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Post by Beets The Beetle (Feenix) on Jun 10, 2024 6:44:59 GMT
A Thank you to the Entire Kantas Community,
World Builders, Dungeon Masters,Schedulers, Players and one and all!
Beets A Gandenthor Adventure
Also entitled as:
(Beets the Musical)
“As it’s likely to be referred to by the masses.” Yinnmaris 2024.
A musical adaptation based on the true events of the Githyanki Invasion of The Dawnlands (Ex Astris) from the perspective of adventurer Beets Sunwater.
The Real people and Historical events that feature in this production are portrayed by actors and writers, some characteristics and dialogue have been altered and some events have been compressed and artistically reinterpreted to be appropriate for viewing audiences.
All music featured in this production has been chosen for “vibe” only purposes and so song titles and lyrics may differ within the final end product, all rights belong to their respective creators.
Dungeon Master of Production
Riah
Kantas Players
BEETS PIPPER PYRIN YINMARIS
Musical Direction Yinmaris Beets
Staging, Set Design, Puppetry & Special Effects Pipper
Fabricated figures
Production Reviewer & Test Auidence Pyrin
Artistic Interpretations Michael
The Master of Revelries & Theatrical Manager of The Feylight Garden Theatre Tasslehoff Bitterberry the Bold.
Cast List
Beets the Beetle Beets Sunwater
Daffles/ Aurelia / Coll / Qirliria the Bright / Dawnland Adventurers/ All other Characters, Chorus Ensemble Roles Fabricated Figures of the Fey Light Garden Theatre Troupe
Musical Numbers
Act I
‘Beets’ Theme Overture’ (The Flight to the Neverland-From “Hook”)
(Our Time)
Welcome to The Dawnlands (Welcome to the Renaissance)
(Dance of the Wild Faeries)
All Gone Sideways (The Ashes will Be Woken)
A Budding Romance (Poe Finds The Truth)
(Refuge at Helms Deep)
(One Perfect Moment)
Act II
Scale it Up (Morning Glown)
Ex Astris (Helm’s Deep)
(Noble Maiden Fair)-‘In Draconic’
(The Hills of Tomorrow)
(Falling Slowly)
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Post by Beets The Beetle (Feenix) on Jun 10, 2024 7:08:33 GMT
A chance stop upon a rooftop.
A sudden glance and snatch from the air.
People talk about things being ‘fated’, fate being ‘written in the clouds’ or something like that.
I’d honestly never had much stock for that kinda stuff. Not with my lot in life.
Still, Pa and Gramps did always say to me, “Things happen in life for a reason, Beets.”
If I hadn't woken up early one morning in the days since leaving home I would’ve never of flit’into those folk on the road. I'd never of performed for them, shared a meal in return as payment and been told I had unknowingly flitted into the expanse called ‘The Dawnlands.’ I would never have been directed towards Fort Ettin, a hub for travellers and aspiring adventurers to gather and lodge. Somewhere for people to perhaps make a fresh start. A place even to call home.
Perhaps I was meant to have caught that flyer during rooftop rest after my early morning delivery run,
and to therefore spend a day doing something in my new home of Daring Heights that I would never ever forget.
༻༺
Outside the theatre I met Pipper, Yinmaris and a new bird on the block, a black aarakocra named Pyrinn who had literally flown into town that morning and caught a flyer on the wind just like me. Flit, the Feylight Theatre marketing team sure has effective advertising. After a catch up, in which we concluded Pipper’s previous keen interest in ‘humbling’ the River King Ulorian had instead turned to more caffeine bean fuelled antics and us all advising our new feathered friend on how flitting-off his sogginess would severely threaten the length of lifespan during their stay here, we headed on inside. Inside the theatre we were greeted by a familiar looking bearded half-elf fellow who introduced himself as Tassle Hoff Bitterberry the Bold, the theatre manager, who we both then recalled meeting one another during Lolli’s fashion show here last..no...Nearly 2 years ago! Bug! Had it really been that long?... Tassel explained the reason for his flyer-born summons was to attract help in assembling a show-a whole show which if created and performed all within the same day could earn a mark of prestige. A token of respect. A chufty badge. Basically, a contest of sorts-one which folk of the Feywild looked upon ‘most favourably’. Well guess I had enjoyed shaking the dust loose from my long hung performing wings at that Circus in Faerun, and Tassel had done a wonderful job with Lolli’s fashion show. So sure. Why the flit’not.
Tassel suggested as we were to be holding the performance here in Daring Heights, we should perhaps choose to base our play on some recent events in the town’s history, something the townsfolk, many of which would be making up the audience, could really connect to.
“The Githyanki Invasion?…” Pipper offered, and it was as if she had just seen inside my head-which maybe she could knowing Pipper. Memories began to flit through my mind: My first view of the enormous ancient flying city of Gandthor. The interrupted picnic date of Coll and Velania and my first meeting with Qirliria, her words of comfortable inspiration after Coll’s death. Giving up..Coll’s mind in that ruby to that dragon riding Githyanki. The days spent training and preparing my Rooftop Bugkour squad in the weeks leading up to the arrival of the Githyanki forces. Being almost torn to pieces by a Red dragon in Gadenthor. My quest to seek Qirliria’s aid in the Court of Harmony in the Feywild. The battle at Fort Ettin…Qirliria’s..death…Coll’s goodbye.
The others were already discussing all the many cinematic possibilities, Pipper’s excited plans of creating a small-scale replica of Gandethor and retractable walls for Fort Ettin, while Yinmaris debated what music genre we should pick. It was then Tassel reminded us from his professional experience how often the best stories were often told from a personal angle. Regaled in the manner of a bard as one who had really been there, someone who had experienced all the events on a physical and emotional level.
“Beets…”
I looked up hearing my name to find everybody staring at me.
“Beets-A Gadenthor Adventure.” Pipper announced dramatically, a wide smile spreading across her scaled face, causing the others-even new Pyrin-to nod with their own increasing levels of approval and enthusiasm.
I was not at all sure about the proposal. An entire play, performed to an entire theatre of people. Starring..Me?
I couldn’t do it. It would be too flittin’embarassing. It would be far too personal. It would..It would let..let me tell the story of those we’d lost…Of how much their lives and sacrifice had meant…
I heard Qirliria words flit’again through my mind.
“Every story has strife, every story has woe, and every story sees the heroes struggle. But it is through such hardships that they find true greatness. It takes courage, it takes strength... It takes love. Such tales inspire poets and bards everywhere for generations!"
“I’ll do it.” I said, “Where do we start?
The next hours literally flew by like a high speed Paradise Frost breakfast delivery!
Pipper quizzed me on my experiences of the year the Githyanki attacked, establishing the major story ‘beats’ and filling in the gaps-I didn’t know Coll got connected to Gadenthor by falling in mind jelly-before she set about working on various set pieces and drafting up some buggin’incredible dragonic puppetry.
Yinmaris had closely listened to our discussions to get the outline and vibe of the story before then spending the next few hours cranking through various riffs and verses in a vibrant hamonic orchestra jam sess.
I meanwhile was introduced by Tssel to the theatre’s many talented actors, and set the task of assigning character roles, establishing the key points of each scene before we then flitted right into rehearsals.
All the while our new aracokraian friend Pyrinn seemed to be doing a constant fly-by of the whole theatre, giving audience-perspective where needed at times or just staring in wide eyed fascination and wonder at others.
｡･:*˚:✧｡
Before I knew it, rehearsals were over and I was pulling the beautifully sleek leotard that I had been provided with for my costume in one of the theatre's lavish dressing rooms. But as I looked at myself in the mirror I couldn’t scratch the itch that something was missing.
During my first year of being in the Dawnlands I’d never gone anywhere without wearing..my beetle horn…I was ‘Beets the Beetle’ after all…Or had been. But the thing was I snapped it clean in half that night after facing that mirror-me…
But just out of habit I suppose, I always still kept the pieces on me, and so I went to find Pipper to see if she had any glue.
Pipper didn’t need glue. She fixed it. Like fixed-fixed, as if it was new…I almost didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t the same person I was back then, bug, I didn’t even go by that old name anymore. But as I held it whole once more in my hands I decided.
This was my story. I was the teller, it had to be true, and I so donned my beetle horn once more, to take on the role of Beets, both the old and the new.
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Post by Beets The Beetle (Feenix) on Jun 10, 2024 7:14:43 GMT
༻❁ The Performance ❁ ༺ Two minutes to showtime. The audience were here, Pyrinn was perched ready to observe the audience, Pipper was preparing to start her backstage artificering, Yinmaris was tuxed and tuned and warming up the orchestra…and I…Was flitting terrified. I had never seen such a large audience. Flitting thankfully Tassel was on hand to calm my nerves with some kind words and a reassuring touch on my shoulders. And the last of the butterflies flew free of my stomach, the orchestra began to swell.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ 🪲⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
“Hello, I’m Beets. Beets the Beetle to some, but you can just call me Beets. Tonight I’ve got a story to tell you, it happened right here in our home, Daring Heights in The Dawnlands, on a continent called, Kant..Kantas right? Yes, Kantas. But though the town stood almost as mighty and proud as it does now when I first arrived here, it hasn’t always been here. Its creation, like my own arrival, was the subject of chance. A chance discovery of a strange rift by two friends. A wealthy merchant named Daffles and a skilled wizard named Aurelia…It was upon their arrival to this strange new land, that Daffles saw an opportunity. An opportunity to establish a new frontier and attract merchants and adventurers alike to profit, adventure and explore…And that my friends, is how the town of Daring Heights began…"
🎼
(Our Time)
“Now there’s an important person in our story who didn’t live in Daring Heights, or at least not anymore when I arrived in the Dawnlands, and in fact was where I first headed when I began my adventurer lifestyle. A pink stone fort, just quick flit down the road from here. Fort Ettin, a hub for adventurers and folk wanting to make a fresh start, and home to one of the best taverns around. Its barkeep was once a man named Coll, a kinder man you’d never meet, and one who was as quick to get you out the non-existent gate on adventure as he was to serve ya a pint. I’ll leave him give you his traditional adventurer’s welcome...”
🎼
"Another important figure in our story is Qirliria The Bright. Qirliria didn’t live in the Dawnlands at all, nor Kantas, nor even Faerun, she came from the Feywild, also known as the Plane of Faerie. A place that can overwhelm the senses and play mischief with your emotions. The people that inhabit it as known as the Fey, some live in grand established ordered courts, whilst others prefer to roam free, inhabiting its many varied and mysterious realms, thus leading many rumours and tales to be shared amongst adventurers and townsfolk. Tales that are still told by mothers to their children as bedtime stories, warning them of what could await them should they ever succumb to the allures of the Feywild. Here is one such tale…"
🎼
"Now you know who is in our story. We can begin it proper.
Far east of here, beyond the Sunset Spines and across a flittin’hot desert lies the lush green jungles of Harnash, within which lay the sideways ruins of an ancient flying civilisation, a crash landed city named Gadenthor. The buff Harnashi were exceedingly curious about the history and technology of the place, so much so that they reached out to Dawnlander adventurers many a time for aid in their excavations. One such party to travel to aid them was joined by Coll, a chance excursion of which led to them to coming face to face with members of a race named the Githyanki. A tribe of folk hailing from Astral Plane, or as its more known, Astral Sea. And they were armed..with..dragons Red dragons. In the ensuing conflict, Coll’s mind somehow became linked with..‘the mainframe’..of the city, and with the creation of that link, the city of Gadenthor rose once more.”
”In the months that followed, Githyanki and Harnashi fought for control of the now airborne Gadenthor, the latter still making regular calls for aid to the Dawnlands to assist in their new efforts of opposition and extraction. It was in answer to once such that I first saw Gandenthor. It was a mighty impressive confusing thing-held loft by powerful magic and technological things instead of by wings. After helping to rescue the Harnashi’s Tabaxi ruler, Queen Thundering..Herd of Wild Horses-Good advice, always get royalties full names right-my life was taken up by different aspects of adventuring. Cursed tabling, frog bogging, pirating and then matchmaking! Yes Matchmaking, in the form attending a beautiful picnic date for Coll and his beloved Velania in a hillside meadow in the spring. You couldn’t imagine a more romantic thing. And it really was...Well, at least, to begin…”
It was like reliving that day as we acted it out on stage. The beginning of the picnicking on Evenbloom Hill, Coll and Velania whispering sweet nothings, Qirlira’s arrival, the party/pixie storytelling..Coll’s Githyanki kidnapping, our attempted rescuing…Coll..falling.
“..Coll fell and…And..he…He…”
I’d frozen up. My mouth wouldn’t work. My legs wouldn’t work. All I could focus on was that paper puppet of Coll, watching as it changed before my eyes to the real Coll. My mind taking me to the back the last time I saw him alive, freed from the clutches of the Githyanki, changing back from the form of a bird but then falling. Falling down, down down..to beneath the clouds below.
Some quick improv chanting from a chorus line Girthyanki suddenly shook me…Giving me enough chance to wipe my eyes to see who was entering to the stage right of me. Qirliria the Bright in all her moonstone dragon majesty, her grace and scale bought to life through Pipper’s masterful puppetry.
“If this is how my story goes…I don’t know if I want to know the rest…” I said to her as I had that day..
Like then, Qirliria smiled, and spoke her wisdom aloud to me. Exactly word for word, for despite all the time that has passed, I could never forget what she had said in response to me…
“Your sadness will not last, Beets. You are of the 'Wild lands where light and beauty dances with mischief and opportunity. Every story has strife, every story has woe, and every story sees the heroes struggle. But it is through such hardships that they find true greatness..It takes courage, it takes strength... It takes love. Such tales inspire poets and bards everywhere for generations!”
“Can you be the inspiration, someone's reason to never give up? That is the question. You are strong, you have potential as all living things do. What will you do with that when your friends need you, even now?"
“Despite his..death. Coll lived again that day, thanks to the efforts of my friends... But he..wasn’t the same…He was no longer..Coll.”
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“Coll had become part of Gadenthor proper. His mind imprisoned within the walls of the city, whilst his body..and his heart, were left behind in the care of his love Velania. Attempts were made to infiltrate Gadenthor and rescue him, but the Githyanki and their dragons proved far too much for single parties alone…And when the Githyanki managed to get the city to move and began to pilot it towards Daring Heights, The Daring Council made an announcement to its
citizens. They were going to have to evacuate. They were going to have to leave their home.”
“Meanwhile the Dawnland adventurers were busy. We weren’t going to let those Githyanki get what they wanted, to let them gain full authorised-access to all the features of their new Flying Fortress by taking ownership of Coll, who was but also wasn’t calling the shots as the new admin-brain thing of Gandenthor. It was…complicated. The simple thing to know was, the Githyanki wanted to do whatever they wanted without a care for anybody else. They had to be stopped.
So whilst some adventurers went on reconnaissance and resource seeking missions, others worked on shoring up Fort Ettin’s defences, ready to face off against the Githyanki when they made their eventual airborne assault.
And me? Well, I was busy too. Busy training an elite force of brave bugkour rooftop runners to aid in the The Watch and the Crimson Fist’s defence of Daring Heights. We all wanted homes to come back to after all. I’d already lost one home, I had to give it my all to make sure I didn’t lose another!”
“Help. If I’ve learnt anything in my time here in The Dawnlands, is that you’ve gotta know when to ask for it. Help when you’re not feeling quite yourself. Help with controlling your..inner..emotions… Help when you have a flock of terrifying corrupted red dragons heading right your way. I’d faced off against one Giyanki dragon with the help of a party of my friends on ‘an excursion’ to Gandethor a couple weeks prior to their invasion and was lucky to escape with my life. I was scared. What chance did we have against a whole flock of blood thirsty dragons? What ‘might’ might come even close to overcoming that of a dragon?-beside my friend Kavel’s. It was as I glanced skyward, as I did many a rooftop night, that my gaze fell upon the crescent moon flitting above the increasing morning glows light, and I found the answer I thought was right. I would go and see Qirliria the Bright. I would ask for her to aid in our fight."
“Soon the Girthyanki and Gadenthor arrived. After severely devastating New Hillborrow and unleashing an assault upon Daring Heights, they flew on into the night to arrive before Fort Ettin. I thought we were ready, surely with the help of Qirliria and her mother Zanathir we could stand strong…And we did..that is, until something went wrong…”
🎼
As Pipper’s recreation of the battle at Fort Ettin played out on stage, and Yinmaris’s score swelled, it was like I was transported back to that rain washed battlefield before the East Wall. As the music dwindled from its crescendo I found my eyes drawn to the swirling red dragon summoned storm into which Qirliria’s puppet form had been pulled, just as she had that night. And then as if in slow mo..she fell…
“Nooo!-Qirliria!!!” Cried a young girl I could just make out in the front row, a cry of pain and protest had mirrored my very own the moment she’d fallen, one that made my eyes swell. I watched helplessly, as for a second time Qirliria’s life left her, her light vanishing in a glittered scattering of stardust like scales. “I did not see the rest of the battle, so lost was I to my grief…To my Rage.
When morning broke the Githyanki were defeated, their dragon forces were slew. But to me all I knew was that my friend Qirliria was gone. Eventually Zanathir, her mother, arrived… In the moments that followed we exchanged a few words, before she then turned to her task. The task of a mother, to take her daughter home.”
🎼
“Countless others had been lost in the battle too, heroes that had laid down their lives so that we continue the lives that we knew. They will always be remembered by me, and hopefully by you. One such brave hero was a man. A barkeep. He was the barkeep named Coll.”
🎼
(The Hills of Tomorrow)
“So our story comes to its end, though it is far from over. It continues on, inside all of us, within you, and you, and you.
I am not the person I was before this story started and perhaps now you’ve heard it, neither are you. And now, before I turn to flit’you adieu…I have a question for you.
“Can you be the inspiration, someone's reason to never give up? That is the question I pose to you. We are all strong, we all have potential as all living things do. What will you do when your friends, your family, when your home needs you?”
🎼
audio.com/beetssunwater/audio/beets-falling-slowly
Epilogue
About an hour after curtain fall, all the audience had left and the excited voices of the huddle of children from Thia’s Refugee were just happy echoes in my ears. I made my way backstage and found a puppet of Qirliria laid on a work table, her form arranged carefully as if she were sleeping. I smiled as I stroked her carved head gently, knowing her wisdom I had shared in our story, now no longer belonged to just me…
“Thank you.” I said, as I bent low above her snout, and kissed my friend the moonstone dragon, Qirliria The Bright,
goodbye.
The End.
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Post by stephena on Jun 16, 2024 11:53:41 GMT
This is amazing!
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