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!
Why you don't got any questions? How you know that this is real?
Coming to the Climb directly from Halo, right after their success with the Mageglass has already put a good slant on the attempt. It feels like a neat set of tracks, a train moving right on schedule. Even the heat from the lava pools and simmering hell can’t bring Nate’s spirits down as he leads his little group into tunnels more or less protected from the flows, the pieces of obsidian he’d gathered strapped to his back.
The tunnels prove to be their own obstacles, Nate remembering just enough from his sick exploration to have a vague idea of the twisting paths they must take, but not enough to get them there quickly. It’s only when they come to very familiar slide that it clicks, and he has to resist the urge to simply slide into the Obsidian Cathedral.
The high ceiling and haphazardly placed blocks don’t fill him with the exact same sense of wonder as they had the first time, but Nate still spends a moment longer than he means to staring at the void above. He recovers with a shake of the head, and the rough sound of his throat clearing.
”I think we should be bold with this one.” Nate steps forwards, turning on his heel as he moves so he can keep his fellow ascended in view while he makes his way to a spot near the centre of the room, behind the basin from where they’ve entered. ”A place this deep should be plenty private already.” Looking around with a more critical eye, Nate hums. ”These bigger blocks are going to need moving, and if we can figure out a way to block off some the entrances, just in case, we should do that too.” With that, he sets down the shards of obsidian he’s been lugging around and gets to work deciding which blocks should go where.
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Amun eyed the lava and gave it a wide berth whenever he saw even the hint of one in the distance. Following Nate through the tunnels, the potter grimaced. "Last time I came to the Climb I almost spontaneously combusted," he warned them.
As they arrived at the cathedral, he whistled. Walking into the center, he nodded at the doctor's instructions. "I can move things. Maybe block the tunnels too, but I'd recommend someone else take care of that." Shooting Nate a look, Amun sighed. "Before you freak, we were both delirious, okay?"
With that, he tapped into the power he stole from Sunjata. Black scales began climbing over the potter's body as wings unfurled from his back. Claws tipped his hands and feet and he fell forward onto all four legs. Soon enough, a dragon stood there. He went to the nearest block and began shoving, pushing, pulling, or picking it up, whatever worked best to move the damn things.
Amun shifts into a dragon and begins moving blocks! He drank from Sunjata in all's well that ends.
"Oh? I found it quite uneventful," Neron says of his experiences of the Climb. Where there is trouble with the lava, he's able to put his ice magic to good use, and by the time they arrive at this Obsidian Cathedral, he's ready to get to work. "Impressive," he mumbles, craning his head to gaze up at the vaulted, void-like ceilings. Spying the work to be done, he's about to say he's happy to take on the task of blocking the tunnels, but then Amun is turning into a fucking dragon.
"Show off," he remarks with a fanged smirk. Not nearly as dramatic but hopefully just as effective, Neron uses some of the larger blocks that Amun has moved out of the way to drag them in front of the entrances. Hopefully it should provide the start of a blockade that he can refine by hand.
Neron uses stolen Telekinesis from locked out of heaven to take the stone that Amun is moving to block the entrances.
Why you don't got any questions? How you know that this is real?
At least he’s not the only one lost in the majesty of the room, of the Cathedral. Clearly there’s no explanation needed for why this is the locale he’s chosen for this. There’s work to be done, no time to dawdle, and as soon as Nate recovers, his team does too, Amun’s words earning him an immediately suspicious stare.
There’s no time to ask for an explanation, Amun shifting into a form that the doctor has only seen bits and pieces of thus far. Nate sucks his teeth, tipping his head towards Neron with a sharp noise of amusement. ”I’ve seen better.” Comes the definitely not irritated rumble.
Amun is more than successful in moving the blocks, the dragons strength easily shifting them, though he reveals something beneath, puddles of lava that quickly shift, morphing into the shape of a wyrm. There are eight of them in total, their small stature compared to the dragon seemingly not a concern, each beast still hissing and snarling at the huge black beast.
Whether it’s because it’s a stolen magic, or simply because the blocks are too heavy, Neron struggles with the blocks. They drag themselves into the vicinity of the other entrances, and stubbornly refuse to move from there. With his job monopolized by a dragon, Nate goes instead to assist Neron. ”I bet we can just flip these up between the two of us.” He says with a hum, patting the surface of one of the blocks.
Round 2
Amun is successful in shifting the blocks, but now has to contend with the small horde of lava wyrms that he’s revealed
Neron manages to drag the blocks towards the entrance, but not in actually sealing anything off. Nate’s offered his strength to assist because I’m not solving every problem with dragons gdi
I am feeling such oppression
You can't tell me how to feel
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Flicking his tail at Neron, Amun rumbled deep in his chest. Baring his teeth at Nate, the potter turns his back to the "doctor." Leaving the other two men to sort out how to block off the entrances, the advisor focuses on moving the blocks out of the way.
Of course, no sooner had he done so when some sort of fiery creature bubbled up from below. Immediately he shifted so he was between the things and the other two Ascended. Then Amun opened his mouth, lightning flickering in its depths, and roared. His goal was to try and scare the critters off without hurting them, though he would if necessary.
Amun tries to block the fire wyrms from getting to Nate and Neron and roars at them to scare them away.
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Dragons and lava wyrms and boulders, oh my! Neron is standing, looking thoroughly unimpressed by the task at hand, when help arrives in the form of Nate. He directs a fanged smile in the other man's direction, nodding to him and glancing briefly over his shoulder to make sure they aren't about to spontaneously combust courtesy of the lava wyrms. Luckily, Amun the Magic Dragon seems to have it in hand, and so Neron turns his attention back to the boulders.
"You may be right... and if we're quick, I might be able to give a bit of extra help. We'll have to move fast before it melts, though." So saying, he taps into the more natural magic within him, conjuring ice to bolster up the boulders, making it easier to slide and lift them to block the entranceways.
Neron conjures ice using Mastered Water Manipulation to lift the boulders a bit. He'll try to help Nate move them in order to block the entrances.
Why you don't got any questions? How you know that this is real?
Little terrors the lava wyrms might be, even they have sense enough to back away from the large, angry dragon, though the retreat is slow, unwilling, and they clearly only go far enough to disappear beneath different slabs, burning eyes watching the intruders.
Between Neron’s ice and Nate’s strength, they do move quickly, maneuvering the blocks into place in front of the other entrances to the cathedral, sealing it shut. They could be moved, with enough stubborn tenacity, just as they had been in the first place, but if someone or something is willing to put in that much effort they have more pressing concerns.
With all the prep work done, it’s time to work on the shrine itself. Nate paces around the cleared away once, twice, finding the flattest surface and scuffing a mark into the ground with his boot. ”This might get tricky. We’ll have to work together to keep everything balanced.” The slabs of obsidian from the spire and his pack are both dragged over to the space Nate’s marked, a thick spool of silvery wire pulled from the bag and presses into Neron’s hands, once the doctor’s grabbed the end.
”Stand in the middle here, and keep this taut. Amun,” Nate snaps his fingers at the potter in his dragon guise, stepping back to gesture at the obsidian. ”Can you hold these upright around Neron? Keep them up.” And that left Nate, with the loop of wire still in his hands. He waits, making sure the others understand, waiting until the first steps have been taken, and then shifts, horns and head first, so he still has hands to loop the wire around his neck, the rest of the nyala’s shape following. Once he’s settled, comfortable, he begins to walk, around and round the standing stones, forcing the wire to hold them upright together.
Round 3 sorry this took so long buh
Almost done! Everything from last round was a massive success!
For the actual shrine building, Nate has asked Neron to hold onto a spool of wire and keep it taut while he wraps it around the slabs Amun is holding upright.
I am feeling such oppression
You can't tell me how to feel
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Amun's eyes watched the lava wyrms right back. When they didn't move swiftly enough for his liking, he rumbled at them, threatening them with a swipe of his claw. Seeing that they were still in hiding, he shifted the slabs they'd slunk under, trying to make it harder for them to emerge while the Ascended were busy with the shrine.
Craning his neck as Nate rattled off the instructions, the potter eyed the rocks. Turning fully, he grabbed them with his clawed hands as best he could. Trying to do what the "doctor" requested, Amun would keep the obsidian stones upright next to Neron for as long and as well as the potter could manage.
Still shifted into a dragon, Amun tries to ensure that the lava wyrms stay away. Then he attempts to keep the obsidian upright near Neron.
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Well, that works out surprisingly well, Neron thinks. Whether it's a stroke of luck or whether he and Nate actually make a decent team, the blocks glide into place and the ice soon melts to anchor them where they stand. With that done, the Hailstorm follows his fellow Ascended back towards the centre of the clearing, wondering what might come next. "Aw, for me?" He grins as he's handed the spool of wire, standing where indicated and nodding as he listens to the plan.
"Stand here and hold this properly? You know, I think even I can't really mess that up too badly." (That remains to be seen, Neron). Still, having taken his place and with Nate and Amun working around him, he works as best he can to keep the spool of wire taut enough without accidentally yanking it out of Nate's hands.
Neron does as he's told, and stands holding the wire! He's very happy about this particular job.
Why you don't got any questions? How you know that this is real?
Amun proves to be quite the intimidating figure, the drops of lava scattering and fleeing from the sharp claws. His act of containment seems to trap them, a sharp squeak of indignation coming from beneath the block. Nate barks out a laugh, both at the potters actions and Neron’s words. ”Its like I know you or something, isn’t it?” A hand reaches up to clap the Launceleyn’s cheek, falling to his shoulder when the doctor realizes it was maybe a touch too familiar. It’s not something he has to sit with long, shifting into a bull and tugging at the wire to hold the shrine together.
At first, it goes well, the first few rounds of the wire, the binding beginning to hold the rocks up and together. Disaster is looming though, in the form of a handful of tiny vengeful bodies, twice as many tiny flaming eyes. As one, lava wyrms swarm out from beneath the rock Amun has placed over them, attacking the dragons feet, forcing Amun to flinch.
And loose his grip on the obsidian pieces they’re using, the slabs falling on Neron none too gently, and trapping him within a tent of stone. Nate turns, the wire loosening, hooves stamping on the ground in an ultimately futile attempt to drive the wyrms away again, an attempt that is almost completely ignored by the majority of the angry little beasts, though a few scatter back to the safety of the rocks.
Last round! The lava wyrms are back with a vengeance!
Amun’s feet are attacked, causing him to drop the obsidian slabs around Neron. Nate attempts to drive the wyrms away again and mostly fails. There are five wyrms left menacing Amun’s feet
I am feeling such oppression
You can't tell me how to feel
my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,
for it is infinite.
Amun rumbled in his chest at the antics of the other two men. However, he was mostly focused on making sure the slabs stayed upright. An effort that would all be for naught as the lava wyrms emerged from where he'd tried to trap them and swarmed him.
Roaring at them, he curled his body around Neron to protect the still Ascended member of their group from attack. As the potter did, his tail and claws lashed out. He would strike at the wyrms as often as necessary until they had been driven off or, if necessary, killed, trusting in the scales and his current form to prevent him from being damaged.
Amun curls around Neron to protect him from the lava wyrms. Then Amun strikes the worms with his claws and tail.
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
The gesture is familiar, but funnily enough it doesn't seem awkward as Nate wanders away. Something tickles at Neron's memory, something just out of reach, but he lets it go in lieu of holding the wire and letting the others go to work around him. Only that seems to end... badly... and he tilts his head at the sudden cocoons of obsidian around him. "Oh, well... that's different," he says, his voice echoing, his tone surprisingly cheerful given that he's essentially trapped.
The lava wyrms are a problem, granted, even if Neron can only spy them through the slabs. "I'll do what I can to help!" he calls, reaching out with magic once more to try and offer his aid. This time it isn't ice, but something more subtle, more sinister, trying to draw the very life force from the creatures.
Neron stays put and tries to use life drain on the lava wyrms!
Base Life Drain : Can take life force from a living thing to temporarily make themselves stronger within a 30ft radius.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Why you don't got any questions? How you know that this is real?
A snort leaves Nate, his hoof stamping on the ground again, the timing of it just convenient enough that it’s hard to tell if he’s trying to be menacing or if he’s ‘laughing’ at Neron’s predicament. There’s more concern for Amun, though shifted as he is the potter is perhaps the most impervious to the attacks of the angry wyrms than any of them. That doesn’t stop the beasts from trying, hot teeth and claws scrabbling at thick scales, dark scorches hiding the natural glint of the black.
Living lava makes for a tenacious creature, but even they can only take so much. Between sweeping claws and roars, stomping hooves and horns, and the invisible, insidious magic tugging at the, the handful of wyrms left are overwhelmed. They scatter for good this time, fleeing to the cracks left in the blocked off passages and disappearing from the Cathedral.
Nate watches them go, only turning to Amun when he’s satisfied that the threat is well and truly gone. Can you spread the slabs out again? We just need to get them steady enough to stand alone. It’s a task that should have been easy, that is easy once they can actually focus on it. It might not be the most elaborate shrine, but Nate finds he likes the execution even more in life than he had in his head, tall slabs of obsidian held upright by nothing by their own weight and glinting silver wire. The last step is easy, shoring up the base with smaller bits of obsidian, jagged and shiny.
Shifting back into himself, Nate offers a hand to help Neron out from within the circled stone, and stands back to look at what they’ve done. ”I think it looks pretty good. And it’ll look even better once there’s some life in it.” That’s a task the Voice will have to offer her hand to though, none of them capable of it, even with stolen shifts and magic.
He’s already invited others to the activation, so all that’s left to do is wait, and call their goddess down to them.
We did it!!! Thanks so much y’all!
Feel free to post a final wrap up if you want, I’ll archive this at the end of the day :3c
I am feeling such oppression
You can't tell me how to feel
