#I have no idea whether Heart of the Void ever cropped up outside of the Manual of the Planes 3.5e but it sounds delightful

[y-rhywbeth2]

While being undead is mostly downsides, at least you can visit that city in the Negative Energy plane. Bunch of towers built inside a giant metal sphere that drifted into the plane after their homeworld died then all the survivors died in a zombie apocalypse. Not a single living resident left and all the politicians are liches and vampires squabbling for power with a vampiric minotaur making all the factions shut up and get along while he encourages planar research in what is probably a bid for ruling the universe. It's probably a riot in there. Like dead evil Sigil without the philosophy, and it's a ball instead of a doughnut on a stick.

Unless an undead villain has a holiday home there I am not impressed.

[fyexo]

201203 The Powerful, Limitless Kai

EXO member Kai unpacks his solo debut, artistry, and how he learned to express himself.

“I wanted to show that Kai is limitless,” 26-year-old Kim Jongin, better known by his stage name Kai, tells Teen Vogue of his newly-released debut self-titled album. The word is multifaceted, conjuring up an unfettered existence or an endless void, as terrifying as it is appealing.

Kai leans toward the latter. His voice — soft, restrained, thoughtful, and at times giddy during our interview — is an anchor in that wide open space. He’s quite excited about the idea of limitlessness, of existing on more than one plane, of proving you’re more than one thing.

Kai, out November 30, is just the first step.

“Over the years I've been in the industry, many people have seen me as a member of EXO. I have performed in front of our EXO fans and SuperM fans. This is the first time I'm actually releasing something under my own name,” he says. “I want to show people who Kai is through this album. The name Kai means ‘to open’. So, I want it to be open and show a new side of me.”

The year was 2012 when EXO debuted with an intensely mythological, high-concept origin story. Shortly after the heart of the Tree of Life dried up due to the red forces’ incessant attacks, Kai descended to Earth — along with the rest of the members of EXO — as part of the legends that “see the same sky but shall stand on different grounds, shall stand on the same ground but shall see different skies.” (A parallel to EXO’s original split into two groups, one focused on China’s pop market, the other on Korea’s.) Each member has his own superpower, and Kai’s is teleportation, although he doesn’t always know what to do with it. During the music video for “Lucky One," the rest of EXO use their powers to fend off villains, but Kai breaks out into dance. (Though if you’ve seen Kai dance, you’ll know that’s as much a superpower as anything.)

That may be Kai’s beginning, but he was brought to life by Kim Jongin, the youngest of three siblings, who grew up in Suncheon, South Korea, with an early interest in ballet and jazz dance. Taking on the persona of Kai at 17 years old, he began to set the framework for what he’d soon become known for: a fluid, captivating dance style infused with seemingly endless confidence, smirking through concept changes with ease. As EXO’s popularity hit the stratosphere shortly after their single “Growl” — with performances on world stages like the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the multi-million selling 9-member group remains one of the most revered acts in modern-day K-pop — so did Kai’s reputation as one of the most enigmatic performers in Korean idol music.

Duality is one of K-pop’s favorite concepts, and the endearing dichotomy between Kai and Jongin is a perfect example of where the person and the artist diverge. On stage, Kai paints a mysterious picture, flitting from lithe self-possession to seductive swagger, to borderline arrogance. Off stage, however, Jongin is uncharacteristically shy: he blushes when complimented by his group members, often forgets his own passwords (and asks friends to help out), and is obsessed with his niece and nephew.

While every gaze, every spin, every step with Kai is intentional, Kim Jongin is as free of the bounds of pretense as it gets. It could be as easy as turning a switch on or off, but that would be doing Kai’s ethos a disservice. It’s subliminal. “Kai is me in my dream state,” he says. “When I'm sleeping, it's like my dream character comes alive, and that would be Kai. I’m more of a normal, down-to-earth person. That's just me, but Kai is this persona that's on stage… I do notice that when I'm dancing and pulling off all these different concepts, [I’m] like a totally different person outside of myself doing that.”

And if EXO member Kai is one type of persona, solo performer Kai is another. He previewed Kai with a short film song-sampler, in which he “teleports” through a cinematic thoroughfare of concepts, each one diving deeper. In “Hello Stranger,” his voice is the lighthouse in the storm of the bustling city, asking to talk about the things that overwhelm you. “Reason” is a modern-day fairytale, with Kai as the quirky, attention-grabbing prince in a sea of droning conversations and pretentious debutantes. Hold his hand, turn the corner, and you meet Bad Boy Kai in “Amnesia,” sheathed in leather and a mullet (a hairstyle that continues to be one of the greatest things ever to happen to K-pop) and leaning into noble sacrifice: “Forget me before I know you,” he says. How can you?

We pass through scores of mirrors, each with a different version of Kai as he croons, “Don’t think about anything else.” He holds this attention until the mirrors open into a vast landscape. Now, he is the one looking at a mirror of his own — clad in lace and soft whites and vocalizing his desires openly, “Nothing On Me” is his version of suave vulnerability. The story ends on “Ride Or Die,” a throwback to yesteryears with its heavy, sensual synths and noir setup. It’s a full circle moment; this Kai is the same one we get a glimpse of within the first few seconds of the film, as a hologram. All this while, the mirrors that pull us through the songs have been windows, a journey through the hallways of Kai’s mind, ending in the confident reassurance that he will “ride or die” with us, till the end.

“[I wanted to show] that I can do anything and that anything is possible,” he says. “It’s the connection between teleportation and the limitless possibilities that I have as an artist, as Kai. I wanted to showcase that all of these different sides are Kai, are myself.” And he learned a lot about himself in the process of making the album. “To be honest, I was pretty stressed preparing for all of this on my own, but I think I learned a lot about myself throughout this process. Not just myself as an artist, but [also] a lot about myself as a person: my personality, how I deal with stress, and just... what I’m like as a human being.”

Teleportation is an apt comparison for Kai’s continued interest in embracing other art forms and expanding his artistic lexicon. If that comes with playing with the constraints of conventional style, fashion, and masculinity, then so be it. Like his artistry, his sartorial expression is boundless: whether it’s the slew of crop tops worn to highlight the chorus in “Don’t Mess Up My Tempo”, which gave us one of the most memorable fan-cams of 2018; to the shirtless red suit for “Love Shot” that, frankly, deserves its own museum; to the soft yet dangerous combination of flaming red and lace he’s sporting in the highlight medley for Kai. Every outfit is the period at the end of his words, mapping out his own zeitgeist.

“As my career progressed, fashion itself became a way to express myself on stage and the being that I am,” he says. “It's not just about expressing the song or the concept itself. I think it’s really important for me to try new things and have people notice what I've been trying. I actually want people to look back on the styles that I've tried as an example for them to reference later on. Fashion has become a really important thing for me to develop myself.”

At the heart of these many concepts, of both his Kai persona and his life as Jongin, is movement. Kim Jongin and Kai share a fundamental receptiveness to the world, and of course, a singular, synchronous rhythm that has become the bedrock of his artistry, whether as part of EXO or out on his own.

“When I was younger and I first started dancing, I think I just simply loved dancing itself. I was immersed in the art of dancing,” he says. “I loved doing it, but I think as I've progressed as a performer, as my career has grown, dancing has not only become something I love to do, but it's also become a tool [to] express myself on stage and to audiences. Dancing has been part of more than half of my life now. It’s like a friend that I can't live without.”

source: Tanu I. Raj @ Teen Vogue

[dailyexo]

[INTERVIEW] Kai - 201203 Teen Vogue: “The Powerful, Limitless Kai”

"EXO member Kai unpacks his solo debut, artistry, and how he learned to express himself.

“I wanted to show that Kai is limitless,” 26-year-old Kim Jongin, better known by his stage name Kai, tells Teen Vogue of his newly-released debut self-titled album. The word is multifaceted, conjuring up an unfettered existence or an endless void, as terrifying as it is appealing.

Kai leans toward the latter. His voice — soft, restrained, thoughtful, and at times giddy during our interview — is an anchor in that wide open space. He’s quite excited about the idea of limitlessness, of existing on more than one plane, of proving you’re more than one thing.

Kai, out November 30, is just the first step.

“Over the years I've been in the industry, many people have seen me as a member of EXO. I have performed in front of our EXO fans and SuperM fans. This is the first time I'm actually releasing something under my own name,” he says. “I want to show people who Kai is through this album. The name Kai means ‘to open’. So, I want it to be open and show a new side of me.”

The year was 2012 when EXO debuted with an intensely mythological, high-concept origin story. Shortly after the heart of the Tree of Life dried up due to the red forces’ incessant attacks, Kai descended to Earth — along with the rest of the members of EXO — as part of the legends that “see the same sky but shall stand on different grounds, shall stand on the same ground but shall see different skies.” (A parallel to EXO’s original split into two groups, one focused on China’s pop market, the other on Korea’s.) Each member has his own superpower, and Kai’s is teleportation, although he doesn’t always know what to do with it. During the music video for “Lucky One," the rest of EXO use their powers to fend off villains, but Kai breaks out into dance. (Though if you’ve seen Kai dance, you’ll know that’s as much a superpower as anything.)

That may be Kai’s beginning, but he was brought to life by Kim Jongin, the youngest of three siblings, who grew up in Suncheon, South Korea, with an early interest in ballet and jazz dance. Taking on the persona of Kai at 17 years old, he began to set the framework for what he’d soon become known for: a fluid, captivating dance style infused with seemingly endless confidence, smirking through concept changes with ease. As EXO’s popularity hit the stratosphere shortly after their single “Growl” — with performances on world stages like the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the multi-million selling 9-member group remains one of the most revered acts in modern-day K-pop — so did Kai’s reputation as one of the most enigmatic performers in Korean idol music.

Duality is one of K-pop’s favorite concepts, and the endearing dichotomy between Kai and Jongin is a perfect example of where the person and the artist diverge. On stage, Kai paints a mysterious picture, flitting from lithe self-possession to seductive swagger, to borderline arrogance. Off stage, however, Jongin is uncharacteristically shy: he blushes when complimented by his group members, often forgets his own passwords (and asks friends to help out), and is obsessed with his niece and nephew.

While every gaze, every spin, every step with Kai is intentional, Kim Jongin is as free of the bounds of pretense as it gets. It could be as easy as turning a switch on or off, but that would be doing Kai’s ethos a disservice. It’s subliminal. “Kai is me in my dream state,” he says. “When I'm sleeping, it's like my dream character comes alive, and that would be Kai. I’m more of a normal, down-to-earth person. That's just me, but Kai is this persona that's on stage… I do notice that when I'm dancing and pulling off all these different concepts, [I’m] like a totally different person outside of myself doing that.”

And if EXO member Kai is one type of persona, solo performer Kai is another. He previewed Kai with a short film song-sampler, in which he “teleports” through a cinematic thoroughfare of concepts, each one diving deeper. In “Hello Stranger,” his voice is the lighthouse in the storm of the bustling city, asking to talk about the things that overwhelm you. “Reason” is a modern-day fairytale, with Kai as the quirky, attention-grabbing prince in a sea of droning conversations and pretentious debutantes. Hold his hand, turn the corner, and you meet Bad Boy Kai in “Amnesia,” sheathed in leather and a mullet (a hairstyle that continues to be one of the greatest things ever to happen to K-pop) and leaning into noble sacrifice: “Forget me before I know you,” he says. How can you?

We pass through scores of mirrors, each with a different version of Kai as he croons, “Don’t think about anything else.” He holds this attention until the mirrors open into a vast landscape. Now, he is the one looking at a mirror of his own — clad in lace and soft whites and vocalizing his desires openly, “Nothing On Me” is his version of suave vulnerability. The story ends on “Ride Or Die,” a throwback to yesteryears with its heavy, sensual synths and noir setup. It’s a full circle moment; this Kai is the same one we get a glimpse of within the first few seconds of the film, as a hologram. All this while, the mirrors that pull us through the songs have been windows, a journey through the hallways of Kai’s mind, ending in the confident reassurance that he will “ride or die” with us, till the end.

“[I wanted to show] that I can do anything and that anything is possible,” he says. “It’s the connection between teleportation and the limitless possibilities that I have as an artist, as Kai. I wanted to showcase that all of these different sides are Kai, are myself.” And he learned a lot about himself in the process of making the album. “To be honest, I was pretty stressed preparing for all of this on my own, but I think I learned a lot about myself throughout this process. Not just myself as an artist, but [also] a lot about myself as a person: my personality, how I deal with stress, and just... what I’m like as a human being.”

Teleportation is an apt comparison for Kai’s continued interest in embracing other art forms and expanding his artistic lexicon. If that comes with playing with the constraints of conventional style, fashion, and masculinity, then so be it. Like his artistry, his sartorial expression is boundless: whether it’s the slew of crop tops worn to highlight the chorus in “Don’t Mess Up My Tempo”, which gave us one of the most memorable fan-cams of 2018; to the shirtless red suit for “Love Shot” that, frankly, deserves its own museum; to the soft yet dangerous combination of flaming red and lace he’s sporting in the highlight medley for Kai. Every outfit is the period at the end of his words, mapping out his own zeitgeist.

“As my career progressed, fashion itself became a way to express myself on stage and the being that I am,” he says. “It's not just about expressing the song or the concept itself. I think it’s really important for me to try new things and have people notice what I've been trying. I actually want people to look back on the styles that I've tried as an example for them to reference later on. Fashion has become a really important thing for me to develop myself.”

At the heart of these many concepts, of both his Kai persona and his life as Jongin, is movement. Kim Jongin and Kai share a fundamental receptiveness to the world, and of course, a singular, synchronous rhythm that has become the bedrock of his artistry, whether as part of EXO or out on his own.

“When I was younger and I first started dancing, I think I just simply loved dancing itself. I was immersed in the art of dancing,” he says. “I loved doing it, but I think as I've progressed as a performer, as my career has grown, dancing has not only become something I love to do, but it's also become a tool [to] express myself on stage and to audiences. Dancing has been part of more than half of my life now. It’s like a friend that I can't live without.”"

Credit: Teen Vogue.

[mobius-prime]

212. Sonic the Hedgehog #144

Mobius 25 Years Later: The Die is Cast

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Steven Butler Colors: Jason Jensen

We've finally made it to the final installment of this damned arc! Man, that doesn't seem to leave us a lot of time to solve the main conflict of the world ending, does it…? Well, I suppose we have to read the issue first. Knuckles arrives back home after his visitation to Locke's grave, and tells a delighted Lara-Su that he's rethought his stance on training her as a Guardian and plans to start straightaway - after, of course, his current mission with Sonic. When he makes a vague allusion to asking her mother for help on her instruction if he doesn't come back, Lara-Su tries to insist she come along to help, and Julie-Su, who was listening in, becomes indignant.

Aww, that's actually sweet. I think that's the first time we've seen actual, real affection between any of this arc's married couples. Julie-Su sees Knuckles off to his shuttle, driven by - who else - an elderly Harry, and Sally makes him promise he'll bring her husband back to her. He tries to find Lara-Su for a final goodbye before his mission, but is somewhat baffled to not find her anywhere, assuming she was too angry at not being taken along to stick around. The shuttle flies them out through the worsening storms to the "badlands," a horrifically-polluted section of the planet that's so toxic the group has to wear sealed suits as they traverse the terrain and make their way to Robotnik's old hidden base.

Sonic immediately volunteers himself to go back in time despite the dangers Rotor warns him of, and we cut away to the shuttle for a little surprise - Lara-Su has stowed away in a cargo box, determined to come along and help despite what her father thinks. However, before she can even take a step outside the shuttle, she begins to vanish from reality like that scene from Back to the Future. What could be causing this? Well, back in the base, we might find our answer:

And… that's it! No, seriously, that's literally the end of the arc. No context is given for what we just saw happen. It's not explained if this time travel venture indeed caused the world to end, or if Sonic going back in time erased this timeline in favor of another, or what. This is such an abrupt and unsatisfactory ending that I have to wonder if Kenders was forced to end the story early on short notice, because absolutely nothing is explained here. We spent over a dozen issues building up to something, enduring trite teen drama and old stuffy adults arguing at each other while locked into loveless marriages, and got the most vague and useless ending possible, after all of that. I mean, what was even the point of all this then? Some chapters in this arc had literally no plot or character progression whatsoever! The aversion of the end of time and space was literally the most interesting potential plot hook in this entire arc, and it's basically swept aside in the last few pages with no explanation. This almost makes the actually good writing of last issue seem useless, if this is what came directly afterwards. *sigh* Ah well, we're finally free of this nightmare. And as it turns out, we're very close to the end of Penders as a whole! Those of you who have read the comics before might have noticed that we're rapidly approaching the 160th issue, which is when a certain fan-favorite writer took the reins and started to fix a lot of the messes that the previous writers left him with. So if you're one of the ones who despises everything Penders ever wrote, you don't have much longer to suffer - just a few more issues and we're in the clear!

Love and Loss

Writer: Romy Chacon Pencils: Jon Gray Colors: Josh Ray

This story is a bit of a bizarre one, being very unlike any others we've read so far. There's very little action and a whole lot of solid blocks of text to read, but in a way, I do feel it's interesting and contributes to several characters' arcs in a positive manner. A poor bear is doing his best to sell some newspapers to the denizens of Knothole one Wednesday evening when he suddenly finds himself mobbed by a horde of rabid women all grabbing for a copy.

Now that is quite interesting. No, I don't mean the love advice column - I mean the little signpost in the second panel, the one listing the prices for products at the stand! Now, Jon has a habit of making up things to put on posters and the like in the background of his art, many of which are clearly just meant to be humorous and not to be taken seriously, but this is literally (as far as I can tell) the very first instance we've ever seen of an actual unique currency in this world! "Mobiums", huh? They seem to be kind of equivalent to Japanese yen, in that a single one is barely worth a penny - I mean, I'm pretty sure they're not meant to be like dollars anyway, as $75 for a single comic seems incredibly steep. For now, I suppose we'll have to add "Mobiums" to our list of potentially-canon bits of worldbuilding info about Mobius.

Anyway, as you might expect, several of our favorite girls in this comic have gotten themselves a copy today, and as it turns out, they've all written in their own letters and are eager to see the advice this "Aly" will give them. First up is Bunnie, who writes in under the pseudonym "Feeling Terribly Alone." Obviously, her main problem is with Antoine. She details how they've grown apart and how she feels like she doesn't even know him anymore - and yet, despite all their recent difficulties, she's still in love with him and wishes things could go back to the way they used to be.

Poor Bunnie. One of the things that seems to crop up for her now and again is her well-hidden insecurities about her cyborg nature. From her recurring nightmares, to her concern over the idea of Antoine still being able to be attracted to her despite her robotic parts, it's clear that she struggles a lot more with her nature than she lets on, and her relationship with Antoine boosted her confidence immensely. They were clearly happy together, and just as they were getting past the honeymoon phase and settling into a more steady relationship, he became cold towards her without a clear explanation as to why. It's clearly broken her heart at a time when she desperately needs to be able to hold it together, and the idea of her sitting in her house at night, alone and sobbing to herself uncontrollably, is really sad.

Next up is Mina, AKA "Singing the Blues." Her letter discusses how lately she's feeling torn between old crushes and new relationships. Her new boyfriend, Ash, was briefly shown in StH#134, but apparently they've grown quite close in the year that Sonic was gone. However, with Sonic back, Mina has been feeling the old familiar butterflies around him, and questions whether she truly loves Ash in the same way she cares for Sonic. (Obviously, however, in the usual vein of these kinds of ask columns, everything she says is vague, not mentioning any names.) Aly's letter advises her to not give up on a current happy relationship to chase someone else who may not even be interested, and Mina appears to genuinely take this to heart, deciding to give her boyfriend a call despite the late hour.

Well, good for her! Mina's a sweetheart, and it does seem like she and Ash genuinely care for each other. The third letter comes from Amy, or "Wishing for Love," who lays out her crush on Sonic and how she's tried to get his attention here and there, including going so far as to "look and dress older" (bit of an understatement there, Ames) to catch his eye. However, she's frustrated that she can't seem to gain his affections, and wants Aly's opinion on whether she really is putting too much effort into a silly crush, or whether she actually has a chance. Aly begins by tactfully pointing out that it sounds like she's still young, and it's not a good idea to rush into love too quickly when there's so much more life ahead.

…yeah, that's about what I'd expect from Amy. After all, remember that despite her physical age, she still mentally skipped half her childhood up to this moment, and she's also the hopeless romantic type, so it's not surprising she'd be unimpressed by advice telling her to look away from her crush. The article appears to be winding down, but everyone reading is struck by what they see in the last entry, from someone called "Royally Scared." The writer dives into her story, about her deepest love and how they made a commitment to each other only for her love to be "lost," which broke her heart. When he came back, she tried to get him to walk away from his "job" for a better job in her family's "business," but he refused and they had an ugly break-up as a result. She still loves him, but she's too scared of losing him again, especially because he's so brash and throws himself into danger without a care.

Everyone immediately realizes that this is Sally's letter, and are riveted to the page for Aly's response. Aly admits that she doesn't have a solid answer for this one, but says that it seems like they both have valid points. She points out that Sally's "dramatic confrontation" might not have been very fair to her lover, and urges them to both talk it out like adults after they take some time apart to reevaluate their own priorities, before wishing her luck and concluding the article. I just want to point out that the entire section where she lays it out and Aly responds is masterfully put together, with the heart-filled background slowly transitioning to a deep, tangled mass of purple and black as the letter goes on, interspersed with silhouettes of Sally crying and looking very alone in a dark void. I've pointed it out before, but Sally was very clearly traumatized - badly - by everything she's been through, with Sonic's supposed death being a breaking point for her, and the backgrounds of this issue symbolize this struggle very effectively. But here comes the real twist. After all, "Aly" is clearly a pseudonym, and no one knows who's really running this column. So who do you suppose it is?

God damn. Even in the middle of dealing with severe PTSD, Sally's still got a damn good head on her shoulders. It seems that people were starting to suspect her as the writer, so she deliberately wrote in a letter that was obviously her, and then answered it herself to throw readers off the scent. And her answer to herself was well thought out and reasonable - it's clear that she wrote her entry letter first, then forced herself to take a step back and evaluate her situation as though she were a third party who didn't know any of the finer details. The result is a response that doesn't betray her true identity, and isn't obviously colored by her own biases, where she gets a chance to look at her situation with a clearer head (probably helped out substantially by Nicole as an outside perspective). She flat-out acknowledges that her own actions on the stage the night of Sonic's welcome home party were unreasonable and unfair to him, and calls herself out on it in a public newsletter (even if most people aren't aware of the circumstances behind this entry). I feel like this only supports what I said about The Slap several issues ago, that she wasn't acting rationally that night and needs to be cut some slack on account of her (now-canonically-acknowledged) trauma. And in the end, her Aly persona is right. While she and Sonic still love each other, their differences have made a stable relationship between the two currently impossible, meaning it's best for them to take that time apart to figure out what each of them want before they think about getting back together. I think this is a really good follow-up to what happened in that issue, and gives a lot more insight into just why Sally did what she did, and how she's handling it after the fact.

This issue ends with a single page reminiscent of the Sega Data Files of issues past, this time covering the entire Acorn Royal Family. There's not much info here that we don't already know, but we do find out that Elias and his wife Megan's child has been born by now, a daughter named Alexis. Hope we get to see them all again soon!

[adilynia-kiden]

The Trinity Wedding: Arrivals

Forward: The Trinity is wedding is going to be broken up into a series posts over the next few days, as the ceremony itself has been finished. I have no idea how many, but expect at least 5-7...this thing is long and a labor of love.

We wanted to make sure that all of you who follow the story have a full view of everything around that moment, so we’ve elected to just cut/paste the whole it for your reading pleasure and a more well rounded view of the spectacle surrounding the event in Nishan.

This makes the posts a bit lengthy, but hopefully broken up in such a way that the text blocks don’t make eyes bleed.

Thank you all for the kind words and enthusiasm that has been shared over the last week or so, it’s really humbling to know so many of you have looked forward to this as much as we have.

So, without further ado...

March 19, The Inner Courtyard; The Nishan Marche

The Outer gates are lined with Nishanian Knights. The Inner Courtyard is lined with Nishanian Knights. The Mansion is surrounded by Nishanian Knights. Lycan has truly outdone himself. Each and every millimeter of the matte grey armor adorning our military personnel - from the lowliest Squire to the highest ranking Knight-Champions of our Order - has been meticulously scrubbed, oiled, buffed, and polished. Their weapons sharpened and honed to the finest sustainable edges.

Ordered by Companies of one hundred they stand precisely ten paces apart at every point, well within eyesight and assistance to one another. Guarding the mansion are an array of Ghost Stalkers, Astral Travelers, Soul-Menders, and Lumen Archers. The Inner Courtyard is secured by our Void Paladins, Purifiers, Shadow Hunters, Cryonite runeblades and Silverclaw Reqs. The perimeter of the Outer Gates is secured on the outside by still more Void Paladins, Soul Skinners, and Cryonite Spell-blades. All told, a security detail comprised of thirty-nine hundred set to safeguard a wedding where the two of the most desirable men in Nishan will formally be recognized by the vows of a Nation in recovery from decades of hardship and war.

 A Nation who may not, in their entirety, respond well to the next generation of Nishanians being borne of a race once perceived as Allies, more recently as enemies. Enemies who slew nearly two thousand of their own not yet a year earlier. Fresh and gaping wounds only time and understanding might ever mend.

Any lingering doubts as to the necessity for the application of such extensive security measures could easily be remedied by a single glimpse passed the outer gates barring entry into the private estate. If anyone not gravely wounded or tending to those who were had missed the opportunity to attend the upcoming nuptials, it was impossible to tell from the sight of the thousands upon thousands scattered across the grounds.

 Indeed, it is all the security forces can manage to maintain an unobstructed travel corridor for those who'd been granted a personal invitation to the second most sought after wedding event of the last twenty-five years. The Marquis of Kiden is set to wed the Paragon Guardian of the Nishan Marche.

 Needless to say, the Nishan News Organization has positioned itself at every available location in order to capture the event live and in living color.

The first to arrive for the festivities was the Headmaster of Colleges and Baron of Cryon: Arch-Magus Larcos Sobo'avill. In the absence of both the Marquis and his Guardian from the Mansion estate where today's event is being hosted, the local reporters in the crowd are desperate to know just what, if anything, required the direct attentions of the Lord of the Ninth House just after the eleventh bell of morning. Whatever it was, it lasted for several hours. A statistic the attractive nobleman is known to uphold on any and every occasion.

The second highly recognizable attendee is none other than the recently married Baron of Silverlight, Lord Ja'nin Ninro. Flanked by his children, Lord Garren Kiden and Lady Scassira Kiden, the most surprising bit of gossip for this entry was the absence of the new Baroness of Silverlight. Where ever she is, it's obvious from the Baron's good humor and untamed swagger, he's very comfortable with whatever it is that has stolen her away form his side this afternoon.

Given the prolonged upheavals on-going in the Barony of Altome, no one expected the recently acknowledged Baron, Hamid Manowar, to take the time out of reconstructing his devestated lands and people to attend this very public event. Not only did he make a public appearance, but he played escort to the recently recovered children of House Nishan's bloodline; Lord Taj and his Sister Lady Eirlya Nishan. The fact that the Twins have chosen to make their primary home in Altome is a source of great speculation among the people of the Federation, yet the House of Lords - and all those serving in it - have remained frigid on the subject of why this has been permitted. Who knows, maybe the potent beverages the Marquis of Nishan favors will loosen a few lips!

This unexpected little gem slipped right passed Nishan News reporters stationed at various points throughout the throng and the travel corridor, only to be discovered by one of our inside sources and reported after the fact. This is the Regent of Ironwall, Sir Halcyon Krim; Father of our lost Lord, Baron Poe Viz. After Baroness Calista Dogherty-Viz gives birth to the lost Baron's second child, the Council of Nobles will determine whether Lord Krim continues as Baron of Ironwall, or it's Regent.

To the shock and surprise of pretty much every Nishanian not born in Crimsontide County, one of the on-site Reporters captured the arrival of Count As'Eh Condea as he breached the security barrier surrounding the premises. Thankfully, neither he - nor the security forces - were injured before he could be identified and weapons restrained. Questions about as to why the reclusive Lord of the Second House has deigned to make an appearance at the wedding of long-timer business partner and political opponent, Marquis Teren Kiden. What we can be certain of, is that this historic event just became much more newsworthy.

The new number one on the most sought after bachelors of Nishan list, Earl Grinsren Per'poh appears to have fully recovered from the life-threatening injuries he sustained during the Battle for Lordaeron as he bravely placed himself on the front lines against the most imposing abomination of the entire war! If anyone is looking for an opportunity to assuage any of the emotional trauma he may have endured, he's a quick update: He's got his namesake on offer, and is just as edible as ever, ladies!

It will take a genuine act of Light & Shadows to beat this incredibly juicy and very public display of affections between the Countess of Hyperion, Guardian Nerenna Reon, and Earl Tian'Risch Ceton'lol, acting Regent of her deceased husband Tesh Reon's lands. It wouldn't be the first time mourning the lost of a lost loved one brought two people together. This is definitely a relationship to watch, as - if Earl Ceton'lol were to wed the Countess - his consolidated territories would make him the second most powerful landed noble in the entire Federation, ladies and gentlemen!

Those of us who served on the front lines of battle missed out on a breathtakingly exceptional performance from the Earldom of Silvershade's most recent Reliquary Hunter. Hot on the heels of the outbreak of war, Lord Morej Pactu took the reigns over his people's crippled army and - with help from Ironwall's Baron, Poe Viz - the two were able to lead an assault on Lordaeron castle and reclaim his Father Earl Wi'Tad Pactu, the bodies of Guardian Zanne'su, Guardian Akasha, as well as several dozen other captured Nishanians.

Unfortunately, during their daring escape with the remaining Nishanians, Lord Pactu was separated from his Father and the Baron of Ironwall during the cataclysmic explosion of blight that rent the castle in two and neither the Earl of Silvershade or the Baron of Ironwall's bodies were able to be recovered.

Lord Morej Pactu has kept a very low profile since being named his Father's successor as the new Lord of Silvershade; focusing his efforts on restoring order, bringing in crops, and establishing new procedures to keep his people from crumbling under the devastating losses of more than fifty-five percent of their entire population and a full eighty-three percent of Silvershade's military forces. Whatever has drawn this reclusive figure out from the verdant landscape of his home, it is highly unlikely to be a simple matter of supporting the body politic.

One of the most surprising moments of the evening arrives last, but certainly not least as Count De'oc Ngu'nye enters unattended by the usual procession of Knights and special service personnel who normally form the Lord of the Third House's retinue. It's a vastly.

 Historically viewed as the traditional heart of the entire Federation, the sight of one of the most noble and notable political and military figures arriving without any of the usual fanfare and security may lend credence to the rumors that our beloved Count Ngu'nye is a broken man since losing more than fifty percent of his vast army and considerably more of the vast network of spymasters for which the people of County Do'jang have long been renowned.

As unruly as the masses gathered quite literally at the gates of Marquis Teren Kiden's vast Estate along the Outer Ring of Nishan may be, elegance and eloquence are ruling the day withing the exquisitely decorated inner courtyard where the wedding of a lifetime is set to take place in less than an hour.

 First to be seated are the nobles of Nishan and their chosen escorts. With Count Condea, Count Ngu'nye, Earl Pactu, Baron Manowar and Baron Ninro seated along the first and second rows of the Marquis's seating; alongside friends, family, and a handful of Outsider guests. In similar vein, Earls Grinsren Per'poh, Ceton'lol, and Baron Krim have been seated to the right with the Guardian's friends and loved ones.

Special Note: Additional guest seating has been set aside for Baron Sobo'Avill at the dais, indicating he will almost certainly be acting as Second and Groomsmen for either Marquis Kiden, or Guardian Lycan Maddox during the ceremony.

 With all of our Lord's seated, we turn to the family guests, which includes a number of Outsiders we've yet to uncover the identities or intentions of. Hopefully we'll have that opportunity before they're shown to their seats.

It is readily apparent who leads the small entourage of Outsiders as they make their way to the seat designated for them.

Maladir SIlverfall, clad in black and gold and possessing all the nobility and bearing spoken of in Thalssian nobles, carries himself both purposefully and considerably in escorting the Lady Brilaria Suncrest on his arm. Noted is the care in which he takes to see the lady seated in such a manner that doesn't catch the crimson silk of her gown as she sweeps it beneath her. The fading light of the day catches metallic circlets set in precious gems on their brows, in declaring both their knighthood and members of the Praetorium beyond the boundaries of Nishan.

Just behind them, Captain Raelin Dawnsorrow and Tanner Michaels walk side by side in identically taken steps. With an infectious smile and obvious good nature, the Ironfists strides are not nearly as graceful as his full-elven counterparts, but no less polished as he sees to the young man at his side who is only barely holding onto his nerves. Obviously warm whispers in the young human's ear garner a quick flash of a lopsided smile as he tugs on the formal attire and straightens his posture all the more, as its apparent he is trying his absolute best.

Clad in his house colors, the green, black and silver of his clothing sets fire to the shock of red hair that is tamed into a neat braid while his young friend dons the same colors as Commander Silverfall and works to keep the shaggy strands of his own hair from falling in his eyes. Together, the foursome is most assuredly out of place in Nishan, but their countenance does little to subscribe to the fact that they feel so. Even Tanner, who is rumored to be quite an accomplished squire, seems to settle once they have taken their seats, though his wide green eyes never rest long on anything in trying to take it all in at once.

As many eyes are drawn to the Praetorium entourage, it is the Pixie herself who no doubt draws the most attention. Not only has she chosen to go without a formal escort in entering the staging ground for the wedding ceremonies, but the gilded and glittering attire she has been donned with sets her apart from those of her obvious family. The contradiction of her elegant attire paired with the warrior like braids and trinkets in her hair make for a combination worthy of the Valkyr themselves, and somehow fit the petite knight. Contrary to the noble bearing of those in her company, hers displays in a enigmatic humility and sweet smiles that lower her golden eyes lined with kohl.

Carrying the weight of Teren and Lycans honors and future on her shoulders and skin, Adilynia SIlverfall joins the company of her father with an affectionate kiss on his cheek that speaks of their connection and warmth even among that might be adamantly against their presence. Raelin and Tanner both having equally beaming smiles as Maladir escorts the unsuspecting bride to her seat, with the young man quickly bending quickly to prevent an impending snag of golden material. His quick thinking tugs a far more genuine smile to Addie's face in leaning across to protectively thank him for the chivalrous act in kissing his brow. The look in turn is both awe-filled, emotional and teeming with pride as he takes his seat, but always with one eyes on his knight. The same expression mirrored in the Confessor who watches as Addie takes her seat, crosses her ankles and carries herself in such a way that was fitting for the sapphire and diamond tiara secured atop her dark hair. Carefully folded hands placed delicately in her lap, remain still as the din of the crowd falls on long ears set with tiny vines of blue roses and a serene smile curls just at the corner of her mouth in a display of seemingly unshakeable show of tenacity, grace and manners fitting that of the future Marchioness of Nishan.