[Grand] The Hammer of the Gods

[Aesha]

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The Hammer of the Gods

A huge, towering building stood majestically in the Grand District. The Hammer of the Gods - the dwarven run opera house - was one of the tallest buildings in Daltina, able to be seen for miles around. Made entirely out of marble and white-washed stone, apart from the glorious top of the dome which is capped in mother of pearl, the opera house gleamed in the sunlight as a beacon for anyone around who might have been interested in watching a performance.

Several columns led up to the entrance of the building on both sides, each one larger and more elaborate than the last. A wide set of numerous stairs created a path up to the wide open double doors of the opera house. The first room inside the building consisted of a large open area with one desk at the far end and another, unmanned desk to the side. The desk at the far end had three dwarves sitting behind it, all of them ready to answer any questions that might come up as well as sell tickets to any who ask. The floor of the room is made up of polished, shining marble, and the walls are adorned with several scenic paintings. The ceiling is incredibly high and eventually narrows, ending in a dome complete with engravings of famous opera scenes. The high ceiling makes all of the voices echo and mix together. At the very top of the dome there is a small circle, allowing a beam of light to shine down dramatically onto the center of this room.

Two armed dwarven guards stood at each of the two entrances to the main room. Once tickets have been shown to them, they would stand aside, allowing passage to the performance area. This area is more than five times the size of the original room. The massive open space echoes much more than the front area did, which allows for all of the patrons to hear the opera clearly. There are four tiers of seating—the stalls, the grand tier, the balcony, and the gods. The stalls are closest to the stage, just in front of the orchestra and allow the best view of the actors. The grand tier is just behind and slightly raised up from the orchestra, and this view is only slightly impeded by the heads of those in the orchestra. The balcony allows a clear view, however it is one floor up and so everyone is smaller. Also, here the music is not as clear nor as loud. The gods, also known as the Cheapside Floor, are high enough that the actors are mere spots on the stage, easily covered by an outstretched thumb. The sound is even less clear up here, and often enough patrons can be found hushing one another in an effort to get the full effect of the music.

The stage is broad, spanning from wall to wall, with a polished to perfection wooden surface which allows the actors to move gracefully across the floor without fear of tripping or falling. The set is completely set up with gadgeteering, allowing easy set transfers and even some special effects to enhance the performance. Enchanted lights hang around the room, illuminating every corner until the production starts, at which point the lights dim and only the stage is illuminated. The backstage area is filled with rooms for the cast and crew to relax and work in, along with several rooms used for storing props, costumes, and anything else that might be needed sometime in the future.

Prices

Seat in the stalls - 250 crowns
Seat on the grand tier - 350 crowns
Box on the grand tier - 750 crowns
Seat on the balcony - 200 crowns
Box on the balcony - 500 crowns
Seat in the gods - 50 crowns

NPCs

Dwarven Desk Worker – Gender and age vary. These dwarves are solely concerned with allowing the massive amount of people who enter here daily an easy and accessible system to get through the process of buying tickets. They are fast workers and have knowledge of all of the workings of the opera house.

Dwarven Guard – Gender and age vary. These dwarves will not move from the doors leading to the stage unless they are shown a ticket for every person who passes. They are armed with one weapon each which can either be an axe or a hammer, although they have been instructed not to use their weapons unless a patron becomes violent. They have some knowledge of the workings of the opera house, but they direct all questions to the front desk.

Guldeng – Male, Dwarf, 41 patterns old, owner of the Opera House. Guldeng has a long beard that runs to his knees, often tied in the middle with a gray ribbon that makes him seem very professional. He wears black pants and a black long-sleeve shirt, and he is always friendly and helpful to all patrons that he comes in contact with. Guldeng can be found helping patrons who have problems that cannot be addressed by the desk staff. He is also found backstage, making sure that everything is ready for the performance. He is in charge of the cast and crew, although he trusts his workers and does not force them to run every decision by him.