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!
Small, blonde paws trekked their way through the forest, carrying nothing special along with it.
This wasn't supposed to be a very obvious trip, Oliver had left from his forge, pretending as though he were off to do an errand and pick up his part of a trade. Obviously, this wasn't the case. Honestly, he wasn't exactly a really special spy, he wasn't very strong nor was he the smartest in Caido, but he knew this was the right choice.
No, he wasn't perfect, but he had to do this. A message had been sent towards Remi and now he waited, sitting by the bank and looking around, his ears straight up. Not much had been said, but he knew there would be plenty to talk about once the man arrived. He had to do this and he had to share the information as soon as possible.
Despite the fact that the alchemist had no set home at the moment, the Greatwood being as large as it was and Ianto's wagon free to travel around as it wished, it was lucky indeed for those who wished to get ahold of him that he carried Ludo's pendant. With it, messages would always find him. Though Remi was more than a little surprised to find one from Oliver of all people.
With Mateo strapped in a carrier on his back and his face thick with a beard now, the alchemist looks nothing at all like the kind bumbling man he'd once been. Not even the hostile killer from Torchline. Now he just looked like a piece of the forest come alive, all bare feet and near-godly strength.
Hey Oliver. Remi thinks toward his fellow attuned, though neither of them are properly attuned anymore.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
The man arrives and his tail wags ever so slightly, happy that his message had made it. "Thank you for coming"
With a final glance around, Oliver feels safe enough to shift. He of course, had sniffed the air and tried to listen for anyone else, but thankfully it seemed to just be Remi.
Shifting back into a human, Oliver made sure to keep his fox ears with him, making sure to listen out for anyone else. It may seem like he was being way too anxious, and he was, but in his eyes it was all justified.
Looking the man up and down he lets out a small laugh. "Nice beard." But soon, his smile dropped and his shoulders stiffened. "Now, I hope you can understand why I'm here- I'll just cut right to the chase since it's something that I think we should all be worried about." Straight to the point was the best thing to do. There was no time for joking or taking things slow. If Remi had any questions, then Oliver would take his time to answer.
"The Ascended have... they've gone too far. Wessex originally suggested a few ideas, all of which are worrying. The most worrying is that she originally wanted to out right prevent all Demi-Gods from entering the Grounds, which means if something went wrong none of you would be able to do anything.." It was more than just a ban, it was an act of war. "Another idea was an alarm system- it isn't as bad, but it had me worried."
Oliver lets a pause settle in, a frown clearly forming on his face. "I joined the Council at this point- I wanted to get some information so I could give it to you and whoever else I could reach, that way you could pass it along to Ludo and any other gods. This isn't right." The Gods would be able to come up with ideas, figure out how to counter these horrible decisions. "The Vote decided an Alarm system- but Wessex did something else." Wessex wasn't a good person. No. She had become leader at the promise of helping the citizens of the Grounds when in reality, all she cared about was herself. What a fucking narcissistic asshole.
"Right now, they are creating a system to stop all Order members from entering the Grounds. They are doing this through a series of orbs and they need to get their compasses or see them to do so." And that was pretty much all he had. His body relaxing somewhat and his eyes looking forward, waiting for a reaction from Remi.
let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
That Oliver seems so...unsettled, immediately makes Remi pay attention. He'd never been under the impression this was a social visit, not from the tone of Oliver's letter, but he hadn't imagined that the hybrid would show up so wary.
"Ah, well..." Remi says, running his fingers through the thick hair that now covers his cheeks and chin. Shrugging he flashes Oliver a weary smile before his expression grows solemn. Nodding that the blacksmith should continue, Remi folds his arms across his chest and leans against a tree, prepared to silently listen.
Prevent all demi-gods from entering the grounds? The Lullaby raises a brow at that, the flicker of a smirk appearing on his lips. So. That's how the queen wanted to play things. What Oliver didn't know of course, was that the ramifications of banning the demigods from the Grounds had farther-reaching consequences than simply their inability to come to the Grounders aid, should they need it.
Nodding for Oliver to continue—what else has she done?—the alchemist tilts his head to hear about the orbs and how their placement is meant to stop Order members from entering the Grounds. "Well, I can tell you that the Order is quite protective of their compasses. But I'll mention it to Ronin tonight, so that he can pass it up the chain." Chewing on the inside of his lip, Remi looks up into the canopy of trees for a moment as he thinks.
"On the one hand, I suppose I don't blame Wessex. I told her that Delphia and I had been stationed in the Greatwood to keep an eye on things in the Grounds. I hadn't expected that she'd consider banning us altogether, but..." He shrugs. That, he understands. But to ban the Order? That was more complicated. "I take it the Voice is somehow involved in all of this?"
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Thankfully, Remi responds exactly how Oliver wanted- or well, how he had imagined when thinking over the scenario multiple times on all those sleepless, stressful nights. Oliver had practically rehearsed it and he was thankful things were going well. This truly was something that was important and he wasn't worrying over nothing.
"It's... more than just you being stationed, I really think this spells bad news... Wessex is ready for a war." Oliver cares a lot about many aspects of this issue and has many worries. "The Voice is most defidently involved, they went to her to get the orbs. I, of course, didn't go... I did have other things but it also felt like a direct betrayal of Safrin." He'd openly admit that he had missed out on the meeting, but he had multiple excuses for why.
"Wessex feels as though we are a threat to her- or what she said was that the Old Gods are threatened by them." That was something that tied directly into Remi going to the Greatwood.
"Wessex is prioritizing her well being over the well being of those living in the grounds. She doesn't give a fuck about anyone else, only herself. It's disgusting and while I love so many of the Ascended this is too far. She's directly inciting a war by choosing to prevent the Order from even entering the Grounds." Wessex was a horrible, horrible creature. Once, Oliver admired her, but she has gone too far. She only cares for herself, she was a narcissist full and through .
People like her didn't deserve to lead. A leader should protect their citizens when really, all Wessex wanted to have was absolute power.
"How long do you suggest I stay in the council? If Wessex hears of my betrayal- fuck, I'm a goner. I want to plan my move. I won't be going to Halo, I was considering Torchline but I'll go where I'll be safest and able to help you with this."
let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
"We're all preparing for a war." Remi replies with an apologetic half-smile. Perhaps word hadn't filtered down yet, to those merely trying to live their lives. It made sense after all, that anyone not entangled with the gods wouldn't have reason to know about the larger picture.
Yet.
"I would be...very careful when it comes to Safrin." The alchemist advises, jaw instantly feathering with tension as a snarl tries to steal its way across his face. "How many non-ascended live in the Grounds, would you say?" Part of the trouble with what was happening, was that it wasn't so straightforwardly the ascended vs. the demigods and the Order. There were those caught in the middle, like Oliver.
"Well, you and I are friends. You visiting me here, especially with Ronin gone, won't be much of a surprise to anyone. You can even say you brought some nails or such for the wagon if anyone asks." Running a hand up the side of his cheek, Remi studies the man before him for a moment. He remembers though it feels like years ago now, when the then-abandoned had first come to the Grounds. Confused and with more concern for his clothing than his own welfare, the Oliver of then was a far cry from the one standing before Remi now.
'I think it's all up to you, really. How much involvement you want to have. You're welcome to stay with me, here in the Greatwood. Delphia and I are creating a stronghold here with the help of the fae. Torchline is certainly much safer though, but..." Frowning slightly and letting his head loll back and forth, eventually, Remi just shrugs. "With Sunjata and Nate...I feel Torchline will want to remain as neutral, for as long as they can."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
There's a small frown. "Yes, but this feels different... like they're ready to actually start it."
Remi offers his warnings and once more, Oliver finds himself frowning, much more this time. "if you say so? She hasn't proposed much to me- just a quest to get me a shield or weapon. It's... taking a while." Why did Remi want him to be careful? It was extremely confusing- who else was he supposed to trust? Safrin had never done anything wrong to him and she had been incredible. Amazing.
With a small shake of his head, Oliver moves on. "A ton... there's so many Naturals still living there. So many farmers and people just trying to live their lives... it's horrible of her to expect them to just uproot their lives because she's unable to see past the tip of her nose." Wessex truly cared only about herself. If she actually cared about those living in the Grounds then she wouldn't be hurting them like this. "It's funny, ya know, I made a suggestion to improve the fucking soil quality so we could help improve the land." There's a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. Someone was clearly annoyed.
"Already they've involved a natural kid- gods he's so fucking Naive. Now I see how you got annoyed by me- they're completely using him and it's annoying." His mind reflects back onto the Abandoned kid, someone who acted so young and naive. Someone who didn't deserve to be dragged into something he didn't understand.
The idea suggested for why Oliver came out was clever- he'd absolutely use that. After all, a sale is a sale and Oliver will trade anyone for anything in his shop if it means him benefitting... except ya know, supporting the Ascended in the war.
The choice is up to him and Oliver lets out a sigh. "I think... I'm going to come join you here... I want to be able to help out in any way possible. As much as I love Torchline, it feels wrong to fully separate myself now that I know how bad it's getting. If the Fae are okay with it, that is." So... he'd be living in the Greatwood. What a funny turn of events
let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
12-17-2020, 07:52 PM (This post was last modified: 12-17-2020, 07:52 PM by Remi.)
i've got a river for a soul
'I hate to say this...but that might almost be better. If they throw the first stone, they'll forever be accused of starting the war.' Remi shrugs a touch at that, hating how easily this sort of narrative was coming to him.
'Uprooting their lives? How?' The alchemist frowns deeply at that, skipping over Oliver's mention of improving soil quality at least for now. It was small potatoes (perhaps literally as well as metaphorically) compared to the brink of war.
"The fae understand that these are...exceptional circumstances. You have to respect the Greatwood, but I don't see you have a problem with that. And the fae might appreciate having a blacksmith around. They're used to mostly natural-tools. Metal-working would be a nice addition, I think." Not that Remi would speak for them, of course.
"If you do leave the Grounds to come here, Wessex will absolutely assume you've told me everything you know. It means the Grounds won't be safe for you for a while in all likelihood. So I'd gather your things as discretely as you can. Though I could always come with you, if you like."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Maybe Remi has a point. That wasn't something that Oliver had considered and he lets out a thoughtful hum. "You may be right. I know the Fae already have a bone to pick with them, seeing as they've been unable to come to equal terms over the destruction of the tree." There's an obvious distaste in his mouth towards it. Obviously, the tension was still high and things were absolutely not going great.
The frown reappears and Oliver finds himself sighing. "At the announcement of you know, choosing the Regional Quest, Wessex basically gave them two options: Stay and support whatever mission she has towards protecting the Ascended or leave. She hasn't tried to consider the safety of anyone other than the Ascended." It's not something Oliver approves of, clearly. A Leader should protect everyone within their lands, but right now she's only protecting herself. "Long Story Short: She wants to drive out anyone who's not an Ascended, by the sound of it." And that was some shitty behavior, to put it nicely.
Remi's words allow Oliver to relax, understanding that this could be a place to call home. It makes him happy to hear reassurance that he would most likely be accepted. Not only that, he would also have a purpose here.
"That's fine by me. I will stay until partially into Deepfrost. I need to bring Luxere to protect the Naturals and work on figuring out what I should bring over here. I will make the trips small, of course, but I do plan to open up a forge here to help the Fae." And then to address the last bit- the gracious offering from Remi. "Should something bad happen, I will immediately notify you... with so much to bring I will most likely need help with leaving, but it won't be for a bit. I want to help the people as much as I can before leaving." And so, while he wanted to leave, he had to help however he could, seeing as nobody else wanted to do it.
let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
"Maybe...it's for the best, that way." Remi offers with a small smile. "Wessex cares more for the ascended, and I"m not sure I blame her. And...they need a place to live as much as anyone else." Raking his fingers through his curls and staring up into the sky, he exhales a long and steady sigh. "But it isn't fair to those who have lived their entire lives in the Grounds, either." He acknowledges.
"To protect the naturals? In...the Grounds, you mean?"
Nodding at the idea of a forge—the fae would likely approve of that sort of quality craftsmanship—Remi nods. "Whatever help you need, just ask. Ianto has his wagon nearby. If you ask him nicely, he might just let you put everything in it so that you can make the trip all at once." With a crooked grin, Remi raises a brow. "And by ask him nicely, what I actually mean is bribe him extensively."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
It's sad but true- Remi is right. This all sucks, it's horrific and awful, but it's also most likely for the best. "I just hate it all, ya know? That we're forcing people into this mess basically." Oliver initially had no intentions of acting and he himself was dragged into all of this. He chose to act because of the plans and at this point, it was wrong to stop. "And you and I know how stubborn some Naturals can be about leaving. I just hope that they'll stay safe."
And that brings up the next question. "Yeah- of course. Sorry, I know many Naturals end up staying together and they deserve to be protected." Oliver trails off before raising an eyebrow at Remi. "Should I go forward with it? Is it wise of me to bring the Luxere? You're far better at understanding things like this than I am. You know the nuances. What do you think?" Oliver turns to Remi for advice. He isn't skilled in war nor does he have a deep understanding of the problems under the surface. Hopefully, the man can help guide him towards the right actions.
Initially, Oliver had planned to just lug a small wagon of his own, but a magic wagon? Oh, that sounded fantastic! "Don't you worry, I got tons of things to bribe him with. I mean, I can do art, I have my forge, and ya know. Other stuff. I can work with what he wants." There's a playful wink, clearly a lighthearted joke to break some of the awkward tension Oliver had been feeling.
"It shouldn't take me long, really. Will I have the ability to move here during Deepfrost? And do we have preparations for LongNight that I can help with once I arrive?" Oliver didn't even know where he'd actually live once he came here, but that was a problem for another day.
let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
"I do too." Remi agrees, though selfishly, what he hates more is that he is forced into this. 'Well...if they stay, that's their decision. They've been through this once. Either they've learned from the past, or they haven't."
Digging into his mind, Odd unable to remember what Remi knows IC at this point, the alchemist frowns. "I believe the ascended are working on something this year. To stop the monsters, or...fight them?" He shakes his head softly, unable to recall the details. "It might be that the luxere aren't necessary. Or..that they hinder their efforts. While you're still on good terms with Wessex, it might be worth asking first."
Remi chuckles as Oliver lists off the things with which he might bribe the fox with. "Food will go a long way with Ianto." He offers, his smile crooked. There were many ways to the fox's heart—and Remi should know—but food was foremost among them.
"I should think so. The canopy keeps a good amount of the snow from the Ground. It certainly doesn't pile up here the way it does in other places."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
"I think I've heard the same. I would be tempted to help but-" A sigh and a shake of his head. "Never mind, my opinions on Wessex are complex and... frustrating, to put it lightly." Overtime, Oliver had steadily become more and more frustrated over what she was doing and now was not the time to go on a ranting spree on why he disliked the woman.
Food. That was something Oliver could work with "Perfect! Good thing I can make... a decent stew? Okay- I'm not great at cooking, but I'll try my best." A light shrug and a playful smile. Oliver knew he was no master chef, but hey if Ianto loved food that much then surely, Oliver could make something to suit his pallet.
A nod and Oliver continues on. "Perfect. I'll just... hope to work with what I got, in that case. It'll be super weird spending LongNight completely alone this year- but if there's no monsters then it shouldn't be that bad." It wasn't something he wanted to do, no, but he would deal with it.
let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
