Phaendar's Market Festival draws a crowd from all over Nirmathas, and beyond. Traders from everywhere from Druma to Varisia pass through to hawk their wares in the town square while the locals all gather to share stories of another year passed without any real trouble. Sure, Molthune invades every once in a while, but they're used to that by now.
The Phaendar Market Festival is in full swing! The town square is loaded with merchants both local and exotic, hawking their wares to anyone who passes by. Traders from everywhere from Varisia to Druma have settled in for a day of trade, merriment, and gossip. The locals have set up food stands selling homemade treats and several tests of skill and cleverness have sprung up around town to keep the visitors entertained during their stay.
"How does she move around so fast... I've never understood it." Kyvanna muttered to herself with a grin as she made her own rounds. She thought about entering the archery contest but settled upon the idea that it wouldn't be fair to everyone else.
Though she gladly went looking to see what treats where being sold. She would have made some herself, but she figured that she wouldn't have time while helping Aubrin.
Although she loves the forge, Sindri also relishes the opportunity for a day off from working it. The Market Festival is the perfect chance to relax for a while, and she starts off by just wandering through the streets, perusing the stands and looking at the contests. Soon enough, though, her work side gets the better of her, and the Ulfen woman begins winding back toward Kining's booth. Just to check in on things. Make sure there's no trouble. See if anything's sold yet. Nothing to do with worrying.
As if to calm herself, she reaches around with one hand and raps on the shield on her back. The round wooden armament is painted with a mixture of the smithy's sign, her family crest, and Ulfen motifs and patterns. Slung over her shoulder, it serves as a calling card for the woman nearly as much as her long blonde hair--anyone and everyone local to Phaendar can recognize her from behind or in front.
Aegis heads into the market festival with his hands in the pockets of his robes, keeping away from the crowds as he makes his way to one of the food stands. "Excuse me, could I get something to--" he finds his voice cut off by a crowd of children looking to buy food from the vendor, pushing in front of the android and drowning out his quiet voice. "Excuse me, I just need to buy some food. Hello?" Once the children finally move on, he puts a few silver pieces down on the stand in front of him and meekly points to whatever they're selling. "Just one." He pauses for a moment, before he shakes his head. "Sorry, one please. I've just gotten off the boat with the caravan. Will this cover the cost? I have more money." He rubs one arm awkwardly as he tries to avoid contact with passersby.
'If only I knew what had brought me here...'
Hama sighs upon seeing the sour mug of the one local dwarf in Phaendar. There were plenty of those in Kraggodan and she had hoped to see friendlier faces out here.
Instead Hama mingles with the crowd. As expected she draws some attention from the crowd but that was hardly a surprise when the locals have no idea a dwarf can actually smile. The fact she is dressed in heavy scale mail and carries both an axe and a shield in a very distinctive dwarven style also helps. As do the facial tattoos and the delicate earrings that just don't match her combat gear.
Telka thanks Father Noelan for the break. "Thank you. It's been a busy day today. Who knew so many people couldn't use a throwing axe."
She hasn't been in town on a festival day for a while. Smiling at the small children running through the crowd she makes her way through the market looking at all the wares being sold. Feeling a piece of cloth here and there. Nodding in greeting to people from the outlying farms that she knows. Eventually finds her way to the food stalls. She gets in line behind a tall man in a robe just as a group of children cuts in front of him. She hears him mention he has more money, and gives the food vendor a stern look. "I know how much what he ordered costs. Don't you charge him a copper more you hear."
"No, I'm not--" Aegis stops for a moment as he takes a bite of the treat. He raises his eyebrows and takes another, larger bite before finishing his sentence. "I'm not a visitor. I was working as a caravan guard but I was actually just returning. I, well, I stay at the inn mostly. But I live here. For now, anyway." Aegis takes another massive bite of the candy apple before finishing it off. "Could I possibly get another? It's been quite a while since I had anything but trail rations to eat."
Kyvanna laughed as she walked up, hearing Aegis comment about only having trail rations for the longest time. "It also helps that Job has the best apples." Kyvanna said with a smile as she jointed the group. "Nice to see you about Telka." She told the priestess with a respectful nod before digging out six silver pieces and holding up her middle finger through pinkie to let Job know she wanted three.
Once he handed them over she held one out to Aegis with a grin "Well, have another on me as a welcome back.", before handing the next one to Telka, and saving the final one for herself.
Telka takes an apple in each hand. "I love Job's candied apples. I get tired of my own cooking when I make my rounds. How have you been Kyvanna?" She smiles at the quiet man. "Hello my names Telka and you are?"
"Oh you know, setting up archery contests, scavenger hunts and all that." Kyvanna said before she bit into her apple. "Oh, and I am Kyvanna, should have lead with that over candied apples huh?"
"My name is Aegis. I've been working as a caravan guard since I arrived. It hasn't been very difficult, though; we haven't seen a lot of trouble. I suppose that's a good thing, though. It means everything goes according to schedule, and I don't have to fight. Not that I mind, since that's what I'm paid for, but it's always easier when there's no fighting. It's easier to protect a caravan when it isn't under attack." Aegis rambles on quickly, only stopping to eat another few bites of the candy apple. He just stands there chewing looking at the two women expectantly. It's another few seconds before he breaks the awkward silence. "Sorry, what do you to do? I... forgot I hadn't asked."
"I'm a priestess of Erastil. I visit the outlying villages and farms, and help them how I can. When I'm in town, I help at the shrine. If you get hurt, come see me."
"I don't get hurt. I keep other people from getting hurt. That's why they hire me for the caravan. Ever since I left Lastwall, it seems like that's been my best skill. I'm really good at making sure people don't get hurt. Maybe better than I am at hurting people, sometimes."
Sindri can't hold back a snort of laughter at Kining's question, and she shakes her head. "Can't a smith just check in on how her works are selling? Lighten up, Kining. It is a festival, after all." She stretches her arms out wide and smiles. "Tell you what. Whoever's works have sold better so far tends the stall, while the other fetches us both something to eat and drink. How's that sound?"
"Of course she's been putting me to work, what else would she be doing?" Kyvanna joked before she took a bite of the apple and listened to Aegis and Telka. "I'll tell Aubrin once I see her. I've been seeing her off and on all day so that shouldn't be too long." She grinned before turned her attention back to Aegis and Talka. "So you're a mercenary Aegis?" She asked before taking another bite. "Don't see many of those coming out of Lastwall."
Sindri laughs and shakes her head again. "Unless you're suddenly an augur, there's no sense in trying to tell the future. And if you are a diviner, and you've been holding out on me all this time, I've got a few years worth of pointed questions to ask." The woman winks and waves to a passerby she recognizes, then leans forward on the table for a moment. "And seeing as you and I are sensible folk, we'll count sales up to now. I'll go see about those treats, and I swear if you don't eat willingly when I get back, I'll put it down your stubborn throat myself."
With that, she starts making her way through the festival once more. She peruses over the offerings everyone has, but Sindri already has a place in mind: Job's stand, for some of his apples. She almost hopes he's kept some free of candying--even plain, they're quite the treat.
Kining cracks a half-smile for a moment before she quickly suppresses it. "Grab me a lamb shank from wherever they're doing the roasting then. I can smell if from here and I haven't had lunch yet. And just some water. I hate doing business with a fuzzy head."
Telka waves at Sindri as she sees her approaching. "Keeping busy today Sindri? I need to take a look at a new bow one of these days. Maybe by next festival I'll have enough coin saved to buy one."
Sindri waves back to Telka and smiles. "Busy enough, but not too much. It's good to have a break from the forge every once in a while. And it is a festival day, after all." She turns to look at the smiths' stand for a moment, then shrugs. "As for a bow, I don't know if we're selling one just now. I work more with metals, and it's not often you make a bow out of steel. But I'll put in a good word if we have one, maybe see about getting you a discount."
The woman steps up to the stand and chats with Job, getting an apple, and she glances at Aegis. "So who's the visitor? I don't recognize him, so he must be from elsewhere. I hope you ladies aren't bothering him too much."
"I'm not a visitor. I used to stay just outside of town, but I made some money doing odd jobs so now I stay at the inn. I keep to myself for the most part though, so I'm not surprised you haven't seen me around. I wasn't even going to come to the festival until I realized how hungry I was." Finishing his second candied apple, Aegis just holds onto the sticks in his off-hand. A few seconds later he realizes they're stuck to his palms, and he starts talking again in an effort to distract from him having to pry them off. "Come to think of it, I ought to get something other than sweets. Does anyone know where they might be selling some sort of meat? Cured or cooked, I'm not partial to either one really."
Sindri nods and taps her nose. "They've got it somewhere around here. You can practically taste the lamb shanks, the smell is so good. I'm headed that way myself, if you want to tag along."
"I'll go with you. I want to take some food back to the shrine later, and too many candied apples will bring you to the shrine for a tummy ache cure for sure." she laughs, and follows Sindri and Aegis.
"I'm not sure I can get a stomach ache." Aegis pauses for a second, finally prying off the candy-coated sticks and tossing them into the trash. "I'm not sure I have a stomach. Still, lamb shanks sound delicious. Lead the way?"
Job waves the group off as the go to look for a late lunch. "Local, visitor, doesn't really matter," he says cheerfully. "Today's a day for everyone to enjoy themselves together. You all have a good time." The lamb is being roasted two stands down and it seems like it's quite popular.
"You all have fun with that. I have to go find my aunt. I'm sure I'll see you all around though. It was nice meeting you Aegis." Kyvanna said with a respectful not. "See you around Telka, Sindri. Try not to get carried away hmm?" She joked before she walked off to go find Aubrin.
Telka looks confused when Aegis said he doesn't have a stomach. "Everyone I've ever met has a stomach. How is you don't know if you have one or not?" She studies him closely. "Anyway let's go get that roast lamb before it's gone."
"It's, uh... complicated. I don't suppose you have many people like me down here. Maybe you do, though, I don't know. I've never met anyone quite like me. I came from quite a far ways away."
Hama keeps wandering the market for a while, hoping to stumble upon something of interest to pass her time until the caravan moves on. When she catches the roast meat smell that wafts over the market she figures that, lacking any sightings of local relics or the such, at least roast meat could silence her hunger.
"Interesting." Telka shrugs as she arrives at the kebab stand. "You seem nice enough, and I suppose I can heal you if I need to. Hopefully it won't come to that. It is a festival after all, and all the food is really good." She holds up a hand for two kebabs.
Kyvanna laughed as she came up beside Aubrin. "Ha! You got roped into being a judge. That has to be terrible." She grinned. "But at least it made it easy to find you, Job wanted me to let you know the Taproot has that hard cider he makes that you like."
"It would be a lot easier if I could see the targets without having to stop the match between every shot," Aubrin says with a chuckle. Her smile brightens when Kyvanna delivers her message. "Excellent! We'll have to drink the Taproot dry after things wrap up for the day. Now, why don't you get in on a little bit of the fun?"
"Ha, no." Kyvanna said as she crossed her arms and stood next to Aubrin. "This isn't really my stuff aunt Aubrin. I'd rather be out in the forest, maybe hunting.... or cooking if I felt I had enough time for it."
Eating the kebabs Telka wanders over to Kyvanna and Aubrin. "How are the contests going?"
"I'll just have one, I think," he says, unaware as Telka wanders away to talk to Kyvanna. When the merchant hands over the food, he turns around and talks as if resuming mid-sentence. "I lived much farther north of here, or at least that's where I was--" Aegis stops, just noticing Telka's disappearance. He looks inquisitively at Sindri for a moment, chewing on a particularly savory portion of the meat. "Sorry," he says simply, just after he swallows. "My name is Aegis. I don't think I told you that already."
"She just wandered off," Sindri comments at Aegis's look. She gets two portions of lamb herself, and smiles at the strange man. "I'm Sindri. Good to meet you."
The woman looks around for a moment, then hooks her head toward Kinging's stand. "What say you follow me back to my stand? I need to get this meat to a hungry smith, and maybe you'd find something of our wares to interest. If you're a traveler, it's good to have some protection. Maybe some armor, or a good axe at your side?"
"No armor, it only slows me down. I prefer to simply avoid being hit rather than relying on armor to protect me." At the mention of an axe, though, Aegis's hand slides down to the hunting knife at his belt. He grips the hilt tightly and pulls it out turning it over in his hands. "Perhaps I will try an axe. This knife is the only weapon I have ever used. I know there is a perfect weapon that was made to be wielded by my hands out there somewhere, but I have never found it. Perhaps it is in your shop?" The last bit sounds like friendly banter, but Aegis's oblivious tone makes it seem far more likely he's being serious.
"The search for the perfect weapon?" Sindri pauses and regards the android, sizing him up and weighing his words. After a moment, she nods. "I think I know what you mean. You need something that feels right in your hand, and your heart. Any man can pick up a sword or an axe, or a club, and go swinging it about. A true warrior fits their weapon, just as it fits them."
Then she lets out a laugh and continues toward the stall. "Truth be told, I haven't found a good blade myself. Nothing fits my hand half as well as a hammer for the forge, apart from my shield. And there's always the hand itself."
"I know my blade is out there, somewhere. Every town I have come across in my travels, I have searched for the blade that is my own. No smith I have found ever had it. They were too heavy or didn't have the right balance, their blades too thick or too short. " Aegis just sighs, and takes another bite of his meat. "Perhaps though, your forge will? We shall see, I suppose."
"You need to lighten up a little bit," Aubrin said with a smile. "The forest is a wonderful place, but town is where the drink is." She smiles and nods to Telka as the acolyte approaches. "Good morning Telka. Or afternoon at this point I think. Things are running well, so of course we're busy everywhere. I hope Noelan isn't working himself too hard."
Kining is still right where Sindri left her. She looks up and takes the meat from the tall woman's hand with a short nod of acknowledgement. "Thanks," she says quickly. "You bring me lunch and a new customer? I knew there was a reason we were in business together. What's he looking for?"
"I'm not sure, really. I know it's a blade, but I can't picture it in my mind's eye. It's always just beyond my reach. I always feel I would know it when I see it, but I guess I wouldn't really know that until it happens. You know, until I actually do know it when I see it. I don't even know if that will happen, so I usually pick them up and give them a try." Aegis rests a hand on the empty spot of his belt, where the sheath of a blade might go. "All I know is it's a sword. I've looked for it with many smiths and never found it."
"You do that enough for the both of us." Kyvanna said with a simple shrug. She offered a nod to Telka when she came walking up. "Left the company of the others did you?" She half smirked.
Telka laughs, "I came by to see if anyone needs patched up over here. Sometimes these contests don't go as well as the entrants hope. Burn on your arm from a bow string is a good lesson, but a painful one." she takes a bite of the kebab.
"Of course Noelan is working too hard. He won't take a break, and nothing we can do will get him out of the shrine on festival day. I'm pretty sure he's expecting someone to impale themselves one of these days. Of course that would be the day he goes out for a walk through the festival, and not at the shrine."
"True enough," Aubrin says with a chuckle. "And a lesson every young archer learns at least once. Still better to learn it here on the range than at a critical moment in battle." She shakes her head. "That sounds just like him. If you head back over there at some point today, invite him down to the tavern tonight. I'm sure he could use the break."
Kining nods slowly. "Finding a weapon that fits just right in your hand is a challenge. Feel free to take a look at everything I've got, but there's not much special. Every piece I make is solid and dependable, but I don't do much in the way of fancy blades and unusual weapons." she waves her hand over the table, displaying a variety of swords, axes, and daggers. A rack holds several polearms and larger blades as well. It's a fairly impressive variety for a village smith, but nothing stands out as terribly unique.
"I still remember my first time with a bow... ah, memories. I think that was the first time I ever swore as well." Kyvanna said with a smile. "If you want I can go stop by and give him your message now. I'm not really doing anything else anyways." She shrugged.
"I'll go with you. I've seen enough of the festival for today. Maybe one of the other's would like a break." Telka heads back to the shrine with Kyvanna.
"I wouldn't even say it's fancy, I suppose. It's just... mine." Aegis stands around and tries the weapons out one at a time for quite a while, giving them test swings over and over again. It's quite clear whatever weapon he's looking for isn't one the smith has; while he seems proficient with plenty of the simpler weapons none of them really seem to be special, and swinging around with more practiced weapons sees him stumbling due to poor form. "I don't think my weapon is here either, I'm afraid. Oh well." Aegis just shrugs, smiling. "I'm sure I'll find it somewhere."