Characters/CynisCrystalwind

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The Household of Cynis Crystalwind

the Lady

Cynis Wisel Crystalwind, the Mistress of the House
Few would mistake Crystalwind for one freshly graduated from secondary school. While she has aged precious little in the nearly 40 years since her graduation, she has changed in other ways. Nor is it the signs of her long years of Adventure; the only visible mark to any other than lovers or her husband is a small delicate scar along her left hand, which is usually covered by a pair of white gloves. No, the mark that makes it clear that she is more than a few years gone from her education is her wealth.

Even when Crystalwind is wearing very little at all, she is inevitably garbed in garments worth enough jade to make a peasants eyes bulge. Jewelry from all over creation glitters against pale skin, and she bears the carefully cultivated appearance that only someone with a team of slaves with nothing better to do can achieve. Even her winter home buzzes with a strong current of essence, and she is seldom without any number of powerful hearthstones and the jade settings to make benefit of them. The Daiklave she gave to her youngest child, recently graduated from Secondary School, doesn't have the long pedigree of some -- but makes up for it by being nearly as powerful, and custom crafted by craftsmen from Tuchara.

Nor is this money that was gained by happenstance or marriage. While Crystalwind has a enviable husband, and many Dynasts would trade places with her in said union, he is enviable in the discretion of his affairs and his political position -- prior to their marriage, he was barely able to support himself with his family stipend /and/ his salary, so large were his debts. The fortune of the Crystalwind line was earned through canny investment, acts of heroism in the Threshold, and aid to the Scarlet Throne itself.

Until 4 years ago, Crystalwind had a husband...and even a child...but she didn't have a household, per se. Most of her time was spent travelling throughout the North and even into the Scavenger Lands with the brotherhood she had been a part of since her graduation. She is well known to many of the higher placed members of the Guild, and is a personal friend of some of the Dragon-Blooded bumpkins from the North. The group, the Ice Hammer Society, had accomplished much during it's long career. A rogue outcaste named Kal Derrik had been brought to justice, regimes had been shored up and brought tumbling down at the groups whim, insults had been avenged and favors repayed. Most notable of the Ice Hammer Societies achievements, however, were the events that earned them the attention of the Empress over a decade before her disappearance.

The group had been in Thorns, in Realm Year 748, assiting the All-Seeing Eye in the succession (a fact that none of the members of the brotherhood lets slip easily, for the fact that they worked for the All-Seeing Eye is not commonly known). Their task was rather simple; keep an eye on the Empresses' chosen successor. It was simply a babysitting assignment, handed to them as a reward for a task they'd pulled off back in the Imperial City earlier in the decade. It turned out...quite differently...when forces from Lookshy attempted to assassinate their charge. This was not wholely unexpected, but the assassins turned out to be much more persistent and powerful than before -- Crystalwind still suspects that they were Anathema of some sort, but her memories of the encounter are quite hazy. None the less, without their aid the entire operation would have been unsuccessful...

...and who knows what would have happened, then? A year after the Empresses disappearance, war battered Thorns was invaded by the forces of the Deathlord Mask of Winters. Countless Dragon-Blooded perished, and the city itself was scourged of life by a corpse the size of a city -- and turned into a fell citadel of the underworld, just on the other side of the Inner Sea. The Brotherhood had been wintering in the North at the time, but they could easily have been in Thorns at the time -- they were well liked by the king, and had friends within the Realm Garrison. With the political landscape changing by the hour, and her own son graduating from secondary school in a year, Crystalwind decided that she was getting a little too old for the life of an adventurer.

House Cynis agreed with her, and when she returned she was greeted with warmth by her great-grandmother Wisel. She spent a week with Elot, her only son in his last year at the Spiral Academy, before she finally saw her husband again. The two had never been very close, and had only seen each other a few dozen times since they were married twenty-three years ago. They'd spent time together at a few parties, and in the Imperial City, and he'd once came to visit her in Thorns -- but the two were not exactly good friends. Some time was spent catching up, but most of the time Crystalwind was trying to locate proper accomodations.

She first acquired her 'winter retreat', a small estate just a ways outside the Imperial City. She was largely along there, and to this day still prefers it there due to it's closeness to the Imperial City and the impression of ownership the place has; her husband would join her in the winters, but the rest of the year he had to be closer to Pangu. Two years later, however, a high-ranking and ancient Bureaucrat was finally assassinated by one of his rivals -- and the perfect home was rendered vacant! Just a day outside of Pangu itself, a powerful Air Manse on a high bluff overlooking the shore. Now a true Lady of the Dynasty, Crystalwind is discovering a whole new kind of adventure.

While a housewarming party where all the Dynasts in the prefecture are invited is not quite the same as a duel, it has it's own unique benefits and dangers all it's own. Making the correct friends and finding ones way into the proper salons is harrowing in it's own fashion, and the rush of having your first guest or permanent resident is a fine subsitute for the thrill of battle. Indeed, Crystalwind has even discovered that her husband isn't a bafoon -- he is, in fact, quite useful and competent in matters political and social. He just has no skill with money. Even more, she's fallen in love with the pure decadence that Dynastic Affairs can aspire too -- the petty loves of the Threshold hold no candle.

The more Crystalwind immerses herself in the Dynasty she so long set herself apart from, the more she begins to enjoy it...

(notes: Crystalwind is a Essence 3 Air Aspect Dynast, with skill in all of the Air-abilities, and no Sorcery. Melee, Socialize and Ride favored. She's got a fair number of charms, from a long career as an Adventurer, but never had much time to increase her Essence. She's moderately powerful, a challenge for a non-combat focused Celestial -- and dangerous, with the rest of her circle.)

Her Husband, and Other Important Figures

Sesus Brathir, House Political Attache to the 11th and 12th (Sesus) Legions, Crystalwind's Husband
A cunning shark of a Sesus, who is good at making friends and influencing people but not so good at managing money. Very much approves of his wife, who single-handedly saved him from debt. Is very happy to be making friends with her; didn't like the way she viewed him previously, and still somewhat angry at the way he was treated for twenty years.

Cynis Malladora, recent graduate, Crystalwind's niece and House Guest
A young socialiate, fresh graduated from the Spiral Academy. She's searching for a job, while enjoying herself at parties and such. Infrequently rests in Crystalwind's estate when in Pengu, and currently living within the Household. Travels frequently, but not as much into adventure.

Cynis Azure, recent graduate and Adventurer. Crystalwind's son, and heir
The adventurerous son, following in his mother's footstep. He's recieved most of Crystalwinds old gear, and a good amount of new stuff as well, including the Hearthstone of her estate.

Ragara Roara, Dragon-Blooded matron and friend of Crystalwind.
The head of a Salon that Crystalwind has just found her way into, and an influential middle-aged Dragon-Blooded (about 170 or so).

the Household itself

The Summer Home

The Winter Home

Other Manses

Friends of the Household

Contacts of the Household