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!
As the ground starts sinking, it finally dawns on Ray. The Miana Pool had been the goal since they had hoped that it would be solid ground. Enzo had been worried about the Fingers collapsing on the safehouses. Shit. Well, if the Pool was going down, maybe it was time to brave the Fingers.
Hadama! The safehouses are at the Fingers! Help me direct people there. I got mixed up in the chaos. The Pool isn't secure enough! With that Ray takes a deep breath and tries once more to channel her inner authority. "The Pool isn't solid enough! To Rae's Fingers! Go, go, go! I'll lead the way and test out solid ground!"
With that, Ray shifts into her panther form and begins to hopefully lead the people, testing the ground for safety as they go. If she falls, her panther form is a better swimmer than her human one. It's the best plan she can come up with.
~
Ray calls for the people to go to the Fingers and tries to lead the way in her panther form. She's trying to show a safe path by testing the ground as they go (using her panther senses to try and help her.)
He watched the Sea Panther kitten swim away with a quiet sense of relief that he would not cause more unnecessary death this day. The day was not yet over, however; not by a longshot. Grimly familiar with the danger of blood in the water he gathered what he could with his magic and flung it out of the canals and onto dry land where it could soak harmlessly into the sand and earth.
I will do what I can to stabilize the Miana Pool, he called back to Ray, slipping down into the water of the canal and racing for the Pool where he had made so many good memories in the past year.
Mer, lead the humans to Rae's Fingers, he sent out as he swam, calling to his people and having them pass along the message to their fellows.
And then something strange happened. In his need to get across Torchline faster, to reach the people who were in danger at the Pool, something shifted inside him.
And then it shifted outside him.
And he was simply... there. Hadama uses his water magic to gather the worst of the bloody water from the area of the fight and drop it onto dry land, then teleports to the Miana Pool.
He commands his people to help lead humans to Rae's Fingers before he goes.
Water manipulation: Can manipulate water. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Light | Rank: Upgraded
Magic: Aquaportation | Can teleport to all the naturally-occurring bodies of water within Torchline. Requires a 3 post cool-down between uses.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic
Once again, Ray and Hadama find themselves very lucky indeed, because the chaos all around doesn't fall on top of them as they get to work. We'll turn first to the mermanta and his adventure out to the rapidly sinking Miana Pool. It is frothing and bubbling by now as it departs beneath the waves, and more than a few Torchers are trying to escape being sucked down with it.
But whatever Hadama has said to his comrades has clearly worked, because there are waiting merfolk in the water to rescue those who are struggling, and they begin to dutifully ferry and lead them towards the shores that will lead into Rae's Fingers and the safehouses that have been arranged there. And nothing seems to be stirring in the surrounding waters - for now.
Which is good, because Ray seems to have the opposite effect on the civilians. It's either because she's already ordered them to their presumable deaths, or just the turbulent situation in general, but she swears some of the Torchers are actually still running to the Miana Pool when she orders them away.
Welcome to the Torchline PQ+. The region is breaking apart! Buildings are collapsing and being dragged out to sea, and there are ominous shapes in the water.
To ensure that nothing is missed, please include a summary of your actions at the bottom of your post, including the description of any magic/items/feats that are being utilized!
Sea Panth- er... Kitten: 6/232 (Ran away like a good kitty)
Ray is annoyed and worried to see that some of Torchline is blatantly heading into danger. Well, the initial part was her fault, but she's trying, ok?
Thanks Hadama, we still have a few stragglers. Let's see if we can get everyone moving in the right direction. If her panther form isn't cutting it, she'll have to go human. Shifting back, Ray continues to try and find a safe path, calling over her shoulder as she goes. "Come on, everyone! To Rae's Fingers! I'll be in front so if the ground caves in, I'll be that falls. Not you! So please, let's get a move on!" The ground her clearly isn't as stable as we hoped."
If they know that someone will take the fall, literally, maybe they'll actually get their asses in gear.
~
Ray shifts back and continues to try to lead the way to safety (testing the path as they go) and urging the citizens to follow.
Well done! he called to the merfolk, quiet pride in his people's efforts evident even through the grimness of the carnage around them. Continue to help them. You, he called to a small group of mer who had finished rescuing the crew of a capsized boat, spread out and scout for predators drawn to the blood. Call me if there is need.
There was little time to appreciate his new teleportation ability as the water he found himself in was rapidly sinking, and nearby humans with it. Hadama swam swiftly to the largest place the water was draining out of the Pool from and reached out with his water magic to halt the outflow - or at least slow it enough for the struggling airbreathers to swim safely to shore.
L'ma! he called through the Attuned Bond, though he knew the creature couldn't understand him. Are you here? Hadama encourages his people to continue helping and details a small group to scout for predators drawn to the blood in the water with orders to let him know if anything else too big to handle comes in.
He uses his water magic to try and stop/slow the outflow from the Pool to give the humans who fell in time to reach the shore, and he calls out to the L'ma.
Water manipulation: Can manipulate water. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Light | Rank: Upgraded
11-11-2022, 10:42 AM (This post was last modified: 11-11-2022, 10:43 AM by Serendipity.)
CRASH
Apparently, Ray's decision to take the literal fall should anything go wrong is absolutely enough to have the Torchers start falling in line. (They are a fickle bunch, what can I say). Luckily for the Attuned, for now she steers clear of any splintering ground, managing to garner quite the crowd as they head towards the safety of Rae's Fingers.
Hadama is not so lucky on that front. As the Miana Pool sinks and submerges itself beneath the waves, a large chunk of shifting debris under the water scrapes along the mermanta's back, shoving and lacerating him with its sharp and unforgiving points.
Not all is lost, though. Whilst no amount of magic (disregarding the godly) is enough to manipulate the ocean, the merfolk at the king's command are well-trained and attentive. Splitting out to patrol the waters whilst others assist those bobbing in the waves, they make swift progress after Ray's group.
And as Hadama reaches out to the L'ma... perhaps there is a shimmer of something deep under the water. Perhaps a consciousness reaches out, old and tired and confused.
Welcome to the Torchline PQ+. The region is breaking apart! Buildings are collapsing and being dragged out to sea, and there are ominous shapes in the water.
To ensure that nothing is missed, please include a summary of your actions at the bottom of your post, including the description of any magic/items/feats that are being utilized!
Sea Panth- er... Kitten: 6/232 (Ran away like a good kitty)
It's a relief to see some of the citizens falling into line. If they keep at this pace, hopefully they'll reach the Fingers, and the safety they may hold, soon. But clearly, it's going to be a continuously peril journey. Hadama! Are you ok? The Attuned calls out worriedly as she sees something strike him in the water. Given its lack of movement, she assumes it's debris but better safe than sorry. She feels the odd presence in the bond but tries to keep her focus on the task at hand.
"Come on, Torchline! Let's keep things moving!" Ray calls out to try and keep the people going. "One foot in front of the other, we've got this!" Maybe a little motivation will help.
~
Ray continues to try to lead/motivate the people in the evacuation to the Fingers.
Pressure and then pain flared through his back, and Hadama grunted at the long, wicked scraping. Still, it was not an attack, and far from lethal. I am alive, he reassured Ray, though distance would make his mental voice faint, if it could reach her at all.
Continue, he bade his people meanwhile. We repay our debts to the airbreathers. The humans who had made canals and monsoon walls and healing fountains that benefitted mer as much as themselves now needed help in return, and the merfolk who had come with him were rising magnificently to the occasion. He couldn't be prouder of them as he spiraled down through the murky, churning water, holding tightly to his trident and letting its tines of starlight provide some small illumination as he sought that ancient, tragic legend of the Pool.
The world changes, he called to it, more with images of the destruction above and around the Pool than words. It is not safe here. The deeper ocean seemed less affected for the time being, if the L'ma could - or would be willing to - reach it. Hadama encourages his people to continue helping the humans escape the tragedy while he seeks the L'ma to coax it to safer waters.
It's a long, difficult slog, and as Ray leads her people towards the frothy shores that will give entrance into Rae's Fingers, a piece of the rocky coastline fractures away a mere few feet from where she steps. Luckily (very luckily) she isn't harmed or pulled away with it, and although the Torchers jump back and falter at the occurrence, they do keep following after the Attuned. Rae's Fingers are in sight! Whether Ray decides to lead them right inside, or stay at the entrance to guide people towards it is entirely her choice.
As for Hadama, he's much better off this time around, avoiding any scrapes or bumps from the drifting rocks. His people are still working solidly together as well, warding off any aquatic predators and guiding the Torchers either back to land, or directly to the coast where Ray is. And deep in the waters beneath, the mermanta will feel rather than see the way the current shifts and pushes against him, as if some massive presence is gliding away and further out to sea.
A couple more rounds like that, and Torchline will be having a very good time indeed. (Disregarding the Kingmaker off in the distance, of course...)
Welcome to the Torchline PQ+. The region is breaking apart! Buildings are collapsing and being dragged out to sea, and there are ominous shapes in the water.
To ensure that nothing is missed, please include a summary of your actions at the bottom of your post, including the description of any magic/items/feats that are being utilized!
Sea Panth- er... Kitten: 6/232 (Ran away like a good kitty)
Once they get to the entrance, Ray makes a choice. She pauses near the entrance, "Alright everyone! Make a line, head on in! No pushing or stampeding. Attuned with the ability to see in the dark mix throughout please. And Abandoned who have fire or some kind of light, please have it active. That way if anything happens, we have eyes on it." Instructions given, Ray begins to lead the way in.
The Fingers are too chaotic, twisting and turning. As much as Ray would like to stay at the entrance to guide people towards it, she's not sure if the crowd would be able to find the safehouses without a guide. She's been there and helped create the shelters. It only makes sense for her to show them the way.
~
Ray begins to lead the people inside, showing the path to the safehouse. She orders Attuned with night vision and Abandoned with fire or light to disperse throughout the crowd (and activate said abilities) so that they can see if anything happens as the crowd moves.
The mermanta let the bow wave push him back without fighting it, riding its momentum with relief to know that the L'ma would be safe even if the Pool was drained dry. Once he was certain that it was free and clear into the open ocean he turned his attention back to the evacuation of the humans.
"To the safehouses in Rae's Fingers," he called when he broke the surface once more, gesturing with his star-tined trident to point the way for those stragglers who might be left at the Pool. "Until the tremors calm!"
He heard no more bellowing, or honking, or trumpeting in the distance which he hoped was a good thing. For now, he swam to a sturdy rock near the expanding shore so he wouldn't be swept away and assisted the flight of the airbreathers while continuing to encourage his people to do the same. Hadama anchors himself to a rock in the Pool and continues to point stragglers towards the Fingers and directs his people to keep up their good work.
Regardless of their choices or their decisions, both Ray and Hadama are able to avoid whatever bullshit Torchline might be deciding to throw their way; no rockfall hits, no pieces of island snap off and come slamming into the merfolk. But Hadama might notice (given that he is still outside) that some of the splintering isles aren't falling out and below the waves. No... they're falling... up?
Perhaps it's this that makes the mer under his command falter right at this last push, but with the distraction, a few of the Torchers they are escorting are suddenly... not there any more. Snatched up by the sea kitten that swam away, perhaps? We'll never know.
In the meantime, Ray is having a bit more success leading the Torchers into Rae's Fingers. There's no shoving, no panic, and the Attuned and Abandoned with suitable abilities are able to light and direct the way easy enough. And a good thing, too, because the tide is beginning to come in.
Let's hope they reach the safehouses before the tunnels flood, and they can be left in safety - but with no knowledge of what's happening outside - until the waves recede again.
Welcome to the Torchline PQ+. The region is breaking apart! Buildings are collapsing and being dragged out to sea, and there are ominous shapes in the water.
To ensure that nothing is missed, please include a summary of your actions at the bottom of your post, including the description of any magic/items/feats that are being utilized!
Sea Panth- er... Kitten: 6/232 (Ran away like a good kitty)
Ray partially shifts her eyes to that of her shangyang form, letting the bird's piercing eyes guide her forward. As the tide begins to come in, she takes a deep breath. Calling over the sound of the water to the crowd, she pauses briefly to turn and announce, "Alright! The tide is coming in. We need to pick up the pace. Keep up with the magic and partial shifting and let's get to safety in an orderly fashion!"
Without wasting any more time, Ray keeps leading the crowd forward. She moves faster but tries to stay at a pace that the people can keep up with.
~
Ray partially shifts her eyes to that of her shangyang and keeps guiding the crowd forward, telling them to keep it up (shifts and magic) but to pick up the pace a bit.
Ah. Well. That was certainly... unnerving. He could forgive his people their distraction when he himself had to stop and consider the shifting scenery for long moments. Their world was changing far beyond what he'd thought when he'd reached out to the L'ma.
And it wasn't done yet.
Shaking off the disorienting effect of watching islands float away - the wrong kind of floating, for a creature of the sea - Hadama turned back to the matter at hand. The humans seemed to have gotten the message and were heading into the Fingers, but with the tide coming in they would need to hurry.
Gather tables. Doors. Things that can be used as small rafts, he called to those merfolk who could hear him. Take them to the Fingers. If the water becomes deep enough in the tunnels for us, enter and use the rafts to tow humans to the safehouses.
Following his own orders, the sea king followed the L'ma out of the Miana Pool and began the short swim around the coast to the ocean-side entrances to Rae's Fingers. He would meet up with the humans if he could, and use his StAer Ring to help the stragglers reach their fellows safely. Hadama orders his people to collect flotation devices (doors, tables) and head to the Fingers. When the water is deep enough for them to enter, they can tow humans to safe, dry caves. He heads in that direction himself in order to use his StAer Ring to assist those humans at the end of the line.
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
StAer Ring | A ring that allows any within 10ft of it to breathe underwater. When in use, the wearer will create subtle constellations in their wake.
