SapphirePool

The newly born bouncing baby boy Ezren promptly started using his fists to express his feelings and his lungs to express his dissatisfaction with anything and everything!

A woman of nearly a centuries age held her hands to her chest, grasped together. She let out silent sobs, long forgotten in the house of Vuiller. In the years before her daughters death, she had become but a ghost. Her great grandchildren playing in the courtyard, whilst she sat and watched from the window. "My dear lily" she sobbed "I pray Samuel is there to great you. Finally, you can meet your Uncle." with that, the elderly Rosemary Vuiller placed a rose on her windowsill, and continued to watch as life passed her by, forgotten.

The quiet one, that is how the youngest princess of Balian had thought of her eldest brother. Amidst the banter of her siblings as they laughed, bickered, played- he stood by watching over them. The young princess had always found it difficult to be around the eldest son. A decade older and always silent as he did his duties, she felt this unbreakable glass barrier between them. Tasked with the position of Legate, the gap grew thinner, that sheet of glass now a film of mist. Now an adult, Persephone worked closely with her brother in an administrative capacity. Yet still, she could never quiet tell what he was thinking. Constantia was easy to read, kind and open hearted. Augustina- well she always spoke her mind. Constanz, the closest in age to herself, was the easiest to get along with. She felt at ease around him. But Alex? An enigma in the eyes of the princess. It was only in their later years did Persephone feel she could truly feel close to her brother. "We are old" the now three siblings would often comment as the younger generation married and had their own children. It was a novel concept, aging. It felt only yesterday that the city they stood in was but a grand duchy, and her pater was holed up in his office with Alexander, ever mentoring him for the position he eventually would inherit. On his deathbed, the old princess looked upon her ailing brother with sadness. A man of little yet meaningful words. A king of kindness and grace. A brother for whom she always felt looked out for her.

Within her office, the legate read over the newly published transcript of the trial. With a mild grunt of content, she stored the document away, making a mental note to praise her niece on a fine job.

The Rebuttal of Vilac Issued 12th of Suns Smile In the year of our lord 52 BA It has come to the attention of our house that those of the line Leonid have proclaimed themselves the head of the house Vilac, namely the supposed ‘Matriarch Emerentia Vilac’. It has dated back centuries that the head of the house was neither Martinus, the ancestor of Emerentia nor his brother Georgius. It is difficult to find the literature of history long ago, however, it was surprisingly simple to find an abundance of missives that name Antonius the rightful head of the house of Vilac, Prince of Vilachia. On the matter of the Head of House Vilac It is of note in Emerentia’s missive, she stated, “May it be known that the descendants of Martinus Vilac and Georgius Vilac remain the true and legitimate lines of the long-lived House. Let this decree be etched into the annals of history for all to heed.” There is a false statement within this line, that being Martinus Vilac. The house of Vilac is of the ancestral house of Horen and was created in the year 1720 when the house of Horen was dissolved into many lines, one of which being Vilac. This is pertinent as the ancestor of Emerentia, Martinus Horen died before the house of Vilac was ever created. [!] Below, two weathered articles are attached. https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/183412-dissolution-of-horen/?tab=comments#comment-171591 https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/182386-the-courts-of-the-dragon/?do=findComment&comment=1710129 If we ignore the fact that Martinus’s line can not be the legitimate Patriarchs, due to him never having been a Vilac, there is ample documentation of Antonius being recognized as the true patriarch of the house amongst his brothers, including from the Kingdom of Norland and the Principality of Savoy. [!] An excerpt of the missives was displayed https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/186568-one-writ-of-invitation/?tab=comments#comment-1739959 https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/205705-royal-letters-for-the-principality-of-v%C3%AElachia-1838/?tab=comments#comment-1866749 On “Gwendel's arrangement with the late Lord Leonid Vilac for his protection during the trial” Now that the question of who might be the Patriarch of House Vilac has been cleared up, we wish to speak more on other items of note mentioned in Miss Emerentia’s letter. When it comes to the ‘Arrangement’ brought up within the trial as well as her letter, we have several things to say. Firstly, Gwendel was never in contact with Leonid. It was a meeting between Persephone of Balian and Casimir Vilac which was not a secret meeting but an invitation to meet with distant relatives. A public letter was sent out which is attached below stating just the same. Ironically enough, this same missive also states the late Leonid Vilac’s intent that he does NOT claim himself to be head of any of the branches from the line of Martius. [!] The excerpt of the letter was below https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/223488-a-family/?tab=comments#comment-1966878 During the family dinner, Leonid offered his support for Gwendel concerning the trial. This was appreciated by our family, though once the topic of going against the church was brought up, it was quickly declined that any help which would go against the decision of the church, or cause harm to others, shall not be condoned nor accepted. The statement that we did accept their help was correct only on the grounds of no harm to the church or others. This acceptance of non-harmful help was quickly negated however when the Duke of Adria was condemned by the holy church and was aided by the Vilac’s of Adria. My family swiftly cut all contact with them, and would never reach out for any assistance regarding either the trial or otherwise. On the matter of “He” (Gwendel) “has ignored and failed to honor his agreements when called to arms” This call to arms was from the late Leonid Vilac calling for his distant relatives to assist Adria in the battle against Aaun. As already stated, we had cut contact with his side of the family at this point and were standing firm with Balian’s stance on the Civil War. To become involved would be treasonous against the Kingdom we now hail from and would go against the will of the church itself. On the matter of “Henceforth, all descendants and direct kin of Gwendel, of the line of Marius Vilac, shall be deemed disowned, illegitimate, and outlawed, to be apprehended on sight by the men of Blackvale and Vilac of Veleç.” The direct threat brought onto our kin shall be met with swift rectification if ever fulfilled. It is ill-advised to make such threats without knowing your station. No crime has been committed by the kin of Gwendel, and any retaliation against them for a crime that has already been processed by the church is arguably slander unto the church itself. For this defamation, and attempted disownment of the rightful lineage of Martius Vilac, we demand a public apology be issued towards the Patriarch of our house, Lord Casimir Vilac. If unmet, a letter denouncing the remaining line of Leonid Vilac shall be issued for all to see. This is your one warning. Signed, Casimir Marius Vilac, Patriarch of House Vilac Prince of Vilachia Princess Persephone Maxima d’Atrus-Vilac

Issued by THE OFFICE OF THE LEGATE 11th of Suns Smile in the year of our Lord 51 BA The office of the Legate seeks out diligent diplomats to assist in bettering relations with other nations. The duties of a diplomat are often varied depending on the climate of each nation. The primary responsibilities of a diplomat to their assigned station are as follows: Creation and upkeep of a dossier. Establishing oneself as a point of contact between Balian and other nations. Re-signing pacts to nations with previous pacts that have or are about to expire. Acting as a representative of Balian when in foreign territory. Only citizens of the Kingdom of Balian are permitted to become diplomats and only those of the age of 16 and older. Those between the ages of 16-18 must acquire parent/guardian approval prior to application. For those interested, please send a letter or seek out Persephone Maxima d’Atrus-Vilac, Legate of Balian. Signed, Her Royal Highness, Princess Persephone Maxima d'Atrus-Vilac, Legate of the crown

If it is someone I do not know and don’t plan to know, of course I won’t care about their opinion. Why should I when I’m not in a place of authority where I need to listen to others opinion. Are you saying I should listen to every single person and agree with them? Also send the discord please, you added me back.

I’m gonna guess as soon as I join I’ll be hounded. But I don’t give a crap, those who think it’s ok to make these comments are nobody I care to have the opinion of.

I would absolutely love to see the discord server of people who like your hot take gridlock.

ah, text is hard to discern sarcasm from. Then I’ll redirect my reply to @Gridlockas well. If this many people think your take is crap, I think you should take that as a sign man.

just saying that someone shouldn’t be traumatized does not change the fact they were. This isn’t some cod game where the next match you’ll be with a new set of players. It’s not a threat made by someone you’ve never interacted with or will never interact with again. Rape threats are so incredibly jarring to many many people. Those who think it’s ok to say that crap are the kind of people who say it themselves.

@AnimeWolf0080is this your protege ?!

I want to add as well, just because one bad Apple is now gone forever, does not mean those who associated closely with him are absolved. I was in the renatian discord, simply because I have a Vilac character from a completely different branch. Whilst the majority of what was said and done in that discord was memes and trolling, one matter did stick out to me. Unfortunately the entirety of the no-mic chat was deleted right as I went to screenshot and I do not have logs. This is why I did not speak up about this, as it’s my word without straight evidence. There was 1-2 minute space of time where several individuals linked hateful, racist, homophobic discords over and over in no-mic. I did not know what these links were until I fat thumbed a link and was thrown into a nazi support discord. I left immediately and realized there were discords linked for not only that but things regarding autism and if I remember correctly, transphobia. I said “please stop” and a few seconds after the chat was completely wiped. I only have a screenshot of the things said immediately following the wipe. I have names of 2 players who partook. I’m not going to say them here though. If a mod wishes to reach out, do so to sapphire#1345. im tired of feeling like I should overlook something simply to keep the peace because it was done “jokingly”

Ive not known you long squak, but in the short time I’ve had the pleasure of working under you in story team I’ve learned a few things. -you’re very receptive to all POVs -Whilst others may say their dms are always open, you are probably the only one who actively responds, and does so quickly despite perhaps ooc commitments. -It’s plain as day just how much you love this community and want to do what is best for everyone. You want everyone to have fantastic experiences. Everyone makes errors. Hindsight is always 20/20. Betting on the good in someone prevailing isn’t inherently wrong either, and if you make that bet you need to own up to the consequences. I feel you have done so here squak. i want to remind everyone that simply having the red name and the big A does not make someone infallible to human error. Whilst we have a perfectly painted portrait of how we think an admin should be and act, nobody can reach perfection. I’m thankful that despite the obvious backlash toward admin team with this situation, they swallowed their pride and fessed up to their errors. everyone who’s saying they should resign, please remember that anyone who replaces them are subject to the same mistakes. All we can do now is work to change for the better, and not try to erase the past.

The anonymous author to the poem pranced around the streets of many towns that night, partaking in littering in her delight. Her beardless henchman following behind, grinning with glee and mischief ”I hope they see the message! It’s what they get for saying such vulgar words to me” she sneered through her grin.What a vulgar and distasteful woman she was.

The boys aunt Persephone reached for a bottle for the first time in a long while after reading the proclamation.

[!] Leaflets were seen popping up in most nations attached to bulletin boards and walls [!] The Miasma of Adria A Poem by Anonymous From the south wandered a woman, legs tiring at the gates of Adria. Unbeknownst to her, a wretched stench loomed. Chatter from the side, “I have not bathed since the war started!” Keenly did she look to see one lord Leonid, a miasma lingering about his frame. Yellow-bellied was the bragger though when his stench was made known. “Out with you wench!” Cried the men with maiden-less woes. Unceremoniously did spittle sore as the tired woman was made to go.

Distant in the lands of the south, the missive traveled. The legate of Balian was settled into bookwork as a knock came at her chambers, and the note passed off by an attendant. The woman sighed, tiring of news of the waring east. Her brow furrowed after reading the contents however. The attendant took the missive back after the woman had reviewed the contents, her only comment being "Disconcerting".

Persephone smiled as she looked upon the faces of her kin now engraved upon precious metals. “It’s a bit weird always having my pater, brother and nephew in my coin purse” she mused, humor in her voice.

Grand Opening of the Atrus Vaults 20th of Owen's Flame 46 B.A The Atrus Vaults are now open for rent in the capital of Balian. These vaults were made to help alleviate the clutter of everyday life without the need to stack piles upon piles of chests within ones own home. Located conveniently below the Bank, there are a total of 12 vaults. Further development is planned for in the future to increase the number of vaults. The size of the rooms vary into three categories. Vault 1 and 2: Mare Rent per year: 15 Mina Contains 12 Double Chests 1 Crafting Table 1 Stone Cutter 2 Blast Furnace's 2 Furnace's Vaults 3 and 4: Mediu Rent per year: 10 Mina Contains 9 Double Chests 1 Crafting Table 1 Stone Cutter 2 Blast Furnace's 2 Furnace's Vaults 5 - 12: Mic Rent per year: 5 Mina Contains 6 Double Chests 1 Crafting Table 2 Furnace's In addition to the many amenities provided to each vault, there is a communal smeltery for all renters to use. NOTE: Atrus vaults is NOT responsible for any goods left in smelters which then may be taken by another. User's discretion is advised. The entry area is reinforced with locked Iron doors, to which only renters have access to. This also goes for each vault, which has a subsequent Iron door. If interested, please contact Persephone Maxima d'Atrus-Vilac

Treaty of Lurin and Balian 13th of Godfrey’s Triumph 44 B.A I- Sovereignty The Kingdom of Balian and the Most Serene State of Lurin hereby recognize each other’s sovereignty and their right to their held lands, as well as their apparent ability to expand these lands. The Most Serene State of Lurin also recognizes the Kingdom of Balian as Protector of the South. II- Non-Aggression The Kingdom of Balian and the Most Serene State of Lurin hereby pledge to make no acts of aggression upon each other’s lands to retain a mutual peace between the two sovereign entities. III- Trade The Kingdom of Balian and the Most Serene State of Lurin shall put aside in each of their capitals a tax-free stall which they might each utilize to sell their native wares. The Kingdom of Balian and the Most Serene State of Lurin hereby pledge to share any information on darkspawn they may have when it pertains to the safety of each other's interests. IV- Duration This pact between the Kingdom of Balian and the Most Serene State of Lurin shall last for a duration of 15 years, and upon its expiry, it may be revisited to be reinstated or for something else entirely to be drawn up. V- Conditions This pact is void should either entities attack a nation in a defensive or military pact with the other nation or if either nation attacks one another. This shall only apply if the signatories of this treaty are the aggressors. Signed, HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, Alexander I, by the Grace of GOD, King of Balian, Count of Monteres, Viscount of Eflen, Baron of Brucca and Valens, Lord of Atrus and Monterosa, Protector of the Heartlanders and the South, etcetera. THE SILVER LUBBA, Mika Anarion HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, Princess Persephone Maxima d’Arus-Vilac, Legate of Balian HIS EXCELLENCY, Lord Gaius Rosius var Ruthern, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Balian

Dune of Boulders Pact Grand Kingdom of Urguan x Kingdom of Balian Signed 10th of Sigismund’s End in the year of our lord, 38 B.A 10th of The Deep Cold, in the 109th year of the Second Age. Article I - Sovereignty The signatories of this treaty shall hereby recognise the sovereign authority of the individuals thus undersigned, including their given authority and powers, such as the power to make lasting treaties with foreign powers. Article II - Non-Aggression The Signatories, in the hopes of building towards a longer, peaceful era between their two nations shall hereby adhere to a period of non-aggression, built on a period of friendship from previous interactions. The undersigned will not invite conflict between them and, should any instance of conflict appear between them, they will pursue peaceful diplomatic negotiations to de-escalate the aforementioned situation. Neither signatory will provide military of economic aid towards powers hostile to each other. Article III - Freedom of Movement The Signatories hereby pledge that the citizens of both states are allowed complete free movement between their lands. However, any military matters conducted on each other’s land must require written consent to do so. Article IV - Trade The Signatories shall each set aside a stall free from taxes in their own nation to be utilized by the other signee to sell their native wares. For a merchant to claim the stall or shop in a respective capital’s market, a merchant is to inform the respective economic representative of the nation of the requested stall or shop & are required to inform the diplomatic representative of the countersignatory nation. Article V - Dragon The Grand Kingdom of Urguan will offer military support, in the form of siege engineers, war materials, Dwedmar and any other miscellaneous assistance to aid the Kingdom of Balian in the current undead dragon threat in the South of Almaris. Article VI - Duration This pact will last eight years, once this is over, both signatories may review and extend this pact should they both desire to. Signed, HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, Alexander I, by the Grace of GOD, King of Balian, Count of Monteres, Viscount of Eflen, Baron of Brucca and Valens, Lord of Atrus and Monterosa, Protector of the Heartlanders and the South, etcetera. Agnar Grandaxe, Grand King of Urguan, Clan Father of Grandaxe, Defender of Kal’Ordholm, Protector of the Dwarves HIS EXCELLENCY, the Seneschal of Balian, Lord Ledicort Vuiller HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, the Legate of Balian, Persephone Maxima Novellen-Vilac Dagmir Grandaxe, Grand Ambassador of Urguan Garedyn The Green, High Prophet of the Brathmordakin, Grand Steward of Urguan, High Chief of Hefrumm, Chief of Mossborn

The deceased Dame Amelia looks down from the seven skies and waves her fist “DARN THEM, not again!” She reminisced on the first auction, which she partook in.

MC Name: Sapphirepool Discord: Sapphire#1345 Image: Description of Image: A portrait of the late King John I of Balian in his prime. Dimensions: 1 wide, 2 high