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!
07-08-2023, 01:09 PM (This post was last modified: 07-08-2023, 05:07 PM by Odd.)
DEIMOS
It’d been a while since the last time they’d gone to repair the Citadel’s long walls. While they patrolled its sanction every day, there’d been a noticeable wear and tear upon the stone fixtures, or the need to replace portions of rock and armaments. With the season’s turn, and the time applicable, Deimos sought out some assistance in ensuring the protective shield and reach of Halo remained just as formidable, if not more so. Mighty, stalwart, and imposing.
So this morning, the Sword took the opportunity to enlist a few soldiers and workers for the task ahead, pulling his sled along the entrance gate with necessary tools and supplies loaded within the vessel. Expecting several others to join, and waiting for their arrival, he already began to inspect the aperture, as Belial soared overhead, landing upon precipices, and Zuriel stood nearby, likely presuming someone was due to be injured in the upcoming wake.
--
This is a PQ+ to repair the Citadel walls and replace weapons on them! Please post your character arriving and anything they’re bringing to help! We have exactly one month (so until August 8th) to ensure this PQ+ has reached four pages.
A hunter, a soldier, a defender, a father, a husband, a Sentinel. Noah was many things these days. Honorable and dutiful in every ounce of himself, Noah would do the next right thing. Today, that was coming to the aid of his warden and his people. Rebuilding and refinishing and strengthening their walls. Ice had a way of taking no prisoners as it snuck between bricks and mortar and tore it apart slowly and surely. There had always been repairs happening. Noah couldn't remember a day in his life when he didn't see at least one man or woman slapping down new mud and laying new bricks, or patching over holes that formed as ice picked away what was there. More often than not in the last years, he had been at their sides, learning as he went along how to better construct and repair their city walls.
The Sentinel strode in atop Vi'dore, with Eira chirping overhead and circling near Belial once she was close enough. Noah flung a lung around before the cloven-hooved unicorn stopped, patting him on the neck as he gained his footing. "Tell us where to start." Noah said as he drew in a long, readying breath. The cold air filled his lungs and he began to take tools from the bags that hung over his companion.
Noah has come with his companions, packs full of beginner (used, secondhand) masonry tools, some lengths of rope, and a few knives sheathed in his belt. He does not have any of his weapons from his profile listed.
And I came to, walking on the train tracks How did I get here? And how do I get back?
Alys was willing to do many things for her home, including, apparently, something that she'd never done: repairing the walls of the Citadel. It was not, perhaps, her first choice of things to do on this particular day, but it was an important task nonetheless, and one that she was willing to devote herself to for the afternoon.
She arrived on Noah's heels, looking his unicorn and griffin over with interest. She couldn't remember having seen them before. With a smile for the Sentinel, Alys came closer, lingering by the small group as she awaited further instruction. "Hello, Deimos. Noah," she said. "Let me know what is needed."
------
Alys arrives with herself and a dagger sheathed in her belt.
I've been up all night, let's stay awake Push it further, you know I'll never break
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Under the cold, gleaming sun, Eternum walked with steady determination towards the group of significant figures congregated near the walls. The chilly morning air nipped at his skin as he approached, his eyes wandering over the assembly, the clear sense of importance hanging over them.
With a deep breath filling his lungs, he stepped forward, crossing the last stretch of snow-dusted ground separating him from the small group of important looking people before him.
"Hello. I'm here and ready to help."
Giving a slight nod to show his respect. He hadn’t brought anything to help aside from his two hands.
They arrived, pinpointed and ready, and Deimos gave a nod to each on their approach. “Thank you for coming,” and he meant it, otherwise he’d be doing a lot of work singlehandedly. But Halovians had always been a strong, determined bunch, and he presumed they’d be just as successful here and now.
Eyeing their tools, and placing his gloves back on, his glance went down the length of the Citadel wall, knowing portions of this part of the task would likely be the longest, but the most beneficial. “We need to inspect first.” Noah would know – having done this before. “You may each choose a direction and part of the wall to survey. We are looking for anything of note – broken pieces, cracks, weapons in disarray…,” Halo’s weather was some of its harshest outlooks, and could do a number on any surface or building. “Report back here when you are finished.”
--
You may each select a direction (north, south, east, or west) to inspect. Deimos will take the last one!
Noah did not hesitate to welcome the others with warmth. For Alys, a brilliant flash of his teeth with an eye-wrinkling smile. For Eternum, the elder extended his hand to shake the youth's. Glad to see the boy willing to step in to work and help their city encouraged Noah. Simultaneously, seeing Alys take more steps to solidifying Halo as her home made the hunter's heart beam. After greeting the others, Noah listened as Deimos gave instructions once more. It was all too familiar, and if he hadn't prepared himself for such a thing, it might feel like deja vu.
From his work before, Noah knew that the east wall would mostly likely need attention this season. This knowledge sent him in that direction. Taking back up his perch atop his cloven hooved companion. Vi'dore turned and headed east with Noah's mental directions. Eira changed her intentions overhead from taunting Belial to swooping up and outside the walls. The griffin search the walls with keen, golden eyes just as her bondmates trotted and inspected.
And I came to, walking on the train tracks How did I get here? And how do I get back?
Even if Alys was completely out of her element, wandering and examining and analyzing the walls of the Citadel, she was determined to do her best to be helpful. She'd long since decided to make her home in Halo, and it seemed only fitting that she help to care for her adopted homeland. As she listened to Deimos's instructions, her eyes wandered over the walls, already seeing some cracking and crumbling even without having wandered down the line.
She'd never paid much attention to the walls before, and it surprised her to find that they did not seem to withstand the elements well. Maybe that was something they could ask the gods for. That Alys would consider going to the gods for anything was truly a mark of growth for the young woman, who had left the Hollowed Grounds with a healthy dose of disdain for Caido's deities. It was strange to realize just how much she'd changed in an admittedly short time.
As Noah headed east, Alys turned to go the opposite way, wandering along the western wall and making note of any areas that looked like they might need assistance.
------
Alys goes west!
I've been up all night, let's stay awake Push it further, you know I'll never break
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Directions chosen, they each took their observation skills in tow. Deimos remained behind upon the northern portions of the gate and surroundings, as Noah headed east, and Alys meandered west, and with some amount of trust, Belial was sent across the skyline to take glimpses of the southern portions of the wall.
Noah would immediately encounter large cracks in the sections repaired years and seasons before. Not a surprise, given the elements they lived within on a daily basis, but it meant they would need a sturdier, hardier plan, and they’d be doing the same thing in the future. At least the rest of the portions, and the weaponry installed above, remained sturdy, as if it barely recognized the fissure in the stone surface.
Alys wouldn’t find structural damage, but instead, a rather large flock of ningos had taken over portions of the wall. Not renowned for their intelligence, but somehow avoiding the daily patrols of the guards, they’d gathered and nested on sections of rock and crevasse. Upon observing her, they cooed and blinked dimly, completely unbothered by her presence.
Belial’s journey to the south echoed through images sent to the Sword, and luckily, seemed none too worse for wear. Portions of prior repairs remained intact and in place, and only a few weapons had slipped off of ice and snow, and would need to be repaired or manuevered once more.
As for the Warden’s rounds along the northern portions, he would find the weapons far more worn down along the main gate – which made sense, given residual target practices, and movements during the war. Structurally sound, they would simply need to be replaced and gone over again.
Deimos waited for their reports upon the others’ return, and then they could decide what to fix first.
--
Report back and then we can decide what to repair/reinforce/drive away first! No post order!
Noah did not see what he wanted to see. Because they had spent seasons before focusing on the damage to other walls, this wall was incredibly damaged. Ice broke through and expanded, cracking and disintegrating stone and brick on its way to domination. Noah and Vi'dore took their time, with Eira on the outside of the wall, to inspect each and every inch and span of damage. Finally, they turned and headed back towards Deimos.
"The east wall is fucked." He put it simply, incredibly bluntly, gesturing back behind him with a jut of his chin. He slid off his companion's back again. "I suggest we focus most of our efforts there, unless there's a wall with equal damage." Noah popped the collar of his Sentinel's coat as the wind picked up around him, the snow buffeted by Eira's arrival and landing beside him.
And I came to, walking on the train tracks How did I get here? And how do I get back?
Alys wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but she hoped that she would know it if she saw it. As she wandered along the western wall, she took note not of structural damage or damage to the weaponry, as the others would find along their portions, but of a flock of ningos who had made their home in the wall. They cooed and blinked at her as she tilted her head at them, wondering if they were even worth reporting. They didn't seem to be hurting anyone, anyway.
After finishing her inspection, she returned to Deimos just in time to hear Noah's assessment of the eastern wall. "The western wall looks fine to me," she told them when Noah had finished. "There's a flock of ningos that seem to have made the wall their home, though." It sounded like they should focus on the eastern wall, though Alys was curious to know what the northern and southern walls looked like.
------
Alys reports the ningos!
I've been up all night, let's stay awake Push it further, you know I'll never break
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
They returned, on wings and feet, the reports divested and given, his included. “The south wall has some weapons to be repaired and moved, and the north,” gesturing to some askew armaments at the top, “has about the same.”
But the news about the eastern portions had his nose wrinkling, even if Alys brought information about the idiotic birds Halo managed to house. “I can send Belial after the ningos,” by suggestion – he could either hunt or drive them out, to which the peryton readily hooted and hollered. With a nod, the ridiculous companion was off, far too much excitement and ebullience contorted in rapacious frame.
Afterwards though, he readily agreed towards heading after the observations contorted by Noah. “We can head east first, then round back over to the others,” as they’d done in the past – tackling the most difficult portions initially.
Dragging their supplies over, they eventually made their way to the boundary, and Deimos had his first glance at the damage. Narrowing his eyes and speculating, he turned towards the sled, workers, and volunteers. “We will need some to grab the stray stones,” meandering at the bottom, having broken off or fallen. “I can likely use my magic on some parts, but we should mix concrete as well.” Perhaps, to heighten the potential of this not occurring again for some time.
--
Let’s tackle the eastern wall! Deimos will be using his earth magic, and we need someone to:
- Pick up stray stones
- Mix concrete
"Eira will help." And the griffin was off to follow the peryton before the demigods statement was finished. A shrill, excited chirp left her beak and then she was silent as her broad wings scooped her into the sky. A huntress, fierce and swift, despite her kind nature. Once she could see the white birds in the distance, the griffin set her sights and her intentions to attack.
Nodding firmly, Noah helped Deimos move the supplies. Looking around at their band of called workers as they did so, Noah decided on what he would do. Using his strength and endurance to help cull fragments of broken masonry was a much better use of him that mixing concrete (though he was confident he would do that sometime soon, too).
Lifting an arm, Noah gestured to a strong looking, younger man. He youth trotted over quickly, and Noah explained what they were going to be doing. The youth then ran for a sled. Coming back, Noah nodded his approval and then the two started working on filling the sled with all sizes of debris.
Noah sends Eira to help with the ningos and Noah helps move rocks!
And I came to, walking on the train tracks How did I get here? And how do I get back?
With no companion to send after the ningos, Alys merely watched Belial and Eira go, feeling a tad sorry for the ningos. But it wasn't her decision whether to leave them alone or do something about them, and so she set them out of her mind. They'd probably damage the wall, anyway, if left to their own devices, and protecting and repairing the wall was the subject of today's gathering. She only hoped that some of the ningos would make it away unscathed.
She helped to move their supplies to the eastern wall, surrounded by a cluster of workers who had come to help with the day's work. With Noah working on collecting debris, Alys set to work mixing the concrete. One of the workers came to help her, and together, they poured the concrete mixture into a bucket before adding water and beginning to mix. It was harder than Alys had anticipated to mix the powder and water together to form the paste-like consistency that they were looking for, and she was glad of the worker's help.
------
Alys mixes concrete!
I've been up all night, let's stay awake Push it further, you know I'll never break
Alys
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Eira and Belial’s version of “helping” turned out to be the equivalent of nonsensical and herding cats. Blessed they might have been in their predatory demeanors, but the gods had not granted the peryton logical thought patterns, and if the griffin was following after him…well.
Let’s just say the ningos had met their match when the two companions came bustling in, all fangs and wings, and the birds didn’t move. Not an inch. Unimpressed, some even folded their heads under their own tufts of feathers and began to nap.
Seeing it all through the bond, Deimos had to muffle a laugh while he orchestrated his own tasks. Starting from the precipice of the cracks, he began filling it in with more earthen wares, creating, maneuvering, and tending to the stones with his usual competency.
Meanwhile, Noah and his fellows snagged at more rocks, permitting the Sword a measure of success, capable of utilizing them to finagle portions to where they needed to go. A much sounder structure by initial motives and means.
It all started to fall apart on the concrete end – for while the mixing was successful, thereafter was not. While Alys did well tending to everything, her designated assistant tripped, and subsequently fell, up-ending the bucket until the foundational layers were spread…out over the snow.
Turning his head from his work, the Sword’s brows arched. “You all right?” Maybe Noah could go over and help too…
--
Eira and Belial were not successful in driving off the ningos.
Noah and Deimos have been successful. Deimos will continue to use the stones and rocks to assist with the wall.
Alys’s helper has tripped over the bucket and up-ended the mixture. Maybe start again?
