Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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The last thing Oliver expected was to get a riddle right, which he didn’t do. The moment he realized it was Safrin, he muttered a silent prayer of apology to the God, clearly embarrassed he messed up on the god he pledged himself to. He was clearly caught off guard when Loren revealed his answer was the closest. A grin appeared on his face and his cheeks lit up a light pink. He was radiating with pride and genuine happiness.
Peering into the numerous objects he had to choose from, he bit on his lip, clearly in deep thought. Reaching forward, he grasped onto a blade that had a dragon on the handle. It’d be helpful and would hopefully allow him to go far, unlike the jewelry that he’d feel guilty for obtaining. ”Thank you.” He stated in response to both Rex and Loren.
It only took seconds for the next riddle to be revealed, one that once again stumped him. ”I guess I’ll just go with...” No way was he gonna get it so he just said a random answer.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
”Not quite like this no.” I admit with a shrug, looking around at the festival. ”The celebrations we make are more... spiritual, I suppose. At least the side of them I’ve been involved in always has been.” Now that I think about it though, that might just be my own bad luck, given my family.
I’m not surprised to be wrong, the last riddle was barely that, a fact even Loren acknowledges. I offer a bright smile to the winner though, the boy who had been here since the beginning. Good for him. I’m impatient for the next riddle while he chooses a prize, shifting my weight from foot to foot and flicking my wings.
Finally, it comes, and as soon as it does I know the answer. I can’t help but return the bright smile offered to me by the dark haired woman, noticing for the first time her teeth, who h... admittedly pour me on edge a little bit. But I swallow that feeling, and offer my own answer with a wide, toothy grin, gesturing as though I am literally offering it.
Tarasha explained a little bit about what the Fae did to celebrate, and Loren smiled faintly. ”I would love to hear more about it, if you’re willing to share. Perhaps in a different setting though?” As Oliver picked a dagger, Loren nodded encouragingly. ”Nice choice!”
Then it was time for the next riddle. Noting down their responses, Loren grinned when all three finally finished giving their answers. Rexanna and Tarasha both said luxere, while Oliver said the sun.
The summoner grinned. ”Sorry Oliver, but Rexanna and Tarasha got it this round! The answer was indeed luxere. Glad my riddle was intelligible, because I was worried there for a bit.” He gave the Fae and the Queen a proud look. ”Feel free to pick out a prize each. Again, there’s a grand prize for the person who gets the most riddles right, so don't leave just yet.” He held out the box with the prizes as the two winners made their selection.
Then he cocked his head, eyes glittering with amusement. ”While you’re perusing, let me sing the praises of the Loreseekers a bit more, because I’m sure you are not at all sick of that. On the subject of singing, did you know that many of the songs sung to encourage the luxere to gather for LongNight were compiled by the Loreseekers so that we can use them in future years?” His tone was excited.
Setting the box down, he reached back into the much emptier looking bowl. In fact, sharp eyes would note there were only two scraps left, and he lifted one of them and unfolded it. Finally he read it:
What recalls but has no mind?
You have 48 hours to respond! Please DM me your answers. It’s also not too late for someone to hop in for the last round after this.
i'm tired of the weight of mortality, i want to tear it from my veins
until i bleed silver and gold
Oh, Rexanna also thinks that the blade is a good choice. And when the answers are given, her green gaze flits up to Loren’s face as he comments that both she and the Fae were correct, and she gives the other woman another bright smile before perusing the items. She, too, picks a blade. One with a snowflake on the handle if only to show Deimos that she’d seen the hidden meaning behind the blade, whether others may not have.
She listens while he continues to sell the Loreseekers, and she snorts lightly as she settles on her heels, shifting the parasol in her other hand. “Not sick at all, no.” She jests to Loren, a crooked smirk given his way, sarcasm dripping from her lips. But she doesn’t say anything else, instead, focusing on the next riddle that comes up and – at first she doesn’t know what it could mean. She tries to go through the things of memories, drifting from Remi, drifting to the gods… Until something hits her.
Her head tilts and she looks up to Loren to give him the answer, a playful smile on her face. She doesn’t think she’s right, but it’s too late to take it back now.
maybe one day they'll chant our names
and name galaxies after us, and we too shall be eternal
”I’m sure we’ll have lots of chances to share stories.” I say, arching a brow. I wonder if he’ll pick up the intention behind the words, the idea that my stories are not free, but something to be traded.
The prizes are offered up again, and this time I let my eye roam over them, deciding. My first choice is the glasses, but I hesitantly run a finger over the frames before I really grip them. If they are iron, they are of no use to me, and I will take a fist sized leather bag instead. But if they are not iron, onto my face they will go. I’m so busy choosing I almost miss the shameless selling of the guild, and what a shame it would be if I had. The man running the riddle game is committed, I’ll give him that.
I am less concerned with his pitch and more concerned with the next riddle, the second last riddle it seemed. Again, it took me a moment, heavy thought furrowing my brow, and then it struck me like lightning, the answer blurring out of me just as quickly.
Oliver watches as the other two both get their own prizes. He is actually glad that the other two managed to get a riddle right. Not happy that they both got it right and he pitifully failed, but he is happy that others got prizes. It's....a weird thing. Not one of jealousy as he doesn't wish he had what they had, but more of embarrassment that he failed. It manifested itself as a form of anger, in a way, but it hopefully wasn't visible.
The next riddle was short and straight to the point. He kind of missed the other ones that were way longer as it'd be even more embarrassing if he failed it. Oh well. He'd certainly try his best. "I guess I'm going to go with.." He listed off his response, waiting eagerly to see if maybe, just maybe, he'd win that grand prize. Otherwise, might as well see if Loren would be willing to part with some of that jewelry.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
The glasses are not iron, so Tarasha would have no problem handling them. The summoner grinned back at the queen. Then Loren dutifully took down all three participants’ responses.
Rexanna said the Festival of Lights, because people make lanterns to recall lost ones and remember them, but the lantern themselves don’t have minds.
Tarasha said memory snow and mud, because it returns to its previous state and shape but is ultimately non sentient
Oliver said echo, because an echo recalls whatever you say, it repeats it back, that’s recalling
Flipping over the scrap of paper, the Launceleyn smiled at the Fae. ”And Tarasha gets it!" Tilting his head, he stared at the box of trinkets. "I was hoping for more people, hence the number of prizes, so I suppose it would be alright if you took a second for winning this round." With that, he reached into the bowl for the final riddle:
I rise up when most men fall
To break my fast ‘neath Safrin’s eye
And though I’ve no concert hall
My quiet song oft fills the sky.
I clap my hands softly when I get the answer right, returning the bright grin. The basket is offered out again, and this time I take the bag I had been considering before. ”It gives us lots of options, doesn’t it?” I reassure Loren, smile still bright across my face.
The next riddle is read, and though it is not a subject I am incredibly familiar, it is related to something I had read recently. A bestiary, while I’d been looking into the Hollowed Grounds, and human settlements. It takes me a moment longer to remember the specific thing I am trying to name, but I offer it up with no small amount of excitement, clearly confident in my answer.
Last riddle? Well fuck. At least he won a dagger! He knew that at this point, it'd take a miracle for Safrin for him to get this one correct and for the other two to miss. Even then, there'd be a freeway tie. He'd still try his best to be a good sport and go for another correct answer. Hopefully, if he got it correct, Loren would be willing to let him make off with some jewelry.
This riddle....was an interesting one. He felt like he knew of something that fit it, but gods he just couldn't remember the name! Still, he'd make the best attempt he could. "Okay...I'm gonna go with...uh...." He was still trying his very best, but he did seem not nearly as confident as he had in the first round of the game. Looks like Oliver wasn't as good at riddles as he originally thought.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
i'm tired of the weight of mortality, i want to tear it from my veins
until i bleed silver and gold
There’s a bright laugh that leaves her at the comment of Tarasha – something she can agree with. Options were great, and it was always better to have too many than to have too little in the end, right? And so she settles back on her heels, listening while Loren questions them all again with another riddle – green gaze lingering on the Launceleyn’s face as he reads it out. And well, she’s thoroughly confused at first – thinking and thinking, feelings mulling together in the end.
And then a thought hits – she doesn’t think it’s right this time. No confidence in her answer. But she offers one anyway after a moment of contemplation, of humming and hawing as she finally decides.
maybe one day they'll chant our names
and name galaxies after us, and we too shall be eternal
Loren smiled at Tarasha as they selected the bag. The smile broadened into a full grin as he noted down their answers for the final riddle.
Tarasha said humming bats, because they’re most active at night, under the moon, and they hum a quiet song.
Oliver said, “The bats! The ones that sing at night. I don’t know what they’re called but they are bats. And they make noises.”
Rexanna said star whale, beccause they’re starry for the night, and they sing a soothing song.
Flipping the paper over, the summoner let out a huff of laughter. ”Sorry your majesty. You were wrong, they were right, even if Oliver didn’t know the name. However, you can take another prize, because your answer was pretty close. In fact, you all get a prize” Then he turned to the remaining two contestants. ”This, however, leaves me with a dilemma. We’ve got a tie.”
He drummed his fingers on the wood of the stall for a brief moment. ”So I will come up with one final riddle, and whoever gives me the correct answer first gets the prize.” Fingers resuming their tapping, he finally smiled, almost a bit mischievously. Then he spoke:
Riddles have I
And answers, too
I learn from the old
And teach to the new
I have many pages
But my chapters are few
Oliver and Tarasha, whoever replies to this thread first with the correct answer gets the grand prize!
Oh shit. OH SHIT! He actually got something right! And he was having a tie breaker? Well. What a big surprise! So big his eyes widened and his mouth opened ever so slightly in shock. He quickly caught himself and tried to look normal, which didn’t really look normal honestly. His body suddenly changed positions and he was clearly trying to act way too hard.
He was more than ready to claim his next prize, but already Loren was addressing him and Tarasha. Looks like it’d just have to wait. With a hum, Oliver tried to think hard about what the riddle’s answer could be. It wasn’t a book, seeing as they already had that as their previous riddle. Oliver could think of an answer if chapters were many and pages were few, but the reverse? Well fuck.
Eventually, he came up with something that sounded plausible. ”I think the answer is maybe the Antheneum?” Very clearly he was unsure of himself, but might as well go with something.
I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING
My cheeks almost ache from how wide my smile has gotten, the thrill of winning thrumming in my chest and making me giddy. I choose a flower crown for my prize this time, looking at it just long enough to ensure it’s colours don’t clash too much with my tattoos of the day before setting on top of my head, and on top of my other flower crown.
I barely think about the answer to the last riddle, too swept up in the game, the competition. The words are out of my mouth almost before they’re in my mind, sly eyes looking Loren up and down as I answer. ”It’s you. Or, I suppose more accurately, the Loreseekers. Isn’t it?”
Loren smiled at Oliver. ”Nope! Very, very close, but not quite. In fact, you might say the answer lies within the Atheneum.” When Tarasha offered their answer, however, the summoner full out grinned. "Correct! The Loreseekers were the answer all along." Letting out a huff of laughter, he pulled a full sheet of parchment out as well as a carved wooden token in the shape of a scroll.
He held out the scroll to Tarasha. "For your grand prize, you may ask the Loreseekers one question, and we will utilize our considerable resources to find the answer for you. Feel free to ask any of us at any time. Just turn in this voucher."
He slid the paper along with some charcoal across the stall to the participants. "Now, I hope you've enjoyed this game as much as I did. You did very well, so I hope you'll consider employing your considerable intellects in the service of our guild. If you are interested in joining, please sign up."
Then his eyes crinkled in amusement as he looked at Rexanna and Oliver in turn. "It would be very nice if my friends would join my organization." After that, he looked at Tarasha. "And I would very much like to make new friends as well."
Tarasha won! Congratulations. Their reward is one question that the Loreseekers have to do everything in their power to answer. Please post one more time selecting a final prize, as well as whether or not your character decides to join the Loreseekers.
