Let the Masquerade Begin!

[Masque]

All posts must be done using the account Masque

Username: Masque
Password: Ebbeth

Try not to log on to your account and then log off and immediately log on as Masque. You will give yourself away doing that. Don’t forget to log off of Masque when you are done!

Here are the rules.

Create a costume for your character. Describe your costume and create an entry post for your character. Name your character according to your costume. For example if your character is a whery, your title would be The Wherry, and your costume would be fashioned in such a way that it would suggest a wherry. Do not include your character’s real name or anything unique to your character. You will roleplay your character being introduced by the Herald and your character’s entrance into the ball. Remember that your costume should be either something Pernese OR something that might have been passed down as legend from old Terra.

The purpose of this masque is to mingle without giving ourselves away. You can ask for hints as to who your dance partner or companion is, but they do not have to give them to you. After the Masquerade has gone on for a certain amount of time, we will have the unmasking to see if your guesses are correct.

There will be a prize for the best costume. The members will vote. Any members caught giving away themselves or another person’s character or trying to sway votes towards their character WILL be disqualified with no exceptions!

[Masque]

The enormous Dining Cavern of Dark Moon had been transformed over the past sevenday into a place of dreams and fantasy. The cavern had been closed to the riders and Weyrfolk in anticipation of the coming Masquerade Ball that had been announced the month before. The weyrdwellers had been working on their costumes in secret since the announcement of the impending ball. Riders, Craftsmen, Holders, and Drudges alike had all been invited to attend this auspicious occasion. The drudges who had chosen to work the Masquerade rather than join in were well rewarded and were dressed in matching uniforms. The Harpers that had traveled to the Weyr for the occasion were dressed their best in Harper blue.

Tables lined the outer edges of the cavern, covered with stiff black tablecloths. Silver trimmed the tablecloths and glittered in the flickering light of the torches and glows that gave the cavern walls a flickering dream-like appearance. A silver candelabra was set in the middle of each table and the tables were strewn with the petals of a white flower that grew on Pern. Vases of white flowers were set on either side of the candelabra, situated between the candelabra and the end of the table. A raised stage was set in the middle of the longest wall of the cavern for the large number of Harpers that had traveled to the Weyr for this occasion. A line of tables were heavily laden with succulent roast wherry, roast herdbeast, meat pies, pastries, mini bubbly pies, fresh fruit, and other delicacies that had been filling the weyr with tantalizing scents for over a sevenday. There was a separate table with wineskins, klah, fruit juice and water with a tub of crushed ice brought in from High Reaches shortly before the ball began. The floor had been polished by the drudges until it shone and had a slightly reflective quality. Along the walls, ribbons and streamers in black and silver were strewn with small clusters of wildflowers in all their summer glory. The colors would have seemed drab and mournful like in any other setting but the brightly colored costumes of the revelers and the overall affect of the decorations made the cavern seem more dreamlike than mournful.

A hush had settled upon the Weyr as the dwellers began their preparations for the ball that night. The dragons were oddly silent, jewel faceted eyes winking from their ledges like so many gems lit with inner fire all along the walls of the weyr, intensifying the surreal quality of the impending event as night began to fall over the land.
This was no ordinary dance. The revelers would arrive, garbed in their best but hidden behind the enigma of a mask. For this evening alone, rider, holder, and drudge, would become someone else. They would assume a role other than that of their daily lives and assume that persona until the unmasking. A silver gong stood at the edge of the raised dais for the musicians, ready to announce the start of the masquerade and the unmasking at the end.

The hush over the weyr made the sound of slippered feet all the more noticeable as the guests began to gather in their costumes.
The gong sounded, announcing the start of an evening of mystery, dancing and feasting…

A herald stood at the door, ready to introduce each reveler in their temporary persona.

“May I present…”

[Masque]

"The Canine!"

A young man entered the dining cavern, nicely dressed, with a mask about his face concealing his identity from everyone. The mask itself was elaborate and the design an elegant canine fashion with grays and hints of black. From the sides of the mask where the man's ears would be, two fur covered and fake canine ears stood out on each side. Fitting his hands were gloves of the same fur colored design. They were not shaggy or rough, but smooth. His pants were lined with a belt, and at the back, attached to the belt was a makeshift canine tail.

He looked about the room, an heir of honor and nobility about him as he was certainly playing up his entrance. Smugly he looked about the room as he slowly entered and made his way to the tables. His thoughts were simple and kept to himself. He remained silent as he made his way through the dining cavern.

[Spirithawk]

You have to rp the announcer calling out "The....."
Last poster you will need to edit your post from the masque account with your title.


People can take on NPCs if they want.
They can take holders, drudges, or craftsman.
You can also use any number of your own characters.

[Masque]

"The Gold Dragon!"

A young woman entered the dining cavern right after the Canine. Her dress fitted loosely on her, but her figure still showed well. The dress itself was a bright, golden like color that shimmered in the right light. The dress fell just above her ankles and flowed outward nicely, and the neckline fell low enough to show the right amount of cleavage. The mask she wore was gold and resembled the face of a dragon. It seemed to shimmer more than the dress, the dress being more subtle. She was silent as she made her way through the cavern and towards one of the tables to be seated and wait for the others to arrive.

[Masque]

"The Green Dragon!"

Almost immediately after the other disguised person, a new one entered. This too was a young woman, and she paused for a second to take in her surroundings. The people who decorated the lower cavern did a very well done job - that much was clear. The normally plain cavern had turned into a whimsical scene in a few days, it was a completely different place now. She smiled at the herald, a silent thank you, before walking into the room.

It had taken her a few sevendays to finally come up with an outfit for the masquerade. One couldn't go around asking others for advice - it would ruin the anonymity of it all. The dress was form fitting, without being to scandalous. It was a soft green in color, and there was a twisted cord of white rope tied around the middle, simply something to add to the dress as it hugged her waist. The neckline was lower without showing off to much, white embroidery decorating it. At the side of the twisted cord, there was a green dragon attached to the rope. It was originally supposed to be a hair pin, but it eventually became part of the dress when the girl realized the the mask would have blocked it out if she had it in her hair. She thought it turned out well though, the small green dragon was almost a side focal piece.

The mask was in the shape of a dragons face with the base of it being a darker green than the dress' fabric. However, it glimmered in the light and seemed to change color to varying hues of green whenever the woman took a step. If you looked closely, there was green stones and other knick knacks that embellished the mask - allowing it to glitter and look more attractive than a plain green mask.The girls hair was styled upwards, a few curled wisps escaping as she walked towards a vacant table to sit at. It would be interesting to play another person tonight, it was hard to be a stranger at Dark Moon at any other time.

[Masque]

"The Gate Keeper!"

The next one to enter upon his introduction was dressed a great deal less elegantly than those who'd previously entered, though he still held himself with a regal air. He looked to be in his late twenty's, with a bit of stubble along his chin as though he hadn't quite shaved all the way. He had on a poet’s shirt, plain black pants with a brown leather belt, and a brownish-green piece of cloth around his shoulders that had probably once been a cape, judging by the tattered state of the bottom hem. The clasp on the cape was made of a thick circular piece of metal with a symbol of two loops attached at the center carved inside the circle horizontally (an 8, only sideways), and the vague image of a rectangle upright behind the circles. He wore a time-worn wide-brimmed hat atop his head.

Instead of a mask, this man chose to wear a black piece of cloth tied around his eyes in a way that blindfolded him; there was one corner of the piece of cloth hanging over his nose. In his hand he had a long piece of wood, looking like something a herder might carry, but without the crook on the end. When the man announced his arrival he stood with one end of the staff on the floor, and with the hand not holding the staff resting behind his back. The way he stood made him look just as his chosen title would suggest: as a gate keeper. After his arrival was announced, he made his way further into the room to mingle.

[Masque]

The canine watched with delight as the gold and green dragons entered. Already this masquerade was shaping up quite nicely. Shape being the key word. Eying his prize and not having been seated, he made his way to the green dragon. Ever since he started preparing for this, he worked on changing his voice. Clearing his throat as he approached the green dragon, he spoke up.

"This is beyond what I expected it to be. Those who helped set this up deserve an award of some kind", he spoke to her casually as he took his seat next to her.

He took a moment to look around and notice exactly how much work and detail went into this masquerade. He smiled to himself as he noted everything. The workers had certainly went all out for this, he'd never seen anything so grand. But soon, his attention was carried right back to the green dragon.

[Masque]

"The Shadow!"

And yet another young woman stepped into the hall, dressed in an outfit that rather mimicked the name she'd given. She wore a dress in a dark so blue it was almost black, the cut simple and without any frill or extra material. The collar of the dress wrapped around her neck, clasped at the throat with a wrap-around sort of design that continued down the front of her dress and a bit off to the left side. Her sleeves were fitted to her arms, and ended at her wrists with a clasp on each, mimicking the clasp at her collar.

The gathering from the wrap effect ended at her waistline, with the material then falling away from the waste in a gentle but flowy manner. The material of the fell away from the gather on the top in a way that had the dress ending at her knee in one spot, with the rest of the dress falling to around mid-calf length. Underneath the dress she wore black leggings, and so the way the dress was cut did not reveal any skin, and her feet were glad in a soft moccasin-type shoe, made of soft black wherry skin.

The mask she wore was black as well, settling over her face in a way that covered most of her face, save for her mouth. The mask was made of plane black cloth, with a single string of white glass beads hanging down beside her right ear. Perhaps the most startling thing about her outfit was the addition of the cape she wore over her shoulders, which was the color of freshly fallen snow. It fell loosely around her shoulders, and cascaded along her form to end about an inch below the hemline of her dress.

[Masque]

"Fire Hawk!"

Another young man entered the room then, stepping into the crowd so as not to linger by the door. The first thing one would likely notice about this fellow was the mask he wore. It was a reddish-orange mask which contrasted starcly against his greene yes, and was made out of a simple cloth material with a bit of a shine to it. The mask went around his eyes, and then down and over his nose in a shape that mimiced a beak of sorts.

The mask was attached to a metal ring that went around his head, and the entire contraption held a swath of cloth in a deep green color which covered his entire head, the hems falling at his shoulder and framing his face and mask.

He wore a scarlet shirt, buttoned down and tucked in at the waist, with a jacket in the same color as the cloth on his head that came down to his knees. His pants, simple cloth yet again, were the same color as his shirt. He had on a cloth belt, made out of the same material as his mask, that went over the outside of his jacket and sinched in the outfit at his waist. within moments after his arrival had been announced he had stepped into the forming crowd, hoping not to be the center of attention for too long.

[Masque]

*The Rogue!"

The Rogue entered the festivities with delight and a smirk on his face as he seemed to dance about along his way. His attire was sharp for his name. A white button up shirt that frilled at the cuffs and a vest with no buttons that fit nicely along his sides. Wrapped around his head was a black cloth covering only around his eyes and most of his nose with eye holes neatly cut out to perfection. Atop his head was a hat, black with a red piece of cloth going around it. Neatly strung to drape over one shoulder was a cape with red rope that held it in place.

The young man looked about at the fine decor and smiled kindly to himself before turning his attentions to those already present. He smiled to each one and before most of them gave a bow, making a real show of himself before he waltzed off to socialize.

[Masque]

"The Wher!"

A male enters in a costume both lovely and unattractive both. A mask that fits over his mouth like the muzzle of a wher, complete with pointed teeth made from polished bone in what could be easily as mistaken for a smile as a snarl protrudes from his face. Over his head fits a piece with two head knobs attached. All that can be seen of his face are his eyes, which are intelligent as they are bright and bold. His costume is a dark bronze coloration, his muzzle and knobs done in the same color. Even his face and hair have been dyed bronze, a slight sheen of sparkle to the entirety of it. Stubby wings made formidable by their structure, actual bones polished to a sheen for the 'spikes' on the ends of the wings and well crafted in their nature. A tail that is powerful looking yet lithe is somehow sewn into the costume itself, presumably of the same material as the wings. His gloves are suited with claws of the same white and polished bone, and he looks fierce indeed.

He walks over to the gold dragon and once he is close enough, one can see his eyes have a gentleness to them that belies his costume's fierce appearance. He smiles and nods to her, and offers a hand to dance, silent and wordless. Upon closer inspection, even his boots have the 'bone claws' integrated into them', and one has to wonder how he pulled the integration off.

[Masque]

"The Flowering Vines!"

A female enters with her hair done up in a coil on her head. There are 'vines' all entwined in it, holding it up as a few curls dangle loose to frame her face. The flowers are a light blue in coloration, as well as light purple and pink. Her dress is an emerald green with silver thread laced through it in a vine-like design down the entire side, a tight coil of the green vines with leaves twined around her waist like a belt, giving her dress more form. She wears long silvery-white gloves, with flowers sewn into it circling the upper part. There is a single vine around her neck like a choker, and it goes down the right arm to stop at her wrist like a bracelet, a large light blue flower atop it, while smaller buds line the vine going down her arm, blooming further and further until they get to the large one on her wrist. There is a light purple one in the middle of her choker, as well. The dress has a slit at the side, starting midway down the upper leg, and there is a vine coiled all around the exposed leg down to shoes with a heel whose tie ups go around her leg, mingling with the vine until there is no distinction where it stops and begins.

Her mask is emerald green lined with silver, and all that can be seen are her lips and eyes, which are painted with green atop and black around them. She walks across the floor, seeming to almost glide as she reaches the Rogue and bows in a curtsy before offering a hand to him.

[Masque]

"The Midnight Star!"

Another male enters, silent as the ones before him. His costume is stunning, a deep sapphire blue that when he turns seems to turn from black to blue depending on angle and stance. There is a star done in silver on the middle of his forehead, his hair is done in silvery white, sparkling like newly fallen snow. He looks almost beautiful, as silvery star-like dots that shimmer in the light when he moves seem to draw your eyes to his costume. His gloves are also silvery white, and he wears a black dress shirt underneath the outer jacket. He holds a silvery white mask with a black border attached to a long elegant pole which he holds in front of his face, hiding his true identity. Upon a closer look, he has somehow made his skin 'sparkle' in an eerie mannerism, and his coat-tails make him look so very elegant, his black dressy shoes cutting out the figure of a gentleman.

He stands near the back of the room, quiet and observant, a soft smile on his lips as he quietly inspects the others as they enter, not missing a single detail.

[Masque]

"The Silent Warrior!"

It could be a male or female that enters next, there is no telling. Dressed in what appears to be shining armor, there is no shape to tell what the body it holds is. A sword hangs by this person's side in a sheath which is intricately made of leather with golden runes sewn into it. The hilt of the sword is a dragon, though whether gold or bronze it is indistinguishable. The entirety of the armor is a black and silver, the arms done in the same armor up to the elbows and even down the hands, the fingers covered in armor which is bendable at the knuckles, ending in what looks like 'claws' with bands to hold them on like a glove underneath. There is a silvery tail sticking out the back, however, akin to a dragon's, spikes looking deadly on the tail, shoulder blades and elbows. On the back of the armor there is a design that appears like dragon wings in a 'tattoo' of black, and though the person wears no helmet he or she wears a silver mask to cover their face, two horns curving out and backwards, spikes out of the cheeks. At closer inspection it is almost draconian in appearance, and even the armored boots have claws.

They walk up to the one introduced as the Shadow, offering an elegant bow and then a hand for a dance.

[Masque]

The Gold Dragon smiles pleasantly at the Wher and takes his hand. She says nothing, but it's obvious she would like to dance with him. The Gold Dragon stares boldly into the face of the Wher, obviously not startled or intimidated by the costume at all. Slowly she walks, allowing the Wher to guide her steps. She gives a devilish grin as she thinks of the boldness in this man and how he approached her. This is something she wanted, someone to come to her. Her pride was obvious as her choice.

[Masque]

"The Fallen Contrast!"

A male enters next, and his costume draws attention to it just based on stark contrast-the contrast of black and white. First there is his upper half. Sleeveless white sort of dress shirt with two 'tux tails' is pure undaunted white, a v-shaped sort of button up with jet black buttons, the tails hanging down to the mid-knee in the back. He wears jet black pants which come down to polished black boots. From his back seems to sprout two realistically large wings, one is dark black with a bluish sheen, while the other is a pure white. The white is on the left and the black on the right. The feathers of the wings are soft as silk, as is the shirt he wears. He wears two gloves, which reach just below the elbow. He wears a mask which contrasts in coloration to the wings-the left is black, the right is white. Meanwhile, there are gloves on him which reach just below the elbow, again contrasting with the left being white, the right being black. There are gems on his face that resemble teardrops coming from the black side of the mask.

He holds in his hands a huge Scythe, the hilt black with white bands around it, the Scythe a pure silver on top, black on the bottom. Around his waist he wears a black belt which is half black and half white, the right side black, the left side white. In the middle of the belt is an intricate buckle, a circle with two wings, white on the right, black on the left. He walks in silence up to the crowd, inspecting one by one in silence and contemplation, seeming to be waiting for something or someone.

[Masque]

“The Pirate!”

With posthaste the boy came rushing into the room, brandishing a fine sword. An overly flashy hat was arranged on his head, made of fine leather. The prop stayed awry, leaving his face shrouded in mysterious shadow. Sweat formed on his brow, or perhaps an imitation, for he bore no musky scent. A different scent wafted from him, Benden wine. In a wineskin the liquid was kept, held tightly in his right hand. He seemed more preoccupied at the moment with the bodies the room had accumulated rather than his booze. He gave a noncommittal glance about the room before standing up a bit taller, making the dirt smears on his face clearer.

He walked with a swagger, whether by purpose or nature no one knew. He didn’t seem to be looking for anyone in particular, tipping his hat to some in a gentlemanly –manner, though from the looks of it, no one would expect him to be anything of the sort. Up on passing a woman or two he gave them a good smack on the butt, laughing thunderously. A trench coat of sorts hung down over his mid-section, too made of a fine leather, likely expensive. A sullied white shirt could be seen underneath, though torn in some places, and half-open. One could glance some of his bare chest. His pants could be put to shame, a hole in the left knee, with tears below the side of his brown belt. The belt was doing a poor job of holding up the boys pants, which needed to be pulled up every so often. A black headdress was underneath the hat, which stuck out at the back in a tight sailors knot. The black piece of cloth also hung down over the boy’s forehead. He raised his fist to his mouth, clearing his throat, observing some men approaching the finer dressed of the women. Now there was something he could appreciate. Black seeming to be his color, it was no surprise that a black mask was pulled over his eyes to cover the upper half of his face.
His boots were a mucky brown color, nothing special or out of the ordinary. They got the job done of keeping the lads feet warm, and that seemed to suit him just fine. A piece of cloth hung out of the side of his pants, running right down to his knee sloppily. His shirt was tucked in to his belt in only one place, sticking out clearly in another. What most would see as disgust others may see as appeal. Perhaps this was his purpose, to find the more twisted of minds.

Clearly, he wanted someone to approach him rather than his making an effort. He sat himself down with another grunt, fixing his sword back into its encasement. A swig of wine, how it tasted lovely.

[Masque]

The Shadow had stepped over to the refreshment table and by now had gotten herself a glass of juice. She'd been standing by a wall towards the back with her arms folded, watching the people continue arriving in the array of costumes they had come up with. When the one called Silent Warrior entered, she'd watched the person for a moment or so longer than the others once they'd walked away from the door, trying to figure out at the very least if this 'warrior' as a man or a woman.

It was her watching that allowed her to see when the Silent Warrior started heading towards where she was standing. When the hand was offered for a dance, the Shadow stood contemplating for a moment. She still wasn't sure if this Warrior-person was a man or a woman, but what else was one to do at a masked ball if not interact with everyone until you could figure out who they were? The Shadow set her glass of juice down on a nearby table and stepped forward, placing her hand in the Silent Warrior's hand and giving a nod and a small smile. "All right," she said.

[Masque]

The Rogue was more than pleased with what he saw in the Flowering Vines and the fact she'd approached him only fueled his eagerness. He looked over her in an accepting manner as he took her hand into his. He was gentle as he smiled at her and slowly brought her to the floor for a dance. He dared take steps closer to her and rest his hand on her hip while the other held her hand gingerly. He nodded to her, his hat shifting ever so slightly as he did so.

Then he began going through a dance he was taught, guiding her in a waltz like fashion and circling ever so subtly. His eyes would stay focused on hers, hoping to lock a gaze with her.