[Wind Reach] The First Thaw Festival

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: Summer 1, 510 AV Location: Courtyard of the Sky and Stained Glass Gallery Reason: First Day of Summer Status: Open The First Thaw Festival was the biggest event of the year. Sometimes it came in early spring, sometimes late spring, and in harsher weather years like this one it came at the beginning of the summer. This was where the road crews had cleared out the roads all the way to Thunder Bay and hooked Wind Reach up with travel pathways that lead to Denval and beyond. Most of the rest of the year the road was impassable and no one was going anywhere unless they grew wings or had an eagle. So, when the RoadMaster announced his crew had finished clearing snow, a massive party was set up to welcome in the warm weather. Everyone joined in, from the young to the very old. Duty rosters to work the party were drawn at random from big bowls with slips of hide that had people's name written on them. Cooks in the kitchen were stuck on short shifts and allowed to join in the festival the rest of the time. So it went with those that cleaned, taught, manufactured, or crafted. Duty hours were short, and the music and wine flowed well into the night. And there were games with very real prizes. This was about the only time artisans donated their wares to the prize table to be awarded for winners that played in the games. The MusicMaster had a musical prize too... a new harp, for whomever could sing the most beautiful song. There were poetry readings, bragging contests, and undoubtedly a knife fight or two among the young men - with the winners of those being the ones allowed to live. However, by and large the best game was the easiest. When people entered the Stained Glass Gallery, a volunteer would pin a medallion made of wood to their back which depicted a plant or an animal that was native to Kalea and familiar to the people of Wind Reach. The person wearing the medallion wasn't able to see what the image depicted was. Instead, they had to mingle around with other festival goers and were allowed to ask each individual they came across one question about their animal or plant. They couldn't ask for specific information to be given, but they could ask such things as.... "Does it smell pungent?" or "Does it eat meat?". They couldn't ask 'What kind of animal is it?". And they weren't allowed to ask more than one person more than one question. In that way, everyone was allowed to talk to everyone else and ask their questions, get to know folks, dance to the music, and even join in playing for the dancers as a musician. People who guessed correctly, got to turn in their medallions and pick a random wrapped package off the prize table. The packages could contain anything... clothing, food, weapons, and even most precious of all - books. All of them, however, were wrapped anonymously though people could shake and weigh items before they picked. And all the while during the festival, a huge buffet table was laid out with all the exotic fruits, vegetables, and meats the Wind Eagles could gather for the occasion. It was more food than most of the residents have seen throughout the rest of the year at one place. Wine flowed freely, available from another table set up on the far side of the Stained Glass Gallery. Fruit juice, water, and tea was also present on that station. There were deserts, thin sliced meats, and all sorts of fancy bread. There was also a dance floor, cleared out and illuminated with flickering lights suspended from the ceiling. The lights were actual glass globes holding luminous liquid that was made from two different creature extracts found in the mountain depths. Music was sometimes soft, sometimes fast, with an occasional ballad thrown in. People were dancing, and often would stop to join in one of the more popular songs. And oddly, unlike other times of the year, all classes were intermingling equally. This was the one event a year where an Endal or Master would be seen dancing with a Chiet or even more rarely a Dek. Mod NoteSeveral of the games will involve a PM. Please do not share the contents of YOUR Pm with other WR players. You will be receiving, once you join the thread, a LIST of what everyone's medallions are... excluding your own. So please wait until you receive this Festival PM to start asking others questions about whats on your medallion since they won't know! I want to wait until a few folks join before I start sending pms out. Prizes are worth asking questions and mingling. You will understand more as the course of the thread plays out - but don't hesitate to ask questions about it in the OOC thread (ask there so I don't have to repeat myself via PMs if people have the same questions!).

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan could barely contain himself when he heard the great news. The First Thaw Festival had begun. The festival was by far his favorite part of every year. He looked forward to the first thaw with childlike impatience each year. What he loved best about the festival was the wine. There was as much wine as a man could drink and if there was one thing Kellan loved more than flying eagles it was drinking, and drinking a lot. He was a very big fan of getting drunk just because to him, it made the night more interesting. Of course, he was going to put off getting incapacitated until much later. He had gone all out before and then missed a whole day of the festival. Drinking was fun but it was in no way worth missing a day of the first thaw festival. Kellan walked to the courtyard of the sky to see all the other Wind Reach residents gathered to celebrate. As he walked in he received his medallion. The volunteer pinned it to his back and then he walked in. Kellan was dieing to know what was on the medallion but that was just another game for the festival. It was all so exciting to him. He was extremely anxious to meet new people. Kellan loved to socialize. Usually his ability to just grab people’s attention and start conversations out of nowhere with people he didn’t even know was a little distracting but here it was welcomed, if not encouraged. Kellan headed right for the table with the food and wine. He grabbed some and then looked around for someone to talk to. At the moment there were slim pickings and there was no one that Kellan knew. Of course, this was a festival to meet new people so he guessed that was the point. Kellan eyed the prize table to see if there was anything good to be won. Of course, everything was expertly wrapped so one could not tell one prize from another. Kellan really was hoping for a new weapon but truly, any prize was a good one to Kellan. He hoped he could win a prize but if he was going to win one he would have to talk to other people. He eyed the dance floor and played with the idea of pulling a girl out of the crowd and dancing with her. He decided to stay where he was for the time being and scouted out a good place to sit until more people showed up. He found a table and sat down on a chair by the side of it. He sat there and drank his wine. Kellan much preferred winter because he loved the snow but he still enjoyed the summer. The summer brought trade and new people to Wind Reach along with the First Thaw Festival. The summer also meant that he could walk around shirtless which he really liked to do. He was dressed in a light shirt and pants though. He wanted to at least look a little bit nice for the festival. Of course, if he got drunk the shirt would most likely be taken off and lost as he had proven to himself with past experiences. Today was a new adventure though, as every day was. He looked at the flickering lights hanging from the ceiling and smiled, the festival was going to be great, he could feel it.

[Cyrill]

Cyrill strode into the courtyard, fully prepared to have fun. She had been terribly busy working on multiple glass projects in the last few weeks and needed to unwind. Even though she hated to admit it, even she needed a break once in a while. She glanced over to the prize table, slightly disappointed to see that all the prizes were wrapped. She was expecting to see some of the glass creations that she and her colleagues had been working. She observed the decorated courtyard with appreciation. Now, if she could only replicate the way the neck of that vase bent… No. No, today was time to celebrate. She could speculate all she wanted about work later. Cyrill was startled out of her thoughts by a nudge between her shoulder blades. Her head swiveled to the side to see a young girl detaching her hand from her back. “No peeking,” the girl reminded her with a giggle. Of course, the medallion game. Cyrill could vaguely remember being told something like this would take place. Cyrill surveyed the rest of the courtyard, drinking in all the bright colors and the lively music. She usually stayed away from the more crowded locations of Wind Reach, preferring to spend time in her workshop, were only a few rookie glassblowers would bother her. The rest had learned that it was safer not to distract her from her work. But now, she was ready to be distracted. In fact, she found herself craving a break from routine. She brushed her hand through her hair, pleased not to find any tangles in the curls. While she was on the subject of her appearance, she looked down at her wardrobe. She wore a beige Vintai with short sleeves and a plunging neckline. Intricate patterns wove themselves across the garment’s cloth, inlaid with red, sparkling glass beads. She had made the beads herself and was rather proud of the fact. Her Bryda were of a similar color, but not nearly as distinctive as the Vintai. She walked over to the table heaped with platters upon platters of food and glasses of wine. She wasn’t a big fan of the drink, but if it was quality wine, she didn’t mind drinking it once in a while. She picked up a glass and brought it to her lips.

[Beau]

Giddy as a dek in Avora arms. That's how his father had described both him and his mother, and rightly so. Beau and his mother had sharing plans and boasting of how much they were going to drink for a good chunk of the day. Neither one able to stop, even for one second, the excited grin on their faces. Both mother and son also shared a love for the drink which seemed to fully bring out the fun loving, festive animal. She would get to play her fiddle and drink the night away. His father would.....vanish and do what ever, or who ever, his father did. Beau would flit between fiddle, dance, and mingling, whilst expertly nursing glass after glass of wine; he could just see how it would all play out. When the first opportunity to slip away from his other tasks he hurried to get changed, the bryda he wore now were slightly smudged and dirty around the ankles. The apartment was empty when he got there so he quickly stripped of his clothing, leaving them just inside the door, forgotten. Jacien was probably off corralling one of his finer birds to strut around later. His best pair of bryda were found and he eyed the sheer linen shirt. "I'll end up tearing it off later anyway..." He quickly jumped into the fancy bryda. They were dark blue in color, cleverly hemmed just above his foot line so the various bits of dirt and dust floating around on the floor wouldn't cling to them. Three swirling icicles of glass, half of each icicle was clear while the other half smoked and frosted, lined the side of each leg in a single skinny column. He'd also taken the time to sew in streamers of stark white cloth around the bottom third of each leg, just under his knees. The bryda were perhaps his most prized possession, and when twirling on the dance floor they shimmered and flared wonderfully. He locked Mouth in the apartment so no accidents would happen to the bird in the throngs of people and hurried to the event. He received the medallion, was scolded for asking a risque question about said medallion of the girl that gave it to him, and was scolded further for trying to sneak a peak of it in a reflective bowl of juice. He smiled at his own childishness and gave up on figuring out the mystery the easy way, and headed towards the wine instead. He spotted Kellan lounging in a seat and raised an arm up to wave just before slipping into the not of people on the dance floor. Beau bounced and stepped his way through the dancers, emerging on the other side at last, closer to his goal. When he finally had a much desired cup of wine in hand he gave it a sniff, smiled, and drank deep. It was going to be a night he wouldn't remember. "And the first drink is away!"

[Amon]

Festivals. That was one word that was prominent in Amon's vocabulary. He enjoyed the mingling of the castes almost as much as he enjoyed the feeling of the crisp, fresh air on his face when he rode on the back of his beloved Wind Eagle. Yes he was a very cordial individual, and he often showed it what with the way he spoke to his fellow Endal and even the castes that were far and away below his, such as youths and Deks. However, earlier that day, the fiery haired man had been practicing his archery for the coming hunts in the future, and was often susceptible to the chides from his rambunctious Wind Eagle who was most content to watch him. But as the sudden influx of excited chattering and shouts reached his ears, he was quick to forgo his training for a day of relaxation and fun. Quick hands tugged on his favorite pair of bryda: crimson in color and embroidered with small glass beads in the shapes of eagles. He would wear no shirt this day, for he knew that a large area with bodies forced to become compact would result in a room akin to an oven. And so when he had finally primped himself up in the mirror, (making quite sure that his hair was just the way he wanted it), the Endal raced towards Stained Glass Gallery. The gallery screamed activity when he arrived. With a smile and a flirtatious comment, Amon found himself with a familiar wooden medallion on the rim of his bryda, unfortunately placed in such a way that he was unable to sneak a peek by pretending to look behind his shoulder. Instead, he found himself drawn to the delectable array of dishes lining the tables, and the wine that flowed freely for everyone to enjoy. Even just for the moment, he had the sudden urge to wander into the kitchens and cook up something that would ooze deliciousness, but the thought was quickly swept away when he found himself in a light conversation with various artists near the buffet. They spoke of obvious and unexciting subjects, such as his excursions or his progress on finding a suitable mate. Amon had to hold back his desire to roll his eyes at them, but the smile still crept on his lips as his stomach rumbled unintentionally. "I'm sure you fine ladies are just so terribly excited to hear what I have to say, but my stomach needs filling, now if you'll excuse me?" And he was off, grabbing a plate and piling it up with various foods even if he had no desire to eat them. And he moved away, off toward the table laden with savory drinks, placing his plate down to pour himself some which he ended up chugging instantaneously. If there was something he inherited from his parents, it was his innate love of carefully planned and laid out meals. A display of work that screamed efficiency and organization. He was sure then that his parents had a hand in the festivities, even if they were not yet mingling with the rest of the crowd.

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan waited around until he saw a friendly face, his rival of sorts, Beau. Beau was in a lot of ways a lot like Kellan. They both had light, joking personalities. Also, as Kellan was seeing tonight, He and Beau shared a love of alcohol. Kellan hoped that reguardless of he or Beau got to bond with Alwin, that they could be friends. He saw as beau waved to him and he waved back.  He sat back and looked around. Toran always loved First Thaw. Kellan held up his glass and closed his eyes "Good first thaw to you bro." he whispered in Nari. Then he threw down the rest of the glass in one gulp.  Kellan got up and walked over to the wine table and grabbed two more glasses. Then he walked over to Beau and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good First Thaw bro." he said with a smile. Kellan had a smile that did not look like it belonged on an eighteen year old's face, but a child's. His boyish smile suited him though. Kellan handed him one of the glasses he was holding. "You never told me that you were a fan of alcohol." he said drinking more of his second glass of wine. "Looks like we have more in common than I thought." he said.  Kellan looked around the festival and then back to Beau. "So what's the plan for you tonight?" he asked. "Drinking so much that you can't remember? That's what I'm gonna do, a little later though. I wanna enjoy this for a bit you know?"  Kellan looked around to see the crowds growing around him. He saw all his fellow Inarta celebrating around him. All the red haired men and woman, boys and girls. He loved his home of Wind Reach so much. He felt no need to be anywhere else. He was just as much a part of Wind Reach as Wind Reach was a part of him. "I love it here." Kellan said with a smile. He didn't really say it to anyone even though Beau could most likely hear him. Kellan was just so happy to be born Inarta. Everything and everyone were so amazing to him. Even though his positive outlook was so sunny that it bordered on being childish he liked it. It was him and that was enough justification.

[Dalena Luxcia]

As the prior years the First Thaw Festival took place within the lands of Wind Reach. This particular Inarta wasn't all too thrilled, nor was she completely annoyed about the Festival itself. It brought all sorts of entertaining people, allowing her to occupy a way to kill time. There was nothing more to do during the festival but join on whatever fun she could get. Not that much actually intrigued her. On this particular night she had been dressed in her usual black cloak, with a corset and a pair of black leather pants. To top it off, hiking boots of some sort covered her feet. Her hair had been left down to flow around her face, allowing her to contain that distant and almost unapproachable look. Her black cloak covered half of her head, showing her features but giving her that mysterious look, but even though she was clothed in manly looking clothes the material itself clung to her body to flaunt her feminine features. She wasn't too well known anymore, though several elders remembered her reckless behavior, and often blamed her for her sisters death. That pissed her off. She already blamed herself enough, wasn't that enough? Apparently not. The thought was nagging at her every moment she spent within the crowd. Slowly the place began to fill with people. Happy, smiling faces lingered around. Flashing each other their best smiles in hope of catching an eye, or just someone to be-friend. You would have enjoyed this wouldn't you... Her thoughts were quietly to herself as she squeezed past the crowds to settle on the fair table where the buffet had been set out. Her steps were a little hastened to get out of the crowd of people. Her boots mashed against the moist grass that had been trampled down by people who shoveled the snow away to push against the sides. For the beginning of their winter coming to an end, the air was mildly chilly. Every exhale of air that passed her luscious lips gave a puff of mist that was a mixture of temperatures clashing before her sea green eyes. Once she was seated, she began picking at the food. Placed in front of her was fruit. A rare fruit that is said to only reside within their mountains, her favorite. She chewed on the fruit with a slow motion, savoring the taste of it all. Swallowing the small fruit, she went for another. Her gaze moved along the crowd in hope of finding her parents. It had been several months since she took eyes on them, due to work. The other reason she had come was her fellow workers all came here, even her boss so there was no way she could get out of it when she had literally been dragged here. There was nothing more for her to do then sit and watch others converse with each other. To her, she missed one single person along, and longed to see her face. A face she knew she could never see again. Although pain filled her body, her facial expression didn't deceive her feelings. They kept up their usual harsh look that often made people trail away from confronting her.

[Haya]

Having found an empty spot by one of the Courtyard’s many pillars, Haya allowed herself to lean back against it. The wooden medallion she´d received pressed into her spine lightly, but not as much that it hurt. Usually, she was one of the more energetic people to be around, but with the whole of Wind Reach being in such high spirits she was a little overwhelmed.

It was a colourful, enthousiastic crowd that had gathered, every single person dressed in their finest attire decorated with woven patterns, glass beads and jewelry. Even Haya had managed to snatch a thin piece of rope to tie around her waist. Giving her plain Lontev a little more shape than it had of his own, showing off her slim figure. Other than that, and combing through her curls with her fingers until they were completely untangled, she hadn´t been able to do much though. But it was okay, she wasn´t the only one.
Many Dek like herself had mingled with the crowd, and there was some shameless flirting going on. A small smile settled itself upon her face. It was a risky game those young men and woman played. Garnering some positive attention for once was nice indeed, but the changes of actually profiting from it were pretty slim. And there was always the danger of that acquired attention turning negative in the future.

Haya let her eyes wander the crowd further, spotting very few familiar faces, and suddenly she felt a little... lost. That wasn’t really a festive feeling, she decided, and she pushed herself away from her safe little spot near the pillar.
Navigating through the crowd took her a little more effort than usual. She might be adjusted to using a cane, but the people around her were certainly not, and she had to be careful to avoid accidently tripping some of the dancing individuals.
She got where she wanted to be though, and without any accidents. The food laid out on the table before her looked exquisite, and (like every year) it felt just wrong for her to take any of it. But she knew that (also like every year) after having a glass of wine that feeling would dissipate soon enough, and she’d no longer be hesitant about sharing in all of Wind Reach’s luxury until the next break of dawn.

[Vanir]

Hallelujah. Those were the first words out of his mouth when the First Thaw Festival was announced. Vanir normal attitude would look at this day as just another in the miserable way of the Dek. But this was different indeed. This day was a day where Dek could do so many things. They could eat foods, foods that Dek could never eat on a normal day. They could drink wine, a drink they would never normally eat. He walked in as some volunteer pined some stupid medallion onto him, for some stupid game everyone seemed to love to play. He didn't like the game but he was going to be playing for one reason. The prizes. It wasn't greed that made him play,well that's we he thought. He needed another set of clothing, so he wouldn't stink all the time. A book would be nice, help him pass time and learn things he would probably want to know. Food would always be something nice, he had no reason for why he would want a weapon. He looked around and found a table filled with food and wine. He felt if he truly wanted to enjoy this festival, he would need some wine to loosen him up. He knew he could be a hard ass at times, but a glass of wine could usually change that fact. He walked slowly, staying away from all the dancing that was going on. Partially, because he didn't know how to dance and two,he had no reason to. So many Dek thought this would be a good time to try and elevate their status, by flirting with many members of other castes. Vanir knew probably one of out every thirty, no make that fifty got married. As Vanir made it to the table he noticed two girls near the table. "Hello and hello." was all he muttered as he got himself some wine, the drink of all festivals.

[Rosalie Morganthe]

Rosalie found out about the First Thaw Festival from overhearing some residents of Wind Reach talking. They said that it was the best place to meet new people and have a drink or two. That's all she needed to be motivated to go, so she made her way to the Courtyard of the Sky and Stained Glass Gallery to attend it. She had been trying to find the right man to be her master for almost two seasons now and was beginning to doubt that she would ever find anyone here, until she heard about the festival. Rosalie had never gone to any kind of festival before and wasn't aware that people actually did dress up to go. She wore her normal plain gray shirt, brown shorts, and brown boots. When she walked into the entrance she was startled by a volunteer asking her to turn around. She was about to scream at the man for being a pervert when she realized he was holding a medallion similar to the ones on other peoples' backs. Rosalie smiled kindly and turned her back to him so that he could place on the medallion. Rosalie made her way to the snack counter and grabbed a plate to fill it with meat. She couldn't decide what she wanted and just took a little of everything. She received a few weird looks from some of the others at the snack table, but ignored them. She found herself a table that was empty and close to the dance floor. As she munched down on her food, she mentally laughed at the thought of herself dancing. Rosalie had never done anything like that before and definitely wasn't going to make a fool of herself by trying it here. After she devoured everything on her plate, she walked over to where the drinks were and poured herself a small glass of wine. As she was making her way back to the table she was sitting, someone bumped into her and she dropped the wine, most of it landing on her clothes and the glass shattering on the floor. She quickly picked up the broken pieces and looked for where the waste was supposed to go. Luckily, the same volunteer from before helped her out by picking up some of the glass she hadn't seen, and showed her where to put it. Rosalie tried to hide herself in the crowds after that, hoping no one else would notice her wine-stained clothes.