Congraduations!

Descending Water 9

Winter could still be felt in the still air of the early spring evening. Many of the residents of the Imperial City still wore their heavy winter cloaks as they finished their day's chores. The hall that Chibuike had rented for the gala was still as the servants had finished their preperations for the festivites to begin. The entertainers had not yet begun to practice their craft, and the only guests so far were a small number of family members that had arrived early to make sure no help was needed for the preperations. The hall was decorated in red, black, gold, and orange: the colors of House Cathak. Heraldry was preasent representing House Cathak, Chibuike and Akachi's household, and the House of Bells.

Aden, Chibuike, Akachi, and a few mortal members of House Cathak stood in a circle making small talk and waiting to greet the first guests. Aden wore a red tunic with a large image of the House of Bells heraldry on the back and a small image of his parent's household heraldry on the left breast. He wore black pants and black leather boots. On his hip hung a long sword in a sheath of highly decorated black leather. Chibuike wore his dress uniform and his daiklave at his hip in a decorative red and black leather sheath. Akachi wore a black dress, light, but not revealing and had her giant Great Daiklave strapped to her back with black leather straps. The other family members were dressed in various fashions, all with the House Cathak colors.

The hall was located in a district containing a number of other similari halls and primarily visited by dynasts and patricians. The outside of the building was decorated with a number of banners and pennets with the same colors and images as the inside decorations. The entrance to the building were large white jade double doors. In the back, leading to one of the nearby alleys, was the door to the kitchen. The building set fair enough back off the street for a carriage to stop and unload its passengers. Inside the front door was the lobby where Aden and his family stood. To the guests right was a cloak/coat check worked by three servants. To the left was the bar, worked by 3, but with room for 2 more. Additionally, a number of servants were holding platters of hor'dourves in both the lobby and in the main hall. Opposite the entrance were a set of wooden double doors leading to the main hall. Twenty feet to either side were smaller single doors leading to the same place. Near the bar, two doors led to the washrooms, one for gentlemen, and one for ladies.

Once inside the main room, long dinner tables lead away from the entrance and to the main table, which sat perpendicular to, and slightly raised above, the rest of the tables. There were twenty place settings at the head table and places set for over 200 guests at the other tables. Just inside the doors were servents that could tell you your table, and at the head and foot of each table were servants that could tell you your seat. To the far right of the entrance was a large fireplace for heating the entire room along with couches and chairs for conversation. To the far left was an open space for dancing and, near the back, the area the band was set up. On the back wall between the band and the head table were the doors to the kitchen, and on the opposite side of the back wall were doors to the small walled garden.

At the appropriate time Cathak Ruk, a mortal family member tasked with actually running the gala, nodded to the servents, slaves, and entertainers and everything was in motion. The music began, the entertainers tumbled and danced, servents stoked the fires, the doors were thrown open and servents took their places to help guests out of their carriages or to lead horses to a neaby stable after their riders were dropped off. Aden and his family put on smiles to greet the small number of guests that would actually arrive within the first half hour of the party. The gala had begun...