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!
With most of her materials finally procured, Flora was on her way back. Seeing Dorian 's wagon-marks didn't ring any bells of alarm in her mind (no tracker was our Flora), and so the Doubletake simply headed back to the shore.
"Okay! I think this should be enough? We've got nails and whatever for everyone, but we've also got some water-tight paste for the docks, and some of these lanterns for the skyships." So saying, Flora sends off her NPCs to distribute the materials gathered for each group.
It seemed as though Hadama had things well in hand, so Flora opted to head over to Edmund and give him a hand. Arguably Torchers were more familiar with the making of docks than of skyports, and though Flora hadn't a clue about their design, at least she could...hold things?
Hadama! The workers have brought you the remainder of your supplies, as well as some water-proof epoxy to use beneath the waves. Given the recent tsunamis, the ocean floor is quite silty and you find you've been able to sink down the pillars with greater ease than you'd otherwise have expected.
Edmund, Flora is joining your team! We have all the supplies needed, but now we need to hang lights and such so the Skyships don't crash.
Dorian was just one unfamiliar face among any number of recent arrivals and helpful hands from other regions, and Hadama had no reason to think the jovial older man had been gone for a concerningly long time. Surely he had finished his task by now and was helping Flora in town or Edmund with the skyport?
The mermanta's own work took all of his attention as he supervised two crews working above and below the waves, serving to keep them in communication so both could progress, while coordinating rest and snack breaks for everyone. If he was beginning to feel a little harried he did not show it, and he met the arrival of the epoxy with quiet satisfaction.
Enough progress had been made that planks could start being laid from the shore, and since the pilings were going in easier than expected he sent some of that crew back to begin applying the epoxy as they moved forward.
Slowly but steadily the largest piers began to extend into the deeper water once more.
Hadama continues managing the docks, and sends a couple people from the underwater team to start applying the epoxy.
Edmund nodded as Flora joined him, "I'll get the lights set up." Grabbing a torch, he used his fire magic to light lanterns. Once enough were shining, he took wire and hung each of them to a post. The Ancient made sure that they were evenly spaced to minimize the number of blind spots for ships and pedestrians alike. Just because a mugging wasn't out of place in Torchline, didn't mean he had to make it any easier to accomplish.
As he worked, Edmund glanced up in the general direction of where Dorian had gone. It had been some time since the man had disappeared with his team and the hairs on the back of the Ancient's neck were beginning to rise. Something felt off but he didn't know what. Nor did he have proof.
~
Edmund uses a torch and his fire magic to light lanterns and hangs them!
Fire Manipulation: Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded
There are a few complaints as to why the debris and trash shouldn't be thrown into the Fingers, but nothing that Dorian couldn't address with an easy smile and silvered tongue. Why, hadn't civilizations been burying their dead and the like for years? Was this really so different? Why clutter everything above ground when space was becoming more and more scarce?
Given the heat and exhaustion, no one was overly inclined to argue, and so it was with shrugged shoulders and curled lips that the gaggle of NPC's with Dorian did as he'd suggested.
Entering into the Fingers, Dorian selected one of the tunnels and indicated that the NPCs should begin to unload the wagon into it.
A few NPCs in Hadama 's camp had begun to braid thick ropes together to serve as railings. They'd noticed before that hardwood slats often were more of a hindrance when unloading cargo, and the thinking was that ropes with a bit of give and sway might alleviate these sorts of issues. "Anything else you wanted changed, sir?" One of the group asked, looking at Hadama expectantly.
Edmund 's magic spreads, lighting up the lanterns and making it much easier to see where potential blindspots might be, as the Ancient had already begun to consider. "Do you have a flighted shift? I can't remember." Flora wonders. If not she was sure one of the NPCs would. "That way we can make sure it looks as good from out there as it does up here."
Hadama - any improvements you want to make before the overall structure of the docks are cemented in place?
Edmund, fly (or ask an NPC) to go view the lights from the air to determine if any changes need to be made.
The suggestion of the ropes had met with Hadama's approval after the reasoning had been explained. The Mer had little experience with unloading ships, and he welcomed the innovation of the sailors on the dock repair crew. Surfacing to check on the progress of the planking and railings, he paused to consider the question with due diligence.
"Hmm. A ramp from the pier closest to the Bubblestream down into the water," he decided. "For bringing trade goods in and out of the waves." Or emergency supplies and rebuilding materials, in the current situation. "And lantern posts at the end of each dock." Torchline's eponymous lighting offered plenty of illumination along the beach, but the longer docks could use a little extra definition in the dark. Trade - both benign and clandestine - happened at all hours in the island region, after all.
The king sent the muscular woman to inform the rest of the topside crew of the additions; they could handle the new lantern posts without difficulty. Meanwhile, he dove once more to inform the pilings crew of the change of plan to the dock nearest the Bubblestream so they could plan accordingly as they approached that section.
Hadama suggests lantern posts at the end of the docks, and creating a ramp into the water from the dock nearest the Bubblestream exit
"I can fly." Rolling his shoulders back, the Ancient slowly shifted into his gore crow form. The bird emerged with a 'caw' and a surge of wings as it took to the sky. Once he climbed high enough into the sky, Edmund circled the area. With sharp avian eyes, he scanned the area for missed blind spots.
As he flew, the gore crow spotted a stray mouse in the debris. His bloodlust surged and feeling confident that he knew what needed to be adjusted (if anything) to the lights, he dove. Wings snapping open at the last minute, his talons sunk into the mouse. Pleased with his catch, Edmund snapped the mouse up in his beak and ate it in one bite.
~
Edmund shifts into a gore crow and checks the lights.
"You see? Absolutely no problems at all." Dusting his hands off, Dorian stands back from the edge of one of the tunnels where all of the garbage and debris has been thrown in. Though the aim had been to get rid of the waste in one of the caverns that didn't head out to the sea, there was a suspicious amount of water which was disturbed during their efforts.
"Just left over from the flooding." Dorian assured his team, and, because of how tired and hot everyone was, they were inclined to agree. "Now, what say we all just skip off early and go and fetch some lunch and drinks? I know we ate with Hadama, but I'm sure your bellies are more than a little emptier from all of our efforts? And," Dorian grins. "It's on me."
The work was done as Hadama had instructed. Though the dock workers could be amongst the more bristly of the Torchers, the merking knew the waters arguably better than any of them did, lending infallible expertise to his suggestions. "Wot you wanna do about the fountain?" A voice asked from the group. Though the fountain would take more repair work, just now the worry seemed to be whether it should be included properly as part of the docks themselves or sectioned off on its own.
"Oh. Well alrighty then." Flora hums to herself as she watches Edmund shift. From past experiences with Danta she knew the birds were capable of limited speech and figured the pair would be able to communicate well enough if anything needed to be changed. However as the ancient focused on lunch rather than adjustments, the queen could only roll here eyes. "If you've finished your snack," she called out, grinning, before nodding her head back toward the lights. "Can we adjust these?"
Finding one of the stalls normally settled on the beach but relocated more inland, Dorian orders a large portion of food for those who had accompanied him on their little adventure. "Mmm, try a bit of this." Pulling out a small jar from one of his pockets, Dorian gives it a little shake in the light. The contents are a deep violet colour, mixed with seeds of red. "The flavouring is a treat!" Opening the top he holds it out for the group to sniff and add to their food if they so wish. Dorian puts a large portion on his own food.
For those who take the spices, they'll remember almost nothing of their trek inland and into the fingers, and even less of Dorian save that he was kind and helpful if not a bit bumbling. This will contradict what the others might have said, leaving the entirely ordeal a bit of a mystery as to what actually was done within the fingers.
"We'll take a moment more I think before heading back, mmm?"
What about the fountain, indeed? Hadama looked over at the cracked and flooded structure that they had worked so hard to complete, though doing so had caused significant debate among Torchers after Safrin's disappearance. It would take a great deal more work to clean and repair it, but for today...
"Build the boardwalk back to it," he decided. "As part of the docks." Once, it had been intended mostly for the locals. But now? Everyone would need a little extra luck for the days ahead, whether Torcher, Halovian, Breaker, or Grounder. And they could certainly use it's effects during the repairs that would take seasons to build anew what Starfall's tidal waves had washed away.
Swimming over, Hadama began using his strength and his water magic to clear the area around the Fountain of debris so the building crew could move in and make their additions.
Hadama decides to include the Fountain as part of the docks and shifts debris out of the repair crew's way so they can reach the area.
Flora seemed more amused than angry, and Edmund happily flew back over to the lanterns. Shifting back to his human form, he sheepishly smiled at her. "Apologies. I couldn't help myself." With recent events, his usual hunting trip had been pushed back. Giving into the urge to have a snack now rather than lose himself to ignored bloodlust later, was not on his agenda.
Walking over to one of the lanterns that needed adjustments, he reached up and took it down. Edmund then moved it to an adjacent post and hung it there instead. He repeated the process a few more times until the lantern placement was fixed.
As Hadama begins the work to incorporate the fountain as part of the docks, the sun shifts across the sky offering a slight respite from the heat as a few scattered clouds sift their way across its path. "I know we already have a magical fountain, but I'm going to need some sort of magical bubble bath after this." Flora calls down to the merking with a weary grin before turning back toward Edmund. "Oh, I mean, I could have done that." The Doubletake says, though if the Ancient wants to do the work she's happy to let him.
Though undoubtedly there will be small things which need doing over the coming days, from where Flora stands, both docks now seem to be in working order. Running the back of her hand across her forehead, she looks vaguely around for Dorian before shrugging.
"Alright, shall we clean up and then try and find ourselves something to drink?"
"A bath does sound wonderful right now." Perhaps Edmund will stop by the bloodbath on his way to the Grounds for a nice crimson soak. It'd be a nice stress relief and he could take a moment to strategize his next course of action.
The Ancient chuckled at Flora before he began to clean up their construction supplies. There were plenty of hammers and extra nails hanging around that needed to be packaged or disposed of. He grabbed a box and started collecting, eager to be done. Edmund wasn't in the mood to drink tonight. but a hot tea sounded wonderful right now.
