The Headlands Spectacles
Grayburn's society is entirely built around the steam engine. Those that made it rich, now hold others to strange social standards. One of their prejudices is that steam engines are crucial to any kind of innovation, which causes many innovations to end up wasted and lost. They also despise what they call unmannered entertainment. However, asides from musicians, there is one form of entertainment the Conventionalists have still been tricked into liking: The Headlands Spectacles, or the Spectacles in short.
The Spectacles are a group of performance artists, who have been around for more than six decades. To the Upper Class, they appeal themselves as a performance of experimental technology. To the rest of The Grayfolk, they simply present their shows as a good time. They perform with lightshows, various kinds of machines, and peculiar skills, heavily using steam engines in their acts.
The Spectacles own buildings in two of the Headlands cities, specifically Blackdune and Mauvebay. They make good use of the fact these cities are the only ones connected by railroad, switching city every month. Many of their machines are too heavy to safely transport to other cities, requiring special cranes to move, and buildings designed entirely around their shows.
As all artists, all personnel also has another job for their income, since society frowns upon anyone not working for a living. Their jobs are only parttime, however, as they spend a lot of time training and preparing for their shows. To compensate for their limited time off, the Spectacles only work four out of five seasons every year, skipping the Warm Season.
The Spectacles make heavy use of fancy lighting in their shows. Their use of electricity alone is impressive to most, since the Lower Class cannot afford electricity. Because mining innovations tend to not be impressive, the upper class doesn't bother improving their mines. As a result, coal is not mined as much as needed to make electricity less than scarce.
Large constructs that look like wild animals, which are designed to perform tricks. Currently, when there are no upper class members present, this act is tweaked to add some jokes: The two tamers will argue about each other's skill, and each will claim even an animal could replace the other. Enter two Giant Plated Rat which direct the constructs instead. Trapezyrinth
A set of poles and trapezes, connected to large gears. These are constantly moving around in strange rhythms, as trapeze artists fly from trapeze to trapeze without a single pause. The trapezes are powered by a separate steam engine located in the basement, its smoke is released through valves for dramatic visuals. Organestra
Technically not an act, the Spectacles combine violin and flute players with constructs that also play these instruments. Their music is accompanied by an organ, which is powered by the same steam engine that powers the lights and stays perfectly in sync as a result. Gearrows
Archers competing with constructs in who hits most precise, which ends with simultaneous hitting apples off each other's heads. Mirage
A large set of mirrors is moved and rotated, even changing height, as beams of light are sent at them that reflect differently. Smoke and coloured lighting gives birth to dramatic visual effects. An important detail is that despite the constant moving around, no lightbeam ever is reflected directly into the face of any spectators. At the end of the act, a large curtain of beads surrounds the mirrors and is lighted up in complicated patterns.
Current Acts
Acts are tweaked over time, and new versions are introduced every Cold Season. However, the current acts have all been around in some form for over a decade at the least. MechanimalsLarge constructs that look like wild animals, which are designed to perform tricks. Currently, when there are no upper class members present, this act is tweaked to add some jokes: The two tamers will argue about each other's skill, and each will claim even an animal could replace the other. Enter two Giant Plated Rat which direct the constructs instead. Trapezyrinth
A set of poles and trapezes, connected to large gears. These are constantly moving around in strange rhythms, as trapeze artists fly from trapeze to trapeze without a single pause. The trapezes are powered by a separate steam engine located in the basement, its smoke is released through valves for dramatic visuals. Organestra
Technically not an act, the Spectacles combine violin and flute players with constructs that also play these instruments. Their music is accompanied by an organ, which is powered by the same steam engine that powers the lights and stays perfectly in sync as a result. Gearrows
Archers competing with constructs in who hits most precise, which ends with simultaneous hitting apples off each other's heads. Mirage
A large set of mirrors is moved and rotated, even changing height, as beams of light are sent at them that reflect differently. Smoke and coloured lighting gives birth to dramatic visual effects. An important detail is that despite the constant moving around, no lightbeam ever is reflected directly into the face of any spectators. At the end of the act, a large curtain of beads surrounds the mirrors and is lighted up in complicated patterns.
Comments