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!
Three nights later, Wessex situates herself casually by the Oasis. Shouldn’t be too hard to find as the Glade lies directly in the shadow of the Spire - any Ascended worth their salt should be able to smell the water on the light Leafchange breeze. It’s altogether a pleasant night, but then almost all nights now are pleasant, aren’t they?
While she’s waiting, the Wraith finds herself eager to meet whomever will show up. There’s been rumors of one or two, but alas, the demigoddess has yet to meet them. Unless she feels for a specific person, there’s just a vague sense of more than the usual ‘others’ out there - no sense of name or where they are yet. And in turn, they know nothing about her, or maybe, even, about the rest of their family. As the self-styled matriarch, and sole hahahaha demigod of the Voice, she considers it her job (real or otherwise) to know them all.
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
"Of all the voices to come sweetly whispering into my mind on an evening, yours was certainly unexpected." Neron's voice was a quiet purr in the darkness, the Warden stepping out into moonlight with sure footsteps and all the predatory grace of an Ascended. It helped that his body knew exactly what to do now, and he listened to it keenly as he gazed upon Wessex with new eyes.
"I had wanted to meet with you personally to give you the good news," he said with a short bow. "But apparently there are more important things to discuss. Lead the way when you are ready - no torches needed this time."
No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber
Until I realize that it was you who held me under
Amun and Samuel had both helped her acclimate to what her life might look like here in Caido, but when she heard a woman speaking into her mind, she had not been ready.
Dearest siblings--" a gasp, and a crash. The voice in her mind had shook her right to the very core. The shock radiated through her and she released the jar of water. It went crashing to the floor, shattering and creating a puddle. When the message finishd Letha had to grasp the wall to steady herself. She gasped, the action of breathing still so habitual to her it felt like all of the air had been pushed from her lungs. In her panic, she was still obedient to what had been said.
Letha did not know who this voice was coming from, but it had addressed her as family and Amun and Samuel had both solidified the fact in her head that the Ascended worked together. So she left the domiciles, searching for the Oasis. She found herself in the shadow of where she and Amun had come.
She hadn't paid much mind to when the woman said she would be there, and when Letha stumbled upon it finally she still had lots of time to wait. Days of it, in fact. If she had taken the time to formulate a plan before she jumped right into the obedience to what she had heard, she would have found Amun or Samuel and had them lead her. But, she had been so overwhelmed with the information that she simply acted.
Finally, who she guessed to make the command appeared. Shortly after, a man. Letha's eyes narrowed some, in mere curiosity, and she stepped from the shadow of the treeline.
"Hello," she nodded her head gently to each of them. "I am Letha."
Dearest Siblings. The voice in their head had called. Siblings, imagine that! Though it had brought a sense of something to Osozo, connection, excitement, who's to say. They are last to arrive, as far as they can tell, dressed in black, though little could high the bright blue of their hair, the almost glowing vibrancy of their eyes, shifting to a bright red as they approach the few gathered.
"Sister!" It is the first jubilant word out of their mouth, and it is directed solely at Wessex, Osozo ignoring the others as they approach, circling the self styled matriach and looking her up and down. Like recognizes like, after all, to a point at least. "Look at you, so sharp! So... bright." There is a laugh, before Osozo turns back to the others, looking at them curiously. "This is not everyone, is it?"
04-05-2020, 11:18 PM (This post was last modified: 04-06-2020, 01:11 AM by Wessex.)
WESSEX
Wessex is shook when Neron is the first to approach. She stares at him even as he teases and bows. It seemed like they’d both seen each other very recently and the Warden had mentioned absolutely nothing about his plans to Ascend. What strikes her first as she begins to shake it off is not that he’s an amazing addition to the group, but “Shame we won’t ever know what you’d look like as a silver fox,” she muses, pursing her lips in ‘mock’ disappointment.
She’s about to tell him that they need to wait and see if any other show when someone pops out from behind a tree. The movement grabs her attention and she whips her head to peer around Neron and finds the woman. The Wraith immediately brightens, always happy to have another sister. Too many of them come and then fade away. “Welcome, Letha. I’m Wessex. This is Neron.” Extending a hand to shake in greeting, she is now about to suggest that they head towards the Safehouse when a third walks up.
Tonight seems to be a night of surprises. Their hair changes color, they address her as Sister and this time, her eyes narrow after going wide in surprise. Like does identify like, after all, and there are mixed feelings running rampant inside Wessex. Jealousy, first of all - that she is no longer the only one. Pride, second - that they see her as sharp and bright. The Wraith follows him in a circle as well, spinning in place. Relief, third - that there is another demi for their cause. The how’s and why’s and when’s are for another time and she has to push them all down, has to recover. “Brother,” is offered quietly back, with a tight smile. “Shiny and new.”
It’s not for Wessex to question their Goddess… but she had only just seen Her, and no mention of another was made. But back to the night at hand - “Only those who have Ascended since… Flowerbirth?” Yes, that was when they made the shrine in the Fangs.
“There are more at the safehouse. Shall we?” Taking the lead, the Wraith heads towards the Outskirts, and after they clear the more heavily populated area, she speaks up again. “What do you all know about LongNight?” Best to get everyone on the same page before they get there, as they might have their own long night ahead of them.
-----------
No post order!
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
A soft laugh left Neron in response to Wessex's appraisal of his new status, the Warden shrugging and spreading his hands in an oh well sort of gesture. "You'll always have your dreams. Our lady Voice assured me that we do have those, so I trust I am swanning through them as a silver fox." He winked.
Alas, they are not alone to continue their banter, and Neron glanced around as not one newcomer appeared, but two. Appraising them briefly in a way that was still much, much more Hailstorm than it was Ascended, he nodded a greeting. Already introduced, there was no need for him to speak up again, and so he followed after Wessex as she led them through dense foliage towards the outskirts of the Hollowed Grounds.
"I know enough," he said of Longnight. "Darkness falls across all of Caido during that time and Halo is no exception. The cold is the killer at Deepfrost, though - no monsters other than the usual at the Citadel."
"Very new." Osozo chirps, the smile mirrored, though it is far more animated on the newer demigods face. Their eyes dull to a flat silver as they stare, taking in Wessex's face, her expression, too intense and close for a moment before all at once, Osozo steps away, turning to look at the other's again. "I am excited to meet the more." They say, stepping backwards after Wessex so they can continue to stare at the new members of the family.
The question Wessex poses is one Osozo knows the answer to, but they hold their tongue, for a moment at least, long enough to let another answer first. There is a laugh, the answer Neron gives technically correct, but not at all what the night is really for. "It is a time of pleasure for those that came before us." The voice is smug, assured in their right answer already.
No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber
Until I realize that it was you who held me under
As she was greeted the woman reached out to return the handshake. She looked over to the man, introduced to her as Neron, and nodded. It was polite, but quiet. She did not have much to say, but everything still to learn. Wessex was the one who had called them, which meant that she had more answers than what she had already been given.
Quickly, though, another Ascended joins them. The dark woman turned to watch the flamboyant, shifting creature--she could only call it that, she did not have a name for it otherwise--bound toward Wessex. Letha felt her eyebrows furrow and knit themselves together, and her jaw harden some. She could not help but look toward Neron from the corner of her eye, waiting to see how he responded. However, before Letha could decide her feelings about the newness of it all, they were moving.
She followed, carefully and quietly, until they were addressed again. The only answer she had was that she didn't know. She listened to the other two as they responded to Wessex, but Letha just shook her head lightly. Amun nor Samuel had covered the details of whatever Longnight was with her--she hadn't asked. She did not know to ask.
Squashing all the questions she wants to throw at all three of them (and fucking hell, are there a lot, each of them fascinating to her in their own way), Wessex focuses on the current task. There will be time for interrogations conversations later. She moves with a preternatural grace amongst the fallen leaves, crackling far fewer than is normal. She keeps a brisk pace, choosing the path of least resistance through every area.
Their answers though - well, Osozo’s is perhaps most worrisome for agenda, but she has to include it in her response. Taking Letha’s silence as evidence that she knows nothing, Wessex the Natural figures she has to start somewhere at the beginning. “Right. In the middle of Deepfrost, we have a week of darkness where the sun doesn’t rise, and during that time we all stay inside and board the windows up, make our houses silent.” Or so they’re supposed to. “Monsters come out. Or so we the native Grounders call them. They have minor abilities - voice mimicry, and can affect things physically - not everything is known. But they try and kill anyone who goes outside, they try to get inside and kill people there. It’s a mess.”
“But what -” pausing in her education to look back at Osozo, she realizes she doesn’t know his name. “- what’s your name?” she asks, and waits for a response before continuing on. “ - is true. They are The Voice’s earlier versions of us. They used to bring her resources for her work while she was imprisoned. Now that that purpose is gone, they continue to kill. And over the past few years they’ve gotten stronger. Evolved, somehow. They’re looking for Ascended upgrades. To be like us.”
-----------
No order!
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
Glancing between the newcomers as they walked, Neron tried to keep his gaze away from Ozoso as much as possible (headache, much?) and could only hold Letha's stare for a pointed moment of agreed confusion. There was much more to discuss than the shifting appearance of the apparent Ascended, however, and so he turned his attention back to Wessex in full.
New information, this, regarding the monsters' origin, and the Warden raised his eyebrows as Wessex explained as if trying to wrap his head around the explanation. "They sound delightful. And if they receive these upgrades - to be like us, as you say - then will they no longer feel the need to kill? Will they be able to operate as any other Ascended?"
The looks, judging, irritated, are completely ignored, the opinions of the other not holding the slightest interest to Osozo, not as much as the explanation their matriarch launches into. "I am Osozo." The answer comes smoothly, the grin on their face growing when Wessex confirms what they had said. And when Neron speaks again, Osozo turns, drinking in the words, and silently considering the question he posed. "It would not change them at the most base level. Only make them more powerful. Wouldn't it?"
Neron poses a good question, one she hadn’t thought of before. Without Letha offering a question, she can focus on that - which is good, because they’re very close. “I don’t know. In theory, they would have to get them from us… without physical bodies, I’m not sure if the Voice can give them upgrades. Perhaps there are too many of them for her to do that too. I also imagine Osozo is right, that it would only make them more powerful, their basic purpose still intact.” She shrugs, and then they’re all there, standing in front of what appears to be a decrepit house.
“This is it.” And then she enters and perhaps they can see that it is stable, just disguised well. Wessex makes her way to the basement, climbing through a larger hole in the foundation (yes, they’re going to get dirty), to where yet another door lies, with a simple cube on top of it. Once they’re all in behind her, she points to the cube lying on top of a trap door. “This can only be lifted by Ascended. If you ever use this place by yourself, remember to place it back on top as you go down.”
If any of the three new ones try to lift the cube, they’ll find that it’s just that - as light as a plastic cube, or whatever it’s made out of. Waiting for them to descend first - into a far more comfy area - Wessex will follow last, dutifully placing the cube on the edge of the door, just as she instructed them all to do.
{Fin! - heading into the big thread, thanks guys!}
No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all
