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Character of the Season
Once known as the Butcher of Whitebrim, he's now The Butcher of Dygra, stepping forward as the first created demigod of the Ancients. There is no question that Astaroth casts an intimidating silhouette. Tall, domineering and dangerous, if looks could kill you'd be dead already, but to get up close and personal with the Grounds' resident cannibal tells a much different story. Dripping with charm and clad in only the finest attire, Asta is a gentleman monster, as polite as they come and committed to his role as security for the Dusklight and those who have earned his loyalty. Be careful of that smile, though - those teeth are sharp.
Congratulations, Asta!
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!
Warm breeze blowing summer smell Those Friday nights and stars up in the sky Made me feel so damn alive
Golden hair stretches out in damp arms around her like a half-smothered seastar cushioning her head. Flat on her back, Fern lies diagonally across the rainbow road, making a very inconvenient obstacle and very squishy speed bump for anyone not paying attention to the need to detour. For now, she is blessedly alone, or as alone as a girl can be when her father is acting as sentinel somewhere nearby via a four-legged shadow—she'd wandered from his side some time ago, drawn by one curious thing or another, but she's under no impression she's truly lost him, nor had she meant to. They have spent plenty of afternoons just like this.
Her current focus, and the reason for her roadway hindrance, is watching the rainbows leap into the spray of the geysers around her. The angle of the sun makes this particular viewing spot the best for the full brunt of color and the stretch of the elusive, colorful smiles that shimmer among the mist. "There they are!" she announces excitedly to herself, a hand pointing up and tracing the arc, another hand lifted up to shield her eyes from the Torchline sun. The spray drifts down, freckling her in diamond droplets that bead together and darken the fabric of her clothing.
Didn't know that I had found the good times We were happy as can be Now it's just a memory that's faded
The new hat flops forward to push damp hair into her eyes, the felt rubbing an echoing sound against the tines of her horns. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, the wide brim blocking out some of the sunlight that seems infinitely brighter in Torchline than the Grounds; however, when it causes her to miss half of the interesting sights, Knell has to debate the wisdom of her choice. Especially when the sights are those of exploding geysers.
She purses her lips for the tenth time, pushing the hat up just in time to notice the inconsistency in the rainbow stones beneath her feet, jolting to a stop so fast that she nearly falls backwards - then succeeds. A flick of her tail tries to save her balance, but the surprise shout tips the scales, a small splash and a grunt accompanying her gravity-assisted recline. Pushing her hat back up for the eleventh time, wide blue eyes are suddenly more captivated by the prone shape than that of the surroundings.
"Oh, hi," she says simple, head tilting to scan the girl, pointedly ignoring the ache forming on the base of her tail. The girl appears around her age, a single hand pointing straight into the sky at something Knell hadn't spotted - something she's determined to find out now. "There what are?" She follows the finger's trajectory up, one hand forcing her hat to behave while she investigates.
Warm breeze blowing summer smell Those Friday nights and stars up in the sky Made me feel so damn alive
The sound of approaching feet is much easier to hear when gysers aren't hissing and spitting one after another, and when the wearer is clopping along on higher heels or boots like so many like to; even flip flops have a distinct clap of arrival. It's only when she's nearly been stepped on that Fern becomes aware of this individual though, the hand sheltering her from the sun drawing in closer as Fern's head swivels towards the commotion. She winces at the fall, sucking air in past her teeth and cheek, imagining exactly the feeling of that, even if watching it happen sideways is new.
"You okay?!" she calls over, rotating around and onto her stomach, hands braced on the colorful stones with a splay that suggests readiness for weight, happy to spring up and assist if needed. Knell recovers quickly though, seeming none worse for the wear, and Fern smiles easier at that. "Hello," she greets in return, pleased to find meet another Torchline kid.
"Oh!" Fern gasps, immediately grabbing hold of Knell's interest and unfurling it alongside her own. She flips back over, splaying out on the moist stones and wriggling back into position. "The rainbows! You can see them super well if you lie like this and look riiiiiiiight there, and angle your chin like this." The result leaves Fern looking paralyzed like those dinosaur bones that always get unearthed with their bodies bent nearly in half.
Didn't know that I had found the good times We were happy as can be Now it's just a memory that's faded
The ache is already fading, her focus falling on the girl sprawled across the ground like some contortionist playing at fallen corpse. Knell tilts her head, adjusting each limb to match the demonstration, pushing them into awkward positions that strain tendons and muscles. It's a prolonged sort of discomfort that she grunts stubbornly against until she lays like a duplicate manakin, staring up at the sky. "Like this?"
Her hat falls back, water seeping quickly into the thin layers of her jacket and cream dress. It's colder than she'd thought it'd be in the bright sunlight, but she ignores it, eyes fixed on the spray of water that suddenly mists over them. The air glitters like a thousand gems falling towards them. Colors fade into existence, arcing across her vision in with a vibrancy that makes her gasp. "Oh! I see! That's so cool!"
Grinning, she turns her head to the girl, red tendrils reaching over the stones between them. "How'd you find this?" And what other fascinating things did she know?
Warm breeze blowing summer smell Those Friday nights and stars up in the sky Made me feel so damn alive
A little giggle bubbles up as she watches Knell get into position, quite certain hers had been more elegant, although she only thinks so because she didn't witness it, Ever might have a different claim. "That's perfect!" she praises with a bright beam of her lips and a tilt of her head, eyes scrunching up to properly judge every angle.
The next gyser blast comes and Fern gasps with the eager anticipation of showing off her finding, but Knell catches it in the same breath. "Yeah, there it is again!" Misted hues sparkle like suspended glitter above them, each tiny droplet catching and bending the sunlight for them, the effortless magic of life that's active all around them.
"Oh," Fern starts, explaining it like it's very easy and sensible. "I saw a grasshopper and got reeeal close on the ground to talk with him. He was cleaning his eyeballs." Fern blinks, just now wondering if she should be doing the same once in a while. "I'm Fern, by the way."
Didn't know that I had found the good times We were happy as can be Now it's just a memory that's faded
Not wanting to miss a second of the fading colors, her eyes return to the glittering water above while her head angles towards the blonde girl, thoughts mulling over the information she's given like... cleaning eyeballs? But more curiously, Knell quirks an eyebrow and repeats, "Talk with him?" What kind of conversation did she expect to have with an insect?
The mist sprinkles into a damp haze that settles on the ground (and their clothes), taking the rainbow with it. Pushing a damp strand from her face, she turns to give Fern a toothy smile, her fangs making an innocent appearance. "I'm Knell." Hand still propped on her too big hat, she tilts her head beneath. "Are you from here?"
