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https://minecraft.wiki/w/Chest Minecraft Chest A chest is a block used to store items. A large chest is the combination of two adjacent chests, and can store twice as many items. Crafting You can craft a Minecraft chest with 8 planks, which in turn are made of wood: Breaking A chest can be broken using anything, but an axe is the fastest. Chests always drop themselves when mined. If the chest contains items, the items are also dropped when the chest is broken. If one half of a large chest is destroyed, the corresponding items from the destroyed chest are dropped and the remaining half continues to function as a small chest. Container A small chest has 27 slots of inventory space, and a large chest has twice that amount, at 54 slots. In the Java Edition interface, the top three rows for a large chest correspond to the left half of the chest when facing it, and the bottom three rows correspond to the right half. In Bedrock Edition, the top three rows correspond to whichever half was placed first and the bottom three to the other half. Chests open when used. To move items between the chest inventory and the player inventory or hotbar while the chest GUI is open, drag or shift-click the items. In Java Edition, holding Shift and double-clicking while holding an item moves all items of the type clicked on in or out of the chest, to the extent that space is available for them. To exit the chest GUI, use the Esc control. The GUI of a chest The GUI of a large chest. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fentanyl-czar-border-security-1.7452829

Hello Lord of the Craft Minecrafters. We’ve been seeing a surplus of tickets regarding LC-related inventory restorations. While the root cause of this continues to be investigated, it is important that players be made aware of a simple, best practice to follow when moving into limited creative. I present to you: THE MINECRAFT CHEST. A small, easily attainable item, that will be placeable wherever you have an lc region - or, preferably, outside of your lc region to avoid accidental damage. Even better - it is fully capable of storing the entirety of your inventory, and you can lock it, ensuring your hard-earned pixels will be waiting for you upon completion of your build. Currently, the ONLY sure-fire way to steer clear of the wrath of the item-cache gods is to store your inventory before entering limited creative. As you cannot access your inventory while in LC, this should not be a concern. Please do it. That is all. Sincerely, a tired triage monkey.

•⋅ ───⊱ ༺⋅☨⋅ ✵ ⋅☨⋅ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• THE CROWMOTHER PUBLISHED BY ON THIS 10TH DAY OF JULA AG PIOV OF 563 E.S. •⋅ ────────────────⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰──────────────── ⋅• An Introduction AS A WARD OF THE PALATIAL OFFICE, myself and my peers were tasked by Princess Milena to research a woman of Hanseti-Ruska who held power in her own right. To this end, I have chosen Nataliya Leopoldina, born of the House of Morovar. She was made the twenty second Queen-Consort of the Dual-Kingdom by way of her marriage to King Ivan VIII, who by decree elevated her to sit the throne as his equal. Her ascent to regnal status, and the challenges she faced therein, were seeded within the history of our lands. The reign of Nataliya I marked a pivotal moment in the history of the daughters of Edel. Never before, and never since, has a woman lorded over the Haeseni with the full authority of the crown. To understand the late Queen truly, I had to examine her duty as both monarch and matriarch, as well as the feudal turmoil that marked this era in the history of Man. This publication, the first formal piece written by mine own hand, shall serve as an exploration of the reign of Nataliya I, her life prior to assuming the throne, and her legacy in the blood of our people. •⋅ ────────────────⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰──────────────── ⋅• I The Arms of the House of Morovar LADY NATALIYA LEOPOLDINA MOROVAR was born auspiciously beneath the sign of the Queen, on the ninth day of Vyzmey ag Hyff in the year 482 E.S. She was sired by the Prince Franz Leopold in the year of his death, born posthumously to him by his elderly wife, Natalia of Carnatia1. The conception and safe delivery of Nataliya are seen by some as miraculous, and by others as nothing short of nonsensical. With the death of her father, and the incapability of her mother, Nataliya was raised humbly amongst the smallfolk of the Crownlands. Upon the death of her mother she inherited nothing of the Morovar estate, only a letter, wherein she was directed to seek out her elder sister within the walls of the Royal Capital. This sister had become the Princess Franziska Elaine, having been wed to Prince Stefan Edvard of the Royal House Barbanov-Bihar2. She leveraged her considerable sway in the Esrova Prikaz to see her sister placed in courtier’s lodgings, for she had been residing in the tavern at this point for quite some time. It is said that life at court proved quite isolating for the young Nataliya, whose claims to royal lineage were openly questioned by both noble and servant alike3. She was by all reports a recluse, and most often confined herself to the labyrinthine under-palace of old Valdev. After a year of adjustment, Nataliya was placed into the care of Bl. Queen Amaya by her sister – who soon after disappeared from courtly life – so that she might be educated among the other ladies of the court. Her lessons consisted mainly of etiquette, for she was still wild, and the commoner was still within her. While there was an eventual success of Nataliya’s tutors to produce a more refined and distinctly Marian image, it did little to curry acceptance among the cliques of the capital. This would come steadily as the result of her budding relationship with the sickly Grand Prince, the future Ivan VIII. According to the former Royal Herald, Ratibor of Radovanic, Ivan had grown to hate the swarm of wards and noble scions that his mother, Bl. Queen Amaya, housed in their halls, deriding them openly as “gnats,” and “bootlickers,” and refusing to entertain their company. He often sequestered himself in the great studies of the Esrova, where he and Nataliya came to know one another between his bouts of bloody cough4. It is likely they bonded over their shared isolation in these formative years, though the frequency of their interaction remained low throughout. Still, the relative praise Ivan spoke for Nataliya was taken in great contrast to his distaste for the greater noble caste, and drew some attention to the young Morovar. The Arms of the Oracle of Maenvestiyaeo In the final years of the fifth century, a conflict between the Dual-Kingdom and the nascent League of Veletz, borne of the belligerent Duchy of Adria and its brigand hirelings, was all but an inevitability. This looming war struck fear in the heart of the Haeseni, as their nation was plagued with what has been named “the Long Winter” detailed in the Morteskholv Edict5. Against the backdrop of this strife, King Aleksandr hosted a session of court in the year 499 E.S. It was here that Ser Mikolaj of Radovanic, Oracle of Maenvestiyaeo, delivered unto the Edlervik a prophecy6: “Too long hath Saint Karl spread his wings so wide, blood run thin and far afield, So must twin crows become one, those long withdrawn come together, To wed upon the seed of storms and rime, one murder to end and another begin, Come again the blood of the accursed to sit upon your throne, and come the thaw - so shall the son be blessed. One blood, in one Crown” These words were interpreted by the King and his Council as foretelling the reunification of Barbanov-Bihar with its cadet branch of Morovar, and the end of the harsh snowfall. The two lines had diverged substantially in the one-hundred and twenty-one years7 since their split by the first Oracle8, the Prince Franz Leopold. It is through her father that Nataliya was deemed to bear the blood of the prophesied ‘accursed’ due to long-standing superstition regarding the given name Franz9. After two years of private deliberation, the King called his people to court once more. The betrothal of Nataliya to Grand Prince Ivan was formally announced before all the Haeseni, that they might sit the throne as the prophesied Twin Crows. It was here too that a man of Stassion, servant to the Aaunite King Edmund, who at this time was himself beholden to the Veletzians, was slain by the hand of the King. This man would be the first of thousands to perish in the ensuing war in the Midlands10. Knowing surely that war was to come, Nataliya, now Grand Princess to be, rode out into the lands of the League with a small entourage. It is said she tarried for a while among the smallfolk in their fields and their markets. She held no hatred for them, and them none for her, and she was treated with hospitality. It was only the petty ambitions of their lords that pit them against one another, a fact that angered the Princess greatly3. Nataliya would come to hold a profound distaste for the prideful lords of the day, who she found to gladly bleed their people for coin and title. She would carry this sentiment for the rest of her life. In both the War in the Midden and the turmoil of the post-Covenant age, Nataliya would advocate both mercy to the commons and ruthlessness to their knights and Princes. 1 - HE, Rickard Kortrevich, The Royal House of Barbanov, 552 E.S. 2 - HRH, Franziska Elaine, Duchess-Consort of Akovia, The Akovian Birth, 482 E.S. 3 - Ratibor Radovanic, Nephew of Ivo of Valdev, 560 E.S. 4 - Barbanov Royal Physician, Barbanov Healer’s Logs, 482 E.S. 5 - HRM, Aleksandr II, King of Hanseti and Ruska, The Morteskholv Edict, 498 E.S. 6 - HRM, Henrik II, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Royal Letters for the Barony of Ghaestenwald, 378 E.S. 7 - HRM, Aleksandr II, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Twin Crows, 501 E.S. 8 - HRM, Sigmund III, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Appointment Of The Court Oracle, 402 E.S. 9 - HL Viktor Kortrevich, Ve Edlervik, 408 E.S. 10 - HRM, Aleksandr II, King of Hanseti and Ruska, A Gift Returned, 501 E.S. •⋅ ───⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• II AS The Arms of House Barbanov-Bihar AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR WITH THE VELETZIANS, Nataliya refused to confine herself to the fortified halls of the Esrova Prikaz. She rode out eagerly alongside her betrothed and the Brotherhood of Saint Karl, clad in mail and oft wielding a Ruskan sabre. As was common amongst Marian high society, Nataliya viewed the war as an existential struggle waged in the defense of the motherland. She saw battle in every engagement in the War in the Midden, both major and minor, and is said to have slain a fair number of men throughout. Following the victory of the Covenant of Five at the Siege of Breakwater11, Nataliya and Ivan were wed12 in the Everardian Basilica of Valdev before an assembly of battered levy and knights. Their wedding was the first performed in the Jorenic Rite13, with the pair exchanging cloak and dagger under the eye of Patriarch Josef of Jorenus. At the behest of the Princess, she and Ivan spurned the traditional festivities that would follow the occasion, and instead opted to honour the Haeseni dead. To each man in the crowd was given a hauberk and a sabre, an austere reminder of the sacrifice yet to come. 11 - The Battle of Breakwater Keep, 506 E.S. 12 - HH, Nataliya Leopoldina, The Royal Wedding of 506 E.S., 505 E.S. 13 - HE, Josef, Patriarch of Jorenus, On The Jorenic Rite of Sigmundic Canonism, 506 E.S. The Grand Princess of Kusoraev returns from the Disaster at Westmark alongside the remains of the Brotherhood of Saint Karl. Breakwater would be followed by another victory at Brasca14, where a great many of the Veletzian host were slain by the numerically superior Covenant. The Grand Princess and Prince joined the vast army that pursued the routed Legion of Burgundy into the fields of Westmark15, where they outnumbered the Leagueists by three men to one. The resulting battle was the greatest defeat in the history of the Dual-Kingdom. Nataliya would ride in the cavalry with the Brotherhood Hussars, who found minor success in driving off the Burgundian horse. In the chaos of the subsequent rout, King Aleksandr and a number of other Covenant warlords were gravely wounded, leaving their bannermen in disarray. No clear leader rose to lead the host, which still vastly outnumbered the Veletzians. Nataliya and Ivan were not among the officers of the battle, having been denied command due to the persistent drunkenness of the latter3. They elected to dismount and join the foot, who had begun to pursue the Veletzians into a dense wood. It is here that the leaderless force of twenty-thousand were set upon from all sides by eight-thousand Leagueists, and slaughtered en masse. The Grand Prince was lost in the melee, and Nataliya fled the field with a small contingent of bannermen. Upon returning to Valdev, Nataliya would sequester herself in the Esrova for the greater part of a year. She spoke to none but her handmaidens and the Aulic Council as she awaited word of the fate of her husband. He would ride through the gates of the city unceremoniously in 511 E.S. following the victory of the Covenant at Hippo’s Gorge16, accompanied by a bannerman of the Aaunic House Tiber, who had taken the Grand Prince into their household in the aftermath of Westmark. Finally reunited after some three years, the Grand Prince and Princess would begin to assist King Aleksandr in the administration of the realm while he prepared a renewed campaign into Leagueist territory. This offensive resulted in the razing of the Principality of Stassion following the annihilation of their host in the Battle of Fredericksburg17. A second defeat on foreign soil, and the prospect of another invasion into the League proper shattered the morale of the Legion18. Bolstered by the newly raised levies of the Aaunish lords, the armies of the Covenant swelled to some twenty-thousand as they massed on the banks of the River Petra, which divided the eponymous Commonwealth from the Veletzian heartland. The Grand Princess was among the first of the Brotherhood to ford the shallows and begin the ascent to the Leagueist hold of Drusco19, engaging in melee with the vanguard. The castle was subsequently levelled, and its ten-thousand strong garrison routed from the field. This defeat would mark the end of the League of Veletz as an entity, as the House of van Aert would abandon their subjects and flee the Midden in the months that followed. The host of House Sarkozic and the tattered remnants of the Legion of Burgundy would raise the banner of the Duchy of Adria, and rally to meet the Covenant in a final pitched battle in the forests of Easworth. Grand Prince Ivan partook in a foolhardy cavalry charge into the centre of the Adrian army. This attack was repelled rather easily by the Sarkozics, who inflicted heavy casualties onto the hussars and nearly slew the Prince himself. Nataliya, now with child, was called up from the war camp to relieve this ill-fated charge along with the bulk of the Haeseni force. They would drive the Adrians from the wood following a series of minor skirmishes, and the men of House Ruthern would retrieve the wounded Ivan from the field. Upon their return to the Haeseni camp, celebrations of final victory were soured by the first appearance of Cecily of Beaufort. This Aaunic noblewoman claimed to have engaged in a brief affair with the Grand Prince during his recovery in Whitespire, and asserted that her son, Andrey Barrow, was sired by Ivan. Their presence among the baggage train, and ultimately in the halls of the Esrova, is said to have incensed both Nataliya and King Aleksandr. The latter would banish both mother and son to the lands of Ruthern and grant their Patriarch the title “Lord of Barrows,” that they might ward over other Karovic bastards should they arise; though Grand Prince Ivan had disregarded the will of his father and allowed his bastard a place among the palace servantry. The War in the Midlands was concluded in the months following, with the capitulation of the Sarkozic Duchy of Adria and the signing of the 515 E.S. Winburgh Proclamation20. Shortly thereafter, the realm would come to see the thaw of the Long Winter, which in the same night, the Duke of Alban Prince Marius Nikolas, later Marius III, was born21. Peace would not yet come to the lands of the Dual-Kingdom, however, as raiders from the wastes of Ailmere had begun an assault on the castle of Morteskvan. At this time, it was reported that King Aleksandr was injured leading a contingent of Brotherhood men in a relief effort, and would be rendered incapable by the festering of his wounds. The Grand Prince as well was stricken by the bloody cough that plagued him throughout his youth. With both the Crown and its primary heir incapable, Nataliya was named Lady Regent in 515 E.S.22. It is notable that the Grand Princess herself signed the Treaty of the Northern Star23 in 516 E.S., forging an alliance with Celia’nor. This move was derided in the Royal Duma of the age, with many of King Aleksandr’s bannermen calling into question the loyalty of the elves who had abandoned the Veletzian war effort. The opinion of the Duma was ignored by Nataliya, who forced the alliance into being by her power as Regent. Her alliance has persisted unbroken for nearly half a century, with Haeseni and Celia’norian elves fighting side-by-side on numerous occasions since. It was not long after the beginning of the regency that allegations began to arise regarding the nature of the King’s incapability. The Lich Gashadokuro claimed to have been paid tribute by King Aleksandr in the form of a blade won in the Inferi assault on Karosgrad by King Karl III in exchange for an unknown grimoire24. These claims were revealed to be mostly true through the investigation of the Tribunal of the White Comet and its three successive reports25. It is believed that the King was deceived into relinquishing a blade of great power to the Lich, though the Age of Rancor and its promised apocalypse would not materialize, save for a few minor skirmishes in the far north of the continent and in the Oyashi lands. Nataliya would come under intense, yet brief, scrutiny for her efforts to suppress information regarding the state of the King, though she was absolved by the Patriarch of Jorenus of any crimes. Aleksandr would return to the throne by the end of 516 E.S. to a shaken Kingdom, deeply mistrustful of his rule and the advisors who had maintained it in his absence. The regency of the Grand Princess ended with the recovery of the King, and she was swiftly awarded full control of the Royal Court by Queen Amaya in the Khovala Edict26 for her loyalty. 14 - HL. Leonid Kortrevich, The Fall of Brasca, 507 E.S. 15 - The Battle of the Westmark, 508 E.S. 16 - The Battle of Hippo’s Gorge, 511 E.S. 17 - The Siege of Anthill, 512 E.S. 18 - Radmir “Avant-Vamguard” Montalt, Veletz Cavaliers, 512 E.S. 19 - The Salvo at Drusco, 513 E.S. 20 - HRM, Aleksandr II, King of Hanseti and Ruska, The Winburgh Proclamation, 515 E.S. 21 - HSH, Nataliya Leopoldina, Grand Princess of Kusoraev, The Succession Secured, 515 E.S. 22 - HSH, Nataliya Leopoldina, Grand Princess of Kusoraev, Declaration of Regency, 515 E.S. 23 - HSH, Nataliya Leopoldina, Grand Princess of Kusoraev, Treaty of the Northern Star, 516 E.S. 24 - Gashasokuro, An Age of Rancor, 516 E.S. 25 - Tribune Villorik, The Esrova Report, 517 E.S. 26 - HRM, Amaya of Venzia, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, The Khovala Edict, 515 E.S. •⋅ ───⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• II AS The Arms of the Dual-Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska QUEEN AMAYA WAS SLAIN IN THE YEAR 521 E.S27. It would be only two years before she was joined by her ailing husband, King Aleksandr II28. With the death of the King, Ivan and Nataliya strictly enforced the customary year of mourning. Immediately upon its cessation in 524 E.S., they would be crowned as King and Queen-Consort in the Everardian Basilica by High Pontiff Caius I29. In the same year, this Basilica would be host to a blood pact between the House of Barbanov and the Sarkozics, who had since the time of Aleksandr been locked in a bitter feud over the fate of the defeated Duchy of Adria, resulting in a series of failed votes on the matter in the Sixth Dumapalooza30 of 523 E.S.. To cease the seemingly endless debates, both Ivan and Nataliya would swear to the former Duke, Markus Sarkozic, and his son and heir, that they would uphold the Dumageddon Doctrine31. This agreement was hailed as a major breakthrough for the Raevir people, who had been bitterly divided in bloody conflict for centuries. Notable clauses include; “That though the Adrian folk are recognized as such and entitled to their duma, they shall not restore the Duchy of Adria within the realm of Aevos; for Aevos has known her, and she in the heart of the Midlands as a memorial. Secondly, the Adrian Houses Carrion confirm the right of the seat of Ruska, the King in Haense to make summons for Crowsmoots within Haense, and commit to heed the Crow’s Call.” The Covenant of Man32, a political union of the Kingdom of Haense, the Kingdom of Balian, the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun, and the Commonwealth of Petra was also proclaimed in 524 E.S. King Ivan VIII would be declared its first and only Lord-Protector33, and Nataliya would put her name to the declaration of its formation. With these pressing matters settled, King Ivan VIII issued the Edict of Empowerment34 following their coronation, granting Nataliya sweeping power over the state though stopping short of declaring her Queen in her own right. This marked only the second time a Queen of Hanseti-Ruska had been recognized with such, the first being Queen Amadea of Susa35 by right of King Karl III. In 525 E.S., Nataliya exercised her newfound power and issued the Amadean Edict36, which dissolved the Queen’s Council, a body overseeing the grand bureaucracy of event-planners and courtiers traditionally beholden to the Consort. It, as well as the defunct King’s Council, were absorbed into the newly formed Royal Court of Hanseti-Ruska under the authority of the Grand Lady37. This restructuring effectively decoupled the office of Consort from merriment and palace oversight for a time, and allowed Nataliya to focus on the rule of herself and her husband. In the early year before these edicts, the city of Valdev found itself struck by catastrophe when the Comet Lesanov crashed into its centre in 525 E.S. The ruination was sudden, though the inhabitants of the city had largely fled by the time of impact. The comet had been observed by the Court Astronomer, Princess Mischa of Illatia, as early as 514 E.S.38, and its impact with the capital was predicted for two years prior39 by way of the Oracle Mikolaj’s prophecy. The people of the Crownlands would be temporarily resettled in the wastes of the Duchy of Vidaus, and for a time the throne of Morteskvan was sat by the Twin Crows of Barbanov. It is here that the King and Queen would extend their patronage to the Aaunic architect Charlotte Alstion, famed for her work in the capital of Whitespire, the Haeseni Tourneygrounds, and the repaired entrance to Valdev, Karl’s Crossing. After three months, the gates of the reconstructed capital, dubbed New Valdev, were opened. This great city of the Haeseni is renowned as an architectural marvel, even today. With the Crownlands restored, Nataliya and Ivan had begun a new codification of the Haurul Caezk40. The previous Haurul41 had been written in the time of Sigismund III, over a century prior, and had not been upkept to accommodate successive edicts and reformations. The new codex, coupled with the sweeping reforms to the Royal Duma by Lord Palatine Ivo in the Edict of Lahy42, led to a resurgence in interest in the chamber for the duration of their reign. Once these reforms were established, a regency was subsequently announced in 528 E.S. for Ivan and Nataliya to depart on a year-long pilgrimage to the Holy See with their children. The Monarchs would begin to host the realm at court every two years upon their return, with Nataliya occasionally sitting the comet-forged throne alone when Ivan found himself preoccupied. The years between were marked by either sessions of the Royal Duma, or the summons of the peerage to the Herzenvrest43, of which the latter was initiated by Grand Lady Marjoreya vas Ruthern. Despite the regular presence of their vassal lords in the capital, the Crown is noted to have not enjoyed particularly warm relations with any of their sworn bannermen3. One such exception did exist with the previous vassal to Haense, the Principality of Reinmar, where Prince Alfred was reportedly familiar with both Ivan and Nataliya. To strengthen a natural alliance between the Waldenian and Raevir peoples, the Pact of Northern Brotherhood44 was affirmed, and with it the betrothal of Grand Prince Marius to Princess Juliya of Reinmar. Amidst what seemed to be numerous great diplomatic successes throughout their early reign, the House of Ruthern would begin a feud with their sister branch in the Kingdom of Balian in the year 531 E.S., with the issuing of the missive To the Bastards of Balian45 by Lord Belisar var Ruthern. Ivan and Nataliya would intercede personally on behalf of their vassals, marching a retinue into the Balianese capital of Portoregne and demanding an audience with their Queen. The Crown viewed the Reutovian claims of lordship over Vidaus, itself tenured to Hanseti-Ruska, and the refusal of the Novellen monarchy to surrender the Duke, as a grave insult. This feudal squabble would nearly erupt into war between the two allies, though High Pontiff Caius would order the mutilation and exile of Demetrius var Ruthern following the Metterden Summit46, satisfying the Haeseni branch of Ruthern, and putting to rest any fears of yet another brother war. In the aftermath of the conflict, the Crown and Palatine reformed the orders of knighthood, retiring the Order of the Crow, and elevating the Marian Retinue47, of which Lord Belisar was knighted and named Knight Paramount. The years following would be marked by personal tragedy and political upheaval. The only daughter of Ivan and Nataliya, Princess Anastasya Milena, who had long been relegated to her chambers due to her profound mental and physical ailments48, was killed in 531 E.S.1 by a folk-healer in a botched treatment. This later resulted in the outlawing of walnuts within the Kingdom49 due to their deemed threat to the remaining members of the Barbanov-Bihar family. Nataliya was reportedly devastated by this loss, and withdrew for a number of months in her grief. She would bestow the titular Duchy of Baranya50 on her niece, Stefaniya Edvarda, elevating her to the status of Princess. In this same year, Ivan would oversee the dissolution of the Covenant of Man51 after just eight years due to his pervasive distrust of the Balianese. Nataliya is assumed to have supported him in this decision, as she once again put her name to the declaration. The Reinmaren, who had previously refused to join the Covenant of Man though agreed to form a marriage pact with the Haeseni, would invite the royal household to Principality in 533 E.S. to partake in a traditional hunt. The party, which included both the King and Queen, as well as the Lord Palatine, were set upon by an unknown assailant on the outskirts of Kretzen. The Lord Palatine was killed in the subsequent struggle, and the King gravely wounded. He would have likely been killed, had it not been for the efforts of their Palatine Ivo, and the young cupbearer and future Lady Palatine, Milena vas Ruthern3. The potential death of Ivan was recognized as a great threat to the stability of both the House of Barbanov-Bihar and the realm, as the inheritance would be left far from secure. The firstborn son of the King, the illegitimate Andrey Barrow, was seen by many as a threat to the rule of the young Grand Prince Marius, who was himself incapable of rule by virtue of his youth and could have been assassinated just as easily. Prince Josef, second in line to the throne, was oft plagued by visions and deemed wholly incapable of sitting the throne. And so, in the year 533 E.S., Ivan declared Nataliya Queen in her own right by the Lesanovian Edict52, placing her before their son in the line of succession. 27 - Villorik, Commandant of the White Comet, The Cat and the Cursed, 522 E.S. 28 - HRM, Ivan VIII, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Funeral of Aleksandr II, 523 E.S. 29 - HRM, Ivan VIII, King of Hanseti and Ruska, The Coronation of 524 E.S., 523 E.S. 30 - HG, Markus Sarkozic, Duke of the Adrians, The Sixth Zumapalooza, 521 E.S. 31 - HG, Markus Sarkozic, Duke of the Adrians, The Dumageddon Doctrine, 524 E.S. 32 - The Grand Council, The Covenant of Man, 524 E.S. 33 - The Grand Council, The First Lord Protector, 524 E.S. 34 - HRM, Ivan VIII, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Edict of Empowerment, 524 E.S. 35 - HRM, Karl III, King of Hanseti and Ruska, More a Queen than a Consort, 452 E.S. 36 - HRM, Nataliya of Ghaestenwald, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, The Amadean Edict, 525 E.S. 37 - HRM, Nataliya of Ghaestenwald, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, The Royal Court, 525 E.S. 38 - HRH, Mischa of Illatia, Princess of Hanseti and Ruska, A Threat to the Security of our Peoples, our Lands, and our Skies, 514 E.S. 39 - HL, Mikhail Colborn, Deputy Treasurer of Hanseti-Ruska, The Fundraiser for Comet Lesanov, 523 E.S. 40 - Ve Haurul Caezk, 525 E.S. 41 - Ve Haurul Caezk, 404 E.S. 42 - HE, Ivo Radovanic, Lord Palatine of Hanseti-Ruska, The Edict of Lahy, 525 E.S. 43 - HE, Marjoreya vas Ruthern, Grand Lady of Hanseti-Ruska, Ve Herzenvrest, 530 E.S. 44 - HRM, Ivan VIII, King of Hanseti and Ruska, The Pact of Northern Brotherhood, 530 E.S. 45 - HL, Belisar var Ruthern, To The Bastards of Balian, 531 E.S. 46 - HH, Caius I, High Pontiff of the Church of Canon, The Metterden Summit, 531 E.S. 47 - HRM, Nataliya of Ghaestenwald, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, The Marian Retinue, 525 E.S. 48 - Barbanov Royal Physician, Barbanov Healer’s Logs, 531 E.S. 49 - HRH, Stefaniya Edvarda, Duchess of Baranya, A Letter to the Royal Duma on the Traitorous Nut, 532 E.S. 50 - HRM, Nataliya of Ghaestenwald, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, The Duchess of Baranya, 532 E.S. 51 - HRM, Ivan VIII, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Dissolution of the Covenant of Man, 532 E.S. 52 - HRM, Ivan VIII, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Lesanovian Edict of 533 E.S., 533 E.S. •⋅ ───⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• III AS A depiction of Nataliya I, Queen-Regnant of Hanseti-Ruska NOW QUEEN OF ALL HANSETI AND RUSKA, Nataliya I summoned the Edlervik to the Lesanov in the year 533 E.S. The will of Ivan was read aloud by the Royal Herald, Ratibor Radovanic, much to the surprise of the smallfolk and bannermen alike. Despite initial hesitancy, she was hailed as Queen by the people, and proceeded over the third session of the Lesanovian Court. It is here that she officially established the Advisory Council53, consolidated the Royal Orders of Merit54 established by King Georg I, and first accepted petitions by her sworn subjects. As Ivan lay bedridden the Queen oversaw the development of the Crownlands, once more with the assistance of Princess Charlotte of Alstion and Grand Maer Ioanna Kortrevich d’Arkent. The foundations of a hamlet were laid on the bank of the River Lahy, and a number of small fortifications and towers were raised around it. These would collectively be named Nataliyino by King Ivan upon his recovery, in recognition of the good work of his wife and co-monarch. The King and Queen would then consolidate the eastern conquests of King Aleksandr II into the Aestmarch in the year 536 E.S., consisting of the majority of the Midden seized from the Veletzian League55. Titles to land were sold to a number of nascent noble families and bands, and settlers to the land would slowly migrate in the years following. The development overseen by Ivan and Nataliya was impeded by the persistent presence of brigands, who had grown in number to be capable of minor raids on both vassal holds and the Royal Capital. This conflict culminated in an assault on the Lesanov, whose garrison was briefly routed after the withdrawal of a number of peers and their hosts. The flight of the men of Ruthern and Kovachev was said to have driven the King into a fury, and it is noted that he openly threatened reprisals against their peerage in the halls of the Lesanov3. The thoughts of Nataliya on these events are not well-known. On the 7th of Wzuvar ag Byvca of 539 E.S., following a period of great strife between the Crown and its vassals, a fire swiftly consumed the royal chambers of the Kastell Lesanov. Despite the efforts of the Marian Retinue, who are said to have been unable to enter the chamber, the Twin Crows would perish in the flames56. This marked the sudden end of their seventeen year reign, the shortest of any Haeseni monarch since the seven year reign of King Andrik IV. The true nature of this fire is not known, for the chambers were ordered restored by their son King Marius III, who was wed and crowned not more than a month after the demise of his parents57. 53 - HRM, Nataliya I, Queen of Hanseti and Ruska, King Ivan VIII and Nataliya I’s Advisory Council, 533 E.S. 54 - HRM, Nataliya I, Queen of Hanseti and Ruska, The Royal Orders of Merit, 533 E.S. 55 - HRM, Nataliya I, Queen of Hanseti and Ruska, On the Settlement of the Aestmarch, 536 E.S. 56 - HRM, Marius III, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Death of the Twin Crows, 539 E.S. 57 - HRM, Marius III, King of Hanseti and Ruska, The Coronation of Marius III, 539 E.S. •⋅ ───⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• IV THE REIGN OF QUEEN NATALIYA I, while tragically cut short, left a lasting mark upon the realm. Born of humble origins and outcast from the peers of her time, she ascended not only as the King’s consort but as his equal, fulfilling the prophecy of her youth. Her ascension to the throne was not one without sacrifice. As Consort, her life had been bound by duty; as Regnant, that burden further amplified as she ruled truly in her own right. Nataliya’s reign was one of perseverance, defined by her efforts to rebuild the Kingdom, and guide its people through turbulent times. Her strength of character and resolute will proved so profound the stars sought to write it into prophecy themselves. When the flames consumed the royal chambers of the Lesanov, they claimed not only the lives of the Twin Crows, but also brought an era in Haeseni history to a fiery conclusion. Yet, the fire could not consume the indelible mark left by Nataliya upon her Kingdom. Her story - one of a woman who rose far above the station of her birth, one who ascended to the throne and held it within her own right - endures in the hearts of her people and the annals of Hanseti-Ruska. •⋅ ───────────────────⊱ ༺ ⋅☨⋅ ✵ ⋅☨⋅ ༻ ⊰─────────────────── ⋅• Her Ladyship, Sosina Amador Ward of the Lady Palatine

quickly set to work preparing for the night within the Amador keep. Despite the girls blatant lack of kitchen prowess, she fervently rose to the task, determined to support her twin.

‘We will never escape these walls’ ‘We will never escape these walls’ ‘We will never escape these walls’ The words repeated in the Princess’s mind as she consoled those who were otherwise inconsolable within the royal chambers. Stefaniya’s gaze held strong upon Marius’ lifeless form, silenced within the same room that took the lives of his parents some moons ago.

“What a wise scribe” recounted one impressed scholar

•⋅ ───⊱ ༺⋅☨⋅ ✵ ⋅☨⋅ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• AN OPINION ON THE NEW MENAGERIE AND A STANCE AGAINST CRUELTY A recounting by one Sosina Amador, with the aid of her father, Stanislav PUBLISHED BY ON THIS 10TH DAY OF Vyzmey AG Hyff OF 553 E.S. •⋅ ────────────────⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰──────────────── ⋅• It is with a heavy heart, filled with distress, despair, and desperation that I write today. Burdened by the events that occurred during a day meant to be one filled with celebration - the opening of our wildlife menagerie. A place meant to spark curiosity and bring joy quickly transformed into a scene of horror, disorder, mistreatment, and brutal slaughter. I urge all true Haeseni to demand the immediate closure of this menagerie, and I recount the events leading me to this plea below: •⋅ ───⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• ACT I THE ENCLOSURES. The Birds. From the start, it was clear that these creatures were doomed by their captivity. Sentenced to a life of misery, the birds of the menagerie find themselves within a small, glass enclosure, with insufficient space to spread their wings. Despite hailing from much warmer climates, they have barely been left with any means for warmth. Even worse, GOD forbid they manage to escape, our unforgiving weather will certainly claim their small lives. One peafowl, visibly agitated, even charged at our Grand Prince, who thankfully narrowly avoided a brutal attack by the crazed creature. Although the actions of the bird cannot be blamed on the poor tortured creature, such conditions cannot be accepted. The Mammoth. The great beast which should roam freely in vast spaces has found itself confined to a cramped enclosure, its foot already broken. The keepers claim the beast is led on daily walks, but anyone with eyes can see the menagerie lacks any door suitable for such a massive creature, making this assertion dubious indeed! Further, the poor mammoth, appearing in barely any state for walking, found itself carrying the weight of our Grand Prince. Karl having found his way into the enclosure managed to climb the beast, and attempted to ride it - risking both its well-being, and the very future of our Kingdom. The Armadillos. Crowded into an enclosure far too small, the armadillos fared no better than the rest. Upon inquiry, one was said to be “in the palace”, though I think it more likely dead, fallen to the mouths of the wolves or having suffered a fatal fall from its insecure enclosure. Despite this, worse was still to come. •⋅ ───⊱ ༺ ✦ ༻ ⊰─── ⋅• ACT II DEATH AND VIOLENCE. Children slipped and fell into the exhibits, striking animals with stones in what appeared to be a horrifying display of negligence. At one point, a second armadillo found itself within the wolves’ enclosure, and instead of intervening, the keepers allowed a commoner child to enter in their stead, but stopped any noble or royal who drew too near. To further add to an already egregious situation, the keepers suggested that the wolves be allowed to consume the child instead of lending aid. Thankfully, the child - with no help from others, managed to remove himself from the enclosure unscathed, but the same could not be said of the armadillo. The weak, innocent creature found itself sentenced to a brutal, unnecessary death, staining the new stones of the menagerie with the loss of its life. These grueling events lay bare the neglect and poor judgement afflicting the operation of our new menagerie. The creatures kept within suffer in abominable conditions, and our own children are exposed to violence and irresponsibility within walls painted to be educational and inspiring. This menagerie cannot continue to operate as it stands. I implore YOU, the people of Haense; lend your voices - call for the immediate closure of the menagerie, permanently if these fatal flaws are not rectified. We must protect our animals, our children, and our morality. •⋅ ───────────────────⊱ ༺ ⋅☨⋅ ✵ ⋅☨⋅ ༻ ⊰─────────────────── ⋅• Her Ladyship, Sosina Amador Champion of animal rights

"Flesh worms aren't myth, they're very real. In fact, I saw one last week. The wolves were riding it about our farmland terrorizing our poor poor peasants. Not a myth at all" recounted a certain young Amador to any who dare come within earshot of the chatty girl.

"These halls, they must surely mean to mock us at this point" muttered a young crow, the smell of soot still haunting the air of Lesanov as she roamed through it''s quieted halls "First Alexander falls within our home, now the very pillars of the Kingdom. The only solace that may be granted lay with them leaving together, so neither may be subjected to the harsh reality of fallen love." Stefaniya concluded her monologue, making to add to the vigils within the castle.

pov: llir with his new house

My king I love you

Stefaniya, the daughter of the mother of the daughter of the mother of the bride contemplated her actions, making a mental note to make it up to the mother of the daughter of the mother of the bride before the nuptials.

Stefaniya, the daughter of the mother of the bride quickly rectified her grievous error, issuing invitations to the omitted pair.

OSRANDUNG I KAROS AG DRAKON THE ROYAL AND APOSTOLIC WEDDING OF 534 E.S. Issued by the CROWN On this 17th day of Gronna ag Droba of 533 E.S. VA BIRODEO HERZENAV AG ELDERVIK, IN A GRAND SHOW OF AFFECTION, THE BOND OF CROW AND DRAGON SHALL BE SANCTIFIED THROUGH RITE OF MATRILINEAL MARRIAGE. The Princess Stefaniya Edvarda and Prince Alexander Caius remain true to one another, as they declare their intent to be wed under the watchful gaze of Godan in the coming year. The couple hopes those familiar will attend, as with the citizens of Haense and the Heartlander Confederation. To the Kingdom of Haense and its peers; His Grace, Garen Baruch, Duke of Valwyck and his noble pedigree @ferdaboy Her Grace, Tatiyana var Ruthern, Duchess of Vidaus and her noble pedigree @Mady The Most Honourable, Henrik-Otto Ludovar, Margrave of Kvasz and his noble pedigree @HogoBojo The Right Honourable, Mikhail Colborn, Count of Malkovya and his noble pedigree @Kaladin Stormblessed The Honourable, Karl Weiss, Viscount of Novkursain and his noble pedigree @CasChaos The Honourable, Henrik Amador, Viscount of Zvezlund and his noble pedigree @critter His Honourable, Erik Kortrevich, Viscount of Krusev and his noble pedigree @erictafoya Her Ladyship, Galina Godunov, Baroness of Verskaya and her noble pedigree @esotericas Her Ladyship, Rezalisa Kovachev, Baroness of Kovgrad and her noble pedigree @UnBaed To the Heartlander Confederation and its peers; His Apostolic Majesty, Charles II, King of Aaun and his royal pedigree @Olox_ Her Royal Majesty, Adalia I, Queen-Regnant of the Petra and her royal pedigree @mothsthetic His Serene Highness, Johannes von Alstreim, Prince of Merryweather and his noble pedigree @Balthasar The Most Noble, Aurel von Theonus, Duke of Vohenheim and his noble pedigree @Tremerus The Right Honorable, Siegmund von Reuss, Margrave of Velen and his noble pedigree @Timer The Honorable, Krzysztof Jazlowiecki, Count of Warsovia and his noble pedigree @Traveller The Honorable, Wilford and Atticus Reinhold, Counts of Anairgrid and their noble pedigree @Hom The Honorable, Friedrich von Augusten, Count of Hohengarten and his noble pedigree @DuhPuhWuh The Honorable, Emilio Varoche, Count of Ves and his noble pedigree @Enlightenment The Lord, Leon de Ardennes, Baron of Gotfridcher and his noble pedigree The Lord, Aimo Astor, Baron of Fir’steinn and his noble pedigree @ColdestPepsi To the allies of the Kingdom of Haense and their peers; His Holiness, Caius I, High Pontiff of the Church of the Canon @MadOne His Royal Majesty, Alexander II, King of Balian and his royal pedigree @Harold His Grandness, Thurgrim Silverbraid, Grand King of Urguan and his royal pedigree @CharlestheDwarf Her Royal Majesty, Iryne Ibarellan, Princess of Celia’nor and her royal pedigree @Sailor His Royal Highness, Alfred I, Prince in Reinmar and of Sutica and his royal pedigree @Gandhi His Royal Highness, Leon II, Prince in Reinmar and of Minitz and his royal pedigree @BuilderBagel Her Highness, Ramona I, Princess of Hyspia and her royal pedigree @_mady07 Their Royal Highnesses, Franziska Elaine and Stefan Edvard, Duke and Duchess of Akovia @PerfectlyPeachy@Nolan_ Lady Maristela von Distrugere and her pedigree @esotericas Lord Belisar var Ruthern @Masouri Lord Stanis var Ruthern @frankdh GODANI JEST WIELKI, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, Stefaniya Edvarda, Princess of Hanseti-Ruska, Duchess of Baranya HIS APOSTOLIC AND ROYAL HIGHNESS, Alexander Caius, Prince of Aaun HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, Ivan VIII, by the Grace of Godan, King of Hanseti and Ruska, Grand Hetman of the Army, Hochmeister of the Order of the Crow, Prince of Bihar, Dules, Lahy, Muldav, Slesvik, Solvesborg, and Ulgaard, Duke of Carnatia, and Vanaheim, Margrave of Korstadt, Rothswald, and Vasiland, Count of Alban, Alimar, Baranya, Graiswald, Karikhov, Karovia, Kaunas, Kavat, Kovachgrad, Markev, Nenzing, Siegrad, Torun, Toruv, Valdev, and Werdenburg, Viscount of Varna, Baron of Astfield, Buck, Esenstadt, Kraken’s Watch, Kralta, Krepost, Lorentz, and Rytsburg, Lord of the Westfolk, Protector and Lord of the Highlanders, etcetera. HER ROYAL MAJESTY, Nataliya of Ghaestenwald, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, Grand Hetman of the Army, Hochmeister of the Order of the Crow, Princess-Consort of Bihar, Dules, Lahy, Muldav, Solvesborg, Slesvik and Ulgaard, Duchess-Consort of Carnatia and Vanaheim, Margravine-Consort of Korstadt, Rothswald, and Vasiland, Countess-Consort of Alban, Alimar, Baranya, Graiswald, Karikhov, Karovia, Kaunas, Kavat, Kovachgrad, Kvasz, Markev, Nenzing, Torun, Toruv, Valdev, and Werdenburg, Viscountess-Consort of Varna, Baroness-Consort of Esenstadt, Kraken’s Watch, Kralta, Krepost, Lorentz, Rytsburg, and Astfield, Lady of the Westfolk, Protector and Lady of the Highlanders, etcetera.