#Clan Forbes

[l0nglives]

um , i don't care what filloni or lucas says , satine & obi-wan were much older than fifteen during the year on the run. unless discussed beforehand , my satine was seventeen & would celebrate her eighteenth birthday two months in. so , yes , teenagers , but not that young.

[clancarruthers]

POST CULODEN - CLAN CARRUTHERS CCIS

  POST CULLODEN   AFTER THE FORTY-FIVE AFTER THE REBELLION   In the days when he was a hunted man, expecting every moment to be taken, Charles confessed that all his thoughts were for his unfortunate followers.   The very moment the victory was won saw a beginning of those atrocities which have earned lasting infamy for Cumberland.     The soldiers were encouraged to refuse quarter; a hut into…

[cesqdarque]

MC: Cassandra Darque

It's already been a year since I started working on Cassandra's backstory. So it's high time to do her justice and introduce her to society, even though she doesn't like the spotlight. She'll have to get used to it anyway since I'm writting down her journey to Hogwarts :D stay tuned.

Addendum: The Pursuit of Equilibrium (AO3, Wattpad) Chapters: ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR

Basics

Full name: Cassandra Darque

Nickname: Cass, Topolina (only by her grandmother)

Gender: female

Date of birth: November 16, 1874

Nationality: Swiss/ Italian

Blood status: pureblood

Wand: phoenix core, fir wood, 13”, unbending

Appearance

Hair color: dark chocolate brown

Hair style: chin-length, straight hair, bangs

Eye color: moss green with gray sprinkles

Skin tone: porcelain

Height: 174 cm

Body type: slim

Clothing style: Cass wears mostly black clothes or dresses. She likes fabrics like lace or velvet. For dueling or fighting leather is her favorite material of choice.

Accessories: She carries a necklace with her family’s emblem on it

Other distinguishing features: A small scar on the inside of her left wrist

Personality

Traits: reliable, determined, curious, buttoned-up, skeptical

Likes: Peace and quiet, honesty and straightforwardness, dark chocolate and cherries, autumn

Dislikes: Dishes that are spiced with cinnamon, pears and apricots, exaggerated expressions of emotion

Hobbies: reading German literature and poems (preferably from the Late-Romanticism period), enjoying quiet places and a good drop of absinth from the Valle de Travers, go for walks in the moonlight, methods of torture of the Middle Ages

Fears: the inevitable endless void after this life (from a nihilistic point of view), getting caught and therefore loose the trust of her grandmother

MBTI: ENTJ-A, the Architect

Zodiac: Scorpio sun, Aquarius moon, Virgo rising

Temperament: melancholic

Similar characters: kinda Wednesday Addams vibes, stubborn like Caroline Forbes (TVD)

Family/ Friends

Father: Oswald Darque (deceased †)

Swiss pureblood wizard

worked in diplomatic services

Motto of House Darque: “Verbum est acutius omni ferrum” (The word is sharper than any blade)

Mother: Valeria Montague-Darque (deceased †)

Italian pureblood witch

Only daughter to the Montague-Clan

Motto of Clan Montague: “Non Sine Labore” (Not without effort)

Grandmother: Augustina Montague

Italian pureblood witch

Matriarch of the Montague-Clan

has the sternest gaze of all Northern Italy

Pet: Nero

Black tombcat

Found abandoned at the ruins of the Castello di Cly

lives back at home, on her grandmother's estate

Owl: Malachias

latinized form of the name of the prophet Malachi. Hebrew for "the messenger"

Gray/ white eagle owl

patient, friendly and reliable

Friends: Zacharias Boniface (another OC of mine, her former tutor in Italy), Sebastian Sallow, Imelda Reyes, Ominis Gaunt, Poppy Sweeting

Magic

Boggart: a dark void materializing into a black hooded figure symbolizing death, or rather the fear that’s there nothing after this life

Patronus: Golden eagle. But she’s unable to summon her patronus atm due to her unsolved trauma

Polyjuice: turns white and tastes like cherries and dark chocolate

Scent: peony, bergamot and fresh like Winter's first snowfall

Special abilities:

Ancient magic wielder

Dark Arts (special interests in the use of venomous potions and cursed objects from the Middle Ages. Often are these antiquities of muggle origin, damned to harm ignorant rivals or muggles)

Occlumency, her grandmother thought her this skill to prevent rivals from gaining insights into family business and to shield information.

Backstory

Cassandra was born in Italy in the Val d'Aosta, but her parents took her to the seclusion of the swiss mountains to keep her away from her grandmother's shady business.

Sadly, distance did not bring them peace. One day, members of a feuding clan attacked her family and killed her parents.

Cassandra's grandmother then took her in and ensured her safety and education. During her stay, she formed an emotional bond with her slightly older tutor, who supported her in her plan for revenge, which she achieved.

Unfortunately, her wrongdoings did not pass unnoticed, and Cassandra's grandmother was forced to send her to Hogwarts to prevent her falling into the hands of the authorities or even rival clans.

Academics

Best subject: DADA

Favorite subject: Potions

Favorite teacher: Hecat

Worst subject: Herbology

Least favorite subject: Divination

Least favorite teacher: Onai

Quidditch: she’s not interested in Quidditch and don’t understand all the fuss about it.

As a student: attentive, inquisitive (often a little too much for her own good)

and last but not least, her vibes wrapped up in a song:

(thanks @hazyange1s for lending me your character sheet and to @dvinaamesca for the lovely portrait of Cass 🖤)

[scotianostra]

John Rattray, the Scottish Jacobite Surgeon and golfer was born on September 22nd 1707, at Craighall Castle, Rattray, Perthshire.Another extraordinary man from our history, it has become a 20th century cliché that the best business contacts and opportunities for professional promotions may be made on the golf course. For one 18th century Edinburgh surgeon, however, it was his golfing connections which literally saved his life.In 1731 he joined the Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign’s bodyguard in Scotland to this day. He was a proficient archer winning the Archer’s Silver Bowl on four occasions. On two further occasions in 1735 and 1744 he won the Silver Arrow, presented each year to the champion archer.John Rattray also proved to be a proficient golfer, and was the winner of the first recorded open golf championship in April 1744, the month before he and several others formed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, who put down on paper the first 13 rules of golf, which are more or less still adhered to, to this day. A contemporary poem ‘The Goff’ by Rev. Thomas Mathison published in 1743, the first poem devoted to the sport of golf, it mentions both Rattray, and the man who would later save him from being executed, Duncan Forbes of CullodenNorth from Edina eight furlongs and more,Lies that fam’d field, on Fortha’s sounding shore.Here Caledonian Chiefs for health resort,Confirm their sinews by the manly sport.Macdonald and unmatch’d Dalrymple plyTheir pond'rous weapons, and the green defy;Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renown’d,Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground,And Brown and Alston, Chiefs well known to fame,And numbers more the Muse forbears to name.Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen,Like huge behemoth on an Indian green;His bulk enormous scarce can 'scape the eyes,Amaz’d spectators wonder how he plies.Yea, here great Forbes, patron of the just,The dread of villains and the good man’s trust,When spent with toils in serving human kind,His body recreates, and unbends his mind.John’s father was an Episcopalian priest who became the Bishop of Dunkeld, then of Brechin and was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. On his death in 1743 his elder son James became clan chief and inherited the estate. As the second son John had no such inheritance and he trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh by apprenticeship to the surgeon John Semple between 1728 and 1735, when he began surgical practice in Edinburgh.Following the Battle of Prestonpans, Rattray treated the wounded on the battlefield and joined the Jacobite army travelling with them throughout the campaign.By the time of the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 he had become the personal physician to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Rattray was captured after the battle but was freed after a personal plea to the Duke of Cumberland from Rattray’s old golf playing partner, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, who was Scotland’s most senior judge and a supporter of the government.His intercession on Rattray’s behalf secured his release from prison and saved him from certain hanging, the fate of most Jacobite officers. He was re-arrested by the Hanoverians in Edinburgh and held under house arrest until the spring of 1747. Thereafter he returned to life in Edinburgh practicing as a surgeon and winning the Silver Club of the honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers in 1751. He continued to practice as a surgeon and died at his home in Leith Walk, Edinburgh, in July 1771.A relatively new statue and series of plaques honouring Rattray and the golfers now takes pride of place on Leith Links where the first golf tournament and meeting took place.

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

3, 6, 9 for the asks? Dunno how applicable typical sibling dynamics are in clan culture but answer if it works

— @karriethemechtech

3. I do not tend to spend much money, if I am honest. Not in large quantities. I put away or invested much of the monetary compensation I earned during my time with the Fusiliers, and I still have much of it (barring certain investments that fell through in the Jihad or in the days after Grey Monday). It has been sitting, collecting interest mostly.

(OOC: Melissa is probably, by now, one of the richest people in the Inner Sphere. Certainly in Top 500 on the equivalent of the Forbes "Richest People" list, and most definitely some flavor of multi-billionaire. It just... doesn't mean that much to her, to be honest. A lot more has been donated over the decades to various charities.)

6. There is no true equivalent to sibling dynamics with Trueborn. We have those of our sibko, who often fill a similar role as siblings might, but often only until we reach adolescence and test into being warriors. As well, there is little of the sibling taboos which occur in freeborn society - often a young Clanners first coupling partner of their sibko, and it often continues even past one's Trial of Position and leaving the sibko.

After the Trial of Position, the importance of the sibko dynamic lessens for many. Not for all, however, and certainly not for myself and the other Sixteen; we essentially stayed a sibko for an extra decade while filming Tails of Strana Mechty. We have remained extremely close for well over a century, even with three of us leaving for Terra after the ilClan Trial. We have also added, or hope to add, new members to our "sibko", namely Katrina (@starcolonelkatrinamoon) and eventually, all the new Totem Warriors of the ilClan's New Clan Project, which currently includes Sealth (@killer-orca-cosplay).

9. My favorite holiday remains Founding Day, August 24. It was date settled on to commemorate the SLDF-in-Exile finally reaching the Pentagon Worlds, including Eden, the ancestral home of my Clan. It was once a time of truce for the Clans, and the Clans only, but over the decades, as we grew more intimately intertwined with Spheroid and Periphery populations, it has been been extended to them as well, though notably, not pirates and other criminals.

I am told that the ilKhan may have something, or several somethings, special planned for next year's Founding Day.

[mightywellfan]

Craigievar Castle,

Craigievar Castle is a pinkish harled castle or fortified country house 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the seat of Clan Sempill and the Forbes family resided here for 350 years until 1963, when the property was given to the National Trust for Scotland by William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill. The setting is among scenic rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains, and the contrast of its massive lower storey structure to the finely sculpted multiple turrets, gargoyles and high corbelling work to create a classic fairytale appearance.

[mias-playground]

Sara Forbes Bonetta (born Aina or Ina c1843–1880), was ward and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was believed to have been a titled member of the Egbado clan of the Yoruba people in West Africa, who was orphaned during a war with the nearby Kingdom of Dahomey as a child, and was later enslaved by King Ghezo of Dahomey. She was given as a 'gift' to Captain Frederick E. Forbes of the British Royal Navy and became a goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She married Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, a wealthy Lagos philanthropist. Wikipedia

[kirythestitchwitch]

Klaroline WIP Wed - Necromancing the Stone - It's About To Be A... Witch Fight

Follows right after the last tidbit...

Caroline pushed herself up and turned to head back to her workroom, when a shrill tone cut across her mind. The parameter wards. Quickly changing directions, she jerked open the hall closet and pulled out an open sweater with deep pockets. Shoving her arms in the sleeves, she made her way to the front door, glad she had put on boots this morning. Having to deal with whatever bullshit was about to greet her in slippers would have been undignified.

A quick peek through the peephole showed her four people arranged in front of her porch, their magic tasting of witch lightning and incense. She took one calming breath, and then pulled open the front door and walked out onto the porch, a pleasant smile on her face.

“Siblings, to what do I owe the honor?” Caroline asked, sliding her hands into the pockets of her sweater. Gods, it was bright out here. She squinted.

A tall woman stepped forward in jeans and a light jacket, her braids wound in a bun on her head. “Caroline Nikols?” At Caroline’s nod, she continued. “The hybrid came here, we believe, for assistance with the Piatra Inchisorii.” There was a soft bayou twang in her voice, and Caroline felt a sinking feeling that Klaus’ problems had followed him to her doorstep.

With a shrug, Caroline looked down at her. “Never heard of it.” 

“We know he was here,” a man in the back said, his freckles standing out starkly on the grey undertones in his pale face. At least someone was worried about their choices here today.

“Good for you,” she offered. “Now, if that’s all, I’d like you off my property. I have a business to run.”

“A business making dangerous magical items and raising the dead,” The first woman stated, clenching her fist. Don’t do it, Caroline willed at her, don’t start what you can’t finish.

Caroline shrugged again. “I like challenges. Keeps me young.” Her smile was more bared teeth than anything now, a gleeful little reminder that age brought knowledge and power.

A girl who looked like a teenager, big eyes in a thin face, practically snarled at her. “Did Klaus offer you a challenge, the powers of your fellow witches a payment too great to pass up in exchange for doing his dirty work?”

Her eyebrows raised coolly at her, flicking a glance of askance at the leader. “Are the witches of New Orleans using children to do their dirty work these days?” The woman’s face tightened.

“Turn over the stone to us, and we let you live,” the leader said, like she was being magnanimous.

“My ancestors are not bound in the swamp; you are a long way from home,” Caroline pointed out, wrapping her hand around a woven ball of wire the size of a cat toy in one pocket, and a chunk of pumice in the other.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Klaus isn’t here, and you are one witch. I think we’ll take our chances.”

Caroline tilted her head. “It’s your funeral. Do tell your ancestors the Forbes clan sent you.”

The silent up til now woman to the left of the man raised her hand, energy gathering in her palm. “That blasphemous line died out hundreds of years ago,” she scoffed.

“Did we now?” Her smile was sharp as she fed energy into the chunk of crystal at the heart of the wire ball.

-----------------

*to the tune of Girl Fight* It's about to be a... witch fight.

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E Bios: Haf McFarlane

The Clurichaun Princessof C.R.C Haf McFarlane (2020)

Kirby's cousin, Hywel's niece, and the daughter of Uinseann, Haf. An Irish-Catholic woman living in Wales and a shy, sweet and gentle mother. Her looks deceive many as to her status as a wrestler.

"It's never wrong to be feminine, especially if you can kick asses in dresses."

Name

Full Legal Name: Haf Fianna Ciar Meadhbh McFarlane (Née Rhydderch)

First Name: Haf

Meaning: Means 'Summer' in Welsh

Pronunciation: HAV

Origin: Welsh

Middle Name(s): Fianna, Ciar, Meadhbh

Meaning(s): Fianna: From Irish 'Fiann' meaning 'Band of Warriors'. Ciar: Derived from Irish 'Ciar' meaning 'Black'. Meadhbh: Modern Irish form of 'Medb' meaning 'Intoxicating'

Pronunciation(s): FYEE-na. KEER. MYEW / MYEHV

Origin(s): Irish. Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish. Irish, Irish Mythology

Surname: McFarlane (Née Rhydderch)

Meaning: Anglicized form of Scottish 'MacPhàrlain' or Irish Gaelic 'Mac Pharlain' meaning 'Son of Parthalán'. (Rhydderch: From the given name 'Rhydderch' from the Old Welsh name 'Riderch', derived from 'Ri' 'King' and 'Derch' 'Exalted')

Pronunciation: mac-Fahr-luhn (HRUDH-ehrkh)

Origin: Scottish, Irish (Welsh)

Alias: Clurichaun Princess, Haf McFarlane

Reason: This is Haf's ring name

Nicknames: Summer

Titles: Mrs, Ma'am

Characteristics

Age: 35

Gender: Female. She/Her Pronouns

Race: Human

Nationality: Welsh. Irish-Welsh Mix. Dual Citizenship ROI-UK

Ethnicity: White

Birth Date: April 6th 1985

Symbols: Clurichauns, Alcohol, Crowns

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Religion: Irish-Catholic

Native Language: Welsh

Spoken Languages: Welsh, Irish, Scottish (Scots Gaelic), English

Relationship Status: Married

Astrological Sign: Aries

Theme Song: 'Addicted To Bass' - Puretone (2003-)

Voice Actor: Eve Hewson

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Tullahought, Kilkenny, Ireland

Current Location: Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, Wales

Hometown: Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, Wales

Appearance

Height: 5'6" / 167 cm

Weight: 150 lbs / 68 kg

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Blonde

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: N/A

Facial Hair: N/A

Tattoos: (As of Jan 2020) 10

Piercings: Navel, Ear Lobe (Double, Both)

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Smoker, Social Drinker

Illnesses/Disorders: None Diagnosed

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Allies: (As of Jan 2020) The Rhydderch Clan

Enemies: (As of Jan 2020) None

Friends: Maeve Pritchard, Deirdre Llewellyn, Bridget Griffiths, Rosaleen O'Sullivan, Aisling O'Hannigan, Caoimhe O'Hannegan, Eithne O'Hannagan, Kathleen Mulrennan, Tydfil McFarland, Olwen McDermott, Gwen McCracken, Branwen McCormick, Llinos McConnell, Wanda Ott, Hortensia Marino, Genesis Winter

Colleagues: The C.R.C Locker Rooms / Too Many To List

Rivals: None

Closest Confidant: Keaton McFarlane

Mentor: Uinseann Rhydderch

Significant Other: Keaton McFarlane (36, Husband)

Previous Partners: None of Note

Parents: Uinseann Rhydderch (74, Father), Odharnait Rhydderch (75, Mother, Née MacCarthy)

Parents-In-Law: Forbes McFarlane (66, Father-In-Law), Alli McFarlane (67, Mother-In-Law, Née Pollock)

Siblings: Kathleen Mulrennan (44, Sister, Née Rhydderch), Sean Rhydderch (41, Brother), Wyn Rhydderch (38, Brother), Tydfil McFarland (32, Sister, Née Rhydderch)

Siblings-In-Law: Fachtna Mulrennan (45, Kathleen's Husband), Yvette Rhydderch (42, Sean's Wife, Née Plamondon), Ragnhild Rhydderch (39, Wyn's Wife, Née Perreault), Keith McFarland (33, Tydfil's Husband), Aliyya Hall (33, Keaton's Sister, Née McFarlane), Sherlock Hall (34, Aliyya's Husband), Samwise McFarlane (30, Keaton's Brother), Aminah McFarlane (31, Samwise's Wife, Née Holm), Alya Lang (27, Keaton's Sister, Née McFarlane), Zorro Lang (28, Alya's Husband), Tuor McFarlane (24, Keaton's Brother), Asiya McFarlane (25, Tuor's Wife, Née Lind), Amira Lund (21, Keaton's Sister, Née McFarlane), Benediktas Lund (22, Amira's Husband), Antanas McFarlane (18, Keaton's Brother), Asmaa McFarlane (15, Keaton's Sister), Eimantas McFarlane (12, Keaton's Brother), Aya McFarlane (9, Keaton's Sister), Emilis McFarlane (6, Keaton's Brother), Ayda McFarlane (3, Keaton's Sister)

Nieces & Nephews: Eachann Mulrennan (24, Nephew), Aurora Mulrennan (25, Eachann's Wife, Née MacDonald), Daffodil MacDaniel (21, Niece, Née Mulrennan), Grant MacDaniel (22, Daffodil's Husband), Calanthe Mulrennan (18, Niece), Baggi Mulrennan (15, Nephew), Abel Mulrennan (12, Nephew), Zinnia Mulrennan (9, Niece), Yolanda Mulrennan (6, Niece), Xerxes Mulrennan (3, Nephew), Walker Rhydderch (21, Nephew), Henriika Rhydderch (22, Walker's Wife, Née MacColuim), Velvet Rhydderch (18, Niece), Unni Rhydderch (15, Niece), Talfryn Rhydderch (12, Nephew), Ragna Rhydderch (9, Niece), Queenie Rhydderch (6, Niece), Samson Rhydderch (3, Nephew), Pacey Rhydderch (18, Nephew), Ogden Rhydderch (15, Nephew), Naomi Rhydderch (12, Niece), Madonna Rhydderch (9, Niece), Lachtna Rhydderch (6, Nephew), Kal-El Rhydderch (3, Nephew), Easter McFarland (12, Niece), Dalton McFarland (9, Nephew), Cadell McFarland (6, Nephew), Barbara McFarland (3, Niece), Tariel Hall (13, Nephew), Amaal Hall (10, Niece), Turin Hall (7, Nephew), Amna Hall (4, Niece) Aras Hall (1, Nephew), Arij McFarlane (10, Niece), Augustinas McFarlane (7, Nephew), Asra McFarlane (4, Niece), Daumantas McFarlane (1, Nephew), Assia Lang (7, Niece), Domantas Lang (4, Nephew), Ayah Lang (1, Niece), Donatas McFarlane (4, Nephew), Ayda McFarlane (1, Niece), Egidijus Lund (1, Nephew)

Children: Jane McFarlane (15, Daughter), Idalia McFarlane (12, Daughter), Hall McFarlane (9, Son), Gael McFarlane (6, Son), Fallon McFarlane (3, Daughter)

Children-In-Law: None

Grandkids: None

Great Grandkids: None

Wrestling

Billed From: Kilkenny, Ireland

Trainer: The C.R.C Wrestling School, Uinseann Rhydderch

Managers: Keaton McFarlane

Wrestlers Managed: Keaton McFarlane

Debut: 2003

Debut Match: Haf Rhydderch VS Odharnait Rhydderch. Haf won via pinfall

Retired: N/A

Retirement Match: N/A

Wrestling Style: Technician / Powerhouse

Stables: The Rhydderch Clan (2003-)

Teams: No Team Names

Regular Moves: Back Body Drop, Bearhug, Bearhug Into A Thrust Spinebuster To The Ring Post, Big Boot, Chokehold, Corner Clothesline, Flying Clothesline, Rebound Clothesline, Arm Twist Ropewalk Chop, Over The Top Rope Suicide Dive, Reverse STO, Running DDT, Running Elbow Drop, Running Leg Drop, Running Leg Drop To An Apron-Hung Opponent, Sidewalk Slam, Snake Eyes, Standing Dragon Sleeper, Arm Drag, Dropkick, Headscissors Takedown, Knee Lift, Running Crossbody

Finishers: Ropewalk Diving Elbow Chop, Heart Punch, One-Handed Clawhold, Elevated Powerbomb, Triangle Choke, Chokeslam, Tombstone Piledriver, Figure-Four Leglock, Flying Forearm Smash

Refers To Fans As: The Fans, The Family

Extras

Backstory: Haf McFarlane (Née Rhydderch) of the C.R.C (Welsh Wrestling League / Cynghrair Reslo Cymru) owning Rhydderch Family. When Uinseann dies Haf will have a 1/40th ownership of the promotion. Haf is a 'Clurichaun Style' (Technician mixed with Powerhouse) trainer. She's a quarter-Welsh and three quarters-Irish

Trivia: Nothing of Note

[inky-duchess]

Ello duchess In my story the king sends one of his sons

( the very youngest who into seeking knowledge and enjoys traveling.)

The kingdom they travel to allows and has slavery and upon arriving the king of that place gives the prince a welcome give and which is a female slave.

My question is would it be wrong for him to regret the person and was there any cases of something like this in history?

A lot of monarchs were given people as gifts. Victoria was presented with a young princess of the Egbado clan of the Yoruba people, called Ina/Aina (Anglicanized to Sarah Forbes Bonetta) on behalf of the King of the Yoruba who overthrew Ina's father in a bloody coup. Victoria rejected the notion of having Ina as a slave but Ina never returned to her homeland again.

[lboogie1906]

Sarah Forbes Bonetta (c. 1843 - August 15, 1880) a princess of the Egbado clan of the Yoruba people, is known as the goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was born in Nigeria. Her parents’ names are unknown as are the names of her siblings who were all killed in the 1847 slave raid that made her a captive.

Her village of Okeadan was attacked by King Gezo of Dahomey. Intent on capturing slaves and killing those not taken, Gezo’s men seized the four-year-old girl. She was not killed and remained at Gezo’s Court until British Commander Frederick Forbes landed the HMS Bonetta in Dahomey to persuade Gezo to give up slave raiding and trading. Forbes noticed the young girl and bargained for her life. He persuaded King Gezo to “give” her to Queen Victoria, saying “She would be a present from the King of the Blacks to the Queen of the Whites.” The girl remained with Forbes in West Africa where she was baptized and given the name Sarah Forbes Bonetta.

She met Queen Victoria. The Queen was impressed by her intellect and entrusted her care to the Schoen family. The Queen declared her goddaughter and paid her tutorial expenses.

She developed a cough believed to be caused by the climate of Great Britain. Queen Victoria arranged for her to be sent to what she believed was a better climate for her in Sierra Leone. There she was educated at the Female Institution. She excelled in music and academic studies but was unhappy prompting the Queen to bring her back to England.

She was permitted by Queen Victoria to marry Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, a wealthy Yoruba businessman from Sierra Leone. She arrived at the ceremony in an entourage that included ten carriages. The couple lived in Bristol, England before returning to Sierra Leone.

She began teaching in a Freetown school. She gave birth to a girl and was permitted by the Queen to name her Victoria. The Queen became young Victoria’s godmother. Her cough continued and she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She had two more children but died. Queen Victoria continued to provide for her daughter. She supported young Victoria’s education and gave her an annuity. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[cesqdarque]

Heey! Perhaps 9,22,24 for Cass please?😊

Heyy there! Thanks for the ask! 🖤

9) were you inspired by characters from other media when making your mc? if so, which characters? and how did they influence your mc?

Originally, I just designed her the way I thought was most fitting, without basing her on any existing character. When I joined an RP with Cass, I was told that she had Wednesday Addams vibes. I thought that was a good fit and somehow stuck with it. She only wears black, for example. When I developed Zacharias, she got a bit of the stubbornness of Caroline Forbes (TVD). Cass was always determined, but Zach brings out her vicious side :D

22) does your mc have any pets? if so, why do they have the pets they have? and for fun, what are their pets’ names?

Yes. Cassandra has two pets.

A black cat named Nero, who lives at her grandmother's country estate in Val d'Aosta. In fact, I still have a flashback somewhere in my never-ending folder of notes of how the two met. Maybe I'll upload that sometime.

And she has a white/gray eagle owl named Malachias. This owl followed her all the way to Hogwarts. Well, Malachias was sent to her by Zacharias and then stayed with her, which of course made Cass very happy. Malachias is extremely reliable and kind, even if he may look a bit grumpy at first glance.

24) where is your mc from? where is their family from?

Cassandra's family on her mother's side comes from northern Italy (Val d'Aosta), where her grandmother still lives. Her grandma is the matriarch of the Montague clan and runs the family business with a silver tongue and an iron hand. Her father was a Swiss diplomat. Her parents' marriage was a love match, although Cassandra's grandmother has of course tried to take advantage of her father's influence more than once. No family is perfect :D

[scotianostra]

John Rattray, the Scottish Jacobite Surgeon and golfer was born on September 22nd 1707, Craighall Castle, Rattray, Perthshire.

John’s father was an Episcopalian priest who became the Bishop of Dunkeld, then of Brechin and was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. On his death in 1743 his elder son James became clan chief and inherited the estate. As the second son John had no such inheritance and he trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh by apprenticeship to the surgeon John Semple between 1728 and 1735, when he began surgical practice in Edinburgh. To enhance his professional status he applied to become a freeman (or fellow) of the Incorporation of Surgeons of Edinburgh (later the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh) This involved sitting a series of four examinations which were held in the later months of 1740, and, having passed these, he was admitted a freeman of the Incorporation in November 1740.

In his spare time John Rattray was a keen sportsman he joined , The Royal Company of Archers in 1731 winning the archery competition for the silver punch bowl on 4 occasions and The Company’s most prestigious prize, the Edinburgh Arrow, twice. He was also a skilled golfer and his prowess at golf is recorded in this extract from the mock heroic poem ‘The Goff’ by Rev. Thomas Mathison published in 1743, the first poem devoted to the sport of golf.

North from Edina eight furlongs and more, Lies that fam’d field, on Fortha’s sounding shore. Here Caledonian Chiefs for health resort, Confirm their sinews by the manly sport. Macdonald and unmatch’d Dalrymple ply Their pond'rous weapons, and the green defy; Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renown’d, Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground, And Brown and Alston, Chiefs well known to fame, And numbers more the Muse forbears to name. Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen, Like huge behemoth on an Indian green; His bulk enormous scarce can 'scape the eyes, Amaz’d spectators wonder how he plies. Yea, here great Forbes, patron of the just, The dread of villains and the good man’s trust, When spent with toils in serving human kind, His body recreates, and unbends his mind.

John Rattray was one of the men who drew up the first ever Rules of Golf and on March 7th, 1744, the City of Edinburgh Council provided the Gentlemen Golfers at Leith (now the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield) with a Silver Club on condition they draw up regulations for their competition and rules ‘for the goff’.The following month Rattray won the first ever competition for the Silver Club, was duly appointed ‘Captain of the Goff’ and became the sole signatory of the first known written ‘Rules of Golf’.

18 months later the Jacobites entered Edinburgh and Rattray’s older brother James, the Laird of Craighall, suggested he offer his medical services to Bonnie Prince Charlie, I say suggested, as Clan Chief he chose which side to be on for family members.

Please note not all followed their Clan Chief, this split many families down the middle, you had brothers taking different sides during th ‘45 Uprising.

As the Jacobites mobilised ahead of Prestonpans, Rattray, who lived at South Foulis Close off the High Street, rode to the East Lothian encampment along with John Lauder, a fellow of the Incorporation of Surgeons,according to their records he tended the wounded and travelled as surgeon with the army as it advanced into England and then retreated from Derby, eventually becoming surgeon general and personal surgeon to Prince Charles.

Records also show Rattray and Lauder were captured on the battlefield at Culloden on April 16 1746. The pair were held in a church in Inverness and their medical instruments removed, according to accounts. They were moved to Inverness Prison three days later. Their detention, however, was short lived after Lord President Forbes sought a direct reprieve for Rattray and Lauder from the Duke of Cumberland, Forbes, the same Forbes mentioned in the poem, and a friend of the surgeon.

Following his release, Rattray headed to Culloden House, the family home of his golfing companion.

One account of his release in The Lyon in Mourning, a collection of papers, letters and speeches of Jacobite supporters of the ‘45 Uprising, said: “Mr John Rattray came to Culloden House after his liberation at Inverness. President Forbes told the said Mr Rattray that he had obtained his liberation upon condition that he should become evidence.”

John Rattray was horrified by the prospect of becoming a witness for the state, according to the account.

It added: “This provoked Mr Rattray so much that he told the President in a passion that he would far choose to give himself up in a second and to return to the miserable situation of a prisoner once more than to become an evidence.”

Lord President Forbes convinced him not to surrender with the law man sure he was able to spare the surgeon. The medics returned to Edinburgh and Rattray confided in a friend about Lord Presidents’ offer.

It is said the Lord President, who died the following year, was so taken aback at Rattray sharing details of the proposal that “it had bad effects upon the President’s health, and even hastened his death.

“It is indeed a prevailing opinion that the President died of a broken heart,” the account said.

Rattray was quickly seized in the capital and was again taken prisoner on 28 May 1746 before being sent to London, by Cumberland’s orders, to act as a witness.

He was finally released on January 7 1747 and eventually returned to his usual routine of work and sport.

In 1751, he won the Silver Club for the third time. Today, you can visit a statue of John Rattray on Leith Links, close to the first hole of the original course that was played 276 years ago. He died in Edinburgh on 5th July 1771.

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LADY SARAH FORBES BONETTA // NOBLEWOMAN

“She was ward and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was believed to have been an titled member of the Egbado clan of the Yoruba people in West Africa, was orphaned during a war with the nearby Kingdom of Dahomey as a child, and later became enslaved to King Ghezo of Dahomey. She was “liberated” from slavery by being given as a “gift” to Capt. Frederick E. Forbes of the British Royal Navy and became goddaughter of Queen Victoria after she was impressed by the young princess’ “exceptional intelligence”.”

[celticbarb]

Book: Highlander Fated

Author: Jayne Castel

Series: Rebellious Highland Hearts, Book #4

Publisher: Winter Mist Press

Print Length: 297 Pages

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

Dun Ugadale, Kintyre Peninsula, Scotland 1454

Greer Forbes and Bonnie MacKay had formed a bond a year prior at Castle Varrich. She had been invited to Dun Ugadale and was thrilled to get away from her own family at Druminnor for the summer. Greer and Bonnie had formed a rare closeness and become the best of friends. Bonnie was the sister Greer never had, having two selfish elder brothers. Her father forced her to make a deal after this summer to pick a husband. She being a chieftains daughter it had to be a good alliance. Another loveless marriage like her parents and two elderly brothers. None of them were love matches and none of their marriages had grown into love matches either sadly. Greer saw what strained relationships all three of them had with their spouses and it broke her heart.

Now at Dun Ugadale Greer is immediately drawn to the castle blacksmith; the chemistry and attraction happens immediately between both Brodie MacKay and Greer. Although Brodie can hide his attraction better, always being the family sourpuss and for good reason. He had not an easy life and had been born illegitimate but Greer did not care! After all none of that was Brodie’s fault it wasn’t like he asked to be born. In many ways he was her opposite being sour and grumpy and he wouldn’t even live with his brother although he did love them and knew they loved him.

Greer had this great outlook on life looking at everything sunny and bright. However Brodie looked at everything with sourness never being accepted by his stepmother and being treated horribly. He wouldn’t sleep under the same roof as his brothers but learned to be a magnificent blacksmith. So he was surprised when Greer asked to make a dagger. His price was steep but it would be worth it.

Again Brodie is secretly attracted to Greer but he knew he was way below her in status. He has always felt like an outsider and feels she is out of his league being a Chieftain’s daughter. Brodie was born illegitimate when his father fell in love with the castle cook. Now both of them are deceased however his step-mother has always mistreated him since he was a wee lad. The problem is he can’t stop thinking about Greer as no other woman compares. Now Greer has asked him to teach her to defend herself and in such closeness one thing leads to another. Even though they both know they have no future, these star-crossed lovers can’t resist each other.

It is even worse when Greer’s father comes to get her and changes her plans that just breaks her heart! He wants her to marry a chieftain’s son, one that is an enemy of the MacKay clan. On top of that this man says she can never go visit the MacKay clan at Dun Ugadale and must sever her friendship with her best friend Bonnie! Except Greer does something very wreckless with the man she loves except things do not unfold when they both admit they love each other. Plus both are betrayed by the people they thought they could trust.

Will Greer be forced to marry a man she does not love? Will this man abuse her and use brute strength against her petite fraiI body? Is she disowned by her own family? Will she be forced to take the veil? Will her sunny disposition become broken and filled with sorrow and melancholy, including a great misery and unhappiness that can never be mended? Read and have your tissues ready for this emotional roller coaster!

This is the fourth book and series finale for the Rebellious Highland Hearts series which I absolutely loved. It was a slow burn but definitely worth the wait. As Jayne Castel is one of my go to authors. I was waiting for Brodie’s book being the family outcast. Another book I absolutely loved which can be read as a stand alone book or in series order. I highly recommend all four books which I absolutely have loved! This was a beautiful series finale that readers don't want to miss!

Thank you for this advance readers copy and I agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog review. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.