Pyrrha's Request - The Chapel - RPLOG
Participants
Date
9/7/478
Log
Fenris stands quietly before the broken gates of Mossy Stone, looking down the empty road leading to the ruined town. "I confess," he says, "I had expected a little better turn out." He sighs and turns to look into the city, more sad than frightening in the noonday sun. The everpresent undead are conspicuously absent today. Every now and then, it seems that there is a flicker of motion off in the distance or behind a closed door, but nothing makes itself known.
"Surprised, friend?" Shizuko asks, her tone light as she eyes the ruins of Mossy Stone. "This should be a labor of love, after all, and there are few who love Mother."
Hannibal looks over his shoulder at the large golem following behind him. Then to the collection of othere arerivals. "Seems like a decent turnout to me considering the request. Or atleast I would doubt there are many people who would want to put up with possible undead attacks to build here."
Fenris shakes his head, but flashes a smile at his two companions. "It will be enough," he says, "I was honestly willing to do it all on my own, if necessary." He looks over at Hannibal. "The undead shouldn't bother us today," he says, though he does not make any explanation. Instead he just leads the way through the gates and down the silent streets. It is a short walk of only a few minutes before the group stands before the neglected ruin of the old church. "We won't be building anything new," he says, "But we are going to alter the old building. Shore it up, clean away the broken glass and things and make some changes. We will make a fitting memorial for the lost and a suitable chapel for Death." He looks at his companions. "You any good with earth magic?" he asks.
"Not in the least," Shizuko replies. She smiles though, and shakes her head. "But magic is hardly the only solution. While you plan, I will go try to find some buckets and see if the well still has water. I think the army's scouts may have been using it while they camped near the Gravefells." She inclines her head, then turns and heads down the street, eyeing buildings.
Hannibal shrugs his shoulders. "That may be true but most people wouldnt know that for sure....Well that and a lot of people probably think you are a mad man." The coywolf pauses to take a look over the ruined church. Then back down to the others, and shakes his head. "Earth magic no.... But golems, and creator tech. That I can work with."
Fenris nods to the others. "Very well," he says, "I will leave it to the two of you to get things cleaned away." He looks to Hannibal. "Put that golem of yours to work," he says, "See if you can't move the rubble away from the walls and carry the pews out here into the street. Everything that is in good condition is worth saving." He leaves Shizuko to do whatever she thinks is best. "I will be right there," he says, pointing to the raised dais at the far end of the chapel, "Try to ignore me, I suppose. Though that may get hard when I really get going." The big tiger saunters into the church and takes up a pose of meditation on the stairs, the statues of the Creator Saints seeming to look down at him.
Shizuko returns after a long few minutes, carrying a pair of buckets. She pauses to watch Fenris for a moment, then waits for him to get to work so she knows where it's safe to start.
Finally, on the back of a large wolven beast. No reigns, no saddle, the armored individual on her more or less horse-like wolf beast in snow white, a rather impressively sized maneback for an equally large fennec as her fur mantle blew softly in the wind. Hmmming quietly as she brushes at the impressive creature's neck as she looks around... "Dsis is unusual... It is far too calm 'ere..." she offers as she climbs down off of her mount as she looks around to those gathered here.
"I'll see what we can do." He says before tuning heal, and quickly scaling his golem Till he rewches what appeares to be a large backpack the golem crafter fashioned. So he wouldnt have to carry all his loot, and equipment. after a momment of digging aound he releases his twireligig, and divine shield into the area. Before digging out his golem graspers, and slips them on. Before dfirecting his golem to get to workon moing the larger pieces of rubble away ferom the walls. While he begins to work on some of the smaller stuff. Needless to say by the time the Fennec makes her fashionablly late entrance. Hannibal is already focused enough on the work he completely misses it.
Fenris is otherwise occupied and does not greet the new arrival, already deep in the fugue state that comes from working complicated mathemagic. The lovingly crafted brick and mortar of the old church starts to shift and melt, merging into a cohesive solid. Looks like he is starting with the walls, strengthening them and getting things ready for the changes to come. It looks like it should be safe to start working just about anywhere within the building, though distracting the tiger right now would seem inadvisable.
Shizuko sets to work with her cleaning, getting rid of cobwebs, dust, and dirt with the well water and some cloths from her pack. The first bucket of water is quickly soiled, but she doesn't seem daunted by the magnitude of her task.
Hannibal
Hannibal carreies on dreagging rubble away ferom the walls alongside his golem. Seemingly oblivious to what everyone else is doing.
Fenris continues to sit in silence, breathing quietly in. . . and out as the internal facade of the building continues to change. The high windows start to narrow to high slits, better for keeping wind and rain out without having to use glass and the high ceiling starts to slowly reform into great, gothic vaults. The church is not actually growing, but with the vertical touches being added by the slow, steady earth magic, it seems to be much bigger than it was when the group entered.
There is quite a ways to go yet in cleaning the place up, and from the door leading down to the catacombs there is a sudden clattering sound, like a lot of sticks falling against each other! Could Fenris have disturbed something down there?
Raising her head from her work, Shizuko's ear twitches at the noise. She looks around, from Fenris to Hannibal and to the newest arrival. She raises a hand to Kialla, then goes to investigate the noise.
The coywolfs ears slightly twitch at the sounds coming from the catacombs. He doesnt go do investigate. But he does staret to keep a close eye on the doors. And to be safe dfirects his twireligig to hover by the doors.
Fenris does not move from his spot, obviously absorbed in his delicate work on the changing ceiling of the chapel.
Shizuko's investigation is greeted by a frightening sight! An entire cadre of skeletal beings are clattering their way up the stairs from the catacombs!
Shizuko draws herself up into her best commanding posture at the top of the stairs. She slips the cap off of the bow case at her side and, instead of a bow, draws out a long, solid looking bone. She smiles and rests the shaft of the leg bone against her shoulder, then speaks, in a gentle and reassuring voice. "Do not be disturbed. We are here at Mother's behest - please, return to your rest."
Narrows hus eyes as he watches what's going on at the catacomb doors. While at the same time directing his golem to gather up a large piece of rubble to barereicade the door in the off chance it is needed.
The skeletons do not attack, but are stopped by Shizuko standing in the door. The leading bone being, apparently a large, bovine of some kind, steps up to Shizuko and gently pushes her aside to allow the contingent of skeletons to rush through the door and begin. . . helping?
The skeletons, once they pass the door set to work, carrying away rubble, scrubbing nooks and crannies and hauling buckets of water about to help in the cleaning.
Shizuko relaxes as the skeletons walk past, watching thoughtfully for a moment before she smiles and bows her head. "Thank you." She slips her bone away again, then returns to her work cleaning, straightening, and restoring order to the old church, seemingly not at all bothered by the new help.
Hannibal shrugs, and directs his golem to get back to working on moving the rubble, and the pews. And gets back to work himself. fguring if the dead want to help that is all well, and good.
While the dead filed in, Fenris has managed to finish his work with the walls and the roof, changing the little stone chapel into a more impressive edifice, and a sturdier one too. Even without maintenance, this thing is not likely to fall to ruins. On the walls and along the colonades of the arches supporting the vaulted ceiling, carvings and bas relief statues start to slowly dip into the stone, starting at Fenris's spot on the dais and slowly spreading. Everything seems to follow a sort of skull motif, but manages to be more soothing than frightening.
A shadow detaches itself from a wall, in a smoky haze that quickly forms into the shape of a skeletal Creator woman in a flowing, if tattered black dress, wearing a helmet decorated with black wings. She paces silently behind the dais, looking (Somehow, despite her skull face) hungrily at the meditating tiger.
Shizuko looks up from her work as the figure makes its appearance. She bows her head, her kneeling posture shifting to one more formal. "We are honored."
The skeletal woman reaches out a hand as if to touch Fenris' face, and hovers just short of actually touching, then turns to face Shizuko. "Carry on, my child," she purrs, "I am pleased that you are here. And I am pleased with the work." She looks over at Fenris again. "Why does he do this?" she asks the Snow Leopard.
The leopardess' smile twitches wider, happy with the praise, and she returns to her cleaning as she thinks. "I asked myself the same thing," Shizuko admits quietly. "Many times, after I heard he had come before you. I puzzled over it. At first vI thought it may be desperation, or pragmatism..." she trails off, then shakes her head. "But, no. I am convinced that he is a romantic." The leopardess smiles again as she cleans. "He has an idea of how he thinks the world should be, and the will to act in accordance with his ideal."
Pyrrha, because it is most certainly the Spirit herself, watches smugly as the church reshapes itself in her. . . well, a version of her. . . image. "Romantic?" she purrs, "You think so?" Her skeletal visage turns to look at the meditating tiger, a kind of hunger evident in her features.
Shizuko nods her head, resting for a moment as she looks over at Fenris again. "I believe so. It is what my instincts tell me, and it fits with what I know of him. He loves and genuinely cares about his fellow Beings, and I imagine he believes that everyone should be liked, respected, and given the chance to be part of the whole. Being and spirit alike. It... is a simplistic view. But a nice one."
The Spirit walks a slow circle around Fenris, never quite touching him. Then she walks back to Shizuko. "You have given me much to consider, Daughter," Pyrrha says, carressing the Snow Leopard's jaw, "I am pleased with your work. Keep me appraised of our little 'Seeker.' The others keep secrets, but not you. You will tell your mother what she must know."
Shizuko rubs her jaw back against Pyrrha's bony finger, then inclines her head. "Of course, dear Mother. We are here for each other."
There is no clap of thunder, no tear in reality, no flash of light, but Pyrrha is suddenly gone, as if blown away by a breeze. The skeletal servants are also nowhere to be seen.
On the dais, Fenris finally stirs. While Shizuko communed with her patron, it seems that the work has been finished. The tiger looks exhausted.
"Wow!" he says, "You work fast! I did not think you could get all that cleanup done so quickly!"
Shizuko rises to her feet and moves up to the front of the church, offering Fenris a hand up should he desire it. "Well. You were out for a while there, and this... is impressive. I think I'll make another trip out her tonight, bring some things from Firmament to add some polish, but you did well."
Fenris accepts the hand up, dragging himself to his feet, just a little shakily. "You should see the outside," he says, "Honestly, the hardest part was keeping the catacombs intact while I cannibalized the stone around them. Everything should be sturdy. And with all that rubble cleared away, I think that even the White Lady will be pleased." He waves a hand to where the Creator Saints once stood. In their place stand two images of 'Lady Death' as he called her, a beautiful Creator woman with long black hair and glittering, obsidian raven's wings forming a halo around her head.
Shizuko inclines her head. "I am certain of it, friend. Did you wish to linger here for a while yet? Leave her a message? Or is it time to escort our help back home?"
"No," Fenris says, "I doubt that this has missed her attention." The tiger gives a nod at the clean space and the neatly placed pews. "I suppose we should be on our way while our welcome remains," he says with a smile at a job well done.
