Armorcrafting 101 [Valhallan Fighters/Open to pack in general]
First round deadline is June 24th
Cairo II
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (295)
Weaponsmaster
9 Years
Male
50
BrienaSkysong
![Halloween 2020 - Witches Hut](/images/awards/events/HalloweenAdventure2.png)
![Valentines 2020](/images/awards/events/Valentines20.png)
With his return from the east of Boreas, he fell neatly back into his duties, and one of them was engaging the pack with lessons in crafting and fighting, as well as hunting. Today was a particularly pleasant day, even if the chill was still present, disregarding the season that should have been full on tongue-drippingly, pantingly hot, and he dropped the last roll of bison hide next to the mound of hides and supplies he’d been gathering for the past hour in the wide clearing at the meeting boulder.
Enito had a fire going for keeping the glue heated as well as a thick experimental stew cooking in a sea turtle’s shell over some of the coals spread to one side, elevated on rocks to enable the monkey to feed the fire when it needed it. The smells were absolutely gorgeous, and Cairo looked forward to lunch break later on.
But first, it was time to call the pack to the lesson. Today, it was Armor Making 101. If anything, he knew Rhaegara would be quite interested, and if all went well, those who attended would be coming away with either a new set of armor or a project to work on.
He ran a last glance over the supplies, making sure each attendee would have a set of tools, and materials, then tipped his muzzle to the sky, calling for the pack, toning it to require those who were fighters or interested in the fighter’s circle, though he left it open ended for the rest of the pack to decide if they wanted to attend or not. Even if the healers weren’t fond of fighting, he’d be glad if they had armor to protect them while they were out gathering.
Letting his haunches drop, he sat tall, waiting with his characteristic grin on his features, tongue on the edge of lolling to one side of his jaws.
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Ardyn
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (240)
Knight
Bloodletter
6 Years
Male
1046
BrienaSkysong
![Samhain 2022](/images/awards/events/Samhain.png)
![The Ooze Participant](/images/awards/events/TheOoze.gif)
![The Ooze - Variation 3](/images/awards/events/Sparkles.gif)
Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi |
He was working on writing when Cairo’s call came—of course, since he’d been in the main chamber, he’d noted Cairo’s ferrying of supplies, and known what was coming, but he’d had to keep up with the writing practice.
He studied the completed attempt at a manuscript, examining the penmanship and nodding before rolling it up and sealing it with a drop of beeswax, and pressing a piece of bone into the wax. He set it by the entrance to his parents’ alcove for his mother to pick up later before he broke into a quick lope, bounding from the cave and down the ravine.
He slowed to a trot, then a walk and stopped, looking around as he smiled at Cairo, tail waving in greeting before he flopped beside a set of tools and materials, waiting for the rest to arrive as he began setting out the hide and tools in a neat line, ready for use.
He’d already had some practice at making armor, and his own was his work, closely following the template Cairo had fashioned. Still, maybe today he’d try a helmet similar to what Eligos had worn.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Ardyn at first glance is as black as can be imagined with a raven sheen.
Closer inspection proves that he shimmers in fire tones in every hair on his hide right down to his lashes.
More obviously, he glows like a bed of coals and flames with every movement and brush of fur. His tail is usually wagging, so blazes like a torch.
His adult teeth are in and his saber canines have grown to their full length (see profile). His mane and tail hair have grown to full length, as well as being lightweight and easily buffeted by breezes.
A look at his front paws will give the impression of hands, with his dew claw dropped low and lengthened into a functioning thumb, and his toes elongated into fingers. He has retractable, solid black cat-like claws on every paw.
Ardyn has developed a glowing mast of intricate markings in fire and ice colors over his face, symmetrical over the last seasons of Year 17 (see profile for details). During hunts or raids/sieges, he will smudge them out with black soot to cover the glow, otherwise, they are bright enough to note at first direct glance at his face. Not all his artwork currently portrays the mask markings.
He is also often bedecked in beads, small bells, feathers in blues, ribbons and braids thanks to the Ooze Event of Halloween 2021, and the Coathanger item that he got. The accessories generally are seen most in his mane and tail hair. He removes the brighter items and bells for hunts or battle.
Day by day Dómari was getting better and gaining his strength back. He'd taken to training with a focus on getting his body back into shape more so than pushing his over all strength. Now that he was getting older he noticed that it was taking him longer to heal than he used to. He was doing his morning stretches with his foxes when he heard Cairo's call. It wasn't the sort of call he typically expected when it was a hunt so what did the young man have in mind for them today? He padded toward the source of the call and saw Cairo surrounded by items. He dipped his head in greeting then eased himself down into a comfortable sitting position. "Speech" |
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Laoise Adravendi |
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Taliesyn
Master Fighter (240)
Intermediate Intellectual (45)
13 Years
Male
163
BrienaSkysong
![The Ooze Participant](/images/awards/events/TheOoze.gif)
![The Ooze - Variation 3](/images/awards/events/Sparkles.gif)
The stallion was late, but with good reason—checking a bear-scent and being certain that it had left the area. He’d left Isolde to follow up, acting as eyes in the sky, calling up to her, as he spun and bolted toward the call, “I’ll be at the meeting boulder when you’re able to come back.”
The wall came into sight and he gathered himself, clearing it neatly and landing with a thunder of hooves. While jumping wasn’t his most natural skill, the wall, while tall for wolves, was an easy leap for himself.
He slowed to a lope, frame and long mane, tail and feathering blazing as the exercise got his blood pumping, until he spotted the group ahead. Luckily, it looked like Cairo might have been holding out for him, and his great, horned head dipped in brief apology to the Sentinel as he dropped to a walk and picked a bundle at the edge of the gathering, where his greater size wouldn’t crowd his fellow pack members.
“Sorry for the lateness; came across a bear track and wanted to be sure it wasn’t hanging around.”
Isolde drifted down to drop on his withers, adding, “It’s gone, heading northwest. Doesn’t look like it wants to turn back.”
The stallion nodded and lowered his head to inspect the supplies at his hooves. Wangui, dropping from his back, grinned to herself, recognizing a job for lemur hands as the horse turned to wait for Cairo’s lesson to begin.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Cairo II
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (295)
Weaponsmaster
9 Years
Male
50
BrienaSkysong
![Halloween 2020 - Witches Hut](/images/awards/events/HalloweenAdventure2.png)
![Valentines 2020](/images/awards/events/Valentines20.png)
He was patient, and he was rewarded as the pack’s fighters came. Unsurprisingly, Ardyn was first to arrive, and Cairo gave the yearling Heir a grin as he took his spot. Ardyn was already quite good at crafting armor, but one always had more to learn, and much of what the boy had absorbed had come from Cairo and Red.
Domari was next, and Cairo grinned at the male as he took a seat, then let his grin widen as Drachen arrived, nodding in agreement. It was a pleasant afternoon, especially with the smells of the cooking wafting toward his nostrils.
Lee padded up in her usual cheerful mood, and Cairo winked at the girl, assuring her, “This is primarily fighters, but all are welcome to come in and learn and make something. I’d like to see all our healers and hunters in armor of some sort. The world can be a harsh place, after all.”
Plus her mother encouraged learning all things, not just the typical hunting, fighting, healing, and navigation. Reading, writing, history… she wanted her pack well-informed and well-educated.
Chrystaloria drifted in as Caelia arrived, and Cairo gave his sister a quick grin before leaning to listen to the owl as she reported quietly. Rhaegara had requested leave to search for her remaining family, and Aurielle had granted it. He hoped his friend was successful. She could use that kind of joy that finding long-lost family you’d thought might be dead were instead alive and well. How was Meri, he wondered?
Taliesyn arrived, and Cairo looked up sharply at the mention of a bear, but Isolde dropped and gave her own report, and the Sentinel’s posture relaxed. Good that the bear wasn’t sticking around, though it was annoying that bears still, after all these years, had not learned to just steer well clear of these lands. Perhaps he’d lead a bear hunt later on… it was that time of year.
He cast a look at the still empty spaces, but it was time that he started the lesson, and any latecomers would have to catch up, or have a private session with himself later to catch up with the rest.
He straightened, shoulders rolling under his own armor as he spoke, “Armor is something that I believe every wolf of Valhalla should possess. Even healers and dignitaries. You can never know for sure that you won’t need it when outside Valhallan lands, whether against an enemy wolf, or a predator that thought you might be tasty for lunch.”
He raised a paw in a sweeping gesture at the piles of materials before each of them, bear claws glinting in the cool sunlight as he went on, “There are many ways to make it, from draping a simple bison hide over your back, to something intricate and layered like what I’m wearing.”
Using the claws of his bracer, he stepped forward, tapping a claw over each tool as he spoke, letting each wolf – and horse – see them as he pointed them out.
“This is an array of tools for cutting, carving, embossing, and stitching. Some of them are much easier if you have a companion who has hands and nimble fingers. Leather can be shaped through wetting and forming it over things like a sapling trunk, for bracers, or a tortoise shell for some pieces of armor for the body.”
His eyes drifted over the features of the gathered members turning the lesson briefly to them as he asked, “Can any of you think of ways to harden leather?”
He didn’t doubt Domari did, the man was experienced, and among the masters of the pack. But he was curious to see if any of the others had any thoughts on the process and the methods available.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Ardyn
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (240)
Knight
Bloodletter
6 Years
Male
1046
BrienaSkysong
![Samhain 2022](/images/awards/events/Samhain.png)
![The Ooze Participant](/images/awards/events/TheOoze.gif)
![The Ooze - Variation 3](/images/awards/events/Sparkles.gif)
Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi |
Ardyn’s nose twitched at the pleasant smells coming from the cooking as he watched those who would turn up arrive, grinning as he spotted Drachen and Lee, lifting a paw to wave to each, tail bursting into sparks of light as it tapped against the ground as Domari came in.
Caelia was given a grin as well, and his eyes checked her over, just to be sure that the bear they’d killed hadn’t hurt her, though any wounds would have long been scabbed or healed over by now.
Speaking of bears—Taliesyn trotted in, giving a brisk report and Ardyn looked up at the stallion, ears flicking forward. What was it with bears that they never learned to stay well away? But Isolde’s follow-up settled his hackles back into place and he nodded to himself, making a note to do a little hunting later. Bear skins made wonderful alcove and den liners.
Cairo waited a beat and Ardyn sat up straighter when the Sentinel began the lesson, smiling aside to Lee as the Adravendi man spoke and gestured, leaning in to see the tools he indicated, though he, himself was familiar with all of them.
He kept quiet as Cairo turned the first question over to the group. He already knew several methods, but this was a lesson, so he let the less familiar participants speak up first, letting them work their minds. Would anyone get one?
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Ardyn at first glance is as black as can be imagined with a raven sheen.
Closer inspection proves that he shimmers in fire tones in every hair on his hide right down to his lashes.
More obviously, he glows like a bed of coals and flames with every movement and brush of fur. His tail is usually wagging, so blazes like a torch.
His adult teeth are in and his saber canines have grown to their full length (see profile). His mane and tail hair have grown to full length, as well as being lightweight and easily buffeted by breezes.
A look at his front paws will give the impression of hands, with his dew claw dropped low and lengthened into a functioning thumb, and his toes elongated into fingers. He has retractable, solid black cat-like claws on every paw.
Ardyn has developed a glowing mast of intricate markings in fire and ice colors over his face, symmetrical over the last seasons of Year 17 (see profile for details). During hunts or raids/sieges, he will smudge them out with black soot to cover the glow, otherwise, they are bright enough to note at first direct glance at his face. Not all his artwork currently portrays the mask markings.
He is also often bedecked in beads, small bells, feathers in blues, ribbons and braids thanks to the Ooze Event of Halloween 2021, and the Coathanger item that he got. The accessories generally are seen most in his mane and tail hair. He removes the brighter items and bells for hunts or battle.
With that the lesson continued on and Drachen listened intently to Cairo as he spoke, his deep blue eyes looking over the items as the other man pointed at them. Then Cairo asked them how to harden the leather and Drachen literally had no idea. His birth pack never had anything like this but he didn’t let this stop him. He waited a moment to see if anyone else was going to answer before he spoke up “Tree sap?” He suggested with a shrug. He knew that some sap hardens when dried and perhaps that could work.
**please excuse the phone post**
Dómari let his thoughts wander as the rest of his pack mates who were interested filed in. Once everyone had arrived the days lesson would start on armor. Dómari had a cape of deer hide that served as his primary armor but he was open to learning a few new tricks. He did need to work on the straps that held the cape to his body. His ears perked up at the mention of pieces of tortoise shell. Now that would be something nice to add to the straps that crossed his shoulders and across his chest. Cairo asked a question to the audience but Dómari kept silent, instead giving the younger wolves a chance to answer. "Speech" |
Laoise Adravendi |
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
She thought over Cairo's question before speaking up. "You can cure leather with brains. All... smashed up and spread over the hide. It's gross though and if there's a better method I'd love to know it," she admitted with a faint laugh. It'd done a good enough job but there was always room to do better, she knew that much.
Taliesyn
Master Fighter (240)
Intermediate Intellectual (45)
13 Years
Male
163
BrienaSkysong
![The Ooze Participant](/images/awards/events/TheOoze.gif)
![The Ooze - Variation 3](/images/awards/events/Sparkles.gif)
The stallion’s ears pricked forward as Cairo began speaking after a time, and slowly, he rested one hind hoof as Wangui shimmied up to sit on the horse’s head, clinging lightly to his horn with one hand, tail curling under his jaw like some furry helmet for horses as she, too, listened to see what all these wolves knew of crafting armor.
Taliesyn knew a little of the craft, and his eyes flicked from each wolf noting who spoke up and who did not. With interest, those who didn’t speak watched the others as though watching to see if they hit on an answer which they were already familiar with.
From Drachen came the suggestion of tree sap, Lee suggested saltwater and sun, and the stallion’s chin dipped slightly. “Brine has been used, from what I can recall.”
From Caelia came the addition that brains could be used to cure it, but could the brain be used to harden it? The stallion’s head tilted slightly, careful not to drop the lemur from his head.
“Water, but boiled.” Was his own input.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Tel'Teukiira
Expert Fighter (160)
Expert Intellectual (140)
5 Years
Female
0
Dragon Mod
![By the skin of my teeth](/images/awards/fighting/ByTheSkinOfMyTeeth.png)
![Pride - Demisexual](/images/awards/pride/demisexual.png)
![1K](/images/awards/general/1k.png)
![The Ooze Participant](/images/awards/events/TheOoze.gif)
![The Ooze - Variation 3](/images/awards/events/Sparkles.gif)
She was very late to the lesson, she knew that. But in her defense, she had been trying to explore every nook and cranny of the pack lands, trying to familiarize herself with all the pack lands had to offer. She had to admit, she didn't feel high-strung and worried anymore. She was safe and well cared for among the wolves of valhalla, and she wished she had gotten the courage to ask well before Aurielle invited her to join them. So when she heard someone call for a lesson, she made her way towards the gathering but not without distractions. She made it in time to hear Cairo's voice bouncing off the walls as she made her entrance, her fur lightly glowing as it usually did but she could tell on some nights it glowed brighter. During the day, it wasn't as noticeable. But at night? She was practically like a walking galaxy. It had a lot to do with her emotions too from what she could tell. She was happy and content, so her fur glowed softly in a slow, steady rhythm. Almost in the same tempo as if she were softly humming to herself. Before she joined Valhalla, when she was alone in a world where she didn't know if she'd make it to see another day, her fur didn't glow as much. It had been dulled and almost lifeless, but now? Now she could say with certainty that life was significantly better.
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