Mirrors (Episode 1)

Turning back to regard Lucian as he approaches, Kris nods. "Yes. I saw your face instead of my own in a mirror, in that dream."

"I am Kris Amani." She says through her foreign accent. "I do have a lesser noble title bestowed upon me by the Red Prince of the South" She shrugs. "Although, since I am self-exiled from that kingdom and that realm, it hardly matters."

Taj grins at the buxom Tiefling's word choices. She finds the imagery of Leh'veia's assets speaking for themselves to be quite amusing. With a look to her side, at her lovely demoness companion, she continues with the introductions. "And..this is Jael: My intimate confidante."

"It does seem to be a theme...I wonder what it means. Are we opponents or allies? Or neither?" Lucian idly watched the conversations around them, picking up what he could, but mostly listened to Kris. "Self exile sounds interesting, and you're probably not missing much. Having a title seems to come with a lot of work and breeds superiority complexes - at least in my experience. Shall we brave the unknown and find breakfast? It's supposed to be around here...somewhere. Did you happen to ask where the guest dining room was?"

"I assume this place is funneling us precisely where and when it wants us. What are the chances, for instance, we all woke up and walked through our doors, on our own, at the same time?" Radu laughs. "No, I think time itself works differently here. This stairwell seems where we are meant to go - I'll bet if we follow, we will soon find where the Lord of this place wishes us to be. Might as well get on with the ride." He walks to the stairwell and takes a confident, if cautious, first step.

Scene 3: First Gathering

The spiraled stairwell continues up one more floor and is capped by a shallow rotunda ceiling featuring a painting of ethereal beings floating above a sprawling city. The stairs descend three more floors from the one the guest rooms are located.

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As several of the summoned are getting antsy for breakfast and others just curious as to other parts of the tower and the palace beyond and begin to make moves to descend, eight figures seemingly fade into existence along the railing down to the next level.

Alternating between male and female in masks.
They flank the stairway and only move down after all of the guests have done so.

At the bottom of the flight of stairs, Chamberlin appears from a large open set of heavy decorative wood and iron doors and beckons everyone to enter.


"Breakfast will be served momentarily." He says and backs into the room he's just appeared from. "Places have been arranged for all."

Entering the room, it is discovered to be a large dining room with a checkerboard floor pattern. Place-setting cards bearing the names of each of the summoned are clearly visible at the large table and Chamberlin moves across to near the head of the table and patiently awaits until everyone has sorted out their seating. He then claps his hands together three times and servants enter through a northern door bearing platters of various edibles.

Keltos sits, his back rigid and formal, he politely but silently acknowledges the guests and lingers a bit longer at the guest directly opposite him. Always curious he has found that local cuisine can oftentimes offer insights into the native peoples and their culture.

"It would be an honor to sample a dish that is local and traditional for the occasion."

Radu is pleased to find thick, warm blood of a youthful vintage available and helps himself to filling his glass. He otherwise fills his plate with dried meats, figs, cheeses, and bread, though he spends most of this time observing the others quietly. Still unsure of what they are meant to be doing here, he looks for signs of strengths and weaknesses among them - anything he might use to an advantage.

Kris finds her seat and settles in. She discovers, yet again, that she is facing young Lucian across the table. She politely awaits the masked servants placing the breakfast platters, before beginning to arrange food or her plates. Fresh fruit for she and her little blue friend, two slices of a heavenly scented spinach and cheese quiche, and a couple of sugar and cinnamon sprinkled apple tarts, are promptly acquired to fill her empty plates. A mixture of a sparkling white wine and citrus juice fills her drinking goblet, along with a second of chilled water.

She hands a slice of fruit to Blue and rubs down his soft furry back. "There. I know you've been hungry and waiting patiently little buddy." Kris praises her little blue friend.

Tajuri looks over the offerings and chooses a buttered croissant with honey, a hard-boiled egg, some fresh fruit and both juice and coffee to drink. She eats in small dainty bites, with impeccable manners, occasionally glancing about the table to see what others are eating or doing.

At his request, a servant disappears through the north door, likely the kitchen, and returns approximately ten minutes later with a plate containing a light filet of sole, lemon slices, browned cubes of some type of tuber, and a small bowl of custard that tastes like coconut. She places the dish in front of Keltos and then returns to her station along the wall behind him.

Killian lifts a large steaming mug of coffee, with a generous pour of something dark and definitely alcoholic of course, to his lips and takes a big swallow. The heat would likely burn another, but the Fire Goliath doesn't seem phased by it. He looks across to Radu and his royal blood dolls. "To your theory of this place existing in its own time and following its own laws of physics, I must agree Lord Rove." He gestures with the mug toward Chamberlin. "Our host's man did says upon our arrival that T'Lorn exists outside of time, if I caught his meaning."

With his free hand, Killian takes up a sharp-tined fork and stabs it into a chunk of the thin rare steak in his plate and swishes it in the runny yellow juices of the sunny-side up eggs accompanying it.

The brown-skinned woman's green eyes constantly search over the others, the table, and the room. Though. she still is yet to speak even to introduce herself. Anyone at the table can read the name Natrix Xenodon on her place card. A tall glass of a bluish milky concoction rests on the table within hand's reach. Her plate is covered by a silver cloche, which she occasionally lifts just enough to grab something from within and quickly pop into her mouth.

Leh'veia drinks fine champagne while her servant, Paik, feeds her red caviar spread on small rounds of crusty bread and black currants.

With everyone settled in and eating, Chamberlin casually walks back toward the large western doors.

"Enjoy, m'Lords and Ladies. I shall return soon to escort you all to an audience with your host." He stops in mid-stride as a pale androgynous figure enters.





The figure strolls in holding a goblet in one hand a third full of a scarlet liquid substance which must be blood. A crooked smile breaks its lips, as it looks at the surprised look on Chamberlin's usual stoic face. Continuing into the room, the pale being begins to make a counter-clockwise circuit around the table, tracing fingers of the right hand along the backs of guest chairs.

Looking up from her meal as Chamberlin speaks, Kris notices the entrance of the unknown other person. She watches carefully upon seeing the seeming contents of the pale stranger's glass.

Keltos rigid his focus drifts between the newcomer and chamberlain, not comfortable with the dynamic between the two, Keltos knows a predator when he sees one.

Tilting his head insect like Keltos examines the newcomer trying to ascertain its motives.

Lucian, despite his desire for comfort and breakfast, takes only some fruits and nuts. Those he splits between himself and Useless. Add in some water - no matter how much he would like coffee - and breakfast was set. He was quiet as he watched the others. When the new being entered the room, Luci set everything down. There was something to be wary of in this person, and he wanted nothing to distract him. After all, this seemed to be something unexpected for Chamberlin and the man otherwise seemed to have firm control over the situation.

As their fingers ran along the back of the chairs he felt that other part in his mind step up and pay more attention. He turned his head only, and just enough to keep track of the person. The drink didn't concern him, if it had he would have had to be worried about the group beside him. While he couldn't say he was afraid, certainly not yet, he was intrigued and cautious.

Radu's gaze narrows and follows the individual as they circuit the room. Radu addresses the newcomer, "My Lord, with whom do we have the pleasure?"

Without averting his gaze, he adds, "Chamberlin, perhaps an introduction is in order?" He raises his own goblet of blood, smiling wide.

Kris listens to the exchanges of those around her, but continues to enjoy her food. This new addition to the occupants of the palace is hardly the first vampire she's encountered. She hopes this one proves far less of an annoyance than the entitled pain-in-the-ass and his progeny ruling from the shadows of the world she was trapped in for most of her formative years.