While the Abbey of the Oberion is itself an enclosed clan, within exists many smaller enclosures where residents can live a focused, dutiful life. By maintaining several different "Quartersā, the Abbey is able to keep a high standard of security at all times.Ā āPublicā services such as the bath house, the dining hall, chapel and library help connect the seemingly isolated quarters, along with spaces designated for socialization with fellow residents.Ā
Exclusive
Exclusive quarters tend to house residents who require a higher degree of safety- residents cannot choose where they reside (with the exception of the watchtower) if they qualify to live in one of these quarters.
Partners/lovers of those who reside in these quarters and do not qualify to live here themselves may only reside here with special permission. The marriage/commitment of the couple is usually a requirement to begin the consideration process.
Dancersā Cloister
Dancers, Musicians
The Cloister is one of the most open enclosures, second only to the Watchtower. It features different venues, carefully sectioned off from the living quarters, for hosting dances and celebrations with neighboring clans. While many have been to the Cloister, few save the dancers, musicians, and guards themselves are privy to its secretive inner workings.
Guards are specially chosen for this quarter- because the dancers are finicky and pick the ones they like.Ā
Nobleās Courtyard
Royalty/Descended from royalty
The most empty of the exclusive enclosures. While the presence of royalty is predictable, their number tends to be few.
Guards tend to be individually assigned.
Garden of Sight
Dragons with unstable/rare magic abilities
Has a passage to the healerās ward for unexpected incidents.
Well populated, so the guard does regular patrols.Ā
The Sundial
Suriya and Themistocles
A marble enclosure soaked in sunlight.
The Watchtower
Semi-exclusive: High-ranking guards live here, guards can choose to live here.
Sort of serves as a barracks, sort of not. The high ranked guards use the Watchtower as their base of operations, so guards regularly report here regardless.
Emerald Quarter
This quarter is reserved exclusively for visitors who do not need to reside in the exclusive quarters. Itās closest to the Sapphire Quarter- hence its name.
Guards patrol semi-regularly/regularly depending on the guests.
Non-Exclusive
Those who do not qualify for an exclusive quarter can choose from any of the non-exclusive quarters.
Sparrowās Nest
Closest to the heart of the Abbey and common gathering places; small pockets of gardens dot forgotten places in this enclosure.Ā
The Archives
Residents of The Archives have prime access to the Chapel and Library- the quietest quarter, its halls are nigh-silent.
Snapdragon Cove
Residents of this enclosure are treated to views of the sea and coastline from their windows. They are also closest to the Abbeyās hidden docks and path down to the small beach.Ā
Non-Residential
There is only one non-residential Quarter in the Abbey, called the Sapphire Quarter. Residents who are skilled at a trade can set up shop for fellow residents and visitors alike in the Sapphire Quarter. The Sapphire Quarter is also notable as it is the area closest to the entrance of the Abbey, and is therefore what visitors first see when they enter. This allows the Abbey to maintain some separation between business and its primary duty of caring for its residents.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Qualityā Free Actions
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
He says goodbye to the gardens of hyacinth; to the jewel laden rooms of the palace; to the people who loved him, for a time.Ā
Amatus packs little. Most of his clothes had been replaced by courtly attire, and- well, itād get used as scrap material for other dancersā outfits. Heād rather keep his memories of this place safe and whole in their vanity drawers. So he takes a single bag with whatever he canāt bear to leave behind and the clothes on his back.
And then he leaves. A day early, in fact. There was supposed to be a ceremony, but-. Amatus canāt imagine going to it. He scoffs at the very idea, in fact! Why commemorate this.......when he could just- be gone.
He goes to Haelwyn first. There is no letter written in flourishes notifying anyone of his visit. Amatus is simply there, and Yusra and his husband take him in. Here, he has this: evenings in Yusraās arms, being soothed and comforted like a child when tears tumble down his cheeks. Listening to Claudusās stories with cups of hot tea, just as when he was small- Yusraās frequent interruptions included. Amatus doesnāt mind anymore. During those few days, his heart is patched and mended. He was part of a family.Ā
Yusra reminds him, when they send him off, that he still is. He remembers when Amatus was given to them, so small. When Yusra held him in his arms and when he and Vesper bickered on who would teach him.Ā āThank you for coming home to me,ā Yusra says,Ā āAnd make sure you go to Vesper when you arrive at the abbey. Heāll understand, Amatus.ā
Amatus is hesitant, but promises regardless.Ā
The abbey is different from how Amatus remembers it. Heās a little surprised he actually found it again, even with Yusraās instructions. Theyāre....in a different cliff, which makes Amatus wonder what happened before...?Ā
There are more dancers there than he remembers, and finding Vesper is a game of telephone- each person sends him to another, and when he finally gets Vesperās room number....Amatus finds that he has to ask for directions. He has no earthly idea how the rooms are set up here. The result is that he is simply pitied upon and escorted there, left to wait in Vesperās lavish entertaining quarters while someone fetches the master dancer.
As promised, Vesper does understand. He says it so sincerely that Amatusās vision blurs and he closes his eyes tightly. He should have written here more often- perhaps, if he did, would any of this have happened? Would he have stopped wasting time on letters to his parents that always came backĀ āreturn to senderā?
It doesnāt matter now, he supposes, as Vesper tells him that heāll be able to find peace here. To find the strength to move on, just as Vesper has times before. He is given a room of his own, and Vesper stays to help him unpack his meager belongings. Curtains are put on the windows, a fresh bedspread magically appears. It is all infinitely smaller than the grandiose, luxurious royal quarters at the palace, but this is the abbey, not the palace. This is where he was raised. This is home once more.
Vesper is about to leave to give Amatus some time to himself, when he says that some of the other dancers will likely want to throw some sort of celebration for Amatus.
āA....celebration?ā
āTo welcome you back, yes? Itās not as if our ranks have been entirely replaced. Iām sure youāll remember several dancers here from your youth...of course, Iāll make them wait until youāre feeling a little more energetic.ā
And with that, Vesper leaves Amatus to his own devices. A celebration. Amatus thinks back to the ceremony at the palace that he rebuffed by leaving early, but the thought pains him. He walks over and unceremoniously flops on his new bed, suddenly exhausted by his entire journey. That so-called strength that Vesper spoke of.....Amatus hopes that he can find it.
Not only a blacksmith, but the in-house jeweler, Anrai melts and molds metals with the help of his bound forge spirit Kagutsuchi. With Kagutsuchi in the forge, Anrai needs nothing but his tools and materials to hone his craft, as Kagutsuchi burns eternal by Anraiās anvil.
Appearance wise, Anrai has no lack of golden piercings (that he made himself, of course), and his sunset-red hair is tied up in a bun. Itās messy more often than not, but stray hairs that could get in the way are safely tucked out of sight. He is usually found in his forge, but when heās not there, he slaves over a different fire helping out with the abbeyās daily meals.
Towards the dancers Anrai is the experienced professional, consulted by them when they need jewelry made for one of their own. On rare occasion apprentices are brought to him, and he does some consulting on the jewelry that will adorn their formal, graduated dancer attire.
For those who protect the abbey, Anrai is responsible for their relatively small store of weapons, and their upkeep. Regardless, heās skilled in forging them, as there isnāt much else for him to do but practice. Some fighters like Hyacinth take a light apprenticeship under him, learning the skills of a blacksmith in their free time at their own pace.
Occasionally he will work with an enchanter when more specialized metalwork is needed.
Anraiās parents were loving and strong- the ideal couple. Anrai holds them in high regard and thinks of them often, working to imbue the memory of their strength into metal.
Amatus removes the weapon from its leather outer sheath, turning the dagger over in his hands. The metal gleams in the light, intricate details highlighted and displayed. The dancers sitting around him openly admire the craftsmanship, as well as the beautiful inlaid sapphire on the hilt.Ā
āSo,ā Artius says,Ā āWhy did you get a dagger instead of a normal ring?ā
āWell...ā
Amatus isnāt quite sure, really. But the whole thing was really symbolic, and definitely proposal-worthy, so why not?Ā
āI think itās a knight thing,ā He admits,Ā āI know heās protective of me too, so....doesnāt it make sense that heād give me this instead of a ring?ā
āKnights are fairly traditional. I think itās a little strange.ā Kieran points out.
āThatās only in stories! And anyway...ā Amatus huffs,Ā āIt was romantic. He said he was giving his life to me, and thatās when I knew....ā He sighs, turning the dagger over in his hands.Ā āI hope he teaches me how to use it.ā
āWouldnāt that be something!ā Jeers Amaranth,Ā āHis hands on yours, all close to you....Iād be surprised if you got through a single lesson without finding yourself facedown!ā He gets elbowed in the ribs by Artius, who hissesĀ āManners!ā and gets aĀ āPot calling the kettle black!ā in return.
āYouāve got to tell him you want to learn.ā Yashir takes control of the conversation,Ā āKnights may have physical strength, but they are not known for their wits. If he thinks he can just give one of ours a dagger and think heās set for life, heāll be sorely mistaken.ā He nods sagely,Ā āBoth materially and in terms of weapon capabilities.ā
āI donāt think itās supporting me thatās an issue...ā Amatus responds warily,Ā āBut youāre right. Iāll ask him for lessons. And we wonāt end up on the ground, like Artius and Hazael do with like....everything.ā
āHey!ā
āYou had sex in the hospital! I heard about it from Amaranth!ā
āOw! Itās the truth, though!ā
āShut up!ā
Kieran chimes in once again over the squabbling:Ā āYou should show us the actual blade.ā
āRight!ā Amatus lights up, thoughts back to his belovedās gift. The metal sheath slides off to show a elegant, slim blade of onyx, shimmering with magic. The blade barely translucent, the depths of the gem unfathomably deep. It captures the dancersā attention for a few quiet moments.
āThat....thatās really nice.ā Yashirās calming voice breaks the silence.
āItās enchanted,ā Kieran says,Ā āEnchantments are expensive.ā
āI think a custom blade in general is expensive, Kieran.ā Artius rolls his eyes,Ā āThis guyās committed. Ring or not, something like this makes a pretty decent wedding....proposal item. You said yes, right?ā
āOf course I did.ā Amatus looks at him oddly.
āWithout hesitation?ā
āOnly because of shock.ā
āAlright, alright.....understandable. Well! Heās a good guy. I mean, heās not a terrible guy. A decent fellow.ā Artius announces.Ā āAnd you deserve a guy who treats you right. No careless rich nobleman who could buy three of you from slavers.ā All others in attendance nod in assent.
āSo now, with all the dancer-ly powers vested in me, as a master dancer I approve of your fiance, and I give you official permission to start making your arrangements. Here, of course.ā The others cheer, and someone proposes a toast. The wineglasses are found, alcohol served, blade sheathed and put away from the soon-to-be-tipsy celebrants, and they all toast their fellow dancer to a happy, drama free,Ā āPrincelessā (adds Keiran) wedding.
āsurface cracks reveal the beauty withinā no, surface cracks reveal that thereās a new strain of gembond that seems to utilize the inside-out nature of advanced gembond but lacks the pain commonly associated with it. current sufferers worry nevertheless that they may be turned into a living, breathing gemstone due to the disease, and many regard the idea of losing their flesh and bone form with great distaste and worry.
kind of reminds me of what amaranth has, as he -is- a living, breathing gemstone with some magic applied to make him moreĀ āhumanā.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Qualityā Free Actions
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
so, yusra has been gone from the abbey for like. a v long time now. amatus has returned. iām still not sure if artius should continue to be yusraās replacement as a master dancer, considering elendil, who is an older pearlcatcher dancer, exists.
but considering yusraās history in the clan itās just hard to simply replace him. and artius was his first apprentice, so. i guess heās just having a hard time filling in and being what yusra was. poor bab.
how tf am i nostalgic for my past clan....living....places when i keep changing where they live
which, by the way, theyāve gone thru four
1) palace in the cliffs/valley (where hyacinth was once a prince)
2) basic cliffside home w/carved in rooms, small beach on the edge, huge communal area bc still a small clan
3) entire cliffside carved into a cave w/buildings inside, tons of room
4) cloister-type abbey composed of four/five interlocking square cloisters. magic keeps this abbey hidden
i still like #2 a lot but it was so hard to figure out like. communal areas and workspaces. maybe i should try to make a compromise between that and the cloister-type????
