• Closed • The Front Of It

[Nir'wei]

12th of Saun

Nir'weis face twisted. "Do we have any idea what the fortifications for the previous manor house were?" He didn't know what to expect, but he wasn't exactly surprised when all he got in reply was a shake of the head. If there were going to be any diagrams or records of Smooglenuff Manor, the previous one at least, they wouldn't be kept anywhere other than the manor itself... and nobody really had time to save precious documents in the moments before its sudden and complete collapse. From memory, he couldn't remember any of his own, either. "I get that it's supposed to be open and welcoming... can't exactly build a castle out of this place, but. It needs something more than just a nice garden to keep the unsavoury types away." He'd suggested wolves at one point. He always suggested wolves, but that was only because they were such a cheap and effective method of securing one's house and grounds from intruders - of all varieties, too. "You think we could just... post them nearby anyway?"

Wesley's face was stiff as metal, and his eyes as cold as the same. "Okay, yeah, okay. I'd rather not die by menacing glare today, so..." Nir'wei sighed in exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What... human methods of defense are there."

The room went oddly still for a moment. One of the few times there wasn't some sort of constant motion in the Office of Natural Affairs, but as of late, he'd notice a slight lull whenever he was there. Pockets forming that excluded him in some fashion. Tel'wehn, the Political Advisor, was finally the one to speak up. "I think I'll take over from here." Wesley visibly relaxed, as if he'd been holding onto something all that time, and Nir'wei frowned. "We'll discuss proper methods on the way. As good as it is to plan in advance with maps and charts, a more personal approach might help cater to the needs of the mansion... who knows, maybe even talk to a person or two that actually lives there." Okay, that was definitely a hidden barb aimed at him, but he let it slide as a delicious idea formed in reply.

"Oh, perfect idea. I'll call Traveller."

- - -

Travel via Sohr Khal from Almund to Faldrass landed him at the island at about midday. However, the ride hadn't had quite the effect he'd hoped on Tel'wehn, since she was either genuinely unmoved by the drake's high-altitude flight speeds, or had exceptional talent over controlling her bowels and stomach. Though he hardly intended to mask his identity for this trip, he still had the Sohr Khal land at the cliff edges of Faldrass nearby and sent him away before approaching by foot. The gawking stares it usually brought no longer gave him much satisfaction, and the hassle of unwanted attention no longer suited him. Those that didn't know him thought him almost shy, now. Tel'wehn and other members of his staff however knew better. "Human methods of defense?"

"Drop it." He didn't give her the satisfaction of looking him in the eyes. "I didn't mean it like that and you know it, it was a poor turn of phrase, don't bring it up again."

"Human methods of defense," she repeated, drawing out every syllable to emphasize how little of a shit she gave. "You need more time around other people. I don't know what it is with everyone that associates with Karem, but I swear to both the Twins, she does a better job of isolating you lot than Chamadarst could ever dream of." Traveller gave a snort of what might almost have been agreement with her, before a firm wave sent the Sohr Khal sweeping back into the sky with just a few flaps of wings so wide they blotted out both suns at once. "You're supposed to be one of the Barons of Faldrass but be honest, when was the last time you actually stood here and talked with any of them, let alone your fellow Barons. You're meant to be Councillor of Natural Affairs but where are you when the Council needs you, or Natural Affairs need to be answered for? And now, you have the damn balls to ask if there are any HUMAN methods, as if you're not even one yourself--"

She intended to simply bombard him, that much was obvious - she might have even suggested the trip for the sole purpose of doing it away from the others, though he still couldn't tell if it was for his sake or for theirs. He could take most of it, agree with it even, but the last barb he rose to. "Am I?" She stopped mid-sentence and he finally turned to face her, unnaturally blue wolf eyes and fangs in all their glory. She wouldn't be cowed by that either, though. Perhaps it had finally clicked that it was an honest question - one he'd been asking himself often, with no answer yet to appear. Regardless, she didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"You'd better figure it out. Because you can't lead humans if you're not. Not the way you're trying to, not the way that everyone needs you to, right now."

He could feel the ultimatum she was laying at his feet and knew at that moment that he wasn't speaking to just Tel'wehn. That was a question he just couldn't answer quite yet, though. "I think it's better if I handle this project alone. Go to Smooglenuff Manor and... do what you do best. If there's anyone willing to help with security or any ongoing work I can assist with, let them know there's a member of Baron Nir'weis team here to provide some assistance, just don't let them know it's me specifically." He pinched his lips tight. "I need a full-scale review of the ongoing work needed for the Smooglenuff Estate, too. We'll brainstorm ideas and arrange for other members of the team to return here as necessary to coordinate something if we can at a later date."

Tel'wehn nodded and left him to his own devices after that. He couldn't quite handle returning to the Manor in person right about then, not with his absences from so many events, so he milled around the outskirts, sending up Gaddwin to give a birds-eye view of the estate and its immediate surroundings, and a few wolves to scout the lands by foot for a closer inspection.

[Darius Baer]

Arc 721, 12th of Saun

Darius was keenly aware that there was much to be done with the barony. His involvement was not something he had expected when Saoire had invited him - and many of the others who had been impacted the Faldrass eruption - back to the island for the Cylus Dusk festival.

But that mattered little, because the invitation had been extended, and accepted, and that meant he had a responsibility to honour the responsibilities associated with it.

One such responsibility was the aspect of security. The Scalvorian had already resolved to inspect the road between Hopetoun and Smooglenuff Manor, but that was not the most pressing issue.

With the eruption leaving much of Faldrass in a state of untamed wilderness, there was an unknown risk to not only the barony, but to the nearby settlements and villages. The Badlands were an unexplored mystery, and if there was one thing Darius knew about Scalvoris, it was that things could get weird - and that meant it always paid to err on the side of caution.

The manor itself would need protecting, and Baron Devin was already overseeing the construction of a wall and guardhouse that would be completed within the next few trials. And it was around that perimeter that he was walking with Jarad Bathrild - a Hopetounian who had much more building expertise than he - when Tel'wehn approached.

"It's a lot more complicated than a granary," Jathrild was saying as the pair stared up at a gap in the wall.

"Aye," Darius chuckled, recalling the first building project they had done together. "But just as important. This could save lives."

The Sev'ryn made her presence known with a polite clearing of her throat, and both men turned to look. Hers was an unfamiliar face to Darius, but when she introduced herself as one of Nir'wei's advisors, the settlement leader was as welcoming as always.

"Well met, Tel'wehn," he smiled, extending a hand in greeting. "I'm Darius Baer."

Introducing himself with his title was still an unfamiliar concept.

Tel'wehn explained that she was there on behalf of Baron Nir'wei, and Darius nodded. He felt that he and his peer might work well together, and having another opinion on what was needed could be of benefit.

"The barony is being made more secure," he indicated the nearby construction as he replied to the Sev’ryn's query about what work was needed, "but a wall won't be enough. I think we need a sally port. I saw one at Storm's Edge. Hopefully it will never need to be used, but I think it would be a good idea to be prepared, just in case."

The Scalvorian frowned briefly, worried that he'd shared too many details with Tel'wehn, but the promise that another of Nir'wei's representatives would be on hand to assist was gratefully received.

"When is he or she expected to arrive?" he asked, a strained expression on his face as he worried that he might seem impatient. "The wall will soon be completed, so we need to move swiftly."

[Nir'wei]

A brief scan of the surrounding area confirmed some things he'd already suspected and remembered. The landslide that had been the downfall of the original Manor, combined with the lava and fire, had taken its toll and left the Manor without any sort of natural barrier like it had before, to protect it against the elements and the strange, new wilderness that was the newly-sprouted Badlands. His mouth twisted in slight concern as he saw it through the eyes of his wolves... perhaps, for the first time, realising that just throwing wolves at this problem might not have worked as well as he'd thought. Then again, just throwing up a wall felt more like it was just going to prolong the issue - hold it back, but never deal with the underlying cause.

With those thoughts cemented, barely a few minutes after Tel'wehn had finished explaining that he was already there and just making some preliminary assessments, Nir'wei arrived. Well, someone arrived. The rather plain clothes and long, tangled hair were his but hardly signature features - and the Charm of Anonymity scrambled his facial features until they resembled very little of the man he might have known underneath. "Howdy!" It didn't do a thing to hide his voice, though. Or the clear smell of wet dog that seemed to cling to him no matter how many baths he was forced through each morning. Still, that was easily solved. Just act in a way that nobody would ever think he'd act... make them think he was just another member of the team. That way, he figured, they could just cut to the chase - and he could continue to avoid all the political back-and-forth that he'd been doing his utmost to avoid for most of the season already. "Y'can call me Percy. Charmed!" He broke out his biggest, most vacant smile. "Now, what've we got?"

"Well, there's a wall underway... but Baron Darius here has mentioned the possibility of a sally port." He had to commend Tel'wehn for her commitment to the bit, even if she was struggling a little to maintain her composure at the sight. Well, she'd never seen him do this 'undercover' thing. She couldn't stop glancing back to him, specifically his face. The Charm of Anonymity did its job well, though.

Nir'wei nodded a few times over, mulling it. "Sally port... huh." He remembered those from Rynmere. Andaris, specifically. "S'a good one. Real good. M'kay, and I gots an idea maybe, when it's done at least - see how it looks first, then we'll see. Where can I help, where's the construction goin'? I can lift a fair bit - ain't had a lot of experience with stonemasonry and the like but I at least know my way around a good chunka wood, if you're gonna be buildin' tall and need better scaffold supports."

[Darius Baer]

Darius had not long finished speaking with Tel'wehn when another individual appeared. The man wore clothes that revealed nothing of his status, and he might have been mistaken for an unknown stranger, had he not spoken to the sev'ryn with some familiarity.

"Well met, Percy," he offered the new arrival, with the same extended that Tel'wehn had received. "I am Darius Baer. I take it you are the baron's man?"

Once Percy's role was confirmed, Darius set about explaining what he hoped they might achieve before the wall was completed.

"From a tactical point of view," he explained, "a sally port will be most effective if it's protected in some way to prevent it from being easily stormed."

He pointed to a nearby part of the wall that featured a series of corners. The two outermost corners in that part of the perimeter were convex corners, while the two between the were concave corners. It meant that the wall formed a square 'U' when looking from above.

"If we placed it there," he continued, pointing at the recessed section of the wall, "it could be protected by the two adjoining parts of the wall to ensure defenders can get in and out, and attackers cannot easily access it."

Jathrild nodded as Darius spoke. The man was not writing notes, but he always seemed to be able to remember the details.

"So...a door 'ere, then?" the builder asked, pointing at the base of the wall.

"Actually, two doors, I think," Darius responded. "One on either side of the wall. So if besiegers make it through the first door, they can be held in place while defenders counter-attack."

The baron pictured internal walls of concrete, with arrow slits, enabling defenders to pick off the attackers one by one. It was a grisly thought, but combat was often messy, and it was best to be prepared.

"And the doors should be placed partway up the wall," he added, lifting his gaze halfway up the wall. "We'll need stone stairs to reach them."

Jarad nodded.

"Should be possible, I reckon, with a bit o' 'ard work," the builder said, turning to Percy. "I 'ope you don't mind a bit o' labouring. There'll be plenty o' rocks to carry up and down the stairs."

Dariua turned to Percy, too.

"Your scaffolding would be an immense help here," he said simply. "Is there anything we can assist you with in order to get that set up?"

[Nir'wei]

The handy tip he'd learned through more than a few of these little stunts - always act with absolute confidence, even if - especially if - you have absolutely no idea what you're doing. As long as he gave no reason that Darius should suspect his identity, he'd likely be fine. Even if he was only a few minutes into the act and had already begun to regret his last-second choice of accent. It seemed to have worked, either way. "Sounds like've gots it all figured-out like, mm'hm. S'good. Steps'll make sure none of 'em siegeworks can reach 'em doors up there. Need'a reinforced double-lock on them though, thinkin' two barricade brackets on the upper and lower thirds, yeh?" He mimed a door with his hand and then showed two wide square blocks of wood covering the length twice over, right over where Darius had pointed. "Straight barricade'll hold them off the best, but if'ye want it to last on an entrance that small, they'll just smash straight through the top half and rip it out. Thing is, takes a hella' lotta strength 'n' stuff. Two of 'em? On each door? Even if he makes it through all'em at once, nuffin short superhuman will still be up for a fight afterwards."

Then, he paused. "'Course, this'll just be emergency-like stuff. Ordinarily, bolts. Floor 'n' ceiling. Keeps 'em closed, can just use the floor in ordinary life, it's quick and stuff so y'can get in-'n'-out without all the hubbub. Still tight enough that nobody'll slip through unannounced, inside-open only, plus you double up and add them bars... we use thick wood on those and reinforce with iron. They'll never come off."

All of this, he simply pulled from what he'd already seen in castle doors and structures around Andaris and the keeps of Rynmere, but none of the Barons had been particularly slow when showing off their own intelligence. Combined with his own little woodworking and he felt fairly confident he'd pull off a good impression as a person that more-or-less knew their stuff. "Ah'll be fine. You handle stoneworks 'n' tell me where yah want it, I'll move the wood and get it set up straight on that wall right there. Just ahh, don't mind my assistants, if'n you see them." He didn't know when or where he might need a wolf to help drag a few planks, but he wasn't about to rule out the possibility.

With nothing more than that, he set to work. Guided by the stonemason, he began to outline where the supports would be needed for their new stone stairs through the dirt, then stuck wooden planks from the Barony supplies into the ground in a rudimentary framework to work around. Rocks were harder to haul, but having lived in a wagon for a significant portion of his life meant he knew his way around packing and unpacking them, and though sweat soon dripped down his forehead, he had a grin on his face as he pulled the grey stone slabs from their supplies one-at-a-time and hauled them into the positions ordered by the stonemason. "These here'll make some good protection, they will. You really that worried 'bout invaders, though? Them Elements, they're suppose to handle that stuff ain't they?" he asked Darius while they worked, a curious brow quirked.

[Darius Baer]

Darius nodded as Percy spoke, accepting the man's superior knowledge. He had no reason to suspect he was speaking to an imposter. The Scalvorian knew what made sense tactically, but he was no builder, and if Jarad was suspicious, he didn't say anything - so Darius assumed all was above board.

Even if he had grown suspicious, Percy's work ethic would have put his mind at ease. The man with a fake identity was dripping with sweat from the effort he put in, and Darius could not ask more from anyone than a willingness to put in a hard trial's work. The baron joined him, of course, for he was never one to let something like an official title change his approach to things. Saoire had appointed him as one of the Barons von Smooglenuff because of his willingness to do what was needed to be done; he wasn't going to suddenly shirk his responsibilities and start delegating tasks for the sake of it.

So when Percy asked Darius about potential invasions, both men were sweating heavily. Jarad, meanwhile, had been putting each delovered rock into its rightful place as he formed the archways for the doors, and workers who had been constructing the wall began to apply mortar to hold them in place.

"Building a sally port is as much about deterring an attack as it is about repelling one," the Scalvorian explained. "We are away from the main island, so anything we can do to delay any would-be attackers gives us a better chance of holding out until reinforcements arrive."

Darius crouched down to collect another rock that had been shaped for construction, and he hauled it over to the section thry were building, his thighs burning with every step. He lowered it back down, a little less gracefully than how he'd lifted it, and took a swig from his waterflask.

"I doubt anyone would want to attack us at the moment," he added, "but if we do a good enough job, this structure should be standing for decades, and who knows what dangers Scalvoris might face by then?"

He attached his waterflask to his belt, so that it rested on his hip.

"And with the Badlands," he added, "we can't be too careful. The last thing we need is some wild creature stumbling onto the barony and hurting someone."

Jarad cleared his throat rather awkwardly in an attempt to interrupt then. The builder was taking a while to learn that he didn’t need to be on his best behaviour around Darius, especially when they were on his construction site.

"I reckons once the mortar sets, we'll be able to 'ave the doors put in," he explained. "A set o' double doors 'ere, and an internal set 'ere."

Jarad indicated the two arches that formed the doorways to explain his point. Then he pointed to a slim gap in the stone just outside the exterior arch.

"And I reckon I'll send for a smith from Egilrun to construct a portcullis for added protection 'ere."

Darius was impressed. Jarad Bathrild knew how to build - that had never been in doubt - but the large man's understanding of what made an effective sally port had come as something of a surprise.

Hopetoun's leader stood back and looked at their work, not bothering to hide his pleasure as he considered what they had achieved in a handful of breaks. The barony and those who relied on it for their protection, would be safer for their efforts.

[Pig Boy]

Nir'wei

Rewards

• XP: 15

Knowledges

• Acting: x2
• Deception: x3
• Woodworking: x3

Darius Baer

Feedback

So just a disclaimer, I'm not approving a portcullis or the construction of a sally port here. Whether that gets built or not based on what happens here (which I think it's a bit light, and seems to be abandoned) is entirely in the mod's decision. I'd say it's not enough if they're making the sally port out of scratch materials and labour. If they were buying it outright that might be another matter, but it's unclear how it's getting built here.

Anyway, most of this appears to be in the planning stages. I found it amusing how Nir'wei was still using his anonymity charm to scramble his face. I'm not entirely sure where his acting knowledge came in though, but I suppose he practiced a few canned lilnes that were meant to portray a specific role. Deception yes, though, definitely.
But I'm not sure why he felt the need to do it here. I guess I don't need to understand.

Darius was a firm and good leader here, making good use of his skilled engineer on hand for the barony. The engineer/builder guy is an expert (I checked) so if a sally port gets built, it'll probably be of good quality. That is if it gets built. I'll refer you to my prior comments.

Anyway, Darius' understanding of the fortifications and building of such were impressive, at least from a tactical standpoint he seems to understand them. Even if he is slightly less knowledgeable about how they're built

Good writing!

Rewards

• XP: 15

Knowledges

• Engineering: Designing a sally port to be in a defensibly strong part of a structure.
• Engineering: Creating an entrance above ground level.
• Engineering: Modifying the design of a structure after construction has begun.
• Logistics: Managing limited resources when a design changes.
• Tactics: A sally port enables defenders to sally forth.
• Tactics: Two sets of doors on a sally port makes it a more secure defensive position.
• Tactics: A portcullis increases the defensive capabilities of a fortification.
• Teaching: Explaining the tactical benefits of a structure to a layperson.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM. Enjoy your rewards!