A Certain Flash of Inspiration [Completed]

Fellsgard is the foundation of Khy'eras' history and through reconstruction, it is now a vibrant and lively city. People reside here due to mild climate, opportunities, and safety and stability. Adventures often start from Fellsgard. Read more...
User avatar
Raen Silver
Character
Almá/Bard
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
17 / 17 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Bard
Posts: 48
Joined: October 18th, 2019, 10:05 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Raen Silver »

"Sweet lady, I can do much better! That carving is indeed of the Vine Bear: The Olba Morco, in Elvish." He said, waving his hand to Raya to bring more wine, ignoring her sullen eye roll. "For that is actually Denmo, the mighty Kerasoka warrior. It is told that he was a great hero, winning many battles in the great war! He stoof eight feet tall, and was as heavy as a horse. There was power in his eyes, such that the servants of the great foe would flee in terror. He would roar in battle, and it would lift the hearts of those around him, even when all was thought to be lost."

Raya came and dropped off the bottle, which Raen immediately began sharing out. "And he was the most handsome of his kin, due to wed a princess when the fighting was done. But it was not meant to be, for such was his determination to defend the land from the savagery of the Great Enemy, Ixaziel interceded when an arrow struck Denmo in the heart, and he was sure to die. The great God of the Wilds did choose the dying Elf as his champion, and took his dying body in his hands, and then his form did change. Denmo cried out in pain, but soon, that cry became a most ferocious roar, and Denmo was reborn, as the Olba Morco, Árato {champion} of Ixaziel. They say that, even today, long after even the oldest of elves has ever lived, he continues to stalk the wilds in his Great Hunt for any who would harm the lands so blessed. But, he would roar in anguish now and then, at the loss of the life and loves he had, bound to serve only Ixaziel, and never speaking again."

Raen raised his cup. "To Denmo; may he one day be filled with love, and get his princess."
Word count: 319
Image

"There is no greater gift than that of verse well given."
User avatar
Vanessa LaNore
Character
Seeker of Legends
Level
02
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 60c
Race: Fae and Human
Class: Bard and Summoner
Posts: 99
Joined: October 14th, 2019, 3:30 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Vanessa LaNore »

Vanessa mouthed the name when Raen spoke it. She listened intently, leaning onto the table and hanging on his every word with an eagerness that seemed entire;y at odds with her prior detachment. She continued to mouth bits and pieces of Raen’s tale, committing them to memory as her fingers dashed across the tabletop in delicate swipes.

When the bard had finished his tale Vanessa joined him in toast, “To the Unbroken, may they find their longing and lay to rest,” she added. When she’d completed her sip she offered Raen a bright but small smile. “I’ve heard of several of Ixaziel’s chosen in my travels. I’ve always wondered why they didn’t choose to make the champions more prominent. They would have surely turned the tides much quicker.”

She looked above the bard, her eyes going distant but sparkling brightly as she mused. “Perhaps I’ll hire one of the fabled deep rangers to guide me to Olba Morco’s hunting grounds and seek an audience. It would be a wondrous pleasure to see him in the vine,” she said, before chuckling at her own little joke.

“I fear you’ll tell me all the good tales early to keep me around Bard Raen. Shall I offer you one in exchange?” she asked him looking over her wine at him, her eyes returning slowly to a soft smoldering.
Word count: 235
User avatar
Raen Silver
Character
Almá/Bard
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
17 / 17 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Bard
Posts: 48
Joined: October 18th, 2019, 10:05 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Raen Silver »

"What manner of man would I be to refuse such an offer from such a lady?" Raen said, inclining his head. "I would consider it the deepest of honours. To share art is alike to sharing one's body, but much more profound."

He sat back, eager and willing to listen. True to form for perhaps any bard worthy of the name, he was as eager as she to listen. Maybe she would give him something to sing of?

"The floor is yours, my lady."
Word count: 84
Image

"There is no greater gift than that of verse well given."
User avatar
Vanessa LaNore
Character
Seeker of Legends
Level
02
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 60c
Race: Fae and Human
Class: Bard and Summoner
Posts: 99
Joined: October 14th, 2019, 3:30 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Vanessa LaNore »

She grinned into her cup when he made mention of sharing bodies. ‘Bards are terribly predictable, but at least he’s got stories,’ she thought as she adopted a thoughtful expression. “I’ve many to tell, and I don’t want to ruin your appetite. Perhaps one of the simpler tales,” she said tapping at her cheek with a single long delicate finger. Then a spark flicked across her face and she placed her hands onto the table spread wide. Her expression settled into a teasing smile, her performer’s mask, as her eyes began to sparkle.

“I will tell the tale of Kip the mewling as it is one Sir Archibald does not know,” she said with an air of mystery about her. “Long ago, deep in the mountains of the Irtuen Reaches, there was a small village by the name of Wheelhome,” she began, her hands moving in small motions as if she was directing magic but none appeared. “It was a simple place, filled with hardy folk who worked the stone and soil. Each winter the snows would come, banishing the people to their hearths lest the cold wind take their bones.”

She continued to move her hands, weaving an unseen magic but there was an infinitesimally faint shivering in her palms. “When the spring sun came the people would shout and cheer, bringing out the finest foods and drink to greet their release from the cold spectre. It was at this joyous festival that a runtling kitten was found sneaking into the cheese and fruits.” Vanessa’s eyes began to move and shift, their growing glow becoming almost luminous.

“The people were overjoyed that such a small and delicate creature had survived the harshness of the mountain. They named him Kip, for his size, and gave him his feel. Children sang his praises and adults cheered his resilience. He was truly a sign of the people of Wheelhome own strength.” The shimmer between her hands began to drift and move as if a squirming creature.

“Kip grew to be a young and brave cat, going on all manner of adventure with the young and defending the homes from vermin in the night. When he was not besting troublesome beasts he would rest in the sunshine, accepting attentions from any villager that passed.” The squirming shimmer shrank and settled as if pleased by the tale. Vanessa continued to work her hands around it, keeping it small and hidden from most eyes.

“So it came to pass that the joy of our story ends. A great terror of the world, a mountain wyrm of ice and snow, came down from the deep Reaches. It writhed and wrecked, sweeping around the village to consume all it could reach. Kip, ever brave, attacked the beast, striking at it with hiss and claw. The wyrm took pause, fascinated by a creature so small that would challenge it.”

The shimmer pulsed softly and Vanessa frowned for a fraction of an instant before restoring her performer’s mask. “The wyrm looked down on Kip in all his ineffectual fury and made an offer. ‘I will grant you life eternal as a guardian spirit, that you might protect and guide those who need you.’ Kip grew still, understanding finally he could not save his village. He thought, twirling and mewling in the way a cat does. Then he nodded, bowing his head to the might of the wyrm.”

“And so it came to pass, Kip the eternal spirit was born, gifted with the strength to live on and protect those who need it most,” she finished, closing her hands slowly, forcing the shimmering to fade away. Her eyes shone one final time, a small spark spinning around the burning light before they faded back to a soft smolder.

Vanessa nodded as her story finished and took her glass to enjoy another slow sip of the flavorful wine. “Tis the most important story I know bard Raen. One of my own in all but time,” she said before taking another pleasant sip.
Last edited by Vanessa LaNore on October 28th, 2019, 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Word count: 677
User avatar
Raen Silver
Character
Almá/Bard
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
17 / 17 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Bard
Posts: 48
Joined: October 18th, 2019, 10:05 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Raen Silver »

Raen was completely silent for the length of her tale, which was highly unusual for him, watching her as the wove the threads of her story so expertly. When she concluded, he sat back and raised his cup again. "To Kip the Mighty!" He took a drink, then set it down.

"Truly you are a master of your craft. You should consider a patronage from one of the great Houses; I hear they sponsor bards so that they might be their personal performers, playing to the wealthy and powerful." He cocked his head though, looking at her. "Something tells me that you wouldn't be happy sitting in any hall for the rest of your days, no matter how lavish the setting."

He glanced around as the Hart had started to get busier. "Soon it will be time for me to perform. Should you wish to, you should perform for these poor Elves, and move their souls as you have moved mine, my lady." He smiled. "Anything you earn, copper or silver, ten percent goes to the Hart, the rest is yours. I will sing three songs for them, a lament, a jog, then something just for you," he winked. "I hope you will say yes?"
Word count: 205
Image

"There is no greater gift than that of verse well given."
User avatar
Vanessa LaNore
Character
Seeker of Legends
Level
02
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 60c
Race: Fae and Human
Class: Bard and Summoner
Posts: 99
Joined: October 14th, 2019, 3:30 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Vanessa LaNore »

Vanessa raised her glass, “To his eternal watch,” she added with her toast. She was doing quite a lot of toasting for one day. “Despite your appreciations Herú Bard, I am a researcher first and foremost and a recounter a distant second,” Vanessa said to his heaping of praise upon her.

“You truly must sing less of my praises, lest I be tempted to stay beyond the hours. Though I will gladly join you this evening to both enjoy and offer a song,” Vanessa smiled as she said the words. It wasn’t often an established performer offered to share their stage. Even rarer they didn’t demand a cut or fee without promise of recompense.

“You best not be making promises you can’t keep. I expect my song to be worth the hours. I’m not simply here to dine and drink after all,” she cleared her expression as she spoke, but her eyes continued to carry the smile faintly. She turned her attention away from him for a moment to trace the markings of the vine bear again onto the table. She could feel the itching need to release her magics. Kip was a very demanding companion.
Word count: 200
User avatar
Raen Silver
Character
Almá/Bard
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
17 / 17 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Bard
Posts: 48
Joined: October 18th, 2019, 10:05 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Raen Silver »

"I would be happy to oblige, Herí." Raen said, with a polite incline of his head.

Getting up, the young Elf grabbed his lute, gave her a wink and headed for the stage. The stage was small, and at first,, all he did was sit there and play the odd note, hum a little, play again. The effect was apparent; eventually, as the notes and humming grew more consistent, the tavern grew quieter.

When it seemed just quiet enough, Raen looked up, flashing his smile across the room. "Suil nésa -ye hanno." he said, {Good evening sisters and brothers}. "I am truly blessed with such a most beautiful and delicious looking crowd. Some of you might even get eaten alive tonight ... if you're lucky."

The crowd laughed at his rather lame joke.

"What Elf could ask for more, than for a room full of such wonder and brilliance than the Kerasoka kin!"

That brought a cheer, with many raising their cups.

"I had thought to sing a song, about a girl I have met, but I doubt any of you want to ..."

Calls of 'no!' and boos range from the collected people, and Raen smiled. It was obviously the reaction he was wanting. He held up his hand, and the room fell quiet. "Very well! For you dear people, my soul I shall bare!"

He spend a while plucking at the strings of his lute, bring a pleasing melody that soothed and had people swaying in their seats.

And then, he began to sing in Elvish. His voice was neither high nor low, but clear as crystal. It was his gift.

“On a fortuitous morn, did I meet a Fae,
A master of art, the crowd she did sway.
With nimble hands so aptly deft,
Taking hearts, in sweetest theft.
And honoured am I to be at her side,
To converse to commune, my heart must have died!
For tis surely the heavens in which I reside!
For when she is gone, surely I’ll mourn.
The sweetest of ladies, my heart would be torn.”


After he finished the last word, his hands thrummed a final note and he bowed his head. The folk of the tavern cheered his name and applauded.

Making his way from the stage, he slid back into his seat beside Vanessa, he gave her a bright smile. "I hope that pleased you, Herí?"
Word count: 400
Image

"There is no greater gift than that of verse well given."
User avatar
Vanessa LaNore
Character
Seeker of Legends
Level
02
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 60c
Race: Fae and Human
Class: Bard and Summoner
Posts: 99
Joined: October 14th, 2019, 3:30 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Vanessa LaNore »

Vanessa watched the bard’s act with keen interest. He clearly was a familiar and respected face if even the mere suggestion of beginning a performance was enough to draw interested silence. When he started to sing she understood why. His voice was beautiful, without flaw or undesired fluctuation. She felt a slight heat in her cheeks as the words went on. She was used to such ridiculous displays, bards were perhaps famous for them, and professions of love were not remotely uncommon to compete with.

When Raen returned to the table she gave him a strongly raised eyebrow and tried for a moment to keep the laughter from her features. “It was certainly a classic in the making. I wasn’t aware you could make such a beautiful sound,” she said, finally letting the smile leak through. “Might I respond in turn? And would it be possible to allow the faintest of the arts?” she asked, letting her voice drop and leaning in to whisper the last part in his long ear.

When he assented she rose gracefully and patted her legs before heading up to the stage. She stepped up and moved into the center of the raised area. “<<Hello everyone, I appear to have been summoned, and so I will abide,>>" she said in a lilting Kerasokan. <<”I must first promise you that what you are about to witness is naught but a dream. Something found in the bottom of your cup, thoughts driven mad by the ministrations of your resident Bard,”>> Vanessa said looking faintly nervous.

She clapped her hands, the sound reverberating oddly around the room. When she opened them light spilled forth, shimmering and sparkling with glowing desire. It was faint, almost like flowing colored glass. She moved her hands and weaved the magics, guiding them to form a scene behind her of deeply wooded forest that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. It shimmered and drifted, shifting slightly but not uncomfortably so.

Vanessa gave a slow twirl in front of the scene and then began to sing. Her voice was a light and lilting soprano. As she sang a small creature appeared over her shoulder. It was a tiny dragon, made of purest water, and it curled around her neck to sway to the song.

“Come my love our world's may part,
The gods will guide us across the dark.
Come with me and be mine my love,
Stay and break my heart.

From the shores through the ancient mist,
You bear the mark of my fae kiss.
Clear the way, I will take you home
To eternal bliss.

Oh, come beyond the ancient grey,
Oh, come with me to lands of fae.

Far away from the land you knew,
The dawn of day reaches out to you.
Though it feels like a fairy tale,
All of this is true.

Run with me, have a look around.
We build our life of a sacred ground.
Come my love, our world's may part,
We'll be safe and sound.

Oh, come beyond the ancient grey,
Oh, come with me to lands of fae.

Time won't follow the path we came.
The world you left, it forgot your name.
Stay with me and be mine my love,
Spare my heart the pain.

Oh, come beyond the ancient grey,
Oh, come with me to lands of fae.
Come with me to lands of fae.”


As her last word faded so too did the scene behind her turn to mist. She didn’t want to look at the people around her, instead offering Kip a gentle pat and stepping off the stage.
Word count: 616
User avatar
Raen Silver
Character
Almá/Bard
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
17 / 17 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Kerasoka
Class: Bard
Posts: 48
Joined: October 18th, 2019, 10:05 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Raen Silver »

The Kelbé patrons watched in silence as Vanessa performed, a stark difference between that and the cheering crowds on the street. But in their faces was only interest and wonder.

Raen was happily jealous! His eyes shone with wonder as she sang. He was more brash than the others, and had to fight down the urge to cheer as he was wont, but he didn't want to break the spell this bard was casting over his audience. Had he not respected her as much, his jealousy might have gotten the better of him.

As her song concluded, there was a polite round of applause. It might have seemed tepid, were if not for the folk who started heading to the stage and dropping coin before her. Quite a lot, in fact. It was mostly copper, as the Elves here were hardly wealthy, but a few silver bits gleamed in the candle light.

Raya was stood beside Raen's table, the serving girl also taken in by the performance and had not moved as Vanessa had sang. At the conclusion, she sighed: "That was beautiful!" She said, wistfully.

Raen nodded. "If she were an Elf, I;d have been sick with jealousy by now. I rather think she's make a good addition to the place; a regular spot on the stage."

The young Elf laughed and dropped another bottle on Raen and Vanessa's table. "Raen Silver; happy to have competition! She might even replace you! That would please me no end."

But he laughed, shooing her away. "Begone, you teasing little beats! I have a fellow artist to congratulate.".

When Vanessa finally made it back to his table (after receiving many a 'thank you' and 'well done' from the patrons), Raen rose and gave a deep bow. "That was simply marvellous! You had the whole place in the palm of your hand, my dear Vanessa! I hope and pray to Ahm'kela that that will not be your first and last performance here? Please, have some wine to celebrate. You won the hearts of a most difficult crowd. A most magnificent achievement, my lady."
Word count: 351
Image

"There is no greater gift than that of verse well given."
User avatar
Vanessa LaNore
Character
Seeker of Legends
Level
02
24 / 24 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 60c
Race: Fae and Human
Class: Bard and Summoner
Posts: 99
Joined: October 14th, 2019, 3:30 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: [Open] A Certain Flash of Inspiration

Post by Vanessa LaNore »

She had almost started back towards Raen, the butterflies in her stomach set to explode, when she realized people were thanking her and dropping coin on the edge of the stage. Kip, ever the greedy, had darted down and was collecting the coins into a small pile so that he might lay upon them. The patrons began to set their coins around the water dragon and at least one brave elf even offered him a pat on the head.

Vanessa balked for a moment, realizing they had not been silent from disapproval but from appreciation. She quickly regained herself and stacked several of the coins into piles to Kips insistent protest. It only took her a few moments and she had the necessary percentage set aside. She scooped the rest into a coin pouch and left the remaining coins in a neat pile at the side of the stage. Then she made a slow retreat to her bard companion, nodding and returning thanks along the way.

He bowed for her, rather deeply, and she flushed faintly again. She accepted the wine he offered and settled back into the chair. Using magic so deftly always left her faintly out of breath. After a sip of wine and a moment to collect herself she offered Raen a smile. “If the patrons are even a quarter this generous regularly I fear I might be tempted to retire to eternal research after merely a few evenings Bard Raen,” she said as her eyes shined over her cup.

Kip, eager to bask in his spotlight, was doing deft hops from table to table, accepting petting and coos of delight. As he was a spirit, and a summoned one at that, he had no interest in peoples food or drink. He simply craved attention and praise, as all cats do. Vanessa watched him out of the corner of her eye, ready to banish him home if he became a nuisance.
Word count: 324
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests