Tolia's
Journeyman Project Presentation
|
Tolia's
Journeyman Project Presentation |
The echoing space of the formal Ballroom is a mosaic of mosaics. The floor
is covered with a precise and colorful ocean, slim pillars of smooth marble
reaching up to support the balcony overhead. The low, flat ceiling decorated
with bright golden-yellows and reds in a depiction of a partial eclipse of Rukbat.
Beyond the cover of the balcony, the space rises in an airy arch far overhead,
an ironwork window round over the gracefully curving marble staircase.
An elaborate mural lines the walls, stretching from the mosiac on the floor
to the ceiling. One the 'northwall' and 'southwall' are portraits of some of
Pern's influential Masterharpers. The 'eastwall' and 'westwall' show aspects
of harper life.
With a height of about 5 foot 4, this young woman is not exactly overbearing in stature, but the confident air about her makes her seem a little taller. The strands of her golden hair flow fluidly down her back, ending in gentle curls at her waist. Bringing attention to the features of her heart shaped face, which is slightly fuller than normal, are her blue eyes, highlighted with golden flecks, that sparkle mischievously in the light. Her skin is lightly tanned and delicate, tiny freckles powdering her small nose. A mysterious look in her eyes, and the way her pale pink lips upturn in a smile make her seem even more attractive.
A soft, luxurious flaxen dress in a rich shade of blue drapes gracefully from Kae's shoulders. The neckline is gently scalloped, scooping down just enough to show off her slender neck and the thin silver necklace that encircles it. The sleeves are short, ending about a third of the way down to her elbow, and the hem of each is decorated with silver threaded embroidery. The bodice is somewhat-close fitting but flares out from the hips, flowing over an obviously blossoming belly, to where it ends just above the knees. On her feet is a pair of wherhide sandals that are perfect for the Istan heat and sun, protecting her soles from the hot sand or ground but allowing her feet to stay cool. Hidden mostly behind Kae's golden curls is a slender golden beauty, only the whirling blue eyes giving away Eppie's hiding place. She is wearing a silver and gold braided chain bracelet with the Dolphinsinger charms.
Kaeryn is 25 Turns, 9 months, and 2 days old.
A mid-average young woman in her mid-twenties. When she's asked abut her age, she'll smile and say, "A lady should have some secrets."
Her gentle and shy nature has blossomed into a gentle loveliness. She has a ready shy smile and now an even ready smile. But the wrong word or action will swipe that away.
Her brown doe-shaped eyes glows darkly of love and warmth. They once have a haunted look to them. Her plain mousy brown hair is pulled into a fat single braid. Wisps of escaped curly locks haloed her face.
Around her neck, one can almost see a necklace chain. The pendant of which rests over her heart and can't be seen. She normally carries with her in a leather pouch on her waist. Inside which she carries of parchment and a stylus for notes and lessons, also anything else she needs for the day.
Jueann is wearing a clean white short-sleeved tunic that is slightly unlaced in the front. A dark wide leather belt the rest comfortably under her well-endowed bosum down to her slim waist. It is tightly laced and protects her tunic from most of the ink stains. Her dark blue skirt shows marks of past ink-stains. Try as she might, she can't keep her skirts free from them. It is at present clean and still servicable. On her belt is a big leather brown pouch in which she keeps her archives supplies and anything else she needs for the day.
Her creamy, pale skin is dusted with tiny, spicy, klah-colored freckles and assumes a pinkish hue on her high cheekbones. Hanging down her back, her long, wavy auburn hair fades to reddish-amber at the tips and is highlighted by light, blondish strands that glow golden in the sun. Her features include a small, upturned nose and eyes the greyish-blue of a stormy sea. Crinkled with laugh lines betraying her sarcastic humor, her mouth is slightly lopsided, tending to shift to the left more often than not. Her gestures are at once both tom-boyish, yet delicate, and her fingers are dexterous and carefully calloused.
She wears tight, black wherhide pants with matching boots, polished to a dazzling shine. A soft, silken shirt flows past her waist, dyed a vibrant Harper Blue and embroidered with white, black and green threads in patterns of complex celtic knots.
Katja wears the knot of a Harper Journeyman.
female Harper Sr. Apprentice (Lady Rose)
A sturdily built, slender young woman at a final height of 5'6", her lovely, light-brown eyes and pretty smile begin to reflect a developing inner maturity. Her sun-streaked blonde hair is kept short, its translucent golden ends curling in unexpected ways at the ends where it just stops to tickle her well-proportioned ears (her best feature, some say, for the rest of her face is quite plain). Her freckled skin is lightly tanned, enough so that she no longer suffers from constant sunburn, and she moves with a misplaced assurance -- despite some grace, she is completely lacking in coordination.
A light green, sleeveless dress drapes elegantly on Oli's fit form, lending her a bit of grace in the simplicity of its line. Along the ankle-length hem and boatneck collar is a darker green pattern in vines, small and intricately embroidered in the deep skybroom green that complements her dark, oiled wherhide sandals. Her hair is swept away from her face, her short, light waves held captive in a ribbon of the same deep green, loosed again to just touch her shoulders.
A blue apprentice patch bears the age-old harp logo emblazoned in white embroidery -- but that isn't all. An extra twist in the knot on Oli's shoulder means that she's a Senior Apprentice Harper.
Tolia grins nervously as she strides over to Kaeryn, not quite consistent with her more elegant dress.
Kaeryn whistles softly in appreciation for Oli's appearance, and gives the younger harper a warm smile, "Looking nice and proper today, Oli. Very professional," she compliments as she looks around for a moment. "Are you ready?"
Tolia hefts her carisack, bulging full with small drums of odd shapes, and bites her lip, taking a deep breath. "I guess it's time."
Kae lays a gentle hand on Oli's shoulder and gives it a squeeze. "Just don't forget to breathe, and you'll do fine," is the only advice she has to offer at the moment. "Let me go in and see if we're ready, and I'll get you when we're ready." Another affectionate squeeze is given to Oli's shoulder and she slips toward the rehearsal hall.
The largest room in the Istan Harper Hall, save the Ballroom, this room has wonderful acoustics that make sound bounce off the walls just so. From lessons to rehearsal to just listening to the marvelous sounds always filling the room, there's always a surplus of people about, harpers of every rank, and even a few holders. Tiers fill almost every wall in the room, the choir levels on the right, the orchestra one directly in and other smaller areas for more specific group rehearsal on the left. The room is spotlessly clean and only completely empty in the early hours of the morning when most harpers have to tear themselves away from their work for a few winks of sleep.
It is an autumn afternoon.
Perry> Tolia nods. "Breathe," she repeats quietly to herself, following Kaeryn over to the door and hovering for a moment. "Breathe. Oh, Hello," she smiles to Katja, bouncing just a little on the balls of her feet.
Perry> Katja grins at Tolia with a really friendly smile. She gives the harper a quick wink and slips into the rehersal hall after Kaeryn.
Katja strides in from the ballroom.
Kaeryn glances around the room, and finds a place to set her things, on the table that is currently set near the center of the room, and then turns to offer smiles to the others present. "Good day, all," she greets warmly, her left hand resting lightly across her bulging belly.
Perry> Tolia, unable to remain still any longer, commences pacing back and forth in front of the doors, murmuring to herself in practice.
An ancient old dear of a journeywoman enters, "Someone said I was needed in here? ehhh?"
Perry> "Four score and seven turns ago..." Oli shakes her head. "Nah. Bad start for a boring speech," she concludes. "How about, Esteemed Harpers..." Unsatisfied, she resumes pacing.
"It looks like everyone is here, am I correct? I can't really think of anyone else that was supposed to be," Kae semi-rambles as she peeks out the door for any late arrivals. "Before we ask Tolia in, I just wanted to say a few words about her, since I'm the only person here that really has had the opportunity to spend much time with her.." she lets her voice trail off and grins sheepishly, "anyway, I just wanted to say that in the amount of time that I've been working with Senior Apprentice Tolia, she has shown me nothing but dedication, hard work, and a yearning to better herself within our craft. I just hope that each of you can appreciate the work she has put into this project and," Kae coughs to clear her throat and shrugs her shoulders, "forgive me for blatantly showing my pride in her and her work?"
Katja grins at Kaeryn's speech and offers a bit of applause. She looks towards the door where the apprentice waits nervously, and settkes in to watch.
Oldeara sits in a chair, joints creaking loudly, "Speak up. Who? What? Ohh this is a pronotional exam? Who's the victim again? Speak up."
Perry> Tolia peers, trying to remain inconspicuous, through the small windows in the doors to the rehearsal hall.
Kae pokes her head through the doorway and waves her hand to Tolia, motioning for her to join them in the Rehearsal hall. At Oldeara's remark, she titters, and but tries to keep a straight face as she waits for her student to enter the room.
Tolia walks, sandals lightly clapping her heels, in from the ballroom.
Tolia straightens her dress and her shoulders and walks in a measured pace to the front of the hall.
Jueann walks in from the ballroom.
Tolia takes a deep breath, and addresses the journeymen and master. "Good afternoon." Swallowing her nerves, she puts forth a calm front as she unshoulders her carisack and loosens the top. "May I take a minute to set out a few models?"
Kaeryn closes the door behind Tolia and walks to her seat, behind the table with the others.
Jueann enters hurriedly, taking off her riding gear, "Sorry I'm late. Dal was being a brat as usual. Did I miss anything?"
Katja grins at Tolia from behind the table , "Please do," she answers, peering at the other people at the table to make sure no one has a problem. She scoots her chair slightly to the left to make room for Jueann.
Oldeara peering at Jueann and makes room for her. "Eh? I don't seem to remembering seeing you here. What's all the fuss about? I have work to do."
Tolia starts to unpack her carisack, setting out one small drum, then another of a slightly different sort, and another, carefully placing them in a line along an available table, out of the way and yet close by. A total of six drums, and she lines them up carefully, taking an extra moment or two to set them perfectly before she breathes again, deeply. Don't forget to breathe, right. "Thank you," she straightens up after folding the now empty sack neatly and placing it beside the last drum. "Whenever you'd like, I can start."
Tolia drops Demonstration Drums.
Jueann chuckles as she slides in besides Katja, nodding to everyone as Tolia starts.
Kaeryn glances around the table at the others and then nods her head to Tolia, "We're eagerly waiting to see what you have to show us today, so, begin?" As if showing her eagerness, she leans forward, hands folded on the surface of the table, and watches.
Tolia self-consciously smoothes the line of her dress, glancing at a page of hide she's left on the table as a cue card in case she forgets where she was. "Yes, Ma'am." Formality, indeed. It only comes out when she's nervous, apparently. "Over the past several months while aboard the Lady Rose, as you know I have been conducting experiments with message drums at sea. Specifically, they were designed to measure how far a message can reliably carry."
Katja nods at Tolia, listening intently. She leans forward a little further, squinting slightly at the little drums.
"For more turns than we have records, the Harpercraft has been the hub of the wheel of information," Oli continues, having practiced. "As a craft, we have been in charge of gathering and spreading knowledge of all sorts, and doing so accurately. Part of this has been the land-based message drum network, which transmits messages faster and more reliably than almost any other means aside from a convenient dragon and rider." She gives a slight smile.
Demonstration Drums (#11137) is owned by Tolia (#16624).
Aliases: Small Tambour, small, tambour, st, tam, drum, Squat, Open Tambour,
Dual-Head Tambour, Open Tom, Closed Round Drum, Small Gourd Drum, Half-round
Metal Drum, Demonstration Drums, Demo1, Demo2, Demo3, Demo4, Demo5, Demo6, and
dd
A set of six demonstration drums:
Squat, Open Tambour
Dual-Head Tambour
Open Tom
Closed Round Drum
Small Gourd Drum
Half-round Metal Drum
Oldeara leans back into her chair, with a hand cuffed by her ear, "Eh? You said you built a boat?"
Tolia shakes her head, a bit distressed as she replies to Oldeara. "No, ma'am. A drum. The boat was already there." She bites her lip, then stops herself.
Katja frowns only slightly at the part where Tolia mentions records. An avid archivist, Katja most likely just hates the idea that there was a time that they have no records for. Such a tragedy!
Oops. Well, Oli is a drummer, and doesn't think about the sensitivities of archivists, so she gathers her composure and continues without really noticing. "Now that we have expanded so thoroughly into the Southern Continent, a drum network has, of course, been built between holds there as well. The only remaining gulf is the ocean."
Kae chews on her lower lip in an effort to not grin at Oldeara's lack of understanding, but allows herself to smile as the explanation is returned to quickly. Her fingers tap together, silently, showing her own nervousness for Tolia.
Oldeara hmphs loudly, "What's all this fuss about drums? In my day..." Jueann pokes the old dear in the ribs slightly. Leaning over, she explains to the old journeywoman. "Well why didn't you say so?" Says the old dear.
Katja chuckles quietly, hoping Oldeara doesn't hear her. She keeps her eyes fastened firmly on Tolia, though twinkles of suppressed laughter still dance across them.
Tolia, observing Oldeara's drama, makes an effort to improve her projection and enunciation as she takes a breath. "It was my thought that if drums could be mounted on a ship, the range of the land networks on the Northern and Southern Continents might be extended enough that they would, in effect, meet and messages could be passed between." She pauses, glances down at her hide for reassurance more than anything, and proceeds. "Once I obtained Master Thorn's permission to try this aboard his ship, I needed a drum."
"After we wintered at Southern Hold, Drum Master Harmon allowed me to take an old drum aboard. It was small and hadn't been used in his memory, and it was obvious why." Oli's proper expression slips, just a little, to show some of the dismay she felt at the job she had to do on the drum. "To sum up, by the time we arrived at Ista it'd sprung more than a few leaks."
Kae nods quietly, just listening, not wanting to interrupt, but just showing that she is, indeed, paying attention.
"Leaks? Ista Hall has no leaks. Spoils the scrolls." Oldeara exclaims.
Katja manages the reach her hand up to her mouth for a moment to keep from giggling louder. "No, not leaks in the hall," she says, whispering. She then winks at Tolia and nods understanding.
Tolia moves her feet -- they'd been so still her toes were beginning to fall asleep. "No, ma'am. The drum. It..." Her hands make exploding motions as she tries to come up with a short, clear way to say it. "It had fallen apart." She glances back at Katja for support and nods.
Tolia looks back at Oldeara, waiting a beat or two for another question, and then continues. "With parts from the instrument shop here and at Tillek, I was able to put it back together again and do a complete restoration of a second, smaller drum." A smile touches her lips -- it was quite a job, and she was pretty pleased with it. "So then I had to find a way to measure them, to see how loud they were, so that we'd have something to go by to connect all the data I figured on getting."
"I came up with this." One of the odd-shaped contraptions on the table isn't a drum but is instead a device with a series of long, metal bars. "The smiths at Tillek helped me put it together. Each of these bars has a different pitch and is successively more resistant to being vibrated," she explains, picking up the device to display it. "When I play a message drum, one or more resonate, and the small gauge at the top of each bar gives me an idea of how much." She approaches the table at which her audience is seated, offering it to the first in line.
Oldeara looks at the device, "Eh... What's this for? Since when did we become the Smith Hall?"
Katja leans forward, trying to get a better look while it's at the other end of the table.
Kaeryn tilts her head to the side as she listens and watches, studying the device that Tolia is explaining. A look is given to Oldeara, and a soft hushing sound hisses between her teeth, before she can stop herself. She grins apologetically and turns her attention back to Oli.
Tolia breathes. "Ma'am, it's for measuring how loud a drum is." She enunciates as clearly as she possibly can. "I needed the help of the smiths to build it, so that the harpercraft can use it."
Jueann hides a chuckle as she views the devices and nods, passing it on to the next person.
Tolia waits a few minutes until everyone has had a chance to look at the measuring device. "When I measured the drums at Tillek Hold, they vibrated 4 of the bars, with the fourth at the d-level. I just call that 4-d, for shortness' sake." She shrugs just slightly. "In comparison, my larger drum measured 2-d -- the second bar, also at the d-level."
Oldeara hmphs. "In my day, we didn't need such things. Drums were used."
Tolia continues, the shadow in the back remaining unnoticed for now and Oldeara's last comment left hanging without an answer... what could she say, if she tried? "The smaller of the drums wasn't complete until we passed the tip of Southern Boll, but it measured 1-e." She steps back again, leaving the measuring device in the hands of her audience. "I also measured the Hold Drums at Southern Boll at 5-a and the drums here also at 5-a."
Katja's eyebrows sort of crease together as she tries to follow. "Which means they're smaller? Or not as loud?" she asks, trying to get a handle on the measurement system.
Tolia shakes her head. "No, the more bars that vibrate, the louder the noise So if it's only a 1-a, that's the softest. 5-e is the loudest."
"So with those measurements in mind, I began sending and receiving messages as soon as we set sail from Tillek Hold. I logged the content, time, weather and position of each message sent or received," Oli adds. "I was then able to copy Master Thorn's charts with the some help from Journeyman Dolphineer Tolin, and calculated the distances."
Katja nods understandingly at Tolia's explaination.
Kaeryn coughs softly, clearing her throat but trying to keep the attention from turning away from the presentation. She smiles apologetically and watches as Oli continues.
Tolia steps over to the display table, picking up her logbook and a couple of rolled up charts. "You're welcome, of course, to look at them and check my math." The light joke didn't come out as lightly as she'd hoped, but hey. "I boiled down the data in the logbook to get an Effective Audible Distance for each drum and each hold, and then averaged them to get an effective distance for each drum. The larger of my drums is audible, on average, for 20 nautical miles; the small is good for 17, and by comparison, Hold Drums from Tillek, Southern Boll, Paradise Hold and Ista averaged out to 48 nautical miles. My drums aren't all that big," she shrugs, almost apologetic.
"Obviously, there's more detail in the logbook, but I think that for the purposes of this summary those figures make the point. The trouble is that the shortest distance between the Northern and Southern Continents is 125 nautical miles." Oli holds out her hands. "So certainly, one drum relay wouldn't do it. Now, there are improvements that can be made to the drums, and weather plays a part."
Katja chuckles quietly and then asks, somewhat excited, "Did you manage to plot out their ranges on a map, perhaps? you know, so we can see what areas are covered and which aren't?" Uh oh. She's interested.
Tolia nods, pleased at Katja's interest. She unrolls the charts, spreading them on the table before the journeywoman. "Of course." On the map are several dots, each labeled with an alphanumeric code which translates, via a key at the bottom, into dates and times, weather, holds and the two shipboard drums. Lines between the points and the landbound holds are labeled with distances, carefully numbered.
Katja nearly claps as she looks at the charts. She's really quite engrossed in the drawings and spends quite some time looking them over.
"The shortest point between north and south is here, at South Point to Southern Hold. The Ista drums will get the message to South Point. I'm not sure what South Point is equipped with, but I'm told they have a similar setup to Paradise Hold, so the message would get another 40 or so nautical miles out" Oli traces the approximate boundary with a finger, although that area is unmarked save for the barest outlines and sea references.
Kae nods in appreciation for all of the work that has been done and shown. She peers quietly over Katja's shoulder as Tolia explains the work, her interest genuine, despite the fact that she's seen it all before.
Jueann stands so she can get a better view of the maps, impressed.
Tolia glances at each of the journeyman, and master, in turn as she points out, "To try to send messages across from anywhere but the shortest point would really be impractical, since it would take too many relays over unpredictable seas. As I said, weather plays a role -- my Effective Audible Distances decreased dramatically during the storms we experienced." Not to mention her measuring ability -- storms are not her favorite part about the seafaring experience.
Tolia steps back again, over to her demonstration drums, and picks up one that looks like a message drum, only smaller. "Now, the drums that I had at sea were smaller and of a less advanced construction than most Hold drums. Although I wouldn't really plan on putting anything larger on a ship because there's just not room, we could improve the shape of it to help it carry better."
"And it isn't really likely that any ship would actually want anything bigger than this taking up space, even if it is useful?" Kae asks quietly as Tolia pauses in her prepared speech.
Tolia nods to Kaeryn. "That's right. I had enough trouble getting Master Thorn to accept the drums, and he's pretty open about new stuff. Because a ship is so small and can be at sea so long, there isn't a handspan of space that isn't used. So a drum would have to be as small as possible." She taps lightly on the half-round, wooden drum. It gives a beat that carries well, without an edge to define it. "This is approximately the structure of the larger drum I had, and gives a decent approximation of the tone even though it's in miniature." She places the drum on the examiners' table and returns for a second.
Katja curls up in the corner for a nap. No offence intended.
"This drum," Oli picks up a primitive-looking instrument of a longer, barrel shape, "is made from a gourd, hollowed out and covered. Even though my second drum is of varnished wood, its shape is pretty close to this one and, well, it's kindof neat, so I thought I'd show it to you." Forgetting her formality for a moment, she gives a half-grin as she taps the head with bare fingers in a quick, fleeting example of its tone. Sharply defined, the sound doesn't seem as resonant as the first but does carry equally to the confines of the room.
OLdeara wakes up with a loud snort. "HUH? Is it supper time? What am I doing here?"
Tolia schools her features to solemnity again, afraid she might let out some sort of chuckle that might be misconstrued by the elderly journeywoman.
The old dear looks around, trying to get her bearings. "This isn't the Vault."
Tolia pauses, politely replying, "No, ma'am." She places the gourd drum on the examiners' table next to the round drum. "So as I was saying," She steps back, licking her lips as her nerves return and she's forced to glance at her notes once more, "Changing the shape of the message drum while preserving its size can still improve the effective distance. If my larger drum were of the shape that my smaller drum is, it might give it another five nautical miles, even in bad weather. The smaller drum carried almost as well in the storm as it did in the clear."
Kaeryn covers her mouth with her hand and makes a soft coughin sound in order to hide the giggle that is trying to escape. A wink is given in Tolia's direction and she shrugs ever-so-slightly.
"With drums of the kind I had on the Lady Rose, it would require four different relay ships to account for poor weather and course variance," Oli progresses to her conclusion. "With the statistics I was able to get on sea traffic, that's only going to really happen about one day out of ten. In that case there wouldn't be any real delay except for the transmission of the message itself. More often, however, there would be a delay of a day or two as ships came into range of each other." She pauses, glancing at Kaeryn and then the others. "This assumes that every ship has a drum and a drummer on it."
Jueann raises an eyebrow, looking at Kaeryn, "That's a tall order isn't it?"
Kae grins and leans back in her chair, breathing a soft sigh of relief, as though she were the one standing up there explaining her project, once again. "Which is something we /hope/ we can do, in one way or the other," she nods her head and then looks at Jueann, "Not really, since, recently, more and more ships are requesting harpers to be posted to their ships. I think it's quite feasible, honestly."
Tolia takes a final deep breath, and nods to Jueann's statement even though it wasn't directed at her. "It is. That would be the optimum condition, and would not happen overnight, if at all. Improvements in the drum could decrease the number of relays required, but we'd still be at the whims of the captains and their routes."
"However," Oli nods with a touch of a grateful smile to Kaeryn, "If we improved the drums to the point where only three or even two relays were needed, we'd get the same reliability with fewer ships."
Jueann says, "Sounds like a tall job for an eager Journeyman or journeywoman, don't you think?"
Tolia nods. "Absolutely, ma'am. My conclusion at the present time is that it isn't feasible to implement immediately. In a few turns, perhaps; again, with improvements to the drum, perhaps. But definitely not overnight."
Kae nods her head in approval, clapping her hands together quietly and grins at her student.
Jueann nods to Kaeryn and to Toila. "Sounds like a lot of hard work."
Tolia grins slightly to Kaeryn's applause as she nods to Jueann. "It has been. I'd be glad to show you the drums I used on the ship -- they're still mounted on the Lady Rose, of course."
Jueann sighs. "I wish I had time to visit the ship. But as it is I barely arranged my schedule to make it here."
"I appreciate that, Master." Oli nods understandingly, picking up the two drums and returning them to the display table. "If you do get a chance before we sail, please come, though. The dolphinhall's just across the beach, of course." She smiles, encouraged; her nervousness seems to be dissipating now that she's gotten the information out, although as she speaks casually she's talking a little faster than usual.
Jueann looks around at who she's calling a master, "Ohh me? That's right. I'm a master now." She chuckles softly, "It's alright."
Tolia's smile becomes a grin as she arranges the drums in a straight line again. "Congratulations on your promotion, by the way. I heard it was pretty recent." She glances at the charts and Katja, hovering.
Jueann nods in appreciation. "thank you. It was."
Tolia's hands, with nothing more to do, smooth her dress over her hips unconsciously -- she's got no pockets and she's not used to the feeling. Making conversation also isn't her forte, unless it's with a drum, so she stands, awkward in the silence.
Jueann chuckles. "Be at ease, Tolia. You're doing fine."
Tolia gives Jueann a startled look for just an instant before it dissolves into a smile. "Thanks," she adds in a rather sheepish tone. "I'm just not used to all you Important People all at once."
Jueann chuckles, "You should've seen me at my exam. I almost fainted twice."
"You didn't," Oli insists, shocked at the thought of a master in her shoes. "Really?"
Jueann chuckles, "Really. I had to be tricked into playing a guitar. I'm a lousy muiscian.?
Tolia grins broadly. "You? But you're a Master Harper."
Jueann chuckles. "The Master Harper is Oriana. I'm just a master. And yes I was an apprentice at one time."
It's almost like imagining your parents as children themselves, but Tolia nods. "I guess you must've been, huh? What did you have to play?"
Jueann frowns softly, "It was an old teaching song, if I remember correctly."
Tolia takes an appreciatively deep breath. "Some of those are hard on the guitar."
Jueann nods. "They tricked me. I had to teach another journeyman as if he was an apprentice. Very sneaky."
Tolia even giggles a little -- she must be loosening up. "I guess you must've taught him pretty well."
Jueann chuckles, "I guess so. He's a master now at Fort."
"All because you taught him a teaching song at your exam!" Oli can't help it, she's just like that, and she grins, eyes dancing even as she's most definitely impressed. "Wow."
Jueann chuckles, "See. Everyone has to go through it."
Tolia, with a mostly straight face, insists, "But you're already a master. I can't teach you."
Jueann chuckles. "True. But I'm a master in teaching, not music."
Uh, oh, what's Oli stepping into here? "So only the teaching folks have to teach, right?" She raises her eyebrows in a hopeful smile.
Tolia adds quickly, "At the exam, I mean."
Jueann Laughs shaking her head, "All harpers are teachers. Some are just better at it then others. I just happen to be one that teaches harpers to be teachers."
Tolia grins as she asks, "So who teaches the teachers of teachers?"
Jueann chuckles, "Me
Tolia nods understandingly. "Right." Then she grins, the expression almost sneaking out unbidden. "So, did you want to hear any of these other drums? They're all really different," she offers suddenly, gesturing at the display table.
OOC: Tolia says "All six drums are there, if you 'look demo1', 'look demo2', etc. up to demo6."
OOC: Jueann says "ok"
Squat, Open Tambour
This small flat drum is one of the simplest construction; a circular
frame of unvaried height is covered on one end with evenly-stretched hide. When
played, it gives a light, tenor pitch.
Dual-Head Tambour
A small, flat drum, this one is covered on top and bottom with a hide membranes
to enclose the resonating cavity. When struck with fingertips, it gives a short
baritone thunk.
Open Tom
A taller frame gives this small hand-drum more resonance and a deeper pitch,with
the majority of the sound from its single membrane projecting through the open
end.
Closed Round Drum
A highly decorative form for a hand drum, this instrument appears to be a message
drum in wooden miniature. Its sides have been carefully bent and shaped to close
on even seams, a multi-pointed star pattern centered on the rounded end. With
greater carrying power than a tambour, the mid-range pitch and bite of this
drum is excellent for larger dances.
Small Gourd Drum
A tough gourd shell has been hollowed out, dried, and used as a drum frame over
which a green-dyed hide has been stretched. Strings wrap around the long oval
shape to secure the head with even tension, allowing the player to even adjust
the mellow pitch by stretching the strings while performing.
Half-round Metal Drum
An almost perfect half-circle has been beaten from copper, the final texture
a tight pattern of refracting pits and dents. Its head, rather than being hide,
is also shaped metal, allowing for different tones in different places with
a sharply pitched metallic tambre.
OOC: Tolia says "If you want to see the message drums, take a look at #17064"
OOC: Jueann says "nice"
Large Kettledrum
A well-beaten kettledrum of middling proportion, its squat construction
gives it the appearance of sitting comfortably on its weathered feet, which
have been modified to allow it to be bolted down. The pitted wooden frame has
seen better days; the good polishing it has recently gotten merely accentuates
the gradations of worn varnish and its hardware is entirely mismatched, having
been almost entirely replaced. The old, evenly-stretched hide reverberates easily,
with a wide dynamic range from a soft, deep whisper to a broad boom audible
for miles.
Small Kettledrum
Care has been taken to put this drum back together again tightly; only
under close inspection do the hairline cracks across the grain give evidence
to the violence the instrument once suffered. Counted as lost, this narrow drum
is once more useable with a new hide of an even tan. Its voice is deep and sharp,
cutting through surrounding noise easily.
Tolia takes the last of the drums, a copper one, in hand. "This one's one of my favorites," she adds to Jueann as she plays the first couple of bars of a simple, familiar tune on the melodically pitched surfaces of the drum, a jangly, startlying sound in comparison with a more traditional rendition on something like a guitar.
Kaeryn rests her chin against the palm of her head, holding her head steady as she listens to the conversation between Master and student with interest.
Tolia offers the metal drum to Master Jueann to try, taking the gourd drum in hand again. "You've seen this one, haven't you, Kae?" She turns again to her teacher. "Where you can make it talk?"
"I'm pretty sure I remember that one, yes," Kae nods her head in affirmation and turns to watch Jueann test the offered drum.
"If no one has any further questions," Kae suddenly speaks up, her eyes twinkling as they settle on Tolia, "I think now would be a good time to thank Senior Apprentice Tolia and let her get back to her regular duties?"
Oldeara lets out a laud snort but doesn't awaken.
Tolia straightens at Kaeryn's tone, quickly placing the drum back on the display table. "Shall I leave these here for you?" she asks, gesturing to the drums, logbook, and charts.
Kae nods her head and lays a hand on the charts before her, "I do think that would be a good idea, so that the other Journeymen and Masters can look them over when they get a chance." In a slow, careful motion, she gets to her feet and moves around the table to open the door. "Thank you for your time, Tolia," she says, formally before leaning in toward her student and whispering, "Great job."
Jueann shakes Oldeara awake and says, "Exam over, Oldeara." Nodding to Tolia, "VEry nicely presented. But I must return to Grinstead. Lot to do."
Tolia's nervousness returns nearly full force, and she takes a deep breath. "Thank you," she executes a very small curtsey -- more of a bob or a nod, really -- to the assembled audience, and quickly walks to the door.
Kaeryn nods to Jueann, "Thank you for coming all the way from Grinstead for this, and congratulations on your promotion." She smiles happily and gathers her things, "It was one well deserved."
Jueann blushes and nods as she collects her flying gear. "Thanks. I better go find K'shaw."
"Have a good day," Kae calls out and waves as she disappears into the ball room.
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