#nocturnia.event

[prodigxlis]

open starter ( 3/3 ) location: courtyard time: first day, towards the end of the night

CIAN STILL REMEMBERS the anticipation and guilt mixing in his gut as he slid from under the covers and onto the carpeted floor. As a child, Cian had been small. The growth that would force him to re-learn a lightness to his step, a grace befitting that of a skilled fighter rather than a clumsy child, had not yet come to pass. He would put all his strength into pushing the thick cloth of the heavy drapes, all of his caution into not tripping or making too much noise as not to get himself caught.

The origin of it escapes him; he must've been the cause, surely. A stray item, hitting the darkened windows and cracking the black glass just enough for a tiny ray of light to shine through. The burn of even looking at it made a chill go down his spine, and yet— its light was enough for him to read by its side. So, carefully, Cian would open a book he had smuggled into his quarters —as if he would've been denied, rather than indulged— and would trace the lines of the petals within the pages, whispering under his breath as he stuttered over the names.

Now, he traced those same petals, velvet-soft and alive rather than faded ink. There was no need for sunlight, not with the glow from the blooms themselves. A warrior's awareness, misused as he kept an ear out for his own indulgence— rustles that could've been the wind as much as something living, muffled under the revelry and hubbub coming from the adjoining grand hall.

The names came easily now, but they were uttered in absolute silence and only within his mind: Bellis, Narcissus, Lycoris…

[aubadement]

𝖜𝖍𝖔: efigenia velwyrn && @springscngs (amarei). 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊: celembron grounds 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓: a few days in

.✦ ݁˖ ⸻ There was little within her that felt inspired to follow suite of others, but Efigenia knew they would only be several steps behind - or tossed into any conspiracy of who burned the great oak - if she were to have them leave Celembron behind. As such, Efigenia stayed, though the lady of Graveholt remained mostly withdrawn to her own structure; more gravewarden than healer, a house with death kissed upon them, so what could she offer to those wounded? Days into House Caldrithen's hospitality, however, cries of the wounded did not cease and for many it became a chilling and recurring nightmare of what many had faced within the scalding flames.

Amarei's spirit was softer than hers, molded by the same dark flame of Graveholt, but frangible enough to wilt under the staggering smoke and ash of the white oak's remnants. This evening, she met her sister outside, through the sprawling golden hue of Celembron's outer gardens, a faint smile on her own pale complexion, " I thought it'd be a nice change for a walk outside . " She motioned for Amarei to walk alongside her; each day which passed that she was able to see her sister's face safely within these walls was another reminder that their lives and own health had been spared the night the great oak burned, which only perplexed Efigenia instead of offering comfort.

[springscngs]

@moonvcils .

"do forgive me, my lord, for my mood has rather soured." she had been nursing her claret for a good while, its velvety sweetness doing little to soften the barb held between her teeth. the lord varyn was not an unwelcome sight, but he was a reminder of the shaky ground she was teetering on. he had asked her for a truce, following their quarrel over lady lenore's involvement in house mirethorn's dealings. amarei could not sharpen her mind, tailor her focus, to matters of their joint future if she did not understand the present. if she was to fumble in the dark, a metaphorical blindfold amarei drew no comfort from. she did not trust without the seal of truth. and for all his courtesy, what he had offered her still rang with the weight of doubt. an ornamented half-truth, was a lie, still. "it does not suffice that we must bleed for the cause. now we are asked to disclose our innermost thoughts. does it not -- irk you? this presumption of intimacy, as if our souls are but trinkets to be displayed upon a silver tray for inspection." her voice had lowered to a mutter, lips reddened with the stain of wine moving so slowly, one might think she was in the business of beguiling. "i'm not much in the spirit of merrymaking. perhaps you'd be better advised to find your dear confidante among the throng, and continue your most lucrative exchange of secrets."

[aubadement]

𝖜𝖍𝖔: taemris morvaen && OPEN [capping at 4] 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊: right outside of celembron 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓: the following morning before the sun rises (so that great white oak probably still burnin')

.✦ ݁˖ ⸻ So often, night was his comfort, embraced by the shadows that he'd trained within; but even night was wrought with staggering brightness as the white oak had burned. Though he had slipped from the flames embrace unharmed, Taemris would not be privy to rest; his skin coated with ash, his own heart conflicted. More suffered great loss to their homes, to the depths of their houses and Taemris felt struck with such chasm of empathy, this separation from what he was meant to be and what was hidden within the frangible stitchwork of this Morvaen assassin.

Most had moved on, trailing behind House Caldrithen to the sanctuary of Celembron, but Taemris had remained outside Celembron's castle, as though such weeping song of the Kal'thera Coven would prompt him to do something. He'd never yearned for the darkness of his home, but suddenly he wished to still be within Helia Bastion, tucked away from the madness of such senseless deaths. When he was given a mark there was often a reason tacked to the name, something which allowed him to strike and kill. But this time, much like the dance of the chosen, blood was spilled seemingly for naught - or perhaps it was a symbol of everything each house would repay for their blindness of the crown. Taemris knew, just as quickly as the thought dashed within his mind, that it was not so simple - and the young Morvaen only dreaded what was to come next.

There was rustling behind him, a straggler of the white oak which still burned prominently in the foreground, hours after it first seemed to ignite, " If you are not wounded, I believe House Caldrithen is seeking any aid one can offer when it comes to those harmed . " Taemris did not turn away from the thick haze of smoke that still billowed from the horizon where the house of Tethalune had been reduced to cinders.

[aubadement]

𝖜𝖍𝖔: taemris morvaen && @celcstine (kaelen). 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊: replier's choice, somewhere private within celembron 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓: first few days after the white oak burned

.✦ ݁˖ ⸻ Taemris had hardly acclimated to the idea of being in unknown lands for an undisclosed stretch of time. There was certainty he could slip away within the darkness whenever he so pleased, back to the embrace of Helia Bastion; but Taemris also understood, that he would simply be trading one brand of enclosure for another. Despite it's cold resonance as home, there had been a strange exhilaration since leaving Helia Bastion without the leash of a contract and a name in red underline. He was not the best representation of a lord, but Taemris managed; clumsily and curious - even if certain things continued to snap him back to the reality of what was unfolding before their very eyes.

He turned at the sound of another, standing tall and offering a bow of greeting as Lord Kaelen seemed to rush down the hall. " Lord Kaelen - does he wake ? " Of course, Taemris pondered of Cian, for he knew that his survival or demise would be a drastic turning point for Kaelen, for Garramoth, for Braxigar. Many would presume the ruling lord of Garramoth would surely turn to stone beside his child's hospital bed; a lord of sorrows, as his son had remained unconscious days after the white oak had crumbled to ash.

[aubadement]

𝖜𝖍𝖔: taemris morvaen && @ashenmyth. 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊: between the shelves of da vast celembron castle library 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓: days to a week after the fire

.✦ ݁˖ ⸻ Taemris found comfort in the quietest of places within Celembron. He drifted in the shadows of each hallway, ruminated far from the ward which had become a hospital for those gravely injured, and took great feats within himself to not simply disappear into thin air back to the darkness of Helia Bastion's embrace. Outsiders were not welcome to his home and there was a sudden comfort in that as he witnessed House Caldrithen be overrun with their own gracious hospitality; it felt suffocating, even for him, and considering the ranks of each noble and house, Taemris barely passed as a lord on a good day.

A brow raised as he realized he was no longer in solitary within the enclosure of dust-ridden books high up within the multi-level library. He almost frowned considering the familiar face as he turned, "Taemris' arms crossed across his chest in his own defensive greeting, " Do you hide from the madness as well, Lord Varik ? " He'd heard whispers of the others heroics but did not lead with this information straight away.

[aubadement]

𝖜𝖍𝖔: taemris morvaen && @prophcsy (beric). 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊: tbd 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓: the night before the ritual

.✦ ݁˖ ⸻ What Taemris knew of the Verathorm house was scant; the necessities of his own house did little to inspire interest in their house and Taemris was never piqued by any self interest to snoop upon other houses in Nocturnia. Everything he'd come to know of each substantial house was out of pure necessity, acts of survival in which House Morvaen had not needed to enact upon House Verathorm anyhow. The moment those of Telathune had come to his chambers, uttered the name of who he was meant to exchange such secrets with however, Taemris did his best within the white oak to ensure he studied well enough what he could of Beric or his house.

That which proved to be... a near impossible task considering Taemris' own social senses and his lack of being a proficient gossip. No matter, the young lord had learned enough of the foundation; that many are not invited within the home of Verathorm without genuine invitation and - this which was most important - that they did not gaze upon the fallen crownwearer's house lightly due to a ferocious feud.

Taemris was unsure if Lord Beric searched for him currently as there was only so much time between now and then of the ritual, but Taemris did not hesitate to locate the other regardless. He could be a blot of flesh amongst the shadows, a creeping suspicion in the foreground; when it seemed Lord Beric was on his way to return to his own chambers then finally did Taemris make contact. " I'm sure this will not be easy - for one of your caliber it must be of pulling teeth, " secrets were never an effortless exchange, but Taemris had a feeling that Lord Beric held his own in even more cloistered regard than many others.

[aubadement]

𝖜𝖍𝖔: efigenia velwyrn && @sitzmarks (theano). 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊: courtyard of the white oak 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓: as many are taking their carriage ride to the ritual for the late evening

.✦ ݁˖ ⸻ The night had simmered down and it seemed the inevitable was soon upon them, the only thing which stood between them and the spilling of such blood being a mere carriage ride further out. Efigenia had walked their sacred gardens and forests the first day she'd arrived, as though the layout of such walking path would grant her some unforeseen advantage towards tonight. Truthfully, she understood it would provide little relief to the unknown as, once darkness was cast as this treacherous shadow above them, what was once familiar could indeed become so strange again.

Candles and moonlight were the only source of light as many shuffled out towards the dozens of carriages that would grant them access to the ritual site; dozens, but still a scant enough amount that it would be some time before all were successfully transported there. Lady Efigenia paused as the sound of a familiar dulcet timbre flooded her ears, turning halfway on her foot to take note of Lady Theano not far behind. She'd not yet delighted in the other's presence this evening and made little hesitation to do so now as the ritual inched closer upon them.

" Lady Theano, I did not know you had come to grace us all with your presence this evening, " there was often this chiding tone etched into her frivolous timbre, but she did indeed enjoy the avarice of the Eluwe house. Their wealth was an opulent showcase of how generations past had been treated, granted things which Efigenia and her Velwyrn status could only dream of within the cinders of their own gravely house. " Tell me, did you venture forth tonight to discuss business or pleasure ? " even if many only ventured forth for the sake of their house, each had a silent goal in mind that went far beyond the expectations of the ritual tonight.