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!
do not misunderstand me when i call myself a shell
i mean a used up bullet casing
If she’s being honest, she pays little attention to the rectangles. And instead, she focuses on the writing that’s on the walls. Her brows furrow, and she focuses on the bones that block out the rest of the word, picking up on some sort of clue. A hand stretches out, reaching for the stone wall beneath the NE_RK, and she turns halfway toward the rest of them while trying to think of what it could be. And then an idea hits.
“Network?” She asks them aloud, thinking of the networking of the tunnels beneath them and the like.
Kiada focuses on the puzzle, suggesting the answer to one of the words is Network! (Two being the missing letters, which is also a number ;D)
as in, the aftermath of something lethal
as in, an echo of inflicted evil
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Send a heartbeat to the void that cries through you
Relive the pictures that have come to pass
At his initial glance towards the rectangles, he was instantly reminded of books – open, wide, imagining papers brushed by in the breeze – but it was the other sketches and scrawls across the walls that drew him forward. The rushing sound of water continued to escalate, listening to Jigano’s notion of the same sounds below the Spire; the running rapids churning below. While the General continued peering at the objects, he nodded his acceptance of the lantern within his bag, then layered his attention back to their current threshold.
There was something tugging at him, attempting to make sense of the etchings, the blockade of bones leaving behind clues, possibilities, and potential. His brow didn’t furrow, but eyes opened wider, striving to understand or comprehend the bigger picture, the means, the notions of the bizarre shades. Only when Kiada announced her notions, did he begin to see a tangible line, feline-gaze sweeping over to the next slate of plausible words. If they continued on the Harpy’s distinction, assembling number word between the outpost letters - “Weighty?” His fingers stretched and ghosted over the W_Y contortions, not touching; only applying prospective outlines.
--
Deimos guesses the word to be ‘Weighty’ between the W_Y, based on Kiada’s guess, and following the pattern of a number word within (eight).
Permission from Odd and Charks to post ahead!
For now we stand alone, the world is lost and blown
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate with no more to hate
Amalia does not pay as much attention to the words written upon the walls as her companions; instead she kneels down to the ground, a palm splayed flat upon the earth as she closes her eyes, listening for vibrations, for messages in the whalesong. Jyoti's response is urgent and trilling: "She says it's afraid," the Shield translates. "That it's telling her something, but... it doesn't make sense yet."
The others seem to have fixated upon the writing, however, and reluctantly Amalia rises, her thoughts still far away as Jyoti settles anxiously in her arms. She hasn't been paying a great deal of attention, but now she attempts to focus in, watching keenly as her companions speak into the silence and cause letters to appear. Frowning, she chews thoughtfully on her lip while looking at the CA. "Canine?" the baker suggests quietly, her mind still spinning between everything else.
Ama and Jyoti translate the whale song to the group and keep listening. Jyoti tries to reply reassuringly. Amalia suggests caNINE as a word.
she ran to the lighthouse, hoped that it would help her see
she saw that the lighthouse had been washed out to sea
Jigano slithered along at the tail-end of the party, lifting the front of his body up to examine the puzzling letters and their clues. Excitement thrummed through him, an eager enthusiasm for the puzzles that had been left in spite of the rockfall that had shaken them before. The bifurcated rectangles with their increasing slanted edges had the looks of Bs, or his beloved books in the process of opening or closing, and now a word puzzle? What a lovely distraction from LongNight!
Before he could say much, however, the others had already begun to speak, solving each word with the corresponding number, and both pride in his friends' wisdom and a petty little spark of regret that he wouldn't be able to show off just a little had him lowering back down to the floor, coiling behind them. He was no great warrior, but he did love puzzles, and at least he was with people who also enjoyed solving them. He really needed to extend Kiada an invitation to the Guild soon...
Since the words glowed when they were spoken aloud, the bard internally grimaced and shifted back to his human form so he would have a voice. "And that leaves 'Honey'," he agreed. "Eight, Two, One, Nine. A code of some sort, perhaps? To a lock?" He looked to Amalia with a concerned furrow to his brow. "If something is alive and afraid down here... well, it's probably not another Tulmhainar, but we should see if it needs help, don't you think?" And he had no doubt that she would, being Safrin's Shield and dedicated to Life.
Jigano pouts a little, turns back into a human to say the word HONEY out loud, and suggests helping whatever is afraid and calling out to them.
As the words are spoken, they appeared on the wall in softly glowing letters, though nothing more happened. Skyrim-style there would obviously be a door ahead that did indeed require the numbers.
The sound of rushing water is constant now, the rectangles—books, yes—increasing in number. Not so surprising given that this is meant to be the way to a library. Carved-whales glide overhead on the ceiling now, while shark-drawings swim below, snapping with large triangular teeth.
Should you follow, the tunnel will rise and fall slightly for about 10 minutes before a door is reached. It is beautiful black heart-wood, with a space for four numbers. Oh I wonder what they could be?
Jyoti leads them down the tunnel, still urgent, almost frenzied, eager to find her kin and still calling out a low, melodious song. Amalia follows, glancing at the artistry on walls and floor with wide and reverent eyes, her staff and companion casting light to guide the others by.
When at last they come to a door the Shield pauses a moment, blinking at the beautiful black wood and the four empty spaces, not sure what to do next. Except- ah! Invigorated by her revelation, the girl flashes a grin back to her companions before through some undisclosed means inputting the values Jigano had given earlier into the squares: Eight, Two, One, Nine.
Amalia puts in the following code: 8219.
she ran to the lighthouse, hoped that it would help her see
she saw that the lighthouse had been washed out to sea
Well, that wasn't too hard, now was it? But of course we aren't at the exciting bit yet.
The door slides open to reveal a large circular room (clearly this admin has a thing for underground circular rooms), but one that defies the physics of the space. The top appears open to the stars, even though it was quite obviously day when this little excursion was begin. High above on moss-lined cliff faces there is a waterfall which crashes down into a deep sapphire pool. All around are ornate bookshelves, lined and littered with ancient looking texts.
"Judging from the pictures on the walls and floor, I'd advise staying out of the water," Jigano advised his friends dryly, giving Kiada a wry grin as he steps forward with them into the room. Books as far as the eye could see, unread for centuries... his heart thudded with excitement and his eyes practically glowed with it. The grin remained on his lips as he took a slow look around, savoring it as other men might drink in a fine wine.
The waterfall, however, seemed to call back to the pictures they had seen. The books had been there this long; hopefully they could wait a bit longer. "Let's make sure this place is safe to explore, first" he said quietly, nodding to Deimos, who would almost certainly have his mind on defensive strategies and hidden perils. "I'll go up and take a look at the top of the waterfall. See what a bird's-eye view can reveal..." The others would have their own specialties to investigate, their own strengths to play to, so for the moment Jigano stepped into the shadows of the doorway to transform into a raven and then flew up to investigate the waterfall's source, and circle the pool from high above.
Jigano warns everyone about sharks, transforms into a raven, and flies up to check out the waterfall's source and what the pool looks like from above.
do not misunderstand me when i call myself a shell
i mean a used up bullet casing
Kiada nods with understanding as things suddenly work, and she follows Jigano’s lead to an extent — except instead of changing and shifting to view the waterfall, she focuses on the tomes below. Shifting into her vulture form, she swoops down toward the shelves that are dotted around the area. She circles near one, looking into the shelves for anything of interest.
Kiada shifts to Vulture form and circles a bookshelf trying to spot anything!
as in, the aftermath of something lethal
as in, an echo of inflicted evil
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Send a heartbeat to the void that cries through you
Relive the pictures that have come to pass
Between the code, the door, Jyoti’s warnings, and everything else unfurling before him – he took a few moments to adjust to the scene. His steps were slow, meticulous, senses drawn to the circular room and the measures of everything around them. The depths of his intrigue spun directly to the bookshelves, potentially lined with ancient, primordial secrets and furtive means, but then his Machiavellian mind harked back to moments spent along the Spire. Curiosity was a grand, tempting thing, but he had no intentions of diving straight into its threshold. He nodded towards Jigano as the man shifted and went to explore the range of the moss, watching as Kiada did the same towards one of the shelves.
Then he lifted his chin, gazing up at the ceiling, the poignant glow of stars residing on its denizen. Had they been beneath the earth for that long? Or was it something else – more pictures, more clues (how would they even get up there – unless some primeval Attuned had spun their way into its orchestrations?) – or the tangible sky? Could something else be there?
So he shifted, leaving Zuriel to stake her claim along the floor, eagle feathers and long, extended wings carrying him towards ceiling, investigative, examining.
--
Deimos shifts back into an eagle to glance over the ceiling.
For now we stand alone, the world is lost and blown
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate with no more to hate
The room is incredible, and Amalia shrugs her her pack off and sets it near a bookcase. Jigano may think it is best to avoid the river, but Amalia cannot find it in herself to agree, especially with Jyoti still so deeply invested in the far distant whale. Picking her way to the edge of the river, Amalia shifts into leopard form before reaching out with her mind, sensitive paws feeling for vibrations upon the rocky ground. Hello? she calls into the water, wondering if she will feel a pulse in response. Jyoti, meanwhile, continues her singing, sending starlight out over the water.
Amalia transforms into a snow leopard and stands near the edge of the river, trying to see if there's any animals in it and calling out through the attuned bond. Jyoti continues to try to call out to the distant whale.
she ran to the lighthouse, hoped that it would help her see
she saw that the lighthouse had been washed out to sea
The higher anyone tries to fly the more it will feel as if they are doing so, but in fact, they aren't. The stars will never get closer, no great heights can be reached. It is a masterful spell, but it's magic just the same.
Not a river, merely a deep pool. Amalia will see her own leonine reflection as she gazes in. Likewise Jyoti's singing currently yields no results. It takes time for sound to travel, after all.
For the most part though, the room appears from above as it does from below: spherical cave walls, greenery in abundance, a strange waterfall falling into a pool, and a ceiling made to look like the open night sky.
A gust of wind rushes through and three books fall onto the ground (because every good quest line needs a nudge every now and then).
One book is on sharks, one book is on portals, and one just has a question mark on the front.
Then, there is a splash from deep within the pool: air bubbles from low, low down bubbling up to the surface...
Send a heartbeat to the void that cries through you
Relive the pictures that have come to pass
He flew and he flew and he flew; no closer than when he’d begun, confusion paramount and twisted over his mind, until he ceased. There appeared to be no point in attempting to gain access to whatever mystery or enigma lain beyond the ceiling: perhaps a twist of magic, a rendering ensuring no one would ever know. The Sword left it at that, narrowing his eyes in speculation once more, muffling his irritation, before drifting back down, down, down, over pools and Jyoti’s singing, descending in time for books to fall from the shelf.
Ominous? Foreboding? Or something yearning to be searched?
Upon landing, he regained his human form, the depths of his feline eyes back and readily apparent, tilting his head at the tome nestled by his feet. The others look just as intriguing, and there was a sound along the vestiges of the pool that caused him to raise his head, a note of cautious yearning to bristle over his vocals towards Amalia; waiting, watching, before his eyes glanced back at the volume closest. Zuriel stood guard, her eyes coasting back and forth over all of them. Deimos bent down to retrieve the opus, lifting it into his hands before returning to his full height, slowly, carefully, reaching along to open it.
--
Deimos goes to open the portal book.
For now we stand alone, the world is lost and blown
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate with no more to hate
