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!
08-16-2020, 05:48 PM (This post was last modified: 08-16-2020, 05:57 PM by Odd.)
i wish i could say that i am a light that never goes out
The Alchemist wasn't built for many things, he'd learned. Leadership, unwavering moral understanding, being trusted to keep his temper (to name just a few). This past year he'd learned about flaws he hadn't even known he'd had, and so they piled up and up, waiting to be dealt with. And he was, in his own way, even if it was slow going.
But this? Adventure? Running into danger? Potential monster slaying? Oh this he'd found himself to be quite good at.
"There shouldn't be any stairs in the jungle, so I think you'll be alright." He tells Ronin with a cheeky grin, nudging the Star as they set off. Phoebe and Zephyr had agreed to meet them on the way, though by the sounds of things that morning, it was entirely possible that Zephyr had spent in the night in Vai's room. The boys certainly weren't in any position to comment on midnight moans, and so they'd just left together, with Zeph to sneak out and follow at his leisure were that the case.
Closed PQ+ for the Torchline exploration of the jungle! Please note in your summary what items you're bringing.
Remi has a backpack with: some rations, rope, fire-starting materials, water, gin.
but I f l i c k e r
from time to time
REMI
Table and Gif sniping by SKY who is eternally the best forever
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
”I’m not even going to dignify that with a response,” Ronin informs his husband haughtily, nudging him back and flashing him a crooked smirk as they fall into step with each other. It has been a long time since he has done something like this, and he’s practically buzzing with anticipation. ”Do you know, the last time I went into a jungle was in Northaven, on that ridiculous quest to go beyond the wall? Delphine decided to tell us she was pregnant when we were elbow deep in trouble.”
And gods how he hopes that Phoebe doesn’t decide to drop something similar on them during this trip. Ronin doesn’t want to pull the Caido equivalent of I will turn this car around right now on this whole quest. ”Now, if there are any bugs, I will swat them. In return, I expect you to deal with any lions or whatever.”
Ronin brings a backpack with water, first aid materials, and a few sharpened stakes tied with colourful material, to mark anywhere of interest and to keep from getting lost.
On his person, he has:
Type: Light
Eclipse Ring | A silver ring marbled through with an eerie light. When worn, any Ascended within 5ft of the wearer will lose their enhanced senses and speed. {OOC Note: May be used for a maximum of 3 posts per thread.}
Type: Light
Wedding Ring | A ring made of dark stone with flecks of starlit colour inside. Softly beats with Remi's heartbeat regardless of distance. Only works for Ronin/Remi. (Made by Remi)
Type: Grey
Emmett's Axe (Upgraded) | An indestructible axe that will always return to Ronin when thrown. (Made by Remi).
Phoebe was not particularly the adventure-y sort. Quite the contrary, she would have been just as happy to remain home, curled up with a nice book or running her business. However, Remi had asked for her help, and she would never deny his request for aid. Besides, though she might not be the most fighty sort, she did have skills as a healer, and could assist in that manner.
She arrived sensibly dressed in leggings, a tunic, and boots, knowing better than to go traipsing about the jungle in a dress. Hair pulled back in a tight braid with a pack on her back and dagger on her hip - Pim on one side, Branbast draped around her shoulders - she almost looked like she might actually know what she was doing. Almost.
"Hi Remi - Hi Ronin!" she called out as she approached, smiling warmly at them both. Pim grumble growled his greeting and Branbast pointedly ignored them both. "Hopefully the paths here won't move around on us." she said with a light laugh, remembering just how difficult the Greatwood had been to navigate when the Grounds had first been opened up to the place. The Nightingale reached into her pack and rummaged around for a moment before holding out a communication shell. "Remi or Ronin, do either of you want to hold onto this? In case some of us get separated?" she asked.
Phoebe brings a pack with rations, water, basic medical supplies, and a small dagger. She also brings:
Type: Light
Mortar and Pestle | Magical numbing gel appears when the pestle is used in the mortar. It can numb any body part for the amount of time the user requires. (Made by Remi)
Type: Light
Abrasion Gauze: Can instantly heal small skin-abrasions, cuts, bruises, welts, etc as long as they aren't more than skin deep or larger than a diameter of 6"
Type: Light
Clean Bandages | Bandages of an infinite length that never require changing. They self-adhere, self-clean, and have mild antiseptic properties.
Type: Light
Communication Shells | A pair of sea-shells that will carry voices from one to the other, regardless of distance. Made by Remi (2)
Type: Light
Guardian Sphere | A small glass-like sphere (roughly 2" in diameter) that allows a portal guardian to innately sense where their counterparts are. The light within darkens the closer the ascended are to activating a new portal. When held by anyone else, the light dims and nothing happens.
Type: Light
Magical Stethoscope | When used on an organic lifeforms, turns internal sounds to music that can help diagnose potential illness/disease
You show up a little bit late, chomping on an apple as though this was the most casual thing in the world and not the dumbest fucking idea you've ever heard. There's a reason nobody goes into the jungle, as you pointed out to Vai countless times, but she just sent you along with a kiss on the cheek and very firm instructions to bring the children back alive.
Zephyr Kawaianu, babysitter. That's what you've become.
You can hear the girl talking up ahead (Nightengale, some had called her, and based on her chipper and chattery voice you can understand). Following the sound of the voice, you quickly find the assembled group of infamous heroes and demigods. Babysit the children, indeed.
Bowing playfully to your esteemed governor, you look around the crowd with a raised brow. "Jungle ain't gon' explore itself," you point out, as though you weren't the one holding up this expedition, amusement crinkling the edges of your eyes.
Zeph wears:
Type: Dark
Panther Claws | Gloves tipped with the formidable claws of a sea panther. They will make a fine weapon.
And brings his bag of holding, with the following inside:
Bag of Holding | A bag that can hold an infinite number of items, so long as they fit within the bag's 3ft x 3ft opening. The bag always feels nearly weightless, but always looks about 75% full.
Carpet | Can fly with 2 human-sized creatures on it. Can only reach a maximum height of 20ft
3 throwing knives, water, food rations, rope, 2 potential molotov cocktails, a net, bandages, a compass, flint and steel in its own smol bag, 4 torches, and a bottle of whiskey, a change of clothes, other odds and ends.
give your heart to a wanderer who found your soul and called it home
i wish i could say that i am a light that never goes out
"Or whatever. Quite the category, that." Remi snorts in response as he rolls his eyes.
Nodding a hello to Phoebe, grateful that the healer had agreed to come, he glances at one of the shells and looks as though he wants to smile. He can't quite bring himself to, remembering the LongNight which had followed the creation of those shells. 'Smart.' He says with a nod, accepting one of them and placing it in his bag.
"Based on the stories I've heard, I feel like that might not be true." The Alchemist counters as Zeph arrives, flashing the man a crooked grin. It's strange to be an adult and have your basically-mother start...dating. In some situations he and Zeph were on par, some he was the governor and Zeph a near-criminal, and in others, he was the child. Here was hoping the strangeness of all that wouldn't interfere today.
"I know we're all very eager to prove ourselves heroes, but let's just make it back in one piece." Remi says with a smirk, which was his very diplomatic way of saying no hero bullshit, please. "All I want is to know if we can make it in any farther than usual. And to see if this...mist-horse thing that killed the (whatever the NPCs surname was) girl is a threat to us."
Giving them each a look, Remi will take the lead into the jungle. Assuming that there aren't traps here, Remi will be looking for signs of the mist-horse.
Remi gives a no-hero speech and leads the group into the jungle, looking for signs of the mist-horse.
-- no posting order.
but I f l i c k e r
from time to time
REMI
Table and Gif sniping by SKY who is eternally the best forever
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Smiling brightly and nodding to the others as they arrive (yes, even you Zeph!), Ronin stands through his husband’s speech and gives him a good natured nudge to the ribs as if to applaud his efforts. Once upon a time Ronin used to give speeches and lead people off into stupid, dangerous situations. Now he doesn’t give speeches. The rest is much the same, though.
”If it killed someone, it’s probably a threat,” he points out, joviality giving way to slow and calculated calm as he follows at Remi’s heels; it’s time for business, and so the soldier in him comes out to play. ”I’ll scout behind us, in case anything starts to follow.” He doesn’t move, but his astral projection steps away from him to take up the rear, keeping an eye out for danger sneaking up on them.
From just behind Remi, the real deal Ronin unslings the axe from his hip, hefting it over his shoulder in case of any obstacles up ahead.
Ronin follows after Remi, but also conjures his astral projection to guard the back of the group. He also gets out his axe to deal with any obstacles, stationary or otherwise.
Eager to prove ourselves heroes, are we? You snort loudly and without any attempt to hide it, raising your split brow and crossing your arms in a speak for yourself, idiot, kind of look. Unlike the rest of them you have absolutely no interest in being a hero, and would be just as happy leaving the jungle well enough alone. You're only here because your girlfriend (are we saying that?) is a single mother of an ever-growing number of rather foolish orphans, and you want to win brownie points by keeping them alive.
Zest la cheese, or whatever they say. You purse your lips in a huh, not bad frown as the governess splits in two, clearly impressed by this trick. Falling back to where the maybe-not-Ronin trails, you raise a brow to it. Him? "So d'you'n th'other one always think th'same, or d'ya ever wonder what it'd be like t'run off an' live yer own life? Start a farm somewhere, raise a couple ducks?"
Zeph stays towards the back with Astral!Ronin and asks it (him?) some existential questions.
give your heart to a wanderer who found your soul and called it home
Phoebe listened closely, nodding slowly as Remi made his points. Hero? Her? There was one thing he didn't have to worry about with her at least (though perhaps with Ronin and the man she didn't really recognize.) She was certainly not cut out from hero material, nor would she try to fake it til she made it as one. She was just here to prevent people from bleeding out and setting breaks should they occur. Nothing more or less than that.
Pim, however, thought heroism sounded like exactly what they should be doing. Branbast was already irritated that he was missing his second and third naps of the day for this venture.
The Nightingale ended up somewhere roughly in the middle, with the man she didn't know hanging at the back with Astral Ronin and real Ronin up ahead with Remi. Pim took up her left side, eyes peeled for anything dangerous and Branbast keeping an eye on her right side.
Phoebe walks in the middle of the group. Pim looks out on her left and Branbast looks out on her right.
At least, somewhat. Your adventure starts off easy enough, the jungle becoming increasingly thick, the lot of you having to step over vines and roots that stick up out of the ground. The air is humid here, thick with pollen and a quiet buzzing.
Most of you miss it, except for Zephyr, who’ll get a very loud buzzing in his ear from what looks like a dragonfly with shimmering wings, flickering with a bluish purple hue. It stares at Zeph before zooming past his shoulder deeper into the jungle, into the darker vines.
Randomly determined post order: Remi, Zephyr, Ronin, Phoebe.
Please post within 48 hours of the person ahead of you, and leave a summary at the bottom of your post detailing items/magic/etc that are used!
i wish i could say that i am a light that never goes out
With his fingers tipped with claws, the Alchemist slices through the thick leaves that block the path that they've decided upon. What started out as a fairly well-trodden bit of dirt had all but disappeared beneath Remi's feet, leaving it up to him to make his way through. So he walks slowly, slicing enough of a pathway that Phoebe shouldn't be wacked with anything that he brushes aside.
"Hey Ronin, you know any marching songs from your days as a soldier?" The Alchemist calls over his shoulder. They aren't attempting to be particularly sneaky, and if there is anything of which they should be cautious, better that it hears a large group coming its way, rather than the shuffly-steps of what could only be one person.
Remi is slicing away the jungle before him as he makes a path, trying to make sure nothing flaps back and hits Phoebe in the face.
but I f l i c k e r
from time to time
REMI
Table and Gif sniping by SKY who is eternally the best forever
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Look at you, a little row of ducks wandering into the jungle. Wheeeee.
A dragonfly buzzes obnoxiously around your ear. Gah. You swat at it angrily as it flies away, glaring as though it has committed some grand affront. "Look out fer bugs," you caution aloud to nobody in particular, wrinkling your nose. "Fuckers'r big enough t'carry off a horse."
A marching song sounds like a good distraction. You don't know any (and haven't been asked), but you begin to hum your own terribly filthy shanty underneath your breath. For now your main priority is to keep an eye out for any other winged interlopers... as well as, y'know, other potential threats.
Zeph doesn't like bugs. He continues to keep an eye out for more bugs.
give your heart to a wanderer who found your soul and called it home
Ronin is content to stroll at both the back and the front of the group, and his projection smirks at Zeph as he comes to join him. ”I have thought about it, but only in passing,” he says, only for the other Ronin at the front to call back to the dock worker and pick up the conversation. ”Same person, just in two places. Don’t let anyone ever say multitasking is impossible.”
He grins - both at Remi’s comment and at Zeph trying not to get killed by a low flying dragonfly, the Star also helping to clear the path with his axe. ”Any excuse to get me to sing,” he chides his husband, but obviously he’ll indulge them. Gotta use that soldier life for something, eh? He picks up with a song that’s sad rather than filthy - though he knows plenty of those as well. It’s catchy, given that it’s about a girl who dies, but... whatever.
Ronin helps to hack the way through the jungle, and provides morbid entertainment!
(If anyone knows Molly Malone, that’s what he’s singing lmao)
Phoebe glanced back at Zephyr when she heard his exclamation. Bugs? Well of course there were bugs. It was a jungle. The Madame was fairly certain that bugs were the most populous thing in the jungle. Probably. Next to plants anyways. Pim paid that man no mind and neither did Brantbast; the former because he was too busy keeping watch and the other too busy brooding over his missed naps still.
For the moment, Phoebe found herself with little to do. Remi and Ronin were making the path. Zephyr and Astral Ronin kept watch at the back. No one was hurt. So she simply kept marching forward behind the married duo, not wanting to slow them down.
Phoebe contiues walking forward while Pim and Branbast keep watch on either of her sides.
Maybe they are big enough to carry off a horse, maybe you just haven’t seen what else there is out here, huh Zeph?
You all continue on, a casual stroll as it were, deeper into the jungle where the foliage starts to cast longer and colder shadows, where the vines become thicker, where the air becomes more humid and pollinated.
It’s Ronin – both Ronin’s, to be exact – that the dragonfly-like creature that had originally bothered Zeph returns to. But it doesn’t arrive alone, not as it leads the charge for about a dozen of them. They start to cover the Stars, filling into his hair, into his clothes, stuffing beetles and other bugs into his pockets with a whirring buzz of their wings, paired with a bit of an eerie harmonized song.
At the same time, a large vine snaps out, wrapping around Remi’s foot and threatening to drag him deeper into the jungle.
Randomly determined post order: Remi, Zephyr, Ronin, Phoebe.
Please post within 48 hours of the person ahead of you, and leave a summary at the bottom of your post detailing items/magic/etc that are used!
