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The Happenings of Lucifus Cray: Update{23}07/06/06 - The Threading of the Weave
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<blockquote data-quote="Herremann the Wise" data-source="post: 1834835" data-attributes="member: 11300"><p><strong>A Perfect Performance</strong></p><p></p><p><em>Later that evening...</em></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">***</p><p></p><p>And so after earlier events, the atmosphere of Gumbil’s Turm livened up in expectation, rumour and excitement. The Turm had undergone numerous renovations across its vast history; expanding and contracting several times from its original design. Currently, it was split into several sections. The downstairs taproom or commons was the bar where refreshments, beverages and various libations were imbibed by the Turm’s diverse clientele. Immediately above this were a wide variety of rooms and apartments catering to a range of lodgers from the casual guest to the ensconced tenant. To the rear of these facilities were the massive stables once favoured by the Emperor’s best. In between the old stables and the opposing side of the actual bar was an area converted into a massive hall were ‘longtables’ ran the length of its span reaching to a small stage area set aside for performances such as this evenings. The roof ranged almost three stories above the floor lending the hall an open atmosphere that most of the local nobility looked upon with jealousy<em>{1}</em>. Normally, the Turm would play host to meetings of various groups and assemblies and thus its primary hall was used for such purposes. At this stage of the evening, most people had progressed from the taproom to the main hall’s vaunted interior, awaiting the feted performance of the bard Chess.</p><p></p><p>The floor of the hall was nearing capacity – all seats along the trenchers and longtables were filled with a variety of patrons swilling mugs of ale, horns of mead as well as goblets of an expensive new wine currently causing speculation and rumour. As the shoulder room decreased, several of the more agile spectators found elevated points on the walls where they could view<em>{2}</em> the Bard and her performance. At the moment, several halflings who had been part of the audience were creating their own mischief upon the stage much to the revelry of those in the hall. Where as the caper had started with the juggling of some impromptu skittles (empty ale flagons) between the five of them, it had since progressed into a full-scale acrobatic revue. They were currently trying to stand on top of each other as many halflings foot to shoulder as possible. Unfortunately due to alcohol and a lack of co-ordination, they were struggling to get more than two halflings high. Gambling ensued to raucous laughter and moaned chagrin as bets succeeded and failed. The outcry when four halflings maintained a balanced pose broke into laughter when it collapsed in a heap of arms, hairy feet and grimacing faces. Several arguments also broke out as to whether the arrangement had been established for the required duration. All in all, the atmosphere was most festive.</p><p></p><p>The appearance of a new person on stage had the halflings scattering to join a drunken sprawl to the side of the platform. Dressed in ridiculous pantaloons and a dreadful jarring of colours, the lute player started playing a few randomly selected chords whilst adding a stringy voice in chorus. The crowd quietened. At first there was the odd comment followed by a few hoots and jeers. As the musician continued uninhibited, the catcalls eventually dissolved into all out heckling and booing. A few objects were then thrown but it was only when an almost full clay pitcher made satisfactory impact with the lutist’s nose that the crowd’s criticism was heeded; his playing stopped and the crowd cheered all the harder. The crimson contents of the broken pitcher had splattered and soaked the man’s lemon; mauve and cyanic garments as he cried out in reproach. Several more items were cast his way before he ran from the stage, the crowd cheering his exit harder still. Lucifus’s entry into the hall and his floating ascent twenty feet above everyone else at the tables went largely unnoticed. Several servants cleared the stage.</p><p></p><p>There was further movement upon the stage as the lights around the hall were dimmed. The crowd went quiet once more before bursting out in rapturous applause, the sound drowning out all possible conversation. All eyes were staring directly at the newly arrived bard. The figure of Chess struck her signature pose, her hands delicately poised above her head, her face looking solemnly skyward her body slightly coiled around and legs demurely crossed, all showed her figure to extreme advantage. To say her outfit left nothing to the imagination would overdress her. Every inch of her statuesque body could be seen almost without hindrance. The taut layer of sky blue gauze that was her dress concealed nothing; it was only the slight flickering shadows that obscured her precise form. Her beautiful hair of faintest blonde, its extreme and gorgeous length enhanced by numerous delicate curls was gathered over her silken right shoulder before lightly tumbling behind her as her head lifted ever so slightly. </p><p></p><p>Her gaze continued skyward, her visage that of an angelic siren. As her body slowly turned to face the crowd (causing more ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ as her dress tightened further) the most divine tone could be heard, the note so virginally pure as to cause ones heartbeat to cease in anticipation. Her bluest eyes shined aloft as a tear graced her soft and pale cheek, the sonance speaking of heartache and loss as it resonated across the entire length of the now still hall. The audience was utterly spellbound; breaths held waiting for the note to finish its gradual descent. Her arms spread as she continued the vibrato revealing two elegantly graceful and perfectly poised breasts, each pushing against her costume in unison. The effect upon the spectators was immediate as the note changed into song, her solo voice in answer to the hush of the crowd. The performance continued.</p><p></p><p>The clear and exquisitely radiant features of Chess defined a range of emotions throughout the first half of the show. Lucifus looked on from above utterly impressed with her flawless performance and form. It had been almost a year since he had seen her perform and never to an audience as large or rapturously disposed as this. He looked around as they swayed and swooned, laughed and cheered, cried and wept. He did not wish to seek any magic used, wishing and holding to the purity of the performance. Any magic used to augment her display would have been superfluous anyway, her performance purest perfection to begin with. At the climactic closure of the first session and the beginning of an interlude, Lucifus felt a tingling of magic reach his senses. It was Chess’ frightened voice:</p><p></p><p>“He is not here and I’m wary that my plans have been discovered … I’ve seen several people I don’t like, Primmas Rose chief amongst them…</p><p>“However, the show must go on – meet me directly at the conclusion. Please!”</p><p></p><p>Lucifus instantly scanned the crowd using his most basic divinations. His features pulsed in anger as nothing was revealed leaving only his concerns. Primmas Rose was a name only quietly spoken by a few. He was a most deadly assassin from Peronsil. Someone obviously wanted Chess very dead.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">***</p><p></p><p><em>{1}</em> Architecture and building had declined from its heyday several centuries earlier. Time and expense normally precluded the nobility from creating additional majestic feats of architecture to their demesnes. (Demar’s new facility was looked upon as a novel and major achievement – the fact that it’s walls were being magically created in the main was also a source of amazement and dare it be said envy.)</p><p></p><p><em>{2}</em> Merle while proficient in the job of ordering his staff around was in the main an avaricious dullard totally lacking in imagination. A more resourceful yet equally avaricious person of business might have conceived of a dress circle in the main hall that could more easily divest one’s patrons of their finances. Merle being Merle however, no upstairs platform had yet been proposed or conceived.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Herremann the Wise, post: 1834835, member: 11300"] [b]A Perfect Performance[/b] [I]Later that evening...[/I] [CENTER]***[/CENTER] And so after earlier events, the atmosphere of Gumbil’s Turm livened up in expectation, rumour and excitement. The Turm had undergone numerous renovations across its vast history; expanding and contracting several times from its original design. Currently, it was split into several sections. The downstairs taproom or commons was the bar where refreshments, beverages and various libations were imbibed by the Turm’s diverse clientele. Immediately above this were a wide variety of rooms and apartments catering to a range of lodgers from the casual guest to the ensconced tenant. To the rear of these facilities were the massive stables once favoured by the Emperor’s best. In between the old stables and the opposing side of the actual bar was an area converted into a massive hall were ‘longtables’ ran the length of its span reaching to a small stage area set aside for performances such as this evenings. The roof ranged almost three stories above the floor lending the hall an open atmosphere that most of the local nobility looked upon with jealousy[I]{1}[/I]. Normally, the Turm would play host to meetings of various groups and assemblies and thus its primary hall was used for such purposes. At this stage of the evening, most people had progressed from the taproom to the main hall’s vaunted interior, awaiting the feted performance of the bard Chess. The floor of the hall was nearing capacity – all seats along the trenchers and longtables were filled with a variety of patrons swilling mugs of ale, horns of mead as well as goblets of an expensive new wine currently causing speculation and rumour. As the shoulder room decreased, several of the more agile spectators found elevated points on the walls where they could view[I]{2}[/I] the Bard and her performance. At the moment, several halflings who had been part of the audience were creating their own mischief upon the stage much to the revelry of those in the hall. Where as the caper had started with the juggling of some impromptu skittles (empty ale flagons) between the five of them, it had since progressed into a full-scale acrobatic revue. They were currently trying to stand on top of each other as many halflings foot to shoulder as possible. Unfortunately due to alcohol and a lack of co-ordination, they were struggling to get more than two halflings high. Gambling ensued to raucous laughter and moaned chagrin as bets succeeded and failed. The outcry when four halflings maintained a balanced pose broke into laughter when it collapsed in a heap of arms, hairy feet and grimacing faces. Several arguments also broke out as to whether the arrangement had been established for the required duration. All in all, the atmosphere was most festive. The appearance of a new person on stage had the halflings scattering to join a drunken sprawl to the side of the platform. Dressed in ridiculous pantaloons and a dreadful jarring of colours, the lute player started playing a few randomly selected chords whilst adding a stringy voice in chorus. The crowd quietened. At first there was the odd comment followed by a few hoots and jeers. As the musician continued uninhibited, the catcalls eventually dissolved into all out heckling and booing. A few objects were then thrown but it was only when an almost full clay pitcher made satisfactory impact with the lutist’s nose that the crowd’s criticism was heeded; his playing stopped and the crowd cheered all the harder. The crimson contents of the broken pitcher had splattered and soaked the man’s lemon; mauve and cyanic garments as he cried out in reproach. Several more items were cast his way before he ran from the stage, the crowd cheering his exit harder still. Lucifus’s entry into the hall and his floating ascent twenty feet above everyone else at the tables went largely unnoticed. Several servants cleared the stage. There was further movement upon the stage as the lights around the hall were dimmed. The crowd went quiet once more before bursting out in rapturous applause, the sound drowning out all possible conversation. All eyes were staring directly at the newly arrived bard. The figure of Chess struck her signature pose, her hands delicately poised above her head, her face looking solemnly skyward her body slightly coiled around and legs demurely crossed, all showed her figure to extreme advantage. To say her outfit left nothing to the imagination would overdress her. Every inch of her statuesque body could be seen almost without hindrance. The taut layer of sky blue gauze that was her dress concealed nothing; it was only the slight flickering shadows that obscured her precise form. Her beautiful hair of faintest blonde, its extreme and gorgeous length enhanced by numerous delicate curls was gathered over her silken right shoulder before lightly tumbling behind her as her head lifted ever so slightly. Her gaze continued skyward, her visage that of an angelic siren. As her body slowly turned to face the crowd (causing more ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ as her dress tightened further) the most divine tone could be heard, the note so virginally pure as to cause ones heartbeat to cease in anticipation. Her bluest eyes shined aloft as a tear graced her soft and pale cheek, the sonance speaking of heartache and loss as it resonated across the entire length of the now still hall. The audience was utterly spellbound; breaths held waiting for the note to finish its gradual descent. Her arms spread as she continued the vibrato revealing two elegantly graceful and perfectly poised breasts, each pushing against her costume in unison. The effect upon the spectators was immediate as the note changed into song, her solo voice in answer to the hush of the crowd. The performance continued. The clear and exquisitely radiant features of Chess defined a range of emotions throughout the first half of the show. Lucifus looked on from above utterly impressed with her flawless performance and form. It had been almost a year since he had seen her perform and never to an audience as large or rapturously disposed as this. He looked around as they swayed and swooned, laughed and cheered, cried and wept. He did not wish to seek any magic used, wishing and holding to the purity of the performance. Any magic used to augment her display would have been superfluous anyway, her performance purest perfection to begin with. At the climactic closure of the first session and the beginning of an interlude, Lucifus felt a tingling of magic reach his senses. It was Chess’ frightened voice: “He is not here and I’m wary that my plans have been discovered … I’ve seen several people I don’t like, Primmas Rose chief amongst them… “However, the show must go on – meet me directly at the conclusion. Please!” Lucifus instantly scanned the crowd using his most basic divinations. His features pulsed in anger as nothing was revealed leaving only his concerns. Primmas Rose was a name only quietly spoken by a few. He was a most deadly assassin from Peronsil. Someone obviously wanted Chess very dead. [CENTER]***[/CENTER] [I]{1}[/I] Architecture and building had declined from its heyday several centuries earlier. Time and expense normally precluded the nobility from creating additional majestic feats of architecture to their demesnes. (Demar’s new facility was looked upon as a novel and major achievement – the fact that it’s walls were being magically created in the main was also a source of amazement and dare it be said envy.) [I]{2}[/I] Merle while proficient in the job of ordering his staff around was in the main an avaricious dullard totally lacking in imagination. A more resourceful yet equally avaricious person of business might have conceived of a dress circle in the main hall that could more easily divest one’s patrons of their finances. Merle being Merle however, no upstairs platform had yet been proposed or conceived. [/QUOTE]
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