Damien
"I never see you at the club!"
Okay? I never see you at the creek
Okay? I never see you at the creek
Damien’s hands were steady as he braced the first post with Thorn, their shoulders moving in tandem. Thorn’s quick measurements made the cuts clean, and when Damien’s axe came down it was with the economy of a man who’d been shaping timber since his youth. Together they levered the post upright, steadying it against the trench wall until Deimos’ magic packed the earth tight around its base. By the time they’d set the fourth, the skeleton of the cabin was no longer just a sketch on paper but a shape rising out of the clearing, the bones of a shelter against the Greenwing cold.
He stepped back, breathing deep of sawdust and smoke, and let his gaze pass over the others. Theea and Marcus had heaved beam after beam into place, a stubborn rhythm that had left their arms trembling but the foundation true. He’d seen Marcus shift more of the weight, seen Theea refuse to falter, and between them the frame held because they hadn’t quit. Thorn’s measurements had been sharp, practical as well as clever; each post sat straight because he’d marked them so. And Deimos—Deimos had cut a trench as if the earth had been waiting to be told what shape to take. Packed, level, unyielding. No frost-heave or stray wind would unsettle this cabin’s base.
Cause and effect. Each piece had slotted in because the others had made it so.
“Looks good,” Damien said, his voice low but certain. He let the word hang, heavier than its syllables. “This will stand.”
He turned toward the logs stacked nearby, their bark stripped, the corners squared. Above, the pale sky was clear, but he knew too well what the coming Deepfrost would bring down in time. “Now comes the roof. If it can’t bear the snow, all this work is wasted.”
He glanced to Thorn, the sketchbook still tucked under the man’s arm. “We’ll give it the steep A-frame, like you drew. Strong enough to shed the weight, snug enough to hold heat.” Then he addressed the group as a whole.
“Choose your next tasks.” His eyes moved across each of them in turn. “The rafters need cutting and setting. The roof beams need to be hoisted and braced. We’ll need shingles—or boards—laid tight enough to keep snow out. And the joints sealed, so wind and ice don’t eat through before long.” His mouth quirked faintly. “Pick what suits your skills. There’s no easy job left, but every one of them matters.”
He set his axe aside and flexed his fingers, already reaching for another length of timber. “Let’s get this finished.”
Round 5 Breakdown (Final Push – The Roof):
Choose freely from these tasks:
Cutting & Shaping Rafters: 1 person. Measure and cut angled rafters to fit the steep A-frame design. Precision is critical—crooked cuts = unstable roof.
Hoisting & Bracing Beams: 2 persons. Work in pairs to lift and secure the heavy roof beams into place. Requires strength and balance to avoid collapse.
Laying Roofing Boards/Shingles: 1 person. Fit and secure planks across the rafters to form the roof surface. Success determines whether snow slides off or piles dangerously.
Sealing Joints & Edges: 1 person. Apply tar, resin, or improvised sealant; fill cracks with moss, bark, or other materials. This task ensures insulation and weatherproofing.
He stepped back, breathing deep of sawdust and smoke, and let his gaze pass over the others. Theea and Marcus had heaved beam after beam into place, a stubborn rhythm that had left their arms trembling but the foundation true. He’d seen Marcus shift more of the weight, seen Theea refuse to falter, and between them the frame held because they hadn’t quit. Thorn’s measurements had been sharp, practical as well as clever; each post sat straight because he’d marked them so. And Deimos—Deimos had cut a trench as if the earth had been waiting to be told what shape to take. Packed, level, unyielding. No frost-heave or stray wind would unsettle this cabin’s base.
Cause and effect. Each piece had slotted in because the others had made it so.
“Looks good,” Damien said, his voice low but certain. He let the word hang, heavier than its syllables. “This will stand.”
He turned toward the logs stacked nearby, their bark stripped, the corners squared. Above, the pale sky was clear, but he knew too well what the coming Deepfrost would bring down in time. “Now comes the roof. If it can’t bear the snow, all this work is wasted.”
He glanced to Thorn, the sketchbook still tucked under the man’s arm. “We’ll give it the steep A-frame, like you drew. Strong enough to shed the weight, snug enough to hold heat.” Then he addressed the group as a whole.
“Choose your next tasks.” His eyes moved across each of them in turn. “The rafters need cutting and setting. The roof beams need to be hoisted and braced. We’ll need shingles—or boards—laid tight enough to keep snow out. And the joints sealed, so wind and ice don’t eat through before long.” His mouth quirked faintly. “Pick what suits your skills. There’s no easy job left, but every one of them matters.”
He set his axe aside and flexed his fingers, already reaching for another length of timber. “Let’s get this finished.”
Round 5 Breakdown (Final Push – The Roof):
Choose freely from these tasks:
Cutting & Shaping Rafters: 1 person. Measure and cut angled rafters to fit the steep A-frame design. Precision is critical—crooked cuts = unstable roof.
Hoisting & Bracing Beams: 2 persons. Work in pairs to lift and secure the heavy roof beams into place. Requires strength and balance to avoid collapse.
Laying Roofing Boards/Shingles: 1 person. Fit and secure planks across the rafters to form the roof surface. Success determines whether snow slides off or piles dangerously.
Sealing Joints & Edges: 1 person. Apply tar, resin, or improvised sealant; fill cracks with moss, bark, or other materials. This task ensures insulation and weatherproofing.
