Grievances and Triumphs
Posted by Apostate on 05/22/21
It's been a time of change for the Compact, and even the staunchest traditionalists cannot long stay in denial from that. A large part of the Mourning Isles teeters on open rebellion after the death of Ivan Helianthus, though the crushing defeat of the Skal'dajans greatly reduces the risk of House Thrax splintering and joining with the so-called Dune Emperor pretender and breaking apart the Compact, much to the relief of the peerage. In a time of tension and war, with schisms such as a former respected Seraph becoming an anti-Dominus that tries to split apart the Faith, the taste for divisions and iconoclasts is at a nadir among Arvani.
It's in that context, that criticisms of the Faith or institutional powers like the Crown or Whisper House are viewed. The peerage point to the iconic Gianna Delvecchio, the Nightingale of the Bard's College, as someone doing it 'right'. A once Softest Whisper of of the Whisper House, she left under (presumably) amicable terms without any public schism years ago, and has become a main source of setting fashion in Arvum. In contrast to that sort of class, there was Marquessa Ezmeralda of the city-state of Tremorus. Much of the peerage expect some cultural differences from prodigals coming into the Compact, but they don't have to like it. They fully expect any prodigal, and particularly any prodigal neo-noble, to do their utmost best to adopt the cultural mores of the Compact and be unfailingly respectful for its institutions and traditions. It is galling to have any prodigal, particularly one raised to the peerage, to question an institution like the Faith over the custom of creating Silent Reflections. Yes, of course, in private some of the peerage might find the punishment extreme and Silent Reflections themselves unsettling and offputting, but few peers would ever voice that aloud, and they didn't care one bit for any neo-noble trying to do so. That this caused other nobles to opine and try to chastise the Faith or Whispers involving themselves was also galling- much of the peerage feels anything but 'praise in public, chastise in private' is a failure to comport themselves with appropriate dignity, particularly when the incident is about setting an example for prodigals who don't seem to know any better.
With the war coming to a close, most of the peerage and commons strongly feel that the institutions of Arvum deserve far more respect than they've been given. The Dominus Aureth must be supported in the face of religious schism, and questioning the Faith is simply not appropriate for prodigals that hope to count themselves peers. The Whisper House are the cornerstone of diplomacy in the Compact, attempting to suggest otherwise is foolish, and it is inappropriate for peers such as Duchess Grazia to quarrel with them. And neo-nobles and prodigals will be held accountable for failing to respect the traditions they are adopting- peers don't like them to begin with, they aren't going to tolerate division during difficult times.
Appropriately, the dying act of the iconoclastic Marquessa Ezmeralda was apparently to ennoble two of her trusted commoners to be part of one of her city-state's houses and make Giorgio heir. The Compact has profoundly mixed feelings about that, but as long as this new 'House Proscipi' embraces the Compact and its customs, it will be tolerated.
It's in that context, that criticisms of the Faith or institutional powers like the Crown or Whisper House are viewed. The peerage point to the iconic Gianna Delvecchio, the Nightingale of the Bard's College, as someone doing it 'right'. A once Softest Whisper of of the Whisper House, she left under (presumably) amicable terms without any public schism years ago, and has become a main source of setting fashion in Arvum. In contrast to that sort of class, there was Marquessa Ezmeralda of the city-state of Tremorus. Much of the peerage expect some cultural differences from prodigals coming into the Compact, but they don't have to like it. They fully expect any prodigal, and particularly any prodigal neo-noble, to do their utmost best to adopt the cultural mores of the Compact and be unfailingly respectful for its institutions and traditions. It is galling to have any prodigal, particularly one raised to the peerage, to question an institution like the Faith over the custom of creating Silent Reflections. Yes, of course, in private some of the peerage might find the punishment extreme and Silent Reflections themselves unsettling and offputting, but few peers would ever voice that aloud, and they didn't care one bit for any neo-noble trying to do so. That this caused other nobles to opine and try to chastise the Faith or Whispers involving themselves was also galling- much of the peerage feels anything but 'praise in public, chastise in private' is a failure to comport themselves with appropriate dignity, particularly when the incident is about setting an example for prodigals who don't seem to know any better.
With the war coming to a close, most of the peerage and commons strongly feel that the institutions of Arvum deserve far more respect than they've been given. The Dominus Aureth must be supported in the face of religious schism, and questioning the Faith is simply not appropriate for prodigals that hope to count themselves peers. The Whisper House are the cornerstone of diplomacy in the Compact, attempting to suggest otherwise is foolish, and it is inappropriate for peers such as Duchess Grazia to quarrel with them. And neo-nobles and prodigals will be held accountable for failing to respect the traditions they are adopting- peers don't like them to begin with, they aren't going to tolerate division during difficult times.
Appropriately, the dying act of the iconoclastic Marquessa Ezmeralda was apparently to ennoble two of her trusted commoners to be part of one of her city-state's houses and make Giorgio heir. The Compact has profoundly mixed feelings about that, but as long as this new 'House Proscipi' embraces the Compact and its customs, it will be tolerated.