• Solo • Viewing the World Through Technicolored Glass

[Eliza Soule]

The Sixteenth of Cylus, Arc Seven Twenty-Three

The worst of the ice and most of the large drifts of snow surrounding Story Book Manor were steadily melting away, following one of the worst winter storms that Eliza could recall over the long course of her life. The Storm of the Century one could say. Or in her case, The Storm of Two Centuries.

The improving conditions made traveling to and from her home much easier to manage. Both for herself as she trudged back and forth from her studio basement at Soule Expressions in search of a rare moment of solitude in which to work. And for those who'd taken shelter in her home during the harshest conditions. The last of them, a kind elderly couple, had lingered longer than the rest but had returned to their home just the previous trial.

Now that it was only herself, Eberhardt, Darwin and Smudge, and wanting to finish what she'd begun four trials ago off in her studio, Eliza had decided to work at Story Book Manor instead. Earlier in the trial, she'd dragged a repurposed sled across the distance, piled her materials onto it and dragged it back home again. So now, she'd begin the process of transforming a work done in pastels on paper, into one rendered in clear, vibrant panels of glass.

It would be the first in a series of large stained glass windows. Each one dedicated to a single Immortal; or perhaps, the occasional set. It was a project that Eliza knew could take arcs to complete unless she was to devote every single working moment to the task. She would not. But nonetheless she'd decided to begin with Ashan, in anticipation of Spring's arrival.

By the time she'd carried all of what she'd need up three flights of stairs, she'd scattered quite the broad range of materials on a workbench along one wall, and another smaller table nearby as well. Several glass cutters and cutting oil, plenty of lead came which was essentially a lead channel meant to hold pieces of glass together; and there'd be many of all sizes by the time it was all done. A soldering iron and solder, flux, a grinder and safety goggles, safety gloves and a light box.

Lastly but most importantly, glass panes in a wide variety of colors. For her windows, rather than flat color with no variations from one side of each pane to the other, Eliza had chose panes with shade variations that would give the finished work of art depth and texture. While she could have created all the colored glass she needed for the project, it would have been a very time consuming process. Time that she felt was better spent on creating works of art for sale that would help her keep her gallery growing.

And so she'd established an ongoing contract with a supplier who specialized in glass, who could provide her with a steady supply. One of the rules of running a successful business apparently, though it reality it was more a mathematical equation to be considered; The advantages of contracting with third party suppliers, while maintaining a level of desired profitability. She'd struck a very good balance, Eliza thought, so far as the glass was concerned. These windows would be rare and one of a kind creations, and would not go cheaply when they found their eventual home.

[Eliza Soule]

The Sixteenth of Cylus, Arc Seven Twenty-Three

The first step of bringing the Immortal Ashan to life in glass, along with the irregular transition from Winter into Springtime, had been gathering all the materials Eliza would need to complete the window. Of course, there was a great deal of work to do before the window was finished, framed and hung up for display in her gallery. Certainly there would be distractions along the way, but having seen well over two centuries by now, Eliza was nothing if not patient, and measured in the way she made her way through the creative process.

With only her hound Darwin, her black cat Smudge and Eberhardt for company, the house was quieter than it had been in nearly a ten-trial. Her home had been overflowing with refugees from the storm, sleeping on cots and pallets wherever the space could be found, sharing tasks and what little food that the guards had been able to give them. Of course a bit of a mess had been left behind in their wake, in spite of many lending a hand in tidying up before they'd gone. Now, all was put to rights and the truth was, Eliza hadn't minded at all. Particularly since all those who'd sheltered in her home had fared well enough to have survived the storm, while others elsewhere had not.

Franklin and Eleanor had remained with her the longest, beyond the point when she'd thought they'd be able to return home. Perhaps the elderly couple had enjoyed the company so much that they'd been in no hurry to leave. But Eliza had enjoyed it as well. Those last few trials when it was just the three of them around the supper table, it had reminded her of what it had been like so long ago, to have something like family surrounding her. And she'd marveled at the depth of the love and affection between the two of them. When Franklin looked at Eleanor across the table, Eliza had thought, it was as if he was seeing that blushing, sixteen arc old girl for the very first time; over and over again.

Eliza might never know that sort of love; in fact, she'd put some effort into having avoided those sorts of attachments till now. She'd experienced enough loss over the centuries to want to go looking for any more of it now. Still, the banter between the old couple was sweet, and had charmed her enough that, as a parting gift, she'd taken and old tune that she'd heard many times before, picked it out by ear, on her gittern and altered the old words with new ones, just for them. Playing by ear takes practice, altering lyrics was somewhat simpler, and singing at times could bring both pleasure and healing at once. During their last evening together, they'd sat by the fire all together, and she'd played and sang for them.

But now, all had returned as it was before, and Eliza bent her head to her work. The next step required placing the image she'd created on parchment and then divided up into small irregular quadrants representing the different colors of glass, on top of a light box. The light box went quite a long way towards showing her what the final window might look like with sunlight streaming through it; since this time of the arc there was hardly any sunlight to speak of.

Nonetheless, once she'd tacked down the template to the top of the light box, it was a simple, if time consuming process of cutting the colored glass into a variety of shapes and sizes that would ultimately all fit together in straight lines, curves and angles, with lead came, in order to render what was essentially a sunlit painting on glass.

[Eliza Soule]

The Sixteenth of Cylus, Arc Seven Twenty-Three

No matter how steady her hand and no matter how patiently, thoughtfully and carefully she worked, panels of glass painstakingly cut down to size and shape, would inevitably be left with rough edges. Angles, that due to the very nature of glass, ended up with tiny, sharp hooks. Curves that weren't quite curvy enough, and so on. And so once she'd cut all the many pieces of glass into their respective shapes, Eliza began the process of grinding the edges smooth along with refining the intended shapes.

If not for the grinding process, the pieces of what was essentially a puzzle, would not fit together nearly as well as desired or intended.
Shoddily made products and lazy craftsmanship were bad for business. It was a point made in the handbook that the daughter of Ymiden had been studying in her spare time, though in her mind, it was a point so obvious that it ought not need to be made. In any case, the process of grinding edges didn't take nearly as long as the cutting had done.

Next, was putting the puzzle together. With each piece of glass labeled and numbered, even the smallest of them, Eliza began placing each upon her template for reference, both on top of the light box that had proven to have been a very wise investment indeed. Between each piece of glass, a very narrow gap was left; one that was consistent throughout what would ultimately be a sizeable window when finished. It was into these gaps that she'd place the lead came that once soldered, would hold fast the whole work together.

Placing, and soldering. These processes as well took time, patience and after a while before it was all said and done, resulted in an aching back and a crick in her neck that called upon her to step away more than once, only to engage in other enjoyable pastimes between the preparation of meals or brewing herself a fresh cup of tea. Art was a process after all that should never be rushed. Instead, creating was in her blood and having taken breaks from one medium, she'd naturally been drawn temporarily to others. Song, for instance, which wasn't just artistic expression for her, but was woven into her very being as a Mortalborn in the case of Healer's Song.

So during a particularly long break from her project upstairs, Eliza had picked up her gittern and sang; because in part,
practice, as in exercising the quality and tone of voice or stretching and expanding her range, might eventually make perfect. But also because she found peace and a sense of well being in song, and because Darwin, Smudge and Eberhardt, especially Eberhardt, seemed to enjoy it as well. As for her choice of song, lately Eliza had been brushing up on her Ancient, somewhat broken as her command of the archaic language was.

Still, she'd been determined enough to improve, that she'd sat down and translated the common lyrics of a popular song, into Ancient. Admittedly she'd had to refer to a book now and then. But worth it in the end. It was a challenge, singing in a language that she was far from fluent in just yet. In this case however, while throughout she could
focus on pronunciation, fluidity and timing, it was a much more enjoyable process than sitting with head bent over books of language and engaging in dry repetition.

Eventually, Eliza would return to her small studio on the third floor, and finally finish her work. The most of it had been done already but she'd left it, intending to return with a fresh eye to study it once again. She was as pleased with her results upon her return, as she'd been before she'd headed downstairs. And so finding nothing to improve on, she completed the process of framing the window and attaching a strong hanger to it, so that it could be carefully displayed in her gallery for sale.

[Eliza Soule]

Rewards Requested

Notes/Warnings: No

Thread: Viewing the World Through Technicolored Glass
City/Area: Beacon

Renown: No
Wealth Points: +1(?) for completing a large stained glass window that will be for sale in her gallery.
viewtopic.php?t=31256
Collaboration: No
Local Language Thread? No

!	Message from: Kasoria
	Done!

[Kasoria]

Eliza Soule

I really enjoyed this. You blended together the story and the technical aspects (Knowledge mentions, Skill levels, video embeds) very well. You also depicted Eliza as quite the Michelangelo, but also relatable enough to regret her lack of chances to connect with others thanks to her longevity.

I didn't issue any Wealth Points because a) I'm new to reviewing and I'm not sure how they work and b) you didn't actually SELL your fancy wee work yet. It's finished, but not sold. However, as I say in the Loot section, it's Grandmaster-level and thus commands quite the high price. Once someone picks it out of the gallery, they'll pay a pretty nel, of that I have no doubt.

• XP: 10
• Knowledges:
  • Art: the process of transforming a work done in pastels on paper, into one rendered in clear, vibrant panels of glass.
  • Business Management: The advantages of contracting with third party suppliers, while maintaining a level of desired profitability.
  • Musical Instrument: String (Pluck): Playing by ear takes practice
  • Singing: singing at times could bring both pleasure and healing at once
  • Singing: practice, as in exercising the quality and tone of voice or stretching and expanding her range
  • Linguistics: focus on pronunciation, fluidity and timing
• Loot:
  • x1 large crafted stained glass window piece, made by a Grandmaster artist and to be appraised accordingly for sale