[Saoire Event 722] Vega vs. Doran

[Pig Boy]

On a certain day in Zi'da of the 722nd arc, Saoire was preparing another get together to facilitate the sharing of gifts through special doorways assigned to that purpose. It would begin a few days before the appointed hour of the gifting. They'd find a note some days earlier, tucked into the top of a doorway in their own home, detailing who their intended recipient of their gift was, with clues to what they might like.

Then a date for which the gifting would take place. So the appointed gifter would know by when they could have their intended's gift ready, however they wished to come by it. On the 42nd, the very same doorway they'd found the note in would open up into an idyllic realm of Saoire's Dream. The doorway became a portal into her realm, the birthplace of the Cadouri and the place where many of Saoire's own personal gifts were made. For this purpose, the Realm would serve as a hosting ground for the gifter and their intended, and was tailored to such a purpose as that. Especially suited to either recipient, so that the place would be appropriate to their identity and interests.

And as they were asked to have a gift prepared, they were assured they too would in turn receive a gift all their own. Through the very same doorway as they received their instructions, on the 42nd of Zi'Da, it would open up into the realm of Saoire's Dream where two would meet. One gifter, one intended.

Vega would need only tap or knock twice on her tent flap, and Doran the same with his doorway, when either was ready to give and receive their gifts. It was the very same doorway or tent flap that had given them instructions, which would open up into Saoire’s Dream. There, what looked like a large laboratory with all manner of ingredients stored in little jars and behind glass cabinets. Ingredients from across Idalos had been gathered there, which had been collected by a Cadouri tasked by Saoire to do such.

Into the spaces between these displays of ingredients, if they ventured further, a medium-sized Possum-Cadouri greeted them, his black eyes widening to see them appear from the doorway. He greeeted them with great exuberence, but also a sense of tense anxiety, as he seemed worried they might touch his ingredients.

“Saoire’s Greetings to you both! I’m Hank Scary. Vega has a gift for you Doran! Please, while you acquaint yourselves and show off the gift, there are refreshments on offer…” There off to the side, which he indicated with a wave of his arm, were exotic dishes from across Idalos. Red-hot cactus jerky from Nashaki, to the most exotic shellfish from Ne’haer. They were mostly in appetizer form, but they could put together some entrees if they wished from the collection of foods.

“I will be here to answer any questions you have. But please, only look at the ingredients, don’t take any? They are my gift to Saoire.”

That said, the cadouri, Hank Scary, would be available to them to chat with and discuss anything they wished at all, and be on hand to facilitate the festivities as well as their return.

Off Topic

Welcome to your Saoire Event 722 Thread! This thread will be eligible for both skill points and knowledge, as long as the usual review requirements are met.

At the end of the thread, all pcs will be given gateways to return to where they were. Literally and exactly where they were. Feel free to start your posts with where you were and what you were doing when the first gateway appeared.

Gifters, please assume that the gift you are given has been transported and is in the vicinity as you step out of the gateway. You may play the offered cadouri as NPCs throughout this thread. If you ask specific questions, feel free to PM Peg, Avalon or Pig Boy (whomever posted this thread,) but largely the NPC(s) is/are provided for flavor.

When you have completed the thread, please place it up for review as normal. Once it’s been reviewed, post here to claim your event medal!

[Vega]

42nd Zi'da 722

When she had been told that her recipient was Doran, Vega had beamed in delight.

She knew him, and she knew exactly what it was that she was going to make for him. It would very much be make, because Vega wanted Doran's gift to be personal and unique. And so, she got to work. She had to have a discussion with Hank when he first spoke to her, and he arranged for the item to be crafted there. Vega made her way back and forth over the trials and she worked on it. It was based on the item she had made for Teq , but this would be specifically made for Doran.

First, she took in the wood. She'd sent her cousins on a trip to get it when she'd been making it for Teq, so she utilised the

Phoenix Wood

and the

Gemini wood

also. The gemini wood she was going to use for the inlays and engravings. Following the suggestion from Wren and Joy, Vega set about the design by making sure that she considered Doran thoroughly. His height was important, she knew, and that was good since she and he were of a very similar height.

Once she had the designs, she got to work. It was important that everything was measured and cared for. She was meticulous as she worked, always making sure that she made it to the best of her ability.. Making the item itself took her a few trials - because there were a lot of smaller pieces. Vega's father had once told her that a carpenter who could not perfect a join was no carpenter at all and she had to admit that she kind of agreed with him. First of all, she constructed the inside. Lots of small pieces here, each one fitting in to an exacting measurement. Every piece which fitted to the outside of the finished product, she needed to focus on specifically. Using her capstone she had a very specific effect she wanted from it.

Each trial, she came and she worked, building the creation for Doran. She wanted to make sure that she got it absolutely right, ensuring that he was pleased with it. In the end, she stood back and looked at it and she smiled. "What'cha think, Hank?" Vega asked and he beamed. "I think he's going to love it, Miss Vega!"

She certainly hoped so. By the time it was finished, Vega had to admit, she was happy with it. She thought Doran would be too.

So, came the trial where the two of them were meeting there, and she looked around at the lab with pleasure. As Doran walked through, she beamed. "Doran! It's a right pleasure to see you again," she said. "How are you?" She asked that one, genuinely, and she hugged him as she did so. Vega didn't do hugging, as a rule, but she liked Doran a lot and so, he got the hug.

Once Doran was settled in, Vega smiled at him. "So, I made you a gift," she said. "An' it were a pleasure doin' so. It's jus' over here." And at that point, she would lead him around a corner to where a tall cabinet stood. When closed, the cabinet was much like any other Like this, but in a subtle rainbow wood which Vega has used her capstone on to make it appear as though there are stars gently twinkling in it - constellations etc all present. , it was in a dark wood which in itself was a variety of shades of rainbow colours. Vega had varnished it and treated it so that it was dark ombre of colours. Vega stepped forward and, as she opened it, it became clear that every inch of space was used for storage. In the top there were drawers and small shelves for bottles kinda like this , each drawer labelled with a silver letter, so that he could categorise things in the cabinet. It stood floor to ceiling and she opened the top half first to show him. Beneath the top half was the middle piece, which was a series of drawers of various widths and depths, again each one labelled in the intricate engraving. At the very bottom of the cabinet were three large spaces and each large space was filled with a pull-out box

All of the wood was crafted by a woman who was beyond a master in her craft and who had worked hard to make it just right. She smiled and stepped back, letting Doran explore his gift. "How are you? How've you been since we saw each other last?" Vega had physically changed - she had a metallic glow to her skin which had most certainly not been there before.

[Doran]

Doran stepped through the doorway, dressed in a dark blue suit with silver embroidery. He had prepared a gift for someone else and would thus receive a gift of his own now. It was a lovely tradition in his opinion, and the fact that both the gift-giver and the recipient would be transported to Saoire’s realm added an almost magical element to it.

Upon noticing that he stood in a laboratory, his eyes widened slightly, and he immediately let his gaze sweep across the many jars and the cabinets, trying to find out if there were any ingredients that he knew and any that he wasn’t familiar with. In any case, this place contained a far bigger collection of ingredients than his own private laboratory.

He was impressed.

Had he not come here to deliver a gift, he might have lingered, but as it was, he curbed his curiosity and ventured further, until he found himself facing a medium sized possum-cadouri with black eyes. Hank Scary (Who didn’t look particularly scary in his opinion, although his knowledge about possums was somewhat limited.) seemed tense, he observed. He seemed to be worried about something.

He considered asking him if he was worried about something when he suddenly spotted a most familiar redhead. Finding Vega Creede out of all the women in Idalos here was a coincidence, but a very pleasant one, and thus he returned the smile. “It’s good to see you again as well”, he replied. “I’m fine. How are you though? And how’s your family?” he wanted to know.

Doran was definitely not a hugger, but if a friend hugged him, he returned the hug, and thus he briefly put an arm around Vega before he stepped back again and followed her to where a cabinet stood. At first, he assumed that Vega had hidden his gift inside the cabinet in order to make things especially exciting, but it soon became obvious that the cabinet was his gift – and what a gift it was. For the next couple of bits, Doran examined it.

He carefully pulled out a couple of drawers, examined them (and put them back again) and let a finger run across the labels. It didn’t take much for him to determine that the cabinet had been made by a master of her craft – Vega herself. To his untrained eye it appeared to be flawless.

He closed the cabinet again and turned to face Vega, smiling. “This”, he told her. “Will be perfect for my laboratory. Thank you so much! How long did it take you to make this?” he asked, thus giving her the opportunity to talk more about her gift. He was genuinely interested in her process.

“Busy”, he said and laughed when she asked him how he had been since they had seen each other last. “I met Enri von Smooglenuff – and a dragon. Frosvinndur gave me a little makeover, as you can see”, he remarked, sounding a little amused. He was referring to the changes to his hair and the fact that he emitted a bit of mist every time he talked.

“You seem to have a bit of an adventure yourself though”, he observed. “You are glowing!”

“Shall we sample some of the food, by the way?” he asked and gestured towards the refreshments. He was most interested in the cactus jerky. His travels had rarely taken him as far as Nashaki.

“Mister Scary”, he addressed the cadouri that was hopefully still nearby. “Where did you get all that food from? I’m quite impressed”, he added and assured him in a calm tone of voice, realizing that that was probably why he had been so tense, “I won’t take any of your ingredients. I hope you don’t mind if I admire them though. It’s quite a collection!”

[Vega]

42nd Zi'da 722

When she had been told that her recipient was Doran, Vega had beamed in delight.
"We're all good, thanks. Lots of good stuff for our clan, that's for sure. I'm righ' glad you're well," she said. She had a deep fondness for Doran, not least as a fellow follower of Xiur, but because she knew at least part of his story and it was a story of redemption and hope. She liked that. Unable to contain her excitement, though, she led him to the cabinet and then she stood back and watched his reaction. She wanted to bombard him with questions , but she didn't. It was important that she gave him time to explore and examine it.

When he said that he liked it, she smiled broadly. "You're very welcome," she said. "The stars what sparkle will change position an' shift an' sparkle. I thought it were a nice touch," she explained. Her ability to perform such tricks with wood allowed for her to create the subtle, but very pretty effect. How long did it take? "A while, " she admitted. "But that were because I only gave it a break or so at a time. I didn't want to be away from the kids for too long, you know?"

He'd met Enri von Smooglenuff? "No way? That's awesome. What's he like? I bet he's a good egg, all told," it was high praise from her. She nodded when he said he'd met Frosvinndur and grinned when he motioned to her and mentioned that she was glowing. "Yeah, an' not in a 'you're pregnant an' fat so we'll say glowin' instead' kind of way" Her voice showed her amusement at what she said, and she nodded. "I met Vindecaldra, an' she gave me her effigy. Means I can make liquid metal - any metal I know of. Oh, that's a point, you're a scientist."

It should be noted that Vega said the word "scientist" like some people said the word "Immortal" - evidently it was something which was far beyond her and not something she could understand. "I can create liquid metal of any kind I know. Either by breathin' it out or jus' creatin' it in a puddle at my feet to the same amount as my body mass. I can then shape it an' then turn it solid. But only metals I know. I wonder," she said with a slight waggle of her eyebrows. "If maybe you an' I could do a deal what's beneficial to us both?".

It occurred to Vega that it could, indeed, be very beneficial to them both as she said it. "I know that you're a sensible sort what isn't going to use this in a bad way. So I'm happy to provide you with liquid - or solid - metal as you want. Conditions of that are that you bring me samples of unusual and useful metals. How would that be? Sweetsong - my settlement, where I moved to not long ago - we could use help with natural resources an' stuff. You could either come to us, in Sweetwine Woods, we could pick you up in the ship or we could use one of those echo box things. What'cha think?" She was more than happy at that thought. "I'd love it, really love it," she said genuinely, "If you became a friend to us at Sweetsong. You know, if you find unusual plants or animals or wood or metal or whatever. We'd be interested. What do you think?"

She hoped that the provision of metal in bulk, should he need it - might be something he was interested in. However, "Either way, I hope you'll come to Sweetsong. It's beautiful.". But there was food to eat and Vega nodded "I'm starvin'," she said genuinely. Hank nodded in pleasure when Doran assured him he wouldn't take any of the ingredients and was quick to reassure "Oh, please, admire away! I can provide you details of what things are, if you wish. Many people send gifts to Lady Saoire, you know. it's just her way." Vega couldn't argue with that. "Oh, also, if Lady Saoire needs metal, let her know I'm always happy to do that for her."

Hank nodded. "There are lessons in smithing and so on, at Saoire's school. I will pass that on!" he said. Vega grinned "Thanks Hank, yer a peach.".

Turning back to Doran, she asked, with genuine curiosity. "So, tell me about Frosvinndur, then? What's he like?" She motioned to him. "I'm gonna go out on a limb an' think he's somethin' to do with ice?".

[Doran]

“I understand“, Doran said when Vega explained that she hadn’t wanted to be away from the kids for too long while she worked. “That effect is quite amazing”, he continued and let his fingers run across the surface of the cabinet again, furrowing his brow slightly as he did so, as if he were trying to find out its secrets. “Tell me”, he asked when he met Vega’s eyes again. “How did you make the stars sparkle and change position? Is it a matter of perspective, or lighting? I could probably make things sparkle with alchemy”, he then decided, but resisted the desire to mentally go through a list of suitable substances, preferring to focus on Vega who had become a very good acquaintance instead.

“I have”, he confirmed and grinned when Vega was so surprised to hear that he’d met Enri von Smooglenuff. A moment later, when she wanted to know what Enri was like, he became more serious. “He was a good egg”, he said and continued, because those words didn’t nearly do the man he’d had the honor of meeting justice in his opinion, “He was so full of life, his energy was so vibrant and so pure that he seemed to outshine the rest of the world. He was mischievous and funny, and he approached everything with what seemed like unadulterated joy to me, but he wasn’t blind to the darker things in life.”

“I met him in a tavern, we drank and ate together, and exchanged stories. His father joined us after a while”, he added. There were very few people that managed to genuinely impress Doran – he had seen a lot over the course of his exceptionally long life – but it was obvious that meeting Enri von Smooglenuff had had quite an impact on him. There was something in his eyes and something about his tone of voice that made that obvious.

There was something about the way Vega talked and the way she waggled her eyebrows that made it impossible for Doran not to be amused and in a good mood. At the same time, he was quite intrigued when she mentioned that she was capable of creating liquid metal of any kind. “Even Tungsten?” he wanted to know and explained, in case she didn’t know, “Tungsten is the metal with the highest melting point that I know of. Working with it is quite challenging. I’ve refrained from doing so at home so far, due to safety concerns.”

That was all that he said as he didn’t want to bore Vega with lengthy scientific explanations.

“Such a deal would be extremely beneficial to both of us”, he agreed. “Imagine what we could accomplish if melting - or solidifying – any metal weren’t a concern anymore. I’d like to visit you in Sweetsong. In fact, I’d love to”, he told her. He was genuinely interested in visiting her settlement. He’d enjoyed Hopetoun and was curious about what she had done with that new place. “What will you do with all those unusual resources though, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Let’s eat then”, he said when Vega proclaimed that she was starving. He waited until Hank and she had gotten something to eat before he took some of that cactus jerky for himself. He didn’t have mutations that affected his food preferences anymore, but he was quite eager to try new food, nevertheless. Once upon a time, his diet had been quite spartan, but nowadays, he enjoyed everything the world had to offer.

He did not eat while he was talking though. That would be highly inappropriate.

“Frosvinndur was”, he said when Vega asked him about the dragon. “He was massive, and he seemed to always be surrounded by a gentle breeze. He does indeed have something to do with ice, and snow, and winter winds. He was beyond wise. Chuckles accompanied us – I went with the Augustins and Varlum. They talked to each other. Frosvinndur told us about the World Spirit, the Composer, the creator of Dragons and Spirits. He told us about the Originals, about the Immortals and their war with the Dragons. I could have stayed there forever. But”, he said, and the smallest hint of regret was visible on his face, for but a moment. “The lack of a connection to Emea is dangerous to Mortalborns.”

“What about Vindecaldra though?” he then wanted to know.

“And Hank, I would very much appreciate to hear more about your work”, he said to the cadouri, because he didn’t want him to feel excluded and because he was genuinely interested.

[Vega]

42nd Zi'da 722

"It's a trick in the workin' of the wood," she said when he asked how she did it. "It's about layerin' an' when you're sandin' it's a technique. I'd be happy to teach you it, if you want, but it's time consumin' to do." In truth, if he could do it with alchemy that would probably be quicker. But to her mind there was something more pure about this because she sat and she crafted it. "It's jus' about bringin' out what's inside the wood all the time, really." Vega said with a shrug. It was hard to explain.

His explanation of Enri von Smooglenuff caused her smile to broaden and she listened, raptly. It was quite something to hear Doran's explanation and as she listened, she pictured the man in question. "Good egg don't do him justice. He sounds like a wonderful soul," she said softly. Vega raised an eyebrow when Doran said that he'd had a meal with von Smooglenuff and his father. "That sounds like a right wonderful thing," she said honestly and she smiled. "I'm glad you had that experience." She was - there was no envy in Vega, she simply didn't feel it. That meant that, in this instance, all she felt was pleasure for Doran and his experience.

"Any metal at all, yeah. I create it liquid an' then turn it solid." Vega explained. "I don't have to turn it solid, if you don't want. " When Doran said he'd visit in Sweetsong, Vega was obviously pleased. "That would be great, it'd be lovely to see you." What would she do with the resources, though? Vega thought about it and said, quite honestly. "Help people. Pass them on to people who need them or use them to make stuff. We have a few smiths in Sweetsong, but honestly, I'm most interested in buildin' up relationships. Resources help with that, but that's the focus."

It was. Vega was interested in people - she always had been. The possibilities of building relationships was immense to her, and that was where her focus lay.

She listened to Doran's explanation of Frosvinndur and she nodded. "It sounds well interestin'," she said. But what of Vindecaldra. "Well, it sounds like she's the opposite of Frosvinndur, to be honest. She's fire an' metal an' stuff like that. She's heat. Huge, yeah, it were like the mountain were talkin' an' there's.." Vega thought about her words here and then spoke again, her tone thoughtful. "It were like the weight of her age were on her. When she spoke, it had gravitas all its own, you know? I'm not sure if it's the same kind of wisdom, but hers was like tempered steel, folded an' folded an' put through the fire an' hammered into shape." She shrugged slightly.

Hank, for his part, was looking on wide eyed and he spoke quickly. "Well, I bring Saoire unusual foodstuffs. Ingredients for cooking, finished dishes. I like my job, but I've never met a dragon. Please, are you enjoying your food?"

Vega nodded. "It's delicious, Hank. Thank you. The offer to come to Sweetsong extends to you, o'course, an' there's ingredients there what you might like to get for Saoire. Rainberries an' stuff like that. An' Fairy food, too." Hank nodded, eagerly, then he turned to look at Doran and asked. "Is there anything unusual you can think of which Saoire might like?" The small possum Cadouri was quite focused, it seemed.

[Doran]

Rewards Requested

Notes/Warnings: Abandoned thread. Vega was okay with my posting a review request.

Thread: [Saoire Event 722] Vega vs. Doran
City/Area: Saoire's Dream

Renown: -
Do you want this to be considered for Mark Progression? (Y / N) N
If so - which mark.
Peer Reviewers: Please give feedback as to whether you feel this is appropriate for Mark Progression.
Once feedback is received, player should then post in the PSF.
If any PC in this thread is in a faction, please list them: -
Faction Points: -
Wealth Points: -
- If you are claiming Wealth Points, please link to your Wealth Thread for this season, as Wealth Points can not be awarded before this is completed:
Collaboration: Yes
Local Language Thread? No

!	Message from: Pig Boy
	Done!

[Pig Boy]

Vega

Rewards

• Points Bank: +20 - Participate in, and Complete, a Global Event (Advertised as such on sign up)
• Renown: 10
• XP: 15

Knowledges

• Engineering: Making bespoke designs for individual pieces

Loot

• possible consequence of a link to Saoire's School and Sweetsong?

Doran

Rewards

• Points Bank: +20 - Participate in, and Complete, a Global Event (Advertised as such on sign up)
• Renown: 10
• XP: 15
• Loot: A Masterwork Alchemy cabinet, such as described in the thread.

Knowledges

• Appraisal: Determining the quality of a piece of furniture
• Socialization: Assuring someone that you aren't a thief
• Science: Tungsten is the metal with the highest melting point

note: Although it's a shame this thread ended as abandoned, I think it was quite well illustrative of the peopple that Vega and Doran are today.

The alchemy cabinet has to be one of the most thoughtful gifts given during the event, and done crafted by a pc is extra special. I hope Doran makes good use of it!

And Vindecaldra's Effigy is indeed amazing, for its ability to just print metal. That's huge boon and should be weilded responsibly. I'm sure Vega will, however, not crash the value of all metals. Hopefully.

Good job people! I think the thread was near complete, although you labeled it abandoned. Still a good thing you got to exchange a gift!