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!
06-12-2023, 07:48 PM (This post was last modified: 06-12-2023, 07:49 PM by Odd.)
Everest
Now that Stormbreak had been airborne for nearly two years, certain problems had begun to arise that hadn't been immediately apparent when first the great city broke off from the rest of the continent. Things like the Grotto and what may or may not be stuck within the enormous tangle of roots beneath the city. There had been reports of seabirds and bits of debris becoming lodged within, and of course there were some less than savoury business dealings which took place, but only recently there had been a number of reports of larger creatures becoming stuck. The dragoons were able to send their companions down below to survey the issue, but with skyships being far too bulky to fly close to the underside of the city, it was left to a handful of flighted-attuneds to try and diagnose, and if possible, fix the issue.
So, perched on a railing, was Everest Hart. He was here in his capacity as an aviator and all-around Helpful Citizen. Also invited was Lena Magnus, Celestine Caretekaer extraordinaire in case there were any animals who needed to be dealt with, and also Sohalia Lumaris, Stormbreak's soon-to-be new Eye (or whatever title she picked for herself).
Post your characters arriving! Remember, if you arrive already shifted you can use this thread as your complete-a-thread-shifted, too!
06-12-2023, 08:38 PM (This post was last modified: 06-12-2023, 08:40 PM by Sohalia.)
So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up
When Soh had received an invitation from Everest to meet at the Grotto, she'd immediately accepted. Not only was it a chance to spend more time with a new friend, but it was also a chance to help Stormbreak, which she was more than happy to do.
The easiest way to get to the Grotto was as an owl, and so she'd shifted in her apartment, left a window open, and taken to the wind. It was easy to enjoy the sun on her back and the wind in her wings, and as she soared up above the city, she was struck by the detail she could make out from high above. Maybe if she asked nicely, she could charter a skyship up here, or get one of her friends who owned a skyship to sail above the city - all the better to document for her maps...
But that was neither here nor there at the moment, and Soh banked and descended, heading for the Grotto. When she arrived, she located Everest and perched nearby on the railing, daintily shufflng her feathers and preening a few that weren't just so. Hello, Everest, she said warmly through the bond. How are you?
Maybe I'll see you in another life If this one wasn't enough
The Caretaker didn’t have to be convinced once she received the letter from Everest – ready and eager as ever, to assist, contribute, and help Stormbreak in any way she could. The additional portions of creatures potentially being in danger merely solidified her impending part and role.
Lena had shifted immediately, taking to the skies near the Celestine, and drifting to where her fellow gliders were waiting. Hello, she called across the Attuned portions, rosy wings fluttering before she began to descend, joining them alongside their makeshift perch. Giving them opportunities to converse on more simpler matters, the cockatoo then tilted her head, glancing back and forth between Sohalia’s snowy owl and Everest’s eagle. What’s the plan?
we are more weather pattern than stone monument sunlight on mist; summer lightning
Everest liked being shifted for a number of reasons; eye contact was easier, social expectations were usually lessened, and he could pretend to simply be an animal to avoid awkward encounters. By and far the thing he liked least about it, was the attuned bond. That his emotions and admittedly strange personality could warble through without his being able to moderate them was something which horrified him. Still, this was the only way to safely scout the grotto, and so despite his extreme discomfort, here he was. Needless to say both Sohalia and Lena would find his mental walls up; they weren't infallible, but they were indeed up.
Hello Sohalia. He greeted, turning a blue stare toward the owl as she landed. Hello Lena. That he was so much larger and more substantial than his avian counterparts was a strange realization for the aviator, and quickly Ever tried to squash any notion that this had any bearing on his importance in their task. You two are much more agile than I am, and will fair a good deal better than I think I will down below. Without the ability to smile and still with his mental walls up, the eagle simply blinked at his counterparts.
I thought perhaps we would just take a pass below and see what we see. I should warn you, from having flown beneath before with a skyship, the ocean currents tend to trap warm air directly under the grotto making it somewhat hard to fly through.
No posting order. Lets start flying down below!
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
06-13-2023, 01:11 AM (This post was last modified: 06-13-2023, 01:11 AM by Sohalia.)
So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up
Hello, Lena! Soh said as her friend arrived, all bright pink that seemed to fit her perfectly. Unlike Everest, Soh was an open book, and her emotions were freely given through the Attuned bond; so it was that both Everest and Lena would feel her affection as she greeted them. So, too, would they feel her resolve to help in whatever capacity was demanded of her.
At Everest's instruction, Soh blinked golden eyes - so different from her usual pale grey - and nodded her head. Thank you for the warning, she said with a mental smile. Off we go, then.
Soh took off from her perch, allowing herself to drop more than fly into the sky. She soared easily through the air on outstretched wings - at least until she got to the warmer currents that Everest had warned them about. Then she had to work harder even as she craned her head around, swiveling this way and that, to take a look around.
------
Soh flies and begins to look around.
Maybe I'll see you in another life If this one wasn't enough
With acknowledgments and greetings aside, the Caretaker took the opportunity to study what they’d be up against. Tilting her head, listening to Everest’s directions, her eyes searched and scoured the intervals mentioned – listening to the warnings, pondering over their own depths of control. She supposed, if worst came to worst, they could always grab hold of something amidst the branches and bramble and await further accord.
We’ll try! came in her usual chirrup of politeness and brightness, before following after Sohalia, wings unfurling, descending towards the depths. She took great heed and caution, carefully picking her way along thermals, avian gaze flickering back and forth, hoping to catch something of note.
--
Lena flies down!
we are more weather pattern than stone monument sunlight on mist; summer lightning
The underside of the Grotto is a twisted and grotesque thing. Not unlike the unease that can come from seeing something out of place in the depths of the ocean, so too did this have the feeling of wrongness wafting around it on the same currents keeping the three birds aloft.
Within the gnarled root system that was once deeply embedded in the foundation of the cliffs upon which Stormbreak sat, were any number of things that might draw the attention of the birds.
A chest, tucked neatly behind what looked like intentionally placed foliage like bad camouflage.
Roots which dangled low and stiffly, having become braided together by the buffeting winds until it spiked down toward the sea like a spear.
Several nests, and not all of bird species.
A crashed sky boat no large than a dingy.
And that was only on the edge of the city they were currently under. There was surely much more to see if they continued on.
With predatory eyes meant to catch movement, Everest found himself having to focus quite hard to try and make sense of what there was to see. My eyes are not especially good for this. He admits. Do you see anything?
Should we check out one of the things listed, or continue on?
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up
Soh had never flown below the grotto before, and she was surprised by how twisted and dark it seemed. As she floated along on the breeze, she was struck by a certain unease that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to dismiss it from her thoughts. There was no rhyme or reason to it, no visible threat - it was simply a feeling emanating from the gnarled roots.
There were a surprising amount of things to explore, things that Soh would not have expected to find down here. A chest caught her eye, hidden behind some foliage; braided roots hanging down towards the sea; some nests, some of which looked distinctly not bird-like; and a small crashed skyboat. Soh considered their options thoughtfully. A hidden chest was always something interesting, but how would they open it in bird form? The nests looked interesting, but what if they belonged to something bigger and more dangerous than their three birds? The braided roots were interesting to look at, sure, but, like a true explorer, Soh was drawn to the dingy. We could explore that skyboat, she suggested, a keen golden eye peering at it.
------
Soh pulls a Little Mermaid and suggests exploring the crashed skyboat.
Maybe I'll see you in another life If this one wasn't enough
The Grotto had always given Lena a sense of misgiving – whether it was the arrangement of animals within, some individuals she’d met alongside it, or something else altogether – but she wouldn’t let it show. Buoyant, light, and kind, she continued to survey, immediately struck by the bizarre entanglements. The chest, had she been privy to fingers and hands, would’ve been an easy target out of pure curiosity, and the nests, due to her Caretaker business, and she could’ve found much more, but she was distracted by Everest’s voice and Soh’s determination.
Plenty, she gave over to him. A chest, braided roots, nests, and a crashed sky boat. Inwardly shrugging her shoulders, for she couldn’t in bird form, she let Everest be the deciding factor. I don’t mind exploring any of them – we can start with the skyboat if everyone wants.
we are more weather pattern than stone monument sunlight on mist; summer lightning
Having to keep himself several feet away from the smaller birds if only because it was so much harder for him to hover in place, for once Everest is thankful of the attuned bond that connects their minds, that he can hear their suggestions.
Thinking that a chest, the root system, and the nest were likely not safety concerns for the city, the aviator felt a good deal less guilty about also wanting to investigate the skyboat.
As Sohalia and Lena make their way toward the crashed skyboat, they'll find plenty of roots that will serve as perches should the birds want to land. Unfortunately, Everest will find it far harder to find a perch with how tangled and twisted within the Grotto the boat is.
Hardly large enough for more than two to fit inside, the skyboat is splashed with brown sludge that dribbles strangely over the side, as well as a number of liquor bottles (some empty, some smashed in the bottom of the boat).
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up
With their team agreeing to explore the skyboat, Soh banked and headed towards it with some difficulty, given the air currents of the Grotto. When she arrived near the dingy, she was relieved to find a perch among the gnarled roots; at least for a moment, she could rest her wings.
The skyboat was small and drab, with a variety of liquor bottles in various states of destruction in the bottom. A strange brown sludge was splashed about the deck, and Soh hopped closer to inspect the odd liquid, balancing on one foot to poke at the sludge with a talon. What do you think it is? she asked, curiosity stronger than concern in her mind. And where does it look like it's coming from? Was it coming from inside the boat or somewhere outside? Could it be a danger to Stormbreak - if it got into their water supply, for example, could it make people sick?
Maybe I'll see you in another life If this one wasn't enough
Her talons grasped at roots while she peeked within. She wasn’t sure what she expected – but seeing sludge and liquor, was perhaps a more disappointing venture. Only briefly contorting an inward frown, she tilted her head from side to side in residual avian fashion and facets, snagging to gain further insight as Sohalia questioned the boat, including the muck and grime dribbling about its quarters.
Truth be told, she didn’t have the answers, but could merely continue with the inspection and inquisition. Could it be from above? Her gaze flickered towards the interwoven fixtures of the grotto. There have been some new plants and animals lately.
we are more weather pattern than stone monument sunlight on mist; summer lightning
Unable to land, Everest banks back and forth as Sohalia and Lena investigate. Vaguely he wonders what sort of shift he might ask Frey for if the Grotto continues to be a place demanding of attention and investigation. A monkey, perhaps?
Does it look like that's what caused the crash? The aviator wonders of the brown sludge, still trying to find a wide enough thermal to try and glide upon that he might not have to keep flapping his too-large wings.
Given that birds typically don't have the best sense of smell, the two would have to rely on their other senses to try and determine just what the brown sludge was. Lumpy and sticky enough to have not simply spilled off the side of the boat entirely, perhaps the liquor bottles are a clue?
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up
The brown sludge was lumpy and sticky and wholly unappealing, and Soh tried to scrape the talon she'd used to poke at it unsuccessfully on the root she was perched on before giving up. If she'd been in her human form, she'd have wrinkled her nose in distaste, but as it was, she simply glared at the sludge for a moment before moving on.
If the sludge gave off a smell, it was lost on Soh in her current form, so she continued to peer at it, wondering if there was anything else to learn about it other than what they could see. She cocked her head, listening for any strange noises, and hummed softly in thought through the Attuned bond. The only other thing to do was touch it - which she'd tried, only to have it stick to her talon - or taste it, which she absolutely was not going to do.
I'm not sure, Soh said, peering at the brown sludge and trying to determine where it was coming from. Could it have been carried in these bottles? And when the boat crashed, maybe that's what made them break?
Maybe I'll see you in another life If this one wasn't enough
