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!
11-01-2022, 02:07 PM (This post was last modified: 11-02-2022, 02:52 AM by Serendipity.)
sparkbird
It has been with you for centuries. Waiting, watching, helping when it can on those cold and lonely longest of nights. And then freedom was gained and a promise was made.
A promise was broken.
No longer does it matter who made the vow, who did not deliver. The Hollowed Grounds will answer for sins committed in the past, and deliverance arrives with sparks in its wings.
The air is still - stale, even, as though each breath has been exhaled by another - and the earth beneath your feet... was it always this dry? Always this spongy?
A trill warbles through the sky, a sound that was once beautiful but now rings discordant. Purity sullied, kindness befouled by despair.
It looks like rain.
Welcome to this KQ. The Spark Bird has returned to the Hollowed Grounds, but this time it does not bring salvation.
Please post your characters arriving/acting and in your summary list whatever non-items they are bringing with them (anything on your profile is automatically assumed to be with you). Items not listed cannot be used later).
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.
His footsteps feel heavier than usual, like the ground is trying to swallow up his feet. It's strange - he expected war to come with a banner raised, a big black flag proclaiming I'm here. But it doesn't.
It comes from the breast of a songbird, and Neron stands in the darkened streets with ozone prickling his sensors and a sense of eternity yawning out around him. It's all so normal. The streets are quiet. Light flickers behind curtains.
And perhaps that is what makes it so dangerous.
He doesn't know much of the sparkbird - he wasn't here for any of those long nights where its presence was so desperately needed. But he knows that the Ascended burn, and they burn quite nicely.
"We need to try and draw it away from the houses!" he calls out to any who might listen, running for an emptier space despite how hopeless it seems. If this is how the Old Gods bring their vengeance, Neron has to hand it to them.
They mean business.
Raising a hand and reaching within for his magic, he creates a jagged arc of ice in his wake, attempting to corral the sparkbird away.
Neron arrives and attempts to draw the sparkbird out to an emptier space, using his Water Manipulation to create a jagged arc of ice as a distraction.
He has everything on his profile.
Water manipulation: Can create and control water. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
// I can see the halls and spaces that broke my soul And it still calls when everything's numb and I'm alone //
He had been a part of the previous war. It was a war that had started similarly to this one — no bravado, no huge announcement. No, nothing more than the simple ease of a day like any other before chaos and destruction begins to lay waste to the world around them. It’s such that Varus is only halfway through preparing any weaponry for people that the call comes, taking a moment to speed through the information he needs his people to spread, before he’s grabbing his disk and slipping his mask into place and bolts into the scene of the Sparkbird wreaking havoc.
He sees a jagged arc of ice and guides himself to it, trying to get somewhere in view of the Sparkbird to guide it away with the spark of the laser in his fingers, almost like one might do with a car and a laser pointer to try and guide it from the heart of the buildings into more open space. “C’mon Sparky!” The Ascended calls out, hoping the lure works out.
Varus grabs his disk and wears his mask and uses his laser fingers to try and lure the Sparkbird into open space!
Type: Offensive | Level: Basic
Laser “Pointers” | A bio-upgrade in the fingers on Varus' right hand that can shoot laser beams up to 10ft.
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Nikolai's jaw drops as the bird flies over the grounds, "Oh fuck." Neron's voice calls him back to himself and the young Ascended races over to join the Hailstorm.
He knows his weapons don't have the range to hit the bird, but hopefully they can get close enough to act as a distraction. Raising his arms, Nikolai lets fly his energy shards. "Come here you oversized chicken!"
The young Ascended is scared but determined as he glances over at his two brothers, "I have a minor healing upgrade! If you get hurt, come over and let me tap you."
~
Nikolai arrives and shoots his energy shards at the bird to help Neron lead it away. He has everything in his profile on him.
Type: Offensive | Level: Basic
Energy Shard | Through an upgrade in the wrist, the user can propel knife-shaped bursts of energy, up to 10ft
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
The Old Gods deserve precisely none of the credit here, Neron. For years and years, the Sparkbird came to chase away the shadows, to lend its light to those suffering. Again and again, it was promised help; help to return back to the places it could fly freely without concern for the damage its mere presence often brought.
With a flap of its wings, the Sparkbird fans fire onto the houses below, igniting roofs and lighting all those very crunchy leaves below.
Ice and lasers and energy, oh my. Only the Sparkbird isn't distracted by these displays of power, oh no. Don't be fooled. It is drawn to them, for unlike the houses and buildings below, it is the humans who have wronged it.
Flying towards the trio, towards your open ground, sure, the Sparkbird gives a might flap of its wings again. A wave of fire roars down, catching some of the dry grass where it begins to smoulder. Within each of the three below, various sensors and indicators of danger will begin to ring out within, for there is nothing more dangerous to an ascended than flame.
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.
// I can see the halls and spaces that broke my soul And it still calls when everything's numb and I'm alone //
It’s almost ironic, that the beast that comes to the Grounds creates fire in its wake. The only solace Varus can find is the fact that Neron is there, willing and able to fight with that ice magic. Water would do them wonders, and it’s that thought that has Varus speaking through his mask for the hybrid to hear. “Neron, put out the fire if you can!” There’s a command in his voice, one of battling in another war exactly like this one. The time for fun and games has long since passed.
As for Nikolai, the command comes quickly enough. “Try to distract it and stay out of range!” And perhaps keep firing off the energy shards to distract it.
As for him? He doesn’t want to release the shift he’s been so careful to keep since he’d basically been revived, so he reaches for the disk and activates it, the blue glowing ring reflected against his metal arm as he goes to launch it, aiming for the spark bird’s wing joint to hopefully disable it from spreading fire so wantonly.
Varus makes some suggestions commands using his mask and yeets his disk at the spark bird’s wing joint to hopefully disable the wing with his metal arm!
Type: Other | Level: Basic
Metal Arm | A metal arm that's attached at the shoulder.
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Mask | When worn by an Ascended, it projects the wearer's voice to nearby Ascended within 10ft.
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Light Disc | A disc hollowed out in the center that has glowing rings around the outside when activated. The disc has sharp edges.
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Neron's stored powers are much more recently obtained, and even though he has Water Manipulation at his fingertips, this might be exactly what they're looking for.
So even as his sensors ping a warning he's all too eager to heed, the Hailstorm skids in the dry grass and whips around, engaging in the magic taken from the Flood.
And a flood is absolutely what he aims for, letting the water spill out to soak and drown the thirsty ground. Hopefully it'll smother any sparks and embers, and it will make it much more difficult for future fires to catch around them.
He uses this, not aiming to attack/damage Sparky, just to affect the environment, putting out embers & sparks and soaking the ground:
Magic: Making Waves | Can create and control water (a full swimming pool amount). Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Upgraded
He has two other abilities stored from that thread thanks to this upgrade:
Type: Other | Level: Basic
Power Reservoir | This Ascended's upgrade is capable of storing up to 3 abilities as a result of biting one or more victims. (Abilities are still one-use only).
And just in case it's needed for the effectiveness of the ability...
Citizenship Ability
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
"Understood!" Nikolai calls out without hesitation. This is his first truly big fight. The small investigation of the peepholes has nothing on a massive bird spreading fire and death. And the flames are everywhere and he's not sure if Neron will be enough to put them out. The Ascended sends a quick prayer up to the Voice that his mom had gone to the sanctuary. Trying to steel himself, he moves into the best position he can to follow Varus' command.
Activating his energy shards again, Nikolai once more tries to distract the Sparkbird. And if he scratches it, all the better. But he's not too hopeful on that part. But he'll try.
~
Nikolai follows Varus' command and continues to shoot his energy shards at the Sparkbird while trying to avoid being hit.
Type: Offensive | Level: Basic
Energy Shard | Through an upgrade in the wrist, the user can propel knife-shaped bursts of energy, up to 10ft
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Varus' disc is well-aimed, but the Sparkbird is a powerful adversary who seems relatively unphased by the sharpened frisbee launched at it. As Neron cleverly soaks the ground to keep the embers from spreading into a wildfire, steam hisses and rises, adding an altogether eerie ring of mist in the air. Nikolai 's energy shards regrettably miss the Sparkbird, though perhaps it's actually advantageous given the creature focuses its attention on the only one of the trio to actually do any damage to it.
Hello Varus.
Flexing its wings, the bird sends a shower of flame and spark toward the captain, but Varus is able to dodge swiftly out of the way. Were there an audience, they might have cheered at this feat of dexterity, but as it is, Varus' agility is met with only the piercing scream of the Sparkbird and the cries of terror from within the Grounds.
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.
// I can see the halls and spaces that broke my soul And it still calls when everything's numb and I'm alone //
A quiet mumbled “fuck,” leaves the Ascended’s lips as the Sparkbirds attention lands on him. Mist rises in combination with the sparks from the beast above them, and suddenly Varus isn’t so initially optimistic of the outcome of the disc. Hopefully the water Neron uses keeps the ground from catching.
He spies the glowing edge of his disc in front of him, and once he’s dodged out of the way of the flame he bolts for it, immediately moving to launch it back at the Sparkbird, gritting his teeth as he watches to see if it hits as well as if any other sparks come down he could try and avoid.
Varus runs forward and grabs the disc and immediately throws it at the Sparkbird again!
Type: Other | Level: Basic
Metal Arm | A metal arm that's attached at the shoulder.
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Light Disc | A disc hollowed out in the center that has glowing rings around the outside when activated. The disc has sharp edges.
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Neron was built for this, and he'll probably die for this as well. Battle hardened and then some, the Hailstorm is already on the move as the Sparkbird swoops at them and Varus makes his attack. Mist and rain and fire - the only thing he really cares about is whether it's nightfall above all those clouds, and whether that extra speed will pay the fuck off.
Reaching this time for his own magic, mastered and honed over years now, Neron aims to spear upwards with a lance of ice, aiming right for Sparky's feathered (bristled? what's it made of anyway?) breast.
Neron calls up a spear of ice, trying to pierce the Sparkbird's breast with it!
Water manipulation: Can create and control water. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
Citizenship Ability
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Nikolai isn't the best fighter, but he's determined to help. Even if it means just being a continuous distraction and annoyance for the Sparkbird to the best of his ability. Varus and Neron are the ones who can do serious damage. So, he just has to try and give them openings, right?
Cracking his knuckles to psyche himself up, the younger Ascended once more shoots his energy shards at the bird. It's his most offensive upgrade so it'll have to do. He's still terrified but there's no running from this. Not that he'd just leave Neron and Varus to deal with this alone. Their family and family sticks together. And possibly dies together.
~
Nikolai keeps sending energy shards at the Sparkbird!
Type: Offensive | Level: Basic
Energy Shard | Through an upgrade in the wrist, the user can propel knife-shaped bursts of energy, up to 10ft
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Though what Varus does certainly looks cool, what with the dodging, the running, the throwing, this time his aim is off. We'll blame it on the fact that his sensors are likely going haywire inside of his system. Neron, perhaps not wanting to show up his comrade (scratch that, Neron would probably never pull a punch just to make someone else feel better), launches an icy spear into the air where it all but melts because of the intense heat of the Sparkbird before being able to penetrate much of anything (insert ascended penis joke here). To round things out, Nikolaialso misses, and one might wonder if you have a snowball's chance in...well, here, in beating the Sparkbird.
Except...
Well, bad luck reigns this round, as the Sparkbird once again sends a shower of flames toward Varus who, once again, is able to dodge out of the way.
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.
// I can see the halls and spaces that broke my soul And it still calls when everything's numb and I'm alone //
A sharp hiss leaves him as the disc misses, as the ice melts and shifts into more mist, and as more of the sparks sprinkle down. He moves back, then, abandoning the disc for the meantime, calling out to Neron and Nikolai his next command. “I’m going to shift, stay safe!” He’s been holding onto this shift for years and he supposes it’s now or never.
Then, the Ascended shifts into the borrowed manticore shift from the Lullaby, body stretching and contorting into the large body of a lion, the wide wings( and the manticore’s scorpion tail. He feels a rumble of a roar at the back of his throat, and aims to take to the sky outside of the spark bird’s sparky reach. Hopefully.
Varus shifts into the borrowed manticore shift from Remi, taken here: {se} baby this rain changes everything and takes to the sky hopefully out of the spark bird’s reach!
The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
