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!
08-01-2022, 06:32 PM (This post was last modified: 08-16-2022, 05:56 PM by Lena.)
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
The Caretaker wasn’t a person made for war. Too gentle, too compassionate, too kind, too willing to resort to other measures well before rage sputtered and rankled. Even with the aftermath of the Tower, her sister’s death, and so many others’ lives cut short, she didn’t wish for the whole world to be brought down around them. But she wasn’t about to do nothing either.
So she placed a notice amongst the boards of Stormbreak, before inclining back towards the Celestine. There were a number of things they could do here without violence and vehemence; the more healing, nurturing, supportive side of what lurked in the distance.
While she waited for anyone else to join her, the youth began gathering baskets, materials, and supplies they’d need to set forth and snag at herbs around the enclosures and gardens.
--
This is an open PQ for the war prep SE! Please post your character arriving and we’ll get started!
Mateo hasn't seen the notice, regrettably, but he does spend a lot of time in the Celestine, and so of course he finds himself in Lena's general vicinity as she starts to set up her baskets and other activities. Intrigued, the boy trots closer, his Bag of Holding hoisted over one shoulder and a few sprigs of peppermint bark in his hand (he'd been collecting them for tea, or for his father to chew on).
"What are you doing?" he pipes up to Lena when he gets close enough, blue eyes roving over her equipment and materials. "Can I help?" Because of course he wants in on it if it looks like they're going to be able to collect things from within the Celestine.
It wasn't the first delivery that Tal had made to the Celestine, but after his last experience he was far more wary as he prowled down the winding paths in search of the Caretaker. No resident of Stormbreak, he hadn't seen the signs, but he had ended up in the right place at the right time (or the wrong one, depending on how you looked at these things) to find Lena busily at work and a young helper who liked timey-wimily familiar near at hand.
"Miss, um, Caretaker? Delivery from Halo," he called, trotting up and unslinging his own Bag of Holding to retrieve the box of paw pad salves and unguents from within and hand it over. "Uh... what's goin' on?" A good question, looking around at the baskets and other materials being gathered.
Boreal came drifting down at a leisurely spiral to land near Mateo, scaly tail wagging in greeting as she presented her head for the customary scritches that all humans owed her.
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
Absorbed in her work, it was only Mateo’s voice that caught her attention long enough. “Oh, hello! I’m trying to collect and prepare some herbs from the enclosures. Thought they would be nice to have on hand.” The reasons for why went unsaid, but given who the youth was, and where they all stood nowadays, it probably didn’t need to be stated outright. “And of course you can! We may need your expertise!” Especially with the lad’s practical knowledge of plant life.
Momentarily distracted from moving any further, a stranger appeared along the winding gardens, and Lena’s eyes widened to hear of a delivery parcel. “Thank you. Who is it from?” A pause, because amidst the task at hand, the Caretaker had forgotten introductions. “I’m Lena. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.” Her eyes snuck to the dragon, permitting an easygoing smile in the companion’s presence.
“If you each want to take a basket and select an enclosure, I’d like to snag at the herbs we have available to us. Be mindful of the creatures within.”
--
Thank you for joining!
Here are the options available:
Riverside enclosure: (think like the Greatwood area): assortment of mushrooms, peppermint bark, snow moss, and other things one would find in wooded places.
Jungle: (think like the Oerwoud area) assortment of mushrooms, sentient vines, blushberry bushes, and other things one would find in jungle areas.
Forest: (think like the outer Hollowed Grounds area); assortment of mushrooms, efas herbs, peppermint bark, snow moss, and other things one would find in forest areas.
Pick and choose which you would like to go within and set forth! Be mindful that there will be creatures within! No post order!
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
"It's from Alexia Seawright," Tal reported obediently, ducking his head in embarrassment. After his sister had heard about his last 'adventure' in the Celestine she'd decided to send some of her Halovian remedies along to the Caretaker for the wolves and fox and ursur that might end up in need of healing.
Boreal heaved a pointed, smokey sigh at her bonded and he blinked and then sheepishly added: "I'm uh. Tal. I guess I could give you a hand..." He eyed the baskets dubiously, but if word got back to Lexi that he'd turned his back on the charitable work going on here he'd be on dishwashing duty for a whole season.
He was not going anywhere near the Celestine waterways again, and he was pretty sure the jungle habitat was where he'd gotten chased by the tiger, so he grabbed a basket and headed for the Forest. He knew what snow moss looked like, at least, and he began poking around for it with a grimace as Boreal trotted along nearby, eyes peeled for squirrels. Tal chooses the Forest and looks for snow moss!
Mateo, of course, gives every scritch that Boreal is owed, even as he's looking up at Lena and then between the baskets and other supplies. Always in the mood for some gathering (less so the hunting), he nods brightly and plucks up one of the baskets, stuffing the peppermint bark back into his Bag of Holding - and grinning to see someone with something similar turn up.
"Hello," he announces to Tal. "I'll take the jungle. I've played with sentient vines before, and I've been mushroom hunting!" So saying, the boy marches off into said enclosure, keeping his eyes peeled for anything promising and (naturally) seeming curious rather than wary of the enclosure's citizens.
Mateo chooses the Jungle and looks for mushrooms and sentient vines!
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
And off they went, stalwart and steadfast, heading directly into their chosen enclosures!
Talyson’s efforts to hasten into the forest wouldn’t be in vain – before long he’d come across snow moss and peppermint bark! But as he’d begin to snag and pluck, it would startle several large speaking squirrels, most likely there due to some injury, out of the brush and thickets. They chattered, swinging their long, bushy tails, before beginning their residual speech. “Follow me!”
He'd have to decide if he’d actually want to – who knows where a rodent may lead someone – gather more supplies, or return to the station to deposit his collection!
Mateo’s wanderings into the jungle fostered wondrous opportunities for exploration and curiosity – and he’d be able to snag some blushberries, as well as a number of mushrooms (one of which might’ve been poisonous). But he too stumbled along another dweller of the enclosure – a treeflit, rampaging over. It gave a series of lengthy screeches, and then…well, attempted to steal the mushrooms straight out of the youth’s basket.
And Lena, in the midst of the riverside, found herself some mushrooms and peppermint bark as well (it’d be a popular treat!). Of course, she knew exactly what would be found in the Frey-constructed land, and smiled fondly at the hanging snakes suddenly descending – offering them a treat before placing the rest of her wares into her basket.
--
Talyson has found one piece of snow moss and one piece of peppermint bark! Also some speaking squirrels who are not very fast, but quite willing to lead him elsewhere.
Mateo has found one bush of blushberries and three mushrooms (one of which may be poisonous). A treeflit is attempting to steal the mushrooms.
Lena has found one mushroom and one piece of peppermint bark, as well as cute little hanging snakes. :3
Your character may make a choice: continue exploring the current enclosure/interact with the creatures, return to the station and deposit their wares/select a new enclosure to rotate through.
No post order!
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
"Ohhhh no, not you guys again!" Tal glared daggers at the squirrels, squinting to try and figure out if any of them had been responsible for his last misadventure in the Celestine. No tracker, he couldn't tell one from another, but that didn't stop him from scowling. "I'm on to you little fuckers! Go bother someone else!"
Boreal hadn't been along on the last adventure, but squirrels were a toy she could get behind. Dragon she might be, but being raised with Tal's dogs had given her some decidedly canine leanings and she bounded gleefully towards the little pests, fully capable of taking flight to chase them through the branches. "No eating them!" Tal called after her belatedly, but his scowl lifted to a grin as the rodents were sent fleeing and he continued harvesting his moss and bark with a more cheerful mien. Tal stays in the Forest to keep harvesting while Boreal chases the squirrels!
Having interacted with blushberries before and knowing their consequences, Mateo wisely opts not to put any in his mouth as he adds them and the mushrooms to his basket. Regrettably the same cannot be said for the latter, and he's just eyeing up one of the fungi (is it the poisonous one? who knows?) when a greedy treeflit swoops down and unintentionally saves him from a bad decision.
"Hey!" he calls out, trying to spin with his basket in hand to prevent the creature from making off with his goodies. "If you want anything, you should really say please! Here... maybe you can have this instead?" Fumbling, he gets out the peppermint bark he'd been collecting from before and offers it to the treeflit.
Mateo sticks with the Jungle and attempts to bribe the treeflit to leave his mushrooms alone with some peppermint bark!
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
Clever, clever Talyson, to utilize your companion! The squirrels scattered in opposite directions, though due to injuries they were quite a bit slower, making them vulnerable as well. Hopefully nothing else would get maimed in the process (and the courier would have a very upset Caretaker on his hands if it occurred).
However, one rodent, perhaps the de facto leader of the lame troupe, or simply an obnoxious little lout, began calling to the dragon from behind a clump of bushes. Follow me! started up again, aiming to entice the flying lizard instead of the human.
For what? Who knows!
But in the meantime, Talyson would also be able to discover and score an efas herb and three more pieces of snow moss.
Mateo was fighting his own battle of wits with the treeflit amidst the jungle enclosure, and it was altering back and forth. While his bribe seemed efficient, one could hardly discount a treeflit’s avarice – so little claws darted out, aiming to snag the peppermint bark and mushrooms once more.
And if the youth happened to notice behind the animal’s current boundaries, he’d see several sentient vines lingering just out of reach.
For her part, Lena stayed amidst the riverside too, intending to snag and grab what she could. With the hanging snakes occupied by their treats, there was little to bother her, save for the rushing of water nearby. Managing to snag a few more mushrooms (she’d have to ask Mateo if most of them were edible, or lurk in her many journals and books), the woman hummed contentedly in the midst.
--
The speaking squirrels have been distracted by Boreal, but now they’re trying to lure the dragon somewhere. In the meantime, Talyson has found an efas herb and three more pieces of snow moss.
Mateo’s bribe underestimated the treeflit’s greed, and now its trying to take everything it can. There’s also some sentient vines nearby that could be snaggable.
Lena’s efforts to distract the hanging snakes has worked, and left her to gather mushrooms in peace.
What will you do next? Continue interactions/leave/return to the station?
No post order!
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
08-23-2022, 09:08 PM (This post was last modified: 08-23-2022, 09:10 PM by Talyson.)
Tal was feeling pretty productive and relaxed now that the squirrels were gone and he'd found more of the moss and a funny littler herb that looked important. Maybe Lena could tell him if it was useful or not? For the moment he tucked it into his basket and went looking for more peppermint bark. Just a little longer and he'd head back, he decided, feeling mighty pleased with his efforts so far.
Boreal was also feeling pleased with herself as the entire little group scattered, and she chortled happily, trailing smoke from her scaly nostrils as she bounded after a couple. Not too fast - Tal had been quite firm on the 'no eating' rule - but really, anything that ran was practically begging to be chased, right? And in fact, one squirrel in particular seemed to be doing exactly that. While Tal was distracted with his rooting around for moss and plants, the dragon slowed down and began to stalk towards the bushes, tail stiff and straight behind her and blunt muzzle held low as she readied herself to pounce the moment she saw movement.
Tal spends a final round gathering, looking for peppermint bark in particular, while Boreal follows the Speaking Squirrel!
"Now that isn't what we decided!" Mateo barks out as the treeflit tries to make off with both the bark and the mushrooms. He's doing a little pirouetting dance with his basket and his Bag of Holding, doing his best to stay away from the greedy little creature. And though his temper might have a very long fuse, hormones dictate it more than personality, and finally he aims a sharp swat at the treeflit.
"I said no!" he demands, scowling and spotting the sentient vines because he flails into them more than because he's looking for them. "Oh," he adds, his basket clutched close, even as the vines slip down to coil around him like so many hanging snakes. "They'll work too, I guess."
Mateo gets mad, swats at the treeflit and collects some sentient vines!
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
While Talyson was busy snagging at his wares, and snagging two more pieces of peppermint bark, it was Boreal who’d find the most danger. The squirrels, though injured, still found a way to make this day irritating, exasperating, and potentially painful – chanting and cajoling, limping and maneuvering amongst the brush –
Until the dragon would encounter a hive of chorus bees, content around their Queen while she mended, beautiful melodies stringing through the brush and trees. Ohohoho, now what?
Clever, clever Mateo; his efforts with the treeflit finally came to an abrupt conclusion as he swatted at the treeflit. Immediately dismayed, and perhaps a little mollified, the young creature screeched and flickered off, leaving the stolen goods behind. Well done!
Lena grabbed at the remains of her finds as well, and cupping her hands around her mouth, hoping the rest of them would hear her throughout the enclosures, she yelled and called for them to return. “When you’re ready, you can bring what you found and we’ll organize them!” Immediately going to the baskets, she began to arrange portions for herbs, mushrooms, and the like, based on their findings.
--
Talyson has found more peppermint bark and Boreal has found a hive of chorus bees!
Mateo’s smacking of the treeflit has sent it flying off, and he can grab all of his things again.
Lena has called for everyone to return so they can sort/organize their collection!
No post order!
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
