Hoju Wysseyhasyn (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aetherpacts) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
felldenlogs2019-11-13 01:31 am
aetherpacts) wrote in felldenlogs2019-11-13 01:31 am
Entry tags:
[Closed/Quest]
WHO: Hoju Wysseyhasyn
WHAT: Quest! Aiding a small village in recovering from the war and recent events.
WHERE: Fernleaf Hamlet, west of the Fidei Forest (Moon Territory)
WHEN: Last week(ish) of October
WARNINGS: none!
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀssɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛ
Fernleaf Hamlet, the attendant had told him, a village to the southwest. Like most settlements throughout the territory, this village had suffered from the effects of a long, drawn-out war. Having spent time in a country ravaged by a thousand-year war, Hoju was not unfamiliar with such hardship. He was to aid the village in whatever capacity they needed, that he could provide.
Before leaving the Moon Temple proper, Hoju made a few stops: the kitchen, first, for what little food could be spared for a man with a journey to make; then a blacksmith for a few small tools he could carry with him that might aid the village in their tasks of recovering.
The trek would normally be ten days on foot, but one of the magicked mirrors made travel far quicker (thankfully). Nestled between the coast and the western edge of Fidei forest, Fernleaf sat near one of the major trade roads; this one in particular reached between the Moon Temple and Veris. It was far enough away to be easily missed, and had Hoju no instructions, he might have gotten lost himself. What he wouldn't do for Gullfaxi to make this trek easier - not to mention faster. On foot, he could only bring a sack of supplies. Which, granted, was better than naught, and more than the average human could carry, but nothing compared to what might be pulled or carried by a steed as large as Gullfaxi.
ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴀʟ
Fernleaf Hamlet was small enough that one might overlook it, or assume it to be abandoned. A collection of cabins, with a larger building that seemed to serve as tavern, general store and meeting place all in one centered themselves around what served as a town square. Further out, farms dotted the landscape: some harvested for the fall, the rest clearly laboring under the rot that had affected the rest of Fellden. He made himself known upon arrival, to a kindly looking older man nearest the small road he'd traveled - though the hamlet seemed to have been expecting him. It was growing late, the sun having just fallen beneath the horizon. The wind bore a chill, cooling the sun-warmed air as night falls.
He was brought before the village's elder: a tall woman with a proud posture. Her long gray hair bore a single shock of white, just above the left temple. She introduced herself as Mirach, though spoke of herself little. Instead, she got directly to business. Simply put, the village needed help- a great deal of it, and in many ways. They could discuss it more at length on the morrow, but for the moment, Hoju was to be shown to a small cabin in which he could make himself at home at while he worked there in Fernleaf, and was to join the other villagers in what served as a main square for an evening meal. It was not a celebratory affair, but it was still pleasant. Children chased each other about, and occasionally would gather near the large new stranger, daring one another to go speak with him. Occasionally the scholar would glance at them with a warm smile, and the children would scatter with small shrieks of laughter. Some hid behind the legs of an older sibling or parent, some eventually grew bold enough to say hello.
By the time the meal was over and things cleared away, Hoju had met most of the village. As one of the Priestess' Otherworlders, it was clear Hoju was the source of many hopes for the hamlet. Sitting with cups of cider about the fire as it burned down to embers, the scholar listened to those that remained gathered: farmers, mostly, the couple that ran the tavern and store, leatherworkers. The town wanted for much: something to keep it thriving, as little trade came through; homes repaired and prepared for winter; food, now that the rot seemed to be disappearing.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʙᴇɢɪɴs
In the morning, after a brief meeting with the elder that reiterated much of what he had learned the night before, Hoju was quick to get to work. There was much to do, and winter seemed right on their heels. Much as he had in other locations the month previous, he assisted with preparing the homes for winter: shoring up holes, replacing rotted boards, patching roofs, chinking cracks and gaps in the mortar. He instructed as he went, telling the villagers of all he had learned about carpentry and building from his own home, so that they might make use of whatever could be applied here, in Fellden. The tools he had brought with him, he distributed. By the time they broke for an afternoon meal, much had been accomplished. New materials had been gathered to finish what homes hadn't been repaired or weatherproofed as of yet, and many that hadn't been sure of how to go about improving their homes had a bolstered confidence.
Several of the villagers wished to travel to the farms outside the village proper to gather food, hoping to return before nightfall. The excitable children clambering under skirt and boot suggested it would not be so easy a trip, but one young woman had an idea: what if their new friend would tell the children of his adventures, from his world? She glanced at him with a pleading look— as though that were necessary. He could have traveled with the group, of course, ensuring their safety there and back... but instead, he found himself seated on a tree stump and recounting tales of chocobos and snowy highlands, a flying mountain with a palace of gold and white, and a city at the bottom of the sea. He told them of stalwart friends both near and departed, and of fearsome enemies.
By the time the villagers returned, Hoju and a few that remained had built a blazing fire to ward off the cold air. The children ran here and there nearby, calling themselves Scions of the Seventh Dawn and play-fighting other children that claimed the titles of King Thordan, the great wyrm Nidhogg, and some small handful of primals. Hoju assisted with preparing the meal, peeling and chopping vegetables, though with a hearty chuckle, warned the man looking over the cookpots not to let him too near for fear of ruining the dish.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇs
The days that followed were much the same as the first. Gathering materials from the Fidei forest, repairing homes, finding food. Hoju worked with the owners of the tavern and store to sort out something of a plan to bring more commerce to the mostly isolated village. While not close enough from the trade road that ran between the Moon Temple and Veris to be seen, Fernleaf was still close enough to be a reasonable rest stop for traders and merchants - if only they knew it was there. Signs were made, carved, and painted to be posted directing travelers to Fernleaf. Coin would flow in a decent amount, once word was spread, but to truly help, Hoju felt there must be something more the village could offer. Spirits and a bed for the night were not unique to Fernleaf, after all, and travelers wishing to press on to the mirror at Fidei had little reason to stop.
One farmer, sitting at a table nearby, overheard the conversation and offered his input: healers had been using a particular herb that grew well in the soil around Fernleaf for some time, but recently they'd had little demand for it for some reason. What if they tried that?
ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ
The herb was worth a try. He brought samples of it, carefully bundled and safely packaged for travel, to the Moon Temple first. The infirmary head stared at it in disbelief, and, after double-checking a tome filled with hand-drawn botanical illustrations, proclaimed that most thought this particular plant to be long extinct. It was useful for many infections and some illnesses, and with the war (and every other strange thing now occurring in Fellden), the Moon Temple could use a great deal of it. Knowing where the herb came from - and was actively being grown - the infirmary head promised to send a merchant to purchase more.
Hoju returned to Fernleaf Hamlet amidst a buzz of activity: food preserving and storing now that the curse of rot was over, the last of the repairs and winterization on homes, and the first traveler come to spend the night.
ᴊᴜsᴛ ʀᴇᴡᴀʀᴅ
The scholar brought the promising tidings to the tavern and shopkeep first, and then to the elder. He had begun to apprise her of his work in the days past, but she silenced him with a gentle upheld hand, and motioned to a table where tea was set out for two.
The otherworlder had done much for them. That much was plain from the vibrancy the village had begun showing (to say nothing of the cheer of the villagers) and Mirach would reward that with information that she could offer in return for his services. Many of his inquiries focused around Fernleaf Hamlet itself. Mercifully, the Sun Branded had not made their way to Fernleaf, and the handful that had been at the harvest feast had left before the chaos had broken out. And, as much as Hoju had done, the village still wanted for more: a teacher, so the children did not have to travel to Varis or the Temple; training or protection, in case the Branded did find their way there; a mage to ward for the same reason.
It seemed, then, that there was still much to do.
The small cabin which Hoju had been provided for the time was offered as a more permanent home, if he wanted, and the scholar accepted. Though it was further from the Temple, and his companions, travel was not overly inconvenient thanks to the mirror to the nearby forest.
[ word count: 1,661]
WHAT: Quest! Aiding a small village in recovering from the war and recent events.
WHERE: Fernleaf Hamlet, west of the Fidei Forest (Moon Territory)
WHEN: Last week(ish) of October
WARNINGS: none!
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀssɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛ
Fernleaf Hamlet, the attendant had told him, a village to the southwest. Like most settlements throughout the territory, this village had suffered from the effects of a long, drawn-out war. Having spent time in a country ravaged by a thousand-year war, Hoju was not unfamiliar with such hardship. He was to aid the village in whatever capacity they needed, that he could provide.
Before leaving the Moon Temple proper, Hoju made a few stops: the kitchen, first, for what little food could be spared for a man with a journey to make; then a blacksmith for a few small tools he could carry with him that might aid the village in their tasks of recovering.
The trek would normally be ten days on foot, but one of the magicked mirrors made travel far quicker (thankfully). Nestled between the coast and the western edge of Fidei forest, Fernleaf sat near one of the major trade roads; this one in particular reached between the Moon Temple and Veris. It was far enough away to be easily missed, and had Hoju no instructions, he might have gotten lost himself. What he wouldn't do for Gullfaxi to make this trek easier - not to mention faster. On foot, he could only bring a sack of supplies. Which, granted, was better than naught, and more than the average human could carry, but nothing compared to what might be pulled or carried by a steed as large as Gullfaxi.
ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴀʟ
Fernleaf Hamlet was small enough that one might overlook it, or assume it to be abandoned. A collection of cabins, with a larger building that seemed to serve as tavern, general store and meeting place all in one centered themselves around what served as a town square. Further out, farms dotted the landscape: some harvested for the fall, the rest clearly laboring under the rot that had affected the rest of Fellden. He made himself known upon arrival, to a kindly looking older man nearest the small road he'd traveled - though the hamlet seemed to have been expecting him. It was growing late, the sun having just fallen beneath the horizon. The wind bore a chill, cooling the sun-warmed air as night falls.
He was brought before the village's elder: a tall woman with a proud posture. Her long gray hair bore a single shock of white, just above the left temple. She introduced herself as Mirach, though spoke of herself little. Instead, she got directly to business. Simply put, the village needed help- a great deal of it, and in many ways. They could discuss it more at length on the morrow, but for the moment, Hoju was to be shown to a small cabin in which he could make himself at home at while he worked there in Fernleaf, and was to join the other villagers in what served as a main square for an evening meal. It was not a celebratory affair, but it was still pleasant. Children chased each other about, and occasionally would gather near the large new stranger, daring one another to go speak with him. Occasionally the scholar would glance at them with a warm smile, and the children would scatter with small shrieks of laughter. Some hid behind the legs of an older sibling or parent, some eventually grew bold enough to say hello.
By the time the meal was over and things cleared away, Hoju had met most of the village. As one of the Priestess' Otherworlders, it was clear Hoju was the source of many hopes for the hamlet. Sitting with cups of cider about the fire as it burned down to embers, the scholar listened to those that remained gathered: farmers, mostly, the couple that ran the tavern and store, leatherworkers. The town wanted for much: something to keep it thriving, as little trade came through; homes repaired and prepared for winter; food, now that the rot seemed to be disappearing.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʙᴇɢɪɴs
In the morning, after a brief meeting with the elder that reiterated much of what he had learned the night before, Hoju was quick to get to work. There was much to do, and winter seemed right on their heels. Much as he had in other locations the month previous, he assisted with preparing the homes for winter: shoring up holes, replacing rotted boards, patching roofs, chinking cracks and gaps in the mortar. He instructed as he went, telling the villagers of all he had learned about carpentry and building from his own home, so that they might make use of whatever could be applied here, in Fellden. The tools he had brought with him, he distributed. By the time they broke for an afternoon meal, much had been accomplished. New materials had been gathered to finish what homes hadn't been repaired or weatherproofed as of yet, and many that hadn't been sure of how to go about improving their homes had a bolstered confidence.
Several of the villagers wished to travel to the farms outside the village proper to gather food, hoping to return before nightfall. The excitable children clambering under skirt and boot suggested it would not be so easy a trip, but one young woman had an idea: what if their new friend would tell the children of his adventures, from his world? She glanced at him with a pleading look— as though that were necessary. He could have traveled with the group, of course, ensuring their safety there and back... but instead, he found himself seated on a tree stump and recounting tales of chocobos and snowy highlands, a flying mountain with a palace of gold and white, and a city at the bottom of the sea. He told them of stalwart friends both near and departed, and of fearsome enemies.
By the time the villagers returned, Hoju and a few that remained had built a blazing fire to ward off the cold air. The children ran here and there nearby, calling themselves Scions of the Seventh Dawn and play-fighting other children that claimed the titles of King Thordan, the great wyrm Nidhogg, and some small handful of primals. Hoju assisted with preparing the meal, peeling and chopping vegetables, though with a hearty chuckle, warned the man looking over the cookpots not to let him too near for fear of ruining the dish.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇs
The days that followed were much the same as the first. Gathering materials from the Fidei forest, repairing homes, finding food. Hoju worked with the owners of the tavern and store to sort out something of a plan to bring more commerce to the mostly isolated village. While not close enough from the trade road that ran between the Moon Temple and Veris to be seen, Fernleaf was still close enough to be a reasonable rest stop for traders and merchants - if only they knew it was there. Signs were made, carved, and painted to be posted directing travelers to Fernleaf. Coin would flow in a decent amount, once word was spread, but to truly help, Hoju felt there must be something more the village could offer. Spirits and a bed for the night were not unique to Fernleaf, after all, and travelers wishing to press on to the mirror at Fidei had little reason to stop.
One farmer, sitting at a table nearby, overheard the conversation and offered his input: healers had been using a particular herb that grew well in the soil around Fernleaf for some time, but recently they'd had little demand for it for some reason. What if they tried that?
ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ
The herb was worth a try. He brought samples of it, carefully bundled and safely packaged for travel, to the Moon Temple first. The infirmary head stared at it in disbelief, and, after double-checking a tome filled with hand-drawn botanical illustrations, proclaimed that most thought this particular plant to be long extinct. It was useful for many infections and some illnesses, and with the war (and every other strange thing now occurring in Fellden), the Moon Temple could use a great deal of it. Knowing where the herb came from - and was actively being grown - the infirmary head promised to send a merchant to purchase more.
Hoju returned to Fernleaf Hamlet amidst a buzz of activity: food preserving and storing now that the curse of rot was over, the last of the repairs and winterization on homes, and the first traveler come to spend the night.
ᴊᴜsᴛ ʀᴇᴡᴀʀᴅ
The scholar brought the promising tidings to the tavern and shopkeep first, and then to the elder. He had begun to apprise her of his work in the days past, but she silenced him with a gentle upheld hand, and motioned to a table where tea was set out for two.
The otherworlder had done much for them. That much was plain from the vibrancy the village had begun showing (to say nothing of the cheer of the villagers) and Mirach would reward that with information that she could offer in return for his services. Many of his inquiries focused around Fernleaf Hamlet itself. Mercifully, the Sun Branded had not made their way to Fernleaf, and the handful that had been at the harvest feast had left before the chaos had broken out. And, as much as Hoju had done, the village still wanted for more: a teacher, so the children did not have to travel to Varis or the Temple; training or protection, in case the Branded did find their way there; a mage to ward for the same reason.
It seemed, then, that there was still much to do.
The small cabin which Hoju had been provided for the time was offered as a more permanent home, if he wanted, and the scholar accepted. Though it was further from the Temple, and his companions, travel was not overly inconvenient thanks to the mirror to the nearby forest.