The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
Our dearest and lovely admin welcomed her new baby boy, Jet, on Sept 7th! We're so happy for her and her family! Congratulations Mama!! Your boys are all so lucky to have such an incredible mom to love them! God bless!
Post by Odina Ellis on Jun 30, 2024 17:27:52 GMT -5
(this thread is for Cam Pyetr ; takes place a few days after the King's departure and Sigyn arrest)
Odina had prepared a small dinner feast, however her stomach had been nothing but a ball of twisted guts since her partners arrest. She hadn't slept much and after a few whispers she'd learned Sigyn was none other in the hands of her new Advisor, Cam Petyr. Collared. The bile she had forced down again and again the more she thought about it. Why had she been so brash? Walking up on protected men of the King's tour was astonishingly dumb.
She needed to know her partner was safe and what she could do to comfort Cam and reach a point of having Sigyn released in her care at least, men were simple creatures. Women were their weakness and couple that with the gains of more and more...men were manageable with promises. Also, Odina, no Tara Ellis was still a Princess and Royalty. She had far more to offer Cam Petyr if he would take the bait.
Odina was dressed as a Princess would be, reserved and reflective of her however flaunting station was. Conservative and in the haunting colors of Nevermere, she had on a light moderate blush and wore dark lipstick. She wasn't sitting at the head of the table but to its right, she'd let Cam feel like the Prince she felt he composed but she knew it was a mask. She waited for her guest with a cup of strong wine. A fire roared to keep them warm as winters bite had long arrived and she felt a long winter was at hand.
Last Edit: Jun 30, 2024 17:29:15 GMT -5 by Odina Ellis
Cam had to work to keep his face neutral as he entered the governor's abode. It was no Nevermerean palace, that was for sure, but it was a far cry from the tent Cam was still staying in, his forlorn little campsite that was all that remained of the king's tour. He had dressed in one of the finer suits he'd brought on the trip, and behind him walked his favorite accessory, Edith, wearing a flowing black dress that covered her from neck to wrists to ankles.
He tried not to be surprised when he walked into the dining room and saw Odina already sitting, already drinking. It seemed clear from the setting that his place was at the head, and he let one side of his mouth quirk up as he gave a deep bow befitting a member of royalty.
"Governor Odina," he said. "What a pleasure to receive your invitation."
He took the seat at the head of the table with a practiced snap of his jacket hem.
Odina would rise upon Cam's arrival and a gracious bow mixed with a modest curtsey. When he sat she poured him wine, "Thank you for accepting, I figured you'd like to be rid of the tent life? As we speak I'm having Lady Carter's quarters emptied and ready for your overtaking," with his glass poured she began to serve his plate, "May I inquire about Sigyn, the young woman who was arrested?"
Cam let something akin to a genuine smile cross his face at Odina’s mention of his tent and the promise of quarters. Relief poured over him as sweet and warm as the wine he sipped from his glass.
“My thanks, Lady Odina.”
He was tempted to be more effusive with his gratitude but held himself back. Of course the woman waited until this dinner to let him know she was having his quarters prepared—most likely she didn’t know how Norah Carter had insulted him at his banquet, so he couldn’t hold it against her that he would have to stay where she had lived. But surely Odina knew he’d been living like a homeless peasant since the king left—every day in those canvas walls was an insult. This good wine, deferential treatment, even the delicious-smelling food she served personally were all calculated moves, but he suspected she hadn't been completely candid about her feelings concerning his new role.
At the question about the woman, Cam delayed having to answer by sipping his wine, eyes sliding to glance at Edith standing by the doorway. Young woman . . . arrested . . . His memory suddenly returned. Days of discomfort and the bustle of the king’s departure had driven the incident from his mind.
“Don’t worry, she’s being held in a secure location. I’m working on setting up a more permanent holding situation for Cambrians of her kind. A threat to one Nevermerean is a threat to all of us.”
Last Edit: Jul 14, 2024 13:24:01 GMT -5 by Cam Pyetr
Post by Odina Ellis on Jul 14, 2024 18:41:26 GMT -5
Odina presented a warm meal to Cam setting it before him, she was relieved to know Sigyn was at least alive, she finally sat and poured her own wine and made her a small plate of food to perhaps push around, "And if the old quarters of Lady Carter are inadequate, you are welcome to come here share my space..."
She sipped her wine and stared at Cam over the cup; he was just so dainty and soft looking she figured she could take him and marry him and still pass him for a wife. Odina could see the man was very out of place here it was one of the reasons Odina might have been dragging her feet on preparing the little Lords used quarters.
"So what do you need for this...location? What will become of these women? What can I offer of my own services Lord Pyetr?"
Last Edit: Jul 14, 2024 18:45:04 GMT -5 by Odina Ellis
Cam was drinking when the governor made her casual offer, and the sweet wine caught in his throat before he could catch himself. Spluttering, face reddening as he held back an ungentlemanly cough, he set down his glass and patted his mouth with a napkin, studiously avoiding eye contact with the lady.
Surely it was a joke. The offer of marriage she had made had been proposed to the king; there was no way it was prompted by interest in himself. Certainly not . . . and yet had she not just propositioned him, as boldly for a Nevermerean noble as appearing naked in the room? Well, perhaps her home was large. There could be extra suites. Of course the rules of propriety were more lax here in the wilderness.
She had already moved on in topics by the time he recovered enough to stop blushing, but he still kept his eyes down, taking the opportunity to survey his plate and arm himself with utensils.
“The needs of the facility should be adequately met, Lady Odina. The military builders have already been set to begin construction per my blueprints.” It was the most exciting thing he had gotten to work on since leaving Nevermere. There were design flaws to the Beldam that he hoped to eradicate with what he built here.
He did meet her eyes for a moment when considering her second question.
“My goal here, Lady Odina, in all things, is the same as yours. The promotion of Nevermerean success here in Cambria and the fruitful control of these Cambrian witches. We will do what is necessary. Surely there are some . . . necessary things you’ve had to do in your time as governor.”
Last Edit: Jul 15, 2024 19:36:09 GMT -5 by Cam Pyetr
Post by Odina Ellis on Jul 20, 2024 15:10:26 GMT -5
Odina smiled at his last statement and if he truly knew, well either way Odina just nodded sipping her wine she didn't believe the dainty lord could blush any deeper.
"We'll help build your structure, steel and stone, is a strong bond my lord and Cambria has the best blacksmiths in the world," she was a prominent one herself but she didn't want to be more man that Cam, if the old faded scars of burns from her forge weren't evident enough.
She returned her glass to the table, "Our goals and sights are aligned then my lord, I wish to see my nephews...his Grace's vision through. I believe however that taking from Cambria to unify is wrong; why not add Nevermere here...literally."
A parasite did not let its host attach itself to the parasite, the parasite infected it's host. Pump Nevermere into Cambria. Pump enough and the host can fight back, using the parasite itself.
"Bring social reform here. Bring education. Structure, and Nevermere customs," she pushed her own food around the wooden plate, "My proposition of marriage is serious; it was a request of our Grace of me. It's not for love but public appearance. Unity. The Governor and the Minister," she smiled, "Plus would it be appropriate for two unmarried peoples living together?"
Cam’s face barely flickered when the governor attested to their aligned goals. Were that true, he imagined, he wouldn’t have been condemned to stay in this hellhole of a country. Then again, Cam wasn’t sure that he himself was fully aligned with the goals of the king. Unification in the womanly, hand-holding way of peaceful integration made no sense when these Cambrians had so little to offer Nevermere. They were useful tools and vassals, nothing more.
His eyebrows twitched as she continued, somehow finding a segue between imposing Nevermerean culture and that damned idea of a marriage.
“Did the Lady Carter not have her own house?” The question was out before he could squelch it in favor of staying on important topics. It would be a crushing disappointment to not have an establishment of his own to retire to, but it was hardly the most important part of her speech. He waved a hand to dismiss the question; conversational grace was beyond his capacity this evening, it seemed.
“Lady Ellis, I care nothing for the social propriety of our ‘public appearance’ in this untamed wilderness. Our role here is not to be liked or even approved of by the general public. Like all the Nevermerean representatives, we are here with one goal: to be the hands of the king among the natives. Of course there is some room for bringing the advancements of our people to these savages, but surely you can recognize that this place’s greatest achievement doesn’t hold a candle to Skia’s lowest slum. A Cambrian can’t truly understand the greatness of their patrons without seeing Nevermere for themselves.”
He allowed a small frown to wrinkle his brow. “Do you not think the chance to see Nevermere is the greatest opportunity a Cambrian could be given?”
Post by Odina Ellis on Aug 4, 2024 19:21:15 GMT -5
Odina tossed her wine back and went to pour another, "I've lived both life's Lord Petyr," she smirked, "I want to my nephews visions until the very end, but I will do what's best for Nevermere as my blood runs Nevermere blue, his Grace suggested the marriage for the very reasons you just said didn't matter," she snickered and shrugged, "I'll just sweet talk my dear nephew and my King into this marriage and together, as husband and wife we'll whip these savages as you call them into the footnotes of Nevermere dominance....for him. Not you."
Cam was surprised at the lady's words, but he sipped his wine and tried not to show it. She was an enigma, seeming one moment a perfectly normal woman, flighty and dwelling on silly things, but then it was like a mask was flipped and she was calculating and devious, hiding thoughts Cam couldn't begin to guess at behind a bland smile. Maybe it was the wine, or an elaborate facade she'd learned to maintain to sustain a position she struggled to aptly hold. But she was royalty, and he couldn't dismiss the possibility that she was smarter, more in control, than even the king knew. She was, after all, a female leader in a land of untamed women.
"If my lady feels that marriage is important enough to spend her precious time and energy on, I'll consider the efforts an honor." He put one humble hand to his heart as he spoke, but his eyes were as cold as ever. "In the meantime, do we need to go over your next steps in implementing our king's last order concerning Cambria, the sending of young girls to Nevermere for enculturation?"
Post by Odina Ellis on Aug 17, 2024 9:00:20 GMT -5
"If you are so keen on doing that lord Pyetr you'll find no help from me," Odina countered, "I publicly rejected the idea, it's foolish and you and my nephew are missing the bigger picture of what you could do here...," men were always shortsighted and it was usually their downfalls.
..."But perhaps we could come to an agreement, Sigyn. I want to see her, let me have her back and you will be free to do as you please and you'll have my full cooperation."
Cam blinked in surprise. There it was, the truth behind the pretty mask. All of her simpering talk and flattering promises meant nothing when it came down to an actual order. She was, as all women were, recalcitrant and selfish, and her pretty words had been just that. Her explanation made that clear enough: she would be embarrassed if she were to obey the king now, after defying him in public. Her reputation was more important than obedience. Not only that, but she considered the king a fool? How on earth was Cam supposed to work with a woman so blinded by her own ambition and self-serving goals that she was not going to let even her king get in her way?
Cam's eyes went longingly to his wine glass, but he left it on the table. His jaw clenched, and he let himself blink a few more times as he processed the woman's words, almost missing the bargain that was offered swiftly on the heels of her mutinous declaration.
He stared at her in confusion. Sigyn . . .
“The assassin? You would change your stance on sending the daughters to Nevermere for the freedom of Isolde’s daughter? What possible value could she hold for you?”
Cam was starting to feel hot under his collar. He had to be missing something. The barbarian girl had claimed some manner of title when she came to visit Isolde, perhaps the station was more meaningful than he had thought. Did she hold some sort of power over Odina that was swaying her fealty? There were magics that could control a woman’s weak mind with ease . . .
Post by Odina Ellis on Aug 19, 2024 9:25:41 GMT -5
Odina just continued to smile, "It's complicated like a woman's tiny little brain," she replied snarkly, "I have no power here, not really, we both know it Cam and I may just be assuming but by the way you sweat and squirm it's safe to say you need full control...I did something, a curse, to force some control and trust...Sigyn and I are bound by this curse that we can't lie to each other...I love her and since her arrest I've realized you win. For her, I will support you and not stand in your way."
The heat under Cam's collar receded. He watched Odina speak, relishing the familiar expressions of a woman who has lost the pretense of self-control. This was what he was good at handling. This was a familiar position, the one with their wits still about them while the woman in the room lost control.
Still, her words surprised him. She had internalized someone's teaching about women's place--that explained a lot, actually. She must know a woman was ill-suited to run a country, and now she was letting her true frailty show. This was the easiest capitulation he'd ever experienced, but he was quite convinced that the woman before him wasn't really in her right mind anyway. There was no point in trying to understand anything she said; it was all either a lie or the rambling of a madwoman. Still, no need to act rashly.
He picked up his wineglass and drained it.
"Your private affairs are none of my concern, Lady Odina," he said mildly, "but the affairs of Cambria are, and I am gravely concerned about your ability to maintain your post and to execute the will of the king in this territory. If your priority is this killer's companionship, renounce your position as governor publicly and I will give her into your care."
He set the glass down on the table and rose to his feet.
"Otherwise, you will continue to serve as the Nevermerean governor in Cambria and you will follow the orders of the king under my guidance as instructed. And if you behave dutifully and please the king, the girl will be allowed to live."
Last Edit: Aug 20, 2024 20:30:25 GMT -5 by Cam Pyetr
Post by Odina Ellis on Aug 20, 2024 21:01:41 GMT -5
Odina rose with Cam but she never lost her edge, "Then so be it," Odina reached down between her breast's and withdrew a small wax sealed scroll and tossed the scroll a little harder than she meant, "You can send my resignation to the King for me," and she continued to walk past Cam, "You can have the big boy house, I've done started the process of moving my belongings to Lady Carter's previous residence. Sleep tight Lord Pyetr."
She'd leave if not stopped. Cam surely knew making everyone here his enemy wasn't good.