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!
12-04-2020, 05:03 AM (This post was last modified: 12-15-2020, 10:49 PM by Henry.)
sacrifice what you are for what you can become
Bastien had been easy enough to find, swept away in the halls of the Artists' Sanctuary, doing his respective thing. Henry had sought the Ascended out almost immediately upon Wessex's command, asking him to meet at the treeline of the woodlands. Henry only gave a few hours to prepare, and the sun was beginning to set over the treetops. The darkness served a purpose; it would shield them from prying eyes. Admittedly, Henry was feeling a little paranoid about the Order just from the heaviness of the discussions when they'd met the Voice. Her account with them made him dislike them already, and he was determined to help.
He'd kept the orb of light close to him the entire time, examining its integrity. He could feel the static of its electricity but, for all that power, it didn't sizzle and pop in reaction to his touch. He thought it odd, since he wasn't an Ascended. Shouldn't it hurt? Well, whatever the technology behind it was, he was quite awestruck by it.
Maybe Bastien would have some sort of insight into it. Speaking of, Henry looked around to see if the other man had arrived yet. He kept the light hidden in his jacket, tucked away safely. Its bluish glow still illuminated through the material; a beacon.
Bastien was usually busy with his own matters, which often seemed unimportant to those distant from them, but he considered them to be his lifes work: inspiring art in the people of the Hollowed Grounds, welcoming Outlanders and creating beauty where it was lacking in the often-hard world of Caido. The quest for the alarm had for the most part passed him by once he had voted for it. Henry's suggestion they go to place the orb together was welcome, as he felt as a council member now he really ought to be involved.
He was not familiar with the young man, but Bastien had never had a hard time getting to know strangers. Arriving fashionably late a minute or two after Henry at the treeline, he waved and hopped off his hover board, letting it fly up under his arm where he tucked it against his side. "Hello! I'm not entirely sure what it is we're doing, but I'm here to help do it!"
It genuinely was an initial coincidence that Henry and Bastien had been put together to finish their orb task; now it’s actually quite convenient, as the two men have something unexpected in common: an interest in an Explorer’s Guild. It hadn’t occurred to Wessex until after she’d asked Henry to find Bastien that this would be a wonderful opportunity to try and set things up.
Hot on her Advisor’s heels, she also has a rogueish grin on her face, happy to have some sort of distraction. “You’re setting an orb at our perimeter to help keep the Order out,” the Queen announces brightly, as if it’s no big deal. “And I’m tagging along because it turns out we may be able ot have an Explorer’s Guild after all.” That being said, Wessex has no intention of hijacking the main event - that’s all Henry’s to lead and she gestures for the young farmer to start them off in whatever direction he thinks best.
Henry was not surprised when the taller Ascended appeared - and he hadn't been waiting for too long, either. A smile came to his face and he lifted his chin up. Intrigue glinted in his eyes at the board beneath Bastien's feet, gliding over the ground with no wheels, no wings. It just hovered.
Before any words could be shared between them, Henry realized there was someone else following in Bastien's wake. Henry's smile faded into one of confusion, not because he wasn't fine with Wessex showing up for this but, because he hadn't expected it. He almost asked if something was wrong, his mouth opening to do so, but she spoke and her words cleared things up rather quickly.
"Oh! Yeah!" Henry's expression changed into one of realization, and then he grinned with excitement, glancing away from Wessex and over to Bastien. "She told me she'd tried to start it once already," he explained, "but uh.. I'm here to help you this time, if you'll have me."
He noticed her gesture for him to lead them out into the woodlands, and, dutifully, he turned to the forest. They could certainly walk and talk.
It was dark within the woods and vines crept, curled all around. But they stood before the head of a trail, as was his intention, and he led them through. If he wanted to, he could probably make a home in these woods with how familiar he was with them. As a boy, he would chase snakes through the trees or have stick fights with his brother. Older now, he usually came here to collect mushrooms, to find some peace of mind in the quiet of the trees.
Now, however, he guided Wessex and Bastien with a purpose in his step. He led them along the trail, knowing each bend in it as well as he knew the back of his hand. Once they were further in and the trees crowded around and the sun sank deeper into its set, he pulled the orb out of his coat. Its light illuminated the area around them as they walked through the dark, reflecting along his features.
"So... the Voice said to place it around the perimeter... I figure we can at least take it a ways past the shrine. Or should we go even further, to the end?" He paused to face them a little more as he walked, brows raised. He was fine with whatever they thought, wanting their input on this because, frankly, he only had so much of a clue about how this was going to work.
Hearing Wessex approach behind them was a surprise, though Bastien was beginning to grow used to how she often seemed like she could appear from nowhere; it was one of the woman's special talents. "An orb, right." He nodded, pretending he understood everything that meant; he was sure he'd still be able to help regardless; he'd just been too busy with his community work to know all the details of the big picture of the quest.
As for the explorers guild, he nodded and smiled. "Wonderful. It may not be wise to begin any exploration until Flowerbirth, but I could do with an excuse to leave the Grounds more often. I love this town, but...perhaps I am too far sunk into my memories now." Being reminded of Rexanna all day, every day was a blessing and a curse, and he couldn't argue that it might be a good idea to go on some trips elsewhere.
Following Henry through the woods, he noticed the familiarity with which the young man took the path. He had been that way with the alleys and streets of Venice, once, able to find his way home with his eyes shut; he had not quite yet reached that point with the Grounds, though he was getting close. Were he to somehow get back to Venice, would he still have those directions, he wondered?
Thoughts paused by Henry's question, he tapped his chin as he considered it. "Perhaps the end. Cover a wide area with the Voice's influence, from the Shrine to the edge of the trees."
With the two of them in agreement about starting something together, Wessex falls in at the edge and follows Henry out to the woods. “Definitely no serious excursions until Flowerbirth.” There’s an unspoken if that hangs in the air, even though she doesn’t voice it. They need to act as if they’ll all be here in two season’s time.
“With the three of us, we can start something, just need a base. Which could be anywhere, really, but I was thinking, and…” she hesitates briefly before turning to look at Bastien. “Do you think it’d be terribly disrespectful to turn the Monster Hunter’s Guild building into a base for us? I’m not trying to be insensitive, or project what Kiada would want, but… It already has a nice setup, probably just needs some tweaking.” A brief pause. “And… no one’s using it.”
It feels like a building going to waste.
“And the Grounds is a good starting point for the desert beyond the Greatwood and the rolling green hills to the west.” Perhaps in the future they could have outposts in Torchline and Halo, but for now they ought to start small. And recruit.
“Should probably hide it well, too,” the Wraith adds, thinking that it wouldn’t do for some kid to come out here and find something shiny, pick it up and play with it. Or worse, for it to be easily found and moved.
12-21-2020, 10:30 PM (This post was last modified: 12-21-2020, 10:33 PM by Henry.)
sacrifice what you are for what you can become
"I can understand that," he murmured empathetically in response to Bastien's comment.
But Henry hesitated to speak on the notion of waiting until Flowerbirth, feeling a twinge of disappointment as his shoulders shrugged. But he would listen, anyway, as it was plenty reasonable. Henry was simply tired of reasons not to do more.
A thought struck him, rousing him from his disappointment, and he offered, "When I go to Torchline this Deepfrost, I can see about garnering some interest so that, by the time we're ready to go in Flowerbirth, we might have a few more members..." but he trailed off as Wessex directed the flow of the conversation towards the old Monster Hunters headquarters, merely listening to see what Bastien had to say about it. It seemed like a good idea since no one had been using it very much. In fact, Henry hadn't seen or heard much from the guild at all. But what did he know? He was very new to this, excited as he was.
At Bastien and Wessex's answers, Henry nodded curtly in agreement. "Right. I was thinking that, too. It shouldn't be too obvious..." he furrowed his brows, treading forward again, directing them along a fork in the path that would lead them the furthest into the woods. The light from the orb shined over their path. "I think I know a good spot."
Feeling a little more energized now that he had a clear directive, he quickened his pace and led the two 'explorers' over a ridge, hooking off of the beaten path. The end of the treeline came into view once they ascended the small hill, but Henry focused on what was below them. A small glen was scattered with boulders, rocks, and fallen trees. Leaves, twigs, and a plethora of various mushrooms swept across the woodland floor. Making his way down into the center of the hollow, he located a split in between two boulders. Lichen swept over it like a curtain, but Henry pushed it back with ease. It parted to reveal a dark tunnel in the rock.
"Sometimes I'll store things I find in the woods here. Trinkets and whatnot. No one's ever found out about it as far as I know. It could work, for now..." He lifted his eyebrows in question at the other two, to gauge their acceptance.
‘Serious excursion’ meant to group-ones to Wessex; she’d never stop Henry or anyone from exploring on their own.
“That would be great,” she says with a welcome smile, wondering how much better luck he’d have. Hopefully a shit-ton. That might be setting her sights too high (it probably is), but what you don’t know is that she would happily consider two new members a shit-ton of good luck. “Torchline is a massive party during LongNight. You might meet some interesting people.”
Over a small ridge, over a small hill, and then into a hollow they go. Wessex tries to mark the spot mentally whilst privately hoping that nothing happens to Henry, because he’s the only one who really knows where it’s hidden. “Can’t imagine why,” the Wraith teases a bit. “This is a fucking awesome hiding spot.”
Happy to lend a word or opinion whenever needed for the duration of the conversation, Wessex tries to fade into the background and let the other two take the lead, her mind drifting with the last of the falling leaves.
{Fin for W - feel free to carry on as long as you’d like}
12-22-2020, 08:01 PM (This post was last modified: 12-22-2020, 08:01 PM by Bastien.)
Bastien
The question about the Monster Hunter's guild made Bastien pause - not because he particularly disagreed with Wessex taking the building, but because he didn't know if he was the right person to give that permission. Though he supposed with Rexanna gone and Deimos no longer in the Grounds, he was probably he closest person for it...with a sigh at that depressing thought, he shrugged. "It is a waste, I agree. Perhaps we can place some kind of memorial or plaque there about what it used to be, who it used to belong to, before we recreate the space."
Henry agreed on a spot for the orb and Bastien followed, taking a moment's quiet to simply look around and enjoy the forest they found themselves in, the crisp Leafchange air and crunch of leaves underfoot beautiful enough in their own right to justify stopping to look around. "Trinkets...what are you storing them for, and not displaying them?" Bastien asked at Henry's story, not sure why one would hide their treasures. As for a place to put the orb, he just nodded.
12-28-2020, 01:52 AM (This post was last modified: 01-04-2021, 07:39 PM by Henry.)
sacrifice what you are for what you can become
With their approval, Henry placed the ball of electricity deep inside of the rocks. He paused for a moment, watching it sizzle and pop in reaction before it presumably settled in its new place. He let his hands fall back to his sides and the drape of lichen swept back over, concealing the light within. A sense of relief at a mission well-accomplished relaxed his shoulders. He glanced over at Bastien, fully registering the question that lingered in the air now.
He shrugged, a lop-sided smile on his face as he turned to more fully face the other man. "That's a good question," he admitted, his breath fogging in the cold air, "I guess I figure I'm the only one who would appreciate them." Which, was the truth. He felt that way about a lot of things that were important to him. Poetry, for example, keeping all of his writing a secret from others even though it was something he found a great amount of joy in.
"You know, if you need help with that plaque, I'll be back at the end of Deepfrost. We can work on repurposing the building then, if you like. Perhaps, by that time, we will have more hands on deck."
The orb placed and impressively hidden away, Bastien let his eyes slide from it, looking back a moment later to see if he'd be able to identify it's location if he were just to come across the scene naturally; he didn't think he would.
"...I see. They must be odd things indeed that you collect." He said of Henry's 'trinkets', not knowing of many people too ashamed to show their collections even within secret spaces; perhaps he just didn't understand. After all, Bastien had always worn of all of his thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, right on his sleeve. "Maybe one day you could permit me to view them." Hopefully it wasn't anything really weird like jars of pee
The plan about the plaque sounding good, Bastien happy to not have to deal with the guild until the monsters were gone (hopefully), he nodded and clapped his hands together. "Sounds like we have a plan, then!"
