City of High Dawnward

Elkarch ⚜ Forestpot Terrace ⚜ Falrenstal ⚜ Tylsia ⚜ Oceanus

Welcome to Elyria.

I glared at the crimson letters hanging in the air not three feet from my face, until they dissipated in a poof of smoke. Like I needed the reminder. The stench of horse manure and alcohol assaulting my nose made it rather hard to forget. How the heck had Jess talked me into playing this medieval game?

The door of a nearby wooden building burst open, and a dude stumbled out, swaying on his feet, singing a bawdy tune about a countess and her handmaid. I looked longingly inside the tavern until the door swung shut, hiding away the revelry within. Surely the swill in this game would get me sufficiently drunk? At least drunk enough to forget where I was.

Jess grabbed my tunic-clad arm and ploughed down the bustling street. “Nothing I’ve said has convinced you to play CoE long-term, so I’m just gonna show you.”

“Um…show me what?” This didn’t sound promising.

I reluctantly took in my surroundings. Green banners adorned the sides of buildings, caught high in the morning breeze, each displaying an identical flourishing sun.

I pointed at the nearest crest. “What’s with the suns?”

“This is the city of High Dawnward,” Jess answered, as if that ought to mean something.

“Uh-huh…”

We were mostly surrounded by humans in this medieval-like city, although the occasional short fae-looking humanoid scurried past, eyes large and mischievous. My brows shot up – there were no character names above anyone’s head. I glanced up. Myself included, apparently. So you couldn’t tell who’s a player and who’s an NPC? Intriguing.

The buildings reminded me of the ones at the renaissance faire Jess had dragged me to last spring. But with a slightly more elegant touch. A wooden flourish in an awning here, a vine-covered bakery over there; several intricately-carved gazebos, pillars carved into the form of trees… Were they inspired by elven architecture? I might prefer sci-fi to fantasy, but hey, I’d seen The Lord of the Rings.

Wait, were elves even a race in this game?

I really should’ve paid more attention to the character creation.

I glanced down as a small figure brushed past me; I looked back up at the gazebo across the way. Were the fae-looking folk responsible for the modded architecture?

“Kat, come on,” Jess urged.

“You know, I could be in a starship raid right now in Stars of Itherik.”

My friend didn’t even deign to respond. I sighed.

I slowed outside a dress shop. Gowns of the finest silk on headless mannequins caught my eye in the window. Sleek high-tech bodysuits were usually more my thing. Form-fitting. Practical. Sexy. But damn, that silk looked fine.

“If you stop and stare every two seconds, we’ll never get there.” Jess hooked her arm through mine and hauled me away.

“Where exactly are we going?”

“You’ll see!”

A non-answer if I ever heard one.

Trees dotted the sides of streets, various shades of green brightening the path, little lanterns strung along their branches like fairy lights. It would be quite the spectacle at dusk, for sure.

Jess halted me at the edge of a huge square. On one side loomed a massive cathedral, its solid stone façade suggesting it had stood there since time immemorial. On another, bright markets, vendors advertising their wares in hearty cries. And on the far side of the square…

“This!” Jess pointed directly at the building opposite. “This is what will change your mind.”

I stared at the large stone building, a glimmering beacon of polished stone and intricate woodwork, more awed by its beauty than I would ever admit. But… “A building will change my mind?” Sure, it looked super pretty, but a starship it was not.

“This is the Dawn Academy of Cultural Arts.”

I raised a brow. “So…what, a bard school? What is this, Skyrim?”

“Pfft, that bard school in Solitude was a joke. No, this is the real thing. You can’t just whip out your lute and magically be awesome. This academy will teach you skills, and then you can perform throughout Elyria as the wonderful Bard Kat!”

Wait. A game where I could legitimately learn the bardic arts and perform? I could actively learn skills in-game, and get better through actual practice, rather than just instantly maxing out performance skills? I gazed across at the Academy.

I could truly learn to become a bard?

Perhaps it was time to holster my psionic pistols in exchange for my lute.

My strength lies more in the poetic prose style many have chosen for their entries, but decided that I needed to attempt a different genre to stand out from the crowd. Hopefully this entry is at the very least different!