Last night the Gilnean Tourney of Roses started with a Military Parade, a speech at the Stoneward Prison Yard, (cutely called courtyard by the hostess) and a memorial for the fallen.
Gathering at the eighth bell in Stormglen! We expected military drill and precision which wasn’t quite the case: The event started ten minutes late and when the hostess Violet Griswold asked everyone to line up in pairs of two, it took the assembled longer than we should expect for a parade made of soldiers. Eventually everyone was ready to set off and the procession of forty people, most on horseback, but some as well by foot, headed towards Gilneas City. An impressive sight!
It was a surprise to see, that the speech was held by a foreigner, but Countess Griswold later explained she took over for her husband, a native Gilnean, who was bound to stay at home, flu-ridden. Let’s hope our beloved Queen Tess, on who’s behalf the Griswolds are hosting the tourney, from what their announcement stated, is fine with that development! The speech itself was a praise of the efforts taken to reclaim the city, a tale of the blood spilled, a heroic story of fighters without ammunition, who bashed the enemies’ skulls with cobblestones and fought with bare knuckles, out of love for their homeland.
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The words weren’t to everyone’s taste and so we could hear comments, that painted the parade as a group of tourists and suggested to go somewhere else and do something more valuable for Gilneas. We stayed and followed towards Adelric’s Repose, awaiting the second speech of the night, once again held by the hostess, once again pointing out the brave and honourable men and women, who fought for Gilneas and its reclamation, not only one year ago, but also before.
After this, the audience had the chance to share their stories of remembrance, to tell about loved ones and comrades, stories that touched the heart. Then the hostess asked for a moment of silence - accompanied by some lovely tunes - followed, before candles were lit and finally lanterns brightened the sky as a last greeting, a beautiful sight, not unlike we have seen before a few month ago, when Gilneas remembered their loved ones already. Then the ceremony concluded and the audience slowly returned to their homes and accommodations.
by A Gilnean Raven.