Harvest Masquerade Description

Outside the city of Drache lies a number of cities, towns and provinces of varying size and populace. Most of the people living outside Drache are natives who speak Arangothian and observe the native customs and rituals. Click here for a list Arangoth's locales, and here to view a map.
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Suzthulhu
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Harvest Masquerade Description

Post by Suzthulhu »

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The arched entryway to the Harvest Festival fairgrounds is festooned with night-blooming Jasmine vines and wreaths fashioned from evergreen fronds and dried fruit pierced with cloves, their scent carried on the slightly chilly breeze, welcoming those heading in toward the ball. Tiny, magical fairy lights mingle with real lightning bugs through the decorations, and along the cobblestone path that winds through the grounds, orange-flamed lanterns hang from decorative metal poles, and glowing blue mageballs bob lazily.

The merchants are all closed, tents laced shut, and some of the merchants and their assistants are seated outside, watching over their property while enjoying a drink or two and a smoke. The sound of merry music grows louder the closer folks get to the large structure/tent at the back of the fairgrounds, the red and gold theme in its tapestries and covering casting a warm, cozy glow outward. The scent of roasting meat, spicy and heavy, wafts through the air, mixed with the smells of fresh baked pies and bread and the more subtle smell of beer and mead.

As the first revelers arrive, two men, one dressed as a mighty stag, wearing hides and antlers, the other dressed as a hunter, bow slung over his shoulder, pull back the tapestries draped over the entrance to the Masquerade Hall, revealing inside the long structure, deceptively large compared to its outside appearance. The interior is lit by lanterns, candles, glass globes filled with magical, sparkling sprites, and it's cozy and toasty warm within. Long tables line the walls, offering bench style seating, and each is decorated richly with baskets of fall fruits, gold threaded ribbon, and red velvet runners.

Servants and volunteers dressed in brown and gold finery assist those entering with taking coats and cloaks, hanging them on stands and then showing their owners to wherever they'd like to sit. Servers are standing by with trays of beer, wine, and mead and weave their way expertly through the crowd to offer drinks to each guest and to offer them a choice of a turkey or venison dish for the main course. At the head of each table, back against the walls, carvers get to work slicing turkeys and pulling select cuts from roasted elk. Each dish is laden with roasted vegetables and slices of thick, soft bread smothered in melting butter and then placed upon a tray, awaiting delivery to the guests. Servers gather the trays, hefting them to balance on their shoulders and hips, waiting for the proper time to begin.

Beyond the tables where the guests are seated, a troupe of costumed dancers is putting on a dinner show, featuring traditional dances from more exotic lands, twirling and leaping about on the elevated dance floor to entertain guests whilst they eat. Behind the dance floor, a group of bards forms the band for tonight's revelry, singing and playing merrily. Once most of the guests are seated, a pageboy moves to stand in front of a separate table between those for the guests and the dance floor. This table is much more lavishly decorated than the others, and individual chairs are placed around the back side of it, facing the guests.
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