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!
03-09-2024, 03:28 AM (This post was last modified: 03-09-2024, 08:22 PM by Sunjata.)
temporary fleeting thrills, keep me bruised and make me ill my skin has lavender tones
Everything was all in order, and with the cool breeze of Leafchange, it seemed more perfect than ever to get started this early morning on finishing the shrine to Frey he’s been working on for so long. Armed with a cart he’d carried, full of stone and bits of wood, a bag settled amongst the mixture that held the rest of the components – earth, fire, water, and air – the Flood arrives bright and early, ensuring that Longheat hadn’t killed off the plants he and Alys had planted together.
And with it, the Flood waits for help, offloading the bits of stone and pieces of metal (some of it recovered and unusable from the flooding from the Boondocks), ensuring he has the collection of everything required to get it started.
Petronella plays in the distance, diving through the grasses and dying flowers for bugs and other creatures. Overhead, the sky is streaked with multiple clouds, darkening the sky aside from the very few glimpses of the sun.
PQ to build Frey’s shrine! Please post your arrival <3
tell me i'm a loaded gun, tie me up and come undone i can cover it up, i can cover it up
totally sniped from odd ilu
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Maybe his own shrine quest wasn't going so well, but that was no reason to go back on his word to help Sunjata with his. Tal might not have been bright and early, but he came with his woodworking tools and a determined tilt to his chin. They were gonna get this done, and done right, dammit! Things hadn't been easy on the courier lately, and he needed something to go right to raise his spirits as they headed into the seasons of dying.
"Hey, Sunjata!" he called as he threaded around a particularly tall barrow and the tall silhouette of a demigod came into view in the peaceful meadow of Mourn. Boreal soared overhead, a distant speck of a dragon circling in the playful Leafchange winds. Pale scales occasionally gleamed in a stray ray of sunlight before the clouds closed over again and she blended in with the restless sky.
"Got everythin' y'need, or should I make a run with the Peregrine t'pick up more materials?"
Tal and Boreal arrive to help!
Before leaving for the Climb, Sah spotted a familiar dragon in the sky. Following his line of sight, Lilly perked up. She forcefully nudged him to follow so that she could say goodbye to her friend. There was no way that the Abandoned could say no to that. If eh tried, the silver wolf might drag him by the wrist with her teeth. Tracking the dragon led him to Sunjata and Tal, who were clearly working on something.
"Hey. Do you need any help?" The Wild Thunder called out as he arrived, Lilly racing forward to howl at Boreal. Pad walked silently beside Sah, nose twitching at the unfamiliar person beside Tal. The courier looked worse for wear, and Sah noted that he'd need to check on the man before leaving.
temporary fleeting thrills, keep me bruised and make me ill my skin has lavender tones
“Hey Tal!” Sunjata calls back, stretching out his arm before he flashes the courier a wave, glancing up toward Boreal as she soars overhead, catching the glimpse of her amongst the clouds before she blends back in. “I think we’ve got everything, but if we need to I can send you for more.” He gestures to the unloaded cart, surrounded by piles of stone and metal pieces, before his attention flickers up to spy Sah.
And given the most recent tricks pulled in Stormbreak, Sunjata can’t help the low rumble of a laugh that leaves him as he greets the Wild Thunder. “We could use your help, Sah.” Sunjata offers, flashing the abandoned a smile of greeting, while Petronella catches sight of the wolves and approaches with a mewl of excitement to meet up with the pair of them again.
Sunjata ignores them in favor for gesturing to the alcove made, with shrubs and a definitive space in the middle of it where Sunjata’s placed the base to start them off. “I’ve got stone and some metal and we have to incorporate four elements. I’ve got fire from the Climb, air from Stormbreak, earth from the Greatwood, and water from Torchline.” Explaining all the parts, ideas filter through his mind, but he settles on offering only one out. “I think if we create the shrine and use the metal to make a kind of dome at the top we can place the fire there and make it like… A lighthouse in a way. For the rest of it, though, I’m open to ideas as we start to build the shrine.” He steps over to collect the metal, twisting the pieces and utilizing his strength to start to make said dome, leaving the start of the base of the shrine for Sah and Tal to start to craft.
Round 1! Start on the base of the shrine and think up ideas for how to incorporate the earth, water, and air elements!
the flood
tell me i'm a loaded gun, tie me up and come undone i can cover it up, i can cover it up
totally sniped from odd ilu
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Boreal caroled a joyful greeting to Lily as the howl rose high into the air. She tilted and dove, dropping like a stone until she spread her wings again to begin the complicated process of slowing that much dragonweight before she hit the ground to greet her friend properly with much sniffing and rubbing of cheeks.
Tal brightened considerably when he saw Sah show up, and he flashed a cheeky grin at Sunjata's laughter before stretching out a hand to grasp the Wild Thunder's arm in a brief clasp of greeting. "When were y'gonna come by th'new house?" he scolded his frenemy lightly.
There wasn't much time for further hellos before it was time to get to work and the courier's brow furrowed down into a frown of intent listening, nodding along with each of the shrine's 'ingredients.' "Sounds good," he agreed, heading for the area Sunjata had indicated. He grabbed the biggest stone he could handle on his own and lugged it into the alcove, calling to Sah: "Biggest on th'bottom, an' smallest on th'top."
While he hauled rocks and placed them as tightly and neatly together as their shapes allowed, he thought hard on the elements that they had to work with. "I dunno about how we're gonna keep that specific air around it," he said slowly. "But maybe somethin' like... like windchimes hangin' from those metal ribs you're bendin'? Mebbe Frey'll get th'air t'make 'em always singin'?" So probably some light and peaceful chimes rather than the big ones with the deep voices. "An' we could build up some rocks in th'back o'th'altar t'make a kind o' fountain that pours into a basin behind th'main slab of it?"
Tal hauls rocks to help build the base and suggests windchimes for air and a small fountain at the back of the altar for water.
Sah flashed Sunjata a smile, "Happy to do so." Lilly happily greeted Boreal with a lick to the cheek as Pad tentatively touched noses with Petronella. The courier's enthusiasm pulled a snort from the Wild Thunder as he returned the man's grasp, "After this?"
The work quickly began, and Sah joined Talyson in stacking the stones. "Windchimes sounds good. But I think we can take the water a step further and incorporate the earth with it. We could make the fountain a waterfall that creates a moat around the edge of the dome. Then, we build a small earth bridge over the moat that leads to the shrine's center. There could be a place for offerings right in front of the fire that way too."
~
Sah helps work on the base! He agrees with windchimes but suggests that they make the water a waterfall that creates a small moat. One with an earth bridge to the center of the shrine.
temporary fleeting thrills, keep me bruised and make me ill my skin has lavender tones
They get to work and Sunjata starts to form the metal into the shape they need – utilizing his newfound strength he’s still getting used to in order to twist and combine it. He seals it with smaller bits of metal, pieces twined to keep everything put together while he listens to the options both men have to say.
Humming a note of agreement, the Flood peers over and looks back at the men’s work. “I agree. I think we’ll have extra metal from this too.” He hums, gesturing to the smaller pieces he hasn’t been able to find a way to fit into the cage he’s making right now. He does contemplate the next suggestions, though, head tilting avianlike as he hums. “What about… Making it a waterfall fountain as suggested, but perhaps instead of a full moat we can spread it out on each side to leave more room for offerings? And maybe take the earth and make another little mini barrier of a garden type of look?” Pausing as he squints in thought, his head tilts a bit further. “If you’ve ever seen the Oasis in the Grounds, it’s similar.” He doesn’t know if it still exists, though, having not explored in the past.
Regardless, the base comes together very nicely for the two men and soon enough they have a complete base to start formulating the center piece onto – one that they now have to decide if they want to craft it into that fountain. “I can test the fountain idea before we put in the water from Torchline to make sure everything works once we get it put together.” He offers, still fiddling in the meantime with the metal cage for the flame.
Round Two:
Build the center compartment for the shrine and incorporate the fountain idea! Sunjata will test it out next round.
the flood
tell me i'm a loaded gun, tie me up and come undone i can cover it up, i can cover it up
totally sniped from odd ilu
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
After this, Sah guessed, and Tal grinned in satisfaction. "Good answer," he teased the hunter, punching his shoulder lightly as they went to join Sunjata and then got to work hauling stone to build the base of the shrine.
It came together more easily than the courier expected, which was definitely a pleasant surprise. Then again, he and Sah made a pretty good team even when they were bickering, so it made sense that when they pulled in tandem they'd get even better results.
Windchimes sounded good all around, and Tal didn't even try to hide how smug he was when the other men approved of the idea. Sah's suggestion for the fountain-turned-waterfall had the courier frowning in uncertainty, however, as he tried to picture it. "Um." he offered helpfully, brow furrowing until Sunjata spoke up, putting into words what felt weird about the moat idea. "So just... two li'l pools on either side o' th'altar?" he hazarded, fishing for confirmation before they started digging.
"Gardens are good. Haven't been t'th'Oasis," he admitted freely. "I'll add it t'my list." But in the meantime he went to paw through the hollow metal lengths leftover from the fire cage, selecting a couple to line up to create the fountain's plumbing. "Right, whaddya think, Sah? Can y'weld 'em t'gether?" He knew the Wild Thunder had fire, but just how good was his control of it?
They were about to find out.
Leaving Sah to the metalwork, Tal went back to the shrine's base and started to pile up the more interesting and unusually shaped stones to create the waterfall's main cascade, leaving room for the piping to be inserted when the hunter was done.
Tal asks Sah to weld together some plumbing for the fountain, and starts building the waterfall's stone structure/path on top of the main compartment.
Sah rolled his eyes at Tal's punch, playfully nudging the courier back with his shoulder, "Sure, sure." The initial construction didn't run into any hiccups but there was still plenty to do. They had a solid plan now and Sah easily agreed to Sunjata's compromise. "I haven't been, but that sounds good." Either method of incorporating water sounded like a wonderful addition to the shrine, and who better to make the call than Frey's own Demi-god?
"Got it." Sah called forth his magic, letting fire just barely flicker in between fingers. Letting it raise the temperature of his hands, he began to meticulously weld the metal piping together. He used air magic to control the flames, strengthening and weakening the embers as needed.
~
Sah welds with air and fire magic and helps build the center compartment!
temporary fleeting thrills, keep me bruised and make me ill my skin has lavender tones
As Tal asks for clarification, Sunjata hums a little and shakes his head a small amount. “Not really pools, unless you’re thinking thin?” In his experience at least, pools were pretty much only called for large spans of water, made for swimming or peering into. These, to him, should reflect something like a small river. But he gestures until the men get the idea, and he’s soon content with the cage for the flame to go into, finishing it up with little colorful glass pieces to add to the ambiance.
Talyson’s work on the structure for the fountain goes well – minus a few rocks that try to slide out of the way, causing the courier to have to get a bit more particular about how he places the stones to keep them more interlocked. It works out, though, giving a perfect little slot for the plumbing Sah’s working on to fit through.
Sah has little trouble with the plumbing either, welding the pieces together in crafting that center compartment. And before long, it’s completed and cooled and able to be set into the center that Tal had left open. It fits like a glove, and now there’s the task of adding the top of the fountain before adding the extension of the fire, and including all of the bits and pieces of the elements Sunjata had created.
“Lookin’ great, guys.” He rumbles, flashing each man a crooked smile. “Tal, do you want to get started on the windchimes? Sah and I can finish up the fountain.” He suggests, already getting started with his partially shifted hand to dig out the little trenches on either side where he intends on the water to go.
Round three!
Tal – make the windchimes!
Sah and Sunjata will finish up the fountain and the little trenches for the garden :3
the flood
tell me i'm a loaded gun, tie me up and come undone i can cover it up, i can cover it up
totally sniped from odd ilu
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Tal thought he figured out what Sunjata wanted with the water features, but he was just as happy to focus on the structure of the fountain first. He had a pretty good idea of how he wanted it to look, and wrestling with the rocks was frustrating but weirdly cathartic when they finally did slip into place and interlock. Sure, some of them were more stubborn than others, but Tal was more stubborn than all of the rocks combined and soon he had a pretty good fountain built up, if he did say so himself.
He straightened up under Sunjata's praise, puffing his chest out a little as he exchanged a wry grin with Sah at their rare example of teamwork. Still, he didn't mind too much when he got put on windchime duty. Especially not when it meant that the Flood could sort out his own idea for the river... pool... things... to his own satisfaction, and the courier wouldn't have to worry about getting it wrong.
"Sure thing," he agreed, heading over to the remnants of the metal lengths and gathering them into bunches of differing lengths first. He had to dig his little hand drill out of his Bag and fit it with a tip for boring metal so he could put a pair of holes in each of the pipes, but they were thin enough that it wasn't too hard of a job; just a tedious one.
Once he'd sorted out how to string them up, he cut some round, thin slices off a small tree trunk to create the top plates from, then contributed some tough cord to string the bundles of pipes up with. The clappers and wind sails came from the same tree that had donated the top plates, and by the time he was finished he had three windchimes of varying sizes that bonged and sang pleasantly in the light breeze.
"So, uh... is this shrine gonna be mostly just for Sex Frey? Or will it work for both Freys?" he asked over his shoulder while he worked.
Tal finds a small tree to help with windchime construction and makes three from the leftover lengths of pipe!
Sah let out a snort and rolled his eyes at Tal, playfully bumping shoulders with the man as he walked past him to help Sunjata. Using his earth magic and telekinesis, the Abandoned did his best to follow the Demi-god's lead and craft the fountain and trenches as he desired. Sah felt like he understood Sunjata's vision for it, but it was better safe than sorry.
As they worked, Tal's question made the Wild Thunder pause briefly. He continued to work as he waited for the answer, curious to hear what Sunjata had to say. He couldn't recall if there was a shrine for just one aspect of Frey but Sah had certainly not been to every shrine in Caido.
~
Sah helps Sunjata finish the fountain and trenches!
temporary fleeting thrills, keep me bruised and make me ill my skin has lavender tones
The fountain itself doesn’t take a whole lot of other work as Sah and Sunjata work together to finish up sealing all the parts of the fountain and carve out the little trenches. Grabbing the little jar of dirt from the Greatwood, Sunjata spreads it along the outer edges of the trenches that now begin to fill with a small amount of water, taking little clippings from the plants nearby that had settled in beautifully since Alys and he had planted them, and he begins to propagate it with the Wild Thunder’s help.
Soon enough, the windchimes are done and the Greatwood portion is added, and it looks relatively put together aside from not having the rest of the elements, and it gives Sunjata a moment of time for their small break to answer Tal’s question. “Both of them.” It’s a confident confirmation, one that has him flashing an amused smile Talyson’s way. “It’s why there’s so many flowers around it. I thought it would suit Nature Frey nicely.” Not that he’s met them, of course, his deity entirely being the other half.
“Alright, so I’ve added the Greatwood’s dirt already, and I can take the fire. I just need someone to get the windchimes up with the wind from Stormbreak and lastly, adding the water from Torchline.” Each jar held up with a small label (as if ensuring he didn’t get them confused with anything else), he waits for the two other men to make their choice, before he gets started on the fire in the small cage atop it.
Last round :DD
Pick the water jar or air jar and combine it with the corresponding spot! (Windchimes = Air, Water = Fountain!)
the flood
tell me i'm a loaded gun, tie me up and come undone i can cover it up, i can cover it up
totally sniped from odd ilu
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"Careful y'don't roll your eyes right outta your head," Tal teased Sah as they bumped shoulders and headed to their respective tasks. It was a relief when the windchimes came together without the usual bumps and hiccups that usually plagued such tasks. Tal was proud of his creations as he brought them over for Sunjata's inspection and approval.
The courier grinned as his question was answered with easy confidence by the Flood. "Suits me just fine," he declared, even if he was no long quite so nervous about Sex Frey as he'd been before his hang-outs with his Archon in Stormbreak.
He snagged the jar of air with a grin for Sah, juggling his windchimes in a clashing clamor of metal before he got things more or less sorted out. First things first was to hang the chimes around the altar, from the branches of trees or the fire cage itself. Once they were in place he cracked open the jar, wafting it beneath and around the windchimes with the hope that the air inside was indeed floating up to mingle in the sails and tubes and not just blowing away on the Leafchange breeze.
Tal hangs the windchimes and opens the jar of air beneath them!
