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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!
Paws pad against the dry earth, leaves crunching and twigs snapping softly despite the stealth with which she moves. It makes hunting hard in this weather, especially when prey picks to hide from her as much as the heat. She doesn't mind it, her molten fur still beating the temperature of the sky as it drips along the forest floor. Sticking to the damp areas, it doesn't pose too much of a fire risk - a large-scale forest fire wouldn't make her hunting any easier - except that much of the Greatwood has become dry no matter how close it resides to the rivers.
When her eyes come to rest on the massive tree of the Mathair, Thal pauses, sitting back on her haunches to inspect the towering branches with a quiet flick of her ears. She breathes in the clear air, chest expanding with the scent of leaves, mulch, moss, and - smoke?
Her blue eyes pop back open, blinking as she looks behind her, where she wonders if her precautions haven't been enough to keep the dry foliage from catching fire. The flame is greedy, catching the tinder easily as it begins to catch the breeze, her fangs bearing in a grimace to realize the mess that might be her fault.
Bite my tongue, bide my time Wearing a warning sign
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
The Greatwood was a powderkeg, full of dry tinder just waiting for a spark.
Liam's typical morning workouts had been interrupted of late by the smoke; he'd taken to prowling the forest instead, companions at his side, searching for any sign of the flames that threatened all he held dear. Maea might survive a forest fire, and the Greatwood might grow back stronger than ever, but Liam? Their home? The life they'd built together? All it would take was one errant fire to erase everything they had, and Liam wasn't about to stand by and watch that happen.
It became something of an obsession. He walked the familiar paths of the Greatwood again and again, looking for anything that might be a danger to Sidhe Village and those who lived there. It was rare that he found anything that couldn't be easily snuffed out, but he kept searching anyway, sure that where there was smoke, there was fire.
He'd scolded more than one traveler for their carelessness this season, and so when he came upon a path of flames that ended by a molten tiger, he scowled to himself. Molten tigers weren't native here, so this one had to be someone passing through. It wasn't Maea - of that he was certain, for she wouldn't be so careless with her shifts in this weather. Not to mention he'd left her at home, studying some topic or other in a tome the size of his head.
He might have approached the molten tiger to berate it for its carelessness, but the flames were spreading. So instead, he gathered up a bucket that he'd taken to carrying with him, dunked it in the nearby river, and began to spread the water over the flames.
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
The fire threatened to spread, tendrils grabbing at any nearby tinder to fuel its rage. She couldn't be sure she was the one who started the fire, after all, the season had been brutal and merciless in its spontaneous bouts of heat, causing more than a few fires that she hadn't started. But with the possibility that she had been to blame, and the Mathair at her back, Thal grit her teeth and moved to clean up the mess before it ruined her hunt.
Her ears twitched, hearing something approach - or rather, someone just as she was shifting. Thal's sharp senses picked up the scent just before her nose dulled, horns curling from her head and fangs shrinking to that of every other Ancient. But recognition passed over her before the ability fled her, a grimace lifting the edge of her lips.
Well shit.
She'd have to deal with that mess after.
Tail snapping sharply behind her, Thal let out a long breath, her focus drawing to the flames that were reaching for the treetops. She pulled her magic tight, dragging the fire down with her as she sunk to the ground like a tether.
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
Despite Liam's best efforts, the fire threatened to spread. It was simply too dry, and the various plants that called the Greatwood home were going up like tinder. He continued to work, ignoring the molten tiger - at least until the flames fled from beneath his bucket of water, dragged towards the Ancient who now sat where the tiger had been moments before - an Ancient who he, unfortunately, recognized.
Myriad emotions ripped through his system. Shock, because he hadn't thought she'd dare to show her face here, of all places; anger, for all she'd put him through, and for daring to set his forest on fire. But beneath all that, there was confusion, too, because if she'd been infected, then she'd been just as unaware of what she'd been doing as he had been. And wasn't she trying to help now, by controlling the fire that threatened to spread around the Mathair and beyond?
So for now, he paused, bucket in hand, and simply watched, waiting to see whether she would make this situation better or worse with whatever control she had over the flames.
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
As you wander along a sun-warmed path, something catches the light at just the right angle, glinting brightly against the stone. Set slightly off the walkway, nestled among pale gravel and heat-baked earth, rests a smooth piece of sunstone.
The stone radiates warmth even without being touched, its golden surface threaded with natural veins that seem to glow softly from within. The air around it feels heavier, saturated with heat, as though the sun itself has paused here for a moment longer than elsewhere.
It looks intentionally placed, not lost — a quiet offering waiting to be noticed by the right eyes.
You've found an offering for Tanau! Whoever is next to post in this thread will be the first one to see the offering, but if they wish to give it to someone else, they're more than welcome! No need to post in account updates, just keep track of this thread for the Longheat SWE!
It wasn't an easy fight. For every leaf she put out, the fire found three more to consume. A foot gained in one direction was lost in another. The heat didn't bother her, but the smoke and ash quickly began to stir, shoved into her face by the wind that whipped through the trees. She squinted, gritting her teeth and pursing her lips against the suffocating fumes. It was hard to see where Liam was, if he'd stayed or fled, but Thal didn't have the time to investigate or avoid making him a casualty in the fire.
Throwing her arm across her face, a hacking cough momentarily disrupted her battle, a tendril of fire leaping to the bark of a towering tree nearby.
Thal let out a colorful and horrifyingly descriptive curse, sweeping out her arms desperately as she planted her feet for a larger push. The magic tugged and drained, a blanket cast over the flames to stifle them. A low growl pressed through her lips as she strained with effort, arms and legs shaking with the battle against nature. But it slowly began to work, the bright display of fire dimming in the canopy's shadows, the progression slowing to a crawl rather than a sprint. It wasn't done, but if she could go just a little bit longer...
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
Thalassa wrangled the flames into submission, and Liam stood by, waiting, watching - though for what, he wasn't quite sure. A part of him expected her to explode outward at any moment, to send the fire shooting for him if only to hurt Maea. But then why would she have bothered to pull them towards her in the first place, when leaving them to burn would have been just as painful for the pale Ancient?
When she let out a strangled curse, Liam jumped. Released from whatever spell he'd been under, he grasped his bucket in hand and ran toward the river, then began splashing water on whatever fire he could reach - though he stayed well away from Thalassa, unsure what kind of reaction he might be met with if he doused her in river water and unwilling to test her concentration. Instead, he ran back and forth with the bucket, cursing that he didn't have something better to offer, doing his best to contain what little fire remained outside of her reach.
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
The fire was a cornered animal, gaining power in its fading light. It fought against her magic, reaching for fresh foliage just beyond the edge of its reach. She tugged and pulled and wrangled the beast beneath her netting of magic, effort painting her forehead in perspiration. Small growls curled from her lips, frustration and exhaustion beginning to pool in her muscles. The flames were dying, but her strength was being sapped with it.
Blinking through the smoke, another cough wreaked her body. She dropped to her knees, uncertain whether she would be able to stop the force attempting to consume the forest. Perhaps she had been too late in recognizing the risk. Perhaps she deserved this after being so careless. She'd have to own the act like it was intentional.
Before she could plot how to spin the tale, the fire weakened, its hold loosening as it shrank back. Without hesitation, Thal gave a final shove of magic, her hands pressing into the ground like she was smothering the flames beneath them. A collapse of heat shifts in the air, smoke and ash drifting down from the sky as she heaved a breath of relief. "Shit. What a mess."
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
Thalassa continued to fight against the fire, seemingly lost in her battle. Liam continued to run towards any errant flames, putting them out as best he could.
And then, finally, there was a rush of heat, a silent roar, and the fire collapsed in on itself, snuffed out by whatever magic Thalassa controlled. Smoke and ash drifted through the air; Liam coughed, a rough, hacking sound that broke the sudden stillness of the forest. When he looked up again, it was to find Thalassa on the ground, cursing.
Liam regarded her for a moment, not quite sure what to do or say. Then, seeming to come to some kind of decision, he crossed the space between them and collapsed on the ground near her. Tossing his bucket to the side, he ran a hand through sweaty hair. "You can say that again." Glancing at the Ancient sidelong, he added, "Thanks for doing that. I thought the whole forest was going to go up in flames."
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
On her hands and knees, Thal's hair shifted like an inky curtain across her face, hiding the grimace of exhaustion that suddenly hit her. She sucked in a deep breath, another fit of coughing capturing her lungs. Through the squint of her eyes, she noticed something golden, and radiating a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire. Her fingers closed around the stone, confusion swirling in the aftermath of expended effort. "The hell is this?"
The whisper was cut off by the crunch of approaching footsteps.
Her eyes rose, assessing the source with disguised shock, tensing as she prepared for a fight. Each step closer was an alarm bell, her thoughts twisting into shame and deserved punishments. But Liam didn't lunge or shout or capitalize on her weakened state, choosing instead to plop down beside her in the dirt.
Thal watched with obvious suspicion, slowly shifting her weight to sit back on her heels. "Me too." Although she was more surprised by the predicament she found herself in. She fell into silence, staring at the blackened earth of the forest, uncertain what to say to Liam, what he expected her to say.
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
If Liam noticed Thalassa's tension, he didn't draw attention to it, instead choosing to plop down in the dirt beside her and lean back on his hands, entirely non-threatening in his demeanor. He was as surprised as she was, really; had you asked him a half hour earlier, he would likely have been just as happy to never see her again. And there was a part of him that felt like this strange truce was some kind of betrayal after everything Maea had been through because of Thalassa... but Thal had saved the forest, and that had to count for something.
So it was that after a few moments of silence, Liam said, "I take it you're cured now?" It wasn't much, didn't give anything away. For all she knew, he could still be angry - and maybe a small part of him was, but not at her, not really. He was angry with the Family, for the time they'd taken from him. But Thal? She'd just been a victim, just like him.
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
The silence dragged, worse than a rubber band being pulled taught, preparing to snap against skin, threatening to split the barrier into a wound. She continued to brace, mind racing as she watched ash flutter to the ground. It coated the blackened earth in white, the scent of scorched foliage taking root in her nose.
She stiffened imperceptibly at the sound of his voice breaking the silence. Her eyes remained fixed elsewhere, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart as her head nodded. Dark waves of hair shifted around her sweat-slick shoulders like a cloak of darkness that might disguise the scars on her heart.
Swallowing, Thal took a deep breath to confirm her own suspicions. "You?"
Why do you stay until you see blood? Why does the weight fall upon us?
There was tension between them, there was no denying that. And how could there not be, when Thalassa had caused him such trouble, had caused Maea such trouble? Liam could still remember how it had felt to be cured, the cold realization that his thoughts and actions had not entirely been his own. It had been a violation the likes of which he'd never experienced before and hoped to never experience again.
But maybe Thalassa felt that way, too. And that meant that she might understand in a way that others couldn't.
She nodded, and something in Liam's chest relaxed. It was good that she was cured. Maybe that made it less likely for them to fight. "Yeah. For a few seasons now." He paused, mulling everything over. "When I was first cured, I was angry," he admitted. "Mostly with you. I blamed you for it." He sighed. "But now... I don't want to be enemies." He wasn't sure he wanted to be friends, either, but that was a whole other conversation.
We're on the same side in the same war Why stay 'til you see blood?
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
Ash flecks smeared across her cheeks when Thal pushed the hair back from her face. Widened eyes found Liam, shock and disbelief scattering her thoughts for a moment. She couldn't hide the suspicion tinging the emotion, searching his expression to find the joke or patronization there, to be the butt of some cruel means he planned to get revenge.
But he looked sincere, like he genuinely didn't wish to fight with her.
Thal glared and demanded, "How?" She flashed her fangs, a storm brewing in her eyes that was only partially caused by Liam and his inexplicable words. "How can you just move past it so easily?" After what she did? After what she did to him?
