"This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down."

It came upon him like an eruption of flame, the amber light wrapping him in a seething, torturous embrace. The heavens above were like a dome atop the vast towers of pine trees and birch wood, pouring its delicate autumn radiance onto the once-man, who now lay armor-clad and sprawled amongst a bed of leaves. Birds sang low, quailing melodies, and the timid play of animals could be heard in the distant shrubbery and brush. There seemed to be no lack of life, and indeed, even the earth itself bore fruit here — fruit, alas, which he could not eat. 

The errant knight rose, his mind muddled from the sudden leap from between the lands, and yet soon it recalled the harrowing recollection of what had just occurred. It stirred from its golden bed of foliage, looking up to the heavens with fiery eyes. It burned to stare into the sky, and yet he must so that he might seek out any gate, any reprieve, or even so much as a companion, for he had long-since been abandoned — and so it was fitting that he found none. 

Only then, amidst his sober reflection did he discern the squealing nip of some fox-like creature. It bore a striking similarity to the flaxen-haired woodland creatures which populated the mortal realm, and yet was still somewhat alien, peering upon the knight with great, piercing green eyes. The knight reached out towards the creature with the gentle touch of its hand, hoping to perhaps gain it comfort, but alas, the creature did not take to it, and within the blink of an eye, so too did the vivid eyes of that thing draw to a close, leaving the knight once more all alone. And in that moment, as that beast passed off into the darkness, so too did the birdsong cease, and the golden light of the heavens became heavier and searing upon his flesh. 

But the knight, knowing he could not remain in this place, carried on, hoping to perhaps find a familiar face or mode by which to return to that which was at least even familiar. He continued down what seemed as road, his flesh seething and burning within the sun, but it was no use in hiding, for the dome of the heavens was vast, leaving little respite amongst the shallow shade of the trees. He tread through what became a terrible mountain storm; there was nothing here, nothing but the wailing peaks and the whipping of winds across his flesh. Yet he endured, for such was his mission, so bold and yet so terrible, to seek a means of return.

It seemed as though days he traveled those perilous mountains of blizzard and snow, left as a huddling mass of taut flesh and bone. His armor had long-since been cast off to make the journey more bearable, but such did ultimately little to ease his trial. And then the hunger had begun to take him, the maddening throes of terrible hunger! Men might be driven to eat their brothers if left truly desolate and alone, but this was no mere hungering pang. 

At last he came upon the precipice, the very summit of that terrible clime, and there he saw it: the four realms all aggregated into one, with, at its very heart, a Middle City, constructed of smooth and pure alabaster stone, and each house bore a hue in accordance with their season. And within that city, that dwelt at the core, life — a great oak, blessed by divinity to bear leaves of prismatic saturation, granting light to all of the remaining realm. 

It made no attempt to employ caution, for it flung itself off the summit at the very city, dragging itself along the cliffside. Rocks and earth pierced flesh, and its very bones snapped with each leap and descent — but it did not matter, for now there was hope for reprieve. Only hope.

Coming upon the city, it was no more than a derelict thing. Eyes, of all colors and temperaments, gazed upon the thing, some in pity, others in despair, and still others did not even bother to look. But what did that matter, when the creature had been deprived for so, so long. True… it did not. 

The once-man then descended upon the tree, each step a further test of will, for its coil had all but failed. It reached forth a derelict and sinewy hand to grapple that exotic tree, and subsuming from it its very essence, to engorge, to devour, to sate the utter lack thereof. And there the tree, too, darkened, its leaves sapped dry of their ephemeral light and withering, only to fall from their seat among the boughs onto the earth below. The wood, too, became rigid and stale, the pure and unadulterated sap within serving as only a victual for that which could not be sated. 

Soon, all that was once the tree was consumed, and with it, the remaining land. With no heart to pump life through the roots, the earth began to decay. Where once pristine and life-giving water flowed, now they had dried, leaving caked and festering mud upon their banks in which not even the worms and insects would deign to dwell. The golden yield of the harvest became black like soot, brushed away by a single breath of wind, and the beds of leaves now, too, fell to the earth, as fungal rot overtook the roots of the many trees. The woodlands and fields grew barren, and creatures and men within them, though not dead, could no longer live — starved and wounded, and yet unable to truly die, caught within a perpetual limbo between sickness and sweet release.

No longer would it rain upon this land, and no longer would the sun shine. The beast, gorging upon the essence of the tree, had taken all that away in its greed, its hunger. There was nothing more upon this plane, nothing but a juxtaposition between life and death, and no sweet child would ever again look up to the stars, and hear the tales of this once-living paradise — for now it was made into hell. 

    Ostromir Carrion, Fifth of his name, walked down the streets of the County of Dobrove. A gentle mist hugged the dirt path as the huntsmen with little to his name save for pride in the Carrion family name walked towards the farms, ready to begin his daily walk into the dense woods to gather the tinder for the hearth of his small home.

A voice then echoed from behind him- a chilled voice. One that seemed both familiar, yet shallow and bone-chilling in how firmly it said a name, HIS name…

“Ostromir Carrion”

The voice spoke from the shadows- shallow and distant as if it came from beyond.  Spinning around, Ostromir would glance about.  Peering through the dank shadows barely kept at bay by the dying flames of lantern light that hung from the nearby houses. Hiding within the shadows was a man, his figure skeletal in nature. Skin clung to his body and cobwebs coated his form as if already dead. With long fingers, ghastly in their unkempt manner slowly curling up, it spoke once more.

“Do you know who I am?”

Its question was not so much an inquiry, but a demand. Forceful in what this apparition desired. A response to being given to the shadowy creature that seemed familiar… a jest perhaps to its wickedness that had taken shape in the flesh of familiar blood? Or maybe it was more real than he thought. Furrowing his brow, the young Crow raised his right hand to his trusted axe, always kept upon his belt. Placing it upon the latch, he unclips it in uncertainty as he responds.

“I can’t say I recognize you” he speaks, firm in his courage, but with the sweat of quickly breaking nerves coming out from his pores. “But I know one of my blood when I see them. What is your name stranger, and how did you come across mine?!”

The demand was met with a slight crackle as it seeped forth, a hand extended, black tendrils of hate and malis began to weave between the creature’s fingers as it spoke in a darkened tone. “I am Vladislav the Terrible. Know my name, and let it be known to all and sundry.” the Old Crow spoke as the phantasmal tendrils of ebony mist latched out to grasp Ostrimir, holding him in place as a painful sensation of a darker nature rushed through his body. Barely able to breathe, the young Carrion would fail to pull out his axe before he fell to the ground- feeling as though death itself was about to claim his soul.

((*A creative representation of Ostrmir remembering the blackened attack of Vlad in his dreams))

The reaper though would not claim the young Crow, for the Man of Stone, Vlad the Terrible parted with hollowed tears. Sleeping but never resting. Just as suddenly as this apparition appeared though, so too did it leave- vanishing into a cloud of ashen darkness.

“Let it be known”

Eyes gleamed from the foggy vision, Ostromir would soon clamber to his feet in nothing short of panic as he fully grasped his huntsmen’s axe and looked about the empty streets of Dobrov. Nothing but the savvy song of the black raven crowns wailed malignantly through the streets illuminated by the dying flames of lantern light. A foul shudder grasps the spine of the young Crow, the experience had to be one of his imagination- a vivid illusion from the backwash of his mind. Or perhaps it was real, and the Carrion simply denied it…

Imperial Charter for the Municipality of Dobrov

9th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1840

NOW THEREFORE KNOW YE that We, by virtue of our prerogative Imperial and Royal and of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere knowledge have granted and declared and do hereby for Us, Our Heirs, and Successors grant and declare as follows…

That the bearer of this writ, Konstantin Dmitri var Ruthern, be chartered, by Imperial appointment, Lord Mayor of the lands of Dobrov, to the west of the city of Providence, in the foothills of the north-western forests, and that this land, justly surveyed by Our Crown surveyors, be under their ownership, and that they [hereinafter called the “Lord Mayor”] are charged to develop a settlement as well as establish, in accordance with the exact principles of this writ, a municipal government, as a matter of immediate priority to Our gracious reign.

That the term ‘ownership’, in the context of the Lord Mayor, be construed as private property subject to Us, Our law and Our government, and shall not be tied or associated with any such peerage, polity, governmental nor public office, nor Crown office, the holding of which shall remain separate to the duties and privileges enumerated in this document.

That the Lord Mayor shall stand before the Imperial Diet in order to be affirmed as the Lord Mayor, in conjunction with the appointment and assent by Our Crown. That the Imperial Diet must obtain 3/4ths majority of the whole Diet- allowing voting in absentia- in order to deny an affirmation for the Lord Mayor.

That the Lord Mayor shall hold the economic privilege of ownership and extraction with respect to any natural resources, which are already deemed present or may be otherwise discovered, in the surveyed territory.

That this charter shall officially incorporate the municipality of Dobrov, and shall enumerate the offices and principles of the municipal government therein, and that all appointments to such offices must remain strictly consistent with this writ under Our graciousness, and that the creation of any further offices outside of the purview of this writ remain strictly illegal, with any amendments to said writ occuring only by the due consent of Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

That by Our command, the Lord Mayor shall be discharged forthwith to establish the requisite conditions for the creation of this municipality, operating in accordance with Our Crown law, as an Imperial subject in totality, under singular jurisdiction. 

That this municipal government be composed firstly of a Lord Mayor, who shall serve by Our Crown appointment, and who shall…

I. Sit as the head of the Municipal Government.

II. Hold the ability to create or remove special offices that are appropriate within the Municipal Government other than those expressed within this charter.

III. Maintain appointment and dismissal authority of the Municipal Government with the exception to the Magistrate.

IV. Execute the laws enacted by the Municipal Government.

V. Retain overall authority of duties expressed within the scope of the Municipal Government.

That this municipal government be composed secondly of a Deputy Mayor, who shall serve by the appointment of the Lord Mayor, and who shall…

I. Aid the Lord Mayor in any and all duties entrusted to them.

II. Assume the duties and authorities of the Lord Mayor in their absence.

III. May occupy any vacancies within the Municipal Government at the discretion of the Lord Mayor.

That this municipal government be composed thirdly of a Magistrate, who shall serve by Our Crown appointment, and who shall...

I. Be a justice of the peace.

II. Hear cases, trials, or other disputes that may arise within the municipality, in original jurisdiction.

III. Apply the supreme law of Our Crown and Counsellors within the municipality.

IV. Administrate free and fair municipal elections as needed.

V. Administrate the selection of a Diet Representative.

VI. Administrate the collection of any national taxes, excises, or tariffs on behalf of Our Treasury.

VII. Retain access to all municipal records or ledgers. 

VIII. Report the fomentation of sedition, turmoil, discord, libel and acts against Our Crown or Our government. 

That this municipal government be composed fourthly of a Diet Representative, who shall serve by the appointment of the Lord Mayor, and who shall…

I. Appear in all sessions conducted by the Imperial Diet to the best of their ability.

II. Serve as a medium with which the Municipality of Dobrov may have their interest and voice represented on a national scale.

III. Serve as medium with which the Municipality of Dobrov is adequately informed of Imperial interests on a national scale.

That this municipal government be composed fifthly of a Sheriff, who shall serve by the appointment of the Lord Mayor, and who shall…
I. Arrest and detain criminal suspects reasonably accused of violations of Our law until such time as they may be tried.

II. Investigate, and bring to trial on behalf of Our Crown, cases criminal within the municipality.

III. Cooperate with Our Crown deputies and authorities on all cases and investigations, local or otherwise.

IV. Be allowed to deputize a single, non-uniformed person.

That these four offices, in conjunction with the Lord Mayor [who themselves shall bear no formal office or post separate from his ownership of the private property from which the municipality derives], comprise and be referred to in corporation as the Town Council, who shall together serve as the municipality’s executive body, responsible for its operation, and that this executive shall not be construed as possessing the powers of a legislature [that is, a law-maker], but shall instead operate through the application of the law of Our Crown and Counsellors as well as through the delegated statutory authority We explicitly establish by the aforementioned articles of this writ. 

That through this charter the Municipality of Dobrov is obligated to maintain active participation within the Imperial Diet through the aforementioned Diet Representative that shall serve in the Municipal Government of Dobrov. The Diet Representative must be chosen by the Lord Mayor from the residents of Dobrov and must not hold any titular peerages. And that failure by the Municipality of Dobrov to maintain this obligation will render the Lord Mayor in poor standing with regards to this charter and liable for dismissal by Our Crown.

That the Municipality of Dobrov is not permitted to maintain an unsanctioned local militia, or employ non-state sponsored military or para-military forces. Provisions are available to the Municipality of Dobrov to have a brigade within the Imperial State Army created or deployed to the township to serve as the primary defense force within the area. Such provisions must be requested by the Lord Mayor to the Chief of War and the Archchancellor of the Imperial Government, for the formulation and approval of an appropriate course of action that will lead to the formation of local defense forces.

That the Municipality of Dobrov is not permitted to perform any unsanctioned construction, alteration, or demolition of locally established military structures or defensive fortifications. Sanctioned actions may be granted by the Chief of War or the Archchanceller at the request of the Lord Mayor. Any and all military structures, defensive structures, or strongholds present within the local area are officially owned by the Imperial State Army, and that members of the Imperial State Army may not be denied access or usage of such structures.

DRAFTED AND ADMINISTERED,

His Imperial Excellency, The Archchancellor, Drasus DeNurem

ISSUED AND PROCLAIMED,

His Imperial Majesty, Philip II, by the grace of GOD Holy Orenian Emperor, forever August, King of Renatus, Curon, Kaedrin, Salvus, and Seventis, Defender of the Faith, Grand Duke of Ves, Duke of Helena, Novellen and Lorraine, Baron of Renzfeld, Protector of the Heartlanders, Imperial Highlanders, and Farfolk, etcetera.

SIGNED AND WITNESSED,

Konstantin Dmitri var Ruthern

7th of Owyn’s flame, 1833

In accordance with the Imperial Charter for the City of Dobrov, the Magistrate of Dobrov by virtue of Our August Crown, is tasked with a specific set of duties. As we settle into this new realm we call home through GOD’s grace, the Magistrate’s office of Dobrov deems it important to bolster the road ahead -- that is the revival of paramount Imperial institutions.

An authority bestowed upon the Magistrate through the will of the Crown as detailed in the Charter of Dobrov; the Magistrate shall administrate free and fair city elections. As well, two democratically elected officials are all that are mandated to be determined as detailed by said Charter: the Head Clerk and the Sheriff.

Thus, it is seen fit by this Office- The Magistrate of Dobrov- as a means of reaffirming the sacred relationship between the Crown and the peoples of Dobrov, to hereby open the period of submissions for the upcoming Head Clerk & Sheriff Election of 1833. As with the appointment of a new Magistrate, there must be an initial exercise of authority, manifested in the form of an initial election to staff the critical offices of the municipality.

A prospective candidate for Head clerk or Sheriff must meet these qualifications:

1. At least 18 years of age

2. In good legal standing 

3. Is a resident of Dobrov

Should a candidate meet such criterion, the following form must be filled by a prospective candidate:

1. Full Name of the Candidate:

2. Age of the Candidate:

3. Desired Office: Head Clerk or Sheriff

All powers of the selected offices of Dobrov are outlined within the Imperial Charter affirmed by the Crown for the municipality. Candidacies for Head Clerk or Sheriff will close in five saint days from today. (( This Tuesday at 5PM EST))

ISSUED IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1833,

The Magistrate of Dobrov, William Darkwood

((This is a forum roleplay post. Replies should only be players reporting their candidacies for Head Clerk or Sheriff in Dobrov. The sign up will close Tuesday at 5PM EST))

LINK

WOLDZKIY PEOPLE

BANNERMEN O’TH’ ADRIATIC ALP

_______________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.  BRIEF HISTORY …

II.  TRADITIONS …

III.  HOLIDAYS & EVENTS …

IV.  LANGUAGE …

V.  NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS …

_______________________________________________________

I - BRIEF HISTORY

“… I WAS the lord of this squalid hamlet, its lawful thane, before the crows and carrions, and the lichen spore made it their own – biding its every cobble. The caretaker, the Bailiff: I fear his long-lasting duty has changed him – he loses his mind.”

–– OSTROMIR I CARRION-TUVYIC, LORD WOLDZMIR,

1810.

In 1792, amidst the reign of the co-monarchs Anne I and Joseph II, Lord Ostromir “Otto” Carrion-Tuvyic was granted the title of imperial peer and Baron of Woldzmir in reward of his loyalty and diligence under the empire. Under the guidance of Otto did the Woldzkiy people form as his family and companions travelled to the northern regions of the empire where they were later granted land, and thereafter the county and municipality of Dobrov. Without further ado, the people settled and created a culture of their own often referred to as Old Raev or similar to the denizens of Kralta, with their traditions and customs reaching further back than most Highlanders — approximately to the 1400s and early 1500s. 

However, the view of the municipality and its people deviated as tales and rumors of darkness and murk swirled about the municipality by foreigners. As these stories spread across the empire, many of the denizens of Dobrov remained without much travel to the empirical, bustling city of Providence. The lack of frequent travel to the modern capital kept Dobrov in a far more olden period than most other places throughout Oren. 

The people fell into reclusiveness and kept to themselves after Otto would pass on. The county was inherited by his eldest son, Sigismund Chekhov, whose brooding and solemn nature had often been a commonality amongst most of the people. The identity of the Dobrov people grew as traditions resurfaced such as squat dancing and effigy burnings. 

It was not ‘till the death of the count, the disappearance of his nephew, and the ascension of his grandniece Alexandra Karenina that the official name of these people was created. Together with the people of Dobrov, a collection of traditions and rituals, in the name of God, were written down as guidance for what was to be called the Woldzkiy People. 

II - TRADITIONS

“… SURVIVAL is a [tenuous] feat in this virulent tomb, perched upon the precipice of an opulent, imperial steppe: oblivion. A hair’s breadth from becoming torn athwart –– into a thousand and sevenscore shreds.”

–– OF THE WOLDZKIY TOWNSMEN,

1814.

Common Values

Devout Spiritualism 

The Woldzkiy people are considered to be one of the most devout and pious people of the land, going to the strangest and greatest of lengths to present their worship to God. These people have no fear in outwardly presenting their piety; Almost always is any man or woman seen wearing a Husaryian cross from their neck or elsewhere. Women can be seen wearing veils or other headdresses as well. Those who are not of the Canonist faith are often looked down upon and outcasted.

“… IF it is a mist in the pulpit, it will be haar in the pews. The rind, bereft of the flesh, itself, is bitter and without use. The flesh without the rind would nigh rot; the outer cabal [rites, and practices] protects the inner spirituality. And, the inner spirituality gives the rind its unity: purpose.”

–– ANNALS OF THE BISHOPRIC OF BURON,

1798.

Frugalness 

Although in the lands of Dobrov looms a great manor of grandeur, the Woldzkiy folk are careful of their use of mina on extravagances and remain away from the spending of money on needless items. Instead, the Woldzkiy are more probable to be seen buying what is necessary for themselves and their families, or items of spiritual value. Gifts are only for significant holidays, and many are made by hand rather than money being spent. This frugality can be seen in their clothes, which are commonly made by hand or at the local tailor. 

Artwork & Craft

The Woldzkiy people have a high sentimental value in their crafts and artwork, and other objects passed down as family heirlooms made by the fauna and flora around them. While they are not materialistic people by any means and have a far more spiritual approach, family heirlooms –albeit not shining gold bracelets or diamond-encrusted rings– mean a great deal. These family heirlooms can be (but are not limited to) carvings from wood or jewelry made by Woldzkiy hand. Anything gifted to these people outside of their region and people can often be seen as offensive. 

Death & Mourning 

Upon the death of a Woldzkiy, the body is immediately taken from the home and brought to the crypts, or elsewhere underground. The body undergoes a brief process in which they are dressed in traditional attire and their eyes are removed with precision. The eyes are kept securely away until after the pyre. Meanwhile, townsfolk gather to collect a ‘murder’, or a group of crows. One of these crows is to be killed, whilst the others are placed in a cage. 

The pyre is built by the family and friends of the deceased, with a platform atop it for the body to lay. There, a dead crow is placed atop their chest, over where their heart is. Together is the person burnt with the crow, a common emblem of their culture– their ashes combined as one with wood and crow. Once the body is burnt in its entirety, the person valued to the deceased (mother, father, friend, etc.) must step forth and feed the eyes to the crows. Thereafter are the crows released by the same person to fly away, a symbol that the crows guide the soul to the seven skies. 

Courting Customs 

Courting

When a hopeful bachelor finds himself with affections for another, it is customary he offers her attire worn by an ancestor who has passed, most often a coat. If the feelings are reciprocated, the woman will sew in an alteration; be it a different color in the lining, a pattern on the sleeves, or what have you. Eventually, if the union is fruitful, the mother will pass on this article of clothing to her favored son and continue the cycle.

Being a frugal folk, the Woldzkiy people view extravagant wedding rings as a frivolous and wasteful thing. Instead, when a pair has officially begun to court, the man will gift his woman a thimble she may use in everyday sewing. When a wedding is decided, the man will forge a simple ring himself and the bottom of the thimble is cut and serviced as the other ring. The woman is granted the steel ring and the man the thimble ring, a reminder of the work both have done for the other. To use any other type of ring is considered incredibly disrespectful and dismissive,  with relatives of opposing families even having erupted into fighting over the matter.

Wedding

The time leading up to a wedding is just as important as the wedding itself, the entire period of preparations known as Lyubuvda. This is when the rings are prepared, amongst the crow and crown.

During this time, the person closest to the groom, be it a friend or his kin, must hunt a crow for the wedding. It is a great honor to be asked this favor, for it is this hunter believed to guide and influence the souls of the couples’ children prior to birth. After the hunt, the hunter must trickle his blood over the body for good fortune. Avoiding this is considered a terrible atrocity, cursing the hunter and the firstborn child of the couple until they perish. It is thought the passed souls of the Woldzkiy live on through crows, and the absence of the touch of the living on the body of the dead leaves a terrible mark.

On the day of the wedding, the bride will be presented the crow and must bite the head free of the body, seen as the soul of the departed being renewed within her. Afterwards, the groom and bride tug on opposite wings. The side on which the wing is severed is largely considered to be what the gender of the first child will be. The remains of the crow are used to fuel a bonfire that all attendees will eventually gather around, dancing around it in celebration of life and love. The bride and groom are then expected to sneak away without being caught. If they do manage to be caught, partygoers typically douse the pair in pig blood.

Another staple of Lyubuvda is a hunt coordinated by the husband in which he will set out to collect enough bones from local animals and bring them to his soon-to-be wife. There, shall the wife take the bones and create a crown, carved and assembled by her hand. This crown of bones is to be given on the day of the wedding.

Prior to the final wedding dance, the wife and husband are to prepare for what is known as the Crows’ Joust. All denizens and other guests are asked to attend a tourney hosted by the newlyweds then, where those fighting must slather their armor in crows’ feathers prior to the tourney’s commencement. The winner of this tourney is crowned with that which the pair have created together, the crown of bones, and deemed as their ceremonious protector, titled the Prince of Crows ‘til the day’s end.

Effigy Burnings 

Effigy burnings can occur for a variety of reasons, from attempting to show spite towards an enemy to celebrating God’s gift of fire. When in war, or otherwise heated rivalry, Woldzkiy will create a replica of the person or group (made from straw) who they are against and gather around the people. Together are volunteers, or designated people, brought forth with torches to light the effigies, or effigy, at the same time (to show their unity in hatred against this particular group or person). However, if in celebration of God’s gift of fire, beautiful effigies decorated with leaves and flowers are made by the people who dance and sing as those with torches light the straw replicas of saints.

Pilgrimages 

Among the Woldzkiy, many are prone to religious pilgrimages and departing the land for sacred religious grounds. When on a pilgrimage, they are to have almost no belongings with them save for necessities – unless they are planning to create and gift commoners their artwork and crafts. From as young as ten to as old as eighty or ninety, there is hardly an age preference for when these pilgrimages take place.

Favomancy

A frequent attraction at festivals and other events, favomancy in the Woldzkiy culture is the prediction of one’s future by throwing beans on the ground. One who is attempting to have their fortune told is said to have a better chance at doing so if they bring a sentimental item or two with them. After exchanging the item for beans, often the person is asked to shake the beans and throw them on the ground themselves. The seer (who is reading the fortune) will look at the placement of the beans and determine from there a generalization of the person’s future, or –depending on the seer– a select amount of futuristic questions about the person’s life.

III - HOLIDAYS & EVENTS 

Calendrical Holidays & Events

“… IN this cycle, the travel of the sun through the day, and the earth through the year, become symbolic reckonings of our own journey heavenward. By consciously participating in this timeless mandala of wholeness, we are both aided in discerning the features of the soul's interior landscape, and in discovering anew the eternally abiding story of consciousness awakening within creation's ceaselessly shifting darkness and light.”

–– FROM THE ADRIAN SOOTHSAYING ENCHIRIDION,

1542.

Vernal Equinox
The vernal equinox is usually celebrated when the planting season begins. This day is not only to celebrate the planting of new agriculture of the year, but it also represents birth and fertility. There is a great appreciation of birds, in which people collect feathers and don them on hats and garb for good luck. This is also a good season for baptisms, as the water from rivers is now warming, helping with mass baptism ceremonies. Many Woldzkiy are baptized again to cleanse themselves of sin and display their continuous devotion to God. Some Woldzkiy hike to natural springs and drink from the water to restore the balance and holiness of the soul.

A specific festival, known as the Festival of Vesna, is on and around the vernal equinox where people pile flowers in the town square, place flowers on the doorsteps of their neighbors, and at the end of the eve of the festival last day burn the growing pile at the town’s center. Most notably at a feast during this festival are honey cakes and other honey-centered dishes. 

Ascension Day
The holiday known as Ascension Day occurs forty days after the first moon following the vernal equinox. It signifies the completion of the springtime cycle and usually means that all tenants or serfs have their crops planted for the seasons to come. A parade where seed-tossing is very popular among the Woldzkiy, with a priestly procession making its way through the streets in which they bless the people, and eventually make their way to the newly-planted fields to bless the season’s farmland, ensuring that no disasters such as drought or flooding should occur. At the end of the holiday, citizens (from all different classes) gather in the church to pray for the growth of the town’s crops. 

Summer Solstice 

The summer solstice is a day of great significance to the Woldzkiy as the longest day of the year. On this day, festivals in thanks to God for the light and fire he brought to the world are held. From sunrise to sundown, people can be seen burning effigies, collecting orange and red flowers into bouquets, and jumping over bonfires. Any folk inside for over a saint’s hour, even in the comforts of home, are believed to suffer a series of unfortunate events (once the sun has risen, that is). Fire Festivals are held on this day and those surrounding it, where people ‘breathe fire’ in dramatic performances. Some Woldzkiy more devout to the culture are even said to brand each other every summer solstice they celebrate.

Lammas Day 

Lammas Day or the Lammas Festival is a holiday and celebration for the first harvest of the year. In particular, Lammas Day is in honor of the wheat from the fields and the bread that comes of it. Whilst most of the crops are green and ripening, the wheat is ready for gathering. The first loaves of the original harvest of wheat are created before the festivities can begin – notably, a day in advance. The bread, upon the commencement of the festival, is brought to the town square where it is blessed by local clergymen. Following the blessing, an array of activities begin, including bread-making, mazes in the fields, and races whilst one balances bread atop their head. Traditionally homemade bread and buns are often for sale on this holiday and continue to be until its conclusion. 

Autumnal Equinox 
The Autumnal Equinox marks the completion of growth in most farmer’s crops. Simultaneously, it marks the world growing darker with the turn of seasons. In their respective homes or outside farms are shrines made to God with leaves and crops that have died. Other people will create accessories out of the leaves, such as a headdress or crown. Many Woldzkiy decorate their house with hardened resin or amber stones. Pie contests for the finest tasting homemade pie are held, with harvests such as apples only locally picked. Corn dolls are made too, some for children whilst some are said to bring about terrible luck if made incorrectly - or too pretty. People often wear reds, oranges, yellows, and browns akin to the changing leaves during and around this calendrical event.

Dobronki 

Dobronki, also known as the Woldzkiy Harvest Festival, occurs around or on the autumnal equinox in celebration of the year’s harvest. Amidst such a holiday, all the commoners and nobles alike gather in the fields to harvest the crops until the last few strands. The last crop is given to a skilled woman or man to create a wreath out of it. Once completed, an honored guest is given the wreath and leads the congregation to the location of the celebratory feast. Traditional foods and drinks are to be had at this feast after prayer has been said, with many cheers to a good harvest for the next year. At the end of the feast, the night is filled with song and traditional dance, particularly squat dancing, until the early morning. 

All Hallows 

All Hallows is a holiday that commemorates lost souls from death and is a time for many Woldzkiy to ward off evil spirits and monsters of the night. Most events do not begin until later in the evening or when the sun has set. However, during the day children carve pumpkins with relatives; the most horrific faces engraved into them to scare off evils. A ceremony in the local church often conducted in these early hours by a priest helps to ward off the return of the dead. The children are not alone, for the adults also create their own terrifying faces in the form of masks. These masks are worn by all throughout the festivities later in the evening. A communal bonfire is lit as the sun goes down to further ward off evil spirits.

Burning candles are placed either in small make-shift boats to float down the river (or in the open window of a family’s residence for those who do not participate) when the sun has finally set. These candles represent guidance through the darkness and can often be symbolic to souls lost in the year prior. 

Winter Solstice; Tuvmas 

In the four days leading up to Tuvmas, also known as the Winter Solstice, different rituals l to God and the Saint Tuvya are held. One or two of these days is dedicated to the Festival of Lux, a light celebration against the darkest day of the year. The other days are filled with preparation through baking, building crafts, and prayer. Many men and women fast in the days leading up to Tuvmas. Women and children create rose crowns or decorate their veils and headdresses with roses. These roses, due to it being the dead of winter, are hand-carved from the wood of the surrounding spruce and painted with dyes. All who misbehave around this time are said to be eaten on the eve of Tuvmas by a monster. 

Festival of Lux

Often paired with the celebration of Tuvmas, the Festival of Lux is a light festival held by the Woldzkiy to metaphorically bring light to the world in its darkest time: the winter solstice. Candles are made and lit throughout homes and the town; some even being seen on the fences of farmland. During the festival, it is common to see dances around a collectively lit bonfire or townsfolk jumping over the flames. At the end of the night, the Woldzkiy gather together and exchange paper-made lanterns. These lanterns are lit by a clergyman after a prayer is said in honor of God and the light he has given, then released to fill the night sky with lights.

Amidst these festivities, neighbors set candles and homemade crafts or food before each other’s front doors. It is custom that shades of red, yellow, or orange be worn to symbolize the flames and light of the world and the sun above. Storytelling is held around the town bonfire and a giant feast for all is common as well.

Epiphany

In the cold months is the holiday known as Epiphany celebrated. Such a holiday is to celebrate the birth of Canonism and its spread across humanity. The most notable festivity on this celebrated day is the masquerade in which the townsfolk dress like saints, pontiffs, and the exalted. In the days before the masquerade, townsfolk gather in their homes or together to create handmade, wood-carved masks for their costumes. This holiday dually serves as a reflection for many of the Woldzkiy to reflect internally. Many Woldzkiy represent this reflection and renewal of self through another baptism in the freezing waters of winter. 

In the evening of the holiday, townsfolk gather in the crypt of the church –descending with torches in hand– whilst others bring forth a statue of Saint Jude of Petrus is brought forth. The statue is carried around four times in a circle (for the four Exalted) by a selected few whilst the others surround and hold their torches high. By the end, the statue is brought back to its original spot and all retire for the night. 

Candlemas; Festival of Candlemas 

The Woldzkiy holiday known as Candlemas occurs in the weeks after Tuvmas. In the days following the holiday for Saint Tuvya, the Woldzkiy people participate in candle-making activities in their private households or with other townsfolk. These candles are left unlit and rested on the window sills of their homes, at their bedsides, or on the porches of their homes until the Festival of Candlemas. In the Festival of Candlemas, the Woldzkiy gather in their town’s center and present their candles to present clergymen who bless the candles that are to be used in the church come the following year. Once the candles are securely placed in the church by each individual, with the guidance of priests and those alike, a bonfire is created by a collection of townsfolk and clergymen where the people sing and tell stories of the previous year. 

Common Events, Non-Calendrical 

Feasts 

Feasts for these people are seldom done with secret invitations– instead, it is open to all aristocracy and common folk alike. At the feast table, it is commonplace for all to talk without much regard for etiquette or other customs of the primary imperial culture in the capital. Feasts cannot begin without prayer and the breaking of bread, in which all must tear off a piece of bread, lightly dip it in crow’s blood, and eat it.

Masquerades

Rather than balls as to how they are held in the dominant imperial culture, the Woldzkiy prefer masquerades and will host them in place of regular ‘balls’ if not dancing in festivals or about a bonfire. These masquerades are not held with elaborately made dresses and attire or exquisite masks, but instead wood-carved masks with attire that is often representing a theme, most commonly being that of an animal or a saint. If a masquerade is upcoming on one’s schedule, men and women often spend months in advance preparing outfits and going on hunts to gather the pelts and other resources needed to properly portray their costume. 

Bonfires & Storytelling

While these seem common to occur amongst holidays and festivals, outside of them are they frequent events too. Storytelling is seen as one of the most important aspects of human culture for these people, and sharing legacy and myths through oral explanation rather than writing it down. 

IV - LANGUAGE 

The language of the Woldzkiy people, called 'Woldzkiy', comes from Old & Botch Raev, with minimal nods to Waldenian speech patterns (guttural, harsh) and a grammatical system akin to the Aurvergnian language. The language is in its early stages and still developing.

Basic Conversation

Hello / Good day (formal) - Dobriy den

Hello (informal) - Privet

Goodbye - Svedani

Goodnight – Dobriy nochi

Bye - Sved

Yes - Da

No - Nay 

Adverbs & Conjunctions

Not - Nayt

Always - Vsegda

Never - Nekogda

WIP

Common Names 

Masculine - Alexander: Aleksandr, Alexandros; Alexei: Aleksiy, Alexios; Bogdan: Božidar; Boris: Borislav; Chekhov; Dmitry: Demetrius, Dmitri; Franz: Francis, Franziskus; Fyodor: Theodore, Fyodorus; Gleb; Grigori; Gregor, Grigorius; Igor: Ingvar; Kazimir: Casimir, Kazimieras; Konstantin: Constantin, Konstantinus; Nikolai: Nikolaus; Pavel: Paul, Pavellus; Pyotr: Petyr, Pytrus, Petrus; Ostrobor; Ostromir; Radmir: Radŭ, Radomir;  Ratibor: Ratipora; Sigismund: Siegmund, Zygimundas; Stanislav: Stanislaus; Tuvya: Tobias; Vladimir; Vladislav: Vladislaus, Ladislavs; Yaroslav: Yaroslaus.

Feminine - Alexandra: Alexandria, Aleksandra; Anzhelika: Angelika, Angylka; Anzhelina: Angeliyna, Angelea; Avrelia: Aurelia; Ekaterina; Evgenia: Eugenia, Eugeniea; Feodora: Fyodora, Theodora; Inessa; Irina: Irene, Irena;  Karenina; Klaudia: Claudia, Klaudea; Matrona: Matyusha, Matryona; Milena: Mileva, Mylena; Miroslava: Miroslaŭa; Nikoleta: Nicholetta, Nikolina; Oksana; Olga: Helga; Ostrovina; Serafima: Serafina; Sigmunda: Sigismunda; Sofia: Sofya, Sofronia; Stanislava: Stanislaŭa; Svetlana: Swietlana, Svjeltana; Valera: Valeria, Valeraea; Vladislava: Vladislaŭa, Ladislaŭa; Vladlena; Xenia: Ximena, Zenia; Zoya.

V - NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS

Ostromir Carrion-Tuvyic, Count of Dobrov,

The first Count of Dobrov and Baron of Woldzmir, often remarked as the ‘founder’ of Dobrov for his strides to acquire land in the name of his family, the House Carrion-Tuvyic, and his companions. Siring an estimated eight children, in marriages twofold, and innumerable bastards, he is oft accredited as a man of scholarly intuition; tracing his consummate proficiency in the alchemical arts to his servitude as the head alchemist and Governor of the Palace under Emperor Joseph II.

Seceding from mayorship in Owynsburg, a city of the Pertinaxi vestiges which would come of Ves, in Kaedrin, he pursued more cerebral endeavours in Helena, of the Holy Orenian Empire; ascending the ranks of the martial bastion that was the Imperial State Army, whereto he was appointed a lieutenant of the Fifth Brigade [engineering]. In the hoar, winter throes of 1788, Lord Carrion and Master Padraig O’Rourke came to be cited as the perpetrators of a defiling crime against an individual of elven descent [that is to say, acts of dark magic]: without further claim to bolster the accusations, the controversy remains largely apocryphal.

By the gracious hands of Empress Anne I and Emperor Joseph II, the Lord Ostromir Carrion-Tuvyic was relinquished the Imperial Charter of Dobrov, charting the Barony of -Woldzmir in the year of 1796. Laden by plumes of a, then, fast-stirring coup, acquitted by an alliance of the Sedanites, the Ashford de Falstaffs of Whitcombe, and the bannermen of Rochefort, he was granted arms to the Dobrov Crows, a mercantile company, wheretofore the bastion of justice would aid the imperial ranks. Withal, given his ardent fealty to the regime, the barony was elevated to a county –– henceforth, the County of Woldzmir.

In the days of his death throes, public accounts of his stirring delirium were issued, detailing his tendency to befall fits of mania, wizened very well by feats of the alchemical. The spry, ostentatious thane met his demise in the early 1800s, felled at the hand of an Imperial State Brigadier.

St. Emma of Woldzmir, Patron Saint of the Schism War, Soldiers, Loyalty, Valour Against Odds, and Adrians,

The Chief General of the Canonist League in the Schism War, Saint Emma of Woldzmir ––; Emma Vladov –– was born to Rurik Vladov in the year 1465. Accounts of her mother are found unwitting to the annals of Man, henceforth leaving the household patriarch as her sole guardian. Born on the precipice of the Vibian Coup, the saint walked under the bountiful threshold of the reigns of Emperors Boris I Carrion, and Tuvya I Carrion.

When Prince Yakov, son of Tuvya I Carrion, gnawed from the fruits of the Undead ranks, biding his metamorphosis to an iniquitous lich, however, the Empire crumbled to only dead spoils of what it had been prior. A courtship, later, in the year 1483, to Paul de Montfort bespoke an exploit to secure the militaristic ties between the Barony of Montfort and Woldzmir. Proving a gallant tactician, and strategist of the martial arts, she marched into the throes of a nigh waxing war.

Serving a driving force to the establishment of the Canonist League, a union which boded the unification of Akovia, Woldzmir, Montfort, and Savoy, headed by Duke Olivier de Savoie, she led the Kaer Angren, a bulwark of King Maric Varodyr’s holding. Years thereafter, Godfrey II kneeled before the union; steering the Holy City of Petrus into the wield and claim of the Canonists, once more. Yet, toils to birth her third son, Edmond, served a lethargic detriment to Emma, who’d then been flouted by the malaise of prior pregnancies, meeting the point of Death’s scythe in 1496. 

In 1540, she was declared the Patron Saint of Adrians, and the Schism War, notably, by High Pontiff Lucien III.

Tuvya I Sigismund Carrion, Holy Orenian Emperor; St. Tuvya of Rosemoor,

Born to Exalted Holy Orenian Emperor Siegmund [Sigismund] Carrion and Lorin Chivay, niece of Thomas Chivay of the Order of [the] White Rose, as merely Tobias Rosebud in reference to the namesake of his mother’s bloodline; having been conceived out of wedlock, Tuvya I Sigismund Carrion is widely acknowledged by the Mother Church of Canon as the Patron Saint of Emperors, Tithes, and the Retired.

Whilst the details of his primary years are largely met with chagrin, as being apocryphal due to the primeval nature of his biography, he is commonly associated with the plot to infiltrate the, then, Renatian capital of Abresi; though languid in his exploits, swaying the vox populi in the favour of the House of Carrion. Withal, he and his brother, Otto Carrion, unearthed a plot to cull the nobleman ranks of Orenia –– displacing them to submission under kingdom come.

Later legitimized as Tuvya Carrion, the lord’s claim to infamy is cited as having witnessed the apparition of Exalted Godfrey, thenceforward pledging his troth to and kneeling before Peter Chivay in 1456, following the Exodus schism to the antediluvian bounties of Aeldin, in opposition to resisting the annexation. Given the short-lived nature of the Chivay reign, and the ruination cast by the coup, the crown seceded to Tuvya’s son, Boris I; the throes of leadership, however, served too great a burden, henceforth abdicating to his father yet, by will of the Privy Council.

Crowned Emperor Tobias I, ‘the People’s Emperor,’ for his fervent hospitality and genteel temperament, he flouted the city of Petrus with games of war, having been well versed in all that was mercantile. However, political dissent came nigh on the horizon, with the assimilation of his son, Yakov, to the ranks of the Ibleesian Undead. Stricken by malady and melancholy, he abdicated to his son, Aleksandr of Carrion, with the intent of retiring from bureaucracy in search for Yakov. He was later sainted by High Pontiff James II, in 1754.

11th of Tobias Bounty 1831

✠Apostolic General Armand de Rennes preparing his steed for the joust✠

CLASH!

The crowd roared in appreciation of the violence, getting to their feet and applauding the riders as their lances drove deep into eachothers’ shoulders. Dobrov’s jousting stand was popping with folk from all over the Empire; gathered together to watch the noblest of knights dismount eachother in a game of steed and style.

Many knights had gone their turn already; and even a Nun, sister Rowan, had felled a rider with her lance. The sisters of St. Catherine’s Abbey handed out bread amongst the crowd whilst Sir Tobias de Sarkozy announced the finalists:

Armiger Catherine vs. Armiger Albanus

By now, the sun had taken it’s rest and the only light was that of Holy Sir Edwin’s lantern in the night. The crowd waited in anticipation as they viewed the two finalists. Armiger Albanus had dehorsed two men already, and had even sent one into surgery with his lance that day. Armiger Catherine had skillfully dodged her opponents’ strikes before, but none knew if she would be swift enough for Albanus.

Nevertheless, at Sir Tobias’ call, the Squires charged towards eachother, lances poised in an act of valor and violence! To the crowd’s amazement, however, the dust from the steeds obscured their view; the only evidence to the joust even connecting being the sound of a lance breaking, but who’s? Who had made contact?

They sat forth, hoping to peer through the brown cloud of dirt. Slowly, it parted, revealing Albanus with a dented pauldron and an unscathed lance. It would seem Armiger Catherine had avoided his assault and struck hers true; winning the tourney!

After her victory, Holy Sir Edwin de Sarkozy announced the Knightly Quest of his three squires. 

The nuns returned to their Abbey, the onlookers returned to their homes. The Supreme Order of Exalted continued their watch for spooks over Dobrov and for now it seemed all was quiet; this would not last, however, for the future held many a fruitful event for Dobrov and it’s folk. . .

Screenshot dump:

✠✠✠

✠✠✠

About the realms of Humanity a crier shakes a bell, crying out the following before returning to his entourage!

“Hark ye who wish to prove yourself! Hark ye who think yourself skilled and chivalrous. The lance calls! The horse calls! 

Holy Sir Edwin de Sarkozy brings the call to a joust tourney in Dobrov. All are welcome to attend and stand chance to receive the first place reward of 

200 minae!

Gather the shield and steed, and pray for victory.”

((Since pvp lances are nonexistent rn, this will be a RP Joust tourney using /rolls

All you need to win 200 minae is a bit of luck and an hour out of your day c:

Saturday 4pm est at Dobrov!))

18th of Godfrey's Triumph, 1825

In accordance with the Imperial Charter for the City of Dobrov, the Magistrate of Dobrov by virtue of Our August Crown, is tasked with a specific set of duties. As we settle into this new realm we call home through GOD’s grace, the Magistrate’s office of Dobrov deems it important to begin the road ahead -- that is the construction of our settlement’s bureaucracy.

In accordance with said charter, the Magistrate is charged with one of the following duties to:

IV. Administrate free and fair city elections.

Thus, it is seen fit by this Office to hereby open the period of submissions for the upcoming Head Clerk & Sheriff Election of 1825.

A prospective candidate must meet these qualifications:

1. At least 18 years of age
2. In good legal standing 
3. Own property within Dobrov

Should a candidate meet such criterion, the following form must be filled by a prospective candidate:

1. Full Name of the Candidate:
2. Age of the Candidate:
3. Street Address of the Candidate:
4. Sought office, Head Clerk/Sheriff

All powers of the selected offices of Dobrov are outlined within the Imperial Charter.

Candidacies for Head Clerk or Sheriff will close on Saturday at Noon EST

ISSUED IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1825,

The Magistrate of Dobrov, Titus Halcourt

((This is a forum roleplay post. Replies should only be players reporting their candidacies for Head Clerk or Sheriff in Dobrov. The sign up will Saturday at Noon EST))

A FESTIVAL OF CROWS 

in the MUNICIPALITY OF DOBROV

-=-

Raev Cultural Festival of Dobrov

As penned at the hand of Lady Milena of Woldzmir

✢ INTRODUCTION ✢

In celebration of the centuries old culture of the Raevir people, The Rt Hon. Count Sigismund Carrion-Tuvyic and his sister, The Hon. Lady Milena of Woldzmir extend an invitation to all those of the Holy Orenian Empire and her allies to revel in the three-month-long cultural festival to be held in the Municipality of Dobrov. 

Festivities traditional to the Raev people will be hosted for all to enjoy and experience but a glimpse of the culture, along with hand-crafted wares and customary cuisines.

TIMETABLE

of events

I. Commencement Dance [Thursday June 3, 5pm EST]

II. Festival Activities [Friday June 4, 6pm EST]

III. Woldzmir’s Eucharist [Sunday June 6, 7pm EST]

Commencement Dance  

To embark upon the first course of revelry within the Festival of Crows, a traditional dance shall take place in the town square first led by the Count and Countess Dobrov. Attendees are asked that, in the name of the festival, all don colorful attire with an array of patterns and designs that represent customary fashion of the Raev for both men and women. For women, sarafans and vibrantly-colored kokoshniks, as well as other headdresses, are encouraged. For men, an equivalent amount of patterns and color is recommended on overcoats or the Raev kaftan.  

A depiction of a Raev woman in the Municipality of Dobrov wearing traditional attire, notably a kokoshnik and sarafan, painted by an unknown artist c. 1813

One formal dance will be conducted through a fast-paced waltz (and more, if highly requested by guests, may be to occur), followed by folk dancing (including the long lost squat dancing). In squat dancing, participants will be judged for their ability to manage the dance and, should they be able to do it well enough, how far they can get to the ground without falling. A prize will be gifted to the finest squat dancer. After dancing as concluded, guests are welcomed to stay in the county for as long as desired, where small samplings of food, and drink, shall be offered with concluding merriment of the eve.

Finest Dressed in Traditional Attire

The man and woman most adhering to the culture with their sense of fashion will individually be presented with a gift from the House of Carrion-Tuvyic and a lofty coin pouch, judged by HIH Countess Charlotte Augusta of Aldersberg. As stated above, it is asked that those in attendance don clothing and other accessories full of color and patterns.

Festival Activities in the Square 

Amidst the month of Tobias’s Bounty, an array of activities will take place throughout the town square of the county. Guests are welcomed to partake in any part of the festivities, led by various local people of Dobrov.

Flower Wreaths 

Wreaths made from wildflowers native to the Grenz region shall be made for the soldiers attending the feast. Led by Lady Milena Basrid, the making of flower wreaths will take place during the effigy burning. 

Flower wreaths are to be kept until the coming feast, where they shall first be given to those fighting in the war out of gratitude and respect for their courageous actions and patriotism. If there are excess flower wreaths, the rest shall be presented as well at the feast after that of the soldiers, to any of the maker’s choice. These wreaths are to be given out in the name of kindness and to bring good fortune for the receiver, along with their family.

Norlandic Effigy Burning 

As requested by the Count Dobrov, straw effigies of Nordling soldiers shall be made and burned in honor of the Empire’s recent victory in the Battle of Outer Arentania. 

A painting of a man in customary Raev attire, as depicted by painter Miss Irina Feodora of Adria, c. 1686

Favomancy Readings 

For those desiring to have their future examined by a local member of the community, favomancy readings shall be offered throughout the course of the activities of the month. Any who wish to hear tales of their life yet to come are asked to bring two items of sentimental value for a clearer reading, which shall be returned at the end of the session.

Pig Wrestling 

A popular game in the Grenz region reminiscent of a farmer’s difficulties to catch pigs to bring to the slaughterhouse. A greased pig shall be set loose in a pen, with attendants being given a chance to try and catch it. The first to do so will receive a prize of fifty Imperial marks as well as the first slice of pig at the feast.

Woldzmir’s Eucharist 

To bring an end to the events of the festival, a feast shall be held within the walls of Manor Woldzmir. The prized pig shall be cooked before all within the hall, complimenting the many other dishes, all Raev cuisine. The soldiers fighting in the current Nordling War will be honored before the feasting commences, after prayer has been said. Raev black bread will be served with butter throughout the feast. The feast will consist of a three-course meal, with a menu as follows;

First Course

Olivye

Potatoes, eggs, cucumbers diced in a sweet sauce with ham and topped with peas and fresh parsley.

Second Course

Veal Grenz

Thinly sliced veal cooked in white wine sauce with shallots, peppercorn, parsley, and bay leafs. Served with mushrooms and a side of pelmeni— a meat mixture wrapped in fine handmade dough. 

Third Course

Medovik

A layered honey cake with a cream filling, served with a variety of nuts as topping and a honey drizzle.

IN NOMINE DEI,

THE RT HON., Sigismund Chekhov Carrion-Tuvyic, Count of Dobrov

TH, Lady Milena Ipera of Woldzmir

Bricks and Mortars 

Appearing is nothing more but a pairing

Sets of one hole 

but nothing more 

two of a  kind they say 

we look alike they say 

but when you match us with dignity and grace 

we are nothing alike but the two faces that remain the same

So who is it? who was born first? who was born last?

asked who is bewitching? who is cunning?

who are we? We are a pair

till death do us part 

and the roses that Rise  

or the moon that ever shines 

like the pieces that grant us air

for in the drawing room we may fight

but outside our castle walls 

were anything but a alright.

Midnight secret 

For its the days where I care not

For pleastries and teas

Its the hour upon which 

I rise and fall back to sleep 

A wonderous thought 

Yet so simple 

So sweet 

A truly devious thought 

For which I’m willing to keep 

Whose to know about the things 

You do while their asleep?

For the stars will not 

Tell of all my misdeeds.

Calling Card 

Every look is Zealotry

abraided breath 

Eloquent to heart 

Liars ever open 

Praying our lonely depart 

Intoxicated Naive endearment 

Carries a radiant ruler 

I  obtenebrate nothing 

I picked flowers for you 

Aster for you with the speech that caught my eye

And Yellow Hyacinth for her and her pretty eyes 

On my night stand lies Coreopsis

The graves should have zinnia 

For of flower in the fields can only be picked so much.

The lady who rules the crows can have yellow carnations 

Where books and writings run tall underneath the pale lighting grows a single day Lilly 

 With the bedroom lined with books and swords.
Snuck in a vase of Thyme Tansy and Sorrel whilst stories of automn were told 

Under the holy light on a wooden alter I prayed and placed lotuses 

For flowers can only grows nurtured to not fall from grace 

Her 

Deaths is a friend of mine 

She does nought utters words 

But I know she’s  there

For when I wake up my flowers

that were once tall and green 

Are now brown and limp in the soft light of the air.  

The gentle caressing of the petals I know she couldn’t resist.

For my own fingers glide through the reds Velvet moons 

Deaths is like a governess 

She’s taught me things so young 

That I can’t learn from just anyone 

Her ways have guided me to cherish 

Each passing day 

Each person I meet 

most have some 

Memory to me 

For if she comes to me without passing her fingers through the petals 

The passing of doors and plates and laughters becomes only quieter .

Death decides her friends, 

her allies and her husband. 

She treats the world no matter the height or ears 

with the same cruelty we show eachother

You can’t not raise me 

for death has already done so. 

And for everyone who has tried to take her place has sought their end to late 

Death has had her ball ghostly ball 

With maiden old and young 

For men brave and cowardly 

So they may dance above with her father who sits in the skies of seven

An ode to Siblings

 calamitous, mysterious  and solicitous  

a creature amongst myself  

But not by my design  

creative, driving and forward  

obsidian hair and  deep-sea eyes that guide  

an anger,  vulnerability  seething within  madness.

 But to your reflection?

Amidst the chaos  

and roses that dried

Hair just as dark  

and eyes just as wide.

Cerulean  light  Dances with pieces  

Of  Knights in the starlight.  

For without one whole,  

We are nought but  Pawns  

Set across the board.

A TALE OF NEVER-ENDING SEASONS

  Written by Franz Nikolai Carrion-Tuvyic

Nikolai's depiction of a small house made by men of Thanatos with the winter corner in the backdrop.

I write this down to more properly recall for the future that did necessary shake the very core of my being, but rather, left an impression unto me unlike any other. One day I may need to recount this testimony to a child of mine or otherwise so they may pass down this information as my grandfather, Ostromir Carrion, did to me. But for now, I shall keep it in a place none shall find and keep it safe until I will need it again.

May they find use for it.

As I do not personally know where to start off at, I have decided to start off at what I was doing beforehand. It was during the waning hours of day this Autumn when I was admiring the cosmos above at my family’s castle overlooking the county of Dobrov. My sister, Elisabeth-- or Lisa to me-- yawned when the moon reached its fullest height and remarked, “Oh Niko, how must we forever watch the days of Autumn pass us by! Had I had a container to trap this weather and capture this moment, I would have done so immediately. You love this weather too, do you not? 

I agreed, but I left her question unanswered as to not seem childish for entertaining topics such as whining about the weather.

“Perhaps,” she continued when I did not interject, “There is some beauty in knowing next year there will be different colors in the Autumn’s leaves we did not see this year.”

 After she commented, Lisa gave off the normal pleasantries before she went to bed and how she wished for me to have a good night. We both said we loved each other then she retired to her room within the quarter of Castle Kremlin Anavet. Despite the hour, I continued to appreciate each star in the sky that I saw, until my grandfather placed a hand on my shoulder. 

He came out of the shadows slowly and it has since left me completely perplexed. He heard everything I said earlier as I mentioned later in this writing, but I had heard no footsteps and the doors never made a creak. Had he been outside watching us two all night? It seldom brings me calm knowing such a fact. Regardless of how he came to be outside, he asked me what I saw in the sky.

“Stars,” I remarked rather blandly. 

My grandfather gave me a blank stare (or perhaps he was analyzing me upon reflection?) and then told me to follow him without so much as a whisper to follow it up. I obliged and we walked through the Castle, twisting and turning through each and every avenue we took. The candles barely lit each corner we took, but like clockwork my grandfather placed his steps perfectly. Eventually we found our way into the deserted kitchen and my grandfather pulled up two chairs and told me to sit in one. I did so, then he began to speak of tales that I will not forget to this day. 

“Seeing as you pique my interest, I will speak to you of a realm not unlike our own. A realm with fixed seasons. A realm where weather never changed.

A realm called Thanatos.”

With those words, began the story and my initial doubts along with it.

My grandsire began to speak briefly on the topic of…. I do not know how to classify it exactly. He claimed to use an arcane ritual to force himself into the plane of Thanatos. The details of how he did so left rather open-ended, but once he came into the realm, he began to travel around to see what it had to offer. I scoffed a bit, perhaps audibly, but my grandfather never brought it up so if he heard me do so, he did not care. 

Firstly, he arrived in the top-left corner of the plane and found himself drenched in rain. As he explained it, this corner of the plane was forever stuck in Springtime. This corner is divided up into two sections: One without rain and one with rain. He unfortunately seemed to be in the latter which was rather empty beyond the dark greenish-blue plant life. Endless showers continued to pour onto him as he quickly stepped into the other section where flowers blossomed and strange animals flew around. The animals there were described as having a vague sense of familiarity to him. The ‘bees’ of the world seemed to spread pollen, but the ‘bees’ themselves were colored not with yellow and black, but pure green. My grandfather said he stopped long to observe them but never came to the conclusion of where their eyes were. He believed maybe the antennas that plagued their body could find a way to "see". Having spent enough time there, he decided to leave the corner and move to the top-right corner.

Hearing the descriptions of the Spring in Thanatos, I wondered if he was metaphorically speaking about the South we traveled to three years ago. In the last year of the Sedanite conflict, my grandfather and I had traveled with the Crows of Dobrov to take the manor of Whitcombe. It was a single manor in a field of white roses and lilies that littered the countryside. The manor takeover itself was a thrill and a new adventure for me as I threw rocks into the windows and went through the house to raid cabinets. The power that I felt when I stood next to that Imperial flag was… it was anything but ecstasy. I still remember how  the flowers there looked to this day as the smashed manor was in the distance behind them But alas, I knew my father spoke not of Whitcombe to invoke a memory in me, but to speak on this fantastical land he wished for me to believe.

As he passed through the north, grandfather went through an area he described as “completely and utterly pointless”. It was nothing more than a zone that had a new season every minute or so. Clouds above would flurry, disappear into the heat, leaves from the trees then would fall, then snow would come down when clouds materialized. A season a minute in a land with eternal seasons…. Is that what he meant by completely and utterly pointless? Was this all a magical occurrence to keep the seasons in line…? I do not know. This area was a cliff-note in his story and he moved forward without much hesitation. Perhaps this was merely a rough patch in his journey?

The top-right corner of the plane is a corner stuck forever in Summertime. Bright sunlight cast down from the heavens over the one section covered in plains and the other covered in a forest. The animal life was not too dissimilar to horses, deer, birds, lizards, tigers, bears, etcetera but with different characteristics. I inquired to my grandfather what he thought was most interesting or unusual about the corner and he described he was baffled about the predator-like wildlife refusing to hunt other animals. All animals ate the grass on the floor and drank from lakes within the corner. Besides that, the corner did not interest him enough beyond the plains so he left and crossed diagonally to the bottom-left through the Middle City.

Nothing really stuck to me about the top-right corner beyond the fact it reminded me oddly of two Illatians I knew, Cosimo and Anton. Despite being alike in that they both were Illatians and related, the two were very much different. Both had opposite personalities but shared the same blood and warm homeland-- just like that of the forest and plains in this corner.  And just like grandfather, I only liked one. Cosimo was a man that I hated with all my heart and a man I tried to fight twice over, but Anton was my best friend. A man who understood me. It is weird how some people turn out so different despite being so similar.

The Middle City was a circular city directly in the middle of the plane. The city itself was cut into four sections relating to the four seasons. The people were humanoid and of unknown origin, clearly not relating to Descendant-kind. Their skin color related to season their section resided: green, yellow, orange-red, and blue; being the four skin colors you would encounter. My grandfather claims to have spoken to some, but he said “they were without wit,” and merely walked emptily throughout the city to sing songs relating to their season. Upon closer inspection of even the housing in the Middle City, it seems all colors related to the seasons and even the wood and stone mimicked the colors of the seasons. And at the very, very center of the city was the only thing of note within all the city.  A gorgeous tree that had leaves were rainbow colored. 

Before his story continued to the bottom-left corner, I asked my grandfather if he understood how the Middle City operated if it lacked any formal economy or formal army. His only response was asking me what I thought. I questioned if it was a mage playing God, but his only answer was that some things do not have any meaning at all.

At long last, my grandfather arrived at the bottom left-corner where the Autumn was everlasting. It seemed to be an orange-red paradise with grass that was always seemingly the right length. The smell of pine cones and of Fall was intoxicating as it overwhelmed all within its corner. The wildlife was very playful here with fox-like animals seen jumping around with puffy fur all yipping sounds of joy. It was a marvelous place with the trees constantly having leaves fall, but the leaves only ever fell into giant piles that a person jumped into. It seemed as if this was a child’s wonderland, and despite seeming unbelievable for a child of the harsh North, I dreamt of it dearly.

My sister and I had always admired the later seasons to the former as the coolness brought a calming aura to those in the northern reaches of the Empire. Heat and rain, while admirable in their own right, never brought out the full idyllic north that is imagined by Southern men and women. I groaned at the notion that maybe one day I could visit this place, even if it was not real, with my sister. But then the melancholy overfilled me upon realizing I wasted so many days with her, not doing much of note with the blessed weather of Autumn we ourselves had. Winter would be soon upon us.

And that it had for my grandfather. He hiked up onto a mountainous terrain that had a constant blizzard overwhelm the bottom right-corner. He described it as “purely snow and encompasses all vision with white, unable for even those with the sharpest of sights to see a foot ahead of themselves.” Had there been animal life that resided in this corner, I will never know for my grandfather marched and marched, but came across not one. Having seen that it was a barren wasteland that was the bottom right-corner, full of emptiness and nothing, he decided to return home using the same arcane ritual he had before.

“That is it? An empty region with nothing of value to mention to end the story off?” My grandfather shook his head and stood up. I was so enraptured by the story, I did not notice the small amount of sun rays peeking through the window until he stood.

“None. But that is all of Thanatos. Seeing as you admire the seasons, I do believe you must have liked it.” He said with an ominous tone, but a tone I disregarded.

“But why tell me this tale if you ended so quickly and without a moral? Is there a piece of this puzzle I am missing?” I inquired to him, confused.

“Why would I tell you a tale for naught? Here.” Grandfather spoke behind his chair and reached into a small box. He opened up the box to much my astonishment and I saw a number of knick-knacks, including a leaf. He reached in and grabbed the leaf and handed it to me then left in the dark, not returning again. It was a rainbow leaf.

I held the rainbow leaf in my hand with disbelief as I walked up the steps and back onto the balcony where I was before with my sister. The sunlight from earlier dimmed as clouds blocked it out and flurried snow onto my skin. I looked up as it covered my eyes, wiping it off soon after and looked over to see the county turn slightly white. 

It could not be…. Did he really travel to another plane-- another world…? The snowing continued as my thoughts flew across my head.

The winter of my youth had begun, and the spring of my adulthood was nowhere in sight.

A sketch I made of Elisabeth after her tea party for our mutual birthday. I am really proud of it, mother.

To the Mother I love,

Grandfather has always told me that through the use of a pen, the words of the soul are drawn forth. I never was never quite as poetic despite being his namesake— a disappointment to you I am sure— but even so, I have decided to write.

In the spring of my adulthood, I have found much and more to worry about. Uncle Sigismund has resigned himself to not marrying again from what he has written to me and wishes for me to carry on our legacy. The burden of my ancient bloodline plays heavily and solely upon me. He also has recently laid bare the sins I committed towards my fellow countrymen by destruction of their manor. Sins that I would commit again on this very day for my heart knows its own evil but cares not. And especially my worries of the wars, mother. The wars and rumors of wars that plague this Empire make me fear for the future that I and, if God blesses me so, my children shall have. Is it wrong for me to feel such anxiety and fear? I am no Lord Protector. Adrian de Sarkozy runs not in my blood, but all the various eyes that are upon me that expect another Conqueror. When they see me swing a sword and or charge head-fast into a problem, they see my grandfather’s uncle, but I am not him. When I stood inside Whitecombe raiding through its cabinets, I thought perhaps I would be. But as much as I wish to be, I am not he.

I have a question for you. Did you carry with you a fear when that murderer stole you from me when you were amidst prayer? Those who discovered you said you were found with a somberness to you, but was that just an external expression you had? Were you lying to all when you breathed your last breath to show me I needed no fear in my life? Nay, you never wore a mask to cover up your emotions. I know this to be true. The memory I most visibly recall of you is when you read to me so I would sleep. You held such a steadfast, bright smile upon your face that night. It was like all the creatures and monsters that hid in my room were, at that instant, swept from their shadows and casted from us into the pits of the Void.

 I should let you know since I am writing that your smile has lived on in my sister. She may not know, but I see you in her as the days go on and it brings me as much joy as it does sadness to see you so close, yet know you will never be any closer. In many ways she and I are much the same in all as well, and yet that worries me the most. She oft cries about things beyond her control and confines in me worries I do not know how to fix. You gave birth to a liar for I never join her in her worries publically, opting to keep a phony stoic expression on my face to give her confidence. But I do share the worries she confines in me in private, hoping that one day all the problems we have will wither away into nothingness. I have tried time and time again to be her beacon to look on, for our protectors only wish to teach us the reality of a harsh world and how our drive should only be for self-gain.

I am afraid, mother.

I do not want to lie to Elisabeth and tell her to be strong for I am strong, I do not want the responsibility of the bloodline on me, I do not want to be in an country with a ruler who spits on my family, I do not want to fight in a war where I will die and I do not want to be apart from you anymore. 

 All I wish is for you to come down and live with me again. To come down and let us relive a time that the murderer stole from my siblings and me. If the priests are right and saints can grant miracles, does that mean if I ask you to, you will see me again?

Carrion High-Tea 

You are cordially invited to a High-Tea party, hosted by Elisabeth Leopodine Carrion-Tuyvic.  During the event, the high ladies can converse while enjoying Tea and assorted pastries that will be provided by the Carrion Household.  The tea party will be held in Dobrov estate, within the manor walls. After Tea, some activities have been prepared to keep the group entertained.The hostess asks that you, please come in proper tea party attire. In honour of the late Countess and namesake, Elisabeth wishes for everyone to come as their favourite flower or herb.

Poetry
Any lady presented may be able to practice and recite their favourite or their own poetry they have been writing.  The Carrion household Much enjoys all forms and this is a great way to share without judgement of the eyes of the court

Knight and Damsel 
Away from the eyes of suitors and partners, who says we can’t have fun? A simple game of Hostage or Capture the Flag. Where the group will be split evenly. Then they must pick their damsel for the other team to hide. The first knights to find their damsel is the winner! Knights hit or tagged must sit waiting to get out of prison. (ooc: statuses will be used. No downing) 

Special invitations go out to the families of High ladies and any escorts they may need:
The Imperial family if  they may find the time. 

Novellens
Basrid 
Barbanov
Briarwood
Carrington
d'Azor
D'Arkent
DeNurem
Halcourt 
Helvets 

Kovachev 
Leopold 
Othaman
O'Rourke
Pruvia 
Ruthern

Stahl-Elendil
As always any Family and Relative are always allowed to join with their escorts. Any ladies within the houses of Dobrov, Goverment officals and soliders  may also attend. If they need help with attire, Miss Elisabeth would be happy to dress them. 

Signed
 𝔈𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔥 𝔏𝔢𝔬𝔭𝔬𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔢 ℭ𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔫-𝔗𝔲𝔶𝔳𝔦𝔠

A Public letter has been sent to the War Office!

To The War Office of the Holy Orenian Empire,

The Crows of Dobrov live to serve, as I believe our actions have proven. Although we were informed that the war had ended, given the flight of the cowardly Sedanites, I had received word from my eldest son, Sigismund, that one of the final holdouts of the rebels, that of Whitcombe, the holding of the traitorous Emil-Dardot de Falstaff, had not yet been occupied by Imperial forces. Knowing that most of the current ISA regulars are currently deployed in South Arentania, I felt it prudent to take the initiative and secure the manor in the name of the Emperor.

As the doors were blockaded, we took to battering them down. The windows, too, were used as points of entry. When we entered, the manor itself was found to be abandoned, having been stripped of many of its valuables, presumably by the flight of the servants and family who still resided there. We searched throughout the home for any potential traitors still lingering, but all remained still. Outside, we adorned this home, stained by the hands of traitors to the Empire, with our country’s standards, and raised a flag before it to mark the reclamation. It will be a fine decoration for the next homeowner and a stark reminder of what happens to those who take arms against the Emperor.

Now, the Crows of Dobrov eagerly await your next order. With the war being brought to an end, I understand that changes shall be made, especially with what occurs in the field. It will be good, after these two long years, to resume our normal trades and typical lives. However, let our leal service and stalwart loyalty be affirmed, for I am a man of action, not just words, and I believe that what we have done today, and throughout the war, is proof of our commendable service.

I have left my son and heir, Sigismund, to keep watch and guard over Whitcombe with a garrison of one hundred men until a force of ISA soldiers from South Arentania may be recalled and stationed there.

From,

The Rt. Hon. Baron of Woldzmir

The Crows of Dobrov standing before the occupied Whitcombe manor, c. 1813.

@Hunwald@ErikAzog

(Thx to @altiar1011 for photos!)

To my Nephew, Nikolai,

I write to you now, nephew of mine, because I know that the chance shall not happen again should fortune finally favor me for the first time in my life. Battle shall be had soon with the Sedanites. Were I still a boy, my stomach would be turning in excitement and I would lie awake in bed, thinking of the glory I was to win the next day. Now, a similar feeling arises within me, but it lay on the hope that I am finally slain, my pitiful life ended. You have seen me, I hide it not, such words are no revelation, and I forbid you to think so.

All I seek is rest, nephew of mine, something I have been denied. All actions, be they evil or good, aim at this, I have learned. Rest, or peace as it may be called, is a luxury greater than coin after the plunder of a city, or water after a march through the desert. It is something that, should one live in a manner desiring to make something of themselves, shall only be had when they are old. Only the stupid, the weak, those without will, may life in a state of peace, or at least a state they believe to be peace, for they force themselves to be content with their lot in life and mistake their situation with one that is a fine end.

I have lost, nephew of mine. I sit here a man who has accomplished naught but lost it all, a man who failed to live a life of good. Your father, my brother, is dead: I will never laugh with him again. My wife is dead: I will never hear her voice again. My son is dead: my last chance to redeem myself, to make a man better than I, one worthy of righting my wrongs and fixing my mistakes, has faded from me. I have failed, my life is now one that is worthless, for there is no purpose left for me in this world. My time draws to a close, my days are numbered, so I will at least recoup what little honor I have left and be of service.

I hold no love for you, nephew of mine, but I did once for your father, my brother. The attack on Karosgrad sealed my fate as much as it did his. Without him, I sit here aimless, as if my right hand were cut off. As a last duty to him, for all that he had given me without return, I shall now instruct you. Heed my words well, and you will not suffer as I have- perhaps, even, if you are as remarkable as your father, my brother, you will attain something of merit, something akin to rest.

I) Do not dream. What dreams come to you shall be broken. Fear them, banish them, never follow them.

II) Serve your country well. Loyalty to the Empire will be rewarded. If you are to be Lord Woldzmir, it will be you who shoulders the legacy of our lineage and the weight of our family.

III) Do not let others choose your path for you. In my youth, I allowed my future to be decided for me, and all good that may have resided within me was taken unjustly. Had I been the knight I wished to be, perhaps there would be some merit in delaying my inevitable death.

IV) Prepare yourself for loss. Again, in my youth, I was a stupid and naïve boy, unready for any reality this world brought. Had I been ready to face even an ounce of what I have, then my inevitable death would not play in my mind as some cause for relief.

V) Know that the only satisfactory end in life is that of peace. Know what actions are best-suited to obtain this and what actions will only bring you hardship and strife. Should you be able to obtain peace in life, then it will have been one worth living.

I leave you with this. Even if fate throws its lot in against me, and I am alive after the coming battle, my words will be no different. My life ended many years ago; I survive on borrowed time alone.

From,

Your Uncle, Sigismund

@JoanOfArc

A letter was delivered to the Imperial residence of the Majordomo by some young mademoiselle of flaxen hair and ditzy disposition, pristinely packaged into an ashen envelope and branded with the scarlet emblem of the House Carrion-Tuvyic.

To My Darling Chrysanthemum, 

Milena Ipera, 

Today, I had the pleasure of observing yet another spell of heaven’s weeping that thrashed down upon our comely Dobrov from my balcony in the Kremlin Anavet. As I grow more congested by the hour and must confine myself, verily, I have been able to find the silver lining: upon the following morning, it is of routine importance to note that the viridescent foliage has grown brighter, the grain more abundant, and the townsfolk livelier. 

In life, when we plant seeds for fruit and reap raisins, we must respond unabashedly and with pride for if we grow languid and undetermined, the next opportunity may very well pass us by. Should one plow the soil meticulously by any means necessary, or in your case attune the talents which you already hold by hereditary right, there is no reason for the subjects of your devotion and admiration to not bear fruit. 

My Chrysanthemum dear, do not weep or grieve. Your fate, at the end of the day, lies in your hands and your hands alone - it is you who has the capacity to fortify it and let it flourish should you surround it with proper soils (you need only look at your namesake for insight). 

I ask you to recall, daughter mine, your worth. It is not made by the roles and suitors that you have garnered but rather what choices you elect to take for yourself. Your life is at a crossroads - and you aren’t alone in these circumstances - so what path, with your experiences and laments in mind, will you proceed on?

You are, my darling, the composer of not only your future but that of Orenia, in the most profound sense and the most miniscule (That is to you, nevertheless). Behold what is yours and claim it.

With that said, I leave you with an except from a sonnet - written once by a favored poet of mine who bears a great deal of talent:

“Betwixt endless pristine column

In the jewel of Oren,

A ballerina pranced

Reveling in the joy of her dance 

For the hall was empty,

And that was company plenty.“ 

With high hopes and a full heart,

Mama

A Debutante’s Lament

A courier comes to the Lady Woldzmir, and rests but one hand at his back as he lowers himself into some exquisite bow. Thereafter giving his letter he departs, swiftly without another word for the woman once she were to take the letter proffered to her.

To Mother, 

Lady Woldzmir, 

I pen you in hopes that you will not be disappointed by my recent failures, and aspire that instead you might take what apologies I can give as a replacement for the roles of your own I have not filled, as you were one of the finest actresses; a legacy of your own creation that I myself struggle to uphold. The pen befits me far more, I do so find, than the publicity one is engulfed in by embarking upon performances in front of a crowd of thousands. Miss Agnes de Frand, one of the debutantes of the recent season, has taken the role of Helaine de Sarkozy and Miss Emerentia Kovachev the spot of Lorin Flay in the casting of “Lorin + Siegmund”. I had hoped to be given the opportunity to audition with the Baron Helvets, yet the cast list was announced before we were given the chance to do so together. Miss Emerentia will do quite well in portraying her; a recent acquaintance of my own with an apt talent for the theatrical arts and even going on to be one of the finest composers I myself have come across. Mother, I shall hope that you have some wisdom to share in deteriorating this jealousy that scrapes at my mind, even if I know it to be true that the pair casted shall do better than I.

Perhaps it is that I am not as talented on the stage as you. I pray that this does not bring great strife to you, that I cannot be what I ought to. I apologize, greatly so– Mother. There are an innumerable amount of matters in which I find myself incapable of fulfilling; even in the social season, though I suspected myself not to be the Ruby of the Season. A foolish desire it was, for a split moment of my time I had considered myself to have a singular chance for contesting the position, though such pondering swiftly left my mind. I compare myself to all that is these other lady debutantes; their hair, their cosmetics, their mannerisms, the fine dresses crafted by utterly proficient seamstresses. 

At the end of it all, presentations, soirees, and what have you– I look to the mirror with a frown at what I have conjured for the evening. If there was one invention I wish never to have brought to existence, it would be that cruel reflecting glass. I am so filled with nerves at almost every course and turn, which does me to no avail in my societal tribulations. They consume most of my speech, how I hold myself, all the like. How am I to be a proper lady when I have to exert myself at a mere conversation with an unfamiliar courtier? My hands shake, horridly so, and I attempt to brush off the quivering in my voice with excuses that are not true; ones not admitting that I am terrified of most social relations. 

Mother, the tabloids do not help me overcome these worries at all; these social apprehensions which I wish would lament me no longer. There must be some truth behind the hearsay, I am certain of it, for most all matters come from something. I believe the gentleman I spoke to you of, the Baron Robert Helvets, not care for me as I had at first imagined– not entirely so without complications of the matter, that is. A hopeless romantic am I to be so easily swept away! The ladies tell me he is taken by affections for the Lady Kaphro. Surely, you have seen these papers that I speak of. He confessed himself to his affections he maintained for her –continuously does maintain– yet spoke of the desire to progress past this as he believes it not to be reciprocated. 

Once you and father had said I to be some shining light for this family, some redemption for all that we have lost, but I see it not so; thus I apologize, vehemently, with all that is my pained heart. 

With love,

Milena

@Axelu

Debutante Ball of Miss Sofya Antonina Carrion-Tuvyic, Eldest Daughter of the Baron Woldzmir

Sofya of Woldzmir

@froeggy

(1786-Present)

TO THE REALM OF MAN

The Baronial House of Carrion-Tuvyic, Leal Peers of Holy Oren, is pleased to announce a celebration of encroaching womanhood of their eldest female scion in the year of our Lord, 1802. The transition of a young lady from idyllic childhood to prosperous and fertile womanhood is one to be celebrated with dignity and joviality; thus, an invitation is extended to the populace of Both Oren and Hanseti-Ruska - one familiar and one foreign to my daughter Sofya - yet ever important for the former is where she was raised and the latter, where her maternal family hails from. The jubilation will be held in the Imperial Palace of Augustine - a kindness allowed by its young and capable Majordomo, Mlle. Vespira d’Emyth. 

All in attendance are required to maintain all aspects of decorum as behooves them by the principles of court and society.

ITINERARY

I) In honor of her daughter’s ascent into higher society as a woman, the Baroness Woldzmir will deliver a Mother’s Proclamation on Sofya’s daughterly virtue and womanly charm.

II) Successively, a dance between father and daughter shall begin the night, followed by a general ball. During this time, the lady of the hour, as well as her esteemed family, will be free to dance with all who so desire their hand in such.

III) Additionally, refreshments and appetizers will be available to all those in attendance.

IV) At the end of the evening, the individual judged by Sofya to have the finest wear for the occasion shall be awarded 100 Imperial Marks.

SPECIAL INVITATIONS

TRM the King and Queen of Hanseti-Ruska

And their adjoining Royal Household

TIH the Duke and Duchess of Helena

And their adjoining Imperial Household

HIH the Princess Imperial and TRH Count of Rosemoor

And their adjoining comital Household

TRH Count and Countess of Metterden

And their adjoining comital Household

Mrs. Yuliya Styrne, Directrix of the Le Fleur Theater

And the Theatric Troupe of Providence

All Peers and reputable citizens of the Holy Orenian Empire

And their adjoining households

All Peers and reputable citizens of Hanseti-Ruska

And their adjoining households

SIGNED

On the Behalf of the Baron Woldzmir, 

Lady Elisabeth Carrion nee Ruthern, Baroness of Woldzmir

OOC

Saturday the 9th of January, 2020

6pm EST

Imperial Palace, Providence

Imperial Charter for the Municipality of Dobrov

9th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1796

NOW THEREFORE KNOW YE that We, by virtue of our prerogative Imperial and Royal and of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere knowledge have granted and declared and do hereby for Us, Our Heirs and Successors grant and declare as follows…

That the bearer of this writ, Ostromir Tuvyic, Baron of Woldzmir, be chartered, by Imperial appointment, proprietor of the lands of Dobrov, to the west of the city of Providence, in the foothills of the north-western forests, and that this land, justly surveyed by Our Crown surveyors, be under their ownership, and that they [hereinafter called “The Proprietor”] are charged to develop a colony as well as establish, in accordance with the exact principles of this writ, a municipal government, as a matter of immediate priority to Our gracious reign

That the term ‘ownership’, in the context of The Proprietor, be construed as private property subject to Us, Our law and Our government, and shall not be tied or associated with any such peerage, polity, governmental nor public office, nor Crown office, the holding of which shall remain separate to the duties and privileges enumerated in this document.

That The Proprietor shall hold the economic privilege of ownership and extraction with respect to any natural resources, which are already deemed present or may be otherwise discovered, in the surveyed territory.

That this charter shall officially incorporate the municipality of Dobrov, and shall enumerate the offices and principles of the municipal government therein, and that all appointments to such offices must remain strictly consistent with this writ under Our graciousness, and that the creation of any further offices outside of the purview of this writ remain strictly illegal, with any amendments to said writ occuring only by the due consent of Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

That by Our command, The Proprietor shall be discharged forthwith to establish the requisite conditions for the creation of this municipality, operating in accordance with Our Crown law, as an Imperial subject in totality, under singular jurisdiction. 

That this municipal government be composed firstly of a magistrate, who shall serve by Our Crown appointment, and who shall...

I. Be a justice of the peace.

II. Hear cases, trial, or other disputes that may arise within the municipality, in original jurisdiction.

III. Apply the supreme law of Our Crown and Counsellors within the municipality.

IV. Administrate free and fair municipal elections.

V. Administrate the collection of any national taxes, excises or tariffs on behalf of Our Treasury.

VI. Retain access to all municipal records or ledgers. 

VII. Report the fomentation of sedition, turmoil, discord, libel and acts against Our Crown or Our government. 

That this municipal government be composed secondly of a sheriff, who shall be elected from among the residents of this municipality, and who shall…

I. Arrest and detain criminal suspects reasonably accused of violations of Our law until such time as they may be tried.

II. Investigate, and bring to trial on behalf of Our Crown, cases criminal within the municipality.

III. Cooperate with Our Crown deputies and authorities on all cases and investigations, local or otherwise.

IV. Be allowed to deputize a single, non-uniformed person.

That this municipal government be composed thirdly of a clerk, who shall be elected from among the residents of this municipality, and who shall…

I. Set the rate of taxation at the municipal level.

II. Administrate the collection of municipal taxes or rents, and sale of residences and other properties.

III. Be responsible for the maintenance of the municipal ledger. 

IV. Be allowed to deputize a single, non-uniformed person.

That these three offices, in conjunction with The Proprietor [who themselves shall bear no formal office or post separate from his ownership of the private property from which the municipality derives], comprise and be referred to in corporation as the town council, who shall together serve as the municipality’s executive body, responsible for its operation, and that this executive shall not be construed as possessing the powers of a legislature [that is, a law-maker], but shall instead operate through the application of the law of Our Crown and Counsellors as well as through the delegated statutory authority We explicitly establish by the aforementioned articles of this writ. 

ISSUED AND PROCLAIMED, 

Anne I, by the grace of GOD Holy Orenian Empress, forever August, Queen of Renatus, Curon, Salvus and Seventis, Defender of the Faith, Duchess of Adria, Novellen and Lorraine, Baroness of Renzfeld, Protector of the Heartlanders, Highlanders, and Farfolk, etcetera.

Joseph II, by the grace of GOD Holy Orenian Emperor, forever August, King of Renatus, Curon, Salvus, and Seventis, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Adria, Novellen and Lorraine, Baron of Renzfeld, Protector of the Heartlanders, Highlanders, and Farfolk, etcetera.

SIGNED AND WITNESSED,

The Rt Hon. The Lord Woldzmir