[Nobilis] Dead Flowers

[Hollyhock God]

You had a nightmare once, when you were a child. It haunted you at night, but like all such things it was quickly forgotten.

Quick! Don't let it get away!

There's a place where the Forgotten Things go, where origami lions stalk nightmare babies before they grow into true terrors. Between the haunted trees and beyond the swamp of Forbidden Desire, chase that childhood fright, don't lose it in the mists.

See the Golden Temple in the distance? Hear the songs and chants of mournful celebration? Smell the sickly sweet smell from the sacrificial flames wafting all the way here? Tonight is a very special night in Locus Axio, home of the varied and strange Powers who owe allegiance in one form or another to the First Among Wildlords.

For you see, the King of The Chancelfolk, in his gold and feathers, had ruled for fifty two years of peace and tranquillity. On old King Huatl's watch the sacrificial fires never hungered for hearts or souls, so diligent to the traditions was he. Needless to say, when his reign of five decades was finally at an end, and tradition demanded he give of his old and weathered body as his final sacrifice as King, Huatl had every intention of meeting those flames with dignity.

A new King would be selected, as they always had been, by the capricious whim of the Wildlord. Sometimes regal merchants, other times beggars on the Chancel streets. Everyone shows to the Grand Ceremony, secretly hoping they will be selected. Fifty two years is a long time, and by then, the fires will look inviting.

The Nobility of the Chancel had to attend as well. They were expected to speak kindly of the Old King, as well as showering the new one with gifts and blessings. Out doing each other with creative presents was the competing tradition so far.

The little nightmare from your childhood dances among the funereal smoke, licks it's lips at the sight of playing children, and wonders in awe and majesty what the Sovereign Powers of Axio were up to this very moment.

Spoiler: Introductions

Show

Welcome, the game is afoot.

For your first post I would like you to answer me these questions organically.

Who is your Noble and what do they look like (at least tonight, for the Coronation)? This is your character's introduction to the story, so you have to let us know who we are dealing with?

What normal routine of yours was interrupted by the Coronation? This will tell me what a normal day for you is like, and how you deal with the interruption.

Tell me something about how you and old King Huatl dealt with each other? Were you very familiar or very standoffish with the mortals of your Keep and their appointed ruler? Make up whatever you want, someone is going to die tonight, so tell us why your will remember him?

What gift do you intend to give the new king (once Axio chooses one)?

[DukeGod]

The end of an era always carried a certain weight to it. In the prosaic Earth, the passing of a ruler was not this event no matter what they said. There, the kings and queens had limits to their powers. In here, they had no such things. Kings and Queens were as powerful as the wild lord himself, or close enough, for that was what he desired

Proof enough of that was that they had to be here. Himself and his Familia. Virrikiriel however understood the need and chose to show up in all his grace. His body was steel, several bands marring it, as if it had been pattern-welded. His lower face covered in a black faceplate, his eyes two balls of lightning, his hair thick cables of the shiniest gold. Jagged crystals decorated it, glowing in impossible fashion, the light was the outline of a formal suit

His thoughts return to the absurdity of it. All of his planning abandoned. A new king meant a need for entirely new plans. He couldn't even really define his goals for they could all be different. It annoyed him. He already disliked the usual need to convince the ruler to change the Chancel in different ways for it interfered with meditation and taking the path to enlightenment, yet he needed the ruler to help him if he wanted to keep looking for the Light

He brings up memories of Huatl. They hadn't gotten along. The man kept the bonfires burning with a constant stream of sacrifice. He could understand the need, but it seemed such a waste. The peace was treasured yes...but he wasn't sure if it appeased Axio. Sometimes the lord had wanted defiance.

With the sound of metal rasping against metal, something like a sigh comes out from Virrikiriel. He could imagine meeting the Imperator, with the Wild Lord displeased once more. He wasn't sure if the gift he brought was good enough. 52 years passed too fast for beings like him, he had been caught completely by surprise. He takes in his hands what seems to be pure white light, but is in reality feathers of his wings placed in something like an amulet meant to be worn around the neck. It had been painful to take those out. He thinks maybe he should just work on the gift of the next king as soon as this is over. Maybe armor of sword forged by himself, carrying the magic he placed on all things

[Crinias]

The lord of all paper was observing his work.

Kami, more commonly known as Paper, had been wondering what to gift the new King or Queen of the chancelfolk for some hours now. In his mansion made of dead trees, his workshop and home, he had been looking over some small designs of things that might prove as respectful gifts. Almost no objects or creatures were beyond his reach to make with his Estate, and in this, his home, he had supreme power over his creations.

He had already looked himself over the mirror to make sure he was properly attired. His tall stature and slender frame looked good with the simple Shinto priest robes he was wearing. His short black hair ended in stylized points, like you could cut yourself on him. His eyes, sharp like a hawk's, complemented his face’s other features.

Truthfully, he was not looking forward to the coming ceremony. Any particular break in his routine of staying at home and minding his own business for weeks or months on end was generally met with reluctance. He would always rather meditate, work on some new project, or just generally relax and allow himself simple desires as he would when he was still fully mortal. As such, the uncertainty of who his Lord might choose to be the next ruler was worrisome. Paper did not like the idea of spending the next fifty-two years having to deal with someone he did not like.

---

When he had first come to the Chancel he was appalled by the sacrifices, so much so that he almost took rash action. His upbringing had been very strict about the importance of being polite, and of respecting other people's values, even if they were foreigners, but this was too much. It was only after talking to Huatl that he realized the importance of the rituals, of the values of this tradition, even if he couldn't fully understand it. And he had not wanted to just cede like that, the Light in him told him to stop this--

But Huatl was no hypocrite, he had seen that. He was honest and dedicated from what he could see and he held his ground even when faced with someone with the power of a god. He had been forced to admit that the greater majority of all people benefited from the Chancel's methods. His home country had been big on focusing the community over the individual, so he decided he was in no position to judge. Since then he had gotten on respectful, if distant, terms with Huatl.

---

Many worries floated through his mind, but for now, Paper focused on the gift. He had considered making a paper sculpture of some sort, but that seemed like showing off, and not very practical. So then he was trying out models of everyday objects in paper - armor or weapons, or perhaps fancy clothes. Was that perhaps too mundane? Models after models were on the drawing-room's floor, prototypes discarded, to be later reused.

So undecided was he over what to do that he continued to wonder about this on the way to the ceremony, flying on the wings of a giant paper-bird, as he usually did to get around. Impulsively, he decided on making some sort of paper animal for the new ruler, probably a small familiar to serve as a faithful companion. Practical, fancy, and with enough room for being creative about the details. That seems about right, he thought to himself.

As for which kind of creature, he'd decide upon looking at the successor themselves. He could only hope they wouldn't be too troublesome.

[Heartspan]

Deep in the bowels of the forest, Crom awoke. It was time. Yet another ruler would be added to his collection, all that Huatl once knew would be his once the pyre was fueled. Crom uncoiled his long body, unfolding his wigs and tail. The shifting words on his body told tales of nearly 30 years of uninterrupted rest, spent cataloging the various tithes to his estate. Too bad no one could read them. He had planned an especially generous gift for the new king. He felt the world stirring to action, and the chancel would need an adept ruler. Crom decided that this time he would give the new king something of his own: experience of previous kings and priests, collected through the years and invaluable to any new ruler. With one last look of satisfaction upon his collection, Crom took to the air.