Coming back from the wilderness, i found gideon and belfry at a table in the town square still trying to solve mathis' riddle. I tried to contribute as much as possible but certain seeming inconsistencies stumped us all. After a while Belfry excused herself for a moment, but gideon and i were still present when count ko and several other nobles and guardsmen escorted his majesty, king lycergis of dragonreach, through valbrough and toward the tavern, which was still closed as the kitchen staff completed the final preparations for the dragonfall feast.
Gideon took a knee though lycergis was still several stânjens away, and after a moment's hesitation so did i. Though i don't truly see the full benefits of ranked nobility and a monarchy, it is the political state of the land i am trying to call home and i will offer what respect i can muster until a reason arises that takes that respect away. Once the king and his entourage had passed by our location, and belfry had returned, the three of us approached the tavern but still stood a distance away, back behind the main cluster of people waiting to enter, next to some members of moonless nights.
Saro came toward us in a beautiful gown and we all gave her honest compliments. She admitted to being nervous of how to speak if she was asked to as a noble, so based on some of the speeches i've heard in my travels i offered to coach her through some basic toasts, and we rehearsed some very generic lines for a short speech. Her gratitude was evident and she seemed to calm down a considerable amount. Eventually mathis brought king lycergis and count ko and the bodyguard over to meet and speak with gideon and belfry, and i still stayed behind in the «shadows», though when aunt cyn also slowly approached us i circled around the group and took up a position behind her.
Finally the tavern doors opened and the herald announced the commencement of the feast, with the king entering first, then a delegation from the neighboring land of kalinthas, followed by the nobles, knights, other distinguished visitors to the kingdom, aunt cyn (despite her objection) as a former noble (and me by proxy as the only guild guardian currently on duty), and then, as gideon put it, «the rest of us rabble». All of us were asked to give up our weapons and lay them in a temporary armory set up just inside the tavern, to forestall any untoward violence during the feast. Everyone remained at the back end of the tavern for quite a while, standing and socialising, as members of the pride and other servers such as pyke offered us hors d'oeuvres, until after a while the herald asked us to begin taking our seats, and ushered his majesty and the nobles and ambassadors up to the front table.
As we took our seats naomi seemed to notice my discomfort, and asked after it. I explained that, though my clan often ate meals together, it was for familial bonding rather than for celebrating anything in particular. I had never been to a «feast» like this. She encouraged me to relax, express my feelings, and take part in the joviality as much as possible, because in a way this was celebrating the way that the adventuring community had become like a family. As she told me this, the servers came out and we were given wine before anything else, and the king spoke of remembering the old victory against bleak, honouring those who fought, remembering those who died, and we toasted. Count ko and sir mathis also spoke briefly but elegantly, and commander lukas finished the toasts with a more down-to-earth, «to dragonreach! empty your cups!»
Then we were served fresh garden salads with a variety of dressings, breads, potatoes, vegetable pies, onions and peppers. I actually cannot stress just how delicious these dishes were. I was given some strange looks by jane and arai at one point because i was using one of the dressings, a peppered garlic vinaigrette, on not only my salad but also the bread and potatoes. I was too embarrassed to explain that a very similar vinaigrette had been a rare delicacy in my childhood that i used to slather on everything, but not so embarrassed that i didn't keep eating it that way.
Finally the head chefs carried out a massive sow which had spent the day roasting in the huge broiler we all had seen behind the tavern. It, and the chefs, were met with resounding applause. While the master chef had the honour of cutting the pig and serving it to the nobles, the pride served the rest of us with not only sections of the sow but also roasted chicken. To top off the evening, we were treated to a variety of delightful not-too-sweet desserts, among them fruit-topped cheese custard pies and an exotic dessert called tiramisu, which i was too alarmed by the sound of to try but was met with great appreciation by many of the other guests.
Somewhere in the midst of our desserts one of the waitstaff came out of the kitchen and stood at our end of the tavern (arai and i were at the end of one of the long side tables) as though waiting to address the king. I did not realise anything was amiss until other adventurers starting jumping up out of their seats and rushing back to the temporary armory to retrieve their weapons. When i looked around and then up at the waitstaff member, i confess i was petrified upon realising that it (he?) was a mindflare.
But the creature made no move to attack and insisted that he was here to try and offer peace, a treaty, a truce. King lycergis summoned his sword and energy visibly crackled throughout the tavern, then at the king's direction count ko and sir mathis made their way to the «front» and had a somewhat more muted conversation, a negotiations of sorts. I remained in place and didn't hear most of what was said, but it appeared the mindflare, a representative of the illithid, was promising no more attacks in exchange for something.
Sir mathis seemed to have the authority to accept the agreement and he and lord lukas and a few others escorted the illithid out (but not before the illithid asked, and i am not certain whether he was joking, whether any of us needed more refreshments or additional desserts). I believe their ultimate intention was to see where the illithid returned to. After they left the building i finally unfroze long enough to grab my swords and took up a temporary position just outside the tavern, until sir mathis returned to tell us the creature had rifted away, and aunt cyn came out to ask us all on behalf of king lycergis to come back in and resume the celebrations.
Then we were served fresh garden salads with a variety of dressings, breads, potatoes, vegetable pies, onions and peppers. I actually cannot stress just how delicious these dishes were. I was given some strange looks by jane and arai at one point because i was using one of the dressings, a peppered garlic vinaigrette, on not only my salad but also the bread and potatoes. I was too embarrassed to explain that a very similar vinaigrette had been a rare delicacy in my childhood that i used to slather on everything, but not so embarrassed that i didn't keep eating it that way.
Finally the head chefs carried out a massive sow which had spent the day roasting in the huge broiler we all had seen behind the tavern. It, and the chefs, were met with resounding applause. While the master chef had the honour of cutting the pig and serving it to the nobles, the pride served the rest of us with not only sections of the sow but also roasted chicken. To top off the evening, we were treated to a variety of delightful not-too-sweet desserts, among them fruit-topped cheese custard pies and an exotic dessert called tiramisu, which i was too alarmed by the sound of to try but was met with great appreciation by many of the other guests.
Somewhere in the midst of our desserts one of the waitstaff came out of the kitchen and stood at our end of the tavern (arai and i were at the end of one of the long side tables) as though waiting to address the king. I did not realise anything was amiss until other adventurers starting jumping up out of their seats and rushing back to the temporary armory to retrieve their weapons. When i looked around and then up at the waitstaff member, i confess i was petrified upon realising that it (he?) was a mindflare.
But the creature made no move to attack and insisted that he was here to try and offer peace, a treaty, a truce. King lycergis summoned his sword and energy visibly crackled throughout the tavern, then at the king's direction count ko and sir mathis made their way to the «front» and had a somewhat more muted conversation, a negotiations of sorts. I remained in place and didn't hear most of what was said, but it appeared the mindflare, a representative of the illithid, was promising no more attacks in exchange for something.
Sir mathis seemed to have the authority to accept the agreement and he and lord lukas and a few others escorted the illithid out (but not before the illithid asked, and i am not certain whether he was joking, whether any of us needed more refreshments or additional desserts). I believe their ultimate intention was to see where the illithid returned to. After they left the building i finally unfroze long enough to grab my swords and took up a temporary position just outside the tavern, until sir mathis returned to tell us the creature had rifted away, and aunt cyn came out to ask us all on behalf of king lycergis to come back in and resume the celebrations.
Since there had actually been no combat or injury or loss of life - and the nobles and warriors of the realm had given all the pride and our other local waitstaff enslavement antidotes in case the illithid had enslaved them and not merely fooled them with his illusion of normal humanoid appearance - it was actually not too difficult to get everyone back into a celebrating mood. Sir mathis asked for those who would be participating in the bardic competition as well as any submissions for the crafting competition. I had been toying with the idea of offering my voice to the bardic competition but was still a little surprised at myself for standing and volunteering to go first. I do not believe anyone in dragonreach, except perhaps ardos an extremely long time ago, has ever heard me sing.
I prefaced my song with a general bow at king lycergis and the nobles, and then explained, «i actually came to these lands six piszots ago specifically because i heard of the bravery of the adventurers, the nobles, and the knights in facing bleak. As many of you know, my people the selunari are given to wanderlust, and among my clan, the deorsa, this is a lullaby our children often hear, which reminds us that our travels and new experiences are never really over as long as life goes on. We never forget those who have gone before us, or who have fallen in combat, while we journey on.»⁽¹⁾
I prefaced my song with a general bow at king lycergis and the nobles, and then explained, «i actually came to these lands six piszots ago specifically because i heard of the bravery of the adventurers, the nobles, and the knights in facing bleak. As many of you know, my people the selunari are given to wanderlust, and among my clan, the deorsa, this is a lullaby our children often hear, which reminds us that our travels and new experiences are never really over as long as life goes on. We never forget those who have gone before us, or who have fallen in combat, while we journey on.»⁽¹⁾
to all the travellers,pilgrims longing for a home,from one who walks with youon this journey called life's road -it is a long and winding road;
from one who's seen the viewand dreamt of staying on the mountains highand one who's cried like youand wanted sometimes just to lay down and die,i offer this - we must remember this:
we are not home yetwe are not home yetkeep on looking aheadlet your heart not forgetwe are not home yetnot home yet
so close your eyes with meand hear the family saying "welcome home"and let us find our strengthand all our promises to carry onthen let us journey on and let us not forget:
we are not home yetwe are not home yetkeep on looking aheadlet your heart not forget
we are not home yetwe are not home yetkeep on looking aheadlet your heart not forgetwe are not home yet --not home yet.⁽¹⁾
I was actually honoured and touched to see that many of the nobles looked very pensive and thoughtful during the performance. I honestly did not know how it would be received but the entire assemblage applauded when i was done.
The moonless nights performed «the mostly true tale of bleak», which i understand has become a tradition the last few years since the dragonfall festival was installed by lycergis. They, and i, were the only entries into the bardic competition, so instead of awarding a winner, his majesty simply asked us all to approach the front table and honoured every one of us with a patronage of coins and gems. Likewise, blue was the only person who had brought something to be submitted for the crafting competition (saro had as well but after seeing blue's drawing of lycergis and the dragon, done with coloured ash sticks, she deemed her own submission «too crappy» to contend and withdrew), and was suitably rewarded.
Shortly thereafter, aunt cyn signalled me over to her seat near the front of the tavern and personally introduced me to king lycergis, which surprised me a bit, until i realised she was doing so in my capacity as a guardian of the earth healers' guild. The king was a patron of the healing house and wanted to see how it was faring, so aunt cyn, jotai, and myself led the king (followed at a distance by his bodyguard) across the town square toward the yurt, where aunt cyn had already re-lit the candles for the evening.
The preparations that aunt cyn and i had made were well-received. The pennants of the earth guild, of dragonreach, of county koroshi, the night riders, the emerald flame, the pride, the iranis, and of forgotten hope hung around the entire yurt. And although apparently aunt cyn had had occasion to enter and use the resurrection circle that afternoon while i had been away meditating, it remained organised and well-decorated and comfortable. She believes (sensibly) that a person who must be resurrected should be returned to mortal coil in comfortable surroundings, which includes a number of robes since most people don't have their bodies reform with clothes on.
King lycergis was quite pleased to see the earth guild was doing well and was still so warm and inviting, and commented in particular to aunt cyn while i was near enough to hear that «it reminds me of time spent here in my youth.» Having won the praise of the king for aunt cyn and her healers, the five of us returned cautiously through the dark back to the hall of heroes where his majesty could be situated comfortably at his head table again and watch the remaining festivities.
As for myself, aunt cyn knew that i would be checking on some of my veterinary clients in onothera the following day, so she was not surprised when i said i would have to make the walk back to the capital myself immediately. As always she simply adjured me to remain safe, and I promised I would and left her with a hug. The biggest benefit of having so little in the way of material possessions is that I could simply return to the healing house, pack up my bedding and my single taming bag, and head down the main road out of valbrough in the quiet of the forest night.
The preparations that aunt cyn and i had made were well-received. The pennants of the earth guild, of dragonreach, of county koroshi, the night riders, the emerald flame, the pride, the iranis, and of forgotten hope hung around the entire yurt. And although apparently aunt cyn had had occasion to enter and use the resurrection circle that afternoon while i had been away meditating, it remained organised and well-decorated and comfortable. She believes (sensibly) that a person who must be resurrected should be returned to mortal coil in comfortable surroundings, which includes a number of robes since most people don't have their bodies reform with clothes on.
King lycergis was quite pleased to see the earth guild was doing well and was still so warm and inviting, and commented in particular to aunt cyn while i was near enough to hear that «it reminds me of time spent here in my youth.» Having won the praise of the king for aunt cyn and her healers, the five of us returned cautiously through the dark back to the hall of heroes where his majesty could be situated comfortably at his head table again and watch the remaining festivities.
As for myself, aunt cyn knew that i would be checking on some of my veterinary clients in onothera the following day, so she was not surprised when i said i would have to make the walk back to the capital myself immediately. As always she simply adjured me to remain safe, and I promised I would and left her with a hug. The biggest benefit of having so little in the way of material possessions is that I could simply return to the healing house, pack up my bedding and my single taming bag, and head down the main road out of valbrough in the quiet of the forest night.
(1) The song I presented for the Dragonfall Bardic Festival is a modification of the 1997 song "Not Home Yet" by Steven Curtis Chapman. In Alliance LARP there is no religion and no mention of religions, so I modified some lyrics and omitted others. The original song can be heard on YouTube here.
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