Who: Elijah and Rosalinda
When: Evening
Where: The temple
What: Finding solace in turbulent times?

Elijah wasn't sure how to process the events that had taken place in the last couple of days. The only tragedy he had ever experienced, truly experienced, was Aubert's death. He couldn't say that he understood what Zach was feeling, or the thoughts that were probably running rampant through the alchemist's head; all he knew was that he felt bad that Zach had to go through any of it at all. All he could do was help with the search parties that were being sent out, and help catch the psychopath that had taken Zach's girlfriend. Elijah knew that if he saw the bastard that he wouldn't think twice about killing him. But that wasn't his place. If anyone should have the pleasure of killing the man it would be the girl's family, or Zach. They loved the taken girl the most, and they would no doubt do whatever they could for her.

Elijah should have been with Zach wherever the boy was, but he was at the temple instead. He was a water elemental, and sometimes he was bigger than life; but in here, in this place he felt small. He looked around with a sense of awe, and took a seat at one of the front pews. He breathed in deeply, and let out a low sigh. It echoed around him, and Elijah closed his eyes as he felt the vibrations bouncing off his skin. He looked up at the high ceilings, and laid his neck against the back of the bench. He thought he was alone, and it was only with that solitude that he dared to speak out loud.

"I wish I knew what to do," he said to no one in particular though anyone could guess that he was speaking to a higher power. "There has to be something more that I can do to help..."

Who: Rosalinda & Zane
When: Afternoon
Where: Art Wing, Arts & Trade Enclave.
What: Making friends and poking fun at each other.

“Don’t make fun of it!” Rosalinda cried, playfully pushing at Zane’s arm. “It does not look like a vulture!” She gestured futilely at her not-so-grand attempt to make decorative pottery. “It’s a vase with spouts and handles! Not a vulture! If I wanted to make an animal, I would have taken up taxidermy—not art!”

Rosalinda and Zane were in the Art Wing of the Arts and Trade Enclave. They started out working apart from each other on separate projects, but they began talking somewhere in the middle of it all. Few people were there today, and the silence grew boring and monotonous very quick. Soon enough the two of them were giving each other pointers on what to do. Rosalinda was making something for herself, and Zane had been making something for his wife—a lovely lady Rosalinda didn’t have the pleasure of meeting yet, but she sounded wonderful according to Zane’s description. She ought to have been, or he probably wouldn’t have married her.

She was feeling sad for her vase, but she couldn’t stop the laughter either. Rosalinda brought a hand to her mouth and shook her head. “It is not that bad, it’s not,” she said adamantly, trying to find a sliver of pride in her creation. Rosalinda gestured at Zane’s creation, purposefully picking on his after he had made fun of hers. “Yours isn’t any better!” she declared stoutly as she crossed her arms. “It looks more like Medusa’s head.”

Who: Everyone!
When: Evening
Where: The Arts and Trade Enclave
What: Grand Opening of the Enclave! Elected Vice Council members are announced! Not to mention, there’s a par-tay!

Tonight was the night for the Grand Opening of the Arts and Trade Enclave. After many careful months of renovating the original buildings located near the tip of the northern mountains, it was completed at last. What was once an old village had been turned into an enclave for learning and the arts, which had been deemed important by the Head Council for the community of Elysium. The public lacked a place to pursue their love of the arts and finer crafts, and now it was made possible for them with supplies, teachers, and more. It was one of the finest ideas for the haven’s people. Hopefully, it would come to fulfill the extra needs of the citizens.

As for the party itself, they had gone all out for the occasion. Gold and white ribbons decorated everything from the doors to the windows to the eaves of the roof, and everyone was dressed up for the occasion. Both inside and outside of the building, there were long tables dedicated to serving snack foods and beverages to the attendees. The ballroom was open, serving as a dance floor for the evening with live music, and even the patio beyond was lit by glowing lanterns and a full crowd of mingling people.

The party had been going on for no more than thirty minutes so far when it was time for the Head Council to announce the elected members of Vice Council. The music ceased temporarily out on the patio as the three of them made an appearance on the stage in place of the entertainment for the evening.

( “Welcome, everyone!” Dylan announced with a smile. )

Who: Everyone
When: Late Afternoon (4:00-5:00 PM)
Where: Town Hall
What: A town meeting to cover important Head Council changes and the voting for Vice Council.

Dylan was quiet as he waited for everyone to finish taking their seats in the crowd. Many people had to stand towards the walls since there wasn’t enough room for everyone to sit. They would begin the town meeting shortly, and it seemed as if they had a full house. The hum of chatter filtered through the large hall until Dylan approached the podium and tilted his chin up as he began to speak to the audience.

“Thank you for coming tonight,” he told him, nodding his head slightly. “We have a few things we wish to announce to the public. The first and foremost being the resignation of Constance Alexie from the Head Council. She has resigned for personal reasons and will no longer be attending to the affairs of Elysium and its people. In the wake of her departure, we have been going through a tough selection process for a new Head Council member. It is not an easy business to fill the shoes left empty by Ms. Alexie, but we feel we have come to an admirable decision in our choice. I am happy to introduce you to her tonight. Please welcome Ms. Rosalinda di Palermo,” Dylan finished, stepping aside from the podium as he gestured towards Rosalinda.

Though she felt overcome with nervousness to re-enter the public eye once more, Rosalinda made her way to the podium as calmly as possible. “Hello, everyone,” she said to the crowd. “As Mr. Uzoma has said,” Rosalinda added, looking to Dylan with a smile, “I am Rosalinda di Palermo. To tell you a bit about myself, I suppose I will begin from the beginning? I am from Sicily, and I am a descendant of the House of Palermo. My parents were King Rinaldo and Queen Alfonsina, God rest their souls, who passed during the Pandora virus. I was raised with broad outlook on the world and the best education had to offer. Still, I felt in my youth I did not know very much about this world. I discovered, upon coming here, how little I did know.”

A smile grazed Rosalinda’s face as she talked to the crowd, realizing how different life really was here, before she continued with her speech. “I became a professor of Classical Studies, rose to head of my department, and later entered into philanthropic work across the world. It became my mission to try to make things better for other people. The more cruelty I saw in the world, the harder I tried to fight it. It is my mission here to help keep Elysium a safe place for all people to enjoy their lives with their family, friends, and neighbors in peace. I hope that I can live up to your expectations, and should I fail, I will gladly resign from my position and let someone more competent watch over Elysium. I am glad, however, to at least be given a chance to show what I am capable of.”

Rosalinda bowed her head and left the podium, returning it to Dylan. He stepped up and placed his hands on either side of platform. “Also on our agenda,” Dylan resumed for the audience, “we would like to announce that voting for Vice Council will commence tomorrow and will continue on through Friday. Voting will end at midnight sharp of Friday night. All ballot boxes will be closed by this time and no more votes will be accepted, so make sure to submit your votes for Vice Council sometime before Friday night.”

He smiled at the crowd. “That concludes today’s town meeting. If you have any questions, you may ask them now or send in a letter to inquire of it later. I hope you all have a wonderful evening, and goodnight.”


OOC: You may have your character respond to this with a narrative if you like. Any concerns or questions can also be directed at a Head Council member if your character has any!

Who: Rosalinda & Kazuki
When: Evening
Where: The Temple
What: Well, it is Christmas Eve. Where else would she be?

Snow had begun to fall while Rosalinda was inside one of the chapels within the temple. The white flakes falling outside of the glass amazed her as much as the inside of this temple. It housed separate quarters for each religion imaginable. It was lucky to be big enough to house so many separate ‘chapels,’ as she saw them. None were too big or too small, and each held a variable size to its expected amount of visitors at one time. Rosalinda let out a soft sigh and leaned back into the pew. The snow continued to fall, the corners of the window frosting up. She glanced forward, taking in the head of the chapel.

Given that she was Catholic, she chose the Catholic chapel. A small smile formed on her face as recognized both one for Catholics and Protestants. This chapel was adorned with stained glass windows, dark oak walls, and all of the proper ornaments. A statue of the Virgin Mary looked down on her, and Rosalinda said a final prayer before picking up her long skirts and shuffling her way out of the chapel into the corridor beyond.

It was dark inside of the whole of the temple, lit only by candlelight in these hours. If she had her family with her, she might have been spending Christmas Eve with them. Darkness settled on her heart when she faced the truth yet again: they were not here with her. No matter how many months passed her by, it was impossible for her to overcome it. She was alone in this world with very little to get her by but her faith and a few kind hearts around her. It was little reassurance, but it was better than nothing.

Who: Rosalinda & Brian
When: Late Afternoon
Where: Abandoned palace in the Northeast.
What: Rosalinda explores the dead places of the land.

Travel across the land meant facing the cold, and despite the wool shawl draped over her shoulders to keep her warm against the winter weather, Rosalinda felt the bitter wind against her face. The wool cap upon her head helped to keep her warm, as did the gloves on her hands and the scarf around her neck. She was swathed in the color red, standing out against the evergreen trees and brush and the tufts of white snow.

At the end of her journey, she dismounted her horse and found a comfortable place for him to rest. The palace’s gate opened to a courtyard covered in snow. It surprised her how no one else lived here anymore and few people visited it. The castle was alone by itself in the wilderness with no company but the silence and the birds. She crossed the courtyard, though, all the while taking in the scenery around her. The palace seemed like an enormous mansion, its stone wall glittering in the wintry setting. She wondered how stone could glitter like that. She’d never seen a human structure look as ethereal as this one.

It wasn’t of human make, though. Elves built this place. Rosalinda reached the large entrance, placing a hand delicately against the wood. A part of her was almost fearful of opening it, as if she was doing something she should not have been doing. She might have felt more welcome here if it wasn’t so silent, but the silence held an unnerving quality to it, and Rosalinda wondered why she had come here. The people in town told her it was beautiful, and she wanted to see it. It was easy to think now anything that reminded her of her life before this was gone, smashed into mere dust.

Rosalinda pushed open one of the double doors, carefully wandering into the building. The quiet continued, and she was met with a darkened entrance hall. It seemed to glimmer as well, even though there was little light to support it. She stepped inside slowly, the door parting open for her without making a single sound. Any other door would have creaked, but this one did not.

Her eyes travelled upward, casting themselves over the entrance hall. It was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen in Italy, and it took her breath away.