Smyth College of Bardic Arts

After finding your way through the Topiary Garden it would only be fitting to come upon a building which looks like a section taken right out of any castle in the same style as all of Schezerade, in all its decadence; marble forming the entirety of the large building accented with gold and platinum in which you'll have to cross over a glass bridge in order to reach it. The front door is welcoming for all shapes and sizes that are the citizens of Hollow and spans a great distance in it's solid French Door of a design. Opening it up one might be perplexed at the ability for the fortress to hold such music coming from the main hall there with all of the astute students practicing their talents. Once immersed, the eyes might be stolen by the gaping cathedral ceilings above, spotted by gold and platinum in which encircle mini glowing stones to mimic the night sky, but beauty is not what the ceiling is for; it carries one's voice in the most pleasing fashion. This main hall is quite a vast oval-shaped room, but the walls are shelves, carved into small diamond shapes. Each slot contains a scroll to nearly any song someone might wish to hear or practice in it's magic. Among the marvelous white-wood, gold-accented, concert grand piano in the middle of this large room there are a plethora of nearly every musical instrument imaginable, one just has to look.

Nearing further into the castle one's nostrils might pick up on the scent of mouth watering food being cooked wafting from the kitchen which is north of the main room and it also holds an elegant dining area containing a handful of small tables. In the corner of this kitchen there is a winding staircase which travels below where students are bustling to and fro. If you wish to stay, grab your favorite spirits from the well stocked kitchen and listen to the bardic magics, relax in one of the many luxurious sofas strewn about these two areas. Off to the east corner of the main hall, there is a locked staircase with an outreaching design in onyx stone overlay which is seemingly inking over into the pristine luxury you’ve found yourself in. It's as if the area above holds a darkness that's attempting to leak out into this little slice of heaven… Better just leave that door alone.

Brennia arrives home not too long ago after her night of partying with royalty, or rather, entertaining royalty. Either way she was standing within the vast main hall and chatting with one of the professors, a very stern looking half-elf, about the upcoming promenade. Strewn around some of the less frequented parts of this area there are boxes, spools of bright fabrics, and every color rug to match. Brennia looks about half as impressive as she did last night; barefoot, in a very clingy silk sapphire gown and long waves of black hair loosely cascading about her frame. Jewelry dangles from her long pointed ears, wrists and drapes over her onyx shaded wings, but for some reason her silk gown was ripped up the length to her thigh - probably to allow longer strides for walking. Omry, the professor next to her hands her some forms to look over and sign to make sure the receiving shipping manifesto was correct to what she had ordered. He motioned that there was more out in the courtyard and she nods as a reply of, “ah yes. I will see to it later.” Omry nods and excused himself so he may prepare for his summer course students.

Odhranos steps up to the door, once again peering curiously down through the glass bridge his feet rested on, making it seem like he was simply floating above the yawning abyss of open air below. "I still don't understand how I lost my aversion to heights, S'erok. It's very hard to explain." The dragon-soul gave a mental shrug; "There's a lot that we have difficulty explaining in our predicament, Grey One, this is the least of it." The dry voice wound through their mental link. "True, true. And I also thought I asked you to refer to me as Odh, you don't need to use titles. Much less ones that Kess taught you." The juvenile frost drake snorted with derision from her position at the mage's side, remaining quiet in the mental discussion so far. "Nonetheless, Grey One, there is a matter at hand that is more pressing. As wonderful as Ms Brennia's front porch is, I suggest we knock, lest your fear return." Odh snorted, similar to how Kestral had a few moments earlier and knocked firmly on the ornate french door twice, before creaking it open and peeping his head inside. "Brennia? Are you here?"

Brennia heard a slightly familiar voice from the entrance and she sauntered on over to the door which probably creaked open further for Odhranos by now. “Well if it isn’t sir Odhranos,” that usual warm smile which pokes dimples in her caramel cheeks is shown to the man before she opens her arms for a kind embrace. “How are you?” She hasn’t seen him since she rescued him from that giant about to fight someone and even though she wishes to bring up Artia she feels it will do more harm than good at this point. Yes, she worries about one of her dearest friends and her child, but she knows Artia is more than capable to defend herself. She ushers her friend in, to have a seat near the fire and a seat in one of the many plushy couches or lounges. The atmosphere is probably quite different than he remembers as it’s been expanded upon to allow to become a college, but the summer break allows her and her friend to have a little more privacy today. “Can I get you anything to drink?” Her usual sultry alto tone ebbs out into the hair between them with only a slight undertone of exhaustion.

Odhranos lets himself be embraced and returns the embrace in kind, lightly placing polite air-kisses aside both of her cheeks. "I have been well, my stay in Frostmaw did a world of good for my health and spirit. I've felt better than I have in many months. What about yourself, how are you doing? I've heard legends of the College, your reputation precedes you." The mage smiled kindly and accepted the avian's offer of a seat, taking an armchair that placed him a little further from the fire's heat than could reach; it would seem the mage still felt a bit sensitive to the heat after his... extended spree in the desert. "A cider would be beautiful, and you can give my compliments to the chef in apprehension of another glass of his exquisite concoction, Zachael always makes the most amazing cider, I haven't found a drink that compares in all of Lithrydel to date!"

Brennia definitely blushes at his compliments and he does seem a different man altogether, indeed. “Really? I am glad to hear it,” it was nice to be recognized for the work she’s put into her home to turn it into a place of acceptance and learning. She excuses herself once he is comfortable to fetch the cider he likes and brings a pitcher of it along with a little bucket of cubed ice in case he didn’t want his drink warm; she’s able to read the signs well enough. Once she is back Zachael was behind her carrying the same case that Odhranos might recognize as a violin case. “Thank you.” She remembers his dabble in music and the violin she had specially made for her friend and the case is set at Odhranos’ feet while the tray of cider and snacks are set on the coffee table. “It is a coincidence you stopped by. Before I left for a birthday party yesterday I found this old gem in my collection and thought of you. One of my students asked about it.” She sat herself down on a loveseat near his armchair, “have you had the chance to play lately?”

Odhranos 's eyes light up and a rare smile spreads across his clean-shaven face as he reaches out and places the case carefully on the table before flipping the clasps with a practiced flair. Easing the lid back, he let out a low whistle that conveyed his awe. Running his fingertips gently over the polished surface left the faintest of smudges on the pristine crystal, which the mage quickly wiped away with a hastily procured handkerchief. "It's beautiful Brennia, I can think of bards that would sell their bowing hands just to touch such a magnificent instrument, could I play it?" the mage gushed, engrossed in the violin. "I haven't had much practice, well, of a sort I have. The Frost Giants play music like they make war, loudly and a little crudely. I've been plucking lutes and panpipes for weeks, but no violins I'm afraid. The bows and necks are a little delicate for giants hands unfortunately." The mage lifts the feather-light bow from the case, lifting it to the light and seeing how the light played across the tightly strung hairs.

Brennia smiles just as he does, “of course you may play it. I commissioned it for you, my friend. It says so on the neck,” and if he looked he would see the crystal engraved on the backside of the neck could be clearly read in beautiful calligraphy: ‘To my dear friend, Odhranos. May your song never flatten.’ She pours them some cider over ice into chilled crystal mugs and places a cinnamon stick in her own drink; doing the same for her friend’s drink if he allowed. A parting of her wings so she may relax properly into the love seat she chose and await for her friend to lose himself to music. He would find that the hairs of the bow glittered magically in a sort of electric way as it's been enchanted and especially so, since it is from the hairs of a unicorn. Crossing one tattooed leg over the other, uncaring if it showed maybe a little too much thigh and those striking liberty blue eyes looking up at him in wait.

Odhranos lifted the violin from the case and ran his fingers over the engraving, his eyes misting over slightly. "Brennia... I can't thank you enough, this instrument is priceless." He glances back at the avian woman, then sets the violin under his chin and lifts the bow. A deep thrumming note resonates around the room, making a harmonic chiming ring out from the crystalline frame of the violin. Odhranos eyes widen as he listens to the sound. "I've never experienced that in a violin before, it could be a unique property of the crystal." He murmurs to himself. From the recess of his mind, S'erok's presence lazily came forth. "Intriguing, Grey One. The crystal's natural resonant frequency must interact with the particular note being played at the time. Play on, by all means." Odhranos set the bow back on the strings and began to play a piece that lay close to his heart, one that Brennia might be familiar with given his last rendition of the piece was in her presence.

Brennia sipped on her drink before a smirk came over those plump lips from the rare sound of the violin. Once he setted himself into the son she relaxed further and closed her eyes in allowing the song to take her away while her foot silently bobbed along to the beat of it. He very well could be a bard himself with the way the song made her feel and the image it painted in her might, but Brennia was a poet at heart and it could just be her own passion leading the way. Once the song ends she had made up her mind, set her drink down and applauded him, “Brravo, brravo!” She stands and shortens the distance between them and with this he would pick up on his most favorite scent coming from the Avian as she states, “I would love it if you joined me and took a place within the bard’s guild.” Liberty blue eyes look to find his own gaze with that kind smile for him in hopes for a ‘yes’ being his answer.

Odhranos sets the violin gingerly back into the case and stands again as he closes the case over. The cool crisp scent of clear meltwater flowing through caves perfumed the air, Brennia's avian trait no doubt. The mage smiled, and bowed deeply before the avian. "I would be honoured to take a place in your Guild, I had come with the intention of asking you if that would be a possibility in the first place." He straightened and smiled fondly at Brennia. "You've shown so much hospitality, I hope to repay you in a way you'd appreciate, with song. I've spent much of my time in Frostmaw amongst the bards that frequent the tavern, my composition has developed significantly. I would like to compose a concerto for you, Miss Brennia."

Brennia blushed once more, “that… Doesn’t seem necessary. I-I am just a humble patron of the arts and only wish to help others find their way to it.” She doesn’t do well with this type of flattery as she is usually the one to do the flattering. She gently cleared her throat as she raises her glass in a toast, “to the arts.” That adorable smile exposing very white and perfectly straight teeth. Once their glasses click and they drink some of their beverages down she asks, “is that where you are staying? Frostmaw? If you ever need your own space I have a few spare rooms in the favored wing of this castle. It is restricted to the students, so no worries there. Whatever you would need to make it more like home just let me know and of course the wonderful Zachael to make any food your heart desires. I've even expanded the castle a bit to include a large courtyard just through there,” she motioned to the large double windowed doors that lead outside. “Other than that, I am throwing an End of Term Promenade come this saturday if you would be so kind to join us?” Again a sort of hopeful watch to his lips in wait of a ‘yes’.

Odhranos couldn't help the grin. To have Brennia flustered was a rare achievement, it was usually her making others flustered, but he did mean what he had said. "It's a tradition amongst many bards to compose pieces to honour their hosts, it would be a pleasure to do so for such a host as yourself, ma'am." The mage raised an eyebrow at Brennia's suggestion of his staying in the castle. "I may come and go a bit, but I would be grateful for you allowing me to stay. I've stayed in tavern rooms for... quite a while now." The mage's eyes brightened again at the mention of the promenade. "I... may be away on business, but if I am around, I would be delighted!!"

Brennia chuckles softly and shortly before drinking from her glass once more. “Well then. I am sure it will sound lovely coming from you,” with this she gently leans into her friend to place a supple kiss on his cheek before seating herself once more. “I say let us drink some more and then play some more?” She tops off their drinks with a wink.

Odhranos nods eagerly. "I'd like to experiment more with this violin... I have a hunch... but it will require more testing." Lifting the violin again, the mage set it under his chin and closed his eyes. Focusing on the crystal structure within the violin, he ran the bow along the strings, while also running his focus across the crystalline lattice. This time, when the mage played a soft lilting tune, a higher note joined in, harmonising with the violin's music like a singer would with a player.

Search

RP:To Flatter a Flatterer

Smyth College of Bardic Arts