25th Annual Bardfest - The Final Edition!

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Aspis' annual celebration of Elanthian culture and creativity will make its final run from July 13th through 15th & with Finals on the 24th! All aspiring performers are encouraged to pre-register to ensure that you get a coveted performance slot in Elanthia’s oldest festival.

Registration is now CLOSED. If you registered, you should have received an email from me! Please check your emails/spams/etc and let me know if you have not received your confirmation email.

We have lots on deck for everyone joining this year's celebration of Cholen's Eve! Including but not limited to....


At least 3 nights of entertainment! Breaking News: We are officially holding three nights of semi-finals based on the current number of registered performers! Sign up for your spot soon!
Tuning fork for the highest placing Bard, gifted by GM Estild!
TBD prize for the Grand Champion, if that individual is not a Bard, gifted by GM Estild!
Merchant services for finalists, care of Aspis on Sunday July 19th at 8pm Eastern!
Raffles, various and sundry all weeklong!
Encore Honors Night on 7/22 at 10pm celebrating past Bardfest winners!
Merchant services on July 17th and the Topsy Turvy Masque on July 18th, hosted by House of Paupers!
FashionCon 5020 on 7/11 and 7/12 celebrating a Theatre Theme, hosted by House Sylvanfair!


Everyone is a bard at heart - Share your performance art at Bardfest this year! Our Grand Prize will be 10 million silvers, and the winner's name will be inscribed for all time on the Bardfest Trophy on display in the Wehnimer's Landing museum, alongside all our illustrious and talented past winners. Runners-up will receive comparable sums, and all attendees are ensured several evenings of the best entertainment Elanthia has to offer!

See our Bardfest Rules (https://gswiki.play.net/Bardfest#Bardfest_Rules) for details on how performances are judged. If you have any questions about Bardfest, the rules, or anything else, please do not hesitate to post here or seek out an Aspis officer.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Roar into Bardfest Schedule

Date: 6pm on 5/16
Name: Roar into Bardfest!
Location: Wehnimer's Landing, Aspis tent outside Aspis Gates
Time:6pm Eastern


Date: 6pm on 5/24
Name: Roar into Bardfest!
Location: Wehnimer's Landing, Aspis tent outside Aspis Gates
Time:6pm Eastern


Date: 6pm on 6/20
Name: Roar into Bardfest!
Location: Ta'Illistim, Aspis Tent outside the Bard Guild
Time:6pm Eastern


Date: 6pm on 6/28
Name: Roar into Bardfest!
Location: Ta'Illistim, Aspis Tent outside the Bard Guild
Time:6pm Eastern

[Elvenlady]

This year being the last ever Bardfest and its 25th anniversary, the Looking Glass are collaborating with Argent Aspis to celebrate the performing arts and, in particular, costume.

Starting on Feastday, the 11th day of Koaratos (Saturday, 11th July) with a breakfast reception, there will be an informal programme of workshops, discussion groups, and other fun events, culminating on Restday evening (Sunday, 12th July) with a runway show where everyone will get the chance to demonstrate their creative and dramatic flair. The overall theme for this year’s mini-festival of fashion is “Theatre!”

Check out https://gswiki.play.net/FashionFest_5120 for more information and look out for further announcements or forum posts in the lead up to the event.

Any organisations or individuals wishing to host an event during the weekend, please express your interest using this registration form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjlMSyuykEgW4llSWYt_QT3um7mAckrVbE1Z9SoKdR RFVBYA/viewform).

[Avaia]

I'm curious as to the reasons behind the decision that this will be the final Bardfest.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Hi Avaia,

The main reason is that we have seen declining interest in performing each year. We are going to be working with some other interested CHE's to do a different kind of arts festival next year though :)

[Voldemort]

Team gladitorial combat. Use your entire house as the arena. Sign up 5 of your friends for bloody fun. Last teammember standing wins!

[Avaia]

Hi Avaia,

The main reason is that we have seen declining interest in performing each year. We are going to be working with some other interested CHE's to do a different kind of arts festival next year though :)

Unfortunate but understandable. Something tells me more people will miss it than not, but they won't think about that until it is gone.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Thanks to all who came out to the Roll-A-Tale today! I expanded upon the synopses I was delivering during the event because this story was hilarious and too good not to capture.

See you all at the next Roar!


So far we're apparently on the hunt for the golden key to the golden dormouse with a fair useless scrap of map! The mayor gave us sommat in an envelope..... which turned out to be cheese. Which we nicked from a banquet. Then we coincidentally got the key from a VERY spooky merchant who seemed very trustworthy and not at all scary. We took it to the tavern where we met our motley crew which was a halfling with a peg leg, a blue eyed witch, and a giant with a twitchy nose and a thing about cheese.

Then unfortunately for some reason our witch cursed us to be blinded! We groped around in our blindness and inadvertently felt up.... not a daughter, but a local guardsman! He reminded us that as everyone knows, cheese cures all ailments and so we rubbed some from our envelope on our peepers and lo, our sight was returned! Suddenly with our sight restored, we realized we were before a giant dormouse who wants to know ... why have we come to bother him!? He goes on to say he was once the MOUSE KING until people came and tricked his people with cheese and sealed them away. Are we here to restore his rule??

The vermin in the area amassed and all looked lost for us as we desperately searched our pack for something, anything to save us! Finally we happened upon the magic Nail of Snogging which we got from the witch's daughter who did not appear earlier in this tale! We brandished the nail menacingly and it WORKED.

The vermin surrendered the rest of the map and after a quick stop for the motley crew to rather belatedly don their chainmail, we resumed our quest! We then happened upon a tent in the middle of the road and took umbrage at the incredible rudeness of the crone within to have placed it right there in the road. She likewise took umbrage at our umbrage and drew her staff! An epic witchfight commenced but at last we were DEFEATED!

Secure in her supremecy, the witch took us inside to present us with three chests - it turns out she had the object of our quest for some reason!! She told us we could open only one chest.. one would save the world, one would destroy it, and one would make us happy. After rejecting two of the boxes, the peg-legged halfling in our motley crew used the enchanted Nail of Snogging to open the first box, which contained the golden dormouse, which the merchant and his daughter (who also did not appear in this tale) had said was priceless at some point evidently offscreen. And we were happy for a moment...until we realized that we were now all transformed into dormice golems!

"Ah," said the crone. "So you have chosen to be happy."

THE END

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Roar into Bardfest today at 6pm Eastern at House Aspis :D

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Bump for registration reminder! Slots are limited and are filling up fast, if you want to perform in the Final Bardfest, secure your spot now!

Register here: �� https://bit.ly/3b8v3Dh ��

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Bump! We have reached the number of performers registered to open up the 3rd night of semi finals! Get your spot now before they're all gone!

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Roar today at 6pm in Ta'Illistim! Aspis tent outside the Bard Guild in room 23

Register here: �� https://bit.ly/3b8v3Dh ��

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Final Roar is today!

Register for Bardfest here: �� https://bit.ly/3b8v3Dh ��

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Thought I'd share the Roll-A-Tales again, another session of gold on the spot tale telling :D





Leifa recites:

"The man in black slipped imperceptibly from the shadows and approached the Inn door without a sound, keen on finding....."

Aurien recites:

"...The black cat that usually sleeps under the steps as he needed one for his catapult in order to...."

>You recite:

"When he entered the Inn however he was dismayed to find it was hosting the Annual Ronan's Best Convention and as such was quiet as a pindrop, what with all the people snoozin on the benches."

>Alosaka recites:

"But the man would not be deterred! He stepped over the slumbering bodies, snuck past a dozing ranger and tiptoed over a pile of snoring empaths. But, when he got to the stairs, what was there before him but a knocked-out cleric, leaning against the stairs, and the cat he needed purring in the devout man's lap!"

>Jersea says, "The man in black stepped back quickly, flicking his fingers about. Suddenly a bright rune flashed ever so briefly in front of him and a wee mousie dashed out from between the cleric's feet."

Marabet recites melodically:

"The mouse ran between the man's legs, the cat's whiskers moved, and it streaks off after the mouse, causing the man to screech. The cleric wakes up and says 'Bless you son'."

>Ulaahn recites deeply:

"Grabbing a nearby basket, the dark figure is able to grab the cat by the tail, and put the feline into the basket. knowing there is a catapult on the roof of the Inn, the dark figure quickly climbs the stairs with basket and cat in hand"

>
Meril recites:

"Reaching the inn's rooftop, the man in black quickly sets the basket down and checks the catapult to see if all the mechanisms are in place. Just as he hunches over the catapult's bucket, the cat hops out onto the levers, sending the astonished man flying towards the moon!"

--------------Story Number Two-----------------

Leifa recites:

"The sudden flash of light in the sky accompanied by a loud boom sent shivers down the spines of the gathering townfolk...."

>

Aurien says, "For it had been a clear day, with not a cloud in sight and as the Old man on the roof cried out "doom dooom doom" the people fell into a panic...."

You recite:

"Just before the completely landlocked town fell into total mayhem, the strangest sight ever beheld stopped all the townspeople in their tracks.....

.... A gilded harpoon, festooned with gems of every possible description, in the hands of..."

Alosaka recites:

"In the hands of a horrid demon, towering over them! His footsteps were the thunder that shook their bones
the flashes of hate in his eyes the lightning that blinded them! With a single blow of his harpoon he swept through the town like a tidal wave, scything away all in his path! Even the mighty oak-shingled tavern, built just years ago with thick trunks for beams, fell like straw before him!"


Jersea says, "The new Mr. and Mrs. Doom stepped out of the forest, the bride and groom on theor way to the celebrations planned for the afternoon at the tavern. The new Mrs. Doom turned to her husband and said, "Dearest... remember that ex-boyfriend I mentioned awhile back?"."


Marabet recites melodically:

"A cat runs out of the ruins of the Inn looking toward the sky, as something seems to be falling toward the Demon's harpoon. All at once the noise of a splat, as a man is impaled on the Harpoon. Mr. Doom bows and says 'Was that him ?"

Meril recites:

"Not exactly... says Mrs. Doom, glacing up at the harpooned man.
The cat saunters in front of the demon, mewling in indignation at the tavern's destruction. Gasping at the sight, the demon gathers up the jewelry festooned upon the harpoon and presents them before the cat.
'Come back to the abyss with me, please!' it roars, kneeling before the cat in a desperate proposal."

Allyria recites:

"The cat sauntered around Demon carefully gathering up all the jewelry
She wandered off into the forest saying over her shoulder
Water and I don't mix
and you didn't offer me boots
the Demon roared and cast his trident ..."


>
Siggurd recites:

"The Demon roared and cast his trident....into the sky where it began to spin
The Demon began a slow chant where runes slowly encircle all the buildings
all the animals, and all the people within the town
"Time is my ally" He roared and slowly the world shifted in reverse.
Mr and Mrs Doom once more returning to their previous locations
a gilded Harpoon flying backwards through the air
When all had returned to its beginning the world began to darken. The Demon glaring balefully at the cat.
Attempt 392, Deemed failure. Next Attempt - offer the cat boots and a cloak instead of jewelry."

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Registration is now CLOSED. If you registered, you should have received an email from me! Please check your emails/spams/etc and let me know if you have not received your confirmation email.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Hi everyone! Here are the details for the assorted raffles that will be placed to help fund the Bardfest prize pool this year! These raffles are not set up yet, they should be out around July 8th.


Table location: Penna Street (outside MHO hall)
Item: a veil iron katana
Ticket price: 25000
Drawing Date: July 13th
Drawing Time: 9pm eastern
Ticket instructions: A five enchant veil iron katana. Winner need not be present at the raffle to win but must be awake. An Aspis officer will contact you to deliver your prize!


Table location: Town Square E
Item: an embossed spiked veil iron shield
Ticket price: 35000
Drawing Date: July 14th
Drawing Time: 9pm eastern
Ticket instructions: A six enchant, max light, spiked, medium veil iron shield. Winner need not be present at the raffle to win but must be awake. An Aspis officer will contact you to deliver your prize!


Table location: Town Square NE
Item: a perfect imflass warsword with white rolton fleece wound about its hilt
Ticket price: 45000
Drawing Date: July 15th
Drawing Time: 9pm eastern
Ticket instructions: A five enchant, perfectly forged imflass warsword. Winner need not be present at the raffle to win but must be awake. An Aspis officer will contact you to deliver your prize!


Table location: Town Square NW
Item: a matte finish scarlet eahnor broadsword with a sleeping lion pommel
Ticket price: 55000
Drawing Date: July 22th
Drawing Time: 9pm eastern
Ticket instructions: A six enchant a matte finish scarlet eahnor broadsword with a sleeping lion pommel, imbued with constitution enhancing (+10 stat) magic. Winner need not be present at the raffle to win but must be awake. An Aspis officer will contact you to deliver your prize!


Table location: Town Square West
Item: some silvered breastplate
Ticket price: 55000
Drawing Date: July 24th
Drawing Time: 9pm eastern
Ticket instructions: A four enchant, max light silvered breastplate fitted with two sockets for fusion orbs, one of which holds a discipline orb (+3 bonus), and which flares with the power of vacuum. Winner need not be present at the raffle to win but must be awake. An Aspis officer will contact you to deliver your prize!

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Bardfest part deux, tonight at 10pm eastern!

[GS4-Seomanthe]

The Bardfest 5120 semifinal scores have been tallied! Please join me and House Aspis in congratulating our finalists, in no particular order:

Meril
Juspera
Traiva
Tolwynn
Regwen
Alosaka
Nazarr


Their theme words for a new work next week are reminisce and booze!

More Cholen's Eve Fun

Fri, July 17, 9pm – 10pm
House of Paupers Rose Garden, Wehnimer’s Landing
The House of Paupers is happy to host merchant services in preparation for the annual Topsy-Turvy Masque and the 25th Bardfest Finals! Join us in the Rose Garden, down the riverstone path from Paupers Outer Grounds. IMPORTANT NOTE: Our special guest will ONLY work to change the appearance of masks, clothing, and jewelry. (Paupers will provide a mask for anyone wishing to have one worked on.)

Sat, July 18, 9:00pm – 10:30pm
House of Paupers Hall of Lore, Wehnimer’s Landing
The Festival of Cholen is upon us, meaning it’s time for the annual Topsy-Turvy Masque! Lords, pull out your best gown and heels; Ladies, have an evening of comfort in pants and boots. And don’t forget your mask! Prizes will be awarded for the best cross-dressed male and female and the best mask, with special tokens given to all. Follow the gold and lapis masks from outside Moot Hall in Wehnimer’s Landing to join the fun in Paupers’ Hall of Lore.

Sun, July 19, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
House Aspis, Garden - #24957
House Aspis has contracted with the lovely Lady Irelain to perform private work for the Bardfest Finalists (only). Please arrive prepared!

Weds, July 22, 10:00pm
House Aspis, Den of the Dragon Theatre
Dragonsib and previous Bardfest Champion Leifa and House Aspis are pleased to present Encore Honors night at House Aspis! Come enjoy the Bardfest Winners of the past sing their greatest hits!

Fri, July 24, 10:00pm
House Aspis, Den of the Dragon Theatre
Bardfest 5120 Finals!

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Final Finals tonight!

[GS4-Seomanthe]

The stage lights are darkened and the curtains drawn on the 25th Annual Bardfest Celebration! Please congratulate our winners!

🎶 Bardfest 5120 Results! 🎶
1st Place: Meril
2nd Place: Juspera
3rd Place: Regwen
4th Place: Alosaka, Best New Voice


House Aspis sends its heartfelt thanks to the many, many, MANY people and groups without whom Bardfest would not be possible: Aendir & Akenna of House Sylvanfair, Eruheran and House Sovyn, Lady Allyria, Mayor Leafiara, GM Elidi/Steward Ruthiford, GM Estild, Dremerie, Richaard, and Ulaahn.

In addition to these, we took a moment to remember some of those who pitched in on Bardfest over the years - Ahmeuseng, Thia, Bevan, Mystra, Dagor, Larktrill, and countless others.

Thank you to all who made Bardfest what it was for twenty five years. House Aspis will be back to join forces with the other CHEs and MHOs interested in putting on a large scale Performing Arts fest next July!

[FlayedAngel]

Congrats, everyone!!