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!
05-03-2020, 05:53 PM (This post was last modified: 05-08-2020, 03:14 PM by Deimos.)
remember that you can't save everyone
remember that you have to try
Seasons and cycles, another alteration and change in their horizon – the impending course of LongNight and its potential stretches of insurrection, treachery, and devastation. The time leading up to it was all about preparation and vigilance, and the General, no matter which turn or revolution of the earth, eternally sought to have his citizens ready, educated, capable in their enchantments, munitions, or forms. Onslaughts never held back, so he wouldn’t either.
Today’s training was meant to be a combination: intertwined with incantations and attuned links. He didn’t want the latter forgotten, though often better suited for individual honing, and the former was incessantly in need, given the amount of growth and unknown parameters (how often had his own changed, altered its abilities?).
So there was no need for targets today, the stuffed dummies given rest and repose in the layer of snow not yet shoveled away. The Sword had taken his time in ensuring there was a path, a space, for them to amble through, not to be waylaid by powder or ice (though he hadn’t been since refugee configurations in the mountains, perfectly comfortable and secure in the press of chill). Weapons weren’t required either, and so the wooden training armaments had found their place back within the armory.
It would just be them - their skills, their abilities, their schemes, and their tactics.
--
This is a seasonal PQ for training in either Attuned shifts or magic! Attacks/defenses will be determined by dice rolls!
I’m looking for two of each! First come/first serve, PQ will move on when all slots have been filled!
05-03-2020, 06:52 PM (This post was last modified: 05-03-2020, 07:14 PM by Aisha.)
i'm asking nicely baby, give me what i want
Deepfrost had finally crested over the endless Leafchange, conquering the oranges and reds and crackling leaves in favor of the white and brown and skeletal remains of life. Aisha hadn't liked winter back home, and already couldn't stand it here. The lack of color in the Hollowed Grounds only amplified by the seasonal change, it just seemed rather bleak, and cold. Gods she hated the cold, it made simple tasks so damn difficult.
The only way to avoid the chill was to stay by the fire, or keep on the move, and the firecracker girl preferred the latter. Today it was to barracks, to the training that Deimos held. Despite the event planned, Aisha arrived with her sword strapped to her hip. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun by her golden ribbon, an ever present facet of who she was, and who she used to be.
She gave the General a smile upon seeing him, then waited for the rest to arrive, tapping her fingertips steadily against her hilt, eager to begin.
She was glad to sign up when she saw the notice. The general had been a good teacher one-on-one, and she was curious to see who else might come out for it. And, of course, to flex her new magic-using muscles.
Freina definitely appreciated the lack of that word on the Notice and at the barracks. She would have hated to have to have announced herself that way, though perhaps the general remembered her from their last training session.
She showed up in a light sweater and pants this time. Too chilly now for anything else. She smiled her polite smile to everyone she saw and tried to find her focus before everything began.
Does Oliver still have way too much pent up energy? Hell yeah! Is he going to spend it all up before LongNight begins? Also hell yeah!
Like mentioned dozens of times before, Oliver cant sleep. At all. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a hyperbole. In reality, his sleep is stunted and he constantly wakes up in the middle of the night. It's due to a number of reasons, but mostly the impeding LongNight. That's not even the worse he's been dealing with. So much energy has seemingly come from nowhere, mostly from nerves in actuality, leading to Oliver deciding to use it to help others. In this instance, he's doing something a bit special with it: training. One can never be too sure of one's own safety.
Arriving, Oliver offered a kind nod to Aisha and Deimos before turning to the unfamiliar girl. "I'm Oliver, nice to meet you." Before finally he moved to stand over next to Aisha. "Glad to see you out and about, especially at such an event as this one." She needed training and he was happy to know she was receiving it early on.
Oliver will be doing the magic side.
My heart beating, my soul breathing, I found my life when I laid it down, Upward falling, spirit soaring
It was utterly strange to be considering training with his abilities. He had been able to change from 'human' form to raven and back since birth. Feathers were as familiar as bare skin.
But something about coming to Caido had changed that. Shifting forms was just as easy, but it always felt a bit strange in ways he couldn't properly define. And then there was the telepathic and empathic link the attuned shared. Even after communicating that way several times, hearing the voices of others directly in his head and having them hear him was still new and unsettling. Not to mention the emotions that sometimes came with them!
Walking up to the barracks is intimidating in the way one of the Sidhe complexes back home had been. Imposing and not built to be welcoming. Rance enters it on foot, shoulders stiff, not really sure what to expect. He sees Freina first and relaxes a bit. Oliver second and feels the tension in his spine uncoil. The second woman -- Aisha? -- he recognizes, but the serious, bearded warrior who is obviously leading the training is wholly unfamiliar.
He flashes a grin in Oliver's direction once he's seen and a nod to Freina as he joins them. "Didn't expect to see familiar faces here." He turned his attention to Deimos, resisting the urge to give the man a mock salute. No need to start things off on an aggressive note. He nods in greeting instead, crossing his arms over his chest.
Deimos wasn’t surprised, really, by the first three that came into the confines. Aisha and her keen readiness for seemingly anything and everything, Freina with her air manipulation (and he wondered if it’d gained anymore prowess since their last training), and Oliver, who seemed intent on snagging any of the sessions the Sword offered and extended.
The fourth was an unknown, until he spoke; and there was an uncanny sense of familiarity the General couldn’t place.
For the latter’s sake and benefit, he began with introductions. “Thank you for coming. I am Deimos, General of the Hollowed Grounds.” A pause, pondering, considering, and reflecting how best to describe today’s events and plotlines. “The purpose of this training session will be to put you into various situations, where you must think for yourselves, offensively, defensively, or how to evade.” Because this was the world they lived within: plausible they’d need all three key factions and factors to wander out of a fiendish accord still mobile, upright, and not cut, slashed, or torn apart. It was his responsibility and duty as the head of the militia to ensure his people were capable.
So he would.
He glanced towards all of them once more, the reticence of his features unwavering. “We will work separately at first, and then as we get moving, I hope to spar a little with one another.” Warm-ups to think in their scenarios, to figure out how to navigate potentially treacherous means, before maligning each other.
The piercing gaze settled on Rance and Aisha first. “Choose your shifts, and think about how you would defend yourself.” The beast waited for them to become acclimated, accustomed, familiar in their skins, before compelling a series of birds, some large, some small, all particularly irritating and vexing, soaring down upon the others in relentless flight paths, descending, descending, descending, some talons unfurled, some songbirds whooshing past ears.
For the magical users, Freina and Oliver, he shifted his weight and use of enchantments. “Same to you – how are you going to combat this?” Within an instant, water poured towards them – rampant streams coming from the front, a powerful, potent flow of an impending deluge. They could work together, they could work apart, but they needed to strategize, puzzle, and plot.
--
Round One!
Rance and Aisha have compelled birds soaring towards them – ranging in stature. How will your characters defend themselves?
Freina and Oliver have a huge amount of water coming towards them! What will you do?
Success will be determined by dice roll. There’s no post order! Moving along hopefully within 48-72 hours.
Aisha hadn't met the girl who came next, but she looked rather young. She wondered what powers she held, shifter or magic user. She waited to introduce herself, giving the girl a friendly smile for the time being. Then came someone who she'd met many times. More than met, was good friends with. Oliver would be here of course, the man was about as eager as she to learn all that he could.
He did what she had not, introducing himself to the girl nearby. Well she might as well do so now, "Aisha," she called over after he did, as he walked to stand by her side. She leaned into his shoulder, a friendly nudge, "Wouldn't miss it blondie," she replied playfully. Another man soon showed up, Rance, she shot him a little nod of acknowledgment, a jerk up of her head in greeting.
Soon after, Deimos got them started, introducing himself and explaining how the training would go. She shifted her weight, the cat pacing at her core, eager to begin. To boast it's prowess, like she so often had done with a sword. The general addressed her and Rance individually, and at his cue she shifted into the leopard, rosette upon sunglow, a coat upon a keen predator. She glanced to the other man, her partner for this challenge to see what he might become.
Once they were both ready, Deimos began their first task. Birds, all different sized and species, winged adversaries that dove down to them. Her eyes followed the biggest of the bunch, and quickly she barked an order down the attuned bond, "You take the smaller ones." It seemed a fair way to divide and conquer, and so she began. A taloned creature swooped past her ear, and with a snarl the leopardess swung her claws at it, hoping to rattle the bird to the ground.
She would stay on alert, attempting to evade any of the less dangerous beasts, and take down those who threatened.
Aisha asks Rance to take on the smaller birds, and she goes for the bigger ones, trying to evade the pesky ones for now and focus on the ones that could deal more damage.
Giving a playful grin to Aisha, Oliver tried to focus on Deimos before a very familiar face showed up. Offering Rance a smile and a raised eyebrow, Oliver tried to not make a major show of recognizing the man, choosing to not even speak. He could easily talk with the man after all of the training but for now, he had to be serious and stick with whatever Deimos had planned.
He wasn't sure what he expected but it wasn't what Deimos decided to throw at them. Just by the sound of what he said, it was going to be very different than their previous training sessions. Watching the birds seemingly appear from nowhere, Oliver knew that he and the girl were in for a real treat and fuck was that right.
The moment Oliver saw the water he knew that he absolutely didn't want to get wet. It was fucking FREEZING outside and surely, if he got even a drop of water on him, he'd be feeling ten times worse. Unsure of what exactly the girl could do, Oliver could only hope that using their combined magic, they'd be able to get some progress done.
Using his combined earth and creation magic, Oliver created a small towel. He then proceeded to use his telekinesis to try and use it to block the water momentarily. As well, he also started to use his telekinesis to try and begin stacking up rocks, wood, and anything else he could see around him to form a wall in front of the water.
My heart beating, my soul breathing, I found my life when I laid it down, Upward falling, spirit soaring
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
'Deimos', oh now that name was familiar. How could he forget the voice that had led the hunt? Seeing him in human shape, Rance now completely understood why his other form was that of a bear. Deimos commanded all attention and respect as soon as he started speaking. Rance tried not to rankle, barely stopping himself from sneering. He was here for training and that meant listening, no matter what instincts cried defiance.
At the signal, he nodded and rolled his shoulders, the motion becoming a settling of broad wings as raven replaced man. Aisha shifted to a large spotted cat -- bigger than Oliver's feline form, he absently noted -- and focused his attention on Deimos, tensing to take off.
It turned out to be a good thing as, with little warning, birds of all sizes were swooping down to attack. With a loud croak of surprise, Rance took to the air. Aisha's 'suggestion' was hardly needed as he dove to the side to avoid a bird larger than he was. "Sure, right, the fuckin' raptors are all yours!"
Getting out of the thick of the attacking flock wasn't easy, especially since his first instinct was to flee. He didn't actually expect the birds to split themselves up so neatly, but his attack strategy -- such as it was when he was acting more on impulse than logic -- would barely differ from bird to bird. He let out a defiant cry and twisted in midair, snatching at wing and tail feathers, spiraling higher to lead some away, but not so high that he couldn't quickly dive back into the leopard's range. "Don't let them near your eyes!"
Rance flies up and away from Aisha. With talons and beak, he'll aim to disable birds instead of taking them out.
For the Attuned natured, both Rance and Aisha should’ve had the upper hand, based on size alone. But Deimos expected the woman’s predilections, her assertion and dominance in swordplay, to somehow range back into aggression, poise, and precision amidst the leopard form. The notion of going for the larger birds, the raptorial aspects of talons and wings, was a wise decision. It simply didn’t work out for either of them.
Her paws swiped, but clenched nothing. Her talons poised for the kill, but hit only air.
Rance’s advice was a strong, enduring one, but that was where calculations could only go so far. The birds slipped out of his grasp too, and eventually began to dive bomb near their heads, seemingly no matter the distinctive weight or height – from little to large, a flurry and fury, pecking towards eyes, leering amidst jaws. It was as much defiance as the others had tried to muster.
The Sword narrowed his gaze at the compelled animals, at the ways in which Rance and Aisha had fought, and seemingly left wanting. Collaborate. What else could you do together? A team effort in the storm and squall; because that’s how things would eventually end up, depending on where they defended along this earth.
Then to the deluge of water – and Oliver’s trials. Where Freina seemed to still be contemplating her actions, the young blacksmith seemed to come up with a plan – a baffling, bewildering, and stupefying one.
Had he just made a towel to cease, desist, and stop a flood of water?
Oliver, and the tone within was stern, flattened, the weight of his disapproval behind it. How would that ever be effective? Into further punishment, the deluge of his powers didn’t cease, and the towel’s fabric, wet, soused, thoroughly soaked, slapped Oliver directly in the face; as if it too was bothered by the ignorance.
To make matters worse, the incantations spread and knocked apart the rocks, the wood, and the earth, paying absolutely no mind to his telekinesis. It flowed on and on, intending to rampage straight into Oliver.
--
Freina didn’t post, but is welcome to continue in the next round.
Rance, Aisha, and Oliver all missed (critically, for the blacksmith).
((With apologies for my absence...))
Freina needed the training. That's why she was here. She just... hadn't been expecting what the general threw at her. She'd trained with him before and expected something more like that, simple tasks, not... not a flood!
She froze for too long a moment, because the water was so far from what she'd thought was going to happen. (She also didn't expect her fellow Abandoned to make a towel. Nothing here was going as she expected.)
But when she realized that the water would knock the young man - and herself - down, her instincts kicked in. The same instinct that had seen her use air to try to save her own life caused her to run in front of Oliver and cast, trying to push the water with her air so it would go around them, buffeted back by the wind.
Aisha let loose a wicked snarl as her claws met no purchase, the birds swooping nearer and around their heads. Closer to their eyes, she shot the raven a sharp glance at his advice, wise advice if she'd ever heard any. It was difficult though, having to worry about taking a talon to a vulnerable asset, as well as stopping the squall. Deimos granted them encouragement, a push to work together.
She held back in her onslaught for a moment to focus on evasion, keeping out of the path of the raptor's armament. She took this time to shoot Rance another message, "Stick close to me, we can cover each other. They're aiming for us, we don't need to go after them," she hoped her deduction was correct, and if so; why not let the birds play offense, the leopard and raven could take just as many down from the defensive.
Aisha suggests that Rance stays close to her and instead of going after the birds they let them come to them, and attack those that get close while covering each other.
cut me open and let all the ink run from these veins, until my words bleed dry, and only blank pages remain
Despite his best efforts, the birds were enchanted to attack and didn't much care about a little feather-pulling. Soon enough he was the one driven back, letting out a loud kraa of annoyance as he ducked away.
Deimos's reprimand would have been irritating if Rance had been able to give it more of his attention. As it was, he was far too busy making sure he didn't get knocked out of the sky to get annoyed at something so minor, especially when Deimos was making a good point. Aisha followed it up with one of her own. The birds were already coming at them, that was the point, so chasing them was pointless.
Instead of flying further away, Rance spiraled down, circling as low and tight as he could. They couldn't be truly covering each other's backs, not without sacrificing mobility for them both, but if they could take out the one harassing each other.... Get the ones off my tail and I'll go after the ones on yours? Even as he says that, he dives down and drives his beak down at the back of a bird going for Aishe's neck, raking talons and hopefully distracting them before pulling away.
Rance will circle above Aisha with the intent of diving down and taking annoyances off her, or leading birds down into her reach.
Right. Great. Of course it's only natural that the girl basically ignore the situation for a pretty long time, only for Oliver to have to flail around and deal with this himself. The towel was flung into his face and he heard Deimos' voice in his head. Growling in a low, animalistic way, he called out. "Sorry, don't exactly have magic useful in this fucking situation." Clearly annoyed with the towel and then of course, the girl leaped right in front of him like an idiot!
He'd have to talk to her about that later, she's lucky he didn't accidentally use his magic on her. Frustratingly, he tried to use a magic he had only hardly used- just barely discovered by accident. Using his crude earth magic, he tried to raise any bit of ground in front of the water that he could, hoping that it'd prevent some of it from crashing into them. Otherwise, he had no ideas and would've run way if not forced to confront the wave.
My heart beating, my soul breathing, I found my life when I laid it down, Upward falling, spirit soaring
