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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!
Noah didn’t waste much time when he entered Snowcloak. He went to the home of his in-laws, where his children were, and held them each in his arms and listened to their stories from his time away, and wiped their tears from their cheeks as they rekindled memories and talked of the warmth and love of their mother — now departed, avenged. He stayed there, quiet and holed up and secret with what was left of his flesh and blood, for several days.
It was only when his children had had their fill of him, were settled back into a reality, that he stepped aside with his father in law and was brought back up to speed with what happened in the world in his absence.
With a steeled jaw and a resolve of iron, Noah first went to find Sah.
His heart thundered in his chest as he rapped on the front door of his friend’s new home. He didn’t wait for an answer before reaching for the door handle and opening it. It wasn’t locked, which Noah couldn’t tell was good or bad, but he opened it halfway and called in — readying himself for a spray of lightning in defense of home and family — ”Saht’s me!”
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free
And detached as boats to the dock?
03-04-2025, 03:53 PM (This post was last modified: 03-04-2025, 03:54 PM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
The door was only unlocked as Sah had just entered and was turning around to lock it behind him after placing down the groceries he's just finished getting. The hybrid's eyes went wide as the door burst open, lighting flickering to life in his hands. Before he could throw it however, his mind caught up and he recognized Noah.
"Noah?!? Where have you been?" The hunter let his magic dissipate, rushing over to place both hands on his cousin's shoulders, eyes scanning him with clear concern. Through the Attuned bond, worry and relief battled. Sah had searched for the lost Demi-god, and Cordelia to no avail. "Are you okay? Is Cordelia?" Noah was in one piece at least. But the Wild Thunder couldn't imagine what could have kept the man from Halo for so long. Nothing good at least. Delia's absence was concerning but Sah calmed his nerves with the knowledge that she was probably with Marcus and Margot. As he spoke, the hybrid instinctively closed and locked the door.
The lump was immediate, and Noah couldn’t help the grief and despair that crashed over the attuned bond with enough force to knock back the strongest of men. ”She—“ He tried to say out loud, but his voice caught in his throat. —there was a dragon. I — it knocked me out. For weeks — I hunted them and — she — Noah’s glacier eyes locked on Sah’s before he moved to wrap his arms around the once-wolf — I couldn’t save her.
Noah had cried all of his tears. There was nothing left of him, the mourning and grief wholly comprising him until it was all there was. He kept Sah in a tight embrace for what seemed like an eternity before he pulled back, taking each piece of the dam that was the access to his side of the attuned bond and welding each piece back into place, weaving the fortress once more. ”But Luka—“ He said, eyes jumping behind Sah to the stairs as he finally released their hug ”we can save him.”
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free
And detached as boats to the dock?
Sah felt ice claw into his veins as Noah's emotions entered the bond like a tsunami. On some level, he knew what his cousin was about to say, even before the words reached him. Numb and acting on instinct, the Wild Thunder returned the hug just as fiercely. One hand came up to cup the back of Noah's neck in an attempt to ground the Demi-god, and himself.
The Wild Thunder was reluctant to let the man leave his arms, but let his hands drop so that Noah could step back. As their eyes met, the temporary spell broke and Sah's emotions surfaced. Guilt, grief, and rage. A snarl tore across his features, "We will. Gods, we will. I don't know how, not yet. But we will." The words 'I'm sorry' never entered the bond, not verbally. But the emotions swirling in Sah's chest and down the bond made it clear. The grief and loss were shared, but so was the determination. They would protect their family. Their pack.
There were so many words left unsaid between the Forsaken and the Wild Thunder, but they did not need to be. Noah knew, from the depths of the attuned bond, how Sah felt. What a relief it was, despite all of the grief and hurt and loss, to be able to feel it between them. For so long Noah wished that Sah had access to the bond as he lived in Caido as an abandoned. Now that he was here, blessed by Safrin as a hybrid, Noah was so grateful.
The demigod sucked in a breath and blinked back tears, eyes flicking around the home. ”Who else knows what happened to him?” Noah asked.
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free
And detached as boats to the dock?
Sah watched Noah take stock of the new house, a pang of sadness making his chest ache. It still didn't feel like home and even if being in a new location gave the illusion of safety, it wasn't enough. He hadn't been enough.
Focusing on the question helped, "A few neighbors saw the fallout but don't know the details. As for who knows the entire story, outside of our family, Deimos, Hadama, and Talyson know." The neighbors closest to the Lovi family had sprung into action, helping the small family move and providing home cooked meals. Even without the details, they knew that something terrible had happened. Deimos had been alerted immediately to the threat and Sah had sought out Hadama and Talyson on his own in the weeks after. The former was a friend and a source of advice. The later, his begrudging to admit, best friend.
"I don't know if Luka or Soleil have told anyone but that's their choice to make." Sah trusted his pups' judgment and he would be there is anything when south. He couldn't fail his pups again.
As his eyes flicked around, the demigod quickly took in stock of the house. It was smaller than Sah’s last home, but newer and more equipped with the growing amenities that were becoming normal in Halo. Even with the threat of the void on their heels, the frozen city continued to advance — a testimony to the people’s hardy nature and steadfast souls.
Sighing again, he uttered a simple ”Okay.” Then, Noah moved across the new house, settling to sit at Sah’s counter. He felt just as welcome in this home as he had in the once-wolf’s previous, and settled in just as quickly. Resting his elbows on the wooden countertop, Noah rubbed his face with both of his large, rough hands. His fingertips were slightly wet with tears as his hands laced together and he rested his chin against his thumbs. ”What else have I missed?”
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free
And detached as boats to the dock?
03-23-2025, 03:10 PM (This post was last modified: 03-23-2025, 03:10 PM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
Sah joined Noah on the table, resting his chin on one hand, "Gods, where to begin. I'm not sure how much you've heard so I'll give you the rundown and you ask questions. The Family infected the Tundra. A small team not from Halo including Sohalia, Alys, Zavien, and Melita went to investigate and ended up encountering a void yeti. It was the void guardian of the area. It was defeated, the void cleansed, although not without casualties. Alys' companion Sascha died as did Zavien. Zavien was thankfully resurrected." He'd heard about Zavien from a passing hunter when he'd inquired more details of the event.
The Wild Thunder sighed, "In response to the Tundra being cleansed, the Family sent a golem to attack the Citadel. Myself, Deimos, Hadama, and Rhiannon defeated it. Afterwards we started our current regional quest to block the void from entering the Citadel." Tapping a finger on the table, Sah braced himself. "Elizabeth and I captured a void infected creature from Stormbreak, which triggered the entire thing with Dahlia. She found my response too 'disrespectful' and even when we decided to return the bird, she attacked Luka and basically insinuated that i should be grateful that she left him alive, and that further disrespect would have worse consequences."
Dark and howling rage surged through the bond as the Wild Thunder swallowed harshly, "I hate her. I want to kill her so badly, but I know I'm nowhere near powerful enough to do so." And a failed attempt would just have the Reaper at his door again.
Shaking his head, he continued, "To add insult to injury, during LongNight the hot springs were destroyed by void creatures and now we've lost the most effective way to cleanse people." The hand that Sah had on the table tightened into a fist. "If we weren't officially at war before, we sure as hell are now."
It started as a slow, sickening pull in his chest, like something vital being torn loose. The words came in fragments—names, places, numbers that meant nothing until they meant everything. His breath hitched, then shuddered, his ribs locking too tight to let the air settle. While he had been out on the tundra seeking his own vengeance, non-citizens defended his home.
A ringing built in his skull, sharp and high-pitched, drowning out everything but the rush of his pulse in his ears. He tried to swallow, but his throat felt raw, grief and anger pulsing together like hot flames within his chest and up into his mouth.
He thought of their faces—people he had fought beside, protected. His head dropped, shoulders caving inward as if to shield himself from the weight of it. His jaw feathered. Then there was Luka — He lifted his head again as Sah’s pure, fatherly, divine rage spilled over him like a landslide. He clasped his hand over the once-wolf’s shoulder. We will. He said, trying to make it feel like it was true.
What measures have been done to push against them? He asked, keeping these words only over the bond — the place he thought they would be safe.
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free
And detached as boats to the dock?
03-25-2025, 05:16 PM (This post was last modified: 03-25-2025, 05:18 PM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
Sah reached over, returning the sentiment by gently squeezing Noah's wrist, "We will. Grim determination echoed in the bond, sharp with rage and grief but pulsing with hope that had yet to die.
The Wild Thunder sighed heavily. It's been incredibly difficult. Some regions, especially Torchline have blocked off void flora and fauna to enter but Halo hasn't. This current quest was our first one. Beyond finding flowers, there have been talks of heading to Starfall. The idea of stepping foot there was harrowing, but it was undeniably a necessity. Sah would be going there eventually, once he had done everything that he could to protect his family during his absence.
The hand on Noah's wrist tightened unconsciously but still remained gentle. We're running out of time. More people are being infected, and casualties are rising.
Noah inhaled slowly, forcing the breath deep into his chest. Grief had stripped him bare, left him hollow—but rage filled the space where sorrow had carved him open. A quiet, searing thing, not the reckless fire of vengeance that had driven him before the Second War, but something colder. Sharper. Purposeful.
The Void had taken enough. The Family had taken enough.
If the gods willed him to be their hand, then he would carve through the darkness until nothing remained of it. He would not fail them again.
The rest of the night was spent continuing to catch up with Sah, fill their bellies, and even share a drink together before Noah headed back towards his home to be there before his children fell asleep.
FIN
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free
And detached as boats to the dock?
