CISLUNAR DHASANT: THE CITY OF GARGOYLES

Each boat has a maximum capacity of about 20 individuals in close quarters, and Wycliffe has placed (roughly) eight guests, two musicians, and three sailors in each, although the sailors and several guest are willing to "hop" from boat to boat throughout the day in order to chat and enterain the others. The boats are wide and somewhat shallow, clearly not meant to travel over open sea. Indeed, they hug the coast all afternoon and evening. During the afternoon, canvas awnings keep the sun off the deck, but at night they are taken down and magical lanterns are set up along the rails.

HOST: The Exalt Baron-Filius Secundus Wycliffe Sultlue Octavus (22)

Wycliffe has short, sleek black hair and a pencil-thin mustache waxed up in small points on either end. His skin is rather pale, and he has a slim but wiry build. Wycliffe wears rich silk robes and turbans, and smokes sweet-smelling narcotics from a long silver pipe of Bahr al'Raml fashion.
Wycliffe clearly enjoys cultivating the image of an affected aesthete, amusing himself with both the pretension and others' reactions to it. From his conversation and actions during the party, it is clear that he loves to scandalize people, walking a thin line between being witty and being wicked. His guests seem to enjoy anticipating what he will do next, and in general he seems to be popular with the younger aristocratic set. He seems pleased that you came, and is careful to introduce you around as "my new archfoe, righting my wrongs and avenging my excesses." When Thax arrives, Wycliffe tucks the mage's arm into his and proudly shows him off to the others, reveling in calling him "His Excellency, the Ambassador-Magus, Mystic-Insidiae Thacarias Pelindar, latest victim of the Sultlue abuses." You know that he visited Thax the evening he sent the invitations off to you and your cousin, to offer his personal apologies and invitation to the illusionist. Thax was impressed by his manners then, although as he's dragged off behind the aristocrat, it's clear that he's beginning to wonder what exactly he's gotten himself into, this time.

GUESTS:

Faber Amcathra (28)

Faber Amcathra is a good-looking young man with sandy blond hair and dark blue eyes, intelligent and easy-going. He dresses for this outing in simple, almost workmanlike clothes, which earns him some teasing from his peers. Faber arrives with Halden Gauntyl; this has been usual for them since they were both children—the two are hardly ever out of each other's company. They seem to tease, flirt, and argue with each other like brothers or lovers. There are whispered rumours that they share everything—including a beautiful young lady they keep in a rich house in Northgate. Faber knows a great deal about all of his family's interests (wine, weapons, and horses), and is an entertaining conversationalist. From the way others talk about him, it is obvious that he's a very popular young man.

Phillipe Hunabar (16)

Phillipe is a slender young man, with long unbound brown hair and blue eyes, clad like his older brother Valere in fine Hunabar fashions. He is quick and perceptive, already studying at the University and clearly liable to take his degree in literature and poetry early. He seems to be considering the possibility of studying magic, and chats with Thax a while on the subject. Phillipe is popular but others seem to find his intelligence a little intimidating—he doesn't make an effort to sound erudite, but his insightful remarks are clearly a cut or two above the gossip and chitchat more usual for such gatherings.

Philip Ilzimmer II(20)

Eyvan Majarra (26)

Ralls Ruldegost (25)

Ralls has light brown hair and green eyes, and is a little on the heavy side. He is good-looking, but just a touch slower than his peers to catch a bon mot or appreciate a well-turned phrase. On the other hand, he is an excellent listener, quick to praise others' accomplishments and slow to add his own comments to the conversation. Ralls dresses well and is pleasant company, if one isn't looking for scintillating insights. He enjoys playing cards with other guests, and can be drawn out to talk freely about his favorite hobby, gambling ... especially dogfighting.

Newman Stormweather (20)

Newman is a lithe, agile young man with short brown hair, dark eyes, and a ready smile. His skin is somewhat unfashionably tan from much time spent on his father's ships learning the family trade, and he scuttles over the ropes lashing the boats together with practiced ease. He knows a great deal about shipping and nautical subjects, but spends most of his time discussing more fashionable subjects in a clear attempt to "fit in" and, perhaps, impress Lady Talmost. He has yet to cultivate a veneer of worldliness, however, and has the awkward self-consciousness of youth.

Oriana Stormweather (16)

Oriana Stormweather is escorted by her brother, although they quickly disengage with each other to make themselves comfortable with everyone else. She has an open, engaging manner, with long chestnut hair and the Stormweather family's dark eyes. She is well-dressed and seems to have no inclination to follow her brother in dashing over the ropes from boat to boat. She seems to enjoy the genteel art of flirtation, and conversing with her is both pleasant and challenging. Unlike her brother, she does not have to strain to fit in. Oriana follows all of the latest plays, operas, novels, and artists.

Anne-Christine Talmost (29)

Anne-Christine is a very attractive woman with long, thick blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She arrives alone, clad in a man's breeches and doublet, although so richly ornamented that the unusual garb only serves to make her more appealing. Wycliffe greets her with a "Delighted to see you again, my dear Lady Anne-Christine—and your delightful escort as well. I see his wit is as piercing as ever." Everyone laughs, and it soon becomes clear that Anne-Christine's sword is known, for a reason, as "Escort." Anne-Christine has a cutting sense of humor and a quiet self-confidence, and Wycliffe seems to enjoy playing at being her courtier. Young Newman Stormweather seems jealous of her attentions, and she treats him kindly, if distantly.

Aimee Adarbrent (17)

Aimee is accompanied only by her maid, Estephe Sincerray (21), which is rather unusual, but her family has always seemed inclined to let her go her own way. She has black hair and eyes, and a thoughtful, quiet manner that makes her somewhat easy to overlook. However, she is quiet learned, and she, Phillipe, and Thax end up spending much time in conversation with each other. Aimee is an excellent musician—pianoforte, violin, and flute—and has translated some classical aarakocra poetry from "Trillspeak" to Low Empyrian. Aimee is considering taking the University exams to study languages.

Nigel Anteos (20)

Nigel is a thin man with short blond hair, blue eyes, and a sparse beard and mustache. He bears himself with arrogance and seems to have a perpetual sneer on his lips. When he becomes really obnoxious, the looks the other guests give each other behind his back indicate that they find him something of a boor. He is interested in trade and war, and anything associated with the two.

Carina Anteos (18)

Carina has long blonde hair and wide blue eyes in a delicate face. Slight of build and quiet of manner, she is nevertheless quite pretty in a fragile, elusive way. She is treated affectionately by the others, and she and Oriana Stormweather seem to be friends, although the younger Oriana is much more outgoing that Carina. Nigel is jealous of her, however, and keeps an eye on the young men who chat with her; he nearly starts a fight when Carina gives Halden an embroidered bookmark she'd made for him after he'd admired her handiwork at a previous party—the two have to be forcibly separated.

Halden Gauntyl (24)

Halden is intense and charismatic, although less conventionally handsome than his close friend Faber; he has longish black hair and grey eyes, and a face marked with signs of deep thought and emotion. He dresses somewhat better than his friend, paying his respects, if not his obesiance, to the demands of fashion. Several jokes are made about keeping him away from the sides of the boat—apparently he can't swim. He accepts the teasing patiently, although it's clear that he prefers to be taken seriously. He enjoys cards, is conversant with swordplay—he was as ready as Nigel to settle things during their argument—and writes romantic poetry that the others call on him to recite later that evening.

Evard Sultlue (19)

Evard is Wycliffe's younger brother and has the same dark hair and green eyes. He doesn't copy his brother's affectations, and is rather dull. He knows a great deal about the family's horse-breeding business, less about its mercenary affiliations, and virtually nothing about trade. He starts drinking at the beginning of the party and is dead drunk by nightfall. Wycliffe has him moved under a table and covered with his cloak, and ignores him the rest of the evening.

Macallan Ilitul (18)

Macallan has long, dark red hair pulled back into a braid, green eyes, and dresses in rather less fashionable clothes than the rest of the nobles. Light freckles are sprinkled over his nose and cheekbones. He has a waggish sense of humor and likes to play the cheeky courtier to everyone, to the general amusement of the party. One of the lowest-ranked aristocrats present—besides Legrand—Macallan deliberately inserts backwards provincialisms and outdated references into his courtly play.

Legrand Zun (17)

Legrand has short brown hair and brown eyes, and is trying to start a beard, which earns him some needling by the other guests. He is square-jawed and strongly built, and looks like he'll become handsome as soon as he finishes filling out. Like Macallan, he's low-ranked for an aristocrat in this group, and seems more aware of his position than the other—he tends to defer to the rest, and sits quietly during conversations. He is quite strong—it is he who bodily picks Nigel up during the scuffle, keeping the other noble from drawing on Halden. He apologizes afterwards, and gets a dirty look from Nigel and general approval from the others.

Thacarias Pelindar (32)

Thax is clearly out of his element among so many nobles, and the faint hint of a Dockside accent that you tend to overlook in his speech seems to get more noticeable as he nervously stays on his best manners. He seems awkward and tongue-tied in such high-ranking company, and keeps unconsciously straightening his mage's robes over his own "best" set of clothes. Thax seems terribly embarassed when Wycliffe tells others how "he" (not his father, in this version) had Thax thrown into jail, and describes how you rescued the hapless mage before a civil war could be started between the Free Gargoyles and the citizenry of Cislunar. Wycliffe seems genuinely fond of his newfound acquaintance, although Thax looks ill at ease. If nothing else, however, this introduction to the guests puts Thax in high demand, and the most polite among them do their best to make him feel comfortable. Thax eventually retreats into scholarly conversation with Phillipe and Aimee, and seems to relax as soon as people stop paying attention to him. By the end of the night, listening to poetry and song under the star, he actually seems to be enjoying himself, although he never loses his deferent manner toward his betters. He is not asked to "perform."

MUSICIANS:

Lastar Bretony
Tansy Persantine
Nathaniel Light in Darkness
Angelique Lamotte
Caterin Suseque

SAILORS:

Seven sailors guide the boats about, keeping to themselves as much as possible.