[PQ+] Lucky charm

After Starfall had decimated the Port the emphasis had been on rebuilding the skyport and docks so that assistance could arrive more easily. Afterwards it had shifted to protecting Haulani from the encroaching void critters so that people could live in safety while those who had the time and inclination to do so could learn more about the threat to their world and work towards stopping it.

It had been nearly a year since the dark star had fallen into the Arclight, but Torchline was finally rebuilt and thriving again, and its rulers could take time to improve aspects of the architecture that had been neglected while necessary infrastructure was tended to first. One such location was the Lucky Rum Fountain, a project that Hadama had undertaken before the Void had befallen them and which he was now able to devote time to repairing with the help of the nearby residents and a few volunteers who had joined in for their own reasons.

Surveying the rubble where the cracked, dry basin now sat, the Tidebreaker crossed his arms over his chest and considered where to begin while he waited for the last of his team to trickle in.

---

This is a PQ+ to repair the Lucky Rum Fountain regional asset in Kaiholo Port that was destroyed during Starfall!

As a reminder, PQ+s must be completed within 30 days in order to count. This PQ+ must reach 4 pages by July 1st, so please try to post promptly to keep things moving.

Post your characters arriving and we'll get things started!

1. Hadama
2. Maea
3. Thalassa

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

Compared to the Climb, the tropical isles felt chilly. Not Halo cold or even Grounds cold, but unpleasantly cool enough to warrant both coat and a scarf wrapped high around her neck and face. It was a good excuse to hide away, too. Whatever progress she had made in terms of friendly demeanor and openness had crumbled and cracked lately, and she didn't feel like smiling. Or talking. Or really doing anything.

She only showed up because Hadama was a friend, and she couldn't stand the thought of losing more of those. Appearing from the direction of the skyport, she carried a bag that looked rather too large for just a casual trip and came up to the king with only a curt nod for a greeting. If anyone could understand the reason for her demure mood, it would be him.

"Where do you want me?"

Maybe working would help. Keeping busy usually did make her feel better.

---

Maea appears carrying what's on her profile, plus a backpack with rations of food, rope, a dagger and a first aid kit. She's wearing her Valair Armor and winter clothing against the weather.

Base by Odd

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

Repairing the Rum Fountain wasn't high on her list of preferred activities, but rum was. So when the request had come, she'd hesitantly agreed to assist, certain that there would be plenty of rum in the end. With the goal in mind, Thal crossed the port, her thick black cloak pulled up over her head to avoid any obligatory socializing. The dark curtain of hair and loud click of her heeled boots added more discouragement to approach her. However, when she reached the rubble of the fountain, Thal allowed the hood to fall away in order to acknowledge Hadama - at least that's who she assumed the massive man with the crown was. She'd never actually met him before undertaking the current mission.

Simultaneously, she noticed that Maea was already there, putting her world-saving fixation to good use. Although they hadn't spoken since the Barrows, Thal tried to be civil, giving her a curt nod of greeting. "Maea." It wasn't exactly 'friendly,' but there was no animosity.

Turning back to Hadama, she waited for him to direct her. Although she routinely gave orders, she didn't often take them. The problem was that she had no idea how to fix this thing. Her only option was to follow his lead.

---

Thalassa possesses two daggers, her sword, and her usual broody attitude.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

Amidst the milling NPCs townsfolk, Hadama was gratified to see Maea arrive and he gave her a nod of welcome. There had been no time to speak since the Ball, but he understood her reticence given what had occurred. The fallout from the meeting would haunt them for the foreseeable future, but neither of them could afford to stop moving forward, each in their own way.

Perhaps fixing something else that was broken would help them both.

Another petite Ancient stepped forward from the crowd, cloaked in black and carrying herself with a commanding bearing. Hadama didn't recognize her but he nodded in welcome, glad of any hands to help out. "I am Hadama," he introduced himself to those gathered so that there would be no confusion among the NPCs townsfolk. "First, we must repair the fountain's stonework. We will need to travel to Apopo to gather replacement stone." Looking over those who were waiting for orders he selected a few - including Maea and Thalassa - to come with him. "Miriam, take a crew to the Oerwoud to harvest fresh sugarcane," he ordered a tough-looking woman with numerous tattoos and an eyepatch. She gave a sharp grin and a salute and then started herding the rest of the Torchers towards the skyport where her airship waited.

Emerald eyes turned back to those who were coming with him as he led the way to a second ship, this one built for the water. "Do either of you have any skills with stonework or distilling?" he asked the women curiously.

---

The group has been split and Stone Gathering Crew is boarding a ship for Apopo! What skills do you bring to the tasks at hand?

No posting order

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

Her mood did not exactly improve upon seeing Thalassa among the gathered crowd of workers, but she didn't ignore the woman either. Offering a quiet "Hello," in return, she simply kept to herself for now.

At least, until Hadama asked for their skillsets, and to her surprise Maea realized that she actually had an applicable bit of knowledge. "My brother used to make cider?" she offered hesitantly. "And some stronger things, too. I'm no expert, but I've at least seen it done." As for stonework, she knew next to nothing. With instructions she could build a wall, but that was where it ended.

Base by Odd

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

Following Hadama to the seafaring ship, she tried to keep a moderate distance between herself and Maea. They just had to get through the repairs then they could go back to avoiding each other altogether. Until then, Thal would do her best to look unbothered.

Similar to Maea, Thal was familiar with the distillation process. Although her knowledge was due to her vested interest in the product. As for stonework... not much. She'd gained some carpentry skills while performing maintenance on The Marauder, but the ship wasn't made of stone. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "I can also help with distilling."

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

"I know a bit about fixing the breakwaters," one man in the back offered as they boarded the ship and set sail.

"I helped pour the foundations when we rebuilt the docks," a second piped up eagerly.

Hadama nodded, quietly satisfied that everyone had knowledge of at least one aspect of the repairs when both Maea and Thalassa offered experience with distilling. "When we reach Apopo we will look for a couple of large stones, and many small ones," he decided. "We will use the small ones to make cement to put as many pieces of the fountain back together as possible. The large stones can be used to fill in for any areas that are missing." Sections that had been crushed to dust or lost in the intervening year.  

The journey took some time, but the morning was early and when they eventually reached the shores of Apopo and disembarked Hadama set them off with a final instruction. "Gather what you can, but stay alert. The void creatures are still able to reach this area," he warned as he passed out heavy burlap sacks. "Call for help if you encounter one."

---

You've reached the shores of Apopo! Spread out and look for rocks, but keep an eye out for Void flora and fauna, just in case!

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

Taking a sack as they were handed out, Maea jumped off the ship and climbed ashore. "Got it. I'll be staying within sight of you." Still, it was with some relief she headed up towards the volcano and away from the others. Being crowded together with others only reminded her of how short her patience was right now, and how brittle her composure remained.

Picking rocks was a good way to work off some of that. The way she threw herself into the task was almost frantic in nature. It didn't take long before the sack grew too heavy to carry along, so she began to make round trips back and forth instead, carrying what she could in her arms. Needing to pay attention to her surroundings was a bit annoying though; hardly unusual, as she had spent a lot of time alone in the Wilds, but irritating.

---

Maea heads a ways up the slope to collect rocks.

Base by Odd

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

Nodding at Hadama's instructions, Thal accepted the sack with reluctance. She wasn't one for such heavy manual labor. Her strengths usually resided in wits and dexterity. But the stones had to be gathered nonetheless and she didn't have any suggestions for alternative activities.

Throwing the bag over her shoulder, she leapt off the ship onto the lava covered landscape. The glow lit up the surrounding rocks and it seemed to run slower in the Deepfrost chill. Thal watched as Maea stalked up a nearby hill, choosing to take the opposite route down the coastline. She gathered small stones along the way, keeping her head on a swivel to look out for any nasty purple creatures.

---

Thalassa takes a path along the coast to collect stones.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

Maea's focus on the task and her frenetic energy was impressive. She moved among the lava flows, sure-footed and sharp-eyed as she located larger stones that could be easily shaped and worked to fit into the fountain. She was finding twice as many stones as most of the others, and had managed to reach her quota much more quickly than almost anyone else.

The only one who was faster was Thalassa. The cloaked Ancient might have been averse to manual labor, but that just meant that she worked smarter, not harder. Her wits and keen senses helped her pick out the perfect stone every time and soon her bag was filled with high-quality pumice and scoria that would make a fine, strong black concrete with chips of quartz to catch the light.

Hadama had the least luck of the group as he took the middle ground between the coast and slopes. He had been hunting for larger rocks but most of those he found were flawed in serious ways with cracks or twisted shapes that made them unsuitable for building with. If he was frustrated he did not show it, continuing his slow search of the area until--

"AHHHH!"

The scream came from one of the townsfolk nearby as a small void-touched Shadow Serpent lunged out of hiding to wrap around the young man's leg and sink envenomed fangs into his hip!

---

Great job collecting the rocks that we need, but one of the townsfolk is under attack from a void-infected rock slider! Quick, save him!

Hadama 200/200
Maea 144/144
Thalassa 15/15
Juvenile Rock Slider 100/100

---

Shadow Serpent (uncommon): Once a Rock Slider (an enormous, toothless serpent no less than three full-sized humans in length, with small, flightless-wings where one would presume its ears to be), the Shadow Serpent now moves with an eerie grace, its scales tainted by void energy. It lurks in the shadows, ambushing prey with a venom that induces hallucinations and despair.

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

The bag on her arm was nearly overflowing with optimal stones for their mission. It was an impressive haul and she was more than satisfied with her work, especially when compared with Maea's. It wasn't a competition, but she felt a sense of accomplishment to know that she had gathered more than the pale Ancient. Thal was contemplating shooting her a smug grin, when a scream came from nearby.

She ran out to the source - more than happy for some entertainment - to find a Shadow Serpent attacking one of the other workers. Without a second thought, Thal palmed one of her daggers and aimed for the disgusting void creature. Her arm whipped with practiced efficiency, pelting the dagger at the large body of the beast in order to avoid the poor person. She sprinted forward after her flying dagger, preparing to further intervene.

---

Thalassa throws her dagger at the Shadow Serpent!

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

"If I could fly I would never come back", you said

Maea wasn't paying much attention to the others beyond making sure they remained within view. She couldn't care less about who did what in which order - if Thalassa wanted to make this a pissing contest she'd be competing on her own.

Maea was struggling to bring her sack back down towards the boat when the terrified scream hit the air. Her head snapped up and caught sight of the coiling serpent, beautiful and foul in it's void-touched coloration, and she bit off a curse that lingered in the air behind her as she shifted.

Large wings shimmering in the sunlight brought her over to the assaulted person only a fraction of a moment later than Thalassa. With sharp beak and sharper talons, she began to harrass the snake in the hopes of pissing it off enough to switch target.

---

Maea shifts to Gore Crow form and attacks the Shadow Serpent, hoping it will come after her instead

Maea

Thalassa was the first to respond and her dagger flew true, striking the serpent in the middle of its body. The dagger barely penetrated the thick, stony scales that protected it, however, doing little more than scratching the young nightmare as it tightened its coils stubbornly around its prey. The man screamed again, more weakly as the serpent's venom began to drag him into hallucination and its coils squeezed the air from his lungs.

Maea had farther to go to land a hit on the void-corrupted creature, but her talons struck true. Very quickly her claws dripped with violet blood as she scored several direct strikes on the serpent's head and eyes. It finally released the man it held with an angry hiss, shaking its head before lunging after the white Gore Crow.

Hadama was disinclined to let it. As tightly as the snake was still wrapped around the poor Torcher it had first attacked he didn't dare use his gravity spikes on it, but he dropped his sack of rocks and advanced on it with steely determination. Something rose up in his chest at the sudden need to prevent the Shadow Serpent from hurting anyone else and a scintillating mist rose around his feet, pearly white and glowing with cool moonlight that wrapped around the serpent and its victim.

The snake's jaws snapped shut, only clipping the very tips of Maea's tailfeathers as the man regained enough sense to begin crawling away.

Magic: Turn the Tide | Can cause a moonlit mist to rise in a 15 ft radius that heals allies while causing enemies to roll with disadvantage for one round. May be used 1 times per thread with a 3 post cooldown.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic

---

Thalassa hits!
Maea hits!
Hadama uses his ability to make the serpent reroll and miss!

The Shadow Serpent has dropped its original victim and is now pursuing Maea!

Hadama 200/200
Maea 144/144
Thalassa 15/15
Juvenile Rock Slider 52.5/100

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

Although her dagger hit its target, Thal was disappointed to see that it didn't have much of an effect. The thick scales caused the blade to deflect onto the ground, but she was already moving in its direction, pulling her second dagger from its sheath. Maea's attack proved more effective despite the attention being shifted to her crow form and Thal hid a grimace as she watched the Shadow Serpent nearly clip her wing. Not that she was worried or anything.

Her feet skid to a stop when she reached the Shadow Serpent just as a glittering mist began to encompass everything, halting its attack. Taking advantage of the opportunity while simultaneously wondering about how, Thal attempted to grab the serpent's tail in hopes of dragging it into the nearby lava. She'd walk into the fiery liquid herself if it meant frying this thing. Meanwhile, she used her dagger to fend off any attacks in case it decided that she was more annoying than Maea - even if she doubted that was possible.

---

Thalassa grabs the snake's tail, trying to drag it into the lava, while using her dagger to parry any attacks.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.