Written By Cirroch
July 3, 2021, 5:51 p.m.(10/9/1015 AR)
The festival games of spearing tossed full bladders went over well. All those that attended, appear to have had a good time and were well covered with mud by the end of it. Save for a few, Duchess Isabeau, Lady Mabelle, and my Marquessa, Sasha. Who for one reason or another choose to take an observer's stance to the festivities.
Countess Aella, Lord Savio, Prince Raimon, and I all sparred for the bragging rights of best bladderers. With Prince Raimon claiming that prize in a spectacular impaling of the bladder upon spear without spilling a single drop of the ale.
Sanna looks forward to the winter frost games next.
Countess Aella, Lord Savio, Prince Raimon, and I all sparred for the bragging rights of best bladderers. With Prince Raimon claiming that prize in a spectacular impaling of the bladder upon spear without spilling a single drop of the ale.
Sanna looks forward to the winter frost games next.
Written By Apollo
July 3, 2021, 3:23 p.m.(10/9/1015 AR)
I hope nobody thinks rose leather is made by taking hides otherwise suited for armoring and undermining their protective quality. In my time in the city, kidskin has not found much favor, despite its suitability for many applications where protection was not a priority. Rose tanned leather marries together a lightly structural quality, visually, in contrast with most available fabrics - a feature of leather in general - but also has a wonderful quality of movement. It might not be suited to fighters (or at least, not for a protective purpose), but it has a wonderful quality of movement. I've imagined dancers and performers of all sorts favoring it for that, and - for those who prefer to remain very light and nimble in a fight, it allows one to maintain the aesthetic of a leather set without further encumberance.
Of course, tastes differ. I was glad to lend expertise to its development. I think that the more we inquire into the potential in various materials - not for one single purpose, but for many - the likelier we are to find inspiration for others. There are things I couldn't have understood without working on each of the materials I've had a hand in, and thought I couldn't say what that understanding will yield, I think that ground more fertile than it would have been otherwise.
Of course, tastes differ. I was glad to lend expertise to its development. I think that the more we inquire into the potential in various materials - not for one single purpose, but for many - the likelier we are to find inspiration for others. There are things I couldn't have understood without working on each of the materials I've had a hand in, and thought I couldn't say what that understanding will yield, I think that ground more fertile than it would have been otherwise.
Written By Apollo
July 3, 2021, 2:58 p.m.(10/9/1015 AR)
The masquerade on our return from Nilanza was as lovely as anything I could have hoped. Lianne's inspired idea to make a hunt of different sorts of conversation yielded an inarguable conviviality, and though I don't know if anyone revealed their identity to carry new friendships forward, I've no doubt people met others they'd have not spoken with ordinarily. Perhaps those were the seeds, and down the line a memory of a voice will coax the sprouting. Who's to say.
To those who attended: your stories were magnificent, the dancing delightful, and your willingness to run around barefoot in celebration with us, inspiring. Thank you.
To those who attended: your stories were magnificent, the dancing delightful, and your willingness to run around barefoot in celebration with us, inspiring. Thank you.
Written By Eirene
July 3, 2021, 12:24 p.m.(10/9/1015 AR)
Summer is over and now it's time for cooler weather, which means I can go back to wearing a trench-coat all the time. It's that or my doctor's robes. I feel better with layers. Like an onion.
Life has been busy. Studying my craft, raising three children, spending time with family and friends. I am fucking grateful for all the good shit in my life.
It just needs to be said.
Life has been busy. Studying my craft, raising three children, spending time with family and friends. I am fucking grateful for all the good shit in my life.
It just needs to be said.
Written By Amari
July 3, 2021, 11:22 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
What an inconvenient time to be nearly lamed by a bear. I have important things to do. There are also grand galas coming up I'd love to attend, and others I've already had to miss. Perhaps I just need a date who's strong enough to hold me off the ground so I can swing my feet to give the appearance of dancing elegantly about as we whirl around.
Yes, that's perfect. I'll not have to abandon my plans for a starlight silk gown that way. It'll just have to be floor length to hide the fact that my feet are floating a few inches off the ground.
Yes, that's perfect. I'll not have to abandon my plans for a starlight silk gown that way. It'll just have to be floor length to hide the fact that my feet are floating a few inches off the ground.
Written By Mabelle
July 3, 2021, 11:22 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
Lady Brigid Moore now Inverno.
The fiercest Dragoon.
I had no doubt in my mind you will not let it rest.
I have no doubt it my mind you will return.
The fiercest Dragoon.
I had no doubt in my mind you will not let it rest.
I have no doubt it my mind you will return.
Written By Gwenna
July 3, 2021, 10:03 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Mabelle
My cousin Mabelle has, once again, worked with a talented group to bring another exciting inspiration to the Compact: starlight silk. I have managed a few bolts of it already and can hardly wait to have an outfit made from the glorious stuff. The shimmer is truly like starlight, with the coolness of the tone so much like the metals I tend to favor. It had me at hello.
Written By Audgrim
July 3, 2021, 4:30 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
I'm trying new techniques, working with rose tanned leather. It's so soft and thin, I have to be more careful. Takes some getting used to, but I made a few items based off of my old designs and with some adjustments they worked just fine. Then I took on a more challenging project, creating a gown for Lady Medeia Eswynd. I'm not a tailor and I'd never made a gown like that before, with large amounts of the material used - but it came out alright. Probably needs a bit of adjusting to be perfect, but Lady Medeia seemed happy with it. Glad she was willing to let me try this out, it could've gone bad and the material would've been wasted. But, I had good pointers from an old friend and leather expert - Lord Apollo.
I saw that Svana Grayhope wrote about the material, and I'll repeat it: this leather is useless as armor, but perfect for a fancy outfit.
I saw that Svana Grayhope wrote about the material, and I'll repeat it: this leather is useless as armor, but perfect for a fancy outfit.
Written By Lyra
July 3, 2021, 2:50 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
It has been a week of sadness and uncertainty, and as I record my thoughts in the whites for others to read either now or in the future, preparations are underway for me to return to Cedar Vale. The truth of what befell my cousin and his patrol will be known, and justice for those that committed such atrocities will be swift.
Written By Roran
July 3, 2021, 1:44 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
As colder clime of Autumn starts rolling in, goodbye we say to summer’s heat. The leaves of forests showcase their fashion, so break out your jackets, coats and scarves. The way condensation on windows glisten like diamond beads while a warm bowl of creamy oats with maple syrup drizzled on top is steaming on the table.
The way the fire crackles in the hearth at the tavern while I sip a mug of spiced cider, singing songs with newfound friends. The way a scarf knitted by a friend is tossed around the shoulders like a warm hug they give from afar.
Scents of burning leaves, spices, caramel and burned sugar. Of apple pies and roasted potatoes. To go out in the fields and reap the harvest you sowed earlier with faith and prayers, preparing your bounty now for a cold winter. Trees crowned with rubicund, gold, neodymium and praseodymium leaves.
For blessed Autumn, how will you change and grow this season? Will you be a Mercy that focuses on healing one of the many small hurts in the world? A Warmth who bakes wonderful treats to bless someone less fortunate.? A Beginning which takes this season to reflect on what you sowed earlier in the year and improve? Or perhaps this Autumn is an Ending, where you say goodbye to the things that held you back or the harm you caused and look to start afresh as you close one chapter of your life?
This Autumn, may you find a new friend today that will become an old friend later on.
The way the fire crackles in the hearth at the tavern while I sip a mug of spiced cider, singing songs with newfound friends. The way a scarf knitted by a friend is tossed around the shoulders like a warm hug they give from afar.
Scents of burning leaves, spices, caramel and burned sugar. Of apple pies and roasted potatoes. To go out in the fields and reap the harvest you sowed earlier with faith and prayers, preparing your bounty now for a cold winter. Trees crowned with rubicund, gold, neodymium and praseodymium leaves.
For blessed Autumn, how will you change and grow this season? Will you be a Mercy that focuses on healing one of the many small hurts in the world? A Warmth who bakes wonderful treats to bless someone less fortunate.? A Beginning which takes this season to reflect on what you sowed earlier in the year and improve? Or perhaps this Autumn is an Ending, where you say goodbye to the things that held you back or the harm you caused and look to start afresh as you close one chapter of your life?
This Autumn, may you find a new friend today that will become an old friend later on.
Written By Medeia
July 3, 2021, 1:08 a.m.(10/8/1015 AR)
Trust.
I have, at times, been too quick to let someone have mine. I can be impulsive. Following my whims instead of my sense. This has led to plenty of broken trust, having given it to people who didn't deserve it.
Hope.
A life cannot be lived without hope, but it is cruel as much as it is kind. It can lead you to make choices that are ill-advised or that lead you farther from your goals. I have let hope cloud my head before, and the results were disastrous.
And yet? These last few days? I am reminded of the joy that trust and hope can bring. The joy is worth it. Trust people. Have hope. Live fully.
I have, at times, been too quick to let someone have mine. I can be impulsive. Following my whims instead of my sense. This has led to plenty of broken trust, having given it to people who didn't deserve it.
Hope.
A life cannot be lived without hope, but it is cruel as much as it is kind. It can lead you to make choices that are ill-advised or that lead you farther from your goals. I have let hope cloud my head before, and the results were disastrous.
And yet? These last few days? I am reminded of the joy that trust and hope can bring. The joy is worth it. Trust people. Have hope. Live fully.
Written By Everett
July 2, 2021, 7:48 p.m.(10/7/1015 AR)
Ye Auld Farmer's Almanac
Well I'm back in the big big city to deliver the produce for the Farmers' Market, and so that gave me a chance to dig into the mail bag.
Gladice wrote in from deep in the Oathlands, with a question about potatoes that might interest a few readers. She says she's getting on in years and was wondering the absolute easiest way to cut, start, and weed them. Said she'd been cubing them, digging two foot deep potato pits, and watering and weeding every three to five days after. Good news, Gladice! Raising a bumper crop of potatoes doesn't have to be that much work at all! For starters, just bury the whole potatoes, no cutting. Saves time and keeps them safer from the fungi. Don't fret the weeds, and here's how. Just every couple of days, after the eyes have sprouted and the tips have turned green, just sprinkle a layer of new soil atop the whole planting. No holes to dig. Way easier. You'll be making 'potato mounds' instead of 'potato pits' this way! Lighter grade mulch, straw, or hay trimmings will do the trick, just keep piling all that on top just as soon as the leaves poke through the previous layer. The potatoes will grow up toward the light, the spread of weeds be kept down by the mulching, and the straw and hay will lock in some of the soil moisture for good measure. You'll not be so much planting them as sequentially burying them, over and over, and over again. Then in the fall, the potato plants themselves will naturally die back. When they're all dried up, go get your digging stick. Taters in layers, as much as two feet deep!
There's also a reader question about calving, which also happened to come up in conversation with Lord Keaton recently. Now there's a whole various amount of reckoning on the best and most proper season for calving. So I've put a good long think into this, and in the end, I would recommend February. About six weeks before the spring rains hit. That should give the pasture a good chance to take off, and a February calving gives the little ones the most possible time to put on weight before the next winter hits. Just gives them their best chances, I'd say, before they're weaned in October or so!
In any case, feel free to write in with counter suggestions or more questions as well.
I'll be back up here in the big big city by Tuesday next, for the Farmers' Market again!
Well I'm back in the big big city to deliver the produce for the Farmers' Market, and so that gave me a chance to dig into the mail bag.
Gladice wrote in from deep in the Oathlands, with a question about potatoes that might interest a few readers. She says she's getting on in years and was wondering the absolute easiest way to cut, start, and weed them. Said she'd been cubing them, digging two foot deep potato pits, and watering and weeding every three to five days after. Good news, Gladice! Raising a bumper crop of potatoes doesn't have to be that much work at all! For starters, just bury the whole potatoes, no cutting. Saves time and keeps them safer from the fungi. Don't fret the weeds, and here's how. Just every couple of days, after the eyes have sprouted and the tips have turned green, just sprinkle a layer of new soil atop the whole planting. No holes to dig. Way easier. You'll be making 'potato mounds' instead of 'potato pits' this way! Lighter grade mulch, straw, or hay trimmings will do the trick, just keep piling all that on top just as soon as the leaves poke through the previous layer. The potatoes will grow up toward the light, the spread of weeds be kept down by the mulching, and the straw and hay will lock in some of the soil moisture for good measure. You'll not be so much planting them as sequentially burying them, over and over, and over again. Then in the fall, the potato plants themselves will naturally die back. When they're all dried up, go get your digging stick. Taters in layers, as much as two feet deep!
There's also a reader question about calving, which also happened to come up in conversation with Lord Keaton recently. Now there's a whole various amount of reckoning on the best and most proper season for calving. So I've put a good long think into this, and in the end, I would recommend February. About six weeks before the spring rains hit. That should give the pasture a good chance to take off, and a February calving gives the little ones the most possible time to put on weight before the next winter hits. Just gives them their best chances, I'd say, before they're weaned in October or so!
In any case, feel free to write in with counter suggestions or more questions as well.
I'll be back up here in the big big city by Tuesday next, for the Farmers' Market again!
Written By Piccola
July 2, 2021, 4:36 p.m.(10/7/1015 AR)
Relationship Note on Sydney
When I reflect on my younger years, when I also lived sword-to-mouth, that which I had to do to survive seemed less a reward than a necessity.
A better word for what I speak of, perhaps, is "profit."
A better word for what I speak of, perhaps, is "profit."
Written By Svana
July 2, 2021, 4:27 p.m.(10/7/1015 AR)
On another note, I don't believe that rose leather was ever intended to be used as armor. In fact, I'm certain it wasn't since I helped create it. It is high fashion. Fashion is the keyword.
Rose leather should be worn by those who want to feel luxurious, not those going into battle. It would be their mistake, not ours. Have a good day!
Rose leather should be worn by those who want to feel luxurious, not those going into battle. It would be their mistake, not ours. Have a good day!
Written By Svana
July 2, 2021, 4:23 p.m.(10/7/1015 AR)
I shared a brief kiss at the masquerade with a woman I do not believe I've ever had the pleasure to meet before. I'd remember her.
She wasn't just hot, I believe she was fire embodied. She talked about it enough - but...
Let's just say that there was something a bit eerie in all the best ways about our encounter.
She wasn't just hot, I believe she was fire embodied. She talked about it enough - but...
Let's just say that there was something a bit eerie in all the best ways about our encounter.
Written By Esera
July 2, 2021, 10:25 a.m.(10/6/1015 AR)
Marquessa Lianne Malespero's masquerade was lovely -- I had the good fortune to attend. She's lovely, too. A bright light in the Lyceum, though it is not the sort of light you might imagine. Not the light of the sun, or the moon. Something of her own making, I think.
I fell in love with a common man too, you know? At least, I thought so at the time. But it was never a very healthy love, or a very true one, not for either of us, and I was glad for him when his heart found another. Glad for her, too.
I'm sorry I was not there for them, in the end. To protect them. To burn all their enemies and all their sorrows to cinders.
I miss them.
I fell in love with a common man too, you know? At least, I thought so at the time. But it was never a very healthy love, or a very true one, not for either of us, and I was glad for him when his heart found another. Glad for her, too.
I'm sorry I was not there for them, in the end. To protect them. To burn all their enemies and all their sorrows to cinders.
I miss them.
Written By Denica
July 2, 2021, 3:24 a.m.(10/6/1015 AR)
We've been fighting here for so long
Choking down the same stale smoke
Don't worry where I am or what you can't see
I've walked these shadows before
And I know who'll plant the seed
I couldn't cut glass with silk
You couldn't tell right from wrong
They will run for every corner, but I see
My soul's on fire and it's for me
(Crimson red, canary yellow and burnt orange swirls chaotically in streaks of oil paint cradling the charcoal scrawled words written across the page.)
Choking down the same stale smoke
Don't worry where I am or what you can't see
I've walked these shadows before
And I know who'll plant the seed
I couldn't cut glass with silk
You couldn't tell right from wrong
They will run for every corner, but I see
My soul's on fire and it's for me
(Crimson red, canary yellow and burnt orange swirls chaotically in streaks of oil paint cradling the charcoal scrawled words written across the page.)
Written By Mabelle
July 2, 2021, 2:51 a.m.(10/6/1015 AR)
It has been a very long week, scholar, and yet it flew by like it only had a couple days in it. Between the arrival of the new fabrics to the city and the endless preparations to the Art District Gala in Artshall, I can barely find myself time to sit.
Auditions to be held, performers to be found, gowns to be designed, musicians to select and food. I must not forget the food.
I am grateful for the assistance of those who are part of the project: Master Jareth for arranging the plays, the artists that donated items to the exhibitions, Mistress Caprice for arranging the prayer and stitching energetically for the fashion show and Master Claude who created the most beautiful limited edition toys. I am likely forgetting many names.
Yes Maurice, I put your name in there too. Yes, you are cooking. Maurice is in charge of the food, scholar and my friends are in charge of keeping me sane.
Maurice, you do know the Honey Festival is soon after? Postpone it? What? - Do not write that down, scholar. Maurice!
Auditions to be held, performers to be found, gowns to be designed, musicians to select and food. I must not forget the food.
I am grateful for the assistance of those who are part of the project: Master Jareth for arranging the plays, the artists that donated items to the exhibitions, Mistress Caprice for arranging the prayer and stitching energetically for the fashion show and Master Claude who created the most beautiful limited edition toys. I am likely forgetting many names.
Yes Maurice, I put your name in there too. Yes, you are cooking. Maurice is in charge of the food, scholar and my friends are in charge of keeping me sane.
Maurice, you do know the Honey Festival is soon after? Postpone it? What? - Do not write that down, scholar. Maurice!
Written By Anisha
July 1, 2021, 11:08 p.m.(10/5/1015 AR)
Rose-Tanned Leather is making its debut across the Compact, and I am receiving letters of excitement, gratitude, and anticipation. I am receiving praise and adulation, and as such it's important that people know that this was a team effort - more than that, it was a measure of the Compact, of noble houses and commoner organizations, all coming together to share expertise and resources.
Ages ago I came across alchemically treated leather - leather that had been made stiffer and firmer, better able to turn a blade or dissipate the blow of a foe. And for whatever reason, the craftsperson had decided to add some rosewater perfume to the product. Ever since, it stuck in my mind. Rose Leather, Rose Leather.
With the expertise of alchemists such as Lady Medeia and Mistress Galatea, and of expert tanners like Marquis-Consort Apollo - and those who are able to follow the intricacies of both trades, like my darling Svana... Well. It meant they could make my dream come true. Likewise, I owe thanks to Lady Mabelle Laurent for her expertise in haute couture. To have my Whispers Aconite and Nijah help spread word - and for Aconite to ensure we always had a resource in the Apothecary College and Professor Orick. I am grateful for their aid. Thanks to Dame Leola, who gladly set aside beds in the lodges to ensure that our breeds of roses were available, and for the hide they provided us. Thanks to my patron, Princess Viviana, and her work with Seraceni. Thanks to Countess Carita of Darkwater and Lord Martino of Malvici, for their immeasurable assistance in spreading the goods across the land. And thanks, of course, goes to the wonderful assistance of the Crafter's Guild, and to the support of my darling Whispers and our House.
A little bit of my dream comes true.
And it's smelling like roses.
Ages ago I came across alchemically treated leather - leather that had been made stiffer and firmer, better able to turn a blade or dissipate the blow of a foe. And for whatever reason, the craftsperson had decided to add some rosewater perfume to the product. Ever since, it stuck in my mind. Rose Leather, Rose Leather.
With the expertise of alchemists such as Lady Medeia and Mistress Galatea, and of expert tanners like Marquis-Consort Apollo - and those who are able to follow the intricacies of both trades, like my darling Svana... Well. It meant they could make my dream come true. Likewise, I owe thanks to Lady Mabelle Laurent for her expertise in haute couture. To have my Whispers Aconite and Nijah help spread word - and for Aconite to ensure we always had a resource in the Apothecary College and Professor Orick. I am grateful for their aid. Thanks to Dame Leola, who gladly set aside beds in the lodges to ensure that our breeds of roses were available, and for the hide they provided us. Thanks to my patron, Princess Viviana, and her work with Seraceni. Thanks to Countess Carita of Darkwater and Lord Martino of Malvici, for their immeasurable assistance in spreading the goods across the land. And thanks, of course, goes to the wonderful assistance of the Crafter's Guild, and to the support of my darling Whispers and our House.
A little bit of my dream comes true.
And it's smelling like roses.
Written By Aureth
July 1, 2021, 6:03 p.m.(10/5/1015 AR)
There are several critical components to a fashionable look.
The first, of course, is wearing clothes that fit you. Not clothes that fit you twenty pounds ago, not clothes that would fit you if you were four inches taller. No sartorial masterpiece will do you the least good if it was made for someone half your height and girth. A large woman in a fitted suit is imposing; a large woman who has squeezed herself into last year's trousers fools no one, least of all herself. Likewise, a man wearing a gown designed for someone with stronger curves looks like he's trying too hard, but the sweep of skirts tailored for his own hips will look classy and correct.
The first thing my mother would do when she took on a new client would be to take their measure. You met with Myrinda or she wouldn't sew for you, and you took her advice about what would suit you or you took her advice about the location of the door. I believe this is an attitude that more artists should take. It chokes the creative spirit to try and force it to please the purse of someone else. When an artist works, it is with the touch of divine Inspiration on their hands, and this should absolutely be recalled by artist and customer alike.
The next component, of course, is that your clothing is a message. Any clothing creates an impression, even if the impression it creates is unintentional. Sometimes the impression is only, "This is what I could afford," and that is an impression without shame. But if you choose a color, it will send a message; a fabric, another. When artisans and scientists come together to put passion behind a new material, they do so for the lure of the unknown and the joy of creation and the sensational feeling of being the latest, newest thing; but also they do so because the message they wish to send is incomplete with the tools they have at hand.
What is the message of wearing starlight? Of impractically thin leather with a pleasing scent?
I imagine the tales my mother could have woven in these threads, and it's bittersweet.
But the final component of a fashionable ensemble is very simple, and that is the confidence to define your compartment rather than letting it define you. When the canvas and the artist are mutually agreed of purpose, that is when the true effects of style bear fruit.
Anyway, all this to say, if anyone has an inspired idea for how to gown a middle-aged blond in starlight, I am open to persuasion on the subject. After all, I'll be 47 next month. It wouldn't do to age beyond the times.
The first, of course, is wearing clothes that fit you. Not clothes that fit you twenty pounds ago, not clothes that would fit you if you were four inches taller. No sartorial masterpiece will do you the least good if it was made for someone half your height and girth. A large woman in a fitted suit is imposing; a large woman who has squeezed herself into last year's trousers fools no one, least of all herself. Likewise, a man wearing a gown designed for someone with stronger curves looks like he's trying too hard, but the sweep of skirts tailored for his own hips will look classy and correct.
The first thing my mother would do when she took on a new client would be to take their measure. You met with Myrinda or she wouldn't sew for you, and you took her advice about what would suit you or you took her advice about the location of the door. I believe this is an attitude that more artists should take. It chokes the creative spirit to try and force it to please the purse of someone else. When an artist works, it is with the touch of divine Inspiration on their hands, and this should absolutely be recalled by artist and customer alike.
The next component, of course, is that your clothing is a message. Any clothing creates an impression, even if the impression it creates is unintentional. Sometimes the impression is only, "This is what I could afford," and that is an impression without shame. But if you choose a color, it will send a message; a fabric, another. When artisans and scientists come together to put passion behind a new material, they do so for the lure of the unknown and the joy of creation and the sensational feeling of being the latest, newest thing; but also they do so because the message they wish to send is incomplete with the tools they have at hand.
What is the message of wearing starlight? Of impractically thin leather with a pleasing scent?
I imagine the tales my mother could have woven in these threads, and it's bittersweet.
But the final component of a fashionable ensemble is very simple, and that is the confidence to define your compartment rather than letting it define you. When the canvas and the artist are mutually agreed of purpose, that is when the true effects of style bear fruit.
Anyway, all this to say, if anyone has an inspired idea for how to gown a middle-aged blond in starlight, I am open to persuasion on the subject. After all, I'll be 47 next month. It wouldn't do to age beyond the times.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.