Tales of Faerun

[AurianaValoria1]

As Rhaine made her way through the courtyard and to the fairgrounds proper, she noticed just how many people had come to attend the festival. Their numbers had to have doubled in the last day, and now many more attendees than just those nobles in the guest quarters had established themselves inside and outside Menarses's walls. Folk from all walks of life were present, from commoners to merchants. Many of these merchants were hawking carts full of wares to passersby. Not surprisingly, Heidi was attempting to compete with them, standing atop her cart and shouting as loudly as the rest. Amateur musicians and dancers paraded amongst the chatting fairgoers, beating drums and playing cheerful tunes on wooden flutes. Children wove their way through the crowds with streamers and other simple toys in hand, laughing and leaving dust clouds in their wakes. The one place that had not been occupied was the stage that had been set up for the dance; just seeing it made the Doomguide anxious for it all to be over.

 

Meanwhile, Conall led Nawen to where the performance animals were temporarily being held. There were de-clawed lions, tigers, and leopards, caparisoned horses, and painted camels. Many of these beasts appeared to be underfed, and the big cats were detained in giant cages of iron. Their owners were twenty feet away, talking amongst themselves and seemingly paying no attention to the two people near their animals. Conall gestured to the sad sight, "Well, there they are."

[Deleted6317247User]

Shalena noticed Rhaine walking about, and decided to approach her. As she got closer she noticed the Doomguide looking rather anxiously at the empty stage. "Still not very fond about this thing?" She asked as she stopped near the winged half-elf.

 

Just seeing how badly the animals were mistreated, Nawen had to fight off the urge to attack the people standing beside the cages, who were presumably the owners. "Owners," she scoffed as she looked at them, "no one should treat animals like property." She then looked back at Conall. "Now I wouldn't be against knocking them out and locking them in those cages to see how they'd like it," she said, "but that would do more harm than good. Perhaps we could distract them in some way?"

[Llhunara]

With Rhaine taking her leave of the group Llhunarra turns her full attention back to Sybille. “Count yourself lucky then, as it’s not the homeliest of places. Admittedly my family and I let at a young age; father was a sailor you see, so my memories of the place are few. What I can tell you with certainty is it’s a place where assassins thrive, always skulking in the shadows and what not. Not that the shadows are anything bad, but unlike my profession they always seek to hurt, while I only help liberate items from their careless owners.” A playful wink directed at the human as the red head gives her “justification” for her profession.

 

Leaning back some she props her boots up on the table, arms casually crossing over her chest. Looking the other over once more she decides to ask. “Can you really wield that hammer? I mean no offense, as you are in good shape, but it seems…a little much?” Compared to the two thin blades hanging from Llhunarra’s hips, the two handed weapon might as well have been a tree. A finesse based fighter the lithe half-elf couldn’t fathom swinging such a weapon around.

 

As soon as the question had been asked a greeting interrupts their conversation. Turning her head to take in the newcomer she smiles at the friendly greeting. Not much for real formality herself she didn’t mind the addition, especially the way his eyes seemed to linger on her more than her large companion. Llhunarra liked compliments, even no verbal ones. “The same to you, the names Llhunarra and this is Sybille.” Her hand motions between the two in order to distinguish. “As for why we are here…let’s just call it business.”

Edited January 2, 2015 by Llhunara

[AurianaValoria1]

Conall pressed his lips together, "I could try talking with them, though I admit I am not the most persuasive person in the world."

 

Meanwhile, Rhaine turned to see Shalena nearby, "No, I'm not. I understand the principle behind it, but I am more than ready to have it over and done with."

[Deleted6317247User]

"I suspect I'm much worse at it than you are," Nawen smiled a little, "if you prefer we can wait for the festivities to start. Might be easier to distract them and I doubt they'd hurt the animals with us around."

 

Shalena only nodded. It was a similar response she expected to hear from the Doomguide. "I've heard that imagining your audience in their undergarments or even naked helps," the piratess said, "but that depends on how good your imagination is," she chuckled and glanced at the stage for a brief moment before looking back at Rhaine. "Or... we could simply tell Menarses to stuff the stage where this blasted sun doesn't shine and run away. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea, actually. He's less interest than I thought he was when we first met him."

[AurianaValoria1]

"Hmm," the werewolf paladin appeared to be thinking hard about what to do about this situation, as if there were two sides competing in his mind. After a few moments, he nodded, "Aye, that sounds like a good idea. In the meantime," he gestured towards the main grounds with a smile, "We can see how things are going with the guests and workers. I think Heidi will wear out her lungs before highsun, judging from how loudly she's been hawking her wares." At that moment, Aodh flew overhead and landed atop one of Nawen's shoulders, burying his head in her cloak as if to muffle all the noise.

 

Meanwhile, Rhaine chuckled, "Well...we've come this far. We can see it through. Besides, we still haven't gotten the information out of that High Priest, yet. Apparently he won't deign to speak with me until after all this is over. Proper victory celebrations must be observed, you see."

 

"Indeed," Imhiros suddenly appeared behind them, "And they are just about to start in full." He pointed to the stage, where people began to gather around. Menarses stood beside two rather well-to-do looking gentlemen, both of whom were quite aged and yet still radiated a sense of power. When almost all of the guests had poured out of the merchant's compound and now surrounded the stage in a thick sea of bodies, one of the two men came forward to speak. He addressed them in Mulhorandi, but Imhiros summarized what he was saying in Common to Shalena and Rhaine:

 

"That is the Pharaoh's adviser. He is welcoming us all and bidding us celebrate our recent victories over Unther with loud voices and louder music. He asks us to thank the gods by drinking and dancing in their honor, and to revel in the glory that is Mulhorand. He asks us to thank Menarses for allowing us to gather at his estate and to show respect by letting nothing go to waste...all food and drink must be consumed by midnight. He tells us that the gods will always give us victory over our enemies and that our paradise is eternal."

 

This speech ended with everyone - nobles, merchants, and commoners, alike - joining in a series of victory chants, at the end of which every musician struck up a tune and every dancer took up scarves and swords, transforming the crowd into a glittering, swirling, brilliant cacophony of sight and sound that dispersed like a wave across the grounds.

 

The festival had officially begun.

[GrueMaster]

"A pleasure, Llhunarra," Doshkin, replied, finding the half-elf's smile contagious and making him grin. "Business, eh? I myself came here for similar re-" the aasimar cut off as he turned to look at the Mulhorandi took the stage and began speaking. He didn't know much of the local language, but he did have enough to pick up the words 'music' and 'dance,' which brought an even bigger grin to the warlock's face; the celebrating had finally started!

 

Turning back to Llhunarra, he gave a gesture towards the crowd. "So it seems the party has started at long last. I know you said have business, but," Doshkin glanced at the festivities, then back again, "would you have time, perhaps, for a little pleasure? It is a celebration, after all, and there is so much fun to be had here. It would be good to have a brief respite."

[Deleted6317247User]

"Well, of course he does," Shalena chuckled, "he just wants to ogle you first."

 

After Imhiros finished translating the speech, the piratess glanced at the Doomguide. "I guess we should go and prepare now."

 

While Nawen didn't like the idea of mingling in such a crowded area, it was perhaps better than to stay by the cages. The owners might get suspicious if they continued lingering by the animals. "Good idea," she said even though she sounded far from pleased. As she was about to walk away, Aodh landed atop her shoulder and buried his head in her cloak. "Why hello there," she greeted him warmly, "haven't seen you in a while."

As they walked away from the animals, the drow shot a quick glance at them. "Don't worry, soon you will be free." She spoke to them, and whether animals believed her words or not they did not show it, and neither of them answered her.

[Flipout6]

Sybille patted her maul. "You bet I can. I've taken undead Thri'Kreen with this bad boy before. Only lost to one of them." She wrinkled her nose. "He was something like fifteen feet tall and twice as thick, though, so I guess you can't really blame me for it. But yeah, I can swing this around like a dead cat. Comes with a lot of training and conditioning. It being a bit "much" is....well, most of the fun!" She giggled.

 

Turning to the newcomer, she added, "Business and a good bit of pleasure, of course." As Llhunara was whisked away by Doshkin, she gave the rogueish woman a wink and a grin. "Could be a....lot.... of pleasure for you. Good talk!"

 

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Marie found Arland stuck guarding the library, of all places. He looked completely and utterly bored out of his mind and more than a little irritated. He leaned with his arms crossed against the wall, sipping out of a "water" flask that she suspected he'd filled with something other than water.

 

"Are you really drinking beer on guard duty?" She asked, looking at him incredulously.

 

Arland started. His exclamation of, "Nope!" was almost a yelp. He looked at her with an annoyed frown. "It's juice."

 

"Really." She asked drily. "Made of what?"

 

"I don't Tluining know, some sand fruit they grow around here." He shrugged. "Servants'll get you some in a minute flat if you want some. What are you doing back here, anyway? I'm stuck here on guard duty. Because the book-barn is sooo important, you see."

 

Marie snorted with laughter. "Whoever put you back here knows what they're doing. If you were stuck with the duty your brother's got, not even Rhaine would be able to fix the damage."

 

"Why, stuck-up fat pigs everywhere?"

 

"Everywhere." She confirmed.

 

"....I'm still bored." Arland complained.

 

"So am I. That's why I'm back here, I don't have anything better to do with my time than talk to you." Marie griped.

 

"Ouch. I think I'm bleeding." Arland's lips curled just a little bit. "I thought you'd be right at home with all the stuffy bastards in frilly dresses." He raised an eyebrow and smirked obnoxiously.

"Ah, no. I don't like it when someone's nose is higher in the air than mine." Marie grinned, and Arland laughed.

 

"That's damn hard to pull off." He sniped.

 

"These people make it art. They draw shapes in the clouds with the tips of those long beaks of theirs. I'm amazed Argyros even has any room to fly."

 

"I guess it's good I'm back here. I'd want to hit everyone there."

 

"Even I wanted to." Marie snorted again, this time with distaste. "I came back here mostly to get away from them. You being here's a bit of a bonus."

 

"Really?" Arland looked like someone had just presented him with a complex mathematical question, he was so confused.

 

"Yeah." The Ordain girl answered with (false) sincerity. "You're less likely to put on a needlessly-complicated mess of colourful rags and call it a fashion trend. Or speak with any modicum of civility."

 

"I don't know exactly what you just said but I'll take it as a compliment." Arland shrugged. "I'm a bit more likely to want to strangle you, though. Seems to be an Ordain family thing."

 

"Hey, that's too far." Marie warned. Arland glanced at her and the put-out expression on her face and sighed.

 

"Sorry. I guess. Uh.......I mean I'm....more likely to....something."

 

"Smooth." She teased. "It's okay. I'm already quite aware of your general lack of intelligence."

 

"Smarter than you..." Arland grumbled, taking another sip of juice as Marie laughed loudly.

 

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Amendale, meanwhile, was perusing the various caravans and merchant wagons. The heat of the crowds and the sun was nigh-unbearable, hence his casting an Endure Elements spell on himself. He wasn't used to these kind of temperatures. He was lucky it was a Divine spell, because most Mulhorandis were suspicious regarding arcane magic. He didn't want to get mobbed or kicked out of the market simply for wanting a reprieve from the oven-like conditions.

 

He tried not to make it too obvious, but the moon elf was browsing the various flowers on sale, from hardy desert wildflowers to colourful foreign plants and souvenirs. He honestly didn't have much in the way of a plan regarding what he was going to buy, simply that he planned to get something.

 

As he looked around he glanced Nawen near the animal cages, though he wouldn't have been able to do so if he hadn't seen Aodh fly to her. She looked like she was up to something, so Amendale summoned his owl.

 

"Long time no see." He greeted.

 

"I need shade. Feathers aren't meant for this kind of abuse." It replied. Amendale gave it its own Endure Elements spell as well, explained that it still needed shade because it only felt cooler, and then sent it to transfer an invisibility spell to Nawen, along with a message explaining that it would only last a few minutes before fading. Then Amendale went back to flower-shopping.

 

Weyland appeared in the crowd a few minutes later, having finished up his shift in the dining hall. He was looking at the exact same stores Amendale was, so the moon elf slyly sidled up beside him.

 

"Flowers for Dri?" He asked casually.

 

"Yep." Weyland answered, cheeks reddening a bit. "What about you, flowers for Zorica?"

 

"Yep." Amendale frowned. "Wait, how'd you figure it out?"

 

"You're joking, right?" Weyland laughed. "I walked in on you two in the bath house."

 

It was Amendale's turn to blush, but he grinned and took it in stride. "We were-"

 

"You didn't even have a shirt on, you stlarning rascal!" Weyland grinned and thumped Amendale on the shoulder. ".....It didn't go farther than that, did it?"

 

"No, no." Amendale grinned. "....Well, in a way. We were in the courtyard a few minutes later."

 

"Ha!" The Grey almost doubled over with laughter. "So now you're going in for a second one, huh?"

 

"Just trying to make her happy." Amendale replied meaningfully. "....But I wouldn't complain."

 

"Got any idea what you're getting her?" Weyland asked.

 

"Just ideas."

"Well you're farther ahead than I am, then. I don't even know what kind of flower Dri likes."

 

"What about colours? She got a favourite colour?" The moon elf asked.

 

"Blue."

 

"I swear, if it's because that's your eye colour, I'm going to have to burn you." Amendale's finger flickered with flame for a fraction of a second to prove his point.

"Why, is that something that happens in those terrible, terrible books of yours?" Weyland jabbed him with his finger.

 

"How would you know they're terrible when you can barely even read?" Amendale sniped.

 

"The pictures on the front tell me everything I need to know." Registering a hit, Amendale's ear twitched in a vaguely canine fashion.

 

Eager to change the topic, he gave Weyland his advice. "Get her some blue ones, then."

"But what if she wants bright blue instead of dark blue?"

 

"Get her two or three different types of blue, then. Think outside the box."

 

".....Thanks. Good luck with your lady, my friend." He clapped Amendale on the back after buying a few bouquets and vanished into the crowds.

 

Amendale, meanwhile, was torn. He couldn't quite decide between purple, which was Zorica's favourite colour, or amber for another, deeper reason....

 

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It took Weyland quite a bit longer than he would have liked to find Dri, as she'd left the dining hall and was now casually keeping back and watching the chaos from her various pranks and shenanigans unfold and remaining as inconspicuous as possible. Weyland received a few dirty looks when he walked in from the two fashionably-challenged men from earlier, particularly the one that wore the purple undergarments. He just shot them his best "innocent" smile and went on his way, trying not to crush the bouquet beneath the tunic of his robes.

 

"Try not to turn the whole place into a disaster zone. You might start a food fight amongst the prim-and-propers." He teased her, grinning from ear to ear.

 

"That'd be funny." He heard her internal giggle in his head through the amulet.

 

"Let's head off somewhere quieter for a minute. I got something to show you." He grinned when he knew he had her curiosity. He beckoned her follow him and then lead her to one of the quieter hallways. There was nobody around, so he stopped her once they got around the corner. She looked at him with a curious gaze that made his heart flutter. He adamantly refused to acknowledge this fact. "I got these for you." He presented her with a (only slightly ruffled) carefully-patterned group of flowers, arranged so that the colours seemed to pop out and each stand on their own. "I know you like the colour blue, but I wasn't sure which shade of blue, so-"

 

Dri smiled broadly and sniffed them, letting out a little squeak of excitement that registered in Weyland's mind with no small amount of glee. Just as he smiled bashfully she threw her arms around him.

 

"When did you get these?" She asked, "voice" trembling with excitement.

 

"About fifteen minutes ago." He admitted. "Amendale came up with the multiple-shades idea."

 

"It's the thought that counts, right?" She asked, smiling affectionately.

 

And then she gently pulled his head down for a long, soft kiss.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Flipout6

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine smirked at Shalena and rolled her eyes, "It sure is starting to look like it." She then sighed heavily and followed the piratess, running her hands through her hair, "You're right. It will take us hours to get dressed to suit our host. Let's go."

 

Meanwhile, Conall cocked his head curiously as Aodh snuggled deeper into Nawen's neck, "I think he's been feeling dissatisfied lately, for some reason. He's been flitting around restlessly for days..." he trailed as Amendale's owl suddenly delivered its message to the drow ranger, and his lips tugged in a wry smile, "Well, well...looks like you've gotten some help." He shifted from one foot to the other, watching the crowds - which were getting wilder by the minute. "I suppose I can talk to the trainers now, before things get too close to their performance time. Wish me luck..." With that, he turned and waved at the animal handlers, beginning to speak with them about their animals and their trade...

 

Unbeknownst to them, Argyros had climbed up on the rooftop of the guest quarters in his elven form and was watching the whole scene with mild interest. The smells of exotic foods wafted on the breeze and tempted him to sample them all, but he forced himself to resist. This was the people's celebration, not his.

 

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Just as Rhaine predicted, it took hours for them to get ready for the evening performance. Their hair was washed, dried, and styled meticulously, their makeup painstakingly painted upon their faces, and their costumes adjusted repeatedly, even after Menarses and the instructor had already approved of their overall look ahead of time. It took all the patience Rhaine and Zorica both could muster to get through it all, and even then, Zorica did not suffer through it quietly; twice the half-drow slapped the makeup artist's hand away from her face after she wanted to give her eyelashes a final curl. At last, after all was said and done and the final tweaks were made to their appearance, they were gathered together in front of a long mirror so that they could see what they would look like to their audience.

 

Shalena's hair had been twisted up into a high ponytail held in place with a golden comb, the scarlet tendrils curled into bouncy springs around her shoulders. Her lips had been painted a deep ruby red, her eyes lined thickly with black kohl to look like those of a cat's, and her eyelids were powdered with dark gold. The piratess's ensemble was a wine-red top and skirt of velvet and silk, the top little more than a brassiere and the skirt slit high up the left side, almost to her hip. The skirt sported golden embroidery and tassels around the waist, tiny bells tinkling between the tassels, and the center of the brassiere was held together by an elaborate golden brooch set with a massive tiger's-eye gem. From her wrists dangled golden bangles, from which hung red gossamer streamers of linen.

 

Sybille's brown tresses had been smoothed and straightened to fall like satin upon her upper back. On her crown she wore an elaborate headdress consisting of a pair of gently upward-curving silver horns, between which sat a pale blue moon-disk. Her eyelids had been powdered the same baby-blue as her eyes, but her lips were left untouched. Indeed, Sybille was the one among them to sport the least amount of makeup, Menarses having been satisfied with her natural "rustic" look. She wore a halter top of silver satin that exposed her midriff, coupled with a pair of loose matching trousers that hugged her bare ankles. Her only jewelry was a single silver armband that bore the lapis Eye of Horus.

 

Zorica, meanwhile, had her raven-dark hair pulled beneath a headdress of golden eagle wings that bent to frame her face. A pair of twisting golden serpents formed a crown as they held a scarlet sun-disk atop the wings - the opposite of Sybille's moon. The half-drow's entire face and body had been painted and powdered white, her eyes shining brilliantly gold amidst the starkness of her face. Her eyes were lined in blue, her eyelashes lengthened and curled, and her lips were painted ruby-red like Shalena's. Her garb was a plain, floor-length dress of layered white linen, marvelously lightweight so that it seemed to float about her, and worn off-the-shoulder. The material was also quite thin across her abdomen, allowing the viewer to easily see her body beneath. Around her neck she wore a massive amulet of a golden winged scarab, set with turquoise and jade, and to her arms had been strapped a pair of fake white wings, made of the same linen as her dress and secured with golden armlets.

 

Finally, Rhaine's scarlet hair, too, had been hidden underneath a similar headdress as Zorica's, a golden winged serpent supporting a jade chalice atop her crown. Her eyes had both been painted with the lapis-lazuli Eye of Horus, her lids powdered gold, and her lips painted a matching gold and lined with black. Her outfit was a long-sleeved gossamer black halter top, thin across the abdomen like Zorica's, cut just short enough to allow a peek at the bare skin above her hips. Her skirt was of the same black linen, layered with silk, brushing the floor with its length. About her waist was a golden belt of tiny chains, and atop her shoulders sat an elaborate neck-piece of gold, ivory, jade, and jasper. Even her ebon wings had been bejeweled near where they joined her back with decorative jade and ivory pieces.

 

At last, they were bid to make their way towards the stage where they would be putting their newfound skills to the test. Rhaine was one of the first ones out in the hallway, and there she caught a glimpse of Weyland and Dri together - kissing. The Doomguide grinned widely even as butterflies started in her stomach with growing anticipation, but she said nothing to the pair, instead focusing on the painfully long walk through the guest quarters, outside across the courtyard, and to the fairgrounds. Already the announcer was calling the crowd together for the performance; Rhaine could hear him long before she saw him upon the stage. As the makeshift-dancers went into position behind the black curtain, the Doomguide thought she saw Zorica suddenly down something in a tiny bottle and toss it unceremoniously behind her. The half-drow herself resisted the urge to lick her painted lips as she swallowed Amendale's slightly sweet-tasting potion. She prayed to the gods it would work as she shook her hands vigorously in an attempt to throw off her nervousness...

 

"...to represent our own beloved goddesses this night!" The announcer suddenly switched his speech to speak in Common, presumably to reach a wider audience as he introduced them to the massive crowd, "You will be awed and dazzled with Menarses's newest entertainers...lady adventurers from far off exotic lands...as deadly as they are beautiful! Please give them the welcome they deserve as they step forth to honor Hathor, Bast, Isis, and Nephthys!"

 

Finally, the heavy curtain was drawn aside by servants, and the four of them were exposed for all to see, standing in position with arms held aloft, heads held high in majestic splendor. The audience roared, over half of them more than a little drunk and the rest on their way there, their applause deafening. Then, when the last of the clapping died down, a drummer sat on the edge of the stage, accompanied by a man playing a strange stringed instrument native to these lands. As the man played a few delicate introductory notes upon the lute-like thing, the four dancers slowly stepped forward, their gestures enchantingly fluid as they moved in unison and dipped their heads elegantly to the raptly watching audience...