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!
11-22-2020, 11:54 PM (This post was last modified: 11-22-2020, 11:59 PM by Aisha.)
AISHA
first you're my predator then you're my prey
One thing Aisha had come to realize about Halo was that a sunny day was absolutely no indication of the temperature. She was used to being able to expect colder weather on cloudy days, but here the air was biting even when the sun smile upon them. And so she was often exploring the warmer looking places, getting accustomed to those steads that would provide refuge on the colder days. Today that stead was the council hall, a non imposing thing that drew her out and in to it's cozy embrace.
She shed her outermost layer upon entering, tying the fur around her waist and letting the bare skin of her fore arms feel the heat of a hearth nearby. It was a nice place to stop, she was glad she'd done so. As she revitalized she looked around; curious as to the function of the hall, wondering who lurked here at these noon time hours.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
The morning had been dedicated to reading through the messages and reports from the markets. Even when she had been Guard Captain, Morgan had never been aware of just how many incidents there were of shopkeepers accusing each other of everything from theft to stealing business, to having too big of an awning; in some ways it was nice to indulge in smaller, petty issues every now and then, but she needed a break by the time noon came.
Leaving her office in a hunt for lunch or simply a walk, she paused when she saw someone in the hall that she didn't recognise. A young woman that seemed interested in the hall, looking about herself as if she was curious about it's purpose.
Straightening up, Morgan walked towards her and gave a welcoming smile, nodding her head in greeting. "Hello, are you alright? I'm Morgan Aristomache, the Warden here. Let me know if I can help you."
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
Keen and attentive to her new environment, Aisha heard the footsteps of someone coming nearer. She peered around the corner expectantly, and moments later she found herself looking at a taller woman with a powerful presence. And beautiful too, she reminded her vaguely of the woman she'd met in the grounds that day, curly hair and covered in freckles.
She spoke then, announcing that she was the warden. It made sense, she bore the air of someone or consequence. Aisha smiled and gave a slight nod, "Yeah I'm good, I'm visiting Halo with Deimos, thinking about moving here," more than thinking really, she'd already begun scoping out the best hangouts in the city. "I'm Aisha Khai," she didn't often introduce herself with her surname anymore, she only did so now because the warden had. Though she kept it to herself, she would always be proud of it, a piece of her past she would never leave behind.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
Aisha smiled and informed Morgan that she might be moving to Halo; the Warden smiled, glad to see that her efforts to improve the Citadel were drawing new faces to it. There had been a time where she'd worried that the new portal, access to warm and welcoming places like Torchline, would decimate Halo of it's population, but it seemed for the mean time they were keeping it liveable enough to survive.
"I see. It's good that our General is showing new people to the Citadel. Where are you living at the moment?" She asked out of interest, wondering if Halo was tempting people away from the Grounds, where she knew danger was commonplace, especially in the upcoming Deepfrost. "If you have a moment to sit with me while I eat my lunch, I'd love to tell you anything you need to know about the Citadel."
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
"I've lived in the grounds for a year now, I'm pretty over it," she replied to the warden's question, a light hmph to her tone. It wasn't just the monsters that drove her away, it was the impending war, the fortifications and plans for something she wanted no part in. It was the boredom she felt, the lack of excitement and purpose. The grounds had it's perks, like grass and trees, but she could always visit when she missed it. She'd rather adventure, make a new home for herself, find somewhere that her skills would matter and not feel exploited.
The following proposition brought a grin to her lips, "I'd be happy to, I should've brought something with me I guess," she said with a sarcastic edge, having almost forgotten about lunch until now. Food would be fantastic, but she could wait, more interested in what the warden of Halo could tell her, offer her, incite in her.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
Morgan couldn't help the slight smirk on her lips at the comment on the Grounds. While Halo was considered by many to be a frozen wasteland, it was at least often devastatingly beautiful, with it's plunging ice mountains and glittering blizzards. The Grounds, in her experience, was not only dangerous and miserable but horribly boring, dull and brown and grey and humble - she could understand being, as Aisha said, 'over it'.
"Oh; I can share." She assured her, having lived for years in the mountains with only a quarter of a meal for a whole day at some points; the Warden was not a stranger to making do with less. Moving to a table at the side of the hall with two comfy chairs on either side (the hall was a place for serious business, but she had purposefully tried to curate a warm and welcoming atmosphere within it), Morgan brought out a bag of food and placed it on the table, beginning to pull out a roll of bread and a few other items as she spoke.
"What's your first question?" Morgan asked as she began to divide up the items into two, half of the bread for each, some simple meat and dried fruit, a common meal for Halo.
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
12-01-2020, 01:37 AM (This post was last modified: 12-01-2020, 01:39 AM by Aisha.)
AISHA
first you're my predator then you're my prey
Aisha had slightly hoped she'd say that, it would certainly make her schedule more manageable to not have to stop in somewhere else for food. "Thank you, I appreciate that," she said, following the warden to a seat near a window, two comfortable chairs and a table between. She unstrapped her sword in it's scabbard from her belt, leaning it against the chair. Not attached, but always close.
A bag of food was brought over to the table, Aisha waited for Morgan to take her share before reaching for her portion, which was kindly split equally for them. She reached for some of the dried fruits first, popping a few berries into her mouth as she was prompted to begin with any questions. She swallowed first, leaning back a bit against the rest, "I'm a fighter, I mostly work with a sword if you couldn't tell," she gave an amused smirk, gesturing to the weapon that rested by her legs.
"I used to work in the militia in the grounds, second under Deimos when he ran their militia but after he left and leadership changed I sort of faded out of that position. If I move here I was wondering if there might be a place for me in the ranks, helping train guardsmen, or just as one of them; I'd like to be a part of it if I could," it wasn't necessarily something she had to ask the warden about, but since she was here it never hurt to to a little poking. Plus the girl was ambitious, she had ideas, hopes, images in her mind of how her future could be if only she could grasp it.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
Morgan leaned back too, glad for a visitor that didn't seem to call for too much formality. She was, and always had been, very good at stiff-lipped diplomacy and official business, but it was always nice to have someone she could simply talk to. Eating some of her meat and bread, she nodded with a smile as Aisha mentioned using a sword; it was indeed clear, as Morgan was sure her use of her hammer was from it's position leaned up against the chair, taken from her back.
"Oh. Well, if you liked serving under Deimos..." What an odd coincidence, that Aisha had come to the Citadel so shortly after her general; it fit quite well, and immediately Morgan planned for the future in her mind, if she proved to be good at the work. "He is our General here, now. I believe he is aiming to fix our training grounds and work on our defenses. You would be welcome to join the Deepfrost Shields, as well; our guard."
She gave Aisha a brief look up and down. "There is a short physical test, but if you fight regularly with the sword I doubt you'll have any trouble with it."
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
12-04-2020, 05:06 PM (This post was last modified: 12-04-2020, 05:07 PM by Aisha.)
AISHA
first you're my predator then you're my prey
The hammer by Morgan's own chair indeed caught Aisha's gaze, interest sparked in the powerful weapon. Aisha had always been a fan of brute force weapons, but she'd found hammers and axes didn't give her the dexterity she also craved in a battle. The longsword was her chosen specialty, but she'd love to see how the warden used her's.
Aisha nodded as Morgan spoke, an eager smile pulling at her lips, "Mhm I've been helping out during my stay here," as helpful as she could be. At the offer of joining the shields a prickle of satisfaction nipped at her nerves. "I'd be happy to join the Shields, before I came to Caido I was a soldier in training for higher ranks, I'd like to keep working towards that here in Halo if I can."
She grinned at the mention of a test, "I think I can manage, I'll try at least." The leopardess was confident in her physical prowess, as long as this test didn't involve building targets she felt she'd do great. She did have a few more questions about the Shields, sure that Morgan could answer, "What threats does the guard usually protect against?" Curiosity mostly, there wasn't much to be suggested that would deter her. She craved a battle of any kind.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
Someone with training prior to arriving was always a good choice for the Shields; new techniques, different ways of thinking and skills already developed. Morgan smiled as she looked over at Aisha, thinking that in some ways she was reminded of a younger version of herself; young, wanting to fight and defend, passionate about what she did. Years of maturity and hardship had taken away her desire to be on the front lines quite as much as she once had been, but if Aisha continued to show an aptitude for it, she could go far quite quickly.
"How long have you been training? You can't be older than 25." She guessed, looking at the girls young face. As she got older, Morgan found that everyone below 30 was looking painfully childish to her now, but she knew that in Caido, people often had to be capable beyond their years at a very young age.
As for threats, Morgan tilted her head from side to side, eating a mouthful of her lunch before speaking. "A lot of the day to day work is simple; splitting up fights in the bars, helping merchants with thefts. Sometimes, a more serious threat comes along..." The casual air all at once blew away, her face suddenly becoming cloudy as she looked out of the window, her fingers growing tight on the bread she held. "I should be honest with you. Our last guards, before the ones we have now...all died in the same battle, against a cult attack on the gates. I was Captain then, and I failed them. There could be threats of that level again."
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
Morgan was right to ask more questions, in a way this was an interview, or at least a get to know you kind of conversation. Aisha didn't go into much detail about her past with most people, as outgoing as she was she was very private, preferring not to show any vulnerability. A boon and a bane, but it was in her nature to be that way. In this particular scenario she could work around the things she didn't want to go into detail about, she tried not to falter in her momentum.
"I've been training with the sword since I turned thirteen, started working with the militia in my city when I was eighteen," humor pulled at her lips, "and you've got me there, I'm twenty two." Or something like that, taken from a hot summer and dropped into a late fall, brisk and cool. She didn't have a definite birthday anymore, but she decided to just stick with the warm season, longheat bringing with it another another wave in her life.
Aisha took a bite of the breads and meats together as Morgan answered her question, describing the day to day duties that the Shield's carried out. It was simple things at first, the stuff she was used to, but there was a sudden darkness to the warden's face. Her brows furrowed ever so slightly, hearing of how the guard had previously perished. She'd thought that the barracks seemed rather empty; they were still rebuilding after the calamity.
"I'm sorry, I'm sure that was hard," as someone who had watched war from a high ranking perspective as a child, Aisha had seen how the various warlords of her home had risen and fallen so quickly. Sometimes it was a mortal wound, or an untimely death. Sometimes it was the loss of their dragoons, a considered failure that dealt the final blow. There was an admiration that Aisha felt for those leaders like Morgan, who could face so much death like that and still stay standing.
Responsibility, passion, the makings of a good leader at least in her mind. "If threats like that come up again, I hope I could be there to help," she added, resolute and steadfast.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
Aisha had started young, as Morgan herself had; her father had been very keen that she learn how to defend herself and fight as soon as she was old enough to hold a sword, and by her mid teens she had been more capable than most of the guard at the time. "I see. And you're sure that this is what you want to do? Protect and serve?" This was a question she used to ask every new recruit, to assess the answer in their faces, to see if this was truly their calling or merely a passing dream.
She didn't have any time for those without commitment.
She nodded, tight lipped, at the consolations, though couldn't help the thought that they would be better suited for the families bereft of their loved ones, who had been lost under her care. The willingness Aisha showed to still show up, still be a part of the guard was admirable, though hopefully it didn't speak to foolhardiness. "Since then I have been working hard to upgrade our Citadel's defenses. So that something like that doesn't have to happen again. We have been working with Gods to obtain magical protections and benefits to help as well. I hope that in a year, Halo will be the safest place in Caido."
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
Morgan's question was easy enough to answer. Aisha knew what made her feel fulfilled, what made her happy. It was the culmination of providing and protecting, of maneuvers of the sword and of the mind. She was built for war games. "More sure about this than anything else," she said with a nod and a grin. Cynical but true, following the trail of clashing steel had not lead her astray yet, it was the one thing she was certain of.
Morgan's vision for the citadel was something she could get behind. A safe haven, hospitable in every facet but temperature and even then a familiar thing for those who call it theirs. "I'd like to see that, from what I've seen thus far your work has paid off," the citadel was in all manners a wide and icy fortress; nothing like the sparse ruins that were the grounds, where monsters breathed within the very walls.
They won't stop our evolution. Who do you think we are?
The answer brought a smile to Morgan's face too, the confidence and conviction Aisha showed good to see; sometimes the Warden worried that with the world as hard as it was, future generations were going to struggle to keep their spirits. "One last thing to mention, I suppose, is that you will be stuck here during Deepfrost. I have been discussing with the council plans to fix this, but the Fangs are too cold and wild during the season for anyone to get to the portal, which will likely be frozen over anyway." She hadn't looked, but it was hard to imagine it being anything but, with the deeply chilled temperatures they reached in the ends of the years.
"Thank you. I do it all for my people." She looked out of the window, fruit briefly hanging limply in her hand as her thoughts went to those outside, shouting at their market stalls or making trips up and down the streets; since youth she had wanted nothing more than to protect the people that kept her home running. "Halo can be a rewarding place. Harsh, but for those willing to work, very welcoming indeed. So, welcome." Morgan looked back to Aisha and smiled, holding out a hand for the girl to shake.
Fight against your execution. Who do you think we are?
