WNA ENTRANCE CEREMONY | ADMISSION PROCESS | GRADUATION CEREMONY
WNA CREST | WNA CURRICULUM | WNA SCHOOL CLUBS | WNA DORM KEYS | WNA BROOCHES | SCHOOL HISTORY | ISLE OF PHANTASMAGORIA | THE EIGHT WITCHES | THE KING ON THE BALD MOUNTAIN | WITCH DANCES | WITCH DUEL | THE ENDOR EXPRESS
SCHOOL UNIFORMS | CEREMONY DRESS | FLIGHT UNIFORM | WORK CLOTHES | CHEER UNIFORM
DOMOVOY | FAMILIARS | KIT & JOHANN | SYLPH | MONARCHIA BESTIARY
BROCKEN | THE BALD MOUNTAIN | HEXENALTAR
SAMHAIN NIGHT | OCTOBER BROOM RELAY RACE | NIGHT ON THE BALD MOUNTAIN | SPRING DEBUTANTE BALL | THE GREAT HALLOWEEN HIDE & SEEK HUNT
THE GRIMOIRE OF THE ROSE | THE WINGED GRIMOIRE | THE GRIMOIRE OF THE SHIELD | THE GRIMOIRE OF HARVEST | THE MONARCH GRIMOIRE | THE GRIMOIRE OF THE STARS AND MOON | THE GRIMOIRE OF THE ABYSS | THE NIGHT GRIMOIRE
ROSALIA MORGAINNE | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | WOLFBEAUTY LORE | OVERBLOT | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW
BLANCHE DION | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | ROSEDOLL LORE | OVERBLOT | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW | RABBIT BEASTFOLK LORE
MARCIA PYROEIS | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | OVERBLOT | DEIMA | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW
JUNE HIMALIA | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | HARVESTAPPLE LORE | OVERBLOT | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW | GIGANTES LORE
DIANA ARROW | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | WILDOCTO LORE | OVERBLOT | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW
CASSANDRA DELPHINNE | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | SILVERFEY LORE | OVERBLOT | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW | WISHING FAIRY LORE
AGATHA VOISIN | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE | OVERBLOT | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW | FLASHLIGHT FISH LORE
IOVITA DESPOINA DIES | PROFILE | UNIQUE MAGIC | NAME MEANING | VOICE CLAIM | BIRTHDAY | UNION BIRTHDAY | FAMILY LORE I | FAMILY LORE II | BLACKFLAME LORE | OVERBLOT | LARNA | HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW
IOVITA DESPOINA DIES WITCH DANCE | WITCH DANCE COUTURE
WNA SCHOOL GROUNDS
CAMPUS | ANNEXED BUILDINGS | POST OFFICE
ROSENHEX BUILDING | GRIMMAIRE BUILDING | KRIEGSKALD BUILDING | GALDTREA BUILDING | MONARCHIA BUILDING | ORALUNA BUILDING | ELIKSIA BUILDING | NOCTASIS BUILDING
WNA EVENTS
INTRODUCTION | PART I | PART II | PART III | PART IV | PART V | PART VI | PART VII | PART VIII | PART IX | PART X | PART XI | PART XII | PART XIII | PART XIV | PART XV | PART XVI | PART XVII
message. Happy birthday, dear Jho! I wish you all the best in the world on this special day and wanted to let you know that you are a great person, a wonderful friend and a very talented creator! Hope that your future is full of many wonderful things and great success!
Final word count is 4409, so a bit over the limit, but hopefully enjoyable enough to make up for it! Thank you so much for always supporting me and being my friend, Jho! I really appreciate it enormously and I really hope I did your girl justice with this! 🙏
The sweltering heat of Monarchia reminded her of the Southern Seas. The silence reminded her of her father. It reminded her of his absence.
He’d called again this morning. She heard the phone in the dorm building ring, once, then twice, and on the third, it stopped and was replaced by the voice of a girl who sounded too tired to carry a conversation at that hour. There were hushed voices, then the soft sound of metal hitting metal before a figure emerged outside to wave at the tree she was sitting in. Yoru ignored her. The girl stood out there in the sun for a moment, hand up to her forehead to shield her from the light. All was quiet around them. She didn’t make a sound, and Yoru offered no encouragement either.
Words had become all too difficult and she couldn’t waste them on small matters anymore.
Up in her tree - where the thick foliage offered protection from the sunlight, but where the breeze rarely reached - she’d made herself a nest. Or something of that sort. She wasn’t sure. But there was comfort among the sharp-edged leaves that bit into her skin occasionally, and never left a scar, which she was grateful for. There weren’t many places where she could feel safe anymore.
When the girl left - short, spotted tail swinging back and forth, her ears perk and alert as she sought out one of her dorm mates - Yoru returned to her newest hobby that she picked up when she arrived here at the dorm, feathers in disarray, heart pounding against her ribcage and carrying so much rage that it spilt all over the place, forming little puddles that grew into oceans and split into rivers that threatened to drown them all until Diana told her that if she was to be angry, she must do it in silence. The animals here did not take well to shouting, nor did the domovoy. If she wanted to fall apart she had to do it quietly.
She took to flying in the tree that day, and never descended since. It didn’t feel safe to do so, not when she wasn’t sure what she was feeling or what she ought to be feeling. Besides rage. That had stayed her companion. It didn’t abandon her for a moment, even though she wished it would. Even though she wished it wouldn’t, for then she’d have to face the vastness of the silence that governed Monarchia all by herself.
It seemed so unnatural to her at first - this odd stillness, as if time had simply stopped in its tracks, gathered its skirts, and stood waiting on the floor. For what exactly she wasn’t sure. Perhaps for the same thing, she was waiting for. What rotten luck that was. She didn’t know what she was waiting for after all. So, it seemed that they were to be stuck together like this - her and the silence - until whatever that something was would finally arrive.
It usually did at night.
If the heat was unbearable, then the coldness of the night was intoxicating. She’d never known that air could smell so fresh, that stars could shine so bright - her lungs came alive with every breath she took, her ears taking in the sounds of crickets and birds and all the animals and monsters that awoke when the heavy curtain of night was let to fall, and nobody had to pretend anymore. That’s when everything came alive. That’s when she first heard the shouting and saw the fire and the dancing figures that surrounded it.
They moved in peculiar patterns, and as they danced, it seemed to Yoru that they had become fire themselves - writhing bodies that had no direction, no rhythm, merely moved to the sounds of the crackling fire and the voices that howled and roared until they filled the night with nothing but their lightness. It startled her the first time she saw them, the first time she’d heard the voices rise and fall with such tumultuous cadence - they didn’t sound human, they didn’t sound like animals, they didn’t sound alive, nor dead. They simply were. They lasted until midnight when the flames finally dimmed, and the spirits calmed down, seeking refuge in the wilderness around them for the night.
Then morning would come and the silence would settle itself, heavily, firmly, so when the world was plunged into darkness, she would be startled by the chorus of howls all over again. Each night, it moved like clockwork, and at some point, she simply lost count of the days that passed. They blended and merged into each other until they formed a straight and narrow line, that went on and on for miles until she couldn’t count them anymore. It all became irrelevant.
From her spot up there she could see all this. From up there she could take notice of their activities without having to interact with them - she dreaded the idea of small, meaningless talk that was sure to erupt if she were to. Her mind was a hurricane, howling non-stop, pulling at the threads that kept her together. In the storm barely a sound could be heard that was not the sea raging, so she dreaded more noise, more strife. It made her head ache. The silence was easier, it was inviting, just observing them like this and their ordinary lives was enough to keep her busy, enough to keep her from falling deeper into the storm.
And they did not bother her much anyway. They went about the duties as they always did, looked after the creatures as they always would, and shared their dancing and wilderness each night as she spied them from above. There was the occasional chatter right below her tree, where a gaggle would gather and with detached curiosity inquire if she’d had any meal in the last two days.
Yoru blinked. From the corner of her eye, she saw time pick up its skirts and sprint behind the foliage of greenery hidden in the muted colours that swirled around her. She’d lost track of it once more.
The girls whispered among them, and she could hear them discussing whether they should tell Big Sis about this. Big Sis. That’s what they called her. The shadow that stalked the dorm each day. Each night, she lost herself in the calls of monsters, in the sound of blabbing brooks, in the heat and coldness and silence of this strange place and its strange customs.
Diana did not walk the land. She was the land she walked.
And every so often it came to visit her. Yoru never knew when, but she knew that she would come, showing up underneath her tree, scarred body, scarred face glancing up towards her, the roseness of her eyes an odd sight in this place. It stood out too much for a woman who longed to blend in with the wilderness around. And yet, the thought coming to her rather abruptly, it was said that poisonous plants often had the most peculiar looks. Yoru wondered how true that might have been for Diana.
A shout. The storm raged still, as a voice warned of danger. Perhaps it was a sign.
“Your father called,” Diana said.
Yoru struggled to find any meaning in her tone. There was none. None she could discern at least. Next to Diana, a beast yawned, its lion head unhinging its jaws as the serpent tail hissed, coiled around its waist. Diana reached out to stroke its mane and suddenly it was purring, its massive, scarred body leaning against her. It almost stumbled over, the missing hind leg threw off its balance, and Yoru realized that all the beasts in here were like that. Broken, defective, abnormal - just like her in a sense. Monarchia seemed to collect things, people, creatures like that. She wondered if it was on purpose.
Perhaps that’s why she ended up here.
She wasn’t ignoring Diana. That would have taken too much energy. It would have made her waste whatever was left in her after all this time that she spend up here. Though there wasn’t much left, truth be told. For the most part, things seemed to have calmed down, to have dwindled down to an indescribable shape of inexistence and doubt. There was, of course, anxiety displayed there as well, but that had always been the case with those matters. You didn’t end up the way she had, if you had a place where you could go back to, she assumed.
That Monarchia felt somewhat more bearable was a surprise. But she knew it wouldn’t last long.
The beast let out a yawn, its massive jaw unhinging. Looking down she could see into the depths of its darkness. It was like an abyss had opened before her. She wondered if there were others as well.
“Argus has not eaten human flesh,” Diana explained. The sudden addition made Yoru suspect that she was indeed listening to her conversation with herself. Though it might also have been the sun finally getting to her. Most of the creatures here were used to the scorching sun, Diana once told her when she complained about the heat, so they kept it like this in order to have them be comfortable. “He was rescued from a baiting ring. They only fight dogs in there.”
Yoru blinked. This was not the answer she had expected.
“Dogs?” She looked at the beast again. It came up to Diana’s shoulder, its head towering above her. If it struck with its paw, her head would come clean off. Even if they send in a Mastiff, the thing would be torn to shreds. “Is that even a fair fight?”
“No,” Diana said. “But the purpose isn’t fairness.”
“What is it then?”
“Entertainment,” she said. Something might have flickered in her eyes, but it went by too fast to be able to tell what it was. “They just want to see the blood fly.”
There was a pause. Then Yoru chimed in, “That’s what freaks are for, isn’t it?” To see them suffer and be tormented. There seemed to be an unspoken rule regarding this sort of thing that was only obvious to the few who had experienced it - to be human was a privilege. To be anything but ‘normal’ - whatever that referred to, as she still wasn’t entirely sure how that was decided - was a tragedy and to be here and now was the obvious result to such a course of action.
Monarchia collected freaks.
“No.”
That was all Diana said. Just a simple word and suddenly her throat had closed. She wasn’t admonished. Or at least she didn’t think she was. It was difficult to tell just what sort of meaning there was to take from the words Diana tended to use. That they were so few and sparse did not make things easier. It was like trying to crack a safe, but the combination key was a yo-yo - or something to that effect. She was better with numbers and chemicals rather than words, anyway.
Off in the distance, there was the sound of a hydra roaring - 11 am, just as usual. There were no clocks in this place, for reasons she couldn’t explain, so instead, she began to be accustomed to calculating the passage of time by these odd things that seemed quite insignificant before. The way the shadows fell and curved, the sight of girls rushing past with brooms and gloves, the smell of morning dew - they were all things that happened at regular intervals so she began to keep count. It helped stave off her boredom. There was too much of that now that she came here. She thought she would relish it but it just felt empty.
Yoru thought they would pass the last few moments of this conversation in silence. The beast had begun to growl slightly, its serpent tail uncoiling from its waist and wrapping around Diana’s and from the days she had spent here, she learned that this meant it was hungry. Had her meal been here she would have told it to have it. She never really touched it - just pecked occasionally when the heat was too strong, or the silence too deafening. Descending from her tree had become too foreign at some point so she tried to avoid it mostly. And when she couldn’t, she’d quickly return to her spot. She feared that staying too long on the ground would lead others to believe they could engage in conversation and she was not prepared for that. Speaking to Diana like this right now was taking all her accumulated energy. Doing so every day would have exhausted her. But given the way the girls here behaved she perhaps shouldn’t be so apprehensive.
They were all busy. Darting around and chattering with each other. Like ants in a colony, she figured - if the ants had to look after rodents or anything bigger than them. The beasts occupied most of their time and through force of habit, they seemed to adopt a way of speaking that did not require any sort of partner - even when they spoke to her, the few times that happened, they did it with a sort of detachment that made her realize they weren’t really expecting an answer. Like this morning, when she had been told her father called. It was just a summary of the events said in the same neutral tone that seemed to accompany this dorm. A sort of acceptance that seemed almost unnatural in its expansion and inclusion of all things living and not living.
They treated her as part of the scenery. As if her presence there was not odd or unnatural - just there. Neutral. She hadn’t been used to that before. There was always something or someone to remind her of the inadequacies that make up life.
“Floyd called.”
And there it was. Almost like clockwork. A deafening sound seemed to accompany it. She wasn’t sure whether it was her heart or not.
“So?”
“The more you put it off,” Diana said. “The fewer signs there will be.”
She knew this. She knew that there will be a time when the clock strikes twelve and the pumpkin carriage will disappear altogether in a show of light and glamour, which she can never truly replicate in the way that she wants. There’s still that little spark that just won’t ignite. She knows this because there had been a before - as there often is - which reminded her that memory and benevolence are not tied by any means. Instead, they drift off in a sea of unreachable expectations until they almost converge with one another. Those moments give birth to lapses in judgement of the kind which she cannot endure.
Yoru thinks there must be a way to convey this to Diana without actually letting the gnash in her heart show. Unfortunately, she knows she cannot find it. So instead she squares up her shoulders, feeling her wings tense. “Right. Maybe then it will be quiet.”
Diana should say something now, shouldn’t she? Maybe a protest. Maybe an admonishment. Anything resembling a reaction would be fruitful right now when she felt the need to be seen and heard more acutely than ever before. The fact that she didn’t, made her wonder on who the responsibility should fall. Hopefully, it wasn’t her.
“Is it not quiet?” Diana asked.
Yoru paused for a moment. “I meant peace. There’s never any peace when they’re involved” - and that was true - “It just pisses me off” - and that was less true. The beast let out another yawn, the hand that scratched behind his ear was removed and for the first time he seemed to consider that there was a conversation going on before it. If it was able to understand anything perhaps it’d have an opinion too. That was even more unbearable.
“Too much silence makes invalids restless.”
“Are you saying I’m an invalid?” Yoru asked.
“You are hurting.” Diana shrugged. “And you make yourself out to be what you’re not. That makes the wound deeper.”
“That’s not- Actually, you know what? Fuck off.”
She took everything back. She’d rather Diana keep quiet and let her wallow like this. It wasn’t pleasant, but there came a certain sort of humiliation from being scolded which was much more unbearable.
The beast growled at her - something in her voice, perhaps the barely hidden aggression, must have tipped it off that there might not be such friendly circumstances after all. Its snake tail uncoiled itself and then wrapped around Diana’s waist again, the head resting on her stomach as beady eyes looked up at her. The tension was unnecessary. Besides words, there was little strength in her to throw anything else at Diana. Even thinking was bothersome in those conditions. The sun was already rising up in the sky. Soon the scorching waves would come again and she’d have to take refuge under the shade. It was like this every day. The routine brought some form of comfort, one which she couldn’t truly explain in words alone.
“I’m right,” Diana said, in that way in which she couldn’t really deny. Not because she believed it, but rather the tone was so severe and so final that she might as well have declared that the world was round. Declaring things usually gave you a certain edge and power, which would be difficult to maintain in any other context - it even made truths into lies sometimes. The sort in which you tell people you hate them, except that you don’t, or not really, or maybe just a little bit to save some face. But that morsel would not come out. Only the overwhelming anger.
“I don’t give a shit.”
“He’s your mate.” Yoru bristled. “If you don’t talk to him, then it will go bad. Worse,” Diana added after a minute of silence.
“Fine,” Yoru said after a few moments. “I’ll tell him to go fuck himself too. That’s what you want?”
“If it helps you talk.”
There was a groan - pulled from somewhere far, far down in her lungs that came out with a sort of reluctant shuffling. Her throat was sore. Itchy, almost. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a conversation this long in here. Or the last time when Diana was so insistent.
“What’s it to you if we talk or not?” she asked. “Is he blowing up your phone with messages? Are you that nosy? That desperate to get in other people’s business?”
Deflecting. Yes. Deflecting would be good. She’d have the eyes off her. It’d make it easier to endure. Nobody had to see the mess her mind had become - nobody but her. Diana should take the bait and bite back. If they fought at least that would make sense. It would make her feel secure.
But Diana didn’t. She simply continued to stare right at her and observe. Then, when she was done with that she said, “He’s my little brother.”
If that was an explanation or a threat, she couldn’t tell. It seemed to work as both or either or neither. It was a declaration, like pretty much everything Diana said. Which was no good when deciphering what could be going through her head, at any rate. But it established boundaries. It established order. Yoru wondered if she could learn something like that.
Diana patted the lion head that nuzzled against her own, and when she spoke again it seemed more subdued. “Azul is prideful.”
It stumped Yoru. She was thrown another curveball. “Yeah, figured that out on my own.”
“He doesn’t like admitting to his faults,” she continued.
Yoru snorted. “He just likes throwing tantrums. It’s sad. And kinda funny.”
What followed was a short silence, punctuated by the distant wailing of a basilisk. This was the first time she’d ever heard the sound so close. The beast was massive, gigantic, only the hydra could rival it in strength and size, its body rising from the deeps of the pool they had installed for it, and slinking across the wet ground. Serpentine motions - like the body was nothing but a toy, carrying death in its grip. Except the eyes had been gauged out. It was a long while ago, she was told by a group of second years that have taken to eating under her tree. No, not told, but rather surmised. The girls talked among themselves, as they always did, gleefully exchanging gossip about the dorm’s animal residents, until it became a cacophony of sound. Still, she listened. It was easy information, and the lull that came through their voices had a certain charm to it too. She could almost pretend it was soothing.
It was them who spoke about the basilisk and the poor state it was in. And of other things too - it was almost like a report, each beast had its own burden, and she soon had learned just the ailment for each and every one of them was. Most of it was gruesome. Some of it was perverse. All of it was pretty tragic if she had to admit.
“Yes,” Diana said at last. “It’s cute.”
“That’s not what I said.”
She continued undisturbed. “But it’s something that only Azul does. Something that defines him. And even though I don’t agree with it - I still love him.”
“Good for you,” Yoru spat out with a flinch. That honest declaration felt too genuine, too honest. It was like a glimpse of something she should have never seen. Something too intimate. “But I don’t give a shit about it. And I don’t know why you’re wasting your breath on it either.”
“Understanding comes from concession,” Diana explained. “If you keep him guessing, he’ll take too long to arrive.”
“I don’t want to see him!”
The span of her wings was wide. Against the blazing sun, they cast a strong shadow that enveloped Diana and the beast. Its head was raised once more, the eyes alert and Diana had to wrap an arm under his neck to drag him closer to her. She wouldn’t want a fight, Yoru realized. She didn’t want the creature to be too stressed out. This was not a place for things of that nature.
There was a low rumble, and a hiss - the tail had uncoiled, standing erect, glaring at her - then the beast lounged at the base of the tree, in the shadow cast by the greenery. Diana just continued to stare at her, with half-lidden eyes. The lack of reaction was beginning to irritate her.
“Then what do you want?” Diana asked.
Yoru thought for a moment. “For you to leave me alone already.”
“And after that?”
“For it to stop boiling. The air is dry. Haven’t you heard of rain or something?”
Diana shrugged. “Nature has its own will.”
That sounded like a load of crap. Yoru made sure to let her know that and received another shrug in return. “Also,” she added at last. “Stop fucking telling me when the phone is ringing. I can hear it from here. They don’t have to shout. It’s annoying.”
“They wouldn’t have to do it if you picked it up.” It was another placid reply. Whatever was going through Diana’s brain right now was a complete mystery to her. Though she hoped, deep inside, that it was something frustrating and annoying. Just so she could feel a little bit at peace about it.
“That’s not going to happen.”
Diana blinked, then calmly nodded. “Very well. Then we’ll continue to inform you if any changes happen.”
“I said-”
“It will be two weeks this weekend,” she interjected. “Two weeks since you came here.”
Yoru inhaled. Then slowly exhaled. Her wings extended further, and though she felt a bit out of practice, it did not take her much until she could rise up in the air. The tree, Diana, the beast - they all became little points of reference, no more than ants crawling along the ground. Even up high, the air remained dry, and she moved swiftly to avoid standing there for too long. She’d have to find another tree, which was a shame because she got quite attached to that one. But staying was no longer an option. If she ventured further in, she’d be able to find a spot that was untouched. Whether there’d be beasts or not, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like they could talk, so she wouldn’t be disturbed. And neither would they gossip, or give away her location to any people wandering about.
Diana must have regretted telling her. Or maybe not. Why she even did it was a mystery altogether, and her mind was too hot to function right now. All she knew was that she needed shelter, she needed a place to hide, to wait out the cataclysm that was bound to happen.
She wasn’t running away. That’s what she told herself. She was simply seeking to survive. It’s what this dorm was made for, so maybe she ought to give conformism a try. At least until the weekend was over. Because after that it would be safe once more.
There was a little grove somewhere deeper inside - an old nest inside the trunk of a tree, twice her size, and, luckily, completely empty. It was dry and strangely cool, and as she rested there, she realized she had a perfect view of half of the dorm, along with the entrance. There weren’t many crows here, or in the school as a whole, so her vision had been quite limited. And it felt strange not to know what everybody was up. Luckily, there was entertainment readily available, but still, the gnawing at the bottom of her stomach did not disappear.
But like this - like this, she would be prepared. The weekend was still two days away. There would still be time. And then she’d make sure to hide, because above all, above everything and anything, above the anger and frustration and the deceit that lurked within she knew she wanted to avoid him at all costs.
Because she hated him, she lied. Because it cost too much and that was simply the truth of it all.
Below there was a wail, something akin to the hydra, so Yoru gathered her wings around herself, closed her eyes and waited.
Yoru has sent her thanks for the white day gifts! Thanks @girl-in-the-tower for the WNA template! (shout out to @walpurga-nacht-academy the dopest fuckin' fanschool)
Did you know that there’s an old legend surrounding the town of Brocken? Apparently a long, long time ago a rich girl was waiting for her beloved to return from his exhibition up the mountain. He claimed that there was gold up there, enough to buy the whole town and finally be worthy of her hand. The girl was beside herself with joy at the prospect - ever since they met, she wanted nothing more than to marry her lover and live happily ever after. Finally, it seemed that her wish would come true.
Unfortunately it was merely a dream. Her beloved went up the mountain but never returned. She waited years and years and years for him, but no matter how much she hoped and prayed she never saw him again. Some claim that the mountain took him. Some say that he ran away to marry another. Others even claimed they saw his ghost wandering around on Halloween looking for his way home. However, the truth remains the same - the lovers were never able to be reunited and the would-have-been bride mourned for him all her life. Dressed in black, she wandered the halls without uttering a single word. Until a tragedy befell her - what sort of tragedy? Well, here it starts to get interesting, my dear. For you see - her body was never actually recovered.
Thus, in this year’s edition of Halloween, the eight dorms of Walpurga Nacht Academy would like to invite you on a little hunt! Go forth and as the faithful lover attempt to reunite with the beloved bride and discover just what tragedy has befallen her in your absence! But make sure to make haste and be cautious, for the halls of this mansion are crawling with ferocious imps ready to throw you out once they catch sight of you! And if they do, you can never return back!
Of course, you will not be left helpless, for you will be allowed two useful tools: a bell to drive away the imps once you have caught them and a guide to open the door to the chamber where your beloved lies!
Now, the only question that remains: will you make it there in time?
Stay inside the shadows, all you girls and boys/ Don't you make a noise, or I am going to find you~
RULES
In order to participate, the guests must buy a ticket for the event!
The rules of the event are simple! Participants must scour the old mansion for clues as to where the Lost Bride is hiding while making sure to avoid capture by the students dressed up as the imps. In order to make sure the rules are respected, Nisse Tomte are found through every nook and cranny observing the going-ons. Once they discover that a student was caught by the imps they throw them out of the mansion as they have been compromised.
The game lasts from dusk until midnight when the chime of the clock indicates that the last ones standing have won the game.
You can either win the game by making sure to avoid detection by the imps until midnight, or by finding the chamber of the Lost Bride.
Once a guest has reached the entrance of the chamber they must wait for the Guide (Yuuki Tsukino) to open the door. Forcing the entry open will result in a disqualification!
Magic is forbidden here! Moreover, so are phones as they will be considered akin to cheating. All caught breaking the rules are disqualified immediately.
Once a guest catches an imp, they attach a little bell to their dress! The imps are still allowed to move after, but it will be easier for guests to navigate the manor after as they will be alerted by the sound.
THE LOST BRIDE
None is more pitiful than the bride who wasted away waiting for her beloved to return - but the manner in which she did so is rather mysterious. None are sure how or when it happened, but suddenly one day she was simply gone. And thus several theories have been born -
THE BRIDE OF ROSES
The students of Rosenhex would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance in the rose garden, where among the bushes and greenery you will find your beloved lying in a grave of roses, the thorns and vines covering her entire body as the last proof of love she will ever give.
Now, awaken your bride!
ROSA: My love- I knew you would come for me at last! Even as the years got harder, I never gave up hope. I closed my ears to the vile rumours they spread about you, and to the doubt that blossomed in my heart as well. I knew that only death could keep you apart from me. So, without any other choice, I’ve decided to let myself be swallowed by the earth as well in hopes of reuniting with you also. It seems my prayers have been answered at last.
THE HANGING BRIDE
The students of Grimmaire would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance in the library, where among the shelves and paintings you will be witness to a gruesome sight - the corpse of your beloved strung up by the noose. Dangling in the air, she makes for horrifying scenery as she opens her eyes, and addresses you full of resentment.
Now, awaken your bride!
BLANCHE: To think that you would dare to set foot here again, you scoundrel. Were the years I have wasted on you not enough? Was my sacrifice in vain after all? I waited for you all this time, hoping you would return and at the end of my life, I realized I wasted it all. What a poor and pitiful soul I must have been, chasing after shadows and false promises at last. But no matter what, at least it seems that you have fared no better than I.
THE BURNING BRIDE
The students of Kriegskald would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance forth in the courtyard, where you’ll see the bride strung up on a pyre. When you approach closer, the body bursts into flames and is completely disintegrated by the temperature, yet somehow a voice still calls out to you from the carnage.
Now, awaken your bride!
MARCIA: Love - to think you would return to me after all this time. It’s a pity our meeting couldn’t have happened sooner. You see, after you disappeared rumours started going around that I bewitched you and sent you in search of gold. They claimed I was a temptress set out to destroy the town and the only way to protect themselves was to punish me for my sins. But that I got to see you here in my last moments should surely speak of my innocence, is that not so?
THE IRON BRIDE
The students of Galdtrea would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance forth in the basement, where you’ll find a most peculiar chamber. It is filled to the brim with tools and off contraptions, and in the middle, there’s an old Iron Maiden, that reeks of blood and carnage. As you approach it, a voice calls out to you, filled with fury.
Now, awaken your bride!
JUNE: So yer- So you returned? You dare show your face here after you abandoned me? After you decided to up and- to desert me like the lowly scoundrel that you are?! And what have you returned for? To gloat to me about how wealthy and happy your life has become? You bas- You monster! I will make you rue the day you betrayed my- my love!
THE DEMURE BRIDE
The students of Monarchia would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance forth in the parlour where you’ll find a young woman having tea by the window. She seems frozen in place and mournful, her gaze betrayed the toll the years have had upon her and when she addresses you, she seems almost content. There is no horror that awaits you, you think, until you notice the crib in the corner.
Now, awaken your bride!
DIANA: Love. How odd - I had come to accept my fate of the widow. But now you return. I have waited for you all these years. I had hoped you would come to find me, though I knew that only death could keep you apart. I’m sorry. I wished the three of us could have spent our days together, but in the end…
THE SLEEPING BRIDE
The students of Oraluna would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance forth in the sleeping chamber where you’ll find a young woman resting among the silk and satin. She looks cold to the touch, like a corpse frozen, but when she opens her eyes, you’re shocked to see the light and warmth in them. She smiles at you and reaches for your hands.
Now, awaken your bride!
CASSANDRA: Um, th-thank you for coming back, my lo-lo-lo-lo-love. I-I have waited for ma-many years, for you to return, um. Even when they said I should lo-lo-lose hope, I never faltered… That is, until, they brought ba-ba-back your watch. The one I had gifted to you when we promised we would we-we-we-we-wed… Um!! Upon seeing such proof, I could lie to myself anymore, and from a broken he-he-heart I have fallen into a deep slumber… I’m so-sorry…
THE BRIDE WHO POISONED
The students of Eliksia would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance forth into the kitchen where you’ll find a young woman hunched over a cauldron. There is a foul smell emanating from it and as you glance around you notice all sorts of elixirs and potions are strewn around. And are those bones in the corner? No, surely not.
The students of Noctasis would like to invite you, brave lover, to advance forth into the old family crypt where the cold will freeze your bones and incite you to all manners of horrors. It seems deserted, only perhaps the corpses and skeletons keeping you company, but as you walk deeper in you soon realize it is not so. A woman stands up suddenly and welcomes you warmly, despite the paleness of her visage which makes your blood curdle. What is she doing here among these corpses and old bones?
Now, awaken your bride!
VITA: My heart~ You have at last returned, just as I knew you would. After all, death is nothing but an obstacle for us who love each other so truly. The years have been long and the wait was painful but as you can see - it did not conquer me at all. Just like, I have become eternal~ So, then, my heart, come, let us join together amidst these bones and all this grime. Is that not what you are here for, after all~
OUTFITS
No hunt is truly complete without a nice outfit, and Walpurga Nacht has made sure to provide only the best for its students and guests alike. The dresses of the brides were sewn together by the Nisse Tomte, as were those of the students playing the imps. The material is black to represent the mourning state she was in until her death, and clothes pertaining to her own wardrobe were chosen as examples.
The Brides.
Art provided by the wonderful @anunluckyrabbit!
The Imps.
Art provided by the wonderful @anunluckyrabbit!
The Hunters.
PRIZES
Participating in the hunt isn't just a good way of spending Halloween night doing something exciting with friends, but also to win the chance to visit the grounds of Walpurga Nacht Academy on your own! Those who manage to outlast the imps during the chase will be rewarded with a few magic items chosen at their discretion, but those who find the chamber of the bride will be awarded a tour of Walpurga Nacht's interior including the main campus, its courtyard and the opportunity to chat with one of the Prefects at their own dorm!
Moreover, all profits made from this event will go towards the upkeep of Brocken's landmarks and monuments!
PUPPET: [Upon this blessed day, we bring to you an offering that seeks to satisfy your whims. On behalf of us, servants, we present to you the one which the fates considered worthy: THE GREAT GRIM.]
AGATHA: Great... Grim... Ehehehehehehehehehe...
GRIM: Don't laugh!! What's even so funny about it?!
GRIM: Gyah!! That is seriously not ok!! I'm not a cat!! And you're way too forceful with these squeezes and it feels like my insides are gonna be coming up!! Ugh, I can already taste the tuna...
AGATHA: Ehehehehehehehehe...
PUPPET: [Shall I proceed with the game?]
GRIM: Game?? What game?!
PUPPET: [All guests are required to play a game with the girl that is being celebrated as per instructions. You have been informed of this when you were recruited for the position.]
GRIM: Huh?! I don't remember that, yanno!!
PUPPET: [I shall now proceed to ask a question that Agatha Voisin will answer and which THE GREAT GRIM will be tasked to interpret.]
GRIM: HEY!! DON'T IGNORE ME!!
PUPPET: [A plain white coffee mug of your own design sits ready for the kiln and is staring at you in blank anticipation. You have chosen to use a blue glaze to paint it and now you must decide on the pattern. Which pattern do you paint in blue on the mug?]
GRIM: Ugh, I can tell... There's so many strange potions and elixirs all around that it's making me nervous... I can't feel comfortable in this sort of place at all...
PUPPET: [Congratulations. The interview portion has been completed. Please proceed to the last event of the celebrations. A bottle has already been prepared for you.]
GRIM: Finally!! Hm? That's a bottle of something fizzy... Just my luck!! I've been so thirsty after everything!!
