The Curious Circus of the Golden Harp

Born within the Travelling halfling communities living in the suburbs of Altamura, the Golden Harp Circus represents a peculiarity in the panorama of wandering artists and has brought the migrant life to a new level. Their caravan of twenty decorated carriages is a sight to bring joy to the hearts of the citizens of every town and village in western Phaldorya. The green cloth covering the wagons bears the symbol of the Golden Harp to recall the God of poetry and music Aengus.
The circus was founded over seventy years ago and the team of performers has changed several times in its history including acrobats, jugglers, clowns, escape artists, sword swallowers and fire breathers and has gained a significant reputation across the continent.

by Luca Poddighe

A night of wonders for those who want to dream

Currently the evening show lasts about ninety minutes with a fifteen-minute break in the middle. All the most popular attractions are there and a small orchestra accompanies the artists' routines, creating the right atmosphere. The opening act is dancers and fire-breathers followed by a duo of dwarf clowns, who are quite a sight. Then comes Kurgon the Proud, a rare minotaur, for his show of strength, if there are paying volunteers from the audience tug-of-war twenty to one, otherwise bending the bars of a metal cage and finally climbing to the top of the tent to disappear from view of the spectators. The next act is the acrobatic archers on the back of ponies hitting targets and with the last round of shots extinguishing the candles leaving the ring in complete darkness as a prelude to the break.

The second part is a crescendo of wonders beginning with May-leen the Snake Mistress, an exotic dancer and snake charmer, whose show is usually highly acclaimed unless some of her slithering friends make their way to the audience. Next comes Tim, the incredible halfling catapult who intrepidly jumps onto a ballista to be hurled into the void and fall unhurt into the safety net. To launch the evening's clue number, a group of jugglers with balls, clubs and hoops present their interlude, and at the end of their piece the musicians create the appropriate suspense for the star of the show Alyn.

Price list:

• Standing place

• Main stalls

• Loggia

• Feature in the show^*

1 copper
2 coppers
5 coppers
1 silver

^*The management of the Circus is not liable for any damage to things or people

The life in the circus

Circus performers choose an adventurous life full of sacrifices in order to enjoy their freedom. Many of them are young halflings for whom migration is a sort of instinctive vocation, but some of them come from different backgrounds so their choice seems even more important. Kurgon, for example, has found a community that appreciates him wholeheartedly despite his fierce appearance, and he makes a rather unusual couple with the supple May-leen. The dwarf clowns, on the other hand, could never have thought of fulfilling their comic vocation without leaving their community of origin, needless to say they are considered outcasts by the other members of their race. The members of the community are close-knit and supportive, compensating with fellowship for the difficulties of on-the-road life.

The Circus vehicles

The circus caravan is comprised of twenty bow-topped wagons, covered with a emerald green drape showing the Golden Harp symbol. The drape tend to became paler with the exposition to element, hence it is changed on regular base. The original drapes from the wagons of the 2385CM circus are highly sought after by collectors, a nobleman in Altamura boosts a collection of two of the original drapes, four from the second generation in addition to numerous props from various artists. Each wagon is equipped to ensure a basic lifestyle while travelling, there's a bed and the artist's dressing table can be blocked in position and get used as a desk and for daily ablutions. On the back part of the wagon there's a storage for tents, equipment, dishes and cutlery. One of the wagons is used to store and transport the food and firewood.

The star of the show

The young talented halfling Alyn is, at the present, the performer more acclaimed by the audience. She's 26 years old, very slender for a halfling and probably one of the most flexible creatures in western Phaldorya. Her routine involves dancing, rope climbing a long series of trapeze evolutions and a walk on a tightrope eighteen meters high. The last part of her show has always kept viewers in suspense.

by Artbreeder

Motto

A copper to paint the stars in your eyes!

When they come by, I never miss a show by these entertainers. To administer a city like Hörburg can exhaust you, everytime they bring back the child in me!

— Stefan VII, prince of Hörburg