OPEN: Satinalia

[faderifting]

WHO: Everyone
WHAT: SATINALIA
WHEN: Firstfall 1
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: Party hard, use content warnings, move explicit content to inboxes.

Named for Satina, the smaller of Thedas' two moons, Satinalia is a celebration of freedom, marked by wild celebration, pranks, the donning of costumes and masks -- not the fine, delicate masks of Orlais, but animals and caricatures and playful horrors -- and the exchange of gifts both sincere and satirical.

There is no party at the Gallows, but those who can be spared on Satinalia may be given the night off to join Kirkwall's celebration, which spans the entire city and will take several days to peter out. Hightown plays host to lavish balls—but you'll need an invitation, and the unlucky guards posted at the stairs leading into the nobles' district are especially on guard for mischief-makers. There's no such crackdown in Lowtown, where masked revelers spill out of taverns and into the streets, often bringing barrels of ale along with them. Even Darktown gets involved, in its own way: anyone who can afford a celebration goes to Lowtown, but some of the roving bands of thieves in the tunnels don animal masks for the occasion.

And near the docks, enterprising children draped in white cloth are selling admission to a "haunted" warehouse for one copper. Adorable—except that some of the partiers exiting seem genuinely terrified, with one unfortunate man even having wet himself. Taking the children up on their offer will reveal that they have a genuine haunting on their hands. Doors slam, objects fly, footsteps appear in the dirt floor. There's laughter at the edge of hearing and movement on the edge of vision, and brief snatches of a sea shanty sung in a monotone. Make a hasty exit, or try to find the source.

Comments

Lowtown

[universal_charm]

Kirk remembered his first Satinalia celebration a year ago, back in the old HQ. He remembered the fun and the amusement of it, the crowning of fools, the pleasure he'd enjoyed with the people whom had become his lovers. One now gone. In some ways, this party felt like an act of mourning, of wishing the red haired force of nature a true farewell.

When he comes into the Hanged Man and sees Korrin, he makes a beeline for her, shouting above the celebrations to get her attention.

"Hey! Where the hell have you been, Korrin?"

Lowtown

[universal_charm]

"Well, considering how well your medicines work, this must have a similar guarantee," Kirk smiled at the masked Seller, recognizing the other's set up from back at the former Inquisition HQ. He still had some of the medicine the man had sold him then, though he was probably due for a refill of his stock.

"I think I've seen Sulu with one of these before," he mused, looking at the little silk pouch. He thought he had said his daughter had given them to him, as good luck out among the stars, but he could be remembering wrong.

[universal_charm]

Thedas seemed rather good and presenting such situations to people, didn't it? Like its creators had this incredible sense of irony, or perhaps cruelty? If you believed in that sort of thing of course.

Kirk didn't don a mask himself, mostly because he hadn't been able to find one by the time he went out, and he found them restrictive anyways. Seems he and James were alike in that way too. It made it all the easier to spot the man, that was for sure. Kirk's face broke into a wide smile at seeing his friend, calling out through the crowd and making his way to him, a bag across his shoulders already laden with Satinalia treats he intended to take back to Sam and Cyril.

"James! It's been forever!"

[universal_charm]

Kirk had wandered to the alienage on the hope he might find Cyril there. He couldn't say for sure if he had come this way, but it had seemed a logical place to look for him if he wasn't with Sam. He smiled at the celebration, the warmth of it and from the people there. It was his sort of place - the simple things made fine and wonderful through their enjoyment. He would be bored to tears up in Hightown, not that he would have been welcome anyways.

Through the crowd he spots Adasse. Not quite whom he was looking for, but a welcome sight nonetheless. He lets out a wolf whistle or two as he dances and claps with the others as he finishes. If he receives glares for his presence, he ignores them for now as he works his way over to the elf.

"Quick fingers and quick feet. You're quite the talented one, Adasse."

late

[universal_charm]

For all his reputation, Kirk did have a limit to his own partying. He was beginning to miss his bed, and hopefully he hadn't drunk enough to bring on a headache come the morning. That was the last thing he needed with experiments going on. He trudged through the streets, pack across his shoulders laden with his Satinalia treats.

He perked up when he heard the music. It didn't sound like the revelry kind that had been filling the streets up til now. This felt... slower, perhaps sadder in a way? He couldn't quite tell, but it both calmed him and made his chest ache, just a little. Eventually, he found the player of said music, nodding his head in greeting.

"You play beautifully, sir."

[gatheringstorm]

Korrn lifts her head and then her flagon, as partygoers move enough for her to see who's calling. She gestures for him to sit down, having moved her legs since she was brazenly propping them up on the seat across from her just in case anyone familiar showed up. No one wanted to argue with the 'ox-woman'.

"Kirk! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, I had to ditch out to Wycome for a while. You should see the Satinalia celebrations there; trust me, they make all this look tame. It's Thedas' party central for a reason."

[judgemewhole]

Thedas was the Maker's playground, and sometimes the games He played were cruel. Perhaps it was punishment for Andraste, perhaps it was punishment for the Golden City. All James knew was a matter of faith and strength to get one through any day.

He turned at the sound of his name, and then his expression melted into a smile from the frown. He lifted his hand in greeting, "Jim! You're home once more, my friend."

A smile, quick and bright, disappeared to his usual sardonic mood. "Of course you come out in the biggest party of the year."

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Adasse let out a breath as he turned towards the call, and a smile flashed across his face. He lifted his arms up, letting the other elves know that this human was all right. "Jim! Welcome to the alienage! Hey everyone, this is the man who gave me the 'jeans', you know, those new trousers?"

Distrust started to shift to interest.

Adasse grinned as he came up, clapping Jim on the shoulder, "Let me get you a drink, welcome to the party."

Docks

[el_tybs]

'...what the fuck.' is a whole lot different then the recent screams and retreating footsteps he's been hearing for the past ten or so minutes. It's a lot calmer and the voice sounds familiar even if he couldn't hear it all that well. He heads towards the voice.

Holding his globe of light higher and rounding a corner, Sam blinks when he sees his friend. "... Korrin?" he says, approaching cautiously as he eyes the walls. It's clear that he was out for Satinalia festivities based on the mask on his head, but at the moment it was raised to sit on the top of his head so he could better concentrate. "I take it you weren't expecting an actual 'haunting' huh?"

Docks

[el_tybs]

The sound of furniture and anything not tied down flying into walls had become a constant while Sam was investigating the unusual activity, but the sound of someone praying softly had caught his attention. So far anyone who had entered had run out screaming near the beginning, so the fact that someone had gotten this far was a surprise; judging by what he could make of their words it sounded like perhaps they had gotten lost?

Looking down the hallway that he just saw a chair go flying through, Sam holds up a globe of light to better see down the corridor. "Hello? Is someone there?"

[gatheringstorm]

Having heard footsteps moments ago only to realize no one else was there, Korrin tenses upon hearing them again...only to realize it's just Sam. Her shoulders relax a little, at least until she hears that spectral laughter. She shakes her head, frowning while glancing around. Her hand is on her staff, though it remains upright. She doesn't want to even think of using it unless she's certain the target isn't living.

"...no, I really wasn't. I don't suppose you have any warding salt on you, huh? Sea salt, refined lyrium, good for repelling this shit? Because I didn't think to bring any."

[el_tybs]

Sam likewise glances over his shoulder when he hears the laughter, but doesn't seem as phased by it, guarded but not jumpy; this is nowhere near the activity they witnessed back in the Gallows when they first arrived. Yet, but it doesn't feel like they're near the source at the moment.

At Korrin's inquiry Sam shakes his head and looks down at himself. Besides the hilt of his magic sword he looks like he's dressed for a casual evening. "Didn't think I'd run into anything like this tonight myself. Little wary to just leave though."

[gatheringstorm]

"Same. So, what should we do? Demons I can kill all day long, but I've never been responsible for fixing a haunting." If a shade pops up, she'll fight it, but aside from that? Korrin has no real answers. She'll trust the Spirit Healer, though.

[el_tybs]

"As much as I'd hate to put those kids out of business, we should find the source of the problem and take care of it. Even if the spirits are only scaring people, there's a reason why they're here. I'm not sure what we'll find though..."

[gatheringstorm]

"I have some coin to spare, better than the coppers they've been charging. They'll be compensated." She can do that much to ensure their Satinalia isn't ruined. "I'll follow your lead, then. Let's go onward and see what we find...and if it's too much, get backup."

[el_tybs]

It's probably because James is not wandering around in his armor that Sam notices Interceptor first and the man second, but when finally notices he makes his way through the crowd.

"James!" he calls out, raising an arm over the crowd to grab his attention.

The half mask he has on does little to actually hide who he is and doesn't really go with his clothes, though it seems Sam has it more for the spirit of things rather then actually being part of the festivities. "Hey-" he starts, his smile dropping away at the downtrodden expression on his friend's face. "Something wrong?"

[judgemewhole]

James half turns at the sound of someone yelling out his name, and when he recognizes Sam he lifts his arm in a wave. Waits for the other man to catch up, as he sighs and scans the crowd once more.

Interceptor whines at his heel, looking up at Sam with puppy eyes of pitiful.

"I was .... looking for someone, and so far I have failed to find them."

[el_tybs]

Hearing the whine Sam holds out his hand for Interceptor, allowing him to choose if he wants to be pet, not just assuming he can right out touch him. At the same time he also moves the mask off his face and lets it sit on top of his head.

"Who are you looking for?" Even as he asks Sam gazes out over the crowd as well.

[el_tybs]

"Keep your staff and crystal ready then, there hasn't been much reaction just yet, but who knows when we get closer. Fortitude is saying it's in this direction." With one hand still holding the globe and the other on his hilt, Sam turns to go back around the corner he had come from.

[gatheringstorm]

Nodding, Korrin grips her staff in one hand and reaches for her spirit blade hilt with the other. She doesn't activate it yet, of course, but whatever this is won't catch her off-guard. "...I believe it, it's feeling colder as we go. That can't be just me, right?" Korrin knows she complains about the cold where it exists, but to suddenly be hit with it a few feet away from where they were talking is different.

[universal_charm]

Well, that's good. He would hate to have his evening ruined by being forcibly run out of a place. Now, it wouldn't be the first time for that, of course. Not by a long shot, but he didn't think his reputation could survive it here, or reflect as charmingly as it did back home.

"Is that what they all know me as? The trousers man?" He asked, letting Adasse steer him towards the drinks.

[utulien_aure]

The harpist in question looks up from his instrument, turning bright, curious eyes on Kirk.

"You have my thanks," he responds, and all the merriment the songs were lacking can be heard in his voice. "I've enjoyed the city's music tonight, but these are the ones I love the best. It's good to know they travel with me, even so far from home."

[judgemewhole]

James paused for a moment, wetting his lips as if wondering if he should tell Sam. Which honestly, was precisely what he was doing. After a moment he sighed, and rubbed the back of his head.

Interceptor had moved right in to get pets from Sam, licking his hand. When James paused, Interceptor barked at him encouragingly.

Finally, James sighed and said, "... Beleth. I am looking for Beleth."

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Adasse grinned at him, pouring him a measure of their cider, where the smell was sweet and already intoxicating. They knew how to brew down here in the alienage, after all.

"Hey, better than 'the bloke who is getting his family jewels removed if he keeps eying the young girls." Adasse's smile widened, "Besides, I don't know much else about you, now do I?"

[universal_charm]

He took it with a nod of thanks, giving a quick sniff and sipping rather than gulping it down. There was a lot of alcohol out there tonight, and as much as he enjoyed the buzz it brought, it he didn't want to get drunk off his ass either.

"Oh, well, no worry about that tonight. You have my full attention," he said with a bright laugh of his own, smile matching Adasse's. "Well, you know I have an adorable puppy. I remember quite vividly putting you in charge of her for a time."