Written By Natasha
June 20, 2022, 11:20 a.m.(11/12/1017 AR)
Relationship Note on Margot
I wish we had more time.
Written By Natasha
June 5, 2022, 2:31 p.m.(10/10/1017 AR)
I pray now to the gods to allow me the strength and clarity of mind for everything that I must account for in this day, and the other long, tumultuous days that follow it.
Written By Natasha
March 17, 2022, 1:54 a.m.(4/17/1017 AR)
I have always believed that romantic love is by nature an impractical sentiment, with a frustrating tendency to rear its head at the most inconvenient opportunity.
Regardless, I think that its impracticality does not preclude an individual's conscientious choice to approach it in a thoughtful, pragmatic or even beneficial way. It is a thing that is difficult, sometimes impossible to avoid, and ingrained in the fabric of a fallible existence far removed from the perfection of the gods. As such, I do not see any real use in preventing oneself wholly from experiencing it.
However, that does not mean I advocate pursuing such affairs without proper reflection. Like with many other things, it is the method with which one chooses to engage in a specific behavior that determines whether it is advantageous or detrimental to one's house, fealty and life, and I think that such assessments are necessary especially for members of the Peerage; not just for the purposes of matrimonial considerations, but also to set an example worth following for present and future generations no matter which social rung these generations occupy.
Regardless, I think that its impracticality does not preclude an individual's conscientious choice to approach it in a thoughtful, pragmatic or even beneficial way. It is a thing that is difficult, sometimes impossible to avoid, and ingrained in the fabric of a fallible existence far removed from the perfection of the gods. As such, I do not see any real use in preventing oneself wholly from experiencing it.
However, that does not mean I advocate pursuing such affairs without proper reflection. Like with many other things, it is the method with which one chooses to engage in a specific behavior that determines whether it is advantageous or detrimental to one's house, fealty and life, and I think that such assessments are necessary especially for members of the Peerage; not just for the purposes of matrimonial considerations, but also to set an example worth following for present and future generations no matter which social rung these generations occupy.
Written By Natasha
Jan. 28, 2022, 7:49 p.m.(1/7/1017 AR)
Relationship Note on Macario
As an official magistrate of the Court of the Crown, I typically refrain from commenting on the issues and arguments at play in active disputes in the same fashion as my lack of published comments regarding the realm's politics in cognizance of my position as High Lord Victus Thrax's Voice; at least, unless I am specifically, officially required or asked to do so. I believe that my colleagues who sit upon the Court's bench should have both the duty and privilege of exacting their reason and rationale upon those who trust them to adjudicate matters fairly, and all without having to concern themselves with the prospect of such being swayed by outside opinions from the rest of their brethren who also practice within such an honorable vocation.
However, since the cerebral exercise posed in your white journal appears to be relatively academic, with the acknowledgment that it was inspired by one of your cases, I do not see a need to refrain to express my confusion as how you managed to reach the conclusion you have when both the reasoning and analysis used to formulate it are so incomprehensible to me.
Chaos is generally defined as "behavior so _unpredictable as to appear random_, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions." If chaos was indeed caused by an instigator, and punitive damages were mitigated due to both parties' decision to somehow render the outcome of the chaotic incident predictable, I do not know whether to describe it as chaos was accurate from the start. For instance, were one to decide to cause an accident (the "chaos") for the express purpose of seeing said accident result in the death of a certain person (the "predictable outcome"), that would not be considered an accident under the eyes of the law. From my perspective, it would be considered a premeditated event that resulted in a murder, and depending on the laws of the jurisdiction in which the accident occurred and the status of the person who died (that is, whether the victim was noble or commoner), there would be no mitigation - the sentence would be execution.
My other issue regarding your legal hypothesis is the idea that involved parties would have any agency at all in something that is a _genuinely_ chaotic occurrence. Agency is generally defined as "action or intervention, _especially such as to produce a particular effect_." If chaos is defined as above, and agency covers proactive or passive action that causes an intended result, I do not know whether such a thing exists in light of a circumstance that is by nature unpredictable, because then it must follow that the result would be unforeseeable to anyone involved or caught in it.
Lastly, regarding your point: "Trust between enemies is key. In this instance, it's not about the trust that both parties will do the 'right' thing, but rather the predictable thing." Without getting into the philosophical debate on whether it is possible for trust to exist among enemies (to which I say, "it depends"), I think that there is a clear difference between trust in this context - that is, the firm belief in someone or something's reliability - and one's ability or prowess to effectively act against another person due to his personal knowledge on how his rival or enemy operates. In such a maneuver, I do not think any trust is required, or that it should be described as such at all.
However, since the cerebral exercise posed in your white journal appears to be relatively academic, with the acknowledgment that it was inspired by one of your cases, I do not see a need to refrain to express my confusion as how you managed to reach the conclusion you have when both the reasoning and analysis used to formulate it are so incomprehensible to me.
Chaos is generally defined as "behavior so _unpredictable as to appear random_, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions." If chaos was indeed caused by an instigator, and punitive damages were mitigated due to both parties' decision to somehow render the outcome of the chaotic incident predictable, I do not know whether to describe it as chaos was accurate from the start. For instance, were one to decide to cause an accident (the "chaos") for the express purpose of seeing said accident result in the death of a certain person (the "predictable outcome"), that would not be considered an accident under the eyes of the law. From my perspective, it would be considered a premeditated event that resulted in a murder, and depending on the laws of the jurisdiction in which the accident occurred and the status of the person who died (that is, whether the victim was noble or commoner), there would be no mitigation - the sentence would be execution.
My other issue regarding your legal hypothesis is the idea that involved parties would have any agency at all in something that is a _genuinely_ chaotic occurrence. Agency is generally defined as "action or intervention, _especially such as to produce a particular effect_." If chaos is defined as above, and agency covers proactive or passive action that causes an intended result, I do not know whether such a thing exists in light of a circumstance that is by nature unpredictable, because then it must follow that the result would be unforeseeable to anyone involved or caught in it.
Lastly, regarding your point: "Trust between enemies is key. In this instance, it's not about the trust that both parties will do the 'right' thing, but rather the predictable thing." Without getting into the philosophical debate on whether it is possible for trust to exist among enemies (to which I say, "it depends"), I think that there is a clear difference between trust in this context - that is, the firm belief in someone or something's reliability - and one's ability or prowess to effectively act against another person due to his personal knowledge on how his rival or enemy operates. In such a maneuver, I do not think any trust is required, or that it should be described as such at all.
Written By Natasha
Oct. 23, 2021, 7:21 p.m.(6/9/1016 AR)
These last few weeks have been rife with some very interesting problems that have come across my desk, but in many ways, it is the kind of work that feels the most rewarding; the ones where a vassal or a peer visits and darkens my doorway, or fills my office with correspondence, for advice in navigating complex issues that may have uncertain legal and/or sociopolitical ramifications.
There will always be problems that require solving, but the challenge in reaching those options and solutions provides its own, albeit intangible rewards. Like any worthy blade, the mind is only as sharp as how regularly it is applied against a whetstone.
There will always be problems that require solving, but the challenge in reaching those options and solutions provides its own, albeit intangible rewards. Like any worthy blade, the mind is only as sharp as how regularly it is applied against a whetstone.
Written By Natasha
Oct. 17, 2021, 1:57 p.m.(5/24/1016 AR)
I have had enough meetings this week, and several with my own family members, to warrant the conclusion as to how much still needs to be done, and longer term plans to help ensure the stability of House Thrax long after I am dust.
I remain heartened to see the activity and eagerness in my cousins, Prince Jasher and Princess Denica, as they push forward with their various projects and aims. I was glad to see the both of them returned to Arx a few months past, and even more, still, that they would integrate themselves so seamlessly in various endeavors. It was also a joy and relief to see another cousin, Prince Galen, more often in the last few weeks than I have the entirety of my life, and how effortless he remains in engaging others with his charm and stories. Watching him interact with my husband, and how well they have taken to one another, has been one of my quieter pleasures in the last month.
Our new guildmaster of the Crafters Guild, Messere Caprice Artiglio, continues to be an inspirational light amidst so much tension, chaos and disaster, and I look forward to witnessing what other magnificence she creates and encourages in the Compact.
I remain heartened to see the activity and eagerness in my cousins, Prince Jasher and Princess Denica, as they push forward with their various projects and aims. I was glad to see the both of them returned to Arx a few months past, and even more, still, that they would integrate themselves so seamlessly in various endeavors. It was also a joy and relief to see another cousin, Prince Galen, more often in the last few weeks than I have the entirety of my life, and how effortless he remains in engaging others with his charm and stories. Watching him interact with my husband, and how well they have taken to one another, has been one of my quieter pleasures in the last month.
Our new guildmaster of the Crafters Guild, Messere Caprice Artiglio, continues to be an inspirational light amidst so much tension, chaos and disaster, and I look forward to witnessing what other magnificence she creates and encourages in the Compact.
Written By Natasha
Sept. 12, 2021, 4:59 p.m.(3/11/1016 AR)
A sickness has deemed it fit to assail me in the last week, but in spite of my fragile body's attempts to keep me in bed, the last few days have been incredibly productive. It has, at least, not prevented me from sailing in parts of the sea that I must reach. The briny air and its unforgiving chill has provided more comfort to me than a soft mattress.
The arrow wound I have taken through my shoulder after one of these excursions appears to be healing quickly, and cleanly. My brother-in-law, Lord Dycard Blackshore, has always nursed a reputation for being skillful with his hands, but I never knew until I found myself in his care that he makes a capable medic as well.
I find myself fortunate that it was the only token I received in that trip, with much credit to the excellent defense my husband, cousin, protégé and father-in-law have provided me to prevent a more dangerous and complicated outcome.
The arrow wound I have taken through my shoulder after one of these excursions appears to be healing quickly, and cleanly. My brother-in-law, Lord Dycard Blackshore, has always nursed a reputation for being skillful with his hands, but I never knew until I found myself in his care that he makes a capable medic as well.
I find myself fortunate that it was the only token I received in that trip, with much credit to the excellent defense my husband, cousin, protégé and father-in-law have provided me to prevent a more dangerous and complicated outcome.
Written By Natasha
Aug. 22, 2021, 9:27 p.m.(1/25/1016 AR)
I never knew such anxiety as I did receiving a letter from my husband a few hours before he and his retinue returned to Arx after the catastrophe in Bastion. I was meant to accompany him that day, for there were inquiries I wished to pose in the city, but business had kept me in the capital.
He expressed his relief that I had not gone with him, considering what he had witnessed, but his account detailed the heroism of those who were in his company, especially those who engaged the gargantuan that destroyed the docks directly so that another team could get to the siege weaponry. I was informed that the Sword of Stormward, his former patron in particular, acquitted himself with all the fearsome formidability expected of his reputation despite the high costs he paid with his body in the aftermath.
The creature was ultimately felled by a ballista bolt shot by my husband once his party reached the siege engines; the su'tavi female who was riding upon it regrettably escaped despite a determined pursuit.
Words cannot express my relief when I discovered that Lady Eirene Riven was among those in the docks; doubtless that the Savior of Astarrea has once again put her healing talents to the test in the wake of it.
He expressed his relief that I had not gone with him, considering what he had witnessed, but his account detailed the heroism of those who were in his company, especially those who engaged the gargantuan that destroyed the docks directly so that another team could get to the siege weaponry. I was informed that the Sword of Stormward, his former patron in particular, acquitted himself with all the fearsome formidability expected of his reputation despite the high costs he paid with his body in the aftermath.
The creature was ultimately felled by a ballista bolt shot by my husband once his party reached the siege engines; the su'tavi female who was riding upon it regrettably escaped despite a determined pursuit.
Words cannot express my relief when I discovered that Lady Eirene Riven was among those in the docks; doubtless that the Savior of Astarrea has once again put her healing talents to the test in the wake of it.
Written By Natasha
Aug. 4, 2021, 3:11 a.m.(12/16/1015 AR)
It was a wonderful wedding.
I credit much of the preparations of the event itself to my iconic sister-in-law, the Pearl of the Isles, for without her, I am certain I would have floundered and drowned under all the details I should be considering. Also the fine craftsmanship of Guildmaster Caprice Artiglio, with her expert needlework and keen eye, whose guidance and artistic sense have most definitely prevented me from whatever sartorial embarrassment I would have chosen for myself if left to my own devices.
I am also grateful to the guests who have attended, for taking the time to celebrate with us and share in our happiness, and all of the kind words, gifts and well-wishes we received. I have offered my prayers to both Limerance and Gild in hopes that all of your generosity and sincerity would be blessed in ways both great and small. You have all made the day so memorable, and seeing your smiles during it means the world to me.
And to the ladies of the Black Tide - you know who you are - I look forward to the next excursion. I will never forget what you have sprung on me the eve before, and it will forever be relegated to a special place in my heart.
I credit much of the preparations of the event itself to my iconic sister-in-law, the Pearl of the Isles, for without her, I am certain I would have floundered and drowned under all the details I should be considering. Also the fine craftsmanship of Guildmaster Caprice Artiglio, with her expert needlework and keen eye, whose guidance and artistic sense have most definitely prevented me from whatever sartorial embarrassment I would have chosen for myself if left to my own devices.
I am also grateful to the guests who have attended, for taking the time to celebrate with us and share in our happiness, and all of the kind words, gifts and well-wishes we received. I have offered my prayers to both Limerance and Gild in hopes that all of your generosity and sincerity would be blessed in ways both great and small. You have all made the day so memorable, and seeing your smiles during it means the world to me.
And to the ladies of the Black Tide - you know who you are - I look forward to the next excursion. I will never forget what you have sprung on me the eve before, and it will forever be relegated to a special place in my heart.
Written By Natasha
July 29, 2021, 6:20 p.m.(12/5/1015 AR)
I do not profess myself to be an expert in dogs, but common sense dictates that they would probably appreciate a few cuts of good meat, and perhaps for the rest of their lives, far more than any titles which bear an underlying significance they are unable to comprehend.
Written By Natasha
May 21, 2021, 2:38 p.m.(7/7/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Victus
Years of uncertain estrangement, born from the same libertine father, raised separately by the machinations of a bloodthirsty tyrant, and yet here we are, somehow.
People will claim differently, but from my perspective, you have always been the very core and foundation of my story - the bedrock upon which my hopes for our world are founded.
You are the most astounding person I have ever known, and I trust that you will keep surprising me until the day we are dust.
People will claim differently, but from my perspective, you have always been the very core and foundation of my story - the bedrock upon which my hopes for our world are founded.
You are the most astounding person I have ever known, and I trust that you will keep surprising me until the day we are dust.
Written By Natasha
May 16, 2021, 9:40 p.m.(6/25/1015 AR)
I will never look at an empty wine barrel the same way again.
Written By Natasha
May 1, 2021, 3:10 p.m.(5/23/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Venturo
You were right about me, just as I was also correct in our last conversation.
I think you may have indirectly, and inadvertently, saved my life, and in a manner befitting Fortune's favorite son.
I think you may have indirectly, and inadvertently, saved my life, and in a manner befitting Fortune's favorite son.
Written By Natasha
May 1, 2021, 3:03 a.m.(5/22/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Romulius
The seas and sands of our world have tried to take you from me twice, now, and much of what I remember through each insufferable instance was the wait. The slow, interminable march of time and the passage of the days as I waited for someone to meet my challenge to personally deliver your bones to me in the first, or for your eyes to open in the second.
Now that war has reached our shores, and the guaranteed launch of you and your loyal and stalwart men to fight against it imminent, I wonder if the old adage is true in that the third time is the charm. That witnessing your return from yet another set of seemingly insurmountable odds would cement the idea in my mind, finally, that there is absolutely nothing that will prevent you from finding your way back to where you are needed and want to be.
And much like what I have done in these aforementioned moments in our long history, I will wait.
I will always wait for you.
Now that war has reached our shores, and the guaranteed launch of you and your loyal and stalwart men to fight against it imminent, I wonder if the old adage is true in that the third time is the charm. That witnessing your return from yet another set of seemingly insurmountable odds would cement the idea in my mind, finally, that there is absolutely nothing that will prevent you from finding your way back to where you are needed and want to be.
And much like what I have done in these aforementioned moments in our long history, I will wait.
I will always wait for you.
Written By Natasha
May 1, 2021, 1:21 a.m.(5/22/1015 AR)
When I was a girl, I often dreamt of flying; to have my own wings, somehow, and let the sea winds carry me up to the stars so I might discover whether they were diamonds or sand, or both, or neither. Perhaps it is because Mangata was the first deity I have ever known - while my discipleship is with the Sentinel, it was she of the sea and sky who I prayed to since my childhood, and have grown to be just as enamored of what is above us as with the depths of the churning seas.
Now that I am to fly with my brother into battle, I waited for trepidation to fill me, the fear of it - I was raised in the traditions of the Mourning Isles, and so I have little comprehension of what a battle above the water is truly like. I anticipated plenty of of it, enough to riddle my fingers with tremors, and for ice water to run down my spine at the very thought of it, but much of it has been dwarfed by the exhilaration presented by the victory we mean to achieve, the crushing blow against our enemies that we intend to deliver, and the unpredictability of war's bloody calculus. In the end, I should not be surprised - I was born a Thrax, raised a Thrax. Chaos is the mount my family has always chosen to wrestle into submission, and ride to a decisive end.
I do not go to the waters of the Saffron Chain to die; I do so to live, and in the way my ancestors have always done. May the slavers of Eurus look upon the might of our Leviathan, and know within their black and brittle bones that they have made the deadliest mistake of their lives.
Now that I am to fly with my brother into battle, I waited for trepidation to fill me, the fear of it - I was raised in the traditions of the Mourning Isles, and so I have little comprehension of what a battle above the water is truly like. I anticipated plenty of of it, enough to riddle my fingers with tremors, and for ice water to run down my spine at the very thought of it, but much of it has been dwarfed by the exhilaration presented by the victory we mean to achieve, the crushing blow against our enemies that we intend to deliver, and the unpredictability of war's bloody calculus. In the end, I should not be surprised - I was born a Thrax, raised a Thrax. Chaos is the mount my family has always chosen to wrestle into submission, and ride to a decisive end.
I do not go to the waters of the Saffron Chain to die; I do so to live, and in the way my ancestors have always done. May the slavers of Eurus look upon the might of our Leviathan, and know within their black and brittle bones that they have made the deadliest mistake of their lives.
Written By Natasha
April 28, 2021, 3:48 a.m.(5/16/1015 AR)
The conclusion of the Crown Council's meeting with respect to my lord Gabriel Bisland's recommendations on the Skal'dajan war effort has drawn me to the shrines to light my candles and offer my prayers:
To Mangata, she of the sea and sky, in hopes that her waters and winds will be favorable to our men and women who must navigate and do battle upon them.
To Gloria, for her blessings in our efforts to wage an honorable war.
To the Queen of Beginnings and Endings, to readily and safely commit to her embrace the souls that we will inevitably lose, in hopes that the next turn of the Wheel rewards them with lives commensurate with their courage.
To the Sentinel, for our cause is righteous and just.
To Lagoma, for the strength to accept the outcomes we cannot change, the courage to change the ones we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
And lastly, to Skald, our Father, for the choices we have made, and for the ones we have yet to make.
To Mangata, she of the sea and sky, in hopes that her waters and winds will be favorable to our men and women who must navigate and do battle upon them.
To Gloria, for her blessings in our efforts to wage an honorable war.
To the Queen of Beginnings and Endings, to readily and safely commit to her embrace the souls that we will inevitably lose, in hopes that the next turn of the Wheel rewards them with lives commensurate with their courage.
To the Sentinel, for our cause is righteous and just.
To Lagoma, for the strength to accept the outcomes we cannot change, the courage to change the ones we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
And lastly, to Skald, our Father, for the choices we have made, and for the ones we have yet to make.
Written By Natasha
April 22, 2021, 4:35 p.m.(5/5/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Romulius
When we were children, the summers were for cherry picking in New Hope, in the rare opportunities in which Uncle had allowed me to visit your family's estates instead of the other way around. You never allowed me to climb up the boughs of your family's trees; you always insisted on taking on the labor yourself, citing some new excuse every time I tried to insist - my dress would be ruined, or I would get bruised or scratched if I had never done it before, or if I was not careful.
Now that these are planted and situated where they need to be, I realized that I cannot recall whether the varieties grown in Blackshore are tart or sweet.
I am looking forward to the Summer so I could refresh my memory.
Now that these are planted and situated where they need to be, I realized that I cannot recall whether the varieties grown in Blackshore are tart or sweet.
I am looking forward to the Summer so I could refresh my memory.
Written By Natasha
April 12, 2021, 1:16 a.m.(4/12/1015 AR)
Storms tend to fall in the capital in a manner that is quieter than I am used to; nothing like the whipping gales and the furious cacophony of thunder and lightning that I had grown up with in Maelstrom. I observed to a friend, once, that it has always discomfitted me. How peaceful it seems in comparison, when rain falls in Arx.
Tonight, it was different.
The last time I experienced a storm like this in the capital, Astarrea was suddenly gone. And so as I watch torrential rain and the promise of lightning illuminating distant dark clouds, I wonder what has happened, and what exactly was called.
Tonight, it was different.
The last time I experienced a storm like this in the capital, Astarrea was suddenly gone. And so as I watch torrential rain and the promise of lightning illuminating distant dark clouds, I wonder what has happened, and what exactly was called.
Written By Natasha
April 9, 2021, 3:57 p.m.(4/7/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Romulius
Until the last week, we have never spent over a day furious with one another. I am grateful that two decades of familiarity and friendship have come with the unspoken reassurance that no matter what happens between us, we will always find our footing, somehow, and develop a better understanding of one another.
Written By Natasha
April 9, 2021, 3:52 p.m.(4/7/1015 AR)
This week has been peppered with at least one visit per day to the Shrine of Lagoma, to offer my prayers and devotion to the goddess of change and healing. Today's visit was dedicated to expressing my gratitude to her for improvements and developments in a variety of endeavors, but most especially for whatever intercessions that she has decided to visit upon a person who I believe needed it.
I am grateful that, despite the trials of the last week, I have held onto my faith, can still turn to my gods and find solace and succor, and know that my prayers will be answered in some way, even if it simply means peace of mind.
I am grateful that, despite the trials of the last week, I have held onto my faith, can still turn to my gods and find solace and succor, and know that my prayers will be answered in some way, even if it simply means peace of mind.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.