[Location] Suvai Pavilion

by **Alice** on June 4th, 2010, 9:30 pm

DESCRIPTION:

The Konti who dedicate large chunks of their time to perfecting the dance with the suvai strive to imitate the grace and flexibility of flowing water … With this thought in mind the Suvai Pavilion has been built. Located at the outskirts of Mura, but as the end of a balk stretching towards the middle of Silver Lake, the pavilion is painted in both blues and reds for every suvai practitioner must achieve harmony between quick temper and relaxation to master the art of the suvai. Although the pavilion has originally been built to teach and train practitioners in different weapon styles, the suvai, being the traditional Konti weapon, has resumed the most dominant position very soon. Still other weapon styles are taught at the pavilion, although there is a limited amount of masters available.

The outer walls are painted with rectangular white patterns, indicating the unity of two weapons and the two hands of its owner. All four must know and spend time with one another and work together to perfect the chosen style of fighting. Some also say that the four edges of those patterns symbolize the ideal suvai training group: pair versus pair. The whole pavilion is structured in a hierarchical pattern: At the first and largest floor the novices and amateurs train together. The floor is covered with reed mats, furnishing is simple and sparse and training circles indicate where the fighting area begins and where it ends. Red is the color of its outer walls, because those Konti still struggle with balancing emotion and calculation. The second and last floor is smaller, but houses more proficient suvai practitioners. Often it is reserved for masters only so that they can train without being distracted by pupils. This floor’s outer walls are painted blue for a master must have achieved unity of instinct and strategy, emotion and calculation, body and mind.

There are no qualifications to enter the pavilion, rather everyone who owns a weapon and desires to learn something about it visits the first floor once and awhile and spars with fellow practitioners. From the earliest morning chimes to when Syna disappears someone can usually be found at the pavilion. If one finds that they want to train more regularly, however, it is highly recommended to ask for a master to skillfully tutor and guide them through the training process. Masters offer their services voluntarily, but have the right to demand some payment for the time and effort put into the progress of others. These payments vary from master to master and can be quite extraordinary.

To enter the pavilion one must simply start at the city center and follow a narrow pathway to the southwest to reach the shore of Silver Lake and an equally narrow, but sturdy white balk which leads to the actual pavilion. Because the location has been built on Silver Lake itself, an unassuming staircase at the back of the entrance room leads to several areas built underwater. The beautiful environment of a now abandoned coral reef helps many Konti to relax and practice the dance with the suvai under different conditions.

SERVICES & GOODS:

Training in different weapons – payment varies
Asking is free!

NPCS:

Suvai Mistress Val'mara :

Katana & Dance Mistress Kariha :

Archery Mistress Ildin :

Throwing Weapons Mistress Lenn :

by **Blythe** on March 4th, 2011, 10:21 pm

Spring 5, 511 AV

Blythe had left the side of her bed early in the morning. She knew Keyta would be in good hands until she returned home that afternoon. Today, she intended on going down to the suvai pavilion. She had never truly been there before, although she knew where it was and had passed it several times. She wasn't sure why she wanted to now, as opposed to years before, but Blythe wanted to learn how to wield a katana. She already knew so much about the cards, and enjoyed writing poetry. But those two hobbies never truly got her out and about, and she felt as though it were about time she acquired a slightly more physical hobby that she not only enjoyed, but perhaps, would help keep her in shape as well.

Blythe carried only her bag on her back, as she walked into the city center. She was wearing her usual, long white dress, and gladiator sandals, and for once in her life, had managed to maintain a pace somewhere between a brisk walk and a run. Usually, she couldn't do such a thing since her sandals would chafe the back of her heels, but today, either she ignored it simply because she was so excited, or her shoes actually decided that they didn't feel like pestering her. Or perhaps they were simply waking up too, and couldn't much be bothered.

Blythe followed a narrow dirt pathway southwest, until she reached the shore of Silver Lake. "Almost there," she muttered as she continued walking. She hadn't even taken the time to look out at the lake and enjoy its beauty, she was so intent on reaching her destination. She walked around to the other side of the lake, where a rather narrow, white balk stood.

Blythe raised a foot onto the balk in order to test it. It didn't seem to sturdy to her. "It seems... strangely sturdy," she commented as she placed both feet on the balk, and walked across its expanse and up to the open door of the pavilion. Blythe stepped inside the red and blue pavilion and soon found herself in a room that had been painted a deep red.

Blythe tilted her head to the side and looked around. "Hello?" she called, "is anybody here?" Blythe took a few more steps forward, and then looked down, she was standing on a large matt that had been crafted by a series of reeds. It appeared as though they had all been lined up, one after the other, and then tied together by a series of strings, and lines of blue and red fabric. Blythe couldn't help but wonder if this is where people practiced.

"Hello?" Blythe called again as she looked up again. "I was just hoping to take some lessons in katana, is there anyone who may be able to help?" she asked.

OOCIt should be "chunks," not "junks" in the first sentence.

And yes... I did just personify Blythe's clothing.

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on March 10th, 2011, 6:18 pm

8th Spring, 511 AV

Serrif woke feeling the best he had felt in days. His head was clear and the ocean had lulled him to sleep well again. He was gaining body mass. And with the running he was doing on the beach he was gaining muscle as well. He opened his eyes in the dimly lit tent and smiled. It was going to be a good day. He dressed in his loose fitting long sleeved shirt and then tied his boots onto his feet. He was already wearing his long black baggy pants. Running a hand through his hair he pondered just what he was going to do today.

Serrif decided he would see the town. He entered the main town center of Mura. He was early and there weren’t many around right now. But he swore he saw some people moving about toward or down a narrower path. He thought for a moment where that path may go. He looked toward the direction of the rising sun and noted; southwest the path lead southwest. He was curious as to where it leads and who was traversing it at this time. He pondered for a moment. Then supposed he was ready to go do something. His backpack was back at camp, as were many of his things. He didn’t bring any weapons with him, but he did bring all his coin in a small pouch at his side. He didn’t see any reason to bring a weapon while he toured the city. He was really quite curious as to where this path went. So did the only thing he could think to do and well followed it. It was narrow; which hinted that it might not be that well traversed generally. That was the kind of paths he liked. He walked and then at some point found himself looking at a sturdy white balk that lead out to a pavilion of some kind.

He observed the pavilion from afar trying to scope it out before he decided to do anything. The pavilion itself appeared to be a two tier structure each of the floors colored elegantly. The first was large and the outer walls were colored red, while the second tier was blue and smaller. He figured that the upper area was likely off limits to people like him; and likely the first floor as well. He walked across the white balk and as he got closer he saw that the structure was indeed floating on the lake itself. That was interesting; he had never seen a structure like this before. There were people on the inside of the first floor. That he could see. They were off in groupings and well he wasn’t sure what this place was until he got a little closer. It was a weapon training pavilion of some kind. He got closer and saw the few pupils about; well who appeared to be pupils.

It appeared to him that the first floor wasn’t exclusive like he first thought. Although the only people he saw about were Konti…As he would expect. They were watching people spar on the reed mats. All with practice weapons of some kind. Serrif watched for a little and decided he would see if he could take part in any of this. But that would be something he would have to make up his own mind on.

by **Alice** on March 20th, 2011, 2:18 pm

Blythe

In the early morning hours, the Suvai Pavilion was pretty much deserted. Although the first floor was open to everyone as always, the sparring and practice room was empty and no noise was to be heard. Was even someone there? Perhaps Blythe should return later?

However, her steps had been heard and her words had been understood. A few moments after she had stated her request, the door at the opposite side of the room was opened almost noiselessly and a Konti stepped in. Her figure was willowy, but appeared quite agile, and her silvery white hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her gaze was calm and friendly, as if her mind was resting in absolute peace. In fact, she had just meditated outside. The balk ran around the entire building and thus was often used as balcony and place of relaxing and reflection by the practitioners. The Konti also carried a katana scabbard in her left hand.

She approached Blythe and stopped a few feet away from her. Her steps were light and silent, avoiding any noises with ease. “Good morning. You have come quite early. But yes, you’re lucky as I don’t mind teaching others in the use of the katana. However, I will not do it for free.” She spread out her arms, as if welcoming anything Blythe had to offer. “What are you good at? What can you offer as a price? It’s all right if you can only give small things or services.”

Serrif

Buildings floating on Silver Lake weren’t a rare sight around Mura. Sometimes stones had been placed in a small pond so that people could balance on them and walk across the pond rather than circling it, shortening the way. Bridges that were of elegant shapes and subtly colored, even decorated with opalescent shells, were common as well. A few buildings had also partly been built in Silver Lake itself, with the above ground level being accessible to foreigners, but the underground level actually being underwater and thus only accessible to Konti or other races of the sea.

As Serrif approached the Suvai Pavilion, he could see through the opened front door that about half a dozen Konti were already practicing diligently in the practice circles. Some of them were covered in sweat, but most of them seemed to have arrived only recently. The levels of proficiency varied. Two pairs were slow and focused on their techniques while the others seemed to dance more than to fight. The latter pair wielded suvai, three-pronged weapons made of whale bone.

When Serrif reached the entrance, the suvai fighters seemed to conclude their friendly spar, because they put their weapons back into the respective scabbards and shared a waterskin for some refreshment. Obviously they were good friends, and each of them looked like sixteen, although they’d likely be twenty or older by Konti standards.

While one Konti exited the room through a back door – revealing a glimpse of the vast Silver Lake behind the pavilion – the other one approached Serrif and smiled at him. “Hello. I see you are not a native, is there anything I can help you with? Are you looking for practice in a particular fighting style?” The Konti’s eyes were shining with azure blue, and her opalescent scales were of a similar shade. Two braids of white hair curled around her shoulders.

by **Blythe** on March 20th, 2011, 2:35 pm

"Good morning," Blythe replied to the Konti who approached her. She noticed a katana at the women's side, and smiled pleasantly. It appeared as though she would get what she had come for after all. "The name's Blythe," Blythe said, as she stuck out her right hand for the other woman to shake. Although she soon dropped it when the other women spread her arms out. Perhaps it was not the proper time for such things. "As of right now, there isn't much to offer. After going out on call, I am low on money, but perhaps there are services to offer. The tarot is no longer a mystery, and poetry is a pleasure, would you be interested in such things? Or.." Blythe paused, she had never caught the women's name. The edges of her cheeks grew a light pink shade. "Were you looking for some other sort of answer...? Never did catch your name."

by **Anshun Tulish** on March 20th, 2011, 5:56 pm

10th Spring, Year 511 AV
Anshun was bored. There was no other way to put it. He had floated on the lake and occasionally spoken to people on the beach or the Konti who swam in the lake over the past few days, but those were fleeting diversions, and Anshun wanted to learn something, or at least meet someone halfway interesting. Lazily twirling his trident through the air and hitching up his backpack higher on his shoulder, he walked along the soft sandy beach, his feet shuffling along the shifting sands. Looking towards the horizon, Anshun saw the first tiny sliver of the sun peeking over the horizon, its rosy fingers clutching at the stars to pull itself up.

As his gaze shifted back towards the Silver Lake and its undisturbed azure surface, Anshun saw a pavilion floating not too far from the shore, connected to the beach's white sands by a white balk. Wanting to get a better look at it, but feeling a little too dry for his tastes, Anshun waded back into the water, sliding underneath the surface when it came up to his waist. Swimming towards the floating bottom of the pavilion, Anshun was shocked to see a staircase leading up from the water. Wanting to investigate, he moved towards the staircase, feet kicking rapidly as he approached it.

Upon reaching it, Anshun looked up the slant of the stairs, wondering where it went.
The pavilion of course! he realized, smacking his forehead Let's see whats up there...
With that thought running through his head, Anshun ascended the staircase climbing out of the water and into the pavilion. When he reached the first level, he looked around, observing the red patterned walls and reed mats covering the floor, as well as the many Konti training on the floor.

I bet I could train with my trident a bit more Anshun thought, looking at the weapon and moving towards those in the middle of the floor. "I would like to train with you" he said in common, staying a safe distance from those who were sparring, and the woman with icy cold eyes and hair watching them.

by **Alice** on March 22nd, 2011, 6:55 pm

Blythe

The Konti tilted her head and smiled. It seemed that she was contemplating something, arranging her schedule probably, after hearing what the potential pupil had to offer. It’d be a fair bargain to her, no matter what Blythe thought. Kariha never demanded much for her services, or at least it seemed so. She always gladly took what she could use.

Putting the katana between her legs so that it couldn’t fall, she raised her hands to retie the ponytail of moon white hair. The gesture was another excuse so she could think about it a little longer. The katana mistress always seemed to think about decisions a lot. Should she choose this way or that? Eventually she plucked the katana from between her legs. “Oh, I forgot. Most people who come here already know me. I’m Kariha, the resident katana and dance instructor. And yes, I’d be interested in a Tarot reading, if you don’t mind. There are two or three questions I’d like to have answered.” She grinned, a kind of mysterious expression. The questions had to be important ones, right?

Nevertheless, she drew the top of the scabbard across the floor, as if drawing a picture. “When do you wish to start? My next lesson is only in about three bells. I also have an opening tomorrow afternoon.”

Once the agreement had been made, she approached Blythe and shook her head. The contract was sealed and the price paid.

Anshun

There were no Konti underwater, and thus the first practitioners Anshun saw sparred in the red-walled room above water level. Having arrived quite early, he could only watch a pair fighting with suvai and another pair obviously preparing their bows and getting ready for strolling outside to find suitable targets. Shooting with a bow was usually practiced outside, up the coast in close proximity to Silverwood.

There had been no reaction when the Charoda had entered, although the suvai fighters threw curious glances into his direction first. But then they concentrated on their battle again. The Konti with icy blue eyes and somewhat messy hair turned to him when he spoke up though, inspecting him and the trident from head to toe. Charoda were quite the rare sight on Konti Isle. Her features twitched a little, but then she replied: “Welcome. I’m Val’mara Nitvin, suva instructor. Your weapon looks quite foreign; we don’t train with something like that here. However, sparring with a suvai would probably be rewarding.” She pointed at one of the weapons the young Konti pair wielded. They were three-pronged like Anshun’s trident, albeit smaller, and crafted of whale bone.

“What do you think?” she asked. Although her sentences were simple and precise, she couldn’t help but show interest in the exotic weapon the foreigner had brought with him.

While she interviewed Anshun, one of the Konti in the background lost balance and stumbled back. “Ha!” called the other one, a particularly pretty girl with chin-long, straight hair, and pointed to a red line painted on the floor. “You stepped out of the training circle! I win.”

by **Blythe** on March 22nd, 2011, 7:16 pm

"It's nice to meet you Kariha," Blythe said with a radiant smile. She was happy the woman had asked for a reading or two, the cards came far more easily than poetic verse did these days."A reading can easily be done, I can come with the cards in a few days time. Depending on what you ask of them, we may want to divide it into more than one reading. Use more than one spread." The women seemed to nod, and yet, she seemed like she only vaguely understood what Blythe was talking about. But the Konti wasn't worried, she knew Kariha would understand it all in a few days. "As for the katana lessons, perhaps it'd be best to start tomorrow. Keyta is waiting back at home. Poor thing broke her leg, and is probably starting to get hungry by now." With a slight bow of her head, Blythe began to step away. "Thank you for agreeing to help, I shall see you tomorrow Kariha," Blythe called over her shoulder as she headed out the door, and back home.

by **Anshun Tulish** on March 22nd, 2011, 8:15 pm

After Anshun spoke, he realized the building was almost deserted. The only people he saw were the dueling duo in front of him and a second pair holding a pair of bows, obviously preparing to leave the building. I wonder what they'll be shooting at Anshun wonders briefly Whatever it is, it's gonna have to be above water

After the icy-looking woman had looked him over with what was either disgust or interest, Anshun observed the two Konti training farther back. After Val' mara introduced herself and suggested he try a suvai, Anshun nodded. "They look quite similar to my trident" he said in common, offering the weapon to Val' mara in case she wished to inspect it "and I would be honored to train with the traditional weapon of the Konti. What payment would you want?"

After saying this, Anshun saw the victory of the girl on the mat and watched curiously "Who is she?" he asked Val' mara

by **Quelen Dran'Sora** on April 18th, 2011, 2:11 pm

Season of Spring, Day 30, 511 AV

Several days Quelen had spent exploring Mura and learning all kinds of interesting things, but eventually she returned to the purpose of her visit. To learn the ways of Konti dance ans music.

Making her way back to the Pavilion by the path Blythe had shown her Quelen peered inside the building quietly to see if she would be interrupting. After a few moments she stepped in, and when finding someone who didn't look like they would be bothered by her speaking to them, asked, "Pardon me, do you know where I might find Mistress Kariha?"