Goldbrook Annual Guild Fair

An immersive introduction to the world setting and the folks who live here.

This is a core article that I'm adding to throughout WorldEmber! The layout may change as I add in some artwork :D

Floating islands drift lazily amidst fluffy, picturesque clouds in the perfectly blue sky - you watch for a while as a magnificent airship soars high above waves of grass in the distant fields, casting a shadow over the centuries-old jindo ruins below.
The gentle spring breeze carries the wonderful aroma of freshly baked delicacies, and the sound of laughter and animated discussions turns your attention to the brightly coloured tents of the annual guild fair you're here to explore.

Pixel art ticket by TJ Trewin

In your excitement you almost drop your entry ticket, but with an instinctive flourish of magic you return it to your hand before it falls - your thumb returns to idly running along its perforated edges and embossed text as you head towards the entrance.

Arriving at the guild fair

Welcome to the Goldbrook annual guild fair!
Let me give you a quick overview of what delights you can find here today:

The guild stalls are right next to that colourful bunting - if you're new here in Zendu, they can give you a great introduction to the local area and upcoming events to look forward to!

There's a fun & games area just beyond the tents, there's something for everyone, regardless of skill!

And of course there's the market stalls and food vendors, though I'm sure you know that already from that wonderful smell, it's making me hungry!

Have fun! If you have any questions, I'll be right here if you need me.

— Gate attendant

You hand over your entry ticket and the gate attendant places it in their open palm so you can observe: with the index digit of their other hand they draw a line over the small card, moving the tiny inked letters to the edges of the ticket. With a practised motion, their finger encircles the ticket and the design re-emerges as a tiny map of the venue.
Like a conductor gently guiding an orchestra's volume, they raise the ticket in an expert display of wind manipulation back to you.

Oh, this also grants you one free drink or snack from any of the food stalls! Just hand your ticket to them and they'll remove the perforated part :D

— Gate attendant

Contents

Related guilds
Museum of Mysteries
Birds & Bones Association
Academy of Arcane Sciences
Foragers' Guild
Crumble-Cup League

Regional guilds

Passing through the gate and entering the guild fair, your eye follows the zig-zagging bunting from one stall to another as its little patches of fabric flap gently in the breeze.
You notice that each of the tiny flags have symbols and emblems matching those of the guild stalls ahead of you.

Museum of Mysteries

The first stall you walk up to has a large blue banner with an emblem of two crossed shovels in the middle and a painted metal sign above. The stand is decorated like a miniature museum display with a large, glass-fronted cabinet of curiosities at the back. You can see strange magical artifacts, an arrangement of painted pottery fragments, and an ornate scimitar with gilded markings along its blade.
On the table there's a collection of mechanical parts, cogs, gears, and large crystals; the young grolug tending the stall is currently polishing one of them with a velvet cloth and as you approach, their friendly, frog-like features light up excitedly.

Hiya! I'm Bubb, nice to meet ya!
I'm the youngest member of the Museum of Mysteries, we're kinda like a treasure-hunting guild but I'm not supposed to call it that... we specialise in recovering lost artifacts from ancient ruins and finding out more about lost civilizations! Our main goal is to find out what really happened to the jindo during the Great Betrayal - how did they all disappear at once, and where did they go?
Here's a leaflet where you can find our museum and our latest exhibits - my favourite is the hall of jindo constructs. I want to learn how to make my own mechanical things come to life one day, if the jindo figured out how to do it - then I will, too!
Hey, if you wanna come on our next field trip you might find something cool! Drop by the museum if you want to join us :D

— Bubb

Antique Scimitar by TJ Trewin

Birds & Bones Association

The next stall that catches your attention has a vibrant red banner with an emblem depicting the skull of a bird and two feathers, one either side of it, but it was actually the letterless sign that really caught your eye: a gargantuan sawfish rostrum with an equally large single feather running the length of it.
The entire table and backdrop for this tent is packed full of neatly displayed bones, perfectlly posed skeletons in glass domes and taxidermy so lifelike that you're still convinced one of them is about to move.
As you look over the stand in awe, two curled, goat-like horns suddenly rise up from behind the table - to your surprise, they're attached to a fineley dressed murid fellow attending the stand and he is very much still alive!
He dusts off the front of his brocade waistcoat and sets a box of little cloth pouches gently down in front of you.

Hello, I'm Lanei - pleased to meet you!
It's quite a collection isn't it? All of these specimens were found by our members out on our group walks. We follow a strict code of care to all living (and previously living) things - nothing here was caught or hunted for display.
Our mission here at the Birds & Bones Association is to observe and document magical creatures in their natural environment. The guild began as two hobby groups: the Goldbrook Vultures and the Zendu Birdwatching Society, one day they fatefully crossed paths and stuck with each other ever since! Those with a keen eye for bones watch the paths and bushes whilst the bird watchers have eyes to the skies and trees.
Go ahead and take a mystery pouch! Inside could be a tiny skull, a large claw, or a weird-looking bone! Don't worry, they're immaculately clean.

— Lanei

Sawfish rostrum & feather by TJ Trewin

Academy of Arcane Sciences

The next guild stand you decide to check out has a purple banner with an iconic, geometric sigil contained within a circle. Surrounded by tomes, diagrams, and strange equipment, the stall is attended by a studious arbin who appears to be deep in thought as they focus intently on writing down an idea in their notebook.
The gentle scuff of your shoes on the ground as you step up to the desk brings their attention back to reality and their kind, marsupial face turns to you with a smile.

Oh, hello! Don't mind me, I was just going over my notes ready for my upcoming exam - I'm training to be an airship pilot! The Academy of Arcane Sciences teaches all kinds of magic and technology, I mean they really go hand in hand, don't they?
Um, I'm Palbo by the way, and you should come for a tour! The academy is on that giant floating island you passed by on the way here, we've currently stopped in Zendu before our next trip.

— Palbo

Foragers' Guild

A songbird's beautiful melody from nearby draws your attention to a fruit tree whose branches have been altered with magic to grow intro an intricately shaped stall, complete with weaved-looking roots and green coloured bunting depicting some different kinds of mushrooms.
As you approach the guild stall to chat with the verdant-scaled renzar behind the table, you can smell the earthy aroma from all of the compost in the plant pots occupying every possible space.

Welcome, welcome!
I'm Gem, let me tell you a bit about what we do at the Foragers' Guild! Our goal is to learn all we can about flora and fungi in the world and how we can harness the forces of nature to adjust the weather, grow living structures, eat healthily, and not overstep our boundaries with other creatures.
I'd love to invite you to our next workshop!
Here, take a leaflet with you - it has all of the details :)

— Gem

Crumble-Cup League

After perusing several other guild tents with the other excited visitors of the guild fair today, you come to what is possibly the brightest looking stall you've seen so far - its yellow banner flapping proudly in the wind has the symbol of a large, broken trophy.
The stand seems to be just an oversized storage cabinet displaying several different wooden bats, leather and rubber balls of varying shapes and sizes, and a large collection of colourful skill-based toys.
Standing in front of the table rather than behind it is an athletic looking loran, and she's playing a game with three other people using magic to keep an apple from hitting the ground as it leaps between them in a pattern.

Come on over! I'm Kara, lovely to meet you!
I was just explaining to these folks a bit about the Crumble-Cup League! We're a wholesome, competitive bunch with a focus on physical and mental wellbeing. We love to compete in all kinds of things: sports, games, work, training, you name it!
Taking part is the most important part of any challenge life throws our way, but learning from our outcomes is what helps us grow and thrive.
We've got clubs all over, stop by if you're looking for some fun, friends, and to pick up some new skills, too!

— Kara

---

As you finish checking out a handful of other guild stalls, a gathering crowd draws your attention towards cheers of excitement at a performance happening en route to the market stalls. A band begins to play a lively jig with a fast tempo on a bizarre array of instruments made from household items while two dancers defy feats of gravity with their acrobatics.
While the crowd is busy, you decide to make a beeline towards the market stalls before everyone starts to feel hungry.

Fun & games

Passing by the open space for trying out newly learned magic and games, you see two mixed teams of young folks with long poles and rounded hooks on each end. You're not entirely sure on the rules but they seem to be trying to catch a ball and keep control of it as other players use magic to try and wrangle it free.
Next to the field, two bulkily-padded sparring partners put on a fine display of swordsmanship as they spar with each other, drawing their own small crowd with the striking sounds of blunted steel swords.
Heading ever closer to the source of the mouth-watering smell of baked pastries, you walk past a family with a patchwork picnic blanket under the shade of a nearby tree who are playing a lively looking game of cards and snacking on homemade treats they've brought with them. It looks like a lot of fun and you decide to see what other games the market stalls have to offer en route to the food vendors.

Food vendors

With an audible grumble from your stomach, you finally arrive to the delicious smells of the food vendors! Folks in the small crowds gathering in line for different cuisines all watch to see how tasty their food and drinks look before deciding what to order for themselves.
Remembering the gate attendant's information, you decide to check out the ornately drawn chalk board signs offering freshly made food and drink before redeeming a complimentary refreshment with your entry ticket.

Market stalls

Excited shoppers huddle around shiny trinkets and beautiful jewelry, you pass by an androgynous person admiring a scarf covered in a block-printed gemstone pattern as they view it from different angles with a small, ornate mirror.
Some vendors in the market are selling masterfully crafted homeware, pottery, and utensils while others have open workshops plying their trade with services for shoe repairs, blade sharpening, upholstery, and tailoring.

Sugar Ship by TJ Trewin

	Name	Description
1	Balva Juice	A sweet fruit with a flavour reminiscent of spiced apples and dates, freshly-squeezed at the stall!
2	Mushroom Coffee	Coffee infused with extracts from mushrooms, offering a unique and earthy flavour.
3	Gingerlemon Tea	Tea infused with tangy ginger root and fresh lemon zest - served hot or cold and with optional honey.
4	Roasted Nuts	A stripy paper cone filled with honey-glazed roasted nuts - they're still hot!
5	Digsite Bucket	A miniature bucket filled with chocolate biscuit crumbs and a tiny shovel-shaped spoon to dig for the buried chocolate within. Will you find a white chocolate skull, a milk chocolate shield, or a dark chocolate tome?
6	Ship-shaped Clouds	Vibrantly coloured sugar spun in mid-air with a small magical performance into the shape of an airship. The vendor currently has an orange and a green one that appear to be flying around her in a race as she cleans the table.
7	Salad Bowl	Choose your bowl, choose your fillings! There's fresh leafy greens, grated vegetables, ripe tomatoes and optional toppings of your favourite cheeses and insects.
8	Smoked Grill	Take your pick of mouthwatering smoked goods from the grill! There's cuts of meat, roasted garlic sausages, crispy poultry, and herb-crusted fish.
9	Loaded Wedges	Fried potato wedges loosely re-assembled and topped with a mountain of cheese, bacon, sour cream, and caramelised onion.
10	Bakewell tart	A delicious slice of buttery pastry crust filled with raspberry jam and rich, almond-flavored frangipane, dusted with icing sugar and adorned with almond slices.
11	Middle Moons	Cescent shaped pastries with a light, flaky texture and sweet, buttery taste.
12	Crumble Cup	Apple crumble and custard served in a small bowl that looks like the top part of a trophy.

Heading back

After redeeming your freebie and enjoying the atmosphere of the guild fair, you decide to head back for one last look at your favourite guild stalls again before going through the gate.

Pixel art stamp by TJ Trewin

Hey, thanks for visiting - I hope you had a wonderful time at the guild fair today! Would you like a collectible stamp for your journal? You can keep it as a memento of your visit!

Click to collect this stamp: Goldbrook Annual Guild Fair

— Gate attendant