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Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
The harsh beauty of the song of hammers on steel rang through Haulani on the humid Flowerbirth afternoon. Clouds scudded overhead, promising rain to come but dry for the time being and the wind twisted through the upper, floating levels of the city as it wended its way down to playful breezes at ground level.
Hadama worked quietly in the forge of a man almost as tall as he was, and even broader in the shoulder, the two focused on separate projects but occasionally pausing to pass over tools or fresh coal to each other.
The King wore a thick leather apron over his chest in respect for the sparks and hot metal he was shaping upon the larger of the shop's two anvils today; the blade of a short sword was taking shape beneath his hammer while his companion labored over the smaller anvil on the finishing work for a trio of sword guards.
Pausing for a long drink of water from a nearby jug, Hadama surveyed his work with evident approval before quenching the blade and setting it aside to cool. Raising his arms overhead in a broad stretch, he cracked his neck and looked up to watch the people passing by beyond the forge's awning, taking a well-deserved break for the moment.
Being a little embarrassed to ask Hadama for his help again, she hadn't sent word of her request, instead choosing to ask around for where he usually chose to forge. Which led her to Haulani and the symphony of clanging steel that echoed down the seafront alleyways. The strong salty air had the fresh floral hint of Flowerbirth as it mixed with the stifling heat that permeated from the opening.
Thal leaned against the frame, blocking some of the light into the already dim interior. Her eyes had to adjust for a moment, taking in the glow of the coals and how it bounced off the steely surfaces of different weapons, shields, and armors. Their shining surfaces were a backdrop to the swinging of tools that scattered sparks across the floor. And looming amongst the different light sources was a large man. His attire, again, had her head shaking. What was his beef with clothing? Had it offended him in some way to be banished from his body except for the most basic forms of decency and protection?
With a small smile to herself, she cleared her throat and stepped into the welcoming warmth. Dipping her head, she greeted the Mer King. "I'm glad I found you." She pulled her hood down to let her hair tumble out. Then she placed her bag on a table nearby, pushing aside a few pieces of paper and miscellaneous items. After digging through for a moment, she found the igneous stones and strangely shaped metal ingots, ready to be molded. Thal turned to brandish them in his direction. Her expression was exasperated and slightly pained at her need for assistance, but she lifted them up with a smile. "Think you could work some magic on these?"
There were a number of people with dark cloaks and hoods pulled up for anonymity in Haulani's streets. Torchline's reputation for shady dealings was come by honestly, and so the slim silhouette at the forge's front was not out of place, not instantly familiar. Not until Thal pushed back her hood and shook out her hair did Hadama's green eyes gleam with recognition, and he raised a hand to his companion in the smithy to indicate that he would handle this customer.
"Captain Thalassa," he rumbled, quiet pleasure in his voice at seeing her again. "Welcome." He moved over to examine the bag and its contents, lifting the stones to examine them thoughtfully in better light before hefting the ingots with their imprint of the Ancient's fingers with a professional assessment of their weight. "Hmm. New daggers?" he confirmed first, not wanting to jump to conclusions in case she had changed her mind. But once he had her assent he moved to the forge to stoke the coals to a blazing white heat. "Place the stone and metal in the crucible," he instructed, gesturing with his chin to a nearby crucible of the right size while both hands worked the bellows. "Is this the last task?"
She watched him gather the metal in his hands, making them look so much smaller as they transferred from her own grasp. At the question, she nodded her head. "That's the plan. If possible, the pair of blades will be made of the igneous while the metal is used for the hilts."
At his instruction, Thal picked the stone and steel back up, feeling her hands easily slide back into the divots of the metal. Approaching the crucible he'd indicated; she placed them inside. They 'clinked' together, but the sound was drowned out by the other cacophony of noises within the forge.
Thal returned to stand by the table, laughing at Hadama's question. "I wish. My last task will be using the new daggers." She didn't mention that 'using' them involved leaving them coated in something's blood. Some people might not agree with that part, although she didn't think the Mer King would fault her for it.
"Hmm." He absorbed her preferences and turned his thoughts to them as he worked to bring the glowing coals to a temperature that would reduce the provided components to liquid. "Yes," he decided at last, giving a slow nod of his head to indicate that it was, indeed, possible.
He moved with deceptive swiftness for his large size then, crossing to the crucible and fishing out one of the ingots to deposit in a separate bowl. He secured the crucible closed and moved it into the hellish mouth of the fully stoked furnace with a pair of long tongs. "Mm. Tempting, to quench them in something of the Void," he rumbled, not knowing about the blood requirement, but how else was one to use daggers? He was already moving again with an economy of motion as he reached the other side of the forge and selected a mold for the initial ingot they were making. "Will these need guards?" Between blade and hilt, to protect the hand.
At the mention of the Void, Thal shrugged her shoulders. "I don't need an excuse to do that." Her lips parted in a mischievous grin. She was always willing to gut something, Void or otherwise and her revealed fangs said as much.
Her blue eyes tracked Hadama across the forge, analyzing the practiced movements. The way he easily wove around the stations was like following a familiar path and routine, falling into step with a dance. Thal watched as he pulled out the mold. "Probably." She lifted her hands in assessment. "Although it will need to be on the smaller side. Bigger guards and handles will make them hard for me to wield." Lifting her hands higher, she waved them for the Mer King to see.
A single slow nod of satisfaction was his reply to her bravado, and he spared her an emerald gaze that twinkled with agreement in return to her grin. After a moment's consideration he pulled a second mold from the stack and moved to set them next to the forge as he checked the crucible. A glance was all he needed to know it was not yet ready, but he waited for Thalassa's confirmation before he walked back to the molds, this time to a different section.
"They can be cast from the remaining ingot," he explained, pulling out four smaller molds after due thought for the size of the Captain's hands and her preferences. "Please choose your style." He set the small stack in front of her before moving back to work the bellows again, keeping the coals white hot with only a tinge of yellow at their outer edges. Another detour had him returning with an additional lump of purified iron to add to the remaining crucible, and then it was time to remove the first with the tongs and, with great care, pour the glowing white liquid into the two ingot molds.
"Will these be thrown?" he asked, professional curiosity in the question, as it would determine how he balanced the weight and mass between blade and tang.
She stepped forward to inspect the molds. They varied in complexity and length. Some were simple in their lack of ornamentation or curves. They would be easy to cast, but hard to hold. Others looked like they would meld perfectly to each finger but wouldn't allow any shifting of her grip. Only one mold seemed to catch her gaze. It was simple and rounded with a small pommel and guard. The grooves implied a small level of ornamental detail that wouldn't detract from the function. Decided, Thal pushed the mold out of the line up. "This one."
Recalling how she'd expertly hit the Shadow Serpent during their rebuilding of the Torchline Rum Fountain, she gave him a knowing smile at his question. "Definitely." She herself didn't have a lot of physical range, so being able to throw something deadly was a good way to even the playing field.
While the metal cooled in the ingot molds he looked over to her choice of guard for the pair of future-daggers and nodded in acceptance. The other three molds were tidied away and put back where he had found them, respectful of the smithy-owner's system. Then the remaining crucible was shifted into the forge and he moved back to the bellows, operating them with smooth efficiency.
Thalassa's response brought a gleam of appreciation to his eyes and he nodded again. "Wise," he murmured, holding the temperature high enough for the iron to melt. Once it was hot enough he poured the metal into the chosen mold and then was able to step away to check on the incipient blades. He opened their molds to examine their steaming contents and then used smaller tongs to free them and shift them into a nearby tank of oil. The ingots were quenched in small clouds of billowing steam and then laid onto the coals at the edge of the furnace to begin heating up again. Meanwhile, Hadama chose a hammer from the rack after long thought. "Will they be enchanted to return to you afterwards?"
Hadama's approval had her smiling slightly in response. It wasn't that she needed his approval, but it was nice to hear that he saw her purpose for the daggers, and that he was willing to help bring her vision to life. Though he made a valid point about retrieving them. Thal tilted her head in thought and shrugged her shoulders. "Not yet, but that might be something I eventually consider."
Her eyes continued to follow him through the process, watching his sure motions and steady hands as if the process was second nature. The experience was evident in his movements. "How long have you been smithing?" Thal wasn't one for small talk, but her curiosity had prompted her to ask.
He nodded at her response as he moved around the forge with efficient economy. It was her choice, what abilities to grant her weapons, but if she was going to be throwing them away it seemed wise to have a way to retrieve them afterwards. That was not something that he could help with, however, and so he focused on what he could do for her.
The blade ingots had heated to a bright glow in the forge and Hadama retrieved one with the tongs, setting it on the anvil. He shifted his grip minutely on the hammer and began to hit it with rhythmic force, flattening and shaping the ingot with careful impacts of the hammer. "Mmh. I apprenticed with my mother when I was young," he rumbled, timing his word between ringing strikes. "Seasmithing. Coldsmithing. Landforging is much easier." He lifted the blade - as it began to resemble - when the color had cooled to a cherry red and slid it back into the coals, selecting the other and beginning the process of beating and shaping once more. "How long have you been a captain?"
His strikes against the metal echoed in her chest and she had to filter out the noise to hear his words. It surprised her to know that his mother had been the one to teach him smithing, but she had to remind herself that she herself was a pirate captain. Gender stereotypes meant nothing in Caido. People could do anything as long as they had the skills and means. And based on what she had perceived of Hadama's movements, she had been a great teacher. Nodding respectfully, she commented, "Your mother must have been very talented." Her ears snagged on the term 'landforging' and she cocked her head, asking, "What's the difference?"
At his own question, she considered how much to reveal. It wasn't like it was hard to guess her lesser experience based on her age, but she didn't like to go around advertising it. However, Hadama had been kind and never showed any signs of judgement. Thal doubted his perspective of her would change.
With that in mind, her shoulders came up in a shrug. "About two years now." Although the time had been short, she'd quickly obtained the crew's respect, pure determination and bravado being the only determining factors. Her threatening horns and fangs helped too.
08-07-2024, 03:19 PM (This post was last modified: 08-08-2024, 06:36 AM by Hadama.)
"She is," the former-Mer confirmed between strikes of the hammer, and though his expression remained focused with concentration on his work there was a slight lift to his chin of pride at the compliment to his mother. The question that followed immediately on its heels, however, was met initially with silence as Hadama took extra care with shaping the curve of the blade in the last seconds that it remained hot enough to work.
As he switched the rough blades out so that he could temper the first and refine it to its final form he spoke again. "Forging underwater is more difficult," he explained as he hammered away with precise strokes. "It requires full mastery of water and air. And great strength. Landforging, using fire, is much more difficult for a Mer, but requires no magic. Any human can learn it, with training." Or any Ancient, or even a Mer who grew legs during a full moon, for that matter.
He waited patiently while she weighed her own answer, hammering on first one blade and then the other until they took on recognizable form, clean-edged and sleek even beneath their patina of char. When she found her voice he nodded acknowledgment as he quenched the blades in oil. "Mmh. Do you have a favored port?"
This time he did not return the knives to the forge but set them aside and moved to crack the molds on the guards. They had cooled enough to lift out bare-handed, and he measured them against the tangs of the blades as he chose a file. While they continued to speak he set to work on the central holes in the discs of metal so that they would fit snugly down to the shoulder of the blades.
Thal pushed aside the green emotion that threatened to rise in her chest as she watched Hadama's head lift. She just nodded her head, letting the conversation progress to forging. It wasn't a topic that particularly interested her, but the fact that it had to do with the ocean made it a little easier for her to pay attention. Cocking her head, Thal narrowed her eyes to process the information. "So forging underwater doesn't use any fire? How is the metal softened, or molded?" The idea was so foreign that she had difficulty understanding how it all worked.
In contrast, her own answer didn't require any thought or consideration, bringing forth a small smile. "Torchline has always been more familiar than the others and the people are more... accepting." She didn't explain that the other ports sometimes found her crew's presence uncomfortable, but she had a feeling that she didn't have to. The demigod was a native to the area and probably knew what she was saying better than she could put into words.
Anticipation began to build at the presumably final steps. Despite the char coating the blades, Thal admired the curve of the shape language, promising violence and danger. Hadama had done a great job. She couldn't wait to feel the metal resting in her palms, coursing with Dygra's power.
