[PQ] Whitebrim Waystation

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Without the apprehension clinging to his bones, his adherence was sharper, finer, and far more beneficial. Their offers to assist weren’t ignored, but he knew they had multitudes of other things to work on. Instead of calling for aid, the Sword worked as he often did – focused and concentrated on his task. With the bear, lacking a salvageable pelt, now out of the cellar (he’d work on getting it out of the building later), there were the issues of others traveling back and forth. As amusing as it might be to travel by pulley system, it held little value beyond entertainment purposes in a station that required far more efficient means.

So he started on the stairs, intermingling the details and fabrications of creation and earth, combining the efforts into solidified proportions, working his way down, and refurnishing, refining, on the way back up. The floor itself could be managed too, once he finagled a trap door, utilizing the same orchestrations, incantations, and enchantments, allowing them to fluidly come together.

--

Deimos uses his Mastered Earth and Creation magic to make a set of stairs and a trapdoor.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Cordelia hissed out a breath as the wind cut through the house, blowing up the window and bringing in with it more snow, dirt, and grime. She grumbled, glowering at the window as if looks could kill, but instead nothing happened to the window. The hinges simply creaking as another gust of wind made it open once more. That was going to have to be fixed. Abandoning her broom in favor of going to work on the window, the Attuned looked them over, measuring them with a bit a rope before setting off into the ruins without a word. She waders until she finds a home that has intact windows, measuring to see if they will fit the ones she needed to replace, smiling softly when she realizes that they're stained glass. Lovely and full of color. Carefully she removed them from their resting place, carrying them back one at a time to where they were working until they were all there before getting started on swapping them out. Cordelia finds stained glass windows to replace the broken ones! Cordelia Limore 'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run

It was not Deimos's finest work, truth be told. His magic was well-practiced and the construction was passably sound, but he had been on Caido long enough to have a sixth sense for when the metaphorical shit was about to hit the proverbial fan, and perhaps it was that which distracted him from finer contortions of his art. The stone and wood took longer to form than they should have, not quite as firm, and requiring more time to finesse and finagle into proper position, but in the end he managed stairs and trapdoor both.

They could always come back and refine things another day, once the necessities were in place, right?

Cordelia's idea was an excellent way to save time and energy. Why re-invent the wheel - or in this case, the window? It was a good thing she had approached the problem with such cleverness, or things might have gone worse than they did. The first two windows that she brought over were knocked over by a curious ningo who came to investigate the strange goings-on, and had pecked at the colored glass. Their fall and subsequent cracking sent the bird into squawking retreat, but it brought Tal over from where he was cleaning up the end of the chimney project. "Here, if you bring 'em back halfway I'll meet you and carry 'em the rest of it," he offered, admiring the stained glass of the third window Delia had found.

Between the two of them and with their luck combined. Oof they managed to replace the house's broken windows, finishing around the same time as Deimos.

Which was, coincidentally, around the same time that Boreal dropped like a stone from the sky, grumbling and growling urgently at Tal as she clawed up the snow outside the house and shared what she had seen with him. "Oh... fuck. There's an ursur on its way," he swore, grimly gathering Deimos and Delia together. "And it'll be here real soon."

---

Slight ursur-sized hiccup in finishing the repairs. What are you going to do about it?

No posting order.

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Sleeves already turned up his forearms due to the proximity of effort, despite any lingering cold, the Sword wiped a sheen of sweat from the back of his neck, surveying the work before him. Not his finest hour, to which he narrowed his eyes – maybe he’d been doing too much all at once, and it had affected his efforts. Or, there was something else lingering just beyond, and it would only take a few instances more before it was upon them. Sure enough, no sooner had he meandered up the stairs, checking and rechecking to ensure the structure was sound, Tal’s voice, with urgent notice, rounded along the building. A long sigh unfurled, because why wouldn’t there be another ursur, and stepping over the one he’d left in the middle of the floor, he sauntered out to deal with the latest. Not in the mood to deal with this latest dilemma for any prolonged amount of time (they had enough to do within the enclosure), he frowned, glancing towards where the bear was lingering. “I can shift,” he announced to the others, and did so readily – going out ahead as the thunderbird, full of predacious and carnivorous efforts. And upon sight of the creature, didn’t even bother with warnings. Safe from his point in the sky, within a moment, he’d stretched, unfurled his wings, and pinpointed his stare straight upon the nuisance – intending to shoot lightning from his gaze and onto the beast. Perhaps Halo would have fresh bear meat that evening. -- Deimos shifts into a Thunderbird and attempts to shoot the ursur with his ability. Thunderbird Ability | Can shoot lightning (mastered) from its eyes, and can create the roar of thunder with the beat of its wings. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

It was a good idea. A great one even. While it takes a lot of effort and she finds her arms aching with each window carried, Cordelia doesn’t slow. Not even when one of them cracks, earning a series of colorful curses from her lips. The offer of help is appreciated and she gives a small nod, allowing him to take the windows from her half way, cutting the work in half. A set up that goes well until the threat of an Ursur about ruins the whole thing. Narrowing her eyes in the direction it’s coming from, Cordelia draws her bow, readying herself to shoot should it come into range. ”This won’t do as much damage as Deimos, but it’ll slow it down.” The attuned calls out, taking aim for one of its eyes as she releases the arrow. Cordelia moves windows and then tries to shoot their unwelcome guest in the eye. Cordelia Limore 'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run

Sometimes the best thing to do was to stay out of the way of the professionals. Tal set himself and his axe protectively beside Cordelia, with a growling Boreal crouching in front of them both, her belly full of fire ready to blast the bear with if it somehow survived the combined attack of lightning and arrow. He could buy time for the archer to get back a few feet and fire a shot, if nothing else--

But it didn't come to that.

Deimos was as unstoppable as a force of nature as he took to the sky. Lightning crashed forth, searing a path of bright death between bird and bear, and in less than a heartbeat the bear stood transfixed as all its muscles seized at once and the smell of burning fur filled the air.

Whether or not the lightning had already killed it was immediately a question for the philosophers as Cordelia's arrow pierced the black eye of the ursur and punctured its steaming brain. At the very least all involved could be sure that the beast didn't suffer.

The luxere lowed in terror and managed a broken trot through the ruins, away from bears and thunderbirds and deadly arrows.

Which left their waystation with a sagging wall and incomplete roof.

Tal slowly relaxed and stroked Boreal's head as the dogs barked and set up a din at all the excitement. He sent the dragon down to calm them while he nodded his thanks to Cordelia and Deimos. "Well, guess we'll have meat to stock the larder with." His grin was a little lopsided as he headed back inside.

"If someone can help me get these supports replaced, I can get to work on fixing the wall," he suggested, moving over to knock on one of the support beams that was clearly rotten in several places. Two replacement timbers had been cut and lay outside, but the noodle-armed youth was clearly not going to be able to muscle them into place on his own. "I can chop the old ones out pretty quick, but we're gonna want to swap the new ones in as fast as possible an' get them anchored." Or risk more of the roof coming down - inside the house this time.

"An' the roof is missing some sod pieces. Gettin' fresh ones up there is going to be a bitch of a job, though." He grimaced, giving his helpers an apologetic shrug. "What do you think?"

---

Nice job on that bear ;D

Now there are only two tasks left:

One person can help Tal replace the support timbers

One person can start working on replacing the large sod tiles that insulate the roof

No posting order!

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Carnivorous satisfaction in the gleam of his piercing eyes remained for a few moments as he stayed in the air, as power surged, as might conjured, as the ursur’s threat level diminished to nothing at all. He hovered for an instant longer, taking in a breath, maybe warding off the predacious efforts, maybe steeling and resolving himself back into human proportions. Then he shifted, claiming the earth beneath his feet once more, and patting Cordelia on the shoulder for her quick shot as well. “I did not char it completely this time,” with a Cheshire grin and a wink, in regards to other…bear pelt ramifications.

But then there were other multitudes to regard, and his gaze riveted back and forth, from beams to roof, pondering which would be more suitable. Cordelia could probably scurry with the sod with little issue, and so he’d utilize his strength for the support beams. “I can help with the wall,” and he moved forward to do just that – intending to lend his dominion into swapping out the pieces of timber.

--

Deimos goes to help replace the support beams.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

The bear came down with a hard crash and she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, shoulders dropping as she lowers her bow, eyes flicking up to Deimos who lingers in the air for a moment longer. Whenever he rejoins them, shifting back into his human form, causing her to roll his eyes at his words. "A first time for everything." The hunter quips, sticking her tongue out at him as he passes by her towards the wall. With the threat taken care of, she's free to return back to her task, leaving them to deal with the wall. Hauling sod onto the roof isn't exactly something she's built for, but Cordelia doesn't let it stop her. She does her best to construct a pulley system to lift it up onto the roof, laying piece after piece down once she gets rid of the old sod. Cordelia teases Deimos and fixes the roof. Cordelia Limore 'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run

Tal looked curiously between Deimos and Cordelia, but the joke went over his head and he just shrugged. He grinned as the General came to join him, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, if you can be ready to lift it into place when I've got the old one out...?" His axe bit into the wooden beam where the wood was soft and rotten and he made quick, precise chops to cut through the old support with a minimum of fuss and damage to the rest of the house. It took a little finagling, but Tal was able to slide the upper portion of the old support out from under the roof (guiding it down more than laying it gently), and the bottom half out of its ground socket so Deimos could seat the new beam firmly into place and match it up true with the roof as slick as any professional carpenter, and so swiftly the structure barely shifted before the problem was fixed. The second support beam went even faster with the practice from the first, and the new waystation was solidly reinforced from within.

Cordelia's idea with the pulley system was a good one, and it made her life much easier. Luckily there were only three of the large square of sod that had slipped or been damaged beyond salvaging, and by dint of wrestling, wrangling, and shoving the ungainly slabs from another roof into place, she managed to re-insulate the waystation from losing its heat to the Halo sky.

Tal stretched his back as he looked over the work they'd done with a low whistle, impressed at how far they'd come. "I think we're just about done! I'll finish putting the fresh planks on the wall, if someone wants to butcher the bear and store the meat in the cellar. An' maybe we should gather some fuel for the next person who needs to build a fire?" Finding unburned wood was going to be a challenge in Whitebrim at the moment, however.

---

Last round!

Set the waystation up with supplies for the next person who needs it!

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Adhering to the multitudes at hand, and after building several other structures, the notions and movements were quite easy. Rendering the beams replaced as soon as the courier broke apart the old ones, everything remained salvageable and well-founded – content enough with the project to pat portions of the wood, stepping back to survey their work.

At least they only had finishing touches remaining, and he’d had enough of bears for the day. “We can gather some,” offering himself and his companions – Belial off into the air to act as scout with a high-pitched, shrill call, and Zuriel ambling forth, saddlebags in tow to be another vessel for carrying when his own arms were full.

Collaboration between the trio was easy; bonded souls meshing together to configure and find reputable sources, and if there weren’t any, Deimos could simply create some with his Earth and Creation adornments.

--

Deimos and his companions go out to search for wood. Deimos also creates some using his Mastered Earth and Creation magic.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

The relief she feels when things don't fall apart is insurmountable. The pully works and she's able to get the sod laid out onto the roof without much issue. Only a few of the pieces don't work out and while it's a bit of a setback, Cordelia doesn't mind too much. Not when it only take s a little bit of extra work to get a few more from a nearby roof. She lays them all out, making sure they're nice and secure before straightening back up, climbing down from the roof. "I'll take care of the bear." Something she felt confident that she could handle. Cordelia removes one of her knives from her belt, kneeling down beside the bear and getting to work. It's a lot of effort to get it strung up, letting the blood drain from a few well placed cuts before slicing open its belly, removing all of the entrails from inside. It falls into a still steaming pile on the snow, leaving a stain of red and she hates to waste any of it, instead whistling to Boreal to come take her fill. The rest of the work goes easily and she breaks to down until there is nothing but the pelt left, packing it all away properly in the cellar. Cordelia breaks down the bear and feeds Boreal. Cordelia Limore 'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run

What Deimos couldn't find, he could make, which certainly helped to stock the new waystation's wood rack high. There was enough unburned or only partially-burned wood in town that he was able to load up both companions, and his magic was able to fill the empty spaces in both the exterior and interior fuel bins. Thanks to his efforts the station would be supplied for the season to come on the chance that someone became stuck in Whitebrim during Deepfrost.

Delia was too much of a professional to have any problems with a simple butchering. Her pulley for the roof would work just as well for hanging the carcass up for draining, and Boreal was more than happy to come help clean up the evidence. Once she'd had her fill she began taking mouthfuls of viscera back to the sled team to share as well. Between them all, the dragon and dogs were able to eat themselves to round-bellied contentment while Delia sectioned and stored the meat safely in the cellar.

Tal busied himself fixing up the exterior planking on the house, scrambling up and down the ladder he'd brought and wrestling the fresh boards into position. He wasn't a carpenter by trade, but he had enough woodworking skill from building and repairing the sleds that he was able to layer and affix the siding with minimal trouble and ensuring the building was firmly sealed against the cold winds of Halo.

The sun was nearing the horizon by the time they'd finished cleaning the station and scavenging enough basic furniture to make it habitable - at least in the short term - for hunters, couriers, and anyone else who was caught far from the Citadel when night fell and the temperatures plummeted. Too exhausted to challenge Deimos to another race, Tal settled for offering to buy drinks when they made it home that night, and the trio - plus assorted companions and hounds - would be able to make their way safely home again.

---

This ends the PQ! Thank you so much for participating!

~Fin~