[PQ] with all its might

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame Days later, the Sword carved his wake into the barracks again. No subtleties to the way he stood now – the recruits and soldiers knew, understood, with several glances and defined brows. Schedules were drawn up, trainings posted, routines and drills to be conducted, and while some might have gritted their teeth and clenched their jaw, they assembled as expected. Others clambered with open arms, and things were the same again. Whole. Renewed. They would be better. Now, there was only maintenance to be conducted. The building still stood well, but there were things that had slid by the wayside, including detriments to organization, the armory, the targets were an outright mess (nothing had been repaired or altered in the time he’d been exiled), and he wanted to ensure the rest of the hall ran smoothly, efficiently, rather than haphazardly. So, he scrawled a note along the notice board asking for any assistance, snagged a few newcomers who could use some demonstration of proper care and upkeep of such an enterprise, and stoked a few of the braziers’ fires; ensuring they were all up to par. Anyone seeking him out would find him already outlining the agenda amongst the training grounds – putting it all down to a list in charcoal. -- This is an open PQ to refurbish the barracks! We’ll have some NPCs to help! Come on in and we’ll get started! 1. Talyson 2. Amun 3. -- master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Perhaps it was unwise of Amun to venture into Halo with the change of leadership. However, he at least took some precautions: the potter used his camouflage square on his face to completely alter his features. He still had the same skin tone, of course, but he created the most boring and unremarkable appearance he could. That, combined with the layers he bundled himself up in should serve as a suitable disguise.

His goal had been to scout out the situation, see how the Halovians were reacting to the new Warden and any news that might've filtered in from Stormbreak. However, when he discovered that Deimos was once again refurbishing the barracks, the opportunity had been too good to pass up. So the potter made his way over, nodding at those already present. Milling about in the small crowd that gathered, he waited for further instruction.

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

Sah

When Sah heard that Deimos was back in his role as General, it was a huge relief. Despite his best efforts, it been nigh impossible to get war preparations underway under Morgan's rule. She'd been hesitant to defy her own neutrality and it had resulted in Halo making almost no preparations to protect itself.

With Deimos now returning as General and Noah finally Warden, they could finally get to work. And so, when he noticed Deimos' notice, Sah made sure to make the time to help out. As he arrived, Sah grinned at Deimos, "Hello General. Congratulations." He was sure that the Sword was happy to be back in his rightful role, just as much as Halo was happy to have him take it back.

Sah then took notice of the newcomer with a furrowed brow. "I don't believe we've met? I'm Sah." He addressed Amun curiously. There had been a recent influx of people moving to Halo so it wasn't too surprising to see a new face. Maybe a little surprising to see them already helping out, but not to a suspicious degree.

My soul is in the sky
-William Shakespeare

Tal grunted as he reached the top of the climbing wall for the second time that day. While raw muscle was slow in coming, he was getting better at how to move his body to make up for it, and just maybe he was starting to see some improvement...

Looking down on the training grounds he saw a familiar face and an unfamiliar one and groaned. Heaving a big sigh, he slung a leg over the other side of the constructed precipice and climbed down that way - so if he slipped, no one would see him.

This time he made it down without mishap, and he hid a wince as he rolled his sore shoulders and ambled over to the growing gathering around the General.

"Retirin' from the cushy council gig an' joining the army?" he greeted Sah with a smirk.

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame It didn’t seem to take them long at all, an assembly of strangers and friends alike; though Deimos quirked a brow at Talyson’s recent ventures on the climbing wall with the barest hint of a smirk. At least the youth listened to advice. He stepped forward at the stranger though, unrecognizable from all the other times venturing in and amongst the crowds of Halovians. “Thank you for coming to help,” for all of them anyway – even if some of the soldiers didn’t have a choice. To Amun under veil and pretenses, he offered his hand, presuming he was either a newcomer or wanderer. “I am Deimos. Who are you?” And to Sah, he gave another light smile. Things, for a steady amount of moments, could feel relatively normal. “Thank you.” He presumed the Abandoned was staying on as advisor, and then the rest could filter through. And then the outline of tasks, grabbing hold of his paper and going over the list. “The barracks stands firm and unyielding, but needs some maintenance. Targets need to be repaired,” and he pointed to the cluster of broken, battered, beaten (clearly some arms were missing off of many), and threadbare components off in the corner. Paint, needles, fabric, and anything else that might’ve been necessary were placed alongside. “And the armory needs to be organized.” Badly. He jutted his jaw towards the direction of the room – which they’d find everything under the sun horribly misplaced, armor on the floor, any bits and pieces of metal tossed by the wayside. Opening the door earlier had given him the chills, and he’d swiftly shut it for fear of going into a contemptuous rage. “I will be remaking weapons. Please let me know if we need anything.” Gods knew some of the recruits had probably wandered out and taken half the arsenal with them. -- Tasks: - One for repairing targets (you’ll have NPC soldiers with you to “help”) - Two for organizing the armory (it’s a mess fam) master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Amun inclined his head to Sah. With a smile, the potter held out a gloved hand to the other man. "Nice to meet you Sah. I'm Tom." The Ascended glanced over at Deimos. "I'm Tom. And yes, congratulations." Another stranger approached and Amun eyed the latest arrival, but the new man didn't introduce himself.

Before the potter could do anything else, the General was issuing instruction. Glancing around at the crowd, the Ascended stepped forward. "I'll help sort out the weapons." Heading into the armory, he moved towards the nearest set of mismatched weapons and armor. He started just by separating out those two categories, along with starting a trash pile in the center of the room. If anything was too tangled or messy, he'd briefly activate his metal manipulation upgrade to unstick or remove the offending item.

---

Amun volunteers for armory duty. He tries to sort the weapons from the armor and puts any trash into the center of the room, using his metal manipulation upgrade if needed.

Type: Other | Level: Basic
Metal Manipulation Upgrade | When in contact with metal, can conduct electricity through it making it malleable. Surfaces larger than 6ft by 6ft take considerable effort. The ability works best the higher the metal content, becoming unstable at anything below 50%.

The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

Tal looked over at the introductions with a slight flinch at realizing he'd been discourteous at forgetting to join in... but it wasn't the first time, and wouldn't be the last. He shrugged, doubling down on it rather than admit he'd made a mistake out loud, and gave Deimos a wry grin. "Since I helped fuck up one of the other targets, I should probably repair the others to make up for it." The look he shot Sah had perhaps a dash of smugness and a pinch of challenge in the mix.

"Good luck with the inventory, Jester!"

And with that Tal trotted over to the soldiers milling about materials Deimos had assembled. Not even trying to take command of them, the courier simply snagged the top target off the 'wounded' pile and began fiddling with it, trying to get the limbs securely reattached before trying anything more artistic.

---

Tal proceeds to be a little shit and claims target duty! How hard can sticking some limbs back on these poor bastards be?

Sah

"Cushy? In Halo? Sure." Sah retorted to Tal as he listened to Deimos' instructions. The armory must truly be a mess if the General was avoiding the task. But it couldn't be worse than the last time, right?  "Won't be the first time I've had to sort the armory", Sah smiled cynically as he turned to go with 'Tom'. Tal's parting words pulled a sort from Sah, and he glanced over his shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself, Errand boy!"

Entering the armory, Sah paused. "Well fuck." It really was a mess. He got to work immediately. As 'Tom' sorted weapons from armor, Sah started further dividing up the weapons. Short swords in one pile. axes in another, bows in another, etc. Weapons that were too far gone, he added to the trash. He also set aside those that just needed to be repaired but were still salvageable.



Sah helps sort and organize the weapons in the armory. He makes piles of each type, of ones that needs repairs, and ones that are trash.

My soul is in the sky
-William Shakespeare

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame It took more than a moment to register the warmth against his chest – Safrin’s necklace – since he hadn’t felt the air of transgressions around those gathered in some time. He narrowed his eyes a fraction after “Tom” introduced himself, brow arching, pondering if he’d picked up on the murmurs of some of the soldiers, or this stranger. He stilled, wishing either Sah or Talyson had the ability to catch Attuned measures. Instead, he attempted to catch one or both of their eyes, mouthing Lying? silently, before a shrug of his shoulders, swinging his head in “Tom’s” direction. Maybe it could at least be a warning for discretion. The state of the armory was something truly awe-inspiring, in a way that it would catch one’s breath and make them want to scream. Sah started well, beginning to pile them by typing, arrangement, blade, and etching, and the scrap heap grew enormously. Amun would find the armor hadn’t been well taken care of, tending to either fall apart in his hands or be in complete, utter disarray. Then, of course, because maybe luck didn’t hold for deceivers (or a bad dice roll), “Tom” would find himself tripping over one of the aforementioned piles – but at least he came face to face with a hole in the wall, hidden under some tossed aside chainmail. After childish exchanges with Sah, Talyson would find help from the recruits, guards, and shields alike. Several, already chastised in earlier lectures from the Sword, bowed their heads and got right to work, helping to weave limbs back onto targets. Others grumbled, whined, and complained, but continued and persisted. Eventually, though a bit haphazard, the unattached pieces were back on whole forms. Deimos, diligent and mindful, took his time in crafting pieces of armor, weaving links in chainmail through crafting incantations, surveying the scenes with keen eyes – especially on the soldiers. -- Deimos has discovered someone around them is lying due to this item: Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic Truth Pendant | Will pulse with warmth when a lie is spoken within 5ft. If a character is speaking, it cannot reliably be used to pick out specifically what they are saying is a lie, if multiple claims are uttered. Sah has made several piles of armory successfully! “Tom” has lost several pieces of armor in his hands, tripped, and found a hole in the wall of the armory! What will you both do about it? Talyson and the NPC soldiers have worked well, and can now start painting the targets. Deimos is continuing to make armor. No post order! master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

The armor was in pretty terrible shape. Amun let out a sigh when yet another piece fell apart in his hands. Turning to speak to Sah, the potter tripped over some of the pieces on the ground. He barely managed to catch himself. When he stood up straight he found himself staring at fairly large hole in the wall.

Frowning, he scratched under his chin. "Hey, Sah? There's a hole in the wall here. Got any spare stone or something like that?" Without waiting for an answer, the Ascended would go in search of something to cover the hole, whether that was stone, wood, or a sheet of iron if all else failed.

---

Amun goes to search for something to cover or fill in the hole in the wall.

The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

Tal caught Deimos's look and frowned fiercely in thought, finally giving a small shrug before heading off to his own task. There was nothing he could do about from the target pile, so he left the question to Sah.

He was used to having to repair things on the trail - the sledge, the team's harnesses, even the tools he used in those repairs - with nothing but what he had with him and his own ingenuity. Tal might not have been much for leading the men and women who had joined him with the targets, but he worked with a quick, neat efficiency and scowled in embarrassment at the occasional admiring praise from his teammates.

Still, when a few of the older soldiers tousled his hair fondly, he just ducked his head and accepted it without complaint, doubling down on the task at hand until they'd managed to create a small army - or at least an understaffed squad - of vaguely humanoid foes for the recruits to test their mettle against.

Which meant it was time to move on to the really fun part.

Tal grinned as he grabbed the first target and a brush. His tongue stuck out from the corner of his mouth as he began dabbing features onto the face with a steady hand. Slowly but steadily, something that looked remarkably like Neron - mouth open and jagged, pointy teeth ready to bite - began to emerge. Admiring his handiwork for a moment, the courier set it aside to dry and picked up the next. He pondered it for a moment, and then his eyes lit up and he set to work, doing his best to re-create the features he'd seen on the target he and Deimos had previously destroyed, right down to the bulbous nose.

Whatever the soldiers chose to paint, Tal's artistic endeavors were one or the other of those two templates.

Sah

Sah caught Deimos' eyes and his brow furrowed at the silent question. He glanced at 'Tom' for a moment before mouthing back to the General, I'll see.  

The Amory seems to be going well, until Amun called him over. As the Ascended went to find a cover, Sah inspected the damage. "I think we can probably patch it over with some wooden planks", he called to Amun once the other man returned. Grabbing some spare wood and screws, Sah attempted to patch the whole.

As he worked, he turned to Amun, "So where are you from Tom? You're new to Halo, right? I've never seen you before." He'd sensed something a little odd about the man, but he hadn't picked up on any lies. But if Deimos had suspicions, they were worth investigating.  



Sah attempts to patch the whole by hammering some wooden planks over it.

My soul is in the sky
-William Shakespeare

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame The combination of Sah and Amun (sorry, “Tom”) should’ve worked fluidly, given their abilities. However, for whatever reason, misfortune seemed to plague them as they attempted to work through the armory. Amun, despite his best efforts, tripped over another placement of armor (should be watching those feet!), and Sah’s wooden plank didn’t hold well either, refusing to hold one of the last screws, so it hung there, quite uselessly, beside the hole. Time to call reinforcements lads, or try something else? The soldiers and Talyson worked well together, incorporating age-old spites and pettiness into their targets. By the time they were all done, not only was there a small army of Nerons, and Sunjatas, but a particular array of the recruits’ opponents and adversaries too (the Sword could’ve sworn he saw a Morgan, Eirachi, and merchant features). Done with his armor, placing it aside for when the armory was complete, and seeing the courier had finished his task, Deimos muffled a round of laughter as he surveyed the effigies. “Well done,” by consideration, appeasing all of them with a nod of his head, and then beckoning them over to the climbing wall. “I can use you to help with replacing some portions of the wall,” because it’d been long enough for some holds to be restored. -- Amun and Sah had abysmal rolls and have been thwarted by either tripping over things, or their materials not holding. Tal and Deimos have finished on their respective tasks, and can start replacing some of the holds on the climbing wall. No post order! master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Amun let out a muffled curse as he tripped over yet another piece of armor. Drawing back his leg, he gave it a kick, though there was no real force behind it. As Sah's attempt to patch up the hole also hit a snag, the potter sighed. Moving forward, hopefully without incident this time, he'd kneel in front of the gap. "Let me hold the planks in place while you nail them." He reached out to do just that.

As the other man started asking questions, the Ascended glanced over at him. "Me? Well, I'm an Outlander. So not from this world. And yes, I'm new to Halo. I just wanted to check it out. When I saw the notice I figured I might as well pitch in." All of which was technically true. "How about you? Sounds like you're a local."

---

Amun assists Sah by holding the planks in place while the other man nails them in.

The world is new to you, and you to it. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, you roll with advantage on luck-based rolls and receive an extra name during drops. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN