Closed The Edge of Civilization (Gossamer)

[Felakal]

Timestamp: Autumn 1, 521 AV A light breeze ruffled the hair of Felakal as he leaned against the railing of the Golden Hope, a sailing ship built in Zeltiva after the Djed Storm of 512. Small droplets of mist blew across his face, bringing with it a soft and salty scent of the ocean morning. Felakal had grown used to this smell aboard the Golden Hope, but it made him happy none-the-less. It was a sweet reminder of memories as a child at the beaches near Riverfall. Trees and shrubs and flowers of all sorts and colors were in view as the Golden Hope pulled closer to the Syka dock. On the port side, Felakal could see an island sitting across from the bay they would land in. He would eventually come to learn that he was looking at Solitude Island. Near the dock, Felakal saw white sandy beaches, tall palm trees, and all sorts of greenery. Felakal just so happened to be looking in the right direction as he witnessed a fish jump out of the water and come back down with a loud splash. He wasn't much of a fisherman, so he couldn't really tell what type of fish it was. As the Golden Hope pulled closer to the dock, Felakal noticed a large gathering of people waiting, some of them waving towards the incoming ship. Felakal thought this must be people waiting for supplies, and maybe even just some of the townsfolk volunteering their help. He had no way of knowing this was most of the Syka populace, eagerly waiting to unload the rarely seen trading vessel. As the ship pulled up to the dock, Felakal as well as some other sailors threw down some ropes to the townsfolk to tie to the dock. Everyone aboard began grabbing barrels and boxes to unload. Felakal walked up to a barrel, bent his legs, and wrapped his hands around the sides and lifted it off the deck. Felakal knew that he should be careful, because he also had his backpack and travelling gear strapped to his back. If he wasn't careful, he could slip on any random puddle and make a fool out of himself. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he miscalculated the weight distribution of the barrel, and started to lose his grip. Thinking quickly, he kicked his foot up against the ship railing to stabilize himself. With his foot lifted up, the barrel resting on his leg as he readjusted his grip, Felakal heard a couple of the sailors laugh. One of them said "Nice save." Shaking his head of embarrassment, Felakal secured his grip and carried the barrel down the ramp to the dock. He wasn't sure where to set it down, but as he noticed the townsfolk were grabbing the supplies from the sailors, a strong looking man approached and said he could take the barrel. Felakal thanked him and looked around, his hands now resting on his backpack straps. The dock was very busy as people tried to squeeze past each other unloading the ship. Felakal looked down the dock towards Syka, but didn't actually see very much. There were what looked like multiple swings strung up along the beach, a building off in the distance to the Southwest, and what looked like a house to the Southeast. Felakal figured the rest of the town was hidden by the jungle. Felakal looked out across the water again at the island. There was something off-putting about it but he couldn't quite figure out what. He didn't see any reason he would end up there, with plenty of jungle to explore on the mainland. Too much, even. He knew that the jungle was dangerous, and that even with everything Felakal has survived, he could still die in an instant here. Better to focus on getting a job and a place to live, he thought to himself. OOCI'm sorry that it isn't the prettiest thread, having to relearn the BBC code on my phone isn't easy lol

[Gossamer]

When the ship was spotted, Mathias knew it was his turn to meet and greet the new people. They'd been getting more and more boats from all over the Suvan and some even as far away as the outer oceans. He hadn't seen The Golden Hope before, but the seaman in him admired the sleek Zeltivian design and how well the craft was maintained. Her sailors were clean, well-mannered, and best of all her Captain had a armload of mail for him neatly tucked in a waterproof canvas bag.

Mathias loved news from the outside world. Syka was tucked out of the way and often relied on the visiting Svefra for its knowledge of what was happening elsewhere. Thus mail was well coveted and the closest way to his heart.

The two men visited for a while, exchanging news and polite niceties. They knew people in common - folk of the sea - for the Suvan wasn't actually that small after all. Mathias invited the Captain to dine with him that evening and invited him to give the Merchantile a list of goods they might need. Fresh water was offered to refill the ship's supplies, and of course, fruit would be loaded by the bushel to help the sailors stave off scurvy. Syka was notorious for making sure those that bothered making the trip to her shores was worth any Captain's time... especially if he wanted a bit of rest and relaxation while his ship was being restocked.

Before Mathias and the Captain parted ways, the man pointed out a tall sleek Akalak that was exiting the ship. He nodded towards the gentleman and then said... "Quiet passenger. Seems like an interesting fellow. I think he plans to settle in Syka a bit." The Founder nodded, smiled, and gave the Captain one last shake of his hand.

"Thanks again for the mail. We'll see you just after sunset. I'm in the Bungalow with the full deck that goes out on the water. I'll have a decent fresh meal and good wine ready tonight." He said, re-iterating his invite for the Captain and whomever else he wanted to bring to dinner.

Then he turned, tucking the canvas bag under his arm, and went to find the Akalak. Mathias sided up to Felakal, catching him gazing at the island off shore, his brow furrowed oddly. He used the Island to start the conversation.

"Hello there. Welcome to Syka. I'm Mathias, one of the Founders. We've been here a couple of years now and still, no one has investigated that Island. There's something about it, isn't there? We call it Solitude Island. It's unsettling." He commented, coming up on the Akalak's right elbow and nodding a greeting.

"The Golden Hope's Captain said you might be interested in settling here. Is that true? I can help you with a place to stay, show you were you can get a bite to eat, and maybe even hook you up with some employment." He said, smiling at Felakal and pausing for effect.

"We actually have some bungalows and ranchos you can rent. The bungalows are on solid ground and the ranchos are built out over the water if you are into that sort of thing. If you have coin to spend, we have property for sale... beach lots if you like or places tucked back into the jungle. We even have an Inn for guests if you want to get your footing and look around with a sort of local guide. You can grab meals at the Inn too until you figure out where to harvest fruit and what the best fishing is. I'm usually at my bungalow - its the one just north of the commons with a full deck out over the water... fishing nightly if you want to throw a line in the water. We also have a fully stocked Merchantile with a very knowledgeable clerk who can help you outfit for anything. There's a bar called The Tidepool if you want a snack and a strong drink." Mathias added, ticking off some of his favorite things to show newcomers.

"We are actively looking for blacksmiths, weaponsmiths, people with experience to roam the jungle wilds. We need hunters, fishermen, and anyone with any sort of trade like leatherworking, weaving, even general builders. We'll even take fighters. We need to start a sort of watch one of these days... though we do have rangers to guide newcomers out into the jungle and cut new trails." He added, smiling.

"Call me curious.... but what brings you to Syka? How in the world did you even hear of us?" He asked, then finally took a breath, giving the Akalak a chance to catch up and actually answer some of his questions.

Mathias wasn't overly tall, looked to be in his late fifties, and was decidedly human. He seemed familiar and comfortable with Akalaks, whereas not many men were. The Founder had an easy smile and seemed to actually care about the reason Felakal had arrived.


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[Felakal]

Mathias came up on Felakal's right hand side. It might have startled him, if the dock wasn't so busy and loud at the moment. Turning to the sound of his voice, Felakal met his greeting with a smile and nod. Happy to have someone come by to give him the rundown of life in Syka, Felakal did struggle a bit to digest all of the info at once and also remember each of Mathias' questions. But he did his best to stay focused, and not become distracted by all of the nearby commotion or the beautiful scenery they were surrounded by. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mathias. My name is Felakal, and yes, I'm hoping to settle here in Syka and build a new life for myself. I plan on working to save up enough to buy a plot of land, but I can hardly afford that now. I would love to get a good homestead established and maybe build a community hunting lodge. In the meantime though, the Bungalows sound like they might work." Felakal paused briefly and realized how nice it was being able to talk to a new person after so long at sea with the same sailors in such a small space. He didn't really have any issues with the people he sailed with, but not many of them could relate to wanting to own land in the jungle. Many of them had spent most of their lives traveling, but after ten years, Felakal was ready to settle down. He continued to answer Mathias' questions, and said "I'm quite knowledgeable when it comes to fighting. Both with weapons, and without them. I could definitely lend a hand in setting up a proper guard watch. I'm quite knowledgeable when it comes to fighting. Both with weapons, and without them. I could definitely lend a hand in setting up a proper guard watch." Felakal considered how much he would love being a ranger, but understood the jungle was a dangerous place and he would have to ease his way into it. Felakal said "From what I've heard of Falyndar, I have a lot to learn about it's jungle and wildlife. But when I learn the land, I could definitely see myself helping Syka as a ranger as well. Basically, wherever I'm needed is where I'll be." He didn't quite know where to start when Mathias asked why Felakal had come here. He could say that he heard of the small statue of the Dark Lady found nearby, which could be evidence that the Sunken City was the ruins of Valkalah, his people's homeland. But that would only be partly true. Sure, discovering the truth could bring back honor to his family after what Felakal had done, but it was more than that. He felt like he had to be there. This small settlement, unlike any of the big cities scattered across Mizahar, had been pulling at Felakal's heart and mind for months prior to departing. He decided he should keep it simple for the sake of social courtesy, and said "I heard about Syka on my travels. I've been traveling as a trader for the past ten years, and after hearing about the tropical paradise, I thought it would be a great place for me to finally settle down and build a new life. I was never much for any of the bigger cities I travelled through and lived in."