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!
"What's that Jigano - a monster?" Ronin hefts the axe as the bard speaks, aiming it at a meaty looking wooden support for the Temple while starfire burns in his free hand. "Listen - I don't tell you how to bard. And I'm a little busy here."
Meanwhile, the astral projection continues to listen to their pleas and prattle (or in Wessex's case, goading). "So what?" he says to Amalia, blunt, expectant of an answer. So what if they are in there? So what if Remi is in there? Vanya burns as a star in the sky and it makes no difference. So what?
Oh, and then there is Wessex. Words form on Ronin's lips, words like - you pompous, fanged fuck, I wouldn't fight you if there were ten of me and nothing else to do, words like crawl up the Voice's ass and never come back out. But then she says his daughter's name, and oh gods
oh gods--
Light flashes brightly from Ronin's hand, even as it flares within his body, and the cold fire of his eyes is trained completely on the Ascended.
She's got his attention.
Ronin hacks at the Temple with the axe and is successfully goaded by Wessex into unleashing a bolt of starlight at her.
12-30-2019, 07:15 PM (This post was last modified: 12-30-2019, 07:16 PM by Court Official.)
the Voice
She is there, triumph and amusement in her electric gaze. "Hello again, not-man." The Voice says as a bolt of electricity lashes out towards Ronin. It strikes him squarely in the chest, burning skin and hair and cloth so that he will have a hole-shaped scar just as Remi will. If the pair live, of course.
With a glance towards Jigano, the Voice bears her teeth in a feral smile. "Play nicely, now." She warns, before disappearing.
12-30-2019, 07:15 PM (This post was last modified: 12-30-2019, 07:16 PM by Court Official.)
The calm that falls over Ronin from Jyoti is a windbreaker in a gale, but still, it's something. Perhaps that is why the swing from Emmett's axe is not as devastating as it might be, though on the mostly ornamental wood even a small blow makes the stones sing. The ceiling begins to crack and whine as bits of decorative moulding and sconces fall around them, narrowly missing both Jigano and Ronin.
The Voice's sudden electrical presence strikes a solid blow against the Dark Star who is shoved backwards and to his knees; sadly making Jigano 's efforts to knock aside a potential blow impossible now. Even were he successful though, the result would have been the same, as Wessex is able to dodge the bolt of starlight.
The Temple walls are not so lucky though. Nor is Amalia.
A wall crumbles and as it buckles, portions of the ceiling fall as well. Rocks strike Samuel, caring little for his invisibility, and more still fall upon Wessex. A baker-sized chunk falls down without a sound, landing squarely upon the shield and knocking her unconscious. Only Amun is completely unscathed by this.
The VOICE attacks Ronin and hits!
Ronin attacks Wessex and MISSES (though definitely hits the Temple)
Jigano had hoped he might reach some bastion of sanity within his friend, but Ronin's rage was too much for words alone to breach. Perhaps with Jyoti's help he might have been able to talk the demigod down--
But they would never know. Wessex raised her challenge and Ronin responded, but it was Amun's call for help that had the most devastating result. The Voice's appearance struck fear down Jigano's spine, scales bristling from his skin in defensive instinct, as useless now as before, and the teeth he bared back at her had less to do with bravery than sheer, stubborn rebellion against that which had tried to hold him down before.
She struck, the sizzle of burning flesh almost distracting him from the falling debris that rained down its own mayhem upon those gathered. Amalia was down, and Ronin was down, and Sam was gone and--
"Help her," he begged of Wessex through gritted teeth, anger burning in his eyes but pride swallowed for the moment as he saw Amalia unmoving. The Wraith might have little love for most Outlanders, but she loved Amalia - he hoped. He prayed, to Safrin and Ludo, Mort and Vi. And Wessex was closer to the Shield than he was.
He was closest to the Star, a man wounded in body and mind both. Wounded in _spirit_ . And Jigano knew from his dusty hours spent in the Atheneum that a Healer could heal more than just physical hurts.
He lunged for Ronin, attempting to close the distance between them and lay a hand on him as he scraped the fingers of his spirit across the strings of his magic, drawing a jangling chord of silent song from those that glowed golden in his soul. Trying to _Heal_ the darkness in Ronin's mind along with the damage the Voice had done to his body.
Jigano begs Wessex to help Amalia, then tries to get a hand on Ronin to Heal his mental and physical wounds with Mastered Healing!
There's a jolt of activity, an electric shock as the Voice appears, a bolt of starlight and then--
--Darkness.
Amalia lunges toward Ronin again, pulling out her shield in an attempt to soak up the next blow, trying to throw herself between the bolt of starlight and the Wraith. But Jigano has sent the starlight wide, and as it missed both Wraith and Shield the girl exhales a breath of gratitude before turning back Ronin.
And then, the world goes dark.
Jyoti feels it as it happens, her sharp cry of pain and fear a harrowing, alto note. Swiftly the starwhale swims to her companion's side, trying to shove away the remaining debris with her nose, starlight trailing in her wake as her actions become more and more frantic.
Amalia tries to soak some of Ronin's magic into her shield before getting knocked out.
Jyoti swims to Amalia's side and tries to get the debris off her.
As everything fell to shit, Amun blinked. Miraculously, he was unharmed, perhaps through some grace of his goddess, who had indeed appeared at his call. Not everyone was so lucky in the chaos, and Jigano’s call brought the potter’s eyes to the fallen Amalia.
At which point Amun’s hands clenched into fists. Pretty sure it’s the one The Voice attacked. Though he sent that thought winging towards Wessex, it was only Ronin (the real Ronin) that Amun had eyes for. At the mention of Remi’s name a few things had suddenly clicked into place, and the potter was ready to take his stab at breaking through to the glowing motherfucker.
Amun dashed over to the unconscious baker, and then shouted for Safrin’s demi-god. ”Hey asshole! Is this what you wanted? To hurt your friends?” Gesturing at Amalia, the potter glared. ”You think you have a monopoly on heartbreak, huh?” He stepped forward, slightly, away from Amalia.
Then he gestured around at the room. ”Well guess what, fucker. Look around. Half the people in this room came back from death!” His hands fell back did his sides, and his eyes and voice blazed. ”I died, and was made a part of the cosmos of my world. But then I was ripped from the heavens and fell to earth.” Nostrils flaring, he took another step forward. ”So I get it. But do you see me succumbing to despair? Do you see any of us? All of us have suffered, but we chose to press on. We choose life, no matter how fucking hard it gets.”
He breathed out. ”So don’t die a meaningless death here. Choose life. Choose these stupid idiots standing here trying to save your life, because they see value in it. Choose your husband, who shouldn’t have to mourn your death twice.” Pausing, his eyes glittered with all the dark emotions he never normally showed, since they were immaterial. ”Or choose the coward’s way out.”
The Voice appeared before he had a chance to channel her, it seemed. Sam watched his Goddess with wide eyes, unsure of what she would do - found himself despairing as she aimed a shot at Ronin. He'd threatened to bring her into it, but actually seeing Ronin hurt; it was harder when it was real.
As the temple walls began to crumble, Sam felt the world 'no!' escape past his lips, but before he could run forward he was struck by falling debris, groaning in pain as a particularly large stone knocked him over - it seemed he was not the worst done by though, if Amalia's state was anything to go by. Forcing himself to stand up, he thought he could at least help with what Wessex requested.
Activating his barrier he rushed forward to the Ronin projection, knowing it would hit only organic matter. He wasn't sure what made up astral projections, but he doubted it was flesh and bone.
--
Sam rushes towards Ronin's projection with his barrier up to try and test if it's real.
dont know where the lights are taking us but something in the night is dangerous
Success, she thinks, as Ronin rages and retaliates (and rightfully so, she’s purposefully being a fucking cunt).
Wessex watches as The Voice appears, brings Ronin to his knees (good, maybe he won’t be able to do much damage from there) and casually warns Jigano off. The Wraith dodges the starlight but it might have been better if it’d hit her, since the whole purpose is to save the Temple. Hell yeah it is, she responds to Amun. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Amalia’s movement as she tries to intercept the starbolt - running right into some debris and that’s when she gets distracted and some of the ceiling falls on her, hitting her arms enough to send ripples of damage awareness through her nanites.
“Get him out of the Temple,” she hisses urgently to Jigano as he asks her to take care of Ama, though she doubts he’ll listen because he never does, he always needs to play the savior or the victim.
But Jyoti’s sharp cry wheels Wessex around and she helps clear the rocks from around Amalia, picks the girl up, and knowing that she isn’t close enough to Jigano to replicate his magic, rushes her out of the Temple. “Help me, Jyoti. Wake her up,” she whispers frantically to the starwhale, beginning to tap Ama’s cheeks with her palms to get her to wake up, unwilling to leave the girl until she knows she isn’t gonna die from a concussion.
Meanwhile, she tries to keep an ear on the shit going on inside, ready to ask Sam and Amun to be her eyes if need be. Maybe she could teleport Ronin out of there.
-------------
Wessex tells Jigano to get Ronin out of the Temple, then takes Ama outside to try and wake her up.
12-30-2019, 11:22 PM (This post was last modified: 12-30-2019, 11:24 PM by Ronin.)
the wounds are open and bleeding out
”Would you shut the fuck up?” This is - naturally - in response to Amun’s apparently brilliant pep talk. Ronin is busy - busy flinging a punch at Jigano’s face as the bard lunges for him, busy fighting down the sudden, boiling urge within him that seems to beg to be let out, busy being on the ground with a hole punched through him.
Groaning and trying to get to his feet, Ronin has learned a valuable lesson - hits from goddesses hurt. But also, hey. He’s alive. So fuck her as well.
His astral projection, unable to see Sam, can do nothing much other than wait for the strike. But it is busy, at least, and hurls another starbolt at the Temple for good measure.
Ronin tries to smack Jigano to stop from being healed, and his astral projection pews another bolt of starlight at the Temple.
Silly. Grief can't be cured. Heartache can't simply be magicked away (except for you, Loren). One does not simply cure what ails Ronin. Not emotionally, anyways. Physically? Oh sure. Heat ebbs out of Ronin's tattered chest, the skin knitting itself back together grotesquely beneath Jigano 's outstretched fingers, but not for long. Quickly the Dark Star's fist connects with the side of the Sage's head, skittering him to the side and halting the healing abruptly.
As Ronin's magic wasn't directed anywhere near Amalia, sadly none is soaked into her shield. Shove as she might, the rock on top of Amalia seems determined to remain where it is. Luckily though, Jyoti's movements don't seem to make it worse.
As Samuel runs at Ronin's astral projection, it easily avoids the invisible man (how, who knows? Luck?), leaving the question as to its realness still indeterminate.
Easily picked up by Wessex's strength, Amalia is brought out of the temple and the danger for now, though she is still unconscious.
As Ronin 's bolt of starlight flies at an interior wall, it immediately gives way. Not load-bearing, still the temple has grown used to the support, and the ceiling above whines its protest as more and more debris and bits of old paint flutter down upon them all like snow. And then like hail.
And then like an avalanche.
The entrance is blocked by a sudden downpour of stone, blocking Wessex and Amalia from re-entering. Lucky that Samuel has recently lost his ability to feel pain as a large chunk of wall crashed upon him, shattering the bones in his foot and ankle. Jigano remains mostly clear of major damage receiving superficial wounds as he dodges, as does Amun. A rock falls against Ronin's shoulder, dislocating it from the rest of him.
Alright, Ronin didn't want to be talked down and he didn't want to be healed. Jigano could take a hi(n)t. He'd been trying to heal the madness and the rage, but he'd underestimated being able to separate those from the grief. Ronin was just going to have to work through it himself.
Ideally without bringing the Temple down on all their heads, but you know what they say about beggars and choosers.
Despite Wessex's opinion of his contrariness (not far off the mark, to be fair) he would have loved to get Ronin outside, the bard and the Wraith for once on the same wavelength. Unfortunately that particular option was taken out of his hands shortly after the Voice's Demi-god got Amalia out, and knowing that he owed her one was a bitter pill he would swallow later, when he wasn't dodging more debris.
"Alright. You want to fight?" the bard growled, shaking the plaster out of his already blood-matted hair. He really, really didn't, but Ronin clearly wasn't going to stop until he fell over, so Jigano raised his fists (the way Ronin had taught him a year ago on the Bridge) squaring up with the Fallen Star. Sure, the man only had one good arm... but he was still more dangerous than the Loreseeker on his best day, Jigano knew deep down in his gut. Fucking hell, Ronin better buy him a drink later.
"Put down those stupid sparklers and fight me for real," he challenged, readying himself to dodge the (hopefully just an) incoming fist. Hopefully Amun - and where HAD Sam gone? - could find a way to shore up the building while Jigano tried to coax his friend into an old fashioned fist fight.
Jigano tries to goad Ronin into dropping the starbursts and punching him**!
And through it all Amalia slumbers, her mind shut down by injury.
She does not feel Wessex lift her and carry her to safety. She does not see Ronin as he is struck by falling stone. Her mind has shut off, trauma at last overcoming the Shield, and perhaps it is for the best.
She will hate herself enough for this later, but at least for now she is spared.
Wessex takes Amalia's body, and her soul - her starwhale - follows, singing a mournful song of anxiety to any who care to hear. Safrin, Sugar, the stars above... she is frightened, more than she has ever been in her brief (yet longer than any human) life.
Ama does a sleep
Jyoti calls out for Safrin and Sugar
Amun rolled his eyes at Ronin's latest outburst. The potter opened his mouth to make his own retort. Then, however, a chunk of stone hit him, and he grunted instinctively, even though there was no pain. He had to dance around a bit to avoid more stone. Then he glanced around and saw with some dismay the entrance to the Temple was broken. Bites wake people up. He attempted to send that though to Wessex.
Then he ran towards the fake Ronin, or whatever the fuck that duplicate was. Reaching out, he tried to grab it and simultaneously bite at its neck.
Amun tries to grapple and bite Ronin's projection.
Sam's plan did not work. In fact, it seemed to go terribly, first of all finding out nothing with his barrier then as he was stood thinking of what to do next, the temple fell and he found himself thrown to the ground, the sickening crunch of bones telling him that this was more serious than just a bump (without pain, it was sometimes hard to know, but that sound made him sick).
Taking a deep shaking breath he touched the smaller stone fragments around his foot with his new fingers, raising them up to their position before they'd fallen just to give himself time to pull his foot out - it hung from his ankle in a way he could not look at for too long without feeling ill.
Looking up to try and work out what was happening now, the only thing he could make sense of was Amun going to bite Ronin - or - was it Ronin? Perhaps that would be a way to tell and if he bet right, he could gain the powers of a Demi-God and possibly put an end to this. As much as Sam didn't like to bite people outside of intimate moments...this was a desperate situation.
Shoving himself up the wall he began to hobble as fast as he could, invisible, towards the Ronin destroying the temple; once he reached him he would try to reach forward and grab his shoulders, quickly drink enough from his neck to gain his abilities (hoping the shock and distraction of everything else going on might let him do this unscathed) then scramble away.
---
Sam frees his foot using time powers then goes to bite real Ronin as best he can with his fucked up foot.
