Weekend Challenge: 1/23/16 - 1/14/16

[Irathia]

I would like to do it, the location is in the Cobalt Mountains.

[Amunet]

The Cyristine Gardens

Cyris in an old forgotten language meant ‘of the green’. There was a man of a gentle and creative nature with the love of creation itself. He was Drykas in the lands of Cyphrus before the Valterrian. The man with the green thumb began his work with certain herbs that had properties from healing, to regenerative even poisonous. Each plant was selected for its strength, vitality and abilities. Rak’keli, Caihya, Zulrav and even Semele took interest in this young man’s work.

The industrious man worked with various properties in crystals to grow with plants chosen very carefully. After several generations and secrets untold, he produced in his gardens wonders. He may have written down his secrets, but it is long gone with the Valterrian. Cyris died protecting his precious garden. When his soul came up to Lhex, instead of lamenting for judgement, he demanded. The Gods took conference of this soul’s request as it involved crossing domains and considering what had recently happened that caused what was called the Valterrian, lines with the various Gods were sensitive. Cyris was granted his request.

Deep in the Sea of Grass, in amongst the The grasses that grew so tall as to be an impenetrable wall around this place. The wall of grass here is 20 foot and so thick that it cannot be parted. The texture of the grass is something similar to the Iron Grass which growls 6 to 9 foot. It however has distinctive purplish veining and seems to have no name. In the night when the wild djed seems a bit overactive, the purplish veining even glows. If a Strider can make it to this wall, it is said that there is a kinship as both seem to have kinship. The wall will part for the pure hearted Strider. Rakivas has been known to frequent the Garden and is likely one of a rare few if not the only one who knows how to get there. The Garden has a stream running through its center. The grass there is ankle high and lush, showing a brilliant deep blue green. In various locations herbs and strange glowing foliage grows. Alongside these growths are strange crystals that also glow. It rains there every third day like clockwork, as Zulrav himself set that timer. The seasons barely touch this enchanted place as the temperature varies but little in its sheltered place.

Every once in a while, a strider finds their way to the Garden either through skill or sheer luck. This strider becomes blessed. Those mares that do find the Garden, by legend were mated with Rakivas for they proven themselves strong and courageous above all Striders. No human has seen the Garden since the death of Cyris. A glowing piece of foliage may have been discovered by a lucky Drykas only to claim it as a gift of the Gods. Among the Drykas, the story of Cyrus may still be passed down to each generation. The legend has grown and has been expounded on. There is yet some truth to the legend being told.

Amongst the sprawling trees, cool grasses and bubbling streams amongst naturally edged beds of wonders is a butterfly. This butterfly is gilded and flutters from bed to bed kissing each plant and each herb tenderly. Upon the winds one can hear a word, Cyris. It is a curious thing. Some cave paintings along the run may speak of the gardens. There might be mention of it in a dusty old tome somewhere. The Gods very well may wish for this little paradise to be best forgotten. The chosen and favored that find this place may need to tread carefully on what is the blessed soil of land protected by the Gods.

[Alija]

Not what I planned, but hey

The Hole In The Wall The Hole In The Wall, most often referred to as the Hole, is a strange building built right against the wall around the city, located in the southern quarter. To most, it is a small establishment that sells various herbs and herbal remedies to the citizens of Nyka. It isn't a large shop, but is frequented by many. The shop itself is made from the reddish stone its neighbours are, with two large windows looking in. In front of both, large shelves have been placed, dotted with small pots containing herbs that require a large amount of sunlight and also with jars of ointments and juices or various colours. Hanging from the roof is a large banner with the sign of the Monks of the Bountiful Wheat, despite the fact that neither owner is a monk, nor associates with them. Inside, several decorated shelves are placed to allow the most light, with pots and jars distributed on them, as well as book on herbalism. Herbs are found growing everywhere, on the shelves, from the ceiling, hanging from the walls, but due to the possibility that they are poisonous, people are asked to refrain from inspecting them other than to observe them from a distance. In the centre lies a table with more pots and jars. The entire room is flooded with the fresh scent of spring and most often described as pleasing to the eye, bright colours instantly capturing you. At the far back is the counter, at which there will always be someone to greet you. The Hole works more on a request system, creating herbal tinctures when asked to, due to the short life of many of them. Behind a large wooden door is where they are prepared, a room often held open to air it out from the strong scents created when boiling or crushing herbs. A large window brings light to the many plants that lay everywhere, some growing out of the floor, others in plant pots arranged neatly on shelves. People are more than welcome to enter that room, but not the room next door, which is firmly kept under lock and key. Through that door, is a wrought iron staircase leading to the living quarters, as well as a poisoncrafting lab which is filled with crates and vials, the majority filled with strange coloured liquids. Here, Matilda creates her poisons and antidotes, but it is not for that reason that it is kept locked. In one corner, hidden under a large crate, is a trapdoor, leading to a tunnel that gives it its name. It leads under and through the wall, emerging in a wooded section beyond. The tunnel is old and dusty, barely used and little more than dug through dirt and held up with a few wooden planks. While it was initially created to allow the owners easy access to the wood to search for herbs they weren't growing, it soon changed to become an escape tunnel for those who wanted to leave without the monk's knowing. Both Matilda and Clary hide it with their lives, despite no longer using it.   Services Refer to Price List for prices to purchase herbs. All from temperate climates, others available depending on shipments. Medicines , excluding Sundyra Water and Chadast Oil, will be made on request. Poisons up to 750gm available on request, but must have lore on the shop selling poisons to purchase them. Using of the tunnel requires lore of its existence.   Matilda Name: Matilda Lay Race: Human DoB: 11th Winter 475 Skills: Medicine 45, Philtering 45, Herbalism 45, Poison 45, Botany 35, Cooking 25, Negotiation 25, Business 25 Additional Info: Matilda loves plants. She loves tending them and helping them grow, with a fascination that started as a little girl. As she grew older, she spread that love to herbalism and medicine, but was also interested in the art of poison making, and how simple plants could have such a big effect, good or bad. She longed to start a business but was unable to until her niece Clary inherited a large sum of money, enough to get the business started. Matilda is very friendly and relaxed, often drifting into long conversations rather than focusing on the customer and their needs. She's rather absent-minded, easily forgetting what she's doing, but quick to make someone smile.   Clary Name: Clary Lay Race: Human DoB: 90th Spring 496 Skills: Herbalism 40, Botany 35, Flirting 25, Philtering 20, Medicine 15 Additional Info: Clary has always taken after her aunt rather than her parents, sharing the same love for herbalism. When her grandfather died, leaving her a large amount of money, she gifted it to Matilda, wanted to help her start her own business. Matilda soon convinced Clary to help out too, the young woman becoming co-owner of the establishment. Clary is young and naive, quick to fall for games and tricks people play. She does enjoy a good conversation, just like Matilda, but prefers to flirt with any handsome young man that visits the shop. She loves telling jokes and always has a smile. [/list][/tab][/tabset]

[Eleazar Victor Syroin]

Hopefully gonna design a marketplace/shopping arcade for a closed city. Though images for this place are gonna be a pain to find and/or edit.

[Dove Brown]

The Open Barns Built just inside the gates of Mithryn, the Open Barns hold both animals and the harvest of the fields. One end holds an open threshing floor that goes all the way up to the heavy beamed roof. The rest of the ground floor is constantly changing. Hurdles and haybales form temporary partitions to hold animals, both draft animals (eg. horses and oxen) and livestock (eg. cows, sheep, goats, pigs, geese), and farming equipment comes in out of the weather as necessary. On the upper floor, away from the animals and reached by ladder, is stacked feed for the animals and crops harvested from the fields, as it is easier to bring them here straight from the fields and deliver them to Syliras when there are several cartloads ready than it is for every field to run a shuttling cart to the main city. NPCs   Jaredd Name: Jaredd Talley Race: Human DoB: 77 Summer 463 AV PoB: Syliras Title: Herdsman Skills: Agriculture 32, Animal Husbandry 65, Carpentry 20, Farming 44, Storytelling 24, Weapon: Pitchfork 30. Additional Info: Born and bred in Syliras, Jaredd has spent his long life in the fields and now keeps the barns and livestock in order with the help of a gaggle of youngsters. He stands no nonsense from people or animals, but his hands are surprisingly gentle. Moderation Note : Moderated by all Storytellers of Syliras. Feel free to self-moderate! Location credits to Dove Brown

[Irathia]

This is my submission, please enjoy! The Alahea Complex Ruins Deep in the Cobalt Mountains, past the Lyklolav MInes, north from the Sunset Falls, lays a open cave mouth at a base of a mountain. If you walk into the cave you will soon discover that the walls become flatter, the floor becomes smooth. You will soon find a set of stone doors, long bars of metal hold the two slabs of stone in place. The door has several chipped parts and cracks, as if something on the inside was trying to break the door open. If you choose to enter, you will find a smooth hallway doing to another set of doors... Several skeletons, still wearing there clothes before they died are sprawled around the hallway, most of them appear to be running away from something. The hallway it self used to be something of a beauty, now, it is ruined, cracks and moss run across the walls, and one crack was so big that is actually split the hallway. In the middle there was a slight lip where the hallway was split. The lifted part of the hallway was slightly tilted as well. One thing to take note is that the skeletons appeared to have been attacked before they were killed, entire torso's were turned to dust and heads were smashed. Some of the armored skeletons breast plates were smashed to the point where it was almost flatten, rusted helmets and swords were peppered across the hallway the deeper you go in. The pair of doors at the other end of the hall was worse than the entrance, to say the least. One door was completely ripped off of the hinges, and most of it was broken into large chunks, which reveal a smashed set of armor underneath. Presumably the skeleton was killed when the door fell on him. The other door was like the one at the entrance, heavily damaged and barely standing... It reveals a large grand room, tables were thrown from side to side, moss grew on most surfaces, and the sound of crumbling stone echoes from the many hallways that spread from the large room like a spider web. The room it self appeared to be an office or lab of some sorts, rotting, yellowed paper was peppered across the floor as more skeletons appeared to be caught off guard, a lot of them looked like they were caught off guard. It appear that from the corner of your eye something moved in a unnatural ways, sulking off into the shadows of the hallways. --The Thing in the Shadows-- These things were the newest weapon of the Alahea empire, these monsters could be considered large Pycons, just with out intellegnce and anger issues. Made of stone and dirt, they can bend and twist themselves in the same way a average Pycon can, though most of them choose to take the shape of a gorilla like beast, long thick arms that fit together with the overly large barrel shape chest. Small legs and head seem out of place for the beasts. There aren't many of these monsters in the complex... But that doesn't matter... The biggest thing to note about these is that they are not complete, they have no intelligence and only attack when they want to. Luckily they do not know how to re-produce so there is a set amount.

[Aislyn Leavold]

I'm in. I've got an idea for Alvadas, of course.

[Yisanareysin]

What a coincidence Lyn. So do I.

XD

[Maya Lark]

Velvet Voices and Graceful Steps

Art is not always made with paint and brushes sometime the body is needed.

Welcome all aspiring dancers and singers! Here at Velvet Voices and Graceful Steps students are taught how to turn their bodies into beautiful pieces of art. Upon entrance of the building visitors and potential students are met with the owners. Visitors are surprised to see a Konti and Symenestra working along side each other. Senesha is a well known dancer from Kalinor, who decided to put her talents to use elsewhere. During her travels she meet a young Konti woman with one of the most beautiful singing voices. After speaking with her the two began to travel together entertaining the masses that would flock to see the two perform. After some time the two decided to open up a dance studio and voice studio in Riverfall. Marla is a beautiful young Konti who has been taught to sing her entire life. Marla met Senesha while on the road and decided to team up with her when Senesha approached her about a partnership. Now the two run a very nice dance and voice studio in Riverfall happy to share their knowledge with others.

Voice lessons are offered in a section of rooms on the right. Each room is equipped with the basic musical instruments that can be found anywhere in Mizahar. A beginners test is given to anyone who pays for classes so that the teachers know where the student is on the basic knowledge of scales and notes. Once a baseline is achieved by the instructors the students are paired up with the teacher that best suites their needs. The owners will occasionally pop in to check on the student's progress. As the season comes to a close the students will either perform a solo song or a duet with another student and show case what they have learned. Upon completion of the song the instructors will decide whether to leave the student where he/she is or move them up to the next instructor.

While the singers are tested on the right side of the building, the dancing students are brought into a large room and taught a series of moves to perform for the owners of the building. After an hour the owners come in and watch the students and make notes on which ones will need what training and on what level they are on. After the routine is finished the women ask everyone to sit and bring the instructors up who will be teaching anywhere from a beginner level to an expert level. Each owner will call a name once the student has stood up they will each give a critique and explanation on why the pair chose a certain instructor. Once each student has been placed with the appropriate instructor the groups are dismissed to go to their studios and begin their lessons. At the end of each season the instructors present their students to the owners in order to show the progress of their students. After seeing the growth of the students the owners will decide if they still need another season with their current instructor or if they are ready to move on to the next level.

Rates- (can be negotiated IC with ST permission)

Singing Lessons:

Beginner: 3 GM per week
45 GM per Season

Intermediate: 5 GM per week
75 GM per Season

Master: 8 GM per week
120 GM per Season

Dance lessons:

Beginner: 4 GM per week
60 GM per Season

Intermediate: 7 GM per week
105 per Season

Master: 9 GM per week
135 GM per Season

Name: Marla
Age: 50
Race: Konti
Skills: Singing 70, Leadership 58, Teaching 60
Fluent: Kontinese, Common, Tukant
Basic: Pavi, Arumenic

Name: Senesha
Age: 65
Race: Symenestra
Skills: Dancing 78, Negotiation 50, Flirting 48
Fluent: Symenos, Shiber, Nari
Basic: Vani, Tawna

[Nivel]

I've been meaning to add pyve's to all the cities that don't have them. For being the city with the most pycon's syliras has yet to have pyve so I'm starting with there first. If you see a mistake please tell me.

The Silica City Built against the wall of the Traveler’s Row is a Pycon Pyve that is often considered one of the most bizarre structures in all of Syliras. It is called the Silica City, and is where many of the pycons within the walls of syliras live. If there was any plan involved in its original conception, it certainly can’t be seen in the final product. No part of the Silica city seems to follow any rhyme or reason, causing it to look more like an abstract sculpture than any manner of residence. Some components are shaped like fish while others have eerie looking faces covering them, no two are the same. Bridges and foot holds for climbing are used by pycon to get around the maze like structure, and while it’s very easy to get lost no pycon has ever been known to complain. The pyve has many pycons that come and go but most of the permanent residences consider themselves artists. They constantly make paintings on the outer walls, preform their bizarre dances and play their tiny little instruments during the day. At night, most ether sleep or preform their crafts in the lower tunnels that expand deep into the ground. There are many rooms dedicated to different crafts and work shops that the residences can stumble upon. Since pycon hate to follow schedules, the workshops take place when the one teaching them feels like doing so. There are many small spare rooms filling the outer and inner parts of the pyve, each one comes with one bed, one table, one chair and one chest. What they consider a bed or a table is much different then what other races do however. One room might have a shoe for a bed or a glass vile for a chest, whatever happens to be available. A pycon can ether chose to buy or rent their room but most prefer to rent. The Silica City is not just for Pycon, many of the taller races leave their smaller knick knacks to be visually customized or to make requests for unique jewelry that they can’t find anywhere else. The pycon do these jobs during their work shops, usually one will start the project but quickly lose interest and pass it to the next pycon until the item is completed. While their methods may seem lazy or unorthadox, the final product they produce rarely disappoints the ones that receive it. Price List Secret : 1 cm to have a small object turned into art. 1 sm for an article of jewelry. 150 gm for a simple apartment. 400 gm for elaborate apartmentLike the simple dollhouse, this tiny structure is suited for pycons. The elaborate dollhouse however looks like the home of a well-to-do individual, just much smaller. It has two stories with a bedroom, living area, eating area and bathroom. There is even a tiny balcony on the second floor. It comes complete with basic furnishings for each room/area all sized appropriately for a pycon. They are very difficult to construct thus finding them is much more difficult and they are much more expensive than the simple house. (Requires an L3 in carpentry or L3 in gadgeteering to build) (takes a season to build) 1,200 gm for luxury appartmentBeyond the simple or elaborate pycon dollhouses is the luxury model. This small structure is a virtual castle or manorhome to a pycon. As big around as a large dining table and almost as tall, these dollhouses are sheer works of art. The main structure is three stories tall with up to twelve separate rooms/areas complete with high quality, miniature pieces of furniture. In addition to the main structure, they may have a handful of smaller, one-room structures outside with a wall or fence surrounding the entire area. These little paradises are some of the expensive works of art that one may ever find available and it requires a master crafter to create them. They are almost never found for sale however one may find them offered in places with great wealth or a from the rare master carpenter or gadgeeteer; if one can be found. (Requires an L4 in carpentry or L4 in gadgeteering to build) (takes two seasons to build) Renting Rates 1 sm per single room (simple) 10 sm per single room (elegant) 3 sm per double room (bedroom/living area - simple) 30 sm per double room (bedroom/living area - elegant) NPCs   Dancer Name: Dancer Race: Pycon DoB: 32 Summer 492 AV PoB: Siliras Title: The wise dancer Skills: Singing 33, Dancing 55, Construction 20, Sculpting 34, Acrobatics 51, Escape artist 30, Climbing 36, Instrument: flute 37, Teaching 52. Additional Info: Born in Syliras but soon left for Alvadas, She spent most of her life getting into all kinds of mischief. When dancer felt she had experienced enough she headed back to her city of birth to spend her remaining years before she finally turns to stone. Despite being a trouble maker in her younger years she's become a wise but snarky mentor to the younger pycon she comes across. Her clay may be cracking but she can still dance with unearthly grace on all four of her tentacles. Her slightly cracked clay body is comprised mostly out of grey clay but with a bit of terra cotta and porcelain marbling. She is 8 inches tall and weighs 15 pounds.   Jingle Name: jingle Race: Pycon DoB: 32 Summer 504 AV PoB: Pyconia (The unforgiving) Title: The big eared one. Skills: Jewelcrafting 52, Embroidery 30, Construction 40, Beading 30 Sculpting 34, Endurance 34, Persuasion 30, Scavenge 35, teaching 30. Additional Info: A skilled jewelry maker and builder who works tirelessly on a never ending list of projects he's assigned himself. His other favourite past time is finding things he has lost, he enjoys it so much he often tells strangers to hide things for him. Jingle got his name because he skips on his stubby legs where every he goes, causing his jewelry to chime with each step. His terra cotta body is also covered in carved opal pieces that he uses for decoration. He's a male pycon but still practices the popular tend in Pyconia of "Gem fashion" where the pycon mixes gems crushed into powder into his clay. He is 7 inches tall and weighs 13 pounds.   lisna Name: Lisna Race: Pycon DoB: 32 Summer 502 AV PoB: Abura Title: The depressing one Skills: Drawing 43, Painting 55, Construction 20, Philosophy 40, Endurance 24, stealth 40, Camouflage 37, Teaching 13. Additional Info: Born on Akvatar Isle, This pycon may very well be the most depressing one anyone is likely to meet. She often talks about her dark perspective on things whether you like it or not. Her painting skills are valued but most try their best to avoid her since she's a huge downer. Unfortunately she is great at hiding and can sit and wait for bells for her next victim. Noone knows when she might show up and ruin their day with her depressing philosophies. Normally slow moving, she can speed up by untwisting her shell into long slender spider legs. She has porcelain flesh but it's mostly covered in various bright colours of slip (watered down clay) and paint. She is 4 inches tall and weighs 9 pounds. Moderation Note : Moderated by all Storytellers of Syliras. Feel free to self-moderate! Location credits to Nivel