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!
Though the fountain at the Docks would eventually hold lucky rum, the first liquid within it would be water gathered and purified by Torchline's residents. Hadama had spoken with Harper at length about how to go about the task since Mer had a different idea of what constituted 'pure' water than humans did. Salt, for instance, wasn't seen as a contaminant to Mer and didn't harm them the way it did the landfolk. His co-leader had provided valuable suggestions and together they had formed a plan to fulfill Safrin's quest.
Luckily there were plenty of streams of fresh water that flowed from the springs on the islands that would make a good starting point, and Hadama had arranged for several large, empty wooden barrels to be brought to the meeting place: a large, lush island near the remains of Apopo. Now the sea king waited in the shallows, going over his mental notes for what they would need to do. They had materials to gather, and quite a bit of time to spend together, and he hoped the call that had gone out would draw a few more helpers to speed the task along. Once the volunteers had gathered they could begin.
This is a PQ to gather water and purify it for the Lucky Rum Fountain RQ! Please post your characters arriving. There is an open space available if anyone else wants to join!
George was not a particularly selfless person - he was a thief, after all - but he had a great deal of pride in his homeland, and when the call went out to help with a quest for Safrin, he was more than happy to sign up. After all, improving Torchline would bring in more people in the form of tourists (read: easy targets), and more tourists meant more work for George. So him being here was a win-win for everyone, really.
In any case, he had met the mer-king before, and as he strolled up to the appointed meeting place, he waved a hand in greeting. "Hello, King Hadama. It's nice to see you again," he said politely as he joined the merman. "I hope the restaurant we cleaned up is still silk-free?"
George is a familiar and welcome face as Harper arrives last, laden with the last few materials he'd agreed to bring for the necessary collection they'd be performing today. Breathing a little harder with exertion, he nevertheless wipes his damp brow and smiles at both men - even if, as it always is these days, his smile is a bit strained.
"I'm glad to see the barrels were delivered without issue," he remarks to Hadama with a slight huff to his words as he catches his breath. Given how large they are, he'd worried about their delivery, concerned by the distance required to get from town. It's hopefully a promising sign that they aren't starting off on the wrong foot.
I am water - soft enough to offer life tough enough to drown it away
"George. Welcome," the mermanta rumbled, serenely pleased to see the Hanged Man's helpful employee once again out performing good deeds. "The cafe is well, thank you." Though George's nemesis had returned, before being packed off to Stormbreak for the duration.
He might have said more, but Harper arrived, bringing the rest of their supplies and Hadama nodded to his co-ruler in appreciation. "Thank you for bringing the sieves." The rest of the materials they could gather on their own, but having these items would save them time later in the day. It was looking like it would be busy enough as it was!
"First, we must collect water to fill the fountain," he explained to George, since Harper had been there when the quest had been given. "For now, take a barrel and fill it. Choose whatever source you want, but the cleaner the better. It will need to be purified afterwards." For that reason ocean water wasn't a good choice, but otherwise... "Let us meet back here in an hour." Plenty of time to locate a good stream or spring, then retrieve and fill a barrel before lugging it back to the shore.
Round 1!
bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.
You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)
He might have spoken with Hadama longer, but Harper arrived before he could, and George offered a friendly nod to the other king. It was perhaps strange for a thief to find himself in the company of the region's leadership, but George stood with an air of ease about him, thoroughly unbothered by the rank of those around him.
Gathering water seemed like a simple enough task, though to fill a whole barrel would take some physical work. George saluted lazily as he was given his marching orders, then picked up an empty barrel and carried it to a nearby spring. Finding a bucket, he set up in the shallows, ladling fresh water into the barrel using the bucket. It would take a while, but hopefully he would manage without a hitch.
------
George ladles water from a spring into the barrel with a bucket!
Harper shoots Hadama a slightly brighter smile, always happy when exposed to gratitude. It was truly no difficult task, not even physically laborious, but he's an easy man to make happy.
As for filling the barrels with water, Harper has a very different approach. A far more enjoyable one in his opinion. Transforming into his elephant form, Harper siphons the water into his trunk - an enviable 2.5 gallons readers - and begins ferrying it into the barrles, ears flapping in clear pleasure over such a simple, methodical task. Despite its thick hide and massive figure, his elephant form has always exemplified happiness and playfulness to Harper. It merely also happens to be incredibly helpful this time.
Once I had been wasted land but you have made me meadow green again
George found himself in the company of rulers who had once been just as common as he was, and neither of whom was inclined to stand on ceremony. His ease was appreciated without having particular attention drawn to it, and soon he went off on his own. He set to work with a will, and though his method may not have been flashy or magical, there was something to be said for the old-fashioned application of muscle and perseverance. It took a little while, but he filled up his barrel without much fuss or mess.
Harper's trunk may have been able to move more water in one go than George's ladle but his accuracy suffered in the process and quite a bit of water ended up on the ground around the barrels, either from a missed spray or from splashing out. Since they weren't working on a strict time limit it didn't do more than slow Harper down, at least, and he more than made up for the delay by filling extra barrels.
Hadama took the easiest route of all, given his high endurance with magic. He simply created it with his Mastered Water Manipulation and lowered it gently into the barrels left near the shore for his use.
Once the other men returned with their barrels filled with fresh water in tow, Hadama surveyed their haul and nodded with satisfaction at their work. "Thank you," he rumbled. His gaze turned towards Apopo's red glow, not so distant from their current location. "Next we will need to collect volcanic rock," he instructed. "Both larger and smaller chunks, to place on top of the sieves." He nodded to his fellow Torchers. "Let us collect several bags of it and meet back here."
Round 2
As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. While George might not have been winning any races, he certainly managed to fill his barrel and, after closing it tightly lest he lose any of his precious cargo, he rolled it carefully back to where Hadama and Harper waited. They, too, had managed to fill their barrels, and now, it seemed, it was time to gather volcanic rock through which they would, presumably, filter the water.
George nodded his agreement and grabbed two bags, meandering his way along a well-worn path and keeping an eye out for volcanic rock. Every so often, he spotted a selection from which to choose, and he gathered up larger rocks in one bag and smaller rocks in another. Hopefully, he would find enough to fill his bags before making his way back to the two kings; it would be better not to return empty-handed.
Who needs accuracy when there's plenty of water around? Or that would be Harper's excuse if either man in his current company were to speak up, but they don't, so clearly he is getting away with his sloppy, overeager antics. It was also infinitely easier to transport the barrels in his trunk than lugging it over the sand with human muscles.
Of course that's where the fun mostly ends, transforming back always a bit slower when it comes to condensing such a massive form into his far less impressive human skin. Which of course is exactly when he needs to shift again, making him roll his eyes good-naturedly and grin before taking wing this time to make the trek toward Apopo much faster and hopefully allowing him better deposits to pick through.
Given the amount they need he still shifts back to human form regardless, sorting through the volcanic rock to find varying sizes for their needs.
I am water - soft enough to offer life tough enough to drown it away
The wet and wild antics of water gathering eventually had to give way to the hard labor of lugging around rocks, but all three men proved that they were up for the challenge. George 's plan to separate out the rocks was going to come in handy later, and though his pace was slow it was steady. There weren't as many volcanic rocks this far from Apopo, but his sharp eyes picked out every single one along the path, and both of his bags were eventually filled.
Harper 's decision to go straight to the source on his feathered wings paid off handsomely. He found the rock they needed in abundance, in every possible size. In no time at all he was able to not only fill his bag, but to choose only the finest of volcanic rocks for their endeavor. He was the first one back to the meeting place with plenty of time to relax a little before the others rejoined him.
Hadama employed a similar method: he Aquaported to waters nearer Apopo and swam along the shore, gathering stones that were washed up with the tide. Most of his were smaller, but the quantity helped to make up for it, and once his bag was full he returned to talk quietly with Harper until George made it back as well.
A waterproof map case had been delivered along with the barrels, and a murmured request for one of the men to bring it to the shore soon revealed what it held: a waxed parchment with blueprints for a simple filtration system.
"We will use the remaining empty barrels," Hadama explained, nodding towards the leftover containers that were still in the boat that had brought them all. "If one of you will remove the bottoms from two of them and place the sieves over the holes, they can be stacked on the barrels we will use to transport the filtered water. Someone else will need to climb up and place the rocks in the upper chambers, filling them up as tightly as possible."
Round 3!
Avengers Assemble the filtration stations, using empty barrels, the sieves, and the stones!
1. build the framework for the filters, using two empty barrels and a sieve for holding the rocks
2. layer the rocks in as tightly as possible
Hadama will interpret the blueprints and supervise from the water
George returned last, seemingly unbothered by the slow but steady pace he had set for himself. He had taken the longest, perhaps, but he'd completed his task, and he ambled back into their little camp to set his bags of rocks aside. He may have been the slowest, but he felt that he'd been the most organized, what with separating the rocks and all. Surely that would pay off in one way or another.
"I'll work on the barrels," he volunteered, then set to work removing the bottoms of two barrels as instructed by Hadama, checking every now and then to ensure he was following the blueprints. Once the bottoms were removed, George layered the sieves over the holes and stacked them up, hoping that the framework would be solid and sturdy.
Though he’s not normally the type, Harper indeed does take the time to relax a bit once he returns with more than sufficient volcanic rock in his clutches. Soon the days will become dark and dreary in winter’s clutches, and he wants to linger in the sunlight as long as he can.
The next step is less physically demanding, though Harper hasn’t built a filtration device since he was in survival training in his early teens. As such the blueprints are appreciated, and George’s help of course is much the same. Harper begins layering the rocks, glad that so much had been brought back so he can fill in the gaps and be overly detailed on how packed in they are as he builds it higher.
- - -
Harper layers the rocks!
I am water - soft enough to offer life tough enough to drown it away
It wasn't George 's fault that the filtration rigs were fitting together poorly. The blueprints were confusing and though Hadama was doing his best to interpret from the water, he was unfamiliar with the contraptions and the shorthand on the diagrams. Between the two of them it was difficult going, and George cracked the first barrel in the process of removing its bottom. They needed Harper's more expert assistance to finish the initial construction, but thankfully the Stalwart had enough luck skill to make up for their lack thereof.
Speaking of whom, Harper clearly knew what he was doing with the barrels, the filters, and the rocks themselves. He was able to fit the light-weight volcanic rocks together snugly, ensuring the water would travel slowly through the natural filters before they reached the fine mesh screens at the bottom. With deft expertise he layered larger and smaller stones to reduce the gaps between them as much as humanly possible.
When they had finished assembly Hadama took a moment to admire their work before he nodded gratefully to the men. "All that is left is to filter the water through it. It will need to be added slowly. It will go easier if we take turns," he suggested. They would need to lift the barrels of water up high enough to be poured into the top of the double-high filtration casks and hold them there for an extended period, letting the water trickle slowly into them without overflowing the sides before it had a chance to filter down through the rocks and into the empty, waiting casks below.
Last Round!
Take turns pouring the water into the filtering casks and feel free to relax on the beach in between shifts!
