bakerstreet | The Midwinter Masque

The Midwinter Masque

The Court of Night Blooming Flowers
The Night Court is the casual name for the 13 houses of Mont Nuit in the City of Elua
where the Servants of Naamah worship and ply thier trade.
Elua's blessed principle is 'Love as thou wilt' but love can take many forms.
These houses see to each and every shade and color of Elua's principle.
Pay a house fee and take your pick, but remember to leave a patron gift if you have been well pleased by Naamah's gifts.

How it Works

1. Comment with your character/s. Put their name and canon along with preferences in the subject space.
2. Others will tag with their character and the house they have chosen from the list.
3. Your character can either be visiting the house or working as one of Naamah's servants.
4. Play nice! Or naughtily, if you happen to be in Valerian or Mandrake house.

The 13 houses are essentially brothels, although religiously affiliated ones, so sexual situations are to be expected. Also some houses lend themselves to more triggering fare so please be respectful of each other and talk it out with your RP partner if there are problems with a scenario.

If you’re having trouble with a scenario might we suggest:

The Midwinter Masque

On the Longest Night Cereus House hosts the Midwinter Masque, an elite and private function that all the houses attend in grand costume. The guests of the house are those chosen by each house's Dowaynes and of the highest status. Royalty, political leaders, high ranking officials. All of these are likely to attend and on the Longest Night no coin is exchanged. It is a night of revelry and gaiety spurred on by the evening's drink of choice. Joie a clear, potent liquor made from a rare and exquisite white flower served in small crystalline glasses by the youths of the House. And as our own Longest Night approaches we highly suggest taking the opportunity to play with that setting!

If you'd like to play by the rules of the Masque, please make note of it in your post!

The 13 Houses of the Night Court
(After some houses shall be the theme their house dressed in at the Masque in the first book for you to use as inspiration!)

1. Alyssum- The House canon is modesty. Their motto is "with eyes averted", and the servants here are well suited to acting shy, modest, and slightly uncomfortable with their own desires. If you wish your lover to tremble and blush with shame when you reveal their nakedness, this is your destination. (Alyssum's adepts dressed in the veils and robes of Yeshuite priests and priestesses)

2. Balm- The House canon is compassion. Their motto is "rest and be soothed". Those who need healing and soothing through gentle touch and companionship may come here. These adepts are also the most skilled at massage of all the houses.

3. Bryony- The House canon is cupidity and the desire for money, the motto "Wealth Seeks Company". Their house is more of a carnival of wonders, where you may gamble with your desires in a game of will and wits. Be careful what favors you gamble with though, for the adepts who work here are said to rarely lose.

4. Camellia- The House canon is perfection. Those who work here are physically perfect, without flaw, and as such they are considerably more proud of their station. Perhaps haughty and brilliant would best describe the adepts who reside here.

5. Cereus- The House canon is fragility, their motto "all lovliness fades". The youthful and delicate serve here, those who hold their beauty for a fleeting moment. Cereus also has the distinction of being the oldest of all the houses. The adepts here are ones who know the value of living for the present and making each moment count. (Dressed as snow/ice creatures in white and silver)

6. Dahlia- The House canon is dignity and regality. All those who serve in Dahlia house conduct themselves as royalty, with the proper mannerisms, decorum, and attitude. (Gold to rival Cereus' silvery white)

7. Eglantine- The House canon is performance. Those who serve here are skilled in the arts of singing, dancing, and poetry and can perform together or privately for their patrons. (Dressed as Tsingani, arrayed in bright colors as of our gypsies or street performers)

8. Gentian- The House canon is purity of spirit. The adepts here can read visions and dreams, and may reveal things that hold great meaning to those they share their knowledge with. (Seers preceded by incensers)

9. Heliotrope- The House canon is love and devotion. Their motto is "thou and no other". It is said that when one lies with an adept from Heliotrope, they shall make you feel as if you are the only one who has ever touched their hearts.

10. Jasmine- The House canon is sensuality. Their motto is "for pleasure's sake" and the experience is pure hedonism. Adepts are said to be the most exotic of all the houses, and they emphasize this in their dress. (The exotica of faraway lands, some draped in naught but sheer veils)

11. Mandrake- The House canon is sadism and dominance. The motto is "yield all". Adepts are Mandrake are trained to dominate those who come seeking such release, using skills and tools to bestow plain and pleasure. A signale is arranged beforehand that patrons can use should they ever wish to stop their session. (The Court of Tartarus, a deliciously sinister note amidst the gaiety of the others, heavy black robes of velvet or satin and bronze masks at once beautiful and grotesque.)

12. Orchis- The House canon is mirth, it's motto "joy in laughter". Adepts from this house are joyful people who believe in fun above all else. They are quick with a grin and a game, and skilled in making their patrons smile. (A stunning aquatic theme filled with mermaids and fantastic sea beasts)

13. Valerian- The House canon is submission, the motto "I yield". Adepts are trained from childhood to experience pain with all pleasure and pleasure with all pain. They also have a signale they can use if they need to stop. (Somewhat similarly to Jasmine, a theme of a Middle Eastern harem)

Premise is based on Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series. Format borrowed from

darkdangeline

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[The Warden isn't conventionally attractive, but his mirth and nearly unbreakable ego often makes patrons forget about his scrawny figure and obvious bucking of what makes the masculine. (In fact the latter could be his niche.) Due to his age and experience, he is currently in the running to become dowayne of Orchis house.

He's the slender man painted in blue as a merman.]

[A near perfect example of the Cereus ideal of beauty, with her pale skin, silver eyes, white hair, and slim body. Mijita will play the part of a snow princess.]

[A Heliotrope adept that also occasionally plays the part of barrister. Phoenix will wear a dark red suit with a mask with a that plays up his namesake, swirls of black, orange, gold, and various reds.]

[Even in a house of peacocks Meister strives to be the most radiant. He wears regal purple and lush greens, and while his face might not be as beautiful as some of the others he makes up for it with his passionate song.]

[No one except Peter himself could ever call Peter Merkel "beautiful"; with his extensive scarring, he really looks more like he could be an especially eager adept of Valerian House, and he does apparently seem to enjoy pain.

But there's no doubt that his soul (if he has one) belongs to Eglantine. He is a performer right down to his triple-jointed bones, thrilled to show off his flexibility, hiding his less-than-ideal appearance behind brightly-colored spandex and an attractive, if somewhat unsettlingly blank mask.

He is currently crouched down, balancing on the ball of one foot, heel in the air and his other leg bent behind himself and stretched almost delicately over his own head. One of his arms seems to be supporting it there, but it's hard to tell which one; they're both back there, bent around each other and apparently doing something fairly complicated.]

Everyone seems to be preparing for the Masque. Are you going to be singing this year, William?

[Billy calls Peter 'interesting', which is by him a compliment. One can find dull, porcelain doll beauty in any of the houses, it's novelty that sets one apart from the crowd.

And Peter is...definitely novelty, no matter what else you make of him.]

Of course. [He flicks back the end of his purple cloak.] I have a few special numbers I've been saving up for just an occasion. No previews, try me as you might.

[Far better to be interesting and skilled than classically beautiful; if nothing else, the reactions of the patrons are more varied. It's good to know that someone else appreciates that -- someone besides the house's Dowayne, at least.]

No previews? Not even a hint? Why, how will I know what to look forward to, besides your usual dulcet tones?