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✧──────────────⊱🜂⊰──────────────✧ AUDITIONS: LORENA’S LAMENT, A PLAY IN THREE ACTS. ISSUED BY THE ON THIS 15TH DAY OF TOV AG YERMEY OF 514 E.S. ✧──────────────⊱🜂⊰──────────────✧ THE ESROVA PRIKAZ COURT is seeking talented souls to grace the stage of our great hall. We seek actors and bards of all kinds to bring life to our stories and merriment to our evening. The Esrova Prikaz Court will be hosting a theatrical performance of The Valiant Adventures of Ser Arthur: Lorena’s Lament - a play written by Ludvika Sofya Ludovar. We seek actors to play the following roles: LORENA: A dishonorable noblewoman of low standing who rebelled against her home state to stand with the Duke of Adria. Cladded in Adrian red. SER ARTHUR: A Noble Marian knight and brother to Lorena. Captures, imprisons, and buries his sister. SER VANHART: A ginger-headed Marian knight obsessed with honor and protecting his kingdom. AMELTH/GUARD/VILLAGER: First a Ludovar warrior. Then a prison guard. Then an onlooker to the execution. JAKOB/GUARD/VILLAGER: First a Ludovar warrior. Then a prison guard. Then an onlooker to the execution. LITTLE BOY/VILLAGER: First the son of a rich Margravine who gets lost. Then an onlooker to the execution. MARGRAVINE/VILLAGER: First a rich Margravine who loses her son. Then an onlooker to the execution. All interested should prepare a short monologue or showcase of your acting or musical ability for auditions. ✧──────────────⊱🜂⊰──────────────✧ Her Royal Majesty, AMAYA OF VENZIA, Queen-Consort of Hanseti and Ruska, Princess-Consort of Bihar, Dules, Lahy, Muldav, Solvesborg, Slesvik and Ulgaard, Duchess-Consort of Carnatia and Vanaheim, Margravine-Consort of Korstadt, Rothswald, and Vasiland, Countess-Consort of Alban, Alimar, Baranya, Graiswald, Karikhov, Karovia, Kaunas, Kavat, Kovachgrad, Kvasz, Markev, Nenzing, Torun, Toruv, Valdev, and Werdenburg, Viscountess-Consort of Varna, Baroness-Consort of Esenstadt, Kraken’s Watch, Kralta, Krepost, Lorentz, Rytsburg, Thurant, and Astfield, Lady of the Westfolk, et cetera Firress, ESMERAY LUCERAN, Lauzya and Royal Scribe of the Esrova Court

THE TORMENT OF TATIANA: Written by LUDVIKA SOFYA LUDOVAR On this 13th day of Vzmey ag Hyff of 505 E.S. PREFACE & PLOT The tragic tale of love between a leading lady and a foreign, corrupted, prince. While the rumored romance of this play is in fact true, it was altered in many ways to the point it is no longer a tale of truth. The plot is purely fiction and must be treated as such. Krusae zwy Kongzem. SETTING Somewhere between the 1820s to 1830s in the Royal City of Karosgrad, Haense. Acts One and Three are in the royal gardens behind the Nikirala Palace while Acts Two and Four are in Vidaus, one outside and one inside respectively. Everything is occurring during the very first Lifstala, between the social matchmaking events. CHARACTERS TATIANA: A blonde woman of Ruthern descent. ANTONIUS: The Prince of Vîlachia, a dangerous and conniving man. EMMA: A friendly woman of Kortrevich descent. MARIC: The Duke of Vidaus, father to Tatiana. NURSE: The childhood caretaker of Tatiana. JAN: The Count of Jerovitz, an honorable suitor looking for a love match. _________ ACT 1 | The Garden _________ ACT 2 | The Letter _________ ACT 3 | The Plight _________ ACT 4 | The Attack

THE TRAGEDY OF KING MARIUS I Dramatis Personae Marius, King of Haense Tobias, King of Courland Otto Heinrik, Crown Prince of Haense, brother of the king Karl Sigmar, Uncle of the king, Regent Lukas Vanir, Chancellor of Haense, the loyal minister Merric Staunton, Prince of Courland, cousin of Tobias Diedrik Barrow, the disobedient Interior Minister Sergei II, Cavalry commander, Lord of Kovachev, Duke of Carnatia Brynden Vanir, Lord Marshal, Lord of Vanir, Margrave of Vasiland Boris, Lord of Ruthern, Count of Metterden Otto Marius, Lord of Baruch, Baron of Ayr Adolphus, Lord of Vyronov, Baron of Graiswald Owyn, Lord of Amador, Baron of Mondstadt Alistar, Lord Commander of the Golden Crow, renowned poet Julia, Aunt of the king Tatiana, Aunt of the king, wife of Brynden Reza Elizaveta, the Queen-Mother Rory Othaman, Archbishop and Commander Sergeant, veteran soldier Reeve Brawm, traitor ACT I SCENE I. St. Karlsburg. The courtyard of Ottosgrad Palace. It is the winter of 1586. Alistar, a close confidant of the royal family walks outside of the castle holding a leash with a small grey puppy. There are thick heaps of snow that cover across the ground. ALISTAR (Enter Alistar, holding a leash with a young grey pup. Alistar picks up the young king and props Marius on his lap as he clears his throat.) Come Do you know the story of your namesake? Attend, young boy to Gaius Marius! The strength of GOD was vested upon him, Bringing with him the pride of Hanseti. For great was his brav’ry against his foes. To thee, young king, this ode I utter thus, Harken to his name, Gaius Marius! Today you are the one who stands on high, A great destiny few men seek to try. (The young Marius sits quietly, looking up at the poet’s narrative in awe. Enter Julia with courtiers.) JULIA Alas, poor boy, afflicted by neglect. I am baffl’d and disgraced to see him. Myself I throw dread monarchy at thy feet. Destined art thou to fail at eagle’s nest. Kings are but gilded snow and melted ice, Glistening upon the highest mountain. How great the mountain stands above the rest, Until the time of the season must change. All glistening of snow thus melts away. The wond’rous winter has but now elapsed, Leaving behind no trace to behold. Such became of the reign of his father, For now the season’s change has now arrived. (A gentle cascade of snowflakes descends to the ground.) ALISTAR Have hope dear princess, lest we be faithless! Woe to us, for GOD calls men to be strong. To what do we owe this ode of pity? There is no room for gloom and heartlessness, Deriding the blessing that GOD doth give. (Alistar hands the leash to Marius.) ALISTAR A wolf pup is a loyal companion, Surely a friend for life and unto death. The deep cold of the winters here in Haense, Test the soul to all that you shall hold dear. As a wolf is nourished by his master, So does a land from the love of their king. (Exit Julia and Marius.) ALISTAR My GOD, if thou hearest me in prayer, Look with pity and on the sins of the past. Strengthen those who need your guidance the most, And for this blessed Northmarch, redemption. Shed the angst of Andrik’s folly and vice, Renew the hearts of those who fear this life, And give us the grace to handle our pain. (Exit Alistar. Scene closes.) SCENE II. St. Karlsburg. The sparring arena within the Golden Crow barracks. Enter Otto Heinrik, Alistar, several Golden Crow guardsmen. OTTO HEINRIK (Otto picks up a sparring sword.) From the seas of Serpentstone to Greyspine, A warrior will I be to the north. So vast this land, yet I shall see its ends, From the mount of my strong and steady steed. Enemies to the right, and to the left, So great they are but still unmatched for me. ALISTAR Lo, Otto use your sense and keep your head! The enemy may come, or they may go, But the defender always stays en guarde. OTTO HEINRIK Heartily, I speak the truth, do I not? Great are the gifted fathers of Joren, So too am I, to follow in their stead! GUARD (Bellowing.) Entering His Majesty the King! (Enter Marius, flanked by his retinue of courtier and Gold Crow guardsmen.) MARIUS So great is Otto, who else can compare? Perhaps a jester roaming the manure! I kid, good brother for no one compares! (A nun comes forward, setting a desk for Marius’ study.) The words of yore still strike us true, Ever to keep us on our watchful eyes. Let none deceive or hinder, the glory Of the glacial and majestic winter. Whoso wishes to deny GOD’s elect, the Highlander and their great free spirit? ALISTAR I see you have excelled in your studies. It takes more than just one’s strength and one’s pride, But an unwavering mind that can see all. Barbanov never falls short of duty. (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE III. St. Karlsburg. The throne room of Ottosgrad palace. Enter Karl Sigmar, seated at the throne. Royal courtiers fill the peripheries of the palace throne room. Marius, Otto, the Queen-Mother flank Karl Sigmar. The Haense peerage are all present. The issue with the inclusion of House Brawm divides the Crown and the House of Kovachev. KARL SIGMAR (Seated at the throne. His face is shrouded in fatigue) My lords, we convene to discuss disputes, Concerning the lands within Carnatia. With that, the Duke Kovachev may rise forth. SERGEI II Your Highness and my fellow noble lords. Tis but a day of sad regret I rise, A man of loyalty and reverence To our Northern pride and our Northern crown. Why must we, the very House that sheltered Our king and gladly sacrificed our lives For the Kingdom, fight for security? KARL SIGMAR His Grace will cease his statement of dispute. Alas, the Duke heeds not my prior words, And with deaf ears he proceeds to this court! (Brawms snicker in the background.) SERGEI II Damned if I should act, damned if I do not. (Looks around to the courtiers.) His Highness seeks to silence me, but the Sun shines both on the good and the wicked! Woe to this court should complacency rule! We serve the right, not the dogs that were set On our duly earned Carnatian land. Friends, kinsmen, pledge your attention to me! I come to petition this esteemed court Not to sow dissent nor anger your hearts. May he not forget my own sworn duty, Not to the fallible whims of myself, But to Haense and the lands which I defend. Nor have I stood here to exhaust contempt I demand all for my kin what is due, Riddance the plague that is House Brawm in Haense. KARL SIGMAR You stand in my court, audacious and proud. Careful with your use of such words, Your Grace. They do not serve you well for your demands. Our union of vassals stands without doubt. Perhaps it is that pride of yours to fix. To all who here, to thine ears I impart, The Crown is uncontested in all respect. For if anyone should show dissent here Let he be admonished in our presence. I hereby grant in this place our assent, that those of Houndsden shall dwell among us. (Exit all but Karl Sigmar and Marius.) KARL SIGMAR My nephew, I pray you know the burden. Let neither duke nor count speak over you. The lofty ambitions of your vassals Must never come before you nor the Crown. As GOD commands the snow fall all around, He blesses the land with wintry wonder, That where it falls, your reign shall reside. Know this fully and keep this in your heart, For the day of reckoning shall be had. (Karl Sigmar gave a sigh prior to departing the throne room.) MARIUS (Looked around at the empty room, the portraits of his father and grandfather prominently peering down upon him.) To stand or fall, this I must decide now. Shall I be condemned a life of burdens, Or shall I bring honor to this great house? Is it greater to endure the pains of this crown, Or to look upon strife as total strength? The swooping talons of rival birds strike, But the noble crow is steadfast to fight. For in death, I can sleep in quick respite. But what glory does that bring to the north? Who would stand in my stead to take on such? The spurns of this station define this life. What life have I been given to define! No limits bear down on me but my thoughts, The fears that dwell within this naive mind. For it is true fear that creates weakness, Furthering blinding the sight of resolve. I pray, yet I hear nothing from the saints. Oh gracious GOD and by Karl and Otto, By Petyr and Andrik, let me succeed. May this be your good will above indeed. (Exit Marius. Scene closes.) ACT II SCENE I. St. Karlsburg. A hallway within Ottosgrad palace. Marius is seated along the staircase of Ottosgrad, accompanied by Tatiana who is weeping. MARIUS (Comforts Tatiana and speaks in a jovial tone.) Pray, good aunt, confide in me your sorrows! What vice has afflicted your graciousness? TATIANA My dear young boy, I should not burden you. I shan’t wrest you away from your affairs. MARIUS No, dear aunt. I enjoy your company! TATIANA How gracious you share love for all. Alas, your uncle Brynden shows disdain, For his mindless actions cause much pain to me. His deep ambition remains above me, His mind has no care for our family. For love is scarce among men in this world. But you, o’ king and loving toward all. Give to the north your hand and heart with glee, Never to let go of your greatest vow: To be true and faithful in all your deeds. MARIUS To you I vow always to be truthful. Never shall I shirk this given mandate. To all who give their just and wise counsel, I attend with heed to what I must do. For you, dear soul art a blessing to me, Showing pure what love can bring to us all. Tis more than love that I have learned from you, But loving those who give not back the same. Such is the duty of this great station. (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE II. St. Karlsburg. The throne room of Ottosgrad palace. It is the day of King Marius’ coronation. The noble lords, courtiers, clergy, and royal family are congregated within the throne room at Ottosgrad. King Marius dons royal attire. REZA ELIZAVETA At last the day of accession is here! You shall finally wear the Franciscan crown, Take the scepter in hand and show to all, That you will be a king of great courage. Look in awe dear son, for you now wear gold! (Reza gestures toward the Franciscan Crown, a gold circlet with protruding features each ornately adorned with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds.) MARIUS Gold I shall wear but worry fills my heart, For this gold has ruined many a man. Mine own father was corrupted by it, And the Kingdom suffered for his great sins. (Marius’ face is filled with worry, but he cannot break his gaze from the crown. Reza places a comforting hand on his shoulder.) REZA ELIZAVETA Remember my son, you are not Andrik. MARIUS Truly mother, my father I am not. My people look upon me with great hope; For their sake and mine own, I must triumph. (The crowd quiets as Rory Othaman, Bishop of St. Karlsburg, processions to the throne followed closely behind by altar boys and the nobles of the realm.) RORY OTHAMAN Kneel, King, and accept the blessing of God. (Marius kneels, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Rory turns to an altar boy, and dips his thumb into a glass vessel filled with oil.) RORY OTHAMAN Be now blesséd by this holy chrism, O King, chosen by God to rule us all. Let no evil into thy heart, for you Shall walk with the Almighty as your guide. (Rory draws a Lorraine cross with the oil on Marius’ forehead. He then takes the Franciscan Crown and holds it above Marius’ head.) RORY OTHAMAN Swear thee now, King, to serve dutifully And, with whole of mind and body, protect Thy subjects who gather now before thee? To uphold justice, strike down evil men, Strive for peace between brothers and nations, And hold in great esteem the laws of God? MARIUS So I swear. (Rory lowers the crown onto Marius’ head, then steps back. Marius rises.) RORY OTHAMAN Long live the King! REZA ELIZAVETA Long live the King! (The Crowd cheers and continues the chant until Marius raises his hands to signal for silence.) MARIUS Whether this life be brief or storied thus, To my leal vassals, I stand in your midst, To proclaim to you a firm and resolute realm. Now that the drums of war have been ceased, Our people shall commit ourselves thusly: To strengthen this kingdom with unity. Let us rebuild honorable custom, And the respect that every man is due. It is the cause of every Haeseni, To fulfill their destiny under God, Honoring our fathers with sacrifice, Reaping the harvest of honest labor, And leaving bounties when we are in graves. (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE III. St. Karlsburg. Marius’ office within Ottosgrad palace. It is early yet in Marius’ reign, and already he makes plans to meet with Lords Amador and Ruthern to settle a dispute between them. He waits in the royal office with his newly appointed Chancellor, Lukas Vanir, and his brother Otto Heinrik. MARIUS Come, Lukas, and tell me thus: that you have Grown accustomed to your new position. Few men may boast of such a rise as yours, From lowly mayor to noble Chancellor! You are surely proud of your achievement. LUKAS VANIR Ambition is not my wont, my lord King. I desire only to serve the Kingdom; The Greater Man places her above all. MARIUS A comfort, indeed, to hear you say so. Lacking faith in one’s councilor brings no Rest to one’s heart, but know that I place my Trust in you to serve this Crown loyally. Tell me, for what purpose have we been called? LUKAS VANIR To rule on a dispute as regards the Barony of Marbrand, seated between Lords Metterden and Mondstadt who presently Make way to your majesty’s grand office. (A knock at the door.) MARIUS Whence is that knocking? Come, let us see you. (Enter Boris Ruthern and Owyn Amador) MARIUS My lords, what troubles bring you here to-day? BORIS My liege, here is a villain and a traitor Who, by his own greed, seeks to take from me That which was granted by Petyr the King. My royal sovereign, my claim over the Greyspine Gate and my duty to guard it, A duty in which I have not failed thee, Are now both besieged by Lord Amador. An Owl he is assuredly not, For the lowest of rats alone cause such Havoc betwixt Haeseni brothers. OWYN My noble King, thou mustn’t listen to These false charges; truer words have come from The mouths of pagan Norlanders, who kill Freely and worship a false flaming God. Baron Marbrand has faith not in Lord Ruthern, For the shark has shown it will bite whatever It must to attain its true goal, the crown. Why then should any man serve the will of A lord who himself acts in poor faith? Be wary, my liege, for even now the Traitor conspires to take from thee thy throne. BORIS You clay-brained fool! Damn’d be your family! I ought to strike you down where you stand, knave! LUKAS VANIR We are in His Majesty’s company! Neither the dwarves of Urguan nor the Elves of Haelun’or carry themselves so! Raise you again your voice in aggression, And cursed be the day you choose to do so. Now step back and allow us to discuss. (Boris and Owyn scowl at Lukas, but silence themselves and step away whilst Lukas speaks in a lowered voice to Marius.) LUKAS VANIR See how they bear themselves, Your Majesty, As though crowned with allegiance and good faith? I am of one mind with your Lord Uncle, You must never allow your vassals to Dictate your actions unto you, my King. Regardless, this dispute has all signs of Peril, should either man feel insulted. Sire, assign an envoy to speak in Your name to keep you, in their hearts, friendly. (Marius nods. Lukas motions for Boris and Owyn to return within earshot.) MARIUS Lords Mondstadt, Metterden, be calm I say. This issue is of great import to us, And it is our interest to see it solved. Our brother Otto who has our respect, For he has done a great many things to Earn it, shall intercede on our behalf And bring to resolution this matter. None shall interfere in our goal to build A resolute realm; you will accept his Decision, whatever it may be. BORIS Thank you, my liege. OWYN Most gracious of you, sire. (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE IV. St. Karlsburg. The throne room of Ottosgrad palace. Marius sits in court, speaking with his gathered nobles and family. (Enter Sergeant) SERGEANT Pardon for the interruption, my King. Lord Reeve Brawm seeks admittance to your majesty. MARIUS We’ll give him present audience. Bring him. (Enter Reeve Brawm) MARIUS What message have you from our lord Houndsden? REEVE BRAWM Thus says my lord: To Marius King of Haense, Knave, polisher of Imperial boots, Only contempt and slight regard for you. Here lays our demand: full independence And freedom from your tyrannical shackles. No longer shall Hound lick the feet of the Crow, Who is unworthy of the crown it bears. In the name of my lord and our house, (Reeve Brawm removes his left glove, tossing it at Marius’ feet. Gathered nobles and courtiers gasp in surprise.) There lies our challenge to this mockery That fools may call the Kingdom of Haense. What message shall I return to Houndsden? (Marius picks up the glove and looks at it before responding.) MARIUS To your master say thus: that we accept His challenge and take arms against him. Houndsden shall regret this folly, see his Mistake, and regret the day he chose To turn his back on us, who have only Defended him to this court of our peers. Accused of tyranny, what nonsense. The only present mockery is his, The ruin he has but guaranteed for his house. Our response shall be like thunder, an earthquake, So hot an answer of it that all shall Return his mock and the people of Haense Shall see our actions as matching to his Frivolous and unwarranted insult. Leave now, tell your master what we have said. REEVE BRAWM I shall deliver so. Thanks to your highness. (Reeve bows and exits.) MARIUS What say you, Uncle Vasiland? Are the Armies of Hanseti-Ruska prepared To face this threat which has reared its ugly head? BRYNDEN VANIR Your soldiers stand willing and ready, sire. As do your loyal lords who gather here To-day, who shall stand with you to-morrow, And ev’ry day thereafter until these Traitors are brought before God Almighty. SERGEI II Your Majesty, most humbly I request The lead of the vanguard against these dogs, Who have mine own family harassed and Now make war against thy most august crown. MARIUS Take it, Carnatia, lead us to glory. Vasiland, Metterden, Ayr, great lords all, Raise your banners and rally your forces For we shall make war on these dogs of Brawm! BRYNDEN, ADOLPHUS, SERGEI, OWYN, and BORIS To war! (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE V. Houndsden. The royal command tent in the siege camp. Marius, Lukas, Brynden Vanir, Adolphus, Sergei II, and Otto Marius have all gathered within the royal command tent in the Houndsden siege camp. ADOLPHUS Mighty is your artillery, my liege! For even now the dogs within the fort Cower in fear and await their slaughter! OTTO MARIUS Tis a shame that men of Courland should die After, by trickery, entering the fort. BRYNDEN VANIR A shame, nay, an honor my Lord Baruch! Long have my kin clashed with those of Staunton! We know well their penchant for deception And their love of war and all things evil. OTTO MARIUS Aye, you speak truly, my Lord Vasiland. Never again can the white eagle be Allowed to spread its wings across the land. (Enter Rory Othaman, sweaty and armored.) RORY OTHAMAN The enemy’s wall has crumbled, my liege. Your soldiers, with hardened heart and clenched fist, Stand ready to attack and take the fort. MARIUS Then take it, Lord Bishop, as you have said. Bring us victory. God be with you all. (Exeunt Lords after bowing. Marius breaks composure and kneels before a cross.) MARIUS O God above who watches over us all, Steel my soldiers’ hearts, take from them doubt and Fear, for those shall bring them death in battle. Rather, grant them to this thy leal servant. Is this then the true weight of the crown? Men shall live and die by my command, and Yet I know not whether my acts are just. My grandsire did nobly fight and win war, Forming this crown which now rests on my head. Did he ne’er doubt himself? When taking arms Or striking men with steel, did he not care For the widows made from his ambition? Of mine own father, a veteran of war, Songs are sung of his conquests and glory, Yet guilt did not preclude his violence. Why then hast thou chosen me, mighty God, Who withers and writhes with guilt and conscience? (Marius pauses, staring at the cross for a moment.) But this is not mine to question why, But to do as you have commanded me. This I know to be true, that for the better Or for the worst, the crown rests upon my Head, and I am King of Hanseti-Ruska. Such is the burden that I must carry. (Enter Sergei with blood on armor and sword.) SERGEI II The flag of surrender is raised, my King! The castle has fallen to our great arms! MARIUS And how many among us do lie dead? SERGEI II But one of the eight thousand whom you sent. A slight amount, Your Majesty. Minor. (Marius nods, Sergei bows then exits.) MARIUS One thousand more orphans, yet slight he says.. (Exit Marius. Scene closes.) ACT III SCENE I. St. Karlsburg. The throne room in Ottosgrad palace. Some years have passed since the Brawm Rebellion. Marius wraps up a diplomatic meeting in court with Prince Merric Staunton in hopes of reducing tensions with Courland. (Enter Marius, Merric Staunton, Diedrik, and Lukas.) MERRIC STAUNTON Great words between us, royal brother! I’ll report to my kingly coz that you Peace have invested in, that no more blood Be shed for any cause between our realms. DIEDRIK BARROW (Quietly to Lukas) How low the crow does fly to treat with such? Why entertain the scum of Courland, they Who unjustly buried our great Empire? LUKAS VANIR Your tongue is rough. Pray the King does not hear, Or pray that it should fall from your mouth, Lest you lose more than you wish to part with. Peace is the wish of all, both Man and God. When has our sovereign led us astray? DIEDRIK BARROW (Quietly to self) What fools do wear the crown to lead us all! Peace should not so dull a Kingdom, its swords Must not rust, nor its people grow lazy. Would that these twits see this friendship is naught, These praises covering ambition with A coat of humility and finesse. Tis now that defenses ought to be made, Soldiers fitted and armed, forts brought up. War will come upon the land once more, brought By the talons of Courlandic eagle. Did not these Courlanders send aid to Brawm When those dogs bit the hands which fed them? Pure truth must surface and be made known lest Death will, with his great scythe, cut down all here. The instrument of truth I shall be, and Strike down with my blade this disguised devil! (Diedrik pulls out a dagger from under his cloak, stabbing Merric in front of the court. Merric collapses, dead.) MARIUS You fool! Know you what disaster this brings? DIEDRIK BARROW I have only done that which is good for Haense. MARIUS Arrest the murderer, and bring here a Priest to inter a man who would be our friend. (Guards arrest Diedrik. Exit soldiers and Diedrik with Merric’s body.) MARIUS (To Lukas) Ambassadors to Courland send, that peace May yet be saved despite the blood spilled here To-day, that it may not all be in vain. (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE II. Cloud Temple. A round table within a peaceful grotto. After the murder of Merric Staunton, Tobias and Marius meet for a diplomatic council on the grounds of the Cloud Temple. Tensions are high, as a less-than-successful meeting could result in world war. TOBIAS My people will not be cowed by your threats, Nor will they quake at the drawing of steel, For Courlanders are made of sterner stuff As shall be witnessed should we come to blows! MARIUS Stay your hand, my royal brother Courland. Your coz Merric and I were of one mind, That ne’er again can war destroy our realms, So our princes may be not captiv’d by The black hand of Death, servant of Iblees. TOBIAS If, King of Hanseti, you would the peace, Whose lack gives home to these imperfections Which you have naively explained to us, Then now explain you must why Merric lies In eternal slumber beneath the dirt. Brother he was to us, confidante when Discretion was demanded of us. As friend no equal did he have, no man As gracious nor as loved was he by all. Why then lies he with worms below our feet, Whilst you, who brought his death, walk free with life? MARIUS The crime of which you speak was done not in My name, but by a fool, a rogue who acts For self and pride, who wants above all, war. Put to arrest he was, executed For justice and in furtherance of peace. Thy cousin was accordant with my want, My aspiration for peace between us. Scorn not his memory through thy pursuit Of war, rather honor his sacrifice. Let his blood mark a new beginning for Our realms, a path towards great prosperity. TOBIAS To yet place my trust in the King would be To treat with men who but ten years prior Raised arms against my realm in defense of Horen and their great crimes against the world, Who stomped upon the necks of the uruks, Who burnt Savoy out of spite for their lord, Who sought to end the line of the dwarf kings! Desire not my people to return to The ways of the Imperium Quintus, Yet I believe with all my heart that you Yearn for these days of old in which you ruled. How then can I with good conscience believe That you do not aim to restore Horen? MARIUS Loyal service I gave, for that’s my oath. When I, like all, am interred in the ground, To rest with my father and all before, With me shall go no gold, nor silk, nor jewels. All these and more may be taken from me, But my honor shall be mine forever. Shame to him who leaves this life with dishonor, For his stain shall not be made clean in death. To quit my liege in his hour of great need Would so sully my soul that no good deed Would wipe away the shame of my deceit. How then can you say, ‘I do not trust you’? By my acts I have shown my commitment To all pacts which shall bear my signature. My one concern henceforth will be to guard My people, from youngest child to oldest man. What reason then have I to lie to you? In spite of your lack of faith in my words, I will offer to send envoys to thee, So that swords may stay sheathed and words shall then Resolve conflicts that rise between our realms. This I say to ease thy mistrust of me, So you may see my heart is pure and true. TOBIAS Not out of love shall I agree to this, But in remembrance of my sweet cousin. Fare thee well, brother Hanseti-Ruska. (Exit all. Scene closes.) SCENE III. St. Karlsburg. The throne room of Ottosgrad palace. Months after the diplomatic council, ambassadors have gone back and forth between Courland and Haense, ensuring the tense peace between them remains in place. Marius stands in Ottosgrad, speaking to Rory, Sergei, Otto Heinrik, and Brynden Vanir. (Enter Lukas.) LUKAS VANIR Grave news my liege, for in pursuit of peace Sent I Count Metterden to see Staunton And in this endeavor, death has taken him. MARIUS Murdered? God preserve us, all will be lost! A babe, fresh from the womb, was our new peace, Fragile and new to this world’s cruelties, Protected only by good will of men, Smothered now whilst laying within its crib! Give me your thoughts my lords, what should be done? RORY OTHAMAN An opportunity given by God, Planted at the feet of one who must answer. His Holiness shall place God’s grace on us, Should we, with all expedience, make war On Aleksandria who dare appoint A false Pontiff in challenge to His Grace. Tears shall be shed for Count Metterden, yet Others will follow if we idle and Permit this hope for justice to slip us by. Hear me, gracious sovereign, and you peers, That owe yourselves your lives to this grand cause, That what was torn asunder may be new, And be re-united under our God. I speak, of course, of our Imperium, Risen from the flames of our holy war. Gracious lord, stand for what is your duty, Unfurl your flags of war as your forebears Did for generations before you and Restore Humanity from fallen state To life in our Holy Oren Empire. MARIUS To breathe new life into Humanity Is my solemn duty, but to declare On brother Courland for Orenia? A hypocrite would I be should I do What you here now suggest to this grand court. Marshal Vasiland, speak your mind to us. BRYNDEN VANIR I am one with your mind that Empire is Not cause enough to send men to battle. Yet I agree that war must be declared. Years have passed since the collapse of House Brawm; Your peers and soldiers grow tired and restless, Eager to prove themselves worthy of the Legacies of their ancestors before. War will grant them such opportunity, And make known to the world that Haense remains Strong as ever to fight all who attack. MARIUS Brother Otto, where stands your mind on this? OTTO HEINRIK Your peers lack in caution, royal brother. Courland is no small dog like that of Brawm. The wings of the white eagle stretch out far, Its talons long and sharp, its beak jagged. Forget not how Horen lost their great crown At the hands of a mighty coalition Assembled by the cunning of Staunton. To war them now would be to risk such fate Upon us all, to change the maps of the world. MARIUS Lukas, chancellor, where does your mind fall? LUKAS VANIR Metterden was no minor peer, my King, But one of the great houses of the realm. To not act now would be to turn your back On those houses which have served you with faith. Complaints of insincerity will come After your words in council with Tobias, But your nobles shall think you weak if you Fail now to avenge the death of their own. A tough choice lies before you now, sire. No matter what decision you shall make, I am forever your loyal servant. (Marius pauses, thinking to himself.) MARIUS Let it be war then, and may it be swift. BRYNDEN VANIR (To other peers gathered) Raise then banners of war, my lords. Make haste To call upon your men; let us repeat The grand subjugation of Houndsden now! (Exeunt all. Scene closes.) SCENE IV. St. Karlsburg. The courtyard of Ottosgrad palace. After declaring war on Courland, Marius dispatched his army to the forest crossroads of Elba, one of the many pathways into the Kingdom. He paces anxiously within the palace courtyard while waiting for news. (Enter Lukas and Sergeant.) LUKAS VANIR Here comes now a man who fought at Elba. MARIUS Come Sergeant, and give your report to us. SERGEANT My honorable King, I bear ill news, For though eight thousand stood to fight House Brawm, Only came four to fight against Courland. Such ill can only be caused by Vanir, Who failed in his duty to properly Maintain and train your host to be ready For the war which we now find ourselves in. This gross incompetence and mismanagement Has made many a man desert his post, For none of sound mind wish to die for the Mistakes of another, in command or In battle, as was the case at Elba. It was two to one and Courland was fresh, With full bellies and warm clothing to wear. Disaster continued as we sought to Rout their cavalry with our own; in this We failed and so were forced with all haste to Quit the field and surrender the ground with shame. Retreat was costly and we just escaped, Though not without the loss of many men. Slaughter it was, the frozen ground turned red With the blood of the defeated fallen. MARIUS Oh God, from where have they this mettle? Are they not from warm and cozy climate? Their men not raised in lives of great comfort? From young age are our boys taught to survive, Yet they now find themselves bested by sheep! I shall put it out of my mind, it is No matter, for Metterden now stands tall, Ready to weather the strikes of Courland. As the rocks of the coast do with great waves, So shall our fort withstand assault by men. (Enter Sergei.) SERGEI II Lies and deceit betray us all my King! For now Staunton marches his men around Greyspine Mountains, his aim to siege the fort At Vasiland and take our coast to build Routes of supply to feed his vast army! MARIUS Hubris and vanity cost us this day, For in our ostentation we failed to Properly fortify our coast, a sin That shall cause us great pains in this conflict! Scurry yourself and what soldiers remain To Vasiland to garrison the fort. I too shall go with you, to be a beacon Of hope and raise the spirits of my men Who, soon enough, shall fight in defense of This crown I wear which makes men call me King. LUKAS VANIR To permit you leave would be to put your Life in grave harm, my King, too great a risk Does this pose to our realm that I, with all Intensity must refuse your desire. You must, for the sake of us all, remain. MARIUS Accept then I your judgment of my mind. In safety I shall stay while Carnatia Commands the defense of our eastern land. Spare neither cost nor time, do what you must. Bring victory so we may see another day. (Exit all. Scene closes.) ACT IV SCENE I. St. Karlsburg. The throne room of Ottosgrad palace. Marius waits in St. Karlsburg, anxiously waiting for news of the Siege of Vasiland. (Enter Lukas, Otto Heinrik, all Haeseni Lords, bloody and defeated.) MARIUS Lukas, Chancellor, friend, what news have you? Has our tactic played out as we intended? LUKAS VANIR Reproach, ruin, and shame, Your Majesty! All our ranks are broke; men flee for their lives. Fire, the enemy artillery did, At our walls which could not withstand such a Barrage of stone and flame, and came crashing To the earth, scores of men following them. Die well they did not, and there shall be many In Haense to-day lacking husband, father, or son. Woe to us who sent these men to their end! Once more back again to the field we must go, To die with honor and fall beside the Men whose souls now rest with the saints above! MARIUS Stay your hand, gentle Lukas, for God still Has purpose for you and us fellows all. Defeated in battle we may be, but Fulfill I must the duties of the crown. Proclaim it through my host and my realm that Purses shall be made for flight to Mardon, That none who wish to live in subjugation Must do so, and may rather join us in That southern asylum which we must call home. Shame and dishonor may follow me for The rest of my life, but my people shan’t Suffer for the mistakes of their ruler. Go and do it now, quickly. OTTO HEINRIK It shall be done, your highness. God bless you. (Exeunt lords with a bow except Lukas.) LUKAS VANIR And as regards the war, my sovereign? MARIUS Send messengers to Courland for Staunton. Peace shall, nay, must be made no matter the cost. (Exit Lukas with a bow.) MARIUS (buries his face in his hands, weeping) May Almighty God have mercy on me. (Exit Marius. Scene closes.) SCENE II. Mardon. A street-side bench within the city. Some time has passed since the flight to Mardon. A peace treaty was signed giving away all Haeseni territory to Courland, but Marius retained the titles of King of Hanseti and Ruska. He sits alone on a bench in the city, bottle of wine in hand. MARIUS In all of life’s woes, no comfort is found: Let’s speak of crumbled stone and ashen flags, Of hollow armor where knights once adorned. Inscribe sorrow on graves of our fallen. For when we join them, our last wills are read. And yet at our death, what do we pass down? Nothing shall remain but our memory. Our lands, our lives, our homes are all Staunton’s, Nothing left we call our own but demise, And all the shallow graves of distant lands, Which are final rest to our flesh and bones. For God’s sake, let us sit where we so please And share sad stories of the death of kings: How some overthrown or slain in battle, Some cursed by the sins of their father’s deeds, Some poison’d by their queens, or killed by fate. All struck dead whilst wearing the weighty crown, That gilded vice taking the king hostage, Where death awaits and lingers all around, Taunting his state and cursing his first born. Yet life gives him leave to suffer a while, Allowing him time to govern in vain, Entrapping him in duty before death, As if this body were made of stern stuff. When he finally feels safe and secure, Death comes at last to shame his vain conceit. Like a trebuchet in the dark of night, At a moment’s release, bores through his keep, And alas they shall say, “O’ farewell king.” For death is truly our fate’s great master, Mocking our fragile lives at any time. But for now, let me not think of duty, Mandate, ceremony, or tradition, For you have mistaken me all this time. I suffer like you, grieve much, long for hope: How can any of you say I am king? (Marius sips from the bottle, then falls off the bench dead.) FIN

Casting for the Play of “Oh, Mirror-” Directed and presented by Irelia Ni’leya, and Iphys Catullus Valwynn As the auditions draw to a close, with both Irelia Ni’leya and Iphys Catullus Valwynn satisfied with the contenders- missives would be sent out to those who managed to land a role, while also being hung outside the tavern for all to see! “Have it be heard that those listed below are to be casted in ‘Oh, Mirror-’ Estelle (Female protagonist)- Ayliana Vawynn (OOC: KiwiiFruiit) Mirror (Main antagonist)- Irelia Ni’leya (OOC: XoxoMinnieXoxo) Alvar (Father/Warrior)- Stelios Hyptos (OOC: RyuTheCoolest) Nylian(Male love interest)- Aerendyl Lor’demar (OOC: Kenzo74_) Claudia (Best friend/ Woman cheater)- Usamea an’asul (OOC: LariheiMinaj) Mort Treasure hunter 1- Leithedit An’asul (OOC: Crevel) Tarron Treasure hunter 2- Elarhil Sullas (OOC: Rioling) Narrator- Iphys Catullus Valwynn (OOC: TwistChunky) ( OOC: Congratulations to all who landed a role! Everyone did such a great job) ( OOC: I would like to thank everyone who came out today, whether it was to participate or to simply just watch! I look forward to seeing all of you at the final production! Sunday February 6th at 3pm EST/8pm GMT)

Auditions for “Oh, Mirror-” As presented by the Artisan Guild [!] flyers are hung up at every centralized post around the Silver State! A story about a young Mali’aheral named Estelle, from the Silver City of Haven’mor, is bored of life. Each day, she preaches to her mirror, hoping for her life to change. One day, her wish comes true. Estelle would catch (Nylian), Estelle’s soon-to-be, with her best friend. Confused on what to do, Estelle confronts the mirror, which speaks back to her. The mirror tells her to kill the man and bring the body to the mirror. Estelle, confused and hurt, does not know what to do. Does she kill the man, and avenge her virtue, or does she act like nothing happened? In the midst of this all, two treasure hunters come looking for the mirror, the mirror that Estelle’s mother gifted to her before her death. Do they get the mirror, does Estelle commit unruly acts? Roles needed for casting Estelle (Female protagonist) Mirror (Main antagonist) Alvar (Father) Nylian(Male love interest) Claudia (Best friend/ Woman cheater) Mort Treasure hunter 1 Tarron Treasure hunter 2 Ryllae (Deceased Mother) Extras (3) -Maid -Townspeople Auditions will take place at the Mage-Light Tavern stage! Those attending will get a sample of the script and possible reward of mina for participating and rehearsal times! Signed, tilruir’valmir Irelia Ni'leya AY’LARIHEI MAEHR’SAE HIYLUN’EHYA

The Sup-Par Guide to Role Playing By: Sagwort Forward Before I begin I would like to point out that I do not consider myself the best role player, nor an above average one. This guide is simply a product of me browsing the inter-webs using my computer processor. I came across some blogs about writing, namely novels. I have often compared role playing to writing a novel and thought: “Huh, I wonder what this is all about.” So an hour later I have fifteen different tabs open and I haven’t blinked in at least thirty minutes and I’ve been holding in a **** that could feed half of central Africa. Reading further you will find what I have managed to scavenge from the thing they call “The Writing Community” and how I think it applies to role playing. You probably won't have the patience to read through have of it, so pick and choose what you want to learn more about. Character Creation Perhaps the most amusing part of role playing is preparing for it. Creating your fresh new dark elf that you’re going to cyber with over Skype. What terrible disease will they be inflicted with? What color is one eye going to be and the other not? How heavenly attractive should they be? These are the questions that go through some of our heads as we start meandering through DeviantArt for concept pictures of our hunky hot elf sex god. I’ll say this now, this is perhaps the most crucial part of role playing. The character you decide to create will set a tone for the rest of your role playing experience. Read this section with the utmost of sincerity. Character Profile This ‘profile’ that we often create with of our characters (mostly thanks to the application system) is the pitfall for all good characters. Now I’m not saying character profiles are the anti-christ, they are good for outlining concepts for a character. Your character at ‘first glance’, if you will. However, what makes a truly spectacular character is one that you get to know...intimately. Take your character out on a steamy date, meet them in a coffee shop, arrange an accommodation to grab a pint with them on a Friday night. There is a HUGE difference between ‘knowing’ your character and ‘understanding’ your character. 'Knowing' a character is what everyone else sees, what they look like, how old they are, their backstory, their favorite food, etc... ‘Knowing’ a character is the aspect we reach when someone gives you a 100 question long profile for your character. I say, THROW IT OUT, THROW IT OUT NOW. No one cares about your character’s favorite color, no one cares about what they have in their left pocket. What people care about is how your character is going to interact with theirs. This is when ‘Understanding’ your character comes into play. To the tune of ‘Understanding’ and with the aid of a writer’s blog, I have come to the conclusion that there are Seven Pillars to a strong character: Fear, Secret, Flaw, Quirk, Desire, Strength, and Inner Conflict. Now I am sure you have immediately misinterpreted what many of those words mean so allow me to elaborate. The Fear "Fear is multi-dimensional." – Art Markman The Secret “Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” – Mark Twain The Flaw “Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.” – W. Somerset Maugham Maybe they are kind to the point of smothering. You know, the whole hug a rabbit until it suffocates and dies situation. Now comes the hard part, putting a flaw into effect. Allow your character to make mistakes. Don’t get this confused with ‘don’t god-mod’. Your character could very well be a god, but allow their flaws to trip them up. Make them choose the wrong path, trip over their own ignorance, become engulfed by their own lust for power. This is not only interesting for other people to witness and rp with, but also to rp. Sometimes its even difficult or uncomfortable to rp because you just a manly man. “The bigger the flaw, the sweeter the victory.” – Kristen Lamb How aware is your character of their flaw? Well, it’s easy to say they are, but what if they’re not? There are various reasons as to why one might not be aware of their own shortcomings. Here’s a list from one of those hipster writing blogs: Anchoring – focusing on only one of a number of pertinent pieces of information Bias Blind Spot – not believing they are biased Choice-Supportive Bias – believing past choices were better than they were Confirmation Bias – supporting preconceptions by focusing on information that fits Empathy Gap – not realizing how much something will affect someone Moral Credential Effect – feeling justified in a few wrongs because of a good track record Normalcy Bias – the denial of unusual events, causing a lack of preparation or reaction Omission Bias – seeing harmful acts as worse than equally harmful omissions Restraint Bias – underestimating temptation Semmelweis Reflex – rejecting new evidence because it doesn’t “fit” with what is “known” Final note, as with the secrets and fear: why does your character have this flaw? What caused them to be this way? Maybe it’s just in their racial credentials (greedy dwarf, ignorant elf) but those are usually cliche and uninteresting. Maybe your dwarf is an attention seeker because they were ignored as a child because their parents were always in the mines. Whatever! Get creative. We’ll go more in-depth in the backstory section. The Quirk “A quirk should never exist JUST to make the character memorable or look pretty.” – MJ Bush The Desire “Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” – Kurt Vonnegut The Strength “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzeneger The Inner Conflict “There are always two forces warring against each other within us.” – Paramahansa Yogananda Backstory Perhaps the most unnecessary part of character creation. If there was one thing you wanted to skip, skip this section. The ONLY thing that backstory should really be used for is for explaining why one of the above characterization pillars are the way they are. Everything else in a backstory is just fluff. Was your dog killed by Undead? Sure, now how does that define who your character is? Does your character desire power because they lived in squalor and poverty? Physical Description UGGGG. Another pointless part of character creation. The only ‘important’ physical description is the character’s quark, and that is not even always physical. No one cares if your character has rock hard abs (unless you’re cybering) or if they’re left eye is green and their right is blue (not a viable quark). If you do insist on explaining how tall your character is, do it in rp. For instance: You do not need to put, in your description, “Dave is 6’2’’ and has brown hair.” *****, DO YOU THINK I’M BLIND. I SEE HE HAS BROWN HAIR BECAUSE THE HAIR ON YOUR ******* SKIN IS BROWN!!@!! Your skin does a great deal of physical description you don’t have to do. In fact, take advantage of the physical entities on your skin. Describe how your character scratches his stubble, or runs long fingers through dirty blonde hair. Remember, show, don’t tell. Character Consistency The only way the above characteristics will do any good is if you stay consistent with them. Don’t change your character’s fear just because it suits the situation. Don’t make them care (or not care) about things they wouldn’t otherwise care about. This is why ‘understanding’ your character is so important. Get to know them on a personal level. Don’t let role play dictate your character. Your character should be dictating role play. They should be making the decisions, the mistakes, the choices, that will progress role play. And all of these things should be done in accordance to how YOUR CHARACTER would react, not yourself. So often we react to things in role play because that is how we personally want to react. Well, think of you and your character as separate entities. Even if you don’t agree with what your character’s judgements, go on with it. Step outside your comfort zone. One point I would like to address, I know that many people on this server are role playing because it is a subconscious release from their real life (Even if they don’t realize it). I will not go into details as to why people might consider role play a release from their otherwise unappealing lives but don’t let that hold you back. People who view role play as just a second life are role playing not as what their character might do but how they want to be perceived by others. I beg you to avoid this, sure you might be deep with emotions and personal strife, but those are your emotions. You are playing with pixels, they mean nothing. Getting attached to your characters for such hysterical reasons can only lead to poor role playing. Character Development This basically contradicts everything I just said but bare with me. You might have heard that good books and movies have character development. For example: Lord of the Rings (Frodo and Sam), Harry Potter, Star Wars. All of these classics have characters which are almost entirely different people from where they started. Luke Skywalker was an enthusiastic young padawan and turned into a vengeful, angry cyborg. This didn’t come to pass over night. It occurred over time, things happened to his character which changed him (some for the better, others for the worse). He was taken from his family on that desert planet...I don’t even know the name, his mother was killed by those ISIS space men. His anger slowly consumed him and he even killed the woman he loved, and betrayed his master. Now we grow quite attached to our character’s personas when we start, but things change, and change is good. Allow your character to not only react to events but also change with them. By this, I don’t simply mean: “Wife is killed by Undead, he hates Undead now.” No, it should be deep and impassioned. His wife dies due to the Undead and he has lost faith in the Creator. He goes into alcoholism, whatever. Even subtle things like how he might look upon children with great affection because they never had children. The seven Pillars can change. In fact, this is the best way to go about producing character development. Change one of the Pillars as a result of some in-game event and see how it ripples across everything else. Scene Synthesis When I refer to a ‘scene’ I’m talking about a small blip of role play your character participates in. For instance: your character walks into a tavern and starts talking to the bar tender. Now how do we make these scenes more interesting. I’m sure you all like casual conversations about the weather but I tend to nod off as soon as someone comes to me with role play that redundant. A scene needs to have two elements: goal and conflict. A goal can be as simple as ordering a pint from the bartender or complex as slaying an Undead Mage. Conflict is what makes the scene come to life. Conflict can be defined as stakes. What will happen if my character does not achieve this goal? In return, it will make the goal something your character wishes to strive for. What could happen that your character never gets his pint? What would happen if he does not kill the mage? Now you’re probably thinking: “**** off Sagwort, I’m not going to make every single instance of role play an action drama film.” Well, chances are, you are doing it without realizing. You walk into Petrus and overhear a group of men talking about a rebellion. Interested, you join. The goal: learn about the rebellion. The stakes: never hear about the rebellion. It can be as simple as that. But a scene should never be: “Hey...weather is nice...bye.” Unless, of course, your character has a reason for doing so. Maybe they’re woefully awkward and just looking to make friends. Maybe they’re bored. Moral of the story, don’t just do things to do things. Give your character a reason for doing it. That will make role play seem more meaningful, and chances are, it’ll last longer too. Emotes If you read no other section, I BEG you to read this section. Emotes are a thing some people use too much of, and others use too little. A good rule of thumb is: “Will the emote affect the other person in any way?” If not, don’t emote it. Don’t add pointless fluff just to seem like a ‘good role player’. A good role player gets their point across in an efficient way. Similarly, I have seen people use too little emotes such as: No. That is boring, monotone, not interesting to read. When you do emote, and it is being emoted for a reason make it interesting to read. However, don’t go over the top. Don’t give me five emotes of how Paul pours Jim a pint. I got places to be. That is disgusting, a good length, but disgusting. You may think, “Oh that's good RP, did you see all those details?”. Well, it is ‘good’ RP but not fantastic. First, cut out the adverbs. We don’t need them, instead use strong active verbs. Instead of ‘slowly walks’ use a verb like ‘dawdles’ which means the same thing as ‘slowly walks’. Cutting out unnecessary adverbs we now have: Much more interesting to read. In my opinion, a better emote would be something along the lines of: Now I know sometimes adverbs just need to be used to get a point across. All I ask is that you think before you say “Quickly Runs” and instead say “Sprints” or “Races”. Also note that not every noun needs to have an adjective tied to it. Not every sword needs to be sharp, not every cloak needs to be ragged. Granted, if the defining feature of the cloak is that it is ragged, point it out. Otherwise adjectives can make a sentence seem overly choppy. I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster when I read that, up and down, up and down. Think to yourself, what is unnecessary? Can we agree that most ale is pale? And that most mugs are round? Unless there is a defining characteristic to the noun that requires an adjective, such as being a cube, don’t use it. Also, if someone has already described an object with emotes, you don’t need to redescribe it. If the bartender already noted that the mug of ale was a cube, you don’t need to restate that in your emote. On the flip side, we might want to know that Tim’s lips are dry because it shows that he has probably not had anything to drink for a while. It could use some work, but overall, it’s a smoother read. Less ‘hilly’. Finally, show, don’t tell. If your character is sad don't emote: Describe it, how does she look when she’s sad? We can insinuate that Loshanda is sad because of the way she acts. Not just because you said ‘my homegirl looks sad.’ Also note that I switched up the sentence structure. I didn’t just say: Doing emotes like this over and over again becomes choppy, and monotonous. Mix it up ya’ll. Not only did we condense two emotes into one, we also created a slightly smoother and more interesting read. Side note: PLEASE don’t emote what your character is feeling or thinking. Don’t do emotes like: NO, NO, NO. All of these things can be fixed by the show, don’t tell. Other characters cannot read minds, so don’t encourage them to by doing this. SHOW how Lisa concentrates, maybe her eyebrow creases or her palms begin to sweat. SHOW how Laquifa remembers her dead son. Perhaps her eyes go to the sky, a hand over her bosom. Dialogue Phew...emotes were a big thing. Dialogue...not so much. Some major points to hit are that your character should have a voice. They should not talk passively, imagine how your character would talk and apply it to typing. Now I realize this is quite difficult, but emotes can help with that. Also realize that your High Elf is not going to talk the same as your dwarf. Accents are a major part of Lord of the Craft races, utilize them. I see some humans do excellent jobs at this with their medieval slang and what not. Even more specific, a farmer will not talk the same as nobles. Even within accents, all characters should have a voice. This is difficult to develop. Even though Gandalf and Legolas don’t have any noticeable difference in accent they talk VERY differently. Gandalf is very casual, upfront and straightforward. Legolas is more poetic, sophisticated sounding. The rules about emotes do not apply to dialogue. Dialogue belongs to your character and should suit however your character should sound. Would they use words like ‘adore’ or ‘really like’. Would they say ‘Yes sir’ or ‘Of course’. This is something that comes with practice and the more you role play with your character the more you come to find their voice. This is one of the main things I think separates good role players from excellent role players. Their ability to adopt a voice specific to their character, and change at a moments notice. Body Language This sort of goes under Emotes but meh. It’s a major thing. Body language is the best way to convey emotion and personality through emotes. Is your character effeminate and reserved? Perhaps they cross their legs when they sit. Is your character rebellious and dark? Maybe they lean against walls with their head down. Maybe your character is feeling a little nervous so they start fidgeting, rubbing their arm. Blah! I am no psychologist, here is a reference sheet for body language I find very useful. http://writerswrite.co.za/body-language-reference-sheet Finding Role Play Oop, here we go. The biggest problem with role players, not matter how good is that “There is no rp”. Well you should just go kill yourself. You know why you can’t find rp? Because your looking for it! To role play you have to create your own. Remember what I said about conflict and goals? Of course you don’t… Any-hoo, there is no such thing as ‘finding’ role play. There is only creating role play. A sub-par role player looks. A great role player creates. Now I’m not talking about getting on the event team and having a dragon attack the most populated city. It can even be subtle. Engage people. Talk to other people, emote and see if any one reacts. Give your character a goal and conflict and see to it that they carry out those goals. One thing I noticed recently are the fools who walk up to you, shift click, and run away. Well you know what, **** THEM. If they want to know if your character is attractive enough to cyber with, have them work for it. Ask them why they are bowing, engage with them. That is the key word, engage. Don’t be passive and let roleplay just go by. Create it.

Hey-oh. It's Ford here! After coming back to LotC from a several month break, I've noticed the amount of RP has rose! However, it's quality has gone down significantly! So, I've decided to make this guide just because why not. To begin, know this is completely based on my opinion of how role-play should be...So, le's do dis. 1. Never. EVER. Emote your thoughts. This is the one thing that I've noticed happening more often. There's no point in emoting your thoughts, because no one else can even hear you. The point of emotes are to express your characters actions, whether they be simple or complex. Emoting your thoughts doesn't move role-play forward whatsoever. Not only that, but it clutters the chat and creates gaps between actual physical emotes, which makes it slightly more irritating. Refrain from emoting your thoughts, as said above. 2. Don't be afraid to die. I've seen a few new players who get into fights that either they did or didn't start and they never want to die even though the current situation that there in practically states they should be dead by now. Do NOT be afraid to die during a battle. You will be teleported back to the monks and healed, however you will lose only 30 minutes of your memory, which isn't that bad. If you value your new character so much to the point where you can't possibly let them take a stab, then you need to rethink some things.Also, when fighting, you don't always have to be a fighting master. Sometimes being inexperienced in close-combat fights makes for better role-play. Don't be afraid to lose. 3. You CAN be detailed when making your emotes. Many times I've seen newbies who rush their emotes to try and be one step ahead of their opponent or fellow role-players, but their action is somewhat vague and can create confusion. Detailed emotes really do add feeling to role-play, and trust me: Short emotes can be detailed. Take your time. And when someone rushes you, simply continue typing until you're finished. 4. Fighting isn't the only fun thing in Anthos. Though fighting is fun, there's absolutely no need to make that the only "fun" thing to do on LotC when there's still so much that you can do to have fun. If you only consider fighting fun, then that's just your character and I understand, but just realize that there are other ways of having fun. 5. Relax. That's a big one. There are people that get angry over games, and they're usually immature, but it's definitely much more immature to get angry over some Minecraft fantasy role-play with pixel characters. There's no need to get upset over a little role-play that doesn't go your way. However, if you realize that this is unfair and you feel that it's ruining your experience, tell someone. Call for a staff member, take screenshots, show how you were wronged, but ALWAYS try to smooth out the situation with whoever wronged you first. Never get frustrated over a role-playing server. Stemming onto this, if you do develop real-life frustration over some role-play, try as hard as you can to not bring it back into the game world. It has happened before, and it ends up in chaos. If you're really that upset, just turn your computer off and step away. 6. Don't use OOC for silly things like saying "Hehe, I like pie too!" Tells and messages to other players can be used for that. It becomes annoying when used near a scene where real role-play is happening. OOC also, once again, clutters the chat and adds unneeded gaps between emotes and dialogue. Just remember that instead of using OOC, you can do /msg and then /r and type in your message to someone. An inordinate amount of times have I seen back-to-back dialogue over pointless things between two people in OOC that ruin role-play nearby. Just take it to /msg's. One more thing is that the best time to use OOC is when you want to explain a certain emote or action to many around you who may not understand what you just did. OOC can also be used to correct spelling errors or grammatical errors. Use OOC wisely and rarely 7. Quoted by AlpineAl himself, a veteran player, comes another great tip. "Don't try to get out of things with OOC. Voiding RP is a last resort." 8. Try showing fear where it's needed. I can understand if you want to be a total bad-ass, but when everyone else is running away and cowering in fear, you don't ALWAYS have to be the hero that stands up to the big baddie without a single hint of fear. Showing fear and surprise is a good thing, and likewise being traumatized by little itsy-bitsy events shouldn't be role-played too much either. I'll add more. Depends on how popular this gets. Probably not too popular, though...