The Play, A Fearsome Foe - RPLOG
Participants
Date
8/9/478
Log
The otter being, satisfied with the number of Freeswords he had picked up, took off back from whence he came with the sellswords in tow. It wouldn't take them long to reach the Castle district. There a rather peculiar sight is found. A temporary open-air stage is built in the center of the square with some props strewn about, and other items like a small tower and a throne plus background scenery. Strewn around the stage are some carts and a couple of tents, looks like this is a traveling troupe of sorts.
It is a warm, sunny evening in Firmament. Currently there is a juggler on stage trying to entertain the host of nobles and well-off beings who had assembled, but some are obviously quite bored as they whisper about the main event. The group themselves are escorted 'backstage' where a nervous looking lion being is sitting in a tent.
"Oh, thank the creators!" the lion being says with a jittery grin as he stands up to greet the beings, "Terrible really, I think it might have been the food here, but most of my actors are in bed, and I needed some quick replacements. I hope that all of you are up to the task? If I don't put a show now this fiasco will ruin me in Firmament. A fifty crowns pay for each of you if you agree."
Zuri walks up to the open air stage, the small salamander smiling brightly as he regards it. "Wow, this looks like a lot of fun!" He peers at the poor juggler as they're led away towards the tent at the back, looking up at the lion and wiggling his snout at him as the explanation is given. "Wait, they're in bed? Like.. sickie? Oh no.. " He pouts. "I'd love to help! With.. whatever we have to do."
Fenris is in his element! "I grew up in a traveling troupe," he says, "What show are we putting on? I'm game for just about anything." The tiger is looking pretty good, his orange and black fur back in place and his snow white hair and short beard leaving him looking in fine condition. Much better than the scorched cat of yesterday morning!
Cassidy hadn't been in the inn, but she was in the area! Always interested in seeing what plays were going on. When she spots the familiar faces being brought towards the back, she gives Natska a little nudge and starts after them, ears perked. She didn't know Zuri was an actor! Fenris was hardly surprising.
Natska adjusts the gems in her pendant as she follows, ears perked, listening to the others. "maybe it's one of your competitors?" she offers. She gives the others a happy smile, then crosses her arms and listens for the pitch.
The lion nods his head at the assembled beings, "Don't be ridiculous, we do not have competitors here, it is our first time." the lion being says before he gazes on all group, "Ok, so I want you to act on their stead....let us see." the lion rubs his chin and looks around, "The play is about a daring knight saving a princess from the tower of an evil dragon. I know sounds strange, but it is one of the Creator classics! All the ancient novels had it." the lion being says with a grin, "Now, tiger you will be the king." he says as he nods sagely before looking at Natska and Cassidy, "You two look like a couple, so the jaguar can be the daring knight, and the fennec can be the princess." He says before finally looking down on Zuri and rubbing his chin, "Hmmm, you can be the evil dragon. Show me your best angry rawr."
Zuri looks up at the lion, his smile growing into a grin as he's given the role of the dragon. He wiggles in place, his tail whipping left and right, before he tries his best imitation of a fierce roar. "RAWR!" He tops it off by pretending to breathe fire, making a 'fwoosh!' sound to go with it.
Fenris laughs warmly. "I think we can work with that, Zuri," he says, turning his smile on the lion. "So, nothing specific?" he asks, "We just get to improvise? Do we get costumes?"
Cassidy glances at Natska, raising a brow before giving a quiet giggle and reaching out to hug the jaguar. "Yes, we are together. I'd be happy to play the part of a princess! I wasn't expecting to be playing a part at all, but I can certainly do that," she says, swapping her soul gems around just in case. She was already in a fancy dress, too!
Natska quietly laughs, slipping her arm around Cass and giving her a return hug. "Facing down dragons sounds like my regular job - it shouldn't be too hard to play it on stage. What if the script?" She gives Zuri a big grin. "Very convincing, Zuri."
The lion shakes his head, "We are already half an hour late of the start of the play. There is no time for a script!" the lion says as he nods his head and points at another tent, "There will be a costume for everyone yes, and your friend Zuri....hmmm, probably we will just give him the wings and pieces of the costume as it is too large for him." The lion then nods his head again, "I will be narrating the play to give allow you to follow the plot and you can improve on your own from then."
Zuri grins as wide as he can. "Oh this is going to be so much fun!" He glances over at Natska. "You'll never get the princess out of my evil lair. Never! Mwahahahaha!" He bounces around happily, tail flitting side to side, but then stops suddenly. "Huh.. I should probably do that.. -after- we start the scene."
Fenris smiles at Zuri's antics. He already has some ideas of his own of how to spice up that scene a little. "Great!" he cheers, "Let's get into costume and get this show on the road!" The big tiger saunters over to the indicated tent. "This ought to be good."
Cassidy gives a little nod and smiles at the others before she moves off to find, and get into, costume if deemed more princess-y than her normal outfit. "Right, I'll be quick! Hopefully the costume fits!"
Natska grins wider at Zuri's antics, then nods at the lion. "Right. I'll be ready in a moment, and waiting for my queue."
Zuri is taken inside for his own costume to be done properly. While the other get easier to use costumes. Fenris getting a large red, decorated coat to wear over his shoulders with an equally opulent, fake, crown to wear on his head. Cassidy is given a white frilly princess dress with a silver tiara to Match. And finally Natska is given a suit of fake steel armor, almost shining clean however. Zuri in the dressing room gets a couple of wings attached on a harness for him to wear, both comically large on him but thankfully light. Over his head is a dragon 'head' with matching 'sharp' teeth and a little 'flamethrower' on the mouth for when he needs it for dramatic effect. His long tail is covered in the green costume as well and finally a matching pair of dragon feet shoes that are still comically large on his small frame.
The group is given time to get aquainted with their costumes before the lion shows up again and grins, "Ok, first, tiger get on stage we have called off the juggler and we will open the curtains again in just a couple of minutes, you three wait here for now.
Zuri waddles around in his enormous costume, trying to get 'in character', psyching himself up for his role. He peers at the 'flamethrower' built into his mask, resisting the urge to test it out.. barely.
Fenris nods, setting aside his own coat in favor of the coat and crown. He makes a show of teasing his hair and beard out to give an almost leonine impression. The big tiger seems somehow even larger than normal, in no small part because he actually IS a little bigger than usual, but no one needs to know that it is anything other than the magic of the stage. The now royal feline gets himself into position for the opening of what ought to be a very entertaining show.
Cassidy settles the tiara on her head as she changes into costume, the deinty fennec certainly looking the part. And what publicity it will be for a newcomer to host nobles in his play! Publicity for both of them, she thinks to herself as she rubs her chin. Natska gets another smile and a nod as she rocks back and forth on her paws, waiting for her call.
Natska spends a few moments inspecting the costume, then sighs and gets dressed. She double checks the fit, then makes sure her hair is done properly, retying the ribbon as she heads for the backstage area. She gives Cassidy a warm smile when she sees her wife, then kisses her cheek. "My princess."
The lion shakes his head, "Save it for the stage you two." he tells the couple. Fenris discovers on the stage his throne with the scenery of a castle right behind it while on the opposite end is a tower with the image of a black mountain behind it. The lion takes a deep breath, "This will either work or ruin my career." he says with a grin and a shake of his head, a bit too calm for someone whose career is on the verge of ending.
The curtains open and the crowd are treated to the sight of the regal tiger and the lion narrator standing in his spot at a corner on the stage, "Greetings ladies and gentlemen of Promise. I hope you noblebeings are having a great day. Today our story is an unusual one! A classic of our Creators themselves!" the lion proclaims boldly, causing the bored nobles to focus their attention on him again, some of them were even leaving before they turned around! "Our story is of a noble and prosperous kingdom led by a wise king, not unlike the nation of Sweetwater! The Kingdom of Paedia was ruled by the King Regalfang, it was a safe place to live and prosper with your family and friends." he says as he gestures towards Fenris
Fenris paces across the stage, in obvious agitation, frowning and storming and looking back toward the tower scenery. "All WAS safe!" he roars, "But we are safe no more! The foulest of monsters has beset my kingdom! A wicked dragon with swords for claws and fire in its belly has laid claim to the black mountain!" The regal feline waves dramatically to the other side of the set. "It is only a wonder that it has not descended upon us already!"
The lion looks at fenris then back at the crowd of beings who nod their head in solemn understanding to this horrible news. "Indeed, a foul dragon from the abyss laid claim to the black mountain of the Kingdom of Paedia. But the dragon was silent. No one knew what it wanted." he says with a devious grin before gesturing to the entrance of the stage, some attendants backstage gesturing for Cassidy to move onto the stage, "But the King was not the only royal. Not at all, for he had a daughter. A beautiful maiden who was sweeter and more innocent ((HAHA!)) than the whitest of jasmines. She was her father's dearest treasure in this life!"
Backstage two of the attendants stopped in front of Zuri and Cassidy, "Ok, so now this is a tricky special effect. You see we are going to use air magic to make the dragon look as if he is flying and then grabbing the princess before putting her onto the top of the tower. It is important that both of you do not move a lot during this trick so that our two air magicians find it easier to pull the trick off. However, thankfully both of you are smaller than our usual dragon and princess, so this should be easy, any questions?"
Cassidy shakes her head, before smiling at Zuri. "No questions here. I'll keep as still as I can! Now, wish me luck," she says, ears flicking as she steps out onto the stage. She'd never acted in a play before, but she was good at putting on acts for court and family gatherings. "Oh father!" She cries dramatically as she looks on at the tiger king. "What are we going to do? What do you think that dreadful beast wants? Why does it besiege our fair home?"
Zuri steps up towards the stage, then pauses and walks back. "Wait.. am I walking in and then you fly us out, or are you flying me in so I can catch her while flying, and then flying us away?" He grins as he gets the reply that the latter is the case. "Awesome.. wish me luck!" He walks up towards the threshold of the stage, then speaks out in as loud a voice as he can muster. "Neither COIN nor LAND!" He thumbs up at the mages to start lifting him up and onto the stage. "Neither GOLD nor GEMS!" He waits until they lift him up before continuing. "All these things I own, and more! No quantity of them shall satisfy my greed. Only ONE treasure among all is what I desire!" He waits to be swooped down...
Fenris turns with a warm smile to his 'Daughter' only to gasp as Zuri swoops from the wings. With a bit of concentration, he adds a little magic of his own to the mix. Along with Zuri's shouts comes the sound of roaring flame and as the costumed amphibian comes onto the stage, he is obscured by roiling black clouds and flashes of red flame so that only the impression of something with great, flapping wings can be seen in the rolling smoke. It isn't real, of course, and should not bother anyone aside from the sudden smell of fire and sulfer.
The crowd are agape at the sights and sounds, and the oddly high pitched voice of the dragon screaming threats. "Yes, the dragon have come to the kingdom of Paedia seeking one thing only! The fair maiden of the kingdom!" he says as the air magicians begin their work sending the salamander airborne and towards Cassidy before lifting both up and putting them on the top of the tower. There both of them would notice the smaller ladder leading down towards the 'gate' of the tower, "The evil dragon have stolen the jewel of the kingdom and imprisoned her in his tower of doom, guarding its entrance with his wicked claws and fire breath. Alas, no soldier in the kingdom was brave enough to face the dragon and the king and kingdom fell into solemn depression!"
Zuri 'lands' on the tower and lets go of Cassidy, the 'mander very briefly pausing to sneakily straighten her dress before turning to the crowd, glowering at them from the 'battlements'. "At last, my hoard is complete! The most precious of treasures, mine forevermore!" He turns to Cassidy as he tries to seem imposing next to the taller 'princess'.
Cassidy gives a frightful wail as she's scooped away and carried off. "Unhand me! I am the princess, not some treasure to be hoarded away!" Alas, she was powerless to fight back, taken prisoner atop the statue. She gives a wistful sigh after a moment, glancing out over the audience. "Won't some brave hero ever come to rescue me from this terrible fate?"
