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!
How did she make it to the temple? She didn't really know. The winding streets stayed stationary in a way she was unaccustomed to. How did people find there way anywhere when the paths did not shift in the right direction? But she found herself there nonetheless, stood before imposing gates. What a strangely dark way to embody the gods in a structure, she thought.
Delphia entered, cat sith sitting upon her shoulder, eyes appraising the hollowed halls. So this was where the people of Stormbreak came to worship? A place all of man's making? Where were the touches of Vi and Rae? Where was the warmth of Mort? Surely any who worshipped here must fear the gods as much as they revered them.
She made her way to the head of the chapel, just outside the gates to the sanctuary. Her head tilted up to view the large columns and windows. Stormbreak truly was a strange place.
08-24-2023, 12:54 AM (This post was last modified: 08-24-2023, 12:54 AM by Sohalia.)
Sohalia
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
Trinity Temple was a magnificent, if imposing, structure. It had always seemed a bit dark and dismal to Soh, but this was where the people of Stormbreak came to worship, and she had to admit that it was beautiful in its own way. It just seemed cold and distant, not like the gods that she had met, who had been so warm and full of life.
So she'd taken it upon herself to gather some wildflowers to leave as offerings for the gods, and she entered the temple with a large basket settled in the crook of her elbow, its bulk braced against one hip. Tarak rode imperiously on her shoulder, seemingly oblivious to the burden that his additional weight imposed on his bonded. "You know, you could learn to fly." But the little griffin was no more than a season old, and though he'd began to learn to glide, true flight was outside of the realm of possibility for him - for now.
Sometimes Soh wondered if it would be better for her or worse once he figured out his wings.
In any case, she made her way into the temple, expecting it to be empty, only to come across a woman who appeared to be older than the young Heart. "Oh!" she said, a friendly smile appearing on her face. "Don't mind me. I'm just decorating a bit." And with that, she set to collecting old, withered flowers and replacing them with bright, lively plants.
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
Delphia heard a voice echo through the halls, and she glanced back to find the source. A young woman and a griffin approached - a young attuned woman then - approached from the entrance. Tishy stuck her head out from her pocket as well, hissing quietly at the sight of the griffin. The daughter of Mort merely patted her head in comfort.
Then the young woman addressed her, and she tilted her head in confusion, electric scar stretching slightly across her neck and jaw. "Why do you pluck Vi's creations and send them to Mort before it is their time?" she asked curiously. She had seen the practice done before, but never fully understood it. Such a waste of healthy life while Rae still tended to it.
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
Truthfully, Soh hadn't meant to start up a conversation, planning to simply make her way about the temple and go on her merry way. She had a list as long as her arm of things to do and places to be (oh, the joys of leadership), and she'd intended this to be a quick stop. Still, her manners had her tilting her head thoughtfully as she considered the woman's question. It was a fair point, she supposed - it just seemed like it was something that everyone did.
She said as much. "Do you know, I'm not really sure. It's a bit of a strange tradition, when you put it that way." She eyed the stranger curiously. She hadn't seen the woman around before. Was she from Stormbreak, or was she a visitor? Either way, Soh had a duty as Stormbreak's Heart to make sure that her companion was well tended to. "I'm Sohalia, by the way. Do you come to the temple often?"
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
Hm. It seemed this particular tradition of plucking flowers had lost its roots(ha), or at least it wasn't too far spread. "I see." she said, watching as the woman went about spreading the flowers in various parts of the temple. She supposed it did brighten the place up, bringing a semblance of life into the cold halls of the temple.
Perhaps that was the simple point of it all - brightness.
"My name is Delphia." she said, looking back over at the young woman, electric scar pulling again. She had yet to fully get used to the sensation of the tension on her neck and jaw, so it still surprised her. "This is my first visit since moving here from the Greatwood. It is...unique." she said, not wanting to insult the place of worship. It was just so different from what she was used to that she didn't know what else to say about it.
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
Soh pondered her new friend's commentary as she bustled here and there in the temple, setting out vases with flowers. Perhaps in the future, she would bring some potted plants to decorate with instead. Anything to give the temple a little life; otherwise, it had always struck her as rather cold and dreary for a place dedicated to the gods, who seemed so vibrant in her youthful mind.
"It's nice to meet you," she said politely, smiling sweetly at the other woman. Then she perked up, missing the hesitation on how to describe the temple. "Oh, you're from the Greatwood? I have a dear friend who lives there - Phoebe? She's the Guardian now, I'm told." Or, at least, Phoebe used to be a good friend. Soh wasn't sure where she stood with the woman now, not after hurting Jude. It was entirely possible that Phoebe would want nothing more to do with her... but that was not a concern for the here and now. For now, she refocused on Delphia.
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
"It is good to meet you as well." Delphia said as she watched her flit around the temple. A small smile curved her lips. She was a vibrant example of Vi's ingenuity and it warmed her dead heart to see. So many were scarred from the war, yet her soul seemed untouched. Maybe due to her youth, she had not yet been corrupted by the cynicism that often came with age.
"Phoebe the Nightingale. Demigoddess of Frey." she said in recognition with a slight nod. "I have not met her, but I know of her." she said tilting her head to the other side. "She was one of only two demigods who did not fight along beside us in the war." she noted. The other was another demigod of Frey. Perhaps Frey had bid them not to fight, but that perplexed her too. Wouldn't Frey have wanted a hand in the Voice's demise too?
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
Had Soh been privy to Delphia's thoughts of her, she would have been flattered. She'd always hoped to embody light and warmth, and to know that she had succeeded in doing so today would have been the highest praise. She had troubles of her own, of course, but she'd recently decided that moping wasn't going to help her situation, and she couldn't stop living just because a huge part of her life had disappeared. She missed Jude with a fierce ache that refused to go away, but that didn't mean that she had to succumb to the darkness that beckoned her ever closer.
The information about Phoebe had Soh tilting her head. "I don't know much about the war," she admitted. "I was quite sheltered until... about the last year, I suppose." Sometimes she wished that she knew more, but that same protectiveness that had let her in the dark had also kept her safe, so she really couldn't complain. Besides, she knew that her parents and, after their death, her guardian, had done their best by her.
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
Delphia hummed. She must be quite young to have been so sheltered from the effects of the war, which had touched all corners of Caido. Her haunted gaze turned to some of the statues, recognizing the one depicting Mort with ease. "You are lucky then. There are few who did not feel its effects." she said solemnly.
But she supposed someone ought to fill the girl in.
"The other demigods and most powerful people in Caido and I travelled along the path to Caido's seat. We fought Ascended demigods and dragons along the way. When we reached the summit there were other demigods of the Old Gods protecting Caido's throne." she said, touching the scar on her neck. "Along with another Ascended demigod."
She turned her gaze back to the girl to make sure she was following along. "Then we destroyed the Core, which was corrupting Caido themselves, using Ascended souls to fuel it's heinous actions." At that note she seemed to shrink a little. The inability to save them hurt her immensely. "But while we did that the rest of the continent was fighting to survive. The Greatwood nearly split apart. The Hollowed Grounds burned. Torchline was attacked by Caido's companion and also nearly torn asunder..." she sighed and shook her head.
"But the demigods of Frey did not participate, hiding in the sanctuary one had built. It still perplexes me."
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
Soh knew she was lucky; despite having experienced loss, she had yet to experience war in any real capacity, and for that, she was grateful. So she nodded at Delphia's words, her expression solemn, particularly as the demigoddess began to divulge more about the war that Soh had, for so long, managed to avoid. It sounded complicated, although Delphia's explanation was easy enough to follow.
That all demigods had participated in trying to save Caido except for Frey's had Soh tilting her head to one side, her brow furrowed in confusion. She knew Phoebe and Sunjata, and they didn't seem like the cowardly sort, so she was sure it wasn't that. And yet... "I'm not sure what I would do in a similar circumstance, but I'd like to think I'd do everything I could for my people. I'm the leader of Stormbreak, you see," she added, almost sheepishly, still not quite liking to flash around her title. But it seemed relevant in this moment, and she supposed that it wasn't something to be ashamed of.
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
Delphia blinked as the girl revealed she was the Heart of Stormbreak. She stared then in an eerily unblinking manner for what would seem an eternity. Slowly her haunted gaze shifted, looking Sohalia up and down, assessing her. Her mind was clearly working on something, but nothing could be ascertained behind her steel grey gaze.
Finally her eyes caught Sohalia's again, and she stared for but a moment more. "Is Stormbreak in such dire straights that they required a child to lead?" she said, tilting her head in confusion.
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
Soh was used to people giving her strange looks when she introduced her title, but never had she met someone who was wiling to voice their doubts to her face. Actually, that wasn't true - one girl, who she had later identified as Noe Carpenter, had voiced her objection to the Luminary quite publicly, but given that Soh had broken her brother's heart, she could hardly be surprised at the girl's outburst.
In any case, Delphia's words took her by surprise, and she blinked twice, momentarily stunned into silence. It sounded like an insult, but the tone was wrong - almost like it was a confused observation, which, Soh supposed, it very well might be. Still, Soh spoke cautiously, unsure if she was being ridiculed or not. "I was the only candidate to come forward," she explained. "I did try to find someone else, and then I sought a co-leader, but..." She shrugged. "I do have a council of advisors. It seems to be working well so far."
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
Delphia's head tilted the other way. "No one else wanted to lead the city most blessed by the gods? Why?" she asked. She hadn't meant to insult the girl, and she was in no real position to question leadership as she did not want it herself, but it still seemed strange. Who wouldn't want to lead Stormbreak? The gods cherished it so, did they not?
Maybe people were just fools, which was her growing conclusion.
"Are your advisors children too? What do they advise you on?" she asked, now very curious about this young woman. She was an anomaly she thought. Leading so young, choosing to do something so trivial as placing flowers when certainly matters of state were at hand. Actually, that was a good question. "Did they advise you place flowers in the temple instead of focusing on the advancement of the city?"
Don't try to wake me up Even if the sun really does come out tomorrow
"I'm not sure," said Soh, increasingly uncomfortable with the shift in conversation. How was she to know why other people did the things they did - or, in this case, didn't do? She would not have agreed that her people were fools, however it might seem to this odd woman, but thankfully, Delphia kept that particular thought to herself.
As for the rest, she laughed nervously. "No, they are adults, and quite capable," she told the demigoddess. "I have a military advisor, an intelligence officer, and a general advisor who helps me with all manner of things. And no, they didn't advise me to do this - it's just something that I like to take time to do. It usually doesn't take very long, and it's calming for me to have some time to myself."
Don't believe anything you say anymore In the morn, in the morning
