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!
Darkeye had again straightened up and washed off the dirt from the trip and had all his stuff with him. It had been very early and the sun had not yet shown itself completely as he on the way make. He didn't know what Remi had told him, but he was ready for this conversation to become very one-sided. He walked along the corridors and asked the guards where the Judgement's Needle was. When they asked why, he only showed the letter. He then let himself be taken to the premises and waited as a guard went in to show Ronin the letter and tell him that Darkeye was waiting outside.
It's early, and although Ronin is far beyond the need to sleep these days, he still misses it when dawn creeps up on him after a late night. And so it's with tired eyes but a bright smile that he greets Darkeye, beckoning him into the little office and murmuring a thanks to the guard. "Morning," he greets the warpriest, holding out a hand for the other man to shake.
"I was just making some coffee - would you like some?" he asks. "Apologies for the long walk to get here, by the way - this office is temporary, I hope." It is too small and too pokey for his liking. Ronin would at least want to look out a window.
04-06-2022, 03:51 PM (This post was last modified: 04-08-2022, 02:49 PM by Odd.
Edit Reason: closed a tag
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DARKEYE
Darkeye had expected many but not such a friendly greeting. He took his hand of Ronin and shook it friendly but with a strong handshake (which is possible with 19 str).
He let go of the hand and indicated a bow. "Lord Taliesin it is a pleasure to meet you. Yes, I would like a coffee black if possible." He smiled at Ronin, thinking of Remi's words. "There is nothing to decry it keeps you fit and helps to get better stamina. I'm glad you have welcomed me. You know why I'm here?" He said with curiosity in his voice. And hope that this will go a different way.
"Black coffee, coming up," Ronin says with a smile, gesturing to a seat on one side of a desk for Darkeye to sit down at. "And please, call me Ronin. I'm not one for formalities," he adds, heading to the coffee pot to make them both something to drink. He offers Darkeye out a mug of black coffee (his own has cream and sugar, naturally), before moving to sit on the other side of the desk.
"Sort of," he admits as to why Darkeye is here. "I understand that you have been meeting with a lot of the leaders in Caido? Who have you met previously?" Ronin props a leg up against the desk to get comfortable.
Darkeye accepted the coffee with a grateful nod. "I have had the pleasure of speaking with your husband and with Isla so far. Noah invited me. But from what I've heard, our meeting was a priority. I'm trying to find out what they're all fighting for and tell me their side of the story. But I have talked not only with leaders but also with generals like Wessex or Deimos. Or guild leaders like Amun, and I put it all down in this book." He said honestly. He pointed to the book with the black manticore that he pulled out. "If you allow me, I would write down this conversation like a protocol or a report."
He took a big sip of the coffee. "I would also like to offer my services. I am a stonemason and a reasonably good blacksmith. I would like to offer my help as mentioned in the letter. After such an attack, you can use every helping hand.
Ronin's eyebrows raise - he wouldn't say most (if any) would describe meeting his husband as a pleasure but he's not about to disagree with the other man. "You have been busy," he observes. Leaders and generals and an assortment of Ascended, it seems. If nothing else, Ronin believes that Darkeye most definitely isn't biased. "Sure, go ahead," he says, gesturing for the notebook so the warpriest can write everything down. "Where would you like me to start? With myself, or with Stormbreak?"
The offer of services, while unexpected, definitely has Ronin's eyes lighting up, and it's with a smile that he lifts his mug in a cheers. "You have no idea how much Stormbreak would appreciate that," he says. "Any assistance you could give would be incredibly helpful, thank you. Our architect was killed when the Tower fell."
Darkeye had to grin a bit at that. "Yes I was but I don't think your husband saw it as a pleasure. He was very unhappy with what I told him and he had asked me to leave. Therefore, to be honest, I am surprised by this friendly reception. I gather information and openly present it to the sides and ask questions about it. What do you prefer and how much time do you have for me Ronin? First Stormbreak, Order, and then you if possible." He smiled politely and took a big sip of the coffee.
Darkeye smiled and handed his mug back to broil as well. "I'm not an architect and I have some work to do but once that's done I'll come back and help as best I can." He had not forgotten the hunt. "If you still need someone to help you, I can make tools and give you advice and help."
"Remi is sensitive, even if he doesn't show it," Ronin says with a soft smile. "Don't begrudge him his bad moods. Of the two of us, I'm much more of a people person." Hence the friendly reception. "I've got at least an hour before I'm expected elsewhere. Let's see how far we get, hm?" His smile brightens and he sips further at his coffee.
"Stormbreak, then. It's the captial of Caido, as I understand it. It's a very old city, and has stood for at least three hundred years, if not longer. There are wards around it that prevent Abandoned from setting foot on the soil - but I am trying to remedy that."
He nods encouragingly to hear that Darkeye will be back and happy to help with the rebuilding efforts. "I know the people would really appreciate it," he murmurs.
A sudden bout of mist begins to swirl rather charmingly around your heels. It’s gone nearly as quickly as it came, followed by the indistinct sound of faraway laughter.
He hesitated briefly, wondering about the fog and the laughter. Had he imagined that? Darkeye looked at Ronin to see if he had seen it too. "Did you also just see and hear that? What was that?" Darkeye stood up and grabbed his spear to defend himself and Ronin.
After a short pause, he started to speak again. "To be honest I like Remi even if he threw me out. He's a man I look up to. A man who knows what it means to fight and lose. You can tell by the way a person looks and talks. I understand why you chose him as your husband." Darkeye winked at Ronin.
Darkeye wondered. " I see you want to make it walkable for all. It would also be better for the trade routes. May I ask your motives for wanting to change it? "He had already given good reasons, but what was it that drove Ronin forward? Was it friends or acquaintances?
"I just have one more thing to finish after that I'll be back. I hope you can provide me with materials and a workshop by then. I can sleep in it too, I just need to be there if that's possible Ronin." He said in the hope that he would survive the hunt. As well as the conversation with Voice she should answer.
Ronin did see the fog and hear the laughter, and it isn't the first time something like this has made itself present while he's been out and about. "Yes," he says with a frown, and though he sits up in his seat, he doesn't get up. "I feel like that is following me around. I wonder if Ludo is playing tricks," he mutters.
Speaking of, as Darkeye mentions Remi again, Ronin's expression melts back into a smile. "He chose me, believe it or not. But thank you - I'll be sure to pass on your compliments." He's not sure how his husband will react to them, but the least he can do is ensure that he knows.
"Well, we have skyships that can take us from Torchline to Stormbreak and the Greatwood, but of course Abandoned can't use them," he says of his motivations. "And with the war so close, I thought it would only be fair if they were able to travel the same as we can."
Nodding, he confirms that the materials and everything Darkeye might need will be provided. "I look forward to seeing you back here."
Darkeye put his spear aside again and sat down. "I have that feeling, too. It's not the first or second time it's come up. It's been happening since the hide-and-seek game... Something is coming for us. But I'm relieved that I didn't imagine it," he said, friendly and a bit more relaxed.
He smiled when Ronin said that. "I believe you Ronin. I don't want to dispute it with you guys. Married people are off-limits." Again Darkeye winked and smiled broadly. "You're welcome to pass that along but I don't think he'll really get what I mean." Darkeye played with his beard.
"I don't know if this is too forward but won't the mages support Voice sooner she used to be one of them they say. The old gods are averse to magic it was said. But I am grateful if you can enlighten my ignorance." He admitted openly.
At this comment, he just nodded. "But I am not doing this for you Ronin it is for the innocent. I try to stay neutral."
"I am both relieved and not," Ronin admits with a crooked smile. "At least if one of us were imagining it, that would mean there isn't trouble on the way." Alas, there is always trouble on the way. As for Remi, the Huntsman can only politely incline his head. "A compliment is still a compliment," he says, resolving to tell the Lullaby about Darkeye's positive remarks nonetheless.
The Abandoned are a thorny topic, but not nearly so much as the Ascended, and Ronin shakes his head a bit. "My thought was that Stormbreak would nullify magic rather than killing Abandoned who set foot here," he says slowly. "The Voice dislikes them just as much as the Old Gods do."
Darkeye didn't seem to have seen the appearance for the first time and still seemed nervous, but he was glad that he wasn't the only one who had seen it. "Maybe we can have a three-way conversation and maybe then I can get an answer and maybe I will know better how to talk to him without making him angry. I'm often very direct and a lot of people can't handle that."
Darkeye wrote it all down and made the comment about the gods thicker. It was something that worried him none of the gods liked them which made the situation more difficult. "Then we have already concluded the subject, or do you have something to add?"he said kindly.
