Old Dominion Volleyball

Big crowd for the ODU JMU game tonight at the Ted - felt like old times...

regarding the concept of ned/can distancing because of ned/pan rekindling, i really do like the thought that matt wasn’t totally naive about nation monogamy. most of them are poly to some degree (because well, multifaceted international relations no?). he and jan/johan (ned) weren’t and didn’t expect each other to be totally monogamous physically. but the whole situation hurts matt still, because what bothered him is it’d felt like there was a unique romantic and emotional understanding between him and jan, especially in how their relationship began. a feeling that ‘i am first in your heart’, perhaps—and jan did say things to that effect. and now, jan choosing to spend his time more and more with kiku not just because he’s just horny but because ‘i hold affection for you, but he and i were together for 300 years before all that and i really thought it ended—but i’m falling in love again’ hurts. it’s very much also what is this romantic old world bullshit?? they’re capable of this?? it wasn’t just some regular, casual fwb hook-up during isolationism or whatever?? for matt, who’s seen all kinds of dysfunctional drama just from people like arthur and francis.

and that is perhaps where the gulf in age between nations shows up. to matt, maybe the age difference between him and jan didn’t feel like it mattered at first, because they get together in the 1940s. matt’s more than held his own next to all these Old World fucks during WWI and WWII by then. he was coolly and brutally efficient as a paratrooper jumping into normandy on D-day. as first dominion, there was so much political shit he did corralling things, managing the dynamics between alfred and arthur too. but when it comes to love, he is more inexperienced, just by virtue of his youth. he’s also had feelings for katya (ukraine)—but (imo) hadn’t experienced being in a steady, continuous romantic relationship with someone for centuries the way jan has, to the point he’s left all these lasting marks on kiku’s language, culture, landscape, there are whole ass academic fields and the jan’s monarch will be quoting 17th century poems about it. 

for matt, three hundred years is a lot—it’s almost his whole life, and it’s hard for him to not feel like he’s rendered insignificant by comparison (and jan wasn’t totally fault free in their dynamic either). compared to how an older nation might have more calluses and experience dealing with the changing tides of love and desire between nations. it’s an adjustment that many older nations like arthur have made in their long lives, rearranging the constellation of their relationships, but it’s newer and rawer for matt.

I’m around 600 pages into a day of fallen night by samantha shannon and I have to say I love it how this book breaks away from how the epic fantasy genre since tolkien has pretty much just cemented absolute monarchy as the only form of government and been weirdly pro-monarchy. other than Tunuva repeatedly critizing the idea of monarchy in her pov chapters, earlier in the book, inysh people were literally scoffing at carmentum abolishing the monarchy and being a republic yet the kingdom of inys is based on a rather patriarchal lie that sir galian killed a dragon (the nameless one) himself which brought him princess cleolind as a prize and has reduced all of his female descendants to baby factories, including 16 yr old glorian, and this lie of galian being the saint who killed the nameless one is used as an organized religious justification for this absolute dominion of inys. and even if a monarch cares and justly rules their people, it does not mean this form of government will forever be stable.

Okay guys so here the summary of the lore videos of Reverie Audios. I am not sure if I can call it a summary because I literally wrote down everything lol. Also go check the videos if you have time amazing art right there.

here we go!

REALITIES:

There are theoretically an infinite number of realities. Some people call them alternate realities but in reality there is no one true or standard reality. (Without a "normal" reality there can't be alternate realities). Humans can't travel outside of their own reality so the information from other realities comes from the beings that can travel between realities.

There are four known realities.

"Cunae" is the name of Humanity's reality.

People called the beings from other realties ‘’Demons’’ in the past now the name stuck.

These beings (demons) are categorized in three; Benevolent, ambivalent, or malevolent. (There are variations within each populations just like humans.)

FLAME DEMONS

The most known reality is ‘’The Inferno Dominion’’. The dominant species known as ‘’Flame Demons’’ frequently visit Cunea to make contracts, pacts or deals with humans.

The land is always dusty, and they have two suns, but neither is ever directly above, and the landscape is mostly rocky and mountains with no large bodies of water.

The Inferno Dominion is ruled by a monarchy. Also, there are regional government systems.

The monarch: Saaa'rthan (non-gendered)

Inner circle of advisors of the ruler: The derevan

Outer circle that resembles aristocracy: The derathal

Flame demons’ flame is like their soul. They are able to use and control it, but they also need to nurture it. Most of them have horns (shows the region they are from) and marks (shows they successfully reach adulthood) like tattoos. They are able to live up to 800 years old and their adulthood starts at 40-50. They are categorized as ambivalent, but they are quick tempered and prideful.

ICE DEMONS

Their reality is called ‘’Crystallis’’. They don’t contact humanity as much as flame demons. They have a kind of bad history with flame demons. Each region has their own monarch and there is a monarch council to rule the Crystallis. The world is almost covered with ocean and most of the wildlife is aquatic. Despite their name there is not much ice. They are categorized as ambivalent; they tend to be logical and neutral. Their average life span is almost 1000 years.

VERDANT DEMONS

Their reality is called ‘’Home of the Mother’’. All of the information on this place comes from Flame Demons. Flame Demons avoid and basically hate this place. It is like a huge tree called The Mother and demons living on the tree. Apparently the tree births the Verdant Demons. They don’t have a government system. They rarely leave their reality because they are so connected to each other and The Mother. They are classified as benevolent cause they only fight in self-defense. They live so long but we don’t know how long.

MIMICS

Their reality is called Venseus. We don’t know anything about them except they are so creepy, and they can change their looks. The less we know the better, but the landscape is similar to earth, and they are classified as ambivalent.

BLOOD AND DECAY DEMONS (It’s only one kind of demon don't let the name fool ya)

Their reality is called Metamorphose. Again, we don’t know much about them. They behave like mushrooms in the sense of rebirth. And they can reborn themselves (???). There are few of them but technically they can live forever. They are classified as ambivalent. Fun fact: only human meeting to blood and decay demon described them as beautiful, horrifying, and biblically accurate.

CHAOS DEMONS AND PUPPETRY DEMONS

Their reality is called Land of the Unlighted. These two demons are so dangerous, and they are malevolent and should considered to be active thread. We believe they live a symbiotic lifestyle. Just run for your life basically.

THE CROSSPOINTS

This is so complicated omg. ‘’Imagine a patchwork quilt and each patch is a reality. In between these patches are gaps. These gaps are like highways in between realities, and these ways are called cross points.’’ The abilities of being in one reality can be spread to the beings of another reality. (As in weakened form). And the power of the attuned comes from there.

THE ATTUNED (Humans with magic abilities.)

They are called the attuned because they are more closely attuned to the cross points.

Apparently, the powers initially come from the cross points but nowadays it is mostly hereditary.

Two categories of attuned: mystical and magical (technically it can be 3 categories with both mystical and magical.)

Mystical: their physical being is paranormal.

Magical: their abilities are paranormal.

ESSENCE EATERS

It is believed their powers come from Blood and Decay Demons. They are classified as both mystical and magical. The Institute was founded to study them. There are multiple legends and stories about them. succubi incubi vampire etc. essence eaters can feed from life essence, blood essence, and sexual essence. They also have a resistance to toxins poisons and illnesses. When they are recently fed they have a higher pain tolerance and increased strength. They have been demonized for years and they tend to stick together in ‘’circles’’. The children can feed off other essence eaters until they reach full maturity. They almost live up to 160 years old. They generally take another essence eater as a mate. Essence eaters can turn their non-essence eater mate. It doesn’t make the mate essence eater, but it makes them the essence eaters primary eating source this extends their life span. A mate is chosen only once. There is also going feral. It rarely happens when an essence eater loses their mate. Because of this most essence eater doesn’t take the risk of taking mate. Other reasons for getting feral are not known and are so rare.

SHIFTER

It is believed their powers come from Mimics. they can shift into one specific kind of a living being that is native to our reality. And the life systems should be similar to ours. Also, there is like a dominant DNA thing going on between the shifter kinds. The longer shifter stays in their shifted form the least likely they want to shift back.

THE ELVEN

(Hello Cyril ily)

They made approximately 13% of the attuned. It is not known where the Elven come from. Some people think the Elven aren't a result of other realities, but Cyril thinks those people are wrong lol. The Elven are considered to be mystical beings (but it is possible that an elven can also be a sorcerer which makes them both mystical and magical.) They are known for their ears. The Elven keep themselves hidden throughout history to live comfortable but nowadays there are many resources to assist in assimilation into "normal society". There are still many Elven prefer to isolate themselves. They can live up to 120 years old. Not long ago the elven were forced to alter their appearances if they wished to live amongst non-elven. They have a good memory, and they are more reasonable and logical than the average human.

TIME-JUMPERS

They are the only humans capable of entering the cross points. But they can’t travel to other realities. They briefly enter the cross points and re-enter Cunea at another time. They are the rarest type of the attuned (3%) and they are hard to keep track of. All of the time jumpers come from non-attuned parents, and they can’t reproduce themselves but why? We are not sure.

SORCURERS

Their powers don’t manifest until they are 10-12. And the powers are mostly genetic. Sorcerers can branch out (lol) into other branches with enough training.

4 main branch+1.

Mending Sorcery: Healing or fixing things. Overuse of their powers can take from their own health. Also, essence eaters dislike receiving mending magic. There are three specializations: healing, pacifying, and rebuilding(undo).

Divination Sorcery: ability to see into the future. Some people can clearly see guaranteed events. Some can see vague premonition. Some can see a wide variety of potential future. there are two types of divination. One can see the future with only their mind’s eye. The other needs tools (like water, fire etc. to see the future.

Cognitive Sorcery: their powers come from the land of the unlighted. There are four specialization: obscuration(invisibility), telekinesis (mentally moving objects), memory alternation (alter or wipe the memories) and telepathy (hearing the thoughts of others).

Elemental Sorcery: earth, fire, water, flora (also called vegetation), and storm (air + electricity).

Recasters: the plus one branch. They have no specialization. They have strong connection to cross points. They rely on what belled into our reality from faults. They can reshape the existence material. (Wow this was more complicated than all those realities.). Also, they need to register to SPAAB.

Faults: small tears in the fabric of our reality. (Not literally)

THE INSTITUTE: The Mysticality Institution of Research

The Institute has existed since 1713. It is not like an ordinary university.

SPAAB: Services for the Protection and Assistance of Attuned Beings. (Social Services for the magic people)

“The funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965 turned out to be the burial of the British Empire. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth next week will probably be the obsequies of the United Kingdom. On the freezing January day when Churchill was buried after a triumphant, ancient, and unrepeatable procession through London, the millions who had watched it on tiny black-and-white televisions understood that they had seen much more than the passing of a very great and very old man. With him gone, we were just a country, in which small men scurried about under tall arches and high vaults built by and for greater figures than they could hope to be, and for vaster purposes than they could hope to pursue. I often wonder how the British foreign secretary copes with the vastness of his actual physical office, in which you could hold a tennis match or a modest promenade concert. Yet navies don’t move at his command, and I suspect he struggles to get some of the larger powers in the world to take his telephone calls.

You can still watch this long, lush moment in which decline is wrapped in glory but remains evident. It takes some finding, but the misty, monochrome recording of the Churchill procession and the ceremony can still be located. Watching it many years later—I first saw it on a TV screen on a high shelf in my boarding-school dining hall—I was struck by how physically distant it seemed, though the cityscape of ceremonial, political, and official London hasn’t changed all that much. It is the spirit that has altered. The country in those days still had some scraps of its former grandeur and of the stoical austerity which had made the grandeur possible. The hollow, almost gaunt faces of the soldiers who carried the old warrior’s coffin up the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral would be hard to find anywhere in Britain now. Life has changed too much. It is sweeter and softer and fatter than we could then have imagined. The dress and the slang and the carriage of the crowds on those chilly streets would have been more recognizable to a Londoner of the 1920s than to a Londoner of today. I suspect that the ceremony next Monday will have a similar power to jolt us out of ancient dreams. And that, as in 1965, we will not realize the depth, length, breadth, and height of our loss until the closing hymn dies away on the Westminster Abbey air, and the last trumpets blow.

Queen Elizabeth knew very well that the empire was done for. She didn’t inherit her father’s title of king-emperor, and she devoted a great deal of time to nurturing the empire’s unsatisfactory successor, the Commonwealth, in the hope that it might through gentle influence replace some of the armed might, majesty, dominion, and power that the British Empire had wielded. But it was a bit like Lewis Carroll’s Snark, a creature whose nature was impossible to establish and whose very existence is hard to prove. What unites it? What does it actually do? Do its members have a single important thing they all share in common? I was once told by a serving foreign secretary that its existence greatly aided the sales of familiar British-branded goods, such as disinfectants, but I am not even sure that we make such things anymore. Some of its member states are far from being exemplary law-governed polities. At least one member, Mozambique, was never part of the British Empire in the first place. Many are republics that don’t accept the British monarch as head of state. Several obviously yearn to be republics but have been prevented by good manners towards the late Queen from taking this step. If this now ends, a peculiar new danger threatens the former seat of empire.

(…)

Technically, the premier is chosen on the basis that he commands a majority in Parliament. But voters in parliamentary elections increasingly believe they are voting for the party leader, not for their own local member of Parliament. I can’t count the number of people who have told me they “voted for Thatcher” in 1979 or “voted for Blair” in 1997, when they couldn’t possibly have done so because they didn’t live in their constituencies. It sometimes feels as if a presidential system is gestating in our midst, so that by the time we acquire such a thing, it will seem normal.

Like much of our system, it is a mess that has been allowed to deepen and worsen, because our media and political classes are bored by sensible reform and, indeed, by politics itself (I worked for some years as a reporter in the British Parliament, and hardly ever heard any actual political issue discussed, just gossip, melodrama, and Machiavellian maneuvers). We carry on as if we were a rich and productive great power, building and renewing a superpower nuclear deterrent, embarking on mad grand projects for high-speed railways which nobody wants, and making gruff-voiced promises to send guns and money into almost any war that comes along, while our actual army is smaller than it has been since Waterloo and the Royal Navy’s ships have a discouraging habit of conking out and being towed back to port.

(…)

As of last week, this idea had little hope of success. Grief at the Queen’s death, sympathy for the new King, and a general funeral decorum left republicans in a small minority. When on Sunday I attended the proclamation of the new King in Oxford, a single anti-monarchist called out in protest and was met with rude ripostes and a thunderous chorus of “God Save the King” from the crowd. But, of course, those who had turned up were a self-selecting group of monarchists. Nobody really knows how much the great mass of the British people think about the throne, or whether they much care. During the days after the death of Princess Diana, there was a disturbing sense that the Queen was on probation, underlined by the crowd’s applause for Earl Spencer’s furious funeral oration, taken by many as a direct attack on the House of Windsor. Crucially, the congregation inside Westminster Abbey joined in the applause as they heard it spread through the streets outside, a beautiful metaphor for the modern British ruling class’s general weakness.

(…)

Is actual economic privation possible in our affluent country? It suddenly seems thinkable as the autumn grows chillier, and we all stare in amazement at our gas and electricity charges. Out of such things, constitutional crises are all too often born. In the past few days, I have had a strange struggle over using the word “King,” singing “God save our gracious King,” or praying for the King’s Majesty. It has a harder, deeper tone to it than the word “Queen.” Somehow, Elizabeth II made monarchy easier for its opponents to live with. Charles III, simply by being King, offers them more of a challenge.

The deepest music of England is in its church bells, whose joyous complex change ringing is unique, I think, to these islands. When the sovereign dies, the bell-clappers are gloved in leather to soften the sound into a plangent, somber thing called a muffled peal. When you hear it, as I heard it for the first time last week, it puzzles your heart. What does it herald?”

“The coronation of King Charles III on Saturday will look all right to most people. But it won’t be all right. I wish it were otherwise, but I have long feared that my country no longer has the confidence to acclaim a king, and I think it will not quite come off this time. There are too few serious monarchists left at all, and far too few under the age of 60. Like it or not, approve or not, regard it as sexist if you wish, but pronouncing the words “God Save the King!” is somehow more definite and challenging than it has been to say—as we have done for 70 years—“God Save the Queen!” The very sound of the word “king” contains a challenge and an assertion to those who don’t like such things, stronger than the sound of the word “queen.”

Each week in church, I am startled when the rector, who follows the proper Prayer Book largely dating from the age of Elizabeth I, beseeches the Almighty to “behold our most sovereign Lord, King Charles; and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way.” This is part of the stately and moving “Prayer for the King’s Majesty,” which (I am sorry to say) most Church of England clergy long ago ceased to use—and in some cases may not even be aware of. For all but the first 15 months of my life, this has been the “Prayer for the Queen’s Majesty,” and I can’t get used to its change of sex, despite many months of hearing it. More importantly I wonder if the whole thing is now in danger. You can maintain all kinds of institutions on the basis of habit and custom. But when the time comes round for renewal, things can get awkward.

Why should you care? I will explain that shortly. But in modern Britain, and in the United States, huge numbers of otherwise thoughtful people dismiss monarchy as a faintly embarrassing tourist show, a bejeweled soap opera, a childish dressing-up game, a survivor of the childhood of humanity that ought decently to be laid to rest. They think that its end is inevitable (after all, hasn’t everyone else got rid of it, always a powerful argument when dealing with the brisk and efficient?). And they point out that it has been sustained these many years by the late Queen’s personal popularity, which departed with her and which poor Charles hasn’t inherited. Its standard-issue defenders respond by trundling out the dust-shrouded works of the unpronounceable Walter Bagehot, with his dull thoughts about the “dignified” and “efficient” bits of our constitution, and his not-very-original warning that we shouldn’t let daylight in upon magic.

Well, and so what? The behavior of so many members of the royal family has been so embarrassing in recent decades that there is precious little dignity left to go round. The new king, who likes to think of himself as a religious traditionalist, has even so somehow found himself married to a woman with a living husband, which (whatever you may have heard to the contrary) is still not allowed by the Church of England, whose supreme governor he is. This fact is so dismaying that it is thought impolite to mention it, but there it is. As for daylight, the British monarchy nowadays submits itself to spotlights, TV studio lights, flash photography, you name it, as bright as they can get.

(…)

There are many questions, seemingly trivial, where conservatives must care precisely because the left does. If leftists hate something as much as they hate the monarchy, then one must wonder why. Perhaps they have spotted something. After all, the arguments against a king are pitiful and outdated. Britain’s kings don’t have the powers of George III. On the contrary, they have no actual power at all. The president of the United States is the closest thing in the modern world to King George, in terms of sheer constitutional force. Monarchy is not especially expensive, and Air Force One must by itself cost far more than most of the flummery, footmen, and gold coaches in the royal stables in London.

No, the king is a restraint upon demagogues, on political figures who wish to ride in gold coaches and command troops and wear uniforms. The constitutional monarch is like the king on a chessboard, almost powerless himself but preventing anyone else from occupying the vital square where he stands. He has one other great virtue. He has given his life to the Almighty in a great binding oath before the whole world, a coronation ceremony that declares, in a world of bought office and oily spin, that all power comes from God and that such power is subject to laws we cannot change. No wonder pestilential innovators do not like this.

So on Saturday, I shall still hope, against all experience, that a man who is enthroned with the words “May that same God, whose throne endures for ever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast for evermore,” might possibly himself stand fast against evil when nobody else is even interested in doing so.”

“Was this Coronation a beginning or an end? As I watched its mostly ancient ceremonies, a briefly-opened door into the astonishing past, I was often moved. It was full of glory, though rather melancholy glory. The settings by William Byrd of the prayer ‘Prevent us, O Lord’ and of the Gloria are among the greatest music ever written. Likewise, Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’ seems for a few moments to have discovered the actual heartbeat of the universe. But I was repeatedly reminded of something rather disturbing. It was T.S. Eliot’s line from his poem ‘The Journey of the Magi’: ‘I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different’.

(…)

I am an annoying purist, and my view has long been ‘if it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change’. I had watched and studied the 1953 service, and knew that this event could not equal it. On that occasion, the aged, ancient, stooped and wrinkled old establishment, white-haired Bishops from the Victorian age, nobles in moth-eaten robes and dented coronets, had acclaimed a beautiful young Queen and imagined that just possibly she could revive a war-damaged and impoverished nation and, as the service itself says, the monarch would ‘restore the things that are gone to decay, [and] maintain the things that are restored’.

(…)

We also saw the new King being only slightly indulged by a Church which is generally pretty dismissive of the traditions and practices which Charles loves. I noticed (because I share his view on this) that the new King did not even manage to get the Archbishop to use his beloved 1662 Book of Common Prayer for the Communion Service. The King actually belongs to a society dedicated to the continuing use of the 1662 book, but even as King he can’t preserve it in his own Coronation. Instead he was forced to endure the sapless, diminished pastiche adopted by the Church of England in 2000. This is part of a long process by which the once-national Church has trashed its most precious possession, the most moving and poetic prayers ever written in English, and the most magnificent and memorable version of the Bible ever translated. Given full freedom - and soon it may be - the Church would probably give us a Coronation featuring drums, electric guitar and perhaps ending with a recording of John Lennon singing ‘Imagine’. I was slightly surprised (though not distressed) to see that there were no members of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones invited to the Abbey. They are the nobility of the modern world. It would make a sort of sense, if modernisation is what you want (it isn’t what I want).

(…)

I am sorry about all this. I think constitutional monarchy is the best form of government ever devised. I think that, if republicans get their way, we will be a poorer, sadder, drearier and less free society, many of us yearning (as do the French) to restore what they so foolishly got rid of. But I just do not think, as a people, that we still have the spirit or the understanding or the religious belief necessary for us to be a kingdom. The first Queen Elizabeth was by far our greatest monarch, and knew this above all things, saying soon before she died that’ 'And, though God hath raised me high; yet this I count the Glory of my Crown, That I have Reigned with your Loves. …I do not so much rejoice, That God hath made Me to be a Queen, as, To be a Queen over so Thankful a People’. Oh, if only we could recover that, then we might be a proper nation again.”

"Visitors?" A thick-set, burly cat sat on the warm rock, his paws dipped into the warmth of the hot spring as BlizzardClan's leader, Dovemoon, looked up, his eyes raking over the newcomers. "Who sanctioned this?!" The old tom growled. "There's to be no outsiders within our borders! Ugh…Well, I suppose if you're here, you should be taught the rules so you don't trespass again. The following are laws I, Dovemoon, have instated into the Clan since I came to power." Dovemoon sat up, twitching his long whiskers free of water before adopting a more noble post, his shoulders squared and back with his nose held high like a king overlooking his kingdom.

1) Outside of Gatherings and enforcing borders, cats outside the Clan are forbidden to be spoken to or acknowledged. "They're only here to threaten our peace and weaken our bloodline- they are scum! Drive them out, at the expense of your life if it comes to it. You will be protecting the future of BlizzardClan."

2) Food must first go to monarchs and kits, then to the leader. After paying your dues, you may eat. "Monarchs and kits are what is keeping the future of this Clan alive, and they must be shown the same respect you would show me. After that, I am the first to eat. As your leader, I need to keep my strength up so I can continue to look after you all."

3) Keepers are the Leader's right-paw, and count for two votes against the one of a regular cat. "The Keepers of the Clan are close to me and know what's best for you- therefore they get more say. This does not mean they are infallible, which is why the sanctity of the vote is still established."

4) Those seen consorting with the enemy without good reason are traitors to be executed. "Anyone carousing around with BloomClan or outsiders makes their loyalty clear. The only reason to do so would be to trade away our secrets- to weaken the Clan! These traitors are scum and will be given five seconds to run from camp before being chased down by The Keepers and other volunteers."

5) Apprentices and Warriors must recite The Pledge every dawn before their leader: The Pledge: I will not falter, I will not fail. BlizzardClan is never frail. I will be swift, I will be strong For our strikes are fast and claws are long. Our leader carries us through the storm And helps us through towards the dawn. I pledge my life to our cause To meet all threats with outstretched claws I will fight and kill and die For BlizzardClan's dominion is nigh!

"The Pledge reminds us all that we are a united unit, ruled under the watchful, loving eye of your leader. I will do my utmost to protect you, and you will do your utmost to protect the Clan."

Dovemoon turned to the visitors, his eye gleaming with threat. "Now you'd best be on your way, lads and lassies, for my patience for scum like you is very short." He spat tersely, his lip curling upwards. As he approached, one pawstep at a time, it was as if two cats were walking in near-lockstep. "I'll give you those five seconds to run. Five…"

9, 13 for history asks!

9. Favourite historical film?

Oh no... I love too many. I can never decide between "Joseph: King of Dreams" and "The Prince of Egypt" going from sheer rewatch value.

If animated historical films don't count, then I'll confess a soft spot for Cutthroat Island, and I adore The Mummy.

13. [share some random historical trivia!]

In times past, and in old English law, there was a difference between high treason and other sorts of treason.  In 1351 Edward III instituted the Treason Act (act 25 Edw. III, Stat. 5, c. 2), which defined and outlined the different sorts of treason under English law, distinguishing between petit or petty treason and high reason.  Petty was an offence committed against a subject of the king.  In the Treason Act, the example given was “when a servant slayeth his master, or a wife her husband, or when a man secular or religious slayeth his prelate.”  High treason was “an offence against the king’s majesty” or (later) “the safety of the commonwealth.”  The Treason Act defined high treason as, to modernize in language:

“[…] compassing or imagining the king's death, or that of his wife or eldest son, violating the wife of the king or of the heir apparent, or the king's eldest daughter being unmarried, levying war in the king's dominions, adhering to the king's enemies in his dominions, or aiding them in or out of the realm, or killing the chancellor or the judges in the execution of their offices.”

By the time of the Tudors and the reign of Henry VIII, there had been recent supplements to the treason laws—in the two centuries following the original implementation of the Treason Act, it had been supplemented thirty-nine times, thirty-two of which were by the Tudor monarchs alone.

Some sources:

Treason Act (Act 25 Edw. III, Stat. 5, c. 2) in Great Britain. The Statutes (The Statutes, Volume 1; Volume 1236). Eyre & Spottiswood, 1870, at page 186. See also the full act at Treason Act (Act 25 Edw. III, Stat. 5, c. 2): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Edw3Stat5/25/2

Turvey, Roger. The Treason and Trial of Sir John Perrot. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2005.

Avalon Vtuber Lore

Veilskara, the Isles of Thrones, is a cluster of kingdoms that had constantly warred against each other. Skärviera, the Kingdom of Wrath ruled by Queen Mordred. Belskire, the Kingdom of Vanity ruled by Queen Onora. Rosenfier, the Kingdom of Lust ruled by Queen Dearbhla. The destruction of life caused by these kingdoms spread even further with every bloody battle. Wildlife, villages, towns, all perished due to the selfish war waged by their vain egotistical monarchs. Monarchs who want nothing more than to display their might and relish in the thrill and plunder of conquest… At the cost of their very own people. Such pointless bloodshed angered those lost souls. Those who watched in horror as the war raged on with endless bloodshed, watching in fear of their loved ones joining them in death. Their fear justified as the dead kept piling up. Higher and higher, skywards towards the bloodied heavens…Until one day, they had enough. The war needed to end. The dying goddess, Deirdre, took pity on such souls and offered them a gift. A gift of immortality. A gift of retribution. A gift that stripped Deirdre of her own life. The souls started to form into a new goddess that replaced the old. A phasmic sea serpent. A mighty beast of the seas. A being born of hatred, pain, sorrow and sacrifice…the Phantom Leviathan, Avalon. Avalon devastated Veilskara, tearing every Veilskarian kingdom asunder in her wrath until they were nothing more than rubble and ruins. The souls of the rulers that perished in her rampage were absorbed one by one into the leviathan. They became one with the wrathful young goddess. Slowly the souls of the monarchs cursed and corrupted her phasmic ichor, turning Avalon into a goddess of tyranny rather than just one of vengeance. From that day forward, Veilskara, the Isles of Thrones became Veilskara, the Isles of Cursed Graves. The isles and sea are now ruled by their new divine lord, their new monarch. Any ship that dares sail too close to Lord Avalon’s domain will be engulfed in fog and vanish without a trace. The unfortunate fate of the poor souls on board is unknown to the world to this day. As the centuries went by, life became duller and duller for Lord Avalon. Ships no longer sailed close enough to her domain as frequently as they once did. The souls that kept Lord Avalon company became absorbed by her over time. She needed something new in her immortal life. Something new to drive more mortals to the goddess and entertain her. One day, a ship finally fell prey to Lord Avalon’s fog by sailing close too to her domain. The goddess was rather fascinated by the advanced technology found on board the ship as she carefully inspected everything. There was one discovery that caught her eye the most out of all the treasure she found. The internet. Lord Avalon thought it would be the perfect tool to aid in making the world her playground, her dominion… For now, she’d rather learn more about this internet to properly plot up such a scheme. She might as well satisfy her unbearable boredom in the meantime as well …and what better way to do that than being a Vtuber? Best you poor souls amuse Lord Avalon enough if you desire to be spared when the time comes for the world to yield to her might. The Tyrannical Phantom of Wrath, Vanity, and Lust is willing to take a few lil doves under her wing if you stay on her good side. Otherwise… there’ll be hell to pay.

In the year 2476, deep within the archives of the New Amazonian Library, a forgotten tale was unearthed, chronicling the legend of Empress Althea, the Last Monarch of the South American Plate. It was said she was born of the earth itself, her lineage traceable to the very tectonic forces that had shaped the continent over eons.

The South American Plate, once a vast expanse of diverse ecosystems and ancient civilizations, had undergone a dramatic transformation. After centuries of environmental neglect, technological arrogance, and geopolitical unrest, the continent had become a patchwork of fractured city-states, each vying for control over the dwindling natural resources.

Empress Althea ascended to the throne amidst this turmoil, her ethereal beauty and commanding presence reminiscent of the sovereigns from the age of pre-collapse. Legend spoke of her hair, as white as the rare Amazonian moonflower, and eyes that mirrored the cerulean depths of the once-mighty Amazon River.

She resided in the Crystal Palace, a marvel of bioengineering that straddled the great fault line where the South American Plate met the Nazca. The palace was a beacon of hope, its spires soaring into the cloudless sky, etched against the barren landscape.

The Empress was not just a ruler of people but of the very earth beneath her kingdom. She possessed an ancient power, an ability to commune with the tectonic energies that flowed like lifeblood through the planet's crust. With this power, she could quell the earth's shivers and soothe its angry tremors. Her people revered her, believing her to be the living embodiment of Pachamama, the Earth Mother.

But such power was coveted. The Techno-Barons of the Andean Enclave, who had forsaken nature for machine, sought to harness the tectonic energies to fuel their arcane devices. They believed that by tapping into the plate's power, they could reactivate the lost technology of the old world and claim dominion over the continent.

To safeguard her realm, Althea forged alliances with the myriad creatures of this new earth—bioluminescent birds that could weave shields of light, sentient vines that fortified her palace walls, and cybernetic jaguars that roamed the night.

The Techno-Barons waged war upon the Crystal Palace, their machines tearing through the earth, disrupting the delicate balance that Althea strove to maintain. The earth cried out, its anguish manifesting in violent quakes that threatened to tear the continent asunder.

In the final battle, as metal clashed with magic and nature, Althea stood atop the highest tower. She whispered to the earth, her voice a soothing balm to the raging tectonic fury below. The South American Plate responded, its movement aligning in harmony with her will. A great calm spread across the land, the ground stilling beneath her feet.

With a surge of her power, Althea shattered the Techno-Barons' machines, their remnants sinking into the abyss that had once threatened to swallow her kingdom. The Empress, however, paid the ultimate price. Her life force, intertwined with the plate's energy, dissipated into the earth, her essence becoming one with the continent she loved.

The Crystal Palace crumbled without its queen, but the South American Plate remained stable, serene, and silent. Over time, the land healed, green tendrils reclaiming the ruins of a bygone era.

And so, the story of Empress Althea, the guardian of the South American Plate, lived on, a sci-fi myth whispered by the wind through the canopies of the reborn forests, a reminder of the time when a queen could talk to the earth and the earth would listen.

The Phoenix Queen — Relta As Aphrodite Areia Incarnate [Part I]

CW: Religious ideas; Reincarnation; Violence; Fake Blood

In Lunaruz, many of the old Celtic, Greek, and Norse deities are worshipped anew. Lady Aphrodite is one of the most popular goddess across polytheists, especially her “warlike” epithet, Aphrodite Areia.

Upon Relta’s birth on the Summer Soltice, it was believed that Aphrodite Areia had incarnated as the princess due to a prophecy foreseen by the High Priestess of Aphrodite, a highly respected member of the kingdom’s royal community (all high priest/ess/exes are part of the royal circle).

The prophecy was that a woman born of love would stop all bloodshed in Lunaruz, born to a king and queen descended from the Gods, on the Summer Soltice and would be Aphrodite Areia in human form. Relta is the only child known to fit the prophecy, but the prophecy’s legitimacy is what is questioned due to the death of the High Priestess a week after her vision, with “heretic” written in her blood.

The royal family believed the prophecy, as did the majority of their court, so Relta was raised believing she was Lady Aphrodite Areia. Worshipers of Lady Aphrodite traveled to see the infant princess and be blessed by her to do well in both love and combat, though even skirmishes were infrequent even in the time of Relta’s parents’ reign.

Annually, Relta’s life is celebrated on her half-birthday, December 21st. Many marriages are held on this day in her honor, along with mock battles. At the end of the night, Relta is drenched in fake blood to symbolize the blood shed by Lunaruzians of old for the sake of the kingdom, her holding a sword and scepter, crossed across her chest.

To acknowledge the relationship between Lord Ares and Lady Aphrodite, especially Lady Aphrodite Areia, Relta and the High Priest/ess/ex of Lord Ares share kisses on the cheek, and dine together that evening. Nothing goes farther than that unless desired by both parties. Relta’s choice is secret, and it is unknown if she’s even bedded Lord Ares’s High Priest/ess/ex even in modern times.

Once crowned queen, Relta rides out to battles with the crest of her family and the symbols of Lady Aphrodite and Lord Ares overlapping to signify the presence of Lady Aphrodite Areia on the battlefield. She is fluent in Ancient Greek, and gives a speech to the troops in both Lunaruzian and in Ancient Greek, along with a small blessing in Latin that she prepares specially for every skirmish or battle she attends. It gives great solace to the troops seeing their monarch on the battlefield, and believing her a war goddess incarnated.

Relta’s matron goddess is actually Lady Aphrodite Areia, who is able to possess the queen, while Relta’s patron deity is Emperor Odin of the Norse pantheon. This is due to his royal status along with his dominion over wisdom, as Relta is considered to be one of the wisest rulers in the kingdom’s known history.

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A 4-Day Golden Triangle Tour with Gets Holiday India Tour Company Will Allow You to See the Soul of India

Take a trip through the heart of India with the well designed 4-Day Golden Triangle Tour offered by Gets Holiday India Tour Company. Travelers are invited to discover the magnificent architecture, rich cultural heritage, and historical tapestry that characterize the famous cities of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. For those who want to fully immerse themselves in India's most renowned treasures, this journey is a remarkable experience because it reveals a new dimension of the country's unique legacy every day.

First Day: The Historical Magnificence of Delhi The journey starts in the vibrant metropolis of Delhi, where the past and present coexist together. With a focus on highlighting the most important sights in the city, your trip will provide a thorough examination of both Old and New Delhi.

Morning: The visit to the Red Fort, a magnificent representation of Mughal India's dominion, marks the beginning of the day. You will then stroll along the calm Raj Ghat, a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, and then explore the fascinating streets of Old Delhi, which includes a stop at the Jama Masjid, one of the biggest mosques in the nation.

After enjoying the regional fare in the afternoon, go to New Delhi. This is where you can see Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India, as well as the India Gate, a war memorial. Delhi's rich historical history is revealed with a visit to the Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which rounds off the day.

Day 2: The Everlasting Grace of Agra You go to Agra on the second day, which is the location of the famous Taj Mahal, a masterpiece of Mughal construction and a symbol of love. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Taj Mahal is breathtaking as the early dawn light softly illuminates the marble structure.

Morning: After seeing the Taj Mahal emerge magically in the morning light, you will see the magnificent Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site that provides an insight into the emperors' way of life.

In the afternoon, one can explore Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, also known as the "Baby Taj," and Mehtab Bagh, which provides a breathtaking vista of the Taj Mahal from the Yamuna River. These websites offer a more thorough explanation of the superior Mughal architecture.

Day3: Jaipur's Majestic Charm The third day of the tour takes you to Jaipur, the energetic capital of Rajasthan, which is renowned for its magnificent palaces and forts as well as its extensive Rajputana heritage.

Morning: We start the day by going to the magnificent fortification known as Amber Fort, which is perched atop a hill. You can study about the opulent lifestyle of the Rajput monarchs and enjoy the fort's elaborate embellishments here.

After lunch, you will get the opportunity to visit the City Palace, which is a blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture, and the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory that demonstrates the scientific prowess of ancient India. Seeing the famous Hawa Mahal, also known as the "Palace of Winds," which is famed for its distinctive façade, is how the day comes to a conclusion.

Day 4: The Alluring Magnificence of Fatehpur Sikri and Journey Back to Delhi The tour's last day includes a visit to Fatehpur Sikri, a city primarily composed of red sandstone. Established by the great Akbar, it provides evidence of the emperor's vision and architectural brilliance. A rare window into Mughal empire life at its height is offered by exploring the abandoned city.

You will travel back to Delhi after your tour, bringing with you the captivating sights and sounds of the Golden Triangle.

Why Opt for the Gets Holiday India Tour Operator? Sailing on the 4-Day Golden Triangle Tour offered by Gets Holiday India Tour Company ensures an experience that surpasses simple sightseeing. Our dedication to provide individualized services and our love of imparting the rich cultural legacy of India guarantee that each visitor obtains a profound understanding of the historical, architectural, and cultural core of the nation.

You're not simply going on a tour when you travel with Gets Holiday India Tour Company; you're going into the heart of some of India's most well-known locations, escorted by knowledgeable guides who make sure your trip is relaxing, educational, and genuinely unforgettable.

Prepare to be enthralled by the beauty, diversity, and majesty of India when you reserve your 4-Day Golden Triangle Tour with Gets Holiday India Tour Company today.

4 Days Golden Triangle Tour

Overview

 Skip The Line

 Duration: 3 N/4 D

 Free cancellation

 Instant Confirmation

 Private Tour

If you are planning a the tour the first time then choose Gets Holiday Tour India, we have the best option for the 4 Days Golden Triangle Tour – Covering Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. It is one of the most popular tourist circuits in India. Book 4 Days Golden Triangle Tour By Car From Delhi

Itinerary

Day 01 / Arrival Delhi

Day 02 / Delhi - Agra 200 KM / 3 hrs

Day 03 / Jaipur Sightseeing

Day 04 / Delhi - Departure

What's Included

Inclusions

Air conditioned chauffeur driven private car

Pick up and Drop

Story teller tour guide

All toll taxes, parking fee, camera fee

Lunch at a restaurant

Monument tickets

Exclusions

Gratuties

Any sort of drinks

personal expenses