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!
It was true – the questions, the statements, the inquiries sounded vastly familiar; the natural way of things as individuals aged, as they began to understood the way of the world. Death was a part of life, as were souls being taken to Mort, where they could remain in peace, in serenity, in tranquility, after a hardened one here. As children, they learned not to fear the art, the act, of dying, because Mort waited for them. Because there would be repose again. Because it was already a certainty. It was what they did in the current life that might cause far more apprehensions and vexations, given the riling circumstances. Lena listened quietly, one hand going into her pocket for some treats for a nearby rhamphire. “I can see how that would be beneficial.” She’d yet to even think about going to guidance in aspects of the Ascended – ignorance was bliss, perhaps, in the way she hadn’t been exposed to them. Nothing, short of tales like these.
Power and immortality, temptation, new ways over the old, her head shaking in the disbelief, in the quiet maelstroms enticement eternally extended. But her suggestion was given some thought, even though she hadn’t yet fully immersed herself into such a rabbit hole. Her head lifted, tilting, eyes going to the stars lit along the horizon, to the gentle swirl of life not impacted by such vehemence. Not yet. “I’m sure one of you is skilled at propaganda. Or -,” and here her brows furrowed slightly, the uncertainty peeking through. But she wouldn’t cease on the notion, allowing it to mend and bend into the bridges. An idea; and perhaps nothing more. “Maybe there are some who are unhappy with their choice. They don’t like what they’ve become.” Perhaps it was too late to alter them back; but to prove a point? To ruin the goddess that destroyed them?
Give your heart and soul to charity 'Cause the rest of you
"Yes, though I really must stress that talking to any God can be beneficial. I would be doing poorly at my job if I didn't." Gideon half-joked. While he was sure he was not about to be cast down from the skies for saying what he was, it was still a good idea to make sure he covered his bases for not insulting the other Gods; an angry Safrin in particular would be a hassle.
He looked up to the stars as she did, thoughts of Safrin inspiring him to glance at them and their beauty. "Is it propaganda if it's the truth?" Gideon asked with a chuckle, though as he thought about it, he supposed all who made 'propaganda' likely believed they were telling the truth too. It would be a worrisome thought, were he not entirely convicted in the righteousness of the Old Gods.
"And what would we do with them?" He asked, glancing back down to look Lena in the eyes. There likely were Ascended with regrets, but as far as Gideon was concerned, they were just as much a lost cause as any others.
Light and petal-soft footfalls cascading over starlit walkways continued, persisted, despite the heavy notations of conversation – as if this were normal, to philosophize about Ascended wakes and their suspicions, their faults, their flaws. Her hands went to more cages, more enclosures, offering what she could out of habit, a sweetened smile for a wounded beast, a refill of water for another. “Of course,” and she laughed, not mistaking Gideon at all. Everyone was allowed to have their preferences – the youth wouldn’t deny him that. “No judgement from me.” A wrinkle to her nose followed, with a joking wink, as they meandered further and further through the garden.
And maybe she wanted to crawl into its depths now, into florets and blossoms, wonder why she ever brought up the subject matter in the first place. It’d been consternation and curiosity, an undoing now more than ever, and she’d already immersed herself into the thick of it now, a little sigh flickering through her chest, her nose. “Convince them to turn against her?” Which sounded simple in theory – but likely wasn’t at all. Set them on a path towards destruction? Did New Gods permit their own to make such decisions? Or would they be regarded as mutineers from the start, and be broken before they even got an opportunity?
A shuddering thought; the way the world had convinced these individuals to go towards her, when they could’ve been shown paths along so many other wonderful heralds and deities.
Give your heart and soul to charity 'Cause the rest of you
What Lena was feeling was shared; it did feel odd to discuss the Ascended when surrounded by such beauty, the stars and nature a reminder of the world they were defending; it felt as if it should not be tarnished by even a mention of the Voice and her creations. Still, Gideon was nothing if not opinionated, and always willing to talk of his mission.
"I doubt that would work. She made them, has parts of herself inside their bodies-" He almost shuddered at the thought of it, all those perfectly healthy people ruined with metal and electricity taking over their being. "-I'm sure she could kill them easily if she wanted to, and I don't doubt she would." If there was one thing that Gideon could say for the Voice, it was that he had gathered the opinion she could be quite ruthless when she had to be.
The topic really was getting too gruesome for the location now though, so he left it after that, instead choosing to ask about specific plants in the garden or plans she had for the future, lighter and easier things to speak of, so that this rest could actually fulfil it's purpose. Once he reached the end of his walk he thanked her for the conversation, glad he'd come here to remind himself of what mattered.
