#The Exiled Noble Rises as the Holy King

[ljaesch]

J-Novel Club's Announcements at Anime NYC 2023

J-Novel Club announced during its Anime NYC 2023 panel that it has licensed the following titles: Title: Chivalry of a Failed Knight novels Author: Riku Misora (story), Won (art) Release Date: December 2023 Summary: In a world where people with supernatural powers, called Blazers, manifest their souls as weapons, Kurogane Ikki dreams of becoming a Mage-Knight. It’s too bad he has no natural…

[sean-gaffney]

[queenlucythevaliant]

Thoughts on Pride& Prejudice and/or Revelation?

Pride and Prejudice: Okay, first off, true confessions: P&P is my third favorite Austen novel, after Persuasion and Emma. Heresy, I know. That said, it was the first one I read, it's the most universally fun to discuss with friends, and it has the best adaptation (the 2005 Kiera Knightly version, no offense to Mr. Firth. Oh, and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries series on YouTube is awesome too.) And I love all my Austen novels :)

For a favorite quotation, let's go with Elizabeth's comparison of Darcy and Wickham after learning the truth of what occurred between them:

“There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men. One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.”

That's what we love about Pride and Prejudice, right? I mean, of course, it's swooningly romantic, but why? I think, ultimately, because it's a story about uncovering the truth of someone. It's about learning, fully, slowly, and agonizingly, just what sort of a person someone is, and growing to love that person.

We all want to be Elizabeth, I think, although apart from being bookish I've never felt quite as vibrant as she is. Elizabeth is nearly perfect, from a modern perspective, save for her judgement. She thinks that Wickham is good and Darcy bad. She is wrong.

And there's something compelling about that, isn't there? Two boys grow up together, one who is a scoundrel yet makes himself appear noble and victimized; the other who is noble and self-sacrificial, yet appears aloof, rude, and even vindictive, depending on who you ask.

Pride and Prejudice says, people are not what they seem. It asks Elizabeth and, with her, the reader, to examine the actions of those around us and to judge one another rightly. It says, maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do.

Also, it's swooningly romantic :)

(Not as romantic as Persuasion, though. What can I say, I love me some pining.)

Revelation: Hoo boy.

I really, really love Revelation. I find it intensely reassuring.

Probably not the parts you think. Chapters 10, 11, and 18 are my favorites.

I've referenced 11 and 18 on this blog before, so let's go with something from chapter 10. Revelation 10:10-11:

And I took the little scroll from the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, "you must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings."

There's a very simple reason why I love these verses so much. They're honest.

What I mean by that is, this is one of the great truths of the Christian faith. It tastes sweet, but it sits heavy in your stomach. You don't get to stop speaking God's truth, not ever. You have to keep going back.

For those who haven't studied Revelation, the little scroll represents the Gospel. John's angel guide instructs him to eat it. The angel warns him that it will taste sweet, but will make his stomach bitter. He eats it. It does as advertised. Then, the angel tells John that he has to go back into the world and continue to prophesy, that is, to speak truth.

The Gospel does taste sweet. It's good news! Jesus, our eternal Creator-God, chose to stoop in condescending love, to join us in our wretched humanity, to live sinlessly, die a criminal's death, and rise again for our salvation. He loves us. He likes us. The Holy Spirit indwells believers. God is sovereign and He has good plans for us. On and on. The Gospel is so, so sweet.

Yet the Gospel does, indeed, sit heavily and bitterly in my stomach once digested. Sometimes, it makes me feel sick. I have to die to myself, to my own desires, and loves, and my accomplishments, over and over again, until I die. I don't get to be in control of my own life. I have to serve God, living in exile and speaking truth into an uncaring world, for the rest of my life. Not all will be saved, and I can't do anything about it. If you don't think that's bitter, then I can't help you.

And John, having just tasted the sweetness and digested the bitterness, doesn't get a moment to rest. Nothing is that easy. The angel says, you must again prophesy. John isn't given another option.

Yet this verse leads into Chapter 11, which tells, through allegory, the story of the Church's faithful witness throughout history. People like John, people like me, who take the bitterness for the sake of the sweetness, who speak truth into an uncaring world, and who ultimately bring glory to God.

Please, if you need some honest hope in your life, go read Revelation 10 and 11 with a good commentary. Remember your calling, Christian, and your role in history.

[danikindofwrites]

How would the ROs react to a MC that’s what to a world with no nobles no kings or queens basically no people who think their lives have more value than others just because they are rich have a special last name or wearing a metal hat

Ohh! So a MC that doesn't want a hierarchy at all is actually really close to a scenario that you can get with MC in The Rising Night, so this is a very interesting ask to work with!

Enoc Castellon He doesn't agree entirely. He believes that there is a time and a place for people to have status when they are needed to make the difficult decisions a community can't. He also knows firsthand about the hierarchy that doesn't take the people's issues to mind and rule selfishly and agrees that they should be taken out to provide a better future for the people as a whole. Enoc is for democracy and believes that communities should have more control in their own decisions and believes that the nobility should be lessened, but Enoc would actively argue with an MC who thinks that there should be no rulers, it would certainly cause some tension between the two of them and Enoc would try to convince MC of the necessity of it.

Wilorin Whitespire They disagree almost entirely. They don't trust people to make the best decisions without someone above them in status, they have seen too many people make the wrong call to believe that people wouldn't end up harming each other without a hierarchy to govern them. If MC ever brought up the idea that there should be no nobility they would pull out the stops and show every grueling and horrific piece of evidence they have and have experienced that people can't be trusted to themselves for what they would do to each other with no regulation and no law from a hierarchy. So it's not that they like nobility, far from it, it's that they believe that it is a necessary evil.

Eowulf Rit Lechlen Surprisingly Eowulf agrees with the idea almost wholeheartedly. She and her family were once Gahliarchen nobility, but they have been manipulated, used and then exiled when they were no longer necessary as a cog in the machine and so among other things Eowulf sees it as nothing but corrupt. She would entirely be on MC's side in saying that there should be no hierarchy and actively pursues such notions, she doesn't hold back either in her distaste for it and will openly say it to anyone, even those of status themselves. She makes it her business to tear them down and would be thrilled if MC was also of the same mindset.

Sigunn Mlane It's not something they like to talk about. As much as they don't like being a neutral party and would rather express their opinion, as a bard they are literally trained to not interfere with matters of politics. A bard's duty is to write down the accurate history around them as it is seen as holy and unable to be tampered with, so even if they had an opinion of whether there should be rulers or not is not up to them to discuss actively, leaving them in a very passive position. Sigunn is sometimes seen as taking Eowulf's side since they are her and her families personal bard, but if they were to discuss such things with MC it would be a very dodgy conversation, and if MC were to do anything about it, they legally could not interfere.

Belos They have no love for the nobility. Due to personal reasons from their past, they rather despise them. While they do not actively search out ways to do anything about it they have no qualms as an assassin taking out those in the hierarchy after being a part of some of the underhanded business of the nobility firsthand. That being said, they also understand that it was a noble- Rowul to be exact, that also saved them from that past. If MC were to want a world without hierarchy though, he'd simply ask them to point him in the direction of who they'd want taken care of first.

Rowul Wayvir They did not start as nobility themselves, their family worked their way through the ranks from simple merchants. But because of things that they know, and keep close to the chest, they certainly do not like it. They use their status to get where they need to be in order to change the hierarchy from within like a slow spreading poison, sometimes even choosing to be the reason why people don't like nobility to begin with to enforce that change from the people. They know it is hypocritical of them sometimes, but they know that their end goal is more important then a few judgements. An MC who believes such things is right up their alley and would see it as the perfect piece in the political game, they would not always say aloud that they agree with MC, but they would surely show it through their actions.

[josefavomjaaga]

How did Eugène occupy his time after 1814? Did he have any responsibilities or functions, or was he put in mothballs?

First of all, thanks for the question. Eugène’s final years, those ten years of agony that, ostensibly, were filled with nothing but joy and pleasure, are a sad story. But if you want the short version: yes, mothballs, mostly. Or as Eugène put it later to Planat de la Faye: »I have sacrificed my independance for the sake of my family.«

Let’s start at the beginning: In 1814, after Josephine’s death, Eugène left France for good. Despite the fact he still owned both Malmaison and Navarre he would never be allowed to return to his country of birth. After leaving wife and children in Munich, he joined the Congress of Vienna in order to receive that »suitable« principality that was to be given to him according to the treaty of Fontainebleau. He is, to my knowledge, the only »napoleonide« to go to Vienna in person.

His situation there is best summed up in a diary entry by archduke Johann, his former opponent in the war of 1809, about Eugène’s obligatory courtesy visit:

1815, October 3: Beauharnais. I quite liked this man […] He has acted most honestly of all the French; how must he feel; he a few months ago at the head of Italy, now barely a French marshal, begging for some piece of land […]

As Eugène would soon realize, he was indeed reduced to begging, and beggars can’t be choosers. I’ll leave out all the humiliations during the congress, or this will turn too long. In the end, he nominally received his principality: Ponte-Corvo. Yes, Bernadotte’s former principality. It was, however, clear that Eugène would not accept it, but immediately sell it off for, according to Auguste, »12 millions«. With that money, he could settle down whereever he pleased and whereever people wanted to have him (which excluded France, from where Napoleon’s family was exiled).

Eugène chose Bavaria, in order to please Auguste, and because he could expect this country would be the least hostile to him. He was right, as far as regular people and king were concerned, who both loved him dearly. Not so much about nobility and crown prince though.

The relationship between Ludwig of Bavaria and his French brother-in-law is a topic of its own, and I do not know enough about Ludwig to be able to truely comment. Let’s just say that as crown prince, according to the law, he did already have some say in matters of the state, and when King Max Joseph wanted to make Eugène and his children official members of the royal family, i.e., a new branch of the house of Wittelsbach, he intervened. There were family disputes and public humiliations for the pesky French brother-in-law. At one point, Eugène was so fed up he wanted to leave the country, leading to workers rioting in front of Ludwig’s house. In the end, Max Joseph had to give in. He gave Eugène a principality (Eichstätt), the title of a duke (Leuchtenberg) and a status of »first prince after the Royal house of Wittelsbach«, with the rights of a mediatised prince. That was in October 1817.

Just for comparison’s sake: The Kingdom of Italy had had about 6 million inhabitants. Eichstätt had 24,000. The principality also was deficient, it had no real economy to speak of and would always cost Eugène more than it earned him.

But he now was at least officially a nobleman of the country – or as his French biographer Françoise de Bernardy put it, he had found his »corner in the world«. His very, very small corner of the world. He did take part in all court activities, built himself a representative palace in Munich, where he had brilliant parties and receptions, thus ostensibly claiming his former rank, was officially declared colonel of a regiment of chevaux-legers (the 6th, »Leuchtenberg«-regiment), and he belonged to one of the chambers of the Bavarian parliament (Landtag). He even can be seen taking an oath to the Bavarian constitution of 1818 among the Royal princes in the drawing below (in truth, even this was vetoed by Ludwig, Eugène took his oath together with the other nobles).

He did take part in the sessions of the Bavarian parliament and at least once held a speech in German (which was duely noted in all the newspapers!) but in general his personal situation and his lack of language skills prevented him from playing an active role. Auguste was already mortified to see Eugène get involved in politics at all, especially as in the matter concerned Eugène did not agree with his father-in-law and sole protector (Max Joseph wanted to weaken the role of the parliament, Eugène wanted to strengthen it). She would always fear that at some point the family would be chucked out of this refuge they had found.

She needn’t have worried. With that incredible Beauharnais tact, Eugène, a changed man ever since the fall of the empire, overweight, taciturn, circumspect, managed to die one year before king Max Joseph and before, under new king Ludwig I., his person would have become a real burden for his family. He suffered his first stroke during mass of Holy Thursday 1823, then briefly recovered during summer and finally gradually got worse until his death on February 21, 1824.

I have left out his relations with Napoleon on Saint Helena as I am not fully clear about them myself, and in any case, those were hardly political except in the eyes of all the foreign observers and secret agents who seem to have panicked whenever Eugène was seen or even only suspected of doing ... anything.

A drawing by Godefroy Engelmann that, if not directly done by Eugène, seems to be based on a sketch by him, according to the museum of Malmaison, hints at the fact that Eugène was quite aware of what was in store for him:

That would be a French soldier deserting his comrades calling after him, led by his wife to a future where a cross (Auguste was indeed very religious) rises above some faceless figures.

Or as he told Planat: »My position here is fake and entirely dependent on the king.«

[smallblueandloud]

wow, i have so many thoughts about so many fandoms right now that it is inevitable that i will forget all of them before i can write them down.

anyway, let’s do jenkins immortality headcanons!

i haven’t actually read any arthuriana and i MEANT to but like. who the heck cares. not me. we’re going OFF THE RAILS of canon right now.

okay so finx @aethersea suggested that camelot was a magical kingdom and has lost its tether to reality in the same way that the library lost its tether to reality (...frequently) and i LOVE that so we’re going with that.

camelot was a kingdom of magic, one of the only of its kind, and then it fell. her king was wounded and sent off onto the lake and her knights stayed behind to guard her and she was broken from the world until the day when her king returned (in england’s hour of greatest need) and summoned it back.

the three left outside were: galahad, morgan le fay, and the exiled lancelot. they three are immortal. don’t ask me why. i GUESS the holy grail is supposed to make people immortal, but lancelot never got ahold of it, so like, don’t ask me. maybe they’re immortal since they’re of the magical isle and therefore they’re inherently magic. whatever.

galahad (i’m gonna call him jenkins now for the sake of clarity) sees that magic is running rampant without camelot to organize it, direct it. he watches the rise of the library. when the first librarian starts to collect artifacts, he offers his services. who better to deal with artifacts than a knight of the round table? besides, he is noble, and good, and full of justice, and this is something he can do to help.

lancelot watches the library grow, too. but he craves the power for himself and bides his time, growing his resources. jenkins tries not to think about him too much. this is his wisest decision and his biggest regret.

(morgan le fay, of course, entertains herself. jenkins runs across her about once a century. his reaction depends entirely on his loneliness at the time. he knows she’s evil, he knows, and he hates her for it, but he just... he can’t shake the comfort of being with someone who knows him and knows who he is and has seen the magic isle. the years that he tries to kill her, he fails. he can’t forgive himself for the years when he doesn’t try at all.)

here’s my biggest headcanon: jenkins isn’t a fictional, sure, but it’s a similar process. the stories of camelot live and grow and flourish and jenkins feels it. at first, it’s minor - the styles of clothing he remembers change with the fashions of the time. but then it gets more extreme. he can’t remember how formally his king spoke. he wakes up one morning feeling the clank of spurs on his horse’s side, despite spurs not having been invented for another four hundred years. and one day he realizes that he’s unsure what lancelot looked like.

here is how jenkins is similar to a fictional. jenkins belongs to a place that is more myth than fact, and its image changes to fit the times and the popular versions. jenkins’ memories are changed with them. he gets into the habit of writing down every change he experiences. those records are the only things he keeps, throughout his very (very very) long life. books and books’ worth, crammed into his desk in the library and spilling over into the shelves. his favorite versions - the ones that feel closest to the fact he can no longer reliably identify - are sometimes ones that have been lost to history.

(“in no version!” he hears jake insisting angrily one day, “in no version was the outcast knight kind! that never happens, it ruins the- the- the INTEGRITY of it, and the STRUCTURE of it, and NO one’s EVER argued-”

“actually, mr. stone,” says jenkins as mildly as he can. “actually, there was a mildly popular version in the early 1400s that said something similar. it never got out of germany, or well, it wasn’t germany at the time, but they didn’t like writing things down much. i’m not surprised you haven’t heard of it before.”)

yes, jenkins has annotated copies of every version he can find, and yes he DOES have strong opinions about adaptations. isn’t it hilarious? enjoy it for the moment, because--

it’s not just the facts of the story itself that changes in his mind. the faces shift, too. guinevere always matches the beauty standard of the time, or later the most famous actress to play her. while dulaque’s face doesn’t change, jenkins’ memory of it does, depending on who’s been illustrating him recently.

(most of why he is so grumpy in the early 21st century is because he keeps seeing merlin as this skinny child. he doesn’t know who’s in charge of bbc casting but he is SICK and TIRED of visualizing this MORGAN person every time he thinks back to the great and terrible wizard that introduced him to court.)

arthur, though. arthur’s face changes the most. sometimes he resembles the best and most beloved leader of the time. sometimes he is from a painting, or he looks like jesus, or he is simply a famous actor. whatever it is, his face has changed in jenkins’ mind more times that he can count, and jenkins knows in his heart that he has absolutely no recollection of his king’s true face.

he worries, sometimes, that arthur will return to save england - and he won’t recognize him at all.

[therealvagabird]

Unbridled

You can also read the full setting intro HERE.

“We live at the turning of an age. New empires rise from the embers of war. The fairy tales of yesteryear lay dead and buried, and yet beneath the clamor of time’s passing, older forces stir. This is an age of glory. Of power for any with the will to seize it, by steel, or spell, or stranger craft. An unfettered age. An unbridled age.

Who would be strong enough to steer the fate of Arius?”

Hierarch Pios VII Enkrates

Less than a century has passed since the end of the Great War of Liberation, when the peoples of the world arose to throw off the yoke of the Old Vasileia. The end of that vast revolution did not spell an end to the bloodshed, however. Across the lands, cold war festers unceasing. Empires, kingdoms, rebels – from the lowliest wildling barbarian to the mightiest mage-king, all must contend with a new dawning age. The world is changing. Machines and magics of unthinkable power become ever more commonplace. Dark and ancient knowledge is forgotten, swept beneath the passing of history like stones before a river. Chaos reigns despite all who attempt to stop it, and the world’s peoples look towards tomorrow wondering what great upheaval is to be next. It is a time of opportunity – of wonder as well as terror – and great heroes have arisen from the most unlikely places to try and shape the future. For fame, or destiny, or desperation, all must answer the call.

Ninety-five years ago, the mainland of Arius was dominated by a single great empire – the Second Vasileia. Also known as the Old Empire, the Vasileia had once been a grand alliance founded by heroes and legends which had since devolved into a hive of tyranny and corruption over the course of its millennia-spanning reign. Mercantile ambitions, once the driving factor in Vasileian diplomacy, had since turned towards something darker. Near all the Empire was dominated by colossal Trade Houses, whose greed knew no bounds. These in turn were held under the thrall of the Holy Imperial Church and the iron fist of the Kaishan – the Emperor. Any lands not subject to Vasileian rule were targeted to be drained of resources and conquered. With the rise of House Auceptor, last of the Second Empire’s Kaishans, the final pretenses of Imperial nobility were thrown off in favor of an era of brutal oppression.

From a minor noble hold in the Imperial heartland, there came an unlooked-for salvation. A young Kynaz by the name of Leon Isidore was driven into exile after his family and people were destroyed by the Trade Houses for their refusal to sacrifice precious resources which had been discovered on their lands. Leon fled into the wilds, living as a wanderer and a mercenary, a raider and an outlaw, subsisting off of what talents for magic, combat, and persuasion he had gained from his noble upbringing. It was in the wastelands that he met a group of nomadic mystics – the Ardentite Schismatics. The Asur – the celestial-kin – were an ancient race who had given rise to the religion of Ardentism, which has first been adopted by the Ava seafolk in the west, before becoming the theology of the First and Second Vasileias, evolving over time into the corrupt modern form of the Holy Imperial Church. To the Schismatics, the Empire had lost its way, and there was soon to come a great reckoning with the very powers of Heaven.

Leon was taught secret arts by these mystics, and through his quick mastery the Asur saw the promise of a Chosen One. Isidore was taught secrets long thought forgotten by the civilized rulers of the Vasileia, and in time he was named Romasa – the Lamb and the Shepherd.

Romasa would go on to spearhead a great rebellion, assembling the Army of Liberation. He beseeched the elder Ava and Verg peoples in the west and drew up great support from within the Imperial heartlands in the east. Sovereignty was promised to all those myriad folk and nations who chafed under the rule of the Auceptor Kaishan, and the Great War commenced. The power and ingenuity of the rebels was not to be understated, but the legions of the Vasileia were like a sea. It became clear that, in their lust for power, the high commanders of the Vasileia had heeded the temptations of daemons and leveled dark and terrible powers against their upstart foes. Black magics and hordes of monsters threatened to engulf all of Arius, and Romasa was pressed to defeat the Kaishan before the entire world could be given over to the predations of daemonkind. At great cost was the Liberation achieved, however, and by Romasa’s word was the corrupt Old Empire overthrown at last.

Yet peace was not to follow, despite the victory of the Liberation. Romasa, in his ongoing mastery of numerous magical arts, and scarred from his service in the War, had changed from the young man he once was. All were shocked when, at the victory of the rebellion, he declared the founding of a new Vasileia, and crowned himself as Kaishan. In the name of order and stability, it was Kaishan Romasa’s command that all need submit to the new authority of his Prime Eternal Vasileia, forgetting the promises of sovereignty and drastic change he’d offered in exchange for a single-minded dedication to reconstruction. Romasa’s former allies were incensed. In the west, the Ava seafolk of Lindath were primed to declare their succession from his new Vasileia, having been among the foremost supporters of Romasa at his promise of Lindathi independence as in the ancient days. With them came several human nations, as well as the bulk of the Delvers, the Verg; and the Myaatu beastfolk of the northern Auroran Desert.

Following in the wake of the Liberation there was a new conflict which was known as the Winter War – the first seed of the later Long War which would plague the continent for near a century after. Dueling for territory and power, the Accord and the Third Empire spread across the lands, forcing every independent nation to choose one side or another in the vicious battle. The Accord promised freedom, common purpose, and a heroic return to the mythic and glorious elder days, while the Empire offered power, order, and the opportunities of a new industrial age. Insurgencies and rebellions flourished during the Winter War as numerous lands defied the offers of both factions. Most prominent among these groups were the Kaynists – populist armies of laborers and peasants united in a spiritual revival based on the writings of the Asur philosopher Anaxagoras Kayne. The Kaynists caused massive losses to both sides of the Winter War, drafting up great populations of refugees and disaffected folk from out of the debris of conflict.

The Accord dominated the west – the Verg underhomes, the Ava ancestral riverlands of Lindath, and the Bastions of the Myaatu north of the Auroran Desert first of all. To their banner came the kingdoms of Theod and Tiber – confederations of westron humans who had long been allies of the Ava and Verg and had been at the core of the First Empire. The desert sultanate of Afqar came as well, following their Myaatu neighbors in declaring holy war against the treacherous Empire. As the Accord grew, so did their ambitions, keen on bringing the light of freedom to all countries in defiance of the Kaishan. Diplomats found headway in the distant land of Yang, whose Dynast was besieged on all sides by Imperial forces. Likewise, to their south, there lay the Serpent Kingdoms – an offshoot of the Ngara scaledfolk of Cretah who preferred the tradecraft and civilization of the mainland over the more bloodthirsty ways of their cousins. Neighboring Lindath and Theod, the Accord set about in the colonization of the lands of Broadleaf and Stormcleft. These were the homes of the Hyldun – the smallfolk; and the Emim giantkin. The Accord offered protection to the ancestral lands of these peoples if they would join their alliance and contribute their resources and power to the cause. Both Broadleaf and Stormcleft were annexed regardless, but many of their natives chose exile, forming a longstanding grudge against the Accord in the process.

In the east, the Third Empire of the Kaishan Romasa retained much of the former Vasileian heartlands. These were centered about the holy city of Dameseka, seat of the Holy Imperial Church which had been reformed under the Ardentite Schismatics, who placed themselves as the new spiritual leaders of the overall fractious Asur people. The lands neighboring Dameseka – the Tsardom of Kleos, and the Khanates of Tular and Midnah – also fell under the Imperial banner, refusing to follow any power weaker than the mighty Kaishan. Seeking dominion over the Dynast of Yang, the Kaishan at last sought a treaty with the reclusive Genke Shogun of Azakuni, succeeding in assembling a new and diverse Empire for the modern era. Last of all, there were the Jia. Also known as “fiends” or “batfolk”, the Jia were a monstrous race not over two centuries old. They had appeared in the latter days of the Old Vasileia, under the rule of the Auceptor Kaishans, and their origins were unknown. Some claimed they descended from daemons, and they had been brought into the world to serve as foot-soldiers for the dark Auceptor legions. After the Great War, most of the disparate Jia tribes and gangs had fled into the steppe and beyond, persisting as pests and battling all they encountered. Yet the Kaishan saw promise in this folk and a chance for salvation, perceiving how they had begun to form their own societies and cultures in the absence of their former overlords. Romasa elevated the mightiest of the Jia clans above all others, and proclaimed their chieftain the first Overlord, securing the Jia hordes to the service of the Empire. Last among the new core of the Vasileia were the Ngara of Cretah, a minor continent off the southeastern shores. Scaled, bestial creatures who nonetheless had a great dynastic civilization going back beyond all human histories, the Ngara Dynasts were zealous, xenophobic, and enduring, thriving in the jungles and deserts of their inhospitable homeland, raising great cities built on rigid caste systems and bloody theocracy. The Ngara refused to submit to any outside power, but the Kaishan’s spies were able to identify fractures in their defences. With Imperial backing, a coup lead by the great Ngara warrior Jayak Courthand overthrew the last Dynast and installed himself as dictator in preparation of a new Dynasty allied to the Third Vasileia. Following this coalition, the Empire managed to also secure the might of the Three Chosen Tribes of the Emim, warlike outliers of the otherwise peaceful giantkin; the Flamespire Verg, who shared the Empire’s vision of a new era; and the Ava of Antilhia in the west, who were a fearsome offshoot of the peaceful Lindathi Ava keen on vengeance against their traditional foes.

As for the rebels caught between the two bulkheads of the Winter War, prospects became bleaker and bleaker as both the Accord and the Empire grew in power. A once successful guerilla war on a hundred fronts was dismantled piece by piece, with the Kaynists taking the brunt of the assault. Their leaders were killed, their bases destroyed, and the Kaynists – most organized of all the insurgent groups – were in time forced into the cold desolation of the northern mountains. Yet in that unforgiving land there came a second rebirth. In the mountain clefts, the exiled rebels came into contact with the Emim giantkin, whose nomadic numbers had grown since the displacement of the Stormcleft tribes. There were also the Hyldun of Broadleaf. Those of the smallfolk who had not stayed under the Accord, nor fled to the Empire-dominated Hyldun country of Nuri, had chosen to move north. All three of these banished peoples feared and distrusted each other, until the chill of winter began to set in once again. To the surprise of all, a common culture of cooperation existed amongst all three groups. Kaynist diplomats reached out to the clan elders of the Hyldun and the tribal shamans of the Emim and learned of the history of oppression they all shared. The Hyldun and Emim learned of the greater world from the humans, while forgotten secrets of nature were imparted on the Kaynists in turn. A new coalition was formed – known as the Crimson Compact, which was signed in the blood of the disaffected and would spread their revolution across the world. The Compact resurged, bolstered by mighty barbarian warriors and elder magics. Uprisings once again began to fester within the Vasileian heartland, while emissaries of the Compact sought out any and all fringe groups which shared a common animosity for both the Accord and the Empire. On the northeastern continent of Wildland, the forest-dwelling Ruadh Confederacy pledged in the name of their fire-keepers to repel Accord colonialism in exchange for Compact trade. South of the Auroran Desert, the wilder Myaatu joined the cause, along with the human coalition known as the Union of Mwene. To the far east, deep in the jungles of the Ngara homeland, and among the islands of the Great Eastern Sea, there were discovered the tribal warriors of Mazakara, and the Shiplords who followed great Aliki admiral-chieftains. Casteless Ngara unsworn to the Serpent Kingdoms or the Dynast, fringe Verg houses, Greenwater Ava of the inland who shirked the high civilization of their cousins, and even Jia who sought to leave their bloody pasts behind. Pirates, rebels, scum, and heroes. From a thousand fractured sources, from the cities and deep wilds, the Compact was formed – disorganized but still united by a common purpose, and now powerful enough to stand against their foes on equal ground.

The Winter War raged on, and few can say when it ended. For over ninety years since the fall of the Old Vasileia, the Long War has plagued the lands of Arius. Outstripping even the great reach of the empires of old, no stretch of the world has been free from the ambitions of these three sprawling factions. Yet change has been ever present. After just shy of two decades of rule, the Kaishan Romasa disappeared. None know what became of him, even to this day, but for a time it appeared to the forces of the Accord that victory was assured. The vying powers of the Imperial Trade Houses threatened to tear the New Vasileia apart, until the Church reestablished itself as a force of arbitration. Under the direction of Hierarch Pios VII Enkrates, a new order was established within Imperial dogma. The figure of the Vanished Kaishan was created as a synthesis of Ardentite theology and the former Kaishan’s own philosophy. It was this unity that saw the Empire endure in the coming Long War, proving to be the ongoing bane of both the Accord and the Compact.

Yet despite the conflicts of mere mortals, forces of grander and more ancient power continue to roil behind the veil. Within the Unseen, daemons whisper and spirits reach into the material plane. Gods and devils vie for supremacy, and the promises of unfathomable knowledge evermore tempt the peoples of a world wracked by strife. The time may soon come when the world would face total annihilation, made all the surer by the schisms and chaos the Long War has birthed. Unless new heroes and wise leaders could stand against the tide.

[echodrops]

The League of Villains Plays DnD AU

(Saw a post by @bunny-loverxiv last night that reminded me I’ve had this stupid thing in my drafts unfinished for over a year now. I’m not sure I’ll ever have time to come back and finish it, but in the spirit of what I posted earlier, here it is, in all its unfinished.. glory...)

Since I asked for a League of Villains plays DnD AU and no one delivered, alas, I guess I’ll just do all the work myself!

So, without further ado:

Shigaraki Tomura’s Character Sheet:

Race and Appearance: Fallen Aasimar, with hair pale as the flesh of wraiths and eyes like two burning pools of blood, reflecting out from the infernal pits of the abyss. His rippling muscles under his bone-white skin carry the scars of his uncountable victories, and when his corrupted celestial powers radiate forth, ghostly skeletal wings rise--

( “Do I have to keep reading? This is really long...”

“It’s important!”)

Alias: “Zephiroth”

(”Isn’t that the guy from Final Fantasy?”

“No! That was Sephiroth! My character’s name is totally different!”)

Class: Oath of Conquest Paladin/Hell Knight

Motto: Dim the Ray of Hope

A dread knight whose armor is black with the blood of his enemies; to stand against him on the field of battle is to know true fear, and none have called themselves his equal and lived to tell the tale. His menacing aura is a cloud of evil righteous murder that spreads across the land as he advances, and everywhere he travels is seeped into the deepest of despairs. Civilizations tremble before the darkness of his impossibly dark darkness.

(“Did you run out of adjectives?”

No, I meant exactly what I said.”)

Also, collects the severed hands of his conquests.

(”Tomura-kun, this isn’t a character, this is just you!”

“Collecting body trophies is standard lore for conquest paladin; you’d know if you read Xanathar’s Guide.”)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

(“Shigaraki Tomura, I am not sure this alignment fits with the character you’re describing--”

“I wrote the campaign, so good’s whatever I say it is.”

“Boss, doesn’t playing in your own campaign defeat the purpose? Knowing everything ahead of time’s a great idea!”

“Shut up, I don’t care about spoilers.”)

Backstory: Zephiroth the Bloody swore an oath to complete the conquest of his father, King Jenovo, who fell in battle to his eternal rival and estranged foolish younger brother, Nimbus Might ( “You know, I really think I’ve heard these names before...”). Jenovo’s quest was undoubtedly a noble one: to reunite the brothers’ separated kingdoms under a single legitimate banner--and its single legitimate ruler. The two brothers clashed in a battle of titans that shook the entire world, and though he was in the wrong, Nimbus Might reigned supreme in the end, and took Jenovo’s life and kingdom both. The death of his father crushed the last remnants of joy and love in young Prince Zephiroth’s black heart and now he will stop at nothing to put an end to Nimbus Might’s reign by turning every symbol of his false kingdom to dust.

Notable Stats and Weapon: +5 Intimidation, +5 Persuasion; greatsword and shield wielder.

Tomura is a quintessential min-maxer; he made everyone else take the standard array for stats but... “rolled” for his.

(”This old man’s been reviewing the character sheets, Shigaraki, and couldn’t help but notice some discrepancies in the party’s stats compared to yours--”

“You’re welcome to not play. Ever.”

“Must have been a trick of the light!”)

Carrying: The holy relic “Lavos”

(”Isn’t that just from Chrono Cross?”

“I think you mean, Khrono Kross, Spinny.”)

The relic is a glowing black and red container imbued with a hellish aura, containing magical bullets said to be formed from the blood of the time goddess, allowing Shigaraki to permanently unwind his opponents’ powers. Limited use, 5 times.

Dabi:

Race and Appearance: Tiefling.

(“Did you not even bother to write an appearance?!”

“My character has the same appearance as me.”

“That’s not even possible. Tieflings are supposed to have horns!”

“Okay, my character has the same appearance as me with horns.”)

Alias: “Dabi” 

(”You can’t name your character after yourself!”

“But I’m not named Dabi.”)

Class: Phoenix Sorcerer

Motto: Ashes to Ashes

(”You can’t play this class either, it isn’t canon.”

“You told me to pick one from the wiki; ain’t my problem you didn’t specify.”

“I said no homebrew!”

“And that means... what?”)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

(”You ignored my instructions about our alignment too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but you said ‘good’ so I assumed I misheard.”

“We’re the protagonists of this story--our cause is just!”)

Feats and Skills: ...Hmm, for some reason, many things have been written and then crossed out?

(“W-What have you done?! You can’t just modify things however you feel! Why would you even swap out Nourishing Fire for an Elemental Affinity that deals ice damage?! And did you just scratch out ‘long rest’ and put ‘short rest’ here? That’s OP!”

“When the hell have any of you let me get a long rest?”

“Animal Handling as a skill, seriously?!”

“Figured you’d give me some monsters to tame.”

“Go fuck yourself!”

Shigaraki was, in fact, planning on there being monsters for Dabi to tame.)

Backstory: A traveler with a shadowy past.

(”That’s... your whole backstory? Are you freaking kidd--”

”Aww, come on Dabi, this bio is lame! Oh, I know, I know! You’re actually a prince in disguise, exiled from his kingdom and seeking vengeance on his father, the one who left him horrifically burned and on the brink of death, which caused you to be rescued by the soul of a lonely phoenix, and at the end of your quest, after reclaiming your rightful throne from your evil father, you free the phoenix who possessed you to save your life, but then it returns and swears its eternal love to you! Eehee!”

“We’re...not doing that.”

“You can’t do that anyways, it completely undermines my lore. There are only two kingdoms in this world, and I’m going to be the ruler of both of them.”)

Notable Stats and Weapon: +3 Deception, +4 Insight; wields darts.

(”But why do I even have to pick a weapon? It says right there I have Burning Hands.”)

Carrying: A shard of never-melting ice in the shape of a three-petaled flower; it exudes a calming chill even when wreathed in the wildest of fires. Looking at it makes you feel... melancholy?

(”Why is this the only section with detail?! If you could put this much effort in here, you should have taken the rest seriously too!”)

Mr. Compress:

Race and Appearance: Human, a man in the prime of his life, with a roguish glint in his eye and a rakish gold mustache above his mysterious smirk. There’s an artfully placed scar below his right eye that speaks to a life of the blade and adventure, and his pressed linen and metallic brocade doublet belies his nature as a man of impeccable taste. His jaunty black bandana is always pulled low over his eyes, but mischief seems to twinkle out from beneath the accompanying black mask nevertheless.

(“Oh, I like it! A lot! Hey, hey, will you rewrite mine for me? Make it like yours but cuter!”)

Alias: The Dread Pirate Roberts

(“Huh? The first part is good, but why “Roberts”?

“Well, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley.”

“What are you snickering about, Kurogiri?”

“Nothing at all, Shigaraki Tomura.”)

Class: Multi-class Swashbuckler and School of Conjuration Wizard

Motto: To the Pain!

(“These two classes don’t compliment each other at all. You should change to Hexblade at least!”

“As you wish.”

“Kurogiri’s laughing again. What are you two hiding? Tell me!”)

Mr. Compress knew full well the classes he picked didn’t mesh; he just lives for the shits and giggles. He’s actually been playing DnD longer than Toga’s been alive, but where’s the fun in telling Tomura that?

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Skills: Acrobatics, Persuasion, Performance, Sleight of Hand

(“Okay, but am I the only one who actually created a real character instead of a self-insert? DnD’s a role-playing game; isn’t the whole point to use your imagination?!”

“Ain’t our fault your real self is too boring to be a decent character, Lizard.”

“You never miss an opportunity to insult me, do you, asshole?!”)

Backstory: Although he came from unremarkable origins, Westley Roberts found himself thrust on to the path of great destiny when the merchant ship on which he was employed was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts--

“How can he attack his own ship? You forgot your own name, didn’t you?”

“Not all, Shigaraki! I’m not that old!”

--but when Roberts heard the tale of Westley’s quest to prove himself for the one he loved--

“Wait, who is this other character now? There was no love interest listed before!”

“Just let me tell the story!”

--Roberts was overcome by the depth of Westley’s tale of woe and decided to name him his successor, passing down the title of Dread Pirate Roberts--

“Can I change my character to a Dread Pirate?”

“No, Dabi!”

“I’m just sayin’, why was I not informed of this option?”

--sothathecouldmildlyterrorizethewatersaroundhishomekingdomandfinallyamasstherichesneededtoimpresshischarminglove. PHEW! Thank you for letting me finish!

Notable Stats and Weapon: +4 Dexterity, +5 Charisma; wields a rapier with impeccable skill. Is definitely not left-handed. Carrying: A Rodent of Unusual Size. Excellent distraction. Also edible.

“What is wrong with everyone in this room?!”

And the rest of the League I didn’t finish, but:

Spinner: A gorgeous lady Argonian who spits beams of pure light--

“No, this is too cool. Change it.”

“Awww come on, Shigaraki, just let me have this--”

“Change it.”

Toga: Tabaxi assassin. ON A QUEST FOR LOVE. (May or may not have decided this after peering over Mr. Compress’s shoulder during character creation time.)

Twice: Halfling wizard. None of his stats make sense because he couldn’t make up his mind where to put them.

Hawks: Aarakochra bard. Entirely useless. That asshole who rolls to seduce everything.

Kurogiri: The DM. But not by choice.

There’s no Giran or Gigantomachia because I started writing this before either of them were really “part” of the League. Use your imaginations~

[dailychapel]

Holy Lord, Thank You for grace. Please help me move beyond the hurdles that trip me up and give me the strength and wisdom to look up and see the hope I run toward in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

[Pro 5:1-12 ESV] 1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, 2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. 3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, 4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; 6 she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. 7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, 10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, 11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, 12 and you say, "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

[Jdg 5:1-31 ESV] 1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day: 2 "That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD! 3 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing; I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel. 4 "LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. 5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel. 6 "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways. 7 The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. 8 When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD. 10 "Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way. 11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD. 12 "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. 13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for me against the mighty. 14 From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's staff; 15 the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. 16 Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he stay with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, staying by his landings. 18 Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field. 19 "The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. 20 From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. 21 The torrent Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! 22 "Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. 23 "Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. 24 "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. 25 He asked for water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble's bowl. 26 She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple. 27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead. 28 "Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera wailed through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?' 29 Her wisest princesses answer, indeed, she answers herself, 30 'Have they not found and divided the spoil?-- A womb or two for every man; spoil of dyed materials for Sisera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?' 31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." And the land had rest for forty years.

[1Pe 1:13-25 ESV] 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

10th October >> Mass Readings (USA)

  Saturday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time 

    or 

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

  (Liturgical Colour: Green)

      First Reading

Galatians 3:22-29

Through faith you are all children of God.

Brothers and sisters: Scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

   Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

 R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Sing to him, sing his praise,

 proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

Glory in his holy name;

 rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!

R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or

R/ Alleluia.

Look to the  Lord in his strength;

 seek to serve him constantly.

Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,

 his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.

R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or

R/ Alleluia.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,

 sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He, the  Lord, is our God;

 throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or

R/ Alleluia.

    Gospel Acclamation

Luke 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are those who hear the word of God

and observe it.

Alleluia, alleluia.

    Gospel

Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that carried you. Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

—————————-

     Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

   Liturgical Colour: White.

     (Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

       First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

I will put enmity between your offspring and the offspring of the woman.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me– she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned

 from all the animals

 and from all the wild creatures;

On your belly shall you crawl,

 and dirt shall you eat

 all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

 and between your offspring and hers;

He will strike at your head,

 while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

      Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

 R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the Lord,

 my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies;

 I rejoice in my victory.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,

 while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,

 while the hungry batten on spoil.

The barren wife bears seven sons,

 while the mother of many languishes.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The Lord puts to death and gives life;

 he casts down to the nether world;

 he raises up again.

The Lord makes poor and makes rich,

 he humbles, he also exalts.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust;

 from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,

To seat them with nobles

 and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

    Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women.

Alleluia, alleluia.

  Or:

see Luke 1:45

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed 

that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

Alleluia, alleluia.

  Or:

see Luke 2:19

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God

and pondered it in her heart.

Alleluia, alleluia.

  Or:

Luke 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are those who hear the word of God

and observe it.

Alleluia, alleluia.

  Or:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;

from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

Alleluia, alleluia.

  Or:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;

without dying you won the martyr’s crown

beneath the Cross of the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia.

                                 EITHER: 

    Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

 and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

Matthew 1:18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

 and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.

    OR: 

    Gospel

Matthew 12:46-50

Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, here are my mother and my brothers.

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 1:26-38

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 1:39-47

Blessed is she who believed.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 2:1-14

She gave birth to her firstborn son.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 2:15b-19

Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 2:27-35

You yourself a sword will pierce.

Simeon came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

 your word has been fulfilled;

my own eyes have seen the salvation

 which you prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations

 and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 2:41-52

Your father and I have been looking for you.

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

    OR: 

    Gospel

Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that carried you.

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

    OR: 

    Gospel

John 2:1-11

The mother of Jesus was there.

There was a wedding in Cana at Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from although the servers who had drawn the water knew, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

    OR: 

    Gospel

John 19:25-27

Behold, your son. Behold, your mother.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[cincinnatusvirtue]

December 2nd, Napoleon’s lucky date...Part I: Rise and Coronation.

Napoleon Bonaparte is said by some sources to have considered December 2nd his lucky date.

The date first came to be of importance in the Bonapartist pantheon on December 2nd, 1804.  This was the date of Napoleon Bonaparte’s coronation as Emperor of the French, becoming Napoleon I.  Napoleon rose from relative obscurity on the French controlled island of Corsica to an able officer of artillery in the French Army, this was particularly true in the wake of the French Revolution in 1789 which swept away the ancien regime and promised French society a new society of “liberte, egalite, fraternite”.  What it meant for Napoleon was opportunity.  Officers in the royal ancien regime were usually of noble ancestry or were personal favorites of the royals regardless of military ability and this lead to little advancement and sometimes downright incompetence in military affairs.  Now in the French Republic of post 1789, officers could rise through merit and not right of birth.  The 1790′s saw the new French Republic both trying to import its message of republicanism and nationalism to other parts of Europe and defend itself from the reactionary monarchies on the continent that made up coalitions determined to crush French republicanism, restore the old monarchy and uphold the balance of power.

The republic however was plagued by financial problems fighting a multi-front war and a series of unstable governments that changed rather frequently throughout the decade between 1789-1799.  Perhaps most notable was the “Reign of Terror” lead by Maximilien Robespierre of 1793-1794.  Napoleon himself was at times was threatened with prison, exile or death but always managed to recognize having the right connections at the right time in the shifting governance and his one dedication, at least on the surface was his commitment to the French Republic and his actions borne this out in 1796-1797 when he lead the French Army of Italy to take on their traditional enemy, the Austrian Hapsburgs and defeat them in Northern Italy.  His fame rose as a result of these victories when much of the rest of France was suffering defeats elsewhere in Europe, he reinvigorated a belief in the French people and through propaganda made himself a star.  In November 1799, he conspired a coup to form a new form of government in France, a three-person triumvirate (inspired by Ancient Roman Republican governance) call the Consulate.  On paper it was a three person power sharing agreement.  In reality, Napoleon became the sole power and became First Consul and in time became “First Consul for life”, he began implementing a more authoritarian form of government but with outward appearances of upholding the Republic and indeed many liberal ideas of the republican era survived, but Napoleon also revived elements of the ancien regime and by 1804 he held a plebiscite to ask for the establishment of a new hereditary empire to replace the republic, it would infuse republican ideals but be in name and practice a monarchy less than fifteen years after overthrowing the old monarchy.  Napoleon’s distinct difference was this plebiscite as he saw it, would give him a mandate from the people, making him a constitutional absolute monarch rather than “divine right” monarch of the past. 

The plebiscite was held in early 1804 to express support for the establishment of an empire with Napoleon and his descendants as the ruling house.  Overwhelmingly, the plebiscite was in Napoleon’s favor, though evidence suggests it was somewhat manipulated or exaggerated at the very least.  On May 2nd, 1804 by order of the French Senate as a result of the plebiscite, Napoleon was named Emperor of the French. 

On December 2nd, 1804 the coronation of Napoleon and his wife, Josephine as Empress took place.  The elaborate and ornate ceremony was held in Paris at the Notre Dame Cathedral.  The pope, Pius VII was in attendance, not to crown the Emperor as popes had done in the past with the Holy Roman Empire, but to give his “blessing” as part of France’s Concordat with the Papacy in 1801 which recognized Roman Catholicism as the traditional religion of France, really to appease die hard Catholics (a base of support) in his country in the wake of anti-clerical attacks during the revolutions.  Also to give his coronation an air of legitimacy among other European monarchs.  The ceremony was attended by the new French Empire’s leading new aristocracy, Napoleon’s military generals, capable men who rose through the ranks to become his Marshals of the Empire.  Also in attendance were his mother and siblings, given new royal titles and placed on the thrones of various European kingdoms and duchies in the coming years, serving as puppet states of the French Empire.  Foreign dignitaries from the world over attended, including future US President James Monroe.  Two crowns were used at the ceremony, a golden laurel crown in imitation of the Roman Empire (Napoleon’s model of governance in some ways) and replica of the ancient crown of Charlemagne I, the original Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks (French King).  Napoleon famously crowned himself and then his wife.  The procession left to acclaim from the thousands of onlookers lining the streets and the choir singing, “God save our Emperor, Napoleon.”

[sean-gaffney]

[napoleondidthat]

[2/2] ‘Tears came to my eyes,’ says Bertrand, ‘at the sight of this manwho had inspired such awe, who had given orders so proudly and positively, pleading now for a littlespoonful of coffee, begging permission like a child, and not being given it, returning again and againto the same requests, always failing, but never getting angry.’

Absolutely.

Napoleon's death is sad, as I imagine all deaths are for the most part.

For me, Napoleon is at his best in the beginning. As a young general who has talent. As First Consul. As Emperor to begin with. But it seems to me that by the time Marie Louise is ushered in, Napoleon has lost a bit of what made Napoleon potent, powerful, what made Napoleon Napoleon. Somewhere in the midst of all the ass-kissing, the groveling, Napoleon lost himself.

Napoleon forgot what made him unique is that his power came from the people (in a sense--France wasn't a true democracy of course). But all the people he surrounded himself with were for the most part were men of the people. Murat, the son of an inn-keeper. Oudinot, the son of a brewer. Ney, the son of a cooper. Lannes, the son of a merchant. Brune, the son of a lawyer. Berthier, son of a lieutenant in the topographical department. There were some nobles, like Caulaincourt who was the son of a general and a marquis. But for the most part, these were men who came from the everyday ranks and by talent and hard work got to be generals and later Princes, Dukes etc. Their power was in the fact they weren't a bunch of blue bloods but rather the people. Imagine being a royal and having to sit across and make peace with a man who was the son of a Corsican lawyer with some claims to petty nobilty and being beaten on the battlefield by a handful of men who all had humble roots.  The soldiers were attached to Napoleon because he was theirs. It's all rather revolutionary. A giant chess match of us (the people) vs. them (the royals).  Josephine, even though again, petty nobility at birth, would marry to become a Viscountess, but she still was for the most part, a regular woman.

Enter Marie Louise. By the time she comes into the story, Napoleon has lost his core a bit and for lack of better words, has become a "royal". He no longer is one of the people, has risen above it and does and says ridiculous things that make one eyeroll. He starts talking about his poor cousins, the deposed Bourbons. He expects more and more royal etiquette. His status somewhat alienates him from his generals. He becomes and expects to be pampered. He divorces Josephine, for political reasons, and marries into a royal house. He demands this. And, rather stupidly, marries into the Hapsburg dynasty, the very house that France rid itself of through a bloody blade. Marie Louise is rightfully terrified of the "ogre" and is expected to sit on the throne that cost her great-aunt her life. Napoleon brings back to France what it got rid of. Now everything is pagentry times a thousand. He's finally achieved and got the valedation he's craved, he's one of the "them" and forgets the "us". They can no longer say he is illegitimate, he's married into a royal house, one of the most respected, his father-in-law is the Holy Roman Emperor. His children will be royals.  Josephine who the people adored, who had no issue with making small talk with anyone and  being approached, is replaced by a cold, distant bonafide Princess. Can you blame some of his long time generals and companions moving away from him and feeling, for lack of better word, betrayed? Even France. Some questioned, is this what France signed up for? Didn't she sign up for an Emperor and somehow ended up with an Empress that came from what they rejected?

As it's been reported to have been said by Murat to Napoleon, "You have become what we have fought against." I have to agree with Murat. I love Napoleon, but he needs to have several seats.

Napoleon became a somewhat lazy monarch. He was more interested in being a father, a husband, an Emperor. I can't blame him, he spent most of his early years in one battle or another. Soon, he's handing over control to people who can't and don't know how to weild it. Spain drains his money and his soldiers. He gets irritated, more so than before. He goes into Russia without listening to Caulaincourt who was ambassador and knew Russian winters and their mind-set, convinced he knew better. He walked into disaster. Caulaincourt warned him to have the soldiers get fur-lined boots, Caulaincourt got his troops boots, Napoleon didn't. Caulaincourt's men survived.

In a way, Napoleon was in a losing fight. You can make the argument that Napoleon had to become one of them in order to be acknowledged by them. What sort of Emperor has a family of shop-keepers and lawyers? They had to rise with him. But most of his sibling were not meant to hold thrones and were much more interested in getting to play King too. Elisa seemed to handle her estates very well and had a natural fit and perhaps the smartest brother, Lucien, was sent into exile.

Saint Helena redeems Napoleon. Some historians have even argued that Saint Helena is what has helped make Napoleon into the legend that he is today.  Some great stories come out of Saint Helena, his friendship with Betsy Balcombe for one. I have always held he had to go there to find himself again.Now, this isn't gospel. 

This is the opinions I have come to from my own studies and interpretations.

[canuterex]

NOV. 12, 1035. DEATH OF CANUTE REX, KING OF ENGLAND, NORWAY AND DENMARK. CREATOR OF 'EMPIRE OF THE SEAS'.

"On 12th November 1035 Cnut the Great, King of England and Emperor of the North, died at Shaftesbury and was buried at Winchester Old Minster. He was succeeded in England by his son Harald, while his other son, Harðacnut, took and fought to hold the throne of Denmark.

According to the Knytlinga Saga:

“Knut was exceptionally tall and strong, and the handsomest of men, all except for his nose, that was thin, high-set, and rather hooked. He had a fair complexion none-the-less, and a fine, thick head of hair. His eyes were better than those of other men, both the handsomer and the keener of their sight.”

Cnut was the son of Sweyn Forkbeard, the Dane who was briefly King of England (by right of conquest), having finally driven out Æþelred Unrede in 1013 after extorting tribute from him for a number of years. However, Sweyn did not live long to enjoy the fruits of his victory and died in February 1014.

On Sweyn’s death the Danelaw came out in support of Cnut but the other English nobles recalled Æþelred from Normandy where he was in exile. Æþelred returned to England, and, in a pre-cursor to the events of Runnymede in 1215 when John agreed the Magna Carta, Æþelred swore to be a better king and rule more justly. 

Cnut at this time was a young warrior, relatively untried as a leader of men, and despite his support in parts of the country he was driven out by the English until he returned in full force in 1015. He was much more effective in this later campaign and took most of the country, with the only meaningful resistance being brought by Edmund Ironside, son of Æþelred.

After Æþelred’s death in 1016 Edmund fought back even more vigorously against Cnut so that by November the two were brought to an agreement at Deerhurst to split the country between them. However, Edmund died soon after and Cnut became sole ruler of England with his coronation taking place on Christmas Day. 

Things moved on smartly in 1017, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us: 

“AD 1017. In this year king Cnut obtained the whole realm of the English race, and divided it into four parts: Wessex to himself, and East Anglia to Thurkyll, and Mercia to Eadric, and Northumbria to Irke. And in this year was Eadric the ealdorman slain in London, very justly, and Northman, son of Leofwine the ealdorman, and Aethelweard, son of Aethelmaer the great, and Brihtric, son of Aelfeh, in Devonshire. And king Cnut banished Eadwigthe etheling, and afterwards commanded him to be slain, and Eadwi, king of the churls. And then, before the kalends of August, the king commanded the relict of king Aethelred, Richard's daughter, to be fetched for his wife, 'that was Elfgive in English, Ymma in French.” You read that right – he married Æþelred’s widow, Emma of Normandy, daughter of Richard of Normandy and mother of Edward and Alfred. The couple had two children, Gunnhilda and Harðacnut, while Cnut also had a “Danish” wife Ælfgifu of Northampton, with whom he had a son Harald (Harefoot).

Cnut ruled from 1016-1035. He established the earldoms of England and although he initially controlled Wessex directly he eventually created the Earldom of Wessex which was given to Godwin, cementing that family’s rise to power. 

Cnut’s brother Harald died in 1018 and Cnut then took the throne of Denmark as well as England. In Norway, Olaf had replaced Sweyn Forkbeard as king but in 1029 his nobles supported the invasion of Cnut and so Cnut became King of Norway as well.

England took up Cnut’s main attention and he placed Ælfgifu and Harald as regents in Norway with disastrous consequences. Their rule was so unpopular that they were driven out by Magnus, the son of Olaf, in 1035, when as an eleven year old boy he was proclaimed king by the Norwegian nobles. Olaf’s brother Harald was to return later and to have a significant effect on English history, for he became better known as Harald Hardrada.

Cnut worked with the church, particularly Bishop Wulfstan, to rule England according to English laws and customs from the time of King Edgar. He promoted men he trusted from the English ranks as well as Danish. In 1027 he was able to leave the kingdom securely while he travelled to Rome to witness the coronation of Conrad, the Holy Roman Emperor. 

While in Rome he negotiated fiercely for better terms for English merchants, pilgrims and churchmen. He wrote in a letter to his nobles:

“I spoke with the Emperor himself and the Lord Pope and the princes there about the needs of all people of my entire realm, both English and Danes, that a juster law and securer peace might be granted to them on the road to Rome and that they should not be straitened by so many barriers along the road, and harassed by unjust tolls; and the Emperor agreed and likewise King Robert who governs most of these same toll gates. And all the magnates confirmed by edict that my people, both merchants, and the others who travel to make their devotions, might go to Rome and return without being afflicted by barriers and toll collectors, in firm peace and secure in a just law.”

Henry of Huntingdon, writing in the 12th century, records a summary of his reign including the curious story of the King Cnut and the Tide:

“A few words must be devoted to the power of this king. Before him there had never been in England a king of such great authority, He was lord of all Denmark, of all England, of all Norway, and also of Scotland. In addition to the many wars in which he was most particularly illustrious, he performed three fine and magnificent deeds. The first is that he gave his daughter in marriage to the Roman emperor, with indescribably riches. The second, that on his journey to Rome, he had the evil taxes that were levied on the road that goes through France, called tolls or passage tax, reduced by half at his own expense. The third, that when he was at the height of his ascendancy, he ordered his chair to be placed on the sea-shore as the tide was coming iin. The he said to the rising tide, “You are subject to me, as the land on which I am sitting is mine, and no one has resisted my overlordship with impunity. I command you, therefore, not to rise onto my land, nor to presume to wet the clothing or limbs of your master.” But the sea came up as usual, and disrespectfully drenched the king’s feet and shins. So jumping back, the king cried, “Let all the world know that the power of kings is empty and worthless, and there is no king worthy of the name save Him by whose will heaven, earth and sea obey eternal laws.” Thereafter King Cnut never wore the golden crown, but placed it on the image of the crucified Lord, in eternal praise of God the great king. By whose mercy may the soul of King Cnut enjoy rest.”

Cnut was buried at the Old Minster in Winchester, which he and Queen Emma had richly endowed, and his bone translated to a mortuary chest when the cathedral was rebuilt. In the English Civil War (17th century) his bones were scattered and trampled with others by soldiers, and only later collected and placed back in the mortuary chests, although in a muddled fashion with the other victims of the desecration.

Coincidentally on 12th November 1041 Cnut’s son, Harthacnut, laid waste to Worcester after the murder of his tax collectors on 4th May – (...)."

Credits to facebook page "Anglo-Saxon History in Yorkshire."

[d20and]

d20 and European history

Church and crown have gone to war in Dimension 20′s A Crown of Candy as Pontifex Brassica, Heirophant Rex of the Bulbian Church, has outlawed our favorite royal family. (Catch up on dropout.tv!)

It isn’t surprising to learn that church and crown often clashed in Medieval Europe, as powerful men attempted to control extensive lands and large populations of tax payers. One of the most heated struggles was between Pope Gregory VII & Henry IV, King of Germany, Italy & Burgundy. Gregory excommunicated Henry not once but twice!

Gregory was a reformer & spent his papacy reasserting the Roman Church’s power over western Christendom. His decisions angered royals who enjoyed choosing the bishops & abbots who served in their kingdoms. Philip I of France wasn’t pleased with Gregory’s reforms, but he wasn’t very interested in arguing either, since under Pope Urban II (Gregory’s predecessor), he had endured excommunication, absolution, and various rebukes over his second “marriage.” Philip and his nobles were mostly united as well, so Gregory may have considered that crown too well affixed to criticize.

But Gregory especially infuriated Henry IV, the heir to the Holy Roman Empire, who periodically faced rebellion in his lands. Needing Gregory’s support at a critical moment, Henry agreed to refrain from opposing the reformer pontiff & his initiatives. But as soon as that threat passed, Henry reneged on his promises which earned him a harsh letter of rebuke from Gregory.

Henry, unhappy with Gregory since his election, responded with his own letter that declared his divinely ordained right to rule and denied the legitimacy of “the false monk.” Pope Gregory immediately excommunicated Henry and absolved all Henry’s subjects of their oaths of fealty, effectively dethroning Henry.

Learning that many of his subjects were actually quite happy with this turn of events, Henry begged for absolution and penitently hiked through snow & ice to ask the pope in person. Gregory knew that such a display required him to absolve Henry & welcome him back into communion, but the humiliated king was forced to bend the knee, a moment that had repercussions for centuries.

Unfortunately for Henry, the absolution didn’t return his royal power because rebellious nobles had decided that they preferred his brother-in-law, Duke Rudolf of Swabia, and had chosen him to be king. King Henry’s loyalists fought the faction supporting the antiking Rudolf for three years while Gregory remained neutral & tried to broker peace (occasionally and half-heartedly).

Finally, in January 1080, a battle at Flarchheim seemed to turn the tide for Rudolf, and in March, Gregory again excommunicated and dethroned Henry in a patently political maneuver. However, Henry had solidified his political power in the interim, while Gregory’s support in the episcopate had waned, and three months later, Henry held a synod where Gregory was declared deposed and Clement III was elected antipope. The pope’s influence in the Holy Roman Empire now depended almost entirely on the victory of antiking Rudolf—an unfortunate situation rising from the pontiff’s choices.

When Rudolf died suddenly in October, Henry’s internecine troubles abated, and he took the fight to Italy. Less than 4 years later, Henry took Rome, and Gregory fled the city. Clement III was installed and he crowned Henry emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Gregory died in exile in May 1085 and was canonized as Saint Gregory VII in 1606. 

Henry’s time as Holy Roman Emperor was not peaceful, however. He spent the next 20 years warring with his rebellious sons, Conrad and Henry, and abusing his second wife, Praxedis-Adelaide, who publicly denounced him. He died at 56, in 1106.

[fluffy-marshmallow-heart]

Drake's Diary ch.25 -A Spot of Tea

The Royal Romance canon from Drake's POV

Words: 1619

I know you guys have been waiting, but it seems this is a filler chapter on PB's part. But it can still be fun. I believe things start coming to a head starting next chapter though! I hope you enjoy this in the meantime!

 Master List (Catch Up Here)

Drake was glowering at a table all by himself. Another tea party. I can’t believe I’m at another tea party. What is with nobles and tea parties? Why can’t they have a whiskey party or a hearty food party? It’s always gotta be tea…

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Emma walking onto the grounds, and his breath hitched as he took in her slim figure in a scarlet red dress, with lots of little detailing. She looks gorgeous. Wow. Make way for the Lady in Red.

  He waved her down. “Rose! Over here. I thought I’d be stuck drinking tea alone.”

She grinned at him as she approached the table, and his heart fluttered at the way her eyes shined brightly directly at him.

“Sadly for all of us, that’s not the case.” Olivia sits down beside Drake as the tea house’s staff begins carrying trays of tea cups and pots to each table. As Emma joins them, he looks around for Hana, but sees her with Xinghai and her two noble suiters, Neville and Rashad, close to the royal party’s table.

Alrighty then.

He slid his eyes over to Olivia. “Hmph. Did Madeleine send you to sit with us exiles?”

“Not as such, but there was only one other available table.” She nods at said table, where Penelope is eagerly chatting with Kiara. Her voice carries over the word “poodle” and Olivia shuddered.

“Your company seemed…marginally preferable.”

“Olivia, It’s okay. You can admit that we’re friends.” Emma broke in.

Once again, speak for yourself, Rose. She is not my friend.

Olivia’s mouth fell open, and Drake thought he saw the hint of a smile. “I…I just find you less insufferable than Penelope.”

Ha. Yup, definitely was a smile in disguise. “Coming from you, that’s like a confession of love.

“We’re basically besties.” Emma laughed, as Olivia rolled her eyes.

A server approaches with a kettle and tray. She carefully adds tea leaves to the pot and fills it with water. The server drains the first infusion into a pitcher, and after filling the tea pot again, pours the pitcher’s contents over its closed lid.

“Nooooo! Not my tea!” Maxwell races over to the table, looking stricken.

Emma rose an eyebrow. “Relax, Maxwell. It’s part of the service.”

“Oh, good.  I thought my tea privileges were being revoked.”

“Not unless you’ve committed tea crimes you haven’t told us about.” She teased

“I wouldn’t hurt a leaf! Except by drinking it!” Maxwell chuckled at his own joke while everyone else just stared at him.

“Where on earth have you been?” Drake demanded. Leaving me here alone, leaving Emma to fend for herself, letting Olivia sit down, I could just go on. I deserve an explanation.

Maxwell looked at him like he had two heads. “Looking into Tariq’s whereabouts! We got a tip that he’s somewhere in Los Angeles. Hiding deep undercover.”

Drake scoffed. “That figures. He’s off living it up in Hollywood while you’re here cleaning up his mess.”

“I’ve started calling any menswear store whose price tags start at three figures, but since we’re on opposite sides of the Pacific…they’re all closed right now.”

“Oh. Thanks, time zones.” Emma frowned, and Drake took her hand under the table. She gives him a grateful smile.

“Don’t worry, I left them a bunch of voicemails. I told every store that if they don’t call me back as soon as they’re open, they’ll face the wrath of House Beaumont’s lawyers! I think Bertrand would be impressed.”

A look of surprised crossed Emma’s face. “We have lawyers now?”

“The stores that I called think we do!” Maxwell told her happily

Squeezing her hand lightly, Drake turned to face Emma. “How are you holding up, Rose? Now that we’re finally getting to the bottom of this whole mess?”

She scowled. “I am ready to throw a party when this is all over.”

“Just say the word and I’ll make it happen.” Maxwell jumped in excitedly

Oh boy, here we go. We definitely don’t need another Beaumont Bash…

“Whatever you’re picturing is probably too much party.” Drake informed.

Maxwell gasped. “There’s no such thing!”

The server finishes readying the second infusion of tea and pours each person a cup.

Maxwell takes a sip and his eyes widen. “Wow. I though top-shelf wine had layers, but this tea’s undertones have undertones.”

Drake sniffs his cup and takes a tentative sip. “Huh. Strong stuff.” This really isn’t so bad for tea. But still…coulda been a whiskey party…

“Is that a compliment?” Emma gasped.

He shrugged. “You’ve got to respect a drink that doesn’t pull its flavor punches.”

“I think it’s delightfully full-bodied.” Emma agreed.

“I’m surprised you like anything that didn’t come out of a little mesh bag.” Olivia smirked.

Emma chuckled. “Tea bags aren’t half bad. And they’re convenient.”

Olivia shook her head in disdain. “I’ll take a proper cup of tea like this any day.”

“Then it sounds like we’re going to need more.” Emma said, gesturing to the empty pitcher.

“Another!” Maxwell raises his tea cup over his head…

“If you break that, we’ll have to pay for it.” Emma acknowledged nervously.

Maxwell looks at her, then at his tea cup, and slowly sets it back on the table.

Holy shit. He actually listens to someone. I need to remember this for future reference. If anyone needs Maxwell to do something, just have Emma say it.

“Here. You can finish mine.” Drake handed him his cup.

“You’re a true friend, buddy.” Maxwell accepted.

Drake narrowed his eyes. “Don’t call me buddy.”

“You’re a true friend…friend?”

“My name is Drake.”

“Aww, look at you two. Getting along just like old times.” Emma teased them, obviously trying to get ahead of the situation and the dialogue Drake was sure he was about to start spewing.

Instead he sighed. “Yeah, yeah. No need to make a big thing out of it.”

“Are you sure? I’m feeling a group hug coming on…”

“There will be no hugging at this table.” Olivia’s voice cut through menacingly as she glared at the entire group.

“For once, I agree with Olivia.” I can’t believe I just said that. Can I take it back? No, damn, because then I would have to hug Maxwell…and Olivia…and Emma…okay, I’d love to hug Emma right now.

“…Maybe later.” Maxwell whispered loudly enough for all of them to hear.

Nope. I side with Olivia. 100% Team Olivia.

I’d better go check on Hana.” Emma announced abruptly, standing up and nodding towards where Hana is seated, as Neville and Rashad both stood and left their seats.

“I’ll keep them in line while you’re gone.” Olivia grinned.

Excuse me??  “Who died and left you in charge?”

Maxwell nodded in agreement frantically. “I didn’t vote for that!”

“I just expect everyone to be in one piece when I get back.” Emma makes her way between tables, not even glancing at them as she left.

I’m not even sure she heard us right now…

Olivia turns to Drake and Maxwell. “So, boys. Whatever should we do with ourselves? You can start by finding more tea. I do love more than one cup. Certainly one of you can handle this.”

“I uh…just remembered I have to go do that thing…” Maxwell started.

“Oh yeah, me too.” Drake chimed in.

“Oh, sorry, it’s really kind of private Drake. It’s the thing. In the place. That you…can’t go?” Maxwell darted away, and Drake’s jaw dropped as Olivia burst out laughing.

“I guess it’s you and me, commoner. And the tea. Go, shoo. Get the tea.”

“I’m not…getting…your tea.” Drake gritted out

Fucking Maxwell. I cannot believe he just did that!! Just leaving me here, again, alone, with fucking Olivia at my table. And he’s talking to Emma!! Damnit!!

Olivia begins speaking again, and Drake immediately tunes her out, watching Emma approach Hana and her father and wondering what they’re arguing about.

“I’m sure they’re not arguing about you, Drake. For some unknown reason, Emma has taken quite a liking to you. Hana’s got her own issues. She can’t handle them on her own, so she drags Emma along to help her speak.”

“Why would Rose be talking about me?” He questioned.

“I just she wasn’t. What, are you deaf too?”

Drake was about to return a snappy comeback when Emma plopped back down beside him.

“That could’ve gone better.”

He turned to her, full of worry. “What happened? We saw Hana leave.”

Emma sighed. “She and her dad got into a fight. She actually told him she wasn’t interested in Neville. I’m not sure if me being there made things better or worse...”

Drake’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, good for her. It’s about time she told her parents to lay off.”

Olivia tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Interesting. It seems she’s discovering a backbone.”

Maxwell sauntered back over as well, and guests start rising from their tables as the servers clear the tea trays away. They begin forming a line into the garden with King Liam waiting at the front.

Emma watched with curiosity. “Where’s everyone going? Are we line-dancing now?”

Olivia blinked. “This is a court, not a barn.”

Maxwell shook his head. “I think we’re just supposed to pay our respects to King Liam before we leave.”

Ugh, I just want to go.  “Leave it to the court to turn saying goodbye into a ceremony.” He grumbled, getting up and leaving the table. Everyone else can say their goodbyes. Drake is heading back to the hotel to find himself a nice hard drink.

We’re leaving for New York tomorrow. Back where everything began. Back where we met. Back where…Back where Maxwell chose her for Liam…Yup. I’m hitting the bottle tonight.

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