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!
Isla and Cal’s notes are sent to the infirmary, and Jata’s is sent to his house in the Grounds.
Survived the Draig. Nothing of a life or death nature to report for once, but let’s gt a Council session going to see where we’re at on preparations and things still to be done. See you at Town Hall. - W
And so, laden once again with all her special toys, the Wraith has a rarely seen smile on her face as she sits at the table in the meeting room (not at the head, just to the left of it). She is far, far too casual for someone who’s just risked life and limb, but perhaps that’s exactly why she looks so nonchalant. After the Draig, even knowing what they’re facing, she can’t help but feel personally ready for it. The Infernbow rests on the floor against her chair, as does a large bag, while Loki takes up most of her lap. She leans back a little, the heels of her recently cleaned boots (what, she’s not a monster) resting on the edge of the great table.
now i'm afraid to sleep at night, those who love me never felt the light
The note comes and everything else is put on pause for the Flood to make his way to Town Hall. It’s an easy trek these days, and Sunjata gathers a few of the things in his possession as well as the Knowt Book, before arriving without any flare, slipping through the door with a smile toward Wessex that twists the scar tissue off the side of his face.
“Well, you look pleased.” He would too if the circumstances were reversed. If they were, though, he doubts he’d have managed to live through the ordeal. “Congrats on getting your shit back.” This is rumbled with a hint of a laugh, ease settling into his bones as he takes a seat and sets the book on the table, waiting for the rest to arrive.
haunted by the darkest sky
tell me, who the hell am i? tell me, who the hell am i?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"Like the cat who got the cream," Isla agrees with a smile as she steps in through the door, all of the upgrades and items she's been keeping an eye on for the Wraith in hand. "I'm glad you're back in one piece," she says, because of course Isla cares more about the woman than the possessions. At her heels, dark haired and radiant, the Prince naturally follows. And when no one takes the head of the table, he does, Isla sitting down beside him and smoothing out her dress.
"It feels like it has been a long time since we actually had a meeting like this," she remarks, smiling to Sunjata and glancing to the door, as if expecting Cal to ghost through it at any moment (if he isn't already lurking here somewhere already).
Varus is a little late, focusing on restocking the barracks where he could yet again, that when he finally gets around to getting to the Town Hall on his list of things to do, he rushes in swiftly to take a seat beside Isla and flash all of the parties an apologetic smile. “Sorry.” He mutters, reaching over with his metal hand to squeeze Isla’s hand, even as his gaze lifts to Wessex. “Well, welcome back General.” He tosses a wink Wessex’s way before an easy nod to Sunjata is given.
“It has.” Varus murmurs, before his attention returns back to Wessex as if she might give them all a heads up of what it was like, a little story time if she wished it to be.
Wessex greets all of them with a little bob of her head - including the Prince. She should probably feel a little self-conscious about their observations, but there is a time to be humble and a time to brag, and this stunt will help all of them, so she lets her smile widen a bit. “Thank you. Took more than one try, but I managed.” Wagging her head from side to side, she takes a moment and then amends the statement. “And got lucky that there weren’t any grey dragons lurking about. Did you know there are black ones? Nasty fuckers. Hit hard.” To which Loki raises her head and looks at her bonded with a little questioning trill. “Not you, dear, you’re perfect.”
Which brings her back to the question of the council meeting and while she absently offers Loki some scritches across her scales, Wessex nods an acknowledgment. “Hope I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes, but with War sprinting towards us, I thought we could check in on everything and see what still needs to be done and what we should prioritize. How’s the quest for the enhancer thingy coming along? Anything new in the book?” Gesturing to indicate the dome-thingy that’s supposed to support them in their home, she looks from Isla to Sunjata. As far as she knows, the General has done her part, but life has been so up and down, she’s lost track of the progress.
now i'm afraid to sleep at night, those who love me never felt the light
A hum of a laugh leaves him as Wessex continues, before he speaks with that same crooked smirk. “Usually it’s the third time that’s the charm.” He flashes her a wink before the meeting actually gets into the swing of things, nods and smiles given to Isla and Varus and the Prince, only two of which he’s actually met. He bites back the comment he wants to make about black dragons, but the amusement still flickers in his face as he moves to open the Knowt Book.
“Right now we’re working to get the wicker woman sap, but once we do everything else should fall into place.” There’s a small apologetic smile granted his council’s way, and shortly after it falters as he gets to the true news of the day. “And as for Stormbreak, they’ve made it to where Ascended cannot enter without death. That goes for hybrids and demigods.” His gaze lifts momentarily to the Ascended around him, before dropping back to the book. “And it looks like Halo has a solar beam weapon they can activate.”
haunted by the darkest sky
tell me, who the hell am i? tell me, who the hell am i?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Offering Varus a small smile which says he has nothing to apologise about, Isla lets her fingers dance over the glimmering metal of his hand, before settling in to hear from Wessex and Sunjata. "I was rather hoping there wouldn't be any other types of dragon," she admits with a wince. "Sorry to hear that - hopefully there won't be a next time for you to have to do it again."
The news about Stormbreak and Halo has her brow furrowing, Isla scoffing under her breath. "What a surprise, that we are even more disadvantaged," she adds. "Other than the work on the enhancement for the Grounds, we have been continuing to work on strengthening the Spire, turning it into something befitting a safe haven or a fortress. It might be worth carrying that on soon."
Sunjata’s report doesn’t make her feel great, and she doesn’t bother to try and hide her disappointment in their lack of progress regarding the dome. “Okay,” comes tight-lipped as she nods and leans both elbows on the table. “Good to know.”
And then there’s even more disappointing news, and Wessex audibly sighs, letting her head fall into her hands. “Fucking Stormbreak.” Far less eloquent than either the Archon or the Remedy, because in the back of her head, there’s that high-pitched, tiny voice repeating over and over, and it’s all because of you. With the death-sentence, the relic they’ve been hunting is more or less out of reach. The other one, unheard of and also probably out of reach. “Okay. Okay.” Gods, it’s hard to keep her focus here, and as her mind starts to wander to what all that means in the long-run, Loki gives her a little bite.
It doesn’t hurt, of course, but the pressure makes her look down and then refocus. Death. Right. Sunshine and other kinds of death. “Agreed on the Spire as a fortress, and everyone should know about these developments, so they aren’t a surprise - let’s put it on the Board, but speaking of letting people know…” Reaching into her bag, she pulls out the syringe that’s been a useful companion over the years. “I’ll trade you,” she says to Isla, meaning of course, everything she’d given the Remedy to hold. “Same with you, Mister Archon.” For the Flood, however, she pulls up the Infernbow and puts it on the table. “This baby sets a bolt on fire when you pull the trigger. It's nice, but we just can’t handle it.”
And again... that's her own dumb oversight. Somehow, the shine of her success in the Draig is starting to pale in comparison to everything that's just been laid out before them, weapons and all.
---------------
We're skipping Varus until he has something to say! <3
now i'm afraid to sleep at night, those who love me never felt the light
The Archon’s gaze seems to dance between Isla, Varus, and Wessex as the news is dropped upon them – ignoring the book for the moment as he takes in the blow for what it is. Falling behind. “Fucking Stormbreak.” Sunjata repeats Wessex’s sigh with far more weariness than even he had anticipated. He swallows hard, attention flickering to Isla as she brings up the Spire. It’s a good plan, one that he can wholeheartedly get behind.
“We should be keeping everyone in the loop.” He begins, pausing to cut himself off as the syringe is placed over to Isla and the bow set upon the table toward him. Nodding, he closes the book and slides it over toward Wessex before his lightning scarred hand lifts to run along the sleek edges of the Infernbow. “I’d prefer not to have any of you combust.” He agrees, offering a small smile her way. “I’ll use this.” Besides, he has water magic now. It isn’t like he’d fuck up so badly with using it himself that he couldn’t fix any potential fire issue.
“Any potential leads on the other relic?” He asks after a moment, having not found any himself but knowing that there had been some attempts on seeking it out.
haunted by the darkest sky
tell me, who the hell am i? tell me, who the hell am i?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
08-23-2022, 02:46 PM (This post was last modified: 08-23-2022, 02:47 PM by Isla.)
"Fucking Stormbreak," Isla concludes, feeling as though she ought to have a glass of wine to raise in a toast about their collective opinions. Things do seem dire, but call it PTSD managing expectations or otherwise, at this point Isla is used to working on the backfoot. "If neither of you get to it first, Cal or I can put a notice up about it." She nods at the idea that they ought to make the developments public, before turning her attention to the Wraith's tricks and treats.
Pebble blues light up to see the syringe, and she offers Wessex a gentle smile. "Thank you," she says, dutifully trading back the items and upgrades she's been keeping warm since the general's jaunt into the Cordillera. "And I've not heard much about any other relics, but then I've mostly been here in the Grounds."
08-25-2022, 06:37 PM (This post was last modified: 08-25-2022, 06:41 PM by Wessex.)
It's Lord of the Flies in my mind tonight
It doesn’t matter who puts the notice up, so long as it goes up, but it’s nice to have an offer of help. Nodding briskly, Wessex collects the items that are being returned to her. “I think I’ve told you what that can do,” she says to Isla, brow furrowing a bit, “But in case I haven’t, it’s an adrenaline boost. Briefly ups our stats speed and strength, and then there’s some lingering enhanced sensory effects too.” It just makes sense to her that the doctor amongst them would have it, as the Wraith doesn’t have much of a need to boost herself these days.
Briefly turning to Cal, she blanches, sheepishly pulling her shoulders up to her ears in a wordless gesture that suggests she has nothing left in her bag of tricks for him.. “Sorry, Cal…? It’s nothing personal.” Hopefully the Captain will agree.
Anyway, back to the relic problem. “I haven’t heard of any either… my best guess is that there won’t be one here, because why would the Old Gods put another relic in the bubble where they imprisoned their enemy? The Prince was fine because he was ineffective in his former form, and the likelihood of any of us being kind, like Isla was slim.” Shooting the handsome, silent man a glance, she tacks on a hasty, “No offense,” to the end. “And if they went with a relic in each region, the only places we haven’t found one is in the Climb, the Greatwood, the Draig, and maybe King’s End, though I think that one’s subject to debate, given that you had to go through the Last Step. Tanau knew nothing about a relic in the Climb, so if we take him at his word - which, who knows - that leaves the Greatwood.”
Wessex’s expression says it all: they know they can’t enter the Greatwood without being caught in the trees. So it seems they’re out of options. "Thoughts?" she adds wryly, because she is clearly out of ideas.
----------------------
Wessex has taken back:
Type: Other | Level: Mastered
Telecommunications Upgrade | This telecommunications chip allows the user to speak directly into the minds of any ascended regardless of distance. Ascendeds within the same region can respond mentally.
Type: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Damage Splash Upgrade | For every attack made at Wessex, double the damage is deflected back to the creature who caused it. (Elemental effects are not duplicated. 30 pts of fire damage is translated back as 30 pts of regular damage, for example).
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Greatwood Staff | A staff carved from one of the Mathair's branches, bejewelled with precious gems from the Whispershore and infused with Ascended fluid. When tapped twice in succession against a surface, basic Ascended upgrades are nullified within 5ft of the staff for 1 post. One use per thread.
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Knowt book | A book that tells the owner things they otherwise wouldn't know.
She has given Isla:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Manufactured Adrenaline | a syringe containing a daily dose of adrenaline. Can be used once per thread. Raises all stats by 1 for one post and increases an ascendeds other senses for the duration of the thread.
She has given Sunjata:
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Infernbow | A wooden crossbow with the ability to set any arrows placed within to ignite on the pull of its trigger. (Made by Deimos)
While talking herself (and the other three) round in circles, Wessex absently opens the Knowtbook - not because she doesn’t trust Jata to have told her the truth, but because when she gets like this, she has to check everything again. It’s always possible to miss a clue.
The Wraith turns to the last page, where a fresh new entry has been made. “Oh shit,” she curses aloud, suddenly standing up. “There’s something in Stormbreak. Some cloth in the Falling cliff face.” Frowning to herself, the General finds she can’t recal ever having looked very intently at the Falling, what with never needed a skyboat and all, but - but it is something. “I don’t mean to break up the party, but it wouldn't be in here if it wasn't important. Jata, can you investigate? I can always hang offshore - but you still probably shouldn’t go alone.”
now i'm afraid to sleep at night, those who love me never felt the light
Sunjata spies the metal hand that waves in response to Wessex’s apology, but he focuses on the bow a little bit longer until the conversation shifts back to the relic problem, a small frown tugging on his face as he listens. “Unfortunately, I’m banned from the Greatwood alongside you all.” And dealing with Remi is really something he doesn’t want to try and have to focus on or deal with. He’s sure he’d be dead before he had a chance to actually succeed at taking anything from it.
But the mention of something else in Stormbreak has his attention further, brows pinching together. “A cloth?” He mutters, tilting his head after a moment, lightning scarred hand rising to his mouth to rub at his jaw. “I can see if Darkeye and Bartholomew would like to join me?” He suggests, the gears in his head spinning as he tries to figure out ways to get there under the radar without Ronin finding out.
haunted by the darkest sky
tell me, who the hell am i? tell me, who the hell am i?
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Nodding softly at the explanation and smiling her gratitude as she places the syringe away, Isla listens intently to Wessex's thoughts about the relics. Flashing a wry glance at the Prince (he merely raises a hand to tell the Wraith that it's fine, not wanting to interrupt her flow), she's about to offer her thoughts about the Greatwood when, lo and behold, the Knowt-Book proves to be worth its weight in gold again.
"Well look at that," she murmurs, already getting to her feet. The Prince does the same, Isla glancing to Sunjata and, while seeming concerned about Darkeye's involvement, well... she can't really stop any of this. Not when the relics are so important. "I will get the infirmary ready, in case there are casualties. Please, look after yourselves." Though by this point she very much hopes it doesn't really need to be said.
