Final Fantasy: The Transcendent Throne [IC]

[aturtledoesbite]

Watching the people just sit around in despair made Renne feel terrible in the pit of her stomach. For the Angels' sake, she was a princess, darn it! Surely she could do something for these people...!

That captain seemed to be dealing with other matters at the moment, she thought about what the people needed right now. Food was being handled by Markos, it looked like. Water...well, there was more than enough water. Shelter looked to be under the purview of that aegyl Renne had seen helping out earlier. Warmth...that's something she could help with!

The tarutaru began piling up anything that looked flammable and otherwise unusable. It didn't matter if it was dripping wet right now, that would be fixed. Pieces of wood, clumps of straw from the roofs of broken houses, and whatever else she could find. Once it was all together, she took out her staff, pointing it at the pile of refuse. She recalled Phoenix's first tenet, "through fire, bring life"; this was a little bit more literal than usual, but it still applied. With that in mind, Renne channeled magic through the staff, conjuring a stream of flame to light up the night.

Spoiler

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I dunno if you want Survival/Perception when I'm not really being picky about what I find, but in case you do, both have the same plus: (1d20+2)[9]

And I would assume that there's no check for lighting the stuff on fire, but if there is, let me know.

[Hazuki]

Relkana

The Garlandyne soldiers gather around to listen to the Captain's instructions, some of them scattering to secure a perimeter for Ordur, while the others stick close to the civilians to ensure their safety should they attempt to go near the ruins. They do so without complaint.

~

Hiiro

The first person to respond to Hiiro's call is the robe-wearing woman who'd been fighting the Garlandyne soldiers from before, and in her wake come some of the fitter people of Ordur. The night does seem to make it more difficult for them to co-ordinate, but a searing flame soon rises a little down the hill, and, despite heavy clouds of smoke, she spots the tarutaru caster who's lighting it up.

~

Renne

Renne finds it quite difficult to find enough tinder to start the fire at first, considering her small size and a soldier or two warning her about getting too close to the unstable ruins. But, once she gets a fire going, wetter wood starts to burn (Albeit with smoke), and she's able to illuminate the area near the windmill with an amber glow.

[Merilan]

Hiiro remembered the woman from when she just hopped up to the windmill and addressed her; she watched their fight, and she really wouldn't want her fist going into her face... but there was no reason for them to fight. "Okay, let's set them up on this clearing here..." With effort, and recalling what she'd done when going out on outings with the Riskbreakers, she helped set up some shelter for the people of Ordur.

She walked towards the campfire afterwards, wiping her hands off the little splinters with a sigh. "Hey..." she approached the tarutaru summoner. "Thanks for setting the fire up. I'm thinking of finding some barrels to mend so I can put clean water in them. My name's Hiiro, what's yours?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Once the fire's going, Renne finds a decently-sized nearby rock or something to sit on to rest and think. She never was very big on fate, but she wondered if maybe she was meant to be here, in the wake of the flood, to help the village. Maybe this was some sort of "test" or something to see if she even had what it takes to succeed her mother's title.

...Nah, that's stupid. As her little bout of introspection comes to an end, the aegyl from before walks up to her and introduces herself. "Oh, hello, Hiiro. My name is Renne. If you do find any broken barrels or any other small objects, I can try to fix them." If only she could use magic to restore entire buildings...

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana

Despite her efforts to take command of the townsfolk in the immediate wake of the flood, none of them really seem to be listening to her as they slowly funnel out of the windmill. Many of them just find a spot to sit down in the mud, or stand with their closest relatives, looking over the town in grim despair. At the very least, nobody's panicking, and those few who at first seem alone are brought into other gathered groups.

As Relkana's attention is currently being taken up by Zupon, the representative of a Kos-based company hired to study the Materia, as well as Jack, Markos gives her a significant look that says "We should talk", before retrieving one of the sacks and starting to distribute the fruits among the people.

Seeing as Zupon and Jack have their answer and the soldiers are doing their job she goes over to Markos and asks
"You wanted to see me? How can I help, Markos?"
She tries to remember: was Markos the town leader or something? For small villages like this such things were relatively informal so she hoped she remembered it correctly.

[Hazuki]

Markos is finishing up with handing out the last of a sack of freshly-foraged food when Relkana approaches him, and nods in greeting. "I'll be level with you, Relkana, because there's not much choice after this." He nods at what remains of Ordur. "If you want to keep these people believing it's worth going on, you have to be seen helping out with your own two hands. You're not nobility, and that means you're only as good as what you do. Ordering your faceless soldiers around won't count; just another reminder that, even if they survive, they're stuck under the boot of a traitor's army." He folds his sturdy arms over his chest.

[Merilan]

"Yeah... I'll see what we can find," Hiiro nodded, fidgeting. She looked nervous for a bit, before blurting out, "Your-- your magic was... cool." She paused for a moment longer, folding her arms. "Is that like a natural bond you have, with the Moogle, or...?"

She's also scanning around the windmill area for some empty containers that she could create water into. Sure, there was a lot of floodwater around, but having clean, drinkable water was just as necessary.

[aturtledoesbite]

"A-ah, well, uh..."

No one had ever really described Renne's magic as 'cool' before; everyone back at home was familiar with summoning, so it was simply 'passable', at best. Being complimented like this was new. Was the reddish tint on her skin just the flame's glow, or embarrassment?

"The, uh, moogle was just basic summon magic, really; it's like...I'm asking to use a bit of its power for a moment when I cast the spell. There's no special bond there, or anything like that."

Having to be the one to explain this instead of having it explained to her was...different, to be sure.

[Lord Raziere]

Markos is finishing up with handing out the last of a sack of freshly-foraged food when Relkana approaches him, and nods in greeting. "I'll be level with you, Relkana, because there's not much choice after this." He nods at what remains of Ordur. "If you want to keep these people believing it's worth going on, you have to be seen helping out with your own two hands. You're not nobility, and that means you're only as good as what you do. Ordering your faceless soldiers around won't count; just another reminder that, even if they survive, they're stuck under the boot of a traitor's army." He folds his sturdy arms over his chest.

"..."
She just gets helping with the food and setting up the tents without responding. She only feels sorrow as she remembers her days during the war, wordlessly doing all she can, her eyes distant behind the visor, seeing only the blood spilled on both sides in memories, the pain of what she has done, and Markos words hurting her like thorns being dragged through her body.

[Zwordsman]

Running off from the group at large to find a spot in the permiter, Zupon also considers the content of the letter he'll need to write to The Company to explain the situatoin and to try and push for the company to help rebuild. He'll have to phrase it in a way that posits the profits and less the fact that Zupon feels sorry for the people in front of him. Feelings are well and good but they dont' run business. He'll also have to apologise for losing the equipment. Its rather doubtful that his gear survived the wave.

[Hazuki]

Dusk turns into night, and the people of Ordur have been provided with something approaching reasonable for impromptu camp-raising. Many tent-like structures have been raised around the windmill, which, while still bearing wet soil, is the only structure that can still said to be standing. The Garlandyne soldiers re-organize their shift system to account for the sudden change of circumstances, and seem to be handling it well despite any private concerns. The availability of casks of water, as well as food, solve the most immediate concerns.

The children are given priority first, then the elderly, while the fittest of the remaining residents remain awake to fill the tents later, and spend their time setting up more. Zupon finds nothing left of his campsite, making it an almost certainty that he'll have to write a letter of apology to his company, through the lackluster courier system of Garlandyne-occupied Coroheim, no less. Still, by the time those who helped Ordur find themselves worn down by fatigue, there are spaces for them to rest.

~

Hiiro

Hiiro finds herself waking up to a hot breeze (Made only more humid by the lingering floodwaters), morning sun shining through the thin tarp that surrounds her, and the sound of somebody clearing their throat. When she sees fit to open her eyes, she sees Mylin crouched at the entrance to her makeshift tent, seeming fully awake already. Especially noteworthy, considering she didn't spot the woman for most of the night after the flood hit.

"Good morning. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

~

Relkana

When Relkana awakes, it's not due to any sudden disturbance, but the rigorous discipline of her body informing her that now is the time to wake up, the same as any other day. She's allowed to go through her morning rituals and observe the early morning of a new day; it seems as though the children have woken up along with the sunrise, with a few of their parents, and Markos preparing food with them. Although nobody seems happy, the distraction of a semi-normality appears welcome. The adult that are awake also don't seem to be glaring at her, so at least she's not being blamed for the disaster that struck the former farming town.

It would seem that, for the moment, her morning is free to do as she wishes with. It's likely that her soldiers have collected a report of the night's events, as they have every night before, but it dawns on her that the vellum records they've been keeping may have been spoiled by the flood. Just another set of headaches for the day ahead.

One thing she might note is that Masenko has shed her robe, a large tunic for a tall woman, and it's now being used as some shelter for the people of Ordur. With her robes removed, it's much easier to see the inorganic components of the woman's body, thanks to the cloth wraps that serve only her modesty. Both of her arms and shoulders have been replaced with sleek metal, laced with runs at her moving joints, along with some plates that stretch to cover her heart. Her spine seems to have similar armoring, going all the way up until it disappears into her pixie-cut of vibrant red hair.

~

Zupon

Zupon earns himself a good night of sleep while pondering what to do about Ordur's issues, and the townsfolk of Ordur seem perfectly content to let him be. Even the children. Although, once he decides to leave his tent and face the day ahead, he finds himself confronted by the familiar form of Mizy. She's wearing the same clothes as last night, still a little ragged, but she doesn't seem worse for wear.

"Hi." The girl says, then holds out half of a peeled mango, the pit removed and replaced with a few mashed berries, as well as shreds of some kind of herb. "Here's breakfast."

~

Renne

Renne manages to find sleep soon enough, although the heat of Coroheim's night does nothing to put her at ease, compared to the perfectly-moderated temperature of her home and the cold of nights in its countryside. When she wakes, it's to the scent of food being prepared not far away - some of the smells she recognizes from imported goods to the Kos Magiesterium, although she can't quite place them all.

There's a light knocking just outside her tent, as though somebody's knocking on their own torso, and one of the Garlandyne soldiers is waiting outside. "Greetings. The other children a-" The soldier pauses, looking her up and down for a moment. "Apologies for my mistake." She recognizes the voice from the soldier who asked after her health on the way to the windmill the night before. "Enjoy your morning." He says, as he departs on what can only be assumed as his patrol route.

~

Jack

When Jack wakes up, it's to the feeling of aching bones and feeling more tired than he's been throughout most of his life. Having to do actual work really takes its toll on a slacker, especially when his fellow soldiers and Captain are watching him like a hawk to make sure he's doing his job. But at least he's woken up some time before his shift, unless Captain Relkana has a special duty for him.

[Merilan]

Hiiro wound up curled up on the side of one of the tents, her wings furled to her sides. She was... giggling a little at some points, and closer to the morning when Mylin found her, she could be heard sleeptalking a little: "... and then, and then... we'll go on... cool adventures together... and have ice cream..."

She blinked a few times when she heard the throat-clearing, though, and groggily stirred and looked up. "E-eh? Eh?!" Embarrassment scored her cheeks together as she blurt out, "W-what's the big idea, just walking into here like this, geez?!" She pulled her jacket -- which had been tossed ontop of her -- closer to herself out of some... measure of self-awareness, and pouted heavily as she slipped it on, huff. Then her voice lost its edge as she admitted: "I didn't see you last night, I'm glad you're still around..."

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin blinks at Hiiro's initial outburst of indignant sputtering, though a smile does tease the corner of her lips at the Aegyl's last sentence. "That's pleasant to hear. I secluded myself in the windmill, so that I would have time to prepare for my journey." She shifts her weight and adjusts her cloak from her crouching position. "I...don't believe there's much reason for me to remain in Ordur, but you're something of a promising prospect."

[Merilan]

Hiiro sagged just a little... and tilted her head. "A--a promising prospect?" She couldn't keep the flush out of her cheeks as she glanced aside, scratching it for a moment. "Well, I'm also glad you think so, but... ah, do you want your construct back, then? I didn't have enough time to finish it with everything else going on, after all..."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne sighed a bit as the soldier walked off. All of the taller races tended to treat tarutaru like children. She was as much an adult as anyone else here!...well, barely. Technically. The details aren't important anyway.

What was important was that she smelled food. She wasn't as hungry as yesterday, after the mango Markos gave her, but she wasn't going to turn down something cooked if they were offering. Renne went out to check where the smell was coming from.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"Not at all. I'd like you to keep working on it, and contact me when it's finished." Mylin replies, as she watches Hiiro like a hawk. "I don't expect you to work on it all day, but perhaps in those shards of time between work and sleep..."

~

Renne

It's not difficult for Renne to find where the smells are coming from, as she spots a scattered group of children surrounding Markos and a few other adults. He seems to have gathered a few sacks of fruit, some wooden bowls, and a large cloth to work on, along with a fire drawn from the one she created last night. Many of the children have already received their breakfasts, along with re-using a bowl set by the water caskets to drink. The scents seem even more enticing, despite the fact that being fed with them might reinforce the ignorance of some townsfolk.

[Merilan]

Hiiro dithered a little, shoulders lifting at the way Mylin was staring at her. What? What? Was there something on her cheek? She glanced aside. "O-of course I'd do it. But, where should I meet you to hand it in if you're leaving?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Did they keep the fire burning all night? Renne hoped they at least had someone watch over it; then again, everything was probably too damp to let the fire spread on accident.

As for the food, it did smell good...no! She had to keep at least some dignity! She went over there regardless...because maybe Markos had an idea of what she could do to help out. That's it. Yes.

"Good morning. How is everything holding up?"

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She gets up, spends time to put on her armor and cloak properly then clanks out of her resting spot. She avoids breakfast for now. While she was refreshed, there was also the specter of that reminder last night still hiding in some small place in her heart, and she would need to hear reports before anything else. She was a soldier first and foremost, if that meant getting up and hearing reports before breakfast, so be it, her stomach could deal with it. She walks to them and asks
"Privates, your reports of last night?"
She notes Masenko's extensive modifications and knows that some people back in Garlandyne would've been looking at Masenko in horror. She could hear the imaginary magic purists saying "how could she replace so much of herself? why defile the divine natural bodies the gods gave us?" or "is she even truly herself anymore?" things like that even now. She decides not to voice or dwell on them though, even if she herself could not imagine herself replacing any part of her with unfeeling metal. She still had a life to live, and metal belonged on armor not in her bones. Maybe even find that special Gria someday, metal limbs would mess with her looks, that is a story for another day.

[Zwordsman]

Smiling at her, the little plum bobbing a bit. "Hiya Kupo. Thank you. You and your mother ate right?" Zupon asks nibbling a little. "How did you two sleep?"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin reaches into her hand and retrieves a small white ring, smooth and perfectly circular. A series of runes seem to run along the inside of the ring, cast in pale green as the light reflects off of them. "This is a ring that," She pauses. "This is a ring of camaraderie. As long as you wear it, I will be able to find you. Spend a moment to focus on the ring, and mine will summon me."

~

Renne

Markos offers a brief smile to Renne as she wanders over to him and the other adults cooking for Ordur's children. "Good morning. Everything is good, for the moment - I'm sharing my recipes with Lang and Tiri." He places a hand on the arm of the shorter, older man sitting beside him, who's currently cutting through some ripe dragonfeuit. "If all goes well, they'll teach some of the others while I lead a foraging team."

~

Relkana

The soldier reporting to Relkana is Private Igrid, an Elvaan woman with closely-cropped blue hair. "Captain. There is nothing significant to report. A small group of hungry reptiles disturbed one patrol, but they were swiftly dispatched. Privates Rolt and Milban discouraged one Monra Wolts and her young associates from attempting to recover personal belongings from the town. And Private Olra raised the concern of the corpses that are now visible in the former fields of Materia." From her past experience with Private Igrid, Relkana knows that she has a good memory and solid problem-solving capabilities, and has been a loyal citizen of Garlandyne from birth.

~

Zupon

"Yes." Mizy confirms without nodding. "The floor was wet, but there weren't any bugs, so it was fine." She takes a few moments to watch the Moogle nibble on the fruit before speaking again. "Mum wants to recover things from the library, but the idiots won't let people in." She pointedly points at one of the Garlandyne patrols (Of two soldiers) in the distance.

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked more than a little taken aback, both at being given such a fancy-looking ring, and what it meant-- "W--wait, wait, you're going really fast here, aren't you?! I mean, it's just been a day--" Her eyes spun for a moment, before she paused and cleared her head and her throat at about the same time. "I--I mean, of course I'll take this ring of... of... camaraderie."

You could just hear the phrase 'I made a friend!! Friend... friend... friend...~' echo through her head as she lapsed back into that semi-dreamy state.

[Zwordsman]

"Hmm? That's odd. I wonder if the construction is dangerous." Finishing nibbling a bit, and plopping the rest of the berries in Mizy's hands for her to eat, "I'll go ask, maybe I can help. Knowledge is useful after all; oft forgotten as well."

Following that Zupon packs up his items, and walks over towards the patrols; upon getting closer he motions for Mizy to direct upon him which of the two disallowed it. "Excuse me, I'd like to ask about the library situation, "

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana

The soldier reporting to Relkana is Private Igrid, an Elvaan woman with closely-cropped blue hair. "Captain. There is nothing significant to report. A small group of hungry reptiles disturbed one patrol, but they were swiftly dispatched. Privates Rolt and Milban discouraged one Monra Wolts and her young associates from attempting to recover personal belongings from the town. And Private Olra raised the concern of the corpses that are now visible in the former fields of Materia." From her past experience with Private Igrid, Relkana knows that she has a good memory and solid problem-solving capabilities, and has been a loyal citizen of Garlandyne from birth.

Relkana
"Well its morning now. Its light out, so they can go and do what they wish, just remind them that while they can go and pick through the ruins, that they have to be careful, the structures probably aren't stable. I don't care how unnecessary anyone thinks such warnings are, I want everyone to be cautious about this.

As for the corpses, what is Olra's concern exactly? If it is about burial rites, I will discuss the matter with Arkos personally."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne watched the 'chefs' as they worked, most definitely not because the food smelled good. Hmm...maybe she could turn this into an opportunity.

"Could I help with the cooking, then?"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin watches the Aegyl's gradual descent into normalcy, then nods her head and holds the ring out to her. "Please treat it with care. and be wary of thieves." She instructs the young woman. "Have you any questions, before I depart?"

~

Zupon

Mizy looks at the berries that have been passed to her and, as she walks with Zupon, places them near a small group of birds that have perched nearby. She points him towards two of the soldier although it's quite difficult to distinguish the helmeted private.

"Greetings." The tall private greets the Moogle calmly. "The buildings are potentially unstable, and none may enter the ruins for their own safety. This is standard procedure, and may only be overruled by Captain Vanstar."

~

Relkana

Private Igrid nods her head at Relkana's order. "Private Olra is concerned that the sight may disturb any townsfolk that near the hills."

~

Renne

"The more the merrier." Markos nods, and Tiri pats the spot beside her with a calloused hand. "We'll be making breakfast for the rest of the town soon. Same meal as the children, just more for bigger bellies. Tiri, can you show Renne how we do it?"

Tiri nods and pulls a bowl over to Renne. "Ah, the morning got spent washing the fruit, so you needn't worry..." The woman informs her, as she starts to show Renne how to prepare the meals. Twenty minutes later, she knows how to prepare some basic fruit-based meals, and has been allowed to treat herself with one of the delicious treats.

[Merilan]

Hiiro's cheeks were still red as she gazed over the ring, before nodding and pulling her glove off to put it on her ring finger, before lapping it with the leatherwear once more. "There, now it's secure. And-- uh, where are you headed now, then...?"

[Skald]

When Jack wakes up he finds something to eat, then looks for Masenko; something she said had been bothering him and he wanted to get it off his chest.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"I will be headed to my private sanctum, where I'll be able to study the Materia in peace." Mylin answers, shifting her position in a way that says "I'm going to be standing up soon". "I realize that's not a particularly satisfying answer."

~

Jack

It's relatively easy to find Masenko, considering her height and the significant amount of metal covering her body. He spots her peering over the Materia fields, eyes searching for something in the now-barren area.

[Zwordsman]

"I see. Thank you. I shall go put a request in with the Captain." Zupon expresses thanks for the concise explaination, then elects to go find the Captain to put in a request. Upon finding Captain Vanstar, he waits off to the side until it appears he has time to talk to Zupon.


Zupon's Request
"Excuse me Captain Vanstar. I would like permission to access the library in order to assess the structural damage, and if possible to either repair or perserve some of the more important works to the city. THey survived the war, it would be a shame for it to be loss now. Additionally, for a portion of the city it may provide for a moral boost; at worst if the building is reliable it would provide some shelter. It wasn't very far from the windmill, with any luck the damage is within my means to repair."