer to accept that the gods weren't malicious individuals living on high, hating her and her kind from afar. Now that she appreciated them for who they were, she rather felt she had some catching up to do on honoring them properly.
She scrubbed at a particularly stubborn smear of dirt. "Tal is... struggling," she admitted, frowning at the spot she was working on. "With everything that's happened, but being infected... I was able to cure him without much problem, but ever since, he's been - well, he's just not quite himself, and I don't know how to help him." Biting her lip, she thought of the deliveries that she'd been doing on his behalf, the maintenance to the Peregrine that she'd shouldered, all of the things that he'd once done as naturally as breathing that seemed now to be asking too much.
ALYS GLASSE
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.
Dunking a scrub brush into soapy water kept warm by a dancing flame, the scouring commenced. Moving offeriings aside temporarily, Maea set to work scraping off old candle wax, soot and ashes along with the dust and debris that inevitably accumulated on outdoor surfaces. It gave her something to occupy her hands with, for which she was grateful. She didn't quite know what to say, because even with her own history of struggles, she had never been abused the way that those infected had. What it meant, how to help someone else to process, was beyond her skillset.
"I suppose it's something that will have to run its course," she breathed, watching the fog rise as she sat back on her heels. "It's a wound like any other, just one that no healing magic can mend. And at some point it'll be up to Tal to decide if he wants to heal... Until then, don't forget about taking care of yourself too, yeah? Don't let his shades take hold of you." Which was easy to say, harder to do in practice, but entirely necessary as those struggling would need hope to help them back to normalcy. That she did know; having someone sitting with you in the darkness was good, but even better was having someone walk ahead of you into the light made all the difference. By showing that it could be done, showing what it looked like to keep your chin up, to do it even though it's hard - so many had shown her the way, and little by little, step by step, she had made it through her own crisis. So perhaps, with time and patience, Talyson would make it, too.
"He's strong. I'm sure he'll pull through, eventually." Saying it like a prayer, she turned a half smile at Alys, warm with sympathy and encouragement both. "Do you need anything? A treat, time away, a project...?" She would happily provide her friend with any or all of those things, if only to keep her smiling.
If Maea had been anyone else, perhaps Alys wouldn't have been so candid about her partner's struggles. Tal was, after all, a private person, and she doubted very much that he would want such things shared - but Maea was a friend of both of theirs, and honestly? Carrying the burden of it all had been more weight than Alys had realized until she let some of its fall from her shoulders - if only for a little while.
She scrubbed at the shrine, carefully tracing over the areas that Maea cleared with a soapy brush. "Honestly, at this point, I just want to finish my quest, so when we're done here, if you wouldn't mind keeping me company while I ride around in my 'chariot,' it would be so appreciated," she said with a laugh. "Although... a project might be nice, too." After all, she'd spent so much time building things up, but now they were at a point where she was content - and perhaps a little complacent. Her shop, her tarot business, it all felt... complete. And while she wouldn't and couldn't retire either of those things, she felt a bit adrift at times, wishing for something new to occupy her. "I'm just not sure what."
ALYS GLASSE
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.
The request was a simple one, and easily accepted with a nod and a quicksilver laugh. "Sure I can. Hmm, a project though... You know, I'd really like to get better at recognising plants in the wild. I've gotten to the stage where I need to start putting the theory from books into practice... It's not very grand, but would you consider helping me out? We could plan an expedition, maybe, and gather up a good stock... Is there somewhere you haven't been? We could go... anywhere, really." And if it wasnt a long project, perhaps it might still spark some ideas for Alys along the way.
Swapping the brush for a rag, once she had worked the grime out of the altar, Maea wrung it out and wiped down the surfaces, satisfied with the difference it made. With some fresh candles set out and suitable offerings they would soon be done. It felt suitable, somehow, that the conversation lingered on ways to keep living; to heal, and help, and grow into the best versions of themselves. Better than flowers or votives, it was her way of honoring the God of Life and his Herald.
The idea of compiling a store of the varied flora of Caido was an interesting one. She had her own stores of certain herbs, of course, for various teas and remedies, but there were just as many plants that she had never been able to gather for herself. And there were certainly a good many places in Caido that she'd never traveled to. To begin such an undertaking would at least serve to take her mind off of her troubles for a while, and to do it with a dear friend like Maea would be a pleasure indeed.
So she smiled, nodding. "I would love that," she said. "There are plenty of places in Caido that I haven't been. I haven't spent much time in Stormbreak, for one. And there's always the Wilds - I'm not particularly familiar with the Climb, or the Oerwoud, or the Feverlands, or Hak Etme." On she cleaned, carefully clearing out any crevices of dirt and debris, until the shrine began to gleam beneath their combined ministrations. "We could certainly make it into an adventure," she continued on. "I could borrow the Peregrine and fly us wherever we wanted to go."
ALYS GLASSE
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.
Wiping her hands on a clean towel, she sat back on her heels with a grin of growing excitement. The time spent traveling with Tal on the small skyship was one of her fondest memories and she couldn't imagine it would be any less fun with Alys. "Yeah? That would be wonderful! I'd happily revisit even the Feverlands, it's been years since I did more than pass through most places." Between the chance to work on her piloting skills, the task of building up a stock for her budding career as an apothecary, not to mention seeing places she had yet to see, she was glad her friend seemed as keen on the idea as she was, because Maea was raring to get going already.
"It might have to wait for Flowerbirth, of course," she acknowledged with a sigh, reaching for a stack of candles and began to arrange them upon the altar. "Deepfrost isn't far off and I am quite useless in the cold... But once it's warm enough I'll write, and we can get started. How's that sound?" Finished with her part of the cleanup, Maea bowed her head in quiet prayer for a moment, then braced her hands against the knees and stood.
11-03-2025, 01:11 PM (This post was last modified: 12-30-2025, 04:06 PM by Alys.)
With the shrine cleaning completed, Alys politely stood aside while Maea bowed her head in a brief prayer. The Ancient had brought fresh candles to sit upon the altar, and the seer shifted subtly as she realized she'd brought no appropriate offering. Oh well. She could always return later with something that would be fitting for this particular shrine.
"I'll await your letter," Alys agreed once Maea had risen, tossing an easy smile towards her friend. "It'll be fun, I'm sure of it." With their task complete, Alys meandered back towards the donkey and cart, which had waited patiently for them to complete their task. "Now, in the meantime... any chance you have any tips for driving this thing?" She laughed as she climbed into the driver's seat, picking up the reins and feeling once more completely disconnected from the donkey at the other end. Driving was nothing like riding, she thought - how was she to properly direct her mount (?) when she was decidedly unmounted?
fin
ALYS GLASSE
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.
