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 would have been a good time to bluff, Neron. As he and Wessex return to the edge of the Sea of Glass, bubbles begin to appear from the water. After a moment or two, the dead body of the dinosaur bobs to the surface accompanied by a plume of blood that looks reminiscent of an oil slick.
Noah 's tail slams into the polar bear which sends the creature sprawling. Fake!Neron glitches unconvincingly now in a way that suggests that while the bear is real, the man thought to be riding it, was not.
Quickly making up for his momentary lack of foresight, Ronin dutifully explodes. Kiada above, Neron, and Wessex are all injured by the celestial light, while Noah and Remi are both healed. The dinosaur continues to bob in the water.
Kiada flies higher to put herself out of the range of more danger, but it also means that her projectile feathers aren't effective. Polar-bear-Neron disappears, which is when Neron-Wessex appears, hurling a very sharp disc toward Noah. It would have hit him square in the face had it not been for Ronin, who steps in and takes the damage instead.
From the sky, Kiada will see stars seeming to sparkle in the monster's blood, brighter than any reflection from those in the night sky. For those on the ground (Wessex, Neron, Noah, and Ronin), the blood will look as if it has some dark opalescent sheen to it, and for Remi in the water, it will feel as if the surface of the water is vibrating.
The dinosaur is dead...but where is the relic?
Welcome to the Relic KQ!
Because this has plot ramifications, it (and all subsequent relic KQs) will be scaled based on level and more difficult than normal). 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. If you don't do this, they won't be taken into account!
liars and lovers combine tonight, we're gonna make a scene
Oh hey, ow. Neron shudders as the celestial light blasts through him, and he finds himself crouched on the Tundra, fully taking advantage of being invisible and shielded behind the illusions. Alright, he says to Wessex. I'm not feeling too great. Do you need me for this relic recovery? Until he knows for sure, he'll stay put. But he does let the illusion around Wessex drop, as planned, keeping himself hidden and creeping out of range of any nasties.
It gives him the opportunity to observe the landscape at least, and the strange reflections in the water. Without any INT, Neron has no way of telling what might be there and what might not, but he can have a good look around at least.
Neron stays put for now, hidden behind his upgrade and his illusion, and he takes a look around to try and spot any relic-looking objects in the area. He asks Wessex for permission to leave.
Type: Dark
Cloaking Upgrade | A 90% body upgrade that bends light making the user invisible. Dramatic action or the use of weapons/upgrades/items makes the user 25% more visible. This translates to rolling disadvantage to hit the user in a battle.
Illusion: Can create 100% compelling and complex illusions within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
How do I learn my dreams to mold To lay them bare in the morning cold?
The crack is just as satisfying as he might have hoped. As the dinosaur's jaw (and then neck), snap, the creature gives one final death-roll before buoyancy grabs hold of it, drifting it back toward the surface. Breaking the surface of the water as a man rather than a kraken, Remi pulls in a breath that's shaky and tastes already of blood. As he treads water his mind is only distantly aware that his right arm and hand are disfigured, not only due to the murder and mayhem around him, but also because of the cold water keeping his nerves sleepy and slow.
Nearly black in the dwindling light of the day, the water and blood slosh around Remi's shoulders as he grabs onto part of the dinosaur as if it were a liferaft. On the shoreline, he could only see a basilisk (Noah, presumably), Ronin with his wings outspread, and Neron. In both of his previous relic-finding-treks, once the creature was killed the relic simply...presented itself. I don't see anything here, Ronin— Remi thinks toward the dragon-winged figure on the shoreline, before trying to still the rush of bloodlust singing in his ears to try and think.
Remi uses his INT 2 to try and figure out where the relic is.
Magic: Live-Wire (feat) | Ascended roll with disadvantage against Remi.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
(As established in previous relic-KQs, his regional feat and strength-ability don't apply)
If they're still out there then the chasm grows For all you know, for all you've known
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
The basilisk hissed as he thrashed, eyes scanning the ice around them and only seeing fake!Neron suddenly appearing and running. It was chaos and fury that pumped through the basilisk's mind with the intent to murder, until it was calmed by the warm light of Ronin's supernova and his words. Shaken back to himself with the supernova's healing and Ronin's words, he shifted back down to his smaller human form.
He grappled as fast as he could for his bow (which thankfully was not too far from where he had fallen), with eyes scanning quickly and keenly for the only target he had seen (fake!Neron). The glare of the shakram flinging through the air from hands that were not Wessex's grated on the man as he pulled an arrow from the strong, sturdy quiver and nocked it. "That's Wessex's weapon!" He growled, knowing intimately how it felt slicing through flesh and muscle, both empathy and rage clear within his mind. He lifted the bow and aimed beneath Ronin's wings slightly ahead of where fake!Neron (Wessex) had been running, every hunting instinct telling him that scared, injured creatures continued to run when threatened.
Remi's voice came across his mind as his arrow flew. No relic? What did that mean?
---
Noah shifts back to human form and grapples for his bow then shoots an arrow from where the shakram came from and starts to grab another arrow to nock it.
Noah has:
- Two daggers, a bundle of 4/9 arrows (already placed within his quiver), and his bow.
Type: Dark
Fire Quiver | A magical quiver that turns any arrow placed within into a flaming projectile that ignites upon impact. (Made by Deimos)
Magic: Turn it off and on again (FEAT) | Ascended attacks using upgrades roll with disadvantage against Noah.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
i'd fashioned my own cross been crushed by its weight there's no stronger message than dirt in your face
I shouldn't laugh, but I know I'm a failure in your eyes
The shakram slices Ronin enough that he can say he's also intimately familiar with it, but better him than Noah. With a dry mouth, he lands in front of the Sentinel and flicks his gaze across at the hulking corpse of the dinosaur as it surfaces, though he doesn't let himself breathe again until he spots Remi, tiny as the figure might be. It has to be here. Keep looking - I'll try and keep control here, he sends to Remi, before holding up a hand for Noah as if to stop him from making any more sudden movements.
Be careful. I don't see Kiada. Maybe Wessex gave her shakram to Neron...? The mechanical bird is still threatening them overhead, as far as he knows. Either way, three starbolts burn to life around him, but he holds them for now. Noah, things could get more dangerous now than they ever were with that monster. Keep safe, even if that means leaving.
And then, to fake!Neron: "This is Safrin's relic, so I hope you'll understand why I won't be showing any mercy. This is the first and only warning you'll get. Go, now."
Ronin conjures three starbolts, but he doesn't release them for now. He body blocks for Noah and suggests he leaves, and gives fake!Neron a warning about staying.
Magic: Shooting Stars | The user may summon celestial energy as a projectile. Control is excellent, and multiple projectiles may be created at once. (In quests or other combat situations requiring dice rolling, only 3 stars may be created per post).
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
He also has:
Magic: FEAT | Now You! | When Ronin successfully hits a target, the next ally who posts gains advantage on their attack.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Magic: FEAT| Live-Wire | Ascended roll with disadvantage against Ronin
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Magic: FEAT | Static | Rolls with advantage against Ascended
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Panic starts to set in as the supernova detonates, and with good reason too. Kiada shutters in the air when it hurts her and she sinks a fraction lower before she climbs high. She tries to stay out of range, watching the body of the creature rise, scouring the body for anything that screams relic though of course she has no fucking clue what one looks like.
But something seems off. And it’s a projection to Wessex as she begins to sink down. In… The blood… Looks like diamonds? She pauses, lowering herself hopefully out of range from any retaliation from the Old Gods. Stars, maybe? I’m hurt, I need to heal. She stutters, trying to keep herself far away from any blasts.
Kiada informs Wessex about the blood and tries to get back on solid ground away from becoming a target for Team Old Gods!
Mech-Minokawa
do not think you are safe because you love her
do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too
KIADA
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Unfortunately for Wessex and Team Ascended, there is no time to think. And it really is unfortunate, because this is where the Wraith needs the Hailstorm and his magic the most. But like any “good” General, she has to admit that this is neither the time nor the place to risk it all. I need you alive more. Go - Wessex says she bursts into full speed towards the water, trying to outpace Noah’s arrow.
That’s when Ronin tells her it’s Safrin’s relic and honestly, that news is now the single biggest reason keeping her here: the possibility of giving Starcunt a big, mechanical middle finger is too big to resist after everything the herald has done to her. Kiada mentions the potential stars in the blood and that gives her an idea. Instead of slowing down at the water, she dives in, chakram in hand. Once she slices through the dark sheen of the surface, Wessex swims as fast as she can underwater towards the monster. LEAVE, Kia hisses from her in frustration, unsure why the woman had chosen to land instead of fly away.Neron, get her out of here.
All of this, of course, is one giant hail mary. Lady? If you’re there some help taking Safrin’s relic from Ronin would be the best kind of revenge. When she reaches the body, she dives further below it to try and figure out where the heart might be in a beast this size, chakram ready to start slicing into it if there's time.
------------------------
Wessex tells Neron to go and take Kiada with him, shifting into full speed to try and avoid Noah's arrow. Diving into the Sea, Wessex swims underwater until she reaches the Monster and then dips further underneath it, aiming for where she thinks the heart might be. She calls out the Mama Voice for help as a hail mary and yes, still looks like Neron.
Magic: Anyone | Can alter surface level appearances over her whole body, such as skin, hair, and eye color. Cannot change internal structures (bones, voice, etc.)
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Type: Dark
Leviathan Chakram (Upgraded): An unbreakable chakram created from the scale of a leviathan by the Voice. With razor-sharp edges, this discus will always return to the hand of whoever throws it, and will always do so without injuring the hands of the thrower.
She also has these feats:
Magic: Demi-gods (FEAT) | Rolls with advantage against Demi-gods.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
Magic: Demi-gods Disadvantage (FEAT) | Demi-gods roll at a disadvantage against Wessex
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Neron asks Wessex if he needs to stick around, Remi has a think, Noah fires an arrow at NeronWessex (and misses), and Ronin offers up a threat. Kiada begins to fly back toward the icey ground, but doesn't quite make it as Wessex sprints across the ice and into the water. The creature is massive and thus so is its heart. Hacking and slashing at the beast, Wessex is able to get about 1ft or so through its blubber before she begins to encounter bones.
Welcome to the Relic KQ!
Because this has plot ramifications, it (and all subsequent relic KQs) will be scaled based on level and more difficult than normal). 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. If you don't do this, they won't be taken into account!
liars and lovers combine tonight, we're gonna make a scene
Alright. We'll rendezvous with you back at the Citadel. And Wessex - you are more important than a relic. Remember that. It's about as Neron a way of saying don't get killed for some star bitch's trinket as it gets, but as the Neron!Wessex streaks away towards the water, the real Hailstorm takes heed of the warning and the permission to leave, and does just that.
Hurrying away under the cover of his upgrade and his illusions, he fights as quickly as he can to get in range of Kiada. And once he meets up with his fellow Ascended, he'll seize any part of her available and activate the upgrade he's siphoned from the Wraith just a few moments before. Live to fight another day and all that.
Under cover of illusion and his invisibility upgrade, Neron scarpers out of the fight to reach Kiada. Once she's in range of him, he'll activate the teleportation upgrade stolen from Wessex in this thread, and get the hell outta dodge with her. He'll be aiming to get to the Citadel.
Type: Dark
Cloaking Upgrade | A 90% body upgrade that bends light making the user invisible. Dramatic action or the use of weapons/upgrades/items makes the user 25% more visible. This translates to rolling disadvantage to hit the user in a battle.
Illusion: Can create 100% compelling and complex illusions within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Magic: Teleportation | Can teleport to any board that Wessex has already visited, OR can teleport to an adjacent board that she's visited with someone else. If used within the same board, requires a 1-post cool down period between uses.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
How do I learn my dreams to mold To lay them bare in the morning cold?
On another day, Remi might have acted differently. He might have abandoned his hunt for Safrin's relic (star-bitch that she was), in order to target Wessex. Wessex, who was clearly ignoring is husband's warning. But thoughts of Finn still swirled in the magnetic and bloody darkness at the back of his mind. Thoughts of Cian too; of letters asking for help, of being told NoT TO sTArT thE WaR; of being told to hurry up and then wait. All this steeled his resolve that come what may, he would have that relic if only to keep it from everyone else.
He didn't have Kiada 's vantage point from the sky, but what the alchemist did have was two relics successfully retrieved under his belt as well as a far more intimate understanding of Safrin than he'd care to admit (aka that INT 2).
Despite Wessex 's proximity, Remi flares his wings instead and lunges for the brightest star-lit reflection in the pool of the dinosaur's blood.
Remi uses what he's gleaned from his INT 2 and lunges for the brightest star-lit reflection in the water.
Magic: Live-Wire (feat) | Ascended roll with disadvantage against Remi.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
If they're still out there then the chasm grows For all you know, for all you've known
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
As his arrow flew and sunk into the snow, only to ignite and extinguish within seconds, Noah growled again. Ronin gave his threat and Noah stood so that he was no longer crouching behind the Huntsman. He quickly nocked an arrow just in case, with his jaw set and tight.
He summoned the celestial dome once more, offering Ronin the healing he deserved. Noah did not know the real Neron had been within his vicinity and was attempting to flee (but hopefully his magic was fast enough to offer damage before the injured ascended could leave), but he knew the fake!Neron was running and jumping into the sea.
"If either of us can get it before he does we can be out of here in a second!" The demigod said to the other. Noah lifted his bow and stepped slightly to the side of Ronin, crouching on the ice again prepared to fire. "Where the hell did Wessex go!?"
---
Noah nocks an arrow, uses Divine Opposition to heal Ronin and hopefully damage Neron before he is able to leave, tells Ronin either of them need to get it so they can teleport out, and gets pissed off about not knowing where Wessex is.
Noah has:
- Two daggers, a bundle of 4/9 arrows (already placed within his quiver), and his bow.
Type: Dark
Fire Quiver | A magical quiver that turns any arrow placed within into a flaming projectile that ignites upon impact. (Made by Deimos)
Magic: Turn it off and on again (FEAT) | Ascended attacks using upgrades roll with disadvantage against Noah.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Magic: Divine Opposition | Noah summons a celestial shield dome in a 15ft radius. Any allies within the shield receive Basic Healing, and any enemies are damaged at a Basic level. The shield lasts for 1 post, with a 3-post cooldown.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
i'd fashioned my own cross been crushed by its weight there's no stronger message than dirt in your face
I shouldn't laugh, but I know I'm a failure in your eyes
With his warning given - both to Noah about leaving and fake!Neron about staying, there's little left to do other than wait and see what decisions are made. And, as it so happens, they're pretty terrible decisions in his opinion. Unaware that the real Neron is nearby (and fleeing), Ronin's attention is drawn to the Wessex in disguise as she makes a break for the water. Filled with a fury that feels clean at the same time as it feels right, he unleashes his starbolts in her direction, oblivious to the pain coming his way if it hits.
We'll have all the time in the world to get it if he's not in the way, he replies curtly through the bond, and with a beat of his wings he leaves Noah's side (though not without a nod of thanks for the healing), rising into the air to get a better look at things as they stand.
Ronin fires his three starbolts at Wessex and takes to the air to get a better view.
Magic: Shooting Stars | The user may summon celestial energy as a projectile. Control is excellent, and multiple projectiles may be created at once. (In quests or other combat situations requiring dice rolling, only 3 stars may be created per post).
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
He also has:
Magic: FEAT | Now You! | When Ronin successfully hits a target, the next ally who posts gains advantage on their attack.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Magic: FEAT| Live-Wire | Ascended roll with disadvantage against Ronin
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Magic: FEAT | Static | Rolls with advantage against Ascended
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
I’m going! She snaps back, trying to aim for the ground, hoping that the second she hits the icy ground, she’s searching for the quickest way to get out of dodge before any of the old gods turn their focus onto her. Her sensors blare in her mind and she shivers with her attempts to try and shut them out.
She activates her armor upgrade and her speed upgrade, hoping to protect herself and get herself out of dodge of anything as quickly as she can, unaware that Neron is searching for her to latch onto her and teleport her out. If he does reach her, though, she’ll certainly let him.
Kiada activates her armor upgrade and speed upgrade and tries to leave the KQ!
Type: Light
Bipedal Air Upgrade | Air shoots from her feet allowing her to move with bursts of speed
Type: Grey
Bionic Armor Upgrade | Lightweight but hard armour extends from her spine, wrapping around her upper body in a defensive sheet of armour.
do not think you are safe because you love her
do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too
KIADA
Kiada has a large X scar on the right side of her neck.
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Kiada, without killing her <3
Wessex is counting on two things to save her from everyone who isn’t Remi:
1. The sheen of the water hiding her position. If that fails then,
2. Being under the monster
That’s about it. That’s all she’s got. Other than her backsplash upgrade, which is more of a consolation prize against her opponents than any true weapon.
And as for Remi, whom she fully acknowledges as the real threat in the water? Might as well give him something else to distract him. She summons a medium-sized Great White Shark and a medium-sized Sea Wasp jellyfish. She tells the jellyfish to wrap itself around Remi's torso and the shark to take a chomp out of his arms. And yes, she's curious to see if it works, so she peeks out from underneath the dinosaur to watch. If it isn’t, she’s well aware she might need to follow in Neron and Kia’s footsteps and get the hell out of dodge. Live to fight another day and all that, like the Hailstorm said.
--------------------
Wessex continues to saw away at the chest of the monster in an effort to get at the heart. She summons a medium-sized Sea Wasp jellyfish to wrap itself around Remi and a medium-sized Great White Shark to take a chomp out of his arms/upper body. She only peeks out of hiding from underneath the monster to see if that attack is successful and if anyone else is in the water.
Magic: The Squad | Can summon 3 small, 2 medium, or 1 large regular creature. Can also summon any of her mythical shifts. Summoned animals have an HP of 1 and cannot go more than 30ft from Wessex. Must wait 1 round between summoning if creatures are dismissed/knocked out.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Magic: Shadowed (FEAT) | Light magic rolls with disadvantage against Wessex.
Type: Dark | Rank: Basic
Magic: Demi-gods (FEAT) | Rolls with advantage against Demi-gods.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
Magic: Demi-gods Disadvantage (FEAT) | Demi-gods roll at a disadvantage against Wessex
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
