[The Floating Castle Torrent
Jamar Lizarraga
Musicians, artists, improvisational theatre groups, storytellers, acrobats and jugglers, puppeteers, dancers and performers of all sorts come from all over the world to co-create the festival. They actually arrive a couple of weeks earlier, because the festival serves as an ending to a world music camp with workshops and masterclasses. All productions and art installations are then presented at the festival, along with other concerts and performances.
There are normally several performances happening at once at different venues around the castle and even in the nearby villages, around 150 altogether over the course of the whole festival. Although there is an official programme, it is a bit chaotic as everything except the main concerts tends to shift a bit depending on the weather conditions and the punctuality of the performers. There are often extra impromptu things happening at unoccupied spots if people decide to have a jam session, and even the acrobatic/theatrical groups practising or fooling around are a show in itself.
Can you feel it? I hope this gave you a bit of a feel of the Floating castle festival vibes. If you are ever in Slovenia at the right time, I absolutely recommend you visit if you are the least bit interested in ethno music and chill vibes!
Know before you go: Basically anyone with a performative act can apply for the festival, but they all do it at their own costs, as the performers only get food and a camping spot. You can also volunteer and help with the festival organisation, although I personally prefer to pay for my ticket and financially support the whole project. The ticket is about 20 euros per day and there are also some stalls with food and handcrafts, but make sure to bring cash with you. Most of the programme is family friendly and there are also special kids shows during the day.
That sounds like a great time and in such a beautiful setting. Does part of it happen inside the castle? Is the castle open to tourists either during the festival or at other times? What a beautiful spot.
It normally does, inside, in the courtyard etc., but this year it was closed because of corona. You can visit the castle as a tourist, but it has weird opening times. I should add that in the post actually, thanks for reminding me. ?
Assume a high level / epic campaign, and a PC who wanted to create a floating castle or a floating island. Are there any resources in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition that can allow a player character to do this?
It was early Sunday morning when I headed off to Takashima Castle in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture. The roads were very quiet, not many cars passed by as I walked from Kami-Suwa station to the castle. I did see quite a number of foreign tourists around the train station though, whose destination was probably Lake Suwa, increasing in popularity thanks to the popular anime film Kimi no Na wa (Your Name), in which the lake in Iitomori was modeled after Lake Suwa. I had other plans lined up for my day in Suwa, but Lake Suwa was not part of it. Well, another time.
After passing by the somewhat tree-shaded pathway to Takashima Castle, though feeling anxious of the likelihood of falling bird poop (yes, the streets were full of these), I was delighted to see the donjon (main keep) of the castle, which had a brown exterior, something you do not see often in Japanese castles.
Also known as the Floating Castle of Suwa, Takashima Castle was built on an island in Lake Suwa, connected to the shore by a narrow piece of land. The waters of the lake reaches the edge of the castle thus made the castle to appear as if it was floating on the waters of the lake, and thus the nickname.
The honmaru area is now a park, perfect for a stroll while admiring the three-storey donjon from afar. The park is a famous spot among locals during the sakura season which usually blooms around mid-April. The wisteria here is also a sight to behold, blooming in the month of May. Here is a post on Tokyo Bling that shows how pretty the castle park is during the sakura season.
The first and second floor of the donjon exhibits artificats related to Takashima Castle and Suwa Domain, while the third floor features an observation deck to view the surrounding of the castle. It seems you can also see Mt. Fuji on a clear day from here!
Are you referring to the Honmiya / Maemiya? My post on the Suwa Grand Shrine will be up around next month, which will include the access details. Let me know which of the 4 shrines you are referring to, I can give you the low-down on the access options here.
Hi Jann. Yes all four have onbashira. The upper shrines (Maemiya and Honmiya) are accessible via buses, Maemiya from Chino Station and Honmiya from Kami-Suwa Station. I could not find the timetable online, but you could get a copy of the timetables at the tourist information centre near the train stations. I took the Karin bus No 6 from Kami-Suwa (after the castle trip) to Honmiya. From Honmiya, Maemiya is within walking distance (25 mins).
Olga lives again! Once thought to be buried in the collapse of the temple of Andreost, Olga was sustained and revived by the whispering of the Crown of Tesh Naga. The crown, it seems, has its own plans for the notoriously ambitious (if disenfranchised) noble lady. Olga has just paid the Terrible Price.
A young mage whose initial dabblings caused great harm to his hometown, Orrin has struck out on his own search of fortune and knowledge. Perhaps because of his youthful mistakes, Orrin has proved to be pragmatic and cautious in his methods. A harrowing experience in the dread crypt of Skogenby left him wary of those who value power above all else.
Reteri is destined for great things. Boisterous and proud, he always has a tale to tell and a song on his lips. He carries an ornate lute found in a previous excursion and has recruited several porters and hirelings from enemy forces over time. He favors the trident and net, the weapons of his people, which have aided him in capturing and sparing the lives of foes. Two such foes accompany him now as porters: Uddi and Hyron.
Since they are in need of basic supplies (and a town phase for recovery) before heading out again, they decide to pitch in and help with the cleanup to get the necessary market stalls up and running. (I loved this idea in the module, and it worked really well in practice.)
Orrin takes some time to research the Lordrek Forest and create a map, which will be a useful tool on the coming journey. In the library, he meets the scholar Serah and receives her assistance researching Ardmor.
Lagos is contacted by agents within the cult of the Lords of Vengeance. Orzid is a city of many temples, but the Vengeance cult does not operate openly. Instead, they serve at the need of other temples in the city. The cultist of Vengeance tells Lagos:
Lagos decides to visit the Temple of the Burning Lord to investigate further. While there, he prays at the temple and receives the favor of the Burning Lord. (Rolled a 12 on the prayer table, and so gains +1D to matters under the provenance of the Burning Lord, e.g. fire and sunlight. A very good result, as you shall see.) The priests exalt Lagos as a champion and encourage him to do works in the name of the Burning Lord.
Additionally, the party collects Loot for overcoming the Devil Boar (and would also collect loot for the Paladin initiates if there was Loot listed, but there was none.) They collect four rolls on Loot Table 1 because this was a planned encounter.
These goings on are interrupted by the return of the main force of the Swift Wing, as night has fallen. They arrive in camp and confront the newcomers. Lagos steps up and attempts to persuade their leader, Velkethyr, to aid them in reaching the floating castle. Though he resisted at first, the blessing of the Burning Lord aided him in persuading the elven wizard to allow them to join the company. Velkethyr warns that the castle is too dangerous to explore at night.
Still burdened with conditions from the journey and holding a few checks, the party decides to camp the night with the Swift Wing before the ascent in the early morning. Recovery attempts are made, and a few succeed! We decide this is a good point to break for the night, and rewards are handed out.
The single passage leading out from this room is a barred gate that has somehow been pried apart by vines which intrude on the room. The hallway beyond is inlaid with gold, and there is no light. The party lights torches.
In order to hack their way into the chamber, the party attempts to Drive Off the vine wraiths. They succeed in pushing the vines back far enough to enter the chamber proper, but Orrin is injured, and now their return path is cut off. They take notice of a broken lift mechanism and the sky-pier that leads out the far side of the chamber.
The party decides to ascend the vine-covered stairway instead. They stop at the first landing and note that they are in the center of a domed room with paintings depicting an advanced society living among the clouds. There are many stairways leading out of the room, but Reteri quickly notes that the easterly stair leads to a sunlit colonnade heading back in the direction of the Pearl tower. Not one to hesitate, he marches off toward the Pearl Tower, imagining he might be able to gain entrance from the upper levels.
The party bursts through the door hoping to gain the element of surprise. Inside is a parlor area with many benches and furnishings. The windows in this room would be admitting bright light, but scraps of cloth and carpet have been nailed into place, leaving only dim light. There are stairs in a column in the center of the room and on the far side, as well as other exits to the south and east.
They see a human priest wearing the robes of a devotee of the Burning Lord, cringing and holding his arms out warily. He has been forced to don a crude, foolish hat that makes him look ridiculous, and his robe is torn and stained with blood. Then, from behind the furnishings emerge wicked orcs, brandishing pole-arms: Wog, Thog, Krog and Greg. They move to attack the party.
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