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!
In between other bits and pieces he’d been slowly chipping away at (the den, the offices, the living quarters, the library), the one far more pressing to his machinations were the remains of the boxing ring. He’d stared it down at least a dozen times, formulating schemes and plans within his head, promising to come back to it later when he had more time and more guild members eager and ready to complete the task. The potential of it was daunting, to rip apart scorched boards, to break away piece by piece, and leave something else with potential, with something more than upheaval, in its wake.
But he’d done this before, and he’d do it again.
Leaving a notice on the bulletin board of the guild, and then upon Torchline’s own, Deimos began to wind his way back into the scarred portion of the connected buildings – and stood along the opening threshold, surveying the scene. Brushing over a dusty, ashen laden table, he began to scrawl plans and details upon a piece of paper, the fabrications coming to life in his mind, while he waited for others to join him.
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This is a PQ to repair/renew the training grounds in the Monster Hunter’s Guild (yes, because he helped burn the old one XD). This will count towards SEs and is open! Just come on in and ready yourself!
02-03-2022, 08:02 AM (This post was last modified: 02-04-2022, 11:54 AM by Darkeye.)
Blackeye
Not the strongest win the battle —
Darkeye was surprised to read this. So he noted down the location and asked the people where to go. He had many ideas, but Darkeye would have to see what the situation was before he could give Deimos some advice. He had to see see how much space Deimos had. So he walked to the hunter's guild building. Maybe he could repay the favor for the training and show how good he was with building some training grounds. As he saw the building he walked closer. "Was that a dragon or what?" Darkeye stood there and waited until Deimos looked up. "Kor greets you Deimos. We have a lot of work to do I see." Darkeye reached his hand out for a handshake.
After asking a few people for directions, Lilliane had finally arrived at the building mentioned in the message on the bulletin board. There she stood for a few moments, even debating leaving altogether while she hadn't entered yet. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and looked around for whomever this Deimos person might be.
She was surprised to see Darkeye here. Though Lilliane had expected to see him again at some point, she didn't think it would be here. Giving him a smile and a nod for greetings, she then turned to the man standing beside one of the tables. This seemed to be Deimos then. "Hi. Um, I saw the note on the board and thought maybe I could help? I'm Lilliane." She made a short pause before continuing. "I'm not good with carrying heavy stuff, but I've done basic repairs on my house in the past."
Sketches outlined along the parchment – overarching themes instead of finite details, when the sound of others began to echo into the otherwise empty place. His head lifted, eyes widening slightly to see Darkeye there – though perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised, given the other man’s promises. Maybe Deimos presumed many didn’t follow through on their assurances and pledges, given the experiences in his life. The first inquiry though sent the slightest wrinkle to his nose, gaze settling on the scorched timber for an instant – no dragon actions or rejoinders. Just his own foolishness and rage, the conspiring need for vengeance. “No. That was from me.” But it’d be gone soon too – replaced by better parts. He returned the handshake thereafter though. “Thank you for coming.”
The other that entered though was completely unfamiliar to him, and he arched a brow at the woman, committing the name to the face. He could remember a time, a place, where all he’d ever done was assist with strangers too. Probably still did, if they were being honest. That proportion of him hadn’t altered. So he offered his hand towards her as well. “You may help,” and then a slight smile, before relinquishing back to necessities.
Holding up the paper, he pointed to a couple of notations already made. “I was hoping to replace the boards,” which he’d see to personally, considering he’d been the one to contort the damage. “And take down the ropes around the boxing ring.” They were clearly warped and frayed, though that hadn’t been from him (he figured – his aim had been for the other building anyway). Likely from time and use. “Then I have a couple more things for us to do, but that is enough for now.” They’d need to finish on what they started first, regardless.
From there, he permitted them to wander towards the ring, while he gathered up the wood already laying in planks nearby, preparing to exchange.
--
Deimos is off to replace/repair the scorched boards, while Darkeye and Lilliane can take down the ropes off the boxing ring!
Darkeye looked around to see what have to be done. He was happy to see that Lilliane was still alive, and gave her a nod and a warm smile. After turning to Deimos, Darkeye said. "From you, what happened? I wondered why the notice was on a board. But I'm happy to be here and know we can make it to a nice place."
Darkeye looked at the ring. "If that is okay with you I would disassemble it. And look which parts are damaged. So we can clean all parts and also the ground under the ring. And after that, we can reassemble it there again. Then we can be sure it is all right." Darkeye was ready to make a whole new place, a fighting ring was hopefully just a test. But it was work that needed to be done. Darkeye nodded to Lilliane and started to walk to the ring.
--
Darkeye moves to the boxing ring and starts to remove the ropes.
When Deimos offered his hand to Lilliane, she took it for a handshake that was gentle yet somehow firm at the same time. Upon his next sentence, she nodded. Though it was unlikely that someone would send help away, she knew she certainly didn't bring professional knowledge to the table. Therefore it was good to know she could be of help.
Taking a closer look at the papers Deimos held up while he was explaining the next steps, Lilliane nodded again. "Okay. I'll take a look at the ropes then."
She looked from Darkeye to Deimos and back for a moment, considering the different options they had both been mentioned. One proposing to replace the boards on the go, the other to disassemble the thing in its entirety. Either way, she decided, the ropes would have to go down no matter which option they chose. So for now, she headed over and inspected the way the ropes were affixed to the ring. "Can we just take them off or do we have to hold the sides because they need the tension of the ropes?" she asked, a question open to all though more directed at Darkeye since he was busy with the ropes too. Meanwhile, she was working on loosening the knot on one of the ropes.
Lilliane takes a closer look at the boxing ring and starts to untie the first rope.
Strength mulishly pulled away the floorboards, grip and grasp wrenching them away from their brambled counterparts, while he pondered over how best to explain the prior situation in the simplest way. “The previous owner of this place betrayed my friend,” without revelations of goddesses, stupidity, sudden children, and a whole other cycle of rampant impulses, drunken sprees, and fallen companions. “So we set his guild on fire.” He shrugged his shoulders, as if understanding the upcoming nuances and implications. “No, it was not worth it.”
Looking up from where the scorched pieces had followed at his tugs and pulls with efficiency, he watched Lilliane and Darkeye take the ropes apart effectively. There were no issues, no hazards, no negative results, so he listened keenly to the contributions. “I was not certain whether to keep it or not.” A very boyish wrinkle to his nose gathered again, and he couldn’t offer the vague excuse of ‘spite’ as a reason why. “We can see, and then evaluate where to go from there.” He shrugged his shoulders – perhaps a new one would at least ensure Sunjata’s handiwork no longer remained.
Replacing the timber, honing over the surface of the wood with earthen incantations, nails, and hammers, he eventually finished just as the ropes were put aside. Venturing over to the ring, Deimos composed his features back into their default reticence, and began to help break down proportions of the makeshift arena.
--
Beautiful rolls! The ropes are down, and the scorched floorboards nearby have been replaced with new ones!
Lilliane and Darkeye can help to start taking apart the ring, and we can assess the damage to it!
Darkeye listened to Deimos. The ropes were no problem. But Deimos would need a new one. "How did he betray your friend and is that one still alive. I mean the friend and the betrayer." Darkeye took some water from the waterskin. Then he looked around where the fire moved and was a little angry at Deimos. This was no way to punish an enemy, right?
Darkeye turned to Lilliane. "Good to see you Lilliane." He offered her a hand for greeting. "If this is okay with you, I will take the wooden plates carefully out one by one and you can label them so we can put them together later easily. After that, we got the framework and the pole on the corners. There we must look at how they are put together."
Darkeye will start to take the Ring apart carefully.
As she worked, Lilliane listened to the conversation between Deimos and Darkeye, not willing to barge into the conversation but interested nonetheless. It must've been quite the betrayal to merit a guild to be set on fire. Then again, considering Deimos said it wasn't worth it, maybe not.
She smiled at Darkeye upon the greeting, taking his hand for a short handshake. "It's nice to meet you again." She wasn't quite sure what to think of him yet. Time would tell. To his further explanations, she nodded. "Sure." Turning to Deimos she continued: "Do you mind if I take something from your writing or drawing stuff?" If he agreed, she would head over to the table where Deimos had been making sketches earlier and take something to mark the boards.
Lilliane marks the pieces Darkeye takes apart for a simpler reassembly later on.
“Relationship drama,” was all they’d be able to drag out of him for the cause – not intending to unwind the interplays of bizarre happenings. It’d been enough to listen to it several times over in the year prior. “Both are still alive.” The Sword was indifferent to the whereabouts of Sunjata, and while he maintained a semblance of a distance with Hotaru now, they were still close. She was still striving onward, with enough on her plate.
Nonchalant about Darkeye’s potential ire, especially since the moments had long since come and gone, Deimos had dealt with the consequences, repaired the broken bridges where he could, and solidified other means and measures in the interim, he maneuvered on, breaking apart the folds of the boxing ring and passing them over to Lilliane, per the older man’s suggestion. “Go ahead.”
Underneath though, they found some structural damage. There were enough signs of wear and tear, and not from fire, but from rotted proportions; where perhaps the humid air had been enough to seek out weakened portions. A few rats scurried out as well, squeaking along as the Sword sighed, because they’d have to be found again and removed too. Suddenly there was a lot more work ahead, and he eyed the system Lilliane was trying to set up. “We may have to replace the whole frame, with this mess.” His gaze went towards the timber he’d already set aside for other purposes, and begrudgingly marched over, beginning to measure out other ruminations.
--
We’ve found a lot of structural damage underneath! You can either start measuring out the wood to replace everything with Deimos, or go after the rats!
Darkeye wanted to know more, but Deimos's short answer was a sign to not go over that line. But there was still something that he wanted to know. "How were they? Can you tell me their names or is it too personal?" Darkeye cared for Deimos but did he go too far this time?
As soon as Darkeye saw the rats he looked at them. When the rats ran past him, Darkeye tried to kill as many as possible before they could get away. "I love many creatures but I hate rats. There must be a nest. Can I have a bucket and some cream? I want to build a rat trap. Or we get a cat. That smell alone will keep them from coming back." He looked around if he could find a bucket or something similar.
Darkeye tries to kill as many rats as possible when they run past him. Then he starts building a rat trap.
As the rats scurried out from underneath the ring, Lilliane looked after them with a sigh. Given the state of the place, it wasn't entirely unexpected. Still, that would be one more thing to take care of now. Though for now, it seemed that Darkeye intended to take care of that problem. She furrowed her brows slightly as she listened to him. For all his talk of loving many creatures, so far she had not seen any of it. In this case, though, she had no complaints.
Instead, she took a good look at the pieces they would have to replace and then headed over to where Deimos was already working on measuring out the wood. "If we replace one, we might as well replace all of them. At least then we know we won't have to worry about an old part breaking through soon. If we have enough material for that." Given that she already had something to mark the wood in hand, she might as well help in taking measurements and marking where it would have to be cut for the pieces to fit.
Looking out over the timber, he withheld what felt like the hundredth sigh threatening to unfurl from his lungs. Considering the notions, he wrinkled his nose and only grumbled a low adherence to Lilliane’s statement. “Right.” And then he shrugged, continuing to measure the wood, before beginning the process of cutting it, snagging at a nearby saw. “I can always make more.” He handed her another blade, just to speed up the notions.
While Darkeye fought with rats.
For the first proportions it went rather well – a majority of the rats slain in some way (stomping?). Finding a bucket was made all the more difficult with the rest of the beasts becoming increasingly volatile, some striving to bite at the older man.
Not even bothering to hide this sigh, and ignoring the inquiries over Hotaru and Sunjata, he gave a low whistle. The pitch was enough to snag at Belial, taking him from whatever he happened to be doing (probably annoying anyone nearby). The peryton glided in – fangs bared and all – with an air of jubilation and excitement. “You can use him,” the Sword uttered to Darkeye, carrying on with the timber.
--
Most of the rats are gone, though instead of being able to make a trap, Darkeye is just being gnawed on. Deimos has allowed Darkeye to use Belial for hunting the rest of them down.
Deimos and Lilliane have cut the timber and can now start putting it together for the ring!
Darkeye tried to stomp as many as possible with his boots. As they came to bite him, he smiled. "Come here you little shits.“ Darkeye hated these creatures so much. As soon he got something to grab - a wooden blank or something similar – he started hit them with it. He even grabbed one by the tail and smashed them to death on the ground, with pure hate in his eyes. As Darkeye saw that Belial was coming he pointed to the other side. “Belial, we need to scare them in a corner and kill any that try to escape. After that they will hide then we can still use the trap." In his world he was immune to the rat illness but was he here too? He needed to check himself after the work was done here. As soon Belial was in position Darkeye would try to push the rats in a corner to kill them. One by one if necessary.
Darkeye will try to catch the rats in a corner and kill them.
