[Quest Request | Open] All That Glitters. . .

[Gian Marco]

56 Fall, 511 AV Baron seemed to enjoy the coastal weather more than his master. The horse was free to roam Zeltiva's coast and spent most of its time chasing and running away from the surf. For the majority of the fall months, Gian Marco and Baron had vacationed on the beaches outside the city of Zeltiva. It was here that they would prepare themselves for a harsh winter existence in the Zastoska Mountains. Clearly, Gian Marco felt more out of place in the sand than his steed. The morning fog had begun to burn off of Mathew's Bay and Gian Marco whistled into the air. Baron raced along the coast toward his master and then slowed to a trot when he saw the rope. "Yes, Baron, there's still work to be done," Gian Marco shouted. The horse tossed its head side to side and stamped the sand defiantly. Gian Marco turned his back on Baron and began to lasso the rope around an enormous boulder. The horse approached cautiously. Gian Marco spun the rope into knots and looped the lengths around a pair of steel hooks attached to Baron's saddle. By noon, Baron had dragged the boulder away from the shoreline and Gian Marco had erected a large, open-air tent. He removed the lasso from Baron and slapped the horse's rump which, apparently, was all the encouragement it needed. Baron sped off toward the surf and waded into the Bay. Gian Marco set about digging an enormous pit in the sand. After a few grueling hours, and soaked in sweat, he began to deposit large cords of drift wood into the pit. When the pit was packed full of wood Gian Marco began to lay his tools out across a large section of a fallen tree. He stabbed his javelin and spears into the sand nearby and then sat back on his heels to offer praise to Izurdin. "Holy and revered father we thank you for our many blessings. We pray that you will continue to guide us through this coming winter and into a new year, bestowing your grace and skill upon us. . ." Baron watched from a distance as his master knelt into the sand and began to mutter aloud. The horse puffed and wandered toward the city walls. From inside it could hear strange sounds: shouting and the din of city life. By evening, Gian Marco had completed the beginnings of a make-shift forge. It was here that he would hone his skills until the onset of winter and, if Izurdin permitted, trade his skill for some necessities. The day's final task involved digging a trench from the bay to the forge area. Gian Marco labored throughout the night as Baron slept soundly, the only sounds to be heard from his grunting and the horse's snoring.