• PM To Join • [Warrick] A Boast in Cups

[Nivasi Zyq'Dariav]

19 Ymiden, Arc 716

Having sold off the salmon they brought fairly easily, enough even to offset the cost of the carter she'd gotten to help transport them the relatively short distance from her mooring at the head of the Kyo river to Fort Warrick itself, Nivasi was left with two days before the tournament itself.

Warrick was kindly putting guests and visitors up and feeding them even before the tournament. After all, travel was uncertain, you could not always calculate the time it would take exactly, and this was largely expected for bigger events like this. It was in all honesty a little nerve wracking for the very nearly social recluse fishmonger. Firstly just because there was very quickly starting to be a crowd no matter where you went, secondly because she could not see or smell the ocean, and thirdly, there were just far too many nobles. Nobles everywhere.

She had taken something of a chance, and bribed one of the guards for information on this Qe'Draki business. What she'd been told was this.

'House Krome is allied with House Burhan over this rebellion going on in the west. Never a good sign when the richest house in the kingdom gets into bed with the most fortified region in Rynmere.'

So Krome was in with Burhan, and if Veljorn was coming here than that as well as history suggested that Warrick was as well. That added food production to nels and defense.. Gawyne and Endor were still off on the other side, so they could certainly make a fair difference in any upcoming conflict with what side they fell on, but all in all if this triad held, the King, Andaris and Venora would have quite the time of it assuming it did come to open rebellion.

All in all, there was much on her mind and much to be worried about, and perhaps this had contributed to her having a drink or two more than she normally would, or than she should. At the moment, glass in hand, she was examining some of the craftsmanship that different tradesmen and artists had brought to display at the tournament. She'd looked at far more painted baskets of fruit than any one person should have to and was moving on the sculptures nursing a new found belief that anyone who decided to paint an apple should be pelted with said apples until they felt bad about it.

[Tristan Venora]

While Nivasi was thinking about the Qe’Draki and other important matters, Tristan was thinking about square heads, three eyed monsters and pig feet. He had decided to exhibit his masterpieces in Warrick prior to the tournament, hoping that he would attract a buyer or maybe a gallery owner. It was about time he became famous for something other than his last name and that article in the Gazette that talked about his predilection for nudity and paid women, although that article had been great of course.

A painter that he knew from his trials at the University of Rynmere and that had similar goals – fame and money – had offered to take him and his creations to Fort Warrick where they erected their stalls side by side. The painter had painted the usual things, apples and other fruit, while Tristan had placed a few truly bizarre sculptures on his table.

The first one was a small clay sculpture of a woman that had a square head and was blue. The second one looked kind of like a mer, except that it had three eyes and a bushy tail, and the third one was of a man who bore a striking resemblance to Peake Andaris and who wore nothing but a helmet and a cloak. He’d wanted to add a fourth sculpture, but Lady Burhan hadn’t looked as if she would be willing to part with the one he had made of her daughter which was a pity since it was the best one he had ever made.

So he had brought the painting that Daliane’s pig had helped him with instead. It consisted of lots of colorful and wavy lines, mixed with random and equally colorful pig footprints.

To get as much attention as possible, the noble had not only brought his most interesting works of art, he had also dressed in a manner that was bound to raise a few eyebrows. He wore a canary yellow shirt, black leather pants and a hat with a large feather as such things were in fashion that season. While he waited for potential buyers to arrive – surely it would only be a matter of time – he chewed on an apple that his painter acquaintance didn’t need anymore since he had already finished his paintings.

As he noticed Nivasi, he promptly tossed the apple aside and positioned himself in front of her, pulled off his hat and bowed. "Would you like to take a look at my creations?" he asked her. "You won’t meet a better sculptor anywhere. I can even paint you if you like. I can do pretty much anything. There’s wine as well!" he informed her to help her with her decision and gestured towards a bottle of Venora Rose that stood between his masterpieces.

OOC: Bottle of Venora Rose – 6 gn.

[Nivasi Zyq'Dariav]

If the paintings had bored her, the sculptures baffled her. The square headed woman, was this an allegory? A woman the sculptor thought was a blockhead? And blue was usually sadness, so given the usual ego of artists, perhaps someone who'd spurned the artist, thus showing herself to be a blockhead and later being sad over her choice. Next a Mer, or what one might think was a Mer if one had Mer described to them by a drunkard and then tried to sculpt when similarly drunk. Finally a man. This one showed some skill, in that he bore a striking resemblance to a certain infamous tax collector. And was very nearly naked. Honestly it made Nivasi a bit uncomfortable. Not because she had an issue with naked men, particularly in art, but because said tax collector had a reputation for violence and a short temper, responding to slights far out of proportion. It was a bit like leaning against a very tall tree on top of a hill in a thunderstorm. Unconsciously she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the man in question was not around.

Then there was a painting where the sculptor had apparently decided to branch out. As much as she loathed still life fruit pictures, she understood abstract art even less. It wasn't anything. It was literally just a bit of a mess, and this was only made even more prominent by the fact that it looked as if some animal had run across the canvas. No, in fact she was pretty sure an animal had run across the canvas. And someone was going to pay good money for that.

Was there a law somewhere that said as soon as you reached a certain number of nels you had to become an idiot and spend them on idiotic things?

Then the artist himself appeared. Nivasi eyed him over, trying her best to keep her face neutral and probably failing.

U'frek save me, this one must be a favoured of Delroth. He's like a ridiculous yellow rooster strutting about. In fact a rooster may have gone into the making of that hat. He might be attractive if he weren't so, so.. So!

The wine was somewhat tempting as all alcohol tended to be when one had already had a few drinks. Very sociable alcohol was, it hated to be alone. Still, she didn't think she ought to lead him on.

"I think I have seen them well enough, and that may be true, if only because I have no intention of meeting any other sculptors."

Damn, that was a bit harsh wasn't it? Well they're very bad! I would not want art of me with a square head, or Immortals forfend, naked. And what woman wants to be painted with pigs feet? I wonder how he affords a wardrobe like that with work like this? Patrons probably. Elderly female patrons taken by his prancing about I would wager.

[Tristan Venora]

“So you do like them?” Tristan asked innocently as Nivasi claimed that she had seen his works of art well enough and beamed at her. Of course he had noticed the tone of her voice (he wasn’t deaf, and neither was he stupid, although he had played the part of the idiot on occasion because he wanted to branch out as an actor), but he wasn’t about to give up that easily, so he moved closer to her until he stood directly next to her.

“There are more where those come from. I’ve also created a few realistic works of art – like that statue of Elyna Burhan – but in my opinion just copying what you see is a sign of a lack of creativity. Art is about more than replicating reality.”

“It‘s about freedom and about stretching your boundaries. It shouldn’t be limited by biology or physics or any other laws of nature, but only by your imagination. So I give my humans square heads and blue skin and my mer bushy tails, and I make my knights wear very little in the way of clothes – because I can.” He took the bottle of Venora Red, fresh from the family vineyard, opened it, filled a glass and handed it to her so that she would have no choice but to stay and drink (and inspect his amazing creations and listen to him).

Once he had done that, he rearranged his works of art a little bit and finally picked up the sculpture he had made of a certain infamous bearded tax collector. He rather liked that one, even though – or maybe because – it could potentially get him in a lot of trouble.

“He’s particularly cheap, and he would make a great decoration. You could put him on your mantelpiece or even buy him as a gift for somebody. Especially women would appreciate him.” He put the tax collector down again and gestured towards the work of art that Daliane’s pig had run across. “Or that painting. It was made by a world famous artist called Summer Nights. There will never be another one like it again because Summer Nights stopped painting. In a few arcs it will probably be worth a fortune.”

He paused and poured himself a glass of his own because talking made him thirsty, and then he asked, “So are you to watch the tournament or are you going to fight? Myself, I’m just going to watch and try to sell some of my works of art because I doubt I would last very long against one of those formidable warriors.” He laughed, and then he paused for a moment and took a sip from his glass before he continued, hoping that the mention of his noble family would impress her, “I’m Tristan by the way, Lord Tristan Venora, and who might you be?”

[Nivasi Zyq'Dariav]

If he was paying enough attention, Tristan would notice that as he moved in closer, Nivasi leaned slightly back and away. Not enough to be immediately obvious, and not done consciously, but to keen observers, she may as well have been wearing a sign saying she did not particularly like people in her personal space. Still, for all that she'd been very nearly unarguably rude, he seemed undeterred. Entirely undeterred.

Faldruns flaming balls.

She was saved from immediately having to answer whether or not she liked them by his immediate launch into an explanation of his work. The slight wrinkling of her nose was probably answer enough however. A glass was thrust toward her, and being rather flustered, she had no choice but to take it, which meant since she now had his glass she couldn't really just wander off. Besides, she wasn't entirely certain how you disengaged from someone this persistent. Possibly just straight up turn and walk away. That was a bit socially inappropriate even for her however.

"Freedom and stretching boundaries and interpreting is all well and good, I understand not making things precisely as they are, but these do not make sense. How would this Mer swim properly? It would not, it would be dead within an arc. Fine you have made a person blue, why not. But a square head? If it were me I would be insulted. Blockhead is an insult. Can is not should."

Can was definitely not should. People could do basically anything, but most of the time they definitely should not. Some boundaries were there for a reason. They kept you safe.

Where did you grow up I wonder that you think boundaries are there to amuse you?

"And that one may be cheap, and admittedly well sculpted, but the cost for having that particular piece could be far higher than a few nels, and good though it may be, it is not one I am interested in paying. It is a good game for you I suppose, less so for one such as me."

You honestly think this is funny. Haha, I've sculpted one of the Kingdoms most brutal tax collectors, heir to one of the most influential families naked, put him on your mantelpiece for fun and titter with you little hen friends. Pray he does no visit your home. Pray word does not reach him. Pray he is uninsulted. You are sheltered. You know nothing.

At the bit about Summer Night being world famous, she didn't even say anything, though her jaw worked slightly. Whatever world this Summer Nights was famous in, it wasn't the one she lived in.

She froze when he introduced himself, muscles tensing, and for a moment she really, truly considered cutting her losses and running. Instead she took a slow careful sip of the wine in her hand and tried to gather herself, and will herself a little more sober as she mentally railed against Immortals and their sense of humour.

U'freks eyes and Chriens pointy tits! Damned and damn I would have found a damned noble playing at having a damned job wouldn't I? Should I lie about who I am? It would make it harder for the guards to find me. Bah, I should have know no one else would be so... so sheltered and so safe from any repercussions. This is my own fault. Lying will only make it worse.

"No, I will not be fighting either. Swordwork and such are not for the likes of me. I came for the salmon run, and to sell the salmon to House Warrick. Nivasi Zyq'Dariav."

There, perhaps now that he knows I am only a fishmonger he will not waste his time trying to sell to me.

[Tristan Venora]

"This", Tristan said and gestured towards his masterpiece as if she were visually impaired and he was just trying to help her and make things a little clearer to her. "is not a real mer, so it doesn’t have to be able to swim. Art doesn’t have to make sense. Art can do whatever it wants. I don’t see why my sculpture has to have a fish tail just because real mer do. As for blockheads, this is not a blockhead, this is a perfectly nice square head. I even measured it to make sure that all sides are exactly the same length. See, at least some aspects of my works of art are realistic!" He flashed her a brilliant smile because he really liked a good argument, especially about art and raised the bottle again.

"Do you want more?" he asked before he turned to the sculpture she was so worried about. "The price could be far higher than a few nels", he agreed. "if the man I made the sculpture of knew it existed. But he doesn’t, besides he does have a penchant for debauchery what I’ve read in the Gazette, so he won’t be able to complain too much." He grinned slyly. "Admit it, you find him quite appealing. You were complaining about my mer not making sense. This one looks just like a real man!"

The sculpture did indeed look just like a real man. It had all the body parts that real men had, even the parts that people usually didn’t talk about in public, and it also had a very nice and muscular chest and muscular arms, although the luscious beard was the best part of course, the defining characteristic of the man in whose image the sculpture had been made.

Being a very observant man despite his penchant for alcohol and abstract art that nobody besides him really understood Tristan did notice how she froze as he introduced himself of course and tried to think of ways he could use that to his advantage. "If you buy one of my sculptures, you can tell everybody that you own a real Venora! You wouldn’t say no to something that has been made by a lord, would you?"

"I like salmon", he remarked as she told him what she was doing in Warrick. "If you want, you can partially pay me in fish. I haven’t eaten a good fish in a while." His stomach started to grumble at the thought of a delicious roasted salmon with a dill sauce and a side of potatoes. Why hadn’t he brought one of the cooks from Venora with him?

[Pig Boy]

Tristan

Experience: 15 no magic xp

Knowledge:

Acting x1
Detection x1
Persuasion x6

Renown: none

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Nivasi

Experience: 15 no magic xp

Knowledge: Let me know if you return Nivasi, and I'll award you knowledges.

Renown: none

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level.

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Comments: This turned out to be an amusing and somewhat interesting collaboration. Tristan is quite right that his avante garde styled pieces of sculpture are perfectly valid. I really enjoyed the idea of a woman statue with a block head! That sounds like an interesting design choice. I wonder if this had gone on if Tristan would've really taken fish as payment?

Anyway, nice little thread, albeit abandoned. Enjoy the points and stuff!

If you have any concerns about this review, please PM me about them.