Written By Gwenna
Nov. 17, 2021, 2:20 p.m.(8/2/1016 AR)
Like no few nobles of the city, I have a fairly decent collection of jewelry. Many pieces are part of a set meant to compliment clothing outfits, which surely surprises few. I have other pieces, however, that are stand-alone -- generally special items that were gifts, or have some other special meaning to them. I don't wear those often, but I do try to wear them for special occasions or the like. It's always a bit of a mental balance I have to strike -- the risk of losing something special verses it just collecting dust in a jewelry box. The latter of those two always seems a bit more insulting to the piece, and thus they are worn.
The irony, of course, is that I did not lose a special piece or let it collect dust - it apparently was flat-out stolen and I was none the wiser! Events have a way of being distracting, and I can't for the life of me remember when it might have been plucked away. I didn't even notice until I was back at the villa, where there was little to no chance of even trying to catch someone with it at that point. It seems I am not alone, at least, which makes the sting of embarrassment a bit easier to contend with.
The irony, of course, is that I did not lose a special piece or let it collect dust - it apparently was flat-out stolen and I was none the wiser! Events have a way of being distracting, and I can't for the life of me remember when it might have been plucked away. I didn't even notice until I was back at the villa, where there was little to no chance of even trying to catch someone with it at that point. It seems I am not alone, at least, which makes the sting of embarrassment a bit easier to contend with.
Written By Lou
Nov. 17, 2021, 8:55 a.m.(8/2/1016 AR)
I am glad to see that the bards of this city have had the good sense not to take my cousin up on his offer. There's too much to do surrounding Bastion that the distraction would not have been a welcomed one.
Our progress after last week's series of meetings has moved along nicely. The groups are filling in. I even got another volunteer last evening at the Grayson Fealty Dinner, one which I'm certain Aindre will approve. He and I just need to decide if we are taking one or two groups. If it's just one, the remaining two members left to be recruited are his to choose. If it's two, I might have two more people to choose and he three. It'll all just depend on how fruitful we think we'll be together or apart.
I know Liara is eager to get things moving. Time is needed to put all the moving pieces into place. We're going to be going to the Western Gates after all, after we had initially decided not to go there. We'll need a leader for that mission, if she has not already found one herself, and then they will need to recruit the people needed to attend to that section of the city.
There is so much going on, and Liara is so busy, that I'm certain there's something for everyone to do, even our most diplomatic and social people who had originally expressed interest in a certain project involving a certain district.
I can be found, often, at the Pathfinder's Study at the Society of Explorers for any who wish to discuss anything, anything at all, regarding Bastion.
Our progress after last week's series of meetings has moved along nicely. The groups are filling in. I even got another volunteer last evening at the Grayson Fealty Dinner, one which I'm certain Aindre will approve. He and I just need to decide if we are taking one or two groups. If it's just one, the remaining two members left to be recruited are his to choose. If it's two, I might have two more people to choose and he three. It'll all just depend on how fruitful we think we'll be together or apart.
I know Liara is eager to get things moving. Time is needed to put all the moving pieces into place. We're going to be going to the Western Gates after all, after we had initially decided not to go there. We'll need a leader for that mission, if she has not already found one herself, and then they will need to recruit the people needed to attend to that section of the city.
There is so much going on, and Liara is so busy, that I'm certain there's something for everyone to do, even our most diplomatic and social people who had originally expressed interest in a certain project involving a certain district.
I can be found, often, at the Pathfinder's Study at the Society of Explorers for any who wish to discuss anything, anything at all, regarding Bastion.
Written By Giada
Nov. 17, 2021, 8:05 a.m.(8/2/1016 AR)
Changing and unchanging are more than related. Both states are always there, locked in a battle for control. The question begged is best summed up by the story of two wolves and a man in the forest.
An old man lives in a house in the middle of the forest, and every night two wolves appear. One is trying to attack the house, to kill the man within it; the other tries to the protect the home and the man. Which wolf wins?
The one the old man feeds.
An old man lives in a house in the middle of the forest, and every night two wolves appear. One is trying to attack the house, to kill the man within it; the other tries to the protect the home and the man. Which wolf wins?
The one the old man feeds.
Written By Monique
Nov. 17, 2021, 5:12 a.m.(8/2/1016 AR)
One wick can light another
But the sun can't light the sun
And in this sultry summer
All flames die on our tongues.
I had to write it down. I don't want to forget it. And the whiskey is so good at that.
But the sun can't light the sun
And in this sultry summer
All flames die on our tongues.
I had to write it down. I don't want to forget it. And the whiskey is so good at that.
Written By Gio
Nov. 17, 2021, 12:21 a.m.(8/1/1016 AR)
This day's smoking blend - well away from the precious pages contained within the Archives and Stacks - because while I am a drug-indulged ass, I am a drug-indulged ass that respects books (only slightly more than - some - or most people.) There was added cat-mint, peppermint, spearmint, and lemon balm and lemongrass from the Seawatch gardens. It's wonderfully fragrant and seems to bring out a pine flavor out of haze that generally brightens my mood.
Written By Ramona
Nov. 17, 2021, midnight(8/1/1016 AR)
With the quill caught in my hair, I can now call the mess of it a bird's nest.
Written By Wren
Nov. 17, 2021, midnight(8/1/1016 AR)
My grandmother was a rose of Tor, bold and dazzling and devastatingly beautiful even into her later years. Where my mother's love comes cold as a wind blowing from the farthest reaches of the Northlands, my Granny's love was the balm of summer nights caressed with sweet, cool breezes. Few things were as pleasant as spending time with Granny Marta. She still baked then and would fill the entirety of her modest home with the redolences of vanilla and sugar, yeasty loaves of bread and chocolate. I blame her for the sweet tooth that has hounded me all my life. And as she baked, she would sing to the ingredients, to my siblings and me, and just to life itself. Some songs were beautiful stretches of pain and promise, life and love, of things children were perhaps far too young to understand and appreciate. Others were more feelings than actual songs, moving her to tears and smiles and us following right along with her even if we didn't quite grasp why Granny Marta and ourselves were laughing and crying simultaneously.
We always left Granny Marta's plumper than we came, filled to near bursting with sweetness and story, sugared by our grandmother's affection. Mother would find stray flour in our garments and hair, beneath our fingernails, for weeks no matter how much she scrubbed or how often she sent the laundry out. There would never be harsh words about this or even the clucking of an annoyed mother's tongue. It was an acceptance. Maybe even pride.
In the later years, Granny Marta ceased to bake, but she never stopped singing. We could find her in the garden day or night humming or singing to the plants and flowers, to her herbs and the cats that gathered on the garden wall. She taught us her songs, though, sad as it is for me to confess, I have forgotten them, but not the feeling they instilled within, for when I think back to her, that warmth fills me anew.
I'm uncertain just why I thought of her today while I stood in my garden, but I caught the smell of fresh bread, and for a second, I was transported back to those summer evenings and swore I heard my Granny singing. It was but a moment, a snatch of stolen time before the moment popped like a soap bubble, and it was just me in my garden. Alone.
We always left Granny Marta's plumper than we came, filled to near bursting with sweetness and story, sugared by our grandmother's affection. Mother would find stray flour in our garments and hair, beneath our fingernails, for weeks no matter how much she scrubbed or how often she sent the laundry out. There would never be harsh words about this or even the clucking of an annoyed mother's tongue. It was an acceptance. Maybe even pride.
In the later years, Granny Marta ceased to bake, but she never stopped singing. We could find her in the garden day or night humming or singing to the plants and flowers, to her herbs and the cats that gathered on the garden wall. She taught us her songs, though, sad as it is for me to confess, I have forgotten them, but not the feeling they instilled within, for when I think back to her, that warmth fills me anew.
I'm uncertain just why I thought of her today while I stood in my garden, but I caught the smell of fresh bread, and for a second, I was transported back to those summer evenings and swore I heard my Granny singing. It was but a moment, a snatch of stolen time before the moment popped like a soap bubble, and it was just me in my garden. Alone.
Written By Sorrel
Nov. 16, 2021, 6:38 p.m.(8/1/1016 AR)
Relationship Note on Cesare
We come and we go,
And through the bar we flow.
So pour the drinks and smile;
We'll sit here for awhile.
And when we're done, we'll leave.
But that's no cause to grieve.
For back again we'll come and go.
We might get drunk, we might fall down
But we'll rise again and go to town;
And soon enough the night is through;
And in the morning we'll feel quite blue.
But once the evening comes once more,
It's time again for drinks to pour!
And through the bar we flow.
So pour the drinks and smile;
We'll sit here for awhile.
And when we're done, we'll leave.
But that's no cause to grieve.
For back again we'll come and go.
We might get drunk, we might fall down
But we'll rise again and go to town;
And soon enough the night is through;
And in the morning we'll feel quite blue.
But once the evening comes once more,
It's time again for drinks to pour!
Written By Tikva
Nov. 16, 2021, 5:53 p.m.(8/1/1016 AR)
Which is worse, someone deciding to pickpocket an INQUISITOR, or the Inquisitor NOT NOTICING and the pickpocket getting away with it?!
My shame! My dismay! Laric is going to frown so severely at me for the harm to our reputation.
The charms were a gift from His Majesty, though. I'm both ashamed of myself and genuinely sad to lose them.
My shame! My dismay! Laric is going to frown so severely at me for the harm to our reputation.
The charms were a gift from His Majesty, though. I'm both ashamed of myself and genuinely sad to lose them.
Written By Zebulon
Nov. 16, 2021, 4:24 p.m.(8/1/1016 AR)
I seem to have blacked out -again. This time I lost an entire year. Where did it go? No idea. Arx feels very new to me, as if I'm exploring it for the first time. I'll get myself settled in the coming days and hopefully patch up the holes in my ship, before I break my unlucky streak and make everyone know Zebulon Whitewake. Why are there still birds everywhere?!
Written By Medeia
Nov. 16, 2021, 2:12 p.m.(7/28/1016 AR)
I have been named Voice of the Apothecary College in the wake of Guildmistress Auda's appointment to that most illustrious position. While the circumstances are not ideal - and I do hope Messere Orick recovers soon, it is an honor to serve the college in this way. I will, of course, still offer classes and share my knowledge as best as I can. I look forward to working with the guildmistress, my fellow professors, our students and community in this new role.
Written By Lou
Nov. 16, 2021, 8:09 a.m.(7/28/1016 AR)
I will be taking another group into Grayhold to see what lurks in the castle. I have two individuals express interest. I can take maybe up to three or four more. It is hard to say who might be available, as we have so many working to help Bastion. I suspect I shall be placing a classified ad soon, to see if there might be interest. Otherwise, I shall start working down my contacts.
We have no idea what is in the castle itself, only the crypts. I'm willing to take whoever is brave enough to attend, knowing the risks are exceptionally high.
We have no idea what is in the castle itself, only the crypts. I'm willing to take whoever is brave enough to attend, knowing the risks are exceptionally high.
Written By Lou
Nov. 16, 2021, 7:44 a.m.(7/28/1016 AR)
Just in case anyone is in need of a bit of adventure, I have offered the services of the Society of Explorers in the Arx Cares auction. One expedition of a user's choice, where they will be guided by 1-2 Explorers, and they may take up to 3-4 additional people themselves. I expect if they have not explored any part of the world before, excepting their trip to Arx, they will have a grand time with the expedition, and mayhap they'll find something interesting along their path.
For those of you who might wonder, as my sister Sabella often does, yes - you will get dirt on you if you go out exploring. Maybe even some cobwebs. The danger of an expedition depends on how careful you intend to be. The risks can be small or significant if you are not paying attention.
I look forward to seeing who has winning bid and, of course, all the stories that will come from the adventure of it all.
For those of you who might wonder, as my sister Sabella often does, yes - you will get dirt on you if you go out exploring. Maybe even some cobwebs. The danger of an expedition depends on how careful you intend to be. The risks can be small or significant if you are not paying attention.
I look forward to seeing who has winning bid and, of course, all the stories that will come from the adventure of it all.
Written By Duarte
Nov. 16, 2021, 6:40 a.m.(7/28/1016 AR)
Journal
Once it was done I knew what would come.
I had convinced The Merchant that the man was little more than a local competitor. His disappearance proved more trouble than it was worth but I was not available for the inevitable ire of The Merchant but I was well armed. It wasn't too long before inquiries turned up nothing in particular. In Setarco, people seldom talk. Not until the reward posters go up, at least. I knew who he would use for the abduction and I knew, as well, the schedule of vessels leaving the harbor.
It was the morning of Blood Moon when I first ever set foot on Pravus grounds - a far cry from the shy orphan boy I had been some years earlier. With document in hand I took my meeting with the Minister of Produciton.
Giovanni was austere and with an unforgiving mind for business. But he was also lycene, through and through. He knew what keeping a fleet meant in these waters and he was of course all too willing to let the merchants battle it out over territories and shipping lanes. But he would not abide the murder of someone so close. And while you, reader, might not consider the financial advisor of an underling's protege to be 'close' in on anything, in Setara a certain discretion is expected and maintained. Undercut and deceit are fine tools of competition, but if one wishes to simply exterminate a competitor outright it is expected the diligence is done to establish at least several degrees of separation from the nobility (5 is good, 6 is best) before any executions take place.
It only took one surprise inspection at the dock to find the remains of the man inside that barrel. It only took an hour after for The Merchant to be called to the manor. And it only took him three days to pass of thirst in the dungeon.
But what Giovanni wanted to know was how an errand boy positioned himself to not only have access to The Merchant, but also have his ear. "People like to feel important, my lord." And so Giovanni hired me to make people feel important.
---
The document I had to offer was the manifest of a ship that never left the harbor. I pointed out a rather odd item on the manifest - a careless code, truly.
Juniper berries. Really? No one drinks gin in Setarco.
Once it was done I knew what would come.
I had convinced The Merchant that the man was little more than a local competitor. His disappearance proved more trouble than it was worth but I was not available for the inevitable ire of The Merchant but I was well armed. It wasn't too long before inquiries turned up nothing in particular. In Setarco, people seldom talk. Not until the reward posters go up, at least. I knew who he would use for the abduction and I knew, as well, the schedule of vessels leaving the harbor.
It was the morning of Blood Moon when I first ever set foot on Pravus grounds - a far cry from the shy orphan boy I had been some years earlier. With document in hand I took my meeting with the Minister of Produciton.
Giovanni was austere and with an unforgiving mind for business. But he was also lycene, through and through. He knew what keeping a fleet meant in these waters and he was of course all too willing to let the merchants battle it out over territories and shipping lanes. But he would not abide the murder of someone so close. And while you, reader, might not consider the financial advisor of an underling's protege to be 'close' in on anything, in Setara a certain discretion is expected and maintained. Undercut and deceit are fine tools of competition, but if one wishes to simply exterminate a competitor outright it is expected the diligence is done to establish at least several degrees of separation from the nobility (5 is good, 6 is best) before any executions take place.
It only took one surprise inspection at the dock to find the remains of the man inside that barrel. It only took an hour after for The Merchant to be called to the manor. And it only took him three days to pass of thirst in the dungeon.
But what Giovanni wanted to know was how an errand boy positioned himself to not only have access to The Merchant, but also have his ear. "People like to feel important, my lord." And so Giovanni hired me to make people feel important.
---
The document I had to offer was the manifest of a ship that never left the harbor. I pointed out a rather odd item on the manifest - a careless code, truly.
Juniper berries. Really? No one drinks gin in Setarco.
Written By Ramona
Nov. 15, 2021, 9:54 p.m.(7/27/1016 AR)
Potatoes make for a poor substitute for a crossbow bolt.
Written By Gio
Nov. 15, 2021, 9:45 p.m.(7/27/1016 AR)
Notes for a scent: Toasted cardamom, salted orange blossom honey, a merchant prince's treasure trove of richer spices - among them cinnamon, cracked black pepper, and star anise. A splash of dark rum against sun-warmed skin musk, and a fleeting caress of aged black leather accord.
Written By Haakon
Nov. 15, 2021, 6:42 p.m.(7/27/1016 AR)
Been charged with gathering the sort of mad folk who would be eager to challenge powerful foes and strike them into pieces, until the bits stop moving.
Written By Bianca
Nov. 15, 2021, 6:12 p.m.(7/27/1016 AR)
If my Faith was never challenged, I would never have the chance to prove its strength, its endurance. In the last month, my Faith has been profoundly tested and I am pleased to say that it remains as deeply rooted as the day I took my vows.
We will rebuild more fiercely than ever.
We will rebuild more fiercely than ever.
Written By Mabelle
Nov. 15, 2021, 3:55 a.m.(7/26/1016 AR)
It is time to return home for a little while. A whole fornight.
I do not recall ever being away from the city for so long once I settled in it.
However, duty beckons.
I do not recall ever being away from the city for so long once I settled in it.
However, duty beckons.
Written By Mabelle
Nov. 15, 2021, 3:49 a.m.(7/26/1016 AR)
Relationship Note on Denica
I would never refuse a friend a bottle of whiskey.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.