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!
It was no secret that Remi Taliesin was now a resident of the Greatwood. For years and years only Ianto and Delphia had the honour of living properly among the fae. Though the alchemist was dwelling in Vai's old cabin in the woods and not in the village, still he knew his presence had been felt throughout the Greatwood.
For better or worse, they were all going to have to work together now. Having left a note on the notice board to let the remaining fae know of his intentions to hold a meeting to discuss the reason he was in their woods, and what Vi and Mort had instructed him to do, Remi waits in the village. Having one been governor of Torchline, having been in strange positions that required leadership, the alchemist is not so bumbling and awkward in front of crowds as he might once have been. Still, he doesn't wear the mantle of leadership well, even more so with Ronin around him to provide his unwavering support. But, this isn't about him, as Mort and Vi made clear.
So here he is, standing beneath the dappled sunlight; this non-soldier in charge of creating a stronghold against the ascended.
Now don't you look so grand, runnin'
Through the reds of my traffic lights
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
As promised Remi had called a meeting with the Fae. Also as promised, Alina showed up to hear him out and likely help coordinate their efforts. This time, she came weaponless besides the knife at her belt, walking up. Glancing around at the Village, she frowned when she saw she was the only one openly there.
"I might be the only one to show," she warned. "Unless you had any luck contacting Delphia?" With that, she went to go sit on a nearby root, falling silent. Picking up a stick, she began to whittle at it, needing something to occupy her hands and minds as she waited for the meeting to actually start.
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper found herself running late to the meeting -- she'd lost track of time while getting ready -- and arrived somewhat flustered, just in time to hear Alina's words.
"I'm here!" she said, blushing a little. "Sorry for running late."
Like Alina, Juniper was unarmed except for her belt knife -- she didn't usually wear her bow when she wasn't hunting, and she didn't imagine any violence would break out at this meeting. She certainly didn't intend to raise a hand against a demigod -- not a demigod of the Old Gods, anyway; the possibility of violence with the Voice's chosen remained -- much less one bringing them the gods' will.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
11-27-2020, 04:42 PM (This post was last modified: 11-28-2020, 12:32 AM by Delphia.)
Delphia
Life moved at a strange pace as of late. Days and nights blurred together. Weeks? Months? She wasn't sure, walking between the realms of the living and the dead without hardly noticing. That said and inspite of her quiet discontent, she knew work needed to be done to further her father's goals. And so she arrived to the gathering called by Remi in silence.
Though it wasn't until Alina's question that she realized she wasn't on the right plane.
The daughter of Mort materialized next to Remi, somber in expression and mood. "I am here." She said softly in response to the Fae's question, glancing at Juniper before looking at Remi. For what it was worth, her brother in spirit could count on her to help to the best of her ability.
Truth be told, Ianto has always been there, but there's something to be said for napping with a child in the shade of the trees. So when he shows up, it's with a wide yawn and a babe in his arms, Mateo snoozing on his shoulder (quite happily so). "I thought I'd save you the effort of repeating yourself, and listen in on this little meeting," he says quietly to Remi, giving a nod to the rest of those in attendance.
Then, of course, the fox moves to sit on some soft moss against the trunk of a tree, rocking Mateo and settling back to listen to the plans and machinations that will doubtlessly come from such an encounter. He's a rebel but not much of a fighter, and so his ideas might be somewhat limited. but he'll help however he can.
Glancing at Alina as she appears, steadfast and stoic as ever, the alchemist just flashes her a knowing smile. "Delphia will be here." He replies reassuringly, though he's not entirely sure just how much she cares. "She...well. Let me put it this way: I wouldn't ever challenge her to a game of hide and seek, if you want to win." Which was just another way of saying that because the demigoddess hadn't been seen, didn't mean she wasn't very much still present. As if to prove his point it was then that Delphia appeared at his side. Glancing toward her with an appreciative smile, he nods.
Glancing to Juniper as she arrives, the Lullaby offers her a boyish smile and a shake of his head, indicating her apology wasn't at all necessary. "It's nice to finally meet you properly, Juniper. I've heard a lot about you." As Ianto appears, snoozy and tousled, Remi can't help the sideways smile of disapproval and mischief that finds its way onto his lips. "How thoughtful of you. I'll make this quick so you can get back to your nap."
Loud enough for the lingering fae to hear, but addressing mostly the trio of women, Remi pulls in a breath before beginning. "A few days ago myself, Delphia, and the rest of the demigods were pulled...somewhere, by the heralds. Mort, Vi, and Rae were there as well. With the ascended grouping themselves in the Hollowed Ground, the Gods thought it best if there was a presence close by to keep an eye on them. That's why Delphia and I have been sent here. We are to establish a stronghold against them. The other demigods have been sent to Stormbreak to work with the Order on an offence, presumably." This entire 'speech' is filled with boyish shrugs and uncertain frowns. Strong and capable as he might be, Remi is still no soldier.
"I spoke to Ludo about what we might do to create this defensive line here...trees that glow with sunlight to halt the ascended and alert us of their presence, but I wondered if you had any thoughts? It might be the gods who sanctioned this, but I don't want to do anything that would harm the Greatwood, or impede on your lives here if we can avoid it." Remi, demigod though he might be, was not so tightly bound to his obligations as to follow them with blind precision. Not in this case, anyway.
Now don't you look so grand, runnin'
Through the reds of my traffic lights
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Nodding at Juniper, Alina raised her eyebrows at Remi's comment about Delphia. However, the demi-goddess did indeed materialize. Quite literally. Shrugging at the daughter of Mort's arrival, Alina inclined her head to Ianto. That last arrival seemed to signal the start of the meeting.
The Lullaby explained his presence and the plans, such as they were. Since little of this was news to her, she found herself watching the others, fiddling with her whittling. When he asked if any of them had ideas she cleared her throat.
"They say the best defense is a good offense, right? So, as loathe as I am to suggest this, what about something that allows us to transport goods and people between Stormbreak and the Greatwood?" She grimaced. "Temporarily, until the Ascended and the Voice have been neutralized."
Gesturing around at the small group of them, she sighed. "Even with strong defenses, I worry that there are too few of us to hold the fort, so to speak."
Glancing toward Alina and silently wishing that Ronin was here to field these types of questions, he simply shakes his head. "We were told to create a defensive line. Stormbreak is already taking care of the offence as far as I'm aware." The fae wasn't wrong in her strategy, but those weren't their marching orders.
'I don't think you're wrough though, about our numbers. I'd not suggest we invite more into the Greatwood, knowing the fae's thoughts on sharing their home...so perhaps we lean into the natural strengths of the Wood herself? Sunlight trees to block the ascended, or perhaps some way of knowing the location and identity of anyone who enters?"
Now don't you look so grand, runnin'
Through the reds of my traffic lights
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Nodding at Remi's words and his suggestions, she paused. Her knife tapped against the wood in her hands as she considered their options. Glancing around at the other members of their little...whatever this was, she hummed. As she did, she considered the already existing protections of the Greatwood and how they could be enhanced.
Something did occur to her. Hesitating for just a moment, she spoke up again. "How about...there's a mist that I've heard about that supposedly hampers magic as much as it does sight. I've never seen it, so I'm not sure how true the rumors are. But what if we could create something similar that works on Ascended abilities instead? A mist or fog that saps their strength and vision." She shrugged, only having the shape of the idea in her head.
Delphia returns Remi's small smile before looking back at the group. She remains quiet, waiting first for at least one of the Fae to speak up. This was their ancestral home after all. That Alina is the first to speak is no surprise to her; she was a woman of strong will and conviction after all. And though she was correct that the living population was small, the child of Mort knew better than any that there were far more residents than met the eye.
"Those are all good ideas." she said softly. The sunlight trees, the strength sapping fog - all logical solutions based on the visible assets of the wood. "But you all forget the legions of fae and other creatures who have called this place home over the centuries. I am certain with my father's aid, we could call them from his realm to defend their homeland."
"So similar to the sunlight, but focusing on their abilities instead?" Remi's lips twitch and he rubs a hand up the side of one unshaven cheek. "None of that prevents them from entering...I wonder if we don't just start there. Sunlight or mist aside, they can still go through their portal and come out at the Mathair, in the heart of the Woods." Remi of course doesn't know about Alina's previous quest to place ascended traps around the Mathair, but such would be a welcome suggestion just now.
Glancing at Delphia, Remi nods. "I had forgotten." He agrees. "Do you think Mort would allow their souls to return to help us guard this place?" Why not? After all, it was the god's will that this be done, and if they were willing to use those living to enact their plans, why not those who had died?
Now don't you look so grand, runnin'
Through the reds of my traffic lights
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Sitting upright, Alina gawked openly at Delphia. It took a few breaths for the huntress to get ahold of herself and snap her mouth closed. Glancing between Remi and the daughter of Mort, Alina nodded. "If Mort would agree to release their spirits, that would help." Despite the gravity of the situation and the fact that the gods had tasked them with defending the Greatwood, that was still a huge if.
Grimacing, she addressed Remi. "I...might be able to help with the Mathair and the portal." Taking a deep breath, her grip on her knife and her wood tightened until she was white-knuckled. "A long time ago—too long, I will admit—I asked for Safrin's help with creating traps that would specifically target the Ascended. I have almost everything I need for them, and plans to get what's left." Pausing, she added, "I cannot make promises, though, given that I have been told she is disappointed in me."
Looking down, she felt her cheeks flush. Shaking her head, she forced her eyes back to the assembled group. "Although that's only a temporary fix, and I don't know how many or how strong the traps will be. Could...could the portal be removed? And the Mathair restored?" Her wings fluttered at the possibility and she found herself seeking out Juniper's reaction.
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
"It's nice to meet you as well," Juniper said to Remi -- she knew who he was, of course, and not just because he had called this meeting. Then she settled back to listen to the others' conversation. She didn't exactly have a lot of suggestions for fighting a war ... Her hope was that war would not come to the Greatwood, while Alina and Remi spoke as if it were a foregone conclusion. But she chose not to speak up and remind them that it might not come to pass; she understood that they were making plans for a contingency -- a likely contingency -- and that those plans had to be made, despite all her hopes. If their work turned out to be wasted, great.
She also would have liked to ask more about the Order -- the word "Stormbreak" was unfamiliar -- but she didn't want to interrupt the planning when everyone else seemed to already know. Context clues were enough for her to understand that they were allies, elsewhere -- and not the Greatwood's only allies, she remembered. That was worth speaking up: "The Warden of Halo has agreed to help defend the Greatwood if we are attacked unprovoked. Her support could be valuable."
Not as valuable as all of Mort's legions marching back into the Greatwood -- or as a repaired Mathair; Alina's idea lit up Juniper's eyes -- but certainly a resource.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
Delphia considered Remi's question in silence, head tilting. Alina's rapid acceptance was also encouraging. But at length she nodded. "We are not requesting that they be permanently restored to life. A temporary resurrection for the sake of defending the wood would not disrupt the balance between his and Vi's realms." She said. Plus the undead, even revived, would not be quite the same as a living soldier - and in a way that was preferable. How the Ascended would fight an opponent they could not kill for they were already dead would be quite the conundrum indeed.
"I can speak to my father following this meeting. Remi...it seems you have a logical plan with Ludo, and Alina a task from Safrin." she said, then looked to Juniper. "Do you believe the Warden would aid us in fortification?" They weren't being attacked (yet) after all.
