Open Chronicles A Midday Melody

[Juancho Ricco]

Location: Kingdom of Dalriada, Oban, Solari Square
Music: X​

A normal day like any other in the bustling capital city of Oban in its lively solari square came cloaked in a figure, Juancho, their features shrouded by their hood. Citizens, hustlers, tourists and likely pilgrims buzzed through the area. Even in this moment of relative downtime from the typical entertainment there were plenty of folks. mid-day

Opening up a small bag tied to this hip he pulled out a wooden stool, and a case for some sort of musical instrument. Both of which were items that would seem impossible to fit in such a small bag. Taking a seat on his stool Jauncho pulled out an old wooden pipe already filled with some dried herbs. Setting it in his mouth he snapped his fingers and lit the herbs within it for his pleasure.

After Which he opened his case to take out the instrument that lay inside of it. It was an old Hurdy-Gurdy. An intricate device that at first glance clearly needed some work done on it from some neglect. Taking a moment to tune the instruments he took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke from his pipe and recounting the musical tune he wished to play. Blowing the smoke out the side of his mouth and began to turn the crank of his instrument. Despite how it appeared in disrepair it still sounded beautiful as Juancho began to play his song with it. The instrument case remained opent by his feet for any and all who would grace the lonesome street performer with their own coin.

 

[Ziganni]

It was rare for Ziganni and her goblins to venture out of their home, yet they'd robbed too many in their area, people were starting to become suspect and they needed a change of scenery. The goblins themselves were wrecking subtle havoc in the square as pickpockets and robbing from vendors well Ziganni was left to fend for herself.

Even more rare from her being out in such a place was for her to part from her coin, yet for this man playing a tune she figured why not do one kindness in her life led primarily by unkindness. It wasn't long before she sat on the street watching him play her white gown pooling out from around her with her cloak on top looking like a pile of spilled blood. She didn't dare take off her hood, yet she watched quietly and happily before making way to speak.

Ziganni rarely spoke, as woman raised by goblins her common tongue was harsh and broken despite her melodic voice. "Where you learn to play?" she asked him stumbling over her words a tad.

Juancho Ricco

 

[Garrod Arlette]

Feed. Me. Cried the demon in his jewel. But, as Garrod was want to do, he ignored the entities pleas. In fact, he had groan nearly def to most of them. Especially when in a city as large and bustling as Oban. Something about the chatter, the sound of so many people going about their lives, it helped drown out the unrelenting voice.

Then came the music, drifting dreamily through the crowded streets. It cut through the chatter and the din. It pulled him in, as all sweet music does to ears tuned to listening, and he too sat a while, and listened to the man play, watched his hand turned the crank, watched the smoke curl about the mouth of his pipe. Still and cloaked as he was, the performer certainly commanded a presence. And, Garrod sat down to enjoy the calming show.

A bolt of red cloth darted across the crowd, caught his eye, he followed it, if only because his eye was used to following things that demanded so much attention, and watched the wearer settle down. Another listener.

Let me guess. We can't eat either of them, hmm? Just more people for me to watch? Belephus ached. I hate you, oh wearer mine.

The red cloak stirred and the young lady approached the perfumer, what would happen next, Garrod wondered, as these two characters met. He smiled, intrigued. He would just have to wait and see.

---

Ziganni Juancho Ricco

 

[Juancho Ricco]

It was the more gentle moments like this Juancho liked. Despite his deep desires he had no need for tricks as of now. Instead letting the little artist inside himself room and time to flourish. By now it was a distant yet familiar feeling. A memory of a simpler time for him many dozens of years ago.

It would also seem as though he had garnered something of an audience from his tunes. Firstly a man of similar height yet broader statue who came to listen. As the smoke raised from his mouth as he turned to the crank of his instrument and pressed the keys on it. Then another from the street came. What seemed to be a woman in a crimson cloak that draped their features much like his own rustic gown. After they shared their coin with him Juancho smirked in gratitude as he continued to play.

However, eventually, like all songs his would come to an end as well, that is when he mistresses the question. Giving a slight nod under his hood he recognized that the common tongue was not their first language. “My father, much like his father before him, and so on and so forth.” He vaguely explained as an answer to their question. It was a skill passed down in his family for many generations. Looking up at her from his seated piston his vibrant purple eyes showed from under his cloak and he asked. “Would the honored patron of my art have any requests for my next melody?” He politely asked, giving her the opportunity for his next song. “Or would you wish for something else? I am a rather well rounded performer.” A truth from his time as a court jester.

Ziganni | Garrod Arlette

 

[Ziganni]

She’d nod, her family taught her to maim and rob not such gentile arts like music and art. He asked her if she had and requests of song but truthfully she didn’t know any.

She’d nod her head no slowly. “Songs I know, you do not.” She said roughly pointing to herself then to the man cloaked like her.

Goblins do make what could be considered music but it was nothing of an elegant sort.

Juancho Ricco
Garrod Arlette

 

[Juancho Ricco]

Juancho nodded some to her words. Before speaking back up to her. “Ahh, I see. Perhaps I could envy you m’lady for your knowledge of such exclusive art.” It was something of a rarity indeed that he wouldn’t know of a particular piece. But through some context clues like the ways she spoke there was a good chance that he wouldn’t have any songs she had in mind.

Taking in another deep breath from his pipe, his purple eyes looked over to the other, a man he sat by, seemingly listening in on what was happening here. “And what of you m’lord? Would you happen to have a tune played by yours truly. Or even a trick to be performed.” Juancho spoke with a heavy accent of his own, but his choice of vocabulary could give away the idea of a possibly gentry background. Speaking well mannered and politely. His accent and chosen words are like a pleasant exotic spice for a listener. However Juancho himself sensed something odd from the man. Likely of mystical origins. Though he should not be one to judge by giving his own relationship sorcery.

Ziganni | Garrod Arlette

 

[Garrod Arlette]

Garrod smirked. "M'lord?" he said with a soft laugh. "I could get used to that," he fished a coin from his purse, tucked away beneath his armor, showed the piece of glittering gold and flicked it into the open instrument case. "I'd fancy a trick, good Ser, if you'd do me such an honor," he played along, though his accent was no where near as refined. The coin plinked against the case wall and fell with a ring against the other coins inside.

Ah, yes, a trick. Belephus laughed. Let us see what this mortal can do.

"Performer's choice, of course," he said, placing the white relic across his heart. It's jeweled eye gleamed in the sun as Garrod bowed his head, polite as a stately courtier.

---

Juancho Ricco Ziganni

 

[Juancho Ricco]

Grinning some at the man's request Juancho took the smoking pipe from his mouth to set aside. He would speak back to them. “Of course, now m’lord you look like a man of action. Who’s seen a thing or two. No simple trick of the eye could simply do.” Standing up from his stool he set his instrument aside and reached into his bag.

“There should be risk, and what greater risk to me than that of my own voice!” He exclaimed, clearly hyping up what was about to happen. From within his small bag he pulled out another impossibly large item. This time a blade, long and narrow not too dissimilar to a rapier, but with a serious cutting edge on it still. And to prove the sharpness of it he grabbed a low part of his cloak and with the simple flick of his wrist severed it without resistance. It was no problem he could easily mend such a cut with a simple incantation.

“Now watch closely, for your eyes shall not deceive you. For I will swallow this blade.” Surprisingly for him he was being honest. He could easily just let an illusionary clone take the risk for him, or a spectral harmless balde, but where was the tension then. By this point a few curious bystanders were taking interest in the performance. Pointing his face up he opened his mouth. With his hands he gently began to guide the blade through it and down his throat. It took a great deal of caution on his part but he has had experience in the performance before clearly. It was not long before over half the blade had disappeared. A mere moment later the guard was at his mouth and then he pulled both his hands away. Letting the sword freely rest within him.

With a simple flourish of his hands and a muffled “tah-dah!” from his stuffed throat and mouth the other citizens clapped in astonished awe at the risky performance.

Garrod Arlette | Ziganni

 

[Ziganni]

Ziganni started to cringe at what was happening. She didn’t understand what tricks were or magic or even fully what the other man had asked of this one. All she knew was he was killing himself or so appeared to be. Others clapped.

Her hood fell off as she wiped away at her panicked tears, she didn’t like this. “Why happy??” She’d ask the man who requested this action clearly distraught.

Juancho Ricco
Garrod Arlette

 

[Garrod Arlette]

His eye widened as the blade went further and further down the man's gullet. He trusted the performer to ply his trade, knew, on some level, that it was all a truck. He could even feel the sizzle and spark of magic in the air, attuned to the mystical force as he was himself. Even so, he felt the pull of excitement as he watched, grin on his face, if only in admiration of the showmanship! The confidence and ease with which the performer-

Red shift from the corner of Garrod's eye, the glitter of fresh tears upon a travel weary face slashed his amusement, and he blinked at the question.

Belephus, demon that he was, laughed from within his jeweled prison.

"Why, die?" He repeated, a little shocked. He cleared his throat, and whispered to her, as to not disturb the performance. "Trick," he offered, his worldly brain picking up on her parted form of speech, even if he himself wasn't fully aware. "Pretend," he reinforced, and fanned his hands in what surely was a universal way to communicate whimsy and show. Surely. Bard hands, he think he'd heard them called before. "It's not really real," He assured. And nodded back to the man, "See? Still alive." He only hoped some horrible accident hadn't transpired in the brief exchange.

Juancho Ricco
Ziganni

 

[Juancho Ricco]

Hearing the distraught voice of the cloaked woman Juancho figured he should wrap this stunt up. So rather quickly, and almost recklessly he quickly removed the sword from his maw. Following it up with a cough, knowing he should probably take some medicine for his soon to be sore throat. Sword in hand he looked at the man and spoke. “I do hope that was worth your coin and request. And fret not my dear, I am still all in one piece.” He replied to the two of them. As he did some of the other folks who were entertained by the stunt filled his case with a few more coins.

Shoving the long sword back into the small bag he had Juancho took a seat back on his stool. Gently rubbing the front of his neck. No matter how little damage he did to himself it was still never a comfortable endeavor. Looking into his instrument case he spoke. “Mmm, not sure that’s enough sailing to Bhatharik.” He said, seemingly revealing his intentions to collect coins. It could likely be enough to travel to Dornoch, but that would mean traveling through the steppes itself.

Garrod Arlette | Ziganni

 

[Ziganni]

Ziganni could barely understand all of what the men were saying but the original one she asked spoke in small word for her. It was kind as it did not make her feel stupid. Her tears and breathing calmed, as she was assured the man was safe.

“I did no understand, what tricks are.” She told the man who helped her. Hoping he understood. People looked at her strange as she spoke and embarrassed she turned red putting her hood up once again.

The preformer himself said he didn’t have enough coin to get to where he needed to go. She raised an eyebrow before going up to him quietly whispering to him. “Ziganni, help. I rob. Goblins have gold.”

Juancho Ricco
Garrod Arlette

 

[Garrod Arlette]

"Y-yes," he said, nodding to show his understanding. Clearly, this was her first time coming across such a performance, but it looked like she was getting over the initial shock.

Then, at the mention of a lack of coin, she perked up and moved toward the performer. Whispered something to him. Had she mentioned goblins?

He remembered the performer's earlier question. "Ah, yes, it was certainly worth my time, and the coin."

Boring, Garrod, that is all it was, B O R I N G. No one was hurt. No one was maimed. And what is with this girl, hmm?! Belephus tiraded.

Garrod cleared his throat, and nodded to the performer and the strange young woman with the red cloak. "May I have your name, ser?" Garrod asked, and his expression returned to the easy calm he had worn earlier. "I am Garrod, a monster hunter by trade, tends to help to keep good connections with other travelers," he assured.

Juancho Ricco
Ziganni

 

[Juancho Ricco]

Juancho perked up some as the women closed in on him and whispered. Mentioning robbing to make some gold. Seemed rather blunt, and though robbing and conning others out of their coin were not too difficult for him he wasn’t looking to make any new enemies today. At least not quite yet. “Oh, hehe, uh I’ll have to think about it I suppose.” He said with a smile to the woman.

Then he heard the man replied. Nodding he spoke back. “I’m glad to hear that, though my throat will likely not be by tomorrow.” He then heard them ask for his name before saying their own and their profession. A monster hunter, how intriguing. He wondered if he should use one of his numerous fake aliases now. However, they are becoming difficult to manage now.

“You can call me Juancho, I am but a humble traveling performer.” Bit of a half lie, he was certainly more than just a performer. “And you m’lady? May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

Garrod Arlette | Ziganni

 

[Ziganni]

Monster hunter. Bad news. Ziganni wasn't dumb despite the language barrier, she was actually quite proficient at her history. Well the history she learned from her family, the monster hunters were known to come in and wipe out entire tribes based on the actions of not so good tribes. For the most part Ziganni and her goblins were peaceful doing no different then the humans do and well a monster hunter could mean mass annihilation. She was well trained at keeping her face normal whilst hearing bad news, if she led on that there was a problem the hunter might find her family.

She nodded, at the cloaked man, Jauncho. A silent acknowledgement of his introduction. It was Garrod she was weary of, but she smiled at him pretending to still be that grateful girl she was mere moments before that horrid sentence was uttered. Fool's gambit to reveal such a profession when you're to hunt such creatures.

Truthfully, Ziganni's common tongue was not nearly as horrid as she led on but people often revealed more when they assumed those surrounding them couldn't understand. She was by no means well versed but she needed to play her part of broken language. "Ziganni." she'd say breathly. It was a name the Goblin's gave her roughly meaning to oppose or defy. Both things her family did on the daily.

Garrod Arlette
Juancho Ricco

 

[Garrod Arlette]

"Juancho," Garrod repeated, "Ziganni,' he nodded to both in turn, and gave the slightest of bows. "Well met," he added to his greeting.

As he straightened up, a bit of movement caught his attention. It came from the corner of his eye. The flit of a small shape among the passers by. Low to the ground, like a cat or a dog scrounging about for scraps. There it was again. Only this time he had seen it more clearly. Not a dog, no. Humanoid. Small. Likely a child.

The monster hunter smirked. "Careful, now," he warned the other two in a hushed tone. "Looks like there are some cut-purses about," he smirked. It'd be hard to tell from the looks of him, but Garrod had a fondness for thieves. Seeing as he had been one himself much earlier in his life. Didn't mean he wanted to go and get robbed now though.
`
He adjusted the strap of his big sword, and turned his eye back to the other two. "Well, that's enough merriment for me for the day, it was good meeting you two," he said with a quick nod, "Good fortune find you, wherever your paths take you," he turned and made away.

Some way down the street, amidst a busier intersection of the market, he felt a tug at his belt. Slight, and deft. He'd likely have missed it if he didn't tie down his goods to prevent the picking of his pockets. When his eye fell upon the thief, he saw a goblin, and he grinned.

"Hello there," he smiled hungrily. "Find something you like?" he asked in a hushed tone.

The little goblin stared up at him wide eyed, tried to yank the potion its hands were so greedily wrapped around, but could not. Garrod flashed his white gauntlet, deathly pale and strangely irridescent. Clicked its sharp, almost dagger-point fingertips. "Need these to cut the string, you see?"

The small green thief yelped, let go and ran away. Garrod smirked, evil-like, and scratched his chin with his white-armored hand.

"Might be a bounty on the bugger," he thought greedily.

---

Juancho Ricco
Ziganni