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Day before Game Ephemera

Gloriana’s Journal (Operation Operatown)

Today I found a flyer tacked to a pole about the re-opening of the only remaining Opera House in Operatown, which I find to be quite sad, myself. Most of the other dozen or so ruined or former Opera house, only one or two are being used for anything: The Police Station, and one in The Black Market Zone that is now a Bank.

Anyway, the flyer: Tonight is the premiere, Free Admission, first come first serve. I immediately went to stand in line. I was kind of late at 5am, but got tickets for me and my compatriots... I had been hearing all kinds of interesting things about the Opera house in our short time here. 

The word is that each opera company that takes over (average of a new troupe every couple or three years) assassinates the current troupe in a very Operatic fashion, the violence being real, but almost a performance as well amongst the murderous Tenors, and scheming Sopranos, et al.

I miss the days before I started my wanderings, some times, being able to keep up with the celebrities of The Capital, the affairs of Poets, Tenors, Philosophers are what people talked of in my circle, before I was called to the life of the wandering Oracle and fortune Teller. Though Lately, I feel I am but a Nurse to my companions. Nothing though so scandalous as having to ritually assassinate the company using the stage you want to use. Pretty exciting, but scary.

The current company murdered the Drow BlitzBoys as they called themselves and their ultra Glam style of Operatic performance, or as close as you can get to glam singing in UnderCommon.

I gathered as much information as I could about each member of the company, as I started to realize as I talked and drank my way through the afternoon in the Pubs Row, conveniently near the Opera House, that The Opera Company, whoever they may be, are the only real “Divine Power” in OperaTown. The citizens flock to what ever operas are on, and they are the only real cultural events other than some bard singing for his supper in a bar. They wield an influence over town politics that is as much of a tradition as there is in Opera Town. Sometimes “The Company” can veto the city council. It happens, the people always side with the Opera, over the council, especially if it comes to violent uprisings, protests.

The current group is a bit strange, a new phenomenon, perhaps, in that they are a very cosmopolitan multi-racial group. 

Usually it’s Orc doing Orc Opera, or Elves doing Elf Opera, etc and so on, or even more oft, Humans stealing some other culture’s opera. ugggh. Two companies ago, there was a Bugbear opera Company. They only lasted 3 months before the Dark Elves took them out in their spidery way, that they do such things. Oh, with the poison, such a cliche. 

This group is composed of the following:

Their nominal Leader is the Tenor, (and financial backer to the whole enterprise) Billy DragonFyre, a Half Dragon Kobold who is really the only “Really Famous” member of the company, as far as I can tell. By that I mean  he’s the only one I’ve heard of. I had heard that he was forming his own company after the record breaking “Tiamat” he staged and starred in in the Capital City, some 5 years ago. 

I guess he did.

The others include:

Baronika, a Drow Noble Soprano, whose voice it is rumoured is not quite up to the snuff of the rest of the Company, but helps her lover Billy DragonFyre with the finances, coming as she does, from the wealthiest Drow Family in the known world. 

Barbeezle is the stage name (and only known name apparently) for the half elf mezzo soprano, who, according to those who have seen the dress rehearsals (they brag) is the only real actor in the group, with her turn as the lead female villain in the unnamed opera to be sung in Common,  of all things. It might be a first, at least it will be for. More wrong, but exciting, this town, and being away from my Efreeti husband for so long; have made me a bit wanting for some safe turn ons. Once you go Genie, though...

Oh apparently she killed her predecessor in the grandest manner of them all, something involving a flaying and a crucifixion of the Under Flesh!? all well singing a traditional Drow Lullaby.

The scariest thing about that is that there is such a thing as a Drow Lullaby. 

Or Maybe the Basso, the Vishkanya they call Nath: Anyul. He has the regal bearing of king, but comes from a long line of traitors, turncoats, and out and out villains. Many in the old lands still blame the Nath: tribe for the mysterious disasters that befell that land over the last thousand years. Ironic someone, who once you hear his name you cannot but cast as a villain, in fact, makes his living playing distinguished kings, and doomed fathers of heroes.

The Baritone (named “Bunting”) might be the strangest of all the troupe as he is not alive in the sense that he was born of a union. He was built in a laboratory, maybe a garage and somehow imbued with life and free will. They call him a clockwork man, and it is said that if there is no noise but your and his breathing, you can here his clockwork and it’s immaculate timing, as you die by his metal hands. His voice, apparently is like honey too bees. Bunting is also something of a witch and has a racoon, who apparently is a well known atheist.

Then there is Malcolm Axehandle, a second Baritone and a Fetchling, a being from another plane of existence, devoid of pigment in his skin,and eyes that end in the abyss, he was watching me (and I him) as I drank my way up and down the street. He seemed to be matching my crawl, but while i was gregarious and chatty, he was quiet and sat chewing pencils jotting notes in a small hand made notebook that you could fit in a pants pocket.

Eventually I had to go over and say hello, I didn’t know who he was, but all that draught had loosened me up such that I was a bit off mission by that point, and curious if this strange stranger was spying on me or if I was as paranoid as I think I am. Turns out he was following me, as he saw my Efreeti wedding band and had an idea for a libretto plot twist for an upcoming production. I got the idea from him that he was the real creative genius behind the group. It was hard to say if he was bragging, or lying, but he gave me a lot of the information I am recording here now.

I hope he has not lied to me. I write this diary, in my own handmade small note book sitting in a home made chair in his apartment across the street from the Opera house. i have broken my wedding vow over a lovely story about a ring of fire. I peeked in his notebook, it is writ in a tongue I don’t know, looks as alien and cold as does the being who just shared the best drunken afternoon sex I ever had the pleasure of participating in. 


I had better get to my companions and prepare for them for the Opera House, it seems important that such a powerful “gang” needs be someone Bess’ government needs to have formal ties to, and perhaps I hope some informal. I have a back stage pass as well, now.

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