[PQ+] Some kind of loaded gun

COLT

Cowboys ain't easy to love
And they're harder to hold

Despite the overhang of her hat, Colt squints out at the late afternoon setting of the boneyard, the light reflecting back harsh and unyielding near the lower end of the horizon. Although her amber eyes are naturally beneficial against the sun’s glare, she has propped up some sunglasses on her nose, which she shifts off now to survey the sketch in her hand without the tint hiding any of the faint charcoal marks.

The opening of the tent she’s standing in flaps every so often, the breeze picking up a bit more as the temperature shifts from warmer days to colder nights. She glances up as Hotaru and Sohalia approach, the last piece to this grand puzzle. ”Hey,” she greets with a lift of her head, her smile coming in slow as she finishes working through her thoughts and plans.

Nearby in the tent is a station for water and food, along with some hats, shades, and loose, breathable clothing in case anyone came unprepared or just sweat through their first layer too thoroughly. A lot of it’s dried meats and fruits, hard breads and crackers, things the heat can’t rob them of immediately. There is an assortment of citrus and berry flavored waters though, all of them opened from various crates and barrels shipped and carted here just for this project. They’d be here a while, even with as much help as she’s wrangled, which includes an assortment of Abandoned to assist with some of the ground work and cooling aspects.

”Take a look at the plans,” she offers to them, pinning the blueprints out on a nearby table and keeping the corners flat with a well-placed biscuit or two. ”Boneyard seems to be the most hospitable and stable place for the moment, and with our main hindrance being the movement of supplies en masse, a skyport is our biggest need for the time being.” Things they have discussed at the main camp as a group for all those who have offered their help and are considering the move. A reminder though, of why they’re here instead of the potential site of the future town in Suvahasi.

”I’ve got a crew of builders, including some locals, and I’ve been studying how to work with the sand. From what I can tell, we need to dig the supports deep to combat the way the surface shifts so much. Even better if we find some sturdy bones beneath and use those like anchor holds.” Aside from blood, sweat, and tears, organizing and effort is the most Colt can offer, and she suspects it’s much the same for them, though she’s partial to their thoughts as much as their elbow grease. ”Let me know your thoughts.” Colt reaches for some jerky, chewing on it as they look. ”We’ll start every day about this time, while we have enough light to set up, then work into the night when it’s coolest. Come daybreak, we break, and I’ve arranged a tent city for everyone to have a place all their own. We’ll be cozy by the end of this I reckon.”

---

Welcome to the Hak Etme skyport construction PQ+. This must be completed by May 1st.

Please post your character arriving, what they’re bringing, and what their strengths/capabilities are! Note this will take course over several IC days.

1. Colt
2. Sohalia
3. Hotaru

Post order doesn't exist

They'll never stay home
And they're always alone

You won't believe half the things
I see inside my head

Sohalia had arrived on feathered wing, having chartered a skyship as close as she could before coming the rest of the way on her own. Her promise to Zavien to be careful echoed in the back of her mind, but she'd committed to Colt and her project, and it was too late to back out now. Even if a lingering exhaustion and a faint, annoying sense of nausea had begun to take hold on the skyship. Hopefully she wasn't coming down with something. That would be all she needed, stuck out here in Hak Etme.

In any case, when she arrived at Colt's tent, she entered with a small smile for her friend. "Hey," she said to the rancher. "It's good to see you." Her attention snagged on Hotaru for a moment, too. "And you, Hotaru." It had been a while - though Soh was glad to see the demigod in one piece, given that she had been missing for a time. To see her here, perhaps, was surprising, but Soh supposed that it didn't matter who came, so long as Colt had the help she needed.

Listening to the rancher's instructions, Soh stepped up to the table and began to look over the plans. While she wasn't an architect, reading blueprints didn't feel that different from reading maps, and when she thought she had a sense of how things were going to go, she nodded once, almost to herself. "Any chance any of our Abandoned friends could try and find a way to hold any supports in place? Like... could we, I dunno, do something with the ground deep under the sand to make it more stable? Like a natural concrete?"

---

Soh arrives with everything on her profile. She is wearing light, airy clothing with her Mothman Scale Vest over the top. She has brought with her a basic glaive in case they run into anything dangerous and some basic supplies (first aid kit, snacks, water). Her strengths/capabilities include her shifts (especially the ability to fly).

Regional Score bonus: +21 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +21 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).

It's Giving Luck | A silver ring with an aquamarine stone that, when worn, grants +1 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted. (Made by Nova)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Other

Wait 'til you see half the things
that haven't happened yet

Sohalia

Hotaru

I know they'll be coming to find me soon
But I fear I'm getting used to being held by you

'Purpose', she had told Noah and Deimos. Balancing the grueling, embarrassing necessity of self-exploration alongside the relief of actionable, measurable events. What better than manual labor in a distant land free of any personal history or connotations? Beautiful women are merely an added bonus - herself included, of course. And if that appeal develops into something longer-lasting? Something purely her own, new and untested? Well, she won't hold out hope given the shadows plaguing her, but it's a pretty thought.

It seems they're due for a Blonde Party, and though Ru has in the past been quite exasperated with Sohalia, the woman is older now and - due to that - entirely foreign, so she offers a welcoming tilt of her head as she passes by to view the laid out plans. "You as well, Sohalia." No sense in holding the lightest of possible grudges. Caido is a brutal environment so there's no doubt Sohalia has been shaped in some way by it. For better or worse will have to be seen.

Ru listens to Colt as she pores over the blueprints. "Plenty of desert animals burrow, so existing tunnels might cut down some of our dig time, and lead us to old nests where those bones might be found - just comes down to our luck in stumbling across them." The Boneyard is named aptly, but plenty other animals have surely met their ends while hiding away in the safety of their nests beneath the sands, either wounded or geriatric. Turning and resting her hip against the table, she flicks her hair out from where part of it had gotten stuck under Andraste's wing where she curls around the naked skin of her neck. "Sand is also quite stable and dense when not sloping, with impressive weight-bearing capacity. If the worksite is flat, and known to be so naturally long-term, we won't have to dig as far down - more compact layers will be closer to the surface inherently." All the more reason to choose the Boneyard given its inherent attributes benefiting their goals. "It also means the more surface area, the better. Compression and weight distribution will keep top layers in check due to the sand's inherent traits. Build wide, not high, but with many supports reaching down for pressure." Gods, it's been some time since she's worked with sand in an engineering sense, but given she'd once been a glassblower and had lived in a desert for a short time, it comes back easily enough.

"If we need help keeping cool at any time, bring me in - I have perpetual ice spheres we can use in an emergency. Though they're a bit explosive at first, as you know," she winks at Colt. If they account for the initial blast they'll be incredibly useful, or they can pass them around to hold like the world's most dangerous hot potato. "I also have a pocket dimension and healing lightning for extreme emergency cases of heat stroke and the like. If we can keep all that between us three, please? I'm not looking to play medic the entire time or ruin my mysterious aura." Grinning, she crosses her ankles and looks to Colt for the green light on what to do next.

"Unfortunately, I don't have typical Abandoned magic anymore, so aside from those party tricks I'm just a particularly strong mule. Assign me as needed, my lady."

- - -

Ru comes with everything on her profile given it's stored in her Pocket Dimension! Basic long-term personal attire and rations for camping as well. Her guild and citizenship abilities are below for reference, ready for use:

The Wildwatch: Hunter’s Presence: Rolls with advantage against regular creatures (anything marked with a difficulty of Normal or below).

Torchline: Torchline has taught you to survive her weather and her terrain. Once per PQ/PQ+/KQ/Drop, you can 'shrug off' half the damage from ONE non-lethal attack. (In order to use this ability, you must put a clear note in the bottom of your post immediately following the attack you want to 'shrug off').

Regional Score bonus: +21 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +21 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).

I used to sing about being free
Oh, baby, look what you've done to me

COLT

Cowboys ain't easy to love
And they're harder to hold

The pleasantries are exchanged with all the brightness that beginnings bring. Potential just within reach, excitement not yet dulled by exhaustion and frustration. Colt’s body isn’t tired yet, so she stands loose and amicable, readily tipping her head in hello and consideration, smiles granted amid the crease of concentration and thought.

The jerky stills between her teeth as she listens, her gaze shifting between the two of them instead of the plans now, weighing their words the way she might test a fence line. Only when they’ve both given their input does she polish it all. To Hotaru’s point, Colt gives a faint huff of approval, something just shy of a laugh. ”I like the sound of lettin’ the land do some of the work for us.” She lets her gaze slide out the tent to the barren landscape beyond, trying to picture what lies out there in wait, good or bad ”If we can find some tunnels, we follow ‘em. Save us some sweat, and might point us right where the bones are buried deep enough to use.” Whatever would be burrowing, she would assume would just part around the bones. ”Gotta be careful though, could disturb too much underground and make it weak. Might need to collapse some for stabilization too.” Might need to consider how to deter anything from burrowing under what they build and ruining it too.

Her attention shifts to Sohalia then, slower, more thoughtful. Colt leans a hip against the table, folding her arms as she considers it. ”I like your thinkin’. If we can get the ground to hold tighter around the supports, that’d help. Keep things from shifting down the road.” Wind, rain, creature, earthquakes, all manner of possibilities affecting it all, more fluid than most ground.

There’s a small tilt of her head, something firm settling in behind her eyes as she taps a finger lightly against the blueprint. ”Still gonna want those supports driven deep,” she adds, tone easy but unmoving. ”Abandoned magic will help us, but it’d do to have some of the ground able to flex still, so long as it’s the parts we want flexin’. Also not sure I got strong enough Abandoned to turn the whole thing that solid. It’d be a big drain on them.” Her gaze flicks briefly between them, steady, if searching for the agreement for them all to move on.

”Wide, like you said,” she nods to Hotaru, one corner of her mouth pulling faintly. ”Low and spread out to ensure there’s plenty of places for the weight to go, and little for the sand to collect on. Last thing we need is watchin’ it sink a few inches every time someone lands.” Her voice dips dry at the end, humor tucked into the disapproval of it.

Hotaru’s offer about the ice earns a short laugh, because she does know how explosive it is. ”Let’s keep your tricks in our back pocket, else we’ll get spoiled and be demanding you make us a winter wonderland just to get some relief.” Which, she might still ask for, but she’d rather keep Hotaru’s energy up on things that matter. Keeping them from death, that’d be their ace.

She pushes off the table then, nodding toward the mouth of the tent and the open stretch of bone-littered sand beyond. ”Alright,” she says with a decisiveness. ”We start by mapping it out. I’ve already got my eye on some nice flat ground nestled between two impressive skeletons, but it’s more space than we need. Let’s walk the space and survey exactly which part would be best to build on. Flat, steady, and see if you can’t determine if there’s any tunnels underneath, so take some of our Abandoned workers with you.” A beat, then a faint smirk, because they’re starting. ”Let’s see what the ground’s willin’ to give us.” Colt leads the step outside, waving over some of the workers as they split into three groups, each one armed with stakes, flags, and a copy of the general area sketched out on paper.

---

Good strategies! Walk the chosen vicinity between the two large skeletons Colt pointed out, and see if you can find the main area we'll build on.

---

Colt has her guild ability, quiver item, and healing ring item. She also has basic first aid supplies, camping supplies, food and water available, and is dressed for the heat.

The Wildwatch: Hunter’s Presence: Rolls with advantage against regular creatures (anything marked with a difficulty of Normal or below).

The Pencil Sharpener | An earthen quiver that sharpens any arrow placed inside.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action

Healing Ring | A ring capable of delivering healing via touch. Uses type 2/3 stats
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Action

They'll never stay home
And they're always alone

You won't believe half the things
I see inside my head

With pleasantries exchanged and strategies out in the open, Soh began to think about how she could best contribute. She was not, perhaps, as strong or as capable as Hotaru; she didn't have magic or abilities beyond her shifts and some control of animals. Still, she had a big heart and a strong work ethic, and she thought she was reasonably intelligent. Perhaps she could do more than she thought, if she was strategic about it.

At the very least, she could help to choose the location for the skyport. She followed Colt from the tent, taking charge of one group of workers and beginning to range over the shifting terrain. Reaching with through the Attuned bond, she tried to sense if there were any animals in the ground below them, thinking that if she could compel creatures to surface, she could see where any tunnels might be located.

---

Soh walks between the skeletons, reaching out with the Attuned bond to call any animals lingering underground to her to reveal their tunnels.

Can call any animals for assistance (3 large, 6 medium, or 10 small).

Regional Score bonus: +21 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +21 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).

It's Giving Luck | A silver ring with an aquamarine stone that, when worn, grants +1 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted. (Made by Nova)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Other

Wait 'til you see half the things
that haven't happened yet

Sohalia

Hotaru

I know they'll be coming to find me soon
But I fear I'm getting used to being held by you

Colt's intelligence is a breath of fresh air, sorely needed literally but it's something she'll settle for metaphorically. Honestly though, the most influential women in Caido have all been blonde...are they breaking stereotypes as an entire realm?

"Girth is preferable to length. Or depth, in this case," she comments in her always a touch-too-regal tone, making the blatant juvenile sex joke all the funnier in her eyes. "Plenty of economic potential there too; hire sweepers to keep the tarmac clear, and it's a built-in career source." Fueled by humor now (Enzo got it from somewhere, though guessing Hotaru may have been a surprise) the Valkyrie pops herself off the table and follows the other two out into the blistering sun.

With sturdy sunhat already snugly on her head, Hotaru commandeers the other group of workers with a winsome smile and an iron fist. Andraste rises from her shoulders to scout from the skies, though the cooler air is surely one of her main reasons for doing so.

Hotaru half-shifts her Komodo senses as they're best suited for the desert and provide far more sensory information regarding any underground prey. As she moves with the group she relays what Andraste sends down to her in the shape-language of companion bonds, planting flags around what they collectively believe should be the outermost perimeter of viable land so they can work their way inward.

- - -

Ru walks with a work group, half-shifting her Komodo Dragon senses to detect any burrowing animals or prominent scent trails. Andraste scouts from above. Between the two, she and the workers set tentative flags where they believe the outer perimeter of viable space should be.

The Wildwatch: Hunter’s Presence: Rolls with advantage against regular creatures (anything marked with a difficulty of Normal or below).

I used to sing about being free
Oh, baby, look what you've done to me

COLT

Cowboys ain't easy to love
And they're harder to hold

Hotaru’s points earn another grin, Colt’s eyes flashing to her and holding for a moment, before they break out into their groups. The pair of them, Colt’s more sure than ever, have been good choices for this venture. Certainly a respite from dealing with men, though Zavien has proven capable in his aspects as well, though she’d not so freely say as much.

The surveying of the site takes up the last of the light, and before long, lanterns and torches dot the area in an orange glow that does its best to wrestle back the dark. Amid the bright halos of fire, their placed flags flap and twist, dotting a dream like a child menu’s connect-the-dots. Colt calls them all back together at some point, her own pattern of flags, stomping with a pole, an Abandoned assistance exposing some tunnels with her group. Hotaru and Sohalia manage much the same. Colt’s scribbled down on the paper some notes, so that when they all convene they can compare in one place and save their legs.

Talking through it, they end up merging a bit of everyone’s areas. Soh found the best tunnel network, Hotaru the best stretch of flat, and Colt the best wind-block behind the bone. So with a bit of creative twisting and mapping to stretch over portions of all the pros, and doing their best to dodge as many cons, a new and final design is sketched out. New colors of flags are placed, and the less capable go around to pick up the original ones, avoiding future confusion.

”Alright, we’re making progress,” Colt remarks, pleased even if she’s weary already from all the stooping to place their staked out area, and her hand is smudged with charcoal lines from all the drawing and redrawing. ”Before we lose the last of the night and head in, let’s start clearing what we can from the surface. We’ll make a debris pile outside the flag line.” Exchanging stakes for gloves and hoes, although Hotaru is still here, they can tackle clearing shrubbery and cacti, loose bones and dead roots. Eventually, daylight threatens, and weariness beckons them to rest in their tents for the day.

---

Survey complete and site chosen! Begin to clear organic debris and then hit the hay

They'll never stay home
And they're always alone

Hotaru

I know they'll be coming to find me soon
But I fear I'm getting used to being held by you

Speaking of hoes, some people are a bit more accustomed to bending over, Colt. So although the Valkyrie is positively gleaming from the amount of sweat on her skin by time they reconvene, at least her lower back isn't sore. A good thing, considering they have plenty of hours left in the day - and many more days to come at that. Sleeping on cots won't improve the aches and pains unfortunately.

"I vote for a burn pile," she calls idly to Colt as she heads back off with her group to scour their marked section for any debris. There's all sorts, though not the kind of stuff you'd normally think of when hearing the word 'debris', nothing manmade or littered. Plenty of smaller bones, awkward rocks, corpses of cacti (and living ones too, which she makes someone else dig up thank you), and half-shredded tumbleweeds. Yet more plain labor that makes her briefly miss her Abandoned abilities and how they were more useful for these sorts of menial tasks. She wouldn't go back for the world, but as she throws another dehydrated log into the scrap pile, well...maybe she at least considers it.

As the sun sinks down and the workers begin to retreat to wash up and prepare for dinner and then a hard, deep sleep, Hotaru follows along with Andraste in her arms and daydreams about slipping one of her ice spheres into her washcloth for a nice cold bath. Cot aside, she's definitely sleeping shifted, because it's about to get a whole lot colder as the sun stays gone.

- - -

Ru and NPC squad clear and pile up debris! Nothing special.

I used to sing about being free
Oh, baby, look what you've done to me

You won't believe half the things
I see inside my head

Placing flags as they went, Soh's efforts to find the tunnel networks were successful. By the time they meet up with the rest of the group, a variety of flags have been placed - some to mark tunnels, others to mark flat areas, and still others to delineate windbreaks. They confer for a bit, then come to an agreement about location. Some less capable helpers went to pick up old flags as a new layout is staked out. By then, night had well and truly fallen, and Soh partially shifted so that she had an owl's eyes to help her navigate the darkness that lingered even with the torches and lanterns lighting the area.

Next up was to clear the surface of debris. "On it!" she chirped cheerily enough, then moved off to get to work. She was going to be sore from all the stooping, first to place flags, and then to collect debris, but at least the night would have been well spent. Calling on the nearby animals she'd located earlier, Soh compelled a few to come and assist. They dragged off some of the smaller organic debris, many of them to nests, though some contributed to the growing junk pile. At Hotaru's suggestion, Soh winced silently, wondering if talk of a burn pile might trigger some not-so-wonderful memories for Colt. But she had the same question: would they burn it, or pack it up and ship it off somewhere, or spread it out and simply let the desert take it back?

---

Soh gathers debris with help from her animal friends, and asks what they're going to do with it.

Can call any animals for assistance (3 large, 6 medium, or 10 small).

Regional Score bonus: +21 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +21 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).

It's Giving Luck | A silver ring with an aquamarine stone that, when worn, grants +1 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted. (Made by Nova)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Other

Wait 'til you see half the things
that haven't happened yet

Sohalia

COLT

Cowboys ain't easy to love
And they're harder to hold

Despite the lack of sun as they work into the night, sweat comes readily for the labor they do on the ground. Tools and hands yank up all manner of desert flora, and the few buried logs, rocks, and bones that they unearth are summarily booted out of their foundation ring. As they finish up the first day, Colt leans on a tool and regards the pile of decrepit treasure. Her gaze slides to Hotaru at the suggestion, lips tightening just barely as her nemesis is brought into this new attempt at sanctuary. Tension builds marginally, and then Colt exhales it as she pivots her focus back to the waste. ”Fire is most effective at removing things,” she agrees, turning away to call over a few of the Abandoned with that skill. They’ll torch it, and those keeping watch will ensure it doesn’t send an ember to the wind and ignite any tents.

The next afternoon is when Colt rouses from sleep and a quick bath, dressed again to combat the heat in loose and breathable clothing, shades, and a hat. Grabbing food and drink from the main tent, she sets back out to the site, where everyone steadily gathers. Stretching away some of that bending resistance from yesterday, Colt regards the work over a bite of trailmix. ”Let’s finish clearing the debris. Looks like some Tangleweeds blew in while we slept, so definitely need those gone, then we’ll start digging for the first anchor.”

Leaving the Tumbleweeds to those more capable with magic around her, Colt focuses on finishing the clearing of blemishes on what needs to be open and flat, until she’s satisfied and another pile is ready to be burned. Then, reaching for a shovel, she begins the grueling work of digging out sand, focusing on a marker that designates a tunnel. ”Pace yourselves, this is where we have to do our best to work with the land more than against it.”

---

Wakey wakey! Finish clearing debris and burn it, then begin to dig.

They'll never stay home
And they're always alone

Hotaru

I know they'll be coming to find me soon
But I fear I'm getting used to being held by you

Ru doesn't know Colt well enough to have considered her feelings on the matter - that sort of thing is reserved for the scant few left in the confines of her heart. Callous? Perhaps. But at least it is a thoughtless sort of callousness, one where doubt or even a twinge of regret come only after Colt has forcibly relaxed her expression. Then, there is no regret to be had - Colt is clearly stronger than her trauma, and does not need to be coddled. That's all Ru needs to know, and it's the only thing that has any bearing on their directions from her.

So burn it they shall.

By morning Hotaru is relatively refreshed (and grateful to have slept in animal form on top of her cot). Picking through the available food to cobble together her preferred items in a horrifying amalgamation that becomes breakfast, the Valkyrie sets back to work with her crew from the day before.

Again, though her magic is not much help against the Tangleweeds, she at least has her magic bracers to deflect any concerning projectiles. Though she does end up using her lightning once or twice to burn the weird things to a crisp when they become particularly problematic. Just means they have less to cart to the burn pile.

Wiping her brow and flicking the sweat off with a slight grimace, Ru grabs a shovel to at least claim one but doesn't go about using it. Instead she lets her Komodo form overtake her once more; as excellent diggers, she'll make more progress this way, and likely feel a bit cooler to boot.

- - -

Ru uses her lightning and deflecting bracers as needed against the Tangleweeds, then shifts into her Komodo Dragon form to utilize its digging capabilities.

Magic: You've Been Thunderstruck | Can cause lightning to fall in a 60ft radius that heals allies while damaging enemies. Has a two post cool-down.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered | Cost: (None)

Ornate Leather Bracers | The wearer can, at will, redirect both magical and physical attacks. For magical attacks, can redirect them within 10ft. Physical attacks must be within melee range to be directed, and can then be redirected within 10ft. Hotaru still takes the damage of these attacks and redirects them at her ability-level.
Type: Dark | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action

I used to sing about being free
Oh, baby, look what you've done to me

You won't believe half the things
I see inside my head

With a burn pile decided upon, Soh let out a soft exhale, releasing any lingering tension on Colt's behalf. She'd known her friend was stronger than her grief, but knowing it and seeing it were two different things. At least there was little enough to burn out here in the desert - just their tents, if they weren't careful, but limited foliage to catch and spread the flames.

Soh slept poorly that day, tossing and turning with strange, vivid dreams that she couldn't quite remember when she awoke. She dressed quickly, unnerved, ignoring her lingering exhaustion and focusing on the tasks ahead of her. When she emerged from her tent, the late afternoon sun shone brightly, and she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare off the sand.

Tangleweeds had blown in overnight. Soh gathered her group of workers and set to clearing out debris and creatures from their work area, instructing the workers to leave the tangleweeds to her. She felt like a bit of a pied piper as she called the creatures from the work area, sending them on their way with a bit of Attuned coaxing. Then it was back to work, dragging the remaining debris to the burn pile that still smoldered from the night before.

---

Soh uses her Attuned abilities to call Tangleweeds out of the way and send them off to bother someone else. Then she gathers debris and deposits it on the burn pile.

Can call any animals for assistance (3 large, 6 medium, or 10 small).

Regional Score bonus: +21 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +21 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).

It's Giving Luck | A silver ring with an aquamarine stone that, when worn, grants +1 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted. (Made by Nova)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Other

Wait 'til you see half the things
that haven't happened yet

Sohalia

COLT

Cowboys ain't easy to love
And they're harder to hold

A few tangleweeds find their way to Colt regardless. Pausing her work to nock an arrow and fire shots into their bundle of stickers, she sends them to the burn pile as bodies. Having dealt with them plenty in King’s End, she’s almost glad to see a familiar face out here, although she wishes it’d been something more pleasant.

With the debris all cleared and collected, the last burn pile smoulders as the digging begins in earnest. They focus on the same hole altogether, in part to trade off with frequent rest and water breaks to avoid burnout, and in part because the hole is large. Girth, as Hotaru had so eloquently put it, is their goal for stability, that and depth. They’re going balls bones deep here. One hole will require most of their night, especially as they fight the slippery nature of the sand.

Ones they get deep enough, it actually becomes dangerous with how unstable it is, even with the abandoned they have fighting to keep it steady. ”I want of us in charge of the digging plans, one in charge of cutting and sorting our lumber, and one in charge of using those cuts to shore up the sides while we dig down.” Admittedly, Hotaru’s Komodo dragon shift makes some of the digging lighter work, so perhaps she’s better framed to stay in that role.

---

Sand is proving a bitch to dig in, so pick your task!
1. Dig deep - keep leading the downward charge of digging
2. Measure twice and cut once - lumber cutting
3. Handle wood - shore up the sides of the hole

The Pencil Sharpener | An earthen quiver that sharpens any arrow placed inside.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action

They'll never stay home
And they're always alone

You won't believe half the things
I see inside my head

With the debris cleared and the burn pile smoldering, Soh turned her attention to digging. She took a page from Hotaru's book and shifted, calling on her large paws of her tide jaguar shift to try and pull sand out of the way (with somewhat limited success). It was a little different than digging as a komodo dragon, which was built more for this kind of work, but Soh kept at it until Colt's voice called her attention. Shifting back, she walked a little closer.

"I can take cutting and sorting lumber," she volunteered, before gathering nearby workers to do just that. Fortunately, measuring was something that she was well-versed in (albeit on a different scale - mapmaking and carpentry were certainly not the same in that regard), so she felt well-equipped to lead up this particular task. Grabbing a measuring tape and some marking tools, Soh got to work alongside her group, carefully marking out the lengths of lumber needed and helping to cut them down to size.

---

Soh takes 2. Measure twice and cut once - lumber cutting.

Regional Score bonus: +21 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +21 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Highest Overall Score bonus: +10 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +10 should be included).

It's Giving Luck | A silver ring with an aquamarine stone that, when worn, grants +1 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted. (Made by Nova)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Other

Wait 'til you see half the things
that haven't happened yet

Sohalia