The Acts
Lukan Darnum, The Ringleader
Mr. Darnum himself doesn't seemingly have an act. He introduces the show in a colorful display of lights, fireworks, and music before allowing his troupe to show off their wondrous abilities. Darnum seems to act as an usher between performances, urging onlookers to watch whilst also explaining that they require money to run the show and that donations and alms are always appreciated.
Mot, The Strongman
Mot uses his formidable strength to perform superhuman feats. His show starts with more simple tricks such as raising someone above his head with one arm. He often likes to include The Dynamic Trio in his acts as watching three halflings perform tricks whilst being stacked like a totem pole is far more fascinating than just a single person. Throughout his more awe-inspiring tricks, Mot rips decks of cards in half, drives nails into wood with just his hand, and bending iron rods.
One of Mot's signature tricks is being able to smash a sizable rock with just his fist. The audience is always stupefied and shocked as they watch the small boulder shatter into pieces. Another one of his signature tricks is lifting a man with just a chain and his teeth.
Amadeus, The Clockwork Marvel
Amadeus' act is rather simple: they pretend to be a mindless automata, walking around and purposefully making clanking and grinding noises like that of an antique machine. Sparks occasionally fly from their fingertips and joints, sending gasps and giggles through the crowd. Their flickering eyes glow brilliant colors and flash as it speaks in a tinny, broken form of common. Amadeus often detaches their limbs and waves them about to draw awe from the crowd. Beyond Amadeus running this small act, they also upkeep and play the calliope that juts from the side of their wagon whilst packing and unpacking.
Ann, Dha, & Tri, The Dynamic Trio
The Dynamic Trio specializes in acrobatic and sleight of hand tricks. Each of them perform amazing feats such as continuously flipping, cartwheeling, and stacking atop one another. One of the more impressive acts they do, however, involves strapping one of the sisters to a spinning wheel whilst one dons a blindfold and flings knives at the wheel. On occasion, they up the ante by shooting flaming arrows but Mr. Darnum isn't fond of accidentally setting the dry grass around the farm ward aflame. The sisters enjoy performing tricks like that of a simple magician. They "saw" one another in half, make people disappear, perform card tricks, pull rabbits from hats, etc. Very few have seen such a trick, but it is said that the three of them have been seen riding atop a horse whilst standing and stacked upon one another.
Dances with Beasts, The Animal Handler
A tall Litorian fellow wearing a black and white suite spins a cane and offers what appears to be a smile to the crowd. He is followed by five massive wolves that stand nearly six feet in height at their shoulders. Without so much as a word, the fellow bows and gestures to the dire wolves. Whistling in a certain way, they begin to hop atop one another until they all balance in a perfect stack with the largest and strongest at the bottom. The crowd claps as the catfolk makes a few gestures. Falling back into line, the animal handler marches in front of them, turning as he reaches the last, saluting with his fist to his chest. In almost perfect unison, each of the wolves raises their paws to their muzzles. Another round of applause comes from the crowd as the catfolk produces a sizable ring. Striking something against his boot, it catches fire. One by one, each of the wolves leaps through this ring unscathed despite it being hardly big enough for them to fit through.
Gahanna, The Seer
Gahanna appears quite exotic with lustrous silken clothing and a charming yet rather unsettling smile. She has the youthful look of a half-elf, yet her almost jet-black eyes seem to hide centuries of wisdom. Many of the adults from the ward are specifically eager to meet with the woman, for it is known that Gahanna is a seer: a fortune teller. Sitting in a dark wagon lit only with mysteriously green and violet candlelight, she runs her fingers just above the surface of a crystal orb the size of one's head. A strangely heady scent seemingly comes from a thin wisp of smoke emitting from an incense burner. While many believe her to just be a soothsayer, she secretly specializes in seances, allowing people to potentially communicate with lost loved ones.
Deniol von Kalter, The Crimson Troubadour
Von Kalter is best described as the most eccentric human that one could ever meet. He often recounts his youth before beginning his eye-catching acts and how he grew up as a wizard's apprentice. With a flick of his wrist, the ethereal images that one could picture within their minds appear in shifting colors that accompany the mood and tone of the words he weaves. His clothing, while rather expensive, seems purposefully subtle as to not draw the eyes of his audience away from his illusions. Raising his voice and stomping about the stage, a massive dragon made of red motes of light and smoke roars and showers the audience with harmless smoke that tingles upon their worried faces.
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This article was written by the creative and talented Sols & Duun and edited for world and game use by Graylion. To see more writing and world building by Sols & Duun, visit Vos.