Acoatlan’s 241st Festival of Bards, Rhapsodists and Free-style Singers will be held in the next few days on the Magnora Haven, in honor of Lyrandor, the god of fine arts. As is done every year, some of the piers, docks and moorings will be transformed into stages. Ships will not be sailing and neither will they be unloaded.
In the Bard category the overwhelming favorite is Tirim-Lag from Balorus (Eastern Empire). He has won eight of the last ten contests. The “eternal second” is Kendra -Demtria from Sedonia (Western Empire), who is confident that the release of her new song “Tears of a Centaur” will overturn the supremacy of Tirim-Lag once and for all. Informed circles have a tip that the half-elf Pirulan from Hanlo (Eastern Empire),will dominate with a new and masterful tambourine interpretation of “Orc Wars.”
Among the rhapsodists, of which only the elf Phorminx is known, the dwarf Kithara and the centaur Lyra expect to have an exciting contest with the elf Arcadiana from Palantia (Southern Island kingdom), and Gurod from Mondsee (Western Empire). The Phorminx champion will perform “The Sinking of the Freen” against Gurod’s “The Dragon Kings of Clankra.” The young Eligandre from Hamsorann / Antann (Southern Island kingdom), who recites “Demtria’s Love for Mortal Ilkand” in an angelic voice, has only an outside chance.
The Borsandol dwarf singers are hoping to defend the title they have held for the past few years in the “free style singers” category with their new drinking song “We Dwarves Drink Moonshine Beer.” As local heroes from the nearby Diamond mountains of Yodan, they will have home advantage. Argadol, their dwarven counterparts from Shan Ankon (Yodan) are competing against them with “I Only Say No to Sugary Elven Wine!”
Regretfully, many art lovers in recent years have started a trend of composing dirty jokes as accompaniment for boozing, in a competition formerly marked by soul-stirring love songs, which is firmly in dwarven hands.
The city guard will show increased presence, as the magistrate of Magnora wants to lessen the risk of pickpockets and con artists.
The festival will last three days and ends with fireworks and illusion magic on Nameless God’s day.