Turn’s End at Emerald Falls
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Aaron, Estelle, Sia
Date Posted: 26th June 2024
Characters: Corofel, Aleriand, Jayala
Description: Turn's End is afoot in the Emerald Falls territory!
Location: Emerald Falls Hold, Harper Hall, Printer Hall
Date: month 13, day 29 of Turn 11
The day had come at last for Corofel's first Turn's End as the Lord â€" Acting Lord â€" of Emerald Falls. The invitations had gone out, and all the preparations had been made. The weather could not have been more obliging for a Gather, not too warm, and not too muggy, not too breezy, but not too still.
The Gather grounds were bustling people setting up booths and stalls filled with food, games, and merchandise. Some kind of troupe of traveling performers was erecting a peculiar square stage among them, too, ringed on all four sides with three velvety ropes. It seemed that each of them wore relatively little clothing and a mask to conceal their identities. He would have to take a look at their show.
But most exciting of all for Corofel was the muttonslop contest.
Of course, he was not calling it that _officially_. No one was going to want to eat it if he actually called it that. Officially, the contestants were each meant to come up with a name for their concoction themselves.
Each of them would pay a small entry fee, which formed the first place prize winnings, but Corofel himself had provided all of the ingredients, including ground mutton, onions, garlic, tomatoes, butter, rivergrain, and various spices. This would ensure that cost would not be a barrier to entry, so anyone could potentially win the grand prize, and that everyone could eat for free without putting a huge burden on Jylanya's kitchen.
Plus, he was looking forward to eating as many different muttonslops as possible.
In the evenings, there would be dancing at the Hold and even a full performance of a Harper ballad at the Harper Hall, which, of course, Corofel was obliged to attend. Ordinarily, he would be looking forward to dancing, but now, knowing that all eyes would be on him when it came to choosing his bride, the pressure was on.
Moreover, he would be meeting with as many of the minor Holders as would see him, and he knew that not all of them would be happy to see him. Nevertheless, he had to keep his duty to the protectorate above all other considerations.
- - -
Aleriand wasn't one for holidays nor momentous occasions, but he couldn't ignore either of these. After nearly a decade, the Printer Hall finally had a home. It's own campus, a library, a bookstore, and enough printers to manage the demand for materials across the Southern Continent. It was well worth celebrating, and part of the litany he told himself every time someone came to him with something that decidedly _not_ printing related. His new Hallsecond, Shassene, was handling most of the party business, thank Faranth. Not because she necessarily wanted to, but because if Aleriand had to listen to Corofel giggle about 'meat slop' one more time he was going to lose his cool at a child.
The Printer Hall had its own events, though none were as 'fun' as this 'meat slop', which included a tour of the new buildings, a walkthrough of how a manuscript becomes a book, and a special printed copy of 'The Emerald Journal' along with a little printed picture of the new Printer Campus. The bookstore and library boasted extended hours, along with a small booth at Emerald Falls Hold, well away from the food contests.
Hiding behind the Harper Hall was no longer an option. Along with independence came rank and prestige, and no doubt the ladies that dogged him ever since he returned to Emerald Falls would be back en masse, led by ambitious mamas or other womanly relatives. That two of the three major leaders in Emerald Falls were bachelors and would be in attendance made this a Turn's End that no single lady in the protectorate would want to miss.
- - -
Since the rebuilding after the fire, Turn's End at the Harper Hall had
developed into a smoothly run event only a short walk from the main
Hold. Each branch of the Craft displayed its skills to visitors from
Emerald Falls and further afield: artists showed off their works and
hoped to make a few sales, the instrument-makers demonstrated the larger
or more obscure musical instruments, and the archivists and teachers
told stories to rapt groups of children and adults. Music and singing
could be heard all afternoon in the Great Hall, beginning with the
junior apprentice choir and building up to the grand performance of a
well-known ballad, with a full orchestra, chorus and the Hall's top
soloists taking the leading roles.
Jayala usually persuaded the Master Vocalist to select a rousing tale of
dragonrider heroics; these were popular with the audience and recognized
the Hall's gratitude to the Weyr for taking them in. Old favorites such
as the great Rides of past queens always went down well, but this Turn
they'd chosen the "Last Fall", a modern retelling of the final days of
the previous Pass. It had plenty of juicy roles to please the performers
- the ageing Weyrleader leading his Wing to fight for the last time, the
young goldrider waiting on the Hatching Sands to know if her beloved
weyrmate would return, a stranded trader caravan, and a dramatic
instrumental section where a storm brews over the ocean as the Leading
Edge approaches - but it also ended with a band of holders setting out
to found Emerald Falls, in a polite compliment to the new Lord Holder's
ancestors.
No matter how well they prepared, the morning of Turn's End was always a
last-minute rush - costumes being repaired, artists arguing over the
positioning of their work and musicians over the running order, lost
scores, spilled wineskins, an apprentice being sick with stage fright.
Only when the last note had been sung could Jayala finally relax, and
having thanked the performers and her fellow Masters, head over to the
Hold to enjoy the last of the Gather. There, the music and dancing would
continue into the night and welcome in the brand new Turn.
Last updated on the July 1st 2024