Once an isolated and dying township, an influx of academics, adventurers and thrill seekers have made Scalvoris Town their home. From scholars' tea shops to a new satellite campus for Viden Academy, this is an exciting place to visit or make your home!
Scalvorian birthtrials were not known to be bursting with unbridled joy once the guest of honour came of age, but this one felt much more introspective than most.
In the wake of Yeva's death, and the grief that followed, Darius had initially thought that there was little to celebrate. But Scalvorian tradition required him to think beyond himself and to consider others. That took the form of gifting something to his elders, and he had soon returned to the workshop behind his house to craft a gift for his father.
That, too, had been an emotional experience, for it was within his workshop that he had made Yeva the dice she had requested. One such die, a tetrahedron with the letters of Yeva's name painstakingly carved into it, had been sent to her as a birthtrial gift...and it had been returned by her parents shortly thereafter, with a letter detailing the young woman's passing.
So there were echoes of a previous life, and painful memories to be faced within that small space, but Darius persisted, knowing that he could let it become a place to remind him of death, or he could revel in the creation of something new. And that was what had enabled him to rise before dawn on his bitrhtrial, and come out from under the cloud of grief just long enough to focus on what he could make for Josef Baer.
Last edited by Darius Baer Bottom on Wed Oct 26, 2022 10:00 pm, edited 3 times in total. word count: 254
Darius ran through a few different gift ideas in his head. Each one had its own appeal, but they all had a common theme: they would be created by his own hands.
After a few sketches of different concepts, an idea struck him that refused to budge. It seemed perfect, but it would require him to go for a walk to a different part of Scalvoris Town.
"Hello, lad!"
Josef Baer was as happy to see his son on this trial as he was on any other. He made no mention of Darius' birthtrial, but the old sailor had not forgotten the date. It just wasn't good etiquette to mention such a thing, especially when you might be on the receiving end of a gift.
But Darius wasn't there to see his father. He made small-talk to be polite, but when the opportunity arose to have his father leave the front room, he seized it with both hands. With a simple request for a cup of tea, he was able to lure Josef away for a couple of bits - just enough time to measure the picture by the front door.
Jean Baer, Darius' mother, had been down at the Scalvoris Town docks when they had collapsed in 718. There were some miraculous tales of survival that came from that tragedy, but Jean did not feature in any of them.
This meant that the family matriarch was able to greet Darius and Josef whenever they came and went from the house. And, just before Josef returned to the room with a cup of tea in each hand, Darius was able to measure the dimensions of the portrait without the widower getting suspicious.
Last edited by Darius Baer Bottom on Thu Oct 13, 2022 6:59 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 348
Later that trial, Darius was back in the workshop behind his house. He had decided not to rush his father, making the most of their unplanned interaction. He knew it would limit how long he would have to finish his gift, but he also knew that spending time together was a gift in itself.
The concept of making a picture frame seemed simple enough, but if the blond Scalvorian had learnt anything about woodworking, it was that even 'simple' projects could turn out to be difficult.
On his workbench sat some of the yellow dragon wood that he had acquired earlier that arc in Sweetwine Woods when he and Oram had helped a very wayward Faith Augustin navigate her way to Beacon. It was not an ideal wood to make a picture frame from - it was difficult to work with, and its most commonly known benefit was that it could burn much longer than other woods before being consumed.
But it also had a nice cherry smell to it that made it appealing. Jean Baer would often wear sweet perfumes, and although Darius couldn't remember her wearing one that specifically had a scent of cherries, he thought it would be fitting for a sweet aroma to accompany her image.
Next to the wood was a rectangle of glass. He had purchased it from a merchant in the town square who had insisted it had come from Egilrun. Whether that was true, Darius couldn't tell, but he did know that it would be bad for business if word got out that they were selling low quality glass under false pretences.
Starting with two lengths of wood, Darius set about making the picture frame. Cutting the ends of each length so that they were square, he was then able to position the end of one piece of wood over the end of the other at a perpendicular angle. That enabled him to mark where they met with a carpenter pencil, and from there, he could use a ruler to draw a straight line to the corners. That in turn allowed him to cut along the line and create ends that had 45° angles - essential for making the shape of the picture frame.
Then, with the measurements he had taken of the picture, he was able to use a length of string to determine how long he should make the rabbetA rabbet is a groove on the end of a piece of wood that creates a lip. In a picture frame, this lip is what the picture sits on to hold it in place. An example can be found here.. With that measured, he could then make another 45° angle at the opposite end of each length, repeating that until he had all four sides. All the while, he was checking that the glass also fit those dimensions, so that by the time he had fixed the frame in place and cut a backing board, his project only lacked one thing: the picture of Jean Baer.
Despite having measured the frame several times, it still came as a distinct relief to Darius to know that the picture of his mother was a perfect fit.
He had returned to his father's house, picture frame in hand, and had made a weak excuse about needing to check something in one of the other rooms. He carefully took the picture down from the wall and snuck it away to another part of the house.
Then it was a simple matter of delicately resting the drawing against the glass of the frame and pressing the wooden backing into place, and the project was complete.
"Da," he drew Josef's attention as he returned to the front room, "it's my birthtrial, so I made something for you."
Even as the words came out of his mouth, Darius knew they weren't completely true. The gift was not just for Josef. It was for Darius, too. The picture of Jean would greet her widow and son - and anyone else who visited the house - as they came and went. It also meant that the sweet cherry smell would linger in the doorway, too, as if the Baer matriarch had been standing there herself.
"Oh, so beautiful, lad!" Josef exclaimed as Darius gave him the picture frame.
The elder Baer ran his hands over the wood, which Darius interpreted as him casting an assessing eye over the workmanship. Josef would freely admit that his son was more skilled at woodworking than he was, but he could also choose to take credit for sparking Darius' interest in the skill.
But when Josef looked back up at him, Darius realised his father hadn't been talking about his craftsmanship. The older man's eyes glistened with moisture, and he wore a sad but grateful smile.
"She's so beautiful!"
Darius knew his father had seen the picture countless times, but he also knew that grief was a strange thing that could make its presence known in the most unexpected of ways. And, as Josef stood and embraced him, it dawned on him that although his father had not been referring to the picture frame itself, the moment that gift had brought them was worth all the work he'd put into it.
"Thank you, lad. It's perfect," Josef reassured him. "Just perfect."
Hello Darius. This was a sweet and touching thread. It was a good thread for showing Darius working on one of his skills, but the subject was excellent chosen and it showed a useful purpose for it. Surprising his dad and his attempts to keep it a surprise were amusing and touching. Thank you for the Read. Fate.
Points
XP: 10
Renown: 5 - Darius Dad has another reason to brag about his son.
Loot
Knowledge
Played to skill level
Appraisal: Appraising the value of a purchase.
Business Management: Misleading customers will give your business a bad reputation.
Caregiving: Standing with someone in their grief.
Deception: Luring someone away under false pretences.
Etiquette: Observing a longstanding tradition.
Woodworking: Handcrafting a picture frame.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this review - drop me a PM.
