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!
It's true that others have snuck in before now, sequestered in the roses and the hedgerows to explore, but for the first time, it is almost as though the maze itself is inviting you inside!
Perhaps because there is a large banner over the gates written in ornate script, reading:
WELCOME. YOU ARE INVITED INSIDE.
Definitely a sign of good things, no?
Regardless, there's many a prize at the centre of a maze, even if that prize is only bragging rights. Only one way to find out what tasty treats might lurk within, though, and that's to go ahead and skip on into the fray!
WELCOME TO THE DROP!
You have 48 hours to post your character arriving and entering the Queen's Gambit maze!
PLEASE NOTE: those who win this Drop may be in with a chance of obtaining a relic. Whilst the Drop itself will not put your characters in danger, please keep this in mind when deciding to have your characters enter.
He'd made the trip to the Barrows seeking a goddess's favor once before. This time he was on his way to leave a simple offering of gratitude rather than ask for something in return.
But...
Welllll on his way there he passed by the locked garden and since it was unlocked and inviting him inside, it would be rude not to take a quick peek inside, right?
Right.
"C'mon, girl," he grinned down at Boreal, who wagged her scaly tail through the lush grass. "We'll just pop in, pick some flowers for Safrin, and take 'em to the Shrine after, okay?" A smoky whuff of agreement met his words, so Tal adjusted his goggles and trotted inside, pale dragon at his heels, in search of the Perfect Rose™.
Eyes blinded
Hope seems gone
But we'll make it out alive
With the word spreading across the land of the safe haven Sunjata had completed, Noah couldn’t help but let his curiosity pull him towards King’s End. With VI’s magic coursing through him the hunter jumped across lands that would take any normal man weeks to traverse, but for Noah took only hours to make it from his home to this end of the world.
Now within the strangely cold boarders of the End, he moved on his own without magic, spear in hand. Above him, Eira glided and clicked an image into his head. The gates of Queens Gambit had been opened, and a familiar courier and his dragon slipped inside. Furrowing his brow, Noah changed his trajectory to approach the gates.
Upon arrival, Eira landed next to him and the pair entered, remembering their last encounter here with the ascended Amun.
They’re in their way back from the Haven when they see it. Hard not to, given the giant banner over the entrance to the Gambit. Ophelia wanders over like a particularly pale, curious cat. Intrigued by any strange notions and events in Caido now that they’re free from the chains of their childhood stuck in the Grounds.
There’s a certain fearlessness that naivety supplies, and it fuels them as they wander right in through the hedge-lined entrance, pace eager and expression wide-eyed with delight.
Shoot lightning through the vital veins They think that you emit the light, but you only take it in
Lena stretched her limbs along King’s End only to find it still hadn’t lost its semblances of winter. Perhaps that was all right, especially for a little ivory fox with an air and eye for curiosity that shouldn’t have been so enamored with the possibilities and potentials of such a world. Daring, for a moment, to ease herself near the plains of the Gambit –
And…were the gates open?
Her ears twitched and swiveled, listening to the voices of others trailing along the vicinity. Eyes went towards the banner, reading them rapidly, and then over again, to ensure she’d understood.
Eating fire is your ambition to swallow the flame down
The Honeybee stood at the threshold of the banner and aperture, staring upwards, blatantly ignoring everyone else flickering in and amongst the eaves of the maze.
Weird.
And though, given circumstances, recent events, and anything else experience might have told her, she didn’t give it any other thoughts or notions. Maybe it was a bizarre, open invitation – like that wheel of fortune from before, or that damned creepy ass house with the little monsters inside. Though the sketchy lady had been sorta nice, after.
And there was only one way to find out.
So in she stepped, companions close at her heels.
to be lit up from within, vein by vein to be the sun
Blah blah blah, nobody cares how Enzo gets here. Supernatural pull, wanderlust, a planned tryst with a stranger in the area, the mystery is part of the charm. But he’s here, he’s queer, and he loves giant banners. And oh what do you know, there’s one right there! Caido always pulls through with the perfect timing.
Enzo has never seen a labyrinth before, but he knows two of them exist. Assuming this is one of them and not some overblown gardening project, that means there’s a level of danger to following the sign’s directions. But, well, if he dies at least it’ll force his dad to visit him so why not? So Enzo saunters inside, head on a swivel to take in the scenery.
Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand looking at me like you don't know who I am
Sah had been out in the Wilds hunting when he'd heard the news from a passing hunter. The gates were open. How could he not come and explore? With Lilly beside him, the Abandoned arrived at the designated entrance and took in the scene before him.
It was clear that he was far from the first person to arrive. Sah scanned their faces, both familiar and new, wondering what had drawn everyone else here. He considered going up to Noah or Melita and striking up a conversation, but they seemed lost in thought. And although he could go bother Tal, he didn't have the energy to deal with the courier at the moment.
For now, Sah remained vigilant of their surroundings, waiting to see what would occur. Lilly sat beside him and leaned into her bonded's side.
Edmund knew he probably shouldn't keep sneaking around to explore but he was having an insane day. The child had passed by an Old God's shrine and felt an odd tingle go down his spine. For a terrifying moment the world tilted and when he came to, Edmund had grown.
Thankfully his clothes had as well. But it was the confused new teenager was on his way home that he saw people gathering near Queens' Gambit. He realized that the maze had opened and after a moment of consideration, decided to stay. He'd tell his mom about his growth when he got home later. Granted she'd realize immediately. But for now, he had a maze to explore.
I never realized how beautiful Fires burn under the stars
Nikolai heard through the grapevine that something had changed in King's End. He'd instantly grabbed his bag and headed towards the nearest portal. As he arrived, the change became clear. The Abandoned had never expected the maze to open up on its own, and yet it had.
This didn't bode well and smelled of a trap. But Nikolai was far too curious to simply leave. Who knew if he'd ever get a chance like this again? The records in the Atheneum were still lacking in regard to the Wilds. As a scholar, he couldn't just up and leave. It was his job to take the opportunity presented to him to expand the current collection. He'd just have to hope that this choice didn't come back to bite him in the ass.
Amanda skulked through the wilderness, lugging along a mostly empty backpack. She had managed to find a few minor valuables here and there, but nothing worth the trouble of schlepping all the way back to Torchline. When she was scavenging closer to home, hauling back some minor goods wasn't a complete waste, but when she ventured further out, she insisted on searching until she had found something worth the time and effort she had put out.
She grumbled under her breath, kicking a stone on her way past. She stopped in place, looking this way and that, unsure where to even begin looking.
She looked to the left. Then to the right. Then up.
"Huh."
She put her hands on her hips, reading the sign. Welcome. You are invited inside.
...
"Welp," she said, "that's a trap."
She looked around, then shrugged. She had nothing better to do.
She headed inside, picking up a rock and tossing it up and down in her hand, ready to hurl it right at the head of whatever danger was sure to present itself.
It's a tug behind her belly button. That familiar urge to leave the shores of Torchline behind and venture out into the Wild's in search of the thing that is calling to her. She isn't expecting to find herself outside of the Queen's Gambit. Nor is she expecting to find it open. Yet there it is. She doesn't see her son. Had she the Queen might have given him what for right then for wandering off in the first place. For getting himself grown again.
Instead, she's enraptured by the invitation that surely will lead to danger and she whistles for Aidon to scout ahead of her as she adjusts her weapons, pressing into the entrance of the maze, intent on reaching the middle.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
Yes, yes, wonderful all of you! In you come, that's it, lovely.
And just like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that, upon entering the maze, it's as though all sound from outside is sealed away. And even though perhaps you saw others walk into the blooming roses and crawling vines... it's just you now, honey. You and the gambit come to play.
It's eerie in here though, isn't it? Were the hedgerows always that tall? Was there always a strange, clinging mist about your ankles?
Oh, never mind. Here's a twist in the maze!
Left?
Or right?
You have 24 hours to make your decision! Which way does your character go?
It was quiet in the maze. Too quiet, and Tal looked up uneasily from the rose he'd stopped to sniff. Boreal grumbled and leaned against his leg, but there wasn't anything obviously amiss and the courier gave her head a reassuring pat. "It's okay, girl. Just a little farther..."
There were bigger and more beautiful roses farther ahead and the courier trotted to examine them. It was too late to change his mind and while he was here he might as well grab the best flowers he could find for his offering, right? Coming to the fork in the path he chewed his lip fiercely and peered down both paths before decisively choosing the right-hand one and trotting down it. Tal chooses right!"
