kaolinandbone

The entry hall of Lioncourt's castle is a vast, gothic thing, with deep burgundy tapestries on the walls and matching carpet underfoot. The precisely-fitted masonry has been polished within an inch of its life, the dark stone gleaming sullenly in the insistently cheery light of the newly-installed electric lamps.

Within the high arches of the surrounding baulaustrades, two women intone the same spell, matching each other's cadence: A pale girl, looking little older than a child, and a tall, red-haired woman with serious slate-grey eyes.

As the last syllable fades, twin portals shimmer into existence: the first multiversal party in the Many Worlds is officially underway!