The town of Sandpoint is alive with excitement, as not only is today the day of the Swallowtail Festival, a special festival honoring Desna, but it is also the day for celebrating the town's new cathedral, built after the first one was mysteriously burnt down a few years back. Children run around, playing and screaming with happiness, while the adults gather around and discuss many different subjects.
Having just arrived in Sandpoint, Alesta was a bit surprised and thrilled at the festivities going on. Wearing a pair of sturdy boots, a leather skirt slit on one side to allow better movement, a simple vest and tunic, leather armor, fingerless gloves, and a cloak, the aasimar, normally a quiet and shy person, was swept up in the joyous celebration like everyone else. Her golden scales shimmered and shined in the light. Deciding to take part in the festival, the musetouched took her harp and began playing a melody, before adding a song in Celestial for good measure.
Aside from the gleeful dancing and chatter of the town's denizens, a half-orc stands, gazing up at the new Cathedral. He is small for his kind, but still looks most humans in the eye. Wearing rough furs and pelts, he is a barbaric sight and those who've traveled the Storval Plateau would recognize his garb as Shoanti in origin. The vast maze of dark tattoos of moon, stars and meteors covering his visible skin only serve to confirm an educated observers suspicions. With his stony gaze and fearsome garb, he is an oddity among the bright garb and cheerful chatter of the Varisian natives.
On his shoulder, a horned owl sits calmly. It preens its brown and tawny feathers and the half-orc occasionally reaches up scratch its neck, thought it isn't clear if this is to comfort the bird, or him. The pair stand out like a sore thumb amid the revelry which they are not partaking in. The children of Sandpoint seem fascinated by the strange half-orc, though he doesn't seem to pay them any mind.
Ahdak Speaker with Stars, Shaman of the Lyrune-Quahh and son of the First Hunter and Huntress, is perplexed by the monumental edifice of the gods that the citizens of Sandpoint have built. He murmurs alound, "Every stone is a totem and yet they build this monstrous thing to darken the sky and hide the stars. One may kneel in the dirt and lay hands in vitality of the earth and feel the spirits, but they choose to build a small mountain in which to worship? These people are odd, Noctua. I do not yet understand them."
The owl doesn't seem to pay her master any attention as he continues to ponder the odd nature of these outsiders. Shrugging at the futility of it, Ahdak turns his attention to the dancing and laughing around him. He observes, his face still stony, as children run about laughing and giggling and music is played. This is certainly no dance to fire the blood before battle, nor is it dance to honor the totems as is their due. I fear that the spirits have laid a trying path for me to tread if I am to live among these Varisians. That they can survive when a half-blind puma could spot them from miles is... odd. Shaking his head, he simply stands and absorbs the scene before him.
A storm of sounds made of joyous laughter, sweet song and cheerful conversation filled the air. The people of Sandpoint seemed to soak this atmosphere, most of them not even bothering to hide the happiness that has taken hold of their minds and hearts. To say that the streets of this town were flooded would be an understatement, it was a chore to walk without sidestepping the various groups of people or running into someone by accident, but should one look hard enough they'd find a place of solitude or at least an area where you didn't have to watch your every step.
Karl Sarvo had finally find one such spot. It was one of the many closed shops, as business he figured would be better handled in stands where more people could see the goods, and that suited him just fine. He walked towards the shop, his leather armored, large frame warding enough people off, requiring him to not bother dodging as much as any other festival goer. He reached the wall of the store and rested his back against it, his arms at his side and his eyes on the people enjoying the festivities. His expression betrayed no clear emotion, aside from a neutral smile.
Lots of smiles, lots of coin....wonder if they have lots of guards? Karl craned his neck to the right and shuffled his shoulders Lots or few it won't be enough with this many people The bounty hunter smile showed a few teeth Should get some decent business, maybe I'll even find the little punk that may have made it here His countenance abandoned the smile as he laid his back, his eyes casually gazing at the crowds.
For now I wait, maybe find a distraction when the street clears.
The atmosphere was a happy one. Even while playing and singing, she did take notice at what the people around were saying about her, while at the same time trying to remember any bit of history about Sandpoint she could recall.
Nadine ducks and weaves through the crowd. A festival! People are always in the best of moods at festivals! Celebrations are the ideal time to meet people; they’re most receptive then. But you have to be careful; the wrong word to someone too drunk, the wrong person sees a quill, and celebrants become mobs. Caution is best. Stay away from the inebriated, their mood swings are dangerous. Nadine snorts through her nose a little bit in frustration and pulls her hood lower over her “hair” so no quills stick out. The trick was to hide the hair but frame the face and highlight the smile. The smile. Nadine had practiced it for days, trying to achieve the holy grail of that friendly but not overly so smile. Wide but not too wide. Inviting but not a come-on. She practiced so much her face hurt and her mirror was filthy. But all that practice would go to waste if she couldn’t make a connection with someone today. But she was hopeful-with so many people and so much practice, how could she not succeed? Nadine puts Thistle on her shoulder (a great conversation starter), once more adjusts her hood, and puts her best foot forward. Time to make friends!
As the aasimar continued to play, she passed by some bells, which suddenly began to play by themselves! Soon every bell was ringing, including the cathedral's! But the bells weren't just ringing, their rings were in harmony with Alesta's music.
A few people turned to look at the musetouched.
Ahdak glances up from the revelry on the street as the bells of the Sandpoint Cathedral begin to toll. Noctua spreads her wings, flapping them a few times, before settling back down. Stroking his friend ruffled feathers, Ahdak ponders the newly ringing bells. The ringing of metal on metal in a joyous time is perplexing. Do they celebrate the sounds of battle? As he listened further, the initial clangor fades and softens, blending into the music being played. No, not the clangor of battle, but more of their music. How do they find the time to come up with such variety?
A sudden ringing broke Karl out of his mood of laid back gazing, he did not understand why so many and dissimilar sounding bells would be shook simultaneously. The sell sword left his haven and began pushing past the crowds, his goal; the origin of this mass chiming. Karl doubted that this was Sandpoint's version of an alarm or a way to communicate danger, he also didn't think a trader would sound this many bells, and while he knew little about Sandpoint he was absolutely sure that this wasn't part of the festivities.
The well armed man was rewarded by the sight of Alesta handling her instrument, while an army of bells shivered in her wake If this is part of her show I'll hand it to her, she knows how to get attention Commented Karl mentally, his gaze remaining on the performer.
Still oblivious to what was going on, she merrily played on her harp. Usually she would have noticed, but today she was swept up in the revelry of the festival. As she went by more bells joined in the chorus until she was at the Sandpoint Cathedral. She found a nice spot on its steps to sit down on as she continued to play her music, singing in Celestial while a chorus of bells followed along.
While he could not judge the playing, Karl was getting tired of hearing the constant chiming of bells where ever this performer went. He turned around, and began looking for a place to take a seat and enjoy a bite to eat Maybe I'll even get some information With that thought in mind, Karl made his way to the closest stand that seemed to be serving food and took an empty, only giving the people sitting next to him short glances before turning his attention to whoever was working at the stand.
"If ya have any fish I'll take a plate, if not some bread will do" Said the mercenary, his right forearm on the table and his left elbow propped and supporting a hand that was under his stubble filled chin.