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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!
Leave your words underneath my feet Leave these demons that haunt my street I'll find my way out and never look back
His fire cockatrice misses its mark, neither managing to scorch or allure the real beast. He lets it fizzle out, attention drawn for the time being to the fool of a man just standing there in shock. Iskra could give him one alright.
With the snowy serpent holding the creature's ire for the time being, Iskra uses the distraction to rush over to the man, wooly cloth brushing static to his finger tips. He means to just deliver an eency weency bit of electricity to the fellow to jolt him out of the frozen state, no different from static snapping at a hand when it's dry out and you connect with metal. Admittedly though, Iskra does not have a strong grasp on his mother's element. Amid the fray, through the thunder of blood and violence lifting in his veins, trying to keep something that's building at bay feels rather futile. He connects with his magic and follows it with a hard shove to force the man to Deimos' shelter.
Iskra tries to gently shock the man into movement
Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate lightning. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
Type: Dark | Rank: Basic | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +13 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
I was born just to drown So bury my dreams 'Cause it's all in my head
there exists a tipping point between gods and monsters
The cockatrice can take all of its ire out on Jack's ice sculpture for all he cares; the main thing is that it's turned its attention away from Iskra, Deimos and the other assorted NPCs innocents and their wagon. But as the creature batters against the frosty serpent it does put it directly in front of him, and now that no one seems to be trying to take it down - well, it'd be rude for him not to, no?
Darting around the sculpture until he's got the cockatrice properly back in his line of sight, Jack feels the static ignite between his fingers a second before he calls down the bolt of lightning towards it. The air fills with the scent of ozone and, regardless of whether it actually hits the monster, the resulting crack! will still echo around the trees overhead.
Jack gets himself in range and tries to zap the cockatrice!
Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control Lightning. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +3 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +3 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Mageglass Ring | A silver ring with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered range cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Mageglass Bracelet | A bracelet of leather and silver, decorated with a piece of polished mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Mageglass Ring | A band of silver crafted to look like waves, with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s).
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
KingMaker Coat | A coat made from the elephant-portion of the mythical KingMaker. Blocks physical damage. Has a 2 post cooldown
Type: Dark | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Gentle intentions or not, Iskra ‘s jolt of electricity briefly scrambled the man – a notable current racing through him with an unleashed scream. Deimos furrowed his brows, confused at what he’d just seen, as the stranger was striving to crawl across the ground, still twitching slightly. One could suppose it had worked; but could potentially come at a price. Regardless, Deimos kept the shield up, magic strengthening and surging through the shield, grabbing hold of the woman as she came reeling towards the barrier and her children. “There’s another one,” she murmured, pointing vaguely at the mauled caravan – clutching her kids close.
Raising his head, Deimos barked at Iskra. “Check the wagon!” If the Abandoned did so, he’d find the woman was right – within the seats was a very quiet beast, eating away at the containments of fruit and meat.
And while the Sword would like to join the mauling, the people would come first, which left Jack to flicker his way into the fray. The lightning coursed immediately through the creature, and it howled, screeched, pierced in alarm – maybe calling for its brethren, maybe just lamenting its current predicament. It took another swipe at both sculpture and man, but Jack was swift, capable of moving out of its warpath.
--
Iskra’s hit the NPC man, the woman has made it behind the barrier, Jack’s got a good hit in, and there’s another cockatrice in the wagon.
Cockatrice Two: 27/134
Cockatrice Three: 134/134
NPC Man: 40/75 (twitching/crawling across the ground towards the shield)
NPC Woman: 75/75 (behind shield)
NPC Kid 1: 20/20 (behind shield)
NPC Kid 2: 10/10 (behind shield)
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
Leave your words underneath my feet Leave these demons that haunt my street I'll find my way out and never look back
"Shit!" There's apology buried somewhere in the startled expletive as the jolt Iskra provides sends the man lurching into a state alright. On the ground, no better than a half-wit still, but hey, at least he's moving now. Deimos offers a much more exciting avenue so the burden of control and all the plights of wielding it are quickly out of sight and out of mind as he turns hastily towards the wagon, leaving the sod to finish his trek on his own to the barrier.
He does feel bad, somewhere, but part of him is secretly delighted to see the effect he'd had. Are you proud, mother?
Check the wagon, Deimos had said, but Iskra doesn't know if that means for another foe, another cowering man, or for some mid-fray ransacking of loot. Which, the latter doesn't seem like a usual Deimos directive, and Iskra can't say he's overly drawn to shiny things himself, though spilt blood is proving to become more alluring than he'd realize. So, willing but wary, Iskra draws a ball of fire up and deposits it through the wagon's broken window, peering inside for a moment to see what the flame reveals.
Iskra checks the wagon with a little ball of fire.
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control flames. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +13 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
I was born just to drown So bury my dreams 'Cause it's all in my head
there exists a tipping point between gods and monsters
It takes a lot for a man who is (rightly) considered a moralless villain in a lot of circles to sit up and go lol what the fuck, but Iskra manages it. Catching sight off his fellow Abandoned opting to electrocute one of the merchants into moving more quickly - with arguably mixed results - he doesn't quite hide the scoff of surprised laughter that huffs out of him, but he's luckily distracted by the cockatrice again before he can comment on it.
The screeching of the creature is something he's keen to put to a halt, whether it's because it might summon more or because it's simply a pain in the eardrum, the Captain manipulating crackles of lightning around in a whipcrack towards it. With luck this will put it out of its misery for good, and hopefully Iskra is setting fire to the wagon for a good reason and not just for funsies.
Jack follows up with another lightning attack to Cockarice Two!
Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control Lightning. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +3 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +3 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Mageglass Ring | A silver ring with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered range cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Mageglass Bracelet | A bracelet of leather and silver, decorated with a piece of polished mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Mageglass Ring | A band of silver crafted to look like waves, with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s).
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
KingMaker Coat | A coat made from the elephant-portion of the mythical KingMaker. Blocks physical damage. Has a 2 post cooldown
Type: Dark | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
There’d be more time to discuss certain actions later – in the midst of everything else, there was moving forward; ensuring safety and demise of monsters before lectures. Whether or not the shocking rendition to the stranger had become a distraction to Jack, the lightning strike missed, and the cockatrice saw the opportunity to pounce upon actual prey (and get away from the Captain in equal measure), in the form of the twitching and crawling man.
But then again, so did Deimos.
Before the creature could even raise its talons or fly down towards the NPC, the Sword unleashed a torrent of Mastered Water magic, propelling the icy shards directly into the beast’s body. It died on the way down, crashing into the muddy ground. The man did scream this time, then hustle into the confines of the barrier the Warden continued to maintain.
Iskra, lighting his sight via fire magic, would find an equally surprised cockatrice nestled within. Very content on fattening itself up with a number of food items stored within the merchant’s vessel, its eyes widened, mouth full of some kind of melon. It took a brief moment to consider the situation, before leaping upwards, tearing at the fabric covering the wagon, either striving to make an escape or planning a barrage.
--
Jack misses, Deimos hits, and Iskra has made a discovery!
Leave your words underneath my feet Leave these demons that haunt my street I'll find my way out and never look back
There is a brief moment of calm, when the light of his fire first exposes the nestled secret within the wagon. A third, unknown cockatrice, munching away in peace. Then, a startling break of chaos as Iskra seems to scare it and it in turn surprises him. While it launches through the ceiling, Iskra jolts back with a cry, "another one!" He hasn't yet looked back to see the second one dead, but it's an alert to the rest of the group that there is an additional threat to handle.
He recovers swiftly enough from the unexpected, his ball of flame following the thing skyward through the opening in the wagon, and his fingers reaching for the static-inducing fabric in his pocket to fold lightning into the pursuit as well. The two elements join in a blast of elemental energy targeting the cockatrice's ass to light it up as much as possible except that in so doing the fire magic is less effective but we need combo magic reqs.
Iskra combines his fire and lightning to attack cockatrice 3
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control flames. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate lightning. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
Type: Dark | Rank: Basic | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +13 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
I was born just to drown So bury my dreams 'Cause it's all in my head
there exists a tipping point between gods and monsters
Jack blinks like the gif as he realises his lightning strike has missed, the Captain lost for a couple of seconds in the audacity of the cockatrice staying alive despite his best efforts. Luckily, by the time he comes around from it the creature has been killed by other means, and Jack tosses a lazy salute towards Deimos before, lo and behold, Iskra is right: another one.
Tracking it into the air alongside the ribbon of fire and lightning, Jack clenches his jaw and breaks into a jog to take him around and opposite where his fellow Abandoned is standing. And as Iskra reaches up with flame charged with electricity, the Captain calls down another lightning strike from above, hoping to zap the cockatrice right out of the sky with it.
Jack gets into range of Cockatrice Three and calls lightning down onto it!
Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control Lightning. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +3 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +3 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
Mageglass Ring | A silver ring with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered range cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Mageglass Bracelet | A bracelet of leather and silver, decorated with a piece of polished mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Mageglass Ring | A band of silver crafted to look like waves, with an unrefined stone of mageglass. Will amplify the magical abilities (range and power) of Abandoned by one level. (Basic becomes upgraded, upgraded becomes mastered. Mastered cannot be amplified, but mastered damage will add on +10 in KQs/PQ+s).
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
KingMaker Coat | A coat made from the elephant-portion of the mythical KingMaker. Blocks physical damage. Has a 2 post cooldown
Type: Dark | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered | Cost: Passive
Discoveries could make an impact; especially sudden onslaughts, laden with beasts or not. Despite the surprise, the men were all determined and bound to make a deadly scene - and what an impressive show they all put on.
Iskra ’s combination of fire and lightning spread into a malicious combination of embers and sparks, scorching at the cretin’s wings within a matter of moments. It lost flight almost instantly from the pain and torment, striving to right itself just as Jack stepped into range, which should’ve signified to cease and desist there for the monster. But the fragments of the electrocution simmered and brandished a dangerous, treacherous ease and flow into the motions – the creature was seized, diminished, and spun upon the rocks and ground, twitching, barely breathing.
Deimos followed up with his flare of piercing ice enchantments all over again, and the overkill extinguished every bit of the cockatrice’s mortality.
So surveying the scene, in between barriers, marred wagons, and smoking corpses of beasts…it didn’t look…that bad?
The Sword had to withhold a snort and a laugh; there was still much to do, and likely the family to be set upon their way. “If you two can burn those,” much like they’d done with the brethren from the other scene, “I can get the others healed and try to fix parts of the wagon.” Nothing a little creation and elements couldn’t do, probably.
--
The cockatrices are very, very dead. Help burn some bodies!
Leave your words underneath my feet Leave these demons that haunt my street I'll find my way out and never look back
There's a soft, breathy laugh that eases from his chest as he witnesses the grip of his magic pluck the tail from the beast. It begins to falter instantly, his gaze still tracking it even as his magic disperses, ready to gather and strike again. Lightning from elsewhere, and soon after ice, shred the rest of its being into nothing more than memory though, so the hum in his veins relents to just the usual pulse of something living riding along with him. It's a satisfying thing, seeing the immediate outcome of your work. There's no delays or wondering with his strikes, only mayhem and the direct result, and after years of carving something from bark and snow with little to show but taut muscles and coiling grief, this is quickly taking hold of him.
His attention drifts towards Jack, a little grin extended out. "You're fucking potent." It's as if he seems to truly assess the Captain for the first time, despite the dual adventures now. He knows Deimos' capabilities well, but he's just beginning to see how deadly Jack can be too. There's not many Abandoned he's met in his life, and fewer still that call down the sky so eagerly. Heading over towards the second cockatrice to see its demise for himself, Deimos offers up the idea of burning again, so Iskra obliges and sends his fire magic over the corpse that the other two handled.
Iskra burns the body of cockatrice 2
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control flames. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +13 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
I was born just to drown So bury my dreams 'Cause it's all in my head
there exists a tipping point between gods and monsters
That's more fucking like it. As the combined efforts of three Abandoned who are Done With This Shit causes the third and final cockatrice to whump to the ground like a burnt chicken, Jack is left quietly fussing with one of the rings on his fingers, static still jumping across his hands in jittery aftershocks. "You ain't bad yourself," he mutters to Iskra; the other man likely doesn't know it but that's pretty high praise from a man like Jack.
But then there are bodies to burn and, given that healing and creation are decisively not in this battlemage's wheelhouse, he opts to put all his efforts into that instead. Shaking out his hands and swapping lightning, this time, for fire, he turns towards the third cockatrice to begin to char it down to nothing. It's already halfway there to be honest, which is helpful, but you know what they say - there's no crime if there's no evidence.
Jack burns cockatrice three!
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control flames. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Corpses burned; whatever remained of their electrocuted, barbed, and pierced portions eventually chiseled away into ash and dust and filaments. In between the infernos, Deimos made sure Zuriel healed up the family, especially the twitching individual, and before long creation magic, woven together with the elements, hastened and ensured their wagon was good to go – mended to original, if not slightly more improved, form.
The Sword made quick inspection of everything else, rounding over to grant a juvenile grin to Jack and the fellow Halovian; always content to see a range of enchantments and vehemence on display. “Good work.” Turning to Iskra, he jutted his jawline in the direction of the previously zapped stranger. “Maybe give an apology before they head out?” That way there could be an extension of gratitude both ways – perhaps – if there was an explanation involved. Deimos had once had to do the same thing, though one could argue his had been both accidental and indifferent.
Then there was the matter of the memory mud blocking the caravan’s wheels, but the Warden figured that’d be an easy fix, and then everyone could be on their way. “We can take care of this,” pointing to the grime, which was now forming itself into a makeshift snowman…mudball. “Then we should be good to go.” And a little fun last-ditch pulse of elements and incantations to send things off.
--
Help get rid of the memory mud by the wagon wheels (using your magic, of course)!
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
Leave your words underneath my feet Leave these demons that haunt my street I'll find my way out and never look back
The praise lands like a gold star sticker on his soul, shiny and far more rewarding than it likely ought to be. Knowing more about Jack might have sealed it in longer, or upgraded it to a coveted platinum star, but the gold-standard is more than enough to feed into barren areas of Iskra like rain. He turns away, but it's with a confident smile that he torches the rest of the body. The steady triumph of destruction winds around his mind like a cat satisfied it's tossed shit off a shelf, admiring the glittering shards of mayhem from on high. See? it purrs, rich and consoling across old scars and doubts. Just have to let go. So many years spent holding on, for what?
Deimos' continuation of approval only strokes his ego further, momentary as it is before the blunder is brought up again. Iskra's attention flicks towards the healed stranger, irritation prickling like a thorn being brushed against exposed skin. "Yeah," is all he says, low and reluctant as a sigh. He heads over though, ruffling his hair through the nerves and offering a hand shake around the muttered apology. The exchange is brief, but it should be water under the bridge, well enough to use it at least. That less proud voice slithers out though, always waiting in the corners of his thoughts, a coiled snake ready to strike at any opportunity to provide venom. Weak, it taunts him in a whisper, but it echoes loud in its quiet admonishment. With the heat of it all faded, the chill of his mistake sinks in, unkind and lingering. He'll consider the failure again and again, edges smoothed over with all the handling, another stone to skip across his fears to see how many ripples it can make.
So quietly, lacking the same energy as before, he joins them alongside the wagon and works to turn flame against the wet cling of memory mud, mindful not to let the heat lick the borders of the wagon and send the entire vehicle up. His focus is on small applications of heat to dry the mud into something that'll flake and crumble, magic winding into the heart of the wriggling beast to consume it into nothing more than dust.
Iskra uses fire to dry out the memory mud, mindful of avoiding the wagon.
Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create and control flames. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action
Regional Score bonus: +13 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +13 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.
I was born just to drown So bury my dreams 'Cause it's all in my head
there exists a tipping point between gods and monsters
Lifting his chin in greeting towards Deimos as the other man approaches, his mending and creating all done with, Jack steps back at last to survey the smoking bits of ash leftover from the cockatrice. "That should do it," he decides, dousing it with a spray of water as well to ensure the fire doesn't catch any of the nearby grasses (as if, with the weather this Flowerbirth).
Glancing over towards the stuck wagon as the Sword mentions the memory mud, it's with a curl of his lip that Jack nods and makes his way over; he's getting to the point where he really could do without seeing it again for the rest of his life if he's honest. Fat chance of that happening, though. So instead, as Iskra dries out the mud to help it flake away from the wheels, Jack calls on his earth magic to forcibly persuade it to behave, ensuring the wagon can get back on track without further interruptions.
Jack uses his earth magic to strip the memory mud away from the wagon wheels!
Earth Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate the earth. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent.
Type: Grey | Rank: Upgraded | Cost: Action
