Opening Ceremonies and Scoreboard

[Captain Tammo]

OPENING CEREMONIES

It has been a long journey and you are tired from the day, but here you are! The gates of Redwall Abbey have been open wide for some time now. Creatures of all kinds filter in through the great opening in a long line that winds all the way around the abbey grounds. All around, abbey dwellers and woodland spectators watch the contestants walk in and give them a wide berth. These beasts are ready for a competition like no other! Summer has come just for the occasion (and, coincidentally, the timing has also left the tropical kingdom of Southsward buried in snow) and the anticipation for the games is high.

As participants march through the abbey grounds in their twisting paths, an otter with a booming voice announces the arrivals by name from the bell tower. You shudder with pride as it sounds your name.

The marching line comes to an end around the abbey pond. Tethered at its center is a raft adorned with wild summer flowers. Lavender, dahlia, zinnia, peony, aster, colza and grand sunflowers -- and even some late roses -- cast an array of bright colors over the scene. The myriad of colors was accompanied with shrubs and decorative stones as well, and it gave the raft the look of a summer garden floating on water. At the center of it all stands a large, unlit torch.

As the last of the participants gather around the pond, the ceremony begins. A series of performers begin to emerge from among the excited crowd. Some are disguised as normal event goers, others reveal themselves in the boughs of nearby trees, or tunnel up from the ground beneath beasts' footpaws. With the performers' abrupt arrivals, many of them begin to play instruments and set the scene for summer.

Flutes sweep through their trilling melodies and dance about like a warm breeze. Then a group of dancing moles, with their maracas, create a sound like the fall of rain. As more and more creatures join in, the flavors of sound start to blend together and become one: pieces of some greater melody. Here a hypnotic buzzing from horns; there a paw-stomping rhythm comes from a sole fiddle player; now an accompaniment of otter drums like thunder on the horizon... Together the instruments combined into the very sounds of a summer day.

Right as the orchestration reaches its apex, a choir of shrews reveal themselves on the raft in the pond - the whole episode looks as if it were a fever dream! Together, the shrews sing a short, catchy phrase and repeat it until everybeast around the abbey joins in:

We are summer, an Extravaganza
Games to last the whole month through,
Stamp your feet and clap your hand-za,
be you mole or vole or mouse or shrew!

The music builds and the onlookers sing along. Before you know it, the great torch at the middle of the raft is lit and you hear the booming voice coming from the bell tower: "Welcome to the Summer Games Extravaganza!"

Guests are now welcome to talk amongst themselves or RP their own act in the opening ceremonies as they see fit. Remember this is in the spirit of summer, lest you northern hemisphere folk forget! To learn more about how to participate in the Extravaganza, check out the how do I participate? page. Have fun, all!

[MathLuk]

Yay! A ceremony!

And a toast! To Mr. Jacques!

[Kade Rivok]

OOC:  Ooo, I'm getting excited!  A toast to Mr. Jacques for bringing all of us together and creating the wonderful world of Redwall!

IC:

Kade stamped his paws to the beat of the music, a huge grin spread across his face.  The otter had never had the chance to visit the grand abbey known as Redwall, but he'd certainly heard tales far and wide telling of it's wondrous nature.  He looked about in excitement, never having seen so many happy creatures in one place, and wondered if anybeast he knew had happened to come as well; he'd traveled here alone after all.  As the shrew choir sang, he noticed a tiny otter babe nearby that didn't quite have the words down and so made up her own.

We want soup sir, an extra bowl sir!
Gimme the bestest hotroot soup!
Stamp me rudder, I'll chop yer paw sir
Better be good ol' shrimp'n hotroot soup!

Kade laughed uproariously as the babes father quickly tried to shush her and teach the child the actual words.  As this was going on, the music seemed to be on an unending crescendo and he could practically feel the energy in the air.  Suddenly a voice boomed out from the bell tower,

"Welcome to the Summer Games Extravaganza!"

Kade whooped and cheered along with the rest, leaping into the air and adding to a cacophony so great that he was sure it could be heard for miles.  This was turning out to be everything he'd heard of and hoped for.  He thought back to when he'd first reached the Abbey and almost laughed at the trepidation that had at first seized him; the tall walls and huge buildings were completely foreign to his eyes.  There was certainly nothing to fear here though; this was a place of happiness and wonders.  There was, however, one thing he'd heard tell of that seemed to be missing: the food!  Creatures spoke of the Abbey feasts as if they were something from a dream, and he couldn't wait to attend one.  He only hoped that he would get the chance before too long.

[Matthias720]

A Toast!

To authors and adventurers! To books and to Brian!

[Sebias of Redwall]

Aye! A toast the man who used his brilliant mind to create a fantasy world that fans still love today!

[shisteer of nothing much]

Etta shook her head in wonder and delight at everything that was going on, chanting with every other beast around the broad grin on her face. She'd heard tell of Redwall Abbey before. The huge sandstone structure was said to be extremely beautiful, with lush gardens and a cryastal clear pond, bountiful orchards and large front lawns. All the wonderful descriptions of the place didn't even scrape the bottom; Words couldn't do the abbey justice. Knowing this, Etta looked forward to trying the food with even more anticipation. Redwall had also been praised on its culinary merits and, since everything else seemed better than the rumours, the food and drink was probably the same.
The Taniwha grinned as she considered the words of the song, obligingly clapping her paws together in time with the music. She wasn't a mole or vole or a mouse or a shrew but she already felt welcomed. Aye, it would be an entertaining month. The booming voice from the belltower sounded again:

"Welcome to the Summer Games Extravaganza!"

Etta cheered along with everybeast else, her attention finally turning to the crowd as she wondered if there were any other beasts here that she would recognise. She knew it had been an open invitation and there were quite a few beasts in her acquaintance that wouldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Redwall Abbey. She wouldn't be surprised if she met more than one of them in the coming festivities.

[One-Eye the wildcat]

Yay! A ceremony!

And a toast! To Mr. Jacques!

*raises glass* To Mr. Jacques!

[Booklover]

Hundreds of creatures of all shapes, sizes and species gathered in Redwall Abbey waiting for the games to begin. Booklover was just one of many in the crowd, waiting excitedly, transfixed by te glories of the largest building she'd seen in her life. Every so often she'd hear stories from travellers about the marvellous sandstone building, able to house hundreds of creatures, and supposedly with the best food in all Mossflower and beyond. None of those rumours had prepared her for this sight, of the red walls that gave the Abbey its name, or the lush green grass of the lawns, with a sparkling pond almost obscured by the laughing otterbabes playing in or near it, or the orchards full of fruit.

She tapped her paw in time with the music, grinning like a mad creature as performers emerged from the crowd, playing a wide variety of instruments. The words of the chant made her grin all the more as she joined the roar of all the many voices - gruff moles, melodic birds, jolly hares, with accents from places near and far. Then, over the cacophony of noise she heard a booming voice, somehow managing to be louder than all the music and chanting, "Welcome to the Summer Games Extravaganza!"

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Ach, juzt vone toazt?! Zree toaztz fer Mr. Brian Jacques!!! Und tae ze major vorld 'e created!!!!!!!!

[Russa Nodrey]

Ten toasts to Brian Jacques! And one more for all those amazing descriptions of food!

[Kreg]

*Grabs a cup of punch*

A Toast to Brian Jacques!

*Scuttles to the wall till I find someone I know*

[Mommui]

Mommui was hesitant, as the crowd forced her forward with them to group around the pond. She had just arrived and already everybeast was cheerful with grins plastered on their faces! She had no idea what was happening, or why. Though Redwall always was celebrating something or other. In light of this, the mousemaid could feel the joy and excitement in the air! The dusty pink of the red sandstone walls of the abbey glowed in the soft sun. The pond glittered with joy. It felt like the very spirit of Redwall was excited!

An otter pushed past her, winking at her as he held a flute to his mouth, as the sounds of instruments began to connect and join. Flutes, maracas, then more and more joined to become one single voice that expressed the deepest joys of the season. Mommui felt a grin rise upon her face, as shrews began singing. She joined in, despite being instantly drowned out by other, louder creatures.

Then a great fire is lit! A mesmerizing voice from above! "Welcome to the Summer Games Extravaganza!"
Oh how welcome she felt indeed! She let herself be led in dance by a hedgehog, a handsome young beast, as every beast started jigging and celebrating! Every beast managed to give the pair a wide girth, it's no fun to be pricked by a hedgehogs spikes afterall. Many of them were spreading out as well, across the lawn as the festivity increased. The mousemaid looked forward to the rest of the day now, recalling tales of Redwalls masterful food and friendly creatures!

OOC: A toast to Brian!!