tushanshu_logs | Event | Landfall | Bresilyk

Event | Landfall | Bresilyk | Countryside

Characters: Any and all!
Date: December 3 - 11, 2013
Location: Bresilyk countryside (landfall)
Situation: Tu Vishan makes landfall at the winterbound republic of Bresilyk!
Warnings/Rating: Please include warnings in comment subject lines

OOC Post | Approved Items | Special Gifts
Aihsohlow | Phorezton | Markutte | Countryside

The countryside is layered with snow that is up to four meters deep, all fallen within the past two months as a cold season falls upon the country. There are numerous roads in between towns and small, domed minesteads and each road is oddly clear of snow and ice. Closer inspection reveals that the surfaces are heated by some technology buried beneath the black surfaces. Occasional construction crews can be seen tearing up or laying down new surfacing over a web of thick, coated wires that presumably provide the heat. Snow is often found sculpted near crossroads, taking artistic shape in anything from beautifully arched sculptures to recreations of local fauna.

Wildlife can be spotted here and there, with a large herd of antlered beasts making their way across the snowy grounds. Webbing between their toes (yes, toes) allows each of the large, white animals to traverse upon the snow-tops with barely a print left in their wake. Hunting parties can be seen chasing after the fringes of this herd while wearing some sort of hovering harness and it is evident that the beasts are a primary source of meat for the people. Birds flit back and forth, a few predatory mammals can be spied at the edges of the icebound forests, and there are a variety of serpentine pets kept by residents fortunate to live in the warmer domed towns.

Speaking of towns, the three within the barrier's reach are spaced roughly twenty kilometres away from one another, forming a triangle of commerce that sustains each. Aihsohlow represents the southernmost town, Phorezton the northernmost, and Markutte the northeastern one. There are a variety of small minesteads in between that would greet travellers, but only reluctantly allow them into their homes. Stories abound of troubles outside the domes and they are not apt to invite said troubles inside.

Roadways | Minesteads | Other

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[If anyone were to tell Korra that she would one day miss seeing snow as far as the eye could see, she'd laugh. Hard. Having lived at the South Pole for more than seventeen years, all her life until going to Republic City, she's experienced more than most adults outside of the Water Tribe. In fact, she didn't miss it during her tenure in the capital of the United Republic.

That was before Tu Vishan, before the summer heat, and before she got to see her family in the mirrors that showed the future of the person in the mystical water in the palace.

Now she's atop one of the watchposts, looking out at the seemingly endless white. Almost too reminiscent of the walls around the compound that she trained in. The one she believed Aang practically sentenced her to. Only to find out a few weeks ago that it was actually her father and Tenzin's doing. Even with all that happened afterwards, it's still a sore spot for her.

A glance down at a pile of tools, frozen over and covered in ice, makes her lower onto her haunches. A brisk cold wind ruffles the hood of her jacket, mainly the white fur, but it doesn't seem to bother her. A wave of fingers turns the ice to snow and brushes it off them entirely. Depositing them in her sling bag, Korra stands up to look back out.

It's almost like being home again. That's when she spots a herd off in the distance. A tiny mass of fur from her point of view that's loosely kept together as it moves across the snow.

Wasting no time, Korra hops over the edge of the watchpost and brings her arms upwards in midair. Snow rises up to provide a downward ramp, turning to ice the instant he boots land on it and she slides down the long stretch making it look like the easiest thing in the world to do. When the tips of boots come into contact with the snow, a think board of ice forms underneath her and she's shredding along the top of of the snow; more keenly than the best surfer anyone from Earth may have seen.

In hardly any time at all she's keeping pace behind the herd, her hair being batted about by the wind. Staying behind them is a ploy, she's guiding them by posing as a threat. A predator. One that's waiting to find the stray to pick off. Weaving back and forth to keep them going in a direction closest to main road, Korra's finally able to cause one to dart in the wrong direction. What comes next is natural and the antlered beast tries to divert back toward the herd.

That's when the ice board speeds up and Korra is between it and them. Lowering her body into a crouch, she brings her arm up in a cross strike and a spike of ice rises out of the snow piercing through the very center of the creature's head with eerie precision. One most hunter's will never see in their lifetimes.

After a brief moment to make sure that the animal died as quickly as possible, Korra brought her arm back down and the spike turns to water. With the only thing holding it up gone, the creature falls lifelessly onto the snow. The herd behind is already disappearing off into the distance, she doesn't even bother to turn around to look at them.

With strength a girl her age normally would never have, Korra hooks her arms around it's legs and heaves the corpse onto her shoulders. When she's standing up straight, a smile is clearly on her face.

Just like being home and hunting with her father.]

Edited (errors everywhere) 2013-12-06 03:12 (UTC)

[not so fast, Korra. At least, she'd say that if she weren't trying to get some food, herself. She pulled the bow string back and fired, this time, getting one of the scattering ones in the neck. He tumbled down a little bit in the distance, and Ellie came running up.

She looked between Korra and her kill, Korra and her kill. Her eyes alight with everything she'd just seen. This chick was seriously straight out of the comic books-- but so were a lot of people in Keeliai. So, she hooked the bow and arrow back against her backpack, before trekking across the snow.

Her clothes were no where near as appropriate as Korra's, but.

Well, she never let that stop her before.]

That was fucking awesome! What even was that?

[With the large animal on her back, Korra had to turn completely around to see who was talking to her. She had been so focused on her mark that the Avatar never looked to see if anyone was around. It was so much colder than the settlements out here that she didn't think anyone would bother. Anyone aside from her and very few others.

But she actually has to look down to see who it is. A girl, younger than her by a couple of years at most. But her excitement is infectious by itself, and it doens't help that Korra's still got some of her adrenaline going from the hunt.]

That was catching dinner and even some tributes to give at the entrances. [Her slight sass comes with a smirk.] That was just some waterb-

[She stops because of the downed one off the distance with an arrow in it, and Korra's eyes drift over to the bow & arrow on Ellie's backpack. That smirk turns into a smile.]

That was awesome.

[Ellie kind of wishes she had Callus right this minute, it'd make her life a little bit easier. She looks at the animal she shot and was glad, suddenly, that it wasn't as big as a buck. It'd be hard, but she could carry that back to the closest city. Maybe.

Well, she's carried Joel farther. Somehow.]

You hunt out here often, huh?

Thanks! I don't think I could've pulled it off with a bow and arrow though. [Sliding on an ice board and manipulating the herd, sure. But actualy weapons aren't Korra's specialty.]

But no, this is my first time hunting since we made landfall. [Easy to see that the girl must be from Keeliai, nothing like the locals in the settlements.

Korra does however shrug her shoulders as best she can while holding the buck on them.]

But back at the South Pole, yeah. Every chance I get. Beats being cooped up inside.

[She gives a nod.] Korra, by the way.

The South Pole? You mean, like the opposite of the North Pole? [a dumb question, but one to pass the time until she could lift her kill over her shoulder like Korra had done-- not an easy feat for someone as rail thin as she was, but she managed. She was not about to leave it out there, and she still need to move closer to wood to even think of creating a makeshift sled.

No, that was definitely gonna happen. Somehow. It was harder when you had less broken down garbage to scrounge from.]

Ellie. I've done some hunting on the Turtle-- scored a pretty big bird we used for Thanksgiving, actually. That was fun. Buuuut I've also had some pretty bad days. I use the meat to sell for some cash-- and then food when things don't sell well.

That’s the one.

[Seeing Ellie manage to lift her game makes Korra smile. The closest to hunting she got was going for the exotic deepwater fish now that the barrier’s been expanded, so meeting someone else who’s no stranger to surviving in harsh conditions is a welcome sight.]

I missed Thanksgiving, but that does sound fun. [It came while Korra was still holed up in her suite, only going out to do her work and nothing more.] The only real birds we had to hunt were arctic hens. I think you can guess they’re not much of a challenge.

[An urge to help her makes Korra wonder if Jack would consider expanding the shop from just fish to a meat market. Hire Ellie to get some animals and support herself.]

Come on, I left my stuff up at one of the watchposts. [Her sled that she brought to take advantage of all the snow and her slingbag with the tools were up there. Left behind so she could catch the buck that’s now on her shoulders.]

[she started walking next to Korra-- though it was still somewhat difficult. She'd only killed a little one, but he was heavy as fuck. She wasn't gonna make it far, not with the ease Korra was having, that was for Damn sure. She exhaled through her mouth, a light 'pbbt' sound following the breath. She wanted to talk about Thanksgiving, and how it was a holiday dedicated to eating and therefore she would never complain, ever.

She wanted to talk about how she'd mostly shot at rabbits, but she'd managed to kill a huge buck once-- way bigger than the small fry she had here. But she was painfully aware of how heavy that was, and that they'd be going uphill in snow, and how she still wasn't all that fond of white-out conditions. Thankfully, it wasn't a blizzard, but she was still feeling the weight of winter, even peripherally.

So, instead she settled on an almost sarcastic question]

Please tell me you've got a sled up there with some of that stuff. 'Cause I think I may have bit off more than I can chew with this little guy.

[After hearing the ‘pbbt’, Korra’s shoulders shook with silent laughter that caused the bucks antlers to move back and forth a bit. That Avatar wasn’t about to let the younger girl suffer the entire trek, she just want to see how far the little hunter could go. Uphill would be way too brutal.]

Funny that you say that. [Still holding the leg, Korra points a finger to the top of the watchpost she was at earlier, so much further off and up from the current location.] I’ve got a big wooden one waiting for us up there.

[Then Korra set her kill onto the snow, gesturing with a tilt of her head for Ellie to do the same.] But this is taking too long, isn’t it?

[The smile on her face has fun written all over it.]

[Set it down? Set it down? Ellie practically dropped it the moment she caught wind of what Korra was planning. She hadn't ever been sledding before-- hell, she couldn't even imagine. But something about that grin told her that what Korra was thinking of was only fun. She rubbed her shoulder to release some of the tension from having carried the kill that far and then placed her free hand on her hip]

Okay, this is definitely taking too long, and I've never sledded before, but that look you're giving me says it's fun as hell.

[and if it wasn't. Well. Ellie could attempt a snowball to the back of her head when she wasn't looking-- though it was kind of hard to imagine it working when the older girl had that much control over the snow.

But a girl could dream!]

[Ellie’s quickly climbing Korra’s list of people she knows she’d have fun hanging out with, and she’s known her all of seven minutes.]

We can do the sledding once we’re there, for right now though, just don’t slip. [A fan out motion of her arms caused the snow under their feet and game to turn into an ice sled.

Ellie only got to see it, and Korra wants her to experience it as well. Lifting her arm up, Korra motioned with her head for Ellie to grab onto her.]

Now hold on or you’ll fall off.

Holy shit, [she exhales, her eyes lighting up. At Korra's direction, it takes her all of 2 seconds to cross the difference, and then latch onto her midsection.] This is so fucking cool!

God-- just don't let me fall, okay?! I fucking mean it, I've never done anything with magic!

[she was practically bouncing, even as she was holding onto Korra. Magic, ice skateboards, this was all so different from the shithole she called home.

She was starting to get really, really attached to this place.]

[Eyebrows raised in amusement, Korra managed to keep her laughs to a minimum as she holds Ellie to her.]

Trust me, I got you. [It would always be called magic at first, Korra didn't even flinch at that anymore. Her other hand brought an ice shackle to pin their kills to the thick ice board.]

All you need to do is enjoy the ride.

[She's showing off, but to her it was perfectly fine to do since a good portion of the foreigners could do more impressive things, or just didn't care.

Pushing her hand outwards, Korra moved it back as if to wave the scenery around them away, and that's when they kicked up snow. Keeping atop the snow like a speedboat on water, Korra made sure to pivot and swerve to make it fun and cause a white wave when they did so.

At first she was trying to make sure Elli was entertained, but it turned out to be just as much fun for her. A feeling she didn't get to have that often since there weren't any of the airbending kids to play with.

Not about to stop making a show out of it, Korra surfed ridiculously close to the White Wall and swept away at the very last half-second. Waterbending was her innate, and first, element and her mastery over it was considerable. Her teachers fingerprints were all over it for any who knew her.

After the close shave, they slowed down to a stop in front of the watch post. Yes, she's grinning the biggest smile when she looks down at Ellie.]

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mightythinice - 2013-12-07 16:18 (UTC) - Expand

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alphatar - 2013-12-08 16:59 (UTC) - Expand

[Death was natural. Death was an unavoidable part of life and had to be accepted. This was knowledge that had been drilled into Sabriel's head from the moment her father had started teaching her necromancy.

Still, in the instant she felt the ice enter the animal's head, it was hard not to flinch. She'd landed the Paperwing to take a short rest and get a closer look at the native animals- she hadn't expected to stumble across a hunter.]

Who's there?

[Once Korra's standing back up, she has to turn fully around now that the huge buck was on her shoulders. There was no one one the ground when she was chasing them, though she did stop paying attention to anything aside from her mark once she had it singled out.]

Sabriel! [A small wave, her thumb still hooked onto the legs, is all she can give without it falling off. But her smile makes up for it.] I didn't know you were out here too. I didn't ruin anything, did I?

[Sabriel may not look like the hunter type, but Korra decided to play it on the safe side since her magic might allow her to be just that. Spooking off her target would have looked bad on the Avatar's part.]

Korra? [Sabriel instantly relaxed. Of course Korra and others would be out hunting, and Sabriel herself was hardly a vegetarian. Sabriel gave her a polite smile.]

No, I was just watching them. [Sabriel shifted from foot to foot, pushing away her Death sense.] It surprised me when I felt one of them die, that's all. Are you planning on selling the meat and fur in one of the towns?

[That made Korra blink in surprise. She knew that Sabriel's magic was centered around the dead, but for some reason it never occurred to her that animals were included in that.]

I was going to see about keeping some of the meat for myself, but the rest, yeah. I still have plenty of furs at home and the antlers might make a good gift next time I need to go through.

[Still, she returned the smile.] It's- how weird does it feel?

[She hunched her shoulders a little to signify that she meant the kill.]

It's not painful, but- I felt the ice going into its head. [Sabriel shook her head, as though she was trying to shake out that memory. It might not have been painful, but it definitely not pleasant.] At least you were skillful enough to kill it quickly. [Sabriel's grateful for that.]

Do you need help carrying anything? My Paperwing isn't too far.

[The closest Korra can think of that might even remotely feel like that are things she'd rather not recall. The corners of her mouth dig downwards for a moment, forcing her neck muscles to flinch.]

My dad taught me. But nah, I can handle this. [When she adjusted her shoulders so the buck was better positioned, her eyes caught the Paperwing off in the distance.]

On second thought. Can it fly? [Wrong question, and Korra shakes her head to clear it out of the way.] I mean, can it hold our weight?

I believe it should! It might be a little more difficult, but we should be able to make to to the closest town.

[Sabriel turned to head back to the Paperwing.]

So you and your father hunted together?

[Following after Sabriel, Korra’s able to see just how different the Paperwing is from her glider.]

Yeah. We’d usually take a couple of buffalo yak when we’d go on longer trips in the tundra. Wolves, polar bears, polar leopards-

Lots of polar stuff. [Surprising no one.] Meat for food, pelt for clothes or carpet, and bones for weapons or tools. [Shrug. It’s all Water Tribe standard for her.]

It must have been nice, to spend so much time with him. [Unlike her own father. Sabriel treasured her memories of him, and the time they spent together- but she knew that monthly visitations and twice-yearly visits were far less time than most people had with their fathers.]

I never really know how much I missed him and my mom until I got here. [More so after seeing them when she saw her future at the palace.]

It was nice, something fun to do when I wasn’t stuck at the compound. [Hunting, killing, and skinning is nice when not training her body and bending skill. Korra, in a nutshell, for those that don’t know her.]

Did you make this? [The pause in her words is from her lifting the four hundred-ish pound buck over her head and trying to find a decent spot for it on the Paperwing.]

I spent most of the time I physically spent with my father studying necromancy. [His visits in spirit were a different story though.]

And I didn't- one of the previous Abhorsens did. I haven't learned enough yet to make one- and I don't know if it would be a good use of my time in Keeliai to do so. [With the two of them and the buck, it's going to be an exceptionally tight fit- and Sabriel doubts they'll be able to get very high with the extra weight, but all they need to do is get to the closest dome.]

Physically?

[Of course her thoughts jump to ‘Spiritually’, but once she catches up with them, it’s obvious it would likely be different for Sabriel.]

I don’t see why not. Beat’s walking everywhere. [Speaking from experience since she has her glider and Naga to get places. Her car doesn’t count.

Once Korra’s squeezed into the Paperwing, she grips the opening to her seat with her elbows hanging out. Just in case some airbending assistance is needed.]

Open;

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