The invitations had been sent out; the whole of Revaliir had received notice of the celebrations that the newly ascended God was holding. 

 

In other words, come one and all, come to my house, where I can gloat that I am a God, and you are not. 

Raith had always known he was powerful, he had been born different, born without the strengths and advantages that his sisters had, and he had been forced to find his own strength, find his own way in the world. There was no denying that he had achieved this; that he had proved on countless occasions that he was no weakling, despite his afflictions… his ascension was merely the last step in this recognition, the Voice had realised that out of all of Revaliir he was what the Conclave required for balance. He would not pander to the others, he would not be their friend unnecessarily - he would respect Adraejen, for they had a relationship, and he would tolerate Angela, for without the Goddess the Voice might have waited longer in recognising his potential to even things out in this world. 
He had not changed, not really, he was still the same arrogant prick he had always been, bowing to no one and afraid of nothing. Now he just had the strength to back that up… and he had set his sightless eyes on one being in particular. He wondered if the Dragonness had the courage to join the crowds that he knew would attend the celebration, would Xyaban risk angering the God in his own home? He doubted it, but he could not predict what the insane creature would do… though he would burn her if she even dared to approach Ria - let her come and try intimidate him, if she so wished, but he would have her head on a spike if she dared to approach his lover. 

They had set up the party in the Observatory itself, given it was the biggest, and most impressive space, that he had created for them so far. One of the doors in his Throne room had been directly linked to the Observatory, allowing their guests to come straight through, rather than trekking their way up the Watchtower. After all, he had no intention of letting these strangers into his private abode, that he shared with Alairia, no they could come and go between the Throne room and the Observatory as they wished, but beyond that was off limits. And anyway, who would want to be anywhere else, when they could be among the stars within the eerie room that had no discernible end… or floors. 
The Celestials at his command had aided in placing chairs and tables within the Observatory, keeping a large area clear for those who might wish to dance. The true path through his Labyrinth had been lit by the stars, all other avenues plunged into darkness so that, for today and today only, his guests could not lose themselves in Raiqi. 

Dressed in all black, with a long flowing coat embroidered in silver, an elaborate black and silver blindfold set upon his face that served to look almost like a crown. If he was going to do this God thing, he was going to do it correctly. He pulled Alairia against his muscled frame, smiled and kissed her gently. "The start of our new life," he whispered, "I'm glad you are by my side through this, I don't think I could hold this position without you in my life." 

”The cheeky blighter,” Dae laughed to himself as he finally made it through the ridiculous labyrinth. The brother had opted to take the same long trek as any other visitors would need to in order to reach the Observatory. He knew he could have taken one of the Gates that linked the Family’s homes to the temple, but Dae wanted to see what the fuss was going to be like. Clearly, if he had wanted to induce rage in his guests….this was how he was going to do it. Dae on the other hand found it all quite amusing.

In the end, the man found himself standing in the Throne room (finally) after making his way through much of the new building. A low whistle was let out at the sight of the elaborate throne outfitted with a large dragon behind it. Small eye roll was given at the throne, though Dae had to give credit where it was due. For not having sight, it seemed that Raith still had a sense of style. From the looks of everything he was being directed towards another door that brought him to the Observatory.

It was here that he felt his stomach drop slightly at the lack of…well anything. Walls, floors and ceiling did not exist in this room except for the heavens. Before he had fully entered, Dae could see Ria holding Raith around his waist in a returned hug. A smile went from her lips up to her sightless eyes. This night she wore her silver circlet around the wounded eyes to keep anyone from staring at the scars that still etched into her flesh over her eyes and nose. ”You could do anything you put your mind to. Though, it is good to have me here. You are a right jerk for setting this up. But I doubt if you didn’t do this….you certainly wouldn’t be you.” Alairia’s laughter was light as she tucked in against Raith some more. She tucked a stray bit of her golden curled hair behind her ear. The styling had been long loose curls that trailed down her back.. Her dress was simple and black that clung to every curve she had. When his sister moved, he could see that it had no back to it even though it was long sleeved.

”Good gracious Raith…what have you done?” There was another chuckle as he crossed the expanse where Raith held Dae’s sister tightly against his side. ”Well don’t you look like a dazzling couple?” The assassin crossed his arms over his muscled chest while looking over the pair. The newly ascended god was decked out in his usual attire with some more flare thrown in.. ”Elegant as always, my sister heart,” he complimented while kissing the side or Ria’s head as he moved to exchange a hug with her.

Alairia released her brother though she continued to hold his hand while stepping back to be with Raith. Dae extended his other hand to shake the man’s hand with a large grin on his face. ”Only you would ever do something like this. Is one of the evening games going to be a measuring of oneself against others?” He ignored the glare of his sister as well as the half-hearted punch he received for such foul thoughts. ”Don’t act like it isn’t a possibility with this kind of set up. Raith…or Lord Raith is trying to show how much better he is.”

From there, the sister attempted to ignore her brother’s quips in regards to her mate. Instead she motioned to the room. Off to the side were her ever watchful guide dog and wolf. They seemed not to mind the odd environment that they were within even without the floor beneath their haunches. ”What do you think brother? From the descriptions I have been given, it must be absolutely beautiful.” There was a sense of hope in her voice that what she had been told had been true.

Hearing that tone, Dae smiled at her even if she couldn’t see it. ”It is, my sister heart. It is.” The assassin squeezed her hand before moving her delicate fingers to his chest to feel his outfit. ”What do you think of my attire for the evening? It is made from a supple white leather.” He continued to describe the red trimming along with small flourishes on the end of his jacket sleeve. Breeches were black in contrast to his white leather jacket. All were in close comparison to his every day hunting apparel.

Alairia finally stopped feeling the clothing to form an image in her mind. Stepping back to Raith, she clutched at his waist where she formed herself against his side again. There was still she had to get used to in the Citadel without her sight. ”So…Lord Raith….where are all your guests? Did you annoy them already with just trying to get here?” Dae smirked at his continuing jabs at the man, but he knew that he was going to get them returned tenfold as the night continued. It always turned to that for the pair of friends.

Icarus was perhaps the least likely person to engage in large gatherings of folks intended in formal revelry, but he did receive an invitation, so there was at least a minor expectation to arrive. His preparations within his home in the Void were more an annoyance than anything else. First a bath, then combing his short black hair into place, nothing was spared. Yet again, it seemed his path was meant to cross that of at least one god, despite his hermitage. For the first time in many years, he procured his formal attire, which he hadn’t worn since his coronation in his realm decades prior. 

”It’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” he said to the white fabric. Indeed, his formal wear had not been worn since his ascension to the throne and the wedding to his long-dead beloved. He thought of Lucia once more. Though he held the appearance of a man in his early twenties, he had the mind and experience of a widower entering his golden years. Fixing his medals of an empire that didn’t exist in this world to his chest, he took a deep breath. It’s just this once, he thought, promising himself he wouldn’t use this as an impetus to rejoin the world.

Following the instructions to the entrance to the new god’s realm, Icarus stepped through his gate spell to find himself before Raith’s gate. Proceeding as instructed, he came to the edge of the labyrinth, surrounded by darkness and the stars themselves. It was a first for him and he had to hold in his sense of wonder. At some future date, he may have to return to study it more if given the opportunity.

All labyrinths were devised in a manner that a simple rule could be followed to clear it. Fortunately, Icarus didn’t believe it to be one filled with traps requiring an excess of caution, merely designed to annoy those that traversed it. The “right-hand” rule would be effective, though it would take some time. Icarus pressed his right hand to the wall immediately to his right and continued to pass through the labyrinth. Despite taking quite a bit of time, it did work as intended and he found himself at the exit, where he could see the well-lit citadel.

As he progressed along the black path, he felt a distinct chill. With a bit of mana, he acclimated to the chill and felt it no more than a light breeze. So this was the feel of that great emptiness above the world? It was rather unpleasant and Icarus wagered not many would readily choose to venture to it. The entrance was formal and he presented his invitation, being welcomed inside and directed to the door to the party. 

The grandiose display in what he would consider a foyer was almost expected from the little he had gathered of Raith in their short joint venture during the most recent war. He came in just as another man whom he had not met before asked where the other guests were. ”Ah, I seem to be the second to arrive. Lord Raith, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you off the battlefield nor your gorgeous Lady,” he called across the room, lightly bowing as a formality in an otherwise unpopulated observatory. ”Icarus Valeon, Voidwalker,” he introduced as he approached the trio to be the fourth member of this party. ”Mayhap I’ve arrived a bit early. Some folks probably have no clue how to navigate labyrinths, after all.”

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Angela was exquisite as always as she waltzed in with her long red curls half pulled back. A gold rose was pinned to the hair to keep it still. Unusual for her she wore a sunshine yellow gown with a deep plunge. The straps were gold flowers with diamond accents. Off the back of her shoulders, it draped to the middle of her back and was held in place as her waist by the same gold flowers. Under her deep plunge was an intricate golden design with diamonds that spanned from one side of her waist to the other. The long train of the dress dragged behind her by a good bit.

There was a gentle smile on her dark lips as she greeted Raith and his love. “This is a lovely temple and she is a very lucky woman.” She knew Alairia because of Kiba and had seen them before when Kiba was courting Anemone. “It’s so very nice to see you once more. Your grandfather is a huge help to me and it is an honor to have him stand by my side.”

For a moment she seemed to pause but then she just smirked. “I decided to cook for all of us and make wine. A party isn’t a party without food and celebration. You’ll find that my clergy are setting up loads of food that I personally helped make and that the wine will be ever-flowing.” She held out a bottle of wine and placed it in Raith’s hands. “This is god wine. No mortals can ever have this without dying so please be careful with it.” Her wine was earthy but good and aged to perfection.

“Please enjoy your night with all of us and thank you for being such a gracious host. Myrra what do we say to our hosts?”

“Thank you for the good evening Lord Raith.”

"And?"

"You both look really good and I'll be on my best behavior."

"Or else~ Right Myrra?"

There was grumbling from Myrra. "Yes, Mama… Dad was right… Can't have any fun with you-" Angela smacked the back of the girl's head and Myrra let out a little whine.

"I'll beat the trickster out of you yet… Sorry Raith, Alairia we'll be on our way now." She left their side and the little girl was trailing behind her. She had messy black hair that had been sort of tamed with stormy gray eyes and she was wearing a little red dress. Wisteria was being watched tonight by some of her siblings but Myrra was too much of a problem child. Still, Angela hoped that she would at least behave herself a little. She looked like a miniature version of Adraejen not to anyone’s surprise.

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Serafina stood directly outside the entrance to the Observatory, her hands on her hips. She could hear the commotion from within, and it was clear that the party was at least lively. She was not overly impressed with the fact that Revaliir’s newest god, Raith, had decided to throw himself an ascension party, as it were - but she also could not pass up the chance to attend a party with the who’s who of Revaliir. It also gave her an excuse to dress up in an even more elaborate fashion than she typically did. On this particlar night, she wore an intricately crafted black gown. On one side of the gown, black lace crept up from the bodice of her dress, snaking its way down her arm. On the other side, the dress was strapless. The dress as a whole trailed to the floor with intricate lace flowers, a large slip nearly up to her hips on the same side that was missing the strap, revealing a well toned leg. Black lace adorned her feet as well, decorating the tops of her feet but keeping her soles barefoot. Her blonde hair was curled and piled elegantly to one side of her head.

Serafina looked down to her side. A bottle, shaped as though it carried mead or wine, was clutched in her hand. The bottle was crafted from a shiny black stone, and had been imbued with Hellfire - clearly indicated by the neon green streaks throughout the material. The goddess had enchanted the vessel so that it would fill with whatever Raith wished for it to - and if he were to will it, manipulate anyone else who drank from the vessel into indulging in lush, indulgent, or overly violent behavior - something she was well acquainted with. Perhaps it wasn’t something that he needed, but it would most certainly be fun, if nothing else.

After she had glanced at the bottle, she turned to her other side, and brought her attention to a girl that was standing beside her. The girl was dressed elegantly as well, though not quite as alarmingly so as Serafina herself. ”Come, Natalia,” she said, beckoning to the girl, who followed her command with no objection. The pair entered the Observatory, and Serafina took a moment to look around. She had to admit, the space was certainly worth having a party in. Her eyes scanned the room until she found the entrance that led to the throne room, where she would be able to greet Raith, and she led Natalia along with her.

When they arrived, it seemed she had perfect timing as there was no line of people waiting to greet Raith at that current moment. Her eyes found the god and the woman beside him, and after a moment of thought she turned to Natalia. ”Stay,” she said to Natalia as they crossed the threshold. Natalia did as she was told and stood near the entrance as Serafina moved forwar to address her fellow god.

Once she had made her way to stand in front of him, she did a sort of acknowledging nod. ”Allow me to introduce myself - I am Serafina Volkov, Goddess of Death and Debauchery,” she said, purely out of formality. Her eyes scanned him as well as the woman beside him, her gaze resting upon where his eyes would be if they had not been covered with the blindfold. After a moment of silence while she analyzed him. ”I’ve brought you a gift,” she said after a moment, and handed him the bottle. ”You’ll figure out what it does,” she said, with a smirk. ”I brought you something else, too… but I don’t know that you’ll be wanting it,” she said, her eyes darting to the woman at Raith’s side. She was unsure who she was exactly, but it was clear that she was someone that Raith loved. She turned to look at Natalia, slightly disappointed that her second gift wasn’t going to be given.

”A pleasure to make your acquaintance - and I look forward to the next time we meet,” she said, a smirk crossing her lips as she gave a slight bow and made her way back out to the party, perhaps in search of any other attendees she might know.

When Johann got the strange invitation, he had many questions. How did it get to him? He didn't remebered talking to any couriers. An Ascendency party of an literal God? Surely someone must be jesting. If it was a true invitation to an party hosted by an god, why he had gotten invited? A basically nobody mercenary who most often than not verges on a literal border of poverty trying to scrape enough money for a place at a Inn. It was additionally preplexing because he had gotten said invitation in the middle of the woods……or well got is a wrong term, he found it inside of his backpack while camping out in the wilds.

After noting those questions down inside his mind, Johann begun thinking further about implications of this invitation. He seriously doubted that he, of all people, would be invited to attend a party organised by an God. It was probably some sort of mad mage that thought about himself as such. Maybe this was an dare? Mage was so confident about his god status, that he sent out magical invitations to people all across a world like a some sort of an chalange? It seemed more likely than an actual God sending those kind of things and to people like him. The only question remaining was, what would Johann do with this? He could take up this Raith fellow up on his invitation. Though that would probably mean getting into an lair of an possibly crazy mage, but if his theory held any water then there would probably be other people like him in there too. Meaning he wouldn't be alone in taking down a Crazy Magic Person. Plus a mage that claims to be ascending to Godhood must have some realy nice things to loot.

- Well, the saying goes "Fortune favours the bold" might as well be bold here and get rich in the process - He said while he was getting up and gathering his stuff. He had an party to attend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Johann was now regreting the decision he made in that forest. First he had to get to Apoy, which had to do by boat and….well let's just say that boat rides are not his favorite. Then he had to climb up a freaking Volcano to it's very top and then open gigantic doors, in the process of which he almost fell down the bloody thing. After that he had to traverse an labyrinth, which at first didn't seem so bad untill he entered it and had suddenly gone blinder than person whose eyes were torn from their sockets! After, gods know how long time of fumbling around in there he finally managed to get in front of the doors the Citadel.

He wanted to scream, to kick the doors open and barge in blades in hand and stabd the bastard for putting him through this……but he then calmed down. Remembered that he came here of how own volition, so he was one to blame and that it was probably made in such a way as to illicit such a response. Johann didn't intend on giving the shitter the satisfaction he would probably derive from driving the Mercenary over the edge. So Johann took a minute or two to compose himself, took few deep breaths and then opened the doors with all the bluster and pomp a singular slightly impoverished man could muster.

And then after but few seconds he backpedalled, closed the door and grabed his chest after nearly having an heart attack due to who he saw inside. Namely a singular red headed woman that looked nearly identical to all the depictions of goddess Angela he saw during his liftime. Maybe this was a for real God party? Or maybe he just happened upon a woman that looked like a goddess, although knowing his luck he did indeed happened upon a party of gods…..

- Vell, Sheisse - Johann muttered to himself and then went about salvaging the situation. Firstly he dusted of his short sleeved black jacket with puffed up sleeves decorated with vertical cut-outs and his black checkered pants. Made sure that that his feet filled out his boots properly. Tightened his belt a bit, pulled up his leather gloves. Adjusted his weapons hanging from his belt as to make them as much presentable as possible,then  finally he made sure that his hat was squarely on top of his head and feathers tied to it stood upright.

Johann then turned his face towards the doors, opened them and proceeded to march up to the man clothed in blue, who he assumed was the host. He bowed down before Raith, his left hand resting up on his chest and his right arm taking off his hat and stretching out to the side
- A la mi presente, Al vostra signori - He said while doing this and then he straightened himself up. He was then resting his right hand with the hat up on his chest - Helmut von Ribentrop, ready and at your service my lord - Johann said to Raith while putting his hat back on his head.

Adraejen stepped into the Observatory with a click of his shiny black boots. A party. He had been needing something like this. He had spent so much time out in the field lately that he was desperate for refined company again. He looked polished and clean-cut, hair slicked back and beard trimmed neatly. He looked quite roguish in a midnight blue silk shirt and black waistcoat. He saw the hosts and approached them, and bowed deeply. 

"Young Master Raithe, I certainly hadn't expected this when you came to see me," he chuckled as he greeted the host. "Though, I am not all that surprised somehow. Welcome to our ranks," he said with a smile. He looked over and smiled brightly at the woman who stood by Raithe's side. "And you my dear, you must be the lovely Alairia. Raithe told me much about you when he came to see me. It is an honor to meet you," he said as he lightly took her hand and placed a light kiss on her knuckles. 

"I trust Angela has made an appearance, and undoubtedly had one of our spawn in tow," he chuckled. "I had better make sure that one of us can keep Myrra in check. I trust she promised to be on her best behavior?" 

He bowed to the host and hostess before he went to track down his wife and daughter. 

Attie's dress here!

For many, such a labyrinth would have been a point of frustration. But for Attie, it was a wonderful puzzle that she had the delight of looking at, though the true path had already been revealed by the stars. If she ever returned she would go through the maze properly and figure it out on her own. Stepping into the Observatory, the first thing she noticed was the walls and ceilings that looked like they were among the stars. Attie's face lit up with excitement as she turned to Lixue and started to show her fascination over the magical room. 

"Lixue, this is amazing!" Attie enthusiastically said, "I wonder how they did this? Maybe its some sort of enchantment. Or maybe it is the material of the walls. Is it an illusion? Or is this the powers of the new god? I can't wait to inspect it!"

Already she wasn't displaying any sort of ladylike qualities. Her gown looked like it would be appropriate for royalty, with its bright purple and gold trimmings. But her mannerisms were more relaxed than most nobles. In her hands were two boxes wrapped with colored parchment and strings. Attie knew that this event was special and knew that gifts were a good way to make an event even more special, so she had done her research and brought two gifts for the new god and his wife. Looking around the room, she spotted a table that already had a few gifts and rushed over to it first.

One of the gifts was wrapped with a light blue colored parchment with white strings. Inside the gift was a specially made book. This was a book of poetry but instead of having normal pages, the words on each page was popped out so that one could touch it. The pages weren't normal either, instead they were thick and clearly made to last a long time. This way, the couple would be able to read the book without needing to see it. The blue box had Alairia's name on it. The other box was a bright orange with red strings. Inside this box was golden goblet that had the words, May you and your family shine ever brightly, inscribed into it while having two large symbols of the sun underneath. Both of these gifts were chosen for a reason but there was one thing that Attie had forgotten to do. She had forgotten to write down who it was from. 

She placed the two gifts on the table then looked over to Raith and Alairia, only to see them surrounded by other people. Attie had been told that it was polite to greet the host but did not want to bother them, especially since they already had a crowd already. An idea popped into her mind. She remembered Lixue teaching her a curtsy which was apparently used to greet people. So she walked up to the couple and did a quick curtsy with a dip of the head to show respect. Attie then rushed away, determined not to cause any inconvenience to them. Once she reunited with Cao Lixue, her eyes glanced over to the banquet table. Her teeth began to sharpen as her mouth watered at a particular juicy steak. 

Cao's Dress

Leaving the Labyrinth to her friend who seemed to be in awe of the simple trick. Following behind as Attie charter their path through the star, the Undead thought about the Labyrinth creator and what kind of person they were. The fact that they decided to throw a party for themselves right after a cataclysmic event showed little to no respect towards the suffering of others as they clearly only care about themselves. The fact that such a being rose to godhood concerned her more than what her friend may do. Even with the brief lesson she had given on etiquette, Attie was nowhere near enough to prepare her for the company of royalty.

As if to immediately reaffirm all of the previous concerns that had to lead her to accompany her friend to such an event, Attie exclaimed her wonderment towards the Observatory for all to hear. Looking around to see that her friend outburst had already garnered a few looks and whispers as her friend may look the part of a Lady, her appearance was the only thing ladylike about her friend. Rushing over to her friend making sure to bow towards other guests in an attempt to apologize for her friend's outbursts. Playing the part of a handmaiden over a friend the Undead would motion her friend to lower her voice only to watch as Attie rushed over to a table lined with gifts. Accepting defeat the Priestess withdrew towards the spread to await her friend and gain a better understanding of the other attendees.

Pretending to plate herself a meal, Lixue studly glanced around the Observatory. To say that both she and her friend were out of place was an understatement as the blue bloods lined the walls of the room. However, her biggest concerns were that of the host and Serafina. Watching the Goddess carefully as the Undead tried to determine why such a being like her had a young girl at her side.

Shifting her focus back to Attie for a moment as she continued to scan the room noticing Johann and a few other men that stuck out as much as Attie and herself. The others through the room were unknown to her, but a redheaded woman looked familiar. Trying to make her staring less than obvious as she attempted to figure out where she had seen her before.

Jumping slightly as she did not notice that Attie had made her way over to her. However, her friend appeared to be more interested in the food than her company. “Here I made you a plate”. Handing her plate to Attie making sure to add a bit more steak to it before giving it to her friend. “By the way do you know anyone here, more importantly, the woman in the yellow dress as I feel I know her from somewhere”.

The Blind God smiled wickedly, he had already started to gain a reputation for his arrogance, this party just proved it to the whole of Revaliir. "I could, and I have. It's funny… when Isleen and I first met, she asked if I was anyone of importance, a Prince or a Lord, something like that… I told her that I was not, not yet anyway, and here I have gone one step better, wouldn't you say?" He growled huskily at his lover, cocking his head to one side slightly as her brother's scent caught his attention - there weren't many people he tolerated in this world, but he had a lot of time for Dae, the man's heart was as dark as his own, but both men held Alairia in the highest esteem. 
He turned his head towards Dae's voice and grinned. "I have merely stepped into the role I was born to hold, what more can I say?" He replied, he felt the air move and grasped Dae's hand happily, smiling at the man he was glad to call a friend. "Come now Dae, I wouldn't wish to embarrass you in front of any potential lovers, last thing we need to do is have them picturing me instead of you now, do we?" He replied teasingly, though he had, for once, mercifully left Morrigan's name off his lips, not quite wanting to leave his friend having to explain who the woman was to his sister, not just now at least. "Well, it's the least I can do, allow the poor plebs to come and see a new star shining in the Heavens up close, it's as close to Divinity as some of them will come," Raith replied… though it was hard to tell if he was being serious or sarcastic, where Raith was concerned it truly could have been either. 

Raith rolled his eyes beneath his blind fold, though he could not wipe the smile from his face - he and Dae had a habit of making quips at one another, he had to admit that he enjoyed their banter, the man was not afraid to spar with him verbally, too many people shied away from his sharp tongue. "Probably heard you were coming and realised the tone of the evening had been lowered exponentially," he replied swiftly. "I have a feeling people have got lost in my maze… despite me lighting the way for them; the intelligence of some of the beings on this world is exhausting…" 
A new voice, one he knew, accompanied by a far less sweaty and offensive scent than the one the man had worn previously, entered. "Icarus, welcome to my domain. My lover Alairia Balatro and her brother Dae, a good friend of mine," he added, introducing the pair before sighing heavily. "No, even despite me making it quite clear as to which path to take… I did light the way specifically so people didn't have to guess, are people really that stupid?" If Raith had thrown this party to make friends… well… it was doubtful he would make many, if any, at all, given the way he spoke about the world, not that you would expect much more of the man - he was never going to change, Godhood or otherwise. 

Her presence was undeniable, even if he had not fought alongside her in the war, it would have been hard to ignore Angela's entrance. An exasperated sigh escaped the man, and he pulled Alairia closer to him, grateful for her ever steadying presence. An eyebrow raised as Angela mentioned that she had cooked, did the woman think he would throw a party without properly catering for his guests? "Thank you Lady Angela, your fine gift is appreciated, I am sure my own staff will be so pleased to add it to the tables along the food they have prepared rather competently," he said through gritted teeth - personally he wanted to yell at the woman, but in the back of his mind he remembered that, had Angela not called out to the Voice, he might not have been stood here throwing this party at all… he would tolerate the woman, for now, for he owed her a favour, and he respected Adraejen… though the stars only knew how the man coped with such a pushy wife. 
He took the wine and nodded, both eyebrows raising at the child's voice, sending a silent message to his Celestials to keep an eye on the child… she didn't sound particularly sincere in her promise to behave herself, that was for certain. 

A new scent, a new voice, though this one was immediately shelved to be remembered later, should he require her 'talents' at some point. "Greetings to you Lady Serafina, may I introduce my lover, Alairia," he said, ensuring that no one overlooked the woman by his side. He took the bottle from her and nodded his thanks, though the remainder of her words caused his brow to furrow… until Silence cast his gaze in the same direction as Serafina's, to the woman stood in the doorway. "I have no use for whores, not in my bed at least, though if she has any talents in seduction and assassination, I might find a place for her amongst my number," he stated, nodding to the woman, wondering quite why she had brought him a woman, did she think him utterly incompetent? As if that woman could have matched his Alairia. 
As she left, another took her place, a man who spoke in foreign tongues. "Greetings to you Helmut von Ribentrop, my lover Alairia. I do not recognise the tongue you spoke in originally, where do you hail from?" He asked, reminding himself that he had invited these people, and that the more he learnt now, the more he could use later on… 

Raith's attention swiftly shifted when he caught Adraejen's scent, smiling widely as the other God came to join them. "Nor I, though I always swore I'd make something of myself. I'm glad you came, yes… she accosted my tables with food she cooked, as though she thinks me and my staff incapable, and has whisked your daughter away, lest Myrra say something inappropriate I suspect," he snorted, nodding to the man as he left. Others had joined the party, though so far not all had come to make their greetings - probably because they were intimidated by him (so they should be), or because he was busy with others. He leant over to kiss Alairia on the head, "If it gets too much go through the door with Silence, I've rigged it to immediately take you back to our rooms in the Watchtower, save you going up all those stairs unnecessarily."