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!
we're all stories unfinished and we die to find some fitting words to write
Wessex is more or less in the same emotional state as Nate, internally quite proud of their teamwork and externally suddenly very “ :| “ Loki croons a little sadly at the sudden emotional drop, wrapping herself like a cat around the Wraith's ankles.
In the end though, she doesn’t apologize - she won’t, because she’d done her best to scare the tiger away before landing a blow and that hadn’t worked. Loki had seen an opportunity to help her bonded and there was no shame in that. It was an unfortunate accident, and none of them had sensed the cubs.
She’s about to suggest that Ray shouldn’t reach into still might-be-hot liquid metal, but maybe that’s a lesson the herbalist needs to learn on her own. Standing back with Nate to give the Torcher a moment, she meets the Lone Ranger’s glance and nods. “Agreed. If you want, we can do a little something for them on our way back.” Moving forward, she offers a hand to either Cam or Ray to help them up, then takes the lead in continuing down the path.
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Wessex agrees with Nate and takes the lead to continue down their current path.
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)
Newborn cubs against the strength of a demigod? They are very, very dead. Sorry kids, sometimes it be like that.
On we go with our more experienced duo encouraging the others. It's a lovely day for a stroll, and other than a few sentient vines that reach out to ensnare tickle you, an hour passes without incident. And...then another. As much fun as it is to wander around the jungle, you...don't really notice anything of note, and eventually the path you're on ends at one of the waterfalls.
Huh.
Maybe you should talk through what you know and see if you can't figure out what to do?
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Ray eyes the cubs one last time before taking a shuddering breath and following the others. What's done is done, and at least it was quick. Soon they come to the waterfall and the herbalist scans the area around them before turning back to the others. "If we want to keep going this way, I'm fine sharing my shifts. I've got a shangyang shift so we can fly down if you all want? Unless someone else has a plan?"
Ray is willing to go with whatever plan they come up with. She doesn't know too much about the deity they seek. She's not about to claim to know the best course of action.
Ray offers up her shangyang shift to the others so that they can fly down. She's willing to go with any other plan the others come up with.
A bit reluctantly, Cam follows the group. It's hard for them to believe that there's really nothing they can do for the cubs, no miraculous recovery, no last minute saving grace. But this is real life, not a fun story, and in real life they just have to deal with the fact that the cubs are dead.
"We could continue on this way," Cam replies to Ray -- something in them gets a little squirmy at the idea of drinking her blood to take her shift, but the idea is just a little bit exciting, too, to actually experiment with their Ascended abilities. "But, uh, where are we actually going?"
They glance at Wessex and Nate for guidance. Surely the demigods didn't bring them all out here just to get lost in the jungle, right?
"That could be nice." Nate agrees about the idea of doing something on their way back, though he's clearly eager to be moving on, encouraging hands guiding Cameron and Ray, so long as they are permitted.
Really though, for all they find, they might as well have taken the time to do something for the cubs before they moved on. It feels like hours of nothingness before they reach the waterfall, and even when the do the way forward is no clearer than it had been the last few hours.
Nate makes a convincing show of looking around, eyes narrowing and widening again, looking for something, anything, before letting a breath out his nose and turning back to Wessex, his arms crossing in front of him. Ramoth takes the oppoutunity to slip into his arms like a hammock, somewhat ruining the air he's going for. "What're we thinkin' Boss?"
Nate uses his Int to figure out if there's anything worthwhile to check out
we're all stories unfinished and we die to find some fitting words to write
“I’ve got a bird shift big enough to ride on, too,” she offers after Ray, truly not caring which option is taken. Stepping as close to the edge of the waterfall as she can, Wessex hmms to herself before turning back to the group. “We’re looking for the lushest, most green or flowered place possible - the Flowerbirth deity’s favorite pastime is growing plants. Let’s take a look around and see if there’s an obvious trail or extra thick area of plants from up here.”
Saying it aloud seems kind of silly, considering they’re in the jungle and everywhere is green and thick and vibrant. “Let me see if I can get some height and spot anything -” Shifting in to her Minokawa shift, Wessex goes as high as she can and hovers, trying to find something that looks like the right path.
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Wessex tells the group they're looking for a lush spot with alllllll the plants, then goes into her Minokawa shift and tries to get some height from which to use her INT to find the right path / spot.
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)
You're right, Wessex; the Oerwoud is the lushest location in all of Caido. Not even the Greatwood can rival the fertility found here. Shared shifts or not, for those of you with a higher vantage point, you will see the jungle sprawling out around you. To your backs mists cling and cover the mountains that eventually lead into the Cordillera, whereas far below the Tanglefoot is a bright smattering of colour, looking like some artist's discarded palette.
No one area looks any more lush than the others.
I suppose if you go home now, at least you all had a nice walk? Burned some calories?
You have 24 hours to reply. 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.
Your randomly assigned posting order is Ray, @ameron, Nate, Wessex
Ray hums in thought. "If nothing seems obvious on the surface..." The Attuned snaps her finger as an idea takes shape. "What about beneath? Or even underwater? The Oerwoud does seem like the most likely place for the Flowerbirth deity to be. And it also seems likely that their location is some obscure, tucked away place within." Otherwise someone would have crossed paths with them already, surely?
The Attuned considers things for a moment before continuing, "If it's underwater, I won't be much help. None of my shifts are aquatic. Unless someone has another idea, maybe we can start searching caves or other oddities in the land that can take us below the surface?" The herbalist isn't done yet in regard to this quest. There's still options and possibilities. Turning back now would be a waste.
Ray suggests looking underwater or underground if we can't see anything from the surface. Preferably underground as she can't breathe underwater.
Cam nods at Ray's suggestion. Privately, they don't think underwater is very likely, but they're not going to shoot down Ray's idea when they don't have anything better to offer. And underneath does seem like a distinct possibility -- the canopy is thick enough to hide any number of things, even without going under the ground itself.
"Isn't there an underground area in the jungle somewhere?" Cam asks, trying to remember what they've read about the area. "The ... Undergrove?"
The last thing Cam wants to do is turn back. If they don't find anything, if they give up, that means those cubs died for nothing.
Cam suggests the Undergrove as a place to potentially get under the jungle, but they don't really have much of an idea -- they just don't want to turn back yet.
Ramoth is shifted from his arms into his shoulder, Nate’s focus on the jungle around him not telling him much, other than that the jungle is a crowded, overgrown mess. A fact he already knew, so…
The others start to chime in, and a hand comes up to stroke at his chin. “I don’t think underground makes sense. Or underwater.” He’s not trying to be a buzzkill, just realistic. “I’m not saying that we should go back, but… I don’t think there’s anything here.” Nate sucks his teeth, then amends his statement. “Not right now at least.” That doesn’t mean he knows where else though. “If it’s not here though, then… is there anywhere else with weird plant shit all around?”
Nate is more than willing to keep going, but doesn’t know where to start and asks if the others have any idea
we're all stories unfinished and we die to find some fitting words to write
Returning to the ground, Wessex shifts back into herself with a tight frown. “Nothin’.” Obviously disappointed, she listens to the suggestions in turn. “Underground and underwater are definitely a possibility, but… I think Nate might have the right of it. Just because this is where he’s supposed to be doesn’t mean he’s here right now. So how do we found out where he is?”
However the weird plant shit triggers something she’d tucked away in her head as something else entirely. “Hak Etme,” she blurts out. “The book -” Reaching inside a pocket, the General feels like an idiot for missing what now seems to be a potential clue. Reading aloud, she tells them that for the plants in Hak Etme to grow, they would need an incredible display of power, such as the kind deities and heralds might have.
“So there’s that in the desert,” she says, closing the book after glancing to see if there might be any information. “And I'm sure I could carry Cam and Nate there, if you wanted to fly with me, Ray. But let me channel first. Just in case that’s a relic and not the Flowerbirth spirit.” No way in hell is she taking Cameron to find a relic. And that's just for their own good.
Reaching inside her for Barty’s stored power, the General calls out for someone other than the Voice, knowing that she won’t be able to answer right now. “If someone could please guide us to where the Flowerbirth deity is now, we would appreciate it. Or at least, point us in the right direction?”
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Wessex consults the Knowt book and reads aloud the bit about the Hak Etme flowers and checks for any additional info. Before they take a complete left turn and leave the Oerwoud, Wessex channels using Barty's channeling ability, taken here: https://cotf-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=6471&pid=118849#pid118849
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)
A cloud of green gas rises up from the ground like some silent and small atomic bomb. With vaguely leonine features, a pair of jade eyes seem to blink themselves into existence, peering at the demigod who summoned them.
How could anyone know such a thing? The spirit wonders (#Level1Channeling). He lives in a cave, deep in the jungle, down there. Gesturing towards the bottom of the waterfall. Normally the pathway to it is quite lush, but it isn't right now. They add, before licking their leonine lips and vanishing.
You have 24 hours to reply. 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.
Your randomly assigned posting order is Ray, @ameron, Nate, Wessex
Ray nods, stepping back at Wessex's words. "Sounds good." The book gets a brow raise but the herbalist manages to suppress the flood of questions that bubble up. It gets easier to do so when Wessex starts to channel. Ray's never seen it done before, much less done by an Ascended Demi-god, so her curiosity peaks. The Attuned watches the spirit with wonder as it appears briefly only to vanish after giving its piece.
"A cave. Alright." Ray glances down the waterfall at their feet before glancing at the others, "So are we flying down? Or is there something else we should check before taking the leap so to speak." If the cave below them is truly the home of the deity that is. And if the deity is there in fact, there may be further preparations to be had.
Ray asks if they should check anything else or fly down to the cave beneath them.
"Um, do we know if we want to ... believe that ... ?" Cam says after the spirit departs. "Like, do spirits have to speak the truth, or are they compelled to do your will, or what?"
Something about the spirit's blithe claim that they just haven't ventured far enough into the jungle doesn't quite sit right with Cam. Surely they would have found some other sign ...
"Even if it's telling the truth, maybe the reason the path isn't lush is because the god isn't there right now," Cam thinks aloud. "If he's in Hak Etme instead for ... some reason ..."
Ultimately Cam shrugs and turns to Wessex and Nate. "I'll go with what you think is smart. But, uh, my gut says flowers blooming in the desert might be a more likely sign of divinity than a path that doesn't stand out enough for us to see it."
Cam is skeptical of the spirit's words and suggests heading to Hak Etme instead, though they'll go along with whatever the group decides.
