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THE ORIGINS OF ARPECH Scriptum Anno 1957 THE FREE COSSACKS OF ARPATIA L I B E R V M C O S A C I A R P A T I E N S I ☩ ☩ ☩ WHAT IS A COSSACK OF ARPECH? To begin telling our history, you must begin with explaining who we are. The men and women who follow the House of Arpa are those who adopt our ways or hail directly from the Steppe of Arpatia. They dress in the traditional Ruskan garbs, live life as free nomadic men and women loyal to the Host and no other. The faith, culture, and our way of life we believe is taught unto us by Father Vlad. CHAPTER I - THE STEPPES OF APARTIA Upon the vast steppes of Apartia there is no room for compassion nor weakness, only the strong and cold-hearted thrived upon this plains of grass whilst the weak were culled. The peoples of this steppe were fractured, splintered into several various nomadic tribes competing for dominance over the blades of grass which covered their homeland. Raids, banditry, kidnappings were a common occurrence against their rivals, taking their livestock and people as slaves. Warfare was common on the steppe yet was not the only means of life. Apartia was a land predominantly covered in grass, trees being a rare sight due to the hot and cold nature of the steppe. In the summer it was boiling hot whilst in the winter the entire plains would be covered in snow. This left most of the steppe too dry, not enough water in the ground to support the growing of trees, the only trees growing being trees around creeks and rivers. Those who lived in Apartia had great understanding of this dynamic which made them adopt a nomadic-livestock-raising way of life. This was the homeland of the Cossacks of Arpech, having been molded by this unforgiving environment to be natural and cold killers for that is what was required of them to thrive if not survive on this frontier. It birthed a warrior culture among all those who resided on the steppe. The Cossacks of Arpech were among the less dominant tribes at the time. The tribe almost consisted of men only, all being from various backgrounds and cultures (although predominantly Raev) from this steppe yet united by the common goal of thriving and dominating Apartia, to gain glory and wealth. They hungered for more yet lacked solid leadership to do so. CHAPTER II - PAPA VLAD’S TEACHINGS It was during this time whilst the Cossacks of Arpech was but a small sapling that the man that would come to be known as Papa Vlad came into the picture although not named Vlad just yet. He and his companions, a handful of men and a black priest, came one day, riding upon mighty white steeds into the encampment of the Cossacks of Arpech, blade in hand as he called to the young men of the Arpech tribe to issue their Hetman a challenge. Not a challenge for leadership but rather for membership within their group. The cossacks laughed at Vlad for he and his companions were foreigners and had wandered in demanding a fight as if they were escaped asylum-inmates yet their Hetman soon obliged to the challenge of righteous combat although the men Vlad had brought with him had to do the same with over cossack men. Open space was given for them in the middle of the encampment, enough space to fight and maneuver. Sabres clashed and garbs were cut open as a strike drew too close yet not close enough to pierce skin. The duel concluded in a draw, both parties too tired and too battered to continue. Whilst Vlad had gained a place among the men of the tribe, slowly integrating and becoming an influential and respected member among them for he had shown his worth time and time again, the same can not be said for all the companions he had brought with him which included the priest. With Vlad having gained a new home with the cossacks, he put aside his old name and took a new one, that name being Vlad. Many years passed as the sapling Vlad had found soon began to grow into a little bush, having prospered and grown stronger with the years although the time had come to elect a new Hetman. A new leader to their tribe of cossacks. Votes were cast to two people in specific. Vlad and another man. Both had aided the tribe greatly, having brought great wealth and prosperity through their own prowess and initiatives. The voting soon began and the cossacks gathered around. The crowd cheered for the other man but the crowd cheered louder for Vlad, the vote concluding with a Vlad victory, making him the new Hetman of Arpech! With Ivan as their new Hetman came a great amount of change to the tribe. Papa Vlad took on almost a fatherly role to those of Arpech and converted them to the ways of Aurelian, a branch of canonism who elevated Emperor Aurelius of Man to the station of prophet instead of Owyn and Sigismund. Arpech and its cossacks grew strong and mighty in Apartia under the leadership of Vlad, soon enough coming to dominate it yet it was not enough to satisfy the hunger of the Cossacks. Ivan told them all of a land beyond the sea, a continent filled with kingdoms and massive stretches of stone tents. The cossacks showed interest in this new land and called for Papa Vlad to show them the way to this land and soon enough they set out on their journey towards this rich land ripe for the taking. CHAPTER III - THE JOURNEY TO AEVOS There was one problem the Free Cossacks of Arpech faced. The sea. It was the one thing that stood between them and the rich land Papa Vlad had spoken of. Their people had no access to wood for the steppe lacked the right conditions to let them grow and if there was wood then there was not enough. They had only one option if they desired to cross the vast body of water and that was to find boats or rather take them. There were no cities in the steppe although past the steppe of Apartia there were small city states, forgotten colonies of empires of old. These cities held respectable fishing and commerce ships, allowing them to navigate the seas. The Cossack Host rode out towards these small city states, crushing whatever tribe they came across and stealing their herds of cattle and horses in the hopes of being able to trade them for ships. They left a trail of blood and destruction behind them as their travels concluded before the golden gates of one of these cities. The guards hailed them yet did not grant entry, wary of the cossacks' intentions for they had heard of the brutality which plagued Apartia. Vlad tried his best to negotiate with the guards to let only him and his kinsmen in to negotiate a price yet they were rejected once more. The cossacks of Arpech took this as a grave insult and began raiding their countryside, burning down their farms and slaughtering their villages before vanishing. The city mourned the destruction and great slaughter that they had been made victims of and on their holy day, they all gathered to pray. It was during their holy communion that the cossacks struck them after having gone into hiding nearby, scaling their walls and killing the garrison before plundering the city for all its worth whilst securing the ships that were in their harbor. It was during this sack that they captured several slaves that would come to be vital to their journey across the sea. They captured a captain and several sailors who the cossacks would force to sail their ships although there was one slight problem. There were not enough ships to fit all of them which prompted them to go sack more cities on the coast to capture more ships. It was an endeavor which took time yet would soon pay off, finally having enough ships to ferry them all across to the rich lands beyond the sea. They had left a trail of blood and destruction from the heart of the steppe all the way out onto the coasts and up and down them before they took to the sea. CHAPTER IV - ARRIVING ON AEVOS The sea was a new phenomenon to the cossacks, having never sat foot on a ship before which made them uneasy yet when they looked to their Hetman, Vlad, all their worries were put to ease as he showed these deep waters no fear for he had traveled across them once before. Weeks and months of sailing and soon enough they were greeted with seagulls above their heads and the distant shores of a land unfamiliar to all but one man.. Vlad who had returned to his own homeland. To the place where his own kin resided so that he and his new family could carve out a place for their own. They sailed their ships up the mighty rivers until they ended up in the Midlands of this strange new world called Aevos. They roamed around, learning the land and the language which they spoke before their cossack roots started to manifest. They soon began banditing the nations within the Midlands, taking whatever valuables the unfortunate souls that crossed paths with them had yet this was not enough to soothe their lust for wealth and glory. Whilst banditing and intermingling with the populace of this new land they found out about a continental war which was taking place. The Aevos Coalition War. Sensing the great opportunity for wealth and glory by picking a side they all gathered together in a Rada to discuss which side they should join in on. There was no need for a Rada in the first place for there was no voice of opposition. Everyone wanted to side with the numerically inferior side, the side of Veletz. Some due to the fact that realm known as Haense were claiming titles which were rightfully their people’s, another group wanting to defend Veletz due to the good relations they had fostered with the locals whilst another group, Vlad included, wanted to fight for Veletz and its allies due to sharing blood ties. The Free Cossacks of Arpatia joined the war on the side of Veletz, fighting alongside them in each major clash of arms. During the Battle of Winburgh the cossacks rallied in the defense of the veletzian capital just to end up routing the covenant force alongside their allies which lead to the capture of the hyspian monarch. With the failure of the veletzian government to negotiate a separate peace with the hyspian monarch, Vlad and his kinsmen were given custody over the monarch. Some of the kinsmen had issues with the monarch after having been banished for granting one of the hyspian women a love gift in the form of a cat heart and its pelt after they said they liked cats. The cossacks decided to throw the hyspian king into a brazen bull with the intent of boiling him alive. The hyspian monarch was not the only royalty they had captured for during one of the many cossack raids upon the city of whitespire, they managed to capture one of the princess’s which they soon brought back to veletz before having them send a letter to Aaun alongside a message of their own, mocking their cowardice as they fled to the top of their tower instead of facing them. As the war dragged on the Cossacks encountered new kinds of warfare which they were unfamiliar with. Feudal sieges. Their unfamiliarity with the concepts of war when it came to such lead them to be an ineffective fighting force during the sieges of Breakwater and Brasca yet once the fighting took to the fields of Westmark they showed their true expertise. They rode swiftly and struck down each soldier of the covenant they came across without mercy. When the covenant forces tried to meet the Cossacks with their own cavalry they were decimated. When they tried to attack them with their infantry they were showered with arrows as the cossacks kept distance until there was no covenant soldier left standing. And now the host seeks a place to call their own, a place to settle at last.

-=+=- THE BAGROVYY MEDVED’ MENU -=+=- [!] A Sakcharin Catering services booklet made of thick paper and stitched leather lies open to the front page in your hands. Embossed stags and bears detail the menu, alluding to the families of the wedding. A flourish of text rests upon the top line: The Bagrovyy Medved Menu. Underneath, several sections are written in Common with bold, precise strokes of ink. -=-=- Alcoholic Drinks -=-=- The Flaming Raevir This Raevir beverage is a fiery red in appearance, clasped in hand with a short, rounded crystalline glass, detailings of running bears along the rim of the glass. A particularly strong drink with quite the kick, it is made through fermentation of sugar syrup, beets, and apples. Added to the drink is that of lemon, honey, strawberries, oak bark, green tea and coffee. This heavily mixed beverage is similar to moonshine, every aspect of it like a mule's kick to the throat, taste and scent alike. The Crimson Stag This Raev beverage is held in a crystalline glass boasting the crimson stags of the Jasloviecki household detailed upon it. Vodka and coffee liqueur is mixed, before being poured over ice, a half-and-half of almond and oat milk following shortly after. A heavy cream is added, allowing one to sip past a layer of cream for a sweet and chocolate tasting beverage. The Buttery Couple Two low-standing, crystalline shot glasses would be clasped in hand. From all appearances, the first shot would seem almost akin to an iced coffee, creamy and caramel in appearance with grated tonka beans over top. It is shot back and followed by the second shotglass with whisky poured over gomme syrup, lemon juice, egg whites and liquorice bitters over ice. While the Raev shots may seem like it would taste sour entirely, it would have a rich, nutty vanilla flavor with hints of sweet and spice alike when served. -=-=-Non-Alcoholic Drinks -=-=- The Passionate Wedding This Raevir beverage is made with strawberry juice alongside boiled lingonberries, giving it a vibrantly colored appearance, clasped in hand with a crystalline flute, detailings of entwined bears and stag along the rim. Diluted with water, and sweetened with sugar and honey alike, this drink would cater to the ultimate sweet tooth among us. The Kalmyks Stag A stag-detailed crystalline glass would be clasped in hand. From all appearances, the liquid is frosty, pale and pink - and creamy as well. The Raev tea is made from a mixture of pressed green and black tea, brewed with melted butter, salt, and goat's milk. Nutmeg and peppercorn is stirred in, the sweet in appearance tea having a salty and tart taste alike. The Blooming Romance This Raev beverage is held in a crystalline glass boasting the trailing red and white colors of the joining households detailed upon it. Made with use of rye, oats and pea jelly - the appearance of this drink is a vibrant red. Redcurrants, cranberries, and cherries are boiled and added to the beverage. Three dollops of a light cream decorate the top, in which a single rose petal floats between. -=-=- Meals -=-=- The Bears Pelmeni This Raevir dish is set within a cabbage-lined bowl with detailings of running bears along the outer rim. Most similar in appearance to dumplings, this dish is dough with the fillings of salted minced beef, lamb and pork. A dollop of sour cream is found on the side, alongside that of two stuffed cabbage rolls, cabbage leaves stuffed with a combination of ground beef, pork, rice and vegetables before having been cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. This dish makes for a tangy, tender taste. The Nutty Nuptials This Raevir dish is set upon a plate with detailings of running bears and stag along the outer rim, candied ginger placed sporadically along it. The dish in question is combined buckwheat and roasted vegetables, alongside eggs, ground lamb, paprika, salt and pepper. Sauteed carrots and onions are added, before it is baked into something round akin to a patty. Butter lathers brioche bread, which may be eaten normally or used to make a sandwich with your buckwheat patty. The taste is rich and nutty alike. Strans Prancing Zakuski A bear-detailed crockery dish would be clasped in hand. From all appearances, the dish is vibrant in color, with rich purples and reds and ground cayenne pepper sprinkled over top. This Raev dish contains thinly sliced mushrooms and onions cooked in a cream sauce, cheese, and sour cream. To cut through the sheer richness, the mushrooms are seasoned with nutmeg and ground pepper and infused with white wine. Sauteed shallots add a pungent, earthy flavor as well. -=-=- Desserts -=-=- The Truffling Stag A stag-detailed cake plate would be clasped in hand. From all appearances, this truffle would appear to be rounded, powdered with sea salt and in a thin paper liner with miniature stags printed across. Sour cream, giving the truffle an appearance more akin to a cupcake, is dalloped on the top. This Raev treat is made of vanilla cookie crumbs, butter, cocoa and a little cognac. Chopped nuts are added inside, alongside lime zest. The truffle in question would be sweet and savory alike. Warsovias Feathered Cake A white feathered-detailed cake plate would be clasped in hand. From all appearances, this cake would appear akin to a delicate mousse or jell-o like in nature. Powdered white sugar decorates the sweet, in varying feathered patterns. This Raev treat is made of a whipped sour cream filling, alongside butter, heavy cream, and chocolate chips. A dollop of whipped cream is dabbled on the side, in which a bite of the cake may be dipped in.

-=+=- THE MENESTREL MUZYKA MENU -=+=- [!] A Sakcharin Catering services booklet made of thick paper and stitched leather lies open to the front page in your hands. Embossed music notes detail the menu, alluding to the musical nature of the bardic festival. A flourish of text rests upon the top line: The Menestrel Muzyka Menu. Underneath, several sections are written in Common with bold, precise strokes of ink. -=-=- Alcoholic Drinks -=-=- The Violet Menestrel This Raevir beverage is a deep purple in appearance, clasped in hand with a crystalline cocktail glass, detailings of musical notes along the rim of the glass. Citrus vodka, lemon juice and a parfait liquor is combined in a shaker of ice before it is strained into the cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon spiral. An alcoholic beverage with a citrus taste. The Prancers Dance This Raevir beverage is a pale orange in appearance, clasped in hand with a crystalline martini glass, detailings of musical notes along the salt-lined rim of the glass. Lime juice is squeezed into the glass, before the spent shell is dropped in. Ice is added, before vodka and ginger beer alike fills the beverage. Floating just so within is a mint leaf, the beverage tasting sweet, tart and with that hint of mint. Flaming Samogon Bards This Raevir beverage is a fiery red in appearance, clasped in hand with a short, rounded crystalline glass, detailings of musical notes along the rim of the glass. A particularly strong drink with quite the kick, it is made through fermentation of sugar syrup, beets, and apples. Added to the drink is that of lemon, honey, strawberries, oak bark, green tea and coffee. This heavily mixed beverage is similar to moonshine, every aspect of it like a mule's kick to the throat, taste and scent alike. -=-=-Non-Alcoholic Drinks -=-=- The Kvas Torrent This bubbling Raevir beverage is light-pink in appearance, clasped in hand with a crystalline flute, detailings of musical notes along the rim of the glass. Fermented through flour, malt and dry rye bread - additions to this are apples, beets and honey. Non-alcoholic, carbonated and with a salty and savory taste alike. Mors Passion This Raevir beverage is made with strawberry juice alongside boiled lingonberries, giving it a vibrantly colored appearance, clasped in hand with a crystalline flute, detailings of musical notes along the rim of the glass. Diluted with water, and sweetened with sugar and honey alike, this drink would cater to the ultimate sweet tooth among us. -=-=- Mains -=-=- The Pelmenis Melody This Raevir dish is set within a cabbage-lined bowl with detailings of musical notes along the outer rim. Most similar in appearance to dumplings, this dish is dough with the fillings of salted minced beef, lamb and pork. A dollop of sour cream is found on the side, alongside that of two stuffed cabbage rolls, cabbage leaves stuffed with a combination of ground beef, pork, rice and vegetables before having been cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. This dish makes for a tangy, tender taste. Chicken Stroganoff Delights This Raevir dish is set within a bread bowl intent on soaking up the flavor and aroma of the dish alike, the dish edible in its entirety. Golden seared chicken breast, seared slowly for hours on end for the meat to simply melt away at a bite. Lathered in a sour cream based sauce with mustard, and seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper before being added to a beef broth. Drizzled over noodles, with added onions, it’d have a savory taste. The Nutty Bard This Raevir dish is set upon a plate with detailings of musical notes along the outer rim, candied ginger placed sporadically along it. The dish in question is combined buckwheat and roasted vegetables, alongside eggs, ground lamb, paprika, salt and pepper. Sauteed carrots and onions are added, before it is baked into something round akin to a patty. Butter lathers brioche bread, which may be eaten normally or used to make a sandwich with your buckwheat patty. The taste is rich and nutty alike. -=-=- Snacks -=-=- Menestrels Pecan Cheesebites This Raevir snack is speared upon a cinnamon stick, leaving the snack to be edible in its entirety. A rounded ball of cheesecake is layered with caramel over a graham cracker crust, and a second layer of toasted pecans before having been wrapped in a rich, luscious chocolate. Dark chocolate chips are sprinkled over the sweet treat for good measure, the drizzled caramel keeping them in place. The Raevir snack is sweet and tangy alike in taste. Passions Orange Mousse This particular Raevir snack is in a crystalline shot glass with detailings of musical notes along the outer rim. Within the glass is a decadent mousse, made with chocolate chips, sugar and sea salt. The dessert is chilled and airy, light-weight save for the heavy cream added in three dollops above. Orange zest is grated over the dark chocolate treat, giving it the tart combination to the sweet and tart dessert.

-=+=- SAKHARIN CATERING SERVICES -=+=- [!] A Sakcharin Catering services booklet made of thick paper and stitched leather lies open to the front page in your hands. A flourish of text rests upon the top line: Sakharin Catering Services. Underneath, a section is written in Common with bold, precise strokes of ink. -=-=- Now Hiring -=-=- With the creation of our catering services which was announced some Saints days ago, we found the need to hire on servers paramount. A server would be interviewed as to previous experience and temperament, and if hired on, would be provided with a uniform tailored to their size. The job in question is serving at events that Sakharin Catering Services has been hired on to curate upon request, in uniform, and aiding in the set-up of the menu at the location, and the delivering of dishes and beverages alike to those attending the events. The pay is ten minas per event, which is subject to change in an upward trajectory depending on extras requested by the employer. -=-=- The Sakharin Waitress Uniform -=-=- A depiction of the Sakharin Catering Services Waitress uniform. -=-=- The Sakharin Waiter Uniform -=-=- A depiction of the Sakharin Catering Services Waiters uniform. Contact the Lady Viktoria Ivanovich to schedule an interview.

-=+=- SAKHARIN CATERING SERVICES -=+=- [!] A booklet made of thick paper and stitched leather lies open to the front page in your hands. A flourish of text rests upon the top line: Sakharin Catering Services. Underneath, several sections are written in Common with bold, precise strokes of ink. -=-=- What We Offer -=-=- Sakharin Catering Services is Raev owned and run by Ivanovich Industries and Co. Detailed below is the services offered, tiered to the benefit of our customers. The food provided in catering is entirely Raev in nature, alongside that of the drinks. Catering may be provided to weddings, balls, galas or any number of events that suit your fancy. When our services are taken on, no matter the tier, here are a few things you can expect: The pre-approval of your event menu. The delivery of the items on the menu in a timely manner. Clear communication to ensure the catering of your event is up to your standards. Our Catering Services reserves the right to refuse a contract, and will not cater in places that our safety would be in question. -=-=- Catering Tiers -=-=- Basic Package Our lowest tier in catering, it consists of two different beverages and dishes alike. A book based menu will be provided for the event in question. This package is off-premise catering in which the items will be made and delivered to the event beforehand. This package does not come with serving the food and beverages, it is not viable for package add-ons either, and payment must be given before the event takes place. The Basic Package price is twenty-five minas. Average Package Our next tier in catering, it consists of four beverages and four dishes alike. A book based menu will be provided for the event in question. This package is off-premise catering in which the items will be made and delivered to the event beforehand. This package does not come with serving the food and beverages, this package is viable for package add-ons and payment must be given before the event takes place. The Average Package price is fifty minas. Deluxe Package Our next tier in catering, it consists of five beverages and five dishes alike. A book based menu will be provided for the event in question, alongside a missive based one for the public to peruse. At request, there may be a taste-testing beforehand for menu approval. This package is on-premise catering in which food is prepared and served at the event venue. This package comes with the serving of food and beverages, this package is viable for package add-ons and payment must be given before the event takes place. The Deluxe Package price is seventy-five minas. Custom Package While it is not quite a tier, the custom package exists as a way of creating exactly what you wish to see. It allows the group or individual to take what they see in the aforementioned tiers, and the add-ons alike to curate what they wish to see for their catering experience. This must be discussed with Sakharin Catering Services, and the fee decided upon based on what it is wished for. -=-=- Package Add-Ons -=-=- On-Premise Catering An add-on for the average package, in which on-premise catering is offered in which servers will set-up the beverages and food alike, alongside delivering them during the duration of the event. The On-Premise Catering price is ten minas per server and ten minas for set-up. Emergency Catering In the event that you contact our catering services for an event that is happening within a limited time, it would be subject to a fee at the discretion of the catering service and based on just how much time is given. The catering services may still deny the contract if they feel there is not enough time. A Missive-Based Menu An add-on for the average package, in which a missive-based menu may be offered as well. Primarily popular for its advertising purposes, and informing the public of what they may enjoy at the event in question. The Missive-Based Menu price is ten minas. Extra Catering An add-on for the average or deluxe package for the extraordinarily large events in which more than listed amount of food and beverages is wished for. This add-ons price is subject to how many extras that are wished to be added on. In order to arrange your catering experience today, send a bird or courier to Lady Viktoria Ivanovich for a consultation.