Welcome to the Island of Katarina
Settled over five hundred years ago, the Island of Katarina is renowned for the quality and quantity of its iron ore, which is extensively mined in the mountains that surround the town. The resulting iron is then pressed into a type of steel referred as Katarina steel, and also shortened to Kat steel. Stronger and lighter than regular steel, Kat steel provides the wealth of the island.
Ruled by the Svetozar family over the last three centuries, the Archduchy of Katarina is titularly part of the Kingdom of Sezja. Its location on the northeastern corner, far removed from the capital of Konstantina, means that for generations, as long as generous tributes were sent to the royal coffers, the Svetozar
family have ruled unimpeded by outside forces. The wealth created by
the mines have led to a comparatively higher standard standard of
living, attracting people from all over the Sezja and beyond.
The current ruler of the island is Archduke Maksimillian III. He has a beautiful wife, Yeva, and two daughters, Verushka, 17, and Yula, 10. Over the last one hundred years, the Svetozars have managed the island expertly, extracting resources, generating wealth, and ensuring that this wealth was shared equitably with most of the island's inhabitants. This has created a surprisingly open society with a vibrant cultural scene. Over 45,000 people now live on Katarina, with two thirds of them residing in the capital city of the same name.
Archduke Maxsimillian has inherited his family's talent for business and management, and he has continued to increase the island's wealth and spread its culture beyond its border. An active shipping industry has grown to export Kat steel and its derived products, and ship building soon followed, diversifying the island's economy further. Commercial banks have established branches in Katarina, and a stable and well-managed economy relatively free of corruption bolstered by effective law enforcement means that over half of Sezja's wealth now transits through the Archduchy.
In the last decade, a revival religious movement has devolved into a strict fundamentalist interpretation of the Goddess, and the Synod of Cardinals has gained tremendous power throughout Sezja. Three years ago, Cardinal Feodore arrived on Katarina armed with a royal writ. Cardinal Feodore has established religious law over the island, much to the Archduke’s dismay. A small group of monks and clerics support the spreading of their more fundamentalist version of the faith, and the Cardinal’s soldiers often patrol the streets, enforcing morality and religious edicts. The Archduke bids his time, aware that for know the Cardinal has the blessing of the Sezian court in Konstantina, but with rumors that the Cardinal plans to seize the island and its wealth means that a reckoning is coming....
The Legendary
The wealth of Katarina and of its inhabitants means that many of them have disposable income available. As a result, a service industry of theaters, art houses, publishers and crafters has grown and offers a vigorous scene. Four theaters are located in Katarina. The Opera features modern productions, while the Fantastic leans more towards popular and bawdy comedies. The Starlight is known more for its sensual pieces than the quality of its acting. But of all the theaters on the island, the Legendary is the most famous. It is the premier facility for entertainment, where people go for excellent plays, music, and to see and be seen. Owned by Sir Gregory Tsaplin, and patronized by Archduke Maksimilian III, the Legendary features a large scene, an equally large rehearsal space, and a creative space large enough to accommodate the planning of a third production. The theater is situated at the south end of White Avenue opposite the Archduke's Palace at the north end. Many businesses connected to the theater surround the building.
Brannamarth Gwend, an elven sorcerer, comes from a famous family of clothes maker. The Gwends weave magic in their fabric, creating explosions of colors and subtle illusions that seems to make the clothes shimmer like starlight. Branna's father was approached by Oskana, the head designer for the Legendary, and he graciously allowed one of his daughters to travel to Katarina and further develop her skills with the trade.
Mon deGreen, a human bard, seeks to gain a better understanding of who he is and of his past through legends and tales told through the theater. He appears to have amnesia, and he doesn't remember anything before he awoke one dark morning a few years back. He traveled to Katarina, hoping to learn more about his previous life. Despite his amnesia, he can memorize lines easily, and he found employment at the Fantastic, where he was noticed by Luba, the Legendary's second actress for his unforgettable performance as Brother Gerald in the production of The Goblin and the Turtle Soup. She asked him to join the crew of extras who work for the Legendary, and Mon jumped at the chance.
Marigold Handthorn a lightfoot halfling artificer, has family on the island, and she fell in love with the theater. Tinkering from a young age, she has recently secured an apprenticeship with the famous props designer Dusana, who oversees the props department at the Legendary.
The Legendary operates on a tightly planned schedule. A show runs for five weeks, six nights a week, as well as matinees on Fridays and Saturdays. If the production is a smashing success, its run might be extended, but as soon as less than three quarters of the seats sell, the show closes out that weekend. While the show is running, a second production begins rehearsals. Finishing touches are made on the sets, last minute costumes are crafted, and props are added. Lights, sounds, and stagecraft are planned and executed, and this production waits in the wings so that it can start two days after the closing of the first show. Meanwhile, a third show is in pre-production in the creative area, with sets being roughly built, music being produced, and songs written.
An army of laborers, cleaners, ticket sellers, ushers, and food service employees follow the orders of a cadre of middle managers, who take their own instructions from department heads, who report to Yurchik, the theater director, who in turns takes general guidelines and suggestions from Sir Tsaplin. Turnover is high among the lower levels of employees, so the Legendary is always hiring replacements at the beginning of every new production. Marigold, Mon, and Branna thus find themselves in the grand foyer of the Legendary on the morning of Monday, May 2nd, with over forty new workers.
Monday, March 28th, 1066 SE
Upon arriving at the theater, Branna, Marigold and Mon are introduced to their respective department head. Branna already knows Oskana, who shakes her hand vigorously and thanks her for joining her team of costumiers. Marigold meets Dusana for the first time, and the short man is barely taller than she is. He welcomes her to the theater, and informs her that he has seen some of her designs and they show promise. Mon meets Dmitri, the stage manager, who supervises the extras. Each new employee is shown their work area, and employment rules are described.
As members of the Legendary, employees may reside for free in the Palace, a five-story building next door to the theater. The accommodations are sparse, but three meals are provided free of charge every day in the Palace's cafeteria. When not performing, employees are allowed to attend the nightly production for free, filling the seats that haven't sold and giving the impression that the theater is always sold out. Mon is warned to figuratively watch his back, as extras will do anything to climb the ladder and become stars. He's also warned not to be caught by the morality police in the gambling dens by the harbor. Marigold is warned to keep an eye for inappropriate behavior from male employees towards female employees, and to report any incident immediately, as this is not tolerated by Sir Tsaplin. Branna is told to behave properly at all times, especially when outside the theater, as the Cardinal's morality police has been causing issues with the theater in recent months.
Near noon, all new employees report back to the grand foyer. Most of the actors for the upcoming production are here as well, and Luba warmly greets Mon, telling him she's thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him. Yurchik, the theater manager, introduces Sir Gregory Tsaplin, a rather unremarkable man who is sharply dressed in reds with a top hat on his balding head, and his faithful but long-suffering manservant, Ony.
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| Sir Gregory Tsaplin, owner of the Legendary |
Sir Tsaplin theatrically comes down the grand stairs, and he introduces the new production, Masha and the Bear. He expresses his hopes that it will be as successful as the show opening tonight, Baba Yaga and the Crimson Flower. He then reveals the official poster for Masha and the Bear, which is currently slated to start on May 2nd, but to Luba's consternation none of the actors are depicted, which goes against past practice of featuring the lead stars and divas. Rumors begin to circulate that perhaps Luba's position atop the actor's ladder is not as secure at it was.
Following a delicious luncheon, the new employees are paid their weekly wages. Mon, Marigold and Branna return to work in their respective areas. At the fifth hour, the evening employees and the crew for the production of Baba Yaga and the Crimson Flower begin arriving, signaling the end of the work day for the crew of Masha and the Bear. Marigold, Branna and Mon walk to the Palace and secure lodgings. Marigold is assigned to a room on the third floor, and she meets her roommate, Lena, another halfling. Lena works in the marketing department, and she questions Marigold on her thoughts on the poster. She reveals that she was not in favor of leaving the actors off, as they drive a lot of the business, but Raissa, the chief marketer, insisted on this new approach. Lena suspects that Luba's days as the second female star of the Legendary may be numbered.
Branna is paired with Ola, a quiet human. Ola works in the kitchen, and hopes to become a chef someday. Meanwhile, she spends all of her nonworking time in the Palace's kitchen, helping out and working on her culinary skills. She's rarely in the bedroom they share on the fifth floor, and her area is tidy and clean.
Mon is assigned to a bedroom on the fourth floor. As he begins to open the door, the doorknob is wrenched from his hand, and his new roommate grabs him and hugs him. He introduces himself as Herald, and begins to talk at Mon about all of his own wonderful qualities. Herald is a mid-tier actor, and he hopes to break it big. Mon quickly forms the opinion that Herald is either a dimwit who is wholly focused on himself, or he is a deviously clever individual who hides behind a veneer of silliness. A quick look at the clothes spread all over the furniture and floor, the empty bottles of wine piled in a corner, and the general messiness of the place convinces Mon that it is probably the former.
Mon, Branna and Marigold soon find themselves in the food line in the Palace's cafeteria. They introduce themselves, and share pleasantries. The cafeteria is loud, and most of the seats are taken. A whirlwind of a man, over six feet tall and wearing blue overalls with a tool belt strapped around his waist, barges in the cafeteria, and everyone yells his name, holding a tankard or a glass. Pavel, one of the theater's master carpenter, salutes people as he walks through on his way to the line, and it is clear he knows everyone by name. He stops by the new hires, and introduces himself before asking them for their names. Pavel is jovial, has a flair for the dramatic, and is quick with the bad joke. He fills his plate, then fills three more, before putting some food on Mon's plate. He welcomes the new hires aboard, then heads upstairs with his food.
The three of them find the only open seats left near a corner table. Two actors from the second crew are busy kissing, and completely ignore them. The other person at the table keeps one drawing in a large pad, his food barely touched. Branna notices that he's designing clothes, and they are rather good. When he seems her looking, he gets up and leaves, abandoning his food behind. They learn that his name is Joseph, and he works in accounting. Branna remembers that he was one of the people paying them earlier that afternoon.
Following dinner, Branna and Mon return to the Legendary to watch the opening night of Baba Yaga and the Crimson Flower, in the seats reserved for employees at the back of the theater. Marigold, for her part, watches the production from the wings, so she can watch the props' process. She soon realizes that backstage is a well-oiled machine, with the props clearly labeled and organized by appearance. When one of the props helper makes a mistake, he is quickly berated by the prop supervisor.
The performances was amazing, the music uplifting, and the audience adored it. The buzz as the audience leaves the show indicates that this is probably one of the best performances of the last three years. Throughout the performance, Mon worried that the Cardinal would attend, but the man never showed up. The Archduke and his family were in attendance, however, in their private balcony, and the crowd gave them a round of applause before the curtain lifted at the beginning of the performance. Mon tells Branna he was raised up as a flesh golem, and his master triggered something in him, and he took his life in a fit of rage when he discovered what had been done to him. Branna volunteers to make him a piece of clothing that might have enough magic in it to distract the Cardinal if he ever came close, so that he would not detect Mon's true nature. The actor profusely thanks her.
Returning to their rooms after the show, Marigold finds Lena sleeping soundly, Branna finds Ola sitting in her bed reading through a cookbook, while Mon finds Herald, who works with the first crew getting ready to go out to celebrate opening night. The mess is even worse. After Herald departs, Mon cleans a path to his bed, folding Herald's clothes as he goes, a remnant of his mindless beginning as a golem for his previous master ...
