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!
11-26-2022, 04:50 PM (This post was last modified: 11-30-2022, 02:45 AM by Phoebe.)
PHOEBE
Pop!
Phoebe appeared at the Stone Symphony from the Sidhe Village in the blink of an eye with her teleportation ability, having gone about as far as she could with her powers. But it was far enough as she appeared at a narrow part of the swell. Crossing it could be treacherous on foot but it proved an important pathway to other parts of the wood.
Thus a bridge needed to be built.
Phoebe had put out a call across the region and others as well, seeking help from those who might respond. Hopefully people would make their way to the predetermined spot in the wood on time so they could make haste on the task ahead.
So she set down the supplies she had brought and waited with bated breath for people to arrive.
Welcome to the bridge building PQ! Phoebe appreciates your help!
There are three spots open! There will be no posting order for this PQ.
you've long seen your downfall, spelled out in another's bones
Ronin hasn't heard the request for help, sorry. But uh, he's here anyway, and it's entirely by accident.
Truth be told, he'd been so spun around by the Greatwood at first that it had taken him a while to resist the urge to simply fly off again. But he's not here for himself; he's here for Remi, and he's here to find Phoebe.
And find her he does, the Huntsman emerging from the undergrowth looking more like his title than ever before; his dark hair is longer, there's dirt under his fingernails and his clothes are a simple affair - a faded blue shirt, equally as faded pants and a pair of mud caked boots.
"Ah - hey," he says slowly, which is a very, very lame greeting for someone who has been missing for a year. "Sorry to just..." He gestures at himself as if to say all of this. "I just wondered if I could... oh, shit - have I caught you at a bad time?"
Glancing around, it doesn't take a genius to see she's either in the middle of something, or about to start it. "Anything I can help with?"
Ronin brings himself and a request for Phoebe, but more on that later! He offers his help.
A year had been spent putting Torchline to rights and restoring the Underwater City; building bridges both metaphorical and physical with the people of Haulani and returning stability to the court of the Mer. He had given his time to his people and the well-being of land and sea both, for the sake of his home waters.
And now he could finally take some small amount of time to himself once in awhile to explore these new currents and waterways that opened the world up to his people.
And to build bridges farther afield.
He arrived on purpose, having heard the call, and his head rose from beneath the waters of the Symphony near to where Phoebe stood. Hair the color of silvered steel slicked back from dark brown skin in a loose braid and emerald eyes shone alertly from his strong-jawed face. Where scars traced his skin beneath the water they gleamed gold from the tattoos worked carefully over them.
Seeing Ronin he inclined his head deeply, stern gaze softening in greeting. "Huntsman," he rumbled. "You have been missed."
And then, turning to Phoebe: "I am Hadama. How can I help?"
Hadama brings himself to help.
our sun's still shining, but it seems half the size
Jude definitely does not know the man that wanders into the area he’d agreed to wait for his mother at, but by the man’s words he certainly knows Jude’s mother. It’s not unexpected, though Jude is mostly familiar with his mother’s friends by now. Still, finding himself unexpectedly shy as two strangers come to join the efforts, the young boy merely waves silently from the sidelines as everyone convenes for directions.
Mermen are familiar enough to him as Harper’s son and a resident of Torchline (part-time of course!) so he is careful not to stare impolitely at Hadama as the man introduces himself. Though that’s a good reminder of his own manners, drilled into his head by his Maman. “Hi, I’m Jude,” he says softly to the group at large, shyness turned endearing by a sincere smile and pink cheeks as he waves - again. Oops.
Phoebe's eyes widened when Ronin appeared out of seemingly nowhere because where had he and Remi been? "Ronin! Where have you been all this time?" she said in surprise. But his own question brought her back to the task at hand. "Yes actually. I'm building a bridge across this part of the Stone Symphony." she said, gesturing to the narrow part of the river.
As she did so a head appeared there - a merfolk all the way out here! What a wonder! "My name is Phoebe. Thank you for coming to help." she said with a warm smile to Hadama.
And then there was Jude, mighty in heart...but not so much upper body strength. Though she was sure there was something she could get his help with.
So there they were, the Nightingale, the Huntsman, the Merman, and the Little Man.
"First things first." she said, clapping her hands. "We need to dig holes for these posts to go in. Ronin, can you help me with that? Hadama, if you could gather clay from the riverbed that would be great, we will need a lot of it. And Jude, could you gather rocks? Ones as big as my fist." she said, doling out tasks. Under the presumption that everyone agrees, Phoebe sets to digging the first of what would ultimately need to be four holes.
Ronin you are on team post hole digger! Yes, there are shovels.
Hadama you are team collect clay. There are buckets available for use.
Jude you are team collect rocks. There are buckets available for use.
11-30-2022, 06:11 PM (This post was last modified: 11-30-2022, 10:09 PM by Hadama.)
"It is nice to meet you, Jude. Phoebe." He inclined his head courteously in greeting and then listened to their host's plan. A thoughtful look came over his face as his task was given and he gave another slow, solemn nod of agreement. "Yes," he said simply, swimming over to collect two buckets and then slipping below the surface of the water without a ripple.
He had no earth magic to help pull the clay out of the riverbed, but he had strong muscles and his water magic to keep the stream clear while he used his broad, tough hands to wrest large clumps of clay free. He took care to pick out the smaller pebbles and debris that clung to it before bringing it to the surface. Setting the two buckets ashore, he pulled the water out of them and then grabbed another and went back for more, curious about what Phoebe would use it for.
Hadama collects clay from the bottom of the river and uses his water magic to keep the stream from getting too silty while he works.
you've long seen your downfall, spelled out in another's bones
Offering a small smile to Jude and a respectful nod to Hadama, Ronin is nonetheless focused on the Nightingale and her work. It's why he's come down here, of course. And so he grabs up a shovel as he's directed, moving opposite Phoebe to begin digging. This type of work is almost frighteningly easy for him, even after a year 'off' so to speak, and so he barely gives it a thought as he gets to work.
"Away," he says softly, unwilling to drag the sheet of mystery from their whereabouts right now. "Remi can't fly any more. It's why I came to find you, actually - he wanted to know if it was possible to get his compass back, please?" He wouldn't have come down to ask if it wasn't important. And in the meantime, hey - he can build a bridge easy enough, right?
Ronin helps to dig and asks Phoebe about Remi's compass!
our sun's still shining, but it seems half the size
Both men are kindly, if focused on their tasks. Jude doesn’t mind, not the type to need attention direly, and it feels good to be included in these efforts alongside the adults, almost like an equal. He knows he isn’t, but youthful vigor and optimism will surely get him through. Even the greatest projects have the tiniest details, right?
With his mother’s instructions, Jude beams. “Okay mom!” And he’s off, scrambling down the bank - but not before plucking a bucket from the construction pile - and begins the hunt for rocks. His fists are smaller than his mother’s, so he tries to find ones that are twice the size of his own for good measure. It makes peeling them out of the dirt and sand difficult, but Jude doesn’t mind the workout.
Phoebe was still surprised by her own strength regularly, and though she wasn't digging with nearly as much ease and speed as Ronin, she still found her delicate frame not a hinderance for the work. What she was taken aback by was Ronin's question. A conflicted look crossed her features. She couldn't yet teleport very far and the compass was her way to easily get Jude to and from Torchline.
But that wasn't Remi's problem now was it? That's what Frey would have said.
"O-of course! Here..." she said. The Nightingale reached into the pocket of her skirt and produced the compass for Ronin to take.
Once Ronin took the compass, she teleported to the other side of the river to dig another post hole.
"Hadama, when you're finished, could you start tying the shorter ropes to the long ones about a foot apart?" she said. She trusted a Torchliner and nautical dweller to be quite adept at tying knots after all.
"Good job, sweetie!" she called to Jude, encouraging him to continue at his task.
Round 1 done! Several more to go!
Ronin - another post hole needs to be dug on the otherside of the river. You now also have Remi's capitol compass.
Hadama - Tie shorter ropes to the two long ones roughly a foot apart.
As he brought the third bucket of clay to shore, Phoebe's voice reached him and he looked around for the ropes. Spying them on the shore he inclined his head to her in an agreeable nod. "Yes." He'd seen such bridges around Torchline and it was easier to visualize, now, what sort of span they would be constructing. He settled himself on a large, flat stone alongside the bank, his tail draped mostly into the water and his torso dry while he pulled the ropes over and began to assemble them.
He was not, perhaps, as adept as a true sailor would have been at tying the appropriate knots, but his large fingers moved with slow confidence as he tied and tightened and moved on to the next. He was patient and careful, the lessons of his mother's seaforge serving him well in other tasks, and the mermanta soon had a steady rhythm going as he constructed what he thought might be the bridge's future frame.
Hadama works slowly but steadily to assemble the ropes as Phoebe directed him.
you've long seen your downfall, spelled out in another's bones
"Thank you," Ronin says earnestly as he accepts the compass back from her. "If you need anything from either of us, just write. Letters always find us." Reaching across, he gives her shoulder a warm squeeze, before it's back to digging post holes and Phoebe is flickering away across the bank. The Huntsman doesn't comment on it (he doesn't need to, his expression says enough that he's impressed), and it's with a small smile to himself that he continues his work.
For his part, there's no teleporting needed; another Ronin simply appears beside Phoebe, offering her a nod before taking up another shovel to keep digging. The manual labour feels good in a way he hasn't expected; it's a reminder of how simple things can be now. No war, no relics. Just bridge building.
Ronin uses his duplicate to dig another hole on the other side of the river!
our sun's still shining, but it seems half the size
Jude is too polite to stare, even as a second Ronin appears by literal magic. He does peek frequently from the corner of his eye as he moves further down the bank for more rocks. Unfortunately he has picked this section of riverbed pretty dry, and though the woods are comforting to him after growing up in it, he has no desire to leave the little group and potentially get lost if the pathways are feeling mischievous.
Down along the water he goes, plucking more rocks, examining them all with a shrewd eye to ensure they are suitably large. Plunk. Thonk. Dong. One after another hitting the edges of the bucket as they’re dropped inside.
Phoebe smiles back at Ronin. Not having the compass would make things more difficult, but she could make it work. Remi needed it more than her.
With the post holes dug they could start on erecting the posts themselves. "So to keep the poles in place, we are going to use the clay and rocks in the open areas of the holes like bricks and mortar." she explained to Ronin. This would provide the necessary stability and strength to support the bridge and any people on it.
"Jude, come and help me with this." she called out to her son as she held a post steady. "Lay down a bunch of clay around the pole, then a layer of rocks, then more clay until you get to the top." she instructed.
Hadama would be busy with the ropes for awhile so she left him to his task for the time being.
Ronin you are now on team pole setting. Use layers of rocks and clay to cement in the poles.
The mermanta was a patient soul, and his work was thorough rather than swift. It was no surprise how long the task was taking, considering the length of the main ropes, but there was little he could do to help with digging holes or placing the posts in them from the water. So it was that Hadama was content to tie each knot with care, testing it to be sure of it would hold before he moved on to the next.
From time to time he looked up to see how the humans were doing, and upon seeing not one but two Ronins he blinked and took a moment to check his vision but--
'Useful," he rumbled, impressed at the trick.
Hadama keeps on keeping on with the ropes
