Lord Sebastian of Groan gazed out blankly through a daedal liana of ivy carpeting the high walls of FlashBrighton Castle, towards the sun setting behind the cold spike of Gormenghast Mountain. Behind him, the laberinthine stone corridors of his ancestral home stretched out as though through time itself; an iron chain of ritual that bound him hand & foot to its unvarying rhythms. Not even the Earl himself was greater than FlashBrighton; history sat as heavily on him as it did the castle.
FlashBrighton's most enduring tradition was 'Projects Night', upon which ordinary members of FlashBrighton - the Bright Carvers - were permitted to enter the castle to work collaboratively on Flash projects for one night every month. FlashBrighton's lice-ridden Master of Ritual, Barquenrich, had that morning instructed Sebastian on his duty to host a Projects Night the following week. Sebastian shuddered at the memory of the peg-legged Barquenrich, swiveling on his filthy crutch, lank hair plastered to his face, as he barked commands from a mouldering tome.
'The lore of FlashBrighton demands that you open the castle gates to the Bright Carvers for one night only. They shall be permitted to create, collaborate on, and showcase their own Flash projects. They shall be granted the freedom to work both with and without the assistance of the Earl himself. When their labours are over, they shall be granted the right to adjourn to the nearest hostelry to imbibe and carouse with the Earl, and other members of the house of Groan. If the Bright Carvers are denied this right they may take revenge by stealing the lead off the roof.'
Sebastian recalled with horror the cloud of dust that blew up as Barquenrich slammed the ancient volume shut. But, as much a prisoner to the patterns of FlashBrighton as any of the Bright Carvers under his patronage, in the dwindling light he reached for a piece of flint and scratched himself a reminder into the stone wall:
TUESDAY 9TH FEBRUARY 2010 7PM. ALLOW FLASHBRIGHTON MEMBERS INTO THE WERKS TO COLLABORATE - PROJECTS NIGHT X
Marking the X with a vengeful vehemence, Sebastian tossed the flint into the darkening penumbra, and skulked out of the room.
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