What do you get when two ruthless assassins raise their daughter travelling through the wildest reaches of Caido? Take one look at Theea and you'll get a pretty good idea. Cheerful and tenacious in equal measure, and curious beyond all else, she began her journey on a mission to find those her mother once called family. And find them she did, soon rubbing elbows with demigods, leaders and even ghosts from the past. Her determination is resolute, her thirst for knowledge unmatched. We can't wait to see where her next adventure takes her!
Congratulations, Theea!
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!
They walked through the streets of Stormbreak at a leisurely pace, Hadama listening with interest as Lena pointed out cafes and teashops that came with good recommendations. The sobering memory of Judgment’s Needle remained in the back of his mind, but the pleasant walk through the bustling city helped to soften the edges of what he had learned. The weather was brisk but dry and the playful Flowerbirth breezes tugged at their hair – or as much of Hadama’s hair as it could reach, with his braid tucked in his coat.
It was a bit of a loop out of their way, but the company was lovely to spend the day with, and when they passed through quieter sections of town Hadama was curious about how Lena’s charges were mending under her care in the Celestine. Eventually they came to Caido’s oldest skyport and the plethora of airships and boats of all sizes, shapes, and colors there. He walked up the docks slowly, noting some familiar sails from ships that regularly stopped in Torchline as well, and looked over at his friend with a curious tilt of his head. ”Do you have a particular skyship you prefer to travel with, when you leave Stormbreak?”
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
The walk had been nice; nothing frenzied or chaotic, rushing or extreme, but a leisurely stroll through portions and pieces of her world. They avoided too much – like the Tower – but the nicer semblances were full of renewed pieces; a good balm for the soul, regardless of who reigned.
As for the question, as they meandered around sails and boats, she shook her head. “No, not really. I usually take whatever’s available.” A habitual people pleaser, the Caretaker would never go to the trouble of hand-selecting her ride to specific regions. Besides, it truly didn’t bother her in the slightest. “Or I just fly myself.” She added with a grin, easily content to float and wax and wane on thermals and heading downwards.
Although he had kept a weather eye out for creatures or plants of the Void persuasion, he had not noticed a marked increase in their activity compared to other regions where they still moved freely. It was something he noted for later pondering. For the time being he was content to enjoy his friend's company and be a perfectly normal - if tall - tourist to Stormbreak's many curious locations, steeped in history both good and bad.
The skyport, at least, had no particular controversies that he had ever heard of. The first of its kind, a monument to progress and the ease of travel between regions that even now fostered cross-continental friendships and trade, it bustled with color and motion and sound. Cargoes from Halo and Torchline and the Hollowed Grounds were arriving at various docks, and the dialects of an entire world mixed and mingled in the brisk air.
The new leadership had not, at least, affected trade much. Not that Hadama could see, at least.
"Flying..." Hadama mused, quirking a brow at the Caretake with a glint of wry humor in his eyes. "I admit, I am not a fan of it, myself. Though perhaps I would feel differently with wings of my own." It was a matter of control, in a way. "Though I am aware it is a bit... mmh. Silly of me." He gave a small shake of his head, the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth as he looked out over the docks again as his thoughts turned to the travails of his own sailors and merchants. "Do the storms often affect trade through the skyport?"
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
Lena didn’t offer the notions of increasing smuggling via skyboats; something she’d learned on multiple trips below Stormbreak’s thresholds. At one point, it had caused a modicum of wariness – and reflected poorly upon them, much like Torchline’s own heralded histories – but with everything else going on, it had taken a so-called backseat to the ongoing sedition.
Quiet, as it was.
“Mm. Maybe one day you’ll get to try for yourself,” she smiled in return, shading her eyes and glancing across the horizon. She’d had no fear of heights, nor flying – it was a liberating feeling, to be so totally in control of one’s form, diving, hovering upon thermals and wind. As for storms, she arched a brow. “Probably – though I’ll say I’m not heavily involved in any of that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if our sky pilots have figured out ways to manage around them.”
No king of Torchline could be unaware of smuggling - via sea, land, or sky - and it would be hard to find a better example of a very large pot calling a reasonably sized kettle black should he mention it. At least there was no overt smuggling going on while they ambled along the docks. What was going on covertly inside some of those cargo crates was anyone's guess, of course, but Hadama saw no reason to be suspicious of the normal trade activities of Torchline's merchants.
And in times of political upheaval and uncertainty, smugglers themselves might become patriots depending on what wares they brought in to a region. Flowers, for instance. Or deposed former royalty.
"It is enough that I now have two feet to walk upon the ground," he affirmed solemnly. He followed her gaze to the horizon, thoughtful even as his good humor lingered. "But... perhaps. If Safrin wills it." Though the thought did not excite him. Managing yet another new pair of limbs was... Well. It was a daunting possibility.
He nodded as she answered his question, accepting that her area of expertise lay elsewhere but appreciating her pride in her local pilots. "Indeed." They walked along the docks a little while longer, admiring the different carved figureheads and artistic designs painted on some of the sails. Some skyships were utilitarian, plain and functional, but others were works of art in their own right. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon until the sun began to shift west behind the clouds and Hadama glanced down to consult his stomach.
"Do you have a recommendation for where we could go for dinner?" As he spoke he began to head back into the city proper, though he paused once they reached the exit of the docks so that Lena could take the lead once more.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
She gave another small smile at his reaction. “I think you’d be a quick study,” was offered in calm reassurance, before they began turning away from the port itself. Stormbreak had multitudes to offer; and though the area they were within was a majestic view, there were certainly other highlights amidst the stony walls and floating city.
“Oh, I have many,” as she began to lead along cobblestones once more, walking smoothly and efficiently, while Mittens grumbled near her shoulder. “It depends on your preference. We’ve got a range of fine dining, traditional restaurants, to cafes, and bars.” She glanced back at him, striving to gauge the potential appetites – making no offer of the more licentious potentials.
Lena's calm and unwavering support was a welcome ray of light in dark times, and Hadama inclined his head deeply in gratitude to the Caretaker. Perhaps flight would not be as complicated as it looked, but he was unlikely to find himself in possession of wings anytime soon to learn. In truth this suited the Tidebreaker just as well. Days like this, spent with a friend and with politics an undercurrent they could make an effort to mostly ignore, were becoming rarer as the world sped towards another confrontation.
He was determined to enjoy today to the utmost because of it, and as he walked beside Lena back to the solid ground of the floating island he contemplated her question with due gravity. "Hmmm. Fine dining, I think. If you would let me treat you to a meal?" After all the walking they had done and her kindness in showing him around her city it was the least he could do in thanks for what had been a day both educational and enjoyable.
