Moenah

[!] A flyer was be distributed round all of Almaris, with it's usual elegant Li-Wen calligraphy and common translation provided underneath. This flyer was special, a gold finish bordering the red sheet, with an illustration of Li-Ren adorned in gold, carrying a Dragon Dance Costume above their heads! DRAGON DANCE PARADE The people of Almaris have joined together and taken the time to welcome in the New Century with the people of Tai Ping through our Lunar Festival- first washing away our sins and pasts, to dazzling the sky with beautiful fireworks, and filling our bellies with feast. As the festivities slowly reach a close, there's no better way to end our year of celebrations with a bang. Join us once again for our Dragon Dance Parade! A long time tradition in our Lunar festival, accompanied by music and dance, we'll be parading our Dragon through the streets of nearly every city, not only bring it's once motionless body to life, but bringing joy and good luck wherever they go! Our Lion Dancer- the winner of our competition just a saint's day ago- will be alongside the nearly 9-meter serpent!

[!] A flyer would be distributed round all of Almaris with, not only elegant calligraphy in Li-Wen and common translation underneath, but a beautiful sketch of a tradition Li-Ren Lion. LION DANCING COMPETITION With our bellies full from the beautiful Firework Feast, and our tongues left in flames from the infamous Spice Challenge, through our year-long celebrations of the Nian festival, the time draws near for our famed Lion Dance Competition! We in Tai Ping humbly invite the boldest of competitors to watch- and participate in the most daring contest we’ve had yet! As the guardians of our people, this competition will be held in honour of the Twin Lions. Arguably the most important aspect of our celebrations, the Twin Lions are best known for their agility and fitness to bring good luck and scare away the evil spirits that may haunt and lurk about- things that should be left in the years past! It is only right that the fittest and most agile of climbers, capable of leaping from rooftop to rooftop, be selected to become the avatars of the Lions and honor them with the Lion Dance, to the merry sounds of drums and cymbals! You’ll find the parading Lions run along the streets to bring goodwill and luck to everyone they meet— from the houses, businesses, even to the spice market stalls!

[!] A flyer would be distributed round all of Almaris with elegant calligraphy in Li-Wen and common translation, along with a traditional painting of a fireworks show underneath! FIREWORK FEAST With our woes and worries washed away by the fire, and the suffering of Tai Ping to be long forgotten, we can only make way for the most joyous events now as we move into the third month of the celebrations! Now, more than before, families gather together to celebrate the Nian Festival, and it isn’t uncommon to see colorful sparks lighting up Tai Ping’s sky these days. Spice Street Alley is to be filled with merchants and hawkers as lively chatter and laughter herald the New Mid-Century! Join us on Tai Ping’s Junk boat for a sumptuous feast accompanied with fireworks and traditional dances. Our company is lovely, our food spicy, and the goods are never too pricey! So come on down to partake in an experience you’ve never had before!

[!] A flyer would be distributed round all of Almaris with elegant calligraphy in Li-Wen and common translation underneath. WASHING AWAY THE ASHES OF THE PAST AND BEGINNING ANEW Following the, yet again, traumatizing events of what happened in Tai Ping on the night of our beginnings to our new century, the perfect opportunity has arisen for Tai Ping and it's people to wash away and leave behind our past transgressions, as we come close to our Cleansing Ritual. The second month of the Nian year-long festival heralds a purification rite where each are given a chance to let go of the sins and burdens of their past. In the middle of Tai Ping District, folk from all around are invited to join us in our ritual where every household participates in rigorous ‘spring cleaning’ to spark joy, a much needed feeling we should be holding onto for the upcoming events. Old furniture will line the streets, dust balls will be swept into a communal pile, and all miscellany will be piled into a statue to celebrate the year of the Ox. Finally, as the last step of the ritual, paper slips are handed out for people to write any lingering regrets or sins of their past year. These paper ‘wishes’ are pinned onto the Ox effigy to accompany the ‘Old’ for their last send off. As flames lick the relics of the past, the smoke rises into the heavens. The darkness of what was before will be set alight by the purification of fire. As is with the precepts of Huajiao, ‘Every End is a New Beginning.’

Watching as everyone practiced and make their own preparations, Xiahong was more than enthusiastic his he decorated his own stall in all red for the year- these events being what he was looking forward to for months! As he donned his red hanfu, he held on tightly to a certain little box, in which he planned on making use of sometime during the celebrations...

The Sky and the Star The evening creeped in over Talon's Port quite beautifully- the tavern was busy with celebration and chatter, nevertheless, today was a day the people of Tai Ping had been dreading since the very first victim claimed. From the front gates, the Talons citizens would turn their head to the sound of a loud gong. Soon after that, it wasn't long before the sounds of sobbing and wailing trailed into the area. Marching slowly through the streets, dressed in all white, the Li-Ren funeral procession made its way back to their own district going over a mile, exactly 30 bodies on stretchers they alone carried. When they finally arrived in Tai Ping, one by one, each of them would take a body, gently and respectfully laying them in the pyre in front of the towering shrines. Some family members, some close friends, some even children- the actions of their murderer simply unconscionable, and no one in Tai Ping dare have any forgiveness in their heart for his soul. With that thought reigning strong in the back of their minds, along with the treasured memories of the victims while they were still alive, as the last body was laid on the pyre, it was finally set ablaze. As they bowed their heads in respect, Xiu-ying of the Li household would clasp her hands together, her palms pressing into one another as she intoned to the crowd. "We gather here today to mourn the losses of the Tai Ping Massacre. The lives of our precious family, friends, and neighbors were snatched violently by a despicable group. Today, we pray that the dead pass on peacefully into their next life - that their karma cultivated in this life bring forth good fortune and prosperity into the next." As she signaled the end of her speech, Waibiao, the Hou-zi monk, situated himself by the edge of the pond, wringing the water from his robe. He, too, had something to deliver. "Hualian and his disciples smile upon these fallen this day, the loyalty of Huajiao in full." He cupped his hands to drink from the pool of the fallen, wetting his lips and raising his head to deliver his small, brief song. Perhaps it was the smell of burning ash finally reaching their senses, or the heartfelt tune of Waibiao's song, but just like that, the Li-Ren began to fall apart. Once again, Talons would hear the sounds of their wails, their agony, their pain. Both the Li and the Chen household were the loudest among them, both matriarchs just barely escaping the clutches of the murderer themselves at the time of the massacre. But, now, all that sat on the pyre was ash - and with heavy hearts, the victim's ashes were collected in urns and the procession would move to the Tai Ping crypts, granting the souls their final offerings to carry with them as their souls moved on. No doubt would this event forever leave a scar on Tai Ping, but with time, the scar should heal. And each attendee would keep every victims memory alive. As the sky kept the stars.

[!] Flyers made of rice paper would be distributed across Talons, the calligraphy written in Li-Wen, ink brush strokes seen across the top of the paper. There would be a brief poem to start off the flyer, only legible to those who could read Li-Wen. Mourning the Lost Four elven days ago, our community was stricken with unimaginable grief as the people of our city, in our own district, had their lives so suddenly taken from them by men whose souls need not respect, nor remembrance. The living who survived their hand go on to bury the victims, still, no doubt, shaken from the entire event. We ask that you join us in the funeral procession of those lost to the hands of the Tai-Ping murderers, so that their souls may find rest and peace. In traditional Li-Ren fashion, mourners and attendees are expected to wear a white headband, a show of respect for those that have passed, and avoid red, as the color symbolizes happiness, and usually worn at events such as weddings. Everyone is encouraged to bring offerings for the dead, such as food, incense, and so forth. The procession shall be held by the Huajiao monks near the Shrines.

[!] Flyers made of rice paper would be distributed across Almaris, a small ink-brush doodle of what looks like a fun child’s game dominating the page. Battle of the Bei-Blades Calling out to all the kids in Almaris, big and small, as well as the playful at heart - challenge your friends in this fun new game of ‘Bei-Blading’ at Tai Ping District, Talons Port! This traditional Li-Ren sport consists of a match between two expert ‘Bei-bladers’, equipped with their trusty spinning tops. Each contestant will face off against one opponent per heat, with three attempts to ‘Let it rip’ allowed. The winners of each round will proceed to the final match where the winner will be rewarded with an exclusive ‘White Eyes Blue Dragon’ limited edition Bei-blade (ONLY 2 ARE IN CIRCULATION) [A depiction of a normal Li-Ren Bei-Blade Spinner] The rules are as follows: Each match is a 1v1 face-off where each contestant is required to bring their own Bei-Blade or buy it from the venue for 3 mina. Both contestants will wind up their Bei-Blade and unleash it at the same time (one emote). Contestants are encouraged to shout ‘Let it rip!’ for flavor - but this is optional. This will be counted as the first ‘whip’ of the spinning top. (roll 20) The contestant with the weaker Bei-blade will be allowed to take their second ‘whip’ first, using the string of the Bei-Blade to strike it at an angle such as to increase the spinning speed of their top. The opponent will then be allowed to counteract after with their own ‘whip’. (roll 20 again) The above ruling is repeated one last time as both contestants execute their third ‘whip’ to encourage the battle between their Bei-Blades. Winner of the match is determined by the velocity of their Bei-Blade and/or if the opponent’s Bei-Blade is knocked out of the ring. (if you roll a 1)

Li Xiahong takes a peek at the familiar flyer, smiling to himself as he skimmed through it. Placing it on a surface next to him, he began to warm up his vocal chords, gently patting his throat, as he prepared to make his little debut!

RP Name: Solange de la Baltas MC Name: imMonaaaah Voted: Yes

Application Username: imMonaaaah Character Name: Solange de la Baltas Age: 37 Area of Interest/Skill: Ballet/Dance, Poetry Level of Knowledge: Ballet > Most likely a master by now ; Poetry > more so a Journeyman