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!
05-12-2021, 07:18 PM (This post was last modified: 05-14-2021, 05:01 PM by Odd.)
SAMUEL
Stretch out my life
And pick the seams out
He'd come here on this mission once before, what seemed like a lifetime ago, with a Demi God he hadn't seen for a very long time. They'd failed and rather spectacularly at that, the Prince appearing but quickly running away and seemingly worse for the meeting. Sam was determined that this time, however they had to do it, they would succeed. Even if it meant the end of the Prince's suffering in the most final way.
Wessex had already offered her help and while he had hesitated, knowing she'd be quicker to kill than himself, Sam had ultimately invited her; maybe he needed that harder, more calculating drive. He'd written Sunjata and Nate a letter too, hoping to keep up a relationship with them as they got further and further into the shadow of this 'war'...Sunjata wrote back to inform him that Nate was fighting a chicken, but Peter could come.
Fine, but Sam thought Nate could think of better excuses than that.
Regardless, he had good people with him for this mission and he felt quietly confident as they gathered at the entrance of the Underground. Leather-covered fingers fiddled around his thumb; he hadn't brought any weapons, but had thought to bring the spectacles, just in case they happened upon anything in the caves that would need them - a distant possibility, but one he liked to entertain.
"Ready?"
---
PQ to go into the Underground and find the Prince.
Please post your character arriving and what they have. No post order for this round :)
Type: Grey
Holographic Force field Upgrade | the user can project a spherical forcefield around them. Objects and matter can pass through it, but when organic matter does it will receive an electrical shock as long as contact is made
Type: Grey
Leather Prosthetic | Made to look like a glove placed over missing fingers, it also has the ability to move small objects telekinetically within a five-foot radius. (Made by Deimos)
Type: Light
Broken Spectacles | These glasses can translate certain texts, however because of the damage they do not do so with any reliability. (OOC: Will translate one plot-related text per season)
now take what i offer, straight up the nose, down the throat
it's a bearable bruise on your conscious
Oh, if only it was an excuse. Sunjata was just as surprised, truthfully. But Peter was content to come and it’d been a while since Sunjata had trekked with such an old friend. So he’d left a note for Nate, letting him know where he’d be, arranged for Kamaria to be watched over by either family or the sitter for a day or two while he was gone, and went and found Peter to make the trek to the Grounds.
He brings what he always has on him, the daggers from Safrin, the earring in his ear that helps him hear whispers, but he’s left the brass knuckles at home as well as his companion. He doesn’t think that he’ll particularly need them for a short jaunt like this. And once he’s ready and he’s gathered Peter, they head toward the portal.
It’s a bit of a deluge for Sunjata – Peter spending most of the trip unloading about what Adam had been up to, what had happened between the two of them, and it settles something in a bit of discomfort in his stomach. But it also sparks a bit of a plan in Sunjata’s mind for when Nate meets him here.
For now, though, he arrives with Peter, flashing a smile to Sam once they’d all made it to the meeting place. “Ready when you are Sam.” He rumbles, running a hand through his hair, waiting for the rest of them to begin the descent into the Underground.
Sunjata brings Pet and arrives with the following:
Type: Grey
hEARs | An earring that when worn, increases the sound of voices (especially whispers)
Type: Dark
Trident Daggers (Upgraded) | Two daggers perfectly weighted and sculpted for Sunjata. One can shoot fire in a 5ft arc and the other electricity.
but don't it feel good? don't you feel calmer?
i am the way and the life in the best looking truth
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
And I broke my promise on a very sharp rock
And I was possessed by something unfriendly
Excited might not be the most apt word to describe Peter right now, but he is more than eager to be pointed towards a purpose. And on the way to purpose, he talks, in quiet, faltering words, openness so much harder when he actually needs to speak out loud. But hey, maybe it’ll give him some objectivity on his whole... situation.
He clams up as they approach who he can only assume to be Sam, the man faintly familiar in the way faces in a crowd tend to be. Pet nods a greeting, the expression on his face right, but prepared. He’s ready to be pointed at something, to be thrown into something simple.
Pet arrives with his upgrades, and his usual baggy clothes and boots
And I was haunted by a demon in my sleep
And that’s how I learned to survive
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
She had honestly been a bit surprised when a note from Sam did arrive, requesting her assistance. Wessex immediately wrote back assuring that he had it and would meet him at the designated place and time.
She is, however, the last to arrive (oops), but she does come prepared, varius things tucked into a back and pockets, the quiet hum of something new and different and exciting racing through her, adventure-hungry as she is. Their companions are a bit unexpected, though if pressed the Wraith wouldn’t be able to say who she expected to join them. Offering a small nod to Sunjata and what she hopes is a warm smile to Pet. Good to see you, she murmurs mentally, hoping that maybe half a year has dulled the trauma of LongNight a bit.
“Lead on,” she says to Sam, agreeing with the Flood. Let’s get the show on the road.
----------------------
Wessex arrives with:
Rope (for tying up), a skin of water (because you never know) and:
Type: Grey
Restraint-cuffs | A magical pair of handcuffs that can restrain any creature with a STR of 30 or below. (Made by Remi)
Type: Grey
Shadow-Cloth | A cloak that renders the wearer invisible when in shadow. (Made by Remi)
Type: Grey
Leviathan Scale | A large, razor sharp scale which gleams a burnished steel colour. This may be useful for armour or weapons! - currently a discus
Type: Grey
Manufactured Adrenaline | a syringe containing a daily dose of adrenaline. Can be used once per thread. Raises all stats by 1 for one post and increases an ascendeds other senses for the duration of the thread.
It starts out rather blandly. The Prince is not easily found as Sam well knows, and it takes the group at least an hour before any progress is made. Suggestions are tossed out—I think I see slime, let us try this way?—but they don't seem to pan out. They don't give up though, and we'll see at the conclusion of this whether or not that should be considered a good thing, or a bad thing.
A sludgy inhale is suddenly heard from down one of the tunnels. These tunnels are only about 6ft wide, and perhaps 8ft tall, of a mostly earthen construction. A sufficiently large dragon might be able to widen the space for himself...but that might result in a cave in. Presumably, the Flood's eyes shift that he can more easily see in the dark, whereas his counterparts will have no trouble discerning what lays ahead: the walls are lined with a gelatinous ooze that smells of sulphur. Illegible words have been scrawled into the walls, but the slime is so thick that it has utterly moulded against and into every nook and cranny making the walls appear perfectly spherical.
What will happen if you touch the walls? What is at the end of the tunnel you find yourselves in?
Welcome to the Key Quest to find the Prince.
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
now take what i offer, straight up the nose, down the throat
it's a bearable bruise on your conscious
It takes what feels like forever and Sunjata’s already grown a bit bored with the search – still having not become too familiar with everything revolving around the Prince. But, there, he hears the sludgy inhale, dark brows pinch together as he changes his directory – peering through the dark with those correctly presumed shifted eyes of his. His nose wrinkles with the smell of sulfur and his lips tighten into a flat line, scanning the walls. “There’s something here.” He whispers to his counterparts, staring at the slime covered walls.
“Let me send something down the tunnel and see what’s at the end.” He offers, pausing and calling out to the ROUs that he knows delve deep within the Underground and tries to compel them to see what lies at the end of the tunnel, through the sludge and thick slime.
Sunjata uses his beastmaster perk to try and send a few ROUs down to the end of the tunnel to scout ahead.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
but don't it feel good? don't you feel calmer?
i am the way and the life in the best looking truth
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
Wessex walks on in silence, happy to take whatever place in line suits her best, using the time to think and yes, try to find signs of the Prince and his (its?) slime.
When they finally come to a place where the slime is heavy and they seem to be close to something, the demigod pauses because it’s a weird, terribly tight tunnel. The kind that could be used for a trap and she’d rather not get stuck in a trap. So Wessex takes a moment to study the situation, drawing close enough to the walls to try and peer beneath the slime without touching it and listening intently for any sign of movement further in the darkened tunnel (other than the ROU’s Sunjata is compelling) and whatever actions Sam and Pet take.
-------------------
Wessex tries to examine the area (without touching the slime) and listen for any clues by using her INT 1.
In case it’s useful here:
Type: Grey
Optical Upgrade: Can translate written words regardless of the language. Eyes glow blue when in use. (OOC: Will translate two plot-related text per season.)
They wandered fruitlessly for a long time and Sam wondered if this was it; if he had seen the Prince for the last time seasons ago and just missed his chance. Eventually though, they began to come across signs of him - most notably, the smell. He pitied Sunjata. At least Ascended nostrils were less sensitive and not needing to breath, Sam could refrain from breathing in the worst of it.
As the slime grew thicker and they seemed to be closer, he turned to the group (though looked especially to Wessex) to say: "Remember, we're here in peace. As friends. First and foremost I want to try peaceful measures; we only resort to force if things go horribly wrong." He hoped to be able to succeed where he'd failed last time and make a friend of the Prince, to show compassion to the ruined creature and help it to Ascend (ha) above it's current form.
That said, he didn't want to sneak up on him. Sam cleared his throat and turned to the tunnel, calling out: "Hello? Is there anybody there? We're friends, and we come in peace!"
--
Sam calls out to the Prince (or whatever is at the end of the tunnel) and declares that they are friends.
05-15-2021, 06:47 AM (This post was last modified: 05-15-2021, 07:13 AM by Peter.)
Peter
And I broke my promise on a very sharp rock
And I was possessed by something unfriendly
Wessex’s smile is not returned, Peter’s lips pursed too tightly to even attempt, but he does offer a short nod of greeting as she approaches them. Worry pinches his brows suddenly, just what are they actually embarking along if this is the group invited? He had only just gotten over being dead.
Worry is apparently unnecessary, judging by how long they wander with no sign of anything. Just as he begins to consider thinking about asking to turn around, they stumble on something interesting. A literal dripping tunnel, the smell impossible to ignore even for him. Pets boot sends a dirt cold hurtling down the slimy tunnel, keen eyes locked on the end of it.
Sam’s shout startles the blades out of Pet’s arms, as natural a reaction as the furrowed glare shot in the bookmakers direction.
Pet kicks a dirt clump down the tunnel, and unsheathes his arm blades when Sam shouts
Nested Blade Bionic Upgrade (Upgraded) | A lightweight but strong blade is embedded in both forearms. When activated, articulates out and can be used offensively or defensively.
And I was haunted by a demon in my sleep
And that’s how I learned to survive
The ROUS do not like it here. The walls are too slimy for them to sharpen their teeth upon, and rarely do any humans venture down this far. Still, compelled as they are, they skitter ahead in the dark. They report back no fear, and no food, to Sunjata. Perhaps giving these stupid creatures some specific instructions might help?
Samuel 's voice does not echo, which is perhaps the most haunting thing to have happened thus far. The thick slime on the walls utterly dampens the sound. No one returns his call, but the group can be sure that if there is anyone at the end of the tunnel—or beyond—they are now quite aware of the ascended's presence.
All in all, not a bad start. No one is dead yet, at any rate. The end of the tunnel is about 30ft ahead of you, and if anything, the walls will grow thicker with slime as you near.
Welcome to the Key Quest to find the Prince.
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
now take what i offer, straight up the nose, down the throat
it's a bearable bruise on your conscious
The ROUs skitter off as much as they can and Sunjata tries to pay attention to what they report back as much as he can while everyone else does… Things. He tenses when Sam’s voice shouts down the tunnel, casting a glance back to the red haired Ascended with a raise of his brow. But his attention is drawn back toward the end of the tunnel, while he considers the options. “There’s no food and they’re not afraid.” He whispers back to his group, before he’s urging the ROUs on again.
He decides after a moment to tell the ROUs to take them to the prince, wondering if they’d know where the creature resides. “I’ve asked them to take us to the prince. Hopefully they know what that means.” It’s a bit of a mutter, but Sunjata readies the electric dagger in his hand just in case and continues to move deeper into the tunnel, eyes scouting and listening for any sign of anything that isn’t the ROUs he’s compelled.
Sunjata tells the ROUs to take them to the Prince (and hopes they understand it), readies his electric Safrin dagger just in case of danger and listens for anything.
Type: Grey
hEARs | An earring that when worn, increases the sound of voices (especially whispers)
Type: Dark
Trident Daggers (Upgraded) | Two daggers perfectly weighted and sculpted for Sunjata. One can shoot fire in a 5ft arc and the other electricity.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
but don't it feel good? don't you feel calmer?
i am the way and the life in the best looking truth
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
Sam’s gaze and message are pointed - they’d all be fools not to know he’s talking directly at her and she holds her hands up in a not me this time gesture. “Hey this is your project,” she declares. “I’m just here in case shit goes down or you need a teleport or an extra mind.” And really, that’s all she’s honestly trying to keep to.
And so far, so good - they’re all being a bit cautious and as the demigod peers at the wall, she can indeed see that there is something written under the slime, which doesn’t seem to be hardened, so she calls out quietly to the group. “There’s something written underneath here, just a sec -” Digging through her bag, Wessex pulls out the handcuffs and doubles them up, so she can use the edges of both cuffs to scrape away at the goo.
------------------
Wessex uses the restraint cuff's metal edges to scrape away at the goo so she can read what's written underneath it.
Restraint-cuffs | A magical pair of handcuffs that can restrain any creature with a STR of 30 or below. (Made by Remi)
Optical Upgrade: Can translate written words regardless of the language. Eyes glow blue when in use. (OOC: Will translate two plot-related text per season.)
Well, his shout didn't get a response, but that did mean that nothing came out to murder them either; Sam would take that as a neutral conclusion, if not a win. They'd see soon enough what was at the end of the corridor. He considered turning on his shield, but decided against it. He'd seen before how a simple touch could harm the Prince and wanted to make it clear that he was not here to cause any pain.
"No fear is good, I suppose." He said to Sunjata's findings, though he didn't know if he trusted the appraisal of rats.
Wessex said there was something written on the walls - surprised that a chance to use the spectacles could be there (though it could be written in understandable language; he hoped not so he could use them) Sam lifted them to his face and helped her to move off the goo , hoping to read whatever lay beneath. "Hopefully it's not a warning."
--
Sam puts on the spectacles and helps Wessex remove the goo.
Type: Light
Broken Spectacles | These glasses can translate certain texts, however because of the damage they do not do so with any reliability. (OOC: Will translate one plot-related text per season)
And I broke my promise on a very sharp rock
And I was possessed by something unfriendly
Stepping onto the slime itself seems like the absolute last thing any of them should do, but there’s no way to go but forward. And Sunjata said the rats hadn’t been afraid. They’re better than rats, right? Trying to keep his discomfort under wraps, Pet chews his lip and lets a tremor take over his leg, the old habit comforting somehow.
Pet has learned something about venturing too far ahead, all too aware of the danger just a few steps can make, so he keeps himself a close to the group as he can, head swivelling back and forth, trying to catch any threat before it’s upon them. He might not be able to do a lot, but if he dies again he wants to at least be able to face it this time.
Pet brings up the rear, keeps an eye out around them, and keeps his blades at the ready, letting the nerds do their reading
Nested Blade Bionic Upgrade (Upgraded) | A lightweight but strong blade is embedded in both forearms. When activated, articulates out and can be used offensively or defensively.
And I was haunted by a demon in my sleep
And that’s how I learned to survive
