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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!
The ROUS scrambles away from the fyrhund and right into the path of the tiger, who swipes out with one great claw to slice into its face. Blood sprays, and Aithne grins a fanged, canine grin as she watches the ROUS slam into the wall. Stalking forward, the girl lunges in, aiming for the rodent with a quick snap of her jaws -
And misses.
Her teeth click shut midair as the ROUS hisses, scuttling away from the fyrhund with a shriek loud enough to make Aithne's eyes water. The girl shakes her head to clear it and growls, frustrated and embarrassed. But she's not one to give up, and she quickly jumps towards the creature. While it's out of her attacking range, she can at least herd it back towards the tiger, preventing its escape into the darkness of the cavern.
---
ROUS HP: 523/694
In the darkest little paradise
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
The molten tiger looks entirely too human when its blue eyes roll, trying not to be too disappointed in the fyrhund for missing. She shouldn't have expected anything better from the novice hunter, no matter what the woman may have reassured to the contrary. If she wants something done right, she has to do it herself.
Thal flicks her tail, sharp and irritated as she shifts back. It's easier to see the annoyance on her face when she looks to the woman, dark eyebrow raised. "Fangs and talons are great, but sometimes good old fashion fire hits harder." Light blooms into existence, coiling from her fingertips and towards the ROUS, searing its hide in a nasty sizzle that smells of singed fur and toxic air.
Embarrassment blooms in Aithne's chest as the tiger shifts back into humanoid form, irritation clear on her face. Its quickly replaced by an eager gleam in her eye as the woman calls upon fire and flings it at the ROUS, searing its hide as it squeals. If nothing else, Aithne is learning from the other Ancient, though there's little she can do about it right now. Her own magic is barely present, new and untried, and she doubts that she can do much of anything with it without a source of fire nearby.
So instead, she bares her teeth in a fyhrund grin and darts forward, taking advantage of the ROUS's distraction as it writhes in pain from the fire that has lit some of its fur on fire and melted flesh. This time, she aims for the spine, and her teeth sink into still-burning skin as the ROUS struggles beneath her attack. She's almost used to its shrieking by now, and she keeps her grip on the rodent even as it attempts to scramble away. Let the other Ancient use fire; it won't affect Aithne, and at least this way she can keep the creature corralled.
---
ROUS HP: 293.5/694
In the darkest little paradise
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
The ROUS writhes against the floor, looking for the most part like it plans to flee. But at least the fyrhund is proving useful for something because she has enough intelligence to keep it from escaping.
Canine jaws clamp around the spine, the giant rodent thrashing in her hold enough that they stumble around the cave, and nearly into Thal, who lets out a deep growl of warning just as she darts to the other side of the cave. "Watch it." She might have to mention later how awareness is equally as important as strength and abilities.
For now, she doesn't let the fyrhund's presence stop her attack, pushing a large wall of fire towards them. It burns so hot that it illuminates the space in bright orange light, steam rising from the places it brushes along the walls and floor. And when it hits the pair, the ROUS lets out a shriek of agony, the skin beneath its fur boiling with the contact.
Aithne is, perhaps, not the best huntress, but in her defense, she hasn't been doing this for very long. It's only been a couple of seasons since she escaped her boring fate in Stormbreak to join the ranks of Dygra's followers, and in all that time, she's only hunted with Soren, who can predict her movements almost as if he can read her mind. Hunting with this woman is far different. Aithne does not know her attack patterns or style, and she forgets, for a moment, that she cannot expect the other Ancient to predict hers, either.
So as she stumbles across the cavern and nearly into her hunting partner, she makes a sound not unlike a whine of apology, though she refuses to let go of her prey for anything more than that. Fire blooms around them, and the ROUS struggles in her grasp; despite her best efforts, it manages to wriggle loose, and Aithne's best attempt to snap at the creature comes up lacking. Fortunately, the ROUS is in no condition to run despite Aithne's failure, and it writhes nearby, attempting to escape the flames that have permanently marked its skin.
---
ROUS HP: 142/694
In the darkest little paradise
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
When the ROUS breaks free, it stumbles weakly towards her. It obviously isn't going to get far, but she stills darts out of the way, blinking out of existence until she stood a few feet away. Then she loosens a heavy sigh, bored with this pathetic game of chase, and the poor performance of the fyrhund. Leaning against the wall, she props and elbow on her arm and sends a tendril of flame towards the ROUS, like a snake on the hunt. It weaves through the air before colliding with the smoldering fur of its side. Another screech echoes through the cavern, skin sizzling to accent the scent of charred flesh. The creature falls to the floor, writhing and struggling against the death clutching it.
Tired of hearing the ruckus, Thal flicks her wrist, a dagger imbedding in its skull with a wet thud. It goes limp, blood oozing slowly onto the floor as she looks to the younger Ancient, disappointment and judgement clear in the purse of her lips. "You call that pulling your weight?" She'd expected more, and by the way Thal's tail flicks, she's obviously irritated with doing most of the work.
The fight is over at last, and Aithne thinks she did rather well, all things considered. The ROUS had been a fiercer opponent than she had expected, and she'd managed several bites - enough that, in her mind, she severely wounded the creature. And she'd helped to keep it from escaping. And so as she shifts back into her Ancient form, it is with a wide grin that she turns to the other Ancient - only to deflate immediately as the woman's ire becomes clear.
"Hey, I did my part!" Aithne objects, glaring daggers - though it does little to mask the hurt underneath. "I mean, yeah, I made some mistakes, but I tried!" And here she was, thinking she'd done well, thinking that she could make friends with this stranger who clearly didn't have any interest in the same. She should have just stuck with hunting with Soren - or even Danta or Asta or Charlie, all of whom have given her a much warmer welcome.
Aithne
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
Her eyebrow raises, obviously unimpressed with the display of emotion. "And it wouldn't have been enough if I weren't here." She crosses her arms, daring the woman to argue with her. Perhaps it was her own fault for suggesting the creature, but it would have gone a lot better if the fyrhund hadn't just lunged in, if she hadn't been fixated on sinking her teeth in.
Thal hums a low note, guiding her dagger from the ROUS skull into her hand where she licks the blood from its black and red surface, barely looking at the woman as she leans against the damp wall. "You're not big or strong enough to even take on a ROUS," her words are blunt as she pauses, pulling her dagger back to inspect it when she adds, "so don't act like you are."
Satisfied with the state of her weapon - despite the dim lighting that makes it hard to see - Thal returns it to the sheath on her hip, shrugging her shoulders. "Set traps. Use weapons. Make distractions. Use magic. Be smarter." When her eyes lift to the woman again, they practically glow in the dark, honesty fueled by experience. "Do that and you might just stand survive."
Aithne's immediate reaction is to argue, but when she opens her mouth, no sound comes out. So she snaps it shut, fangs clicking together, and takes a beat to consider the woman's advice. It's not sugar-coated, but it's also useful - and although Aithne feels that there might be a kinder way to impart wisdom, the bluntness is almost appreciated when compared to the thought of the other Ancient blowing smoke up her ass.
"Okay," Aithne says at last, not cowed, but determined. She has a lot to learn still about this body, her abilities, and what she can do. She hesitates, but then: "Are traps and weapons something you could... teach?" She doubts very much that the woman wants to, but with how easily she seemed to dispose of the ROUS, Aithne recognizes that she would make a strong teacher.
Aithne
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
The woman doesn't refute the assessment, seeming to take it with more grace than Thal would have expected. At least there seems to be some hope for her yet. However, the Captain is quickly questioning her assessment.
Teach?
She blinks, surprise flickering, wondering how the woman had come to the conclusion that Thal would make a good teacher - or how she'd worked up the courage after all the criticism thrown her way. For a moment, she appreciates the absurdity of it.
Then Thal laughs, the sound blunt and hollow as she swipes dirt from her sleeves and pushes off from the wall, dismissive. "You'd be better off with someone else. I don't coddle or praise." She's not soft or encouraging, not gentle or sympathetic. Her crew only learns from her because they have no other option, begrudgingly accepting her instructions as law. Thal won't subject herself to the annoyance of a whiny brat tagging along at her heels, just as she won't hold someone captive to her 'tutelage.'
For a moment, Aithne thinks that the woman might agree. It feels absurd that they've come this far without even exchanging names, but that's something that can quickly be remedied as soon as she says yes -
But then the woman laughs, and Aithne tilts her head to one side, unable to figure out what's so funny about the situation in which they have found themselves. Still, the other Ancient's refusal - if it can even be called that - doesn't come outright, but as an insistence that Aithne doesn't want her as a teacher. On the contrary: that just makes Aithne all the more determined.
She links her hands behind her back, peering at the woman. "Well, last I checked, coddling and praise aren't required to learn. Besides," she adds. "You're strong. I want to be strong, too."
Aithne
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
Thal can't decide if she should admire or chastise the stubbornness. She's always appreciated determination, but Thal doesn't think this woman realizes what she's asking for - what kind of torture she's signing up for. And not all the compliments or lofty aspirations in the world are going to change that.
Flicking her tail, Thal walks around the woman to crouch next to the dead ROUS. "I won't make time for you," she says flat, blunt, truth without cushion or doubt. Another dagger slips from a sheath lower on her leg, devoid of the glowing Dygra magic of her previous one. As she slips it beneath the charred skin of the creature, she elaborates with authority, a Captain at work. "You'd learn whatever pops up in the moment, and if you slow me down or get in my way, I'll kill you myself." She wouldn't have to wait for weakness to take her out.
Aithne is nothing if not an eternal optimist, and it's unclear even to her whether she simply believes that the woman is being too harsh on her teaching abilities, or if she has decided that she will charm her way into the other Ancient's good graces, or perhaps there is something else entirely driving her to press for tutelage. She watches attentively as the other Ancient walks around her, crouching beside the ROUS and beginning to skin it. Aithne is enthralled, immediately deciding that daggers are to be her weapon of choice and daydreaming about the various places she can stash them on her body.
There is a brief pause after the woman threatens her, and one might think that this is the moment when Aithne reconsiders this rather questionable endeavor; but in reality, she is simply memorizing the way the woman's hands move with the dagger, slipping beneath charred skin and carving through flesh in a way that Aithne has never seen before. "Deal," she says after a moment, dark gaze flicking up to meet the other Ancient's squarely. "Seems like as good a way to learn as any." And with the threat of death on the table? Well, that's a motivator if there ever was one.
Aithne
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Aithne.
Her blue eyes barely flicker up from the work, disinterest evident in the way she immediately dismisses the woman. "Fine. It's your funeral." And Thal wouldn't bring flowers.
The dagger slips in easily enough, although the dark makes it difficult to visualize her work. She can feel every piece of sinew, every strip of fat, every muscle that her blade cuts even without the light, but a small ember appears to float above her, illuminating the dark process. It's not a kindness and not permission for familiarity, just a practical decision.
The same applies for the gesturing tilt of her head towards the ROUS's other end. "Don't just stand there gawking. Be useful." Whether that means finding a dagger to help skin the creature or portioning out meat or doing anything else other than watch, Thal doesn't really care. The woman would quickly discover that the Captain doesn't believe in 'observing' as a learning method.
