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The Merchants' Bridge - Il Ponte dei Mercanti - The Merchants Bridge is an old bridge built centuries past along the Zaglio River near the center of Porto Caglaveri. The Zaglio River runs from the High Ridge Mountains and winds its way through the fertile hill country to the coast. Anzola Moccenigo, the grandmother of the famed architect Brabantio Moccenigo, designed the layout of the canals that flow out from the river. The Moccenigo family maintains the story that Anzola also constructed the bridge to replace the rickety old wooden bridge. The Ziccardi family maintains that this is all lies and that Bastian Ziccardi was the actual builder of the bridge. The denizens could care less because it is a nice bridge. In the years since the construction of the bridge, merchants have set up shops along the edge of the bridge, jutting out over the Zaglio River. Indeed, it has become the most popular shopping district in the town, a welcome place where coin is plentiful for the eager bard. In an unlikely collaboration, the rival Ziccardi and Moccenigo families designed the corridor that runs over the shops. Many of the denizens of Porto Caglaveri were surprised that the families were able to cooperate in its construction without any bloodshed. Their astonishment was diminished when they learned that the mayor ordered the project with the hope that it would help the families to put away their vendette permanently. The mayor was disappointed and the citizens baffled at the mayor’s silly - but noble - intentions. Regardless, the mayor and their staff appreciate the direct route to the town hall. Shoppers among the Bridge of Merchants. A local construction worker peruses the selection at the bakery. A dapper, young noble inspects a golden rapier at Jacomo's Oddities. Quite useful for conducting political intrigue and revenge. A Varlyrian dwarf purchases a mace head from Dalyn the blacksmith. With the new Rego’s economic policies and support for the arts, the bridge became a common spot for busking. Of these buskers, none were as popular as one trio of Varlyrians from all across the realm. On the lute and vocals, Zuan Aironetto, a local bard from Porto Cagliaveri. On the flute, Eydis Willowtongue, a traveling Kolgarí minstrel from the Sunken City. On the electric guitar, Gromli Ironlungs, member of the popular dwarven band DEEPAXE. And on vocals, a random guy on the balcony, who has joined the song. Collectively, they have been dubbed the Bridge Troupe, a name with little style or flourish, but great accuracy. A boatsman rows with his goods down the Zaglio River while keeping beet with the troupe's song. The Bridge Troupe Local gossip has it that Zuan met Eydis and Gromli on the bridge whilst stumbling home drunk one evening. He just so happened to have bumped into Gromli while he was getting his guitar fixed by the dwarven blacksmith, Daryn. Then Gromli, who was reportedly also drunk, decided to test his guitar and Zuan joined in the song. Eydis, who was shopping at Jacomo’s Oddities, heard their music and pulled out her flute. Thus, their trio was formed. Of course, that’s just hearsay. Eydis, Zuan, and Gromli performing one evening. Before becoming the locally famous and respected bard, Trovatore del Ponte - Troubadour of the Bridge -, Zuan Aironetto was a fisherman. He gained his epithet Little Heron from his days spent among the fens at the delta of the Zaglio. Although he was a fisherman, he played songs for the merchants in a small tavern above a shop along the bridge. One day, he hoped to open a luthier shop. With the crowning of a new Rego - especially one who had gained power with the support of the masses and un po’ Varlyrian politics (i.e., backstabbing) - Zuan saw his opportunity to trade in his fishing net for the lute permanently. Thus, he journeyed to the capital, Illaryian, to seek an audience with the Rego. At this point, the Rego was well known for his generous patronage of the arts. Zuan made his case before the Rego, who generously promised his patronage. Beyond ecstatic, Zuan travelled back to Porto Caglaveri singing and playing his lute the whole way. This attracted quite the crowd of traveling folk, eager to forget their tired feet and happy to listen to Zuan’s songs. Legend has it that the crowd followed him into the town of Porto Caglaveri to the bridge. Whether this leading of the crowd led him to run into Gromli and Eydis by pure chance or not, no one can recall. Of course, no one is completely sure if this is the real tale of Zuan Aironetto because they were all too drunk to remember it in full. Regardless, he has become quite the popular musician with the bridge feeling quite empty without the echo of his voice underneath the portici of the corridor. Before joining the troupe, Eydis Víðitunga was a member of the Musician's College in the Sunken City of the Kolgarí. She set out on a journey to learn about the local stories and songs in other parts of Varlyrio. Near the end of her journey, she has decided to stay in town for a while before returning to the Sunken City. The people of Porto Caglaveri will miss her song when she departs. Gromli Ironlungs is already famous among the dwarven clans of the High Ridge Mountains and even those of the mainland as the lead guitarist for the band DEEPAXE. He is currently taking a vacation along the coastal regions after their last tour to Mitgardia and Avalonia. Unfortunately, during a tour of Illaryian by gondola, the boat flipped and his precious guitar fell into the canal. Thankfully, he was able to get it repaired by Daryn, a local blacksmith who owns a shop on the Merchant’s Bridge. The evening is young. The bridge is still crowded with shoppers making their last purchases before the stores close. And the minstrels begin to sing and play their instruments. -
One of the key lessons for any growing noble is the history of Historica. Such lessons are often taught by tutors retained for that purpose, but even they cannot know everything. And so often the young nobles make a trip outside the castle walls, to visit some knowledgeable fellow who can give insight into less known aspects of guild history. Supervised by the young Lady Reyna Anjou, today they have made a visit outside the castle walls to the town archives of Thanesford. Lessons sometimes bore this group, but weapons are guaranteed to grab their attention. ‘An Axe of Mitgardia!’ said Felix Allothan. ‘These fine treasures were given by the leader of our guild to various lords and towns, in the old days. Clad in our colours, they were – although the handle of this one has been replaced. Need to get that repainted…’ Chief archivist of the town of Thanesford, Felix has been in his profession for over fifty years. In his youth, he collected lore and artifacts from all over Mitgardia, writing about them and teaching others about their significance. Though not his main job, he will also sometimes give young nobles of the town lessons on important matters of Mitgardian history. In his retirement he enjoys telling tales of those days. His skills also extend to using various sharp objects, and not just on trees. While no contender for the Master-at-arms post, he can teach them the proper way to care for blades. I dropped the border for this one because of the size restriction, and I think it turned out better because of it! It was thrown together from the leftover parts I had after Challenge A. Although it doesn’t count toward HSS requirements, I still wanted to explore more of Thanesford and establish characters. I’m very proud of the carpet – it’s a reuse of parts that were intended for a city apartment kitchen. I added the Mitgardian colours and it seems right at home! -
The Raven tavern, Thanesford The Raven is a tavern in the town of Thanesford. Located in the northern part of the town, it was converted a decade ago from a meeting house and serves a clientele of largely local citizens. Other Mitgardians are always welcomed as well, but those from other guilds generally find more comfort in taverns closer to the docks. The watchmen occasionally make patrols, but generally this is a quieter part of town. The owner insists that the sign over the door is a raven. Most think otherwise… but he will not hear it! Few raise that question anymore, after a decade in business. Regardless of this minor issue, the colours of Mitgardia fly undisputed over the fireplace, as a show of loyalty to the guild. Recently returned from touring the outlying villages, Jennessa Anthor is the singer in residence at The Raven. She has been intermittently traveling central Mitgardia since the Queen’s rule and peace was proclaimed, and is well known to the people of her hometown. Her training is more informal than those of the Univeristy of Petrea, in the traditional manner common in the northern guild. Often Jennessa plays in the town squares as well, and at other establishments, but The Raven is among her favourites. The tavern is usually generous, especially for songs of Mitgardia’s history and great deeds of the guild. And there are many to choose from! Tonight the opening song is a traditional poem about a brave couple from the clans, who searched for the way through a mountain pass in the height of winter to deliver a grave warning. ...stones covered in snow white and windy all about trees buried and torn mist, fog, and stinging ice flooded the valley floor making it a mountain. Such high drama is often a favourite in the north. Patrons have hearty discussions over their food and drink. In one corner can be found adventurers celebrating a successful job, and a couple is delivered their bottle. Dwarves feast on crab, and a clansman from further north enjoys his ale. Bonus pic – with the people and most furniture removed. So, here is my introduction to the town of Thanesford! It was different than I had planned, since it had to meet the challenge requirements. The black border stands out too much to me, so I will probably make less noticeable borders in the future. I ended up having to remove the roof to get enough light in to take pictures. Not sure about how my poetry turned out, but I can’t imagine a bard of the north without it. The ‘raven’ came about because I wanted to use the name for a tavern, but didn’t have any of the minifigure series shields available. So I used it anyway and came up with a story for why.
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The Travelling Bard Tavern In the oldest parts of the city of Everwater, built even before the city walls surrounding today's Everwater, stands the tavern The Travelling Bard. Built in a time where there were no city walls yet, the tavern has thick and heavy doors and no large windows on ground level, which is entirely built out of stone and features arrow slits to defend the tavern. Just a few steps outside the main castle gates, but nowhere near today’s large town square at the centre of the city of Everwater, it has become a far less frequented address to the common traveller. But for those that know the reputation the tavern has, it is a must visit location in Everwater. The wooden outside-stage, which is accessible via a second door from the tavern, has seen many rising stars among the bards of Everwater and beyond. There is a simple saying among the older generations of bards of Everwater, that: “If the travelling bard has approved of you, you are ready to travel beyond the city walls.” Today is a special day, Cyrill Waterbend has returned to the tavern after completing his recent travels throughout the county of Everwater and other, neighboring counties. Once a year he travels beyond the city walls, but his true home is the city of Everwater. It is the place he grew up in. The son of an unknown sailor of one of the merchant ships that regularly lay at the piers of the port, he lived large parts of his youth with his mother in a small chamber in some shabby house down by the port. This all changed, when his mother met the owner of the Travelling Bard, the two became a couple and she also started to work in the tavern. From then on, Cyrill’s life was filled with music, stories and people from far away carrying news from everywhere through the heavy doors of the tavern. Naturally, Cryill picked up an instrument, the lute was his first choice and he started to write his very first songs. This was eight years ago and since, Cyrill has become a local celebrity among the bards of Everwater, not for his skills with the lute, but for the stories he brings home from his travels that he weaves into his songs. His mom and step-dad still own the tavern, allowing Cryill to freely use his time to travel around and gather news, someday he might take over as the owner of the Travelling Bard, but until then, he enjoys his freedom. The story he is telling today tells of the peace that has been built throughout Historica, how this peace brings freedom to grow and to develop. But his story also tells of the blood that was shed to build this peace and how it has to be protected, he tells of the fallen heroes and those that have endured and remain. His story now changes, starts centering more around Everwater, how the city had to endure difficult years, but he also tells of the hope their recently killed Lord Ellerion instilled in the people of Everwater. He mourns the dead soldiers from the skirmish within the castle and city walls and he closes his story with the news that the rightful heir to the county, Alric Ellerion has been seen crossing the border of Everwater together with Sam Weatherstone on their return to Everwater. Not only the people around the stage are happy about this news, Cyrill himself is a close friend of Alric and his friends. A certain person in the audience is also really happy about this message. Cyrill expected this shadow in a green coat already. We meet Cyrill late after his performance in the upper room of the tavern, where there are two beds available for travelling bards, stopping by. The shadow in the green cloak has revealed herself, it is Anna Ellerion, the sister of Alric Ellerion. Cyrill already expected her, they have been close friends since Cyrill made his first steps as an upcoming bard and Anna invited him to the Everwater castle to perform at a small reception they had for a guest. … A: “Is it true Cyrill, has my brother been seen at the border?” C: “Yes, Anna, he took one of the small paths through the hills and came by one of the southeastern watchtowers. I met a horse courier this afternoon at the city gates, the news should by now have reached the castle and you, had you not been at my performance”, he winked at her, “he will soon be here, and then this madness with your father and your uncle will hopefully find an end.” A: “I hope so yes, thank you for the news Cyrill, and for being the friend you are to me and my brother.” … They kept talking long into the night, of their friendship, of the turmoil the death of her father had brought to Everwater and how Historica on the contrary was starting to enter into an era of hopeful peace and growth. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This is my entry for the Prelude Challenge Category A of Book IV and I had great fun building this. The build originally was planed to be a bit bigger and include a large audience and the possibility to also have a look into the ground floor, but as the build progressed and time got a bit short I had to replan, notheless I am very happy with the result. I even managed to get some glimpses of my main Everwater story into the Challange, which I am especially happy about. Below are some more pictures to the tavern and its features. The roof, as well as the walls of the upper floor (in segments), can be removed to have the upper floor accesible. -
The Great Hall of Rocca Velneria Whereas the reign of his father Corrado had brought peace and prosperity to the town of Rocca Velneria, the halls of his home had been cold and gray. The old man didn't partake in the pleasures of life, preferring to read his endless manuscripts in his library, rather than enjoy the lively songs of a bard. When Corrado Velnerio had passed, his son and heir Federico took his place. Under his patronage, bards and minstrels were invited from all of Historica to sing their songs and play their instruments in his halls. The cold stone was warmed up with colorful banners and tapestries, the floors decorated with carpets and the windows replaced with glistering stained glass. Of all the bards, Asdrubale Silvestri had proved to be popular with Federico especially. After he had first appeared in Rocca Velneria, he had quickly become a recurring act. Soon after, he had acquired full patronage from Federico, who funded his travels far and wide, to learn more songs and stories, to perform when coming home again. Each time Asdrubale would make it back home from his travels, Federico would organize a banquet in his great hall, where the whole town was invited to enjoy food and wine, while listening to the great sagas, legends and histories that Asdrubale had learned on his travels. While everybody enjoyed the banquets, as well as Asdrubale's performances, some questioned his popularity with Federico. While he was undoubtedly a talented artist, both more attained, experienced bards, as well as younger, more promising minstrels had passed through these halls... -
Minstrel Minotaur Myndros the minotaur could always count on a warm welcome at the Batuhan Forest Stage. Nestled at a cross roads of trade an culture, a minstrel minotaur fit right in. -
Secrets of a Bard 'My compliments for your performance this evening, Asdrubale,' said Federico. 'You've brought some great new songs from your last trip to Illaryian.' 'Grazie mille, my lord,' said Asdrubale. 'But I take it, it's not my new songs you want me to teach you.' 'You know me well! Tell me, what secrets have you unveiled in the capital? What have the Rego and the ministers been up to? It's been too quiet lately, and if I want to further my ambitions, I will have to make some powerful allies soon, or at the very least, get rid of some... obstacles...' 'You'll find all my information in here, my lord,' handing him a sealed letter. 'Furthermore, I plan to travel along the entire bay of Illar, as we discussed before.' 'Good. If we want to establish a dominant position in Varlyrio, we will require a harbour on the bay. For now, take this, and be on your way!'
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Relic Ruminator In a richly pained salon off the noble quarter, Myndros the Minotaur balances a porcelain teacup between careful fingers, candlelight tracing a hairline in the glaze. Still a bard of Historica, Myndros learned his lore on the road, trading songs for secrets in guild halls and market squares. Summoned by nobles and fine merchants alike, all those in the room yearn to learn from the knowledge of the Relic Ruminator.