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!
01-05-2022, 03:06 PM (This post was last modified: 01-23-2022, 11:05 AM by Honey.)
JACK
see me falling yeah, down and lonely
He's heard it on the grapevine (read: Torchline's Queen) that there's a need to fortify places for people to run and hide and all that good stuff when the war hits. And don't you know, Jack's just the charitable sort who can help out with that sort of stuff (read: for a price). So he gathers on the craggy shale outcrop that leads towards one of the branches of the Fingers at dawn. It's low tide and cool, but it will heat up quickly. Hopefully they're deep in the shade by that point.
He's requested that those who come to help bring something to contribute to the cause, since the smuggler is being kind enough to show them into the islands' hidey holes. For the captain's part, he's got a small bag with several small boxes inside. Within each is a specially crafted choker embedded with a manta crystal - and he's also got one around his own throat. In case of emergencies, it seems good to have one available in each of the 'safe houses' they're going to be creating.
Welcome to the Longheat 313 PQ+ to fortify Rae's Fingers for the war!
Please have your character arrive with enough of ONE of the following to make at least three safehouses:
- Rations
- Medical supplies
- Blankets
- Tinderboxes and fuel
No post order!
are the angels on their way? i’m in the dirt
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
Ray was more than willing to donate part of her stock to this endeavor. When she heard that efforts were being made to create safehouses for the citizens to flee to if the war took a turn for the worse, she started packaging up supplies. Bandages, basic medicine for colds, fevers, infections, and allergies were packaged. They were placed alongside wound treatment ointments, stitching material, and even calming teas. Anything and everything that a safehouse might need, Ray strove to provide it.
Thus, the herbalist arrives at the meeting point pulling a horse-drawn wagon. Ray isn't weak, but she's not capable of holding or carrying all of this on her own. "I've got the medical supplies here." She glances at the wagon with a hint of uncertainty, "I think I've brought enough of everything they might need?"
Ray arrives with a horse-drawn wagon filled with every kind of medical supply she thinks the people might need. (Colds, wounds, infection, stress, you name it. She brought something for it. And lots of it.)
Somehow, Deimos ended up involved – through vows or assurances, oaths or pledges, his abilities or efforts, even when he’d only intended to keep himself busy with plotting for Halo or ensuring the guild was up and running. But he had some spare time, moments not dedicated solely to monster hunting or calculations, and he likely owed somebody something. Might as well strive forward for a worthy cause, and he’d always been an individual aiming to assist, protect, and preserve those around him.
The Sword, having readily applied himself to hunting, came with his bag of holding filled to the brim with rations meant to last, preserved as best they could be: jerky, dried fruit, nuts, biscuits, and then canteens already containing water. He inclined his head politely to those he knew already gathered, and announced what he’d brought via a quiet but deep rumble. “I have rations,” before taking his place, and awaiting the next steps. His eyes wandered almost immediately, curiosity getting the better of him at the potential ventures of going into the depths of the Fingers.
--
Deimos brings his bag of holding filled with rations (jerky, dried fruit, nuts, biscuits, and canteens filled with water).
Maeve had roped him into this, or at least that's what he'd tell the others, should they ask. He's no push over but the bundles of blankets he's having to drag down into the Fingers are frustrating at best. Three safehouses he was told but how many people per safe house? Well, he kind of had to guess on that end. Luckily, the Halenani has lots and lots of spare bedding. And this should be good for now.
He recognizes most of the ragtag crew well enough. Comforting. "And I've got blankets. So. Many. Blankets." The bags he carries are heavy but he's doing alright. He does his best to keep them from getting wet but how well he's doing has yet to be decided.
___
Locke has blankies in some bags! (Simple white linens.)
Locke brought blankets, Ray brought medical supplies, and Deimos brought rations. Cordelia? Well, she has the matches and tinder. Something that Deimos helped her put together. Just like she helped him with the rations. The two were a team, after all. The Attuned adjusts the backpack on her shoulders, shifting the weight of it again, trying to balance it out as she pushes into the Fingers after the others. Cordelia joins Deimos, standing at his side as she eyes the others with curiosity, only recognizing Ray as one she's met before, but she offers a polite smile to them all. "I brought some tinder boxes and matches. Should have plenty here."
She says, slipping the backpack off and placing it down in front of her, waiting for further instructions.
Cordelia brings tinder boxes and matches!
Say something, something like you love me Less you want to move away from the noise of this place
Awww, yay! Look at you all, showing up with the best intentions - how lovely.
As it says on the tin, then, there are three hidey holes to make within Rae's Fingers. Your first effort is to get to them. What Ray plans to do with the horse-drawn wagon is not the business of this PQ+ (u figure it out), so we'll skip right to the getting in the caves.
It's dark and damp, but it will heat up soon enough if you dawdle. Heading straight into the nearest entrance, you can thank Jack's preparation (and a really nice Luck roll) that all the routes are marked out and there are torches available to light the way.
The path towards the first hidey hole, though, is quite narrow. It might take a couple of trips to get through with all of your belongings!
Leaving the horse and wagon, Ray takes a bag with a few med kits to take into the tunnels. She'll come back to lug the rest in. For now, this will do. She eyes the narrow entrance for a moment, "Oof. Here we go." Holding her bag in front of her she attempts to squeeze through with her arms stretched forward. The hope is that she'll minimize how much width she takes up.
Ray hopes she won't scrape herself up too badly. She partially shifts her eyes and ears to that of her panther form in the hopes of keeping an eye on her surroundings. Shimmying through the tunnel isn't the most defensive position after all. Hopefully she'll be able to hear any danger coming this way.
Ray takes a single bag from the cart with some med kits in it. She then attempts to make her way through the tunnel bag first and arms outstretched in front of her. She's partially shifted her eyes and ears to panther form to keep an eye on their surroundings.
Granting Cordelia a quick smirk, they carried on. Despite other adventures with Ray in previous seasons, this had been the furthest he’d wandered into the tunnels, and he took in the sights, the surroundings, as best he could via the lantern light, committing them to his quick, calculating mind.
Otherwise, he paid attention to the opening, growing narrower and narrower the more they proceeded. As with all his encounters with caves, it left him with an uneasy, apprehensive note in his spine, but he pondered over possibilities and parameters so they may not have to take up so much valuable time. “I can put some more items in my bag,” as long as they fit within the opening, and he left it available for a matter of moments for anyone who wanted to adjust things around.
Thereafter, he attempted to squeeze through sideways, lifting the satchel upwards.
--
Deimos attempts to squeeze through sideways, with his bag of holding loaded with supplies (and anyone else’s, per his volunteering).
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Bag of Holding | A bag that can hold an infinite number of items, so long as they fit within the bag's 3ft x 3ft opening. The bag always feels nearly weightless, but always looks about 75% full.
Locke's not unfamiliar with the caves, for the most part. But it's been a minute and he's not sure he's ever been down these exact ones. He is going to have to make a few trips though. The blankets are easy enough to carry but they're bulky. Speaking of bulky, he watches the others as they squeeze down the narrow pathway. Deimos offers his bag and Locke perks up a bit, holding up one of the bags of blankets. "Can you take this one?" It'll go a lot faster if he doesn't have to do it one bag at a time. He lifts another one of the bags over his head and follows after the larger man. Too bad he doesn't have a shift that'd be useful for this.
___
Locke gives(?) one of his bags to Deimos and puts another over his head and squeezes through the tunnels after Deimos.
Jack brings up the rear (ha) not because of some random die roll, no no, it's because he knows he's marked out the routes into the caverns. That and honestly, if anyone gets stuck he'd prefer to be at the end of the row than crammed into one of the hidey holes with no way out.
Either way, he has nothing to carry other than the manta crystal necklaces, and those are fairly minimal by way of baggage. So it's on lithe and nimble feet that he follows the group into the first tunnel, waiting to see how things progress with Tall, Dark and Muscly over there with his bag of holding.
Providing the way is clear, he'll follow, calling out up ahead. "You should come into an opening - that's where we can put down the first packages."
are the angels on their way? i’m in the dirt
Jack being an Abandoned is common knowledge these days, however his Telepathy remains a well-kept secret:
Magic: Passive Telepathy | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
Also branded with a small star tattoo beneath his left eye.
And off you pop! Jack is right - Ray is the first one to shift and creep through the skinny tunnel, finding herself in a small but lofty cave where the tides will be unable to reach it - there's also a shaft of light from a crack in a couple of the rocks, letting in fresh air and a little bit of illumination.
One would think that Deimos is the most likely to get wedged in between the rocks, but he moves like a ballerina in the cramped space (that agility tho), joining Ray without difficulty so they can begin to unburden themselves.
Then we come to Locke. Sorry, man. Whether it's his height or the item over his head, he gets caught in a bit of an awkward twist between a couple of boulders, and ends up stuck tight. Of course, this also prevents Jack from moving ahead as well. Whoops!
Ray and Deimos are able to unload the items in the first drop-off. Locke is stuck, and Jack can't progress any further until he moves! Little help?
Ray is about to begin unpacking when there's a commotion behind her. Of course, Locke gets stuck. She glances at Deimos, "Can you help Locke and Jack please?" She glances up at the top of the cavern, an idea forming. "I'm going to quickly scout out the top of this thing, so we don't run into any unwanted surprises." Before she even considers making this a hideout, the herbalist is going to make damn sure that it's safe.
Having said her piece, Ray shifts into her shangyang form and flaps her wings. Avian eyes pierce through the darkness, trying to get a better feel for the cavern.
Ray leaves Deimos to help the boys and shifts into her shangyang form to scout the top/darker corners of the cavern for any threats/concerns.
Cordelia gets stuck behind Jack, having taken an extra moment to follow after the group with her own supplies. Locke being stuck doesn't do her any favors and she huffs out a breath. The Attuned shifts the bag off of her shoulder and wedges it between an outcropping of rocks before squeezing past Jack. "Drop your shoulder down and twist." She instructs Locke, helping to keep his own supplies steady so they don't lose it in the water while he tries to wiggle loose.
Cordelia helps Locke get loose.
Say something, something like you love me Less you want to move away from the noise of this place
Deimos had presumed, wrongly so, that if he could get through the narrow passage, certainly anyone could. But turning around, and noting the result, his brows furrowed slightly. As Ray took off, leaving him to assist (he would’ve anyway), the Sword made his way back to the confined individuals, noting the space, studying, examining, and scrutinizing the layers of stone. “I can try using earth magic,” he rumbled and intoned – perhaps a warning about things potentially moving in a moment. Combined with Cordelia’s advice, hopefully the actions would be beneficial.
In efforts to not damage any other internal structure piecing rooms, caves, and everything else together, he aimed to utilize his incantations around Locke and Jack. Perhaps he’d be able to widen the gaps, shifting the rocks, just enough to ensure the rest of their party could pass by.
--
Deimos tries to use his Mastered Earth magic to widen the gaps, and shift the rocks, just enough for Locke and Jack to pass through.
Earth Manipulation: Can create and control the earth. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
