From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
04-24-2020, 06:38 PM (This post was last modified: 04-24-2020, 09:29 PM by Korbin.)
Don't put your happiness in other people's hands
Korbin had been given a job by the Grand Healer, and since he very much enjoyed getting paid, the young man was quick on getting it all set up.
The task of the day was to haul in lumber to tide the Palace over for Deepfrost. The added number of people that would require shelter and warmth meant that more wood was needed than usual, and procuring it in sufficient quantities was a bit of an undertaking. It only seemed reasonable that the Woodlands of the Hollowed Ground should provide the necessary material, so that's where he set out for.
Given free reign to assemble manpower and tools from the Palace, Korbin found an Attuned able to translate for him - as he was currently deaf and otherwise unable to communicate - and could be found by the base of the Spire early one morning. Along with him he had three teams of horses and wagons, teamsters to drive them as well as all the equipment needed to fell trees and haul them through the portal and back home.
Additionally, because of the added cannibal threat, he had weedled a small patrol of guards to come along, to ensure everyone's safety on the way there and back.
Quietly, he waited to see who would show up, hoping for at least a few capable hands to help him out.
------
This is a PQ to supply the Citadel with firewood and building material for the coming season of Deepfrost! The goal is to fell trees in the Woodlands and haul them to the portal for later transport back to the Citadel.
I'm a lady, like whoa I could bring you to your knees
She knows what he’s up to and of course, she comes. Honestly, she’s just so thankful to see Korbin getting involved, doing his own thing, and trying to find his place in this new world, that she’s willing to support him in just about anything. If that means chopping trees down, then it means chopping trees down. Or maybe just burning them down...that might actually work.
She makes her way into the Woodland after him, having no need to collect supplies and horses and wagons as he had. So she’d come to the Grounds early and done a bit of trading, grabbing spices and herbs to make some more jerky. There were all sorts of flavors here that she couldn’t get in Halo, and it was nice to change it up.
When it’s time, she makes her way to the Woodland, finding Korbin looking rather official with the guards and wagons and everything else around him. He looked rather like he belonged to the Palace, a thought which would make him glower extra hard at her. Thankfully, he can’t hear her, and she’s not about to write it down for him. Instead, she comes over and gives him a slight nudge with her elbow, too short (or maybe he's just too tall) to easily wrap an arm around him in a hug. Still, she settles in next to him, waiting for more people and eventual directions.
Loren had debated long and hard about whether or not he should show up to the task that he, personally, had given Korbin. Finally, when the day rolled around and the healer found the infirmary empty of patients, he'd put up the out for the day sign. Reassuring Astra that he'd be back soon with some copious head scratching, he set out to met the expedition.
Approaching, he waved jauntily at those assembled, especially Weaver and Korbin. Everything the healer said would obviously be repeated for the deaf raven. "This is a nice change of pace, don't you think? Me showing up to help you instead of the other way around, I mean." The Launceleyn grinned.
04-24-2020, 10:13 PM (This post was last modified: 04-24-2020, 10:18 PM by Noah.)
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
When Noah caught word of the task given to Korbin, he gave the younger man his word that he would accompany him and help. The people of Halo really seemed to be rallying together to make the Citadel a place of solace for the refugees of Deepfrost. It was no surprise to the Halovians that the Olson man would be involved in these efforts, but even Noah had to admit that he was both surprised and impressed with Korbin's involvement. He as glad, though, to at least see him stepped from his comfort zone. As Korbin worked to gather what was permitted of him from the council, Noah followed along.
Having gathered with the rest of the help, Noah was standing with a group of the teamsters, shooting the breeze as they waited further instruction. As Weaver approached, however, he patted a few of the other men on the shoulders and excused himself from their gathering. He made his way over to the Hales just as Loren approached. Noah offered him a small, courteous smile and a nod, but greeted Weaver with a much warmer smile indeed.
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
Weaver was right, it was a good thing he couldn't hear what she was thinking. He wouldn't only glower, to hear he looked like a Palace official, but probably kick her too. Or try, at least. Her nudge was met with a raised eyebrow and half a smile, but for once, he didn't poke her back.
Loren was greeted by the roll of dark blue eyes, to make the gods his witnesses to the rarity of it. "Keep calling it help... or I might worry you don't think I'll do the job properly, without supervision," he teased. Not to worry, though. Korbin might complain, but once he'd taken on a job, he would always see it through to the best of his ability.
As Noah came over to join them, Kobin greeted the man with a smile and a nod - they'd traveled together all morning to get here, greetings were already exchanged.
After making sure no one else would show, he called the attention of his translator. Quietly cursing the need for one, as it made everything damn cumbersome.
"Alright, time to work. You all know what we're here to do, so let's just get started.
"You get a sled each; you'll find axe, saw and logging tongs in there, along with everything else you might need. Cut down as many trees as you need to fill your sled, and once you're all done, we head back to Halo and hope no one else wants the lumber too.
"Teamsters will take care of the horses and help with loading up, so don't worry about that. I'll pitch in where it looks like I'm needed the most.
"Don't get so creative with this that you end up under a tree," he added, with the help of the translator, and shot a pointed glance at his sister in particular.
Sometimes, boring was fine if it meant getting the job done safely.
Done talking, Korbin motioned for them to pick their team. The first was a pair of shaggy chestnut ponies and a burly man with a flaming red beard, the second a mismatched team consisting of a tall broad paint gelding and a smaller, angry looking mare led by a grizzled old man, while the third were a pair of demure looking grays handled with fawning care by a woman who was as tall as Korbin, and twice as broad over the shoulders.
Once everyone was situated, the young man led the way off towards the woods, where there were trees aplenty to take out all sorts of aggressions on.
---------
Pick a team and lets get logging! Korbin will help where he is needed.
1. Chestnut ponies and red bearded man
2. Mismatched horses and elderly man
3. Gray horses and tall woman
Loren grinned at Korbin's words. Now why would I possibly think that? Obviously the healer's words were just as teasing as the hunter's. As Noah approached, the Launceleyn gave the reindeer a smile and a nod as well.
However, then they all turned to listen to Korbin give his instructions. Loren glanced at the three teamsters, then walked over to the older man with the mismatched horses. "Hey. I'm Loren. It's nice to meet you." Smiling the healer glanced at the gelding and the mare. "And you two, of course."
With that, the Launceleyn picked up the axe. Walking over to the nearest tree, he began swinging it with an easy strength and grace. It had been a while since he chopped down a tree, but his muscles soon remembered the motions.
Loren picks the older man with the mismatched horses and begins to chop trees the old fashioned way.
I'm a lady, like whoa I could bring you to your knees
There is some part of her that’s a little jealous everyone else here can speak to her brother, and she cannot. Of course, she’s always been a little jealous of what her brother is, though less so recently, as she began to finally learn her magic. She rather liked it, honestly, and as she’s standing there she’s really wishing she had a better grasp of her air magic. Put a few cuts in the trees, summon a nice strong wind, and boom.
Sadly, she doesn’t have that, and though she would have been careful, she gives Korbin a glare at his warning and pointed look. She can control the way her fire burns, thank you very much. That said, it is more exhausting to keep starting fires than it is to just swing an axe.
Perhaps predictably, Weaver grabs the team with the tall woman. The horses are rather lovely too, though if she’s going to do this, might as well have a team of women. With that, she sets off with her team to their own part of the wood. She grabs an axe and sets to work, missing Erebor even more right about now. He did stuff like this, not her really, though she could. Likely she’d be slower than the two other men at it, but still, she’d do her best. Or if it really went to hell, then she could burn things.
***
Weaver picks the grey horses and tall woman and actually uses the axe.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
Noah did not mind letting the other two choose their teams before him. He had been with the group all morning, chatting and getting to know them. The Olson man would be pleased to work alongside any of these hardy creatures. He watched as Loren chose the older gentleman, interested in the thought process. Maybe he could learn some more about Halo and its history in the process of working with the old man. With Weaver, he was not surprised she chose the woman to work with. Something about it screamed like it needed to happen. That left Noah with the chestnut trio -- man and team. Joining him, they set to work right away.
Upon looking at Noah, you could assume that he was going to excel in this task. Hi body was large, broad, strong. His shoulders were muscled and his arms heavy enough to swing an ax with some power. Taking up his tools, the reindeer followed the instruction of his teamster and set to work, whacking away at the base of the trunk of a thick tree.
__
Noah sets to work with the chestnut and redhead!
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
They all set to, and before long the Woodlands filled with the rhythmic sound of axes biting into wood. Birds fled the surrounding trees and soon the only accompaniment they had was the occasional snort of the horses.
Loren's years of practice did not betray him. Having chosen a sizeable tree of excellent quality, he soon got the hang of wielding the axe. It bit easily into the wood, and he was able to make quick progress. Before long, the groan and crash of the falling tree announced his success in felling it, all on his own. But the tree did land at an awkward angle, and the Grand Healer would find that he had to push through thorny brambles in order to divide the tree into more easily transported logs. The barbs on those branches are vicious, and look rather unhealthy... He better take care not to get scratched by them!
Weaver's choice of tree was perhaps less fortunate. It was a young tree with plenty of sap still flowing despite the season, and it kept blunting the blade of her axe. After watching her struggle for a while, her teamster came to lend a hand, but even with combined efforts they were only halfway through the trunk of the tree by the time Loren had felled his. She needs to find a way to either keep the axe sharp or keep the sap from flowing, if they are to get the tree down!
Noah, for all his brawn, had perhaps the worst luck. The tree he picked looked like a good choice - tall and wide and perfectly placed - but it turned out that the wood was exceptionally tough and kept repelling the bite of the axe! Even with the aid of his red-bearded teamster and Korbin, as he saw the difficulties they faced, they are barely able to make a dent. Will Noah choose to keep working on the, or pick another tree and hope for better luck? Perhaps there is another tool in the sled that will work better than the axe.
-------
Second round!
Loren successfully fells his tree, but needs to find a way through vicious looking brambles to cut it up into logs. How will he deal with them?
Weaver gets help from her teamster and they work their way through half the tree, but sap keeps blunting the axes. Find a way to get that tree down!
Noah gets help from his teamster as well as Korbin, but the tree chosen is tough as nails and they barely dent it; will he pick another tool or choose a different tree?
As the tree fell, Loren couldn't help but grin. However, as it fell at a less than ideal angle, he sighed. Noting the brambles, he bit his lip slightly.
Then he tapped into his summoning and called on a bear. It lumbered forward, batting and crushing the brambles as best it could. Not particularly caring if his creature got hurt, the healer would follow the path it made.
Still directing the bear to do what it could about the thorns and the bushes, he started cutting logs and branches off the tree. Every once in a while, he'd gather them up and pass them over to the teamster, who had been waiting patiently so far.
Loren summons a bear to take care of the brambles. Once the path is clear, he starts cutting the fallen tree into manageable pieces and passing it to the teamster.
I'm a lady, like whoa I could bring you to your knees
It does not go all that well. She would be surprised, but nothing seems to go all that well for her these days which has nothing to do with the sudden appearance of dice in her life. Still, strength is not her strong suit. Never has been. Though she’s tough, she’s not particularly muscular. Also her knowledge of trees in the Hallowed Grounds isn’t that great, and the tree that doesn’t look that young turns out to be far younger than she expected.
She could keep fighting with the axe, or she could cheat. Is it really cheating though, or is it just working with what you have? Weaver calls her fire, keeping it small and contained, shaping it into something thin, like a saw. She moves it into the hole they’d created in the base of the tree, slicing it back and forth exactly like one would with a saw, trying to burn the rest of the way through the trunk. Though there is the risk of burning more than she intends, worst case, she can put the fire out. There at least was not the risk of burning the entire forest down.
Besides, if she really screwed up, Loren probably had something up his sleeve to fix it. That seemed to be her life, lately.
***
Weaver attempts to fire-saw her way through the rest of the tree.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
Despite Noah's apparent strength, this tree was proving a worthy adversary. It stood before him proud and solid, it's girth unaffected by the axe and Olson strength. Even Korbin and the ginger teamster joining him did not help. Gruffing and looking up at the tree, Noah rolled his shoulders back. "What else ya got in there?" He asked the ginger man, who merely mumbled and hardly enunciated a reply enough for Noah to understand. Glancing at Korbin for a moment, Noah moved to the wagon. Inside, resting quietly, was a two-man crosscut saw. "Hey, you could've told me about this to begin with." He called out to the ginger, who merely released a deep belly laugh that was meant to set humiliation in the reindeer's head. Grumbling, Noah pulled at the saw.
"Korbin, help me with this won't ya." Noah said to the boy before he remembered he couldn't hear him. Grunting, Noah pulled the crosscut saw out of the wagon and walked it back over to the tree. He motioned for Korbin to pick up one side, and he picked up the other. Should Korbin take the instruction, Noah would set to working in tandem in an attempt to bring down the tree.
__
Noah gets a crosscut saw and asks Korbin to help, and tries it on the tree (if Korbin agrees to help.)
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
Loren's plan is quite successful. The poor bear trundles a path through the thorns and with the aid of the teamster, the logs are cut up and deposited safely on the sled. The size of the tree allows them to fill up the sled without the need for further logging. Ah, but the presence of the bear has spooked the horses, and without the teamster there to keep an eye on them, they are trying to run off!
Meanwhile, Weaver's attempt to use fire to bring the tree down is perhaps a bit too successful. Either she used more force than necessary, or the sap was a bit more flammable than expected. The tree is cut through at the wrong angle and starts to fall towards both her and the sled, where the horses are unable to move! Better find a way to redirect the tree, or this might end up very badly.
The saw turned out to be the perfect tool for the task. With Korbin there to help, the two hunters proved an excellent team and had no further trouble in getting the tree logged. It was such a grand specimen that it provided more than enough wood to fill the sled, and with the teamster there to aid in the work, Noah's sled was soon fully loaded and ready to go. With his hands free, he could go aid either of his companions.
Korbin, seeing the danger baring down on Weaver, dropped the axe he had been replacing into the sled, and dashed off towards his sister, heard hammering and mouth dry in alarm.
-----
Loren sucessfully loads his sled, but the horses are startled by the bear! Better secure them, lest the valuable cargo is dragged off into the woods.
Weaver has terrible luck and has to get out of dodge quick before the tree falls on her! But the horses and her sled can't move, what will she do?
Noah with the aid of Korbin has wild success in logging the stubborn tree, and there is lumber to spare when their sled has been filled. Noah may choose to go aid Loren or Weaver!
As Loren heard the horses panicking, he sighed and dismissed his bear, seeing as it had done its job admirably. Then he reached out with his mind, trying to seize the horses' wills with his own. He'd never really known the limits of his compulsion, but for now he tried to prevent the silly animals from fleeing.
On the very likely chance that his compulsion didn't work, he would walk towards them, making soothing noises as best he could. "Shhhh, it's alright. The bear is gone. It's gone, you don't have anything to worry about." As always, he knew it was less the words he was saying that the tone he was using.
Loren dismisses the bear and tries to compel the horses to stay in place. He also makes soothing noises at them.
