Original Application: https://forums.massivecraft.com/threads/charlotte-victoria-moselberg.33475 A warning for the reviewer: don't open spoilers. They contain content from the old application & publication page in excess of 20,000 words. Charlotte Victoria Moselberg "I bear no responsibilities, I bear no past nor future because I’m alone, under my own rule." Quick Guide (For those who weren't around in 2015/16) What is firm: Charlotte used to be wife of Anton Ravenstad and revainne-consort of the Hinterlands. She rose into prominence in nobility through staging political satires and publishing theses on imperial culture, as well as her participation in the coup against Andrieu Anahera. She was lashed for conspiracy against nobility and abduction with her lover. Charlotte was convicted to a hefty fine for sabotaging the Violet Order, Crimson Inquisition and the Vigilant Shield. Her right-hand man was executed for conspiracy with a Shendar cult and her charter was dissolved by the Crimson Inquisition. What are rumours: She is rumoured to have given birth to a child sired by Andrieu Anahera, the traitor Lord Protector. Charlotte was close to the man and her only daughter bears Anahera traits. She is rumoured to have been involved in the arson series against the Merchants' guild. Her lover was convicted for it. She is rumoured to have been in a romantic relationship with an Anahera lady. The two kissed each other in the gardens of the Imperial Palace before heading in for their trial. She may have had a far more prominent connection to the Shendar Cult than what she was convicted for. During her second trial, she was not only accused of corruption and sabotage but conspiracy and void worship as well. Basic Information (Required) Full Name: Charlotte Victoria Moselberg née Walerius Age: 37 Gender: Female Race: Ailor, Heartland-Ceardian converted Imperial Main Ambition: Power & Fame "There isn't a better feeling than seeing men tremble at the sight of a short woman in gold and black." Basic Information (Expansion) Charlotte spent almost a whole year in Regalia until the spring of 304AC. She returned to re-join politics and to restore highlight of her fame over the infamy of her later career. Charlotte was born into a noble family, and was raised as a noble proper. She received appropriate education and funding to most of her ventures. Her main ambition, with her return to Regalia, is to build up something more lasting than her rise & fall around the Anahera crisis. "In Turall, I learned how to live. In Morgwenn, I learned how to triumph. In Regalia, I learned how to survive." Skill Information (Optional) 37 proficiency points Proficiencies: +20 Literary Arts (+20 from Points) +10 Visual Arts (+10 from Imperial Culture) +5 Musical Arts (+5 from Points) +5 Underworld Knowledge (+5 from Points) +5 Thin Blades (+5 from Points) +2 Magical Knowledge (+2 from Points) Languages known: Imperial Standard Common Alt-Regalian (native) d'Ithanie (learned) She'llaq (partially learned) "We need to create a culture to unite the Empire. We'll call it the Imperial Culture." Visual Information (Required) Eye Color: Icy blue Hair Color: Black Hair Style: Long waves with a straight bang Skin Color: Pale and freckled Clothing: Black & yellow gowns. Nowadays, most of them old and tattered Height: 5' Body Build: Skinnyfat Weapon of Choice: A simple civilian rapier or a gilded dagger. "Shoo, you tiny devil." - Anton Ravenstad Visual Information (Expansion) Charlotte's head is heart shaped, with a smooth jawline. She inherited her mother's almond-shaped eyes. Her lips are small, they are curled into a frown almost all the time. She has a small pointy nose and slightly protruding ears, their tips piercing through her hair. Charlotte's eyes are light-blue, almost icy. Her average expression is a set of slightly-curved eyebrows pulled a bit downwards as if being angry and her lips curled into a frown. Some would call this the Resting Charlotte Face. Her hair is wavy long black, reaching down to the middle of her back. She usually wears it braided or simply loose with a few accessories. She sports straight bangs that frame her face just above the eyebrows. Charlotte doesn't have any facial accessories, only earrings she usually wears. She tends to bite or chew on her lips when anxious, resulting in them being scarred, which she attempts to hide with lipstick most of the time. She uses heavy make-up to hide her freckles and to highlight her almond-shaped eyes. When not attending court, she has a quirk for wearing black lipstick. Charlotte is 4'11'' tall and weighs 98 pounds at the moment, keeping a rather thin shape reinforced by corsets. She's not muscular at all, often mocked for her 'snakelike arms'. She has long legs and defined breasts. Her lower body lacks any curves, rather flat except for her wide hips. She doesn't have any physical disabilities apart from her lack of good physique. Her skin tone is a fairly average Regalisch pale, she doesn't spend much time outside to get a tan. She has a few freckles on her face, right underneath her eyes, and two barely visible cuts running down to her left shoulder from her neck, where the remains of two punctures decorate her pristine skin. Her back is scarred from torture suffered during the Crimson Inquisition, remains of eight lashes criss-crossing the woman's skin. The little body hair Charlotte has is shaven regularly to keep a hairless skin. She also trims her eyebrows to reinforce her so-original expression of discontent. Charlotte doesn't follow any fashion but her own. Her favourite pieces are mostly double-breasted coats with waistcoats underneath, cut in a more feminine style with an outlandishly tight waist, decorated shoulder puffs and sometimes long, hanging sleeves. Underneath these she prefers a corset as well as an assortment of regular and bustle skirts. Most of her jewelry as well as her clothes are coloured gold-black, with golden ornaments scattered all over the fabric. Charlotte wears an ornate silver ring on her right index finger, a Walerius tradition. The ring used to belong to his father, who passed away during the summer of 303 A.C. On her chest, she always carries a pair of silver badges: one belonging to the Silver Key Society, the other a sigil of the Lily Cross Order. Charlotte speaks with no accent in Imperial Standard Common, with a noble lady's diction. She is prone to raise her voice, as well as to scream and yell at times. Charlotte Art & Visuals Spoiler Art by MrHappyTinkles Art by yours truly. LOTR Doll Maker. Rinmaru Medieval Doll Maker. "May we learn from yesterday, survive today and prosper tomorrow." - Silver Key Toast Personality and Abilities (Required) First Paragraph: Charlotte's perceived as the obvious narcissist to any on the first sight. Furthermore, she is usually described as someone highly authoritarian. Charlotte is also prone to mood swings that drive her from positive and friendly attitude to being a complete jerk in hours if something happens to her. For those not seeking the terrible in her, or those who are fooled by Charlotte's remaining charm, she could seem elegant, intelligent and charismatic seeking to conceal the former qualities. Second Paragraph: Inside, Charlotte feels ... like she is the centre of the universe, of course. She credits herself with far more than she has ever done. Though she also feels deep anxiety from failure and not being able to deliver. She also feels ashamed if her flaws are pointed out, and can even become aggressive and vengeful towards those who do. If anything, her megalomania leaves her with a huge pack of overconfidence. Third Paragraph: She can drop part of her hostility and pragmatism towards family and friends in exchange for some emotions. Though at the same time, Charlotte seldom considers somebody a true friend. It takes a while for her to extend trust and confidence towards another person, perhaps out of an anxiety. The most prominent difference is perhaps that Charlotte tends to involve those close to her in her megalomaniac schemes and extend her confidence over them. Fourth Paragraph: Charlotte's morality is that of neutral evil. She never acts for the sake of evil, nor does she considers herself one. She, however, does not really hold any moral obligations or barriers when it comes to achieving her goals. And her most prominent goal will always be self-preservation. She has a strong stance against corruption, though not in the usual sense. She dislikes it, because she sees it as others using their full capabilities to wield powers. She engaged in corruption herself numerous times in the past to various degrees and has been fined & punished for it as well. Fifth Paragraph (OPTIONAL): Charlotte is an imperialist. She published a pair of manifestos on her political views, and held leadership over the Lily Cross Order, her political lobby, for a while. Her goals are centralisation, the atomisation of nobility, the integration of colonies, the assimilation of all cultures into Imperial culture and the firm handling of the lesser races to be brought into servitude. Charlotte is very religious, though she is closest in worship to the Blood Crown amongst the void gods. She believes the Blood Crown is passed on to the most prominent heir at any time, and that the Blood Crown is the mark of an Arken, the assumed Arken of Authority who is always the Emperor of Regalia. "Instead of choosing a culture to become the most prominent in the Regalian Empire, my suggestion is to create one. Both the Alt-Regalisch person and the Ceardian can choose to be members of this new culture, that I will call ‘Imperial’ from now on." - The 1st Imperialist Manifesto Talents (Addition) High intelligence: She is highly intelligent, resulting in her outsmarting the others around, providing better outcomes for almost any situation while enhancing her own ego and arrogance. She's also a fast learner and is very good at finding solutions to certain problems while being able to provide a good company to fellow intellectuals. Over her yet short life, her intelligence proved to be her most prominent strength, leading to numerous successful plots and schemes. Bleeding Crown worship: The woman is capable and has already conducted the Bleeding Crown ritual previously. She prefers maintaining a designated ritual chamber for the matter. Magical Knowledge: Charlotte learned basic spellcasting from a spellbook she obtained from the Kathar coven she interacted with. She spent two years studying and grew apt to cast the more basic illusions. She initially established her connection to the planar essences when she met and "interacted" with the Arken in the sewers during the Anahera crisis in 303AC. Above this, she also learned a lot about the Arken, their purpose, the Kathar and the general theory and history of the void. She developed her view on the Imperial Spirit during these times. "Believe you had the better of me, but at any point I will be three steps ahead." Weaknesses (OPTIONAL) Small and weak: She has gotten into the habit of exercising lately, most definitely due to all the recent events and situations she encountered. Yet she's a very long way from being physically fit, and will probably never reach a decent level even with much commitment. She can't wield heavy weapons and her small figure also means her arms are short, meaning a much shorter reach when it comes to melee combat. Inferiority complexes and megalomania: She suffers from a decent degree of sociopathy, and while this means she keeps up a confident and strong picture of herself to the outside world, in the inside her mind is addled by an advanced case of narcissism. She needs constant stimulation about her being better than others, re-assurance that she's above others. Besides these, she also wants to constantly prove things, prove she's more, better, stronger, more intelligent. Her whole life is a competition, and for the while she spent in Regalian politics, it has become rather evident that her motives are influenced by delusional megalomania. Arrogance: If noble blood comes with a sprinkle of arrogance, Charlotte managed to lay hands on double the amount from the latter one. She looks down upon people who are different from her, be this in charm, intelligence, wealth, birth or just interests. She also tends to turn conversations into arguments after a wrong remark, easily taking a bad choice of words as insult. Her arrogance led to lots of pesky debates, broken friendships and perhaps a general sense of 'not the right person to be around' when learning her well. Insanity: Lunacy: Her mind is slowly becoming independent of her actions during the night when she's the most tired, resulting in her acting strange some days, or going on a rampage for other nights. She usually locks herself into her quarters as to not damage anyone or anything, merely writing down snippets of her insanity on sheets of paper, later tearing them apart, sometimes eating them. She's currently trying to control the insanity with different ailments from the apothecary. Claustrophobia: One time during her childhood Charlotte was locked in a cupboard for a whole day by William after she teased Lucas so much he cried, and Charlotte is still unable to forget the experience. She was locked in besides clothes in pitch-black darkness, the moths and small insects crawling all around with her almost unable to breathe due to the doors shut on her chest. She's uncomfortable with low ceilings and doesn't like doors being locked. She's also afraid of caves. Paranoia: Over the time, and especially after the recent events in Regalian politics, Charlotte grew rather paranoid, not trusting anyone around her and sometimes going as far as trying to resolve imaginary conspiracies and schemes that 'others' are plotting behind her back. Sadly, her lunacy means these 'others' can be her previous friends, family members or even people who are completely innocent in every sense. "Leave, Wretch." - Ulric Typhonus Personality and Abilities (Expansion) Charlotte's main quirk is her shrugging. She was once thrown out of an estate by Ulric Typhonus simply due to her shrugs. Another quirk of hers is chewing on her lips, which she does as a sort-of stress relief. "I pursue a romantic life. I shun the ordinary, I escape to adventure and maintain my fantasy as a sanctuary of troubled mind." Likes Music: Charlotte was brought up to be a musician and she didn't resist. She has a love for all kinds of music as well as the instruments that she plays herself. More specifically, she is familiar with lutes, violins and key instruments. Wine: While not an outright alcoholic like most of her family members (she still drinks from glasses), Charlotte too has a place for wine in her heart, especially dry/sour ones. Literature: Creating it herself some way, she loves reading and literature overall, often spending whole afternoons embracing the beauty of a single poem or story. Books however can have a vile effect on her mood swings, and a sad book can leave her grumpy for a whole week Evenings: She loves the sunset and the time afterwards, being mostly active in the evening. She sometimes creeps people out by staying up late and writing by the flickering light of a solitary candle. Autumn: There's something Charlotte finds thrilling in autumns, possibly because of the falling leaves and all the colours, and of course the mystery of passing time and mortality. Sucking her thumb: Charlotte can't help it but to sleep sucking her thumb. It calms and soothes her. Dislikes Rain and especially thunder: Charlotte is kind-of afraid of Thunderstorms, having a bad memory about a time when a lightning struck the mansion in Turall and lit one of the towers on fire. Tattoos: She finds tattoos ugly and can't seem to understand why someone would deform their skin permanently like that. People solely drinking sweet wine: Charlotte can't take sweet wine and dislikes people who only drink sweet. For the sake of etiquette, the only place for sweet wine is accompanying the dessert. Monotone activities: She can't do something for hours without getting bored of it, and therefore she hates routines and monotone activities like the mourning routine or any administrative paperwork. She breaks the latter one by writing poetry or fiction while doing the paperwork. Physical contact: Some may even find the extent to which Charlotte avoids physical contact strange or unsettling. Be it from disgust or court etiquette, she can't help but to cringe when she has to touch someone. "Written word is more powerful than you would ever think it is. I saw it dissolve alliances, lordships and princes. I saw it re-shape an Empire. I saw it change more than I ever saw a sword did." Publications & Written Works Essays: Spoiler: Will Will Or in full, A Treatise on the Driving Ambitions Behind The Actions of All Living Beings Introduction: After contemplating about the motives behind certain actions of particular individuals, I’ve realised that there must be a ground motive for everything, something that stands behind all acts and commitments in a person’s life. First, I sought to see the difference between all the living beings that inhabit Aloria. After examining such, came to a conclusion that led me to differ between the motives of animals, humanoids and the humanum. With that in mind, I’ve talked to some of my peers as well as organised an experiment to test my theory, which proved to be more than appealing to the enacted scene. This essay will first introduce and define the terms I will be using, after which I shall differentiate between the three different levels of motivation. I’ll introduce mobility between the levels, detail the final level, explain the concept of the communal equilibrium and introduce the idea of social responsibility and the ladder of duty from my previous essay to show the perfection of unionism and the dominance of both individualism and consequentialism. Furthermore I shall summarise the results of the experiment I conducted and how it proved my own theory. Capital I. – The Will to Live Inspecting the behaviour of different animals showed me that their actions are mostly based on instincts. An instinct could be defined as a natural desire or tendency guiding actions. What’s this nature that guides animals to act? It’s the will to live, the desire of subsistence. Lacking any kind of built-up society or communal support, most animals rely on their own skills and time to sustain their lives with food, shelter, water and offsprings. Also counting the fact that most animals have to be constantly aware of danger lurking about, it’s no wonder that they have no time to prosper, advance or improve their conditions and are stuck in an eternal loop of sustaining life for the time that produces the necessary utilities to sustain life, up until they die. Capital II. – The Will to Power After drawing the aforementioned conclusion about the behaviour of different kinds of animals, I turned my head towards the races that resemble humanum and the creatures that abandoned the cause of Unionism, all with an easily sustained life and time to spare. Studying them led to the conclusion that any spare time or utility that was produced above what’s necessary to sustain life was invested in influencing others one way or the other, or invested into sustaining life in a way that there’ll be more utility left to allocate later. In a more understandable vocabulary, an Elven trader has all the necessary needs fulfilled that are required to survive, as he has both savings and income far more than what he’d need to purchase his daily meal, room in the tavern and drinks in the bar. Therefore, he will thrive to either invest in his own business to provide more income, or remain ambitious for power. Power manifests in all kinds of ways, wealth is a tool to achieve certain goals, serving as the extension of the will and mind, being a vector of power, but political influence is the same as well as titles, properties, consorts, followers and the list goes on. Capital III. – The Will to Unite While the will to power gives reason for one’s life and empowers the individual or creature with ambitions, there’s something lacking. Those who merely seek to gain power are ought to act anti-social and are usually destructive to communities. Therefore it’s only natural that the highly developed societies will prevent anti-social behaviour in order to further a common goal. Members of a society that reach this point allocate some or all of their resources to further the society’s advancement instead of their own well-being. Such a society reduces tensions amongst members and can achieve far better as one great engine as the shattered societies that are driven by individual members’ will to power. Capital IV. – Transition between the levels Transition is possible and historical events mark them, although only one recorded and happened in the recent past. Mobility from the first level to the second depends on the individual, but moving from the will to power to the will to unite is dependent on factors of the society. In order to develop the will to power, a creature or individual has to reach a level of utility produced that leaves time for them to invest into other matters. As soon as this happens, an exponential growth will start, resulting in time invested into furthering sustainability, creating more time to invest elsewhere. An example for such would be an animal learning to utilise tools. The tools produced would hypothetically reduce the amount spent on hunting the daily food, leaving time to improve the tools. These improvements would lead to shortened, more effective hunting, eventually to the point where the mentioned animal spends only a small fraction of their day hunting, the rest exploring, socialising, trading or developing culture. Transition from the will to power to the will to unite however requires an exceptional social development, the appearance of social responsibility. Such has only ever happened once, with the foundation of Unionism by the first Emperor-saint, Emperor Theomar the first of Ivrae, Saint of Union. Capital V. – How the different levels are present at the same time Transition from one level to the other does not mean the disappearance of the previous one. Individuals motivated by the will to power will still have to allocate a fraction of their time to sustaining their lives, and humans led by the common cause will still never the less thrive for power as well as basic living needs. While the amount of resources and thus the individual amount of utility allocated to sustain life can be roughly defined with numbers, there is no such balance between the will to power and the will to unite. This poses the problem of the communal equilibrium. Capital VI. – The Communal Equilibrium When taking the utility provided to the individual and the utility provided to the society, one can define the personal benefits gained from each combination of allocation. The allocation when the personal benefits are maximised is called the communal equilibrium. In theory, a society will function with maximum efficiency when all members are allocating their resources according to their individual communal equilibriums. Because no input to the community would lead the society back to the individualist will to power, each member will allocate more than zero utility towards the common cause. Also due to the diminishing return of investment placed into society or individual, the equilibrium will be somewhere in the middle. How to find the communal equilibrium? There is no way to calculate it for each individual, there is however the whole definition of the term itself. Because the equilibrium is the point where the personal benefits gained is maximised, then it’s rather easy to simply state that the individual should seek the allocation of utility that benefits them the most. Capital VII. – The equilibrium problem and consequentialism The main problem with driving each and every member towards the communal equilibrium is the fact that personal benefits may seem to come mostly from investment in one’s self, which is untrue due to the diminishing return of utility invested. This is where the moral philosophy of consequentialism comes to play. While virtue ethics are the most widespread decision-influencing doctrines in Regalia, one must understand that looking at the consequence and not the action itself is far more important for both the will to power and the will to unite. With consequentialism in mind, an individual may understand the weight and effects of their utility investments and prefer a decision that furthers the common cause over a decision that would provide short-term leisure or improvements in their own lives. Capital VIII. – The Hand of Unionism And this is where the true understanding of Unionism reaches the top of the mountain, where the academic reader understands that it’s not merely a religion or a common goal, but a system so perfectly designed that its divinity is unquestionable. The Hand of Unionism is an abstract idea of the system behind the communal equilibrium. It is a system that maximises society’s effectiveness as long as each individual thrives to increase their own benefits. A system that thrives on the will to power, and transforms it into a machinery that improves society, binds humans together and maximises efficiency. Capital IX. – Requirements for the system to function The will to unionism builds therefore upon the will to power. However, attaining the will to power is required in order to be eligible for transformation towards the will to unite. The will to power can only be attained by certain humanoids who are able to form primitive communities to better their sustainment of lives. Another requirement is the ability to comprehend social responsibility and the concept of common good. This is a concept only the higher races can grasp, which is why the idea of humanum exists to restrict involvement with Unionism. Capital X. – The Charlotte Theorem of increasing standards of living Logic dictates that as society improves and grows, the efficiency of utility invested in the common cause will rise as well, eventually leading to the individual’s communal equilibrium to converge towards full-utility invested in the society. However, the law of diminishing return negates the efficiency increase in utility invested, keeping a linear individual gain/invested utility ratio for the common cause. Logic dictates that the more an individual invests in their own personal power, the more efficient these investments will get, leading to the individual’s communal equilibrium to converge towards full-utility invested in self. However, social responsibility and anti-social behaviour induced regulations imposed by the community reduce the effectiveness of investments the further the individual deviates from society’s average invested power, resulting in it being a linear ratio of gain/invested utility in the individual’s power. Capital XI. – The experiment My experiment of social behaviour involved inviting a number of guests to my home for a game of wit. Each player received a character to role play, along with a specific goal for the character. All goals were personal, benefiting the self the most. However, there was a twist. In order to provide a common cause, one guest was a murderer seeking to get rid of all the other guest. Players could have won the game by completing their objectives before they got murdered. As soon as they fulfilled their goals, they were rewarded, no matter if their characters died later on. Never the less, certain guests did realise the importance of the murderer. While they were trying to achieve their personal goals, a murderer could take them out and prevent them from getting their reward. And thus a large amount of guests instigated an investigation. Another twist occurred at the end. The murderer was confronted by an underground investigator who, in self-protection, murdered the vicious character. The underground investigator was specifically instructed not to reveal his identity, or else he’d lose the game. After the other guests found out about the death of the murderer, they started throwing accusations at each other because they did not know that the murderer died. Only the underground investigator did. In the event, something happened that was expected by myself, but would not have been expected by those with pessimism placed in humanity. The underground investigator abandoned his own goal, revealed himself and told the other guests the murderer’s identity. With this, he lost the game. Yet he realised it was far better for the others, as they stopped the accusations and could continue with their goals. The guest roleplaying the investigator refused the will to power and favoured the will to unite. Capital XII. – The problem of consequentialism and the solution Consequentialism is a wonderful idea, basing decisions on the best possible outcome. However, there is the marginal problem of not knowing the outcomes. Yes indeed, the whole system relies on the fact that the individual with the will to unite has the capability to decide which decision will make the best investment in the individual cause and the common cause. Which decision will drive their utility input towards the communal equilibrium. This is where my previous essay on social responsibility and the duty ladder of Unionism and the Regalian Empire comes into play. While individual decisions are important, it’s only the Imperial Spirit that’s perfect enough to find the proper balance for utility input in case of each individual. Because the ladder of social responsibilities dispenses the Imperial Spirit’s will amongst each individual involved in the Empire, sticking to the ladder and respecting the distinctions and the system is of extreme importance once again. If successful, then the Imperial Spirit is capable of communicating the best possible outcomes and decisions through the body of His Imperial Majesty to each and every citizen. As mentioned in my other essay, this is why centralisation is of utmost importance. Yes, this is in fact a full essay dedicated to logically justify Charlotte's egoism. I'd love to see people challenge it. For the essay itself, I used the ideas of Adam Smith, Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche, as well as a large portion of my own thoughts injected into the world of Aloria and the concept of Unionism. Spoiler: An Essay On The Case Of The Scapegoat, Centralisation And Social Responsibility An Essay on the Case of the Scapegoat, Centralisation and Social Responsibility I have noticed much discomfort amongst the population of Regalia as well as the peerage which led me to compiling this essay and study. Naturally, this paper is related to the recent events and the rumours that seemed to have arisen. In this study, I'll first define my terms in regards to social responsibility, centralisation and the scapegoat, after which I shall present a conclusion. Capital I. - The Ladders of Responsibility The fourth creed clearly states Humania's devotion to Regalia. However, in what form this devotion and duty may be undertaken, that is questionable. Let's dissect how the individual can serve the unionist cause, first the ladder of classes: Spoiler: An Essay On The Case Of The Scapegoat, Centralisation And Social Responsibility The fourth level belongs to the Emperor. The third level belongs to the peerage, which is divided into even more levels from within. The second level belongs to humania, commoners from the humanum. The first level belongs to the non-humans. Each level is bound to serve the ones above it. This is how the class responsibilities are divided. However, it would lead to a chaos amongst the lower levels if not for a structuring within this system. The second-dimension structuring is the ladder of communities. The Emperor is one and only. The peerage is divided into noble houses. Each noble house has its own ladder of responsibilities. The commoners are more loosely divided than the nobility, but they still respect ideas such as family, guilds, crews and smaller communities. The non-humans tend to reflect commoner qualities on this ladder, with the same divisions. Considering this, the unionist cause binds each and every person in the Empire to a strict social ladder, where one knows who is below and who is above, and to whom one should be responsible. Capital II. - Social Responsibility With the society divided as such, one can easily see how different perspectives of means towards the unionist cause can manifest. For example, one commoner family may think sending all males to war would serve the Empire the best, while another would think keeping them behind to work a smithy would support the cause far more. In certain cases, such oppositions could lead to atrocities, meaning that families may oppose each other and attempt to influence even more families to support their means of achieving the ultimate goal. Who is to determine the right road? Whether to send sons to war, or to send them to the smithy? Capital III. - Centralisation Returning to the ladders mentioned, in such a case it is always best to refer to the highest authorities. In an ideal society, all decisions of every citizen would be made by the Emperor himself, who would allocate resources to provide the best pathway towards paradise. However, due to the Emperor's imperfection of both time and space binding Him, a chain of command is required where the Emperor's will is transferred to each and every cogwheel in the golden clockwork of unionism. How many links this chain of command has, that is determined by the degree of centralisation. And with each link in the system, another person's imperfection will influence the Emperor's supreme will, eventually reaching a state where the lowermost bricks of the wall could receive false instructions. With this in mind, the cause can be furthered by improving centralisation. Capital IV. - The Scapegoat and Current Politics The scapegoat is a person held responsible for malfunction of a system or bad decisions made. In the current tragic situation of the Empire, the highest authority was transferred to the Arch Chancellor. Due to his imperfection, it is only natural that some decision or some declarations may not be as perfect as if they came from our Emperor. Therefore many people claim the Arch Chancellor to be incapable of fulfilling the role of highest authority in the Empire, presuming that the Emperor's sudden sickness would result in civil unrest due to the imperfection of the next person on the ladder of responsibilities. Capital V. - The Effect of the Scapegoat on Current Politics Due to opposition to the Arch-Chancellor's authority, the chain of command was broken in some places, with many noble houses doubting his capability to control the situation. However, even in a hypothetical state where the Arch-Chancellor's command would actually be less than sufficient, keeping the chain of command and thus the integrity of the Empire intact is far more important than highlighting the imperfection of the highest in command. The same applies to the foreign guests that were present during the feast. Many motives could be easily found for the different ambassadors that arrived to the city for the celebrations, yet pointing fingers on them may severely damage diplomatic relations as well as prevent the conclusion of the investigation due to the foreign witnesses retaining information. Due to the chain's layout, meaning a pyramid with the Emperor on the top, those closer to Him possess responsibility over more citizens and people than those on the bottom of the pyramid. It is essential for those holding influential seats in the ladder to act with social responsibility, avoiding the spread of rumours, accusations and suspicions so as to not destroy the links beneath them. These influential seats include for example members of the state council, members of the nobility, family patriarchs and matriarchs, guild and community leaders. Capital VI. - The Conclusion And therefore, I call out for each and every citizen in the Empire to avoid any accusations and suspicions placed before proper evidence is produced, with the importance of this inquiry higher for those who possess a larger influence on society as a whole. Those possessing vital information concerning the tragedy should of course pen a letter to the Lord Commander, but I urge any true followers of the unionist cause to drop accusations and suspicions against either the peerage, members of the peerage or foreign guests and concentrate on their duties once again, unless they can present proper evidence to the Lord Commander. These essays are no longer being spread currently in Regalia. Spoiler: A Treatise On Behaviour Problems By Children A Treatise On Behaviour Problems By Children Introduction: As I've recently been blessed by a child of my own, I found it only fitting to take a break from philosophy and politics and concentrate on a mere study of children and their behaviour, for other parents to enjoy and better understand how their sons and daughters act and what they could do to prevent atrocities and such. Naturally, children are influenced by numerous things during their upbringing, including their environment, family and background, as well as the events that surround their childhood. While noble children are brought up by the best maids, commoners and some of the less-civilized peerage still concentrate on raising their children on their own. This treatise may also prove to be vital for those families as well as those employing maids, to better choose their servants. Events affecting children: During childhood, some events can have drastic effects on the personality as well as the stature and behaviour of children. Losing a loved one, for example, is such an event. These scars can affect learning as well as personal development and concentration, and sometimes leave children prone to be megalomaniac and have minority complexes. Resolving such issues may prove hard especially if the alterations of the personality are too deep already. Sometimes children can no longer be affected by words and are left with a scarred, inferior trait that will guide their lives forever. However, one can always teach a child to step back from where his issues would prevent him from unfolding and deal with matters they are better at. It also has to be mentioned that crippling incidents can have severe consequences on the behaviour and personality of children. Those who have suffered certain injuries during their childhood, a broken arm or a paralyzed one even, may find themselves trying to compensate for their loss of limb-usage, developing inferiority complexes and diving into undesired situations. Anti-social children: Each and every child, no matter the background, will grow up socialising with other children. Therefore a sense of social responsibility is essential for a healthy childhood. Those with complicated backgrounds or issues of the mind may find themselves constantly engaged in arguments, often throwing insults. Evidence for such anti-social behaviour could be for example disrespect against the elderly, with picking on veterans being a common occurrence. Unlike other children, one with problematic behaviour may find it hard to accept responsibilities. As a parent, one can easily spot a child avoiding such, for example hanging around with a group of friends up until a responsibility is placed on the group, backing away as soon as possible afterwards. The child may look for excuses, plausible ones as well as ways to passively involve themselves with the group without actually being present. In certain cases, anti-social behaviour extends to family members. This is especially prominent amongst male children. A younger brother may be picking on an older one out of sheer envy or led by a feeling of inferiority. In certain extreme cases one brother may openly assault the other and feel completely justified to do as such, without any moral restraints displayed. Ambitions and upbringing: Social children may have an easy time finding ambitions and goals in their lives, but those with behaviour problems may be stuck in an impulsive state, having no real picture of their future. This may be due to a clouded mind or due to the pressure their disorder places on them. Another issue to consider is a false picture of future for a clouded mind. Some children tend to shoot for future roles not appropriate to their skills. A child may want to be a famous politician or a prolific playwright, but be inept at both professions, resulting in a severe downfall and shame possibly leading to more scars on their personality. Considering the child's capabilities, parents can provide the appropriate guidance required. They could simply sit down and have a talk with them, or reach for more subtle tools, influencing the child's reading, activities or even education when it comes to a military career. How to handle the issues: How a parent handles an issue may inflict further scars as well as deterioration in the personality. For example, too much care would lead to a child becoming greedy and aggressive towards anyone who wouldn't provide the same care for them. Such a child could also grow envious against others being cared for. In a child's case, it's important to understand the methods they use to learn. Children don't simply learn things, they imitate others first. They copy what others do, what they adore and respect from adults, and then attempt to replicate those with more or less success. If they have a good example set before them, they may display knowledge as if they actually learned what they saw, never the less one should never forget that this is still merely copying and should be cared for in order to be developed into an actual talent. Listening to the child's pleas may also prove to be useful. Their speech may uncover a more in-depth analysis of their problem, as well as lead to more proper conclusion about their issues. Scolding them is of no use, since that can lead to a wider scar on their personality. They have to be re-assured that their families are welcoming and open to them, as well as the fact that they can count on their family members as they'll always be close to them. Conclusion: During my years spent in Regalia I have met a plethora of different children, some ridden with deep scars in their memories and personalities, obvious to the external observer. While these children roam the streets unbeknownst of their personal issues, I still care for them in my heart and thus decided to write up this quick essay-styled handbook for those who'd adopt or raise children with a more academic level of knowledge. Maybe one day even the most terribly lost children of Regalia bearing numerous scars will find a parent who'll care for them and their needs, raising them to be better. This essay is no longer printed. Some copied may still be found however. Spoiler: On the concept of a nation and a nation state, and their implementation and hypothesised effects in the Regalian Empire On the concept of a nation and a nation state, and their implementation and hypothesised effects in the Regalian Empire By Charlotte Victoria Ravenstad, Duchess of the Hinterlands Over the course of the second half of the saloon organised by house Barlowe, I have reached numerous conclusions thanks to a bountiful discussion I had with Lord-Regent Hadrian Typhonus as well as to the Emperor’s debate with house Barlowe. These conclusions led me to writing this essay, which will deal first with the concept of a nation and a nation state, then brings it in line with the history of Regalia, after which I will suggest ways to implement the concept and in the end, I will hypothesise what effects these implementations could have on the Empire and its subjugated kingdoms, from a standpoint as objective as possible. Capital I. The concept of a nation Many native speakers to Ceardian use the words ‘country’ and ‘nation’ interchangeably, as if they meant the same. Inspecting the origins of the two words however will instantaneously reveal a difference. The word ‘Nation’ originates from the Ithanian ‘Nacion’, meaning ‘birth, rank, relatives, descendants, relatives’. This Ithanian word derived from the verb ‘natus’, with the past tense ‘nasci’, meaning ‘to be born’. The word ‘Country’ originates from the Ithanian ‘contree’, meaning ‘land’. The two words already show a marginal difference in their background meaning. Whereas a country is related to a pre-negotiated geographical area, a nation is more than that, it refers to those who reside in this country, those who serve this country, those who are descendants of the founders. What’s the difference between a country’s citizen and a nation’s member? The greatest is the passion held and loyalty observed. While a country’s geographical borders merely serve as an indication of economic reach, a nation’s borders refer to cultural, linguistic, traditional, ethnic, racial and historical divides. Capital II. The concept of a nation state With my definition, a nation state is a country whose geographical borders are equal to the ethnic, cultural, religious, linguistic and racial borders of the country’s ruling nationality. The establishment of a nation state is a long progress, which involves altering the roots of ethnic minorities within a defined region. A nation state is more effective than a country because the people are bound together by more than their location of living or location of birth. While some of these binds merely affect the esprit de corps, some implications have tangible effects on a society. A country with a unified language enjoys better administration and easier commerce while a country with a common culture is far more stable from the bottom to top due to less tensions between the citizens. Capital III. The Regalian Empire in regards to the concept of a nation state The ancient Kingdom of Regalia could be viewed as a nation state. However, with the expansion within the archipelago as well as the conquest of the defunct states of Daendroc and Ithania, and later on the subjugation of other kingdoms, the Regalian Empire became a multicultural entity with different languages spoken in different regions, different traditions for the larger sub-entities and even three schisms in the Holy Unionism challenging the religious unity of the Empire. This is the moment that I myself would perceive as the ‘Regalian anti-nation state’. With the Empire being a country with many sub-countries, a geographical entity with the ruling nation only extending in the archipelago, the Regalian pessimism shook the lands and the Drachenwald crisis raised the question of prolonged sustainability. Change arrived with the Chrysant war which proved to be a unifying cause for all citizens of the Regalian Empire regardless of nationality. However, and as proven by the current uprising in Daendroc and the ransacking of certain Ithanian provinces, the Empire once again faces the same dangers as it faced during the Regalian pessimism. My argument is that since the pessimism, most of the archipelago including Drachenwald was moulded into the Regalian culture. Daendroc is as distant to the Holy City today as Drachenwald was during the pessimism. Capital IV. Creating the Regalian nation-state From now on, this essay will focus on my personal speculations instead of facts. Each and every paragraph must be approached with scepticism, since I merely provide one aspect, one thesis for the debate and not a conclusion. However, both the implementation and the possible effects of nationalisation of Regalia are described as objectively as possible by me, trying to apply the reforms to tendencies researched for the past five decades. It is no question that an Alt-Regalisch person can’t be simply changed into a Ceardian. However, my suggestion is a way that evades any change and only requires acceptance. Instead of choosing a culture to become the most prominent in the Regalian Empire, my suggestion is to create one. Both the Alt-Regalisch person and the Ceardian can choose to be members of this new culture, that I will call ‘Imperial’ from now on. With a new culture built from nothing, those constructing it could bend it however they wanted to, implementing virtues that are compliant with our modern world. This new culture could act as a pot into which all the other cultures are placed, and a new one comes out that resembles the cook’s wishes. However, one must take into account that such a new culture would have to have common concepts with all other cultures currently contained within the borders of the Regalian Empire, to be accepted. Capital V. How to create a culture Let’s first examine the definition of culture: ‘the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society’. The ideas, so to say, can be moulded with propaganda from the previous concepts a certain culture possesses. Customs can be crafted through careful engineering of folklore. Social behaviour can be shaped through virtues prescribed by religion and traditions, one of which is already in shape to unite Regalia, the other possibly shaped through folklore, customs and propaganda. Capital VI. How to implement a new culture and create a nation-state Implementing a new culture means nothing unless people are tempted to abandon their old identity in order to take up the new one. For this reason, the new culture has to be tempting to join in most means. It has to be united, it has to benefit the individual, it has to provide a sense of safety and stability and it has to be advertised accordingly. For the specific implementation of the hypothetical ‘Imperial’ culture in the Regalian Empire, I have devised a possible three-stage plan that I shall detail in the next three sub-paragraphs of capital six. 1. The preparation period This period signifies long weeks of cultural engineering to craft one that can unite the Empire, involving intellectuals from most cultures to represent their own views. Throughout this stage, folklore is written, customs are created, fashion is drawn-up. 2. The implementation period This period means the introduction of the citizens to the new culture by means of releasing any material created during the previous stage. This period should last long enough to convince at least two thirds of the population to shift their identities towards the imperial identity. The most important thing to note is that the whole effort should be a positive establishment of a new culture not a negative removal of the older ones. 3. The neglection period This period is entered after the majority of the population identifies with the new culture, after which the older cultures are slowly removed from the common knowledge with peaceful means. Heroes and tales become ‘Imperial’ instead of Ithanian, Northerne or Ceardian, meaning that any citizen of the Empire can identify with the cultural heritage of the other sub-regions by being an ‘Imperial’, and therefore the origins of these will be respected but their relevance will be lost. With possible interbreeding between the cultures the future would hold a homogenous country that only associates itself with the ‘Imperial’ culture. Capital VII. Possible positive and negative consequences of creating a nation-state Positive consequences involve the dispersion of inter-cultural tensions within the Empire, as well as ease of advancement in technology, common culture, demographics and economy because of lessened division between the sub-regions within the Empire. Other relevant positive consequences involve better communication between the cultures improving administration and military effectiveness. Negative consequences revolve around the loss of identity for the subjugated cultures. With this in mind, those cultures that aren’t compatible enough with the new ‘Imperial’ one may resist conversion or rise up against the proposed new culture. This is why it is of utmost importance to keep the second period as long as possible so that people don’t feel obligated to change their identity up until they are in a vast minority. This essay was published, but it's really hard to come by as it's only dispensed by Charlotte. Those PC and NPC nobles interested in politics and social science could possibly lay their hands on one, and a copy was sent to the Imperial Palace as well and was most likely archived. Spoiler: The Imperialist Manifesto The Imperialist Manifesto or The introduction of an ideology that transcends cultural and political borders to promote servitude to the Empire and the Common Cause A spectre is haunting the Empire - the spectre of imperialism. The old powers of Regalia have entered into an alliance to exorcise this spectre. Where is the party in opposition that has not been decried as imperialistic by its opponents in power? Where is the opposition that has not hurled back the branding reproach of imperialism, against the more advanced opposition parties, as well as against its reactionary adversaries? Two things result from this fact: I. Imperialism is already acknowledged by Regalian powers to be itself a power. II. It is high time that Imperialists should openly, in the face of the whole world, publish their views, their aims, their tendencies, and meet this nursery tale of the Spectre of Imperialism with a manifesto of the party itself. Capital I. - The goals of Imperialism I. The furthering of the Common Cause Imperialism is the logical and argumentative approach to best support Humania's common cause as lined out in the third creed of unionism. As lined out in my previous essay, 'Will', this is done by finding the golden middle between individual and common goals set out in the everyday life. Therefore, followers of this ideology are neither communalists nor individualists. II.. The furthering of Nationalism Imperialism considers itself to be an ideology and political direction above the different cultures within the humanum. Imperialists approve to cast their cultural background aside to promote what's called the 'Imperial' culture, as lined out in my previous essay on nationalism, a mold of Ailor cultures influenced by the rest of the humanum. Thus, imperialists write and publish in human common (Ceardian), they dress according to and use symbols of the Empire and not their place of origin while at the same time revering the diversity found within the Empire, drawing strength and inspiration from the many distinct folk-tales, languages and traditions of Regalia. III. The furthering of progressive thought Imperialism builds upon the belief of change and harnessing change. While recognising the importance of patience and hindsight, imperialism understands change as resource to be harnessed to fuel humania towards the Common Cause. Therefore, imperialists refuse arguments derived from past success or well-being and seek to base their own on logic and possible future consequences instead. IV. The denial of virtues As the main goal of Imperialism is furthering the Common Cause, an advocated view is consequentialism over virtue ethics. The common goal is a consequence of actions, and thus decisions should be made based on possible outcomes, and not on virtues of the past. A true imperialist considers state law first. If they allow for multiple decisions, the individual should always consider which subjective decision could be made state law and act out based on the one that fits the situation the most. If there still isn't a clear answer, the choice that furthers the Common Cause the most is to be preferred, always. V. The advocation of centralisation Imperialists support central and coordinated decision making within the Empire and therefore seek a more centralised governance. Centralised bureaucracy advocates merit and lets landholders dedicate family members within the Holy City to deal with the management of their holdings, while a centralised legislative branch can debate issues within the Empire with perspectives from all corners, and not just local views and representation. Above these, a centralised government also proves to operate faster, tends to be less chaotic and responsibilities are well-defined and separated. VI. The separation of powers Imperialism supports the idea that no one apart from the Emperor in the Regalian Empire should hold powers that are combinations of legislative, judicative or executive rights. Therefore, imperialists support a distinct state council and arch chancellor as well as a completely apolitical system of justice and law, and oppose any who would stack these powers within a single hand. VII. Colonial integration Imperialism advocated the idea of imperial integration, which means the cultural, political and economical acceptance of subjugated realms. Therefore, imperialists advocate both colonial representation in the Holy City and imperial representation in the colonies. VIII. The acknowledgment of the class structure Imperialism approves the distinction of leaders and followers within the societies of humania and accepts the Imperial Spirit as the perfect judge to allocate individuals based on their merit, and thus they approve the Emperor's judgment on the allocation of titles, land and wealth within the Empire which means imperialism considers the Regalian caste system to be a tool used to further the Common Cause. IX. The acknowledgment of races Imperialists acknowledge both the distinction between the humania and the inferior races as well as the drive in the inferior races to serve humania in order to be hopefully reborn one. As such, no true imperialist would refuse honest and modest servitude to a member of an inferior race, because through such they may help them prove themselves in front of the Imperial Spirit and may possibly help their re-birth. Capital II. - The struggle for the Common Cause Throughout the years many lobbies and political parties were formed within the Empire, some to promote local goals and rights while others to follow certain ideologies or tenets. First and foremost, by its very nature, Imperialism opposes none of these lobbies or parties, it however asks all members of the peerage and aristocracy whether they hold the furthering of their lobby's or their Common cause first. As such, and as shown within the very political think-thank that led to the birth of this ideology under my pen, Imperialists come with differing political views, some conservative some even liberal. Yet they have one thing in common, finding the common ground and deriving an answer through dialectic thinking to what will serve humania the most and supporting that decision. Imperialists aren't alone, they stand for all nobility who don't present themselves to politics or even prefer to stay out of it, as imperialists propose debated and already contra-argued ideas. Capital III. - The parallels Imperialists consider their own ideology to be a result of intellectual and academic pursuit and therefore often argue based on other studies and sciences. I. Competition Imperialists regard political competition to be much akin to market competition. An ideology that's supported by more will presumably receive more words in politics, much like a product that is sought by more people will be sold for a higher price than other products. Imperialist thinkers prefer clean competition both in politics and the market. And as such, imperialists approve of the harmful effect of cartels both in politics and in trade, as either can monopolise aspects of their sector. II. The Will and mathematical analysis The whole idea of the will to unite and the communal equilibrium is based on mathematical analysis of a function drawn between contribution towards individual and communal goals. This is both alike to finding the best way to throw a disc with the help of physics as well as the best way to allocate resources to production within a small economy. Imperialists believe in consequentialism, and since consequences draw other consequences not linear but exponentially, they believe that strings of decisions are best depicted through either concave or convex functions that always have extremum where the decisions provide the best outcomes for all parties involved. III. Keeping to Logic As according to the rules of ancient rhetorics, imperialists derive as many logical arguments as they can from their core tenets, which are themselves mostly derived from Imperial teachings and analysis of Imperial speeches. Imperialists are advised to avoid debates where they speak from their heart, as such would be against the rules of dialectics. Many imperialists mark arguments they derive from personal views to highlight the fact that they no longer hold as much rhetorical merit as other arguments did in the debate. Imperialists are advised to stick to stoic logic and apatheia to make correct judgments and decisions in politics. Capital IV. - The invitation And as such, I invite each and every one of you, citizens of the Regalian Empire or fellow peerage, to participate in the ongoing diet of Axford and represent the imperialistic views to further our Empire and thus the Common Cause. This is a time of change that could lead us onto a road of prosperity and improvement with the judgment of His Imperial Holiness, yet there are always those who'd oppose the removal of a comfortable status quo and such would deny progress. Let your voices be heard, and fight side-by-side, wielding words of truth and sentences of loyalty, to win this next war on our agenda for the Common Cause. Written by: The Stoic, Landgrave Charlotte Victoria Moselberg of Morgwenn Books (Short stories and flash fiction): Spoiler: The Chivalrous Tale of Ser Garret The Chivalrous Tale of Ser Garret Once upon a time there was an old farmer who had two sons. The farmer, loyal to his king, marched to the castle as soon as the boys were coming of age and offered their servitude to the king. However, the king wasn't able to accept both of them as squires, so he simply told the old farmer: "I shall accept one of your sons as a squire and your other as a cook, for I cannot take two squires right now." The old farmer, contempt with the decision, accepted and proposed his elder son, Garret would become a knight and Hensel to be the castle cook. However, when stating this, Garret stepped forward, bowed to the king and proposed himself to become the cook and his younger brother the knight, who shed a tear at hearing this. The king, surprised by the brother's benevolent intentions, offered the cook the second best room in the castle, and promised the old farmer that he would take care of him forever, and that he would spend a lavish life as the king's personal cook. And with that, Garret became a renowned cook in the king's palace, revered by the court. On the other hand, Hensel became a famous knight whose name was sung in all seven kingdoms of the realm, his coming to a town greeted by falling rose petals and feasts. While Hensel pursued a virtuous life, Garret saw the king's daughter each day and couldn't help but to glare at the beauty of the young Bethany. His love however was never returned, him being a mere cook, quite fat by that time, often ridiculed by other ladies. As the years passed however, fortunes changed in the realm. The seven kingdoms grew comfortable and hedonistic, and in their shadow, a giant sea monster rose from the ocean and attacked the king's castle. Garret and the court was evacuated, and the knights of the realm arrived to fight the monster, including Hensel. The knights charged down the monster but all was in vane as their valiance led to their quick demise, with the giant sea serpent grabbing them with tentacles that rose from the depths and trashing them around until they became nothing more than flesh in caskets of their own steel plate. And so after hearing about this, Garret learned that he lost his brother to the sea serpent and that the serpent now occupies the king's castle. Garret, mourning the loss of Bethany and his young brother, headed off to the capital city, walking seven weeks until he arrived, hungry and thirsty, bearing the news of the king's demise. The tavernkeeper, being a good person, offered him a job by the counter, where he soon discovered Garret's talent for cooking. One day, three street ruffians entered the tavern when there was nobody inside, and demanded the day's income from the bartender, Garret. Perking a gaze around for a nearby guard, Garret was alone against the three bandits. He however didn't back away but invited them for a drink. The rascals, unsure about the friendly treatment, sat down and had a drink. Then another one. Then another one, up until all three of them were bent over the counter, with Garret setting off to fetch the head of the guard. After the three were imprisoned, Garret was offered a place in the city guard because the commander really appreciated his wit. Garret served the city well for the next twelve years, rising in the ranks and secretly training in the castle with one purpose: to slay the sea serpent. While Garret wasn't the knight-shaped person to be adored, the people of the capital still loved him for his easy going with words, his warm heart and his top-notch cooking which he flaunted in his a bakery he opened up from the gold received from the guard commander. One day a king of another realm rode to the capital in search of squires to take and train to be knights. Garret, thinking that he'd give it a shot, stood in the line, him being over forty amongst all the youngsters. While the king did perk an eyebrow, he adored the ambitions of the middle-aged man, eventually taking him as a squire. After he was knighted Ser Garret, he decided to fulfill his destiny and seek out the abandoned castle. Legends told him the sea monster was still inside, sleeping on the crushed bodies of all the knights that tried to kill it. He traveled across the realm to meet his nemesis, and when he arrived, he saw the castle completely overgrown, the creature's tentacles flowing out through the windows. Seeing all the fallen knights, Garret's confidence left him a bit, but his wit remained, leaving him with a master plan. He approached the monster, but instead of raising his arm, he addressed it. With a thundering voice, the sea monster opened its eyes and its forked tongue started spilling out words. 'Who are you to disturb my sleep? Who are you to approach me after I fell so many, foolish mortal.' Ser Garret bowed and answered. 'I'd be Garret, and I came to retrieve my spatula.' Surprised, the sea serpent raised its head, its eye fixed on Garret. 'Spatula? Are you not a knight to challenge me?' Ser Garret merely lifted his beer belly with a smile, plate armour clinging as it wobbled. 'You'd think a knight could ride a horse with such a belly? I'm the former cook.' 'Cook you say?' Roared the beast. 'Then head on and retrieve your spatula until my patience lasts.' With that, Ser Garret crawled under the creature's body, entering the castle and venturing to the kitchen. Instead of grabbing a spatula however, he squeezed himself into the chimney, slowly making his way to the roof of the castle. When up there, he grabbed his blade and jumped down upon the creature's head, thrusting the longsword into its skull, instantaneously killing the surprised serpent. After learning about the monster's death, people flocked to see the hero who killed it, swearing their lives to Ser Garret, crowning him king and restoring the castle. However, king Garret was not at all happy. The castle, even after restored and coated in gold from the presents of the other rulers, was empty and cold. He walked to the pier behind the castle each night, looking at the moonlit ocean. One day he found a glove that belonged to the princess, and decided to bring it to the pier. When there however, the memories overwhelmed him and he cast the glove into the water, shedding tears that dropped to the surface. When the tears touched the rippled, the moonlight set fire to the sea and from the flames Bethany emerged, hugging the king straight away who returned a passionate kiss. The two married the next day, with the greatest feast the realm ever saw and lived happily ever after. Spoiler: Stoick and Hero Stoic and Hero One day in Regalia, a philosopher stumbled into a knight on the street. The knight introduced himself as 'Hero', the philosopher as 'Stoic'. They liked each other, and ended up dropping into the tavern to have a chat alongsides two mugs of ale in the whisper lounge. Their discussion revolved around the recent events, the past wars and the future prospects. However, their conversation was soon plunged into an argument. 'Passion is impractical.' Claimed Stoic. 'Let soldiers go to war with no victory or defeat on their minds, their purpose being to fulfill their superiors' orders.' Hero didn't like this idea. 'The thrive towards victory is what leads to triumph. I myself have managed to turn battles upside-down when leading my troops, from moments of despair to victories of glory.' 'But do all soldiers have the same concept about their means to victory?' Asked Stoic. The answer came fast. 'They all have the same concept of victory, it being their duty to serve the Empire.' Stoic shook his head again, trying to apply to logic. 'If all soldiers have the same concept about their means to victory, then why do you need tacticians? With each soldier pursuing the same goal, they all would act individually according to the same principles, bringing forth a victory without any command or order required.' Hero perked an eyebrow, not knowing what to answer to this absurdity. 'There isn't a core mind leading the troops. They are led by the chain of command.' Stoic nodded, a smile appearing under his nose. 'A chain of command, yes. Each soldier has their own concept of means to victory. Those who have ideas of feasible means are raised to the rank of tacticians. Logically therefore, the tacticians usually have better means in their minds to achieve victory.' He stopped for a second, awaiting a reaction, but continued after Hero blew some air out of his nostrils. 'This better idea overrules all the inferior ideas. And therefore, the only thing left for the soldiers to concentrate on is fulfilling the orders they receive.' With a now-delighted smile, he lent back in his chair, continuing. 'And that's why I state this. A soldier should clear their minds before heading to battle, purge them of unnecessary thoughts, with only obedience in mind for their superiors.' Hero didn't like this at all. He smacked a fist onto the table, glaring daggers at Stoic. 'There is nothing more energizing than having something to fight for. And this something is for us, Regalians, is duty towards the Emperor, our duty being to win battles, to achieve victory wherever we go. You talk if like the Imperial army were a band of rascals picked up from the street corner. This is disrespectful and disgusting.' 'While the duty is achieving victory indeed...' Answered Stoic, keeping his neutral posture. '... the best way to achieve it is to trust one specific plan of approach towards victory. This plan of approach should be the best possible solution, which is mostly identified by the one at the top of the chain of command. All others should merely fulfill his orders as much as possible. With this, they fulfill their duty towards their superiors as well as towards the Empire.' 'Your gabble is incoherent, it's obvious you have never been to war.' Burst out Hero. 'Victory is the duty, and the thought of victory is what reinforces a man in the line of battle. They are the muscles of an army, with the chain of command being the skeleton holding the muscles together.' 'But what can a body do...' Stoic sought to continue the analogy. '... if all the muscles just tremble at their own will, even if held by the skeleton? If your leg decides that the best way to defeat the opponent is to kick out, while your arm decides it was about time to deliver a slash, you'll only end up falling over. The muscles do nothing but obey as the mind suggests. The mind is the only thing delivering orders to the muscles that move your limbs.' 'Old man.' Stated Hero. 'You talk in circles in a ridiculous manner. You haven't seen war, you haven't known men. I suggest you go back to your books. I shall leave this conversation at once.' 'Would you leave our question unanswered?' Asked Stoic surprised. 'I shall tell the Emperor about your disrespect the next time I meet Him.' Hero was confident he'd have an audience in the near future. Stoic moved his head a bit closer with a smile. 'Would you skip my presence when you present our case? Wouldn't that be unfair, bearing mind that you could bend the truth?' Hero shook his head. 'I can't secure you an invitation. You are below me, and He would not listen to someone like you.' Stoic nodded. 'Very well. I shall ask to be present during this next meeting of yours when I'm presenting him the sculpture of gold I made for him.' Hero raised an eyebrow. 'Won't you ask for my permission to be present?' 'The Emperor is above you.' Answered Stoic. And with this closing statement, Stoic stood up and left the lounge. And the two did not meet until the day came when they approached His Imperial Highness with their query. After presenting their views, the Emperor silenced them and told them the day would come the Court would answer this query, and from that day on red banners would decorate Cadar estate if the Stoic was right, and Cyan banners would if Hero was. The two keep meeting in front of the estate almost every noon, waiting for the Emperor's judgment even today. . Spoiler: The Forest Carnival The Forest Carnival The dark forest wheezes still in the middle of the night. Others have already fallen asleep; they wiggle under the stomps of the midnight mare. But not me. I’m taking a stroll here. Why, you’d ask. Because I like the calm winds that sweep through the pathways, the chirping sound of a thousand insects, the howling of wolves, but most of all, I don’t like the world I leave behind. I don’t belong there. Rational, they call themselves. They dance around a giant clock, they move as it ticks, they confine themselves with duties, responsibilities, and they jump off a bridge when the clock spins too fast. I walk through the shady forest, the trees arcing above me, their branches stirring the dark clouds. My bare feet sweep through the grass, silken to the touch. The way up the hill is long, my body thrusts into the fog and swims along the moths and fireflies. I reach my destination; it’s a clearing, with two withered trees on two sides linked together by a rope. The lights hanging used to be colorful, they have grown pale through the years, the tiny glass jars attached to it are charred, the small candles inside have burnt out. I take a deep breath, my heart beats faster, and I take a step forward. The mist clears. A field unveils in front of me with flamboyant tents and gentle music. Loud laughter radiates from the middle, a circus-like construction with a dome. As I approach the carnival, the smell of freshly baked pretzel and cake fills the air. The forest around the clearing is latticed by hanging lights, a reflection of the clear starry sky. It all feels so welcoming, so familiar. As I enter through a wrought iron archway, a pirate greets me. His long, braided black beard dances around as he fills a cannon, the matchlock jumps and the thundering sound blasts my chest. The cannonball explodes mid-air into thousands of red sparkles, the captain laughs at me revealing his golden teeth, he hands me a golden coin. I answer with a smile, and turn around only to see a cardboard castle besieged by black-armored soldiers. One of the attackers is holding a flag, he scales the wall and is about to plant it upon the tower when a defender pours a cauldron of tar over him. I applaud the show, their performance is quite remarkable. In front of a tall tepee, a bare chested man takes a sip from a copper canister. I try to sneak by in front of him without being noticed, but he looks at me and starts coughing up flames. I look at him with wonder, he bends his head back and releases two fiery dancing dragons and they illuminate the camp as I stand there in stupor. I continue my journey to the main tent. In front of the circus itself, a one-eyed giant is handling the tickets. I hand him the coin I got from the pirate, he takes it and gives me a colorful brochure. I enter the tent, my eyes fixed on the pamphlet, I almost stumble into one of the oaken beams holding up the construct. A lovely lady in a renaissance garb grabs my hand and leads me to my seat; I’m completely alone in the whole circus. The ringmaster enters the stage, looks me right between the eyes and waves his top hat for me. A couple of actors emerge, they start singing and playing something frivolous. As I’m about to applaud, a pair of dark hands grasp my shoulders and pull me down from the spectator’s seat. I fall down, I hurt my shoulder. The hands don’t let loose, they pull me through the carnival grounds. Why is this happening to me? As I’m being hauled away, I can see the colors fading away, the performers crumbling down to piles of ash. Dark clouds gather up above me, they block out the stars. I’m paralyzed; I can’t escape my captor’s grip. I am forced to leave the camp, I can see the tents collapsing, the carnival is devoured by the field, leaving only weaves of grass behind. As I look up I can see the rope connecting the two trees, it’s withered, the jars attached to it are shattered, the lights are all burnt out. I can no longer feel the dark hands holding my shoulders, I can finally move. I stand up and run to the middle of the field, but nothing happens. I come back each day in hopes of finding the carnival, but there’s nothing left. I anxiously walk up the hill barefoot, only to find the empty meadow there, with the two bent, withered trees and the rope. I cannot go back there. It is gone. This piece of fiction was published as a book, however it is kind-of a curiosity. Spoiler: The Awakening The Awakening Silence... The only word able to describe everything around him. Silence and absolute darkness. It was like a dream - he had neither body, nor organs to sense with - yet these two were so tangible, so overpowering he knew they were persistent. His thoughts flew around, dotting the obscurity with starts of guidance. Was he dead? He did not remember who he was, or what has happened. He only was. Was, as in existed. How did he know? Thinking. But even such action is powerless to keep somebody awake for long. Thinking, or so called "mind labour" could simply be the echo of existence. Yet the echo is there, so there must have been something before. Even a snake can bite after its death, so to say, the bite is the echo of its being. A loud bang... The bulk of darkness was suddenly shaken by a vast beat. Like the deepest war drum of the old age, it made him feel anxious. It was the only thing he could sense in a long time. It did not frighten him, it woke him. It made him feel as "alive" as a body-less, memory-less substance could be. Like a chain reaction, he could suddenly feel everything. From the sound came the purpose, the intent of finding the source. He flew around in the complete gloom, but was unable to find anything ponderous. But the lack of results reminded him of something: the darkness. Of course, how does one find anything, when they don't even know where they are. Or, in his case, what they are. He started thinking: life, cosmos, chaos, perfection... Harmony! Yes, harmony... there was a word with "h"... Human! He was human! When the thought of his real being flew in front of him, the most important feeling overwhelmed his mind: happiness. But something was still amiss... something he knew he had before... They called it "body". Each captain needs a vessel to sail: a vessel, carrying his thoughts, enduring his mistakes. He tried to remember what his body looked like, and it started to form around his soul, in the middle of the flow of thoughts. And when he finally saw the whole, he recognized the problem he had before: he could not find anything, because he was not moving at all. But even with his limbs, he was still drifting in complete darkness, so he imagined the blackness as a fluid, not knowing how dangerous his idea was though. The black tar flowed into his mouth, obscured the slight vision he had had before, and rendered him unable to move. But then again, the water got shaken by another loud bang. This one was clear, and even louder than the one before. He tried coughing up the black fluid from his lungs, but without any positive results. He once again felt the darkness closing in around him. Will he die so fast, after all he effort? What does "die" actually mean? Will he be taken to the outer space again and lose his body? Will his existence be cleared? Will he meet the Imperial Spirit for the final judgment? What happens then? His body started to feel numb, and his mind was fading. Animalistic reflexes took over the control, and he started swinging, slashing his hands and feet around. What for? To get out of the endless ocean? No. He was thinking rationally, he was trying to apply logic. When those important words first ran through his mind, he choose one. It wasn't harmony, nor chaos. It was the cosmos. And now, when one way fails, he must try the other. His animalistic reflexes have yet to yield any results though. Reflexes... weak reflexes. He has to help them. He started waving his hands faster, stronger. Rays of light pierced the darkness somewhere to the right of him, he assumed it was either the thing they call "the radiance of the Imperial Spirit", or simply "life". He was now actually swimming. A loud bang shook him once again. Then another followed. The beating did not stop, he recognized the rhythm: it was his heart, trying so hard to pump enough oxygen into his limbs. "Breathing" he remembered, because his lungs were filled with the black tar, which in the ray of lights looked more red-ish. His heartbeat became so fast, he started to feel dizzy. But he must reach the surface. His ears started to ring, the whizzing was so loud, his head hurt. When it became less intense, he perceived the sound of rippling water. His body pierced the surface, and landed on a sandy beach. He could finally take a look around to remember who he was. The air was filled with the stench of the rotting dead, it was damp, gloomy. Time was night, the light he saw from beneath the water was probably the moonlight. He noted how the smallest source of light can mean the largest hand to reach out for, when in need of help. Looking around, he could see dead bodies all over the beach. Soldiers, lying in pools of reddish goo. He heard the growling of those who did not have the luck to die, and the rattle of steel in the distance. He then tried to take a look at his own body. First he noticed the bleeding wound on his legs, which made it hard to move, leaving him almost completely immobilized. Then he touched his face: it was covered with blood. Whose blood, he did not know. He was hoping it was not his own, but then, reaching up to take his helmet off, he found out it was deformed, just like his skull. He could touch an opening on one of the sides, but it hurt so much he decided to take off the helm. He grabbed the steel with both of his hands, but as soon as he tried moving it, he felt enormous pain and broke down unconscious. This piece of fiction was published in a distinct book and is available in most bookstores. Spoiler: The Decline of Chivalry The Decline of Chivalry or in full A treatise on the heresy of knighthood and the inefficiency of knights in the modern world, written as a discussion between a knight, a wanderer and a soldier. ‘Heresy doesn’t imply negative actions. Heresy implies destructive behaviour to our common cause.’ A ransacked town lies along the road, empty shells and husks weeping for the losses of many, their corpses lined up, stripped bare and feasted on by vultures. From the mist latticing the horizon, a rider arrives. He’s wearing a brown tricorne, his long beard is braided and decorated with a band of steel, behind him waves a dusty military coat in the wind. The horse trots to the middle of the town and stops with a whimper as he dismounts. The man shoots a glance around, his eye twitching as his glance darts towards a silhouette approaching from the fog. The brick shells echo the clinging of plate armour in the ruins, a pair of emerald eyes meet the old man’s gaze as the two face off next to a tattered flag in the middle of the square. After some moments of silence, the trembling voice of the armoured fellow shakes the peace. ‘Who are you, wanderer, who arrived to a desolate place such as this town?’ ‘No more than a mere wanderer, ser knight.’ The old man answers. ‘And I seek no more than you do.’ The knight shakes his head, shooting a stare towards the pile of corpses that radiates the sound of a thousand flies buzzing about. ‘You came to mourn the dead as well?’ ‘I came to mourn the dead indeed.’ He pans her head about, looking at all the different remains in the town. ‘The death of reason.’ With a shrug, the armoured man takes a step closer. ‘Dramatic as always, I reckon. The name’s Wilfred. Who’d you be?’ ‘Konrad. What are you truly doing here, knight?’ ‘This town wasn’t always ruined, wanderer. You see, I fought in the battle that took place here.’ Konrad’s eye twitches again, a cringe conquers his face as he formulates his reply. ‘I fought myself as well, ser Knight. Albeit, not on top of a horse, not in shining armour, not wielding a sparkling blade.’ ‘Where were you, then?’ ‘Amongst the thousands that formed the line of battle, behind a shield. Ten to the right of me fell, seventeen to the left. I remained. How about your comrades?’ ‘I led the cavalry charge that decided about our victory. We lost many, but more remained.’ The wanderer shakes his head again. ‘How many you killed?’ ‘Many, I reckon. I gave each a fair death, and mourn even my enemies. Why do you ask?’ ‘Ser Knight. Look at the piles of corpses. Look at the destruction. Each body here is a friend to someone, family to others. What hypocrisy leads you to the conclusion that death can be fair?’ An armoured hand reaches up to scratch a head. ‘You see wanderer, there are many things a war is, and many things it could be. Genocide, terror, fear and destruction are only withheld by those who fight a war, those who respect the other side. Without such honour, there would be no stopping for immorality on the fields.’ The wanderer kicks into a small pebble, it flies towards the knight’s armoured shin and bounces off the steel plate. ‘Tell me something, knight, that you would deem immoral on the field.’ ‘Slaughtering civilians.’ ‘Look at those piles. How many do you think of those were regular soldiers? It’s you wearing the plate, you protected by a wall of steel. Us peasants, us civilians forced into servitude have nothing but our skin and a gambeson. Aren’t you the ones slaughtering civilians, when you charge into a mass of conscripts?’ ‘Causing unnecessary damage.’ ‘Wasn’t the town shelled by artillery to make way for your cavalry charge?’ ‘Leaving people on the ground, suffering. For the sake of entertainment.’ ‘Aren’t your knightly friends the ones bearing swords, cutting but not killing? Don’t you prefer your sword over my crossbow because of it being a core of your knightly code?’ ‘No.’ ‘But yes. It’s for the sake of entertainment.’ The knight scratches his head again, narrowing a gaze at Konrad. ‘Terror and fear.’ ‘My platoon lost not to an enemy but to our commanders. The man next to me died not because he was shot dead by the enemy, but because he made a run for it and fell to decimation. Don’t you think it’s terror and fear that keep soldiers in line already?’ ‘No.’ ‘And don’t you think it’s terror and fear imposed by … you?’ ‘No.’ ‘Yes it is.’ The knight crosses his arms in front of his chest, straightening his back a bit. ‘Poison.’ ‘That’s an interesting thing, ser Knight. It’d be rather hard to equip each soldier with poisoned blades, would it?’ ‘It would be indeed.’ ‘Yet it would have only taken a couple of poisoned blades to prevent this battle.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘I didn’t face my enemy because I considered him an enemy. I faced him because I was conscripted and brought here. I would have shook my enemy’s hand as soon as my commanders declare a truce.’ ‘And why would they declare a truce?’ ‘Because there’s no more point to war.’ ‘You cannot stop war like that.’ ‘Yes you can. By driving a poisoned dagger into the back of the enemy king.’ The knight winks a few times, measuring the wanderer from head to toe. ‘Only a snake would do such.’ ‘No. A true unionist would do such. For the concept of good and bad, the concept of positive and negative morals, the concept of honour and dishonour are personal whereas the concept of the humanum is above all else. Tell me, knight. Would you … kill me, right now? If my death would save a hundred souls?’ ‘I would never lay my hands on an innocent person, no honourable man would.’ ‘Yet by refusing to do such, you indirectly cause harm to even more innocents.’ ‘If such is the case, then I’ll be ready to break my code of honour for the better good.’ ‘But what point is there in a code of honour that you can break?’ The knight hesitates, he gives no answer. Konrad continues. ‘Your code of honour limits your actions in the face of the common cause. It’s either that you hold on to it and refuse to help the cause, or you break it, which means there’s no point to assuming it in the first place.’ ‘Would you do it? Kill me?’ ‘Yes. Kill you, kill myself. I understand the importance of the sacrifices that have to be made.’ Wilfred once again remains silent, just glaring at the wanderer. The stranger strolls to a pile of corpses and reaches out with his hand. ‘It isn’t the greatest problem with you, knights. No. There’s something far more, which can only be explained by someone of sheer experience.’ To that call, the pile shakes and a pale hand reaches out, grabbing onto Konrad’s helping grasp, pulling himself out of the mess. It’s a middle-aged soldier, with a gambeson pierced by numerous arrows. He releases a faint cough before his introduction. ‘I volunteer to express the further problem. Yes.’ The knight places his palm on the pommel of his sword, taking a step back. ‘No need to be afraid of me, knight. I’m not undead, neither am I a thing. I’m already reborn a human, elsewhere. I merely rose to voice an opinion. The opinion of the dead. The true honourable dead.’ Konrad takes a step backwards, entering the swirling mist that covers the ruins of the town. Wilfred looks at the dead soldier, waiting in patience. The corpse continues. ‘I always wondered why some pledged their lives to knightly chapters. Why some swore to codes to live a life by. Why some trained for years before ascending to the battlefield. But now that I met my gruesome fate on the battlefield, I understood. You know why, knight?’ ‘To better serve our Empire?’ ‘No, ser Knight. Sheer narcissism.’ ‘What makes you say that? I give my life to servitude, I live without wealth, without a person as an individual knight in servitude to the Empire.’ A crackling laughter escapes the corpse’s throat as he flings his answer. ‘I lived my life with earthly pleasures. I lived with wealth, with cravings. I lived an average human life, ser. Yet when time came, I raised arms for my nation and walked to war. And as you can see, I proudly fell. But I died happy, knowing that my honest servitude will have me reborn a human. In the very end I understood that my body was a mere vessel, a disposable tool to be used for servitude, nothing more.’ It waits a bit as a worm crawls out of its eye socket, calmly creeping down its cheek and burrowing into a small hole. ‘Yet you, ser Knight. You hide behind a wall of steel to protect your life. You swear to a code only to gain a moral higher ground for yourself. You walk amongst men and women with a snob face, looking down at them because they are less than you. You ser knight, you live not for an eternal life in servitude to unionism, you live for a single life in servitude to your self-glorification.’ And with that the corpse releases a spit of maggots on the knight’s armour, who flinches at the motion, trying to give his answer. ‘We train for years to serve the Empire in combat. You cannot understate the importance of our contribution! This is plain … heresy.’ ‘You train the ways of the lancer for a decade only to be impaled by a peasant’s pike. You train to wield your plate and sword much alike, only to fall to an elder’s crossbow bolt. All this, where the cost of your lavish life, training, horse and equipment could pay for the gambeson, crossbow, pike and shield of five hundred men. Answer me knight, how many of my kind would it take to bring you down?’ ‘Many…’ ‘Five, at most. You mentioned heresy as well. Am I the heretic? The honourable dead who calls out for justice? Who seeks to unravel the corruption that’s within your minds? Or is it you being the heretic, living a life where you shine yourself in the face of men and women with false truths, training to glorify yourself in battle?’ ‘Self-glorification is no goal of mine.’ ‘Yet your death will be remembered, while mine will be forgotten. Forever. Tell me, if you look at your code, your values, your alleged religion. Isn’t it me, who should be your ideal? The common man or woman ready to bear arms whatever their professions are when the Empire is in dire need. Men and women going to battle out of necessity, not out of valour or honour. Men and women wearing nothing but cloth, armed with whatever they can find because they live and learn not to kill, but to serve and live a modest life.’ ‘You were honourable as well, good man.’ ‘No, I wasn’t honourable. I beat my wife and I was thrown into prison for three nights after I stole a chicken. Did I regret those? Yes. I never sought to become honourable, because I didn’t want a label to lift me above the common folk. I required no label to drive me in life, no label to provide more glory to my name. I did not suffer from vile narcissism, and I required no such feedback.’ After a few moments of pause, the corpse continues. ‘Call me a heretic. Call me dishonourable. Deem me a snake, a maggot, a lesser being. But anytime you do so, ser knight, you only prove what I just told you. That you fear losing your moral higher ground, you fear losing your self-propelled importance and that you fear the un-knighted individual finding out about your inherent egoism.’ Wilfred flinches again, taking one more step back. He grabs the hilt of his sword, but doesn’t pull it out. Instead, he releases a sigh and glares into the dead eyes of his partner. ‘And what should I do, to redeem myself? If you do deem my life heretical.’ ‘Denounce your code, for it is both hypocritical and heretic. When I was young, my village’s reverend taught us nothing would be above the Emperor’s words. Would you hold your grandmaster’s?’ ‘No…’ ‘Surely no. Because that’s just a vector of their own self-glorification even decades after their deaths. Sell or abandon your armour, never to wear it again, never to flash it in public. You may think it’s a symbol of chivalry, but in reality it’s a symbol of how you fear death and how you spend lavish fortunes protecting your precious life while the masses are conscripted to the battlefield in cloth and leather.’ ‘Anything … else?’ ‘Refuse to be called “ser”, … Wilfred. By doing such, you inherently imply that you deserve a title much alike a noble title. Much alike a title of those who govern and lead, despite yourself only fighting and following.’ The knight flicks a few gazes about, only to notice that the corpse is no longer there. In fact, no traces of it can be found, not its marks in the dust, not its stench in the air. ‘Konrad!’ There’s no answer to the knight’s call. All he sees is the ruins, the piles of corpses and the trail of destruction left behind. This piece is available in most bookstores & libraries. Plays: Spoiler: Naufragé Naufragé A monodrama, by Charlotte Ravenstad (On the wreck of ‘Old Celine’, floating in the middle of the ocean. Duriena is asleep in the middle, with shattered bottles about as well as a chest and some empty crates. She slowly wakes up to the rocking of the wreckage, stands up and takes an exhausted look around.) DURIENA Spirit save me, for I’m shipwrecked that’s for sure. With no land in sight, I’m doomed to my own company forever more, Until my hunger devours me from the inside, leaving nothing but dust and bones for the birds to peck. The crew is long gone, either took the boat tied to the deck or were taken by the sea. (She takes a look around before settling down, her face obviously not bothered by her brother’s loss, her back against one of the crates.) The chill of the breezing wind, the stink of the rotting dead, the taste of salt… these all feel so real. Yet the situation in which I have found myself is as unreal as a nightmare to wake up from. But my eyes are shut wide, this cannot be a dream. I, Duriena, am far away from home without food to sate my hunger and water to sate my thirst. Yet I am still alive, for why I shan’t know. If there’s a greater plan behind me staying here stripped of my necessities to survival, then I would know of it. (Duriena looks around the crowd, seeking eye contact with random people in the audience.) For I am alone in this world and if there shall be someone high above, I’d await an answer. (Duriena looks around once more, and as no answer comes, starts thinking.) Could this be part of the plan? Could this prove to be a challenge to my good faith of what is on the other side? Or is this a pure mockery of my misfortune, with those up above laughing at poor Duriena. (Duriena stops for a second, glancing around, seemingly deep in thoughts.) However, I’m not in any way worse off right now that I was before I set off to my journey across the sea. I hungered before, I lacked shelter for the night, I thirsted for days until the rain-tempest came. (With a quick notion, she stands up, searching through the crates around, pulling out silverware and apples.) What a shamelessly quick judgement I had passed. This wreckage is a paradise. While my obvious confinement cannot be disregarded, these crates are filled with lavish feasts and opium. (She takes out an apple and starts munching on it with a meek smile.) Here I sit on a shipwreck and enjoy a better life than most of my peers who sleep under trees back in the city. I bear no responsibilities, I bear no past nor future because I’m alone, under my own rule. This breeze I thought to be the wind of death feels like the breath of purpose now. (Duriena pulls out an opium pipe, fills it with opium and lights the fire, holding the nozzle in hand.) If this is in fact part of a higher plan, I may even have to thank those conceiving it. (She takes a sip from the nozzle, leaning back against the crate. The helper behind the stage introduces creaking noise from behind, as if the wreck moved.) ‘Tis this ship moving, or the hookah being to strong? (Duriena reaches into the crate, pulling out another apple, taking a bite from it then throwing it away.) How curious that men work day and night yet hunger and thirst while my misfortune sates me with whatever I would wish for. (As she’s taking another sip from the nozzle, the ship rocks again with a creaking noise, she stands up quickly, reaching for an apple.) Am I imagining this, or are my feet in water now? Never mind, for my supplies last and I shan’t care about this wreck rocking about. But look! How a bird soars there so high, it must have come from land beyond the mist that covers the horizon from my eyes. (The ship creaks again, with Duriean climbing up to the top of the crates.) Look how high the sun looms on the sky, nearing her zenith to cast noon on my skin. (The ship rocks again, she falls over, seemingly clasping onto the top of the crate now.) Oh dear vessel, you have carried me thus far, I know you have been long gone but I shan’t give up my hopes of you bringing me to safe harbours. The riches you carried have fed me thus far, and feed me they shall for I must make sure nothing is lost to the abyss with your demise. (With this statement, she starts picking out the apples, oranges, taking a bite from each then throwing them away.) Why are you storming my vessel, despicable ocean? Do you seek to claim my name as well as this vessel’s forever? Do you seek to remove me from my place atop the top of these crates? Do you seek to throw me down where everybody belongs, sewn into sail at your dark bottom? (She takes quick sips from the opium nozzle up until she falls down the crate, ending up grabbing it from the sides, holding on to the top crate as if floating. She reaches in for an apple, but seemingly finds none. She starts crying.) Why is this happening to me! I have given whatever I wished for yet the crates are floating away. I was to be led to a safe harbour by my vessel but it’s now gone with only myself clinging to debris. Yet you betrayed me and while you gave with one hand, you took away with the other. Curse you, whoever you are! Curse you! You will never take me alive, ocean. You … shall … not … take … me … alive. (With this notion, she slips through the trapdoor on the stage and disappears.) Transcript of this play can be bought in Regalian bookstores. Spoiler: The Order of Lies The Order of Lies A political comedy, by Charlotte Victoria Moselberg MATHOS Enters the stage, glancing about, shrugging and then opening a mouth. Boo! Shrugs again, shooting stares randomly into the audience. Well, don’t be scared then. I don’t care what you do. I am /King Mathos/ and I do whatever I want! Looks around once again, with a final shrug. Came here on your own accord, I’m /not keeping you/ imprisoned! May as well pay attention to my story, if you’re here. Yes? Good! I promise I won’t be insulting you. I swear! He walks over to a nearby chair, sits down and starts sipping a glass of milk. So. I am king, and I am ruler of an order. The order of lies! Quickly shakes his head, re-phrasing it. Order of guys I mean. Not a guise, mere allies. Let’s start with my members! CYPER Enters, wearing an obnoxious cardboard armour and fake beard. My name is Cyper the honourable, and I am … honourable! MATHOS I keep him about because he’s honourable! CYPER I’m also chivalrous. And I live by a code of honour! A code of honour that lets me help the weak, support the poor and … … hate women. These things happen, I guess. Honour away! BARBARIAN PRINCESS Makes it to the stage, wearing nothing but rags and a horned helmet. King Mathos burned my family’s lands and gave it to someone else! His friend beheaded my father, and they oppose anything I do, I have bumps on my chest! Yet I follow him, because he seems to be a cool guy! This /is/ the order of lies, after all! MATHOS I did it for /your own good/ and our kingdom’s future! BARBARIAN PRINCESS That’s OK, I guess! MATHOS Where are you, duke of Linkisch? I require your merit! The duke is revealed in the corner, an actor with fox tails glued up as eyebrows. DUKE Furrows his large and silly eyebrows, releasing a grumble. MATHOS Just what I needed, thank you. This’ll help me reclaim what’s rightfully mine! Stands up from the chair, moving to the middle of the stage. You see, there’s this /evil person/ who wants to give me something! But people don’t like this gift of his, so I’ll kill him after I accept it. Logical! And to do such, I’ll lick the bottom of his daughter! LOGICAL! CHORUS Will that help, our beloved and honourable king? MATHOS Shut up, I do what I want. Now, bring forth the daughter! PRINCESS LORNA Help! This man wants to lick me! What do I do? MATHOS You can do well to enjoy it, because /I AM THE KING/! CHORUS My King, the evil ruins the kingdom and runs rampart! Your majesty should do something! Or at least, let these people leave this silly play and do something on their own! MATHOS They aren’t leaving. I am the King. They /CAN’T/ leave! Turns towards Cyper, perking an eyebrow at him. I need an idea, Cyper the honourable! CYPER They can’t leave … because they’d bed the evil person! MATHOS LOVELY idea. Truly wonderful. You whore-ish lot just stay and watch! Now for the daughter! Approaches Lorna and licks her leg. Oops, never happened. This will teach evil person EVERYTHING! PRINCESS LORNA Help! My father, the Evil person has done a vicious act and now I fell pregnant! MATHOS No he didn’t. It was you, you slut. You bedded me! PRINCESS LORNA What? I didn’t! It was /you/ licking me! I would never do that! MATHOS What? Can’t hear you because you are DISHONOURABLE and I am HONOUR! PRINCESS LORNA King Mathos! Your family will find out as soon as I give birth and the child … … resembles you not at all! Stop the lies, this is too far! MATHOS Nonesense. I’ll just tell them you’re infertile. Or I am. Because neither of us … … is capable of siring a child, history has shown. Right? EVIL PERSON Interrups the scene, entering with a wide grin on his face. You provided company for my daughter! For that, you have my gratitude! King Mathos, take this gift from me! CHORUS You took the gift, you are a traitor! An evil person just like him! Cyper enters the crowd, pulls out someone and seemingly beats him dead. MATHOS Ouch! See that corpse? HE HURT ME! HURT THE KING! Help! CHORUS But you killed him, King Mathos! You are a murderer! MATHOS Pulls out a card from his pocket, showing it to the crowd. Lucky I got this ‘get out of jail’ token from my friend, Mr. Cone! MR. CONE Enters the stage, wearing an oversized buttered scone on his head, otherwise in rags. I am Mr. Cone and I oppose the idea of licking the daughter! CHORUS Oh dear, Mr. Cone, aren’t you a bit too late for that? MR. CONE Nonesense. I’m honourable, as are my friends. We are /always/ right! Our right-ness persists outside the bounds of time! CHORUS Help us Mr. Cone, he’s keeping us here against our will! Against state law! MATHOS Nonesense. A card please, Mr. Cone! Is handed another card, and he shows it around in the crowd. Now for the matter of the evil person! Let’s rebel against him, that’ll show him the way! CHORUS But King Mathos, your cousin is already doing that! Help him instead! MATHOS Nonsense. If it isn’t me doing the job, it brings me no prestige. Cousin, die! And as for the matter, we’ll wait. Patiently. That’s it. And … DUKE! I NEED INPUT!! DUKE Furrows his oversized brows in the corner, growling. MATHOS Thank you, your illostriousnessness graceship. Wonderfully done. Now to wait! The rattle of blades can be heard from the crowd, along with cries of battle. CHORUS King Mathos, we managed to de-throne the evil person! Hooray! MATHOS And now you shall … Worship me! For I led you to victory! CYPER, BARBARIAN PRINCESS Aye he did! CHORUS Now you didn’t! We did this without your help! We did this on our own! MATHOS Leans closer to Cyper, seemingly whispering. I think these scrubs aren’t as stupid as we thought they were! Freak, gotta do something with them lest they tell the truth. Ideas? CYPER Call them whores. This is an original idea that wasn’t copied from nowhere! They must have slept with the evil person. FOR /OUR/ HONOUR! BARBARIAN PRINCESS Call them egoistic. Surely they tell the truth /purely/ for personal gain! MR. CONE Aye, he did! MATHOS Uhm, Mr. Cone, late as always! MR. CONE Sorry, your kinglutiousness. Uhm, call them insane? MATHOS. Hmmm. Duke von Linkisch, what do you think? DUKE Furrows his huge brows in the corner, grumbling a bit. MATHOS Three ideas at once, how ingenious of you, my dukeshiplousness! We shall call them whores, insane and egoistic! CHORUS But our king, aren’t you egoistic for taking the gift? Aren’t you promiscuous yourself for licking the evil person’s daughter? Aren’t you insane for being both a liar and a hypocrite? MATHOS Oh, you heard something, /HONOURABLE/ friends? I didn’t. I can’t hear anything over how powerful and influential I am! Now, for an even better effect … ORDER OF LIES! I command you to … insult the crowd! CYPER You filth! BARBARIAN PRINCESS You slubberdegullions! MR. CONE Hmmm. Duke von Linkisch, what do you think? MATHOS Mr. Cone, that’s my line from a page before. Could you be less inept? MR. CONE I’m not inept, I’m honourable! HONOUR! CYPER, MATHOS HONOUR! CHORUS Lies! He broke his promise by insulting us! LYING GRANDFATHER I am the lying grandfather and I object. He never stated he wouldn’t insult you! Grass is blue, sky is green! CHORUS This old man is lying! And that’s because he fears for his son, Mr. Cone! MATHOS What? Grandfathers /don’t/ lie. This is a serious accusation. HOW DARE YOU! CHORUS But he evidently did! MATHOS What? I can’t hear you lot over your /attempt to blackmail me/! CYPER No, my king. They are kind-of right this time! MATHOS Oh, they’re right I’m a criminal. Mr. Cone, CARD PLEASE! Is handed a ‘get out of jail’ card, and he proudly shows it around the theatre. CYPER My king, a card no longer helps. They like, want you punished for real! MATHOS Cyper, lash my back! CYPER What? MATHOS Lash my back. Come on, that’s what my concubines do, it ain’t going to hurt! But I’ll be able to say at least I was punished! CHORUS But that’s not state law! You must be imprisoned and persecuted! MATHOS I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER HOW HONOURABLE I AM! Lash, me! CYPER King Mathos! The populace is turning against us! They seek to oppose you! MATHOS The order of lies needs more followers! Lash me and … recruit, in the meanwhile! CYPER But who would be stupid enough to befall our lies? MATHOS Not that crowd, that’s for sure. They are done for: egoistic, promiscuous madmen! Hmmm. I want a pirate overlord. Bring forth Slack Birch! CYPER But how will you convince him to join the order of lies? MATHOS I’ll warm his underpants with my palm! CYPER But king Mathus, the pirate overlord is not like us four. He would prefer a feminine hand! MR. CONE To be or not to be, that is the question, …! … for you shan’t judge a cover by its book! MATHOS Mr. Cone, the void was that?! MR. CONE I’m a philosopher and I’m smart. I’m also honourable, you knew that? HONOUR! MATHOS Never mind. I shall caress his underpants …! … with my sister’s hand! Hahaha, masterplan! SLACK BIRCH Arr, I’m in! Give me thy concubine’s hand, and me be lendin’ ye me cannons! MATHOS Oh, wait I have no sister. Mr. Cone, care to lend me your love- sister? MR. CONE Mr. Cone, that’s my line from a page before. Could you be less inept? MATHUS By the Spirit’s sake, Mr. Cone, that line wasn’t even in the script, how could you…! … oh, heard that? I used the word ‘Spirit’! I’m so religious, hahaha.! Religious /and/ honourable. What else does this kingdom need? CYPER And honourable, you only did honourable deeds! MR. CONE Aye he did! MATHOS I swear I’ll throw this man-! Oh wait, this line actually fit here. Never mind! Now, we need the ultimate scheme. DUKE VON LINKISCH! DUKE Furrows his oversized and ridiculous eyebrows in the corner, grumbling. MATHOS Perfect idea! A song! This is entitled, the ORDER OF LIES!! The actors grab each other’s hands, weaving them together. They enter a weird, sloppy and absurd dance while singing in a horrible tone. ORDER OF LIES We are untouchables, shalalalala! We are powerful, shalalalala! MATHOS I am your king, so bow your head! Bow deep, or I’ll have you dead! ORDER OF LIES We are influential, shalalalala! CYPER I am honourable, I am honour! Honour honour, honourable honour! ORDER OF LIES We are the best, shalalalala! SLACK BIRCH I am a pirate king, harr harr harr! I go where my zipper points, yarr yarr yarr! ORDER OF LIES You can’t touch our titles, shalalalala!! DUKE Furrows his extravagant, bushy eyebrows, releasing a growl. ORDER OF LIES The duke is right, shalalalala! His input is invaluable, shalalalala! BARBARIAN PRINCESS I’m irrelevant, and I profit nothing from this! But guess I’ll go along and enjoy the bliss! ORDER OF LIES We lie as much as we want, shalalala! We’ll remain honourable, you remain filth, shalalalala! MATHOS Steps to the middle of the stage, pointing the middle finger around towards the audience. You can’t touch my title, I can do whatever I want. So piss off, or at least ... Keep silent until I’m in dire need of your support and approach you with promises! And with that, the curtain rolls down, hiding the actors. However, a lady in ridiculous make-up and a mustard dress enters the stage. She is walking with stilts, them decorated as if they were high heels. APOHIS I’m Lady Apohis and I contributed nothing! I do support the king however, even if that only means insulting the crowd! GIVE ME TITLES!! Then stops, turning towards the crowd, releasing a laughter. I hope you enjoyed this little play! Any correlation between characters of reality and fiction is a result of pure chance! Bows to the audience and leaves the stage with a joyful gait. This play is no longer available and transcripts are very hard to come by. Poetry: Spoiler: Untitled love poem Untitled love poem #1 The winds of spring Blow softly my raven hair My bold, yet cold body breathes in the air. What she brought me, Cannot be said He is my love, A proud Ravenstad. The mummer, dear summer came with soft warm Windmill, with thrill shadows the small barn. We spent each day, We feasted, we played. That night we lay, No love decayed. Dark bottom, harsh autumn Brought disease to him Ought to pray, out the grey I saw him above, the grim. Grabbed his sweating arm, He pulled back abrupt I meant to do no harm, But he was dead, corrupt. Life's splinter, dreaded winter Took my dear from my hands. Frozen night, chosen blight Alone there: a girl stands. With no more reason to live Seeing the world subside With no reason to forgive She commits suicide. Spoiler: Untitled love poem Untitled love poem #2 Together we dream under the clear skies, With the radiance of a thousands stars, All bright and burning in your eyes mending my heart, the wounds and scars. Apart I suffer in a raging tempest, The latticed skies torn apart in unrest, the only light: a spark in the dark, my faint hope of seeing you jest. Spoiler: Untitled love poem Untitled love poem #3 Alone on a dark ridge I stand, Gazing at the rippling abyss below. I glimpse the waves scraping the sand, A lone farmer with the plought. Nocturnal Moon shines upon my head As the latticed skies are torn asunder. I'm petrified, stupified by dread as I witness a pathway emerging from thunder. This moment I fall back, and the crack upon the clouds grows immense with light, And from the black a silhoutte appears, Illuminating the night, I jerk my tears. Other times I'd back away, But not now, now I reach for him The gloomy clouds turn gray, then colourful, no logner grim. Nature enters a joyful dance, The clouds swirling to the beat of my heart, he returns my glance and the ripple stops as our lips finally meet. These poems were published in a small collection book and can be bought in almost any of the Regalian bookstores. Spoiler: The Fourfold Union (Anthem) The Fourfold Union Empire Regalia, may the Spirit shine forever on you From the moment that you were born, born completely anew You were destined to be the vessel, carrying mankind Forwards in times of change, in times of war, struggle and more. To this end, all men and women of the Empire swore, Our power shall defeat everyone, our might all combined. Regalia, my cradle and grave, This world is for mankind to enslave, The empire, it shall never fall, We will prevail, will always stand tall! House Kade From the moment of the great rebellion we were led, The high families following, with house Kade ahead, Born of the highest royalty they stand fast, proud and tall. With their leadership we shall bring triumph to every shore, To this end, all men and women of the Empire swore, Our might all combined, our loyalty an immortal wall. Regalia, my cradle and grave, This world is for mankind to enslave, The empire, it shall never fall, We will prevail, will always stand tall! Unionism The Imperial Spirit will forever observe our Eternal quest, blessing all of us with eminent power. This power we shall harness to bring forth our holy fate, A proud mankind steadfast and the lesser races on four. To this end, all men and women of the Empire swore, Our loyalty an immortal wall, our true faith the gate Regalia, my cradle and grave, This world is for mankind to enslave, The empire, it shall never fall, We will prevail, will always stand tall! Humankind Born as human, a great responsibility we bear, Fulfilling our most holy destiny, not to forswear. Deemed worthy to join our ancestors in the afterlife, We shall accompany our brothers in this eternal chore, To this end, all men and women of the Empire swore, Our true faith the gate, our common heritage leaves no strife. Regalia, my cradle and grave, This world is for mankind to enslave, The empire, it shall never fall, We will prevail, will always stand tall! This anthem is available to purchase as a bound-book. Spoiler: The phoenix rises The Phoenix Rises (Lament to the absent Emperor) Whitered petals fall, Autumn has arrived Charred towers pierce the benighted skies Rebellion sweeps, by slavers contrived Howling a surmise, sunset cries instead In these fallen times, another disaster Allies gathered up, a flamboyant feast Theomar’s chosen fallen ill, our master Ravaged by evil, His skin alabaster Terrible future, only to His foes Little do they know, while rendered Him ash Eternal His soul, phoenix they oppose One who’ll rise and smash, enemies deposed Nocturnal winter, turned bright once again Tarnished, pathetic they flee from His glare Blazing them with light, banishing from sight Torn but re-united in His holy reign. Yet we’ll have to wait, this is time to heal Emperor! We await your return in silent kneel. Songs & Music: Spoiler: Captain Christopher Black - The Shanty Captain Christopher Black When he was a boy he wanted to play down by the sea At age thirteen everyday after school he would always sail around the lake All the people would stand and stare as he sailed around with precision and care With his bi-corner hat and the way he would stand he looked just like a nobleman All the Ailor would gather and say, and sing away Captain Christopher Black He'll eat sea monsters for snack But that Captain Christopher Black He won’t go down without a smack By age twenty four he had left the shore and was sailing for the Empire On a dark starry night Chris awoke to the sound of his Captain screaming as he was drowned The Navy crew was taking a lick pirates had invaded the ship But Chris Black with one aimed harpoon ignited their rum with a spark and soon flames drove the pirates away the Navy sang Captain Christopher Black Saved his crew from pirate attack But that Captain Christopher Black He won’t go down without a smack Twenty some odd years later On his ship The Narlan Slater He sailed into a mass of blubber Gazing up to the sky stood a large walrus that was a hundred stories high, it meant no harm The walrus was in a great deal of pain It suffered from a tusk with tooth decay Chris Black threw his anchor 'round it's tusk with a little bit of pulling it was out by dusk The walrus thanked him and sang, as he sailed away Captain Christopher Black Saved the creature with no flak But that Captain Christopher Black He won’t go down without a smack At a ripe old age lightning struck from the sky and split Chis Black’s vessel in two One hundred men fled for their lives on rafts across the ocean blue Christopher stood at the stern of his ship A giant octopus had him in it's grip A vortex of spiraling death below ripped and sharks and electric eels all made the trip to see Chris Black sink to the bottom of the sea Just before he went down he called out to his crew "It's obvious that my time has come I'll let this ending ensue I've led an exciting nautical life it would seem and there's no better end than a death by the sea" His crew sang: Captain Christopher Black He went down with a smack But that Christopher Black History will remember his tact. And that Christopher Black, Will haunt the seas with this final act! Original: SPG's Captain Albert Alexander "I only have friends, enemies and those who fear me." Relationships (Outdated) Spoiler Faustina Walerius Faustina insisted on creating the perfect wife material from Charlotte, partially succeeding. The terrible childhood she had with all the high expectations left her with an inferiority complex, along with lots of useless talents she learned. Charlotte was scarred forever by Faustina, and the woman haunts here in her lunatic sprees even today. She takes all care to stay away from Faustina and to be 'better' than her. Friedrich Walerius (deceased) Charlotte never really spent much time with the late Earl, leading to a distant relationship between the two. This is probably the reason why the Earl's passing didn't really break Charlotte as much as it broke William. William Walerius 'Wilfred', as Charlotte prefers calling him after the late Earl's mad horse that ran into the mansion's wall and was left partially brain-dead, Charlotte doesn't really tease William much because she's kind of intimidated by his size. She however does blackmail him a lot with threats of telling all kinds of things to her mother, as Charlotte knows well her mother would believe her daughter's words first, not her son's. With William now an asset of house Ravenstad, Charlotte tends to stay away from him or ignore him mostly. Lucas Walerius 'Loo', as Charlotte prefers calling him is the subject to most of her abuse. She teases him, calls him names and even spreads lies about him for the sake of fun. Lucas is unable to defend himself as she's cornered by the she-devil that is backed by their mother, and even William is incapable of providing any help due to Charlotte's blackmails. Benjamin Walerius Charlotte is quite distant to Benjamin, and it has always been like that. Benjamin kept to his own reading, and Charlotte was kept away by Faustina, resulting in an almost non-existent sibling relationship between the two. Finley Walerius She never liked the man. The only connection they ever had truly was the girl confusing the newly-appointed earl to become a vassal to the Ravenstads. Hans Moselberg A distant fourth-line cousin to her, Charlotte invited the Ernst-line of house Walerius to join her court in Regalia, to which Hans answered. She sees potential in the man, but knows he's a Walerius as well. She'd love to trust and involve him in her schemes yet knowing that she may be as capable as herself is (or perhaps as capable as Faustina) keeps her away from bestowing too much power or responsibilities on the man. Lily Cross Order Niko Heinrich Ever since they first met during a dinner at Niko's home, Charlotte has seen ambition in the man, less in his family. She sought to take his family and help lift it to a decent position, and this is well on the way. Recent events stirred up some commotion between the two, considering Niko's connection to William Coen and the Ravenstads in regards to their alliance and dealings. Fiora Cerdici Charlotte disliked the heiress' attitude and arrogance, avoiding her as much as possible. She tried to convince her once to join in one of Charlotte's schemes, but the heiress asked for a marriage between house Ravenstad and Cerdici, which left Charlotte outright refusing any future communications. Yet Charlotte's departure from house Ravenstad provided all the reason for her to seek new allies and she started a well-designed passivity scheme towards Fiora where she let her ever-closed with each moment, up until Fiora asked to be part of the Lily Cross Order. Ever since, there wasn't any confrontation between the two, they have similar views on many issues in politics. Victoria Valor Charlotte saw much potential in house Valor's arrival in Regalia, and took every chance to get acquainted to the family. Victoria seemed to be the obvious way to go, and the two had discussions, teas and politics together. Victoria was one of the first to pledge support to the Lily Cross Order, truly liking the idea, and Charlotte respects that still. She seeks to draw the Valors into politics and wishes to secure them a proper piece of land in the archipelago. Nero Valor Nero is Charlotte's safety switch for house Valor. She knows the man has differing views to some of Victoria's, and also sees some potential in him. If Victoria were to secede from the Order, Charlotte would turn towards Nero and get the family's support through him. Gaston de Baccarod Charlotte met the man in the tavern and had a quick discussion with him on realm politics, and instantaneously liked the baron's temperate, calm and modest approach. When it came to the Lily Cross Order, he was one of the first family heads she penned a letter to, and a short exchange of words led to the baron's pledged support. The same ambition is present in Gaston as in Victoria, and Charlotte seeks to lift his family as well. Indysiel Lothlann One of the few elven acquaintances to Charlotte, she's extremely interested in the woman as well as her ways of life. Elves seem to always surprise Charlotte, especially with her altruism and random good deeds. Yet she invited her to the Lily Cross Order for the sake of providing a more pacifist view on issues as well as to have someone represent the elves. Theodore Artiemus The young baron caught Charlotte's attention during the many events where he was present selling his family goods. She always sought a merchant family to reinforce the Order's trade alliance and dealings, and house Artiemus was an ideal choice. She slowly neared herself to Theodore and eventually invited him to one of the political meetings where his family officially joined the order. Nobility Ashford Ravenstad While their relationship started out with some disguised hatred and spite, the two managed to settle things and return to a fairly-passive stance with Charlotte respecting Ashford as the cousin of her husband. Charlotte actually mourned Ashford's disappearance with the Ithanian rebel crisis. Deimar Ravenstad Charlotte used to converse a lot with Deimar, but the only interest she had in the matter was breaking up his relationship to Estella Walerius because ... Charlotte found that entertaining. Never the less, the two haven't really conversed much ever since the courtship ended. Dianne Coen Charlotte holds some dislike towards Dianne because of her seemingly passive behaviour except for the times she opposes Charlotte in random conversations. However, Dianne is still a sister to William Coen and a future wife to Christopher Black, which makes a neutral or positive relationship essential. Maedelyn Barlowe (retired) Charlotte shared opposite feelings towards the arlesse. She was evil, she was calculating and she was annoying. But at the same time, she had the ambition, she had the power and the motivation to shake the game board. Something Charlotte reveres. Never the less, the Old Gods' temple incident Andrea Anehara Charlotte sees much potential in her, although has some mistrust as well. The girl is really ambitious, but rather foolish sometimes. While Charlotte could definitely profit from her friendship, she still takes light steps around her, she could compromise everything too quickly. Yet the ambition she noticed in the woman ... reminded Charlotte of herself. In recent days, she just seeks to aid Andrea and wants her to become a friend of hers, someone to spend time with (perhaps out of sheer narcissism). Lorea Anahera Lorea has a special place in Charlotte's heart. They have been pecking at each other for months now, with only a few moments of truce. During one of these peaceful conversations, Lorea revealed her seemingly lack of ambitions to Charlotte, which made her despise the woman even more. After the fall of house Anahera, Lorea suddenly lost her family's political influence which left her powerless. Charlotte is waiting for a change in her attitude before she'll attempt to approach her again. Sophia du Polignac Ever since Sophia first entered the winery, Charlotte has had a disdain towards her. There's something in the marchess' behaviour that she utterly dislikes, probably acting above her class. While she tried to mend the scars numerous times, it seemed like they were complete opposites and their relationship was nothing more than a competition of squabbles. A change in Sophia's attitude however prompted Charlotte to re-consider their relation, leading to a less-cold and more 'friendly' connection between the two. Piero di Orazio From the first word Piero spoke to Charlotte it was made clear for her that the man hates her for whatever reason. Never the less, Charlotte decided to swallow and contact the duke Biagio instead of bickering. She now sought to avoid the man until his attitude would change, which seemed to work out fine as they finally had some decent conversation during the Winter festival. Yet the two seldom meet, perhaps for the better. Cayden Typhonus Charlotte made a mistake of hers to approach Ulric's son with spite straight away, despite the boy's apparent intentions to promote neutrality. The two have yet to get acquainted further, but the duchess does see a lot of opportunity in a friendship and possible influence over house Typhonus. Riane Typhonus The girl is exactly what Charlotte isn't, which amuses her. Riane's temper contradict's Charlotte's sociopathic patience, the Typhonus' attitude to military and combat opposes the duchess' passion for arts, intelligence and scheming and the two confront a lot overall. Yet Cayden kind-of trusted her and Sophia with molding Riane into a lady of the court, something Charlotte sees as yet another opportunity to gain a foothold in house Typhonus. Reynier Viraine The young noble amused Charlotte, especially his attitude towards her ideologies. However, she noticed that the boy either seeks to play on her narcissism or just licks her boots too much, something she dislikes. The duchess sees opportunity in the Crimson Inquisition and hopes to secure Reynier's support towards her opposition to the 'Viridian Heresy'. Tristan Lampero Charlotte, as a talented and passionate manipulator, managed to find grip on most other nobles in Regalia to toy around with them or force them into either submission, acceptance or ridicule. Yet Tristan is an exemption. In a sense, he resists almost all of Charlotte's attempts at manipulation, yet doesn't even notice it. She gave up a few months ago and now the duchess only seeks to remain friends with Tristan for common entertainment and perhaps business benefit between the Silver Key and the Behemoth Order. After Charlotte vaguely learned of the Silverall and their presumed role in Regalia, she even considered Tristan's resistance to her manipulation resulting from void possession. She even confronted Tristan about it, thinking that he was in some way related to the vice of Gluttony, considering the amount of food he consumes. Tristan however took it lightly, even with her dagger drawn, and explained her bits and pieces. Friends Elon Silevon Charlotte first met the man in the Taver, after inviting Lara for a tea. The two had a long discussion about business, politics and affairs withing Regalia, which served as a foundation for their future friendship. Charlotte places more than usual trust in Elon due to a mysterious reason, the Isldar helps her with counsel as well as personal support. Taenerael Silevon Another elf, Charlotte grew to like him for his skills and wit, as well as his clear ambitions, goals and personality. She is respected by the man, and returns respect of her own as an answer. The two had a lengthy conversation in the conspiracy lounge that paved the way for their relation. Larasviel Silevon Perhaps the first one she met in the bar, the woman introduced Charlotte to the Silevons as well as the major things to note in the Regalian underworld. To this, she'll be ever grateful to the Isldar and with the conversations the two have had so far, Charlotte aims to hold her for a friend more than an associate. Ida Adonair Charlotte's relationship to Ida is fueled by her passion for the romantic, for the adventures and for the weird. The woman is witty, funny and looks strange enough for Charlotte to like her, and has proven herself to be capable both physically and mentally. Issom Razzoul Perhaps the strangest encounters she has ever experiences, she met the Naylar first as he was lecturing a man on the paradox of virtue ethics. This, and the Naylar's siding with consequentialism, has led to Charlotte kind-of loving him already. A further passion was developed when she found out the Naylar's relations within Regalian 'politics', yet she has yet to have a decent conversation with him. Veridan Daevaar Veridan is someone Charlotte respects and kind-of experiments with. The Drow seems to support her ideologies as well as the unionist common cause, and she respects that, treating him well. However, Veridan did show his bad and shady side a few time, which often makes Charlotte think about whether remaining an open 'friend' to him is a good idea in the face of rumours and conspirators. Acquaintances Hiesir Baudh In one world, Hiesir is bound to hide behind cloaks, masks and glasses while Charlotte is revered as a high noble, a duchess and an influential person. In another world, Charlotte is bound to hide behind chainmail, cloaks and wardens while Hiesir can sport her gowns and eloquent dresses, her gaze revealing her sheer power and influence. The first time she heard about the Shendar was from a word of mouth in the tavern, and she sounded almost like a folk tale. The duchess approaches this with caution, fear and curiosity, and all are evident whenever she meets the woman. Rivals Maximilian Typhonus Charlotte is quite conflicted when it comes to Max. She sort-of respects the man and looks at him as a useful asset when befriended, yet she dislikes his attitude towards intellectualism and women. In the end, she tends to keep neutral around him, waiting for her chance to grasp onto him. Theresa Anehara Something in the old Anahera intrigues her. She seems like a tamed Maedelyn, a sleeping beast that could be unleashed on Regalia with Charlotte riding her. Or at least that's what she thinks. Never the less, her betrayal and recent treatment towards Theresa probably earned a lifelong hatred that'll pursue her wherever she goes. Charlotte is yet unsure about what to do with the woman. Christopher Black The pirate symbolises Charlotte's romanticist passion for adventure and the wild, luring her curiosity. She wants to learn more about the pirate and seeks to convince him of writing a book about his life. Yet Chris 'betrayed' her when he declared his unconditional support to William Coen and the alliance of noble houses Charlotte opposes by heart. Keeping up a smile, Charlotte wants to remain cautious around the man and find out his true intentions as well as his driving motives, with still some hopes of convincing him to support her instead of the Coen. Ulric Typhonus Charlotte considers Ulric stubborn and hypocritical. His morals are somewhat predictable as well as his intentions and actions, which would make for a good political ally. Yet the man is stubborn and refused to listen to her words numerous times, and Charlotte's 'See, I told you so!' attitude only worsened their relation. Enemies Anton Ravenstad The 'cane man' had a special place in her heart, she often teased him but not the same way as she did with her siblings. There was something more to it, and Charlotte in fact liked Anton's attitude and high-society personality. She eventually fell in love with the man, writing numerous poems to him, with their courtship ending in a marriage. Charlotte gave birth to a healthy son, Victor Ravenstad. However, after her pregnancy she turned her attention back to authorship and court politics, slowly gathering prestige in the court. As with prestige gathered and a name made, the court started to look at Anton as subordinated to Charlotte, which none of the Ravenstads liked. This eventually led to disdain between the two, and to a divorce that left the two with hatred towards each other. Petty hatred and spite that won't cease in the near future, and which only grew greater now that Anton has fallen ill. Andrieu Anahera (dead) The so-esteemed Arch Chancellor. Charlotte respects his political play, but has a great distrust towards him as well as some subtle hatred and spite due to their past encounters and insults way before her marriage. While for a time Charlotte worked with the man and abided his words, it was only a matter of time until she found a way to profit from a quick betrayal. She sought to play along with Andrieu's wishes to get a chance to marry him, then quickly finish him off and claim all his titles. With his attitude, the plans quickly changed to simple 'KILL', yet it was prevented by Thomas Kade when he kept Charlotte confined in his hideout. Bastian Ravenstad Charlotte spites Bastian. The man turned from an adventurous, alcoholic womanizer into a contempt man to marry a former traitor and heretic, or at least that's what Charlotte perceives. She'd see the man injured, hurt or beaten just for her own entertainment. Laeyns Crawley Her mother told her a lot about the Crawley girl, but Charlotte had a first-hand experience when she attempted to shade her. Charlotte, the impulsive creature she is, replied with something she later regretted, an insult that could be easily understood as an insult against the royal family. Laeyns threatened her with telling house Kade, but in the end, it was all left to her mother to patch and fix, and Faustina delivered even more, turning the accusation upside-down, proving that it was in fact Laeyns disrespecting the Kades. In the end, Charlotte was left with some childish hatred towards Laeyns that lasts even today. Percy Ravenstad Charlotte hates Percy with a passion. The man picked at her from the moment he arrived to Regalia and completely turned both Anton and Bastian against her. He's also supposed to be an honourable knight, but defended Lorea instead of Charlotte after the play, planting the seeds of disdain in her forever. Percy also expressed certain misogynistic views in regards to Charlotte's role in house Ravenstad, something she took to the heart. The man probably fueled the duchess' passionate crusade against any knights and knightly orders, as well as her new-found passion for crossbows. For indeed, the only reason Charlotte listened to the dwarves and acquired the weapon deemed un-honourable was to one day use the steel bow, the cranequin and the heavy string to pierce a Viridan plate armour and strike a blow to the heart. William Coen William is one of the very few people Charlotte spites from both a personal and an ideological view. She considers the man a misogynist and blames him individually for the Anahera take-over. She also considers him a traitor to the Empire, accusing him of abuse and mistreatment during his reign as a Lord Commander, supposedly corrupting the violet order with a connection to the Viridian castle and allowing the Viridian order to wield the executive and judicative rights of the Violets. Her concepts about William were reinforced when he re-assured her that the Viridian is held above state law by the knights, something she considers straight-out heresy. "Do I have regrets? Possibly. Do I think I disappointed my friends, my Emperor and my allies? More than likely. But never have I thought about my goals and ambitions being futile. For in the end, everything I claimed and thrived to prevent became wild reality." Life Story (Required) Born on the 7th of May, 268AC, in Regalia as the weaker, smaller twin sister of William Walerius. She has three siblings: William, Lucas and Benjamin. She was born to Faustina and Friedrich Walerius, though with some possibly muddied heritage considering her mother's affair with her brother-in-law. Charlotte was raised with decent wealth in the noble Walerius family, and received proper education from private tutors. In 278 the family re-located to their lands in Turent. She did not get along well with her siblings, and was usually kept away from them. She was educated in philosophy and politics by a Vilestate tutour. Charlotte married Anton Ravenstad as soon as she came of age, meaning vassalisation for house Walerius. She gave birth to a healthy son, Victor Ravenstad. During her initial stay in Regalia, Charlotte interacted with the Arken and gained her magical affinity at the age of twenty. From there on, she's been practicing her magical abilities. Tensions rose between the two and the marriage ended in 303AC. Charlotte abandoned custody over her son & her claims on the Walerius titles and founded house Moselberg with the county of Morgwenn granted to her by the Emperor. Later on, Charlotte was involved in an affair with Andrieu Anahera and fell pregnant before he was deposed. During the Axford Diet, Charlotte was awarded the barony of Warren Sud. The county of Morgwenn was later elevated to a duchy. Following the diet, Charlotte was involved in many criminal affairs as well as a relationship with Andrea Anahera that ended abruptly during a trial. Following her first trial, she picked up contact to a Shendar coven in Regalia. It's where she was introduced to void worship, and the power-hungry woman came very close to willingly become possessed. Though... Her second trial found her guilty of sabotage and conspiracy. She retired from Regalia to spend time in Morgwenn, with a hefty fine on her family. During the following year, she gradually lost her titles and wealth. Albeit, this only reinforced her belief in the Bleeding Crown. She returned to Regalia in 306AC to try her fortune once more and re-enter the court. "I lived a life of tragedy, pain and disappointment. And I did not regret a single moment of it." Life Chronicles Spoiler Early years: Charlotte was born on the 7th of May, 285AC in Regalia. She came to life with mere five pounds for weight, a true contrast to her twin, and was sickly all through her childhood probably due to her mother's worsening health. Her education began quite early, starting with lessons on reading and writing as well as family history and the violin at the age of four. In 294AC, the family left Regalia to raise the four children in the Turall estate, where the main bulk of Charlotte's education found place. She got to practice on the organ and the harpsichord there and was home-taught etiquette and philosophy by her mother. Through most of her childhood, she was rather distant from her siblings, only seeing them in the dining hall for meals and sometimes outside when she was free. Most of her childhood: Charlotte didn't like the confines of the mansion, often seeking adventure inside. She had a secret 'base' in the attic where she went to play secretly, often around midnight. She wrote her first ever story there, on the back of a handkerchief with quill and ink stolen from her father's study. She also crept down a lot of times into the great chamber of the wine cellar to play the family's grand organ, even if the sounds were almost non-audible due to the lack of servants to operate the bellows. At the age of 12 she began her riding lessons with Albert, her fathers' friend who escorted her away from the mansion on horseback many times, roaming the wilds. It was around these times when she first developed the idea of breaking free from her family, asking Albert to accompany her on a week's trip. Despite her young age, the loyal guard agreed, and later told the Earl they got lost in the forest. Her teasing of her brothers started around these times too, probably resulting from the sheer pressure and stress Faustina placed upon her shoulders. Charlotte compensated this with picking on Lucas and William, and the two in turn often slapped or beat her. One time William locked her into one of Faustina's gown closets for a whole day, an experience which scarred her forever and had her develop her claustrophobia. This moment marks the beginning of me RP-ing her. All of the following events actually played out in Regalia. Return to Regalia: The family's return to Regalia didn't really meet her expectations. Charlotte hoped for much more freedom, but instead spent most of her summer in the family's town home with Gadreel, reading and writing while the others handled the winery or visited the tavern. To her father's pressure, her mother let her outside a few times to handle the winery herself, moments she used to remember the good memories of teasing 'Loo' and 'Wilfred'. She also met the Ravenstads one time, funny Ithanians who refer to her ever since as the 'tiny she-demon' due to her arrogant and loud-mouthed behaviour with Laeyns Crawley. She grieved her father's death and saw that her mother couldn't handle the earldom and slowly fell. Charlotte was one of the few people in house Walerius to learn of Faustina's pregnancy and the reason she left Regalia, an event she almost celebrated. It meant freedom to her, freedom from the shackles that bound her since the age of four. The Cane-Man: The first time she ever met Anton Ravenstad, she teased him and annoyed him to the point where most of the Ravenstads apart from Anton left the winery. Yet the man laughed it off with a smile, something which made her angry and nervous at first, but left her wondering later. After Anton fell poisoned in the winery, she ran to his rescue and tended to him, after which she developed some love towards the man. She was too craven however to ask his brother for permission to court him. The wonder happened after a game of chess in the noble lounge, between Charlotte and Anton. William finally gave his blessing to the courtship and Charlotte jumped up to hug him. This was the beginning of a long period of writing poetry and embracing one's feelings for love. She spent a lot of time together with Anton, and the marriage loomed ever closer, a day that'd forever change her life. A married woman: The marriage wasn't much of a successful celebration but she enjoyed the fruits never the less. She fell pregnant in the bed that night, but her attention was turned elsewhere. Ulric Typhonus abdicated from the position of Arch Chancellor and Anton sought to run in the elections. She did everything to help Anton and his campaign, but all in vane because he met with Andrieu Anahera and sealed a deal: he'd pull out of the election in favour of providing full support to house Anahera, and in exchange a marriage would be arranged between house Ravenstad and Anahera. A marriage that never took place. The disdain between Andrieu and Charlotte: The first time she ever met Andrieu Anahera was the day after her marriage, when the two exchanged insults and foul words hurled at each other without any reasoning behind them. Later on her hatred was fanned up by Anton's withdrawal from the election and the Anahera victory and she became ever suspicious of Andrieu's actions and ever envious of his achievements both with claiming his titles and winning the chancellery. The two continued to have arguments, but overall avoided each other. But Charlotte had a plan, she plotted out a play that'd be shown during a masquerade ball where she'd ridicule the arch chancellor in front of the whole of Regalia. The play proved to be rather successful, with many citizens and nobles talking about Duriena even weeks and now months after it was shown. But the Arch Chancellor didn't receive it well, and Anton, considering him a friend, sought to scold her. The first confrontation with William Coen: The first time she ever confronted William Coen was in the hostesse estate. The two entered a conversation about the recent events, and it got fueled into a philosophical debate. While they parted ways angrily, and while Dianned Coen kept calling for a truce between them amidst the shouting, she decided to bring it further and composed her first major published work, Stoic and Hero, and sent it to the Imperial Palace for evaluation. The story portrayed basically told her discussion with William with even the nastier details included, and asked for the Emperor's judgement at the end through a subtle anecdote. He seemed to have found it rather entertaining, as the judgement was passed and the Emperor ruled in favour of both of them, dressing Cadar Castle in red and blue for days to commemorate this debate and the conclusion. Hadrian Typhonus and house Barlowe: Charlotte never really got acquainted to house Barlowe, only heard scare tales about them which promted her to avoid Blythe and Maedelyn. Never the less she got into involving herself after their salon event during which she met Hadrian Typhonus and had a well-framed conversation on politics and the ethics of the Empire. During the same salon she was called to challenge Ulric Typhonus in a biased debate as well, which she sought to use for her own advantage and to show herself in front of the court. Late on, after the Emperor's arrival, Charlotte's head was full with all the information necessary to jot down her second major work, her essay on imperialism and Regalian fascism. After publishing it, the Barlowes were imprisoned for alleged slander against the Arch Chancellor, something which Charlotte saw as an opportunity to oppose Andrieu, so she decided to meet regularly with Maedelyn in the prison to offer her support. During the trial, she stood up for house Barlowe, although nothing too relevant resulted from it, and she had to leave with some regrets. However, Maedelyn invited her over for tea, along with Hadrian, but instead of going to their old-gods district manor, they entered the temple where Charlotte's paranoia kicked in. The entrance blocked, Charlotte told to step aside so as to not get all bloody and Hroth Barlowe approaching Hadrian with a ceremonial sword left her almost crying, seeking to flee as soon as possible. A sudden move from Hadrian allowed her to do so, slipping away and running with wet pants towards the Lord Commander. Resolution of the Barlowe case: After the Barlowes were captured, she hoped to stand against them in a trial to gain house Typhonus' respect. The trial however never happened due to the Emperor absolving house Barlowe of their sins for converting to unionism. Charlotte didn't like this, and neither did Ulric or William as she noticed, leading to her trying to arrange a coalition of Lords and dukes against the Barlowes with hopes of embargoing them and usurping their title. The Barlowes however left the archipelago sooner, in silence, with no need for the coalition. The Ravenstad disdain: Ever since her first work was published, disdain and spite was growing between her and Anton. House Ravenstad tried to convince her of stopping her business of politics, although Charlotte never understood what she did wrong, as she opposed an Arch Chancellor that insulted both her and her husband and played Anton out of the elections with a false promise that was never fulfilled. Percy and Bastian Ravenstad however kept confronting her and telling her she only sought her own well-being and never the family's, which left her with both questions and a good scoop of hatred. In numerous clashes the three Ravenstads told her she was being hated by most in the city, to which she reacted with visiting the different members of nobility and talking to them each, reaching the conclusion that the Ravenstads either lied or their connections were limited to house du Polignac and Anahera after meeting up with fourteen nobles and having tea with them. Events culminated when she was first slapped by Anton, followed by two consecutive clashes which left her with even more hatred and spite. The Ravenstad name was brought to the court through her written works, but they seemed to dislike the fact that it was /her/ name, not the family name. She decided to do everything in order to separate after a clash with Anton when she was threatened with being locked-up in his manor, and after a talk with Percy where the knight revealed his utter hatred towards Charlotte being an author of works on politics, expressing straight-away sexism which Charlotte spites and didn't expect from a house with Ithanian heritage. The divorce: Divorce was forced on them by the court, which lightened her mood a bit. She was granted the earldom formerly owned by house Barlowe and was allowed to claim her own family name and continue in realm politics without a family holding her back. She welcomed the decision and decided to re-draw her plans, keeping the same ambitions as before. Glancing from one family to the other, she created her alliance concepts and started conspiring to expand. However, the Emperor's poisoning came as a major surprise, and Charlotte got herself involved with realm politics in a depth that's probably unimaginable for others. How she'll emerge, that we'll see. The Lily Cross Order, first act: Charlotte originally liked the idea of the Golden Peacock, but had to realise house Red's club was far from what she expected and decided to fire up her own. When discussing possible goals and purposes with the lower nobility residing in Regalia however, she realised there is more potential in the Lily Cross than a mere conversation party. She pledged to help the members rise, and in exchange the members pledged to become members of her future political party. House Valor, house de Baccarod and house Lothlann joined the order straight away, leaving Charlotte with quite the member count already. Despite the real purpose, the original Golden Peacocktook the order's foundation as a personal insult and competition which existed until Yvette and Alistair Red were caught and brought to Greygate for questioning about Alistair's supposed death and the current one being a pretender. With that, the Golden Peacock essentially ceased to exist, and while some still looked at the Lily Cross Order as a copy or an attempt to continue the legacy, it grew to be something far more important for Charlotte. When the arlesse was pressed into hiding during the Anahera rule, the order staggered a bit, meaning a short hold. The Anahera menace, and the quadruple agent: Charlotte had a huge disdain towards both Andrieu and lorea Anahera, but things changed when she was introduced to Teresa Anahera by Andrieu himself. After sealing a truce in terms of opposition and Andrieu asking for her help in terms of handling the situation, he accidentally acquainted Charlotte to Teresa and Alejandro's other daughters as well. During the early days of the Arch Chancellor's rule with the Emperor in coma, Charlotte spent many days in the Anahera estate meeting Andrea, Camila and Teresa. They all hinted her about Andrieu's acts and ambitions, and Charlotte took them seriously. While helping Andrieu with an essay and keeping contact towards him, she listened to the other Anaheras and sought to find evidence against them. Change arrived when Charlotte learned to know Jared Silverhand, and the two pledged support to the Empire and that they'd work together to unravel Andrieu's secrets. A long talk with the elf led to Charlotte concluding that the Anahera women were in fact right, and with that she sought out the help of Thomas Kade and William Coen. Yet she knew the latter two are not to be trusted, because she learned first-hand that they tend to hesitate too much. Charlotte also sought out the help of numerous other nobles and citizens, gathering as much information as possible before approaching Thomas Kade with what she learned. Yet it seemed to have yielded no results, as she had no physical evidence just a theory supported by what Andrieu, Teresa, Andrea, Camila, Dianne and Jared told her. She left to find evidence and soon received it from Andrea, in the form of a handful of Notes originating from Teresa before her disappearance. She went first to Andrieu to confirm the contents who, unbeknownst of Charlotte's intentions, proved the truth behind Teresa's thoughts. Charlotte approached Thomas, William and Tristan afterwards, carrying the evidence, but it was too late already. She knew about Moriarty's deal with Teresa, having learned it straight from Andrea hours before. She hoped to convince William to place Andrieu under arrest for the time being, so that Moriarty and Teresa can push the sanitaire. But the Lord Commander, despite completely agitated by the evidence against Andrieu, hesitated, and even Thomas merely stood by, silent. With that, Charlotte had nowhere else to turn but Ulric Typhonus. While she never learned him well, and the only major interaction they ever had was Ulric throwing her out of his castle for arriving uninvited to a meal with Pepin, she had no other choice but to look for house Typhonus' help. She approached the man, they took seat in the tavern and exchanged information besides some drinks, with Ulric approving the sanitaire and Charlotte rising from the seat happy. She did it, she finally found a supporter and now she can push for Andrieu's arrest and disposal. Yet things weren't that simple. She was the last person Ulric talked to before imprisoned in the state council castle, and Andrieu's power take-over happened without any of her actions taking any effect on it. A night of cries and bottle smashing followed, with her insanity peaking and herself pledging to take revenge on any who distrusted her and refused to act on her words. The Resistance and the restoration: The first thing for her to do was visit Cadar castle the next day, seeking an audience with Thomas. The two conversed for long before Anton arrived to the scene, discussing the future of a resistance against house Anahera. Charlotte held much distrust towards Anton, she knew he joined the Golden Peacock to 'oppose' her, and she knew Anton wanted her earldom to connect Turall to the Hinterlands. And she knew Thomas trusted him more as well, because Anton wasn't as unpredictable, as volatile as herself. Charlotte knew Andrieu would call for her soon, and Thomas told her Andrieu was to call for him as well. The two decided to go to Eduard estate together, Thomas entering first. Waiting on a bench outside, trying to think of a scheme that could work for the time being, Charlotte had to see a broken man leaving the Eduard estate, a broken prince who didn't outright refuse the Lord Protector's offer which worried her. She felt weakness in Thomas. She knew the meeting between her and Andrieu could change the course of action, because she understood she wouldn't be able to fully count with Thomas from that moment he emerged. She knew she would have to walk her own ways sooner or later and act on her own, the way she promised herself that night the Lord Protector took over. She entered Eduard estate, and Andrieu brought her straight to his office. They exchanged sweet words, they smiled at each other, they flirted. But Charlotte knew Andrieu was lying, she knew his smile was fake and she knew Andrieu only wanted her body as trophy. And at the same time, she knew Andrieu knew she was lying, Andrieu knew she wasn't as innocent as she showed herself to be. They knew the motives of each other, yet they still kept up the smiles and sweet face and conversed as two completely innocent adults. Yet Charlotte had to touch on something. She had the chance to gain an upper hand in the sociopath face-off, so she touched on to Andrieu's promises of lands, marriage, peace and children. As Andrieu gabbled, she realised the promises were empty and that she won't be getting anywhere here. Yet Andrieu's gabbling revealed so many secrets she faced one of the most difficult decisions in her life. She could shy away and leave the man to his own, or follow him to his bed and learn more snippets about his secrets. The decision was made, and the fourth Charlotte Scheme was born, along with a child conceived from Andrieu. She listened to what Andrieu said, she learned what he knew, what his plans were and devised her plan. She approached Thomas Kade to explain it, but was interrupted by Sophia du Polignac who called the violet order on the old noble lounge where the two met under Tristan's watch. After a huge commotion, dire words exchanged and many corners ran she ended up in Tristan's home along with Thomas and Alistair when the Anahera troops arrived to burn the house down. The four escaped through the roof and took refuge in the tunnels underneath the tavern where they'd spend the next days. Or weeks? Charlotte's claustrophobia kept her awake all night long. She saw the walls approaching, she felt being strangled and she couldn't help but whimper in the bed she was assigned to. She had to leave, but Thomas wouldn't let her until she earned his full trust. Yet the prince perceived her attempts to escape the tunnel as breaches of any trust he had towards her, an endless circle of trust-distrust created. In the tunnels, she learned a lot more about the others, and the others learned a lot about her as well. She spent the days trying to convince Thomas that her scheme would succeed, and that Andrieu's reign could be destroyed subtly, with the damage repaired without further rebellions and fighting. Yet she wasn't let loose, and she knew Andrieu would quickly lose interest and find another body to use in the meanwhile, risking her chance of assassination. She was once again cornered by hesitation and pitted against time, spending more than a week in the tunnel, seeing as Philip and Riane arrived, along with all the others who ended up there up until Thomas finally let go of her and the tunnel was burned down hours later. Finally free, she decided to go through with her plans and assassinate Andrieu on her own, without the help and contribution of others. She attended the trial of Ulric Typhonus, all dolled up to meet Andrieu afterwards, armed to the teeth underneath her gown as well as carrying poison both to coat her blade and to poison Andrieu's food. She waited, merely wanting the others to stay silent during the trial and to go down silently. Yet at the end of the trial, after all the others were taken away, she faced Andrieu who met her gaze but ignored her. Andrieu merely walked off, and Charlotte got stuck inside the cathedral with all the others, including Reinhardt and Alistair, when the building was set on fire. Time was not on her side, and Andrieu hasn't seen her for weeks. Her plan failed, once again. Charlotte completely broke after that. She learned that she was pregnant with Andrieu's child, along with the fact that Andrieu ignored her and thus any assassination will probably fail. The only thing left to her was to compose a last message to the people of Regalia before resting herself in a hot bath, with the razor's edge ready on her side. At once she could help the restoration's cause, rid the world of Andrieu's child and remove a complete failure from existence. Yet when reaching for the blade, she grabbed something else instead, a lily shaped badge. The Lily Cross Order, second act: She glanced at the badge in the dim lights of her bath, the candles flickering. She clutched it, folded her fingers around it and pulled it to her face. After emerging from the waters, she penned quick letters to each and every member of the order, calling for their aid in a fight against the usurper. She spent enough days being a coward, and suicide would have been the final act of cowardice, retreating from the fight and simply ending it all. Answers soon came from the members, are loyal to their common cause, and thus to the common cause of the Empire. She got into a disguise as an Ithanian refugee and met most members and family heads, discussing future plans as well as what they'll be doing in case of a revolution. And to her surprise the members were eager to help, offering weapons smuggled to Regalia, wealth invested in the restoration, a whole private army of house guards and members to support Charlotte in any of her endeavours. That moment she remembered the idea she had during the foundation of the order, the lower nobility of Regalia was untapped, ignored. Yet these houses still possessed decent wealth, not from their baronies but from their family trades. They too had members of the violet order in their families, they too had well-trained soldiers, politicians and leaders. Yet Andrieu too forgot about them, letting them walk the streets flee, without surveillance, without minding them a moment. The order ended up storming and capturing the bureaucracy during the restoration, securing documents against house Anahera and evidence for Andrieu's abuse of powers. With the Emperore awake and the restoration over, Charlotte now seeks to continue the order's legacy. Since the foundation and the three original families she secured the support and loyalty of another three, giving her a large base of politically active members who'll each attend the diet of Axford. For the while, she attempts to juggle with the many lobbies out there, trying to take a centrist opinion on most matters, keeping up contact to the lobbies. Yet she has plans for the diet, she seeks to secure a duchy, as well as any other spare land she can push claims to. And last but not least, she seeks to introduce her own lobby to Regalian politics, a new party based on an ideology instead of cultures and radicalism, the ideology of nationalism and imperialism. She has her supporters, her name is known in the court, but she needs the political influence. And she'll have it. The pregnancy: Unlike her previous pregnancy, this current one will have to be kept secret. Charlotte originally wanted to rid herself of the child, but the Emperor stood against that in the case of Lorea Anahera, causing much dissonance in Charlotte's mind. The apothecary refused to give her (anonymously) poison to induce miscarriage or abortion, so that's out of her view as well. For the while, she's hiding the changes with custom altered corsets. All four servants accompanying her to Axford know about the pregnancy and swore to keep it a secret, although her paranoia leaves her trying to keep her servants in her guest quarters and not let them talk to anyone in the Citadel. She picked up quite the weight already, but she's able to hide most with her usual fashion that distorts her silhouette and covers most of her skin and body with loose hanging clothes or a thick coat. However, her worries grow ever more as she's forced into a boned corset to push back the belly, and she is ready to leave to Morgwenn with the excuse of a sickness as soon as the maternal corset can't do the wonder anymore. For the while however, she'll have to continue her political appearances with a straight back, out of breath and in constant pain as the boned corset confines her and her child. The Silver Key Society - Foundation During the Anahera Protectorate, Charlotte ventured down into the Regalian Sewers to find allies for herself and a possible force to field against the traitor Anahera. She soon grew acquainted to a group of mercenaries whom she hired, and the same group soon introduced her to the Isldar house Silevon. The twenty-or-so underground mercenaries all entered service under Charlotte, forming what she named the "Silver Key Society". The original Society came to be as part of her reaction to the return of the Golden Peacock. Charlotte wanted the SKS to be the discussion board of the Lily Cross Order, though it never truly became one. Instead, the Society started gathering in the abandoned Harbour-District castle to discuss plans, conspiracies and actions. At the time, the Society functioned as a simple organised group of mercenaris in the sewers, spending their time hunting vampires and aberrants. It as during these times that Charlotte was bitten by a sanguine and almost turned, only prevented by nights of bloodletting in the abandoned castle. It was also during the early days of the Key that she met the Arken of the sewers. Andrea Anahera During the Protectorate's time, Charlotte provided refuge to the exiled Andrea banished from the Anahera estate by Andrieu. The two did not really grow close initially, but Charlotte saw in her the same drive and megalomania that fueled her own ambitions. She made numerous moves on the woman but was not successful at the time. Instead, the two started working together, Charlotte lending her mercenaries to the Anahera who used them first to torch the shops and premises of the Merchant' guild, then to corner and coerce Theresa Anahera into resigning as matriarch and handing leadership of her house over to Andrea. Their relationship became reality after they abducted Astrid Kade together with the Silver Key Society and tortured her in the Regalian Sewers. The Silver Key Society - The Dissolution of the Violet Order The following month was spent with the Silver Key Society, the Lily Cross Order and all of Charlotte's contacts engaging in a very, very elaborate plan of framings, scenes staged in the tavern and evidence forged in order to frame house Coen of corruption in the Violet Order and to eventually force the order's dissolution. The bullets were fired and the Violet Order was summoned to the Imperial Palace for questioning under the Crimson Inquisition. Though at the same time, Charlotte, Andrea and the Silver Key was also placed under investigation and were questioned about their involvement in Astrid's abduction. Before she was summoned to the crimson tribune proper, Charlotte called Andrea into the palace gardens where the two exchanged their last kiss, observed by Dianne Coen. Word quickly got around the palace about their relation and Charlotte referenced Andrea's seduction and abuse of her weakness and love for her as the reason why she aided her in her endeavours. In the end, Charlotte was punished to eight lashes across her back though was otherwise absolved of her crimes. The Violet Order was, however, dissolved wholly and house Coen was given a hefty fine to pay leaving them bankrupt. Even better, the guard order was replaced with competing chapters and the Silver Key Society was given rights to investigate and suspend these charters. The Baudh Coven & Hiesir Following the events, Charlotte was introduced to Hiesir Baudh and her coven of Shendar in a meeting down within the Obscure Oyster. They entered a semi-alliance where the Silver Key ceased hostilities towards the Shendar and remained mostly neutral towards their dealings. In the meanwhile, Charlotte grew intimate to the demon in a thrive for power and influence. Hiesir gave Charlotte information on magic, the Shendar, Arken and void worship. She went as far as to gift the noblewoman a spell tome of hex magic and enchanted her with the thought that getting ritually void-possessed would grant her immense powers. Though preparations were made for a ritual, it never actually took place due to the second Silver Key Trial. The Silver Key Society - Charter Wars & Dissolution Of the splitting of the Violet Order, four main charters remained: the Mercenaries, the Inquisition, the Key and the Vigilants. The Key entered a long-lasting proxy war with the mercenaries in the sewers, taking the side of the Arkens in an effort to maintain full control. This venture was even supported by some of the Baudhs. During the war, the Crimson Inquisition placed the mercenaries under investigation which subsequently led to the inquisition finding out about the Silver Key involvement with both the Baudhs and the Arken. They openly attacked the mercenaries who sort-of turncoated to the Society's side. At the same time, a seemingly random incursion and attack led by the Vigilant-member Veridan Daevaar on the Arken pleasure palace in the sewers involved the Vigilants in the confrontation too. Jared Kade led a force of inquisitors to capture the Society's castle and dissolve the order by force, though he was instead captured by the Key and the Society declared the Inquisition suspended. The Emperor's intervention announced the Society at fault where all members were brought to the inquisition's court for questioning and trial. There, each and every member of the Society testified against Elon Silevon, patriarch of house Silevon at the time, who was executed soon aftter. In the fallout, all Isldar were stripped of their first class citizenship and made "marked" citizens with scrutiny and prejudice. As a twist of fortune, this proclamation included Jared himself. The Merenaries were dissolved all the while, though, and they testified against the Silver Key. Charlotte was brought in for another trial and stood in front of the Emperor who judged her guilty of sabotage. She was never, however, found guilty of any of the other charges: conspiracy with a demon, void worship, murder, abduction or any of the other accusations. 2/3 of the fine declared on house Coen was transferred to house Moselberg, and Charlotte was forced into the Vigilant Shield with the orders to unravel the Baudh conspiracy. She did not, however, fulfill this punishment. Hiesir died weeks afterwards and Charlotte left Regalia soon after her trial. The Legacy "People try and forget, yet everywhere I go I see the extent of my actions solidified and permanent." The Lily Cross Order The Lily Cross Order was founded in November, 303AC, after Charlotte picked up the Moselberg name. It started as a political lobby to bind together houses of low nobility, though rose to be a far closer union that participated in the coup against Andrieu Anahera. Member of the lobby gathered for regular political discourse in the Hostesse estate. They also pledged not to support on specific family, but to support each other. The ultimate success of the Lily Cross Order came during the Axford diet after the death of Andrieu Anahera where half the members were lifted into nobility proper, whereas Charlotte was brought to high nobility. At its peak, the Lily Cross Order counted the following houses as members: Moselberg, Valor, Heinrich, Artiemus, Cerdici, Cauthin, Lothlann and de Baccarod. The Lilicrucian order functioned under the principles of the Imperialist Manifesto and briefly filled the role of the "Imperialist" lobby during the Axford diet. The Silver Key Society "The Society is a Late-Dining Club. That is, we gather to have dinners after midnight. Some of us work all day, it's the only common ground." The SKS was a late dining society founded during the reign of Andrieu Anahera. The Secret Brotherhood arose from the union of the already numerous Moselberg-contracted mercenaries and agents and the newly contacted Isldar house Silevon. The society thus created was a formidable force not only in the Regalian Sewers, but on the surface as well. The initial two months of the Silver Key Society under the co-operation of Charlotte and Andrea Anahera saw the arson of Merchants' guild properties in the city, the abduction of Astrid Kade, the coercion of Theresa's control over house Anahera to Andrea at dagger-point and regular sanguine-safaris in the sewers. Change soon arrived when the Society had its first meeting with Hiesir Baudh and her coven of Shendar. Through infiltration of organisations, planting of witnesses and staging of evidence the society managed to frame the Violet Oder for corruption, which was subsequently destroyed. Even more, the Society managed to acquire official charter rights post-dissolution to not only enforce the law, but to investigate and suspend other charters. The society engaged in a proxy-war against other charters for further framing and dissolution attempts where the Society saw itself almost officially aligned to the Baudh Shendar and the Arken in the sewers. Things started to fall apart when the Crimson Inquisition began targeting individual member of house Silevon for abduction and questioning. The Silver Key Society was forced into defense where its main concern was to find a strawman to sacrifice and to cover its tracks so that the then-duchess is not reprimanded and punished. The Crimson Inquisition had all members captured and the patriarch of house Silevon executed after each and every other member testified against him. The charter was dissolved and the society remained dormant until Charlotte's 2nd treason trial. After the duchess left the Holy City, the society was "dissolved" permanently.
Before I get started, could you please fill out the third and fourth paragraphs under personality? They've been left blank.
@Miss_Ortonnaise Please make the following edits in red; You have her listed as 5 foot, though in the visual information it reads 5'4". I presume this is a typo and I would advise you to correct it if that is the case. You mention in the fifth paragraph of her personality that she is a worshiper of the Bleeding Crown. Please list this in your skill information as worship of the Bleeding Crown imparts special abilities as do most forms of Void Worship. Also, please remove your mention of the Arken of Authority as such is incomplient with the changes made to Arken lore. Drop authority and refer to it simply as an Arken. I would like for you to make mention of her spells in her life story and when they were learned respectively, while also removing mention of hex magic.
All fixed except for the Arken of Authority, which is based on her IC speculation, on IC information obtained. No Arken of Authority ever existed in lore, and the Imperial Spirit has, of course, never been confirmed as an Arken.
Added all 10 of her written works to the sheet, along with her two stage plays and five poems/anthems. No need to restore tag yet, I'll be working on adding the rest of her original-run life chapters (four months' worth), then I'll be running a relationship update.
Arguably the most elaborate and wonderful character application I've seen throughout my years on Massive!
@AptlyRatley Updated proficiencies. Also aged her up to 37 for various reasons & made her more magic concentrated. This should fix: - The awkward age difference between her and Ania/William. - The awkward age difference between her and Ravenstads (her stepdaughter was 2 years older than her, now she is 11 years younger. Now her son's also not a year older than her, but 18 years younger). - Generally the vibe that she returned but still a young & inexperienced lass. The only major change in life story is that I pushed her Arken encounters back, also her marriage to Anton. Nothing else really changed, apart from added spells & related.
I put the whole app in one spoiler & copied the required parts up front. Easier for me since spoilers bug with formatting.
@AptlyRatley returned to original formatting. Only other edit is that I added 10 culture proficiency points due to the recent change (making instrumental music 10 from 7, and dancing 7 from 0). No proficiency was changed since Charlotte was already capped by magic knowledge.
Added a shanty, fixed some links & pictures and edited some of the fluff information to be up-to-date. Nothing changed in the required parts.
Little tidbits from a peer: Was changed to Sexuality Weapon of Choice was removed, and Body Build is now Physical Stat > https://wiki.massivecraft.com/Proficiency#Body_Shape_.26_Body_Fat Not sure on this given it's only meant for rituals.
