Event | Landfall | Bresilyk | Countryside

[ironwood]

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

Comments

[bindsthedead]

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?

[alphatar]

[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.]

[bindsthedead]

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.

[alphatar]

[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?

[bindsthedead]

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?

[alphatar]

[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.]

[bindsthedead]

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.]

[alphatar]

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.]

[bindsthedead]

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.]

[alphatar]

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.]

[bindsthedead]

Every new moon, he'd- well, his spirit would show up at the school ant talk to me about- well, anything I wanted to talk about. [Those visits were treasured, even though it meant sneaking into the library once a month- and not being able to tell most of her friends and teachers about it.]

But he'd visit physically twice a year.

I don't know enough of the marks to make a new one- but it's simple enough to fly one already made. [The extra weight of the carcass makes it harder, but mark after glowing mark slips out of Sabriel's mouth as she whistles, twisting and fading into the wind. With each mark, the wind intensified, until finally the Paperwing seemed to fling itself into the air.

It wasn't as steady, or as high as it should have been but it was steady enough, and Sabriel whistled, adding more wind- though not enough that she'd lose control and create a storm.]

[alphatar]

[If anyone knew the importance of a full moon, it's Korra. When it turns out she was right in her first thought of it being spiritual, Korra slightly rears her head back in surprise.]

Two visits, that's it?

[Now Korra's reconsidering adding an extra airbending boost. Mixing magic and bending may not do the trick. Still, they were moving and that's good enough for her.]

Why didn't you just go see him yourself?

[bindsthedead]

We got to speak every month. [She's just a tiny bit defensive.]

Because by keeping me at school, he was keeping me safe. My father had many enemies the Dead, Free Magic monster, necromancers and Free Magic sorcerors- and I was much safer in Ancelstierre. Father spent most of his time in the Old Kingdom, unless he was coming to visit me.

[alphatar]

[Korra couldn’t help but give a sideways frown. It’s sounded similar to her being forced to stay at the compound and only able to visit her family every now and then.]

Did you ever get to leave?

[bindsthedead]

We went on field trips and I was able to visit the nearby towns and villages in my free time once I was older. But I was a student, so I was never allowed to go too far. [Sabriel might have longed to see the Old Kingdom, but she'd always known it was dangerous. She simply hadn't understood just how dire the situation north of the Wall was.]

[alphatar]

Never allowed to go far. [Said as a confirmation in a dull tone.] Do you think you could have handled yourself okay?

[bindsthedead]

I managed to survive in the Old Kingdom- although I probably would have gotten killed if I hadn't made it to Abhorsen's House in time. [Sabriel had to suppress a shudder at the memory of the Mordicant.]

I underestimated how dangerous the Old Kingdom could be- and a powerful Dead creature was sent after me.

[alphatar]

Someone was able to send a dead monster after you? [This was eerily similar to what Korra saw in her future in regards to dark spirits.]

[bindsthedead]

Several of them, of varying strength. Kerrigor managed to escape into Life, and he- he trapped my father. I went into the Old Kingdom to try to rescue him, but-

[Sabriel shook her head. It's knowledge she'd had for a while, but it still hurts a little to say it.] If what the Emperor showed me is my future, I won't be able to make it in time.

[alphatar]

[Korra remembered that moment when her father was sentenced to death. How far that pushed her and just then she really felt for Sabriel.]

...I'm sorry.

[bindsthedead]

It's- [Sabriel shook her head.] When I go back to my world I won't be able to mourn him for- very long. But once I deal with the thing that killed him, I will give his body the final rites.

[It wasn't fair, Sabriel thought distantly, that rather than have time to mourn her father she had to flee, though the practical part of her knew that defeating Kerrigor and surviving for as long as she could to attain that goal mattered more than her own grief.]

[alphatar]

[Not even time to grieve, and Korra couldn’t even offer her help or support. She’d be returning to her own world to enjoy the six months in Republic City with Mako before the Glacier Spirits festival.

If she kept her memories of being on Tu Vishan, it would be hard to think of people fighting their own battles. And like Sabriel, facing their losses. Looking at the dead buck, Korra’s quiet for a long time.]

…can’t you talk to the dead?

[bindsthedead]

Only if they refuse to pass on, or died recently enough that that hey haven't gone past the Ninth Gate yet. Abhorsen- Father- because of the way he died, he'll pass quickly beyond the point where I can contact him. [Sabriel appreciated the sentiment, but not enough to stop her from explaining why it wouldn't work.]

[alphatar]

Oh.

[This isn’t going the way Korra wanted at all. Any possible way that could help out Sabriel just seems to go even worse intended. Not only that, but it’s beginning to force Korra to think about her father. Something she isn’t ready to do out here. Her gaze falls onto the snow passing by below them and she grows silent.]

[bindsthedead]

I was able to speak to him, before- [Sabriel takes a deep breath.] Before I had to go.

He said he loved me. [And Sabriel knows her father put his duty as an Abhorsen above his duty as a father, but she doesn't hold that against him. She knows she'll have to do the same thing one day.]