Author: Longest Night Midwinter Masque

Libraries are valuable resources in our communities and it’s important that we support them.    After all, without libraries, how would Phédre ever have solved the mystery of the Master of the Straits and saved her dearest friend?  Plus, isn’t this event based on a series of nine books (if you follow Phédre, Imriel, and Moirin – which you should – through all of their adventures)?

So, it is in this spirit that the 2020 Masque will be raising funds for the Fairfax County Public Library system.  The FCPL consists of 23 branches – 8 regional branches, 14 community branches, and a branch dedicated to serving customers who have special accessibility requirements – serving the over 1 million residents of Fairfax County “through programming, community spaces, technologies, and collections of educational and recreational resources.”

Proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the libraries and, in the coming weeks and months, you will be hearing from the Dowayne of Bryony House about some exciting fundraisers.

If you would like to make a personal donation to the libraries, you can do so by clicking the Donate Now button on the Fairfax Library Foundation homepage.  You can add “Longest Night Midwinter Masque” in the notes if you wish.  Select “FCPL” as your home library.

We all have our favorite characters and favorite moments in the Kushiel’s Legacy series.  If you had the chance to magically become a character in the series to live through a certain time in one of the books, who would you be and what “adventure” would you experience?

Would you be a young Phédre – or Alcuin – studying in Delaunay’s household?  Perhaps you’d want to experience that fateful night in the Skaldi cave as Joscelin?  Maybe you’d be happiest as Hyacinthe, running his business on Night’s Doorstep.

Tell us all about it in the comments section!

Are you bummed that you missed the 2019 Masque back in January?  We’re bummed, too.  Did you come to the event and want to relive every glorious moment of the evening?  (C’mon, you know you do…again)

Or maybe, you’d like to peruse pics from the 2016 and 2017 Masques in Pennsylvania?

Have no fear, we’ve got you covered!  This link will take you to photos of all of our prior events by EG Photography.  Make sure you’re “camera ready” come January 4, 2020, as Emily Golihew will be joining us again to snap candids and formal portraits throughout the evening.

In Kushiel’s Scion, Imriel travels to the University of Tiberium to study under the eccentric Master Piero di Bondi and his famous pigeons.

To further immerse you in our weekend in Terre d’Ange, we will be hosting a short series of discussion groups on Saturday, much like those Imriel, Eammon, Brigitta, and Lucius held in the tavern long after class.  We invite you to submit proposals for these discussion topics, worthy of those inspired by Master Piero – no pigeons needed.

Groups will last approximately 60-90 minutes and should be designed for no more than ten (10) to fifteen (15) participants.  Please limit your topics to direct discussions of the Kushiel’s Legacy books.  If your topic is chosen, be prepared to lead an in-depth discussion of your topic and bring any materials your participants may need, such as question handouts or printouts of supplemental information.  Include the names of any Kushiel’s Legacy books that participants need to bring.

To submit your proposal, send an email to info@thelongestnightmasque.com with the subject Discussion Group Topic and attach your proposal to the email.  Do not type your proposal in the body of the email.

Proposals will be accepted no later than 11:59pm, May 1, 2019. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee and those whose topics have been chosen will be informed by May 15, 2019.

Tickets to Master Piero’s Discussion Series will be made available once subjects have been chosen and group leaders confirmed.

In honor of the 2019 Vernal Equinox, we officially invite you to join us for the 2020 Longest Night Midwinter Masque on Saturday, January 4, 2020!

We have a little over nine months before the event, but we’re well on our way to planning what could be our best one yet.  We hope you enjoyed the 2019 Masque and will be joining us again in 2020 for a long night of revelry and merrymaking.

We tried hard to secure space in one of the ballrooms at the Palace in the City of Elua but, alas, our requests were denied.  Something about a visiting Alban delegation…or maybe it was a war with the Skaldi…a shadow government in exile…refinishing the marble floors?  It was tough to get a straight answer on why we couldn’t hold the ball there, just that we couldn’t.

But fear not, fellow D’Angelines!  We will, instead be returning to the Hyatt Regency Fairfax.  While it may not be the Courcel Palace, it is still a fantastic place to hold the Midwinter Masque – and we will be doing it up right.

So mark your calendars, buy your tickets, get your costume ready, secure your travel plans, and get ready to enjoy the 2020 Longest Night Midwinter Masque!

 

~Love As Thou Wilt

Private Reception with Jacqueline Carey – Presidential Suite, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

• January 4th, 7 – 9:30 p.m. ~ Private Reception

 

The Masquerade – Commonwealth Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

• January 5th, 1 – 5 p.m. ~ Vendor Check-In 
• January 5th, 5 – 7 p.m. ~ Will Call – Collect Your Tokens
• January 5th, 6 – 7 p.m. ~ Book signing by Jacqueline Carey
• January 5th, 7 p.m. – January 6th, 1 a.m. ~ The Main Event
  • 7:15 p.m. ~ Processional, Court of the Night Blooming Flowers
    • House Costume Contest
    • Individual Costume Contest
  • 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. – Divination Available with Dowayne of Gentian House
  • Midnight – The Winter Queen and the Sun Prince Enactment

 

The Dungeon – Virginia Suites, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

•  January 5th, 7:45 p.m. ~ Dungeon Orientation – MANDATORY for Dungeon Tokenholders
•  January 5th, 8 p.m. – January 6th, 1 a.m. ~ Dungeon open for Dungeon Tokenholders

 

Brunch on Night’s Doorstep – Dominion Suite, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

• January 6th, 2019, 8 – Noon ~ Brunch

Invented by Celts and adopted by Romans, chainmaille was an important part of a soldier’s ensemble until the emergence of the musket in 1520. Though antiquated as armor, the craft of chainmaille continues on in myriad aesthetics. One such craftsperson is The Metal Weaver.

On Etsy since 2009, The Metal Weaver specializes in handmade, high quality jewelry, strong craftsmanship, and elegant chainmaille design. The Metal Weaver enjoys working with various alloys and doing custom work, while keeping meticulous records of the metals used in any given piece. You can find The Metal Weaver on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/themetalweaver and the Masque this Saturday! Be sure to introduce yourself and get your custom chainmaille jewelry in the works!

Eglantine is a House that brings forth the spirit of Naamah’s creativity. “To Create Is To Live” are our words, and so we pay homage with every stroke of the pen, every note sung with grace, every garment made with a purpose. We give all of ourselves, pouring our soul into our craft. Our imagination and innovation is power! Who else but an Eglantine adept could write words to move men to tears? Where else can you find singers that could sway the will of rulers? Nowhere else but the House where creativity runs through our veins.

We pour our souls into our craft, whatever it may be.

To Create Is To Live.

For us, we aren’t living unless we create.

 

Hilde de Reneille no Eglantine

Dowayne of Eglantine House