Winter Festival 2010

[Nightfall]

Nightfall had turned as Gianna spoke, and remained staring at the diminutive woman, studying her.

He was tempted to tell her, There is no spoon.

Not that he gave one metaphysical fuck-all about existentialism, but he did care about Spoons.

The first Summer, he ignored. Always the angry children, the scions of Wrath. Petulant, vengeful, wanting their voices heard and swords drawn to a clamor so loud it drown out reason. Too angry to surrender to desire, too angry to fear the unknown, too angry to honor with grief. Of course there was no room for acceptance or hope.

The second Summer, surprised him, and he turned.

"You honor me with your faith, but it's forbidden. The Gloaming Courts may not rule."

He gave Spartan a small smile, a mixture of apology and thanks for the confidence, and turned back to Gianna, moving closer.

"Lady Gianna, forgive me," he said softly, still wanting to believe in the Gameplayer. "Is that the oath that was sworn by all of the founders, unaltered, and in it's entirety?"

[Rust Mane]

Rust begins to walk carefully away from Spartan the the moment Brock's words go hot. By the time Spartan is speaking Brock has an eye-full of the King of Summer.

He allowed Alice to speak what he would have said. His expresion of utter nuetrality and thundering mantle enough to give Alice a backdrop for her speech.

"You and I will talk latter. Hand me the weapon." Rust words are soft and metalic. His tone even. His clawed hand waiting. He eyes as cold as steel. Rust knew the guy was new. Rust knew the guy was just looking to be heard. Rust knew the guy was apologetic.

And yet Rust had yet to allow on of his show disrespect toward the Freehold. Fools were ever allowed their doom. Wrath would not, could not forgive without a price.

As Rust waits to be obeyed, he scans the gathered, daring any others to disrupt the discusion on the dias. He frowns at those turning to drink over seeing through the most immediate danger present in their lives.

"Fools..."

[Lesingnon]

Rick pushed the hubbub around him aside, ignoring it. Though he was certainly peripherally aware of the outbursts around him. But his focus was on the words of the pledge. Examining them, turning them over in his mind, studying them as only a master Pledgesmith could.

Analyzing the Pledge

Rick Pereg rolls 13 to Int + Occult + 1 +2(Mantle) (Willpower): 8, 10, 3, 4, 10, 6, 6, 10, 10, 3, 2, 2, 9, 8, 6, 10, 1, 7; 8 Successes

"The crown cannot be passed to Queen White early, by the terms of the Pledge. If the crown can't be passed on to the ruler of the current season it must wait; either until a new Sovereign can be appointed or the seasons turns again. I am certain of this. If the cycle breaks, the crown remains true until the next Season blossoms, burns, withers or hides."*

*

I'd also like to remind everybody that since Rick has 3 dots of Pledgesmith (as noted in his minisheet) he's known to be particularly skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to pledges.

[Sam Barkley]

Hanging out by the bushes alone finally pays off. Barkley can't be sure what, precisely, the woman whom took him in when his Clarity was in doubt had anticipated this evening. But after hearing his fellow Doom-Sayer's warning about Gianna, Sam had come to the realization that her charity was a move, one among billions, and a Gameplayer plays every side of the board. Just gotta figure out her next move to stop the game, he thinks, gritting his teeth as she speaks with such obvious enjoyment. The way she's staring at HAL makes the suspicious, stubby bastard think that he knows what she's up to...maybe he was playing, too. And lost.

He steps out of the shadow of the flora as Spartan proposes that Dawn and Dusk step in. Chuck was very, very clear that could never happen, but Alice and Neil dispel that idea before Sam needs to. He laughs at his friend's polite question to the Keeper of the Commons as he joins them. "No, 'cor it ain't the original, Nightfall. The original version had no such provision to keep the likes o' us out, right, Lady?" Sam asks Gianna, snickering. He looks around and notices a couple of new faces holding down the bar while all this mess was sorted out and is extremely envious. His hand stops half-way to his flask; he sighs and is about to ask about the Pledge when Rick explains it for them. "So what happens while the Crown waits, then? Does the Freehold have no Sovereign, or does HAL stay 'til Katrin is found or Spring begins?" Assuming nothing happens to Alice, Barkley doesn't say. He knows that she knows that Neil won't let that happen, an' Neil knows he can count on Sam, huh. Sam looks at Gianna and the Sovereigns, then back to Gianna like a shot. "An' what's Keeper's Pledge, then? I'm sure we'd all be innerested ta hear the words that guarantee yer loyalty an' fairness, Lady."

[Phoenix]

Kathleen was a bit confused by all the concussion that was happening out there. Despite being Spring, she did not really approve of the idea of her court taking the power over the one of sorrows.

After that, wasn't that the point of having four rotating sovereings ? So that each aspect of the changeling life be incorporated in the day to day activites of the freehold when it is most appropriate ? (that is during the ruling seasons).

She avoids taking part in the discussion though having no illusion of either being heard or having some relevant points to make in the debate.

She listens to the legate of mists doing his analysis of the pledge binding the freehold. Well that settles it. They're going to need a winter to take the crown of the season. And they better find one fast. The snow season is not going to last forever ...

[Forn Clakes]

HAL watches as Marcus places the crown down but does not approach to take it. He is too concerned with something else entirely.

Gianna, still smirking, looks to Nightfall. "It was indeed. Hasty in making, yes, but required. It ensured survival." When the other half of the balance spoke, she turned towards him. "I do not understand your question, my dear. Are you drunk?"

[Matt]

Kaito take another big gulp of her neat vodka. "Rick, Is it possible that the crown can be passed to a proxy king or queen until the real queen is found?"