The Isle of Aspergillum - Summer's End Festival

[Don the Bastard]

It is the first night of the Summers-end festival, the town has gathered in the serene beauty of the the elven gardens on a moon light night, strings of paper lanterns hang from pillar to pillar, throughout this beautiful and ancient setting. Small candle boats float on the fountain, illuminating the the bright blue water as it bubbles up through the stone. A strange yet familiar scent fills the air, white elven roses, in full bloom, opening their petals to praise the moon. Everywhere there are people, lovers embracing, freinds sharing mead and stories, musicians playing nothing tunes to the night, everyone is content.

The pavillion is alive with the sounds and smells of a feast, chattering & music, beer & roast boar, and all for these fews nights is free, paid for by the lumber merchant Maelin Alerdan & the Baron Richard Halbrook.

In the south-west corner is a large wooden stage, presently perfoming is a young lady dressed in green and gold, she spins heavenly tunes of comings and goings on her silver flute.

In front of the stage is a dance floor and several smaller dining tables, three young elves huddle together at one, giggling to themselves as they watch the festivities, at another is a man playing with a deck of cards, at the last is an attractive young girl wearing a pretty blue cotton dress.

Behind the stage, one on either side are two temporary wooden walls, covered in artworks, oil paintings, charcoal drawings, stained glass, jewelry and the like, in front of the south one stands a wistful looking elven woman, her hair a little messy, as are her clothes, an elf girl stands here also, silvery blonde hair and quite a shapely figure.

On the other side there is no-one looking at the pictures, but leaning on the back of the stage, barely visible, is a man in breastplate with a longsword, his face is like stone, he stands out perhaps because he is the only person here not enjoying themself.

On the north-west side is the temporary bar for the Hatchet & Hearth, Toby Mannix mans one end and a dwarf girl at the other, you can tell she is a dwarf from her face, though Toby has a step setup for her so she can serve without difficulty, two dwarves sit holding hands at her end of the bar, a broad shouldered boy stands at the far end, in guardsman's uniform, he has a baton in hand.

The north side has two food stalls, one serving fresh cooked meats and vegetables and the other a selection of cheeses and fruit, behind the first is an elderly woman with skin like tissue paper and fluffy white hair, behind the second is a robust man, slightly balding on top wearing an apron, and a young boy, with his arm in a sling.

In the centre is a fire pit and several more tables, mostly un-occupied, as it is early in the night and still quite warm.

On the east side is another temporary bar, this one for the Prince of Broken Hearts, Arthur Turnbull the owner stands behind one side, he is a sharp looking man in every way, sharp dress, pointed chin & nose and quite skinny, next to him is a shapely and very attractive halfling girl, she is pouring beers for the many customers she has, lastly in the shadows down one end is a hideous looking dwarf, he is trying to keep the barrels tapped and the bottles of spirits up to demand. At the end of the bar is another guardsman, again with baton in hand, he is athletic looking, like a sportsman.

Lastly, in the south-east corner is a long dining table, filled with people, some well-known around town, other not so much. Side by side in the centre sit Maelin Alerdan & Richard Halbrook, next to them sit there wives, Penelope and Elizabeth respectively, on Penelope's right sits Emilia, and next to her is an empty seat, lastly at the end is a dwarf you do not recognise, he has broad biceps, perhaps as round as his thighs, and Black hair. To Elizabeth's left is Daffyd the Burgomeister, a rotund man and always quite merry, next to him sits Berrin the Blacksmith, he is all you would expect from a blacksmith, muscular and rough looking, he looks quite out of place wearing the finery associated with this sort of event, and lastly at the end is Wissenell, the elven silversmith, she has delicate elven features from her face down to her toes, and is crown by bobbed silver-blonde hair.

Gardens

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Garden Key

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The blue & white octagon is the pavillion
the green squiggles with white stars are rose bushes
The white arches are arches
The white circles are pillars
The light blue circle is the fountain
The green stars with brown centres are trees
The brown rectangles are long tables for outside dining

Pavillion

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Pavillion Key

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I have assigned you all a number in a white circle, these are done alphabetically so don't be whining that you want to be no. 1, not everyone is there at the start of the evening.
Alix - 0
Aralthan - 1
Baeln - 2
Demetrios - 3
Henry - 4
Kavri - 5
Lumpy - 6
Luo - 7
Magenta - 8
Mart - 9
Orin - 10
Salvatori - 11
Trent - 12

NPC's
Maelin - A
Emilia - B
Penelope - C
Aber - D
Sally - E
Daffyd - F
Berriss - G
Jacob - H
Julia - I
Merrin - J
Arthur - K
Toby - L
Erikkin - M
Richard - N
Berrin - O
Nim - P
Abegal - Q
Lem - R
Eledius - S
Arcil - T
Wissenell - U
Temiren - V
Erissen - W
Elizabeth - X

Key
The orange octagon is a large fire pit.
The brown rectangle is a long dining table
The brown circles are smaller tables
The thin yellow-brown lines at the bottom and left are display walls for artwork
The two yellow-brown thin line thick line combo, with 3 rounded rectangles at left and right are bars
The two yellow-brown rectangles at the top are food stalls
The triangle bottom left is a stage area for performers

[ingenua]

Maelkith's crown, but some of these are marvellous! Magenta thinks to herself, taking a final look at the artwork on display. She and her mother Wissenell, and a few others, had spent the afternoon arranging them all on the walls, but in the rush she hadn't had time to fully appreciate them. A richly-woven tapestry catches her eye, as does an epic poem in an elegant hand she doesn't recognise.

A child's drawing of an elven hut is the last thing she notices before she turns away, and she laughs to herself. At least the children and I won't be the only amateurs in the competition. She glances over to the table where her sister and cousins are sitting, and then takes a look at all the people who have come in while she her back was turned.

Most of the occupants are unfamiliar to her, although it is easy to pick out Maelin, her father's employer, and the Baron in his finery, on the other side of her mother and Berrin at the long table.

She raises a hand to wave at Baeln, standing there on guard duty. Her eyes, though, scanning the room, are really looking around for her father and aunt Imrion, hoping against hope that they will attend tonight ... Last she saw them was a few days ago, as they disappeared into the forest for one of their wide-ranging forest-tending excursions. Maybe they'd be back...

[Don the Bastard]

Julia finishes her first tune, and the crowd of commoners who had been dancing give her a round of applause, she turns and bows to the crowd, then walks over to her bag, she takes out an odd flute, with two branches to finger on, she takes a deep breath and begins her second song.
http://www.curtisclark.org/emusic/midi/clkcwngr.mid

[drum-n-bass]

Orin Oakenshield

Putting his dinner suit on quickly to get to the party, he carefully examines over his body and head making sure he looks nice and presentable. Making it over there as fast as possible, he is stunned when he gets there. All the nice artwork, performers, food, drink, company. Getting some very tastefully looking roast boar, veggies, cheese, and bread he makes his way to the Hatchet and Hearth (his favorite) bar and gets a mug of ale. While walking to his seat on the north side of the table, he didn't realize that such a thing like this ever existed (except maybe his ideas of heaven). Sitting down he looks everything over again soaking in its beauty before starting to eat his delicious meal.

[Cespenar]

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As there are like four people who chose blue, I'm changing my color to "Navy".

Baeln Athos

Nodding at Magenta with a smile, Baeln changes his stand to relax his slightly stiffened right leg.

How can standing still be more tiring than say, running?

Vague feelings of regret pass his mind as he looks around in the brilliant atmosphere in which the festival is being carried on. The baton weighing almost nothing at his hand, he watches the people intently and tries to be happy for them, instead of giving in to his regret any further. After all, he wished for all this, didn't he..?

He winks at his father as they come to an eye contact, informing him quietly that "everything's okay".

[BizzaroStormy]

Mart stands admiring the song. This is a very nice festival Abel. What exactly is is for? He looks over to the man shelling out the big bucks for the festivities. For the lumber copany to be paying for all of this, it must be pretty important.m

[Ascension]

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OOC: Opiate for the masses, methinks, PirateJesus. Bread & circuses. Maelin probably foots the bill just so the townsfolk will like him...

...he certainly isn't going to win them over with his personal charm.

Henry makes his way over to the pavilion as soon as he arrives at the festival and slips into the seat beside Emilia as subtly as he can. He certainly doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that he's arriving so late.

"You wouldn't believe the kind of adventures I've been having today," he whispered sideways at her, "I would have been here sooner, but I was busy getting threatened by armed men in the 'comfort' of my own home..."

His eyes roam the small crowd gathered under the pavilion, but he doesn't spot Magenta yet.

[ingenua]

Magenta Silverleaf

The music catches Magenta's attention as well. She almost sways to the compelling undertone, and the intricate melody makes her smile. As she starts to pay more mind to the music and the performer, she wonders who the lady is. I'm sure I haven't seen her around ... But she's clearly an expert musician. I wish I could write music like that! Maybe she could teach me a little of her skill with composition.

[Annarrkkii]

Alix Lundgren

Alix swabs vigorously at the inside of a mug with her cleaning rag as she watches her parents with some consternation.

The festivities were, of course, royal. The pavilion arching away above them, the roaring fire and the specially tended gardens: all of it was spectacular. She was slightly irritated that she was set tending the bar on a night like this. Normally, bartending was her favor job around the Hearth, but she envied the maids and servants who got to spend the night out on their feet, mingling with the crowds and snatching a dance here or there.

Not that Alix WOULD dance, of course. It was the principle of the thing.

Instead, she diligently takes care of her duties under Toby's trustingly spare supervision, and watches with no small embarrassment as her dutiful mother grips her father's limp right hand in her own left. She squeezes it as though maybe, if she could apply enough pressure, it might just be enough to bypass the catatonic nerves and slack muscle of the paralyzed arm, and even coax a reaction from the similarly limp mind housed in the right half of Lem's disfigured skull. With his free left hand—a hand that used to grip a viciously curved kukri with a grip that could parry a forest troll's axe—Lem now sloppily pours ale from an extra large mug into his reluctant mouth. Froth dribbles into his tangled black beard.

With a sigh, Alix leans over with her rag to dab the foam from his lips, managing a weak smile as he grins at her gratefully.

But neither her father's ever-depressing condition nor Toby's delegation of duties was the issue that really plagued her at this moment. Bothered her, yes, but whenever she could spare it, her attention was immediately drawn away to one of the two fierily red-haired men haunting the festival pavilion. Salvatori she knew—she'd almost given him the slip of paper the day before, but hadn't had the right chance. But this newcomer had just shown up, armed and armored, to the festival, out of nowhere. She cannot help but stare at Salvatori, maneuvering awkwardly through the crowd, any more than she can stop the swift glances at this new stranger, skulking meaningfully in the shadows.

Which Jade do I give it to?

[Erikkin]

Salvatori:

Salvatori shows up to the festival slightly after Henry does. When he gets there, he looks around at everyone in their best finery and then down at his worn clothes that he'd been traveling in. I need to earn some money for new clothes somehow. He observes the crowd as he walks toward the Hatchet & Hearth. What a surprise. I don't actually know anyone I didn't just meet today. Wait... He stops as he notices his brother brooding in a corner. I came to see him, but he really doesn't seem happy... Salvatori decides to avoid his brother for now. He doesn't walk all the way to the Hatchet & Hearth booth to thank Alix like he'd intended; instead, he walks to the art display his brother's not at, hoping the stage will block him from view some.

[ColonelFuster]

Trent meanders carelessly about, looking from time to time at anyone that he thought might cause a commotion. No one that he could tell so far, though he had heard about dwarves and too much ale. He grips his quarterstaff-length baton and sighs gratefully, not seeing his mother anywhere near. She was probably just coming to the feast at the end, anyways, and he had an excuse as to why he wouldn't be seen by her. He carelessly looks over the smiling faces and tries to spot someone that would want to cause trouble.

[Don the Bastard]

As Julia finishes her second tune and the applause dies down, Baron Halbrook stands from his chair and bangs his mug on the table "Might I have all of your attention please. Ladies and Gentlemen I should like to propose a toast to my most gracious co-host on this momentous occasion. To his health, to his family and to the sucess of his business. For passed glories.", everyone with a drink matches his toast "For passed glories", each taking a drink. After this Maelin stands "I too would like to toast the Baron for his fine hunting skills, in providing such a feast of boar for the day, and in sponsoring the event once again. May his life be long and eventful. Nesh ravanthas, nesh adon" and once again the toast is met.

A few moments after the speaches are done, the crowd is back to it's former state, more toasts are made in smaller groups, and the two bars are being swamped by people refilling their mugs.

Elvish speakers

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"Nesh ravanthas, nesh adon" literally translates to "For friends/family, for peace"

Mart

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After the toasts are done, Aber turns to answer the question, "Well it is paid in part by the Baron and part by Maelin, he returns some of the taxes this way, good will and all that... I'm not sure exactly what the celebration originated from, though Maelin could probably tell you, I know now though that we are celebrating the end of the hottest of days, and the start of a more productive time"

OOC:Just waiting on Knubs AKA Kavri, 10:51 AKA Luo, Hoggy AKA Aralthan, Llamamushroom AKA Demetrios & darkzuchini AKA Lumpy

[llamamushroom]

Demetrios

Just as Demetrios is walking toward the Pavillion, lit up like nothing he'd ever seen, he again understands words in a language he'd never heard before. He looked back over his shoulder towards the column that he'd set Diomedes at, noting the way the mule's coat shone after he'd gone to all the trouble of washing it.

This place is amazing, much more colourful than the old New Year's Festival back home. If they could see me now... His mind flashes with images from the last festival, of his nervousness, his friends egging him on, and of her laughter. His face darkens to a scowl. No! Forget about her! She's in the past. This is now.

As he walks up to the edge, Demetrios looks around for the few people he'd met during the course of the day - he couldn't make anyone out, though they were probably were there. After all, what else would they be doing?

He steps up to the food stall, and asks "How much for a plate?"

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Current position: I,C (x,y)

[Hoggy]

Aralthan slept comfortably despite the noise from below, weary of his long journey even though it was far from over. He woke early, leaving him plenty of time to look around the festival. It was only the first day of the festival, but he couldn't afford to delay his journey for long, and would have to leave tonight or tomorrow.

Aralthan drifted through the crowd for most of the day, taking in the sights and sounds of the festivities. He had spotted Eledius earlier, but the crowd was too heavy for him to want to push through at that point, and so he'd gone to relax in the gardens for some time.

Now, however, he decided to try again, and came back to the pavilion just as the lumber merchant - Maelin, was it? - finished his speech. He waited for the crowd to disperse back to their revelries once more, before wandering over to the art displays, casually examining the paintings whilst keeping an eye out for Eledius.

[Don the Bastard]

Demetrios

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The widow Merrin looks up at you, "That smile's enough, there you are sir" she hands you a plate, "Please help yourself, Maelin and the Baron are sponsoring it all"

Aralthan

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Eledius is here, she is standing in front of the arts display, SW corner (S)

All

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don't forget to give me an x,y location if you're not already on the map or if you are moving

[ingenua]

Magenta Silverleaf

Her stomach rumbling, Magenta realises that the group had better eat before they are called up on stage themselves. She wanders over to her family, who are being surprisingly well-behaved.

How little boys can grow up in a year ... Last time, I was practically pulling Erissien out from under everyone's feet! And in front of Henry too, how embarrassing ... The thought of the youngest Halbrook makes her frown momentarily, before she remembers her original plan.

"Children, let's go and get something to eat! Arcil, sweetie, do you want to mind the table, shall I get yours for you? Or will you come too?"

As the children eagerly follow her to the serving tables and babble about which cut of boar they want and who will get the most crackling, Magenta ponders over whether she should ask for a glass of wine for herself. Would her mother allow it? She glances over to the long table, but before she can make eye contact with her mother, a familiar figure catches her attention. She freezes for a moment, then hurriedly turns away and hustles the children back to their table, hoping fervently that Henry hasn't noticed her looking at him.

[Erikkin]

Salvatori:

Salvatori spends some time examining the artwork, before he realizes that he's really hungry. Erikkin might not notice me among the crowd at the bar. It's not like I have extremely distinctive hair. Salvatori walks around the stage to the Hatchet & Hearth bar. Once he gets there, he takes a seat at the end and waits for Alix to serve him. "Hey Alix, thanks for leading me around today. It was really helpful of you. Now, may I please have something to eat. I heard it's all free." Once he's served, Salvatori sits quietly and eats his food.

OOC: Moving from (H,R) to (G,D).

[Ascension]

Since Emilia seems a little too distracted by the festivities to make proper conversation, Henry amuses himself by watching the crowd. He is about to turn back to his date when out of the corner of his eye he catches a glimpse of a familiar figure by the serving table.

Magenta. That treacherous little elf... and from the look of things, her whole family was with her.

"What's she doing here?" he mutters under his breath.

*I've got a good thing going here, but if she meets Emilia... she could ruin it all.*

((OOC: If it's not clear already, Henry's at (R,N)))

[Annarrkkii]

Alix Lundgren

The dwarven server grins nervously as Salvatori flops down in a stool so close to her parents, but she hops dutifully down from her own ledge to retrieve his order. She returns with a crusty loaf, a thick slice of meat, and a uninspiring, if sizeable, serving of vegetables. Remembering his attitude from the morning, she serves him a mug of milk instead of the hearty ale her parents are drinking.

"Ahem.. er... you here alone, then, Salvatori? No friends? Or, eh, family?"

Alix fidgets impatiently with her apron pocket, the slip of paper between her fingers.

[Erikkin]

Salvatori:

Salvatori takes the food from Alix and thanks her as he starts to eat. Trying to be polite, Salvatori makes sure to not talk with his mouth full. "Well, my brother is here," Salvatori mentions and points to Erikkin standing by the art exhibit. "He just doesn't look very happy. He's hard enough to deal with when he's in a good mood, and I'm not actually supposed to be here. I'm supposed to still be at school, but the tuition was insane. I dropped out. My family's under enough stress as it is without having to pay exorbitant tuitions."

[Cespenar]

Baeln Athos

Starting to feel a little dry by the throat, Baeln gazes at the bars to see people ordering all kinds of liquors and drinks. For a minute or two, he hesitates between the options, but apparently decides to give in.

The guards are supposed to be humans too, aren't they?

With several long steps, Baeln approaches the bar of the "Prince of the Broken Hearts", and sets his gaze upon the halfling barmaid.

"Hi there. Do you by chance have anything without alcohol in it?"

Without a reason, or maybe because of the common awkward feelings that happen during social interactions, he feels the need to add:

"Not that I don't drink, you know, but I'm on guard duty."

[drum-n-bass]

Orin Oakenshield

Finishing his 2nd plate, Orin gets up to talk to Maelin Thank you for inviting me to this, and for the dinner suit. I have never been to this before and it is a great honor for me to be here. I won't waste your time so I'll be going. Orin says bowing to Maelin.

OOC(Orin started at m/s and moved to o/p)

[llamamushroom]

Demetrios

Demetrios walks over to the nearest table and sits down, taking in the sights and sounds while slowly digging into the plate of meat and vegetables.

The food is so rich here, he thinks to himself. What I wouldn't give for mother's tiropites.

Looking around, Demetrios sees Salvatori... twice? Oh, right. He mentioned a brother. I wonder which one it is.

He also notices the man that they'd met at the Baron's house, and wonders if Salvatori managed to meet with him in the end.

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Current position: At the table (H,D) - from (I,C)

[Don the Bastard]

Orin

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"You saved my life Orin, and for that I am greatful, you are a guest of honour here tonight. I am glad the suit fits well."

Luo

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Watches Julia performing.

Lumpy

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Goes about his duty behind the bar.

Updated map

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[ingenua]

Magenta Silverleaf

The Silverleaf children resume their chatter as soon as they arrive back at the table, barely stopping to take mouthfuls of food from time to time. From Arcil, who is happy to repeat the whole conversation, Magenta learns that the discussion so far has been about the decorations, the gardens, the artwork, the arts competition, the people looking at the art, those two red-haired men ("Just like that old dwarf and his daughter! I wonder if dwarves and mans can be in the same family?") and has just moved on to "Mummy looking so pretty tonight!"

Magenta gently disagrees with the former, pointing out that the dwarves have darker hair anyway. She smiles genially at the last topic, but her gaze stays on the odd group at the Hatchet and Hearth bar. Dwarf and his daughter ... they were called Lundgren, weren't they? She'd seen him around the lumber yards. The daughter she didn't know, but then again she'd never been to the Hatchet and Hearth. And the man sitting with them - now there is a coif she is sure she's never seen before. Bright cyan hair, in amongst the rest of that fire! She half-wonders if he's been cursed.

Her sister's conversation continues, until with a shock Magenta recognisees the words "Henry Halbrook, the Baron's son" and realises that Arcil has been naming the people at the long table for the edification of her young cousins. Odd that over a period of time, a name could become as familiar to her as her own... She tries to keep her face even, but anyway Arcil is oblivious to the consternation she has caused.

"And that's Emilia Alerdan he's with, that's Maelin's daughter! I wonder if they'll get married! Maybe they'll have a huuuge wedding and we can go!"

[Hoggy]

It didn't take long for Aralthan to find Eledius again - she was standing only a few metres away from him as he looked over the art on display. Slowly, he made his way over, still enthraled by the paintings. When he spoke, it was in elven, not the common tongue that could be head all around.

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"Hello again, Eledius Petros. A good day? It's been rather... interesting for me. Thankyou for making me aware of this festival."

[darkzucchini]

Dromm

Dromm fills another tankard with ale from the tap and sets it down on the counter. Business was looking slow this side of the pavilion, Artur would have to cut supply if he wanted to stay in business, that or think up a new strategy to attract customers.

Dromm takes a sip from the beer and eyes the large man talking to Nim on the far end of th counter. It was funny to see the two together, the strange man so tall that Nil, already standing on a bar stool, has to go up on the tip of her toes to hand the man his food.

Tipping the tankard to his lips once more, Dromm drains half of it in a gulp and slams it back on the table with a sigh of satisfaction. It really was a beautiful night, and quite an experience. Dromm had never been able to make it out for any festivals while living back in Dwurforge, and while the lords of the underworld had their fair share of parties and flings, none of them measured up to this, with its sense of decency and its air of respectability. A splendid building and gardens, magnificent art work, and, above all, the most beautiful music that he had ever heard. Truly an event to remember.

[llamamushroom]

Demetrios

Everywhere, there were people - happy pople, smiling people, everyone had something to do or talk about. Demetrios sat, looking at his half-finished plate. Everyone except me. I should go and talk to Salvatori - at leat I know him. He's probably at the bar with... Alix? The barmaid. But, if I go up to him, I'll probably end up just ruining his evening. Probably safer just to sit here and watch.

Letting his gaze pass over the festivities, Demetrios decides to go over to the stage and artwork. Picking up the plate, he walks past Salvatori and Alix, giving a half-heatred wave, and examines the artwork, listening to the music. It's nice, he thinks. There are some pretty things. Good music, too.

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From (H,D) to (C,J)

[Knubs]

Kavri

Kavri makes his way to the festival slowly. Shuffling and dragging his feet, he realizes he doesn't have much to be festive about. He enters the grounds from the east looking around at all of the happy people. His eyes linger on the discontent soldier, fully armored along with his huge longsword. Kavri's thin rapier dangles from his belt. His bow creaks ominously with the slightest movement, and his light shirt doesn't keep out the cold, much less sword blades. Yes, I am very prepared, he thinks to himself glumly. As he walks deeper into the festival, he spies Salvatori and Alix at the bar and smiles briefly when he sees Jacob playing cards and Julia onstage, but he quickly returns to feeling overwhelmed by his situation. Ugh, I need something to take my mind off of things... no, I just need something in general. He wanders aimlessly about the festival until he sees Demetrios looking at the art in a similar state of discontentment. Misery loves company...

"Hello Demetrios. You look like you're enjoying yourself about as much as the boar... I mean the cooked boar that everyone's eating. Are you eating any? I was going to get some food. What would you suggest?" I am actually pretty hungry come to think of it. If I'm not going to be festive, I might as well be full.

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Moved around but mainly (B,N) to (C,I)

[ColonelFuster]

Trent makes a slow circle to his right, around the edge of the pavillion. His eyes sweep the area as best as he knows how, and he sees a familiar face... one that viewed the lumber yards with some interest a while ago, with an otherworldly countenance and a quick smile. He eventually comes upon Magenta, and shows his own ragged smile while leaning heavily on his staff.
"Hail and well met, friend elf. Er... what is your name, again?"