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!
08-26-2019, 11:03 AM (This post was last modified: 09-02-2019, 02:11 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
Although Loren should’ve predicted that his family would leave him in the lurch even when they weren’t there, he hadn’t expected it to be quite this bad. The Launceleyn Manor needed repairs, cleaning, and a whole lot of food. Granted, part of that was his own fault: he’d foolishly opened the doors of the house to anyone who might need shelter from the cold and the monsters during LongNight. Although that tall warrior woman had informed everyone that it was the designated safe spot, no one had exactly taken him up on the offer. Or at least they hadn’t yet, and he wanted to be prepared anyway.
So he’d set off on a series of tasks to make it habitable. Today, he was on his way out to the fields to see if he could secure some foodstuffs other than meat. While most of the harvest was already completed this late in Leafchange—it was shocking to him how useful his knowledge from his time as a farmer was proving—people were still out in the fields gathering the late blooming crops and gleaning what remained on the fields from the earlier harvest.
He had just arrived at the edge of the farmlands when there was a sharp pain in his ankle; he yelped, and instinctively kicked back. His foot connected with something squishy and sent it flying. Whirling around, Loren was just in time to see a squash go flying into the air. He was confused, until he saw the circle of gourds closing in on him. That’s when he remembered that the vampire gourds liked to come out to hunt during Leafchange.
Unfortunately for them, Loren wasn’t prey. He’d learned from his previous mistakes, however, and wasn’t going to use fire that could spread to his surroundings. Instead, he would call upon something that could protect him without causing too much damage to the environment. Calling upon the power that was uniquely his, Loren took a moment to center himself, before the energy flew out of him a rush. A sky blue light flashed in the air, and when it cleared, a vaguely reptilian creature with nine heads was in its place, standing next to Loren. It was a hydra, a creature of legend, and it immediately began chomping down on the grounds, its heads moving independently to strike all sides at once. Loren sagged against its flank, weakened from summoning and maintaining such a powerful monster.
Abasi did not care for Caido much at all, but more than anything he hated the town of Sanctuary. The people there seemed too busy for him, something he was not used to at all. Back at his home, his position in the Pharoah's court had awarded him with a decent amount of respect; he was used to bowed heads and offerings, not being ignored in the middle of the street.
So he had come to the fields to be alone, maybe try and make his own home out there. Not that he knew anything about home-making...but how hard could it be? Slaves built things, and well, he was surely smarter than that. Even with the strange illness eating away at his energy.
Walking with his head down and his arms hugging himself, his first realisation that anything other than grass was on the fields was the flash of light - Abasi looked up just in time to see the Hydra appeared, immediately going to hide behind a wall; if he had been more conscious of what he was doing in the moment he would have been embarrassed of his cowardice, but sheer instinct had kicked in.
He watched the beast bite away at...some kind of vegetable, he thought, and the man who controlled it sag down. Such displays were the kinds of things he could only dream of accomplishing, and his fear quickly gave way to a curiousity and jealousy that drove him to climb up over the wall and approach, stepping carefully around smashed gourds. "How do you summon this creature? Are you in contact with the Gods of this place?" He asked in his usual clipped tone, forgetting an introduction in the midst of his interest.
08-26-2019, 08:48 PM (This post was last modified: 09-02-2019, 02:11 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
The gourds kept coming en masse, and the hydra’s heads kept snapping and its feet kept stomping to deal with the horde. At this point Loren didn’t seem to have much to worry about beyond how long he could keep this spell going. Hopefully it would be long enough to deal with the last of the rogue squash, since the summoner hardly had any other tools to deal with them.
A man approached, scrambling over a nearby wall without a hint of fear in his stride, but all the Launceleyn could do in response was spare him a tired glance. It was a stranger, thankfully: Loren couldn’t handle any more reunions. The other man was downright beautiful, and once upon a time the Launceleyn would’ve been embarrassed just to speak to him. But those days were long gone, and all the librarian felt was a dull ache and the driving need to make up for lost time and contribute everything he was for the greater good of the community. Indeed, he’d given up any hope for his own self and well-being. They weren’t worth anything.
The question almost made Loren laugh hysterically, but the emptiness inside sucked up the feeling, as it fed upon all of his emotions recently. “No. Certainly not. I’m an Abandoned, which means the Gods despise me.” And everyone else to, with good reason. He nodded towards the hydra. “I’m a summoner, which is where this fellow came from.” Loren patted the hydra's flank. There were precious few with that specific brand of magic in the Hollowed Grounds, but even so the question struck the librarian as quite ignorant. “Are you from around here?” It was much more polite than bluntly asking if the man was a recent transplant; it was rare for Loren to discover someone who might actually be more ignorant than the Launceleyn was. Of course, the librarian had no excuse for his lack of knowledge.
In response to his question, the man laughed loudly and rather obnoxiously; Abasi took a step back with a wrinkled nose. Had he come across another drunk, like the one he had met in the woods...? He hoped not.
But he did not leave, for Loren said the most interesting thing he had heard so far in Caido. "The Gods..despise you?" Abasi knew the feeling, though he would never admit it. He listened to the man continue, describe himself as a summoner. Had he heard such a claim only a week before Abasi would have laughed, but now, with everything else, it seemed credible.
He did laugh (a little too harsh, as if he was not used to the action) when he was asked if he was from the area. "Do I seem like I am? No. I arrived in this place a week ago and I have not been able to leave. I am not sure what is going on." Usually Abasi was a man of few words, saying only what he needed to, but his emotions and confusion spilled over and he continued: "I am ill with a mysterious affliction, no one here knows of my world and I can do...this." Holding out his hand, he created a small flower, one that had grown in the cracks of sandstone in his home.
08-28-2019, 02:40 AM (This post was last modified: 08-28-2019, 06:08 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
Loren didn’t know what, exactly, caused the other man to step back, because there was so much to choose from. His gaunt appearance; the wild look in his eyes; the note of sadness and anger he carried around in his voice despite his best efforts to keep it devoid of all emotions; or maybe it was just the nine-headed monster next to him, still chomping down happily on gouds. One particularly resilient squash was it past the hydra, and with a jerk of his chin and an effort of will Loren’s telekinesis sent it flying. He probably shouldn’t have wasted magic like that—the drain from the hydra was catching up to him, weak as he was nowadays, and he’d have to dismiss it before too long—but it was good to flex his magical strength like this. After all, he’d had precious few opportunities to do so lately.
“That’s what they tell me. It’s in the name. Abandoned. Abandoned by the gods.” He couldn't help the slight bitterness that colored his tone. Although the summoner didn’t know exactly why they were loathed by the divine beings of Caido, he could hazard a few guesses, most of them to do with mortals with the power to challenge the higher beings. Of course, the Abandoned were pitiful compared to the gods (or so the Launceleyn assumed, having never interacted with them before), but he could understand the fear. His family had been all about power.
The other man laughed, and Loren couldn’t help but give him a sympathetic smile. As suspected, the pretty boy wasn’t from around here; he had the misfortune of not only being transported, but also of having the Launceleyn as a guide. “I’m not the best person to introduce you to all this, but I’ll do my best.” He took a deep, steadying breath, trying to order his thoughts. “So the world you’re in is called Caido. I don’t know why or how you were brought here, you’d have to ask someone else about that. But, near as we can tell, there’s no way back.” He explained that last part in as gentle a tone as he could muster: it was probably the hardest back for them all to swallow and accept.
As the flower grew from the other man’s palm, the Launceleyn gave it a curious look. His magic reserves were running low, but he could manage a bit more. Turning his own hand up, a stone version of the same flower appeared. “That, at least I can explain. It’s magic, either earth or creation.” He gave the man a small, but sad smile. “Which means you’re an Abandoned like me.” Given the man’s reaction to Loren’s explanation about the summoner’s own nature, he was a little worried how pretty boy would react.
“Listen, I know this is overwhelming, but I’ll do my best to help you get acclimated.” He held out his hand for the other man to shake. “I’m Loren. Loren Launceleyn.” Then, something pretty boy had said, that had been nagging the Launceleyn, finally pierced through the fog in his mind. “Wait, you said you were ill? What’re your symptoms?" If he hadn’t expended so much magic already, the summoner would have offered to heal pretty boy. As it stood, Loren would probably have to regain some of his energy before he tried any major spells.
"Abandoned by the Gods." Abasi repeated, looking the man up and down and wondering just what it was he could have done to be so left behind by his Divine beings. Even Abasi, who had never received a response from his own Gods in his years of Priesthood, had not considered himself 'Abandoned'.
What Loren said about Caido was the same as what each person he'd met had told him, so he only nodded solemnly. He'd felt in the last few days that he had massively taken his home for granted - what he wouldn't give now for a taste of the food or a touch of the Egyptian sun. This place, this Caido...it was not what he had imagined Duat to look like...didn't even know if that was an appropriate name for it.
Though it seemed Loren did still have some surprises for him. First of all the stone flower that mimicked his own, then the reveal that Abasi himself was 'Abandoned'. Abandoned by Gods he did not even know the name of. Unsure of how to process that right away, he tried to put it away to consider later and focus on introductions for now. "Abasi. Son of Hapuseneb." He had learnt early on here that introducing himself with his title meant little.
"I am...well. I feel weak, and cold, clammy. I am finding it hard to focus." He frowned. "At first I thought it was just the confusing from landing here, but...I believe I do have some kind of ailment. I spoke to a healer, but she could not help."
It seemed the squashes had thinned out—or at least thought better of continuing to attack a beast such as the hydra—as the nine heads slowed, then still completely. Loren’s summon swung around a few times, seeking out any stragglers, before stilling. Glancing around to confirm the immediate danger had passed, the Launceleyn was pleased to see the area was clear. He cut off the flow of magic to the beast, and it disappeared without a sound.
Making his way over to the wall that Abasi had first come over, the summoner leaned against it, grateful for the support. It had been a long time since he’d used his magic so openly and for such a prolonged period; his reserves might be as strong as ever, but his tolerance for it was not. Loren knew instinctively that he’d have to rest for at least a bit before attempting any more spells. When the other man repeated the summoner’s statement, he simply nodded. “It’s said they are less likely to answer our prayers.” At least they never seemed to answer Loren’s, though he didn’t know if that was true for others like him.
The other man didn’t take the Launceleyn’s proffered hand, so he retracted it, letting it fall to his side. If Abasi was new here, it was likely his home had very different customs, so the summoner tried not to read too much into the admission. “It’s nice to meet you, Abasi. Welcome to Caido, for what it’s worth.” Probably very little: Loren could still remember the bewilderment and confusion when he first arrived. Probably because he’d barely done anything since then, despite nominally being here for a year. However, while his body had been present, his mind had been elsewhere.
At the mention of a healer who could not help, Loren frowned. It sounded very similar to an experience he’d had recently, although in his case it was more would not than could not. “Was this healer a tall blonde woman by any chance?” The question was asked in a mostly idle tone; Loren was too busy evaluating how he felt to pay full attention to what he was saying. Then, he focused back on Abasi. “Did she say why she couldn’t help you?” Pausing for just a moment, the Launceleyn ran a hand through his hair. “I have some healing magic, so I might be able to do something where she couldn’t. However, I’ll need some time to recover before I’ll be up for more magic. Still, the more information I have, the better.” At the very least, if it the illness was something serious it might be best for Loren not to meddle with it.
As the hydra disappeared Abasi managed to hold back a flinch of surprise, instead just looking over with a deceptively calm glance. He had almost grown used the beast - here such sights were becoming commonplace, Abasi beginning to approach them with an attitude of 'well, this may as well happen.'
"Mmm. The welcome I have received from the land itself has been rather cold." He commented, looking about at the landscape around them as if the fields themselves were to blame.
Tilting his head at Loren's question, he wondered if he had seen the wrong healer. The woman he had seen had seemed...qualified, as far as he knew, but he knew very little about how medicine worked here. She certainly had not done things the way one of the court healers in Eygpt would have. "No, she was short and had red hair, like a Visigoth woman."
"Well, she thought she had, I suppose. Gave me something to drink and rubbed something on my face, but..." Abasi sighed as a shiver ran through him. "I am still just as sick, and I fear I am in fact getting worse. I heard when I was stood in the town that several people are ill at the moment, that they do not have a cure. To die of a plague immediately after arriving is the kind of fate I thought myself too noble for."
Giving Abasi a sympathetic smile, Loren wondered exactly what the other man meant by his statement. Then again, it didn’t really matter. If the people of the Hollowed Grounds had given pretty boy a less than warm welcome, the Launceleyn would just have to make up for it somehow. ”I am sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help you get settled?” Maybe helping a newcomer—especially since the librarian wasn’t super knowledgeable about, well, anything—was ill-advised, given everything else the summoner was supposed to be doing. But perhaps they could both learn about this place together.
Alright, sounded like Abasi had seen someone other than Phoebe. While it was odd that Loren hadn’t met this redheaded healer yet (or maybe not, considering the circumstances), it was probably for the best. The Launceleyn wasn’t sure he trusted the blonde woman’s judgment or bedside manner. Besides, she was obsessed with the blight, and likely wouldn’t have wanted to deal with helping Abasi. ”Ah, nevermind then.” Although the summoner didn’t know what a visigoth was, he figured it had something to do with pretty boy’s old world. So the librarian decided not to ask. Trying to figure out all the other worlds out there would drive him insane. Moreover, there was no way back, so he didn’t want to upset the other man by forcing him to speak about a place he could no longer call home.
At the mention that the healer was worried Abasi had an illness that was going around, Loren bit his lip. He really hoped it wasn’t the blight: it would be incredibly odd for a new arrival to have it, but everything about it was odd, and the Launceleyn didn’t know of anything else out there. ”There is something going around, that much is true. Sadly, as I told you, I can’t perform any more magic for a while. However, did you get the healer’s name, or where her clinic was? I’m happy to check in with her to see whether she thinks there’s anything I can do to help you.” For once, the Launceleyn was glad his magic was depleted. He could avoid confirming that Abasi had the blight; someone more well-versed in patient care and with the cursed disease should probably have that particular conversation. Loren was still hoping he could give Abasi a positive view of the Hollowed Grounds before it all came crashing down.
Abasi was surprised to hear a kind offer from Loren, so used by now to people being either useless, strict or well-intentioned but....well, see the first thing. For a moment he squinted, suspicious of it; what did he have to gain? But it wasn't like he could afford to pass up a chance for help at the moment. With a sigh, he nodded. "I am in need of somewhere reliable and quiet to be able to stay." He had tried the bar, but trying to sleep on a bench surrounded by drunks was not at all possible for someone of his character.
"I believe her name was Evie, and I saw her in the temple." He informed Loren. "There was no one else in the infirmary when I went there. I did not know you had more than the one healer." True, there had been several in his city, but there was no one as important as Pharoah in Sanctuary.
Speaking of his illness... "I must sit. I am feeling weak." Moving to the wall, he perched on it and stared up at the sky. "My work is useless here also. I study the stars...but they are not the same here. What am I to do?" He was not usually one to despair out loud, but times were desperate.
Actually, that request was just about the one thing that Loren could actually give the other man at the moment. ”Well, as it turns out, I live in a very big house that currently has a lot of spare beds. You’re more than welcome to stay there until you get your bearings or find a place of your own.” Or indefinitely as far at the Launceleyn was concerned: the near empty manor had too many ghosts, and in his mind, the more people there the better. And Abasi was an Abandoned. Since Zariah had already adopted one stray mage, Loren didn't see the issue in bringing home another.
Evie. That was a new name, but Loren just filed it away for later. Right now, he was more concerned with making sure Abasi was alright; even if pretty boy was suffering from the blight, or maybe especially if he was, sickness wasn't something that scared the summoner, and he knew loneliness and desperation when he saw it. After all, the Launceleyn had spent so long alone and helpless that he could obviously recognize the tell-tale signs in others, especially since Abasi wasn’t even bothering to hide them. ”We actually have a full school full of healers. But I'll talk to Evie once we get you sorted out.” Well, at least that’s what Loren assumed, seeing as he’d never actually been to the college of medicine. It was a new development, and it had seemed pretty low on his list considering he could use his magic to take care of most ailments.
Just not the most important ones, it seemed: the blight, and Remi’s eyes.
As Abasi went to sit on the wall, Loren joined him, following the other man’s gaze to the sky. It was day, so there were no stars visible—except for maybe a few of the brightest, not that the summoner knew where to look for those or what the stars really were—but the lost note in pretty boy’s voice resonated with the Launceleyn’s own empty soul. He too was desperately searching for a purpose since his return. ”I wouldn’t say it’s useless. After all, there’s a whole new sky full of stars just waiting to be explored by you.” Maybe if the other man started thinking of this as an opportunity rather than a burden, it might cheer him up. However, Loren somehow doubted it would be that easy. Still it was worth a try.
Abasi was not used to kindness, not in his own home and especially not in Caido. At first, Loren's offer almost drew suspicion from him; he had been expected a dismissive 'well, I hope you find it' at best, not an actual bed placed right before him. "...I...cannot afford to turn down such an offer. Thank you." He responded after considering it through, knowing that he had no where else to go.
A whole school of healers? That thought was actually comforting. That perhaps Evie had not been able to cure his full illness, but another could. Though his cynical mind already felt hopeless with that particular idea; he felt for some reason as if this illness would be more serious than he could yet know.
Loren did not comment on his sitting down, for which he was glad. He hated pity - he wasn't sure if that was what Loren was offering with his words on the stars, but at least it was shrouded enough he couldn't tell. "Perhaps. But to study them truly I would need a place to observe and a place to write, time, teachers...it is all somewhat beyond me at the moment, I fear."
Loren smiled at Abasi, glad the other man had taken the Launceleyn up on his offer. ”You’re welcome. And it’s the least I can do.” Besides, given how empty the halls were these days—even though four people lived there, sometimes it seemed that the summoner was all alone at the manor—it would be good to have some company for once. Beyond that, if Abasi was sick, it was probably best to have him somewhere that he could be monitored.
”At the moment. But maybe not forever.” Giving the other man a thoughtful look, Loren wondered whether or not Abasi would actually find any time for stargazing, considering everything they were facing in the Hollowed Grounds. Maybe one day, if the madness ever died down, the other man could follow his passion and the Launceleyn could help him. For now the summoner was just going to focus on helping pretty boy get established, and finding out exactly what ailed him. Once they got through Deepfrost they could see about more permanent arrangements.
If they got through Deepfrost, actually, not that he was going to voice that to anyone, especially not a new arrival who had to be scared about this strange new world.
"I can..." Abasi swallowed his pride. "Serve in the home to show my gratitude." The words hurt as they left his mouth. He was the son of a high ranking priest, one used to having slaves and not being one, but what else did he have to offer? No money, no power. Nothing but his hands, and even those were beginning to shake and grow weak with his illness.
He was reminded of the beggars he had so often sneered at as he walked by in Cairo, and he did not like that thought.
Saying nothing to Loren's comment about the stars (for all he had to say was hopeless and despairing, he had never been an optimist) he mentally assessed his body then shakily stood up. "As soon as we can, I would like to go to your home, please. I am sorry to rush you but I am feeling most...off."
