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!
03-16-2020, 07:44 PM (This post was last modified: 03-16-2020, 08:29 PM by Odd.)
it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name
"From zero to an annoying amount, how many hero-types do you think will reply to my notice?" Remi said dryly, looking at Ronin with his brows raised mockingly. Drumming his fingers on the harbour-railing, staring at the borrowed ship they'd soon set sail on, he rolled his eyes with a quick glance up towards the clear Leafchange sky.
Dressed simply in his magical shirt and a pair of shorts, the alchemist didn't look at all prepared for the type of hunting that they were setting out to do. But then, when did he ever? And perhaps more importantly, whose to say he actually was?
Running a hand through his curls, Remi leaned back against the railing, sea-glass stare cool and seemingly unworried.
Welcome to R&R's ghostwhale hunting PQ! Remi posted a notice on the Notice Board outlining this expedition as there have been frequent ghost whale attacks much closer to shore than there ever have been before. I'm going to treat this not unlike a KQ in that I'll use your actual stats and rolling mechanisms for future encounters. The danger level won't be quite as high as a KQ, but do know that we're looking for danger for the dRamA, so if you're injured or die, don't whine to me about it :P
Ghost Whale hunting? Well...she wasn't much of a hunter, but she knew a thing or two about ghosts and other dead things.
Delphia had seen the notice, and more out of curiosity than anything had decided she might tag along. Arriving with a large spear she had borrowed from a Fae friend and her censure, she approached the indicated gathering spot where two men awaited. "Having ghostly troubles?" she asked, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she tilted her head. She had read about ghost whales, but never seen one up close. This seemed like a good opportunity to see one up close, and perhaps devise a good way to scare them off like she often did with Cat Sith.
dont know where the lights are taking us but something in the night is dangerous
Well. So much for not heroing any time soon; after a quiet end of Longheat/beginning Leafchange, Wessex is here for the dRaMa.
“One. Maybe two,” Wessex quips back with a crooked grin as she walks up the gangplank, cautiously attired in her customary black, but now curiously followed by a swooping, chirping black dragonling. “Though if Jigano shows up, I’m out.” Like fucking hell she’ll work with him again. Ronin and Remi would do well to follow her lead, lest they end up on the sea floor.
At least if she gets swallowed by a Ghost Whale, she won’t drown. She’s at worst a nuisance, and at best a way out of danger. And yes, the Wraith has weighed the pros and cons of joining the expedition, savior complex well at work again.
Eyeing Delphia, the fellow demi-god raises her brow slightly, managing to keep quiet.
Her reaction to Ronin remains to be seen, not particularly bearing the Fallen Star any ill will, just noting that she hasn’t seen him since the incident, and who knows what kind of reaction her appearance will elicit. Though if Sugar’s around, she can imagine Loki will be happy to interact with another dragon.
It was exactly the kind of thing she needed, this hunt. Something tangible to do, enough potential danger to scratch the restless itch, and interesting people to (potentially) get along with. It wouldn't be the first time she worked together with Ronin and Remi, though it seemed this was the only kind of situation where she ran into them. Her talk with Remi on the beach notwithstanding.
Not quite sure what kind of hunt this would turn out to be, Maea had geared herself up with what weaponry she possessed. The loss of her bow was felt keenly, but she comforted herself that the twin daggers in her belt (and the one tucked into her boot) along the magic she had at her disposal should be enough to keep her somewhat safe. It had been a spur of the moment decision to join, so she arrived a little late, and found Wessex and Delphia there already. Maea nodded a greeting to her friend, and the Wraith... and to the courteous hosts of this expedition.
"Here to help, however I can," she said, in way of greeting, offering a half smile to the others.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Before Ronin could so much as respond, one-two-three hero types (possibly, he didn't know or care) had shown up. Only one of them was greatly familiar, and it was at the sound of Wessex's voice that the Dark Star turned to glance over his shoulder from where he had been sitting on the railing at Remi's side. Unlike his husband, Ronin was prepared, though he didn't seem to have much in the way of armour either. The vest he wore was sunbleached, the pants threadbare, but Emmett's axe shone from its holster, as did the rings that adorned his fingers.
Sugar - curled about his shoulders as usual - did watch the new dragonling as he swooped and chirped, though she was as reserved as her bonded as the newcomers approached. "If Jigano shows up he'll have to swim after us," he said simply, hopping down from the railing and glancing to Delphia next. "More whale troubles than ghostly ones," he advised her, heading along the pier to the boat now. To Maea he merely offered a lazy wave and an indication to follow.
The pod appears to be three whales. Their sizes are impossible to describe, given that there's really nothing in the world that compares. What to say of them, other than that they are longer than the tallest trees, wouldn't fit down a standard road, and surely weigh a significant amount even though they are devoid of skin and flesh?
There is a ship in the distance that the whales are currently trying to bring down. They slam at the wooden hull with their bodies, cracking and splintering it. Unable to resist their power, the hull breaks into two and begins to capsize. Screams can be heard, magic used to no avail as the whales open their mouths to try and eat the survivors.
To reach the ship however there are a number of fish and birds in the way, seemingly fighting each other at the surface of the water. Going through them is the fastest way, but something will need to be done to get them out of the way or the boat will take damage. Going around is safer, but will take longer.
it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name
"You're one to talk." Remi chuckled towards Wessex. "Demi-god that you are. Oh and with a dragon now too." Something about being a demi-god probably made you a hero-type by default. The addition of a dragon simply added to the image, one that he was all too familiar with by now.
"Ghost whales." Remi further clarified after Ronin, with a light nod towards Delphia. He didn't know who she was (she looked tall and thin and not at all useful), but gone was the man who might once have cared. He wasn't a baby sitter, and the only hand he ever wanted to hold was Ronin's. So when Maea arrived, it wasn't with skepticism that he welcomed her, but with understanding indifference.
"Right, well. As most of you know.." Then with a look towards Wessex and Delphia, clearly not natives by the colour of their skin (and of course, his knowledge of Wessex), he decided to elaborate. "..ghost whales are aggressive by nature, but they don't usually come so close to shore, and certainly don't attack the ships the way they have been." Looking over his shoulder towards the water, Remi shrugged and glanced back. "So we'll head out. If there's a way of...persuading them to leave, we'll do that. If not, they'll be dealt with."
Looking to Maea and Delphia, the alchemist gave them each a look. "If you're not on board, stay here. This isn't a negotiation."
Turning around with a wave for the crew to follow, Remi led them aboard a ship run by a few locals who'd volunteered to sail them out. Standing at the helm, the alchemist watched the ship ahead begin to sink and then fracture in two. "Ronin—!" He called, bristling. He didn't know what powers Maea or Delphia had, and knew only vaguely what Wessex could do. But he did know that Ronin could fly.
"Go around and meet us!" He called over his shoulder, before throwing himself over the railing and gliding off as a manticore towards the sinking ship.
Go through the fish/birds and take damage to the boat (unless anyone has a clever suggestion), or go around?
Make your choice and act accordingly! (Summaries are helpful!) No posting order.
Remi manticores-out, leaves the ship, and flies towards the sinking vessel.
it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Their greetings were cool, but Maea hadn't come to chat and make friends, so she took it in stride. Ronin's wave was met with a small one in return - was it the third time she'd seen him now? and still no words exchanged - and she made to follow him towards the boat. Remi's tart indication that they could leave if they were not prepared to kill the whales was met with a raised brow and a shrug. "Not a problem," she nodded, then kept going; she had no qualms about doing what needed to be done. Not as far as she knew. As long as she was not required to like it?
It was her first time setting foot on a boat. There was very little time to get adjusted to the way it moved however, because all too soon the whales were in sight, as was the ship they were destroying. She looked up sharply when Remi called out for Ronin, then proceeded to shift and fly off. Scowling, she hurried up to the bow of the boat, and saw the birds and the fish, obstructing the path.
"Going around will take too long," she said, seeing how the ship up ahead had been split in two. "I have telekinesis, I can try to push most of these animals away from the boat to let us pass, if they're not too big. Unless any of you have a better idea?" She looked between the others, ready to accept complaints or other suggestions, and would go along with any other plan that seemed better than hers.
If none came, she would go ahead with her plan, and reached out as far as she could to push open a path for the boat, by simply dragging the fighting animals aside. Hoping none of them would be too big for her powers to lift and move.
------
Maea proposes they go Through the fish/birds, and tries to use telekinesis to push them aside, so that the boat can pass by unharmed.
If she is overruled, she will not insist on going through with her plan.
Light is easy to love Show me your darkness
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
dont know where the lights are taking us but something in the night is dangerous
Well at least she and Remi are still on good terms. The Wraith is about to press her luck and ask if this counts as one of her favors when Maea and Mr. Grumpy Gills himself spoke up, not quite amused by her. Fine, then. “Something, something, image to maintain, yadda, yadda.” dismissing the alchemist’s thing about her companion with a wave and a joke.
She listens and nods to indicate her understanding, then follows the pair aboard. Sure to keep her hood up amidst the bright sun, Wessex’s eyes spot the ruckus out in front of them, and as she runs through her inventory of abilities and items, knows it might be best to sit the initial part out. Make sure the boat (ship?) gets where it needs to be in one piece. Loki, however, is aptly named. She can feel the dragonling want to chase and hunt the birds, but knowing the potential harm, wants to keep her companion close. She’s just a baby, after all. Remembering Pim in the cave - no. Can’t risk it.
“You aren’t big enough yet, stay up there,” Wessex insists, calling up to the black speck as it begins to venture down from its acrobatics, nearer to the birds. There’s a huff and a little blue pulse of energy to tell Wessex what she really thinks of the instructions, but the dragonling ultimately obeys and stays out of danger.
She’s about to suggest that maybe Sugar could help make the birds run off when Maea announces that she has Telekinesis. Brilliant. They might as well stay here, because Wessex isn’t about to teleport into the unknown. “I can help,” she says simply, and steps up to stand beside Maea. “I’ll take half and push to the left, you take the other half and push to the right.” Eyeing Ronin, then, she voices her previous plan. “If we fail, maybe Sugar could try and freeze them out of the air? Or chase them?” Because that’s the problem with magic, isn’t it? One never knows how far it will reach or how strong it will be. Best to have a back up plan.
Besides, she’s useless until they get closer. Straight through has her vote.
---------------
Wessex tells Loki not to get involved with the birds. Steps up beside Maea to copy her Telekinesis with her Magic Re-resonance (Upgraded). Suggests that if they fail at moving the fighting birds and fish, that Sugar can help chase them away.
Ghost whales. Yes. Still ghosts in a way, if only in the sense that they looked like ghosts. She smiled warmly at both Remi and Ronin, nodding at their further explanation. She had nothing really to add, remaining quiet as they set off. And it seemed things would get a move on very quickly. Screams flew through the air, ringing clearly in her ears, and the demigoddess remained silent, sea-blue eyes locked on the spot where the whales attacked and destroyed, lives lost even before they hit the water in some cases.
Tishy popped her head up then as well from her spot in Delphia's hood. Unlike Loki who wanted to attack the birds, she was far more focused on the pulse of dead souls rising from the sea. She mewled, drifting between this world and the next with excitement. The seer shushed her quietly, lifting a hand scritch at her ears.
"I won't be much help until we get closer, but we should indeed go through." Delphia said in agreement. Already she was reaching out, trying to reach any souls of the perished to collect and send off. The least she could do was make sure they weren't lost at sea.
Delphia tries to call to any dead souls to send off, but agrees they should go through the flock of birds.
It all went to hell in moments, and Ronin only wished he was still surprised by that. Remi’s call reached him and the Dark Star acted soon after, though not before hearing out all of the others first. He didn’t have to speak or signal to Sugar - the dragonlet took to the air from his shoulder with a cry of affirmation, skimming the waves to freeze whatever fish or birds did not want to be pushed out of the way.
Meanwhile, Ronin vaulted over the side of the ship just as one of the fluffy clouds departed from its brethren in the skies, plummeting down to scoop up the hunter before he could hit the water. He soared off after the manticore, towards the sinking ship.
”They are going through, not around!” he called to Remi. ”I’ll try to distract the whales, so they don’t attack our ship!” Already a starbolt hovered near his head, ready to blast at the water when he was ready.
Sugar is on standby to freeze the fish and birds.
Ronin follows Remi on his nimbus and readies a starbolt to distract the whales.
By the time Remi and Ronin arrive, the pod has decimated the ship. Half of it refuses to sink. Two of the whales are circling not unlike sharks, their mouths open and their intentions all too clear: to eat the survivors. The final whale has seen the manticore and man upon the cloud and seems intent on keeping them from disturbing its kin. Water surges from around it as it swims to meet them, suddenly lunging upwards, hoisted by unseen magical forces to snap at both manticore and man. Luckily Ronin is ready with a bolt. However, because the creature is mostly bone and empty space the effect is perhaps not as devastating as he is used to. If Ronin continues to take offensive measures, Whale 3 will stay and engage with him.
This shoving suggestion from Maea is clever. With Wessex to aid it is especially effective. The strange cacophony of birds and fish are shoved aside to let the ship through (receiving muttered awe from the crew). Steadily the ship is able to race forward, though will encounter the whale and Ronin before reaching the ship.
Delphia manages to lull the souls of the birds and fish who are killed during this strange assault from their watery graves. Soul-lights dance like will-o-wisps around the ship as they rise towards the demi-god, before being sent up to Mort. Ahead, she'll be able to feel the fading souls of the three drowning sailors.
Ronin: Whale 3 is going to continue attacking you
Maea/Wessex/Delphia: Do you engage Whale 3 with Ronin, or detour the ship around and go towards the sinking vessel/Remi?
it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name
Remi should be concerned for Ronin, but strangely he isn't, and not only because his husband is a demi-god. In this strange tangled web of gods and their motivations that he and Ronin have been wrapped up in, death seems far away, even if only naively so. Don't let them see. Remi thinks towards Ronin, his thoughts carried through the ring infused with his blood on the hunter's finger. What it was he was meant to prevent would be obvious to only Ronin, as Remi continued on past the lunging whale and towards the drowning sailors.
There is a man already nearly lifeless in the cold ocean waters. His arms hardly move, and his mouth and nose are hidden beneath the surf more often than they are above it. The many predators that live in the alchemist can sense his nearing demise. Watch for me, Ludo had said, but Remi didn't think he particularly needed to look around for the masked god just now. The situations were too alike, the outcomes too similar.
Diving down, Remi would splash into the water next to the drowning man, shifting as he did so. "Friend, you're going to be alright." The alchemist whispered, reaching for the man's cheek to raise his face from the water. "I'm here. It's all over now." And in a way, it was.
Under the water Remi's manticore tail reappeared, reaching around his body with an aim to stab Sailor 3 in the back of the neck. During this, Remi would try and hold the man as still as he could, his eyes kind and his smile soft.
Remi tries to kill sailor 3
it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
03-17-2020, 07:14 PM (This post was last modified: 03-17-2020, 07:15 PM by Ronin.)
please just don't forget me
Ronin's oh fuck was audible only to Remi through their mental link, the Dark Star having to rise up on his nimbus as high as he could to avoid the translucent whale. He unleashed his bolt, little that it would do, and cursed out loud this time as he saw the unstable effect. Then Remi spoke--
Don't let them see
--and Ronin sprung into action.
"With me! Remi can deal with the ship!" he called, voice ringing across the waves to the vessel. Sugar tried to reiterate, blasting a line of ice across the ocean towards Ronin and the whale.
Taking Emmett's axe from its holster, the hunter tried a more brute-force method, launching it towards the vast bony skull of the whale beneath the ghostly exterior.
Ronin calls to the others for help and throws an axe at whale 3's FACE.
