From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
And so it goes; life fades away, plants are changed, and lightning is thrust all beautifully illuminated by the Fallen Star and the staff of the Shield of Safrin. Pity that nothing lasts forever.
As the plants begin to wither and die, so too do their roots. Roots which had been hopelessly intertwined into the very structure of the Spire during its initial creation and the long and silent years it stood on its own. Rocks began to chip away from the ceiling faster and faster as the structure gave a gargantuan lurch. Like a certain tower on another far away world, the Spire seemed to shift and groan all around them. A rather large boulder strikes Deimos squarely on a shoulder, one bounces off of Amalia 's arm likely spraining it, another smaller stone strikes Remi, and a fourth hits Ashetta in the chest enough to cause a bruise. Several fall right through Ronin like stony rain.
As the structure grows weaker, the poison from the plants seems to grow thicker. Amalia seems to suffer the worst of the yellow poison whether through a fault in her mask or simply the potency of the yellow air. Deimos too will feel dizzy from it, whereas Ashetta and Remi, perhaps because of their status as hybrids or something else entirely inconsequential, do not seem as affected.
Your randomly rolled initiative order is: Ronin, Deimos, Amalia, Remi, Ashe. You have 48 hours to reply. Please include a summary at the bottom of your post.
08-12-2019, 09:03 PM (This post was last modified: 08-12-2019, 09:04 PM by Ronin.)
RONIN
THE FALLEN STAR
Ronin saw it all, bearing witness to the chaos and the collapse of the tower that once cost him his life, if only indirectly. He watched the plants wither and die, and the resulting instability of the Spire. Even as boulders slammed through his astral form, he flinched instinctively, though it did no damage. "Careful - hold off with withering the plants!" he yelled, not that it would do much good against rocks already falling on his comrades. Still shining brightly enough, he hoped, to illuminate the area, he called to the group.
"Remi!" he shouted, trying to lock eyes with his husband. "Can you fortify the tower with your magic while we make a final push?"
So saying, he moved back through the smog to the group. "Any more firepower or lightning - we might just do it." So saying, he turned to Deimos. "You don't look good - do you need to head up to heal?"
Continuing to light up the cavern, Ronin calls off the internal attack against the plants and suggests a final push with fire and lightning. He asks Remi if he can fortify the Spire with his earth magic.
It was only about time – success after success, dying fronds and noxious fumes fading – before the world shifted, and began to descend. Death had many manifestations, outlooks, and features – and he thought, once, he’d seen them all – but the Spire itself seemed to be wilting at the seams.
The rocks fell, pilfered from the structure, and on instinct, because he’d been within caverns that had done the same, promised desecration on their way down, he bent to cover Amalia. There was no surprise at the insurmountable pain mounting behind his eyelids, a striking onslaught, an embittered tyranny, as the weight of the boulder pounded and pummeled against his left shoulder. He couldn’t hide the roar, the howl, that overtook his senses, blistered in his throat, but perhaps a greater part of it was muffled by his mask; and looking up, glancing to where everyone else was, still standing, the world maneuvered without his will, shaking his head to try and grasp anything again.
Ronin was shouting something, and between the punctures of pain, he thought he heard hold off with withering the plants; no more life drain, the essence of dissolving muses fumbling back into his figure, returning to his living stasis. He rose, shaky, opposite hand braced against his shoulder, tossing his cranium once more to try and rid himself of something. He glanced over at Amalia, mouthing all right?, no sound coming out of his chest, over his mouth.
Then the Fallen Star kept talking, and he strived, struggling to divert his attention back to the moments before everything was raw and real and scorching; more firepower, a you don’t look good directed at him; the sword, the idiot, the fool.
At least it wasn’t a fire this time.
Deimos knelt down behind the dirt shield again, mind reeling and rolling in all different motions, but the monolith used precious moments to create more torches, short sticks of wood just to assail through the air; utilizing Amalia’s torch to light them all. Rising, he passed one to anyone who could hold the wares in their grasp, yearned to make quick efforts before the gas billowed against them again. “When you are ready,” he nodded, and then with his remaining good arm, tossed his towards the still toxic plants.
Then the reddened glow of Amalia’s staff caught his eye, a distant haze of crimson searing from before, memories of failures that he dared not repeat. “Can I?” He inquired, gasping, incapable of getting the rest of the words out, thinking she’d understand the meaning, the gestures, the need; chest heaving, fingers grasping at the staff as he sought to heal from the latest wounds.
--
Deimos makes more torches, lights them using Amalia’s torch, and then gives one to each, hurling his (hopefully) in time with the others. He then uses Amalia’s staff to heal.
- until you had blood glistening on your teeth
- until your suffering paled in comparison to their own
- until you learned to enjoy the sounds of screams
Nothing can come easy, or without any struggle, and no sooner does the girl feel the deep stirrings of triumph than the world begins to crumble - literally. Amalia gasps and ducks her head as the Spire groans and rocks begin to fall, trying to block some with her shield. She does not notice Deimos above her- not until exclaims his pain, causing her to spin in alarm, his name upon her lips. "Deimos-!" Her voice is cut off into a gasp as some of the rubble strikes her left arm, making her inhale a sudden breath as pain shoots through her. The inhalation only seems to invite more smoke; for a moment Amalia is left with a hacking cough, each tremor pulling painfully on her wounded limb.
There isn't time to wallow, though, isn't time for pain. Gritting her teeth, Amalia straightens, the shield gripped in her right hand. Already others are shouting and planning, Ronin barking helpful instructions, Deimos passing out torches. She wishes she could take his hand, to touch his cheek, to make sure he is okay, but there will be a time for that - a time when they escape. "I'm out of fire, but I can fortify," she says instead, raising the shield above her head and willing the magic to flow from it. As she does she tries to direct it toward the walls around them, strengthening the cursed structure, especially the area around their heads.
Turning to the sound of Deimos' soft voice, she takes one of the torches and nods to the staff, concern evident in her face and voice. "Of course. Whatever you need." Dropping the crystal amulet and shield, she focuses on aiming her last bit of fire, making sure her tools are both nearby and within range of the other mages. If you can afford to lend anything, she silently calls to Remi and Ashetta, before flinging the torch out into the gas, hoping to ignite some of the remaining plants.
Amalia uses Remi's earth magic to fortify the walls around them and try to stop the rocks before throwing one of the torches at the plants. She also asks Remi and Ashetta if they can afford to put some magic in the shield or crystal.
"The tower?" Remi called back, his voice echoing hopefully towards Ronin. Though with all the falling debris it was nearly impossible to see. Drawing in a breath, the alchemist swallowed and tried to still his mind. Magic was one thing, but even with his limited knowledge and use of it, he knew that left uncontrolled and explosive it would do them little good.
"Lightning will likely be better than me." He said with an apologetic smile, nodding towards Ashe. Some instinctive part of him wondered if the assassin in blue would part with her lightning, even if it wasn't something she was actually giving up. But the abilities he could pass on to Amalia seemed of little use on their own. As for creation? He wasn't sure there was a way of transferring it, and now didn't seem like a good time to experiment.
Placing his hands on the walls Remi breathed out. The boulders which had fallen moved back, bits of mud and additional rocks filling in the holes that were left, and deeper within invisible cracks that would soon give way and break were fused back together.
Remi says Ashe's magic is probably better than his. He strengthens the walls.
Remi Taliesin
THE ALCHEMIST
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
If something didn't go wrong, it wouldn't be a battle, would it? Ashe worked her lightning, her lip feathering in concentration as she narrowed her focus on where Ronin directed. Electricity cracked, plants withered, and---
And the Spire was collapsing.
The world shuddered, and her lightning cut off abruptly. Ashe staggered and shot her eyes up to the gaping column above as it shifted and groaned. "Shit," she growled, ducking down to avoid debris. All was chaos, and there was no room in crisis for her fear, for the realization that she could be buried alive. She could only survive.
A large stone struck down, knocking the air from her lungs. She gasped and staggered forward, bracing her arm against the barrier as she fought for breath. She heard the other outcries, and she thought suddenly of the real Ronin, up the stairs---he had to be alright.
Over the din she heard him calling out, and she was able to take stock of the others---battered, but alive. Ashe accepted and then threw the new torch without hesitation, her body acting before her mind even did. She glanced between Remi and Amalia as they worked on steadying the tower. Ashe nodded, and acted immediately. "Brace yourself," was all the warning she gave before she released the wild magic on the shield. The moment it seemed charged, she redirected the lighting toward the gas once more as sweat headed on her temple. Keep going, she told herself, gritting her teeth.
Ashe cast her lightning at Amalia's sheild and then continued going for the gas.
this is where the end is written, every battle scar forgiven
howling in the wind, tingle in your skin thunder and the rain as the storm rolls in & destroys it all
Perhaps due to the stony debris in the air, or just an unlucky roll of the metaphorical (wink wink) dice, but the fire doesn't seem as potent this time around. Light blooms around Deimos, healing his wounds and reinvigorating him amidst the chaos.
Whereas Remi 's use of his magic is sculpted and intentional, Amalia 's is like a blast. Such is what happens when you wield someone else's magic. Stones strengthen and add themselves to the crumbling structure but still, it weighs heavily and the walls bend around them. The area under which the group stands is protected, but not for long. The ceiling shakes above, bits of which fall towards the centre, ricocheting and bouncing about like giant balls. Amalia and Ashetta take the largest hits, enough to cause bruising for sure, whereas Deimos and Remi manage at most to stub their toes. It likely would have collapsed if not for the recent reinforcements.
As Ashetta 's lightning illuminates the interior once more sizzling and destroying the plants, the remaining stalks seem to grow resilient, puffing more and more gas into the air. Despite his earlier healing, Deimos once again takes the worst of the noxious fumes and for a moment he thinks he hears a voice. Up your luck stat, it seems to say. Whatever that means. The others breathe in the poison and feel themselves weaken as well.
Your randomly rolled initiative order is: Ronin, Deimos, Amalia, Remi, Ashe. You have 48 hours to reply. Please include a summary at the bottom of your post.
Well that didn't go to plan. Swearing under his breath, Ronin tried to peer through the thick fumes that the plants were gushing out, still shining brightly within, but it was getting to the stage where he was unable to see anything at all. "Throw all you have," he called, his astral form seeming to flicker for a moment, almost, as if Ronin's ability to maintain it was beginning to waver.
"Then run - it's not worth the whole place coming down on top of you."
Ronin advises a last ditch attempt and running. He begins to flicker as his ability to maintain the form starts to wane.
Blessed by Amalia’s staff, there were a few scarce, sparse moments of clarity, of rejuvenation, before the world shook again.
There were blasts and stones walled, strengthening, trying to salvage the weight of the tower upon them. He glanced upwards, inhaling for a moment, as the ceiling rattled and shook, as the ominous threat became all too close, all too real; bits cascading around them, shards of potential doom and damnation.
Then the fumes haunted him again, making him choke, making him gasp, a voice piercing through his mind he thought might’ve been Zuriel (something to reflect upon later, when they weren’t exposed to condemnation). Through the wheezing, the burning in his eyes, the stinging nettles pervading through his chest, Ronin was shouting something again, throw all you have – then run.
A last ditch effort – when they’d been so close.
Deimos didn’t bother controlling the life drain any longer – unleashed and unrepentant, a gallivanting display of the contorted rage flickering in his entity. As he invoked the nefarious enchantments towards the rest of the plants, a rumble, a yell, harpooned over their forces and streaks of lightning, an echo of Ronin’s statements. “After you attack, we reconvene outside the Spire!” Because he wasn’t about to see, to bear witness, to each one of them fall beneath the mighty weight, the pinnacle of stones and irreverence; it’d taken enough people in these scorched lifetimes.
When he could give no more, when he thought it might be enough, the monolith grabbed hold of Amalia’s staff again, hoped there’d be assuaging measures to spare for both of them (the reddened glow shifting in his sights, healing factions), insisting she take the other end with a swift gesture.
Then he turned the way they’d all come, shifting quickly up the stairs, summoning Zuriel to his side, as he intended to escape, to evade, to linger outside the walls of the Spire’s grasp, for them all to have enough time to do the same.
Perhaps, thereafter, they could figure out what to do next.
--
Per Ronin’s suggestion, Deimos throws one last life drain attack at the remaining plants, grabs hold of Amalia’s staff to heal again, and tells them all to reconvene outside the Spire. Then he grabs Zuriel and runs for outside.
- until you had blood glistening on your teeth
- until your suffering paled in comparison to their own
- until you learned to enjoy the sounds of screams
The magic helps to hold things- somewhat. Even as the defenses are shored up, Amalia can feel the ground tremble, the integrity of the Spire severely compromised beyond anything they can repair. More rubble falls, raining down upon her head, and though she lunges for her shield it is too late; she can feel the bruises blooming on her skin, knows she will soon look as much a spotted leopardess in human form as in feline.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, the baker grasps her upgraded shield as Ronin barks more guidance. Electricity crackles through the metal; the girl spins around, forcing it outward one last time, putting every ounce of her willpower behind her intent as she channels abilities she does not know how to wield, hoping that it will be enough. All they have to do is kill the rest of the plants.
That, and survive.
Reconvene outside, Deimos says, and Amalia nods her understanding, trying not to cough behind her mask as fumes seep into injured lungs. Checking to make sure the others are following she grasps the other end of the staff, snatching up the amulet as they scramble toward the staircase and away from the crumbling monolith of death.
Amalia uses the lightning in her shield to blast the plants one more time. Then she grabs her shield, amulet, and the end of her staff and follows Deimos up the stairs.
There is leaving because it is the smart thing to do...and then there is the reason that they've come. If killing the plants is the way to cure Ronin, or at the very least stay his execution, then the alchemist can't risk it. Buried beneath endless rubble there will be no way to tell if the plants are dead. An entire Spire's worth of rock? Even with all the strength he has, Remi can't imagine a world where he can dig down to the blighted plants in the basement before the sands of Ronin's hour glass are up.
I will be right behind you, Remi thinks to call out, but Amalia and Deimos are already gone. Thankfully so, for the alchemist doesn't have to lie.
You would do the same if it were Deimos. Remi thinks adoringly to Amalia. And then, potentially without any sort of context, he sends her the mental image of him becoming a manticore. It is all the time he has inwhich to communicate that even should the tower fall, there is a way in which he still makes it out. Through magic or sheer size.
"Destroying the plants is what is causing the walls to collapse—get out Ashe. I can do this." Remi yells to the assassin, having felt the spaces within the wall where the plants had been so swiftly killed by Deimos.
And so, hidden beneath the structure of his own making, Remi once again sends out his strange mixture of magic to change the plants into something nonlethal.
Remi LEROY JENKINS and stays, using his earth/transmutation magic on the plants.
Remi Taliesin
THE ALCHEMIST
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
08-14-2019, 03:17 PM (This post was last modified: 08-14-2019, 03:25 PM by Ashetta.)
Ashetta
THE STORMBRINGER
The Spire gave another mighty shudder, and her lightning fizzled out as she stumbled with a gasp. On reflex she looked up, her heart stalling as she realized she couldn’t see the sky anymore. Too much dust, debris, gas, and she lurched forward as part of the ceiling came crashing down overhead. Sharp, purple spots of pain burst and bloomed in her vision as stone after stone struck down---her head, her back, her arms, her shoulders. Trapped. She was going to be trapped underground.
It was Ronin’s voice that called her to attention, kept her from being swallowed by panic. She caught a few words only: All you have. Run. She barely registered Deimos calling for them to flee to the outside, her head spinning with a cocktail of exhaustion and fear. Run, she needed to run, she couldn’t be trapped down here, she couldn’t, she couldn’t---
Ashe swung around, looking for Remi---they all needed to go---and her eyes fell on him just as he shouted to her. Get out, Ashe. I can do this. He wasn’t going to run. Her heart dropped like a stone, thudded in her ears as the crumbling world seemed to slow. She looked between her friend and the stairs. The man she called brother, or freedom---survival. For a split second, she caught sight of Ronin’s form flickering in the maelstrom.
”Fuck that,” Ashe shouted back. Her whole body shook, her ears were ringing as she fought to breathe through the mask, but she dove down deep into her magic. Down and down she reached for that power as Remi worked his, and she released all she had on the remaining gas.
Lightning cracked and snapped into the roar of falling debris, illuminating dust and gas, creating a storm all its own. She held it as best she could, her vision pulsing black, and then it sputtered out with her gasp. Her head spun, the world pitched and crashed, and she knew it was only Remi now that could stand a chance against the falling Spire. She staggered toward him, and then she shifted to a gleaming blue hummingbird. Ashe dove under Remi, where tiny bird legs grabbed at his shirt collar and she tucked herself against his chest. I’m not leaving you, Remi.
Unable to bring herself to leave Remi behind, tiny-idiot-Ashe cast her lightning one last time and then shifted into a hummingbird to hide beneath Remi.
this is where the end is written, every battle scar forgiven
howling in the wind, tingle in your skin thunder and the rain as the storm rolls in & destroys it all
08-16-2019, 01:21 AM (This post was last modified: 08-16-2019, 01:36 AM by Court Official.)
key quest
Deimos, injured but battle-hardened cast one last blast that decimates much of the plant life. And by decimates I truly do mean cataclysmicly injures it in a way the Reaper hasn't managed yet this fight. Amalia with the wiry and poorly controlled blast of electricity does damage as well, lightning blasting outwards in a bright array of sparks.
This of course causes more than significant damage to the overall structure.
Remi's manipulation hold strong what has been weakened, matching Deimos efforts. But it is Amalia's attack that tips the scales. Poison seeps into the lungs of the reaper and the shield as they race up the stairs, whether vindictively or just unluckily. Lightning flashes out one again. When wielded by someone familiar with its strength, Ashetta 's lightning is a force to be reckoned with. In a bright flash, the plants are dead.
The walls, feel the same as they come crashing down.
The bird-inside-of-the-shirt routine leaves all the damage to be soaked by the idiot who remained (as it should, let's be honest). Rubble buries Remi and Ashe. Before the light disappears Remi takes a mouthful of poison into his lungs as does Ashe (though given her lungs are smaller, it is less severe).
Wilting, lightning and then more lightning still. The meager efforts Remi made seemed insurmountable in the wake of sheer power thrust about him. Indeed the only thing he truly felt was the prickle of Ashe's mind against him only seconds before her wing beats fluttered against his chest. Panic bloomed brightly in the alchemist's mind; a hand instinctively going to cover up the small bird. I have to— Remi thought wildly, even as the tower collapsed all around him. Pressing outwards with his magic while shifting seconds after, Remi tried to barricade himself and Ashe beneath a wall of rubble and manticore-body that would keep them both safe, or at the very least, the hummingbird.
If they are not all gone...this will all have been for nothing.. Remi explained in a wilty and shattered voice, hopefully holding the hummingbird against a lion's chest with hawks' wings, solid beneath a magically-held mound of rubble.
Remi tries to protect hummingbird Ashe while using his earth magic to feel that all the plants are dead. He tries to make a wall of rubble to protect them as the Spire collapses and shifts into a manticore to protect them.
Remi Taliesin
THE ALCHEMIST
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
