These Rocks Ain't Gonna Haul Themselves (Taithrosa)

[Krivak]

Timestamp: Winter 23, 511 AV Time: Midafternoon Location: Near the Icestone Mines Who: Taithrosa Eldytia Krivak saw a crowd milling around the outside of the maws of the Icestone mines. One of the Iceglaze members earlier had found Krivak in his stall and mentioned that the hold was having some sort of minor event today. Krivak had already eaten so he didn't have much to do. And that's how he find himself on the suburbs of the crowd. He couldn't get around the crowd to see what was going on. He was getting cranky, so he decided to force his way through. He began to bellow and snort at the men in the back, trying to scare them out of the way. Some of the men were looking back him getting nervous at having an agitated yak on their hands. A few even stepped aside. Krivak shoved his way forward continuing to bellow, snort, and now he started stamping his hooves as well. He even nipped at one particularly stubborn man, trying to scare him out of the way. He eventually found himself at the front of the crowd. Before them a man began to speak. "Men, and Bertha," as he looked at a particularly stocky woman off to Krivak's left, "We have a competition today. Within the not so dangerous parts of the mines here, we have several extremely heavy rocks. With these rocks is a ramp and a low to ground cart. There are three rocks per section, and they are all of equal distance from the entrance. The first person, or animal, to have pushed all three of their rocks out of the cave will be declared the winner. You are not to interfere in any way with the other competitors. This is a feat of strength, not sneaking and betrayal of your brethren. Here in a moment, I'll allow you all to go into the mines to find your group of rocks, and once everyone is in place, a horn will signal the start. I don't want to hear any questions, them's the rules." Krivak grunted in excitement. He could finally see how he ranked among the miners and builders of this city in terms of strength. He relished the opportunity. He waited around for a smidge as they began to organize the group to enter the mines.

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

The Mines were a place that Taithrosa wouldn't normally visit. It wasn't particularlly a place he cared to visit his interest in mines ususally invovling healing people who had suffered from gasses in the mines. He had found himself some how brought in among the crowd. He didn't have to particularlly worry about being pushed around at his size and in this city most people defently avoided pushing him.

He paused looked over as a large yak pushed its way through the crowd. Taithrosa narrowed his eyes still trying to get used the fact that there was intelligent animals that could turn into humans. then again he was a fallen soul.

His liquid silver eyes turned towards the announcer and away from the yack. He suspected that manors wasn't the creatures strong point. For the Ethaefel it was interesting to look at these creatures. They were one of the strange things that have come from the destruction. His mind focused upon the words that were being spoke.

It was a competition moving the three rocks. Taithrosa desided it might be an interesting competition to participat in. He beleived in keeping his body up to condition. So he waited around to see how they would organize. AS the crowd began to suffle around he found himself by the yack.

[Krivak]

As the crowd thinned, Krivak noticed an incredibly strange man now standing next to him. The man had horns like one of those grumpy rams. And he looked sort of... shiny. Krivak cocked his head to the side as he continued staring at him. He'd never seen an Ethaefel before, especially not in their blessed form. He could respect a man with horns, though this one's were smaller than a female yak's. But a man with horns, is a man with pride and strength. As the crowd thinned enough for them to move into the mines, Krivak grunted at the man to follow him, much like he would to a calf. He entered the gaping maw of the mines, finding it wondrous to see all the stone around him. In some places the stone looked like ice, in others, like snow. Some of it even looked like the froth from a crazy man's mouth. Krivak looked down at the path out of the cave, a habit born from his years hauling lumber as a slave. The ruts that dug into the floor were set really wide apart, further than he thought the carts they would be given could reach. Which meant that hauling them would be made even more difficult over the rougher areas. And that the ruts were now a hindrance, not a blessing. They could scuttle or topple a smaller cart. Krivak looked back behind him, to see if his 'calf' were still following him. He pressed onward, deeper into the caves, noticing that it was downhill the entire way. At least if he got lost, all he'd have to do was go up. After a few chimes, he found an empty room, with two piles of the large stones, and a specially designed cart for the piles. The cart had a rounded out bottom so that the rock could sit more snugly and wouldn't likely fall out. There was a small ramp, no more than a board really, to get the rocks into the cart. The carts were attached to a strange looking yoke by a few sturdy ropes. Then Krivak realized that it must be a man yoke. Krivak studied the strange yoke and determined that he could squeeze into it if he were careful. He grunted in approval, now waiting for the contest to begin.