Solo [The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Crylon spends some time raising a pavilion for a party

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[The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Postby Crylon Stonecraft on February 3rd, 2019, 12:15 am


89 Winter 518


Heading out of the Gem that morning, Crylon looked about the bare lot next to it. So far no actual construction had been done, though they had begun work clearing the land.

Between the size of the lot, and the parts they had already cleared, there was enough space for a largish structure, temporary or otherwise.

But there was another task for him, besides his regular job duties. A party was planned at the gem, on his birthday funnily enough. Which meant a large pavilion being put up to ward off any elements. The parts had been dropped off, but it still needed to be set up, which was where Crylon fit in. He had volunteered to do so, or at least to set up the initial parts so that it could be completed in time.

Before he began this work, Crylon needed to make a plan of action however. Heading over to the sight, he began by sorting through the pile of lumber and canvas or such covering material. Nails. Bolts. Bits of metal meant to slot onto others. It was a pavilion, which was not meant to be permanent but set up and pulled down quickly, and so should have been relatively straightforward.

But it did not come with any directions, which meant Crylon was left to puzzle it out. First things first he began by piling similar bits of pieces together.

All of the long thick pieces shaped as so. All of the similar sized pieces with a thinner bit at the end, or a curve, or shaped another way... One by one he found various bits and pieces, adding to piles or starting new ones until he had all of the wood sorted properly.

Next was the metal, a small pile of nails... Or not... It was as he looked closer at these, actually picked one up, that he understood the size. Not nails, but largish iron stakes. For the ground. There was also a small wooden mallet with the bits and pieces, meant clearly for pounding them into the ground.

That went to another pile, thin but sturdy length of rope, which had also been left in a heap. A bit of detangling, and he found there were numerous length of the material. Apparently put on the outside, to keep the structure in place once set up.

He also noticed then some rings, set on the end of small length of metal with a bolt at the end. This seemed to match to some of the holes drilled into other bits of wood.

Assembling it all in his mind, having dragged and moved it all into a synchronous may, he puzzled over the final structure that was planned.

From the wood, and metal, and rope, and things, he was seeing a whole, though perhaps not the entire thing. But with his understanding of dimensions, a bit of simple math, and some skill in Architecture and how buildings were made he could understand the intent well enough in the layout and with the limited pieces to see what was planned.

The pavilion was too big for one high pole to hold up, so instead their was... A ring of sorts, though made of straight wood and so leaving a straight sided edge rather than a circle. A pairing of these wooden boards would connect to a central piece, where each of the vertical posts would go. These had a sort of... Metal mount, if it could be called that. Which also had another slot, for this smaller bit of wood... Which came up to the center mount, supported by each of the main pillars equally. Small wooden dowels would be pounded into place in small holes, keeping it from falling out of the metal joint housing.

Understanding the principles of the building, Crylon spent another chime or so planning before he began his work of actually constructing it all. Or most of it.

WC: 657
Last edited by Crylon Stonecraft on February 3rd, 2019, 3:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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[The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Postby Crylon Stonecraft on February 3rd, 2019, 1:37 am


Sorting the elements within his mind, Crylon considered the best plan of action for putting it together.

The tarp had to go on, preferably before it was all too high. But he also wanted to have most of the work done before he needed assistance...

There was the peek, with the main central joint, connecting to all of the outer ring of joints. Those joints had a spot near them for the ties to the ground, a T connecting on either side to the joint closest to them with a small fastening, and then another on the downward side that acted as a leg or post or pillar.

This however, the downward side which added the most height, could be added last. He could put the rest together, have someone help him drag the tarp over and hook it into the main structure, before they brought it up on the legs and pounded the posts into the ground once the lines were held tight.

To begin with in putting it all together, Crylon laid out a rough skeleton in a large open spot where he planned for it all to go at.

All of the arms of the T went first, spaced out so as to not touch. He hauled these a few at a time, two in his left Isurian arm and one in his right, taking care once he settled one into a spot to have it arranged properly.

Then the connectors, the main bits of metal for the entire structure. Crylon headed back to the pile of these, and dragged them a few at a time until each was settled more or less into their proper place for the final structure.

Looking it all over, Crylon considered for a few moments, making sure he had not missed any pieces and had it all sorted correctly. Appeased by his second review Crylon headed over for the wooden dowels, taking them all in a double fistful and dropping them all just outside of the ring.

They seemed to all be the same, but Crylon then noticed how many there were. And how many stands there were. Twelve metal joints, and therefore 12 base legs. And the dowels, numbering... 1, 2, 3... Sixty...

Looking about, he saw that the central metal feature also had slots for dowels to be pounded into place, not just the frames on the side. That left... Some quick math... 5... 10... 15... 20... 60... 12 hands, so five for each main leg. Four on the leg frame, and one on the point where the bit sticking off the top of the leg frame met the center point at a peak.

Dropping twelve near the middle, Crylon went around the circle dropping another 4 at each of the spots where the metal frames would be set up with their legs.

After that it was a quick jaunt back to the items to grab the twelve, he counted them to make sure, small metal fasteners with a hoop at the end for the ties to be pounded in. Looking closer each of these, he noticed then, had a small metal T set in them, within a small hole about a quarter away from the end opposite the hoop. Looking at the frame he could see how they fit through .Once fed through, the T would be dropped into place back into that hole and would lock them in place just as the dowels did the wooden bits.

With that done, the only bit left immediately was the smaller arms on the top of each legs frame, which connected to the center piece. These were slimmer than the base legs or arms, meant to hold up the tarp but not support the entire structure like the rest did.

He was able to carry these much quicker, even with his mundane arm, and dragged them into place within the circle. Desiring completion Crylon aslo went and grabed the metal center piece with both hands, hauling it into place and dropping it lightly on the ground near the center of the circle.

He had the frames. He had the arms, and the dowels to hold them in place. He had the smaller arms, and the frame they went into. He had the metal loops for the ties to connect to the stakes that would be pounded into the ground. Those along with the legs would come later, once he had assistance.

But now, it seemed, he had everything ready for him to get to the part of the construction where he actually put it all together.

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[The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Postby Crylon Stonecraft on February 3rd, 2019, 3:16 am


Everything in place, Crylon began by focusing on the angled “circle” of the pavilion, the 12 angled shape meeting at a point for each of the legs. Six to a side, evenly spaced out, or if bisected again three to a quarter.

Crylon first lifted one of the frames, putting it into a standing position with the leg hole downward and the arms on either side, pointed in towards the middle. It was then simple to slot each of the arms into place, not using the dowels yet to lock it into place as he had not yet gotten everything else situated. He hoped to save that for last, and that the set up would stand for the time it took to do so as they would be holding up nothing but themselves.

He managed to get both slotted into place on the frame and level, and was heading over to the next one to slot it into the other end of the arm, when the opposite arm slid out from the tilt required to lift it into position.

With a sigh he slotted the arm into place on the second end, having it in twice, but then had to return for the first on the opposite side of the frame which had completely fallen free.

This time with the added balance of the other two frames, he was able to keep it in and lock it into the third frame.

From there he continued onward slowly, moving around the circle of the lower base part of the frame. Occasionally he would need to backtrack as prior arms would fall loose, but he made slow but consistent progress.

By the time he was halfway around the angled circle, it was becoming easier. The frame, supported by its neighbors locked in kind, was becoming stronger and more straight. After this his movement around the circle got easier, until before long he was done. Crylon paced his way around the base once more, checking to make sure everything was aligned just right, before fetching the small mallet and heading to one of the frames where he had laid out the wooden pegs.

Carefully he held the peg in place with his left hand, raised the mallet, and missed as the arm fell out of the frame. Luckily he had chosen his left arm as the peg holder for just that reason, and the mallet harmlessly banged off his Izurdin graced fingers.

Carefully he raised the arm back into place, held up the peg again... And banged with the mallet. This time one of the arms on the opposite side of the circle came loose, but the peg went into the hole as desired. A few more strikes, and the peg was through, a bit of excess wood sticking out on either side to allow it to be banged back out.

Heading back across the frame, Crylon put the fallen arm back in place, and returned to the one which already had the peg added. Going to its brother arm on the frame, he took another peg, and made a light tap with the mallet to get it into the hole a bit. Then with another stronger strike he drove it in, having locked both arms onto one of the twelve frames. Only another eleven to go...

It occurred to Crylon then that such a task was likely intended for numerous people working in unison, rather than one lone person. It meant exponentially more time was taken, rather than multiplicative, due to one person trying to do the tasks all at once requiring rework. But then, Crylon was in no rush, and if he was going to be inside of the pavilion he did not want some random person having put it together where he could not ensure it would not come crashing down on all their heads. Not on a sight being worked by an Isur.

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[The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Postby Crylon Stonecraft on February 3rd, 2019, 3:34 am


After the first frame was connected, each became a bit easier, A bit easier, but each was still difficult.

Numerous times Crylon had to walk over and reinsert limbs into frames. Retrieve fallen pegs. And once he had even managed to punch a peg clean through the other side, showing him how they were intended to be removed... But not the intent for putting them in.

But the outcome, while showered with mistakes along the way and much learning of how to properly insert a wooden peg through a metal frame to lock an piece of wood into place, was assured. As long as he kept from breaking anything, he would eventually get it all put together.

It took time. It took mistakes. But Crylon found himself soon enough done with that task and left facing the next step of the job. Adding the peak part of the frame, which would be the top of the pavilion.

He gave the base of the frame a light kick, and then a harder one, just to make sure it would not all fall apart and loose. Once he had done that, he considered the best way to put it all in on the top part of the frame. This part was trickier, seeing as he could not rest it on the ground so easily as he had done with the first. It was supported by each arm in turn, and until several were in place it would not be able to support itself without his aid.

Likely it was meant for the arms to be put in all at once, or perhaps for someone to hold up the middle bit of the frame. He was alone however, and would need to be creative. After a chime of consideration, he fell on a method.

Taking the top arm and slotting it into place on one of the frames, he walked over to the middle of the pavilion frame with it still held up. Using his left arm he then hoisted up the center of the frame, and using both arms slotted it into place on the first arm.

Carefully he then reached down with his right arm, using his stronger left to hold the frame in place, and slotted the arm into the center frame. Walking down to the outer side he moved to that bit of the frame opposite the first and slotted it in next.

He was wary of adding any holding pegs before all were in place, in case this made it all too tight and kept another arm from being slotted in. He needed that bit of flex, of give, to slide it all into place, and would not have it should he lock the arms into place.

Instead he kept a hold of the frame, careful to keep it level and from tipping over, as he added the third arm in a similar fashion. Carefull. Slow. He even had to stop once to replace one of the arms which had begun to slide loose from the motion of the top frame. But eventually that third top arm was slid into place.

Once he got a fourth, and roughly had one on each side, he was beginning to feel a bit more confident. A bit more sure he could get it all done himself. At least excepting the base legs.

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[The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Postby Crylon Stonecraft on February 3rd, 2019, 3:52 am


After the fourth top arm was in place, the task at once became easier and more difficult. Easier in that he did not need to support the middle of the frame. Harder in that the more that was adding, the more snugly it all fit, and the harder it was to slot each arm to come into place.

He was glad he had decided against adding the pegs, for if he had done that before adding all the top arms he was fairly certain he would not have been able to get the last few in place.

But eventually they were all in, all supporting each other. At least, for the moment. Without duress. Or motion. Or anyone banging into the poles and legs as they would during the party. Which was why the pegs were needed, to firmly fasten them into place.

Hopping over the edge of the ring, and ducking under the frame with peg in one hand and mallet in the other, Crylon made his way to the center frame.

As before he made a careful tap, just to feed it into the hole. Another firmer one, and then another, then a light tap on the other end to get it centered just so.

Then he moved to the base of the arm, where it met the frame which would feed into the bottom leg, and added its peg with some more pounds of the mallet.

This seemed to make the most sense to him as a method, to complete an entire arm at a time and get it locked in, before moving on to another.

As with slotting them into place Crylon skipped about, moving next to the opposite side to get that firm as well. Another peg, a slow strike, a harder one. Ducking under the frame and standing back at the edge, another few taps to get that peg in as well.

After numerous pegs, he had finally gotten a good idea of the force and angle and overall way of pounding them in. He was needing the opposite side pound less often to get it centered, and when he did it was only a small pound.

Of course, he did not doubt such consistency was down to his repetition at the specific practice with the specific materials. With another pavilion, or another design, he would need to learn all over again the correct force and method of pounding in the pegs.

With what seemed at once no time and quite a bit of time, he was done. The lower ring with all of the arms locked into place. The upper frame with all of those smaller arms also locked into place. Heading over to the cover, Crylon lifted it and inspected it to see how it was arranged.

All that was left was moving the cover over it all. Then slotting in the rings. Looking closely, he could see there were small flaps with holes, through which the bits of metal would slot once the cover was in place.

Tying on the ropes. Situating the cover one final time. Tying on the ropes to the metal rings, after those metal rings were locked in place... Tying the cover in place along the frame from within with the attached ties he saw now were on the underside of the cover, attached in some manner... Ah he could see a metal ring on top, corresponding to the spot on the bottom where the tie was.

With all that done it would just be left to lift the pavilian, feed in the legs, and lock them into place on the frame above. But those bits would be done with others, perhaps later that day when the rest of the inhabitants of the Gem arrived and could assist.

For now he was done, at least with this part, having done the majority of the work for this specific task. Letting out a sigh Crylon examined his workmanship for a few moments, before turning and heading back to the other tasks at hand.

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Crylon Stonecraft
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[The Midnight Gem]Raising a Roof

Postby Madeira Dusk on February 4th, 2019, 11:49 pm

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Crylon Stonecraft

Skills
  • Planning: 4xp
  • Organization: 3xp
  • Construction: 5xp
  • Observation: 5xp
  • Mathematics: 3xp
  • Architecture: 5xp
  • Logic: 2xp

Lores
  • Organization: taking stock of inventory
  • Architecture: understanding the structure of a pavilion
  • Mathematics: simple equations
  • Construction: building a pavilion
  • Mathematics: fractions in building
  • Lore of reasons why construction is done in teams
  • Construction: carefully wielding a hammer

Awards & Retribution


Notes
Great thread! I appreciate how you work within your abilities and make Crylon realistic with his little setbacks. This could have easily been a dry, list-like, 'stuff happened' thread, but your writing wizardry managed to make it a proper story. :thumbsup:

PS- You should think about putting some tables into your CS. The lists you have right now is a nightmare to read for us poorly sighted people.
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