#ahqplotdrop

tw: gore, blood, violence, murder

The irony of the time was not lost on her as Noelle Kumar perched idly waiting in a comfortable cast of darkness for the last guard to make his rounds around the bend of the high lord’s bed chambers. The last cover of night kissing up to her skin from where she hide, pressed up against the ledge of the window. A velvety drape tucking her perfectly out of any passerby’s view. 

How many times had she roamed these very halls? How many times had she accompanying her once ‘master’ to visit ‘their high lord’? She could practically picture her once innocent little feet scurrying towards the chambers her target now resided in to deliver the man whom had been some twisted father figure to her and the high lord Lysander a bottle to drink, before exiting so that the ‘grown ups’ could entertain each other. Once upon a time, a little human named Noelle had truly believed that the faes had her best interests at heart. After all, her ‘master’ had dream walked into her head night after night to convince her as such even after he had worked her mother to her death. She had been manipulated for years to believe that the minor lord she had been indentured to cared about her as Lysander, the High Lord himself, encouraged it all. The Dawn Courts common tongue was spoken intentionally so that the humans residing in the court like her wouldn’t be able to understand them for crying out loud. It was depressing really to think back at how completely ignorant she had been once upon a time. But if only those faes could only see her now, she thought. Hopping down from her ledge, she moved silently down the hall before slipping inside Lysander’s room. 

The great High Lord laid stretched across his bed with a lopsided smile across his sleeping face, a courtesan snuggled up to his side. The resistance leader, dressed from head to toe in black, with a mask of fabric concealing most her face, held the edge of a dagger up against the courtesan’s neck as she quietly stirred them awake. Her face remaining stoic as she took in the wide and fearful eyes of the half dressed human. Bringing a finger up to her lips as she motioned with the slightest tilt of her head for the servant to quietly leave the room, waiting until the courtesan had safely slipped out before her attention fell back to blonde’s unbeknownst and yet smirking face. 

The Resistance had already declared war. Celine’s little stunt at the Beaumont and Wren wedding had assured that and, along with it, any hope of equality between the fae and humans. No high lord or high lady or laird would listen to them now as they tried to pitch an alliance or plan of reform. Not with the bloody present they had dropped off for the entire council of fae leaders. 

Personally, Noa didn’t hate all fae nor did she blame them all for those specific few who chose to play the role of an oppressor. She hated the system. She hated the way their society justified the treatment of humans or anyone for that matter as second class citizens. But, what she hated or didn’t, no longer matter. The courts were reinforcing their security and putting their resources behind finding any resistance member they could make an example of. It was only a matter of time before they were found out. They had to act and they had to act now. Her people had nominated Santiago and her to be their leaders and, as their leaders, they needed to do what was best for the group as a whole and if their people wanted to take back the lands that had been stolen from them? Well, then Noa would lead the charge. Collateral damage be damned and maybe some sweet justice for the little girl she once was at the same time.

– ♡ event 002. FOR FAME AND GLORY ( pt. 2 )

For the latest development see the latest plot drop here...

➤ THE BASICS

As with all ends of the tournament, the Autumn Court planned to conclude the competitions with a glorious and elaborate awards ceremony, where champions would be crowned and coomplishments would be celebrated. As a sign of good faith, High Rulers and their partners were each invited to present an award at this formal event, which would then be followed by a full night of Autumn-style merriment.

However, in the midst of these opening ceremonies, with citizen and soldier alike bedecked in their finest attire, the Resistance has once again emerged from the shadows in a move that is far more brazen than anything ever seen before. Santiago Castillo, disguised in plain sight, managed to land a critical blow on the High Lord of Night, Gabriel Beaumont, with all of Astralis as his witness, launching a declaration of war with devastating consequences.

The Autumn Court, already wounded by the Resistance before, launched into immediate action, turning from amiable hosts into ferocious warriors hellbent on hunting down everyone and anyone responsible for the attack. Winter and Spring, both allies of Autumn, have leapt forth in aid, and the trifecta alliance of Night, the Garden and the Wild Hunt have retaliated in kind. All others have banded together with others of their court, determined to hold their grounds against the tempestuous storm that has borne down upon them. The tentative peace that was built during the tournament has crumbled to pieces, with courts turning against courts in a violent, impromptu brawl.

➤ BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER

Astralis’ second half of the event is combat-oriented, with courts going up against their rival courts and everyone on the alert for another ambush from the Resistance lurking among them. Civilians are banding together as soldiers and warriors charge at one another in a chaotic battle royale. Bedecked in formal attire originally meant for a proper gala, most guests are unarmed, with only their magic, their wits and their allies to protect them.

➤ THE HUMAN RESISTANCE’S ROLE

With the sudden ambush led by one of the co-leaders of the Resistance, the humans have come out of the woodworks to take the fae off-guard. Hunters have launched themselves into the fray, looking for every oppotunity to take out an enemy or steal one more precious piece of intel in the pandemonium. Others, like the spies and recruits, are taking care to keep their involvement to a minimum, circling the fighting with the hopes of an easy win against a vastly more powerful foe.

- ̗̀  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

➤ CAN I CONTINUE MY PART ONE EVENT THREADS DURING THE EVENT?

As with other events, we ask members to interact with this new development! However muns can continue some threads if they so choose!

➤ HOW LONG WILL THE EVENT LAST FOR?

As a reminder, the second half of the event will last from March 1st to March 15th. 

➤ WHAT SHOULD I BE TAGGING POSTS WITH?

(TW: gore, blood, violence, murder)

Earlier that day...

The wedding, from Celine’s perspective, had gone off with hardly a hitch. Not one member among them had been caught, and the intel that they had been gathering would no doubt aid their cause. But this meeting, this gathering of the High Lords and Ladies, was where the fun really started. For as much as they could infer from what the nobility thought of the new alliance, it was the High Rulers that mattered the most. After the Resistance had so thoroughly established themselves among the servants from the previous night, it was child’s play to slip more than a few of them into the same group looking after this little rendez-vous.

But a rather loud argument drew her attention away from her post and towards the balcony. Peering in from the entrance, she saw a familiar face; a maid who had recently joined within their ranks only a few months ago, her face raised defiantly before a noblewoman from Autumn, if the colours were any indication. “I told you, I’m not doing it! My contract with you was finished months ago!” The young woman glared, clutching onto the serving tray she held with white knuckles. “What more can you possibly take from me?”

The Fae woman seemed to take that as an invitation, a cruel smile forming as she looked down on the human. The air rippled with a sickening sweetness as she closed in on the recruit. “Look at you, all confident because your little Resistance friends are lurking about? Just what sort of reward do you think the High Lord will give me if he knew? Do you think he’ll care if I take my plaything back?” Celine frowned at that, looking at the dawning realization blooming across the maid’s expression as the Fae laughed. “Or, you can sign away the rest of that miserable life of yours and we can keep this a secret between friends. What do you say?”

Fuck. She knows. So much for keeping a low profile. 

Before the Fae could finish her threat, Celine pounced, grabbing hold of the serving knife from the Resistance recruit as she tackled the Autumn Fae down to the stone floor. Before they had an opportunity to scream, she drove down the dull instrument with full force, wedging it into the Fae’s throat as deeply as she could thrust it. Blood splattered across her outfit and onto the balcony as the creature below her gurgled, grabbing onto the hunter to try and force her off. But the blonde held firm as the Fae choked before her, struggles growing gradually weaker before she finally stilled. The maid covered her mouth, horror filling her vision and turning her pale. “O-oh my god, what did you do?”

“Saved your life is what. Now shut it. I’m thinking.” Celine scowled, finally letting go of the knife and wiping the sticky blood on the Autumn Fae’s outfit. Out of habit, she looked over her fresh kill, snatching away a rather fancy-looking pendant handing from her neck and stuffing it unceremoniously into the folds of her clothing. A souvenir for later. “Given that a certain someone blew our cover, we’re going to need to evacuate.” She stood up, moving away from the body to look towards the balcony with a frown. There was no way she could get back through the halls and into the tunnels when she reeked so strongly of blood, not when so many Wild Hunt were prowling about. And judging from the height of the drop, a safe jump down most certainly wasn’t possible, but there were enough crevices in the rockface below to scale down so long as she had the time to do it. She would most certainly need a distraction, to keep their suspicion away from the exterior of the building long enough to make her escape. 

Well, they had already made it this far. Might as well make a show of it.

Her eyes darted back to the Resistance member, who seemed to have recovered from the gruesome sight and was watching her with great uncertainty. “You’re still presentable, so you’re going to do exactly what I say, word for word.“ The hunter ordered, a vicious grin spreading across her face. “You’re going to go back in there and leave a message on the wall. You have all the ink you need right here.” She drew a line across her neck to make her point. “I’ll prop this darling up, and then about an hour or so into their talks, you’re going to draw their attention here. Then find the others and get them the hell out of here as soon as you can. Understood?” The maid nodded, far more resolute than she had been before. “Perfect. Now this is what I want you to write...“

The Beaumont-Wren wedding was a celebration to remember. The untold-of alliance between the Night Court, the Wild Hunt and The Garden had brought together an impending sense of something new beginning, along with great uncertainty in its wake. All night, the guests had mingled with one another, watching and waiting to see just who of the many Courts would make their first move in the wake of this new development. Yet as the celebrations continued, they had all begun to relax, increasingly certain that any concerns of war would be put off for yet another day, and that they could continue their revelries in peace.

Given the rare occasion brought forward by the gathering of the Courts, the High Lords and Ladies elected to hold a private council meeting among them. As the festivities wound to a close, the rulers shifted to more isolated quarters to discuss the shifting balance of power between them, while their citizens recovered from their inebriation in the guest rooms elsewhere. As dawn broke through, the Court rulers unsheathed their verbal claws, ready to do battle to protect their interests. Yet wholly unaware to them, there were others with a vested interest in their activities, lurking in plain sight. Watching. Waiting.

But a horrified scream filled the air, as the sound of breaking glass disrupted their murmured discussions.

The source of the servant’s screams had landed with a dull thud as they had opened one of the many balcony doors in the expansive estate their meeting was hosted in, and within the viewpoint of so many guests, there was no hiding the macabre sight before them. A Fae bedecked in the resplendent regalia of the Autumn Court lay staring at the ceiling lifelessly, the jagged stem of a serving knife buried so deeply into her throat that only the handle could be seen visibly. Blood pooled around her, a viciously violent maroon that spread across the floor and stained the moon-touched marble red. 

Guards swamed to the scene, pushing spectators back as they wrestled for control of the unexpected situation. “Step back! Calm yourselves!” Their protests fell on deaf ears as the crowd swelled with unease and panic, looking among one another in uncertainty as the Court security pushed back against them. “This was an accident, surely!” The nobility swelled against it, nervousness taking over rational thought. “Accident? This was murder!” “You told us this would be safe!” “Who’s responsible for this?”

In the jostling, another cry pierced through the murmuring. “L-look up there! At the wall!” The concern shifted to where the body had fallen from, where a guest pointed out the crimson markings peeking out behind the velveteen curtain. As one of the guards pulled the material away, bloodied words written hastily came into striking focus, fear creeping into the hearts of the guests while the human servants, slowly but surely, disappeared from sight. 

‘The Resistance sends its regards.’