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!
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Crashes and purple hues, impending doom and tempestuous edges; the loom of trepidation met with forged knives and demolition. So, perhaps, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to find Deimos running towards the destruction.
Ordinarily, one might freeze in panic, in distress, in the calamity of shifting tides and minatory landscapes. But they’ve been prepared in a way, knowing something was coming, and he’d been amidst chaos for far too long. It carved its way into his veins and splintered, fractured and manifested in the calm, composed, and steeled portions of his soul, while the dread rooted deep in between ribcages. There would be time later for his mind to chisel away the despair, for hands to tremble and shake, to wonder what would become of them all – but not now.
In between promises to Evie as they went separate ways, he snagged at companions and his bag, long strides carrying him through streets and routes and out the gates to survey the damage. Sending clusters of citizens in the direction of the shelter and infirmary was easier said than done, but once he strode towards the outer portions of the Citadel, he ceased, staring at the magnitude.
The Bay had seemingly come to them in a matter of moments, a massive reservoir undulating, carved across the Tundra. He might’ve said an oath, but it scarcely mattered. “Belial,” and the command was swift and sharp as he stood along the newfound coastline, beginning to make a decision. “Go see if there are any out there,” for he would presume some trackers, hunters, or anyone else traversing through might’ve ignored the warnings, or simply not seen it days before.
The peryton nodded, and began his swift flight over the lake – while Deimos began rearranging his bag, placing it with the unicorn.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Alys, as it turned out, was braver than she'd thought.
Or maybe it was stupid, running towards the destruction rather than away from it, especially when she was small and weak and had no protection save for a few daggers on her person. But run she did. Destruction of this magnitude meant injuries, and injuries meant a healer would be needed. For once, she could be useful. Her magic could be useful.
Deimos, of course, beat her to the edge of the Bay - water that was much, much closer than it had any right to be - and she skidded to a stop beside him, her chest heaving. "What - happened?" she gasped, staring with horror at the undulating waves that crashed against what appeared to be a new shoreline. She'd never seen anything like it, even in the nightmares that had plagued her ever since the run-in with the Void Lotus on the Sea of Dreams.
The seer shook herself, taking a deep breath. "What can I do?" she asked, ignoring the heavy ache that settled around her heart.
ALYS GLASSE
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
He expected others to join him either out of curiosity or bravery, those that existed within Halo like himself, driven by the need to assist and shelter. Alys’s voice didn’t surprised him then, as he began looking out over the water, head over his shoulder to glance down at the Seer with a reticent expression, carefully composed so he didn’t fall apart either. “My guess is the second moon,” that had appeared in the sky not too many nights before, amidst Safrin’s warnings. But with nothing else to go by save for what was before them, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “I can get more information later,” but this wake was far more important. The rest could wait.
Turning back, his expression shifted, gaze seemingly gone and absorbed elsewhere, as Belial soared and presided, providing the sight overhead. “There are some out there,” their shouts too far off, but not the rise and fall against cold, chilling water, nor the strangled essence of time. “I am going to get them,” by all counts and purposes – indifferent to whether it’d be safe for himself. “You are welcome to join.” It'd be easier to grab hold of others with her hands, rather than the potential of his sharp teeth.
Zuriel snorted, staying put and likely waiting for the inevitable, as he shifted into the water – not as the Sword, but as a bakunawa, scaled and refined and massive. Aware that the entire notions could be frightening, his same residual stare flickered back to her, intending to give her a moment of decision processing – but the rest wouldn’t be able to linger for long.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
The second moon? Alys looked up, but could see no sign of either moon in the sky. She bit her lip, considering the implications. On the upside, maybe there wouldn't be a second moon anymore to haunt them all every night. But she'd rather have dealt with that than see this destruction overtake her home.
The seer swallowed the lump in her throat and steeled herself. She wasn't going to help anyone by falling apart.
Deimos shifted into the water, and for a moment, all Alys could do was stare. She'd never seen this form before, and she had to admit to some trepidation as she considered her options. She could stay here, but she'd never forgive herself, and she couldn't bring herself to risk disappointing her friend. So she climbed carefully aboard, her teeth gritted so tightly that they hurt, and waited to see who they could find.
ALYS GLASSE
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
Suddenly there is nothing but ice and wind all around you. Like being plunged into a whirlwind the air grows even more bitterly cold than it already was, and though you try and struggle against it, you feel your feet beginning to slip.
Before you know it there is a sudden SCHWAACK. Snow falls from the sky and you suddenly realize that there are two water elementals only a few meters ahead of you. They seem to be playing a game of…ice-ball-tag? Whatever it is they’re doing, it’s extremely dangerous.I’d…leave them to it, if I were you.
You’ve encountered a water elemental! This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements. You may not kill your rare creature without admin permission.
Water Elementals (Uncommon/mythical): Not much is known about these creatures other than that they appear during particularly nasty storms. With the ability to manipulate the water in the icy-landscape as well as that within your body, water elementals range from incredibly dim-witted to quite clever.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
The agreement seemed silent, and though he tilted his massive skull, presuming rebuttal was in order, there was nothing but her careful climbing. He gave an abrupt snort, and then they were off, his speed careful but swift – ensuring they didn’t miss anyone and she didn’t fall in the process.
Following Belial’s beckoning hoots and visuals, he churned and cut through the water, serpentine motions across rivulets, lakes, and reservoirs in patterns and intervals. Ignoring the elementals entirely (they seemed to hasten in the other direction as soon as they saw him approach), it was only the flailing of hands and legs nearby that kept him attention.
”Help!” sputtered and splashes nearby, a flailing before a man sunk underneath and popped up again. The peryton hovered overhead, screeching, clearly indicating the survivor’s existence, but the latter was having none of it. ”Get it away from me!” wailed and collided, and Deimos nearly snorted again – were he in human form, there would’ve been an eyeroll accompanying. Drifting slowly by and towards, he nudged his muzzle at the hunter’s packs beginning to float near, figuring they could grab those in a moment –
And then, upon sight of him, the individual screamed again. It’d likely be up to Alys to explain.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
They cut swiftly through the water, following Belial's silent (or not so much) instructions to Deimos. They passed two playful water elementals, Alys watching them with interest. The air around them was frigid, even in the heart of early Longheat, and the seer shivered as the passed by. At least the elementals didn't seem as interested in them - they hastened away, leaving Alys and Deimos to focus on those trapped in the water.
Alys sighed at the hunter's panic, wrinkling her nose as water splashed onto her face. It was so cold, and she knew they needed to extract the stranded people as quickly as possible so that they could get dry and warm. "Calm down," she called, perhaps a little cross. It was just Deimos, even if logic told her that their target didn't realize that. "We're here to help." She leaned off of Deimos's back, holding out a hand. Hopefully, the hunter would grab hold and she could help to haul him out of the water.
ALYS GLASSE
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
”I’m not getting near another damned monster!” the man responded towards the Seer’s cross rejoinder, but once Deimos’ head turned around to glare, he seemed to have a better outlook taking Alys’s hand somewhat begrudgingly. Whether it was through the Sword’s own unimpressed actions, a moment of clarity, the cold, shock, or anything else in between, he eventually settled himself on one of the shift’s many scales, shivering. ”Sorry,” he murmured, and Deimos began to cut through the water once more, snagging at the packs with teeth and letting them hang out his mouth as if they were blades of grass.
The more frustrating portion was the lack of communication in his form – but perhaps Alys would ask what the hunter had meant –
The thought was set aside as Belial hooted again, and his gaze settled more to the task at hand, rushing along the waters towards the next individual.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
"Oh, for fuck's sake -" Alys muttered, already at her wit's end even though they'd only just begun their rescue mission. Perhaps she should have stayed ashore. She glared at the man in the water, but let her arm extended. "It's Deimos," she explained. "He's not going to hurt you." The hunter grabbed her arm and she assisted in hauling him up, though it was a challenge not to slide off of Deimos's scales herself. With the hunter settled, they set off for the next victim.
But something gave Alys pause as they sliced through the water. "What did you mean, another monster?" she asked over her shoulder, brow furrowing in thought. Maybe it was nothing - after all, Halo had its share of terrifying creatures - but with everything that had happened... What if the moon's landing wasn't the only threat?
ALYS GLASSE
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
It took the man more than a few moments to understand the complexity of the situation – Deimos would permit it under shock, distress, and probably some other key factors. ”Oh,” he managed with widened eyes, before looking foolish enough to hang his head and cling a little tighter to embossed Stygian scales.
So the Sword listened and drifted as Alys encouraged some sentiments and answers to the prior notions – because if there were other things out there, and alarming an individual who’d seen quite a bit, then there were more than just initial concerns to be had and shared. What if they were facing far more fervent and dangerous creatures?
While the bakunawa surged across the expanse, the man sheepishly answered. ”Hadn’t seen an ursur like this one. It was over on the bank further on,” he offered, pointing in a direction Deimos couldn’t see. His sights were on the still form ahead, instead, floating ominously. ”No white fur. Just dark. Blackish.”
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Alys, for her part, was feeling rather less patient than Deimos. Even with all of the shock and distress and other things going on, how someone would nearly refuse an offer of help - in whatever form it might come - was beyond the seer's comprehension. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at the hunter, sought some level of understanding within herself. In the end, she said nothing further, simply turning her gaze to the next victim... who would undoubtedly test her patience again.
Gods, but she was glad she wasn't a leader.
In any case, the hunter managed to gain enough self-control back that he was able to describe an ursur - but not like the white, dangerous ones that typically roamed the tundra. This one, he said, was black and dark, and Alys's brows snapped together. She was suddenly glad she'd left Sascha at home, with strict instructions to stay put. "Careful with the southeastern bank, Dei," she called absently, scanning that very area for any sign of danger, lifting one hand from the bakunawa's scales to finger one of the daggers at her waist.
ALYS GLASSE
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Considering the number of times he’d experienced trauma, the Sword could be more than patient. While the form certainly helped, he probably would’ve remained wholly silent regardless, listening to the wake of information rise and fall amidst the shock and horrors. Because it seemed as though there were more to come, from many angles.
He listened at Alys’s insistence, nodding to indicate he’d heard – but then his attention was on the form Belial hovered above. It was motionless, silent, unstirring, floating along the rivulets stirred across the sudden lake. The dread and trepidation plummeted through his form again, and the realization sat into his soul like a stone, hovering deeper and deeper in the well of consternation. Deimos went towards it anyway, because there were ways to honor their dead, then by simply allowing them to remain washed up and gone.
The other hunter, despite the shock and residual aches, shivered, but most have considered the worth of his existence then and there. ”I can help with this one,”, he offered to Alys, leaning out to snag at damp clothing.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Perhaps the seer had been more fortunate than most in Caido with respect to trauma. Hers was a quieter sort, the kind born of parents who thought her dirty and tainted and poisoned, of a family who she suspected hadn't mourned her departure. But that of death and destruction? She had to admit, she hadn't been entirely prepared for what it might mean for her to come help today.
There was a body in the water, motionless and silent, and Alys's gut twisted painfully as they drew nearer. She knew from the stillness that the person was surely gone, but she found herself hoping that they might still be resuscitated. Perhaps, if she'd been on better terms with the gods, she'd even have prayed for it. But as they drew closer still, she forced herself to reach out alongside the hunter, snagging at damp clothing, and pulling the body onto Deimos's back.
Biting her cheek against the sudden nausea and dizziness threatening to overtake her, the seer kept her eyes forwards, her back straight and rigid, and watched for the next victim.
ALYS GLASSE
Minor powerplay allowed without permission.
Feel free to use force/magic on Alys.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Solemn and quiet, he waited with a bakunawa’s clenched jaw instead of his human residuals. Another forging and steeling presented over the massive frame, keeping the devastation in the back of his mind for later moments – identifying the body, notifying friends or family, quietly adding it to a list of those deceased and gone, burning them amidst Halo’s usual honors.
Even the hunter grew stiller behind Alys, hand holding the body down as they carried on. Belial’s peryton mannerisms conveyed and hooted again, wings flapping overhead, as he scouted and noted – right in the direction the Sword was told to avoid.
His eyes narrowed, and the decision was made within an instant. If there were creatures nearby, then they were a threat, and if one of his people were still out there, hanging on and needing support, then he was going to grant it, regardless. Alys could be cross with him all she wanted - he'd be able to defend and maim and rescue simultaneously.
So the southeastern bank loomed in the distance, and he churned through the makeshift lake, eventually spotting another clinging to the verge and boundary, clearly alive, but ducked below jagged rocks and newly shorn stone.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
