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!
It’s a suspiciously easy start to the day for them, but Evie is intent on not examining it too closely lest she set it off like a bomb by looking too hard for the bumps and shadows. Even when they arrive and find the sled too large to make it through the door, she doesn’t awfully mind. The alternative of more trips is far from the worst luck they’ve ever had in the midst of these large projects.
“Perhaps if we bring it to the closest door, and then you use your magic on a single strut to turn it into a metal chute? Then we can slide each strut inside without straining ourselves, and they’ll be loaded neatly on the floor inside for pickup.” It would also keep them out of the elements if they weren’t able to finish utilizing all of them today.
If Deimos is capable of doing so, she waits for him to accomplish it, and only then would she load the first strut into the open-topped chute to slide them down and inside the building through the doorway.
- - -
Evie suggests using the metal of one strut and the any sled materials to form a low elevated chute to slide the struts down and through the doorway to neatly stack on the floor inside for use. Assuming dice say that works, she begins sending the struts down the chute.
Tal might not have had the demigod's strength, but he'd figured out a way around it. Not content to stand around idle while Noah did all the work - not when the courier was accomplished in woodworking for the creation and repair of his dog sleds - he followed the other man to where the supplies waited and had Boreal hold a corner of his Bag of Holding so he could slide boards into it, one after the other, until it looked like they'd have plenty for the repair and expansion of the dock.
Measure twice, cut once, as his aunt always said. He took a second set of measurements and compared them with Noah's before taking a second saw and cleaning up the broken edges of the hole so they could fit the new boards in place. Once Noah had the replacements ready, Tal took up the hammer and grinned at the hunter. "Won't take off any more o'yours than I've taken of mine," he promised, wiggling his own whole and hale fingers for show. Then he went to work, making sure the new boards were snug and tight as well as secure.
Tal cleans up the edges of the hole and nails Noah's boards into place!
This is Deimos the Lucky we're talking about, so naturally, anything he decides to accomplish (barring a fumble, which this is not) goes as expected. And Evie is equally as skilful in her magic - and ideas, as it happens! - for the couple succeed in getting the struts through the doorway without breaking any of them or any part of the Palace interior. Isn't that good? They can now proceed up to the construction site...
Tal and Noah are having a good time of it now as well, as it happens, and they manage to patch the hole in the platform without taking off any fingers or ruining it further. All in all, by the time Ronin returns with the lumber, it's looking pretty good.
"There! Hopefully there won't be any more ningo to worry about," he says with a grin. "I think we can keep going a bit longer today!"
- There is now enough lumber to complete the length of the dock platform, and enough struts to reinforce it once it is fully constructed!
- Two people are needed to continue building along the platform with the raw lumber (this is basically the same as the first day).
- Two more people are needed to start strengthening the platform with the struts! Ronin will be on his nimbus to hold things in place, but someone will need to help get them through the doorway, and another person will need to assist in actually attaching them to the wood and the stone wall.
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
With a furtive little grin sent to Evie for their accomplishments, Deimos set off in pursuit of finishing other tasks. Figuring someone else could send the struts down the chute, he strolled towards where he’d assisted on the first day, none the wiser that there’d been a giant hole in his platform some time before. “I can help here again,” he noted, snagging at some of the lumber and tossing it over his shoulder.
Rolling up his sleeves, grabbing necessary tools, and applying the muscle, might, and power behind each movement and motion, the Sword also reached into the segments of his magic once more. The Earthen intonations responded with fervor, intending to strengthen and reinforce the work as they went along.
--
Deimos goes to help continue building along the platform and uses his Mastered Earth to assist/strengthen.
Earth Manipulation: Can create and control the earth. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered
it's not the waking, it's the rising It's the fire it ignites
Ready to take a break from woodworking, Noah moved on to the next task. Deimos stepped in to thrust boards over his shoulder and bent the world around them to his will. Noah was just ready to use brute strength. With all of their materials gathered now, and the wood leaving a sour taste in his mouth, Noah headed for the struts. The metal was cold as ice, and so the hunter opted to keep his gloves on. Heaving as he could, with the help of other citizens, Noah attempted to move the struts where they needed to go. Ronin was there, ready to help place them, but they just needed to get them there first. Noah grunted with the effort of the task, though the steely determination bred deep within him (and all Halovians) kept him moving as best as he could.
---
Noah helps bring the struts.
i'd fashioned my own cross been crushed by its weight there's no stronger message than dirt in your face
The grin is a returned thing, and helps lighten her spirits a little. Perhaps they will get further along today if this is the ease of their start? Though she can help with either task, she decides to give Deimos and Tal some time together, and aims a warm smile at Noah as the man begins to haul the struts.
She is not nearly as strong as the demigod, but she uses her telekinesis yet again to lighten the load of each strut even imperceptibly. Ronin’s assistance would be greatly appreciated as they worked, but at least her earth magic and telekinesis would be of use when it comes time to start attaching the struts, so the shaking muscles will have to be accepted to balance out her usefulness.
With any luck, Deimos would never need to know about the polar bear-foot-sized hole in the dock. Tal snuck a conspiratorial grin to Noah before the demigod shifted off to help with the struts but the courier had no illusions about his own strength. Nor had he any useful magic to lighten that particular task along.
So he stayed with the wood, where he was most comfortable and best able to use his experience. When Deimos joined him Tal perked up and scampered along behind the Warden, hammering in nails where the Sword's magic and might placed the wooden beams. Quick, sure taps drove the metal home to hold it all in place as the courier moved lightly over the expanding docks.
Tal helps Deimos with the platform!
With Deimos being who he is, it isn't really a surprise to see the platform extend itself almost as if it chose to do so. Tal could have actively worked against the Sword and it would still have been a success (luckily he doesn't, and his assistance ensures that things go smoothly). As for the struts, with two sets of brawn (looking at Ronin and Noah) and one set of brains and beauty (Evie), the dock foundation is looking very, very solid indeed.
"I think that will do for today," Ronin says as the sun begins to dip down below the horizon. "Thank you for all your help. I think we might be able to get this finished by tomorrow!"
The best laid plans of mice and men, something something something.
When tomorrow comes, it's a bitterly cold day and a heavy snow is falling. And whilst Ronin has been able to get the supplies needed, the platform is freezing cold and very, very icy. There's a lot to be done.
- Great work so far, kids! Unfortunately, the weather moves against you today. Two people need to help to clear the ice from the platform so that the work can begin in earnest.
- There are poles and rope available to help create a railing to hold onto. Two people need to help construct this so the skyport can be safe (for today and for any future passengers).
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
Content with the results and the wealth of their success, Deimos bid the rest of them a good evening, intending to catch up on other matters back at the barracks.
Upon his return in the morning, it was to a heavy snow, a chilling bite, and his features still to the wind, chin raised in his lure to the cold. Unbothered in his heavy furs and coat, the Sword inspected portions of their prior work, and to no surprise, found the platform covered and coated in ice.
A normal pattern in Halo, but something to be wary of while they traveled and traversed. Within a moment, he snagged at his own elemental prowess, intending to contort and control, wielding the ice away into nothing at all.
--
Deimos tries to usher the ice on the platform away using his Mastered Water magic.
Water manipulation: Can create and control water. Must be within a 30ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered
it's not the waking, it's the rising It's the fire it ignites
Their work was not in vain and Noah was grateful for it. The sweat of their brows and the ache in their backs would be all worth it when the world was connected to Halo and Halo to it -- without the use of the portal. He could feel the delight clinging to his throat as they settled for the day, and as he moved home to crawl into bed with Cordelia and worship their work by way of sleep.
The next day was nothing short of what Halo offered -- her own will. Snow and ice clung to the construction site and Noah sighed, looking out through his fur-lined hood into the snowy world he loved. "Evie, would you mind helping me with the perimeter?" Her magic had proved quite useful the day before when they were moving and setting the struts, and he could surely use someone's help that would be less likely to succumb to slipping on the ice. "I think we might have a good chance if you follow along from below the platform and send the poles up to me." Noah was willing to take the risk of slipping and falling off the platform because there was a high chance -- give by Vi -- that he wouldn't hit the ice.
Not hesitating any longer for the warden's answer, Noah set to work. He took one of the cords of rope and draped it over his chest, much like he would his bow. Then, he ascended the platform and with as much care and attention he could give, started placing and pounding the first pole into place.
---
Noah asks Evie to help him set up the railing system, and starts working on it.
i'd fashioned my own cross been crushed by its weight there's no stronger message than dirt in your face
Noah’s voice - and her name within it - draws her attention from the struts, and she flashes a gamely smile as she pulls her gloves tighter and further down her wrists in preparation. “Absolutely, I think that’s a great idea.” While her arm strength is impressive, her magic helps with most of the work.
There’s not much in terms of minerals in steel and iron, but Evie uses both her earth magic and telekinesis as much as she can to ensure the struts are stable and even as she helps alongside Noah. Whatever minutia can be grasped and commanded she strives to reach regardless of success. She hands each strut up to him, straining with effort but silent and focused, a determined grit to her expression as they work in tandem with the heavy items.
- - -
Evie uses both her magics and some good old grit to work with Noah, handing the struts up to him for the railing.
Tal might have, for a few minutes after he stepped outside, selfishly regretted loaning his Cuff to Ronin for the day. But he was Halovian, born and bred, and after heading back inside for another layer beneath his parka and a heavier pair of gloves he tromped back out into the snowy cold.
A pair of tinted Goggles peered out at the work ahead, sandwiched between a fur-lined cap that covered his ears and a thick woolen scarf wrapped three times around his face. He made a face that no one else could see at the ice on the platform before Deimos stepped forward to wield his mighty magics in service to the task.
It left one rangy courier feeling more than a little inadequate, but Tal squared his shoulders with a stubborn glower at the ice and grabbed a long-handled ice scraper to clean up any chunks left in the Warden's wake. Tal grabs an ice scraper and cleans up any scraps that Deimos misses. He uses his citizenship ability to avoid slipping on the ice!
Halo has hardened you against her weather and her terrain. Once per PQ/PQ+/KQ/Drop, you can ignore an environmental effect that would otherwise hinder you (rough terrain, cold, wind, etc).
Thanks to the handily borrowed Frostbite Cuff, Ronin is able to work with ease while the others get their parts finished. And not to worry Talyson, your efforts are much appreciated, even with Deimos's skill and uncanny luck. Between the group, a rope railing is erected with ease, and the platform is safe to walk upon once more.
"This is great," Ronin says as he hops off his nimbus, grinning between them. "I have a few sky pilots and craftsmen from Stormbreak on their way - they'll be able to put the finishing touches on this place for the rest of today. For now, I think we just need to salt and grit the platform to make sure the ice doesn't freeze over it again, and carry up some supplies from downstairs."
- Last push, gang! Two people need to carry up the bucket of salt and grit and scatter it across the platform, just in case things get colder again.
- Two others need to collect lumber, rope and a few crates from the base of the Palace and bring it up to the workstation.
- Once that's done, Ronin will write a wrap up post and we're done!
soft spoken with a broken jaw we step outside, but not to brawl
A sigh of relief filtered through him, likely inaudible, at how everything was coming together. For the good of Halo, the people, its citizens, transportation, trade…a welcome accord from the depths of isolation, something to look forward to. Nodding at Ronin’s next, and hopefully final, set of tasks, he figured he could use his might and muscles elsewhere, leaving others to salt and grit.
Passing a smile towards each of his comrades, the Sword then proceeded towards the palace, intending to assist in snagging and collecting the lumber, rope, and crates. From there, he could help in hauling it back to the station.
--
Deimos goes to help collect lumber, rope, and crates!
it's not the waking, it's the rising It's the fire it ignites
