NationStates Jolt Archive

.:-An invitation has been sent to all, welcoming them to come and enjoy the festivities within the nation of Htrae Miseria-:.

Ariadne let a sigh escape her well rouged lips, as she let her forlorn gaze drift across the lawn before her. The entire estate had been set up in order to host the Masquerade - and it was all for her. But, she didn't want any of it. Her father, King Darius, had let out an exasperated sigh with his daughter had asked him what it was all for.
"Does a father need to have an excuse to dote upon his daughter?" He had said, though Ariadne knew that it wasn't ever so simple. He wanted to show her off, like a show pony, to all the nations of the world, in order to sell her off to the highest bidder, or to the prince who had the most money. It didn't ever matter what Ariadne herself wanted. Being only 17 years of age, she didn't think she was ready to be lead into the wide world. She had never been in love, and at least wanted the chance to fall. Or, perhaps it was better that she didn't. Why fall in love, if you're to be shipped away? As the first guests began to appear, Ariadne was herded inside by her maid. She had to be made ready.
With a frown and an angry growl, Ariadne let herself be led away. Who knew? maybe this evening wouldn't be so bad. It was always good to get dressed up. Perhaps she would try to enjoy the evening. She wouldn't have to face the consequences until the next day. If it was going to be her last ball in Htrae Miseria, she may as well use it to have fun.

Ab-shalom and Greetings;

It is with most certain gratitude I do accept this invitation to the Masquerade; we further accept the amicable extension of this invitation to two aides, who shall remain discreetly within the area itself.

We do, of course, accept your hospitality and invitation.

Namaste,
Sultan Sinjin Lefkowitz al-Din, Sultan and State of Vastiva

OOC: Seems like evryone's royal kids are trying to get married.

OOC: Seems like evryone's royal kids are trying to get married.

OOC: Well, actually, Sinjin isn't looking to get married... but if you want to shunt off a kid to somewhere they can't do anything offensive to the parent nation, a harem is a lovely place to... "send them".

OOC: Same difference.

Les salutations à vous Htrae Miseria

Our Supreme Emperor Hobbeebias will be most honoré to attend your mascarade. I am asuming that the attire is of a formal genre. But I am going for the Princesses enjoyment only. I am sure that she is majestueux in her beauty. But I do not wish to impose myself on her.

with the recent death of the young Emperors wife he will acsept this


OOC: the Emperor is 26 years old

OOC: Serendipitous timing for this to happen, actually - thank you again!

OOC:im bored an its sorta fun anyway

tag

OOC: Seems like evryone's royal kids are trying to get married.

Sounds like 19th century europe.

Aaaaaaanyway,

It is a great honor to be invited to her magnificence’s party. I shall be there, with security and ambassadors of course, to attend.

His Highness Prince Rufus Tirian of Grigala

The letter is stamped with large green smudged letters bearing the words: "Gratefully Accept".

Sounds like 19th century europe.

Aaaaaaanyway,

It is a great honor to be invited to her magnificence’s party. I shall be there, with security and ambassadors of course, to attend.

His Highness Prince Rufus Tirian of Grigala

The letter is stamped with large green smudged letters bearing the words: "Gratefully Accept".

OOC: Ooooh, crayon! ;)

King Darius, upon recieving the many acceptances, orders his secretary to send off many thank-you's and well wishes.

Each letter had been sent seperately to each nation, addressed to the Sultan Sinjin Lefkowitz al-Din, the Supreme Emperor Hobbeebias, Nebarri Prime, and to his Highness Prince Rufus.

King Darius of the Kingdom of Htrae Miseria wishes to thank you for your acceptance of his invitation. He eagerly awaits your arrival. The extra security provided is greatly appreciated.

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

Ariadne, after hours of primping and preening, was finally ready to be shown off to the invited nations. She waited just inside the house, boredom seeping into her veins and causing her to shift restlessly upon her heels. Her mother, Queen Aias, had done nothing to help, or to ease her daughter of any of her worries. But then, her mother had never been put through such an ordeal.
Ariadne sighed, as she awaited word from her father.

OOC: Yes yes, I know this had been done before, but eh, I was bored, and to post something about politics just wouldn't be me. I was actually quite surprised to find so many replies here today!

Your Majesty,
Queen Bast accepts this invitation and is overwhelmed with joy at the concept of attending. She will arrive within on night of the Masquerade and requests your assistance in placing in her an highly esteemed room where she may enjoy the pleasures of your kingdom.

Sincerely,
The Queens Hand Maiden

Rommelwood would like to attend your masquerade or party or what ever you call it so we can discuss trade and so on.

Queen Bast,
A room will be made ready for your arrival, one within the Estate. Upon arrival, check with any person of the house, and you will be directed immediately to your apartments. Your presence will be greatly anticipated.

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

To whom it may Concern,
Ambassadors of Rommelwood will be greeted with thanks. Htrae Miseria are eager to discuss matters concerning trade and so on between our two nations.

Emperor Keller has many reasens to go open trade geting a new wife makeing an ally....other stuff

Francesca Berenstein al-Dalal fiddled with the fit of doeskin leather holster to her leg. The Sparrow palmgun was an old friend – the same one she had received upon her induction into the diplomatic corps. Her main “defense” had been upgraded to the Sparrow-F: at close range, the flechette rounds would penetrate modern body armors like a blowtorch through soft cheese. She’d already checked and double checked the six round magazine and seated that technological piece in… her primary location.

But her original Sparrow still held a place near her heart. Or rather she chuckled to herself, under my leg.

Once again, she checked her hair and makeup – a rather pointless exercise in view of the four hours of flight still ahead of her, but habit was habit and there was nothing wrong with working to impress Sinjin for the next four hours.

At this thought, she smiled and gave a small sigh. It was obvious why her presence had been called for – once again, the Sultan of Vastiva wanted it made perfectly clear he was not in the market for any sort of companion, that this visit was a social nicety and little more. All the common courtesies would be observed, but the undertone would be met with a friendly-but-firm “thank you, but no thank you”.

Fortunately, she did not mind in the least being portrayed as a “social excuse”, regardless of the truth. It may have ruffled Raahmid’s feathers not to be sent on official junkets with any regularity - but then again she mused, how would it look to have a sixty-two year old man hanging on Sinjin’s arm?

Her primping completed – save for a touch there, a touch here, oh that’s enough… I hope – she stepped back into the planes spacious main compartment – made all the more so as on this trip the 74SL would carry only five passengers. Even with the addition of necessary flight crew, far more room was present then necessary.

Ah, yes, but diplomacy loves its smoke and mirrors, as well as it’s peacock displays. She unconsciously ignored the view out the window of two of the four F-137 Firebirds on escort duty for the flight; instead she worked her way forward to where she had left Sultan Sinjin Lefkowitz al-Din.

Unsurprisingly, he had remained just where she had left him – seated at a plain desk, reviewing names, facts, figures, all relevant data from Vastiva’s emergency aid to Htrae Miseria following that rather wet catastrophe which had all but devastated the island nation. True, Vastiva had not been the only responder – but there’s nothing like a nudge to remind the nobility – we were there, and in force, when you needed us. She gave a predatorial smile. Particularly if we ever get into trade negotiations.

She sat discreetly to one side, but it was evident after few minutes he had no intention of addressing her, or even recognizing her presence. She rested her head against the cushioned seatback, careful not to crush her hairdo, and closed her eyes.

Emperor Keller will be considered as Ariadne's future husband, along with the candidates from other invited nations. He will have to meet with King Darius upon the evening of the Masquerade, or the week following - a decision will be made as soon as all offers are considered.

Tell us when we should come meet you.

Emperor Keller will be considered as Ariadne's future husband, along with the candidates from other invited nations. He will have to meet with King Darius upon the evening of the Masquerade, or the week following - a decision will be made as soon as all offers are considered.

Prince Alexei would like to marry the Princess.Please consider.

to Htrae Miseria Emperor Keller is droping his place as Rommelwood has provided Keller with a posible wife and would hope Htrae Miseria will acsept Prince Alexei of Rommelwood

King Darius reviewed the many acceptances, and smiled with a poud wit about him. Perhaps he was a little too proud. But why wouldn't he be? With his daughter being the most stunning in the Kingdom. But of course, all father's think that of their daughters, do they not? It was, of course, dissapointing to hear that the Sultan Sinjin Lefkowitz al-Din of Vastiva was not looking to be married. Vastiva was a nation well remembered for their help, nought but three months ago, after the devesating effects of the tropical cyclone. The forces and politics of Vastiva appealed to him very much so. But who knew? Perhaps the Sultan could be persuaded before the end of the week.
The other candidates were of course considered, as Darius took every ounce of information into account. As much as it may seem that he did not care about his daughter's well being, he cared very much so. He would not send her off to some place where her presence would not be appreciated. Aias hadn't yet given him a son, and his youngest daughter, Anastria, would be kept within the kingdom in order to produce him an heir. It was a shame that Aias could no longer produce, but Darius would not take another wife. He loved Aias with all his heart - he couldn't bare hurting her in any way.
With a sigh, he came to his senses. The guests would soon be arriving, and his secretary had just informed him of Ariadne's restlessness. This was not a good sign - when Ariadne was restless, she always attempted to get up to some mischevious deed. He would have to let her out soon, otherwise all his plans may as well be crushed underfoot.

no he has new plans

King Darius wished to thank Nebarri Prime anyhow, and wishes them well with Keller's future.
Prince Alexei of Rommelwood will be given a fair chance, along with the other nations Attending. Kind Darius advises that the Prince attend the Masquerade - a note will be sent to him when the King wishes to speak.

Here are stats on my Prince....

Name-Prince Alexei
Age-19
Height-6'11
Weight-110

King Darius wished to thank Nebarri Prime anyhow, and wishes them well with Keller's future.
Prince Alexei of Rommelwood will be given a fair chance, along with the other nations Attending. Kind Darius advises that the Prince attend the Masquerade - a note will be sent to him when the King wishes to speak.

The Prince will come.

Can he come now?

Here are stats on my Prince....

Name-Prince Alexei
Age-19
Height-6'11
Weight-110


OOC: how many 19 year old kids your king have?

OOC: how many 19 year old kids your king have?

Only some.

The Prince will come.

Can he come now?

The Prince can come whenever he wishes.

She stood before the statue of her goddess, adorned for her travel. Her handmaidens knelt eside her, each saying their prayers, but her majesty stood tall, staring up at the feline face of Bast. How beautiful she was and how perfect, the symbol of duality, the protector of felines, and a woman of independence, and vengeance. She turns slowly, looking to the women at her side. They understood her request even without her speaking. Though this would be her first time visiting another kingdom, it felt like it were the hundreth. She was calm, collected, and ready for the events that would follow. She had no desire to wed, but had a desire to in fact speak with the princess on a personal level, and allow her into the nation's temple, where she could live as freely as she liked under the protection of Bast.

Her slow and casual steps marked her readiness for travel. Her handmaidens rushed to her side and held out the mask. A Masquerade. And she would appear as she was, a priestess of her mother, lady, and savior.

She climbed into the plane, being careful of her thin silk skirt. Her maisdens followed, the makeup and paint in their hands. others climbed into the plane, her majesty's small altar in their hands as well as her clothes, packed neatly for a day.

The plane took off, and her majesty sat there as calm as ever. "Did you bring the gifts as I requested?" The young handmaiden bowed her head slowly. "Yes your majesty. Bast's messengers are stored safely in the back of the plane. " Her majesty nodded her head softly. "Make sure their desires are cared for." The handmaiden nodded, setting hre things with the other and rushed to the back to care for the felines.

As the plane landed, her priestesses climbed from the plane first, lining up with their majesty's things in their hands, and then she came, steadily climbing down the steps. She wore a simple white silk skirt that was easily seen through, a pair of sandles, and the rest of her was painted in gold and black, white her face was covered with a mask, giving a hint at a cat. The women around her had a more modern approach, all being dressed from head to toe in white silk. They wore gold jewelry, though not so much as their mistress who was simply adorned with it. Various of the priestesses held carrying cases with a cat inside of them, even two at times. Her majesty awaited a welcome from the king himself, or at most one of his immediate servants.

He stood before the statue of the gold cross, adorned for his travel. His Inquisitors knelt beside him, each saying their prayers, but his majesty stood tall, staring up at the silver letters on the cross. How handsome he was and how perfect, the symbol of duality, the grand believer, and a man of piety, and vengeance. He turns slowly, looking to the Inquisitors at his side. They understood his request even without him speaking. Though this would be his first time visiting another kingdom, it felt like it were the hundreth. He was calm, collected, and ready for the events that would follow. He had somewhat of a desire to wed, but had a desire to in fact speak with the princess on a religious level, and allow her into the nation's churches, where she could live as freely as she liked under the protection of God.

His slow and casual steps marked his readiness for travel. His Inquisitors rushed to his side and held out the mask. A Masquerade. And he would appear as he was, a prince of his father,faith,and the nation.

He climbed into the plane, being careful of his uniform. His Inquisitors followed, the makeup and paint in their hands. others climbed into the plane, his majesty's small crucifix in their hands as well as his clothes, packed neatly for a day.

The plane took off, and his majesty sat there as calm as ever. "Did you bring the gifts as I requested?" The young Inquisitor bowed his head slowly. "Yes your majesty. Our crucifixes are stored safely in the back of the plane. " His majesty nodded his head softly. "Make sure they are not broken." The Inquisitors nodded, setting his things with the other and rushed to the back to care for the crucifixes

As the plane landed, his Inquisitors climbed from the plane first, lining up with their majesty's things in their hands, and then he came, steadily climbing down the steps. he wore a military uniform with a lot of medals on it. The Inquisitiors around him had a more modern approach, all being dressed from head to toe in black robes. They wore gold jewelry, though not so much as their prince who was simply adorned with it. Various of the Inquisitors held carrying cases with a crucifix inside of them, even two at times. His majesty awaited a welcome from the king himself, or at most one of his immediate servants.

King Darius had been standing atop the balcony at the front of the estate, watching for the arrival of his guests. Of course, many of the townspeople had already arrived. They were dressed formally, of course, as each and every family of Htrae Miseria was treated with kindness, and was granted much wealth. Nobody was ever in the clutched of poverty, or not if Darius himself could help it. He was a very clean man, and would not abide having filthy miscreants living on his streets.
His face lit up as he saw his first guest arriving, just outside the gates. The gates, of course, had already been opened, as a welcoming gesture to all. He called to his secretary, and told him to gather up around ten of the house servant to gather the Queen's belongings and take them to her apartments. He then descended the great staircase, and made his way towards the gates himself.
He was a tall man, taller than usual, and although he was almost sixt years of age, he looked only forty. It was a legend amongst the people of Htrae Miseria, that they were descened from a mysterious people's, who had lived almost immortally. These beings had been tall, soft skinned, and gracious. Darius himself represented the legend truly, though he was nowhere close to immortal.
As he approached the Queen, the house servants rushed ahead of him, meeting up with Queen Bast's handmaidens, asking where they may be of service. When he was nought but three meters from the Queen, he bowed low in honor.
"We are pleased and happy that you have arrived, your Highness. Your journey here was a safe one, I hope? Your apartments have been readied. Shall I lead you to them?" He asked, his head remained bowed.

He stood before the statue of the gold cross, adorned for her travel. His Inquisitors knelt beside him, each saying their prayers, but his majesty stood tall, staring up at the silver letters on the cross. How handsome he was and how perfect, the symbol of duality, the grand believer, and a man of piety, and vengeance. He turns slowly, looking to the Inquisitors at his side. They understood his request even without him speaking. Though this would be his first time visiting another kingdom, it felt like it were the hundreth. He was calm, collected, and ready for the events that would follow. He had somewhat of a desire to wed, but had a desire to in fact speak with the princess on a religious level, and allow her into the nation's churches, where she could live as freely as she liked under the protection of God.

His slow and casual steps marked his readiness for travel. His Inquisitors rushed to his side and held out the mask. A Masquerade. And he would appear as he was, a prince of his father,faith,and the nation.

He climbed into the plane, being careful of his uniform. His Inquisitors followed, the makeup and paint in their hands. others climbed into the plane, his majesty's small crucifix in their hands as well as his clothes, packed neatly for a day.

The plane took off, and his majesty sat there as calm as ever. "Did you bring the gifts as I requested?" The young Inquisitor bowed his head slowly. "Yes your majesty. Our crucifixes are stored safely in the back of the plane. " His majesty nodded his head softly. "Make sure they are not broken." The Inquisitors nodded, setting his things with the other and rushed to the back to care for the crucifixes

As the plane landed, his Inquisitors climbed from the plane first, lining up with their majesty's things in their hands, and then he came, steadily climbing down the steps. he wore a military uniform with a lot of medals on it. The Inquisitiors around him had a more modern approach, all being dressed from head to toe in black robes. They wore gold jewelry, though not so much as their prince who was simply adorned with it. Various of the Inquisitors held carrying cases with a crucifix inside of them, even two at times. His majesty awaited a welcome from the king himself, or at most one of his immediate servants.


OOC: You know, you really ought to be original, instead of taking my post and rewording it to suit you.

He stood before the statue of the gold cross, adorned for her travel. His Inquisitors knelt beside him, each saying their prayers, but his majesty stood tall, staring up at the silver letters on the cross. How handsome he was and how perfect, the symbol of duality, the grand believer, and a man of piety, and vengeance. He turns slowly, looking to the Inquisitors at his side. They understood his request even without him speaking. Though this would be his first time visiting another kingdom, it felt like it were the hundreth. He was calm, collected, and ready for the events that would follow. He had somewhat of a desire to wed, but had a desire to in fact speak with the princess on a religious level, and allow her into the nation's churches, where she could live as freely as she liked under the protection of God.

His slow and casual steps marked his readiness for travel. His Inquisitors rushed to his side and held out the mask. A Masquerade. And he would appear as he was, a prince of his father,faith,and the nation.

He climbed into the plane, being careful of his uniform. His Inquisitors followed, the makeup and paint in their hands. others climbed into the plane, his majesty's small crucifix in their hands as well as his clothes, packed neatly for a day.

The plane took off, and his majesty sat there as calm as ever. "Did you bring the gifts as I requested?" The young Inquisitor bowed his head slowly. "Yes your majesty. Our crucifixes are stored safely in the back of the plane. " His majesty nodded his head softly. "Make sure they are not broken." The Inquisitors nodded, setting his things with the other and rushed to the back to care for the crucifixes

As the plane landed, his Inquisitors climbed from the plane first, lining up with their majesty's things in their hands, and then he came, steadily climbing down the steps. he wore a military uniform with a lot of medals on it. The Inquisitiors around him had a more modern approach, all being dressed from head to toe in black robes. They wore gold jewelry, though not so much as their prince who was simply adorned with it. Various of the Inquisitors held carrying cases with a crucifix inside of them, even two at times. His majesty awaited a welcome from the king himself, or at most one of his immediate servants.

OOC: Now that's cheating. I do go by Role Play talent, you know. And because you cheated, you only get a minimal reply.

One of the house servants rushed towards the second guest, bowing to the Prince Alexei.
"Good evening, sire. How may I assist you? Are you needing help with your belongings? If so, I shall call for some assistance. Shall I show you to your rooms?"

The queen smiled beneath her mask. "No need to bow. We're both one in the same." Her handmaidens moved fomr his servants. "If it be well with your highness, my priestesses will hold my things. Except..for the gift we've brought you." She turned to look at those with the felines. "The Egyptian Mau is a sacred messenger of our lady Bast. It is an honor to have their favor, and to dote on them." The women stepped forward. "So I've brought you a dozen of her children in hopes of showing our blessing, as well as our lady's." She turned to look at the king. "And as for my quarters, I would be delighted if you would show me to them." She waved a hand to her priestesses ad followd after the king.

OOC: You know, you really ought to be original, instead of taking my post and rewording it to suit you.

Sorry for that,I did not want to have to write my own version.

OOC: Now that's cheating. I do go by Role Play talent, you know. And because you cheated, you only get a minimal reply.

One of the house servants rushed towards the second guest, bowing to the Prince Alexei.
"Good evening, sire. How may I assist you? Are you needing help with your belongings? If so, I shall call for some assistance. Shall I show you to your rooms?"

''Yes,you can show us to our rooms.'' said the Inquisition.

The queen smiled beneath her mask. "No need to bow. We're both one in the same." Her handmaidens moved fomr his servants. "If it be well with your highness, my priestesses will hold my things. Except..for the gift we've brought you." She turned to look at those with the felines. "The Egyptian Mau is a sacred messenger of our lady Bast. It is an honor to have their favor, and to dote on them." The women stepped forward. "So I've brought you a dozen of her children in hopes of showing our blessing, as well as our lady's." She turned to look at the king. "And as for my quarters, I would be delighted if you would show me to them." She waved a hand to her priestesses ad followd after the king.

The felines were taken carefully from the handmaidens by the house servants upon Darius' orders, and were carried up the drive and to the Estate.
He stood now, to his full height, and smiled graciously at the Queen. "Many thanks for your humble gifts. As you may already know, Htrae Miseria's national animal is the Panther, and both my daughters, Princess Ariadne, and Princess Anastria are enthralled by the feline race. They will appreciate your gift as much as I do, and the Mau will be treated with the best care and love, you can be sure of that. They will have free reign of the estate." He nodded, now gesturing through the entrance. "Now, if you'd follow me..." He suggested, before making his way back up the long drive and towards the Estate. Upon reaching the rather large house, he led the guests through the front doors, and up the main flight of stairs. He then turned to his left, and made his way down a short corridor, before turning left once more, into a glass tunnel, which was situated one story above the ground. Once through this tunnel, they would reach heavy oak doors, which are guarded by two of Htrae Miseria's royal guard. "Now, these guards have been set in place by myself, though if your Highness wishes to have two of your own in place, or for your own privacy, just let me know." Darius then pushed through the oak doors, leading Queen Bast into a rather spacious room, which only served as the coat room. Once through this room, she was lead to a living area, complete with fireplace, and a window looking out over the ocean. A door to the left led to the Queen's quarters, where her bed and bathing space was situated, and the door to the right led to another hallway, which was home to many more doors, leading onto many more rooms, which would provide living quarters for the Queens Handmaidens.
"I hope that the apartments will suffice."

This is VAL flight 001 inbound, to Htrae Miseria air control. Please give approach vectors.

With the grace of a zeppelin, the massive 74SL turned into its approach, its box-wings grabbing the air and smoothing out turbulence before it could disturb the planes passengers.

The four F-137 Firebirds remained on careful watch for any sign of foul play - they would land afterwards. If an extended stay was called for, a C-71 would be sent to provision them for whatever time it was necessary for them to remain.

''Yes,you can show us to our rooms.'' said the Inquisition.

The prince was shown to rooms a little less grand than Queen Bast's but Grand enough anyhow. These were situated at the opposite end of the estate.

''Can we come in,please.'' said the Inquisition.

OOC-Sorry for stealing that post.

The prince was shown to rooms a little less grand than Queen Bast's but Grand enough anoyhow. These were situated at the opposite end of the estate.

Thanks.

OOC-Sorry for stealing that post.

''When do we meet everyone?'' said Alexei.

''Can we come in,please.'' said the Inquisition.

OOC-Sorry for stealing that post.

OOC: look up.

OOC: look up.

OOC-I said I was SORRY!! :mad:

''When do we meet everyone and when's dinner?'' said Alexei while reading his Egyptian Gods and Godesses book.

This is VAL flight 001 inbound, to Htrae Miseria air control. Please give approach vectors.

With the grace of a zeppelin, the massive 74SL turned into its approach, its box-wings grabbing the air and smoothing out turbulence before it could disturb the planes passengers.

The four F-137 Firebirds remained on careful watch for any sign of foul play - they would land afterwards. If an extended stay was called for, a C-71 would be sent to provision them for whatever time it was necessary for them to remain.

OOC: Please do excuse me if I have no clue as to what approach vectors are...heh.

This is Htrae Miseria air control. The de Faux air strip is cleared and ready for your approach. Follow the red lights. A vehicle will be waiting to carry passengers to the estate.

The felines were taken carefully from the handmaidens by the house servants upon Darius' orders, and were carried up the drive and to the Estate.
He stood now, to his full height, and smiled graciously at the Queen. "Many thanks for your humble gifts. As you may already know, Htrae Miseria's national animal is the Panther, and both my daughters, Princess Ariadne, and Princess Anastria are enthralled by the feline race. They will appreciate your gift as much as I do, and the Mau will be treated with the best care and love, you can be sure of that. They will have free reign of the estate." He nodded, now gesturing through the entrance. "Now, if you'd follow me..." He suggested, before making his way back up the long drive and towards the Estate. Upon reaching the rather large house, he led the guests through the front doors, and up the main flight of stairs. He then turned to his left, and made his way down a short corridor, before turning left once more, into a glass tunnel, which was situated one story above the ground. Once through this tunnel, they would reach heavy oak doors, which are guarded by two of Htrae Miseria's royal guard. "Now, these guards have been set in place by myself, though if your Highness wishes to have two of your own in place, or for your own privacy, just let me know." Darius then pushed through the oak doors, leading Queen Bast into a rather spacious room, which only served as the coat room. Once through this room, she was lead to a living area, complete with fireplace, and a window looking out over the ocean. A door to the left led to the Queen's quarters, where her bed and bathing space was situated, and the door to the right led to another hallway, which was home to many more doors, leading onto many more rooms, which would provide living quarters for the Queens Handmaidens.
"I hope that the apartments will suffice."


"Our lady will be pleased." The handmaidens bowed as the felines were taken away and promptly moved behind their mistress as she followd the king. "Perhaps then you and your daughters may visit my nation. Felines roam the street, blessing us with their presence." They followed obediantly, two by two behind their majesty. As they came to the rooms, they began to fiel into the Queens and setting up her room for the next morning. As they moved around, the Queen turned to his Highness. "Your guards will suffice. I have no worry of your kingdom. My lady will guard me with all of her mgiht your majsty, as well as my people. " She examined the livingroom, and glanced into her own. "I do believe they are splendid. I thank you for the rooms. "

OOC-I said I was SORRY!! :mad:

''When do we meet everyone and when's dinner?'' said Alexei while reading his Egyptian Gods and Godesses book.


OOC: I read that, after I posted. And if you post replies that are only 1-4 lines long, you will recieve the same replies back.

The house servant blinked a little, though not surprised by the prince's seeming rudeness. He was royalty. What else could be expected?
"Dinner will be served in two hours. You are welcome to mingle with the crowd until then. You will meet with King Darius after dinner. He will send me to you when he is ready."

''I wonder who this princess is.She must be pretty,smart and intelligent.I also hope the Inquisiton can spread Orthodoxy or Islam in this nation.I hope the Inquisitors don't screw around.The room is very nice.By the Grace of God Almighty,I hope nothing goes wrong.'' Alexei thought to himself while reading the Bible.

OOC: I read that, after I posted. And if you post replies that are only 1-4 lines long, you will recieve the same replies back.

The house servant blinked a little, though not surprised by the prince's seeming rudeness. He was royalty. What else could be expected?
"Dinner will be served in two hours. You are welcome to mingle with the crowd until then. You will meet with King Darius after dinner. He will send me to you when he is ready."

''I do not mean to be rude,if I am to you.'' said Alexei.

"Our lady will be pleased." The handmaidens bowed as the felines were taken away and promptly moved behind their mistress as she followd the king. "Perhaps then you and your daughters may visit my nation. Felines roam the street, blessing us with their presence." They followed obediantly, two by two behind their majesty. As they came to the rooms, they began to fiel into the Queens and setting up her room for the next morning. As they moved around, the Queen turned to his Highness. "Your guards will suffice. I have no worry of your kingdom. My lady will guard me with all of her mgiht your majsty, as well as my people. " She examined the livingroom, and glanced into her own. "I do believe they are splendid. I thank you for the rooms. "

Darius nodded, his smile never once leaving his face. "I am glad that the rooms please you. I will consider your offer. My daughers have never left Htrae Miseria, and would love to visit your Kingdom, I'm sure. My wife, Queen Aias may act as Guardian, when it comes time to visit. I am very sorry, but I must excuse myself. Please, do make yourself at home. I will leave one of the house servants outside of your doors. Feel free to ask him whatever you wish. Dinner will be served in two hours. I will see you then?" He asked.

''I do not mean to be rude,if I am to you.'' said Alexei.

The Servant blinked some more, his facial expression serene. "It isn't of my concern, sire. Is there anything else you wish to ask? The Princess Ariadne will soon be ready. She will be outside, amongst the crowd. If you wish to speak to her at all, then will be your chance."

To the Lady of Bast....

''Excuse Me.Can I talk to you?'' said a Inquisitor.''I would like to learn about your nation and Bast if you are able and/or want to.''

The Servant blinked some more, his facial expression serene. "It isn't of my concern, sire. Is there anything else you wish to ask? The Princess Ariadne will soon be ready. She will be outside, amongst the crowd. If you wish to speak to her at all, then will be your chance."

''Can we talk to her,now?'' said the Inquisition.

''We want to learn what she is about.'' said Alexei.

Darius nodded, his smile never once leaving his face. "I am glad that the rooms please you. I will consider your offer. My daughers have never left Htrae Miseria, and would love to visit your Kingdom, I'm sure. My wife, Queen Aias may act as Guardian, when it comes time to visit. I am very sorry, but I must excuse myself. Please, do make yourself at home. I will leave one of the house servants outside of your doors. Feel free to ask him whatever you wish. Dinner will be served in two hours. I will see you then?" He asked.


"We would be pleased to have the Queen as well. I'm sure they would enjoy several sights of the empire." She nods softly. "You have my gratitude. I shall met you at dinner." She waited for him to depart then turned and made her way into her room. "Each of you have two hours to prepare yourself for dinner. You will look marvelous. Show off our kingdom." Her majesty removed the mask slowly as the others scrambled around and looked in the mirror at her naturally pale skin. She was a beautiful woman with piercing blue eyes and small, soft rose colored lips. She took in a deep breath and took the brush that her priestess laid out for her. Her majesty let her hair fall and brushed it lovingly. Her ebon hair was her pride and joy. Setting the mask on her desk, she moved around her bedroom, moving to the window to glance outside at the kingdom. It really was beautiful, never so much as her own (she felt that undying pride), but beautiful nonetheless. All she had to do now was wait for dinner.

''Can we talk to her,now?'' said the Inquisition.

''We want to learn what she is about.'' said Alexei.

OOC: Queen Bast is in her rooms. You are in yours. You can't simply just start talking to her, and talk to Ariadne at the same time...correct?

"She has no appointments. If you wish to speak to Ariadne, sire, you will have to go down to the festivities and find her."

To the Lady of Bast....

''Excuse Me.Can I talk to you?'' said a Inquisitor.''I would like to learn about your nation and Bast if you are able and/or want to.''


One of the priestesses arrived at the door, looking at the Inquisitor for a moment. "Her Majesty is promply busy with matters at hand...but if you will you may-" Her majesty's voice spoke over her handmaiden's. "Allow him in and continue to get ready. Your appearance is more important than my personal affairs." The handmaiden backed up and hurried from the door. Her majesty placed her mask on her face and moved into the livingquarters, glancing to him. "You may come in and have a seat. "

OOC: Queen Bast is in her rooms. You are in yours. You can't simply just start talking to her, and talk to Ariadne at the same time...correct?

"She has no appointments. If you wish to speak to Ariadne, sire, you will have to go down to the festivities and find her."

Alexei wants to talk to Ariadne.

The Inquistion wants to talk to Queen Bast.

OOC: Queen Bast is in her rooms. You are in yours. You can't simply just start talking to her, and talk to Ariadne at the same time...correct?

"She has no appointments. If you wish to speak to Ariadne, sire, you will have to go down to the festivities and find her."


OOC: it's alright :) I figured a messenger was sent :D no biggie..I'll be nice...once.

To Queen Bast

''Hello.I am Ronald Andersen,Head Orthodox Christian Inquisitor for Rommelwood. First I like to say thanks for letting me talk to you. Who is Bast? Here is some info on Orthodoxy-Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. The Orthodox trace their lineage back to — and claim to be the exclusive continuance of the original Christian church, referring to themselves as the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. During the first millennium of Christendom, The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches were the same church, although some differences developed between the Christian East and West. By the 11th century, these differences had culminated in a Great Schism, separating the Roman Catholic Church from Eastern Orthodoxy.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity claims an unbroken Apostolic Succession back to the Apostles, with grace transferred through the laying on of hands. Though many nationalities are represented in Orthodoxy, which present a number of slight cultural differences, the jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church are identical in belief, and spiritually one in Christ Jesus.

Contents
1 The Eastern Orthodox approach

1.1 Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism
1.2 Eastern, Oriental and Assyrian churches
1.3 Internal differences in Eastern Orthodoxy


2 History

2.1 The Church within the Empire
2.2 Muslim conquest and Iconoclasm
2.3 Conversion of the Slavs
2.4 The Great Schism


2.4.1 Orthodoxy and the Reformation


3 Structure / organization

3.1 Bishops, priests, and deacons
3.2 Church jurisdictions


3.2.1 Orthodoxy in North America


4 Theology

4.1 Asceticism and Theosis


4.1.1 Mystery of Repentance
4.1.2 Mystery of the Eucharist
4.1.3 Fasting
4.1.4 Almsgiving


4.2 Salvation and the afterlife


5 Eastern Orthodox churches

5.1 Autocephalous churches
5.2 Autonomous churches
5.3 Churches with ambiguous status


5.3.1 Churches in Resistance


5.3.1.1 Moderate Old Calendarists


5.4 Isolated Orthodox Jurisdictions


6 Related articles

7 External links


The Eastern Orthodox approach
Eastern Orthodoxy is in general, "Christocentric", viewing Christ Jesus as the Head of the Church, and the Church as his Body; with authority derived directly from this relationship. Eastern Orthodoxy has an extensive oral tradition that predates the actual texts of the New Testament, hence, it does not consider itself to be "Bibliocentric"; which is the case with most forms of Protestantism. This, however, does not in any way diminish their respect and devotion toward scriptures, but rather puts it into perspective as the texts accepted by the church as most important. The Orthodox Church considers the Old Testament (Septuagint) to a lesser degree of importance with the exception of the Psalms (which are a part of daily services) and the prophecies leading up to the incarnation of Christ. While many parts of the Old Testament are considered edifying (teaching moral lessons about hospitality and the result of sin) it is not a requirement that everything be taken literally. The Orthodox Church does not seek any conflict with science. It tends to consider Truth to be seen in the "Consensus of the Fathers" (the golden thread of agreement that runs back through the Patristic writings of the church fathers back to the early church and the Apostles). All theological concepts must be in agreement with the consensus of the fathers in order to be considered truth. Rules and laws are deemphasized in the Orthodox Church in favor of guidelines with love, compassion and mercy considered in all things.

The Fathers of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church are not legalistic in their views of sin. Sin does not exist as an abstract entity and must be approached on an individual basis. Likewise, the prescription for sin must be filtered through human understanding in order to be effective. There is nothing within the Church that is automatic (latae sententiae). What is a sin for one man may not be for another; neither does the Orthodox Church see all sin as being the same. The traditional practice of the Orthodox is to have a spiritual Father (or Mother) to whom one confesses and who treats the sin on an individual basis. An experienced spiritual father will know how and when to apply strictness in dealing with sin and when to effectively "bend the rules." This relationship (father and son) is a reflection of our relationship to God and is pervasive in the Church—see the section concerning the Mystery of Repentance.

Note: It is fairly common in the West to use the term "Greek Orthodox" to refer to any national group of Orthodox (Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Georgian, American, Syrian [Antiochian], etc.). The word "Greek" in this sense is being used to mean "cosmopolitan," not necessarily a nationality. However, in modern usage, rather than nominally divide the church on national boundaries (since the church is not really divided) the term "Eastern Orthodoxy" has a wider circumference.


Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church shares many of the same characteristics as the Orthodox Church especially in reference to the early church because of their common origin. For nearly 1000 years, the two churches were united, with the Roman Pope being counted as one of the five major hierarchs, along with the patriarchs of Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Constantinople. The division of the Church into separate churches is regarded as having occurred in 1054 in what is known as the Great Schism, though their divergence began as much as two centuries earlier. Both churches claim to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and reject the other's claim to this title. The term "Orthodox" was adopted by the Eastern Church to signify its adherence to, and preservation of, the original apostolic traditions, teachings, and style of worship. Both churches, to signify the universality of the church, retain the term "Catholic". Both churches also continue to claim apostolic succession. The churches differ, however, in their ecclesiology: the Orthodox Church views all bishops as equal, and rejects the idea that one patriarch may have authority over another's jurisdiction. The Patriarch of Constantinople currently enjoys the honorary title of "First Among Equals"; which simply means that in council, he occupies the position of president in what is otherwise a democratic organization. This, in the view of the Orthodox, is the same position held by the Pope before the Great Schism. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, views the Patriarch of Rome as the head of the Church and ascribe to him all-encompassing authority on Christian matters.

To date, however, there has not been a final statement on behalf of the whole Orthodox Church, with regard to the status of Rome. This is not surprising, since such general, authoritarian statements are simply unheard-of within Eastern Orthodoxy, even upon issues with little to no internal disagreement. Therefore, a lack of a definitive, authoritarian, "Church-wide" statement cannot be taken to mean that the Eastern Orthodox Church necessarily espouses or rejects a specific belief. This sort of centralized communication is neither typical of nor appropriate to Eastern Orthodoxy. Because of its democratic nature, in order to make such a pronouncement, the Orthodox Church would be required to convene another ecumenical council, the last of which was held in 787 AD. There has been talk in recent years of doing exactly that in order to clarify the church's position on certain modern issues though nothing definite has been set.

The primary causes of Orthodox differences with Rome include the addition to the Symbol of Faith (Nicean Creed) of the Filioque clause, papal claims to authority over all Christians (papal primacy), and other doctrinal and liturgical developments approved by the See of Rome. After the split, Roman Catholics defined other dogmas that the Eastern Orthodox also considers heretical, among them papal infallibility, the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, and purgatory. The See of Rome considers the Eastern Orthodox churches to be in schism. The general Eastern Orthodox consensus is that Roman Catholics are both schismatics and heretics, although a minority of Orthodox Christians believe that the difference in reality is smaller than it appears superficially.


Eastern, Oriental and Assyrian churches
The Great Schism was not the first division to occur in the church, though it was by far the most significant. The earlier conflict between the Imperial Church and what are now called the Oriental Orthodox churches was established many centuries before at the fourth and fifth ecumenical councils. And, in some fundamental aspects, the Oriental Orthodox churches are as dissimilar from the Eastern Orthodox churches as they are from the Roman Catholic Church. Oriental Orthodox churches include the Coptic Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church, and the Armenian Church. These are all labelled 'monophysite' by some of the Eastern Orthodox, although they reject this label, preferring the term 'miaphysite'. The Assyrian Church of the East is also often included among this group, although it does not belong to the Oriental Orthodox Communion, and indeed, adheres to the doctrine of 'Nestorianism', directly opposed to the doctrine of the Oriental Orthodox. The main theological problem is usually traced back to the 5th century, with Saint Cyril's referring to the nature of Christ as being "One Theandric Nature". The term "Theandric" was taken by the main body of the church to mean "God/Man" and therefore really two natures, God and Man unified, while the remainder thought of it as one single nature. At first glance this may seem a trivial disagreement, but ultimately the question took hundreds of years to solidify because of its extreme complexity and eventually lead to this early split.


Internal differences in Eastern Orthodoxy
The various jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodox Church are distinct in terms of administration and local culture, and for the most part, exist in full communion with one another. Most importantly, these groups recognize that the Grace of God is present and working within the other. The term "full communion" can be misleading in this instance since there have often existed within the church legitimate groups that for legitimate reasons disagree with another jurisdiction's position. In such a case the normal response is to refrain from con-celebration of the services and communing mysteriologically (sacramentally); they do not, however, consider the other groups to be without Grace and outside the body of the church. An example of this is the lack of communion between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the Soviet-controlled Patriarchal Church of Russia (Russian Orthodox), the conflict arising early in the 20th century due to a serious distrust of the soviets. Another example is the philosophical differences between the New Calendarists and the Moderate Old Calendarists.

In administrative power, all bishops of the Orthodox Church are equal. There is no Orthodox equivalent of the Roman Catholic papacy. Jurisdictions and positions of authority are administrative only. There is no single leader of the Orthodox Church. Therefore attachment to a single, specific hierarch, such as the Ecumenical Patriarch (of Constantinople) is not a litmus test for Orthodoxy, as there have been heretics and schismatics in even that venerable position. The measure of the legitimacy of a Bishop and his jurisdiction is in how closely and carefully he upholds the teachings of the Orthodox Church, and how well he maintains its traditions. Obedience to a bishop is required only if he, in fact, does his job properly. It is therefore, the responsibility of the laity to reject a bishop who begins to turn toward teachings other than the ones the church supports. This places a fairly heavy responsibility on the laity to educate themselves on the teachings of the church.

History
From its founding the church spread quickly throughout most of the Roman Empire, despite much official opposition. The Apostles traveled in different directions spreading the witness of Christ Jesus throughout the empire. Much of their history is preserved by the church including their eventual martyrdom. The only Apostle to survive into old age and die a natural death was St. John. The Apostles created bishops through the laying on of hands and taught the traditions of how this power could be passed on. In its early years thousands died under persecution only to increase the strength and witness of the church. Widespread, organized persecution finally stopped in 313 when Emperor Constantine the Great so ordered it in the Edict of Milan. From that time forward, the Byzantine emperor exerted various degrees of influence in the church. Sometimes this was seen as positive, as in the calling of the Ecumenical Councils to resolve disputes and establish church dogma on which the entire church would agree. Sometimes this was seen as negative, as when Patriarchs (usually of Constantinople) were deposed by the emperor, or when the emperor sided with the iconoclasts in the eighth and ninth centuries.

The Orthodox Church reached its golden age during the Byzantine Empire and continued to fluorish in Russia after the fall of Constantinople. It holds true to the pronouncements of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, and its numerous autocephalous jurisdictions share a spiritual unity that transcends any minor differences in style they may have. They trace their lines back to the Apostles through a number of important ancient centers of Christianity: the cities of Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, and the country of Greece.

The Orthodox jurisdictions with the largest number of adherents in modern times are the Russian and the Romanian Orthodox churches. The most ancient of the Orthodox churches of today are the Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Georgia, Antioch, and Jerusalem.





The Church within the Empire
There were several doctrinal disputes from the 4th century onwards. Some of them led to the calling of Ecumenical councils to try to resolve them. The Church in Egypt (Patriarchate of Alexandria) split into two groups following the Council of Chalcedon (451), owing to a dispute about the relation between the divine and human natures of Jesus. Eventually this led to each group having its own Patriarch (Pope). Those that remained in communion with the other patriarchs were called "Melkites" (the king's men, because Constantinople was the city of the emperors) [not to be confused with the Melkite Catholics of Antioch], and are today known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, until recently led by Pope Petros VII (who was killed in a helicopter crash on September 11, 2004), while those who disagreed with the findings of the Council of Chalcedon are today known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, led by Pope Shenouda III. There was a similar split in Syria. Those who disagreed with the Council of Chalcedon are sometimes called "Oriental Orthodox" to distinguish them from the Eastern Orthodox, who accepted the Council of Chalcedon. The Oriental Orthodox are also sometimes referred to as "monophysites" or "non-Chalcedonians", although today the Coptic Orthodox Church denies that it is monophysite and prefers the term "miaphysite", to denote the "joined" nature of Jesus.

Note: The term Pope is simply an affectionate term for the lead bishop in a major patriarchate. Any of the original Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, Rome, or Alexandria can be called Pope as it is not an official title. The more common term today is Patriarch in order to distinguish them from the Pope in Rome who is not an Orthodox bishop.

An important symbol for Eastern Orthodoxy and its spread north to the Slavic peoples was the construction in the 530s of the Church of the Holy Wisdom ("Hagia Sophia"), a most impressive church building in Constantinople, under emperor Justinian I.


Muslim conquest and Iconoclasm

Icon of Holy Martyr St. Catherine of AlexandriaIn the 7th century the areas administered by the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were conquered by Muslim Arabs, and the native Christians were treated as second-class citizens, or dhimmi. Westerners tend to think of Christianity as the dominant social force for a long period of history, but Christians in three of the five ancient churches have been in Muslim-dominated societies for 13 centuries. It was the Muslims who first opposed the Christian use of icons, though many Christians held a similar doctrine, based on Judaizing tendencies within the Church. The use of icons was defended and upheld at the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 AD also referred to as the Second Council of Nicaea, called by Patriarch Tarasius and presided over by Empress Irene, where it was dogmatically established that Christians give honor not to the image itself but to the person the image represents. The end of that council is still celebrated as the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" in Orthodox churches today, and icons remain a central part of Orthodox faith and practice.

Conversion of the Slavs
In the ninth and tenth centuries, Orthodoxy made great inroads into Eastern Europe, including Kievan Rus'. This work was made possible by the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who translated the Bible and many of the prayer books into Slavonic. Originally sent to convert the Slavs of Great Moravia, they were forced to compete with Frankish missionaries from the Roman diocese. Their disciples were driven out of Great Moravia in 886 AD.

Some of the disciples, however, reached Bulgaria where they were welcomed by the Bulgarian Tsar Boris I who viewed the Slavonic liturgy as a way to counteract Greek influence in the country. In a short time the disciples of Cyril and Methoduis managed to prepare and instruct the future Slav Bulgarian clergy into the Glagolitic alphabet and the biblical texts and in 893 AD, Bulgaria expelled its Greek clergy and proclaimed the Slavonic language as the official language of the church and the state. The success of the conversion of the Bulgarians faciliated the conversion of other Slavic peoples, most notably the Rus', predecessors of Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians.

Slavic missionaries had great succees in part because they used the people's native language rather than Latin as the Roman priests did, or Greek. Today the Russian Orthodox Church, in spite of 70 years of persecution under the atheistic government of the USSR, is the largest of the Orthodox Churches.


The Great Schism
In the 11th century the Great Schism took place between Rome and Constantinople, which led to the Church of the West, the Roman Catholic Church, to become distinct from the Churches of the East. There were doctrinal issues like the filioque clause and the authority of the Pope involved in the split, but they were exacerbated by cultural and linguistic differences (Greek East and Latin West).

The final breach is often considered to have arisen as a result of the sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. This Fourth Crusade had the Latin Church directly involved in a military assault against the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, and the Orthodox Patriarchate thereof. The sacking of the Church of Holy Wisdom and establishment of the Latin Empire in 1204 is viewed with some rancor to the present day. In 2004, Pope John Paul II extended a formal apology for the sacking of Constantinople in 1204; the apology was formally accepted by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. (Many things that were stolen during this time: relics, riches, and many other items, are still held in various Catholic churches in Western Europe and have yet to be offered back to the Orthodox Church. This is one of the reasons why nearly all Orthodox view the Pope with extreme suspicion.)

Something also must be said about modern terminology in reference to the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The term Roman applied to all members of the Roman Empire. Even after the Emperor Constantine moved the capitol to Byzantium, any common man would have referred to himself as Roman. Long after the Great Schism the Orthodox East continued to refer to itself as Roman Catholic, however, what we in modern times refer to as the Roman Catholic Church they would have called the Frankish Church, referring to Charlemagne’s supposed re-establishment of the Roman Empire. As far as the Orthodox countries were concerned, they were the Roman Empire, and that empire did not fall until the 15th century. The Orthodox argues that they remain the same while the Frankish church had fallen into heresy. But because of the ascendancy of western ideas in modern literature, the Roman Empire of that period is now referred to as the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Catholic Church is now the Orthodox Church, Charlemagne’s Frankish empire is now called the Holy Roman Empire and the Frankish church, the Roman Catholics.

In 1453, the last of the Roman Empire (with its capital at Constantinople) fell to the Ottoman Turks. By this time Egypt was also under Muslim control, but Orthodoxy was very strong in Russia; and so Moscow, called the Third Rome, became a new major center of the Church at that time.


Orthodoxy and the Reformation
Orthodoxy did not undergo the Reformation, and attitudes of the Protestant churches towards it have been ambiguous since the beginning. Lutheran bishops led by Melanchthon sent delegates to the Patriarch of Constantinople to explore ecumenical possibilities, but the discussions went nowhere. Both sides remained cordial and brotherly, but fundamental doctrinal differences came to light, specifically regarding Holy Tradition, the Procession of the Holy Spirit, free will, divine predestination, justification, the number of sacraments, baptism by immersion (Orthodox) vs. sprinkling or pouring (Lutheran), and the immediate performance of chrismation and the giving of the Eucharist to those baptized (Orthodox), the meaning of the change in the Eucharist, and the use of unleavened bread, infallibility of the Church and of the Ecumenical Councils, veneration, feasts, and invocation of saints and their icons and relics, fasts and other ecclesiastical traditions. Ultimately, the dialogue was broken off (see 16th Century Lutheran & Orthodox Exchange in External links below).


Structure / organization

Bishops, priests, and deacons
Since its founding, the Church spread to different places, and the leaders of the Church in each place came to be known as episkopoi (overseers, plural of episkopos, overseer - Gr. Επίσκοπος), which became "bishop" in English. The other ordained roles are presbyter (Gr. Πρεσβυτερίος, elder), which became "prester" and then "priest" in English, and diakonos (Gr. Διάκονος, assistant), which became "deacon" in English (see also subdeacon). There are numerous administrative positions in the clergy that carry additional titles. In the Greek tradition, bishops who occupy an ancient See are called Metropolitan, while the lead bishop in Greece is the Archbishop. Priests can be Archpriests, Archimandrites, or Proto Presbyters. Deacons can be Archdeacons as well. It should also be noted that in the Orthodox Church the position of Deacon can be and often is occupied for life.

The Orthodox Church has always allowed married priests and deacons, provided the marriage takes place before ordination. In general, or ideally, congregational priests should be married, as they will be dealing with married couples; unmarried priests should normally be in monasteries. Widowed priests and deacons are not allowed to remarry. It is common for such a member of the clergy to retire to a monastery. This also applies to the widowed wives of clergy, they do not remarry and usually become nuns. Bishops are always celibate as they are selected from the ranks of monks (who are celibate). Bishops, priests, and deacons have always been men only because they represent Christ, who chose to be male. Nevertheless, Orthodox consider men and women equal before God. A priest's wife is therefore called “Presbytera” (Gr. Πρεσβυτερα, literally Priestess) and a deacon's wife “Diakonissa” (Gr. Διάκονισα, literally Deaconess) for the same reason. A married man cannot accept ordination without his wife's approval, and it is common for these dedicated women to be just as busy ministering to the faithful as their husbands. There also existed in the early church the official position of deaconess. The deacon/deaconess also acted as an assistant to a bishop and indeed even today bishops always travel with deacons accompanying them. It is not known why the position of deaconess has mostly fallen out of use; there is no official reason why a woman could not occupy that position. Modern examples do exist: Saint Nectarios, Bishop of Pentapolis established a Convent on the Isle of Aegina in Greece in 1904 and reportedly had a female deacon.


Church jurisdictions
Main article: Eastern Orthodox Church organization

The first thing to consider when dealing with "jurisdictions" is that they apply to the clergy, not to lay persons. The different Orthodox jurisdictions are united in faith and in liturgy, but not necessarily in polity. There is only One Church regardless of nationality or culture. Laypeople do develop loyalties to the particular jurisdiction they grew up with, or were first accepted into, but should the person choose to “switch jurisdictions” there is no penalty. Jurisdictions govern the priesthood and its administrative policies thus, bishops do not interfere in one another’s territories; as their authority does not extend beyond it. There is no single bishop or similar office that corresponds to the Roman Catholic Pope, nor is there a standing synod of bishops or patriarchs. In general, the church is organized along national and regional lines in hierarchical fashion, with the "top" hierarchs or patriarchs recognizing one another's validity. From about the fourth century the churches with the largest administrative base were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Today there are approximately 15 separate autocephalous jurisdictions who recognize the validity of each other (though this relationship may be complicated); these are the "canonical" Orthodox Churches. Churches that call themselves Orthodox but are not recognized as valid by this group are termed "non-canonical" Orthodox Churches (though this too can be a complex relationship).

Orthodox Christians believe that they have preserved apostolic succession from the first Apostles. While Rome traces its papacy back to the Apostle Peter, Orthodox Antioch traces its Patriarchate to an even earlier foundation by the selfsame Apostle. Alexandria, for example, traces its papacy back to Mark the Evangelist, who founded the church in Alexandria in AD 40. (In Alexandria, two primates call themselves "Pope" and claim to be the successor of the apostle Mark: the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, also called the "Pope of Africa", and the Coptic Pope. Those two lines of succession separated from each other in a schism in AD 451. Coptic Catholics (one of the autonomous Eastern Rite Catholic churches) also have a high-ranking bishop called the "Patriarch of Alexandria" in that city, but he does not claim the title of "Pope".)

Orthodoxy in North America
The Russian Orthodox Church sent missionaries to Alaska beginning in the 18th century. Among the first was Saint Herman of Alaska. This established missionary precedence for the Russian Orthodox Church in the Americas, and Eastern Orthodox Christians were under the omophor (Church authority and protection) of The Patriarch of Moscow. The Russian Orthodox Church was devastated by the Bolshevik Revolution. One side effect was the flood of refugees from Russia to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Among those who came were Orthodox lay people, deacons, priests, and bishops. In 1920 Patriarch Tikhon issued an ukase (decree) that Orthodox Christians under his leadership but outside of Russia should seek refuge with whatever Orthodox jurisdiction that would shield them from Communist control. The various national Orthodox communities thus were permitted as an emergency measure to look towards their immigrant homelands for ecclesiastic leadership rather than be tied to Russia. Some of the Russian Orthodox formed an independent synod that became the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). Some of the Russian Orthodox remained in communion with Moscow and were granted autocephaly in 1970 as the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). However, recognition of this autocephalic status is not universal, as the Ecumenical Patriarch (under whom is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www.goarch.org)) and some other jurisdictions have not officially accepted it. The reasons for this are complex; nevertheless the Ecumenical Patriarch and the other jurisdictions remain in communion with the OCA.

Today there are many Orthodox churches in the United States and Canada that are still bound to the Greek, Antiochian, or other overseas jurisdictions; in some cases these different overseas jurisdictions will have churches in the same U.S. city. However, there are also many "panorthodox" activities and organizations, both formal and informal, among Orthdox believers of all jurisdictions. One such organization is SCOBA, the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, which comprises North American Orthodox bishops from nearly all jurisdictions. (See list of Orthodox jurisdictions in North America.)

There is a general acknowledgment that the situation should not continue as it is indefinitely, and that at some point all the Orthodox churches in the U.S. will need to be united under a single Metropolitan or Patriarch. There is also a general acknowledgment that this can be taken care of slowly over time. In June of 2002, the Antiochian Orthodox Church granted autonomy to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. Some observers see this as a step towards greater organizational unity in North America. Note that this future American Orthodox Church will be a church of Americans, for people who consider themselves Americans and speak primarily or only the English or Spanish languages; people who retain their original nationality and/or whose primary language is not English will most likely remain members of their churches, and their churches' activities will continue.

During the past 50 years there have come into existence so-called Western Orthodox Churches (a term not in use by the majority of Orthodox Christians, including those within Western Rite Orthodox parishes) in North America. These are Orthodox Christians who use the Western forms of liturgy yet are totally Orthodox in their theology. The Antiochian Orthodox Church, The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America (formerly connected with the Vicar Bishop of the (Western) Orthodox Church of France-ECOF), all have Western Rite parishes. The last jurisdiction hase no canonical ties to the majority of Orthodox Christianaity and at best would be considered a fringe schismatic group by them.


Theology
In general, the Orthodox Christian approach to scriptural interpretation and theology is patristic. That means that every effort is made to continue believing and practicing the same theology that Jesus gave to the Apostles and that the Apostles gave to the early Church Fathers. Theological innovation is always met with suspicion; if an idea is truly different from what the Church has always believed and taught, it is likely heretical. It is acceptable to elaborate and more fully explain traditional theology, however. The last major theological milestone took place in the 14th century at the Hesychast Councils. There, Saint Gregory Palamas explained how God can be both utterly transcendent, yet make himself known to men.

Phronema refers to how something "smells" or "feels". The Western church (i.e. Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) generally has a legal flavor to much of its theology. Sin is understood primarily as a legal violation, and salvation is legal forgiveness for the legal offenses. Also, the West tends to first look at God in his unity, then in his three persons. The Eastern church generally has a much more relational flavor. Sin leads to relational separation from God, and repentance involves restoring the relationships between the penitent and God, and between the penitent and humanity. God is viewed first as three persons in perfect relationship with each other, then as a unity sharing a single divine essence. The doctrine of the Trinity is the basis for most if not all of Eastern Orthodox theology.

It should perhaps also be mentioned that the Western churches have been especially influenced by Augustine and, to a lesser extent, Tertullian. Although Augustine was an early church father, writing in the fourth century, he had very little influence in the East. First of all, he wrote in Latin rather than Greek. At the time, Latin was commonly spoken in the West, but Greek was the main language of the Byzantine Empire. His writings weren't translated to Greek until the fourteenth century. Consequently, Western doctrines that are based on Augustine's views are typically not shared by the East. Eastern theologians tended to rely more on Greek philosophers than did the west, often borrowing their categories and vocabulary to explain Christian doctrine, though not necessarily accepting their theories. In the first few centuries after the fall of Rome, knowledge of Greek in the West dropped considerably, and so the Western church was generally less aware of the Greek philosophers. On the other hand the East did not experience the surge of interest in Aristotle that has markedly influenced Roman Catholic theology since the High Middle Ages. These gradual differences contributed to the growing gap between the Eastern and Western churches.


Asceticism and Theosis
Asceticism is the set of disciplines practiced to work out the believer's salvation, and further the believer's repentance. Ultimately, it is believed, salvation comes only by the grace of God, but God's grace and right belief are expected to produce changes in behavior. Changes in behavior can also influence beliefs. Asceticism can include anything from taking part in prayers with the church, fasting, almsgiving, or even working hard not to lose one's temper or similar acts of restraint and self-control. Corporate prayers are generally prayed as a "liturgy", which literally means a "work of the people." One prayer that is very widely used and is the subject of much discussion of spirituality is the Jesus Prayer.

Theosis, or divinization, is the process of becoming more like God and more united with God. This "becoming more like God" is to be understood as becoming more like Jesus Christ (who is God), not as the wish for power and knowledge that motivated Adam and Eve to sin. Theosis is the goal of the Christian life. It means becoming all that people were originally created to be. It is not something to wait for passively, but something to be taken by force, by hard work done in one's soul.

The chief activities of the believer are:

The Mystery of Repentance (or confession)
The Mystery of the Eucharist
Prayer
Fasting
Obedience
Almsgiving
Selflessness
The Acquisition of Virtues
[edit]
Mystery of Repentance
In the earliest days of the Church, Christians confessed their sins to each other publicly, and publicly forgave each other, announcing God's forgiveness. This was possible in part because only believers were meeting together, and they were close-knit communities in which everyone trusted each other. As time went on, and more people came into the Church, some people attending were seekers or catechumens rather than faithful members, and believers began to feel uncomfortable confessing in public. Then the practice developed of members quietly confessing to God (typically in front of an icon of Jesus blessing the icon's beholder) in the presence of an elder or priest, who would offer counsel and confirm God's forgiveness. This would take place in the context of a series of prayers said by the priest and penitent together, often including Psalm 51 and other scriptures and prayers. However, it should be noted that anyone with sufficient experience and knowledge, if given a blessing from a Bishop, can hear confessions. Thus, a confessor might be a priest, monk, nun, man, woman, etc. It may make sense that married couples confess to a married person, or a woman confess to another, more experienced, woman. Such things are not unusual. However, Only a priest can read the prayers of forgiveness over the person in preparation for communion. Repentance is essential preparation for receiving the Eucharist. The Orthodox Church has never bothered with the concept of anonymity in confession the way the Roman Catholics have. Orthodox confession often takes the form of a discussion between the confessor and the penitent concerning his or her sins and the best course of action to take in overcoming them. Penitence is not handed out in the same way as the Catholics either. Usually all that is required is the attempt in overcoming the sin or making restitution with the person wronged. Sin is not viewed by the Orthodox as a stain on the soul that needs to be wiped out, but rather as a mistake that needs correction. Thus one should feel sorry for one's mistakes because one has failed to reach the goal. Because of this approach, guilt has never been a strong motivator with the Orthodox, nor has shame. The recognition that we are all human and occasionally make mistakes and that all we have to do is change our direction and correct the problem is more in line with the true meaning of Repentance: "to change one's mind."


Mystery of the Eucharist
The Eucharist is at the center of Orthodox Christianity. In practice, it is partaking of the bread and wine in the midst of the Divine Liturgy with the rest of the church. The bread and wine are believed to be the genuine Body and Blood of the Christ Jesus. The Eastern Orthodox Church has never described exactly how this occurs, or gone into the detail that the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches have in the West. The doctrine of transubstantiation was formulated after the Great Schism took place, and the Orthodox churches have never formally affirmed or denied it, preferring to state simply that it is a mystery and sacrament. Long before the year 1054 it was the practice to in some way hide the mysterious process within the liturgy. In the Catholic Church of the Latin Rite, this was achieved through the use of Ecclesiastical Latin; in the Orthodox churches the altar area was surrounded by pillars with curtains in between. This structure called a templon represented the Temple and the Holy of Holies. Later, it became a solid wall covered with Icons and is in modern usage called an iconostasis (literally "icon stand").

Traditionally preparation for communion involves a strict fast, abstaining from animal products and sexual relations from Wednesday through Saturday, and the addition of a number of preparatory canons to ones evening prayers. Also, a complete fast (no food or drink) should be kept from sundown Saturday until after communing on Sunday. One should have ones confession heard and receive a blessing from the priest prior to receiving communion. Because of all this preparation, the average layperson does not usually commune every Sunday, but rather waits until some special holiday to commune so that he or she can properly prepare. The Orthodox take the mystery of communion very seriously because they believe this is the true Body and Blood of Christ Jesus. To receive the Mysteries unprepared would be spiritually damaging. Monastics, on the other hand, receive communion every day because they continually fast, have long prayers, and remain celibate. Because of the purity issue when considering preparation for communion, men, even monks, will abstain from communion if they have experienced a nocturnal emission, and women will abstain during their monthly cycle. (see below - Fasting) In modern practice, especially in the US, the seriousness of the experience of communion has been lost for the practice of many jurisdictions of communing every Sunday. It is the opinion of the Traditionalists that such practices are very dangerous spiritually, that this reflects a lack of piety in approaching the most significant of the Mysteries, and that this is damaging to the soul.

For the Orthodox who truly believe in the mystery of communion there are a number of very good and pious practices that stem from the realization of this truth: The very idea that a particle of Christ’s Body and Blood might be discarded is unthinkable. At the end of the Divine Liturgy one of the clergy always remains behind in the altar in order to consume what remains of holy communion; he is very careful not to leave behind even the tiniest stray particle. For at least a day following communion, anything that enters the mouth and is then removed (e.g., olive pits, grape seeds, etc.) is not thrown into the garbage but is burned. The napkin used to wipe the mouth after the meal is also burned. Orthodox should not spit, or smoke, or chew gum for the same reason. Orthodox also are careful if they are injured soon after communion to treat their own blood with the same care (since their blood and the Blood of Christ are united), burning it in the cloth used to stop it. In general, this way of dealing with the Mystery applies to anything sacred that needs to be “removed from use” due to its being damaged. The ashes of such items are usually sprinkled in a place where they will not be walked on (under a bush, in a flower garden, etc.).


Fasting
The practice of fasting is one of many Jewish practices the earliest Christians kept, and which Orthodox Christians continue to keep to this day. The Orthodox approach to fasting is quite different from the Latin West who see fasting as a penitence for sins, almost a punishment and burden. The Orthodox, on the other hand, are reminded that perfect man, as in the garden of Eden, ate only vegetables, and sexual relations did not occur. The Orthodox seeks to recapture paradise through fasting, to regain a measure of purity. It is never looked on as a hardship or punishment, but rather a great privilege and joy. Fasting typically involves differing levels of abstinence depending on the day or season and ranges from a complete fast from all food and drink to abstinence from all animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, etc), olive oil, and wine. Shellfish and vegetable oils are permitted on certain days and weeks of the fast as is wine. Thus, most fasting guidelines resemble vegan vegetarianism with all frying/cooking done simply with water (no oil), and most vegetarian recipes are appropriate during fasts. In addition to restrictions on food, it is generally understood that married couples abstain from sexual relations during a fast. Monasteries typically have additional fasts; although there can be a great deal of variation between monastaries, they typically abstain from all animal products on Monday as well as Wednesday and Friday; and they never eat meat or poultry, fish being the only exception. The time and type of fast is generally uniform for all Orthodox Christians living within a particular jurisdiction; the times of fasting are part of the ecclesial calendar. In this way, the whole church fasts together, and the whole church feasts together (when the fast is broken). Infants, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people with other medical needs are often encouraged not to follow the usual fasting guidelines, but to work out alternatives with their priest or spiritual elder. Also, if someone wishes to follow a stricter fast, they are generally encouraged to do so only under the guidance of their priest or spiritual elder. Fasting without prayer was often called the "fast of demons" by the Church fathers, since the demons neither eat nor pray. Therefore, fasting should always be accompanied by prayer and almsgiving.

There are four major fasting periods during the year. They are:

The Nativity Fast (Advent or Winter Lent) which is the 40 days preceding the Nativity of Christ(Christmas).
The Great Fast (Lent) which consists of the 6 weeks (40 Days) preceding Palm Sunday, and Great Week (Holy Week) which proceeds Pascha (Easter).
The Fast of Saints Peter and Paul which varies in length from 2 to 6 weeks depending on the date of Pentecost which itself falls 50 days after Pascha. It extends from the week following Pentecost to the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th.
And the two-week long Fast proceeding the Dormition (death or repose) of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary)
In addition, except during feasting weeks, members of the Orthodox Church fast on every Wednesday in commemoration of Christ's betrayal by Judas Iscariot, and on every Friday in commemoration of his crucifixion. Monastics often include Mondays as a fast day in commemoration of the Angels.

Because of the movable nature of Pascha, the number of fast days varies each year, but in general the Orthodox Christian can expect to spend at least 1/3 of the year fasting.

Almsgiving
"Almsgiving" refers to any charitable giving of material resources to those in need. Like fasting, it is a practice carried over from Judaism and reinforced by Jesus and the authors of the New Testament, and has remained a prominent teaching. It is often coupled with fasting (see above), as consuming less food and less expensive food should free up more resources that can be given. It is also connected to the Eucharist, in which thanks is given for all things, and it is acknowledged that all things ultimately belong to God. Almsgiving is one of the most practical of Orthodox Christian practices.


Salvation and the afterlife
When one speaks of salvation it is important to understand what the word means. In the Christian West it has come to mean “Going to Heaven”, but for the Eastern Orthodox it refers to the change in Human nature that occurred because of Jesus' life and death. Man was originally created perfect, but through his own actions he embraced evil through disobedience to God. Because of man’s fall he was condemned, when he died, to go to Hell (Hades), indeed, it is believed that from Adam to St John the Baptist, all men went to a place of separation from God. But when Jesus came into the world he himself was Perfect Man and Perfect God united. Through his participation in becoming human, human nature was changed allowing us to participate in the divine, thus paving our way to heaven. This process of salvation worked retroactively back to the beginning of time, thus saving Adam and Eve and all that followed after them.

Salvation, therefore, means being saved from this original fate of Hell. In this sense, all mankind is saved. This does not mean, however, that all men will continue to preserve that state. It is possible to separate oneself from God once again and to embrace evil. Such people place themselves in Hell; it is not God who punishes them. In the question of who is “Going to Heaven”, this rests upon the mercy of God. No man is perfect, but also no man is so corrupt that God, in his infinite mercy, cannot forgive him. The privilege of going to heaven cannot be earned; men do not “deserve” heaven. One cannot say, “I kept all the rules and regulations therefore God must let me in”; such an idea is called Pelagianism and was rejected by the church as heresy. God’s mercy alone is the key to our eternal happiness; the efficacy of this mercy, however, is contingent on our accepting it. God will not force us into salvation. Orthodox Christianity does not teach that one must be Orthodox to be saved; rather, it teaches that its traditions and practices are the very same traditions and practices taught by Jesus and the Apostles, and therefore offer the best possible road to follow to salvation. If one seeks the fullness of the Christian experience one can only find it within the Orthodox Church.

As to the Afterlife and what we can expect; heaven is not a static state. Mankind will be restored to perfection, but perfection is not an ultimate end in and of itself. While it is true that all adverse traits will be gone from the human race and man will be as originally intended, it does not mean that we shall suddenly gain infinite knowledge, but rather that we will be able to swim unhindered into the infinite depths of God’s Knowledge, Wisdom, and Love. Unending progression in understanding and love is equated with unending happiness. This is the reward that awaits us. For those who reject the love and mercy of God, though, the experience of His presence will be as a painful fire. The same fire that purifies the saints will be a torment for the damned. It is the state of the soul that determines how it will experience the presence of God.''Here are gifts from me to you.It is a Golden Crucifix and a Bible.

Darius nodded to Queen Bast, and exited the room. That had gone well...Queen Bast seemed like a good candidate, and he was sure Ariadne would not mind staying in her Kingdom.
He made his way back down the grand stair, and towards where his daughter was waiting. Ariadne was talking with her sister, Anastria, and Darius walked in on the two as they embraced. He noticed a single tear in Ariadne's eye, and he felt a stab of sorrow at the pit of his stomach. It was horrible, to do this to his daughter, but it was for the best of the kingdom. He would make his final choices, and then consult her about them. Although he had not told her this yet, Ariadne would have a final say in where she would go. This he would not tell her until the festivities were ended, so that she may be on her best behaviour. Or so he hoped.
"Ariadne, I'm glad to see you're still here..." He said with a smirk, as he had half expected her to have dissapeared somewhere. As his daughter stood and turned to face him, he could do nought but gasp. She was no longer a little girl, it seemed. She looked like a woman. Her dress was of a deep emerald green, the skirts billowing out at the waist. The top half of the dress was a corset, the bones outlined by many small diamonds. A silky, see-through type material sleeved her left shoulder, though her right shoulder was bare. Connected to the back was a cape, of the same silky material, which looped down and connected to Ariadne's right wrist. Her fiery red hair had been sweeped up into a loose bun, curls falling out to frame her dainty face. Diamond's had also been placed within the curls, while Ariadne's neck and wrists were bare of any adornments. Ariadne's milky skin did much to highlight the colour of her eyes - which were also of an Emerald green, though they were also somewhat translucent. Her eyes, of course, were Ariadne's most engaging feature.
She lifted her bowed head to look to her father, and almost scowled and his relaxed composure. Trust him to be so careless...he was only selling off his oldest daughter to the highest bidder!
Darius nodded his head in approval. He was speechless for a moment or two, before; "Ariadne...I'm so proud of you!" He exclaimed, before stepping forward to embrace her. "It is time, daughter. You can now go out."
With these words, a sparkle entered Ariadne's features, as she took her sister by the hand, and emerged through the doors. As she did so, trumpeters proclaimed her arrival, as she walked through a corridor of the royal guard. She them emerged into the night air, and into the expectand crowd.

''Can I talk to the Princess?'' said Alexei.

''Can I talk to the Princess?'' said Alexei.

The servant hid his impatience deftly.
"As I have already told you, sire. She is not amongst the crowd. If you wish to speak to her, seek her out for yourself. She has, to my understanding, only just emerged."

To Queen Bast

''Hello.I am Ronald Andersen,Head Orthodox Christian Inquisitor for Rommelwood. First I like to say thanks for letting me talk to you. Who is Bast? Here is some info on Orthodoxy-Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. The Orthodox trace their lineage back to — and claim to be the exclusive continuance of the original Christian church, referring to themselves as the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. During the first millennium of Christendom, The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches were the same church, although some differences developed between the Christian East and West. By the 11th century, these differences had culminated in a Great Schism, separating the Roman Catholic Church from Eastern Orthodoxy.

As to the Afterlife and what we can expect; heaven is not a static state. Mankind will be restored to perfection, but perfection is not an ultimate end in and of itself. While it is true that all adverse traits will be gone from the human race and man will be as originally intended, it does not mean that we shall suddenly gain infinite knowledge, but rather that we will be able to swim unhindered into the infinite depths of God’s Knowledge, Wisdom, and Love. Unending progression in understanding and love is equated with unending happiness. This is the reward that awaits us. For those who reject the love and mercy of God, though, the experience of His presence will be as a painful fire. The same fire that purifies the saints will be a torment for the damned. It is the state of the soul that determines how it will experience the presence of God.''Here are gifts from me to you.It is a Golden Crucifix and a Bible.


"You make entrance into my own room and then preach at me? You dare to do such a thing in the room that was provided to ME? And then, my dear, you give me a cross, which came after my own Ankh? The very thing that was stolen from my own culture and you think it wise to place it before my eyes?" Her brows narrow from behind the mask. "You attempt to convert me, and that Mr. Andersen is never wise. Now did I seek out your room to convert you? Did I ask for your preachings? No..it is YOU who came to my quarters to ask me of my mistress, and you DARE to lecture to me of some religion and god I do not believe in? I suggest you take your place outside of my quarters before I have you forcibly removed."

"You make entrance into my own room and then preach at me? You dare to do such a thing in the room that was provided to ME? And then, my dear, you give me a cross, which came after my own Ankh? The very thing that was stolen from my own culture and you think it wise to place it before my eyes?" Her brows narrow from behind the mask. "You attempt to convert me, and that Mr. Andersen is never wise. Now did I seek out your room to convert you? Did I ask for your preachings? No..it is YOU who came to my quarters to ask me of my mistress, and you DARE to lecture to me of some religion and god I do not believe in? I suggest you take your place outside of my quarters before I have you forcibly removed."

''My friend,I DO NOT mean to preach,I want to trade cultures.I am sorry for offending you.'' said Ronald while almost crying like a fountain.It was his first time at this.

"You make entrance into my own room and then preach at me? You dare to do such a thing in the room that was provided to ME? And then, my dear, you give me a cross, which came after my own Ankh? The very thing that was stolen from my own culture and you think it wise to place it before my eyes?" Her brows narrow from behind the mask. "You attempt to convert me, and that Mr. Andersen is never wise. Now did I seek out your room to convert you? Did I ask for your preachings? No..it is YOU who came to my quarters to ask me of my mistress, and you DARE to lecture to me of some religion and god I do not believe in? I suggest you take your place outside of my quarters before I have you forcibly removed."

''I DO NOT WANT TO CONVERT YOU!'' said Ronald upset and very angry at the same time.

The servant hid his impatience deftly.
"As I have already told you, sire. She is not amongst the crowd. If you wish to speak to her, seek her out for yourself. She has, to my understanding, only just emerged."

''Can I talk to the King?'' said Alexei.

''I DO NOT WANT TO CONVERT YOU!'' said Ronald upset and very angry at the same time.



"Perhaps when you understand what trading cultures is like, or perhaps when your etiquette improves, or you decide to ask if I would like to know of your world, then you may speak with me again. For now, I would advise you to take your place at your majesty's side before I lose my temper. " She stood tall as she watched him, infuriated at the speach. "Learn how to speak, and you will be worthy enough to be in my grace."

''Can I talk to the King?'' said Alexei.

The Servant refrained from giving the Prince a dumbfounding look. As he was a Servant, and the Prince was a guest, he was not allowed to deliver harsh words. But he was very much close to it, even if it would cost him a job.
"Sire. Please try to understand - the King is a very busy man. He has many nation leaders to speak with, besides yourself. The festivities have now officially started, and so the King, from now until dinner time - which again, I say, is in two hours time - will be busy organising his guests and making sure everything is in order. The time to speak with the king is after dinner. Please...go down to the Masquerade and enjoy yourself. Seek out Ariadne, if you wish. I will come to you when the King is ready to speak to you." With a sigh, the Servant finished. "I need now to go and converse with the King. There are things that need doing. Please, let me excuse myself." With this, the Servant humbly bowed, and left the room.

"Perhaps when you understand what trading cultures is like, or perhaps when your etiquette improves, or you decide to ask if I would like to know of your world, then you may speak with me again. For now, I would advise you to take your place at your majesty's side before I lose my temper. " She stood tall as she watched him, infuriated at the speach. "Learn how to speak, and you will be worthy enough to be in my grace."

Another inquisitor came in asking''What is going on here?''Is something wrong?''Please tell me and I will solve it.''I am a Muslim Inquisitor.I keep my religion to myself.''

The Servant refrained from giving the Prince a dumbfounding look. As he was a Servant, and the Prince was a guest, he was not allowed to deliver harsh words. But he was very much close to it, even if it would cost him a job.
"Sire. Please try to understand - the King is a very busy man. He has many nation leaders to speak with, besides yourself. The festivities have now officially started, and so the King, from now until dinner time - which again, I say, is in two hours time - will be busy organising his guests and making sure everything is in order. The time to speak with the king is after dinner. Please...go down to the Masquerade and enjoy yourself. Seek out Ariadne, if you wish. I will come to you when the King is ready to speak to you." With a sigh, the Servant finished. "I need now to go and converse with the King. There are things that need doing. Please, let me excuse myself." With this, the Servant humbly bowed, and left the room.

''I am going to look for the Princess.'' said Alexei.

Another inquisitor came in asking''What is going on here?''Is something wrong?''Please tell me and I will solve it.''I am a Muslim Inquisitor.I keep my religion to myself.''
OOC: Can I just ask...are you trying to be amusing?

OOC: Can I just ask...are you trying to be amusing?


No.I like to change History.

No.I like to change History.

OOC: Right. And you are doing this...how?

Another inquisitor came in asking''What is going on here?''Is something wrong?''Please tell me and I will solve it.''I am a Muslim Inquisitor.I keep my religion to myself.''



And with that she called the guards and watched as they were escorted out. Behind them she shut the doors and turned to her priestesses. In a hurry, she moved into her room and began to ready herself for a meet with the princess. Perfumes were sprayed, her hair was brushed, her paint redone, as well as her makeup. The eyeliner was applied as was tradition, and then the mask was placed, the stripped cloth being pulled over her ebon hair. She stood slowly and looked to her priestesses. "Continue you to ready yourself and join me when you've finished."

Queen Bast left her quarters, pausing to have a servant escort her down to where the princess was at.

OOC: Right. And you are doing this...how?

OOC::I think he is attempting to change the outcome of said events so he musn't pay the consequences for what he posted. That would be my gander.

OOC::I think he is attempting to change the outcome of said events so he musn't pay the consequences for what he posted. That would be my gander.

I like History.I like to change it in these threads.

OOC-Could Alexei ever talk to Queen Bast?

OOC-He won't offend you.

And with that she called the guards and watched as they were escorted out. Behind them she shut the doors and turned to her priestesses. In a hurry, she moved into her room and began to ready herself for a meet with the princess. Perfumes were sprayed, her hair was brushed, her paint redone, as well as her makeup. The eyeliner was applied as was tradition, and then the mask was placed, the stripped cloth being pulled over her ebon hair. She stood slowly and looked to her priestesses. "Continue you to ready yourself and join me when you've finished."

Queen Bast left her quarters, pausing to have a servant escort her down to where the princess was at.

Many greetings were sent Ariadne's way by the townspeople, though none of them dared to approach her formally. This was the time for other nations to get to know Ariadne, and so they would leave her free for that.
Before long, she was approached by a Servant, telling her of the arrival of Queen Bast. This was indeed a surprise - Ariadne had been expecting many male suitors, and it was indeed a relief to have a female wishing for her company. Ariadne nodded fervently - she had been informed of the Queen Bast, and of her gifts. Though she had not expected the Queen to seek out her perosnal company. Indeed, right at this moment, one of the felines given to her by the Queen Bast, was circling her feet. She admired the small beast, before bowing to the approaching Queen. "Your Highness! I am so happy to meet you. Please, would you come and take a seat with me in the courtyard?" Ariadne asked, a smile brightening her features.

Many greetings were sent Ariadne's way by the townspeople, though none of them dared to approach her formally. This was the time for other nations to get to know Ariadne, and so they would leave her free for that.
Before long, she was approached by a Servant, telling her of the arrival of Queen Bast. This was indeed a surprise - Ariadne had been expecting many male suitors, and it was indeed a relief to have a female wishing for her company. Ariadne nodded fervently - she had been informed of the Queen Bast, and of her gifts. Though she had not expected the Queen to seek out her perosnal company. Indeed, right at this moment, one of the felines given to her by the Queen Bast, was circling her feet. She admired the small beast, before bowing to the approaching Queen. "Your Highness! I am so happy to meet you. Please, would you come and take a seat with me in the courtyard?" Ariadne asked, a smile brightening her features.

''Where is everyone?'' asked Alexei.

OOC: I have to go for a while. I will be back later on this evening.

OOC-Alexei has gifts too! :(

OOC-I change History because I have a Imagination. ;)

OOC-Alexei has gifts too! :(


OOC: Look, hun, you've been acting rude. And the player did say because you took my post and copied it, you were getting minimal reponse.

OOC: I have to go for a while. I will be back later on this evening.


OOC: Alright, see you then

OOC: Look, hun, you've been acting rude. And the player did say because you took my post and copied it, you were getting minimal reponse.


Sorry.

How have I been rude?

I hope that you have a good time with the Princess. :( :(

I screwed up. :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

Many greetings were sent Ariadne's way by the townspeople, though none of them dared to approach her formally. This was the time for other nations to get to know Ariadne, and so they would leave her free for that.
Before long, she was approached by a Servant, telling her of the arrival of Queen Bast. This was indeed a surprise - Ariadne had been expecting many male suitors, and it was indeed a relief to have a female wishing for her company. Ariadne nodded fervently - she had been informed of the Queen Bast, and of her gifts. Though she had not expected the Queen to seek out her perosnal company. Indeed, right at this moment, one of the felines given to her by the Queen Bast, was circling her feet. She admired the small beast, before bowing to the approaching Queen. "Your Highness! I am so happy to meet you. Please, would you come and take a seat with me in the courtyard?" Ariadne asked, a smile brightening her features.


"A feline bows to no creature on the planet, and to no deity. It is graceful, independent, loving and agressive, as well as protective and confident. You should listen to it's teachings." A smile rose beneath the mask. "It is a pleasure to meet you Princess Ariadne. And I would be delighted to sit with you." She turned to follow the princess. "Your nation is beautiful."

To Queen Bast...

OOC-Look Up

OOC-The people of Rommelwood apologize for the screwups of our guests. :)

Sorry.

How have I been rude?

I hope that you have a good time with the Princess. :( :(

I screwed up. :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:


OOC: Well from now on, write your own posts. If you want a better feel for how people talk, read a good book or watch how people interact, so next time you RP, you will know what to say and how to say it so you stay within your character's bounderies. And as for an Inquisitor, Webster descrbies one as "one who inquires or makes inquisition; especially : one who is unduly harsh, severe, or hostile in making an inquiry," or if you like, look during the Inquisition. Inquisitors look to convert, though harshly. Aka...Spanish Inquisition...the only Inquisition that didn't literally kill people everytime they wouldn't convert was the Italian Inquisition that preferred instead to exile. Either or..they were never nice people.

OOC: Well from now on, write your own posts. If you want a better feel for how people talk, read a good book or watch how people interact, so next time you RP, you will know what to say and how to say it so you stay within your character's bounderies. And as for an Inquisitor, Webster descrbies one as "one who inquires or makes inquisition; especially : one who is unduly harsh, severe, or hostile in making an inquiry," or if you like, look during the Inquisition. Inquisitors look to convert, though harshly. Aka...Spanish Inquisition...the only Inquisition that didn't literally kill people everytime they wouldn't convert was the Italian Inquisition that preferred instead to exile. Either or..they were never nice people.

OOC-My Inquisition ONLY hates Criminals and Atheists.Can I still be in the thread?

OOC-My Inquisition ONLY hates Criminals and Atheists.Can I still be in the thread?


OOC: It's not my thread. *shrugs* So don't ask me.

OOC: It's not my thread. *shrugs* So don't ask me.

OOC-Ask the other RPer.

OOC-My Inquisition only hates the people I say.Even Females can join.Pagans and those of Bast,Osiris,Amun,Ra,and Isis can join too.

OOC-Ask the other RPer.

OOC-My Inquisition only hates the people I say.Even Females can join.Pagans and those of Bast,Osiris,Amun,Ra,and Isis can join too.

OOC: *chuckles* listen....he's gone for the night, so yuo'll have to wait.

OOC: *chuckles* listen....he's gone for the night, so yuo'll have to wait.

OOC-Do you understand my Inquisiton?

OOC: *chuckles* listen....he's gone for the night, so yuo'll have to wait.
OOC: Why does everybody think I am a he? Heh...

OOC-Ask the other RPer.

OOC-My Inquisition only hates the people I say.Even Females can join.Pagans and those of Bast,Osiris,Amun,Ra,and Isis can join too.

OOC: Listen - you ask the same questions over and over again. That's the reason why I asked whether you were trying to be amusing. You don't seem to pay any attention to what's being said. And I'd rather those who can role play more than one Sentence. The only posts you've made which seem to be of considerable length, is the one where you copied, and the one where you seeemd to take an essay of information from a website and merely copy and paste. Fine, stay in the thread. I really don't mind. But whether you will be paid much attention is another matter altogether.

I'll leave the thread.

Sorry for screwing up. :headbang: :headbang:

Please don't make fun of me. :( :( :( :(

OOC: Please do excuse me if I have no clue as to what approach vectors are...heh.

OOC: "Where do I fly to get where I'm going?"



This is Htrae Miseria air control. The de Faux air strip is cleared and ready for your approach. Follow the red lights. A vehicle will be waiting to carry passengers to the estate.

~Roger, Htrae Miseria Air Control, VAL 001 on course, ETA four minutes, over~

The plane landed uneventfully; first out were the two green-robed escorts, followed by the doctor requisitioned from a FRAM unit - now also acting as a porter.

Then from the plane stepped the Sultan and his escort for the evening, both resplendant in silver and white. They would change later, for now, diplomatic garb would do nicely.


OOC: Yep, it's short, but moves my thread past all the blather.

OOC: "Where do I fly to get where I'm going?"
OOC: Aah. Well I've answered that...albeit a little unprecisely. But ah well!



~Roger, Htrae Miseria Air Control, VAL 001 on course, ETA four minutes, over~

The plane landed uneventfully; first out were the two green-robed escorts, followed by the doctor requisitioned from a FRAM unit - now also acting as a porter.

Then from the plane stepped the Sultan and his escort for the evening, both resplendant in silver and white. They would change later, for now, diplomatic garb would do nicely.


OOC: Yep, it's short, but moves my thread past all the blather.

A white limosine had been waiting patiently by the airstrip. As soon as Vastivians had arrived, a man jumped from the drivers seat and scurried around to the passenger door. This he opened for the royalty, a gracious smile upon his lips. "My Lord Sultan," He bowed, "I will take you promptly to the festivities, where you will be met with King Darius." He nodded, and behind the limosine were parked many more black vehicles, as transport for all of the Sultan's people.

OOC: Heh, never to mind. Mine's fairly short also. I just woke up...

Many greetings were sent Ariadne's way by the townspeople, though none of them dared to approach her formally. This was the time for other nations to get to know Ariadne, and so they would leave her free for that.
Before long, she was approached by a Servant, telling her of the arrival of Queen Bast. This was indeed a surprise - Ariadne had been expecting many male suitors, and it was indeed a relief to have a female wishing for her company. Ariadne nodded fervently - she had been informed of the Queen Bast, and of her gifts. Though she had not expected the Queen to seek out her perosnal company. Indeed, right at this moment, one of the felines given to her by the Queen Bast, was circling her feet. She admired the small beast, before bowing to the approaching Queen. "Your Highness! I am so happy to meet you. Please, would you come and take a seat with me in the courtyard?" Ariadne asked, a smile brightening her features.


"A feline bows to no creature on the planet, and to no deity. It is graceful, independent, loving and agressive, as well as protective and confident. You should listen to it's teachings." A smile rose beneath the mask. "It is a pleasure to meet you Princess Ariadne. And I would be delighted to sit with you." She turned to follow the princess. "Your nation is beautiful."

OOC: repost in case you didn't see it..and sorry about the gender confusion ;-) it's an auto thought.

"A feline bows to no creature on the planet, and to no deity. It is graceful, independent, loving and agressive, as well as protective and confident. You should listen to it's teachings." A smile rose beneath the mask. "It is a pleasure to meet you Princess Ariadne. And I would be delighted to sit with you." She turned to follow the princess. "Your nation is beautiful."

OOC: repost in case you didn't see it..and sorry about the gender confusion ;-) it's an auto thought.

OOC: I had seen it. I can't think of why I didn't reply...haha oops.

Leading the way to the courtyard, Ariadne hoped that it wasn't occupied already. It was an out of bounds area to most, and Ariadne considered it her own private space. But with the amount of guests, who knew who could have snuck here to escape the noise?
But, with a sigh of releif, Ariadne found the place deserted. She turned to her royal guest, and nodded. "Yes, so I have been told. I've never failed to find this Htrae beautiful, but then I have never seen anywhere else in order to compare it. I'm sure your own nation is just as beautiful - or even moreso." She grinned, before gesturing to covered gondola in the middle of the paved courtyard. The gondola itself was made of a rich mahogany, and was covered with a new breed of crawling tulips.
Ariadne took a seat within the gondola, smirking a little to herself. Her father probably wouldn't be happy with her, leaving the Masquerade. It was for her, yes, so she should be there. But she was entertaining a royal guest.

OOC: I had seen it. I can't think of why I didn't reply...haha oops.

Leading the way to the courtyard, Ariadne hoped that it wasn't occupied already. It was an out of bounds area to most, and Ariadne considered it her own private space. But with the amount of guests, who knew who could have snuck here to escape the noise?
But, with a sigh of releif, Ariadne found the place deserted. She turned to her royal guest, and nodded. "Yes, so I have been told. I've never failed to find this Htrae beautiful, but then I have never seen anywhere else in order to compare it. I'm sure your own nation is just as beautiful - or even moreso." She grinned, before gesturing to covered gondola in the middle of the paved courtyard. The gondola itself was made of a rich mahogany, and was covered with a new breed of crawling tulips.
Ariadne took a seat within the gondola, smirking a little to herself. Her father probably wouldn't be happy with her, leaving the Masquerade. It was for her, yes, so she should be there. But she was entertaining a royal guest.

She followed the princess slowly, smiling softly behind her mask. "We all have our favorites Princess Ariadne. Mine is my Empire. To me it is the most magnificent of all lands. To others it may seem as nothing more than an empire of felines and humans living together." Slowly she took a seat beside her. "I hope you enjoyed your gifts your majesty. And I have invited you and your family to visit my kingdom. Your father has the final say of course, but should you become intertwined with any of the suitors that have come for you, you may at least take a tour of the empire, free to do as you wish, at least under my laws." She reache dup and took the mask frm her face slowly, looking to the Princess. "In my empire, women are free to choose as they will. We are creatures never to be caged or held down, but to be enjoyed. And the world is for our pleasure, for our liking. If we choose to wed, then we choose to wed. If we choose to frolic freely, then that is how we live. Our lives are our own, not to be controlled by any other. So are the teachings of Bast, and so are the teachings in my empire."

OOC: Aah. Well I've answered that...albeit a little unprecisely. But ah well!

OOC: Actually, it was a perfect answer. :)



A white limosine had been waiting patiently by the airstrip. As soon as Vastivians had arrived, a man jumped from the drivers seat and scurried around to the passenger door. This he opened for the royalty, a gracious smile upon his lips. "My Lord Sultan," He bowed, "I will take you promptly to the festivities, where you will be met with King Darius." He nodded, and behind the limosine were parked many more black vehicles, as transport for all of the Sultan's people.

OOC: Heh, never to mind. Mine's fairly short also. I just woke up...

Sinjin smiled and gave a polite bow-and-gesture. "Many appreciations are yours and your King's for this most unexpected graciousness. If it would not be beyond possibility, I shall ride with Francesca. My escorts and doctor may follow later - ah, and I see you have a car for our luggage as well! How unexpectedly serendipitous! Truly enough room, though we did only pack for a weeks time...."

He presents Francesca in first, then settles himself. The two green-robed guards look at each other, somewhat put out but orders are orders.

The doctor is just happy someone else can carry the luggage.

Francesca perhaps wanted to chit chat a bit, but this was not to be - Sinjin all but adhered himself to a window to watch the passing sights.

"A glass of something from the bar, if you would, water will do nicely. How curious things are in this country, much unlike Hamptonshire. I should travel a bit more, it does broaden the mind."
She managed to stifle a gasp. "One would imagine the concern this would bring to the Guard Captain."
"Feh. Therassi needs more headaches, he becomes too passive. And Fred would enjoy the challenge." He chose to say no more on the matter, and it was not Francesca's place to add any further opinion.

At the palace, Sinjin stepped forth first, guiding Francesca from her place. Both were clad in their silver robes, but there the comparison stopped. Francesca wore ivory and silver combs in her grecian hairstyle, her burnoose drawn enticingly over her curves; her very presence drew the eye. Sinjin, on the other hand, wore his garments a touch looser, and made no excuses for the short curved dagger at his belt. His stance was that of an archetect, surveying a project near completion.

"I think I shall have something like this built on Sheepfruit Island. That, and perhaps a stable. Though it would be somewhat unfortunate to lose some fruit trees."
"As my Sultan wishes," she commented as they were guided inward, "though one might point out, your estate is easily the size of the eastern seaboard of Sharina."
"Yet another place I should visit..."

OOC: Thank you to you both for replying. I have to apologise - I am really so very tired, and any post that I attempt to make at this time will be utter crap. And so I will post again tomorrow morning, sometime.

OOC: No worries - keeping Sinjin busy here serves my purposes nicely.

She followed the princess slowly, smiling softly behind her mask. "We all have our favorites Princess Ariadne. Mine is my Empire. To me it is the most magnificent of all lands. To others it may seem as nothing more than an empire of felines and humans living together." Slowly she took a seat beside her. "I hope you enjoyed your gifts your majesty. And I have invited you and your family to visit my kingdom. Your father has the final say of course, but should you become intertwined with any of the suitors that have come for you, you may at least take a tour of the empire, free to do as you wish, at least under my laws." She reache dup and took the mask frm her face slowly, looking to the Princess. "In my empire, women are free to choose as they will. We are creatures never to be caged or held down, but to be enjoyed. And the world is for our pleasure, for our liking. If we choose to wed, then we choose to wed. If we choose to frolic freely, then that is how we live. Our lives are our own, not to be controlled by any other. So are the teachings of Bast, and so are the teachings in my empire."

Ariadne listened intently to the Queen's words, finding the prospect of living in such a nation more and more appealing.
It wasn't as if she were unfree where she was. If she weren't royalty, she'd be as free to do as she liked as everybody else. But, because she was royalty, she was supposed to live up to expectations. She was supposed to set an example, and, it would seem, she was expected to help advance Htrae Miseria by marrying into a wealthy family of an ally nation. It made her seeth with anger to think that her father was using her as an object to seek out his own ends.
A flash of this anger crossed Ariadne's face, before she smiles once more before the Queen. She couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the woman's beauty, but then she had nothing to worry about, did she? The Queen wasn't out to hurt her.
"I'd love to visit your nation, whether it be with the family I have now, or with the family I find myself a part of in the future. No matter where I am, I will make it my goal to come visit you. No one will be able to stop me. I don't think my father would go so far as to marry me off to some all controlling bastard..." She uttered, anger once more flashing in her eyes, before she realised what she was saying, and looked up again with a start.
"Oh I'm sorry! I just...", she sighed, and shook her head. "I'm just a little overwhelmed by all of this. If I become intertwined with any of my male suitors...like really intertwined - it will be a surprise to me. None of these men seem to be in it for the excitement. For wanting to find somebody whom they could spend the rest of their lives with, without any notion of ever being unfaithful. I don't want to be an object. I don't want to be a trophy that they can show off..."

Sinjin - propriety being occasionally a foreign value - strode forward to the nearest official-appearing individual and asked

"Your pardon, but we are guests, yet have not had time to properly attire. Would that there are, perhaps, suitable accommodations set aside for our use?"

Francesca discreetly wiped her burnoose back into shape, wondering what would happen next.

Sinjin - propriety being occasionally a foreign value - strode forward to the nearest official-appearing individual and asked

"Your pardon, but we are guests, yet have not had time to properly attire. Would that there are, perhaps, suitable accommodations set aside for our use?"

The 'official-appearing individual' nods curtly, before answering, "Of course sire. What kind of hosts would we be if there were not? If you would just follow me..." He gestured to a path leading in the Western direction. This path was illuminated by many eerily glowing solar-powered lights. In the distance could be seen a building of a much smaller proportion to the main house, though still grand in itself. It was two stories in height, and also located by the cliff. The view of the sea was magnificent, and the building was new, due to the old one being destroyed by the recent cyclone. It was built in the old Roman Style architecture, and decked out in all the finest furniture one could find.
"There you are, sir. You should find that it is all ready and properly set out for your stay. Is there anything else you may require?"

Sinjin's glee was palpable.
"Indeed, this will most certainly do. Pray, when does the masquerade begin? I ask simply to foretell the time we do have to prepare. And if you would be so kind as to direct our staff and baggage hence when they arrive?"

With that, Sinjin left Francesca to find out details, and made his way to the Master Suite - fitting, of course - and considered the view.

"A vacation. Indeed, just what I needed. The view is perfect, the hosts are thoughtful. Indeed, what is the worst that could happen?"

With that, Sinjin left Francesca to find out details, and made his way to the Master Suite - fitting, of course - and considered the view.

"A vacation. Indeed, just what I needed. The view is perfect, the hosts are thoughtful. Indeed, what is the worst that could happen?"

Let it be known that the Masquerade would start with the hour, dinner within two. The guests be welcome to come whenever they wish, and to seek company with the King after dinner. Company with Ariadne may be sought whenever one wishes to speak with her, if indeed she can be found.

It took less then an hour for them all to prepare.

The doctor had been bedecked in the red and blue of a colonial messenger, complete with message satchel – which held his medical gear and a few “hangover cures” just in case.

Both green-robed guards looked completely authentic as a pair of Franciscans, their hoods upon their heads.

Francesca looked simply stunning in a mélange of feathers and silk, a phoenix rising from the embers, enough décolletage displayed to call great interest to herself from any… single gentlemen there. And likely, no small number of married ones.

And Sinjin Lefkowitz al-Din, ruler of perhaps the wealthiest nation upon the planet – Sinjin had donned the costume of Blackbeard, the notorious pirate, complete with cutlass, long beard, and brass buckled boots.

They made their way to the party, Francesca and Sinjin tittering to each other like high schoolers on their first date, their escorts quietly following behind, arms clasped before them, faces partially covered by the robe's hoods.

The doctor wondered if his feet would survive the boots for the night.

I don't think my father would go so far as to marry me off to some all controlling bastard..."

Heh. (Un)fortunately, my nation’s chosen candidate fits that description perfectly.

Also, I would like to apologize for my lateness. IRL matters have left me with no time to get on NationStates for the past week.

IC now:

The Grigalan troupe arrived shortly after the Vastivan troupe. The many single-file black cars were splendidly adorned with the blue and white colors of the Grigalan nation. At the airport the ambassadors had stalled the procession for hours when they took the time to adorn the many black cars with their nation’s standard. (Assuming here my ambassadors were treated similarly as Vastiva’s, inform me if I’m wrong.) Seated next to the prince in the white limousine was a standard-bearer who insisted on holding out a 20-ft long flagpole flying the Grigalan flag out of the window of the vehicle. This further delayed the procession, as well as traffic, when in became caught in a building window. Upon the eventual arrival at the palace, the prince and his personal security immediately rushed in, leaving the ambassadors to deal with greetings, introductions, and clearing the standards off of the cars. After entering, the prince immediately took to admiring all in his sight and wandering off as far as he could before his guards called him back. “I do so hate introductions and pleasantries.” He said. “I was hoping that our toadies could deal with that while I attend the show and meet my future bride.” At this point, a Htrae Miserian (sp?) official entered the foyer they were standing in and… (pick up here, I couldn’t think of a way to finish the sentence without controlling one of your characters, something which I do no wish to do.)

Btw, if Rufus comes off as a spoiled brat to you, that’s good. He is. Bear in mind I am wholly expecting you (ICly) to reject him.

OOC: Note - I fully expect Sinjin to spend a week in Htrae Miseria; should another thread demand it, I'll be posting his leaving here in that thread, but it will not affect his attendance and actions here.

~Ring~