Tales from the Star

About

Many have heard of the esteemed Masked Rose Costume Institute Benefit Gala, but few have managed to receive one of its coveted invitations. For the first time ever, this year's Co-chairs, Tasya "The Dove" Grushasch and Khannrael "The Doe" Geisswynn, have decided to open the event to the masses so all many dress in their finest splendor and appreciate the art of their peers.
This year's theme is inspired by the collective stories of the Star that binds us all together and the numerous shapes they take throughout history. The focus is primarily enchanted books and illustrated manuscripts but we all know words are not the only way to tell a tale.

OOC

This event is inspired by the The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit Gala, more commonly known as the Met Gala, in which guests walk a red carpet in couture gowns before getting a preview of the Institue's newest art exhibit. This RP event has a similar premis with more of an emphasis on the art gallery aspect. We encourage guests to have their characters explore the ideas of art and storytelling, either on your own or with our resources found in this carrd (or just use it as another fancy party).

Of Shadowed Places

Riqa Wuqa
Hoof's Echo
6th Astral Era, 1563
Acrylic and oil paint on canvas

The dark has long been regarded as a place filled with the unknown. Shadows casted on walls can take on unholy shapes; even with the simplest explanations behind them, all people can see is danger. A shortcut used by trading caravans to ease their journey, shifts into a cavernous pathway fraught with peril after a young shepherd swears he was chased by a minotaur through the winding bends. Nevermind no one has yet to see such a creature—the damage has been done, and with atmosphere within this painting there are fewer still who would brave its expanse.

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Of Life from Stone

Br'uk Tst'ei
Worqor Lar Dor
6th Astral Era, 1560
Watercolors on canvas

So much of life comes from stone—from the soil that cradles the earth and allows it to bloom, to the stone we all walk upon. Since their withdrawal from much of greater Tural, the Yok Huy have a great respect for the progression of life, most especially the memory of individuals once they return to land. In order for such memories to withstand time, many of their artisans and elders carve tall structures from that very same stone, but it is not only the afterlife they honor. High atop of the mountain they call home is a scared meadow carpeting the slope, teeming with blooms of every color. This piece attempts to reflect such a sight, but the vibrancy of life is rarely captured fully with paint.

Along with the Yok Huy, several other Turali cultures have used a variety of storytelling and history preservation methods most would consider artistic, such as pottery. Most notable of these are the vessels, widely regarded as Scared treasures, used to seal the power of Tural vidraals. Typically made in the image of these entities, they bring strength and protection to the wielder while also acting as cautionary tales to the ferocity of nature.

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Of the Deep Blue

Unknown artist
Serpent Shiver
7th Umbral Era, 0003
Conté on masonite

Since the dawn of their origins there has been much speculation of what became of the Navigator’s loyal serpents, Thalos and Perykos, who were the first creatures to fill Eorzea’s empty seas. Perhaps it is this reverential awe of their patron goddess and her children which spawned the rumors surrounding the sun-bleached remains draped across the hills of Upper La Noscea, masterfully painted in this piece. For nothing but legendary twins who once lurked the deep could produce such a specimen.

Ichi Musa
The Heaven's Lake
6th Astral Era, 150X
Ink and colors on paper

There are numerous documented Hingan myths surrounding the beauty of rainbows, most of which behold them as a connection from the Heavens to the mortal land. Scholars have already accounted for Prim Lake’s multitude of colors to be a high concentration of crystals in the soil, but that doesn’t stop the story of the minor goddess who awaits atop the carved out steps from her earthborn lover— should they be brave enough to take the first step across her bridge.

Fusanaka Kaisuri
The Unraveled Bow
7th Astral Era, 001X
Fishprint on paper

The legend of the Prism Lake does not only extend to the basin, for the whole region shares its namesake. Another popular story notes while waiting atop a rainbow stretched across Prism Canyon, the goddess plucked the ray of green and whispered onto it the secrets of life. No doubt eager to share what it knew, it wiggled from her grasp and fell into the lake below where it became an eel; green as jade and as long as a bowstring. Few have been able to find such a creature, and fewer still have heard its secrets.

Wuk Lyis
Shooting Starscale
6th Astral Era, 1571
Fishprint on paper

Worlds apart yet with similar stories, no truer sentiments can be found than in fish glittering under the sea. Folklore describes this particular specimen to be the remnants of a fallen comet come to life; darting across the skies reflected down from above. Although this wavekin, aptly named the Shooting Starscale, can only be found in Tural, there have been several similar accounts in the myths of other nations such as Ala Maigo and Doma.

Magnus cen Titova
Anumulus
6th Astral Era, 1557
Charcoal on paper

A lifetime of gently floating through still waters, glowing softly in the depths, led the ancestors of Garleans to believe the Anumulus was a spirit of the departed, returning to the world of the living. Despite scholars' assurance of their relation to mollusks, several people have expressed seeing these wavekin as a comfort after times of mourning— a reminder that those lost do not fully leave us.

Wuk Lyis
Icuvlo’s Barter
6th Astral Era, 1570
Fishprint on paper

Mythos need not only come from the beauty of the world, sometimes it comes from the dangers as a forewarning. This amphibian bears the name of the fabled Pelu god of wealth, promising those who come across it gilded riches rivaling their wildest dreams. In reality the creature releases a poison causing hallucinations and light sensitivity, bringing to mind the madness in those searching for Tural’s famed golden city.

Kadjaya Shinan
Agama’s Palm
7th Umbral Era, 0002
Charcoal on paper

The Blessed Agama of Thavnair dedicated his life to a land of peace, most notably amongst the warring Arkasodara tribes within his life. Before his death, while in deep reflection, he was said to have left a handprint along the bank of a river. Which would later form a lobster which shared his gentle spirit. Thus his devotees believe it to represent the purgation of evil and an inner peace within oneself.

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Of Myth or Machine

Sixu'a Mhoope
A Giant's remains
7th Astral Era, 000X
Oil paint on canvas

Remnants of the dead are never easily explained, this lone figure rooted in place and reclaimed by the floral is no exception. Ul’dahn legends claims it is the spirit of Lalawefu Sil Tatawef, cursed to forever scour the land for water for his undead kingdom. Denizens of the Shroud believe it to be a Garlean machina prototype, fleeing the might of the Elementals. All protests fall on the deaf ears of scholars, evidence reflecting a Coerthan goobbue a long way from home, but maybe the artist of this work believed all three theories to be true—the subject shifting in appearance from every new angle.

Bloeswys
The Keeper of the Lake
6th Astral Era, 1563
Acrylic paint on canvas

There is no better testament to the battle of myth and machine than the Keeper of the Silvertear Lake; the remnants of an imperial flagship malformed around the corpse of dragconic forebearer, Midgarsormr — a being once believed to witness the birth of the Silvertear Falls through Nymeia’s cries. How an entity so great could be felled by the hands of man is anyone’s guess. Still the horizon of Mor Dhona depicted in this piece echoes that possibility.

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Of Those who Rule

Temujin Gharl
From her Throne
6th Astral Era, unknown year
Ink and color on paper

Reverence is often saved for those who rule, especially those akin to a mother. Illustrated in this work is the statue marking the spot where Nhaama, the Xaela progenitor, is said to have come down from the endless sky to take on a mortal form; an unrivaled beauty with horns as dark as the moonless night. It is still argued whether or not she left the plains in the hands of her children to walk alone or in the arms of her lover— the Sun given flesh. Either way this statues reflects the love that still remains for her, even while sinking into the dust.

Unknown artist
Plentiful hand fan
7th Astral Era, 000X
Gold, silk, wood, dyed Zu feathers and plumage

A staple of Corvosi identity, to the uninformed, are the enchanted carpets held aloft by the magics of the Pari. Known equally for their beauty, as well as their skill, they have been widely depicted in works of the region as notable feathered characters in folklore. This artist has decided not to depict such an entity, but rather an object one may have used. A handfan for comfort on the hottest days, adding a uniquely human quality to an otherwise otherworldly creature.

W’agrafena Saak [on behalf of the Dove's Rest]
Homage to the Unyielding
7th Astral Era, 001X
Gold, steel, turquoise gemstones, memory aspected crystals

Legends speak highly of the swordmasters of the Unyielding Blade, whose secrets were so closely guarded not even the Corvosi royal family they swore fealty to knew of them. Still all their loyalty and prowess could not save them from an unjust end, now only a memory of a rich culture. Inspired by the unique engraving commonplace for swords of this art, this hommage was crafted so than just stories lingered.

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Of Ice and Snow

Unknown artisit
The Lover's Dream
6th Astral Era, 1556
Charcoal on parchment

Depicted in a charcoal etching on parchment barely holding together, a grand icy dragon in the heart of the Holy See, a place seemingly untouchable by the claws of dragonkind. The procurement of said piece was nigh impossible, and the artist remains anonymous, but there is some speculation the charcoal etchings may have been done by Iceheart herself. It asks the question, how beautiful might Ishgard have been, in another time, had love truly conquered all?

Eautert Vehinon
The Nail
6th Astral Era, 1550
Oil paint on canvas

A stalwart reminder of the resilience of the land, the Nail bears not only the scars of a calamity but also religious teachings. Long before the bindings of Dalamud fell, the Holy See preaches Halone threw down a nail from her Heaven of Ice, pinning the Firmament to the land in that very spot. Surviving years of frigid winds, and bloodsoaked clashes, the peak is still a sight to behold as the sun crests over the top.

Gaubitte Havetault
Witch Stone
7th Astral Era, unknown year
Oil paint on canvas

A simple utterance of the name Hengr is enough to bring even the bravest Coerthans to their knees. A faerie tale witch foretold to boil naughty children in her cauldron should they not heed their parents or do their chores. Her reputation has even spread to landmarks, the strange isle depicted in this work dubbed Hengr’s Crucible. Stranger still is its perchance of being home to rabid toco tocos, often portrayed as one of her familiars in some stories.

Elneane Phealuvond
Father Flora
7th Umbral Era, 0002
Conté on masonite

In recent times the Churning Mists is not an area often explored. Rarer are those able to convince the Moogle denizens to act as personal tour guide; somehow the artist of this piece was able to do both. During her time there, the moogles shared their beliefs surrounding this ancient tree, one who may have witnessed a time before man and dragon warred against each other. They believe the tree fathered all the flora of the region, and with a canopy spreading further than its very roots and bough cradling a large crystal, not many would refute such a claim.

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Event Sponsor

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Seasonal events and monthly openings for the social elite of Eorzea and beyond.Check out our primary venue, the Dove's Rest, for more information.