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| Talironde's Traveling Carnival |
Designed by Ymris Suggested Levels N/A Description: In the year 537, a terrible drought struck the west coast of Medievia. Crops withered, the ground baked and cracked, and wildfires burned the struggling remains of vegetation. DeRah Villedom was hit the hardest by the drought. The townspeople, already plagued by a dark curse, grew gaunt and harried. Terror by night and sweltering starvation by day drove them to despair. They would stand, gazing west at the clouds evaporating out to sea, and look with loathing on the salty water, unfit to drink or water the crops. Many townspeople discussed leaving the villedom and the drought. Many were in favor of such a move, but others refused to leave their homes and the hope of reclaiming dear ones lost to the curse of the town. Nearly all were skeptical of being able to start farming anew somewhere else, when the whole of the land was under siege of the drought, and the coming winter promised to be a hungry one. Talironde, a respected farmer and leader in the community, had a different idea. When he was a child, Talironde's father took him to see Lunamoth's Menagerie of Delirious Creatures in the nearby town of Moira. Young Talironde was so taken by the sights, sounds, and smells of the many exotic animals that he dreamed of one day starting his own circus. Considering the present conditions, Talironde decided that the time was ripe to follow his dream. One scorched afternoon at a town meeting at the Inn of the Golden Coin, when the townsfolk had arrived, Talironde proposed his idea: "We shall gather animals of every kind. We shall build games of chance and skill. We will build rides to charm the child and awe the adult. We will travel the continent, going from city to city to entertain the masses." Several of the townsfolk scoffed at him, but they fell quiet when he asked them what their ideas were for surviving the drought. The doubters relented, admitting that with Talironde gone, with any that would follow him, there would be that much more food in the stores through the winter. So Talironde and his band of followers gathered their wagons around the town fountain, where, using boards from the abandoned houses at the edge of the villedom, they built a caravan of rolling houses, cages, and scaffolds. The children danced in the dust around the wagons, splashing and streaking them with vivid shades of paint. Early one morning, as the villagers were cleaning the night's carnage from the streets, Talironde and his followers hitched their horses to the gaily colored wagons and said goodbye to friends and loved ones. The witch twins, Zish and Zash, swore tearfully to keep in touch and hugged one another tightly. With a wave of his hand, Talironde led the caravan out of the villedom and towards a new future. Over the course of a year and a half, the band roved the wilderness of Medievia, gathering rare and exotic animals, learning feats and tricks from gypsies and travellers, and perfecting the engineering of their rides. They would circle their wagons in forest clearings and drill themselves on constructing rides, digging ponds, and erecting tents, buildings, and fences. At long last Talironde was satisfied with his collection of animals and his followers' skills. One autumn morning he halted his caravan outside the west gate of Vanlarra. The troupe efficiently set up in a matter of a few short hours, and with a tear in his eye, Talironde unfurled a wide canvas banner bearing the words: TALIRONDE'S TRAVELING CARNIVAL. Copyright © 1992-2018 Medievia.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For more information contact: Webmistress: Soleil |