Perhaps the closest equivalent of Caido’s golden retriever energy, Zavien has been the light in an otherwise patch of darkness. Always putting others first, working hard at being a Dragoon and helping Stormbreak thrive in kindness, and always being optimistic, Zavien’s outlook is refreshing and wonderful even with drama and terrible things occurring around him. He always has something helpful to say and a willingness to lend a hand that makes it so fun to keep up with him and we can’t wait to see what else comes his way.
Congratulations, Zavien!
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!
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
Liberation from the clustered and suffocating proportions of the meeting left him wandering immediately thereafter – not ready to return to multitudes, to balls, to more political reaching and portions he couldn’t escape. Knowing Evie and Erebos were safe was enough to send him outward, but more than a few times he took long, slow, lingering breaths, staring out over the expanse over a world he once knew into something arched and changed, and even then, the web of memories spilled over the surface.
Some scorchmarks still on the plains, some new intricacies built from a labored ground. He maneuvered without much purpose, long strides sweeping over places where they’d screamed for justice or tried to be heroic intervals, straining against the pull of LongNight. The puffs of warm air pulled from his lungs and he desperately wanted to be home, in Halo, with his family, rather than tracing over foundations of a life they’d left behind.
Still giving himself time, he leaned against a stone wall, reaching for its grounding purposes while the restless ends of his frame worked on not disappearing into the ether. Difficult to do for someone of his renown and size, but the shadows slipped around, comforting, and his hands concocted and created as if they had nothing better to do. Maybe it was a slip of his mind, a way to remember Safrin’s words to him, a meaning of lures and bait, as pieces that looked like gold filled his palms, and he unfurled them with Air magic, letting the snares ripple across the wake of the cobblestones, dirt, and snow.
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
As Thal left the ball, the alcohol lingered on her breath, giving her mind a comfortable haze, not quite cloudy but dulled. Her breath fogged before her, the chilly air helping to keep her mind sharp despite its fuzzy edges. Each clip of her heels rang across the neighborhood's walls as she made her way amongst the houses. After the festivities of the night, it was like a mallet to her brain, causing her to rip the shoes from her feet. Even the long train of her gown became cumbersome, catching on the snowy cobblestones and restricting the quick movement of her legs. In less than a block, she found herself attempting to bustle it. Her cold, fumbling fingers had a difficult time finding the buttons and she had let out a few choice words before the process was done.
By the time she was blocks from the Temple, her pristine appearance had been dismantled entirely. Her dark hair hung wildly behind her, the silver strings staying attached by a pure miracle. The haphazard state of her black velvet dress matched the uncaring way her shoes dangled from her fingers. Yet Thal embraced the Deepfrost breeze caressing her bare shoulders and the peaceful night acting as a gentle companion to her lonely heart. It was at that moment that she realized she had left her cloak with the attendant at the ball. With a deep sigh, she slowed her pace, preparing to turn back. However, a sparkle on the street caught her attention, glinting in the silvery moonlight. Her curiosity piqued, Thal approached slowly to investigate.
Glittering specs of gold littered the stones, strewn about without reason. Did someone drop them? Perhaps a drunk guest lost their valuables while stumbling home? Whatever the reason, why hadn't someone else found them first? Glittering gold pieces aren't exactly common in this area. She came to a stop, looking around suspiciously. Something didn't sit right with her.
Thal pressed her body into a nearby house wall, straining her eyes against the shadowed recesses of the surrounding buildings. Bushes and snow drifts seemed to transform into menacing figures, but she forced her sluggish mind to clear with a few quick intakes of icy air. After a few more moments, her eyes caught on something that looked a little more 'human'-like. Although she couldn't be certain, it seemed close enough to act on.
Taking one of the black heels in her hand, she threw it down a nearby alley, hoping to distract whoever may be watching long enough for her to make away with the gold. When Thal heard the thudding crash of her footwear, she sped out with quick, silent feet. Scooping up the gold flecks in the palm of her other hand, she pulled herself onto the snowy roof of a nearby house, making sure her footprints vanished on the street and left no evidence of her presence. The inky black fabric of her dress flowed behind her as she crept across the roof towards the street over.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
Had he not been full of coiled energy and restlessness, he might have laughed at the scene. He didn’t recognize the Ancient, but the scene before him was amusing nonetheless; shoes thrown and tossed as a distraction, while she pilfered and plucked the gold right out of the street.
Not even bothering to move, remaining still, stoic, and silent, he figured this would be a proper test of recall – and only permitted the extension of his Mastered Air to follow the woman. He called at the incantations to pull and tug, to sharpen and hasten, to grasp and snag, at the materials she’d snatched, along rooftops and over streets – eventually marching his way through the unwinding haze too, strides steady, unbothered, and leisurely.
you're all bronze and bite all venom and fistfight
As she slinked across the rooftop, a strange sensation emanated from the gold pieces. It was as if they were trying to escape through her fingers, pulling and tugging. It made her all the more certain that it had been a trap of sorts. However, once she had a treaure in her possession, it was difficult to take it back.
Luckily, her cloak had a hidden pocket sewn into the lining for just these kinds of situations - if only she had her cloak. Regretting her mistake all the more, Thal looked to her outfit with a scrutinous gaze. There weren't any convenient pockets or sneaky compartments. It only had a tight corset and a thigh sheath for her lone dagger peaking out from the high slit. She silently cursed herself once again before settling on her last option. Peeling open the front of her dress, Thal dropped the gold pieces into the boned corset. The feeling of the jagged pieces were cold against her bare skin, warming quickly with her body heat.
Now that that problem was solved, she glanced at the surrounding streets and houses. Apparently her distraction hadn't worked, as a lone figure followed leisurely down an adjacent walkway. If they were trying to get the gold back, she wasn't about to make it easy for them. Her mind may be dulled and her feet may be turning blue, but she was nothing if not stubborn.
Hiking up her gown further, she began to sprint along the rooftops, her numb feet making it easy to ignore the rough roofing tiles and snow piles. Whenever there was a gap, she jumped nimbly over, her hair flapping in the wind. It almost made her want to laugh with excited glee, feeling the wind whip her face and knowing someone was on her tail. It was like a game and it gave her a thrill that brought a long-missed glint to her sparkling blue eyes.
