I'm sorry...

markdown.py

import json
from django.contrib.staticfiles import finders
import execjs

ctx = None


def load_mdit():
    global ctx
    if ctx:
        return ctx

    result = finders.find('bower_components/markdown-it/dist/markdown-it.js')
    if not result:
        raise ValueError("Unable to locate markdown-it - is Ore installed correctly?")
    with open(result, 'r') as f:
        mdit = f.read()
    runtime = execjs.get()
    ctx = runtime.compile("exports = undefined, module = undefined, define = undefined, window = {}; " + mdit)
    return ctx


def compile(text, context={}):
    ctx = load_mdit()
    return ctx.eval("(new window.markdownit()).render(" + json.dumps({'v': text}) + ".v)")

wat, why not just use NodeJS? :P

@JamyDev under the hood, execjs can. It defaults to trying to use PyV8, which I haven't managed to get to compile yet...

Sigh. I might just add a nodejs socket server whose only role in life is to render markdown.