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!
Companions fled the onrushing water alongside human Torchers and while there was some scrambling and swearing the water's flow didn't break down the final barrier between the tunnels quite as swiftly as it otherwise might have.
Melita rose above the water - or rather, rode the water as it rose - making her attempts to snag and snatch at passing humans a more difficult proposition when they were below her. Her grip caught momentarily at a few people, however, slowing their tumbles so that they were able to regain their feet and head for the well shaft behind them. The water filling the tunnel would soon press even the petite honeybee girl towards the ceiling unless and until she made a similar exit. The upside? With her fancy Fae charm, she could ride the rising tide like an elevator once she reached the shaft.
Maeve didn't need to tell the Torchers twice; the workmen and women made a hasty exit even without her orders. Though they clogged the shaft initially the well had been dug wide enough to accommodate several merfolk needing to traverse it while helping each other towards the healing fountain, and no one became trapped in the underground portion of the tunnel. Mel's hands were slick with water, but the Queen's grip was sure and she succeeded in catching the honeybee's fingers and keeping her head above water.
Luckily their previous rib bone supports had been well-anchored, and Yuna was able to grapple herself firmly against the sudden flow of current. Suckered tentacles held steady and she was able to brace herself safely instead of getting pulled through the rough opening that water gushed through with battering force. Hadama reached out and grabbed one of her tentacles to anchor himself while flailing out with his tail and other hand to help grip two of the other merfolk who had been unable to swim free of the current.
As the tunnel filled, the speed and force of the torrent decreased. The human Torchers either climbed the ladders and ropes in the well shaft to the dry ground above, or else floated in the muddy water until it reached high enough for them to pull themselves to safety.
As soon as Hadama had assured that no part of the tunnel was in danger of collapsing he swam through the new opening to meet the human side, surfacing through the mud with worried green eyes. "Was anyone hurt?" he asked Maeve first; though at least they were right beside the fountain if anyone needed help.
Once it was assured that no one had been injured beyond a good scare, he relaxed and nodded to those gathered. "We will finish widening the opening," he rumbled, wiping a bit of mud from his face. "Could the humans lay stone or tile to smooth the well's exit?" It was near enough to the fountain that they would be able to reach it without much difficulty, but the area around it would become muddy if mer came to visit very often.
Round 7: The Light at the End
We're almost there!
Merfolk need to check the supports for damage or finish widening and smoothing out the last section where the water broke through while helpful NPCs work on filtering out the muddy water and bringing clean water in to replace it.
Humans can begin cleanup in the garden and finish the tunnel's current rough exit next to the fountain into something more sustainable for long-term use.
The Honeybee and the Nightshade emerge from the tunnel only a little worse for wear, having managed to keep themselves above water as much as possible as it rose through the tunnel. Other than looking a bit like a drowned rat and mildly cranky, Maeve is unscathed and the rest of her workers are okay too as Hadama surfaces to check in on them. "Everyone is fine." She pants, pushing hair from her face as she makes to stand, wringing water from her soaking clothes.
With the next set of directions issued, Maeve gets to work once more, "I have extra brick that matches the fountain that we can use. We'll lay that down." She says, motioning to a pile of neatly stacked masonry for the helping hands to retrieve. Soon the Queen is demonstrating just how to lay the brick to create a nice and clean area.
Maeve directs people on laying brick!
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
Despite her fortitude and endurance, the Honeybee was tired. Taking another eventful swim, on top of all the other work they’d managed, had taken any wind out of her sails, and it was enough to leave her panting beside the healing fountain for a few moments, taking the opportunity to refresh, and check in on anybody else.
Not mentioning any frightened aspects pressed upon her heart, in the weird shifting, turning, pulsing, and waning of the water.
In no mood to lay more bricks, and spurned into an exhausted silence, Melita and her companions meandered towards the garden, intending to assist in clean-up there.
Felling relieved not to have been washed away - and especially not to have injured anyone on the other side of the tunnel, Yuna lets herself bob for a few moments in the calmer waters before glancing around at the supports and the clumsy opening of the last section. I will check all of this," she decides; a wise idea given that she had helped to establish most of it.
Hopefully the flow of water didn't cause too many issues... Drifting off, she swims back to ensure that the rib bones are still securely sunk into place and that there hasn't been too much shifting of sand or other material. In particular, she pays attention to the last support that slipped, trying to get it firmly back where it ought to be.
Maeve had obviously done this before, because she laid that brick like a true professional. The cleanly cut stone fitted together with nary a crack, and the remnants that had been stored were smooth and flawless. In short order the apron was laid to prevent the area around the well's exit from turning into a muddy mess, and it looked as beautiful and finished as the fountain itself, blending seamlessly into the existing architecture.
Melita may have been tired, but she was tenacious and - perhaps aided by Fangorn's viney tendrils - she was able to direct and take the lead in removing those supplies that had ended up unneeded. Timbers and wooden boards were neatly piled outside the Court until the next project came along that could make use of them and she was even able to repair the paths that had crushed into the garden's plants by treading feet and heavy burdens. It would take a few days for the flora to recover completely, but when it did there would be no sign of the construction that had occurred here.
Yuna had learned her lesson and with fresh eyes was able to determine that the other supports had been firmly set into the sandstone floor of the tunnel and were unlikely to shift. No one was hurt, Hadama assured her when he returned from checking on the humans. While she fixed the fallen support, he worked nearby to clean up the final stretch of tunnel so that it matched the rest. And the supports on the dryland side seem strong. It was a team effort to put the tunnel in order after the torrent that had washed through it, but when it was done the mermanta nodded in quiet satisfaction.
It is just the final touches, now. Will you help me plant some seagrasses where the light reaches, and attach the corals in the darker parts? Once they have food and homes, we can bring some of the glowing ones to live here. An idea of Yuna's that Hadama was happy to meld into the tunnel's plan.
Swimming up to check on Maeve, he looked around at the finished tiling with admiration in the light of the setting sun. "We are almost done," he reassured her. "Could you rig a lamp or light above the tunnel's exit as a night-guide?" And to prevent any night-wandering humans from falling in to the new well. "I have brought some items to trade, if someone can take them to buy food and drinks. We have all earned a good meal." So saying, he reached into his pouch and retrieved a handful of round, shining pearls in silver, pink, and blue to offer for bartering.
Round 8: Finishing Touches
Last one!
Merfolk can plant seagrass at the bottom of the wells and attach the deepwater corals on and between the supports of the tunnel's walls and ceilings to add further stabilization against slipping sand - and to make a home for sea creatures to come live there! Hadama has mussel glue for keeping the corals in place until they can anchor themselves.
Humans have been asked to rig a lantern above the well so no one falls in and merfolk can see where the exit is when it's dark at night. Hadama has also provided funds for pulling together a victory feast, if someone will go and get the food and drinks! \o/
Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
Tenacity and obstinance won out in the end, and Melita was pleased to see how the garden fared after all their efforts. Giving a pat to Fangorn and several other sweeping, somewhat congratulatory marks, to the others who’d assisted, she listened to the rest of the tasks (content, really, that they would be finishing up soon).
And the food aspect sounded right up her alley.
“I can go make some trades,” and she snatched at the items Hadama offered without much preamble, eye-balling what she’d have available to haggle. Snagging at a few of her crew, so they could lift all of the items back, they zipped off to the market, intending to grab as much as they could.
Enjoying the light now filtering down from above, Yuna is admiring their hard work by the time Hadama returns. Her shoulders relax away from her ears to hear that no one has been hurt, and she nods encouragingly at his ideas for final touches. Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I know where there's a patch of seagrasses that's quite dense. It wouldn't disturb the ecosystem to transplant a few, she explains.
Swimming away through the tunnel they've created, Yuna is gone for a few moments, but when she returns, it's with an armful of carefully excavated seagrasses, ready to replant. I'll make sure to plant them beneath the light, she says, before gliding forward to do just that.
Maeve wants to sit down and rest. She's exhausted, but they're so close to being done. Just one final push. "I have some pots that I transplanted some of the night blooms into. They glow at night, but let's put two lantern posts on either side and we'll hang some there too." The Nightshade instructs, directing the helpers in this final task while they wait for the food to come. She does her part in bringing over the potted trees, positioning them so that their light will cast over the top of the tunnel.
The lantern posts are affixed into the ground and the oil is topped off in the lanterns before they're hung in their final resting place. Stepping back with her hands on her hips, Maeve lets out a breath of relief, "There. Finished."
Maeve handles the lanterns.
If you're a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier
Melita knew the right people to lean on for a good trade, and the pearls provided enough buying power for her to purchase delectable delights in bulk for the Torchers to cart back to the Court. Meat for grilling, fresh fruits and vegetables for snacking or grilling or dessert - and, of course, pastries to round the meal off. Fresh juice was plentiful, and she was even able to secure some supplies of beer, wine, and liquor to liven things up! After jury rigging some simple tables from leftover supplies, the spread was laid out under the rising moon and glowing lanterns.
Speaking of lanterns, Maeve's keen eye for detail and decoration brought the exit of the tunnel into seamless balance with the rest of the garden.Between the night blooms and the lanterns the well's broad opening - enough for three merfolk abreast, in case two were aiding an injured comrade - was clearly illuminated so no drylander should stumble into the calm and deceptively deep water by accident. The light was clear enough that those arriving from below would be able to see the distance to the surface even in the dark, guiding their rise and making the fountain's healing waters easy to access at any time of day or night.
Even in the darkening waters Yuna was able to find the seagrass and transplant it safely, providing both a living decoration and a future home for fish and small sea creatures to liven up the tunnel made with Safrin's blessing. Some even came along for the ride, clinging to the grass stalks and already beginning to acclimate to their new home.
Hadama took one of the underwater lanterns filled with bioluminescent plankton and collected one of the corals they had brought up from the deeps. Carefully and with gentle hands he applied the mussel glue to its base and then set it along the wall attached to one of the ribs. It was slow, delicate work, but eventually there was a small but promising darkwater reef that would eventually grow to hide the bone supports and stabilize the sandy soil between them.
Surfacing into the fading sunset, he gave those who had helped a grateful bow and then looked to Melita and the spread she had acquired. "Words are not enough to thank you for what we did today. But there is food and drink, and we have all earned a celebration. Please, help yourselves."
And so they did, eating and drinking and making merry until the exhaustion of the day caught up with them and they wandered back to homes on land and undersea, leaving the new passage to the healing fountain to sparkle silently beneath the stars.
This concludes the PQ! Thank you all so very much for sticking with it <3
