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!
The final afternoon before the start of the longest night is a surprisingly balmy one out in the Oerwoud, at least compared to regions more affected by the bite of Deepfrost. And it makes for a cheerful celebration (if you put aside whatever strange and sleepy happenings have been plaguing the jungle as of late), music threading through low-hanging branches and various colourful lanterns nestling in the undergrowth or hanging, braided into vines, guiding attendees to the event.
This year, the decor makes it appear as if it has grown organically into the Oerwoud, that nature alone is responsible for the impressive array of food and drink on offer. Tables and chairs have been crafted with branches still sprouting greenery in places, and plates lay nestled on beds of fragrant leaves or mosses. A few hammocks have even been strung up for those who would rather welcome Longnight horizontally rather than on their feet, swaying gently in the breeze and attended by the odd hanging snake for company.
No mere location can take away from the feast itself, though. The spread is magnificent: an abundance of slow-cooked meats and delicate fish, root vegetables glazed with honey, hearty stews and lighter soups and fragrant, seeded loaves of bread. Nestled among condiments and sauces are smaller plates of whipped cheeses, stacks of crackers, ripe fruits and steamed greens and soft dumplings. Other tables hold jugs of punch, bottles of wine and liquor or separate, smaller feasts committed entirely to desserts; a chocolate fountain dominates one, surrounded by pastries, marshmallows, fresh strawberries and other delights, and another holds a variety of cakes, cookies, pies and candied fruits.
The glint of tiny silver hand-bells is almost missed among the sheer variety on offer, but they are no less important for it - when the sun finally sets, their chime will welcome Longnight, and darkness will reign for a week.
Hello and welcome to The Feast of Bells! Eat, drink and be merry on the last evening before Longnight.
Please post your character arriving, and if you have acquired a bell to bring as part of the Seasonal Event, include a link to that thread in your post!
Remember: You will need to post at least three times in this SWE thread for it to count for the SE, MP and/or levelling.
The announcement that the Feast of Bells was to be in the Oerwoud had left him with that deepened sense of dread. He could never quite shake the trepidation, due to years of existing within Caido’s orbit, and after events in the Peepholes, he’d gone back and forth on attending at all. The notions that something else could occur never quite left his mind; but he also didn’t want to be left in the dark, ignorant, when information could be on the line. Especially once he’d received Colt’s word about the monster, potentially adjacent and parallel to things occurring in the jungle. So, begrudgingly (and curiously), he went with Erebos.
Even that left him hovering – because while the youth held no suspicion or furtive measures, Deimos would end up being the towering giant nearby, gaze flickering everywhere, trying to find a threat before anything had started. His stare went from Erebos to others beginning to gather and back again, taking a few deep breaths and catching the aromas, then the sights, of the food. Ensuring his bell, vastly ornamental and meant to represent Halo in its all glory, was in his pocket, he then advanced upon the table, glancing again to his son. “What do you want first?”
Erebos held none of his father’s apprehension – too young and ignorant to be burdened with such a multitude, his curiosity was the thing ignited. Rather than dread pooling in his stomach, excitement and glee flickered around his features, a wide grin beset at every twist and turn of his head. It’d been his first time in the jungle, surrounded by the lush greenery and hanging branches, not used to the array of hues and color brought to life in such sheer wonder and splendor. More than once he thought about tugging on a stray vine or seeing if one of the hanging snakes would slither down to him, wishing he’d brought Orsino along so they could run and play around the multitudes.
But Deimos seemed to be on high alert, and the boy thought it best not to stray too far – though indulgent just the same. His fingers grazed one of the hammocks and watched them swing, following his father’s footsteps and the aromas tugging around his nose. Tying his bell to his pant loops, he raced ahead, spying the jugs of punch and the stacks of crackers, fruits, and cheeses – eyes, predictably, going towards the pastries dominion and the riddling of desserts. He knew better than to say cookies first, but he grabbed a plate for Deimos and himself, pointing out the meats and portions of honeyed bread. “These!”
bring me your suffering the rattle roar of broken bones
The Firecracker had been monumental in the journey of going across regions and wilds to pick up Iskra, then eventually wind their way back through to the Oerwoud for this feast. Since the dream sequence though, she wasn’t sure how to regard the jungle, other than in suspicion, curiosity, and hoping for a trail of clues that might lend her some insight towards Ludo’s disappearance and weird nightmare figments.
Of course, when they arrived, there wasn’t any of that – though no less intriguing with its massive table of food and refreshments. When nothing oriented with sand or too many eyes came wandering out, Melita thought it was safe to scan the crowd, pulling Iskra along towards the buffet while her head swung back and forth. “I gotta talk to Flora at some point. And let me know if you see the Rae demigod here too.” He’d know him better anyway – given the Halo populace. “God business news” to pass on wasn’t the greatest sentiment for a miniature festival, but she’d certainly do her part.
My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on the limb
The murmur of bells on the wind echoed the flickering candles as though tiny voices whispered back and forth, rising and falling in pace with bobbing and swaying light. Maea's hands felt awkward and empty without adding another chime to the chorus. She had forgotten all about the festival, wrapped up in her books, to the point of realizing with a jolt of dismay just last nnight that Longnight was fast approaching without her having prepped at all. This would have been a disaster, once. But as she poured mulled cider for herself and watched steam dissolve into the mild air, she admitted quietly to herself that it felt good, too. Peace, or something akin to it, had eased tension from nerves wound perpetually taught, and as she strolled slowly past the laden tables picking morsels onto a plate for herself, her attention lingered more on the wonders of the furnishings than the people that gathered around to celebrate. A distant smile curled the corners of her lips, in quiet delight over the organic shapes and subtle whimsy of the scene. Perfectly practical, wonderfully simple; remove the peoople and the food and tomorrow none would even know there had been a gathering at all. All these trampling feet would lift from the mossy carpet, birds and grubs would clear away any scraps, and when the sun dawned in the new year, the forest could get to work on covering the tables and chairs with vines.
Would that she could detach herself from a place so easily. But the roots of the Greatwood was tying themselves into knots around her heart, and nevermind the growing sense of suffocation that haunted her some days. It wasn't the forest that bothered her, she knew that; it was an old sickness rearing its ugly head. Taking her plate and her drink, Maea laid claim to one of the hammocks and slumped into it, gently rocking it to and fro while she ate, quietly watching strangers mill this way and that while mulling over the wanderlust and its causes. Considering options. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Liam; his absence contributed to a moldering ache in her bones, that she couldn't wait to get rid of.
