Cynis Kurima

The name of Cynis Falen Kurima, once glowingly spoken amongst the salons of the Imperial City, is now mentioned only in hushed voices, if at all.

An acclaimed singer and artist, Kurima was considered part of the so-called 'New Wave' famed for her belief in 'art as a garden', that nothing could stand on its own but rather required the combination of several different forms and disciplines into a single immersive event: a song presented with choreographed movement, with artwork, with location, with costume and cosmetics, with food and refreshment, all designed and intertwined to complete the final work. While themed salons have long been common to the Scarlet Dynasty, Kurima's work took place on a far deeper level, and recieved great acclaim.

Kurima was much sought to plan and design art which could serve as social function for Dynastic notables, and her works varied widely in appearance and interpretation, particularly as she expanded to incorporate the strange discordant music of Hell and the Wyld, and other elements audiences found subtly unsettling.

Some 30 years ago, in RY738, Kurima was commissioned to design a work to entertain the Scarlet Empress herself. Just what this work was remains known to only its creator, the Empress, and a small number of guests including three Imperial progeny and the Minister of the Imperial Gardens. What is known is that in the wake of it, all of Kurima's works fell under a ban by the Office of Censors, and the artist herself left the Blessed Isle never to return.