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The Festival of Silk and Arrows
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On a small planet like Viridia, the Land of Flowers has no shortage of local events to mark the turning of the seasons, yet few draw a crowd quite like the Festival of Silk and Arrows.
Today the city streets are lined with food stalls, their awnings swaying in the breeze as savory scented steam curls up into the spring air. Skewers hiss over open heat, lacquered with glazes that cling to grilled chicken and river fish, sweet with soy catching the light before it drips into the coals below. Vendors ladle out hot bowls of ramen and udon rich with broth, topped with sliced scallion, soft egg, or tempura crisp and fresh from the oil.
There are octopus dumplings turned in their molds until golden and round, savory pancakes striped with sauce and a veil of bonito, rice balls wrapped in seaweed, and little bamboo trays of sushi as neat as ornaments.
Elsewhere, even sweeter scents drift through the crowd: candied fruit gleaming beneath syrup shells, mochi soft beneath powdered sugar, taiyaki pressed in fish-shaped irons and filled with red bean or custard, dango brushed with glaze, sweet shaved ice in bright colors, and warm castella cakes cut into little squares for passing hands.
Beyond the food lanes, merchants display their finest wares beneath canopies of silk and paper lanterns. Some such wares are part of what the festival is famu form boasting a wide veriety of fashion in fine silks to choose from. Haori in soft spring shades hang beside darker, more formal pieces embroidered with cranes, plum blossoms, clouds, reeds, and curling streams worked in gold or silver thread. Kimono are folded and draped with care, some rich and ceremonial with long sleeves and layered collars, others lighter and easier in their wear, meant for strolling the festival grounds in grace and comfort. Yukata appear in brighter seasonal patterns, floral prints and flowing water motifs made for warmer weather, easy movement, and evening lanternlight. Hanfu-inspired garments bring another kind of elegance to the stalls: long, trailing sleeves, high-waisted skirts, gauzy outer robes, fine sashes, beadwork, and delicate fastenings that lend each piece a courtly air.
Hand made accesories an other artisinal crafts are also bountifully available. Hairpins, combs, Kanzashi, ribbons, fans, perfume sachets, lacquered ornaments, carved jade trinkets, and painted masks fill the gaps between bolts of cloth, so that every stall seems to offer some smaller treasure waiting to be discovered as the perfect souvenier to take home.
Here and there, little games and minor tests of skill draw pockets of laughter from the younger crowd. Goldfish scooping remains a favorite, among children leaning over shallow basins with fragile paper scoops, trying to lift quick flashes of orange and white before the wet paper gives way. Ring toss stalls offer painted bottles, carved figurines, sweets, or charms for a steady hand. There are cork-gun galleries with tiny prizes arranged on shelves, shell-matching games, lucky draws, fan-toss challenges, and narrow target boards meant for beanbags or wooden darts.
Some of these booths test patience more than strength, while others reward a sharp eye, a delicate touch, or a bit of luck. Children dart between them with excitement, while older guests share inconversation with friends, sleeves gathered back as they try their hand and feign greater confidence than they possess.
Yet for all the delights spread through the streets, the main event, that gathers the largest crowd is the archery competition. There, beneath banners and flowering boughs, skill is measured in poise, control, and the clean flight of an arrow.
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Archery Tournament Instructions
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Out of Character Instructions
- Each participant will loose three arrows in total.
- Before writing your IC post, please make your dice roll first.
- Use 1d20 for each shot.
- Each arrow should be posted separately, with one post per shot.
- Please label each post clearly as Arrow One of Three, Arrow Two of Three, or Arrow Three of Three.
- Your post should include a short IC description of the shot being taken, along with the rolled result.
- After all three arrows have been fired, points from each shot will be added together for a final score.
- The highest total score wins.
- If there is a tie, tied contestants will roll one final 1d20 for a sudden-death shot.
- 1–4 = Miss (0 points)
- 5–8 = Outer edge (1 point)
- 9–12 = Solid hit (2 points)
- 13–16 = Strong shot, near center (3 points)
- 17–19 = Excellent shot (4 points)
- 20 = Bullseye (5 points)
Arrow One of Three
Rolled: 15
Score: 3 points
