roseways

So long, farewell.. I’ll miss you silver!

Empress Lorena motions the Lorraine Cross over the red hues adorned in her bodice, suspiring in the quiet of the chapel of St. Adrian, “May GOD lead his blessed people into peace, and those who betray him into turmoil. Amen.”

OPERATION LADY IN HIGHTOWER 6th of Tobias’ Bounty 1743 Col. Sabari, with men, concocting the plot. Within the confines of the dimly lit Bastille sat Colonel Darius Sabari and a short-list of staff. The men had been sitting for some many hours within that office, which had been utterly tarnished by the smoke of tobacco. A single man remained stationed outside the door, with orders to send off any visitors. Classified business. Captain Jasper spoke to his compatriots. “But you have seen what they plan for our Empress - villains! A frontal assault is all but what we have left.” The younger officer had just come off of escaping the prisons of Rubern himself, and as such as filled with the brazen zeal which drives men to such heroics. His eyes were blackened with exhaustion, but his heart was full with courage. Col. Sabari would have none of it, however, waving off the plan with a dismissive grunt. “We have tried, time and time again, to secure such an offensive; and we have received nothing but setbacks in return. You yourself were captured by the brutes, Jasper, you oughta know best what they make of their meals. No. There shall be no assault.” Darius then stood from his desk, deep with ponderance. The question of Her Imperial Majesty’s rescue had given the Colonel too many sleepless nights to count: would the loss of one life not lose us everything? The Rubernites and their allies planned a show trial, a mockery, a humiliation of that Imperial prestige. It could not happen, so he swore. “If we shall not have them by the sword, then we shall have them by trickery.” So declared the Colonel, and at once the men set to work with a plan. Lieutenant Cyrus Basrid would keep the horse, while Darius and Jasper would raise the ladders. They would crawl in behind the Rubernites in the dead of night, avoiding what detection they may, and break the Empress out of her captivity by sleight of hand. Entering the Manor of Harlingen, the estate from which the plot would be launched. Departing the following evening, the trio of officers made way for Rubern under the cover of dusk. The timing served its purpose, both for cover in the evening, and for the plot itself; it would begin only after midnight, while all were asleep, and only the moon and the stars served as their sentries. Reaching the outskirts of Rubern, the men stopped short, gazing up in awe to the high tower in the distance. It was there where they kept the Empress, this they hoped. Further now they did ride, halting only below the tower walls. Thank the Heavens for the architecture of the thing, for the defenses allowed the officers a route up and over the walls with relative ease. Lt. Basrid remained as ordered with the horse, ready to set the Empress upon it when she was retrieved. Sabari and Jasper set to work, laying the rope ladder against the walls, and scaling it with what cover they may pray for. Afterwards climbed up Secretary John Basrid, To their luck, the walls - and the tower itself - were empty. What sentries the Rubernites had ordered to stand guard over the Empress, their most prized possession, had gone themselves to sleep. The men were at liberty to do as they pleased. There are multiple points of entry into the high tower. A basement, and the entrance on the ramparts. Using the lockpicks that had been supplied for the mission via Secretary Basrid’s Sutican connections, Darius failed - twice - to budge the entries. Swearing rhenyari curses, the men had to fall back to the secondary plan. Another ladder was erected, this time atop the ramparts. Colonel Sabari, with care for the lives of his men greater than his own, had dreaded this possibility. Another ladder was sure to bring attention to the plot, and lead to its downfall; along with Her Imperial Majesty’s own. Undeterred, however, the men pressed on. With a great crash, the stained glass panes had been shattered with a hammer. The glass came pouring down upon the ledge, and the dogs, as they do, began to howl with alert. It was now or never. Weighed down with the immensity of the situation, the men poured in through the shattered window, and made way straight as they could to free their Empress. Reaching an iron door in their path, Darius set down to work as quick as he could. Time was ticking, and his adrenaline had now rendered his hands shaky. By all the grace of luck, and of God, his nerves did not break him; with a click, the men had passed the door. Their Empress was just in sight now! O, they would see her out of this, thank the Heavens! Approaching the final door-they heard her shouting, now, in realization that her saviors had arrived- Col. Sabari immediately set once more to work. “ The Lady in the Hightower “ Kneeling down once more, Darius set his eyes on the keyhole. He picked and twisted, the howls of the dogs getting ever-closed. His compatriots grilled him on, nearly shouting now for his work to be finished. With terror, the lock near jammed; but with enough diligence, a click was heard, and Her Imperial Majesty came bursting out the door. The party scaled down the walls with utmost haste, and Lorena Christina was set upon her awaiting steed. By this time, a relief party of cavalrymen from the 2nd Regiment had arrived, with earlier orders by Secretary Basrid to harass any attempts at foiling an escape. Galloping off towards Helena, and arriving just as the morning light began to shine on that rubied city, the lady in the hightower had returned. By the bravery of a few men, the Empress had been snatched from the jaws of death.

THE DAY OF ST. ROBERT’S BOUNTY Tobias’ Bounty, 1743 The procession of St. Robert’s body, c.1670. IT IS WITH PRIDE THAT THE HOLY ORENIAN EMPIRE has continued over the wounds and trivialities of ongoing warfare. To commemorate and prolong the recent show of esteem reached through the Orenian people’s unmitigated morale, a paramount celebration shall be held the 12th day of Tobias’ Bounty, preceded by two smaller events, to honor the holiday of St. Robert’s Bounty and carouse in optimism. Parade of the Emperor’s Forces ((Friday, November 29th, 5PM EST)) On the first of the two days of revelry, citizens will be encouraged to gather along the wide-brimmed streets of Helena to watch our brave soldiers march from the city’s front gates to the Palace throne room. Following this, the Imperials shall give a rousing speech and present medals to those who have proven themselves more than capable in the field of battle. The White Hunt ((Saturday, November 30th, 3PM EST)) The first event of the holiday shall occur in the form of an imperial elk-hunt across the forests of Selm, primarily entrusted to the soldiers of Helena and participating citizens. The acquired beast is to be served as the main dish of the coming feast, and prepared by the courtiers of the palace into a culinary delight. The Petrian Bacchanal ((Saturday, November 30th, 8PM EST)) Coming into the true fashion of St. Robert’s Bounty, the Petrian Bacchanal will invite the citizens of Oren into the Dragon’s Rest Tavern to partake of endless food, entertainment, and the freedom to carouse to their heart’s content by encouragement of St. Robert ‘the Fat’. O.B CITY OF HELENA CORPORATION

Empress Lorena sends the traditional turkey leg roast to Queen Milena of Haense and her family in celebration. @Axelu

Lorena’s lips are anointed with the gentle noiselessness of a smile with which to steady Anna’s perplexity, sending the girl only a brief glance in acknowledgement; gloved fingers danced with the complements of an inked quill, scribing the following atop an aged parchment, to be sent to Princess Ester the following day: Dearest cousin, I have just received word of your detail. None bearing Devereux blood could ever have imagined that such inquiries would ever be required, yet now we see that it was incumbent of you, for in your own words you are made to speak for a bedridden cousin whose reputation has been squandered by a man out of his right. So now, when there is little more to be addressed, what stands in question is the distance that subjugates us into the sustenance of lacking acquaintance. Thus, I plead you visit me alongside your family, so we may rehabilitate this broken air. With love, Lorena Helane

(( trash formatting fix yourself pls @Axelu

Lorena’s fingers strum over the white-hair coat of her new puppy, regarding the letter with a breezy read before stuffing it into the mouth of said creature, “Will we ever see an end to the conflicts of the haeseni and renatians? We can only depend on GOD now to guide us into peace.”

HELENA CITY ELECTIONS OF 1740 The Helena City Corporation, issued 12th of Horen’s Calling, 1740 “Dissimilar to the monarchal construct of our exalted laws of imperial succession, the city elections of Helena have continually held themselves to be a system of elective democracy accountable for the ongoing patriotism and good-will most inhabitants to the secular crownlands align themselves to, be it ever correspondent to the atmosphere of war we the people of the Holy Orenian Empire now find ourselves in.” -Elections of 1736 With the end of the quadrennial terms for the current members of the Board of Ward Liverymen, new elections must be hosted to ensure the fluency of legislation and civil performance within the City of Helena. Any candidates wishing to run for office are required to be in attendance to present campaign speeches describing their respective intentions for the city of Helena if they were to win. Those already standing as Liverymen may choose to run for their positions a second time against opposing candidates, so long as they prepare campaign speeches unique to their original ones. POSSIBLE ELECTIVE POSITIONS: LIVERYMAN OF THE PRUVIA WARD: Represents all noble citizens of Helena, and thus must hold status as a registered noble of the crownlands wedded to, or an immediate relation of, a patriarch of Baronet status or higher, and reside permanently within Helena’s walls. LIVERYMAN OF THE PONCE WARD: Represents all gentry of Helena, and thus must hold status as a registered Knight of the crownlands, and reside permanently within Helena’s walls. LIVERYMAN OF THE BELL WARD: Represents all common citizens of Helena beside the Pitch Ward, and thus must be of common status, and reside permanently within Helena’s walls. LIVERYMAN OF THE PITCH WARD: Represents all common citizens of Helena beside the Bell Ward, and thus must be of common status, and reside permanently within Helena’s walls. LIVERYMAN OF THE GILDED WARD: (AUCTION) Represents all wealthy citizens of Helena, and thus must be reside permanently within Helena’s walls. Is an auctioned seat. Signed, HER IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Lorena Christina of the House of Helane, Empress-consort of Oren, First Lady of the Exchequer, and Duchess of Augustin. ((OOC: ELECTIONS THIS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3RD, 6PM EST))

run and never come back

Lorena smiles, seeking out her tailor to prepare a new dress with which to attend.

Lorena set alight a candle, though it was veiled by the groveling aura of the Meszair palace crypts, it’s radiance shedding no contrast of golden hue upon the twittering of dusk-ridden bats which cowered from the purdah donned in her approach, nor on the bristling of melodious crickets which wept a lonesome tale of lament and remembrance to the man she’d realized as the embodiment of the father she’d lost in a disconsolate youth; For he was strong of heart yet narrow of mind, excepting times when he needed his mind most. Stopping upon a pillar of stone and marble, her body crept downwards to settle a knitted husk of black iris flowers atop the baluster of Adrian’s gravestone, whispering a singular prayer to herself as she weaned away from the path, and away from a past in dispirit.

Lorena slaps her husband upside the head, “Go back to looking pretty!” She says.