Open Chronicles In A Hole In The Ground...

[Solveig Odasson]

There apparently lived a bunch of Mages in the air now at Elbion, instead of on the ground, or so Solveig had understood. After the Southward journey to the portal stone, and the bonds therein, he had bid farewell to his companions. Most he only in passing. Gylfi Runarsson had been more awkward than he thought. At least on his end, a grudging respect and even admiration had formed. At least for him. Magrin Kor had been with the heartfelt thanks of a true friend and brother. Even if the other was gruff as always. The promise had been made - when his was educated enough, he would seek him out to repay the life-debt. Brenna had been another solution entirely. And was done away from the others, as Solveig was not best at being serious in a crowd.

Regardless, he had set out with the precious cargo of metal and ore from Helle for Elbion to study. But just a few days North of the College, strange reports filtered in. Some cataclysm had befallen the Mage's College. The land had broken up into floating chunks and been overran with monsters and fell magic. Which had caused the smith to stop in this middling trade town to ponder his life choices. A local smithy had spied him riding astride a barded Molvaniir, a dire boar of the Northern people, and at first tried to sell him metal barding. A few hours later, and Solveig had an offer to work the forge. A few days later, and he took the offer, as it became apparent he'd be here a while.

So it had come that the smith was in the stables after a long day at the forge. His boar mount was already quite the cause for comment, and a few local boys had been almost gored, so he did what he could to take care of the animal himself. The bond between the two was still being formed, after all. And it had been a doozy in the forming. Tugging at a close-cropped goatee, Liath idly scratched the boar behind the ears, the giant pig grunting happily. He kept his ears open for any arrivals as he checked tack and fed the beast.

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

They had been anchored off shore when their orders arrived. A catastrophic event had unraveled in Elbion and now Werner Salian was likely trapped within Vel Anir's Embassy. He was a prominent nobleman who also served as the Anirian Ambassador. His loyalty to House Weiroon had also likely been a motivating factor as to why she had been dispatched on this particular rescue mission.

Aisling and a small crew had been dispatched to sail upwards in a fast speed caravel affectionately named Always Breezy. Helmsman Marco she was familiar with, he was a fellow corsair and she'd been on small scale expeditions with him before. The boatswain, a peculiar man with a thin mustache, was an odd one. His name was Julian, she was pretty sure. She'd been trying to avoid him.

Despite the crew quarters being large enough to accommodate seven or eight crew members these three made up the entire crew. It meant Aisling was not only in command of the small vessel but was also responsible for navigation which proved difficult when she had to steer or monitor the sails when the other crewmember took their shift to catch a few hours of sleep.

Days into their voyage the ship had taken damage in a storm and now was sitting shoreside near some tiny settlement in who-cares, north of Elbion. Their boatswain was no carpenter and the rudder needed serious repair. Thus she left her crewmembers aboard and went into the small town to hopefully barter for aid.

And small town was accurate in every sense. Rundown buildings, a quaint little restaurant that she guessed also doubled as the town watering hole, and a forge. No carpenter's shop, as far as she could tell. That might be a problem.

She was shocked to find a goliath of a man petting and feeding a boar as she continued her search. He looked gruff enough to be a laborer. "Excuse me?" she asked in a quizzical tone. "I'm looking for someone to repair some mild damage to our ship. You wouldn't happen to know if there's a carpenter around?"

 

[Cassius Ingmar]

Cassius rode into town from the north, upon a chestnut mare. He descended from the saddle as he got to the town proper, and slowly looked around as he walked, reins in hand. Beneath his navy blue cloak he wore a dark gray jerkin over an off-white tunic shirt. His trousers were a dusky brown and tucked into tall riding boots of a slightly darker shade. Such was a style common with merchants and mages travelling from Elbion or nearby estates. While the clothing was well made and sturdy, it was also evident that it had seen quite a few miles, as had the mare.

Receiving news from his colleagues at the College of the troubles that had struck the city since he had left the year before had left him unwilling to identify himself as a mage affiliated with the College. Many times in history, when strange events happened it was those with arcane abilities that bore the blame, whether rightly or not. He took great care in ensuring his scrolls and tome were secured in the saddle bag, and he bore no outward sign of his profession, even this close to the College.

He paused at a small intersection, a smithy had a customer ahead of him and to the right, and he saw a familiar inn down the street on his left.

"What say you, girl, oats and a roof for the night?" He asked his mare, resting a hand softly on her neck. He received a tired neigh in response and he grinned. With another look around he turned her toward the inn and the stables beyond. He slowed for a minute as he noticed her ears go flat and her nostrils flare. He whispered soothingly to her as the reason came into view.

A large riding boar from the North.

"You're alright. It is a Molva..." He paused a moment, searching his mind. It had been some time since he had been far enough north to come across any who rode such animals, and the name escaped him. "...well drat, forgot their name. I'd say just a riding boar, but I'm not sure there is a typical for the species. We'll make sure you are stabled far enough away to feel safe. Yah?"

When you travelled far with mostly just your mount as a companion, you sometimes gained new, odd habits.

Cas took his mare towards the front of the stables, intent on making a deal for stabling and feed for the night.

 

[Solveig Odasson]

"SHEK!!!"

Fiirevik curse uttered at the startle, the wiry-tall smith turned to face Aisling as his mount snuffed and squealed in a challenge. Both the unexpected question and the reaction of his overly-protective mount had caused him to jerk, and drop the bundle of solstal steel right onto his left foot, and promptly jerked his knee back in reaction to be headbutted by Guilinborste, his mount.

Gathering himself, he picked the precious bundle from his foot, which clattered with a strangely deep and hollowly brazen noise, almost like a bronze bell as he shuffled the ingots back into a carrying fashion and tugged the cover over. Most here shouldn't notice it for more than steel unless a particularly keen mage or smith. It had felt slightly different to his senses since touching it. All the more reason for him to take it and the scrolls and books on it, according to Helle. Shifting the bundle to his off-hand, he attempted to soothe the beast that served as his steed.

"Shhhh.. Guilin... Shhhh... I am fine, don't gore the poor lass."

Snorting as if in doubt, the beast laid down in a loaf like appearance, not unlike a lounging cat, and fixed Aisling with a mistrustful eye, which it cast over Cassius Ingmar momentarily before huffing to close its eyes.

"Carpenter? Southeast of town, a few streets over. Three down from the smithy. Carpenter is ale-sick today though, according to his apprentice. Might want to wait a day or two. I just picked up a sledge for Guilin to carry more as we journey to Elbion, but with news of it's... 'Ascension'... Who knows..."

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

Aisling’s heart leapt at the porcine barks and grunts. Her limbs wanted to jump in bewilderment too but naval training had beat some of that out of her. Not enough for the mask to slip from her face and reveal complete and utter shock at the ferocity of the pig though.

Luckily the person with the unruly animal seemed just as shocked as they dropped a pile of metal and used his head to assault the makeshift mount. As the giant of a man calmed his pet down she kept her focus trained on its distrusting gaze. Only turning her emerald eyes towards him at the mention of waiting a ‘day or two.’

”No,” she said with thinning lips, ”days won’t cut it.”

For all they knew Werner Salian was starving to death in the rubble created by whatever tragedy had befallen Elbion. Or worse. They couldn’t afford any further delays. Aisling crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at the man. With a faux contemplation to her tone she asked, ”Elbion? That’s precisely where we’re headed. You wouldn’t happen to have lumber to spare? Be handy with some basic carpentry?”

A smile formed on her face, eyes aglow as the pieces fell into place in her head, ”if you can help get our ship ready to sail before sunrise you’ll have passage aboard to Elbion. Likely only a day or two, winds permitting.”

She hesitated for a bit, it was probably okay to take passengers aboard a naval ship in exchange for the repairs. It was her command after all and if one of the other sailors reported her she could easily justify it so long as they returned with Werner. Her face tilted though, to the approaching steed who transported what appeared to be some traveling merchant.

The distraction was brief though as her attention snapped back to Solveig and his boar nearly as quickly as it had left them.

 

[Cassius Ingmar]

Stepping out from stabling his mare, his ears pricked up as he heard someone bartering for assistance on heading toward Elbion. Returning as a solo mounted figure would be a bit obvious, and Cassius wanted to see the lay of the land before going to the university. He knew a lot had changed, and the prudent course was always to have as much information as possible before going into a possibly dangerous situation.

He swung a satchel over his shoulder, and approached the smithy. His hands idly swept road dust from his clothes as he approached. The smith at the forge (Solveig Odasson) was near the riding boar he had seen before, so Cas took him as the northerner who had brought the nearly unique beast this far south. The one he was speaking to looked Anirian (Aisling), though whether a lucky commoner high up in the military or a member of the nobility he couldn't be quite sure, he had never spent much time in the city or around it's people.

As a matter of caution, he pulled his hair a bit loose to cover the slight points of his ears. Then he was likely clearly visible to both parties, and he offered a slight bow and a smile.

"Good day Milady, Master Smith." He said by way of greeting. "I did not mean to eavesdrop, but I believe I heard you were travelling to Elbion. If that is so, I'd like to see about travelling with you. I'd heard the city is a bit on the unstable side and I've been travelling on my own for the majority of my journey back to the city. I can pay for passage or supply your ship as needed..."

 

[Solveig Odasson]

"Journeyman. Not Master"

Turning from the merchant without much further, displaying the pragmatic approach that could make many call him rude, he looked to the military looking sailor and grinned. Cut down on travel time and a way up to the city? With Guilinborste? He nodded.

"Can't do it out of wood really. But I can forge it quick enough. Crude enchantment to keep it from rusting. I can make better at Elbion, the forge here is not as robust as i'd like for this. You get me to the mages, with my boar, I'll get you there and make you a part for your ship that a bard will sing of on sight."

Then he turned to the merchant. Or mage? His senses were new, but the man felt.... Odd...

"That's up to this fine lass. Just don't stare at Guilin. You make him nervous."

Solveig petted the giant boar affectionately behind the ears.

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

The merchant wanted passage and for now Aisling ignored him as the much larger man proposed a fix for her immediate problem.

Metalwork on their rudder? Even with an anti-rust enchantment she imagined the Vice Admiral would be furious. However, the alternative was waiting days to uncover if the carpenter even possessed the skill to make it work. That wouldn’t work, she’d have to allow him to work on the rudder in his way and then take the yelling when she had Werner safely back in Vel Luin.

After a brief pause the Corsair opened her mouth to confirm, ”very well. Get our caravel fixed and you have a ride. I’d like to get moving before sunrise if at all possible.” She shot a look at the hairy boar beside him, ”that will need to ride in the cargo bay, not enough room in crew quarters. But sure, it can come.”

Finally, her gaze drifted towards the merchant on horseback. ”We are an Anirian Naval vessel, not a luxury liner, and we are well supplied. Although,” some of the reports she had read gave her pause. The cataclysm that befell Elbion was likely to make passage up to the embassy a challenge, if the embassy had floated off with the rest of the buildings of course.

Her left hand moved upwards to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she offered, ”I don’t suppose you carry any potions? Specifically levitation. If the rumors are true we may need some and I’d allow you to accompany us if you can offer them freely.” Money certainly wasn’t an issue but Aisling wasn’t in the mood to barter.

 

[Cassius Ingmar]

Cas smiled and ducked his head in a nod.

"I should be able to make it so some could levitate. I don't think I have anything that could make the whole ship float..." His eyes wandered up a moment as he muttered to himself, obviously thinking. "I could probably get a small group levitating. I assume you are needing access to some building that may have, erm, lost touch with the ground." He smiled a moment and nodded. "Aye, I can assist in that regard. If your people find anything necessary in town here as well, let me know and I will cover it, as thanks for the ride home."

After a moment he turned to the smith and nodded as well.

"I'll leave the great beastie alone, magnificent as he is I shan't bother him." He paused a moment, quirking his head to the side. "You say you're meeting the mages, are you heading towards the University?"

 

[Solveig Odasson]

"It'll need some metal, for the enchantment to work. Trust me, Guilin will behave. Won't you? Molvaniir are just a bit protective of those they believe are part of their singular, their herd if you will. But he's seen us talking amicably, so he should be fine now."

The board huffed and snuffled, nosing at Aisling as a dog might, having trundled closer. It seemed much more relaxed. Solveig was talking to these folk, so in it's mind, they were friends. So if the two were friends, wary acceptance was the order of the day for the Molvaniir. Should the woman ever find truffles, he doubted Guilin would even notice his existence. The beast was a fiend for the fungus it seemed.

Turning his gaze to the merchant Cassius Ingmar , he nodded considering the man. He was something more than he appeared.

"Yes. I have an errand from MaudeDott'rhi and Jorn Helle. A gift from my people, to the Foarde of Maesters. And I am to hone talents at rune-work and enchanting. Mages are not plentiful for my people."

As he spoke, he turned to the forge, already beginning to heat the metal for the project. The apron-armor of Molvaniir hide was slid on and tied, and he hefted the handsomely runed forge/war hammer he had made under his former master's tutelage. He had whiled his journey from the portal stone as any Journeyman should. Making his way from smithy to smithy, learning from others of their art and teaching some of his in kind. The idea would be unique, but his base guess showed it would work. It had lengthened the trip considerably to travel thus, but there had been something that couldn't be quantified gained.

"This part will not take long. But nor will it last forever. Enough to make Elbion, for sure. But not much longer. I do not know wood well enough yet. Merchant, there is a bag by Guilinborste. I need the rawhide tool roll from it on the table behind me. If you please. There is a rough rudder form under the stone table to the back of the forge too, if both of you could help bring it here. I will need an extra set of hands, if you two care to help. More hands, less time."

Hammer blows began to be struck with a flurry of noise as the smith fell silent. The boar was still nuzzling Aisling in a friendly, cautious manner. But it spared a curious snort as Solveig began to work. He would draw out a frame of metal to cover a crude rudder shape. The carpenter had one roughed out he had sent to the smith for just such a purpose. He would set the runes to metal, to overcome the rough work he lacked knowledge to finish.

 

[Cassius Ingmar]

'Molvaniir, that's the name.' Cassius thought to himself as he smiled. He made a note to tell his mare, then paused and thought better of making such a note.

"An aspiring rune mage, very interesting. I hope you don't mind if I wat..." He trailed off as the smith began to make requests. Cas nodded again. "I've been rude, you may call me Cassius, or Cas for short if you'd like." He turned toward the hulking boar, and offered the back of his left hand forward for the creature to sniff if it liked.

Not knowing a great deal about the creature, Cassius decided to take things cautiously. He made sure to not look directly at the creature, instead he nodded at the bag the smith had indicated.

"Good morning Guilinborste..." He did his best to pronounce the name as the northerner had, but inwardly winced as he heard his own mistake by putting the emphasis on the wrong part of the name. "...your friend here has asked me to get something from the bag." He walked toward the bag and bent, opening the bag while presenting an undefended form to the creature. He sifted through a moment before finding the rawhide tool roll. He took it out and closed the bag up as it had been before. He then stood and bowed slightly to the great boar, before stepping back and turning to the smith. "Here you go." He grinned widely, feeling a bit childish at the close encounter with the riding boar.

He next turned toward the stone table at the back of the forge and began to try to maneuver the rudder form out from under it. "Ah, I will definitely need help with this...not so much that it is heavy, just unwieldy."

Solveig Odasson Aisling

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

Aisling looked down at Guilin whose wet nose was coldly pressing against the back of her hand. She couldn't help but move her fingers behind the creatures ear and give it a scratch. He was still hideous, she couldn't imagine ever keeping a boar around but it was impossible to deny that affections from an animal were impossible for anyone with a soul to resist.

"Right, we'll provide aid, the sooner we leave the better," she communicated curtly before ceasing to pat the molvaniir.

The striking of metal on stone was startling and to the smithy's point of limited travel range she added, "reaching Elbion swiftly is most important. We can find a new remedy after we arrive." Once they had secured their target she was confident he'd have contacts in whatever remained in Elbion, or nearby, to make further appropriate repairs.

She moved over towards the merchant to aid him in hoisting the large rudder over to the smith. "I've got this end," she said as they moved from the table over to the forge.

"My name is Aisling, by the way, and our vessel has two other crewmates. They shouldn't bother you much," she was purposeful in omitting her last name. People always got weird about her noble house, even those from outside of Vel Anir.

 

[Solveig Odasson]

With the aid of the hammer, which had grown in it's crafting enchantments since he started his journey, the metal seemed to move and flow like clay on a potter's wheel. Something even his less than trained companions would likely note. Letting Aisling and Cassius Ingmar talk, he focused instead on the work at hand, though an ear kept for any questions to him.

As the rudder came over, he bent the banding over it, hammering swiftly. His hands, gloved in Molvaniir hide gauntlets that echoed heavy forge gloves but were more supple perhaps than normal, grasped and helped bend the banding into place. Rivets in a bucket (he had been planning to add studding to his shield) that were iron were driven into the wood. The banding crisis-crossed the rudder, in a crude runic form as he directed it be turned and moved just so.

Eventually, the metal barely dimly glowing, though most smiths would struggle to keep the heat even for so long, he lifted a punch with a runic symbol on it and began to strike the various rivet heads twice with it or three others he had selected and set out to the side. As the first mark was made, the smith bared a few inches of the long-knife at his front-waist, slicing his forearm above the glove, but the hand itself, which remained gloved... Each of the 4 marks on each side, a combination of the runes for water, speed, and one each of the cardinal directions was smeared with a bit of blood. This would fatigue him, but not kill him. It helped he had seen his father work on crude fishing boats many times. The principles should be the same.

Stepping back, the Smith seemed mildly drained, tight around the eyes and pale. He grabbed a skin from the work table, knocking back a bracing blend of whiskey and mead a dwarf trader had given him in turn for minding the bellows. Dwarves were quite clannish, so he treasured the stuff. A cough, corking the rough leather skin, before he nodded.

"Afix it to your ship. For as long as the wood doesn't crack by the magic, she'll sail true and fast, and be less likely to be lost. I will see to Guilinborste, and gather my things. But a moment."

With that, he slipped the hammer into a ring hold at his hip, made sure the long-knife was secured, and strolled out after grabbing the parcel and returning all the tools to their rolls. Whatever the parcel was, it was important.

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

Watching Solveig work was a true treat as the man was clearly talented. He handled the metallic rudder the way a master painter might construct a portrait. Such precision and grace were not at all what she expected from the smithy.

The degree of craftmanship made Aisling feel as though she had made the right decision to strike the little barter she had. This new piece would certainly prove reliable enough to get them to Elbion although the weight of it might cause issues on a longer voyage. They'd still need to seek major repairs at the harbor in Elbion but in a pinch this was a perfect solution.

Cutting a smile at the two men she offered, "thank you. You can rest once we're aboard." The forgesmith was visibly tired, seeking a quick bite of alcohol to awaken his sense as he gathered his things.

"Do you mind aiding me in moving the rudder to our ship?" she asked the merchant, "it seems too bulky for me to carry it alone and I would appreciate any aid slotting it in to replace the old one." It shouldn't have been too much of a struggle and she knew that Anirian vessels were reliably built. Well enough that the metal rudder shouldn't prove an issue.

 

[Cassius Ingmar]

"Certainly, milady." Cassius moved to the opposite end of the rudder. He flexed his fingers a moment, then gripped underneath the edge and lifted. "And, thank you. Again, for agreeing to take me." He spoke as they began to move the rudder from the forge.

"I fear Albion has changed since I left earlier this year, and I feel better for not entering the city on my own." He spoke in choppy breaths, the weight a bit of a strain for him, though he did not seem likely to drop it.

 

[Solveig Odasson]

Quickly, the Smith paid respects to the host he had been working for, explaining that an urgent change in his mission had him leaving early. Given Solveig had refined the steel the smith was working on in half the time he himself could have, the man voiced no complaints. A quick clasp of forearms, offers of friendship and a hearth to stay at, and the Nordenfiir had gathered his pack and strapped all together and slung on his back.

The boar was still bridled, as a precaution, so swiftly Solveig hitched the litter he had fashioned for pulling any supplies and caught up to his new companions. A swift motion indicated to feel free to drop the heavy load onto the litter, as he road the giant porcine beast like anyone else might an old dun mare.

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

”We’ll need whatever potions or charms you can provide if the rumors of floating land is true,” she said to Cassius as they hauled it back towards her boat.

Once Solveig had arrived Aisling made her way aboard and with a few hand gestures informed her new passengers of the ship’s accommodations.

”The cargo hold is there, your pets will be most comfortable there, below deck. And that trapdoor has a ladder leading into crew quarters. You can drop personal affects there and take an available hammock.”

The helmsman rubbed sleepiness from his eyes as he tested the wheel against the new rudder. A simple nod to Aisling confirmed he was comfortable with the modification.

”The other two crewmates are helmsman Marco and our boatswain Julian,” she adjusted her ponytail as she glanced down towards the quarters to hear the boatswain’s snoring. ”The three of us sleep in shifts but if you have any concerns see me. We should arrive in Elbion within a day or so.”

 

[Cassius Ingmar]

"Thank you, I shall do my best to ensure we can all get to and from the floating land. Being in a larger group like this feels safer, I am not as skilled with weapons as I could be..." He paused and smirked, "...or rather than I should be, given what the world seems to be coming to of late."

He took his leave and went below decks to stow his bag. He knew the arcane lock on it would keep it safe from being pried open easily, and the books he had retrieved on his journey were of specialized use only, though probably valuable. When he came back onto the deck, he moved as far forward as possible without getting in anyones way, and settled in to watch the horizon for his home to come into view.