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votivescholarsWelcome 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.))
The Nyströms | Hephaestia | The Archon, Liselotte & Stathis | The Priest | Oraskis - The Seer
Lieselotte or Stathis | Poenia & Sagyne | Harrowheart & Anna | Adia | Felix & Jim | Evening Event | Isidor | Klaus
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.))
✣ · ✣ · ✣ · ✣
The Nyströms | Hephaestia | The Archon, Liselotte & Stathis | The Priest | Oraskis - The Seer
Lieselotte or Stathis | Poenia & Sagyne | Harrowheart & Anna | Adia | Felix & Jim | Evening Event | Isidor | Klaus
no subject
Date: 2017-06-27 05:06 pm (UTC)He lets Arvid go then, but not before an assuring smile.
"Y'know, I did a little research on your country after I met Runa. It looks like a place on my world that I travelled to when I was still alive. And some of your words sound like words in my language. Even some of your gods are known on my world. A few of our Titan Watchers share their names: Odyn, Loken, Thorim, Freya? Are any of them your gods?"
no subject
Date: 2017-06-28 02:02 pm (UTC)Slowly, Carita speaks in her native Swedish. "All of us women have prayed to Freya at one time or another. Odin, too. He's the chief of the gods."
"They all sound familiar," Arvid says in summary, also in Swedish. "Do you worship them too?"
no subject
Date: 2017-06-28 02:47 pm (UTC)He shakes his head at their question. "I don't," he says. "I don't worship any gods or titans or... Anything. I don't think anything out there's really interested in undead followers anyhow." He's increasingly feeling the heat. Maybe bringing up religion was a bad decision in a room full of people who are all chosen by deities? "Most humans where I come from don't worship gods, really. But the Vrykul do? They're a race of giant folks who came before humans, and they still live with those watchers, so it makes more sense for them."
Something about this whole tangent feels off. Maybe it's the subject, maybe it's the setting, or maybe the night is beginning to wear on him. Is religion not a subject for civilized conversation on Earth?... Oh... Oh no... It's not a subject for civilized conversation on his world, either. Time for a quick diversion.
He forces an awkward smile that makes him look intensely queasy. "So what do y'all do? Magic-wise, I mean? Every mage has their special skill, right? Like Viatorus and his dreams?..."
no subject
Date: 2017-06-28 10:41 pm (UTC)"We are not like the Viatorus' family," Ragna says swiftly. Unlike with Isidor's curt corrections, Ragna is quick but her voice is warm and steady. It's certainty that has her answering sharply, not irritation. "Not many are. We are volur, Norse shamans. We share our craft with each other and with our children. The talents we each have do not become the only craft we practice."
"But we do each have talents," Carita continues gently. "Gry has a gift with animals."
"Birds," Gry says. "I have a gift with birds."
"Birds, yes." Carita nods and continues, "You should always heed Ragna's advice. Luna knows when it is the best time to do anything. Runa can make anywhere and anyone feel loved."
Fritjof leans in slightly to add, "And I make people laugh." Beside him, Ragna sighs a long suffering sigh and shakes her head in disapproval. Fritjof only grins when he spots it and turns to Harrowheart again. "She's laughing on the inside."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 03:58 am (UTC)"That's a lot to take in," he admits. "Shamanism ain't for humans where I come from. I had to get past that, and then... I guess it's a lot," he repeats, this time with a self-conscious laugh. "I guess I thought everyone on your world was like Viatorus and Isidor? All the mages, anyway. That you all had patrons and scholars, that everyone had their special power that they were masters of. But y'all're..."
His eyes shift from person to person, lingering especially on Arvid, before he addresses the group as a whole again. "Y'all're real normal? And I hope that don't offend."
A few seconds pass before he thinks it would be best to move on. His lips twitch into a curious little smile and he asks, "Tell me about the bird thing?"
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 12:16 pm (UTC)"I work with birds," Gry says. She stops to shrug and sip her drink before continuing. "Mostly I work with birds of prey. I have a connection with them. I can communicate with them, see through their eyes, invoke their spirit, things like that."
Ragna takes advantage of the slight pause that follows to ask a question of her own. "Who does shamanism in your world?"
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 08:15 pm (UTC)Still in his Serious Harrowheart persona he inclines his head to Ragna and reluctantly admits, "Orcs, who're the enemy of humans, and beastfolk like gnolls and tauren – hyena folk and cow folk. I think if a human on my world communed with the ancestors or natural spirits or carved totems for power or anything like that, they wouldn't feel too much at home around the rest of society."
He raises a finger then and stresses with a smile, "But. That's what I like about Earth. Your rules are all different. It's fun to learn what everyone can do, what everybody thinks. I like that there's a place where humans practice shamanism – and very good humans, too. Sometimes I think I'd like to live here on Earth, but it turns out y'all mostly have the same ideas about the undead as we do at home. Seems like every world does."
Then he puts his gloved hand against his chin and asks, "What's a draugr about? Where do they come from? What do they do, what do they want? Where I come from the word is 'death knight,' and I think the rules are a little different."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 10:27 pm (UTC)It's Hemming who takes on the task of explaining draugr. His voice is deep and steady, and he speaks confidently as he explains. "Draugr are the restless dead. They rise from their tombs and haunt the mounds they were buried in. They are large and heavy and incredibly strong." He gestures to Harrowheart's face. "A draugr stops decaying, and it has magical power. Draugrs can change the weather and turn into animals and beasts. I have never heard of one as calm as you are."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 11:14 pm (UTC)And when Hemming is speaking, he's quiet, thoughtful. The gesture to his face makes him lean back slightly, but he's upright quickly enough as the hand is gone in short order.
"I can turn into a beast," he says, nodding. So it's not part of being a 'draugr,' but they don't need to know that. "A wolf on two legs. I ain't any heavier than I was in life, but I'm stronger for sure. Death knights can rot. But when we regenerate, we always return to exactly as we were when we were raised. We are restless, but that's not what brought us back. I was resurrected by a council of necromancers after my soul was consumed by my runeblade." He shrugs his shoulder to bring attention to the weapon hidden in the scabbard at his back.
He laughs quietly when he admits, "I can't change the weath– Well?" Hmm! "I can make winter storms? But very small ones. My magic is all ice and shadow and necromancy, but some death knights work with blood magic."
Another attempt at a laugh falls flat as he clearly wrestles with his nerves. "It wouldn't be fair of me to say I'm calm or happy. There are... Rules? That I have to obey on my world but don't affect me when I'm off of it. I get to be friendly here and in the in-between world where Runa meets me because the rules don't apply." He hopes. It's yet to be determined how things work on Earth, but the Nyströms don't need to know that, either.
Then he leans in and asks Ragna specifically, "Do you know if the necromancer Harith Nur is here? And if he is, what should I do if he sees me?"
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 11:39 pm (UTC)"Ah, a draugr in all but name!" Fritjof announces with a bright smile and an encouraging laugh.
"But nicer than a draugr," Carita points out to dispel the faint look of worry in her father's face. "And nicer than the title of 'death knight' suggests."
With her sisters distracted by reassuring her father and thinking about elves, Ragna is free to consider Harrowheart's question thoughtfully. "I don't know... But if he concerns you, remember that he may be a necromancer, but he is also a Durant, isn't he? He is bound to rules just like you are. You are both guests here, and the Durants may not be warm people but they take their rules very seriously. From what I see here, the simplest defence against a Durant is another Durant."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-02 12:20 am (UTC)He huddles in close as he listens, as if her words might slip away in the few inches between them, and he looks off into the distance rather than directly at her. All his focus is on absorbing what she's going to say. She is, after all, the expert, is she not?...
When she's said what she's said – and it's both plain and cryptic to him at once – he stands straight again and, though he isn't sure he truly follows, nods. Rules. Rules he understands. "Xenia," he whispers with another little nod. "Remember Xenia. And... If things get bad... Another Durant. Any other Durant. A witness. To keep us both level."
And then, though it's certainly not the right thing to do, he leans in close and whispers into her ear, "Don't tell your father, and don't tell the gods, but where I come from? A necromancer is a very dangerous thing. And where I come from, we get rid of very dangerous things. I think before this night's over I'm gonna be real, real grateful for your advice." Yeah, uh, maybe so much for nice draugr?
He leans away then and stops himself short before he pats her shoulder. These people probably don't want to be touched any more than they have to be. Instead he smiles at everyone present, especially poor Mr. Nyström, and says, "Y'know? Y'all have been real nice folks to me tonight. And you know I just love Runa to bits, really I do. If any of you ever need anything from me? Anything at all? Please tell Runa to tell me, okay? I don't care if it's somethin' silly or somethin' real, real serious. Free of charge and no questions asked, I'm your draugr."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-02 03:53 pm (UTC)"That's very kind of you," Arvid says, happy for the excuse to smile again.
Carita look from her father to the death knight and speaks up for all of them as she says, "Thank you, Harrowheart. I- We are all thankful to see Viatorus' friends have been so warm and welcoming to our little Runa."