Flashback [The Calico Lumber Company]Lakeshore Prospects

[Crylon Stonecraft]

91 Spring 518 While Crylon had been in Ravok for a decent bit of time, most of that time had been spent working at a forge. His main interest however in coming to Ravok had been learning of building and architecture, something he'd not yet been able to practice or learn about. Forging he could do anywhere, could do just fine back home in Sultros. But building! Ah, that was another thing entirely. Each place had its own unique little focus, practicalities of location and materials, and other little things that varied from place to place. Sultros loved its stone and metal, but Ravok was built on wood. It had to be of course, being built upon a lake, which was another factor in learning something new. Learning to build floating structures, oh so different from a place solidly stuck on or under a mountain. He'd been excited therefore when he'd heard from one of the other workers at Thorin's that the Calico Lumber Company was aiding in the rebuilding and was looking for workers. Crylon didn't know if they would be looking for architects, but surely there was no better time to ask than when they were rebuilding. That was why he found himself that day walking onto the lakeshore and heading for the Lumber Company. To find a job. Stopping at one of the stalls found outside the city selling foods that hadn't gained permission to enter the city, Crylon asked for directions in his best common. “Excuse me, I'm look for Calico Company.” The man eyed Crylon for a moment, mainly his left arm, before puzzling out what Crylon had said. "Eh, you mean the Lumber joint? Yeah, I know where it is. I'm sure I could recall, if you were to buy something that might stir my memory..." It took Crylon a few moments to puzzle out from the words that the man was asking for a bribe for directions, or if nothing else to partake of his wares. Crylon grabbed some berries that weren't too expensive though that he wasn't familiar with and dropped a few silver mizas, before the man expanded. "Yeah, its just thataways awhile, keep going till you start hearing the mills and saws, and big wooden buildings, and you'll find it." Crylon nodded his head and thanked the man before heading off in the direction he'd been pointed in. He stuffed berries into his pack before heading off, planning to work the food he'd purchased into his dinner. However once he arrived at the location, hearing the sounds of saws and grinders and mills long before arriving, he realized the true size of the operation. It wouldn't be so easy to find where he needed to go.

[Crylon Stonecraft]

Nearing the inner workings of the Lumber Company, Crylon enjoyed the sounds of industry for a moment. It wasn't quite as memory inducing as working in the forge but the sights and sounds of people working to a purpose was much closer than he usually got around non-Isur. If only, he thought to himself, they could speak a proper tongue. Then communication wouldn't be so painful, and he wouldn't have to go through such things as learning theirs. He'd hardly met any who could speak his language, Isur, but then it was a language he knew that was mainly spoken by Isur as its name implied. Stopping one of the workers passing by, Crylon tried to figure out where to go. “Excuses. Looking for the head office. Asking for work, designing.” The man, in a hurry, simply pointed at a building not too far off before heading onward without noting Crylon's clipped sentences. Once Crylon neared he found it was a warehouse of some sort, admittedly more quiet than the nearby mills with their saws running and other noises. Inside he found men running all about, stacks of wood of various types, and... Stairs. Stairs leading upward to a room above and off to the side with a door. That, he thought, would be where important men would sit, above the running below of the warehouse where they could oversee all they surveyed. Ordering and watching. He had if nothing else a decent basic understanding of buildings, and that seemed to make sense to his design sensibilities. He didn't think this would be the head of the large company, such a person likely worked far off in much nicer offices away from the day to day labors, but still someone with control and an ability to hire others. Knocking Crylon waited a few moments before a barked "Enter" rang out. Opening the door he stepped inside, doing his best to take in the details. He didn't have much time to do so before he focused on the man sitting in a chair behind a large wooden desk in the room. Behind him where openings with wooden shutters, currently closed, which likely looked out into the warehouse. Sweeping aside a few papers which the desk seemed covered in, a man stood up and eyed Crylon. The familiar sweep of his body, seeing his height, holding the gaze on his left arm for a moment, before returning to his face. Crylon paused for a moment, considering his words before saying them, doing his best to get it as right as possible. “Excuse me. I am Crylon Stonecraft. I heard your business was... working with the building, rebuilding, of Ravok. After the cold. I have some learning of such things, design, of buildings, and am looking for work in such a line of work. Would you have need of such skills?” The man paused for a moment, clearly listening to his words and accent and noting something or other, while also pondering the Isur that stood before him. After a few more moments the man smiled, gesturing towards a chair before the desk. He also walked across the room to a large wooden chest Crylon hadn't noticed before, taking a book out of it after some rummaging. "You heard right. We are helping in the rebuilding of Ravok, after the malicious attacks of cold last season. Normally we hire surveyor's, for wood and land and such. But seeing as we'll be aiding in the repairs, and we need to know what to fix, when, where, and such, what is needed in materials, we do have a need for those learned in the matters of designing and making buildings." Crylon ran the words over in his words, trying to puzzle out the word "malicious", and from the context knowing it meant something bad though not specifically its meaning. The bit he got was that they did in fact seem to have need of his skills. "You'll mainly be going around Ravok, mapping out the damage to structures, making lists and notes and such, so that we can then repair them. At least, for the buildings not totally wiped out. But for the ones just damaged, we need to know which to repair, what damage is done and therefore what materials are needed, how dire the repairs are or if they are just aesthetic... On the surface. That sort of thing." Seeing his confusion the man had rephrased the last bit before continuing. "We can start you out at... Say 6 gold mizas a day. If you do well, we'll keep you on, and perhaps you'll earn more in time. Perhaps. What say you?" Crylon pondered over his words, his options, before nodding. It was what he wanted, a foot in the door into designing buildings, to understanding Ravok and its buildings. A good first step akin to an apprenticeship, but of another sort. “Agreed. When do I start?” The man smiled, shaking Crylon's hand before sitting behind the desk and placing the book on it. "First things first, we'll need references. Who else in Ravok can vouch for you? And are you a citizen? Can you read and write Common? I see you have a bit of trouble with the language as spoken." “I have been working at Thorin's Forge, he can vouch for me as a reference. I am not currently a citizen of Ravok, but have been here for a time. I can read and write common.” The man paused for a moment in thought, before finally continuing. Crylon couldn't tell if his numerous questions were all truly needed, or if he'd simply been using them all to overawe him and perhaps gain leverage in a negotiation with Crylon. "Fine, I'll send someone to talk to Thorin today. If we get a good reference from him, you can start tomorrow the 1st of Summer. Here is a blank book, and go over to get some writing supplies from the other chest. You'll need it for noting all of the details of the repairs needed for your reports. Turn in your book each few days or when its filled, and we'll give you a new one to use. Don't lose it. If you get the job, we'll send you your first list of the places to check each morning. Oh where are you staying?" After going over a few more details, and Crylon noting he was staying at Tarsin's, the two shook hands again and Crylon left with his borrowed book and writing supplies. Now he just had to do the actual job!