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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!
As flying enters into everyday life, the dreams of centuries become actualities.
Nova can feel the shift, can feel the pride and excitement racing down the bond like a streak of golden sunlight coming from her sister. After so much having gone terribly for her sister in recent months, the shared joy is vibrant, her tiny talons clicking against the roof tiles as she hops a happy dance. Congrats, Caly! I can't wait to see it! In fact, she might have raced down to catch a glimpse if she wasn't spotting her white, fluffy nemesis looking particularly smug.
Opening her beak to continue the teasing and mocking, Nova is suddenly letting out a screeching trill as a hoard of fat, feathered beasts descend on her. She quickly forgets her excitement, flapping her wings hard and fast in attempts to dodge the sharp beaks. Not sure how well they can fly, Nova turns skyward, becoming a fluttering blur of zigzagging colors that climb higher. Slightly panicked in her escape, she shouts, Guys! There's an army of birds out here!
Nova tries to gain altitude and warns the others!
One by one they take shape and become stepping-stones for other dreams.
// So go and pitch your fit, no one gives a shit //
So new. Caly agrees with a mental chime of a laugh, one that softens into something warm and content and of pure excitement at having the option to fly now. She draws silent to listen to Deimos’ suggestion, nodding her head that sends her beak in a sharp dive down and rise – like she still isn’t quite used to the shift just yet.
It all spirals out when she hears the birds above and her sister’s call – and she wastes little time in deciding to hand over the reins of this shift to the instincts of the sunstreak, immediately making her way to take flight (rocky as it is), toward the rooftop to try and help her sister out from being attacked by all of those birds. I'm comin' Nova!
The call came and Calypso answered, rising up through the torrent of rooftop scales and heights, rushing towards the barrage of ningos chasing after Nova. Sisterhood and teamwork could very well prevail – Deimos’ eyes narrowed as he debated joining them. Let me know if you need me, because he could hear the other creature still lurking above – understanding that if he left, there’d be no obstacle stopping the cretin from coming into the house once more. If worst came to worst, perhaps he could fly up through the chimney itself…though he debated the golden eagle parameters…
The flock did exactly as they were bid by their larger constituent – racing, flying at the girls, wings unfurled, loud, and raucous. But not being a very intelligent species, they weren’t certain of how to go about actually waging a siege – so both birds would find themselves bombarded by white feathers and wings, but not much more. Just enough to be a distraction and deterrent.
Which meant the larger ningo was working its way down, either none the wiser or completely indifferent.
Between her wings and the ningos' and Caly's coming to join the fray, it's a flurry of white and rainbow and gold feathers scattering across the snowy roof tiles. She tries to move up and out of the way, but they follow buffering each other as much as her with their panicked movements. The controlled rhythm of her six wings is disrupted left and right, leaving her sprawling in the snow again, chirping and screeching indignantly.
Looking to her sister, Nova places her feet back under her, the black fur already appearing. Let's scare them away! Then she's growing, pushing away the birds attempting to bury her in feathers. Her fangs and scraping claws flash threateningly. Bracing her paws against the roof, Nova lets out a loud REOWR! of warning before resorting to violence.
Nova shifts back to her jaguar and lets out a 'roar' to scare the ningos away!
// So go and pitch your fit, no one gives a shit //
She zips up toward the rooftop, the scales of the top portion of the house coming at such speed she hadn’t quite anticipated yet. It’s the first time she’s flown within a shift before, having the control over each individual component of her flight. It’s less graceful, but she arrives to the sight of feathers and wings chasing after her sister.
So she dives into action, taloned feet hitting the rooftop to give her some speed to catch up to them. They aren’t smart enough to use their beaks or feet to cause any actual harm, but it’s enough to be bulky pains in the asses, and for that Caly can absolutely retaliate with the use of her own talons and the sharpness of her beak to poke and prod at the offenders that chase her sister, squawking a sound of anger to get them to leave them both alone.
And preferably, the house itself.
Caly uses her beak and talons to try and get the ningos to leave!
Some of the ningos responded to the confusion and turmoil with their own – squawking, screeching, and making quite a scene from the heights above the house. While Nova landed upon the roof and started roaring to instigate the birds’ departure, Calypso used her beak and talons. The tide jaguar was enough to deter the lower angled portions of the flock, and they rose upwards and glared, uncertain what to do and all the more irritated for it. Those under Calypso’s ire lost several feathers for their trouble, sending them higher, where they all collectively glared, but didn’t do much else. Perhaps that meant the girls had done their job, and wouldn’t have to trouble with them any longer.
Not the same could be said for the larger ningo – who had made its way down the chimney. Unfortunately for it, Deimos was waiting – and snatched it in his jaws the moment it descended, soot and all, into the space. It frantically flapped portions of its wings not trapped within his grasp, and strangely enough, instead of screaming like its brethren, a very distinct, but unfamiliar human voice erupted. Stop! Stop! Let me go!
--
The girls have chased away the birds, but something else is going on with the larger ningo Deimos has captured!
As flying enters into everyday life, the dreams of centuries become actualities.
The roar successfully sends birds flying away, revealing enough space for Nova to glimpse her sister's new form next to her. It sparkles nearly as much as Caly's golden personality, the lithe bird becoming deadly with its beak and talons. Swiping at another ningo, Nova flashes her sister a curved grin of her lips. OOOOOH!!!! It's SOOOOO pretty!!
With the swarm of feathered beasts having put some distance between them, she's able to hear the new voice that joins Deimos, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. Come on! Let's go see what Deimos found! Black fur turns to wings when she's shifting again, flitting up then down towards the window in a blur of color to get inside before the birds renew their efforts.
Nova calls Caly to see what Deimos has found then shifts to fly back inside.
One by one they take shape and become stepping-stones for other dreams.
10-21-2025, 11:24 AM (This post was last modified: 10-21-2025, 11:26 AM by Calypso.)
// So go and pitch your fit, no one gives a shit //
They certainly do their best to scare them away – between the flapping and squawking and the talons reaching out for anything that might cross into its grip, it’s no surprise that the ningos start to lift higher. She can feel her sister’s roar vibrate in her bones, enough that it even spooks the prey side of her shift – which is admittedly quite an interesting feeling. But with her sister's pride and excitement at the golden shift, she sends a warm bubbly sensation over the attuned bond toward her. Thanks!!
But she perseveres against the onslaught, offering a squawk and babble of annoyance to the ningos that have finally left them alone – just in time to hear the call from down the chimney. Obviously, Caly’s intrigued. Attuned? She calls down toward Deimos, forgoing the rooftop and casting a glance toward her sister before she bolts back down into the main room of the house.
Caly comes to investigate and help Deimos with the large ningo!
Deimos, for all his wiles, ignored the ningo’s request, keeping the bird locked in his jaw. He could hear the sisters approaching once more, and backed away from the hearth, leaving ample room and space for them to float and flicker back in – then to behold the current mess of a situation.
Calypso’s inquiry earned her a nod – it was the only thing that made sense – while the bird, with his cover blown, persisted in his requests, still trying desperately to free himself from the hellhound’s grasp with little budge. All the notions of fur and feathers, blankets and dining room tables, evidence freely extended throughout the house…even the open windows, so he’d have a chance to escape in and out with likely little notice. Aww come on! No one was using the place anyway. The Sword’s eyes roamed towards the girls, and he sat, wholly unbothered as the beast continued in his futile efforts. Seems like we have a squatter. What should we do with him? Deimos had a few ideas of his own, but he’d hear the input, especially considering how much they’d had to do to even get to this point.
As flying enters into everyday life, the dreams of centuries become actualities.
Landing next to Deimos in a flurry of colors, she hops closer to the ningo to watch him struggle. There hadn't been any guesses or suspicions on her part about the bird's identity, although it all seems to make sense now. He'd been a little too cocky, obviously the leader of the band of white birds - not that she connects how he might have been influencing them beyond his larger stature.
Nova puffs her chest as if she might be looking down on him from her tiny dreambird form, all confidence and satisfaction at her nemesis having been caught. Not so tough now, are you? His voice filters through the bond, her beak clicking her annoyance. So? Look how messy you made it! You don't deserve to live here! Especially with how he mistreats house guests.
Looking to Deimos and Caly, she gives a curt and decisive nod of her head. He should clean the whole place by himself. She says the punishment like it's the equivalent of a death sentence, personally hating the idea.
Nova suggests they make him clean the place.
One by one they take shape and become stepping-stones for other dreams.
// So go and pitch your fit, no one gives a shit //
The ningo continues to try to wriggle free from the hellhound’s mouth as Caly lands on her two taloned feet, wings fluffing as she makes herself appear larger than she is beside her sister. His question is aimed at them after they hear the attuned’s excuses, causing the sunstreak to cock her head as if trying to debate what a fitting punishment might be.
Her sister’s voice filters through and she clacks her beak in response, shaking out her feathers a touch before she bobs her head in agreement to Nova’s suggestion. Clean ‘n make a formal apology to the owners. That seems better than what her gut instinct had been.
Which admittedly might be an overstep with her mind drifting toward banishment. Ah well.
Caly says he should clean the place AND formally apologize to the owners of the house.
Deimos listened, otherwise still as stone while the ningo flapped around, his head merely tilting slightly as Calypso and Nova gave their verdicts. Much kinder than I was thinking, he inferred, as banishment out into the wilderness of the Halo winter seemed much more fitting to him – but perhaps the interloper would take to some minor rehabilitation in the form of apology and cleaning. If he didn’t, well, the Sword would see to other matters.
Would either of you like to make sure he is following orders? figuring both would find that amusing and fun. And the other can help me confirm everything is locked. He doubted the homeowners would want anymore unwelcome intruders.
Releasing the ningo, the beast shifted and altered into his human form – a hunched over middle-aged man with multiple parkas on – who was already grumbling and shuffling his way towards one of the brooms nearby.
--
One to help watch (bully) the squatter, and one to help Deimos make sure all rooms/windows, etc are locked up!
As flying enters into everyday life, the dreams of centuries become actualities.
Nova wouldn't be opposed to banishment, but cleaning is her own sort of hell. It's dirty and work, so it's the first punishment that comes to mind and she's more than happy to oversee its completion. I'll watch over the prisoner! Puffing her chest, she moves to perch on the back of a couch, supervising the shift and beginning of the process.
Whereas Nova considers cleaning a personal hell, some might argue that what the man has to endure is made all the worse by her. She hops along behind him as he works, eyes gleaming with disapproving scrutiny that misses nothing. Every pause or hint of slack earns him a demanding clack of her beak, forcing him to continue sweeping, scrubbing, and fixing the mess he'd made. The worst part is how her chiming voice echoes down the bond like a never-ending run of criticisms he can't escape. You missed a spot! and Does that look clean to you?! and her favorite: I don't see it sparkling yet! They all follow him through the house, a constant reminder that she's watching.
Nova chooses to bully oversee the man!
One by one they take shape and become stepping-stones for other dreams.
don't talk 'bout me like how you might know how i feel top of the world, but your world isn't real
If the option was open for something worse, Caly would’ve definitely taken it. But Halo isn’t her region and she isn’t sure how harsh of justice that Deimos would prefer – so she offers her own little tidbit in what she thinks is a decent middle ground, sure that once they leave if the Warden wanted to banish the man that he absolutely could.
Nova’s quick on trailing after the attuned to make sure he does what is asked, and Caly is easily shifting back into her tide jaguar shift to trail after Deimos to check that the rooms and windows are locked. I’ll help with checkin’ the locks! She trills, her pale tail flicking contently behind her on the way to check the windows and doors.
Caly shifts back into the tide jaguar shift and checks the locks with Deimos!
