A week has passed since the troublesome outlaws had been dealt with. Not a whisper of the Dustborn has been heard, and not a single sighting of them has been reported since the courageous Bloodcast cut them down and chased the stragglers off. The Mayor, overjoyous with the results, has been hard at work with setting up a fair of the ages in his humble town. The Bloodcast had barely sat back down in their assorted living rooms before the hefty Von Redwood had gotten his invitations sent their way. "Dear Ser," The letter states with fine cursive, "Words cannot express how happy I am to have my dearest Erika back, and in hindsight I do not believe you were justly rewarded. I therefore invite you and your comrades to return to the town that is so very grateful for your brave deeds. You see, dear Ser, our annual summerfest is almost here, and I'd like to dedicate this year's festivities to you all! It will be the greatest party you've been to, and that is guaranteed. I sincerely hope to see you all there, and wish the Spirit's blessings upon you all." Signed and sealed, The Mayor.
The letter took many by surprise, and Lazarus Lupenzi was quick to gather his knights to discuss their priorities. There was an argument made for the rise of violence in Old Town requiring their attention, but the prospect of free booze and a weekend of partying had the strongest rhetoric among the more festive knights. And with that they packed their bags and made off for the docks.
The welcoming committee in Dragenthal warmed the hearts of every knight as they disembarked. Somewhere around two hundred to four hundred people had shown up at the docks, waving red banners and applauding while the Bloodcast made their way through the crowd, offering waves and bright smiles to the happy townspeople. The city had changed since they were there last, the streets were swept clean and fresh flowers were planted in every window, pot and storefront they could see. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. As the knights made their way through a square they'd take note of eight halberds towering over the people that are slowly making their way towards them. It quickly becomes apparent that it is the mayor and his guards. "Heroes! Heroes!!" He calls out with a booming laugh, his arms held out as he went to offer each and every knight a warm embrace of their own. "Oh how happy I am to see you all here! The whole town has been hard at work to make sure this is the grandest fair ever seen in our lifetimes! My daughter Erika is quite shaken still, but she would not stop pleading me to set up all this for you, I hope that it will live up to expectation! Come, come, let me show you the fairgrounds!" The jolly, portly man hollers out, beckoning the heroes along through the busy streets of his city.
The Mayor leads the group into a grassy field filled to the brim with benches, tables, refreshments and pretty decorations. There are some people are filing in as the knights arrive, and some stagehands work on a podium while the Mayor entertains the Bloodcast contingent with smalltalk and beer. Some hours quickly pass as it turns out the Mayor is a world class banter machine, rarely a minute going by without him saying something that exercises the group's smiling muscles. Suddenly the Mayor gets up on his feet, shuffling on up to the stage. The chatter of the townsfolk quietens as they see their portly mayor step up to his pulpit, the wood creaking below him. "What a beautiful summer's eve the Spirit has granted us for this first day of our festival, my dear friends! How lucky our heroes are to get to experience these exciting days with such blessed weather in the skies! Oh, yes, you must've all noticed by now, I have invited the brave souls who rescued my Erika and who I have made my guests of honour AND the people whom I wish to dedicate this year's festival to! A true accolade to bring back with you to the Crown Isle, Ser Lazarus and friends.. Bah! My apologies, I seem to be stalling the moment you've all been waiting for! I hereby declare the summer festival officially opened! Let the beer glow and your smiles grow!" The Mayor announces, laughing heartily as he steps down from the stage. Musicians quickly take his place and so the party begins.
Children giggle among themselves during the early hours of the evening, shyly looking towards the knights sat at their table. A lone girl bravely steps away from the flock, the others swiftly following suit. Dandelion wreaths are rested up on the heads of the Bloodcast, the children laugh and playfully shove at eachother as they run back to where they came from. Nearby onlookers and the knights themselves share in the children's laughter, shaking their heads at the silly antics. The band plays on, bringing the commonfolk into merry dances out in the cleared field while others sit on the sidelines, laughing and singing for hours. A little fanfare blares out after a good while of merriments, and with it the music dies down, the musicians clearing the stage. Confused mutterings spread through the crowd as stagehands shift around mysteriously. Loud jeering commences as all of a sudden a dastardly, swarthy man with a beer belly struts out into the light, holding a girl under his arm while laughing at the audience. "Bahaha! You fools think you are a match to me?" The actor scoffs, waving dismissively at the crowd before slapping the girl over the head which only sends the audience into a greater fury. The crowd's anger soon turns hopeful however, the clacking of coconuts from beneath the stage being sounded off as crimson-cloaked men on stickhorses donning painted buckets on their heads and wooden swords on their waists 'ride' out into view. The silly appearance of the knights elicits a good bout of laughter from the bloodcast's table, some of them jokingly identifying eachother among the actors. "Ahh! No!" The bandit wails, "You- You idiots! My men will be here any second!" One of the bucket knights chucks a ball with an attached wig to the feet of the bandit. "They were!" he says, causing the bandit to let out an effeminate shriek. "Tally-ho, lads!" The same knight calls out as him and his retinue skip out to the bandit, their wooden swords held high. "Take that, you bastard!" Another shouts, feinting whacks over the head of the thug. The knights take turns hitting the man until he lets go of the girl. "Ow, fuck, stop it, Gunther.." The bloodcast would likely catch coming from a muffled source up on stage. "Oh, my heroes!" The 'girl' who clearly is in her thirties calls out to the audience, her hands resting over her heart as she turns her gaze to the brave bucket knights. The peasantry are up on their feet, enthusiastically cheering on the make-belief knights as they defeat the rapscallion. Truly a rollercoaster of emotions. Such high culture you'll be hard pressed to find in Regalia. The bandit rolls over on his back, drawing red pieces of cloth out from his shirt, emitting exaggerated groans as he perishes. A victorious fanfare plays as the knights take a bow for the audience, skipping on away from the stage while the audience's cheers are at their loudest.
The bitesized play had stolen their attention for quite some time. So much so that they have barely noticed how much they've had to drink. Things grow fuzzier by the minute. Some have been pulled out to dance with the peasants, while others acquaint themselves with the locals through the infamous dragenthaler tradition of spewing into a bush. And the worst of it all, it isn't even midnight yet. The Bloodcast of the Crown Isle have one hell of a night ready for them. The next morning is wrought with mysteries of what had happened during their night of drunken revelries, but exactly what that is is up to imagination.
The letter took many by surprise, and Lazarus Lupenzi was quick to gather his knights to discuss their priorities. There was an argument made for the rise of violence in Old Town requiring their attention, but the prospect of free booze and a weekend of partying had the strongest rhetoric among the more festive knights. And with that they packed their bags and made off for the docks.
The welcoming committee in Dragenthal warmed the hearts of every knight as they disembarked. Somewhere around two hundred to four hundred people had shown up at the docks, waving red banners and applauding while the Bloodcast made their way through the crowd, offering waves and bright smiles to the happy townspeople. The city had changed since they were there last, the streets were swept clean and fresh flowers were planted in every window, pot and storefront they could see. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. As the knights made their way through a square they'd take note of eight halberds towering over the people that are slowly making their way towards them. It quickly becomes apparent that it is the mayor and his guards. "Heroes! Heroes!!" He calls out with a booming laugh, his arms held out as he went to offer each and every knight a warm embrace of their own. "Oh how happy I am to see you all here! The whole town has been hard at work to make sure this is the grandest fair ever seen in our lifetimes! My daughter Erika is quite shaken still, but she would not stop pleading me to set up all this for you, I hope that it will live up to expectation! Come, come, let me show you the fairgrounds!" The jolly, portly man hollers out, beckoning the heroes along through the busy streets of his city.
The Mayor leads the group into a grassy field filled to the brim with benches, tables, refreshments and pretty decorations. There are some people are filing in as the knights arrive, and some stagehands work on a podium while the Mayor entertains the Bloodcast contingent with smalltalk and beer. Some hours quickly pass as it turns out the Mayor is a world class banter machine, rarely a minute going by without him saying something that exercises the group's smiling muscles. Suddenly the Mayor gets up on his feet, shuffling on up to the stage. The chatter of the townsfolk quietens as they see their portly mayor step up to his pulpit, the wood creaking below him. "What a beautiful summer's eve the Spirit has granted us for this first day of our festival, my dear friends! How lucky our heroes are to get to experience these exciting days with such blessed weather in the skies! Oh, yes, you must've all noticed by now, I have invited the brave souls who rescued my Erika and who I have made my guests of honour AND the people whom I wish to dedicate this year's festival to! A true accolade to bring back with you to the Crown Isle, Ser Lazarus and friends.. Bah! My apologies, I seem to be stalling the moment you've all been waiting for! I hereby declare the summer festival officially opened! Let the beer glow and your smiles grow!" The Mayor announces, laughing heartily as he steps down from the stage. Musicians quickly take his place and so the party begins.
Children giggle among themselves during the early hours of the evening, shyly looking towards the knights sat at their table. A lone girl bravely steps away from the flock, the others swiftly following suit. Dandelion wreaths are rested up on the heads of the Bloodcast, the children laugh and playfully shove at eachother as they run back to where they came from. Nearby onlookers and the knights themselves share in the children's laughter, shaking their heads at the silly antics. The band plays on, bringing the commonfolk into merry dances out in the cleared field while others sit on the sidelines, laughing and singing for hours. A little fanfare blares out after a good while of merriments, and with it the music dies down, the musicians clearing the stage. Confused mutterings spread through the crowd as stagehands shift around mysteriously. Loud jeering commences as all of a sudden a dastardly, swarthy man with a beer belly struts out into the light, holding a girl under his arm while laughing at the audience. "Bahaha! You fools think you are a match to me?" The actor scoffs, waving dismissively at the crowd before slapping the girl over the head which only sends the audience into a greater fury. The crowd's anger soon turns hopeful however, the clacking of coconuts from beneath the stage being sounded off as crimson-cloaked men on stickhorses donning painted buckets on their heads and wooden swords on their waists 'ride' out into view. The silly appearance of the knights elicits a good bout of laughter from the bloodcast's table, some of them jokingly identifying eachother among the actors. "Ahh! No!" The bandit wails, "You- You idiots! My men will be here any second!" One of the bucket knights chucks a ball with an attached wig to the feet of the bandit. "They were!" he says, causing the bandit to let out an effeminate shriek. "Tally-ho, lads!" The same knight calls out as him and his retinue skip out to the bandit, their wooden swords held high. "Take that, you bastard!" Another shouts, feinting whacks over the head of the thug. The knights take turns hitting the man until he lets go of the girl. "Ow, fuck, stop it, Gunther.." The bloodcast would likely catch coming from a muffled source up on stage. "Oh, my heroes!" The 'girl' who clearly is in her thirties calls out to the audience, her hands resting over her heart as she turns her gaze to the brave bucket knights. The peasantry are up on their feet, enthusiastically cheering on the make-belief knights as they defeat the rapscallion. Truly a rollercoaster of emotions. Such high culture you'll be hard pressed to find in Regalia. The bandit rolls over on his back, drawing red pieces of cloth out from his shirt, emitting exaggerated groans as he perishes. A victorious fanfare plays as the knights take a bow for the audience, skipping on away from the stage while the audience's cheers are at their loudest.
The bitesized play had stolen their attention for quite some time. So much so that they have barely noticed how much they've had to drink. Things grow fuzzier by the minute. Some have been pulled out to dance with the peasants, while others acquaint themselves with the locals through the infamous dragenthaler tradition of spewing into a bush. And the worst of it all, it isn't even midnight yet. The Bloodcast of the Crown Isle have one hell of a night ready for them. The next morning is wrought with mysteries of what had happened during their night of drunken revelries, but exactly what that is is up to imagination.
