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       Imperial Response: This was a conversation worth having as to the role of the Republics within the Empire, but ultimately we will not see the proposal pass. The Pax Urbis already states that any republic that violates the territory of another principality will have their privileges under that law revoked, which covers for the first provision. Secondly, if an Emperor wishes to create a ducal-level republic that should be his God-given right. A king-level republic is already restricted by the Diet rules previously. FInally, we do not see the point in structuring conflicts when political necessities may change at any time. The Diet and Hoftag provide all avenues for a Free Imperial City to state the justice of its claim and gain the support of the princes of the Realm. Though this does require an Imperial assent to the claim made, we prefer that such policies allow the Empire to remain flexible in tis foreign policy.    As announced on Slack I have to cancel tomorrow's game session. Sunday I intend to try and take some time and organize some updates to the LP before it lags too far behind, but I have some ideas on how to bring it all together. I apologize for my spottiness but I have an idea on how to manage things better in case of an emergency like this.
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Apr 4, 2015 00:43
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And so at last our holy father in Rome has called a crusade. I have no doubt that every one of my brothers from every corner of the empire are at this very moment wondering how in God’s name they can cross a continent, and a sea, to be the first to enter the gates of Jerusalem and claim it in the name of Christendom. In truth, it is an impractical and burdensome task that the Pope has set before us. Men will die, fortunes will be lost, and the entirety of the world will shake with the changes to come. It is one that would see us leave our lands and our holdings in the hands of men with less holy ambitions. Our wives, husbands, daughters, sons and lovers will be left behind in the lands of our birth, so that we may conquer and create a new world in the lands of God. Though we may lose much in the effort, our reward shall be paradise, both in this life and in the next. As any civilized people, we are a people governed by law, and it is the iron hand of the Emperor who metes out the justice the law demands. While God demands of us sacrifice in the great war to come, necessity demands that we ensure that the sacrifices made are for God, and God alone. It is for this reason that I propose a series of measures to ensure that any lord of the empire who dedicates their forces and fortunes to this task given to them by God should not suffer at the hands of neighbors, and so that the ambitions of the this crusade serve God and the empire, and only God and the empire. The Articles of Sancta Expeditione Acts of Dei Praesidio: Act 1. In recognition of the sacrifice of personal fortune and risk of life and limb in the name of God and the Holy Catholic Church any member of the Holy Roman Empire who is fighting in a Crusade declared by the Pope in Rome, conquering or reclaiming heathen lands, or defending lands held by Christian rulers against non-Christian aggressors has the full protection of the Emperor during the duration of the conflict if they so choose. Section 1. Any Duke or Duchess who wishes to be insured under The Act of Dei Praesidio must make their intentions known to the Emperor and the Diet. Once the request for protection has been submitted they need take no further action and protection is guaranteed. Section 2. Once under protection the protected lord or lady must engage in warfare with the heathen within one year. If a year has passed without conflict with non Christians the protection is revoked. Section 3. While under protection the protected lord or lady may not forge claims on or engage in open warfare with other members of the Holy Roman Empire. Acts of Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri Act 1. Any titles with the rank of duchy or above reclaimed in the name of Christ from the heathens that may be created by any member of the Holy Roman Empire during or after a crusade must be created and distributed among the Electors of the Empire with speed and due process. Act 2. While no contribution to the Crusade is lesser than another in the eyes of God, we must recognize that any involvement of the Emperor in a Crusade would inevitably lead to a controlling interest in the fate of any conquests made. With this in mind it is in the interest of the Diet that any lands taken by our combined might be ruled in a manner according to our shared interests. It is therefore proposed that any de jure titles with the rank of duchy or above acquired by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire under the pretense of a Crusade casus belli should be ruled as viceroyalties under the purview of the Holy Roman Empire. Section 1. While it is the Emperors right to dole out titles and lands in the event of conquest, The electors of the Holy Roman Empire may demand that an election be held when deciding the recipients of duchies and kingdoms gained by Crusade. Section 2.Upon the death of the ruler of any viceroyalties forged by crusade, the lands will pass back into the hands of the Emperor and the lands will once again be distributed via election during the next Diet. Section 3. Should the Emperor decide for any reason that a recipient of any title chosen by election is unworthy of the title, they may grant the title to the candidate holding the second most votes. If the elected recipient received 2/3rds or more of the votes cast, the emperor may not overturn the results of the election. Act 2. In the event that the Holy Roman Emperor does not contribute to a crusade, or in the event that another elector of the Empire has a controlling share in the war efforts, they may and must distribute the lands and titles conquered between themselves and any electors of the Holy Roman Empire who contributed to the Crusade both fairly and swiftly. All electors who contributed to the crusade monetarily or militarily shall be given a say in this process. Section 1. If the the elector with the controlling share in the war effort is not currently the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire they may grant themselves any title with the rank of King. Section 2. The distribution of any holdings with the rank of duchy or below may be voted on by a council of all electors who contributed to the crusade monetarily or militarily.  Your additions, discussion, debate, and most importantly votes are all welcome. As for myself, I, Bertrand Bosonid the Second, Margrave of Provence do hereby renounce all claims on Christian lands not currently held by the Bosonid line and announce the formation of the Lords Army of Provence. My fortune, my lands, and my levies are now bent in unison to the task of liberating the lands of God from the filth of the Saracen scourge. Any donations given to me in the name of this cause shall go to the hiring of swords and ships to assail the coasts and cities of the Holy Land. Rodnik fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Apr 14, 2015 |
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Apr 14, 2015 19:45
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Since a lot of the debate over Diet proposals happens off-site, in the Slack, I've decided to try posting chat logs of some of the more significant discussions, for posterity and for the benefit of any spectators in the thread. Click here for a log of a discussion that happened tonight over Provence's proposal on the Crusades (see above).
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Apr 14, 2015 22:35
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The Continued Biography of Duke Hermann von Zähringen (1048 - ) After personally overseeing the reaction to the peasant uprising in central Germany, Duke Hermann spent the next few years recovering from the white plague. Although his life was spared, Duke Hermann seems to enjoy little mercy in a life that has been strewn with sorrows as a long road is strewn with stones. Word reached Kärnten that King Kresimir IV "The Great" of Croatia had died from very old age. He was a force to be reckoned with, and had run Duke Hermann out of Croatia after he sired bastards with the King's daughter Neda Trpimirovic. If Duke Hermann celebrated at the news, his celebrations came to an abrupt halt when slow fever took Neda the very next day.  King Otto von Zähringen now rules Croatia, but instead of having time to slowly build his legitimacy and create acceptance of his rule, he was thrust upon the throne during a span of three days that saw three different monarchs, the bodies of the first two barely cold. Unrest soon became open rebellion. Duke Ulfo Trpimirovic of Zagreb may have been blinded by the Byzantines when they invaded the country a few years before, but the rebels under his command swept away the men loyal to Duke Otto.  But before the rebellion against Duke Otto and after the deaths of King Kresimir and Queen Neda, the King of England was excommunicated for his war of aggression against the Holy Father. Perhaps wishing to atone for whatever sinful thing Duke Hermann had done to deserve the wrath of God, the armies of Carinthia were quickly assembled after war was declared on England to destroy the English army that had landed near Rome. Although Duke Hermann lead the smallest army of the Imperial forces that had answered the call, Tuscany and Transjurania, he was the first to strike against the English, and the Pope himself would fight beside the banner of the von Zähringens.  The County of Istria had been under the domain of Carinthia, but when the traitorous count there was found guilty of acting as an accomplice in the murder of Duke Berthold I of Carinthia he was imprisoned but committed suicide before his titles could be revoked, a loophole which passed his land down onto his children and into the hands of Meissen, but ruling over a land on the other side of Germany proved difficult for the Duke of Meissen and the Carinthians rose up in rebellion against Meissen, but again the rebellion was put down by Carinthia. Instead of peacefully handing over this land as a just reward for dealing with these dangerous rebels, Duke Hermann had to take his land back by threat of force. The armies of Carinthia and Meissen never met on the field. The county of Istria was granted to Duke Hermann's brother Berthold who had recently been forced out of Schwyz.    When the call went out for the warriors of Christendom to fight their way to the Holy Land, Duke Hermann saw an opportunity to finally atone for his sin of taking up arms against fellow Christians, but there was one more group of Christians for the Duke to kill before the voyage.  
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Apr 15, 2015 02:14
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 [From the von Babenberg family chronicles, as recorded by Wilhelm Gunderson] The end of the 11th Century was a time of transition. To one observing the Empire from outside, as from a distance, the preceding thirty years would have seemed as relatively gracious: the Empire had expanded west into France, south into Sicily, and north into the Baltic regions. Trade amongst the mercantile Free Cities was expanding, and none in Europe seemed able or willing to oppose the might of the Empire. However, appearances can be deceiving, and history has a means to scrub from the fabric of experience the stains of turmoil. Though the Empire was unmatched against external foes, internal strife was rampant. The Diet at Weimar was convened in an attempt to stem the flow of internecine conflict as various great houses clashed to gain an advantage over the other. Though Kaiser Heinrich IV (or Henry as he was sometimes known) was able to bring the various warring parties to the peace table through diplomacy, threat of arms, and financial inducements, it was clear that such a struggle would be the new norm, not a one-time crisis. It is against this backdrop of events that the subsequent actions the von Babenbergs must be viewed. Thus far, the Margrave Ernest had focused his efforts on service as Archmarschal and had maintained the status quo in terms of governance of the Margraviate of Austira. However, the constant struggles between houses, and the fact that support for the war against that Baltic pagans was so anemic among the princes of the realm, had convinced the Margrave that the status quo was insufficient. From his personal correspondences and the reflections within his journal, it was clear that he felt that in this time of uncertainty, his obligation to his Kaiser and the Empire to offer a bulwark against all enemies must supersede the old traditions of the land. Whether he viewed the internal dissent as a sign of weakness of the Empire to compensate for, or as a threat to defend against, we do not know. What we do know is that his response was one of the more pivotal and controversial events in the early history of Austria: the Privilegium Militantis. This decree was likely a result by his continuous study of various tomes of military knowledge, and perhaps even inspired by the theme system of the Byzantine Empire, though modified to feudal obligations.  In essence, the Privilegium Militantis was a centralization of military power and authority under the Margrave. Previously, the raising, training, and dispatching of troops were a relatively independent exercise, with each feudal lord, township, and bishopric responsible for their own troops. They were obligated to offer some levies to their immediate liege, who in turn was obligated to supply troops to the Margrave. Ernest reduced the height of the feudal hierarchy by taking direct control of each county and having the townships and bishoprics supply him with levies and taxes directly. He also coordinated a more regimented system for controlling the various regions from the capital of the Margraviate.  Another important change under the Privilegium Militantis was the Libertas Affectandi, which decreed that rather than the Carolingian gavelkind succession, the heir to the Margraviate would be selected by the Margrave himself. This is well established to be a result of Ernest’s disappointment with his children, who never lived up to his expectations. Various accounts record that when told that his youngest son Karloman was rumored to be plotting to assassinate the son of the Kaiser, Ernest replied, “Tell the Kaiser that if he so wishes, I will arrest the bastard myself.” Several entries in his personal journal recount how Ernest believed that the only way to ensure the utility of Austria to the Empire was to decide the issue of succession by individual merit within the family.  While this is elective and not nominated succession, since I control most/all of the county elector seats, in is effectively succession by decree The immediate goal of the Libertas Affectandi was readily apparent at the time, as Ernest made no secret that his eldest grandson, Baldomar, had his favor to succeed him. Returned from his education in Bremen, he was found to be less ready for leadership than hoped, but like his grandfather, it was trusted that where education failed, pure talent and ability would compensate. In all other areas, Baldomar’s character was impeccable and he quickly won the favor of everyone at court.  In every test run I did, he ended up with Brilliant Strategist, but the education event has a small chance that you get a crap education. Traits are (left to right): Misguided Warrior, genius, just, brave, kind, zealous, proud The immediate results of the Privilegium Militantis was that many of the nobles and burghers saw Ernest as tyrannically abusing his station to seize power. However, they kept such thoughts to themselves and each other, either out of respect and fear of Ernest, or perhaps they too saw the chaos beyond the borders of Austria and preferred a strong arm at the wall than the free reign of disaster. In any case, Ernest was able to complete his reforms with only minor grumbling of the nobles and his sons, the latter of which held little concern to him anyway. All this was deemed worthwhile though, as it led to a notable increase in levies that Ernest could call upon in wartime.  The next few years also saw Ernest expand dynastic ties, both by securing potential alliances through the sisters of Baldomar, but also by bringing additional talent into the family through matrilineal marriages of notable men with other granddaughters. While few men would travel to the ends of the Empire for work when they could seek employment in the courts of Nassau or Tuscany, to join a great house of the empire, such as the von Babenbergs, was something else. A Bavarian of notable intrigue and a renowned Welsh warrior were both inducted into the family during these years.  There were several other notable events that occurred during this time. The first was that the war in Pomerania was brought to a swift close upon the conversion of their chief. Though a pagan uprising would later result and reverse the gains of Christendom, at the time it was heralded as a victory for the souls of men in Pomerania.  It was also during this time that the Empire was pulled into conflict with England at the Papacy’s insistence. What originally began as a land dispute over a bishopric spiraled out of control into the English king being excommunicated and setting up an anti-pope to try and limit papal authority. In order to restore order to Christendom and end this foul heresy, Kaiser Heinrich IV declared war on England. At this time, an English army was already besieging Rome, and at the news of war, they moved north into Imperial Italy. They ravaged the surrounding lands of Sienna while the forces of Tuscany, Carinthia, and Transjurania gathered.  Once these forces had gathered, the outcome was all but decided, and the English were soundly crushed.  At the same time, forces under Kaiser Heinrich IV landed in England and crushed all opposition. After about a year or so of sieging English cities, England capitulated and the authority of the papacy maintained. It could be said that this event played a large part in the decision-making that let to the papacy attempting to shift focus away from Christian states warring amongst themselves, and instead direct that energy outwards against the heathens.  Also during this time there were increased rumors that were whispered in dark rooms regarding the ambitions of various princes of the realm. In the north Saxony continued expanding against the Danes, who could put up little defense. Likewise, Tuscany continued to expand against the southern Norman lords, while Carinthia looked poised to gain control of Croatia through a legitimized bastard of the Duke of Carinthia and the only daughter of the Croatian king. Rumors had it that the liasons between Duke Hermann and Princess Neda continued for some time, as it resulted in two bastards, both of which were readily welcomed to the Carinthian court. All together, these incidents and others showed signs of a growing shift in the balance of power within the Empire, the consequences of which unforeseen to those present. Such were the times when the crusade to liberate the holy land was called. Ernest’s reformed Austria, and the Empire, with an internal foundation like shifting sands, were about to be put to the test.
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Apr 15, 2015 04:31
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Dietrich Flamens, Duke of Saxony *The private journal of the Duke* 1089-Ah, war! What could be more exciting! Though the Emperor convinced me to turn from my rightful liberation Meissian Saxony, he did so at a price: a castle and and a county! And now, well, I have a claim on Lubeck, excess funds, and a mercenary company on retainer. There is so much that should be mine. I will take it all!  August, 1091-The Danes are vanquished, as I always knew they would be. The Emperor has taken notice, and in return for the barony he granted me, I have been granted the Duchy of Holstein. This is the tool I need to finally see Denmark truly vanquished. My voice will be heard in the elections of the Danish kings, and my realm will expand with the territory I have been given the rights to! Oddly, no one will celebrate with me. They're all talking about the war in England. Filthy, degenerate, pretender Saxons! Their heretic king, coincidentally, is also an ally of the king of Denmark. He didn't interfere, but who can know what the future holds?  October, 1091-I write this from England, where the Emperor forces me to lead my levies. This place's might is shattered and the time couldn't be more right: I have decided that Denmark is too weak to continue to ignore. I have the claims, so I will have Holstein itself. Conquering the county will also have the delightful side-effect of deposing the Duke of Jylland, the current front-runner in the Danish election. A promising young man, but, sadly, he rules over lands he simply has no right to. They'll call me a truce-breaker for this, and I have to wonder how much it will matter? How will they stop me? I will send the orders to my council at once!  1193-The wars in Denmark and England are dragging on, and while my army and treasury melt away, I am met with news of treason. The last of significant Billungs, Benedicta, has married the Count of Ferrara! Either I'll lose Luneburg, or some Italian lord will lose Ferrara, neither of which I will countenance! I can't rule a single city in Italy, and I will not lose any more territory. Benedicta must be removed!  1094-All is as is should be. England has capitulated, the Danes have surrendered, and Benedicta accepted abdication when my army stood outside her walls. My new vassal, Count Stefan, is an old, loyal coward: the perfect vassal. But all Holstein is mine! The Duchy of Jylland is dissolved! They continue to support an unsuitable heir, the fools, but I have a solution for that...   1095-It's all going as it should. Soon, that silly girl will be deposed for my daughter's father-in-law, the eldest son of old King Sven II. Denmark will be a part of the Empire! Who can blame me for not marching my men to die in the desert? I will get there when the war ends, be given nothing, and mocked for the effort! No, the Holiest of Empires can be served in other, more permanent ways, oh yes. All that I have done has built up to this: Anna is the last true hurdle, and she cannot hope to defeat me. 
Lord Cyrahzax fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Apr 15, 2015 |
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Apr 15, 2015 06:45
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To His Imperial Majesty, and to members of the Diet In preparation for what can only be our inevitable induction into this most holy of endeavors to liberate the holy land, I have prepared a new census of our military forces. I have also updated the maps of the Empire and reassigned the military districts now that the threat of France has been much reduced.   Northern Military District: 11,359/14,432 Brandenburg – 3848/4494 (Margrave of the North) Saxony –3582/5049 Meissen – 2420/3153 The Hansa – 1509/1736 Eastern Military District: 35,133/35,835 Carinthia – 7927/8199 (Margrave of the East) Bavaria – 9216/9790 Bohemia – 7224/6969 Austria – 5383/5383 Swabia – 3137/6108 Southern Military District: 24,273/27,411 Tuscany – 11327/11913 (Margravine of the South) Lombardy – 4333/4764 Turin – 2640/4846 Genoa – 4321/4100 Venice – 1652/1788 Western Military District: 29,173/39,478 Lower Lorraine – 4942/4150 (Margrave of the West) Upper Lorraine – 3506/6596 Dauphine – 4532/6813 Provence – 2979/3870 Transjurania – 6126/6733 Holland – 2809/3339 Luxembourg – 1582/2277 Bourgogne – 1126/3949 Thuringia – 1571/1751 Aquitaine: 7,894/11,042 Gasconge – 3823/5028 (Viceroy of Aquitaine) Bourbon – 2432/3028 Guyenne – 1639/2986 Imperial Troops (HRE) – 49,433/50,229 I have also gathered some preliminary information on the heathens now occupying the Holy Land: the Fatimid Caliphate. The Fatimids currently claim leadership amongst their Sunni sect. As such, we should not expect the Shiite Seljuks to interfere, as the heathens are just as likely to turn on each other as not. The Fatimids can call about 20,000 men to arms, half of which are currently mercenaries employed in the south in a war against the Nubians. Due to the fact that about half of the principalities in the Empire are land locked, and insufficient boats are available for hire to transport even a modest army, I suggest a two-pronged approach. Those who join the crusade with their own access to transport should group together and invade from the sea, striking the coastline and securing a means to supply a unified strike to reclaim the holy city of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, those of us in the Empire without sea transport will march overland through the Byzantine Empire and strike from the north through Galilee. Should we be guided by the hand of Providence, we shall meet in Jerusalem. 
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Apr 16, 2015 03:28
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 I was wrong to be hopeful about my life. My wife continues to shame me with her adulterous escapades, to the point where the people now call her 'the Unfaithful'. How many of the children I am raising are truly mine?    I have three new children, Otto, Hugo, and Irmgard, but seeing them now brings me only pain. What if they are the children of that black priest of Chur, or the lecherous Count of Thouars?  I was even captured by Frenchmen during my campaign in Flanders, and had to solicit the help of my only friend left on this earth, Adalberto, to pay my ransom and get me out.    And then the perfidious Luxembourgers declared war on me as well, attempting to take the county of Julich. I defeated them handily, but it was one more thing on an already-full plate. The dastardly curs also managed to inherit the county of Loon through ancient, obscure laws that are probably fake anyway. I lost Hainaut in the same way.   This has gotten to me so much that all my hairs have gone grey in the space of a year.  Little Jasminne, my ward from Holland, has finally grown up. I see the look in her eyes whenever anyone mentions her bethrothal to my son, Siegfried. She spent much of her adolescence caring for him, bathing him and taking him for walks. She views him as a child or a pet, not a husband. I raised her to be a good woman, though, so she does not openly defy the will of her family. I hope she can find some some happiness with him. He has many flaws, but he has a good heart.  But then I soon discovered, less than a week after their wedding, that the very same Bishop of Chur who seduced my wife, also seduced my daughter-in-law, who gave birth to a bastard son. I would kill the false priest if I were not a broken man.   I no longer even care about the Emperor over-extending us on a foolish anti-papal dispute with England anymore.  I am done with this land, as it is clearly done with me. The Pope has called all good Christian men to journey to the Holy Land and take it back from the Saracens. I will do so. Maybe God will, at last, forgive me for my crimes, should I succeed. 
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Apr 16, 2015 23:14
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If anyone has been watching this but not playing and wants to hop in for a session, I (Habsburg Transjurania) will need a sub tomorrow. I can't be here.
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Apr 17, 2015 17:02
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Do we even have a session tomorrow? We haven't had a diet vote.
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Apr 17, 2015 17:14
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No one seems to know.
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Apr 17, 2015 22:02
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I'm going to talk more at length about it later this weekend, but tomorrow is canceled on my part. I apologize for being mostly gone while I'm at work and dealing with some family fallout, I get a bit avoidant when stressed. I might have someone sub for me for a few weeks if people really want this to continue. As it is, I will be back on a schedule and setup at work where I can participate like I was previously and working on the LP on the week of the tenth. I wanted to talk about it at length because I know a lot of people were really interested in the game, and if I could arrange a sort of caretaker sub for things as they progress, I think it could work for people to continue playing until my own hiatus is over, but I do actually still have this project really near and dear to my heart so if people don't mind the wait I will for sure be back and with a vengeance by that time. I just need to be more communicative about the whole business.
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Apr 18, 2015 00:40
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Juvenalian.Satyr posted:I'm going to talk more at length about it later this weekend, but tomorrow is canceled on my part. I apologize for being mostly gone while I'm at work and dealing with some family fallout, I get a bit avoidant when stressed. Personally I'd rather wait until you return. You're pretty much the core part of this and your posts etc. really pull everything together!
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Apr 18, 2015 00:41
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I agree, I'm willing to wait a bit for the real game with Tricky at full throttle. Take whatever time you need, we'll still be here when you get back.
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Apr 18, 2015 00:51
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Tricky, you're the heart of this entire LP. Take the time you need and we'll resume once you're back. Besides, now I might get time to write my update 
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Apr 18, 2015 01:13
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ThaumPenguin posted:Tricky, you're the heart of this entire LP. Take the time you need and we'll resume once you're back. What this guy said (both parts ).
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Apr 18, 2015 01:15
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Griffen posted:I agree, I'm willing to wait a bit for the real game with Tricky at full throttle. Take whatever time you need, we'll still be here when you get back. Agreed. Means I can go drinking tonight.
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Apr 18, 2015 01:18
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Juvenalian.Satyr posted:I get a bit avoidant when stressed. You're not the only one!
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Apr 18, 2015 03:05
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You matter far more than the LP, and the LP matters enough that I'm willing to donate chunks of time on a Saturday to it, not to mention writing about it. I'm happy to resume as and when you're better situated.
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Apr 18, 2015 12:47
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Okay, so I for real won't be here this weekend, if the game happens, so subs are welcome. Next week everything is back to normal!
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Apr 24, 2015 05:36
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 The decade passed quietly in the newborn republic. Two of the familial heads had passed on, and had been replaced, but Amadeus remained as head of the republic. The Guilders had - to much outcry from the other families, particularly the Mullenweavers who had seen it pass from their hands by force - spent large sums of republican gold on solidifying Hamburg as a Guilder stronghold. Other money went into various money making schemes, and the odd assassination scheme. But still, compared the the throng of wars, deaths, marriages and whatnot that occurred in the greater Empire, the decade passed quietly. And then, in April 1095, the Pope had declared a Crusade - a "pilgrimage to Jerusalem" which just happened to double as an opportunity to "drive the infidel out". Amadeus led the republic to stay out of the Crusade, asserting that it was not in the Republics interest to fight a war so far from home with such small a prize at the end. Quietly, though, the other families heard stories of Amadeus staring intently to the north during the night. ***** Father, I send you this letter, in the hopes that you are well. I am living here in a city they call "Hamburg". There are signs this was not always the city of my husbands family - ripped banners, faded shields. It is a very foreign world - the city is made of wood and stone and is very large. The pastures surrounding the city are filled with crops rather than with horses, and not all the crops are edible. The language they speak and the customs they use are very very foreign. Many times I have been called a "Barbar" or "Barbaren" by the Chancellor, although he has been sent away as of late. The dresses the women here wear; it is opulent bordering on excessive. And it often crosses over. I feel very alone here. My husband does not talk with me; he views my faith, and particularly the strength I hold it with, as heretical. Many men come by - just like the suitors from when I was a girl. They give me roses, dances, and talk, but they are long gone by the morning. My father-in-law is a nice man, but he is burdened with a lot of work. Your loving daughter, Tamari.
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May 9, 2015 11:39
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