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!
Delphia had never been to a bar. Not that she had never consumed alcohol but...well she lived in a yurt in the middle of a haunted forest. Bars weren't exactly common. And so when Wessex suggested the VlamVloed as a place to meet and talk, she had been rather excited. New experiences all around!
She had arrived early, not really sure what to expect from Wessex. She had only met her once and things had gone...not poorly but not well either. Scanning the room, she found a small table to sit at, a bit away from the other guests. Not that she particularly cared if others heard the topic, but based on Wessex's letters, she seemed a bit more sensitive about it. She supposed it was very likely that the Ascended were not treated well and questioned regularly, given what Delphia knew of the things that had transpired since the barrier had fallen.
Now she just had to wait, and hoped she showed up.
She doesn’t come to the VlamVloed often - there’s no point, really. It holds no memories for her, no reason for her to drink when it doesn’t affect her (and let’s be honest, she still doesn’t know what happens to the liquid once it enters her system). But it is communal and as comforting a place as any - seemed ideal for the unusual request from Delphia.
Arriving right on time, Wessex finds the fellow demigoddess already present, sitting at a table in the corner, away from the other patrons. Nodding to someone as she makes her way over, she makes the effort to keep her face neutral - neither pleasant nor disapproving, but rather open to seeing how this goes. Personally, Rexanna might have been a better person to handle this, but she supposes that of the two of them, the Wraith is more acquainted with their Goddess. Can answer more questions, and perhaps pose her own in return.
She sits with a brief greeting, leaning back in the chair and looking at the girl across from her.
“So. Here we are. Might as well dive in.” If the other wanted something to drink, now would be the time to get it. Otherwise, full steam ahead.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
It might come as a surprise to the Wraith, who surely had encountered her fair share of hatred and disgust at the hands of those devout to the Old Gods, but Delphia's own expression was far from any display of distrust or animosity. Instead, as the other woman sat, she smiled at her warmly, lovingly even, as if gazing upon someone very dear she had not seen in a long time. "Thank you for coming, Wessex. It means a great deal." she said softly.
Before they began, Delphia indeed ordered a drink. Two in fact. Both plain waters. Once they were brought, up from her lap popped up a kitten's head. Based on the white spot upon her chest, and the shadows that swirled around her, Tishy was identifiably a Cat Sith if they species were known to the Wraith. The kitten hopped up onto the table and settled by one of the glasses, taking a few drinks of the water before settling her gaze upon the Ascended woman, cool and unblinking.
In the time it took for the drinks to arrive, Delphia had carefully constructed what she wanted to say...most of it anyways. "I am sure you are aware of the Portal Guardians my father and his kin selected in hopes of preventing you and yours from continuing to open portals and spread the Voice's reach." she said, bluntly, but without any judgement in her tone. Simply matter of fact, for it was what it was. "He has asked that I consider this, in light of their failure and disinterest in performing the task thus far, and the precedent set centuries before that you and the other Ascended will simply kill them all when and if they do decide to make a nuisance of themselves."
Here she paused, allowing a moment for the context for the larger discussion to sink in. Briefly, her lips curved down in a hint of a frown, melancholy shining in silvery eyes. "I do not wish for history to repeat itself. I do not wish for there to be another war, for bloodshed en masse...it disrupts the balance. So I wish to see if some understanding cannot be built between us, and thus the foundations of an understanding between the Old Gods and the Voice." she said, lifting her gaze to hold Wessex's, voice ringing clear with earnestness. "Mort might help seek compromise with Vi and Rae should the Voice also agree to one. I hope we might be able to pinpoint those areas."
The Wraith acknowledges Delphia’s thanks with a dismissive wave of her hand. “No thanks needed.” As the Voice’s demigoddess, she supposes it’s her duty to field these kinds of things. It may be suffering to sit through, but as Rexanna does her work, so must Wessex.
Loki has opted not to tag along for this, unlike assuming this is post Whale PQ the kitten she’d seen on the boat. Wessex hadn’t known it was Delphia’s companion, indeed, she hadn’t really given the creature a second thought. But as it jumps up to the table it draws her attention, and she finds herself thinking the cat (sith? she can’t be sure) might be a fitting companion for the girl. Just in the way that the black dragonling was fitting for her.
By the time the daughter of Mort is halfway done with her speech, Wessex can already identify several things she takes issue with. It’s not her fault, of course, being the daughter of an Old God. But if she wants to come to a table to talk compromise, she must know that there is bias, hard as she might try to hide it. The Wraith’s hands rest in her lap, her elbows on the chair’s arms, and there they’ll stay for as long as she can stand it.
The Voice is never going to compromise. Wessex already knows this. The best she can do is try to find some way to turn the girl’s mind a bit, to realize some basic principles. “No one wishes history to repeat itself. Certainly not the Ascended.” They are few in number, they come and go like the wind, and they are weak, compared the strongest of the Old Gods’ followers. “But if there is to be understanding between us, there needs to be an acknowledgement of some facts: first, that we are members of this community, too. We have friends, lovers, and families. We work. We save people. And we do not want to kill. The Portal Guardians are just as capable of harming us, if not more.”
Remi is certainly able to be a killer. Amalia has killed by getting into a shitty situation. Jigano has surely killed before, too. And the Ascended? Sam is a wimp. Rex is principled. Bastien wouldn’t want to get blood on his clothes. That leaves three who might if they had to - and Wessex - who is another story entirely. Theoretically, they should be easy to wipe out if need be.
“I understand that you’re the daughter of Mort and come from a certain perspective. But when I was Queen, I, too, worked for all the Grounders. And they wouldn’t do the same in return.” She offers a little shrug. “Can you speak to Roana’s task from Ludo? To kill the Ascended?”
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
Delphia's head tilted in acknowledgement, a ghost of a smile twitching the corners of her lips. "I am glad to hear it. That alone is heartening news." she said. That they had not reached a point where anger led to bloodlust and visions of red was a good sign. Perhaps this attempt wasn't all in folly. But as Wessex continued, the demigoddess fell silent, contemplating her words, taking them to heart to discern where they fell in her perspective. The Wraith would find that perhaps like others, Delphia was not quick to rush to judgement, even where historical precedent indicated she ought be at odds with the world around her.
"Does the Voice consider you part of the community? I admit I know little of her, as such information was not easily attained or necessary in my younger years." she asked with genuine curiosity. Like her father, Delphia was glad enough to admit what she did not know or understand. But this idea of the Ascended being part of the community was at odds with a tidbit of information she did have, and so she waited to hear more before mentioning it. Perhaps there was a connector missing that would bridge these two bits. "And what do you mean, they would not do the same in return?" she asked, in an effort to understand more.
Her head tilted the other way, eyes glancing up to the ceiling as she pondered Wessex's question. "I do not know of this Roana, so I cannot speak to her task specifically. But I do know that Ludo was punished by Mort for perpetuating that notion in a broader sense.
The Wraith doesn’t mean to start out with a rant about everyone else; but when she’s been given a space to speak her mind, the things she’s been holding in are bound to leak out around the edges of productive conversation.
Her head tilts slightly to one side in brief consideration. “If I may be so bold as to assume what She’s thinking - I believe she’s coming around to the idea that we can’t live in a little Ascended vacuum. It started when I was Queen. Now with Rex in that position, with Her children needing to live and flourish amongst others - yes, I believe She is. From what I understand, in the midst of becoming what She is now, She wanted to help others. Make life easier. Connect them with faraway places. She wants us to integrate into each new community.” It’s a bit of a half-truth, for the Voice’s perspective always came from the point of what was best for her and the Ascended. And exploring, showing the locals that the Ascended were either a.) nothing to fear, or b.) powerful and not to be fucked with both worked in her favor.
She can recognize that Delphia is trying to understand, and thus far it’s in a gentle way. So she continues, growing a bit of a pensive look as she recalls the events of last year.
“What I mean is - that even when faced with the fact that I’m older than all of them, a Natural, and have many more years of experience surviving LongNight, they didn't want to listen. When I was put in a position to try and make things better, including dealing with everything the Launceleyns left behind, I was second-guessed and fought at every turn. I was doubted because they saw me as Ascended first and Natural second. They didn’t listen. Put people at risk by opening doors, by being reckless, focused on their own quests and reasons instead of the Grounds as a whole.” Pausing for a moment, she winces and continues.
“Maybe I’m still bitter about the Mathair portal, and I’m certainly glad I’m no longer Queen. But I look at the Grounds now and so little has been done to better it since I stepped down. I can’t help but wonder if a Council is ineffective. If their emotions at being denied access to a place when the rest of the world was opening has… affected the future.” She can certainly understand certain things, but the reality is that it was one place, and the Fae don’t even like humans. One place, when they could have helped the Ascended open portals to more areas by now.
At the news of punishing Ludo, she raises a brow. “That’s… interesting.” Refreshing, actually. Good on Mort. But there’s little more to say about it and she waits for more questions.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
Delphia remained silent, watching the Wraith with a steady gaze, equally distant and entranced. Tishy watched as well, tail flicking, predatory and detached. The older woman has a lot to say, it seemed, and the daughter of death was more than willing to give her a platform to do so. She wondered, briefly, if the Voice had ever been given such a platform by her father or Vi or Rae. Lines began connecting dots in her mind, tenuous, uncertain, still easily changed. "There is not a single species in Caido that exists within a vacuum. That you and your kin are no different...well, I'm not surprised but I am glad for it." she said warmly. It made things a but easier. There was a dual need in a way.
'I wonder though, if it has crossed your mind at any point that perhaps the Old Gods feel towards the Voice as you feel towards the people you once led?" she asked with the same gentle curiousity. Her questions were not posed to create conflict but to build understanding where she saw potential common ground. "That they are older than she, have more experience creating and taking within the balance of the world, that she presses on without heeding their warnings? Wishing to help but instead moving recklessly forward, opening doors to connect places never intended to be opened, creating new beings without understanding the impact on everything and everyone else?" she said softly, smiling at Wessex with sad eyes. "It seems possible to me that you might be able to empathize with both sides better than most."
Here she paused, smile falling ever so slightly despite the positive confirmation from Wessex. "Death is indiscriminate they say, and it is because my father is so too. He loves all, even the Ascended. You have chosen your life's path for reasons uniquely your own. He would welcome you to his realm with open arms, eager to hear your stories with as much excitement as any Attuned and yet..." Her brows furrowed briefly, concern filling her expression. "The Voice somehow prevents Ascended souls from joining his realm when they die, keeps them hidden away where they cannot be found. Did you know this?"
04-15-2020, 03:44 PM (This post was last modified: 04-15-2020, 04:05 PM by Wessex.)
WESSEX
Delphia brings up an interesting point that might have made her gut clench - before. Now, she just clenches her jaw and tries to find the right words. Bringing a hand up from her lap to lean her head on, she is now far more physically invested than she was before.
The death thing was bout to come up, but that’s not what makes her pause and let the silence fall between them. When Wessex finally begins, it’s with surety. “While I appreciate the comparison, it’s difficult for me to empathize with the Old Gods. They've always had the power to alleviate some of the unique problems here and they didn't. That and we know them but don’t know them. We know their heralds, who are not the kind and wise creatures you paint the Old Gods to be. When I first Ascended they tried to kill me with sunlight, called me an abomination. Then the Ludo thing…” She shakes her head.
“The Old Gods and their heralds’ unwillingness to help the Grounders when faced with drought, disease, and mutated animals in prison not of their choosing makes me seriously question whether or not they truly know better. Like it or not, we were dying in the barrier and opening it up saved us. Not only that but it feels like they kept us weak when magic and knowledge might have saved so many more.” That the horror of dying may be lost on Delphia doesn’t escape her. But it has to be said. Her reality is not theirs.
“So I wonder why shouldn’t places be opened? Why shouldn’t we travel? Make our own choices?What’s so bad about that? No one’s given us a reason or an answer.” Like authoritarian parents, they’ve just said NO to a few people and expected the rest to fall in line because they’re the parents.
Here, she pauses again, biting at the inside of her lip. “Mort might welcome me. But will the souls in his care? What if I’m happiest with godly Mother I know, who saved my life twice over, and has shown me nothing but love? What if the Ascended souls are happy with her?”
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
Delphia listened quietly, holding Wessex's gaze. Her silence stretches long, letting the other demigoddess vent. It occured to Delphia that perhaps she had never had this space to be open with a follower of the Old Gods before, and she was loathe to infringe on that. Only when Wessex fell silent, did she begin to consider her response.
"The Old Gods are not perfect. They have made mistakes. I agree with you on this. And you can be sure I will bring up these hurts to Mort." she said, voicing a truth that she felt deeply that others perhaps would not for fear of blasphemy. But Mort had not raised her to believe in the infallibility of him and his kin. Not on this grand of a scale anyways. "I cannot heal the hurts of the past. But I hope that by being here now, seeking reconciliation, that we can move forward. If empathy cannot be mustered on both sides, we have no hope of coming to an agreement." It was important for Wessex to be honest about her feelings towards the matter, but they also needed to work past them.
"I don't know." Delphia said with a sigh, unable to answer why portals ought not be opened. "I can only surmise that it is because they do not want the Voice's reach to spread, for that is what premeditated the last war. But beyond that, I have no answers." she said.
What she could answer though? Questions about souls. "The state of a soul does not have the same...logic as a living being. They exist on a different plane of the world. When you die, those attachments fade. Mort's halls are created specifically to provide the soul with the fulfillment they require. Souls that remain here, in the living realm...they are restless. It is upsetting. Confusing. Stressful." She paused, shaking her head a bit. "It is hard to explain, and even more difficult to understand if your soul has not died before, but I have spent my entire life learning to understand the state of the dead and what pains them. I hope you can trust that I only mention it because I am truly concerned. I do not wish for any souls to suffer in this world."
04-24-2020, 01:45 PM (This post was last modified: 04-24-2020, 01:45 PM by Wessex.)
WESSEX
Yes, yes, maybe Wessex is using it as a venting session, but one can hardly blame her, can they?
That Delphia might take her concerns to Mort sparks an idea she holds tight to, keeping it for a point in the conversation where Wessex has been more agreeable. Besides, with most of the grumbles out, the Wraith becomes a bit more still and calm, listening again and nodding occasionally.
“I’ve died,” she says quietly. Suddenly, almost. “The Spire Demon killed me. And The Voice fixed my body and brought me back.” It’s hard to believe that she’s been through so much, but both she and Ronin were dead long enough for their souls to do whatever it is souls do. Pensively, a finger traces the wood pattern on the chair’s arm and she continues. “I don’t remember much other than a woman humming something. Darkness, I suppose. Like a dream. But it certainly wasn’t unpleasant and I didn’t care that I was dead. Didn’t feel restless, didn't know how much time had passed. Didn’t feel… anything. And honestly, if that's what it's like then I’m okay with that being the end of my existence.”
It’s been a hard life; an uphill battle, with Wessex inadvertently choosing to play the last two years on expert mode instead of just difficult, like the rest of the Grounders. If the end comes with silence and darkness, then so be it. If it comes with Magrethe and her mother, great. “I’ve spent several conversations talking with my Lady about us and what I’ve seen is that She loves Her children. All versions of them. There are regrets, of course, about specific instances and turns of events and I’ve seen those too.” A brief pause to consider something. “What if She has created a private haven for the Ascended? Would that be so bad?”
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
Delphia fell silent again, and remained silent long after Wessex had spoke. It was an unexpected twist. Coming back from the dead wasn't exactly a common occurrence, knowing Mort was loathe to allow such things without some sacrifice to even the scales. So that Wessex had done so was not something she had anticipated or taken into consideration prior to this conversation. But after a few moments of contemplation passed, she nodded, if only to herself, sure of her answer.
"My guess is you were not dead very long." Delphia said with a slight shrug. "The sort of torment I spoke of takes some time to set in, and as you note, time amongst the spirits is...a funny thing. If you were dead but a few days...I am sure it was peaceful as you say." she said. But if she had been dead for months? Years? That was a different thing entirely.
"And I have no doubt she loves you all dearly. But I doubt she has made such a haven. If it were so, why would she have given any of her ascended souls to Ludo to take to Mort?" she asked, head tilting to the side. "She may have created something to mimic Mort's realm, but in the long run...I cannot imagine she would have given souls to him if she had not been concerned for their wellbeing." she said.
“Long enough for the seasons to change,” Wessex corrects gently. “When I died it was the middle-end of Leafchange. When I woke up, it had snowed. Three… four weeks?” Delphia’s assumption means, to Wessex, that while the girl is solid in her certainty of what she knows, she isn’t always correct.
Such is the bravado of youth and foolishness of the mature. Know what you do not know.
And to that point, the Wraith tilts her head a bit in question. “Gave souls to Ludo? I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” While she had been on the receiving end of the vision-for-souls trade, Wessex hadn’t known the price. And she’d never asked. “Without knowing the details… The Voice is a Goddess who has been under attack for a long time. This is purely hypothetical, but if I were in her position, I would know what I’m willing to sacrifice, and for what. It may have been a difficult decision - or not, I don’t know. She’s never spoken to me about it and I don’t presume.”
But after a thoughtful gaze at Delphia and the cat, and then a bit of time looking down, Wessex comes to her own conclusion. “You seem to want me to concede things I know nothing about. I can tell you my experience and conversations, that’s all. Without knowing specifics or truly remembering, I don’t know if you’re wrong or right.” And truth be told, she doesn’t trust Delphia to be right. “Now you mentioned a compromise. Tell me more about that.”
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
Her brows knit together - not in anger but in concern. Dead approximately a month, with no adverse side effects. Some sort of discomfort should have begun to build, some anxiousness or worry...and yet she claimed no such thing. Eyes cast down as she stared into her untouched water, as if it would illuminate the answers for her. Tishy's shadows pulsed and flared, reacting to the flux of emotions coming through their bond. "It is possible she had created a device that gives some semblance of peace, though I could not say without speaking to her directly." she repeated, willing to admit she might not know the whole situation. She could only speak to her own knowledge after all, and anything related to the ascended was indeed outside her wheelhouse.
"Exactly what I said." she said with a slight shrug. "Some arrangement was made I presume, but in some manner Ludo acquired souls from the Voice and brought them to Mort. Why would she give away the souls of her beloved children if she had the means to sustain them ever more, is my question. I do not expect an answer, but one I would wish you to also consider." she said gently.
Though as the compromise was brought up once more, a ball of doubt was growing in her stomach. Delphia felt she had conceded much - that perhaps the Voice had done things well for the Ascended souls, that they had been mistreated, that the Old Gods had indeed been too cruel in some things - but Wessex seemed unwilling to yield anything. "Indeed I did. I wish to come to facilitate a compromise between our gods to keep further bloodshed at bay, and bring a stronger peace and balance to Caido once more - a true end to the suffering endured by those within the barrier." she said, her gaze rising to meet Wessex's once more, head tilting slightly. "But that would require the Voice and her children to concede to missteps, as I have conceded to in this conversation, as Mort has conceded in asking me to seek answers to his questions of the actions of the Old Gods. It cannot be a one-sided burden of blame."
05-15-2020, 12:14 AM (This post was last modified: 05-15-2020, 04:18 AM by Wessex.)
WESSEX
Semblance of peace. She still can’t admit that the Voice may have created something to rival Mort’s realm. Wessex shakes her head a tiny bit but keeps her silence, for it would take more than her to show the daughter of Death that her father may be wrong.
That shaking comes to stillness as Delphia says that she must concede, and to that, Wessex leans forward, eyeing the girl with a bit of bafflement. “You think we don't concede all the time?" What rock does she live under? "The Blight, The Mathair, and the LongNight monsters." Her voice rises a bit in strength, if not in volume as she ticks them off on her fingers. “No matter where we go, no matter what we do to help, fix, or save, someone inevitably brings up one of those points and uses it against us.”
Sitting back, she narrows her eyes. “We are attacked every day in the way that no one else is. The Ascended are constantly on the defense, explaining and apologizing for things that have never happened to the person they're talking to." No one ever says thank you for the portals, or you’re right, life outside the barrier is great. Or gee, I'm so glad I get to experience a beach when all I've known is a frozen wasteland. “What else more would you have us concede without apologizing for our very existence?”
Pausing for a moment to try and remove the emotion she seems to have built up, when Wessex speaks again, it is far more business like than it was before
“The devotees of Safrin - and Ludo, I suppose - are the greatest accusers. If their most influential followers will concede to the equal missteps, then we might be able to get somewhere. Perhaps the next part of the conversation should be taken to Mort, to see if the other Gods are truly on board” Wessex suggests after a pause, feeling that Delphia is very, very out of the loop and can only do so much.
"I'd very much like to meet him. Given that I might never get to. And so I can do my due diligence by the Voice." Straight from the horse's mouth, and so on.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
