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!
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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!
"Yes, those were their names." He confirmed, listening to Delphia intently as she described their differing roles. It was reassuring in a way to know that Oia did not necessarily have the correct answers, after her rather bleak addition to his wall.
What was less reassuring was the news that Outlanders could not return to their own Gods upon death. Abasi found himself desperately wanting to disbelieve, but Delphia was a demi-God and had no reason to lie. It was clear he was less pleased than she about it, his face falling as he realised it meant he had no way to get back to his own Egyptian afterlife once he had paid his dues here.
"Do you think there might be a way to let the Outlander souls go back home? It would be a comfort for many of them to think so, I am sure." He asked, hoping she might take pity.
Delphia's became sympathetic, though no less adoring as Abasi tried to find a way around reality. Such a human trait, she knew all too well. "The Voice worked some magic that brought all the Outlanders here. I do not know of any way to reverse her doings." she said gently, not one to shy away from truth. Why believe in a false reality and be disappointed.
"But what comfort I can provide is the goodness of Mort. He is the one who blessed this world with love, his adoration for Vi and all he creates inclusive of Outlanders. His realm is one of peace and love and comfort. None should fear the day the go to rest with him, for they will know love as they've never known before." she said, hoping to reassure him. It might not be the gods he knew, but it was a beyond pleasant substitution.
"The Voice brought me here...?" He mumbled, more to himself than to Delphia. Abasi had assumed that his Gods had sent him here, rather than him having been plucked from somewhere else. "How did she select her choices? Perhaps I should speak to her of this." She might know more than anyone else how to get back home, he thought, or at least how to send the souls of the dead back to their worlds.
Because no matter how much Delphia sold Mort to him, Mort was not of his home. He was sure he was not alone among his fellow Outlanders with the sentiment that he wanted his eternal resting place to be the world he had come from. Besides, there was another matter, one that filled his heart with a bitter pain.
Unable to keep the bite from his voice, he asked: "Does Mort love even the Abandoned, who are damned through no fault of their own?"
”It is my understanding that those brought by the Voice were intended to aid her cause.” she said with a bit of a shrug. She didn’t know the whole story, but it was something like that. ”But that is what the Voice does, she uses people for her own gain. I should think if you sought her out she would try to convince you to do just that.” she said in caution. ”But I do not trust any who willingly keep souls from reaching the afterlife with Mort.” she amended, making clear her bias against the pseudo-goddess.
The sudden bite in his voice was a surprise, but at the mention of “abandoned” she understood why. Her expression softened and she nodded. ”Yes, Mort loves even the abandoned. You feel unfairly treated though.” she observed.
"What cause am I aiding?" Abasi asked, further confused and not fond of the idea of being drafted into a cause he was not aware of. Despite Delphia's warnings, if she could not give him a satisfactory answer he would go and speak to this 'Voice' himself. At least it sounded like she might answer him, which was more than he could say for any of the other Gods.
As much as he respected Delphia and did not want to offend, he couldn't help but be a little irritated by the way she said what she said. "I do not feel unfairly treated. I am unfairly treated." He folded his arms, knowing that it was likely a mistake to complain to Delphia but too upset to stop. "If he loves the Abandoned why will he not speak to them?"
"Her war against the Old Gods, I presume, just as she did three hundred years ago." she said, tilting her head as she thought on it more. "I have not met her, but my father has told me she is clever and sneaky, though short sighted. Misguided. Using a human perspective to pursue the divine. Like a mouse trying to be a bear." she said, shrugging a bit. Pale eyes glanced at him though in consideration. "But she hordes the dead souls of her followers away from Mort, so they cannot rest and suffer in ways she cannot understand. So I am not apt to think of her very fondly." she said with a hint of a smile.
She frowned slightly, but not with anger. Empathetic sadness, not wishing to see any so pained by their experiences with the divine. "I am sorry. If I had the power to change it so quickly, I would." she said, voice ringing with earnestness and sincerity. "My father rarely appears before mortals, Abandoned or otherwise. In fact..." Her brow furrowed in thought, trying to think on the number of times she could recount. "Myself aside, he appeared to my mother to ask her to bear me many years ago. And nearly two...or is it three...? years ago he appeared to a woman who was both Abandoned and Attuned. He only did so to correct an imbalance between the forces of his realm and Vi's." she said. There may have been others, but she doubted it. Mort had far more souls to attend to than Rae and Vi had combined. The realm of the dead was far greater than that of life and nature.
"But part of my purpose is to reach those that he and Ludo cannot for any number of reasons. I can empathize with you in ways that the divine simply do not." she said, smiling softly. "But faith and loyalty and kindness from even an abandoned will be rewarded by the gods. This I can promise."
"So...she is not a God? If she is merely human, can Mort not just take the souls from her?" Abasi had experience in his own world of humans becoming Gods, but it sounded from the way Delphia spoke as if the Voice's Ascension (ha) into the divine had been relatively recent, so she may still be low on power.
He let Delphia speak on Abandoneds, trying not to interrupt with his hurt feelings. They were not entirely logical, he knew, but it was hard to stay quiet and polite when he felt so slighted and it seemed everyone did not agree. "I do not ask for a meeting from the highest of the Gods. But...it does seem all there is to do is wait and try again." He sighed, looking up to the sky then back to the Demi God before him. At least she would speak to him.
"I will not take too much of your time. I only wanted to know I had some approval from the Gods before I began my venture. Thank you." With that said he would nod his head and go to leave, if she did not stop him.
Delphia shrugged. "She is not a god, nor is she human any longer." she said. "She was an acquired, who sought power and once taken, challenged the gods. She created places where the divine cannot see or go. It is why Mort has not claimed those lost souls. But I can go where my father cannot...just as I can challenge the notion that the abandoned are exempt from the love of the divine." she said, a ghost of a smile curving her lips as she looked at him adoringly.
A light laugh escaped her lips and she nodded. "Indeed, much in life is that way. Wait, and try again. And as such, Life always rewards persistence. If I may offer advice - when you are graced with the presence of a Herald, speak with them about becoming Attuned. It will earn you the favor you seek more quickly and make clear your alignment with the Old Gods." she advised. But as he made to leave, she reached out, gently taking hold of his sleeve. "When next I see him, I will tell my father of you, and ask he bless you with a connection with Ludo at the very least. I am positive he will look fondly on one so dedicated to bringing peace to the living and dead in what mortal way you can."
