Shemhazai Library
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Houses: Their Histories &
Their Role in Terre d'Ange
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here.)
Alyssum House
House
Motto: With Eyes Averted
House canon: a little modesty,
a little hesitation; "patrons fed their fancies on illusions of
modesty - that which is rare is always prized" (KJ 43); shame is a
spice; pleasure akin to the violent ones of Valerian House
Beliefs:
Naamah trembled to lay aside her modesty; "there are those among us
who believe that Naamah trembled at what she did when first she lay
with a mortal man - at the audacity of it, at the shame of it, at the
glory of it" (KJ 47)
The
House itself: deep courtyard lined by tall cypress trees, twin
deeply recessed entries with high pointed arches (KJ 46); the
entrances are separated by gender - a woman, robed and veiled, and a
man in a long surcoat with a high collar (girls go in the left, men in
the right); private salon for contracts and whatall, no commingling
Assignation: patrons whisper
their desire to the Second and are led one at a time into another room
to choose adepts; adepts present themselves robed and veiled ... in
sheer, nearly transparent linen, unveil and stand with eyes downcast;
the adept asks for lamps to be extinguished, trembles, blushes,
whispers to Imri all the things she wished him to do to her
Adepts: Agnes Ramel is the Second of Alyssum when Imriel and
Mavros visit; Mignon is the female adept Imriel chooses
Notable moments: Alyssum adepts were robed and veiled as
Yeshuite priest(esse)s at Phedre's first Midwinter Masque
Imriel wonders if patrons go to purge their own shame or to revel in
that of the adepts.
