Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Official Event: Winter Masquerade 2025

For most of the year, there is nothing on the bluffs overlooking the Bay of Ice. But by now, some knew the secret, and it wasn't such a surprise when the gold-embossed invitations began to appear on bedside tables, on trays of morning correspondence, in the pockets of pajamas, and tucked all manner of places where they might be "coincidentally" discovered by the brush of a finger while groping for some other lost item.

There is no address, but those who receive the invitation feel they know how to get there, even if the instruction in their heart is as nonsensical as "close your eyes and step through the wardrobe" or "turn left instead of right on your walk back home tonight." These knowings are fortified with the surety of dream logic, true as the foundation of the Earth and needing no justification.

And for those that follow these directions on the appointed evening, they find themselves in a field amid the pine trees. A wooden dance floor has been laid down in the center of the open space, and surrounded by laden banquet tables, seats, and cloth tents embroidered with holly. A band plays beside the dance floor, their music intermingling with the sound of crashing waves far below. The whole is bathed in the hushed blue light of a full moon. To the side of the outdoor party is a grand manor, its eaves glowing with tiny, flickering white lights. But the doors and windows are tightly locked.

In the midst of it all is the Grand Duchess de L'hiver, a coy smile on her lips below her elegant mask. Before her, she gently holds aloft a white rose.

She proceeds to a small table to the left of the dance floor, and gently places the rose into the air above it -- it hangs there, suspended by some invisible force, and then there is a shimmer and a glass dome has formed over the rose, and a crisp white light begins to emanate from each of the petals.

Her voice rings out clear, heard by the potential guests even though they have yet to arrive, might be hours distant. "Welcome, one and all! So long as this rose remains in bloom, this glade is enchanted to attract the best of everything one could want at a party -- the best interlocuters, the best dancers, the best comedians, musicians, chefs, wits, beauties, sweethearts -- They will come from all over, perhaps even from other planes, to bask in the light of our little winter masquerade! But be warned - this enchantment is powerful, and there may be other forces attracted to it with less noble aims. If you wish the party to continue, make sure our rose remains until its bloom is spent!"

With that, she claps her hands, the band strikes up an energetic waltz, and a sudden warmth descends on the bluffs despite the biting winter wind that flows from the ocean below. She turns, her smile growing to a grin, as she waits to greet the first arrivals.

"Hello, all."

The Duchess swiveled as she heard a new voice, her ballgown belling around her, and gave Ami the brightest of smiles. "Sergeant! I'm so glad that you could make it -- it's the perfect time for a little R&R, don't you think?" With a white gloved hand, she beckoned Ami to join her closer to the buffet table.

It was indeed curious, that unfamiliar invitation Aurelian held in their thick, fleshy digits. They had awoken one morning to find the envelope placed on the floor beside them, without anyone in their circle or community knowing who had delivered it. If they had been capable of frowning, they would have, but instead only a pale green glow emitted from the fungus folk's body to signal its confusion.

Was this perhaps related to a recent exploration out of the Underdark? Nobody came to mind. This was the first they'd heard about a Grand Duchess de L'hiver even existing, surely a letter addressed to Aurelian would be from someone they had met.

Very well though. They supposed this was a friendly enough invitation to pose little to no risk. Already they were imagining the benefits of meeting an actual Duchess, so on a hunt they went for a suitable... mask, whatever that may be to a Myconid.

Upon acquiring the apparel, they made their way to the mushroom circle, the most obvious and logical choice for transporting oneself to the surface. Disappearing in a swirl of glowing spore dust, it emerged in a similar fashion and blinked a few times as it took in the surrounding area.

The Myconid was a large being, mushroom flesh laying thick on their body and their 'head' appearing to be made up of fungi caps. There, awkwardly set onto their face, was an undecorated, extremely plain basic humanoid mask. A pair of extra holes was drilled into the sides, as their own eyes were naturally too far apart to make the present eye holes functional for their species.

Nearby a humanoid person had already found their way to the ball, and there Aurelian laid eyes on who they presumed to be the Duchess.

Through their telepathic abilities, they extended a formal greeting towards both. Greetings everyone.

"Spore-bearer!" trilled the Duchess in joyful delight, reaching her other hand out toward her most lately arrived guest. Her smile turned toward the Myconid now, as genuine as if they'd been friends for many years. "You made it! Was the trip very difficult? Your mask is adorable, my friend."

The Myconid blinked slowly and extended a hand out to take the Duchess's. Their skin was damp and cool to the touch, though how much the Duchess would be able to notice through her gloves they were uncertain of. They sensed no ill will, but the encounter was bewildering nonetheless.

Quite fine, thank you. One gets used to traveling by mushroom circles fairly quickly.

Aurelian scanned the area once again, visibly uncertain about what to do next. They did not know enough about surface dweller customs to know what was socially acceptable at this stage, so their eyes went back to the woman and the other guest, waiting, patiently.

Rusty walks into the gala, their hat and mask were made of frosted lotus petals and as they stride the floor ripples back at the shoes as they touch the floor. With each step Rusty looked like they were walking on water. Walking into the gala, Rusty looks around for a possible new friend

With the five pairs of wings at her back, the strange witch can be heard before she is seen. As she lands on the ground in the midst of the masquerade, the yellow eye on her large headpiece looks frantically from side to side in order to take in the festivities and the strangers around her. The witch wears a bird-like mask on her face and ceremonial robes with indecipherable text to those who do not know her ancient language. The witch glides along the wooden dance floor, twirling around with her large wings before spotting the closest stranger. "What a lovely party, don't you think? I do hope no one gets lost. I could send my three-eyed ravens to search for them."

As soon as the Myconid took her hand, the Duchess placed her other hand over top, sandwiching Aurelian's hand in hers and drawing them closer. "Have you ever had cranberry cider? I'll pour you a glass. It's nourishing and warm, just the thing for a winter day." With one more almost conspiratorial smile shared between the two of them, she dropped Aurelian's hand and reached to grab a crystal glass and a silver carafe, pouring a generous helping of the sparkling liquid for her friend and placing the drink into their hand.

Then, she turned to her two new arrivals. "My friends! I'm so delighted that you made it! Please, come into the warm with us!"

Onzi arrives to the gala quietly and unnoticed amidst the cover of the trees stealthily and quickly grabbing a drink before retreating back into the shadows to watch the ongoing affairs

Ah, but no one could go unnoticed in the Duchess' domain. Her realm was one of magical hospitality. Sensing a party-goer that needed a little extra encouragement, the Duchess extended a hand toward where Onzi was huddling. A ray of warm sunlight pierced between the otherwise thick cloud cover, illuminating the shadows. "Onzi! My friend!" she called to him by name, her smile dazzling. "Please, come join me, there are so many people I want to introduce you to."

Ah, such a deep seated warmth and compassion! The telepathic link felt unusually strong with the Duchess, but it reassured them of her kind intentions. Its eyes squinted ever so lightly, as if smiling, while their bioluminescent pattern glowed a soft warm white in appreciation.

I have not, this sounds delightful. It accepted the glass as gracefully as possible, although their hand was almost comically oversized and their three-digit structure made it not that easy to hold on to. As Myconid had no mouths, it proceeded to pour the juice into the dirt. A possible huge offense to her generosity, but a practical action. Aurelian's feet began to absorb the liquid almost immediately. There was no offense intended, and they sent a general feeling of appreciation and delight along the telepathic bond.

This is excellent.

They then observed the new arrivals, curious but tentative. When the witch spoke to them, they responded quickly. I am under the impression it would be difficult to get lost in the Duchess' domain.

Slowly and very unsure Onzi slowly walks towards the Duchess with a quiet "hello, nice to see you. thank you for the invite"

“Ah! Duchess my good friend! You look stunning as always.“ Rusty strides over to their good friend, reaching behind themselves they pull out a frosted white lotus and offers it to Duchess. “A gift for your hospitality my friend“

The Duchess gasped with delight at the lotus, quickly pouring another glass of the cranberry wine and exchanging the crystal glass into Rusty's hand for the lotus - a present for a present. "This is an exquisite bloom," she effused, carefully tucking the lotus into her long black hair where it shone like a white star. "Onzi, do you know my friend Rusty? Or my friend Spore-Bearer?"

The invitation had struck the man as a golden opportunity. A winter masquerade? He could dress up elaborately and wear a mask, fitting in among all, pretending to be anyone but himself for one glorious evening. Of course he was attending.

As he arrived in the field among pine trees, he opted to choose an alias for the night; Malachite. It didn’t necessarily coordinate well with his outfit, but green was his favorite color, so… Malachite it was.

His shroud of anonymity and fancy outfit would aid in his confidence, the man strutting over to the dance floor with his cape fluttering gently in the wind behind him. He smiled at his fellow guests, retrieving a drink of cider from one of the tables.

"No Duchess, i don't believe I've made either's acquaintance prior to this"

A small area by the tall pines that surrounded the large open space suddenly lit up with a dim blue light for a few seconds...

...This was the result of the sudden appearance of an energy gateway—a portal that opened only briefly, just a long and wide enough shape for someone to step out before closing and disappearing into the thin, cold air. The light vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, but it left something behind... or rather, someone.

It was the one known as Ami. Upon finding herself in this new, cold environment, she immediately cast her gaze downward to adjust her dress, check her mask, then quickly fix her hair and hold her furry black coat closed before her. As she stepped out from cover, her heels soon found proper grounding on the wooden floor, and she walked with growing confidence, certain that she was in the right place and at the right time.

She glanced around discreetly, taking in the beautifully moonlit surroundings, running a finger over the smooth surface of the back of one of the chairs at the banquet tables. Her attention was drawn to the grand manor soon enough, and she found something about it quite pleasant. A smile crossed her lips—brief, but genuine—before she approached La Grande-Duchesse de l’Hiver. She bowed politely and offered a soft smile.

“Good evening,” she said in that soft, calm voice timbre of hers, as a general greeting to those who had arrived as well.

"Rusty, Sporebearer, greetings, how are you on this cold winter's evening?"

Oh no, had Aurelian made a blunder by not providing a gift to the host? It shifted uneasily, but was quickly distracted by the introduction to the other guests.

Greetings upon you, my new friends. I hope this evening finds you well. They glanced at Onzi and seemed to think for a moment. The cold does not impact me terribly. Are you well?

They observed the man with the cap, distracted promptly again by the portal opening up. They bowed their head in greeting, observing that all guests arrived in their own peculiar ways.

Then, addressing both Rusty and Onzi once more, You must try the cider. It is delightful.