[center][h1][color=yellow][b][u]Karamir[/u][/b][/color][/h1]

[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]
[/center]

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It had taken some practice, but soon Karamir had been able to master the piloting of his vessel, and had glided gracefully through the sky, all the way from the Kick to Kalgrun. As the coast came into view, he turned his ship and veered north. He saw various tribes and villages situated along the coast, the inhabitants looking at his vehicle in wonder. He waved to them, though they could not see it.

He passed Li'Kalla's bridge, now clear of remains. He had told his people what awaited them on the other end, and it had been more than enough to dissuade them from making any further attempts to cross it. He considered destroying the bridge altogether, but then decided that the wrath of the Rain Goddess might do more harm to his people than a mere bridge they already knew not to cross.

Further north he went, until he finally reached the destination he had in mind. The Donghe, the Easthe, the Nuhe... all silly names. Why did the gods feud over such trivial matters? Anyhow, the name was of little importance.

The spot he had chosen was where the Straight River met the sea. Abanoc had bestowed upon him the knowledge of boats and ships, and thus he knew the value of seafaring technology - when mortals could actually reach that point, of course. And besides, the river itself would be a vital source of freshwater.

He set the airship down atop a hill which overlooked the river. The wings lowered to the ground, serving as ramps which one could use to walk off. Of course, Karamir himself had no need for that; he simply vaulted over the railing and landed on his feet.

He took a few steps forward and knelt, surveying the flat stretch of land before him on which he was to begin building. Then, he drew his dagger, once again morphed it into a stick, and began to draw in the dirt.

His hands were almost a blur, and he sometimes had to scratch out progress just as quickly as he made it, as he began the meticulous process of planning the settlement’s layout. He couldn’t just place buildings down at random - that would turn the city into a maze. And due to past experience, Karamir was no fan of mazes. 

Hours passed as he thought carefully of how he was to proceed. Until finally he finished. He settled on a workable grid system that was fairly easy to navigate, provided one knew about it in advance, which would not be too difficult to learn. The streets and pathways were fairly wide, with enough space for the carts and caravans he had visions of. He stepped away from the crude plan and then once more gazed out at the field.

Where to begin?

Steeling himself, he got to work.

[hr]
He had begun by raising a wall around the area in which the settlement would be built. He had considered the possibility that the wall might be attacked and had planned accordingly; creating ramparts the defenders could hide behind, machicolations which would allow them to shoot any attackers who thought they could use the wall for cover as well, and evenly spaced towers at regular integrals. It would do little to deter flying enemies, however. There were two gates; one in the southwest near the river, and one in the northeast near the ocean.

That work on its own had been exhausting, lasting well into the night. In the morning he was exhausted, and sat on the beach breathing heavily with waves lapping nearby.

One wave, slightly larger than the others, made it all the way up to Karamir’s feet and licked against them. Yet rather than roll away and recede back into the ocean this wave stopped in place as it touched Karamir. Bubbles fizzed briefly through the water and formed a surprised word. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Kalmar?”[/b][/colour]

That surprised him, but only for a moment. He rose to his feet, gazing out at the water. [color=yellow]“No,”[/color] he replied. [color=yellow]“Kalmar is dead.”[/color]

The water rose up as Karamir did, coalescing into the form of a woman twice as tall as Karamir. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Then you are his successor.”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“I am,”[/color] he nodded. [color=yellow]“Are you Ashalla?”[/color]

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I am. Who are you?”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“Karamir. The first Vallamir.”[/color]

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Ah, Kalmar told me of you,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. She quickly glanced around, as though checking they were alone, before flowing slightly closer to Karamir. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“How did you acquire Kalmar’s divinity?”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“He gave it to me before he died,”[/color] Karamir answered.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Was not Arae able to heal him?”[/b][/colour]

Karamir shook his head. [color=yellow]“No. There might have been other ways to save him, but… he decided he’d rather pass his power on.”[/color]

The ocean was still for a moment. [colour=lightseagreen]“Another…”[/colour] Ashalla whispered distantly, like a soft breeze. Ashalla then looked back down at Karamir. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Have you claimed dominion over hunting or cold as Kalmar did?”[/b][/colour]

He paused, and then shook his head. [color=yellow]“No, I have not. I have claimed mana.”[/color]

Ashalla rumbled for a few moments. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Well, welcome to the pantheon, Karamir. Remember your station as a divine being.”[/b][/colour]

Karamir was about to say something, but then he furrowed his brow, as a new thought suddenly occurred to him. [color=yellow]“What can you tell me of your interactions with Kalmar?”[/color] he asked instead, in a voice that might have been suspicion.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“They were friendly. Kalmar, Phystene and I made a pact to protect each other’s creations from senseless destruction. Kalmar has personally shown me about his continent. The last time I saw him, Arae and I found Kalmar near death at Abraxas’ hand when we went to Veradax during the moon-fall, where I battled and killed Abraxas.”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“I see. Sorry if this comes across as… rude… but recently I encountered someone who changed her form in order to deceive me, and I have reason to believe she might try to do so again. Though… I don’t know if…”[/color] he then squinted, appearing to study her form more closely. [color=yellow]“Sorry, nevermind.”[/color]

Ashalla huffed. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Such deception is unbecoming of gods. Who attempted this deception?”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“Her name is Laurien,”[/color] Karamir answered gravely.

The water’s surface seethed. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“The blasphemer! Has she too obtained divinity?”[/b][/colour]

Karamir’s eyes widened slightly. [color=yellow]“She has. I’m not the only one who ascended. While Kalmar passed his divinity onto me, I think that Orvus’s divinity somehow ended up passing on to Arya and Laurien,”[/color] he said, and then there was a brief flicker of alarm on his face. [color=yellow]“But Arya isn’t like her sister. She’s good, and she’s kind, and…”[/color] his voice trailed off.

Ashalla rumbled for a few moments. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“So that’s where Orvus’ divinity went, to his offspring. What do Arya and Laurien claim dominion over?”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“I… don’t know, exactly. Arya seems to radiate kindness and calmness, but for Laurien… whatever it is, it can’t be good.”[/color]

Ashalla huffed. She then lifted her gaze to the structure behind Karamir. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“What is this you are building?”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“A community,”[/color] Karamir answered. [color=yellow]“Where mortals can live together, share ideas, and protect each other. Hopefully in peace.”[/color]

Ashalla flowed up the beach and past Karamir. She stretched up and looked around at the walls bounding this patch of land. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Where are the mortals?”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“Not here yet,”[/color] Karamir answered, looking back at the empty expanse. [color=yellow]“I still need to build shelters for them to live in. And a way to feed a population of this size - the Nebulites of the Eye of Desolation have a way, and I’ll need to invite them here so they can set it up. First it needs buildings, but creating structures…”[/color] he took a deep breath, [color=yellow]“is quite taxing.”[/color]

Ashalla rumbled as she circled the wall. A pseudopod split off to investigate Karamir’s airship simultaneously. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Taxing for a little godling such as yourself, perhaps,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. She completed her circuit and returned to Karamir. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“The aid of a more powerful deity would be beneficial to such a community. And I am already recognised by Vallamir in this region.”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“Any aid you are willing to provide would be appreciated,”[/color] Karamir nodded, somewhat surprised by the offer.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I would request something in return, though,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla added.

[color=yellow]“What would that be?”[/color]

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“In the city of nebulites on the Taipang Delta there is a temple dedicated to Shengshi. I want a temple in this city dedicated to myself as a perpetual sign of my aid and influence.”[/b][/colour]

Karamir hesitated. [color=yellow]“I’ve been to that city,”[/color] he said. [color=yellow]“Laurien was one of its leaders - before she became a demigod. Most of their people were forced to live in filth, and anyone who objected, or asked too many questions, they tried to kill. She nearly killed me as well.”[/color] He sighed. [color=yellow]“If you want to be recognized for aiding in this city’s construction, that’s only fair. Just know that I’m trying to avoid making the same mistakes as other civilizations.”[/color]

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“The status of the nebulite city is irrelevant to my request. I desire a temple,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

[color=yellow]“Very well,”[/color] Karamir said with some apprehension, trying to imagine what changes he might have to make to the city’s layout to accommodate this new structure.

Ashalla burbled. Looking at the markings in the dirt she said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I see you have started planning already.”[/b][/colour]

He nodded, flying over to where he scrawled his plan in the dirt. [color=yellow]“There are going to be three sections,”[/color] he said. [color=yellow]“The one along the river will have a bridge leading to the other side. The one along the ocean will have a… harbour, or port, I think the word is. A place for vehicles that can cross the water, called ships - Abanoc gave me knowledge of them. The third section is basically the rest of the city, and it’s probably where most of the people will live - it’s closest to the fields where they will need to grow food.”[/color]

Ashalla flowed over to the river and entered the water. She grew tall enough to look down upon the entire city, as wide as it was. Dozens of pseudopods rose from the water and stretched across the city, tasting the plots of land and nudging the soil. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Yes, this is good. I can start building by the water. Where shall you build my temple?”[/b][/colour]

Once again Karamir looked out at the empty space, before setting his gaze east. [color=yellow]“Well,”[/color] he said. [color=yellow]“You [i]are[/i] the Goddess of Oceans, aren’t you?”[/color]

With those words, he flew down to the beach, staring out at the sea. [color=yellow]“Any preferences for what this temple will look like?”[/color] he asked.

Ashalla rumbled for a few moments, then answered, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I leave that to your artistry.”[/b][/colour]

Karamir stood looking at the ocean. After waiting for a few moments, Ashalla turned her attention back to the empty cityscape. Her pseudopods dug into the earth and prepared foundations. The Nuhe began to flow thickly with silt, from which Ashalla filtered out clay. She took this clay and fashioned it into bricks. With a touch she baked the bricks and her many pseudopods started assembling the bricks into houses near the river.

Then it was as if the Nuhe was flowing backwards as a thick black liquid flowed up from the depths of the ocean and up the Nuhe. Ashalla pulled the pitch out of the water and mixed it with some fine mud to create mortar, which she used to bind the bricks together.

Each building was carefully crafted, its architecture and form expressing her artistry. While Ashalla made an effort to ensure consistency in architecture, the floor plans of each building varied substantially. While Ashalla had seen houses and rooms and could deduce requirements for mortal comfort she was not entirely familiar with what made a good home, so she made lots of different houses to experiment.

While she was assembling houses, something else rose up from the depths of the ocean. New pseudopods rose carrying rocks and stones. Ashalla split the rocks into slabs and used them to pave the roads.

There was then a distant rumbling in the ground and the sea rippled. A few seconds later a colossal chunk of granite, larger than the Nuhe was wide, was lifted by a titanic arm of water out of the sea and onto a patch of empty ground south of the city. Giant chisels of ice formed and fell upon the stone, hewing off pieces of rock and carving a form into the granite. When the thunderous work was completed Ashalla had a bridge, carved from a single piece of granite. The bridge was no mere structure but a work of art. Carved along the sides of the bridge were intricate sculptures depicting the natural life of Kalgrun and the sea.

Ashalla dug deep holes at each bank of the Nuhe then drove her sculpted bridge into the holes. The bridge was an arch stretching over the Nuhe, standing tall so as to better allow ships to sail underneath. Ashalla took the off-cuts of granite and the displaced soil and extended the ends of the bridge out and down to the ground like a long ramp. Ashalla then washed over the bridge to clean off dirt and smooth out rough edges.

Sounds then came from the beach to the northeast as Karamir began constructing the temple Ashalla had demanded as a price. A platform of sand and rock rose from the shallows of the sea, forming a small island. And on that island Karamir began to build the temple, dragging more materials from the sea as Ashalla had done, but not as quickly or in such vast amounts. There were several points where he had to pause to regather his strength, but he made progress nonetheless.

He modelled it after the Temple Kalmar had built on the Hunter’s Eye; the one which housed the Oracle. Only instead of the dark grey and black colour scheme that temple possessed, Karamir built this to be a lighter shade of white, with blue carvings of seashells above each pillar. Flanking the entrance on either side were stone statues of fish, and inside the temple itself was a statue of the watery nymph-like form Ashalla had first taken to communicate with him. Finally, he raised a bridge of solid stone to connect the ocean temple to the mainland.

Then, he fell into a sitting position in the sand to recover his strength. As Ashalla’s many pseudopods continued the work of building bricks, houses and roads, she flowed over to the temple. She inspected the building, tendrils of water feeling its sculptures. Ashalla burbled and said to Karamir, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It is lovely.”[/b][/colour]

Karamir nodded wearily. [color=yellow]“The rest of the city… seems to be going well…”[/color] he commented.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Thank you,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. Her pseudopods shifted downstream and started working on buildings closer to the coast. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“How many mortals were you planning on bringing here? There is space for many homes within the walls you built.”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“It depends on how many will accept,”[/color] Karamir answered truthfully. [color=yellow]“But we need more than just homes. Places where people can store goods… spaces where they can meet to exchange them… shared spaces where they can gather for meetings or activities…”[/color]

Ashalla rumbled for a few moments. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Yes, those would be beneficial.”[/b][/colour]

Ashalla’s tendrils continued their busy work. Earth was shifted and stones stacked to create wharves and quays along the river, even out to the delta. Ashalla provided ample space for many ships to dock, sheltered from the open ocean by the mouth of the Nuhe. Ashalla had to do a lot of digging and rearranging of the ground to ensure there were sheltered places, for the Nuhe opened straight into the sea. She also built a few wharves along the coast-line, although she also left some undeveloped beach.

With the wharves built, Ashalla worked inwards. She constructed major roads leading from the wharves and her temple into the heart of the city, as well as from the gates in Karamir’s wall. Storehouses were built near the docks, each given elegant facades and small windows near the top to let light in. Ashalla built more houses as she worked inland. She also built various open spaces. At the intersections of major roads she created open plazas. In some places she built walled squares of open space, suitable for meetings and gatherings. Some places she did not build any structures but left in a natural state. In a few places she constructed auditoriums, where rows of seats curved in front of a stage shaped to carry the sound into the audience.

Parallel to the roads Ashalla constructed ditches. She constructed these ditches such that water would flow to the lower end of the Nuhe and into the sea. The smaller ditches were open to the air, but they fed into larger ditches which Ashalla placed beneath the paving stones of the road. These channels were to carry rainwater and sewage out of the city.

Meanwhile, Karamir had risen back to his feet and flown over to the hill as he began the construction of another building in the city’s northwestern corner. From the ground rose a colossal spire of stone which he quickly hollowed out, giving it windows and stairs. Then he willed furnishings into existence. Considering all that Abanoc and Mnemosyne had done for him, it only seemed fitting that they were acknowledged in some way, so he raised two statues of them on either side of the tower’s entrance.

Then once more he allowed himself to fall to the ground as he watched Ashalla continue her work. Clay continued to flow downstream while pitch and rocks were pulled up from the ocean. Her multitudinous tendrils shaped these materials, stacked them into structures and carved the soil. Ashalla had fallen into a rhythm, with bricks, paving stones and mortar flying through her form in an intricate dance. Such was her focus that she no longer bothered to sustain a humanoid form.

The storm of watery pseudopods, icy tools and flying earth continued to creep deeper into the city limits. The way new buildings were added suggested an almost organic pattern to their growth. Watching Ashalla work was like watching her stitch together a living creature cell by cell, except on a far larger scale. The construction crept forwards like a rising tide, filling in the space between the walls.

As the city neared completion, clouds billowed out from Ashalla and stretched off towards the horizon. In the growing storm the wind was especially intense. From across the countryside plants were uprooted and carried towards the city. Ashalla then planted these plants throughout the city. Flowers, grass, bushes and trees were planted beside streets and in gardens.

[color=yellow]“This looks nice,”[/color] Karamir commented, as he walked through the freshly created streets. [color=yellow]“I’d say it’s almost done.”[/color] He shifted his gaze to the north, where a single empty space remained - the hill from which he had first devised his plan.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Thank you,”[/b][/colour] said a burbling voice like swirling rivers. The numerous tendrils of water stretching across the city thinned in number as the final streets were constructed. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It has been fun to create. The mortals should like it.”[/b][/colour]

He nodded. [color=yellow]“There’s still one more building I need to create,”[/color] he said, still looking at the hill. [color=yellow]“It’ll take the most time, but I need to do it myself.”[/color]

The last few bricks landed with a clack and the watery tendrils receded into the river and ocean. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Do as you will. My work here is finished for the moment. Call me when you bring mortals here.”[/b][/colour]

[color=yellow]“I will. Thank you for your aid.”[/color]

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[hider=Post Summary]
Karamir arrives on Kalgrun and begins planning to build his city. He starts by building a set of medieval style walls, with towers and crenellations and machicolations and all that. Then Ashalla shows up, thinking he is Kalmar, until he corrects her and breaks the news of Kalmar’s death - among other things.

She asks him what he is building, he tells her of his plans to build a city. She offers to help him, on the condition that she gets a massive temple dedicated to her, similar to the agreement between Shengshi and the denizens of Laurienna. Karamir is a bit disturbed by this parallel, but agrees, because he really does need the help.

Anyway, they build the city. While Ashalla builds the three main districts (known as the River District, the Ocean District, and the Grass District respectively), Karamir builds Ashalla’s temple, as well as a gigantic tower which is supposed to be dedicated to Abanoc and Mnemosyne in some way. Ashalla then leaves, and Karamir gets ready to build one final structure.
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[hider=Might Summary]
[b]Karamir[/b]
[i]Start:[/i] 4MP and 8FP
[i]Spent:[/i]
-1FP to build city walls.
-1FP to build the Temple of Ashalla.
-1FP to build the Tower of Lore.
-1FP to build another structure (to be revealed in the future.)
[i]End:[/i] 4MP and 4FP

[b]Ashalla[/b]
[i]Start:[/i] 5 MP & 7 FP
[i]Spent:[/i] 1 FP on the River District, notable for its grand bridge sculpted from a single piece of granite.
0 FP on the Oceans District (Oceans Discount), notable for its wharves and docks.
1 FP on the Grass District. All the districts have decent stormwater and sewage systems, due to the Water Cluster.
[i]End:[/i] 5 MP & 5 FP
[i]Portfolios:[/i] 8/10 Colour
8/10 Music
4/10 Sculpture
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