[o] [PQ] take me as you found me

'Cause they took your loved ones
But returned them in exchange for you

With more and more people flocking to the Greatwood, Liam decided that it might be useful to clear out a few pathways that had fallen into disrepair. After all, for those unfamiliar with the Greatwood, it could be a dangerous and unforgiving place, prone to misdirecting its visitors into questionable paths. While he could do nothing about the whims of the forest, he could, at least, try and make people getting lost less likely. 

He’d posted notices in Sidhe Village in the hopes that he might entice some travelers to his aid. The Fae were not inclined to assist him, preferring the Greatwood as it was, so if he was to make any headway, it would have to be with visitors. He waited just outside the village, at the appointed meeting place, for anyone who might be interested in helping to appear. 

—-

This is a PQ to clean up the paths in and out of the Greatwood. Post your character arriving and we will get started! 

1. Koa
2. Zavien

But would you have it any other way?
You couldn't have it any other way

Liam

Zavien

Despite the time and distance from the events, sleep still often eluded Zavien; and this particular morning, he'd found himself gasping awake in a cold sweat, sharp pain radiating up his side that made him clutch at it, looking for the blood and ripped skin. Even when he only found puckered scar tissue, the panic raging through his body was hard to dismiss, his eyes wild and scanning for the danger of the yeti while he reached for the sword he kept by the inn's bed. Sol had let out a low whine, landing on his lap to place a paw against his chest. The concern pooling in his golden eyes slowly drew Zavien back to the present, deep breaths easing the constricting anxieties in his chest. 

Certain that he wouldn't get another wink of sleep that night, the Dragoon quickly shoved on his boots (he rarely slept undressed these days) to exit the inn. He wandered the village like a wraith, unfocused and without purpose until he spotted a notice requesting aide to clear the paths of the Greatwood. This was something he could do. Giant Void creatures and members of the Family were too much, but he could help in small ways, baby steps. With a new firmness to his steps, he'd contacted Koa, asking him to join so he might have company on this new task. 

When he arrived at the meeting place with Sol close on his heels, he was pleasantly surprised to see Liam. Giving the man a nod of greeting, Zavien asked, "Liam, have you met Koa before?" Since they had both been in the Dragoons longer than him, he wondered if they might have already known each other. 

---

Zavien arrives!

I learned that in suffering,
we find the true measure of our strength.

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul
Chiming away for a moment

Koa does not like the forest, but he does like Zavien and would lose himself in the winding woods before abandoning his friend. So of course he joins on this mission of madness - though his eyes flit uneasily at each sign of movement, as though expecting that at any moment one of the trees might grow impatient and swing a thick branch arm toward him, yeeting him into the woodland abyss.

Pipsqueak has far fewer qualms; the little dragon has taken marvelously to the dense underbrush, weaving weasel-like through roots and leaves. She harries poor Sol as they journey, popping out occasionally like a deranged pool noodle in a Ghillie suit to boop the younger dragon's snout before vanishing once again into the brush. It's her attempt to cheer the gold wyrm up, just as Koa's exaggerated anxiety is an attempt to distract Zavien.

Maybe it's profoundly misguided, but it's coming from a place of love.

"Hell yeah, we've met!" Koa grins at the blonde soldier, offering a hand to shake. "In fact I think the last time we met was near the Stonesong, when he saved me after I broke my fucking arm. How ya been?" Stepping back with a bright smile, the young man looks between his fellow (ex?)Dragoons, waiting for instruction on what the plan is, his hands in his pockets and his eyes only sometimes drifting suspiciously toward the trees.

Koa Carpenter

Feel your breath course frankly below
And see life as a worthy opponent

'Cause they took your loved ones
But returned them in exchange for you

Whoever Liam had been expecting, it was not to find two familiar faces gathering around him to help clear some paths. When Zavien arrived, Liam nodded respectfully, remembering their spar in the forest fondly. He was a skilled dragoon, and Stormbreak was lucky to have him - even if he was here, away from the city. Koa came, too, and Liam grinned at the young man. ”I remember,” he said, chuckling. ”Glad to see you healed up alright.” He clasped Koa’s hand firmly. ”I’ve been fine, all things considered. How about you?”

After the pleasantries were exchanged, Liam crossed his arms over his chest to consider his recruits. ”Thank you both for coming. With everyone flocking to the Greatwood, I figured we might need to clean up a bit. We won’t go too far from the village - there’s no point, the way the woods change - but there are a few paths that seem to be fairly stable, so we can start there. First, let’s figure out which ones need clearing…”

—-

Round 1! Pick a direction to scout a path:

North
East
South
West

But would you have it any other way?
You couldn't have it any other way

Liam

Zavien

Sol, finally fed up with Pip's determination to distract him from his 'guard duties,' gave in to the playful urge to chase after her into the woods. The normalcy gave him a sense of comfort as they joined Liam at the gathering place. Glad to hear that the two already knew each other, Zavien gave a soft smile and a nod of his head. He'd have to ask Koa more about their meeting later, curious as to how the man had ended up with a broken arm. Not that he was surprised, with his friend's accident-prone nature, just wondering about the method and ensuing events. 

Eager to distract himself with work, Zavien looked to the surrounding woods. His own directional ability was abysmal, but he was willing to trust the others, pointing to a particularly thick area. "That way would probably be best. I can use my sword to help clear it." To support his words, he unsheathed the glowing blade at his hip, the internal starlight making it an easy method to burn through tough foliage. 

---

Zavien votes for South (he thinks)!

I learned that in suffering,
we find the true measure of our strength.

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul
Chiming away for a moment

Bringing paths and civilization is something Koa can get behind, though he does have to wonder just how the forest will take to being cleared. The affectation of a soldier is easy and comfortable for the boy to slide back into; without realizing it he straightens his spine, standing at attention while Liam lays out the plan. The idea of not going far from the village is particularly appealing to Koa, who nods along vehemently, his copper gaze already flicking into the woods.

Zavien picks a direction quickly, and Koa's content to follow along. The reveal of the sword earns a low, impressed whistle. "Sounds like a plan. I can get the higher branches." Casual as anything, he pulls out his own chakram, letting the ring upon his finger send electricity sparking across the rounded blade. No, it's not a dick-swinging contest, but boys will be boys, and while Liam and Zav may be Distinguished Older Gentlemen, Koa is still a dumb-ass kid, adrift in the world with something to prove.

---

Koa follows Zavien!

Koa Carpenter

Feel your breath course frankly below
And see life as a worthy opponent

'Cause they took your loved ones
But returned them in exchange for you

With two dragons accompanying the trio, Liam had to admit to feeling a bit out of place. What would it have been like if he'd had one of his own? Three Dragoons and their dragons, looking to make a positive difference, albeit in the Greatwood rather than Stormbreak. It made him feel nostalgic to think about what might have been, had he stayed in the city.

The three of them went south, both of the Dragoons brandishing what appeared to be magical weapons. Zavien's sword, of course, Liam knew of from their spar. Koa's chakram, however, was a bit of a surprise, though not an unpleasant one. Liam wasn't jealous, exactly, but he did feel a bit inadequate. All he had was a plain old axe he'd brought along for the task.

The path to the south was covered in brambles, and Liam gestured to it. "If one of you will start at each side of the path, I'll take the middle," he offered. Then he and his axe moved to get started.

---

Round 2! Pick left or right and start chopping away at brambles!

But would you have it any other way?
You couldn't have it any other way

Liam

Zavien

Whether Koa was trying to one-up him or not, Zavien didn't notice, too caught up in his own determination to lose himself in the work. He nodded his head to Liam's directions, moving towards the side as he said, "I'll take the left." At least he could tell the difference between his lefts and rights. 

As he lifted his sword to begin the work, Sol jumped from the trees, snagging a vine in his teeth with a low growl. The little golden dragon looked like he was defending his companion against the biggest of bad guys, his eyes scrunched in concentration as his pudgy body wiggled back and forth. With a final huff of fire-tinged breath, the vine snapped, making him roll back with the release of resistance. It made Zavien's head shake as he moved to chop at his own foliage. 

---

Zavien and Sol take the left.

I learned that in suffering,
we find the true measure of our strength.

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul
Chiming away for a moment

Locked in and somewhat enjoying his one-man-pissing-contest, Koa twirls the chakram around his finger with an easy grin. The smile fades along with their path, however, his expression changing to one of distaste as they reach an obstacle of brambles. Not for the first time the young man wonders if they oughtn't just leave the woods alone; surely if it wanted a path to exist here, one would be easy enough to see?

But he's not about to voice those worries, especially when his companions seem utterly unfazed. "Right-o!" Koa quips brightly, making his way toward the rightmost path. The overgrowth makes for a formidable opponent, especially given the young Dragoon's utter lack of experience in the horticulture field. Jaw set in determination, both boy and dragon set about hacking away at the dense growth, Koa using his chakram and fists to tear down errant vines and branches that Pip has marked and weakened with a combination of teeth and flame.

---

Koa and Pip go right!

Koa Carpenter

Feel your breath course frankly below
And see life as a worthy opponent

'Cause they took your loved ones
But returned them in exchange for you

Liam's efforts weren't particularly effective. Perhaps it was the lack of a fire-breathing companion, or that his axe was not enchanted, but he struggled against the brambles blocking the path. Wherever he cut, more seemed to grow, and in the end, he made very little headway. Zavien, on the other hand, had better luck; between him and Sol, they managed to cut through their portion of the vines, clearing a section of the path.

And Koa - poor, poor Koa - had the worst luck of all. As he hacked at the brambles, there was a sudden hiss - and from the bushes hopped a preying orchid. A very large, very angry preying orchid. Standing four feet tall, it leapt from the brambles and struck at Koa with its roots. Though it didn't hit him, it was a close thing, and before any of them could react, it was already running away on its roots, making a sound that seemed a lot like laughter.

"..... right," said Liam, bewildered and amused in equal measure. "Let's, uh... try that again. Zavien, maybe you should take the lead. You seemed to have the most luck."

---

Round 3! Try again. The path is 1/3 cleared.

Preying Orchid (uncommon) - If looked at from far away, it simply looks like a flower. However, upon closer inspection, instead of a pistil, it has a mouth with sharp teeth, and its stamens are replaced with eyes on tall stalks. However, by the point most notice, the Preying Orchid has already attacked them and ran away on its roots. When its roots are in the ground, the flower is less than 1 ft. tall. However, when standing on its roots, it becomes around 3 to 4 ft. tall.

But would you have it any other way?
You couldn't have it any other way

Liam

Zavien

Zavien was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which he progressed through his portion of the forest. The vines and branches seemed to melt away before man and dragon, a slight sizzle and a distinct char being the only indications for the reasons. After weeks of training, his endurance had nearly reached its previous level, barely a sweat crossing his brow at the labor.

He paused in his movements when Koa was accosted by a Preying Orchid, grimacing at the poor man who was bound to be scarred (even more) by sentient plants. His reaction was to defend, reaching forward to chase the thing, but it was quickly lost in the woods, and he was left with the request to take the lead. Whether putting the directionally challenged guy in front was a good idea or not, time would only tell. 

"Sure" Shrugging his shoulders, Zavien and Sol took the front position, resuming their efforts against the forest foliage. 

---

Zavien agrees to take the lead.

I learned that in suffering,
we find the true measure of our strength.

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul
Chiming away for a moment

"Oh what the actual flying fuck?!" If it weren't for his heightened reflexes and anxiety Koa might have been devoured then and there; even so, it's way to close a call for his comfort, roots and hungry florid petals snapping inches from his face. Instinctively the Dragoon swings his chakram forward, slicing viciously toward the orchid's stem - but of course the demonic little weed has already absconded, chuckling manically. "Get back here, you coward!" Koa cries, though he makes no effort at pursuit.

Only when Koa's confident it's gone does he start to settle, breaths coming hard and fast. Ok, ok, so in addition to moving trees and weird red moss, there are now giant flowers now that want to attack people just for existing in their space. This is fine, this is cool, it's cool cool cool coolcoolcoolcool. Running the back of his hand across his sweat-slicked forehead, he offers the others a weak, shaky grin. "Sorry. Right. Let's push on, then." Spots of color bloom on his cheeks; now that the adrenaline is settled, he can feel the burn of embarrassment at his overreaction. Some captain he's turned out to be, eh?

Chagrined and humbled, it's an obedient Koa who settles in line, following Zavien's lead. Now his strikes against the foliage are deliberate and intentional: and if they're also tainted by an abundance of caution, well, who can blame the guy?

Koa Carpenter

Feel your breath course frankly below
And see life as a worthy opponent

'Cause they took your loved ones
But returned them in exchange for you

The preying orchid was an unwelcome surprise, to none more so than poor Koa, who cursed it as it ran off into the forest. Really, Liam should have expected something like that - after all, the Greatwood was a sentient beast, and it was sure to fight back against attempts to tame it.

Still, they pressed on. Zavien took the lead and again had the best luck, although this time, he, too, struggled. The brush gave way beneath his blade and Sol's fire, but there was even more behind it, leaving them no further along than they were before. Liam, still wielding no more than an average axe, had much the same luck, and Koa - poor Koa - whose strikes were all the more cautious after the preying orchid attack, made hardly any headway at all. They kept at it, however, and after a time, managed to clear the path, though it took far longer and far more effort than it might have, were they in any other location.

When the brush was hacked to pieces and a clear path into the forest had emerged, Liam called a halt. Handing out flasks of water, he poured his own over his head before taking a healthy gulp. "Now all we need to do is gather and burn the brush," he instructed. "There's an area back there that I've marked out for a burn pit. Whenever you're ready, we can get started."

---

Round 4! Gather the brush and take it to the burn pit!

But would you have it any other way?
You couldn't have it any other way

Liam

Zavien

Progress seemed to slow. Whether it was the Greatwood fighting them, Koa's anxieties, Liam's poor weaponry, or Zavien concern for Koa, they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. He was glad to hear the call for a halt, lowering his sword with a deep sigh. There was no arguing on his end, and he accepted the water with a grateful nod of his head, drinking some before offering the rest to Sol. 

Ever the diligent soldier, when Liam called for them to resume in their mission, Zavien followed. He lifted discarded vines and branches in his arms while Sol dragged a stick behind him to 'help.' They had a lot to gather, but he hoped it might go quickly with the help of so many hands. 

---

Zavien helps carry things to the pit.

I learned that in suffering,
we find the true measure of our strength.