((Sorry, guys! I just realized that I'd made this thread but never moved it to the public boards after my event. I only noticed when I went to add a detail. Why didn't someone say something?
))
A new formal restaurant opened up in Diagon Alley this weekend. When you visit, especially if you didn't attend the opening event, check this thread for some guidelines of how to RP the atmosphere and staff interactions. If you'd like a DMed interaction that goes beyond a straightforward dinner, let me know - I'll either let you know what would happen, or arrange to DM it myself. If you have any general questions, including OOC questions about stuff, you can ask them in this thread.
Cibi Noctis is a fine dining establishment located in Diagon Alley, open from sunset to sunrise. The ceiling of the dining room is a starry sky, much like the one at Hogwarts, though it does not change to reflect the current weather. Careful observers might notice that the constellations visible do not reflect the ones over London on any given night. In addition to the enchanted ceiling, there are many other decorations around the restaurant, many appearing to be quite old.
The rules of Cibi Noctis are few, but strictly enforced. You must not disrupt the atmosphere, including fighting, and you may not carry lights, including enchanted glowing jewelry. Conversational talking and brief laughter is dampened by enchantments placed around the tables, but excessive noise may attract the attention of the waitstaff. There are two private rooms. These do not cost extra, but they are group rooms. Single diners or pairs will always be seated in the main dining room, leaving the private rooms for groups of 3 or more.
Cibi Noctis waitstaff are dressed in a dark plum suit and always wear a particular mask, covering the top portion of their face. They are polite, and fluent in English and Latin, some speaking additional languages as well. Waitstaff are known to have an uncanny ability to show up just as they are needed, likely aided by some form of enchantment to alert them when their attention is needed.
Staff will be polite but insistent when dealing with rulebreakers. While there are no obvious bouncers, staff are trained in defensive magic and will not hesitate to disarm or otherwise disable an unruly guest who draws their wand, or another weapon.
Music is provided by a harpist sitting in the middle of the dining room. This music can be heard at a perfect volume everywhere in the dining room and private rooms, as it has been woven into the sound dampening enchantments mentioned above. If you close your eyes and listen, the slow, atmospheric music will conjure a scene in your mind, often of nature and always at night.
Cibi Noctis serves 5-7 course meals, each course consisting of small portions presented in an aesthetically-pleasing manner on the plate. Meals are not ordered a la carte - rather, the entire table agrees upon and orders an "eventum," or "experience." Three or four different "eventums"(each named in Latin, of course) are available each night, and the waiter will be able to explain the main flavors and themes present in each. Each "eventum" has a regular version and a vegan version - waiters will substitute the vegan version for diners who are vegetarian or vegan if made aware of the dietary needs.
Eventums consist of the following courses:
1. (optional Soup)
2. Appetizer
3. (optional 2nd Appetizer or Salad)
4. Main Course
5. Salad
6. Dessert
7. Fruit
Water is served with all courses. A wine will be served with courses 1-5, with a non-alcoholic sparkling drink(usually an exotic juice) substituted for those appearing underage or who say they don't drink. A warm beverage(usually a variety of tea or coffee) is served with courses 6 and 7.
The magic used to enhance the courses is almost universally subtle, focusing on enhanced flavors and elegant presentation rather than flashy tricks. For example, a course may be enchanted so that the flavors of the food changes as the music being played changes. Most courses are so subtly enchanted that it's not even obvious that they have been - obvious enchantments are usually saved for only one or two courses out of the meal. The overall impression is that the meal is simply excellent, not that the meal is magical.
Respond to this thread if you have any questions, and I'll answer them here.
The rest of the server is timebubbled to a midnight dinner party, but it's 8 AM by the game clock now and the front door is locked because it's technically daytime. How do I join my friends?
The door can be unlocked using the Alohomora wand spell. It won't re-lock itself immediately due to technical reasons with the scripting, so be aware that if you find the door unlocked during the IC day the restaurant would still ICly be closed. Please only use this method of entry to allow OOC entrance to join parties in progress; if your character ICly wants to break in during daylight hours, please contact me to arrange DMed RP.
My character speaks Latin, but I don't. It's unfair to me OOCly that you used Latin in so many places!
Many objects have examine text with English translations in OOC marks, which you should of course only look at if your character understands Latin.
Are the private dining room tables whisper-ready?
Almost. I tried very hard, but they're just slightly too large. However, most chairs can hear the other chairs. If you're having trouble with whisper range, try shuffling your group around a little, or use a metachannel(type /e help meta) as a local chat to keep your conversation from spilling out into the main dining room.
Does the front hall actually have spikey things sticking out of the walls?
No. Those are torches. CEP objects don't render correctly with some graphics cards, causing half the server to get the impression that the corridor is attempting to murder them, while the other half sees a perfectly lovely walkway.