From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
12-07-2019, 01:12 PM (This post was last modified: 12-11-2019, 08:31 PM by Bastien.)
BASTIEN
Well, if the guilds were to have stalls at Fiat Lux, obviously the Artist's Sanctuary had to have one and not just that: it had to be the best. The guild was the cultural hub of the town after all (or so Bastien liked to think), so it had to come alive with a celebration of it's members and the people that came to create with them.
He made sure to tell each of his guild members there would be a day of creating for the stall, then put signs up outside the door for the public too. Everyone would have a chance to make something to sell, if they wished to; those items that did not sell could be taken back by their creators.
There were plenty of small canvases with an array of paints, clay to sculpt with, wood to carve and glass to fit together into a small window. Bastien felt it best to have a range of things; he was a painter first and foremost, but he was not the guild in it's entirety. He had thought of how to include the musicians and dancers in their midst too and had thought to rehearse a performance perhaps, to happen on the hour during the festival. If any of his musically talented members appeared, he would ask them of it.
For the moment all there was to do was potter around the room making sure everything was ready for the arrival of their artists for the day. Pittore sat in the corner moulding a lump of clay into shapes only he seemed to understand, little hands caked in beige sludge. Bastien fondly patted his shoulder as he walked past, hoping they would have more than just himself and a gremlin show up to help provide inventory for the festival.
---
Open to anyone!
Please write your arrival.
4 spaces.
1. Jigano
2. Oliver
3. Loren
4. Peter (Reserved)
The last time Jigano had come to the Sanctuary it had been in disguise as a raven, feathers coated in ash and dye to hide him from Zariah's spies. This time he walked up to the front door openly in his human guise, white hair braided back to keep it out of any paints that would assuredly be around, and a crooked smile on his lips as he knocked at the wood to announce himself before poking his head in.
He had not forgotten that Bastien had, in his way, tried to deflect the ire of those who disagreed with both his choice to accept the crown from Edy and then to abdicate it. He might not be close with the artist, and he might not have the greatest respect for who Bastien had been... but if Rex had married him, he wasn't entirely without hope, even if he had led her to the Voice in the end.
But Jigano's frustrations with the Voice only extended to her followers when they harmed others, and as far as he knew Bastien's hands were largely clean of blood. He might be able to provide a unique perspective as an Ascended who wasn't as deep in the cult as the rest... and at the very least, his guild of artist's and performers was of interest to the bard. He had his own guild to think of for the festival, but perhaps a little tit for tat could be arranged? He could certainly use the Artist's Guild help in sprucing up the Loreseekers' stall when they were done here!
"Hello?" he called, poking his head in with Isuma perched on his shoulder, looking around with wide, curious eyes at all the shiny and colorful things lying around. "I heard you might need a hand getting ready for the festival?"
12-09-2019, 02:20 AM (This post was last modified: 12-09-2019, 02:21 AM by Loren.)
loren
This was getting to be almost comical: Loren knew there were many organizations in the Hollowed Grounds, and many of them had a lot of preparation for Fiat Lux to do. However, the frenzy of activity far outpaced that for LongNight, which seemed to have far more dire consequences. Still, he was throwing himself in the thick of it, trying to fully integrate himself into the community.
He wasn't the only one with that idea. Laughing when he saw Jigano, the Launceleyn approached the bard. "I'm not stalking you, I promise. Hi Isuma." The summoner reached up to give the griffin a little scratch. Turning to Bastien, the Launceleyn gave the Ascended a faint smile. "I heard the same. Let me know how I can help." Peering around the head of the Artist's Sanctuary, Loren gave the weird looking critter with the clay inside a cheerful little wave.
Oliver had heard about what Bastien had been planning. It had been a while since the two had spoken and based on the last event the man had held, this one was surely be extremely fun. That wasn't the embarrassing part. That came from the fact that the moment he arrived, he saw two very familiar individuals. Wow. Every time Oliver went out to help out, almost always, either Jigano or Loren would be there. So of course both of them would be here. The most embarrassing thing about it was that neither had seen his art. Neither knew about his...skill level. So this should be fun.
Walking inside, Oliver nodded towards the two men. "Heard we were crafting? Or well, doing artsy things to prepare for the festival. Thought I should join in, it sounds fun." Of course they were artsy things. Bastien wasn't gonna make them set up for the festival in a boring way. This should prove to be a very fun experience.
Peter had not, like the others, heard about the Fiat Lux preparation. Or rather, he had heard of it, but not payed attention to any of it. There were more important things on his kind, which is why he found himself at the artists sanctuary anyway. He was looking for a chance to talk to Rexanna, to maybe pick her brain, or, at least get some support.
What he came upon instead, seemed to be some kind of gathering. There were two people he knew, and two he didn’t. He recognized Loren and Jigano both, offering them a smile and nod, but turned confused to the man who was their host. Rexannas husband, more than likely. Who else would be arranging some kind of art thing where they lived? The last person was throwing him for a complete blank though. Peter just nodded in his direction, then turned back to... Bastien? (That sounded right.)
”Hi, I was uh...” Peter paused, his eyes moving over the assembled art supplies. He’d never really gotten a chance to be properly creative before. ”.. i guess I’m here to... help?”
Peter
Perfectly able to hold my own hand,
But I still can’t kiss my own neck;
A selection of the finest Hybrid men in Caido came to his event. Bastien greeted them each one by one, gesturing to chairs for them to sit around the tables in the guildhall. The first three seemed very sure and willing to help which he appreciated, taking them all in with a wide smile and a nod. The last man, small and shy seeming, appeared less sure.
"Well, if you are we are happy to have you!" He said to Pet with a wink, then gestured over all the supplies laid across the room for everyone. "So, you all see before you your tools. Paints, canvas, paper, clay, wool and fabric, wood for carving, glass for painting and making...anything you wish. I would love for you to make me something I can sell at the Fiat Lux stall; if you wish to make something else simply for yourself as well I would be honoured to see your creativity bloom unhindered."
For himself he had begun to paint several little canvases with simple scenes of streets in the town. Sitting down at his own work space, he looked about pleasantly to each attendant. "So what is it you have the inspiration to make today?"
---
Choose an art medium to play with and tell Bastien what you wanna make! :-)
Loren shot both Oliver and Peter a grin when the last two men arrived. ”Good to see you both.” However, Bastien gestured for them to sit, so the summoner did. As their host explained what they’d all gathered here, though, the Launceleyn sighed. He was probably the wrong person for this, and his brow furrowed as he considered what he’d make and how he’d make it. Briefly, he considered using creation magic before discarding it as not getting into the spirit of the task.
Finally he shrugged. ”I guess I’ll try to make a phoenix out of wood.” His voice came out a little hesitantly, It was his favorite mythological creature, and seemed fitting for the season of rebirth. Gathering the requisite materials, he retreated to a corner. Then he shifted into a honey badger, his small and nimble claws able to carve much more finely than any knife.
Loren tries to carve a phoenix out of wood as a honey badger.
Jigano grinned at Loren. "Hmmm, could have fooled me," he teased back as Isuma abandoned Jigano's shoulder momentarily to flutter around the other mage and chirrup her own greetings, purring at the scratches. "Hello, Oliver," he added with a smile for the young man who soon joined them. The last to arrive, Peter, received a cautious nod as the bard watched him curiously. Peter hardly seemed to know what he was doing there... but from what Jigano had heard from their last conversation, a little art therapy could only be good for him.
Bastien was as welcoming as ever, and Jigano's lips quirked in a wry smile. Creativity blooming? Oh yes, he could do that. With a grin he found a jar of paintbrushes and emptied it carefully before he gathered his magic, sprouting a flower from the air in a vibrant red shade. He made two more like it, then created a white one with a long tapering bloom. Another several with pale pink berries, some leafy green lace-like fronds, and some blossoms in light blue were all added to the vase. As he worked he said: "I think I'll try to make some floral wreaths to hang in the stall for a bit of Fiat Lux flair." He continued to make his base materials, collecting them in the jar until there was a proper riot of flowers and leaves of various plant types blooming there.
Jigano uses mastered earth magic to create flowers and plans to make some floral wreaths for the Artist's Guild Stall.
Though the greeting from Loren and the... recognition from Jigano helped to settle Peter a little bit, he was almost immediately thrown off balance by the sheer number of choices being offered so freely. Glass and paint and clay, anytime he thought he settled on something another bit of supply caught his eyes. Never before had he had the chance to just make something, and Peter found he had a woeful lack of ideas1.
In the end, he grabs the things that call to him most, a raw lump of clay2, and a box filled with broken shards of coloured glass. Though he isn’t exactly looking at the glass when he chooses it, he’s more focused on the way the light reflects through and off the shards. And it give him an idea. Some kind of sun catcher, charms and decorations with pockets of rainbow light. ”I don’t... I don’t really know if I’m making anything, really.” Peter admitted as he worked with the clay, trying to decide on a shape for his first experiment.
1. This isn’t exactly true. He has lots of ideas, all of them half formed and crowded over by other, different half formed ideas. He just didn’t have anything solid enough to actually think of as an idea.
2. The clay is colder than he expects, solid in his hand, but comfortable, in the strangest way. Like he’s made the right choice.
Peter is going to try to make sun catchers/stained glass like decorations!
Peter
Perfectly able to hold my own hand,
But I still can’t kiss my own neck;
Glancing at the items, Oliver let out a thoughtful hum, already trying to think of ideas for what he could make. A few small possibilities passed through his head and once everyone else had chosen what they would be doing, it became clear what would be perfect. "I think I may try to make some little clay figurines...if I have time, I may even try to paint them." Of course, they'd most likely be animals. So, grabbing the clay, Oliver also grabbed a paint brush to set aside for later.
He'd first start by ripping off small chunks and rolling each one into balls, occasionally glancing over as each person started their own work. He even let out a soft laugh at Loren's choice. "Having fun over there, Loren?" His tone was lighthearted and clearly playful, not mocking in any way. It was time to relax and enjoy art, not worry about others really judging you. He just found it amusing and shocking to see what Loren had chosen to do. Hell, it was clever as can be.
Oliver decides to make clay figurines!
Each man set to his work and Bastien's brush hovered above one of his canvases for a moment as he simply watched them all begin, thrilled to have so much budding creativity in his guild building. This was what he lived for; giving people a chance to make, to express themselves in the most honest of ways. Finally he was able to drag his eyes back to his work, applying lines of colour for light in puddles, cobbles along roads.
It seemed everyone was interested in making objects; figurines and wreaths and sun-catchers. These would be easy to sell, so Bastien was rather happy with the result. Peter, who seemed the most hesitant, earned his first comment, Bastien's eyes still focused down on his work. "That is often how the best work comes to be, Peter. Let your inspiration flow through your fingers and make the piece for you."
A while passed with pleasant conversation and spells of quiet, filled by soft music coming from the thought player in the corner of the room; a Venetian ballet trickled through the air, the tune sometimes sounding a little chaotic as Bastien forgot a few seconds of the melody. Once he had finished two more small paintings and set them aside to dry, he looked up to see what everyone had developed their work into.
"I would love to know, if you each could share with me, what your inspiration is for your works. Something from your world? Your past? Simply aesthetically pleasing? It will help me to sell the pieces at Fiat Lux if I have a story - it is the most important tool for any salesman." As much as Bastien loathed establishment, would happily live in a world with no money at all (partially why he had taken so well to Caido), he had had to eat in Venice and so had developed a sharp ability for selling and appraising art.
--
Continue making and talk about your reasons for what you make!
No Order
Loren had shifted fully to a honey badger, of course. Then, however, people were speaking to him, and unfortunately they weren’t all people he could speak with just using his mind (stupid Bastien). So the summoner shifted back to human with a frown. Then, though, his eyes widened as his fingers, as if sensing his displeasure, shifted into claws. Nothing else, just his fingers. Neat. His smile certainly betrayed how cool he thought that was.
However, it disappeared at Oliver’s question. Glancing over at the Launceleyn’s houseguest, Loren shrugged. ”Not really. Art’s not my thing.” He shot Oliver an apologetic smile.
A smile the summoner turned on Bastien soon enough. Shrugging, the Launceleyn continued to carve his phoenix. ”I just like phoenixes.” Then, though, Loren sighed. ”That’s probably not a sufficient answer, so, the reason I like them is because they symbolize rebirth. Renewal. Resurrection. Second chances, and the purification of an old form to make way for a new one.” Flushing slightly, he turned his attention fully back to his work.
Using one of the balls of clay, Oliver started to work on forming it into a body with legs. The head and tail would of course come later, so for now he tried his best to make each leg equal in size and length as well as making sure that the body itself didn't look too weird. Glancing over at Loren and whatever he was doing, he smiled when he got to hear the inspiration behind his work. "I like it, Loren. It's really creative, you know? Using the claws to create unique marks that no human would be able to replicate...it's super cool." He had caught the change in disposition and wanted to rectify it. It wasn't something that Loren should be ashamed of, it was really interesting and amazing, really.
Turning to look towards Bastien, his smile remained. "Honestly? Just kinda trying to replicate things that I can vaguely remember from my old life. We had super simple animal figurines that you know, we could play with and stuff. I remember having a bear and a few other animals. For now I'm just making a cat." As he spoke, he finished off the body and moved on to making the head. Making sure to use his fingers to create a snout and then ripping off very small pieces of clay to use as ears. Once that was done, he would use the end of a paint brush in order to create eye holes. Now all he needed to do was make a tail and attach both items to the body, which he would begin to work on. After all, he did want to create at least another animal.
Oliver continues to work on making a cat figurine!
He smiled wryly at Bastien's question, offering a light shrug in answer. The stories the artist wanted might have been better suited to Loren and Oliver’s creations, but they weren’t very pertinent to his. He listened to his guildmate’s reasoning curiously though, giving a thoughtful nod as he began to pluck blooms and fronds and weave them into a festive wreath, adding little touches with his earth magic as he did so, and sealing the ends of the plants with healing magic to keep them fresh longer. For the ex-Launceleyn who sought to rise above his family a phoenix made perfect sense, and he idly wondered if Loren would eventually take such a form for himself as he blossomed into his power.
Oliver’s tale was as vague as his own, and he suspected Peter’s would be similar since the current-Launceleyn hadn’t even had a plan when he’d begun. Telling him to let the inspiration flow and then wanting a reason for that inspiration seemed counter-intuitive to the bard, but perhaps Peter would rise to the challenge in spite of it. Deciding to give the man a few more minutes to try and think of something, Jigano spoke up as he filled the first wreath in more fully. ”Flowers for Frey and Rae, of course, symbolizing nature and change, life and pleasure. Crowns and wreaths in the shape of a ring for the never-ending life and death and renewed life again… and these flowers are made and sustained with earth magic, in respect for Rae’s domain and not killing their creations unnecessarily.” Not a tale, per se, but inspiration nonetheless. He shrugged and returned his attention to his work, beginning a second, smaller ring to be a matching crown for the wreath.
