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!
empires fall when we move the unmovable, so tell me all of my secrets, tell me all of my lies,
The demigod smiles and nods as her Lady agrees, and she finds she's eager to spread the word that Abandonded need no longer feel that way.
“Halo, yes,” Wessex readily agrees. Between Neron and Kiada, she thinks they have a good emotional hold on the region. “But I’m not so sure about Torchline. Even with the Governor married to Nate, I have my doubts. If Safrin forces him to choose, I worry that he’ll choose her. And Nate will… do something stupid.” Wessex glances away, somewhat ashamed of her lack of confidence in her brother, but if history has told her anything, it’s that her siblings don’t often think their options through - and they should probably get better at that. Let someone(s) else rise to the challenge of leading and develop those skills.
“If we can secure the Grounds against the Order, I think I’ll step down after that.” With so many balls in the air, so many ifs, perhaps it’s better to aim small for her next weapon and stay focused on the bigger things. “Do you think the crossbow and arrows would be easy to change?”
"There are many who, despite our sunlight intolerances, have found a home in Torchline. Sunjata might favour the goddess, but he cannot keep his position as Governor for long if it means sacrificing the safety of his people...and if he does?" The Voice shrugs with a small smile. "Then there will be a new governor." One of their choosing, perhaps.
The Voice isn't so surprised by Wessex's decision. Just as a passive approach to battle wasn't her style, leading involved a certain amount of accountability and staying-put that was not necessarily in the Wraith's coding. But that's precisely what made her such an invaluable member of their family, much as the others might not see it.
"I'll leave the politics of that up to you." As for the crossbow? The Voice wrinkles her nose. "It's a rather archaic weapon, a crossbow. I'd not add on to the work of an abandoned." But could Deimos change it? Probably yes. "Nate has an arrow he can control with his mind. Given the arrow's fiery nature, it might be better to have a weapon that can't so easily be turned against our own in battle."
empires fall when we move the unmovable, so tell me all of my secrets, tell me all of my lies,
How many years has she spent with their Goddess (not that many, in the long run), and still Wessex is occasionally caught off-guard by the difference in their thinking; the breadth and scope, the cavalier nature of some things and not others. And of course, by the ability to let go, something the demigod is still working on. A bobblehead of agreement when it comes to that kind of viewpoint regarding Torchline’s politics, there’s little more she can say on the issue, because she hopes that’s the way it will go down. If it goes down. She’s always wanted to think of Sunjata as a friend and an ally - losing him would be a blow.
Shifting slightly, she can’t help but internally chuckle at the Voice’s expression regarding Abandoned magic.Deimos might be able to change it, but would he change it for her? Probably definitely Not, given their last conversation. “Then perhaps one of my siblings can persuade Deimos to change it.” Her expression says she has one or two people in mind who might benefit from having something of their own.
“But if we’re talking about a mentally controlled fire-arrow, I’d rather be able to use fire magic - or put flames out. What about… sucking the air out of an area? Like when you suffocate a fire.” Or people, though she couldn’t possibly know the science behind something like oxygen.
03-17-2021, 02:35 AM (This post was last modified: 03-21-2021, 03:36 PM by the VOICE.)
the stories i could tell
The Voice shrugs a touch at that. "Or perhaps it might be better suited for one of our abandoned allies, then? A gesture of goodwill if ever one is needed."
Tilting her head to listen, the Voice smiles. "That would work well indoors...but outside removing that much oxygen would be quite a feat...why not instead be able to create a compound that would simply extinguish the flames? Fire extinguisher fingers, perhaps." Pausing though, the Voice straightens. "Fire will ever be dangerous for our family to wield. There are no others who are as susceptible to it than we are." Dangerous, to play with fire for anyone. Deadly though, for an ascended.
empires fall when we move the unmovable, so tell me all of my secrets, tell me all of my lies,
No, the suggestion of a compound to douse flames doesn’t suit her either, and she has to fight a rising sense of frustration - not at the Voice, who is only riffing on her own ideas - but at herself, for not being better prepared. A compound that extinguishes fire would be useful, aye, should something like the Sparkbird come again, but not fun. (In fact, it might be best for every new Ascended to come equipped with finger-extinguisher fingers).
And doesn’t she deserve something fun?
“I know. Wishful thinking, I guess… I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you figure out our fluid then.” Picking up the scale now, Wessex finds that she’s made her decision.
“Okay. I hope I haven’t plagued you too much with my indecision, Lady. A razor-edged discus out of this. That will always return to me, if possible. And without slicing off my own fingers.” Offering a smile to her goddess, she lifts the scale up to the light and watches it glint, ever so slightly.
'A worthy enough material...but perhaps some practice is required before it is as powerful as it might be.' The Voice replies with a laugh. She's already invested time in Wessex's hands and fingers, and it would be a shame indeed to see them sheared off simply because of inexperience.
Reaching for the scale and turning it over in her hands, the Voice considers for a moment. Electricity spirals outward from her touch, elongating and smoothing out the scale until it is roughly the size of a dinner plate. The edge is sharp, but not detrimentally so, and nor will it do anything other than fall to the ground when thrown.
'Practise with this first, just to make sure you have the right of it.' The Voice instructs, handing it back to Wessex.
Wessex must
1. Use the discus on a flora/fauna successfully
2. Use the discus on a flora/fauna unsuccessfully
3. Use the discus in a training session.
empires fall when we move the unmovable, so tell me all of my secrets, tell me all of my lies,
Losing fingers isn’t on her agenda - she rather likes all they can do - and she’d rather not make more work for her Lady. Wessex chuckles along and agrees. Like any new weapon, it will need practice. “Of course.” And she watches the shaping of the scale with naked awe and appreciation, as the hardened material is molded into something she can more easily wield. An easy grin spreads as she accepts it back, testing the edge with her thumb, the way one might test a skinning knife.
“I will,” the Wraith promises again, happy to have something to take her mind off - well, everything. “Thank you.”
