#Prince Polonia

[wgm-beautiful-world]

Kasiąż Castle - PRINCE CASTLE - POLAND

[witekspicsart]

Tombstones - sculptures on graves of polish kings in a chapel in The Holy Trinity church - Opole, Poland.

[witeksphotosart]

Monument - sculpture of a prince Kazimierz Opolski, the founder of Opole, Poland.

[lavenderapollo]

more things from my production of hamlet that permanently altered my brain chemistry

getting to pick out my own costume, wearing an old peacoat that i eventually took with me to college

all of the tiny details of my costume that nobody but myself noticed

horatio wearing a tiny heart locket because of the whole “heart’s core” thing

horatio fiddling with the necklace while watching the play within a play, while watching the fencing match

our director cut the script to create a deeper relationship between horatio and gertrude while hamlet is away getting captured by pirates

the letter scene

hamlet and horatio reading hamlet’s letter in sync, except hamlet reads “horatio” alone in the beginning and horatio reading “hamlet” alone at the end of the letter

horatio going straight from the letter scene into a conversation with gertrude about ophelia’s health

horatio being in ophelia’s mad scenes, watching her break down and cry, assisting with her wheelchair

gertrude relying on horatio for the truth about hamlet’s whereabouts

horatio staying with gertrude as she dies, then attending to laertes, then finally, to hamlet

our director remind our hamlet to “die center!!!”

hearing the bows music for the first time (the other side by david gray)

wittenberg crew making each other friendship bracelets (r&g had matching “rosie” and “guildy” bracelets, ho&ham had bracelets that read “good night” and “sweet prince” respectively)

making myself a bracelet that said “L + horatio”

THE GRAVEDIGGER SCENE

wearing my peacoat in the final scene, then tearing it off to give to laertes as he’s dying

hamlet holding claudius’ head, forcing him to drink the poison, then finishing him off with a small little nick to the ear, giving claudius a taste of his own medicine

ophelia having one fleeting moment of clarity when she sees laertes, running to hug him

polonia taking an awkward family photo with her kids, chastising them for not smiling enough

(accidentally photobombing those photos during rehearsals)

i mentioned yorick hot potato in the last post, but i didn’t mention that i pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer after tossing the skull away

the lighting, the set

having to carefully fumble my way offstage once the lights went down, the three times i almost tripped over a foil

and the one time where i actually did

after that they put glow tape on the stage

our set designer crafted an entirely original crest for the hamlet family, using nordic, danish, and even some tolkien characters for inspiration

seeing the set for the first time

our first time staging the death scene

there’s a photo of me in my lil spot by hamlet, surrounded by dead bodies and bathed in red light just kinda going like 😁👍👍

crushing the other teams at shakespeare trivia during our closing night cast party

[marzipanandminutiae]

Off the top of my head, Elizabeth I sometimes used the generic title "Prince" for a Renaissance ruler, and Jadwiga of Poland was "Rex Poloniae" rather than "Regina." Japanese empresses regnant also used the same title as emperors, not that of imperial consorts.

Yeah, I know "prince" sometimes meant "monarch, regardless of gender" in Early Modern English (eg. "princes to act, and monarchs to behold the swelling scene" in Shakespeare's Henry V). The rest are new to me, but they make sense

I think there are a lot of interesting things to study, historically, around gender and sovereignty/leadership. But I also think people- in a completely understandable search for historical representation, which does exist elsewhere! -have developed a tendency to try and fit things into currently accepted identity categories rather than understand that yes, some people adopted titles that seem contrary to their birth-assigned gender, but that doesn't necessarily say anything about their personal identities the way it might nowadays.

[veritanascoste]

Castello di Ksiaz- Fürstenstein

È il terzo castello più grande della Polonia e il più grande della Slesia meridionale.

Il castello fu costruito nel 1288 - 1292 . Diciamo entro 4 anni...

La cosa interessante è che il periodo di costruzione ufficiale del 1288 - 1292 può essere trovato solo nella Wikipedia inglese se si cerca "Prince Castle, Polonia". La Wikipedia tedesca dice semplicemente "prima del 1300..."

Ancora più interessante, si dice che il castello sia stato costruito in 4 anni. Ma la città a cui appartiene, Walbrzych o anticamente Waldenburg (Slesia), fu fondata, secondo le informazioni ufficiali, solo tra il 1290 e il 1293.

Nel 1875 si contavano 11.307 abitanti.

Diciamo la verità. Nemmeno nel 1875 con 11.307 abitanti un complesso così vasto avrebbe potuto essere costruito in 4 anni. Ma nel 1288 si dice che sia stato costruito in 4 anni e senza popolazione locale, poiché non c'erano ancora né infrastrutture né città...

Scopri di più sul Vecchio Mondo!

https://t.me/HinterdenKulissen2/5871?single

Riflettiamo

[zarya-zaryanitsa]

I’m sorry if this is a silly question but when exactly is Jarilo reborn and when is his sister “killed”? I know there’s a ritualistic killing that marks changing of seasons but I’m not sure when those timeframes are. Thank you !

Oh, oh, oh, but there’s a lot.

Let’s start with Morana, (who I assume you were referring to when you mentioned „Jarilo’s sister”).

We can find the oldest traces of the ritual of her drowning in an Annoucement issued in 1366 in Prague, citing „the middle of Lent” as the time it is performed - possibly pointing to the Mid-Lenten Sunday*. „Middle of Lent” is also named in the nearly identical Annoucement of 1384.

sub anno 1366 On the image of death (regarding those who bring death to the outskirts of town in the middle of Lent). It is known that in some cities, towns, and villages the pernicious habit has taken root, on the part of clergy and laymen, of bringing images in the form of death around the town to the river in the middle of Lent, accompanied by chants and superstitious representations, and that there they sink said images vehemently, arguing, to their own shame, that in this way death will not do them more harm, because it has been destroyed and wiped out from the town’s boundaries.

- Translation from Sources of Slavic Pre-Christian Religion ed. by J. A. Álvarez-Pedrosa

In the Polish statutes of Andrzej Łaskarz (dated to the early 1400s) the date given for the tradition is also Laetare Sunday or White Sunday, in which Łaskarz seems to be correcting older provincial statutes, on which he based his work and which name as the date of the ritual „Iudica Sunday** alias White Sunday”.

*The Laetare Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent. To the best of my knowledge it was also known as the White Sunday (although nowadays this name seems to mostly be applied to the first Sunday after Easter instead) or Mid-Lenten Sunday (biała niedziela, niedziela śródpostna).

** The Iudica Sunday is the fifth Sunday of Lent. It is also known as the Black Sunday or the Death Sunday (czarna niedziela, smrtná nedel’a).

*** The Palm Sunday is the sixth Sunday of Lent. It is also known as the Floral Sunday or the Willow Sunday (kvetná nedel’a, wierzbna niedziela).

In „Annales seu Cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae” (Annals or Chronicles of the Illustrious Kingdom of Poland) created in the years 1455–1480 Jan Długosz mentions an edict of prince Mieszko (the founder of the first independent Polish state and the man who christianized it, generally viewed by Poles as the first ruler of Poland). The story of the edict, a fictitious dramatization of Mieszko’s christianization of Poland states that Mieszko ordered his subjects to end the worship of pagan gods and destroy their temples and idols, setting the seventh of March as a deadline. On the seventh of March even the most reluctant Poles had to destroy the last images of their gods and throw their idols into rivers and swamps. According to Długosz this event was still commemorated in his times:

And although this destruction and sinking of the false gods and goddesses took place, in some towns a farce is still represented in which they worship Dzyewana and Marzyana in the form of a long stick, which is thrown and sunk in swamps on Laetare Sunday. This has been continued until our times, such that the practice of this very old custom has still not disappeared among the Poles.

- Translation from Sources of Slavic Pre-Christian Religion ed. by J. A. Álvarez-Pedrosa

Of course the theory that this tradition originated from Mieszko is highly doubtful, similar traditions can be whitnessed in many neighboring countries and they seem to have a common pre-Christian origin.

In his 1564 edition of „Kronika Wszystkiego Świata” (Universal Chronicle) Marcin Bielski mentions that:

And even today they have a tradition in Greater Poland and Silesia, that on the seventh day of March they drown Marzana, dressed like a woman; and leaving the village [to do this] they sing ”Death is writhing by the fence, she’s looking for trouble” etc.

- my translation

Later in 1597 Joachim, the son of Marcin Bielski published an annotated version of his father’s Polish Chronicle (Kronika polska Marcina Bielskiego nowo przez Joachima Bielskiego, syna jego, wydana) in which we can find Joachim’s remark that ”even in his times people still perform the same ritual on White Sunday”. The dates given here, 7th of March and White Sunday seem to mirror Długosz’s account.

Maciej Miechowita in his 1521 Chronica Polonorum (Polish Chronicle), Marcin Kromer in his 1555 De origine et rebus gestis Polonorum libri XXX (30 books about origins and achievments of the Poles) and Maciej Stryjkowski in his 1582 Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudzka i wszystkiej Rusi (Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Ruthenia) all give Laetare as the date of Morana’s drowning, however it’s necessary to note that all chronicles draw heavily from Długosz’s (and the others’) writings.

Alessandro Guagnini in his 1578 Sarmatiae Europeae descriptio (Description of Sarmatian Europe), which by some scholars is believed to be a plagiarized version of Stryjkowski’s early manuscript, cites as dates for the drowning ritual in Silesia first seventh and then seventeenth of March, which led many slavists to believe that the seventeenth might be an error.

Jakub Wujek repeats Długosz’s tale of Mieszko’s edict and bridges the dates by claiming that Mid-Lenten Sunday fell on the seventh of March in the year of the edict (Postylla catholica, to iest Kazania na każdą niedzielę i na każde święto przez cały rok, 1573).

Now I’m gonna speed forward to the work of Michał Łuczyński who in his 2008 article „Kognitywna definicja Marzanny – Próba rekonstrukcji fragmentu tradycyjnego mitologicznego obrazu świata Słowian” (Cognitive Definition of Marzanna – An Attempt at Reconstruction of a Fragment of the Traditional Mythological Appearance of the Slavic World) cites and analyses records from 19th and 20th century. Accounts provided by Łuczyński confirm that in Polish and Silesian tradition the date associated with the drowning of Marzanna (sometimes accompanied by her male counterpart Marzaniok) is the fourth Sunday of Lent. However he also mentions that the ritual can be similarly associated with Death Sunday and Floral Sunday and quotes a Czech folklorist František Bartoš’s account of Mařena being drowned on „Death (Black) Sunday”. To the best of my understanding the rituals on Floral and Black Sunday could be encountered in various places in Czech Republic and Slovakia. The male counterpart of Morana may also appear alongside her in some Czech and Slovak regions under varying names (Mařík, Mařoch etc.).

Finally Łuczyński also quotes an account mentioning the Bulgarian tradition of Mara-i-Lishanka, which as Bulgarian and Russian wikipedia tell me involves bathing/floating and then dismantling of Mara on Bright Wednesday (the Wednesday after Easter).

In present-day Poland the drowning (or burning and drowning) of Marzanna happens on 21st of March, an attempt to align the ritual with the beginning of astronomical spring and spring equinox.

Completely different dates are cited for Eastern Slavic rendition of rituals involving Mara/Morana/Marena.

I know right. How fun.

In Ukraine, in the eve of Kupala, a maple, birch or willow was cut down, erected on a hill and adorned with wreaths, flowers, rib- bons, even candles. The tree was called Morana / Mara or Gilce (such a name was also given to a wedding tree). People would perform round dances around the tree and sing. Like on Christmas, Russians would make a straw doll, dress it in female clothing and place it under a tree. They would call the doll Kupala / Morena / Mara; in later times, it was given female names such as Marina or Katerina. A bonfire was lit near the tree, with a pole topped with an old wheel / hub or a pole topped with straws in the centre of it. Before the end of the feast, a tree was thrown into the river. A straw doll was burned down and the ashes were sprinkled across the field. In Belarus, the bonfire was called kupala. A pole with a hub or a cow / horse skull was set in the middle of it. Girls would throw tows into the fire for a good yield of flax, while firebrands were cast around the fields. Instead of a tree, Belarusians used to make a straw doll of Mara. Singing, they would carry the straw doll behind the boundary of the village, where it was burned down or drowned.

- Slavic folklore, Didactical guidelines by Laima Anglickienė

Similar celebrations are mentioned by Łuczyński. His article contains an account of an Ukrainian tradition of drowining a clay effigy of Morynka on the day of Kupala (Saint John’s Eve). Another describes Marena (madder) also called Kupala being made out of a young tree, straw and woman’s clothing and carried around in a procession on the night of Kupala and drowned the next day. A Belarusian account mentions Mara also known as Kupala being burned or drowned on the night of Kupala.

Now onto Jarilo.

First of all most slavists whose works I’ve read believe Jarilo and Jarowit (Yarovit, Gervit, Herovith) to be the same deity. Therefore we have to start with the oldest known dates for the holiday of Yarovit.

In Sources of Slavic Pre-Christian Religion the authors note that:

In April 1127, Saint Otto of Bamberg returns to Pomerania to resume his missionary work. When he arrives in Magdeburg, he interviews Norbert, the archbishop of said see, who, moved by jealousy, attempts to delay his journey to Pomerania.

Otto arrives in Magdeburg in April, then heads to Havelberg before finally ending up in Demmin in May. This is the window of time we have to work with.

During his visit in Havelberg bishop Otto encountered a festival devoted to Yarovit, carried out by great crowds bearing standards; the date, roughly estimated as 10th of May points to it being one of the spring celebrations of local devotional calendar.”

- Mitologia Słowian by Aleksander Gieysztor, my translation

In this post I explain that two Polish slavists, Gieysztor and Szyjewski placed the celebration on Yarovit on 10th of May and 15th of April respectively. Jan Máchal also spoke out in support of the festival having taken place in April.

Michał Łuczyński (this time in Semantics of the spring rites connected to Marzanna and Jaryło) agrees that the most probable date for the festival is 14-15 of April. In the same article he points out that a similar date could be applied for the Eastern Slavic celebrations of Jarilo seeing how according to the chronicles of Voronezh, Tikhon, the bishop of Voronezh abolished the celebrations of Jarilo on 15th of April 1765 (23 or 27 of the Julian calendar according to Szyjewski).

Gieysztor reminds us of the records of a 1846 feast of Jarilo celebrated on the 27th of April (keep in mind the 12 day difference between Julian and Gregorian calendar in 1800s).

However according to Laima Anglickienė Jarilo just like Morana could also be part of Kupala celebrstions.

Jarilki – the last Sunday before the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29th of June) is called the Fast of Eggs of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The East Slavs would boil eggs, eat them and throw them at each other. Youth would light bonfires and play games on a hill known as Jarilo bald-pate throughout the night. Women would make clay stacks – Jarilo and Jarilicho. Afterwards, they would beat or drown them. Youth would go for a swim. Apparently, Jarilki was celebrated in those regions where the feast of Kupala was not held. Little is known about this feast; most information comes from the Volga Region situated in the neighbourhood with the Mari people, who practiced paganism for the longest period of time. Ukrainians would sing songs mentioning both Kupala and Jarilo: “Jarilo passed away, so good he was / Kupala Ivan fell down to water”.

- Slavic folklore, Didactical guidelines by Laima Anglickienė

Researchers assume that summer feasts (Kupala, Jarilki, funeral of Kostroma and Feast of Saints Peter and Paul) rose from a single common source – a mass pagan feast dedicated to commemorate the peak of the summer and to get ready for harvest time. It is likely that ancient Slavs had a single feast dedicated to Jarilo (god of the sun and love, giver of life and fertility), which continued from the Feast of Saint John the Baptist to the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (21-29 June).

- Slavic folklore, Didactical guidelines by Laima Anglickienė

Similar rituals with effigies named "Kostroma" or "Iarilo" occurred in a number of places in Great Russia, usually between Trinity* and St. Peter's Day.

- Russian Folk Belief by Linda Ivanits

*Keep the Julian calendar in mind.

As you can see pretty much all dates associated with the funerals of Kupalo, Kostroma, Kostrub, Kostrubonko or even a cuckoo could be viewed as celebrstions related to Jarilo, or at least having a common origin (more here).

Lastly an honorable mention to Saint George’s day celebrated on 23rd or 24th of April (6th of May in countries following Julian calendar). The interesting part is that we can associate Saint George (Yuri) with both Perun and Jarilo, he is also frequently placed in oppositions to entities associated with Veles. This led some slavists (Radoslav Katičić and Vitomir Belaj to name a few) to believe Jarilo might be connected to Perun, for example may have been viewed as Perun’s son. Still, as I mentioned many times before, we lack strong proof for any familial relationships between the gods.

Sources: Sources of Slavic Pre-Christian Religion, ed. J. A. Álvarez-Pedrosa, Rozmaite gry zwodząc (part of Dziady) by Leszek Kolankiewicz, The gods of Ancient Slavs by Myroslava Znayenko, Mitologia Słowian by Aleksander Gieysztor, Religia Słowian by Andrzej Szyjewski, Kognitywna definicja Marzanny - próba rekonstrukcji fragmentu tradycyjnego mitologicznego obrazu świata Słowian by Michał Łuczyński, Semantyka obrzędów wiosennych związanych z Marzanną i Jaryłą (Próba rekonstrukcji “Prasłowianskiego tekstu”) by Michał Łuczyński, Russian Folk Belief by Linda Ivanits, The mythology of all Races volume III: Celtic and Slavic by MacCulloch and Máchal, Supernatural Beings from Slovenian Myth and Folklore by Monika Kropej.

[withsideofwings]

The next Pokemon and first starter line of Polonia region- Mersawa line Now with slightly less text heavy informations! Odrity The Odd Fish Pokemon-Water type Abillity- Swift Swim, Poison Heal "Fish pokemon altered by increased pollution. It uses its bright eyes to lure smaller pokemon and to blind predators. They are often seen circling around boats to judge its owners." Varmaid The River Child Pokemon- Water/Dark Abillity- Swift Swim, Poison Heal "Playful pokemon that often tries to protect Odrities from bigger pokemon. Despite their friendly nature they were seen capturing people that pollute the rivers and bring them down underwater." Mersawa The River Guardian Pokemon- Water/Dark Abillity- Swift Swim, Poison Heal "This pokemon uses its bone arms to attract their prey to lock it inside of its water body. They are often seen helping drowning people, but also sinking boats of those who pollute their rivers."

About Vermaid and Mersawa name origin:

Varmaid and Mersawa are based on the legend of Wars and Sawa- pair of siblings raised in fishermen family that got their names thanks to help of the King Kazimierz the Reviver himself, who wanted to pay back for being treated with good food. The story has other version in which Wars and Sawa are a couple that helped the lost prince Ziemiomysł by giving him food and shelter. Prince was pleased and announced that their home will be forever known as Warsaw so their good deed will never be forgotten.

[merkabici]

FESTKA presenta la bicicleta Spectre Bodies, la última edición de arte con el artista Jakub Kois

En Praga, República Checa, el 19 de octubre de 2023, FESTKA, el productor checo de cuadros de bicicletas de carbono de alta gama con sede en Praga, anuncia la última incorporación a su creciente línea de colaboraciones con artistas. Siguiendo los pasos de proyectos que involucraron al ilustrador Michal Bačák y al dúo Ondrash & Kašpárek, entre otros, esta vez FESTKA invitó al artista polaco Jakub Kois a decorar su modelo Spectre. Un Proyecto con un Trasfondo Personal El proyecto denominado Spectre Bodies, presentado en las últimas dos semanas en Designblok de Praga y en la edición de Bespoked de Dresde, la feria de bicicletas personalizadas más grande de Europa, tiene una historia muy personal en su corazón. Hace más de un año, durante un paseo con un grupo de clientes, Michael Moureček, co-fundador de Festka y diseñador de bicicletas, tuvo un grave accidente. Sufrió una lesión en la pierna que requirió una cirugía importante. Afortunadamente, todo salió bien y después de cientos de horas de fisioterapia y ejercicio, pudo volver a montar en bicicleta. Sin embargo, pronto se dio cuenta de que su cuerpo y su bicicleta actual ya no eran uno. Fue el momento perfecto para aprovechar una de las principales ventajas de la tecnología de producción de Festka: la capacidad ilimitada de modificar la geometría de los marcos, lo que permite a la marca satisfacer las necesidades especiales de cualquier ciclista. Las bicicletas producidas por FESTKA son máquinas individuales únicas que garantizan una posición de conducción ideal para todos, justo lo que Michael necesitaba para su nueva bicicleta después de más de un año de rehabilitación y ejercicio. Arte en Dos Ruedas Los impresionantes gráficos presentes en la nueva bicicleta de Michael surgieron de un encuentro fortuito con Jakub Kois, un artista, ilustrador e impresor de serigrafía para quien los cuerpos humanos representan la principal fuente de inspiración y tema de su trabajo. El nuevo marco Spectre de FESTKA de Michael estaba cerca de completarse cuando se conocieron, por lo que pasaron solo unas semanas antes de que Jakub comenzara a diseñar una rica variedad de personajes que formarían un esquema de diseño conceptual complejo en el que los cuerpos humanos aparecen en todas las formas y tamaños; algunos pintados a todo color, otros dibujados en contorno; pedaleando, corriendo, volando, vitoreando, abrazando. El esquema rebosa vida y está lleno de detalles e ideas, brillantemente concebidos y ejecutados a mano. "Vi una imagen que representaba a una multitud presionando sobre un cuerpo en su centro. Estaba pasando por un período personalmente difícil en ese momento y me vi reflejado en ese dibujo. Era esa persona aplastada. Me causó una gran impresión, y pensé que sería una gran idea plasmar este motivo en el marco porque creo que el ciclista y la bicicleta deben formar una sola entidad", comenta Michael Moureček sobre el nacimiento del diseño. Edición Limitada "Bodies" El resultado del trabajo de Jakub fue tan brillante que FESTKA decidió ofrecerlo como una edición limitada llamada "Bodies", que saldrá a la venta a las 14:00 CET el 31 de octubre. Diez marcos Spectre serán pintados a mano por el artista de la misma manera que el original de Michael. Las bicicletas se venderán solo como ensamblajes completos, equipadas con componentes de primera calidad. Especificaciones - Marco: Festka Spectre - Geometría: Personalizada - Horquilla: Columbus Futura Disc - Grupo: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 de 12 velocidades - Manillar: Enve AR - Potencia: Enve Aero Road Integrada - Sillín: Selle Italia SLR C59 - Juego de ruedas: Rocket Wheels de 62 mm; Buje Tune Prince & Princess; Neumáticos Vittoria Corsa Precio: EUR 18.490 Más información en festka.com/pages/bodies Conociendo a Jakub Kois Jakub, originario de Polonia, ha estado viviendo y trabajando en Praga durante muchos años. Su formato favorito es el póster, y su técnica preferida es la serigrafía, con la que crea dibujos y pinturas distintivos, cuyo tema más frecuente son figuras humanas, representadas principalmente en contornos gruesos y distintivos. Su estilo de dibujo y la paleta de colores de sus obras evocan el estilo moderno de mediados de siglo. Las imágenes de Kois son melancólicas y filosóficas en ocasiones, pero muy a menudo divertidas, rozando los chistes de dibujos animados. Trabajar con él en este proyecto fue un placer absoluto gracias a su enfoque amable y servicial. Puedes encontrar más de su trabajo en instagram.com/j.kois. Conclusion La colaboración entre FESTKA y Jakub Kois ha dado como resultado la impresionante edición limitada "Bodies". Esta bicicleta es una obra maestra de diseño, que combina la artesanía de FESTKA con la creatividad de Jakub Kois. Con un precio de EUR 18.490, esta bicicleta única es una declaración de estilo y rendimiento. Aprovecha la oportunidad de poseer una de las diez unidades disponibles a partir del 31 de octubre. Preguntas Frecuentes 1. ¿Dónde puedo comprar la bicicleta Spectre Bodies de edición limitada? Puedes comprar la bicicleta Spectre Bodies de edición limitada en festka.com/pages/bodies a partir del 31 de octubre. 2. ¿Cuál es el precio de la bicicleta Spectre Bodies? El precio de la bicicleta Spectre Bodies es de EUR 18.490. 3. ¿Cuántas unidades de la bicicleta Spectre Bodies estarán disponibles? Habrá un total de diez unidades de la bicicleta Spectre Bodies disponibles en esta edición limitada. 4. ¿Viene la bicicleta Spectre Bodies ensamblada con componentes? Sí, la bicicleta Spectre Bodies se vende como un ensamblaje completo y viene equipada con componentes de alta calidad. 5. ¿Hay opciones de personalización disponibles para la bicicleta Spectre Bodies? En esta edición limitada, las bicicletas Spectre Bodies no están disponibles con opciones de personalización. Cada una de las diez unidades presenta el diseño único creado por Jakub Kois. Read the full article

[archbishoptiercel]

Aside from your templar, who do you think is most likely to kill you?

Truthfully? If any other than Dravyn WERE to end me, I would be most disappointed. I have TRAINED him to take my place since I first found him all those years ago. If not him, than likely some Camarilla Prince I did not squish thoroughly enough, or perhaps Cardinal Polonia himself, though nothing I have done recently would be worth taking him out of his schedule to destroy me over.

[beautysology]

✨ 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝘇𝗹𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 🇻🇪 ¡ATENCIÓN! 🚨 @jesusdealva y @melisarauseo serán los animadores Oficiales del #MissSupraVenezuela2022 y @ #MisterSupraVenezuela2022 este jueves 09 de Junio en las instalaciones del Teatro Junín en la ciudad de Caracas. Está información fue dada por el presidente de la organización @princejuliocesar en la rueda de prensa el día de hoy en @globovision. De igual manera se ratificó que la candidata para la edición 2022 será designada y dejará a más de uno con la boca abierta. Prince solo pudo adelantar que viene de una organización que no explotó todo su potencial y que él y su equipo ya desde hace un tiempito vienen trabajando esos detalles para ir a brillar en Polonia y buscar la 1ra corona para Venezuela. ¿Opiniones? @supranacionalvenezuela @misssupravenezuela 🔹Info: @lareinapepia 💙 🔔 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬⁣⁣⁣ 👥 𝐄𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞 ✍️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐬𝐢 𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐀⁣⁣⁣ 📲 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐬 @𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #Beautysology #TeamMissologosVenezuela #MissSupranational2022 #MissSupraVenezuela2022 #MissSupranational #SupraVenezuela #MissVenezuela #MissVenezuela2022 #Poland #beautypageant  #RelevantPageants #GrandSlam #Venezuela #Caracas (en Venezuela) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeeZaD2ODC8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cristinborgia]

Catherine had four pregnancies and they all came to fruition with healthy children being born to adulthood.

Francis II of France- he was king of France for almost 30 years and considered a peacemaker king, succeeding in making peace with countries like Spain and England that had been in combat against the French since the reign of Francisco I.

Francisco married Leonor D’Este, one of the offspring Alfonso d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia. Francisco and Leonor had seven children, but only four would reach childhood and three died before the age of five:

Lucrezia of France (1526-1569) was queen of Poland when she married Seguismundo II of Poland. They had a son in common, Alexander II of Poland.

Felipe VII of France (1528-1581) was King of France for six years and was called “Felipe el loco” because of his delusions, his thirst for revenge and his mood swings. He died of malnutrition and was succeeded by his brother, Enrique.

Henry II of France (1529-1599) was king of France after succeeding his older brother, Philip VII and was considered an intelligent king, but not very sociable and cold-tempered. He married María Manuela from Portugal, having nine children with her.

Mary of Francia (1532-1588) was Princess of Wales when she married the heir to the crown, Enrique Tudor son of Enrique VIII of England who was the ex-husband of her grandmother, Catherine of Aragon. The couple had five children, but only two reached adulthood.

Margaret of France- she was queen consort of Denmark by marrying King Christian III of Denmark. Margarita was considered a beautiful woman like her mother, but she was more ambitious and flirtatious and she was a great influence on her husband.

It was a great influence for her children, especially for her son Henry I of Denmark and when he ascended to the throne upon the death of Cristian III in 1559, Margarita was his regent, but only four months after the death of her husband, the queen contracted smallpox and died shortly after at 44 years of age.

Her constant visits to her conjugal bed with her husband led to her giving birth to ten children, but two of these would die in infancy.

Henry I of Denmark (1536-1573) was King of Denmark and the first of his name to reign for 14 years. He was the adored son of his mother and was almost always by her side, being her greatest support. Enrique married his aunt, Dorotea from Denmark with whom he only had one son, Enrique. In his second nuptials he married his niece, Catherine of Denmark, with whom he had three children.

Stephen of Denmark (1538-1600) was a cardinal in Denmark, known as "The White Cardinal".

Christopher of Denmark (1541-1589) died single and without issue.

Alexandra of Denmark (1542-1590) remained single.

Carlota María of Denmark (1543-1563) was Princess of Asturias when she married Felipe of Austria, son of Felipe II of Spain. Charlotte bore two children to the prince, Alexander and Catherine, future queen consort of Denmark.

Catherine of Denmark (1545-1603) married her uncle Juan, the Younger, and they had a son, Juan.

Isabel Carolina (1549-1589) nun.

Charles of France- He was Duke of Brittany from his birth until his death. He was considered a good administrator of his territories, but also a casanova having different lovers and illegitimate children.

Carlos died in 1561 at 43 years of age from a hunting accident when he was shot with an arrow in the chest by one of his close friends.

He married Ana de Lorena and they both had five children, but only two would reach adulthood.

Philip of France (1538-1604) was Duke of Brittany on the death of his father. He morganatically married his mistress, Diana, with whom he had four children and all were legitimized by Francis II.

Anne Mauricia (1540-1577) she married the little brother of the Duke of Suffolk Henry Brandon, Charles Brandon and with him she had two daughters.

Isabella of France- she was Duchess of Viseu by marrying her nephew, Leonardo of Portugal, the only son of Duchess Maria of Portugal and her husband.

She was more the tutor than the wife of Leonardo helping him with the administration and expenses made by the Duchy of Viseu.

Isabella had a good life with her husband until he passed away in 1588, leaving the princess a widow. Isabella survived two more years until she died in 1590 at the age of 68 from a cardiac arrest.

Despite the great age difference between her fiancées, Isabella managed to give her husband three children:

Juan (1554-1620) was Duke of Viseu at the death of his father. He married Elena of Habsburg with whom he had two daughters, Elena and Ana.

María Carolina (1555-1605) was betrothed to her uncle, Felipe II of Spain to be her last wife, but the king ended up rejecting her because of her delicate health. She shortly after she became a nun.

Catalina Mariana (1559-1623) was Duchess of Parma when she married Alejandro Farnese and they both had six children.

Catalina tuvo cuatro embarazos y todos llegaron a buen termino naciendo niños saludables que llegaron a edad adulta.

Francisco II de Francia- Fue rey de Francia por casi 30 años y considerado como un rey pacificador logrando hacer la paz con países como España e Inglaterra que habían estado en combate contra los franceses desde el reinado de Francisco I.

Francisco se caso con Leonor D’Este, uno de los vástagos Alfonso d'Este y Lucrecia Borgia. Francisco y Leonor tuvieron siete hijos, pero solo cuatro llegarían a la infancia y tres murieron antes de los cinco años:

Lucrecia de Francia (1526-1569) fue reina de Polonia al casarse con Seguismundo II de Polonia. Tuvieron un hijo en común, Alejandro II de Polonia.

Felipe VII de Francia (1528-1581) fue rey de Francia por seis años y fue llamado “Felipe el loco” por sus delirios, su sed de venganza y cambios de humor. Falleció victima de desnutrición siendo sucedido por su hermano, Enrique.

Enrique II de Francia (1529-1599) fue rey de Francia tras suceder a su hermano mayor, Felipe VII y fue considerado como un rey inteligente, pero poco sociable y de carácter frío. Se caso con María Manuela de Portugal teniendo con ella nueve hijos.

María de Francia (1532-1588) fue princesa de Gales al casarse con el heredero a la corona, Enrique Tudor hijo de Enrique VIII de Inglaterra quien era el exmarido de su abuela, Catalina de Aragón. La pareja tuvo cinco hijos, pero solo dos llegaron a edad adulta.

Margarita de Francia- Fue reina consorte de Dinamarca al casarse con el rey Cristian III de Dinamarca. Margarita era considerada una mujer bella como su madre, pero era mas ambiciosa y coqueta siendo una gran influencia para su marido. Fue una gran influencia para sus hijos, en especial para su hijo Enrique I de Dinamarca y cuando este ascendió al trono a la muerte de Cristian III en 1559, Margarita fue su regente, pero tan solo cuatro meses después de la muerte de su marido, la reina contrajo viruela falleciendo poco después a los 44 años de edad.

Sus constantes visitas al lecho conyugal junto a su marido lograron que ella alumbrara a diez hijos, pero dos de estos morirían en la infancia.

Enrique I de Dinamarca (1536-1573) fue rey de Dinamarca y el primero de su nombre reinado por 14 años. Fue el hijo adorado de su madre y casi siempre estuvo a su lado siendo ella su mas grande apoyo. Enrique se caso con su tía, Dorotea de Dinamarca con la cual solo tuvo un hijo, Enrique. En segundas nupcias se caso con su sobrina, Catalina de Dinamarca con la cual tuvo tres hijos.

Esteban de Dinamarca (1538-1600) fue cardenal en Dinamarca siendo conocido como “El cardenal blanco”.

Cristóbal de Dinamarca (1541-1589) murió soltero y sin descendencia.

Alejandra de Dinamarca (1542-1590) permaneció soltera.

Carlota María de Dinamarca (1543-1563) fue princesa de Asturias al casarse con Felipe de Austria, hijo de Felipe II de España. Carlota le dio dos hijos al príncipe, Alejandro y Catalina, futura reina consorte de Dinamarca.

Catalina de Dinamarca (1545-1603) se caso con su tío Juan, el Joven y tuvieron un hijo, Juan.

Isabel Carolina (1549-1589) monja.

Carlos de Francia- Fue duque de Bretaña desde su nacimiento hasta su muerte. Fue considerado un buen administrador de sus territorios, pero también un casanova teniendo diferentes amantes e hijos ilegítimos. Carlos falleció en el año 1561 a los 43 años de edad por un accidente de caza al ser disparado con una flecha en el pecho por uno de sus amigos cercanos.

Se caso con Ana de Lorena y ambos tuvieron cinco hijos, pero solo dos llegarían a edad adulta.

Felipe de Francia (1538-1604) Fue duque de Bretaña a la muerte de su padre. Se caso de manera morganática con su amante, Diana con la cual tuvo cuatro hijos y todos fueron legitimados por Francisco II.

Ana Mauricia (1540-1577) Se caso con el hermano pequeño del duque de Suffolk Henry Brandon, Charles Brandon y con el tuvo dos hijas.

Isabella de Francia- Fue duquesa de Viseu al casarse con su sobrino, Leonardo de Portugal, hijo único de la duquesa María de Portugal y su marido. Fue mas la tutora que la esposa de Leonardo ayudándolo con la administración y los gastos hechos por el ducado de Viseu.

Isabella tuvo una buena vida al lado de su marido hasta que este falleció en el año 1588 dejando a la princesa viuda. Isabella sobrevivió dos años mas hasta que falleció en el 1590 a los 68 años de un paro cardiaco.

Pesé a la gran diferencia de edad entre los prometidos, Isabella logro darle a su marido tres hijos:

Juan (1554-1620) Fue duque de Viseu a la muerte de su padre. Se caso con Elena de Habsburgo con la cual tuvo dos hijas, Elena y Ana.

María Carolina (1555-1605) fue prometida con su tío, Felipe II de España para ser su ultima esposa, pero el rey acabo rechazándola por su delicada salud. Poco después se convirtió en monja.

Catalina Mariana (1559-1623) fue duquesa de Parma al casarse con Alejandro Farnesio y ambos tuvieron seis hijos.

[mz-elysium]

The Bay By Night

Last updated: August 1, 2019

The Bay by Night follows five protagonists as they struggle to survive a night filled with vampires, hunters, werewolves, and worse in the San Francisco Bay Area. The freedom-loving Anarch vampires have found themselves betrayed by their Baron of the Bay and handed over to the feudalistic and lordly Camarilla. Ruthless elders and their minions flock in droves, while Anarchs either bow and scrape with the hopes of avoiding the wrath of their overlords or plot vengeance in the night.

One way or another, blood will run.

Genre >> new adult urban fantasy, supernatural fantasy, gothic horror, romance

POV >> third person, multi-pov, interlocking with individual stories

Current status >> 88k words

Expected length >> 500k+ words

WiP tag >> #the bay by night, #tbbn

Also features:

Vampire Oscar Wilde with a pirate ship

Hunters in black trench coats with swords

Everyone is their own worst enemy

Shakespearean levels of tragedy

Eventual happy endings (promise)

Found family (brother/sister, father/daughter, mom friend)

Game of Thrones: Vampire Edition

Edits and posts

Character Introduction: Matthew Monroe

Character Introduction: Annabelle Hawthorne

Character Introduction: Nathaniel Hawke

Primer: Ghouls

Tags

my oc: tony, my oc: monroe, my oc: annabelle, my oc: hawke, my oc: reed

The Bay By Night

tbbn

POV Characters

[Tony Ross] is a new Anarch and turned only last year during a Sabbat attack, which took the life of his older brother, a loss he’s still reeling from as he struggles to pull himself free from his brother’s shadow. Tony soon finds himself at the center of a dizzying web of politics as his gang’s leader (the idealistic orator, Everett Smith) sets himself against the new Camarilla overlords. Without a place to turn and trapped between the sly Valentine and rebellious Anarchs, he strives to protect his still-human sister from the vampires who surround her. (Black and gay protagonist, family devotion, living a life true to self)

[Matthew Monroe] is a charismatic and honourable Camarilla loyalist, eager to stake out territory and titles amidst the fresh land rush. His sire’s death fifty years ago set him free, but the wounds of his century of abuse are still fresh. Ever since, Monroe’s struggled for respect and honest friendship among the selfish vampires. He finds grudging acceptance among his clan and, for the first time in the last 174yrs, power begins to flow into his lap. Monroe longs to set things straight, but the elders’ game of shadows isn’t kind to those with things to lose -- like his dear ghoul and adopted childer. (abused protagonist, unequal love, good intentions and looking down the road to hell)

[Annabelle Hawthorne] is an heirloom ghoul with more than two centuries of service under her. The countless decades serving monsters has burned the appearance of humanity from her with a cold wind. Once, she served Monroe’s sire, and now him. Monroe’s a far kinder regent, but a master nonetheless. He allows her to attend university and associate regularly with mortals and his unwitting herd, who she fiercely defends from her regent who preys on them. While Monroe approaches her for an earnest friendship, Annabelle’s good friend (James Ritter, elder ghoul of the influential Jan Pieterzoon) searches for a way to escape the chains of blood that emotionally enslave and physically addict ghouls to their vampiric masters. (addiction, slavery, what it means to be human)

[Nathaniel Hawke] was once an infamous vampire hunter, feared from San Francisco to Miami. In New York, he pissed off one too many, who turned him as punishment. Animated by the quasi-sentient Beast of vampire blood, he’s unable to end his life and struggles to find his fellow hunter (Joan Schubert, a Catholic inquisitor).to help him. Along the way he discovers he can feed on vampire blood, but depends on the patronage of a powerful elder of the Bay to protect him. One of the elder’s brood (the eternally cheerful Kathy Weise) takes him under her bat wing and, much to his discomfort, he begins to learn about the monsters he’s spent fifteen years slaying. (found sister/brother, man vs self, the meaning of good and evil)

[Chelsea Reed] is the proud and cunning leader of a pack among the dread Sabbat, a blood cult who revels in their undead nature. With the recent loss of New York to the Camarilla, the Sabbat are compelled to turn their heads westward and the warlord (Polonia) takes her with him as a personal templar. Chelsea struggles as she comes into her own with powers of shadow, but the Abyss worms its way into her mind, even as the priest of her own pack deals with foul dreams and being tormented by a far greater force. (mentally ill protagonist, found family, urban fantasy guerrilla war)

Background knowledge

Disclaimer: The Bay By Night is based on White Wolf’s Vampire the Masquerade RPG system and the world’s history. Some things have been retconned or streamlined to make more sense and all the characters and plot are original.

The Sects

There are three major factions of vampires (or kindred, as the civilized ones like to call themselves) that were formed during the Inquisition in response to humanity hunting them down.

Camarilla. Somewhere between Mafia and a royal court, they’re the Big Brother cabal who steeples long thin fingers together and says “Eggcellent” in an obscure European accent. Steeped in subterfuge, arrogance, scheming, backstabbing, favours, and with a glass ceiling about three feet high for the average fledgling. The dominant sect of vampires around the world and, by and large, lawful and peaceful if you don’t fuck with the elders who’ve ruled it like quasi-benevolent dictators since men wore tights.

Sabbat. They’re the inheritors of Caine’s legacy (of “Caine and Abel”, the First Murderer) and they weren’t going to start kowtowing it to any elder. After all, the end is neigh and when Caine rises again, he’s gonna want to start devouring those elders who pissed him off eight thousand years ago by siring the clans (those 13 elders are myths in modern times, told like stories from the Bible in culturally Christian America). In the modern nights, the Sabbat are a murderous blood cult steeped in mysticism and a deep worship for Caine and contempt for humanity.

Anarchs. The ones who thought the Sabbat were nuts. Anarchs just wanna be free, man. Don’t want no one telling them what to do or how to live or where to eat or when they gotta face sunrise. So long as they agreed to be peaceful and follow the Cam’s rules, they were allowed the protection of the Camarilla. From 1944 - 1966, they rebelled in California and established the Anarch Free States: hundreds of small baronies run by gangs where the only law was “every vampire for themselves”. With the Sabbat breathing down from Sacramento, the Baron by the Bay turned desperately to the Camarilla, who were only too happy to help repel an attack.

The Siege of New York (2008 - 2010)

Sabbat has claimed New York as a stronghold since before it was New Amsterdam, but during the Great Depression a brave Camarilla prince staked a claim in Manhattan. She struggled valiantly, fighting a war nightly, but it became too much.

Prince Michaela pled at a conclave for assistance. New York had been a lost cause for centuries and the cautious elders scoffed at the plea. Matthew Monroe, a born gambler and opportunist, pledged to uphold her claim to the ends of his life.

He called in a favour from another prince and tipped the first domino by taking the case of New York to the justicar of his clan, the Ventrue Justicar Lucinde. She deployed her agents and Monroe played runner between allies who loathed each other.

Jan Pieterzoon, a key strategist, was sent on behalf of his sire, the Camarilla Founder Hardestadt. Pieterzoon and Monroe worked close the next two years, as Pieterzoon humiliated the Sabbat leadership of New York and captured the city. The Sabbat power base and Polonia’s pride, stretching from Miami to Conneticut, now had a gaping hole where the crown jewel once sat.

The justicars swooped in and claimed credit, dividing the city among esteemed elders and their childer, giving their agents and strategists a pat on the head.

Pieterzoon accepted the plea from the Anarch Baron by the Bay and surreptitiously asked Monroe to come with him to San Francisco, personally offended but unsurprised at how Monroe had been treated.

[justforustravel-blog]

New Delhi - #Asia, #Hostels, #Hotel, #Hotels, #India, #NewDelhi, #OldDelhi, #PrincePolonia, #Tourist

New Post has been published on http://justforustravel.com/2017/10/18/new-delhi/

New Delhi

one of the major cities of Asia, New Delhi, with a population of 18 million people, the capital of India. Which Hindu culture is blended with modern architecture and New Delhi, Ankara and Istanbul via Turkish Airlines flights with other airlines and are happening. Ideal time to go to India because New Delhi has a monsoon climate, December – March is between.

by: A. Davey

colorful life, different from the English which is integrated with architecture and history New Delhi, Old Delhi much better planned as compared to the structure of the city is a city that is saturated and Yesil the field. Although the British were established by the city, many mosques, madrasas, memorials, there are various points throughout the city. Local name Jama Masjid the Friday mosque (Friday Mosque) in New Delhi are among the places to see. Like the Taj Mahal, Friday mosque, was built by Shah Jahan. Museums and temples are the places to be visited within the city is very important. Lotus Temple, India Gate, in Nova Spa, Lodhi Gardens, Birla Mandir Temple, Red Fort, Qutub Minar and the tomb of Mahatma Gandhi is one of the places. Also when visiting the city will accompany you on the streets of the city with the smell of the various spices, you may need to be ready. Outside of the historical and cultural side of New Delhi, an impressive shopping opportunities. At one point very very cheaply while it is possible to achieve many different types of products alisiveris. Souvenirs, antiques, spices, Silver products, Silk, cashmere products, such as textile, carpets and many more products Connaught Place, janpath and Chandni Chowk, which you can find in shops such as.

accommodation in New Delhi which cater to various budgets on behalf of B & B, Hotel and hotels. Tourist YMCA, YMCA blue style inn like the hostels, as well as Prince Polonia, Broadway, Palace Heights, Grand Godwin, hotel and Kelson like the Imperial, Le Meridien, Intercontinental, Te Manor New Delhi, The Uppal New Delhi luxury hotels-accommodation, included. 5 quick and cheap transportation for the growing line subway network in New Delhi offers a journey. Busy traffic with buses and taxis other vehicles that can be used within the city is faced with a shortage. One thing to note also some of the drive, axial piston rip the tourists off target. Needs to pay attention to this before you take a trip.

By: Harsh Agarwal

as is well known, Indian cuisine consists of foods that are dense in terms of spices. Especially tandoori, kebabs and biryani from bran idli, dosa and hoppers are the speciality of Indian cuisine flavors such as. Aloo banda to New Delhi where you can find also unique specialties, chicken tikka, King prawns tikka, Tandoori salmon, chicken, veal and lamb masala, Kashmiri rice, mushroom biryani, barfi, mango kulfi with foods such as are among those that should be retried.

[modern--nights]

Hi folks. So I am presently STing a V20 Dark Ages Vampire game and my players have suggested doing a "modern nights" 2010s game using V20. (We won't be using V5.) They want the game to be set during the present (2018) and so, since today was my day off, I came up with an alternate version of the metaplot, bringing it from the late 1990s to today.

Thoughts, comments, feedback welcome!

January 1998-October 1999: The Kue-jin courts of China direct the Great Leap Outward, a highly coordinated offensive by Asia’s native vampires to seize control of U.S. domains from Western vampires as revenge for colonialism (and the Cainites’ profit from it). The Anarch Free State in southern California suffers heavy losses in the first year, but with Camarilla assistance fights the invaders to a stalemate in Los Angeles. The Kuei-jin take San Francisco from the Camarilla in 1999 but by the end of the year suspend their offensives to focus on domestic concerns. The Anarchs rally to San Diego while the Camarilla focuses on Sabbat attacks across the East Coast and the southern U.S.

April 1998: Giangaleazzo, the Sabbat Archbishop of Milan, defects to the Camarilla and openly burns the original version of the Code of Milan, the code of conduct for the sect.

November 1998: The Tremere antitribu of the Sabbat are annihilated in a single night, bursting into flames instantly and crumbling to ash wherever they are. Shortly after diaberlizing Saulot to steal the Antediluvian’s power, Tremere loses a spiritual battle with the far more powerful entity. Saulot ends up possessing Tremere, while Tremere’s soul is placed in that of his former lover and disciple, Goratrix. As part of a desperate effort to achieve the strength necessary to retake his body, Tremere (as Goratrix) resorts to a ritual that sacrifices the Tremere who followed “Goratrix” in his Sabbat defection. Intended to magically steal Saulot’’s power and give it to Tremere, the ritual fails, but does succeed in forcing Saulot into a deeper torpor, limiting his manipulations.

May 1999: Xaviar, the Justicar of Clan Gangrel, concludes that the Antediluvians may not be a myth as the Camarilla claims. After unsuccessfully trying to persuade the sect’s warlord, Karsh, to lead the clan out of the Camarilla, Xaviar decides to publicly maintain the Camarilla position while secretly investigating the Antediluvians’ existence with the clandestine assistance of the Noddist scholar and fellow Gangrel known as Beckett.

June 1999: The Ravnos Antediluvian rises from torpor in northern India, consuming the souls of almost all its descendants in the area. Three Kuei-jin Bodhisattvas, some of the most potent of their kind, manage to weaken the ancient creature enough so that it slips back into hibernation beneath the earth. A historically destructive monsoon covers up the supernatural nature of the incident from mortal eyes, but many vampires witness several days of insanity and instability in all Ravnos vampires. Vampires in the Western Hemisphere are mostly unaffected long-term, but the elimination of so many Ravnos Kindred in Asia leads to a resurgence of Kuei-jin control across southern Asia.

June-August 1999: The Sabbat initiates a “Black Crusade” against the Camarilla, fueled by an overpopulation of sect members as well as religious fervor brought on by the millennium. Fabrizia Conteraz, the Archbishop of Miami, leads the conquest of St. Louis, Memphis, and Atlanta from the Camarilla. The East Coast offensive under Archbishop Francisco Domingo de Polonia stalls, however, locked into a war of attrition in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. Even worse, New York City – long the base of the Sabbat in the northeastern United States – falls to the Camarilla, although Polonia kills the Ventrue Prince, Michaela, before retreating to the Sabbat stronghold of Baltimore.

December 1999: It is discovered that the Sabbat Regent, Melinda Galbraith, is dead, after “she” is revealed to be impostor by Sascha Vykos. After calling in numerous boons, Vykos is appointed the new Regent of the sect. They have Polonia destroyed for his failures, while Conteraz is promoted to Cardinal of the Southeastern U.S. They also declare that the “Black Crusade” will continue as Gehenna is close at hand.

The 2000s

There is no vampire involvement in the September 11 attacks, but the Camarilla invests a large amount of its resources in arms-manufacturing and military contractors, making huge profits. The sect takes an even more authoritarian turn, taking advantage of the enhancement of state power in the wake of the War on Terror. The Inner Circle conducts a covert purge of known individuals associated with study of Caine and the Antediluvians, sending Beckett further underground. New York City becomes consolidated Camarilla territory, the Kindred resuming control of global finance.

The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 has the unintended consequence of waking ur-Shugli, a childe of Haqim, the founder of the Assamites. Soon after waking, he breaks the Tremere curse placed on the clan that prevented them from drinking the blood of other vampires. As the new Eldest of the Assamites, ur-Shugli preaches a fundamentalist return to worshipping Haqim and acting as isolationist assassins once more, as before the Treaty of Tyre. Around a quarter of the main clan (mostly its younger members) refuse to renounce Islam and become “the Dispossessed.” A sizable portion of the warrior caste under Fatima al-Faqadi travels to Mexico and joins the Sabbat. The Camarilla responds to the breaking of the curse and the assassination of several of its leading princes at Assamite hands by declaring itself at war with the clan and its agents.

Huge advances in technology such as search engines, social media, and other digital innovations puts the Masquerade at heightened risk. With the kine armed with high-definition camera phones, violations of the First Tradition become frequent, and the Camarilla becomes even harsher in its practices, to the extent that just having a MySpace page is grounds for calling a Blood Hunt. The Nosferatu-controlled SchreckNet, a private Internet network, is opened to other Camarilla clans. Anarchs are also able to access it without too much difficulty, although the Sabbat is actively prevented from using it. Attempts to reveal and spread the existence of vampires online are instantly met by smear campaigns by Nosferatu “trolls” who poke holes in the accounts and evidence that manage to leak on to the Internet. They cannot catch everything, however, and vampire hunters are an increasingly common problem.

The rising importance of Silicon Valley as a place of innovation and global economic importance leads the Camarilla to redouble its efforts to retake San Francisco, which it does by 2006. Around the same time, the Anarchs strike north from San Diego and succeed in reclaiming Los Angeles for the Free States. The Kuei-jin retains presences in the many Chinatowns across the West Coast, but nevertheless the Quincunx is humbled by the failure of the Great Leap Outward, leading to the rise of more isolationist leadership more concerned with the increasing power of the Yama Kings.

The Camarilla is caught unprepared for the Great Recession of 2008, and as fortunes disappear overnight, elders and even princes find themselves exposed to challenges from enemies and upstarts. The inability of the sect to anticipate or prevent the crisis does much to damage its credibility, and the seeds of almost a decade of intense repression produce the fruit of rebellion. The Third Anarch Revolt erupts across North America and even the Camarilla bulwark of Europe, with several notable cities – Athens, Berlin, Liverpool -- falling under Anarch control. Simultaneously, the Sabbat takes advantage of the chaos in the close of the decade by destroying Lasombra and Tzimisce “traitors” in Eastern Europe, Italy, and Spain, including Giangaleazzo in Milan. The sect uses already existing xenophobia and strong anti-globalization populism to instigate violent outbursts against immigrants and leftists to mask its own bloody assaults.

In 2010, it is revealed that ur-Shugli serves the Baali after an operation ostensibly meant to excavate the Second City instead unearths a reliquary containing an incredibly powerful and ancient demon. Before ur-Shugli can finish releasing the entity, the Methuselahs of Clan Assamite come together to interrupt the ritual at the cost of their own lives. The Third Baali War erupts across the Middle East and North Africa against the backdrop of the Arab Spring. Many of the Dispossessed Assamites return to the main clan to wipe out the Baali and salvage assorted supernatural relics looted amidst the riots and insurgencies now common in the region. By 2013 the Assamites can claim a tactical victory in limiting infernal incursions and sending the Baali back into the shadows, but with the main Assamite clan much reduced in strength, its oldest elders all but gone. Most of the Dispossessed Assamites return to Alamut; as a sign of younger and more progressive attitudes, Fatima al-Faqadi becomes the first woman caliph. The Camarilla and the Assamites remain at war.

During the Third Baali War, demon-worshipping cults are uncovered across the world. The Sabbat Inquisition culls virtually all the packs in Montreal after a bishop is found responsible for a series of murders believed to be Satanic in nature. Camarilla cities are not immune either, with several European cities rotten with secret and blasphemous orders from the past. Yet again, the sect tends to execute those suspected of corruption without evidence, only worsening accusations that is little more a society for tyrants.

The Giovanni and the Followers of Set, never trusted by any of the sects, are often casualties in the purges that follow the war, their activities linked to dark magic and licentious behavior. In response, the two clans form an alliance in 2011, stating that their domains will be shared, save for the respective clan headquarters in Venice and Egypt. The union has served each clan, as their combined influence in organized crime as well as the mystical arts has proven mutually beneficial. Elder vampires call it the “Independent Alliance” while neonates refer to the “Snakes and Skulls, Inc.”

Modern Nights

The Camarilla continues to decline into the 2010s, strongest in Western Europe and the Northeastern United States. While materially strong as an institution, there has never been a greater divide between the powerful and the powerless, the old and the young. The talk of a “meritocracy of vampires” rings hollow, and not just in traditional Anarch-leaning cities. Consequently, the Camarilla has responded by gradually removing the velvet glove from around the iron fist. This has led to the rise of two factions, the Traditionalists, who favor the status quo, and Modernizers, who want to introduce liberal reforms to save the Camarilla from becoming totally archaic and irrelevant.

The Sabbat under Regent Vykos is once more resurgent, with Cardinal Conteraz taking Little Rock, Cleveland, and Kansas City for the sect in the U.S. Vykos, however, has proved a polarizing figure, as their scholarly and autocratic bent has upset those members who feel the Sabbat has become too centralized in its authority. The revelation of infernalism among the sect’s higher ranks has also provoked a desire for new, younger leaders. Joseph Pander, the leader of the Sabbat’s clanless vampires, has become the leading spokesperson against Vykos, prompting some to speculate of a new civil war.

Of the three major sects, the Anarchs have prospered the most. Unrest and anger in mortal society has led to greater popularity for anti-establishment values, and it is easy to describe Camarilla elders as “the Kindred’s 1%.” Within the Movement itself, however, ideologies range from the far left to the far right, and vampires welcome in one Anarch city might be driven out of another. Berlin has become something of the latest Kindred experiments at creating a new democratic order for vampires, although what exactly such an order will ultimately look like is not something that is agreed upon.

[scampoliditesto]

Ladislao III di Polonia

Ieri sera ho messo la Poäng in ingresso. Prima era in sala, vicino alla finestra e al calorifero. Dove è adesso mi permette di vedere tutta la casa: cucina, camera da letto e bagno. Ma non la sala. Mi sembra giusto. Mi siedo e poi apro il Mac proprio sulle gambe. Ho un po' freddo: il calore sprigionato dai circuiti integrati intenti a macinare bit e dagli elettroni che si sforzano in percorsi al silicio mi causa un certo piacere. Il naso pizzica. Metto una mano nella tasca della tutta, sperando di trovarci un fazzoletto. Invece trovo: del cellophane che prima racchiudeva un CD dei King Crimson, qualche cartaccia di caramelle all'eucalipto, un pezzo di Scottex ridotto a cartapesta icona della resistenza al programma 3 della mia lavatrice (Eco). Non ho voglia di alzarmi, così provo a non pensarci. Per distrarmi apro una finestra e scrivo a Matteo.

Matteo è questo mio amico, conosciuto attraverso altri amici, che programma software gestionali e che porta sempre la conversazione su livelli brillanti. Ad esempio, una delle ultime volte che ci siamo sentiti, abbiamo discusso sull'inutilità dei bottoni che popolano le nostre case, le nostre città e le nostre vite. Insomma, l'illusorio senso di controllo che ci dà il pomello dei semafori piazzato lì non per fermare il traffico, ma per distrarci, per non farci attraversare la strada quando i pedoni hanno l'Alt. Bella truffa. Il pedone pensa che quella feature è per lui, invece è per l'automobilista. Spesso parliamo anche dei nostri lavori. In realtà io mi lamento, lui mi parla di debug, codifica di caratteri, e funzioni per calcolare qualche voce di una busta paga. Non pensavo fosse così complicata quella roba.

Scrivo "ciao". Lui risponde al saluto e poi mi dice che è sul divano. Che è preso dalla sua nuova passione. "Conosci Barbero?" mi fa. "No" dico io. Allora Matteo mi manda un link a una playlist di YouTube, una roba tipo 80 ore di questo tizio che parla di medioevo, impero ottomano, Federico II, Carlo Magno e così via. È roba che non sentivo nominare dalla terza media, nozioni sepolte in qualche sinapsi un po' stropicciata dal peso di quello che va ora di moda: le specifiche tecniche dei telefonini, i PIN, le scadenze delle rate, e così via. "Lo guardo domani, ora vado a dormire" dico. "Buonanotte". Non usa mai le faccine.

Nella notte mi sveglio completamente disidratato. Naso inutilizzabile, gola foderata di cartavetro. Dolore al collo, alle spalle, alle anche. Con una mano cerco Laura, ma la parte di letto che ci separa è gelata. Cerco una striscia di tepore, la trovo a fatica e quindi provo a prendere nuovamente sonno. Devo aspettare di produrre abbastanza saliva da umettare un po' l'ugola. Alla fine ci riesco.

Sono seduto ad una scrivania. Ho una macchina calcolatrice della Olivetti, una di quelle con il nastro di carta e il tasto "+" rettangolare e grandissimo. La aveva mia madre in ufficio. Ad un certo punto entra della gente con la scimitarra e comincia a colpirmi. Io mi difendo come posso, tiro mobilio, una macchina da scrivere, dei raccoglitori, ma questi urlano, dicono cose che non capisco, non so nemmeno da dove sono usciti. Sembrano delle persone normali, ma il mio cervello mi suggerisce nomi tipo Ladislao III di Polonia, Bayezid, Sigismondo e Prince of Persia. D'altro canto studiavo proprio poco da ragazzino.

Mi sveglio nuovamente. Ma questa volta sono in un bagno di sudore, devo avere delle riserve idriche sconosciute. A fatica esco dal letto e mi dirigo verso la cucina. Centro la Poäng perché non mi ricordavo fosse lì, l'automatismo ha fallito. Giro un po' per la casa. Ormai è troppo tardi per tornare a letto tanto vale farsi una doccia e uscire per andare al lavoro.

Seduto sul metro, mando un messaggio a Matteo. Gli dico che ho avuto un incubo. Matteo risponde che è sull'autobus, in ritardo e che ha anche la borsa della piscina. Quindi si lamenta del fatto che sta ingrassando a vista d'occhio, che probabilmente ora galleggia come una papera. Il suo ultimo messaggio dice "Mi basta muovere le mani come se fossi sul materassino". Metto in tasca il cellulare, scendo dal vagone e mi soffio il naso. È inutile. Poi comincio a camminare per Sampierdarena. PS: per i più curiosi e per i più colti, ecco qui.