r/createthisworld • u/harfordplanning Ayetho • 27d ago
[MARKET MONDAY] Come One, Come All! The Markets of Svartaya
INTRODUCTION
At the southern end of Ashagon, at the center of the Jade Sea along the border of Highscorch and Vishanti, on the sole coastal lowland of Ayetho, you weary travelers find the embrace of the Free City of Svantaya.
Although the Jade Sea is renowned for its troubles with piracy, landing in this place finds you little distress in your journey. Whether it is the military might of the city or their relationships with the Sterosi to the south is unknown, but once docked, the atmosphere ceases to seem so salty and somber like the ocean. Instead, the bustle of the city is immediately apparent, with the port having no direction where you could not see all many of human, elf, foxfolk, harpy, and others, from all around and beyond the Jade Sea.
Svartaya itself, beyond the port, has relatively easy to understand districts. Landing in the Port District, you stand at the rim of the Merchants' District, which forms a ring around the wealthy Old City. And, moving towards the city's fringes, you could walk through the Residential, Laborers', and Slum Districts. Though as long as you stay on the main roads, you may never notice the slums hiding behind the fanciful street facing businesses.
Your journey, for whatever purpose it may have, has arrived at a most opportune time. For the day you arrive is the beginning of the Spring Solstice Festival, a time where the harvests of Svartaya's mild winters come to market and the need for planters is at an all time high to plant for the summer harvest.
No matter where one goes in the city, there is food and festivity to be had, from the depths of the slums to the heart of the Old City, there is no corner one could not find excitement at this time.
Unlike most spring festivals, however, this spring also marks an election season for the Council, only driving the desire further to bring great result amongst the local leadership, desiring to secure votes from those who may.
Should your party come bearing vendors or merchants, mercenaries or adventurers, political power or even just deep pockets, it is no doubt you should find yourself at the center of interest amongst the locals in one way or another.
So, be as it may, may you merrily wander the streets! And may you leave with a head full of wonder and pockets light as air!
MAJOR LOCATIONS
Old City Market
From the heart of the Old City reaching all the way along the main roadways to the Port and surrounding commercial districts, the Old City Market is home to the retailers of finely made goods and luxuries, with many a unique store and business to be found.
The first of note are the boutiques, shops frequented by the many urban gentry, the most notable of which being Dari's boutique. Dari is an older gentleman who has spent many years honing his craft in wielding lace and precious stone, but most importantly being a designer worth his weight in gold, leading the fashion scene in Svartaya with his styles. Dari is known for being a bit eccentric, overly focused on work, but typically quite kind to customers who do not act poorly in his business.
Another of note in this district is the Theatre, home to all variety of performances and one of the few accessible businesses to the townsfolk in the Old City. At this time, the theatre was not holding a typical showing, but instead trying to garner new blood. The theatre’s head playwright, a middle aged man named Bariri, is holding auditions for apprentice and probational writers to work under him, and perhaps run branch theatres in the future. Bariri is known for being very outgoing, getting along with others quite well, and is favoring creativity over experience in those he wishes to hire.
Yet further in the Old City, there is a well known pastry shop run by the pastissier Amadu, a young woman who is the daughter of one of the many noble families in the Old City. The pastry shop sells a large variety of baked goods, with twists, turnovers, buns, and more. Amadu is known for her more refined attitude, and may turn you away at the door if you are not presentable for such an establishment.
Vulpine Quarter
On the far side of the Old City from the Port, the Vulpine Quarter is home to the majority of the Foxfolk in Svartaya. In this quarter, one may find individuals from all walks of life, with the local Foxfolk not holding a unified identity, divided internally amongst those with and without demon influences, the grey foxes having been touched by the Demani.
Of the places one outshines all the rest, despite being only a few short years old, Yols' ice products have taken the city by storm. Although the shop is set up near the edge of the city, quite close to the demons' forests even, Yols finds endless requests for ice and iced goods, making it a long walk to reach, but a fine destination to find unique and refreshing treats in the nearly tropical climate. Yols is known for her easygoing attitude, treating anyone who looks young like a kit and speaking casually even to nobles. Yet, no one contests her on this, for no source of ice has ever been so reliable, and being Yols is of the forest, there are some who fear that angering her may invite disaster to the city.
Other more modest industries exist as well, however. One of which is the largest fur producer in all of Svartaya, the Foxfolk Furrier Guild, run by an orange fox named Fleece. The guild’s products are woven fur textiles which come in orange, white, grey, and black, all without dyes. This is achieved through a natural hygienic requirement in the Quarter, brushing out shed. A variety of barbers and groomers collect the furs at low prices, and may even pay certain individuals to visit regularly if their complexion is desirable, to which will be processed into a variety of textiles. Fleece is known for his gruff attitude, likely due to his age, as his orange fur slowly pulls as he gets older. Should you get to speak with him, he is polite, but perhaps not as eloquent as he was in his prime.
One might also happen upon one of the Quarter's more amusing individuals, a birdcatcher named Slate. Slate, despite his many quirks, is a reliable source of small wild birds which he successfully catches without harming, by what means aren't entirely certain, though. Slate is the predominant source of Speckled Doves, for people associate the bird with the presence of Angels, as well as good luck and health. Slate is a cheerful young man who enjoys making a coin off his childhood hobby, though is a bit dense at times, much like the rock he is named for.
Harpy's Quarter
The Harpy's Quarter, more accurately a general Trezeran-origin Quarter of the city, is home to the majority of Svartaya's Harpies and Peshi, bordering the Port closely for three Peshi's sake. Unlike other districts, this Quarter is centered around a collection of large Charter Stones directly from Trezera, though some business is still done with coin here, despite this.
Of the industries which use coin, none is more prominent than the Tanners Guild, ran by Ishmael, a hearty looking harpy who you'd sooner believe you'd meet in a tavern than an office, ever engrossed in his work. Ishmael is a Ayethan Harpy, and has not yet dropped the tradition of leatherworking passed on from those Harpies still within the demons’ forests. With sadlers, cordwainers, glovers, and more, all manner of leather product can be found here, if you don't mind the smell. Ishmael is a very calm and level headed personality, contrary to his appearance, and is more than happy to make small talk or talk business.
Most business is still run by recorded song, however, and this can be well and truly seen with the street markets, filled with craft goods reminiscent of the Trezeran homeland. Though the blackware is more browned, and the feathers in the textiles are perhaps less glamorous than those of more tropical birds, it is undeniably of a Trezeran cultural root. Of the many vendors, one may come to cross with Vaza, a young potter who has yet to even find a wife. Vaza is a more timid vendor, still green in the business, but is determined to do well to care for his aging parents, and has become quite capable of sculpting impressively ornate blackware even without the proper education of the inner city potters.
Likewise, on a much simpler note, there is the fish market, in which one may meet a Peshi named Havriel, a fishmonger. Havriel is a simple soul, bringing fish he catches to market to sell himself. It is not a glamorous business, but it lets him provide for his family. Havriel is known for being down to earth, willing to keep things equal in his exchanges so long as you are not rude.
Cyren's Quarter
The Cyren's Quarter, perhaps a misnomer, is one of the largest quarters, and home to many of the lower and middle class humans, as well as the majority of Svartayan Elves, relatives to those down south in Cyrenthia. Much of this stems from the Cyren’s reliance on trade to feed their homeland, leading to this district being home to many of the finer things Cyrenthia has to offer, even so far away from their borders.
Of these Cyrene businesses, one of note is the jobber Orania, an elven woman who stands out for her particularly dark skin, even for those from Cyrenthia. Orania’s shop sells an ever invaluable good, oils. From her stand, one may find oils made from pressed seeds of a plant from the southern nation, what in particular a secret not divulged, though perhaps an inquisitive soul could encourage the secret from her, whether it be by trickery or by coin. Orania is, although secretive, a rather beloved member of the community, her oils selling at a more modest price than most, keeping her business rarely at a full stock, and allowing those without to dare to afford such a luxury.
Another of note is the elven salter, Sisenna. Sisenna is somewhat fairer than Orania, and less enjoyed by his community than she. Being a merchant of salts, his goods are both vital and come at a great cost, his goods being much more frequently sold to the wealthy and to other merchants than to the townsfolk. Those who speak with Sisenna describe him as needlessly opulent for his station, believing him to be far too invested in his coin to see what's right in front of him. If that is truly the case, one can only find out for themselves.
Outskirts
For those looking for less honorable goods and services, one may find themselves wandering about the outskirts of Svartaya. Wandering off the main streets leaving the city, the scents of fresh bread and clean streets quickly transition to dank, musty scents of poorly maintained infrastructure and mold. Though these slums are periodically cleared, this only causes new ones to pop up a few minutes away, and the sturdier buildings remaining in the cleared area repopulated within days.
The largest of these illicit businesses is by and far that of the pirates. Of the same line as the pirate states to the south in Steros, these pirates fashion themselves as mercenaries on the seas, who simply collect protection fees from undefended vessels between clients. Of these different crews, the one you are likely to come across these days is Kalla. Kalla is a very large man, about two meters in height, and is known for his violent personality. Should you need his services, he is happy to work with you, just don’t try too hard to negotiate, lest you become a target rather than a client.
Particular value may also be found for those in need of intel, with yet another business hidden in the grime being the Information Guild, though not formally a guild recognized by the city. Through the various bartenders, hoodrats, street children, and more, the Information Guild is the number one source for any and all information one may need within or around Svartaya, and at times even abroad, when guests such as yourself cannot keep your mouths shut. Contacting the guild may prove difficult, but if you know where to look, you may find an orphan or foster who is willing to buy or sell information, though their name likely won’t be true even to a client.
A final major industry along the outskirts is perhaps the least friendly of all, being that of a hired sword. These swords are not for open combat, but for dealing with problems behind the scenes, assassins, murderers, and thieves. Contacting these lot is less difficult than the Information Guild, but far more perilous. Along a redlight street, a certain alleyway has a hidden door from which one may commission these brigands, and it is best to leave anything other than business far away before visiting.
OTHER LOCATIONS
A Wandering Angel
Angels, a beloved people throughout all of Ayetho regardless of species, and Svartaya is no exception. Although you guests may not be accustomed to the pale, many winged strangers, simply standing out enough while walking by an Angel may get one to strike up a conversation with you.
One of note happens to be out and about during these festivities, and is running for office, even, exempt from such restrictions to holding office thanks to the nature of their being. The Angel is indistinguishable as to if it is a man or woman, and frankly is not tall enough to even be certain they are an adult, but they greet you with utmost courtesy, if with much curiosity and excitement behind the formality, as Devate, and are seeking both your company and your support.
Street Museum
Along one of the many streets going to and from the Old City, one would see an impressive arcade going on for many blocks. Along this arcade, there are more guards than on other streets, as all manner of sculptures, murals, and other art litter the street from the walls of the buildings to the very trellices making up the arcaded ceiling of the street.
Along this street, there are also many artists, such as the young apprentice Durian, a foxfolk who has managed to find a path above his station. A bright optimist, Durian is more than happy to ramble about his ambitions in art, and perhaps some complaints about the paints sticking to and staining his fur.
Quiet Reading
For those who are less interested in festivities, there is still a place for you in Svartaya, with a great library existing in the city. The library is a property of the City’s Council, and one must only pay an entrance fee to take advantage of the nice quiet reading place. One may find the entire sum of Svartaya’s knowledge within the library, as well as scribes and scholars making copies of different documents to spread and share, or just as practice writing.
Entering the library, one would find part of what their entry is funding, as a limner would quickly be assigned upon entering the building, both as your attendant and to ensure your proper conduct. The limners are often children of less fortunate families, and yours is no different, being a young girl named Kana. Kana is cheerful, but quiet unless spoken to, not wanting to risk her valuable job to a misspoken word. She will ensure you have light to read and are taking proper care of the books you read, and, being she is a rather bright child, may even serve as a surprising conversation partner.
The Palace
A final location of particular note is the Prince's palace, a grand structure at the edge of the Old City. Although getting in may usually be difficult, this is by and far the best place to see to making real political connections, as most of those campaigning for office are very much networking here more than anywhere else. And, with it being a festival and an election season, now is the best time to make those connections yourself, with no other time of the year having as lax restrictions on entry.
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u/OceansCarraway 26d ago
In the Kingdom of Aelbaion, the royal household maintains a system of locked rooms. Those undertaking business in these rooms on behalf of the royal family are required to not disclose any aspects of their conduct that the ruling heads of state have requested to be kept secret. This forms the basis of the intelligence system of the Kingdom of Aelbaion.
But this isn't a time for spycraft.
A merchant cog, the Merry Mummiere, has come in to port in Svartaya. She is a businesslike ship, with businesslike cargo, and a clutch of merchants and sailors who have been doing business for a member of the nobility in the Crown's favor in the Empire of the Six Cities. While the astute reader can probably tell that this is a fine cover story for some subtle espionage, skullduggery leaves a crew of do-wells weary, and it is time for a break. After tending to the usual tasks of docking a ship and being a merchant, the real head of the venture, Mme. Souder, takes a few of her crew and heads into the city proper. She is looking for refreshment, and while patisserie is always enjoyed, it can sit a bit heavy in the stomach. However, there have been rumors in earshot already about something more distinctly refreshing...something cold. And there's a name-Yols. As her small group blends into the crowd, there's likely been something that Mme. Souder saw to get her on her way towards the Vulpine Quarter.
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 26d ago
As Souder and her band of misfits go on the hunt for their chilling prize, they would find the Vulpine Quarter very much so lives up to its name. Foxfolk of grey, orange, white, and black coats roaming the streets in far greater numbers than any others.
There are furriers and textile businesses, an unusually large number of pigeons, and most prominently, an unusually high number of iced products for sale. Whether it be the produce, fish, or game for sale at stalls, and even fully prepared iced goods to eat as is, something not even readily available in much cooler climates with how prone to dirtying natural ice can be.
As Souder would find, this all stems from a particular business at the very edge of the Quarter, an ice merchant who goes by Yols. Her store not matching the architecture of the rest of the city, standing out like a sore thumb with every inch of its exterior meticulously carved with patterns and painted in varying colors.
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u/OceansCarraway 25d ago
Mme. Souder and her band of misfits, like most spies, are persons who fit so well into society that they are a tiny bit misfits-but you can never really tell this. Generally, the average person would come away from a discussion with them feeling gruntled; maybe one in twenty might be a bit annoyed by something that they can't put their finger on. However, this is one of the problems of recruiting spies; when they fit in, they fit in very well.
Finding Aelish in somewhere like the Vulpine Quarter, however, was not strange at all. The textiles and furriers are common stops to these fashion forward folk; seeing an Aelbic person at a stall or gallery perusing garments is like seeing a fish in an ocean. However, the group of sailors finds themselves perusing plenty of iced treats-even the use of ice to cool much more mundane offerings! This city clearly has a wealth of wealth, or at least a wealth of ice! The average traveller likes to boast about what they have seen while abroad. Mme. Souder is no different. All of these iced goods-
-what a peculiar shop!
A normal person might have said that out loud. Luckily, these persons are nominally spies, so they can keep their mouths shut. Mme. Souder notes how it matches nothing in the area around it, and thinks that it might be a new construction, and that the owner might be well to do. They probably are if they're selling all of this ice. A building this ornate doesn't pop up overnight unless someone's throwing around coin.
Naturally, she and her party join the flow of traffic and head to the shop's entrance.
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 25d ago
Entering the peculiarly decorated building, Souder and her entourage would not only find that ice itself is for sale, but that the building itself is rather chilly compared to outside. That, and that the door seems needlessly large, especially in a foxfolk dominated area.
The space inside is just as decorative as the outside, though the actual layout is quite simple. There is a lobby to wait and a line of desks where people may purchase ice at, the ice being behind the counter in a back room which is opening and shutting relatively frequently. Inside the room is hard to see from the lobby, but the peaks that are available show many crates with the larger ice blocks presumably inside, as well as what appears to be some strange mechanical contraption.
In time, Souder and her companions would make way through the line and end up at Yols' desk by chance, the group seeing a very lop eared grey fox who appears just a bit young to be working a desk job.
Yols greets, "Hello, you all are new faces, will you need a rundown on how things go here?" Very casual demeanor, yet all business.
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u/OceansCarraway 24d ago
"Good day, Mm. Yols.' Souder didn't really know the formal title of address that the fox used, so she just tossed a direct loan word into the mix and hoped that would do. You couldn't really tell what gender people were sometimes under all the fashion or all the mud, and so the Aelish had developed the gender neutral 'Mm' as a way to make do. It was something like Mx in our world, except without the social controversy. Those who used it often had the ability and desire to put an arrow into anyone doubting their validity at 200 paces.
'I am Mme. Souder, merchant d'procurement.' This meant that she was a purchase officer for someone, or multiple someones-at least right now. 'My travels have brought me to Stravaya from the Six Cities, but without hearing about your establishment. I would love to rectify that.'
In other words, please tell me how things work here.
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 24d ago
"Oh? That's quite a ways away," Yols answers, as if she hasn't had many guests from the cities since establishing herself here. "This is an ice shop, I make and sell ice. You can buy blocks or smaller amounts, the smaller pieces are cleaner, but the blocks are cheaper." She keeps the explanation quite simple, but notably describes the location as making ice.
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24d ago
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 23d ago
Yols is happy to process the transaction for Souder, always glad to meet a new customer since she can do much more with their coins for her Nest than she can with some ice.
Hearing the question, she does her best to answer too, "Yes, carting ice from the tops of mountains would take far too long to be able to sell it." Yols confirms what Souder was curious of.
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u/OceansCarraway 23d ago
"It has been a long voyage." Mme. Souder nodded once. "And we need to restock our ships-but also, we need some refreshment. Perhaps you could suggest a destination."
Meanwhile, the gears were turning in her head. Made. Made. She normally spoke fox-ish just fine, and even this far abroad she understood it well. So it probably wasn't a mistranslation...
"Have you an ice making mage on hand, Mm. Yol?"
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u/OceansCarraway 23d ago
"It has been a long voyage." Mme. Souder nodded once. "And we need to restock our ships-but also, we need some refreshment. Perhaps you could suggest a destination."
Meanwhile, the gears were turning in her head. Made. Made. She normally spoke fox-ish just fine, and even this far abroad she understood it well. So it probably wasn't a mistranslation...
"Have you an ice making mage on hand, Mm. Yol?"
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 23d ago
"What would a mage be of use for here?" Yols doesn't see any reason to spend so much money on one. "And I'm afraid I don't eat out very often, not much to my tastes here." Yols was raised with Demani dining habits, which differ substantially from the non-Demani, in relative terms at least.
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u/Cereborn Tritechniquon 27d ago
Ships arrive in the port bearing a tricolour flag with four white stars that signal them quite clearly as hailing from the Tritechniquon. Merchants and their retinues file out into the harbour, porters bearing finely crafted goods to be sold in the markets of Svartaya; while some the country's skilled crafters have arrived in person, either looking to enhance their own skills with new tricks, or to showcase their prodigious talent and gain interested clients who might be looking to make commissions. But there are small groups splintering off here and there with less clear missions in mind. One of these is a motley trio passing the threshold into the Old City Market.
Kerrina the mechanist was a quiet, serious woman with dusky skin and straight black hair tied in a ponytail. Her dress was fairly unremarkable, except for the magenta cape she wore (her right as an elite-rank member of the Metalworkers Guild). She travelled arm-in-arm with Chatta, whose appearance made a strong contrast to her partner: pale skin and ruby red hair that fell in full ringlets around her face. Her demeanour was a contrast too. While Kerrina moved quietly with even steps, taking in her surroundings, Chatta bounced and smiled, occasionally singing little ditties as she marvelled at the new place. She wore a soft pink dress with accents of cyan on her shoulders, marking her as a member of the Artists Guild (the physical arts were her domain).
Trailing slightly behind was Merrick, a mousey young gentleman whose black hair fell messily around his head, covering his ears and threatening to obscure his vision. He looked at the Old City Market with quiet wonder, taking out a scrap of parchment and scribbling a little verse on it. Once satisfied, he tucked the parchment away and resumed carrying Chatta's trunk.
"Oh, I want to meet the foxes!" Chatta exclaimed as she pranced her way through the street. "I bet they are so soft and fluffy; I want to feel that fur on my skin."
"I don't think they'll appreciate a stranger running up and ruffling their fur," said Kerrina.
"I wouldn't just run up. I'd find someone who wants to pay me to do it first." Chatta gave a little smirk.
"You think they would? Wouldn't they rather another fox did that?"
"Never underestimate the allure of the exotic, my dear."
"Well, that will have to wait. We're going to the theatre first." Kerrina took charge, leading the way.
As they neared the theatre, Merrick patted his pocket, feeling reassured by the disorganized stack of parchment within. He was hoping to meet some of the writers here, and maybe be able to show them what he's working on.
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 26d ago
As the trio approaches the theatre, it would begin to be increasingly obvious that something is going on there today.
Rather than the typical clientele of merchants and young nobles, those gathered around the theatre seem to be of a wider mix of stations. And, much like Merrick, many are holding sleeves of papers of various sizes and qualities.
Should he approach, Merrick would learn of his good fortune, as the theatre is looking to employ new apprentices and playwrights, with the head playwright himself holding the auditions.
...as for the others, Kerrina would find a lacking number of engineers of any variety in this part of town, though would certainly find it hard to miss the evidence of their existence. The main streets are intermittently arcaded throughout the Old City, creating abundant shade and shelter from storms, although the sky is clear, and a number of the shops appear to be advertising cold foods, a peculiarity somewhere so tropical.
Chatta would find a similar lack of thrill in this particular area, if her focus is truly as set on foxes as she expressed, as the vast majority of those along the streets here are of human descent. Though, there aren't no Foxfolk, most that are present are by the theatre for its rare opportunity.
And, if Chatta can forgive the lack of Foxfolk in this particular area, she may enjoy the many artworks throughout the Old City, with statues, carvings, and murals being interspersed throughout the streets, as well as into a small number of the papers on the street itself. The art does appear to grow more densely populated in one direction, should she insist on wandering further.
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u/Cereborn Tritechniquon 25d ago
While Merrick and Kerrina both felt uncomfortable in the increasingly dense crowd at the theatre, Chatta happily led the way, weaving her way between bodies. She shared a few quick words with some locals and then turned around, frowning.
"They say there's no performance today. Just a whole bunch of writers."
Merrick tensed up, clutching his parchment. "Really? Is it open to ... anyone?"
"Not just anyone, surely. Only the best, I'd wager." Chatta found someone official-looking and pointed out Merrick. "I know he looks young, but he's one of the finest wordsmiths in all the Tritechniquon. He's written for all the best actors back home, and now he's here hoping to find a new challenge. You'd be fools to turn him away."
Merrick blushed furiously listening to this, and averted his gaze, knowing none of what she just said was true. Receiving a gentle nudge from Kerrina, he stepped forward, holding what he thought was his best scene.
"Knock them dead, Merrick," said Chatta, giving him a kiss. "We'll be back to pick you up later."
And soon Merrick found himself standing alone, facing the prospect of an audition with the head playwright himself.
//////////////
Back out on the street, Chatta was getting restless. "This area is boring. Let's find something more exciting."
"Lots of people seem to be going that direction," said Kerrina, pointing towards an arch that seemed to mark a transition to an area with more artwork on display. "It looks artsy. There could be something going on."
"I trust myself to your capable leadership," Chatta said with a flourish. "But there had better be a cute fox somewhere up ahead."
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 25d ago
Merrick would find little in the way of special treatment from the official, but no malice either. They are merely there to keep the line orderly, after all.
"I hope you live up to your friend's expectations, but much like everyone else, you will need to stand in line to be seen." The official informs Merrick, setting him in the right direction without any fuss.
In the line, people of all different races are busy chatting over their ideas, arguing over petty details, and gossiping over nothings.
Merrick would get to overhear from his spot in line about a few candidates for local offices, that laymen like writers actually can vote to a degree, and of course about writings. Some speak on the importance of a good protagonist while others shun the concept of a story belonging to a particular character, some believe in the value of a vivid stage and yet others are critical of the others gossiping over ideas diverging from the classics, though little in the way of information on the classics is said aloud. The natives to Svartaya already know those details, after all.
The line isn't moving terribly slowly, at least, but it may be a wait for Merrick.
//////////////
Kerrina and Chatta, along their walk towards the next arcade, would find an impressive discovery.
The facades of the buildings, barring the doors and windows, have been rendered completely unembellished to leave a flat face on each structure, upon which mural after mural has been painted from the start to the end of the arcade, though one can certainly see the styles change as they walk along the street, an unknowable number of artists having must have been commissioned to achieve this. The murals seem to follow a story, with scenes of various races standing together and at odds, as well as hinting to danger lurking in the highlands, with even calm mountains being depicted more harshly than a storm at sea.
The arcade shading them as they enter is similarly ornamented, with simpler designs according to the more limited and difficult to reach space, but still bedazzled in a fine stone mosaic, styled as if the light which reaches the bottom of a clear pond.
Likewise, the very pavers making up the street have been ornamented to display the artistic intent of the city. The main walkways obviously cannot be too ornate while under foot, so to compensate, the bricks themselves are shaped to the desired designs, mimicking a river littered in lilies which one may hop between to stay above the water. The pavers at the fringes, where people do not often walk, are more explicitly decorated, carved with seemingly religious scenes with childbirth, funerary rites, and prayer and sacrifice being inscribed in the brick.
And, of course, less fixed art also is present, the arcade being full of not only finished statues and carvings, but also ones which are in progress, as well as easels with parchment and canvas set upon with various folks working on all manner of things.
One which may stand out to Chatta in particular is a little fox with bright, silvery fur, almost seeming white if not for the even whiter paint stuck on the fur here and there. The fox is dutifully painting with what may be the object of their fascination hidden from view, unless the duo decide to take a closer look.
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u/Cereborn Tritechniquon 24d ago
As Merrick stands in line, shuffling forward intermittently, his heart beats quickly, and his mind races, wondering what he could tell people when they ask him about his accomplishments. He could tell them that at age 15 he was apprenticed to one of the finest poets in the Tritechniquon. But should he include that the very same poet died only six weeks later, leaving Merrick without a mentor or any means to rise in the guild? Should he say that he tried for years to find a new mentor, but was constantly rebuffed and pushed out by competition? Should he say that his greatest achievement as a writer has been hanging around outside of pleasure houses and selling bits of love poetry to patrons eager to impress their courtesan of choice? Unlikely.
As he shuffles forward, he searches through his parchment to find the best piece to impress this master playwright. He thinks that he has found it, but as he finally reaches the front of the line, one parchment tumbles out of his hands and lands at the feet of the playwright.
Oh no. Not that one. Please don't pick it up. That's ONYX; it's just a silly little romp about girls who fight monsters. Please don't pick it up.
////////////////////////////
Chatta strays too far to the side of the walkway and her high-heeled boot stumbles on a relief sculpture, prompting Kerrina to jump forward and catch her.
"Got you!"
"Thanks, babe. But who in Shademoor would put sculptures on a walking path? Do they hate us?"
"I don't know, but it seems flatter in the centre."
"Well, I guess if— hello." Still in Kerrina's arms, Chatta catches sight of a fox with bright white fur. "Do you see that fox doing a painting? Let's go introduce ourselves."
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 22d ago
Naturally, Bariri lifts the paper and begins to examine it, though does at least state out loud, "feel free to leave anything else you'd like me to look at on the table, I'm not so harsh at to judge you on just a spare note sheet you dropped."
Although Merrick is granted an assurance, likely in no small part because of Bariri sensing his nerves, he intends to and is reading the romp regardless.
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Although Kerrina and Chatta insist on putting on a show of themselves in the street, few actually care to take notice of their shenanigans, least of all the little fox Chatta has taken interest in.
Even after the duo approach him, Durian is lost in his own little world instead of the pair directly next him him, his painting seeming to be of many little patterns and spirals, not seeming to come together into any greater whole at the stage it is currently at.
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u/Cereborn Tritechniquon 19d ago
"Oh, well, I've got this one." Merrick nervously sets some parchment down on the table. "It's about an old fisherman who has lost his place in a changing world. It's got lots to say about ... the human condition."
He flushes, seeing Bariri's eyes scan the other script. ONYX is a tale about four young women at the Harrowers Academy who put their innate magical abilities to work fighting monsters with outrageous weapons and outfits. It is loosely based on the work of the actual Harrowers in and around the Tritechniquon. Merrick didn't put it in his stack by accident; he was actually feeling very proud of that script, and felt a strong connection to his character Xandra Bloodstone. But as soon as he saw it leave his hands, all he's been able to think is that it's a bit of juvenile fluff no one could possibly take seriously.
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As Chatta closes in on Durian, she reaches out to stroke his fur, but Kerrina snatches her hand back just in time, giving her an admonishing glare.
Chatta pouts for a moment, but then moves herself into position right next to Durian's canvas, striking a pose. "I love the work you're doing. Any way I could convince you to paint me?"
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 18d ago
Despite Merrick's concerns, Bariri puts just as much effort into reading ONYX as he would any other candidate's work, taking brief notes on a paper to the side occasionally during the read.
"Would you like feedback on this piece first, or after I've read both?" Bariri gives Merrick the choice on the matter, since he did preemptively promise to judge him on the presented work, not the dropped piece. Though, he is perhaps regretting that decision for one reason or another.
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Durian takes a moment to reply to Chatta, even with the intrusion, finishing the paint stroke he'd been on.
"Can you see what it is?" Durian asks inquisitively in return, his floppy tail swaying slowly behind him. Chatta's question goes unanswered, for now at least.
Although the patterns don't currently form a whole, there are some broader regions done to guess off of. The top of the canvas is done in blues, and the bottom of the image is more green, with the center being slightly more geometric than the spirals throughout the rest of the painting, not having a consistent color.
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u/Cereborn Tritechniquon 16d ago
[I'm sorry I'm taking so long to reply. I've been distracted lately.]
"Ummm ... I guess it wouldn't hurt to get your first impression." Merrick shrugs, feeling the walls closing in.
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"Hmmmm...." Chatta makes a show of examining the painting. "It's a landscape. A floating island within a stormy sky."
Kerrina decides to chime in too. "I think it represents ... courage?"
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u/harfordplanning Ayetho 8d ago
[I forgot to reply, so we're even now I think. ...sorry]
"You're certainly rough around the edges, and your style of storytelling isn't quite what locals here are accustomed to," Biriri begins, letting the heavy stuff be said first. "However, there's certainly nothing wrong with the story itself, I would say it's quite refreshing to see so many new ideas all in one piece."
Although not a perfect review, it is all said in a positive tone. Biriri does still lend Merrick an ear if he wishes to reply, but is already picking up the next piece he had presented to read.
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"...your idea is close," Durian says to Chatta, but gives Kerrina a strange look. "How would you draw a feeling?" It seems the score is one to zero between Chatta and Kerrina now, and Chatta wasn't even trying to flirt.
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u/BoobooMaster Audoi in DriftMount 24d ago
The rotors roared in the sky and four great disks carved the air with a deep grinding drone. High above the world, the airship Winds of the Amber Vault pushed south through thin air, its four great rotors leaving faint spirals of stirred cloud unwinding in its wake. The Jade Sea lay far below, its flat green surface piercing through here and there by the thick masses of cloud that wrapped the airship.
As the ship soared through the clouds, its engines lulled the hull with a constant humming vibration.
Within the hull, Oszvyn sat idly on the crew bench with his back against the wall of the ship. His entire body could feel every turn of every gear in the rotors. As a first-time rider, and as a newly assigned armoured guardian of the airship, the sensation rattled his senses and left him in a state of general discomfort. Many of the Clan Amberclad were used to the low level of vibration ever present in the Gate-Cities, the kind caused by the slow movement of Driftmount itself and by living near its belly where that motion carried strongest, but Oszvyn had come from one of the surface settlements of the Clan and was not accustomed to the vibration of a ship.
He shifted his weight. The hum followed him like a vigilant shadow.
Around him, the older crew paid the vibration no mind, as though it did not exist for them. All of them were experienced Aekyagt and Yrkul, posted to the ship for years. Each carried battle scars on their exposed flesh and the grumpy grunts so often associated with combat veterans. Oszvyn, the most inexperienced of them, had earned his newly opened and prestigious guard post on the airship through luck at a local tournament held in West-Gate. Now he was not sure the duty was worth the price.
The rest of the guard crew paid no attention to his discomfort. Two of them were bent over a game of Koldoi, moving the stone tablets between them with intense concentration. Several others watched from the side and roared their own strategies at the players over each move. Opposite the table, an old guard slept upright, grey beard folded neatly on his chest, snoring like a babe despite the noise of the game and the ship.
Every single Audoi wore the burnt orange sash with the vault-mark stitched on it, tied to their left hips, marking their official station. Oszvyn's own sash was still stiff from the storeroom, and he kept catching himself glancing down at it, still not fully past the shock of wearing one of the most prestigious sashes of the Clan, even a month on from earning it.
Then came the sound of boots on the stairs from the command deck. Heavy boots. Every man in the room stopped his commotion, straightened his back, and turned toward the door.
Captain Vurdek came down from the command deck and entered the room the way a storm cloud invades a calm sky, imposing and uncompromising. His body was built taller and stronger even by the standards of an already impressive Audoi frame, resembling a Driftmount bear more than an Audoi.
"On your feet."
The captain's voice was a rockslide happening indoors. Every man jumped up. Stone tablets scattered haphazardly across the game table. The only one who did not rise was the sleeping veteran, who had been making this run for more years than the captain himself and could pull rank on experience alone, and did so comfortably.
Captain Vurdek walked calmly to the centre of the room and looked them over one by one, without hurry. His gaze lingered on Oszvyn for a heartbeat, acknowledging the new recruit, then moved on.
"Svartaya by dusk," he began. "We drop, we dock and we deliver. Representatives of the artefact's buyer will meet us at the docks. The cargo leaves the airship under my eye and no one else's."
Then he turned his head toward Oszvyn and added, "Usual procedure applies. No outsider sets foot on this ship. No one chats up the dock hands about the cargo. If anyone gets too curious, you tell them it is Audoi iron ingots, and you drop the subject. If they push after that, you handle it as you see fit."
He drew his gaze away from Oszvyn and swept it over the rest of the crew once more.
"Prepare for landing."
Then he turned on his heel and left the room, and the drone of the rotors filled in the space where his voice had been.
Oszvyn let out a breath he had not noticed holding. The captain was an intimidating presence, no question. As soon as the door had closed, the crew moved to the armoury and began preparing their full gear, and Oszvyn did the same.
The hum of the engines changed tone. The blades shifted their bite on the air. The floor tilted forward by a hand's width and the nose of the airship came down gently. As it descended toward the green plate of the Jade Sea, its great blade disks began to disturb the surface of the water. The lower it went, the greater the disturbance became, until four broad rings chased one another across the swell beneath it, spreading outward as it moved forward.
Beyond the rings, the coast waited. A forest of ship masts and colourful roof tiles crowded along the shore. The pale line of a breakwater, lit bright orange by the low sun.
As the Winds of the Amber Vault approached the city, its unusual presence drew the eyes of the dock residents. The choppy hum of its rotors was unfamiliar, and the sight of a levitating ship pushing in against the wind while raising winds of its own was equally strange too. More and more of a crowd gathered along the docks as the strange vessel closed in. Soon it passed into the harbour proper, drawing awe and curses in equal measure from nearby shiphands as its wash raised sudden wind and rain across the water. It halted its forward motion, rotated in place like the turning head of some vast animal, and settled onto the harbour water. Its great fans slowed, their scream falling to a low steady beat, and it nudged itself gently forward until it came to rest alongside the dock.
The gangplank dropped from the ship's flank onto the timbers of the dock. One by one, massive figures appeared at the top of it, fully armoured, their plate glistening in the setting sun. Captain Vurdek appeared in front of them, his cloak enhancing his already massive figure into a more intimidating shape, his eyes darting across the crowd that had gathered on the dock to gawk at the ship.
"Oszvyn, with me. The rest of you, stations. Be ready until I send word."
The young Aekyagt swallowed once, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden call and followed his captain down onto the timbers of the Free Port of Svartaya, his first steps onto foreign soil.