A year has passed since Verity Touraine's death, and as promised, the
Gitany clans have started to converge on her home. They come bearing
ancient lore -- the legendary library of the Touraine family. Such a
treasure has attracted the eye of many ambitious Komaran nobles, and
while the Gitany may have promised the library's return, gathering it
all together again may not be as easy as it sounds.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the kingdom the tides of discontent are starting
to swell. The Crown Prince Alessandro Komaru remains without an heir 
amidst the treachery and intrigue of the Royal Council. Worse, Alessandro's
army is slowly disintegrating as more and more of its trained soldiers
abandon their barracks for a life of banditry. Despite the pleas of
the Yuasa and the Minamet, Alessandro has given no indication of his desire
to send his army to assist either family in their border conflicts.

Despite this backdrop of intrigue and the threat of war, the nobles of
Komaru still struggle to maintain their style of living. To that end,
no one was at all surprised when Onyx Touraine, the Marquis of Carabas
offered to throw a party to celebrate his cousin Gloriana's ascension 
to Duchess of Touraine. What did come as a surprise was Onyx's rule
for the party: "You must come dressed as a prominent Komaran figure as
they would look were they possessed by a demon." The idea was 
scandalous if not heretical! 

It did not take long for most of the invited nobles to realise that attending
might give them access to the Touraine's library. Because of that, and because
of Onyx's impudence, attendance should be very, very high indeed.

Thus, in the year 206, a great procession returned to the castle by the sea, 
ready to play at scandal amidst the secrets of a thousand years.

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