votivescholars | The Engagement Ceremony of Viatorus and Ingirun

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The Engagement Ceremony of Viatorus and Ingirun

Welcome to the world of the Durants...

Guests from the Nexus are met by an Isidor who is still dressed for business when she PINpoints them directly to the venue. She is on a mission and pleasantries are swiftly exchanged so that she can give instructions and explain how the day is going to go. The first thing to hit them is that it's hot, and bright. They are now in France, Isidor tells them, her narrative changes appropriately as she leads them from the small stone building, through immaculate gardens and towards a sprawling palace which she insists is small for what it is. This is the home of Gnonyma Durant, her grandmother. A 17th Century French palace once owned by royalty but was gifted to her family as thanks for 'a service' which Isidor says was so private that even the mage's journal doesn't detail what it was.

The air is dry and still, which makes the cool shade of indoors a pleasant relief. Like the ornate facade, the interior of the building is lined with intricate mouldings; decorated with impressive portraits; painted in bright, colourful shades; and filled with flowers and draping fabric. There is plenty of space, a fact emphasised by tiled floors that amplify each step and word. It looks as though almost every room is being used, from the way all the doors are held open for the steady flow of traffic. They are, however, let through the building and out another door. It's the quickest way to where seats sit lined up to face a gazebo decorated with ribbons and flowers that stands in front of a pond that might as well be a lake. Some people might notice the air above them ripple slightly, which certainly has nothing to do with the perfectly ornate poles at each corner of the seating area.

There are already plenty of people milling about. Servants stride from one place to another, expertly staying out of the way of the guests. There are some men and women who are dressed well for the occasion, but like the servants they stay out of the way and scan the area repeatedly, making no attempts to engage with the guests - security, judging by their earpieces. Members of the Durant family are easy to spot. They move in groups or pairs, often getting headed off by people looking to talk to them. A large majority of them also sport sashes of either red or purple with gold trim and ornate pins that vary from person to person. This, Isidor explains, is how you spot a patron and an accomplished scholar, based on the red or purple respectively. Viatorus is not yet an accomplished scholar, which is why they have no sashes. Members of Runa's family are equally easy to spot for those that know her. They would be the large group of tall, golden haired men and women with the distinctive Swedish accents happily talking to anyone and everyone.

After guiding them to their seats she tells them that the ceremony will be another twenty minutes and takes her leave to go and sort out the other numerous things on her endless list. Nobody bothers them while they wait. Everyone is too busy spotting old friends or making their way to their seats. It's a good time to enjoy the scenery. There is a small collection of musicians with harps, violins and flutes to one side. Even the breeze is smelling sweet with the perfume of the bouquets.

Within fifteen minutes Viatorus appears in a tailored suit of light grey and deep purple. He is closely followed by an older, stocky looking man in a black suit and purple tie, and sporting a red and black sash that is even more ornate than any others. Whatever the man is saying to him Viatorus barely gets more of a wave of recognition in to his friends before he's being guided to the gazebo and kept there. Shortly after he's joined by a young man and two women with tanned skin and black hair dressed in simple, but high quality clothes of purple, draping fabric. They look as serious as the man beside Viatorus. That is about the time Isidor reappears in more appropriate attire. She in turn heralds the appearance of a woman who shares her features, dressed in elegant gold and black, who is accompanied by a man whose black suit and purple tie are considerably more simple than his purple sash. Its intricacy matches that of the red one worn by the man standing next to Viatorus. The mood seems to shift at the appearance of these last two guests, becoming quieter, expectant. The Durants gather together, and Viatorus' fidgeting increases tenfold as they exchange words. The men with the sashes and the woman in gold take their seats, many of the guests follow suit.

The ceremony begins...

The young man in purple walks with his staff to stand at the head of the aisle and asks that everyone takes their seats. Exactly twenty minutes after the Nexus guests were shown their seats, the ceremony begins. The young man introduces himself as the high priest of Despoina and welcomes them to the union of the two families Durant and Nyström. As it is a ceremony to mark the union of two families with two sets of tradition and two sets of gods to honour, this will be a merging of these two cultures. It will be a handfasting ceremony of the Old Ways, he explains. This means that the couple will be as man and wife for a year and a day, and after that time they must choose if they wish to marry or separate. The guests now better informed, the priest stands back under the gazebo where a nervous Viatorus and patient Isidor stand waiting. On cue, the musicians start playing unfamiliar, but pleasant music to introduce the arrival of Ingirun dressed in white and accompanied by a rounded, red cheeked man, and followed by a woman who must certainly be one of her sisters. Once she was beside Viatorus, Ingirun's father sat down and the ceremony began.

The priest talked of uniting the two families, naming the virtues of both, as he got the bride-and-groom-to-be to hold hands which he bound in ribbons. He then took them through their vows before invoking the gods and goddesses to bless the union. The mixture of Greek and Norse deities made for a complicated blessing that might have been compared to seeking the approval of two powerful families. With wishes given, the priest unwrapped their hands and had the betrothed drink from the same cup. All in all it was a short ceremony as ceremonies go. A few more blessings were given and then the couple were prompted to kiss to seal the pact, which a bright red Viatorus did, very timidly. Luckily that only made Runa beam more brightly than she already was.

Dinner was in a large hall with close family at the head of the room and everyone else seated at round tables. Every position was carefully chosen, of course. The inevitable speeches came from the father of the bride (who rambled joyously about how happy he was to see his daughter with such a fine young man) and the mother of the groom (who gently, warmly, welcomed Runa into the family and spoke of how proud she and his father were). Drinks were plentiful, as were the courses. There were six in total with a selection of each: Appetisers, soup, fish, the main course, dessert, and a palate cleanser. No one will be going hungry tonight, that's a certainty.

After dinner it's Isidor who stands to say a few last words. She thanks everyone for coming and instructs them to enjoy the evening and all the festivities which "will go on at least until dawn". With that, guests are bid to go and enjoy the entertainment filling the palace.

And now for the party...

There isn't a single place that isn't being used for the party. The gardens have pleasant music playing in them, chairs and tables laid out with cushions and blankets for people to lounge in. One of the largest halls is set out for dancers and their spectators to enjoy live musicians that will play ballroom music for the first part of the evening and be replaced by a band that plays modern music for the second. There is a small room of bookshelves and leather armchairs where men congregate to sip whiskey. Rooms with couches and chairs have people moving in and out of them joining and starting conversations. The priest tends to three statues of goddesses that stand at the end of one room. Here he collects gifts and offerings for the couple's happy future. A man with a perfect smile enthralls a crowd with stories that are only exciting because of the way he tells them. A demure woman facilitates a conversation between straight backed men with chiseled features and shorter tanned men who look equally as disciplined. Servants are found throughout, bringing drinks and snacks to anyone who asks or so much as looks as if they're considering either.

((Feel free to backtag, threadhop, start threads, look for more NPCs, whatever you like! If you're unsure of something, looking for more details, or want to plot then you know the drill - Send a message my way and we'll chat!

Note about gifts: It will say on your character's invitation that gifts are optional and it is suggested that a gift to the gods/goddesses would be more than suitable instead.))

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Between the chaperones, the constant company, the unique sash and the general aura of importance, the Archon is not difficult to pick out of the crowd. Anything and everything he could possibly want is brought to him, so he has no reason to move from the first room he entered. He stands, listening to people talk and talk and talk to him. Every so often he says something himself and, every single time, his small audience goes silent.

It's locked in this endless conversation that the Archon can be found, should anyone want to meet him.

Of course Ixis Naugus is going to make an immediate beeline for this mysterious patron of the Durant family. He's heard mention of him and the overall impression is the man is a being to be reckoned with. And why should he not make himself known to the most powerful man in the room? And clearly as equals, Naugus tells himself as he slides into a dim shadow.

Travelling through the shadowy pathways across the room, the mobian mage aims for the ones nearest to the Archon. He briefly considers being cheeky and attempting to emerge from a shadow ON the Archon, but decides against it. That'd look gauché, like he's trying too hard to impress. Instead, he selects the slight shade thrown by a nearby pillar and materializes everything from the shoulders up to grin at whoever should spot him first, the Archon himself or anyone in his entourage. He looks like a partial gargoyle leaning out from the actual structure of the pillar.

"Greetings! As Ixis Naugus, sorcerer supreme and master of the elements, it is imperative that I introduce myself to you, sir. I assume I'm not interrupting anything important?" The rest are clearly rabble and hanger-ons, of course.

The sudden appearance of a strange, terrifying figure is met with mixed reactions. The Archon himself seems to do little bar turn his attention from the middle aged man currently talking to him to see the grand entrance. His wife, however, squares her shoulders and frees one hand. To those sensitive to such things, she begins to call upon her power until Naugus introduces himself, whereupon she returns to being the perfect hostess.

There are one or two noises of surprise around the room but the Archon's current company is the least lucky, jumping on the spot and clearly getting a fright. Naugus' dismissal of him doesn't help either. He starts to puff in indignation when Lieselotte touches his elbow and pulls his attention away. "Monsieur Morel, why don't I introduce you to Madame Lewis..."

While he is whisked away the Archon shares a brief, indecipherable look with his wife before returning his attention to the Ixian mage. He breathes deep and slow, giving a respectful pause between the parting of his old company and the greeting of the new. He handshake he offers Naugus is firm, and though his voice is deep and unwavering, he speaks quietly. He does not need to raise his voice, the room always quietens for him after all.

"Ixis Naugus. Welcome to the manor of Gnonyma Durant." Handshakes over, he can return to standing straight backed and proper. "Isidor has told me much about you. I trust your consultations with Viatorus were satisfactory."

Glad to have gained the man's singular audience, the mage slips from the shadows the rest of the way and now stands on his own two feet. Staff switched to claw and then he accepts that handshake. Three firm pumps and a hard grip before releasing him.

"Your boy has been always eager to help when I should require it. I consider him a friend and one with unique insight in a school of magicks I've never cared or thought to delve into. He's an interesting perspective, certainly. Now if we can just get him to grow a backbone, I'm sure he'll be off to great things." Way to drag a guy in front of his own dad.

"And I've heard of you in turn! Though not what you specialize in. Please, do tell, what has earned Patron Durant such great prestige amongst his peers?"

The Archon's grip is similarly strong and curt. That they get over that initial hurdle is a good sign. It surely bodes well then that the Archon's expression doesn't seem to change at all while Naugus talks about Viatorus, not even at the (unintended?) insult.

Only when Naugus asks his question does the Archon lift an eyebrow. It has been an immensely long time since someone asked what work he's known for. What he's up to now, on the other hand, is a favourite topic of conversation for his guests.

"I am the Scholar of Magic Itself, an ineloquent title for a simple, yet fundamental concept." He takes a moment for himself, to pause, to breathe, to choose his words. "Magic is an energy and one which is shaped almost the instant it is cast by modern mages. It has a base form, a pure form, and that is what I work with. To work with it in this way takes little of a mage's energy and is incredibly powerful. The only thing it relies upon is concentration."

Mostly unintended, but probably still too candid for an attempt to talk well of someone to their own dad. Though one could take it as the only flaw Naugus can find; so if Viatorus can overcome it, he's good to go!

The explanation of Archon's abilities has Naugus nodding along, clearly intrigued with such a vocation and ability. "And were you the first to discover magic entirely, or simply the one to perfect the craft? Both are outrageously impressive, of course. To whittle things down to their basest elements always sounds like such a simple task, but so few can achieve it, let alone harness it."

The Archon is used to being praised and complemented, but unlike Naugus, he sees it more often as a prelude to favours being asked than due acknowledgement. So though he answers Naugus' question, he is more concerned with where the other is leading this conversation, if anywhere at all.

"People have practiced magic since civilisation began. I am certain it was around long before that. I was the first to learn how to reliably use its purest form, and to be able to teach it," he explains. He considers the gargoyle-like being for a minute. "I understand that you have made considerable contributions to magic in your own world. You are a scholar, aren't you?"

Naugus' smile only spreads further when asked about his own academic contributions, the expression fit to split his face in half. "I am, or was, the last practitioner of my craft in the world of my birth. The only remnant and archivist of our mastery of the elements. Much like your own applications to the arcane, Ixian magic was to command the basest of elements and eke the rawest of power from them. To learn how each one is linked to the next, to transform one from the other. And from that, the understanding that ALL things are mutable, ALL things are connected, and ALL things are eternal. The worst that will happen is the matter only changes its shape and properties."

Although Naugus' certainty of all things remaining flags just a little somewhere in the back of his mind. Viatorus was the one who confirmed that there wasn't a single trace of Mobius left, after all. Not even a shred of matter, a thread of energy; simply an empty, inert void. He's not thought too hard in some time about the fate of Mobius and this moment is a VERY poor time to do so. So that notion is ignored. Hopefully he'll forget about such distractions by the time he's gone back home.

Thankfully, the monstrous mage didn't miss a beat in the conversation, having only paused to take breath before continuing. "There was also the accomplishment of inventing my own element in due time, coupled with the construction of my very own pocket dimension. I say all of this not to brag, of course! But only to demonstrate the pleasure of finding someone at last on my footing in terms of magical mastery. Refreshing, really."

Next to Naugus' animated features, the Archon looks even more stone faced than usual. Declaring them to be equals doesn't receive so much as a raised eyebrow. There is, however, something that grabs his interest.

"You invented your own element," he repeats. "What element did you invent?"

Rather than ramble an involved and lengthy explanation, Naugus chooses the flashier, simpler route. A flourished reach inside the shadows of his cape to rummage briefly, soon pulling from them a single yellow apple. The mage tosses it upwards, then fires a bolt from his staff, crystallizing the fruit in mid-air. It's caught, then tossed up again, changed back to its original form.

Putting that impressive maw to use, Naugus takes a chomp out of the fruit, demonstrating without a doubt that it's shifted from one to the other. And finally, the now-bitten apple is tossed to the Archon, then zapped once more on its flight towards him. Whether he catches it or not, he will naturally realize either by it dropping loudly or examining it in hand that it's green crystal through and through.

Flashy showmanship better suited for a magician than a wizard, but Ixis Naugus doesn't know the meaning of subdued OR humble. "Any organic matter is viable for transformation," he says after swallowing that mouthful of apple. "Even living beings who will still remain mobile and sentient. Only now unbreakable."

Flair is to be expected here and there in the magical world. Especially around someone as noteable as the Archon. Lightning (as it looks to be) being shot from a staff and an object being tossed at the head of the family is enough to startle pretty much everyone in the room. Yelps and gasps fill the air as everyone shrinks away from the commotion and spin to see the source. (Except for one particularly deaf guest who continues with his story as if uninterrupted.)

The crystal, when thrown to the Archon, bounces off a shield cast by a horrified Stathis who looks from his own outstretched hand to glare at Naugus. The patron braces himself to stand and engage in a blustery reprimand but the Archon lifts the fingers of one hand to halt him. Reluctantly, Stathis sits back down, but he keeps a wary eye on the Ixian mage. Unlike those around him if the Archon minds the display he doesn't show it. Once his brother is calmed, he turns his eye down to the crystallised apple on the floor. Naugus will no doubt recognise air magic as it's used to bring the thing up to a height from which the Archon can pluck it from in front of him.

"Stathis, please tell everyone not to be alarmed," he says quietly. The patron purses his lips, but stands and tends to the other guests. Without missing a beat the Archon inspects the object in his hand carefully and asks, "Is it like diamond or something different? Can it move organically if living beings are changed into it?"

If Naugus is ruffled by the shock and alarm he's caused, he doesn't show it in the least. Rather, he looks smug and pleased with himself. Much like the earlier theatrics, getting a dramatic reaction is just as satisfying.

"Yes, Stathis, DO calm down. Why would I go and attack a man at his own son's wedding? Honestly." His voice is pointedly patronizing, his impish grin driving home the point if the tone doesn't. Naugus doesn't bother to watch or wait for a response from other defensive man, turning his attention fully once more to the Archeon.

"Unique to any other crystal or gemstone, down to the molecular make-up of it. When a living being is transformed, they move just as easily as they would with flesh and bone. Oh, maybe a chip off here and there from serious blows, but shattering it outright is a feat brute strength alone cannot do. Add in the benefits of requiring no sleep, food, water or even breath and the results are QUITE impressive, as I'm sure you agree." Of course everyone agrees that Ixis Naugus is impressive! It's just a fact of life.

The Archon and Stathis share looks but they might as well be communicating psychically. Managing not to say anything to Naugus, Stathis does as he's asked and focuses on the bewildered guests. Slowly they start to shuffle out group by group save for the determined few who are eager to eavesdrop on this frightening newcomer.

While this goes on around them, Naugus has the Archon's full attention. The scholar examines the gem carefully and listens even more closely. "Very impressive," he agrees. He leans in ever so slightly to place the gem back in Naugus' hand. It's as he does this that he speaks, voice so low that with it's husky edge it toes the line with a whisper. "Do not speak to Stathis like that again. He is the Archon's Patron. To insult him is to insult me. I know you would not wish to do that at a man's son's wedding."

He straightens and finally breaks eye contact to sip at his drink.

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