Urahra

Respect and farewell to a fellow LOTC boomer. Thanks for guiding my husband on his paladin journey and I hope the RP was fun while it lasted. ❤️

Tanith plays the cello because it has a big, deep, warm sound that I think accurately reflects her soothing personality. Yuliya would play the lute due to her passionate love of medieval history. Gragmar is beating the living hell out of those drums. Percussion all the way. She’s an orc, what do you expect. Sarah would favor a brass instrument, possibly a saxophone.

Entry 127! @AdmiralLB @NLThomas @AndrewTech @Demented_Delila @Etow

91 rep on my ancient 2012 romance guide lol

oh HECK yeah, I love these threads. lemme get u some tunes my friend Tanith: Yuliya: Sarah:

To the Esteemed Ladies of Oren -- No myth is more absurd or more pernicious than the idea that feminine beauty is tied to delicacy of body. Too often, women waste away and languish in poor health rather than doing the work to maintain their muscles, simply for the reason that they think too much musculature is unfeminine and unattractive. To this, I say bosh! Exercise only can fully strengthen the muscular system in both sexes. It knits well the joints and increases the flexibility of every moveable organ. Activity of the body confers cheerfulness of spirit, as well as increasing energy. Healthy and vigorous exercise is, therefore, not merely necessary for the perfection of the corporeal body, but also for its continued preservation. In short, exercise is necessary for health and for life! For females, in particular, daily exercise is required! In those who do not maintain their physical forms, the body and the mind equally become weak and diseased. My name is Sarah Napier. From a young age, my mother instilled in me the priceless value of rigorous physical education. For a small fee, I would gladly pass my knowledge unto you - so that you, too, can enjoy the benefits of a functional and healthful corporeal frame. With my help, you'll strengthen your body, increase your spirit, perfect your form, and extend your life! Services: Beginner Fitness Course - 8 minas (for full course. 2 minas per Saint's Hour long session.) 4 Saint's Week Program We'll meet once per Saint's Week to develop a gentle full-body fitness routine. Our focus will be on maintaining proper exercise form and develop our knowledge of nutrition for optimal physical fitness. Intermediate Fitness Course - 8 minas (for full course. 2 minas per Saint's Hour long session.) 4 Saint's Week Program At the end of the intermediate track, students will be able to identify major muscle groups and their function. We'll target areas where we specifically want to improve and build routines tailored around strengthening those areas. I can also be booked for weekly classes to help maintain and encourage physical fitness. 2 minas per Saint's Hour session. If interested: Contact Sarah Napier at 2 Selm Street. (It's the bright yellow house! You can't miss it.)

Entry 126! @Thorten @AndrewTech @Wholesome_Thomas @dyselxic @MunaZaldrizoti

“You should write. I know I've told you that before. You said you didn't have the patience.” “I certainly have the time now.” “This theater is going to outlive me. I want someone to keep doing things here… rather than it just turning into a venue for… oh… I don't know. Boring state-of-the-empire addresses. Political shilling. Write something funny. You'd be good at that.” “Something funny. I could do that.” “Nobody's doing comedy these days. The fashion is these plodding historical dramas. Utterly dreadful.” “You're a real trendsetter. I'm good at bucking trends.” She smiled. “Thank you for being my first friend, James.” “Thank you for being mine. I don't know where I'd be if we hadn't met. So, thank you for the plays, the parts. For dragging me out here." "Pah. As far as I'm concerned, you deserve the world for indulging my prattling and clinginess." "Still grateful." OOC: Added THE COURTSHIP OF SARAI

A La Fleur Production To the theater-lovers of Oren -- I'm seeking actors to fill two roles in an upcoming production of THE COURTSHIP OF SARAI - to be staged in Providence at a future date. The play follows HARREN HORENSON, the firstborn child of the Exalted Prophet Horen, as he negotiates an alliance with the Elves of Wildewynn. Our story takes place during a mystical, ancient era long ago, when the world was new. Auditions are open to adults of any age, race, or nationality. I am looking for individuals to play the following parts: - SARAI - Sarai is the heroine of our story. She is the daughter of King Malin and a princess among the elves. A quick-witted, fierce, passionate, and lovely maiden of great cunning, humor, and ingenuity. Spirited and lovely with a keen inner fire. - MALIN - Malin is the mythological father of the elves. The first elven king and the biological parent of Sarai. He exudes a certain aura of graceful, benevolent mystery. As ancient as the trees and imbued with wisdom far beyond ordinary men. He is gentle and warm, though stern when the situation calls for it. - ELVEN COURTIERS - Members of King Malin's court. I advise auditioning for this role if you're interested in participating, but lack the time to commit to a greater part. I am especially looking for an elven maiden to sing the opening sonnet. Though the characters are all elves, you do not need to be an elf in order to audition. Special consideration will be given to actors of Adunian / Harrenite descent. The story of Harren and Sarai is an important one to Harrenite culture, so it's in my interest to represent them on the stage. If you are interested in auditioning, please contact: Yuliya Styrne at The Imperial University in Providence Thank you!

Editor's Note: The third letter has been amended to correct the factual error. Half-elves are fully infertile and cannot reproduce. We thank our readers for their thoughtful feedback!

Skin: Black Swan Bid: 60 Discord: Hads#7587 nvm lol 100 is too steep for me whoops

Dear Bianca: A Life Advice Column Issue No. 3 - "Dear Bianca, I'm In Love With My Cousin!" Most esteemed Madame La Fleur, I hail from a large family spread out all across the Empire. Because my family is so big, I've not had the pleasure of meeting all my many relatives. The other day, while enjoying a stroll through Providence, I encountered a devastatingly handsome young man who immediately piqued my interest! He fit all my preferences - tall, charming, well-dressed, graceful, humorous. Alas, I attended a family function some days later and... who should I meet again but that same handsome man! As it turns out, he's my first cousin on my mother's side. I didn't realize we were relatives due to our differing last names. Madame La Fleur, I ask you - would it be within the bounds of good taste for us to pursue our relationship? Yours, Romance is Relative Dear Romance is Relative, Incest is... not uncommon among the upper echelons of Imperial society. Noblemen have a rich and storied history of marrying their cousins. Allow me to regale you with a particularly sordid tidbit from the Early Empire. Exalted Godfrey wed one Atriana Tarus. Few people realize this, but Exalted Godfrey was Atriana's second husband. Her first husband was High Priest Everard I, with whom she produced Everard Hightower (named after his sire). Everard married Anne Tarus, the sister of Atriana, who was his maternal aunt. Together, Everard and Anne gave birth to Ari Hightower... who would go on to marry Exalted Godfrey's son, Orian I. In other words, Ari Hightower - who was both her mother's daughter and great-niece - married a man who was not only her first cousin... but also her uncle. How's that for a fun fact? At least your family tree isn't as tangled as that. However, I still wouldn't advise you to pursue the relationship. While the Oren Reformed Code doesn't outlaw consanguinity in the case of first cousins, I think most people still find it mildly distasteful. Just because you can doesn't always mean that you should. Consanguinity could have negative effects on any future children you might have, which is a fact worth considering as well. It's not the 1300's. We don't need to keep recirculating the same stale, old blood between the same three or four families anymore. Hardly anyone bats an eye when a person of high birth marries a commoner. You have your choice of men, so I'd recommend setting aside any feelings you have for your cousin and looking at different options. Put some distance between yourself and the object of your affections. Get to know other (unrelated) men. I'm sure your affections will change in time. Signed, Bianca La Fleur Dear Bianca, I am a family man with two children at home. However - I am, (and always have been) always very enamored with my wife. Unfortunately, a great deal of our time has been spent raising our children, and given us little time to spend with each other. How do I balance being a Father who's there for his children when they need him - and a husband who's there for his wife when she also needs him? Sincerely, A Busy Father Dear Busy Father, Children often change the nature of our romantic relationships. After having children, we might experience a certain shifting of priorities. Once upon a time, your life centered around your spouse. Now that little ones have entered the picture, your spouse might occupy a secondary place on your list of concerns. Some decry children as the death of romance. However, I don't think this necessarily needs to be the case. Keep in mind that I am not married and have never had children myself, but here would be my advice. Perhaps devote a few days out of the month to your spouse alone. Are there relatives who would be willing to watch the children while you enjoy a date night? Is it possible to hire a governess or an au pair to mind them? Are the children old enough to watch themselves for an evening? If so, hand the kids a few marks and let them loose on the town. Set a curfew and enjoy your childfree evening with your spouse. If you can't find time to be with your wife, then you must make time. Fit it into your schedule by any means necessary. A man's relationship with his wife is the most important relationship of his life. We often take our spouses for granted, assuming that they'll always be there, but we discount how easy it is to fall out of love if the relationship is not carefully maintained. Be proactive and set appointments to spend time with your spouse. Perhaps this sounds clinical and unromantic. Isn't it more romantic to be spontaneous? But here's the truth. Romance is a lot like inspiration. If a writer sits and does nothing while waiting for inspiration to strike, why... he'll probably never get any writing done! Inspiration is rare. A professional writer must write even when he is feeling enirely uninspired. Just as we must find romance with our partners even when we're feeling entirely unromantic. Hoping you find the romance you seek, Bianca La Fleur Dear Bianca, I work in a tavern with a very beautiful elven woman. The more time I spend with her, the more I'm beginning to fall for her. I'm Canonist and she is not. Is there any way to make this relationship work? From Lover of Long Ears Dear Lover of Long Ears, Ah, my unfortunate sir. I do pity you. We valah often fall into this particular trap. There's something so pleasing about the elven countenance, isn't there? The high cheekbones. The delicate noses. The pointed chins. Long, slender necks leading down to dainty collarbones. Whenever a beautiful elf walks down the street, we can't help but turn our heads, can we? They say that His Imperial Majesty Peter III kept elven mistresses. But that's just a rumor and Madame La Fleur is not in the business of spreading rumors. Just know that you are not alone in your particular predilections. I cannot advise you to indulge in your preference, however. As good Canonists, we must adhere to what is written in the Holy Scrolls. The virtue of Horen forbids the sin of interbreeding. If that doesn't dissuade you, there are yet more practical concerns as well. For one, unless something horribly tragic happens, your elven maid will outlive you by hundreds of years. We humans suffer from the curse of mortality. We have one-hundred years. Perhaps one-hundred-fifty if you're blessed to be Adunian. Elves? They can potentially live for a thousand years or even more. I once included a certain dark elf as a character in one of my plays. Since the action of the play took place in the early 1400s, I thought certainly she'd passed away. No! She was quite alive (well over 500 years old!) and not especially pleased I wrote about her without permission. Thank God she didn't sue. But yes. Should you marry this elf, your lady love will be doomed to watch you slowly age and die. The same would be true of your children. As I understand it, mixed-race children have all the curses but none of the benefits. So your children would be mortal with low fertility. Meaning your wife would also watch them age and die within her lifetime. The same with your grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. And great-great grandchildren. In short... it's cruel. As painful as it might be, you need to let go of this ill-fated love affair. Many of the qualities that you may find attractive about elven women, such as the willowy frame or long legs, can also be found in humans if you look hard enough. I'd recommend changing work shifts so that you no longer work alongside the object of your affections. Out of sight, out of mind - as they say. Good luck, Bianca La Fleur EDITOR'S NOTE: The following answer has been amended due to a factual error. Half-elves are, in fact, entirely infertile and cannot reproduce at all. To Ms. La Fleur, My father died earlier this year and the grieving period has been difficult for me. For the last few months, I've been in a fog of sadness from which there is no escape. My boyfriend says he is tired of waiting for me to feel better. He wants to hurry up and get married and start having children, but I just feel too sad to even think about the future. Is there something wrong with me? Should I just do what he says? Please help, Stuck in a Fog Dear Stuck in a Fog, Please accept my sincere condolences for the loss of your father. There's no pain quite as keen as the loss of a parent. I, too, lost my father some years ago. We were very close. It plunged me into a horrible depression that dogged me for decades afterward. Sometimes, I would find myself weeping for no reason. Simply because something innocuous - a smell, a color, the texture of a fabric - suddenly reminded me of him. Grief isn't an easy emotion. You can't simply overcome it through sheer willpower. In fact, bottling up your grief is a surefire way to make the problem worse. It is a feeling that must be experienced fully before it passes. You experience grief in the same way you might experience a delicious gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant. Plate by plate. Course my course. Until you reach the end. The only difference is that we relish eating a delicious meal. When it comes to grief, we'd rather do anything else. But as with all difficult things, the only way out is through. And it cannot be rushed. Your partner isn't giving you the proper space in which to grieve. I think it's abominable that he's behaving this way. You need time and support during this period of your life - and he's providing neither. He's eager to rush onward into greener pastures. Perhaps he thinks that dragging you along - by force if necessary - will bring you happiness as well. It might be time to reassess this relationship. Marriage includes seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow. You'll have to endure both together. Yes, you share in wonderful, beautiful moments full of happiness. But you'll also slog through times of boredom, ennui, anger, and deep despair. Your boyfriend is showing you now that he cannot handle your negative emotions. He's unwilling or unable to share in your grief and help you fight through it. I'd advise talking to him frankly about his lack of support during your grieving process. If he cannot see things from your perspective, then it may be time to let him go. If he recognizes that he's done wrong and is willing to fix his behavior, he might be worth keeping around. You might also want to speak with a priest about your difficult emotions. A priest might be able to provide you with some sense of closure. When my father died, I relied on my uncle - who was a priest of the Canon - for emotional guidance and support. Without him, I would have been utterly lost. Wishing you luck in this time of hardship, Bianca La Fleur Dear Bianca is a production of J.D. Chapel & Associates. All opinions expressed in this periodical are the opinions of Ms. Yuliya Styrne a.k.a Bianca La Fleur. We do not accept legal responsibility for the outcome of any advice offered. Please enact Ms. La Fleur's suggestions at your own risk. Letters are edited for clarity, spelling, and succinctness with any and all identifying information removed for the security of the writers. If you have a query for Bianca La Fleur, you may reach her at her office in the Imperial University at Providence.

Entry 125!! A... happy entry for once? @Etow @AndrewTech @LATTE @Demented_Delila @Wholesome_Thomas @Thorten

The invitation finds it way to the office of Yuliya Styrne at the Providence University. She smirks when she sees the green wax seal with its whimsical upside-down crown. "I wouldn't miss this for the world," she says before drafting an RSVP and sending it back via courier. ~ Sarah Napier opens the door of her home in Providence to find a courier carrying an envelope with a green wax seal. She breaks the seal with her thumb and unfolds the invitation. "Huh! Haven't seen that guy in a while," she remarks before tilting her head back and shouting at the ceiling. "Dad! We're going to a party!" ~ Tanith -- the adopted mother of the elf in question - finds the envelope waiting on her desk in the bowels of the NGS archives. She smiles gently as she picks it up. "One hundred..." she says, turning it over in her hands. "It's not every day you turn a century old, is it? How exciting!"

LA FLEUR PRODUCTIONS PROUDLY PRESENTS... A Tuvmas Play Following The Life of the Golden Saint! ONE NIGHT ONLY at THE UNIVERSITY OF HAENSE AT KAROSGRAD! STARRING... ALEKSANDR VAR RUTHERN as TUVYA ROSEBUD OTTO WITTENBACH as OSTROMIR CARRION EDWARD NAPIER as SILUS HOREN JAMES CHAPEL as KING WILLIAM HOREN I OF ABRESI and CORWIN VON ALSTREIM as EXALTED PROPHET SIEGMUND CARRION The drama will unfold upon the University of Haense's spectacular stage on 7th of Sun's Smile, 4 SA or 1800 IST 7th of Tov ag Yermey, 353 ES ((Sunday, December 27th, at 2pm EST)) Admission is FREE! Directions: Upon entering Karosgrad through the main gate, proceed to the central square. Take a right and follow the road past the Northern Geographic Society Museum. On your left will be a small enclosed courtyard surrounded by columns. Proceed through the doorway into the lobby and take the second hallway on the left into the theater.

Yuliya Styrne - better known perhaps by her famous pen name Bianca La Fleur - purchases a copy of the guide at her local bookshop. Despite being a native of Haense, she grew up in a small port town where the New Marian tongue was not often spoken. "Perhaps it's time I learned properly," she muses as she leafs delicately through the pages with her fire-scarred hands.