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!
"There is rumour of a relic in the Maw," Ronin says softly, his footsteps crunching around the compacted snow as he carefully cold-blooming flowers around Safrin's area of the shrine. "We already planned to go and retrieve it, but now I've had word that there might be one in Stormbreak as well..."
Heaving a deep sigh and straightening up to admire his handiwork, Ronin smiles softly to see the statue of his goddess surrounded by brightness and life. "I have asked if Maeve and Melita would try to start the search while I am away, but I do worry. Apparently an Ascended has learned about this too. And I wouldn't put it past them to try to get into Stormbreak again."
Shaking his head, he's more venting his thoughts than asking for guidance; at least this way he can get all of his thoughts out and his mind clear before taking on whatever it might be at the bottom of the Arclight.
Ronin is cashing in his levelling reward: Mastered demi-god magic via an interaction with your parent god.
He would like this please:
Magic: Rescue | Ronin can bring a fellow Old God demigod to his side in a time of crisis for three concurrent posts. One use per thread. If the summoned demigod also has mastered this ability, they can remain until the end of the thread.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
"Well hello to you too, sugar." Safrin's voice is as easy as a lazy summer afternoon, shining upon the cobwebs and dark places that Ronin's thoughts have lately lingered. She appears the way a sigh might, building in the back of your throat and then suddenly upon your lips: snow and starlight gives way to lace and life, wrapped up in Safrin's familiar shape.
"Maeve mentioned the rumour of there being one in Stormbreak." Safrin agrees with a slight nod. "I'm afraid I won't be of much help when it comes to that...After the last war, we were placed within the barrier in the Hollowed Grounds...what happened here during that time I have no memory of. Cian might have, but..." Well, we all know what happened to Cian. 'If you are worried about the ascended, why not simply tell them that they are not welcome here? You seem to have left that out when negotiating a truce between Stormbreak and the Hollowed Grounds, but they have made it quite clear, deadly clear in fact, who was and wasn't allowed within their borders..."
"Oh - sorry, I was... rambling to myself, I suppose." Made uncharacteristically bashful in his goddess's presence, Ronin straightens up and lets out a sigh that forces his shoulders to slump and his jaw to relax. The sight of Safrin alone is enough to calm him, to make the stresses of the future seem distant and unimportant.
Indeed, even her comments regarding it take a few moments to filter through, lost as Ronin is in her lace clad curves and the galaxies that seem to stir in her eyes. His smile, still warm and ever faithful, turns a touch wry as he realises what a good point she makes. "Somehow the obvious escaped me in those negotiations," he admits. "I will make sure they are aware. In the meantime, I guess I am on my way to the Maw."
Knowingly if not a touch mischievously, Safrin nods. 'I think you gave them far too much credit in that you expected them not to be as ruthless as they have proven themselves to be." She explains. "The Gods made the same mistakes in the days before the first war."
Reaching for him so that she might straighten his collar and brush away nonexistent bits of dust on his shoulders, Safrin sighs. "Ludo has given Remi an ability that, much as I hate to admit it, might benefit you as well." Though the angles of her face seemingly grew sharper at the mention of both Ludo and Remi, now she softens considerably. "I would never see you put into a situation where you are forced to fight alone again." So saying, it's with soft hands suddenly full of starlight that Safrin cups Ronin's cheeks, filling him with love and a blooming sense of purpose. Oh, and a new ability, of course.
"There's nothing quite like repeating history, huh," Ronin says with a smile and a scrunch of his nose; at least he and the gods are making similar mistakes though, right? "I used to know these people who are suddenly so ruthless. I even called them friends, once. Maybe part of me didn't want to believe that things were this way, but... you are right. It's time to give as good as we are getting."
All but melting into Safrin's touch, Ronin raises a brow to hear Ludo and Remi's names pass her lips. "Oh...? I..." Before he can say anything more, starlight fills his bones and his eyes flutter shut to enjoy the presence of the goddess as best he can. It's at times like this where he wonders whether leaving the shrine is even worth it, especially with war on the way.
"Thank you," he whispers. "You are wonderful. I'll make sure to stop by Torchline after the business at the Maw, too, to make sure everything is alright there. I know Maeve is sworn to your stars as well."
"This is what we have been trying to tell you all, all along...the Voice poisons them. People who you never thought would be capable of such things, now do them without blinking. For all of the Voice's cunning when it comes to her upgrades, spinning this story of hers such that she creates soldiers willing to die for her cause out of the most logical of minds...that is her true strength."
Safrin's galactic gaze pours into Ronin's until his field of vision is full of nothing but blissful blue eternity. There they stay for centuries, perhaps, until such time that Safrin blinks and her hands slip away. "Be well, sugar. And Ronin?" With her hands at her sides and her body clothed in lace instead of the Huntsman's hands, the goddess smiles.
