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!
"Mm, at least I remember it being that way. Being in stasis was like being in an endless dream, though, so it's hard to tell what's real and what I've imagined," Danta explains to both Phoebe and Edmund in a rare moment of candid explanation, though as his fellow Ancient has already experienced, there's much about his sudden concentration on his work that suggests it's not his favourite subject in the world.
It's probably this that means he's more than happy to keep working on the walls, because who knows if he's even heard what Edmund has suggested. With mortar in hand and being flanked by volunteers, at least he can't make too much of a mess of things - especially now that he's actually trying to pay attention.
Danta keeps working on the walls!
'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
"I see." Phoebe said with a nod as she continued to work on the wall. "That was how it was in the magic garden." she noted thoughtfully. But it did make her wonder as she worked what was so compelling about this Dygra that one would choose to become an Ancient. Clearly the stasis effects were not particularly hospitable. Why risk it?
"So Edmund..." she said, flashing a curious smile at the young man. He seemed like more of an open book than Danta. "Why did you decide to become an Ancient? You were an Abandoned before, correct?" she asked, still slapping stones and mortar into place.
09-22-2023, 02:13 AM (This post was last modified: 09-22-2023, 02:15 AM by Edmund.)
The trio works and Dantalion's focus and Phoebe's work-ethic pay off. The bath's wall is complete and at a depth for Ancients to comfortably lounge in. It certainly has the look of a normal hot spring so far and will certainly continue to appear as such until the blood is added. Edmund calls out, "Alright let's finish these stairs."
Danta shares information and before Edmund can change the topic for the older Ancient's sake, Phoebe beats him to it. Now it's his turn to discuss painful memories. "That's correct. I was an Abandoned with fire magic." As he speaks, Edmund works on the stairs, using his fire magic to help set the mortar. "I became an Ancient after the war. I'd been feeling a pull towards the Climb when I found out about Mother from passing rumors."
Edmund's voice gains a hint of steel and his tail flics behind him, "Just like everyone else, I lost loved ones in the war. I needed to have the power to protect those I had left. My fire magic was already urging me forward, so I followed." There were further complexities to his thought process at the time, but they were too personal to share with someone he'd only just met. Even if that someone was Jude's mom.
~
Round 10! Time to finish the stairs! No post order.
Phoebe listened quietly as Edmund spun his tale, finishing off the last piece of the wall before joining him at the stairs. She could understand his reasoning. "Power to protect one's loved ones is a tempting thing." she said with a small smile. And thus far it had proven a good choice, if what Jude had said about the attack on them was true.
But there were stairs to build, so she focused on the task at hand. Mortar, stone, more mortar, another stone, rinse and repeat. This was certainly going to be quite the soaking tub when it was finished. Hopefully the Ancients would find it relaxing and pleasurable in their own way, knowing it was to be filled with blood. It still unnerved her, but Frey would tell her not to judge the nature of another race just because she didn't understand it.
"Edmund is actually the first new Ancient I've met who wasn't one of those Ascended," Danta murmurs, clambering over the finished wall with long legs so he might crouch and help to finish out the steps into the bath. "I didn't know how to feel about you all at first," he admits, but clearly those reservations were short lived.
"Did you say magic garden, by the way?" he adds, raising an eyebrow up at Phoebe and working specifically on the bottom step of the stairway. Using small pieces of chipped stone, Danta adds mortar and works on something of a mosaic pattern. At least if they're doing it, they can make it look pretty.
Danta also works on the stairs and adds a little mosaic pattern at the bottom!
'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Phoebe's acceptance of his reasoning smooths an edge in Edmund he hadn't been aware of. Perhaps it was because she was technically family. Regardless he smiles, "Thank you." His eyes go wide at Dantalion's words, however. "Truly? I didn't know that. The fact that I was the first non-Ascended to change that is." Lips twitching, Edmund adds, "I was well aware of the second part." It had been challenging to earn every fragment of acceptance from the other Ancients. Thankfully his hard work was paying off.
As Danta questions Phoebe, Edmund helps the older Ancient finish the stairs and mosaic. "I like it!" He hasn't considered such decorations before now, but it certainly fits the theme.
With the stairs complete, Edmund stands and eyes the bath, "I think next we should add some benches."
~
Round 11! No post order.
Use stone and mortar to add platform benches along the inside rim of the bath for people to sit and relax on.
"And the only one so far, I think," Danta adds, though his focus is mainly on the finishing touches of the mosaic. It's only once he's finished and sits back that he considers how little of the pattern one might see through all of the... you know... blood. (It's hardly crystal clear as liquids go, after all). Never mind, though - on to the benches.
Rising back to his feet and whistling for some volunteers, Danta exits the nearly-completed bath and heads back off into Frey's Breath. When he returns, it's with some large slabs of rock that will hopefully make for some decent benches. "Just need someone to help fix them in place," he murmurs.
Danta fetches some large slabs of stone to act as benches!
'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
"Yes, magical garden." Phoebe repeated. "Shortly after my son was born I got caught in one. It was beautiful, but what felt like minutes inside ended up being a whole year." she said, far more open with her stories than the two Ancients were. She had nothing to hide after all. Not that she knew if the other two did or not.
"I am sure more will join as more information about Dygra is spread." she said to Danta's comment. It was inevitable. People often wanted what was new or mysterious. As Danta returned with large slabs of stone she directed volunteers to place them at regular intervals around the pool. "A combination of mortar and stacked stone legs?" she suggested.
Phoebe directs the placement of the slabs of rock and suggests how to secure them.
"That sounds...difficult." Edmund isn't sure how else to describe what Phoebe speaks of. Losing time, especially while Jude had been so young, must have been heartbreaking. But at least it sounds like she wasn't in pain during her time in the garden. Regardless, the thought of it all still sends pangs of sorrow through him.
Edmund feels relief when it becomes clear that Dantalion and Phoebe have a better idea of how to create the benches than him. The idea to add them was last minute on the part of the young Ancient and he had intended to just wing their creation with the materials already gathered. This is far better.
"I think that's a wonderful idea." Grabbing stone and mortar, Edmund works to add the legs and secure the slabs. It takes nearly all of them (NPCs included) working together due to the weight of the slabs, but soon the benches are complete.
The young Ancient stands on the rim of the bath and regards their work, "Excellent. Now we're getting to the final touches. Let's add a layer of lava stone and mortar along the outer rim." A change in color and material solely for aesthetic reasons.
~
Round 12! Add a layer of lava stone to the rim of the bath!
Danta doesn't say it sounds difficult, because spending minutes in a garden and emerging a year later is nothing compared to being in stasis for centuries, and at least Phoebe had flowers to look at. He does, however, appreciate all of the help in getting the benches in place, the Ancient straightening up and nodding his approval at their work. "I wonder if people will accidentally use this instead of the hotsprings," he says, unable not to find it amusing.
Ahem, anyway. Nodding to Edmund and feeling as though he'll also need a dip in the springs after all of this, Danta returns to his apparent calling and collects up some more mortar to get the rim of the bath all sexy and whatnot. He's actually feeling more confident in doing it this time around, swiping the mortar in place for the volunteers to help set the lava stone on top.
Danta mortars!
'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
"In ways, yes. In others not." Phoebe said to Edmund with a small smile. At least he was sympathetic to her plight. She didn't expect the same from Danta who had woken up centuries later due to stasis. That had to be a far bigger adjustment.
But they moved on to the edging and Phoebe set to the task alongside the volunteers. At Danta's curious notion, she couldn't help but snort. "Likely they will find themselves equal parts disappointed and horrified." she said. Often lovers came to the hot springs to reignite their passions and worship Frey. To not get the waters' effects and suddenly be covered in blood would be quite the terrifying turn of events. Why the Ancients would want to soak in blood she didn't know, but to each their own.
09-25-2023, 04:33 AM (This post was last modified: 09-25-2023, 04:34 AM by Edmund.)
Edmund sputters a Dantalion and Phoebe speak. The image of a poor soul jumping into what they thought was water, only for it to be blood, has his eyes widening. "We'd best put some torches up then." This was meant to be a place of relaxation for the Ancients, not a horror play for other races. Though imagining the look on their poor faces did have the younger Ancient's lips twitching as he lays the edging.
Once it seems like the last piece is in place, Edmund shifts into his molten tiger form. The large feline walks the perimeter of the edge, letting his body weight and the molten metal dripping from his form smooth out the stone and set it in place. The young Ancient jumps down and shifts back once the task is complete.
Stretching his arms above his head for a moment, Edmund then scans his eyes over the bath. "Let's add the torches to the bottom of the stairs, one on each side. Between those and the offering pillar, that should be enough light to prevent any unsuspecting people from walking and traumatizing themselves."
~
Round 13! No post order.
Use stone and mortar to build torches at the bottom of the stairs! (One on each side.)
"Oh, you're no fun," Danta drawls, smirking at Edmund and letting out a long-suffering sigh at the decision to add torches. "Fine, fine." They're getting more use out of stone and mortar than he'd ever thought possible, the Ancient grabbing up some more supplies and hunkering down to get to work.
It's a bit fiddly this part, and it's with a furrowed brow that he tries to use some of the remaining stone to build something that might be able to hold fire should the situation call for it. "Little help?" he asks Phoebe, since she's close by - and hot. Hot always wins.
Danta tries to build enclosures for the torches!
'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene
Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!
Horns: Diamond - they look very similar to #2 in this image.
Phoebe just smirked and shook her head. Edmund seemed a little uptight if he couldn't laugh at the made up scenario. Then again, his mother could be an uptight wretch herself so he might have gotten it from her. But the notion of torches really was a good idea she thought. Better safe than sorry.
She heard Dantalion and turned to look his direction. It seemed he did need some help. The demigoddess came over and knelt down. She wrapped delicate fingers around the rocks so they formed a cup shape. This way Danta could slap the mortar into place to secure the shape indefinitely. Briefly she glanced at Edmund to see how he was getting along.
