Written By Caspian
Jan. 18, 2019, 6:19 p.m.(5/20/1010 AR)
You can probably guess what I think the best course of action is, but I think it's accepting Brass' help. Metallics are already trustworthy and powerful, and we need powerful allies to face the coming threats. Add into that abolishing Thralldom is the morally right choice regardless of what is offered in exchange. I think accepting Brass's help is clearly the morally right and logical choice.
If you disagree, bite me, because I'm not changing my mind!
If you disagree, bite me, because I'm not changing my mind!
Written By Juniper
Jan. 18, 2019, 4:21 p.m.(5/20/1010 AR)
As a commoner, it is very easy to feel that I will have no say in my own fate. What will be will be decided by those so far above my station that even I, as Whisper, have never met or interacted with them.
But the Commoners' Council exists so that our voices are not overlooked.
If you are Crownsworn, or if you are sworn to other fealties but of common birth, please /please/ reach out to the members of the Commoners' Council to express your views, concerns, and beliefs on the shape our future should take. You need not be named to anyone with power. You need not fear disapproval, judgment or sanction for speaking. That's why we're here. We will speak your views aloud and make certain that the highest of the high know and understand.
Reach out to us. Speak. Help us determine our future.
But the Commoners' Council exists so that our voices are not overlooked.
If you are Crownsworn, or if you are sworn to other fealties but of common birth, please /please/ reach out to the members of the Commoners' Council to express your views, concerns, and beliefs on the shape our future should take. You need not be named to anyone with power. You need not fear disapproval, judgment or sanction for speaking. That's why we're here. We will speak your views aloud and make certain that the highest of the high know and understand.
Reach out to us. Speak. Help us determine our future.
Written By Willow
Jan. 18, 2019, 1:01 p.m.(5/20/1010 AR)
My first Assembly was something. I hope my mother won't be overly scandalized that I wound up walking to the floor to stand with Brass. I want to think she would be proud, even if I'm not likely to ever tell her. It just felt like the right thing to do. I felt it personally and with so many on the Redrain benches in agreement he was in the right and both emissaries seemingly against him, it felt important to make the gesture even if it were a mere token or symbol.
Written By Thena
Jan. 18, 2019, 12:18 p.m.(5/20/1010 AR)
Winning feels a lot like losing, of late.
Written By Sparte
Jan. 18, 2019, 10:02 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Karl - who still wants me to call him Old Grimminy like when I was a boy - has been convinced city life is, in fact, not for him. Apparently sitting through the Assembly of Peers was enough to get him packing for home again. I will be helping him prepare and seeing him off at the end of the fortnight. It was nice to see him again, though it was bittersweet to notice how unkind the years have been to an old soldier. I'll be sending some funds to hire a few hands on to help him at his farm, so maybe he can enjoy his remaining days.
Written By Cristoph
Jan. 18, 2019, 10:01 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
The Compact is presented with a great many choices. When I think over them and weigh all of our options, I find myself thinking the following:
We are not weak. We may not be as strong as others, but we're not weak. The Compact has among its people an unlimited amount of grit and determination. We have wiley, clever mines and courageous hearts. We have been attacked by dangerous enemies and met them head on. We did not cower.
In the time that I've taken on the title of duke, I've seen a king restored, old alliances reforged, threats defeated. I've seen our nobles and our commoners band together against mutual enemies. I've known love and joy, fear and sorrow. I've known incredible anger that shook my bones and left me bereft.
I know that we can do this without chains of any kind. It will be harder, it will be dangerous. But we will grow stronger for it. All of us. Hold onto your hope.
We are not weak. We may not be as strong as others, but we're not weak. The Compact has among its people an unlimited amount of grit and determination. We have wiley, clever mines and courageous hearts. We have been attacked by dangerous enemies and met them head on. We did not cower.
In the time that I've taken on the title of duke, I've seen a king restored, old alliances reforged, threats defeated. I've seen our nobles and our commoners band together against mutual enemies. I've known love and joy, fear and sorrow. I've known incredible anger that shook my bones and left me bereft.
I know that we can do this without chains of any kind. It will be harder, it will be dangerous. But we will grow stronger for it. All of us. Hold onto your hope.
Written By Tessa
Jan. 18, 2019, 9:47 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
I will not go backwards.
Written By Rinel
Jan. 18, 2019, 9:44 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
I have brought shame to myself and to those around me. I have dishonoured my name and the discipleship which has rightly cast me out.
I am here to begin the long road of penance that lies before me.
I recant and repent, without reservation, any and all claims I have made in the past as to the illegitimacy of the Faith or any of its attendant institutions.
I recant and repent, without reservation, my claim to be free from the authority of the Godsworn of the Faith. I especially recant the implication that I was at any point free from the authorities of the Faith who gave me certain directives.
I repent of my public insolence when I should have conveyed my concerns through appropriate channels.
I recant and repent of every insubordinate action I have taken.
I recant and repent of every claim I have made contrary to church dogma.
I publicly acknowledge, without reservation, all promulgated dogma of the Faith of the Pantheon, born in Sanctum and headed by the Seraph of Arx, Dominus Orazio, Closest to the Gods, with whose Voice the three Legates speak. I acknowledge the authority of the priests of the Faith.
In the name of the Lady Lagoma, I humbly entreat for mercy that I do not deserve. In the name of the Lord Limerance, I vow obedience to the Faith and its laws. In the name of the Sentinel, I await the penance that I deserve, with the knowledge that it will befit my many sins.
I apologise to the Inquisition, whose relationship with the Faith I maligned. It is my fervent hope that comity between the Inquisition and the Faith continues, and that in time, should the Gods will it, the Sentinel may once more have a discipleship. My comments did not aid that wish. They harmed it.
I offer my apologies without reservation to the Peers of the Realm, whose Assembly I interrupted. I offer in particular my apologies to His Grace the Highlord Thrax, whose lawful commands I disobeyed. I have enjoyed the favour of Great House Thrax and repaid them poorly for it indeed.
I apologise to my former patron, Count Duarte Amadeo of Bravura, whose association with me has undoubtedly lowered him in the eyes of the Faith.
I apologise to the Iron Guardsman Sparte Fatchforth, whose honest contrition serves as an example of proper conduct.
I apologise to the Archscholar Sina Godsworn, whose trust in me I repaid with deceit.
I apologise to all of those whom I have wronged in my vainglorious pride and blind self-righteousness.
I submit myself to the judgment of the Faith, dispensed fairly in the name of the Sentinel. I pledge my loyalty to the Faith and its doctrine in the name of Lord Limerance. For my sins, I beg the mercy I do not deserve in the name of Lady Lagoma.
In contrition, I am
Rinel Tern
I am here to begin the long road of penance that lies before me.
I recant and repent, without reservation, any and all claims I have made in the past as to the illegitimacy of the Faith or any of its attendant institutions.
I recant and repent, without reservation, my claim to be free from the authority of the Godsworn of the Faith. I especially recant the implication that I was at any point free from the authorities of the Faith who gave me certain directives.
I repent of my public insolence when I should have conveyed my concerns through appropriate channels.
I recant and repent of every insubordinate action I have taken.
I recant and repent of every claim I have made contrary to church dogma.
I publicly acknowledge, without reservation, all promulgated dogma of the Faith of the Pantheon, born in Sanctum and headed by the Seraph of Arx, Dominus Orazio, Closest to the Gods, with whose Voice the three Legates speak. I acknowledge the authority of the priests of the Faith.
In the name of the Lady Lagoma, I humbly entreat for mercy that I do not deserve. In the name of the Lord Limerance, I vow obedience to the Faith and its laws. In the name of the Sentinel, I await the penance that I deserve, with the knowledge that it will befit my many sins.
I apologise to the Inquisition, whose relationship with the Faith I maligned. It is my fervent hope that comity between the Inquisition and the Faith continues, and that in time, should the Gods will it, the Sentinel may once more have a discipleship. My comments did not aid that wish. They harmed it.
I offer my apologies without reservation to the Peers of the Realm, whose Assembly I interrupted. I offer in particular my apologies to His Grace the Highlord Thrax, whose lawful commands I disobeyed. I have enjoyed the favour of Great House Thrax and repaid them poorly for it indeed.
I apologise to my former patron, Count Duarte Amadeo of Bravura, whose association with me has undoubtedly lowered him in the eyes of the Faith.
I apologise to the Iron Guardsman Sparte Fatchforth, whose honest contrition serves as an example of proper conduct.
I apologise to the Archscholar Sina Godsworn, whose trust in me I repaid with deceit.
I apologise to all of those whom I have wronged in my vainglorious pride and blind self-righteousness.
I submit myself to the judgment of the Faith, dispensed fairly in the name of the Sentinel. I pledge my loyalty to the Faith and its doctrine in the name of Lord Limerance. For my sins, I beg the mercy I do not deserve in the name of Lady Lagoma.
In contrition, I am
Rinel Tern
Written By Godric
Jan. 18, 2019, 9:33 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
I'm just the guy who studies the dead bodies, but I feel like I have a good handle on our options.
1) We're fucked
2) We're fucked
3) We're fucked
But at least with one of those fucking options, we get to fuck ourselves instead of letting foreign nation-states work us over. I'll go with that one.
1) We're fucked
2) We're fucked
3) We're fucked
But at least with one of those fucking options, we get to fuck ourselves instead of letting foreign nation-states work us over. I'll go with that one.
Written By Perronne
Jan. 18, 2019, 8:53 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Well!
That was several exciting turns of events. I'm sure there will be more complete write ups by scribes and Scholars more competent at their work than I, but I do want to summarize it for my own memory down the road, and of course for the edification of any future scholarly types who read this journal. The Assembly of Peers met to, among other reasons, hear the offers of the Cardian and Imperial delegations. The emissaries were all dressed very fine, and were the very picture of (sometimes grumpy) foreign diplomats, especially at first! Eurus sent an emissary as well - he called himself the Eye of the Prophet, and wore elaborate fireweave robes that concealed everything. But he leaked sand, a lot. So that was new. Eurus didn't have a proposal, or at least not one they were willing to make explicit, so he was just watching. And waiting, and all of that.
Then! Things happened - the diplomats made their proposals, and this guy near my seats jumped up and started shouting. Turns out he was a fellow named (called? titled? It's somewhat confusing) Brass, who is approximately a million years old and really hates Cardia. He offered to help train us all in...stuff, so long as we kick slavery to the curb. Pretty sure he means thralldom, despite earnest attempts by some to draw a distinction between the two states. Cardia wanted to arrest him, the Empire wanted to take him into "protective custody" (which is pretty much LIKE arresting him, just possibly with less prodding with a stick), and Father Aureth revealed that he was actually a guest under the protection of guest right and the Faith. Oh, and it looks like His Majesty has a son that Cardia currently has as a, um, honored guest? And then it turns out that a commoner is actually a Queen! Of a place pretty much no one has ever heard of, but which must be quite important, because even the Cardian representative was downright polite to her. She didn't seem happy about the sudden elevation, if I'm honest. More like someone hit her with a very soft ton of bricks. Or maybe a large fluffy dog. Good luck, Your Majesty!
Oh! And THEN (yes, this Assembly contained lots of AND THENs), someone called Ashe also stood up, and encouraged Arvum to remain as its own free nation, and that she would help train us against all the badness out there that apparently wants to eat us and threaten the world. I've spoken to her before, and she's pretty nice, all things considered! I'm not sure that she has the steelsilk armies of Cardia and the Empire, and that might be a problem, since the other two are pretty clear that invading us is an option they're willing to consider. Oh, and Cardia hates Brass as much as he hates them, so if we keep him as a guest (and he does seem to be pretty nice, but sort of with a nervous disposition - if you meet him, please don't shout and remember your manners!) it'll probably really, really upset them.
Anyway, those are some of the highlights. It was very exciting. I have my preferences, of course - but as a member of the Commoner's Council, if anyone happens to be reading this who has questions, concerns, or strong opinions on the matter, please let me know! I'll try to get someone to answer the questions or address the concerns, and the opinions are always useful, should the Crown want to know how the people of Arx are feeling about our options. I'm usually around in the evenings at the Traders Tavern, and letters are fun, as well!
That was several exciting turns of events. I'm sure there will be more complete write ups by scribes and Scholars more competent at their work than I, but I do want to summarize it for my own memory down the road, and of course for the edification of any future scholarly types who read this journal. The Assembly of Peers met to, among other reasons, hear the offers of the Cardian and Imperial delegations. The emissaries were all dressed very fine, and were the very picture of (sometimes grumpy) foreign diplomats, especially at first! Eurus sent an emissary as well - he called himself the Eye of the Prophet, and wore elaborate fireweave robes that concealed everything. But he leaked sand, a lot. So that was new. Eurus didn't have a proposal, or at least not one they were willing to make explicit, so he was just watching. And waiting, and all of that.
Then! Things happened - the diplomats made their proposals, and this guy near my seats jumped up and started shouting. Turns out he was a fellow named (called? titled? It's somewhat confusing) Brass, who is approximately a million years old and really hates Cardia. He offered to help train us all in...stuff, so long as we kick slavery to the curb. Pretty sure he means thralldom, despite earnest attempts by some to draw a distinction between the two states. Cardia wanted to arrest him, the Empire wanted to take him into "protective custody" (which is pretty much LIKE arresting him, just possibly with less prodding with a stick), and Father Aureth revealed that he was actually a guest under the protection of guest right and the Faith. Oh, and it looks like His Majesty has a son that Cardia currently has as a, um, honored guest? And then it turns out that a commoner is actually a Queen! Of a place pretty much no one has ever heard of, but which must be quite important, because even the Cardian representative was downright polite to her. She didn't seem happy about the sudden elevation, if I'm honest. More like someone hit her with a very soft ton of bricks. Or maybe a large fluffy dog. Good luck, Your Majesty!
Oh! And THEN (yes, this Assembly contained lots of AND THENs), someone called Ashe also stood up, and encouraged Arvum to remain as its own free nation, and that she would help train us against all the badness out there that apparently wants to eat us and threaten the world. I've spoken to her before, and she's pretty nice, all things considered! I'm not sure that she has the steelsilk armies of Cardia and the Empire, and that might be a problem, since the other two are pretty clear that invading us is an option they're willing to consider. Oh, and Cardia hates Brass as much as he hates them, so if we keep him as a guest (and he does seem to be pretty nice, but sort of with a nervous disposition - if you meet him, please don't shout and remember your manners!) it'll probably really, really upset them.
Anyway, those are some of the highlights. It was very exciting. I have my preferences, of course - but as a member of the Commoner's Council, if anyone happens to be reading this who has questions, concerns, or strong opinions on the matter, please let me know! I'll try to get someone to answer the questions or address the concerns, and the opinions are always useful, should the Crown want to know how the people of Arx are feeling about our options. I'm usually around in the evenings at the Traders Tavern, and letters are fun, as well!
Written By Lucita
Jan. 18, 2019, 8:48 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
We live in 'interesting' times. The choices we face are daunting ones.
Written By Iseulet
Jan. 18, 2019, 2:14 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Now that the dust has settled, I would like to offer aid to anyone that may need it to soothe the ruffled feathers of the Compact. A donation of silver or writs to the Empyrean will be mandatory, but I find myself with free time and would love to help where I can in these troubled times.
Written By Cosimo
Jan. 18, 2019, 1:18 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Once you start reading history, you'll have to read all of it, but then you'll find out there's always infinitely more to read, and the more you read the more you'll realize how little of it you'll really ever know.
Written By Lisebet
Jan. 18, 2019, 12:41 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Remember Copper.
Such exciting times we live in, I don't know where to begin. I should just stick to my upcoming marriage, shouldn't I?
(The scholar gave me such a strange look; I think she was trying not to laugh.)
Such exciting times we live in, I don't know where to begin. I should just stick to my upcoming marriage, shouldn't I?
(The scholar gave me such a strange look; I think she was trying not to laugh.)
Written By Silas
Jan. 18, 2019, 12:27 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
(Somewhat-detailed drawing of a corgi, staring blankly)
Written By Rowynna
Jan. 18, 2019, 12:17 a.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Well, that was quite an interesting Assembly, to be sure. So many questions to be answered. At the very least, I was in good company.
Written By Alrec
Jan. 17, 2019, 11:19 p.m.(5/19/1010 AR)
Too fancy for my blood.
Written By Valenzo
Jan. 17, 2019, 6:27 p.m.(5/18/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Adora
Gods, I am so sorry, I did it again...I stand corrected!
Please, my good people, if you have any questions about the vile and dangerous beasts known as the krokodyle, Adora has extended the gracious offer of a seminar on their fierce fangs and the quality of their feathers, to be held in her shop! Ask her as many questions as possible, especially about their potent venom!!
And do NOT forget to buy her krokodyle-related merchandise! If you don't see anything up front, I'm sure she will be more than happy to fetch a bit of something from the back if you request it politely, in person and definitely not ahead of time!!!
Please, my good people, if you have any questions about the vile and dangerous beasts known as the krokodyle, Adora has extended the gracious offer of a seminar on their fierce fangs and the quality of their feathers, to be held in her shop! Ask her as many questions as possible, especially about their potent venom!!
And do NOT forget to buy her krokodyle-related merchandise! If you don't see anything up front, I'm sure she will be more than happy to fetch a bit of something from the back if you request it politely, in person and definitely not ahead of time!!!
Written By Bliss
Jan. 17, 2019, 5:07 p.m.(5/18/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Niklas
Your Highness,
I feel it worth pointing out that I was writing about the bloodshed and catastrophe in trying to resolve this mess with the Scholars and how people are self-righteously beating their chests and saying that it doesn't matter what the consequences were or how things look from the outside, they most certainly did the right thing, and everyone who is offering criticism after the fact doesn't matter because they know what they did was right. There is a wealth of arrogance and lack of contrition on display that would be nearly impressive to behold - were my eyes not aching so much from rolling that I was nearly blinded. I find myself furious and wishing that things had been handled in a different way, but unsurprised given many of the personalities who are involved.
The fact that I can literally replace the word "Scholars" with "Great Road" and leave everything else unchanged in that last paragraph is immaterial, though, perhaps, it helps encapsulate the reason why I am still upset about that as well. That one, at least, I am working to do things about.
You do seem to have rather a chip on your shoulder and have taken personal offense to things, though, or else you wouldn't have written what you did. The messengers know where to find me if you wish to write.
I feel it worth pointing out that I was writing about the bloodshed and catastrophe in trying to resolve this mess with the Scholars and how people are self-righteously beating their chests and saying that it doesn't matter what the consequences were or how things look from the outside, they most certainly did the right thing, and everyone who is offering criticism after the fact doesn't matter because they know what they did was right. There is a wealth of arrogance and lack of contrition on display that would be nearly impressive to behold - were my eyes not aching so much from rolling that I was nearly blinded. I find myself furious and wishing that things had been handled in a different way, but unsurprised given many of the personalities who are involved.
The fact that I can literally replace the word "Scholars" with "Great Road" and leave everything else unchanged in that last paragraph is immaterial, though, perhaps, it helps encapsulate the reason why I am still upset about that as well. That one, at least, I am working to do things about.
You do seem to have rather a chip on your shoulder and have taken personal offense to things, though, or else you wouldn't have written what you did. The messengers know where to find me if you wish to write.
Written By Teagan
Jan. 17, 2019, 3:39 p.m.(5/18/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Lisebet
I am happy that there is joy to be found even in these stressful, trying times.
And it is a perfect time for flowers.
And it is a perfect time for flowers.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.