The
Pride of the NorthNear the entrance stands an immaculately dressed man who beams at the party and gestures that they come closer, having just ushered some other people into the doors behind him.
"Weary travellers! Fed up of Adventure and danger, and looking for somewhere to unwind? Then look no further! This is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself, safe from the stresses of the road!" Having caught their attention, the man claps his hands and as if by magic, a bunch of flowers appears in his hands. He starts to hand a bloom out to Cleo, Ceely and Serena, running between their horses, all the time continuing to speak. "Tonight's feast will be magnificent, and the entertainment unparalleled!" he gushes. "Fire-eaters, a man who can saw himself in half, the best musicians in the whole of Nesme and," he pauses close to Lucretia's horse, looking up at the muscular warrior with a grin and a wink, "of course the best and most beautiful dancers in the North!" He emphasizes the word "dancers" with a wink.
Moving past Yvandel, he does a double take, seeing the two faced puppet around Yvandel's neck. Lowering his voice slightly, he lightly touches the flank of Yvandel's mount. "If you can use that puppet well, you could even find a job here for a few nights!" he says.
Without waiting for a response, he twirls back to his place by the door of the fest hall, beaming at the party. "We start the evening's entertainment in one hour good people. The feast will begin shortly after!" He bows low. "I would love to see you all here if you can make it!" he calls after their retreating backs.
****
<Yvandel aka Sebastian wrote>:
> Like a little kid, happy to finally be allowed to do as he pleased,
> Yvandel -his horse now secured in the stables- ran all the way
back
> to his destination of joy, singing all the way. A few surprised
faces
> turned in his direction, as he came running by, for even though
he
> had become skillful at playing with his voice, he'd never really
been
> able to manage singing with a decent voice.
Yvandel, running ahead through the still busy streets reaches the Pride of the North first. At the entrance, the same man is standing, speaking to some other adventurers. They shake his hand, then move inside. As the door opens, Yvandel's heart lifts, as he hears the roar of a crowd applauding.
The man turns and sees Yvandel. "Ah, the man with the unusual puppet!" he cries, smiling warmly and beckoning Yvandel to approach. "So," he continues, "you have thought about what I said and want to try the stage?"
Seeing the answer in Yvandel's eyes, the man's eyes sharpen, and he steps closer to the young ventriloquist, lowering his voice. "You'd better be good! We only have the finest performers here - after all, this IS the Pride of the North!" he says, his voice like iron.
He steps back and speaks normally, and looks Yvandel up and down appraisingly. "Not exactly dressed for the stage," he comments. He peers at Yvandel's sleeve for a moment. "Is that blood? No matter, it's the skill that counts." He stares at the puppet for a moment, then back up at Yvandel. "Well go on then, give me a quick demo, and I'll see if I think you are good enough to have a go on the stage".
"Blood indeed," Yvandel replied. "Tonight, I will seek to make not only my audience forget about their worries and troubles, but also myself. We've had some hard days on the road behind us, and I suspect that we will see a lot more trouble before we reach our destination."
Meanwhile, Lucretia finally catches Yvandel up. Hearing the last, he shakes his head as if thinking Yvandel is crazy, but does comment. "Trust me, he's useless!"
As both the man and Yvandel shoot Lucretia a startled glance, the large warrior grins, flexing his muscles momentarily. "Well useless at the important things because he spends so much time making that damn 2 faced puppet talk!" Lucretia stares at the man. "So you gonna let a paying customer in? Or are you going to stand there gawking all evening? I'm hungry and could do with a drink or two!"
"Me too!" pipes up Balnor, Cleo at his side, having just arrived as well.
The man closes his mouth, which he hadn't realised was open, and stammers momentarily. "O-O-Of course sirs, madam," he says, quickly recovering his poise. "One moment" he says to Yvandel, opening the doors and quickly ushering Lucretia, Balnor and Cleo inside, before returning to Yvandel.
"Now about that quick demo?" he says as if the pair of them hadn't been interrupted.
Having seen Luc, Balnor and Cleo enter the building, Yvandel started to relax a little bit more. At least part of the audience would be on his side... he hoped.
"Let's see, a demonstration you want, eh?"
Yvandel grinned as he placed the puppet onto his left arm, finally feeling in his element again. An image of a memory from his past flashed in front of his eyes, as he remembered how he'd given his first puppet-show, many years ago. Even then, the nerves one could've expected to emerge, were quickly suppressed by the excitement that took control of him whenever he performed. Now, even with the roar of the crowd ringing in the back of his head, he pressed his lips together as he started his demonstration.
"Good evening, good sir."
Yvandel used his serious tone while he spoke as Dolo.
"My name is Dolo. You'll have to excuse me, but faith seems to have paired me with a somewhat troublesome brother, always getting himself in trouble. And as we received only one body to share between the two of us, I seem to always get blamed for the things my twin Dolo says or does."
"Oh, you liar!" A voice interrupted. Volo had awakened. "Don't listen to him, sir. For the love of God, do not listen to him. If you value your life, keep your ears closed, for the words that my brother Dolo will speak, will haunt you for the rest of your life, stopping any emerging laughs dead in their tracks. I'm telling you, the boring things he says will ruin your sense of humor for years to come. Now, me on the other hand..."
Volo is cut short as well. Yvandel looked at the man in front of him, a questioning look in his eyes. "Satisfied?"
The man nodded, still smiling. "Oh yes," he comments, "You'll definitely do!"
Saying that, he opens the doors behind him, and leads Yvandel inside. Almost immediately, he has a quiet word with a man in livery standing close by. The man gestures to Yvandel to follow him down a side passage, and the young mage does so, just catching a glimpse of the large banquet hall together with the backs of Lucretia, Cleo and Balnor standing near another door on the opposite side of the entrance hall.
The passage takes a long arc off around the side of the building, passing a huge kitchen, from which a number of enticing aroma's pour. Yvandel, gazes longingly, but the man gestures impatiently for him to follow. "You'll get a chance to eat later!" he says curtly. "First you gotta speak to the Showmaster" he adds.
A few moments later, Yvandel finds himself waiting to speak to a large portly man who appeared to be having an argument with a group of three wiry looking men, each wearing a huge number of daggers. One of them appeared to be holding a bloody bandage to one hand. The man who led him there, turns and leaves.
"By the gods! I thought you were supposed to be good!" the man Yvandel could only assume was the Showmaster stormed.
"B-b-but we..." stammers the man with the cut hand.
"I don't want to hear it!" snaps the large man. "Get out of my sight!"
The other two start to protest.
"We can still..."
"Just the two of us..."
"NO!" the man nearly shouts. "Pairs of jugglers are common as muck! All of you be gone!"
The three disgruntled jugglers leave, and the Showmaster turns to face Yvandel, his face still showing his rage.
"What do you want?!" he demands, before spotting the two faced puppet hanging around Yvandel's neck. "How long is your show?" he says, his face suddenly businesslike. Without waiting for a reply, he continues. "If the crowd like you, you can do up to three slots each of 20 minutes..." The man smiles nastily. "of course, if they don't, you'll be off in five!"
He looks appraisingly at Yvandel. "Well? Have you enough material prepared to do an hour of stand-up?" "You'll need a costume of some sort..." he muses almost to himself as he waits for Yvandel's response.
<Yvandel aka Sebastian wrote>:
> "I do realize though, that I'm currently wearing
> a rather pathetic looking traveling outfit. If you
> can dig up something not too flashy, I'll be happy
> to change. But honestly, I don't think it's necessary.
> I feel quite comfortable in my current clothes."
The Stagemaster frowns for a moment, then barks a command at a nearby man, who heads off at a run. The Stagemaster returns his formidable gaze to Yvandel. "OK. You'll be on in..." he glances at a waterclock standing on a pedestal nearby. "You'll be on in 10 minutes" he concludes. He is about to turn away, then turns back. "Oh yes, your pay... " he says. "Initially, you're pay will be a back-stage meal. After your first performance, we will negotiate depending on how much they like you." He smiles a genuine smile for a moment. "Don't worry young man, I'll be fair!"
Yvandel hadn't even thought about pay. He'd simply been excited to perform. But he certainly knew to appreciate money now, after having learned what kind of things it could buy (he mostly enjoyed the comfort it could buy. Nothing beats a soft bed after a hard journey!).
"Let's hope you're not quite as fair as you think you are, otherwise you might be bankrupt after my second performance," Yvandel joked with the Stagemaster.
The Stagemaster grins at Yvandel in return. "A comedian as well - I might have to pay you twice!" he jokes back.
The Stagemaster then leaves Yvandel and hurries away, calling after a troupe of scantily dressed dancers who were practising in an area near the back of what Yvandel could only assume was the stage.
A few moments later, the other man returns with a jacket, which surprisingly fits Yvandel quite well. It is not gaudy, simply plain grey, and definitely at contrast to the puppet. "That'll have to do", says the man..
Yvandel was pleased with the jacket that he was now wearing. Perhaps he should consider buying himself some new clothes tomorrow. He now knew better what was required from clothing during travels and of course during combat. He'd noticed that his current outfit at times could become uncomfortable.
All too soon, the 10 minutes pass, and as a troupe of acrobats come off the stage, Yvandel can hear a booming voice announcing him, and he gets the wave to approach...
Yvandel made sure to make his steps large and confidant. As he walked onto the stage, he put his left arm, with the puppet on it, behind his back, trying so somewhat obscure it from the audience. As he waited for the shouting to quiet down, he looked over the crowd, trying to get a good feel for the mix of people.
Yvandel made sure to make his steps large and confidant. As he walked onto the stage, he put his left arm, with the puppet on it, behind his back, trying so somewhat obscure it from the audience. As he waited for the shouting to quiet down, he looked over the crowd, trying to get a good feel for the mix of people.
<The First Session on stage>
As Yvandel walks out on stage, he catches his first glimpse of his audience. Some are talking amongst themselves, and he can see that the waiters are just starting to serve the feast, so he knows he will have to work hard to just to get their attention.
Lucretia spots Yvandel walk out on stage and leans back in his chair raising his eyes to the ceiling. His new drinking companions look at him confused for a moment, and he leans towards them, a bored expression on his face. "I know that bloke..." he says. "Travelled with him for the last 20 days - drives me nuts with that bloody puppet!"
One of the men laughs loudly, the other two simply smile, but continue to look up at Yvandel to see what he is about to do...
<Balnor aka Mike B continued>:
> Once he sees Yvandel on
> stage he will turn all his attention toward him
> and clap when he enters. Then keep his attention
> toward him and gives him a nod. "Lets hope he is
> as good in hear as he is out on the trail, or
> even better."
Some of the audience look up from their food, hearing Balnor clapping, and for the first time almost, start to pay attention to Yvandel on stage.
`Oh great,' a thought ran through Yvandel's mind, `their eyes are going to be focused on their food. Look at how hungry they appear. That one over there is shoving his way to a table. See, their heads aren't even really turned towards the stage. The're all scanning the crowd to see if they can locate the food first.'
As his eyes took in the sights, his ears the sounds and his nose the smells, his mind started to put two and two together: if all the eyes of his audience were turned towards their food, his performance would be ruined. The Stagemaster was obviously a man who did not like taking too big a chance; he'd given the young puppeteer the worst possible time slot. And these were not kids, these were not people that he knew, these were not his travel companions. These were tough, battle-hardened adventurers. They risked their lives daily, they knew the value of time. Even though most of them seemed to appreciate their precious time by drinking it away, they would surely not take kindly to a mumbling little boy playing with his doll. His show was doomed to fail. Doomed to fail. The thought seemed trapped in his mind, and it had started to gain momentum, spinning round and round. The little bit of doubt he had put away in his toe earlier now came to life, makings its way up, destined to meet the doom-scenario that was playing in his head. When they finally did, Yvandel felt sweat burst through the poors in his skin; his entire body was within a second covered in a thin layer of salty water.
He stumbled, struggling to put one foot in front of the other. The thought of failure was now taking control of him. His knees were commanded to fall to the floor, his arms ordered to flap down against his sides. The only thing that kept the puppeteer standing, momentarily winning the fight against pure fear, was the thought of the certainly even worse faith that awaited him if he were to fall down, flat on his behind. The audience would most likely pick that very moment to finally pay attention to the weirdo on stage, just in time to catch his disaster taking place. Why him? Why?
When Yvandel finally snapped out of it, he realized that his worries had released such large amounts of spirit (OOC I'm betting in Faerun they don't know about adrenaline just yet), which he had noticed made him have faster reflexes and a quicker mind, that even though it seemed to be an eternity to him, in actuality only a few short moments had passed. The realization that all was not lost gave his confidence just enough of a boost to make Yvandel decide to give it one more try. If he couldn't make them watch him, he had to make them hear him. He needed to entertain them <while> they ate their food. A spark of hope emerged from somewhere deep in the now tumultuous seas of his mind. `Yes,' he thought, as a plan was taking shape in his mind, `that would be the best way to continue his show.'
He decided to not waste a second and at least try to introduce his puppet and its two distinct personalities to the people in front of him. He waved with his right arm, trying to catch the attention of his audience. Luckily for him, the previous entertainers' show- ruining accident had drawn each and every eye in the room towards the stage. These people might be used to seeing blood when it spurts onto their sword, their minds might be dulled to it, but they still enjoyed seeing some hapless soul make a fool of himself. Dear gods, why have you made humans so simple? Not waiting for an answer from those that do not suffer from the effects of time, he lifted his puppet into the air with his right arm, twisting his hand to hide its wooden two-face from the crowd. Then he started the first step of the plan that was still developing in his mind.
"Hear, hear. Upon my travels I have come across this truly strange piece of ancient woodcraft. It's been said that this is the very first puppet ever created, becoming the prototype for all puppets..."
Seeing some of their companions nearby ignoring their food and looking up at Yvandel, more of the audience look up to see what the man on stage is saying. Seeing the odd-faced puppet thrust into the air, they continue to look, drawn in by Yvandel's monologue.
"...made ever since. I've heard experts historians proclaim that it is a few thousand years old; just how many thousands of years they could not say. I've learned that the ancient people who crafted it, must have been truly gifted. In the few months that this object has been in my possession, I've discovered that the puppet is in fact alive..."
A few of the people start to smile, realising what Yvandel is probably leading to. Some frown, leaning to their companions as if to say "What a load of bullshit!"
"...It's wood must have been bestowed with some magical power, empowering it with a consciousness. Perhaps it was made to be a companion to a lonely, long-dead soul. Perhaps it was merely a toy for a brilliant kid. Whoever its owner was, I fear that the puppet might have been too much of an annoyance. Have you ever met someone who seemed to have two different personalities? Have you ever tried to reason with them? If you have, I'm sure you'll feel sorry for me in about an hour. If you haven't, good for you. But after tonight, you won't be able to answer the question with `no' anymore. Pretty ladies... and most-welcome gentlemen" -he emphasized the last word- "I present to you: Volo and Dolo."
This was the moment he chose to turn the puppet's head forward, finally revealing its partly colorful and partly black and white face. Yvandel ended his speech. "Enjoy."
At this, the audience almost held it's breath, waiting to see what would happen...
For a few seconds, the puppet remained slung over the puppeteer's hand, lifeless and speechless. Then, just when the first few audience members started to show their discontent, the puppet's head drooped down to its chest while the little arms of the puppet flopped into the air and the little legs started kicking. For a few seconds, its wooden limbs went up and down, right and left, finally falling silent all of a sudden. Again, a short pause. This time though, the emotions of the crowd did not show discontent but rather expectation. Perfectly timed, the head of the puppet started to move upward, straightening itself on its neck. As it once again faced the audience, its head turned from left to right, not only giving every single person in the room a chance to see the two faces, but also creating the image of the puppet scanning the room, wanting to see its audience for itself. When the head finally centered again, settling comfortably while turning the black-and-white part of the face towards the main part of the crowd, the mouth of the wooden object opened slightly as it started to speak.
(DOLO) "Good day, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dolo..."
As the puppet began to speak, most of the audience again returned their gaze to Yvandel, doing what all audiences start to do with ventriloquists - try to see if they could see Yvandel's mouth moving. When the puppet is interrupted by Volo, a name not unfamiliar with many people as the well travelled entrepreneur and bard, they turn their gaze instead to the puppet, and Yvandel himself seems to almost fades somewhat into the back-ground as the puppet itself takes centre stage.
"...As I'm sure my current master has informed you, I am an ancient being, constructed by an advanced civilization. I feel blessed and cursed at the same time. Blessed, because I am here tonight, able to share my wisdom with all of you. But cursed, because I was doomed to spend my days into eternity paired with a nonsensical, stupid and very annoying twin brother. For you see, my creator attempted to instill the wood I am made from with a personality. Something must've gone horribly wrong, for I can think of no single reason why anyone with a right mind would create something as detestable as my brother. He--"
The wise puppet's speech was suddenly interrupted. A quick swivel of the head brought the colored part of it to the attention of the audience.
(VOLO) "Are you <trying> to put a sleep spell on these people? By the gods, I'm amazed that nobody has booted my ever-so-boring brother of the stage. So, how are you all doing today? Having fun here? Let me introduce myself quickly, so that I can get on with the show. I am the illustrious Volo, and, quite the opposite of what mister black- and-white here tried to tell you, I have been created for a very specific reason: to entertain. I'm afraid that my brother Dolo himself is the part of the experiment that went wrong, because as I'm sure you know by now... he's dull. All he does is read ancient sayings from memory, trying to sound important. I hope that he won't-- "
Another swivel of the head and another interruption.
(DOLO) "Ah, the wonders of ancient wisdom. Did you know, ladies and gentlemen, that the people that created me... us... had found an answer to many of life's questions? Over the years, this knowledge has been lost, but thanks to me, tonight your search for answers will finally be over. One of the earliest sayings that the ancient ones told me was: "Stultum est queri de adversis, ubi culpa est tua." (OOC that's Latin, but I'm assuming that it is an unknown language on Faerun, so nobody in the audience should know any of the words) What this means is: "It's stupid to complain about misfortune that is your own fault." As true today as it was thousands of years ago, because--"
The black-and-white face once again made room for the bright, shiny part of the face.
(VOLO) "No, no, no. He got it all wrong. It doesn't mean that at all. "Stultum est queri de adversis, ubi culpa est tua" means "It's stupid to complain about someone else's misfortune, especially when it's their own fault." Don't you just love standing around some crazy idiot that has just completely embarrassed himself? Be honest: did you not laugh out loud when that guy had his hand cut open by that knife just a few moments ago? Come on, that's just funny!"
An angry voice took over, as the head once again swiveled, giving Dolo the spotlight.
(DOLO) "See? See what I mean? He always has to ruin a perfectly fine
moment. Do not pay him any attention, that will only embolden him
to go on. Let's just focus on wisdom here. "Facile omnes quom
valemus recta consilia aegrotis damus." In other words, "When
healthy, we all have wonderful advice for the sick." Again, this
is a universal truth."
(VOLO) "Universal lie," Volo yelled. "When
healthy, we all put a blade into the sick." Now that's a universal
truth. Am I right? Am I right? Of course I am. See, they all agree
with me."
(DOLO) "Oh, be quiet," Dolo commanded. "Sero
in periculis est consilium quarere." It's too late to ask advice
when the danger comes."
(VOLO) "Well, you can ask me for advice, even when the danger
comes… RUN!" Volo laughed, but he couldn't quite tell if
the audience did likewise. Some of them probably would run when faced
with danger, but many of them knew that running away often only increased
the level of danger, as an unprotected back made for an easy target.
`Fine, don't laugh,' he mumbled.
(DOLO) Dolo, taking great pleasure at his brother's misfired joke,
continued. "Non oris causa modo hominess aequom fuit sibi
habere speculum, sed qui perspicere possent cor sapientiae."
A man needs a good mirror to scrutinize his heart as well as his face."
(VOLO) "Nonsense," Volo interjected, "a man needs a
good mirror to scrutinize his face as well as his behind. We all know
how much the ladies appreciate some well-shaped male buns, don't we?"
(DOLO) Dolo sighed, unappreciative of his brother's outrageous words.
""Brevis ipsa vita est sed malis fit longior." Life
is short, but trouble makes it longer."
(VOLO) "How about `Life is short, but women make the nights
longer…'"
(DOLO) ""Remedium frustra est contra fulmen quarere."
There's no point in seeking a remedy for a thunderbolt."
(VOLO) "There's no point in seeking a remedy for a boring
puppet's talk."
(DOLO) ""Non pote non sapere qui se stultum intellegit."
A man must have some wit to know he is a fool."
(VOLO) "Ha, how appropriate. It really should be "A
puppet must have some wit to know he is boring.""
(DOLO) Dolo seemed to take a small hit from his brother's last remark.
A few seconds passed before he was able to continue. ""Sermo
datur cunctis; animi sapientia paucis." Speech is given to many;
intelligence to few."
(VOLO) "Useless intelligence is given to many; a good sense
of humor to few."
(VOLO) Volo more and more started to laugh at his own jokes, taunting
his brother to continue. "Give me some more of your pearls
of wisdom, brother Dolo."
(DOLO) ""Taciturnitas stulto homini pro sapientia
est." The silence of a stupid man looks like wisdom."
(VOLO) "Yeah, but the silence of a boring puppet looks like
a blessing from above."
(DOLO) ""Quidquid praecipies, esto brevis." Whatever
you want to teach, be brief."
(VOLO) "Be brief indeed. Dear brother, won't you take your
own advice and give up?"
(DOLO) ""Cave quicquam incipias quod paenieat postea."
Be careful about starting something you may regret."
(VOLO) "You should've thought about that before starting to quote your
boring lessons."
The brightly colored part of the face forced its way into the center of attention, a big smile on its face. The black-and-white part seemed to struggle for a moment to regain control of the situation, but finally gave up as it realized that the audience favored the words of a foolish clown over those of a wise teacher.
(VOLO) "Let's hear it for my brother Dolo, everyone. He put up quite a fight… before running away like a scared goat. A cheer for Dolo, please."
By the end, most of the audience are laughing hard, their food uneaten and forgotten, growing cold on the table in front of them.
A rousing round of applause rises from the tables. Even Lucretia laughs and claps hard, though he was one of those who hadn't forgotten to eat his food.
Yvandel took the applause well, displaying only a small smile on his face as he took a bow. He pushed out the puppet in front of him, using his free right hand to point at it, requesting the crowd to give the puppet the praise it deserved.
Over the noise of the applause, Yvandel hears a faint "Well done!" from behind him, and catches a glimpse of the Stagemaster striding onto the stage.
The young puppeteer could no longer hide his victorious smile as he heard the voice behind him. Perhaps there was some money to be made tonight. Where he hadn't really considered the thought before, he now realized that he might as well make some money while having fun. The money would be a welcome addition to the group funds. And some of it could be spent purchasing new supplies for his puppet-kit, such as paints and expensive wood.
"Let's hear it for Volo and Dolo everyone!" booms the Stagemaster,
keeping up the charade. "Oh yes, and Yvandel from Neverwinter!" he
adds, almost as an after thought, smiling at the young man as the applause continued.
Yvandel was pleased to hear the Stagemaster mention his name only after Volo and Dolo's. Fame would come faster if there was an aura of mystery around him, and the puppet would do a much better job at that than he ever could. Really, who'd discuss some kid from some town when they could be talking about a mysterious, ancient wooden creature with two distinct personalities?
The Stagemaster announces the next act and then leads Yvandel off stage.
Yvandel approached the Stagemaster and addressed him with a hushed voice. "Do you want me to continue? If so, let them eat first. I wouldn't want to aggrevate the cook by letting his food go cold."
He smiles at Yvandel. "You did well. Very skillful. An almost magical performance!" he grins, peering at the puppet for a moment as if he could see any magical aura about it.
Yvandel couldn't help but smile at the mention of magic. Perhaps one day he would possess the knowledge and power to truly make his puppet come to life.
"You can definitely have another couple of slots - assuming you have enough material left..." He suddenly puts his hand to his chin and looks at Yvandel ryly. "Payment," he states. "I reckon your performance is worth 2 gold... per 20 minute slot". He smiles. "Is that OK?" he asks. "6 Dragons is not bad for an hour's work with a free meal to boot" he adds grinning.
"Not bad at all," Yvandel commented, "especially for you. Years from now, you just might still be telling customers about the great puppeteer who once performed for you for the meager price of 6 gold pieces and a meal." He winked at the Stagemaster, making sure that he knew his comment was but a jest. But deep down inside, Yvandel did dream about being just that: a famous performer.
The Stagemaster grins in return, extending his hand as if greeting Yvandel for the first time. "Well met Yvandel of Neverwinter, I am Ewan Hofman" he says. A flash of puzzlement crosses Yvandel's face as he instinctively returns the greeting, clasping the Stagemaster's forearm, and the Stagemaster's face breaks into a smile.
"Now I can claim to have met the great man personally!" he grins, ending the greeting, so that when he is famous, he can say it is the great Ewan Hofman who gave him his first real break!"
Yvandel laughed out loud now, clapping Ewan on the shoulder. "And I'll remember to pay dear Ewan Hofman a visit then, to thank him for starting my career."
Nearby, Yvandel can see some of the other acts are sat down eating.
"Let me eat something first, then I'll see if I can put up one more show. I'm not entirely sure if I'll be able to perform a third show. I'm still somewhat weary from my travels. And I have a lot of preparing to do for my trip to Silverymoon..." He reminded himself not to spill too much information to people he'd only just met. With all the new enemies the Unknowns had made, it would be better to keep low profile until they were at least a little stronger, able to fend off those who would pursue them.
Ewan's face turns to concern. "You are travelling to Silverymoon?" he asks. "That is a difficult journey I hear. There is no smooth road like the Harpells built from Longsaddle you know!" He looks at the young puppeteer with new respect. "Safe journey Yvandel" he says seriously.
"Aye, the Harpell's did a fine job at that road. If only there were more magic-users like them. This world would be a much better place. Still, our little group of adventurers is becoming quite used to bad conditions. We've had our share of bad fortune already. But I must admit that Tymora has kept a faithful watch over us, balancing out the bad luck with generous handfulls of good luck, which has more than once saved our lives from certain death. I hope she will keep her eye on us a little longer, just until we reach Silverymoon."
After a moment, he gestures to where the others are eating. "Go eat. I would like to get three shows out of you if I can! And I am sure the audience would too..."
With that, he turns and heads off to sort out another minor back-stage problem, his work never done.
As soon as Ewan had left, Yvandel turned his attention to the lavish display of food that seemed to be calling out to him. "Eat... eat... eat..." it beckoned him. Seconds later, Yvandel had strung the puppet around his neck and folded back his sleeves as his hands disappeared in the large pile of food in front of him. He took great care in savoring the flavor of it, before swallowing it. He knew he shouldn't eat too much, for he still had need of his body if he wanted to continue performing.
<The Second Session on stage>
A ripple of applause draws their attention to the stage, where Yvandel has walked
out again. The puppet sits on his arm, the brightly coloured half of the face
"looking" at the audience. "I'm back!" cries Volo, before
launching into a series of jokes and one-liners. After only a few, the black
and white side of the face spins around, interrupting. "I can't bear it
any longer!" says Dolo loudly.
The two puppets then proceed to hold an argument about the concept of humour - calling upon members of the audience to provide them with examples.
The show has everyone laughing in short order, and with the average consumption of alcohol in the audience a lot higher than earlier in the evening, the laughing came a lot quicker and a lot louder.
<The Third Session on stage>
Yvandel had such a good time during his second performance that he decided to
stay on the stage a little longer. By now, he'd gotten the crowd into a good
mood, laughter filling the room. As Volo seemed to be the absolute favorite
today, Yvandel thought it fitting to give him the spotlight during the third
show. Dolo looked tired and did not seem in the mood for more frolicking.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Yvandel spoke, "you have seen the two personalities of the puppet. You have seen how they can irritate each other just as much as they can amuse others. Well, I have some good and some bad news. The bad news is that dear Dolo is not enjoying himself. He told me this in confidence, saying he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. As I never keep those two from doing as they please, Dolo is now sound asleep. No noise can wake the little one up now. Yes, I'm just as disappointed as I'm sure all of you are. But… I also have some good news. Since Dolo is now gone, his brother Volo has volunteered to give a solo performance. Enjoy…"
Yvandel took a step back as he held his puppet out in front of him, giving his place up to Volo.
"Praise the gods! Praise, praise. My beloved brother is asleep and the night is still young. Truly, Tymora has blessed us today. Well, let's not waste a single moment of our precious time. With Dolo gone, I can finally entertain you without being constantly interrupted by him. I can tell that everyone here is ready to laugh their troubles away, so let's start what I like to call `Orcovolo'. Order a beer now, because once Orcovolo starts you won't have time to even blink, without risking missing out on the best joke you've ever heard."
Dolo seemed to wait a few moments, giving his audience time to get their hands on some beer. Then he started…
"Okay, this is how it goes. I ask you, the audience, a question about orcs. You take a guess and yell your best answer… Then I reveal the correct answer. Alright?
Question: How do you keep a orc from drowning? --- Answer: Take your foot
of its head…
Question: What do you throw a drowning orc? --- Answer: Its wife and
kids…
Question: What do you call an orc in court? --- Answer: Guilty…
Question: How do you break an orc's finger? --- Answer: Punch him
in the nose.
Question: Why do orcs wear helmets? --- Answer: So they know which
end to wipe…
Question: Why are orc mothers strong and square shouldered? --- Answer:
From raising dumbbells…
Question: What do you call 1000 orcs at the bottom of the deep blue
sea? --- Answer: A good start…
Question: Why do fireballs work especially well against orcs? ---
Answer: Because of all the beans they eat…
Question: What do you call a smart orc? --- Answer: An abomination…
Question: How ugly is an orc? --- Answer: Ugly enough to make black
pudding nauseous…
Question: What do you call cooked orc? --- Answer: Pork.
Question: Why do orcs have long fangs in their undermouth? --- Answer:
So they can pick their nose without using their hands…
Question: What is the difference between an orc and a bucket full
of shit? --- Answer: The bucket…
Question: What do you do to keep an orc busy for an entire day? ---
Answer: Put him in a round room and tell him to sit in a corner…
Question: Why can most orcs not count to ten? --- Answer: Because
most of them are missing at least one finger…
Question: When can you spit an orc female in the face? --- Answer:
When her moustache is on fire…
Question: Why are orc males so ugly? --- Answer: They want to look
like their mothers…
Question: What do you call an orc's wife? --- Answer: His sister…
Question: What should you do when you smell an orc? --- Answer: Close your nose…"
Yvandel ended Volo's performance by closing his nose with his right hand.
"Well, that's all for today. Though Volo seems ready to keep going, I'm afraid my human body of flesh and blood requires some sleep. I hope you enjoyed their presence. If you ever find yourself in a troublesome situation, facing hundreds of orcs, just remember what Volo said… Close your nose! Goodnight!"
Yvandel, exits the Pride of the North shortly afterwards, a spring in his step from his successful evening. With a huge smile on his face, he almost skips all the way back to the Merchant's hall, arriving shortly after the others.