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!
This was usually a sacred space, somewhere Gideon came only to give last rites, private funerals and prayers to Ludo on festival days. Very few were permitted through the gates, and usually he fought to preserve such traditions, believing them to be important.
He hoped the spirits and Gods could forgive him this one. Secrecy was of absolute importance, even within Stormbreak. He knew their enemies were cunning; who was to say it was entirely safe past the city walls? It was best to be as careful as they could be to keep their plan as hushed as possible until it was time to strike - he wanted it to take the Ascended by such surprise that they couldn't recover. So that they could in swift succession take out every other shrine too.
Opening the gates, he looked back to the team he'd gathered. He was confident in them, he felt; the formula might need some adjustment, but he felt he had most of their needs covered. Finn for the knowledge, Sera for her capable hands and creative mind and Amalia for her inherent authority and power as a Demi God. Of course, Gideon himself too, a long time devout follower and someone that would not flinch at anything to get to this goal.
Leaning back onto the cliff, stood on one of the steps (he was very comfortable here, though the others may have found the sea beneath disconcerting), he looked over them all. "I thought it would be good for us all to meet prior to Longnight. I have asked each of you to help me with my plan for Torchline. You're all still in? If you have doubts, leave now."
i felt powerful i felt powerful ifeltpowerfulifelt—
Disconcerted by the sea below is a polite way of describing the abject terror Finn feels at being so close to a sharp drop and a lot of churning open water beneath his feet. He's all but pressed against the cliffside somewhere to Gideon's right, his hands wedged in his pockets, and when he speaks its through dry lips. "I will still participate," he murmurs, his voice soft and almost lost in the whisper of the tide.
He wears his glasses for the express purpose of being able to track who has been here recently. Not many, and of those who have come and gone, all are Accepted. So unless there is a particularly clever traitor in Stormbreak, it's unlikely that they will be overheard here. "Ought we to meet in the main square in Torchline, when LongNight comes upon us?"
She doesn’t come here often, though it must be for a good reason that Gideon summons her and the others. She arrives shortly after Finn, settling in nearby the Spyglass, gaze darting from the water up toward the Priest with. Soft smile of greeting on her face. She isn’t afraid of heights nor the fall, quite comforted in her ability to not go over, quite confident that Gideon certainly wouldn’t let her.
Finn is another story, however, and Sera keeps herself with her back to the edge of the cliffs, if only to perhaps give Finn a bit of breathing room away from thinking he’ll slip and fall into the churning depths. To this, she says nothing, but gives all of her attention to Gideon, gloved hands tucked into the warm fur lined coat she wears. “I’m still in.” She murmurs softly, flashing a bright pale smile, one that edges a bit softer as she glanced toward Finn. “That gives me time to make a bag with what we might need. I imagine you have some things in mind that may be beneficial to bring?” The question is aired, an offering for Finn and her to meet later where there isn’t danger to go over what to bring to block any sort of traps.
She arrives late but she arrives, barefoot and bracing against the wind. It feels like she's part of a strange spy meeting; why things are so clandestine and quiet the Shield doesn't know. It seems like something Stormbreak would encourage, even celebrate - but Amalia is aware of how little she understands in this place, and how much an outsider she still is.
The others press against the cliffside and Amalia is tempted to do the same, but she resists, standing instead with her back to the sea that churns below. "I spoke to Remi - he agreed to help," the Archangel informs her co-conspirators, glancing at Finn as she says so and wondering how the Spyglass will reply. "He can bring me to and from Torchline. It may even make sense for fewer of us to go... safer that way." This is addressed pointedly to Gideon, their last conversation not yet forgotten.
Gideon was unawares of Finn's fear, and so unaware of the torment he was putting the man through. He did notice the sickly look on his face, but put it down to general nerves (Finn had always seemed quite anxious). Sera was in better spirits, the confident little smile on her face bringing one to Gideon's, even as he felt a resurgence of the guilt he had before about involving her in something so dangerous. "I think the more we stay out of populated areas, the better. I was hoping to get into Torchline as close to the shrine as we can."
Finally Amalia came; he hadn't wanted to start the discussions until she was there, so Gideon was glad to see her. He didn't ask why she was late: she was still a Demi God, after all, and did deserve respect, even with her...peculiar opinions.
"Remi. Another Demi God." Gideon said, both confirming it with himself and checking with Amalia. The help of another Demi could never be a bad thing. "Will he be coming to this meeting? It would be good for him to know the plan." He looked about, up to the skies, as if Remi might come dropping down from the clouds. "How few people do you mean?"
i felt powerful i felt powerful ifeltpowerfulifelt—
Finn does, indeed have ideas. His mind swims with them as it is wont to do, in fact, but all he has to say is drowned out by the churning waters below and by the mention of the Lullaby. His name hits the air like a curse, and Finn visibly stiffens. The mention of fewer people is as much of an olive branch as he's willing to accept from Remi (and it has to be Remi who has suggested this, Finn knows it); the Spyglass swallows hard and presses further back against the side of the cliff.
"If you are looking to reduce our numbers, I am content to withdraw," he says. It's the most eloquent way he can think to say I'm going to get the hell out of this shitshow, honestly. "Between the Archangel and the Lullaby, I should think that the shrine would not stand a chance." I would just be dead weight. And also I very much don't want to go anymore.
Gideon, who considered this mission a privilege to be a part of, was surprised to see Finn almost immediately jump at the chance to leave. He'd known that the man was of a weak disposition, but to see him give up on his principles so swiftly (and it had to be because he was a coward - why else would a member of the Order willingly forgo a chance to harm the Ascended?); it disgusted Gideon, as was obvious from the curl of his lip and sceptically raised eyebrow.
"Very well. I trust you know not to ever speak a word of this to anyone outside of this group?" He asked, making his voice as hard as he could, wanting to make it clear without saying it that there would be consequences if Finn did. "You're going to miss an important development in our Order's history, but I suppose you can write it down from one of our recollections."
i felt powerful i felt powerful ifeltpowerfulifelt—
Gideon's disgust is a small thing compared to the mounting horror at facing the Lullaby with others present, and in response to the Priest's curling lip and clear disapproval, Finn is still and unflinching. He only meets the other man's gaze at the suggestion - the threat, more like - that he keep this to himself, a self deprecating sort of huff leaving his lips. "I am the Spyglass," he reminds him. The head of the Order's research branch, for all of his faults. He is not the type to let his tongue get loose.
"Then I will meet with you when you return, and take down your observations and all that happened in Torchline." With a nod and more than a little relief, Finn peels himself away from the side of the cliff and disappears back into the Trinity Temple, leaving the conspirators to make their history without him.
Amalia arrives and Sera offers her a bright grin of greeting, even if Finn’s pushing himself closer to the wall away from the cliff edge. The mention of Remi helping has a calculating thought running through her mind that she tampers down with the idea of fewer people accompanying them. Her attention flickers to Finn as he decides to step out, as Gideon and Amalia speak, and listens to Gideon’s instruction with interest after watching Finn depart.
“I would like to continue on just in case of traps or the like… But, given that Remi is accompanying now, do you think it’s necessary?” She asks, raising a brow to Gideon and Amalia, curious of whether or not it would be vital for her to continue to plan on joining them or not. She’s fine with it either way, but there is a part of her that craves being more so a part of history.
Even though she'd seen it coming, it still twists something to watch Finn peel away and retreat. Relief, yes, but loss too- she'd valued his input in this matter. But it means that she will have one fewer person to worry about protecting. Her dark eyes cast over Gideon and Sera; she nibbles on her lip.
"I think... If you want to come you can. But as I told Gideon- you have to be careful." There's a stern strength to her words that's rare in the tentative Archangel. "The Voice can't act in LongNight, and the Ascended should be - mostly - occupied, but there are still people in Torchline who won't appreciate what we're doing." Sunjata most notably. "If things get hairy and you have to run- run."
