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[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/2b4925ee-b215-4b89-a794-5058a6c53e13.png[/img]
[colour=lightseagreen][h1][b][i]Ashalla[/i][/b][/h1]
[b]Goddess of Oceans, Storms and Ice[/b][/colour]
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A blue-haired vallamir man walked along the beach dragging his net towards the sea. He walked past other vallamir who were tending to their own nets, patching holes or replacing lost stones. The tune of a wooden flute drifted across the pack of vallamir working on the beach. Near the water lay two logs. One had been carved out to be hollow with an opening in its top side. The other was in the process of being carved out using tools and techniques of woodworking 'borrowed' from the people nearer the so-called Capital.

The man threw his net into the crude canoe and started pushing it towards the water. A blond-haired vallamir joined in, and together they pushed the boat through the sand and into the water. They kept pushing the boat past where the waves broke, then hauled themselves into the boat which rocked precariously but managed to stay upright. They picked up paddles from inside the boat and rowed to deeper water, although never too far from shore.

The two vallamir fishermen scanned the water with their keen eyes for any sign of fish. They spotted a few silver glitters beneath the waves and dropped their net overboard. After a little time they pulled the net back up, water streaming out from around the flopping silver fish. They pulled the net into the boat while carefully balancing to avoid capsizing their simple vessel. They emptied the net into the boat and inspected the catch.

"It's a start," the blond vallamir eventually declared.

"Lessee if we can get a second net-full," said the blue-haired vallamir.

"Shall we head back to shore first, Jo?" asked the blond.

"Always the cautious one, Yan. It'll be quicker to do it now," said the blue-haired one named Jo.

"Don't get too cocky. Remember when we flipped the boat with a whole load of fish in it? We spent ages trying to catch them again."

"Come on, that was an accident. It won't happen again. There's plenty more of Ashalla's bounty to catch."

They rowed a short distance in their search for more fish, then cast their nets into the water again. After some time more fish snagged into the net and they pulled it up and dropped the fish into the boat. They then rowed back to the rest of their pack on the beach. The other vallamir ran up to help them pull the boat through the breakers and onto the sand. The fish were then carried in armfuls and reed baskets over to the cooking fires to be smoked.

Other fishing boats were starting to come in, and grey clouds were approaching from inland, but Jo headed back to his boat with his net and beckoned for Yan to follow. A vallamir woman who was weaving fibres called out, "Jo'Pallan, are you heading off again? You should be helping to cook."

Jo seemed a little exasperated. "We won't be long, Lupa dear. We'll catch a few more fish before the weather turns. I've gotta good feeling about this one."

"You always say that, Jo," the woman said, but Yan and Jo had already pushed their boat into the sea. She shook her head and went back to her weaving.

Yan gave a little chuckle as they climbed into the boat. "Sometimes I wonder who's really your missus: Lupa or Ashalla."

Jo gave Yan a playful push. "Hey, at least I've got a missus. When're you going to find a girl?"

Yan picked up his oar and started rowing, looking out to sea. "I'll get one when I'm ready."

"Pftsh. Don't give me that. I know you've got your eyes on someone."

Yan looked up at the sky. "You'd better get rowing if you want to catch some fish before the rain comes."

Jo rolled his eyes, but picked up his oar and rowed anyway. "Come on, you can tell me. Is it Juni? Or maybe Vermi. I saw you chatting with her the other night. Hm?" Jo watched Yan closely for any reactions, but Yan stayed stone-faced. A cheeky smile stretched across Jo's face. "Oh, I know. There's one woman you just can't keep your hands off. You stare at her big curves and feel how wet she is. You like to get deep in her."

Yan gave a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"

Jo's face cracked into a crazy grin. "Ashalla."

Yan stared for a moment, then punched Jo on the shoulder. "You dirty man. If Lupa heard you talking like that she wouldn't let you near the beach ever again." Despite himself a little smile crept onto Yan's face as Jo laughed.

They kept rowing a little further then cast out their net. Around them fell the first drops of rain. After a little bit of waiting they felt something tug at their nets. An exchanged glance was the signal to pull the net up. They strained against the weight. Jo hazarded a look overboard.

"They're bigguns."

"Watch the balance, Jo!" Yan shouted, leaning the other way to stop the boat from tipping.

Jo leaned back to keep hauling the net, but the fish swam under the boat. The two fishermen tried to pull the net back, but they leaned too far forwards. An errant wave pushed the dugout past its tipping point and the boat rolled over and dumped the fishermen into the sea. Their heads surfaced above the waves a couple seconds later and they paddled in place.

"'I've got a good feeling about this one,' huh?" Yan mocked.

"Hey, look on the bright side. Now we're both in her," Jo said with a wink.

Yan rolled his eyes, then his gaze settled on a point behind Jo.

Jo looked down at the water around himself. "Ah shit, I dropped the net. It'll be down here somewhere. Help me find it, Yan."

Yan's face had gone pale and his eyes were wide.

"Yan?" Jo turned around and the colour drained from his face.

Towering behind them was a mound of water as large as an open-ocean wave. On this wave were arms, curves suggestive of a woman's torso, and a face which looked down at the two men with a scowl.

There were a few seconds of shocked silence until Jo managed to stammer, "A- Ashalla. Merciful, gracious, marvellous Ashalla. It's a- er- honour." Jo crossed his fist across his chest and bowed his head. Yan did the same. Ashalla did not speak. In the pregnant pause, Jo continued. "So, er, what brings you here?"

A voice like the distant breakers said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]"I heard a couple of fishermen talking about me."[/b][/colour]

Sheer panic plastered itself across Jo's face. "Oh, that, ha, just banter, nothing serious, fooling around, ha. Unless..." Jo looked up at Ashalla's face, then shrunk back.

Ashalla leaned forwards. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"Do you think I am a joke?"[/b][/colour] interrogated a voice like a cracking glacier. Icy terror gripped Jo's chest.

"No no no, not at all! You're very serious. Pretty too. No joke there, nope. We were, er..."

"Dreaming," Yan finished.

Ashalla leaned back as Jo and Yan stared on in fear. Her gaze moved over to the capsized boat. A wave gently brushed over it then flipped it upright. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"You would not be the first mortal with such dreams,"[/b][/colour] said a voice like a receding wave. The vallamir released a breath they hadn't noticed they were holding. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"Tell me about this boat."[/b][/colour]

Jo and Yan grabbed their oars which were floating nearby and swam up to the boat. "This? It's our boat. We go fishing in it every day when the weather's not too bad. Sometimes a bit unsteady, but it works," Jo said.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]"How was it made?"[/b][/colour]

In a coordinated move, Jo and Yan climbed into the boat from opposite sides. "We- the pack- cut down a tree, sawed off the branches then chopped out the inside so we'd have somewhere to sit and put our fish."

Ashalla stared off towards the shore while tendrils of water lapped at the boat, inspecting every cut and groove. After a long, low rumble, she said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]"You have the power to shape wood to your will, yet this is the best you have devised? Inadequate."[/b][/colour] Ashalla's gaze scanned the coast once more. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"Many more vallamir have arrived on this beach since I first spoke to the vallamir, yourself among the new arrivals. What drew you here?"[/b][/colour]

"Well, there wasn't much food on the land when you appeared and taught our pack about nets and string and stuff. It was such a great gift and it saved us from starvation. Even when the land grew back, there was something alluring about the water. When I heard of others like me, of course I joined them," said Jo.

"There is something about fishing, it's not like the raw rush of the hunt, it's more peaceful. There's serenity when on the water," Yan added.

There was the blast of a horn from the beach. The fishermen turned their heads and saw that the vallamir on the shore had noticed Ashalla and assembled a band.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]"Return to your pack,"[/b][/colour] Ashalla instructed. The fishermen picked up their oars and paddled back to shore. They pulled their boat onto the sand and joined the rest of the vallamir. Ashalla flowed up to the beach shortly afterwards. The ensemble of musicians included horn players, flautists, drums, rattles, stringed instruments, and a choir. When Ashalla approached, the choir sung out with the backing of the musicians.

"Who is the mistress over the waves?
Who granted fish and food which could save?
Who taught music for singing with glee?
Ashalla did, goddess of the sea!"

Ashalla burbled at their song. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"Mortal vallamir, what a wonderful welcome. It is clear that you love the ocean. So I shall reward your faithfulness by allowing you to live even closer to the sea."[/b][/colour]

She reached out a thick pseudopod towards the half-finished boat sitting on the sand. The water engulfed it, and blades of ice churned within the globe of water and clouded the water with sawdust. When Ashalla withdrew her limb, the crudely hollowed log had been carved into a proper canoe. The ends tapered into points which curled upwards. The profile was narrower than it was tall. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"Take inspiration from the form of the fish. The fish's body is slender and pointed so as to swim speedily through the water."[/b][/colour]

Thin pseudopods whipped out over the heads of the vallamir into the forest behind them. They withdrew carrying long branches and lengths of rope. Ashalla lashed two long branches of equal length onto the boat perpendicular to it, then on either end of those long branches she affixed a log parallel to the boat. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"The fish's fins stabilise it in the water, ensuring it stays upright."[/b][/colour]

Ashalla withdrew a short distance to allow the vallamir to marvel at the creation and inspect it up close. After she thought they had had enough time, Ashalla said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]"There is more. I have heard your prayers about the difficulties brought by some of the people of the land. I could allow you to make the sea your home."[/b][/colour]

The vallamir looked at each other. Their faces showed excitement, surprise, confusion, and fear. Chatter and discussion rose quickly. Yet Ashalla's voice spoke above the din like a crashing wave. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"If you desire such a thing, bring me an offering of as much lumber, rope and coarse fabric as you can gather. Bring also many water-tight vessels. Do not be meagre in this offering if you wish to benefit from it."[/b][/colour]

Then Ashalla receded back into the ocean and disappeared. Her commands hung in the air over the vallamir. Some went to inspect the outrigger canoe again. Others looked to each other, then talking resumed and amplified. There was debate over whether to take up this offer, and how to go about doing it.

In the height of the arguments, Jo'Pallan spoke up. "Ashalla has given us almost everything we have, one way or another. She gave us food when we needed it the most, so in a way also gave us our lives. She has given us this life here by the sea. Everything Ashalla has done has been to help us. No one else cares for us. Li'Kalla lives with her 'holy' valthumir far inland and doesn't care for us. Other packs roam Be'r-Jaz killing and stealing and worse. We would be stupid not to accept Ashalla's offer."

The vallamir were swayed by Jo's words. So they made plans immediately to determine how they would obtain the supplies for the offering.

[hr]
It took many days of work. The sound of stone axes chopping through trees echoed through the surrounding forest. Logs that were too large to carry were pushed towards the beach on rollers. Vallamir stood guard with spears and slings, alert against any rival packs who might accost them during their holy task. Others reaped the fields of fibrous grasses which they had planted - another technology 'borrowed' from the inland vallamir - and spun the threads into rope and cloth. A few prepared wooden bowls, mud-lined baskets, leather sacks and hollowed gourds which could store water.

With so many people working on gathering the supplies, there were only a few people left to fish and gather. There had been initial concerns that they would run out of food during the project, but the fishermen found that their catches were unusually bountiful. Such a clear sign that they had Ashalla's blessing boosted the vallamir's morale and the work carried on with fervour.

Eventually, they had collected what they thought would be enough. Dozens of logs lay across the beach, along with coils of rope and stacks of cloth. The musicians struck up a celebratory tune as the supplies were pushed into the sea.

The offering drifted for a few moments before the waves spoke. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"You good and faithful servants. As promised, your faith shall be rewarded."[/b][/colour]

Suddenly the ocean rose in a great mound of water, lifting the offering with it. The logs were engulfed, split, chopped, shaped and joined, along with the rope and cloth. The vallamir watched the flurry of creation in awe. Then the creation was finished and Ashalla receded.

Floating in the water was a massive wooden structure, easily the size of a village. Indeed, there were huts stacked in the structure and walkways connecting them. Lining the bottom of the structure were shapes like the canoe Ashalla had made earlier, providing a foundation which could float and move through the water. The cloth had been stitched together into great sheets and were tied to poles.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]"Come! Behold your new home on the ocean."[/b][/colour]

With barely a moment's hesitation, the pack of vallamir rushed to the water and swam to the magnificent structure Ashalla had made. On the boards which made the floor of the floating village, the vallamir walked around and soaked in every detail. Already some claimed certain rooms as their own. Others inspected the network of knots and ropes which held the large sheets. Some found the bowls and baskets had been placed into a few rooms and filled with fresh water. A few discovered the mechanisms which twisted a large wooden fin beneath the water. Others found the places where rowers could sit. Some found where smaller boats could be tied to the great structure. A couple climbed up a post which gave an unrivalled view of the surrounding ocean. A few found space where a great net could trail behind the floating village.

Ashalla's watery form rose up beside and above the village. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"Here is your new home. Take good care of it, and it shall take care of you. Carve your stories on its walls as a reminder to the future generations."[/b][/colour]

Jo'Pallan stepped forwards on the deck, crossed his fist across his chest and bowed his head. "Ashalla, thank you. Thank you so much. We could never repay such kindness." Ashalla burbled as Jo continued. "But... um... there is a lot here which is confusing."

[colour=lightseagreen][b]"I will stay with you for a few days, to teach you how to use your new home. I will show you the ways of travelling the seas and surviving on them. I will teach you how to create other ships to sail the ocean,"[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. [colour=lightseagreen][b]"But your first lesson shall be how to capture the wind to move this vessel. Watch."[/b][/colour]

Tendrils of water reached out to the cloths on poles and pulled on the ropes. Suddenly the fabric unfurled like the wings of a bird. The wind caught in the sails and with a jerk the floating village glided across the water away from the coast. Ashalla let out a burble as she sunk back below the waves.

Yan walked up next to Jo, staring at where Ashalla had been moments before. "We are like droplets compared to her," Yan said in with awed breath.

Jo chuckled. "You should be a poet, Yan." Jo turned back to the floating village and looked at the vallamir scurrying around, inspecting the sails and watching the ocean. "Droplets. Hm. I like it."

[hider=Summary]
We visit a coastal tribe of vallamir on Be'r-Jaz. Same one that Ashalla first visited and helped.

We follow a couple of fishermen, Jo'Pallan (aka Jo) and Yan. They have a crude dugout log, which works but is a bit unstable at times.

Jo makes a lewd joke about Ashalla. Jo and Yan fall into the ocean shortly afterwards and then Ashalla appears. They're terrified, but fortunately for them Ashalla's not in a smiting mood. She's actually here to help.

The tribe gives Ashalla a warm reception. Ashalla shows them how to make an outrigger canoe. Then Ashalla tells them to bring an offering of building materials if they want to live on the sea, away from other nasty packs of vallamir.

The vallamir bring this offering, and Ashalla constructs a floating village. They're all very grateful. Ashalla will stick around for a bit and teach them about living on the sea.

The name 'Droplets' is coined for these people.

[b]Might Summary[/b]
[i]Start:[/i] 5 MP & 10 FP
[i]Spent:[/i] 1 FP to create a floating, sailing village (Enhanced by Oceans)
0 FP to teach proper boat-building (Discounted by Oceans)
1 FP to teach sailing
1 FP to teach advanced sea-faring (Enhanced by Oceans)
[i]End:[/i] 5 MP & 7 FP
[i]Portfolios:[/i] 8/10 Colour
8/10 Music
3/10 Sculpture
[/hider]