epidemiology | EVENT ★ NALAWI INTRO

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EVENT ★ NALAWI INTRO

Recruits leave Oska at midday, with about 10 minutes of final warning given from the jewelry. Then the white mist rises as rifts open, and Oska is left behind. The transition into Nalawi is not a peaceful one. When the mist fades, recruits are immediately hit with a face full of lashing rain and driving wind.

The recruits have arrived in the middle of a nasty storm, but that’s not all that greets them. Seawater surges all around, breaking against -- houses? It’s a little hard to tell at first, in the chaos of the storm. Half of these buildings are made of rock, not carved, but shaped, and the other half seem to be living trees, thin wood and thatch, and a handful of more ornate (and more fragile) material, including clouded glass or obsidian. The stone houses are standing up best to this onslaught of waves, but even they weren’t made for this, and they shudder and crumble in the thrashing storm.

Thin screams can be heard over the wind and water, too. The locals are having some trouble not being washed away. The people here are small bipedal deer, and those hooves were not meant for swimming. They struggle in the water, some of them trying to snag a few precious belongings from drowning houses, some of them not even able to do much more than hang onto some jutting stone or tree. There are a few heroes among them, putting superhuman powers to good use: here a young man hovers in the air, dragging others out of the water and toward safety; there a girl parts the water with careful gestures of her hands, enabling a whole family to dart from their ruined home and run for higher ground. These feats are rare, though, and on the whole most of these natives are in trouble.

They don’t look too stunned to see the new arrivals -- they don’t have time to, and will push roughly past a new arrival to deal with some crisis sooner than stop and stare. They’re mostly just grateful for any offered help, generally seeming terrified and shellshocked by all of this. If any of them are asked what happened, they’ll point with varying degrees of wordlessness toward a high stone wall between the village and the sea, with an enormous gap broken through the middle of it where the sea rushes in. Like many of the houses, this dike was clearly shaped from living stone. But whatever shaped it apparently has no power to maintain it, and this is the storm that had finally taken advantage of that.

This long, dark afternoon provides plenty of tasks: help the Nalawi people evacuate from their ruined village, try to find material to rebuild their shattered (and still crumbling) dike, or take care of the hungry sea creatures that have taken notice that the deer, usually safe on land, are suddenly in easy reach. They look like crabs with too many legs, but each of them is nearly the size of one of the villagers. They’re more than capable of seizing a struggling villager and scuttling back toward the break in the dike to drag their prize into the sea. Their shells are difficult to get through, their pincers terrible and sharp, but their joints and eyes are unprotected and tender.

The storm won’t last forever, though. It blows itself out in a few hours, just in time for a truly beautiful tropical sunset over the western edge of the island. Exhausted locals will finally begin to talk a little more. They’ll explain to their rescuers that the Stone Shapers have all had their Gifts faded out: there’s not a single one left. Without these abilities, the dike was left defenseless against the storm and the water rushed in. Their despondency and resignation suggests this kind of disaster is not new to them. They are, however, very grateful for the help: anyone who lends a hand over the new few days (thankfully sunny and clear) sorting through the wreckage, rebuilding, and setting up new dikes will be given food and shown to the inn for free lodgings.

Welcome to Komo, Nalawi.

OOC INFO

ICly this log will cover the day of arrival and the following few days of recuperating and rebuilding, if you would like to include that in your top level prompts. OOCly it will last until the 26th. New information will be available at that time.

As some quick refreshers, we have our Mission Overview here, which also includes a questions subthread for general questions. For intro event-specific inquiries, please see the comments below. Additionally, be sure to have read the Chantes epilogue as well as the Nalawi: Locations page. Note that we will also have new characters arriving during the event, so be sure to give them a hand!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sieglinde is not a fan of beaches. She'd never seen one before, only read of sand and oceans, and she does think it's rather beautiful. It's simply that...

The sand is very hard to stand on.

Thankfully she does have Isengrim, but rather than walk beside the large canine she's had to almost ride it- almost because he was hardly a horse, and would not be treated as such, even if the discrepancy in their sizes meant she could sit comfortably astride.

The creature did accept advice on where to go, however, which is how she got to where she is, and how she spots a familiar figure, hands moving as if working on something.]

Master Graham- !

[She called out with a wave of her arm in greeting, trying to convince Isengrim to go over that way with nudges of her knobbly knees.]

Edited 2016-03-19 03:37 (UTC)

( yes, he can see the beach being rather difficult for Sieglinde. he's enjoying the sand and the sun and even wearing less layers than usual — he does have a body underneath all those Maine appropriate layers, who would have thought! — but it's not convenient or easy for everyone.

he's working on a fishing trap with a few of the villagers, trying to teach them to use hammers and tools that he's brought along with them. it isn't the easiest, considering they have so little experience with tools. still, they're trying and making progress, so that's the important part.

when he hears a familiar voice, though, he does get up from the sand, dusting it off bare knees before he meets Sieglinde halfway. he offers her a slight smile, trying to catch sight of what she's working on as he catches up to her. )

Sieglinde. Good to see the storm didn't blow you away. ( he's not surprised, she's far more formidable than her size suggests. )

[Oh, he. Does. Something that Sieglinde notices once he gets closer, momentarily staring rather blatantly at his shirtless state before she averted her eyes. Get it under control- ! He was her disciple, and though that certainly didn't preclude anything, it did complicate matters, so-

Ahem.]

A mere trifle.

[She can bluff pretty well, at least, seeing as in reality she had never seen a body of water bigger than the lake in Oska and had ended up half drowned.]

Are you instructing the natives in something?

( he doesn't really consider that being without most of his clothing would be distracting for Sieglinde. he does treat her as more of an adult than expected considering her age, but still, that doesn't occur to him. honestly that sort of thing blissfully doesn't occur to him very often period, without his heart.

he notices her lack of eye contact and tilts his head in silent curiosity — he can be much like his brother on occasion — in the end he just assumes she's not used to lack of undress. )

I'm trying to help them with fish traps. They used to use their abilities to fish, but... ( he frowns, since that's obviously a problem right now. he's not the biggest fan of magic to begin with, yet he's got to wonder what happened to leave the natives without their abilities. ) This way they'll be able to keep a livelihood with or without their powers. Traps are easy to make and fairly easy to harvest.

[Side effect of a peculiar upbringing and a village without men- never you mind, Graham. She will exercise self control. The slight pink to her cheeks could pass for sun. And with effort she begins looking- no, Sieglinde, a bit up- at his face. Generally.]

To catch the ocean fish, I see-

[It was a good idea. With powers fading, the natives would need to learn the hard way to do things rather than rely on the magical... something she could sympathize with.

But.]

Do ocean fish even taste of anything but salt... ?

( don't worry, Sieg, next time he sees you he'll remember to wear his shirt. crisis averted.

even though it is nice to be able to skip them on the beach. it's been a long time since he let himself enjoy the feeling of sunshine on bare skin. it makes him feel freer than he has in a long time. it's not worth making her feel uncomfortable, though. because he does spot the slight red, but that could be the sunshine, indeed. or embarrassment... not looking him in the eye could be discomfort, too!

he'd be surprised by the idea she's never tasted fish from the ocean if he didn't recall the fact that she hadn't even seen one, before ALISTAIR. he smiles at the question, though not at her expense. )

Quite different, though there is a taste of the ocean to it. It's not salty so much as sweet, though. I'll make you some crab, if you like. We're a big fan of crab in Maine.

[The beach itself is still very new along with the ocean itself, though, unhappily for her, not the best terrain. She'd spent almost all of her second morning in Nalawi picking grains of sand from the folds of flesh and bone that were hidden by the bandages around her lower legs.

A primary reason she made no move to slide off Isengrim's back, patting the beast's neck absently as it panted slightly in the heat.]

And what does crab taste like? Like fish?

[Another new thing- one that seemed far nicer than sand and salt water and tropical humidity.]

( he is sad for the way her bindings have limited her freedom. he does not ask yet he assumes they were a part of her culture, yet likely not one she had much control over. it is akin to a shackle forcing an animal to stay in a cage, to him it is very unfair that because of her bindings so much of the world is limited or kept away from her.

if she needed him to carry her, he'd be happy to. he was surprised the first time it happened but now, less so. it must be very difficult to move and yet she manages quite admirably. he'd be happy to help her to explore the world a little more freely. her wolf was a good companion yet perhaps not a perfect one just yet. )

A little, but it's sweeter and softer, I think. Fish is good too, though, I'm sure you'll get the chance to try both while we're here.

[She was awfully hungry- and this conversation wasn't helping matters. Graham did make crab and fish sound much better than she'd imagined, allaying her fears they would be rather pinched with salt.]

And how do you catch these things with those?

[She gestured to the natives set to work on the trap building, curious.]

What bait does one use for a fish?

[She'd had a pond nearby her manor, but the fish it produced were small, and only rarely worth eating- and she certainly hadn't learned how to fish for them.]

( it probably wouldn't be as good as it could be; the luxury of butter and lemon juice was not going to be found in Nalawi, more likely than not. didn't mean it wouldn't be tasty, though. Graham couldn't feel particularly hungry without his heart, but he was still looking forward to it. he'd had crab after the welcoming storm, he would likely have it again before their stay was through.

it seemed easiest to explain by crouching to draw a diagram of the trap they were making in the sand. a simple box with a funnel that led inside, making it easy for fish to swim in and not out again. it was a simplistic drawing yet enough to make the point. )

The fish swim in and can't get out again. So when the trap is drawn out of the water, any fish comes out with it. Crab traps are fairly similar. And, depends on what they like. Vegetable, liver, bugs... sometimes smaller fish, like minnows.

[Luckily for everyone- or, well, for a few people until her supply runs out, Sieglinde actually has quite a few herbs in her satchel that would make fish way more delicious than plain.

Grasping the thick leather collar around Isengrim's neck for balance, Sieglinde leaned over a bit to watch the diagram Graham was drawing, nodding along. If it was a fish's level of intelligence then she supposed that yes, they wouldn't be getting out of that easily, now would they... Hopefully the Nalawi fish weren't super smart.]

Hoh, I see... then you could teach me how to make these as well!

[After all, they'd discussed hunting tricks before. And it was probably going to be less forests and more beaches for the time being.]

Certainly, if you'd like to learn. Should work in a river just as well as the ocean, the information should serve you well.

( he seems pleased that she wants to learn. despite his willingness to show her how to skin a rabbit, they're not likely to find one on Nalawi. maybe some other kind of game in the trees, he has seen sign of things, he just hasn't had need to try and hunt for them just yet. )

Would you like to join us, then? We're working on building them now.

( teaching the natives to rely on tools instead of just abilities is slow work, yet they are taking to it with patience. Graham is glad for it, relying on magic has never struck him as a particularly good idea. )

[Sieglinde looked between Graham('s face mostly), the diagram, and the natives at work, then finally nodded. It was a prudent idea.]

Yes, I shall join you and the Nalawins.

[She's just going to make that name up right now- hopefully it worked.

Shifting how she sat astride Isengrim, who was busy sniffing at the sand with his skull's lack of nose, Sieglinde held her arms out to be lifted and carried to where the traps were being made.]

( c'mon Sieg his eyes are up here! just kidding, he's moved on to other thoughts by now, like the ever alluring fish traps. heartless, he doesn't really catch on to interpersonal intricacies. a hunter needs to be keen on details, yet some things fly straight over his head when interacting with his own spieces.

probably for the best.

Nalawins sounds well enough to him. Nalawites? Nawalian? he returns to standing and once he's shaken off most of his spare sand, and unlike the first time doesn't hesitate much in picking Sieglinde up, shirtless or not. even in the unsteady sand, he seems stable enough, heading back in the way he came from, but he has to note: )

Surely you're a bit warm in this weather.

( he's a little worried. heat exhaustion is not something he wants to see her deal with. what Sieglinde wears always is quite oldfashioned and he has to think hot in a tropical climate. perhaps she had a few less layered options? )

[All the better if Graham has no notice of certain interactions- because being picked up by a rather well muscled shirtless man is getting checked off her "out of the witch forest bucket list", and the pink on her cheeks is definitely no longer sun.

Isengrim, freed of her weight, however slight, digs his paws into the sand and arches forward tail in the air for a long stretch before bounding off, where the waves will prove entertainment enough.]

Me?

[Admittedly, Sieglinde was halfway to moving her hand to fan herself when he asked the question, so it was a bit hard to deny.]

Of course- it is unbearably hot in this place. Particularly at the moment.

[Because he- nevermind.]

( the heat doesn't bother him too much. maybe that's the heartless thing talking or just the fact he's used to being out in nature. Maine has air conditioning, yet he's more used to being outside than he is being in. clearly his way of beating the heat is just taking layers off, and Sieglinde... well, she still has plenty. )

You don't have anything a bit lighter for the weather?

( he doesn't know anything about girls fashion, especially the sort she wears, but surely it'd be a little easier on her if she had something less stifling to wear. perhaps that was inappropriate to suggest... oh well, too late. )

[Oh, well.]

I had no idea you were so eager- I suppose I could be convinced to strip a layer or two, but do you truly not mind the audience?

[Of confused deer people, one of which has definitely been eavesdropping if their scandalized expression, (ears straight up, eyes wide), was any indication.

Hopefully Graham's heartlessness didn't mean he couldn't appreciate a joke, because really... Sieglinde's comments were best when mistaken for jokes.]

( it takes him a moment, and he almost looks puzzled as he chips it all together. he's heartless, not hopeless. )

That's not what I meant.

( perhaps with a heart he'd be at least a little cowed by the fact he asked a very young girl to wear less clothes while he was holding her shirtless. as he is, he's unbearably practical about it. )

With this sort of heat, you could get sick.

( good to know that alarmed deer people aren't a mood killer, though??? )

[Got a good head on your shoulders, Graham. On your finely sculpted shoulders.

Sieglinde, for her part, seemed a bit disappointed that wasn't what he meant, but she'll get over it and the unfortunate return to the more boring mundane talk of clothing.]

I have the "uniform", but...

[Her face made it clear what she thought of that and its trousers. The boots at least she did appreciate, since it was difficult for her to find shoes custom fit and arched for her particular needs, but.]

I will research some cooling spells, perhaps-

[At least the scandalized member of the deer party seemed satisfied there would be no average sized and giant sized tangoing going on.]

( it's rather strange that she'd ever make such an assumption, though it doesn't take more than looking at her to realize she is from not quite the same type of modernity that he was used to. it makes him a little sad to think of someone her age considering such things, though rest assured it wasn't an option with him.

definitely too old for you, Sieglinde. too old for you before the curse had dragged him into his sixties. he looks pretty good for sixty something, though.

he's not a big fan of the uniform either — he's kept a few things from Chantes and yes, what he was wearing when he arrived. it should be more disconcerting than it is to wear clothes he died in. ) You think that will work? ( he's never heard of a cooling spell before, and wants to believe it will help, but still: )

Be careful. And stay hydrated. If you need help getting water let me know. ( he could spare some time to make sure she had enough, if she was committed to the layers. for now, though, they had fish traps to work on. luckily it's not the scandalized deer that they join at work, that would probably have been pretty awkward. he sets her down carefully before asking, ) Do you have any experience with knots?

[She likes older men, what else can be said?

Sieglinde, too, preferred the Chantean clothing to the uniform, and had definitely taken some dresses and chemises. The dress she'd brought from home was beginning to show more wear than was proper for a noble lady's gown.]

I shall inform you if it should not.

[Or she'll have to just cave in and wear the uniform. She arranges her dress carefully after she's sat down, a very weird way of sitting, honestly, but she pulls up her knees and tucks the folds of her skirt beneath her feet, exposing the bandaged limbs but keeping them off the sand. Honestly, sand was troublesome.]

Of course, I have tied a knot before.

[A knot. She'd... always had handmaidens to tie the laces on her corsets, and she'd never done actual labor... but at the very least, she knew how to tie off bandages on her patients.]

( ~~while he's sort of into younger women by default they do have to be above 21, sorry Sieg~~

the better question is, what he will possibly do if her dresses do end up too overwhelming for the heat. technically he can make clothing, he made his own back in the forest. likely not anything Sieglinde would like, though. and he does not actually have a secret stash of girls dresses along with him. though he does have something... )

I have a cloak, must be magical, that protects against the weather. Might be that it would keep you cool. ( he doesn't know for sure, but he's willing to let her have it if it will help. )

We're using lashing knots to get the frame together. They're a little more complicated than a normal knot, but I think you'll pick it up quickly. ( she picks most things up quickly, he finds. )

[~~Him and all the other upstanding men. She's so mad she has to wait FOREVER.~~]

You need not worry for me- besides. Should I fall ill, I know a very good healer, I assure you.

[... Herself, yeah. Maybe that's supposed to be a joke? But she's glad to instead concentrate on something else besides the idea that she might be stuck in that godawful uniform at some point, peering at what the natives were working on.]

A lashing knot? Let us see- how does one begin it?

[He was right, at least. Picking things up quickly was one of her best traits- whether it be manners, science, languages, or even knot-tying, if she applied herself.

The trick, when dealing with things outside her general interests, was "if".]

I know a good healer as well, but should she fall ill she likely won't be able to heal herself.

( is that supposed to be a joke? maybe??? it is hard to tell when he lacks the proper inflection for one, but he smiles. so probably. )

I like to worry. I'd rather see you well. ( he doesn't connect to people easily, so when he does manage it against all odds, it makes sense that he worries about the people he cares about. and Sieglinde does happen to be someone he cares about.

at least he's easy to shake onto a different subject, shifting a little closer to show her properly. and it is more complicated than one would think. once he's explained it the once, he does point out, ) Getting it sturdy is more important than following all the steps. This is just how I do it.

[It's tempting to say that was what made her a very good healer as opposed to just a good one, but instead she just smiles confidently. She isn't used to being treated so much as treating others... But she also suffered from a confidence born of youth. She didn't want to faint in the heat so she simply would not.

... She had the uniform for backup, at least.

Instead she turns her attention to his demonstration, expression serious as she tries to memorize the steps, the way his fingers moved and the reason behind why the knot worked that way. That was the most important part to understanding it.]

One more time, if you would.

[She shifted how she sat slightly to view it from a different angle.]

EVENT ★ NALAWI INTRO

they'll eat for a lifetime

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wrap here?

let it be wrapped!