Event #09: THE FETE OF KNOWLEDGE

[vivalamods]

EVENT #09: THE FETE OF KNOWLEDGE

As the month wears on, the Imperial forces withdraw, tired of scouring the seas in attempts to pick off individual Corsair ships, have slunk back to their masters. During this time, the Corsairs were hard at work finishing the Crimson Portal in Asphodel, and for the first time ever the Corsairs now have four waypoints - an enormous gain as they welcome the refugees from Vindess.

The refugees themselves are settling about as well as can be expected. Tension is still high, while the people are grateful for being saved from certain doom, a lifetime of propaganda doesn’t fade away in an instant and they remain wary, upset at the loss of their homes and way of life. Struggle is natural, and thus, the Corsairs have prepared for the second phase of the resettlement operation - the Fete of Knowledge.

As Asphodel residents stream into the Vault, music - the kind never permitted under Imperial auspices - echoes through the halls. Although the hammering of munitions is ever-present, this music is meant to reverberate through the caverns, echoing upon itself to build into even greater harmonies. This is music of the Crimson Corsairs, made to suit their purposes and circumstances. A salve for aching hearts and a beauty to bring a tear to the eye, the Vault is ready to prove that as the last repository of forbidden knowledge in the world, the wonders they hold welcome all who have the minds to seek it.

With the spring thaw well underway there is still much to be done, but the Corsairs have worked to complete it as best they can. Thus, most everyone within the three, no, four cities should find some time to partake in the Fete. As the week-long festivities commence, Corsairs are welcomed to take a much-needed break and celebrate their triumphs.

Join the Performance

The music of the day is a beautiful choral arrangement, repeated on the hour to echo through the halls, the verses building upon each other. While not enough to drown out the bombing, it’s a gorgeous piece and one that somehow provides a measure of peace and comfort. Any and all are welcome to lend their voices, there are several parts for any vocal range with the more complex vocalizations being handled by experienced musicians. And, best of all, any who aid in the song are gifted a jug of honey wine, a salve for a sore throat and a delicious delicacy besides.

Debate Hall

The Debate Hall is often lively, and during the Fete it has been repurposed to serve as the center of introduction to rhetoric. Debates between people of roughly equivalent skill are held throughout the Fete, and the topic of debate can be anything the participants choose. Debates over best foods, fashion, or even the odd lyrical exchange of truly hair-raising insults, just about any kind of confrontational discourse is currently on display for the amusement of refugees and Corsairs alike. Corsairs are free to join the stage, so long as they honor the traditions of the hall - settle disputes with words, not blades. At least while you’re in the hall, anyway.

Banquet Hall

The Corsairs have tapped their stores to create a truly enormous feast of delicacies only found in the Eternal Ocean. Aquatic creatures of all sorts grace the tables, as well as some of the native flora and fauna of Elysium’s fields, prepared to absolute perfection. And then, of course, there is the grog, free-flowing and plentiful to help take the edge off the trauma of the resettlement. The mood is mostly festive, with sober bouncers on hand to eject any Corsairs who might get a bit too belligerent while soaking in libations.

Dueling Hall

Sometimes words are not enough, and the Corsairs have set up a dueling hall within the Vault for people to test their skills against each other in controlled environments. Ether is dampened in the Dueling Hall, so while one can cast spells as they might, the lethality is far reduced, a once-searing flame is now a gentle warmth and a block of ice a pleasant mist. This, along with padded weaponry, make for a fine way for Corsairs to both test their skill and show off for the masses, with any number of interesting rules in play to make the contests of strength more interesting and enjoyable to watch. With many a pair from the Debate Hall making their way to the Dueling Hall to continue their disputes, the hall is busy for the entirety of the Fete.

Story Hall

A Story Hall has been set up near the library for actors and orators to read and sometimes act out the books and stories found within the library. While the townsfolk of Vindess are not entirely illiterate, their lower class nature as mine workers means that many cannot read, or read well, and this hall gives them an opportunity to experience the wonder of the written word, of story and legend, and to hear the histories the Empire has long suppressed. The Story Hall is always looking for more orators and actors to read or act out books and plays, and it is one of the most heavily trafficked areas in the Fete, with the Vindess residents hungry for these once-forbidden tales.

Wildcard

The Fete of Knowledge is all about sharing, so there are any number of activities, and Corsairs are encouraged to come up with their own to keep the Fete moving. You may use this prompt to do whatever you wish. Enjoy the party!

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[singlemilletgrain]

"Oh!"

wow aira
are you just gonna plagiarize her story

"Well... what if I told it to you like a fairy tale then? It is fairly suitable for that style. Once, long, long ago, in the great land of Yan, there was a war. In its aftermath, though Yan survived, the people were left in difficult straits. There was little food and little money. So it was that the peasant farmers worked the harsh land to grow their meager crops - at least enough to sustain themselves.

"One day, one of these farmers went out into the fields and found a little girl. She was standing in the middle of the grain fields. Thinking that the girl was a lost child, she brought her home, fed her, and clothed her."

[testygirl]

Good writers borrow, great writers steal.

Aira nods, then gives the telling her full attention. She decides she's not going to interrupt or offer commentary unless there's a good reason to. It would just be annoying for her to say something like "if the land was so harsh, then why don't they all move?" Fortunately, she respects Shu—and herself—more than that.

[singlemilletgrain]

Fortunately, this question is answered in the next passage of the recital.

"This girl, it must be said, was peculiar. For she had no answers to questions like, 'Where is your family?' and 'Where are you from?' To that, she replied only, 'I have no family' and 'I came from above.' On her part, her questions were limitless. 'What do you do here?' 'Why do you till the earth?' 'Why do you labor so?' 'Why do you not dwell elsewhere?' The farmer, struggling to answer, could only reply, 'This is my land. This is what I know. There is no other land I can dwell.'

"Finally, one day, in exasperation, the farmer declared, 'You must be a Xian!' And the child did not disagree.

"Now this fairy tale is indeed a fairy story. For a Xian is a spirit, an immortal of the heavens above. Far removed from humanity, they watch from other realms and do not dwell among mankind. For a Xian to come to Terra was rare indeed. But now, the farmer and the Xian dwelt for some time in peace. And though the Xian often provoked the farmer with scornful questions, the farmer answered truly and honestly. And the Xian did not find cause to leave.

"One day, the Xian grew frustrated. 'You waste your life working this hard soil. Once, I was ten thousand li and the mountains grew tall upon my back. I could cross the continents in a single stride. I will make it so that you do not need to labor so uselessly.' And in a single breath, the farmlands around them grew verdant with green crops.

"What do you think the farmer said?"

[testygirl]

Heck, who knew that question would be a key part of the conflict? She could have seemed prescient if she'd actually asked, but oh well. Looks like she's getting another stab at that, prompted this time.

Aira is—or had been—a good student, and at the age where certain test-taking skills have been soldered into her brain. Most of the time, these language-based questions aren't that different from math or science; you examine the passage and find the evidence that supports your answer. In this case, she has the farmer's earlier response to go off of.

"Something like... 'Now what work am I supposed to do?' or 'How will I spend my days?' I'm guessing he'll be hung up on the fact that they aren't like the lands he knew anymore."

[singlemilletgrain]

Shu gently corrects the pronoun.

"Ah, she did indeed think something of the sort. But pursue that idea to its natural end and investigate the 'why'. For this farmer was not like you and I. Above all, she thought solely of the needs of her countrymen and thought nothing of herself. In some regards, she was that rare creature of utter selflessness.

The farmer immediately exhorted the Xian.

'You must never do that,' she said. 'For you are a Xian and you will one day grow tired of us and leave. We humans must learn to feed ourselves, no matter how hard we must toil. Though such a life may seem wasted to you, with each passing day, we learn more about our land. The right season to plant, the right season to fertilize. The correct time to rotate the crops and the means to stave off the insects. Without such knowledge, we humans cannot survive. If we rely upon your power, we will surely perish.'

The Xian had nothing to say. For she could not deny that she did not intend to dwell with the farmer forever. With another wave of her hand, the crops retreated back into the earth, and the two resumed their daily work.

...Well? What do you think of what she said?"