Click here for a list of weather descriptions, seasonal festivals, and a real time:site time conversion.
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!
Wren wasn't quite sure what to do that this festival, but the enticing smell of smoked meats and intriguing sugary delights carried her away from the pyre. Wren let the current of the festival carry her, moving without hurry, eyes wide and drinking everything in. She felt small, but in a good way. Not like how she felt with the tremendous buildings in Stormbreak trembling and shifting above her.
She slowed at one table where skewers crackled over open flame, glaze bubbling dark and sticky. The scent was rich enough to make her mouth water. She wasn't sure what animal it came from, and she wasn't ready to ask. Instead, she shoved her hands in her pocket and continued her meandering. Next came something golden and folded, stuffed with melted cheese and bright vegetables, but the sign with pricing was too much for what she had.
Turning away, that was when she spotted him through the shifting bodies. She would recognize that familiar posture, familiar profile cutting through the color and motion anywhere. Relief sparked quick and bright in her chest, a smile bursting across her features. Wren threaded herself through the people toward Zavien, the food stalls abandoned behind her. She smiled brightly at him as she approached, as well a the blonde woman that was faintly familiar, and the stranger. "Hi, Zavien."
Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl Frozen in the headlights
Marcus seemed to be absolutely delighted as he approached Deimos and Erebos, the brightness of it like sunlight breaking through cloud. He had a boyish ease that survived beneath the layers of training and expectation that showed now in the quickness of his stride and the warmth in his eyes. He dipped his head slightly to the youngling, grin widening when the greeting was returned.
"Good to see you, too," he added to Deimos, tone sincere. The press of noise and color around them didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest. Nina arrived from the opposite direction, and Marcus turned his bright smile towards her. "Hey, you made it." It wasn't that long ago that they were looking for moonshrooms together.
"I wouldn’t mind some food. What about you?" he asked, lifting a tawny brow, already scanning the nearby stalls with open curiosity. Roasting meat, sweet breads, and spice-heavy sauces perfumed the air, and his stomach answered with a quiet, traitorous growl. With an easy gesture forward, he fell into step behind the hellhound and his offspring, trusting their choice.
The hunter caught sight of the dark-haired figure waving at him and a flash of warmth, different wholly that the heat that reached for his feathres from the Climb, filled his chest. The Sentinel folded his wings and dropped the last distance, landing in a stagger of talons and dust beyond the nearest tents. As he touched the ground he returned to human form. Sweat already slicked his skin, hair damp at his temples. Torchline heat was one thing, but The Climb was another beast entirely. He was sure others were feeling the same sentiment.
He rolled his shoulders once, steadying, then stepped beneath the shade canopy where the air felt more survivable and Lyra made her way to after giving her offering. "Hello, Lyra." he greeted, voice warm but edged with residual gravel from the smoke in the air. His glacier gaze was soft with recognition. "Didn’t expect to see you all the way up here."
Up close he could see the flush in her cheeks from the heat.
His gaze and mouth instantly fall into sin at her words. "I can happily go too big and too hard for you right now," he offers with a lowered voice, leaning into the press of her shoulder like he's starved for the added contact. To punctuate his point, his fingers flutter across her hip, seating themselves less as a guiding force than an exploring one now.
Ah, but Spice dampens the heat in a moment. Besides, Tanau awaits, and the doll has seen enough between them. The bonfire claims each offering greedily, sparks snapping free with a bright burst as if saliva wetting the teeth of the flames. The wood that feeds it growls as it slides and shifts, charcoal crumbling loose like a belch. Kaisel appraises it as one does most things offered up to the divine—respectful, but wary.
His stride follows the woman at his side without question, quite before her arm has even threaded with his, because he's already tossing his attention back her way. He wears a lopsided grin for her now, the sort that always seems to suggest it ends up that way because his thoughts have plummeted in some manner or another. "I can think of at least one muddy day I'd take again without complaint," he tuts in the wake of her sweeping dismissal of it all. "Collecting fruit with you was well worth the mess." Although he'd done very little fruit collecting, in the end.
While Flora scouts out gossip, Kaisel's eyes are leafing through their food options, each roasted aroma smelling delectable. In his peripheral he catches the way she shifts, her attention honing in on possibility with all the skill of a master marksman finding their target. "Hm?" he wonders, copper sights matching her line and finding Soh and Zavien. He can't help but let one brow rise in quiet question. "You think it's not just commander and council stuff?" His focus shortens up back to Flora before he sends it back out, watching closer. "Koa did say he thinks the ship has sailed between them," Kaisel murmurs, dropping into the conspiracy with the ready glee of watching other people fumble around now where he'd once been.
I will love you 'til the lights go out
Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
02-07-2026, 08:05 PM (This post was last modified: 02-07-2026, 08:05 PM by Liam.)
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
"I am," Liam said to Sohalia, nodding politely. "It's a special place; we're more than happy to welcome anyone who'd like to relocate, if you hear of anyone." But before they can discuss it further, the conversation shifts, Sohalia turning to address Zavien and Liam turning to cast his gaze out over the rest of the party. It was wild and carefree, despite the suffocating heat (although Soh's companion was helping), and he was content to stay on the sidelines.
A young, feminine voice caught his attention, and he turned back to the conversation, not wishing to be rude - only to blanche, his face draining of color as he stared at a young woman who looked very, very much like his daughter. Time seemed to stop; he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, and it seemed both far too fast and far too slow all at once.
She was older, of course, but she looked exactly as he'd always imagined she would, if she'd been given the chance to grow up. She had her mother's hair, but her eyes - gods, it was like looking in a mirror. Those were his eyes looking back at him. Hope and denial flared painfully in his chest. It was her, it had to be. But how could it be, when she'd been dead for years?
If any conversation had transpired as he'd stood there, staring, he was unaware, and if he interrupted anything, he couldn't bring himself to care. "Wren ?" he uttered, his voice a strangled, tortured whisper.
Losing self in myself And my demons make demands
Liam
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Liam.
The griffin is there one minute and gone the next as Lyra peruses the tents; when Noah appears at her elbow, she looks up at him with a surprised but friendly smile. She hadn't expected him to seek her out out of all the people in attendance, and it warms her heart; if her cheeks are flushed, she can only imagine that it's from the heat. "Noah!" she says, bright blue eyes crinkling at the edges. "It's good to see you."
A vendor nearby shouts at them to move along if they're not going to make a purchase, and Lyra waves apologetically. "Here, this way -" she suggests, linking a hand into the crook of Noah's arm and tugging gently. "There are some tables over here. It'll still be hot, but at least it's in the shade and away from the fire. Do you want any food or anything?"
Sohalia spoke with Liam briefly before turning her attention to Zavien, who assured her that the Breakers who had traveled with him were being well looked after. She peered at him as he spoke, trying to see past the brave facade he wore; she understood that healing from Stormbreak's fall would take time and effort, but she wanted to make sure that he was giving it both, not ignoring his own needs in favor of everyone else's. Still, she could hardly blame him if he was, given that she'd done much of the same in recent days. "It's a process," she said, repeating his words back to him with a wry smile as Anani chimed a gentle reproach to the pair of them.
Perhaps there would be time to check on one another more personally later, because at that moment, a young woman who looked familiar joined their little group. Last time Soh had seen her, the girl had been having a panic attack, and they hadn't been able to exchange names - but it seemed that she knew Zavien, at least, so she was in good hands. It was then that Soh noticed that Liam looked like he'd seen a ghost - and at the choked name that fell from his lips, Soh's gaze flicked between him and the girl, wondering how they knew each other to make Liam look so terrified.
there's no life without you here
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Sohalia.
Flora lifts a brow at Kaisel, slow and deliberate, the kind of challengingly playful look she almost never withholds from him because calling her bluff has never once been safe. "Oh really?" she murmurs, tilting her head just enough to make the grin that follows sharpen into something wicked, unapologetic. "Even with all these people around?"
The flutter of his fingers across her hip steals the air straight out of her lungs, a quiet inhale catching sharp and sudden as the heat of the Climb finds an equal and answers it, his touch sparking something low and bright that curls upward through her despite Spice’s diligent chill. For a heartbeat the world narrows to sensation—firelight, skin, the press of him—and then the offerings are gone to flame and she eases back into him without hesitation, leaning her weight against his arm. She doesn’t mind the slick warmth where they meet, the way sweat beads and gathers, proof of proximity and Longheat and love.
Her chin settles onto his shoulder, easy and familiar, and her smile blooms wide and unguarded as joy fizzes up behind her teeth like champagne bubbles. "Me too," she says softly, before dropping her voice into something warmer, conspiratorial. "Really good sex and the first time you not-not proposed to me." The memory glows as she presses a kiss to his bare bicep, affectionate and lingering, before she turns her attention back toward the crowd.
Her nose wrinkles at the mention of Koa, a quiet sigh slipping free as she shifts just enough to glance toward Sohalia and Zavien again. "I’m pretty sure your cousin has turned into a giant douche bag," she says flatly, then widens her eyes in exaggerated innocence at Kaisel, as if some fraction of that disaster might reasonably be laid at his feet. "Soh told me that he just showed up to help evacuate the city, told her they ReAlly ReALlLlLy really needed to talk, asked her to shower, and then just.." She lifts a hand and lets it drop, the gesture eloquent in its dismissal. "..fell off again."
Her sigh this time is heavier, edged with frustration rather than heat. "I don’t care if the ship has sailed or not," Flora adds, gaze lingering on the pair by the fire before drifting back to Kaisel. "Koa needed to stay away from the harbour until he figured his shit out."
Flora is standing with Kaisel.
I want to be when you fall on me like night I wanna kill the lights
Zavien can't help the laugh when Sohalia teases him with his own response. If they'd been alone, he might have probed a little deeper, asking for specifics on how she's settling or whether reality has set in for her, but with the crowd around them growing, he settles for a playfully reprimanding smile, a promise that they'll have to talk later. He hasn't forgotten their agreement after all.
The sound of his name has Zavien turning, greeted by a familiar face. His smile softens, relieved to see the young woman looking better than when he'd seen her last. "Jesse, hi." He opens his mouth to ask how she's been, eager to see how she's faring after being so stressed about the change; but another name interrupts him, and he turns to Liam.
Wren? Zavien looks between the two of them, confusion clear on his face. He thought her name was 'Jesse,' but something about the ghostly pale expression on the man's face hints that he's not joking or playing some game. No, there's too much weighting behind his eyes, too much pain and shock drawing tight over his features. Could they know each other?
Falling silent, his gaze bounces uncomfortably between the two, waiting to see how Jesse reacts as he tries desperately not to shift or fidget in the mounting heat.
Deimos would grant any permission needed to unfurl a bonfire of such heights in Halo for Nina, so long as it wasn’t near any buildings; but gave a very canine smile of approval at the thought. Shifting easily, and allowing his long strides to carry both Erebos and the sudden grouping of people into the market portion, he set his senses on the glorious aromas intermingling through hordes of crowds and stalls. Nose pointing upwards, striving to grab any semblance available, he veered to the left, loping along so everyone could stay together instead of the impulse and inclination to race off and be the first in line.
Finally, amidst the center, he’d pinpointed along a kiosk full of a variety of meats, catered to specifically burgers, with a whole assemblage of spices, toppings, and options – figuring Erebos, given the Ignatius dietary habits of never being picky, would be able to find something he liked too. Granting a light bark, he pointed his nose at the top choice on the menu board.
Smiling to see the colours swirl up from the fire, Danta glances sidelong at Asta as he produces the sunstone, sparkling and gleaming in the light before he casts it into the flames as well. The embers swallow it up without destroying it, letting it twinkle much like the gems that glimmer in their own bonfire at home. "As have I," he says of the season, both to the butcher and to the representation of the Longheat deity, before he's leaning readily into his fiancé again and letting him lead them away back into the festivities.
"Mm?" Danta hasn't realised he'd let his eyes subconsciously drop to the ground the way they would have in days much, much older than these (subservience, yes, but also easier not to see what's on offer that isn't for him to touch), and he glances up at Asta at his question. "I..." He almost says it. Almost asks am I allowed? before crushing that part of him far down deep. Instead, it's with a decisive and very much performative nod that he agrees. "Yeah, I would," he says, leading them to the nearest stall.
It's one selling sugared donuts, as it happened, and with an almost absent wave hello to Deimos as he notices the other man, Danta orders himself two of the sweet treats - as well as whatever Asta wants, of course. "Issat Thalassa?" he asks around a mouthful of donut, brows furrowed deeply at the sight of a... blonde? near the bonfire.
Dantalion
// get them drunk on rose water //
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Erebos had certainly been permitted to ride Zuriel often enough that his balance was quite decent from unicorn to hellhound, and he spent most of his time turning and twisting around as his father went about the food finding mission. “That’s awesome!” he exclaimed to Nina in all his bright manner. “Yeah, I think fire’s neat, but I don’t have that magic yet. But Dad’s always setting something on fire.” If the hellhound managed to roll his eyes at the truth, the youth missed it. His gaze went to the companion though – because if Nina thought she was getting away from the day without telling that story, Erebos would be certain to try and pry it out of her as they moved along. “How did you get it?!” Their home was a host of animals too – from Zuriel and Belial to his mother’s tide jaguar – presuming that at some point he and Amhran would be able to bond with their own too.
Eventually though, Deimos had found a stall he favored, and the child took the hints with excitement and glee, sliding off the side of the massive dog and grabbing the coins out of his pocket. Marching up to the vendor with all the confidence and bravado in the world, he gave a wondrous grin. “Two of these please!” and slid the money across the counter.
Melita preferred her food cooked; but she found some wondrously glazed kebabs that were enough to savor and not eat the whole lot, but she couldn’t promise there’d be much less when she returned home for any semblance of leftovers. The sweets themselves were of a whole different notion too, and while avoiding the saltwater taffy (she could always get that in Torchline), she immediately beelined to some spicy chocolate confection that sizzled on her tongue.
Tilting her head as she contemplated getting more or stopping there, she listened to Aithne ‘s proclamation. “Mm. I missed it this year. Anything really funny happen?”
Separated from Liam from the moment they set foot on the scorching isles, Maea had resisted the urge to go looking for him, instead braving the festival on her own for a while. Unaffected by the heat and rather savoring the lack of layers, she darted between the stalls with mounting enthusiasm. Skewers of meat and vegetable, desserts and spicy drinks soon piled high in her basket, and as she made her way to the massive bonfire it was in a chipper mood.
Her offering, a delicate blown glass figurine of sunflowers, spider lilies and amaranth, was placed in the fire along with a share of the festival food - it seemed rude to stuff her face without sharing some with the god of the hour, after all - and afterwards she lingered in the baking heat to watch the dancers, feet tapping along to the beat of driving music. Munching on a fried treat of flaky dough stuffed eith savoury filling, she scanned the crowd for familiar faces; noticed several, and hastily slunk away upon spotting both Astaroth, Dantalion and Thalassa nearby, unwilling to invite trouble now when she'd stayed clear of it for so long.
Fortunately, in a small gathering consisting of Zavien and Sohalia she also found her partner; humming to herself she approached Liam from behind and reached out to playfully poke his shoulder, not yet aware of the mounting tension between him and a stranger.
Maea makes an offering of a blown glass flower bouquet and festival food.
