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!
With the new leadership decided, it was time to let the people know and to decide on next steps as a region. While Sohalia felt entirely unprepared to take the helm at such a meeting, she knew that it was a part of her new role. Fortunately, she had never been particularly shy when it came to public speaking, and she hoped that with her advisors at her side, she would face less backlash than if she had assumed power on her own.
She'd set up a small dais in Pacifist Plaza, where people could gather and listen and voice their opinions. She herself, and her Council, could stand on the dais to be better seen and heard throughout the Plaza. Soh had agonized whether over having a stage of sorts would make it seem like she thought herself better than everyone else, or like she was going to focus on ruling over listening to the people, but in the end, the benefits seemed to outweigh the potential costs. It was important to her that she been seen and heard - all the better for the people to get to know her.
Soh waited while people gathered, nerves fluttering in her stomach, and eventually she stepped up on the dais. "Welcome," she called out over the crowd, pitching her voice to be heard easily. "Many of you know me, but for those who do not, I am Sohalia Lumaris, and I am the new Heart of Stormbreak. I have volunteered to lead with the help of a Council - Anju Rao, Lena Magnus, and Everest Hart. Today's meeting is an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves, answer any questions you may have, and decide how we would like to move forward with growth and plans for Stormbreak. While I have a few thoughts, I welcome your ideas and input. Before we get started, are there any questions or comments that anyone would like to share?"
------
This is a mini event to discuss Stormbreak's new leadership and next regional quest. Please join in and have your characters interact!
Having to stand on a stage was, in Everest's opinion, one of the worst experiences of his life. Not only did he hate crowds but having this many pairs of eyes on him made it feels as though his skin was crawling with bugs. So it was that he stood behind Anju and to the side of Lena that he might be able to fade away into the background. It would have been incredibly rude to have arrived as an eagle, but at least then the majority of his all too human anxieties would have had more trouble getting a foothold. So, despite his unease, Everest stood (read: hid) with his eyes lowered somewhat and his hands clasped politely (and tightly) behind his back.
Though Mateo had offered to give him a special tea to help calm his nerves, Everest was nearly certain the drink would have been laced with drugs. Now though, with Sohalia inviting comments and questions, the aviator wondered if he shouldn't have at least tried his friend's offering. You know, for science.
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
Should'a seen what I wore I had a cane and a party hat
Feeling all the happier for having drunk the tea he'd prepared for Everest (sorry, buddy), Mateo stands at the front of the crowd in a pair of soil-smudged overalls with his curls lifted into a careless top knot. He's a little high, but in a look at that cool flower way rather than let's play air guitar on the dias way. And that's the exact attitude one should have when considering leadership and the betterment of the city, he thinks.
Everyone politely claps as Sohalia takes the stage (and Teo lets out a whoop for good measure), the botanist letting others speak their questions and recommendations before offering his own. "Being up so high does cause us to get hit with the worst of the heat and cold, as well as any storms," he remarks. "Perhaps we could do something about that?"
I was the king of this hologram where there's no such thing as getting out of hand
hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
Lena’s demeanor remained ever the strong, stalwart, and vigilant sort. Kind and compassionate, she carried her calm resilience beside Everest, a bounty of sagacity and effervescence. Some of it was for the younger Attuned’s benefit, and some merely for the rest of the meeting.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, hands folded in front of her, constant Caretaker basket on her arm. She arched a brow and smiled at Mateo and his whooping (maybe for Sohalia, maybe for Everest, presuming probably for both), before taking a long breath of her own. She was surprised by the immediate notions of weather, but perhaps she shouldn’t have been; there were multitudes to address. She’d wait, however, for her ideas had already been put forth to Sohalia, and they’d go from there.
and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all
Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you
Koa is here on Official Duty, and it is that alone which keeps him from leaving as soon as Sohalia appears. Instead he holds his post at the edge of the crowd, shoulders straight and hands folded, eyes anywhere but on the new Heart.
Except when they do accidentally pass over her. Which is often.
Under different circumstances he would be delighted to have some amount of order in Stormbreak again. He would be cheering for his Captain, grinning ear to ear, submitting his own suggestions (remove the handmines and statues, to open the city to all). But alas, these are not normal days, and the young man is still nursing his wounded heart and pride. So he stays silent, Pipsqueak perched upon his shoulder, the pair occasionally shooting forlorn glances at their radiant new leader and trying very hard to suffer with dignity through the sting of rejection.
Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose
The general feeling of the meeting is…strange. Carpenter is on duty, but he seems stiffer than even his name should imply. Lena is quiet, too, though that’s less abnormal. So Anju merely does her civic duty - shrouding Everest who hides behind her by crossing her arms to make herself larger, hoping to give him some peace.
Mateo’s suggestion is definitely a concern, but Anju is surprised nobody mentions the Abandoned defenses that they’ve talked about already. Perhaps it’s merely assumed? Either way, if it is then Anju isn’t to be expected to know that given she prefers things blunt and transparent, and she will comment on it regardless.
“Dismantling the Abandoned defenses should be our first priority unless proven it can be done without godly aid.” Sharp maroon eyes sweep over those gathered before them instead of to her fellows at her side, aware this may be the first time they’re hearing it in an official capacity and shrewdly noting any discontent. “Further, I suggest we consider a perimeter for the city given the structural damage.” She wonders how many things have been squashed by random falling debris even two years after Stormbreak rose into the sky.
Lights go out again You stroke my pain and tempt my trouble Seek how we pretend
Noe mingled amongst the crowd, squeezing past different people to try and get a spot near where her brother had rigidly stationed himself. He hadn't been the same, these past few days, and Noe had never seen him quite so serious before. Not like, on duty serious, but dejected serious. And the reason for all of that stood at the front of the crowd, raised on a dais like she was so much better than everyone else. Their radiant new Heart.
Noe snorted under her breath, glaring at the blonde from her position near Koa. While she might normally be pleased for the city to have direction and order again, in this particular instance, she felt a certain, shall we say, hatred for their new ruler. She'd chosen someone else over Koa, and that alone told Noe that the girl - too young and inexperienced for leadership by far - had poor taste. And yet this was the person that would be leading them? No, thanks.
"I'm sorry, but I have a question," Noe chirped cheerfully from the crowd, looking boldly at Sohalia with scarcely contained scorn. "But who are you? I mean, you're not even from here and yet we're supposed to just accept your leadership just like that?" She smiled sweetly. "What are your qualifications, exactly?"
But we're not friends and we're not lovers We're just trouble, we're just trouble So tempt my trouble
Soh smiled shyly at the applause and chuckled at Mateo's whoop, emboldened by the apparent support she had from the people of Stormbreak. The ideas started rolling in, and she tucked them away in her mind, already planning to see which ones could be easily implemented and which ones might need more thought - or a god's help. But right as the suggestions died down, a new voice - one she hadn't heard before - sounded out over the crowd, and her eyes found a girl about her age with tan skin and dark hair who looked oddly familiar despite the fact that Soh was sure she'd never seen the girl before.
The girl's voice was chipper and friendly, though her words were anything but. She fought the urge to look at her council for help as she gathered her thoughts, and succeeded in keeping her gaze squarely on the girl. "You're right," she said, inclining her head as graciously as she could muster, striving to embody the quiet power she'd felt from Hadama, the few times she'd met the King of the Merfolk. "I'm not from here, but I'd like to think that I bring a new perspective to Stormbreak as a result. This region has been without a leader for over two years; I volunteered in order to try to make things better for everyone here. I welcome any suggestions on how to do that, and help from anyone who wants to make that happen."
Her eyes bore into the girl's, calm and collected, but something quietly defiant in the depths of her gaze. No one else had been willing, and Soh had stepped up - and she wasn't about to let anyone tell her that she wasn't good enough. Not when no one else had been willing.
She turned her attention back to the rest of the crowd. "Speaking of suggestions, I thank you all for yours! It sounds like we have three for now: dismantling our Abandoned defenses, a shield against inclement weather, and a perimeter to contain any broken parts of the region." She gestured to a pile of little papers and pencils nearby. "Let's vote on how to proceed."
------
This is a vote for the next regional question for Stormbreak. This is an IC vote, so please remember to go with what your character would prefer.
Your options are:
- dismantling the Abandoned defenses
- a shield against extreme weather
- a perimeter to maintain Stormbreak's boundaries
Please DM your votes to Heather on Discord. You have 48 hours, and then we'll move ahead with the results!
Bristling slightly at the sound of Koa's sister's voice, Everest shifts somewhat to try and spy the young girl. Sending a pulse of presence to Sohalia (Ever was not one that anyone should look to for reassurance, but he could at least reaffirm in the Heart's mind that he was still here), he stood taller, finding himself smiling a touch as the Heart replied to the heckling fairly and reasonably in his opinion.
As for the vote, Ever's initial reaction was to cast his vote for the reduction of abandoned limitations, only...if everything they were doing was meant to be for the benefit of Stormbreak, than protecting the city should take priority over simply allowing in more tourists. But then...surely it would be a benefit to have different minds within their borders? Blinking hard to himself and searching the crowd for Mateo's gaze, the new Spyglass wished above all for fewer immediate votes in his near future.
Opening himself up to the attuned bond if only to try and soak up some of Lena 's calm, the aviator swallows, closes his eyes, and thinks very hard about how he ought to vote.
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
The pulse of presence from Ever was appreciated, and Soh sent that appreciation back through the Attuned bond even as she offered a gentle rebuttal of the girl's questions. Soh couldn't figure out why she looked so familiar, but that was not a consideration for now. Maybe later she would put two and two together and realize that there was a family resemblance between Noe and Koa, but for now, with the girl seemingly silenced, Soh put it out of her mind.
The vote took hardly any time at all, and she worked with Lena to count the votes so that no one could accuse her of picking the one she liked best. To her relief, however, it seemed that almost everyone was on the same page: taking down the Abandoned defenses seemed to be what the majority wanted. Since that was what she'd hoped for, she was secretly pleased by the result.
"The majority have voted to dismantle the Abandoned defenses!" she called out, clasping her hands before her as she smiled at the crowd. "So we will proceed with doing just that! We will keep a list of the other options for future projects. I thank you all for your suggestions and for your votes. If you have any other questions or concerns to share, please feel free to do so at this time."
------
The votes have been tallied and the Abandoned defenses are coming down! I'll be requesting an RQ and will keep you all posted. :3 Feel free to continue to post here and I will close it out in a couple days if nothing else of note comes up. <3
Should'a seen what I wore I had a cane and a party hat
Not having expected someone Noe to pipe up with sass rather than suggestions, Mateo finds himself raising his eyebrows at her older brother, wondering if Koa has put her up to it. He doesn't think so - his friend isn't the type, he doesn't think - but then when emotions are high, everyone can react unexpectedly.
Either way, Sohalia takes it all in her stride, and thanks to partaking in Ever's tea prior to attending the meeting, Mateo is too slow to offer a stinging response himself. (Which is probably for the best, anyway). Even so, he's gazing across the crowd with a gently furrowed brow by the time the decision is made, and he's happy to forego his suggestion in favour of welcoming Abandoned into the city.
He has no other business to attend, so rather than continuing to linger, he waves to Everest as if to give him permission to get off the stage and follow him away.
Mateo out!
I was the king of this hologram where there's no such thing as getting out of hand
Watching Mateo trickle out of the crowd had Everest sipping in a breath of needy disappointment. Forcing himself almost immediately to exhale the tension, the aviator took a deep breath in while reminding himself that he had a job to do. I'm just going to go over here so I can take notes. He thought toward Sohalia, before politely excusing himself off of the platform and taking a seat on one of the nearby benches.
Pulling out his notebook and glancing around, the Spyglass would record all the follow-up comments and questions that the crowd had for its new Heart, as well as Sohalia's subsequent answers. He also noted who had arrived to the vote, who had seemed unhelpful (Noe) and who was notably lacking.
He also made a note to mention later that the Starshield was still active and whether or not Sohalia deemed that an issue or not.
If I told you that you'd do nothing with it I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish
