The Pilot: Happenings for the Season

[Colombina]

Spring 513 Is Here! Give those Khur-va some petals, Khurv-as love petals. Spring brings the winds that beat against the walls of the city and the mild rains that perplex and delight those new to the desert. The highlight of the season is the Festival of Makutsi. It is a celebration of the life giving goddess who blessed the city with adequate water to survive. Some of the especially penitent make a trek to the Librum to visit a miraculous well she gifted to the Ano Cultists. This is also a season for the people of Ahnatep to celebrate their history, both as a resort city of trade and agriculture that used to perch near rivers and, for those lucky enough to be Eypharian, as descendants of a river Alvina. Ties to Makutsi are strong despite the arid climate. For what is rare is most precious. Historical plays are performed at the Amphitheater of the North Winds and extra rations of water are given to households at no cost. Plants bloom well in pots and become welcome gifts to hosts, overseers and friends. Because of the boom in flora, the perfume industry marks this as their most productive and profitable season. It is a common time for nobles, and those who aspire to be, to have custom fragrances made for the coming year. TBC Season Goals! Fulfill five seasonal goals for a treat! You'll like the prize, I promise. Visit the Scholar's Sanctum and read a book from the Popular Selections Create a common Eypharian phrase and submit it to the development thread. Ride a horse (or a camel!). Experience temptation of any kind. Make a PC enemy. Make a PC ally. Become a patron to the House of Precious Gems. Help plan or host a party. Offer up a pray at the Temple of Syna. Create an Ahnatep game and submit it to the development thread. Do a favour for an affluent Eypharian. Interact with a kefasha. Learn a new word or phrase in a non-fluent language. Reminisce about the Djed Storm of 512. Notable Events! Day 1: Light rain welcomes in the Spring season. Day 6: A new Semhu play titled "Zintila's Hope" premiers at the Amphitheater of the North Winds. Day 10: A large dust storm creates a perilous situation for those caught outside of Ahnatep's walls. Three deaths are reported. Day 23: The Festival of Makutsi is held at the Garden of Concubines. Day 27: Big sales occur throughout the Pavilion, just for the day. All food items are discounted by 10%, while all non-food items are discounted by 30%. Day 39: Rumours of a benshira fortune teller spread throughout the city. She claims to have seen Ahnatep's imminent destruction. The reaction is mostly amusement. Day 45: Ahnatep wakes up to a rainy day. Day 64: Five new slaves have been captured and brought to the Slave Market from the Sea of Grass. The group includes a male drykas, a konti, and a human family of three. Day 66: The drykas slave manages to escape the slave market, and a city-wide hunt is conducted by the Jackals. Day 67: The drykas slave attempts to steal a boat belonging to the East Winds and is executed by a Fox on sight. The Fox is immediately promoted. Day 79: Makutsi blesses the city with another spell of rain. Day 83: The Perfumed Cloisters discount their services by 50% for one day only.

[Colombina]

Winter 512 Has Past This is going to be such a rager. While the rest of Mizahar welcomes snow or gnashes their teeth at the merciless cold, Ahnatep residents only note a slight nip to the evening air and ponder whether or not to purchase a fetching new scarf for a bit more color in their wardrobe. It's been said lapis blue is the shade for the season. With Winter comes Shuuda, a twenty festival inspired by Dira's long ago visit to Eyktol. It is a beloved time of year, even if slightly out of character for the ambitious citizens of the Golden City. Many happy childhood memories took place during this time for long time residents, and new guests to the city are swept up in the festivities. For a brief time, the sneer of superiority is dampened as the people of Ahnatep consider the blessings of life, death and one another. In good timing, the Shuuda season is usually followed by a rash of weddings, as far flung families tend to return for the previous holidays. Their return is motivated by both the gaiety of the holiday and the warm weather. Not surprisingly, the sheen of celebration doesn't permeate all the city's inhabitants. The unrest from season's before has moved further into shadow as more of the Shadow Scepter's ghost like force bring a violent order to poorer, more crime ridden areas of the city. A secret bubbles around the scene and men whisper of value to be had in rare knowledge. Towards the season's end is the Swan Parade. A time for wealthy to remind the middle and common folk of everything they lack, and for the young and beautiful to take up amorous pursuits. Gossip, hangovers and shock at finding someone unexpected in one's bed are rampant the next morning. But such is Ahnatep! Season Goals! Fulfill five seasonal goals for a treat! You'll like the prize, I promise. Create an NPC for the Halls of Peret Have a conversation with a Jackal, Dusker, Lark or Concubine Participate in two of the first 10 days of Shuuda Participate in two of the second 10 days of Shuuda Get into a noble party or wedding (invited or crash it!) Get into a fight- physical or verbal Create a "symbol" used in Shuuda. Example: Pomagranates represent romantic love. Peacock feathers represent beauty. Buy a peacock feather from the laughing Dovecote Make a Shuuda gift chain for someone (*Special Note*: If your PC puts time, money and/ or effort into this, I will create one for your PC to open!) Submit an idea for a boat for the Swan Parade Start a thread with someone new! Describe in detail and Eypharian meal in a thread Buy a perfume Buy a scarf for cold(ish) winter nights Notable Events! Day 10: The Beginning of Shuuda! Marked by the Festival of Dira in the Garden of Concubines Day 10-30: Shuuda! Please see other thread for details. Day 34: The city is visited by hail Day 75: The Swan Parade

Autumn Has Past It's time to eat expensive fruit and lounge, fool. Autumn carries on the same bright cloudless afternoons and cold evenings of summer. It varies from the previous glowing season only with a morning marine layer blown from the sea that burns off by tenth bell. While summer belongs to the South Winds sending ships to sea, autumn is the domain of the West Winds. Harvest is upon the city and the Pressorah's Golden Hills are being stripped to make bread for the coming year. This harvest is small compared to the bounty of years before, as the city's crops were depleted by the great Djed storm. Bread from the Pressorah's stores continues at the same rate of seasons before, neither abundant nor scarce, due to the careful rationing of seasons prior. Beer prices have raised due to the damage done to the harvest of hops and Eypharians are daring to drink more of the West Winds fruit ciders and liquors to compensate. In the poorer regions near the Pillars of Dust, there is a marked increase in violence. The price of food, mirage and alcohol has inspired the have nots to turn on any haves that cross their path. The city Jackals have a renewed recruitment drive to combat the change, but are struggling to keep order in the district. There are rumors of an unofficial, vigilante force being created by the Shadow Scepter to protect his interests. Unlike the Jackals, this group is indiscriminate in its establishment of order and dispensation of punishment. Despite a diminished harvest and notes of social unrest, there is still a sense of celebration accompanying the season. Autumn is considered the season of family, and most arrangements for marriage are made in autumn and carried out in winter. Season Goals! Fulfill five seasonal goals for a treat! You'll like the prize, I promise. Create a new fruit/vegetable especially for Ahnatep/ Eyktol Meet a noble Attend a seasonal holiday event Compete in the WW's horse race Integrate an Ano Cultist into a thread Mention something about the Pressorah in conversation Spread some IC gossip Steal something Casually flirt with another PC (even better if it's not successful) Submit a "birthday" custom for Eypharians Force your PC to make a difficult choice Allow your PC to feel thoroughly ashamed of something Interact with a relative of your PC Notable Events! Day 1: The end of summer is unofficially celebrated with a trip to the shore Day 3: Matrons of the various houses gather in truce to discuss eligible children at the Villa of the West Winds. Day 11: The first Crown of Leth blooms in the Pressorah's garden Day 21: The Crowning of Leth Day 27: The body of a young gilded man is found with his throat slit at the Pillars of Dust. The body is one of several in the scene, but the rest of the dead were Duskers, so little attention is given to them. Day 35: The West Winds officially begin their harvest celebration. Day 50: The Festival of Bala is held at the Garden of Concubines Day 61: The Amphitheater of the North Winds hosts an immersive production of the notoriously unsettling play: "The Harvest of Akelah" TBD TBD TBD