Sarshel - Praised Be

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Copper Dragon
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Re: Sarshel - Praised Be

Postby Copper Dragon » Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:25 pm

Midsummer Festival
During Midsummer in the year 1363DR, the Lathanderite priestess made an effort to organise a suitable gathering for the year's liveliest, penultimate festive day. Merchants were encouraged to promote their wares, artists and craftsmen their creations, and primarily - people of skill, talent and an adventurous spirit were summoned to attend contests. In the end, a King, Knight, and Mistress of Midsummer were announced in that evening and several prizes were handed out. These were Merney Valroc, Hjalmar Godefroy and Aleira Nemesk respectively - though other titles were won as well, such as that of Songmaster by Nathaniel Askovar.

The priestess attempted to persuade traders to sponsor events and for as many people to make an appearance as possible, despite the uncharacteristic chilliness of the weather. At least no rain, fog or snow graced the festivities, only faint clouds and sunshine.

Meetings
Outside of the above festival, Artemis has spent most of her time within city walls in the past tendays. She has been hosting meetings at Angel's Court 5, a building with a balcony in the Old Quarter of Sarshel, as well as in the Sailor's Star and once even in the Heltharn Theatre.

Prospectors, traders, artists, philosophers, philanthropists, idealists, craftsmen are the ones she welcomes; if she can get her hands on a 'rivetting character', she invites them. Adventurers as well! Given that Sarshel is no metropolis, though, or a sprawling hub of culture, these gatherings may not be glorious, massive or an every day occurance; but Artemis tries to make the best of them.

Among flowers, pieces of art, in warmth and in light, Artemis' goal is to nurture ideas and bring people together. Sarshel, she reasons, needs these moments all the more to recover from Mirtul 7th and to move forward during a harsh year. All the energy that summer could muster had to be used to move, mingle, manifest a better, stronger community.
An Example Pamphlet wrote:Esteemed acquaintance,

You have been invited to the Sunrose Open Affair held tomorrow at three bells in Angel Court 5. Your attendance is highly anticipated and requested, alongside any and all who are eager to harness the potential within your field of craft, trade, or artisanship.

Meet great minds, share yours, and discover here your next bustling opportunity. Where there is a 'we', there is a way.

Special guests will be Ms. Coretta Reen of the Heltharn Theatre, Mr. Orpim Quickfoot and Ms. Mersa Posht.

Host will be Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnbringer.
During these meetings lady D'Assanthe rarely speaks herself, trying to give center-stage to her guests. Perhaps this is all the more true the past months ever since she's earned a (now rather faint) jagged scar along her jawline, which may disrupt an otherwise refined image. She keeps the meetings organised with a clear flow and structure, and entertains attendants who have a harder time interacting. All in all, she is open but always seeks to be eloquent and influencial with her convictions.

OOC: While these merchant meetings wouldn't happen in game, nothing stops PCs from saying they attended them! Artemis would happily invite other characters to the meetings either as guest speakers or as guests; Maera Thlantyr, Lori Peveril, Nathaniel Askovar, Marcellus Heldeion, Wynna Blackwing, Thomas Page, Isendor Draal, Kelda and Jerek Adler, Abigail Beaumont, Westin Highridge, Perry Quietfoot, Aleira Nemesk, Merney Valroc, Casavir, (even risking Jun and Hjalmar Godefroy!) are just a few of the PCs that she would be happy to see there.
Plays:
Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnmaster
Udhana, the Kinless
Dhovainithil, Silver Elf
Jhasira of the Bai Kabor, Dawnbringer (deceased)

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Copper Dragon
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Re: Sarshel - Praised Be

Postby Copper Dragon » Sat Oct 22, 2016 12:08 pm

Morning Sermons
The Lathanderite priestess Artemis D'Assanthe could be frequently seen greeting the morning, her god and an audience at the cty square of Sarshel. Most often it is in this walled city that she could be found; her focus on the middle class, artists and craftsmen, for, she argues, it is they who are in the best position to bring prosperity for all. Their labour brings more work opportunities; their trade brings more coin; their means can help lift others to better, safer, more profitable roles.

When the elven-blooded priestess is not attempting to advise and encourage merchants or sponsor artist gatherings, she is out on Adventure - something she seems to do willingly and with conviction.

Adventure, exhaustion, busy-ness or not, she returns for morning sermons with warmth, even joy, despite the everwinter. Or perhaps to defy it.

"Dear attendants, dear audience. Brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons.

What times we live in..."


Artemis stops already ponderously, glancing to the eastern sky beyond the Royal Palace.

"The Seventh of Mirtul. The tribulations of the countryside. The dreaded winter that was our summer; the ugly rumours of Songhall and Stowside... What times we live in.

But will you be lost by this time, crushed by the black barbs it seems to grow just now? Or will you be a part of history: the people who survived and stayed strong in bond together? Will they sing your country's song, your city's ode, as the one who persevered?

These circumstances, these terrible times are not here upon you by your choice. But how you live through them is yours: yours only. Dark powers, dark gods are at work, and you may choose to succumb to their terror, their vilety - but you need not. You are not spellbound, you are not cursed. Make your mark, defy your despair, and brace for what is to come! The Morninglord rises resolutely each day to remind you: there is beauty in this world, and with it warmth, hope, life...

Listen! And look, and see. There is always another morning, no matter how deep the night seems. When you think all has ended, the Morninglord still returns: and with Him, all the Goodly Gods of Light, Kindness, Joy and Love. See in this the endless determination that is also within you! When you wish all would have ended, know that defeat is not His way, nor yours. Ever.

'Tis what you wished to hear from me! 'Tis what you have come for. And 'tis what I promise you: that I will be here to remind you of your strength, and to believe in you, just as the Morninglord does. Praised and greeted be His victory over darkness! Praised and greeted be the new sunrise!"
Plays:
Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnmaster
Udhana, the Kinless
Dhovainithil, Silver Elf
Jhasira of the Bai Kabor, Dawnbringer (deceased)

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Copper Dragon
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Re: Sarshel - Praised Be

Postby Copper Dragon » Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:01 pm

Morning Sermons
Clad in extravagant long-sleeved ceremonial robes, the blonde priestess D'Assanthe can be frequently seen in public places of Sarshel. She has made efforts previously to invite acquaintances to soirees, nurturing friendly relations with middle-class citizens and adventurers alike. One Uktar morning she could be seen in her Lathanderite robes on the arm of a Damaran man, one Merney Valroc, seeking St. Ashel's Orphanage.

Should they be allowed inside, the priestess would bow her head gratefully and would seek to address the children.

She speaks in accented Easting, her speech fluent but still showing a few telltale signs of being rather new to the language. "Dear girls and boys; dear young damsels and gentlemen. You have had a hard year, have had to fear much, and doubt more. Maybe you think you will never see better, or that you will never be someone great. But if you learn... work hard... and stay honest always to yourself, you will be someone worth respect. Someone with dignity. Who knows: You might become the next talented healer; an inspiring artist; or a skilled swordsman, like the man I bring today. He has many stories to share, and you will see on him that they are all true."

The priestess glances to the Damaran benevolently, "He too has had many hard years, many fears, and bad things happen to him. Now he fights with a skill that has laid low even a terrible, mighty Ogre before - and he fights with sword and soul for his friends, his home; for better days. He, and others in the city that I want you to get to know. They were once like you; and now they stand tall and independent. Remember each morning, dear children, that the same will be true for you. The future is wide open, and for you to make."
Plays:
Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnmaster
Udhana, the Kinless
Dhovainithil, Silver Elf
Jhasira of the Bai Kabor, Dawnbringer (deceased)

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Danuvis
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Re: Sarshel - Praised Be

Postby Danuvis » Sat Nov 12, 2016 3:51 pm

The Damaran, if allowed within alongside the priestess, seems wholly out of his element, mustering a tenuous smile for any and all children that may congregate around the seasoned warrior, his marred, imposing appearance likely warding off just as many as he might attract.

Smiling a touch more sincerely along to Artemis' words, Merney patiently awaits his turn to speak up, and when it does arrive, he faces those of the children whose curiosity triumphs over wariness and perhaps even fear - his words in Easting spoken with the fluent ease that comes with the shared roots and similarities of their respective native tongues: "My name is Merney Valroc, and as you can no doubt hear from my northern twang; I am a foreigner - one of the many fortunate enough to now call Impiltur my home."

Momentarily pausing to soak in the many faces of the orphans, he watches them all a small while before nodding with a pronounced finality. Should any of them glance at his scars inadvertently and intentionally alike, he would trace such gazes and looks with his hand for emphasis. "You may wonder, what is wrong with this man's face? Why does he bear such ugly marks? What could have possibly done this to him? Well, you see, Lady Artemis speaks true, I am a swordsman."

Easing into it, perhaps emboldened by the elven-blooded priestesses' presence, the Damaran adopts a gentler tone, his smile broadening even further after a glance cast in the woman's direction. "Aye, I am a swordsman, a knight; a soldier, and you brave children, survivors of the Seventh, know better than most that precious little comes without its cost, and these carved lines you see on my face are the toll of what I do. They are marks of sacrifice, of duty and friendship, and each of these scars I would gladly suffer time and again... for you, for Sarshel, and those I care for.

The journey that has brought me here is very much like the stories we as children grow up on, that /you/ are growing up on - full of thrill, the vanquishing of frightful beasts and obstacles to overcome. I will tell you all about my adventures, struggles; tales of danger and glory, but it is important to remember that no man or woman should take up the sword for the sake of it. It should be with purpose that steel is drawn and swung, and what nobler cause is there to risk all in the name of than protecting your home and loved ones?

It is people like myself, people like Lady Artemis and countless others that keep the ever encroaching darkness at bay, as we did on the Seventh, just as we will again when the need for it arises. As you will come to learn from my recounted battles this day, children, every story is unique, even if they follow similar threads, and so any of you may come to stand in our shoes in the years to come - no matter what walk of life you come from. That is the beauty of things."


With his addressing of the orphans coming to an end, the hedge knight is more than willing to entertain questions and requests of stories. Though the macabre, grim aspects of his lifestyle are kept to scarce detail, there is an inevitable bluntness to his storytelling; Merney is no bard, nor the most sociable man to accompany the High Dawnlord, and thus his words are befitting of his pragmatic nature - bereft of embellishment and at times the tact that one should employ for the youth, but with any luck, most of them would find the candidness of it to their liking.

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Copper Dragon
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Sarshel - Make Hay While the Sun Shines

Postby Copper Dragon » Sat Nov 19, 2016 12:27 pm

It is yet another day that Artemis D'Assanthe, a Lathanderite priestess dressed in finery, comes to the city square at the usual hour of her sermons.

"Dear attendants, friends and not-yet-acquaintances. I am here to surprise you today:
A certain Miss Faile Loomgold has broken into my house."


The priestess quirks a brow at her listeners, then unwraps a bundle and displays its contents; hay.

"She has deposited a considerable heap of hay in the hallway. 'Tis a form of her personal justice or vengeance; that is for her heart to know, not for any of us to presuppose. What led to this was a shared discussion on how we each thought wealth should be used, and certainly we disagreed. Dear attendants, dear audience: Faile Loomgold has now provided an excellent example of a fiery soul devoted to her ideas.

And she has provided a perfect example on how it ought not to be expressed.

Whether she has bought the hay or taken it, whether she took a day to cart it to mine home or a minute to rally others to do it for her, she has invested time, effort, and resources into a deed that breeds naught constructive. It drains her and others too.

When we focus harmful thoughts on others, on irking them, envying them, disproving them, hating them, disgracing them, we turn away from the light of the sun and seek the shadows of misery. We turn away from can make us an inspiration to our fellows. We turn away from the good that we can bring, in order to take it away from others.

We are also capable of focusing harmful thoughts on ourselves, when we only indulge in our wants and seek praise, pride and validation at every turn. And harmful thoughts are those too that deprive us of all desire, all dreams, for fear that we do not deserve them.

We, you, do deserve them. All do.

'Tis why providence must be cultivated, and its fruits shared.

Use your wealth - whether that is measured in time, in energy, or in the monetary - to build with others, for others, towards others. For the sun does not hide away the world's beauty and bounty; he reveals it. The sun does not hoard his warmth; he spreads it, shining brightly. The sun does not shed his mantle of radiance; he encourages life to emulate it."


The Dawnbringer smiles at last.

"As for the haystack: I offer a quarter to the Sarshel stables, one quarter to farmsteads, and two quarters more to fill the mattresses of children. In the ever-winter farm animals have no doubt gone hungry; and children know too much cold and harsh lodgings. Lend me a hand and we shall complete this quickly."
Plays:
Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnmaster
Udhana, the Kinless
Dhovainithil, Silver Elf
Jhasira of the Bai Kabor, Dawnbringer (deceased)

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Copper Dragon
Posts: 537
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:11 pm
Location: GMT +1

Re: Sarshel - Praised Be

Postby Copper Dragon » Sun Dec 11, 2016 6:23 pm

On one of the eternal winter's mornings, the Lathanderite priestess comes to the city square in her ceremonial attire, elegant and fair. Her robes bear much white, like the snow; but pink also, like the rich bouquet of pink lilies with which she comes. One of the flowers has been worked into her hair.

Some guard or commonfolk inclined for gossip might have noted that she had received flowers just like that the eve before on the Sarshel city square; from a man in sturdy platemail and red surcoat. Did they notice it? Were they inclined to care or to share it at all with others nearby?

In the morning, at least the people that may attend her sermons might show interest in the lilies and the woman who brought them with a gracious, self-confident smile.

"Dear attendants, dear friends, strangers, old acquaintances and new ones. We must not forget that winter is not all-encompassing, not all-reaching, nor everlasting. In the Morninglord's rising glow across the sky we are reminded of the inevitability of night's end. In these heart lilies I carry, we must be reminded of the inevitability of winter's thaw. Of the victory of spring, life, and hope."

She speaks a holy incantation, an evocation of Lathander; a spell, a tiny wonder. She raises her pendant to the pale brightening sky, then - as if light not only reflected on the pendant, but shimmered within it - she seems to claim a spark of concealed sunlight into her holy symbol. It fades; but next, the heart lilies brought upon her arm begin to glow upon their petals.

"May we remember; persevere; hope, always."

She plucks out one lily from her bouquet, glowing still, and offers it to a child; another to an adult; one more to someone young. The bundle of flowers that she had received the day before are spread out among those that had come to the morning sermon, prioritising the young and the forlorn that may be present.

OOC: Artemis D'Assanthe cast Continual Flame on the bouquet, with the intention that each flower would thereafter emit a soft rosy-gold glow. Should this act not be suitable without DM supervision, I am eager to revise it appropriately!
Plays:
Artemis D'Assanthe, Dawnmaster
Udhana, the Kinless
Dhovainithil, Silver Elf
Jhasira of the Bai Kabor, Dawnbringer (deceased)


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