AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic

Luca seems to have been busy lately. He might have been seen canvassing the entire city with a notebook in hand, taking notes on what he finds. Later, he takes a couch in the living quarters, and sets to writing a rather large pile of letters. Each is an order form with a personalized, if somewhat generic greeting preceding the actual order. Each letter would request a quote for the goods requested, with return correspondence to be left with a courier in Uhm. No indication of any Tarkuul affiliation is given, each simply signed "Mr. Severin".

To the Carpentry Warehouse in Uhm wrote:

10 Sturdy tables, with the drawers and clamps necessary to serve as workbenches
20 medium-sized planting boxes for vegetables
20 vine trellises, with accompanying planting box
1 Complete set of carpentry tools

To the Fishermen in Uhm wrote:

10 fishing nets
5 crab/lobster traps

To the Leatherworker in Uhm wrote:

A complete set of leatherworking and curing tools

To Hoar, the Forgemaster in Cordor wrote:

A full compliment of tools to run a forge, including Weapons, Armor and Refining.
2 anvils

To the Fletcher in Cordor wrote:

A complete set of tools for fletching and bowyering

To the Bookstore in Cordor wrote:

A quality set of inks, quills, engraving tools, and drying sands for a scribe

To the Tailor in Cordor wrote:

Scissors, needles, a loom, and anything else that might be required to make one's own clothes.

To the Workshop of Gond in Caraigh wrote:

All the tools and gadgets for an aspiring inventor

To the Quarrymaster in Caraigh wrote:

A full compliment of stoneworking tools

and finally:

To the brave halflings of Bendir Dale, where the best bread of the lands is made wrote:

The finest set of cookware any chef could need

With his letters out, Luca sets to making himself useful around the city while he waits for the quotes, uncharacteristically forgoing his leather uniform for a set of comfortable pants and a loose blouse. Debris from the streets is unceremoniously tossed over the edge of the city, and for whatever reason, some time is spent in the dungeons and the throne room, hauling out loose contents and furniture to be stored.

One by one and bit by bit the return letters and quotes begin filing in to the courier in Uhm as indicated.

To the Carpentry Warehouse in Uhm wrote:

10 Sturdy tables, with the drawers and clamps necessary to serve as workbenches - 1,000 GP
20 medium-sized planting boxes for vegetables - 200 GP
20 vine trellises, with accompanying planting box - 300 GP
1 Complete set of carpentry tools - 100 GP

To the Fishermen in Uhm wrote:

10 fishing nets - 500 GP
5 crab/lobster traps - 300 GP

To the Leatherworker in Uhm wrote:

A complete set of leatherworking and curing tools - 100 GP

To Hoar, the Forgemaster in Cordor wrote:

A full compliment of tools to run a forge, including Weapons, Armor and Refining. - 200 GP
2 anvils - 400 GP

To the Fletcher in Cordor wrote:

A complete set of tools for fletching and bowyering - 100 GP

To the Bookstore in Cordor wrote:

A quality set of inks, quills, engraving tools, and drying sands for a scribe - 100 GP

To the Tailor in Cordor wrote:

Scissors, needles, a loom, and anything else that might be required to make one's own clothes. - 300 GP

To the Workshop of Gond in Caraigh wrote:

All the tools and gadgets for an aspiring inventor - 400 GP

To the Quarrymaster in Caraigh wrote:

A full compliment of stoneworking tools - 100 GP

To the brave halflings of Bendir Dale, where the best bread of the lands is made wrote:

The finest set of cookware any chef could need - 100 GP

When all is totaled and done, including the various delivery costs from those locations farther afield, the estimates sum to five thousand gold, a small fortune to most working men of the Realms.

Luca would attend to the correspondence immediately as he receives them, delivering the quoted amounts immediately so the orders can be filled as promptly as possible. He continues to work as he waits for the materials, scouring the city for rubble, dirt and the occasional dead thing, tossing it all into the sea unceremoniously. He'll pause his work occasionally to look over what seems to be a set of plans or blueprints, often scratching his head in confusion, turning the sheets this way and that. Invariably, the Shadovar just shrugs and goes back to what he was doing. Over time the city seems to clear up a little, and Luca gathers a small troupe of skeletons to assist in his labors. Furniture (mainly "dungeon accessories" for those paying attention) is hauled out of the castle and placed into storage, and the flagstones around the castle and just after the bridge begin to be pried up.

Bit by bit the ordered items begin to arrive in Uhm for payment and pickup, some of the larger orders still a day or two out, but the smaller or more simple orders already completed.

One of the platforms in the Court of the Living seems to have turned into a temporary supply depot for the intrepid rogue. As the orders come in, they are deposited there, presumably to be sorted and set up as the rest of the purchases arrive. Beside the platform, a haphazard outdoor workshop begins to take shape as Luca begins experimenting with all the tools. His first try at handcraft seems to be a primitive gazebo to keep the occasional rains off his square of the Court. At first, he seems to be doing more reading and sketching from a pile of notes and how-to books, but eventually he seems to find his confidence to start nailing wood together. A skeleton is pulled over to prevent anyone from wandering off with anything, though the residents are more than welcome to use the pile of supplies until they can be divided into more permanent workshops.

When he isn't at the platform, he seems to spend his time...collecting dirt. Large burlap sacks filled with soil are stacked against one side of the castle, his shovel and portal wand always at hand to make another trip to whatever part of Amia he fancies collecting from at the moment.

Rubble and crud continues to disappear from the city with military efficiency, and the mountain of burlap bags continues to grow. Flag stones in some locations are pried up, stones in good condition begin to form a pile in the Court of the Living, dead in the center of the area. Damaged or inferior stones are discarded. Luca takes time to rest from the back-breaking work by retiring to the makeshift workshop in the Court, unpacking further supplies as they arrive, and he begins assembling the furniture and sort the tools into specific workstations. He seems to prefer working outdoors during the dead of night, retiring to his office as the sun crests the horizon. There, he delves into the expanding pile of plans and blueprints, quill in hand...

Luca takes some time looking over the bags of soil he's been stacking against the castle, a thick journal in one hand that seems to contain Mania's handwriting. He seems to sort out bags of a certain soil type and quality before hauling those into the castle and down into the dungeons, placing them into the now empty cells for the moment.

Later in the evening he keeps at his work under the makeshift gazebo in the Court, setting up the tools and workbenches are more of his orders arrive, before having a few skeletons assist him with distributing them throughout the City to their intended final stations.

A short rest has him comparing floor plans in the shadows of his temporary workshop, before he wanders through the Court, using a lump of chalk to draw the floorplans of the various buildings over the flagstones in the places he believes would work well to have the buildings situated. His methods seem simple but functional, with lengths of string he had cut to the correct lengths beforehand with small lead weights on either end, to serve as his measuring tools. That small task sorted, he spends the rest of the day practicing his hand at carpentry, building and disassembling lantern brackets and sections of fencing until he's satisfied with the results.

Emilie often keeps him company, usually pointing at papers and designs of her own. She speaks with Luca in quiet tones, sometimes breaking into a hushed argument or two, before she helps him with the more 'light lifting'.
Aside from keeping Luca company against his will. She spends some time by herself near the castle with the soil, finishing designs and making a list for the Guard and the others to help with.

As the last orders come in, the workbenches are finished and placed throughout the island in appropriate locations, keeping the stoneworking and carpentry tools at the makeshift gazebo in the Court of the Living, where they can be on hand for the rebuilding. The last of the flagstones are pried from the slowly forming garden areas in the Courth of the Undying, and are stacked in the center of the Court of the Living, where a large pile of them resides, ready to be recycled into other projects. Soil from the bags is laid down in the depressions, and with Emilie's direction, the planting boxes are put in place, and the vine trellises strategically affixed to the sides of the various buildings of the City.

A short slim man, sometimes wearing the cloak of the Living Guard and sometimes not, can be found frequently in the library reading material related to design and operation of seige weapons as well as general architectural material related to walls and fortifications. Othertimes he can be found examining the ballistae near the city gate.

The renovations continue, though perhaps at a more languid pace. Emilie seems to have managed to get the trellises and their vines sorted, the exterior walls of the Living City's buildings becoming much more lush, with more going up every way. The garden areas begin to clearly take form as the last of the flagstones are pulled up and the topsoil is laid down. Luca seems to have several projects going at once, moving between them as his attention shifts, directing whatever skeletons and living helpers he can harass into assisting.

In the Court of the Living, sections of fencing and lamp fixtures are being slowly hammered together, along with an odd collection of barrels and troughs. Any damaged stone that falls under the chalk outlines of the new buildings is replaced with undamaged flagstone retrieved from the pile made when the gardens were torn up.

In the Court of the Unliving, two sets of scaffolding begin to slowly take form in addition to the gardening work. One extending off the side of the building across the the tower of the damned over the ocean, and secured with a clever arrangement of rope, while the other begins the bridge the gap where the ferryman once berthed his vessel. Both seems experimental at best, with Luca attempting various arrangements with cheap materials as he learns the craft by trial and error.

((Anyone is free to pop into this thread if your PC could be harangued into helping))

*After a long day of study within the confines of the library, Ðraco emerges from his tomes. Obviously still deep in thought as he makes his way out of the castle, giving no more than an acknowledging nod to those that meet his gaze. Finally stopping once he reached the south eastern corner, his fiery eyes trailing over the collection of dirt and rock a moment before he reached the edge.

Staring down, pondering a minute before reaching into a bag of holding, pulling out a small block of granite, setting it down in front of him. Then begins to cast, those knowledgeable of such might recognize his incanting and hand gestures were those needed to cast Wall of Stone. As he finishes the spell a minor rumbling beneath him occurs as a stone wall emerges horizontally out from the city ten feet below him.*

The Quartermaster can be seen either in the basement of the temple or in the old kitchen in the castle with the recently awakened zombie, teaching it how to organize things and keep lists of who stores what items and in what quantities. He's generally very patient with the creature, even if it decomposes at him.

*The next day Ðraco returns to the site, with a small pouch in his left hand. Dropping the bag on the ground, focusing upon the collected debris as he begins his lengthy incantation of the spell Move Earth. The Bag in front of him folds into itself as it appears to have been emptied out as his final words were uttered. Moving most of the muddy earth and rock onto the stone floor, held loosely in place by the scaffolding.

Taking a moment to look over the mound before he cautiously prods it with his hoof, then stamps down on it once to test it's firmness. He picks then up the empty bag and stuffs it back into his robes, pulling it back out with a small chunk of limestone, a small sac and a vial of a clear liquid enclosed in his fingers. Laying them on the ground in front of him, then casting Transmute Mud to Rock. Instantly the lump of earth is transformed into a solid piece of rock, trapping both the wooden scaffolding and larger rocks inside it.*

Emilie is seen wandering through the castle, her notebook in one hand a tailor's tape measure in the other hand. She pauses thoughtfully in the Living Quarters, consulting her designs. She repeats this same process in the Throne Room before head to the desk in the Trade Hall to write a missive. Those who asked or care to look would see that it is addressed to the furniture store/carpentry in Uhm.

Draco's castings would seem to be on the right track, the Transmutations he's used a dozen times before in other situations, serving him just as well here. Though it will take some work to add the two sections of stone blocking, layer by layer, to the City.

Glim wrote:

Whenever Draco might be working on the expansion of the City "floor" in the Court of the Undying, he would find that two or three skeletal workers climb up from the closed-off Crypt to help in his work, taking care of any of the shifting of dirt and rock, or bringing more dirt and rocks from the few remaining piles in the Court of the Living.

*Every few days after it rains, Ðraco returns and casts the spells again. Adding layer after layer of crudely formed rock to the cities cliff side. He instructs the skeleton workers to make two separate piles, one with the larger rocks exceeding twenty pounds, the other with everything else. Then tell them help him to move the dirt and smaller rocks into the netted scaffolding.*

Thanks to the color-coded presents the Headmaster left him, Luca seems much more able to manage his multiple projects. The nicely labeled "smart zombies" are immediately pressed into use helping him oversee the construction at various points around the City. With them directing their mindless 'siblings', Luca is able to move from project to project, keeping them on task and instructing the intelligent ones in the skills they need. He doesn't shy away from his own share of the work, but now he is able to focus on aspects of the projects that require skill and intelligence. The buildings and walls see much more rapid progress, and the shadowdancer's mood seems all the better for it. Even forgoing his armor now in the improved weather, he attends to his work in a simple pair of trousers and an expensive blouse, moving with a brisk step and a bundle of blueprints under one arm.

In the last few days, the High Arcanist and his grim servant were seen dragging a certain amount of building
material around the Court of the Living, usually around the Tarkuul funds sarcophagus.

A somewhat grease-stained note is sent to the office of the Speaker.

The first batch of the new mushroom crops have been delivered and I daresay it looks like I'll have more than enough to feed all the mouths that linger about the City at present; at least the living ones. Ha!

Anyway, we'll even have enough to start building some decent food stores now, assuming the crops are up-kept properly. Though from what Mania told me, rest her soul, the mushrooms pretty much grow themselves once the right conditions are in place. A fine bit of work she did.

I'll start work on expanding the menu, presently. Maybe I can get my hands on some Calimshite spices...

Marigath

Elsewhere in the City, Draco's diligent work on the substructure seems to be complete. The question is... what next?

The reply is swift, if brief:

Honored Chef,

Thanks to Councillor Emilie's efforts and the beautiful weather, we'll also have the opportunity to grow Grapes, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Carrots, and Lettuce in the gardens and trellises around the castle, to compliment Mania's work. What else would you need to support an additional 50% on the current living population, in addition to your spices?

~Luca

An occasional "whump" "Twang" or he loud clatter and splintering of wood breaks the relativesilence of the Court of the Living as the short young Enforcer continues his work on testing and designing seige weapons. While a competent engineer, he frequently grumbles over the vast seperation between the knowledge required to build something and the knowledge required to destroy it. Still, as time goes by he rapidly seems to get the hang of it, and the sudden cracking sound of some other minor weapon disaster begins to come less and less frequently as time goes by.

Tireless as the undead he's directing, Luca doggedly focuses his efforts on getting the foundations and framework of the residential complex squared off. Whole days go by without sleep or socializing. An astute observer might notice he only pauses briefly to sip at a bottle and murmur a gentle prayer to heal raw, chafed hands stained with blackish blood. Bereft of his usual armor as he works, it's plain the Speaker is becoming increasingly gaunt, with a telling hollowness to his shadowed features.

Though his attention is on the housing, Luca makes a point to wander to the other teams of undead, ensuring they are on track, if progressing slowly without his help. Those paying attention to such things might note that Luca seems to have arranged five of these work teams, each led by a zombie sporting a green arcane sigil of some sort. Four of them work in close proximity in the Court of the Living, doing what they can to raise the housing, tavern, barracks and rebuild the tower. A fifth works in the Court of the Unliving, trying to puzzle together some docks in the niche. They also seem to be staging a cache of materials near the fence.

Ðraco wrote:

Headmaster Blackwater,
Now that this stage of the construction is complete; I will need the materials we spoke of before. I will of course compensate you for the trouble. In order to create this building we'll need bricks, mortar, granite, and wooden planks; preferably ironwood.

~Alumni Bloodcloak

Dead wrote:

Alumnus Bloodcloak,
In my private box I have in units:

Mortar is created when sand and quicklime are created, and to
transform limestone into quicklime, one needs a skilled smelter,
which I am not. If you know someone who is a smelter, send him
my way and I shall create you some mortar as well. Also do note
that I am not a carpenter and that you will have to search for the
Ironwood elsewhere.

PS Alumni is plural. Singular of Alumni is Alumnus.

~ H.A.L.B.

NinjaClarinet wrote:

The reply is swift, if brief:

Honored Chef,

Thanks to Councillor Emilie's efforts and the beautiful weather, we'll also have the opportunity to grow Grapes, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Carrots, and Lettuce in the gardens and trellises around the castle, to compliment Mania's work. What else would you need to support an additional 50% on the current living population, in addition to your spices?

~Luca

A far less swift reply, equally stained with grease as the last.

Speaker Luca,

Grapes will take a fair bit of time to grow, but I look forward to some decent wine! I've taken a look around the planters and trellises around the Castle. They aren't much, but will give us some variety at least. We need space more than anything else, if you want to be entirely self-sufficient for food. Crops take room and that's something we don't have much of.

Maybe devote some of that new section to a proper garden and I can give you the support for your population increase. Until then we'll need to import at least some goods in order to feed that many mouths, three square meals a day.

With rationing, we might be able to support 50% more, once Councilor Emilie's first crops come in, until we get that proper crop space. I'm just a cook, you're the city planner.

Marigath

A note wrote:

Speaker,

While we remain close to water, it should be accounted that foods from the sea - kelp, fish, and other pelagic creatures - are readily available.

Kemnon

I've purchased ample fishing equipment. There are nets and crab traps standing by. Someone simply needs to make use of them...or teach the deaders how to. Sadly, I simply don't have the time or inclination to learn to fish. The gear has been sitting in the open, available for anyone to use. It seems hoping that people will take initiative on their own is a lost cause, hmm?

~L.S.

A note wrote:

Speaker,

While the visitors of the city are content to have the undead do everything for them, and many of the living residents pursue an existence of undeath, initiative will not be taken. What use is there for the necromancer to tend crops they hope to soon no longer need to eat?

Hope is irrelevant. Those who consider themselves citizens of Tarkuul can assume the responsibility of taking an hour out of their active day to perform some manner of sustenance gathering; be it setting nets or lowering cages, pulling up either later in the day to haul in any catches, and so forth. The Living Guard might have such tasks added to their duties during periods of downtime.

Kemnon

Ðraco wrote:

Headmaster Blackwater,
I will search for a smelter, or at least acquire more mortar as needed. As for the overall construction, undead should be able to handle it, or slaves. Either way the shape is basic, no need for anything fancy. The ironwood is not a necessity but a preference as the building will need to be as structurally sound as possible, should a test possibly go wrong, however unlikely. I am free to begin dipping into your materials then?

~Alumnus Bloodcloak

Dead wrote:

Alumnus Bloodcloak,
I shall deliver the materials in front of the tower so that you can work.

~ H.A.L.B.

*Early in the morning as the sun creeps over the horizon, Ðraco could be seen exiting a portal at the cities entrance. Dressed in his usual long flowing robe he makes his way for the city gates followed by a reanimated mummy with a trowel and bucket in its hand. Passing through the gates and stopping once Ðraco reached the pile of material left for him. After a couple minutes of looking over all at was left for him he instructed the mummy to begin mixing the mortar in the bucket with the trowel. The ragged undead doing as instructed, pouring the mortar into the bucket and working it up with the trowel into a workable paste.
While the mummy slaved away Ðraco pulled a few chunks of limestone aside, dropping them into a separate bucket. Taking a deep breath before casting the spell fabricate upon the limestone, refining the material and leaving only quicksilver in the bucket. A toothy grin comes over his face as he looks down into the liquid, reaching into his bag he pulls out another trowel. Drops it next to the bucket before leaning over to check on the mummy’s progress with the mortar. He gives the creature a nod and instructs it to begin laying out the foundation.
With the bucket of mortar and trowel in hand the mummy walks toward the recently built substructure. Lathering the ground in the thick paste before stacking the bricks into place. After making sure the mummy is doing what he wanted heads back to other bucket he was preparing. Scooping sand into the bucket of quicksilver, working it in, adding more sand as needed until it was a good workable thickness. If any of the skeleton workers show up to aid them Ðraco would instruct them the same as his own undead that worked tirelessly. Continuously casting fabricate upon the limestone and mixing it up, when not overseeing the overall progress.*

Perhaps an indication of the importance of the work, several of the City's undead laborers come out of the Crypts to aid in the construction, under Draco's direction.

*As the undead workers pour out of the crypt Ðraco stood upright, tells one of them to continue mixing the mortar he had been mixing himself. Then instructing the rest to work on the foundation, gesturing to his own undead working away as he spoke. With the corpses tirelessly building, Ðraco acts merely as a supervisor at this point, seemingly not one for physical labour. Keeping a close eye on the amount of mortar left in the buckets, preparing more limestone to fabricate as needed. Leaving the workers to do the heavy lifting.*

A letter is sent to Marigath, this time from Captain Vosst.

Chef Marigath,

I'm investigating the possibility of increasing acquisition of fish fit for consumption - it seems the logical move, given the city's current location. My question is - would you be able to work with shark meat, in large quantities? I know little about food preparation but I believe fish can be preserved in much the same way as other meat.

If all goes as planned and there are no problems with this on your end, we should see a steady supply of shark meat, possibly to the point of surplus.

- Captain Vosst

serbiris wrote:

A letter is sent to Marigath, this time from Captain Vosst.

Chef Marigath,

I'm investigating the possibility of increasing acquisition of fish fit for consumption - it seems the logical move, given the city's current location. My question is - would you be able to work with shark meat, in large quantities? I know little about food preparation but I believe fish can be preserved in much the same way as other meat.

If all goes as planned and there are no problems with this on your end, we should see a steady supply of shark meat, possibly to the point of surplus.

- Captain Vosst

Captain Vosst,

Shark, if prepared properly, is a lot like beef in texture with a very fishy taste to it. It can be cured for our stores and would be a fantastic option if you can find people willing to try to catch them.

Shark steak, served with a side of Zurkstalk stroganoff, and (in a year or two) accompanied by Tarkuul's own brand of wine... it sounds like I might just be able to open that restaurant I've always wanted!

Marigath

Last edited by Dead on Wed, Nov 28 2012, 11:50 AM, edited 1 time in total.

If the sharks are going to be on the menu, please save the entrails of a goblin shark into a jar of
Formaldehyde and send them to my office, as I use those as spell components.

~ H.A.L.B.

bobofwestoregonusa wrote:

The following notice are sent to the office of the Living Guard and Magisterium Mortis, as well as the known Hands and Speaker of the Council.

Esteemed officials of the Living City,

As acting Quartermaster, I feel that I should post publicly that any material needs for projects within the magisterium, guard, court, or general development of the city should be requisitioned through me. I will do everything within my ability to assure that you are supplied and maintained. I will try to leave other public listings of supplies at my disposal as well, such as wands, potions, and other items of value to the Guard, Magisterium and city in general.

Please leave any requisitions at my office.

In service to the Living City,
Quartermaster, Sergeant Gerald Edmund

Ðraco wrote:

Quartermaster Edmund,
In regards to your public posting I am, or at least will be in the near future in need of more building materials to complete the structure currently being built. As of the moment we are in dire need of more mortar and bricks. We have the required materials to make more quicksilver for the mortar, but the rate at which I can transmute the limestone for the mortar is too slow. Thus any mortar you can acquire would be a great help, or if you know a skilled smelter than he could refine the limestone for me.
We will also need wooden planks, more granite, and then eventually the furnishings if you wished to take the initiative. But as of the moment bricks and mortar is what is needed. If you could deliver them to the construction in front of the crypt it would be appreciated.

~Alumnus Bloodcloak

bobofwestoregonusa wrote:

Draco,

I will see that regular trips to various merchants are made. I know a decent smelter, however he is not a master of the craft. Any materials I acquire will be left with the city's stores and you will need to petition the Council for their use. However I will certainly make a concentrated effort on obtaining these things for you.

In service to the Living City,
Quartermaster, Sergeant Gerald Edmund

As time passes and the work continues, performed night and day by the various undead entities, the shell of the addition to the southernmost building would begin to take shape. Anyone passing by would be able to note somewhat easily that the design of the southern building of the Court of the Undying seems to be in the process of being rebuilt into an exact image of the recently uncovered eastern building in the Court of the Living.

A short and to-the-point note is left in the Guard office.

Lacern,

The parts you requested are finished and you can pick them up any time.

Havoc

Taking delivery of the parts, Lacern seems satisfied after a relatively brief inspection and a few measurements and thanks Havoc for a job well done before dragging the parts off to his little empy corner in the Court of the Living. He stands over a couple of scrolls anchored haphazardly around the table, looking it over and murmuring to himself.

Hm...yew for the arms of course, nothing can withstand the stress better than that...but what to use for the frame. Ironwood would be resilient but perhaps too much so, there needs to be some spring in it otherwise the arms will snap off the frame.
Hrn... He shuffles some papers around until he finds a list, mostly denoting different types of wood found locally and their various uses, [i]I think it will be oak for the rail base, and darkwood for the best. Darkwood is strong but flexible enough that they use it in ships. Should work perfectly. Or I suppose it could explode violently upon firing, we'll see.

He starts measuring and making notations on his list of the type of wood he will need and the sizes and shapes of the peices.

Slowly a machine or device of some sort is beginning to take shape off in the corner of the Living Court. Three heavy beams of oak are laid out parallel, with a pair of rail-like steel mounts on top of the outside beams with a thicker, heavier, toothed rail laid on top of the middle beam. The beams are held together by more heavy oak beams rather than mere planks. At one end, notably the end facing the sea, the beams are supported off the ground by thick posts made of oak, which are connected to the bottom of the now angled peices with the rails, and the whole bottom assembly has a few more slightly thinner beams running across it to hold it all together. The joins of the wood are reinforced and held in place by heavy steel bolts holding angled steel bolts in place. There is a pair of heavy beams under the frame that run perpendicular to the main rails with holes and mounts drilled in and set up that would suggest wheels go on the ends, but the wheels are not currently attached.
There are shavings and slivers of oak everywhere, and next to it is a pile of what appears to be darkwood beams and planks and a thin beam of what appears to be yew, along with a collection of metal bolts, pins, plates, wheels, axles and the like. Enforcer Lacern can again be seen poring over papers and muttering and doing calculations.

Glim wrote:

As time passes and the work continues, performed night and day by the various undead entities, the shell of the addition to the southernmost building would begin to take shape. Anyone passing by would be able to note somewhat easily that the design of the southern building of the Court of the Undying seems to be in the process of being rebuilt into an exact image of the recently uncovered eastern building in the Court of the Living.

In the Court of the Undying, the few undead that had been aiding Draco finally finish the work that he had begun, the eastern "wing" of the building now completed.

The device in the corner of the Court of the Living seems to have developed a new companion device, a frame slowly begins to be assembled, mounted on wheels and made out of the darkwood planks which are slowly dwindling from the pile. Metal wheels are on the thing, clearly designed to fit the rails on the other device, and a ratched wheel with a released lever set in the base seems to be intended to connect to the saw toothed rail. What is going to be fit on top of this strange construction, remains to be seen however.

The device begins to take on a more recognizable shape as the carriage peice continues to accumulate parts. A base with a large half circle carved out of its length is mounted on the carriage with metal components clearly designed to allow it to pivot up and down slightly and left to right, though they are also clearly designed to be locked in place. Across the front with reinforced steel bands is mounted a massive curved bow carved out of the yew beam. Heavy springy rope is run from the ends of the bow to a jacking mechanism that runs the full length of the cutout.

The (relative) silence of the Court of the Living is broken by a shout of "Pull" and then the creak and twang and the rattling racket of the device as the new weapon, now fully assembled, is test fired. Afterwards Enforcer Lacern can be seen crawling all over the machine examining weak points and damaged points and anyhting that got shook loose. After compiling a list and making a few notes, he sought out Havoc and after a brief conversation rummaged around through some bins and crates until he found what he was looking for. After collecting what he is after, he goes back to his court and begins replacing things, as well as installing a few new braces or double bolts in order to reinforce the machine. He seems relatively pleased as he works.

As soon as the storm lifts and other minor issues are sorted the Living Guard Sergeant can be seen crawling all over his project, conducting repairs to the apparently relatively minor damage the massive weapon had suffered.

[//Summary of events which took place on Feb 17'th; links lead to plain text content - tidied up logs of RP]

The air was still and calm as if a storm was brewing somewhere in the distance. A small host of drow females arrives at The Court of the Living, there they meet one more of their kin, conversing with two citizens of the Living City.

Arrival at the Court of the Living

Perhaps shy, still feeling awkward among surfacers, or simply not interested in idle chatter, their minds set on their own pressing matters - the four females then move on deeper into the Court, until they stop before one of the construction sites.

First glance at the construction

The male drow that was brought by one of them seems uneasy among the females, perhaps anxious about something that awaits him. Whatever the cause, they take off immediately in a direction known only to themselves, not to be seen for several hours.

They take the male and leave

Their return is heralded by a distant noise and turmoil, moments before their host can be seen entering the Court - they were not alone. A dozen, maybe more undead are following in their steps, bones clattering on the stone floor, an occasional extremity, dead tissue or wrapping left in their passing. The male drow is walking beside the females with renewed confidence and a sense of achievement painted on his face, whatever it was that troubled him before was now in the past. Their host stops at the same construction site and the females begin talking with the Speaker and High Arcanist.

Nighthags return with a host of undead

After brief conversations, the females step away from the odd structure, towards a corner of the construction - they begin speaking in hushed tones, browsing and examining several sheets of paper they received from the Speaker.

Preparations

After a while, one of the females leaves, the other heads inside the structure to check on the male's progress.

Progress

Their undead workforce is vigorously bustling inside, no doubt the male's contribution, who appears most apt and comfortable with command. The female seems pleased, but now has work of her own - taking care of the workers condition. She inspects them one by one, mending their injuries and defects.

Suddenly a massive wave crashes upon the Court, shaking it's very foundations. Most of the undead fall to the ground, the clatter of bones reinforced with some of the scaffolding and newly placed bricks crashing down, ruining much of the spectacular progress made by the male and his minions.

Interruption

With an imminent threat averted, or at least postponed, the female and the male return to the construction site to resume their work.

Damage control

The female leaves with a content smile. Work order has been established, and construction of their enclave is underway.

With the additional workforce and more intelligent oversight of the drow contingent, the progress on the various living quarters speeds up impressively. In fact, if the work continues at its current pace, the first of the buildings should even be done by the start of the week’s end.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Luca can be observed making several trips outside the city, pulling a small little wagon behind him. He makes several trips to various towns and settlements with his wagon, always coming back with loads of lumber, stone, or furniture. The sight of the darkly armored Speaker tugging a tiny wagon behind him could almost be comical, were it not for the bandit head handing from it's hair off one side. After several trips, he falls back into his old routine, directing the undead of the city and the ones brought in by the Drow to continue the final work on the court of the Living's residential structures. As usual, he is not shy about getting his hands dirty, working just as hard as the men and undead he oversees. His works seems to be focused on getting the houses and large central structure in the Court serviceable.

Gerald was busy again, and that suited him. His work was important, even if it involved the point of a sword less and less each day. He found himself looking up at the tower in the Court of the Living with a small sense of pride. Though he had little to do with the towers near complete state, he would see his part of it through promptly and have it completed as soon as possible. Later in his office he began writing a letter to Onyx Shadowborne, of Shadowborne Stores...

Trade Master Edmund wrote:

Esteemed Onyx Shadowborne,

As the Court of the Living Progresses, we are nearing completion our second tower, and I have been given the task of acquiring furnishings for it. I would like to know if you can procure the following items for me, and if you cannot whom I would go through within Shadowscape to do so. If necessary I am willing to pay extra for your staff to have these items brought to the Living City through the portal from your store, and for you to acquire these items yourself for me. Everything I require must be serviceable in the infirmary we plan on building in the tower, so I would prefer if none of the equipment you purchase be used previously.

The items I require are:

- One large writing desk
- A small work table
- Four medium work tables
- Four storage cabinets
- Six storage shelves
- Four book shelves
- Six beds with restraints

If you can price these materials for me, I will have the gold for you immediately. And do not worry about the cost, I would prefer to pay for top quality once than have to replace these things later.

In service to the Living City,
Trade Master Gerald Edmund

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