Written By Eleanor
June 24, 2020, 7:02 p.m.(7/14/1013 AR)
I'm sure it will be a great joy to thralls in the Tydelands to be liberated from their working debt in exchange for slightly different working debt. Prima Shard is one of the staunchest adversaries of slavery in the Compact, and anyone working toward freedom would be wise to listen to her on the subject.
Written By Eleanor
Oct. 31, 2019, 9:53 p.m.(2/13/1012 AR)
Silver paid for steelsilk is silver ultimately paid to slavers, which will produce more goods that require slavery in turn. If we don't buy more, we lessen the market and prevent further Arvani silver ending up in slaver pockets. I'm not any good at economics, but the financial trail is easy to follow. There are reasons to want these materials, many of them very good reasons. I don't deny that. But it's up to you to decide whether those reasons are good enough to justify buying more. Throwing out things that have already been bought and paid for - that's ridiculous. It's a performance. The damage has already been done with the first sale. Destroying the things now seems worse than using them - money paid to slavers for nothing at all.
Denying the truth won't do any good, but neither will empty gestures. It shouldn't be about the popular opinion of the day, but about what you believe the real consequences of your choices will be. Personally, I'll take my risks in battle, if it means that my silver doesn't reward slavery.
Denying the truth won't do any good, but neither will empty gestures. It shouldn't be about the popular opinion of the day, but about what you believe the real consequences of your choices will be. Personally, I'll take my risks in battle, if it means that my silver doesn't reward slavery.
Written By Eleanor
Oct. 8, 2019, 12:18 p.m.(12/22/1011 AR)
Relationship Note on Alecstazi
To defend the system of thralldom without commenting on the heredity of debt is willfully blind to its cruelty. To declare that "by and large" thralls are deserving of the sentence is to declare that some children are born criminals, a stance I don't understand how anyone can possibly endorse.
Written By Eleanor
Oct. 4, 2019, 9:25 p.m.(12/15/1011 AR)
Relationship Note on Alecstazi
And what about those criminals' children? Not innocents, either?
Written By Eleanor
May 2, 2018, 2:57 p.m.(9/1/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Corban
The Silver Swords are even stronger today than they were yesterday, with the addition of Sir Corban Telmar. Congratulations to you, friend, but also to the King and Compact! The Hundred are lucky to have you and I know you're going to bring so much leadership and knowledge to our ranks.
Written By Eleanor
March 10, 2018, 9:16 p.m.(5/4/1008 AR)
The questions are getting harder. This one has taken me a long while.
Day 3. What is one small thing that you think the compact as a whole needs to change for the better?
This is a difficult question to answer. I say that, because one thing I've learned in my study of Lagoma is that change has to come from within. The will has to be of one's own, not dictated from on high. We all have our oaths and our orders, of course, and those are of their own value. But when I think of a change that would better the Compact, it's not something that can be ORDERED. It's something that is felt and believed and fought for.
So rather than choosing any one particular thing to change, I think my answer is this: I would hope to see every member of the Compact reflect on their own goals and dreams. How they might change themselves to better the Compact and better serve their neighbors. Whether that change be big or small, the combined force would be something to be reckoned with.
Day 3. What is one small thing that you think the compact as a whole needs to change for the better?
This is a difficult question to answer. I say that, because one thing I've learned in my study of Lagoma is that change has to come from within. The will has to be of one's own, not dictated from on high. We all have our oaths and our orders, of course, and those are of their own value. But when I think of a change that would better the Compact, it's not something that can be ORDERED. It's something that is felt and believed and fought for.
So rather than choosing any one particular thing to change, I think my answer is this: I would hope to see every member of the Compact reflect on their own goals and dreams. How they might change themselves to better the Compact and better serve their neighbors. Whether that change be big or small, the combined force would be something to be reckoned with.
Written By Eleanor
March 5, 2018, 4:10 p.m.(4/21/1008 AR)
In the event of my death in the coming battle, my belongings should be handled as follows:
- The Sweet Tooth dagger should be returned to Mae Culler
- My sea of stars painting should be given to Fortunato Grayhope
- My collection of figurines should go to Magpie Grayhope
- My turtles, Creampuff and Sunshine, should go to Lady Rhea Acheron's care to keep or otherwise safely rehome
- My remaining personal items should be given to Lord Commander Leona, to keep, send to my mother, or redistribute as she sees fit
- Everything else, including my weapon, armor, and the balance of my bank account, should go to the King's Own
Eleanor Allenatore
4/21/1008
- The Sweet Tooth dagger should be returned to Mae Culler
- My sea of stars painting should be given to Fortunato Grayhope
- My collection of figurines should go to Magpie Grayhope
- My turtles, Creampuff and Sunshine, should go to Lady Rhea Acheron's care to keep or otherwise safely rehome
- My remaining personal items should be given to Lord Commander Leona, to keep, send to my mother, or redistribute as she sees fit
- Everything else, including my weapon, armor, and the balance of my bank account, should go to the King's Own
Eleanor Allenatore
4/21/1008
Written By Eleanor
Feb. 21, 2018, 8:19 p.m.(3/26/1008 AR)
I'm still visiting Lagoma's shrine each day. Some days I don't want to, for one reason or another, but I'm always glad I made myself go. Today I worked on my second assignment. It was harder than the first. It's hard not to feel like every change is momentous or difficult or both. I spoke to Fortunato for a while, and he helped. He's a very thoughtful person. So I think I've found an answer, even if it's maybe not a straightforward response to the question.
Day 2. What is a moment of personal growth or change that came far easier to you than you thought it would be?
I thought being knighted to feel like the most important day of my life. I thought my whole life would be in two parts: before I was a knight, and after I was a knight. I thought it would fundamentally change who I was as a person. But you know? It wasn't any of those things. It was a good day. I was proud and honored. I look back on it fondly. But even though my daily life changed some that day, I don't feel like I changed. I was still the same Eleanor from the day before.
Fortunato and I wondered if maybe that's because the change already happened. I may not have been a knight in the eyes of the Compact, but in my heart I already was. So was there a day, earlier than that, where it switched over? Was that day difficult? I can't remember it, so I have to think not. Training was hard, of course, but it's not the same thing. Was it just such a gradual change that it was too hard to notice, like the change between when your clean clothes are wet and then dry again?
Or was it because my heart was already too full of change, that day. I was still mourning my father's loss so keenly. Maybe there wasn't enough room in me to deal with two changes at once, so the lesser was pushed aside.
Or maybe it was because I knew in my bones that I was born to be a knight of the King's Own. Maybe it just felt like becoming who I was meant to be.
This has become more questions than answers. I guess I'll go back again tomorrow.
Day 2. What is a moment of personal growth or change that came far easier to you than you thought it would be?
I thought being knighted to feel like the most important day of my life. I thought my whole life would be in two parts: before I was a knight, and after I was a knight. I thought it would fundamentally change who I was as a person. But you know? It wasn't any of those things. It was a good day. I was proud and honored. I look back on it fondly. But even though my daily life changed some that day, I don't feel like I changed. I was still the same Eleanor from the day before.
Fortunato and I wondered if maybe that's because the change already happened. I may not have been a knight in the eyes of the Compact, but in my heart I already was. So was there a day, earlier than that, where it switched over? Was that day difficult? I can't remember it, so I have to think not. Training was hard, of course, but it's not the same thing. Was it just such a gradual change that it was too hard to notice, like the change between when your clean clothes are wet and then dry again?
Or was it because my heart was already too full of change, that day. I was still mourning my father's loss so keenly. Maybe there wasn't enough room in me to deal with two changes at once, so the lesser was pushed aside.
Or maybe it was because I knew in my bones that I was born to be a knight of the King's Own. Maybe it just felt like becoming who I was meant to be.
This has become more questions than answers. I guess I'll go back again tomorrow.
Written By Eleanor
Feb. 15, 2018, 6:56 p.m.(3/7/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Magpie
I bet you deserved it. <3
Written By Eleanor
Feb. 14, 2018, 8:26 p.m.(3/5/1008 AR)
I went to see Seraph Ailith the other day, who sent me to Archlector Roran. I've been feeling disconnected from my faith and I was looking for guidance with something that I couldn't quite put into words. They are both wonderful and gave me very good advice. Blessed Roran has given me an assignment. I started today.
Day 1. What is a change or moment of growth in your past, that was the hardest, or perhaps, was far more painful than you thought it would be?
The day I showed up at Crownguard Tower and asked to be trained. My mother was with me. I was only fourteen, but I felt so old and grown up at the time. I'd been longing for that moment for years, dreaming of it day and night. I remember walking up to the Tower clinging to my mother's hand (yes, very grown up), as it got taller and taller as we approached. The moment the Lord Commander accepted me was one of the happiest of my life. I'd never been more proud.
But the things I hadn't thought about, all those years I'd been dreaming about joining the King's Own: leaving my mother, leaving my father, leaving the ocean. I hadn't spent more than a few days in a row on land, before. I had no idea how much I would struggle to fall asleep in a bed that didn't rock with the waves, or how much I would miss the smell of salt in my hair, or the reflection of stars on the water. And no matter how prepared you think you are, it's impossible to be quite ready for the difficulty of King's Own training. (Thank you, Lord Commander.) At least that helped me sleep at night.
I love being a knight of the King's Own, and I don't regret a single moment of my path to get here. But when I reflect back on it, I honestly had no idea how big of a change it would be. I THOUGHT I knew, but I didn't. I had no clue. Every single part of my world changed, literally the ground beneath me. Would I have been brave enough to go through with it, had I known? I'm not sure. I suppose there's a lesson there.
Day 1. What is a change or moment of growth in your past, that was the hardest, or perhaps, was far more painful than you thought it would be?
The day I showed up at Crownguard Tower and asked to be trained. My mother was with me. I was only fourteen, but I felt so old and grown up at the time. I'd been longing for that moment for years, dreaming of it day and night. I remember walking up to the Tower clinging to my mother's hand (yes, very grown up), as it got taller and taller as we approached. The moment the Lord Commander accepted me was one of the happiest of my life. I'd never been more proud.
But the things I hadn't thought about, all those years I'd been dreaming about joining the King's Own: leaving my mother, leaving my father, leaving the ocean. I hadn't spent more than a few days in a row on land, before. I had no idea how much I would struggle to fall asleep in a bed that didn't rock with the waves, or how much I would miss the smell of salt in my hair, or the reflection of stars on the water. And no matter how prepared you think you are, it's impossible to be quite ready for the difficulty of King's Own training. (Thank you, Lord Commander.) At least that helped me sleep at night.
I love being a knight of the King's Own, and I don't regret a single moment of my path to get here. But when I reflect back on it, I honestly had no idea how big of a change it would be. I THOUGHT I knew, but I didn't. I had no clue. Every single part of my world changed, literally the ground beneath me. Would I have been brave enough to go through with it, had I known? I'm not sure. I suppose there's a lesson there.
Written By Eleanor
Jan. 22, 2018, 1:47 p.m.(1/7/1008 AR)
I feel as though the ground beneath my feet is constantly shifting. Is this how other people feel when they get on a boat for the first time? My world felt sturdiest aboard ship, when my youth and circumstance shielded me from the realities of life. It's like every time I've surmounted an obstacle, another one appears before me - bigger than the last. Or that I turn around to discover my previous path wasn't what I thought it was at all. What felt impossible turns out to be achievable, what was pure good turns out to be shades of gray.
But I learn from it all. Grow. Adapt. Become better prepared to face the next obstacle head on. Shades of gray always seems to be painted as worse than black and white, but is it? It's more complicated, certainly. Less simplistic. More REALISTIC. That's better, maybe, because it allows for hope that things might change for the good. Nothing is fixed in stone.
Maybe if you prepare for the ground to shift, it's like getting your sea legs. Expect the change, and it becomes your sturdy foundation.
I'll keep climbing, keep moving forward, and discover what comes next.
But I learn from it all. Grow. Adapt. Become better prepared to face the next obstacle head on. Shades of gray always seems to be painted as worse than black and white, but is it? It's more complicated, certainly. Less simplistic. More REALISTIC. That's better, maybe, because it allows for hope that things might change for the good. Nothing is fixed in stone.
Maybe if you prepare for the ground to shift, it's like getting your sea legs. Expect the change, and it becomes your sturdy foundation.
I'll keep climbing, keep moving forward, and discover what comes next.
Written By Eleanor
Jan. 21, 2018, 3:04 p.m.(1/6/1008 AR)
It's amazing how things can change, sometimes. It goes to show, even if things start off wrong, don't write them off. Try again. Make an effort. If you put good things in, sometimes you'll get good things back, no matter how rocky they started.
Nothing will change if you don't try, so you might as well try.
Nothing will change if you don't try, so you might as well try.
Written By Eleanor
Jan. 9, 2018, 3:49 p.m.(12/8/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Magpie
To be entirely honest, it's still a bit of a mystery how I ended up friends with Master Magpie Grayhope. I think we are, though. Friends. It's nice to have a friend outside of the Tower that I can relax around, a bit. Plus, he makes me laugh, which we could all use these days. And the Lord Commander introduced us, so I know I can trust him. More or less.
Written By Eleanor
Jan. 9, 2018, 3:46 p.m.(12/8/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Leona
Sometimes I feel like a baby duckling, following the Lord Commander around with wide puppy dog eyes. I'm mixing my metaphors, but it's how I've felt, training under her the past years. Something has changed, now that I'm a knight in my own right. She's shoving me lovingly out of the nest, to continue (half of) the metaphor. It's thrilling and terrifying to have her treat me as a near equal, these days. There couldn't be a better Commander to serve and I'll do whatever it takes to live up to her expectations.
Written By Eleanor
Jan. 9, 2018, 3:41 p.m.(12/8/1007 AR)
Knight-Sergeant.
It's difficult to wrap my head around it, entirely. I know I've done well, and succeeded in the tasks the Lord Commander has put before me so far, but I'm also still so young. It's hard not to notice the ways I'm sometimes singled out sometimes, but I suppose that's a thought for another day.
For today, I will work hard to live up to the Lord Commander's faith in me.
And I will think about how proud it would've made my father.
It's difficult to wrap my head around it, entirely. I know I've done well, and succeeded in the tasks the Lord Commander has put before me so far, but I'm also still so young. It's hard not to notice the ways I'm sometimes singled out sometimes, but I suppose that's a thought for another day.
For today, I will work hard to live up to the Lord Commander's faith in me.
And I will think about how proud it would've made my father.
Written By Eleanor
Aug. 28, 2017, 9:06 a.m.(2/9/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Leola
Leola Allenatore is her mother's cousin's cousin's daughter - or something like that. She was quite welcoming when Eleanor first met her, though she's more than a little odd. She talks to animals - not just having a knack with them like her mother did, but actually talks to them! Eleanor isn't quite sure what to think of her cousin, but she seems so sweet and it's nice to be able to explore her family ties a bit more now that she's landbound.
Written By Eleanor
Aug. 28, 2017, 9:03 a.m.(2/9/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Leona
The Lord Commander of the King's Own, Eleanor has looked up to her ever since she first met her. She trains the squires sometimes, and on those days Eleanor works even harder than usual to make sure that everything is in its place. She gets the odd feeling that Leona is keeping an eye on her, but that couldn't possibly be true, could it?
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