Uniana (prime)/Fanning the Spark of Dissent: An Introduction to the Sparrows of the Night Queen

You see Lady Uniana Anduin Nalfein the Fan Dancer.

She appears to be an Elf.

She is shorter than average. She appears to have come of age. She has violet-shadowed, pale lilac eyes and ivory skin. :She has long, silky black cherry-hued hair swept up into a spiralling bun secured with a pair of matte blackwood hairsticks upswept at the tips into gilded absinthe jade fans. She has an unlined face and subtly arched eyebrows. Her soft lips are tinged with understated carmine.

She has a thin scar of delicate intertwined thorns on her neck.

She is in good shape.

She is wearing a knotwork bronze brooch, a loosely-draped jade silk robe dragging a weighty patina-trellised train over a hip-slashed verdigris satin dress with billowing cutout sleeves, a pair of layered jade bangles dangling bronze-banded knotted silk tassels, a raven-hued nacre velvet fan bound in chains of black pearl, a bronze-washed verdant silk fan framed by wilted kelyn vines, and some heeled viridian crepe slippers bordered by ebony pearl beadwork.

Uniana gazes about with intense interest at her surroundings, her pale lilac eyes pausing briefly on everything nearby.

[Lumnea Meadow, Glimaer Pool] 
Formed by piles of smooth rocks, the brook tumbles into a large natural pool.  The water eddies and swirls about as it slips inexorably towards the tiny waterfall at the basin's far edge, where it finally spills over the rocks and continues its journey towards the river.  Moonlight shimmers across the surface, painting the landscape in a cloak of pale silver.  You also see a rosewood chair with overstuffed cushions, a vibrant red-gold fire puppy with a crest of flickering flames, a gold-horned regal white unicorn, a gold-horned pearlescent white unicorn, an ebonwood chair draped with emerald silk, a bolt of tulle lace, a narrow path and some cushioned benches.
Also here: Lord Murstyr, the Argent Mirror's attendants, Myasara who is sitting, Perigourd, Missoni, Horsewoman Meliyara, Kayse, Erinress, Chatelaine Saesa, Chatelaine Carren who is sitting, Lady of Manor Katara who is sitting, Aethyra, Trallihn, Chatelaine Traiva who is sitting, Maikoya, Squire Legionnaire Agathilea, Lady Elaejia who is sitting, Master Aendir who is sitting, Lady in Waiting Lynaera, Lady Uniana, Lucrecea who is sitting, Celothor, Tabubu who is sitting, Dendum, Lady Avawren, Lady Akenna who is sitting, Commodore Nodyre, Dragoon Dayzed, Lady Laehna who is sitting, Hadya who is sitting, Relic Hunter Ordim, Lianea
Obvious paths: north

Uniana measuredly begins, "This is an uncomfortable subject for me to discuss and first may I state clearly before you that I, Uniana Anduin Nalfein, am a loyalist and a monarchist. I would be remiss to not acknowledge that the unease I feel is amplified by being in the presence of The Argent." She pauses and offers a glance towards the Mirror, bowing her head in deference. "I find solace in the fact that it is a space to promote the sharing of ideologies and viewpoints even so controversial as this one."

(Uniana places her hands to either side of her, allowing for her posture and demeanor to remain neutral. She presents, "let me first introduce this topic with the answer to a question: what is going on in my home country?")

Uniana passionately says, "Nalfein is a beautiful nation filled with talented artists, honorable arbiters, hardworking farmers and perhaps the best naval unit on any coast of Elanthia. Yet that is not what you think about when you think about our illustrious City-State. It has become a caricature of itself, overshadowed by the looming narrative that we are poisoners, schemers and assassins."

You nod almost imperceptibly.

Uniana says, "Why am I telling you this? Because the Sparrows aim to do so as well. They wish to rally others to their cause against unchecked assassination and in their minds, a monarchy that has become a silent dictatorship. A monarchy that has created a ranking nobility who is more concerned with keeping in with the fashion of the season than addressing real concerns of the people. There are whispers that this burgeoning resistance is growing and news of their swelling ranks will no doubt spread north."

Uniana points down.

Uniana rhetorically asks, "So -- who are the Sparrows?"

Uniana asks, "I recently honeymooned in Ta'Nalfein and my gracious husband was understanding when I stated that while there I had plans to make contact with a group that claimed to be part of the Sparrows of the Night Queen. Their namesake was a talented artist and dancer. Quite famous and lauded but she had the audacity to allow the moniker "Queen" to become attached to her name." Leaning forward, Uniana arches an eyebrow as she poses, "was it a misstep for someone who made their career from hitting the mark or was she always intending to play a dangerous game?"

You close your eyes for a moment.

(Uniana takes brief pause to acknowledge Salnim and Kasendra with the smallest of nods.)

You glance between Kasendra and Salnim.

You nod politely.

(Uniana leans back into her passive posture, chin raised to assist in enunciation as she continues to unravel her story, "when she mysteriously died it was like a beacon was lit among other young people within and without the court. You see many of the tales of conspiring are exaggerated when it comes to day-to-day life in Ta'Nalfein but those at the epicenter of the Court of the Black Rose feel the strain of perfection and defining the essence of civility constantly.")

Kasendra gives a small nod of her head.


Kasendra sits down.

Salnim inclines his head slightly.

Salnim sits down.

Uniana gently instructs, "And I ask you to spare some empathy for the plight of these people who spend their existence within this political sphere. Every move is measured and calculated, where you feel as though you are constantly judged, paranoid that someone wishes you ill or that there is danger in simple things like eating or going for a ride on your horse. It makes for individuals who are engulfed in anxiety or feelings of inadequacy."

(Uniana offers as a brief aside, "not to mention if you are desperately dedicated to having the perfect color of nacre velvet for the season it makes it difficult to actually do any real governing.")

Uniana counters, "Now, the alternative viewpoint to this is that the cream rises to the top. Those who are honed to rule, strengthened by adversity and undaunted by this level of excellence should be the ones to lead the rest."

You gaze confidently at Uniana.

(Uniana pauses and looks reflective, a ponderous knitting of her brow before she continues.)

Uniana rhetorically asks, "How do the Sparrows operate?"

Uniana says, "This is something that understandably the individuals I had contact with would not expand upon. Their network relies on discretion and revealing anything that would compromise their agents was off-the-table. Even some of the accounts from the papers and journals seem to be obfuscated from printing details. Though I was able to discern that based on the locations and individuals involved in incidents related to this group that their saturation into the recesses of the government and the court itself has no insignificant level of penetration."

Uniana says, "What they were open to talking about is some of their combat techniques which I took great interest in. The Sparrows almost universally engage only when necessary, in close quarters and blend graceful shifts of their body weight alongside bladed fans. I spoke to a couple of eyewitnesses to some encounters with the guard and was able to piece together that they often use incapacitating moves at the throat, against the interior of the wrist to disarm or at the tendon of the heel."

Uniana articulates, "On the presence of fans in Nalfein."

Uniana says, "The other evening it seemed to denote a curiosity with regards to men and their use of fans. And it is true that the tradition of dancing and fan-speech has been a way for women to express themselves but fans are ever present in Ta'Nalfein. The winters are mild, the spring incomparable and the fall late but the summers are balmy. Hot and humid weather drives fans to be as common to any person in Nalfein as a coin purse.  In the marketplaces the tradespeople have a language of fans all their own as they set the price of eggs and bags of flour each morning, communicating across the bazaar in a flurry of movement from large colored fans. Our naval marshallers use fans as they stand out on jetties to guide ships into the harbor. At night, they have fans inset with blades of aragless to help usher them through the darkness."

Uniana surmises, "Fans are a part of our heritage, they are easy to conceal and good for close combat. The Sparrows are much like their namesake, diving in towards their prey and out again in a blur. This makes these weapons ideal for such a group."

Celothor traces the edges of his knotwork tattoo, carefully highlighting the claws that are inked near its lower edge.

Uniana pleasantly says, "If I may demonstrate a couple for you now."

Uniana says, "You will note that a lot of these movements are balletic in measure and form, the Night Queen herself was the premier ballerina of Nalfein. However, I am also wearing shoes with heels."

Uniana explains, "Most dancers would know it is a risk given that even the most minor of incorrect positions can find one with a devastating ankle injury and for the Sparrows that would mean apprehension and all that comes with treason against the crown. Yet the agents of the court began taking notice of young ladies who donned flats in court instead of heeled shoes as a method to weed them out from the populace and so the Sparrows began a strict training regime to execute their movements while in low-heels to help avoid detection."

Pointing her right foot, Uniana slowly moves it in a circle around the ground in front of her and to the side as she shifts her weight and raises her fans, ready to attack.

With a flick of her wrist, Uniana opens her nacre velvet fan and rotates it, displaying its iridescent ebon shadowy whorls and the faenor blades inside its slats.

Uniana rotates her open verdant silk fan to display its lush green curving thorns and the kelyn blades inside its slats.

(Uniana extends both fans outward to either side of her body, the blades at even lines with the length of her arms. Her right leg comes up off the ground, even and slow as she brings her arms together, chest facing forward.)

(Uniana brings back her nacre velvet fan with a sedate pace until her bent elbow is extended behind her. She takes a pause, remaining still and waiting. Then without any inclination she punches forward with the blades of the fan, her leg behind her sweeps in an arc that causes her body to revert.)

(Uniana crouches low, the swift movement causing her layered jade bangles to clink together as her velvet fan leads a vicious arcing sweep heel-high from the ground.)

(Uniana extends one leg out from her verdigris satin dress and balances on the other, lofting herself back to standing as her fans slash diagonally.)

Lifting her open verdant silk fan above her head, Uniana easily spins it to create a lush green blur.

With its blades pointing down, Uniana lifts her open verdant silk fan above her head and arches her back.  She holds this pose for several moments, showing off the lines of her physique.

Uniana takes a deep breath.

Uniana says, "They also have enchanted their fans with dispersion devices. A gust of wind or thunderclap to make crowds forced away or encouraged to flee. Both protecting the safety of others while making a path for an easy retreat."

Uniana lightly claps her fans together above her head, and a streak of lightning dissipates upward.

(Uniana rests her fans down to her sides, the material nearly disappearing in the folds of her jade silk overrobe.)

Uniana formally says, "In Conclusion."

Uniana asserts, "The reputation of Nalfein is not untrue but perhaps exaggerated to some extent. Every rose has its thorn and perhaps these stories offer our people another layer of protection against those who would seek to move against our interests."

Deep in thought, Uniana closes her nacre velvet fan and absently taps it against the underside of her chin before flicking it back open.

Uniana concludes, "It seems almost ironic that I am sharing this tale and we are witnessing this anomaly with the roses. I am nothing of a gardener but I know enough that a common way to reuse ash is to lay it down on the ground and help balance the soil. Perhaps when the Sparrows envision fanning a blaze of revolution their end goal is not total conflagration but merely to balance the soil a bit."

Holding her closed nacre velvet fan, Uniana rolls her left wrist in a circle as she bows.