[o] [PQ] Glitter on the wet streets

Learning that Flora had freed the Greatwood from the Void had been welcome news indeed. Being able to hunt for Vi's Roses was, of course, of utmost importance in these dangerous times, and all the more with Rae's Lilies proving so elusive. But for a follower of Safrin there was another task that needed to be seen to. One that the Tidebreaker hoped to undertake as swiftly as possible, so that other followers of the starlit goddess would be able to worship in comfort.

Hadama had sent out a few discreet inquiries to those who might be interested in assisting him in his endeavor. Notes to a few of his fellow demigods and known followers of Safrin and Vi, but others might have heard whispers of his intentions as well, if they were devotees of the goddess.

He had spent the night before ferrying supplies to the Sidhe Village, and requesting the assistance of several Fae to help with the tasks ahead. The meeting time was late afternoon of the following day, and he waited at the base of the Observatory tree, clad in leather trousers and a dark blue sweater with white polka dots in a concession to the cooling season.

---

This is a PQ to clean up the Observatory shrine to Safrin (and Vi!) and set it to rights after the Void corruption of the Greatwood.

There is one open spot.

1. Hadama
2. Sah
3. Nova

Sah

Sah was very pleased to receive Hadama's letter and after making the necessary arrangements at home, had set out for the Grounds once more. He had yet to visit the Observatory, and going to help clean it was the perfect opportunity to do so and to pray. In a flash of lightning, the Wild Thunder arrived not far from the outskirts of the village. It would certainly be rude to teleport so abruptly into the middle of it.

After asking for directions from a sweet fae in a concerningly large hat, the hybrid arrived. Spotting Hadama, Sah smiled warmly as he approached. "Good afternoon." He let out a small chuckle as he took in the Demi-god's outfit. "I love the dots. Very fitting for today." Against the blue sweater, they were just like stars.

My soul is in the sky
-William Shakespeare

The wind is at your back, the world is at your feet

Sneaking away from her siblings, Nova had decided to search out trouble and adventure on her own. All she'd needed was an invitation to help restore her mother's (and Vi's) shrine after the ordeal it'd been through, and she was hopping onto the first skyship to the Greatwood. She'd spent the morning exploring the trees with a light air of curiosity and intrigue, completely unafraid of any carnivorous plants or predators that might be lurking about. The people of the village had been rightly surprised to see a lone girl skip in from the forest, golden hair dyed a few different shades of pink and green to go with her over-sized pink jacket that sat over a floral dress and deep green leggings. A matching pink scarf adorned her neck, fluttering in the Leafchange breeze. 

Chatting excitedly with a few locals had provided her with the directions to the meeting place and she made her way there casually, admiring the new sights around her. When she spotted the men, she immediately recognized Sah and gave him an energetic wave. "Hi! Fancy you're here!" Having properly failed at the phrasing, Nova skipped her way to join them, a giant smile on her face as she hummed sweetly. Her eyes met the other man standing there, supposedly the one who'd sent out the invitation. "You must be Hadama. I'm Nova!" She recognized him from the meeting, but she hadn't been paying much attention at the time, so it was nice to put a face to the name. Clasping her hands behind her back, she bounced lightly on her feet, leaning forward with a wide smile. "I like your sweater too!"

Nova

"Sah Lovi, welcome," Hadama rumbled, courteous as ever but with quiet pleasure in his eyes for the young man who joined him first. Green eyes sparkled with mischief as his sweater received its first compliment, but before he could reply a second helper arrived. Though he had not met her in person, her appearance was unmistakable from the images Safrin had shown of her newest children. He inclined his head deeply to the young lady. "It is good to meet you, Nova," he assured her. "And thank you both." He paused and then gave Nova a nod, the edges of his eyes crinkling slightly. "Your hair is lovely." The colors were bright and cheerful, much like the woman beneath them seemed to be.

If others wished to join them they could do so later, he decided. They were enough to begin the tasks of cleaning out the shrine and he gestured for the pair to join him as he hefted a load of lumber and tools and started up the stairs that spiraled around the great tree. "The shrine was neglected for several seasons. We will need to repair the damage before we can clean it. And leave fresh offerings," he explained as they walked. "Several of the railings and floorboards were damaged by the nether vines and branches. But first we will need to repair the stairs."

Lower down the stairs and ladders that led up the tallest tree in the Sidhe Village were unchanged and still usable, but as they went higher there was evidence of storm damage from previous seasons. They came upon a roughly ten foot stretch of stairs that looked cracked and weakened, with some planks missing completely from where a large branch higher up had cracked off and crashed into them. Hadama stopped to set down his burdens and considered the obstacle. "We will need someone to remove the broken pieces," he rumbled. "Another to prepare replacements. And a third to fix them into place."

---

Round 1: Repair the stairs leading up to the shrine!

Hadama will take what's left, and there are several Fae along to assist as needed.

1. Remove the damaged planks of broken stairs
2. Measure and cut new ones
3. Use hammer and nails to replace them

The wind is at your back, the world is at your feet

Twirling a finger through a pink strand of hair, she gave Hadama a large smile. "Thanks!" The rest, she barely listened to, making her way to the front of their trio as she skipped to the stairs and floated up with unbridled excitement. She only paused when her progress was hindered by the broken flight. That's when she finally heard the instructions, grinning as an idea came to mind. 

Not one for physical labor, Nova flashed her big blue eyes at some of the nearby Fae, playing the damsel in distress. She grabbed a plank, visibly 'struggling' with it to draw them to her. Giggling and blushing with mock embarrassment, she brushed her hand over their muscled arms and fluttered her eyelashes. "Oh my! You're so strong! I'm sure these stairs would be nothing for you." A wink and another twirl of her hair was more than enough to have them taking the task from her, showing just how 'strong' they really were. She hummed lightly as she watched them work, picking up the occasional stray nail or splinter of wood to add to their pile of destruction. Their eyes followed her all the while to confirm her approval of their work. 

---

Nova lures the Fae into removing the damaged planks for her!

Nova

Sah

It always ruffled Sah's fur when Hadama called him by his full name. He hardly ever used it and often only signed with his first name. Had he even ever told the Demi-god what his last name was? Still, he shook his head fondly.

Nova was a welcome surprise and the Wild Thunder smiled warmly at her, "It's good to see you again. Have you enjoyed any more wanderings?" Dear gods, please say no.

Sah listened as Hadama explained the tasks ahead of them. He had to restrain a snort of laughter as the sunny hybrid tried to woo the fae into doing her labor. When he caught Nova's eye in passing, Sah winked, his amusement clear.

Focusing on his own task. he set about measuring the current stairs a few times to ensure that he had the proper measurements. Once he was confident, Sah grabbed the fresh planks of wood and marked out where to cut. After a final check, he set about cutting out the new stairs by hand. When it came to shrines or larger constructions, the hybrid was inclined to do so manually. It felt more personal and negated any risks of magical degradation.

~
Sah measures and cuts new ones!

My soul is in the sky
-William Shakespeare

It quickly became apparent that he would be placing the new boards, and Hadama sought a hammer and nails from the supplies while Nova and Sah got into mischief of their own. Nova had no shortage of helpers jostling for her attention, though the constant elbowing and flexing slowed down the work . the important thing was that it got done eventually - and all without the young woman needing to lift a hand, much less break a nail, in the process!

Unfortunately, in spite of how often Sah had worked on similar projects with Talyson, the Messenger's woodworking skills hadn't quite rubbed off on the wolf yet. Though his measurements were sound - largely thanks to his multiple takes, especially when the first few numbers didn't match up - the saw he used to cut the planks was dull and brittle. It didn't cut well, and when it finally did manage to saw through a board, the ends were splintered and rough.

Hadama collected the boards as they were completed and attempted to set them into place, but the roughly uneven ends made it difficult to slot them into place where the old ones had connected to the trunk of the great tree. He managed to get two into place - more by brute strength than any skill - but the remaining three refused to lay evenly.

"Nova, could you find us better wood?" he requested of the chipper young woman in his quiet rumble. "Sah, do you have something else you can use to cut with?" And once the new boards were ready, Hadama would try to place them once more, and open the path to the treehouse shrine above them.

---

The dice said not this round for Sah and Dama, though Nova('s helpers) managed to complete their end of the task! One more push should get the stairs finished, at least!

Nova - has been sent to find a better quality of wood for the repairs
Sah - Try again, maybe with a different tool?
Hadama will also try again, and hopefully unlock the path to the shrine!

The wind is at your back, the world is at your feet

Nova gave Sah an excited grin, happy to talk about her adventures. "A few! Although not quite as far as Halo!" She giggled, thinking about their fun hunt and the sparkling snow she'd seen for the first time. Most of her time was still spent in Torchline, but she'd made her way out here just fine on her own! And she was even doing a great job 'working' on the stairs as she oversaw her pleasant Fae workers. 

A batting of her long lashes and a slight pout was enough to get them scrambling to find the best wood for her. She even mentioned that there might be a 'prize' for the winner. Quite pleased with herself, Nova winked back at Sah before telling Hadama, "We should have plenty of options in a minute." Meanwhile, she inspected any finished work, skipping on the steps to check for stability as she hummed lightly. 

---

Nova uses her helpers to collect better wood!

Nova

Sah

Sah smiled back at Nova though he was internally trying to keep a straight face, "Awesome." At least she was ok and surely, she couldn't have gotten into too much trouble. Not like waltzing into the tundra without a plan or care in the world.

The Wild Thunder grimaced as he eyed the cuts of wood, "Sorry. I'll see what I can do to fix that." Even if creating with magic was something to avoid for sustainability, cutting with it was fine. After repeating his measurements with the same patience and meticulousness, the Wild Thunder resorted to magic for the cuts themselves. Calling forth air magic, he made sharp, precise slices into the wood along his measured lines.

~
Sah tries again, using air magic to slice through for precision.

My soul is in the sky
-William Shakespeare

He listened to Sah's politely affable conversation and Nova's effervescent answers and the easy charisma with which she charmed the Fae. He straightened and popped his back while they waited for her helpers to return, and he studied the young woman with a glint of humor in his emerald eyes. "You have your mother's charm," he noted solemnly, his serene facade betraying only a hint of his indulgence for one of his lady's children.

Hadama accepted Sah's apology with an understanding inclination of his head. There was no rush on the repairs; their only limit was the light, though the sun was moving into early evening now and soon the air would begin to cool. Still, the Tidebreaker's patience was long, and it was rewarded with the Wild Thunder's application of air magic. The new boards obtained by Nova's admirers were indeed a better quality, and Sah cut through them quickly once they were measured out. This time it went much faster when Hadama fitted them into place, and they left some of their helpers to finish the railing as the wingless folk walked up the rest of the way to the Observatory Shrine at the top of the great tree.

There did not seem to be any malicious damage from the Void, but the seasons of neglect had taken their toll. There were shingles missing from the little roof above the altar, shriveled vines still with a hint of decayed purple wrapped around the railings and blocking the path to the altar, and the lanterns hung around the upper deck were tattered or missing entirely. Hadama considered the work ahead, but did not seem displeased. "It is not as bad as I feared," he admitted slowly, gaze sweeping across the issues and tallying them in his head. "I will clear away the remains of the Void corruption. Will one of you replace the shingles above the altar? And the other find replacements for the lanterns?"

---

Round 3!

We've made it to the Shrine itself!
Dama will handle those nasty dead Void vines.
He needs one person to work on the roof repairs for the protective awning over the altar.
He needs the other one to go to the Sidhe Village and bargain for, buy, wheedle, or otherwise obtain some new lanterns

The wind is at your back, the world is at your feet

Taking the comment as the compliment it was, Nova gave Hadama a bright smiling, bouncing lightly on her toes. "Thanks!" She spun on the next step, continuing to hum as the men worked. It wasn't until they reached the top that the hybrid slowed her skipping to inspect the damage. A pang of sadness threatened to infiltrate her rainbow happiness, and she repelled it with such vehemence that she jumped at the opportunity to assist. "I'll make the lanterns!" The mangled old lanterns were hardly worthy of her mother's sparkling brilliance, and few human creations would do her justice. She'd just have to do it herself!

Nova pulled two Fae along behind her as she twirled her way into the village. A few flicks of her fingers were sufficient to indicate which supplies were needed as they made their way through the marketplace. If a vendor gave her admirers helpers a hard time, she'd bat her long lashes at them, conjuring some glinting tears to 'bargain' for a lower price. It rarely failed, and before long, she was returning with arms full of elegant materials. She claimed a portion of the shrine to begin her work, humming another jolly tune as she strung together colorful fabric and thread. Although some of the Fae tried to help, Nova banished them with a heartfelt air kiss and a wink, certain that this portion should be done with her own hands. 

---

Nova gathers materials for new lanterns and starts building them herself!

Nova

Sah

The Raven must be sent
before the Dove

Nova certainly did seem to take after Safrin. Sah had no doubt that her divine mother would have her hands full with potential suitors vying for her daughter's attention. They'd learn quickly.

Sah's brow furrowed as he took in the state of the shrine upon their arrival. As much as he wished to help Hadama, the King certainly had the task covered.

The younger hybrid easily continued to make the Fae do her bidding, leaving the Wild Thunder to tend to the roof. As he climbed up and scanned the shingles, he let out a hum. Some of the shingles were clearly in need of repair but with the remains of void and dust, it was hard to determine what others needed to be addressed.

Shifting into his raven form, Sah got a bird's-eyed view of the roof, circling it a few times. The sharp vision of his avian form helped determine which sections of the roof appeared intact at first but truly needed to be repaired. Satisfied, Sah returned to the top of the shrine and shifted back to make the necessary repairs.

~
Sah uses his raven shift to judge which shingles need to be replaced and then shifts back to do so.

ominous controversy must precede
peace and the olive wreath

Hadama set to work immediately, needing little more than his muscles and the occasional precise application of his trident to loosen the remnants of the Void that were all that remained from Rae's cleansing Lilly. He pulled them off the railings and pried their desiccated roots from the planks of the platform. He worked quietly but with an air of determined productivity as the shrine was freed from the echoes of corruption. The tainted growth was scoured from every surface with painstaking attention to detail until all of it had been detached and piled off to the side.

Nearby, Sah's raven form was just what the situation atop the altar called for. If he had tried to climb up in his human form his weight might have caused more damage to areas that were already weakened. Instead, his sharp avian eyes were able to identify the trouble spots before he touched them, letting him get an idea for how many shingles needed replacing and where the small structure needed reinforcement. Once he had thumbs again, the repairs went smoothly and soon the little alcove that sheltered the altar was looking strong and renewed.

With local guides happy to help her find the finest merchants - and to carry the supplies afterwards - Nova would have no trouble obtaining the materials for making lanterns in honor of Safrin and Vi. Paper in rich colors and of smooth grain, silk as thin as a butterfly's wing, and glass as clear as air all made their way into her hands, along with delicate cages of black iron and silver, and slender sections of aromatic woods. Beneath Nova's clever fingers the raw materials came together into lanterns as unique and beautiful as her mother's constellations, form and function transforming into something truly worthy of a shrine.

Having watched his fellow volunteers while he worked, Hadama was beginning to get a glimmer of their strengths and preferences, and in spite of his serenely stoic expression his smile was warm in his eyes. "We are almost done," he rumbled. Indeed, the sun was down now, and their light came from the rising moon, the stars above, and Nova's lanterns scattered around her. "I will clean the platform." Between the broken bits of vines, the damaged shingles that Sah had removed, and the leftover odds and ends from Nova's crafting there was quite a bit to sweep up. "Can you carry down the loads?" he requested of the Halovian before turning to Safrin's daughter. "And will you hang your lanterns around the platform and near the altar?" Her aesthetic sense would dictate how the light fell and in which order her lanterns were seen by those coming to pray at the Observatory.

---

Round 4!

Hadama will sweep up and gather all the trash, ratty old lanterns, and broken vines into one place.

Sah, can you cart it all down off the tree? It may take a few trips, but you could find a basket or container to help you with in the Village.

Nova, it's time to let your lanterns shine and hang them up around the shrine!

Sah nodded, "Sure. I can do that." Once Hadama had gathered up the trash, the hybrid eyed the loads that he'd need to remove. It was a bit much to carry all at once, even with strength and telekinesis. Not because of the weight thankfully, but the bulk of it. Grabbing a tarp and rope from the village he tied up the first load before shifting into his wolf form. The tarp was thick enough that the hybrid had no fear of it tearing.

The wolf seized the rope tightly and began to pull it down to be properly disposed of. This process repeated until all of the loads had been removed.

~
Sah uses his wolf load to carry away the loads.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky