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!
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
“Ready?” the Wraith asks with a light grin as the three of them gather at the edge of the Labryinth at dusk. Three Naturals, three Grounders, and though she doesn’t know that the Efas herb was around in Cal’s time, she’d be willing to take the bet that it was. Loki coils around her legs, an undulating creature of shiny black scales, that will soon blend in well with the encroaching darkness and the mess of overgrowth they’re about to dive in to.
A chill Deepfrost wind whistles by, rustling whatever’s behind her a tad ominously. “Efas Herb. Labyrinth. We got this.” Surely they can handle this.
“Ready.” Varus replies easily, rolling out his shoulders – the metal arm taking a bit more of a loosening, working it with his other, fleshy hand. He knows what the Efas Herb is, he’s also very familiar with the labyrinth. There were times where he’d get lost in it on occasion – perhaps on purpose, on similar nights like this where he wished to wait out the war. But he wasn’t Ascended, then, and ironically had ended up in the sister (or mother?) of this Labyrinth as a result of the previous war.
For now, though, Varus settles on his heels, gaze flickering to Wessex and whomever else decides to join them. He’s got a little bag attached to his belt, one with a few supplies but also room to carry the herb should they find one.
While the other two might have entered the Labyrinth on multiple occasions, Alexander couldn't say the same for himself. Still, he was here because he needed to be. The family needed him to be. He took a breath he didn't need, attempting to settle the unease in his belly, adjusting the strap of the sword on his back. "I'll follow your lead." He said, giving both Varus and Wessex a nod, knowing that he at least wasn't in any real danger with the two of them here. Thank the Voice for that.
With a small satchel at his hip and his weapon of choice on his back, Alexander followed after the other two Ascended, ignoring the nerves that told him to retreat. He wouldn't. Not when this was so important.
Mount Everest ain't got shit on me 'cause I'm on top of the world, on top of the world
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
With a verbal agreement that they’re all ready, Wessex nods decisively and pivots on her heels, turning to the Labryinth. There’s an entrance nearby so she takes the lead and heads towards the dark tunnel; now, even Wessex in her 42 years has never been able to map the Labryinth. No one has. It might very well be alive - moving of its own accord? She whispers a quiet prayer to it as they pass within, murmuring, “We’d be forever grateful if you’re kind to us tonight.”
Loki takes wing and flies above the group, giving them a bit more of a vantage point when need be. But so far the going is easy, with only the chittering of Speaking Squirrels drifting through the heavy silence towards them until they come to a fork in the road. Wessex pauses. “Left, right, or straight?” she calls back, stepping aside to let Cal and Alex make their own examinations and determinations.
There’s a nod of greeting offered to the blacksmith when he arrives, a small fanged smile accompanying it. And before he knows it, they’re off on their own little adventure to hopefully not get lost within the bundle of shrubbery and speaking squirrels in the maze. He supposes, however, that he does still have that manticore shift locked and loaded, that he could (if everything else failed) get them out of the labyrinth by flight if need be.
For now, however, he follows their little group – eyes peeled for anything of note, anything out of place, any specific line of shrubbery that seems to hold more than just the regular bushes that the labyrinth was known for. That’s how he intends to find the Efas Herb after all. So he draws up beside Wessex, the metal hand pushing his dark hair back from his eyes as he scans the routes ahead. “I vote left.” He muses, leaning forward to squint down the path.
Feeling a little ill prepared, not even having a previous bite to draw from, Alexander can't help the pit that forms in his gut. He pauses at the entrance, swallowing thickly even as he offers Varus a nervous grin, flashing his own set of fangs. "Before we get too far in, I'd appreciate a little help if anyone is willing to share. Haven't had the chance to indulge recently." It's said lightly. The last bit almost joking despite the edge of seriousness that coats his tone.
They pause at the first intersection and he scans each one, not noting much of a difference between any of them, but deciding that it would probably be easier to go with Varus's suggestion. "Let looks promising to me." He murmured in agreement, scanning the path in question for anything beyond the squirrels that were chittering at them.
Mount Everest ain't got shit on me 'cause I'm on top of the world, on top of the world
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
Turning on Alexander like that half naked baby boy in front of a christmas tree gif, Wessex laughs at the way he phrases his question. They don’t know each other well, despite being relatively close in age and Ascending roughly around the same time. They ran in different crowds, and by that I mean that Wessex was a loner - right up until she couldn’t afford to be anymore. “Left it is, then, after - “ Smoothly pulling back her sleeve to reveal a pale arm, the demigod offers it to her brother with a nod indicating that he’s welcome to whatever she’s got.
“I assume you’ve still got that shift you want to keep?” she asks Cal with a raised brow, privately marveling at how long he’s been able to keep that manticore shift. Or maybe he and Isla just trade it back and forth?
If he could properly flush, he absolutely would with the look that Wessex pins him with and he feels a sheepish smile curling on his lips, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. It felt weird asking. Given that he wasn't sure that they really knew each other well enough given the fact that they didn't know each other at all. Yet, it was simply a thing that was deemed okay. Simply because of the circumstances. So as the wrist is offered, it's with a thankful dip of his head that he steps forward, taking a careful hold of her arm before biting in the same place as many others before him.
The fluid is tangy and sharp against his tongue, undoubtedly metallic as it coated his tongue, followed by a surge of pleasure that he had to close his eyes against. It was a mind over matter situation and as he shifted his attention to his sensors, focusing on what Wessex had to share instead, it was easy to ignore. He drew back, carefully wiping his bottom lip with his thumb, "Thank you." Alexander said softly before following her and Varus to the left.
Alexander takes this!
Magic: Angry Eyes | Can shoot laser beams from her eyes. Target must be within 60ft. Deals heat damage to soft surfaces, with a 50% chance to disorient characters if the light goes in their eyes (a dex roll on her part). Can also cut through medium objects, and heat large-sized objects.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Mount Everest ain't got shit on me 'cause I'm on top of the world, on top of the world
You hear a scream that seems to stop time and drain the colour out of the world. In the distance you see what appears to be a woman in a wedding dress, but of course…you know that’s not what it is. Lifting her head the banshee seems to lock her eyes on you and unless you back away now, she is likely to pursue you until she is able to choke the life from your body.
You’ve encountered a Banshee. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements. You may not kill your rare creature without admin permission.
Banshees (rare/mythical): They take the form of a skeletal lady wrapped in rags. Some wander the woodlands, singing a haunting melody. Others sit near streams and weep. Either way, disturbing these creatures will cause them to become very aggressive. They can pursue their prey seemingly without need for rest, and will strangle all those that they catch.
He steps a little further away before realizing the question that Alexander has posed to their little ragtag group. He immediately stops on his heels, boots squishing some of the ice and snow beneath them as he turns to look back at the Wraith with a crooked grin. “Of course I do. S’not like I’m gonna get another chance to get one of those shifts anyway.” Or the magic, but it’s the shift he’s been holding onto for so long, one that he knows will come in handy eventually and he certainly doesn’t intend to blow it before he’s ready.
His gaze flickers away from Alexander back down the path as he moves his metal arm, as if keeping some of the ice from forming to keep it limber enough when he hears the thank you. Stepping in a bit further, the peel of the banshee scream is loud in his ears and his posture immediately straightens, stilling along the left side of the path. “Ignore it, keep going.” He murmurs to the two of them, keeping his gaze decidedly away from the direction of the banshee, not wanting to push her into chasing after their little group.
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
She doesn’t make any kind of fuss about biting these days; when you have as much power as she does, it only makes sense to freely share it. Wessex would give as generously as the Voice did, and offers an encouraging nod to Alexander if he’s hesitant. She still hisses when he breaks the skin, still steadies herself as the sensations rush through her, making one leg feel particularly weak and a heat begin to curl in her belly.
Taking a moment after he pulls away, she exhales needlessly and then nods again. “Of course. It’s what I’m here for.” And then the marks are physically gone, nanites closing the wounds up, and she tugs her sleeve back down over her wrist. Snow crunches under her heel as she turns to the left and leads them onward, pausing only when a screech pierces the air. Loki comes to a sudden halt above them, not wanting to go any further. Luckily, there’s another dark fork in the hedges, and casting a glance at Varus, Wessex ducks into it, changing their course.
“She’s getting around the Grounds,” Wessex murmurs to the men. “Either that, or we have a Banshee problem.”
He carefully avoids trying to catch any looks from the Banshee – wherever she is, focusing instead on the fact that they needed to get out of this path as soon as possible if they didn’t want to continue to be approached by the creature. Luckily for him, though, his gaze is trained half between Wessex’s back and Loki above, moving into the alcove that Wessex has chosen abruptly, ensuring that Alexander is boxed between the two of them safely.
“Perhaps both. Maybe it’s just two of them and they have this little shitty pact.” Varus rumbles with a slight roll of his eyes, nodding to Wessex to continue down the path, trying to put as much distance between them all while still trying to scout for the herb.
While all three of them didn't truly know what the maze held ahead, he was sure that whatever direction they were going was better than the direction of the banshee. He follows behind Wessex, Varus covering his back as they duck into the alcove, keeping their voices low as to not pull any more attention than they already have. "I didn't think they were this active." The Ascended mutters, wanting to look back to get a better look at the thing, but knowing it was best not to. They might not need to breathe, but they could still be killed.
His hand tightens on the strap of his bag, boots crunching through the snow in a series of long strides as he keeps up with the Wraith, occasionally glancing back to make sure Varus was still with them.
Mount Everest ain't got shit on me 'cause I'm on top of the world, on top of the world
Laser beams we're about to awesome all your dreams
It’s not something she really wants to have to deal with between now and the start of the war; there’s too much to do to add Banshees to the list. “Me neither. Let’s keep an ear and eye out around the Grounds for the next couple of weeks and see if it keeps happening. If it’s an issue, we can let Isla know and take care of it.” Said just as much to Cal as it is to Alexander, she lightly charges the two of them with this task. That’s delegating, right?
And in the silence that follows, Loki is their better part. Wessex takes another right and after a few feet, the dragon calls her back with a low trill. Oops. Turning the group back around, she glances up with a grin. “All right, all right. You lead the way.”
With a slight turn over her shoulder, Wessex looks back at the men as a group of speaking squirrels try to drag them down another break in the hedges, “You know what the herb looks like, right?”
