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Start: Sunset on the 1st of Tamtir, at the opening ceremonies of the Battle of the Bards.
Bill's Bimbos registered under the band name of Calliope's Captivating Cohort and began to mingle with some of the other performers as the Battle of the Bards. Bill Brouwen and Killian Sweeney were in the audience, Dyel Dekaani hosted, and the judges (Shell Silverstein, Evanya Starlight, Felix Fortunefan) presided to the side of the stage. Over the course of the first round, a thin force of guards were overlooking the event. A number of amateur performers were disqualified (Gel Cube couldn't get up the stairs and began to melt, My Alchemical Romance's pyrotechnics malfunctioned and exploded, and Ettin John seemed to forget their lyrics and gave up). The first round went by, and Bill's Bimbos smoked Wands & Roses, webbing up their animated orchestra and silencing the rest, leaving the mage students in total disarray.
In the second round, more guards left the venue. The competition continued, and Bill's Bimbos faced off with Baldwin the Bold and his Bad Batch. He had wished Calliope good luck and seemed excited for the chance to perform together, which Calliope didn't acknowledge the "peer" status Baldwin the Bold offered. An electric performance, well-guarded against the interfering of the other gnomes, earned another win for Calliope and co.
Before the semifinals kicked off, Aoife Sweeney spotted Kaelen Dawnbringer approach the judge's table and speak to Evanya Starlight (and Shell Silverstein and Felix Fortunefan, by proximity). Aoife Sweeney snooped on the tail end of the conversation, reading Kaelen Dawnbringer's surface thoughts, and found her heavily preoccupied with guard assignments and stations on the exterior wall of Sedesend.
In the semis, Calliope's Captivating Cohort faced off with the accomplished Construct bard Lyra and her Autognomes. The inventions were not made for longevity, however, and in a chain reaction, half of her performance troupe malfunctioned and exploded.
Moving on to the finals, Dyel Dekaani announced that Shell Silverstein would be making a special solo performance before the final duel. During his beautiful and soulful saxophone solo, Fictus Aborenzo approached Calliope. The two shared some charged words, with some info slipping on both sides regarding what happened a few years ago at the College of the Swan. Aoife Sweeney poked around in the mind of Fictus Aborenzo and learned that his country accent is fake, unnatural for him, as his thoughts were in a much more understated accent. Both accomplished, fatefully rivaled bards ascended the stage: Calliope's Captivating Cohort v. Multiplicity. Earning a double encore from the crowd, an epic push and pull of two masters of their craft electrified the audience. By the end, the judges had to reevaluate, as the competition was simply too close to call an obvious winner. After much deliberation, they agreed on final scores and handed off the results to Dyel Dekaani.
Before his announcement of the winner of the 1113 GE Battle of the Bards, however, a large shadow swept over the Tauma Auditorium. A truly enormous (70 foot wingspan) ancient gold dragon dove down from a great altitude, leveled out just above the rooftops of the east ward, and landed with a thunderous impact against the mountainside of Solithar's Spire (near Astralreach Academy). A formidable, booming voice made its declaration to the city in its entirety: "Release Ereus Sol'ahn immediately."
End: Dusk of the 1st of Tamtir, 1113 GE, at Tauma Auditorium after the Battle of the Bards, witnessing the deliverance of the demands of the Chrysun Gales.