Bardic College, Samheen 24th (?)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:08 pm

OOC: I seriously hope I am doing this right! :shock:

On the same square as the Red Rose Guild and the Temple of Pan, The Bardic College stood, as it had for many yaren. A small doorway off the street led into a brightly lit antechamber dominated by a dark wooden desk. Behind the desk several doors opened into other parts of the college. The air of the chamber was scented with the fragrance of lavender, and something a bit sweeter, a light citrus smell of sorts. The walls were hung with a variety of tapestries, most depicting bards in various poses, but some showed battles of the past and other glorious events. The sound of the feet of those entering was muffled by the deep pile of the rug throw over the cold flagstone floor.

Sitting behind the desk was small birdlike young man, busily scribbling in a ledger opened before him. Behind the desk the young man looked up from his scratchings, a look of mild surprise on his face. It seemed that he was not expecting visitors, or perhaps he had just been so engrossed in his work that he had forgotten where he was.

"Welcome to the Bardic College of the Citadel. How may I help you?" he asked, but then added quickly, "There are no concerts today."
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Nianna shifted her pack over her shoulder and frowned at the young man, unsure whether to be amused or irritated at his vagueness. "My name is Nianna More," she said, deciding on a neutral tone. "I don't care about any concerts. I want to be a student here and I sincerely hope you can tell me how to go about it. My specialities are harp and drum, and I sing as well." A sudden feeling of inadequacy rose and struck her between the eyes. It was an uncomfortable feeling, especially for the already disgruntled Nia, and she felt her mood plummet several notches. She had no real desire to frighten the youth, but sometimes things slipped. Nia bit her lip, and forced an awkward smile, her face stretching at the unaccostomed motion. She waited for the man's reply, trying with all her might not to tap her foot impatiently.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 7:02 am

The young man stopped writing and put his pen down. Looking the young woman before him up and down a small smile crept to his lips.

"So you are here to join our College are you? That will be nice, yes very nice indeed. Harp and drum you say? And of course you sing as well.."

He seemed to be mocking her but wasn't really he was trying to buy himself a flicker of time to get himself together. She had caught him deep in his work. He too was a student working off his debt to the college as a scribe.

Let's see what do I do next... Oh yes I had better write her name down on that list of new students. Where did I put that paper? Here it is..ok

Looking very sheepish he took up his pen again and smiled broadly at her and started again.

"What was your name again? Oh and would you spell it for me as well. I am not very good with peoples names. I seem to always get them mispelled."

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:20 pm

Nianna raised her eyebrows at the young scribe. "Nianna More," she said slowly. "N-I-A-N-N-A Nianna. M-O-R-E." she paused. "That do?"

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:38 am

Finishing up writing her name in the required place he looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you."

The next question he had to ask was the one question he hated to ask anyone. It made him very uncomfortable and it always reminded him of the time it was asked of him.

"Well Miss More there is one question I must ask before we go any further into setting up a schedule for you. I really dislike asking this but it is part of my job. How will you be paying for this?"

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:52 pm

"It's not a terrible question," Nianna said laughingly, placing a hand on her hip. "I have over 900 banner invested in the Temple of Pecunia and over 30 banner with me now. If that's somehow not enough, I'll work. I'm certainly no stranger to it. " Nianna remembered how long it had taken to save up all that money--much of it had been a gift from Iliane, the woman who had really acted as her mother. It had taken years, and almost all of Iliane's savings, to properly outfit her for like outside the Citadel's less savory neighborhoods. She almost felt proud, telling the youth she could pay for her education. It was a position she wasn't used to being in. She enjoyed it, though, the feeling of being beholden to no one, of not being required to scrape up every coin she had for what she needed. It brought a smile to her face, making her seem-for a moment-slightly less weary and bitter.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:00 am

The young man smiled, "Well you are resourceful as well."

He pushed his chair back, got up and started around the desk toward her. At that same moment in walked the head administrator, Ishaq.

"What do we have here, Dak?" he asked.

Dak stopped dead in his tracks and went instantly red.

"Uh..uh... this is a new student. Her name is...uh..uh.." He quickly picked up the paper and read "Nianna... uh.. Nianna More. She is inquiring about starting here."

Ishaq beamed a wide welcoming smile at Nianna, "Welcome to our college my dear. I hope you will be happy here. Dak have you given her a schedule yet?"

Dak went quickly to retrieve a class schedule in the adjoining room.

Ishaq looked at Nianna and smiled, "Did Dak mention that there would be a testing of your talents so that we might know just which class to start you? I see here that your specialties are harp and drum. Nice, we only have a few harpists at the moment and could stand another."

With papers in hand Dak entered and handed them to Ishaq.

"Dak please take Miss More down to the testing room."

Dak moved out into the hall and waited for Nianna to follow.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:18 pm

Nianna bowed her head respectfully to the administrator and followed in Dak's anxiety-ridden wake. She expected him to start gnawing his fingernails any minute, and she kept her eyes on him just to see if he would. HOwever, it proved a boring activity and Nianna soon tired of it. She instead turned her attention to the passing Hall around her, awed by its magnificence. She refused to allow herself to be nervous about her testing.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:06 am

Dak took the lead and hurried down the hall.

"There is no need to be nervous with this testing. It is a simple placement test, and the one who holds it is extremely fair and lov...er uh nice."

He stopped in front of a door that had a silver placard with the word Grace on it. Opening it he jestered her in and followed.

"Well met Mistress Grace," he called to the woman holding a lute.

Looking up she smiled her warmest smiles, put the lute down, got up and moved across the room toward Dak.

"Ahh who have we here Dak?" she asked.

"Mistress Grace may I present Nianna More. She is here for her placement test. She specializes in Harp and Drum. Oh yes, she can sing as well."

Turning to Nianna he said, "I leave you in very good hands. Good Luck."

Then he departed.

Extending her hand toward Nianna, Grace guided her over to a chair and motioned for her to sit.

"Nianna, my that is a pretty name. Tell me something about your background in music. Where you learned, how long you have been playing each instrument, and whether or not you are able to read and write music. Oh yes and are you able to read and write in general."

Smiling she waited for Nianna.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:46 pm

Nianna took a sit and smiled at the other woman, feeling strangely calm in her presence. "Well," she said slowly, "I've been playing music since I was eight...a healer suggested it after I um, injured my arm. Thought it would help me get it working again. I've been playing ever since...first the harp, then the drum. I haven't had well, any formal training actually. Just the occassional lesson from the street musicians. I practise every day. But I can read music. Can't write it yet, but I read it well. I have a good ear. Oh, and yes, I'm literate." Nianna stopped, suddenly aware that she might well have gotten in over her head.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:38 am

Grace took Nianna's hands in her own and turned them palm up. Rubbing her fingertips over Nianna's she noticed that they were sufficiently callesed for someone who played the harp strung with gut strings.

Walking over to a group of harps hanging on the wall Grace picked one and brought it back and handed it to Nianna.

"Please play something for me."

Post by **Grant** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 4:14 pm

Arced due to inaction!