escordvi | closed 🌻 the crew finally gets underway

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closed 🌻 the crew finally gets underway

Who: ~~Zelda's floating circus~~ The fledgling crew of Hand and Hearth
Status: Closed
Where: Elah, Nogard, Eltrut, all over the place, really
What: Zelda and her crew are collecting materials to offer to Elah in order to receive their ship.
Warnings: Setting-typical danger, probably.

[ Sometime after the Ghoul's Moon but before Winterstide, Zelda reached out to everyone who had agreed to help her with the relief organization she's been working hard to develop. She created a group chat via the shellphone network and announced that she had filed the necessary paperwork to receive a ship and officially found her crew!

... That was a couple months ago.

Today, at long last, her paperwork has made it through the bloated bureaucratic machine that is Paladin HQ. As soon as she finds out, Zelda immediately grabs her shellphone to share the news. ]

Everyone, I have wonderful news!

I just received word from the Assistant Deputy Director of the Elah Drydocks that we've been approved to make an offering to the leviathan Elah in order to receive our ship!

I'm sending you all the list of materials we've been instructed to gather for our offering. Most are the expected fare, but there are a number of things that are rather... esoteric.

[ >"List.txt" sent to group members. ]

I shall track our progress on the Purah Pad, so please keep me apprised of everything you gather.

And if you are uncertain of anything on the list, I shall be happy to assist as best I can.

I. The Normal Materials

[ What even goes into making a ship? Well, usually, the classification of the ship comes first. Once that’s resolved, the plans and materials are given to a shipwright, who turns these common materials into something seaworthy.

In this instance, however, the shipwright appears to be Elah themselves.

Each person in the crew probably has their own idea of what constitutes a strong and sturdy vessel– what could go wrong if everyone was allowed to bring their ideas to the table? Sure, too many cooks might spoil the broth, but is there really such a thing as too many ideas when it comes to shipbuilding?

Lumber is abundant enough, but things like rope, metal, cloth, lacquer, resin, and any other materials might be a little harder to come by. Given the world that they’re in, magical substitutions might just be what the Leviathan ordered.

Thus, the crew is tasked with finding the normal ship construction mundanities throughout Eltrut, Elah, Nogard, and everywhere in between. Pair up, fan out, and salvage everything you can. There’s no wrong answers when it comes to shipbuilding, obviously. (Protip: There are.) ]

II. The Personal Materials

[ Seafarers often speak of a mysterious being known as a Klabautermann, a fairy-like being that inhabits a ship and becomes its very soul. While this might seem like nothing more than superstition, in this world of magic, the Klabautermann could very well exist.

Willing one into being would take a more personal touch, requiring each member of the crew to offer something that represents who they are. This ship will carry their hopes and efforts across the seas of this world; it’s only appropriate to give these wills form in the shape of personal effects.

Each crew member is tasked to find an item that they feel best represents who they are and why they’re a part of this crew. Perhaps it is an item they own that is important to them, or one that represents something meaningful to them. An item related to their past, or to their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future. It would be a disservice to both ship and crew if the vessel didn’t carry a dash of each crew member, permanently enshrining them in the story of the vessel.

Hopefully the magic of Elah will give the Klabautermann conjured by these items a suitable form. ]

III. The Objectively Cool Shit

[ The common materials are gathered, the personal effects carefully selected, but there’s still one thing missing. Something that represents the coming together of this crew, that showcases their unity– a challenge to bond them in their shared undertaking.

Rumors have recently begun to circulate about a serpentine, dragon-like beast that inhabits a remote island across the distant sea. Its scales are said to be tougher than titanium; lightweight, durable, and, when bleached in the sun, they shine like a platinum beacon.

The Rhadiandendron.

Two scales of this creature, while difficult to obtain, would make an excellent prow for the ship. A beacon to cut through even the darkest squall, that those seeking aid could see upon the horizon.

All that remains is to obtain them from the behemoth... a task that will take the cooperation of the entire crew. ]

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...Huh, that's not a bad idea. What if I made some special attachments? The base is a grapnel but maybe an electrified prong? Zap and stun someone trying to get away??

[He retrieves one of his notebooks and begins immediately jotting things down. It takes him a moment before he realizes Shepard is looking at his idea board.]

Huh? Oh...yeah. Yeah, this is all me. Well, there's a few in there that Zelda and I worked on too but...

My old workspace back in my world was pretty similar.

That'll work for most people.

I'm a pretty good shot, but it'll need to be quickly retractable just in case they slip away or resist the stun.

[ "Pretty good" is being modest, though when she's shot from the wrist before that was with the aid of an Omni-Tool.

She pauses as she's leafing through, looking for the tell-tale signs of another - different handwriting, for a start. She chuckles to herself and cants her head slightly to one side - of course she's aware of the situationship between Darin and Zelda. It's cute they work on stuff together. ]

You brought over some ideas for home or are these all fresh since you got here?

[Darin makes a few quick notes based on Shepard's recommendations.]

Oh yeah these are all new. I didn't have anything from home when I washed up here. Just my clothes, my dao, and my smithing hammer. Then again, I was on the run when I got brought here so...I didn't really have much to begin with.

[ With a flutter of paper, Shepard turns from the board and regards Darin curiously. After a couple of moments, she asks in a softer tone: ]

Does that have anything to do with what you were saying when I came in?

...Ah, you uh...heard that, huh?

Well...no use really hiding it. We're...on the same crew after all.

[Darin sets his notebook down and...well, he shifts his weight nervously. His hand immediately goes to his blue hair and he combs his fingers through it— a nervous tic developed after years of people looking unfavorably at his blue hair color.]

Has...Garrus or anyone told you anything about me? What I can do?

[ Shepard moves closer, taking a seat nearby and leaning forward with her hands clasped between her knees. The answer she's expecting, from what she heard and his initial swerve, is that he was at least regarded as a demon, but... ]

I know you can take a punch better than a Krogan. That's about it.

[ And that was something she semi-learned from Darin during the whole Ghoul's Moon party fallout anyway. Garrus isn't really into the habit of gossiping about things that are so personal. ]

That's...well, I only kinda get what a Krogan is but that's a good start. It's probably better if I just...show you.

[Darin walks over to one of the massive anvils in his forge. He reaches down with one hand and hoists the entire thing up over his head with one arm, with as much effort as if he were lifting a watermelon. He even tosses it in the air and catches it for good measure.]

So...aside from this? I heal from damage quicker, I'm more resilient and I've got a lot more stamina. Apparently I can do more than that but...I don't really know how.

[He sets the anvil down with a loud clang and enough force that the forge shakes.]

I wasn't on the run because of this specifically but...it's a long story.

[ Her eyebrows shoot up, sitting to attention as Darin exhibits his colossal strength. When the anvil drops she doesn't flinch, just continues to stare at him with a slightly slack-jawed expression.

After a few moments of silence, her face splits into a wide grin, and she slumps back in the chair with a bark of a laugh. ]

And I thought I was strong. Shit... That's amazing.

[ There is not a single iota of fear from Shepard in response to Darin's display, or his confession of his abilities. She is just really impressed by it. ]

The people you were on the run from either had balls of steel or were idiots.

They didn't know what I was. I've hid what I can do for my entire life.

[With the anvil set back in place, Darin takes a seat atop it.]

Truthfully, I didn't know what I was. All I knew is that I wasn't normal. People with unique hair color like mine are...they're said to be demon and beastkin. That we have tainted blood.

[Darin clasps his hands between his knees and focuses on the floor between himself and Shepard. Talking about this has gotten easier in the year or so since he's been here but it's still a challenge.]

...My parents were human. My father was a former mercenary. A hero, really. My mother...I don't really know that well. She...died when my twin brother Dromas and I were born.

My brother...he's like me. Except his hair is longer. Moss green. And people back home just assumed we were freaks and monsters.

When I was five or so...my dad and Dromas, my brother, were...they were killed. Real demons showed up. I ran and my brother go between me and the blade and...well, that's how I got this.

[Darin hops to his feet and turns his back. He drops his sleeveless overcoat and hikes his shirt up to reveal a truly ghastly scar. One of the only wounds he's ever sustained that never healed. It looks deep enough to have almost cut him in half, running from right shoulder to left hip.]

[ As Darin tells his story, Shepard listens in silence. Her expression sobers with a pang of regret over her reaction to his abilities - to Darin, they're markers of him being different from those he lived amongst for most of his life, and possibly one of the reasons he and his family were targeted.

Her eyes shamelessly roam the scar, jaw setting tight. To have a permanent reminder of the worst day of your life... she can't imagine it. ]

Your brother's a hero. Even at such a young age...

[ Shepard trails off. She shakes her head and sighs, finally tearing her eyes away from the scar to look down at the forge's floor. Before she has time to brood on this, to compare and contrast with her own painful memories of losing family, she prompts Darin to continue. ]

Did you ever find out why they attacked?

... ... ...

[Shepard's assessment of Dromas was true. If only she knew what else he had to tell her.]

[He doesn't turn around. He merely rests his hands on the anvil and leans forward.]

No. Not...for a long time. Only recently.

[He takes a shaky breath.]

I...shouldn't have survived. I was...six? I hid under my father's body. The townsfolk bandaged me up but they didn't expect me to survive. The looks on their faces when I did— when I stood up after almost being cut in half...

...It cemented what they thought of me. None of them thought I'd make it and I don't think many of them wanted me to.

[The look of the townspeople's eyes when they saw him up and about— the horror, the whispered rumors; that he was the reason his family was dead...it still stays with him. It will never go away.]

I became known as a 'cursed child.' No one wanted me but no one had the courage to abandon me out of some...weird obligation to my father. Everyone was too afraid I'd bring the same misfortune on their homes. So...I bounced around from home to home for a year or so...then I got adopted by an old friend of my father's. An old smith. Acteon took me in and raised me. Taught me everything I knew about the trade.

[He wishes he could regale Shepard with more tales of Acteon but it would be stalling. She asked a question.]

About a month before I arrived here...I was framed for murder. A diplomat in the royal capital. Witness described me perfectly, right down to the blue hair. That was all they needed to try and arrest me. Acteon came after me, told me to break out. Find the person who did this. He gave me my dao and my hammer and...I ran. Never looked back.

[Darin starts to dig his fingers into the metal of the anvil as he continues.]

I followed the trail. Rumors. Until I finally caught up to the bastard who framed me in the city of Eruyeka.

...It was Dromas. Back from the dead with a major chip on his shoulder. And that's when he told me what we were supposed to be.

Two halves of one whole. The Archfiend Lord Diomuhr, the prophesied destroyer of my world.

Son of a... So why weren't you?

[ Her question is fired immediately, back to leaning forward on her seat with her elbows on her thighs, her fingers steepled in front of her mouth. She is fully invested in Darin's tale of his life before this place, and will greedily devour every crumb of information she's allowed to have. ]

Sounds like the prophecy was either wrong, or left a lot of stuff out. And it also seems to me like Dromas was poisoned against you by the demons who nearly killed you both.

[ Of course, she has to give her knee-jerk opinion. ]

I don't know. I don't know anything. Dromas acted like he held all the cards. He said we'd be drawn to one another and that I'd eventually "come into my own."

That it was "our destiny to rip the world apart and that we'd do it together."

Then he wiped out the city of Eruyeka to prove a point. To show me what I should be capable of.

Darin's hands have now crunched the edges of the anvil in his impossibly strong grip. He'll never forget the sight of that city being transmogrified.]

All those people...

I arrived here a day or so after that so...I never got any answers. I just know that I'm one half of Lord Diomuhr, the Archfiend God. All my life I was treated like a monster but they didn't even know why.

But they weren't wrong...

[ A beat of silence... and then a long, slow exhale. It takes her a moment to organise her thoughts, to decide on whether or not to share certain lowlights of her career. But then, eventually: ]

I disagree. People are always frightened by those different from them - it doesn't make that person a monster. What makes someone a monster is their actions, and the intention behind those actions.

[ She snorts, shakes her head and folds her arms. Shepard doesn't point to Dromas as being a monster, though his actions were unquestionably monstrous. It's complicated, and not something Darin needs to hear right now anyway. ]

Speaking frankly, your existence is a blessing for those people. You're the person standing in the way of this "Archfiend God" being fully-realised.

[Darin is silent for a very long minute. It's all about perspective in the end. He knows this. He knows he's not a bad person. But there's so many uncertainties and fears associated with his power.]

...Yeah. I know. But the truth is? Dromas made it sound like it'll happen whether I want it to or not. There's a....phenomenon. My world has two moons. One huge white one and a smaller red moon. They're supposed to align soon. People started calling it the "Demon's Eye." It's apparently the herald of the end times.

...It's supposed to happen then.

So...I honestly don't know. I might wake up one day and go kill-crazy. Become this awful force of nature and hurt everyone.

[ Of course, what Darin fears could absolutely happen, the rules of his world where demons and potentially magic exist don't line up at all with her own experience. But she's in full morale-boosting mode so the rules can go to hell. ]

Or... you might not. And the prophecy is just some ancient doomsday that keeps getting rescheduled for reasons regular people like me will never comprehend, i.e: bullshit.

Dromas has been the captive of the demons that were hunting you for decades, since he was a child. Of course he's going to be pushing their agenda, trying to make you give up and surrender so they have an easier time of making this thing happen.

... ... ...

I'm...not trying to make excuses for him. I get what you're saying. According to Dromas...he broke free of his own accord and is trying to start the apocalypse early.

[Darin heaves a sigh and shakes his head.]

It sounds like I'm trying to push back on your assessment. And I'm not...you're probably right but...

It doesn't erase the doubt, you know? The fear? I can look at it as rationally as I want but there's always a "What if?" That's what I try and plan for.

So, right now, my contingencies all amount to learning how to control my power. Because I'm pretty sure if I told you or Garrus or even Karlach to take me out if I ever started to lose myself, you'd tell me you wouldn't.

[ She can't argue with the fear, the "what ifs"... she's haunted by the same thing, but in reverse. What if there was a better way, something she missed, something that would have saved more lives...

Shepard echoes Darin's sigh, scruffs her hands back through her hair. ]

No - if you told me to take you out and there was no other obvious option, I would do it. If things reached that point, even if you hadn't told me to, I would do what was needed to prevent civilian loss of life.

That's a promise.

[Darin's honestly a little surprised. He turns to her and his face shows as much. He wasn't expecting that...though maybe he should have. Idealism is good and all, but the mark of a true leader and soldier is knowing when to make a tough call. The many over the few.]

[And gods could Darin respect that.]

That...That's good to hear, honestly. So...I'll tell you now, for the most part? I can get hurt like any other human. I'm sturdier than most and I heal quick but...well, one good strike should do it. The vitals.

I don't know what I'll be like if I start to change or anything so...whatever you wind up doing, make it count.

Let's hope it never comes to that... but your advice is noted.

[ Shepard mutters something quietly to herself about needing to get off her ass and get her sniper fixed, agitating her hair with both hands again.

Then abruptly, she stands up from the seat and walks over to the door, but grabs the pizza box instead. It's cooled now, but should still at least be a little warm thanks to the forge. ]

I think that's enough self-reflection and what-ifs for one day.

[Darin laughs sheepishly.]

Yeah. Yeah, I think so. But I'm glad I could get that off my chest. I don't...I don't want secrets on the crew. I want you all to know where I stand.

And...thanks. For helping me figure out what I want to give for the ship. "Who I am" is still a big grey area but...

It's nice to know who I am to others.

Glad I helped. Can't guarantee I'll always be helpful, but my door's always open to friends in need.

[ She grins, slapping the side of the box with the palm of her hand. ]

Hope you liked what Garrus got you last time.

Edited 2025-02-10 14:21 (UTC)

Listen, I'll turn down any kind of putza as long as it's not spicy.

[With a grin, Darin makes a beeline for the box.]

Thanks to my healing ability, my taste buds don't go numb!

[Darin doesn't care if it's cold, he's popping the lid and grabbing a slice.]

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closed 🌻 the crew finally gets underway

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