4737/Hallowed Estate

Hallowed Estate
Date of Scene:	31 October 2016
Location:	Lumiere
Synopsis:	A vision of the past is brought to the present, and Elite party-goers use this opportunity to learn more about the Lumiere of the past.
Cast of Characters:	974, 919, Tomoe, 984, Priscilla

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Carna (974) has posed:
    An endless expanse of smooth black marble after a fall through emptiness for an indeterminable period of time... The initial arrival area that has been the access point to Lumiere from a hole in the ground in the Cavern of Death from its initial Unification, has a small, simple, and yet innately strange addition this day. It is strange, because until now, there has only been the Grim Bone Gate that leads to Lostrata, the native equivalent of a natural Warp Gate, in this otherwise empty and strange space. But now, there is what appears to be a traveling merchant wagon set up, with a masked and hooded figure seated behind a collapsible counter. All around it are barrels, poles, shelves, and other cobbled-together displays with masks of all description resting upon or within them.

    Once one has approached this figure, the merchant within has a simple if not entirely elucidating message for any attendee who is not already dead.

    "Welcome, all. Welcome, all.

    If gala ye seek, then

    Bear a mask, bear a mask

    Or ye shan't get a peek.

    Dead folks, o Dead folks

    Can walk in for free

    But keep in mind, keep in mind

    If ye still breathe:

    Thy mask is more than guise

    It's key and face ye be

    Wear it whole and thou shall control

    The way that others see.

    But be aware, when party's done

    Thou sneaky invitees

    Return thy mask, return thy mask

    Or stay eternally!"

    A mask is then handed to those who need such, picked out specifically for each party-goer. Wearing it seems to have no affect from the wearer's own perspective, or that of other 'outsiders'.

    But from the perspective of those they are soon to meet, they will appear to be a persona associated with their masks or other assumed identities, the magic of the season allowing them to pass convincingly as whomever that may be unless they try very hard to break from that role.

    But that is for them to find in the future. For now, they need only meet the Mask Maker, receive their disguises, and then present their invitations to the empty darkness around them. And from there... Fog will begin to rise, to shroud the area, seemingly from nowhere, with only a path through some unseen environment that might be forest or other foliage, leading eventually to the not-so-distant sound of many, many voices, raised in screams, laughter, and even song. As well, what might be... Explosions of some kind?

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    A large black bat with red inner membranes flies into the Grim Bone Gate. It pauses just inside, and its shape begins to glow and then to grow larger where it hovers in the air. And from that bat, the form of Alucard appears as the glow fades. No sense in hiding his powers here, is there?

    He is dressed all in black, in his fine Victorian suit, and the inner lining of his cape glows red, like a heartbeat. There's something odd about his attire; those who've seen him in the past might notice that the suit is just a bit 'off' somehow. There's a high red collar on his cape. And there is a ring on the second finger of his right hand that bears a dragon signet upon it. The suit that he wears makes him seem darker, more menacing, somehow.

    He approaches the mask salesman (is he happy?) and peers at the individual. "Do I require a mask?" he asks. Maybe not, since not only is he flying his vampire flag pretty high but he's wearing several powerful vampire artifacts. With Mask or not, once he's cleared to go to the ball he heads in the direction of the manor. He's one of those who go via bat, since as soon as he's cleared to go, he goes by Form of Bat. It's much faster.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe had come to the land of the dead on Halloween? This may not be the wisest of calls but here the Iron Lily is as she nears the figure the merchant's message is understood very clearly she has certain rules to follow and even with how her powers work? She knows she couldn't wriggle out of anything. She looks to them for a moment and she will take the mask.

She has no idea what her mask will make her be? Yet she will do her best to roll along with it. It seems though there is a party fully underway already yet? She will take a deep breath and then put on the mask wondering what's going to happen when she does. With Alucard arriving it distracts her for a moment takes the man in.

"It seems I'm not the only curious one tonight."

She takes another deep breath and looks to see if anyone else will be arriving before the living enter the party for the dead.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
This has got to be one of the craziest things that Lin's found herself doing this year. WHY oh why is she joining this... dead man's party?

    Nevertheless, Lin got the invitation. So she's here. Just on the off chance that she might meet someone important that'll end up helping the Lumiere cause!

    But she has to question. WHY did she get an invitation? WHO is this merchant and what connection does he have to the party? It seems too convenient. Too contrived.

    It's enough to worry her dearly.

    But she is here, here to grab her mask and join the party.

    It would probably help if her expression didn't look like a mud-soaked kitten reluctantly beholding a bath though. She's got quite the long and queasy face on display here..

Priscilla has posed:
    As it turns out, Priscilla had actually received an invite. The thing is, super sketchy, spooky invites from super sketchy, spooky people don't tend to make it to royals without being intercepted by well meaning agents. If she's here though, obviously that means the crossbreed got a hold of it eventually, and the whole scenario was just too weird for her to not investigate.

    So, Priscilla isn't exactly super good at being dead. She qualifies as 'not alive' in many respects, but that's not the same as actually dead, nor are her spooky killing powers inherently death powers. The closest she has on her are a lot of souls. That means she needs a mask, and Happy Salesman warnings don't seem to perturb her all that much. Walking away with one chosen for her, most of what she occupies herself with is examining the thing; turning it over in her hands to try and guess what could be behind it.

    Though, the first thing that strikes her is the moon. The sheer scale of Lumiere is always something to assault the senses, having to house everything that has ever existed in the entire history of an entire world, but the way it has been festively done up in such an almost-peppy fashion takes second place in surprise compared to the appearance of celestial light, peculiar as it may be. Seeing the dead celebrate, instead of exploit and feed on each other, is another cause for surprise, but she won't learn anything about it without putting her face on, and marching right up to those gates.

Carna (974) has posed:
    It appears that Arikado does not need a mask, based on the head shake and vague gesturing by the mask merchant in the direction of the newly-appeared fog-shrouded path.

    Following the path for all is a simple matter for those bearing both mask and invitation or simply invitation and qualifications to approach. It is virtually impossible to get lost or stray from the course they must take. But when they eventually exit the deep fog, with its echoes of voices and noise of celebration, and appear on a winding road lined with walls of lit jack-o-lanterns on either side, and huge crowds venturing forth to currently-open iron-wrought gates vaster than canyon walls, and see the enormous Palace of the Crimson King ahead of them, the volume of the celebration may hit almost like a physical force. The fog passed along only echoes, a filtered version of what was waiting for them.

    And what is waiting for them is enormous indeed. A palace that makes a major metropolis look paltry by comparison, more lively than any place on a living world would have any right to be, and yet populated entirely by the Dead... And the internally-glowing Lit for that matter, the native Dead of Lumiere, in incedible numbers... Fireworks are detonating in the sky almost continuously, creating dazzling displays of spiders, pumpkins, skulls, what may be mystic runes of symbols associated with various groups or individuals unlikely to be recognized, and all manner of other things erupt into huge fiery explosions.

    Crowds mill about, party, dance, eat, sing and perform, have mock battles, do more... Intimate things, despite the many people around them... They fill the huge front yard and the palace ground all arounds, seemingly wholly like living people, in appearance and mannerism. The only difference is the total absence of biological life signs, and the material that composes them. Oh, and the sky! The sky that is filled with fireworks! Up there is something that has not been seen in Lumiere in a very, very, very long time, that makes no sense to be there at all. It's the moon. A full moon, seemingly so close as to be in danger of colliding with the world they all stand within.

    The road winds down, and down, and down behind them now, the foggy place they entered still there, but off to the side somewhere, with the path that comes up from somewhere below branching out into many other paths and roads that lead to well-lit towns and villages that canvas an expansive shoreline, with many, many sea-going vessels at rest.

    But compared to the enormous Palace, they are trifling things. And the invitation was to a party at the Palace of the Crimson King. So it seems clear where they are to go next.

    Arikado the bat seems to draw virtually no attention in terms of spectacle, whether because there are already bats in the area or there's just too much else going on. Tomoe, wearing her mask, also seems to be able to pass by the Dead without notice, as does Priscilla, and Karal as well. Whatever they appear as to those outside, it seems not to be attention-worthy... But there are a LOT of people out here, and even passing through the gates is not sufficiently noticeable given the vast crowds and all their clamour and music of many eras.

    It's quite a walk still across the dozens of ballparks in distance between the front gates and the marble stairs leading up to a pair of open doors that look like the inner lining of a coffin on either side, and the 'real' party indoors. Time enough to try to take in at least some of what surrounds them. Though one familiar figure among all the others might be seen waiting near the gates as the guests pass through. It appears Enark, of the Blue Scholars, is here in a cloak and turban-like garment with a feather. When he spots familiar faces among all the many others, the haunted-looking Dead man waves excitedly, trying to yell over the crowd to them. He seems even paler than usual. What's wrong with him?

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Tomoe's statement draws Alucard's gaze to her. His eyes are red this time, not the steely gray they have been. "Indeed. A dance for the dead bears watching." Pause. "Take care." This will be before he heads up the path as a bat, of course. He will arrive at the area that the other guests have been arriving at, and take his human form in the same way as he had done previously, by hovering in the air and returning to it.

    The spectacle is indeed not anything Alucard has seen before. He's pretty damned old... but this even makes him stop and marvel at it. Whenever Castlevania is lit up it tends to be for some nefarious purpose; blood is sure to be shed, lives are sure to be lost, and innocents will be sure to join the ranks of the darkness. But this... this is a legitimate party.

    He is not, however, completely unaware of his surroundings. At some point he will notice Enark making a display. He doesn't know the man by name, and Alucard is probably not one of the 'familiar' faces Enark sees. But Alucard recognizes discomfiture when he sees it. So he all but glides in that direction. The 'gliding' illusion isn't helped by the fact that his cloak is completely draped around him and hiding his feet from view.

    "...What is wrong?" he asks, when he's within speaking distance of Enark.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
The more Lin thinks about it the weirdest this seems.... and the more dangerous. MANY are the stories Creation-born tell themselves about not dining in the halls of the dead lest one join them. She's not sure if what she's become is potent enough to override such things... very much not of a mind to try!

    Which makes all of the festivities - some of which get her blushing and hurriedly looking away - all the more agonizing to see. SO MUCH TEMPTATION! She jitters and shakes frustratedly when her eyes fall upon a table full of food...

    And that moon is BEAUTIFUL, she can't help but gaze up and stare in wonder. It was worth coming here just to see that moon!

    It's a good thing a certain Lunar isn't here. She might hyper-flip out in so many ways.

    When the group finally reaches Enark... Lin tilts her head questioningly at him, but hurries over. "What's the matter?!"

    She hasn't seen the Blue Scholar much, but barely recognizes him...

Tomoe has posed:
A party for the dead? Which is about as lively as any party for the living, is the first real impression Tomoe gets of the party. She has to wonder what she's being seen as but she has no real aidea just yet. She passes the dead without seemingly being noticed. She replies to Alucard as she goes. "It is and I will do so."

She is going to be on her guard and she knows that she has to turn in her masks by a certain time.

She makes note of the appearance of Enark who doesn't look good even for a dead guy which does get her attention she moves towards him calling out.

"Woah what's wrong here? Is there anything we can help with?"

Priscilla has posed:
    Walking. Priscilla is pretty good at that. Extremely loud noise, less so. In fact, she pretty much hates that kind of physical wall of sound, and feels the need to clap her hands over her ears, and keep them there for quite a while going past singing, sparring, and things she would rather pretend to have not seen.

    The holiday of All Hallows' Eve is a little foreign to her. Lordran doesn't particularly celebrate or worship the dead for . . . well, very obvious reasons, and the only Halloween party she'd tried to attend before was Psyber's, where absolutely nothing interesting happened, so the whole thing about bats and spiders and pumpkins is a little lost on her, though she certainly seems to appreciate the sheer amount of effort that must have gone into setting up those islands of jack-o'-lanterns, providing surprisingly pleasant illumination.

    Enark is a welcome sight though, amongst other welcome sights of native Lit, still intact. She finally lets her hands down since she wants to be able to hear him talk, having acclimated to the noise somewhat. Her question is not what is wrong with him. Hers is immediately "What dost thou knoweth of this Crimson King?"

Carna (974) has posed:
    Indeed, the mysterious Crimson King truly went all-out in making this a celebration worthy of the land of the dead. And yet one of its native residents is looking less than comfortable. It could just be the fact that Enark isn't the most social person, and has spent nine billion years alone in a tower with a carnivorous chair, and there are a LOT of people here, but it seems to be more than that. When Karal, Tomoe, Priscilla, and the unrecognized-but-accompanying-the-others-so-probably-friendly Arikado all approach, Enark falls into line alongside them, walking through the gates and starting the long trek across the courtyard towards the palace steps. "Ah, well, you know. Lumiere has not looked like this..." He gestures around at everyone and everything. "...In a very, very long time. I'm not sure where we are, precisely, or WHEN we are. But this is not the present-day Lumiere, of that I am certain. Meaning what we are experiencing must have already happened. And is happening again."

    He seems to be somewhat less forthcoming about the Crimson King, especially given the need to shout over all these other voices to be heard. Once they are actually indoors, after hoofing it up the many steps (or levitating like cheating cheaters), Enark scans the large welcome room with seemingly just as many people inside as outside, though with the addition of stair cases, chandeliers, and skeleton butlers and flesh-golem maids attending to the guests. Distinctly ghostly manifestations pop up to try to frighten party-goers occasionally, but the scares are intended to be in good fun. At this time, in this era, WHENEVER this originally happened, Fear was a rare commodity in Lumiere. After all, without the prospect of dying, concern for one's well-being was of little consequence to the Dead. But Enark manages to try to find SOME kind of room somewhere, leading everyone away from the main party, though the voices continue to echoes down the corridors, and stray guests and explorers of the Palace interior are encountered here or there, until they pop into some sort of bedroom or something with lots of chains hanging from the ceiling and the bed having many... Restraints.

Carna (974) has posed:
    Enark turns away from such, ignoring it, having seen far worse in his life than the tools of human desire. Instead he says very clearly, even with the noise still out in the hallway, "The Crimson King was one of five legendary historical kings of Lumiere who ruled at the same time, AFTER the apocalypse during which the original Lords of Silence abandoned Lumiere and all the souls within. He ruled over the lowest plane of Lumiere, Lostrata. His true identity has been lost to time, along with two others of the Five Kings, but he is most well-known for lapsing into insanity and becoming more like the tales of 'vampires' than anything that ever walked the actual Earth. He tortured the population, and inflicted fear on the citizenry, using his royal guards as a personal army to do to others whatever he willed. He closed off Lostratra's borders to keep the other Kings from interfering in his affairs, and tried very, very hard to discover a way to kill the already-Dead. And all of this was before there was such a thing as Lanterns or Unlit. The Unlit managed what the Crimson King never could, with far greater ease."

    Enark shakes his head, turban feather flopping this way and that. "He was eventually overthrown, destroyed by another of the Five Kings, Solumnus, who was also one of the latest Silent Lords. His throne was cast down into the sewers, and his bloody reign scrubbed out of history except by the records of the Blue Scholars. But it was not as though anyone could forget."

    Enark gestures all around with a whirl of his index finger. "This is the Palace of the Crimson King. Most likely from a point in time before he went mad. And, it seems, everyone who was there at that time has been recreated here. I'm not certain HOW this is happening, but we might be able to find out information we would simply not be able to if we investigate." Enark also tilts his head awkwardly and says, "...And I would somewhat like to enjoy a party. It has been a very long time."

    Then he realizes he doesn't know Arikado, and says, "Ah, my apologies. My name is Enark, of the Blue Scholars. Though I am dressed as 'Carnac the Magnificent." He bows with a flourish, and seemingly 'salutes' with his own party invitation by putting the envelope to his forehead.

Priscilla has posed:
    You know, Priscilla immediately accepts that explanation from Enark. Like without even a moments' hesitation. Time Is Convoluted and all, the concept is far from unusual to her; especially in a land with a timeline as broken up, twisted and disjointed as Lumiere's, where keeping time in the first place has become something of a quaint distraction. It very handily explains the sheer number of Lit here, never mind their good humour and cheerful coexistence, without worry of being devoured, never mind that moon on top of it. Briefly, she wonders what happened to it, if there used to be one here.

    Priscilla's attention catches briefly on the bed, perhaps not fully comprehending the sordid sight judging by her apathetic gaze, and then catches much more significantly at the tale of Lostrata. Specifically, she latches on to one detail in particular. "The sewers? And the lowest plane, thou sayeth? I cannot imagine the two coincide in many significant, separate instances in this worlds. Wouldst this hath anything to do with the Gutter Disgorge, or our attempted entrance into Guillotine Square? I cannot imagine one well connected enough to invite us here couldst be so oblivious to our progress as not to know."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe does not think for a moment the Cirmson King cut any corners on this party and she can see why the dead would need something like this but she wonders who saw her coming? Why? How was that possible before both her world and this world unified? Does that mean something else was at work? She didn't know but she's turning her attention to Enark to see just what the trouble is. "Wait are you saying this is some kind of memory of what's happened here in the past?"

So was this a image of what it was like before this world was broken? Before everything went bad in the worst way possible? She was staring ot think that was the truth of it. The other option was Time travel? Which hurt her head more than anything related to unification or someone even seeing her coming long ago.

"This helps to explain a few things Enark."

She'll take a moment to look over to Karal to see how she's doing and gives her friend a bit of a smile, while she listnes to what Pricilla has to say on everything so far.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
THIS bit of news has Lin's eyes going wide. She knows juuuuust enough of occult knowledge to understand how UNLIKELY what Enark says is to occur! "Are... are we involved in some kind of weird sorcery then? Why would we be invited to a party that can't exist?" She gazes out over the surroundings. Inside or out, the palace is simply dazzling...

    "... if Lumiere used to be like this, it wouldn't have been so bad..."

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Enark's words of this being 'what happened before' get a raise of an eyebrow. Alucard does not know much about this world, so there isn't a whole lot of context for him to place that comment in. However, once Enark begins to walk away, Alucard follows. He isn't bothered by the room they eventually find themselves in. He's seen worse; after all, he was raised in a castle where there was at least one succubus at all times.

    He listens to the tale Enark tells, his eyes narrowing at the mention of vampires. It's kind of an interest of his, so when they go gallvanting around in other worlds, he's probably going to get involved. He doesn't seem much surprised by the possibility of time shenanigans either. His own world has an evil castle in an eclipse, so he can't really judge for 'weird'. He nods. "If that is indeed what has happened here, it may be your only chance to learn more of the Crimson King. Perhaps his identity can be discovered. Perhaps his name holds the power to control him."

    But he also recognizes that other concern, wanting to enjoy the party. He smirks, ever so slightly. "Even the dead require distraction," he notes. "Perhaps especially the dead, for they usually have no limit on the years they must spend upon the earth." His experience with the rest of this world has been limited, so Priscilla's words of other progress in the word don't really register much in the way of recognition. He can draw meaning from context, but that's about it.

    Tomoe's question gets a tilt of his head. "Either a memory or a rip in time," he offers. "Perhaps that is why the need to return the masks promptly. Perhaps whatever magic that makes this party accessible will end, leaving any who linger trapped either in the past, or within a memory. Or perhaps those who linger would cease to be."

    Yeah NOT HELPING, ALUCARD!

    He regards Lin with an unreadable expression for a moment. "Perhaps. But decadence begets debauchery beyond measure, and debauchery beyond measure begets madness. Do not let yourself be taken in by the opulence."

Carna (974) has posed:
    "Hmm? Yes. The lowest plane. Barrowville and Villa de Plaguen are both part of Lostrata. The Crimson King ruled over both, though the latter was more for the 'ruling class' sorts. Officials, aristocrats, people who had authority, regardless of who they originally were in life. It's as they said among the Living, after all. 'You can't take it with you.' Whatever they had in life became much less relevant than what they could offer to stabilizing Lumiere. The sewers are in Barrowville, underground. I did not exactly make a habit of studying those underground paths, but it is possible that the dumping of his thrown therein and any exploration efforts may be connected. Or that there was no connection and now there is one. I have heard that you all killed a concept or something?"

    There is much to consider, including the concerns Arikado raised. "In any case, you should turn in your masks if conditions were placed upon their usage. For the time being, it appears that we will find out more through 'mingling' than by hiding out in here." The Scholar then ducks his head out into the hall, looks up and down to see if anyone has been watching them, and finds himself face to face with a Shadow when he looks to his right. Enark jumps a bit and hisses, "Damn you, Crow! I told you that you weren't coming--" but he quickly realizes his mistake. The 2-D silhouette that has somehow risen up off the wall into 3-D space is... Not Crow. Its silhouette is wrong. Its face blank and mouthless. It chitters at Enark and then slides up onto the ceiling before darting and flowing above them and out of sight around a corner.

    Enark tugs at his collar and says, "...Mingling. Yes."

    Then he leads the way back to the party as best he can, though he was just trying to find the quietest place for a conversation before, and doesn't have a solid grasp of the ridiculously large Palace's lay-out. Eventually, people should be able to locate one of many grand ball rooms, however, and the many costumed and masked Dead folk celebrating within.

    A skeletal figure announces the arrivals as they enter, though it doesn't appear anyone is listening. "Now entering the Throne Room: Lady Carwein of Ashron, court of King Solumnus; Lord Alucard, of the Moon Palace; Dragon Knight Adair, of the Henge Plains; Mai Shironome, Disciple of Constance Lorethal, of the court of King Solumnus; and Enark, of the Blue Scholars."

    The introductions seem to be that Priscilla is 'Lady Carwein', Arikado is 'Alucard', Tomoe is 'Adair', and Karal is 'Mai Shironome'. Enark... Doesn't even get an alias. What he gets for showing up as himself, it seems.

    Some heads are turned by the titles attached to the names, in particular a creepy-looking bunch of aristocratic nobles or some such, in large gowns and sleek suits, and opera masks.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Lin ends up making a rather embarassed, blushy face, though as it's also partially a sheepish grin it's hard to say what that means. Probably just agreeing a little with what Arikado mentioned...

    But for now, as much as she wants to talk... wiser heads are doing that, so she keeps her trap shut.

    And, when announced, glances towards the skeletal announcer...

    ... And then around the room.

    ... Who really cares who's coming?

    Also, who is Mai Shironome and Constance Lorethal?

    Nevertheless, Lin's gait shifts slightly. Ever so slightly. Just a hint more measured and dignified now that she's in such a social setting...

    She ends up gazing back at the nobles and wondering just what they see or expect of her...

Priscilla has posed:
    Priscilla seems mildly pleased that they are at least being introduced as nobility; considering at least two people who frequent here she knows are, and the third she has only just met apparently is as well. Tomoe and Karal can sample the lofty heights of being someone unimportantly important for one night.

    Granted, Priscilla herself is not exactly a social butterfly, but she's had time enough to break in the aura of authority and get used to the looks and treatment that come with it. She wonders, in part, what she looks like to everyone else, but has confidence her disguise anything isn't significantly loftier than her real state, if much more human and also much more dead. Distaste for socialites aside, she has little trouble mustering confidence enough to head into the party floor.

    Not about to wade into it alone though, given the nature of the party, she gestures Alucard to follow alongside her. She knows next to nothing about him, but it's likely the other way around too, and he is currently the only man among their number. Best to at least pretend to be acquainted. She'll want him around before she approaches the aristocrats; recognizable as such regardless of time period. "I beg thine pardon, but it is difficult to tell more oft than not whom is whom with such an abundance of masks, and I fear we hath arrived late enough to miss introductions. Knoweth I any of thee?"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe was not expecting the sort of intro Adair the Dragon Knight of Adair? That is not what she was expecing but whe's going to try to play the part as her stance shift to something more befitting someone of higher social status than she actually was born to.

"A night of wine, women and song? Would be most enjoyable after what I have experienced as of late."

She's going to roll with the concept right? So Adair is now moving out to meet and greet with the other party goers, Priscilla is right? She's going to get a chance to experience something she's very much not used to normally.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard nods to Enark's observations about mingling to learn more. "Perhaps you are right. It is possible that someone here will know more," he agrees. He must leave the rest of what was said, regarding the people and places mentioned, unresponded to, as he does not know these things yet. If one things he's good at though, it's at pretending he knows what's going on.

    And so he draws himself up straighter as he is introduced. 'Moon Palace' gets a bit of a smirk, though he hides it well. Appropriate.

    And he is not unaware of the scrutiny he's getting from that group of nobles over there, either. However, he pretends to be. He looks everywhere but at them. In fact he even gives a cursory glance in their direction. But he plays the part of being oblivious.

    And he turns to Lin when he sees her looking in the direction of the nobles. For her ears only, he says quietly, "...Careful. Treat them as creatures who think they are stalking you. No need to raise their hackles this soon in the game..."

    Or perhaps there is, since Priscilla seems determined to approach the group. But it would look odd for him to do otherwise. Thus he makes to move alongside Priscilla as she approaches the nobles. He greets the nobles with a polite bow of his head and the typical ghost of a smile (HA!) that one sees nobility with at these events.

Carna (974) has posed:
    Karal may be focused on the nobles, but it seems she, or rather 'Mai Shironome', is the center of a very different sort of attention. While there are many dead people all around, looking more or less alive, most of them have been adults. Infact... Aside from some malnourished civilian Lanterns back in the 'present', the presence of children in Lumiere has been noticeably devoid of younger generations. And it's not like history has been absent of young deaths...

    And yet here, now, Karal has a number of children surrounding her, many of them oddly bandaged beneath or overtop their costumes. Some seem to be missing parts of their bodies, even though all the other dead people around here seem wholly intact regardless of how they might have died.

    They are shy at first as they gather around Karal, but then one of them, a youth with dark skin and white hair, and bandages strapped under his lower jaw, steps forward. "You're a disciple of Lady Constance?" He looks Karal up and down, whatever he's seeing apparently meeting his standards as he grins and says, "That's amazing! You're a follower of the greatest hero in Lumiere... My name is Rasiel, but you can call me Resaran! If you ever need anything from me and my band of knights, let me know! We're hoping to one day join the Royal Guard, but if Lady Constance or any of her students needs information or a strong sword arm, we'll have you covered!"

    A girl of similar skin tone to Resaran, seemingly missing her left eye judging by the bandages over it, steps forward when the 'leader' of the 'knights' does, and opens up almost immediately. "Is Lady Constance really as amazing as the stories say?--Oh, I apologize for my rudeness." She cursties. "I'm Lacey, but my name among the Gargoyle Knights is Lasyra! Pleased to meet you!"

    Those names may be... Familiar. Especially 'Gargoyle Knights'.

Carna (974) has posed:
    As Priscilla and Arikado approach the nobles, on the other hand, they get a very different reception. An opera-masked woman flutters a fan in front of her face and says, "Lady Carwein and Lord Alucard... How very interesting. Side by side, no less. I wonder if perhaps we should be expecting an... 'Alliance' between the Moon Palace and the court of King Solumnus in the near future." She snaps her fan shut and says, "Duchess Ephebelt, of the Crimson Court. How DO you do?"

    The other nobles offer their own introductions. Lots of names. Major Domo Alweiss, General Faustus, Baron Jonathan Stone, etc. etc. etc. Lots of people who think they're very important. None of them names that have come up before, but not everything has to be prophecized right?

    General Faustus, a stodgy looking man, facially sort of like a cross between an Englishman and an English bulldog, has been looking around airily but jumps slightly as a phantasmal green cloud appears next to him and screeches in his ear before fading away. "I SAY! That is becoming quite tedious!"

    One of the various ladies present says, "Oh, pish. It is so rare to get a thrill like this here. Enjoy it while it lasts, I say."

    Ephebelt fans her face and says, "Oh, but I have heard tales of more than just brief frights as have burdened our dear General. You've noticed them, have you not?" She gestures at a distant wall behind her, and more Shadows visible on the wall, seemingly watching everyone below. "Those nasty creatures are apparently infesting the palace."

    "Dreadful!" Baron Stone says in agreement. "Why has the King not had the Blue Scholars remove them? What are those ivory tower librarians even good for?"

    The Duchess lets her fan hang loosely as her wrist falls limp. "Oh, do not disaprage ALL of the Blue Scholars. I am certain that the court of King Solumnus and the Eclipse Sages are vastly more qualified than SOME I could name, but the Court Wizard of his Crimson Highness has been working on some large project, I am told... Something to link the planes and allow rapid passage from here all the way to Ashron. Though, and this is just a rumor, these Shadows showed up at the same time..."

    The Major Domo looks towards Arikado and says with a slightly condescending smirk, "Well, Lord Alucard, wouldn't that be convenient for you and Lady Carwein? Instant transportation to and fro... You could visit each other whenever you like!"

    The Duchess snaps her fan in the Major Domo's face, making the man jump back, but while he bristles initially, something about the Duchess's unseen face apparently cows him. "Mind your tongue when speaking to your betters. An envoy from the King of the Blackened Crown are no mere messengers, and we have rarely been graced with the presence of those of the Lunar Court. The time when his majesty will be joining us draws near, so control your mouth before then."

Carna (974) has posed:
    It appears the Elites have scarcely even needed to ask questions, with all sorts of information being readily volunteered thus far. But out of all the surreal encounters so far, Tomoe's may be the most surreal of all. For as the Dragon Knight makes her way across the Throne Room, and closer to one of the tables bearing food and drink, she sees Enark standing there perusing the treats, Halloween-themed or otherwise, quite pleased with the selection, though perhaps not so much all the people around him. At least his pallor has improved somewhat. Though when did he get a theater mask? And change his outfit to a set of blue robes?

    ...If 'Adair' looks back towards the entrance to the Throne Room, she would see that despite all the people in here, Enark is still clearly standing by the entrance awkwardly, in his Carnac costume. Even though he's apparently standing right there in front of Tomoe, mere feet away.

    ...This is going to get confusing very quickly.

    Then there is a great clamour that turns into more subdued mutterings. It seems someone of great importance has arrived. Is it the Crimson King? No, it's... A woman, at the entrance, near Enark. A very tall woman, with long, flowing hair, in form-fitting but practical armor. She has a sword in a scabbard despite no one other than guards having been seen with weapons thus far, and a very distinctive tiara with a glowing jewel at the center.

    She radiates a physical and supernatural aura of nobility, heroism, and a courageous spirit. The embodiment of a true hero. And one that those who fought the Wall of Cruel Customs can not help but recognize. Here, in full, radiating Light in a way that the other Lit can not hope to ever match, is a Champion of legend. The merest fragment of her essence, in the hands of the Unlit Concept of Borders, was able to refuse its commands almost utterly despite having no consciousness or independent thought to speak of.

    And here she is now.

    The skeleton at the door announces, "Newly arrived at the Throne Room: Lady Constance Lorethal, of the court of King Solumnus."

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Constance Lorethal.

    Lin's looking around with a mixture of concern and a smile at the kids, not sure what to make of this. Why here and now but nowhere else? Why the bandages?

    The name though, the name has her focused immediately and sharply. That was the name she just heard. Her supposed master? "Yes, and I still have much to learn. So, Mai Shironome can count on all of you? Keep up the good work, Resaran, Lasyra! That's the spirit we need!" The words just flow naturally from her, full of zeal and the warm radiance of a distant sun that has not fallen once. Lin turns at about the same instant that the announcement begins, seemingly drawn by some strange, uncanny means. Somehow, she just KNEW someone Important was coming. Someone who couldn't be ignored.

    The name is announced. THAT is the woman she's supposed to be a disciple of! Up unti now, Lin's been quite confused. Who was she supposed to be here, how was she supposed to act?

    Turns out, remaining quiet, observing, and waiting might've been the right choice by sheer luck. 'Mai' shows a momentary warmth to her expression, steps forward and offers a bow of student to master. Even if she wasn't playing this part, she might have done something similar.

    With that woman it almost seems like the natural thing to do!

    "Noble teacher! I hope you are enjoying the evening!" Lin calls out rather genuinely in a clear, earnestly respectful tone.

    Looking just a little awed herself, she asides a tad playfully to Lacey, "Well. You can see for yourself..."

Tomoe has posed:
It's one big party and it feels very strange to be a notable guest too. She's paying attention to the chatter as if this is the past? Or a vision there of? It might help to figure out the fate of current day. She heads for the food she'll try a bit hopefully nothing will happen to her from that and she pauses string between the two for half a second. Past Enark and current Enark? The Celtic Knight seems to be getting a bit of a headache but she's getting things a bit better now she halts like everyone else. Then enters Lady Constance Lorethal. The food seems to be quite good.

The Dragon knight strides from the food table finishing what food she can Adair will go forth to meet the legendary hero along side 'Karal'

"Hail and well met Lady Lorethal to what do we owe the honor this evening of your company? I am Dragon Knight Adair, of the Henge Plains and it's an honor to meet you."

She now bows slightly at the newly arrived guest.

Priscilla has posed:
    Priscilla has to think fast to process all of this context. Though the abilities of the mask is doing all the heavy lifting for her, as it seems, keeping her facts straight is both important to further questioning, and to retain this information as useful before returning to the reality of the presence. The names are largely irrelevant, as far as she's concerned; likely to be forgotten within hours. Many other facts line up however.

    The Tower of Escher being the Scholars' library is a known quantity already, as is the forged painting of Tharmas not being of this time period. If this area truly is where Guillotine Square and its super-circles belong to however, the infestation of Shadows is only the beginning. This is their origin, their territory, and later, where they will be hunted and captured. The transit mechanism may be the Plagueway, or the horror show of a subway, or perhaps even the Shrines of Light, if not yet present, but it's good to keep the possibility of another, more useful transit method in mind. Solumnus is the one who will later bury this place, and so an obvious name to follow for further leads. Again, Priscilla finds herself wondering what exactly is at the top of that tower.

    Much less complex is her outward demeanour. She does her best to affect an air of mild annoyance at Alweiss (fairly easy) and indifference at his station (also easy) juxtaposed with unspoken approval for the idea (much more difficult). "Be at ease, Duchess Ephebelt. Of all nights, I can alloweth for such trifling indiscretions to pass upon this one. As much so, I wouldst wish to keep the business of the Court free of the night's festivities; at least not before the prospect of proper drinks hath made it more attractive." That's a big fat lie right there. Priscilla hates alcohol and she sucks at holding hers. It's just an easy way to blow off a complicated subject as 'Not tonight, I'm here to relax'. Good thing the mask is handling the accent.

    "The rumours wouldst appear to be substantiated, at the least. Though news of transit progresses well, there art undeniably concerns as to the creatures. Rest assured, the matter is being looked into, though harmless they ostensibly appeareth for the moment. Containing a shadow is, as thou may surely imagine, somewhat complicated. Do please give the Blue Scholars their credit however. It is, after all, difficult to convey business from such a remote place, yes?"

    It'd be a lie to say her eye isn't on the door when it opens. Priscilla vividly remembers that night battling the cruel wall. Of course, she can't just break from her conversations and rush over. She figures the others will have that covered for her anyways.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard greets Duchess Ephebelt -- and all the other nobles who introduce themselves -- with a smile, and a polite incline of his head. "Well met," he offers to them all. He acts as though he knows exactly what's being talked about. Though when the question of an 'alliance' is asked, he looks to Priscilla with a raised brow. He'll defer to her judgement here.

    He actually chuckles a bit as Faustus gets startled by the green cloud. "At least the scare is only that. There are more... malicious things that could frighten one," he supplies, with just a hint of an evil little smirk. Just enough to question if it's really there or not. He pauses as Ephebelt points out the Shadows. "Yes, I saw one of those as I entered. I am rather confused to see them here of all places." Actually he has NO FREAKING CLUE what they are, but he can't tell the good Duchess that, now can he? He's hoping his seeming commiseration with her distaste at seeing them will get her to talk more about them.

    ...And then the Major Domo speaks up, in that tone. That TONE. Oh he knows exactly what the Major Domo is insinuating. His smile is no less polite and has not changed a single iota. But somehow it also bears an icy chill as he turns to the man. "Do be careful, good sir," he offers quietly. Again, the tone polite and cordial, but with just the slightest lacing of ice in it. "It is true that a great deal goes on before your eyes. But drawing attention to yourself as one who sees all and knows much... may be ill-advised, in any Court."

    He does, however, leave any further comment without being said. Priscilla has a point. Besides that there's more important things to learn tonight. He will absorb what he can and use what context he can glean to figure out the rest.

    The announcement is made, Alucard looks to the entering noblewoman. Her bearing clearly marks her as such. But that's not all. Alucard has seen a great many heroes in his time (both willing and not). This woman? She has that indefinable something that marks a hero, too. So of course his eyes are drawn to her. Assessing eyes, not the appraising stare of someone interested to discern certain 'assets', no. Alucard is a lot of things, not all of them good. But one of those things is 'gentleman'. But yes, he most definitely notices her.

Carna (974) has posed:
    The focal point of all attention becomes Constance, like a star in human form. If not literally, than at least in terms of presence. The children are suitably impressed both by her and by Karal for being amazing enough to become the student of such a person.

    When Karal goes forth to present herself (as 'Mai' of course), Lady Lorethal regards her with... Amusement? Why? But her smile is not a mocking one, and she returns the bow at least with her head. "How good to see you here, my student."

    Though she respectfully greets many others who come forward hoping to get to rub elbows with the 'greatest hero in Lumiere', each and every individual gets the impression that she genuinely recognizes them and their efforts, that she cares about even the most awkward or pompous introduction, that she sees each person for who they REALLY are (though hopefully not in the literal sense when it comes to those bearing illusions)... It's an effect that makes even complete strangers feel like old friends by not just her supernatural presence but her words, her tone, her body language.

    When Resaran and his 'Gargoyle Knights' come forward, Resaran trying to keep his lips in a solemn line, brow furrowed, back straight, as he calls out, "Lady Constance! My name is Rasiel, leader of the Gargoyle Knights! It's an honor to meet you and your disciple, Lady Shironome!"

    Constance looks at the dozen or so children, all seemingly wounded for unknown reasons. She refuses to allow sadness to creep into her smile, but the slightest dimming of her aura, barely a flicker that might be noticed by the more observant Elites, may indicate that she is not wholly happy with the state of the kids. Her smile, and her wounds, however, are as powerful and inspiring as ever. "That is good to hear, Rasiel. I look forward to seeing what good the Gargoyle Knights can do in maintaining peace and order."

    Lasyra is hiding behind Resaran shyly, unable to face what may be her idol. But she calls out, "And I'm Lasyra--I mean... Lacey, your majesty."

    One of the other kids snaps quietly, "Stupid! She's not royalty!"

    Lacey turns to the kid who spoke and hisses, "Well, she should be! She's King Solumnus's master, she should have been the one to marry him!"

    Constance just shakes her head in amusement at their antics and their naive grasp of what is no doubt a very complex situation, before focusing on Tomoe. "A Dragon Knight. A rarity in this day and age. How goes the hunt for any surviving dragons among your clan?" She then looks around the room and says, "Unfortunately, I am not here for recreation. I must speak to his Crimson Highness at once, about... Something."

Carna (974) has posed:
    Repeatedly scolded, openly and more subtly, the Major Domo decides to keep his mouth shut for now and not say or do anything else that could damage his position at court. Ephebelt, however, has plenty more to say, though it seems that she chooses her words more carefully even when it appears she is simply speaking casually. When she speaks, it is a calculated decision. So she allows those around her to answer questions or mutter about this political dealing or that, or this dalliance or another one, rumors of monsters, and that the Silent Lord of Wind has been a bit TOO silent and that something called the 'Abyss' has been encroaching on the Underworld below (that last one got the rumor-monger shushed heavily for even saying the word 'Abyss'. Apparently considered crass to say aloud, or perhaps outright dangerous given the furtive looks to see if anyone overheard.

    And the whole time, the Duchess is paying more attention to what those around her are doing, to what Lady Constance is saying and doing that can be made out from where she is. Priscilla's excuse for not discussing court intrigues and politics in regard to her own (supposed) affiliations appears to have been accepted, as well as Arikado's suggestion to keep what one has observed to one's self, meaning all of this is petty gossip, or news that they already each know of but may be pretending to be uninformed on in the hopes of getting something new.

    "Perhaps the Court Wizard will have a solution for the Blur Scholars as well." the Duchess says cryptically in response to Priscilla suggesting not having easy transportation could be a factor in Shadow exorcism being delayed. Though whether she means 'a solution that would allow them to get to the Palace more easily' or 'a solution for there being Blue Scholars at all', she apparently isn't going to clarify. She might have meant some other third, or fourth, or fifth things as well.

    Half of what she says is to direct attention where she wants it to go. The other half is to get a reaction that she can use. She's that kind of person.

Carna (974) has posed:
    Enark is suitbaly impressed by Constance's presence, though appears to have missed his double over by the table due to recognizing a pretty blonde woman from somewhere and moving to follow after her when she gave a furtive glance and ducked into a room off the side of the Throne Room. But what he finds after sneaking in after her sends him hurrying back out, face a sort of sickly pink like it wants to be red but can't quite manage it without real blood. He hurries over to where the others are located, and sidles up next to Karal, waiting for attention to be off of 'Mai' for a moment, before saying, "I, err, found a face I recognized. Peacemaker Longita. Though it seems she is not blinded in this time period. But she was, err... Occupied. I don't think I would have gotten any meaningful dialogue from her if I'd made the attempt." He looks at the dazzling lady knight briefly, and then asks quietly, "Have you learned anything?"

    But though everyone is focused on Constance, the Duchess is one of the first to turn her head when a small skeleton with a high-pitched voice, like someone on helium, steps forth at the far, far, far, far side of the enormous room, and begins to make an announcement. "All, hear! His royal highness, the Crimson King, ruler of Lostrata, host of this glorious Hallowed Eve party, has arrived!"

    Then, the floor opens up, tiles sliding apart, as a great stone circle rises from an open shaft of some kind, bearing upon it a red and gold throne, with a gaunt-looking man in a golden crown and royal finery seated upon it. Almost everyone kneels before him, though a few notable examples do not. His Royal Guard stand at attention, and Lady Constance does little more than lower her head. Enark looks around in confusion for a moment, before doing as those around him are doing. The other Enark over by the table doesn't seem to realize what's happening until the woman he was trying to engage in conversation (and who has been studiously ignoring him) turns and kneels towards the King. Then he realizes he's one of the only people still standing and hurries to do as the 'present' Enark does, in almost the exact same manner, hurriedly sweeping his robes out of the way so as not to trip over them in his rush to kneel.

Carna (974) has posed:
    The Crimson King rises from his throne, a man who may have had a noble appearance at one point, but now is almost as withered as some Unlit. He has a ghastly look on his face, eye lids nearly swollen, the big round eyes glaring out at everyone kneeling before him, a tense line forming the basis of his mouth. His face is narrow, his head bulbous. A skull with flesh stretched over it.

    But still, he is royalty, and he carries himself as such. "You may rise, loyal subjects, welcome guests." he says magnanimously, and waves a hand. People begin to stand once more, and Constane begins making her way through the crowd. The crowd parts for her like an invisible hand guides them, even when they don't know she's there, they just step aside.

    The King keeps speaking. "This is a celebration long overdue. An event desperately needed in these times when the Darkness creeps upon us, when uncertainty lies in places outside the dominion of the Five Kings. As your King, I am dedicated to maintaining the safety and prosperity of Lostrata... And, of course, Lumiere as a whole. I shall briefly touch upon a matter of seriousness, but I hope all can be free to return to their reveling s-soon." He stutters over his last word. Though it seems no one else has noticed, or are pretending not to, the King has to take a half second to scan the crowd before resuming. And during that time, it seems like there's... Whispering. Barely discernible with all the noise still going on outside, the fireworks detonating high above, the sound of some people being rather enthusiastic in a very different sort of celebrating in various places around the Palace.

    But for whispering to be heard at all over such noise is definitely odd.

Carna (974) has posed:
    "You have heard of a project that the Grand Wizard has been working on. My court's lead sorcerer, Prospero, has been construcing a vast labyrinth below the Palace, to trap the frightful Shadows you have seen and keep them from interfering in far grander works. Among these, a wall all about Barrowville, to keep it free from trespass from below." 'From below' seems to be a more socially acceptable way of referencing 'the Abyss', though a topic of conversation apparently sketchy enough to still make people shift uncomfortably. "For the wall to be useful, however, the First Candle must also be kept locked and closed, passage regulated with the other Candles."

    Some surprised and alarmed mutterings rumble around the room, but go quiet when the king raises his hand once more, too tired and frail to keep it up continuously. "It is for the greater good of Lostrata. There are Five Kings, and to each has been accorded a different domain. Whether Solumnus, King of the Blackened Crown, or Hezard, King of the Iron Mask, we each have responsibilities. Carrying them out when other kings INTERFERE is untennable."

Carna (974) has posed:
    Constance steps forwards then, as much a symbol of another king's influence as the king himself being here, and earning a squinted look of ire from the Crimson King, in his blood-red tunic and cloak. He does not stop speaking, even as Constance approaches him. The Royal Guard begin to close in on her, intent on keeping even a well-loved hero from coming any closer. "The second announcement is that the transportation system that some of you have heard of is not for your use. It is to permit the purging of the Darkness that has infested the cursed city of Barad-Ghul for far too long. To trap these Shadows and their masters in tombs, and allow us to reclaim that ancient city and use it as a staging ground to repair the link with the Living World. To that end--"

    Constance interrupts the king to declare, "Your majesty, I must speak with you!"

    The Crimson King shifts from droning, if important, speech making to wide-eyed, frothing rage like someone flipped a switch. "How DARE you interrupt me! Do not think just because you are the personal WHORE of Solumnus that you have any authority in my court--"

    Constance thumbs the cross bar of her sword out of the scabbard just an inch. Fire and light explode into the air, sweeping through the room, sending guests into a panic, as walls of towering white flames leap and shoot from place to place, seeming incinerating previously-invisible targets in screaming infernos.

    It ends as quickly as it began, the Crimson King cowering before his throne, other guests shocked into silence, and not a single one of them harmed... But the charred bodies of misshapen... THINGS lying here and there on the floor.

    "The nobles of your court plot your assassination, your majesty. The same nobles behind the assassination of the Silent Lord of Fire, and the reason I came here this evening." Constance says calmly, seeming unperturbed by the insults.

    The King is practicaly frothing at the mouth, eyes bloodshot, as he stands up, enraged half at what Constance has just done (her sword already fully back into its sheathe after that brief exposure), and half at his own fearful response. "You... You...!" But then it appears that the company Priscilla and Arikado were keeping is making themselves scarce. While some linger behind in confusion, the Duchess, and a couple others are slipping into a stair well, their long dresses just barely visible before the vanish through the doorway.

    "AFTER THEM!" the King screeches. "BRING THEM TO ME! BRING THEM TO ME NOW! NOW! NOW!" The Throne Room flies into pandemonium.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "It goes as expected those few that remain are the smartest and more dangerous of their kind. While the glory is great when one is at last put down? It is rare to even find a trace of the but I have no doubt we will finish the hunt in the end, we have made it this far we will finish the hunt in the end. If you have business of importance? Then I should not delay you further."

She'l move to step aside to allow Constance to pass.

She also does hear about the Gargyole Knights? This was their purpose? How far have they had they fallen in the ages since? Yet it makes her wonder if there might be anything left of who they were in the modern day?

Then comes the Crimson King She will give him the respect his station is due kneeling as he makes himself known to the rest of the party goers.

Then it start to dawn on her? Are they seeing what was the cause of the runination of the living and the dead? This may be such or at this point it was when it might have been more easy to repair the broken link.

Then more of the tale comes to pass as it seems there is a plot against the Crimson King.

She will spring into action now while she's not heavily armed as itr were she is going to go after the fleeing nobles' its what a guest like her self would so and she sprtings after them intending to try and catch them, while keeping an eye on her own display;'s clock as when that alarm goes off?She's going to have to get out of here or she may very well become a part of this world forever.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    Alucard remains back as the woman enters. Not only because he realizes she has enough issues with the many other people that wish to meet her. But because, from here he can assess her more easily. With all the people around there's no way she can track the activities of every person in the room, right?

    When the Crimson King makes his entrance -- or rather, when the floor tiles begin to slide apart -- Alucard does little more than make certain he's out of the way, before smoothly lowering himself to a knee as well. If this Crimson King is anything like a vampire, he'll at least appreciate the gesture. He waits until the guests are bade to rise, and then does so.

    Only then does he take in the withered appearance of the Crimson King. That seems odd. For all the undead here, Alucard has seen precious few that are actually VISIBLY undead. Well, 'visibly' as in unpleasantly visible. Closer to the appearance of a zombie, skeleton, or ghoul. It does bring the slightest narrowing of his eyes, but he remains quiet.

    He instead listens to the announcement. Constance's approach doesn't seem to sit well with the Crimson King. Again Alucard's eyes narrow. He recognizes the sudden shifting of mood, a telltale of possible looming madness. A sign he recognized in his father, beginning shortly after Alucard's mother died. Oh he'd done it before then. But after Lisa died, that was the beginning of the end, really.

    Alucard turns himself to serve as a shield if the guests near him require a place to hide. He pulls his cloak about him... and yes, he does flinch. Because it's fire, and he's a vampire. But still... that much power raised from such a tiny gesture? That is remarkable.

    An assassination attempt? And yes, he's noticed that some of the nobles have disappeared. Pandemonium in the throne room? That's what bat form is for. As the bodies start moving, his form shrinks and he flies up over the crowd. And then he heads in the direction that the guests disappeared in. It's a charge through the air, leaving afterimages behind his bat form, from a perfectly stationary position. Hopefully he can zip into the doorway before it's closed. If not, hopefully he's going fast enough to push the door open and not SPLAT against it!

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Throughout this turn of events, Lin finds herself moving with the crowd bending knee to the Crimson King as he emerges. Not that she's down that way long. She rises with the others... rather relieved.

    Kneeling to someone who's done nothing to deserve her respect just rankles her a little... and this man doesn't seem to have quite the noble aura that Constance does.

    She furrows her brow and listens carefully, shifting a bit uneasily on her feet while the King speaks.

    Of course things quickly fly into a panic and Lin finds herself GOBSMACKED and stammering briefly. SEVERAL TIMES given all the outbursts. What in the WORLD?!

    ... Is this how court matters normally go? Lin feels she would've approached the matter pretty straightforwardly like that, but a part of her wonders if that is smart.

    What part of her is that anyways?

    But the King's order strikes her pretty hard. She coils her legs and breaks into a ridiculously swift sprint after the evacuees!

Priscilla has posed:
    Perhaps it's a more recent affectation, but Priscilla ill likes bowing her head to anyone. Were she present as herself, she would most certainly refuse kneeling before this strange, withered, and quite possibly mad noble of the dead, but lesser station is part and parcel to her noble disguise, and so the crossbreed makes her best efforts, already set to contemptuous judgement of his blase and ineloquent public speaking, and thoroughly undignified response to who may as well be his peer.

    An attempted assassination is a welcome reprieve, by that point. It brings an end to the fruitful, but tedious, process of information gathering by passive listening, but provides something more immediately dramatic. Unwilling to be left out of the loop on how these events fully unfolded, Priscilla hopes that her mask will cooperate with her and vanishes into thin air, tracking the movements of the would-be assassins as the others chase them down.

    Her mind is on other matters than throwing herself on the dogpile though. Barad-Ghul. The first name she has heard with a definite relation to the World of Ashes. If the Crimson King had intended to use it, it must be close. It is a promising destination, to be sure, but she can't help but wonder on her way down the stairs, who the Shadows could possibly have as masters if they came from outside of Lumiere, and how far they could have spread, if the wall that would later become a conceptual border, had been all that kept them out of the area in which the Grim Bone Gate had first dumped them. Had it been there precisely /because/ it was the only place left free of Shadows? Crow surely can't be the only one not locked in that 'box' he spoke of.

Carna (974) has posed:
    Pursuit is simultaneously simple and frustrating. The Elites manage to pull ahead of the Royal Guards by virtue of their greater abilities, flight powers, and so on (unless hanging back somewhat to observe), but the fact the armored figures are able to move as quickly and surely as they are indicates they are no slouches. Whenever the Unlit invaded, they were probably the frontline against the enemy, and probably fought very hard to protect people. They are no fodder. But, by all appearances of the present, they must have fallen eventually as well.

    Ahead of them, however, those they pursue always seem to be just ahead of them. Just around the next corner. Skirts and cloaks flying, through passageway after passageway. A long balcony overlooking the massive ocean that surrounds the palace, and the super luminous too-close moon hanging in the sky like the head of a giant corpse peeking over the horizon. Isn't this the same balcony that the Elites pursued Enark along back in Escher when they first encountered him? Through one of his many doors?

    A corner is turned, and red-carpeted stairs that descend and descend and descend into the depths of the palace wind ever lower, lit by a sequence of blue-flamed torches. The deeper they go, the more the Hallow's Eve decoration vanish, as it was apparently not planned that visitors would be in this area of the palace.

    Whispers that were heard if only briefly while the Crimson King spoke once again rustle the air. Indistinct, unevidenced as to if they were ever really there, but the impression of the whispers remains. And as torches become scarcer, the shadows become deeper. The 'edges' of the darkness pulses, jagged-edged, like the silhouettes of thorny vines growing so quickly one can watch the impaling points lengthen.

    Eventually, the stair way empties out into a large but short hallway, with a large set of double-doors. They seem to be built so strongly as to be secure against an invading army. Or a dragon. And yet at they seem to be in the deepest parts of the palace. Who in the world would be expected an army to invade from INSIDE the palace?

    The guards have fallen sufficiently far behind the Elite party guests by this time that they aren't here to see the doors yet, nor to see Duchess Ephebelt slip through the opening of doors that should probably be very much closed, and yet are open 'just a crack'. A crack large enough to accomodate an automobile.

    There's the feeling that whatever is on the other side of these doors is disquieting. That's how all of Lumiere is, right? But this is disquieting and yet familiar. Something pervasive within the Lumiere of the present that might not have even been noticed to be absent until coming face to face with it again. Like living alongside the ocean one's whole life, knowing what it sounds like, and then moving away one day to the city. Forgetting the sound of the ocean, knowing something is missing but never consciously realizing what it is. And then coming back, years later, hearing the ocean again, and remembering.

    This is something that has been there every time they've come to Lumiere, EXCEPT when they came to the past... And now it's here again, at this point, whenever this was.

    What lies beyond? And given how long it took to get down here, and the fact they are on a time limit for how long they can be here before they become part of this world long-term, can they afford to keep delving into the depths if it goes even deeper than this? If all of this already happened, will them chasing the would-be assassins really make a difference?

    Concerns to consider. But in the heat of the moment, chasing after people who just fled with an assassination attempt failed, right after being accused of involvement, it may simply seem 'right' to go after them.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    As soon as Alucard is past the door and the momentum of his charge is spent, he returns to the form of the dhampir. He actually runs faster whe his feet are on the ground, and that charge uses energy he can't afford to expend just yet. Not until he knows exactly what's going on. When he's got boots on the ground, he seems to run in an odd, fluid way, not seeming to need to actually move his legs to move. Or that he's gone much farther than a single step should have taken him.

    He pursues the folds of cloth that he can only just glimpse around corners, not pausing at the sight of the moon. There will be time for that later. The shadows and their oddly sharp look are noted, but as they don't seem to actually be stopping him, Alucard continues on. Heat of the moment or not, he does indeed continue on. And yes, unless something stops him, he's going to head for that opened door.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is hot in the heels of the fleeing traitor and she's moving very darn fast after all she is a Dragon Knight is she not? She springs at a pretty fast pace she is not gong to let them get away she's not sure what ahed and she is concerned about what may lay ahead. She doesn't hide her nature at all she doens't seem to tire and she keeps pace with Gneya as they go she's hot on their heels and she's even leaping or flipping over anyone or anything that gets in her way.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
They are here for a reason.

    SOMETHING wanted them here. Something wanted them to see this. To learn something from it. Something crucial.

    Karal Rei Lin has gleaned this much from the matters so far, as she allows her soul to act on old memories and a zen focus with ease. An altogether different and older mindset flavors her thoughts with hints of who she once was, and with it guiding her she faces the doors that hold back disaster, sucks down a courageous breath and DASHES ON!

    Her stride is a blur of motion, mystic energies rising to the feverish sunglow of her soul burning beyond the bounds of her flesh. Wreathed in slowly growing anima, she bolts through the door, drawing her blade...

Priscilla has posed:
    The sights are both more enthralling and more disturbing than the chase. The doors had been something that had slipped Priscilla's mind until recently, and with the view of the balcony, her hopes for an alternative form of transport, superior to the Shrines of Light, fall as if they'd taken the drop.

    Priscilla has no wishes to go back there and chance those passages again, and it is extremely doubtful that Enark remembers where all of them lead, if he in fact ever knew. At most, she considers finding the specific frame that lead here, though with little desire to see what the Shadows have done to it, since it stands in one piece.

    The doors are where she stops. Charging along ahead is beyond what she considers something she can add where others cannot. Priscilla slows before the gap, and then comes to a halt completely, staying close enough only to look through the looming crack in the massive gates, and close enough to do something to stop them from closing should the titanic doors slip shut that extra, relative hair and lock the others out here forever.

Carna (974) has posed:
    First, the sight of what lies beyond is what likely strikes them. It's like a valley or canyon, except man-made, and underground. A huge chasm, deep, dark, and stretching out beyond the point where eyes can see its terminus, if it even has one. It presumably serves some purpose, though what is unclear.

    But the whispers are much louder, they echo up from the depths, and something else was muted by the doors that weighs down on them now. A wall of dread, like the hand of an invisible, rotting giant, presses down on them near-physically. Ephebelt and the two nobles who fled with her feel the effects as strongly as the rest of them. Two of the nobles are actually down on hands and knees, unable to move from the pressure. Only the Duchess stands, trembling, on the precipice. The edge of the platform beyond the doors seems to have no visible stairs or other means of going down further. But the dim outline of hard-edged, solid shapes lined up against the edges of this underground canyon indicates SOMETHING is down there.

    Likely the source of this overwhelming presence. But what are they? They look sort of like really, really, really big...

    ...Boxes?

    ...Or coffins. Coffins larger than skyscrapers.

    Major Domo Alweiss is practically clinging at the skirts of Ephebelt's dress as the opera-masked Duchess looks out in frustration at the chasm. "This was supposed to be the transportation system," she hisses to herself. She kicks the Major Domo's hand away, and he simply falls over onto his side, not having the strength to sit up again.

    Baron Jonathan Stone manages to get up onto one foot, though remains crouched, as he says, "This isn't what you promised, Duchess! Why did you bring us down here!? This is a dead end! Those assassins of yours were useless!" He continues ranting and blaming Ephebelt, even as the Elites stand there, ready and able to take action.

    The Duchess turns back to face them, and says, "Well, it seems this is the end. Good show, running us down. This is not how I had intended my evening to conclude, but I suppose I have no chance against the likes of you." Then she raises her hand fan, and a series of blades springs out along the edge. "So I will be taking my leave now."

    She allows herself to simply fall backwards over the edge. The Major Domo and Baron, still clinging to her, fall screaming where she falls silently.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
Barraged by an unmistakable sense of wrongness and dread, whispers from the void clawing at her mind, Karal Rei Lin decides to do something smart.

    She hits the brakes and skids to a halt, then executes a few sharp backflips away from the cliff's edge. It's just in time to level her blade anew at the group... but listen closely to their arguments.

    "Whining and crying after failing to slay your betters? How pathetic. Maybe if you surrender you'll be shown leniency based on how laughable this was!" Lin growls out none-too-seriously... but then...

    Then she's forced to gape, as the trio goes tumbling over the edge. Her lips peel back, she trembles... and edges step after step back and away from it, stupefied and uncertain. NOW what?

    "NOT following them down there. There's no coming back from that maw... How... how are we on time?"

Priscilla has posed:
    "There is little point to it regardless." Priscilla insists from the dark. "These events hath long since transpired, and we wear the identities of the long gone. I imagine little shall be truly altered by our actions here tonight; or else if they art, I fear what they may alter."

    "Thus, leaveth them. Courtly intrigue is of little further use to us, and I wouldst rather learn of what slumbers further down from one of Sir Enark's books, rather than experience. We art the only souls here at any true risk, and there is no sense in putting ourselves in its way for those three. Now, before the guards."

    Priscilla is feeling more mindful of the clock than perhaps the others are. There is also the fact that she had been the one to actually see with her own eyes what lies 'beneath' Lumiere. Even if the allusions are faint, she wants nothing to do with this world's Abyss. Her experiences with what happens when men awaken it are already bad enough.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    The sudden pressure causes Alucard to stumble, losing much of his speed as he pauses to try and work past the effects of whatever weight this is that's suddenly settled upon him, trying to bear him down to the ground. It does not succeed; after a moment to gather his strength, Alucard continues on, though more slowly now, needing to concentrate also on not falling. He will finally make it to where the Duchess and her conspirators are, though.

    And as the Duchess falls back, taking her accomplices with her... Alucard moves. He is from a very powerful vampire line, and he will use all of it. But his path isn't immediately out. It's FORWARD, towards the falling trio. A single swoop. One single try. That's all he's going to make. He swoops close to the falling trio, reaching out for the closest of the two screaming fellows.

    The Duchess? She's on her own. Besides, Alucard doesn't relish the thought of having to make the trip out of the area while bleeding out.

    One try. One attempt to save one of the two who seem to clearly want to be saved from their fate. Just one. And then? Hit or miss, success or fail, Alucard immediately curves his path away from the edge and back out. There's no time to dally.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is barreling along and as the entire party chases after the others she cabn only watch the Dutchess for a moment She wtches and listen then then they leap to their end she scowls for a moment but the beeping? Wait the beeping? Tomoe gets a look of horror on her face now she looks to Lin, She looks to Priscilla and then to Genya.

"I'm not following either I don't know what's down there but yes it's time to leave Priscillia. I set an alarm and it's going off we need to go or we're going to end up stuck here. Well at least I am." She wouldn't put it past the rest of her companions having a way out? Her self? Nope one it's time to go and she's gong to start moving. She can't fault Genya for trying but she doesn't want to end up /stuck/ here. She's starting to move.

Carna (974) has posed:
    Alucard acts quickly enough. He manages to duck in, seize Major Domo Alweiss, and start to dash back to pull both of them back up onto the platform. But during that one moment while Arikado is in mid-air, directly over this underground canyon, it's like he's somewhere else. Falling through a void, or like he's down in the crushing depths of some fathomless underworld ocean. And there's the half-skeletal, half-mummified face of some sleeping horror, not-quite-human but closer to human than not, alongside him. Though for all the distance between them, thousands of feet, it must be quite large indeed.

    Large enough for one of those coffins to seem a suitable resting place for it. Its eyes, if it has any, seem to be closed. Or at least empty sockets to not be presently gazing upon him. But the platform that Alucard leapt off of is gone, as what should be a split second of time before he dashes back stretches on into an eternity in a deep, crushing Darkness.

    And a vision of many more monsters like the slumbering horror beside him, lined up in a row, stretching on into infinity. Sleeping titans. Their whispers infest the vampire's ears. Promising him things. Personal things, that he wants and can obtain with their gift of power.

    All they have to do is use it. Use their power, accept the Darkness, and whether his purposes are good, evil, selfish, or other, he can achieve what he desires. They do not care what it is used for, only that it is used.

    Their whispers become voices. Clear and distinct. Speaking a language unknown. A chorus of dry, rumbling, sonorous voices, chanting in tandem.

    FIND US IN BARAD-GHUL. THE DARKNESS WAITS FOR YOU. FIND US IN BARAD-GHUL. ACCEPT OUR GIFT. FIND US IN BARAD-GHUL.

    Then the withered abominations turn in their sleep, the dozens, or hundreds, or thousands, of monstrous figures orienting on Alucard as he remains suspended, falling but not falling. Empty sockets for what may be millions of miles, staring into the son of Dracula's soul, with a hunger that dwarfs a vampire's.

    AWAKEN US. AWAKEN US. AWAKEN US. AWAKEN US. AWAKEN--

    Then Alucard has dashed back onto the platform, a hand on the back of his clothes helping to pull him away from the edge. The owner of the hand is Constance Lorethal, who managed to make it down here after them. She makes certain to pull both Genya and Alweiss all the way back to the doors, and to encourage anyone still on the other side of them back out into the hall.

    "It would be best, I think," the Hero of Lumiere begins calmly, "If we closed these doors." She looks to Karal, or rather 'Mai Shironome', her 'student', and says, "Can you pleasure ensure Lord Alucard makes it back upstairs safely? I'd like to have a word with Dragon Knight Adair briefly."

    Argh, delays. At least the Royal Guard seem to have caught up, and are prepared to escort Major Domo Alweiss to whatever fate awaits him at the hands of a king starting to slip towards madness. A man who will apparently become quite 'vampire like' in the future. Or... The past? The present??? ...Sigh. Time travel.

Genya Arikado (919) has posed:
    It's good that the hand on his back turned out to be the Lady Constance. It's also good that she turned up. Because, well...

    ...Alucard has been through a lot in his six-hundred odd years. Faced many abominations in his father's castle. Even a beast with the power to challenge his father's power at its prime. Even the castle itself -- Alucard has looked into the Heart of Castlevania itself, knows it almost as well as his own heart.

    ...And that? The things he's just seen? Threaten quite seriously to topple even the deepest glimpse into the Heart of the creature of Chaos that is Castlevania. He is shaken by it, confused, and deeply frightened. But he can't deny that also something calls to him. Through his dark blood, no doubt... the source of both his power and his problems!

    No time... no time! Constance's hand upon the back of his cloak brought him back to the present, literally and figuratively. And so he takes a brief moment to try and gather his composure again. "...Your aid is appreciated," he offers to Constance. And then he looks to 'Mai', offering her an arm. "Shall we?" he inquires of Lin.

Karal Rei Lin (984) has posed:
"Very unlikely we'll see those interlopers again..." States 'Mai', shuddering at the idea of what might be down there. She doesn't... WANT to know. She'd much rather turn around and forget about this, focus on her training and studies. NO GOOD can come of these depths.... absolutely no good.

    But the young woman looks over Alucard, giving him a warm and comforting look that yet ends in pursing her lips. "Good catch, but all the same... have you a death wish? Come, we'd best away from this mess." Where is this older style of speech even coming from?

    Perhaps a time when Lin's world was both more united and more divisive than it is now.

    She turns to nod respectfully Lorethal's way, and smoothly twirl-sheathes her weapon. Then takes Alucard's offer with her own arm. Time to turn back. And pick up the pace...

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is chilled, oh lord is Tomoe chilled. She does for all her bravado have this fear of death. Given what happened to her in the death game and she has no idea what would happen to her soul here on death? Would she fall prey to the world she died on? Would some god who knew her claim her? She had no idea and wasn't ready to find out. With wht she said starts to depart. She tuen hd she's running as fast as she can go which is pretty darn fast.

Priscilla has posed:
    This is why the smart thing to do was to wait outside the doors. No giant dead things. No voices in one's head. A minimum of crushing, horrifying pressure. Priscilla can continue to think Barad-Ghul is a good idea, and recommend that Enark research it, without doubt about their best lead in a very long time. Also, without further horrible memories.

    "It is unlikely we wouldst see them regardless, so long ago was this night. For them to remaineth Lit wouldst be, even by simple mathematics, extraordinarily unlikely. We shalt see what didst becometh of them, perhaps, in continuing to push through what is apparently known as Lostrata, but I wouldst advise Sir Enark and our companion Crow to research the city to which the Crimson King sorties with priority."

    Priscilla out. Even if it is fake time party, it's easier to bail without having to make excuses for her double fake dead nobility persona. Poor Alucard is probably going to look like he got stood up though.

Carna (974) has posed:
    It seems everyone is in quite the hurry to get out of here. Understandable. But Constance seems determined to remain right alongside Tomoe, aka 'Dragon Knight Adair'. As everyone goes upstairs at a rapid pace, the Royal Guard once again falling behind compared to the Elites... Constance speaks to Tomoe quietly. "I do not know who you really are, but if ever you chance upon a real Dragon Knight, you may wish to keep something in mind." The luminous heroine turns to look at Tomoe, waiting until she can hold the digital avatar's gaze, even if the mask must be making Tomoe look like someone else entirely. The intensity in her gaze is like staring into a pair of suns.

    "Dragon Knights revere dragons. They built their order upon the basis of emulating the great creatures of myth and legend. They do not hunt them to kill them, but to learn from them. A real Dragon Knight would have known that." Then she inclines her head and smiles faintly, to soften her words. "I only warn you, so that you do not find yourself on the wrong end of a Dragon Knight's spear. Your business is your own." Then she allows herself to fall behind, and help keep an eye on the Alweiss, who still lies limply in the arms of his captors, unaware of his surroundings.

    These masks have perfectly emulated the identities they have been gifted with. No one else so much as batted an eye at Tomoe's story about huntin down dragons. The illusion made them accept it as legitimate, without question, even if it clashed with how things were back then. Only Constance saw the discrepency. For the third time since meeting her, the impression may be given that there is something different about her from the others. She is... Not like the Lit around them. She might not BE a Lit. Even as a fragment of herself, she had the werewithall to resist the Wall of Cruel Customs. And here, now, in a past that has already happened, and that, as Priscilla said quite rightly, they should certainly HOPE they can not change for fear of the consequencs of doing so, Constance Lorethal pierced through the murk of time to see the truth.

    Whatever she really is, it is fortunate she seems to be on their side. Infact, with the power she demonstrated, if she is still around in the 'present'... She might make a very valuable ally.

    But that is something to consider when they are out of here.

    Enark, half-way down the stairs when he heard they were leaving, has started back up them when everyone starts passing him in the stair well. Panting, tired, oddly limited physically for someone who is dead, like the other Lit who emulate closely their selves in life, takes a moment to groan and starts high-stepping his way up the stairs to keep up, cloak tossed over one arm so he doesn't trip over it.

    "This is not how I was expecting this party to go!" he calls after the others as he chases them back to 'ground level', and follows them back out of this echo of the past to the expanse of black marble where their long evening began.