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!
Amun had been a bit directionless of late. Well, that wasn't quite true: he'd thrown himself into his work for the Voice, and into working his studio. However, the rest of his life suffered and he found himself lonely and bored in equal parts.
Perhaps that was why, when news of a blacksmith opening in town reached his ears, he decided to check it out mostly on a whim. He made a clay box, the sides embossed with a hammer and forge as an opening present and headed over. Rapping on the door to announce his presence, he peered inside, spotting Oliver.
"Nice place you've got here." Walking in, giving the fires a wide berth, the potter held out the box. "Made you something to store your tools. Or anything else, I suppose." There was something a little subdued about him, but he was friendly and polite and that would have to do.
To create the blacksmith shop, Oliver had gotten quite a lot of assistance, but even with all the help he received, there was still quite a lot Oliver had planned for the shop. For the time being, he had placed in a table with two chairs that someone was trying to get rid of. It would have to do for now. So when Amun appeared, it was honestly a surprise. The rapping on the door did absolutely help, but the last thing Oliver expected was a visitor. Turning his head ever so slightly towards the other man, Oliver called out "One second!"
He had been working on making some nails, previously allowing a rod to become hot and was currently trying to pound at it with a mallet on the hard, anvil. It took a bit longer than Oliver had expected to finish, maybe a minute or two, but soon he had completed off a nail. Placing his tools back where they belonged, he took a few steps away from the forge and removed off his face shield.
"Hey Amun, nice of you to drop by." He offered the man a grin before looking at the box. "Thank you! You- you really didn't have to do this." Walking on over to the man, Oliver took the box from him and gestured over his shoulder. "Would you like to sit down? Don't worry, I made sure that the table and chairs were far away from the fire." It was sincere. Oliver even had marked out on the ground in paint, showing the places that were safest to stand, including a little pathway from the entrance, to the basement, and to the corner where the temporary seating area was.
"Sorry that my shop isn't much yet- I'm only getting started." It was far from hospitable and... it probably didn't look inviting.
Amun waited patiently just as Oliver requested. Watching, the potter followed the motion as the new blacksmith made a nail. Finally, the other man finished and the Ascended smiled faintly. "It's a gift. Us craftsman need to stick together, yeah?" Glancing at the chairs, he shook his head. "I'm good standing. Thank you though." After long hours at the potter's wheel, standing was a nice change of pace.
Chuckling, he shrugged, then waved away Oliver's complaints. "I get it. My studio looked similarly when I first opened." The potter slipped his hands into his pockets. "Are you planning to join the Artisan's Guild?" Cocking his head to one side, he raised his eyebrows a bit.
It was already nice enough that Amun hadn't left him, but it was even more touching when he said that simple little comment. Oliver... really was a craftsman now, wasn't he? It was shocking and hard to believe. It hadn't quite yet hit him so hard until Amun said that. Before he viewed himself almost as a separate entity, but to be viewed on the same level? Damn.
Placing to box over to the side, Oliver didn't mind that Amun rejected his offer to sit. Oliver assumed it was due to the fire, which was completely understandable. Wherever Amun felt safest was fine with him. "What have you done with the place? I should really come by and visit your shop sometime, maybe I could drop off something in exchange." Maybe if Amun needed any tools, Oliver could try to make it. It was all up to Amun and Oliver would try his best to make the man happy.
Leaning against the wall, Oliver let out a light hum. "Honestly? I hadn't considered that... maybe. Not yet, I don't think I'm ready to be seen as an Artisan yet... I'm far from perfect and I still have a shit ton of room to grow. But maybe, yeah. Maybe." It was something he could see himself doing eventually, but absolutely not yet. His skills were still improving and he was far from a master blacksmith. Really, Oliver was mostly just trying things out. "Do you uh... have any tips for a craftsman trying to start his business?" It was said in a lighthearted way, almost as if Amun could interpret it as a joke if he didn't want to respond. Oliver would be fine with that, honestly.
Shrugging, Amun kept his hands in his pockets. "Sure, if you want. I haven't really done much with the place since I first opened, but you're welcome to stop by whenever." Speaking in a quiet voice, he glanced around at the inside of the blacksmith's new shop. "Do you have plans for this place?"
Nodding at Oliver's words, the potter met the other man's eyes squarely. "If you change your mind, I'm sure Deimos would be happy to have another guild member." The Ascended shrugged. "Sadly, I don't have much business advice for you. Just keep working at it. Sometimes making personal items for people is a good way to drum up business."
Hopefully Amun was being genuine and didn't mind a visitor. Seeing as they were able to have a normal conversation, any past grudges were hopefully gone. Fantastic. It was a massive weight lifted off of Oliver's shoulder and he felt as though he could finally live a normal life around the man. Glancing around the shop at Amun's next question, Oliver was more than ready to talk. "I have tons of plans. I really want to make this place more...welcoming. As well, there's a lot of work I need to do in the basement. I hope that I can get a bed down there, just in case I'm working a long day and cant make it back home. Just, you know... maybe it more colorful and nicer in general." The outside looked nice and the inside, well, it could do with a bit more life. The only thing that brightened up the place was fire. Literally. "Sorry, I guess there's just a lot I have planned." He let out a soft laugh, realizing just how hard it would be to do so many things to his shop. It would take a lot of bartering just to get all of the supplies, let alone all of the work to get it done.
it wasn't that Oliver didn't necessarily want to join, it was more as if he wasn't sure if joining was the right move... yeah those are two different things. Looking into the other man's eyes, Oliver offered him a soft smile. "That's what I've been planning on doing. Once I feel like my stuff is of high enough quality, I want to help others... give people what they need." He let out a soft sigh, realizing how hopelessly optimistic he was sounding right now. "Thank you though, for the advice and the invite for the guild... is there anything I could make for you? Or well, anything you need? I don't mind... I have a lot of nails if you want any." He grinned at the last part, almost as if it were an inside joke with himself.
Glancing around at the interior as Oliver described the changes he wanted to make, Amun nodded. "No need to apologize." He spoke in a distracted tone. "Something I've found useful is putting finished pieces on display. It gives people an idea what kinds of goods you can make, even if they're coming to commission something specific."
His eyes flicked back to the blacksmith as he responded to the potter's words. "Fair enough. But Deimos didn't have a problem accepting me when I was just starting out, and the Guild has lots of supplies to help you establish yourself. Plus, it gives you a sort of built-in stamp of approval." Shrugging, he smiled. Chuckling at the other man's offer, the Ascended shook his head. "Not right now. I'm good on nails."
With Amun's advice in mind, Oliver nods and glancing around the shop. It was absolutely something he had considered, but he wasn't about to be rude to the man for offering advice that was genuine and would most likely be extremely helpful. "Yeah, once I start making larger items I can absolutely start displaying. Maybe... maybe I could even make special stands. For now, the shelves will have to do." He says with a soft smile, hoping that Amun could tell that the advice was taken and Oliver would absolutely try to follow through with it.
There was something... off about Amun. It was rubbing Oliver the wrong way. "Built in stamp of approval? In what way?" Oliver wasn't quite understanding, but then again, his mind was also occupied with faint worries that were steadily growing. "Well, if you ever think of anything, let me know." Hopefully, maybe, the two could begin trading. Oliver could bring Amun supplies and tools and Amun could create pottery.
As nice as the fantasy was of trading with the man, Oliver couldn't hold in his worries anymore. His eyebrows furrowed and his voice grew soft, filled with all of those feelings Oliver was experiencing. "Amun... are you okay? I mean- you seem like something is on your mind. It's worrying."
Following Oliver's gaze, Amun cocked his head to one side. "Don't just display your most elaborate pieces. Sometimes well-made common items are more of a draw than something exotic. They sell way better to." Indeed, plain bowls and plates flew off his shelves far more quickly than his more artistic pieces. The people of the Hollowed Ground didn't need or particularly want finery, just good craftsmanship.
"It shows that you know your stuff, that you're accepted by the other craftsman." He shrugged, feeling it was pretty self explanatory. Nodding at the blacksmith's offer, the potter smiled again. "Will do."
Waving a hand vaguely in the air, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just been a long season." They might be on friendlier terms, but the other man was close to the bottom of the list of people the Ascended would open up to.
That wasn't something Oliver had even considered. Letting out a light hum, he nodded and walked over to pick up a small tub that had tons of nails in it. Carrying it back over to Amun he held it out. "how would you advice I display something like this? They're so small and I'm not really sure how I could show them off... would I just make a sign that says that I have nails?" It was obvious Oliver had been trying to perfect the easier things first before he tried to make anything super complicated. A man who is decent at multiple things probably isn't as helpful as a man who is perfect at few things... yeah. that sounds right.
Raising an eyebrow at his comment Oliver didn't entirely believe Amun. "Alright, well... if you need anyone, I'm here. You don't have to talk about your problems, fuck, we could just drink or I don't know. Paint. Whatever it is, let me know." It was an offer and Oliver could only hope that Amun would at least trust him enough to be a distraction, not someone to confide within.
Amun raised his eyebrows at Oliver's question. Then the potter frowned a bit. "Why not just make the sign out of nails? Use them to make a pattern, or words." It was the sort of artsy creativity he'd never really employed, but that he knew was popular with others.
At the blacksmith's offer, the Ascended nodded carefully. Somehow, he managed to muster up a smile, though it looked a bit forced. "Thanks. Alcohol doesn't do anything for me though." Slipping his hands back into his pockets, he shrugged. "I imagine things will get quite busy with LongNight preparations once Deepfrost finally rolls around." He sounded more annoyed than anything else at the mention of that horrifying time.
The idea sounded like it could work and Oliver picked up one of his nails and nodded. "Yeah.. maybe that could work, absolutely. I'm hoping that I'll be able to make jewelry soon, I really want to start making rings or bracelets.... but for now I think I'll stick with more functional things." The jewelry was a dream that wouldn't happen for months, but it was something Oliver could aspire to do once he was running a successful business.
There is a nod of understanding and Oliver accepts his response, mostly. "Well, we might as well try to celebrate tonight? If you're up for it. Seeing as both of us will be busy preparing for LongNight. While alcohol may not work on you, it's still nice to not be alone at night." It was a genuine offer and hopefully it would be obvious to Amun that unlike all of his offers before, this one was not sexual in nature, not at all. Oliver genuinely just wanted to make sure that Amun didn't spend his night alone, left with his own haunting thoughts.
Humming thoughtfully, Amun nodded in agreement and acknowledgement of Oliver's plan. "Yeah, I'd stay away from the fancy stuff unless you're asked to do it. I make most of my sales from the common and useful stuff. Bowls, plates, cups that sort of thing." The potter shrugged, not really minding that aspect of the business. If anything, he preferred it to the more artistic pieces these days.
Chuckling in a good natured way, he shook his head. "Thanks, but I mostly just swung by to make sure you were settling in alright. I don't have much time before I have to get back to work." His tone was apologetic.
The words of advice were extremely helpful and Oliver knew Amun was right, but it was absolutely nice to hear it come from the man. It would help him out a lot and would go a long way. "Understandable. Those things seem the most used, meaning they are also probably most often broken. It makes sense that they'd be in high demand." Oliver wasn't sure of the equivalents in his shop, at least not yet. "Who knows, maybe I could make nails and offer them to the people in Torchline, seeing as they make boats and stuff. Otherwise, I'm not sure if there are any major construction projects that'll call for anything... but I'll start working on them, yeah. Just in case." Nails. Yep. That's what Oliver would seemingly be making... nails.
When Amun turned Oliver's offer down, all he could do was offer the man a light shrug. Understandable. "Well, you best be on your way then, I guess. If you ever want someone to talk with or hang out with for a night, come stop by. I'll most likely be either here or in the manor." Everyone deserved a companion to speak with in their darkest or loneliest of times, even if they weren't ready or prepared to speak about their problems. Even just a night of playing cards could make a world of a difference and Oliver hoped that he could at the very least provide that sort of companionship to Amun.
Turning to walk back over to this work, he offered Amun a smile before placing down the nails and putting the mask back on. Looks like he'd be here for a while, perfecting his work and hopefully becoming someone truly helpful for once in his life.
