Great Greengrass Festhall Rampage of 1353

To Start the Evening

• The evening starts well enough, at the Melshimber Villa, for the opening of a grand party celebrating the Melshimber victory at the Vintner's Crown exhibition.
  • Ciro not only gets the blessing to leave early, but permission from Lady Hlanta to wear the gaudy Vintner's Crown out on the town.
  • The party-goers seem to love the idea, and so to back it up, Lady Hlanta fetches Ciro a purse of coin with which to buy everyone drinks at the festhalls they end up in, so long as the only thing he buys are Melshimber vintages!
• The Melshimbers present their gifts to Ciro as well before he and his compatriots depart:
  • From Lady Hlanta the purse of party-funds, as well as the keys to the Heroes' Rest on the Cliffride. It is only fitting that with so much of his current responsibilities not being attached to the House (to say nothing of the possibility of becoming involved with the Heralds), it is best that he have his own residence from which to work. She will tend to the costs for the villa's upkeep for a year.
  • From his parents, Ciatto and Andeda, a full and proper wardrobe
  • From his Uncle Moro, a fine new mantle and cloak-clasp.
• By that time, the entire party has assembled: Ciro, Evendur, Glim, Ahmadar, Dran Wands.
  • Also accompanying them are Aiwen Frostbough and Pike Belabranta, as well as Teshura.
  • Their intrepid party picks up some other revelers from the Melshimber party, notably Reso and Carina Ruldegost, Ryany Wavesilver and Dawnbringer Darus Killian.

The Crawling Spider, Castle Ward

• The party takes a quick trip by the Crawling Spider, where a strange company of dwarves, priests, half-orcs and human women dressed as drow elves all wish Ciro a happy birthday, and celebrate with a round of the Coin Wines that the Crawling Spider carries.
  • The party doesn't spend long there, though they do find themselves downstairs for a couple of dances on the dance-floor there, drinking heavily all the while.
  • Ahmadar introduces everyone to a couple of people, none of whom anyone really remembers by the time you saunter out the doors. Except that there was a dwarf who blushed furiously when Ahmadar introduced him, and threatened to crack Ahmadar one "about his damned fool head!" Ahmadar seemed to find it endearing.

The Elfstone Tavern, Castle Ward

• After that, Aiwen insists that she needs to "drink away some of the dwarf-ness" she picked up from the Crawling Spider, so it's off to the Elfstone Tavern.
  • When it is brought up that it's basically an elf-only tavern, Aiwen scoffs and tells them that they can get in with an elf like herself.
• Arriving there, the elves seem positively alarmed at the sudden arrival of the nobles, who show up giggling and whispering amongst themselves.
  • The interior is amazing, being open to the sky, with two grand trees grown upwards to form the basis for two corners of the building. Small driftglobes of a fey blue-white-green light drift through the branches, and beautiful elven music is played by a beautiful high elf bard in the corner.
• Sadly, there are no Melshimber wines at the Elfstone, but Aiwen insists that what they need to truly start the evening is a tallglass of evermead, the strange fey honey wine made in Evermeet.
  • Glim is thoroughly enchanted (and inebriated) by the very-sweet drink, and Darus seems to be as well, proclaiming it a wonder on his tongue, and offering to share the taste to be found there with Aiwen or Carina, both of who take him up on it.
• In short order, the elves of the Elfstone rally their courage and push the revelers out of the Elfstone, but not before Aiwen manages to catch hold of an attractive elflord named Maergym Elderstar to join the revel.

Jhural's Dance, Castle Ward

• From there, the revelers head north, stopping off next to Blackstaff Tower while a quick change of clothing is arranged for those who live here. Meanwhile, everyone else hits the festhall Jhural's Dance next door.
  • Aiwen is thoroughly enchanted by the dancers at Jhural's, particularly favoring the sensual paired dancers who slowly strip one another to the rhythm of Chultan drums.
  • "Ye gods, look at their hips!" she is recalled to have exclaimed.
• Jhural himself - a lithe half-elven dancer with a smouldering, dark beauty - wishes Ciro a happy birthday with a private dance in one of the back chambers, a particularly intimate and sweaty experience.
  • When they emerge, Ciro buys the house a round of high pulass, and everyone toasts his health.
• Carina sits with Darus throughout the evening at Jhural's Dance, but ends up on his lap before the revel departs.
  • In contrast, Dran manages to coax Aelandelia to come out to the festhall with them, and the two of them spend their time watching the dancers and whispering. Aelandelia seems a bit unsure about being there, but is quite relaxed and enjoying herself by the time they move on.
• At the risk of spending too much time at any one place, they depart, and Jhural wishes them all well, and welcomes them back anytime.

Gounar's Tavern, Sea Ward

• No pub crawl or festhall revel would be complete without a stop off at Gounar's, the place where noble society goes to see and be seen! Swinging by there is so ingrained in noble assumptions of what it means to have a party out on the town, it doesn't even occur to Ciro to question whether or not to go.
• As a result, the party comes to a huge noble hang-out, and the drink flows oh so freely! Everyone toasts Ciro's lovely crown, and wants to buy him a drink, but not before he buys the house a round of the house's best Manycherries Bold!
  • At some point, Pike's somewhat overbearing, bear-like clinging to Ciro is replaced by the presence of Kerei Ilzimmer, who announces his presence by sidling up to Ciro and giving him an intimate kiss just below his ear, and then a big congratulatory kiss - to many toasts!
• Elranmyr Wands stops over to wish Ciro a happy birthday as well, handing him a tallglass of zzar.
• The drink flows so freely, the rest of the evening gets harder to recall at about this point.

The House of Purple Silks, Sea Ward

• The next destination is definitely the House of Purple Silks. You mostly know that because you can recall a vast profusion of beautiful women in purple diaphanous silken veils, in a place where purple silk hangings hang from the ceiling.
• A handful of the Melshimbers show up to enjoy the party as well, notably all five of Lady Hlanta's children (Elvie, Colodacia, Khallos, Ervais, Ymyra), Ciro's older brother Emilos (with his wife Enagia at his side, matching him drink-for-drink), Ciro's younger brother Ronto (a young pup who spends a good deal of time with the ladies).
• There are also a mess of other nobles here, all celebrating Greengrass. You run into Audyna Husteem and her cronies as well, for instance, and some of the Wands and Eltorchuls.
• In short order, though, the press is too much, and the fun that is to be had here is milked from the place, and it's time to move on!

The Rest of the Evening

• In truth, none of you could swear to what happened and where much beyond this point.
• You have flashes of different experiences, though.
  • Ahmadar has a distinct memory of several of the young men, including himself, sneaking up to the wall of the City of the Dead to piss on its stones under the noses of the Watch without getting caught. You also remember Pike asking you questions about growing out his beard more.
  • Ciro seems to remember ordering a round of First Frost from a lizardman bartender, and almost falling down. Only Kerei's strangely quick reflexes prevented the Vintner's Crown from hitting the ground.
  • Evendur seems to remember sitting watching a dancer at a festhall whose dark hair and curves remind him pleasantly of Noumea. He remembers smiling when she climbed into his lap to continue her dance there, feeding him another sip of the White-of-the-Run in the tallglass at his table.
  • Glim has distinct recollection of some lovely fizzy sweet drinks with whole strawberries in them! At this season! Impossible!

Waking Up

• Ciro awakens in a strange bed. As it turns out, he and Kerei ended up in one of the rooms of the Cliffwatch Inn somehow.
• Glim awakens in one of her old hidey-holes in the northern part of the Trades District, a warm bit of attic space, curled up against the warm stones of the chimney there.
• Evendur wakes up in an unfamiliar bed, but after a moment he recognizes it - he's in Carina's bed! His realization hits him just as it does her, and they share that shocked/horrified moment before Evendur basically flees. Carina hides under the covers the entire time.
• Ahmadar and Pike wake up in jail...cuddling naked together.
  • When the guard on duty shouts at them to wake up, Pike groans and tells Ahmadar not to tell them his name.
  • They're just in for public drunkenness, and Belabrantas are always in here for that. Sure enough, when Pike identified himself, they groan and unlock the door, to free them, telling Pike that his family will be receiving a magistrates' letter with the price of the fine he and his friend have incurred.
  • On his way out of the dungeon, he passes by Demisante, a few doors down from where he was, who can't seem to stop giggling into her hand.

The Evening's Tragedy

• The truly traumatic event, of course, only becomes known once the hangovers have worn off, and questions start being asked.
• In particular, no one knows what happened to the Vintners' Crown!