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Post by Fleischmann on Oct 15, 2022 23:21:14 GMT
It was a quiet morning in the Ministry of Finance, Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus was sitting at his eating a sausage and reading the paper. As he flipped through it, he came across the foreign affairs sections and noticed that it had an interesting story.
'Duom to get new queen... Re-be-ka-ra...'
He thought back to his time serving in the military and fighting in Duom and all he could muster for her was 'Poor sod.' This of course set him off on a little trip into his mind.
'If I were king, I wouldn't have allowed the fleet to rush into that obvious trap... If I had been king, I would have stopped the Tholes from ever taking Heel and done them in there and then... If I-'
BRRRRR
'If-'
BRRRRRRRR
'If I were king, I would make it illegal to do construction work at six in the morning when everyone's supposed to be getting in!'
Annoyed by the sound of drilling, Þunr got up from his desk and made his way upstairs. There he saw a magical sight... People actually interested in construction work.
'What's going on, why's everyone gathered here?'
'Oh, morning-morning! We're getting a new machine in. Something called a facsimile copying machine, it's supposed to let us send documents to far away places quickly now.'
No longer angry but interested, he watched as the machine was put into place and then tested. He even helped the installation team as they began putting up the new partition in the office for the facsimile copyer. On his way down, he felt amazed by the idea... 'No more couriers, now we can just fax things!' he thought to himself. After settling back down at his desk though, he realised something.
'I need to quit this job...'
Looking back at the paper, he thought on his problem and then noticed there was a picture of the new queen. Pretty, young... Why not? He started drafting a letter to her, though he knew it was unlikely to get him anywhere and that others would try the same, what was the harm in trying?
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Post by astokohai on Oct 15, 2022 23:56:17 GMT
After the letter is sent there is a period of a couple weeks with no response, and even if this is to be expected for such a long journey, it doesn't make that time any more nerve wracking or harrowing. Questions are bound to arrive, would Rybakar ever respond, would her response even be amiable, let alone if it was in acceptance.
However finally, almost 3 weeks after the letter had been sent, Þunr gets a strange letter, at first, he is unsure as to what it is, the envelope is made of quite a rustic and strange paper, brown and obviously striated and the garish yellow seal upon it is alien and foreign to him, not something any register of sigils or national seals would verify, and it is also strangely shiny in places, something on more astute inspection appears to be gold dust.
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Post by Fleischmann on Oct 16, 2022 2:44:54 GMT
After the letter is sent there is a period of a couple weeks with no response, and even if this is to be expected for such a long journey, it doesn't make that time any more nerve wracking or harrowing. Questions are bound to arrive, would Rybakar ever respond, would her response even be amiable, let alone if it was in acceptance. However finally, almost 3 weeks after the letter had been sent, Þunr gets a strange letter, at first, he is unsure as to what it is, the envelope is made of quite a rustic and strange paper, brown and obviously striated and the garish yellow seal upon it is alien and foreign to him, not something any register of sigils or national seals would verify, and it is also strangely shiny in places, something on more astute inspection appears to be gold dust. |
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Post by The Realm of Moderal on Oct 16, 2022 4:25:14 GMT
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Post by astokohai on Oct 17, 2022 19:30:29 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite
To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin
To Þunr Ælfsunus
I am glad you can understand the reasoning behind my rejection and hope that we may at least come to an understanding of each other, if not grow a more trusting friendship, it is also good to hear that you have the confidence and self-opinion to continue your attempt and I will keep this in mind if my circumstances change.
I am also glad to hear that my upbringing is not of a hinderance to you, many of my foreign suitors merely think that as a Queen I must have been born noble and not that I earned by position through the respect of the people I helped liberate from their oppressors, many hear that I grew up as a mere farmer's girl and think I am some upstart uneducated peasant even though I was blessed with a rather robust education by the church here in New Respite. This misunderstanding has had the helpful benefit of weeding out the worst of my admirers, although reading that some think I have some priest write for me is still insulting.
The farm my father and brothers work on is far greater then 8 acres I must admit but it was the village farm and not just theirs, given how many work those lands though the great scale of them is to be expected. My family also had a garden out the back of our cottage, although we didn't have the right soil for melons we did grow many potherbs there, my favourites were always the potatoes simply due to how versatile and easy to grow they were, you have to imagine my shock when I learnt that some of my fellow clergymen though that they were poisonous and pressed the council to ban their production. I think more polititians should strive to engage with the work of their people, otherwise you'll get more people like that with absolutely ridiculous ideas.
As for my hobbies and interests, I have a great many, since I am quite often stuck inside due to my visions I have grown very accustomed to reading books. As my knowledge of your lineage may support, history is a particular fancy of mine, which I got into at first to try learn from the past to better rule in the present. Besides reading I also have interests in music, although I do not play many instruments myself, snake breeding and rearing which I first learnt from my mother, although some of my fellow clergyman dislike the practice and I also quite enjoy painting. While I am sad to say I do not share your interest in hiking itself, I struggle to climb some hills I must admit, I do very much enjoy the views you can get while so high up, I quite fondly remember when I was on a diplomatic visit to Guthancyningar and was driven along the cliffline and the view out the window will stick with me for a long time I imagine.
All the best,
Rybakar Summarmarstris
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Post by astokohai on Oct 17, 2022 19:35:46 GMT
From: Rybakar Sumarmarstris, The Sun Queen, Patriarch of New Respite
To: Rodica Gasca, Imparat of The Realms of Moderal
To Rodica Gasca,
If your cousin is interested in his hand he should write to me personally, while you may vouch for his qualities as a person you cannot vouch for his wishes on your own and I will not even keep thoughts of union in my mind unless he write to me himself, either you are assuming his wants or he is too cowardly to write to me himself.
While improving relations between our countries is something I do strive for, especially with both of our expansions around the Ilhaco areas, I can do so without going along with a marriage proposed by someone besides the fiancée in question. Either have Eduad write to me himself or propose yourself if you wish to improve relations in such a manner, although I am unsure to your own marital status or the legality of such in your home country for the later.
Regards,
Rybakar Sumarmarstris
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Post by Fleischmann on Oct 18, 2022 0:46:08 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin To Þunr Ælfsunus I am glad you can understand the reasoning behind my rejection and hope that we may at least come to an understanding of each other, if not grow a more trusting friendship, it is also good to hear that you have the confidence and self-opinion to continue your attempt and I will keep this in mind if my circumstances change. I am also glad to hear that my upbringing is not of a hinderance to you, many of my foreign suitors merely think that as a Queen I must have been born noble and not that I earned by position through the respect of the people I helped liberate from their oppressors, many hear that I grew up as a mere farmer's girl and think I am some upstart uneducated peasant even though I was blessed with a rather robust education by the church here in New Respite. This misunderstanding has had the helpful benefit of weeding out the worst of my admirers, although reading that some think I have some priest write for me is still insulting. The farm my father and brothers work on is far greater then 8 acres I must admit but it was the village farm and not just theirs, given how many work those lands though the great scale of them is to be expected. My family also had a garden out the back of our cottage, although we didn't have the right soil for melons we did grow many potherbs there, my favourites were always the potatoes simply due to how versatile and easy to grow they were, you have to imagine my shock when I learnt that some of my fellow clergymen though that they were poisonous and pressed the council to ban their production. I think more polititians should strive to engage with the work of their people, otherwise you'll get more people like that with absolutely ridiculous ideas. As for my hobbies and interests, I have a great many, since I am quite often stuck inside due to my visions I have grown very accustomed to reading books. As my knowledge of your lineage may support, history is a particular fancy of mine, which I got into at first to try learn from the past to better rule in the present. Besides reading I also have interests in music, although I do not play many instruments myself, snake breeding and rearing which I first learnt from my mother, although some of my fellow clergyman dislike the practice and I also quite enjoy painting. While I am sad to say I do not share your interest in hiking itself, I struggle to climb some hills I must admit, I do very much enjoy the views you can get while so high up, I quite fondly remember when I was on a diplomatic visit to Guthancyningar and was driven along the cliffline and the view out the window will stick with me for a long time I imagine. All the best, Rybakar Summarmarstris
Dear Sunna-Kwena, I survived the climb! I made it a good three-fifths of the way up the mountain before I had to turn back. My opponents did not get to the top of the mountain either, so I am quite happy about my accomplishment. If you ever want to see the top of a mountain, I can carry you. I doubt you weigh more than the breathing gear I had to take with me recently, so it should be a good old jol. There are some really nice tombs around here for you to visit, though I'm not sure your snake would enjoy the experience, given the winds. By the way, how do you like food? I recently had this dish from the Ringsea called pasta diavolo which... Well, it is a red dish. Slightly spicy tomato sauce, pasta, and that is it. I honestly found it a bit boring compared to the food we have here, but it was worth trying. Honestly, besides the garlic and snail dish I had, I think I just prefer home cooking in general. Thick and slow stews with cumin, turmeric, and other spices providing flavour and aroma, especially when served in a bread bowl... That is heavenly. How are you with spicy foods? I know not everyone over here has made the adjustment to them, but I think they are fab. If you want to try them but are not sure how well you can take them, I suggest having a glass of ymer or malted milk on hand, as it kills the spiciness in my experience. As for banning the noble 'tato, I can say nothing but phooey. Sure they are poisonous if green, and sure they produce poisonous gas sometimes, but have those men ever eaten one? It is pure starchy goodness! I went to this one place that served them thinly sliced and fried in oil, crispy as can be and delicious... Oh, and stalls! One of my favourite things to do at fairs is find the stalls with the potato skins. They basically spice them up, put them on a stick, and fry them, and then add small bacon bits. Delicious and easy to eat while looking at attractions. There is an interesting Sheenish book about the potato you might like, it is called 'Potato: A History of the Propitious Esculent'. Quite fascinating stuff and very informative. Also, since you like reading so much, you should be getting something I knitted. I originally started off trying to make myself a sweater, but I failed rather miserably at the shape. After getting your letter, I decided to repurpose it instead of starting over. Let me know if the neck rest-brace thing is overly stuffed or too lumpy. If worse comes to worse, you can use it as a pillow for your snake. Yours,
Þunr Ælfsunus |
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Post by The Realm of Moderal on Oct 18, 2022 10:18:31 GMT
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Post by astokohai on Oct 22, 2022 17:06:46 GMT
To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite
To Þunr Ælfsunus
I am glad to hear you survived.
Climbing three fifths up the tallest mountain is no small feat, you should be proud you managed to do so much even if the summit wasn't reached, especially given the resources of your competitors. While I appreciate the sentiment, I'd rather at least try climb it myself even if I lack the fortitude of yourself, also why I am not sure how much the breathing gear weighs, I will say that my upbringing certainly hasn't made me some slender waif. As for the tombs, while I enjoy history, I am no archaeologist and would rather not disturb the dead unless it is appropriate, in addition, you needn't worry about my snakes, it's rare that I take them outside of their habitats with me.
I quite enjoy food, although more so the art of making it rather than going and consuming the art of others, there is something very wholesome and fulfilling about eating something you made yourself, although my work makes that a rarer and rarer occurrence these days. I agree with you on stews, however, not only do they often taste good, but they also preserve far more nutrients and foodstuffs then other cooking means, and while the people of New Respite are rarely ever in want of food, it is good practice to make the best out of what there is and many of our most traditional dishes come from before we had such a cornucopia of food. Spiced foods are not especially common here, at least among the Charalers, with herbs taking much of their place. Obviously, salt is also prevalent given our large coastlines and some spices are used such as long pepper or caraway but really spices seem to always anoint the dishes of the priests, which I personally find quite telling for how true the equality of this nation is at times. Ah, but we shouldn't talk about such things in a missive like this, I doubt such matters are exactly of interest to most people and it would be rather trite of me to slack off my fellow clergymen.
Although, this does connect back to the potato thing I suppose, there is a growing disconnect between the clergy and the workers, especially the higher up you go in the priesthood, I find it hard to believe anyone who has ever worked the land a day in their life would think to ban the potato, especially since they themselves have never even eaten one in case it poisons them. I shall have to try pick up that book however, it sounds quite the informative read, perhaps I can even convince some to be placed in the library hear so that some of my fellows have a chance to re-educate themselves.
Finally, I must say your failed sweater seems to have adopted its new purpose splendidly, perhaps it was what it was fated to be all along as it has served its function as a neck pillow better then I could have ever expected, maybe you have a future in knitting, although sadly I cannot say I share such dexterity, my mother always struggled to teach me how to knit, I can still barely sew I have to admit.
Yours,
Rybakar Sumarmarstris.
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Post by astokohai on Oct 22, 2022 17:16:57 GMT
To: Rybakar Sumarmarstris
From: Eduad Gasca
Greetings Sun Queen,
I hope this letter finds you well. My cousin Rodica told me that you wished for me to write to you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get to know you, I'm sure I will enjoy your correspondence no matter the decision you make. It has been so long since I have written a letter, I have little cause to these days as I haven't left Gaia in many years and my family seem content to stay here with me. I would like to travel, but that is very difficult to do and I find myself too swamped with tedious work to commit the effort to getting away. I hear you have gone on travels yourself, do you have any recommendations of places to visit?
I find myself wondering what it is you do, I know that you are the head of two nations but what does that entail? Do you enjoy ruling? I myself do not enjoy my work, I would much rather wander the streets of Gaia and Primisla and figure out how things work. Though I only get to do that when it is not miserable weather.
Thank you for asking about me, I look forward to your response
Kind Regards,
Eduad Gasca.
From: Rybakar Sumarmarstris To: Eduad Gasca To Eduad Gasca It does indeed find me well. Your cousin wrote to me in your stead to ask for our marriage and I asked you write yourself; I assume you can understand why. I am glad to hear you will be amiable even with my rejection as I find it good to know someone first before you marry them, that being said I will not stop you from trying to sway my hand to yours. My work often means I must travel yes, one of the first things I did as Patriarch was go on a tour of other nations to try establishing good relations, sadly we had to skip Moderal because of the coming war but I hope you understand why that was necessary. As for recommendations, I myself quite liked St Helena in the Imperium Divinium, although that may simply be because I was more lucid and freer of visions during that trip, of course I'd also recommend New Respite itself, but I understand it is quite some distance to be practical. I do quite a lot of things, many mere ceremonies, some far more practical. Although calling me head of two nations is a little misleading, I am queen of Kumarkatch yes, but in New Respite I am Patriarch, which is a far less authoritative position, I am more a figurehead for the council, even my diplomatic visits to the major powers would normally done by a council member yclept Miriam. I do not necessarily find work enjoyable, but I do take pride in it, and it feels good to complete it, although at the same time I do understand your wanderings, I myself often wish I could just leave the Temple and go wander the paths back home sometimes, of course, I can do more good here then there but still, sometimes your heart can be selfish I suppose. |
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Post by Fleischmann on Oct 23, 2022 20:24:55 GMT
To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite To Þunr Ælfsunus I am glad to hear you survived. Climbing three fifths up the tallest mountain is no small feat, you should be proud you managed to do so much even if the summit wasn't reached, especially given the resources of your competitors. While I appreciate the sentiment, I'd rather at least try climb it myself even if I lack the fortitude of yourself, also why I am not sure how much the breathing gear weighs, I will say that my upbringing certainly hasn't made me some slender waif. As for the tombs, while I enjoy history, I am no archaeologist and would rather not disturb the dead unless it is appropriate, in addition, you needn't worry about my snakes, it's rare that I take them outside of their habitats with me. I quite enjoy food, although more so the art of making it rather than going and consuming the art of others, there is something very wholesome and fulfilling about eating something you made yourself, although my work makes that a rarer and rarer occurrence these days. I agree with you on stews, however, not only do they often taste good, but they also preserve far more nutrients and foodstuffs then other cooking means, and while the people of New Respite are rarely ever in want of food, it is good practice to make the best out of what there is and many of our most traditional dishes come from before we had such a cornucopia of food. Spiced foods are not especially common here, at least among the Charalers, with herbs taking much of their place. Obviously, salt is also prevalent given our large coastlines and some spices are used such as long pepper or caraway but really spices seem to always anoint the dishes of the priests, which I personally find quite telling for how true the equality of this nation is at times. Ah, but we shouldn't talk about such things in a missive like this, I doubt such matters are exactly of interest to most people and it would be rather trite of me to slack off my fellow clergymen. Although, this does connect back to the potato thing I suppose, there is a growing disconnect between the clergy and the workers, especially the higher up you go in the priesthood, I find it hard to believe anyone who has ever worked the land a day in their life would think to ban the potato, especially since they themselves have never even eaten one in case it poisons them. I shall have to try pick up that book however, it sounds quite the informative read, perhaps I can even convince some to be placed in the library hear so that some of my fellows have a chance to re-educate themselves. Finally, I must say your failed sweater seems to have adopted its new purpose splendidly, perhaps it was what it was fated to be all along as it has served its function as a neck pillow better then I could have ever expected, maybe you have a future in knitting, although sadly I cannot say I share such dexterity, my mother always struggled to teach me how to knit, I can still barely sew I have to admit. Yours, Rybakar Sumarmarstris.
Dear Sunna-Kwena, Your kind words are like a soothing balm for my ego. Have you considered maybe throwing a party for your clergy and staff? Invite everyone to bring a dish from home and an ingredient, then add the ingredients to a big cauldron. You could introduce the clergy to the potato through the mixed dish and others... Especially since I doubt they would know what the potato dishes taste nor look like, as potatoes can be prepared in many ways. Have it so every dish brought gets noted on a list and then at the end of the festivities you can reveal what they were and award a prize to whoever's dish was the most well received. In the mean time, I have had to begin a review of the current expense accounts the government has open and help compile a report on them and spending limits. It is all rather boring stuff, but it is currently necessary as we found that some accounts have been left open for over twenty years now, with no one alive to use them. While no one has misappropriated the funds dedicated to said accounts, it is a bit of an issue, as they could have... Oh, and the accounts are tying up funds too. One big issue which we are facing, is that many of the records explaining why we have these accounts were destroyed during the Great Rumble. Did you know the Roll of Kings was destroyed in that too? It caused a crisis here and we were lucky to find an intact copy from the last century which we could use in conjunction with the partial copies we found to make a fully restored version. We have taken to making a ton of copies now, so no need to worry about that. It was funny to find out I am on the roll of kings as a relative. It is insane how many relations they record... Oh, right. Back on topic, we are currently working our way through the Naval Radiology and Experimental Imaging Laboratory's accounts. The things they have bought and the amounts they have spent! Honestly though, it mostly seems above board... Though I am still trying to figure out how they managed to ruin that much film. All they wrote was 'shielding accident, indirect exposure to film' and a huge bill for replacement materials and better shielding. Other than that, I did not think you waifish, but the climbs are hard here. It is appropriate to see the tombs and it is perfectly fine to visit them, so long as we do not enter them. I would not think to deprive you of your companions, so if you wish to bring one or two of them along, I am sure we could find a less bone-chillingly cold place to visit. Actually, while not a mountain, my cousin built a giant glass pyramid using this strange one way mirror material. Underneath the mirror glass, is a stepped pyramid with vents and hydrothermal tubes going all over the place and releasing steam, creating artificially warm and humid or dry environments for these plants. It is a giant greenhouse complex and botanical garden! From what I understand, there are some interior chambers too, as well as a proper tomb for him to rest in. It is quite impressive, one of the largest pyramids in the world, if no the largest. Your snakes should feel rather comfortable there, given the variable and warm environments there and you would be able to both climb up steps and see many varied plants, all the while being able to observe the surrounding lands and cities. I do not recall there being vendors there for food, so we would likely need to bring our own food. What do you think you would like to eat? I might go for a thermos of Bovril and some savoury biscuits with cream cheese. Anyway, I should probably finish this up and get back to my work. I hope you can get a handle of those turbulent priests or be rid of them. Yours, Þunr Ælfsunus |
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Post by The Realm of Moderal on Oct 30, 2022 10:52:41 GMT
<abbr>F</abbr>rom: Rybakar Sumarmarstris To: Eduad Gasca To Eduad Gasca It does indeed find me well. Your cousin wrote to me in your stead to ask for our marriage and I asked you write yourself; I assume you can understand why. I am glad to hear you will be amiable even with my rejection as I find it good to know someone first before you marry them, that being said I will not stop you from trying to sway my hand to yours. My work often means I must travel yes, one of the first things I did as Patriarch was go on a tour of other nations to try establishing good relations, sadly we had to skip Moderal because of the coming war but I hope you understand why that was necessary. As for recommendations, I myself quite liked St Helena in the Imperium Divinium, although that may simply be because I was more lucid and freer of visions during that trip, of course I'd also recommend New Respite itself, but I understand it is quite some distance to be practical. I do quite a lot of things, many mere ceremonies, some far more practical. Although calling me head of two nations is a little misleading, I am queen of Kumarkatch yes, but in New Respite I am Patriarch, which is a far less authoritative position, I am more a figurehead for the council, even my diplomatic visits to the major powers would normally done by a council member yclept Miriam. I do not necessarily find work enjoyable, but I do take pride in it, and it feels good to complete it, although at the same time I do understand your wanderings, I myself often wish I could just leave the Temple and go wander the paths back home sometimes, of course, I can do more good here then there but still, sometimes your heart can be selfish I suppose.
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Post by astokohai on Nov 11, 2022 19:47:52 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite
To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin
I am sorry for the recent lack of correspondence; I assume that the news has reached you of the attack on the Great Temple on the 1st of November and thus this delay in messages shouldn't be a surprise given both my condition and increased responsibilities. I am afraid this will also put any potential visits abroad on hold so it may be some time before I can accompany you to that pyramid tomb or any other such adventures, although should you find any time to do so you are free to visit me hear if you so wish and if I can make time for such an occasion.
At the very least the recent attack has had the benefit of removing some of the more objectional members of the Holy Council, although of course I cannot say I am happy the attack happened, I might as well try and view whatever positives I can. In an almost ironic twist, it seemed the assailants had plans to poison themselves should they be captured, the poison in question being deadly nightshade, a relative of the potato, so it seems those councillors' fears of the poisonous potato was perhaps a foreshadowing of this. I hope my mentioning of these attacks doesn't dour your mood, but it felt important to bring them up as they have so dominated my life this past while.
In less depressing news, the local religious authorities in Kumarkatch have started working alongside the Caudian priests I have stationed there, and we are slowly beginning to compile both versions of the bible in their native tongues and script as well as a version of their religious texts in Caudiawa Hellens, this should hopefully help with abating cultural and religious clashes between the two groups and help foster a healthy scholastic friendship between them as well. I for one am looking forward to being able to read these texts and learn more about the titles they have bestowed on me as, shamed as I am to admit it, my grasp of the written form of their language has been largely lost on me and I only speak one of their spoken tongues with any level of fluency. Perhaps I can ask for another translation to be written so I can send one along to you to read, although I am unsure if such a text would be of interest to you.
Anyway, I hope this arrives to you in good health and I am glad for our friendship, if only we had started sooner perhaps you could have attended my coronation, I can imagine the ritual clothing would have helped cement your interest in me at least.
Yours, Rybakar Sumarmarstris
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Post by astokohai on Nov 11, 2022 19:56:08 GMT
To: Eduad Gasca
From: Rybakar Sumarmarstris
Sorry for my late reply, I assume the news has reached you and as such you will be understanding
While I can certainly understand the effects of your cousin, arranged marriages are not unheard of over here after all, it is my personal belief that spouses should be friends first and lovers second and I hope you can understand why. I will say that this recent attack has certainly pushed forward the idea of having foreign diplomatic visits again as securing our position is far more important with domestic (or potentially foreign) threats towards our state government. In addition, New Respite itself is not overly mountainous but the Midal-Volker lands are entirely mountainous so that should work well for hiking, although its not under my jurisdiction, it is on the border and the train lines do go rather close.
My visions can be taxing at time, but I have grown used to them, they only tend to flare up in times of stress or excitement, my doctor believes it has something to do with blood flow to my brain although obviously we cannot exactly confirm that very easily and it's not something that would really necessitate surgery either. I am glad to hear that my health worries you as obviously this is a respectable trait in a potential spouse, and on that topic, I would like to learn more about you, even if we do not end up engaged to one another, it would still be nice to become friends with one another in my opinion and can only serve to help our nations become more friendly as well.
Kind regards
Rybakar Sumarmarstris
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Post by Fleischmann on Nov 11, 2022 20:34:20 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin I am sorry for the recent lack of correspondence; I assume that the news has reached you of the attack on the Great Temple on the 1st of November and thus this delay in messages shouldn't be a surprise given both my condition and increased responsibilities. I am afraid this will also put any potential visits abroad on hold so it may be some time before I can accompany you to that pyramid tomb or any other such adventures, although should you find any time to do so you are free to visit me hear if you so wish and if I can make time for such an occasion. At the very least the recent attack has had the benefit of removing some of the more objectional members of the Holy Council, although of course I cannot say I am happy the attack happened, I might as well try and view whatever positives I can. In an almost ironic twist, it seemed the assailants had plans to poison themselves should they be captured, the poison in question being deadly nightshade, a relative of the potato, so it seems those councillors' fears of the poisonous potato was perhaps a foreshadowing of this. I hope my mentioning of these attacks doesn't dour your mood, but it felt important to bring them up as they have so dominated my life this past while. In less depressing news, the local religious authorities in Kumarkatch have started working alongside the Caudian priests I have stationed there, and we are slowly beginning to compile both versions of the bible in their native tongues and script as well as a version of their religious texts in Caudiawa Hellens, this should hopefully help with abating cultural and religious clashes between the two groups and help foster a healthy scholastic friendship between them as well. I for one am looking forward to being able to read these texts and learn more about the titles they have bestowed on me as, shamed as I am to admit it, my grasp of the written form of their language has been largely lost on me and I only speak one of their spoken tongues with any level of fluency. Perhaps I can ask for another translation to be written so I can send one along to you to read, although I am unsure if such a text would be of interest to you. Anyway, I hope this arrives to you in good health and I am glad for our friendship, if only we had started sooner perhaps you could have attended my coronation, I can imagine the ritual clothing would have helped cement your interest in me at least. Yours, Rybakar Sumarmarstris |
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Post by The Realm of Moderal on Nov 14, 2022 6:29:18 GMT
To: Eduad Gasca From: Rybakar Sumarmarstris Sorry for my late reply, I assume the news has reached you and as such you will be understanding While I can certainly understand the effects of your cousin, arranged marriages are not unheard of over here after all, it is my personal belief that spouses should be friends first and lovers second and I hope you can understand why. I will say that this recent attack has certainly pushed forward the idea of having foreign diplomatic visits again as securing our position is far more important with domestic (or potentially foreign) threats towards our state government. In addition, New Respite itself is not overly mountainous but the Midal-Volker lands are entirely mountainous so that should work well for hiking, although its not under my jurisdiction, it is on the border and the train lines do go rather close. My visions can be taxing at time, but I have grown used to them, they only tend to flare up in times of stress or excitement, my doctor believes it has something to do with blood flow to my brain although obviously we cannot exactly confirm that very easily and it's not something that would really necessitate surgery either. I am glad to hear that my health worries you as obviously this is a respectable trait in a potential spouse, and on that topic, I would like to learn more about you, even if we do not end up engaged to one another, it would still be nice to become friends with one another in my opinion and can only serve to help our nations become more friendly as well. Kind regards Rybakar Sumarmarstris |
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Post by astokohai on Jan 3, 2023 1:51:36 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite
To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin
Dear Þunr.
I must thank you for your gifts, I have sent some postcards of my own, although they are not overly common in these parts so I have additionally sent a painting of the compound of the Great Temple and its surroundings for you to appreciate. I also thank you for the forums, luckily we haven't made any attempt to convert the peoples of Kumarkatch as of yet due to the legal treatise around the area but compiling their mythos has been very enlightening, we haven't translated much, if anything, into Sadaler tongue yet but I have also sent a copy of the Kiliam Balam translated into Tholish for you, I do hope you can read it, if not I'll have to send another when we can get a Sadaler copy.
I am also glad to tell you that I have made great strides in my recovery and the reorganisation of the Caudian state has been going rather well so far, we haven't been able to elect new council members as of yet due to fears of it hindering the still very slow investigations but luckily the local parishes have been more then understanding and the support among the common people has been astounding. At times the support from them can be... Too great in fact, a faction has arisen in Kumarkatch, the Reservations as well as some of the home provinces that wishes to instate me as the first Athelang of Caudia, some even wanting to go further and crown me as Tiarna, while I do appreciate their support and confidence in my rule, such notions are rather antithetical to the foundation of this state so it has been causing some internal strife as well.
But thats enough politics for now, I don't want to bore you with these missives as I have begun to find our correspondence quite comforting, even if work limits how often I can write to you. I can also say that your quest to woo me has begun to bear fruit as while I cannot in good faith engage myself to a man I have never met, meeting you is something I would very much like to do, be it in the realm of Sadalen or Caudia, or perhaps even Kumarkatch. Due to these blossoming I have decided to indeed send you an image of my coronation dress, although sadly it is not from the coronation itself as the only pictures happened during and after the ceremony and the ceremony involves a lot of water and the cloths of the coronation garb... Well, lets say that the water made them even more immodest then they already are.
Accompanying all these gifts are some flowers I pressed myself as well as a copy of one of my old art journals from when I was first learning to cope with my visions. Be warned that while many drawings are perfectly tame and pleasant, they are all of my visions and as such some can be more emotional or disturbing then others. I only include those in this copy because if we are to be wed at some point, it seems important for you to understand why my visions can cause me such distress at times.
Yours Faithfully
Rybakar Sumarmarstris
Attached to the letter is a colour photograph of Rybakar, standing in her living quarters, the colour being achieved through the colour separation process, leading to some noticeable artefacts. Her flamelike hair is done up in long braids that are interlaced with rippling and colourful sashes of dyed cotton, above which her head has been adorned with a large headdress of plated gold which is covered in an almost garish array of feathers and gems. Compared to her more usual outfits, her body is rather exposed in her coronation garb as the style is clearly designed with men in mind over women, leading to her Rubenesque figure and lightly olive skin being more clearly on display. Her neck is encased in a highly decorative gilded gorget that almost seems to flow across her shoulders and nape. Below that is a almost radiantly white open huipil, its short length and open slit down the middle are the most obvious signs that this was designed for a man as they allow much of Rybakar's skin and bosom to be seen, although nothing too provocative. Finally around her waist is a surprisingly simple skirt that at first glance seems to be made of linen but on closer inspection is made of many hundreds of carefully woven strands of silver mixed with cotton threads, relieving a faint pattern across the entire surface of the dress that must have been fully revealed once the skirt was drenched with water and the cotton made almost see-through. Rybakar also holds her 2 royal regalia, firstly a large spear, whose haft has a carefully carved spiral down its entire length with has been masterfully inlaid with more silver threads, its point is gilt with gold and below the head is an icon of the sun made of hammered bronze and inlaid in its centre with a sizeable jade. In her other hand is her "sword", it is nowhere near as resplendent as the rest of her outfit, as Rybakar made it herself as is the tradition of the Kiche, it consists of a wooden club, not dissimilar to a cricket bat, that has its edges lined with blades made of sharpened crocodile teeth. Despite how revealing the outfit is, the whole ensemble still instils a sense of regality and augustness that one might expect to get from viewing the venerated statue of a tribal god or hero.
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Post by Fleischmann on Jan 3, 2023 20:55:12 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin Dear Þunr. I must thank you for your gifts, I have sent some postcards of my own, although they are not overly common in these parts so I have additionally sent a painting of the compound of the Great Temple and its surroundings for you to appreciate. I also thank you for the forums, luckily we haven't made any attempt to convert the peoples of Kumarkatch as of yet due to the legal treatise around the area but compiling their mythos has been very enlightening, we haven't translated much, if anything, into Sadaler tongue yet but I have also sent a copy of the Kiliam Balam translated into Tholish for you, I do hope you can read it, if not I'll have to send another when we can get a Sadaler copy. I am also glad to tell you that I have made great strides in my recovery and the reorganisation of the Caudian state has been going rather well so far, we haven't been able to elect new council members as of yet due to fears of it hindering the still very slow investigations but luckily the local parishes have been more then understanding and the support among the common people has been astounding. At times the support from them can be... Too great in fact, a faction has arisen in Kumarkatch, the Reservations as well as some of the home provinces that wishes to instate me as the first Athelang of Caudia, some even wanting to go further and crown me as Tiarna, while I do appreciate their support and confidence in my rule, such notions are rather antithetical to the foundation of this state so it has been causing some internal strife as well. But thats enough politics for now, I don't want to bore you with these missives as I have begun to find our correspondence quite comforting, even if work limits how often I can write to you. I can also say that your quest to woo me has begun to bear fruit as while I cannot in good faith engage myself to a man I have never met, meeting you is something I would very much like to do, be it in the realm of Sadalen or Caudia, or perhaps even Kumarkatch. Due to these blossoming I have decided to indeed send you an image of my coronation dress, although sadly it is not from the coronation itself as the only pictures happened during and after the ceremony and the ceremony involves a lot of water and the cloths of the coronation garb... Well, lets say that the water made them even more immodest then they already are. Accompanying all these gifts are some flowers I pressed myself as well as a copy of one of my old art journals from when I was first learning to cope with my visions. Be warned that while many drawings are perfectly tame and pleasant, they are all of my visions and as such some can be more emotional or disturbing then others. I only include those in this copy because if we are to be wed at some point, it seems important for you to understand why my visions can cause me such distress at times. Yours Faithfully Rybakar Sumarmarstris Attached to the letter is a colour photograph of Rybakar, standing in her living quarters, the colour being achieved through the colour separation process, leading to some noticeable artefacts. Her flamelike hair is done up in long braids that are interlaced with rippling and colourful sashes of dyed cotton, above which her head has been adorned with a large headdress of plated gold which is covered in an almost garish array of feathers and gems. Compared to her more usual outfits, her body is rather exposed in her coronation garb as the style is clearly designed with men in mind over women, leading to her Rubenesque figure and lightly olive skin being more clearly on display. Her neck is encased in a highly decorative gilded gorget that almost seems to flow across her shoulders and nape. Below that is a almost radiantly white open huipil, its short length and open slit down the middle are the most obvious signs that this was designed for a man as they allow much of Rybakar's skin and bosom to be seen, although nothing too provocative. Finally around her waist is a surprisingly simple skirt that at first glance seems to be made of linen but on closer inspection is made of many hundreds of carefully woven strands of silver mixed with cotton threads, relieving a faint pattern across the entire surface of the dress that must have been fully revealed once the skirt was drenched with water and the cotton made almost see-through. Rybakar also holds her 2 royal regalia, firstly a large spear, whose haft has a carefully carved spiral down its entire length with has been masterfully inlaid with more silver threads, its point is gilt with gold and below the head is an icon of the sun made of hammered bronze and inlaid in its centre with a sizeable jade. In her other hand is her "sword", it is nowhere near as resplendent as the rest of her outfit, as Rybakar made it herself as is the tradition of the Kiche, it consists of a wooden club, not dissimilar to a cricket bat, that has its edges lined with blades made of sharpened crocodile teeth. Despite how revealing the outfit is, the whole ensemble still instils a sense of regality and augustness that one might expect to get from viewing the venerated statue of a tribal god or hero. |
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Post by astokohai on Feb 6, 2023 17:47:04 GMT
From: Þie Sunna-Kwena Rybakar Sumarmarstris, Daughter of Kinich/Ahau and Patriarch of New Respite
To: Sa Hairas Þunr Ælfsunus af hize Dalin en Goþijin
Dear Þunr,
I am sorry that the picture may have caused issues, I thought I had given warning enough but I admit I am not exactly used to sending such things over the mail and hadn't realised you read these in your office. In either case I am glad to hear that you appreciated the image and that the works of the Kumarkatch are getting properly translated by the Sadaler themselves. While I admit I would like some amount of oversight, as I have studied the faith of the Kumarkatch rather closely and could help with nuances, I think my lacking command of the Sadaler tongue would most likely make such efforts fruitless at best. At the very least, we have translated the works into Greek and Hebrew as well as Caudian and Tholish now, and Latin, Sheenish, Moderali and Magdalese translation efforts are under way, although are progressing rather slowly due to a lack of people knowledgable in those languages in New Respite.
I will admit I have not listened to the radio in quite some time, I remember when I was little and we first got a receiver in my family home, it was quite the event and I did spend much of my time listening to the transmissions while doing my chores. However now that I am the leader of the country and much of the time on the radio is spent talking about policies I am already deeply aware of it has begun to lose its appeal on me. All radio stations over here, while not exclusively state run, do have a large degree of oversight by the church and state and as such we have a lack of stations geared towards certain things, although hopefully we may be able to expand the rights that the smaller local stations have at the moment and could potentially see some sort of larger music based station start up. Even then, New Respite's radio scene is still far better then Kumarkatch, our infrastructure projects over there are still just beginning so they have to make do with only military broadcasts and the main New Respite news station being repeated at them.
While I would love to meet, heading to the Raikh at the moment isn't the most feasible just to visit you, the state is still recovering from the possible coup attempt and as such it is hard for me to leave the country except on matters of diplomacy. However if you were to visit New Respite itself it would be far more acceptable for me to meet with you as you are still a member of the Sadalen royal family and it would make sense that I, as the head of state, were to at least meet you and welcome you to the country. Of course I have more reason to do so then merely greeting some foreign royal, but a suitable pretence is still beneficial.
Finally, I am grateful for the gifts you have sent me, although I must say, I do find the choice of comic rather ironic given my position as the future Sun Goddess of the Kumarkatch people and the comic's basis on a man falling in love with a Moon Goddess. Sadly such comics are rarely produced over here, due to the sometimes Puritan beliefs of the current parent generation, the state has been somewhat forced to mandate comics of a primarily educational nature. Luckily we were able to preserve some due to their long histories and cultural significance but it does often annoy me how much these parents want us to restrict their children's media freedom for them, there is even a group wishing for us to ban certain musical genres and modes. Besides the comics, the sesame seed bars were very nice, we have many similar treats over here due to our agricultural economic basis, I believe such confections were first introduced to us by the Greek missionaries who also converted us to Christianity. On the topic of chocolate, I did know it could be pressed into solid form, although it hasn't taken off over here as of yet, in fact, chocolate as a whole is surprisingly absent in Caudian cuisine, except for the military for some reason who appear to love the stuff more then a mother loves her babes. I think Rinhithainen Elaefa-Styl's blood is probably made of chocolate by this point, its the only thing I've seen her drink.
Yours faithfully,
Rybakar Sumarmarstris
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