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!
11-20-2020, 01:34 PM (This post was last modified: 11-20-2020, 01:36 PM by Aisha.)
striking matches to watch 'em burn
"Depends what you think is cool," came Amun's response, to which Aisha paused to consider. What did she want to see from the underground? She had no expectations, only curiosity and ample time to satiate it. She cocked her head to the side, letting her hand come to rest on her hip, the other at the golden ornamented pommel of her sword. "Do people come down here for anything other than the shrine?" she asked, wondering if there actually were any hidden secrets from them to explore, or if they were just dealing with tunnels; long, dark, and slightly damp.
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes You're going to have to make a few compromises
Despite the fact that Aisha hadn't answered the question yet, Amun took the lead. At the next bend, he took them through what looked like a darker shadow to those without Ascended vision. In reality, it was a small opening that led to a larger tunnel, hidden by shadow and geology.
Shrugging at her question, he looked over his shoulder at her. "They do. There are rumors that treasure is buried here, just like it's hidden all throughout the Ruins." Facing front again, he forged ahead, whistling a few notes as he did. Zhanshi tunneled just underneath the potter's feet, the earthen environment the landshark's natural home.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
Amun took charge, deciding his own path and leading her through an opening she wouldn't have otherwise noticed. She could see it well enough with her partially shifted eyes, but she was still prone to overlooking. There was a hint of excitement, even if the tunnel only lead to a bigger tunnel and more earth. Her where does this go? instincts were ringing their bells, the joy of exploration bringing a chill to her skin.
Treasure? Now that was interesting, and only further fed the hungry urge at her core to know more. She ran her fingers along the wall, claws shifting at the tips to create soft indented lines as they walked, "Have you ever gone looking?" she asked, a glint of playfulness in her eyes as she shot Amun a smile.
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes You're going to have to make a few compromises
Once they'd ducked through the smaller tunnel, Amun took a left, leading them upwards for a bit. Shaking his head at Aisha's question, he shot her a grin. "Nope. I've got enough to worry about aboveground without searching for fool's gold." His grin turned to a smirk as he faced front again.
"Besides, there are monsters down here too." Lifting his hands, he formed them into claws even as he chuckled. The laughter bounced and echoed oddly off the stone walls all around them. Zhanshi surfaced so he could bite the potter's ankle. Dropping his hands, he smiled. "Alright, alright, I'll be quiet." He lifted his finger to his lips and made a shushing sound.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
11-23-2020, 03:39 PM (This post was last modified: 11-23-2020, 05:27 PM by Aisha.)
she's striking matches just for fun
Aisha nodded to his reply, returning his smirk with her own. That was fair enough, and it sparked another point of interest, "How's your business going?" she asked, turning to the left pathway after him. The first time they'd met he'd shown her some of his work, and she'd been rather impressed. She still didn't have a permanent residence to put any pots for flowers or other ceramics, but hopefully one day she'd be able to commission him.
His mention of the monsters and his theatrics made her snort, a grin tugging at her lips, "Well if you ever do go looking, I'd be happy to join you. Two pairs of claws are better than one."
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes You're going to have to make a few compromises
Amun grinned at Aisha's question. "Thriving. If you ever want to commission something or browse my wares, you should swing by." Shooting her a wink, he cocked his head to one side. "Remind me what you do for a living?" He took in her appearance, eyes lingering on her hands as if they could reveal her profession. To be fair, oftentimes they could.
Lifting one hand, he inspected his nails. "I mean, I know I haven't clipped my nails in a while, but calling them claws is just rude." He sniffed, though the corners of his eyes crinkled. "Same to you, though I have to warn you I am not a warrior." Whistling a few notes, he led them around yet another bend, inching closer to their destination.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
"I will, as soon as I have a good place to put it," she replied teasingly, enjoying this playful banter as they traversed a possibly treacherous tunnel system. Just how she liked it. To his next question she scoffed just a bit, if I fucking knew, "As of right now? Nothing special, when Deimos left I stopped working with the grounds militia, now I just offer training lessons to anybody who wants em. Trying to get the word out I guess." Nothing was definite, but she knew that she also wanted to travel more, and eventually leave the grounds. Maybe there would be more opportunity elsewhere.
She laughed at his retort about his nails, shaking her own away until they were normal length again, "It's no insult, we're just the gifted ones," she answered, glancing ahead as they turned again. "I hope I'm not being tricked into some horrible trap, that would totally suck," another tease of course, but in all honesty she had no clue where they were going. Surprises were nice though, she felt no real danger with him. For now at least.
11-25-2020, 12:04 PM (This post was last modified: 11-25-2020, 12:04 PM by Amun.)
Amun
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes You're going to have to make a few compromises
Nodding at Aisha's comment, Amun grinned. "Still haven't fixed a place up for yourself yet? That's alright, I'm still living in my pottery studio."
Glancing at her she revealed her profession, he chuckled. "Oh, so you're handy with a sword then?" He winked and waggled his eyebrows.
"Rawr," he responded, feigning clawing at the air and looking not at all fierce when he did it. Laughing, he nudged her with a shoulder. "As I said, I'm definitely not a warrior. Maybe you can kick my ass some time soon. I mean, show me the ropes."
Wiggling his fingers at her, he shook his head. "No trap here. Unless you consider my presence a trap." With that, he took them around one last corner. As he did, there'd be a shimmer in front of them. When they got closer, it would resolve itself into a cavern full of quartz crystals. They weren't worth much, but they were beautiful even in the dim light of the caves.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
"Oh, so you're handy with a sword then?" Aisha shrugged at this, wrapping her fingers around the handle of her sword. "I guess you'll have to ask the people I've fought, those who're still with us," a devilish grin at her joke, doing her best to keep her companion on his toes.
He mentioned possibly training with her, Aisha nodded, "Sounds good to me, I'll teach you some of what I know, and when I know what I want I'll ask you to make me something." Seemed a fair deal, one that she was more than happy to make. Any chance to practice her craft was a welcome one, to feel the wind in her hair as they danced with their sharp, singing munitions.
They turned the final corner, and before Aisha could even think of a response she was awestruck by her surroundings. A cave deep within the system, filled with shimmering quartz. She almost gasped, taken aback by the beauty of the dimly lit reflections, how starry they seemed yet so far from the sky. "I thought you said you didn't know where the treasure was," she joked, shooting him a glance before laying her hand along a tall flat quartz, "These are beautiful."
You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes You're going to have to make a few compromises
Amun burst out laughing at Aisha's comment. "And the ones who are still capable of talking, right?" Grinning at her, he inclined his head.
Rubbing his hands together, he fully nodded at her suggestion. "You've got yourself a deal. And I'll make sure to have my affairs in order, just in case I'm one of those who aren't still with us after you beat the shit out of me." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Snorting, he shrugged. Leaning against the entrance to the cave, he gestured for her to explore. "And I thought you didn't answer when I asked what you thought was cool." Raising an eyebrow at her compliment, he smiled. "You're welcome. Glad I could show it to you." Reaching out, he ran his fingers over the nearest protrusion of quartz.
For now we're happy if not overjoyed And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid
The laughter she'd incited was warm and welcome to her ears, and pulled a slew of laughter from her own lips. "Exactly," she replied to his playful counter, "Now you're getting it." She was glad to have another potential student, someone else interested in learning from her. A good deal is a good deal. "Sounds good, I'll hold you to it."
They entered the crystal cave, the quartz winking their way in various shades of opal. She hummed to his comment about showing it to her - she was glad too. And there they stayed for a little while longer, talking and enjoying the space, Aisha taking a small chunk of quartz for herself before they departed into the remainder of the night.
