Preparations for the Fall Festival

[Esmerelda]

Today the preparations begin. With just over a week until the fall feast, Esmerelda can be seen busily flitting between the kitchen, the woods, and some of the neighboring farms. Lately she has often been gone for an entire day helping a family bring in their crops but returns home with a pumpkin or some ears of corn.

Accompanied by a contingent of her small friends, they gaily troop outside and begin to collect leaves...

[Rhul]

As people begin preparations, a strange sight is beheld. Well, strange to newcomers, at least.

Among the people one would expect to see among a normal settlement, one stands out to even the untrained eye. A large beast of a man, and beast is the right term, can be seen lending a helping hand. Covered in hair and with the face of a beast, he seems the very image of a monster, though you wouldn't see it by looking at the reactions of the townspeople.

At one moment, he is near the inn, bare-chested against the chill of the highland autumn, surrounded by laughing children who seem entirely unafraid of him, as he helps raise a garland for the coming harvest celebration, a gifted flower behind one ear.

Later in the day, he can be seen walking past the House of Chance with a group of Caledonian men bearing the rough blanks for cabers, a huge log slung across one great shoulder padded by a folded cloth. He tosses it to a spot indicated on the ground with a thud, and the men with him do the same, nodding to him with a surprising amount of respect as they return back for others.

[Fionna]

Fionna can be found busy working in and out of the kitchen, cooking, baking, brewing potions, and searching for ingredients for all of it. She works side by side with Esmerelda on several projects, but takes on many of her own, heading to farms helping with harvest that her friend can not make it to.

When the troop of young one comes with the leaves, the young Caldonian woman helps to assemble large garlands. She seems happy again. She always does this time of year. The fall festival and Caldonian games were always her favorite times of the year.

[Esmerelda]

In the kitchen of the inn, the baking had begun. Throughout the day the smell of fresh breads, pastries and lots of cookies wafted through the entire inn.

Anyone wandering into the kitchen was promptly chased back out, but usually with a spoon or bowl in hand to lick clean if wanted...