While center stage is the prototypical position du jour for Blacktongue most days, the Harlequin....turned Harlequin (?) by far prefers the fringe this evening. It is a somber air, this death affair, and he falls to the wayside with due respect. No motley, never a bell, but the monochromatic blacks of his routine fashion is continued once more in the cassock he wears. Even the beard, normally dyed a bright hue, is left to its natural silvers and black.

Armand enters alone, clad in his silver plate. He does not attempt to bring any attention to himself, instead sitting down at one of the pews to watch the proceedings.

Blacktongue has joined the red-lit alcove.

Shard slips into the shrine. Her head is down and her shoulders are slightly hunched--she doesn't look like someone trying to draw attention. Indeed, once inside, she keeps to the back and along one wall, although she eyes said wall carefully. Spiders, you see.

Mira trots in quietly, slightly out of breath from running. Breathing deeply through parted lips, she quickly finds somewhere out of the way to sneak away to.

Esoka strides into the shrine. There's no hurry about her. Her pace is slow and even grave. She bows her head respectfully to the harlequins as she passes them.

"We just met," Leona says to Aleksei easily, and waves them toward seats. "And certainly. Usually at these sorts of things I just lurk and look sober." Her lips twitch. "But I'm fine with sitting with friends."

Armand has joined the pews nearest the front.

Saedrus smiles up to Aleksei, standing by the wall of skulls with Leona, and lifts his head from the paladin's shoulder. "Yes, come and join us, Dame Leona. Before all the pews fill," and though Saed does slip from the wrap of Aleksei's arm he instead takes up the man's hand in his and looks back to the filling shrine. A nod for Leona's agrrement and he's leading the way to seats.

Saedrus has joined the pews nearest the front.

Aleksei has joined the pews nearest the front.

Mira has joined the pews nearest the back.

Leona has joined the pews nearest the front.

Isabetta has joined the pews nearest the back.

Lucita has joined the pews nearest the back.

Lucita steps quietly into the shrine, glances around and respectfully takes a seat.

Shard has joined the pews nearest the back.

Monique slides in and it's hard to miss her. She's gowned in fiery hues, like licks of flame burning up her body, clinging like webbing where it's not slitted. No somber black does she for this memorial but a riotous celebration of color. Chin held high, she strides to the pews at the front, sliding in near Armand, Saedrus, Aleksei and Leona, casting a wave and a properly somber smile and leaning to murmur something quieter to the first of the bunch.

Monique gets The Doctrine of Death from a basket of free prayerbooks.

Lucita gets The Doctrine of Death from a basket of free prayerbooks.

Mira gets The Doctrine of Death from a basket of free prayerbooks.

Saedrus lifts his head from conversations when he spies Monique, greeting the woman with a bow of his head and warm smile.

Reese arrives at the memorial a few moments late. She appears to have arrived in a hurry and she appears troubled. The somber look in her blue eyes is sincere. Once inside she glances quickly over the area, trying to get a sense of the situation.

Monique has joined the pews nearest the front.

Reese has joined the pews nearest the front.

Smokey, the Wolfhound Pup arrives, following Eithne.

A dark door opens in the corner of the front of the room, from the inner sanctum. Into the relative stillness of the flickering light of the sanctuary, a bird flies in a ruckus of black wings and a cawing shriek. The crow hurtles out into the evening, yelling. If crows spoke Arvani, the stories this crow would tell. With profanity.
Aureth cuts a figure clad in brilliant white, the sheen of aeterna cut by the raw gleam of the spidersilk beneath, and his hair is long and loose, brushed to a ridiculous glow of health in gold and silver. In all the light and brightness, he looks made for a certain seraphic style of grandstanding; he strides forth, with a particular disciple a close shadow in his wake, and stands before the altar in the light of far too many candles. "Good evening, everyone." His voice is warm and pitched to carry. "Thank you for coming and welcome to the Shrine of the Mother of Beginnings tonight. We are gathered here in memory of the departed, and in honor of soldiers who fell in battle. People die every day, and their souls return to the arms of She who began them on their paths in this life. But some die ignobly. Some die in crazy accident, in random happenstance. Some die too young. Some die very old. Some die of illness. All those lives touched our lives, and their deaths we may grieve. But the lives we are here to commemorate today, the rite that we will perform for the lost, are the lives of heroes. Heroes who died facing an unutterable evil, who fought for freedom, and for the Compact, against Abyssal forces that few could comprehend. They sacrificed for us all, and we are here to honor that sacrifice. Before I yield the floor to a Harlequin who has worked hard to prepare for tonight, I'd like to ask you all here if there are any names, or stories, specifically, that you would ask us to hold up before Death's altar." He ruins the formality of the moment he might otherwise create by finishing, "Wave your arms or stand up, I've got pretty good eyes."

Binky, an asshole crow have been dismissed.

Mae wanders out from the Inner Sanctum, following behind Aureth. The small woman has her head and face exposed - no hood! - but is draped entirely in black silk. Black tunic, black leggings, black cloak. She even has skull-shaped earrings. Someone's bought into the Death aesthetic! Mae carries in her hand what is, at first glance, a chunk of stone. On closer inspection, however, anyone can see it's been chiseled into the shape of a skull. Mae moves to stand beside Aureth, next to the altar. Anyone that knows the woman can surely recognize the panicked anxiety just beneath her calm, pale exterior.

Blacktongue's piercing eyes dart from individual to individual from the alcove, his lips spreading into a vexing cheshire's grin.

Shard rests her elbows on her knees, threading the fingers of both hands beneath her chin. She listens, eyes narrowed, from the spot she's chosen on one of the back pews.

Esoka slips into a seat near the back of the shrine as Aureth comes forth, with Mae not far behind him. She still as he speaks, eyes lingering on the archlector, then going to the faces of those around her.

Esoka has joined the pews nearest the back.

Reese makes her way toward the front pews. Just before sitting, she gives a polite nod of greeting to those gathered there. She then is quick to turn her focus to Aureth. It seems the Grayson princess arrived just in time to hear him speak. She looks relived. Her expression stays somber as he speaks, her cheeks have a pallor. She rises to her feet, likely in response to Aureth's last words.

Eithne arrives to the shrine just as Aureth and Mae make their appearance. The armorer slinks to the side and keeps her movements light to prevent any sort of disruption. Leaning against a wall, her hands come to fold together in front of her, casually, respectfully.

Percephon walks into the main hall of the shrine, blinking to allow his eyes to adjust to the difference in lighting. He thumbs his eyeglasses back into place on the bridge of his nose, and he steps around toward the back of the shrine in order to slide into one on the rear pews.

Percephon has joined the pews nearest the back.

Mae stands up front, waiting for waving hands or shouted out names. All the while, her eyes sweep the crowd. She locks eyes here and there, and then after one particular glance, she gives a small little nod, then starts to breath slowly and rhythmically.

Aureth waits quietly for a moment as people stand, and he nods to each in turn as he spies them in the crowd. He calls on them more or less in the order of spying them, pale eyes flicking from one to the other; he is remarkably warm and empathetic with each from his stance before the altar. He reaches finally the young woman standing before the pews nearest the front, and he says invitingly, "Princess Reese?"

Stormy grey eyes sweep across the room while Eithne waits quietly for those who approach the front do so. She notices more than a few who have visited her shop and gives them a polite and reverent nod. Armand and Esoka are among the two familiar faces she easily recognizes. Her attention moves with Reese as the Princess of House Grayson rises.

Lethe arrives late and without bringing attention to herself she finds a place to watch.

From the pews nearest the front, Armand inclines his head to Eithne in greeting once he notices the armoursmith, an honest smile on his face, till he returns his attention to Aureth and Reese.

Mae's emotions continue to shift. Serious. Panicky. Abruptly looking like she might start giggling. But when Reese is called on, she puts her eyes on the blonde, and offers up a warm smile.

Reese looks upon Aureth first, but her attention sweeps over the rest gathered here a moment later. She even turns to the side for a moment, allowing her to glance toward those who sit upon the pews behind them. Her gaze seems to linger on Esoka and then Mae for just few seconds. She then starts to speak in voice that starts off soft, but gains in volume until it is easily heard.

"As many of you know, I am Princess Reese Grayson and I lead the Grayson forces at Farharven. I called for the retreat." She says without pride in her voice, but with a kind grave thoughtfulness that suggests she hasn't fully decided if she did right or not.

"Many of the Grayson warriors perished. Some in battles against the slaver's men and some succumbed to the stings of many wasps. It was not a pleasant way for them to go." She says, sounding troubled. "Each of the men and women who fell has a story and most of them have a family who mourns then deeply. The fight against the abyss is not without its costs as I believe you all know. The cost is huge to the families that were left behind, beyond words and beyond my understanding. There are new widows. There are new orphans. There are fathers without daughters. Mothers without sons. They died for the good of Compact and yet their children still are suffering. Some call our retreat a failure, but it was not fully such. Many live to fight another day. Compact lives to fight another day. The battle will be won with each step taken."

"Great things were done while the slaver was distracted. They did not die in vain. In their retreat they helped all the rest to escape. They are heroes. I don't presume to pretend to to know how deep their lose was and still is, me a princess in my castle, swathed in wealth. But I thank the gods that I was followed in this battle. It was a battle. We have a long war before us. I intend to discuss with my family about paying their pensions. I plan to discuss with Archlector later about what I do can do to help with this lose, but I know that no words, no deeds, no amount of money will bring them back and undo this lose. I am grateful for them, but words fail to capture how much their sacrifice has meant."

Reese checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 2 lower.

Esoka catches Eithne's eye briefly. The other woman is given a warm smile, if one that doesn't have the flash that usually lights her features. It's a more sober sort of setting. All of her focus goes to Reese as the Grayson princess speaks. She closes her eyes brief, murmurs something to herself, and bows her head.

Reese tried to be all calm and strong about this, but she failed. There are tears on her lashes and her breathing is elevated.

Shard's eyes narrow even further as Reese speaks, but it's her only visible reaction. Her expression is otherwise stony, and her fingers remain threaded beneath her chin.

Saedrus' smile is soft, encouraging though as Reese speaks, and he dips his head respectfully at the end; for the fallen and their families no doubt.

Lethe has joined the red-lit alcove.

Mae's lips now press into a thin line, as she listens to Reese. She holds that pensive look, until she gets a catch to catch Reese's gaze, and then she offers a small, encouraging smile.

5 Grayson Guardsmen arrives, following Lark.

"Thank you," Aureth murmurs. He bows, slightly, to Reese, and says, "I have done a lot of thinking about loss in my life. Bereavement is personal to each of us, and how it takes us will strike each heart differently. Every loved one you lose -- the pain will never be the same. And mourning -- it is not Death's process. The Queen of Endings comes to us all, and gathers us into her arms, and takes us where we will go next, be it to a new life, or to wait in the Shining Lands ... but mourning is for those left behind. And I encourage you all, if you are stricken by loss, if your hearts ache and you struggle with it, to reach out to your community. To reach out to the Faith. To seek the healing that comes from Lagoma's embrace of change. To come to us, here, to help you find your new beginnings. To remember all the gods and all their teachings, and to let us all help each other." He steps back, bowing his head in a shifting fall of his long hair, and then draws a long breath.
"These are the names of the fallen. These are the heroes who fought for the Compact. We stand together with their commander, on whose orders they were proud to fight, and we thank the Queen of Endings for their lives, and for the care she will give to their souls. Now ... I'd like to say just a few words that may be a little more controversial." His eyes glint with the curve of his smile, there and gone again in the flicker of an instant.
"The Mother of Beginnings begins all our lives. All human lives. The lives of those who fought for the Compact. And the lives of those who fought for the Metallic Traitor. And when she gathered those souls, who fell in battle, she also gathered those souls of those soldiers of the Shav'Arvani, destroyed in a fell, Abyssal act of horror. The souls of the deceived. The souls of our enemies. And I want to ask you to consider those lives, too. The lives of men and women who gave up their choices. Who gave up everything. Whose lives were consumed. And I will ask you to pray for them."
Aureth stands for a moment, his hand lifted in the air, his pale gaze downcast. He draws in a deep breath, and his voice is pitched fierce and carrying with passion, the kind of certainty that one can only summons up on the basis of absolutes. "Because they, too, are human, and they, too, fell because of the Metallic Traitor. All of us are children, woven of the same stuff. The Queen of Endings created their souls, as she created our souls, from her own blood. She is all of our Mother. I pray that they are safely returned to the Wheel, and I pray that, whether they wait in the Shining Lands or whether she finds new lives for them already, that they will never again be enslaved."

Princess Lark Grayson is late as she slips into the shrine quietly. The remnants of ink stains her fingers, not anything like blood. (Has she mentioned yet that assassination attempts produce lots of paperwork?) The woman is trailed by Grayson guards, her skirts whispering softly. She is in time to catch the Archlector's words, only missing some of the speech as she hides in the back as any late person deserves.

Eithne is another such person who has been lingering in the back since she arrived tardy. Lark's presence is marked by a solemn bow of her head and a curtsey that allows dragonscale mail of her gown to clink ever so lightly when she moves.

Saedrus' smile warms more as Aureth speaks, both for the passion in his voice as well as the topic it would seem. Evergreens close, a minute spent in quiet thought thereafter.

As Aureth begins to speak, Mae's eyes simply find the floor. She stands beside him, holding that stone skull, but there's a decidedly distant look on her features. She stays silent all the while.

Esoka offers Reese a quick smile as she concludes her talk, warmth in her eyes. There is a breath of relief that escapes her, as Aureth speaks of the shavs transformed into wasps. Her head bows again in silent prayer, dark curls brushing her cheeks.

As Lark slips into a place near Eithne, she murmurs a quiet word to the woman even as she tips her chin to her.

Shard slowly sits up, her chin coming free from her hands. She stares at Aureth. Her eyes are slightly narrowed, her expression still a little stony...but they're somehow not quite the same as they were just a moment ago.

Mira looks pretty sad at something Aureth says...or doesn't say. Her frown deepens with a few key words, though it may be difficult to tell which ones.

Reese has a somber smile for Mae and then one for Saedrus. She glances over to Shard, seemingly aware of her expression. Reese seems troubled more than upset by it. She is quick to turn her attention to Aureth as the Archlector speaks even while quietly retaking her seat. She listens to his words with close attention, her thoughtful expression remaining. She nods in response to him, seeming to accept his words as truth.

Eithne inches a touch closer to Lark in reply, keeping her words hushed as to not disturb the rest of the congregation.

"Now," Aureth inhales again, and steps back, his hands spread as he gestures. "I would like to introduce you to Harlequin Mae Culler Grayhope, or maybe it's Grayhope Culler. She's put a lot of work into tonight and I would love for you all to give her your attention. Mae?"

Lark's ink-dark gaze lifts, finding Reese for a moment in a study before she directs her attention towards the woman that Aureth introduces even as she whispers quietly to Eithne.

Blacktongue gives Mae a reassuring grin, though it is just a shade away from the cheshire's he wore a moment before.

Delilah belatedly steps inside the main hall, dipping her head polietly to anyone who should meet eyes with her. She finds herself a seat amongst the crowd, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and neatly resting her hands in her lap. Although her cobalt eyes focus primarily on Aureth and Mae, she quietly surveys the room on occasion.

Lucita's gaze rests on each speaker in turn. She remains quiet.

When given the floor, Mae takes a deep breath, then takes a few steps to the center, to take Aureth's place. She carries that skull shaped rock all the while, cradled in front of her. She flashes a quick smile to Aureth, and then takes one more breath, before looking unto the crowd. "Hi... everyone," she starts, in a quiet voice. One more breath, and then when she starts again, it's louder, clearer, and far more courageous. "Death was lost to us for a long time," she says. "We forgot Death, we forgot Her rituals. We forgot Her message. And so we are here tonight because She has returned to us and now is the time when we will bring back these lost rituals, and Her lost message," Mae says.

"Tonight's ritual is a simple one. We remember, tonight, those that lost their lives fighting the metallic traitor up north," Mae says, and then gives a slow look around at all those that have already spoke, and then a glance to Aureth, and a faint smile. She looks back to the crowd and continues. "That foul creature has taken our people from us, and will surely take more before this war is over. And so, to remember those lives lost, we have this skull, carved from granite imported from the mountains of Farhaven, which we will be putting into the memorial wall. I've inscribed upon it a simple message, and, with the help of Marquessa Freja, copied it in Northern runes. We also have here the shield of the Compact, with the crests of all five High Houses, with Redrain on top, to remind us that though we are united, and we all contributed, it was House Redrain and their vassals that suffered the worst of the loses." Mae pauses here, though she's clearly not done. Just a break, to catch her breath, and allow herself to mentally prepare for the rest of the little speech.

Reese turns her focus to Mae as she is given the floor, Reese having one of her somber smiles for the Harliquin. She listens with close attention as she speaks, nodding in response to her words. Her attention settles briefly on Lark and she gives the Grayson High Lord a subdued smile of greeting.

Shard's attention shifts toward Mae. No more staring--that moment has passed. She studies the woman for a moment, and then the skull, and the shield, for decidedly longer.

A smile of agreement touches Lark's lips, shared with Eithne, before her attention catches as Reese looks to her. She tips her chin in a quiet approval to her cousin. Then, she looks to Mae to listen.

Leona falls silent as she listens to Mae speak, giving the Harlequin her attention through the service, hands resting on her cuisses while she sits, still as a statue.

Saedrus straightens in his place in the front pews as Mae steps forward, smiling to the girl and listening attentively. He's not even leant into Aleksei's side anymore.

Mira is watching as well, still a little crestfallen and melancholy. She has a white bow in her hair, and she reaches back to touch and adjust it self-consciously as she listens.

Aureth smiles encouragingly at Mae, having moved all the way back beside the altar to cede her the floor physically as well as verbally.

As Mae continues to stand, the emotion clearly starts to build in her features. She looks down at the floor a moment, and takes another breath, then looks back up. "Now, before I place this skull into the memorial wall, I want to speak about sorrow," she says. "We have enemies all around us - not only up north, but out in the sea, and even here in this very city. Knowing this, it is /easy/ to feel sorrow and despair. It's just as easy to feel anger and hatred. And I want to say to you all tonight... That's okay," she says, then pauses, to look slowly over the crowd. "It's okay to feel sorrow. It's okay to be furious. It's okay to feel helpless. This is part of life. This is part of death."

"Our world is full of suffering. All that is beautiful comes to an end. But... and this is the most important part... Not all that is good turns to sorrow, but half," she says, and a smile crosses her lips, despite how her eyes turn glassy. "Time unravels life and we grieve that, and it is proper to do so, because without grief... and without suffering... we cannot truly have hope. Here and now, I want you all to feel your sorrow, and know that the people around you feel it to. This emotion, shared between us, unifies us, and together, unified, we will not be defeated. To know despair is to know hope."

The small woman takes another pause, then starts again. "I ask you all to feel your sorrow and anger," she says, her tone firm. "But do not dwell in those emotions. Use them to inspire you and push you forward... and then move on. Death granted us that gift. The Gods have granted us that gift. To end and begin and end and begin... To change. To let go and also remember, all at once. Without this gift? Without being able to /feel/... to to /remember/... and to move on? We'd be just like the Traitor," she says. One more pause, and then she continues, louder yet. "So feel these emotions. Scream, cry, shout your thoughts to the heavens... Right now, if you want to," she says. And really, she does seem to mean right now.

Lark nods her approval quietly for the Grayhope woman's words, but she only lifts her hands to clap softly for the speech, rather than raging with emotions. She murmurs to Eithne, just a brief aside to the armorer.

Shard checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Lark checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

Reese checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Mira checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Blacktongue checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Lucita checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Armand checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Delilah checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Esoka checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Percephon checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Aleksei checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Isabetta checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 17 higher.

Smile, scream, cry? No, the Jester has nothing. Blacktongue is Harlequin^2 of many masks, but the one for this evening is disturbingly vacant.

Saedrus checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.

Lethe checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Esoka leaves her hands clasped and her head lowered like that. Deep breath, and she allows whatever is in her heart to bubble over, in that moment. Tears wetting her lashes and eventually trailing down her cheeks. She tries to keep herself quiet, but she's not a quiet sort of cryer. She's all big sobs and loud sniffles.

Mira considers the offer, but Mira glances up, to the side, and finally down, remaining silent for tonight. She gives no indication of what could even be on her mind.

Lucita's expression is poignant, her gaze lowered but she otherwise retains her composure.

Saedrus has his emotionalshit on lockdown. But he generally does, propriety and such; and though he certainly seems touched, he doesn't lose himself to tears or screaming. Too courtier for that business.

    Steeples his fingers together in his lap, drawing in a deep breath. Slow, measured exhale. His auburn head is bowed, gaze lowered. That is all from Percephon.

Eithne offers Lark a quiet little nod at first. Her hands remain clasped together though fingers might knit together.

Reese's lashes are damp and have been so since her speech, but now she has to have summoned up a greater level of control. She looks over to Esoka, sucking in a soft breath. She rises to her booted feet and then starts toward the Dame, coming to sit next to her. She tries to wrap her arms about her as if meaning to comfort her.

Lethe looks around with a serious expression but stays silent.

Smile? In a time like this, Armand has few smiles. Cry? It is not tears that come to him. But scream? He takes a deep breath, trying, for propriety's sake, to keep it in. But he's Armand Farshaw. He screams, wordlessly. Words would bring order where there is only a raging storm, where there's only anger and sorrow and regret and hatred and loss. He stops, when there's no more breath to roar. No more to feel. He stops when he is empty... and his eyes are unfocused, attention turned inward.

Barely audible, a sigh escapes Delilah's lips and her head lowers. She laces her fingers and crosses her legs, shifting slightly in her seat, as she considers Mae's words. Eventually, the young woman closes her eyes and buries her face in her hands, silently, as if thinking painfully on previous memories.

Isabetta expression remains serenely placid as she sits with her hands folded on her lap.

Aleksei clears his throat carefully, but whatever he might have inside of him -- and surely there's quite a lot -- he keeps it contained for now. He looks over to Armand, a little startled, when he lets loose so completely for that scream.

Saedrus looks like he might have very nearly jumped on Aleksei when Armand screams. Poor courtier wasn't expecting that, so loudly, right next to him.

Since Armand was the only person to utter a sound, Mira *frowns* and offers a simple, "Rawr." in solidarity, nodding.

Monique checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Shard's stony expression holds for most of Mae's speech, but at some point it cracks noticeably. She doesn't scream, or shout, or cry. Her eyes don't even threaten to well up, but the change does start there. They get a little...strange. Her jaw tightens, and that muscle tension seems to spread to the muscles in one cheek. Her upper lip pulls away just slightly, just enough for the tips of her teeth to show, and then abruptly she kicks the pew in front of her, hard enough for a very distinct /crack/ to break the calm of the shrine--though thankfully not hard enough to actually break something.

Blacktongue applauds Armand's scream, black gloved hands coming together in a steady rhythm of accolade.

Eithne checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Monique. Is she composed? Is she silently losing her mind? It's hard to tell. Not even that scream compels her to reveal what the hell is going on in that pretty red head. It could be anything!

Lark is overheard praising Armand for: Bravely taking the challenge posed by the Harlequin.

Esoka sniffles her head up, giving her head a shake. She cries without any particular shame, though she seems surprised by her own display. Reese's embrace is welcomed, and she gives the Grayson woman a firm squeeze in return.

Leona does not cry, or weep, or grieve. She simply sits as screaming and crying and hysterics erupt around her, and she says very calmly, "The promise of Death is that, at the end, when we have given all we can give and there is nothing left - not even life - there will be someone waiting for us who loves us. The Queen of endings is the Mother of Beginnings, and she gives us this comfort at the end of things." But perhaps, with all the crying and screaming, her voice does not carry far.

Lark is overheard praising Mae for: Well-spoken. It will give me much to think on in coming days.

Perhaps Mae hadn't actually expected a scream. Or perhaps Armand's scream is just potent enough to rattle her. The little thing draped in black jumps, and then starts again, as there's a crack of wood. She swallows, and then takes a deep breath, and continues. "And so... in sorrow, in anger, in hope, in peace..." Mae says, with a voice shaky and her eyes welling with tears, a voice that might not even be heard over everything else. "We commit this skull to Death," and with that, the small woman turns, stepping over to the memorial wall. The granite skull is hefting, with a tiny grunt, and then she lifts it onto the stack of skulls, ever so carefully. Once it's done, with tears sliding down her cheeks, she looks back to Aureth, and makes a little gesture. She's done.

Strong people aren't supposed to cry! At least that is what Eithne's father has always told her. She does her best not to just let the stream flow while speaking quietly with Lark, but emotions are emotions and thoughts of those she's loved and lost come to the forefront of her mind. She doesn't scream but she cries. When she allows those tears to trickle down her cheeks, she falls her hands into fists.

Mae puts a chiseled granite skull for those lost fighting the metallic traitor in memorial wall set with skull mementos.

Saedrus is overheard praising Mae for: Beautifully spoken, darling, and truly moving.

Lark

Lark's hand reach out to find Eithne's, wrapping hers in the elegant, warm length of her fingers and squeezing softly. The Highlord doesn't cry, composed even as Mae puts the skull into the wall, even as her own ink-dark gaze drags over all of the skulls there. She murmurs something quietly reassuring to the armorer.

"What Mae has asked of you all tonight," Aureth says, in the sniffling aftermath of the outpouring of emotion, "is to spend a moment for catharsis. Mourning is always for what we have lost." He steps forward again, coming forward as Mae places the chiseled skull in the wall, and says: "Life is for living. Death grants us this gift, to see what we will do with it. When we return to her -- as we all will, as we all do -- those who still live will remember us. Remember the fallen, let them live on in your hearts and in your memories, and they will live on in our wall."

Reese sucks in a soft breath and wraps her arm around Esoka, seeming to take comfort in her embrace as well. She looks over to Mae and then Aureth as they speak, listening with her somber attention.

Shard checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Lark checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Mae checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 11 lower.

Reese is overheard praising Aureth for: Gracefully given Memorial in honor of all the lost of compact and the Shavs.

Reese is overheard praising Mae for: A well given memorial in honor of all those lost at Farhaven

Isabetta is overheard praising Mae for: A remarkable educational experience

Mae starts back to Aureth's side, to conclude the ceremony. She manages to step beside him. To straighten up. And then suddenly she chokes on a sob. For a second she steels herself, as if she might just be able to make it. Might be able to keep it together for this last little bit. But then another sob comes, and she stands there, next to Aureth, in front of the gather, besides Death's altar, and the sobbing starts. Her hands come up, covering in black silk, and she covers her face as she weeps.

Percephon checked composure at difficulty 20, rolling 12 lower.

Percephon rises, slowly, with his gaze focused on the wall. His shoulders slouch inward, his head remains bowed. Leaving the shrine as he entered as Mae begins weeping. It's become a little too much --

Shard visibly pulls herself together from that display of temper, if only...just. She settles in her seat, breathing slowly and deeply, though her jaw remains clenched, and the muscle in her cheek stays visible. Her eyes are, if anything, even narrower than ever before, mere slits of brown-gold, though they don't seem focused on anything in particular.

Percephon has left the pews nearest the back.

Monique is overheard praising Mae for: For her skull.

Monique is overheard praising Aureth for: For his ceremony.

Eithne's hand is certainly rougher than Lark's but she gives the Princess a grateful smile amidst the stream of tears that seem to mix with anger. Her voice is low but as she tries to clear her throat, she says something a touch louder. "All those soldiers who came to see me, who I never saw again. It doesn't just make me sad. It makes me angry." There's another little nod of understanding for Lark's quiet words. She truly believes what her grace shares.

Aureth catches Mae by both of her shoulders and tugs her up against the front of his aeterna and spidersilk priest's clothing. He wraps his arms around her, rests his chin atop the crown of her head in a particularly /formal/ and /dignified/ way (no), and says, "Thank you all for coming tonight. I know this is hard. Death loves all your souls. I ask you to remember that, too. But for now we'll say good night, and gods bless you. If anyone has questions, I encourage you to stay around and ask, but our skull memorial is placed, and that is all we asked of you."

Esoka gives Reese's shoulder a last pat, straightening up with a breath and wiping her face. She murmurs something, perhaps to the goddess, perhaps to herself, under her breath, and then stands. Bowing slight to Aureth and Mae, and the skulls.

Isabetta watches the sobbing, biting her bottom lip and looking a little uncomfortable.

Mae's pulled easily against the archlector, and there she remains. Her face against his chest, her body shaking with sobs. She's not a particularly useful disciple at the moment... but might still remain a fine harlequin.

Lark nods understanding to Eithne, her next words whispered so carefully low to the woman in turn before the Highlord draws her fingers away and moves towards Aureth and Mae. She greets them with: "Blessed Aureth, Mistress Grayhope. It was a lovely ceremony. I am sorry that I could not come sooner.

Lethe has left the red-lit alcove.

Mira slips away, quietly, disappearing out of the Shrine after a few long moments spent in silence by herself.

Dropping a kiss to the back of Mae's head, Aureth straightens up and gives Lark a smile. "I'd bow, Your Grace, but I'm being nice," he says. "I hope you were here long enough to get something out of it, at least."

Mira has left the pews nearest the back.

As Lethe departs the alcove, Blacktongue's eyes follow her for a moment before he rises up from his flourished bow of farewell. He stands, waiting and grinning as always.

Leona has left the pews nearest the front.

Delilah lifts her head at the tail end of the ceremony, witnessing Mae withdraw from the wall, with what looks to be the skull she had been holding. Her gaze shifts between Mae and Aureth, and as soon as Mae begins to weep, Delilah looks away. The young woman's eyes well up with tears, which she attempts to subdue by rubbing at the corners of her eyes.

Mae sucks in a hard breath, forcing control just long enough to look away from Aureth's tear-and-snot-soaked robe. Aeterna is good for that, right? "Hello... your grace..." she gasps out, in a trembling tone.

Shard pushes up from her pew. She stands in place for the moment, however, simply breathing. Debating, perhaps.

Eithne wipes away the tears with the back of her hand and gives Lark another curtsey before the Princess slips away to meet with Aureth and Mae.

Esoka lingers a moment to eye the wall of skulls, before quietly taking her leave of the shrine. Wiping at her face again.

Esoka has left the pews nearest the back.

Leona stands up from the pews in the front and watches Mae sob in the arms of Aureth. "To give way to despair is to lose all hope," she says quietly. "And that we must never do. We hope we will prevail, and whether we do or not She is there at the end." She looks toward the wall of skulls, and then at Mae and Aureth, and she bows to both of them. "Thank you for remembering the lost."

Isabetta rises and moves over to get a somewhat closer look at the altar, while actively avoiding disturbing anyone else.

"Of course, Blessed Aureth. Mistress Grayhope's words resonated in many of us, because of her depth of feeling," Lark replies, tipping her chin. Her ink-dark eyes slide to Mae, and she lifts her fingers to brush an assuring gesture against the woman's shoulder. "They were. I am glad you were as moved by them as your attendees."

After the scream, Armand has remained quiet, watching the rest of the proceedings, or positively elsewhere. Still, with its end, he stands and, without looking back or looking at anyone else, takes his leave from the Shrine.

"Death will be there for us," Aureth confirms with quiet certainty. "Always." His smile for Leona is very warm, twinkling in his pale gaze. His gaze dips to Lark and he inclines his head. "I'm glad you could make it."

4 King's Own Guardsmen, Narses leave, following Leona.

Saedrus is overheard praising Aureth for: A very thoughtful and moving ceremony.