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!
07-08-2021, 12:16 AM (This post was last modified: 07-08-2021, 05:36 PM by Aurelia.)
Aurelia
The morning feels new. Even the way the mist cools her skin, the way the rays of sun warm the air around her, the salty sea breeze; it all feels new. Today is the day construction for the courthouse begins, however, and Aurelia tries to fix all of her thoughts on it. She comes to a stop at the designated building site; a stretch of space as close to the heart of Haulani as she could find. The groundwork has already begun, a handful of hired workers having started just an hour earlier.
Aurelia does not arrive alone, however. Beside her is her fellow leader, to whom she turns. "Are you feeling alright?" She asks quietly, so that only Maeve can hear. She can't help the way she glances down towards the woman's stomach, emphasizing the source of her concern.
They'll wait until others arrive, Aurelia regarding each of them with a grateful smile. When it seems as though everyone has arrived, she will set it all into motion.
"I know you might have questions and concerns. We'll be happy to answer them... later," she glances at Maeve, smiling tensely, before returning her attentions to the others. "The courthouse won't build itself, after all, and we still have a lot of materials that need to be gathered and prepared before we can truly begin."
Aurelia had conducted careful research over how to build the courthouse, having looked at examples of the Hollowed Grounds and Halo's places of power. Interestingly, she'd found a book entailing a particular kind of Outlander architecture that inspired her. This, she had then shared with Maeve, and they'd both agreed on this route.
"We want this building to be strong. So it will be made almost entirely of concrete. We'll need to gather as much of that as we can. Next, we'll need marble and glass - though not as much. I've spoken to several suppliers, and they're waiting for us in the market with these provisions. Be sure to make use of the wagons-" she gestures to a few wagons that are, essentially, parked near the building site. Workhorses that are stronger than most - and for good reason, too - are tied to them.
"We'll need a lot of extra help for this project as well, and I'll leave that to you, Maeve," she inclines her head before moving on, "and, of course, we will need tools. Not only for the work ahead, but safety equipment as well. The ceilings for this building will be... very tall." She ends this final point with a small smirk.
At this, Aurelia strides over to one of the wagons herself, climbing into the driver's seat. She waits and watches for the others, to ensure that the instructions are clear and that they know what they need to do, before she sets off to help pick up the concrete materials. That leaves two more for the rest of the crew, and there are wheelbarrows sitting around as well.
This is the PQ for a courthouse for Torchline! It will be based on Ancient Roman/Greek/Doric Order Architecture<3 As a note, let's try to prioritize this so that it can be completed in good time! Appreciate all the participants joining us!
Characters can reference the notice board post (located here) for context!
If you want your character to join this PQ, please DM me before this first round ends and I'll squeeze you in.
Round 1:
Maeve has been tasked with gathering local NPCs to help out
Aurelia is gathering half of the concrete
1 other person needs to help gather the rest of the concrete
1 person needs to gather marble and glass
1 person needs to gather tools and safety equipment
What is clear is what is gold You're only human after all
For every tyrant, a tear for the vulnerable In every lost soul, the bones of a miracle
In a tumultuous series of events, Seren found herself moving from region to region as the colors of the world shifted and changed. While she'd had nothing to do with the change of this particular government, it still felt like she was somehow becoming a harbinger of chaos - carrying upheaval in her wake, rather than stars and dark midnight.
She kept feeling the weight of eyes on her whenever she moved, lately. Whether the dark aura was a gift from her mother or some manifestation of her own abilities she couldn't say, but it made her stand out in a way Seren had not experienced before. Magic was not so rare that it raised eyebrows, even though hers were a bit... different... but this? The way night billowed and shifted around her with the slightest motion? This was strange, and she had yet to get used to it.
"Leave the marble to me," she offered softly, when the time came to split up and begin work. Sparing a little smile for Maeve and Ray - Aurelia was given a rather more somber nod, respectful rather than affectionate - Seren went to see to the team of horses that would help transport the heaviest of the materials.
Perhaps she might be able to lighten their load for a bit.
Seren picks the Marble and Glass, and goes with her carts to fetch it. She'll use her Gravity Pulse to help load and transport the materials.
Magic: Gravity Pulse | Can increase or decrease gravity within 15ft of her body. When used on herself she can jump higher/take larger bouncier steps/hover 10ft off the ground /etc, or root herself or something/someone else in place (Must have a str of +15 to move her/the item). Not effective against large structures like houses.
Type: Grey | Rank: Upgraded
In every dreamer a dream - we're unstoppable with something to believe in
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
It's a pleasant surprise for Ray to realize that her friends Seren and Aurelia are going to be a part of this project. And it's nice to see Maeve again too. All three of the other women get warm smiles in greeting from the Attuned. As the initial tasks are assigned, Ray knows exactly what she'll be doing. "I'll gather the tools and safety equipment. I've done plenty of that for my shop before so I can probably handle it."
With that, Ray gets to work. She grabs a wheelbarrow and heads off to pick up their tools and safety equipment. She double checks that everything is accounted for, and even picks up a few extras just in case. Ray wants to ensure that this'll be a success and that they'll all be safe while doing it. She might go a little overboard in grabbing gloves, aprons, safety glasses, etc. But she'd rather be safe then sorry.
Ray heads off to get the tools and safety equipment with one of the carts. She's taking the safety aspect very seriously.
It's a new dawn, a new day, and the start of a new life for both of them. Their world has been turned upside down and Maeve was still reeling from it all, but she felt good. There was a purpose to her steps and a fire in her eyes. While there was plenty for them to do; plans to make, conversations to have, and buildings to construct. The newly appointed governor, no queen, was feeling confident in the actions they were planning to take.
Her smile is soft as Aurelia's gentle concern rises and she offers a small nod, a hand briefly rising to the barely there bump that's just starting to show, "I'm okay. They seem content enough not to make me sick right now." She murmurs, keeping her voice low as to not worry the others, even if the other women here are well aware of her condition. "I promise I'm well enough for this." The Nightshade reassures her, reaching out to give her hand a gentle squeeze before turning her attention to those who join them, smiling brightly at each one, but especially to Seren.
"I think I can manage that." With the jobs dished out and nothing left to do but start, Maeve sets off towards the docks in hopes of recruiting plenty of willing workers to give them a hand with the new building, making sure they're aware of what it's for. To sweeten the deal she tosses out a free visit to the Halenani in return for their labor.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
She nods almost grimly at Maeve's reassurances, not wholly convinced and that reads easily on her features. But the Nightshade has hidden strength, and Aurelia is not so quick to forget that. So, she makes no further argument.
Aurelia is both surprised and pleased to see Seren here, to find the daughter of Safrin among their crew. There would be no one better to give an opinion on matters of crafting an entire building in the goddess' honor. Hopefully, though, there are no aggregious wrongs with what Aurelia and Maeve already have planned. Which is.. quite a lot already, if they do say so themselves. As for Ray, Aurelia offers the other Attuned a beaming smile in greeting, glad to see a truly friendly face in the morning's early light.
Though there is not much time left to dawdle and greet, as there is lots of work ahead of the girls (this is literally just pure girlpower let's gooo).
Since there isn't a fifth person Aurelia takes longer with her supplies than the others, though not because she runs into any difficulties. In fact, things go pretty smoothly for her. The horses are obedient and sure-footed, ensuring that the concrete does not fall from the wagon. But she does need to make multiple trips to gather everything, so she is the last one to finish her task.
Meanwhile, Seren finishes her workload the quickest and the most efficiently. She gathers plenty of marble and glass, all of it of high quality and beautiful design (as specially ordered). With her Gravity Pulse, the horses barely even break a sweat (although she might? who knows). All in all, she does a fabulous job and not a sliver of glass or marble was broken in the process.
Ray has worse luck than any of them, unfortunately. While she succeeds in gathering more than enough materials, and her mind is surely in the right place (bless you, Ray), the wheelbarrow she chose was probably the worst one they had. The wheel gets stuck at every little divet in the road... of which there are so many. Tough luck, Ray, but you do make it out in one piece!
Last in order but not least in execution, Maeve returns just after Seren does with practically the whole city following at her heels. Well, maybe not so many people. But she's drawn a large crowd with her quicksilver tongue and charm. Maybe some of them are merely here because they are good sumaritans, others? Well, others just want a free visit to the Halenani.
Those others that drool a bit too obviously over Maeve will receive harsh warning glares to keep them in check, by none other than Aurelia of course. To distract these workers and give them all something to do, Aurelia quickly sets them to work at gather tools and safety things, and sending them off to finish unloading the wagons.
"Alright! That wasn't so bad, was it?" She huffs, hands placed at her hips as she regards the main trio. "Next, the foundation and the walls," she directs them, "We'll split up into pairs and split the help to get it all done. Do not forget to use the scaffolding," she warns seriously, "I don't want anybody getting hurt." She eyes Maeve particularly, but this does go for all of them. "With how tall these walls are being built... we can't be too careful."
Aurelia sets to work on helping build the foundation, guiding workers to supply the mortar and stones. Foundation trenches have already been dug, and scaffolding is soon to follow the wake of the construction.
Round 1 was 99% success!
Round 2:
- 1 to help Aurelia with the stone foundations
- 2 to start on the stone walls
What is clear is what is gold You're only human after all
Silver tongue indeed. The Nightshade is as intoxicating as ever and it's no surprise that she's able to rally plenty of folks to come help them. What is surprising is the look that Aurelia gives those who trail too closely to her, fawning over every little thing she saws as she joins the girls once more, but with the glares thrown their way they are quick to scatter with their new directions. Maeve arches a dark brow at her counterpart, head cocking to the side curiously, but she doesn't comment as a knowing smile curls on her lips.
Instead she joins Aurelia to work on the foundation, thinking that it might be the safest and least strenuous work for her to do. Especially with the Fireheart watching her so closely. She refrains from doing any heavy lifting, choosing instead to spread the mortar so others might lay the stone, being sure not to hunch too much in the process.
Maeve works with Aurelia to spread the mortar and refrains from heavy lifting, letting others do it for her instead.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
For every tyrant, a tear for the vulnerable In every lost soul, the bones of a miracle
Seren was becoming quite practiced in the construction of buildings. This was admittedly on the larger side of anything she had aided in before - skyport, brothel, courthouse - but it brought her no less joy. Working with her hands and her gifts in unison was soothing, a balm on a soul rubbed raw from too much thinking and feeling over so short a timespan.
When Aurelia and Maeve started on the foundations, Seren took the time to look over blueprints and discuss the process of setting up scaffoldings for the soon-to-be walls before actually getting started. Once more her ability to lighten heavy loads came in handy, because when a stone was light as a feather, it was a simple thing to gently nudge it in place and get it positioned just so. It was like a giant game of stacking stones, and the young woman had the time of her life with it.
Seren starts on the stone walls, and takes a moment to see over blueprints and scaffoldings before using her gravity pulse to help builders get the stones in place.
In every dreamer a dream - we're unstoppable with something to believe in
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Seeing the other tasks divided up, Ray goes to help Seren. Hopefully this task won't be as frustrating as the last. Using the scaffolding to her advantage and constantly checking the blueprints, the Attuned set to work. Her goal was this was slow and steady, trying to built as sturdy as a wall as she could. That and prevent any injury to herself and the other builders.
Eventually she gets into a rhythm and begins to work a little faster. But she does still check the blueprints regularly and ensures that when she moves on the scaffolding slowly and carefully. With any luck she'll get this done without any incidents.
Ray helps out with the walls and is meticulous with checking the blueprints, and as safe as possible on the scaffolding.
07-09-2021, 08:10 PM (This post was last modified: 07-09-2021, 08:10 PM by Aurelia.)
Aurelia
This round of tasks takes quite a lot longer than the others. Maeve and Aurelia are wholly successful with putting the foundation into place. They're able to work together quite well and, whether that's because of Aurelia desperately trying to make sure the work is easier for Maeve, well... whatever. Maeve scrapes out the mortar, Aurelia sticks the stone into place, rinse and repeat. Workers around them are following suit in a similar fashion, or working on other foundational necessities.
Occasionally, Aurelia has to check on the others to ensure that the blueprints are being followed. For all of this, she does greatly appreciate Seren and Ray putting the attention they are into following along with those, and the way they work so meticulously on the walls. Unfortunately, one of the pieces Seren put into place was not as stable as she thought; a part of the walls tumbles down because of it. Luckily, because of the safety equipment, none of the workers take any damage - and, because of the scaffolding, there's no domino effect to undo all the hard work. Plus, it's early on enough that the mistake is easily fixed.
It should be noted that Seren's gravity pulse in combination with the amount of people Maeve was able to convince to help definitely made things move along a lot faster than they would've originally.
So when they're all finished and the main part of the courthouse has been built, Aurelia regards it with a grin. There is dirt smudged across one of her cheeks and her hands are blistered, but the hard work is paying off. She glances at Maeve with a sheen in her gaze, appraising the others with a similarly proud look. "Well done, everyone! We're almost ready to start working on the littler projects, but we still need a roof and the court. Let's split up again, two of us will take a crew for the roof and two will take the rest of our volunteers to work on the court."
The blueprints for the roof indicate that it's actually going to be a bit more complex than the average specimen, with a large arch and roof tiles that overlap to provide a waterproof, durable covering.
The courtyard will be its own project, needing its own walls, pillars, and a fountain at the center. For now, the foundational aspects of it will be the main focus {and others will be worked on in the next round}.
Aurelia decides to let everyone else choose which project they'd like to work on, and will take the one that's left.
Round 2 was successful! (aside from a little hiccup)
Round 3:
2 to take a crew to build the roof
2 take a crew to build the court (this one will last 2 rounds)
What is clear is what is gold You're only human after all
After the success she had in following the blueprints for the wall, Ray decides to join the team on the roof. Given the complexity, she spends a bit of time at first simply going over the blueprints. The Attuned will check them as she goes, but it seems like a good idea to initially familiarize herself with them.
Once she feels ready, Ray begins to work on the roof. Each tile is placed carefully so that aligns with its' siblings, interlocking to provide the desired waterproof result. The arch requires extra finesses and so to make sure that the interlocking pattern continues properly along the curve, Ray cuts the tiles as needed. This way, every inch of the roof will be waterproof.
Ray works on the roof! She's being careful to cut and place each tile properly to make the roof sturdy and waterproof.
For every tyrant, a tear for the vulnerable In every lost soul, the bones of a miracle
You couldn't always be successful. Still, after the collapse of the wall Seren's caution before going ahead with anything grew tenfold. She would absolutely have nightmares about workers being crushed under tumbling marble blocks, and only the cold sweat of relief kept reminding her that it had not been a complete disaster.
When she chose the next task, it was after great consideration. Her ability to levitate and lighten loads still came in handy, and Seren chose the roof after determining that it really was the best place to make use of her gifts. Smiling at Ray - they made a great team by this point - she fell in beside her friend and aided as best she could in the laying of tiles, happy to have someone else too look at for guidance.
Seren helps Ray with the roof!
In every dreamer a dream - we're unstoppable with something to believe in
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Aurelia doesn't hover while they work, but Maeve is aware of the ever watchful eye of the Fireheart, noting how she tenses whenever the Nightshade seems to be overextending herself. Even with the slight fretting, they manage to get things done, spreading mortar and setting stones. She doesn't miss the look in Aurelia's eyes as she regards her, a small slile curling on her lips for the other woman, listening as she dishes out the next tasks.
Once more, she chooses to stay with Aurelia, finding it the better option with the other tasks laid out. All of those much more labor intensive for the Madame. However, before they have a chance to dive into work, Maeve reaches up to gently wipe the smudge of dirt from Aurelia's cheek. With that done, she turns her attention to the courtyard, noting that there is plenty of more mortar to be spread and she happens to be the one for the job.
Maeve cleans the dirt off of Aurelia's cheek and starts the process of spreading more mortar so that people can lay the foundation.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
07-10-2021, 09:10 PM (This post was last modified: 07-10-2021, 09:17 PM by Aurelia.)
Aurelia
Ray and Seren have quite a knack for construction! Ray's careful reading of the blueprints gives her a greater understanding of how to do things and has her able to halt mistakes in their tracks. The way she cuts the tiles is exact and they seem to almost fall into place themselves. Seren's caution makes her work a bit slower, but with her dilligence, she will find that things on the roof go smoothly. The two girls make a great team and, with the help of the other workers, the roof is done in no time! A roof like this will certainly hold up in heavy rainstorms.
As for Aurelia and Maeve, when the other woman reaches up to smudge the dirt off of her face, Aurelia simply directs a soft-edged smile at her and tilts her brows up. "You can take a break, you know. Don't overexert yourself," she says gently, once the other workers have been instructed on the walls and pillars.
For the most part, Aurelia will be working with a smaller group on the fountain. Because of this, she instructs the workers helping Maeve to make sure things go as smoothly as possible, and not to make her lift anything. Things are going pretty smoothly for both of them until suddenly Maeve experiences a nauseous episode, perhaps brought on by the smell of mortar, which does take away from some of the work even though the volunteers carry on without her.
Pausing, Aurelia steps away from the fountain, offering curt instructions to begin putting in the marble shining, and rushes over to Ray and Seren. "Can you two start working on the marble finishing inside and the glass for the windows? I'm just gonna- check on her-" She asks of them, seeing that they've finished work on the roof. At this, she hurries off to make sure Maeve is alright.
So long as things are okay, Aurelia will momentarily return to the courtyard to finish seeing things through. She does instruct Maeve to take a moment and offers her some water, adding encouragingly, "We're almost done. I cannot wait to see what you're gonna do with the courtyard." And she offers a friendly wink before calling over her shoulder, "still need someone to do the statue!"
Round 3 was... good. It was okay!
Round 4:
Ray and Seren have been tasked with:
marble finish on the walls and floors inside
installing stained glass windows.
Split up the tasks between yourselves!
Maeve and Aurelia still have to:
Finish constructing the fountain's statue ;)
Finish building the walls and pillars
What is clear is what is gold You're only human after all
"I'm fine, Aurelia. You worry too much." Maeve murmurs, returning her smile before she's drawing away to get back to work. This time doesn't go as well as before. The fumes get to her, making her head spin and her stomach turn, nausea coming over her in full force. Maeve all but throws down her tools, darting from the courtyard before anyone could see her lose her breakfast, wiping roughly at her mouth as she finishes.
Maeve straightens up, drawing in a shaky breath as Aurelia comes to check on her, worry in her eyes. "I'm fine." She soothes, following her suggestion and getting herself some water, taking a moment for herself. Once she's feeling better, she joins the others once more, a faint smile tugging on her lips at Aurelia's words. "I think you'll like it."
The statue isn't necessarily easy work, but she has ideas and is plenty capable of executing them. With the help of the workers and her creative eye, the begin working on the statue, making it in the image of a very specific goddess.
Maeve begins working on the statue of Safrin for the fountain!
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
