Weaver of Illusions

Helga's, Pub Room - 1st of Ivastaen in the year 5103 - Day of Kuon's Blessing. The narrow, dimly lit room is cluttered with rickety, ale-stained tables and wooden chairs. Candle stubs mounted in earthenware ale flasks offer the only light, their yellowish glow making the room seem more decrepit than it actually is. Several dockworkers converse around a table in hushed voices, between sips of grog and puffs of strong pipe tobacco. A low wooden stage, no more than a small platform, stands at the far end of the room.

You see Lisiana Fallaren.
She appears to be a Sylvankind.
She appears to be very young and shorter than average. She has sparkling violet eyes and lily white skin. She has short, curly silver blonde hair. She has a dainty face and slightly upswept pointed ears.
She is in good shape.
She is wearing some violet ankle-tie slippers, a flowing deep violet skirt, a tight-laced deep violet bodice, a diamond Lorminstra necklace, a delicate rose and ivy circlet, and a gold-threaded indigo lace cloak.

Lisiana smiles and steps forward moving slowly to the front of the hushed, still room. She turns to the audience and says, "Good evening, welcome to the performance of 'Sprightly Blooms' composed by Lady Vistie, with lots of help and encouragement from her sister, Koin." Her violet skirt flutters about her legs as she steps to the side of the stage into a dim pool of light.

Lisiana sits down.
Lisiana smiles sweetly, folds her legs under her and demurely arranges her skirt. Lisiana sets the zither carefully in her lap to rest against her crossed legs. She bends her head down and gently strums her small fingers across the strings. She plucks the strings to check the tone and pitch. Pleased with the sound she sits up straight as the lights in the room dim. She sets her fingers in motion across the strings and a light rich hum springs from the zither.

Lisiana smiles slowly as her fingers glide across the strings. She stops the humming of the zither by laying her palms flat across the strings, looks up and says, "A pas de deux featuring ballerinas, Vistie and Koin." She sets her fingers in motion, plucking the strings with a quick clean action and a fresh light melody fills the room.

You see Vistie Be'Jei the Bardess.
She appears to be a Half-Sylvan.
She appears to be youthful and average height. She has gold-flecked blue eyes and fair skin. She has waist length, flowing deep red hair. She has a delicate face and slightly pointed ears.
She is in good shape.
She is wearing a delicate ruby solitaire suspended from a skillfully spun silver chain, an opalescent white blouse, a flowing gossamer white skirt, a pair of white ankle-tie silk slippers, and a delicate ruby engagement ring.

Vistie smiles softly and steps onto the darkened stage, a soft glow spreads into a pool of light around her slim form. She steps en point, delicately raising her arms up and sways gracefully as the music flows smoothly around her. She turns slowly about to face the audience, arches her back and lifts her leg behind her into an arabesque. She stands still and poised as the music swells and her sheer skirt clings lightly to her legs.

You see Koin Faeysdatter the Busker.
She appears to be a Half-Sylvan.
She appears to be youthful and tall. She has wide-set pale grey eyes and pale skin. She has very short, curly russet hair. She has a delicate face, a straight nose and a dimpled chin.
She is in good shape.
She is wearing a small violet, some pure white tights, and a white cloth tunic.

Koin smiles and moves on dainty bare feet to the front of the room. Turning about in the soft pool of light, she dips into a quick curtsy. She quietly sashays in a circle, her bare toes slapping a soft schwish against the floor. She takes one last spinning turn around Vistie before lightly stepping to the side out of the spotlight. Dropping her head and her arms down to her sides, she doubles over and seems to disappear in the shadow.

Lisiana's fingers move effortlessly across the strings bringing forth a light rich melody. The notes tumble and flow in a lilting, complex tone. The melody dances like morning sunlight glistening on a dew drenched meadow.

Vistie's skirt flutters and billows out about her long slender legs as her graceful swaying increases in tempo and speed. She lifts to her toes and begins spinning about as the soft halo of light follows her movements.

"Born from the pure loam, sweet and pretty,
Stirring in the breeze, though tis a pity.
To see a flower nymph so lonely and sad,
Amongst sweet blooms, no ally to be had."

Lisiana smiles warmly as her fingers rapidly slide over the strings, the notes spilling forth sparkle expectantly with the trill of hope.

Vistie slowly brings her hands together, held high over her head and pirouettes in place. Her white skirt shimmers in the bright spot light as she spins on her toes. The flowing gossamer fabric drifts lightly about her spinning form and her gold flecked eyes glisten.

"Lifting her head to gaze into the bright sky,
Prays for friendship with soft sweet eyes.
Her lips moving slowly, forming a silent plea,
And giving a solemn pledge never to flee."

Lisiana's fingers continue a rapid dance along the strings, the hum and vibration of the zither fills the entire room with a deep, rich, resonating sound as she weaves a disturbing refrain into the complex harmony.

"In the distant mist appears a figure of savage grace,
With silver hair whipping wildly about Zelia's face.
The dark god's silver chariot careens at awful speed,
As she lashes the gray stallions into a mad stampede."

Lisiana smiles tersely and her slender fingers mute the anxiously resonating chords of her zither. Pausing for just a moment before she strikes a new chord, her music takes on a promising tone that soothes and caresses the jangled air.

"Leaving in the stormy wake a fresh sprightly bloom,
A sweet new bud born from the savaged loam.
The lonely nymph full of dismay at the strife,
Stoops and stares in wonder at the fresh new life."

Koin drops to her knees, tucks into a tight little ball and primly rolls across the floor as a faint beam of light follows her motions.

Vistie steps forward, swaying and swinging her arms back and forth wildly about her head as though fighting a fierce gale. Her skirt flutters wildly about her legs as she swings out on one leg and spins around and comes to a rapid halt, head bent

staring at the small still ball resting near her feet.

Koin's fingers flutter lightly and she lifts her arms above her head. Her fingers tremble as she stretches her arms out to their full length.

Lisiana smiles slowly and plucks at the strings, her fingers moving quickly as a mesmerizing rhythm spills from the zither resting in her lap. The tone turns briefly plaintive, as she strums with a firm touch and concentrates intently.

"From the darkened sky a warning screeches out,
"A few short seasons I have granted, never doubt,
Shall the youngling be yours to nurture and love."
With a hiss the chariot vanishes in the air above."

Vistie lifts to her toes and gracefully spins around and around, faster and faster. Her long, deep red hair streaming out around her, she stops suddenly, lifts her chin and stares defiantly up at the sky.

Lisiana's fingers dance rapidly over the strings, her skillful technique producing a joyful composition. The music flows and swells about the ballerinas.

"In velvet grace the soft petals tenderly unfurl,
Falling away to reveal the frail young girl.
Together they skip across the meadow as a pair,
And frolic and play in the fresh, dew sweet air."

Vistie reaches out to grasp Koin's small fluttering hand and pulls her up lightly.

Koin smiles slowly and gracefully unfolds her lithe limbs in a swift fluid motion. She lifts to her toes and weaves in and out of Vistie s arms.

"Alas, warning is forgotten under friendship's spell,
Lost in their happiness, playing in the shadowed dell.
Gilded moonlight glimmering in their deep russet hair,
Two nymphs dance and sing in the still dark night air."

Koin smiles and twirls about with short jete steps, flitting around and around the graceful Vistie. Her short tunic flapping wildly about her legs as she skips in circles and throws her head back in gleeful abandon.

Vistie smiles sweetly, poised and elegant as she sways gently side to side, stepping lightly from foot to foot with springy steps. Blissfully she wraps her arms around Koin and they leap through the air.

Lisiana smiles at the pair of ballerinas, her fingers fly across the strings while the notes tumble and spill from the zither.

"Time turns and the seasons flow too swiftly by,
Never a worrisome thought, nor a quiet sad sigh,
Burdens the nymph or dwells in her blissful mind,
As their bond strengthens, seamlessly entwined."

Koin spins away from Vistie, as she lifts to her toes and clasps her hands high over her head. She begins a slow pirouette across the floor as a soft spot of light follows her movements and shimmers off her short curly russet hair.

Vistie smiles tenderly and clasps Koin by the hand. She pulls her close and wraps her arms about her as the pair gracefully move in unison about the floor. Vistie throws her arms wide and releases Koin who spins out and away from her.

Lisiana's fingers fly heedlessly over the strings, plucking and strumming a complex melody that showers joyful notes about the room. Suddenly striking a resonating chord, the tone of the music dramatically changes.

"Suddenly one morn as they so thoughtless play,
For the lovely pair the day has now come to pay.
Her friend fades and crumbles, scattered in the loam,
The nymph is left clutching a withered vine, again alone."

Koin smiles thinly and slowly brings her feet together. She stands with her bare feet flat against the floor and her eyes glint flatly. She clasps her hands together limply and suddenly drops her chin. As her arms fall to her sides her entire body grows slack.

Vistie's shoulders sag as she stares at the still form at her feet. She lifts her arms upwards and flings them wide in anguish. She takes two long strides, stops, turns and dashes back to the still form of Koin. Clutching her arms to her chest, she steps back painfully and releases a tortured sigh.

Vistie lifts to her toes and bitterly spins about in a swirling motion as her long flowing hair whips wildly about her.

Lisiana's sigh compliments the tone of her music. The dark and sorrowful melody groans from the zither.

"Her song is silenced, no longer can she happy sing,
Only pain and torture do the eternal moments bring,
She's been forsaken, left to weave among the thorns,
Bound to her pledge, to wander alone, forever forlorn."

Vistie drops to her knee with one fluid kick and hangs her head.
Vistie kneels down.

Vistie’s arms fall forward and brush the floor in abject misery her body hangs limp. The soft spotlight slowly fades shrouding her in darkness.

Lisiana smiles thoughtfully, the music flows mournfully and slowly grows faint in the dark room. The strum of one final lamenting chord echoes eerily about in the gloomy dark slowly fading away to silence.Lisiana stands up.

Lisiana smiles as the glowing spot light brightens and bathes the trio in a bright shimmering light.

Lisiana smiles and sweeps her hands towards Vistie and Koin; turning towards the pair she applauds the ballerinas.

Koin smiles broadly, turns to Vistie and applauds her.
Vistie smiles and curtsies with a flourish.
Lisiana smiles shyly, turns to face the crowd and curtsies.

Ballads and Performances