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!
10-14-2020, 06:25 PM (This post was last modified: 10-14-2020, 06:31 PM by the VOICE.)
the devil is not as black as he is painted
The call goes out. You hear it in whispers, scrawled on parchment. A cure. The Voice has made a cure. Notes placed on Notice Boards and cried joyfully in the streets tell you the time and place that she would appear. The Spire, in the Hollowed Grounds. Of course, why would it be anywhere else?
And so she comes, exactly as she said she would.
In the shadow of the Spire with a wide smile on her ageless face, the Voice looks almost mortal. She stands with pomp or circumstance, her dark hair plaited down her back and her electric blue eyes bright with mirth. And why shouldn't they? This is a cause for celebration, of course.
"Come to me, those of you who are sick. With the metal removed from Tanau, brought to me by Loren Launceleyn, I have made a cure." Can your gods say the same? goes without saying.
A line forms before her like some strange sacramental offering. Those who appear before her will receive a small sizzle of electricity from her palms, and like magic science, they will be cured.
With the metal from Tanau the Voice was able to reverse engineer a cure for the sickness! Posting here meets the requirement for the SWE portion of the seasonal events, and means you have accepted the cure from the Voice. If you choose this route, your final SE requirement will change from "provide a gift to Tanau" to "provide a gift for the Voice".
HOWEVER, you do not have to accept the Voice's cure. Your character may still proceed with the cure discovered by Wessex and Loren.
Remember, do NOT post here if you are sick, but are not accepting the cure from the Voice. All you non-sick folks can show up if you want to watch.
Well, it wasn't the first family outing that the alchemist would have planned. Not to this place and not for this reason. But being cured and what it would mean for his family took priority, no matter how many terrible memories both he and Ronin had of this place.
And as for his position as a demigod? Ludo itself had said Remi wasn't of any use to it if he was sick. The Lullaby didn't particularly think his proprietor would mind if it got it what it wanted in the end.
And so through the portal Remi, Ronin, and Mateo go.
"I hate it here." Here where Ronin had died. Where Remi had lost him. Where they'd both lost their minds during LongNight. Swallowing hard he presses a kiss to the top of Mateo's head before giving his husband a long look, just in case things should go wrong. "It's always you, for me." He whispers before approaching The Voice.
and then is promptly killed!!!!!! jk
Electricity sings through his senses as the cure is conferred. "Thank you." He mumbles appreciatively, before instantly returning to Ronin's side with a thundering heart.
Who are you? They ask. Death? Sometimes... I say. But not today
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
I want to say I'm sorry for stuff I haven't done yet
Well, Sam wasn't going to hesitate for a moment. The Voice, finally, had saved them! He'd known she would all along, of course, it had just been a matter of waiting. While he wished it could have come sooner (maybe before he'd killed someone on the beach), it was still here and he was at the Spire as soon as he could be, ready to take what was offered.
The news that it had come from Loren was certainly a surprise, but for the moment that was largely unimportant. He knelt, took the electricity to his palm gladly and once he felt the healing power spread through him, he thanked the Voice profusely, telling her he'd be back to see her soon, when there were less people, to discuss something important.
This place has left a mark on Ronin; once he thought it was a mark left when he had died but the Spire has come back to haunt him more than once, and now here they are again. The Star stands with their son in his arms, nosing against his soft curls and smiling gently to Remi as he goes to receive his ‘cure’. He purposely doesn’t look at the Voice - the last time he’d seen her, she was blasting a hole in his chest.
So he watches Remi and he rocks Mateo and waits to see whether or not any intervention will be needed. And luckily - weirdly, almost - nothing happens but the expected. Ronin almost wants to pinch himself, to test whether it’s real. But instead he simply waits for his husband’s return, leaning in for a gentle kiss. ”Nice to have you back.”
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
If there were going to be problems that arose from giving the to the Voice, Loren figured they might have something to do with the cure. So he came to the Spire as the goddess had told him to when he gave her the metal. He'd suffer whatever consequences his actions had wrought.
There was a crowd there already. Not particularly wanting to speak to anyone, he'd shown up shifted, though he figured the Voice might not fully appreciate that. However, he didn't appreciate that she brought up his name. Rumbling deep in his chest, he nevertheless joined the line.
When he arrived in front of her, he tensed. The electricity from her sparked and rippled through him and he let out a huff of air. Nothing felt different, but he dipped his head to her anyway, before padding out of the way to let the next person approach.
Amun had heard the Voice's call. At first, he'd dismissed them as more whispers from his fevered mind. However, as the news spread, he knew it to be true.
So he showed up on the appointed day. Gaping at the crowd there, his goddess at the front of them all, he practically dashed into the line. Bouncing up and down, he sprang forward every time the person in front of him moved ahead.
And then he was in front of the Voice. Gasping as she held out her hands, he held out his as well. The electricity flickered between them, then was inside him. "Coolllllll."
Then he blinked as he scanned himself. He wasn't fully better, not yet. There'd be some symptoms left. But he could tell he would be. Fluid glittered in his eyes as he beamed at her. "Thank you." Ducking his head, he moved out of the way so more could be blessed by her touch.
Bastien had had to be dragged to the Spire by one of his guild members, too taken with malaise and apathy to even believe a cure could be possible by this time. He'd spent too long bouncing between delusion and depression throughout the experience to believe it could get better.
As he saw the Spire though, a small enthusiastic bounce got into his steps as he remembered his temple plans, which he'd hopefully be able to put into effect if he were well. Waiting in line he let himself hope, then a little more, then by the time he'd made it to the Voice he was beaming, thrilled with the idea of getting better. "Thank you, Goddess." He said brightly, taking the cure without hesitation.
"Oh, that is--my mind, it has been so foggy, I didn't realise." He laughed under his breath, holding his head as everything began to clear.
'cause we might as well be blind, if seeing is believing, this parable's misleading
A quick detour before they head home and things begin to change as they know it. Peeling off the layers of Halo, Sunjata glances toward Nate with a raised brow, hearing the whispers of the Voice curing it. Sunjata wonders if Loren had gone through with taking the metal to the Voice, if she’d figured out a way to heal the Ascended. He hadn’t expected it to work for them as well – but the option is given, the words something that he can’t argue with.
Still, it does bring some anxieties pooling into his stomach as he looks toward Nate. What would Safrin think? And the more and more he watches those come and receive the cure – he watches Remi, watches Sam, watches as more and more fill out the line. His hand wraps tight around Nate’s, making their way into the line as well, deciding that it’s more important that he and Nate are healed, more important that Nate is healed and he knows that he has to show his support to his husband.
And so, he steps up, finally taking a moment to look upon the Voice, to feel the electricity spark and sizzle within him, burning away the lingering effects. And so he dips his head, exhaling a breath of relief. “Thank you.” And he steps aside, gaze flickering toward Nate, hand squeezing his husband’s tight.
you've got your shotgun loaded with excuses — that you'll fire in vain — but those 12 rounds just won't do
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Neron has gone on quite the lovely jaunt to the Hollowed Grounds, according to his (currently unreliable) memory. He can’t remember why he’s here, only that Morgan is with him and there are a lot of people and it’s hot, unlike the Citadel. He’s already pulled off his coat, his dark shirt wrinkled all over again and only sort of buttoned at the bottom, and at the sight of the Voice he suddenly picks up his pace, a broad and fanged smile stretching across his lips.
”Thank you,” he murmurs reverently as he steps forward to accept the cure, the zap of electricity blooming through his veins and reigniting everything inside him that makes him whole. With a soft gasp, the Hailstorm suddenly stands up straighter, head tilting back to close his eyes and enjoy, just for a second, the sweet peace of his thoughts. Then, thanking the Voice a second time, he steps away... and actually looks at himself.
”Sweet gods, who let me out of the house like this...?”
I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion
It was hard to believe, after the ordeal they'd had, that Loren had actually done it. Morgan wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth though and had immediately accompanied Neron to the Hollowed Grounds, wishing fervently on her way there that this would be the thing that would cure him; surely his own Goddess would not leave him still in need of help?
She stayed back as he took the cure, a smile on her face wider than most would have ever seen as he stood up straighter, something in his posture just telling her that he was better. At his words Morgan let out a loud laugh, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I did, but you didn't look any better inside the house." Relief soared through her chest like a freed bird; she struggled to remember the last time she'd felt quite so hopeful.
Saiden showed up to the Spire, mostly to see what all the spectacle and hubbub was about. After his brush with the spirit that had ended in disaster, he was planning to leave the gods alone as much as possible. Still, despite the fact that he was sporting an eyepatch over his missing eye, he was grinning.
Standing in the back, he watched as people shuffled through the crowd. He folded his arms across his chest, his eye tracking them as they approached the Voice one by one. Although he saw Ronin and Remi, among others that the the cook knew, the Hali made no move to approach, though he'd nod if anyone glanced his way. Instead he just watched the proceedings silently.
Then you're left in the dust, unless I stuck by ya You're a sunflower, I think your love would be too much
What’s one more detour their way home?
Honestly, it’s an irritation that has Nate flighty and anxious, though he knows this is important, knows they have to be here. He still can’t help the disappppntment though, when they step out of the swirling white of the portal into the shadow of the spire, instead of the bustling port in Haulani.
The Voice though, she soothes everything, hackles and defensive shoulders and the deep deep frown cutting into his face. In stark comparison to the trepidation running through his husband, Nate is excited, though the reason why continues to slip just out of reach, a step or two too far to be grasped. His fingers grasp closer and closer with each step further through the line, until finally, they're before Her.
For someone so suspicious, so reluctant to place trust in the Goddess, Nate looks utterly elated to see her, all of the pieces suddenly slotting into place. He watches a spark pass from the Voice into his husband, watches Sunjata step aside, meeting his gaze, then turns back towards the Goddess, ready to accept the cure for himself.
Clarity dawns slowly, after the spark, Nate’s face clearing and his eye focusing, properly, for what felt like (and was) the first time in weeks. He pulls in a deep breath, as though that proves anything, and grins. ”Thank you.” A whisper of praise, before he’s turning to Sunjata once again, wrapping the attuned in a tight, walking hug, moving them away from the line without interrupting this reunion, of sorts.
Or you'll be left in the dust, unless I stuck by ya You're the sunflower, you're the sunflower
they say i did something bad, so why'd it feel so good?
There were so many people it was like walking through a labyrinth of flesh. Mara reaches out to touch and pinch and hiss threats at those who come too close, eventually falling onto her knees before the goddess and giving her a lazy smile. Only as electricity sizzles through her again do the ascended's senses return, and though she doesn't feel shame or embarassment for her disease-induced actions, she can certainly be annoyed by them.
"Thanks." She mutters under her breath, appreciation not a sentiment that she shows particularly well. Picking herself up off the ground Mara quickly makes her way to a secluded spot, eyeing those still in line as if she has any right at all to judge them for having not yet been cured.
empires fall when we move the unmovable, so tell me all of my secrets, tell me all of my lies,
Mara is the last affected Ascended to take the cure, and with that watchful shepherding done, Wessex steps up to take it herself. There are others she’s concerned about, of course, like Ru - but she can only worry so much about someone who’s disappeared when she has so many problems in front of her.
Palms outstretched in holy communion with her Goddess, the Wraith’s circuits sizzle and fire with something that feels like it’s chasing the virus away. Relief finally begins to seep into her body and energy begins to reappear. Once she can think straight, this role reversal won’t be lost on the demigoddess - for every one who mentions the Blight, she can now shoot back that the Old Gods did nothing to help with this sickness, while her Lady told them how to find the cure, and then made it - for everyone, regardless of affiliation. The Heralds would never have done the same.
“Thank you,” she exhales with a quiet smile, the kind that people have when their pain is finally alleviated. There will be more to speak on later. For now, she needs to continue to clear her head. The Wraith teleports herself to the top of the Spire, where she can sit and watch the remainder of the people come and claim the cure.
