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!
A heart-shaped tree standing in between human nature, and the nature we see
Koa has never been a particularly pious boy, but his mother was. And in the years since Mahina Carpenter died, the young man done everything he can to fill the empty space she left behind. He's tended to his father; he's become a Dragoon; he's gained a companion; he's scraped and kicked and punched his way, literally, to take care of his family as well as his mother took care of him.
So he supposes it's more than due time to add give thanks to the Gods to the list. Never having felt particular affinity to any given deity, Koa figures his best bet is to keep with the family theme. His mother had always been fond of Ludo, and the young man has positive memories of visiting it alongside the dragoon, playing games and watching wide-eyed as the ragged deity floated and flounced. He wouldn't mind recapturing some childhood wonder.
He's had to grow up fast, after all.
"Hullo, Ludo." He's got a clever little puzzle box carved with rabbits and flowers, and he sets it politely at the base of the shrine. "Sorry it's been so long. My dad made this - he wanted to come, but he doesn't get out much. Bad knees." Koa gives a what're you gonna do? shrug. "Anyway. Thanks for everything you did for my Ma. I know she always felt better when she saw you."
The temptation is always there to jump out and scare the soul out of say boo! to those who come to see it. But then they come with memories of dead ma's and with little bitsy puzzle boxes and their little bitsy rabbit carvings and their fathers with bad knees, and ugh. It reminds Ludo of times spent in the old woodlands of the Hollowed Grounds, sealed behind a barrier and beckoning silly young alchemists with lanterns.
Appearing without pomp (and possibly sulking), the masked bundle of spooky rags all but swarms the puzzle box, shaking it and bashing it against a flagstone and trying to prise it open with raggedy tendrils. "Your Ma would have left instructions," it points out to Koa.
LUDO
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
A heart-shaped tree standing in between human nature, and the nature we see
Sorry, Ludo. You may be an adorable bundle of spooky rags, but you're also the deity of death. It's hard to not bring one's ghosts along when visiting the Spoop Supreme.
Koa can't help a little alarm at Ludo's violent swarming, though he does his very best to maintain a calm, respectful air. "I think that might ruin the fun of it," he points out mildly, wincing a little every time the toy is smashed against the stones. It reminds him of his sister throwing a tantrum, and for a moment he imagines a young Noe's petulant face on the porcelain mask.
Honestly, it helps.
"If you want, we could work on it together?" It feels a little insane to be offering to help a god with anything, but then again, there isn't really a rule book on how to deal with capricious spirits and their moods. And honestly, his Ma would not have left instructions. But she would have accepted destruction of the puzzle as a win, of sorts.
The Spoop Supreme itself slowly turns its mask toward Koh, as if it's trying to decide whether it believes him, but it doesn't bash the box about any more at least.
"Do you think this is fun?" it wants to know, sliding the puzzle box forward with one of its rags to invite Koh to have a go. Lowering to hover before the dragoon, it waits expectantly - clearly a yes on the working on it together front.
"If you would like to see me throw a tantrum, I can do that," it offers as a side note; violence towards puzzle boxes is a good day for Ludo. Ask Remi anyone.
LUDO
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
A heart-shaped tree standing in between human nature, and the nature we see
"I mean..." Koa trails off with a noncommittal shrug, taking the puzzle box gingerly back. "I always thought they were fun. Solve a problem, get a prize. It's all in figuring out the trick to it. See?" He's twisted a knob as he speaks, and now he holds the cube back for Ludo to inspect. The rotation has made two bunnies come together to form a heart, though the rest of the sides remain chaotic. "There's a pattern to it. Once you figure that out, it all makes sense."
Like life? Maybe. Probably not.
Alarm bells go off at the offer (threat?) of a tantrum. Koa's eyes jerk back to the porcelain mask, widening with uncertainty at what the hell he's possibly supposed to say in response. "Uh... I'd hoped to ask for stronger boxing wraps," he says, in a weak attempt at humor, his usually sunny smile a bit unsteady on his face. "But if you want to throw a tantrum I can't really stop you? Or if you want to, uh, I dunno, talk about it...?"
Yes, Koa, offer to a sympathetic ear to the herald of death. Definitely not a dumb idea. Nothing could go wrong.
Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own
"Yes, but," Ludo protests, swarming closer in a writhing mass of rags as Koa begins to tweak and turn the puzzle box about, "you already know how this works, so of course it would be fun for you." Nevertheless, two raggedy tendrils reach out to take the box back, giving it an experimental shake before turning it over and over and over in an attempt to figure out what to do next.
The mask appears to furrow its brow (but of course it doesn't really, because masks don't change expressions), and as quickly as the suggestion of a tantrum appears, Ludo has forgotten all about it. "How do you mean stronger?" it wants to know. "And what are boxing wraps?"
A heart-shaped tree standing in between human nature, and the nature we see
Remarkably, Ludo's spinning of the box does seem to be yielding results. Which seems to be good for the herald's attitude, maybe, as the threatened tantrum does not arrive, letting Koa breathe a sigh of relief.
Still wary, the Dragoon produces his handwraps for Ludo to examine: dark red lengths of semi-elastic fabric, neatly rolled and clearly well-maintained, if also well-used. "They're to protect my hands in fights," he explains, skeptical that the capricious god truly cares but also unsure what else to do. "I'm a boxer - but lately with training I've been so tired, I get hurt more. So I was thinking, maybe landing hits could give me back some energy? Like, siphon health or soul or something." He shrugs, looking at the floating rags with a lopsided smile. "Seemed like your kind of thing."
Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own
Yield results it does, and so as Koa offers out the aforementioned boxing wraps, two slips of cloth continue to play with the puzzle box while Ludo peers closer at what the dragoon has brought. Whilst Ludo is absolutely disappointed that they are neither box shaped nor suitable for wrapping presents in any meaningful way, it tilts its mask in a way that suggests it understands.
"Stealing is naughty," it says, "...but I think I could do something with these. Okay, so here's what you're going to do..."
Koa has received a quest from Ludo! He must:
1. Complete a training thread using the boxing wraps. His opponent's blood must get on the wraps during the course of the thread.
2. Complete a thread washing the wraps in the Frey's Breath hotsprings.
3. Complete a thread collecting snow moss. (Bring this to Ludo upon completing the quest).
4. Complete a thread collecting red lichen. (Bring this to Ludo upon completing the quest).
A heart-shaped tree standing in between human nature, and the nature we see
"Stealing, or borrowing?" Koa counters, eyebrows waggling over a mischievous grin. He watches as Ludo completes the box, resulting in a triumphant click and the reveal of what's inside: a little wooden cat with articulated joints, the kind where you press a button on the bottom and it seems to bounce and move. He hopes the herald will like the gift, one of his father's specialties. But at this point, who knows.
Gathering up his wraps, Koa rises with a bow. "Thank you, Ludo. I'll be back soon. And I'll bring something less, um... obnoxious, next time."
