Written By Kahlana
May 19, 2017, 9:06 a.m.(6/27/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Asger
Secured several leads for my Duke for tradelines.
Written By Armel
May 19, 2017, 8:32 a.m.(6/27/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Audric
This Mercenary-General is as greedy, merciless, and loud-mouthed as most of his breed. I know little of him otherwise, having only seen him at the Battle for Seawatch Gate.
But he does have an incredible hat.
But he does have an incredible hat.
Written By Isolde
May 19, 2017, 1:55 a.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
No, I'm not taking whatever herbs or substances that Lady Arianna may or may not have consumed.
The reason the last journal was gibberish was due to wager currently going. It's expanded of late. I didn't know so many member of this fair city had an interest in ciphers.
This one is a little more complex. I hope.
e. my ej poe fe hwfv qg umnsbomr oewd seoujpesQ epqu pqeaam k uqopceaqemtpeya gj.gomh rae o dqpB okgcrqpzsh qd ddqqpp
The reason the last journal was gibberish was due to wager currently going. It's expanded of late. I didn't know so many member of this fair city had an interest in ciphers.
This one is a little more complex. I hope.
e. my ej poe fe hwfv qg umnsbomr oewd seoujpesQ epqu pqeaam k uqopceaqemtpeya gj.gomh rae o dqpB okgcrqpzsh qd ddqqpp
Written By Darren
May 19, 2017, 12:35 a.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
I am now a Golden Eagle sponsor for the Menagerie. Apparently this means I get to design my own room. I am definitely considering "the Great Northern Ice Bear" for a theme. I know one thing for certain - it will definitely be the most impressive room in the entire Menagerie.
Written By Esoka
May 18, 2017, 11:46 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Calaudrin
A very decent man. If I'm to be in Arx awhile longer, I might as well have some fun.
Written By Edward
May 18, 2017, 11:41 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Aiden
Prince Aiden hosted a fantastic event. And I won a new kit in a bidding war. Time to invest in some polish and see about what kind of history that the fighter and the Princess who wore it has.
Written By Audric
May 18, 2017, 11:40 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
I've had a hat with feathers for longer than most of you have been in the city. I know, I know, it's hard not to impersonate greatness, but at least accredit it properly.
Written By Carita
May 18, 2017, 10:20 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Armel
Amend my previous offer, Grandmaster: A hat with feathers. As Lady Pravus had deemed feathers to be en mode, and a gentleman of such high standing within the Knights of Solace should always be in fashion.
Written By Juliana
May 18, 2017, 8:27 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Feathers. Yes, the next coming trend is definitely going to be feathers. There was a woman of Redrain on the ship I took to Arx, and she had this amazing headdress of feathers and chainmail. I thought it was appallingly fabulous and I asked her what she'd want for it. She was flattered I'd noticed, of course she was, poor dear, living in such frigid and hostile climes, and yet, see? Even in the Northlands amidst the snow and bears, there goes a daring, fashionable soul. It quite cheered me up to see it, missing my Sebastian as I am. I hate being away from my brother. As awful as he might be from time to time, there is a steadfast reliability in his sheer perversity. I'm sure he'll love me saying this here, but it is truth. He was supposed to accompany me to Arx and yet at the last minute he changed his mind. Well. I, for one, am ready to be embraced by the arms of civilization. No more backwater and tidal villages where not a single soul understands the difference between cendal and samite!
So, in honor of that nameless lady with the chainmail and feathers, I declare, upon my arrival, the next must-have accessory shall be feathers.
So, in honor of that nameless lady with the chainmail and feathers, I declare, upon my arrival, the next must-have accessory shall be feathers.
Written By Vanora
May 18, 2017, 8:04 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
It is terribly shallow and vain, and those are weaknesses I will bring before my own Dark Reflection so that I might overcome them, turn them into sources of strength.
That admission handled, I desperately want a new set of nice clothes. Something in dark colors made from silk from the south. If anyone has suggestions for a skilled tailor...I hope they'll let me know.
When dressed as well as I'd like to be.../then/ I will confront the vanity that pushes me to be so. One step at a time.
That admission handled, I desperately want a new set of nice clothes. Something in dark colors made from silk from the south. If anyone has suggestions for a skilled tailor...I hope they'll let me know.
When dressed as well as I'd like to be.../then/ I will confront the vanity that pushes me to be so. One step at a time.
Written By Aiden
May 18, 2017, 8 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
On with the fundraiser...!
Here goes nothing... !!
Here goes nothing... !!
Written By Isolde
May 18, 2017, 7:17 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
And so the wager begins.
Rl scm btjm embdkr! Rstqsdkb laa mtry. Da ylu ukomqrstko scdr scmk D runnlrm D lwm ylu t sclurtko ridvmq.
Rl scm btjm embdkr! Rstqsdkb laa mtry. Da ylu ukomqrstko scdr scmk D runnlrm D lwm ylu t sclurtko ridvmq.
Written By Armel
May 18, 2017, 6:33 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Carita
Make it gaudy, in case I don't have to eat it, and need to go to a ball later.
Written By Carita
May 18, 2017, 6:19 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Armel
You'll have a hat soon.
Written By Armel
May 18, 2017, 5:44 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
If I see a hug circle at the next Assembly meeting, I'll eat my hat.
Not that I have a hat. But I'll buy a hat. and then eat it.
Not that I have a hat. But I'll buy a hat. and then eat it.
Written By Carita
May 18, 2017, 5:37 p.m.(6/26/1006 AR)
Relationship Note on Arianna
So full of love for her fellow citizens. Not that I necessarily want what Lady Stonewood's having - but, I would be curious to see what would happen at the Next Assembly of Peers if all involved partook of it and hugged.
Written By Arianna
May 18, 2017, 4:12 p.m.(6/25/1006 AR)
I know people have their likes and dislikes but honestly, I like it all!
People are all so unique and special in their own ways! I really
want people to see the light in one another, to come together
and set aside their differences and just hold hands. Can we get
a hug circle going on? Come on? I think I will take this idea straight
to the top. The King would loooooove a hug circle. Oh oh and I
can ask Prince Aiden for puppies!! Ahhhhh sooooo cuuuuute!!
So the moral of the story is. Love thy neighbor. Love em all!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
People are all so unique and special in their own ways! I really
want people to see the light in one another, to come together
and set aside their differences and just hold hands. Can we get
a hug circle going on? Come on? I think I will take this idea straight
to the top. The King would loooooove a hug circle. Oh oh and I
can ask Prince Aiden for puppies!! Ahhhhh sooooo cuuuuute!!
So the moral of the story is. Love thy neighbor. Love em all!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Written By Samantha
May 18, 2017, 3 p.m.(6/25/1006 AR)
I feel a bit as if my body is betraying me. The nausea is minimal, unless I'm unexpectedly exposed to certain scents that I didn't mind, or even enjoyed, before. But if I get a whiff, I find myself needing a bucket. Or in one case, a window, which was quite humiliating. The servants are kind about it though, for which I'm quite thankful.
The tea Princess Cara sent me has been incredibly soothing, and I find the hair tonic Mistress Mirari gave me to also have a pleasant, comforting smell.
The tea Princess Cara sent me has been incredibly soothing, and I find the hair tonic Mistress Mirari gave me to also have a pleasant, comforting smell.
Written By Mirari
May 18, 2017, 12:43 p.m.(6/25/1006 AR)
I've sent Tactical Rari more of my cigarillos. A few of them are excellently high quality, too. Now, however, I am exhausted!
Written By Aislin
May 18, 2017, 11:43 a.m.(6/25/1006 AR)
With the Queen of Endings restored to her rightful place in the Pantheon, death is a topic on many people's minds. But she is also the Mother of Beginnings, the goddess of reincarnation. In truth, though I'm no priestess to judge, I think she is less 'Death' and 'Reincarnation' as two separate aspects, and more simply the goddess of souls -- their ending, their beginning, and their occasional return.
Perhaps her influence being on the rise once again is why the topic of reincarnation has been brought up so many times: to the Scholars, asking for knowledge, to the Society, asking for any lore or ancient scraps we might have found out there in the world, and even to me personally as someone well-traveled.
So I'm going to try to draft what little I know, to see whether it seems useful. And perhaps after I've edited it properly, I'll ask Sister Gisele to bind a finalized copy of this and see whether it might be useful to Archlector Aureth.
So, then: a draft of a treatise on reincarnation...
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A SOUL
From scraps of ancient lore, and the divine event at a religious ceremony not long ago, we can piece together something of the life cycle of a soul.
A fresh-made soul is woven like a tapestry by the Queen of Endings; perhaps from her own substance, perhaps from the substance of Aion's dream. Either way, this new-made soul will enter an unborn child and, hopefully, grow to live its first lifetime.
For some souls, it may end there. They might come to the end of their lifetime and go straight to Elysia, to paradise. They might come to the end of their lifetime at the hands of a Rite of Obliteration -- as the Rex'alfar once did in the Silent City, sacrificing souls themselves for the raw power they can provide -- and their soul could be lost forever, a crime which the Queen cannot abide. Their soul could be consumed by the Silence -- the power of the Queen's dark reflection -- and lost forever. But other souls go to the Shining Lands, to await their next turn on the wheel. To await another lifetime.
Ancient scholars believed that this only applied to heroic souls, the souls who the world would need more than once. Others believe nearly all souls reincarnate, each new life adding to that soul's tapestry. Some believed that with the Queen lost to humanity, reincarnation had come to an end without her, or become very limited or somehow flawed; others believed that she continued to reincarnate us even from afar.
But even if it's not entirely certain the mechanics of why a given soul might return, we know that some souls /do/ indeed return.
HINTS OF A SOUL
Some reincarnated souls have no obvious clues or hints to their reincarnated nature, and might live their entire lifetime without ever learning of previous lifetimes unless some outside force acts to point them to it. In fact, depending on how common reincarnation is, this might prove to be the majority of reincarnated souls.
Other souls, however, have hints at their nature. It might be a sense of deja vu, of familiarity, when they visit some place that was important to their past lifetime, or see a statue of their past self, or even perhaps see someone whose soul's own past life was important to theirs. It might be dreams, memories of their past.
Some hints might be more subtle; a personality trait or quirk that occurs across many lifetimes, for instance. Mannerisms, interests, phobias... any of these could be a hint of a soul, though they're likely not enough to know on their own.
REINCARNATES IN VISIONS
One interesting note is that if a soul happens to be presently incarnate, visions or memories of that past lifetime will often appear as the current incarnation. The voice of some ancient warrior will be recognizable as a soldier you've met. The face of your loved one of centuries past is someone who you pass in the market.
This does mean that reincarnates who have particularly strong ties to each other may well find each other lifetime after lifetime, if they happen to trip a dream or a memory and recognize someone they've seen around the city. However, one can only imagine it's somewhat odd if a near-total stranger proves to be your dearest lover or closest friend from previous lifetimes.
REDISCOVERING YOUR PAST LIVES
There are several ways that people have rediscovered their own past lives. One of the most common is to go to the Hall of Heroes and concentrate on various statues, entering an almost meditative state. If you happen to run across a statue of your past life, or someone important to your past life, it may trigger a vision or a glimpse. Others have sought out shamans who have demonstrated an ability to gaze at someone's soul, where they might get a brief glimpse or glimmer of a hint as to what the soul's past lives were.
Anecdotal evidence across several instances suggests that doing so in cooperation with someone who had strong ties to that lifetime will cause both participants to have a far stronger vision. Not just a mere glimpse, or a single moment, but a crystal clear vision of a particular incident, or a flash of many many moments throughout those past lives. As such, where possible, those looking into reincarnation are encouraged to do so with others who are making similar efforts, at least if there's any reason to think their past lives might have had some connection.
Perhaps her influence being on the rise once again is why the topic of reincarnation has been brought up so many times: to the Scholars, asking for knowledge, to the Society, asking for any lore or ancient scraps we might have found out there in the world, and even to me personally as someone well-traveled.
So I'm going to try to draft what little I know, to see whether it seems useful. And perhaps after I've edited it properly, I'll ask Sister Gisele to bind a finalized copy of this and see whether it might be useful to Archlector Aureth.
So, then: a draft of a treatise on reincarnation...
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A SOUL
From scraps of ancient lore, and the divine event at a religious ceremony not long ago, we can piece together something of the life cycle of a soul.
A fresh-made soul is woven like a tapestry by the Queen of Endings; perhaps from her own substance, perhaps from the substance of Aion's dream. Either way, this new-made soul will enter an unborn child and, hopefully, grow to live its first lifetime.
For some souls, it may end there. They might come to the end of their lifetime and go straight to Elysia, to paradise. They might come to the end of their lifetime at the hands of a Rite of Obliteration -- as the Rex'alfar once did in the Silent City, sacrificing souls themselves for the raw power they can provide -- and their soul could be lost forever, a crime which the Queen cannot abide. Their soul could be consumed by the Silence -- the power of the Queen's dark reflection -- and lost forever. But other souls go to the Shining Lands, to await their next turn on the wheel. To await another lifetime.
Ancient scholars believed that this only applied to heroic souls, the souls who the world would need more than once. Others believe nearly all souls reincarnate, each new life adding to that soul's tapestry. Some believed that with the Queen lost to humanity, reincarnation had come to an end without her, or become very limited or somehow flawed; others believed that she continued to reincarnate us even from afar.
But even if it's not entirely certain the mechanics of why a given soul might return, we know that some souls /do/ indeed return.
HINTS OF A SOUL
Some reincarnated souls have no obvious clues or hints to their reincarnated nature, and might live their entire lifetime without ever learning of previous lifetimes unless some outside force acts to point them to it. In fact, depending on how common reincarnation is, this might prove to be the majority of reincarnated souls.
Other souls, however, have hints at their nature. It might be a sense of deja vu, of familiarity, when they visit some place that was important to their past lifetime, or see a statue of their past self, or even perhaps see someone whose soul's own past life was important to theirs. It might be dreams, memories of their past.
Some hints might be more subtle; a personality trait or quirk that occurs across many lifetimes, for instance. Mannerisms, interests, phobias... any of these could be a hint of a soul, though they're likely not enough to know on their own.
REINCARNATES IN VISIONS
One interesting note is that if a soul happens to be presently incarnate, visions or memories of that past lifetime will often appear as the current incarnation. The voice of some ancient warrior will be recognizable as a soldier you've met. The face of your loved one of centuries past is someone who you pass in the market.
This does mean that reincarnates who have particularly strong ties to each other may well find each other lifetime after lifetime, if they happen to trip a dream or a memory and recognize someone they've seen around the city. However, one can only imagine it's somewhat odd if a near-total stranger proves to be your dearest lover or closest friend from previous lifetimes.
REDISCOVERING YOUR PAST LIVES
There are several ways that people have rediscovered their own past lives. One of the most common is to go to the Hall of Heroes and concentrate on various statues, entering an almost meditative state. If you happen to run across a statue of your past life, or someone important to your past life, it may trigger a vision or a glimpse. Others have sought out shamans who have demonstrated an ability to gaze at someone's soul, where they might get a brief glimpse or glimmer of a hint as to what the soul's past lives were.
Anecdotal evidence across several instances suggests that doing so in cooperation with someone who had strong ties to that lifetime will cause both participants to have a far stronger vision. Not just a mere glimpse, or a single moment, but a crystal clear vision of a particular incident, or a flash of many many moments throughout those past lives. As such, where possible, those looking into reincarnation are encouraged to do so with others who are making similar efforts, at least if there's any reason to think their past lives might have had some connection.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.