Arc 721, 63 Ymiden
The farmhouse had a floor, walls and inner walls. A few trials after finishing the inner walls, the group had collectively gone over all the work they had done up to that point. Herman was something of a perfectionist, but even more than that, he felt it important to impress upon all of them that checking and double-checking wasn't a bad thing. When building structures, safety came first and they had a duty and responsibility to make sure everything was sound and safe for the Munny family.
Now, all that was needed to complete it was doors and a roof. Assembly began on the two doors, using boards that Gilbert and Bran had pre-cut several trials before. Herman assigned a student and Osric to helps Miles and Melinda with the doors while everyone else followed him to start on the roof.
"Alright, now when you did the clam farm, you assembled the roof on the ground and lifted it into place. We can't do that here, so it's time to frame the roof in place." Grabbing his plans, he showed everyone what they would be doing, slowly explaining each part of the process. "The pitch of the roof will need to be higher than the clam farm building, owing to more surface area and water that needs to be pushed off it. However, again, we are going to be conservative because of the presence of near-constant wind here."
Elisabeth thought of a question immediately. "Are we going to be thatching the roof like we did with the clam farm?" Herman shook his head gently. "Not this time. Or at least, not right now. I looked at the thatch work on the clam farm structure and it's good. That means that Haven can complete that process anytime after we leave. It's not the rainy season, so you have time. It's not necessary, but it would add an additional layer of protection for the roof materials. Since the settlers can do that on their own, I want to focus on the buildings themselves while we are here."
Moving on, he pointed out the roof beams that needed to be placed, secured from the top of the wall frames. "Our first priority is getting these skeleton boards up so we can secure the ridge beam. I need people on ladders at each corner, and people on ladders inside, ready to nail in the ridge beam. Then we will shore those up with support timbers and move along to covering the roof and introducing the Munnys to their new home."
Elisabeth moved to the far left corner of the structure, followed quickly by Edwin. He looked unsure as she started scaling a ladder, prompting a raised eyebrow and smile from the young mage. "I'm going up this ladder. I wouldn't advise trying to stop me." The man thought about it for a moment and surrendered, giving her a grin as he climbed up the other side of their shared ladder carefully. He insisted on being the one to nail the boards securely to the frame, so Elisabeth transferred the boards from Kenwyn (who was on the ground, handing boards to all the groups) to him, and then held the boards as the settler nailed them into place. Looking around, it seemed that everyone else had adopted similar methods. It was a tricky process and Herman insisted that the groups work slowly since they were up off the ground. The settlement leader was getting more than her fair share of concerned glances, but she simply smiled and continued on.
Arc 721, 65 Ymiden
Once boards were nailed in place, a few settlers were directed inside, up ladders and the process of adding the ridge beam began. Elisabeth was not part of that process, although she very well could have been. Sometimes, in her estimation, one had to choose their battles. This was a battle she didn't need to fight, and as such she agreed to stay on the ground watching while the others worked together to install the massive beam. The men on the ladders grabbed the boards from the sides of the roof, holding them in place until the ridge beam was installed.
It was something of a dance, making sure everything was being held on by another while being secured, and fitting everything together, measuring, sawing and such, and that dance took time. It was a rather fascinating process to watch from the ground level. Elisabeth noted everything she could, from the way the boards were held to the angles the nails were being driven in at. Sometimes, it was easier to understand the mechanics behind something if you were observing and not an actual participant, but there were advantages to being up close and personal too. Everyone learned in different ways.
During certain points, the young woman's eyes glanced over at the nearly completed barn, smiling. It was hard to contain her excitement at the progress that had been made on both the farmhouse and barn. It was simply a matter of a few trials now, and Haven would be that much closer to one of its major goals - a functioning settlement farm.
Arc 721, 66 - 68 Ymiden
As they gathered the next trial, the cadouri instructor had a bit of a surprise.
Smiling, Herman glanced at Bran. "Take over, Bran. It's all downhill from here." The cadouri instructor had guided them this far, but there was something to be said for stepping back and seeing what happens. The settlers had spent almost twenty-five trials under his supervision and mentorship, and all that was left was attaching doors and filling in the roof. Of course, he would watch and make sure things were done to his specifications, but it was time to let everyone show him what they could do.
Looking a bit surprised, Bran turned to the rest, not missing a beat. "Time to close her up. Work from the outer edges up. This means as we work and get higher, people are going to be up on the roof. Be careful."
Turning to Elisabeth, he frowned a bit. "Yeah, I know - you'll be one of the ones up there, Miss training-all-the-time-and-has-great-balance. Be careful. I do not want to explain to Balthazar how you fell off a roof." Nodding, she laughed at his sternness. "I'll be fine, Bran. I've had no repeat episodes of the dizziness."
Edwin stayed with Elisabeth, and started in as the group noted Silk, Balder and Ronan walking up to the site with Storm in their wake. "Did someone lose a cat?" Ronan called out, sneezing as he did. Smirking, Silk looked around until she found Elisabeth, who was just beginning to pull herself up onto the roof, calling over to Bran. "Couldn't convince her not to climb up there, could you?" Ronan furrowed his eyebrows a bit, calling up to Elisabeth. "What do you think Balthazar is going to think when we tell him you were banging around on the top of a roof?" Arching an eyebrow gently, Elisabeth secured her foot and glanced down, grinning at the guard. "You all forget that I know him better than you do. He'll think nothing out of the ordinary. If I fall, he'll ask me why I did that."
From that point, it took a few more trials. Slow and steady work, making sure everyone was careful with the additional complication of height. The roof had the same overhang that the clam farm structure did, using engineering to protect as much of the structure from moisture as they could. Plank after plank was placed and secured. Elisabeth enjoyed the monotony of the work, allowing her mind to wander a bit. She was excited to show the Munnys their new home, but even more excited that the completion of the farm meant that the settlers could move on to other projects. The gift of education and knowledge wasn't lost on her or the settlers of Haven. With their increased skills, there was just that much more Haven could accomplish on its own, helping establish its identity. It hadn't been the easy path, what they had done, but they had done it together, and that's what mattered most.
No one in Haven would ever be alone.
The doors were put into place on the front and rear of the house as Herman called everyone down off the roof, smiling. "Congratulations, Haven! Well done, all! I appreciate your hard work and dedication. This farmhouse wasn't easy, but each of you put everything you had into building and learning. You can be very proud of yourselves." They were joined by the barn construction group who were just finishing up the final touches on the barn, and the smiles on everyone's faces made Elisabeth's heart happy. There was only one thing missing...
Balthazar.
He would always be a part of Haven. His work during the early trials of the settlement had laid the foundation for so much, paving the way for her. Haven was their home and a celebration would feel just a little less bright without him.
Balder, noticing Elisabeth's shift in mood, walked over to her, quietly speaking. "Balthazar, right?" Nodding, Elisabeth sighed. Her smile was bright, but that one missing puzzle piece bothered her. Balder was closest to Elisabeth, so it wasn't hard to for him to guess what was wrong.
This time, however, he had an idea. "Well, celebrate the cadouri tonight. We can give them a big sendoff. Then, when Balthazar gets back, we can have a farm celebration." Turning to look at him, Elisabeth's smile lit back up again. "That's a wonderful idea. I just....I think it's important he be here for this."
The celebration would wait until all the residents of Haven were home, and they had a lot to celebrate.
As the group began to make their way towards Haven, Herman quietly walked up beside Elisabeth, lowering his voice gently. "Congratulations, Elisabeth." Turning to look at him, the young leader smiled. "What for?" Eyes sparkling, just a bit, Herman replied with his answer. "For the farm of course." She opened her mouth, determined to tell him how it was the settler's victory, not hers, when he cut her off. ""And had you not spoke to the farmer, or Saoire, or reached out to me, or dozens of other things *you* did, this would not have happened. Be proud of yourself. I am. You were out here, every trial, working as hard as anyone. You lead by example. So, again, congratulations. You all deserve it."
Haven had a new farm. It had been a challenge that tested its new leader, bringing about more change than she had anticipated, but in the end, they had endured and met the challenge together.
OOC
Putting this here to keep everything organized and noted.
- A Little Progress Each Trial -
- Sir Storm Verses the Farm (On a Volcanic Island)
- Step One: Plans, Tea & Sir Storm
- Step Two: Break It Down
- Munny Farm - Step One - Look Down
- Munny Farm - Part Two - Foundations and Expectations
- Munny Farm - Part Three - Walls & Worries
- Munny Farm - Part Four - Framing the Future
