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 a little bit rinse and repeat, but that's what happens when you look for an eyeball on a fiery, smoky platform with a hulking (blind) creature trying to swat at you. Neither Talyson nor Lena are having much luck in locating the thing; it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack that's on fire.
They are lucky, however, in that the not!Balrog still doesn't seem to be having a hope of smacking them. It doesn't stop it trying, though, or being angry about it. Wonder what will happen if it gets too mad...
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
This was the worst fucking game of blind man's bluff that Tal had ever played and he was starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing. Was that clinky ruby eye thing really important enough to stick around here?
...On the other hand, if this big fiery bastard had been... what? Guarding it? Using it as an eyeball? Maybe Safrin could use it to make his Goggles really powerful. Greed was an important motivator for the courier and he took a shallow breath and glanced up to make sure that Lena was still alright before he doubled down and focused intently, drawing on his years of experience in peering through snow storms and blizzards to try and navigate through the smoke and fire of this horrible place.
While keeping on his toes to dodge another unlucky swipe from Big Bertha. Tal is ready to dodge, and continues to use his See-Right Goggles to try and peer through the smoke. This round, he also uses his Halo Citizen ship ability to ignore the smoke/fire while searching:
Halo has hardened you against her weather and her terrain. Once per PQ/PQ+/KQ/Drop, you can ignore an environmental effect that would otherwise hinder you (rough terrain, cold, wind, etc).
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
See-Right Goggles: Reinforced goggles capable of seeing with perfect clarity regardless of conditions, up to 10ft. This includes magical darkness.
And I think this is off cool-down now?
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Rockhide Vest | An armoured vest flecked in black and white and lined with cool, fur-like material. This item blocks physical damage at Talyson's Basic level. Requires a 2 post cool-down between uses.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Feeling utterly useless and ineffectual wasn’t aiding in the matter, but it was Lena’s emotions regardless. She swallowed down the bit of pride, or the notions to squawk at Talyson, for making any noise at all might alert the creature. There’d been a trace of thought about trying to converse with it on her own – but she had a sneaking suspicion it would scarcely matter either.
Blinking steadily and striving to find her way through smoke and smog, the Caretaker continued onward, striving to find that eye.
And then maybe they could go home.
Third time had to be the charm, right?
--
Lena stays in her bird shift and once again tries to find the eyeball.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Hi guys. This is your friendly neighbourhood narrator here to let you know that the dice hate you. They hate all of us, if it helps.
Despite the engaging of his Very Clever Goggles and his Even Cleverer Citizenship Ability, it's just not happening for Talyson. We'll just say that it's because of his incredible acrobatics to elegantly dodge out of Big Bertha's way, shall we?
It's very impressive. Lena should know, she can see it all happening in between wafts of smoke and the haze of heat. That's about all she sees though. If there's a glint of anything at all, it's from Tal's goggles, that's about it.
Think of all the damage you could have been doing to this blind thing, eh?
Welcome to the final relic KQ.
Your randomly assigned post order is:
Definitely Not A Balrog: 376/376
1. Talyson 67/100
2. Amanda 0/30
3. Lena 80/80
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
Tal was no stranger to being hated by the dice, or to being the underdog.
He also knew when he wasn't going to be able to do enough damage to something twelve times his size to matter in the long run, and he certainly wasn't going to ask Lena to attack the monster and risk its attention. So, with his Halovian ingenuity all used up, all he could do was keep looking with his blessed Goggles with increasing desperation. He scrambled as quietly as he could over the platform while trying to dodge Big Bertha's flailing as he covered another swathe of rocky ground, seeking that gods damned eye-clinker.
He really, really hoped it would be worth it eventually.
Tal keeps searching and dodging. Lather, rinse, repeat!
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
See-Right Goggles: Reinforced goggles capable of seeing with perfect clarity regardless of conditions, up to 10ft. This includes magical darkness.
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Rockhide Vest | An armoured vest flecked in black and white and lined with cool, fur-like material. This item blocks physical damage at Talyson's Basic level. Requires a 2 post cool-down between uses.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Okaaaay guess not.
The heat blazed and the smoke wafted, and all she wanted to do was leave. Perhaps someone else would do better here – more equipped, more capable, more pressed to deliver damage. For Lena wasn’t about to – not the Caretaker, not someone who knew this creature was here for a reason.
If they could snag the eye, would it be worth it? All this effort?
Her determination and honor might’ve been stalwart, but her talons still gripped nothing. Not done in quite yet, the youth soared and rallied, striving to see past the infernal wake, and grab, snag, grasp, onto the eye.
--
I’m sure you can guess – Lena tries to find and grab the eye.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Let's spare you the flowery descriptions - it doesn't happen, kids. But Big Bertha doesn't hit you either, Talyson, despite really wanting to.
And that's where things get interesting - in its frustration, the Not!Balrog lets out an ear wrenching roar and slams both of its clawed hands down onto the ledge. The resulting tremor not only splits away a good 10ft of the 40ft platform - it knocks Tal on his ass, too.
It will take him a full round to get on his feet again, unless he has any clever ideas up his sleeve.
It doesn't look as though that eyeball you're both after has gone tumbling into the abyss, at least. But hey, it's smoky and fiery and hellish. Who really knows?
Welcome to the final relic KQ.
Your randomly assigned post order is:
Definitely Not A Balrog: 376/376
1. Talyson 67/100
2. Amanda 0/30
3. Lena 80/80
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
Well, an optimist might say that now they only had thirty feet of platform to continue searching on. That was really rather doable, right?
Aside from the fire, the smoke, and - oh yes, Big Bertha doing some redecorating of her. Um. Living room? Foyer? Driveway?
Whatever she called it, he didn't want to get flattened like a pancake the next time those hands came slamming down on it. Tal made sure he didn't accidentally fall on top of the thing they were looking for as he got back up as quietly as he could. Tal checks the area he fell on for the eye as he stands up!
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
See-Right Goggles: Reinforced goggles capable of seeing with perfect clarity regardless of conditions, up to 10ft. This includes magical darkness.
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Rockhide Vest | An armoured vest flecked in black and white and lined with cool, fur-like material. This item blocks physical damage at Talyson's Basic level. Requires a 2 post cool-down between uses.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Lena shuddered, then sighed, eyes darting over to where portions of the platform crumbled away. Though she wasn’t in any danger due to the shifting ground, Talyson certainly was, and she kept her gaze pinpointed on movements throughout the fire and smog. When there was no outcry or death knell, the youth forged on.
How much longer she’d be willing to do so was left up to determination and staunchness, but already lingering here continued to compel her into uncertainty. This time, she rounded along the edges (or what she perceived as the boundaries), trying desperately to find the eye.
--
Lena checks over the edges to see if the eye has gone thatta way.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Well, if we're going to be optimistic, here goes: Lena is certain that the eye did not fall over the side of the cliff, so there's that. And Talyson is blind certain that he did not land upon the eye when he fell. Good job team!
As for Big Bertha, she grumpy. And this time, pesky Tal (I'm not targeting you on purpose, I'm so sorry) is having just as much trouble getting on his feet as she is finding out where he is. So bad luck causes her to swat him across the platform. At least that rockhide vest is coming in handy.
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
The courier went flying again, but the Vest seemed to take the brunt of the damage this time - thank you, Ludo! - and he mainly found himself wheezing quietly as he regained his feet. Inside his head he was cursing Big Bertha with a great deal of venom, even if his vocabulary was rather limited and largely repetitive. He shook his head dazedly and looked around, hoping that maybe this time she would have swatted him closer to that elusive eye.
He couldn't take many more of those, but he wasn't ready to give up yet, either. If they left now and she got her eye back first, Frey's work would all have been for naught. Surprising no one, Tal keeps searching for the eye ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
See-Right Goggles: Reinforced goggles capable of seeing with perfect clarity regardless of conditions, up to 10ft. This includes magical darkness.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Some information, she supposed, considering the item hadn’t flickered down into the depths of nothingness – digging in deep, striving to compel again. Previous attempts hadn’t worked, but, there could’ve been other factors associated. Maybe something, like a mouse, a bird, in the distance would take her insistence. Or maybe there truly wasn’t anything else around. She wouldn’t blame a creature for not wanting to remain anywhere near. She could always dream for a bird passing overhead.
And while she dug in for those compelling tendencies, the Caretaker continued to search, perusing through smoke and smog and fire.
--
Lena tries compelling for any other creatures nearby to try and search for the eye with her again.
She keeps trying to search for the eye.
(Beastmaster) can compel any sentient animals not marked with a ☆ for assistance (6 large, 12 medium, 20 small)
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
There weren't any creatures then, Lena, and there aren't now. Unfortunately, our little birdie sees neither hide nor hair of a glinting, rubylike eyeball. And neither does Talyson (the dice are unkind).
As for Big Bertha, though, it looks as though she's starting to get into the swing of things now that she's managed to smack Tal once. The not!Balrog's enormous, clawed digits scrape across the platform, as if seeking out the thing it previously made a connection with. And it finds our wayward courier again.
His bruises will show up for weeks after this, but he's lucky, believe it or not - because the creature didn't manage to pick him up.
This time.
He won't live to see what happens if it strikes him again, though. So at least there's that.
Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well.
REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters.
Right. Fuck this. However shiny and special that eyeball was, it wasn't worth dying over. He'd given it the old Halo try and he'd gotten beaten to hail for his trouble and had nothing to show for it but the bruises.
Tal was done. Greed was an excellent motivator, but not as good as self-preservation and once those instincts kicked in he was gone.
Tal threw himself back towards the fiery gate they'd entered through, glancing over his shoulder once on the threshold. "Lena, let's get outta here!" he called to the little bird--
And then he jumped back through the wavering flames and away from this hot, horrible place where no Halovian belonged.
Tal attempts to GTFO!
