Plum Blossom Gala

Time: Fourth day of Ascending Water.

Location: Painted Sapphire Pavilion (Imperial City).

Host: Ledaal Cowen

Invitations: Noted painters and calligraphers are invited as a matter of course, as are those with whom House Ledaal hopes to make arrangements, or to whom gratitude is owed. Sorcerers are not expressly barred, but their presence might unnerve other guests and so they are only invited if they are of particular skill or expertise.

Theme and Activity: The Plum Blossom Gala occurs when the small blooms of plum tree flowers begin to appear upon thin branches. These trees are valued amongst the Dynasty for their twisted forms, said to inspire the artist’s brush with fine strokes. Guests sit amidst the paths and benches of the Pavilion gardens, trying their brushwork and conversing on all manner of topics as servants flit about with brandy and hors d'oeuvres to keep throats and stomachs satisfied.

Since the fall of Thorns, the Gala has become less popular than it once was, particularly amongst inward-looking Houses such as Mnemon and Cynis, due to Ledaal Cowen’s attempts to lobby guests into taking action against the threat of the Deathlords, particularly their bastion in Thorns.