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Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Tue May 16, 2023 1:17 am
by Finn
A Cabaret in the Umbrium
33rd of Frost, Year 122 of Steel
The cabaret was a decent size. At least, the main room was—Finn hadn't done too much exploring beyond that. It was a square, the walls painted black and a faint haze of smoke clinging to the magical lamps above. He watched the sets before his in the lineup, always keen to learn things from other artists that might inspire new directions in his own composition and performance. Nights like this were a small joy. The clientele was well-heeled enough to afford the prices of entry and refreshments, but there was an unspoken agreement that nobody paid too much attention to who was who. Here he was himself rather than the amatus of the princeps draconis, and it was the release of a pressure valve for him.
Finn only drank water before his own set, not wanting to dry out his throat with alcohol or lose his sense of pitch. Even if he could beguile with Rune alone, he was a purist, and frequently performed without using his Mesmer, which struck many a Solunarian as strange when so many artists used it as a matter of course. It was just another way to distinguish himself, though it also seemed a bit like cheating. He was learning to make judicious use of it, though, if only as another layer of composition.
When the woman before him in the lineup began to dance, he pushed his empty glass away, thanked the bartender quietly, and disappeared into a side door that led to an antechamber where the various artists had stowed their instruments. He found his lute and began to tune it, but it was the finest of fine tuning as he had already tuned it before leaving it here. He had warmed up before he came. All he had to do was wait his turn.
When the dancer returned, she gave him a measuring look. He responded with a smile and a pulse of Majesty. Her eyes widened in awe as he moved out of the antechamber and toward the stage as "Finn Farstrider!" was announced. Though the introduction was in Vastian, they left his name in Common. Translating it into Vastian lost the alliteration, anyway.
"Thank you," he said for the introduction and the applause. "I only have one song for you tonight."
And then he sang. When he did begin to thread Mesmer into the music, it was a subtle thing, growing slowly in strength and complexity. The music flirted; the Mesmer incited a quiet lust. Aværys had stoked a hunger for adulation in him, and Aværys wanted him to pull people into his orbit, so he let his music do it for him, and opened up his Majesty toward the end of the song, leaving the audience awed and aroused. If there were a Sembler in the crowd, they would know that some of that wasn't Mesmer at all. There was just something about Finn Farstrider.
"Thank you," he said again, humbly, and bowed. The maître d' had trouble following him on stage, and so there was a bit of a delay before the next act.
Finn put his lute carefully in its case and then considered repairing immediately to the Palatium Umbrarum, but decided to go out and enjoy a drink before he did so. And that was how he found himself back at the bar, this time ordering something stronger than water. The lute case went under the bar where he could keep track of it.
Re: Canticum Canticorum
Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2023 1:48 pm
by Talisman
The reactions around the cabaret were wildly approving, and his senses as a practitioner of Mesmer would tell him that that adoration and desire was even higher than it had been before he had taken the stage. His reputation had preceded him, but it was impressive what a single song could do to help improve it. As they said in show business, always leave them wanting more.
“That was impressive indeed,” a honeyed voice purred from behind him when Finn took up his drink. A silver-haired Moonborn Re’hyaean came up beside him. She was tall and lithe, with long, silvery hair that darkened towards the ends, draped loosely about her. She seemed to know how to dress for the Umbrium, and her pale skin suggested she was a denizen of the lower city as it was. The silver circlet and jewelry complimented her skin and pale eyes, ringed as they were with kohl. “Dragon’s Blood,” she told the bartender. Umbrian red it was.
His Mesmer would run into a wall against her if he sought out her Symphony in a way that suggested she was warded. “I heard your set at the Jubilee a few months ago,” she remarked. “I am glad I was present to hear you play again, Finn Farstrider. Is this where one needs to go in order to enjoy your art?” She took her drink with a nod to the bartender, and raised her glass to the pale Peregrinus before taking a sip. It didn’t matter who followed Finn; they were not about to compare to the Mesminstrel seated there. Vespera paid them no mind, and her attention was on the Kalzasern bard.
“Would you join me?” She offered with a smile, leaving the bar to go towards a more private, padded booth, carrying her drink along with her. She seemed to expect him to follow her, as if she was well-used to others acquiescing to her requests. She had a grace to her, the confidence of one who was utterly comfortable in her own skin and power. She seated herself and was soon comfortable, looking on at him. Here, the voices and words of others outside of the booth seemed much quieter, including the act that was on stage. “What inspired that song, if I might ask?”
| ! | Message from: Talisman |
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Was just doing some spring cleaning and I saw that this thread seems to have been forgotten. While it’s a few seasons late, I hope you don’t mind if I jump in. |
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2023 3:21 am
by Finn
"Gratias," he said. By now, his Vastian was as good as his Common. At least, in conversation. It was still a challenge to compose poetry in the language, but not an impassible barrier. The bartender attended her first and, as she was Re'hyæan, he could only assume that she outranked him. Though she didn't introduce herself, she knew him. He was important in the Umbrium due to his relationship with its prince. In places like this, he was able to be Finn again, unless someone important recognized him.
She was likely important.
At her invitation, the bartender finally looked to him. "Dragon's Blood," he repeated. The bartender allowed a little smirk to show as he poured him the same thing the lady was having. Finn picked up his lute and followed her to the booth.
"Ah, I was told it was unseemly to work for money," he admitted. "I sometimes play in places like this to remember what life was like before Solunarium. I play for free drinks and, strangely, now that I needn't play for my supper, I feel as though they are doing me the favor in letting me play. The Jubilee was the idea of Cithæra Princeps. But I joined the Vigilia, as well. I was commonborn, and I still feel compelled to work. At least that work also helps the crown prince.
"As for the song, well, it was inspired by Deus Aværys. God of Hunger. I want to start a fire in your heart tonight. Oh, tell me, why do I so yearn to cause trouble?" He quoted his own song. "I always thought I took to music because I love music, and that is true, but it isn't the whole truth. I can't say that I don't enjoy being on stage, being looked at, listened to, admired. Ambition is dangerous for the commonborn, though. I learned that in Kalzasi, even as I started to find work in palaces more than in brothels. The head that rises higher than the others is the one that gets cut off." He smiled, shrugged, and sipped the fine wine. It was a vintage to which he had grown accustomed by now.
"In any case, now any admiration I draw is generally to add to his admiration. Sometimes, though, I get to be on a stage of my own, a stage of my own choosing. If you have some event, however, I'm certain I could pencil you in."
He grinned. Even if he played for Thalya again, his identity and his allegiances were well known.
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2023 11:11 pm
by Talisman
Vespera listened as the pale human spoke, the lights of the bar outside the booth making her silvery adornments shine like the stars of a sky unencumbered by some foul, fetid darkness. Starts that twinkled and glowed in the dark against her form-hugging dress. She took in his words as one might have enjoyed the flavours of the fine vintage that each of them had in their hands.
There was much to learn in what he said, and plenty more in what he didn’t. She did not interrupt him, sipping the red elixir as the notes of it danced on her tongue the way his words had on the stage and now in the privacy of her booth. She knew full well where his loyalties lay - Vespera had indeed seen him at the Jubilee, and had seen him there with the newly revealed dragon-blooded princeling. Surprises all they had been, even more so than the Solar Sovereign’s own revelations of the day.
Even so, she had enjoyed the concert. He had earned a number of admirers and accolades for his performance, despite the schism and his patron’s part in it. And yet, he was a difficult bard to find if one had a mind to listen to him. Understandably - Vespera knew well what it might have done for the reputation of his Amatus. Reputations took so little to destroy, especially here in Solunarium.
“There is little that surprises me these days... such interesting times we live in,” Vespera smiled across the table. “The Amatus of the Crown Prince of the Umbrium a Sentinel, and a devotee of Varvaerynism too. It is truly warming to hear your praises for His Divine Radiance. You’ve had good paedagogi, but I would expect nothing less from the Princeps Sybilla.” Anyone who had doubted Cithaera’s capabilities or counted her out had been shown quite recently how incredibly wrong they were to bet against the Materfamilias of House Phaedryn-Sol’Avaerys.
“As it happens, I do have a stage and an event, perhaps more than one, if you might be interested.... And have no qualms with playing in the Luxium,” her pale eyes danced almost mischievously. She wasn’t an Umbrian citizen after all, it seemed, for all of her colouring and attire as she sipped her wine. “Your music has something in it that transcends Mesmer and bypasses all wards meant to guard against such a silver tongue.” Her glass was set on the table, and nails painted to resemble granite, sleek obsidian with minute silver fissures, caressed the stem. “Though I should introduce myself. I am Fosca Astraeon-Sol’Avaerys Vespera.... Princeps.”
Well, faex. The third child and first daughter of Scylla Varvalla Princeps, Materfamilias of House Astraeon-Sol’Avaerys, in the flesh. Here.
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2023 3:18 pm
by Finn
Faex, indeed.
Scylla Varvalla Princeps, Materfamilias of Gens Astræon-Sol’Aværys. Sanguinist. Married to Severus Everyl Princeps, Paterfamilias of Gens Naxos-Sol’Aværys. Sanguinist. Vrædyn was engaged to one of her father's kin. Luxian powers all, though he didn't know where this one's allegiances lay. It was, of course, safe to assume that she was a Sanguinist. Certainly, there were reasons one might become an Immaculist, but he was hardly well-versed enough in Solunarian politics yet to suss that out.
In any case, Vrædyn was a friend. They shared the mark of the God of Ambition and that was no small thing.
"Your Serene Highness," he greeted, properly this time. It was difficult to bow properly within a booth, but he offered what obeisance he could while bent in half there. "It is an honor. And it would be an honor to play for you. 'Tis only a matter of scheduling between my duties to the Vigilia and when I must attend His Exalted Highness."
That said, with advanced notice, that oughtn't to be an insurmountable problem. If she invited his amatus to the party, he might both perform and be a guest as well.
Sadly, it was impossible for him to believe any longer that his art was appreciated in a vacuum among the highest strata of Solunarian society. He was ever a satellite in orbit around their youngest star. Perhaps Vespera sought influence with the crown prince of the other side of Solunarium. Perhaps she was curious about the dragons. Finn might be a path to these things, and provide pretty accompaniment all the while.
Well, that was not for him to worry about. He was a bard and he would play.
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:28 pm
by Talisman
Vespera took the seated bow and salutations with a graceful nod, the smile still playing on her lips. She had invited him here, after all, not the other way around. As such, that was about what she expected since he had already been seated. She certainly seemed satisfied. She was acutely aware of the position that her identity might well put the Mesminstrel in; he was the Amatus of the Crown Prince of the Umbrium, she was a Princess of the Luxium. It didn't make for easy conversation, especially since Arvaelyn was only announced as Royal at the Jubilee... and with it, the schism that had divided the Holy City into two.
All the same, perhaps the next generation was easier to get along with. Finn managed well with Vraedyn, after all. Phocion seemed to. Vespera had at least come to the Umbrium to see and talk with him, rather than issuing some sort of summons or request for him. But considering she'd grown up with Sanguinist parents, it certainly made sense that she herself was one. But perhaps her enjoyment of his Craft meant that she was intent on putting aside the politics and giving him a stage with which the Empyreal Lord could utilize to influence others. And with a Princess across from him that wanted to have him play for a gathering in the Luxium, it stood to reason that her intended guests also prominent in terms of power.
"My soiree is on the 29th of Rime," Vespera tapped the stem of the crystalline glass. "I understand that it is not quite a month's notice, but I would hope that it is sufficient to make arrangements with your employer and your Prince. You can be a bit difficult to pin down, and I wanted to ask you rather than just send a missive to the Palatium Umbrarum." Of course, if she hadn't managed to make the arrangement, she might well have sent a messenger asking to meet with him for the purpose, but this evening's success negated the necessity of doing so.
"You've taken well to Varvaerynism. Your Amatus is an Umbrian Prince. Did your life in Kalzasi prepare you for such things?" The silver-haired Re'hyaean across from him raised her glass to take another ship, her ice-blue eyes drinking him in. It was such a shame he was taken. He might have been a lot of fun to enjoy. There was something about him that was quite enticing, and Vespera couldn't quite put her finger on it. Perhaps it was his exoticness, but she'd hardly been inclined towards other Peregrini...
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2023 11:56 am
by Finn
"I will check the princely calendar as well as the duty roster and send you prompt word," he promised. But his brow furrowed. "Ought I to set something up...? I have friends in the Luxium, and it hadn't occurred to me that they might be leery of sending word to me at the palace or with the Vigilia." But he didn't truly expect an answer there; it was likely his problem to figure out. Perhaps he would find himself a small villa in the Luxium with his wages, save some servi from terrible masters and set them up for an easy life, and have a place to vault to when necessary.
As for Varvaerynism, he didn't dissuade her of her idea, but he didn't comment upon it. The Divine Twins Themselves seemed indifferent to it, wanting change, and delegating that to Their Chosen. But he laughed at the rest.
"No, Domina, it did not. I was born in a lakeside village and only moved to Kalzasi to pursue my artistic career and an education. I did manage to work my way up to princely patrons, but what I knew of Solunarium, I learned from His Exalted Highness' portrayal of Deus Avaerys upon the grandest stage in Kalzasi. But his destiny brought him thither, and I suppose our destinies are intertwined, for it brought me here as well, and Solunarium has claimed me."
Finn ought to have become a blacksmith, but he bucked tradition. In Solunarium, he was many things he never could have been in Kalzasi. Strange how Vicis wove the threads of fate, but not for him to question. Well, perhaps Avaerys would want him to question, not that he was wiser or more powerful than the Dragon God, but his god had opened his eyes to his own ambitions.
"May I ask what your musical tastes are, Your Highness?"
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 12:01 am
by Talisman
"If it would not cause issues with your Amatus, you could," Vespera was thoughtful. "There is no law saying that you cannot hold property in the Luxium as an Umbrian citizen. But in the mean time, you could also send word to me at the headquarters of the Golden Guard by courier." Her mother was in charge of them, technically, and her elder brothers were ahead of her in rank. But a letter sent to her there would be received without issue. It might get her some looks, but Vespera was Vespera, and the Princess would find work-arounds if need be. She came down here to ask Finn herself about playing at her party in order to make sure that it was clear that her intentions were genuine and would not be misconstrued.
She sipped her wine and studied him as he spoke - she was good at it; if he hadn't spent as much time with Arvaelyn's family as he had, it might well have been overlooked and dismissed as curiosity. But the Moonborn princess's eyes rarely left him, and for someone who had doubtless been raised to believe in the power and divinity of her bloodline, she was hardly being rude or demanding. Then again, it might simply have been that the old adage of getting more with honey than vinegar had proven true for her in the past. She had heard rumours spread amongst her kin that Arvaelyn Princeps had been a player on a stage, and now his Amatus confirmed it. It made no real difference to Vespera, but it was interesting and enlightening all the same.
"Kalzasi's loss is Solunarium's gain," she offered with a small smile. Whether she was talking about him, or both himself and Arvaelyn, was a question, but it was tough to know. "There is much to be said for those with the ambition and hunger to advance on their own merits. As to what I like... I like all forms of music, if I am honest. From something slow and soft to the more energetic songs that one might hear in a taberna or cabaret... Rhythm and harmony can find their way into the innermost corners of one's soul, no?" She had learned to play the harp as smoothly as she had dozens of bladed weapons, but she would hardly do a recital herself nowadays. "But if you're asking what I am looking for for my particular event, I would like something uplifting. I have little qualms about the subject matter, so long as it is not... shall we say... inappropriate to Solunarian culture. Blasphemy, apostasy, disparaging of the Crowns... that sort of thing is something I would prefer to avoid."
As it happened, she was less than thrilled about the schism that had split their Holy City, and where and how it left the order that she was a part of. The Sentinels, after all, had done a great deal more of the intelligence-gathering side of things, and without that... Well, it was one thing to be caught off-guard, but another to overcome it and turn it around quickly when the others were quicker on their feet than they had been. Now it was a matter of duplicating and putting into practice the old methods that had worked for them... while trying to fill in the gaping chasms that had been left. Regardless of the views others held, Vespera was not keen to stoke flames of trouble at an event that was for her royal cousins and some of the noble Re'hyaeans who might merit an invitation.
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 12:57 pm
by Finn
"Thank you," he said simply, whether for himself or on Arvaelyn's behalf for being termed Solunarium's gain. And he laughed. "I wouldn't dream of singing criticism of crown or miter. I once sang criticism of Zaichaer at one of their parties in Kalzasi and had my lute and hand broken for my trouble." His smile was rueful; there was still trauma attached, but he had worked through much of it by training his body to defend itself, as well as learning new magics for the same. As a Sentinel, he felt well-armored and well-connected.
"So noted, though," he continued. "Your address, that is." It would be a simple enough matter to clear things with Arvaelyn's schedule and that of the Custodes Deorum, so his final response ought not to take too long. "Perhaps I ought to spend more time in the Luxium. If I can be a bridge between the Umbaran crown prince and the city above, that would be a good thing. While I cannot claim to know the mind of His Exalted Majesty, I doubt he claimed his ancient right in order to cleft the realm in twain."
To hold a modest villa in the Luxium would be no great feat, especially once he made full Sentinel. If he was able to bring his parents here to settle, they would likely prefer to see the sun no matter if their host ruled the down below. And he was already trying to keep Arvaelyn connected to the sunlit realm, via Vraedyn princeps.
Finn paused for a sip of wine, then, "Would the Golden Guard allow a Silver Sentinel to train with them at some point?" Building bridges, indeed.
Re: Canticum Canticorum [Læbirius]
Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2023 11:06 pm
by Talisman
"I can well imagine that," Her Serene Highness seemed a bit amused to hear what Zaichaer did with foreign dissenters. "You would have suffered even more here, had you chose to openly criticize the Solar Sovereign in such a way. But with your Amatus' position, I'm sure you would not go that far. Such things cannot be allowed to stand, even in Solunarium. No matter who it was." Vespera sipped her wine, setting the glass down on the table. "However long ago that was for you, you seem to have recovered well from the experience," the Princess was thoughtful.
"The Luxium is hardly going to bite. House Phaedryn surely holds a number of properties in the Sunlit City, and I'm sure it would be quite simple for you to gain access to them," she smiled at him. But when he mentioned Zalkyriax, the Moonborn raised an eyebrow. "Far be it for any of us to speculate on such things," she began, "but out of curiosity, why do you think he chose to do so? For his consort and heir?"[/color] she wasn't interested in a fight, and she did not seem concerned with the possibility of being overheard. The booth seemed to be warded, judging by the way the music of the players that were attempting to follow the Mesminstrel was far more muted than it had been outside of the booth.
At Finn's question about training with the Golden Guard, Vespera laughed. It wasn't meant in a bad way, but it very clearly did entertain her. "The Silver Sentinels and the Golden Guard do share training grounds outside of the city. While I cannot speak for all officers... I would not have a problem with your joining in a training session while I am leading it. Between yourself and I, and I am sure that it will not leave this booth, Finn..." there was something a bit more serious to the silver-haired elf when it came to this subject. "The Legion and the Sentinels work best together. Just like His Divine Radiance and Her Argent Luminescence. But the schism and the withdrawing have stressed that relationship a great deal, and there is a sharp divide. There has always been a bit of a subtle rivalry, but each respected the other. There is a great deal of scorn now towards the Sentinels among many in the ranks. I would expect you to face criticism from your superiors and colleagues as well for it."