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The Midwinter Ball
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The Grand Midwinter Ball was held within the
palace upon the island of Nujel'm on eve of February. Upon the stroke of midnight, the
gates were opened by the esteemed Brotherhood of Immortals, clad in their
traditional red and white colours. The fair citizens of Britannia lined at the
gate, craning their necks to gain a fleeting glance within.
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Under the watchful eye of the Brotherhood, none were to pass with weapon or armour,
to ensure the safety of all and to keep with a theme of peace and not of war. Those that
attempted to sneak by were quickly stopped.
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Music swirled the air as guests entered the main ballroom, where a veritable
who's who of Sosaria mingled about, greeting their comrades whilst keeping
watchful eye upon their enemies.
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Those gifted of afflicted (depends on who ye ask) with the talent of Magick,
made their way downstairs into to the tavern of the palace, where they learned
of the Necromantic arts by Faust and his esteemed group of colleagues. It was
difficult to hear above the road of the crowd.
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As the lecture went on below, the esteemed Lord Hulkster entertained guests
with his tales of struggle and glory. The tales grew more spectacular and his
boasts more vehement as the night wore on and more and more jugs of cider found
their way into the hands of the Mighty Hulkster.
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Yet the guests were not limited to those of legend, as entities of the very
fabric of the universe made their appearance. This counselor deity was found
on the balcony, speaking to one of the Ball organizers, Aimeric of Magincia,
who stands behind him here.
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As the ball ended, Lord Faust Whitefist made his way into the grand ballroom, where
he answered questions from fellow guests and sampled the fine foods that were being
passed about.
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As many made merry, a few toiled. Here, ball organizers Aimeric and
Vaughn Glowemeber discuss the distribution of spirits, as Lord
Marcus begins to setup the hall for the main dinner.
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As preparations for the feast were made, Lady Luthien and her band, known as the
"Mustard Men," made sure that none would pass into the dining hall.
 This was needed as it came apparent that a few had imbibed a bit much.
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As preparations continued, those waiting to be seated made way to the
palace gardens, where the fragrant beds of flowers made perfect setting
for tales to be spun by bards of the highest order.
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The table was set, and those guests that chose to weather the winter storm
that had crept upon us sat down to feast. Chaos and Virtue
Guards sat side by side, as all animosity was quelled. Yet, there
was one chair that lay empty. It seemed that Lord Blackthorn had
not decided to attend the ball.
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What happened next is speculation, pure rumour, as chaos reigned supreme and
there was more occurring than mine eyes could take in. It seems that Lord
Vaughn Glowember had a wee bit too much to drink and began lamenting the lack
of Lord Blackthorn. What came next from his mouth, "DOWN WITH THE
KING!" Anarchy erupted as supporters loyal to the king came forward,
spearheaded by Lady Odango Atama and Virtue Guard Lord Prop. A verbal
argument ensued, as the Brotherhood of Immortals stood at the ready. "You
shall hang for thine treacherous utterances!," shouted Odango. With that, Vaughn
Glowember vaulted over the table. Lord Aimeric and the Mustard Men sprang
from their seats, and attempted to pull the two apart, but it was too late. The clash
of arms rang in the dining hall. Glowember was dragged away by Lord Aimeric
into the safety of a portal.
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The portal led the warring group to the Ice Isle, yet only a handful made the cross:
loyalist Odango Atma, Lord Aimeric, Lord Glowember, Lord Magnus Lee, Lord Terminus,
Lady Luthien and Lady Madeline.
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Though the odds were against Odango and she was immediately surrounded,
she still struck back with both fury and vindication. Blade spirits spun about in
the snow, forming macabre patterns, forcing the dissenters to watch their backs.
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Sorely outnumbered, Odango made a swift exit using her magick as her
opponents rushed towards her from all sides, their blades poised to attack.
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Odango Atama returned to the palace at Nulje'm, to speak to those
of her ordeal and to let it be known that the parties involved were indeed
traitors to Lord British. As for the dissenters, she last saw them upon the
Ice Isle, with no means of escape...........
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-The Story was told by Barador Morgray
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