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!
05-12-2022, 09:43 PM (This post was last modified: 05-22-2022, 04:38 AM by Chaele.)
my ears can hear my mouth can speak my spirit talks my soul believes
The clearing is small, but wide enough to cast the early morning sunlight between the canopy leaves. The wood is cut and piled to one side, pails of stain and paint sitting on the other. There is rope, straw, a hammer and nails, a few blankets, and other nonperishable materials strewn around as well-- a strangely civilized collection amid the chirping and rustling of the Oerwoud’s depths. The place has been selected because it is a short walk from both a branch of the Wishtide and a narrow entrance to the Undergrove. Nothing is ideal, but this is close enough.
It will have to suit, at least, for the fools that dare tread where they are not prepared.
Chaele herself clutches a small stack of papers, each containing a brief guide for survival and first aid in this unique place. At her feet is a box containing various herbs for blessing and purification. Instead of her usual skull mask, she has prepared for the day of labor by simply smearing a few fingers of flaking yellow paint over her face; it is mask enough when one must focus on the task at hand.
With a composing sigh, she turns to those gathered. “You may help to construct the aid station itself, go out to collect samples of common flora and fauna for reference, or devise path markers to guide travelers here. Try to stay out of each other’s way.”
---
This is the first in a series of PQs that will involve creating aid stations in each of the wilderness areas of Caido. In your first post, please choose one of the listed tasks or propose another one.
Chaele has brought building materials, survival pamphlets, and an herbalism box.
Darkeye looks at it and takes some of the tools and nails to the area where the hut is to be built. "I'll get to work on the hut if you don't mind." He takes a rope with knots and measures the size of the hut and makes a few drawings. Before he starts building, he checks the stability of the ground.
Then he lays out a frame to see if his calculations fit and starts to work more and more on the hut, trying to do it to the best of his knowledge. The years of practice helped, but the muscles did not remember the work and it was more exhausting than he remembered.
There was still, perhaps, just a bit of a strange glare from the paint currently decorating patterns across her features that mirrored the person whom she was staring fondly at as they made their explanations. Zamara already knew what they had planned upon doing here, of course. She and Chaele had spoken of this idea as they had shared meals over campfires and the young dancer was entirely in support of her mentor-in-survival.
Already Zamara moves before Chaele finishes their brief speech to a pile of pre-gathered sticks, twine, leaves, and feathers. With neither any experience whatsoever in construction nor confidence in her ability to remain uninjured out on her own, the two had already decided a task for her: the crafting of little effigies intended to point wayward travelers towards this clearing. Zamara was to start off the creation of these stalwart wooden soldiers that would be replaced from time to time so that they could continuously serve to guide those that were lost.
She finds a patch of soft grass to sit herself cross-legged upon as she begins her careful work with a bright and cheerful grin directed at those still gathered. As the hammer rings out a steady rhythm, Zamara finds herself unable to sit still and shimmies herself in tight motions to cause tiny bells woven into her clothing to jingle and jangle.
-----
Zamara starts to construct stickmen to serve as trail markers pointing towards the hut as well as providing musical accompaniment to those still in the clearing.
walked out this morning and i wrote down this song. i just can't remember who to send it to
It's a rather rare thing these days, to see Remi Taliesin willingly helping out. Once upon a time he'd been a sweet young man, eager to do whatever he could to make the lives of those around him easier. Hardened by gods knew how many trials and tribulations, now at the best of times, he was a grumpy and rather foreboding presence for most. And yet, here he was.
Late, apparently. 'Sorry.' He mumbles, shrugging apologetically at his tardiness while nodding a hello to Chaele. Conveniently Remi was well versed in the flora and fauna of the Oerwoud such that collecting samples and detailing her flora and fauna would be easy. Stalking off into the jungle, the alchemist keeps an eye out for hanging vines, while uttering a low and rumbling growl in the back of his throat to deter any molten tigers that might be about to keep their distance. Predatory as he was, most creatures knew to keep their distance from him, but the Lullaby had no issues with offering warnings just the same.
AHHH sorry. Remi goes to collect samples, and uses:
Magic: Don't Pick Fights You Can't Win (feat) | Characters/Creatures who have a difference of 30 STR or greater compared to Remi, roll with disadvantage.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
and
Animals know to respect you. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, animals roll with disadvantage against you. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
She hadn't been requested specifically, but having heard of the task, Maeve doesn't hesitate to join. Though, it takes her a bit longer to get there than she originally planned. Casting the old woman she'd ran into before a small smile, Maeve looks over the supplies provided. "Sorry for being late. I brought a bit of extra material." She motions to the small handcart filled with wood and other building supplies. Her eyes flit over to Remi, giving him a nod before she focused on the task at hand.
Joining Darkeye, the Nightshade produces a simple blueprint for the structure, starting to lay out lines of where they should lay the foundation. "Darkeye, if you could clear out the brush here..."
Maeve helps with the hut and brings more building supplies!
my ears can hear my mouth can speak my spirit talks my soul believes
And so the group sets to their tasks to the rhythm of Zamara’s idle music. Darkeye ’s calculations are a little rough, but he manages to plot out a decent space with Maeve and her blueprints there to clarify things. The supplies available should make for a modest hut, perhaps with enough room for a straw bed and shelf-table.
Seeing that the two need little assistance and that Remi has already spurred off between the trees, Chaele sets down her pamphlets and sits beside Zamara. The two finish about a half dozen little effigies with quick ease, each with its own unique shape and personality. Eventually the shaman will collect them and stand again. “Will you help me set them out or stay and make more?”
Meanwhile it seems that Remi ’s attempts at warding off the worst predators have intimidated anything else that might be worth collecting for now. There is, however, a deaf bundle of sentient vines that reaches greedily for his foot as it passes.
Darkeye tackles where Maeve needs in. He holds the moderating instruments and gives her the indication of the knots. Once everything is staked out, he starts building the hut. The air here is good for him and he finds it great that so many different people want to help with something like this. We will see how well these posts are used.
Darkeye had decided on the block construction white and was of the opinion that this was stable enough should it come to a storm or the like. It was more work but so he was sure the hut would still stand in 20 years. The sides could be covered with moss as well as with leaves that it blends in well with nature. Maybe even a small open if enough space could be found. He shows the Maeve and hopes that she would agree. He does not talk much when he is working. Reacts mostly with a nod as well as a shake of the head.
Smiling with the contentment that comes from a day filled with fine purpose, Zamara seeks to gather up each crafted sign as carefully as possible. She places them one by one within a basket of woven reeds until each has been collected before standing from her grassy seat and propping the container on a hip to haul it.
"I will, of course, be glad to go with you, my friend." She states in reply to Chaele's inquiry. "Although I think it best if you lead on, else we end up lost again like the last time you had me do the navigation!" A bright and cheerful laugh accompanies her jest.
During their venture into the wild, the young dancer goes through all that her guide has taught her since their first encounter. She occasionally speaks up with any questions that occur to her curious mind.
"Chaele… what if someone seeks shelter in what we build here today that has ill intentions? What if they break everything?"
---------
Zamara sets out with Chaele in the lead to place their crafted effigies, pointing the way.
walked out this morning and i wrote down this song. i just can't remember who to send it to
When one is as strong as certain demigods are, one must be quite careful. Possessing the sort of strength that would allow the alchemist to break fingers simply by holding the hand of another too hard, he has become the sort of man who is forced to move rather intentionally through the world. All that of course is just a rambly way of saying that as the veins snare out and bracelet themselves around his ankle, Remi remarkably is able to stop his movement before tearing them in half.
Reaching down with soft fingers that are entirely at odds with the murderous man Remi has known to be, he unwraps the veins and tosses them aside like a coil of green rope. Straightening, the alchemist continues on, collecting samples (cuttings, leaves, seeds) from the flora around, as well as remnants of the passing fauna (tufts of hair, droppings, feathers).
sorry sorry sorry sorry
Remi still using
Magic: Don't Pick Fights You Can't Win (feat) | Characters/Creatures who have a difference of 30 STR or greater compared to Remi, roll with disadvantage.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
and
Animals know to respect you. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, animals roll with disadvantage against you. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
The blueprints help just as much as she thought they would. It's easy to lay out the perimeter of the small domicile and Maeve turns her attention to Darkeye, "I think we can start laying the foundation." The Nightshade starts to unload the planks from the cart, stacking them nearby for them to lay them out on, "I think we need a layer of bricks down first. That way the wood won't rot through." With that said, the queen begins laying down the bricks, creating a sturdy platform for them to add the planks to next.
"Planks next." Maeve grabs a plank, not waiting for the smith to join her to begin laying them down.
my ears can hear my mouth can speak my spirit talks my soul believes
Chaele chants a prayer for every marker she hangs, tying the twine to the base of the branch so that the light twigs might be better noticed among the dark trunks and ivy. They will have to be replaced frequently, she assesses as she peers at a bird harvesting nesting materials nearby. But that can be a task left to herself and Zamara as time wears on. After setting out the last of the literal stick-figures along the riverbend, their trek back to the station is much faster.
The bricklaying goes quickly in the cleared space, though Maeve will find one particularly stubborn root that refuses to accommodate the foundation. It should not hinder the setting of the floorboards, even if there is one plank that might be a little loose. When the shaman returns, she pauses in examination of the construction; it had not occurred to her to have anything but a dirt floor, but Darkeye’s assessments will surely combine well with Maeve’s materials to boost the hut’s longevity.
Leaving Zamara to the rest of the markers, Chaele moves toward the building materials to help Darkeye with the walls. While bricks are ideal for weatherproofing, wood is plentiful in this place and already cut into usable lumber. So she begins to set the planks together on the ground, along one edge of the foundation in an estimation of a wall. “Do you know the best way to do this?” She asks, glancing toward the trees in search of any sign of Remi.
With the vines set aside but the demigod’s collection pouch filling nicely otherwise, the path Remi takes is largely productive. His keen eyes even catch the glint of an iridescent wing in the underbrush. The dead modilu fly’s insides are slowly being harvested by a line of ants, but its fine exoskeleton is relatively well preserved for now. A bird caws high above, protesting his approach to a possible meal.
walked out this morning and i wrote down this song. i just can't remember who to send it to
Sharing an ability not so dissimilar to that of the modilu fly, it was with slightly narrowed eyes that he took in the sickly orange wings of the creature. 'Hmmmm.' Remi murmurs to himself as he kneels down, ignoring the ants but keeping his hands to himself for now. Orange as an indicator of emotions could mean many things indeed, especially when it came to animals. Still, the somewhat grotesque vibrance had the alchemist appreciably hesitant if not cautious. 'I wouldn't, were I you.' He says, hazarding a quick glance up to the trees, giving the bird there the only warning it was going to receive.
Reaching now for the fly's delicate skeleton with careful fingers, Remi would do his best to extract as much of it as he could whilst leaving more than a few morsels for the lingering fauna to enjoy.
Remi still using
Magic: Don't Pick Fights You Can't Win (feat) | Characters/Creatures who have a difference of 30 STR or greater compared to Remi, roll with disadvantage.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic
and
Animals know to respect you. During PQ/PQ+/KQs/Drops, animals roll with disadvantage against you. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of each post)
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Darkeye would plan the whole thing better and he doesn't like the way Maeve bosses him around. He prefers to work at his own pace and knows it's done right. Let her take care of the floor.
He looks at the stones and the planning. "Every stone is different, the stones don't sing here like they do in my world. That's why I have to learn their language first." Darkeye winks and jokingly holds a stone to his ear and nods. He then begins to slowly pile up layer after layer. He would go a little further with the wall than planned in order to add a layer of straw insulation so that it stays nice and warm inside and the rain is also kept out.
Darkeye tries to raise a wall and makes a good face to the evil game.
Zamara's dark gaze lingers out over those gathered without a single word uttered to them. She remains close to Chaele's side, if just a few steps behind like some wayward child sailing in the wake of her adult's heels. A look of distrust enters her eyes if any of the others attempt to meet them, if only for a moment.
There was no need for her mentor to vocalize the task she was now set to and Zamara moved with decisiveness to return to the place she had sat before. Once again, her deft fingers begin to twist together twine to bind stick to stick until once again a sizable stack has been created. She then gathers up the fresh trail markers and with head held high she sets off on her own towards the Undergrove, intending to dot the landscape in the opposite direction.
As the station fades from view, so too does Zamara's confidence. She constantly swivels her head around and watches each step- making poor progress among the trees.
------
(So sorry, real life stuff was keeping me from posting.)
Zamara spends time crafting more simple trail markers before hanging them from trees leading from the station to the Undergrove.
