A time of music and being present while visiting the travelling casino
Once an isolated and dying township, an influx of academics, adventurers and thrill seekers have made Scalvoris Town their home. From scholars' tea shops to a new satellite campus for Viden Academy, this is an exciting place to visit or make your home!
"Alchemy is really the secret tradition of the redemption of spirit from matter."
-Terence McKenna
Cylus 14, 720¤
Throughout the laughter and mugs a-sloshing there was a solemn tune that could be heard. People crowded around on the sands to behold what looked to be a concert played for the musician herself. Eyes shut tight, swaying to the music a young half-blood sung out her tune on her panflute. The song itself sounded sad and wistful, there were indeed a few moments of an off-key and it was noticeably not played by a master at any means; but there was something raw and natural within the song that was drawing people in. Certainly something about the music was foreign to their ears and Dula's style of Desnind-made fabric and dress could only add to the mystique. Though there were many people watching only a few had it in them to share the wealth, often times dancing with their partners or howling in a drunken manner along with the tune.
And Dula's senses drank it all in.
Never before in her life had she seen such a strange array of people. Surely to those well traveled the people of Scalvoris Town may seem possibly mundane and usual, but for Dula on these past trials she was in awe of the new world around her. A manner of well-thought, interesting people crawled around the streets which were pock-marked with the occasional shack. The entirety of the land was alien to her and felt somehow dirty. She felt that when she breathed the air here it was "thin" and dusty. A far cry from the high, tree-top streets of her home; walking on the ground like some sort of creature was foreign to her. The Town felt without shelter with no sound of leaves swaying, trees probably harvested against their will to create these homes and buildings, as well as fire everywhere. In every home, street, and building there was a fire. It made her shudder. She was trying so hard to pick up on the charm of Scalvoris Town but found a mental block where she just couldn't, something wouldn't allow her to and a huge, dark hole had taken the spot where her heart had been. Simply, the woman was homesick.
That was why when someone cued her in to the Everdark Casino as a tip off of a good place to busk, she thought to herself maybe she would be able to see more of the people's true colors. For Dula back at home in Desnind, celebrations brought out the best in people. Now, let this be said for the record, with Dula's broken grasp of common she had no idea what the word "casino" meant. In truth, the rum-smelling person explaining it to her did a terrible job of getting the point across and kept saying, "drink and money" in their attempt at translating. Dula wondered if she was headed to a bar. Of course, after receiving the directions she was surprised to hear that it was on the beaches! This piqued her interest even more, her mind flashing to Hygge and her attunement initiation. Could it be a piece of home? When she had finally reached the "casino" after travelling for some time she had found it to be indeed some sort of alcohol soaked festival.
And so, she found a spot within the cacophony of lights, tents, people, and lumbering drunks, in an area on the main stretch of the makeshift, sandy street to play her sad tunes lamenting her homeland.
"Alchemy is really the secret tradition of the redemption of spirit from matter."
-Terence McKenna
¤
"Oi! Yew! Getcha-on outta here! This is a fine establishment, not a place for bums!"
Came a barked command. It made Dula jump, sending the music haywire from her surprised breaths. Her head whipped upwards from her seat on the sands, quickly finding the voice. A head had popped out of a side flap of the tent she was busking beside. The head indeed belonged to a sweaty man with bloodshot eyes, a long beard, and chin length hair. He looked decidedly drunk. "Yew gonna stare at me or just look stupid, go on now-git! Yew don't wanna stay here, the owner is a crazyman!"
Now he was throwing one of his arms out of the flap as well and waving her on. It wasn't friendly in the least.
Dula, not knowing what to do but not willing to argue, gathered her flute, tips, and booked it into the crowd.
Elbow to elbow in a sea of bodies she had made a wrong turn and found herself on a side street. There were so many people in this alleyway it was difficult to move. Some people were stood in place chatting with their friends, others watching performances of people playing metal drums with sticks, and still, as Dula was ushered through the alleyway, more people were there with wooden picket signs written on in common. These people were congregated together and one in particular was on a soap box shouting more than the others, it would seem to be some sort of religious congregation, from the little Dula could pick out, but the crowd of people Dula was floating in pressed on. Within the sands of this particular makeshift street were sometimes necklaces of glass beads, playing cards, these strange shaped goblets, and the occasional gold coin. Dula wasn't in the mind of stopping in the meandering, shoulder to shoulder, crowd to pick up and inspect any of these. Besides, she had also seen more than a few people retching in this particular side street.
It was when she had finally got her baring in the cacophony of that street that she was spit out into the open beach, facing the water. She had reached the end and the crowd had dispersed. In awe Dula watched the people near the waters dance around the bonfires. Theirs and the fire's reflection on the water stirred something in Dula, honey puzzle eyes drinking in the debauchery. She realised then it reminded her of the hunters at the Fire Pit back home while simultaneously reminding her of the gwalos, her two favorite places. Then, as she stepped to start trotting over to the fires a person stepped in front of her.
Masked Person
They wore a mask and the clothes of a jester, there was some sort of fabric covering the eyes, making this person a complete mystery to her. Dula shied away, almost bashful, for a moment but the figure took her wrist and lead her back through the crowded busy street, bells jingling as they made way and pushed people until it was finally that they stopped. The Jester pulled out three balls of poor making and juggled here on the street with Dula watching in silence. As the crowd formed around them she wasn't sure whether she should trust the person but at the same time was ready to accept whatever eccentricity they had planned. The Jester said nothing but nodded to Dula while juggling, as if motioning for her to join in. Taking her cue, she pulled out her panflute and started to play the same dirge as she played before. Something about this all seemed dreamlike, and she was being swept away.
"Alchemy is really the secret tradition of the redemption of spirit from matter."
-Terence McKenna
¤
Eyes closed, standing in the alleyway behind the tent, playing a solemn tune she once again could do little more than drink in the sounds, smells, and excitement all around her. When she opened her eyes there was a small crowd forming a bubble in the stream of people, protecting her from being trampled and her jester friend was no where to be found. Being a stranger in an unknown place she took that as her cue to leave, but looking down at her generous tips decided on one more song to line her pockets with. One thing was for certain, this wasn't Desnind. The one she played now was more upbeat than her previous songs and seemed to energize the drunken audience. A couple of her watchers took to a jig, sloshing beer all over the other patrons. This particular song had always proved challenging for Dula, it switched time and rifled through scales. There was one time she had to stop and start again as she had lost track of the notes in her mind, but none seemed to be pressed about that.
As she was playing this particular tune the area that bubble of safety from the party goers evaporated. Dula watched as a group of about a dozen children between the ages of twelve and sixteen split the difference and swarmed the area. At first she thought they wanted to dance like the rest, but within the dusk of Cylus and the light given off by the lanterns she could see on their grinning faces that they were here for one thing. Her money. She kept playing and met their eyes, puffing her chest slightly and looking down at the children from the bridge of her nose.
'Children here would truly rob a person? Is it really so depraved?'
Sparing a glance at the coin at her feet she counted maybe 25 silver nel scattered within the glass beads. Would she truly get into a physical fight with children over a few meager coins?
Dula was trying to form a plan when one of the older children lunged at her, faking her out. She fell back in a flinch from the kid into the waiting arms of a handful of the other children. Not waiting to find out what they had in mind for her, she started thrashing her arms and legs-- yelling obscenities in common and Xanthea.
Just as quickly as they had came the children left, tossing her on the ground and evaporating back into the crowd. She was now at the mercy of people's feet and took a moment to get up while avoiding the legs of the "casino" patrons. Why did they leave? Brushing herself off she looked first down the street, then up, but only saw the drunken, ludicrous party and other performers from before. Behind her came a tap on her shoulder and without letting out a scream she whipped around to see the jester from before. They had in both hands one of the oblong shaped glass goblets and she could see now it was filled with a glowing, yellow green liquid.
The Glass and Liquid
The masked one shoved one of these in her hand and nodded as if to say, "drink". This was getting a bit strange now, wasn't it? She stared them down for moments, bits even, with not exactly fear in her eyes but blatant distrust and went to make her way from this strange situation. Nels be damned, she had made plenty earlier when she busked at the beginning of her time here-- before she got kicked out and wound up in this frivolous alleyway.
Being the first to turn her head, she left and headed backwards through the stream of people marching through the alley. Sparing one look back she could see that the jester was still staring as she walked away. Finally free of that strange alley after plodding through the motley crew she found herself again on the main stretch of the "casino" party. She looked down to see in her hand she still carried the odd, glowing liquid. Looking around at all the other patrons of the Everdark Casino she shrugged and drank deeply from the cup, sucking the whole thing down in a few gulps. "To Desnind, to my old life. And to one anew."
Came her words in Xanthea.
The rest of the night is a blur of color, dancing, lights, sand, beads, masks, and music. There isn't much Dula remembered the next day after waking up face down on the beach, freezing cold even in her cold weather clothes, in a pile of glass beads and more of those bottles. Checking her pockets she found that she still had all the items she came to the "casino" with, including her pan flute, but whatever had happened that night-- the travelling casino was gone. Nothing remained for her to see but beach.
You made the settling come alive with a typical festival feel. Dula’s disapproval of Scalvoris and the sad tune, in the beginning, set the emotional flavour of the thread. The story felt intriguing and when Dula began to feel that it was dreamlike that was also my feeling. That jester was a mystery and I can understand that Dula fled! The end when she drank the odd glowing brew and everything became a blur of festival elements it was a perfect end!
I take it you meant that you posted the thread to the wealth request thread in the PSF so the wealth points will come there. If I misunderstood you, please PM me. Also, Dula gets renown. A lot of people heard her play and her appearance stood out.
A good read!
Dula
Rewards and consequences
Points: 10
Knowledge:
Musical Instrument (Panflute) x 5
Linguistics x1
Renown: 5 for busking at a festival and gathering an audience
Skill Review: Appropriate
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