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!
11-04-2020, 10:32 PM (This post was last modified: 11-06-2020, 06:20 PM by Gideon.)
Gideon
Imposing penance one by one
You've got a virtue in a vice
While Gideon had been a member of the Order for twenty years and knew many of the members well, he had never been close to it's leader. True, he didn't know of anyone that claimed to be close to Cian, the man quite the distant sort. Gideon was not easily intimidated, but he had sometimes avoided the leader's gaze, finding it just a bit too penetrating, and he was sure that stopped several of the younger, shyer members from even trying to approach him.
Still, he had news and questions. Often he wondered how closely aligned the Order and Old Gods were in their intentions, if there were different desired outcomes, if their Order's plan was manipulated by human want; hopefully Cian knew if it ever came to a clash, he'd choose the Gods in a heartbeat.
Knocking on the office door, Gideon waited for it to be opened; he had enough respect for Cian not to barge in. Standing with his hands behind his back and his chin high, he waited for their leader.
"Come—" Cian's voice carries toward the door even as he remains seated at his desk. The Eye is not the sort of servants, but as busy as he is, he hasn't the time to be opening doors when the men and women of his employ have perfectly good hands with which to do so.
Seated at a rather grand desk before a floor-to-ceiling window, the Eye looks over various papers with a hardened and focused denim-blue stare. The rest of the office is carpeted in deep red, boasting intimidating bookcases which are filled from bottom to top. There is also a rather lovely and ornate fireplace, bordered by a couch and two chairs. However given the cleanliness of the room and the relative chaos of Cian's desk, it's clear where the Eye spends most of his time.
Hearing the call, Gideon opened the door; he had come to Cian's office rare enough that he wasn't sure of the details and etiquette. Coming into the room, which was impressive, he glanced about for a moment with raised eyebrows to take it in before walking behind the chair facing Cian's desk and leaning his hands on it.
"Cian. I wanted to come and fill you in on some things I've been doing." As a member of the Order yet also, in his own mind, the leader of the Temple first and foremost, Gideon sometimes felt like a man trapped in two worlds; similar goals but not much communication, despite the Order's basis in faith and the opinion of the Gods. As often as he could, it felt beneficial to try to remedy the gap.
Moving to sit, he leaned back and put one leg over the other, hands together to try and mask some of his excitement as he said: "I met with Ludo."
Glancing up at the Priest, the Eye seems to consider for a moment, before nodding. He gestures to the chair set out in front of his desk, that Gideon might sit down if this is to be a lengthy conversation.
Piety, was a given for members of the Order. Though it was not much of a surprise that Cian's relationship with the gods was more perfunctory than it was pious. Still, he looked appropriately awed as Gideon mentioned Ludo. That the heralds have been back in the world only the past few years makes their encounters feel all the more special. Or so it seems, anyway.
"Fascinating. Do, go on." This is said without sarcasm or snark despite the way the words might want to twist in that direction. Cian's dry accent and polite smile force them away from that, though.
Gideon smirked just slightly, a twitch on one side of his mouth, at Cian's response; characteristically dry and understated, but interested, like he hoped the leader of the Order might be. "I was at the Celestine and I prayed for guidance with the Ascended, what we must do and how we could further remedy the problems at hand." Not that he didn't have faith in the Order, but it was nice to get advice directly from the Gods sometimes too; hopefully Cian would understand.
"I went...well, I was spurred to go because I met an Ascended 'Demi-God', Oxymoron as that is, something made from nothing by the Voice." The thought still disturbed him and he kept himself from shuddering, but the disgust in his tone would be evident. "They grabbed me by the Spire in the Hollowed Grounds, but I scared them off; that the Voice can just make new acolytes was concerning." Gideon could see in his minds eye hundreds of them, all with the same face and voice, stood in rows beneath the ground, ready to burst.
"Ludo gave me a list of tasks, and the reward will be a device that will allow me to seek out their shrines." Gideon paused to let this sink in. "I am almost ready to return with the tasks complete, so soon we will have this new advantage."
The Eye nods for the Priest to continue. If the man has overstepped his boundaries in this, there is nothing on Cian's face to suggest it. But of course when it comes to a man like the Eye, that means very little. "She is back to her old tricks." Cian mutters dryly. Osozo. Azrael. Abominations. Interesting ones, and each serving as a litmus test for how far advanced the Voice is this time around, but abominations just the same.
Nodding his head approvingly at what Gideon has to say (though not looking surprised by the information..interesting, that), the Eye can only smile. "A new tactic. One they won't be expecting. Well done, Gideon." Dry and smoke-like though his tone is, Cian really does sound appreciative. "I trust you'll work with Amaris and the Dragoons? That they might assist you in your ventures towards the shrines? Once you..find one or two of them—" They both knew that Gideon wasn't planning on just having fieldtrips to them of course, "—they will no doubt put up quite the fight."
Gideon nodded grimly in agreement. The most worrying thing about these new Ascended was just how human-like they appeared; it was impossible from a distance to discern them from another race. How many were already in the world?
In his own excitement about the situation, he didn't pick up on Cian's lack of surprise, already expected a calm reaction from the man anyway, based on past experiences with him. "Yes, of course. I'm hoping we might be able to sneak in when the Ascended are away and destroy them before the Voice can call for help, but..." He shrugged, knowing full well that unfortunately, the New Gods did have more tricks up their sleeves. "It's good to have back up."
Pausing, he thought for a moment, then looked to Cian with curiosity: "Has a member of the Order destroyed a shrine before? Do we know at all what to expect?"
Reclining slightly in his chair, eyes flicking toward the ceiling as if the answer to the Priest's question might be found there, Cian considers. "That might be a question for our Spyglass. Perhaps shrines were destroyed long ago, before the barrier when last she was out in the world. But none have been destroyed in our lifetimes." His blue eyes flick back down toward Gideon. "It is possible that they're trapped somehow. All the more reason to take the dragoons with you. Or the Artificer, even. No doubt Seraphina might have ideas about disarming traps."
Tapping his fingers on his desk, the Eye leans forward again with a thoughtful smile. "Or I wonder if animals and the like couldn't be recruited for this task."
"Good idea. I'll ask him about it." That he and whoever went with him would be the first in their lifetimes to undertake such a task was exciting; perhaps this was the next step in their mission, the thing they had not yet tried which would tip the Voice off her perch and mark a new age for their world. As for Sera...well, Gideon supposed he would mention it to her, but he was more hesitant about taking her with him. She was a member of the order, but she was also not unlike his daughter, and he knew well this could be dangerous.
"Animals? Do you have any of those in mind? Can't say I know a great deal." Unless they were to ask Lena for a loan (and those in her charge were hardly tame), Gideon didn't know where they'd find a pack to fight for them. "Or do you mean I should ask the Gods for that kind of help?"
"I more meant an attuned, perhaps." The Eye clarifies. No doubt Gideon would be able to decide for himself what the best way forward was, and who he wanted to recruit the assistance of. Unlike others, the Eye did not micromanage. Those in the Order were selected because they were best suited to their roles, and in all the time the Eye had known the Priest, it wasn't often that the man ever made a bad call.
"Keep me up to date when you can, won't you?" It was kindly said and punctuated with a smile, but that didn't necessarily make it a request.
"Aah. Then I might have someone in mind - A Demi-God, but she can shift." Gideon wasn't sure if Amalia would be up to the mission after her relatively soft viewpoint on Ascended had been voiced, but perhaps she would see this as a chance to prove herself; he would certainly think more of her if she helped. "I hope we have enough with the people I have - maybe we'll find it has no defenses...but I think that's just wishful thinking."
As for keeping Cian up to date, he nodded and went to stand up. "Of course. I think we're intending to go in Deepfrost, Flowerbirth at the latest. I'll get a report back to you one way or another even if things go wrong." With that said, Gideon gave his goodbyes and left, having satisfied his Order-duties for the time being.
