[MINI-EVENT] Cadens and Libertas Art Walk

[cryptsleeper]

Who: All residents of the Free Cities
What: A multi-city art walk (with strong political opinions invited), organized by Jaskier and Alucard (aka, the “Architects” of Old Public Hall)
Where: The main event is in Cadens, with a special portal to Libertas (!!) for the entirety of the week
When: The final week of July
Warnings: None, please warn as needed!f

Flyers Posted/Lead Up To The Event

[Once again, the people of Cadens will begin spotting flyers posted around the city with a script that may be becoming familiar, appearing at first in the middle of the month. The figure of a large black gryphon weaves between bold blue print reading “A R T W A L K” on each flyer in a carefully inked script. The flyers promise live performances throughout the final week of the month – plays performed in front of Old Public Hall (more information about the Hall itself can be seen here), a nightly concert in the main market, installations of great, unique sculptures, and shops that will turn into art galleries for a full seven days.

This is a full celebration of the Free Cities’ art movements held by the "Architects" of Old Public Hall.]

Most prominently on each flyer is a bolded line with a promise to top even Jaskier’s previous concert: FREE PORTAL TRAVEL TO OUR SISTER CITY OF LIBERTAS WILL BE OPENED TO FURTHER EXPRESSION OF HER ARTS. The portal has been secured through cooperation with Quilleth Kaur of Libertas, and will allow a rare chance for free instant transportation between Cadens and Libertas in order to circumvent the usual weeks-long journey to the sister city.

[If you were lucky enough to have graced Jaskier’s concert a season ago, many familiar components appear again, albeit less apolitical than before:

+ Art is the focus here, especially artistic commentary on politics, war, and the Free Cities’ standing in the midst of it all. Local shops and the markets of Cadens will be hosting the works of contemporary artists. The museums and libraries of Cadens have agreed to sponsor and participate in the walk, providing performances of literature and poetry, as well as setting up exhibits surrounding local artifacts. (Please note Old Public Hall is currently under heavy reconstruction and is closed off to visitors. However, an outdoor cafe has been set up outside her front steps to provide shade/a place to sit during your time in the art walk!)

+ Characters may recognize this appears to be happening quite recently after an undercurrent of tension in Cadens’s military movements. If you know Jaskier or Alucard well enough, you may recognize this as a direct response to those movements.

+ Food and drink will be served in various areas of the art walk, though fancier goods can always be purchased from the market.

+ Miniature sculptures by famed sculptor Axn Kade of Libertas will be available for purchase. Other artists will be providing various sculptures, paintings, drawings, knitted goods, etc. for purchase through the Walk. Please support your local artists!

+ Not to be left out, there are posters in the Cadens barracks that cheerfully announce THE ART IS WALKING TO YOU! which, without additional information, could seem more threatening than it is. Jaskier will be personally organizing and overseeing a special event to ensure Cadens’s military is not forgotten, with Alucard having constructed a temporary stage inside the barracks. A traveling troupe from Libertas will put on a performance in the barracks "for the troops." It will be a fairly apolitical performance, and will be less heavy on the patriotism than what usually comes out of Cadens.

+ Recent new produce introduced to the Free Cities from the ambassadors Ikorr and Luna of Nocwich (see post here) will be highlighted in attempts to broaden the somewhat closed doors of Cadens's local culture.

+ Visitors are asked to be open to ideas and attitudes different to theirs throughout the event. Please don't cause overt trouble or strife that will actively disrupt the event during this period! (Unless you would enjoy being harassed by Cadens guards.)

+ Information regarding the art scenes/movements of both Cadens and Libertas and available performances/artists (barring the musical concerts), as well as the aftermath of the event, have been provided by the mods (thank you!), if any further clarification on it is needed!]

The Art Walk of Cadens



[The art walk encompasses several core hubs of the city of Cadens for a full week - main plazas and the exterior of Old Public Hall, several museums and libraries, and a row of shops along the main drag of the merchant street. Beginning at six in the evening and stretching on late into the night, allowing for the night air to cool things down, Cadens's artistic side asserts itself through written words, performances, and art.

Many of the pieces from Cadens artists are supportive of Marlo and the government. These views are expressed at all levels from books and articles that focus on the progress made during Marlo's tenure, popular poems and performances honoring decorated soldiers or military heroes, and music that emphasizes defending the freedoms afforded to those in the Free Cities. Criticisms of the government or military tend to focus less on its structure and more on the failures of individuals who have "let the people down" by allowing their self-interest to get in the way of serving their nation.]

Those exploring Cadens will be able to enjoy:

Nightly Concerts outside of Old Public Hall and Grand Plaza!
Samuel L. Matthias (aka, Smithy) of the band “Clarinet Smoke” is one of many local musicians who will be performing in the grand plaza this week. Known for a vocal range that many others might kill for, Clarinet Smoke has been innovating Caden’s music scene for the past two years. The recent performance at Old Public Hall inspired him to take the band in a new direction and embrace a cheerfully defiant edge in the face of neighboring nations.

Also performing will be “Ruins at Their Feet”, Berry Matt, and other familiar local bands. Each concert will be introduced and opened by Master Bard and Master of Ceremonies Jaskier (of aforementioned concert in Old Public Hall) among other noteworthy accomplishments in his diligent work in Cadens’s art scene. Performances begin at 8 or 9 PM depending on location.

University Libraries to give performances of Poems held in the Archives!
Safiye Rudruss, head of education at the Hall of Natural Relics, will be taking the lead on the special program Their Voices are Present as a part of the week’s festivities. Working in collaboration with museum curators and archivists at two sister institutions, readings of past poetic works and histories will be given at the Old Public Hall, the main public library, and on the university quad. Sure to please, each speaker will share not only a great work of the past and the context it was written, but invite discussion about what these works mean now. Performances are held in each location, beginning at 7 PM and concluding with light refreshments.

Stores to become Galleries in Miniature for the week!
A number of shops have agreed to host physical art for the duration of the art walk, concentrated in the primary merchant district of Cadens. Those participating have a garland of the recently arrived glowing blooms from the darkest areas of Nocwich. The pieces hung on the walls run the gamut from quiet, desolate desert landscapes to wild canvases that move thanks to enhancements out of the universities, and some more traditional portraiture of great heroes of yore. (And, in one subversive series housed in a macaron shop, Those Who Failed Us.)

Breathtaking Birds to Delight the Children!
Master of Ceremonies and Master Bard Jaskier will be giving an early-evening performance every night, prior to the concerts, of a magical bird show, in which he will create and perform legendary tricks and japes with his colorful array of magically-crafted birds. Have you ever felt the feather-light weight of a chickadee on your finger? Have you ever been curious about how strong the grip of a seahawk truly can be? Come and witness Jaskier’s menagerie of finely-feathered friends! (A few lucky volunteers may go home with specially crafted jewelry using real feathers from local birds and gryphons, courtesy of local hunters and artists.)

Libertas, City of Individualism, And Her Featured Performances



[Thanks to the interest of Quilleth Kaur, the representative of Libertas and patron of the arts, a travel portal between Cadens and Libertas has been opened for a full week. The free travel between the cities means that the arts of Libertas - subversive, countercultural, probing - can travel as well. Because freedom of expression is emphasized in Libertas, a counterculture movement has formed there which includes more critical voices of the government, politics, and war (though of course voices from all sides of the spectrum are present!)

Upon entering Libertas, a vast sea of artwork, operas, music, and avant-garde fashion can be found. Where Aquila has a thriving marketplace alongside its trendy fashion and artworks, Libertas’s hub is built upon its independent thinkers who express themselves through poetry, visual arts, philosophy, and more. There are artist alleyways throughout the city and even the architecture varies wildly. Poets, musicians, painters, and other artists often meet in taverns to discuss politics and exchange ideas. Printed pamphlets are popular. Street corners are usually occupied with some kind of performance or speech all hours of the day into the night. Libertas is less strictly overseen by city guards, meaning the occasional brawl can break out over a difference of opinion. Citizens tend to govern themselves and anyone who has something to say or create is welcome to do so as long as they're willing to make their stand.]

Those exploring Libertas will be able to enjoy:

Playing once daily for a full week: Erbano’s most noted work!
Once a day for a week, an emerging playwright named Engelberta Erbano will put on her most popular play. It depicts the tragedy that results from a conflict between two warring families, one from a land filled with ancient magic and one from a land powered by progress. At the end, the two main characters - whose families will not let them marry - jump into a deep crater so they can be together. Their bodies disintegrate and the families lose their children over what is ultimately a petty squabble. It is not a subtle story. Some may recognize aspects of the play's subject matter from their own world, particularly the two star-crossed lovers. The acting is of high quality and the special effects using New Magic are quite convincing. She has won a few awards for her plays.

Noted Sculptor to exhibit in both Libertas and Cadens!
Axn Kade (born Paxton Kade), a famous sculptor, will show off some of the permanent sculptures located around Libertas, as well as bring one of his larger sculptures over into Cadens for a temporary display. His sculptures are made of scrap metal derived from the abandoned mining equipment and other materials Cadens and its military leave behind, rusting in the ground. Repurposing waste into art is his goal. He's vocal about the dangerous conditions in the mines and the hazards of old heavy equipment left lying around. He also sells miniature sculptures for anyone to purchase, such as this and this. Given his popularity, these cost a pretty penny - the equivalent of a finely crafted sword - but they're available if anyone wishes to splurge on some art. Kade promises some of the profits will go towards improving conditions for miners.

Academic Magic used for rare and unique performances by Theany Newland!
Theany Newland is a performance artist. He utilizes elaborate puppets powered by New Magic, similar to clockwork animatronics on a smaller scale. These puppets perform unusual interpretive dances on a lush and beautiful stage of grass and flowers that bloom using - in direct contradiction to New Magic - a form of magic that is obviously the Academic Magic favored in Thorne. Unlike many in the Free Cities, Theany dresses in a manner that carries the familiar edges of nobles in Thorne. Where many prefer not to acknowledge that the Free Cities was once a part of Thorne, Theany is open about the fact that his family traces a few generations back to Thorne: academics from Hayle before they came to the Free Cities to build a new life. As a result, Theany himself is as much a subject of controversy as his work. Some insist he should be ejected from the Free Cities while others admire his boldness.

The Aftermath/Changing Attitudes In Cadens

[The portal to Libertas closes on the morning of the eighth day, permitting those who stayed for one last night in Libertas to travel back to Cadens. The extra tents and stands for selling arts will gradually disappear, with the remnants of the art walk being the occasional painting or small sculpture still appearing in local shops and taverns.

However, Cadens will not entirely return to her original state.

Following the success of the art walk, Libertas's influence will begin to grow in Cadens and the Summoned will notice a shift in attitude among some of the locals. While parts of Cadens continues to have a strong political push towards Marlo and her leadership style, the counter-culture ideals and beliefs of Libertas will begin setting down roots in Cadens.]

Questions on the Event

Can my character give a performance/show off their own art or metal working/etc.?
Yes! Please feel free to allude to working with a local business to make a display, or slot yourself into a performance space. There are no limits to participation or the content, although those who know Jaskier or Alucard well can assume that they’d rather things contradict the current military bend in Cadens.

Can I just walk through the portal to Libertas?
Yes, and doing so is highly encouraged, as this is the first chance for the Summoned to easily visit Libertas! You can go there and back for the entire week as much as you would like; the mods have explicitly approved this.

My character would like to give a speech (or similar), is that cool?
While this event is absolutely about the intersection of art and politics, we do ask that unless one of your characters is participating in a part of the art walk (story telling, poetry reading, displaying art etc.), please don't use this opportunity for speeches. Gathering in pubs, street corners, etc. to talk about current politics and potential for war is perfectly fine and encouraged. Rabble rousing is where we're asking you to draw the line for now.

If you have any specific questions about the culture/artwork/political attitudes in Cadens and Libertas, or the performance details in Libertas, please ask on the FAQ, as all of that information came from the mods. However, we are happy to answer questions regarding the general art walk or Jaskier or Alucard's contributions!

Comments

[gynvael]

Geralt is beginning to recognize when Inej approaches: a distinct lack of audible footsteps, but a heartbeat nonetheless. No surprise to see her in Libertas. Most of those in Cadens have taken advantage of the portal.

Her tone is curious. He doesn't say anything about what it, doesn't try to anticipate what's on her mind. Just tops off his glass with the bottle he's taken to his table.

There is clearly something she wants to say, though. He simply waits, one eyebrow raised, until she tells him.

[shadowthief]

"It is customary," she starts, her voice clipped but not exactly in an angry way, "to let someone know when you're leaving for an extended period of time."

Does that clear anything up? Probably not, but at least he has the crux of her mood laying on the table now.

[gynvael]

It clears up some aspects, if only because Geralt doubts she means him fucking off to Libertas for a day. Which leaves his excursion last month. A small pause goes by as he studies her with a tempered sort of patience.

"You were concerned," he says simply.

He imagines it isn't really about him departing without a word. Not in that sense. The reality is that he hasn't time to inform everyone of his whereabouts, and he expects most to understand so. His work is his work. It takes him out of the city at least once a month, if not more. Jaskier, Ciri, Julie—he'll let them know. On occasion, Sam. That's about it.

Besides, he's easily reached. Out there, he makes an effort to answer ever since he was, well. Captured and actually did vanish for a few weeks.

[shadowthief]

"I thought you were gone," the words come out a little more intensely than she meant them to.

A beat.

She adds, "Gone-gone. Like Matthias. Like the first Tony Stark I met. No warning, just– gone." Matthias was, admittedly, the worst of these cases. This had been a second (third?) chance for him, and all he was sent back to was nothing. Death. She has no idea what Tony was left with back home, but she has no reason to think it was anything quite so dire as that. Not that it had made it any easier to swallow when she saw him at Mag's and he had not a drop of recognition of her when she greeted him.

Each instance became more jarring than the last, rather than something she seemed to have any way of adjusting to. The whims of this world are not predictable that way. "Dean assured me you were fine. And this is normal..." But how is she supposed to know the difference, if he's gone because he takes regular trips away, or he's gone because he's just gone?

[gynvael]

For a moment, he's quiet. His gaze is steady—not unsympathetic, but it's difficult to read as it tends to be. More than anything, he finds himself lingering on what it means that Inej was so concerned. Their paths have crossed, but he doesn't know her as well as others. It's simply not occurred to him he would be someone whose whereabouts she would notice.

"I understand." He's had his share of people vanish, here and back home. Perhaps it's the nature of his world that he's more used to it. Not that it makes it easier, but he can go months, even years, without having heard from someone. He has to accept he cannot know or control what may happen while they are apart. All he can do is hope they're well when he sees them, and be prepared at the same time that they might not be.

But he's aware things are different in this world with so many living closer together. That he's a part of that now, too.

"My intention was not to worry you. Next time, contact me. Or check the stables." He points out the window where a large black mare is tethered in the distance near the tavern. She was unhappy about stepping through the portal, but he needed her in Libertas this morning to load a few things. "I don't leave without my horse."

[shadowthief]

She hadn't really known she had that kind of attachment to him either until it was practically punching her in the face. She's still not sure it was that, more than it just had felt like she was losing someone else without noticing it again. Part of her is terrified it's going to happen to Jesper, that one day she'll wake up to an empty room, and no one will know where he is, and no one will have seen him and–

She takes a slow breath in and steadies herself.

"I know," her words are quiet, small, her gaze staring holes into the tabletop. Contact me, he says and it seems obvious now, but she doesn't use that magic communication system afforded to the Summoned much, often she forgets until someone's words are projected in front of her eyes that they have it at all. Dean had mentioned that, too, though. She'll try to remember next time.

What had this place done to her? When had she become this weak? And that's how it feels: Weak. Small. Stupid. The kind of thing that the girl that had been thrown on that ship certainly felt, but not the sort The Wraith of the Barrel should be so affected by. Is it the complacency she's found here? No longer thieving secrets every night, breaking into houses and buildings and prisons for a brutal boy, and suddenly she's just a pathetic mess?

Or perhaps, if she were to think of it, reframe it in the right light, it's because, for the first time in nearly four years, she's not literally fighting for every inch of control of her own life from the grubby, greedy hands of others. It's finally having the space to breathe and to feel, instead of compartmentalizing every single action of every single day just to survive it to get to the next one. Maybe, knocked down to brass tacks, it's simply the fact that she's still just a girl, beneath all the things she's lived, all the things she's done and been forced to become, coupled with the knowledge that in whatever way it's possible in this city, she is, genuinely, safe in a way she hasn't been since she was taken from the shores of Ravka.

Inej blinks and looks up when he points out the window, and she gives a small, watery sort of smile at the horse outside. "Okay," she doesn't like how thick her voice sounds, but she nods as she focuses back on him.

[gynvael]

Whatever is on Inej's mind, it seems to go beyond Geralt's habit of disappearing into the desert for weeks at a time. Does it bother her that she was so upset? Or does it bother her that he understands she was worried instead of simply pissed at him for vanishing? Or that she'd admitted to being afraid after all these disappearances when she hadn't meant to?

Sometimes anger is easier. He gets that.

He makes no remark on it either way. Not the thickness in her voice, not how it takes her a good few minutes before she finally looks back at him. Not the long stretch of silence where she seems lost in some distant place. It's not his place to pry.

Instead, he pours her a drink and slides the cup over. Libertas has fine liquor. He'll give them that.

"Ciri's horse came back riderless not long ago. Scared the shit out of me." And then he'd had a panicked bard to answer on top of that. He'd been days into the desert at the time, with no real method of finding out what may have happened. All he could do was wait. "She turned up eight hours later with hardly a scratch."

There's more to the story than that, but. The point stands: fear is fear. They all feel it. Doesn't matter who or what you are.

[shadowthief]

Her gaze drops to the cup he'd slid toward her, up to his face, and back again. There's a beat of hesitation before she sips from it. A part of her would rather throw it back like a shot, but she has a modicum of control, thanks.

She blinks when he speaks again, not expecting that kind of share from him. Maybe it's a tactic. Maybe it's meant to prove that everyone has fears sometimes. Was that his point? It reminds her of her Dad. "We meet fear," and the air about the words is more than enough to make it obvious she's repeating someone else's words. "We greet the unexpected visitor and listen to what he has to tell us... When fear arrives, something is about to happen."

She downs the rest of what's in that cup.

[gynvael]

He's quiet for a moment. They're pretty words, the kind etched in lessons for those who would listen.

"Something like that." He lets the topic go; he isn't so well acquainted with her that he'd press further, and he's said what he wanted to say.

Besides, his other main concern is that no one go around alarming anyone else he might be missing. Between Ciri, Jaskier, Julie, Sam, Dean, he understands full well that his disappearances are not taken lightly. Last time he vanished, eight people died by Ciri's hand and she wound up in a cell for a day, so.

Better that no one leap to unwarranted conclusions.

Geralt refills her cup. If she wants to toss it back like a shot, she's welcome. He'll hardly judge. "Here for the art?"

The experience, some might say. Unless she did come all this way to find him, which he doubts.

[shadowthief]

She nods a little at the question, glad for the change of subject, even if it feels jarring on the heels of the rest that came before it. “I was curious,” she admits. “I’ve been meaning to make a trip to the sister cities anyway, and who am I to pass up the ease of opportunity?”

A pause before she adds, “And Jesper is selling his wares here throughout the week.” And anyone that knows either of them at this point knows where one goes, the other is very likely to follow close behind.

[gynvael]

Geralt settles into the drinking as though they've always been talking of something far more casual. Delicate segues have never been his strong suit.

"I saw him." Hard to miss. Jesper tends to make his presence known.

There's a small pause. "He came to me not long ago. About his hearing."

He doesn't say what exactly happened—that is not his business to tell—but he thinks, perhaps, it might be worth knowing if Inej is aware that something is going on with her friend.

[shadowthief]

“I’m not surprised,” she says, her tone amused. She knows how hard he is to miss.

At the confession, she frowns. “Did something happen?” He’s seemed…fine, as far as Inej has been able to discern. Had she missed something? Ignored something she shouldn’t have? And why hadn’t Jesper told her anything?

No part of her features betray the concern she’s feeling, except maybe a tiny fluttered skip in her heartbeat, just once.

[gynvael]

So Jesper's not said. Geralt considers how he wants to answer for a second. "Nothing serious."

At least, not in the way she's asking. Jesper wasn't injured. It was more...a sudden assault of the senses. He hasn't heard anything from Jesper since, so he presumes the ability has been dormant. But it's unlikely to stay that way for long.

"You may want to ask him." It's not Geralt's place to interfere or spill the boy's secrets. If Jesper has kept it to himself, then he has his reasons.