@Amaranth @Harper @Mordecai @Urszula @Dimitri @Violet @Sreda @Narcissa @Alder @Lyubov @Aulis @Akira @Fiora @Orel @Rigby @Tallulah
Fittingly, she waited until sunset.
Urszula had been given free reign to decorate for the Fall Equinox festival, and Fate's Respite looked... different from the traditional setup they had formerly employed.
A variety of skulls and bones lay strategically placed and hung around much of the territory, suspended from both bushes and branches as well as laid elegantly upon the ground at points of interest, all of these interspersed with fetching clusters of wildflowers and strands of ivy.
This time the festival was to be held near the communal dens, if only to help keep the pups in one spot for the duration of the event, and Zula had taken special care to place several large horned deer skulls over a rocky outcrop that overlooked the proceedings. Red and yellow flowers were held reverently between their antlers as if in tribute to the dead, which made a surprisingly beautiful display given its macabre nature.
Blood-red symbols of mysterious origin had also been painted with stained paws upon rocks and tree bark alike, purposely placed in such a way that they led up to the gathering itself.
In front of the dens themselves, serving as a centerpiece, a large pile of stones had been meticulously rolled from different locations of Fate's Respite to create a makeshift altar. This by itself would have been interesting, but the real point of curiosity was the drugged goat that lay breathing softly over the top of it all - Zula, crafty in all ways, had used Valerian root to induce it into a dazed stupor, and so the still-living creature remained stationary without much fuss.
All of this blended together to create the most elegantly macabre picture Valeska had ever seen. She suspected Sreda had helped as well, particularly with some of the more ominous-looking symbols...
Nevertheless, she threw her head back and released a short howl of summons to the rest of Elysium's members.
As they trickled in, she beamed delightedly, smiling so large it seemed to encompass her face - this was their first festival since the birth of her and Harper's litters, and it filled her with joy that they could all participate as a family.
“We welcome the coming season!” she sang out, “And with it, we celebrate and feast in honor of Aether's arrival as the herald of Autumn.”
Valeska motioned toward the western side of the dens, where a small cache of carcasses hunted specifically for the festival had been collected and laid aside. It was by no means as impressive as their wedding feast, but it would certainly be enough to fill the bellies of any hungry wolves who attended (Mordecai notwithstanding).
“For our fall event, all willing participants may engage in a game - Aether's Cunning - and it is, in effect, a very fancily-named hide-and-seek,” she said by way of explanation. “The winner shall receive a promotion in title and a gift of first choice of prey for their swiftness, as well as the honor of assisting Urszula in her sacrifice of the... offering.”
She still wasn't quite used to the more bloody rituals and interests of her ghoulish friend, but they did have a certain religious appeal - albeit on the darker, heavier side of worship. Honestly, she was already pretty used to skeletons lingering around since Amaranth enjoyed them so much.
“All who wish to partake, please step forward!”
{Skill: Coordinator}
the staff team luvs u