Feast of Strength 2015

[CyledyrWyllt]

As they each make their way up the stark, industrial stairscase that leads from the main floor of The Forge to the VIP lounge on the mezzanine, the changelings might be surprised to see thick, grey canvas tarps hanging from the ceiling and obstructing any view of the lounge from outside. Tonight's private party is obviously more private than usual. Those unable to talk or bribe their way upstairs probably imagine that a degenerate bacchanal is taking place within. Boy would they be disappointed if they knew the truth. Once through the canvas curtains, the changelings see an empty lounge with a rough door frame made out of two-by-fours standing within. Those sensitive to hedge gates will notice the tell tale glimmer that dances on the edges of the portal. Even the slowest witted member of the freehold would quickly deduce that the new "beer garden" that had been promised to them will be found on the other side. After using their Wyrd or expending a mote of Glamour to open the hedge gate, each of the lost will find themselves in a rustic campground. A large beast of some sort slowly turns over the spit above the central firepit. Cushioned chairs and benches surround the fiery hub of the hollow, and eventually merge with a few long tables that are laden with food and drinks for the Summer Court's guests. A large tent-like pavilion has been erected over the firepit and extends to a rustic shelter with a kitchen and common area that are currently being used as staging areas for the ridiculous amounts of the food. Feel free to make yourself at home while you grab a drink and a bite to eat. Put your feet up and get comfortable. After all, you are an invited guest in their hollow, so there's no reason that the Crimson Court would get angry.

[Marcus Evan]

Marcus stands by the firepit and turns the spit while he waits for his fellow freeholders to arrive. He figures a large turnout is probable since word must have spread since his last barbecue regarding the prowess he'd displayed with raw meat over an open flame. Looking around their new hollow, the metalflesh takes a swig of his beer and feels content knowing that the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed in order to build it will soon be worth the sacrifice. He and Ramona were about to show everyone that the Summer Court is still as strong as it ever was.

I just hope it's as good as last year.

[InvertedMonkey]

There was no matching the cooking of Mrs. Rosemary. But Ramona and Marcus had decided to try their damnedest. It's a feast after all, there should be good food and plenty of it. She'd spent most of the day in the Hollow cooking up a storm, or running out to the store for supplies. (No matter what you may think, when you host a party, there is never enough ice.) She'd even knocked together a smoker in the workshop, trying to give Marcus the best possible tools for the barbecue. Guests due to arrive, Ramona is at the buffet table. A long carving knife, made with her own hands, at work slicing a haunch of deliciously seared meat into even strips. This is good. This reminds her of summers at her last Freehold. Though there were a lot more Summers back there. Right now it's just her, Marcus, Duncan, and the King. So it's mostly for the guests this year, but that's fine. They're supposed to be showing off at the Feast, right?

She pauses, looking down at the pile of succulent flesh on her board. That looks like enough for now... minus the quick bite she steals. Chefs have gotta taste their work. It's a rule. She lifts her gaze over towards the metalflesh at the fire pit. "How's that comin', Marcus?" She asks, gesturing at the roasting beast with the sharp blade. It's more for a time estimate than anything else. She's well learned today how skilled he is at this particular school of culinary arts. Most of the meat at the table, and the roast veggies besides, could be dubbed his creations. There was other stuff too of course, bread and potato salad and coleslaw and some fruit. The meat is kinda the main player, though.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel arrived wearing a grey t-shirt. This one did seem lighter than his normal grey attire though. Maybe it had to do with the fact that several of his shirts had recently ben ruined by feathers poking holes in the back. Even now his stumps were itching because his growing tatter of wings wouldn't lie flat.

Still he smiled as he gave up some glamour and saw what was on the other side.

"Hey Marcus; Romona," he called as he crossed the 'campground' toward the fire pit where some... thing was roasting. Daniel pulled up a chair and started to make himself comfortable.

"So," he asked, indicating the creature that had once been alive "what was it like killing that?"

He made it sound like the most casual question in the world.

[Malcolm Green]

Green appears, head angled low and his body turned to the left as he struggles to fit his great bulk through the Gate. Glamour hisses and pops in time with his frigid mantle as it encounters the heat rising from the fire pit and the Summer Court's Hollow, rising in a fine mist that trails vapourously behind him.

The Elemental has shaved again, revealing the hard lines of his face. He is in a simple chequered shirt, sleeves rolled up, with slacks and dress shoes (crisp and new by the look of them). The only other concession to the heat is a few unopened buttons on his shirt, showing off his stocky new and the amulet that hangs there.

"Hey. Yeah... Nice spread. Yeah." Green says as he straightens - and then ducks again as he encounters the canopied roof of the tent. "Ah crap!" He dances like Gandalf blundering through Bilbo's Underhill home. Eventually, he finds equilibrium, shuffling forward.

"Hi Daniel. Good to see you. Yeah... err... you too Ramona. And Marcus! Yeah... What is that meat? And is there beer?" The mountain is already eyeing off the spread with hungry eyes and watering mouth.

[Trickster]

Lynn strolled through the first floor of the Forge and admired the view. It had a very unique atmosphere that might be useful someday when the band she and Kyle were putting together got some traction. And she'd certainly have to come back and take a second look at the blades.

But since tonight was about the rise of Summer, she really should get going. Concentrating on drawing in the emotions of the other patrons, Lynn was trying to set up a stockpile of strength in case it was needed later tonight. After all, they did say something about fighting and while it might start in good will, accidents did happen.

  2 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-02 15:37:33		Lynn Mills rolls 5 to Harvest Glamour [Wits (2) + Composure (3)] (10 Again)		4, 5, 10, 8, 7, 4		2 successes

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-02 15:43:05		Lynn Mills rolls 5 to Harvest Glamour [Wits (2) + Composure (3)] (10 Again)		6, 9, 7, 5, 3		1 success

After the brief rush settled down, Lynn made her way up the stairs for her first function as Emissary to a Court not her own. She'd dressed for the occasion in a pair of sturdy jeans and boots, paired with a t-shirt in brilliant green with a pattern of flowers screen printed across it. And as ever, her fiddle case strapped to her back.

Stepping through the portal, she was immediately surrounded by the smells of cooking. It smelled amazing and she hurried over to the kitchen area to throw a longing gaze over the spread. Mrs. Rosemary was a wonderful cook, but sometimes you just wanted a good hunk of meat.

"Hey Ramona, Marcus, Daniel." She nodded at each of them. "Um, do you need any help setting out?" Helpers got to snag something first, right? She craned her neck up and shot a friendly smile to the rather tall gentleman to her left.

"Hello, I don't believe we've met before. I'm Lynn."

[Nathan Griffin]

He went for a casual look, just a plain old grey t-shirt on top of black jeans and running shoes. It wasn't unusual gym getup for him. He hadn't been to the Forge since he had arrived to Sacramento. It was strange, really; it had only been months but it felt like ages. Probably because he hadn't felt the need to keep track of the time when out hitchhiking. Speaking of which... The inside of the hedge gate (or was it the outside?) brought its share of memories, some pleasant, some no so much. He let that all pass him by but stuck by his instinct — it didn't always make the best choices, but there was nothing dangerous about gorging on roasted meat. Well, not for others anyway. He would deal with coronary heart disease when it was time to cross that bridge.

He let the lively, rough smells wash over him. It smells like Wisconsin. He was liking the Summer Court so far. He approached the firepit (how homey) and the other 'lings. He was mildly surprised when he realized he didn't know as many of them as he thought he would. New arrivals? He was probably just really bad at networking. He greeted Sasha with a nod before trying his best to put Green between them.

"Hey, Green. You doing fine, I hope?"

He kept sniffing while eyeing the meat and the guy roasting it, a Summer Courtier with a very impressive Mantle he was sure he had seen before.

[Malcolm Green]

"Hey. Yeah... I'm Green." Green replied to the porcelain doll creature who was looking up at him. "So. You play music?" A slight tremble of curiosity ran through his voice. Ah... The tact of the Elemental. Effectively nil.

Green might have continued but another voice caught his attention. Turning, he inclined his head.

"Nathan. How you doin'? Yeah... I'm fine."

Somewhere in the shuffle, he managed to bob his head to his fellow Onyx as well. "Sasha. Yeah."

And to everyone. "Ha! I gotta try some of that meat!" Appreciation sang in his voice, warring with anticipation.

[Marcus Evan]

"Looking good. It should be done any time now."

As if Ramona's question was the cue he needed to check the meat, Marcus inserts a long, thin knife into the carcass that has been slowly turning over the crackling flames for most of the day. The juices from the roasting hedge beast sizzle and hiss as they drip into the pit, mingling the resultant steam with the cherry and apple woodsmoke of the fire. The "roast beast" was the last thing on the menu that needed any attention. Everything else was ready to eat. Ramona had whipped up more food than he had thought possible in their hollow's relatively primitive kitchen and the smoker she rigged had been a lifesaver for slow cooking a lot of the veggies, chicken, and seafood while still allowing him to keep his attention focused on the guest of honor spitted over the firepit. As each changeling arrives and says hello, Marcus returns their greetings.

"Alright? Glad you all made it! What was it like, Daniel? Walk in the park. I just set up some bait in a cage out in those trees over there."

The elemental points toward a thick tangle of wilderness past the far end of the clearing before continuing. Unlike Marcus, most of the changelings present would hopefully think twice before venturing too deeply into such an untamed part of the hedge on their own.

"Something kept eating the bait without triggering the trap, but after a week or so, I eventually found this guy in there. He had some weird feathers, but otherwise looked like a normal pig... for the most part. I tried talking to him, and he didn't answer or seem to understand me, so I just fed him beer and dream-a-drupes until he fell asleep and then..."

The metalflesh makes a harsh, guttural sound while drawing his thumb across his throat. He briefly wonders if Daniel intends on trying to talk to the ghost of their meal, but quickly realizes that would be ridiculous. Still, some tiny part of Marcus can't help but hope that the creepy darkling possesses enough table manners to realize that chatting with the shade of what's on his plate would probably be considered playing with his food and therefore in poor taste.

"Beer and wine are in the coolers and there are a few bottles and mixers on the table if you need a real drink. Plus, there's a full bar inside if you can't find what you need out here. We should have plenty of ice Lynn, but if you'd like to help out, maybe you could run out and get another bag or two?"

The elemental smirks and give Ramona a wink as he mentions the ice. It's apparently an inside joke of some sort.

"Just kidding, we have more than enough ice. Grab a drink and make yourself comfortable."

When he notices the unfamiliar hunterheart join the party, Marcus eyes Nathan in return as the autumn courtier sidles up next to Green and stares at the elemental and the carcass on the spit.

"Alright? No need to be shy. I'm Marcus and this is Ramona. Welcome to the Feast of Strength. Make yourself at home."

As he pulls the knife out of the roasting beast, Marcus gives the blade a subtle twist and visually inspects the sample of meat before subjecting it to the taste test. Smiling as a trickle of warm juice runs down his chin, the elemental lets out a satisfied grunt of pleasure as he chews.

"It's ready. Ramona? I'm going to need a hand with this."

Although he hands his fellow courtier a pair of heavy duty oven mitts, the metalflesh himself grips the metal spit with his bare hands as they carry it over to the carving station set up at the nearest table. Those familiar with the Contracts of Elements may realize that it was not simply a lack of fashion sense that caused the elemental to wear such a gaudy shirt today.

Contracts of Elements

Cloak of the Elements(Fire): Catch met.