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!
I want to bring my fear, loathing, and delusions to a pourI want to tip panic and reason into my god-fearing mouth
Amun is far more prepared than he, a fact that Nate is quietly grateful for as he accepts the pickaxe, going to work at the opposite end of the tunnel the potter does, so they can meet in the middle. His work doesn't pause as the tentative suggestion is voiced, the idea thought over, disgested. He's not sure how he's become the brain behind this, because he most certainly isn't qualified.
"A dam's a good idea." The words come as he pauses, straightening again to gesture closer to the interior of the cave, rather than the mouth. "Along there though. We don't want to block off the channel." The last few words are drowned out by the roar of thunder, the rumble of shifting and falling rocks above them. The crack as they land, and sudden shock in the back of his head as one lands squarely on him.
It might not hurt, but the rock shattering his foot does give him pause, his expression distant as a dozen emotions work themselves out on his face. It's only when he's schooled them back into something less angry that he responds, forcing a tight smile to his lips. "Just fine!" He calls back, taking a step to prove it and stumbling slightly, teeth clenching tightly. Nate refuses to let something so simple as a broken foot keep him from working though, the pickaxe not stilling. If they had to outpace the storm, they would.
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Nodding at Nate's suggestion, Amun glanced at Mabel. "You got all that?" Hopefully the woman would take the doctor's suggestion to heart and try to block off the inside of the cave beyond the ditch they were digging. Kind of like a moat outside a castle.
Then lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, so close that the potter instinctively flinched. As rocks began to fall again, he tensed, preparing himself to leap out of the way. However, it was Nate who ended up getting the worst of it as a stone slammed into the other man's foot.
Amun hissed in sympathy. However, when the doctor declared himself fine, the potter's eyes narrowed. "Liar." It came out quietly. Still, he didn't order the other man to stop. Instead, Amun just redoubled his efforts, trying to dig the channel so they could get out of there as soon as possible.
RE next
Amun continues to dig the channel and suggests Mabel follow Nate's instructions and place the rocks on the inside edge of the ditch.
The thunder continues to roar, and the cave to shudder. Another huge gust of wind slams into the cave, this time knocking Amun off his feet. It is followed by a rogue wave which crashes through the narrow opening, sending Mabel and Nate sprawling and filling the moat, and the rest of the cave, with about a foot of water.
Ideas, ideas, ideas, thrown at her when she didn’t have many for herself. A nod, indicating her understanding, before she maneuvered around and began to align the ones she’d already placed – not intending to block off the channel, but to dam along the interior. She attempted to work efficiently, quickly, before another onslaught of rain, wind, or gale ruined what they’d already accomplished.
And sure enough, in no time at all, a wave hastened along the stone – sweeping them along with it. Her rocks didn’t quite matter with such a tide, and several scattered around, knocked asunder by the strength. Mabel was sent to the ground too; enough of a feral hiss escaping her mouth to voice her displeasure. While there wasn’t any pain, frustration was still an imminent force, and when she pushed off from the cavern again, the water had risen. “We might need a better plan,” she mentioned, loudly, over the ruckus, while she grabbed hold of the stones chiseled away.
I want to bring my fear, loathing, and delusions to a pourI want to tip panic and reason into my god-fearing mouth
Maybe he wasn’t in pain, but there was still a range of things Nate could feel, a storm raging inside of him to match the monsoon howling outside. ”Obviously.” Came the clipped response, a single narrowed eye darting to Amun. ”Unless you have a way to fix it though, it’s fine.” Nate’s tone was at odds with the look on his face, even, steady, somehow calm, in the face of everything.
Though frustration came to a head as the storm whipped into the cave, sending him sprawling. A small mercy that he is naturally breathless, else the impact would have been more serious, but he’s still knocked off his feet, still utterly soaked. A low growl tumbled out of him as he pushed himself back to his feet, hands searching for the pick axe that had been swept out of his grasp. ”Well unless either of you have another idea, this is what we have.” Patience that had only barely been present in the beginning was fraying, threatening to snap, as they faced challenge after challenge.
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Narrowing his eyes right back at Nate, Amun pressed his lips together. "Was just trying to lighten the mood." Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to say more.
Which was when a gust of wind of all things blew in and knocked him down. Growling with annoyance, he struggled to his feet. Looking between Mabel and the doctor, the potter sighed. "Let me try something."
Stalking over to their tools, he set aside the pickaxe he'd been using, two shovels, and a bucket. Then he rearranged the pile so all the metal parts were touching. Tossing in his belt knife and cutlass for good measure, he laid his hands on the metal.
Then he activated his newest upgrade. The metal began to ripple and move under his command. He ordered it to form into a low rectangle, wider at the base for stability, as thick as he could manage with the supplies on hand. It came up to about mid-thigh and he placed it where he'd suggested they lay the rocks to form a wall.
Amun uses his upgrade to turn the metal from most of the tools into a two and a half foot tall wall just inside the ditch they are digging.
Metal Manipulation Upgrade | When in contact with metal, can conduct electricity through it making it malleable. Surfaces larger than 6ft by 6ft take considerable effort. The ability works best the higher the metal content, becoming unstable at anything below 50%.
A good plan, Amun, except for the part where your upgrade stops working halfway through.
Turns out being in water in a lightning storm is a bad plan. Somewhere outside, a bolt hits the water, sending electric currents streaming through the waves and right into the trio of Ascended. Like overloaded machines they stutter and seize, coming to after a moment of heat to find their upgrades have stopped working for the next two rounds.
She wished she had something to actually help, instead of just menial, physical labor. But she didn’t have metal upgrades, or anything, for that matter – pausing to watch Amun form his configurements while she hastened to move stones so they actually formed a fortification.
It didn’t matter moments later anyway – the waves sent more than just their typical lifelines, and suddenly her body seized, contorted, without her permission. A gasp embedded in shock left her, and she collapsed for a moment, stupefied, confused, before being able to push herself back up again. “Now what?” was a low grumble, but she knew she couldn’t be mad at them. It wasn’t their fault she was utterly useless.
I want to bring my fear, loathing, and delusions to a pourI want to tip panic and reason into my god-fearing mouth
The urge to snap rises anew with Amun's explanation, Nate firmly of the opinion that this is not a situation levity will help. The best thing to do is for everyone to keep their mouths shut and their hands busy, and maybe they can get through this without too many other mishaps. That doesn't mean he's unwilling to pause, to let the potter try whatever it is he's going to, their tools repurposed into a wall.
At least, that's what they're going to be repurposed into. The storm has other plans for them, now that it finally seems like they might be able to get their heads about the water. Nate isn't even sure what happens, but his body seizes, burns, and he collapses to his knees.
It takes him longer than he really wants to admit to find the will to move again, and even when he does, all Nate can do is look around them, the half-made wall and the flooding cave. "I don't know." Maybe if his voice wasn't so rough, it would be easier to hear the resignation in it. Still, he pushes himself up, struggles through the water to try and fill in the wall where it was unfinished. Luck has not been on their side so far, but perhaps this time, they'll be able to eke out some relief for themselves, a moment to actually think over a better plan.
09-08-2020, 06:11 PM (This post was last modified: 09-08-2020, 06:15 PM by Amun.)
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Amun found himself writhing on the ground. It took him a moment to put together the events that had occurred: the lightning strike, the shorting out of their systems, the deactivation of their upgrades. He started cursing like the sailor he once was, ending with "...saggy mermaid's tits!" Growling, he pushed himself to his feet.
Stalking to the front of the cave, he picked up the nearest rock to try and move it into place next to his half-finished wall. "Now we do this the old-fashioned way. And if that doesn't work, we'll come back with more bodies and a solid plan in place." However, he wasn't ready to quit yet.
Amun works with Nate and Mabel to try and use rocks to fill in the wall they were trying to build.
For a moment things seem to be going well. The storm is subsiding, the tide pulls out. The wind shifts, taking the lightning away with it. Amun's plan seems to be working.
Then everything goes wrong.
There is no sound to go with the tragedy, only the rush of the storm outside. Mabel's foot gets trapped between stones and she goes down, faster than even an Ascended can react. The receding tide draws her lithe body out, crashing it cruelly into stones, dashing it on the rocks. There is no blood to darken the water, only a clear sheen of fluid.
Search and search, but you won't find the body. Stripped too soon of her youth and purpose, the young Ascended is gone.
Oh no! Mabel has been swept out to sea and the PQ has failed!
