Filomena
*To any would be folks that were arriving in the free city of Miller Dale, one would be met with all manner of festive sights and sounds - for though last years Dawning Festival had been met with such trouble by the Ironhammer Dwarves, the city was saved by a group of would-be defenders. Many had worried another festival wouldn't be held, but the fine Mayor was determined to not let things just pass as they would have.*

*One would dare say this Dawning Festival was far more grandiose than past festivals, a notable thing that stuck out was the man extra mercenaries and guards patrolling about - no one wished to have a replay of last years events.*

*The whole city was decorated to welcome the coming of springs, various merchants had traveled to bring their wares, while the locals were selling all manner of foods, and treats - also one couldn't forget about the ever flowing barrels of ale, beer, meed, and the finest wine!*

*It was likely the Mayor himself was to hold an opening speech for the festival, but no one was certain when that would be - for visitors or locals that needed a break from the busy streets full of festive folk, they could easily visit  or  for a drink and space to themselves. Though even these locations might be a bit more busy than the norm.*

*So what are you all waiting for, come and join the Dawning Festival - and while some say keep your eyes to the skies in the case of a dragon; none here can't claim such promises!*
Patricia
*Amanda had taken the day off from her regular post to come and be at the festival. While still in uniform she was making it evident she was here to have fun and leaving the policing to the local authorities, keeping her ammo from her weapon and had it wrapped in a bag as to keep the vibe wholesome*

She started off her day by browsing the stalls, mingling with the local farmers*
Thomas
*As she had stated in her own newspaper, Yenasha had arrived at Miller Dale some days prior to the opening of the festival itself - she had been asked by the festival planners to play the hostess for one of their upcoming games.*

*Naturally the Madame agreed, looking forward to the event itself - but until then Yenasha strolled about the various market stalls with two of her private body guards, she had in fact invited out most of her staff and they were off in different parts of the city enjoying themselves. Twirling her shaded parasol, Yenasha hummed to the cheery music of the various bards and musicians that played about.* 

"Truly a delightful event, must say the Mayor and the people of Miller Dale really have outdone themselves" *She remarked, taking notice of the various colorful banners, a few waved in the wind and some looked to be in the shape of a dragon or two. Yenasha herself was even hoping to meet with one of the famed Defenders of the city - but she hadn't heard if any where attending.*
Janie
'Necrosis,' a high elf, was a newcomer to the area. She had the tendency to travel and explore, as this was what she did for most of her life. She had planned to continue to seek further access to the Sihirisium college, but decided to take a break. There was a time for work and studying, and there were times to play. She very much wanted to play now.*


*Normally she would be donning sagely looking dark robes, she at this moment she chose to adorn herself with another obsidian designed garment for the occasion. She also sported fine golden and onyx jewelry that embraced her slender neck and her elongated elvish ears.*


*Her gilded colored eyes glittered as she spotted a booth with a variety of fans and potentially parasols to sell. She begun to meander in this direction.*
Edward
*~A light skinned individual entered the city, adorning a brown cloak that doesn't really hide much, except his antlers and leaf hair. Off behind him is a potted bush, using a group of 4 roots to walk, making sure to avoid other's feet. A waterskin is visible, a simple leather one, capped with a greenish cork, an identifier. His hands are kept to his side, as he looks around, eyes with a bit of wonder.

He took this festival as a vacation from classes and an opportunity to explore the civilized world. The crowds are overbearing, and the monetary system is sometimes confusing. But he looks around, eyeing a booth to the side selling some fruit. He jaunts over carefully with the bush, and purchases 3 apples. He places two on his bush for later, and munched on the other, enjoying the sweetness and the juicy factors. He wanders through the crowd, with quick glances back, making sure his bush doesn't get harmed, crushed, lost or anything.~*
Janie
*The elf eventually arrived at the booth, which was selling a variety of accessories which seemed to cater to the feminine crowds. Her obsidian painted lips pressed together as she contemplated the selection. She wanted a folding fan that had embroidery of flowers. There were MANY on display in various designs and colors.*


*Her silky accent, akin very much to Russian, betrayed her presence to the stallkeeper,* "Do you have any dark colored fans that I may look at?" 


*The stallkeeper, a comely looking woman, responded in an upbeat inflection of her tone,* "Oh well, I am afraid I didn't bring as many of those shades. I packed mostly spring themed colors. I do have a lovely range of pastels you could consider—"


*Necrosis' lips curved patiently, her exotic voice rolling in its rich accent ,* "I verrryy much fancy black, in all honesty. Pastel doesn't really... Suit my tastes." 


*And then she turns towards Amanda, a stranger to her, and points out the selection of folding fans on display at a stall. The elf asks with mild curiosity,* What color would you pick for a folding fan?"
Lewis
The past year had not done wonders for Podrick Thistlefoot, the little mayor of Miller Dale. He had barely survived the previous festival, and while he had insisted that, yes, Miller Dale would *Of course* Have the annual celebration, this year would naturally be different. 

The Firebeard contingent of dwarven maidens from Rouguemount in the the little mayor Voldur Peaks had arrived only the night before, but instead of it being the celebratory kick-off of the festival, their arrival had been in secret, and few had actually witnessed their coming. Podrick had opened the city's purse strings for more than food, drink, and decorations this year, making hefty "Donations" To the Horseshoe to ensure that veteran mercenaries lingered at key locations around town. 

And despite all of that, as he exited his lavish office in the company of a fiery-haired dwarven maiden today, the halfling mayor found himself filled with trepidation, his eyes darting to and fro as he led the way down the street, searching for signs of the Ironhammers to renew their attacks of the previous year, but as he reached the square were the bulk of the celebration, there were only the expectant faces of the festival attendees, dwarven, elven, human, and other races, smiling and peaceful. 

The podium was established just as the year before, complete with the little set of stairs behind it for the halfling mayor to climb up to stand, and he cleared his throat as he smiled out to the masses. "Uh... Hello... Hello good people of Miller Dale," He bid them in an almost apologetic tone. "As you can see, there is no cause for alarm... We have added extra protection... And as you can also see.." He turned to gesture to the young female dwarf standing to his right. "The dwarven maidens from the Firebeards have arrived!"

There came some measure of applause from the assembled crowd; this was not how the festival was supposed to start, but everyone seemed to understand: it had to be different from last year.

"No lengthy speeches from me this time, my good people... Our bakers and vintners and brewers and other tradesfolk have all labored hard to prepare!" Using both hands, he gesture out past the crowd to the tables of prepared food, the kegs of ale, cider, mead, and wine, and the stalls of the merchants all established to ply their wares. ***"Let the Festival of Spring Dawning commence!"***
Filomena
*The mention of fine food and drinks easily got the crowd a bit more excited - and enjoy themselves they would indeed - the locals of the city were looking far more cheery than they had been in the past year. Business was sure to be good for all the merchants that decided to make the trip to Miller Dale.*

"Has any one seen any of the Defenders? I would have thought they'd be up on the podium with the Mayor?" *Asked one local.*

*Indeed, a fair number of the people and even travelers to the city had hopped to meet with the famed Defenders, one could say they had become celebrities of Miller Dale. Yet as the people shopped about and enjoyed themselves, a small and hooded band of what looked like Dwarves weaved themselves out of the crowd, they appeared to go off in different directions, but in the end they were heading to the same chosen destination.*

*As for where that would be, some might discover such later - for in due time the first of the games would be called to begin!*
Flora
Milla smiled happily as she looked over to the crowd. After the Mayor introduced her, she gave the signal, and her Dwarven sisters emerged from a nearby building to join them before the assembly. Cheers washed over the group as they waved warmly to the people of Miller Dale, and the celebrations commenced.
Julie
*Returning to Miller Dale was a decision not made lightly. Far beyond the lights and pleasant scents nestled in the Eastern Reach, a stronghold stood within the sun-scorned mountains where Firebeard dwarves dared not walk. Conflict had arisen within Hearth's Keep, the reports of the wayward trio that had lead a small contingent of Ironhammers to raid the free city had reached the Grandmaster and his council. The surviving dwarves were punished severely, their remaining ringleaders incarcerated and their families reprimanded. 
But Gitroki had not been satisfied with this. There was more to the situation than an overzealous band of youngsters, especially with the magic the warlock Nerdrat had summoned up.
 
So the young dwarf disappeared from Miller Dale for a time, to the disappointed confusion of his neighbours. After all, he had been a friendly fellow — a little reclusive, but had never been averse to helping between his hunts in the mountains. It was these folks that noticed him first, smiles and cheerful greetings meeting him near the town square. He was surprised by it all, but knew it would serve him better to reciprocate. His mission hadn't changed, as attached to this place as he'd become...*

"Defenders, hm? Glad they never caught sight o' me, or I'd be in hot water in both places..." *He mused to himself, shaking the worry from his head as he stroked his short beard. It seemed he was the only 'Defender' attending as of now; any faces of note being far too new to have been present that day.*
"I'd 'ave wanted to see that noble again, asked 'em about their blackpowder weapon... 'dunno where they got it from, even now..."
Brenda
_Kiros sighs as he finishes up donning what he could of his new-ish leather armor. He tightened a few straps and then looks down to his forelegs with a sigh, "I guess I do need an apprentice..." His voice comes out with a tired resignation and carefully places the leg guards into his travel bag and shoulders it on. His cart will be safe here, no one would dare offend one of the defenders by touching their stuff. He takes one last look, making sure all of the tools were put away anyhow and nods with slight satisfaction, nothing that can easily walk away is not secured. His ears twitch slightly at the sound of the start of the celebrations and he mutters a curse under his breath, he's late. He quickly grabs his war hammer, the weight of it more comfortable this time after some time training more, and straps it to the side of his horse half's leather armor.

He carefully trots around the corner of the blacksmith's shop that he was working in and starts heading to the town center, waving to people as he passed them. He headed over to the podium and gave a slight bow to the Firebeard maiden(s) and his gaze moves on to the mayor, "Sorry for being late, Mayor Thislefoot."_
Melissa
"What a fest."

*Humbled a knight looking Figure standing in an alleyway that was close to the main road. His back was against the wall why crossing his hands. Most people might mistake him to a local guard or imperial one who was directed to protect the renowned vibrant festival. Severus arrived at Miller Dale with a lot of plans in mind. Upon arrival, he was about to kidnap some more people for his experiment. However, he felt lucky that he did not do that instantly after arriving.*

*The hustle and rustle atmosphere was engaging, even for an Undead. Mostly because he knew that in such an occasion, there would be rather important figures' appearance. The Mayor was a good instance.*

*From his safe corner, the Dark Knight could still see the Mayor speaking to the folks in town. His glowing eyes locked on the speaking man. If only the Dark Knight had a way to approach and get to know him... The defense against the Dwarvenkinds of the nearby land was also intriguing. Severus got another plan of visiting the land of Dwarfs in mind, but that was for another time.*

*He rested his left hand on the pommel of one of the swords. The sword kept making a strange clicking sound. As if it was trying to get Severus' attention. It was in need of a good blacksmith...*
Janie
*Not enjoying being glossed over, 'Necrosis' hums a touch in perplexing frustration. The stallker looks on to her with that hopeful gleam in their eyes, and the elf forces a tiny, obligated smile. The darkly dressed feminine figure reaches out then to try a lilac colored folding fan. It was very pastel and very bright in contrast to her own obsidian embroidered dress she was wearing.*


*She attempted to test it, fluttering it delicately against her collarbone. Necrosis made a mental note to find a tome later in the language of folding fans. Then she gives a playful little twirl, the fan snapping open and accidentally bouncing off of the shoulder of a certain-dryad-figure that happened to be walking by. Her eyes widen in surprise, her accent almost purring,* "Oh... My apologies, erm—"
Edward
*~A small hit to the shoulder was merely all it took to end his bewildered trance of the sights, the people, and the smells. He looks to the bush, which uses a root to point out the culprit of the accidental thwack.

His head turns softly, as a set of blue eyes, almost as blue as the sky, look at the individual. Upon seeing the dark outfit, he tilts his head softly.

His expression is a soft neutral face, not of dissatisfaction, more neutrality at the moment. The lilac catches his eyes, an out of spot statement, but an interesting one. Could it have been intentional or accidental? His hair shifted as he turned, and one leaf flew off, going by the face of the stranger. 

The bush moves closer, allowing him to grab on the the spare apples. He offers it to the stranger with a gentle smile before hespeaks in a soft gentle voice, perfectly elevated to be heard.~*

***"It's perfectly fine, there is a large gathering of people, so accidental bumps or thwacks, in your case, might happen. Would you like an apple? I purchased them just a few stalls back."***
Janie
*The striking blue eyes of Everett caught Necrosis' attention. She subconsciously lifts the fan, in an attempt to shield the rose-hued glow that dared to mark her cheeks. Her gilded colored gaze lingers upon his before she politely dips her head in kind. The proposition of the apple was considered, and after some ample beats, she graciously extends out her hand to take one,* "Thank you. It really was an accident. I don't think we have met." *The elf offers a tiny curl of a smile.* (
Edward
*~The red apple is gently placed in her hand, as Ever looks around. He notices that they had garnered a bit of attention. He thinks for a second, his hand resting on his chin for a mere moment. He gets a wonderful idea.~*

***"It seems that we have gathered a small audience. Shall we continue this conversation as we walk towards a bar for a drink or two?"***

*~He held out his hand, offering it to her to walk side by side with him. But after a moment, he moves, grabbing this waterskin and giving his bush some water. He pats the top softly. He then returns his gaze her and extend his hand once more.~*
Janie
*The elf's lithe fingers encircled around the vivid red apple, content to simply hold onto to it for the time being. Her gaze travels over the form of the very Druid-looking figure before her. She wondered, internally, how long it would take for her to scare him off. He seemed entirely too precious. Yet, it pinged a feeling of intrigue.* 

*She turns back briefly to the stallkeeper, drawing out her coin purse so that she may purchase the intensely pastel lilac colored folding fan. A few coins are exchanged and the trade has been made. A helpless curl reigns on her black painted mouth as she notices the violet embroidery of flowers on it that she did notice before.*

*Then, she politely turned back to Everett, closing her newly acquired fan for now and balancing it and the apple in one hand, while her free one cascades gently down into the hold of his own when offered.* 

"I am always up for a drink. I see your friend is too." *She tilts her head to the little bush, not seeming to be entirely shy and she proceeds to follow him, hand in hand.* (
Patricia
*The captain turned to the darkly dressed woman who stood out from mostly of the festival goers* "Hmm? Oh Me? Erm well me personally I like the red, but green is also nice.. Sorry if I came over a touch rude" *She sees her go for the purple fan and smiles, turning back to the stall she's at she exchanged some coin for a jar of freshly made honey and peanut butter, putting it her bag for later* "Thanks for that, can't wait to give it a try" 


*Amanda walks around the fest taking in all the festivities and atmosphere, deciding for a moment if she wants to eat next or keep browsing the stores, she'd heard there may be some games planned but unsure of what or when those are so kept a sharp ear out for it*
Sarah
It had been a few weeks since she had started travelling with Marshal, and it had been wonderful. She had never expected to meet someone like him, but she was eternally grateful that she had. They had arrived at Miller Dale the night before the festival, and booked a room in one of the inns. 

Now that it was the morning of the festival, she woke up a bit earlier than usual. Seeing that Marshal was still sleeping, she leaned over and gave him a few kisses on the cheek. "Good morning hun. It's time to wake up," She whispered softly.
Margarita
*Coming to this festival took some convincing for Marshal, even after leaving Cretaine, usually avoiding big crowds since he was so well recognised, but there's always new beginnings*

*He slowly woke up and smiled, returning the kisses to Sati* "Good morning my darling" *He sat up and saw the festival was already underway, getting up and gathering some clothes from his bag* "We should get a move on I suppose, don't want to miss it"

*He started getting himself dressed, sporting a green and purple cloak with a yellow shirt and shorts*
Linda
*Peering out from an alleyway nearby the courtyard where the mayor had spoken were a trio of dark-garbed figures. Two taller figures and one shorter. They watched the mayor give his abbreviated speech, noted the fire-bearded dwarven lady... And carefully noted the darker-garbed diminutive figures sneak off ...*
*One of the taller pair finally spoke up in hushed tones.*
Theodore
*The two taller figures, hands enshrouded in their robes, hoods pulled well over their heads to hide as much of their pale faces and sharp eyes as possible, turned to the shorter figure between them*
Edward
"I take it, boss, that this is why you didn't want to be up on stage to steal the show?"
Christopher
"Yeah, usually you like to steal the show. Or at least be on the streets performing and making money from the passers-by."
Jessica
*This shorter figure would normally not be so well-concealed. AC usually liked to stand out in a crowd, what with her coppery skin and golden-amber curly locks. But...*
"Yeah, right? I could be making so much money with my juggling, dancing, singing, yadda yadda! Festival crowds are a gold-minting machine! Especially if I had been up on stage with the mayor, first! ... But... We need to be on another kind of business. We need to make sure no more raiders sneak into town. I didn't trust seeing all those cloaked figures in the crowd...
Hehe, even if it means we can be sneaky, too. For all we know, it's not more raiders, it's more like us who are trying to inconspicuously protect the town some more!"
*She gestured after whichever short hodded figure had passed closest by them,* "Let's follow."
Theodore
*The twins followed their boss, their eyes lingering for a long moment on the centaur — **Kiros** — with whom they had shared some of the most harrowing moments of the last year's disaster. But, they could catch up with him soon. After AC they slunk!*
Linda
And so, the trio snuck after one of the cloaked, possibly-dwarven figures...
— — —
Sarah
She was glad that he had agreed to come to the festival with her, despite his initial hesitation. It was going to be her first time at an event like this and she didn't want to miss it. 

She accepted his affections and got out of bed quickly as well. "It just started, so we aren't missing anything yet. I heard the last few words of the Mayor's address. He mentioned something about there being an attack last year. But he had made sure that it wouldn't happen this time," Vasati said as she rummaged through her pack for her official outfit. It was going to be the first time she had worn it since she came to the surface. 

"So just to be on the safe side, I think I'll be carrying my weapons in my shadow for the festival. I want to be prepared if anything happens this year." 

Despite her words, the information hadn't dampened her enthusiasm at all. If anything, the chance to help the town that had showed her such kindness when she first came to the surface, was something that she didn't want to pass up. 

She was dressed in record time; sporting well fitting black leather pants, a rich purple wrap top, a yellow quarter-jacket with blue trimming that matched her eyes and a rich purple lining that matched her top, and her purple knee-high boots that had been accented with her blue magic thread. The only jewellery she wore was a simple blue crystal necklace and her standard piercings. 

"I'm ready!" She said as she turned to face Marshal and smiled at him approvingly. "Very handsome! And our purples and yellows match. Shall we get going? I don't want to miss out on anything."

The last thing she picked from her pack was a small coin purse that was filled with her spending money for the day.
Margarita
"Ravishing as always my sweet, love the jacket it's so cute. Let's go!" *He grabbed a shoulder bag and opened the door, holding it for Sati before closing it and locking it behind them, tucking the key away safely.*

*The streets were bustling with excitement for the festival, the early smells of food being prepared had Marshal intrigued* "Wow quite the turn out huh?"
Sarah
She beamed and headed out the door, and down the stairs to the ground floor. Once she was out of the building and on the street, the sights and smells of all of the food made her stomach growl. "Yup! I've never seen this many booths in one place! Or this many people in a small town. This turnout would rival the crowds in Certaine on the days that they have their religious gatherings."

There were merchants from all of the main kingdoms, and people from all over as well. Some were mingling and interacting openly, while others wore hoods to conceal their identities. Vasati wondered why anyone would want to hide themselves at a festival, but she didn't spend too much time thinking about it. 

"Do you want to go get some food? I'm starving."
Filomena
*With the festival in nearly full swing, the people would soon find themselves parting and giving away to a large fellow driving a large wagon full of what looked like wine barrels - another local stood atop the stacked barrels and announced himself loudly to all the crowd.*

"Listen up folks, the first game is now being announced! Should any of ye lot feel up to a bit of a daredevil of a time, then follow us to the hills and join in the Wine Barrel Race!! We'll have barrels of every size for any racers, will you roll and chase after yours, or will you so choose to ride upon it down the bouncy hills!!"

*A troop of musicians would be following alongside the wagon, playing music and there even appeared to a few painted jesters - many would begin to follow the wagon as it made its way to the chosen race track for the first game. It was sure to be a delight for all!*
Margarita
"Food? Yea that sounds-" *The large wagon and musicians caught Marshal's attention and had him fixated, once it'd moved along he looked to Sati and nudged her with his elbow* "Bet you I'll dominate any punk in that race, I'm gonna sign myself up for that fuck it"
Melissa
*All out of sudden, Severus noticed the enormous wagon that was fully loaded. A Wine Barrel Race could be interesting as he stopped thinking about all the other things to focus on that.*

"Oh hoh..." *He chuckles.*

*What a great occasion to practise precision, agility and controling. He stood straight up and swung his arm in the air in a circular pattern for a few times. He was definitely going to participate in the sounded silly event, with a hope that something good might happen.*
Wayne
Whether by accident or design, most likely a bit of both, Lir arrived after the mayor's brief speech.

His walking-stick, previously nothing more than a stylish affectation, now bore some of his weight as he walked with a slight but perceptible limp–one likely to remain with him for quite a long time, if it ever left.

Lir had his scimitars with him this time, hardly keen on the possibility of being caught unarmed. Since the disastrous festival the previous year, he had begun taking the scimitars with him on the now-uncommon occasions he ventured out of the house.

Lir limped into the square after the wagon carrying the wine-barrels rumbled in. He wove his way through the crowds and decided to rest.

He chose a bench near Gitroki and waved to the dwarf before settling down. Pressing his lips together, he studied the area. Kiros and the mayor on the podium, a small group having a conversation at a fan stall. 

And a few hooded figures lurking in the crowd.

"That's... Hardly comforting," Lir grumbled to himself. He watched one of the small hooded figures disappear from the crowd, followed by three others.
Sarah
The sight and sounds of the large wagon and music caught Vasati's attention as well. So when Mars gently elbowed her she knew what to expect. "I'm not sure about dominating anyone in the race, but I am definitely participating! Let's go find out where we need to sign up. And it's better we do this before eating. I wouldn't want to make a mess." She said, chuckling softly. 

She then grabbed his hand and followed in the procession eager to join in on the fun. "Aren't you glad I suggested coming for the festival?" She teased lightly.
Ryan
Keladan could not keep a smile from his lips. *Nor the wine for that matter*. He'd arrived back in Miller Dale by way of ship the night prior, and made a right *Killing* Off of that magic moss. And then it was just good fortune about it being a festival now~ The elf sat most contentedly against a tree on the green, looking about vaguely as if he wasn't hoping to see a small green haired enchantress somewhere. Unfortunately he never did, but he did notice someone else.. Standing out there in the square glamorously for a time. 

 Not even *The Cunning Golden Bard* Recognized Kel with his hair enchanted white. *Why did she have to be here..?* She certainly would if they came face to face~ Either way, he would enjoy this party much more than the last they'd went to.. He was determined about that.
Margarita
"Maybe they'll have a consolation prize heh" *He teased, kissing her forehead after* 

"Ya know what so far I am yeah!Looking forward to the rest of the day"
Patricia
*The Captain saw the offer for games but turned it down, not sure if it'd involve drinking but would rather not find out especially while technically still on duty. She walked around with a pastry as the festival started to kick into gear*
Alex
The ship was named The Cree, though no one on board could answer *Why*. It had come to the Dale from Tidehaven, flying the banner of Ostia as it came into harbor (though it had set out from Tidehaven flying the Jolly Roger) and was greeted by an empty wharf, since virtually everyone was off celebrating the festival. 

There was a clerk from the harbormaster's office, who took registration from the ship's captain, advising the crew that there would be no work done today, but that they could rest assured that the ship's wares could be unloaded at sunrise the following morn. This, coupled with the freedom to go and join the festivities that could be heard even from here, was enough for the crew and its passenger, and they were soon disembarked, heading in a steady stream toward the festival itself. 

Skout followed along behind the crew, largely ignored which suited him just as well, strolling at an easy pace as he took in the sight of the Dale from his new Balanced perspective. It did not take him long at all to see the signs of The Hull's faction here at work; the crew was met by a small group of urchins who plead for copper while the older members scanned each of them as potential marks to be followed. The familiar scene brought a small smile to his lips as he continued past, making a minute gesture with three fingers in a cutting motion to signal to one of the urchins that he was not going to interfere, and they left him alone as well as a result.

The festival crowds soon immersed him, and he floated into their midst like a phantom, sharing calm smiles to those who caught his glance and a mischievous wink to those few who recognized him, mostly thieves and urchins on the prowl among the festival, though he was glad to see that many of them were actually actively enjoying themselves and work was not the priority. He found himself approving.

Only the little mayor himself paused at the sight of the short, slender man in worn black leathers, those eyes going wide be

Hind his spectacles at the known thief, but in the end, he only gulped and continued on in his quest to taste the next slice of pie. 

Skout found his way to where a cidermaker offered pulls of his best apple ciders, and produced his pewter mug from his belt for the man to fill it. He tipped the man generously for the offering, the resumed his stroll through the crowds, drinking and taking in the merrymaking vibe of festival as it surged around him. The humor and warmth were infectious, and while he could now feel the flows of both chaos and order all around him, all seemed right in this place, and he could simply live the experience. No one of any consequence knew him, and he felt at ease despite the hustle, bustle, and excitement going all around him. 

Peace.
Sarah
She grinned at his affections and then took his hand as they walked toward the location of the next game. "I never said I wasn't going to try to win," She said, sticking her tongue out at him. "I just don't want to jinx myself by assuming I'll win."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something at a jewellery vendor that she immediately wanted. 

"Hey hun, gimmie a sec, I'll be right back," She said, squeezing his hand gently.
Linda
This particular set of three hooded figures, trailing the **Other** Set of hooded figures, pulled up short as they spied the wagon loaded with wine barrels, and heard what was announced!
Theodore
*The taller figures turned their hooded heads to peer at their shorter companion*
Christopher
"Well, there goes the mission..."
Jessica
*As, the shorter figure was already pushing back her own deep hood, revealing golden-amber curly locks. Something that just might stand out a bit more in a crowd, or at least make it a bit harder to blend for sneaky-sneakiness.*
"Ok, that game looks like fun! We should ... Well, or at least **I** Should go. Hmmm... Maybe you two should still trail those short cloaked figures."
Theodore
*The twins looked disappointed in the depths of their hoods, until...*
Edward
"Hey, look, it's Lir! Maybe he saw them too, and can help us decide whether they're still worth trailing."
Jessica
*Beaming happily, AC nodded in agreement, and the trio headed towards Lir, calling greetings*
Lynn
*Liber arrives at the festival, a huge grin on their face, the sparkling lights and music show was unlike anything they had seen yet, tucking their hands in their pockets, they enjoy the show, sitting on a bench.*

*They then grab a newpaper, and start reading it...*

"Mhm..."

*.. They then tosses it in a bin.* 

"Heh. Politics. Boring as always."

*They raise their head to the light show, admiring it in awe.*

"Tis sure a good day to be alive."
Sandra
*She had hitched a ride on a merchant caravan. She was helping out with some of the nighttime guard duty so she had a tendency to sleep well into the next day. She finally tumbled out of the wagon they had been letting her sleep in only to find that everyone else had gone their way. They were off making their deliveries or enjoying the festival. She wiped the sleepy seeds from her eyes, looking around at other empty wagons before making her way slowly towards the center of town where it seemed that most of the activity was happening.*

*She was in no hurry and took her time, looking over the houses and building structures, noting the differences between what she had seen at the college as well as the occasional Elven structures she had seen on her travels.*

*Succulent smells drifted on the air from the food stalls and her stomach growled loudly in response. She had food of her own that she could eat but nothing that smelled as good as what was being sold here. Fortunately, she had a number of coins on hand from her guard work and she was more than willing to part with some of them in order to fill her belly with delectable treats. Following her nose, the scents wafting on the air drew her onward until she found herself slipping quietly through the crowd. Her mouth watered as she looked from vendor to vendor, each one seemed more appealing than the last. Her stomach gave another loud complaint, telling her brain to just pick something. She placed the soothing hand upon it while placing an order for a hardy bread bowl filled with a thick meaty stew. She also picked up some delicate sweets to enjoy afterwards. It was difficult finding a place to sit and enjoy her food but she eventually managed to find one on the outskirts of the tables where she could watch some of the entertainers at work.*
Filomena
*Those that were interested in the  would likely find a decent sized crowd just outside of town near the hills, watching how this first game would go!*
Margarita
"Ok I'll chill here my sweet" *Marshal leans against a wall as he looks around where the race might be, eventually a crowd masses on-top of a hill and barrels being lined up, he stand up and walks towards the tent Sati ran to* "Hey I can see they're about to start the race! Quick let's go!" *He says with urgency and excitement in his voice*
Sarah
As she got the the jewellery vendor, she smiled and introduced herself. Then she inquired about the piece of jewellery she had seen. The vendor smiled, and commented that she had a good eye. She haggled on the price for a few minuted before parting with two gold coins for the set. 

"Please can you wrap it specially? It's a gift." Vasati asked the vendor. The jewellery-maker smiled brightly and did as she asked. He wrapped the items she bought in a piece of silky black cloth and then placed them into a matching pouch. 

"Thank you!" She said gratefully as she collected her items and placed them in her shadow; along with her money purse. 

And then she went back to join Marshal so they could head up to the hill to join the race.
Wayne
Frowning, Lir leaned towards Gitroki and used his walking-stick to gesture at the rapidly-disappearing group of hooded figures he had spotted.

"I say... Do you see that?" He asked the dwarf quietly.

Then one of the figures pushed back its hood to reveal AC's familiar golden curls, and Lir leaned back on his bench.

"Aaah... Perhaps it's nothing." His voice brightened slightly as the three young women approached.

"Good day, ladies." Lir's smile, however, was a bit forced. "Friends of yours?" He glanced in the direction he had last seen the other hooded people, but the distraction of AC and the twins approaching him (along with the fact that he *Is* Half-blind, after all) meant that he had lost sight of them.

Lir eyed the barrel-laden wagon as it began rolling away, peeling a sizeable chunk of the festival crowd with it.
Julie
"Gah- Those three..."
*Gitroki had spotted the trio a few minutes before, his upper lip tugged into a snarl as he shook his head. The marksman wasn't much of a people person at the best of times, but the combined energy of the Hoffs and AC was enough to make his blood cool. Lir had managed to sneak up on him, Gitroki jumping slightly and snapping his head to glare at him.*
"Who!?- Oh, Lir. Good to see ya', and I did. Whole town's got eyes on a swivel fer' hooded malcontents this year, eh?"
*His countenance softened rather quickly, the familiar face lowering his nerves.*
Theodore
*Well, Gitroki was in luck, as AC peeled off after one more wave to Lir and followed the barrel wagon. Thus, the Hoffs approached Lir without their boisterous boss, thus removing a good 3/4 of the energy he feared. The twins did tend to be lower-key on their own, unless critters were involved*
Christopher
"Master Lir," *Greeted Heidi, while*
Edward
*Hildi tried to discern Gitroki's expression as the pair approached, eyes sliding their gazes back and forth looking for Lir's warmount Kyre.*
Christopher
"AC's going to join the barrel event, but," *Lowering her voice,* "We're keeping an eye on those other cloaked figures. Hopefully they don't mean more trouble for this year..."
Wayne
Guilt consumed Lir as Gitroki jumped and snapped his head around.

"Heavens, my good man, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Indeed, he hadn't meant to sneak up on the dwarf, but that hardly mattered–Lir had managed to do so at any rate.

He sighed as Gitroki commented on the hooded figures. "Seems so. Could be any number of things. Could be nothing." He crossed his arms and nodded at the twins, though he crooked a brow as AC joined the barrel race. He returned her wave and tilted his head at Heidi.

"Just Lir, please, my darling. I've no titles."

Hildi, sadly, will be disappointed–Kyre is nowhere to be seen.

Lir squinted at the swirling crowds, though he no longer saw any of the suspicious people. "Certainly not a bad idea to keep an eye on them. Not terribly criminal to go lurking about, but I mislike it."
Gary
A *Half-elf* With red eyes Hearing word of the town's happenings, Nico made his way from Tidehaven, seemingly arriving at a good time. The music drew him in as he saw the barrel racing happening as he neared. Unsure of the reason for such a festival, he hoped to attain memorable moments he could later share with those willing.

"As busy as Tidehaven except with an air of happiness... One could get used to this." He heads on over to the nearest stall for a cider, then continued to watch the race from afar.
Ethel
*An amber eyed lady would hear about the town's happenings from some dwarves she encountered at the markets of Aismir and decided to come and check them out. The sounds of music and people cheering would draw her towards the barrel racing,"Such a strange race" She would say to herself in her head.*

*Before she headed further into the crowd she would catch a whiff of mead,which she currently was out of. Claire would procure some local mead and watched the barrel race from the high ground (it's over barrel racers I have the high ground!)*
Ryan
The barrel race did not interest the enchanter. If anything his only current concern was with finding a more lavish setting to enjoy such a celebration. That though was unlikely to be found in the Dale as nice as it was, *It really is hard when you are an elf with superior sense of taste and aesthetic.* Truly.

 Keladan was in the middle of considering how exactly he would conjure up a little more flare, and cramming everleaf into his pipe when he overheard some exciting chatter from a couple of passerby. 

"I'm telling you it's *Him*. The real deal. **The** Skout!"

 A set of pointed ears perked up with that but he stopped listening as they continued walking. This was interesting indeed. Keladan rose from his spot against the tree eyeing the crowd sagely. With a puff of blue curling everleaf smoke~ Kel started to meander. *Ears and eyes on alert.* Soon enough something or someone would point out what he sought in the din.

 Through his delightful buzz~ the elf also had to wonder... Was such a famed thief really *That skilled*? If word of his feats were so common.. Or was he just that much of a living legend? 

 Either way, Kel would get to the bottom of it! And perhaps *The Scout* Could point out what had went wrong with his last disaster of a job.
Aretha
*Soon a few hours have passed after traveling out of the mountain, Rigmar had made his way along Miller-dale, following the narrow grasslands, and the pathway which was set to lead into the Village itself, his Galloping of his horse almost heard from a mile away with his steed pressing forwards with large strides.*

*Naying could be heard in the distance, as Rigmar rears his horse, to look over-view, along the rolling hills of the Village itself to find the Festival was near enough at its peak. Siding his horse as he tugged the reins slightly for the horse to patter the ground. *

*The outline of the knight was up on the hill, as he could be seen, sitting confidently on his horse.*

**"Seems like we have made it Stallion, though a rather rough journey to behold... Seems like we've got out of it unscathed".** *He would casually look at the view, it seems like it was worth it coming to the Festival at least, he puts his hand on the side of his pouch, and would pull out a parchment reading the parchment once again to refresh his memory..*

*Parchment:* 𝔗𝔬 ℜ𝔦𝔤𝔪𝔞𝔯 ℭ𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔢, ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔭𝔲𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔱𝔬 𝔓𝔞𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔩 𝔞𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔞𝔩 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔪𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬 𝔰𝔲𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔠𝔦𝔬𝔲𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔯𝔢𝔞. ℑ 𝔬𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔪𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔦𝔱 𝔟𝔢𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔞𝔩 𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔬𝔯 𝔢𝔩𝔰𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔤𝔢𝔱 𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔴𝔢 𝔞𝔤𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔪𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔞𝔩𝔰𝔬 𝔪𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔢, 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔬𝔫-𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔪𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔡𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔰𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔡𝔲𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔰, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔡 ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔬𝔭𝔰 𝔊𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢, 𝔞𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔞 𝔨𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔬𝔣, ℑ 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔟𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔞𝔣𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔞𝔩, 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥 𝔦𝔱 𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔪𝔢 2 𝔡𝔞𝔶𝔰. 𝔜𝔬𝔲

𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔴𝔞𝔦𝔱 𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔩 ℑ 𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫... 

 𝔉𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔏𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔉𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔪𝔞𝔫, ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔣 𝔅𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔨𝔢 ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔫𝔶.

**"A Reassurance Patrol, but why here? It seems as though the place itself is far beyond violence... Hm- Could Fordman be over-reacting..."**

*He sighed, as he Trots along, going towards the City itself, and now making it inside, seeing most of the fellow people here. As he finds a place to put his horse, he would rest it up on the bench, and attached it firmly, making sure it was secure.*

**"Wait here Stallion.."** *He waved his finger at Stallion, slightly in jest and then walked along, the Town without him for a while*

*The knight had somewhat battered armor, that seemed fairly polished, but had a lot of scratches, it seemed like full plate, and along side that was an Armet and a red cape, that allured behind his back. He was somewhat a odd sight to behind, in a Town like Miller-dale...*
Filomena
*While much of festival goers had gone to watch the Barrel Race, of which had now come to an end - seemed there was some sort of banter between two racers, one claiming they had come in first over the other.*

*All the while, the trio of Dwarves that had been sneaking about had found themselves in the main square, of which while decorated nicely didn't seem to have as many people around. Save for a big hatted wizard fellow that was standing in front of five large barrels, or least they looked like barrels? They appeared to be almost man made, what with their metal and wooden arms, and they all had very odd faces?*

"Alright so all the markings should be carved in... Yes I do believe these are ready, now lets get you five up and running yes?" *He remarked, beginning to chant the spell of which slowly started causing movement in the barrel golems. His focus was totally on casting the spell that he didn't see the three dwarves creeping up from behind him; just as he began speaking the last words one of the dwarves knocked him right over!*

"Well these creations should be enough to cause some trouble! To hell with this town for thinking they could hold their stupid festival again!" *Hollered the Dwarf, whom was clearly a younger one along with the other two. The barrel golems started to stand up slowly, but the spell wasn't complete as while the trio of dwarves were clearly celebrating the havoc they planned the bring - the five barrel golems seemed to look down upon them before beginning to pound the ground around them.*

"Uh lads, I don't think they'll be listening to us!" *Cried one Dwarf, when one of the golems tried to grab him. Clearly without the spell being finished, the golems now saw the three Dwaves as their targets! The three quickly started running for their lives, with the five barrel golems in pursuit!*

*Looks like the second 'Game' as begun!*
Ethel
*Seeing as the two winners of the barrel race were squabbling like a bunch of turkeys Claire would make her way to the main square to see if she could rustle up some grub,and maybe a drink...*

*The sounds and smells of the main square would dampen Claire's attuned senses,after all most fairs and festivals aren't known to be quiet places.
Eventually Claire would score herself a beef and veggie kebab,which tasted pretty good(even if the meat could've used more seasoning ),which she devoured due to the fact that she skipped lunch.*

*As Claire walked down the street she'd hear the faint sounds of screaming,not the good,bedroom kind of screaming,rather the screams of some terrified people.With hammer in hand Claire would follow the screams till she reached the further parts of the city,where she would see dwarves being chased by barrels,which she'd find a little odd,anyway Claire would lob her hammer like a pitcher ,not a belly itcher, in the arm* *Insert metal pipe sound here*

*The hammer,being dwarven made, would do considerable damage to the closet barrel golem,lodging itself in the golems shoulder. Claire failed to realize is that her hammer won't come back to her hand like a boomerang so I guess she's gonna have to go in organic till she gets her hammer back.*
Ryan
There was some slight commotion going on a ways back and yonder, Kel absently took a gander over his shoulder before accepting a nice full wooden tankard of honeyed mead and continuing his quest.

 *Now..* What if the human is disguised.. Perhaps the elf could be assisted by a small enchantment of finding~ perhaps.. Unfortunately his thoughts were getting drowned out. You see, the hubbub from yonder in the square was spreading seemingly into chaos. Panic even~ Keladan had to sidestep a midair gnome. And sloshed some mead onto his boot in the process, with a groan he felt a small portion of his mana being siphoned away as his enchantments sizzled and charmed the uncleanly aesthetic defilement on his shoe back to propriety.

 Keladan was no hero, it was all he could do to avoid getting trampled or hurt. But for some reason he wasnt feeling the slightest bit of anxiety at all. Perhaps the weed and the drink would do him in.. The enchanter wanted to go someplace else to return to festivities yet, as he looked about. He couldn't help but feel like the scout might show up here. Where things were *Chaotic* And most interesting.

 He stalked gracefully around the danger, stopping to check his hair in the reflection of an upturned silver platter. Before finding a nice inconspicuous place to watch and feel cheeky as some young paladin made a stand against these barrel creatures.
Jessica
*AC had worked hard to maneuver that barrel, and to **Resist** The urge to show off too much in that race! ... A good thing, as she knew she woulda fallen on that pretty face and worse, mussed those golden-amber curls, had she ran atop that barrel then hit those rocks... 
But then... Then... Through ~~sheer luck~~ her amazing talent ... She managed to keep up and win!
Well, **She** Knew she won. But, that other person... How dare he argue with her! She knew she'd won! So, she let him have a piece of her mind! She was persuasive! She was smooth! She ... She was **Right!** She knew this judge would agree with her!

But then...

**Then**...
Donald
. O O ( ummm... Boss? ) *The whip, still in her hand, wriggled in a way that might just be noticeable to that dastardly opponent of hers, and the judge if they were paying good attention.*

*The whip's thong reached up and pointed back to the square.*
Jessica
*AC cut off her ~~annoyed squabbling~~ suave and clever negotiating and turned her gaze to follow the whip's pointing* "Whoooaaa... Damn!
Yeah, ok, that's more important..." *She couldn't help but grin, and she brandished her whip in the direction of the hubbub, hullaballoo, and so on.*
"Let's go check it out. It just might be time to be ..." *She struck a showy pose, tossing her curly hair with her right hand, brandishing the whip in a different way with her left hand held back with the other,* "A **Hero** Again! ... That, and we better check on the Hoff and Lir, too."
*And she sprinted back thattaway!*
Theodore
***Meanwhile...** The Hoffs had been remaining quiet and polite as they more-or-less flankex Lir as the gentleman spoke with his presumably-just-as-gentlemanly dwarven friend. They ... Well, mostly kept an eye out for the hooded figures, but lost track of them in the tumultuous and rowdy crowd as they chose to remain by Lir, figuring their duty should be to stick by him and make sure no harm came to him.

Besides... Kyre might turn up!

Aaand that's when even more of a ruckus began to transpire. They craned their necks, trying to see what the heck the screaming, running, and hollering was about without having to remove their rather enshrouding hoods. Darn ... Darn **Sunlight**... How could they maintain their lovely paleness ... Ok, and protect their sensitive eyes ... With all those golden rays trying to tan them? ... Well, with their complexion, probably burn them, but let's not get semantic here.
They didn't leave Lir's side, though. They presumed at this point that 'twas better to keep Lir covered for the time being. Move, crowd, they wanted to see what the fuss was about!
They **Did** Dig out their weaponrry, though, Hildi pulling her fighting short-staff forth while Heidi pulled out her deck of cards and began shuffling through for those she would boost Hildi with...
Melissa
*He had done with the race, that was pure fun and he also got to know his limits. Why mumbling about something, he suddenly heard something from afar. Something that was not so welcoming... With a smirk on his covered face, he twisted his shoulders and wrists a bit before heading to the source of the sound.*
Ethel
*Claire not wanting to draw attention to herself she'd nonchalantly grab a nearby wooden bench to use as a makeshift weapon and charged at the barrel golem that her hammer was lodged in.*

*Like a drunk man wielding a beer glass Claire would slam the wooden bench into the barrel golems back,knocking her hammer free,while making a dent in the golems back.*

*Once she retrieved her hammer,then hit the golems side with her hammer,sending it toppling into some nearby ordinary barrels.*
Sandra
*Lunch had been delicious but was now over as she made her way through the crowd when the disruption began. She was jostled back and forth as the crowd couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to move closer to see what was going on or move back, to get away from possible fighting. In annoyance, she wiggled forward pushing her way through the people, popping out in the open at the edge of the road. Claire's display of strength and violence certainly made quite the spectacle as she took out one of the golems.*

*The other golems were giving chase down the road but one was getting a little too close to Eli for her own comfort. She feared it was going to careen right into her. As it got closer, she shifted her hand in a quick gesture and a 5' cube of hard packed earth vanished in front of the golem as it lifted it's foot to take a step. The cube appeared 25' above the hole and began plummeting downward while the golem tumbled forward, unable to stop. It fell into the hole, rather harmlessly, scrambling to stand back up as 10,000lbs of hard packed earth slammed into it from above.*

*Eli smiled at first, then looked around nervously, unsure how others felt about the use of magic. It seemed like a good idea to escape notice by drifting back into the crowd, hoping that no one would come after her for it.*
Wayne
Lir, anxious about the festival's air, could not focus on any one event. He spared several glances towards the barrel-race that AC had entered, but he also watched the thronging crowds around him, the Hoffs, and Gitroki.

The crowds milled about normally until the barrel-race ended and the second "Game" Commenced.

Three dwarves, pursued by five... Running barrels shot into the main square.

Lir pointed his walking-stick at the dwarves and barrel-golems.

"Oh, for goodness' sake... Are you *Fucking* Joking?" Lir moaned to no one as he rose from his bench, leaning on his walking-stick. 

"Again, really?" Lir unsheathed one scimitar. He glanced at the watchmen and mercenaries present, many hired to protect the event.

Yet again, only other festival-goers were trying to contain the threat. 

One young woman had flung a hammer at a barrel-golem before deciding to pick up a bench to retrieve said hammer. A pink-haired elf had found a vantage point to watch the upcoming carnage. Another young woman had managed to lift a huge mass of earth to smash one of the golems right into the ground. Lir cringed at seeing that sorcery.

Lir placed himself between the twins and Gitroki and the dwarves and barrel-golems racing through the festival as the Miller Dale watch and hired mercenaries did **Absolutely nothing**.

Still facing the chaos erupting in front of him, he gestured to the twins and Gitroki with his walking-stick.

"That way. Let's go." He pointed to a path leading out of the square, watching the dwarves and golems. As AC sprinted towards them, he pointed to her as well.

"Back to the house," He ordered, his eye locked on the golems and dwarves. Then he stepped forward towards the fray, coming closest to the young woman who had hurled the bench. The woman who had moved the very ground frightened him far more, so he kept a bit away from her.

Yet a barrel-golem turned, locked its gaze on Lir, and then charged at him and his little group.
Filomena
*The sudden coming and chaos the three dwarves had brought in caught many off guard - but quickly the local watch and hired mercenaries moved in to get the crowds out of the way of the stomping barrel golems.*

*Thankfully it seemed the barrels only focused on fighting opponents or chasing after the dwarves, four out of the five had gotten caught up in fighting some of the locals while a few mercenaries helped by forming a spear wall to keep the golems from getting at the crowds.*

*The 5th barrel golem was still keeping up the pursuit of the three dwarves, with a handful of the local watch rushing to chase after it.*

*Those fighting the other golems would find them to be able to take a decent beating; some in the crowd began to cheer for the locals fighting.*

"Just keep these damn things pinned in, I doubt they'll last long after a decent beat down!" *Called one of the mercenaries.*
Ethel
*After that whole lodging her hammer,Claire would find another bench and threw it at a nearby barrel golem,then while it was stunned from the bench hit Claire would beat on the barrel golem,the sound of clashing metal would echo through the town.*

*Before Claire could get another swing in the golem would hit Claire,sending her flying into a nearby empty stall.Claire would groan as she rose,she'd definitely be feeling that one in the morning.*

*Next to her would be a large piece of splintered wood.Claire grabbed this piece of wood and lobed it into the closet golem,the piece of wood would pierce the golem's body,if that wasn't enough Claire would run at the golem,then with her added momentum would jump up slammed her hammer down into the golem,splitting down the middle.Now noticing the golem that was chasing the the dwarves Claire would throw the remains of one of the golems at the other golem to give the dwarves and the other man a time to get somewhere safe.*
Ryan
As long as Keladan focused, he could continue suppressing his presence and watching idly. Sipping at that tasteful honey mead. He had the fortune of leaping up to a balcony from the top of a barrel and now sat there considering things.. The enchanter thought of charming that lionhearted fighter in the center of the chaos with a buff of strength, but after a glance he decided she was doing quite well for herself. After some more consideration and a shrug. The elf stood, setting his mug on the railing. He'd decided this was as good a place as ever to practice. With a conspicuous look over his shoulder Kel brought out a tiny vial like potion jar. He crushed it into the wood of the rail with his palm and closed his violet tinted eyes.

 A red glow began to spill out from the gaps beneath his hand and a grim look of satisfaction overtook the elf's features. Keladan opened his eyes with a impish fae smile and overturned his hand. Palm upwards. As he chose a barrel, a bolt of violet red arced out of his palm at an astonishing speed. The intense heat of it, and surprise sent Keladan recoiling back falling into the deck of the balcony. He didn't even get to see as one of the golems legs was sheared right off of it with molten pink red light.
Theodore
*The twins gave each other a long, sidelong glance as Lir stepped in tront of them to protect **Them**!*
Edward
"It's supposed to be our job to protect **You**, isn't it?"
Christopher
"So, with that in mind, Heidi found two cards, and shoved them ... Into Hildi's mouth, one, then a good ten seconds later, the other. Once the magicks took effect, she would step sideways, sideways, seeking to get a good line of fire as she withdrew a hand-crossbow from her cloak and loaded it up.*
Edward
*Hildi felt stronger and tougher, and even flexed a bit, brandishing her fightin' stick as she tried circling around Lir to engage the barrel golem menacing them!*
Jessica
*AC skidded to a stop as Lir called to her,* "Wait, what, but we need to help fi- ..." *But, then one of the barrel golems rounded on them and charged Lir!*
"Well, now we can all be happy! Hildi, Heidi, Strategy T3!"
Christopher
*Getting their instructions, the twins nod.
Heidi yelled to catch the golem's attention, then raising her hand-crossbow, fired a bolt at the thing!
Of course, this did little more than annoy the heck out of the thing as the bolt stuck in its ... Well, barrel. But, it did round on Heidi and give a snarl.*
Jessica
*But, this opened up a chance for AC! She raced around behind the golem and as it took a few lumbering steps toward Heidi, AC twirled dramatically and snapped Ecki, her whip at ... One of its legs! The whip ensnared a lower leg and AC gave a hard yank, causing the golem to totter!*
Edward
*Hildi now gave her own battle cry as she charged in to spin and club the teetering golem with much more force than one might expect from a woman her size, thanks to her sister's arcane enhancements.*
"Down you go!"
*And, crash, down it went! It wasn't disabled, of course, but they got it off its feet!*
Gary
*Nico watched, observing the chaos that ensued soon after the exciting barrel race concluded, handily avoiding the shrapnel from the barrel golems' destruction. It almost felt to him that the people of Miller Dale WANTED something to destroy... To perhaps take their frustration out, for the events that led to the creation of this festival. With each barrel golem broken, cheers had rung out around town, leaving the air with less tension than it had before. This memory would be worth keeping and sharing for years to come.*
Melissa
*The Dark Knight arrived at the chaotic mess. Hardly did he take it too long to walk but there was something else on the way had distracted him. However, the situation when he arrived seemed to be pressed down a lot. The barrels were just useless compared to the able fighters.*
Julie
*Gitroki had little interest in the festival itself, opting to hover near Lir and the twins as a silent sentry. Once the chaos broke out, he was quick to take action, firing a few bolts into the golem charging the trio. But his attention was quickly taken by a set of familiar cries, the sight of three dwarves running from one of the animated barrels turning his blood to ice.*

"Are those...? For Nonika's sake, you bastard brats!"
*His internal temperature seemed to rise quickly as he roared their way, angrily slinging his crossbow back and uncovering the imposing length of wood and metal. He raised it as if to aim it, squeezing the trigger as he lined up with the pursuing barrel golem.*

**CRAAACK!!**

*-Failure!-*

*The thunder of gunpowder rang out through the town square, but no impact was heard. Only the angry mutterings of a dwarven marksman, his beard now peppered with ash. The musket was slung away once more, the crossbow gripped tight as he stormed in the dwarves' direction - cursing at the top of his lungs in Ironhammer dwarvish all the while.*
Wayne
The already bad day had now deteriorated into absolutely horrible.

When one of the mercenaries called out his "Helpful" Advice to keep the barrel-golems pinned down, Lir grumbled, "That was supposed to be *Your* Job."

Chaos once again enveloped what was supposed to have been a simple spring festival. Most of the barrel-golems now lay in pieces all over the square, but the last...

Lir blinked as Heidi shoved a card into Hildi's mouth. In the ten seconds before the second card slid into Hildi's mouth, Lir let his walking-stick clatter to the ground and unsheathed a dagger from his belt.

Lir flung the little dagger at the charging barrel-golem. The dagger thunked into the barrel-golem, piercing its wooden skin and setting it a-wobble. 

"Shit," Lir hissed as the dagger failed to appreciably slow the barrel-golem. AC and Ecki did get it to stumble as it charged them, the whip curling round the barrel's leg and tripping it.

Relieved, Lir sighed.

Until a massive explosion ripped through the air at his side, startling him so that several more rather colourful metaphors left his mouth and his scimitar clanged onto the cobble-stones. His ears began ringing whilst Gitroki cursed and rushed the three dwarves.

"Hell's bells, man, not you, too! At least learn to use that damn thing!" Lir yelled. He scraped his scimitar off the ground and stalked after Gitroki, shoving aside a mercenary who stood watching the attendees handle the golems.

"Move!" Lir snapped at the mercenary as he limped after Gitroki and the dwarves.
Theodore
*The Hoffs jumped just about outta their skins as Gitroki fired off their boomstick! They cussed loudly, rather unlike them, then looked rather sheepish as they came down from the split-second shock.
Edward
*Hildi then crouched, ready to spring forward once again... But then stepped back as...*
Jessica
*As Gitroki then Lir stalked after the dwarves, AC waved Hildi back,* "Hang on, now that Lir and his buddy cleared out of the way... Let me blast it! **Then** You leap in for what I **Hope** Will be a finishing shot!"
*As the golem rolled back and forth on the ground like a turtle flipped onto its back, she sidestepped slowly, crouched as if stalking it herself, then... Leapt forthward!*
**Sploosh!** 
*With a burst of golden-glittery watery light, AC vanished... And was replaced by a blast of high-pressure water crashing into the ||~~Stevo-ing~~|| turtling barrel golem, sending it rolling over a few times... AC reformed from the water with a swirl of that glittery-golden watery light*
"Ok, Hildi, let's crack it!" *She leapt back over to the golem and with a leaping flippity-flip, landed hard on the golem boots first! Crack!*
Edward
*Hildi nodded, and dashed in, and near the same time as AC leapt herself for extra oomph and drove her fightin' stick hard into the wood of the barrel...*
**Crack!!!**
*The golem stopped moving.*
Jessica
*AC posed for what she hoped was an awe-inspired, admiring audience, and with her free hand floofed her golden-amber, curly hair*
"There! That's **That!**"
Theodore
*Heidi stepped up by Hildi, and the two stood there flanking AC, also looking quite ready to pose.*
Jessica
"Job well done, ladies! Let's go catch up to Lir and his buddy."
*The trio trotted after Lir...*
Ethel
*Claire would slightly wince as the broomstick went off,her sensitive ears hated incredibly loud noises.*

*Before Claire could take care of the next barrel golem ,others would be dealing with them,such as two pale twins and a golden haired lady,who'd work together to take down the final golem,while Claire wasn't adept in magic,she couldn't hate the results of said magic.As the three ladies were posing for their adoring audience Claire would race off to apprehend the troublesome dwarves,heading in their direction,dwarves had a distinct smell to them,like deer or bear,but instead of smelling musky,dwarves tended to smell like alcohol and forge smoke, so she'd be on their trail like a grey wolf chasing down a deer.*
Ryan
The elf had regained his footing back upon the balcony. After rising he took up his mug of mead from its precarious position once more. Now he leaned against the railing languidly drinking of the draft. He watched AC below with her display. There was a time when he would be down there with her. Soaking in the attention, but now he enjoyed the lack thereof with a relaxed guile. *The skout* Crossed his mind again then. Kel wondered if he too had chanced to observe this golem fiasco as well.
Diane
The dwarves raced through the square, knowing that at least two people were chasing them. They shot down a nearby alley, and one glanced back.

"Faster!" He urged his companions upon seeing four others join the chase. The dwarves ran as hard as they could, but their pursuers were quickly closing the gap.
Wayne
Lir charged alongside Gitroki as they chased the dwarves through the square and down the alley, though his stride grew more and more uneven with each step.

As he ran, he fumbled for a second dagger in his belt. He drew it, but it slipped through the three fingers of his right hand and clattered to the ground.

"Damn it!" Lir hissed, but he kept running.
Jessica
*AC and the Hoffs noted the speed of the dwarves, that one hunter-lady, then grumbled as Lir and Gitroki picked up speed in their own pursuit,*
"Ok, now the chase is **Really** On!"
*And they picked up the pace and ran!*
Theodore
*The Hoffs grumped as the running wore on, lifting the bottom hems of their robes a bit so as to not trip, dodging and weaving around other passers-by, be it away from the mayhem or towards it to find ways to help*
Christopher
"Were they the ones who set those golems up?"
Edward
"Even if they weren't, they have to be up to something or we'd not all be chasing them, right?"
Jessica
"We'll be finding out!" *AC shook her whip threateningly as the trio tried to catch up especially to Lir! Gotta protect the Lir.*
*... She glanced around furtively, wondering if Sir Jathak would be putting in another thunderous appearance this year...*
Donald
*AC's whip did a favor by reaching down to retrieve Lir's dagger for him as they passed it by. Because, helper.*
— — —
Ethel
*Claire would notice the four other people chasing down the dwarves,so if these dwarves decided to fight instead of run they would be at severe disadvantage.*

*Claire was tempted to throw her hammer at them but seeing as this was dwarven made it would most likely kill them if it made contact with them,so she'd just kept chasing them down,closing the gap along with the others.*
Jon
*As Marshall was getting back from the barrel race, feeling pretty good about him self he wondered back to where him and Vasati agreed to meet if they got split up. While he's looking around for her and calling out her name the festival decends into chaos as... Barrel golems? Were reeking havok. Feeling pretty spooked by this not having much experience with magic or whatever it was like this Marshall sprinted away while looking for Sati, eventually taking cover behind one of the stalls. 

Once it was seemingly over Marshall peered his head up, spotting Sati in the crowd and running up to her* "What the fuck was that?!"
Sarah
After needing to withdraw from the barrel race, she decided to head to the bottom of the hill to wait for Marshal. She watched their progress eagerly as she made her way to the base of the hill and loudly cheered for Mars as she did. 

Now that she wasn't focused on her own barrel, she could see all of the antics that the participants were displaying. And Marshall running backwards on his barrel took the cake. 

She got to her position at the bottom just in time to see that he was one of the winners. When he started a debate with the other winner, she just chuckled and watched them go at it. The small woman radiated magical energy, but she didn't seem violent. So she wasn't worried about protecting her love. 

However, when the sound of screaming started to echo from the town square, she tensed. She looked between Marshall and the square one more time before deciding to find out what was going on. 

"He'll wait at our spot if he doesn't find me. He'll be okay if I take care of whatever is causing this chaos," She mumbled to herself as she darted in the direction of the square. 

By the time she got to the square, there were several other fighters engaging what looked like living barrels... With arms and legs? She didn't understand what she was seeing initially, but she eventually accepted that they were some sort of wooden golems. 

*'But who would do this?'* She thought to herself as she surveyed the scene. It was clear that she wasn't needed to take care of them, so she just observed. That's when she noticed that the golems were chasing a trio of dwarves, and the crumpled form of a wizard on the opposite side of the square. 

*'So they attacked a wizard. But not before he could defend himself,'* She thought to herself. *'What if there are others?'*

With that thought, she switched gears. She needed to find Mars and fast. If there were other dwarves out to cause trouble as well, he might be a target because of his participation in the games.

.
She started to make her way to their meeting place when she saw Marshal coming out from behind a stall. Letting out a sigh of relief, she jogged to his side. 

"It looks like some dwarves attacked a wizard, and the wizard made some wooden golems to chase them off. But the golems started attacking some of the festival goers. Some of the fighters in the festival have already take care of the golems. But others are chasing the dwarves responsible. Wanna follow them and find out what is going to happen to those dwarves?"
Melissa
*A strange loud sound echoed from the direction of perhaps barrel fight got Severus' attention:*

- What on Earth...

*The Dark Knight mumbled as he was doing something in an alleyway. At there, the curvy pathways led to many different directions. In the festival, there were many people who Severus did not know there and they were quite interesting. Our Knight was petting a small stunned kitty. It was lying as if it was dead due to the effect of Severus's despair Aura, but well, the Knight did not care about it much. There was no way to help it.*

*From afar, shouting sound echoed as Severus stood up to see what was coming. He squinted to see things more clearly... Two dwarves. His eyes glowed up and his edge of mouth raised slightly.*

"Let's see, hah."

*The Towering Knight chuckled while the stunned cat succesfully slipped away. Intentionally, he stood right in the middle of the alleyway.*

"Oh hold on... I got this..." *He quickly changed his mind and stealthily stepped back a few steps to hide in a corner that was invisible in the dwarves' point of view. That moment, he was ready for a suprise attack that no one could ever imagine that a knight would do so. That was so ridiculous that he could not hold his laugh for a short while.*

*Then, he would just have to feel the approaching dwarves by recognising their life energy coming towards Severus' direction... And just before the could run pass the Knight's hiding spot, he would quickly jump out to catch them. And with the advantage of being a huge knight, with the support of his weight, he would hold them in place... What a great plan.*

*That said, he wondered what would he do if he successfully capture them... Just hand them over? Or he could do something else that might help him improving the relationship with the dwarves... That was so hard when you have to choose one side to lean to. At the end, creating our own clan was the best.*

*After a short time of waiting, he could fell precisely that they were pretty close... Just as he planned, he would suprisingly jump into the to hold them as tight as possible.*
Julie
"What!? You try makin' one o' these, man! Ain't easy t' maintain..."
*Gitroki snapped over his shoulder at Lir, firing wild shots forwards in a vain attempt to slow the dwarven trio's retreat. 

He still couldn't make out who they were, not from behind and this far away... But there weren't too many youths from Hearth's Keep that had the ball-bearings big enough to flaunt the Grandmaster's decree.*
"HEY! STOP RUNNIN', OR YER' CLAN ELDERS'LL HEAR THE WORST O' THIS!"
*The marksman roared, narrowing his eyes to focus on their reaction. If they were who he thought they were, the very mention of their elders finding out about this would at least make them stumble... But he didn't leave it to this, loading another bolt and surging forwards as fast as he could.*
Diane
The dwarves moved their little legs as fast as they could with their pursuers right on their heels, when a large armoured figure suddenly appeared before them and reached out to seize them.

One of the young dwarves yelled as he found himself in the knight's gauntleted grip. The other two managed to avoid being grabbed and continued running, leaving their unfortunate comrade behind.

Bolts sang through the air as they ran, and they slowed for a second at Gitroki's threat. 

The elders were certainly not to be trifled with.

The pause cost a second dwarf as a bolt thudded into the back of his leg. He screamed, stumbled, and fell right in front of his pursuers. 

"Stop them!" Called a voice from behind as several watchmen joined the chase. Two peeled off and approached the knight to collect the dwarf he held, and another two stopped to haul the injured dwarf to his feet. Although he wasn't badly wounded, the dwarf yelled quite a bit.

The last dwarf hemmed and hawed for a moment... Then decided to take his chances. He was the fastest of the three, and he whizzed down the alley as fast as he could. Yet his pause had given time for the pursuers to advance, and he was practically in grabbing distance of the lead runners.
Wayne
"You made it? Impressive," Lir panted to Gitroki as they raced after the dwarves.

However, Lir slowed as his leg grew sorer. He found himself dodging around a knight that emerged in the alleyway to grab one of the dwarves. Slipping past the knight cost him a bit more time.

As Gitroki's bolt took down a second dwarf, Lir finally dropped to one knee and drew a dagger from his boot.

"I *Hate* This festival," He growled to himself.
Theodore
*Spotting Lir and Gitroki, whose bolt took down one of the miscreant dwarves, the Hoffs were waved to them by AC. The pair flanked him protectively, watching AC continue to dash ahead.*
Christopher
"Are you ok, Sir Lir?"
Edward
*Hildi stood ready to help him back up!*
"Be careful, sir!"
Jessica
*AC dashed ahead in pursuit of the final dwarf! She wasn't exactly tall of stature herself, but her legs were certainly longer, and she was in rather good shape from all that dancing.*
"Ok, you, hoooold on a second!" *And, she leapt a lovely, spinning leap — what fine form! — and twirled her whip in mid-air. As she landed she snapped her whip out to entangle the legs of that last dwarf! As he tumbled...*
"Light 'im up, Ecki!"
Donald
*And the whip crackled forth a charge of electricity!*
**Z-z-z-z-z-zap!**

*The dwarf jit-t-t-tered on the ground and slumped groggily.*
Jessica
"There. **Pacified**."
*She stepped over and set a foot to the dwarf, flipping him on his chest — easier to keep him down, that way, and posed victoriously!*
"There!" *She crowed, tilting up her chin and tossing her head to set her curls bouncing and gleaming in the light.*
— — —
Ethel
*Claire was just about to catch one of them but what appeared to be a sentient set of knight armor would capture two of the rambunctious dwarves, which saved her the trouble of having to hold two dwarves,they maybe short in stature but are a crafty bunch and know how to make some great weapons and metal armor.*

*Leaving the knight behind Claire would chase down the third dwarf, but the fair curly haired maiden would beat her to the punch,doing an elegant leap in the air,cracking a whip that launched forth a charge of electricity at the last dwarf,which hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.And of course after the take down of a foe the one who took them had to do what the youngins called "A victory pose".

"Good work fair haired one."
Jon
*Marshal grabbed a broken off wooden pole and spun in like a bo-staff, nodding at Vasati* "Yea sure fuck it, lead the way I didn't see them" *Marshall followed her after the dwarves, chuckling as he saw one get grabbed by the knight* "Why don't you grab me like that?" *He teased. As the dwarves got picked off 1 by 1 Marshall slowed down a bit, seeing there wasn't much for him to do but watch the show*
Diane
The Miller Dale watchmen hauled away the three young dwarves who had set off the barrel-golems, and one watchman remained to comfort the horrified elderly wizard who simply wanted to give people joy with his barrel-golems, but had been interrupted by the dwarven delinquents mucking about with his spells.

From the gathered crowd came copious thanks and applause from the festival-goers who had caught the dwarves, or had even attempted to catch them. The crowd cheered, enjoying what they thought was a show, a silly pantomime meant to highlight and give honour and humour to last year's Ironhammer attacks, which had, in reality, been far more brutal. It even starred several Defenders! What a marvelous show!
Wayne
Gratefully, Lir took Hildi's hand. He pressed his other hand onto the side of the building to help hoist himself to his feet. "I'm all right, my dear, but thank you." Hildi felt a bit of his weight as she helped him to rise.

Lir sheathed his scimitar. "I need a drink," He mumbled as he stared at the still-ongoing festival and rested his wrist on the hilt of the sword on his right hip.

"Elsewhere," He murmured. He glanced over the group that had helped to stop the barrel-golems and the dwarves. "You lot are welcome to join me, if you like." He limped towards the city square.

But as he strode back through the thoroughfare, Lir paused at the shattered remains of one of the barrel-golems. He bent down to scrape up a few pieces of wood, then slid them into the inner pocket of his jacket. Then, after picking his walking-stick off the ground, he headed towards the Singing Shepherd.
Sarah
Vasati grinned broadly as Mars picked up a weapon. "Of course love," She responded as she squatted slightly and pulled her long daggers out of their's sheaths in her boots. 

She then led Marshal back to the square and in the direction that she had seen the dwarves and other people run. It didn't take long for them to catch up to the group. 

She saw one of the running figures, being grabbed by the head by a hulking knight at the same time as Mars. So when she heard his comment, she blushed and chuckled. "Don't tempt me..." She responded, sending a meaningful look his way. 

And then she heard the screams of another dwarf and saw that they had fallen to the ground ahead of the group. That was two down, and only one to go. 

Lastly, the woman who had been arguing with Marshal at the end of the wine barrel race lashed out her whip and caught the last dwarf. At this point, Vasati also stopped with Marshal to watch what was happening. 

They watched as the watchmen collected all the captured dwarves and took them to what she assumed was the town's jail. Now that the situation was seemingly resolved, she turned back to Marshal. 

"I told you the festival would be interesting," She said, grinning and laughing. What she didn't say was that she was relieved. For a while, the possibility of losing him had been nagging at her. But not it seemed that the storm had passed.
Theodore
*The twins nodded slowly, darting their eyes warily around at the milling crowds, at Lir's sentiment.*
Christopher
"Yeah, wouldn't mind taking a load odd. Could hit up a tavern, play some cards..."
Edward
*Hildi smiling lightly back at Lir, then nodding with her sister, muttering something about,* "And not just because festival-goers would have more coin on them..."
Theodore
*Knowing they should keep by Lir, as he turned to head away from this zone of chaos, hurried after him. They peered intently at the remains of the barrel golems as well, wondering if any hints as to their construction or enchantment would remain on the shattered remains...*
Jessica
*AC grinned at the crowd as she held her pose of victory for another long moment, then stepped aside, her whip — did it unwind itself from the dwarf without AC having to do any pulling? — being re-looped for easy carrying, then she wound it back around her waist, tucking the handle in front like a belt buckle. As the town guard hauled up the dwarf to haul 'im off to jail, ... AC couldn't help but deliver a swift kick to his hindquarters, cussin' at him.*
"You stupid ..." *But cut herself off. Knowing she was likely more of a focus for the crowd due to also being a Defender from last year, ... Decorum!*
*So, she turned back to the crowd and tossed her hair once more,*
"Follow, good people. I do need to follow my friends there," *Pointing after the Hoffs and Lir,* "But once we land at a tavern, I'll put on only the best of performances! Bring your eyes, your applause and praise... And your coin!"
*And she finally hurried after Lir and the Hoffs...*
— — —
Melissa
*While he was at the festival, he spotted quite a lot of interesting characters. So he would not leave this place with nothing. He did as he thought. Stealthily in his armour, he followed an impaired man (Lir) for the sake of knowing something more. But when he got to the square, Severus saw the golden hair lady who just somehow won the Barrel Race. Well speaking of that, it was somewhat strange. But he would not care about that for now. After a while of hiding, they finally moved to somewhere... And as he planned before, Severus once again suspiciously followed them.*