Elanthian Vogue/Winter 5121 (Part II)

Editor: Rohese Bayvel

Editor's Thoughts

As promised, we're back with the second installment of our bumper winter edition delving into adventures after dark! I hope you enjoyed our exclusive interview with the delightful Goblyn and Cruxophim and that we sparked your curiosity enough to spend time with them on Caligos Isle. Did you also manage to guess who kindly shared their thoughts on the Ebon Gate Festival at the end of Part I? If not, don't worry, all will be revealed shortly.

As mentioned in the earlier edition, this one will be exploring Elanthia's night life in general and the opportunities available to those who are looking for people to meet, places to go, and fun things to participate in. We will also look at day-into-night fashion and how easy it is to make the switch with just a few key wardrobe pieces.

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in again because there are only a few festival days left!

As always, don't forget to send us your comments on any of the articles in this month's publication or suggestions for future editions!

Editor

Night Life for Night Owls

Some time ago, I was shown a flyer for an event called "Ladies Night!" and it started me wondering about what happened in Elanthia when the sun went down. Needless to say, I am not overly familiar with such things but I did learn that there are events and entertainment venues that host performances, parties and other social gatherings for those that prefer to be out and about late at night. You just have to know where to look. The collective term for such entertainment is "night life" and it includes taverns, bars, concerts, theatre and sometimes even informal gatherings to just sing songs and share stories.

Despite perceptions, not all "night life" entertainment is adult-oriented. A lot of pleasure can be had by simply spending time socialising with your fellow "night owls" in various locations around town. Inns are always popular spots for adventurers. Perched in the northwest corner of the Wehnimer's Landing Town Square, for example, is the Raging Thrak Inn, both a rowdy gathering place for a rousing song and a mug of ale, and a spot for a quiet conversation. Just outside the North Gate is the Wayside Inn, another popular spot for gathering. If you something a little more out of the way, try Frith's Inn which just happens to be situated right next to Beldrin's Gaming Hall if you fancy a spot of gambling.

The town of Icemule Trace also boasts some great places to socialise after dark. The Silvermule Gaming Hall is an excellent place to meet with friends and play some games of chance and the aptly named Nightowl Pub is good for quiet conversations with friends.

Solhaven residents and visitors have a number of options too. The Cafe Dumont stays open all night serving tea and coffee or the more adventurous might be willing to take the risk of visiting the Wage and Dagger in South Haven but be warned, the streets aren't safe after dark.

The towns and cities in the Elven Nations aren't short of places to gather either. The Gentlemen's Leaf in Ta'Illistim has a lounge with a dartboard and refreshments or why not simply visit the Moonglae Inn rooftop for a spot of romantic stargazing.

The two inns in Ta'Vaalor are popular with the fortress residents. On the southwest side of town is Malwith's with a bar, a buffet and cozy tables. Casu's Coffee within also has a public stove and stocks a generous supply of tea.

On the north side of town is the Legendary Rest where you can gather friends around a table, order some food or just enjoy the courtyard and its beautiful fountain.

For those seeking entertainment of a theatrical nature, a visit to the Theatre Andaire is worthwhile. Why not consider putting on a little impromptu play or musical soiree yourself and draw the night time crowds as the theater features a stage with dressing rooms, working curtains and lights.

It is also worth noting that all of the Premium Halls in town have BlackDrake tables for those that enjoy dice games in more exclusive surroundings.

Last, but by no means least, it is worth taking the opportunity to catch a game of GHOUL while visiting Caligos Isle. Sometimes hosted by the delightful Goblyn – as featured in our last edition - it is a great way to spend a few hours in the company of friends old and new with the added bonus of having the chance to win some amazing prizes!

Cheapshots and Cheapseats

"I hope you made it through all the riffraff on the way here without a brick to the head. Those south end folks aren't too inviting. It’s a bit rough getting in, but once here I find it one of the most quaint and relaxing bars in the lands. The drinks aren't half bad either. I think rough and tumble yet warm speaks to my soul."

Iskandr's greeting on my arrival sums up the location for our interview. Whilst friendly and well appointed, The Inn of the Krawling Kraken is situated in one of the less salubrious parts of Solhaven. The walk along the Crooked Way should not be considered alone after dark or you run the risk of suffering a few cheapshot manoeuvres from the local denizens. (I took the precaution of having a chaperone.) The entrance can be found down a dark alley that snakes behind a ramshackle warehouse but watch your footing as the cobblestones are littered with broken glass and refuse.

You see Squire Legionnaire Iskandr Tamarack the Forestwalker.
He appears to be a Vaalor Elf.
He is taller than average.  He appears to be very young.  He has sparkling hazel eyes and tanned skin.  He has shoulder length, wavy chestnut hair with lighter streaks.  He has a delicate face, a classical nose and high cheekbones.  He is wearing a hunter green silk pennon emblazoned with a jungle samoyed that juts over his shoulder.
He is wearing a forest green leather cloak with ivory accents, a polished blonde ash biwa incised with a gilt-clawed wyvern, a rugged hunter green backpack covered in dirt and blood stains, a weathered leather harness made from a multitude of straps, some weathered brigandine, a long-collared dark green cotton shirt, a pair of polished crimson and gold bracers, some threadbare gloves, a leaf-embossed dark leather belt, a bloodstained leather survival kit, a shaggy dark grey wolf fur satchel, some supple centaur hide pants, some padded grey woolen socks, and some tall ebon leather boots buckled with vaalorn.

I am courteously escorted to a table of deeply polished mahogany in the bar and relax somewhat as I observe the barkeeper merrily ensuring everyone gets a fair share of his attention. With notebook and quill in hand, I begin by asking Iskandr to tell me a little bit about himself and I am somewhat shocked by his initial response.

"Would it be too risqué if I took of my shirt to start the interview?"

With a confident half smile in my direction, while also briefly turning to shrug to the barkeep who sighs in resignation – I am guessing that what is about to unfold has happened before - he proceeds to remove his cloak, unfastens his armor, and unbuttons his shirt. I add a quick note to the margins of my book to ensure that I ask that all future interviewees stay dressed.

"I know we’ve just met, but I feel this is the easiest way to ‘paint a picture’ if you will. I apologize for being forward, my blood is wholly Vaalor but my upbringing was, well, tainted by the West a bit, eh?"

He speaks in common, which – as he explained to me later - affords him the opportunity to speak more loosely and informally than in his native Elven. He turns around to reveal a tattoo that covers the entirety of his back.

a clifftop cottage tattoo
The focal point of this piece is a quaint cottage nestled within a grove of beach pines on a striking cliff overlooking the sea at sunset.  Stretching out across the entire back, warm inks add a comforting glow to the light pouring from the home, and a smoking chimney indicates a lively hearth.  The coziness of the abode contrasts sharply with cold blue and black inks framing the outer edges.  On the horizon, darkly inked warships appear poised to shatter the idyllic scene.

"You might recognize the Landing's Coastal Cliffs in the artwork. Early on, a few decades after the founding of the Landing my mother and father ended up there. They told me they were merchants…"

Pausing, quite dramatically I might add and with a notable gleam in his eye, he switches to a smiling whisper to add "...but I think they might have been Vaalor spies." With a quick shrug, he continues to tell me about his early years.

"Anyway, I was raised in and around the Coastal Cliffs and the Landing itself from such an early age that I at one point thought I was born there. Was getting into all kinds of fun trouble as I grew into adolescence."

Again, I catch a brief twinkle in his eyes as he appears to be recalling those juvenile transgressions.

"Needless to say, the Krolvin came..."

He briefly taps the warships tattooed on his back.

"...my parents, that idyllic cottage, they were all gone. So instead of becoming an even more troublesome adolescent on the streets of the Landing, I decided to reconnect with my roots, go back East, join the Legion, see the world, kill far away things in epic wars, and learn how sound less like a yokel when speaking Elven. One-hundred years later, I've finished my time in the Legion regulars and here we are in the West, where I mostly reside once again. Maybe I'm a spy too!"

Noting my raised eyebrow, he gives me a sarcastic grin and takes a swig from his mug of hearty golden ale without bothering to put his shirt back on. I attempt to avoid further embarrassment (on my part) by moving swiftly on to ask about his infamous gatherings; keeping my eyes on my notebook at all times. I am particularly keen to understand why night time events are different to those held in the day.

"Well, for one thing, I just LIKE the night. It feels very comfortable to me. Perhaps this is because I was trained to move around in it during my service, but I think I always enjoyed it. But honestly, I've been all over these lands, and everywhere there’s some people over in one place talking down about some other people from somewhere else. But all people everywhere like to relax, have a drink, tells funny jokes, regale folks with grand stories, listen to bawdy songs, and so on. I'm not sure having a keg or two is going to change the world and make dwarves and elves get along better, but I can get them hugging and singing the same song about that lost love or laughing at a lewd limerick for at least the time they're with me.  Maybe they can take a bit of that back with them beyond that time."quote"

He slips a cigar out from his harness and, with it, his cigar cutter. He cuts the tip off his cigar before bringing it to his lips and lighting it with the cutter's drakar element. He takes a good puff and exhales before continuing with the occasional chuckle.

"In regard to what's different? There's just a freedom and looseness to the night. There are famous bards who show up and wow us with festival classics, but there are people who get up there and tell a tale for the first time, and then there are just avid watchers and listeners who love to see what might happen next. Night has less rules and formality. I had enough of all that during my Legion 'hundred.'"

"I don't even really have a format, and what happens changes on the whim of whatever odd thoughts his me when I wake that very day. Sometimes we tell grand tales, sometimes we fish, and sometimes we race ships across the seas for sport. Anything can happen. It's refreshing that way, and I'm willing to let the participants take it in other directions even I wasn’t expecting, though this of course usually requires and exceedingly charismatic and good-looking master of ceremonies to guide the whole affair."

I glance up from my notes to be rewarded with a brief wink. So I quickly ask about his thoughts on Ronan and whether he has any connection with him at all, or any other Arkati for that matter.

"It's interesting that you ask that, as I see my night events as less related to Ronan than perhaps his brother Phoen. I worship neither, but I DO offer a light in the darkness, a bit of a shining beacon that the other miscreants of the night can find comfort in, so perhaps Phoen is bothering his brother with my shenanigans. Phoen's also got a hand in fertility, and well, yes, I think our events send people off together in a good mood to finish the night however they see clever. If we were all paying Ronan heed, I feel we'd all be well-rested dreaming nappers, though perhaps I'll do that some night. We can all take a good nap for a few hours."

He ponders a few more things briefly before continuing.

"This all being said, I am a Vaalor elf, and I think by and large the idea of worshipping the Arkati has always been a bit much for many of us. Of course..."

He taps his left arm to indicate the tattoo covering the entirety from shoulder to wrist.

The centerpiece of this work of art is clearly Imaera.  The Arkati stands poised against the entirety of the upper arm, with her head overlaid across the broad muscle of the shoulder, and trailing downward in a gentle cloak of greenery towards the elbow.  Delicate mahogany inks have been used to portray a gorgeous doe nestled into the crook of Imaera's arm, which extends somewhat onto the forearm before dissolving into a swirl of green and grey inks.

"...this Lady has saved my life more than once out there in the wilds, so she can claim a bit of space on my shield arm. Is that worship or just a good luck charm? I lean toward the latter. Besides, she has to share my body with this guy..."

He points to his right arm, where another sleeve covering its entirety.

This image is crafted primarily from ivory and viridian hues, and depicts a beautiful jungle samoyed against a lush jungle background.  The creature's countenance is serious, but clever use of shading creates a nearly whimsical look in its eyes as it gazes into the distance.  Its musculature is clearly defined beneath its gleaming white coat, and everything about its stance speaks to a steady, unwavering alertness.  The mighty beast is clearly ready to strike at a moment's notice, should the need arise.

"That dog there, Captain Foofamaloo, has kept me alive more than once, so he gets some space on my sword arm. I haven’t asked Imaera how she feels about sharing the space on my body with my animal companion, but I’ll remember to do that if she ever stops by for a keg pour."

"And yes, I did say his name was Captain Foofamaloo. That's what he told me it was when we met. Perhaps you can ask him more about it in a future issue? He’s not very fashionable though."

I can't help but be amused by this rather disarming elf and since he has brought up the subject of fashion, I cannot resist the temptation to inquire if he is interested in it at all and what his wardrobe choices might be – despite the current lack of clothing on display!

"My day-to-day fashion is, well, as you see before you, mostly utilitarian and covered in some amount of blood stains and grime. As a scout in the Legion, our regs were a bit looser, eh? You often just got around to using what ‘worked best’ for getting the job done, so this is all cobbled together with necessity as the focus. I do keep my Legion bracers on to remember where I came from, despite how woefully they clash with even my utilitarian designs."

"Here's the secret though..."

He leans into the table a bit to emphasize his point causing me to drop my quill and – in the process of trying to retrieve it with as much dignity as I can muster – lose my grip on my notebook. It takes a little time for me to compose myself again but I am able to catch up and make a note of his...secret.

"...if you're confident, you'll make even utilitarian shine. It becomes 'classically rugged' or some such. Being quite good looking also helps, but confidence will sell any outfit if YOU believe it looks good.

"I DO dress to the nines for a good function though. I'll put all this bloody, weathered stuff in a locker for a bit, hit the bathhouse, soak out all this grit, and select the finest clothes I can find from a good festival or Ta'Vaalor's own clothing boutiques. I assume you already know that Ta'Vaalor has some of the finest clothing shops in the lands? Us martial folks are more into clothes than most people think. I have entire clothing lockers in various House Paupers annexes devoted solely to clothes and I'm looking forward to the upcoming festival because I will buy entire wardrobes of new apparel. I've heard that the Rakish Raven has a pink and mint hued silk shirt or some such, and I'll tell you right now I'm excited to pull that off at a ball..."

He pauses briefly for a moment and smiles once again, gesturing to his shirtless self. "...not this literally of course."

In my haste to leave the Bar, I think I managed to mumble my appreciation for giving me the interview so in case I failed to do so, I would like to thank Iskandr for a very enlightening insight into his personal adventures after dark and his thoughts on the Ebon Gate Festival shared in the last edition!

Tea with Talinvor

You see xxx

"quote"