Four days later, House Valcaryn’s conservatory glows beneath crystal lanterns and moonlit glass. Harps shimmer, violins braid silver melodies, and an elven chorus rehearses layered harmonies beneath the vaulted ceiling.
Delfarius enters with Past Delfarius and Future Delfarius, their black silk and matching dark-gold clasps drawing admiring glances without interrupting the musicians. Lady Seraphine and Lord Caelen wait beside the western gallery.
Lady Seraphine
You arrived before the formal guests. I thought you might appreciate hearing the ensemble without a ballroom judging every reaction.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
The western houses each favor a different opening. Valcaryn prefers restraint, House Merrow demands spectacle, and House Orselyn distrusts anything too beautiful.
A harpist, a young adult elf woman with a slender build, warm-brown skin, braided dark hair, and a forest-green gown, lifts her hands, and the music swells into a bright, intricate passage. The chorus, a group of adult elves in layered ivory-and-silver robes with varied visible faces and hair, answers with ancient elven vowels that make the glass ceiling tremble softly.
Past Delfarius
A fascinating custom. Distrusting beauty must make their dinners exhausting, though I imagine they compensate by distrusting the wine as well.
Future Delfarius
I find the arrangement promising. If the ball’s alliances are half as layered as this music, we may enjoy ourselves before anyone begins asking which brother is the dangerous one.
“I laugh softly at Future's remark. "I always preferred cellos with violins. I enjoy the sad melodic tones the two strings can preform together, but music is hardly needed for our entrance." Future walks up to the performers and starts to talk to the conductor and humming the tune for the future song from another realm for big balls. Past remarks on how he agrees about distrusting wine, saying he prefers beans to grapes. We all look like mortal men to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Delfarius
I always preferred cellos with violins. Their sad melodic tones together are beautiful, though music is hardly needed for our entrance.
Delfarius laughs softly. Future Delfarius crosses toward the performers, all three men appearing mortal to mortal eyes and senses. The conductor, an elderly elf man with silver hair, a narrow face, and a dark-violet coat, turns to meet him.
Future Delfarius
Could your musicians follow this melody? I want to hear how it sounds when played by your ensemble.
Future hums the tune from another realm, testing its shape rather than naming it. The conductor listens, then quietly repeats the phrasing to the nearest violinist and cellist.
The Conductor
Yes, we can follow it. Give us the melody, and we will arrange it for strings, harp, and chorus without needing its title.
Past Delfarius
I agree about distrusting wine. I prefer beans to grapes. Beans offer substance, honesty, and fewer opportunities for noble disappointment.
The conductor signals the ensemble, and the musicians begin tracing Future’s melody in a restrained rehearsal. Lady Seraphine hides a smile while Caelen watches, amused, as the song is secured for their entrance.
“I shake my head at Future Delfarius. "We don't need that to be our entrance tune, do we? I thought we were going to sing it when there was a good lull in the gathering?" I sigh. Future Delfarius tilts his head towards me and remarks how it is good for them to know the tune before we ask them to preform it. Future Delfarius gets closer to me and chuckles privately to me and says how amusing it is going to be to hear an elven chorus sing we have the biggest balls of them all with us. Past Delfarius walks up to the Lady and lord and asks if there is going to be coffee there, and which kind. We all look like mortal men to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Delfarius
We do not need that as our entrance tune, do we? I thought we would sing it during a good lull in the gathering.
Delfarius shakes his head and sighs, while the ensemble sustains Future’s melody. All three men remain convincingly mortal beneath the conservatory’s crystal lanterns.
Future Delfarius
It is better for them to know the tune before we ask them to perform it. Besides, hearing an elven chorus sing about our magnificent balls will be wonderfully amusing.
Past Delfarius
Before we plan our musical triumph, will there be coffee tonight, Lady Seraphine? And what kind?
Past approaches the Valcaryns with a courtly bow. Seraphine’s composure breaks into laughter, while Caelen glances toward the servants’ gallery with amused resignation.
Lady Seraphine
There will be coffee, certainly. Orosian dark roast, spiced mountain coffee, and a lighter floral brew from the eastern estates. I will have all three served in the western salon.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
And no house will turn the coffee into a political venue. You may drink in peace before the formal gathering, provided your chorus survives the rehearsal.
Director's note
But we've got the biggest balls of them all
“I roll my eyes at Future Delfarius and relent. "All right, let's pratice with the band." Me and Future Delfarius start to sing the song as the ensemble tries to keep up. "Well I'm rather upper class high society God's gift to ballroom notoriety And I always fill my ballroom The event is never small The social pages say I've got The biggest balls of all I've got big balls I've got big balls They're such big balls And they're dirty big balls And he's got big balls And she's got big balls And my balls are always bouncing My ballroom always full And everybody comes and comes again If your name is on the guest list No one can take you higher Everybody says I've got Great balls of fire..."We all look like mortal men to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Delfarius rolls his eyes at Future, then relents. The ensemble gathers closer beneath the crystal lanterns, instruments poised as the conductor raises his baton.
Delfarius
All right, let’s practice with the band.
Future Delfarius
At last. Let us give Orosia a melody it will remember, whether it wishes to or not.
Delfarius and Future begin together, their voices striking the tune with theatrical confidence. The violins, harp, and cello catch the rhythm, while the elven chorus follows their irreverent harmonies.
Delfarius
I’m rather upper class, high society’s gift to ballroom notoriety. I always fill my ballroom, and the event is never small.
Future Delfarius
I’ve got big balls, they’re such big balls, they’re dirty big balls. And everybody comes and comes again when their name is on the guest list.
The ensemble keeps pace flawlessly, transforming the outrageous refrain into a grand, polished spectacle. Lady Seraphine laughs openly, Caelen applauds the beat, and the conductor signals the chorus into the triumphant final cadence.
“We finish the song singing it flawlessly and bow to the gathered Lady and Lord and then to the ensemble. We all look like mortal men to mortal eyes and mortal senses. Past shakes his head with a small amused smirk, sipping on some coffee, and remarks how you can not take us two any where.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -3)
The final refrain lands flawlessly. Delfarius and Future match the ensemble’s timing, their voices carrying the outrageous melody beneath the crystal lanterns while every mortal eye sees only three polished men.
The chorus rises behind them, violins and harp glittering around the cello’s warm finish. The performance takes longer than planned, leaving the formal guests waiting beyond the conservatory doors.
Delfarius, Past, and Future bow together toward Lady Seraphine and Lord Caelen, then turn and offer an equally precise bow to the conductor, musicians, and robed chorus.
Lady Seraphine
That was flawlessly performed and utterly impossible to explain at a respectable dinner. I believe Orosia will remember it.
Caelen applauds with open delight, while the conductor lowers his baton and exchanges pleased looks with the ensemble. The song’s arrangement is now firmly memorized, though its exact origin remains unrecorded.
Past Delfarius collects his coffee and takes a leisurely sip, shaking his head with a small amused smirk as Future accepts the musicians’ appreciative bows.
Past Delfarius
You cannot take us two anywhere. Give us a rehearsal, and we leave behind a scandalous anthem, an audience, and several people questioning their invitation choices.
“I chuckle a bit to Future Delfarius and smirk. I send a small message through a weave of magic to Dorian, that we are already at the ball and not to wait for us, and apologize. I do so unseen or unfelt by any mortal senses or eyes. Future Delfarius apologizes for delaying the entrances of the other houses and goes to find himself a cup of coffee. I walk up to Caelen after he parts from lady Seraphine and smirk coyly at him. "What did you think about the song and the subject of the song?" I say charmingly. We all look like mortal men to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +2)
Delfarius chuckles toward Future and sends a fine thread of magic through the conservatory. It reaches Dorian unseen and unfelt, carrying an apology and word that they are already at the ball.
Beyond the doors, Dorian receives the message without any mortal witness noticing. He will not wait for them, and the enchanted thread dissolves cleanly into the evening air.
Future Delfarius
My apologies for delaying the entrances of the other houses. I shall find coffee before anyone decides our music requires an encore.
Future departs toward the western salon, following the scent of dark roast. Lady Seraphine moves to greet arriving guests, leaving Caelen briefly alone beneath the moonlit gallery.
Delfarius
What did you think about the song and the subject of the song?
Delfarius approaches Caelen with a coy smirk, black silk and dark-gold clasp gleaming beneath the crystal lanterns. To mortal eyes and senses, he is only an impeccably dressed man.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
The song was polished, memorable, and catastrophically improper. As for its subject, I suspect the three of you possess an astonishing confidence in your own anatomy.
Quest Complete
Attend House Valcaryn’s ball
Skill Upgrade: Deception Great→Superb