The Master of Ceremonies raised his hands, and the hall fell silent.
"The Summer Auction shall proceed in three phases," he announced. "First, the Offerings Phase, where noble houses present their contributions to Valdria's prosperity. Second, the Judgment Phase, where attendees evaluate each offering through our sacred voting tokens. And finally, the Midnight Waltz, where we celebrate our traditions of courtship and alliance."
He gestured to a table near the platform, where dozens of small crystal tokens sat arranged in neat rows.
"Each voting noble has been provided with an enchanted token. When an offering is complete, you may vote by channeling your intent into the crystal. Green indicates approval. Red indicates disapproval. The intensity of your conviction will determine the brightness of your vote."
Aegis glanced around the room. Nobles were already fingering their tokens, some calculating, others barely bothering to hide their boredom.
