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A group of creative individuals got together and started a roleplaying game based on the Dungeons & Dragons/Pathfinder gaming system, set in the world of Terre d’Ange, complete with its own Longest Night Midwinter Masque.  Join us in January to meet the players involved!

Dramatis Personae:

Odilia nό Dahlia – she is the figure who gives out missions to the party, also the Consort to the King and Sovereign Duchesse of Siovale.  Born to a jeweller off Rue Courcel, Dahlia House raised her from nothing to an esteemed courtesan, and Gustav de la Courcel, then Crown Prince, elevated her to his Royal Consort and gifted her with the Duchy of Perigeux.  There is no one that doesn’t know Odilia is the power behind the throne and the most powerful woman, if not person, in the country.

Eirini nό Gentian – a fully fledged courtesan of Gentian with aspirations to teach at the University of Occult Studies, has been having visions of danger lately.  She has some healing ability and tries to take care of the rest of the party when she can.

Rosanna nό Valerian – the youngest in a huge Eisandine noble family but the first to make a career in Mont Nuit. With her marque recently completed she hopes to continue rising in the ranks of her house, being considered for Second. This is slightly complicated as it happens that she’s gone and fallen in love with a foreign prince. In assisting the party she uses her noble & Night Court statues to move in social circles others cannot to obtain vital information.

Joss Verreuil – the grandnephew of Josceline Verreuil. Follows in his uncle’s footsteps more than the rest of his family would hope. As the second son, he was sent away to the Cassillines at age 10 and grew up there. Through a series of misadventures was declared anathema. Currently working as a mercenary bodyguard for Lucas and the only responsible adult in the household. He aims to try to increase his family’s status more than it already has been and has a few…. Personal goals.

Lord Lucas Maignard – the last hope of a disgraced house. Through his shrewd and cunning plans, his family had been raised from being lowly chicken farmers back to noble status. Despite the stain on his house’s honor still present from Shahrizai machinations, Lucas carries himself with the pride befitting a man of a much higher station – a station he has his eyes set on.  Makes a really good omelet.

Shelta of the Lautari – an exiled didikani with a penchant for endearing herself to those in power. Her many skills that have allowed her access to the highest and lowest levels of d’Angeline society. She has embraced her d’Angeline heritage and holds a respected position among the Tsingani within the City of Elua. But it is a all a means to an end, a quest for her mysterious d’Angeline mother.

Ansgar the Spear – a boisterous Skaldi warrior.  He is currently employed by Lucas, and enjoys good food, strong drink, and interesting company.

Niklos Shahrizai – a scion of the noble Shahrizai family. Niklos is idle rich… he’s spent family money on attending the University in Tiberium and traveling to most of Terre d’Ange’s neighbors. He’s also a bit of a troublemaker, having been asked to leave the University due to his taking an interest in (and mastering a skill in) forgery. He enjoys playing the vapid lordling, but behind his icy blue eyes is a calculating mind and a person ready to move into the more serious political machinations that various members of his family have been known for.

 

Player Perspectives:

The Dungeon Master/Odilia nό Dahlia

I had never DMed a D&D campaign before I was asked to run this Kushiel game.  I had played plenty of D&D and Pathfinder, I was familiar with the mechanics, and I’m an excellent storyteller so I agreed as a challenge, never expecting to get as wrapped up in this beautiful world as I did.  I read the first trilogy and loved the vibrant, voracious, violent world that Jacqueline Carey created.  The alternate history with the beautiful pantheons of gods that hadn’t been crushed by Christianity was to tantalizing, it was a breath of fresh air for what could have been, and a delightful fantasy to escape to.  And suddenly my friends were asking me to take them through the next adventure in Terre d’Ange.  I was scared.  Would they like the story I told?  Would what I created for them fit inside the Terre d’Ange that Jacqueline had created?  Would I do Terre d’Ange justice?

Amid all of those questions, I remembered what D&D is all about – having fun.  I had forgotten the most important thing about playing tabletop with friends – it didn’t need to be perfect so long as everyone had fun.  And we have had so much fun over these months.  Yes, real world gets in the way, and we can only get together for one session a month, but I look forward to that session every single time because I know we are crafting an adventure together that isn’t just what I want to do, but what we all collaborate on because it is our story as much as it is anyone else’s.

We have taken the beautiful, amazing foundation that Carey gave us in her books, found ourselves within the gorgeous tapestry she has woven, and carried it on ourselves, doing it justice in our own way, and never ever forgetting to have fun.

Even when some players decide to run off in the wrong direction, forget the stakes, and end up asking me why I burned the Temple of Naamah.  I didn’t.  You just weren’t there to stop the people who obviously did.

Eirini nό Gentian

The Terre d’Ange setting was a part of the game from the beginning.  I heard from a friend that he was involved in a campaign based on the books, and when I told two of my friends, we were immediately in agreement that we should run a campaign in the realm ourselves.  I think we all saw ourselves in the books in different ways, and getting the chance to explore that further was something we all jumped at.

For me, this game is a chance to explore some of what draws me in about this world.  I love the idea of sex as something to be revered, something that can be a positive interaction that is profoundly meaningful even in casual encounters.  I think connection with people is something that helps us learn more about ourselves and the world, and having a place where physical intimacy is valued as a human need, one that should be honored and expressed in whatever way seems fitting, is powerful.

I’m the Gentian Dowayne for the Masque, and a Gentian courtesan in our game.  I love the mysticism of Gentian and the way it connects sexual energy with a sense of otherworldliness and self-knowledge.  Sex is something both profoundly physical and profoundly spiritual, and roleplaying this character gives me the chance to imagine the way that understanding the importance of a sacred sexuality can change the world.

Rosanna nό Valerian

The Kushiel series were the first fantasy books in a long time that I just couldn’t put down, finishing one right after the other in a short period of time. I found myself drawn to not only the Night Court, but the various religious practices described therein. The holy precept in Terre d’Ange, love as thou wilt, was such a beautiful tenant that put words to many aspects of my own life. But getting to step into a character who lived by that creed, as well as taking it to a higher plane through deep seeded faith, that was a very tempting offer.

Like one of the other players, I am a Dowayne in the annual masque. My character, Rosanna nό Valerian, is devoted to her profession and her religion. Assignations to her are an act of devotion, her patrons being her own connection to the divine. In playing her, I have the chance to navigate a path which is new, challenging, and thought provoking. Valerian House provides a safe space to yield to desires many can’t or won’t understand, in progressing through the game I’ve been able to analyze and assess certain facets of my own inclinations. Such self-inspection so far has yielded positive results, and honestly I’ve felt more confident since starting the game.

 

Web links:

https://kushielscampaign.tumblr.com/

This is a tumblr page created for an English Lit project based on the game.  It features several of our players discussing what their characters mean to them, and pictures of the game in progress.

https://adventuresinterredange.tumblr.com/

This page chronicles the adventures of the D&D characters.  This page is updated with events from the game, background on the story, and updates from the Masque.  It is a great way to follow along with the adventures as they unfold.

“Did you ever experience an event in a book that was described so beautifully that you wanted to actually live it even just once? That’s exactly what happened to me when I read about the Longest Night masque in Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. As I continued reading the series and more masques were presented, it impressed upon me even further that I wanted to be part of a masque. I didn’t want to attend a modern-day masquerade ball, which should really be called a gala or formal. I wanted the period costumes, the attendees portraying characters and wearing masks.

“So, for a few years I watched social media and Jacqueline Carey’s website in hopes that I would learn of a masque that I could attend to make my fantasy a reality. I saw other people searching for the same thing but it didn’t seem to exist outside of our beloved books. Eventually, I realized that if I really wanted to attend a Longest Night masque, I had to make it happen myself. I posted online to see if the Kushiel community had any interest in attending a real-life masque. So many people responded positively, and my post was even shared by Jacqueline Carey herself, that I was feeling like this would be a success. I contacted Jacqueline Carey to ask if she would be willing and able to be part of the event. With her blessing, I decided to go for it.

“I am fortunate enough to be the Fundraising Chairperson for Petapalooza PA. Bitsy McCann, the Executive Director, was very supportive when I pitched my off-the-wall idea as a fundraising event. This allowed me to combine two things I was passionate about and even have my fantasy event benefit the many animals in need throughout Central Pennsylvania. It was a win-win in my brain.

“And so it began, I was planning a major event with my favorite author as the guest of honor and our Queen! I’ve planned weddings as well as created small dances and other fundraising events but I had no idea how to plan something this big. But I’m a deep end of the pool kind of girl and I learned as I went along. I selected the venue and met with their event planners. They could give me tips on general event planning but couldn’t truly understand what I was talking about without having read the book. I had a vision to recreate the Longest Night masque to the best of my abilities so that attendees would feel like they were living what they had only read and dreamed about before. I wound up with a checklist of 83 tasks to complete within 6 months! Once the website went live and tickets were being purchased, I was excited every day to see that people were going to come! I ran up to my husband and put my phone in his face the day that two tickets were purchased by people in the UK, screaming in my excitement that this is an international event now!!!!!! I was a lunatic but we all have our own special brand of crazy, right?

“I am very blessed to have talented friends who helped bring my vision to life. They were willing to volunteer their time and expertise in areas that I didn’t have any knowledge of and certainly didn’t have time to learn. Kim Hill created and maintained the amazing website that allowed me to start selling tickets for the event. Emily from EG Photography offered to set up a photo booth and take “prom pictures” of anyone who wanted gorgeous photos of their costumes and friends. Emily also introduced me to Brett Zwerdling from Maharal who was willing to perform live music during the night. He even let us borrow his sound system which was awesome. Bitsy Plus Design created the beautiful flyer and social media graphics. Ruth Koup guided me as my mentor when I was unsure which direction to go in next. She gave support and helpful tips when I felt stuck and generously offered to host a private brunch in her home with Jacqueline Carey and a few special guests the morning of the event. And last but certainly not least, my husband and friends helped me whenever I needed it. I could not have pulled off the masque without all of their efforts.

“I’ve got to say that the masque was the best outside the box idea I’ve had so far in life. I got to spend time with and have personal conversations with my favorite author. Jacqueline did ask me what possessed me to undertake such an endeavor. My answer my simple, I wanted to experience this and creating it myself was the only option I could see. I now have friends all over the country, Canada and the UK. Because of the friendships that were created that special night, I created private Facebook group for our family so we could keep in touch with each other and I look forward to partying with everyone in January!

“Now, we just need enough money to buy our own small country to create Nouveau Terre d’Ange where we can all live in a community that is 100% made up of misfit toys and that’s perfect for us!”

~Kalisa Shahrizai, coordinator of the First and Second Longest Night Midwinter Masque

Will you come from Hellas, where the sea glitters like a jewel against white cliffs? Or from Menekhet, where the sands stretch into a glimmering haze at the horizon? Will you join us from the wintry slopes of Skaldia or the green, rocky isles of Alba? Or are you a mere carriage ride down the winding, cobblestone avenue of Mont Nuit?

Before you begin your journey home, join the renowned Kushiel’s Legacy author Jacqueline Carey, old comrades, and newfound friends for a parting meal. Our flirtatious and lively Tsingani neighbors have agreed to throw open the doors of Night’s Doorstep the morning after our masquerade! What better way to prepare for the long road ahead?

Brunch on the Night’s Doorstep will be held at the Hyatt Regency Fairfax on January 6^th, 2019 from 8am – noon. You can reserve your spot by purchasing ticket here.

Whether you’ve only read Kushiel’s Dart or you’ve devoured every word she has ever written, you must admit that Jacqueline Carey is a brilliant woman.  She has created world after world and all of the myriad characters that inhabit them, from Phédre nό Delaunay de Montreve of Terre d’Ange to Daisy Johanssen of Pemwoket to the Princess Zariya of the Court of the Sun-Blessed.

Have you ever wanted to sit and chat with Ms. Carey?  Ask her a question or two?  Get her advice on the publishing industry?  Now you can!

Cereus House invites you to join us in our private salon – the Presidential Suite of the Hyatt Fairfax – for a private reception with Ms. Carey.  Enjoy fine wine and gourmet hors d’oeuvres as you socialize with our beloved author and a few other guests.

Tickets are extremely limited.  You don’t want to miss this special event. Claim your spot now!