Sander

FEODOR MAY Aye for May! A depiction of Feodor May declaring his candidacy for Grand Maer, 386 E.S. "Do you want a man for Grand Maer who's seasoned through and through? But not so dog-gone seasoned that he won't try something new? A man who's old enough to know? And young enough to do? Well, it's up to you! It's up to you! It's strictly up to you! BUT it's Fe-o-dor, Fe-o-dor, Fe-o-dor, Fe-o-dor, Fe-o-dor, Fe-o-dor; FEODOR FOR ME!" Aye for May! Feodor May, a creator, a visionary, the tutor of the future King of Haense himself, is running to be YOUR new Grand Maer! He's not going to tell you his opponents are bad, no! He's just got a better plan for the people of Karosgrad than any others have! And you, dear people of Karosgrad, deserve the best. Don't you? Feodor will set to work on making Karosgrad truly feel like home and he will do so together with all of you! Let us all celebrate our culture, beautify our quarters and fraternize with our neighbours. So that when any man comes to our beloved Karosgrad we May say; gaze upon the treasure WE created and be welcome! So how about we go make a home we can be proud of? Say AYE for MAY! May's Agenda If elected as your new Grand Maer, I promise to work to accomplish the following six goals: I: Renovating the Town Hall of Karosgrad and making it a true city centre. II: Hosting a World Expo in which any of our friends from abroad may come to Karosgrad to show us the ways of their land and revel in ours. III: Working with the Royal Courts to organize theatre performances. IV: Giving Karosgrad a more traditional and homely feel and making the city more accommodating for horse owners. V: Working with the Brotherhood of Saint Karl to realize the paper concept of an emergency defense system. VI: Offering citizens of Karosgrad a say in affairs through public referendum. "I am Feodor May and I endorse this message"

Application: IGN: SanderWarrior14 Character's Name: Feodor May Bow or/and arrows needed? Yup

Feodor May smoked a cigar as the diplomatic corps and the Brotherhood of Saint Karl stood deployed at the front gate of Haelunor, smiling as the ultimatum was proclaimed.

Feodor May smoked a cigar as the diplomatic corps and the Brotherhood of Saint Karl stood deployed at the front gate of Haelunor, smiling as the ultimatum was proclaimed.

Feodor May smoked a cigar as the diplomatic corps and the Brotherhood of Saint Karl stood deployed at the front gate of Haelunor, smiling as the ultimatum was proclaimed.

Feodor May smoked a cigar as the diplomatic corps and the Brotherhood of Saint Karl stood deployed at the front gate of Haelunor, smiling as the ultimatum was proclaimed.

Composed by Feodor May From the Haeseni composer, his second mini album, featuring 2 songs in the traditional tavernal style and one in the orchestral style. Home across the Mountains ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/home-across-the-mountains/s-CyOtgOCNDrU)) The Road to War ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/the-road-to-war/s-cRFkHUNA7hd)) Ode to the Fallen ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/ode-to-the-fallen/s-JJ3l4Eq5Dg6))

Why Not to Pay Jovenaars An open letter to the Royal Treasurer and the rest of the Aulic Council. Karosgrad, Hanseti-Ruska, Msitza & Dargund, 382 E.S. To the respectable Erich Barclay and whomelse it might concern, As of lately I have noticed an arising demand from the members of the Aulic Court to extend wages to the Jovenaars of Haense for performing their services. Being a Jovenaar myself, I hereby procure myself the privilege to give my two cents on the matter and to tell you and the greater public of Haense why I think it is of low necessity to provide the aforementioned wages and why I thus think Jovenaars should not be paid. Firstly, if one considers paying Jovenaars for their services, the question would arise of when to do so. On the one side, the Crown can not pay a Jovenaar per trial he presides over. This would mean a Jovenaar could encourage friends and acquaintances to go to court over the pettiest of disputes in an effort to accrue wealth. This would cost the Royal Treasury a fortune I fear. On the other hand, the Crown can not continuously pay Jovenaars in the form of a yearly wage as that would mean the Crown would be paying all the time for a service that is only performed on occasion. On this topic, being a Jovenaar is by all means a parttime occupation as it only requires a Jovenaar to work whenever there's an ongoing trial. This means that Jovenaars are not dependent on the Crown extending wages to them to pay the bills. A Jovenaar has plenty of time to accrue minas through other means of labour, trade or providing services. Being a Jovenaar should be compared to being an elected member of the Duma; one chooses to take up such a position because of the desire to serve their country. Duma members do not get paid and they, normally at least, perform more work during a term of service than a Jovenaar would in four years. If Jovenaars were to be paid wages, there will be Jovenaars who wish to serve for the fact they will get paid for an unintensive job. Contrary to this motive, the only reason anyone should desire to serve as a Jovenaar is to uphold the laws of Haense and protect our civil liberties out of a sense of patriotic duty. Now I am sure some or even many of my colleague Jovenaars will not so easily or willingly agree with the points I have raised above, and they will seek to raise counter-arguments for why Jovenaars should get paid. Should anyone raise the argument that on the occasions that Jovenaars do need to perform their service at trials, this often takes a long continuous stretch of their time and for the sake of their long-lived attention and eventual careful deliberation they should be compensated in the form of minas; I say no. Anyone who has thusfar accepted the position of Jovenaar knew, in full conscience, that the position would involve and in fact revolve around moments like these, and they accepted their position with this knowledge in mind and without the prospect of payment in return for it. The Jovenaars knew what they were getting into when they accepted this position. Lastly, In case anyone is to raise the argument that not paying Jovenaars makes them vulnerable to corruption; if such worries have reason to exist, we have a much larger issue pertaining to our judiciary at hands than the mere paying of wages. In other words; if we’re worried the people chosen to be Jovenaars are corruptable, we’re simply choosing the wrong people. That would be what I have to say on the matter. I encourage you to, and hope with sincerity that you do, take these arguments into consideration for when you make your decision on wether or not to pay the Jovenaars of the Aulic Court. Your obedient servant, Associate Jovenaar Feodor May

Composed by Feodor May From the creator of the Haeseni National Anthem; his first music album, featuring 3 songs in the traditional tavernal style! Morivi - Spring ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/morivi/s-FGLzV8RFH9O)) As the Crow flies ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/as-the-crow-flies/s-gu2jEZYWvF4)) Ve khovala i ve Valtakongzem - The waning of the Empire ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/ve-khovala-i-ve-valtakongzem/s-bzjvJr3vBwV))

On this notice board, participants and spectators of the Check Mates International Chess Tournament will be able to see the brackets of who will be facing off against who. The starting bracket can be found below and updated brackets will be placed here when needed. First follow the rules of the tournament. 1) The participant winning the final match will be considered the Champion and rank 1st, with the loser ranking 2nd. The losers of the two half-finals will face off in a consolation final. 2) 1st place will receive a prize of 100 minas, 2nd place 75 minas and 3rd place 50 minas. 3) Exact dates for matches will be scheduled by both participants in said match with the tournament host, Feodor May. 4) If a participant fails to show up at the predetermined date of the match, the participant that does show up wins by default. Participants are allowed to be 15 Saint's Minutes late. 5) All matches will take place at the chess board in Karosgrad, Haense, found nestled between the tavern and palace. 6) A match may only start with the tournament host or a replacement present. Once a match concludes, the participants are required to send a notice of who won to the host. ((Discord message, Sander#0004)) 7) Being a good sport is expected and violating tournament rules or local laws can and be met with action taken by the tournament host, possibly leading to disqualification. ((OOC: Groups will be set up for easy communication, add me on discord.))

[[People can still sign up today and tomorrow, but for the sake of organisation the tournament will be limited to 16 participants max]]

[!] In cities across Almaris a peculiar poster is pinned to tavern doors and notice boards [!] [[PS: Matches will be scheduled at times that work for both participants throughout July, so no worries about the exact time!]]

Commissioned by Lord Palatine Maric var Ruthern Written and composed by Feodor May, 378 E.S. Va ve Edlervik - To the Haeseni people, Just over a year ago, I was approached by His Grace and Excellency the Lord Palatine Maric var Ruthern, Duke of Vidaus, with a request. He asked me to write and compose a national anthem for our dear Hanseti-Ruska. Needless to say I was honoured by this request, and I'd like to say I did it justice. With feedback from His Majesty, Koeng Heinrik II and under the watchful eye of the Lord Palatine, this hymn was created, by me, for you. I hope with sincerity that it may rival the likes of 'We'll Safe Norland' and 'Oren Aut Mortem' and that it may be a song that makes our hearts swell with pride for our fatherland. Now without further sentimentalities and a-do, I present to you; Ve lund i ve jard. Your obedient servant, Feodor May Ve lund i ve jard - The land in the north ((https://soundcloud.com/sander-with-aiva-music/haense-national-anthem/s-C8qvu4UJxaj)) Lyrics: From vast forests to frozen wastes From high mountains to the great lakes There lies and thrives a nation, free on the frontier A truly pious nation that has none but God to fear Oh this great land is beloved, her people reap the fruits of her ancient days Sons and daughters of Siegmund, they praise him and remember his holy ways And though disaster has stricken this land, her people endured They clung to their culture and went with their wits, saving their home Now in freedom they may yet grow Seeds of future they are left to sow And may from Tov and Yermey ‘til Gronna and Droba A thousand times over, this land of Carrion exist By blossoming prikaburren So it has been and so will remain

Cawing of the Crow: Haeseni Poetry by Feodor May In honour of Dietrich van Jungingen, Haeseni Poet INTRODUCTION This writ will serve as a compilation of many pieces of poetry written by the eloquent men of Hanseti-Ruska. You’ll find work from the likes of Vorloin Baruch, myself and of course the great Dietrich van Jungingen among others. May it provide a means to preserve their work and remember the authors themselves. -Feodor May CONTENT ((OOC: Feel free to send in more, this is what I found so far.)) The Miscellanies - Dietrich van Jungingen Helena’s Walls The Wheel Turns The Stallion Renatus Defeated Sons of Horen Is this right, for I do not know The humble Chair Helena, the Frontier State The Lupine Instinct A Josephite Remembers Ode to the glorious Silver State Child of Haense - Feodor May The Troubles - Dietrich van Jungingen The Imperial Peasant The Calling of the Will The Glories of Struggle Raiders! Justice A Final Death? Progress and Devastation - Karl Amador Storm and Sea - Corbin Wick Sigismund’s Kingdom - Dietrich van Jungingen The Sea of Fate Battle Song of the North Two Crows An Ode to Koeng Andrik III The Prikaz Untitled - Feodor May The Sturmholm Folio - Vorloin Baruch O Father The Good Men Katharina’s Song The Sunset Godan’s Muse The Holes of Wintertime Soeng Karoseo : A Song of Crows The Choice to Shape a Future - Fiske Vanir The Halfling - Feodor May The Nation Awakes - Dietrich van Jungingen To the Foes of Hanseti-Ruska Let the Nation Awake HELENA'S WALLS The Crow marches on, to Helena’s Walls, And righteousness follows after him, a noble struggle, Preceded by justice and glory, To remove Godfrey from his blood-stained halls. Haeseni brothers stand side by side, united, Against the perfidious Pertinaxi. Joseph’s men fight for truth and liberation; And despite grave wounds, fight with lion-like bravery, For it is their duty to serve their nation Against the false Dragon, to end Godfrey’s slavery Of the stolen throne of Renatus. The streets are filled to the brim with sorrow. Men are slashed and killed, Throats are cut where soldiers lay, Blood is gashed and spilled, And the wounded slaughtered on this day. In these times of pain and greed, Renatus cares not for a humane deed. The tide turns, the heroes are shattered Inside these perfidious palace halls. But there’s no time to weep as the Crow falls, And drips his blood down Helena’s Walls; No, the hateful false Dragon must be slain, By blood and by steel, it will pay for its crime, So avenge this defeat; Men of Arcas, rise! Stand up and fight, for now is your time! THE WHEEL TURNS Nothing ever changes, the wheel keeps turning, Nothing new happens on this tired old world. Everything’s already come to pass before; intrigue’s burning, And humanity’s still not learning That a squabble then a war is not the only path. The wheel keeps turning, an Empire stands, it’ll crumble in time, The ninth Empire; a telling number. History’s annals will always be caked in the grime, Of the men and woman who in their prime, Did nothing but waste away their little lives. The wheel keeps turning. What are we petty men but dust? We are soon but fading memories, then soon forgotten. Our minds must be caked in a rotting rust For we cannot see that we must Live now because soon we will die. The wheel keeps turning – soon it will stop, for me and you For we are but candles in the rain Extinguished in an instant, to be replaced by the new And there’s nothing you or I can possibly do But cement our legacy now, before it’s too late. The wheel will not be turning for long, for us. Soon the wheel shall turn again and leave us behind. So heed what I say, for I say thus That we must do what we can now, to be remembered. You must think, write, you must compose, For a good cause fight, anything I suppose So long as in a hundred years men will about you say: ‘This man was great, a great man of his day.’ THE STALLION See the Stallion, this god of war, And gasp in terror and in fear As this knight lets out his battle-roar And smites his foes far and near; They fall before this being. Who is this saint of battle, who walks amongst mere men? He is the Northern saviour, whose never made a judgement wrong; Who is this clever mind of war, who's beyond mere mortal ken? He is a mighty soldier, who's praised in every tavern song; So I'll tell you who this is, dear friends For to the King his talent lends And for our Kingdom he has served And from his mission never curved; This is a man of duty and of honour. His victories roll from heralds' tongues; He is this Kingdom's warder And his loyal men make weak their lungs To cry 'Aye!' to every order: At Helena, Silversea, Leuven, he fought as a lion. He's at the front of every charge, The greatest general of our day, His feats are many, always large: The brave Ser Wilheim Barclay. RENATUS DEFEATED Ah, you crumbled, dead, Renatian regime! Your legions are gone - good riddance to that; Your memory's ephemeral, like a forgotten bad dream; No more Kings on the Dragon’s throne are sat. Your own people rejoiced when you were dissolved And not by a heroic struggle, but by a mere decree! You who made Helena decadent and devolved: I remember your end with satisfied glee. SONS OF HOREN When the wars are looking bad And all our allies start to flee That's when I feel so truly glad For what Lord Barclay said to me: March, march and raise the shout! Hear the call, all men of Oren! Front the charge and start the rout, Fight for man, proud sons of Horen! If we lacked GOD's holy light - Which blesses even Oren's poorest field - If we lacked GOD's holy might - What heathen faith could be a shield? March, march and raise the shout! Hear the call, all men of Oren! Front the charge and start the rout, Fight for man, proud sons of Horen! If we did not stand and fight - Which is of course our greatest moral duty - If we did not do what's right - What would become of Oren's beauty? March, march and raise the shout! Hear the call, all men of Oren! Front the charge and start the rout, Fight for man, proud sons of Horen! If we had not hearts resolute - Which they are, they're brave enough for double - If we had not valour in dispute - Would Oren have weathered the troubles? March, march and raise the shout! Hear the call, all men of Oren! Front the charge and start the rout, Fight for man, proud sons of Horen! March, march and raise the shout! Hear the call, all men of Oren! Front the charge and start the rout, Fight for man, proud sons of Horen! IS THIS RIGHT, FOR I DO NOT KNOW The sons take up their father's role The family is broken. Is this right? Is this duty Or some treason? In northern climes The aggrieved gather round a table With an undefined authority. Bestowed by none. With unanimous clamours, Maybe intent to power, They proclaim to uphold the crown, But do they defy it? I forget what is right. Perhaps they are right. Morality’s glass steams with a thousand breaths. I know only the sanctity of law The neutral power of authority. I forget reason, as all do. I wait with bated breath For the clouds to clear. Or gather THE HUMBLE CHAIR Is a chair a humble thing? No pig ever made a chair. What crude beast ever sat upon a seat? It is a pleasure, a chair, pure civilisation, Imagined by mankind To please mankind. Why is a throne special? Man says it is a special place to sit. A chair that should bestow absolute authority. So you see, it is not chairs That are mundane, but rather Mankind's majesty is mundane. HELENA, THE FRONTIER STATE Ah, Helena, the frontier city! With its strange, furless fashions - Oh how I feel for our senators with pity, Without carrion black or 'Haenser' passions. Pioneers of an age, trudging for pearls, Our young men venture up to the south. Bereft of maidens, they court exotic girls, Drawn deep into danger's smiling mouth; So, far from the pleasant heartlands, Far from their safe homes in the north, They're sucked into unknown quicksands Which only a frontier state brings forth. Ah Helena, what an odd place! So far from normal, civilised Haense! THE LUPINE INSTINCT All others have an enigmatic passion - It is the lupine instinct, of the randy beast, The kind that urges man on, To ensure that mankind is plentiful, Or to enjoy himself in private. And yet, what is that feeling? I do not know - how can I know? I do not think I feel it, this urge This lusty and supposedly enjoyable urge. How can a man not know what he lacks? It is unknown to me, this primeval desire, As old as time and more frequent than rain. But is it unknown? It is definitely an enigma, or perhaps simply It is some riddle for me to unravel. I do not know my own self - I am on the unknown waters of the soul, Rowing towards a shadowed point - On lonely nights I think on all this, And it is a great trouble to my mind. A JOSEPHITE REMEMBERS My eyes see yours hung upon the wall, So do you see me and judge your servant? My emperor, for whom I bled and cried See these marks upon this mortal's flesh See them burn as grass and hurt with pride As the terrors within my mind grow fresh. My heart still burns for you! Man of letters, philosopher-emperor, I serve you still in ideals, with mind And I uphold your wisdom so sweet Though in times I weep, as man is blind I weep the most for your defeat. Do not judge harshly, I serve my best But I am but a man, and a man forgets. ODE TO THE GLORIOUS SILVER STATE Oh how I love those brilliant elves And quite rightly they adore themselves! So respectful of us lesser races They even honour us 'valah', such graces! In the manoeuvre they're second to none; Though they can't recall a battle won, They're true masters of the retreat - Those elves, they've learned to trust their feet! And their delicate noses are nobly high Oh they love to snort that elven sky! Pointing skyward, so sharp, so straight - Hubris, in truth, is an appealing trait! Even the maids spend well their countless years: Checking their blood, from understandable fears, Lounging, idling, majestically reposing, And to any son of Horen: exposing. CHILD OF HAENSE I was born in Haense I have her sons as brethren I have her ruler as my father I have her pride as comfort I have drunk the waters of her culture I have made her past my own I keep her boldness as my companion I lost in her defeat and live in her victory I breathe freely only in her climate I know her treasures and her tribulations I see her errors in all their beauty And I have done my best, with others To defend her interests THE IMPERIAL PEASANT I walk often through these sodden fields And mine tired eyes do often see A weeded land with barren yields Where a poor man slaves in misery For meager pay, no real reward; A thankless job, for his thankless lord. No clothes upon his wretched back Save tattered rags, wet with fog And a cheap, filthy, worthless sack Shot with holes, not fit for a dog Let alone for a man made by God; Yet forced to suffer a strong birch rod. At his side he bears a mark of war And when he toils it creaks and groans For once to the Emperor he swore And fought, yet nobody even hears his moans For nobody cares for those like him; See how his body is bony and slim. His wife clings to his side in the rain A woman with nothing to her name And nothing but death to hope to gain For when he dies, there's nothing to claim And no money to pay for a marked grave; For this wretched man is paid as a slave. THE CALLING OF THE WILL Our union's been slighted, here's a fight - When your Empire calls will you assist? Here comes war, to cowards' fright - For freedom's sake will you enlist? Here's your home, in the enemy's sight - When Morsgrad comes will you raise your fist? Here comes Godric, duke of blight - In foul tyranny's face will you resist? Here comes war, the long black night - We'll perish, if we do not persist! THE GLORIES OF STRUGGLE I saw a woman, sat by the wayside Once a low noble, now starving and shaking I saw with dismay her tears as she cried Her poor, emaciated body's aching Her traumatised mind's close to shattering. She calls for her mother, killed in this war She calls for her lover, struck down in battle The poor thing begs for bread, or a bed of straw And begs for alms. She lives worse than cattle And soon she'll die, and pass tragically unmourned. This is war: indiscriminate sorrow. This is the 'struggle' of which sick Godric speaks In high, praising tones.This is the tomorrow He offers us. His misguided vengeance reeks Of vain, blind 'justice' for entire peoples. This is his 'struggle'; pointless destruction Driven by a proud whip of 'retribution' Smothered with fake humility's seduction And disguised as reason, war's solution: He's blind to the pointless deaths he causes. Godric, of course, wouldn't spare that woman's life. He looks past her cries and her ragged clothes For Godric can't risk that she'll be a wife For she's nothing but a 'future font of foes' So for her noble birth she must die, of course. RAIDERS! Look south! A column of smoke rises, Far away, far off in the distance. They'll now be looting stolen prizes - Those raiders, I mean, squashing resistance. It's the second attack this fortday, The second poor farm to fall that is. Maybe the army'll make them pay - But those bandits, they'll be off in a whizz. Are they from Norland? Or Elves, or Orcs? There's no way of knowing right now. Perhaps we'll tell from the wounds of a corpse - Anyway, we always find out somehow. The horizon, see it cloud, dusty; Those men are moving off - surprising. These didn't stay long - these weren’t lusty - But look west! A column is rising! JUSTICE The judge looms over the convicted, A wig of steel sat upon his solemn brow. He's ready to sentence, unrestricted. The criminal, she cowers in a bow. There's no jury, no risk of dissent. Defendants or subpoenas, a petition, The judge does not care, he does not relent. The judge demands complete submission. The small child, she cries, her eyes bleed tears. This is not a satisfactory defence. Her innocence and her eleven years Will not save her. Justice will now commence. The judge raises high his station's sign - The sword, where legitimacy arises. Between law and crime there's no real line; Death is a sentence that fits all sizes. A FINAL DEATH? The darkness is quiet tonight. Now, life seems instant and War's breath Comes fitful in the singular moment. The stars glance at man's folly And wait, eager to look upon a new world. The waning moon gleams on a bloody sword. And as he wipes the thirsting thing clean of gore The blades of grass seem to melt in the wind. He sheathes his blade, and finally The instrument of death is forgotten. There are no mourners, None for this wretched creature, This murderer and destroyer. He sits, dying in a blood soaked world, With the weight of thousands dead upon him. He throws off his armour, He casts down his spear, he feels His bloody and endless sweat Cool and disappear in a peaceful wind. His heavy eyelids close for the first time. Mankind is freed. For now PROGRESS AND DEVASTATION Huge manufactory chimneys, in each lovely place, Belch out their foul smoke over nature’s fair face. The soot of the furnace begrimes the Spring bloom, The reeking ‘Plant’ taints every blossom’s perfume. The streams, that were crystal, pollution imbrowns With the refuse of ‘Works’ and the sewage of towns, And the angler no more strolls along on the brink Of the once pleasant river that now is a sink. For the fish they are poisoned, trout grayling, roach, dace, From pike down to minnow, the whole finny race. And the spirits too of many a drowned hath fled The banks now by rats alone haunted instead. Vast chemical workshops on all sides abound, Diffusing the breath of corrosion around; And their fumes, worse than locusts in swarms on the wing, Blast, utterly, tree, herb, and every green thing. If the struggle for life, our engrossing employ, All that makes life worth living at length must destroy, Cannot our men at least save some verdure and flowers To last the short time that remains to be ours? STORM AND SEA Shrill winds howl past, Her crew scrambles in fear. Waves crash, stirring the mast, Waiting for the captain’s orders to hear. The current against her, disorientating, Nature proving to make a mockery. In a flash, former sails torn, A captain unfit, overboard, his ship like a shanty. Her leader gone, crew in a mess, They search for a captain, above the rest. The storm continues, time counting to less, A new sail rises, quickly to crest. Blue and black, look over the restless crew, With old gone, starting anew, A young leader, to sail the ship. He, the new captain, careful to slip. To clear the storm was his only goal, To his command the crew followed tirelessly. The ship sailed on, taking it’s toll, But to make it out, a Vanir takes the sea. THE SEA OF FATE We stand before the sea of fate, Steering Hanseti-Ruska’s course; One way to ruin, the end of the state Glory the other, the end of remorse! For the way to triumph is beckoning, If the bold are ready to seize it The Crow is facing a reckoning; So call back our national spirit! Look back at our enemy, dissolved by decree, Dissolved by the war it supposedly won; And yet Haense still stands, in spirit free - We stand still glorious, so smile as the sun! So rally now, you loyal Haense-men, And spur the horse of your ambition Our kingdom shall be great then; A people with a vision! BATTLE SONG OF THE NORTH I've walked amongst our lilies that are all the world's desire I've heard our crows that flock to sing the praises of our sire I've seen our beauteous forests that are growing ever higher We march to save our homes, We march to save our homes Ave now to the Koeng! Long live the Koeng! We'll die to save the North! When Sigismund took up his scroll this truth he did reveal The North shall last forevermore for Jove has blessed our steel So as we march for Koeng and Jove let none now doubt our zeal We march to serve our faith, We march to serve our faith Ave now to the Koeng! Long live the Koeng! We'll die to save the North! We're men of Ruska and of Haense we won’t back down in fright So draw your swords and seize your reins, we'll give the South their fight We'll charge them in the daytime and we'll raid them in the night We march to crush our foes, We march to crush our foes Ave now to the Koeng! Long live the Koeng! We'll die to save the North! We’ll die to save the North! TWO CROWS Two crows fly overhead, over forest and field Their glossy feathers shining with many hues. They soar from Nenzing to the Rezan weald With a common unity no man can refuse. These twin sisters fly overhead, with one vision, With one heart and mind guiding them on they speak With a common wisdom in every decision. They have a common unity, ancient, unique. In their talons they grip the yellow-black banner Which unfurls, spreading, defiant in the skies. The flag both of one King and every tanner Of Highlander unity, that brilliant prize. AN ODE TO KOENG ANDRIK III Hail to you, oh great Koeng Andrik the third! Awe-stricken history will record your deeds With amazement at feats never before heard, At how you planted for Haense success's seeds. Now, in feats of drinking you trump the best, And from ashes you've built our new city great. You can wield a sword like a man possessed, And it was your peace that saved your loyal state. So for that, you have Haense's gratitude; And with that, my humble ode now does conclude. THE PRIKAZ Ah, the gleaming Prikaz Palace; Where songs were sung, a king's ear was lent Where the finest Carrion Black filled every chalice; When I recall those time-worn years, I bitterly lament. I cry fond tears at your cruelest fate, At your disuse and your neglect. The last king to stay has left your gate; So I raise a glass of Carrion Black with old respect UNTITLED With the strength of a thousand daemons The marble crest was clenched Its razor-sharp tip soaked With a wet darker than the void And from that void sprung creation Anything with meaning and without it He who weilds it unlimited in ability Except by his twisted, vile and impure Or noble, glorious and honest Creativity, their will to create and To put themselves through an effort Sometimes small yet often great And put a word on that paper O FATHER O Father, years have passed since fall of void, Yet I am left to sit and weep in prayer In days of freedom, Grief I have enjoyed Not, for that was the gift you chose to bear. O father, son of the herons marine Will you still love me as you once did then? To be a stouter son of meager means Or born a lesser prince of greater men? O father, torn from life, curse me now, words born from an acid, venomous tongue Will far outstip those that no longer vow To those whom once you genty, softly sung. They say the blood of covenant should wear Pains fierce; yet still I weep for water's share THE GOOD MEN I wonder, where have all the good men gone? I saw them ride unto the setting sun, One which they would never again see dawn, Fighting a battle that is still not won. I ask you, where do all the great kings lie? It is under a pile of ash and ruin Deathless since they were forced to cast the die, They lie, resting beside their royal kin. I pray you, where do all the lost souls go? For we see them no more, eternally They lie, lost in silver linings of snow. Lost to wisps of time, waiting, merrily. We wait for when the time should finally bend To meet again at last: all the good men KATHARINA’S SONG If only the swans were as fair as I, They could shatter the moon with their beauty, They could ensnare the mighty lords on high, They could make Kingsguard flee from duty, If only the swans were as fair as I. If only the autumn leaves had my grace, They’d flutter as if dancers on a stage, They’d rustle as if they’d no other place, They'd read far more than any written page, If only the autumn leaves had my grace. If only the stormcrows could sing like me, They would enchant the creatures of the grove, They would lure sailors, like sirens on the sea, They would be diamond to all those who rove, If only the stormcrows could sing like me. THE SUNSET I passed through mists, and peered beyond the veil To see thee, at least, what seemed to be. Towards the earth the sun had set her sail, And her beauty almost matched your degree. For first I found the flowering lips of rose When, burning bright, a wildfire they blazed. How could the setting sun compare to those: The memory that shall never be erased. But soon I fell into a tender blue, The eyes which could the oceans entire keep. How could the sky hold a candle to you, When epics could be wrought for those eyes deep? And so I promise: you shall never die If here between these sheets of me you'll lie. GODAN’S MUSE I've ventured 'cross some cold, bleak, distant peaks, But there is naught to e’er compare to thee. The peerless blue above those velvet cheeks: The moonlight to calm every stormy sea. I rolled on waves and I’ve seen dawnings fair, But their beauty can only ever yield To radiance cast by golden strands of hair: The sunlight to sow every fallow field. I’ve cleft the ocean twain on mighty ships, But thus you made the nightingale cry: None could hope to reflect those rosen lips, A flower to charm e’ery wandering eye Then, since lands and sky all hold beauty, I so conclude that Godan’s muse was thee. THE HOLES OF WINTERTIME Deep in the holes of wintertime I woke Next to your side, by a warm fire of oak. You whispered so quietly in the cold, From your lips wisps of mist did twist and fold. You spoke to me about the spring softly, Said it was made by the lord above, for me. That he made it so we could gently lie Betwixt these hills until one day we die. Hidden way from the warmth of a summer’s Sun, away from the march of the dummers’ Drums, lying under golden oaken leaves, I told you I love you beneath those trees. And yet at last, when the autumn leaves fell You said you were no more under my spell I thought I’d stay together with you, so fair, But you left me there. SOENG KAROSEO A SONG OF CROWS Usaer zezr haulyy haldae haenzi Wiem hag dercurvsk denraat, huil zwyzi Padrevar Ybiseo vzrarev kuz koeng Luzeng weld ag wauldlund: Kholv ag walic They poured ‘cross sea upon coasts haeseni At dawn slaying the weak and lame, then these Sons of Iblees set out unto the king Along woodlands, marshes: cold and soaking. Karos kyghyntae zwyen bottel routae Karos trazk raez humovsk viktry velyae. Krusae vatragan ag Godan zakisk: Kursin ag zvaerd usaer byk drazativsk And as honour demands that war be brought The crows struck out to seize the victory sought. Of hearth and faith they were a stalwart shield: With coats of arms and shining blades of steel. Nat lund vatragano supaes szar triek, Va rotasseran nie vokja byk tuek Tamort lafsk hauchoxtzen, lauderre, herzen. Zejr kvesja, warae laujisk aestbrein Upon the fields of flame their spears did meet And dawn ‘til dusk no army knew defeat. There fell warriors great, peasants and lords Above the mud, where Godan’s heavens poured Wiem mortesk feinvrago, tiz stratlyy rot Ag zinsk maeno weo fitsk dlum supaes Got They broke the horde, the rivers stained with blood And sang of men who gave their lives for God. THE CHOICE TO SHAPE A FUTURE In a field way up north, under an old pine tree There’s a fair blonde girl a-sitting, and it’s there that she should be Away from all the trouble of the world, all the bother With the past on the horizon, thinking back of mother. The greatest gifts that a mother ever could give Are the roots of responsibility, and the ability to live In freedom of mind and heart, with true independence And the choice to shape a future, one for our descendants. For twenty-five years now, the fair blonde has been on her own A time free of bounds and shackles, a time in which she’s grown As she realizes what it means, that ability to be free She realizes she’ll have to decide, who she wants to be. She’s got a long history, earned her place in the world Is proud beyond comparison, keeps her banners unfurled But history’s behind her, she’s long past the divorce The banners point to a future, one with her own course. A hardened future surely, for she knows the world is rough All the more she knows, that to survive one must be tough She’s seen the friends and foes, who with the time have gone And for them she made a saying: “The sea bows to none”. So she looks ahead, mind set on her goal And she’ll build a road toward it, by mountain, river and coal She’ll walk the path with vigor, all the more if it narrows Stand fast on it or fall perhaps, reduced to bones and barrows. Then will she triumph, will she stumble? For her it's no surprise She may fall, be torn apart, but from ashes she will rise! Indeed so it went in the past, and her task hasn’t forgone her She remembers these times proudly, for with duty comes honor. She stands, she’ll shape her future, that she rightly trusts But to do that she must go, for he who rests, rusts That future may bring its challenges, but stalwart she will tell them The battlecry that brought her here: the old ‘Krusae zwy kongzem’! THE HALFLING He lives his life To the fullest without regret He finds great comfort In the simple pleasures of it He seeks no great gains For twisted benefit He greets and salutes Every friend and stranger He cherishes dearly That which is worth loving He chooses silence Where silence suffices plainly He celebrates loudly In the tiniest of triumphs He chooses not for venture For he finds value in content And though his vessel may be small His soul is mightier and greater The Halfling. TO THE FOES OF HANSETI-RUSKA To the Foes of Hanseti-Ruska How long have We survived? How much have We outlived? Too long, and too much For any ordinary nation. She is a lasting state, A fair state, a strong state, She spreads her wings Over the Highlander traditions. So hear Us, and hear this, you who hate Us, you who fear Us, you miserable skuke-people, you who would see Our customs gone you who would try To dominate Us: you are not different, you are not special, As all others, Haense will outlast you. your hubris amuses Us! you will soon be dead, But you cannot kill Us. Hanseti-Ruska is one. Gorm sees your defeat, though you cannot. We spit on you, you who are less than filth, We laugh at your whining, We take joy from your hate. you who stand against Us: Good luck to you, for why not? For neither luck nor skill can defeat Our nation, destined to last forever. We will never perish, Because We always persist. Siegmund's Kingdom is immortal. Our traditions are everlasting. And what are you? Poor child, you are skravi. LET THE NATION AWAKE Rejoice, my brothers, Your homeland is free. My sisters, do you feel her soul? Do you know that she is reborn? Do you sense it in your heart, Do you taste her words, See her burst from the break of dawn? She loudly proclaims - Go forth, my crows! Go forth, my children, I have scattered your foes! I have shorn off their fangs, I have vanquished your woes! Sigismund's nation, awake!

Ser Fiske Vanir, Viscount of Varna Make Sail for the Dawn [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVkD4lgXTEU]] As he laid on the wooden floor of the ship, staring up at the hot sun above them, Ser Fiske slowly lost sense of his surroundings, consciousness starting to flow out of him just as his blood did. He could but vaguely see the two shipmates standing over him, not really realizing who they were or what they were doing anymore. They were in fact his oldest son, Valdemar and the medic of their crew, looking down at him in defeat and sorrow as they knew he would not survive the journey back home. He'd been attacked by heretics in a foreign land on a trade mission he and his son had embarked upon. A local officer had asked for his occupation, and as he made it clear he was a Monsignor in the Canonist Church among other things the mood had soured, even more so when Fiske had begun preaching the Canon to these foreign men. The retired knight had been badly cut up before they'd managed to get him back to their ship and the situation had looked dire from the start, especially since they had very minimal medical supplies on board. Not long after they'd began trying to rush him home to Haense he'd become delirious, asking Valdemar where his siblings and mother were as he wanted to see them. Not that he would have been able to interact with them much; he was already laying down on the wooden deck, staining it with his blood before it dried in the hot sun. For about an hour or so, Fiske quietly murmered a mixture of sailor's songs and religious chants and prayers, staring up at the sky. After such a while, the only sound coming from him anymore were tired and pained wheezes, before he eventually fell silent. He was holding his son's hand as he finally closed his eyes, never to open them again. The Sea Bows to None: Ser Fiske 'The Daring' Vanir (322-370) knight, nobleman, monsignor, father and husband [[OOC: With me taking a break from rp due to a lack of interest and thus being inactive, I thought the time had come for me to pk and move on. Thanks to everyone who rp'd with me on this character, it was good fun! Expect a story about Fiske that I've been working on for months but haven't yet gotten finished to be posted some time in the future!]]

We stand today at a Crossroads of history. At this Crossroads, we, the Human race, can decide what our fate in the world will be. At the end of one path lies weakness, disgrace and our demise. At the end of the other path there awaits us strength, brotherhood, honour and triumph! At the Crossroads, we, the people of Haense, Oren and Norland are met with the dawn of a new movement. The National Humanism Movement, which seeks to avert Humanity from going down the path of weakness and instead steering our kin down the path of TRIUMPH! I imagine you asking, my brethren, what entails this movement then? What does the action that will deliver us from tragedy hold in store for us? I will tell you exactly that in this pamphlet my strong brethren! The tenets and ideals that make up the National Humanist movement are indeed quite simple, for they follow two very straight-forward principles: the forces of nature, and common sense. If in nature, a wolf spots a rabbit, he kills it to saturate his hunger. If in nature, there is a wasp amongst bees, the bees band together to kill said wasp in defense of the shared interest. If in nature, a weazel steals the food of a bear, the bear kills the weazel in the great competition that is life. The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of mice. THAT. That is common sense. We humans are one species, one that gets exploited and obstructed by the parasites and obstacles that are the lesser races. Only when we realize this, when we wake up and band together, can we achieve our full potential and triumph in the great competition that is life. From this line of thought follow the following tenets: Panhumanism: Humanity should be a united force, with humans from various nations working together in brotherhood stemming from the kinship that we form. If Norlanders, Haensemen, Orenians and humans from all other nations work together to achieve common goals, they shall form the most unstoppable force the world has ever seen and nothing will be impossible. Anti-malinism: The sons of malin, the deviant, parasitic elvenkind, are the root of many of the evils of our society and thus it is of utmost importance that we rid our society of their vile influence. They are the wasps that have infiltrated the bee nests that are our cities, festering like a parasite off of the honey that us hard-working bees produce. The elven race is weaker in all aspects than the human race. By the forces of nature, they have no right to survive, nor reason to exist amidst the superior races. At the end of the day, the world would be done a favor if their existence is terminated. White Rose Tradition: Centuries ago, a group of brave and valiant men laid the groundwork for much of this movement’s thought: the knightly Order of the White Rose. These righteous warriors stood for many ideals us humans should stand for: Strength, Brotherhood, Zealotry, and the will to cut down the lesser races of Elves and Orcs in the defense of the holiness of the Race of Man! It is this great Order that inspired the symbol for National Humanism: A white rose on a red background, only this time in the colours of the flags of the three nations of Humanity. Red from the flags of Norland and Oren, black from Norland and Haense, yellow from Haense and white from Oren. It is a symbol of unity between our kin, in the shape of the work done by great men before us. Strong Leadership: Of course it is no secret that as it stands, there are many things that divide Humanity: religion, ethnicity, language and culture. Therefore, if Humanity is to unite and band together, we will need to do so under a strong leading figure, be it a monarch or an elected figure. He needs to be a man of authority and action that can rise to the occasion and be the one to give the order to charge toward victory! If you wish to JOIN the National Humanism movement, ATTEND our events or SCHEDULE a speech or informational visit, send a letter to Osvald Brunswick ((Sander#0004)). AVE HUMANUM! PERISH MALIN! [[Disclaimer: After a GM suggested it imma add this disclaimer here; please keep in mind the difference between rp and ooc, this is meant to just be a thing for some brief political tension rp. It does not support or advocate any irl views, rather its a parody of said views that is meant to be mocked. Thanks for understanding!]] [[PS: Please don´t think I´m a fascist...]]

The choice to shape a future By Ser Fiske of Hallaberg In a field way up north, under an old pine tree There’s a fair blonde girl a-sitting, and it’s there that she should be Away from all the trouble of the world, all the bother With the past on the horizon, thinking back of mother. The greatest gifts that a mother ever could give Are the roots of responsibility, and the ability to live In freedom of mind and heart, with true independence And the choice to shape a future, one for our descendants. For twenty-five years now, the fair blonde has been on her own A time free of bounds and shackles, a time in which she’s grown As she realizes what it means, that ability to be free She realizes she’ll have to decide, who she wants to be. She’s got a long history, earned her place in the world Is proud beyond comparison, keeps her banners unfurled But history’s behind her, she’s long past the divorce The banners point to a future, one with her own course. A hardened future surely, for she knows the world is rough All the more she knows, that to survive one must be tough She’s seen the friends and foes, who with the time have gone And for them she made a saying: “The sea bows to none”. So she looks ahead, mind set on her goal And she’ll build a road toward it, by mountain, river and coal She’ll walk the path with vigor, all the more if it narrows Stand fast on it or fall perhaps, reduced to bones and barrows. Then will she triumph, will she stumble? For her it's no surprise She may fall, be torn apart, but from ashes she will rise! Indeed so it went in the past, and her task hasn’t forgone her She remembers these times proudly, for with duty comes honor. She stands, she’ll shape her future, that she rightly trusts But to do that she must go, yes he who rests, rusts That future may bring its challenges, but stalwart she will tell them The battlecry that brought her here: the old ‘Krusae zwy kongzem’!

Casimir Block, the writer and publisher of the Karosgrad Times, rubs his hands together with a pleased smile. The anonymous source that had given him the news of the Orenian drama in full provided him with some news that sold quite well indeed!

____________________________________________________________________________ Vol. 1 No. 1 KAROSGRAD, 13 SA/362 ES PRICE THREE MINAS THE QUACK OF LOVE DOCTORS: EMPEROR JOSEPH II In this Karosgrad Times Special: love, drama and aristocratic nepotism served hot and fresh from the upper echelons of Imperial Oren. Our director apologizes to any readers who find this story confusing and hard to follow. It’s Orenian court drama, we can’t help it being confusing. A few years ago, Margaux Renée Helvets began to court Peter Alexander d’Arkent, the heir to the Duchy of Sunholdt. The two liked each other greatly and have now been courting for approximately three years. Before then, it was known that Peter Alexander had many suitors going after him, including an Imperial Princess, Charlotte. However, his heart was set on Margaux and the two began to speak of betrothal and marriage. The families of Helvets and d’Arkent began to hold meetings with one another to ensure that they were all in agreement about the marriage, which they all were. Everything seemed to be going quite well until Margaux told the news of her betrothal to one of her friends - another Princess, Anne Caroline Crestfell overheard the news. She was shocked and quite irritated indeed, saying she had been writing letters on behalf of her family to Peter Alexander to try and have him court her sister, Princess Josephine Crestfall. Upon bringing this news to Peter Alexander, he expressed disinterest in the option of courting Princess Josephine and he told Margaux that he had just finished speaking with Princess Anne to decline her family's offer. All seemed clear and good now, and so Margaux and Peter began to officially plan their wedding and send out invitations with a date they had selected. There was however one last hurdle on their path. You see, dear reader, in Oren, it is a law that all landed Lords and Ladies are required to have the Emperor’s stamp of approval on their wedding plans. Peter Alexander wasn’t concerned about this, figuring they’d easily get His Imperial Majesty’s consent, but God was he wrong. When Peter Alexander sought out the Emperor, he was challenged by Prince Philip Crestfall, one of the Emperor’s sons, for having declined marriage to his daughter Princess Josephine. Prince Philip was furious at Peter, but the latter respectfully declined the challenge out of a desire to keep the peace. An unforeseen result of this was that he was denied the Emperor’s approval to marry Margaux, before His Majesty instead ordered Peter to marry his granddaughter, Princess Josephine. Both sides were outraged, but a third party that did not want this marriage between Peter Alexander and Princess Josephine was surprisingly Princess Josephine herself. She had expressed not wanting to be the one to tear Peter and Margaux apart and has claimed to have tried to sway the Emperor’s decision. In fact many attempts were made by various people involved in the matter to change the Emperor’s mind and to have the marriage between Peter Alexander and Margaux Renée continue as planned. These attempts were to no avail however: the Emperor declined every plea. It was blatantly known that the only individuals who had wanted this marriage were Prince Philip and Emperor Joseph - though it was soon discovered that Princess Josephine had likely been on their side in secret, for her behaviour changed greatly one evening when the Helvets family met with the Emperor. Princess Josephine no longer seemed concerned, but instead appeared indifferent and curt, whispering joyfully with her grandfather the Emperor during the meeting. She even went as far as to call the pleas of the Helvets family a conspiracy before the meeting. On top of that, she would go on to also speak lies about Peter Alexander, saying that in the year 1807 he had approached her and spoken to her of betrothal and marriage. This was however easily proven wrong since Margaux and Peter were already known to be very close at that point, even remaining in each other’s company during a Lover’s Masquerade that was held in the palace in that year. In fact, rather than approaching Princess Josephine, Peter first spoke to Margaux about betrothal on the very evening the Princess claimed this occurred on. Josephine’s claims were proven even more wrong when Peter Alexander entered the room with his grandfather and told the true story. However this still did not sway the Emperor, who remained adamant about his order for Peter to marry Josephine and grew angry at the implication that the latter had lied to them all, proceeding to say that Josephine was innocent. After more arguing between Duke Thomas Andrew, Margaux’s brother, and the Emperor, His Imperial Majesty eventually decided to order Margaux to marry Prince Robert Francis Crestfall, claiming he was doing the Helvets family an honour by doing so. Needless to say, the Helvets were even more outraged and insulted by this, yet the Emperor refused to dismiss them until Duke Thomas agreed to the order for Margaux to be married instead to Prince Robert. We, as Haensemen, can count ourselves lucky, no, blessed in fact, to not live under the rule of the arbitrary, insincere, morally unjust, arrogant national embarrassment that is Emperor Joseph II. I believe to speak for many when I say that I hope and will pray to God that the Emperor sees the error of his ways and realizes that he is no love doctor, but instead the most cursed matchmaker of his realm. Peter Alexander, Margaux Renée, from all of us at the Karosgrad Times redaction and surely Haense in general; we wish you two all the best! Do not let true love falter in the face of authority!

Between Crows and Sharks - Alternate History What if King Stefan Barbanov wasn’t elected in the First Duma? These days, the House of Barbanov is synonymous with the Crown of the Kingdom of Haense. Their dynasty has been the ruling family of the Kingdom of Haense since its founding under King Peter the first, and their lineage traces back directly to the Carrion Dynasty and the Exalted Sigmund himself. Their grip upon the throne Haense is solid and there’s very little that could possibly change that. This was not always the case however. In the early 17th century, Haense was occupied by the Kingdom of Courland as a result of the Great Northern War. It didn’t take long before the Greyspine Rebellion broke out that would result in the re-establishment of Haeseni independence, at which point the once again independent Kingdom faced a question. Who would be King? The Second Battle of Rothswood during the Greyspine Rebellion Part 1: The First Duma At first, this question might sound absurd. Wouldn’t it make sense for the old King to continue his rule? And yes, it would have. The issue is that that wasn’t a possibility. Before Haense lost the Great Northern War, King Marius I had been on the throne. When the war was lost, he’d gone into exile to the Duchy of Mardon to continue fighting the Courlandic threat in the south, where he eventually died in 1611. This meant that his 14 year old son became King as Petyr II of Haense. He then promptly died 5 months later, also defending Mardon against the Courlanders. Shortly after, the Greyspine Rebellion led by House Ruthern had liberated Haense, and with the Barbanov heir to the throne being Petyr’s younger brother Stefan and Ruthern having been on the forefront of the liberation effort, they put forth their own candidate for the Haeseni throne: Uthred Ruthern. This meant that before the Kingdom of Haense could be reformed, there was a succession crisis to be dealt with. Seeking to avoid conflict and to preserve unity, the leaders of the Greyspine rebellion called for a meeting of all Haeseni peers to discuss the matter in what became known as the First Duma in 1612. Three candidates for King of Haense came forth at the First Duma. Firstly, there was the 15 year old Stefan Barbanov, the brother of the previous King. The House of Barbanov was an old cadet branch of the ancient House of Carrion and descended from the Exalted Sigmund, they were also the ones who ruled Haense before occupation, making Stefan a logical candidate. He was furthermore supported by the major noble families of Haense, most notably Vanir and Kovachev, who united in support of Stefan in what became known as the Yellow Party. Stefan Barbanov The second candidate was the even younger Uthred Ruthern, the son of the Count whose murder started the Greyspine Rebellion, and whose family had led the liberation of Haense. The House of Ruthern too was a cadet branch of the House of Carrion, meaning they were also descended from the Exalted Sigmund. The fact that the Rutherns had taken the lead in the rebellion meant that they not only had claim to the throne, albeit a very weak one, but also that they had the support of many veterans of the past conflicts. Uthred´s candidacy was also strongly supported by King Hughes of Lotharingia and many other noble lords in the south. The supporters of the Ruthern candidate came together in what became known as the Greyspine Party. Lastly, there was Ser Adolphus Vyronov. The House of Vyronov had initially supported the Barbanov candidacy as part of the Yellow Party like all of the other Haeseni noble families except Ruthern, though disagreements over who would be on Stefan’s council once he would be King caused a split amongst his supporters. This led to Ser Adolphus throwing in his own bid for the crown with the populist White Party, earning the support of some smaller noble families and knights. Eventually, the First Duma ended up electing Stefan Barbanov as King Stefan I of Haense, with some accounts claiming that Uthred dropped out of the race due to pressure from other noble peers and Adolphus consequently losing in a landslide. But, what if somehow, for some reason, be it persuasiveness or election fraud, Uthred did not renounce his candidacy for the throne and ended up winning? Part 2: A different story Uthred Ruthern was elected to be the next King of Haense, being crowned Uthred I of Haense shortly after the First Duma concluded in an effort to quickly solidify his victory. The Kingdom of Haense is re-established with the House of Ruthern as its new ruling dynasty. This would however not bring peace to the Kingdom. Many powerful families like Kovachev and Vanir supported the Barbanov claim to the throne, who they saw as the legitimate ruler of the Kingdom, rather than the wartime Ruthern pretender. Shortly after King Uthred’s coronation, the main figures that supported Stefan’s claim would meet in secret, deciding a rebellion had to take place to put the rightful King on the throne. The Houses of Barbanov, Vanir, Kovachev, along with a few smaller ones would rise up in defiance to King Uthred. The remainder of the Haeseni nobles were weary of conflict and decided to support Uthred in maintaining the new status quo. However this still meant the majority of Uthred’s vassals, were now in open rebellion against him. King Hughes I of Lotharingia A contingent of Ruthern soldiers and veterans of the Greyspine rebellion were halfway through a patrol of the Haeseni countryside, looking for rebels, as they walk into an ambush. Barbanov and Kovachev bannermen descend upon them from between the trees and with the benefit of surprise on their side, they make quick work of the Ruthern forces. The battle became known as the slaughter of Carnatia, and it made it very clear to the advisors of the young King Uthred that they would not defeat these rebels on their own. After a brief exchange of letters, they call on Uthred’s supporter, King Hughes of Lotharingia, to send troops to the north. King Hughes obliges, with other Lords from the south of the continent joining him. As Stefan Barbanov and his allies hear of the southern armies coming to the aid of King Uthred, they hastily call on the Duke of Mardon to support them, with both previous Barbanov kings having died to protect the Duke’s land. The Duke refuses to join the conflict, due to his vulnerable position in regards to King Hughes’s armies. As the Lotharingian forces enter Haense a few months later, the Barbanov supporters realize they are vastly outnumbered, and soon surrender, marking the end of the Stefanite Rebellion of 1613. What follows is a period of consolidation of power in Haense. Initially, supporters of King Uthred had imprisoned Stefan Barbanov, though the public outcry that this led to meant he was soon released again. King Uthred Ruthern remained on the throne and while Haense was still strongly divided, there was peace as the Kingdom rebuilt itself from years of war and occupation. The Ruthern dynasty would strengthen its grip on the throne as Uthred matured, married and produced an heir. Stefanites, as supporters of the Barbanov dynasty had come to call themselves, remained active in their opposition of the Ruthern Kings, though aside from refusals to oblige to royal demands, occasional sabotage and the murder of Palatine Count Otto Baruch who supported King Rhys I, there was no major resistance to Ruthern rule. King Boris II of Haense As the descendants moved to Atlas, the new Haeseni capital of Harrenstadt was established, named after the hero of the Greyspine rebellion, Harren of Metterden. Initially Haense’s influence in international affairs declined heavily as it sat torn on matters of centralization or decentralization, and was mostly neglected by other nations. This was until the Staunton Uprising took place, with the Anti-Marna alliance attacking the Crown of Marna-Renatus. The unpopular King Boris II of Haense sided with his ally in Marna, seeing the uprising as a chance to fight the Staunton enemy like his ancestors had done about 60 years prior. The war would end in a victory for Marna and thus Haense, and served as a huge popularity boost to Boris II who was often personally leading his men. His victory in the Staunton Uprising caused Haense’s influence on the stage of international politics to increase drastically and war reparations meant that Haense’s economy did well too. Siege of Senntisten In the latter years of Atlas however there was a major turning point for Haense in the form of the Fourth Atlas Coalition War. Haense sided with the Apostolic Empire and Haelun’or against the Anti-Empire coalition consisting of Norland, Krugmar, Kaz’Ulrah, Santegia, Holm, Gladewynn and Vrakai. What was initially expected to be a short war ended in a humiliating defeat for the Imperial alliance after their forces failed to siege Holm, were routed near Belvitz and defeated again near the ruins of Curon before the imperial capital of Senntisten came under siege and the Marnan Apostolic Emperor surrendered. After the utterly humiliating defeat of Haense and the Apostolic Empire, tensions flared again in Haense. Huge sums of money had to be paid to the victors of the war, ruining the prosperous Haeseni economy. Furthermore, many had been killed or injured in the war, with the public opinion in Haense being that the Kingdom had no role in this conflict and that it should have stayed out of it. Sounds of Stefanite rebellion were inflamed again by the House of Barbanov, and in an effort to keep the peace, King Boris II abdicated, symbolically handing Ruther’s Hammer to his son, who was crowned Demetrius I of Haense. During the coronation however, the hammer was stolen, leading to the Hammer Affair in which the Royal Grey Guard arrested and interrogated dozens of Haensemen. After a few days, Ser Robert Barbanov stepped forth in an effort to end the military brutality, announcing that he had stolen Ruther’s Hammer and sold it to the dwarves, using the money to feed the starving poor. While Ser Robert’s action earned him respect and admiration under the Stefanite supporters of House Barbanov, it infuriated young King Demetrius, who had him sentenced to death by public beheading. Ruther’s Hammer A year later, the descendants moved to Arcas, and tensions between Ruthern loyalists and Stefanite rebels were seemingly as high as they had been a century ago. The Haeseni peoples settled successfully in their new city of Akulgrad, meaning City of the Shark, on the northeastern shore of Arcas, but many still lived in extreme poverty, and civil unrest was higher after the mass migration than it had been in years. What did not help is that in the year 1707, Sigmar Barbanov was elected Duke of Adria by the Adrian Duma, something that many expected was a move by the Adrians to try to expand their influence in Haense. Whether such was the case or not, it sure further destablized Haense. In the years after his coronation as Duke, Sigmar Barbanov allied Adria to Courland, Norland and the elven nations, and in 1711, he made his move. A speech delivered in Akulgrad by his brother Marius incited a Stefanite riot with the aim to overthrow the Ruthern dynasty and once again place the House of Barbanov on the throne of Haense. That same day, Duke Sigmar proclaimed himself the rightful King of Haense and he and his allies declared war on Haense and the Apostolic Empire of Oren to support the Stefanite cause, starting The War of the Two Kings. The siege of Akulgrad The War of the Two Kings would go down as one of the bloodiest in descendant history. Many battles were fought, predominantly on Apostolic and Haeseni soil, and Haense suffered many, many casualties as it fought not only a war against Adria and its allies, but also a civil war against the Stefanite rebels within its own lands. After 8 intense years of fighting, the Siege of Akulgrad ended after 132 days. While coalition forces besieged the city from the outside, Stefanite forces within the walls had fought tooth and nail for every street, building and room, using anything they could enter as a fortress of their own. On the last day of the siege, coalition forces entered the crumbling city of sharks with the Barbanov King amongst them. They made their way to the ruins of the Eljabinsk palace, where the Ruthern King and his most loyal men remained in a basement command centre. Most of them had taken their own lives. King Demetrius and the others that still lived were slain there, as the Barbanov dynasty took back their ancestral crown. The Carrion Crows had come to feast.

___________________________________________________________________________ Vol. 5 No. 1 KAROSGRAD, 11 SA/360 ES PRICE THREE MINAS GRAND MAER HUNTED LOST DWARVEN CITY Study into the memoirs of late Grand Maer Sir Karl Amador showed that the father of Karosgrad had a most curious pastime: he was hunting for a lost dwarven civilization rumored to be somewhere in Arcas. When looking into the previous Grand Maer’s journals that are left to us, it was found that Sir Karl apparently was quite an avid explorer. Now it was no secret that the old Amador used to love some adventure ever since he retired from his position in the Imperial House of Commons, seeing as he was a known member of the Northern Geographical Society, but the extent of his searches and findings may surprise some. Sir Karl based the expeditions he lead on some recovered annales left behind in Arcas by the Vaeyl. He in fact wrote a book on the matter that’s able to be found in a variety of places including the NGS archives, called ‘Aegrimm’s Logs’. These travel logs left behind by the Vaeyl Order told of a variety of mysteries that seemed to have triggered the curiousity of our late Grand Maer. Among other things, he looked for and found a series of magical pillars with the help of friends and NGS colleagues. Initially they were thought to be part of a ritual to possibly end the world or release some great danger, before some of his colleagues found out that one of these pillars in fact offered a portal to the underworld, leading to the NGS’ famous Nether Expedition. Sir Karl also found some other sites that were initially cast aside as myth like the a strange graveyard of what were said to be great Orcish Wraiths in a place said to have been ruled by Krug himself, but the search he spent the most energy and time on was undoubtedly the search for the lost dwarven city of Kal’Vtoria. According the logs of the Vaeyl that Sir Karl cited, the Vaeyl located and attempted to excavate the entrance of what they believed was the legendary underground dwarven city, where a unique red metal was to be found called ‘Vtorium’. Sir Karl supposedly spent months across the years, going on a variety of expeditions in the White Stair mountains of Arcas, both on the surface and underground in the caves of Urguan, searching for any sign of the fabled city. In his writings of this search, he says to have found what he believes was perhaps an entrance to this lost realm, but before he could delve further into this mystery, he went to fight in the Scyfling War, dropping his lengthy search, which would ultimately find no conclusion. While this story has a dead end, it is more than just interesting to think of what Sir Karl might have uncovered had he continued to pursue his search for Kal’Vtoria, and it leads us on to wonder what might lay beneath our feet here in Almaris. ___________________________________________________________________________ RECREATION RESULTS FIRST KRAWN COMPETITION - The submissions for the First Krawn Competition are in and the winners have been announced! Joanne de Selm wins the first prize with her submissions “The White Ruskan” and “Floral Ruskan Colour”, winning 150 minas and a Barclay Waffen commission. Second place goes to Fleurette de Bethencourt’s “Primary Colours”, earning her 100 minas. Lastly, third place is shared between Mufasa Akman’s “Karamanoğulları Nobleman” and Revas Asul’onn’s “Revas’ Red”, with both of them receiving 50 minas. ___________________________________________________________________________ OBITUARY THE HONOURABLE SIR EDVARD ‘THE TAXMAN’ AMADOR Earlier this year, Karosgrad, and indeed Haense as a whole, lost one of its most long-serving civil servants. Sir Edvard Amador, known by many as ‘The Taxman’ was Haense’s Lord Treasurer, a job he worked in for many years, after already having served as High Seneschal for many years before that. Much like his younger brother, the late Grand Maer Sir Karl Amador, Sir Edvard was knighted in the Order of Maya and the Lily for his efforts to the Haeseni civil service, only in contrast to his brother, he received this award long before his death rather than posthumously. For it was clear to many, how diligently (and by all accounts how greedily) Sir Edvard set about his work, earning the Kingdom the minas it needed to function in and plough through tough times. Despite the obvious qualification of Sir Edvard’s successor, the honourable Ser Brandt Barclay, it should be clear to all that Haense suffered a great loss in the Amador’s suicidal demise after 75 years of life. His last words are reported to have been ‘Krusae Zwy Kongzem’, for a true patriot he was. Resquiescat In Pace Sir Edvard Amador HKML 1732-1807 ___________________________________________________________________________ ECONOMY AVERAGE PRICES Animal Hide - 0.75 Minas 0.0% Book - 0.2 Minas 0.0% Book & Quill - 1.75 Minas 0.0% Bread - 0.1 Minas 0.0% Ferrum Ingot - 1.25 Minas 0.0% Fleece - 0.3 Minas 0.0% Steak - 0.25 Minas 0.0% Wool - 0.25 Minas 0.0% LORD TREASURER SETS UP TRADING BOARD - In an effort to encourage domestic trade, the new Lord Treasurer, Ser Brandt Barclay, set up a Resource Trading Board as part of the 360 ES Royal Treasury Reforms. Any may place offers for items or resources they wish to sell on this board that is located in the lobby of the Golden Crow Bank. Others may then place bids on these resources while the Lord Treasurer attempts to moderate and update these sales. JOB OFFERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS Block & Elzevir Printing Whether you are looking for great coffee or great books, you’ll find it at Wailer Way III in Coffeehouse Elzevir or Block Books! Contact Editor Casimir Block ((Discord: Sander#0004)) if you wish to have a job offer or an advertisement for your business placed here. ___________________________________________________________________________ QUIZ Which Haeseni Non-Noble House has a cadet branch, but is itself a cadet branch of a cadet branch? Readers can send in their answer to have a chance of winning 40 Minas. The winner will be announced in the next issue of The Karosgrad Times. The answer to last issue’s quiz question was “Sir Dietrich van Jungingen”, sent in by Aleksandra Ludovar, who can come claim her prize money.

Coffeehouse Elzevir & Block Books I, Casimir Block, am proud to announce the recent opening of Karosgrad's newest businesses: Coffeehouse Elzevir and Block Books. This poster will serve to show what these stores have to offer! Both businesses can be found on the ground floor of the Embassy building in Karosgrad, next to the tavern and bank on Wailer Way III! Coffeehouse Elzevir Specializing in the farfolk coffee traditions, Coffeehouse Elzevir seeks to offer its customers not just coffee, but an experience. Our café is designed to be as cozy and homely as one's own livingroom, so that you can truly relax while drinking your hot beverage. With the bookstore being attached to our café, it offers our customers an excellent place to read and learn as well as discuss ideas with others. Not only the café is part of the experience however, our Khalasheen coffee is homemade according to traditional exotic recipes, served in beautiful bronze cans, along with homemade baklava to truly satisfy our customers deserving of nothing but a upstanding, high-class afternoon treatment. If you're not spending time at Elzevir, you're missing out! The Coffeehouse is open for business whenever personnel is present, however one may always reach out to Casimir Block ((Sander#0004)) to make a reservation, which is completely free! Block Books Block Books is the brand new bookstore in Haense! One can find an ever increasing arrangement of titles here, many of which are produced by our own printing press! At Block Books, special attention is paid to detail, and we like to experiment with printing images into our books! Is there a book that you'd like to buy, but we don't have it in our inventory? Fret not! Just let an employee know, and we'll look into acquiring it for you! Our mission is not just to sell books, but to educate the people of the world! Therefore, we keep our books at reasonable prices, and seek to print informational books, very often! Take a look at some examples! We hope to see you soon at Block & Elzevir!

___________________________________________________________________________ Vol. 1 No. 1 KAROSGRAD, 10 SA/359 ES PRICE THREE MINAS RESULTS OF THE 359 GENERAL ELECTION The results are in! With around 80,000 accepted votes, a large portion of the Haeseni population went out and voted in this year’s General Election, and after counting the many votes it has become clear who the winners are and who the losers are. Tribune (4 seats in the Duma): Hildebrand Mondblume - 72,000 votes - ELECTED Igor Kort - 70,000 votes - ELECTED Konrad Lauritsen - 64,000 votes - ELECTED Fionn Castaway - 54,000 votes - ELECTED Leon D'Airelle - 36,000 votes - NOT ELECTED Mariya Draghicescu - 24,000 votes - NOT ELECTED Alderman (3 seats in the Duma): Valerie D'Airelle - 66,000 votes - ELECTED Aleksandra Ludovar - 66,000 votes - ELECTED Vespira Ruthern - 65,000 votes - ELECTED Henriette Marna de Rafal - 43,000 votes - NOT ELECTED And lastly, the position of Grand Maer was won by Franz Barbanov in his bid for reelection, winning with 64% of the vote against his second time competitor Tarathiel Asul’onn who won only 36% of the vote, making it clear once again that the people of Karosgrad do not want an elven woman as Maer. ___________________________________________________________________________ POLITICS HOUSE AMADOR RECEIVES TITULAR UPGRADE - On the 2nd of Msitza and Dargund of the year 359, Haeseni Lord Ramdir Amador, previously a Baron, received a titular upgrade in the form of a Royal Letter from His Majesty, Heinrik II, granting him and the wider House of Amador the title of the Viscounty of Aurveldt. The now Viscount Ramdir will henceforth be styled with a title that will sound unfamiliar to any at first, for this Viscounty title was created for the occasion, with the House of Amador previously only having held the title of Mondstadt, be it as a Barony, County or even Duchy in the far past. From all of us at the Karosgrad Times, congratulations House Amador. EXTRA OMNES, HABEMUS PAPAM! - After the recent Diet of the Canonist Church in Karosgrad, where many of the Church’s leading Clergymen were killed and slaughtered by Haeseni and Orenian troops, a letter was sent out in the name of High Pontiff Owyn III, saying the Pontiff had passed away and been cremated in accordance to his wishes. It is unclear exactly how the Pontiff died or where, yet the letter issued in his name went on to state that a conclave was to be held by the remaining members of the Church to elect a new High Pontiff following Church tradition. It did not take too long for the Cardinals of the Church to announce ‘Habemus Papam’, that a new Pontiff had been elected by the college of Cardinals. They chose Manfried, Cardinal of St. Julia to be the next pontiff, who proceeded to style Himself as ‘Jude II’. We look forward to His reign over our most Holy Church, and hope that His leadership ushers in a new era of peace and stability. GRAND MAER ANNOUNCES COUNCIL - In his so-called “Seventh Edict of the Barbanov Maership”, Grand Maer Prince Franz Barbanov announced the establishment of a Municipal Council. This council will serve to advise the Grand Maer on a variety of matters regarding how the city of Karosgrad is run, and will consist of five members. Anyone interested in a position on this council can send a letter to the recently re-elected Grand Maer explaining what plans and aspirations they have for the city as well as their generic background information. ___________________________________________________________________________ RECREATION THE COURTSHIP OF SARAI ((saturday the 13th, 7:30pm EST)) - Brought to you by La Fleur Productions is their newest theatrical performance: The Courtship of Sarai. This play, starring the likes of Elizaveta Carrion, Edward Napier and Icroth Vursur, will be performed on the 12th of Gronna and Droba 360, in the Royal Academy Theatre in Karosgrad. It promises to be a smash-hit performance about the story of Harren, son of Horen, and his forsaken elvish wife: Sarai, who made an alliance between man and elf to save the world from the Orcs, and form the Adunian race. The actors will need to do their best to rise to the high expectations set by the promise of this play! ___________________________________________________________________________ OBITUARY HIS MAJESTY KOENG JOSEF I ‘THE LIBERATOR’ BARBANOV-BIHAR On the 5th of Wzuvar and Byvca, the whole of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska and the greater known world were stunned at the announcement of the death of His Majesty, Josef I. A king beloved by many, His Majesty was in his 37th year of his life and the 30th year of his reign. Death was no stranger to the Koeng, who ascended to the throne after his father’s suicide when he was 7 years of age. Despite coming onto the throne at a young age and also dying young, Koeng Josef I will undoubtedly be remembered fondly and as a good monarch and friend. During his lifetime he not only oversaw the independence of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, but also gave his efforts to ensure justice and stability in Haense, not to mention he managed to raise a tight-knit family, who shall look back on him as a loving father and husband. In a way though, Koeng Josef was a father to all his people, who he loved dearly and swore to protect to the grave. Had death not taketh our beloved monarch in a coma, it would have taken him on the battlefield, where he would’ve stood with sword and shield in the defense of his people. But alas, the King is dead, long live the King. Resquiescat In Pace Josef Barbanov-Bihar 1769-1806 ___________________________________________________________________________ ECONOMY AVERAGE PRICES Animal Hide - 0.75 Minas 0.0% Book - 0.2 Minas 0.0% Book & Quill - 1.75 Minas 0.0% Bread - 0.1 Minas 0.0% Ferrum Ingot - 1.25 Minas 0.0% Fleece - 0.3 Minas 0.0% Steak - 0.25 Minas 0.0% Wool - 0.25 Minas 0.0% JOB OFFERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS Contact Editor Casimir Block ((Discord: Sander#0004)) if you wish to have a job offer or an advertisement for your business placed here. ___________________________________________________________________________ QUIZ Which Waldenian is known as the greatest poet in Haeseni history? Readers can send in their answer to have a chance of winning 40 Minas. The winner will be announced in the next issue of The Karosgrad Times. Nobody sent in the correct answer for last issue’s quiz question.

Ser Fiske Vanir stared out of the window in silence upon hearing the news of his brother in law passing away. After a while he sighed deeply, signing the Lorraine cross and uttering the ancient Vanir phrase "The Sea bows to None" Before preparing himself to tell his wife of the news.

___________________________________________________________________________ Vol. 1 No. 1 KAROSGRAD, 9 SA/358 ES PRICE THREE MINAS PRINCE-REGENT MAKES NOBLE LADY ‘AS UGLY AS SHE IS ON THE INSIDE’ On the evening of the 10th of The Amber Cold, Prince-Regent Heinrik Barbanov got in a quarrel with Lady Rosalind Amador de Astrea. He threatened to have her hanged for treason, which she thought was a joke at first before he ordered an assistant to come forth who he subsequently ordered to behead her. The Prince-Regent then seemed to have changed his mind as he ordered to be given some scissors and further claimed that the Lady needed to be ‘shaved of her sins’. Ser Viktor Rauen then stepped in with the aim to restrain the Lady, whose daughter was present all the while, desperately trying to be let back to her mother as the young girl cried out in despair. The Prince-Regent then took a set of scissors to the Lady’s head, proceeding to cut off her hair. Lady Rosalind’s daughter meanwhile had broken free from the grasp of the maidens that restrained her, before going to stand in front of her mother, demanding the Prince quit his actions. She was quickly pushed aside by Ser Viktor, and hit her head on a nearby table, rendering the girl, who must not have been older than five or six years old, unconscious. After the Prince-Regent had cut all of the Lady’s hair off, he stated she was now ‘as ugly as she is on the inside’. It was then that our reporter was ordered to leave the building after an assistant of the Prince-Regent already attempted to take away the reporter’s equipment. Lady Rosalind Amador de Astrea could be found outside the palace later on, willing to say that she was being punished for bickering with the Queen. When asked why the Prince-Regent said she was guilty of treason, she refused to provide any further comment. ___________________________________________________________________________ POLITICS ROYAL ALDERMAN RESIGNS IN HONESTY - Last month of The First Seed, Royal Alderman Holy Sir Nicholas Barclay resigned from his position in the Duma through a letter to Her Excellency, the Lady Speaker Irene vas Ruthern. In the latest Golden Bull published by His Holiness Owyn III, Holy Sir Nicholas was given the task to counter secularism and the tolerance of heretics within the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, which would see him lobbying the Duma on behalf of a foreign power, that of the High Pontiff. The Holy Sir wrote that he felt he experienced a conflict of interest because of this, as he would have a vote in the Duma while also lobbying other members. The Barclay wrote he did not believe to be able to impartially represent the Haeseni people, and therefore, in an act of honesty we are accustomed to seldom see from politicians, he resigned his post like a true honourable man of GOD. NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 358 ES ELECTION - With the next General Elections of our Kingdom scheduled to take place later this year, nominations have opened up for the contested positions of Grand Maer, Royal Alderman and Tribune. While the nominations will remain open for some more time, we already have a range of individuals who announced their candidacy for one of the positions. As promised, Prince Franz Barbanov has already announced his re-election bid for the position of Maer, for which he will have to go face to face with former Alderman and Tribune Tarathiel Asul’onn, the woodelven tavernkeep, who has also announced her candidacy. So far there is only one candidate for the Tribune positions, of which there are four, which is one of the current Tribunes, Igor Kort, a very hard-working member of His Majesty’s Duma. For the three Royal Alderman positions however, two candidates have already declared they are running. This being the 23-year-old Vespira Ruthern and the recently knighted Aleksandra Ludovar. In the months to come, more people will undoubtedly announce their candidacy, debates will be held at the Royal Academy of Saint Charles, and the actual election will take place. In next year’s issue, the elected individuals will be mentioned. DUKE OF REINMAR ABDICATES - Shortly after the news of King Josef’s incapacitation, other saddening news came from Duke Manfred of Reinmar of the House of Barclay. The Duke, who was also the Marshal of Haense, announced that he would be resigning from his job in the army, and abdicating his Ducal title to his son, Friedrich Barclay, who was consequently also named the next Marshal on behalf of merit and experience. Duke Friedrich is the fourth Barclay to consecutively hold the position of Marshal, after his great grandfather, grandfather and father held it before him. When asked why he felt the need to abdicate, Lord Barclay stated that he felt like he had ‘given everything I possibly could have’ to both the army and his family and that it was time for a new generation to take the reigns. Upon being asked what he planned to do now that he was retired, the former Duke gave our reporter Casimir Block a tired smile and said he would probably take up fishing or some other hobby. To his men in the army and others, he says that he wishes all of them good luck in their endeavors and that they might think back on him as an example from time to time. For his service to the Crown and in the Haeseni armed forces, Lord Manfred Barclay was awarded the title of ‘Valtakossar’ in the Order of Maya and the Lily, the highest title of knighthood in the Kingdom, previously only held by the Statesman Terrence May. ___________________________________________________________________________ RECREATION THE KRAWN COMPETITION ((friday the 5th, 5pm EST)) - Palatine Kommissar Marcella Karolina Barclay recently announced the first of a series of competitions organized by the Crown is to be held. The competition will be to promote Haeseni culture and art, specifically challenging contestants to design attire in the traditional Ruskan fashion. Aside from all submissions being displayed in the gallery of the winter palace in Karosgrad, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive 150, 100 and 50 minas respectively, atop of a free commission to Barclay Waffen for the first place winner. Aspiring contestants have 4 months left to submit their work. ___________________________________________________________________________ ECONOMY TREASURY DEPARTMENT MEETS - Earlier this year, the top of the Kingdom’s Treasury department, consisting of Lord Treasurer Sir Edvard Amador, General Auditor Ser Fiske Vanir and Ser Brandt Barclay, held a meeting to discuss the Kingdom’s economy and their plans going forward. While not everything that was discussed was disclosed, our reporter was informed of a few things. For example, Haense is doing quite well on the balance sheet, with a stable economy that other nations may wish they had. Something less positive that was brought up is the low occupation percentage of market stalls and stores in the capital of Karosgrad, with over 72% of these stalls standing unused. It is rumored that lowering the taxes for market stalls might be on the Treasury’s agenda to encourage the renting of these. A definite result of this meeting however is the growing strength and prominence of the Haeseni Fur Trading Company, going forward with full support of the Haeseni government. The company already has stores set up in places like Karosgrad, Varhelm and Providence. AVERAGE PRICES Animal Hide - 0.75 Minas 0.0% Book - 0.2 Minas 0.0% Book & Quill - 1.75 Minas 0.0% Bread - 0.1 Minas 0.0% Ferrum Ingot - 1.25 Minas 0.0% Fleece - 0.3 Minas 0.0% Steak - 0.25 Minas 0.0% Wool - 0.25 Minas 0.0% JOB OFFERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS Contact Editor Casimir Block ((Discord: Sander#0004)) if you wish to have a job offer or an advertisement for your business placed here. ___________________________________________________________________________ QUIZ Who was the Apostolic King that founded the Kingdom of Ruska? Readers can send in their answer to have a chance of winning 40 Minas. The winner will be announced in the next issue of The Karosgrad Times. The winner of the previous quiz question was Franz Barbanov with the answer; “Robert I”.