Written By Acacia
Sept. 8, 2016, 6:55 p.m.(7/10/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Benjamin
Sitting across from Master Carver was like drinking with some alter ego of myself -- which is to say entertaining in a slightly disconcerting way. He's observant, Borough careful, and claims experience with the seas and that corresponding knowledge of coming back home. But the steadiness of his hands and eyes, the cut of his wit and how easily he presented it, and maybe just the savoring of the whiskey stood out more for me. I don't know that I'll be showing him my back any time soon, but if he's as good as he claims, he's one to try to keep close.
Written By Acacia
Sept. 8, 2016, 6:45 p.m.(7/10/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Harlan
I don't often run into people at the Shrine of the Lost. It's known too frequently for its silence which makes it one of those few oddly perfect places for thinking. So I hadn't expected to chance upon Lord Harlan, who portrayed himself as exceptionally polite and refined, but found it easy to live in both laughter and deeper, more poignant thoughts. And if chance presents itself, I hope to send him worthy alcohol in appreciation. Some mysteries are best left as mysteries, he essentially mentioned somewhere in the conversation. While there's truth in that sentiment and I'm a firm believer that some questions are best never asked, I wonder if one has to tell themselves things like that when they can't always chase after the answers themselves. Freedom has a certain taste that's hard to forget.
Written By Calista
Sept. 8, 2016, 4:11 p.m.(7/9/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Talen
Beast. There is a reason I call him this though I'm not particularly sure when it started. Perhaps it was the day we ran into each other in the park and he was running around the placid reflection pond in his tight leathers as a way to exercise. Or when he asked me to meet him at the Shrine of the Thirteenth where we engaged in a soul gripping conversation about life. Or the frenzied manner in which he fights.
Most likely it is the gift he gave me, bound in leather. A gift from one friend to another. He seems to understand me and I him, but it is said those who think similarly often collide. Communication isn't always our strong suit. I may resort to sketching stick figures next time we find ourself at odds.
Most likely it is the gift he gave me, bound in leather. A gift from one friend to another. He seems to understand me and I him, but it is said those who think similarly often collide. Communication isn't always our strong suit. I may resort to sketching stick figures next time we find ourself at odds.
Written By Calista
Sept. 8, 2016, 4:04 p.m.(7/9/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Fergus
I quite like it when he refers to me as his Witty Butterfly through messengers. It is an adorable pet name from a man I did not suspect would give such. Since meeting this Prince of Redrain, we have grown closer. I would consider him a friend rather than just an acquaintance. Friends bring you whiskey when you are feeling badly for yourself. Fergus brought whiskey and then some.
Written By Calista
Sept. 8, 2016, 3:59 p.m.(7/9/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Juliet
As a young girl growing up in Tor, I did not have many close relationships with women I could consider 'motherly'. My cousin Juliet is the closest thing I have to a mother/sister mold and even then that line is a little vague. While only a couple of years older than me, Juliet was always out causing some sort of mischief. It delighted me in ways I did not understand. I looked up to her and when she came to visit I would follow her around like a shadow.
Now we are older, we are 'closer' in age and I am overjoyed with her arrival to Arx. I feel as though my passions can finally coalesce with hers and together we can make House Fidante a cornerstone of sensational soirees that run the spectrum of propriety.
Poor, poor Leo.
Now we are older, we are 'closer' in age and I am overjoyed with her arrival to Arx. I feel as though my passions can finally coalesce with hers and together we can make House Fidante a cornerstone of sensational soirees that run the spectrum of propriety.
Poor, poor Leo.
Written By Joscelin
Sept. 8, 2016, 1:29 p.m.(7/9/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Kima
So you're having a strange morning, recovering from an even stranger night, and a person walks in.
And this person is themselves, glorious, wonderful, but you are not.
You are not ready to meet the day, your mind is preoccupied, consumed by the day to day and the collective complications that have occurred since the previous sunrise.
But you try, you know? Try to collect yourself, put on the smile. Straighten your shoulders, use the right language.
And yet... the cracks are getting bigger. Words and time stretch on and you can't stop your mind from doing what it does.
You fall, because of course you do, it's hard to stay upright beneath so much.
Then, a stranger catches you.
So it was with Kima the other morning. She caught me with her laughter and her hands, her radiant presence and her kind reassurances. She held my burdens in her hands, let me breathe, and when I was ready, helped me find a better way to carry them.
And that's genuinely priceless. There are no rubies or sapphires or tourmalines rich enough to pay for such a treasure.
I am very fortunate to have met Kima, and I hope she remains the good friend she has proved to be.
And this person is themselves, glorious, wonderful, but you are not.
You are not ready to meet the day, your mind is preoccupied, consumed by the day to day and the collective complications that have occurred since the previous sunrise.
But you try, you know? Try to collect yourself, put on the smile. Straighten your shoulders, use the right language.
And yet... the cracks are getting bigger. Words and time stretch on and you can't stop your mind from doing what it does.
You fall, because of course you do, it's hard to stay upright beneath so much.
Then, a stranger catches you.
So it was with Kima the other morning. She caught me with her laughter and her hands, her radiant presence and her kind reassurances. She held my burdens in her hands, let me breathe, and when I was ready, helped me find a better way to carry them.
And that's genuinely priceless. There are no rubies or sapphires or tourmalines rich enough to pay for such a treasure.
I am very fortunate to have met Kima, and I hope she remains the good friend she has proved to be.
Written By Gareth
Sept. 8, 2016, 12:08 a.m.(7/7/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Joscelin
A talented jeweller and one of those who receive cousin Dawn's patronage.
Written By Kima
Sept. 7, 2016, 11:40 p.m.(7/7/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Joscelin
Little did I imagine that I would find a friend in Joscelin Arterius. Of her skill and talent as a jeweler, what more need be said? I met her by chance during the Market Day Lady Dawn put on, where the Lady gifted me with the most wonderful silver combs crafted by Joscelin. Again, I received a gift, this time from the jeweler herself, in the form of a masterfully carved pewter bangle depicting lion heads. All because Joscelin claimed to have loved watching me in the melee! On a whim, I chose to visit her shop. We took to talking, and quickly fond kindred spirits in one another.
Written By Kima
Sept. 7, 2016, 11:28 p.m.(7/7/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Niccolo
If you bother to read through entries that speak of the current Voice of Velenosa, I would hazard a guess and say nearly all of them are vapid praises of his honor and dignity. We, all of us, do so love to make ourselves sound ever so polite and courteous. Especially on paper.
The man fought Shavs. He's fathered some of the most influential women in Arvum. He knows how to act decisively and without restraint. So too does he know when to speak - even better - he knows what to say.
The man fought Shavs. He's fathered some of the most influential women in Arvum. He knows how to act decisively and without restraint. So too does he know when to speak - even better - he knows what to say.
Written By Kima
Sept. 7, 2016, 11:23 p.m.(7/7/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Larissa
I do not know her well enough yet to determine if the woman I see is the cultured Whisper or the girl from the Mourning Isles. At a guess, I would venture to say the former, with precious few glimpses of the latter.
Written By Leo
Sept. 7, 2016, 10:57 p.m.(7/7/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Calista
My younger sister by more than a decade, she has always tested and pushed at the edges of decorum. This flirtation with scandal has caused no few headaches, but since becoming Voice, she has begun to grow into the role. A recent evening in her company has only reinforced this impression.
Written By Dawn
Sept. 7, 2016, 4:28 p.m.(7/6/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Prospero
Fidante Lawyer and Bringer of Roses
Written By Isolde
Sept. 7, 2016, 1:53 a.m.(7/4/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Laric
The second Prince Inquisitor in my life, and they could not be more different from one another. Prince Laric has an easy way about him, willing to indulge a silly girl and her games, and brought a delicious brandy to share. That, alone, can endear someone to me, but he also proved to be a fantastic conversationalist. I do so love my Prince Inquisitors, but Prince Laric seems far more similar to me. That can be good, or that can be atrocious. Only time will tell.
Written By Joscelin
Sept. 7, 2016, 12:56 a.m.(7/4/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Larissa
A lovely client with a fondness for unicorns, bunnies, and the color pink.
Written By Larissa
Sept. 7, 2016, 12:09 a.m.(7/4/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Anastasio
I have no idea how we went years in the same city without meeting, but I'm so glad we finally did. Master Anastasio was charming and well spoken, he was knowledgeable about many things and I was so impressed with him that I agreed to see him exclusively for all of my health and medical needs. I would highly recommend an afternoon spent in his company!
Written By Dawn
Sept. 6, 2016, 7:49 p.m.(7/4/1004 AR)
I have noticed since the tourney, the number of people insisting on naming me Grayson, or Grace, or Princess, has risen. Normally when I gently correct them-- which I try to find a way to do, both to save them from being embarrassed by others later and because it's a dagger slipped between my ribs every time I hear it-- people are quick to accept my preferred styling. My name is my name; it is mine and therefore something I strive to make a proud label of.
But since the tourney, more and more people dig in their heels. Why should I not be Grayson, they ask. Why should I not be your Grace, or Princess Dawn. I know it comes of the very best of intentions. They wish to do me honor, and put a title or a surname to the hope I have helped them to feel.
I remember when I first realized what I was. I was not very old, though still young enough to almost be a baby. The age when children are still petted and cuddled, when the adults around them still remark on their softness and sweetness. I was kept at Bastion, surrounded by Graysons, and I didn't know that I was any different from the other children dressed in their baby silks and velvets; my father made certain I appreciated what I had but he also saw to it that I wanted for very little. I was loved. Perhaps even a little spoiled when he wasn't looking, by the women of the house. Not the ladies, or duchesses, or princesses, but by the maids, cooks, housekeepers.
They always had sweets for me and once, I don't know why, I was in the kitchen but under the table. Tucked out of the way. I think I had a pastry? The memory is an old one and the details fade. But I remember what the women said, who came in with a tub of potatoes between them, and sat to do their peeling.
My brother had been born then and I remember, they were making much of him. He was a fetching baby, I admit, and I tried to steal him from his nurses often to carry him around and teach him the words for things. It pleased me to hear them speaking so glowingly of Alaric, so I didn't emerge from my hiding place. I listened.
And then I heard one ask the other, "Why's he keep her as a bastard? Sweet and smart as a lick, that girl."
From their tone, which I had heard them using before to praise me to others of their number, I knew they spoke of me but I was confused. This was the first time I had ever heard that word. And "he" must be my father. But what was a bastard?
The other lady, who was much older than the first, gave a great phlegmy snort over the spud in her hands.
"He won't now he's got the other one," she said.
I don't know if I was eating a pastry but I remember her words exact.
"High-blooded, that boy. Not like the girl. Silks won't ever let a low-born head wear their crown. She's only half a King, the rest is plain as you and me."
The first sounded dubious. "But he loves her, yeah? She's a good girl."
The second's answer was firm. "Clear as sunlight he loves her. But no man with a highborn son would let his common bastard take the highborn honors. Not even his Majesty, Gods bless his name. He's still a man with a man's wants of the world. Else he wouldn't have her at all, would he?"
I don't recall what they spoke of after that. I did eventually fall asleep under that table, too sick to my stomach to come out. They pulled me out some hours later with sugar still on my lips and my eyes dry. The house was in an uproar for me having been missing but I received nothing worse than a stern look from my nurses, and a fierce hug after to take the sting from it.
I have wondered whether to record this in my black reflection, or my white. It touches on such private things. But with so many seeking to give me honors that my blood has not earned, it might be a good reminder.
I am half a King, it's true. But had my father wanted me to be all a princess, it would have been done. No one can say that he was a man who shirked from doing what needed to be done. I am his daughter, raised to fidelity, and must respect the choices that he made. The women of Bastion knew and understood. I have spent a life coming to the same understanding. I can do good as Dawn Baseborn. I have done good as Dawn Baseborn. I am proud of my name, for it is mine and no other's.
Lady is but a title of courtesy. I will say that in spite of my scruples, it is also one I am happy to accept.
But since the tourney, more and more people dig in their heels. Why should I not be Grayson, they ask. Why should I not be your Grace, or Princess Dawn. I know it comes of the very best of intentions. They wish to do me honor, and put a title or a surname to the hope I have helped them to feel.
I remember when I first realized what I was. I was not very old, though still young enough to almost be a baby. The age when children are still petted and cuddled, when the adults around them still remark on their softness and sweetness. I was kept at Bastion, surrounded by Graysons, and I didn't know that I was any different from the other children dressed in their baby silks and velvets; my father made certain I appreciated what I had but he also saw to it that I wanted for very little. I was loved. Perhaps even a little spoiled when he wasn't looking, by the women of the house. Not the ladies, or duchesses, or princesses, but by the maids, cooks, housekeepers.
They always had sweets for me and once, I don't know why, I was in the kitchen but under the table. Tucked out of the way. I think I had a pastry? The memory is an old one and the details fade. But I remember what the women said, who came in with a tub of potatoes between them, and sat to do their peeling.
My brother had been born then and I remember, they were making much of him. He was a fetching baby, I admit, and I tried to steal him from his nurses often to carry him around and teach him the words for things. It pleased me to hear them speaking so glowingly of Alaric, so I didn't emerge from my hiding place. I listened.
And then I heard one ask the other, "Why's he keep her as a bastard? Sweet and smart as a lick, that girl."
From their tone, which I had heard them using before to praise me to others of their number, I knew they spoke of me but I was confused. This was the first time I had ever heard that word. And "he" must be my father. But what was a bastard?
The other lady, who was much older than the first, gave a great phlegmy snort over the spud in her hands.
"He won't now he's got the other one," she said.
I don't know if I was eating a pastry but I remember her words exact.
"High-blooded, that boy. Not like the girl. Silks won't ever let a low-born head wear their crown. She's only half a King, the rest is plain as you and me."
The first sounded dubious. "But he loves her, yeah? She's a good girl."
The second's answer was firm. "Clear as sunlight he loves her. But no man with a highborn son would let his common bastard take the highborn honors. Not even his Majesty, Gods bless his name. He's still a man with a man's wants of the world. Else he wouldn't have her at all, would he?"
I don't recall what they spoke of after that. I did eventually fall asleep under that table, too sick to my stomach to come out. They pulled me out some hours later with sugar still on my lips and my eyes dry. The house was in an uproar for me having been missing but I received nothing worse than a stern look from my nurses, and a fierce hug after to take the sting from it.
I have wondered whether to record this in my black reflection, or my white. It touches on such private things. But with so many seeking to give me honors that my blood has not earned, it might be a good reminder.
I am half a King, it's true. But had my father wanted me to be all a princess, it would have been done. No one can say that he was a man who shirked from doing what needed to be done. I am his daughter, raised to fidelity, and must respect the choices that he made. The women of Bastion knew and understood. I have spent a life coming to the same understanding. I can do good as Dawn Baseborn. I have done good as Dawn Baseborn. I am proud of my name, for it is mine and no other's.
Lady is but a title of courtesy. I will say that in spite of my scruples, it is also one I am happy to accept.
Written By Larissa
Sept. 6, 2016, 5:08 p.m.(7/3/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Juliet
One of the many pleasures I get to experience as a Whisper is introducing foreign Nobility to the many splendors Arx can offer them. Lady Juliet was one such person as I was hired to escort her for a day and teach her of the various houses, who was who.. who was not.. and where to go. In my time with her I found a kindred spirit, I fear what we may accomplish if ever our two heads become one and set upon a prize.. the whole city may tremble.
Written By Larissa
Sept. 6, 2016, 4:58 p.m.(7/3/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Kima
Oh Kima! Each time I've met her I've also been in the company of her brother Eos. It's so easy to fall into a happy pattern with their barbs and comfortable affection that you sometimes wonder if you haven't actually known them forever. And while I understand that often siblings tend to lose each other in the shadows the other casts... I've never felt this between Kima and her brother. They are an adorable duo - but Kima stands well on her own as a fascinating woman. She has a passion for what she does that should put any Knight to shame, an integrity and bravery to stand among the men of the world and make them question what honor is and to top it off she is a breathtaking beauty. I am lucky in the moments I get to share her company.
Written By Larissa
Sept. 6, 2016, 4:53 p.m.(7/3/1004 AR)
Often I feel like a Whispers Journal should be filled with lurid stories of glittering parties, clever anecdotes and scathing rumors and gossip. So I must beg forgiveness for those who look back upon my memoirs and find them dull. To be sure I live the life of dreams and I spend my every waking moment basking in the delight of one royal or another or some noble from such and such and they buy me pretty things and appoint me favors and secrets and little gossips that I thrive on... It's just that when I find myself in a reflective mood, so much of that glitter has been worn away and lost it's appeal.
That isn't to say that things of note don't happen for they do... ohhhhh they do. For instance I met the most curious creature I think I've ever known. Let us call him the Lord of the Boroughs and leave his name out of this. It isn't often that I am taken by surprise but when I am it is often met by unfailing admiration. The grammar that met me in the missive was wretched, the words broken and hard to read. Clearly a man of minimal learning, gruff and rough around the edges, I had expected something basic.. perhaps even nefarious... I had prepared myself to be insulted, disapointed and had a messenger waiting outside to run to the Inquisitor at any moment but instead I found that I was challenged, intruiged and humbled. I learned many lessons that day - more than simply not to judge a book by it's cover. Sometimes appearances are meant to be decieiving ...
That isn't to say that things of note don't happen for they do... ohhhhh they do. For instance I met the most curious creature I think I've ever known. Let us call him the Lord of the Boroughs and leave his name out of this. It isn't often that I am taken by surprise but when I am it is often met by unfailing admiration. The grammar that met me in the missive was wretched, the words broken and hard to read. Clearly a man of minimal learning, gruff and rough around the edges, I had expected something basic.. perhaps even nefarious... I had prepared myself to be insulted, disapointed and had a messenger waiting outside to run to the Inquisitor at any moment but instead I found that I was challenged, intruiged and humbled. I learned many lessons that day - more than simply not to judge a book by it's cover. Sometimes appearances are meant to be decieiving ...
Written By Prospero
Sept. 6, 2016, 2:36 p.m.(7/3/1004 AR)
I had a most wonderful picnic today with Juliet and Princess Jaenelle. It was a shame that Lord Eos has to run off early. But at least I have arranged for his Thorn to be crafted.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.