Written By Piccola
July 3, 2020, 6:58 p.m.(8/4/1013 AR)
War is a biological necessity of the first importance, a regulative element in the life of mankind which cannot be dispensed with. It is not only a biological law but a moral obligation and, as such, an indispensable factor in civilization. It automatically sets in motion throughout society those irresistible forces seeking progress and perfection as a defense against the barbarous ends our foes seek for us.
Written By Piccola
July 3, 2020, 6:52 p.m.(8/4/1013 AR)
To take something from a person and keep it for oneself is robbery.
To take something from one person and then turn it over to another in exchange for as much money as you can get is business.
Robbery is stupid because it is satisfied with a single, frequently dangerous profit; whereas in business it can be doubled without danger.
To take something from one person and then turn it over to another in exchange for as much money as you can get is business.
Robbery is stupid because it is satisfied with a single, frequently dangerous profit; whereas in business it can be doubled without danger.
Written By Filshiar
July 3, 2020, 4:28 p.m.(8/4/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Eleanor
My Lord Commander is a rock of good sense and strength in these uncertain times. I am proud that I can follow one of such quality.
Written By Sorrel
July 3, 2020, 11:09 a.m.(8/4/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Aleksei
It's not that often that I end up with assassins on stage during a performance, but when I do, I stay in character and let Aleksei Morgan take them out for me.
Written By Sorrel
July 3, 2020, 11:06 a.m.(8/4/1013 AR)
I love jousting. There's just something about riding a horse full tilt at a friend in an effort to knock him sprawling off his horse without getting knocked sprawling off one's own horse that's glorious. It was a close match between Lord Alecstazi and me, but it was glorious, and no one knew how it might end until the very last.
It delights me to make a good show of things.
It delights me to make a good show of things.
Written By Gianna
July 3, 2020, 9:39 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
I have retired! From Whisper House. We remain staunch allies and I look forward to our continuing partnership. I learned much during my time as a Whisper, and those lessons have taken me very far indeed --- Whisper House has my eternal gratitude.
So. Party?
So. Party?
Written By Sirius
July 3, 2020, 9:04 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Hello, scholar,
Here we are again, in the cyclical act of coming to you at the beginning of a month fraught with calamity. Why is it that I only ever come to you in moments of despair and horribleness? Perhaps it makes sense; perhaps you're here to chronicle the fall of man in some ironic twist of the pen. Well, here it is, the declining spiral in written form of one Sirius Valardin.
I've made the longest trip I've ever done from Sanctum. Even here, on Arx, I take solace in knowing the winds of the Telmarch still reach me, however brisk and dwindled along the way; however mixed with the oaken touch of the Crownlands, still, they started off on those swift, golden fields of oats and wheat. That is all that matters.
I went East, far East, into the domain of Thrax and its isles.
Here, no such gale of home ever did reach, I had never felt so alone. At every other moment, jetties of water crashed upon the shoreline crags, as hard a boom as a ram into some iron-bore, darkling door. I could feel the salt digging into my face, the weight they gave my eyes, the taste impregnated into my tastebuds. Food didn't taste the same, water certainly didn't either. There was a greasy quality to my hair - more than the usual - and I had a chafing discomfort in my hindquarters since the very moment my feet set foot on this archipelago's cay bristling with ruinous rumor and ghastly riddles from the loquacious, scarce populace there living.
From that sinister wharf, there, high above; there, perched upon the isle's moor, I could see the once plenteous keep of Grimhall, now, a darker reflection of its former, palatial glory.
Singular, unsettling tales on our way up the crag-divided fell told by one garrulous helmsman suggested the castle itself was an abode of the damned, full of ghosts and some fabulous, unreckonable power. Naturally, I am a Prince of Sanctum, these histories did not frighten me and, on the contrary, emboldened me to get to the secret of these superstitious folks. To bring clarity and zeal to these evidently misguided few.
Once the doors parted and Duke Valdemar welcomed us inside personally, some things didn't make sense. A man of his stature, posture, living in such a bedraggled home, it didn't fit. The prospect -- it grazed against my common understanding of things.
Led inside, it soon all made sense. His mother, the dowry Duchess, was much like a Queen within her own domain. In spite of her advanced age, there's a light to her being, a candle that flickers against encroaching darkness and the inexorable passage of time. It's as if the whole of the keep is kept up beneath this sole, illimitable foundation of a woman. She wades through her servants like a bladesman drags a flourish of blows in the din of battle, and commands such a stately presence it surprised me she addressed me as her highness, and not the other way around.
With this newfound knowledge, the myriad of questions unanswered in my mind were snuffed out. This awesome woman was the answer to all the light to be found in the old Grimhall keep, the only reason it exists still I wager.
I couldn't consolidate sleep in my rest there, but I managed to confer to one kindly servant that I'd require a lavatory facing strictly West, to Sanctum, if I was to make it through the night. Luckily, they provided. With some more luck, my next visit will be less shrouded in mystery and, while there's some details to the visitation itself of which I simply cannot speak, I too pray that it'll be more associated with the having of a good time and less-so the having of a bad time.
That's it from me, custodian,
Here's to hope, that my next entry is of good, happier things.
Here we are again, in the cyclical act of coming to you at the beginning of a month fraught with calamity. Why is it that I only ever come to you in moments of despair and horribleness? Perhaps it makes sense; perhaps you're here to chronicle the fall of man in some ironic twist of the pen. Well, here it is, the declining spiral in written form of one Sirius Valardin.
I've made the longest trip I've ever done from Sanctum. Even here, on Arx, I take solace in knowing the winds of the Telmarch still reach me, however brisk and dwindled along the way; however mixed with the oaken touch of the Crownlands, still, they started off on those swift, golden fields of oats and wheat. That is all that matters.
I went East, far East, into the domain of Thrax and its isles.
Here, no such gale of home ever did reach, I had never felt so alone. At every other moment, jetties of water crashed upon the shoreline crags, as hard a boom as a ram into some iron-bore, darkling door. I could feel the salt digging into my face, the weight they gave my eyes, the taste impregnated into my tastebuds. Food didn't taste the same, water certainly didn't either. There was a greasy quality to my hair - more than the usual - and I had a chafing discomfort in my hindquarters since the very moment my feet set foot on this archipelago's cay bristling with ruinous rumor and ghastly riddles from the loquacious, scarce populace there living.
From that sinister wharf, there, high above; there, perched upon the isle's moor, I could see the once plenteous keep of Grimhall, now, a darker reflection of its former, palatial glory.
Singular, unsettling tales on our way up the crag-divided fell told by one garrulous helmsman suggested the castle itself was an abode of the damned, full of ghosts and some fabulous, unreckonable power. Naturally, I am a Prince of Sanctum, these histories did not frighten me and, on the contrary, emboldened me to get to the secret of these superstitious folks. To bring clarity and zeal to these evidently misguided few.
Once the doors parted and Duke Valdemar welcomed us inside personally, some things didn't make sense. A man of his stature, posture, living in such a bedraggled home, it didn't fit. The prospect -- it grazed against my common understanding of things.
Led inside, it soon all made sense. His mother, the dowry Duchess, was much like a Queen within her own domain. In spite of her advanced age, there's a light to her being, a candle that flickers against encroaching darkness and the inexorable passage of time. It's as if the whole of the keep is kept up beneath this sole, illimitable foundation of a woman. She wades through her servants like a bladesman drags a flourish of blows in the din of battle, and commands such a stately presence it surprised me she addressed me as her highness, and not the other way around.
With this newfound knowledge, the myriad of questions unanswered in my mind were snuffed out. This awesome woman was the answer to all the light to be found in the old Grimhall keep, the only reason it exists still I wager.
I couldn't consolidate sleep in my rest there, but I managed to confer to one kindly servant that I'd require a lavatory facing strictly West, to Sanctum, if I was to make it through the night. Luckily, they provided. With some more luck, my next visit will be less shrouded in mystery and, while there's some details to the visitation itself of which I simply cannot speak, I too pray that it'll be more associated with the having of a good time and less-so the having of a bad time.
That's it from me, custodian,
Here's to hope, that my next entry is of good, happier things.
Written By Ilira
July 3, 2020, 5:39 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Valencia
The Shrine of the Thirteenth, it seems, blesses those that seek with the sweetest surprises.
Princess Valencia was a subversion of most my expectations in wondrous ways. Her open humility was so, I initially suspected some modicum of artifice. No--it is simply her inclination. She is silk over silver as other Foxes are, with a grace and sagacity to her word that belies the notes of innocence. Our chemistry came quick, through the eyes.
We are stars, each of us, you of particular effulgence. Rise on. I am endeared and humbled by you, and perhaps, in your company, I too may find my apex.
Princess Valencia was a subversion of most my expectations in wondrous ways. Her open humility was so, I initially suspected some modicum of artifice. No--it is simply her inclination. She is silk over silver as other Foxes are, with a grace and sagacity to her word that belies the notes of innocence. Our chemistry came quick, through the eyes.
We are stars, each of us, you of particular effulgence. Rise on. I am endeared and humbled by you, and perhaps, in your company, I too may find my apex.
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Finding a soft-spoken teacher is both easy and difficult. I've spent too many years in the shadows of the Whispers, looking up to see them surrounded in light. It's a dream that someday the light will be mine. But until then I shall give myself over into the expert hands of Whisper House's teachers so that when the time comes I can step forward without fear.
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Dame Leola is an amazing teacher, truly. And what she's done with Narciso since he arrived is nothing short of a miracle. I know there are rumors that there is no end of Legendary horsemen and women within the Compact. I have been suggested to them all; Clements, Blancbriars.. but Dame Leola still holds something special. Now if I could just find someone to take Alejandro my Champion under their wing.
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Everything has arrived, Alejandro my bodyguard, Narciso my stallion, and even my dresses have all been sent to me. Even a last-minute gift from an anonymous admirer, a pair of Northern birds in lovely shades of blue - my favorite color rose - and white. Now I must figure out a place to unpack it all...
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Fashion has been a high light of my life. Colors and how they work together, the way it can be used to express and emphasize our bodies, our beings, and our dreams. I find that Arx has welcomed me into its world of Fashion and I see a whole array of new opportunities - and dresses - on the horizon.
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Meeting nobles and royals has been almost endless since my first few days in the city. Tor is artistic and diverse but Arx is a whole different beast. This city houses Nobles that don't act like nobles, philanthropists who would rather remain hidden and a variety of royalty. As colorful and different as the many flowers in Tor. Here they wear their unrest openly, I must be vigilant.
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Entertaining Death was quite fun. A little get together amidst the Harlequins with one Evarsito heading it all. We all enjoyed adorable plushies and I was on a winning team with a Princess and a lovely Lady Whitehawk, who stole the show with her entrancing music. It was exciting and fun and I count myself lucky to have experienced it.
Written By Aconite
July 3, 2020, 3:15 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Meeting the Malvici has been a unique experience. This trio of siblings has a little of something for every occasion. Lovely, cunning and different each of them.
Written By Ouida
July 3, 2020, 1:32 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Today I welcomed Sir Niall RedTree as a brother-in-arms in service to Lord Orvyn Harthall, Count of the March of Fair Harbour. The road to service is never an easy one, not even for those who are placed upon its path almost at birth, and certainly not for those who have found their lives disordered and then change forever when conflict comes to their lands, whether or not they instigated it. When his people bent the knee, and he chose to return with our party to Fair Harbour, I gave my word to his mother when she asked that I would treat him with the same respect and care that any other young one that spends time in our household as a page would be, and would write to her weekly keeping her updated. And so I have, over these years, I think building another bond as well, and a deeper respect now that I am only slightly less ignorant of a mother's fears for their son.
And so I am keenly aware of another's loss in my gain at seeing him grow from awkwardly gangly and growing boy into a strong young man, who wields a greatsword as seemingly easily as if it were a mere hairpin. He came to us certainly better educated in his letters and of keener mind than I believe I ever cared to be at his age, but to see his delight in taking in all that the city had to offer, as well as in our many travels is something that I have treasured as much as seeing him grow to be an exceptional competitor on the training grounds, and seeing him grow into a knight's prowess and temperament upon the field. I have seen the pile of scented messages and favors grow, as well as him spending quite a long time agonizing over each reply. I have seen him wrestle over the years with what people say to his face, or behind his back; watched how he chose to deal with it, then and now.
But there does come a time for one journey to end, and another to begin. In truth, even as a squire I would have trusted Niall Redtree to guard my back as well as many other knights. While we will continue to serve Harthall together, I hope, for some time to come, and so I may yet be privileged to see him continue to grow more and more into his own, and the path he carves for himself.
And so I am keenly aware of another's loss in my gain at seeing him grow from awkwardly gangly and growing boy into a strong young man, who wields a greatsword as seemingly easily as if it were a mere hairpin. He came to us certainly better educated in his letters and of keener mind than I believe I ever cared to be at his age, but to see his delight in taking in all that the city had to offer, as well as in our many travels is something that I have treasured as much as seeing him grow to be an exceptional competitor on the training grounds, and seeing him grow into a knight's prowess and temperament upon the field. I have seen the pile of scented messages and favors grow, as well as him spending quite a long time agonizing over each reply. I have seen him wrestle over the years with what people say to his face, or behind his back; watched how he chose to deal with it, then and now.
But there does come a time for one journey to end, and another to begin. In truth, even as a squire I would have trusted Niall Redtree to guard my back as well as many other knights. While we will continue to serve Harthall together, I hope, for some time to come, and so I may yet be privileged to see him continue to grow more and more into his own, and the path he carves for himself.
Written By Ilira
July 3, 2020, 12:26 a.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Evaristo
You, with the deep eyes and sunlit smiles, are a warmth I could bask in for days.
Written By Thea
July 2, 2020, 11:41 p.m.(8/3/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Costas
I didn't know you, not really. I saw you here and there when I was small. Always watchful of my cousin. But weirdly, -I- wasn't afraid because well, you were just doing what you were good at. We wont go into that. That's not important. You were good at keeping people safe, like my cousin. So that's important. And I'm just sorry I didn't get to see you upon my arrival to the city. I'm very certain I'd have received a lot of gruff lessons and eyeballs.
Written By Shard
July 2, 2020, 10:42 p.m.(8/2/1013 AR)
Relationship Note on Lys
You never know, life is full of surprises.
Written By Victus
July 2, 2020, 10:23 p.m.(8/2/1013 AR)
Awhile ago I'd written down my hopes that we'd see a purely Arvani material rise up and outshine foreign made goods. I'm beyond pleased that those efforts have bore fruit.
All of my praise to the contributors who made Oakhide and its improvements a reality. I've got quite some work to do in replacing my closet.
All of my praise to the contributors who made Oakhide and its improvements a reality. I've got quite some work to do in replacing my closet.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.