MunaZaldrizoti

Milena vas Ruthern stood amidst the crowds of refugees who had fled the Comet Lesanov, those folk oblivious to the great change that had so abruptly come upon her house. Despite those mixed emotions regarding her eldest sister and their relationship, she knew the heavy weight of their family's reputation had also landed upon the shoulders of herself and her siblings. If the whisperings of the ghosts didn't keep her awake in the nights to come, this added burden surely would.

But as her mother wished, she would stand by Tatiyana's side.

Ioanna Kortrevich grins with excitement, her hopes for the city renewed with this royal edict. The Rhenyari would send off word to that skilled painter she had tasked with creating suitable campaign portraits, for that promised reinstatement and election of a Grand Maer. "It seems the time draws near, affendi. Basho!"

ELECTOR NAME: Princess Ioanna Rostampur
ELECTOR HOUSE: Rostampur var Ba'as

VOTE CAST: Da.

8 minutes ago, ContestedSnow said:

"A horned devil invokes the name of Amaya, slain by horned devils she had trusted. She may have been a fool to trust them, but to continue to allow them to prey upon the rest of Haense using her martyrdom as an excuse? Utter nonsense. If ea learn that any of vy fall for this, ea should be rather disappointed." The Duke of Vidaus drawled in explanation to his grandchildren, after a scribe had happened to bring the pleaing letter back to Morteskvan. A few violent coughs wracked the man afterwards, a vicious scowl upon his brow.

 

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Milena vas Ruthern, having become deeply religious in those past few months, nodded firmly at her grandsire's words. These creatures were irredeemable, she thought, especially when so many of purer soul were far more bereft and in need of their sympathy. Alas, most would think her mad for saying so.

The King's cupbearer, Milena vas Ruthern, smirked at the ordered removal of those wretched Mechpriests. She kept in mind not to accept any catch sold by the fishermen of Waltonburg, incase they still carried the abominable toxins that alchemical waste surely produced.

• Given names: Milena Anastasya vas Ruthern
• Age: 9
• Citizenship: Hanseti-Ruska
• Relevant skills (if applicable):  Natural leader, born with intelligence, has read every book and scroll within Castle Morteskvan.
• Letter of Recommendation: Prince Josef Stanimar & Tatiyana vas Ruthern
• ((OOC: Discord)): munazaldrizotii

@peachcooland I were literally talking about how the server needed more faerie-oriented magic and opportunity for the Fae to be explored as a potential culture/roleplay niche. This looks incredible!

Milena vas Ruthern paid no thought of fear to that Comet Lesanov, though was mindful to not be present in Valdev on the day of it's impending impact. To her, she thought it might be a relief at least, to see some of those lost spirits finally released from the brickwork and timber that trapped them within this mortal coil. Those were the naive wishes of the child she was, however. She knew in truth that they would only grow more distressed...and she would be forced to hear them.

Ioanna Kortrevich seemed keen on the prospect of promoting her wine company, showing the announcement of the Reinmaren harvest to her husband Ser Leonid.

"Nothing better to benefit diplomacy than celebrating over a good drink, ai?"

Ioanna Kortrevich sat down to dinner with her husband and children, brows furrowing as Ser Leonid relayed the news to their family. It was a mixture of horror and intrigue that filled her mind. The utter-destruction of Valdev and the construction of a new capital in its place, with the potential for both grief and renewed life breathed into the heart of their kingdom.

Thus, the Cometborn decided she would not fear the intricacies of fate. Instead, she would begin planning what she might offer to raise funds for those Haeseni architects.

Considering I use it every day, I am EXTREMELY biased for Castle Morteskvan. Was happy to help get this post out to the masses!

[!] A public missive is distributed across the  city of Valdev, nailed to noticeboards and walls that might garner attention.

BEWARE THE WOODLAND STRANGER! THE STEALER OF CHILDREN!

To the citizens of Valdev, and the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska,

It is with heavy heart that I must address you all once again, as a concerned citizen of our fair northern city of Valdev. For it has come to my attention that we have now had three incidents of the attempted-kidnapping of our children by a mysterious man. This figure, who seemingly seeks to lure these youths into the Queenswood outside of our walls, uses the lies of lost kin, animals, and gifts of sweets in the hopes their innocent minds might be swayed.

Fortunately, the future generation of our kingdom has inherited great wisdom, for none of yet to fall for his deceit. However, I bring this situation to the eyes of the Crown and Aulic Council. I beseech His Majesty, King Ivan VIII and his wife Queen Nataliya, to convene with the Lord Marshal and launch an investigation into these strange happenings. Though we mourn our late-King Aleksandr II, I pray we might resume the work of he and his storied queen, Amaya Milena, in our efforts to ensure no dark forces work towards our people's downfall. For if he continues in his attempts, I fear for the day he comes upon those princes and young princess who stand to one day inherit the throne of Barbanov, whilst they're enjoying a carefree day out in the crownlands of our realm.

It is my belief that his first appearance was at the recent performance of the traveling Emberweave Circus, where a situation eerily similar to the one reported to me this saint's evening occurred. It was dismissed as merely an overreaction on the part of the children involved, though I fear that was a hastily-made conclusion.

According to the words of one EILYS VAN LEUVEN, the young girl I spoke with, he has made two similar attempts to lure herself and her siblings into the wilderness. If information is sought, the family of VAN LEUVEN seems the wisest point of contact for any and all who would concern themselves with the plight of these besieged children. As of yet, I have gleaned no description of this stranger from the young dona.

No child should be made to fear that they might be stolen from their homes, lost forever and left without their loved ones.

MAY SAINT TOBIAS' COMET LIGHT YOUR PATH.

Your ever-vigilant servant,
Her Ladyship, Ioanna d'Arkent-Kortrevich

A Vintner Company

Est. 521 E.S.

“Courage & ferocity are just a drink away!”

THE LION’S PRIDE is a newly-established wine-making company, founded by Lady Ioanna d’Arkent-Kortrevich and based within the Kingdom of Hanseti & Ruska. With the hope of introducing her native culture to her adoptive country, these bottled delights are directly sourced and imported from the exotic vineyards of Ba’as, the homeland of Lady Kortrevich. Each beverage is themed after ‘The Arcane Zodiac’, an ancient Rhenyari pantheon of figures, which are said to speak to the personalities of those born beneath their celestial constellations. 

The promise of a lion’s courage is ensured within every sip, to give any man or woman that extra push to seize the day!

A selection of our initial fruit & mulled wines is listed below:

ESA’S PASSION - A wine crafted especially to evoke the seaside, tropical essence of  the Southern Rudran coasts in Ba’as. This concoction, brewed from passionfruit pulp and cane sugar, is very fruit-forward in flavor and makes for a fine celebratory beverage or dessert treat. Named in honor of Esa, called ‘The Lily’, a sign within the Arcane Zodiac of Ba’as.

BARRAMAN’S HUMOR - A wine made with the intention of eliciting delight at its unique and smooth flavor, this particular  recipe has been passed down within the generations of the princely House Rostampur for generations. Gifted to the citizens of Ba’as upon the restoration of Prince Balthazar Rostampur to the throne of Rhen, this mango-infused beverage is fermented to perfection and a true window into the exotic tastes of the Rhenyari homeland. Named in honor of Barraman, called ‘The Golem’, a sign within the Arcane Zodiac of Ba’as.

KITRAN’S FLAME - In celebration of the unique union between the bloodlines of Rostampur and Kortrevich, this mulled wine brings together two cultures who share long, ancient histories. With grapes, apples, and oranges harvested from the lands of Princess Daria of Ba’as, combined with honey and spices sourced directly from the surrounding lands of Haense, this heated mixture of wine and cider is enough to ignite the taste buds of any who drink it. Named in honor of Kitran, called ‘The Steed’, a sign within the Arcane Zodiac of Ba’as.

Pricing for these bottles shall be: 

3 mina - A single bottle

100 mina - A case of 32 bottles
200 mina - A case of 64 bottles

Cases may be assorted or all of a single variety at the request of the buyer. Cases may also be sold in any quantity greater than 2 at the request of an interested individual. 

The Lion’s Pride gives priority to taverns, peerages, and royal residences in regards to delivering cases sizing 32 bottles or more, with an offered 10% discount on higher amounts of product. Prices are negotiable depending on the circumstance.
 

[!] The future production of any further wines and beverages will come as demand rises. All fruits used within these bottles are sourced directly from the Principality of Ba’as, with special approval from the House of Basrid-Rostampur.

Ioanna Kortrevich, once Ioanna of Ba'as, was met with surprise as that invitation to the Karovic Duma was delivered into her hands. For all her work to ensure her identity remained secret, it seemed GOD and fate had seen to it's revelation. Alongside it, a letter from her own grandmother Princess Daria Rostampur, and a golden-wrought circlet. A familial request to that far-flung grandchild, an order to represent the interests of their princely house. It seemed the Crown of Ba'as still sought to have a hand in determining the fate of their lineage.

Her silvery gaze looked to her husband, Ser Leonid. "I must be a princess once more, it seems. GOD willing, this will not bring disaster."

Looking over the bedside of her wounded husband, Ioanna Kortrevich sat silently and brooded upon the memory of the Queen's lifeless form. This jubilant, kind-hearted woman brought low by a demon's blade. Atleast God himself had seemingly blessed her, with how those bright blossoms had seemingly sprouted from beneath her, watered by the blood she had shed in defense of her kingdom.

Few would ever know how she had come to meet the Scyfling Queen, the White Flame of Valdev. As a young heiress with so much hope in her heart and a naive notion about the world. The Red Lady, she had dubbed her, and delivered a precious diamond to her as some childish form of diplomacy. To little Johanna Casimira, it had meant the world. To Ioanna, it was a past life that now sought to twist those memories into further grief and pain. She had lost an affendi--her dear friend and mentor.

A look was given to her own Amaya, the fiery-haired toddler who sat and wondered why her mother had spent the last few evenings weeping. That feeling in the Basilica, the warmth she had felt pass through her body like a wave. That great flame that had burned within Queen Amaya...would now burn within her.

"We shall tend to the flames of our great lady, my ven," She'd nod to her daughter, a sad smile afforded to the girl who bore the Colborn's name. "We will uphold her legacy."

Ioanna Kortrevich was in the midst of conducting a large crate of empty bottles from the precarious cliffs of Castle Morteskvan to Valdev, spying the announcement of a brewery on one of the city's sparse noticeboards. A sigh escaped her as she pressed on, arriving home to her husband, Leonid.

"Hmmm...what to do now, dearest?" The Rhenyari posed the query to the Lord Marshal, and further queries about her own foray into alcohol production. Nonetheless, they would support their cousin's ambitions.

Ioanna Kortrevich took the news with immense worry, considering the aged Queen had become a motherly figure she had truly never had before. With insistent words paid to her husband, the lady would ensure she spent more than enough time with the ailing Amaya in the hope she might soon recover. The Rhenyari dared not imagine an alternative, lest she be lost to premature grief.

D'ARKENT-KORTREVICH

RECRUITMENT - SEEKING CHILD PLAYER

Information

LADY AMAYA CASIMIRA D'ARKENT-KORTREVICH

Born: 10th of the Amber Cold, 169 SA | 10th of Msitza ag Dargund, 518 E.S.

Lady Amaya Casimira is the secondborn child and only daughter of Sir Leonid d'Arkent-Kortrevich and his wife, Lady Ioanna d'Arkent-Kortrevich. She is also one of a triplet set, with an older and younger brother. Born into a gentry branch of House Kortrevich, she lives a comfortable life thanks to the efforts of her parents, with Leonid serving as Lord Marshal of Hanseti-Ruska and Ioanna acting as a Diplomat of Hanseti-Ruska respectively. She likewise has many cousins in the houses of Kortrevich, d'Arkent, and Weiss with whom she can grow-up alongside and interact with. She will be playable on March 31st, 2024.

The parents are played by erictafoya11 (Leonid) and myself, MunaZaldrizoti (Ioanna). The character's siblings will be played by Rusty_Derringer (Viktor Otto) and ___Helios___ (Rickard Adrian). They're of mixed heritage, being Haeseni on their father's side and Rhenyari on their mother's side. They would likely be raised to speak a mixture of Common, New Marian, and Rhenyari. Some additional info about House Kortrevich can be found be found here.

Genetics, such as eye and hair color, can be discussed once a player is chosen. I am also more than happy to help pay for a starting skin for the character!

Additional information regarding the persona, such as more history behind her father and mother's own background, will be given once a player is chosen. We're very much open to any and all players interested, be it those who commonly play human characters or those who don't but wish to have a good starting point within Haense.

Please give us some time after speaking with you, for us to let you know about our decision on who will take up the persona.

Feel free to contact us at either erictafoya or munazaldrizotii on Discord if you're interested!

We hope to get the character settled and claimed by March 31st!

Milena vas Ruthern had every intention of attending, if not just to show her superior intellect to those of her own age and certainly in spite of her eldest sister playing host. A future Palatine must have a mind for politics, as Analiesa always reminded that serious little youth.

Ioanna Kortrevich looked upon her copy of that treaty with immense pride, glad for her efforts in ensuring the agreement was finally put to parchment. Her first year of diplomacy was proving quite fruitful, it seemed.

The eyes of Milena vas Ruthern were held tightly shut, focused upon nothing but the sound of her own breath. For two days since her encounter with Sir Mikolaj, she had spent hours of her time locked away within the Weeping Tower of Morteskvan, attempting to divine the future as he had instructed. For the youngest grandchild of Duke Viktor, achieving this was imperative to her future success. She held herself to a higher standard, failure was no option even at such a tender age. As a chilly wind whistled through the stone-carved windows lining her bedchamber, she thought of nothing but conjuring forth some sort of image. A sign or portent of things to come.

Inhale, Exhale.        Inhale, Exhale.     Inhale…Exhale.

Her nose wrinkled in frustration. Nothing but darkness was beheld behind those closed eyelids. Her fingers curled into fists atop her lap, jaw tensing. Her will would command that vision to reveal itself.

Inhale, Exhale.     Inhale, Exhale.      Inhale…

◆ ◆ ◆

An eruption of images blurred that darkness, breaking that induced silence and filling her mind’s eye. Flashes of red and gold, black and gray A castle shrouded in snow, looming tall against the backdrop of the mountainside. Soldiers, garbed in chainmail and helms, stomped through several courtyards, muddied and battered.

A great hall, glowing under the light of torches and sconces lining the walls. Despite that warmth, a chill still persisted. Milena observed from one end of that chamber a man, wounded and kneeling before the great dais ahead. Atop it, a blackened seat wrought from that same rock comprising the foundation of that mighty fortress. Her lips parted, to call out to him, to ask what was going on…but no words broke through that veil. She was beyond him, a witness.

A looming figure emerged, a woman whose face was obscured in shadow. She was richly garbed in red and black, proud in her gait as she stepped before that intimidating throne. Slowly she descended, step by step, until she arrived before the kneeling man. He lifted his head…but seemed not to fear her. Milena could not see his face either.

Shrrrrrrk! The sound of steel rang out, the fastest movement Milena had seen, as it emerged from within the woman’s sleeve. The squelch of blood made her breath catch in her throat, drops of the man’s ichor falling to the floor like hastened snowflakes. He gurgled and choked…and died there, before his killer. The woman’s bodice was stained now, a reminder of her deed, but she seemed little bothered. The red lady stepped over his corpse…and seemed to look at her audience, that lone viewer intruding within her hall. That hidden blade was lifted…pointed directly at Milena.

◆ ◆ ◆

The youth was jolted back to her reality, as if waking from a nightmare. She gasped for what air she could find, a pale palm splaying against her chest. With the belief this would be some form of mystical experience, it was nothing less than a distant, but potential reality. The image of that slaying was imprinted in her mind.

The Oracle would know of this divination. Milena knew it would not be her last.

Milena vas Ruthern sat in her drafty tower, having heard her sister's plans shouted from the halls above. The dreary girl recalled the words of Lady Maristela and bid away her discontent for the idea of yet another festivity, though the thought did make her stomach turn.

A look was cast, towards a figure looming just over her shoulder and unseen to all others. "Ea must make friends, da? Ea will partake in this murder!"

Her maid excused herself for the rest of the afternoon after hearing that child's declaration.

Lady Ioanna Kortrevich was glad for the busywork amidst these finals month of pregnancy, preparing letters to be sent to those interested merchants and her own contacts across the seas in Ba'as.

Lady Ioanna Kortrevich, seeing an opportunity to further serve her adoptive kingdom, swiftly penned a letter to the Lord Emissary. The Rhenyari was keen on putting her education to better use, after spending so much of the last few saint's weeks toiling with taxes.

Lady Ioanna Kortrevich sends word to the Esrova Prikaz, speaking of her desire to participate in the great hunt once her child was born.