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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!
Dawn in Halo did not break so much as it bled slowly into being — a thin wash of pale light across snow and stone, caught on the jagged edges of the Citadel walls. Noah reveled in the hush before the city fully woke, breath fogging, shoulders squared beneath the weight of the satchel at his back. Inside, wrapped in wool and leather, the blue goldstone pieces chimed faintly against each other when he moved.
The Sentinel knew that Safrin’s light deserved more than a single shrine hidden behind doors. If she was to be honored here, it would be in the open, stitched into the bones of the Citadel itself. He stopped at the first chosen point to wait for the rest of the party that would be heling him raise Safrin's altars. It was a rise in the inner square where the aurora was often visible overhead on clear nights, with good stone beneath.
---
This is the PQ for Halo's RQ "A PQ of 3 Halovians placing various altars around the Citadel to house Safrin's light (3 must be completed first)". Please write your characters arriving and any materials or tools they bring with them.
The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel
Dawn broke over the city in a series of slow moments, the city basking in the gentle golden glow of the rising sun. Nina made her way through the hush towards the appointed meeting place, Ember trailing along beside her. The fire elemental was not a morning creature; its presence was muted in the early hours of the day, its spirits seeming to rise with the sun. Nina, on the other hand, had been rising at dawn for years now, and was used to these quiet mornings before the city awoke, when she could still hear herself think.
This morning, they were supposed to be building shrines to Safrin, and Nina honestly wasn't quite sure what she'd gotten herself into in her efforts to be more visible to Halo's inhabitants. Helping them had seemed like a good idea at the time, but she'd never built anything remotely like this. Her role as Keeper of the First Flame had not come with carpentry lessons, or even anything that she thought would be remotely useful in this endeavor. Still, she was eager to try, if only so that she could prove to herself that she was capable of being more.
She arrived at the designated spot to find a man already there. She recognized him, and greeted him with a small smile and a respectful nod. "Noah. Good morning." Ember crackled warmly, then settled in a flaming heap at Nina's feet as they waited for the rest of their party to arrive.
---
Nina arrives and brings a whole lot of nothing.
I'm the life you chose And all this terrible danger
Dawn might’ve been an easygoing time for his parents, used to the early hour, but they frequently let the youth sleep in (probably so they could have a little peace and quiet before the day). When he’d asked to be woken up at the same time as Deimos and Evie for the impending altar assistance, they’d seemed a little surprised, but none more so than him than when they actually did it. Now he blinked rapidly, a little stupefied, and bewildered, buttered toast in hand as Deimos dropped him off with a wave and the escort of Zuriel (and likely many a warning).
Yawning, he waved to both Nina and Noah, and finished off his breakfast (he would’ve had more, had he not spent a majority of the time whining and dragging his feet). While the unicorn alongside him snorted and guarded, the boy gave a decent greeting and salute he’d seen soldiers do down at the barracks anytime his father strolled in. “Mornin’,” came around another deep breath.
Noah heard them coming well before they reached him — the deliberate sound of travel over packed snow, purposeful steps even if they were near zombified from the early hour. He turned as Nina and Erebos, and Zuriel, approached. "Good morning you guys, thanks for coming. Sorry about how early it is, but I wanted to use a clear day where we could see the sunight shine down. These altars will house Safrin's light, but the touch of Vi will be a good support." He smiled at them in turn before continuing.
"This is the first location," he said, gesturing toward the rise overlooking the square. He wanted the people to be able to see the altars, too, and remind them of all Safrin had done for Halo. “We are not starting with tools. These will be Ebenezer altars — stacked stones and ice chosen rather than shaped, built as witnesses instead of monuments. That means the first task is gathering pieces Halo has already formed."
Once he was sure the firekeeper and the youth understood, they would all seto ff on the first task.
Round 1 - Gather stones or hardened ice, or whatever you think works, to build the first altar.
A plump, round-bodied bird flaps down nearby with more enthusiasm than grace, followed immediately by several others. Ningos quickly claim every available perch, their fluffy forms puffed up against the cold as they wobble into place.
They chirp loudly and constantly, hopping from ledges to shoulders to packs with no sense of personal space. One pecks inquisitively at a strap while another settles somewhere inconvenient, blinking wide eyes as though daring anyone to object.
Even when shooed away, the Ningos only flutter a short distance off before returning, undeterred and endlessly persistent. Whether they eventually lose interest or continue their cheerful harassment, they show no signs of leaving quietly.
Ningo
Areas Found: Halo — Common
A fat all-white bird that produces high-quality meat. Its feathers are often used to line jackets and hats because of its insulating qualities.
Challenge Rating: Moderate
HP: 70 | To Hit: +20 | Dmg: 8 Movement: Walk 20 ft.; Fly 30 ft.
SPECIAL SKILLS
Down Harvest: yields premium meat and dense feather lining prized for winter gear; Alarm Waddle: when startled, a flock moves in unison with loud honks, distracting predators and masking allies’ movement; Winter Roost: tightly packed roosts share body heat, reducing exposure effects for nearby creatures
TRAITS
Insulating Down: exceptionally warm feathers ideal for cold climates; Cold-Hardy: unbothered by most natural cold and light snowfall; Snow Camouflage: all-white plumage blends seamlessly into winter terrain; Ground Forager: adept at finding seeds and shoots beneath crusted snow
ACTIONS
Peck: a quick defensive jab of the beak; Wing Flurry: a burst of wingbeats that kicks up snow and loose down to obscure vision; Warning Honk: a sharp call that alerts the flock and may startle approaching creatures
Erebos blinked sleepily again, absorbing the notions but none of it quite committing to his brain yet. Eventually the directions sunk in, and he nodded in the way a student might glance at their teacher in hopes they didn’t call on them, mind circumventing to finding the necessities. He could do stacked ice and stones – sometimes he did that on his own, until he got bored anyway. Granting another salute and smile, the youth deliberately hastened off, intending to find some rocks and patches of frozen portions worthy of the cause.
Zuriel followed along, probably an even more overbearing shadow than his parents’, but he kept to his word, shuffling along the granules of pathways for something worthwhile. At some point, he found a large rock he could lift on his own; round and smooth, a deep and dark blue that reminded him of the sky at twilight or dawn. It was just enough for him to be able to lift on his own, and he worked on it, until, ultimately, he was distracted by the residential birds. “Ooh, hey guys,” he chirped in response, having not yet conformed to the notion of shooing them away or any corresponding hatred.
--
Erebos finds a big stone but then distracts himself with ningos.
The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel
Nina was, perhaps, a little surprised to find Erebos among their party. It seemed quite early for one as young as he to be out and about, although perhaps he merely inherited the ability to wake early from his parents, both of whom Nina assumed to be early risers. Regardless, the specific makeup of their group was not something that Nina was particularly worried about; they were all there as a result of their devotion to their home, and that was something that she could appreciate well enough.
Noah's instructions were given and absorbed, and then they set off on their quest for rocks or ice. The former was better, in Nina's opinion; it could not be melted like the latter, were there some unseasonably warm weather or perhaps some kind of attack with fire. Rocks were more permanent, and so that was what she and Ember sought as they trundled along, searching.
The ningos were unexpected, although not entirely surprising, and Nina simply rolled her eyes as Ember leapt towards the gathered birds in an attempt to scatter them. The fire elemental had always had a bit of a thing for chasing ningos, and Nina had yet to successfully dissuade it from its hunts. Still, noting that Erebos was seemingly intrigued, she tugged on the mental leash that kept Ember tied to her and commanded it to heel - which it did, albeit reluctantly.
---
Nina searches for rocks while Ember wants to go scatter the ningo.
I'm the life you chose And all this terrible danger
Gathering stone felt closer to hunting than crafting did. Observation, patience, understanding what would hold and what would fail long before weight was ever placed on it ere all things the Sentinel was used to. He moved slowly, testing each rock with his boot before bending to lift it, feeling for hidden fractures and the subtle imbalance that would betray instability later. A stone could look solid and still crumble under pressure. Faith, he’d learned, worked much the same way.
@Nina’s progress drew his attention first. She had an eye for selecting pieces with enough weight to anchor the base, their surfaces worn just enough to nest together without sliding apart. Noah gave a brief nod as he set one of her finds beside the growing pile, approval quiet but genuine. Her patience must have been forged by all of her years of training beneath her grandmother. “Those will hold,” he said, "good foundation pieces."
Erebos, meanwhile, had gathered a scatter of smaller stones that would serve well as bracing pieces, but his focus drifted the moment movement caught the corner of his vision. The ningos darted across the snow in quick, erratic bursts before settling in, and Noah watched the distraction settle in before it fully carried the young man away from the task. Leaving what he had gathered with Nina, he approached the young Ignatius without urgency, but with intent.
“The ningo will still be here when we’re done,” Noah said, crouching to pick up one of the smaller rocks Erebos had dropped. “These altars won’t build themselves, and the smaller stones you’re finding are what keep the larger ones Nina and I have, and the blue goldstone, from shifting once the storms come.”
His gaze softened, but did not waver, and he gave the youth a supportive smile as he helped guide him back towards the next task at hand: beginning to built an altar.
Fumbling with the stones, he’d gone to pick them up a couple times, but then there was the ningo, and maybe he could try to catch them – except he could nearly hear the weight of disapproval nearby. Glancing upwards to see Noah surveying, then crouching to grab one of the rocks he’d dropped, the youth’s cheeks flushed, momentarily embarrassed for his lapse. He didn’t like to be wrong, even if it was a frequent occurrence on the notions of youth and ignorance, and so he nodded, tiny and juvenile, grabbing the rest of the carefully picked rubble. Zuriel walked alongside, her scrutinizing gaze narrowing; but without a threat, she was just a mother hen unicorn, knowing the youth needed the re-directing.
Feeling a bit glum, his gaze went downward, and he came over to help build the altar lacking the energy from before, a grand and quiet pout setting over him. Waiting for the others to put in their larger ones, he’d work on placing his smaller proportions in and amongst the adornments for stability.
The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel
Nina searched for the perfect rocks to aid in their efforts, taking her time to select only those that seemed that they might be the best fit for the project. Her efforts were rewarded by Noah's quiet praise, and she offered a small but genuine smile in response before accompanying the man to find Erebos. The youth had been distracted by some ningo, and when redirected back to their project, seemed to deflate from his usual exuberant self. Nina could relate; how often had she been distracted from her tasks in her youth, only for her grandmother to grumpily redirect her attention? At least Noah had been kind about it.
In any case, Nina tried to catch the youth's eye. "Ember will be happy to corral the ningo when we are done," she offered, taking pity on the boy as he pouted. In the meantime, she began to stack stone upon stone, building up the altar little by little with Noah as Erebos tucked smaller rocks in and amongst the larger for stability.
---
Nina helps build the altar (and comforts Erebos).
I'm the life you chose And all this terrible danger
With Erebos steadied again and Nina already working with competence, the rhythm of the task settled into something solid. Stones were passed hand to hand, adjusted, turned, and tested. They stacked deliberately, building outward and upward around the place Noah had chosen. When the structure reached his thigh, he unwrapped the blue goldstone and placed it within the cradle they had shaped, securing it with smaller bracing stones until it sat immovable at the altar’s heart. The deep midnight shimmer caught the thin daylight and seemed to hold it there.
Noah stepped back, gloved hands resting briefly on his hips as he assessed the balance. He did not linger in admiration. One altar was witness. More would be presence. “The second will go near the gate. That’s where traders and hunters pass in and out.” It’s where everyone went in and out, but that was beside the point. Safrin’s light was meant to guide and protect.
He started walking, expecting them to follow, and brightened his face with a smile as he talked. “We can gather what we need on the way to the gate.” Noah said evenly.
Altar one is raised! Round 3! Go to the gate and gather materials on the way for another one.
In any other time or moment, Erebos would’ve been eager and keen to take up the offer of Ember and himself corralling and bothering the ningo. But for now, he shook his head, glum and quiet, the excitement fizzled out; not used to being scolded when he hadn’t really done anything wrong. There'd been plenty of other times he'd perfectly deserved it. “No, that’s okay. Thanks though," he granted with a light smile that didn’t reach his eyes, already well versed in that social etiquette.
Restless and wanting to run rather than listen, he still committed to the former, granting Zuriel a pat as she lowered her velvety muzzle near his ear; no doubt she’d still be much the informant when they got home. Resigned to whatever fate now instilled within, he kicked at the dirt near his boots and kept troddling along, nodding at the directions, then going after some smaller rocks by the gate.
--
Erebos goes to collect the small rocks by the gate.
The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel
They built and bolstered the altar until it stood tall enough, by Noah 's estimation; then the Sentinel carefully placed the blue goldstone, which shimmered at the center as though laced with starlight. It was pretty, Nina would give it that - not in the same way as the First Flame, of course, which burned brightly to guide and protect their people from the frigid wasteland in which they'd chosen to live, but pretty all the same.
The Keeper continued on with Noah, one eye on Erebos, who was uncharacteristically quiet, his excitement dimmed by Noah's quite chastisement, however gently it had been delivered. As they walked, she gathered a few more stones, looking for those that seemed of a similar size and shape to the rocks she'd found for the first altar. "Will these suffice?" she asked Noah, placing the ones she gathered near the gate for his inspection.
---
Nina begins to gather rocks!
I'm the life you chose And all this terrible danger
The gate carried more silence than the square, edged with only the sound of their feet crunching against old snow mirrored by the feet of patrolling soldiers. He directed them outward with clarity, reminding them that here the altar would need a broader base, weight distributed wide to withstand both wind and shifting ground. Collecting suitable materials for the ebenezer, the Sentinel looked up when Nina spoke. She asked if they would be sufficient, and Noah nodded. “These are exactly what we need.” He told her, voice even but certain.
When they had gathered enough, Noah unshouldered the satchel and withdrew the blue goldstone. Even under Halo’s muted light of dawn, its deep midnight shimmer seemed to gather brightness rather than reflect it. He held it a moment, then looked to Erebos. “Would you like to place it?” He asked, offering the stone forward.
Round 4! Build the altar with the collected rocks, and Noah asks Erebos if he wants to place the blue goldstone.
