~
~ y o u . a r e ~
INVITED
to the
i n a u g u r a l
~ L O D E . G R E N . I N V I T A T I O N A L . B A Z A A R ~
~
Across Whend, heavily-decorated paper messages find their way into the hands of merchants, sailors, artists, investors, inventors, nobility, adventurers and more. These deliveries may be overt or subtle; perhaps they are delivered grandly, announced in a busy court by a traveling Lorn poet; perhaps they are left artfully crumpled, oh-so-casually on the counter in a seedy tavern. In any case, each one is written in the local language and lovingly hand-painted, usually with stylized images of Lorn, common boreal plants, and what looks like handfuls of rings. On the back is an approximate map of Whend centered around Lode Gren and with specific emphasis on a particular date and south shore location.
[[Anyone may attend this market – don’t feel limited! The ‘invitational’ aspect is to make it feel elite ;) ]]
LEKI CITY
Leki is a sparsely-populated but sprawling city surrounding Lode Gren’s great southwestern delta. While most of the residents dwell within the dense treeline, approach from the water reveals many tall, tiered wooden buildings on the bank, and long piers jutting out from the stony shore.
By day, the weather is fine but mild, and small fishing canoes clutter the inlet, piloted by green- and brown-skinned Lorn. By night, the air takes on a wet chill that my surprise visitors, but the shoreline is no less lively, and the wooden buildings and local food both hold heat well.
The city is separated into three visible strata: the shore, a pebbly roadway that navigates both sides of the delta and connects the piers to a long boulevard of markets, inns, restaurants, baths and other public/visitor services; the bank, which boasts specialist craftspeople, warehouses and workplaces, and the forest, which is a quieter, slower place for homes and for more secretive arts.
THE SHORE
The shore is Leki's bread and butter: this is where most Lornish and foreign sellers display their wares; where most Lornish dola perform their songs and poetry, and where the best inns, pubs, eateries and lounges are found.
The architecture here is brightly-painted, and there are plenty of murals displaying everything from foreign scenery to stylized portraits and high-contrast geometric patterns. Everything looks bright and freshly-built – and that’s because it is: many of the public buildings were constructed only within the past few years, and many of them specifically for the invitational.
Common products include:
- paintings (often featuring large, black circles and/or misshapen Lorn with black halos)
- books and paper products (esp. poetry and cookbooks, but also kites, artworks, parasols, etc)
- carvings (weapons, figurines, toys, tools)
- liquor and drugs (esp. piny spirits, mushrooms and dubious potions)
- alchemical products (e.g. lacquer, dyes, paints, glues, poisons, medication, etc)
- potions (said to have myriad effects; these are not recommended to the uninformed)
- special mycology products (mushroom leather, fungal bricks, etc)
Despite the wide array of food and drink, it is nigh impossible to find meat products (eggs and byproducts such as milk/cheese are available), and never from a Lornish seller.
Near the piers, money-changers are available to exchange goods/foreign currency for Lode Gren’s blohka, purplish, wooden rings used as currency in the capital and, therefore, in pockets of civilization throughout Lode Gren. This service is highly recommended to tourists, though merchants may choose to barter wares instead.
There is no obvious or uniformed authority, though the colourfully-dressed dola seem to be treated that way by most Lorn; they are typically fit and worldly, though they seem to spend most of their time entertaining with songs and art.
THE BANK
Just beyond the shoreline is the grassy bank, where lower, more traditional buildings are scattered between flowering trees, talls grasses and narrow footpaths. This is a more authentic Lode Gren, and the buildings here belong to specialists. Many of the trees and plants are fruit-bearing or otherwise valuable, and the air is heady with the smell of flowers, fruit and other products. There are potionmakers whose chimneys belch blue smoke; dola outposts where artists, messengers and general fixers can be hired; mycologists with an array of mushroom products.
Between the established buildings and amidst the trees are more temporary structures - lean-to's and tents occupied by lone Lorn or groups. They, too, have something to sell, and any visitors are offered traveling services, sex, bizarre rites, drugs, tattoos, political connections. These sellers aren't any less legal or popular than their shore-front counterparts, but they may not be quite as visitor-friendly.
Non-commercial points of interest:
- Leki Library: this is a lacquered wooden building with casual guards posted out front. Many Lorn seem to be allowed in and out, though the entry protocol is not clear.
- Mohr Hal Meetingplace: this building hosts elders and other political/important figures from the capital of Lode Gren. Foreign visitors are welcome, especially those interested in larger, more permanent trade deals and other agreements.
- Dola Outpost: the dola are Lode Gren's elite doers; artists, warriors and scientists who travel Whend and collect news and information from abroad for consumption at home. All are multilingual polymaths with myriad skills, but those skills come at a high price - especially for foreigners.
THE FOREST
Beyond the grassy bank is the forest, which stretches on into darkness and eerie silence. Hidden between the thick trees and shrubbery are traditional, cone- or dome-shaped Lorn houses, wells, cemeteries and other residential plots. It’s hard to tell where the forest starts and the city ends, or whether the country stretches on like this - only vaguely inhabited - all the way to the other side.
The forest is mostly coniferous, blanketed in dense moss and too thick to travel comfortably without a guide or experience. All manner of beasts wander in and around Lorn architecture - deer, hogs, rodents and fowl, small foxes and countless birds - seemingly unbothered by the locals, and the air is filled with the calls of gulls and ravens.
The Lorn here are typically courteous but private, preferring to go about their daily tasks than to cater to tourists. It’s presumed that anyone traveling deeper into Lode Gren knows where they are going, and has the necessary permission and ability to get there.
Going deeper, it doesn't take long to find oneself utterly alone and/or lost; the tall trees blot out most of the sky and their trunks block the shoreline from view. The forest takes on a more sinister air; it drips icy water, it musters a cool mist that obscures dangerous footings and murky pools, and hides the source of worrisome snorting sounds. Lornish calls can be heard in the distance, but whether they are friend or foe is uncertain.
THE LORN [a quick revisit since my claim]
The people of Leki are small, humanoid creatures averaging between four and five feet tall. Their bodies are typically lithe but misshapen, with many small appendages such as short horns, tails, spinal ridges and undeveloped wingbones. Coloration commonly ranges between shades of green, brown and black, while Lornish nails, teeth and bones are black. Their skin is often speckled or spotted, especially among youths, and has a thick, leathery texture.
The Lorn are hermaphroditic, so there is no sexual dimorphism and no separation by sex in bathhouses or other establishments. However, for ease of translation and for their visitors' comfort, most public-facing Lorn choose a titular gender for communication purposes.
The standard greeting in Lode Gren is to put one's hands out to the side (as though opening for a big hug) and to sing "Ohwaaaaa !". Many Lorn take this greeting to an extreme depending on the occasion (stretching out the last syllable and really throwing out their arms), but most visitors can get away with a curt spoken version.
[OOC questions?]
[I've been a bit absent aside from some interactions so if you have OOC questions you want to ask before you reply, you can drop them into the OOC-specific thread below and I'll comment as they come in :)]
Submitted June 11, 2018 at 08:11PM by madicienne https://ift.tt/2JBSwiq
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