07.06: Underwater Ball

The goings on of courts
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Joshua
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07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Joshua »

(OOC: For people arriving on time....)

For those of you taking the air-breather's path to Rebma, it is a trek down to the the docks in the city. Once there, a small entrance stands over a set of stairs the descends into solid rock. The stair is damp and cold, although once you get down about ten feet it actually warms up slightly. The stairs are perhaps six feet wide and descend slowly into the rock lit by pale glowing orbs. Thankfully, the solid rock keeps the water of the bay out, and minor (or major) enchantments keep the water pressure from backfilling this. After perhaps five or ten stories down, the stairs lurch forward, going under the bay and expanding slightly. After a quarter mile or so, carved arches start to appear and a more formal corridor appears.

It descends more, the sides of the corridor gaining portholes into the underwater cave. They are not held open by glass, but instead pure surface tension. (Around this area, your eardrums typically pop.) It ends in an ornate set of double-doors, sculpted out of the largest coral you're likely to have seen.

They open into a huge chamber made of coral and pearl with a marble floor. Several huge entrances on the side open into the water. Light is provided by brighter globes, and heat by a series of stones glowing lightly red. As this is a ball, there are no major tables though a series of chairs is lined up in case people with to recline. A refreshment's table is alongside one wall.

At around 6 o'clock, there's a small group of guests already. Most are aquatic, in the form of sea-elves, sirens, merfolk, and others. There's a single aquatic dragon, a few seawolves (were-creatures), and a number of others. Ask if you want to know if something specific is there. most are wearing lose-fitting silk dresses and outfits, and there's plenty of coral and other jewelry. Additional aquatic people will filter in, stepping through the surface tension that keeps the water out. Several of them are aquatic creatures that assume human form upon entering the air.

On a raised platform opposite the entrance there are three familiar looking thrones. Their wood seem very out of place with the rest of the ball, as would fire of any kind.

A pair of metal-wrought green-copper and gold thrones set with pearls of various hues, black, white and a giant purple one at the top of the ruler's throne sit higher up, on a balcony that overlooks the room. A staircase does lead to the ballroom floor so that whoever is there can make a dramatic show of descending to the rest of the party.

A similar balcony holds the musicians, currently playing a light selection of harp and other strings.
Benabik
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Benabik »

Benabik is wearing his typical formal garments: a ruffled shift and tailored pants under a runed stole. Silver threads in his outfit seem to shine out more than they should and match a tracery of abstract blue and silver lines that float around the crystal of his staff as if attached. The crystal atop the staff is the mostly transparent blue of flawless ice but has a gently pulsing glow from inside. The pulse of the crystal seems to cast a pattern across the lines and the runes of his stole similar to light on the floor of a pool, despite the fact that it should be completely lost in the general illumination.

He nods in recognition at some of the staff as he passes, who bow politely in return. Friendly smiles at some other guests elicit polite gestures in response.
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Veyska »

By this point in time, Asai's preparations have since been activated (one or two guests might have snuck in before, but no more than that). The entire ballroom is layered in incredibly complicated and finely-crafted illusions to make it look as if it were taking place underwater, as opposed to... well... underwater. It's not an entirely perfect recreation, there is no resistance to movement as there would be in water and speech is still entirely possible, and the lighting is not dampened, to name a few examples. But there are faint streams of bubbles that trail upward when someone speaks or breathes out (the later only for actually air-breathing guests, no less), and just enough of a hint of wavering, shifting quality to the lighting to suggest sunlit ripples of water. A few dozen fish idly dart to and fro on apparently completely random paths, sometimes resting for a while under the cover of a table or light fixture. Occasionally a larger school of tiny fish drifts by overhead and there is the occasional silhouette of a manta ray or dolphin gliding by overhead on the ceiling. Any attempts to catch the fish inevitably fail*, the fish scudding off in a huff or panic depending on the earnestness of the attempt.

For those already accustomed to underwater environments, or those who find the experience unwelcome, boxes of charms are conveniently placed near every entrance. Pinning one on, or stringing it around ones neck or some other limb, replaces the underwater vista with a (simpler) aboveground one. The fish become darting birds, the ripples of light and overhead silhouettes become cloud shadows, the bubbles of breath little puffs of steamy air as if it were a cold day (there is no temperature change though). There is even the faint hint of snow-scent in the air.

(*Attempts with high enough warfare do result in some fudging of "physics" and "physical shape," and result in the fish/bird in question avoiding that person for the rest of the ball.)
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Benabik »

Benabik looks about at the illusions, nodding gently in admiration. He spends a few moments tracing some of the patterns around the crystal and his personal illumination settles into a pattern complementary to the one for the room in general. It also reflects more strongly within the crystal itself, giving the impression that it is catching the rippling light falling on it and reflecting it back at Benabik. This second set of ripples still mostly highlight the fine tracery in his outfit and stole, rather than appearing across his entire body.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Joshua »

So, it's time for a list of people here. Arriving or already there:

Galadrian Hart, owner of the Dragon's Den
Keya, Foradim and Tabodi Silverbar, Of the Silverbar family
Father-Confessor Lane, Head of the Church of the Four Castles, Formerly the Church of Amber
Guildmaster Teusus, of the Merchant's Guild

Corystes Razorspine, Warden of the Rebma Guard
Sareshia Lunaris, professional bookworm and hottie
The dragon Kizak, looking awkward...
And pleanty of fish people, sirens, merfolk, lizardfolk, and were-aquatic stuff.
You could, if you wanted, talk to the musicians

Also, Benabik is looking around.

(Make your own thread. you can do it...)
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Rasanam »

The tour returns to the ballroom shortly after the event starts. Rasanam is deep in discussion with Nemo over something in one of his sketchbooks; the whatever-it-is involve lots of piping and pumps, though the purpose isn't immediately clear.

It takes a subtle nudge from his wife before he looks up and realizes they've arrived and the party has started. At which point he stops mid-sentence, hands the sketchbook to Nemo, turns to Lyra, and asks, "Would you care to dance?"
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by ShadowOfPreservation »

Lyra smiles affectionately. "With you? Anytime." Turning to their guide she says "Our apologies Nemo. Thank you for your gracious hospitality. We'll be sure to seek you out later this evening once we've had a chance to meet some of the other guests." He glance takes in Raven before settling on Krajk. "I'd that that officially concludes the tour. Krajk, it's been a pleasure. I hope you enjoy the evening's festivities." Then, taking her husband's arm, she makes her way to the center of the floor for a dance.

Despite the intimate moment, Lyra remains on alert to her surroundings. As they spin in each others arms, the dance allows her to take in the room and the other guests. Upon seeing Kizak, Lyra says to her husband. "Ooh, we'll have to make sure to talk to the dragon!"

(OOC: To anyone watching, Lyra's attention seems completely focused on her husband.)
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Rasanam »

Rasanam leads Lyra out onto the dance floor, the musicians matching his movement with a slow waltz, stately and elegant.
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by Krajk »

Krajk will bid a polite farewell to Rasanam and Lyra, then gives the ball a faintly resigned look. Giving his subtly worked leather jerkin a final (only mildly) irritable tug to get rid of a wrinkle, he steps out onto the floor and makes his way over to the refreshment table. He hadn't bothered dragging the get-up that Raven character had given him, apparently ultimately provided by the local ruler, but apparently it had made its way down here nonetheless and a politely obsequious servant had pulled him aside shortly before entering the room to change. It wasn't so much that he disliked the outfit... As such overdone things went it wasn't so bad really - shirt and pants out of some sort of heavy storm grey fabric with a strange weave that felt almost like shagreen, boots and gloves from actual shagreen just barely darker in its natural color, and a similar vest that had some sort of dye or wash worked into it such that it subtly shifted colors like the ocean... All of it comfortable, easy to move in, and quite sturdy. It wasn't even the fact that it suited him and fit perfectly, despite him (or as far as he knew, Odin) not having bespoken the clothes - that was strange and unexpected, but readily enough explained away by foresight or the right sorts of crafting magics.

No, Krajk just found such ceremonial gatherings, with all their pomp and puffed up chests, obnoxious. Half the time they seemed to be contests to see who could show off their wealth in the most fad-of-the-moment fashion, and the rest were competitions to see who could say the least with the most words. Most of the time his body language and openly carried weapons (even if they were now holstered in sheathes that matched the jerkin and lightly peace-tied) tended to protect him from the exceptionally annoying sorts at such gatherings, but unfortunately on those rare occasions when they didn't those sorts tended to take his presence as a personal affront. Hark hark, the barbarians have invaded the territory of their betters, or somesuch like that.
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Re: 07.06: Underwater Ball

Post by ShadowOfPreservation »

The next guests to arrive are a curious duo. Entering the ballroom is a humanoid raven looking somewhat out of her element, with Rasanam's raven companion Fjolnir perched on one of her shoulders. Her dress is a mixture of light shades of blue with pearls sewn into the decorative lace. Silver cuffs adorn both wrists and the tips of her pinions have been painted to match her dress.

Surveying the room, Jiga heads off to one side, drifting towards the refreshments but stops after only a few paces, surprised and then intrigued by the small bubbles that magically appear as she breathes. Reaching out, she tries popping one with a claw but it is only pushed out of the way as it continues to rise intact. "Interesting effect", she comments to Fjolnir as a brightly scaled fish idly swims by in midair.
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