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!
Ten lilies placed, hidden away behind the Mountain's Roar. Ready to pour their healing energy into whoever or whatever stands upon the platform. Ready, perhaps, to give a cure to those untouched by the Voice.
Ah, but there's the rub.
Tanau doesn't like the water. He doesn't like this part of the Climb, and is cautious about it at the very least. It will take more than good intentions to get his attention to come here.
Amalia comes to the call, flying in on gilded wings, her offerings in hand.
Hope blooms radiant in her chest, a nervous prayer that this will be enough. She has heard that the last lily was placed, heard that the potential of salvation is upon them, and though Nate's message leaves an uncomfortable bite in the back of her mind, her faith in Rae and the Old Gods greatly outweighs her fear of any trick by the Voice.
But when she comes back to the arch Tanau isn't there.
Amalia lands upon the bank of the water, looking around with sharp dark eyes. From her basket she extracts her offerings: the beautiful opal she found in these caves, carved into a fiery bird, and a loaf of bread deftly woven into a ring, flavored with chili and herbs.
Then she steps onto the water, tawny wings outstretched. "Tanau," she calls, her low voice smoky, "Please help us, who have kept covenant with the Old Gods. Let our faith not have been in vain. Help us, as we helped you." Silently she adds, tears in closed eyes, As she helped you. Please.
He arrived too; the Sword, the monolith, the General, on careful, meticulous steps, on proceedings both foreign and circumspect. Not without offerings, not without thoughts, not without the meticulous warnings in the back of his mind – everything cautious, calculated, puzzling through the motions.
An echo of another’s words reached him, and he knew them all, the familiarity, the press of the vows, of the oaths, and he couldn’t look, couldn’t breathe, something tightening in his chest. Another gauge taken out of a scarred and blackened heart; jaw clenching, pondering if he should depart.
Zuriel nudged him forward, and he angled on, eyes refusing to go to the Shield. Instead, he lifted the blackened metal lantern out of his satchel, igniting the flame, permitting the details to emerge along the scattered embers of its strong, sturdy design. He didn’t stand beside Amalia, but somewhere in the midst behind the water – and then, wondering if it would be an issue, a problem, incantations began to stir.
Then he strived, reaching, reaching, reaching in the back of his mind, to pulse, divert, and pull the depths out of the pathways – for a fire god to step along the boundaries without complaint.
--
Deimos offers a black metal lantern, and attempts to divert the water out of the pathways with his Mastered Water magic.
Melita hadn’t gone to the Voice’s shackles, tethers, and lines; too distrustful, too burdened by her own past and plight with the blight. And while the goddess had healed Sunjata, Nate, and the multitude of others, the youth would take her opportunities for curiosity towards those of the Old; and towards brambles and branches of fire.
No hesitation in her youthful steps, she came towards the area, listening to the roar of the water, to the echoing sounds of the chasm. Fangorn bound himself at her side, and the honeybee was simply there to support, to see, to view, to watch, and to learn. In the past, Sunjata and her had speculated about the potential of Tanau, and she wouldn’t let an opportunity slip away. Not coming empty-handed, she slipped her hands into her pockets to produce the variety of beautiful stones, each a different hue, tradition for her prized wares to be granted and given to the heralds. Several were a cool obsidian hue, others a pale, stark glow of ivory, and some muted pinks and blues. “I’ve come to grant you these,” she whispered, light, hushed into the presses of the unknown. “In hopes that you might heal those sick.”
Oliver isn't the first one to arrive, but he's also probably not he last.
He tries to not stare that the god, knowing to treat him respect.
Once it is his turn, he steps forward. Pulling from a bag, he holds out two items: a smooth stone with a finely painted fire on it along with a small blade, where the hilt is delicately engraved with swirls and a couple of glittering gems. "I painted the stone myself and made the blade using the fire in my forge... I hope you like both of them." Care was clearly put into both of them: one being a drawing that reminded Oliver of him and the other being created through means most likely familiar.
With the items presented, Oliver moves to stand by Melita, finding comfort in her presence. The other two were far too occupied. "I can use my earth magic to help part the water as well... maybe create a bridge for you... should you want me to do that?"
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
Finn arrives with Amalia, and he arrives without anything to bring as a gift for the LongHeat god. Unexpected is his being here, and so the Spylass lingers back from the shore of the waterfall with his hands resting in the pockets of his pants. The thick clothing he has been wearing for the trek through the tundra is folded neatly on a rock somewhere behind him, and he gazes up at the roaring water with sweat glistening on his brow.
"Tanau," he says softly. "I may not have anything for you but my being here, but... for the good of those who are still sick, please do nor forsake them." Yes, Finn is one of those who are still sick. But he means it - he means the others, those who have gathered in good faith for Tanau's arrival.
There is nothing, for a time, and it seems as though their calls have gone unheeded. But slowly, the items brought will seem to pulse with heat, winking out of existence a moment later as if squirrelled away somewhere safe. "Thank you for the gifts." Tanau's voice comes from the shore a small distance away. He sets the Mountain's Roar alight with a myriad of colours, all of them streaming from his form, and the heat will be felt all around. (Even moreso than the mere heat of the Climb).
For a few moments the LongHeat god merely lingers, reluctant to go anywhere near the pounding water, but with a slow and shuddering breath, he nods to them all. "If one of you would part the waterfall for me, I will try to cross. Any other help you can provide would be appreciated."
Tanau has arrived in response to your pleas and offerings! He requests help getting to the platform behind the waterfall.
You have 48 hours to respond, or until everyone has posted. New arrivals may still post at this time.
She doesn't have to turn around to know Deimos is there; she can hear him, smell him, feel him in the small space, a presence as familiar as the beat of her own heart. A heart which catches like her breath, leaving her unsteady and light-headed on the water, the world spinning beneath her feet. A million emotions cross through her mind, a thousand raging thoughts and screaming feelings-
-and she swallows, pushing them all away, her entire attention focused upon the task at hand. On Tanau and the way he illuminates the falls, the memory of the last time she saw him - of Kiada's fall - another distraction to swallow down.
Stepping across the water towards him, Amalia bows her head. "Thank you, Tanau," she sighs in relief. The heat that radiates him leaves beads of sweat upon her skin, but she stands against it, resolute. "I can cover you with my wings, if you allow it. Or carry you over the water's surface. Or both."
Amalia offers to shield Tanau from the water with her wings, and/or carry him over the surface of the water.
Something tightened his chest so morosely, so painfully, that he thought he was becoming ill again – a lurch in his system, in the echoes of heartbreak, in the tumultuous eaves and ebbs that had consumed him since departures and losses. His fingers clenched tightly in Zuriel’s mane, and she allowed it, pressing her maw against him so that he remained upright and he could lean on her if he needed to, because otherwise he was going to be swallowed whole –
A breath, stillness, a lantern gone, words echoing, and he raised his head, away, away, away from the thorns and nettles, the void piercing through him. Then there was nothing but the pounding water, the roar of the falls, the frozen, nonchalant venues striving to repair all his broken parts. A chill where he’d been snapped and chained; and then only incantations. "I can try," he offered - breaking the silence on his tongue. He could try and try and try and sometimes it didn't matter. Sometimes it amounted to nothing.
Action. Movement. Motion – through magic, and not his own statuesque form. The water enchantments maneuvered through him, pulsing and pervading, attempting to do exactly as the god requested. Parting falls, parting rivulets, parting the water so that Tanau might pass through.
--
Deimos attempts to part the falls with Mastered Water magic.
Melita can’t do much more than stare – her offerings taken, her head bowed, then raised almost instantly thereafter, gazing along a LongHeat god. Not what she or Sunjata had imagined, pictured, months and seasons ago, and she almost laughed in spite of it all – but kept that tethered and hidden too. The heat punctured and pierced, and she recalled the images of the Dragon’s Throat, the binding, blinding glimpses of the sun, and it was almost peaceful, almost tranquil, almost like rivulets of home.
But all she could proffer was her hand – gliding forward in efforts to provide support. She didn’t have any weaponry that would aid in a time like this; the arrows would seethe, burn, or freeze, and none of that would assist. The staff would maul. The honeybee was simply there; if the deity required it.
Her worries remain; the unpredictability of visions and the unfinished warning echoing in her head until she has little choice but to curb it all by going there herself. There’s no intention to interrupt, to stop, or do anything other than observe, so she takes her shadow cloak and teleports herself to the mouth of the tunnel, which is hopefully swathed in shadow. Here, she can quietly watch and perhaps, if needed, save one of them.
Hell, if it weren’t Tanau they were talking to, she could have teleported the god of Longheat behind the waterfall. But this is not her fight, it’s theirs and they are more than capable. So Wessex remains quiet and hopefully invisible in the shadows, waiting to see what will happen.
There's a scrunch of his brow. "I think I have an idea too..." While Deimos was parting the water, Oliver made quick work of finding a large, flat stone. Carefully, he lifted it up using his telekinesis and slowly carried it over to the waterfall. Then, he moved it so it was right where the water was parted. Raising it up, it would be almost an umbrella now, making sure that no droplets would accidentally land down.
He makes sure to pay attention to the actions of others, hoping to not step on any toes. "Lets hope this goes well... if you need me to do anything, please let me know immediately." Oliver wasn't confident in the idea that Amalia had, but he could only hope for the best.
Oliver uses a stone as an umbrella! He uses his telekinesis to carry it over and hold it up. It'll be where Deimos parted the water to provide extra protection for Tanau!
blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures
To see the LongHeat god in the flesh is a lot different to seeing his aura, tainted and blackened, through the spectacles that still feel very heavy in Finn's pockets. He is caught, truthfully, by all that transpires, barely hearing the words exchanged and getting distracted instead by those who jump into action. Distantly he thinks he has read something about this place, the waterfall and the lilies and the properties, and he racks his memories for anything else he might know about it.
But then earth is moving, water is parting, and Finn's lips part in a mixture of quiet awe and discomfort. To see Abandoned in action is much different to hearing about it or thinking about it, and he clears his throat and drops back to let them work. The less he gets in the way, the better.
10-31-2020, 08:33 PM (This post was last modified: 10-31-2020, 08:42 PM by Court Official.)
TANAU
Tanau smiles between Melita and Amalia, nodding to them. "I will do my best not to burn you," he says, allowing the Shield to carry him across the water with her wings, the honeybee girl to steady him with her hand. And with the waterfall parting and the umbrella of stone protecting him from the roar of the mountain, thanks to the combined efforts of Deimos and Oliver, before long Tanau is standing before the archway, before the platform, and he draws a long, deep breath.
"Thank you," he says, and his voice echoes around the cavern, even to those back on the shore. "Let us end this now." Without further ado, he steps upon the platform, beneath the ten lillies which begin to pulse and glow overhead. Closing his eyes, Tanau seems perfectly content under the arch, and one by one the lilies in their hollows ignite with opalescent fire. As they do, the light they create fractures outwards, through the water, casting rainbow prisms across those who are gathered there to be cured.
They also fall upon Wessex, who will find that her systems reject the light where it hits - but there's no surprise there.
It is done, and the sickness is ended. And yet, in its wake, a curious rumbling underfoot...
Congratulations, you have used Tanau to cure the sickness! All those who did not accept the cure from the Voice will now find themselves healthy again.
