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!
12-06-2019, 04:23 PM (This post was last modified: 12-13-2019, 05:17 PM by Loren.)
LOREN
It had rained recently, both washing away some mud and, of course, creating more of the stuff. Still, the scent of damp earth and growing things was weirdly comforting to Loren, who was shifted at the moment, nose snuffling as he dashed forward. Though he was careful to avoid puddles and mud both, his fur was damp and splattered with mud.
However, he was cheerfully heading onwards, not bothered in the slightest. Then, though, he was greeted by an unusual sight: a mass of what appeared to be five giant worms writhing about one another. The mass was centered over one of the largest puddles he'd seen so far. Rather than slowing down, the summoner sped up, thrill rising within him.
When he got a bit too close, though, the nearest worms struck at him. He barely dodged, let out a snarl, and then plunged forward, jaws snapping. At the same time, he sent out a mental call for help. Hopefully any Attuned who were nearby would hear and come to his aid.
This PQ is Attuned-only! There are currently two open spots, but I'm happy to open it to as many people as needed.
Jigano was stretching his wings, getting used to the different patterns of flight between scales and feathers - and size - when he heard the call from below. He hadn't been paying attention to what he was flying over, so long as he stayed in the barrierlands, and though the sight of the Outskirts below him was only to be expected, the giant puddle of sizeable magna vermis? Definitely not.
There was a familiar fuzzy honey badger rolling up on them, though, and Jigano trumpeted a call of support as he turned in the air on a wingtip and then dropped down towards the fray, catching up one of the worms in his talons and beating his wings hard to rise again, taking the tubular troublemaker on the ride of its squirmy life!
You always find the most interesting friends to play with, he called down to Loren, amused and glad of something a little more light-hearted to engage in for a change.
Oliver wasn't used to this whole attuned mind thing. It's kind of weird to randomly hear another voice inside of your head. He had heard Remi's voice in his mind and it was weird enough, but to hear Loren? Just out of the blue? It was enough to make him jump. All Oliver had been doing was trying to learn how to climb a tree, which obviously was going to fail miserably. Loren's distress call was far more pressing and despite the fact that Oliver knew he was tiny and had no idea how to use his new body, he decided to go and help the other man.
It took a little bit to find him, but when he arrived the sight he was met with was....confusing to say the least. On one hand, there were a bunch of giant ass worms. Or snakes. Worm snakes? Another thing was to see whatever the hell the other creature was. The creature seemed friendly and was most likely another attuned, but unfortunately Oliver had no idea who it was. So Oliver just awkwardly stood off to the side, waiting for one of them to notice him.
Sending a message to Loren, Oliver tilted his head. Uh....you said you needed help?
It got very hectic, very quickly. As Jigano swooped down and snatched up one of the two largest worms, Loren sent a fierce and happy burst of emotion at the dragon. For its part, the magna vermis struggled to free itself from the bard’s grasp, trying simultaneously to smack the dragon and wriggle out. It failed to do both, and just managed to cut itself incredibly deeply on the white-haired man’s claws. The other big worm reared up to try and hit Jigano out of the sky, but it missed spectacularly, smashing into the puddle instead.
The Launceleyn, perhaps because he was closer, on the ground, or more reckless, managed to tear a chunk out of one of the medium sized worms, but wasn't so lucky to get out unscathed. Indeed, for his trouble, he got swatted aside by the worm he bit. The other medium sized worm joined in the fun, managing a glancing blow that nevertheless knocked the summoner to the ground.
Then a familiar sounding voice sounded in Loren’s mind. Oliver?! However, the Launceleyn have much time to marvel over Oliver’s new hybrid status. Instead, the summoner sprang back towards his initial target, trying to tear the wound he’d opened wider with his claws.
Oliver wouldn’t have much time to react either. The smallest worm slid over to him, and tried to smack the fox. However, because he was so small, or because magna vermis, while aggressive, were dumb as a rock, it missed Oliver. Loren spotted this out of the corner of his eye. If you take out that one, Jigano and I can handle the rest. That was all he managed to get out before plunging back in the fray.
Big worm 1 is in Jigano’s claws and badly wounded
Big worm 2 tried to strike Jigano out of the sky but missed
Medium worm 1 is slightly wounded, and hit Loren
Medium worm 2 hit Loren
Small worm 1 missed Oliver
Good to see you, too, he rumbled back, pleased at the burst of welcome he received. His reluctant passenger was struggling to disengage, and Jigano considered its wriggling attacks with bemused confidence. There was a danger of the dragon body, a predilection for overconfidence that he was yet learning, and he didn't realize how risky his attitude could be as he shook the worm experimentally, feeling his claws slice into it as it squirmed.
He didn't see the small fox below, and the words weren't aimed at him, so all he heard was Loren's surprise. Looking around the dragon didn't spot the thatch of blond hair he expected, but he understood Loren's plan and stretched his wings a little further, seeking a little more altitude before he stopped, folding his wings and diving down, down,
Down.
He snapped his wings open as he released the big worm, trying to drop it on the second large worm that had wanted to come along for the first ride, and skimmed the ground from about ten feet up, flapping for altitude again after he dropped off his package.
Unless of course one of them managed to stop him before he could get away!
Jigano attempts to drop Big Worm 1 on Big Worm 2 from a dive bombing run!
12-13-2019, 07:24 PM (This post was last modified: 12-13-2019, 07:25 PM by Oliver.)
OLIVER
Loren's reaction was kind of expected. He thought that the man would be surprised, but to actually hear the tone of his voice? It caught Oliver off guard. Yeah, it's me. Of course, they didn't have really any time to talk seeing as the worms were in the mood to violently attack. Great.
Orders were given swiftly and although they didn't seem fair, Oliver was not about to argue. He had hardly any idea how this body worked and knew very little about attacking with it. When the worm swung at him, he ducked down to avoid it, despite the worm missing him anyways. Springing forward, Oliver attempted to attack at the worm's upper neck, a couple of inches away from its head. If he were successful in landing, he would proceed to dig his claws into the beast and try to hold onto it as he thought of an attack. It would've been easy for him to bite, but Oliver wasn't about to get the nasty taste of worm in his mouth. That's disgusting.
Oliver tries to leap onto the worm and dig his claws into it!
Jigano’s drop worked, at least in part. The worm in his claws plummeted to the ground with a crash, and the fell still. Whether dead or stunned remained to be seen (probably the former, given the pummeling it had taken from the bard). Unfortunately, the other big worm managed to dodge out of the way, before attempting to retaliate against the dragon. However, given it had to move out of the way and the fact that its ally had just been taken out, it missed. Maybe its heart (hearts? honestly this narrator can’t remember worm biology) wasn’t in it.
Sadly, things on the ground weren’t great, for Loren at least. His wild lunge missed. For his trouble, both of the medium sized worms smacked him, though lightly. So he just let out a snarl and went on the offensive once more, still trying to claw open the injury he’d inflicted.
Oliver was selling himself short: he managed to not only leap onto the worm’s back and claw it open, he managed to stay there. Indeed, the smallest worm’s efforts to dislodge the fox were in vain.
Big worm 1 is out of the fight
Big worm 2 dodged the falling Big Worm 1, but missed the counterattack against Jigano
Loren missed his attack against medium worm 1
Medium worm 1 and 2 both attacked Loren
Oliver’s attack hit small worm 1
Small worm one failed to dislodge Oliver
12-13-2019, 07:56 PM (This post was last modified: 12-13-2019, 07:59 PM by Jigano.)
Jigano couldn't quite help himself, and let out a small roar of triumph as the first worm ceased its struggles. A glance under his silver wing of feather-like scaled membrane showed Loren fighting a mighty two-on-one battle, and as the dragon turned his flight to come back around he spotted the smallest worm being ridden by a...
tiny, bat-eared fox pup?
That's Oliver?! he echoed Loren's earlier disbelief. He wasn't given much time to process it, though, as the second worm came into range again. This time he backwinged to bring all four talon-tipped limbs into play, attempting to pin the beast so he could get a clean bite near it's head. Tail. Head? It was kind of hard to tell, so in the end he settled for trying to get a bite near the middle.
The roar echoed through his ears and Oliver shook his head, not quite used to loud sounds yet. He had learned that his ears were far more sensitive than before, so safe to say he wasn't a fan of Jigano deciding to screech his head off.
Speaking of Jigano, he is surprised to hear Jigano's voice in his head. What part of this made Jigano react in such a way? Yes, I am Oliver. He was a bit too occupied focusing on the worm to really chit chat so he decided that the three could discuss this after the worms were taken care of.
And honestly? Things weren't going too bad. He somehow managed to leap onto the worm and despite the creature's efforts, he stayed on. Using his hind legs, Oliver started to try and scratch at the beast, while his front legs dug into the neck harder in order to stay on. He still wasn't about to bite down, meaning he'd have to rely on his back legs to break into the skin and then scratch away at whatever they could reach.
Oliver uses his front legs to hold on and begins to violently scratch at the worm with his hind legs.
Jigano managed to land on top of the remaining large magna vermis, basically flattening it beneath his bulk. Then the dragon’s jaws closed around its midsection and it writhed, trying to escape or do some damage, and failing to do either. It was still moving, though.
This time, Loren's claws hit their target. He managed to open up the wound in the medium-sized worm a little further. It attempted to bat him away, but it was the second medium-sized worm that actually managed to do so, slamming him and knocking him to one side. Snarling, he tried to dart around it to get at the wounded worm, hoping the third time would be the charm and he could finish it off.
Unlike Loren, Oliver's ground game went fantastically. As his back claws ripped at the smallest magna vermis, it slowed its motions, before it finally stilled completely, felled by the fox's efforts.
Big Worm 1 is out of the fight
Jigano's attack did severe damage to Big Worm 2, and it was unable to retaliate
Loren's attack hit Medium Worm 1, and it is now severely wounded.
Medium Worm 1's attack missed Loren
Medium Worm 2's attack hit Loren
Oliver killed the Small Worm
Well. If the little pup withe big ears was Oliver, he must have gone to see Safrin. At least she hadn't smote him for his temerity. Further questions would have to wait, however, as the Magna Vermis demanded their undivided attention, and even Jigano - powerful though his new form was - remembered all too keenly last year's battles with the great worms, and how much damage they could do in their angry writhing.
Ah, but he had his prey firmly pinned and truly captured, at least for the moment. The worm squished between Jigano's jaws, the sensation far more satisfying in his dragon form than in his fox form - or perhaps the dragon's instincts simply overwhelming his kitsune ones. It tasted like fresh, raw chicken, an appealing flavor to the shapeshifter as he tried to saw his way through the soft, squelching body of the big worm using sharp teeth and pulling with his talons in an effort to try and rip apart when he couldn't sever more neatly. This foe was too big to play around with too much. Bite and tear, attack and kill, and worry about harvesting the meat later. There would be plenty for the festival, even after some of the chunks with dragon-spit were cut away.
Jigano continues trying to bite Big Worm 2 in half - or pull it apart, if his talons can get purchase enough to rip while he saws at it with his teeth.
The beastly worm slowly stopped moving. It took the fox a couple of seconds to trust that it was dead before he carefully lifted each paw up. Gross. His front paws weren't that bad, but his back? Man, worms are gross.
Hopping off of its back, Oliver watched the chaos around him. Jigano seemed to have things pretty well handled, but Loren? That was a bit debatable. Walking a bit closer, Oliver lowered his body to the ground, attempting to blend in to the grass around him. He needed to get close to one of the worms, close enough for the worm to not see him but to where he could still attack. Then, he took his chance. He leaped forward onto one of the worms that Loren had been dealing with. He would try to repeat what he had done before where he would try to grasp onto the beast with his claws. If he were successful, he would begin to scratch at the neck with his hind legs.
Oliver tries to help Loren by trying to jump onto Medium Worm 1! If he lands on it, he will try to scratch at it with his hind legs.
Maybe the magma vermis were less well fed this year and weaker as a result. Or maybe Jigano was much stronger now. Or maybe his recollection was flawed. Or maybe this narrator had different stats for the worms. Whatever the reason, the dragon’s assault would prove to be too much for the remaining big worm. Indeed, he wouldn’t even need to pull it fully in half before it died, though he got close.
Unfortunately for Loren and Oliver, their magma vermis were still worthy opponents. The fox’s efforts were noble, but sadly his luck had finally run out. And it had done so in a spectacular fashion almost like a crit fail. As he rushed forward, he managed to trip over his own feet and face plant on the ground. Thankfully, the only thing that was damaged was his pride.
That left Loren to deal with the two medium sized magma vermis on his own for a little while longer. However, his way of dealing with them was not to deal with them at all, apparently. His claws completely failed to hit their target, and he barely managed to keep upright himself. Luckily, the medium sized worms collided with each other in their eagerness to get the honey badger, so neither of their strikes connected. That gave him the chance to go after the injured medium-sized work once more.
Big Worm 1 is out of the fight
Small Worm is dead
Jigano’s attack killed Big Worm 2
Oliver’s attack on Medium Worm 1 missed terribly
Loren’s attack on Medium Worm 1 missed
Medium Worm 1’s attack on Loren missed. It is severely injured.
Medium Work 2’s attack on Loren missed.
Three down, two to go, it seemed. Jigano looked up just in time to watch Oliver face plant, and snorted a gust of cool wind in gentle amusement at the brave little foxling. Don't give up! he called encouragingly. It did, at least leave him an open avenue of attack and he gathered himself atop the grisly carcass of his former foe - worthy opponent though that worm had been. He shifted his haunches like a falcon testing its perch, then pounced with wings spread to help him gain distance enough to try and strike Medium Worm 2 with gleefully murderous intent. If he caught it he'd try to sink gore-covered talons into another of the beasties, flexing and piercing with sharpened digits to find some vital spot within the delicious chicken-substitute as he rumbled encouragement to Loren as well.
Along its back - sever the nerve cord! he called in an effort to help the honey badger focus his attacks and finally put an end to his doughty opponent.
